Chieko's feet hit the ground, and she was didn't stop for Izuku as she ran through the doors and up the stairs. She had gone off to hide in their sleeping quarters.
His mom met her halfway up the stairs, her greeting going ignored as Chieko moved past her without a word and disappeared around the corner.
"Izuku, is she okay? What happened?" Inko asked.
"She's fine. I need to focus on heading back to get Kacchan." Izuku said.
"She didn't look fine to me." Inko said.
Glancing back where Chieko had disappeared, Inko moved back up the stairs to follow her as Izuku set his things down. "I'm going to go check on her while you deal with things here."
It was best he left Chieko to his mom, so Izuku nodded in agreement. She and Kacchan knew how to deal with her, whereas Izuku felt every interaction just made things worst between them.
Hatsume was already at their makeshift table working on their generator, the small solar panels she had snatched from the hospital resting nearby as Denki moved about the room, grabbing anything Hatsume needed as he went. It was like a smooth whirlwind of yellow dancing around with a focused Hatsume in the center. During their stay in the base, Denki and Hatsume had created a system of their own as he became an unofficial helper to the tanned, pink-haired engineer. Their skill sets suited each other as she relied on his electric quirk, while Denki, being the spaz of the group, needed something to keep him busy.
"How much longer?" Izuku asked.
Hatsume didn't even bother to spare him a glance as she worked on modifying the small box in front of her.
"She's been at it since you left, but I think it will still be a while longer." Denki answered for her.
"Is Chieko okay?" Denki asked.
Izuku watched the lighter-haired boy pick up an item and put it back down, then move on to organzine Hatsume's array of wrenches.
"She's okay, just upstairs with mom." Izuku said.
"She seemed pretty mad earlier." Denki said, making a point not to avoid Izuku's gaze.
They had heard their argument outside through the comms. The idea of them sitting to witness his blunder left him embarrassed.
"I just wanted her to understand how much danger she was in, but I'll talk to her later once all of this is over." Izuku tried to explain.
"Hey no judgement here, I'm glad she's okay, but maybe you could have handled that differently?" Denki suggested.
"We were in danger. I wasn't thinking about her feelings at that exact moment." Izuku said.
"I mean, I get it, but maybe that's the problem?" Denki tried again.
Izuku's jaw clenched. A bitterness growing in his gut. Something about Denki understanding Chieko more than Izuku didn't sit well with him.
"He's trying to say you were being a jerk to our sweet Chieko-chan." Hatsume said from her spot.
"What no! Well, I mean." Denki said.
Izuku fed up, so he left them to get ready. He stepped back outside to get some fresh air.
The sky was bright now that there waste much electricity. Stars littered the inky black of the sky, leaving a bluish glow on every surface around him.
"Midoriya." Shinsou said.
The neutral boy appeared standing at the door, his eyes watching Izuku, but giving nothing away.
Izuku sighed, his silence interrupted as he looked over at Shinsou.
"Are you here to tell me I messed up, too?" Izuku asked.
I just wanted to make sure you were ok. The purple-haired boy said.
Izuku wasn't sure why, but Shinsou had a way of putting him at ease, with Shinsou, there was no judgement. There never seemed to be any complaints about what anyone else did. His silent acceptance of all things reassuring.
"No, I'm not." Izuku admitted. He remembered the time when Shinsou had taken over his mind. The unsettling feeling of having lost control it reminded Izuku of the image of All Might and those shadows that had surrounded him.
"Shinsou, can I ask you a question?" Izuku asked.
"What is it?" Shinsou said.
"That time when you took over my mind?" Izuku said, but paused. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Shinsou about what he had seen, but curiosity reared forth to know if he had seen the same thing Izuku had.
"Did you see anything?" Izuku asked.
Shinsou gave him a steady gaze. There was a small pinch to his brows that gave away his confusion at what Izuku had asked him. "Do you mean like inside your head?"
"Sure, or just anything weird?" Izuku asked.
"No, I saw nothing. That's not how my quirk works."
Izuku let out a breath, both relieved and disappointed to know that he couldn't help him clarify what had happened.
Shinsou didn't push him for answers, which is another reason Izuku felt comfortable around him. Shinsou didn't pry.
"Come on Midoriya, let me get you something to eat while you wait."
Izuku nodded, following Shinsou back inside. Izuku wasn't ready to talk to Shinsou about One for All, but he wanted to talk to Kacchan about what he had seen.
The reminder of Kacchan only set Izuku off again, as he called out to Hatsume on their way to the kitchen.
"Hatsume, please hurry!" Izuku yelled.
"I said hold your horses!" Hatsume yelled back.
Izuku had only just finished his meal when Hatsume had the generator completed and packed for him.
Izuku hurried to get ready to head out.
His mom had returned by that point as she stood at the foot of the stairs watching him.
"Izuku, I think you need to speak to Chieko. She seems upset." Inko said.
"I promise when I get back, I'll clear things up with her."
He only had half his attention on his mom, though, as he slung the generator onto his back. Denki had helped in making some temporary straps to make it easier to carry.
"Its late. Are you sure you don't want to head out in the morning?" Inko asked.
"No, Kacchan is counting on me to get back to him as soon as possible. I need to bring him home." Izuku said.
"Don't worry Mrs. Midoriya. I'll go with him as backup." Shinsou reassured.
"Thank you Shinsou." Inko said.
Izuku didn't argue with the added help. Even if Shinsou was still a novice in a physical fight, Katsuki and Izuku had helped him work through the basics. His quirk was also a good thing to have in a pinch.
They didn't speak during the trip, Izuku too focused on running to get there as soon as possible, while Shinsou just did his best to keep up.
By the time they had made it to the shop, the sky had lightened to a murky blue with the sun hanging below the horizon, ready to burst through the edges to light of the morning sky.. The long hours awake were taking a toll on Izuku, but he did his best to shake any remanents of sleep that crept through his heavy limbs and into the edges of his vision. He told himself he'd rest when they were safe, but if Izuku took the time to be honest with himself, he couldn't be sure if that was just him lying to himself, he couldn't remember the last time he felt safe since the villains had taken over.
Izuku banged his fist against the broken door, his impatience worn thin. There was no movement at first, which only made his anxious thoughts run wild. The possibility they had left with Kacchan prevalent at the forefront of his thoughts.
"Calm down Midoriya. They could have gone to sleep." Shinsou suggested.
"They knew I was coming back for him." Izuku said as he banged on the door again.
They heard what sounded like something heavy being moved away from the door and the owner appeared, his face disgruntled, but otherwise amused by Izuku's presence.
"You sure got back fast." Hachiro said.
"Where's Kacchan." Izuku said, ignoring his comment.
The man noticed Shinsou standing behind Izuku, and his brow quirked up in surprise.
"How many of you are there?" Hachiro asked.
"I said where's Kacchan." Izuku repeated.
Hachiro sighed, letting them into the dark space of the store. The room was lit by a single flashlight that Hachiro's partner was holding. The younger man flashed the light onto Izuku's face, making him flinch back and away.
"So is speed like your quirk or something? Or are you all just close by?" the younger man asked.
"Now, now Sato, leave the poor boy alone. He wants his friend back." Hachiro teased.
His voice was mocking, but Izuku didn't are care at this point. He just wanted this exchange to be completed and over with.
Hachiro moved to stand next to Sato as he motioned for them to follow him.
"Your friend is safe and sound. I'll lead you to him." Hachiro said before turning and moving his way past an open door.
Izuku said nothing as he followed. Shinsou stuck close beside him, but he didn't show any signs of being nervous. His face stayed calm and bland, though his attention seemed focus on Sato, who had trapped them between the two older men.
They turned to the room on the left of the hallway and there Izuku found Kacchan sitting on his own. His back propped back against a shelf of books. His bag laid across his lap in easy reach.
"Kacchan!" Izuku cried.
"Took you long enough to get back," Kacchan complained.
The tension in Izuku's chest eased when he saw his friend grumpy, but otherwise unharmed. Kacchan stood and walked over to them. Once satisfied, Izuku turned back to the older man.
"Here is my end of the agreement." Izuku said.
He set the generator down in front of him and placed the security locked on top before stepping back to his group.
He gave them space to inspect the items, only speaking up to explain how to work the solar power and generator like Hatsume had told him.
"Well, everything seems to work okay, so it was a pleasure doing business with you boys." Hachiro said, pleased.
Izuku nodded and turns to head out.
"Now hold on, why don't you three stay and rest for a bit?" Hachiro suggests.
"Yeah, I'm sure the broccoli headed one hasn't had an ounce of sleep since I last saw him." Sato joked.
"We can chat for a bit too and you can tell me all about where you found all these items." Hachiro said.
Izuku's teeth clenched as he bit his tongue to stop himself from lashing out at the older man. There was no doubt their curiosity was stronger now and Izuku wasn't sure how far they would go to satiate their interests.
The older man took a step closer to them, his arms crossed in front as he looked at each one of them. "You see. Me and my partner here have scoured the area for months and not once have we come across such nice treasures like you have. So how about it?" Hachiro offered.
"No thank you, we just want to go." Shinsou said.
Izuku was glad the Shinsou had spoken up for him, because he wasn't in the mood to play pleasantries much longer, but he it was too dangerous to start any sort of argument while they were being civil, so he bit his tongue ignoring One for all as it itched under his skin at the prospect of being activated.
"Alright, I understand. No place like home, right?" Hachiro turned, escorting them back up to the front.
They made their way back to the front of the store, but when Izuku took one step onto the street outside, Hachiro grabbed the back of his shirt, hauling him back with a sudden jerk, making him stumble back into the older man.
"Hey what's the big idea?" Kacchan shouted.
Katsuki grabbed Izuku's wrist, pulling him forward just as roughly until Izuku was back next to him.
Hachiro didn't grab for him again as he lifted his hands up in a mocking jester.
"Calm down. No need to be so jumpy. I just wanted to say one last thing before you left." Hachiro said.
Izuku glared at the older, smirking man, waiting for him to say his piece so they could leave. "What is it?"
"Say Hi to Chieko for me, would you?" Hachiro teased.
Izuku's anger returned, simmering under the surface as he clenched his fist and took a step towards the man whose smirk only stretched farther across his face.
"Let it go Deku." Kacchan said.
Izuku stopped and didn't respond, as he allowed the blonde to drag him out of the area.
It wasn't until they stopped several blocks away that Izuku could breathe again.
"This all go a little too smoothly for you?" Kacchan said, the edge of suspicion marring his tone.
"Yeah, they were too interested in the end to have let us go that easily." Shinsou agreed.
Izuku nodded, making sure Hatsume was still on the line and could hear them. "Hatsume?"
"Yes! I'm here!"
"Get everyone together and start packing. Keep it light. Anything we can't carry, we need to leave behind." Izuku said.
"We're leaving?" Denki asked.
"Yes, it's no longer safe."
Kacchan's nod of agreement only solidified Izuku's resolve as the three boys headed back. They all knew this wouldn't before between them and Hachiro's group, but Izuku's only goal now was to have them escape before they could find their base.