Izuku Midoriya pulled up to the curb on his ancient motorbike, the engine sputtering and backfiring so loudly it echoed down the empty street. He cringed, as if the sound might somehow alert the whole world to his presence. Swinging off the bike, he pushed it to a stop near the building, exhaustion etched into every movement. He had barely caught a break today, and now, he had Shoto to deal with—a tension that only seemed to grow every time they met.

Walking toward the apartment, Izuku's steps faltered as his Danger Sense prickled at the back of his mind. His heartbeat quickened, and he turned sharply, his instincts screaming at him to move. A shadow lunged from the dimly lit hallway.

Without thinking, Izuku ducked and twisted, grabbing the figure by the arm and flipping them over his shoulder. A loud thud echoed as the person hit the floor hard.

"Christ! I think you broke my tailbone!" the man groaned.

Izuku blinked, realization dawning too late. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry!" he stammered, extending a hand.

The man—a burly security guard—pushed himself up with a grimace, waving Izuku's hand away. "I was just gonna ask for your ID!"

"My ID?" Izuku asked, confused. "Since when—"

But the guard was already muttering under his breath and limping away, leaving Izuku awkwardly standing there, the heat of embarrassment flushing his face.

Xxx

Izuku pulled out his key but stopped short, frowning at the sleek card reader that had replaced the old lock. Before he could process the change, the door flew open, revealing Shoto Todoroki, who stood in the doorway with an unimpressed look on his face.

"What did you do to my security guy?" Shoto asked, stepping aside to let him in.

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "He surprised me, and I… kind of reacted. He must have lost his footing."

"Lost his footing?" Shoto deadpanned, his tone heavy with sarcasm. "What's the real story?"

Izuku changed the subject quickly. "What's with the security upgrades? Did something happen?"

Shoto sighed and shut the door behind him. "You're joking, right? I'm lucky Deku hasn't killed me already."

Izuku's stomach dropped at the mention of his alter ego. "Why would Deku kill you? That's—"

"Because," Shoto interrupted, pulling out a small, sleek device from his pocket, "I've made it very clear that I'll spend everything I have to take him down."

Before Izuku could reply, Shoto tapped the device, and the apartment transformed. Titanium bars slid across the windows, steel shutters dropped with a mechanical thud, and laser tripwires wove an intricate web across the living room. A beam from the ceiling scanned Izuku, and he flinched, his Danger Sense flickering faintly at the invasive technology.

"…paranoid much?" Izuku muttered under his breath, his eyes tracking the array of security measures. They were all labeled "Gold Crown."

Gold Crown was the new tech company headed by Sera Vee a flamboyant woman who did concerts to show off her tech to the public, and dropped her prices so everyone could afford them. She was the reason most of New York was starting to fly on hoverboards. And why when he took down villains their crash bracelets would lock until they were picked up by police.

It was weird, like the tech wanted to help Deku personally.

Shoto didn't laugh. Instead, he held up the device, which now displayed a screen: ID CONFIRMED: MIDORIYA, IZUKU.

"At least you are who you say you are," Shoto said, pocketing the device.

Izuku let out a nervous laugh. "Please tell me you didn't put cameras in the bathroom."

Shoto ignored him, pressing a button that retracted all the barriers and deactivated the lasers. "You could save me a lot of money and trouble," he said suddenly, his gaze sharp, "if you just told me how you always manage to get so close to Deku."

Izuku froze, his Danger Sense tingling faintly—not from immediate physical harm, but from the impossibility of the situation. His best friend stood inches away, staring him down with quiet suspicion, completely unaware that the very person he hated most was right in front of him.

"I would if I could," Izuku said finally, forcing his voice to remain steady. "I swear to you."

Shoto's gaze bore into him, unyielding. "Right. I'll pretend I believe that," he said flatly. "You don't need me, and I don't need you. We're not even really friends anymore, are we?"

Izuku swallowed hard, the words cutting deeper than he wanted to admit. Shoto reached into his pocket and tossed a pair of tickets onto the table.

"Here are those tickets you wanted. That tech lecture at Columbia. Have fun."

Izuku glanced at the tickets: THE ANANSI PROJECT: AN INTERIM REPORT. PROFESSOR KAI CHISAKI. DAVIS AUDITORIUM. 6PM.

"Chisaki?!" Izuku's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "Shoto, Kai Chisaki is the leading expert on advanced biomimetic tech! I know you're mad at me, but you can't miss this."

Shoto let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. "You sound like such a nerd."

"You promised to introduce me to him," Izuku reminded him, unable to hide his enthusiasm.

"And you promised to help me take down Deku," Shoto snapped, his anger flaring briefly before he exhaled, letting it go. "Fine. I keep my promises."

"Great!" Izuku said, his grin faltering under the tension. "Let's go."

As they reached the door, Shoto paused and gestured toward the answering machine. "Oh, there was a message for you. I didn't feel like picking it up."

Izuku pressed the play button.

Xxx

Kuri's voice came through, soft and bright but layered with a subtle urgency. "Hey, Izuku… It's me. I've been working on something I think you'll really like. You've been running yourself into the ground lately, and I just want to help. I'll be showing it off at the concert tonight… If you have time, maybe you could stop by?"

Her voice softened, almost hesitant. "It'd mean a lot to me if you came."

Xxx

Izuku's chest tightened as the message ended. The sound of Kuri's voice brought with it a flood of memories—of her standing as Miko, putting herself in harm's way to shield him during battles, her determination unshakable even as she risked everything. He thought he was protecting her by keeping his distance, but hearing her now, he wasn't so sure.

"She's showing off some awesome new stuff," Shoto said casually, breaking the silence. "Probably designed it to—"

"Don't," Izuku interrupted, cutting him off as he grabbed the tickets. "Let's just go. We're going to be late."

Shoto rolled his eyes but said nothing more, following Izuku out of the apartment as the security systems locked into place behind them. Izuku clenched the tickets in his hand, his thoughts racing. He couldn't face Kuri yet—not with everything weighing on him. Not when he knew the truth would only put her in more danger.