Chapter 91: Relapse
The frying pan gives off a satisfying sizzle as Inko carefully lays an entire package of bacon across it. Their slightly smoky aroma fills the home, and like clockwork, she can hear her boys stirring from their sleep. Human. Alien. God. Demigod. It doesn't matter. Men will be men.
"What do we have here that looks so delicious?" Loki strides into the kitchen, with no sign he was asleep moments ago. The God of Mischief dresses casually with dark pants, a black shirt, and a green jacket. He makes a show of smelling the pan. "Ah… oh, and I suppose the bacon looks scrumptious as well."
"Loki!" Inko whispers scandalously, red blooming across her face with alarming speed. "What if Izuku hears you?" She shoos his face away from the pan. "It's too early for your shameless tongue."
"That isn't what I recall you saying last night- ow!" Inko shuts him up with a sharp jab to his side. "Your finger inflicts more pain than a dagger!" he cries, and she snickers. He doesn't mean it, but Inko's empathy makes her stop anyway. "But it's just as well. Even Asgard's most serene pleasures pale in comparison to your own tongue- ah!"
The surefire way to get a man to shut up is to kiss him. But when they don't deserve it, the next best way is with food. The more they like it, the better. And what food do Asgardians eat like candy? Grapes. Which is what she just stuffed in Loki's mouth. Does she know exactly why? No. But after learning just how big the universe is, she also learned not to question the small things.
Inko removes her hand from her husband's mouth and fixes him with a glare. Or at least, she tries too. She keeps the fridge open to help cool her heated face. "You keep making jokes, and I may just have to return that pistachio ice cream I bought for you last night."
Loki doesn't answer right away, taking a minute to finish chewing his grapes. "I've flayed men for threatening me with less, you know." Inko holds her gaze. "Very well, I yield in exchange for a larger helping of bacon."
"Deal!" Inko beams, turning back to the stove. She adds a few more strips of bacon to the pan. Glancing back at her husband, the green-haired woman chuckles internally at the sight of him in his 'casual' clothing. But she can't help but feel satisfied. Nor does she try to hide it.
Even though they spent the night together when they first met, Loki had kept up a frustrating facade of formality when they started dating. He would often show up to any event, even something as simple as breakfast, in a full suit. It made Inko feel like he saw their relationship more as a business transaction than two people trying to make a connection.
But it's what makes mornings like this even more special. Inko may not have any magic of her own, but she and Izuku are the only people who see him outside one of his suits or armor. Can something really not be magic when it gives her a magical feeling?
And she's only just begun. Inko's already halfway to talking him down to pajama pants.
She turns away from the stove to grab something from the fridge, but screams when she looks back and sees a live pig rolling around in the pan, squealing in panic and pain.
"Honey, I know you pride yourself on your fresh ingredients, but this is excessive, no?"
Wrestling back control of her senses with control that has taken years to develop, Inko gives her husband a dramatic roll of her eyes. "Ha ha, that's very funny, Loki." He grins, clearly amused with his own prank, before turning the pig back into bacon. "Reminds me of some of the tricks you used to impress me when we met." Loki leans against the wall, looking wistfully off into the distance. "Were they the same tricks you used to seduce other women?"
Loki chokes on air, and Inko snickers. Was it mean to lure him in with pleasant memories only to pull the rug out from under him? Yes. That didn't make it any less fun.
"Now, that's not fair," Loki argues, coughing a bit and hitting his chest, before his trademark smirk spreads across his face. "There were plenty of men too."
Not a surprise. Even when he's caught off guard, Loki's as quick as ever. "You fox," Inko exclaims in mock-shock. "Oh, I apologize, I know you prefer horses? Or was it snakes? Maybe rabbits-" The God of Mischief guffaws, cackling at her brazenness.
Inko smiles softly at the sound of her husband's laughter. The green-haired woman would've been horrified at her words a lifetime ago. But dating an alien shapeshifter forced her to challenge many of her preconceptions about life long ago. And that included accepting her husband's rather… extravagant sex life before her.
'I bet none of them got to see him laugh like that,' a part of her mind thinks. She swears she got over her jealousy years ago! Mostly. Loki, on the other hand…
"What a devious shot to my past suitors," Loki laments. "I believe it's only fair you tell me about the men before me, so I may tailor my insults accordingly."
"Is that so?" Inko raises an amused eyebrow, checking the bacon. "And you wouldn't happen to be planning to pay them a visit, would you?" Loki whistles innocently. She giggles, grabbing a plate from the cabinet. "You're a god, what do you have to be jealous of?"
She hears his heavy footsteps approach from behind her, a courtesy he does for her. He doesn't make a sound when walking normally and used to accidentally scare her all of the time. Loki leans against the counter next to his wife. "The gall that those men were allowed to have you, when it could have been me."
Damn him, he has no right to be as smooth as he is. "Sounds a little possessive, sweetheart," she teases.
"I absolutely am. But you don't seem to mind." Inko reaches for a spatula but before she can, Loki, without lifting a finger, uses his telekinesis to lift the bacon off of the pan and onto the plate. She wishes she could do that sometimes. "Because, as I recall." While he doesn't put in the effort to raise his hand for his powers, he does to brush some of her hair out of her face. "You adore feeling loved."
His cool skin chills her body as she suddenly pulls him in for a tight kiss, only releasing him when it becomes hard to breathe. "And if I remember right, so do you."
Loki grins. "So do I."
Inko hugs him tighter. "Thank you for being home."
"You don't have to thank me for that."
"Sorry." She snuggles into her husband. "Sometimes, I just remember all of the times I thought we were together, and it turned out to just be an illusion of you." She backs up to look him in the eyes. "That used to hurt so much. It was like all of the work I was putting in to get to know you, to get close to you, meant nothing. And you didn't even care to do the same."
Loki pulls her back into their hug. "I know, and I'm sorry."
"It would hurt even more when you would prove to me you were really there, only to relapse and disappear again. It was almost as if I could never get you to trust me," Inko whispers. "And how can you have a relationship without trust?" She sighs contently, rubbing his back to remind her that he's really there. "Thank you for trusting me."
"…You don't have to thank me for that either."
"Is that bacon I smell?!" Izuku pokes his head around the corner, and both parents separate. Inko quickly wipes her eyes and smiles. It really is nice having her son spend the night every now and then.
"Yes, and I made extra for Uraraka, so make sure to grab it before you leave. I know you two worked up quite the appetite last night before she left."
"We didn't work out?"
Inko gives him a knowing look that only a mother can give. "Please Izuku, I was a teenager once. I know exactly what you two were doing on that couch."
"Yip!" In a repeat of what would happen when she caught him doing something wrong growing up, Izuku turns invisible momentarily before reappearing behind Loki. "It's- well- I- um-"
"I'm not mad, Izuku." Inko decides to let him off the hook. "I just hope that if or when it goes further than it does now, you remember to use protection." Izuku looks ready to die from the embarrassment. Ah, one of the many pleasures of being a parent of a teenager.
"On our couch, Izuku? For shame?" Loki clicks his tongue at him. Inko hadn't seen her son look so betrayed since a broadcast of an All Might fight on television was switched to a soccer match. "Don't worry, Inko, I'll have a talk with him-"
"Don't think I didn't know you were helping cover for him!" she cuts in. Loki tries to step behind Izuku, but the demigod pushes his father back out in front of him. "Nothing happens in this house that I don't know about. I just hope you've had the talk with him."
Both boys look confused. "Inko, we had that talk with him years ago?" Loki brings up. Izuku looks like he's having Vietnam war flashbacks.
"Yes, I know we had that talk, but what about the extra talk?" Inko asks. "What we discussed was really only the basics, and not how powers like his can change the dynamics of the bedroom-"
Izuku proceeded to walk calmly up to the stove, climb on top of the counter, shapeshift into a fish, and finally, throw himself into the sizzling pan filled with bacon grease.
"Izuku, don't be dramatic!" Inko catches him mid-air, scolding the green-scaled fish with a wagging finger.
The fish wiggles its way out of its mother's hand and shifts back into Izuku, who whirls on his dad. "You were going to throw me under the bus about Ochako!"
"Without hesitation."
"How could you betray me like that?"
"Better you than me. She'll go easier on you."
"That's not-"
"Make no mistake!" Inko places a few dishes in the sink. "You're both in trouble here and-" she turns around and, in the place of her husband and son, finds two dogs giving her their biggest puppy dog eyes. "Not this again!"
Izuku gasps awake.
Was that a dream? No, a memory of the last time he saw his mom.
His dorm room is dark, quiet, and cold. Usually, that's how he likes it. But whereas he typically finds comfort in the cold, now, it feels like dozens of knives digging into his skin. As if the cold had a found way to rip away his Frost Giant properties to punish him. To feel the chill as others do. And he deserves it.
Is it this cold wherever his mom is?
He looks for his phone. His curtains shift with a slight breeze, allowing moonlight to briefly fill the room, and helping the demigod find his phone. Huh. This time, he had slept for fifteen minutes. That was his longest of the night.
Izuku sits up, rubbing his tired eyes. There's no notification, but he checks his texts from his dad anyway. Nothing new. After finding out his mom was arrested, he asked his friends for some time alone. Being the great people they are, they didn't object. Even if Ochako looked like she was the closest to breaking before Tsu dragged her away.
Initially, he had just wanted a few minutes to himself. Both to gather his thoughts, and because he was a little embarrassed. He's still not exactly sure how he had sent all of the furniture in the living room flying, and he had meant to help them clean up after, but then, a text from his dad made him stop in his tracks.
He didn't know where mom was.
Him. Loki. The man who had always lectured him on being in control of every situation, and having reliable networks of information, had lost her. His dad is lucky he hadn't been in the same room as him, because he might've screamed at him. Out of all people, how could he lose Mom?! How could he not figure out which police station or jail she had been taken to?
He got his answer an hour later. The cops who had arrested Mom were working for Overhaul.
The room grows so cold, Izuku starts to feel like he's being dunked in ice water. A frost covers the sliding glass doors to his balcony. A familiar anger bubbles just beneath the surface. One that he's been feeling more frequently as of late. One that he hadn't felt since the day of the Provisional License Exams… since he met Overhaul.
Since he met the man who spent years torturing Eri for his own gain. The man who seemed to hate him with every fiber of his being. The man who, at this very moment, could be doing those same things to his mother.
And that wasn't even the end of it! Because after learning who exactly had his mom arrested, he went downstairs to update his friends, but…
"What do you mean Torino is gone?"
Izuku stops on the last step when hears Tenko on the phone around the corner. "I know he's small, but he's loud and always complaining! How could he just be gone? Someone would hear him!" Tenko listens to the caller. "I can't go home either? Wait- what do you mean the police raided our place?" Another pause. "Yeah, yeah, I don't care what of my stuff they took, where's Torino?"
The police also raided Tenko's home? Why? Even if they did work for Overhaul, neither of them had anything to do with Eri's rescue-
His phone dings, and Izuku checks his messages before nearly dropping it. His blood donation center had been shut down?! But without that, he can't- Izuku immediately sends a text to Toga on his second phone asking how much she has left in blood reserves. Her answer isn't reassuring.
What is going on? Without his center, he can't supply Toga with the blood she needs. Which means she'll have to go back to scavenging, or even worse, using Compress. Izuku grimaces. She hates asking him for blood. Not to mention what would happen if Blade ever found out-
"Sensei, do teachers at UA have to be registered heroes to be hired?" Todoroki sits across from Aizawa in the kitchen.
"Yes, not to mention having at least a few years of experience under their belt. Why?"
"I see," Todoroki nods. He checks his phone again. "That's unfortunate. It would seem my sister lost her teaching job today, and I was hoping to help."
"Oh no, man, I'm sorry," Sato apologizes. "I have some cupcakes coming out of the oven in a minute if you wanted one?"
Todoroki seems touched by the offer. "I would appreciate that. And could I have an extra one to bring to Midoriya?" Sato happily agrees.
"I'm so sorry about your sister, Todoroki." Momo joins him at the table. "I could reach out to my mother to help? A recommendation from a woman with influence like her is sure to get her a new job quickly."
"I wouldn't want to impose-"
"Don't be ridiculous." Hela's daughter takes out her phone, making a call. "You'd be helping my mother more than anything. She often complains about how boring a socialite's life can be. Plus, I'm sure you'd like to bring your own mother the good news when you see her this weekend." She looks at her phone strangely, before redialing. "Strange, I can't seem to reach her. Denki, do you-"
"No idea." Denki drops his phone next to him. "Nothing from my dad either."
Momo hums again, turning back to her heterochromatic friend, but to her surprise, Todoroki's expression falls further. "I can't see my mother anymore." From the couch, Jiro whips her head around in concern. "When I called earlier to confirm, I was told a judge had ordered her mental state be reevaluated. She isn't allowed any visitors until the process is complete, and that could take months."
Izuku feels like he's swallowed his tongue. Three of his friends having their personal lives disrupted in a single day? And now Aunt Hela and Uncle Thor are MIA? That can't be a coincidence.
"I don't understand, Ochako. How could they just do that out of the blue like that?"
Izuku's breath catches in his throat when he hears Tsu. No, not Ochako. He turns invisible and moves closer to the girl's table to listen. His girlfriend has her hands in her hair, scratching the side of her head. Tsu rubs her back for both comfort and keeping Ochako on her chair. Whether she knows it or not, she had used her quirk on herself.
"They're saying my parents put the people who work for them in danger?!" Ochako rasps, her voice barely holding back a mountain of stress and disbelief. "That some of them have gotten hurt and want to sue!"
"That's-"
"It's not possible!" Ochako denies. "My parent would- could never! I've seen my dad turn down contracts that could've paid our bills for a year because of the corners they wanted him to cut! He said it wasn't safe for his employees or clients! Those reports have to be fake!"
"I'm sure they are," Tsu assures her. "And whatever's going on will sort itself out. If your parents are anything like you, I bet they saved some money in case something like this happened."
"Yeah," Ochako sniffles. "They have some money, but most of what they put aside is in a savings account they can't access anymore. And the cash they did take out won't last very long."
"Ribbit," Tsu croaks in worry.
Ochako grabs her friend's hand while burying her face in her other hand. "Tsu…" She sounds so upset, the frog girl doesn't even mind how she starts to float. "If this goes on much longer, my parents could lose their business, their house, everything! What… what am I going to do?"
It's all his fault.
He texts his dad to confirm it, but Izuku knows he doesn't need to. He knows what's happening. Overhaul hadn't just targeted him. But his friends too! They are having their lives ruined just for knowing him! Just for seeing some lonely kid and having the audacity to make his life a little better! Just for being good people!
And Izuku, being who he is, had tried to return the favor. They made his life better in so many ways, he never could've imagined he wanted to do the same for them. So he used his money. His online connections. His dad's connections. And what did that get them?
Now, they're all worse off than if they had met him! And not just from Overhaul! He knows Mephisto only targeted Iida and his brother because they were his friends! Gorr attacked Japan because there were demigods there! Him! And he was one of the people Ultron specifically wanted! He almost had to sit there and watch all of his friends die over and over and it's all his fault! And now, his mother may actually be dead and it is still his fault! It's always his fault! His his his his his his his his his his-
"Izuku, you need to calm down." As is becoming more frequent, the green-haired boy has no idea when his clone, Two, had materialized next to him. "Worrying over things you can't know isn't helping. Mom could be okay."
There's a hum on the other side of him. Three nods. "We need to think things through. Rushing to any decision while you're feeling like this could only make things worse."
"Worse? Worse?!" Izuku jumps to his feet, spinning around. Before he continues, he snaps his fingers. As if he had transported the sun inside his room, his dorm lights up. All of his furniture and belongings are gone, replaced by an endless expanse of white. He had transported himself and his clones into his mindscape to not wake his classmates up.
"A villain who hates me is ruining my friend's lives! He has my mom and could be hurting her right this second! She- she-" Tears prickle Izuku's eyes. "She could be dead right now and I'd have no idea! So- so how-" His body begins to tremble and his voice grows scratchy. "How could this get any fucking worse?!"
"He's right!" Eight appears, falling back onto his butt as Izuku feels his anxiety growing. "Don't you remember what Eri said?! How it felt when Overhaul used his quirk on us? Even if we do get mom back, she might never be the same again! She- she'll know it's our fault!" he cries. "And she'll hate us forever!"
Three runs over to comfort his clone brother. "No," he replies sternly. "Stop. Don't even think that. There's only one person to blame here."
"We know you're going to say Overhaul." Behind them, Five's voice had lost all emotion, his guilt eating him alive. "But think about it, who made him target our mom and friends?" On the ground, Four tries any little prank or joke he can think of to try and help a sobbing Nine, but the depressed clone is inconsolable.
"We did!" Eight wails, ducking his head. "What are we going to do?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ten grabs Izuku's shoulder. He looks ready for a fight.
Two stands up. "You need to leave."
"Why?" Ten barks back. "So you can keep trying to tell everyone to calm down?! That's the last thing we need!" He looks around the mindscape as every clone manifests inside, each looking more sullen than the last. "Why are you all sulking? We know exactly what we have to do! We might not know where mom is, but we know who does! Overhaul! It's simple. We leave, go find Overhaul, make him tell us where mom is, and then, we kill him!"
Despite his earlier outburst, hearing what his angry clone wants him to do sobers Izuku up some. He shakes his head. "No, we- we can't." His grip tightens on his dark green dagger. "If we killed him, at least out of anger, we'd never be the same."
"And why does that have to be a bad thing?" Izuku doesn't need to turn to know Six is beside him. "It could be you, just you, that does it. None of your friends need to have blood on their hands."
"You are the last thing he needs!" Two shoves Six away. "Izuku isn't leaving! His friends are here, and he needs them now more than ever! Think about how hurt they'd be if he was suddenly gone in the morning!"
Ten gets in between them. "That's all he ever thinks about! How hurt everyone else is! But why is no one thinking about how hurt Izuku is?! Why is he the only one never allowed to be selfish and do something that would make him feel better?! Why does he have to always make sure that me, his anger, is never seen?! You know, you're acting just like the last time mom got hurt."
Two looks as if he's been slapped in the face. "Shut up," he whispers.
"No!" Ten shouts, pushing Two away from Six. "What did you do when mom got hurt? Nothing! That's why he had to create me in the first place! He needed someone to actually be there for him! Don't you remember?" He looks every clone in the eye. "Don't any of you remember? Mom was in the hospital for weeks! Dad was nowhere to be found. Even Bakugo had stopped messing with us while she was gone! We were alone! And it's not like him creating Eight and Nine then helped either!" Both called out clones cry harder.
"I said shut up!" Two tackles Ten to the ground. "You're only making things worse!" He manages to land a few solid punches on the other clone's face, before Ten twists them around.
"I'm doing what's best for him! You're just holding him back!"
Three gets Twelve to stay with Eight before running over to the fight. "Stop! Neither of you are helping!"
"And you are?!" Five gets in Three's way. "What? You're going to lecture us by telling everyone how much smarter you are and that's why we're all wrong again?"
"I'm trying to explain things through a logical lense-"
"Sometimes logic isn't the answer!"
"And fighting is?!"
It's even colder now.
Izuku falls to his hands and feet, struggling to breathe. Struggling to think. All he can hear are his clones. Their words. Their fighting. More of them are getting physical with each other. But he can't stop it.
All he can focus on is their screaming. Their crying. He can't- he can't- Instinctively, Izuku runs a hand through his hair, yanking on it. He tugs on it so hard, he feels every single strand as they are ripped from his skull. He cries out in pain and pours every ounce of his strength into focusing on that pain. To pull him out of his panic attack.
But it's not enough.
Even as the pain grows, so do the voices of his clones. He can't block them out. He can't escape them.
"You could've stopped this, you know." Through his watery eyes, Izuku can barely make out the form of Six kneeling beside him. "If you had just listened to me when we met Overhaul, this would've never happened. But about mom, it's impressive really," he chuckles. "I don't know anyone else who constantly fails to protect the one person who's always been there for them like you."
Izuku tugs on his hair harder.
"I said to leave him alone!!" Two tries to pull Six away, but the other clone doesn't budge. "W-what?"
"Surprised?" Six sneers. "I'm not. Izuku is finally starting to understand." He peers down at the demigod. "This is all his fault." He grabs Two by the collar. "And as he does, his confidence weakens. Remind me, which emotion are you again?" Two's eyes widen as Six throws him across the mindscape as if Ochako had used her quirk on him. He crashes down onto the floor hard with an audible snap! and he screams.
"It's not working," Izuku mumbles over and over, staring down at the ground. "I'm hurting but I can still hear their voices." He pulls on his hair again. "Why can I still hear their voices? It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not working. It's not-"
"Need more pain?" Six grins. "I can help with that."
Izuku looks up at him, bewildered, before finding a knife in his hand that he does not remember conjuring. He throws it away in a panic, trying to slide across the floor away from both the blade and his clone.
Six lazily follows him. "It's kind of ironic when you think about it." Izuku is panting now. He tries to get up and run but falls. "For someone who's supposed to be so good at tricking people, the person who fell for your tricks the hardest… is you."
Six casts illusions as he speaks, dancing the images around izuku. They're memories. Memories of some of his fondest moments with his friends. "All of these supposed friends that just pretend to like you." The illusions change to his friends whispering and laughing behind his back. "You've always known, of course. Just never wanted to admit you know how people truly see you. At least they won't have to pretend anymore after Overhaul gets to their families."
Two grabs his ankle, wincing in pain. But that's nothing compared to seeing Izuku's will crumble to Six. And as it does, he only gets stronger. They can't stop him. Not alone. "Clone Thirteen!" He yells for the newest clone desperately. He appears next to him, his face filled with worry. "We need help! Go get Ochako! She's the only one who can get through to him at this point!"
A door materializes in the middle of the mindscape that would allow any of them to escape. To appear back in the real world. Clone Thirteen looks back and forth, before giving Two a reassuring nod. "You can count on me!" He leaps up, sprinting to the door. He's on it in seconds, hand reaching for the doorknob-
Schlink!
Clone Thirteen gasps in surprise. His shaking hand, mere centimeters from the doorknob, drops. He looks down to find a knife buried deep in his stomach. "I don't think so," Ten taunts him, "She's not saving him this time." He twists the knife and Thirteen wails, tears pouring down his face and mixing with the blood pooling out of the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. Then you'd just come right back."
Ten pushes Thirteen onto the ground. "So you're going to have to suffer a bit."
Thirteen ignores him, using his arm to pull himself across the ground and to the door. He leaves a wide streak of blood behind him. "Ochako! Can you hear us? We need you-"
"Shut up!" Ten kicks him in the gut, right into the knife still lodged in his stomach.
"Ah!!" Thirteen curls up into the fetal position, coughing up even more blood. He's too weak to even lift his arms. "Ochako…" He calls out feebly. "Ochako…we can't do this without you…"
"No…" Two searches around the mindscape. "It- it doesn't have to just be him! Anyone can get her! Four?" Said prankster clone is busy having Five on top of him. Four barely keeps the guilt-ridden clone from driving a dagger into his chest. "Three?!" The logical clone couldn't escape a chokehold Eleven has him in. The self-sacrificing clone gets stronger by the second as Izuku's need to sacrifice himself for his friends and mom grows.
"This is a good thing." Six forces Izuku to look at him. "It was kind of pathetic how much you relied on Uraraka. It's time you man up and do something yourself, don't you think? And you're not going to get anything done by staying at this school."
"That's not true!!" Two yells through the pain, stumbling back onto his feet. "Izuku, you just need to calm down and think! Remember what happened when you tried to do things on your own! You can still get away from here! You can still-!"
He screams in surprise when Eight tackles him to the ground. "No!" Two squirms when he feels Eight choking him. Izuku's overwhelming anxiety had made him stronger than ever. "If Six says Izuku can save mom and make all of our worries go away, then I'm going to help him!"
Six smirks, getting back down in Izuku's face. "You wanna be the hero who makes everyone laugh, yeah? Tell me Izuku." The clone conjures the memories of his friends worrying about their families. Of his mom crying. "Are they laughing now? Because I sure am!"
Six laughs. He laughs so much, it echoes all throughout the mindscape. Memories of his friends and family laughing flash before him before being replaced by their tears. Their fear. Their anger. All directed toward him. His fault. All his fault.
"Izuku…" Six's voice cuts through his mind, sharp and clear. "You've been so busy tricking yourself, you've forgotten what you really are."
Loki's son looks down at his hand, conjuring his blue dagger with a bright green glow. What he really is? His mind travels back to when he discovered his powers and dad took him to Dagobah beach for the first time. He remembers what he told him.
"You have to understand, Izuku, that you will not fight like All Might. Or like most heroes. You will have to use trickery and deceit."
"You will have to be able to mentally manipulate them if you must. Make them see what you want them to see. Be in control of every situation."
"If someone can see through your illusions and tricks, you lose control. Then, you and the people you are trying to save, die."
"You, Izuku, have to become an illusion yourself."
Ever since getting to UA, Izuku had thought he could do better than the lessons of his father. Find his own way. But he was wrong. So very wrong.
He wraps his fingers tightly around his dagger. His friends might hate him for what he's about to do. But does it matter if they hate him anyway? Afterall, what good is a prankster hero if all he does is make everyone cry?
"Don't…" Two chokes out.
Six gets to his feet, and Izuku stares up at his red eyes. The clone holds his hand out with a grin. "You ready?"
"What is UA's position on the horrendous actions taken by heroes at the Hosu bombing last night?"
"Will you be addressing the incident with your students?"
"What actions are you taking to ensure future heroes respect the rule of the law?"
Emi Fukukado can hardly believe what she's seeing.
Dozens killed from a car bomb with the death toll rising every minute. Dead cops found in alleyways. Several shootings in government buildings. A judge murdered right in the middle of her courtroom. That's not even all of it, and the press is hounding UA, who had nothing to do with any of it? What gives?!
Not even she can come up with a joke for this.
The green-haired woman thanks her earlier self for having the forethought to dress more casually. She won't lie and say she doesn't usually double check her appearance if she knows she's seeing Shota. But something in the way he sounded when he called her this morning, the slight panic in his voice the veteran hero learned to hide years ago leaking out, told her this wasn't a date.
Sliding the hoodie of her oversized sweatshirt on, Emi slips by most of the reporters and the casually-observing cops but feels a hand on her shoulder before she can make it to the barrier, where Hizashi stands guard. Fearing she's been caught, Emi tenses, but relaxes when the reporter just uses her to get up to the front. "Pardon me, hun."
The blue-skinned woman shoves her mic into, ironically, Present Mic's face. "What is UA's statement on the reports detailing that several of its staff members were present during the attack on the police last night?"
Even with his quirk, Hizashi's denials can barely be heard over the crowd's frenzy at the new information. Emi scoffs. That is a lie. But their focus on the school allows her to finally get past the crowd with only a nod of relief from Hizashi.
"Emi." And there's Shota jogging over to her. Saying he looks tired is redundant at this point, but damn does he look drained. Yet, despite clearly not sleeping last night, his eyes look much more alert than usual.
"Shota," she greets with her own tired smile. Okay, maybe she hadn't slept much last night either. "Can you believe the paparazzi are already hounding us on our first date?" She thumbs the scene at the UA barrier behind her.
The joke is corny, but it gives Emi exactly what she wants. The look on Shota's face drops from slight worry to annoyance, just like she loves to see. That may sound weird to some of her friends, but they don't understand how indifferent Shota is. Getting him annoyed is just a sign that he cares enough to be annoyed.
Emi giggles and his annoyance deepens, making her giggle even more, much to his chagrin. "Come with me." Shota angles his head back to the dorms. "I need your help," he requests, very obviously ignoring her quip about a date. She can't help but notice he didn't say no this time- "wait." The underground does a double take. "Are you wearing my jacket?"
"Oh, am I?" Emi asks sweetly, doing a stellar job of pretending she totally didn't know. She looks down. "Oh my goodness I am! How embarrassing…"
Shota makes a noise of irritation, and Emi couldn't be enjoying this more. "When did you get that?"
"Remember when you stepped in to help with that villain attack while off-duty and got hurt? And then I let you stay at my place to rest up because of all the paperwork the commission would've made you do if you went to the hospital?"
"Yes."
"And remember how you left your jacket at my place by accident and spent a year asking for it back, and I kept telling you that if you wanted it, you would have to come over again?"
"…Yes."
"That's why I still have it!"
Shota stares at her deadpan. "That doesn't explain why you're wearing it."
Emi hugs herself. "Because it's big and cozy!"
The hood over her head shifts, and Shota's eyes narrow. He steps closer to her and with a swift motion, moves it to the side, revealing the bandages and burns running down the side of her face. "What happened?" he snaps, checking over her injury.
Emi blushes a little. He has never been this attentive to her before. "I was there last night trying to help with the Hosu bombing. Guess I was too close because a can of tear gas exploded right next to me. Got me pretty good, huh?"
Shota doesn't say anything but takes burn cream out of his belt and applies a healthy amount to her irritated skin, rubbing it deeply into her neck. "This is prescription cream, much stronger than the over the counter stuff you used."
It takes Emi a moment to respond this time, because feeling Shota's fingers digging into her neck is bliss. "Why- why do you carry such strong burn cream on you?"
"Bakugo," is the only explanation she gets.
When he's finished, Emi rotates her neck a few times. "Oh yeah, that's a lot better. Thanks." She sighs, watching the crowd outside. "Shota, I'm going to tell you something that may sound… strange." He doesn't say anything, letting her continue. "Something stinks. The way the cops handled things last night was like nothing I've ever seen. And it feels like something is wrong."
"You're right." Her head snaps toward him so fast, Emi is worried it might break for a second. Shota doesn't look at her; he just continues to watch the barrier. "Nezu has been on and off the phone with Detective Tsukauchi all morning. Apparently, one of his undercover officers, some woman named Kaniko, used her contacts to confirm it. The Yakuza are bribing cops. And a lot of them."
"With what money? I thought everyone said they were broke."
"Apparently, they have a new backer with deep pockets."
Emi pulls Shota's jacket tighter around her. "But for them to be as brazen as they were… it's not just cops they're bribing, is it?" He nods. "Figures. But he couldn't have taken over the entire police force, right? Even if they had the money, good people still work there. Like what about that Tsukauchi guy. He didn't take one?"
"He's one of All Might's oldest friends, so he vouches for him." Emi stares him down. "…And Nezu hacked his bank accounts to be sure."
"There it is."
Shota hums. "But you're right. The Yakuza didn't offer bribes to everyone. Their targets were specific. People with children on the way. People with debt. But mostly, people with rank. Sergeants. Captains. Detectives. Police chiefs. Their deputies. Anyone to keep the lower ranks in line."
"Quality over quantity. And they all took the money?"
"Some of them." Shota checks encrypted emails Nezu sent him. "The ones that didn't are probably keeping their mouth shut to keep their families safe. Tsukauchi is going to work on tracking them down after he finishes helping the daughters of a lawyer who was murdered last night."
Emi breathes a sigh of relief. "So Overhaul doesn't have all the cops. We can work with that. In fact, if we could keep their families safe, we should be able to get them to work with us!"
"That's the idea. But may be harder in practice." Emi tilts her head at him. "Izuku Midoriya's mother was arrested last night."
She places a hand over her mouth. "What are the charges?"
"Resisting arrest. And they're trying to tack on interfering with a police investigation and assault as well."
Emi nods a long before something occurs to her. "Wait, but that's all that occurs as she's being arrested. What was the initial charge?"
Shota's silence speaks volumes. "Same deal with the search warrant they used to get inside her house. The rights they invoked were from some bogus laws written hundreds of years ago that no one had bothered to revoke yet."
"That- that-" Emi can feel her anger flaring up within her. "They can't just-"
"Shota Aizawa!" The pair step apart when a man outside of the barrier calls for the underground hero. He's professionally dressed, if not a bit ragged, but they can see his badge shining in the morning light, so the pair heads over.
"Hey!" Hizashi gets the attention of the detective. "Can you dudes, like," he gestures to the wild crowd of reporters, "help?"
The detective glances behind him to his uniformed officers relaxing in their cars. "They're on break." He lights a cigarette as Emi and Shota approach. "You are Shota Aizawa, correct?" The detective pulls out some files he had tucked into his trenchcoat. "Legal guardian of Eri Aizawa?"
Emi immediately recognizes him, tugging on Shota's sleeve. "He was the one in charge of the cops in Hosu last night," she whispers.
Shota is immediately on the defensive. "Who wants to know?" he asks the detective.
"Detective Tanuma at your service," he introduces himself, before looking back down at the file. "Very interesting case you got here. Your daughter was a ward of the state for almost a year before you adopted her. Although, the details of how exactly she came into the possession of UA leave a lot to be desired."
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"Afraid so." He snaps the file shut. "Because of the amount of time young Eri spent in the care of the government before being adopted, the law requires that a social worker check on her wellbeing every thirty to sixty days during the first year of adoption. And according to her file, that hasn't happened."
"If you know the law so well, then you would also know that parents with certain occupations are exempt and are only required to see a social worker every six months," Shota counters, crossing his arms. "Occupations like Pro Hero."
"You've done your research," Tanuma compliments him with a tight smile. "But you should know those exemptions are at the judge's discretion, and it seems one has decided a meeting is due for Eri. If you'd like, you could bring her down to the station-" Emi squeezes Shota's arm, "and she could meet with-"
"Not happening," Shota immediately denies him.
"Yes, I understand her situation is a delicate one," Tanuma takes his denial in stride. "If it would make her more comfortable, we could meet her inside UA-"
"Also, not. Happening." Shota's eyes light up. "None of you are getting in here. And if you think some bullshit search warrant will be enough, just try it. Nezu's legal team will eat you alive." Shota spins on his heel and walks away with Emi right behind him.
"Couldn't agree more!" Tanuma laughs to their backs, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "But there are always other ways!"
"Shota…" Emi rubs his arm when they're out of sight.
"Sorry," he apologizes even though he has no reason to. He takes a deep breath. "I need someone I can trust to help me with Eri today. Problem Child would usually be a safe bet, but he's been locked in his room all night. Hizashi and Nemuri have their own hands full. And-"
"Yes," Emi reassures him. She hadn't let go of his arm since they left the barrier so she uses the opportunity to lean against him. It thrills her when he doesn't stop her. "Besides," she cracks a small smirk, "what kind of mother would I be if I refused to watch my child?"
Emi's heart soars to new heights when, just for a quick moment, in a blink, she sees the corner of Shota's mouth twitch. "Thank you."
"No problem! Oh, and I can finally give your jacket back after!"
Shota thinks for a second. "Hmm. I suppose if you're getting so much use out of it, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if-" his phone dings, and Emi has never wanted to break something more. "It's one of my students," he tells her before checking it. He scans the text message. "Shit. C'mon."
They jog back to Heights Alliance. "What's going on?" Emi asks.
"That was Uraraka. She says something is wrong with Midoriya."
Considering how secretive Midoriya can be, Shota expects to conduct a search and rescue when he and Emi get to the dorms. As it turns out, Midoriya is easy to find. In fact, it would have been harder to miss Midoriya with his clones all over the place.
The dorms can get loud. They expected that when they decided to put nearly two dozen teenagers in a single building. But never like this. Midoriya's clones are running amok throughout the entire building. Yelling and screaming while different members of class 1-A try to chase them and calm them down.
"Has he ever done something like this before?" Shota asks a very tense Uraraka and Tenko in front of him.
Uraraka shakes her head. "Never here. And never like this."
"Where is he?"
"In his room." Tenko leads them through the living room. "No one's seen him since last night. He won't answer the door."
Shota observes some of the clones as they walk past them. He sees Three talking to the Iida brothers.
"It just makes the most sense for it to be one of you two!" The duplicate explains. "Iida, if you killed Overhaul, it would satisfy the Ebony Blade! Or if the Rider does it, then Overhaul can face endless torture for the rest of his life and the Rider is happy! It's a win-win!" Three exclaims gleefully. Tenya and Tensei exchange worried glances.
"I don't think you get what I'm going for." Four makes an illusion of a can in front of Kaminari and Tokage. He 'opens' it and fake snakes pop out. "See? That's a classic prank! Only instead when Overhaul opens his can, they're knives! And then they stab him in the face!" The clone laughs.
When neither of the other teens laugh, Four waves his hands in front of them. "Okay, okay! Maybe that's too basic? Maybe something slightly more sophisticated? You know that prank where you replace someone's shampoo with dye and color their hair? Well, we do the same thing to Overhaul but instead of dye, it's acid!" Four cackles.
"I like this guy!" Venom bursts from Tokage's back, excited. "Now this is the kind of hero'ing I can get behind! Hey, do you know that prank where you put ketchup packets under the toilet seat?"
"So when they sit down, they squirt ketchup all over their legs?"
"Yes! We do that, but replace the ketchup with bombs and blow his legs off!"
"You're a genius!"
Kaminari notices their group passing through and runs up to them with Tokage close behind him. "Glad you got here so fast, sensei! Now we can get Izuku's door open."
"I'm surprised none of you broke it down yourself."
The guilty look that flashes simultaneously across four teenagers' faces is unsurprising. Kaminari is the brave one to speak up. "We wanted to… but Momo said we should wait for you just in case he needs more 'professional help.'" He air quotes the last part. "As if we aren't help enough."
At the bottom of the stairs, Shota is surprised to find Bakugo with Seven. "So, there are the obvious choices." The clone creates illusions of the heroes he talks about. "Hero Thirteen could suck Overhaul up, or Mt. Lady could step on him. But all of those deaths feel too easy for Overhaul…"
"Endeavor could burn him alive!!" Bakugo proudly suggests. Ah, now Shota sees how they're getting along. He feels his belt to make sure he still has his burn cream.
"Yup, no that's good," Seven agrees, nodding along. "And it'd be painful, sure, but feels like it's missing something-"
"Right before that fucker dies, Recovery Girl heals him and then we burn him again!!"
"Yeah!" Seven brightens. "Oh- oh! We could strangle him by having Cementoss pour cement down his throat!"
"Now we're talking!!" Shota should probably step in. Bakugo seems to be enjoying this topic of conversation a little too much. "And after, Master Driller can shove one of his drills up his piss hole-"
"I'm sure you have something more productive you could be doing," Shota cuts in.
"Don't get pissy at me for finding a version of Deku I like." Bakugo gestures to Seven. "It only took the fucker cloning himself thirteen times." The explosive boy's teacher shakes his head, moving past him to the stairs. One thing at a time. First Midoriya, then he'll get back to this.
"Oi!" Bakugo calls after them. "Any of you seen Shitty Hair? Last I saw, he and Hulk Hands from 1-B went chasing after that weeb girl from America. They've been gone a while."
A round of no's sends Bakugo back to the living room. Just one more thing added to Shota's plate. If he hadn't wanted to strangle Overhaul with his capture weapon before…
Any hopes this would be easy are easily shattered when the group spots clones Two and Thirteen both lounging on either side of Problem Child's door, arguing with Yaoyorozu. "Is he in there?" Shota asks with no preamble, interrupting their conversation.
"Nope, he's already gone so you might as well turn back now," Two replies quickly. Too quickly. The other duplicate nods along.
"They change their answer every time you ask," Yaoyorozu groans.
"I'm not wasting my time with this." Shota walks through the clones and knocks on the door. "Midoriya, I am conducting an official welfare check on you. If you don't open the door, I will come in myself."
"This would've been all over by now if someone," she gives Yaoyorozu the stink eye, "had let me break down the door," Uraraka mumbles.
"You're mad?" Tenko raises an eyebrow. "I had four fingers on the thing before Tsu pulled me away."
"And either of your methods would've been a huge invasion of Izuku's privacy," Yaoyorozu argues. "For all we know, we could have made his condition worse if we just barged into his room. No, we should respect his boundaries like he respects ours-"
"When Midoriya decided he wanted to be my friend, he broke into my house, and dragged me out to prank my father." Like one of Midoriya's clones, Todoroki seems to appear out of nowhere. Uraraka and Tenko gesture to him as if to say, 'See?! This is what Midoriya thinks of boundaries.'
Yaoyorozu sighs. "Did you at least tell him that was wrong?"
"I made him tea."
Yaoyorozu sighs harder.
When the demigod in question still doesn't come to his door, Shota takes out his master key. "Seriously, don't go in there!" Clone Thirteen warns him. "You're not gonna like what you find!"
"You're all only going to get hurt!" Two tries to tell him, but Shota ignores him and opens the door. It isn't what he expected.
Where he had been expecting a mess, they only find a normal looking room, with the sun lighting it from the outside. In fact, Shota would say it even looks like it was freshly cleaned. And sitting, with his knees pulled up to his chest, on a well-made bed, is Izuku Midoriya himself. A quick scan from the hero tells him that the teen is leaning against the back wall, staring off into space, but thankfully, Shota sees nothing physically wrong.
Everything looks so clean in fact that, for a moment, he's worried that this is a clone. But Uraraka easily dispels his fears. "Izuku!" She runs, practically leaping into her boyfriend's arms, who stirs just quick enough to catch her in his arms.
"Sorry!" she laughs, running her hands through his hair as if, like Shota, she hadn't been sure he was there or not either. "We were scared you were hurt or gone or-" she chuckles in relief as a stressful weight is lifted off her shoulders. "We're just glad you're okay."
"Thanks…" she sits by him on the bed, but Midoriya continues to look down. "And yeah, I d-didn't leave." Uraraka gives him a weird look. "But I feel like I should have. I almost did." The green-haired boy confesses. "Because I realized… I'm not okay."
Uraraka takes his hand. "No one expects you to be," she soothes him. "So, please don't pretend like you are."
"Trust me, I'm not."
"Besides, when have you ever been okay anyway?" Kaminari punches him in the shoulder and Midoriya actually chuckles at that. Shota releases a breath he didn't know he had been holding at the sight of his class's gremlin laughing, some of the knots in his stomach uncurling.
Of course, it's not like he cares that much about how Midoriya is doing. He's just relieved, because he knows how an upset Midoriya would affect Eri. Yeah. That's it.
Emi gives him a little bump and a knowing smirk, causing the underground hero to bury his face into his capture weapon. "Midoriya," he calls out to the green-haired boy while his cousin plops onto the bed next to him opposite Uraraka. "I'm sorry about your mother. Be rest assured that we're doing everything in our power to locate her."
Midoriya nods, still not looking at anyone. Shota can empathize. He was ready to not leave his room for weeks, much less look at anyone, when Shirakumo died. And while he can't bring himself to promise the kid they'll get his mother back, they're going to work their damndest too.
He wants to remind Midoriya that any of the staff, including him, are available to talk if he needs, but that would probably come off as more of an empty platitude at this point. Besides, he looks around the room at Midoriya's friends; they probably have him covered.
"That goes for the rest of you as well, not just Midoriya." Shota brings his student's attention back to himself. "We know last night's events have touched you personally, and we are looking into possible solutions for all of you."
"Thank you, sensei!" all of the teens except for Midoriya say in unison.
"With that said," Shota continues. "The next few days of classes have been suspended."
"Let's go!" Kaminari high-fives Tokage's detached hand. "Not going easy on us, are you Sensei?" The blond immediately cowers behind Midoriya at the sight of Shota's raised eyebrow. "I-um, forget I said anything!" He changes the subject in a hurry. "Hey, Izuku, have you heard from your dad? Mine won't answer the phone."
"N-no."
"Coming through!" Tokage and Yaoyorozu step out of the way to let Deadpool inside. He does a brief scan of the room before looking back at Shota. "Hey, the chapter's almost over, any luck finding Izuku yet?"
The man who desperately needs sleep nods his head behind the Merc. "Yeah, we got him."
"Okay, great!" Deadpool makes a show of turning a full 360 degrees. "Where is he?"
Shota may never understand this man. "Look," he stresses, pointing past him right at Midoriya.
Deadpool stares right at the teen but doesn't say anything. Thinking he might need help for some reason, Uraraka lifts Midoriya's arm.
Seconds pass and Shota becomes concerned. This may be the longest amount of time he's ever been with the cancer-stricken man without his mouth running. Shota braces for him to yell some obscenity or get to the punchline of whatever joke he's doing, but he never does.
Instead, Wade looks back and forth between Midoriya and him. "I… don't know how to tell you this, buuuuut that's not Midoriya."
"What do you-" Uraraka shouts in surprise, jumping up when her hand suddenly phases through Midoriya's arm.
"What the-!" Kaminari leaps out of the bed, backing up.
"A clone?!" Todoroki says in alarm. "How could we have missed that?"
"T-that's not possible!" Yaoyorozu argues. "I made a note of each of Izuku's clones and their locations before we entered. It can't be one of them."
"Then it has to be an astral projection." Uraraka realizes. Her voice is barely above a whisper, but they can all hear her perfectly. "I couldn't tell- how did I not see-" She stares right at Midoriya with wide wet eyes, but still, he won't look back. "You… you tricked me?"
"Wait! This doesn't make sense!" Kaminari interjects, looking around wildly. "How can that only be a projection?! I touched him! And so did Uraraka! We both felt it!"
"Sensory Manipulation," Midoriya answers quietly, not addressing his girlfriend's accusation. He snaps his fingers, and an illusion spell cast over the entire room dissipates. "It lets me tric- mislead your five senses. I've only ever been good at sight and sound. And I've gotten better with smell this past year too. But with my powers being boosted right now, I was able to also do touch. It's also how I can project my astral form so far right now."
"You tricked me…" Uraraka repeats weakly. "I-" her body begins to tremble, as her whole world flips upside down. Her usually warm eyes glaze over as she thinks about every interaction she's had with Midoriya the last couple of days. Every word. Every minuscule detail. Trying to figure out what she could have done to prevent this. What she did wrong. Why he didn't tell her. "I-I thought you trusted me?"
Midoriya clenches his fist, and it looks like it takes all of his willpower to keep his head down. "It's me you shouldn't have trusted." He finally looks up, but not at her. "Did you all forget? I'm a trickster." His voice hardens. "None of you should've trusted me in the first place. Your lives would've been better."
"Where are you?" Uraraka demands, sadness shifting into anger as she sniffles and wipes her nose. Midoriya doesn't answer. "Izuku Lokison!" She marches up to him. "You tell us where you are right now-!" She reaches out to him, but before she can reach the projection, he vanishes.
It's a good thing Uraraka doesn't have her rings on her when she slams her foot down on the ground. "Fuck!!" Tokage almost immediately has her in a hug. The gravity user doesn't put up much of a fight, crying into her friend's arms. "That- that dummy! That stupid- dumb-!"
"I know, girl. I know. It's alright."
"It's just- and he-"
"He just lost his mom, sweety. He's not thinking straight."
"I know!!" Uraraka yells angrily. "I know! And I feel like such an asshole for being mad at him when he's hurting so much! I know I shouldn't be but I just- I just-!" Tokage holds her tighter.
"Take Emi to Eri so she can watch her," Shota orders Deadpool, who complies without so much as a snide comment. "I'm going to make some calls to see if anyone has seen-"
"Wait!" Yaoyorozu holds her hands up to stop everyone. "I think we have a lead."
"What is it?" Kaminari asks.
"Think about what Midoriya said. His powers are currently being boosted," she reminds everyone. "Who is the only possible person that would be capable of that?"
Hamada Takako crawls through the rubble as best she can. The police officer's throat burns from the remains of dust and debris she's forced to breathe in to escape the ruins of her police station.
Gunshots sound off near her and she jumps. Terrified and bleeding, her breath comes in short gasps, and she can see vapor escaping her mouth with each exhale. The station becoming unbearably cold was the only warning they received before they were attacked.
Rapidly approaching footsteps warn Hamada that someone is coming, and she pulls out her service pistol to defend herself, only to have a knife pierce her hand, pinning it to the wall behind her. Her scream turns into a howling cry of pain as her attacker grabs the knife, twisting it deeper into her palm, forcing the serrated edges to slowly tear the muscles from the bone.
"Where is Inko Midoriya?!" her assailant demands. "Where did he take her?"
"P-please," Hamada weeps. "I- I have a family…"
"And do you know how many families you tore apart last night when you took Overhaul's money?!" He stomps on her knee, breaking it with a sickening crunch that reverberates through the destroyed building. Hamada shrieks in pain, openly sobbing now.
"P-please! Whoever you are, I'm sorry!" She braces for what he might do next, but he lets go of the knife, taking a step back. Hamada takes a chance to open an eye to take a peak at him.
The boy glares down at her. Like she's an ant on his food. "I am Izuku Lokison, Prince of Mischief." He flicks his wrist, and her breath hitches when a dagger appears. "And I am burdened with glorious purpose."
Behind him, Loki smiles proudly.