Chapter 3: D.I.Y Vigilante Costume Edition
Mom had nearly broken down the door when he didn't answer her and had refused to leave even after he said that he was alright, just a bit overwhelmed. He had to force her to leave so she could get to work in time and only succeeded because he promised to call her if he needed help and that he wouldn't forget to eat dinner.
He sighed as he locked the door after her. He loved his mom but sometimes he felt like she was worrying too much. He knew that she blamed herself for giving him a weak quirk even if she never stated it. Still, he knew that it couldn't be mom's, or his father's, fault. If anything, it was his own. It was his quirk so therefore his fault for it being useless.
He shook his head. "My quirk is not useless!" He said and marched back to his room. "If it was then I wouldn't be here!"
He still had to finish his costume though; he had yet to sew the ears to the hoodie and create the mask. He used to have an idea for a design but needed to come up with a new idea since he had bought a hoodie that didn't fit into the design. He had planned to sew white buttons into the mask and then take some white material and cut it out like a frown.
…
Like a sad smiley face.
Maybe it truly was for the better that he didn't go with his original plan.
He stepped inside his room, the humidity immediately clinging to his skin like a child yearning for attention. If he didn't know any better he would say that he could smell the sadness. Feeling a bit awkward, he opened his window to air his room out.
He rummaged through his drawers until he found the base of his mask as well as the different fabrics he was going to use. His mask was simple: A thin, black material that allowed him to see through if he put it over his head but others wouldn't recognize it. He had found the fabric in mom's drawers— he felt sick to the stomach with the guilt of stealing from her even as he told himself that he had never seen mom wear it and probably never would— but didn't know what it was. It served its purpose, however, so he took it. Besides, this way it's a lot harder for people to figure out his identity.
He sat down and started to work on the ears and the mask.
Even though you couldn't see who he was, he felt far too exposed. He had initially wanted to wear a plastic mask which granted him more protection, but he came up with a few reasons to not do so.
First of all, the mask might just get knocked around and obscure his vision. He would be blinded and then go down with ease. The only way to prevent that would be to dodge but he's not confident in his skills enough to rely his entire identity on that.
Of course, he could always wear his current mask (balaclava? It's not exactly that but it's close enough. Should he just call it that? He's gonna call it that), balaclava, underneath but that would just hinder his vision even more. A newbie like him needed as much help as he could get.
Secondly, a plastic mask would be a telling sign that he was a vigilante. He could hide the balaclava but a mask was much harder. Harder to destroy as well. Sure, it would offer more protection, but if something cracks his mask then he might get a broken nose if he doesn't outright die.
He shivered and glanced up to the window. It got a little bit cold with it open, but he could see it as hero training.
Hey, that's a good idea. Sleep with the window open so he freezes when it's cold and with the window closed when it's hot. It would help him adjust to the weather a lot easier. Maybe he should practise with wet clothes to get used to the rain? Ah, but mom would worry if he got a cold. But maybe he could try to train when he's sick? He has to save as many people as possible which means that a cold can't bring him down.
Ah, but he shouldn't fight when sick. That would just harm him, wouldn't it? If he's going to save as many people as possible, then he should be out there every night and every day. He would collapse sooner or later if that was the case. Whatever future he can deal with it. Besides, the balaclava was done.
He held it out in front of him, turning it back and forth. In anime and manga, to show someone happily closing their eyes they usually draw their eyes like an upside-down "U", right? And when they are scared they close their eyes ">.<", right? It's been a while since he watched or read something. Maybe he should pick it up again. Well, the mask was kind of like a mixture of that. It started off as two big, white lines (or blocks, really) that were round around the edges. They were slightly tilted down as well, to seem more sharp and happy. But the short edges furthest away from his nose had a small gap where the white disappeared and was just black, like a 2D hole. It allowed him to look happy.
…
Yeah, he sucks at descriptions.
Sighing, he moved on to his next project. Even if his balaclava protected his identity, it didn't feel safe enough for him. So he planned to wear a black, half-mask over his mouth and nose as well. The material was a lot more sturdy and less see-through, so it was easy to see that there were two separate items on his face, but it was harder to see when he sewed the two pieces together. As mentioned before, his original idea was to give him a frown. But, as he wore more… lighter colours than intended, it didn't feel fitting.
Besides, grinning down on enemies seems like a better and more terrifying option than if a guy frowned. It was hysterical, maddening, and so unlike him. Maybe he should base his persona around that instead? He still shouldn't speak but maybe he can pretend to be happy instead? Like skipping and playing.
He looked at his face mask. It turned out good; it was as if he didn't make it. A thick, crescent moon-looking smile with black lines to show teeth stared at him. He felt giddy and weird. A funny feeling in his stomach bubbled up to his chest. He smiled as tears built in his eyes.
He set the project down and started to work on the last detail; the ears. He wanted— needed— something to bring All Might into the outfit. He had pondered on what for a while and decided on his hair. He had a memory of mom saying that All Might's hair looked like bunny ears, so by wearing bunny ears he can bring mom into the outfit too. The best of two worlds!
But… wouldn't bunnies kinda ruin the happy persona? He doesn't know a lot about rabbits but he knows that Mirko—
MIRKO!!
Mirko is a fierce hero with bunny attributes and even though she's been looked down on many times because people generally see bunnies as weak, being in the top 10 proved them all wrong, and she fights with a smile and is pretty excited but it's not like a "happy" excited and more like a "thrilled" excited, kinda like being on a rollercoaster, but he wouldn't know since he hadn't been on a rollercoaster before, but the point is that Mirko fights with a smile but people wouldn't really say that she's happy in the way a child gets ice cream!
…
Or, well, he doesn't know. But maybe there are different kinds of happiness? He doesn't feel the same when he's with mom and when he's with Kachaan so that's probably true.
And smiling without being happy would be kinda fitting for him anyway. He'll go with the original, brooding plan. Quickly in, quickly out.
He continued working in silence, eager to get it done as soon as possible. The ears were in a similar shade on the hoodie's hood. It wasn't the exact colour but it was close enough. Once again, he had stolen from mom as she had dropped her DIY hobbies to pick up more shifts at her job. He felt horrible, wanting to scrape the guilt off his chest with his bare fingernails, but settled on paying her back one day.
Minutes later and he was done. They were completely purple-grey everywhere except for the "insides" which were white. They were filled with cotton to keep themselves upright, but he had run out of cotton around halfway through so they were bent down a little bit higher than the middle. He could've made the ears shorter but he ended up liking them so he's not upset.
Overall, he'd say that his vigilante outfit was quite good. Thank god for thrift shops and sewing skills. All that was left was trying it all on. He breathed out before getting changed. He hoped that it would be fine. He wore a black t-shirt underneath his hoodie and black long socks that reached past his knees. Black, winter gloves (that didn't really count as winter gloves since they're so thin but he got them for cheap so he's not complaining) slipped on his fingers and the hood's fur tickled his nose before he put on his mask.
He breathed for a minute, trying to stop himself from shaking. He wanted to be mentally prepared when facing the mirror, needing to be strong when acknowledging his ridiculousness. He turned around and looked in the mirror and—
Stupid.
He looked so, so stupid. His clothes hung over his frame, folding twice and thrice and yet again over themselves. He looked young, far younger than he actually was with his clothes. The hoodie didn't just reach past his knuckles; it covered his fingers. His pants could wrap themselves around his shoes and still touch the floor.
Well, maybe he'll grow in it.
He folded his clothes more neatly and added a belt, hidden underneath the hoodie. He tucked his pants into his shoes and stuffed the t-shirt under his pants to fill them in. He looked in the mirror again. For once, he didn't actually hate it.
He looked better than expected. The folds were barely visible, meaning that he could unfold them as he grew without anyone noticing. Well, they were not invisible so to say, but in some lighting and a dark environment, few would notice unless you're close up and he was actively NOT getting people into his personal space.
Tucking and folding his clothes helped him look a lot bigger than he actually was. Not A LOT lot, but enough that you wouldn't think that he'd be so scrawny.
He almost looked like a nightmarish clown. Okay, not exactly, but the grin made him feel like he was laughing at everyone. It makes him feel confident. Suddenly, he was not too sure on if he preferred his original outfit or not.
He jumped around his room a little to test how the mask would affect or restrict his breathing. It seemed to be working fine so he checked that off his list. He did a few different exercises that used his whole body and forced him to move in different ways to see if the clothes would hinder him. But, well, it was just regular clothes so not really. He got warm a bit quickly though but he's also inside his room with nothing but the window open—
OH GOD, THE WINDOW!
He dropped to the floor and crawled his way to the window, peeking out to see if anyone was nearby. What if someone saw him? What if they could tell that he was a vigilante? Is he going to get arrested?!
No, no, stay calm, Deku. Breathe in. And out. He's just wearing a costume. That is not illegal. The only thing he actually has done was the whole "stop-sign" incident, but no one can connect it to him.
Unless the guy tells the police what he looked like.
Oh, he's screwed. He's completely, utterly screwed. He sank down to the floor and sobbed. He's going to get arrested and be thrown into prison and mom's going to be so mad, no she wouldn't be mad but she would be disappointed, and then he won't get into U.A to become a hero and—
He gasped for air as his chest pained, grabbing onto his shirt to release some pressure. He threw his head back and hit the wall to get more air. He knew that his head would hurt from the impact but couldn't feel it at the moment. All he needed to do was breathe. He couldn't be having a panic attack when the cops burst down his front door and seized him—
…
Where are the cops?
It's been days, shouldn't he be in prison right now? Or at least be in custody.
Did… Did the guy not tell them about him? He was wanted for a series of assaults so maybe he was embarrassed about getting caught because of a kid. Or maybe he respects him for whatever reason and refused to tell the cops? No, that couldn't be it.
The cops probably figured out that he wasn't worth their time and was just a scared kid. They had other things to do outside of searching for him.
And by god, if that didn't make him feel better. The cops aren't going to come after him. Hopefully. He uncurled himself with a long breath, sat down on the ground, and stared at the ceiling. The police aren't incompetent. If they wanted to arrest him, they probably would've done so by now. Or at least have people look for him. But since they're not then he's safe. Maybe . He didn't know how the police operate but it makes sense to be along those lines, right? That's how they find potential witnesses and suspects, don't they?
…
So what to do now?
His costume is done and he's not particularly tired. Would it be a bad idea to go out, if just for a short while? He did freak out just mere moments before and moving a lot after not being able to breathe sounds like an early death. Yeah, it would be a bad idea. He would be better off staying home and trying to sleep.
But being a vigilante is also a bad idea and he's already committed to that, so what's one bad idea more gonna do?
With conviction in his heart, he stood up and left through the window. He sat on his roof and looked out over his neighbourhood. The calmness of the night reflected his neighbours; all of them being inside with their families and enjoying each other's company.
Up on the roof, he realised that he had no means of getting around. Sure, he could take a bus or a subway (even if they don't go as often as during the day) but then what? Should he just walk around on the ground? Or should he try to go by roofs?
It would probably be for the best if he did both, wouldn't it? Going by roofs gives him an advantage by seeing things from a new perspective as well as people not really looking up as often as they should. He could easily get the jump on someone. At the same time, people wouldn't see him as much as if he was walking around. But roofs are also a lot harder to move across, at least until he gets better at parkour. His primary source of transportation across short distances should therefore be rooftops so he can train and get better.
Of course, he has to walk around a lot on the ground since he's not good at parkour and could easily get hurt if he tries to do something above his skill level. If he feels like he won't make it, then going by ground is a great option. If a hero or a villain decides to chase after him, he'll have more options when it comes to using his quirk and many, many more hiding places.
With that in mind, he jumped to his neighbour's roof and dashed off into the night.
The night was truly calm. It was as if the atmosphere from outside his neighbourhood had seeped in and lulled everyone to sleep. He stayed close the first night. He wanted to get a feel for it all before moving further and further out. The more he ran about and jumped from roof to roof, the more confident he became. He knew that the more time he spent doing this, the better he would become.
Unfortunately, because the night was calm, nothing really happened. Ah, well, that's not unfortunate, don't get him wrong! It's great when he doesn't have to fight people; it means that everyone nearby is safe. Of course, that doesn't mean that they're all safe and there are probably a lot of people that he can't save, but none of them was nearby and he probably shouldn't venture out too far when he was just starting out.
When he's finally good enough, he'll save everyone. He won't ever let anyone feel the hopelessness and despair he had felt. No matter how long it takes, no matter what he does, and no matter what happens, he will save the people. He will become a hero.
Time rolled by and soon the first beams of the sun rose. He had been out a lot later than anticipated and when he finally arrived home, he collapsed onto the bed like a dead weight. The passing thought as he drifted to sleep, was that he had forgotten to eat dinner.
Chapter 4: Delusions
His brain felt like mush. He knew what his teachers were talking about and jotted down notes, but what they said completely disappeared afterwards. Is this why adults drink so much coffee? Should he start drinking coffee? Isn't coffee bad for you? Should he look it up? He probably should look it up. Just in case. But… not right now. Not when the board in front of him was blurry with words and the words on his notebook blended together.
"Are you even listening, damn nerd?" Kachaan scoffed. He blinked and looked to the side. He stood with his two other friends, both of them grinning with sharp teeth and leering eyes as he sneered down at him. "You've been staring at that paper since the bell rang. Are you brain dead or something?"
"Oh!" Deku stood up and packed his things. "Sorry, Kachaan! I didn't hear the bell ring. Thank you for getting me." He gave him a bright smile and moved forward to leave.
Kachaan, however, wasn't done talking. He pushed Deku back into the chair and slammed a hand on the desk, smoke and cracks following it. Deku eyed it, grateful that Kachaan had used the desk instead of him. His palms got so sweaty sometimes and Kachaan didn't really like being sweaty unless he used his quirk, so he sometimes used his desk or himself to dry himself off. He technically could use his quirk to do so but then he might hurt someone or get in trouble for unlawful quirk use so Deku really didn't mind.
Sure, sometimes he wondered why Kachaan kept on using his quirk instead of, like, drying his hands off a piece of tissue or something. But maybe it's because it's more flammable and therefore more dangerous? Because human skin isn't as flammable as paper or tissue is? But... why does he keep on getting in trouble with unlawful quirk use and detention and black marks but when Kachaan does it it's fine?
Though it was Kachaan and it was him so that might be why? It seemed reasonable enough, didn't it?
"Fucking Deku thinks he can just leave. How stupid do you have to be?" Kachaan mocked as his friends laughed. Deku chuckled a bit as well, ignoring the weird feeling in his stomach.
"Sorry, Kachaan, I just thought—"
"That's the thing, isn't it?" He bent down real close, staring him down until Deku was forced to look down. "You never think. If you did, your useless ass wouldn't be here. If you did, you would've given up on becoming a hero long ago. I mean, you're still desperately trying, aren't you?"
He nodded and looked up at him. "I took your advice, Kachaan! I'm now training to be stronger! I'll be a hero you can be proud of!"
"EH?!" He grabbed his collar and pulled him close. He smelled a lot like burnt sugar and caramel. Deku smiled at the information and mentally added it to the pages he had on Kachaan. "You're still hung up on that useless dream? And when did I ever give you advice, Deku?! The only advice I'll give you is to give up your dreams!"
Deku shook his head. "Ah, Kachaan, don't you remember? You told me that all I ever could become was a vigilante because they're weak like me. But if I become stronger then I can become a hero!" Ah, he hoped that he didn't say too much about him being a vigilante. Kachaan is smart, will he figure it out? No, probably not. He doesn't care about him being a vigilante. He wouldn't have given him that advice otherwise!
Still, he needed to be a lot more careful. He couldn't just blurt out whatever he was thinking, regardless of whether it was Kachaan or not. He needs to think about what he's saying, and think about the consequences a little bit more. But... thinking about all of the excitement he will feel as he's out and about, thinking about how he finally might have a slim chance of becoming a hero, fills him with so much excitement he could barely contain. And who better to tell someone than his best friend?
But still, he can't tell him no matter how much he wishes he could. Kachaan is his best friend, everyone knows that. When If he gets arrested by the police then Kachaan might get questioned. If he knew that Deku was breaking the law, then he might be deemed an accomplice and thrown in jail or, at the very least, ruin all of his chances of becoming a hero. Deku can't do that to his friend. He can't let his future get destroyed just because he didn't think about the consequences. He won't ever ruin someone else's future again.
Kachaan sneered and exploded his collar. The heat from the explosions burned his neck and left him near tears as the collar disintegrated. "You're delusional, shitty Deku. I never gave you that advice. The only advice I've given you is to stop being a hero. You'll die within the first second ."
"Don't worry, Kachaan!" He gasped as he tugged the burnt collar away from his blisters, the ringing in his ears making him speak louder than usual. The collar dug into his skin, leaving it far more tender than he had hoped for. "I'm going to become strong so you don't have to worry about me!"
"I'M NOT WORRIED!" Kachaan roared and punched him in the face. His chair clattered against the wall, the force trying to knock them both down but there wasn't enough space for that.
Everything was quiet except for Kachaan's other friends who cheered in the background. He couldn't figure out why they were cheering. Well, Kachaan's quirk is pretty cool, so maybe it's because of that. It's always a delight to see it in person, he just wished that it didn't hurt so much. At least no one will ever know the extent of his quirk as well as he or Kachaan himself. But why was everything so quiet? Why was it as if they were stuck in a bubble, with no sound entering and no sound leaving? It made no sense. It shouldn't be so quiet except for their cheers and the ringing in his ears. Why was everything so quiet?
"I am NOT worried about you. I hate you, Deku. If you spend a little more time thinking then you'll realise it too. And when you finally realise that, maybe you'll do yourself a favour and give it all up." He spat at him before turning around and walking away, not even bothering to wait for his friends to follow him as they laughed at the joke.
He kept his eyes downcast as he leaned forward so his chair could be fully on the floor again. He held a hand to his cheek. It throbbed and pounded beneath his hand. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, but it was obscured by the ringing. It wasn't as loud as before, thankfully, but it was all he could hear for a long, long time. That, and the drowning silence.
He blinked.
He was in his bed.
He still wore his school uniform, the black and burnt cloth, sprawled out on his bed like a starfish. He stared at his white ceiling without moving a muscle. A spider ran across it to a corner. There was some cobweb there but he wasn't tall enough to reach it, even with a chair, and he didn't want to bother mom. It's not like the spider was hurting him either. It was just existing. Why should the spider be stomped and spat on for its existence? It makes no sense. No, he thinks he'll leave the spider be.
His throat and neck were still burned with blisters, stinging despite not moving at all. It seemed to get strained even when he just breathed, almost like it was bothered by him doing such a simple task. His cheek was swollen and bruised a sick, yellow colour, soon to be blue and purple before settling down once again. He needed to apply burn cream to his throat and ice his cheek. But his bed was warm and comforting. It was safe, like a hug from mom. His body ached and his ribs strained with every breath. He didn't want to move. He curled up in a ball and sobbed. He was so, so tired. He didn't wanna move. He didn't wanna move again.
(God, why didn't he move back then?)
Someone knocked on the door.
He breathed in sharply and shut his eyes tight, twisting further into himself. The door opened with a creak. Soft footsteps padded across the room and a heavy weight settled down on his bed. A warm hand placed itself on his shoulder. Neither said anything, just existing together as Deku's sobs slowly eased up.
This time around, he couldn't convince mom to go to work. She said that she needed to be there for her son and could deal with whatever consequences came next. However, that didn't stop the guilt from eating him up inside. He felt awful and hated himself for making mom miss work when they both knew how important money was, especially when they were essentially living paycheck to paycheck. Every hour counted, and every second was important, yet here she was... Taking care of him. Pathetic, stupid, crybaby little Deku.
If he hadn't been so stupid and an idiot, mom wouldn't be forced to stay home and take care of him like a baby. If he hadn't experienced… whatever that was, then they wouldn't have to worry about money for the rest of the month. If he was a better son, mom could've been happy, instead of being stuck here and taking care of useless Deku.
Somehow, the last part didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.
They ate katsudon together in silence, even if Deku just ended up playing and poking with his food. They usually ate katsudon on special occasions. Mom must have wanted to cheer him up or make him tell her what happened. He refused because it wasn't anything special. Sure, suddenly waking up in his bed with no memory of getting there was new, but the day was moving along as usual. Except... It hadn't really been as usual, had it? Because he went out as a vigilante the day before. That meant that he was a little bit more tired than usual yet it wasn't anything special. Really, if anything, he should be wolfing down the food faster than Ingenium could run. But today he had no appetite and the food didn't taste anything. It was bland, seemingly grey to the naked eye, even though he knew that mom hadn't done anything special with it.
"Izuku, we need to talk," mom said as softly as she could. He ended up slightly flinching anyway, lightly peering at her from underneath his bangs.
"I don't want you to go to that school anymore. I understand that it's awkward to leave as of now, but I can't send you there with good conscience anymore. I want us to look at a new school."
"MOM PLEASE!" He shot up, the chair clattering to the ground as he slammed his hands on the table. "There are two years left; practically nothing! I don't wanna leave Kachaan! Please mom, please. I promise to be more careful!"
But mom just looked at him sadly. "Izuku… You can still see Katsuki after school, I promise. But this is the second time you came home… like that and this time you were hurt! School isn't only meant to teach you, it's also meant to protect you. I just want what's best for you, bunny."
"Please, mom," he croaked out as he picked up his chair and sat down. "I… don't wanna leave school. Please. I promise to be careful."
She looked thoughtful, eyeing him up and down for a long time. "Izuku…"
There was more he wanted to say; it would be expensive to send him to another school and they both knew that money is as tight as it is, it would be a longer way to travel for him which means that they'll see each other even less than now, it would also mean that mom would have to work even more than what she already does, he will fall behind from his peers, it—
And so on and so forth. He refused to utter a word. She knew and he knew. They would just be running around in circles without deciding anything.
She would also get upset if he knew how much he worried about their money situation. They could move from the house as it's too big for them, but... No, they couldn't, not after everything. He tries his best to be of low maintenance possible but he is sure mom will catch him soon. Of course, being a vigilante won't help with that either. And he is not going to pick-pocket the criminals, where did that thought even come from?
Inko sighed and looked at her son who refused to meet her eyes. He was staring at his lap, grabbing his pants until his knuckles turned white and shook from the force. He was still in his school uniform; he hadn't changed since he came home. It was dirty and scoffed, his collar broken and blackened, and smelled a lot like smoke. Familiar smoke. She shook her head. She can't afford to lose focus now.
She placed a hand on her cheek, leaning into it as she thought. Her heart ached as she looked at her boy who fought back his tears. She wanted nothing more but to embrace him in a warm hug and cling to him with all her might. Realistically, she knows that he is alright but she can't help but worry about him. His quirk's drawbacks coupled with whatever made him act the way over the past two days didn't really leave her at ease.
Twice in a row had Izuku gotten home with a blank look on his face, significant parts of his day completely gone from his memory. As if he was an empty shell that was replaced beforehand. Granted, she didn't know what caused him to be, well, blank, but she was certain that there was nothing good coming with it.
But still, seeing her son beg and tremble before her, desperately for him to stay at the school, made her decision harder. There would also be more complications in switching schools as well, regardless if Izuku knows about them or not. She's certain that he does, he's always been smart that way; noticing things that people wouldn't otherwise. Seeing the consequences of actions before they unfold. He probably thought of more counterarguments than her. If it came down to a fight, he would surely win over her, brain over brawn and all that. Not that she'd ever hit her son, of course not! Though... she wondered... How well can he even fight? He wants to be a hero but she can't send him to some classes that could help him fight. It was far too expensive. Maybe he has looked up things on the internet? Well, as long as he's careful, she's alright with it. She shook her head. "Damnit, Inko, get ahold of yourself! Stop spacing out!"
He did promise her to be safe. Maybe she could ask Katsuki to keep watch of him. Even if he doesn't come over quite as often, she can't imagine them stopping being friends.
She pressed her lips together and sat up straight. Izuku was startled at the action and slowly lifted his head up to look at her.
"I… will ask Katsuki to keep a watch out or at least keep you safe. I know that you don't want to leave school, but if I find out that this continues or gets worse, I won't hesitate to pull you out. Is that okay?"
He gaped at her, eyes big with wonder before he broke out with a huge smile. "Yes! Yes, thank you, mom! I love you so much!"
She wrapped him up in a big hug and he all but melted into her. Too soon he let her go, taking his plate back into the kitchen to start the dishes, mumbling about something that she didn't catch. She watched after him with a smile, though worry still ate at her side. She couldn't help but feel that the smile was strained, the hug tighter than usual, and his food was left on the plate.
She couldn't help but feel that he wasn't being honest with her.
Chapter 5: It's Vigilante Time
Deku sat at his desk and looked out of the window. He bounced his leg up and down as he thought about the day's events. Kachaan was right as usual. He never thinks through things and always acts before doing anything else. That's why mom threatened to withdraw him from his school and why he might fail at being a vigilante. He really needed to start thinking things through. He got lucky yesterday but who knows when that luck will run out?
If he hadn't walked home while he was in that weird state then mom wouldn't have gotten worried. If he doesn't think about plans for when he's a vigilante then he'll fail at that and get captured or chased or killed.
He stood up, stretched, and then laid down on the floor. He placed his hands under his head and stared at the ceiling without thinking anything for a moment. His back hurt after sitting in a weird position for quite some time meaning that when he finally allowed it to stretch and rest, it hurt badly. He groaned, trying to take deep breaths to ease it up. The pain slowly moved out through the rest of his body as his joints and bones got a chance to rest. When he was finally comfortable he started to think.
He must avoid entering that state no matter what. As he has no memory of what he's doing, or at the very least, not a clear memory of what he's going, he can't just continue going on like nothing is wrong. What if he gets seriously hurt? What if he gets attacked? He can't just do that. Whenever he's like that, he must assume that he's doing things unconsciously. Wait, of course he is, he wouldn't be able to get home otherwise. Maybe he can, like, condition himself not to go home whenever he's like that. Every time he's gotten like that he's been wanting to go home because he's both safe here but also because he has to go home.
So maybe if he thinks that he can't go home when he's like that he won't? Well, it's not like there's a lot he can do to prevent him from entering that state, especially since he doesn't know what it is, so perhaps that is all he can do.
"Though," he mused,"maybe I can search online?"
He grabbed his phone and started to search for answers. " Memory loss; memory fail ; I'm getting old; ADHD, but I don't have that so it's not that either; good old cancer… " He sighed. Just as he expected. Searching online never brought him any answers.
He put the phone on the floor next to him and continued to plan for his vigilantism. Essentially everything that could be called " pre-vigilantism " was planned. What was next in line would be being an actual vigilante. What are his plans for being a vigilante? What should he do? Who should he save? And what happens when he gets caught?
Okay, obviously, he's going to save everyone he can. It doesn't matter if it's a mugging or sexual assault or rape or kidnapping or anything! If he can help them then he's going to. However…
As much as it hurts to admit, he can't go after the "bigger league". Human trafficking, gangs, drugs, serial killers, all of which he won't deal with until he gets strong enough. If he finds something, he'll anonymously tip the police and let them do the work.
Speaking of which, people are really underestimating the police. Sure, the heroes are cool and save the day and comfort the victims, but it's the police who are doing all the dirty work. It's thanks to the police that the criminals get arrested and found out. Heroes won't search for murderers because they don't have the right tools or skillset to do so, unless they partner up with the police, of course.
They coexist almost perfectly with each other, never giving the other party too much freedom to do as they pleased while also covering up the short end. Two sides of the same coin, really.
If he ever becomes a hero then he'll work with the police all the time. If he fails, well, who's to say he can't be a vigilante and a cop?
Okay, indulgent time is over. Back on track.
What are his plans for being a vigilante and what should he do? What are his plans?
It's his way of training to be a hero and, by extension, helping him save people. As said before, he'll try his best not to do things outside of his skill level, but he won't let anyone get hurt. As a future hero, it's much better if he gets hurt instead of the victims. And, because of Kachaan, he has a much higher pain tolerance; or, well, he knows how to move and hide his pain from others which means he can comfort the victims and they won't worry about it despite him being in pain!
"Gosh, there are so many things I have to thank Kachaan for. I'll do it first thing tomorrow!" He thought and smiled.
Wait, backtracking, he's getting off track.
He needs to make plans for specific scenarios such as being chased, arrested, or… if someone saw his face. And getting hurt, of course.
Firstly, what should he do if he gets chased? Obviously, he shouldn't run home. He could probably run in the direction if he's far away but never go home. It doesn't matter how late, or early, it is; he will not go home as long as he's being chased. Not even afterwards either, actually. In fact, he'll go to school and go home like normal afterwards. Stuff his clothes in his backpack and tell mom he felt jittery and needed to go on a run.
(It hurts that he has to lie to her… He'd been doing that a lot nowadays. He kept telling himself that he'll pay her back, but when will he really do that? He feels like such a horrible son. He should try doing something that might cheer her up.)
Deku sat up with a snap. "That's actually a good idea. Not the cheering up her part, not to say that it isn't a good idea or anything, but the backpack thing. If I hide backpacks or similar necessities, I can easily just take one of them when needed. Nothing personal should be in them, of course, but maybe a white shirt and some black pants? I'll get in trouble for being out of uniform but it might be worth it."
It's going to be a slow process, saving up backpacks and extra uniforms, but for now, he can just hide them nearby the school. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
Okay, so if he's chased then he won't go home no matter what. What's next?
Getting hurt? Well, maybe he could carry bandages on him and then either go home to fix the damage or go to one of his hidden backpacks. All of which is decided by how severe the damage is, where he is, the time of the day, and if he's being chased or not. He'll also have to keep in mind what happens during patrol and make up his mind then if it's safe to go home or not.
So what would happen if he gets arrested? He'll confess and argue that he didn't use his quirk in hopes of not getting the vigilante charge, and just try to work with everyone involved to try and reduce his sentence as much as possible. After that? That's… for future him to decide.
Lastly, if someone sees his face. There are three separate actions to take. First, if it's a civilian, plead that they don't tell anyone what he looks like and then just run. Keep clear of that area for some time and then go back occasionally until it dies down. Hero; tries to strike a deal to not be arrested. If it doesn't work, see "arrest plan". Finally, if it is a villain…
He breathed in sharply and closed his hands into tight fists. He'll have to take them down and get them arrested. If they tell the police about him, he'll just go with the "arrest plan". The police won't hurt mom. But villains might. If someone escapes and starts talking to their friends then mom will get in danger.
He won't let mom get hurt no matter what.
Regardless of who sees him, he'll just have to stay low and not go out as often as well as for shorter periods of time. He must do everything he can to avoid the heat. To not draw attention to himself. And, well, if that just happens to be something he's good at, then so be it.
Anyway, should he wear contacts or dye his hair, just in case?
He shook his head, slightly biting his lip. Probably not, mom would ask questions. And what if he forgets to take out a contact?! That would raise so many questions and Kachaan might call him out on it and people will laugh at him even more and—
He gasped for air. Yeah, let's– let's not do that. With that in mind, he readied himself to go out once again. As soon as he says goodbye to mom, of course.
Deku wasn't certain when he thought he would face a criminal for the first time (or second, if the mugger counts) but he for sure wasn't expecting to find one on the second night.
He had been following a group of young women on their way home after an, presumably, "after work", if their drunken laughter were anything to come by. He didn't intend to stay long, seeing as the women seemed to be handling themselves just fine, when he noticed a pair, a man and a woman, walking behind them.
He didn't pay them any attention at first but as the women were slowing down, probably to split up and say goodbye, the pair rushed forward. Everyone was taken by surprise.
The man's arms grew longer and bigger and wrapped around the two closest women. The last woman screamed and tried to run away but was jumped by the other woman. They collapsed on the ground, the woman's back hitting a manhole cover with a hollow thunk when she started to choke her victim.
Deku took his chance. As much as he wished to jump down and knock them out before they realise that he was there, he can't. He's not skilled enough for that. Instead, he rushed to the fire escape and half jumped down, half climbed down, as quickly as he could. He frantically looked around on the ground for something to use as a weapon.
At the side laid a glass bottle, empty of its containments, and a branch. He grabbed the bottle, used his quirk on the branch, and ran to the woman. He smashed the bottle over her head and she crumpled on top of the other woman with a whine.
As the victim pushed the woman off her, Deku threw the broken bottle to the side (and apologised mentally for littering) and turned to the man.
He stared wide-eyed at him, eyes darting back and forth between him and the woman.
"The fuck are you doing?! Get out of here or I'll kill you myself!" He yelled.
Deku didn't react, a bit numb by death threats by now, and used his quirk again. The paper turned back into a branch which he swung at the man's head. The man's eyes went wide in shock before his head was thrown to the side. Unfortunately for Deku, the man didn't seem to go down by that. If anything, it just made him mad. He got up with a roar and rushed at him. The two girls he had taken with his quirk immediately got up to gain distance. One of them was already on the phone, presumably contacting the police.
It was at that moment that Deku knew he messed up.
He jumped to the side and started to run away with the man following him close behind. He couldn't run too far though; he needed to keep the man close to the crime scene to identify him with the crime.
The man stretched his arms out and grabbed onto Deku's hood, throwing him into a wall. He gasped as he slid down to the ground, kneeling and coughing to regain his breath.
"You little shit! Who the hell do you think you are, huh?! You're just a kid who's gotten cocky! I'll teach you to not take water over your head. Too bad you'll be dead!"
The man stretched his arms to grab him again but Deku rolled underneath them and ran back towards the crime scene. The man's weak comeback aside, he was right. Deku was far over his head and will greatly pay for it. As much as he wished that he didn't have to use his quirk, he saw no other option. But at the crime scene (can you even call it that? Is it an active crime scene? Does it even have a name?) there was something for him to use. He needed to hurry since the police will be here at any second.
The woman was still unconscious and the others were nowhere in sight. He prepared himself for the pain once more and slid next to her. He pressed his fingers against the manhole cover—
His gloves are in the way.
He yanked the glove off and pressed his fingers against the cover. "So that was the last reason for not taping paper to my body." He bit back a wince as a cut appeared on his index finger, 1 cm wide. He grabbed the paper and swung around, throwing the paper as he deactivated it. The cover turned back to normal and sailed through the air. The man let out a shriek that was cut off as the cover hit him right in the face. A loud crack was heard and the man collapsed.
Deku stared at him with bated breath. He waited for a moment before making his way to the man. He used his quirk again on the cover and bit his lip as another cut appeared across his palm, 2 cm wide this time. He then placed the cover back over the hole and ran into an alley. He crouched down and hid behind some trash to keep an eye on the duo. He was fairly certain that the man wouldn't wake up any time soon but he wasn't too sure about that woman. If she were to wake up then he can't let her escape.
Furthermore, he's more worried about the fact that he used his quirks trice. He is forced into using his quirk until he's better at hand-to-hand combat. But since his quirk require touch—
Oh god, his fingerprints are on the bottle!
He jumped up and ran to the woman, frantically picking up as many shards—
He… He was wearing gloves when he touched the bottle.
Ah, well, littering is bad even if it technically is a weapon that would be taken into police custody so he's just doing his job as a citizen. But it still raised a problem that he really shouldn't forget: He can't use his quirk with gloves but when he uses his quirk his fingerprints will end up on various objects. And his blood from his cuts will end up everywhere and then he'll get questioned and he can't lie to them so he'll end up arrested and—
"FREEZE!"
And by God, if Deku didn't do just that.
If someone with a mind-reading quirk happened to pass by then they wouldn't be able to comprehend a single thought amidst all of the screaming. He turned around with agonisingly slow movements, trying his best to seem as non-threatening as possible. His mind raced for a way to get out of the situation or explain his actions. Maybe he could be offered a plea deal or just be let off with a warning? He doesn't think so, and while he normally wouldn't get his hopes up, he hoped that his punishment wouldn't be too harsh.
The police officer in front of him had a mutant quirk, giving them the appearance of a tabby cat. They lowered their gun and put it in their holster and made their way towards him, though it wasn't much of a distance.
Despite that, Deku saw his chance and ran. The officer yelled something after him but the blood pounded in his ears too loud for him to hear anything. He ducked and weaved his way into the alley, breath heavy against his mask, as the officer ran after him. Thankfully, Deku has many years of experience running from his friends, and due to his smaller frame, managed to evade the officer for quite some time. Not that it was easy, of course not; the officer was trained to chase after criminals and Deku was not. But Deku had turned a corner a bit faster than them, and then another corner, and then another one, and another one.
He didn't know where he was running, only knowing the feeling of adrenaline and pure fear in his blood. He ran and ran and ran as far as he could. He didn't want to get caught, couldn't get caught, and refused to get caught. He ran until he tasted copper and his lungs burned. He ran until he could finally think clearly.
He ran until he collapsed.
While some might think that landing in some trash would be at least a little soft, he can safely say that it's not .
He twisted to lay on his back and stared up at the dark sky, mouth agape as he just gasped. If the officer were to somehow find him then he would give up right then and there, for it must be some kind of GOD if they could still track him down.
But… They had a cat mutation. Aren't cats known for their good sense of smell? Or was it dogs? Maybe both?
…
He's too tired to think clearly. Hopefully, the trash can cover it up. His smell, that is. God, he's going to smell even worse than he normally does.
His eyelids fluttered shut and everything went dark. On his first real night as a vigilante, he slept on some trash. As cliché as it might sound, however true it might be, the rest of his days, or, well, nights, as a vigilante, will all go downhill from there.
Just… maybe not right away.
Chapter 6: The Moon But In A Bad Way
Deku's teacher droned on about something. He tried to force himself to listen (he kept on getting warnings and detentions of not paying attention, even though he does and he can prove it if they justgive him a chance to recite —) but the red, burning shame crept up on his neck. How could he have fallen asleep in the trash?! If Kachaan knew, he would've joked about Deku belonging there. Still, he couldn't do that. He couldn't sleep in the trash again! Not only is it dangerous, but what if someone finds him and unmasks him?! Especially since he, you know, ran away from the cops?
He placed his head in his hands and bit back a groan, frustrated tears building up but not yet falling. He knew that he would've been forced to run away one day, but not the first official night! That's embarrassing.
"Midoriya-kun!" A hand slammed onto his desk with enough force to make him jump. He looked up at his teacher with wide eyes and met a snarl and judgmental eyes.
"I thought you would've learned better after your last detention. Yet here you are, proving me wrong once again." His classmates laughed and he shrunk in on himself, mumbling out an apology.
His teacher just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Please, Midoriya-kun, even you would've known by now that apologies are only for people who truly mean it. Lunch detention."
His class's laughter must've been heard by the neighbouring class yet no one showed up to yell at them. He flushed a deep red and stared at his desk. Public humiliation should've stopped him from making the same, stupid mistakes, but no matter how many times his teachers help correct him, he's always at fault.
"Yessir. Sorry, sir," he mumbled. His teacher glared at him and allowed the class to silence their laughter before continuing with the lesson. Deku tried to take notes, he really did, but he couldn't hear anything his teacher said. White noise reached his ears, filling the space in his head and suffocating him. His vision blurred and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. The urge to use his quirk, for something to ground him, was strong but he didn't act. It was hard, like a starving child receiving fast food in their hands, but he really couldn't get into any more trouble than he already is.
The clock rang and he blinked as everyone rushed out the door. Kachaan stood beside him and glared. "Auntie Inko called the old hag," he started. "Said I need to keep an eye on you. Make sure a weak little bitch like you won't get too hurt."
"K-Kachaan!" Deku whined under his teasing. He was cut off as Kachaan slammed his smoking hands onto his desk and exploded it, leaving it soot-ridden and burnt.
"STOP FUCKING CALLING ME THAT!" Kachaan roared and grabbed his shoulders. His fingers dug deep into the skin and left bruises on the tender flesh. Deku tried to bite back a gasp but failed.
"Listen here you useless fucker. Apparently, you don't want to leave me behind. You don't want to leave behind "dear old Kachaan"," he mocked. His friends laughed and Deku tried to as well even if he didn't understand what was so funny and his words were a bit painful.
"You should've taken the chance and left, Deku. We're not friends and we'll never be friends! A weak, pathetic little thing like you can never be friends with someone like me. So get that into your thick skull and leave. Got it?"
Kachaan pushed him off and staggered off, his friends rushing to follow him out. He looked at the door even after they shut it with a slam.
"Kachaan's right," he though and clenched his fists. "I need to get stronger; I am still far too weak! He keeps on pushing me to become a great hero, just like himself, and I can't even train seriously! Kachaan! I vow to change and become someone you can be proud of! And one day, one day, I can stand proud beside you and thank you for all that you've done for me!"
The teacher dragged the door open and yelled something at Deku. He flinched and hung his head, pulling out his homework to silently work on it.
"Well… First, I need to finish detention."
Tsukauchi Naomasa really, really didn't like vigilantes nor paperwork. And paperwork regarding vigilantes? Forget about it.
He groaned and placed his head in his palms, ruffling up his hair as he tried to disparage his almost-constant headache. He blankly stared at the papers scattered all around his desk. He stretched an arm out to take a sip from his coffee cup only to find it was already empty.
…
He's going to absolutely lose it.
Knocks came from the door before it opened. Sansa stuck his head through the door. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
He nodded and gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Being the lead detective on the precinct gave him some benefits, such as having a private room away from all the bustling, but it also gave him some… less than ideal drawbacks, such as more work, longer hours, and vigilantes.
Sansa stepped into the room and closed the door with his tail, the absolute godsend holding two cups of coffee.
"Sansa," he said and leaned forward. "Sansa, I might just marry you."
His tail flicked to the side as he laughed. "I'm afraid my partner wouldn't be too happy about that." He sat down on the chair and gave him a cup which he took gratefully and almost downed it in one go. The office's coffee wasn't the best nor the hottest but caffeine is caffeine.
"Right. Thank you, Sansa. We have a lot to discuss."
His ears laid flat against his head. "I'm aware. The new vigilante I encountered earlier, am I right?"
Tsukauchi nodded. "As of now, it's uncertain whether or not they classify as a vigilante. I'd like to go through your testimony one more time if you'd please."
"Well, here's what happened…"
It was late at night, not a shift Sansa usually takes on, but one he had covered because a friend had called in sick. He'd been walking around the route that covered a small part of the Shizuoka prefecture when he had gotten a call from a dispatch requesting his presence ten minutes away.
A young woman had called for help after she and her friends had gotten attacked. They managed to get away because a third party showed up and attacked the two attackers. By then Sansa was rushing to the location to try and diffuse the situation and make arrests if necessary.
Imagine his surprise when he arrived at the scene to find two people, presumably the attackers, unconscious on the ground with a considerably much smaller form kneeling over the woman. They seemed to pick things up from the ground (which Sansa, later on, came to identify as glass shards) and didn't notice his presence.
Sansa drew his gun and yelled at him to freeze. The vigilante was calm, not uttering a single sound, as they did what was told. They placed their hands behind their head and turned around to face him. They wore a purple hoodie with white accents and bunny ears hastily sewn on top. They wore a black mask with a white grin and eyes, seemingly laughing at him from behind the mask.
Sansa gritted his teeth and his tail swished behind him. He hadn't asked them to turn around. Oh well, they appeared to be unarmed and weren't aggressive. He hesitated for just a moment, holsting his gun to handcuff them.
Unfortunately, that proved to be a mistake. The moment he stepped towards them, they turned and ran into the night. Sansa (to his embarrassment) yowled and ran after, glad that his mutation gave him heightened senses to find people easier.
The vigilante was fast and the game of chase went on for several minutes. Sansa was quick to send an update back to dispatch about the situation so the others can be swiftly dealt with. The cop and the vigilante rushed through twisting alleys and dark streets, the moon and the lamps not giving enough light to be fully seen.
The vigilante had turned a corner, and then another one, and suddenly they were gone. Sansa tried to follow their scent but was forced to give up when too many smells got mixed together.
He returned to the crime scene with bared teeth and a tail hanging low. He didn't think that they were dangerous and hoped that, however annoying one might be, they were a vigilante. At least they want to help people. Well, usually they do. With some luck, this one might be one of the good ones.
"... I see," Tsukauchi said and leaned against his clasped hands. "It certainly does sound like we have a vigilante on our hands. Let's hope that they will be compliant and not cause us any more trouble."
"With all due respect, sir," Sansa sighed, "I doubt that. Their costume, albeit quite simple at first glance, was quite detailed. It's obvious that they've put a lot of thought into it. They're here to stay."
Tsukauchi groaned and rubbed his face. "I'm afraid you're correct. We'll just have to wait and see. Let's hope they don't bring too much trouble."
Sansa laughed as if to show how wrong that statement was. Creeping dread settled in his stomach and he took another sip of his coffee. Once again, it was already empty. He glared at the cup and Sansa got up to get another cup for him.
It really didn't bode well for him.
Deku was out once again. He probably shouldn't be since it's been three days in a row and he was almost caught by that really cool cop. Yet here he was, sitting on the roof nearby Aldera's Middle School, bouncing his leg as he thought about his plans for the night.
He had left a backpack inside of a vent, the cover easily taken off due to his quirk. He had stuffed a spare uniform inside of the backpack, alongside some other trinkets like some bandages, needle and thread, a bottle of water, and some food. He briefly thought about putting some money inside as well, however, it would seem as if he was running away for good—
Oh god, what if he's forced to run away?! Like if he didn't manage to apprehend a criminal or something. His life would be in danger if they also managed to unmask him and he would be forced to run away to protect himself and mom. But… that would mean leaving mom behind. Can he really do that? Wouldn't it be better if he turned himself in and begged them to protect mom? Because while he is a good-for-nothing criminal, mom has nothing to do with it and for her to suffer and die because of him—
He gritted his teeth and put the vent back in its place with a bit more force than necessary. It rattled but held on. If he runs away then villains might kill mom to draw him out. If he doesn't but doesn't go to the police, mom might die. He can't protect her all the time, not without her raising questions and demanding he goes to the police. No matter what, he must go to the police, even if it would cost him his life.
He won't let mom die due to his mistakes.
He won't let anyone die due to his mistakes again.
Deku sighed and stood up. In the end, stuffing some yen wouldn't do anything good for him. They're short on money as is, and he's already threading thin by putting things he might not even use in the vent. Someone might figure out that his backpack was in the vent and steal it. The only thing connecting him to the backpack was the school uniform but he doubted someone would be able to track him down because of it.
Anyway, there are far more important things he needs to focus on, instead of all these "what-if"'s, such as where he should go tonight. He picked a rooftop and dashed forward. Before the edge, he leaped over the gap, breath hitching in his throat as he saw how far down the ground was. Not enough to kill him, if he didn't land on his head, but that's a different matter entirely, but it would be enough to injure him permanently.
He stumbled onto the other roof, almost collapsing if he didn't twist and turn himself just a little bit. He felt like a figure skater, or a gymnast, or a dancer that did a really complicated manoeuvre but couldn't stick the landing because they were off balance. Except all he did was jump over a small gap. "Really?" He smiled and moved on. "How useless can you be?"
Then he moved on to the next roof, his jumps becoming better and better with each time. Of course, he was quite far from a professional, years before he could even think that thought. Without a teacher he will continue to make mistakes and continue to hurt himself. Unless someone comes in to correct him, these mistakes might cause him doom.
Like it did tonight.
He sat on the rooftop to catch his breath. Since the first night, he hasn't really been out looking for trouble. Not more than necessary. Instead, he's been focused on correcting his… Well, everything, really. He's been running and jumping around, throwing sloppy punches in the air, and kicked walls to get the technique down. He was mid-punch when he heard a scream.
He hadn't had the time to react before his feet moved him in that direction. He stumbled along as his mind tried to catch up with his feet, grasping at the air as he jumped and leapt over houses and alleyways. Another scream echoed through the air, this time closer than before. A bit too close, in fact.
He looked down and saw a man on the ground being attacked by someone who could sprout swords out of his mouth and was covered in blood.
While some might say that what he did was idiotic, he felt completely justified in jumping down on the attacker's back and bringing him to the ground.
The attacker was covered by the shadows which meant that Deku couldn't quite make out his features. But he was quite thin and lanky so he probably wouldn't be able to put on a good fight. Well, excluding the sword-teeth, of course. He had no idea how to handle that.
The man fell on his stomach and his teeth went haywire, barely missing Deku and the victim by a hairline. The victim screamed again and scrambled backwards, taking the opportunity to flee. Once again, Deku was at loss. He started to hit the man's head in hopes of knocking him out but felt more like an agitated child on his father's shoulders. It didn't help that the villain started to rise on his feet, not minding the extra weight on his back.
He slid off his back and frantically looked around for something to defend himself with; a branch, pieces of metal or glass, anything that could give damage.
Dread and fear left him shallow and breathless as there was nothing for him to use. He crawled backwards until this back hit the wall and his breath hitched in his throat.
The villain slowly turned towards him, one hand raised towards his own mouth with the other one extended toward him, hunching over as if his stomach was hurting.
"Flesh…" he whispered as saliva dribbled over his teeth and mouth.
Deku wanted to scream.
The teeth bounced around the alley before coming for him at neck breaking speeds. Deku rolled and crouched to the best of his ability, using his hands to manoeuvre through the obstacles. It cut them up, even through the gloves, and rendered them useless as they fell apart at the wrists.
He gave them half-a-thought of mourning before his attention was taken elsewhere; getting stabbed through the flesh of his arm.
The burning sensation, both similar but also unlike Kachaan's explosions, spread through the arm. He could feel a scream rip it's way through his throat, a rumbling sensation at the tender skin. Yet it was barely audible with the clashings of metal and his gritted teeth. If the villain noticed it, he made no moves outside of the usual. Tears pricked his eyes and soaked his mask as he grabbed the tooth and tried to rip it out.
But it was stuck there, pinning him against the wall like a trapped mouse in front of a cat. The villain whispered again and licked, as good as he could, his lips with a wicked smile.
Deku, only conscious due to stress, adrenaline, and sheer panic did something very stupid and reckless. He didn't know if it would work, never tested it out before, but had nothing to lose. He was dead either way, he reasoned, and the villain wouldn't really miss it. As a matter of fact, he might even do something good!
So he reached up again and grabbed the tooth, but instead of futilely trying to pull it out, used his quirk on it.
With little to no difficulty it turned into paper and he collapsed on the ground. The villain stumbled on the sudden release of pressure. He didn't cry out or act in pain after getting his tooth removed (which Deku actually found comfort in, for some weird reason), only looked confused at the paper Deku was desperately trying to catch.
After some embarrassing fumbling, he caught the paper and immediately turned it back into a 1 metre-long metal pole of some sorts and thrusted it forward. The villain screamed and dropped to his knees, panting and shaking heavily from the ground. Deku wasted no moment and turned tail and ran, one hand clenched around his wound as he left the villain.
As long as the villain didn't die, it would be fine, he reasoned as he crawled back on top of the roof and rushed towards the hidden backpack. He wouldn't die from the wound if the police were fast enough, would he? The man must've called the police. Should he buy a phone? He probably should buy a phone. Not a fancy one, just something he can call the cops for.
He shook his head. No, it was too risky. What if they track him? His arm throbbed and his sleeve got wetter and wetter.
Actually, this was a problem for the future. Right now, he has to make sure he doesn't pass out and die. He crashed to his knees in front of the vent, pressing shaky fingertips to the cover.
It transformed into paper and floated down to his knees. He paid it no mind and opened the backpack. He sobbed as the wound continued to itch and burn and slowly worked his hoodie off. He wanted to put his fingers into the flesh and tear it up, destroying whatever it was to stop the pain from hurting.
He opened the disinfection bottle and poured the liquid directly onto the wound, shirt and all, and hissed as the burning sensation intensified. He rolled out the bandage and started to wrap his wound up tightly, the bandages cutting deep into the skin in hopes of cutting off the blood circulation. It stained red, blossoming like a flower in the darkness, and wetted his shirt. He took off his mask and turned around to lean back against the vent, breathing heavily as his sobs started to ease up.
It was dangerous for him to be up on the roof with his mask off but he argued that he could quickly pocket his mask if necessary and lie about why he's on the roof if someone (although quite unlikely that someone will find him , out of everyone) came by. The wind blew across the roofs, playing with his hair and fluttering his clothes. His skin turned cold in the air yet he didn't react. He didn't feel the wind, too focused on breathing as his arm continued to burn.
He was lucky that it didn't go through the bone or his full arm, only parts of the flesh and grazing the muscle. He didn't know what to do if he got seriously hurt. Should he go to the hospital? Leave it be? He guessed it depends on what kind of injury it is. If his bones get broken, he would probably go to the hospital. At least until he knows how to reset his bones and whatnot. Though, mom will wonder…
He sighed and closed his eyes. Guess that's another problem for future him to deal with. With that, for the second night in a row, he fell asleep out in the open.