21 May 2179
Blood dripped down into Tensei's eye, but he couldn't wipe it away. He couldn't wipe anything away right now.
Tensei couldn't move.
It had all happened so fast, he'd been out on patrol and heard a man calling for help from an alley. Tensei had been so cautious, nearly certain he was walking into a trap.
All he had felt was pain across his forehead, knocking his helmet clean off, and then he was frozen, falling to the tarmac mid-step.
"False hero."
A figure slithered out of the dark, blades strapped to every inch of his body.
"Stain." Tensei grunted, his voice muffled, face pressed against the tarmac.
He knew his fate was sealed. Every hero who found themselves at Stain's mercy ended up paralysed, or dead.
Stain stalked over to Tensei as he drew his katana. "So, which one are you?"
The blade hovered over Tensei's leg.
"Father?"
It moved to over his arm.
"Or son?"
And then his heart.
"Or should I just finish you off right now?"
"Screw you." Tensei hissed, barely able to move his mouth.
"Hm, you've got spirit." Stain noted. "You may be a false hero, but you're one of the better ones, for that, I'll only cripple you."
The katana plunged into Tensei's left leg, right where the nerve for activating his engines would have been if he had them in his legs like Tenya and his father.
"So, you're the son then." Stain mused, pulling the blade out. "No matter, we've got all the time in the world."
Stain raised the blade high, ready to bring it down on Tensei's arm and end his future as a hero.
No! I can't end like this, I swore I'll be there for Tenya as he became a hero. By his side for as long as he wanted me.
The blade dropped.
I swore I'd save everyone I can!
But the pain never came.
The katana shattered, leaving only the handle in Stain's grip.
Out of the darkness, two small projectiles fired at Stain. Drawing a knife, the Hero Killer deflected them both.
"I apologise for our tardy arrival." Sir Nighteye spoke as he stepped into the light, hyper-dense seals between each finger. "We got here as soon as we could."
"Nighteye." Stain growled, true anger seeping into his voice. "All Might's rat of a sidekick, the one who abandoned him. I guess you saw this with your quirk."
Nighteye didn't respond, but Tensei could tell every muscle was taught, ready to spring into action.
"Huh, I guess I failed tonight." Stain uttered, backing down the alley. "There's a first time for everything."
Cloth soared out from behind Stain, curling towards him.
Tensei gave a grim smile.
Shota, you're here.
Stain dodged at the last second, the capture scarf only wrapping around the knife, pulling it from the villain's grip.
"Eraserhead, we meet again." Stain greeted. "You always were a pain to deal with."
"I don't know you." Eraserhead replied from the shadows.
"Not with this name."
"I don't care." Eraserhead's eyes shone red, cutting through the dark.
Suddenly, Tensei could move again, whatever had been paralyzing him was Stain's quirk.
Tensei's eyes fell on Stain, his right leg not far from where the Engine Hero lay.
Recipro Burst!
Charging up his engine, Tensei pulled his arm back and punched. His armoured fist slammed in Stain's leg, the bone breaking under the force of the blow.
Stain growled in pain, dropping to one knee to cradle his shattered leg.
"I thought you had a shred of honour." Stain spat at Tensei. "You're just as foul as the rest of the false heroes. The only true hero is All Might."
Tensei pushed himself to the wall of the alley, sitting against it. "If you hold every hero up to the standard of All Might, we will all pale in comparison. Not every hero can be the Symbol of Peace, but we can help however we can, in no matter how small a way."
Nighteye and Eraserhead watched on, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.
"We're not gods, we're no different to police officers, firefighters, paramedics, we do what we do to save lives, and yes, you wouldn't ask any of them to work for free. So why us?" Tensei spoke through gritted teeth, the pain in his leg flaring with every movement. "And you're right, not every hero is in this job for the right reasons, but they still save lives that would otherwise have been lost!"
Tensei levelled a glare at Stain.
"You're not a noble force cleansing Japan of false heroes, you're a child who refuses to grow up and see that life isn't fair. That it isn't kind." Tensei continued, he could feel his consciousness slipping. "That's why it's our job to make it just a little bit less awful. You're a monster, Stain. How many lives have been lost because you killed the hero who was going to save them?!"
With that, Nighteye and Eraserhead closed in on Stain.
But it was too late, in an instant Stain was gone.
Tensei's head drooped forwards, as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Tenya power-walked through the hospital as fast as he could, being careful not to run, as per hospital regulations.
He had been on the train home, coming back from Takoba Beach, when he'd gotten the call.
Tensei had been injured in the line of duty, by the Hero Killer. The sidekick who had informed him had hastily added that Tensei wasn't dead or critically injured.
But that did nothing to assuage his worry.
Paralysis or death, these were the fates the Hero Killer bestowed on his victims, either way, Tensei's hero career was over.
Ingenium was over.
Tenya had promised he would become a hero and fight by Tensei's side, for as long as he wanted him.
"Tenya, over here."
The retired hero duo, Carburettor and Piston, or as Tenya knew them better, Mother and Father, stood in the corridor, worry etched into their faces.
"Mother." Tenya bowed respectfully. "Father."
"You really need to lighten up, kiddo." A gravelly voice spoke.
"Grandfather." Tenya bowed again.
Hiroshi Iida, the first Ingenium, chuckled. "Case in point."
"Tensei, is he okay?" Tenya questioned.
Tenya's mother nodded. "He's been asking after you, you can go in."
Approaching the door, Tenya's hand hesisted over the handle.
Making his decision, Tenya turned the handle, pushing the door open slowly, in case Tensei was asleep.
-and then Oboro said he'd eat it."
It was Tensei's voice.
"I remember that now. Never seen Nemuri blush quite that much before."
Another voice, familiar, but Tenya couldn't quite place it.
"And Hizashi nearly choked to death on his lunch. And Toya-" Tensei looked over, smiling. "Hey, Tenya!"
Relief washed through Tenya, if his brother was smiling, it couldn't be too bad, he was sure of it.
Then Tenya saw who his brother had been speaking to.
Eraserhead.
"Mr. Aizawa!" Tenya exclaimed, hurriedly bowing. "I didn't realise you were in here, I should have knocked. I apologise!"
Mr. Aizawa sighed and rolled his eyes. "Right now, I'm not your teacher."
"Right! I apologise, Mr. Eraserhead!"
"It's just Eraserhead." Mr. Aizawa sighed again. "Never mind."
Tensei chuckled, before wincing. "Should have seen your face, Tenya, if I only had a camera."
Eraserhead stood, stretching slightly. "I should be off, I've got a meeting that includes the Flaming Moron in the morning. If I don't get some sleep I'm going to end up dangling him out a window with my scarf."
Tensei gave a discreet cough, jerking his head towards his brother.
Aizawa shrugged. "Who's he going to tell, Todoroki Minor? The kid would probably cheer me on. Scratch that, he'd probably offer to help."
"Shota." Tensei spoke warningly. "I doubt it's that bad."
Aizawa's face darkened, he leaned in, whispering something to Tensei that Tenya couldn't hear. Which he supposed was the point of the action.
Tenya saw a range of emotions wash over his brother's face, from shock, to happiness, then sadness.
"Really?" Tensei asked, his expression an odd mix of hopeful and resigned.
Aizawa nodded. "I'd better leave, let you two talk."
With that Aizawa made his way to the door.
"Iida, I've scheduled a therapy session for you once schooling resumes." Aizawa placed his hand on Tenya's shoulder. "Seeing a classmate like that, it's a lot to cope with."
And then Aizawa was gone, closing the door behind himself.
"Hey, Tenya."
"You called him Shota?" Tenya questioned. "One of the classmates you went to U.A. with? He's Mr. Aizawa?"
Tensei chuckled, nodding. "He is."
"My apologies, I should be asking how you are." Tenya took a seat at Tensei's bedside, unable to stop himself from seeing Midoriya, lying in a hospital bed, tubes breathing for him.
"A few months of physical therapy and I should be back on my feet." Tensei smiled reassuringly. "No pun intended."
Tenya nodded, feeling relieved. "That is great news, normally-"
His voice gave out, the words too hard to speak.
"Eraserhead and All Might's old sidekick, Sir Nighteye, saved me. He's got a precog quirk." Tensei answered. "Don't worry, this Ingenium ain't over yet, there's plenty of fuel left in the tank. And yes, that one was a pun."
Sir Nighteye? All Might's sidekick? Then he is most likely aware of One For All. I wonder if he knows I have it, or at least a part of it, now?
"Tenya?"
The navy-haired boy looked up. "I apologise, I was just thinking about something. I'm fine."
"It'll be okay, no-one is expecting you to be fine." Tensei assured. "Seeing a fellow hero like that, it messes you up, even when you've been doing this stuff for over a decade. It's never easy."
Tensei clasped his brother's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
"I'm here for you, Tenya. Whether it's a hug, or you just need me to take your mind off it with one of my classic puns." Tensei smiled. "I'm here for you."
Tenya felt tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "Thank you, Tensei."
"What are big brothers for?" Tensei joked. "So, I was trying to ask you a very important question."
"What is it?'
"Have you decided on a hero name yet?"
Tenya nodded resolutely. "I have."
22 May 2179
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Toshinori shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, his loose hero costume rippling with every movement. He wasn't particularly comfortable with someone quite as unreliable as Endeavor knowing about his weakened state.
Not that Mirai had given him the choice, conspiring with the No. 2 Hero behind his back.
"So the kid, Midoriha, he's alive then?" Endeavor growled, a glare directed solely at Toshinori.
"Midoriya." Toshinori spoke firmly. "His name is Izuku Midoriya."
Endeavor shrugged, before looking at Nedzu expectantly.
"He is." Nedzu confirmed. "And Recovery Girl has confirmed he is healing, she hopes he will wake from his coma in the next month or two."
"So until then, we need to be on the lookout for All For One's next move." Aizawa stated, finally bandage-free.
Toshinori saw a range of reactions to that monster's name, Mirai's nostrils flared and Endeavor's beard flickered. Present Mic, Midnight, Snipe and Vlad King looked uncomfortable, the four of them only having learned the Merchant of Quirks was more than a rumor recently.
Nedzu and Tsukauchi didn't react, or at least they both hid it well.
Toshinori nodded. "He believes Midoriya is dead, he will make his next move soon."
"We still don't know who Ichigata is." Mirai stated.
"I have created a list of suspects." Nedzu answered. "Based on a number of factors, age, family history, or lack thereof, and most importantly, their whereabouts being unknown during the attack."
The projector bloomed into life, showing an image of Minoru Mineta.
"We will start with the student whose whereabouts were unknown during the attack, but can be ruled out for another reason." Nedzu explained. "Mineta and his mother disappeared from cameras just before the attack took place, it is unknown how they left campus but were seen by cameras seconds later not far from their Yokohama home."
"A teleportation quirk?" Present Mic offered. "Like that Warp Gate guy from the USJ attack."
"Considering Utsuro Botai's suspected connections to All For One and the League of Villains, it seems likely." Aizawa mused.
"That it does." Nedzu agreed. "But there is something else interesting about Mineta. DNA testing indicates a relation to All For One, very distant in fact, great great grandfather."
Midnight leaned back in her chair. "His quirk shows no resemblance."
"Mineta's quirk comes directly from the father, they both have Pop-Off." Nedzu explained. "We contacted Mineta's father, his test showed no relation to All For One, and he was rather surprised to learn he has a child despite deleted social media posts having images of him with Mineta until around age nine."
Aizawa frowned in disgust. "The father had his memory wiped of his child by his wife, that is-"
"Messed up!" Present Mic shouted. "Abusive parents like that make my blood boil!"
A smattering of nods and agreements echoed from around the table.
Toshinori frowned at the strange look that crossed Endeavor's face.
Guilt.
He was far from being the only one who noticed, Toshinori saw Aizawa's expression sour and Nedzu's nose twitch.
Nedzu cleared his throat. "Next is Hitoshi Shinso, from 1-C. While no cameras could see him during the attack, he was with me, in my office. He was the one who saw Utsuro Botai using her unregistered quirk on her child."
The projection changed to show Shinso's file.
"Doesn't he have a brainwashing quirk as well?" Snipe queried. "Surprised he came forward so quickly considering the stigma towards those with quirks like that."
"He wants to be a hero." Aizawa asserted. "Besides, with his quirk he will have been told the dangers of using it on developing brains, despite his own quirk being unable to alter the target's psychology."
"You think Botai's been using it to alter Mineta's mind?" Midnight questioned.
"It seems likely." Aizawa answered. "Some of the behaviours I have noticed Mineta exhibiting since the year started are somewhat odd, and concerning."
"You can say that again." Midnight murmured.
"I see, once we've removed Mineta from Botai's care , I will schedule an appointment with a therapist with a mental deprogramming quirk." Nedzu responded.
The projection changed again, this time showing an orange-haired boy and a girl with a visor over her eyes.
"Nento Haishiro and Reza Natsuka, two of the students from the Trigger incident, all four of whom escaped police custody just before the attack happened thanks to Warp Gates opening in their cells." Nedzu explained. "However, although they do have the motive for attacking Akatani, they do not for Midoriya, thus they've been ruled out."
Present Mic frowned. "What if helping All For One abduct the little listener was payment for him freeing them?"
"It is plausible." Nedzu admitted. "However, All For One directly told Ichigata to resume their cover as a student, Haishiro and Natsuka were, at the time, no longer students of UA."
The projector changed to show an image of a nervous-looking girl with violet eyes.
"Isshoni Reimitsu, we have no idea of a possible motive she may have possessed." Nedzu continued. "However, the blood sample taken upon her acceptance to U.A. shows a relation to All For One. She was also missing from any cameras at the time of the attack. Two other students have the same blood relation and a lack of known whereabouts."
Two images were projected on the wall, one of a blond-haired boy, the other boy brown-haired.
"Neito Monoma and Renn Takarakuji." Nedzu supplied.
"That's not possible, Monoma is no villain!" Vlad King exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "He may be a little rough around the edges but he has the heart of a hero!"
"Calm down, Sekijiro." Aizawa spoke. "Even if it is your student, he might not even be aware of it."
"Right you are, it is likely even that whoever Ichigata is, isn't aware of it." Nedzu affirmed. "Considering the volatility Ichigata displayed during his attack he likely wouldn't be capable of disguising it enough to blend in."
"I see." Vlad King sighed, slumping into his seat.
"The last two suspects we have are Hineru Hagane and Hikaru Chikyu, both from General Education." Nedzu pressed a button, changing the projector to show two teenagers, one grey-haired and the other white-haired. "Again, these two were missing during the attack and have no known motives. However, in contrast they do not possess a blood relation to All For One."
"Anything interesting about them?" Snipe queried.
"Chikyu, or as he prefers Hikaru, is the son of a villain, Terabyte, real name Emi Chikyu, who drained the minds of her victims. She also killed his father before she was captured by All Might eight years ago." Tsukauchi supplied.
Toshinori nodded nervously, aware of the fact that Endeavor's glare had intensified. The Flame Hero had been tracking her wake of destruction for three weeks until Toshinori had accidentally stumbled across her and beaten her easily, One For All protecting his mind from her quirk.
"Since then he's been living with a couple who took him in, but they haven't been able to formalise an adoption as Terabyte refuses to waive her parental rights." Tsukauchi continued.
"Poor kid." Present Mic mused.
Midnight spoke. "What about Hagane?"
"Gifted student, from his file he seemed like a shoe-in for the hero course, but on the day of the Entrance Exam he didn't attend." Aizawa stated. "Family emergency, refused the chance of a private exam and entered General Education instead."
"He did." Nedzu nodded. "I found him curious, so I did some digging. His brother, Haru Hagane, was injured and permanently disabled on the night before the entrance exam after attempting to stop a robbery at a convenience store."
Vlad King frowned. "Did he get in trouble for using his quirk, sounds like something the police would do."
"I'm sitting right here." Tsukauchi said, an eyebrow raised.
"So you are." Vlad King replied, before looking to Nedzu, awaiting his response.
"He didn't. Haru Hagane is quirkless."
Toshinori felt his stomach make a strange motion, his mind replaying the second encounter with the Sludge Villain, Izuku charging out to try and save Bakugo, quirkless.
Or at least, functionally quirkless.
"So what is U.A. planning to do with these kids?" Endeavor barked. "Expel them?"
Mirai looked hesitant to add his support, perhaps remembering Nedzu's verbal evisceration of him from just two weeks prior.
Toshinori had lost a lot of respect for his former partner that day, and he doubted he'd ever regain it.
"Of course not." Nedzu replied, the dangerous tone in his voice apparent. "That would be highly illogical, we need those kids where we can see them, in a controlled environment."
"What kind of controlled environment?" Present Mic questioned.
"Dorms." Nedzu answered simply.
"With Midoriya's apparent death it wouldn't be hard to justify transitioning UA to a boarding school." Aizawa mused.
"Exactly, thus a controlled environment." Nedzu stated. "And then we can covertly place them in high stress situations to test their responses."
"How do we do that, covertly?" Vlad King frowned, leaning back in his chair.
"In the current climate of heightened fear and panic we can justify increasing the numbers of the Hero Course classes, just for the first-year." Nedzu explained. "The HPSC won't be able to argue with that."
Aizawa sighed, mumbling under his breath. "Great, more brats to deal with."
"Come on, Shota, we all know you love them really." Present Mic elbowed his boyfriend playfully in the ribs.
Aizawa rolled his eyes but did nothing to refute the claim.
"What I am proposing is the creation of four additional student placements in both 1-A and 1-B." Nedzu explained. "And then we choose twelve students from other courses and have them compete for the places."
"That's how we warrant putting them in high stress situations." Midnight realised.
Nedzu nodded. "Any questions?"
"You said twelve students, more than the four we're supposed to be monitoring." Aizawa spoke. "I'll take Shinso and Akatani."
Vlad Kind sat up straight. "Right, if we're choosing, I want Armstrong and Kogo."
"Reasonable choices." Nedzu mused. "I had already assumed the two of you would want those particular students. I've selected Kaze Tsunzaku for 1-A and Rensa Kinzoku and Taro Yamada for 1-B."
Aizawa and Vlad King nodded, neither especially upset with those selections.
"Who's the last one for my class, you're short by one." Aizawa noted.
"That I am." Nedzu placed his paws together. "I've spoken with the headmistress of Seijin High, and in the spirit of cooperation she's sending us one of her more promising General Education students as a transfer."
"As the last one in my class?"
Nedzu nodded.
"Great." Aizawa replied, his tone indicating it was anything but.
"Excellent." Nedzu clapped his hands together and hopped down from his chair. "I'll go and tell Cementoss he has thirty-three sets of dorms to build over the weekend."
The door closed behind Nedzu.
"Poor fucking Cementoss." Present Mic mused.
"Uh-huh."
25 May 2179
Momo closed the door to her new dorm room behind herself.
Another strange dream about that book, the fourth night in a row.
Their first day back had been yesterday, but that had focused on allowing them to settle into the dorms.
Ashido had tried getting them to hold a competition for the best decorated room, but no-one had felt up to it.
Momo's room was on the fifth floor, closest to the stairs, with Uraraka next to her and Asui in the room beyond, the final room, at the far end of the hall, lay empty.
On the boys' side the room opposite Momo's was empty, with Bakugo next door and then Shoto and Iida beyond him.
Which was exactly why Momo was so confused when the door to the empty room opened, a middle-aged woman with a familiar shade of green hair exiting it.
"Hello?" Momo queried.
The woman startled. "Sorry, I was in my own little world."
"No, it's my fault." Momo insisted. "Are you Izuku's mother?"
Ms. Midoriya nodded. "This was supposed to be Izuku's room, I just wanted to see where he would have stayed."
"Oh."
Momo wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"You must be Momo Yaoyorozu, aren't you?"
"I am." Momo affirmed. "Izuku was an excellent Class Representative."
"He thought very highly of you." Ms. Midoriya smiled sadly. "Talked my ear off about how well you use your quirk."
Momo mirrored her expression. "He was too modest, Izuku showed me an entirely new way to use my quirk, even now."
"Too modest, that he is." Ms. Midoriya agreed, before hurridly adding. "I'd better be heading off, it was great speaking to you."
"You too." Momo replied. "Goodbye, Ms. Midoriya."
"Goodbye, Yaoyorozu."
With that Ms. Midoriya left, Momo standing in the corridor staring at the door to the empty room.
Something didn't seem quite right here.
"That was weird."
Momo looked over, Shoto stood outside his dorm room, his bag slung over his shoulder.
"Agreed." Momo spoke. "She said this was the room Izuku was going to have, but the dormitory program is a response to his-"
The words caught in her throat.
Shoto moved over to the door to the empty room, placing his palm over the keyhole.
"What are you doing?" Momo questioned.
"Having a look."
A light layer of frost crept over the metal of the door handle, before Shoto turned his palm.
The door clicked open.
"I didn't know you could do that." Momo admitted.
"The old man insisted it was something I should learn to do." Shoto answered, pushing the door open.
All Might. All Might absolutely everywhere.
That was the first thing Momo noticed. The second thing she noticed was that the bedroom was fully decorated and furnished.
As if someone was going to move in.
Shoto picked up a journal from the desk, turning it over.
"Hero Analysis For The Future Vol. 13. Property of Izuku Midoriya." Shoto read out, before opening. "Huh, All Might's signature."
Momo opened a drawer. Fresh underwear.
She felt her cheeks burn, closing the drawer with more force than strictly necessary.
"Did you find something?"
"No!" Momo squeaked, before calming herself. "Just clean clothes. This is weird, even if Ms. Midoriya decorated his room, for whatever reason, why the clothing?"
"He is." Shoto spoke. "Ms. Midoriya said 'he is' not 'he was', and then as soon as she said it she rushed off, like she'd slipped up."
Momo only half heard him, her eyes falling on Izuku's bookshelf.
The other Restaria books, two through fourteen, most larger than the last.
Ever since she got that book she'd dreamt of it, every night. Restaria, they felt so real, like she was really there.
But dreams were just that, dreams.
Momo pulled one of the notebooks from the bookcase.
Volume One? This looks like a young child's handwriting, I didn't realise Izuku was so talented at Quirk analysis that young.
On the first page wasn't All Might like Momo was expecting, but Bakugo.
A crayon drawing of five-year old Katsuki Bakugo took pride of place in the centre of the page, Izuku's childish writing below gushing over the blond boy and his quirk.
They sounded so close.
Returning the notebook to the shelf she plucked another one out, the tenth volume this time.
Opening it, Momo found a vastly improved analysis of Bakugo on the first page, almost to the standard he had before he-
A folded piece of paper fluttered out of the notebook and onto the floor.
"What is that?" Shoto questioned.
Momo looked down. "I don't know."
Closing the notebook and placing it onto the shelf, Momo crouched down to pick up the sheet of paper, she noted how worn the crease was, like I was opened and read regularly.
Standing up, Momo carefully unfolded the letter, she didn't want to rip the already fragile paper.
Dear Mom,
I'm sorry. It's my fault, I should do this to you, but I can't keep going, I can't...
"Oh, fuck."
The words slipped out of Momo's mouth before she could stop them. Her legs gave out, Momo flopped to the floor, her back against the side of Izuku's bed.
It isn't a letter, it's a suicide note.
The paper dropped from Momo's fingers.
"What is it?"
Momo didn't answer.
Shoto picked up the letter, turning it over. "Oh. I see."
"A suicide note." Momo muttered, barely able to believe it. "What else does it say?"
"It isn't long." Shoto looked shaken, taking a seat on the bed. "Apologising for being quirkless and that he was a burden to his mother, and how he could never become a hero."
They sat in silence, processing their discovery.
Momo wanted so desperately to talk to Izuku, to assure him that he was amazing, with or without a quirk.
But I'll never get to talk to Izuku again.
"You're picking up the nerd's bad habits."
Momo's head shot up, in the open doorway stood Bakugo.
"Pardon?"
"You say that out loud." Bakugo snorted. "And here was me thinking you two were already too alike."
"This isn't a joke, Bakugo." Shoto stated, standing as he did. "Midoriya is dead."
Bakugo sighed, before slinking into the room and shutting the door behind him.
Taking a seat at the desk, Bakugo spun around to look at them. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but Deku's alive."
Shoto frowned. "Bakugo, I already said this isn't a jok-"
"He's telling the truth." Momo murmured, cutting Shoto off. "Izuku's alive."
"He's in a coma." Bakugo explained. "They're not a hundred percent sure he'll wake up, but, I don't believe that crap, wherever the nerd is, he's fighting to come back home."
Momo and Shoto sat in silence, digesting the information.
Izuku was alive, Momo should have been jumping for joy, but even still, he may never wake up, no matter Bakugo's optimism.
"Where is he?" Momo queried. "Can I see him?"
Bakugo growled in frustration. "Four-Eyes said he's somewhere on campus, but I haven't found where yet and Iida won't tell me."
"I see." Momo stated, calmly, her mind whirring.
"You do know she's already formulating a plan to make Iida tell where he is." Shoto spoke.
Bakugo shrugged. "Yeah, I figured, it's why I fucking told her, you half-and-half bastard."
"The note."
Momo was pulled out of her planning by Shoto's words.
"Yeah, the note." Bakugo replied noncommittally. "And?"
"Did he?"
Shoto's question hung in the air, Momo wasn't sure if she wanted the answer.
The door opened.
Aizawa sighed at the sight of the three students. The underground hero was dressed in his hero uniform, and considering the state of it he'd already been on patrol.
"Great, it's spreading, now the rest of you are turning into Problem Children as well." Aizawa droned. "You know, when doors are locked and you don't have a key, it's because you're not supposed to be in there."
Momo pushed herself to her feet. "Mr. Aizawa-"
"I understand your curiosity, but this room is off-limits." Aizawa stated, looking at each of them in turn. "Have I made myself clear?"
Momo was the first to reply.
"Of course, Mr. Aizawa."
"Yes."
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Tch, sure, whatever."
"Good." Aizawa uttered. "Breakfast is starting soon, so you had better-"
The underground hero cut off, his eyes landing on the note still in Shoto's hand, before darting to where Volume 10 laid on the shelf.
"Give that here." Aizawa outstretched his hand. "It contains sensitive information about a student that's not to be shared."
Shoto glanced down at the letter, before back at Aizawa. "You know this is a suicide note, don't you."
"Todoroki." Aizawa said warningly.
"Yeah, look at his eyes, he knows it's the nerd's suicide note." Bakugo leaned forwards in the chair.
"But if he knew it was here he would never have allowed it to be placed in Izuku's room." Momo added.
"Ergo, Mr. Aizawa recognises this piece of paper specifically at Midoriya's note, because he's seen it before." Shoto finished. "Before Midoriya ever came to U.A."
Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath. "I do not get paid enough to deal with these nosey brats."
And yet, his whispered words still managed to seem almost endearing.
"Fine, this should be Midoriya's to share, but he's not here, so he can't." Aizawa leaned against the wall. "You will not speak a word of this to anyone else, it is a student's private matter, but I recognise you three are going to collectively annoy me until I tell you."
"Pretty much." Shoto spoke.
"What Shake-n-Bake said."
Momo hesitated, before nodding guiltily.
"Three years ago, I caught Izuku Midoriya with my scarf after he fell from a bridge." Aizawa informed them. "He was unconscious by the time I pulled him back up, since he was a vulnerable minor I had to accompany him until a parent or guardian could be found. Inko Midoriya was holding that letter when she arrived at the hospital."
"Deku jumped off a bridge." Bakugo's voice was strained, clearly Izuku never shared the details with him.
Aizawa was taken aback, he had told Bakugo not to call Midoriya that hate-filled name again, but now, he spoke it almost fondly. In that moment he knew his decision not to expel Bakugo after the Battle Training fiasco had been the right choice.
"He didn't." Aizawa stated. "Midoriya was trying to climb down from the railings, it had rained earlier that day and his foot slipped."
Silence echoed as they digested Aizawa's words.
"Doesn't make sense." Bakugo growled. "If you'd saved his life, then he would be a massive Eraserhead fanboy, he'd have recognised you the second you walked into homeroom."
"Slithered." Shoto supplied. "What Mr. Aizawa did on the first day was akin to a snake, or a worm."
"Fine, slithered." Bakugo amended.
"Midoriya did not wake before I left the hospital." Aizawa answered. "As far as I was aware, he was never informed I was the hero who saved his life."
The three teens sat in silence, digesting the information.
Aizawa sighed. "If I hear a word about this note, and what I've told you from anyone's lips, I'll-"
"Dangle us out a window with your scarf." Shoto offered.
Momo and Bakugo turned their heads to look at him in confusion.
Shoto shrugged. "Iida's bad at lying."
Aizawa hid a small smirk inside his scarf, before resuming a neutral expression. "No, I'll find out which of the three of you blabbed and expel whoever it is."
Momo gulped, her palms suddenly sweaty. Glancing over she saw the other two had barely reacted.
It occurred to her that she'd probably also be expelled if she told anyone Izuku was alive.
But that didn't mean she wasn't going to see him. That was certain.
"Tch, whatever, the nerd already told me most of this shit." Bakugo shrugged.
Aizawa's eyes pierced into them.
Momo nodded vigorously in agreement.
Shoto sighed before inclining his head.
"Good, now scram, and don't break into this room again." Aizawa cautioned.
Momo didn't hang around, pulling Shoto out with her, Bakugo slouching slowly after them.
Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. "Those brats. They're going to be the death of me."
His eyes fell on the cloudless sky outside.
"Right, that's probably tempting fate."