Flare Signal
achieving elysium

Villainry, as Izuku's father liked to say, ran in the blood. It liked to stalk in the shadows and hook its claws into you when you least expected it. It liked to remind Izuku specifically that he could never really be a hero the way he'd always dreamed of.

Instead Izuku found himself hunting a hero.

Izuku flicked his gaze towards a nearby store window, surreptitiously finding the reflection of the man in black. The hero paused on a corner and then disappeared into an alley. Izuku waited until the man had left his line of sight before he palmed his phone, opening his messages.

The most recent one had come from Hisashi, sent only half an hour ago. Izuku had missed it.

Come back by five. We have matters to discuss.

"Shit," he muttered. He still had an hour, but he'd have to head back soon.

Izuku glanced toward the alleyway where the hero had disappeared into. He hesitated, not sure if he should follow.

It was too risky, Izuku decided. He hadn't been able to glean any information from following the underground hero all day, and he wasn't likely to get any more. Knowing his luck, he'd probably get caught.

Izuku sighed, turning on his heel and going in the opposite direction. He flipped through the pages of his notebook idly, scanning the faces of pro heroes. Endeavor. Weaknesses. Present Mic. Weaknesses. Red Wing. Makeshift. Thornhead.

He flipped to a new page and began to scribble in it as he walked.

Name: unknown

"Watch it!" someone snapped, and Izuku yelped, apologizing even as he continued writing.

Quirk: unknown - activated with the eyes? Lasers?

Appearance/costume: typical of an underground hero. Dresses in black. Inconspicuous-

Then Izuku was on the ground, staring at the sky. A dull pain sparked in his arms, and he pushed himself up.

He'd run into someone, it seemed. Izuku was up in an instant. He looked around, and his heart sunk. The sidewalk was a mess, covered in what looked like groceries. Its owner stood crookedly on the sidewalk, rubbing his chest and blinking like he, too, wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

"Sorry!" Izuku yelped, scrambling for the things on the ground. "Sorry, sorry, sir, I wasn't paying attention…"

The man laughed. It was a nice sound; it made the pulsing anxiety in Izuku's chest settle slightly.

"No, no, my boy," the stranger said, "it's my fault."

The man was tall and rather gaunt, with wild, blonde hair that reminded Izuku of a lion's mane. He was smiling, though, and Izuku had the thought that this man was strangely familiar even though he was sure they'd never met.

"Let me help you," Izuku said, grabbing a box off the ground. He scooped up a few more items despite the man's protest. One of the plastic bags had ripped, and Izuku frowned at the thought of carrying all of the groceries without one.

"Where are you headed?" Izuku asked before he could stop himself. "I can carry them for you."

The man slung the untorn over his arm before bending over again.

"Is this your notebook?"

"Oh! Yes-"

"Here, we can switch."

"Really," Izuku protested. The man cocked his head at the notebook, suddenly curious.

"Aspiring hero?"

Izuku ducked his head, blushing. "A- ah, yeah! It's, um, it's my dream to help people."

The man studied whichever page he'd landed on and then shut Izuku's notebook, nodding.

"A good cause," he murmured, more to himself than Izuku. Then he brightened. "Well in that case, carrying my groceries can be training, eh?"

Izuku grinned.

They made small talk on the trip. Yagi Toshinori was a secretary at a small hero agency, but he was training to be a teacher in the upcoming school year. He was enthusiastic and exuded a sort of light Izuku felt lucky to be in. Yagi regaled him with tales of heroes and villains alike, careful to leave out names but still managing to leave Izuku gasping in delight. He seemed interested in Izuku, too, glancing down at the notebook every now and then like what Izuku had written had caught his eye.

"Applying to U.A., young Akatani?"

The name sounded strange. Izuku didn't have a chance to use it often, but it was a name he kept for situations like this, to keep from being recognized.

"Mm, I don't know…"

Yagi gestured with an arm, and Izuku ducked underneath it, grateful for his instincts.

"You won't apply to U.A.?"

Izuku shrugged, shifting his cargo in his arms. "My… my parents might not let me."

Yagi frowned, looking off into the distance. The two of them slipped under a bridge and fell into shadow.

"They think it's dangerous?"

Izuku couldn't help but snort. Sending Izuku into U.A.—Izuku, who was tied to villains, who was (kind of) a villain, and who could be caught in a matter of minutes? Chimera would never entertain the thought.

"Something like that," Izuku mumbled.

"What's your Quirk, young Akatani?" Yagi asked.

Izuku had stopped paying attention. Something lurked on the edge of his senses, and Izuku stopped where he was.

"Uh," Izuku said. He wanted to reach for the knife strapped at his side, but Izuku found his hands full.

Yagi seemed to sense that something was wrong, too. The two exchanged a look and stepped back towards the safe light of day when something moved in the corner of Izuku's eye. A shadow detached itself from the sewer grate, then shifted along the wall. A pair of eyes blinked at them and narrowed.

Izuku recognized the look in the thing's eyes; he'd seen it before. Hunger. The kind of crawling hunger that got under the skin, that seared in the belly.

"Oh," a warbled voice said. "Hello."

Izuku's mind was already racing. Yagi was behind him, a strangled noise having torn through his teeth. Protect. The open air behind them. Exit. The danger looming above him, drawing closer and closer. Enemy.

"Yagi," Izuku said in a low voice, dropping the groceries and holding a hand back towards the man. "Run."

Before the man behind him could react, Izuku jerked his knife from its sheath and threw himself forward, aiming for the heart of the dark mass in front of him.

It was a mistake.

"—wait!"

Yagi's voice was muffled and distant. Something thick and viscous was wrapping around Izuku, and he was reminded of a time he'd fallen into a ditch, the bottom muddy and deeper than it'd seemed.

He kicked, clawing wildly with his hands to part the sludge that was suffocating him.

"Don't fight," a voice croaked in his ear. "You'll make a great host… don't worry, it'll be over before you know it."

The words only served to make Izuku struggle harder.

"Let go," Izuku gasped before the sludge surged around him. It pushed against his mouth, and Izuku pressed his lips together desperately even though his lungs were beginning to burn.

A feeling registered through the panic: a hilt clutched between his fingers. Izuku fought against the sludge and found himself pulling free, surfacing. He gasped for air, blinking sludge from his eyes; a moment later, his hand followed.

Izuku gritted his teeth and rammed backwards and up, aiming in the direction of the villain's eyes—

"Clever," the villain mused, catching his wrist. "Stop fighting, little one."

"Let the boy go."

Izuku jerked his head in the direction of the voice. Yagi hadn't run like Izuku had thought he was going to. In the hazem Izuku had forgotten the man had even been there, and it seemed the sludge villain had, too.

"What are you going to do about it?"

Yagi's hand curled into a fist by his side, and his eyes narrowed.

It occured to Izuku then that Yagi hardly looked like a secretary at all, nor the forgiving stranger Izuku had ran into on the street. He still carried that bright light in him, but instead of moonlight through the trees Izuku felt he was staring right into the sun.

Yagi smiled, and somewhere Izuku recognized it. He suddenly knew what was going to happen before it did.

"This," he said, and then there he was, framed by the light behind him. Izuku's childhood idol, his hero, the person Izuku had always dreamed would save him with a smile.

All Might.

"Oh," the sludge villain said, "that wasn't what I was expecting. That's not—"

"Let the boy go," All Might said. "I won't ask again."

The sludge villain faltered and then threw himself over Izuku.

He screamed. Something rushed into his mouth. Darkness pulled over his eyes, and Izuku fought with everything he had.

Maybe it would be too late. Maybe the villain would take his body or suffocate him to death.

All Might, he thought, and fought a little longer.

"It's alright, young man," All Might said. "TEXAS SMASH!"

Nothing.

"Hey."

Izuku blinked.

"Hey, hey."

There was a man standing over him, poking Izuku's cheek cautiously.

"Oh," Izuku cried, sitting up and wrapping his arms around himself. He stared at All Might with wide eyes, and All Might looked back in concern.

"Oh," Izuku said again.

He'd been completely useless as it turned out. He'd meant to protect Yagi and then had ended up needing saving. By Yagi. Who was All Might.

"You're?" Izuku managed to stammer out after a moment of trying to find words. He had held a conversation with All Might. He'd even carried All Might's groceries. Even the number one hero needed groceries.

All Might nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't act sooner. I was afraid of hurting you."

Izuku shook his head, wordless.

"I'll have to turn this in." All Might held up a soda bottle—filled, it seemed, with sludge. Izuku's throat ached at the sight.

"Of course," All Might continued, gesturing to himself, "this is a secret, do you understand."

Izuku nodded frantically. He found his knife on the ground and slipped it back into its sheath on his waistband. Its presence—combined with All Might—made him feel safer than he had in a long time.

All Might suddenly sighed, like the bravado had drained out of him. With his free hand, he lifted his shirt up to expose a gaping wound, an angry red in the center that spiderwebbed outwards.

Izuku gasped at the sight, shooting to his feet, but All Might continued.

"An old injury, sustained from a fight from five years ago," he said grimly. "Half my respiratory system and my stomach gone. This body… I've grown weak."

"No," Izuku whispered, meeting All Might's eyes. "I don't think you're weak at all."

All Might sighed again. "I can only do hero work for three hours a day, now. I can't sustain my power for longer."

"Three…?"

Weakness, something dark and poisonous whispered in Izuku's mind. Weakness, weakness, weak.

Izuku wanted to forget. Wanted to walk away—not to turn his back on his hero, but to keep that precious knowledge free from the Izuku's blood and bones. The secret would stay there, a strange pulsing thing like a heart, something that could not be exposed to darkness.

"What kind of villain was it?" Izuku dared. He was shaking. "To have done this…"

"One you will never meet." All Might put the bottle in his pocket. "But I am still a hero. I am still the Symbol of Peace, and I will continue to save people with a smile. I cannot be daunted by evil."

Izuku wasn't sure when he'd started crying, only knew that there were tears pooling in the corner of his eye.

"Here," All Might said, picking something up off the ground. It was Izuku's notebook, opened to a blank page. All Might's name was scrawled across it.

"A-All Might…"

He took the notebook numbly.

"Can I—can, can I ask you a question?" Izuku blurted. All Might inclined his head.

"Do you think I can be a hero?" Izuku asked. "Can I be a hero if I've done bad things?"

All Might laughed. "We all have, young man. We're only human in the end, but it is a hero who chooses to continue beyond them, to strive to do good. Don't let your mistakes define you or you will never win."

He touched Izuku's shoulder briefly, and Izuku thought then that he would remember All Might's words for the rest of his life.

"And when someone needs help…," All Might said, looking out towards the other side of the bridge, "...do not stand still."

Izuku wiped at his eyes and nodded. "I won't."

Then he looked at the mess around him, a distant thought registering.

"Uh, All Might? Do you still need those groceries?"

Izuku and All Might—Yagi, he pressed, when Izuku had almost blurted out the wrong name—returned to the small convenience store to re-buy All Might's groceries. The cashier gave them strange looks but said nothing else.

"This is where we part," All Might said, two bags on his arm as he patted the pocket where the sludge villain was held. "Thank you for your help today."

"I didn't do anything," Izuku mumbled.

All Might offered him a smile. "You did more than you think. Good luck, young man."

Before Izuku could think to say another word, the man was gone, disappearing into the crowds of people. It wasn't hard to find him, a tall, wild-haired figure in the chaos, so Izuku watched him until he was gone from sight.

That was the only time he'd probably ever meet All Might: in an encounter with a villain, and he'd been useless.

Had All Might been right, though? Izuku turned the thought over in his mind as he trudged back. Could Izuku still be a hero, when villainry clotted his veins?

It didn't matter, Izuku decided, because he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to escape his father's clutches anyway.

Izuku kicked a rock and watched it skid across the sidewalk. He hated the bubbling warmth in his chest: hope, that one day what All Might had said could be true.

He'd keep that hope. Maybe he'd be able to do something with it.

If Kacchan had heard his thoughts, he would've exploded. I'm going to be Number One, he'd say, right in Izuku's face. The hell are you going to be, shitty Deku? Useless?

It was his own way of pushing Izuku. It sounded harsh, and the words hurt. But he would've been right—Izuku couldn't quite give up. Not yet, not when All Might had told him he couldn't.

"Huh," Izuku muttered to himself. He checked the time and yelped. Walking with All Might and the encounter with that sludge villain had cut his time in half. Izuku sped up to a light jog.

Then in the distance, he heard a commotion. Screams.

Izuku put his head down and forced himself to keep walking in a different direction, despite the guilt that swamped him.

Don't get involved. You'll only cause more trouble for everyone. Don't get involved.

In between the human panic, Izuku heard a strange popping noise. Not quite like gunshots, Izuku thought, slowing down to listen, but the crackle and distant boom like—

"Explosions," Izuku whispered. He knew that sound by heart.

Don't get involved, Izuku thought desperately. It was too late. His feet were moving: first a slow step, then a jog, and then a flat-out run. He ducked and weaved through the streets, following the clamor of sirens and the thick smoke that had begun to pour out from between two buildings.

What trouble had Kacchan gotten into? What fight had he picked, what person had he upset?

"Dammit," Izuku snarled. For all that he'd tried to protect Kacchan…

What if it was Chimera? What if that was Hisashi meant by matters to discuss?

"No," Izuku gasped, ducking under someone's arm. His throat closed, like someone was wrapping a hand around it to choke him. "No, no, no…"

"Everyone stay back!"

"The fire…"

"That kid! Why aren't the heroes helping?"

Fire surged around the square, no doubt a result of Kacchan's Quirk. At first the scene was so chaotic Izuku couldn't make out what was going on. Smoke made his nose burn and eyes sting. The panic was deafening. At different sides, heroes were working to keep back the fire.

There was Kamui Woods. Weakness: fire. There was Mt. Lady, whose debut Chimera had noted just this morning. Weakness: tight spaces. Backdraft and Death Arms worked helplessly to keep the danger from spreading.

In the center of it all was Kacchan. Izuku's eyes jerked from the sparks flying from his hands to the dark pitch surrounding him.

"The sludge villain… how…"

He'd escaped somehow. During the trip to the grocery store, maybe, or sometime after. Izuku hadn't even known.

Izuku stretched out a hand and then lowered it—his Quirk was useless against the villain.

When someone needs help… do not stand still.

All Might wasn't here, whether he'd missed the action or whether he was out of time. He'd spent the last of his limit saving Izuku, hadn't he?

No one was moving. No one was helping.

Useless, Izuku thought, trembling. What the hell are you going to be, Deku?

"No," Izuku said, and then his body broke free of whatever had frozen him there. He stopped thinking.

"No," he said again, tearing out of the crowd. Someone screamed.

Kacchan jerked at the sight of movement, and across the din, their eyes met. Kacchan's eyes were wide and blown with— fear. He was scared.

Izuku's feet pounded against pavement. His hand was moving, drawing his knife before he even realized what he was doing, and then he ran into the flames.

"What are you doing!"

"Get back to safety!"

"Kid!"

Kacchan, Izuku mouthed.

"You again?" the sludge villain laughed.

This time, Izuku didn't aim for his heart. He didn't aim for any part of the black sludge that was clinging to Kacchan, surrounding him and pulling him under. Izuku reached them just as Kacchan disappeared under the sludge, reaching a hand out for help.

This time, Izuku leapt and drove his knife in a sharp arc towards the villain's face. He felt something give under the sharp point, felt a moment of resistance before it slipped easily in, and Izuku let go.

The sludge villain screamed, jerking backwards in pain.

Izuku took the moment and grabbed Kacchan's hand. Fire exploded in his palm, the pressure painful, but Izuku ignored it and pulled. Then he was clawing at the sludge though he knew it wouldn't help.

Kacchan gasped for air—"What the hell"—Izuku gritted his teeth, tears pooling his eyes, and refused to let go.

A shadow fell over them.

"It's all right," a heavy voice said, and Izuku and Kacchan both stared up towards All Might's face.

"All Might," Izuku cried.

All Might was smiling. Blood dribbled through his teeth, but he looked at Izuku grimly.

"And to think," he said, blood staining his mouth, "I stood still, and you were the one to move. You ran in with almost nothing, risking your life like any pro hero, while I watched."

All Might drew his arm back, fire reflected in his eyes.

"DETROIT—"

Izuku held on tighter and screwed his eyes shut, covering his face with his free arm. Something warm and wet spattered across his cheek.

"—SMASH!"

A tornado of wind buffeted them, but Izuku found himself held still. All Might lifted Izuku and Kacchan both, curling protectively around them.

Then it was over.

There was a quiet, stunned calm. Izuku let go of Kacchan's arm, and Kacchan stared at him.

Do you recognize me? Izuku thought dazedly as they were set down. The other pro heroes rushed over. Do you still recognize your childhood friend?

"Brave, incredibly brave," a hero told Kacchan, "and such a powerful Quirk. Will you train to be a hero—"

"What were you thinking?" someone asked Izuku. "Running into danger like that!"

"I'm sorry," Izuku said automatically.

Izuku stood up woodenly. He had to leave. He had to leave before the press overwhelmed, or else his pictures would end up in the news. Someone would take notice. Someone could recognize him, even if Izuku had dyed his hair and changed his look. He had to leave.

"Hey!" Kacchan yelled after him.

Izuku walked away feeling numb. He pushed through until he was pressed close to a building, and then waved a hand, activating his Quirk.

He put his head down and slipped away from the scene unseen.

Izuku made it two blocks before he de-activated his Quirk and started crying.

It'd come too close today. Too many almosts and not enough okays. He wanted someone to hold him, someone who could tell him everything was alright and that he'd done well. The only person who would have probably had no idea what had happened to him.

"Young Akatani! I am here!"

Izuku spun and found All Might bent over, breathing hard.

"Had to outrun the press," he said, straightening. "I wanted to speak to you, but I couldn't find you."

"Yeah, I… left."

"What you did today marked the heart of a true hero!"

Izuku stared. Blinked once. Twice.

"Wh… what?"

All Might waved a hand. "Tell me something. When you saw that young man in danger, what were you thinking?"

"Uh," Izuku said, "I was thinking of doing something really stupid…?"

"No, no," All Might boomed. "What were you truly thinking?"

He thought back to it. He'd thought himself useless, had tried to stay out of it. And then after that, he'd simply stopped thinking and started moving.

"I… didn't," Izuku said finally. "My body just moved."

All Might broke into a smile.

"That is what all heroes say in the beginning. At some point, they stop thinking and simply act. In a group of heroes, you were the one to take the first step."

Izuku bowed shakily. "That means… that means so much to me."

All Might wasn't done.

"And for that reason," he announced, "I'd like to give you my Quirk."

Give… give Izuku…

"You… what?"

…All Might's Quirk.

"Give—give me… that's not even possible! I mean, your Quirk has always been speculated about, but… give away… how, what? Well, I guess if anyone could break the rules of science it would be All Might, I mean, who else can pass on a Quirk—"

"Er, young man," All Might interrupted.

"Right!"

"Will you accept my offer?"

He was clearly expecting Izuku to say yes. And Izuku wanted to. His Quirk was ill-suited to being a hero—maybe underground, but he couldn't fight with it. It wouldn't make enough of a difference.

With All Might's Quirk… Izuku could change the world. He could become the hero he'd always dreamed of.

But, that voice whispered suddenly, you? A hero?

Izuku's fantasizing stopped short. He couldn't accept it. He worked for villains; he couldn't simply train or do things other aspiring heroes could.

"Young Akatani, I see you hesitate. I won't pressure you. But think… the world could use a hero like you."

A hero like you.

Izuku's eyes welled up with tears. How could he refuse?

"Can I… can I think about it?"

All Might's face clouded with slight disappointment, but he seemed to understand.

"Of course," he said, "but not for too long. I need to find a successor soon."

He asked for Izuku's phone and then put his number in under Yagi Toshinori.

"You can contact me with that number," he explained. "Please do not hesitate."

"Y-yeah."

All Might smiled again. "Regardless of whether you accept my offer or not… I think you will make a great hero."

Izuku began to cry freely again. He hadn't said that Izuku could be a hero this time; he'd said Izuku would make a great one with such confidence Izuku would do it.

"Thank you, All Might. Th- thank you…"

He looked at the number in his phone, and his heart pulsed warmly in his chest. Then he saw the time and almost dropped his phone, scrambling to catch it.

"I-I- I have to go! Thank you… thank you, I- ah, I'm going to be late!"

Izuku left All Might in the street and began to run.

The room was quiet when Izuku stumbled in, the only sound the occasional crackling of fire and his heart pounding in his ears. Then he saw the light dancing across the far wall, the ruby tongues of flames in little bursts at the edge of his vision, and finally the man in the chair, nothing more than a dark smudge of ash in the dim light.

Hisashi didn't turn to look at him.

"You're late, Izuku."

Izuku was too busy catching his breath. He bowed hastily.

"S-sorry," Izuku mumbled when he felt like he had enough air in his lungs. "I, um, I got caught up on the way back."

Izuku had met All Might, run into a villain, helped save his childhood friend, and then had been offered All Might's power. Caught up was too simple an explanation.

Hisashi hummed and waved a hand. "How was your hunt?"

Izuku swallowed. "Couldn't follow him. He— I tried every trick I had, but… it was strange. I felt like, well, anyway. I couldn't get close enough to figure out any information or what his Quirk is."

"Hmph," Hisashi grumbled. A pale hand slipped into his pocket to retrieve a knife. "Damn underground heroes. I want you to find his hero name and any information about his Quirk you can get by the end of the week."

"Understood."

"Good. I've got a new mission for you."

Izuku hissed out a breath of air through his teeth. Pro heroes had seen Chimera stir up more and more trouble in the past few years, and Izuku hated thinking about how that was in part his fault.

He did what he could, toeing the line between treason and treachery, but it never felt like enough.

"Well?" Izuku prompted.

The faster he got his next target, the faster he could start planning. How long Izuku could put off giving information, how much of his analysis could stay in his head or come out his mouth, how risky it would be to tip off the police or one of the hero agencies for the third time in two months.

Dangerous—the last time Izuku had slipped up, Bonestealer had beaten him badly enough he hadn't been able to walk right for a week. He winced at the thought, feeling phantom pain ghost across his body. Izuku had laid low for a while, being more careful than he'd ever been.

"An ongoing mission," Hisashi said coolly, "though we're not sure how long it will take to get the intel we need. A year, maybe less, maybe more."

Izuku swallowed hard and then cleared his throat a few times, wondering if he'd heard right.

"A year? Who—"

Who could be so difficult to follow that it would take Izuku a year of research and analysis? The longest Izuku had taken on someone was a month, and that was because his target had had a particularly pesky Quirk that let him slip through darkness unseen. It was hard, after all, to shadow a shadow.

Hisashi laughed to himself. "I think you'll like this one, Izuku," he said. "You're going to be following All Might to look for any weaknesses he has."

Izuku choked.

"All… All Might?"

"...Yes," Hisashi said slowly, like he was talking to a child. He spun the thin blade between his fingers idly as he glanced at Izuku. "All Might."

"But-" Izuku started.

The knife stopped spinning. The blade caught scattered orange light, gleaming as Hisashi sighed and sent flames flickering in the air as a warning.

"But what?"

But what? But what?

All Might wasn't just a hero. He was… he was everything Izuku wanted to be. He saved people, shining so brightly every time Izuku looked at him he had to avert his eyes, and he saved people with a smile.

That was what had stuck with him. Even after all these years, even when Izuku had wanted to give up… he couldn't. Because of All Might.

Who Izuku had met today as Yagi Toshinori. Who Izuku realized, suddenly and painfully, he already knew the weaknesses of.

"He's," Izuku said, realizing he'd been quiet for too long. "He's the Symbol of Peace. Number one pro hero. I- I… he doesn't have any weaknesses for me to find!"

"That's exactly why," a voice drawled from the doorway.

Izuku went still.

"Our… friends heard about your skills, Izuku," Miss Guidance said. She nodded at Hisashi, crossing the room so she could stand between them.

"Friends," Izuku repeated dryly. He had to get out of here - go somewhere he could think, could plan. "We have friends."

"Izuku," Hizashi said, voice sharp.

He backed down. Miss Guidance smiled.

It wasn't often that Izuku saw Miss Guidance, but today she looked the same as she always had. Dark hair pinned up and held with gold pieces; an angular, sharp face; grayish, cold eyes that Izuku always felt were looking through him and into him.

"Oh, you know how it is," Miss Guidance said. "We've each got something the other wants. We help them pinpoint All Might's weaknesses, and they help us— well, that would be saying too much."

Izuku whimpered. He couldn't help it.

It was bad enough knowing he had to "find" All Might's weaknesses. Now, he knew, the stakes would be even higher. It would be hard to withhold information, but it was going to be just as difficult warning everyone.

"Who are our new friends?" Izuku asked, a little breathless. "Do I get to know?"

Hisashi exchanged a look with Miss Guidance.

"In time," Hisashi promised.

Miss Guidance reached into the folds of her coat and handed over a thin manila folder. Izuku flipped it open, his heart constricting painfully when he saw All Might's face. There was a small, square photo of All Might clipped to a few briefs about what information Izuku was expected to find. Behind it was a thin, blank notebook with a pen stuck on the cover. It was clear what they wanted him to use it for.

Izuku's hands were shaking as he shut the folder, holding it close to his chest.

He didn't dare leave the room yet, not without permission, but he wanted to bolt. Izuku wanted to run far, far away, wanted to leave this sorry life behind.

Miss Guidance flicked a hand, and a golden coin appeared in her hand. She began to flip it idly, tossing it in the air and catching it every few seconds. Izuku hated when she did that, but he always found himself watching. It was the only tick Izuku knew she had, a tell from an otherwise well-crafted and unreadable demeanor.

"Do be careful," she told him. "I would hate to see you caught by your favorite hero."

"Understood," Izuku whispered. His eyes burned.

Hisashi nodded. "You're dismissed."

Izuku fled the moment the words left Hisashi's mouth.

He bolted to his room, shutting the door and letting his legs collapse under him.

"Breathe," Izuku whispered, trying frantically to calm his racing heart. He squeezed the folder tightly. "It's okay, it's gonna be okay, it's just— it's okay."

The mantra didn't help him much. He'd already started crying. Izuku gripped the folder tighter and then threw it to the ground when he realized it wasn't helping, either.

The folder slid across the room, papers and notebook scattering in the small space and skidding to a stop at the foot of his bed. Izuku sniffled, wiping at his eyes and crawled the short distance to his bed, careful not to crumple any papers.

He pushed aside his covers and reached under his bed, moving aside a few boxes to find the floorboard he'd loosened himself. Izuku lifted it by feel, pressing a wet cheek to the ground as his fingers searched for the small plastic box he'd hidden.

Izuku fished it out and sat up, still crying. He glanced at the door, putting a hand over his mouth to muffle his own noise so he could listen to his surroundings. There didn't seem to be anyone outside his door, so Izuku opened the box.

Inside was a set of five All Might figurines. The sight made a strange warmth fill his chest, but it hurt, too.

When his father had first come to take Izuku away, Mom had stopped him from leaving.

Just a moment, she'd said, and Izuku had dawdled by the door, scuffing his shoes on the floor though he knew he'd be scolded for it. She'd disappeared into his room. Izuku spent the time staring at the apartment trying to memorize it, thinking about how strange it was to have packed clothes and books and belongings all neatly into a suitcase.

At the time, Izuku hadn't known that was the last time he'd see his home as he knew it.

Mom reappeared with a box in her hands. She was a little flushed, but she'd smiled as she passed it over.

Mom, he'd complained when he'd opened it. It's only a week.

Take him with you, she'd told him, putting her arms around him. Izuku wished he'd cherished the moment a little longer instead of itching to get out the door and down to the car where his father was waiting for him.

He'd protested that it was too embarrassing, but Izuku had relented in the end.

All Might will watch over you for me, she'd said. Mom had been smiling, he remembered. She took one of the figurines for herself, then. And when you come home, we'll put them all back together.

Back then, Izuku had rolled his eyes. He loved his mom, of course, and All Might, but he'd felt a little childish clutching that box of figurines.

Izuku would give anything to go back to that moment. To stay home, or to feel Mom's arms around him, or to stand on the threshold again, afternoon light coloring his suitcase and unaware of the days ahead.

"You'll watch over me, won't you?"

The little All Mights were all smiling brilliantly. Izuku rubbed at his eyes and tried to match them.

It was hard, but Izuku stretched his mouth into a semblance of a smile. He took one of the figurines and closed the box again, putting it back in its hiding spot with his Quirk analysis notebooks. It was a small store of the things Izuku would never let Chimera get its hands on.

Izuku glanced out the window. It was early evening, with the sun beginning to dip and the sky becoming soft and hazy. Somewhere, maybe in this city, All Might was shuffling home after a long day. Somewhere Mom was putting on an apron to cook dinner for one, and somewhere Kacchan was going to pick a fight, angry for all that had happened.

Everyone was somewhere. Going places. Seeing things. And life continued to pass Izuku by.

He shook his head, grabbing a t-shirt from the floor and swapping it for the one he was wearing. Then he tucked the All Might figurine into his pocket before slinging a dark jacket over his shoulders.

Izuku needed to get out to clear his head and think. All Might's offer brewed in the back of his head. Kacchan's terrified face. Hisashi, and Izuku's newest mission.

It was a mess.

Izuku wouldn't be needed for the rest of the day, so he grabbed his earbuds and slipped out into the hall. He shut the small bedroom door behind him and left, careful to avoid crossing paths with anyone.

Outside, Izuku released a breath. He looked back at the small, worn-down compound—an old, run-down factory that was only one of Chimera's many quarters. The first floor had been left as it was, but the second floor had been converted into a crude living area. It was the hidden underground levels where the real business happened, a place Izuku tried to avoid when he could.

He strode down the street, heading to a more upbeat side of town. Izuku put in his earbuds, opening the right app on his phone, and began to listen to Present Mic's voice as he chatted to his listeners. He sighed happily—Izuku hadn't listened to the show in a month, too busy and tired to keep up in the in-between. And after running into Present Mic, he'd been too scared to turn the radio on. He wasn't sure what Present Mic would do, having seen Izuku's face.

He was meant to follow Present Mic, to tail him and report any signs of his friend—the underground hero Izuku had been chasing. Izuku still hadn't found his name after digging, so he'd resorted to hoping the two would meet.

Instead, Izuku had walked straight into a villain fight Present Mic was losing.

Soft music began to play as Izuku reached his destination, and Izuku switched the radio show off. Izuku stuck everything back in his pockets and began to the scale the building wall. He'd found FM Tokai Studios by chance, after learning that Present Mic ran his show from there. He'd even slipped into a few live shows before, and he found the atmosphere relaxing and a small comfort.

For a big show, it was a small building made with brown brick and a standing neon sign on the roof with the studio's name. It was to the roof Izuku headed.

He carefully pulled himself over the edge and settled himself next to the neon sign and away from satellites. There was a series of open vents and a skylight right where Izuku sat, and Present Mic's voice drifted up here.

Izuku stretched out and stared up at the changing sky, appreciating the colors that made themself known. Orange and pink and the deep blue of night, creeping at the edges.

"—and isn't it a great song? In the next hour, I've got a fantastic line-up for my little listeners!"

Izuku smiled to himself, closing his eyes and letting Present Mic's voice wash over him.

"Before we move onto our next segment, I'd like to put out a notice again… a thank you to whoever saved my life two weeks ago—"

Izuku sat up, hands scraping painfully against the surface of the roof. Two weeks ago.

"He's thanking me…" Izuku whispered, and he thought he might have begun to glow. Something molten cracked in his chest.

"—hero. Next up, we'll be playing Peace Sign—"

Izuku took his phone out. He pressed the newest number in his phone, and began a text. All Might believed in him. So did Present Mic. And finally, finally Izuku had done something, had made choices that went against everything Hisashi had taught him. If there were people who believed in him, and an opportunity, golden and shining, Izuku would be a fool not to take it.

And there, under the stars, Izuku decided he was going to be a hero, one way or another.

Note: this fic was started entirely on the premise that I thought it would be funny to see Izuku badly hiding OfA from villain!Hisashi & everything that would come with it.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think by dropping a comment or find me on tumblr riftlotor.