Ever since Carter died, Izuku hadn't slept right.
He had one of the few who were there to witness his death; he still vividly remembered the ground shaking as his dragon form fought tooth and claw against the villains. The existential dread that almost consumed him when All For One appeared, alive. He especially remembered the crack that echoed almost a month later, as Gigantomakia broke Carter's neck.
For days after, he didn't sleep right, his dreams full of smoke, screaming dragons, and the sickening crack of bones. He'd watched as Katsumi and Momo wept beside his body for days, and he was surprised when Nejire also joined them. What broke his heart and the rest of those present wasn't them, but Eri and Cathleen.
Eri had been nothing but a radiant ball of light after she'd been rescued from the Yakuza. Always eager to play with them and to spend time watching them use their quirks. To see her sobbing as she clutched Carter's stiff hand was agonizing, but what had really broken him was Cathleen.
For years, he'd looked up to All Might, idolized him even. He'd gotten along with Cathleen easily during Carter's party, thanks to the shared bond between two super fans. He admired how Cathleen saved people across the entire United States with a smile on her face. Yet the same person who faced the media of the world's premier superpower was not the same one who collapsed to the ground in grief at the funeral of her son, the same one who smiled in the face of danger hadn't been seen smiling in a photo for weeks.
That was why he had to leave, so that no one would ever be hurt by Tomura or AFO ever again. He'd spent hours late at night, painfully aware that he had the power to be stronger, but he just couldn't control it yet. 'And it cost me the life of a friend.'
For two weeks after his death, Izuku pushed himself harder than ever. Spurred on by his actions and the realization that the strongest among them died, Shoto and Katsumi joined him. Gone was the petty rivalry they had been developing; for two weeks, they pushed each other relentlessly, not wanting to be the next one to die or be weak enough to not stop the next tragedy.
Now it was time for him to strike out on his own. Taking one day to rest his stressed body and mind, Izuku spent the day writing personal letters to each and every one of his classmates and teachers. He explained why he was leaving, why he had to get stronger as fast as possible.
For his classmates, he'd made more personal notes. Better ways to optimize quirk usage, support gear ideas that they could take to Hatsume, and small insights that might help push them along. He'd felt horrible writing Ururaka's letter; despite himself, he'd gotten quite close to her.
Not on the level that Katsumi and Momo were attached to Carter, but dangerously close. Shared glances and quiet moments together had been more than common by the time everything went to hell, so his letter to Ochako had been the most heartfelt and intimate, right after the ones to his mother and All Might.
That had been a month ago.
For a while now, Izuku had been living off what he could find and whatever Toshinori and other heroes brought him. Despite his departure, Toshinori still supported him, as did Endeavor and Hawks. The three of them shared details about sightings and villains with dangerous quirks to look out for.
Toshinori had been his lifeline, bringing food and supplies constantly. Despite feeling colder and more stoic than he'd ever been, he still appreciated everything his mentor did for him. He'd also found new mentors, the previous users of One For All.
Yet, remembering the way in which Carter could fluidly use each of his abilities in concert, Izuku had also started to use his extra quirk more naturally instead of viewing them each as an ultimate move.
Despite having several abilities that could each be an ultimate move for others, Carter had used them often and comfortably. Izuku didn't hesitate to take a page out of his book and use his new quirks differently; their former users had also encouraged this behavior.
Blackwhip was the most versatile, using it for movement, attack, and restraint was obvious, but also pulling people away from danger.
Float gave him a better view of his surroundings and gave him another arena to fight and maneuver in.
Danger Sense helped push his senses even more. Not only was he more reactive to danger, but he'd felt his senses slightly improve as time went on.
Smokescreen was the more specialized quirk he had for the moment. Best used at night but still an option during the day, Smokescreen had been useful several times to confuse villains and give him some breathing room to think, which was where he found himself right now.
Seeing an opening, Izuku struck at Muscular, containing him with Blackwhip as the villain raged. "All these cheap tricks won't save you, just you wait!" He roared as Izuku sighed. "Where are Tomura and All For One hiding?" He asked as Muscular shrugged.
"How should I know. When I was freed, they told me to go crazy and cause destruction. So quit hiding behind these little vines and give me a real fight!" He struggled again as Izuku kept talking. "Don't you regret anything? Surely there is something for you out there other than this?" He asked as Muscular laughed, "Don't try and sympathize with me, hero! I only want bloodshed and violence, unless that's too scary for the brave hero?!"
Muscular then break free as Izuku floats in the air waiting. His patience pays off as Muscular's massive muscles start to fall apart. 'Just like I thought. Those vibrations from earlier did more damage than he thought.'
Izuku ignores Muscular's annoyed screams as he rockets towards him, "One For All 50%: Detroit Smash!" As he ties up Muscular, Izuku notes that 50% has become a lot more natural now; he still dials it back down to 45% after leaving Muscular with the police.
Later in the night, Izuku is happily digesting the meal Toshinori brought him when he notices a mob of people attacking someone. Danger sense blares, so he shoots down to investigate, finding a large woman with a mutant quirk about to be hurt by the people.
After chasing the people off and hearing the woman's story, Izuku can't help but feel sorry for her as he raises her umbrella and floats off the ground to be eye level with her. "I'm sorry you've had to go through this. Everyone is scared, but that doesn't mean you should be attacked for being different."
The lady wipes her tears as Izuku notices her fox-like ears. "Do you think things will ever get better?" He nods, "Yes, because I am here." He stays with her and talks for a bit as Toshinori arrives to give her a ride to the nearest shelter, before giving Izuku another bento, as he moves on.
A few days later, Izuku and Toshinori are patrolling a city while covering on the phone. Suddenly, Toshi notices that Izuku's phone isn't showing up on the GPS, right as a grenade is thrown and explodes near his car.
Izuku is dealing with his own problems as his phone is stuck to the wall next to him with a bullet right in the center of the screen. Before he can react, a tiny speaker attached to the bullet turns on, and a voice speaks. "I was only here to find my target, but I have orders concerning you as well. Prepare for evaluation, hero."
Danger sense screams as he ducks under another shot, using Blackwhip to maneuver through the buildings as more bullets chase after him. 'Bullets?! It must be the woman that Hawks warned me about, Lady Nagant!'
Nagant calmly reloaded her rifle as she watched Izuku dodge previous shots. 'Getting sent after one runaway was bad enough; now I have to test the little brat?'
She was more than unhappy but still followed her orders; more rewards had already been promised for her to give to the children she'd rescued in the month of chaos that had followed Tomura's awakening.
After that psycho went and released all the villains around the country, hundreds of children had been turned into orphans as chaos slowly gripped Japan.
True to his word, Avalanche's people gave her a place where she could care for the children and give them a chance for a better future.
The problem was how busy she was, and the fear that the HPSC might one day find her little enclave of children and raise them into 'proper' heroes, like her and Hawks. She didn't resent him; she'd done a bit of digging and discovered how the HPSC got its claws on him. He had her sympathy, but not her goodwill.
Nagant checks on the body next to her, making sure it's still knocked out before calling out to Izuku down below. "So tell me, hero, why struggle? All For One has already won. Tomura is awake, and villains run amok across the country. Without your precious dragon friend, what's even the point in struggling?"
Despite being a pre-arranged script, Nagant was still curious as to what the boy would say. For most pro heroes, things were hopeless. Dozens of heroes had already quit as the rest pushed harder than ever to keep people safe, not that the idiotic people were making it any easier.
Seeing him get closer, Nagant changed positions while making sure her cargo was still restrained. "Not gonna answer? A shame, I thought One For All's successor might have a little spine. Guess I was bound to be disappointed." She immediately noticed that the boy became more aggressive as she fired off another pair of shots.
This game of cat and mouse continued for a little longer until Izuku got close enough for her to hear him. "I won't give up, not when his murder's are still out there, still hurting people." She snorted, getting revenge against Gigantomakia and Tomura? Good luck!
"I don't think you have the power for that little hero. Maybe you should scurry back to U.A., where it's nice and safe while the adults sort things out." Izuku was smart enough not to respond to her provocations, which would have given his position away. Unfortunately, Lady Nagant's benefactor had stuffed her with several quirks to enhance her capabilities.
Suddenly, the body next to her sprang to life as bullets started flying. Nagant cursed and threw herself over the edge of the building as Izuku used this chance to close the distance. 'Stupid dragon, making me find and capture the quirks I need to work!' She swore as one of the most dangerous assassins in the world revealed herself, Arsenal.