The summer is finally here, it is almost 1,5 months since the last snow so apparently Izuku... found the person that was bullying Shoto. Now lets see how people respond to students defeating serial killer and what said students think about that.

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Comments:

Miqila: because of course he did.

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Proofread by 3DPhantom

Chapter 71: Disillusioned

Izuku tapped the side of the mattress with the hand that didn't have a hole, not in the hand itself anyway.

"Stop that," Hitoshi said, sitting next to the hospital bed without looking up from his phone. Izuku tried squeezing the hand into a fist instead, squeezing it so tightly the injuries higher up the arm flared up.

"You aren't going to heal properly if you don't let it heal."

That wasn't an actual concern, but Hitoshi didn't know that, and the pain was still real. People really had to endure pains from injuries this long? It was a good reminder to make sure people didn't get hurt.

Izuku glanced past Hitoshi at Tenya on the other Hospital bed. He hadn't said a word after he had been brought back from an interrogation with police in a different room. Izuku wanted to talk, to comfort and cheer up his taller friend with every fibre of his being, but didn't want to pressure Tenya beyond what he was comfortable with. It was unlikely either of them felt comfortable in the hospital room with questionable privacy, considering how many times police had passed through.

Maybe just a little…

Hitoshi shook his head.

Right, it wasn't a good time. There was no way of telling where that discussion would go.

The door to the room opened. Eijiro, Shoto, and Tokoyami walked in. Thankfully Tenya and Izuku had been the only ones with actual injuries. Eijiro waved at them as his smile warmed the room, even if it was duller than usually.

That was almost as concerning as Tenya's condition and his smile wavered even more as he got close enough to take a look at Izuku's bandages.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Better, how about you?" Izuku said and forced a smile that was still second to the redhead. "No rash or anything on your neck?"

Eijiro brushed his neck and moved his hand to then hold the back of his neck like Izuku too had mimicked from Hitoshi sometimes.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Excuse me," a nurse said behind him, "we didn't see anything wrong with his neck. Is there some reason why there might be an injury?"

"Nah," Izuku responded. "A serial killer just broke his sword against it."

The nurse was left staring, not saying a word. A man coughed behind her.

"Excuse me. Could we have a moment with your patients, alone," Gran Torino asked.

"Well," the nurse's head turned between Izuku, Eijiro and Torino. "Of course. Call us if they need anything."

She left, glancing back one last time from the door, uncertainty visible in her eyes before leaving. Izuku's group was left with Gran Torino, and Manual who came with him. Gran Torino marched towards Izuku with apparent annoyance and rather well-hidden anger.

"Kid, I've got a lot of complaints for you."

Technically Izuku had broken several laws, rules, and Torino's orders, but he wasn't stupid enough to think he'd been wrong. Past Izuku might have stuttered and apologised, but current Izuku simply stared back.

"But before that. You've got a visitor."

The door opened and a large man, dog? Dog-man walked in. The person with a mutant-type quirk that made at least his head look like that of a dog entered the room in a full suit with a serious expression on his face, at least it seemed like one. People with mutant quirks were still generally mentally human so the expressions were usually the same within physical limits.

"Hosu's Chief of Police Kenji Tsuragamae," Gran Torino introduced. Tenya was immediately standing up in front of the man. Hitoshi was slower to follow. Izuku's eyes narrowed as he kept staring at the man, feeling neither respect nor obligation to stand, even if his legs weren't full of holes. A decent person would not expect that of hospital patients anyways.

"Oh, you can just stay seated woof," the man said. Well at least he wasn't as bad as he could have been. Izuku still could not drop the feeling that worse was to come.

Also… woof?

"You must be the UA students who brought down the hero killer, right?"

As if he didn't already know.

"Regarding the hero killer we arrested…"

After Eijiro brought him down.

"He had very serious injuries with burns and broken bones, more than simply broken, and is receiving treatment under strict guard in the secure wing, woof. Last I heard the doctors were considering amputating his arm and part of the shoulder. Either way, he will never fully recover. We cannot even transfer him to proper holding facilities for days."

Eijiro's shoulders slumped so down so quickly they looked like they could have fallen off his shoulders. Izuku really didn't know where this was going.

"Since you are UA students, I'm sure you already know, that when superpowers were still becoming the norm, the police attached high importance on the leadership and standards…"

If they just bothered to do so with current heroes with some proper standards.

"...and made sure quirks were not used as weapons."

Izuku wanted to laugh. That was literally the primary thing that separated heroes from the general public and even police, that they were officially allowed to use their quirks, especially as weapons.

"And then the profession of 'hero' emerged to fill that gap, woof."

Perhaps he at least recognized the role of the heroes a bit. Still thought giving heroes right to use quirks was somehow better than police.

"For an individual's use of force that can easily kill others…"

Literally almost any meaningful force whether quirk or not.

"...actions that normally would be appropriate to denounce to be accepted officially is thanks to early heroes who followed the ethics and rules of the profession, woof."

Because those that did not follow their rules were branded as villains regardless of right and wrong… or disposed of.

"Even up against the hero killer, for uncertified individuals to cause injury with their quirks without specific instruction from their guardian or supervision is a clear violation of the rules. All of you who were involved, as well as pro heroes Manual, Gran Torino, Ms. Joke, Brave, and Thunder must receive strict punishment."

That's it.

Shoto was faster than Izuku. Must have been the pain slowing him down.

"Wait a minute," Shoto spoke with confidence Izuku had not seen since at least early Sports Festival. "If Ida hadn't done anything Native would have been killed. If Izuku hadn't come then both of them would have been killed. Same with Eijiro who stopped the hero killer."

Izuku was both concerned for consequences and proud to see Shoto standing for what was right.

"No one realised the hero killer had appeared. Are you saying we should have followed the rules and watched people get killed?"

Shoto took a step closer to the man. Izuku reached to grab his shirt even if that was painful with his weak grip.

"Are you saying that as long as it turns out all right, it's okay to bend the rules?"

"If the rules prevent things from turning out all right, the rules are wrong," Izuku butt in before Shoto could get into trouble. "Especially when those rules are focused on protecting the privilege and power of the minority and would rather hold a strict hierarchy than allow people to defend themselves or others."

The chief turned his stare at Izuku along with Gran Torino.

"Kid, remember what I said about good intentions."

"You are assuming they have any," Izuku nodded towards the chief before returning his stare on the man. "Either way, if you or your rules care more about whether we had our paperwork in order than doing everything possible to save lives they are wrong. It is a hero's job to save people."

"That's why you are not a full-fledged hero yet."

"It might be a hero's job, but it should still be everyone's responsibility."

"Goodness what are you being taught by UA, woof?"

"You dog," Shoto walked towards the chief, slipping from Izuku's weakened grasp.

"Stop it," Tenya said, "he is absolutely…"

"No," Izuku interrupted, then raised his voice. "Sho!"

Shoto stopped and glanced back at Izuku who shook his head.

"You can't do anything here, to him or otherwise, that wouldn't be a weapon for them to use against you," he gave the chief a death stare, one of his milder ones but still. "You shouldn't get into trouble even for this until the situation with Endeavour is finished."

Shoto stared, tense, but listened and stepped closer to Izuku, who was starting to sweat.

"Sho, temperature."

The room temperature stopped increasing so Izuku dared to face the chief again.

"If all you came for was a lecture you can go now."

"Hang on a minute," Gran Torino raised his arm. "Hear him until the end."

"That was the official opinion of the police," the Chief said, "and the punishment and such would only happen if this were all made public, woof."

Could there be some good blood in the police force? If that was the suggestion, why did Izuku feel chilly? Not because of Shoto, he checked, blackmail perhaps.

"If this were made public you would probably be applauded by the public, even considering the use of force, but you would not be able to escape punishment."

"Which further proves the so-called rules are not made for public's benefit or because people want them," Izuku muttered. The chief certainly heard, but seemed to ignore the words.

"On the other hand, this is a bit underhanded, but if it is not made public, the burn scars would support Endeavour being the pro who saved the day, and it would end there, woof."

"Hell no!" Izuku burst out with such force he pulled himself up into a sitting position without using of any of his injured limbs, the things tens of thousands of sit ups could let one do. Hitoshi had already grabbed his healthy shoulder to keep him from going any further.

"That flaming piece of shit deserves to drown and nothing more. He certainly did nothing to help stop Stain, not to mention everything else he has done. You would simply give him credit for the damned hero killer when you should be arresting him?"

"The violation would be crushed that way too, woof. Would you prefer all of you be prosecuted, likely expelled from UA at the very least?"

Actually that would have been a perfect opportunity to highlight the faults and scummines of the system if Izuku could make enough noise about it, but…

Izuku turned to look at the others. The mention of expulsion had caused everyone to fall quiet with the same wide-eyed fear. Whether the dogman intended or not he had made one of the most efficient threats this group could face, including Izuku through them. If he raised enough of a ruckus maybe it would not happen, but with most people already opposed to him, he wasn't even sure how to start to have a decent chance.

There had to be an alternative… but the only pros that were present were Native and Brave and neither would be credible as beating Stain to anyone who considered it more than a few seconds and Native was no better than Endeavour. Joke maybe, but how to explain the burns from Izuku's blasts? If they could be presented as electric burns, but probably not. If Izuku alone took responsibility for breaking rules they might bypass the burns, but the chief had no reason to play along with that.

Izuku was breathing faster. He couldn't let Endeavour get such a win, but letting the others have their dreams ruined here… He couldn't.

A warm, no, a hot hand joined Hitoshi's on Izuku's shoulder. Shoto was clearly holding in similar feelings. Izuku could feel him shaking while almost burning Izuku's hospital gown, but he nodded.

"Damn it, damn him to hell," Izuku muttered, barely restraining his voice. How could he refuse if Shoto was willing to make the sacrifice?

"I am aware there are questions concerning Endeavour, but I cannot change the rules. The Hero Public Safety Commission expects a report on the situation today. Whatever I tell them determines your future. Which do you prefer?"

He waited in silence just a second.

"Personally, I don't want to be the one to find fault with promising young ones," he suddenly gave them thumbs up, "because of one big mistake, woof."

Still thought they had made a mistake though. Manual's head tilted with a tired look on his face as he sighed.

"Either way, we will need to take responsibility for being negligent in our supervisory duties."

"Well in your case that actually applies," Izuku muttered, "letting Tenya get away and go serial killer hunting alone…"

As Izuku spoke Tenya had taken a few steps towards Manual, but stopped to look at Izuku, like looking for something. Izuku met the gaze. He wouldn't offend his friend with pretty words.

"You should," Izuku said like reading Tenya's mind. "You were the stupidest there."

Tenya went to Manual and bowed in front of the man, a bit too deep for Izuku's tastes, but there were bigger concerns.

"I am truly sorry."

"All right. You'll cause trouble for others. If you understand, then don't do it again."

Apparently it fell on Izuku to give Tenya the proper talking to, hypocritical as it might be, or perhaps Tensei. Izuku did not know the man well enough to know if he'd hold Tenya's feet close enough to the fire.

"I won't," Tenya promised.

Meanwhile Gran Torino stared at Izuku, but if he was expecting an apology, well, considering their age difference Izuku was likely to win that waiting game.

"Just do what you need to," Izuku told the dog-faced chief, who nodded.

"Because of the unfairness of adults, you will not be able to receive the praise you would probably have gotten," he said, surprising Izuku with the admission, "but at least..."

He actually bowed in front of them.

"As someone who also protects the peace, I can say thank you."

And now Izuku did not know if he should hold a grudge for the Endeavour thing or consider this chief somewhat decent and potentially helpful.

Todoroki wavered next to Izuku's bed until Hitoshi caught him.

"Please start with that next time."

That Izuku could agree with. He did his best to give Shoto a comforting smile.

"We'll get him back for everything."

"Yeah," Shoto nodded, if not confident, then at least hopeful.

"Speaking of which, you probably should not stay here for too long. He can easily find out where we were brought and… I'm not sure about the internships. Ei," Izuku said, causing the red hair behind Shoto to turn. "I'm sorry to ask, well anything from you at this point but…"

"Go with Shoto. Got it."

He might have been naïve sometimes, but got the point quick when it was about protecting someone. Probably helped distract him from his darker thoughts better than anything else too.

"Any other arrangements you want to set up Captain Midoriya?" Hitoshi asked.

"Just need to plan some running exercise after I get on my feet. You and Shoto took too long to show up."

Hitoshi's face dropped. The group chuckled, even the police chief as he was leaving. Izuku made sure to not say any more before he and the other heroes did. Gran Torino stopped at the door to give him a stern stare.

"Kid, remember what I taught you before."

Izuku didn't respond and the old man left at last. Izuku let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding as the door snapped shut, leaving behind only people he liked to be around.

"So…" Hitoshi started in certain tone.

People Izuku liked to be around most of the time.

"What wisdom has All Might's former teacher granted you?"

"Good intentions lead to bad places, if you don't think as they do and follow their rules. Like the one where you don't help save someone with your quirk if you don't have the right paperwork."

Izuku brought his finger to his chin, about to mutter.

"They would rather lie and give Endeavour the credit for Ei's win than admit what happened and not pretend we were wrong."

"They don't even care what he has done," Shoto muttered.

"Disgusting," Eijiro said in a tone Izuku had not heard from him before.

"He is one of the most powerful people in the country with one of the most powerful quirks. The rules are practically written for people like him," Izuku said.

"Isn't there something we can do?" Tenya asked, with a hint of desperation. "Even if we don't agree with all of the ideas behind the laws, they are still supposed to serve the common good. What he has done is still criminal."

Izuku looked at his oldest friend in the group. Eijiro wasn't the only one that was too Naive, or at least had been.

"That only matters if the people in the justice system agree, and they are totally tied to heroes, especially top ones. That's why they aren't going to stop him lightly, only large enough public outcry could force them and now that is even more difficult." Izuku sighed. "But with what the chief said. They are basically holding all your futures hostage."

"The word you were meant to use is 'our'," Hitoshi corrected. Izuku didn't start to argue.

A doctor came in and the chat was over.

…

Recovery girl stopped by later that day so Izuku and Tenya got out quick. It wasn't a totally perfect heal. Izuku could still feel pain in his leg, possibly something harder to heal regularly, perhaps something with the nerves, but as soon as the superficial damage was gone it only took seconds for Izuku to take care of the rest. If only he could have done the same for everybody else.

He walked out of the hospital with Tenya and Hitoshi who had never left, despite lack of injuries. Eijiro had escorted Shoto away and Tokoyami had left earlier to fly after Hawks. Their absence left a hole, but there was something comfortable in having just the original trio, especially with the discussion that was still waiting, as soon as they got far enough from the building and other people. It would have been better done at home, but apparently they were expected to return to their internship heroes.

"Tenya," the taller teen visibly tensed up, "you know we are going to have a talk."

"Yes," Tenya said, chin down.

"What did you learn from all this?"

"To not let my feelings get the better of me. I only wanted revenge and that is…"

"Not it," Izuku said angrily and yanked Tenya to face him.

"Wanting to stop Stain, even if it assumed a violent way of doing so, was not wrong. Don't let them tell you it was wrong, especially not for lacking correct paperwork."

"But, then… W…?"

"You went out alone to chase after someone you had no chance at beating," Izuku poked Tenya's chest for emphasis as he pointed. "You almost died. Stain was just about to kill you when I got there. I tried to tell you not to. Tried to stick close to you. Could have helped you at the right time, and you still decided to run out alone to DIE while seriously trying to become a killer, and almost turned Ei into one. EI! That's like turning the sun dark."

Izuku paused to calm down for a few seconds before talking in a, barely, more controlled tone.

"Maybe you shouldn't have wasted apologies on Manual. You can't make enough of them to begin with, and he is way down the list. You should start with everyone whose lives you risked, like Hitoshi, right now."

"Aren't you skipping someone?" Hitoshi pointed out, tired, but never too tired to call Izuku out. "Someone who got into more trouble, and more hurt, and closer to killing someone."

"Nah," Izuku denied, mostly because he didn't have better arguments, none that he could say. He couldn't just tell them that Tenya couldn't make him a killer because he already was one. He had to turn his head away to hide the feelings that tried to break out. The gesture might have been misunderstood.

"You know," Hitoshi started, "I'm pretty sure mental health often starts from admitting your issues and traumas. You are the toughest of us in a fight, not even a contest, I bet you could have kicked my ass even when you still had holes in all your limbs, but we all know you aren't as tough here…"

Hitoshi poked Izuku's forehead.

"…as you pretend to other people. You almost died, we almost died, and on top of that you still fear what you might have done, or will do, or have to do. So don't pretend that you're okay after that, at least not with just the three of us."

He paused.

"Don't do that to us."

Izuku really tried to keep the tears in, he wasn't the crybaby he used to be, he really wasn't. This was supposed to be him calling out Tenya, not…

A tear leaked out.

Hitoshi didn't even know Izuku's true self and still hit everywhere it hurt the most. His head dropped and he found himself leaning on Hitoshi.

"You have no idea…" Izuku still caught himself before saying too much. How he hated it. How many times he had hidden things and lied to them already. But he couldn't lose them, couldn't let go of them, just couldn't.

"I was so afraid. It was like my nightmares and, and…" was all he could muster. A hand rested on his shoulder. Izuku could feel Hitoshi's head move back and forth against his.

"See what you did Tenya?"

Tenya made a surprised hmh-sound.

"What do you mean me? You just…"

"What do you think we are talking about? Why is Izuku so terrified? When you throw your life away it doesn't only hurt you, and if you don't care about him…"

That was a low blow.

"…what about Tensei?"

…

"I'm sorry!"

Izuku did not need to see Tenya to know he had just bowed hard enough to almost hit the pavement with his forehead.

"Please, I never wanted you to get hurt. It was why I…" he choked. Also, a familiar looking fancy car stopped next to them.

"Get in, both of you," Hitoshi ordered gently but sternly. "Did this car have a divider between us and the driver?"

"Yes," Izuku sobbed.

"Good, then keep going. It is just the three of us."

If only that had lasted.

…

Izuku stared ahead a few blocks from Gran Torino's house. He was expected to return there and he could neither reveal what he would have needed that time for nor show weakness of not being able to after what happened.

Also, Gran Torino might know more about Stain's situation. The chief had said enough to give Izuku hope, but he needed everything he could for Shirokuro to not be exposed. That was really the only reason to even consider going back, not like he cared about his grades or studies.

He just wished Hitoshi and Tenya had been there, or at least Hitoshi, Tenya was still dealing with a lot, like Eijiro and Shoto, not that Hitoshi had had things easy.

Somehow everyone around him got messed up and needed therapy. Could that be because of him? Sure Shoto's problems started long before and Tensei got hurt before Shirokuro met Stain, but these things seemed to keep happening around him.

Izuku drew a deep breath. At least all of them were okay, physically at the minimum. Their internships appeared to have gone okay so far, even if Eijiro's seemed a bit of a disappointment, so they should be okay for now. They were unlikely to encounter anything equally dangerous a second time in the same week, probably.

Izuku had to push that thought back with Calm Mind to force an appropriate mask on his face to meet Gran Torino. The man did not need to see his weakness. He had faced a serial killer, and his father trained him with literal monsters. He'd be damned if an old man hero got to him. He checked his face with his phone one more time to make sure there were no signs of tears left.

To think they would expect kids to go right back after something like this. They would probably argue it's what they need to deal with to make it in the profession and father hadn't really been better, but it still nagged Izuku in a bad way.

He walked to the run-down building with a straight face, trying to be neutral but only actually managing to be serious and grumpy looking. There was also a strong element of 'don't try to bullshit me' in there. A kid chased a ball past Izuku and after looking up at him ran away.

Izuku's gaze followed him until a door creaked. Gran Torino was standing in the open doorway.

"Come inside."

The tone was a bit too commanding for Izuku's tastes and he hesitated for several seconds, considering to refusing. In the end he followed the man inside.

"Now," Gran Torino started.

"Saving people is right," Izuku interrupted. "Using quirks to do it does not make it any less right. I only regret not getting there earlier and not being strong enough to beat him before someone else had to be in danger."

Gran Torino sighed and shook his head.

"I know you want to protect people… at least some. That is not just admirable but a required part of being a hero."

"Required," Izuku huffed. "Tell that to the schools and hero commission."

"I am not blind to the popularisation and commercialization of heroism, does not change what the work requires and does not change our conversation. Also, there will be no more patrols for this internship, only training."

"Fine by me, if you last the rest of the week like that," Izuku stretched his arm. Focusing on talking about training was a good distraction. He could do that without showing his weakness, though he might have overcompensated with arrogance.

"You just had holes in all your limbs, you should take things easy."

"Had," Izuku squeezed his hand in a fist and flexed his distinctly hole-free arm, once again making sure it felt normal. "Recovery Girl's quirk is a miracle."

It wasn't the only one, but the thought of the quirk still made Izuku lick his lips, just a quick flick on one edge. No, he had to focus.

"Speaking of injuries, do you know anything new about Stain?"

"He isn't going to threaten anyone else. You don't need to concern yourself with other things."

"How is he?" Izuku said, emphasizing every word. Gran Torino seemed to give up and sighed.

"You aren't going to like it, I hope. At least your friend won't considering the earlier interviews."

Izuku kept waiting quietly, but it was not easy. He only managed because it made holding his mask easier.

"The doctors gave up on his arm and shoulder. Even if they had Recovery Girl help, and she has a long line of more deserving patients to help, apparently getting everything to set, especially nerves and something about immune system was unlikely to work. Stain got a major amputation, not just the arm but part of the shoulder. Even if he was free, he'd have a hard time being as much of a threat."

Izuku doubted that. The killer was so vicious and intense he'd be unlikely to care or let even those injuries stop him regardless of how much weaker it made him.

"If you are talking to your friend about Stain you might want to focus on that."

Izuku nodded.

"He is better at taking hits than dealing with hurting others, even…" Izuku shook his head. "Won't this mean Stain can't be taken to prison? Seems risky."

"You don't need to worry about that. This isn't the first time a villain has gotten injured or treated. They got special facilities for that, and they dedicated a whole pro hero to guard him all the time. I doubt it takes even a week to get Stain properly locked up if nothing goes wrong. We don't need to worry about the details."

Speak for yourself, Izuku could have said, but this was good news. He could not find it in himself to feel sorry for those injuries, except in the emotional damage they caused Eijiro, and this meant he had time. He would not need to run off the internship with any suspicious excuse to…

…rescue the man that almost took everything from him.

He'd have to make some choices on how that would end. That left him in deep enough thought to nearly miss the telltale whish that warned of Gran Torino's impending attack. He only dodged successfully because he had had that painfully trained to the point of a reflex.

"What did you say about me lasting kid?"

Gran Torino spent the rest of the week trying to talk Izuku into not acting on his views of the world, at least not outside official processes and personal example mixing this with training. He did his best to humble Izuku, and Izuku would be lying if he pretended that never happened, but neither missed the fact the training got easier for Izuku as the days passed, minus the sleep deprivation from understandable causes.

By the time Izuku stepped out of his house for the last time, the old man was leaning on his cane considerably harder, still breathing hard from their final training session. Izuku stretched his arms, nudged his backpack into a better position, and glanced back at the old man.

"You sure you are going to manage, old man?"

"Yes," huff, "I'm tired not dying. Don't look down on me just because age is gnawing on my endurance. You have that ahead too so enjoy youth while you can."

Izuku couldn't really argue that, though with regeneration, he didn't actually know what aging was going to look like for him.

He left leaving All Might's old teacher looking after him.