One week.
In that time, Izuku's group had adjusted to the day-to-day in the safe house they had chosen. The boys would scout most of the day around the surrounding area for proper supplies or anything they thought may become helpful to the group. Afterward, Kacchan would push everyone through hours of training and spars.
After a few trips, they had stocked up a good pile of abandoned electronics causing Hatsume to go into a mad frenzy of constructing different gadgets and inventions. Most were useless that benefited no one, while some had come in handy, like Kaminari's electrical bracelet that helped him control the output of his quirk.
That was what brought them today as Hatsume worked on setting up her monitors to test out her latest invention while everyone crowded around her waiting for her to finish.
Izuku stood off to the side, watching with anticipation as his finger tapped against his hip, he wanted to rush Hatsume, but he kept his impatience to himself. Kacchan didn't hide it as quickly as his foot kicked against the piles of concrete under their makeshift door-table, making it shake.
Izuku wondered if he'd end up tipping the whole thing over after they had made the effort of setting it up for his mom after she had insisted they all eat their meals together.
Kaminari laughed as he chatted with Shinso, who, surprisingly, had tolerated the yellow-haired boy during their time here. The two sat across from Izuku and Kacchan, who had stayed silent while they waited content to watch.
"We are ready for testing!" Hatsume said.
Hatsume motioned one of the little spies onto a disk platform she had created from the scraps of Chieko's collar. Izuku was glad Hatsume had finally been able to remove the thing a few days ago.
It had been a struggle to see Chieko keep her distance from everyone for fear of brushing against anyone by mistake.
Kacchan's foot slammed into the ground as he leaned forward over the table, already losing the battle with his patience.
Izuku held back a smile, knowing that the only reason the blonde hadn't already exploded was that Izuku's mom was across from them in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Chieko was with her, having latched onto the older woman like a baby chick following behind his mom most days. She assisted his mom with most of the cleaning and cooking; though she had no idea what she was doing, she did her best.
Currently, she was attempting to peel the potatoes they had scavenged the previous day. Chieko wasn't fairing very well, cutting off chunks of the potato with the skin, turning it into a tiny piece by the end. Izuku's mom doted on her, though, never looking annoyed in the slightest at her mistakes.
The monitors flickered, catching Izuku's attention as he turned back to the screens.
After a moment, Inasa's smiling face came into view. Even though it had only been a week since they had parted, Izuku let out a sigh of relief to see his friend safe and in a chipper mood. He noticed how Hatsume's shoulders drooped in relief, undoubtedly feeling the same comfort that Izuku felt.
"Hello, friends!" Inasa said.
Izuku smiled at his friend and gave him a small wave in return.
"It's good to see you're okay." Izuku said.
"You are okay, right?" Hatsume asked.
Inasa nodded.
"I'm fine, so don't worry. It was... difficult the first couple of days when we got back and we still a lot we need to do to be completely in the clear. But everyone has settled down now. Inazumi is locked up along with the few heroes that sided with him. We're still debriefing the rest, but those that have been cleared have fallen in line to help get things back in order again. "Inasa said.
Izuku glanced over at Chieko to see if she had heard Inasa. She didn't seem bothered in any way as her pink tongue peeked out between her lips as she tried to move the knife across the potato's surface to remove the skin. His mother made eye contact with Izuku, letting him know she was aware of the touchy subject they were discussing and nodded to reassure him that she was keeping Chieko busy.
"Don't let your guard down for a second. I don't trust any of those bastards switching sides so easily. They could still be under his thumb." Kacchan said.
"Don't worry, we're keeping a close eye on everyone for now. And no one but me or the detective are allowed near him." Inasa said.
Izuku sat back in his chair, feeling some of the weight ease up at the news.
"That's good." Izuku said.
He took a breath as they all relaxed, with Hatsume taking over most of Inasa's attention. Izuku allowed them time to catch up with their friend. Even his mom and Chieko came over to say hello when Izuku gave her the all-clear.
After a while, Izuku stood up to get everyone's attention.
"So, Inasa, even though you stayed behind, I still consider you a part of this group, so since you're here, I think now is the best time to talk about making preparations to get back on the road to U.A.," Izuku said.
The room went silent as everyone mulled over what Izuku said.
Kaminari was the first to say something when no one spoke up. The boy reclined back in his chair, his hands resting behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling.
"I don't see the point now. We have everything we need here. I say we scrap the whole U.A. idea and set up a base right here. We can fortify the place, make it nice and secure. You three can continue scavenging and I'll keep the lights on. Its a win, win for everyone!" Kaminari said.
Izuku was surprised that Shinso seemed to agree as he nodded in agreement to the suggestion.
Neither Inasa nor Hatsume said anything; the pink-haired girl focused on fiddling with one of her screwdrivers while Inasa observed.
The quiet of the room only magnified Kacchan's words as he slammed his hands against the wood of their door-table, making it groan under the weight.
"You idiot! We don't have squat here! You trying to get us all killed." Kacchan yelled.
Kaminari was startled, his chair tipping back too far to hold him up as he toppled back to the ground. Izuku stood up, worried he had injured himself, but Kaminari sat back up, rubbing the back of his head as he looked up at Kacchan, confused but okay.
Izuku's mom came over to check on Kaminari, who ate up the attention as she looked him over.
"Katsuki." Inko chided him.
Kacchan huffed but threw himself back into his chair as he crossed his arms and looked away from everyone fed up.
Izuku laid his hand on the blonde's shoulder, ensuring Kacchan was fine before he faced the others.
"Kacchan is right though. Most of the food in the area has spoiled by now, and the rest will be canned and temporary. We're not in the best area to sustain this place long term. It's not different from being out in the open." Izuku said.
"But most of the villains and people have moved on from this area... I just worry that U.A. is no different than the hospital." Shinso said.
Izuku's fist clenched, aware that they were taking a risk. There was no reason to believe the heroes there would be any different than in the hospital, but they needed better protection and resources than what they had at the moment. And Izuku needed information on what was going on with that villain group who had killed All Might so he could better prepare his group to survive.
"For now, but we don't know if or when that may change. It would be safer to keep moving and take the chance with U.A... for now. "Izuku said.
Kacchan looked at the purple-haired boy, making eye contact as he finished what Izuku was suggesting.
"And if they're the same as those bastards at the hospital, then we all bail and keep moving." Kacchan said.
Inasa spoke up for the first time since the meeting began.
"I don't think I should have much of a say since I'm not there with you all, but I trust whatever you think is best Midoriya." Inasa said.
"If Inasa trusts you, then I do too." Hatsume said.
Shinso stared them down, giving nothing away with his blank neutral face before he nodded, a smirk of amusement forming across his face.
"Okay, why not. I'm in your care, hero. "He said
Izuku's chest twinged. He knew Shinso didn't mean anything by it, but somehow with everything that happened, the word hero no longer held the feelings of hope and security it once had.
It felt more like a taboo word no one should speak aloud.
Did heroes still exist, or had the meaning died with All Might?
Izuku didn't let it show as he nodded towards Shinso before moving on to Kaminari, who watched everything with a pout. His mom had already moved on back to the kitchen, leaving them alone once reassured that Kaminari was fine.
"Mannn. Okay, fine, I'm in too. Let's go to U.A. But if things go wrong, I'm going to be the first to say, I told you so." Kaminari said.
"Oh, shut up. "Kacchan said.
"Let's break for now then. I'm going to do some scouting and see if I can find more food. We can regroup to plan our next steps tomorrow." Izuku said.
When everyone agreed, Izuku stretched as Hatsume talked with Inasa, while Kaminari and Shinso settled in to wait for dinner.
"Try to be back before dinner this time, okay," Inko said.
"I promise to keep better track of the time." Izuku said.
Izuku did his best to reassure his mom, who was doing her best not to question him, even though he could see how worried she was that he was leaving. He gave his mom a peck on the cheek.
"Speaking of dinner, what are we having today, Mrs. M?" Kaminari asked as he reclined on one of the counters, doing his best to sneak past his mom to steal some of the few veggies they still had from the hospital.
His mom slapped his hand away as she scolded him.
"Now you wait until dinner like everyone else." Inko said.
"Sorry Mrs. M." Kaminari said.
He moved farther down until he stood in front of Chieko, who shrank in place when Kaminari set his sights on her. "You need any help?" He asked.
"No, I'm fine." Chieko said.
Izuku lingered in the kitchen even though he was supposed to be going upstairs to get ready. It wasn't that he didn't trust Kaminari around Chieko, but he just worried for her.
Chieko did her best to show she was fine, but he could see how much everything still overwhelmed her, and it was evident in the way she acted around others now, as if she was afraid to get too close to anyone.
It wasn't that she pulled away from anyone. Izuku thought that would have been better than the cold stillness that would come over her when someone got too close as if she was resigned, and it was only natural that they would reach out to her without her consent.
It was worrying to see her shut down that way, and it took hours for her to come back to herself after, so everyone in the group did their best to avoid getting too close without her initiating it.
"Get lost, Pikachu! Go do your chores,." Kacchan yelled.
Kacchan went over to stand next to Chieko, pushing Kaminari back with his mere presence alone. Kaminari left when Kacchan glared at him, giving a small wave as he scattered to do his chores.
Even when the yellow-haired boy left, Kacchan didn't move from his spot and didn't acknowledge Chieko's flinch. He kept a decent distance but didn't go out of his way to haul away when she shrunk back like Izuku, or the others would have.
Instead, Kacchan stayed right where he was and grabbed a potato, beginning the process of peeling it. His hand movements were quick and precise, leaving a thin layer of skin to pile up on the table.
Chieko, curious, leaned a bit closer to watch her mouth open in awe of Kacchan's skills.
"How do you do that?" Chieko asked.
"It's peeling a fucking potato, not rocket science. You idiots would have starved to death if it wasn't for auntie and me!" Kacchan said.
"Language Katsuki." Inko chided him.
"And why are you letting pikachu get to you? Just tell him to fuck off next time." Kacchan said.
"Katsuki!" Inko said. Her tone was sharper than before.
Kacchan flinched but didn't stop his peeling. His words came out mumbled as he apologized, the words forced but sincere.
"Sorry auntie." Kacchan said.
"Oooo you got in trouble." Chieko teased.
Kacchan growled as he glared at her, unamused by her teasing.
Izuku lingered happily to hear her laughter come through clear and crisp. It was almost like he remembered it.
"Shut up!" Kacchan yelled.
"Sorry sorry. Anyway, I don't mind him being around... It's just... takes me a minute when they get too close. "She said.
"Well say something then, don't be a scaredy cat and open your
mouth when you need them to back off." Kacchan said.
Chieko smiled and leaned a bit closer as she focused on her butchered potato. Kacchan had a way of bringing out the girl they had gotten to know during their travels, something that not even his mom could do. She was so comfortable around Kacchan when compared to Izuku. However, he began to wonder if it had less to do with Chieko and more to do with the guilt he carried deep in his chest.
Every time Izuku looked at her, all he saw was the broken girl he found trembling in that empty room. That day her image burned into his eyes, so Izuku would freeze around her now, afraid if he said the wrong thing, she would shatter.
"Why do I need to say anything when you'll scare off any cute boy that comes by." Chieko teased.
Izuku shook his head, stifling his laughter as he turned to leave.
Kaminari's head popped back into the kitchen from the hallway as Izuku passed, his eyes shining and excited as he looked back at Chieko.
"You think I'm cute?" Kaminari asked.
"I told you to fuck off!" Kacchan yelled.
"Katsuki!" Inko yelled.
Chieko's laughter followed Izuku's, mingling with his own as he made his way upstairs.
The upstairs had a few empty rooms, but they had all agreed to sleep in the master bedroom for safety. They made makeshift beds on the floor out of any blankets they had found in the area. That and the cramped sleeping arrangement kept them warm for most nights. They were comfortable for the most part if you ignored the awkward body only centimeters from each and the occupation sleeping kick or swinging arm to the face. On the farthest side, the boys had hung up a bright blue tarp they had picked up to separate the three girls of their group, giving them as much privacy as possible while sharing a room.
Izuku stuffed a compass and map of the area along with a few water bottles. Their little spy lay resting between the folds of the map, out of sight unless needed. Izuku also tucked the intercom Hatsume had made for them in case she needed to reach them. The distance wasn't the best, but it allowed them to stay in contact if there was any trouble.
Kaminari had become Hatsume's new favorite person since he kept all of her gadgets functional with his electric quirk. It allowed her spies to stay charged around the clock as they stayed scattered around their pseudo territory, keeping watch for any threats.
Hatsume's gadgets were a godsend. Izuku didn't want to imagine what things would have been like if she had insisted on staying behind with Inasa.
Her spies were especially useful at night while they slept. Not that Izuku slept much. He found himself up most nights sitting at their dining table, Hatsume's monitors left on to show the video feed from the 20 or so spies that had flittering about outside. His mind just wouldn't shut off as he wrote every plan or scenario that had come to mind. Most of it was useless, but he still wrote them down into the journals he had taken from one of the shops, obsessing over everything they still needed to do until his head hit the table and he passed out over his chaotic scribbles in exhaustion. Every morning he'd wake up in the room, though with Kacchan yelling at him to wake up.
As he laced up his shoes, Izuku considered Kaminari and Shinso's reasons for wanting to stay here. It wasn't that Izuku didn't understand, but he could see how temporary this all was. Too many unknown variables and paths could turn their little haven into a death trap from any passing threat.
"Izuku?" Inko asked.
Izuku turned to see his mom had come into the room to watch him get ready.
"Yes?" He asked.
Izuku could see she was choosing her words as she thought over what to say. He frowned when she fiddled with the rope she used to keep her pants tight around her waist. Izuku made a mental note to find her some new clothes today.
He wasn't sure if it was the change in their diet, the stress of everything, or a mixture of both, but her usual clothes had begun to drape over her thinning form. She looked paler too, and Izuku worried she might not be eating as much as the others. He wouldn't put it past his mom to give up some of her food so the others would have enough to eat.
"Do you think you could take Miyahara with you?" She asked.
Izuku's first instinct was to say no, but his mom stopped him midway.
"I think it would be good for her to get out of here for a while." She said.
Izuku paused. He knew why his mom was suggesting it, and he considered what she was asking of him. She was right. Izuku knew his mom was right even when every part of him wanted to say no.
So he agreed.
"Okay, I'll take her with me." He said.
"Oh, good! I really do think this will be good for her." She said.
"You know, I thought you'd be so worried about me that you'd keep me from going out alone, but you've been pretty understanding." Izuku said.
His mom stepped closer to him and rested a soft palm against his cheek as she looked up at him. Izuku didn't even realize he was now taller than her until this very moment.
"You know, back then when I looked at you I saw this sweet little boy with no quirk and a big dream to be a great hero like All Might...And that scared me so much that I thought I had to protect you." Izuku leaned into his mom's palm.
"But now in this new world and with what you told me about your new quirk….I realize…..I can't afford to hold you back anymore…. I just thank All Might every day for giving you the means to stay alive." Inko said.
His mom's tears spilled over as her words became strained, and Izuku couldn't help but respond the same as they embraced in a teary mess on the floor.
"Every damn time you two are crying, don't worry auntie. I'll make sure to pull him out of the trouble we know he'll get into ." Kacchan said.
Izuku and his mom turned to find Kacchan leaning back against the door frame, his arms crossed as he watched from the sidelines. Chieko's quiet form peaked out from around Kacchan as she smiled at them.
They did their best to compose themselves as his mom wiped at her eyes with the sleeves of her sweater.
"Thank you Katsuki, I feel better knowing you're there with him." Inko said.
Kacchan's ears turned a light pink at his mom's words, and he could see Chieko grinning, ready to tease the blonde again, but Izuku distracted her before she could say anything.
"Miyahara, why don't you get ready and come with me today?" Izuku asked.
Chieko nodded and headed to her spot behind the tarp.
"Can Baku come with?" Chieko asked.
Kacchan huffed, irritated by her recent nickname for him, but he didn't tell her to stop.
"Of course I'm going. Someone has to babysit you two." Kacchan said.
"You sure?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Kacchan said.
Kacchan had already gone out on the last outing, but if he were offering to come then, Izuku wouldn't stop him from coming along.
Kacchan would make a good buffer for him and Chieko.
They headed out not long after that, with Hatsume promising to keep an eye out on the coms in case they needed anything.
"Be safe." Shinso said
They went farther than their previous searches, looking through the different shops they came across. Except for a few canned and boxed foods, most of them had spoiled, so Izuku and Kacchan concentrated on any proper supplies they might need when they returned to their travels.
Chieko stuck close to Kacchan for most of the trip, her grip tight at the end of his sleeve. Kacchan looked annoyed but didn't pull away or protest. Izuku knew he preferred her close where they could see her rather than wandering off.
They had found their way into one of the retail stores where Izuku was trying to find something for his mom, but he had realized early on that he had no idea what to get her.
"What are you doing over here muttering to yourself?" Chieko
asked.
Izuku stopped his musing and looked up at Chieko, who stood on the other side of the clothes rack he was standing in front of. He didn't see the blonde anywhere nearby.
"Where's Kacchan?" He asked.
"He said he was going to see if they had any useful kitchen stuff worth taking and told me stay with you before walking off. "Chieko said.
Izuku nodded, the awkwardness starting to thicken between them. Izuku realized they hadn't been alone like this since the hospital when he rescued her. His mind was going blank until he remembered her earlier question and latched onto the topic.
"Umm, I was trying to get new clothes for my mom, but I'm not sure what to get her." Izuku said.
"Oh, I think some simple jeans and a few blouses would be fine..maybe a cardigan to replace her ripped one?" Chieko offered.
Chieko scanned through the racks, pulling out a few different items, never once asking for the size, not that Izuku had any clue what it could be with her drop in weight. By the time Kacchan returned, Chieko had found two pairs of pants and three simple blouses. She found a soft teal cardigan that she was sure his mom would love.
"Let's get a backpack and I can carry this if you want." Chieko offered.
"That would be great, thanks." Izuku said.
Chieko smiled up at him as some of the tension between them eased as she picked out a backpack big enough to fold their goods.
As she put the pack on her back, she made her way back to Kacchan's side, her hand already reaching for his sleeve, which Kacchan conveniently had available in her direction to grab.
"Where to now?" Chieko asked.
"We're not finding as much as before. If we don't move on to U.A., we're going to run out of food soon. "Kacchan said.
Izuku pulled out the notebook he had scored during their last raise as he considered their next plan.
"Hmm. If we don't find anymore food, then I'd say we have two more weeks at best, but then we'd be heading out with next to nothing in supplies. "Izuku muttered, lost in thought.
Izuku headed out of the shop, the other two close behind him as he looked around their area.
"Before we head back, we should stock up on medical supplies. I think there was a pharmacy a few blocks back." Izuku said.
Chieko looked up at Izuku in surprise, her eyes shifting away when he glanced back at her. She moved as if she wanted to say something.
"What is it?" Izuku asked.
"I can heal anyone that's injured," she said.
She was struggling to offer up her quirk. Even if her voice was steady and her face was sincere, there was a paleness to her skin that washed over her the moment she offered it. The guilt lay heavy, and Izuku shook his head at her.
"No, don't worry about that, Chieko. You don't have to do anything like that for us, okay." He said.
Her face fell as she looked down at the ground. Izuku's brows lifted in surprise at her reaction, sure that she had only done so out of some sense of obligation to the group. Chieko bit into her bottom lip as her fist clenched, and she pushed back.
"Stop treating me like a kid. I said I could do it! "She yelled.
Izuku jumped back in surprise, unsure of what to do, but Kacchan didn't respond; instead of staring back at her, his hands stuffed into his pockets and one eyebrow raised.
"If you want everyone to stop treating you like a kid, then stop acting like one. Your quirk is useless if anyone gets sick, so we need to make sure we have medicine to treat them. Plus, your quirk is for emergencies only, you got that. "Kacchan said.
Chieko pouted, her cheeks puffing up as she glared over at Kacchan, but she nodded, and Izuku smiled at the normal response of irritation from her. Something about Kacchan always made her the closest to her old self.
"You're such an asshole." Chieko said.
"And you're a fucking pain in my ass, now let's go!" Kacchan said.
They decided to head back home with the agreement to detour to the pharmacy that was on their route.
When they got there, Izuku was surprised to find the door locked, and the windows boarded up.
"It's locked." Izuku said.
"Yeah, no shit sherlocks." Kacchan said.
"Should we try breaking the lock to get in?" Chieko asked.
"It's a risk. We don't know who or what is there." Izuku muttered.
"We need supplies though. So could anyone have really survived this area on their own with such little food around?" Izuku asked.
"It's not likely, let's just take the chance. If there's any danger, I'll blast them, "Kacchan said.
Kacchan set off a small blast against the lock, making it break apart with a snap. They were cautious, with Kacchan and Izuku taking the lead as they walked into the building.
It was empty of anyone, but items still filled each row with medicine and supplies. They spread out to look through the shelves.
"Hmmm.." Izuku said.
Izuku glanced at the different bandage products, his fingers rubbing against his jaw as he perused the isle.
"What is it nerd?" Kacchan asked.
"There's too much." Izuku muttered.
Chieko peaked over from farther down the aisle as she looked over the types of allergy medicines.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"How can there still be so much here? This place wasn't hidden, so
people should have raided this place just like everywhere else, but its spotless. "Izuku said.
Izuku noticed a shift in the corner of his eye, and he reacted as he pushed Chieko, who shouted as she fell onto the ground, her body sliding across the linoleum a few feet away. Izuku turned without glancing at Chieko as he crashed into Kacchan, dropping them both to the ground in time to feel something fly over them.
There was a crash as items fell over top of them, and Izuku glanced over once it grew quiet to find a beige-ivory spike sticking out of the shelf Kacchan had been standing in front of.
"Get out of my pharmacy!"
The voice came from somewhere behind the counter where Izuku had noticed a door earlier. It must have led to some kind of backroom.
Kacchan growled, pushing Izuku off of him as they both peaked through the top of the shelf to see the shadow of what looked like an older man standing over by the front desk. His arms were stretched out in front of him as he aimed right at their heads. Izuku and Kacchan had just enough time to duck back down before another spike flew over them and into the shelf with a loud thunk, spilling more items onto the floor.
"We can't leave if you keep trying to kill us!" Kacchan yelled.
Izuku glanced over to check on Chieko, who had landed past the end of the aisle and in clear sight of the front desk. She was crouched low to the ground, her form curled into herself for protection. The man had yet to shoot at her, so it was possible he still hadn't noticed her.
"Chieko…..Chieko." Izuku whispered.
Izuku tried to get her attention in a hushed tone while Kacchan distracted the older man.
"Midoriya?" Chieko asked.
Her pupils were blown wide, making her eyes look too big for her face as she looked up at Izuku. They were glassy with the attempt to hold in her tears. Izuku motioned for her to come closer to them, but Chieko shook her head.
"Just try." Izuku said.
Chieko nodded and did her best to keep her eye towards the front desk as she crawled her way towards them. She didn't take more than a few centimeters when the man directed his attention to her.
"Don't move!" He yelled.
Chieko flinched and stopped mid-step. Kacchan cursed behind Izuku, whose jaw clenched as he looked for their next plan of escape.
"Sit up girl." The man ordered.
Chieko looked confused as she hesitated about what to do.
"I said sit up! On your knees, you dimwit. And keep your hands up where I can see them." He ordered.
Chieko looked over to Izuku, who nodded at her to do as he said.
Chieko sat up facing the stranger with her hands up at level with her head. Izuku could only see her side profile now as her makeshift bun from earlier had fallen out, covering most of her face.
"I got spikes set on your girl here. So I want you both to crawl out here and kneel with her." The man ordered.
Izuku clenched his teeth and, after a glance back at Kacchan, they both moved out of their hiding spots as ordered. He tried to move between the stranger and Chieko, but the man noticed.
"No! I want you both behind the girl." He said.
"Bastard." Kacchan curses.
The stranger didn't respond to Kacchan's remark, but Izuku and Kacchan followed his instructions so that they were behind Chieko, their hands up and in view so as not to agitate the man.
"Look, we're sorry. We didn't mean to cause you any trouble. We thought this place was abandoned." Izuku said.
"So you decided to steal my stuff, huh? So the world goes to shit and you think you have a right to anything now, huh." He said.
"So what do you want us to pay for the medicine we got? Money is useless now, so what's the point!" Kacchan scoffed.
"You're right, money is useless, but that doesn't mean my products are for free." He said.
The man grinned then as a chill ran through Izuku as he towered over their kneeled forms.
"How about we do business and make a trade then." The stranger said.