Bitter. Spiteful. Furious. Hateful. These are the feelings running through Zu's entire being as he stared at the news on his phone.
Green Devil Attacks Children
"The vigilante menace known as the Green Devil has severely injured two middle school kids in a dark alley the other night. The victims were covered in severe burns and bruises before the no.30 hero: Teleki arrived on the scene. Apparently, the vigilante has the ability to make his trademark green flames burn with intensity. In what could be described as a volcanic eruption, he incinerated four disarmed men on the ground, already incapable of defending themselves. The victims are Katsuki Bakugo and Izumi Yagi."
It hardly came as a surprise to Izuku that he would be painted as the bad guy while the brats received sympathy and praise for their 'bravery'. It's the same infuriating story on loop. The only thing keeping Izuku from exploding with fury is that he knows the "victims" aren't pleased about being pitied by others. Most people feel bad for them, saying they're "just kids". He knows that'll cut them down.
The faux white and black-haired boy walked through the streets under the hot sun with the coldest eyes imaginable. As he walked, a familiar truck passed him by, and he locked eyes with the driver. Toshinori Yagi. For the split second their eyes connected, the world froze. Both mens' hearts stopped beating. Just one moment between them lasted an eternity. Zu saw the direction Toshinori was driving in. The same hospital Bakugo and Izumi were kept in.
'He's... going to see them...' Izuku clenched his good hand into a tight fist. 'He's worried about them...! Being a parent to them!' He clenched his other hand, ignoring the pain of a wound that hadn't fully healed yet. The burning in his chest returned, causing him to debate setting Toshinori's truck on fire. Regardless, he held himself back, and walked away with hellish green eyes and an aura that kept everyone at arms length.
This was meant to be a simple trip to the mall for new shoes. If he was going to run into people from his past, he needs to eliminate a recognizable feature: his red sneakers. They could work for his civilian alter ego, but not the Green Devil. The last battle caused them to suffer burns from his explosion of rage. Izuku walked into a clothing store and browsed around. He saw a section for hero-themed items, and unsurprisingly, he saw All Might's face. The face of another who had brushed him away like he was nothing. He released a small growl as he reached for a pair of black men's combat boots.
"Are you okay?" He whipped his head to his side, and was met with the concerned raven eyes of a black-haired girl. She immediately took a step back when met with his intimidating eyes. Izuku's eyes softened ever so slightly. His burning heart cooled down a bit as he looked at the girl's features. 'Her eyes... her hair... she looks like...' The young lady looked away, a bit frightened by his intense stare. "Y-You seem like something is b-bothering you." Her voice, while shaky, was dignified, as were her clothes. Though she appeared to be at least a year older than him judging by the height difference and her... prodigious proportions.
Izuku turned away from her and walked past her. "I'm fine." his voice came out hoarse. The young lady wasn't convinced by his words. Outside the store, Izuku was lost in thought. 'She was concerned? About me? But she was clearly put off by my demeanor. And her looks... she was like a younger version of-'
"Ew, poor!"
His thoughts were interrupted by a mocking hollar by two approaching teens. "Dang, dude! Look at this guy's kicks!" one of them pointed at Izuku's partially burned sneakers. "Right!? Where'd you get em, the dumpster!?" they both laughed. Izuku knew these pricks from Aldera, even if they didn't recognize him. Today was not the day for this, so he pushed his way through them.
"Not so fast! There's no way you can afford whatever's in that bag. We'll take it off your hands before you can steal it!" He was grabbed by the back of his hoodie and his bandaged hand, which made him wince. The pain that shot through his body from there was almost paralyzing. This feeling of helplessness while bullies held him down. It was all too familiar. He was breathing heavier and having trouble moving his body. Despite how much physically stronger he is than them, he still has mental issues derived from a decade of torment.
He craned his head, looking desperately for someone who saw him. His eyes once again met the girl's. This time, his eyes were begging for help. And she turned away and ran around the corner. Izuku's heart broke and everything around him faded away. He was frozen and alone, unable to move and with no one who cared enough to do anything. 'She... left... She's... like the others...!'
Beneath layers of deep-seeded fear, anxiety and distress, something else was roiling in his core. 'She left me behind, ignored my pain... Not again...!' In a sudden surge of strength not derived from his quirk, but pure, raw emotion, Izuku dropped his bag and crushed the hands holding him. "Not again!" he muttered to himself, ignoring the pained groans of the scumbags behind him.
"Hold it!" a new voice interjected. A mall cop ran up to the boys, and set his sights on the two with damaged hands. "Officer, this thief stole from that store and assaulted us!" Izuku was too lost in his own head to refute that. The mall cop didn't seem convinced at all by the story. "Really now? Well, I would be inclined to ask further, if this young lady didn't tell me everything she saw!" From behind the mall cop was the girl that ran away before. Izuku's eyes widened. She hadn't abandoned him, she went to get help.
The girl found Izuku's receipt in his bag, and the mall cop took away the two that harrassed him. That just left him and the girl, who tried to hand him back his purchased boots. "I'm sorry I left you, but I had to find someone with the authority to intervene." Izuku didn't talk right away, still reeling from the situation and the apologetic look on her face. He searched every inch of her face to find any deceit or alterior motive. There was nothing but pure concern. For him.
His breathing became hitched, and his vision blurred. 'Dammit, not now! Don't cry, you weakling!' Izuku growled as he clenched his eyes shut and put his left hand over his eyes. He dug his nails into his face, and he would've bled if a gentle hand hadn't touched the back of his. He was once again met with gentle eyes. "Let's get some air."
She led Izuku outside the mall on a nearby bench where he cried almost silently. He only released sharp gasps and occasional whimpers. It broke the ravenette's heart that he still felt like he had to keep up walls, keep from breaking down into a mess. She gave him a handkerchief to wipe his red eyes. "T-Thank you." "Of course." Izuku dabbed the last of his tears away, and they were left in silence.
"...I'm not fine." he finally admitted to her. "I-I can see that. Would you mind talking about it. I'm a good listener." Izuku glanced at her, still unable to understand where this kindness was coming from. "What's your name?" he asked. "Momo Yaoyorozu. And yours?" "I... I'm Zu." He almost gave her his real name. "Those guys that grabbed me were from Aldera, they're bullies." "I had a feeling." Zu didn't look at her, and instead at his hands.
"I've put in training to get stronger, but I-I have issues. So when you left while they held me, I felt powerless all over again. But then you came back, with help... t-that was..." "What should be expected of someone who witnesses unjust cruelty." Momo finished for him. Zu held his right wrist in his left hand. "I wish more people thought like you do." Momo looked at him with saddened eyes. She wanted to reach out and touch him, let him know a gentle touch after what he'd experienced.
"D-Did you say Aldera? The same school Bakugo and Yagi go to?" Izuku trembled at the mere mention of their names, and cursed himself for it. "You must have heard about their encounter with the Green Devil." he said bitterly. "I did. I feel so bad for them, having been in such an ordeal." Izuku's hands shook with barely suppressed anger. "Yaoyorozu, you're a good person..." Momo smiled a little, but could feel a 'but' coming. "...but you're wasting your energy concerning yourself about them."
"Of all the countless scumbags that make up Aldera, those two are the worst. They arrogantly proclaiming being heroes, but they use their quirks to keep others beneath them. They're especially cruel to the weakest links. I promise you, they are the last people that deserve your sympathy." Momo studied his body language carefully. Hunched form, tightly grasping his bandaged wrist, most telling were his eyes. Dark bags and bloodshot from stress and lack of sleep is intimidating enough. But his glare carried the heat of a thousand suns.
She gulped before speaking up again. "W-Why were you so surprised that I didn't turn a blind eye at you?" Zu put his left hand on his face. "I'm more surprised you didn't join them in picking on me. Nobody's ever done what you did for me." Momo was greatly shocked by this revelation. "What? Not even your parents?" Izuku grit his teeth. "...Like they even care enough to ask." "That can't be true. I'm sure you're relationship with them must be difficult, but all you need to do is have an honest conversation with them. I'm sure they still-" "DON'T YOU DARE GIVE ME THAT!!" Momo jumped at his sudden yell.
"If they really cared, would they ever ask why I kept coming home burned and bruised!? Would they neglect to call me for dinner and let me starve for countless nights!? Would they put on a grand birthday for their favorite child, and then forget they even had me!? You don't have the slightest idea what kind of house I ran away from! You think mixing words is enough to heal these scars!? I've tried more times than I can remember to connect with them! You don't know how many cries for help have fallen on deaf ears in that appalling excuse for a home!"
Momo was completely speechless during his tirade. Zu's terrifying glare was now directed at her, with tears falling like waterfalls. His hand pulled his mask down below his nose, and Momo got a peek at the scar on his right cheek.
"I know what I am in that family, and trust me, I am nottheir son! A sheltered creature like you doesn't know the first thing about me!!"
Both of them were silent after that end part. Zu's tears stopped flowing, and his heart slowed down. He looked straight at Momo, and saw tears building up in her eyes. In an instant, the bonfire in Izuku's heart was overcome by a tsunami wave of guilt. He quickly picked up his shopping bag and ran away from her. "Wait!" Yaoyorozu held out her hand and yelled. But it was too late. She lost him in the crowd. His furious words echoed in her head. Yaoyorozu brought up a hand to wipe her tears away.
...
Izuku flew up to a nearby rooftop. He was looking down at Momo as she wept. 'What's wrong with you? She showed you nothing but kindness, and this is how you repay her.' He turned away from the edge and pulled down his mask to wipe his tears on his sleeve. He remembered that he partially removed his mask in front of her. 'I even made her look at my unsightly scar. Damn...' That was his last thought before fleeing from the first person to help him with his bullies.
Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu walked back to the bench she and Zu shared with puffy eyes. 'Nobody's ever helped him. Not even his parents. I just assumed his situation without knowing everything. I probably don't know the half of it, and I still tried to lecture him. He must hate me now...' Momo buried her face in her hands, feeling a few more tears welling up.
"Momo?"
She looked up and saw her family limo, with her parents looking at her through the window. Momo tried to collect herself and join them, but it was painfully obvious that she was crying. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" her father asked. Momo thought carefully about what to say to them. On the one hand, she wanted to tell them about everything Zu told her, but that wouldn't exactly be useful. She couldn't call the authorities on his family without knowing his real name. Besides, blabbing about his awful past would be another slap in his face from her. After some deliberation, she opened her mouth to speak.
"Mother, Father... Do you know what goes on in Aldera Middle School?"
That Afternoon
"This is odd..." A detective muttered to himself as he sipped his coffee. He stood at his desk with reports about the Green Devil, including one from Teleki. His door opened, and in walked a skinny blonde man. "Tsukauchi, how goes the investigation?" he asked. "I'm not sure, but I'm surprised your here. How are the kids? You visited them in the hospital, right?"
Toshinori nodded. "Izumi and Katsuki admitted to going after the Green Devil on their own. I told them that was brave but irresponsible without having backup or telling anyone. I think they were trying to take him in as a gift for Inko." A faint smile appeared on the blonde man's face. "A little soft, but okay. So they're getting discharged this week?" "They're children, only in middle school, and they went through something scarring. But yes, and I still have more to say to them." He clenched his fist while saying that.
Tsukauchi nodded. "You know what, you should go home. I can handle this for now, you should be looking after your wife. I'm sure she's working herself extra hard to find that vigilante." Toshinori looked surprised. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, take care." Tsukauchi almost pushed his friend out the door, and went back to his investigation into the Green Devil. "Sorry Toshi, but if I'm right, your biased feelings will make this difficult."
He went back to his desk and pulled out a medical file. 'Let's start with you, Izuku Yagi. 14 years of age, born quirkless, attended Aldera. You disappeared the same night green flames were discovered. Hmm...' Tsukauchi then turned to the papers he had on the Green Devil. 'Not much is known about him, other than he has a unique mind quirk in the form of cold flames. Inflicting mental suffering on others by means of fire that doesn't burn. Out of hundreds of thousands of quirks, this one isn't in our database.'
Tsukauchi then looked at the report he received from Teleki. 'Your victims up till now have been thugs and criminals, none severely injured and all of them quaking at the mere mention of you. But this tells a different story. Four men burned to death by your power, because you were attacked by children and a hero. Hmm, quirks have been known to evolve under stressful situations, but what connection could you have with two random kids?'
'From what Teleki told me, he has the voice and stature of a child no older than her daughter. That alone has unsettling implications. There are still many unknowns about his quirk, and if he is a child, he has immeasurable room for growth.'
He picked picked up a missing person poster. 'Quirks grow in strength and complexity with each generation, and late bloomers are a possibility. But they're usually between seven and nine. I need more information before I can start making assumptions.' Tsukauchi stood up from his desk and looked out his office window. The way the detective saw it, there were two possibilities. Izuku Yagi was kidnapped on his way home, as Toshinori suggested. Possibly dead. Or Izuku ran away and became the Green Devil. 'I've been wrong before, so please let me be wrong now.'
Meanwhile
Toshinori was in his truck, driving back home. He had made his decision. 'Izumi, you and Katsuki get well soon. We'll begin your training as soon as you're able. We need your great potential to find Izuku and put a stop to the Green Devil.'