Chapter Text
Freki and Izuku had traversed the house multiple times, searching for anything else out of place aside from the broken vase. There was not a single thing out of place. Just the pieces of pottery on the ground. Izuku had knelt down next to it, picking each piece from the ground carefully to avoid further damage, even as his heart raced and his hands shook. Why had this happened? Nothing else in the house seemed wrong.
The kitchen was clean. Her bed was made. There was a covered meal in the microwave for him. The television had been on. Her keys hung by the door.
What it looked like was that she had gone out to the Konbini down the street. Far enough that she would be gone for a while, but close enough that a car was not necessary. Perhaps she had accidentally broken the vase and went looking for more repair supplies? Izuku broke things in his youth enough that his mother had kept their Kinstugi kit well stocked for repairing plates and cups.
Izuku set all the pieces on the table and went to fetch the kit, checking to see that it was still well stocked. It had been a while since they had to use it. He left it on the table as he moved toward his room, deciding he would rest for a bit and join his mother for dinner. Freki did not join him in his room, leaving Izuku to skulk to his bed in relative peace before falling into it. He was still exhausted, and if Recovery Girl found out he didn't rest when he got home, he would be in for another lecture.
So he took a nap, with thoughts swirling in his mind. Nedzu said Loud Cloud took him as a mentee and never denied that he, too, would be guiding him on his journey. Izuku would become a hero.
But what was the path that Odin wanted from him? What purpose did the great tree of Yggdrasil have for him? Well, he wouldn't be able to do anything if he didn't recover first.
Hours passed before he felt something move around him, settling on his legs. It was heavy enough to make him stir from his sleep to see that Freki was lying on his bed and stretched out over his legs. It struck him as strange that Freki seemed a bit upset at Izuku and his choices, but it was nice that she could set it aside to comfort and heal him.
Even as she lay asleep, Izuku could see the gentle blue glow under her fur radiating brighter than usual as it worked its way through his body. He was sure he murmured a thank you as he went back to sleep for a little longer. When he woke up again, to the light of early dawn, Freki was at the window looking out like she expected someone to be there. "Freki," Izuku croaked, his throat parched from way more than eight hours of sleep.
He was sure that he had gone to bed before the sun had even set, intending on a nap, only to find himself waking up the next day. He got up, grabbed a glass of water, and came back before he finished his sentence. "Did Mom come back?" he asked as Freki turned to look at him, her wolfy face looking more somber today instead of irritated. Her head shook as Izuku took a deep breath. He checked his phone to see that it was 7:00.
"It's still an hour until her shift ends. She'll be back soon." Izuku murmured as he went around and cleaned up where he could. He didn't want her to come home after a very long day to a messy house. He sadly threw away the lunch she had made him yesterday, a pork cutlet sandwich, and went about making breakfast. A good pan-fried fish with fried rice made from leftover rice and vegetables. Izuku thought it was amazing. He set everything up for his mother when she got home and looked at the clock. 7:45. He wouldn't be around when she got home since he needed to get to school fast. If he didn't leave now, he wouldn't be making it on time.
"Freki!" Izuku called as he quickly got dressed and brushed his teeth, packing a bit into his bento box before dashing out of the house. If not for using his runes, he would not have made it to class on time. Though, because he was in a rush, he didn't see the stares. Usually that was normal, but today they were not stares of disgust but rather fear and pity.
He walked in and found his desk in shambles. It had looked bad before, with graffiti, but now it was burnt. Plain and simple, there was no desk for him anymore.
The bell rang.
Izuku didn't hear it as he remained standing, looking at the chair that would not hold his weight, and the last remnants of graffiti still visible beyond the blackened wood. "Midoriya, sit down—"
"Where?" Izuku interrupted, his eyes never moving from his desk, even as students around him snickered and waited for his reaction.
"Right here," a familiar voice said, one he had been avoiding for weeks. Bakugou Katsuki had the audacity to stand up, a smirk on his face, and kick his burnt desk toward him. Pieces fell off as it screeched to a halt before him. Izuku lifted his head to look from Bakugou to the kids around him and then to his teacher. All of them had the same look that said the same thing.
Sit down and deal with it.
Izuku's jaw clenched as he slowly nodded, eyes landing on Freki. There were many things he could do. He could throw a fit, like he wanted to, show everyone he wasn't quirkless anymore, perhaps scare a few kids. He could try to report this to the school again for property damage, which never worked before, but he could try since it was school property. He could try to talk to the teacher now. However, all of it would land him in the office being blamed for things he didn't do.
He nodded again, humming as he turned around and decided he would not be staying for school today. In fact, there was one place he could go for help, and hopefully, they would be willing to listen.
"Hey!" Bakugou yelled as Izuku opened the classroom door and walked out to the protest of his teacher.
"Mr. Midoriya! You cannot walk out during school hours!"
"Deku! Don't walk away from me!" A hand grabbed his shoulder, hot and filling the air with a sweet scent.
Izuku really hadn't meant to. He had meant to just walk out and go straight to UA. However, when he heard the first pop of Bakugou's quirk. The fear was immediate and it was intense.
The air was oppressive. It was the same storm he felt in his mind that manifested into reality. The anger, the resentment, and the fear all twisted into a knot he couldn't untangle. Izuku could not speak, but his feelings were clear. He felt like he was being strangled every day of his life, like the air in his own lungs was being stolen and beaten out of him.
Yet, he could breathe better than ever right now.
He watched as Bakugou fell to his knees, the grip on him loosening in shock, rage, and fear. All present in his expression. How did it feel to be afraid? To feel yourself forced to your knees?
…
Wait.
Bakugou couldn't breathe.
He was choking, trying to use his quirk without the ability to catch enough air to do anything other than try to grab Izuku to make him stop.
He felt the rune, a low buzzing coursing up his legs, disengage and Freki's warmth press against his leg as Bakugou fell to his knees, wheezing. A new kind of fear flooded him. He had accidentally done to Bakugou the same thing Bakugou was doing to him. That was not the kind of person he wanted to be.
So he ran to the only place he could think of. He ran straight to UA. If he had stayed, things would have gotten out of control, especially given the fact that Izuku's mind was spiraling. The same thing had happened the day before. Why were the runes activating on their own? Even when he had cast the lightning spell, he still had to activate the rune orally; the only difference was that he imagined holding the lightning instead of creating it.
He was starting to feel like he was out of control.
As soon as the school came into view, he stopped, looking around until Freki came into view. "Freki, what is happening? Why are the runes activating on their own?" he asked as the wolf came trotting up to him. She gave him a vague answer about getting better, but this wasn't better. If he could just activate these things because he was angry or scared, who knows what would happen and when.
He knelt down, trying to breathe as his eyes burned. "This isn't better, Freki! I could hurt someone! If I can't control this—" Freki barked viciously at him, cutting his sentence off as she sent fragmented thoughts to him.
Train.
Control.
Stronger.
A few tears still fell. He had still accidentally attacked Bakugou, and he had to tell Nedzu and Loud Cloud before anyone could get too far about accusing him of things. His heart rate slowed, but still pumped hard and heavy in his chest as he pushed himself up and forced himself to walk forward.
Such an obvious answer that his own panic had made an irrational thought. He had to train and use the runes more to gain control. After all, quirk accidents happen, right? A quirkless kid getting a quirk would warrant that excuse, though it wasn't far from the truth.
He walked straight to Nedzu's office, ignoring the curious looks of passing students as he looked up. His eyes caught on every security camera he passed, very purposefully as he noticed them moving with him. By the time he arrived at the principal's office, he was certain Nedzu knew he was there. It was confirmed when he was called in the moment he moved to knock.
"Mr. Midoriya, may I ask what you are doing here so early? I was sure we agreed to meet every day after school." The principal folded his hands, waiting for Izuku's answer.
Izuku couldn't just come out and tell him what happened without context, so Izuku spilled every last detail. He started by explaining the brutal bullying he had experienced since he was a child and the increasing severity. He explained how Aldera had never once been concerned for his safety nor protected him, rather blaming everything on him. Then he explained the events of the day and how he had accidentally choked Bakugou.
By the time Izuku was done, his face was red and his eyes were burning. "I didn't mean to… but I knew if I stayed they would blame everything on me like they always do," he whimpered, rubbing at his eyes.
He didn't see how Nedzu's smile twitched, nor the worry that was just barely visible through a carefully crafted facade. "You got your quirk…when?" Nedzu asked, and Izuku paused. Had he mentioned something about being quirkless?
It's not like he could lie now, anyway.
"Almost three months ago," Izuku murmured, chancing a glance up. Nedzu looked like some puzzle pieces had been revealed of the Izuku Midoriya mystery. Oh yeah, Izuku was no idiot. Things were going to get bad and fast. Did he make a mistake?
The visions that Freki showed him before came back to him in full force. The powerful being forced into chains of servitude or being destroyed. His quirk was far more than so many could hope to have and was now proving too much for him to control. Tears clouded his vision as he heard Nedzu make a call. He could hardly hear the exchange over his thrumming heart, but what he did catch was that he was talking to a detective and a hero.
His gaze turned to Freki, who seemed calm despite the potential threat he was under. She locked eyes with him, her blue to his green, and stood to move closer. He could feel her irritation— or rather mock irritation, as he was sure she would not try to comfort him if she was actually irritated.
Surely if someone tried to impede his progress, she would step in, but his nerves would not settle as he held his head in his hands and tried to focus on the weight of Freki leaning on him.
"Midoriya?"
Please don't. He wanted to trust him— them. Loud Cloud and Nedzu were people he wanted to trust, but he was so confused and scared.
"Midoriya?"
He should have rejected Yggdrasil. He should have told the gods there were better people to take this power. What had he accomplished? Freki told him he wasn't progressing fast enough and now he was a danger to those around him. One stray emotion could trigger a rune and kill someone.
"Midoriya!"
Stop. Even now, he could feel the strain of the gust rune trying to activate, only blocked by Freki's presence. He was a danger to people. His own emotions were too volatile. Hands grasped his shoulders, breaking him out of his own thoughts.
It was hard to see through his tears, but he could tell it was Loud Cloud. His signature pale blue hair was easy to distinguish against the walls of Nedzu's office. His eyes tried to focus but simply wouldn't as his chest stuttered for breath. "You need to breathe." One hand left, and a warm cup was pressed into his hands. "Accidents happen," he stated, and something about his soft tone and the protective undercurrent that came with it wrapped around Izuku like a safety blanket. "Did you hear what Nedzu said?" he asked. Izuku shook his head, taking small sips of the green tea.
In the next few minutes, Izuku learned what the next steps of his path would be. Given his quirk being so powerful and unpracticed, Nedzu had deemed it necessary to take steps to not only protect Izuku himself but the public.
First, Izuku would be moved onto UA grounds and placed under the watchful eye of Loud Cloud or Nedzu.
Second, Izuku's schooling would be undertaken by Nedzu and separate from the jurisdiction of UA.
Third, Izuku must be escorted to any destination off UA grounds by Pro Hero Eraserhead and a secondary guardian.
Fourth, Izuku will undergo intensive quirk training under the guidance of Nedzu and teachers he deems necessary.
Fifth, Izuku will not interact with UA students without prior approval.
He was surprised to say the least. At least he was going to be kept in a fancy prison. He spent his whole life trying to get here, only for the gates to close behind him. He swallowed a sip of tea and nodded in understanding. "We will be contacting your parents about this change as well. I would like you to drink your tea and relax while I make the call."
Izuku nodded without hearing, his eyes staring into the liquid as Nedzu and Loud Cloud focused on organizing Izuku's new accommodation. They spoke in low tones he couldn't hear even if he tried. If he used the sound rune, he would, but there was no point. He didn't want to hear it.
It was quite a while and a whole cup of tea later that Loud Cloud sat beside him. "Midoriya, when was the last time you spoke to your mother?" he asked, voice soft and careful in the way he spoke. Izuku looked up and turned to look, only to see worry. That seemed normal for them every time they spoke about his quirk, but this was different. He almost looked afraid.
"Two days, I think?" Izuku tried to recall. He remembered her being home Monday morning, trying to call him to eat, but he had left before she could see him. He had been ducking her questions, and seeing her would have made him feel worse about the secrets he was keeping. He had yet to figure out how to tell her he had abilities.
"We contacted her phone, but she didn't pick up." That was strange; she always picked up her phone. "So we called her work and they said she hadn't been there for five days." That's not possible. "Izuku, are you sure you saw her two days ago?"
He pulled out his phone, his knee shaking as he dialed his mother's phone. She always answered his calls no matter what, a call during the school day would have her picking up in a panic.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
This is Midoriya Inko's voicemail. I am not available at the moment, but if you leave a voicemail, I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Beep.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
This is Midoriya Inko's voicemail. I am not available at the moment, but if you leave a voicemail, I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Beep.
His knee stilled as his eyes flicked between Loud Cloud to Nedzu, down to Freki. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he stood up and headed to the door. His worst nightmares may be coming true.
Had a villain figured something out about him and taken his mother prisoner? Had she been kidnapped by someone outside the human world? Could a god have done something? There were so many of them, and he only knew that five were on his side.
"Midoriya!" Loud Cloud called to Izuku as he rushed out the door. He ran until he was outside and saw that the UA walls were activated. The entire school was surrounded by confused students on both sides, wondering what had happened. "What do you think rushing out there is going to do?" Loud Cloud wheezed as he came to a stop behind Izuku.
"I need to find her! This is my fault!" he yelled as he activated the gust rune on his shoes. Doing this without using the verbal command felt different. It felt as out of control as when he caught the lightning, whipping around him without aim or regard for friend or foe.
Then something happened. The rune shut down on him. Izuku had felt the flicker of trying to activate it only for it to refuse in the end.
"Where do you think you are going?" The voice he only heard once came back to haunt him. Izuku turned to look and locked eyes with the hero from yesterday. Eyes red and hair floating as he made his way out with Nedzu next to him. "Do you think, just because your quirk is strong, that you can help?" Forget the confusion of why his rune wouldn't activate. He was scared.
The anger in Aizawa's eyes, the rage that never faded, had turned to him. Assessing him and judging him like he was just another lucky brat born with something flashy that cameras would be drawn to. He wasn't like that. Even if he had no power he would still go but they…would never understand that— or maybe they would. Nedzu and Loud Cloud knew how new he was to his abilities now. "Eraserhead." Loud Cloud scolded without having to say anything else.
Easerhead grunted. "This one is going to give me some serious dry eye." He groaned, hands loosening from the grey scarf around his neck.
"I gave you a general idea of our plans, however I have left out some crucial details that you will need to know. If I may meet with you in my office?" Nedzu asked Aizawa before turning to Izuku. "He is right, you know. Your quirk is unstable, you said so yourself, and what good would it do for you to fall victim to a villain while trying to find her? Let us pro heroes handle this." A nod was all it took for Loud Cloud to step forward.
"Lets set you up in a room. It looks like you could use some time to rest." He pulled out a handkerchief and held it out. Izuku was confused until he noticed that his eyes stung and his head was throbbing. he took the cloth and wiped his tears away as a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.
He knew they cared to some extent. He knew they were heroes looking out for everyone's safety.
But it also felt like Loud Cloud, the lovable and kind hero of Musutafu, was leading him into UA with the weight of chains dragging behind him; burning his wrists, bruising his ankles.
UA had officially become his prison, beautiful and gilded.
He was led to what looked like a nap room or something similar and guided to one of the beds. "Hang out here for a while, I'll be right back." With that Loud Cloud left and Izuku was on his own. Well, as on his own as one could be with a magic ancient wolf following them all the time.
That said, Freki was missing. It only served him right to sit alone here. He was no longer allowed to be alone, which meant that he and Freki could not freely converse the same way they had. There was the whisper rune where he could converse without speaking but he hadn't tried it yet and…well, it wouldn't be the same.
He made himself comfortable in one of the sleeping beds, finding the interesting shape and canopy above him quite nice in light of his new reality. Instead of thinking about the potential huge mistake he made, he decided a nap would be preferable. So, while Nedzu and Loud Cloud did what they were going to do, Izuku closed his eyes to sleep off the shock of that morning.
It was barely noon.
"You are telling me that kid has only had his quirk for three months?" Shouta asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion and concern.
"That's what he said, considering how little control he has and limited knowledge, it makes sense." Nedzu chimed in. "That said, I have been searching through Aldera's files, kindly provided by their principal, and found some interesting information. The first is Midoriya's file. For a child so polite and withdrawn, he has an astonishing number of disciplinary marks." he slid over a file of the printed remarks. Every excuse under the sun was inside.
Shirakumo had pulled out a remark about Izuku getting into fights because he was jealous about others having quirks while he didn't, dated back about a year. Shouta pulled out an account about Izuku punching someone and calling them derogatory names because they had a mutation quirk, dated two years ago. "This can't be right. Midoriya's personality… this can't be right." Shirakumo looked to Nedzu who nodded in agreement.
"View it with skepticism. We are aware of the discrimination for those with mutation quirks and… villainous quirks. I can only imagine the hell that the quirkless live in." Shouta almost growled and Nedzu nodded. However Shirakumo did not know much about quirkless discrimination. His eyes fell to the document and to the innumerable marks on Izuku's record, almost enough that UA would flat out decline his application without seeing his test results.
"I will be launching a full investigation and pulling camera footage from the school along with witness accounts for these situations. However, there is one more situation I want to bring to light. The day I believe Midoriya got his quirk." he pushed out one more file.
This one detailed when an ambulance was called and two students were taken to the hospital for a quirk accident. Midoriya was withdrawn from school for that day. This was dated seven weeks ago. Barely three months. "Once I get the security footage, we will know for sure what happened and when. Until then, we must move quickly. We need to confirm the missing status of Midoriya Inko and if the worst comes to light, make Midoriya Izuku a ward of UA."
Shouta's jaw clenched the same as Shirakumo's. If the hero commission got wind of Midoriya and his abilities, they would try to take him as well. They were fighting an both known and unknown enemies. "We should bring Present Mic into this. The more trusted individuals we can surround him with the better."
"Midoriya will be staying on UA grounds. At the next meeting, I will talk with the staff about his situation." Nedzu stated as he stood up from his seat. "For now, we need to launch an investigation into his mother's disappearance and make him as comfortable as possible here. He did not look well earlier."
"After what he told us, I imagine the guilt is weighing on him. As someone with such conviction to save people, finding out his quirk control hurt those around him must be devastating."
"I'll get Hound Dog." Shouta grumbled as he stood with a grunt and left. That was a good idea, Hound Dog knew how to talk to kids about those kinds of heavy topics.
"I'll be calling Tsukauchi." Nedzu chimed and Shirakumo awkwardly stood up.
"I will start making Midoriya more comfortable here." he stated, as he stood and headed toward the room they had decided they would transform into Izuku's room until they could approve the plans to build a dormitory of sorts. In fact, this may be the excuse Nedzu uses to implement the dorms he has wanted for UA for some time.
Shirakumo knew he needed to work quickly and make sure that Izuku was not left alone for too long. He could not imagine what Izuku was feeling. Spending his whole life thinking he had no quirk and being treated…
…
Shirakumo had to stop and take a deep breath. He was vaguely aware of quirkless discrimination and the fact he didn't know more or the exact severeness of it was quickly becoming a source of shame. It was a whole group of people that he had just… forgotten.
Well, that was going to change. He was definitely going to do some research after he finished making Izuku a decent living quarters.
Knowing Nedzu, everything would be starting by the end of the week. If they were lucky, and everything went according to plan, Izuku would be living in an actual dorm by the time the entrance exams started.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and shot a text to Hizashi that they needed to talk about Izuku, even though he was sure Shouta had said something by now. As he made his way toward the room they had decided Izuku would stay in until they can get him proper accommodations, his mind couldn't help but continue to flare up in anger repeatedly at the injustices the world threw at people who had done nothing but be born different from the rest.
By the time he made it to the room and started to clear it out, his eyes were watering. He felt so foolish and helpless in the face of nameless monsters. Helpless to save the few from the many. It was so frustrating and if there was one thing that made Shirakumo genuinely angry was when he felt helpless.
As he cleaned out the room, preparing to return to Izuku so he wouldn't be alone, he let a few tears fall.
When his phone chimed, he checked it to see that Shouta was updating him on his and Hound Dog's location. They were heading to Izuku's room, or rather, the staff nap room, to try and get him to talk about what happened today and…well, his whole life. Shirakumo took a deep breath, wiped his face, and made his way back toward the staff nap room. When he arrived, it was to see the two standing outside.
"We thought it would be wise to wait for you," Shouta explained as he pushed off the wall. Shirakumo was the one to open the door and felt it. It was a feeling only the truly powerful gave off. A feeling he had felt once when he stood in front of All Might.
Intimidating.
Overwhelming.
Power.
He felt the gaze before he saw it. Something sharp that pierced him to his soul. The hair all over his arms and neck raised as he locked eyes with a wolf. A wolf that seemed to have so much more power than All Might with the way it held itself tall.
One moment stretched on for eternity.
The ground beneath him felt more like the ice of a lake, cracking beneath his feet. Should the wolf decide to let the ice break, the water beneath would steal his breath with thousands of needles before carrying him away to never be seen again.
Then it disappeared in a cold mist, a crinkle in its maw almost like a grimace. Shirakumo was left frozen, afraid to move lest the ice break.
"Maybe we should come back later?" Shouta muttered making Shirakumo flinch. Now that, drew his friend's attention. "What's wrong?" he asked placing a hand on his friend's tense shoulder and bringing him back from whatever had just happened.
Shirakumo almost looked down to confirm he was not actually standing on ice before looking toward Shouta and Hound Dog. Hound Dog was obviously confused but Shouta looked concerned. Surely the man could feel the slight tremor that ran through his body. The adrenaline shocks that told him to run away from what he saw. Though, it seemed they hadn't seen it.
He looked back to where the wolf had been, but nothing was out of place. Izuku slept peacefully on a nap bed, not a chair out of place. He took a step back, then another, until he was able to close the door. "Shirakumo," Shouta asked again.
"I'm okay. I'm okay…" he muttered, trying to shake off the feeling as he pried his hands off the door handle. "I am going to go back and make sure his room is cleared out." He muttered, reassuring Shouta again before he left.
It was all in his head. No one else had seen it. Was it a hallucination? It felt too real for that, but the only other thing he could think of was that it had been someone's quirk. Who? That was beyond him; he would have to ask Nedzu later.
Now? No, now he had to get a room prepared for the poor kid whose life had been upended in the span of an hour. It was hardly 10 am, and to make it all worse, he was dealing with a powerful quirk and a lack of control. A part of Shirakumo felt guilty not being in class, but he figured if or when people found out about Izuku's case, he would be forgiven by his students.
When lunchtime arrived, the room that would become Izuku's was cleaned out of boxes and dust. Perhaps it had been cleaned out too well since Shirakumo was trying to forget the scare he had encountered. As one who was not a fan of lingering on bad feelings, he may have thrown himself in too far.
It was a decent-sized room as well. It had a nice, rounded window and was bigger than Shouta's living room— he snickered at that thought. Once it was filled with the necessities needed to transform it into a living space, which they would fetch after school, Izuku may come to like this space.
That said, Shirakumo headed toward the lunch room to fetch the boy something to eat. Surely by now he was hungry and awake. If anything, Nedzu would have pulled him out to talk with him some more. With that thought in mind, he fetched a tray of food, dodging all the questions from his students as to why he was not in class today with a weak excuse of staff emergency since Shouta had also been pulled out not long after him, then headed to Nedzu's office.
He didn't even have to knock before the principal called him in. To his surprise, Izuku was not here. "I thought Midoriya would be here," he muttered as the chimera looked to one of his screens.
"He is still asleep," Nedzu explained, and Shirakumo hesitated. Should he wait? Should he ask Nedzu to go grab him? Should he ask Nedzu to go with him? Wow, he was thinking like one of his students instead of the professional hero he was. "Something wrong?"
Shirakumo shook his head as he turned around, closing the door behind him, and headed toward the nap room. He knocked a few times, and when he heard a tired voice answer, he opened the door. His eyes scanned the room before he entered and set the tray of food on the table next to his nap bed.
Izuku moved to sit up and looked around in a groggy haze. "How was the nap?" he asked, having a feeling that it wasn't that great. He looked like he didn't know what century it was. "Hungry?" he asked, knowing full well that some people didn't get hungry until an hour or more after they woke up. Shouta was one of them, not him— he always scarfed down a house before work, so did Hizashi.
"Eat when you feel like it, but after we need to talk with Nedzu," Shirakumo explained as he texted Shouta that Izuku was awake. After eating, he would be more awake and ready to talk.
This only took about ten minutes and only amounted to about half of what he was given. Whether it was because Izuku was too nervous to put it off or out of respect for Nedzu's time was unclear. Regardless, he ate as quickly as his churning stomach could handle and let himself be guided to Nedzu.
When they arrived, it was not with the people he thought would be present. There was Present Mic from the other day and a new person, a student by the looks of it. "Ah, Midoriya, it's good to see you so quickly. I would like you to meet someone." Nedzu chimed brightly as he gestured to Mirio.
"Togata Mirio! I'm a third year here at UA." He introduced himself.
"I have asked Togata to help you navigate the school and get accustomed here."
Izuku shifted between his feet before introducing himself to the older student. So this was his prison guard? He had expected it to be one of the three hero teachers but he should have guessed they would be too busy to watch him.
Izuku gave him a typical greeting, dulled only by the insurmountable numbness that ran through his veins. His response must have been as lackluster as he felt because everyone looked at him with a worried expression. "I understand a lot has happened to you recently, and I want you to know that we are all here to help you through it." Nedzu explained and Izuku nodded, lifting his expression into something he definitely did not feel.
"I understand, principal Nedzu." Izuku bowed low. "I am so grateful for everything you are doing for me." The real problem was him. He was the one that couldn't control his abilities. He was the one that hurt Katsuki. He was the one that saw the future and did nothing. Not now.
What good was having power if it could not protect the people he loved?
"I think you need to rest for today…Would you like us to get someone you could talk to about this?" Present Mic stated, his voice coming through the thick cotton in his ears. It was only then that he realized he was nearly hyperventilating and was leaning heavily on Shirakumo.
"I'll inform Hound Dog. Tomorrow morning may be a better time to set an appointment."
"I'll make sure everyone knows the nap room is off limits and get everything set up…" His mentor explained while he was calming down.
"I just… I need time to think. Can I… get some things from home?" Izuku wheezed. "Just few things…"
"Of course, what is it?" Nedzu asked and Izuku listed off some personal items like his toothbrush, notebooks, and blanket. He also mentioned the broken vase and his kintsugi kit. He hoped and prayed that those two items never came.
Then he was escorted back to the nap room. Izuku figured they had planned more for him to do that day but he couldn't do much when the grief was weighing him down. His chest ached and heaved as he was left back in his cot.
As he was forced to stay somewhere foreign instead of going home, surrounded by strangers instead of his own mother. Too many questions assaulted his mind as he lie there as though he were a corpse. Where was his mother? Who would do this? Why? How did he not notice? Since when had he become this complacent?
Tears stung his eyes as he shut them, willing the world to go away. What had been so exciting one day led to chaos the next. The cost of power, Freki would probably say. Yet he was spiraling under the weight of what was happening and the future he could now be faced with. What had been so exciting now felt like chains and an executor's blade. Somewhere in his awe and curiosity, his tenacity and drive to make a difference, he had become blinded to the danger he faced— that those around him faced.
Dream fucking over. Fallen from the sky in a flaming bundle of hope and fear.
He curled into himself, brain refusing to calm for a moment to let him rest. Yet, he lay still aside from the shudder of his body as he tried to contain his grief.
Eventually a knock at his door startled him into an upright position. His heart stuttered to life, beating frantically in his chest as he realized it was simply the door. "Come in!" He called as he slipped his feet to the side of his nap cot. Mr. Shirakumo entered the room, carrying with him a backpack.
"How are you feeling?" He asked and Izuku gave him a generic positive, hoping to let that topic drop. "I have a bit of news," He continued on, setting a black backpack down with a soft clinking noise. Izuku's eyes locked onto the backpack, the ringing in his ears steadily growing. "We've sent the case to the police for investigation on a missing person and as of this moment you are a temporary ward of UA. A representative was also sent to your previous school to register your absence." Izuku nodded along, the buzzing numbness limited to his skin, which was an improvement.
"Thank you, I appreciate all of your kindness." Izuku responded robotically as the bag was passed to him. Inside, his blanket was rolled up and all the items he asked for were under it. The vase and his Kintsugi kit. The buzzing returned but he was surprisingly able to contain the grief that came with it.
"I left your clothes in your room. When you are ready, I can show you." Mr. Shirakumo spoke softly.
"Can we go now?" Izuku asked as he zipped up his bag. He wasn't sure what time it was but it was later in the day. It wasn't until they were in the hall that school let out for the day and the halls flooded with people. He recalled meeting a student and realized he hadn't made the best first impression. Hopefully, his emotional turmoil could be forgiven on the day he felt like his life was going to fall apart.
He was led to a rather empty part of the building where very few students were and to a room he suspected was for storage. "I know it's not as comfortable as your own room but I hope it makes for a good temporary stay." His mentor smiled as they entered.
The room was basic, it had a bed, wardrobe, bedside table and desk. It was roomy, too, but the room only made it feel cold and wrong. He smiled anyway. This was temporary, he tried to convince himself. Only, something told him that the worst had yet to come.
He figured they were trying to give him time to cope and digest what had happened today since they hadn't pushed for anything yet. That would probably come tomorrow.
He put his backpack down, now alone in his new empty room, and pulled out the pieces of his mother's heirloom vase and his Kintsugi kit. Like solving the puzzle of his grief, he pieced it back together.
Each piece seemed to reflect all the happy memories of his life. It had been there to see it all. It was also the only thing that saw whatever happened to his mother.
Tears steadily carved new trails down his cheeks, telling of a sorrow he had never felt before. This was nothing like the hurt he felt when he was bullied for it lingered and the longer it lingered the worse it felt.
His face reflected on the reflective surface, gold cracks marring it. He stared. He hated. He grieved. He was guilty.
Complacency and negligence was not an excuse. He was guilty and now his mother was gone.
“The boy is progressing slowly, even with the help of my familiar. He must grow faster if he is to survive.”
“Freyja has been a little too quiet since the mortal child acquired the seedling. Do you think the Vanir are planning something?”
“She would be a fool to betray the alliance!”
“Who’s to say she’s not? She must have ill will toward us after all this time.”
“It still leaves us with a problem! The seed must grow! Did you not hear the All-father?!”
"Loki."
"What about him?"
"There are not many who would want to go against Loki's position in the Vanir. We all know he has a stake in this and needs it to succeed as much as we—"
"That does not solve the main issue."
"On the contrary, it does. Loki is always up to something and he has been silent. I say we send an messenger. Remind him of what is at risk."
"Wise decision, brother. I shall send my most trusted aid!"
“Well… this may be a problem,” Loki murmured as he looked upon a gruesome sight. Blood sprayed the walls of the alley he stood in, and the person it belonged to was hardly more than bone anymore. Behind him were two wolves.
Freki stood to his left, her size about twice as normal as her head stood at the height of Loki’s. To the man’s right was Geri, a giant black wolf with a maw of exposed teeth and red eyes that contrasted Freki’s blue. “Freki, you should return to the chosen. I fear the trail will lead straight to him.” Loki explained. Freki nodded and turned, bounding through the eerily silent streets.
Despite the silence, Loki was feeling the beginning of a headache— well, he would be feeling it if he could have headaches. “This is only the beginning. There is no doubt that Jörmungandr will feast on more than just ten humans.” Loki explained, patting the black fur of the second wolf, underneath the red glow was warm and made itself known in flickering pulses not unlike a fire. “That said, someone else was here. Someone that doesn’t belong.” There was a fainter trail from a second god present. Faint wisps of essence far too faded to determine who it was but enough that a wolf could track. Loki opened his mouth to give the order when a rumble of misplaced thunder made him pause, sigh, and roll his eyes.
“Loki.”
Loki turned to face a figure that was none other than Thialfi, aid to Thor. “Can’t even be bothered to send a message himself… what is it?” Loki asked.
“A message from the All-father. Your plans must be expedited. The boy is not growing fast enough.” Thialfi explained before he spotted the carnage behind Loki. “I see you’ve noticed why.”
“Yes, I understand. I’ve just got one more stop to make.” Loki waved Thialfi off, who seemed more than a little aggravated by his nonchalance.
“Make wise decisions. Odin’s patience is not everlasting—"
Loki made a low annoyed noise. "Do you think me a fool? Off with you! I'm plenty busy as is!" Loki demanded, eyes narrowed, a toxic green glow warning of impending danger. Thialfi gave him a bow of respect before turning. Another roll of thunder sounded with his departure.
Loki scoffed at the vague mark left behind by Thialfi's fancy boots. "As if anyone else is putting in as much work as I am." He murmured with a slight snarl. He took a deep breath and an equally deep sigh. “Above all else, I want to see the chosen one succeed. Odin knows this…” Loki continued to mutter through his agitation before he turned to Geri. “Back to the matter at hand. Be a good pup and find the one that doesn’t belong. Track them down.”
A vicious growl left the wolf, wafts of red mist fell from them as they stepped forward with a massive paw.