Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya wasn’t sure if any of them had actually believed in the traitor theory before now besides Nezu. Even Present Mic, who had brought up the theory, had seemingly only brought it up to stop everyone blaming themselves. But Nezu had taken it seriously.

“That’s precisely my concern,” the principal had said, “I am absolutely certain that one of our students may not have been entirely truthful with us.”

“If it’s true, I’m sure this student is doing it against their will!” All-Might had said, always seeing the good in everyone. Everyone in the room including Izuku had agreed but it felt to him like no one except All-Might truly believed it. They knew that if there was a traitor, their motives were probably more complicated than that, and that in the end the motives didn’t matter anyway.

The theory eventually made its way to the students, who laughed at it with all the innocence of children who believed in the strength of their friendships. It became a joke among the student body: if homework wasn’t done or food was missing, they’d say that the traitor stole it.

“Must have been the traitor,” they’d giggle, “clearly my essay on marketing yourself was valuable information for the enemy.”

Well, no one was laughing now.

Izuku had been in homeroom, setting up his notebooks on his desk, when Aizawa slunk into the classroom and pointed at Izuku.

“Meeting in the principal’s office and he wants you there Midoriya.” the teacher said sternly.

“But sir, what about class?” Izuku blurted out in confusion.

“Uh, free study time. Iida, take the class to the gym and have everyone practice on honing their ultimate moves.” Aizawa replied.

“Yes sir!” But uh, do we have the gym reversed?” Iida asked.

“We do now. And if anyone gives you trouble, they’ll answer to me later.”

Aizawa turned back to Izuku.

“Let’s go.”

The two of them marched quickly to the office and now here they were: Izuku, Aizawa, Present Mic, Principal Nezu, and All-Might all crammed into one room. As Izuku stood awkwardly by the door, All-Might stood up, addressing Nezu.

“Are we really getting young Midoriya mixed up in all this?” All-Might protested. He turned to Izuku, plastering a smile onto his face. “Go back to class now Midoriya, you don’t need to be involved.” Before Izuku could move, Aizawa gripped his shoulder and guided Izuku to a chair, forcing the boy to sit down.

“The kid has fought the Villain's League, he’s close to Eri, he knows what the world is capable of, and exactly what’s at stake,” Aizawa replied flatly, “How about we let him decide.”

“Decide what?” Izuku stammered out, “What’s going on?”

From the opposite side of the room, Present Mic cleared his throat.

“Do you remember back when I suggested there might be a traitor?” he asked, his voice ringing throughout the room. Izuku nodded.

“Well, Nezu just confirmed it. There is a traitor. And it’s someone in Class 1-A.”

Izuku went pale. He gripped the arms of his seat until his knuckles turned white, and even that didn’t stop his hands from shaking.

“Who?” he croaked out. “Who is it? Whoever it is, you’ve got the wrong person. None of us would ever—we’re family!” The minute the words left his lips, he realized just how true they were. His classmates weren’t just his classmates and they weren’t just his friends: they were people he would die for, and who would die for him. It had to be a mistake. Izuku didn’t know what we would do if it wasn’t. Could he fight someone he’d trained along aside with? Sat in class with? Ate lunch with? He shivered and his stomach cramped.

Nezu’s voice snapped Izuku out of his panicked thoughts.

“Well Midoriya, Aizawa says you’re always jotting notes and observing everyone. I have to believe then that you’re smart enough to figure it out. So, why don’t you tell me who it is?” the principal said. Izuku really didn’t want to but Nezu’s voice made it clear that it wasn’t a suggestion but an order. In his head, he compiled a list of his classmates and started with the people he knew he could cross off the list. It couldn’t be Bakugo: he’d been kidnapped and made it very clear that he loved fighting villains, not being one. It couldn’t be Momo, Todoroki or Kirishima, because they’d all wanted to go after Bakugo when he was gone. Iida was out of the question: he was an awful liar, the true epitome of a lawful man, and he would have cracked long ago. Jirou, Tokoyami and Tsuyu had all been targeted by members of the League at some point, and it made no sense for the League to attack one of their own: even League thought of their members as family. Kamanari, Ojiro, Sero and Mineta were...not the most intelligent people and their simplicity made them loyal to the class. Koda was too scared, and Sato and Shoji were too kind. Mina and Ochako were also too loyal to ever be the traitor: they would probably die before giving up information on their friends. That left two people.

A month ago, if pressed, Izuku would have said Aoyama was the traitor but as he got to know and befriend the blonde he knew there was no way it was him. When Izuku had night terrors, it was Aoyama who was there, offering him wordless comfort through gifts of cheese. When Izuku felt the shooting pains go up his hands, or his stomach contract when his stress spiked, it was Aoyama who would hand him painkillers and crack jokes to keep Izuku’s mind off the pain. He even gave Izuku a medicine that was supposed to help scars fade faster.

But if that wasn’t evidence enough in Izuku’s mind, there was one time where Izuku had jolted awake with a scream dying in his mouth to Aoyama sitting in a chair across from the bed, watching him quietly.

“I don’t think anyone realizes we’re all just kids. Sometimes, I look at our friends play with Eri and I think about how she’s so young: about how we’re so young. Momo shouldn’t have to use her powers to make us painkillers. You know Sero uses his tape to make bandages for your hands when you reopen a wound? The way I sit here with you, making sure you don’t wake up alone, Sato stays up all night baking and the girls all know if they text him he’ll bring them something sweet to chase away the nightmare they just escaped. I will never forgive the League for taking our childhood away so soon.” Aoyama said, his voice low and tinged with anger. Izuku hadn’t responded, he’d just extended a shaking hand to Aoyama, and Aoyama had grasped it firmly.

That left one person. Someone Izuku admittedly didn’t know very well, someone who was forgettable, someone who could easily disappear and not be found.

“Hagakure.” Izuku whispered, and he saw Nezu grin.

“Exactly. I’d been asking the class teachers to keep an eye on their students and Aizawa said he noticed that Hagakure would go missing during class, or during a training session. I asked Iida, your class rep, if sometimes there would be someone missing in the dorms. He responded that sometimes, when he did a head count for his own peace of mind, he couldn’t count Hagakure off. So, we tapped her phones.” Nezu said casually.

All-Might’s mouth dropped open.

“You never told me that Nezu! She’s just a girl: she deserves privacy like everyone else at this school! We shouldn’t be violating our students personal lives like this!” he cried out, his voice a mix of anger and disbelief.

“Toshinori, we have a recording of her talking to the blood quirk girl, Toga.” Aizawa interjected sternly. 

“Are you sure?” All-Might asked quietly.

“I can get you the recording if you want.”

“Yes. Please.”

As Aizawa turned to go, Nezu turned to Present Mic.

“Leave with him please. Toshinori, Midoriya, and I have something we need to discuss in private.” he said. Present Mic nodded and Nezu waited until he and Aizawa had left the room before he turned to Izuku.

“Midoriya. We need you to gain Hagakure’s trust and get her to tell us where Shigaraki and Dabi are. Once you get that intel, we need you to set up a meeting, where we’ll apprehend them both.”

“Why me?” Izuku croaked out, his mouth suddenly dry. He could feel his chest tightening and he tasted bile. He needed to breathe. He placed his head in his hands and inhaled for seven seconds, held his breath for the same time, and then let it out slowly. He repeated this three more times before he felt stable enough to look back up at Nezu. 

Nezu carried on like nothing had happened.

“We’re grooming you to be Toshinori’s successor, a new beacon of hope for society. If we don’t start showing you what it’s like to be a hero now, how will you make it?” Nezu stated matter-of-factly.

All-Might sighed.

“I’m sorry young Midoriya but Nezu is right. I knew this day would come. It’s on me for not preparing you for it sooner.” All-Might said, sorrow in his voice.

“Midoriya,” Nezu continued, “I need you to prepare yourself tonight. Steel your heart, close off your emotions, do whatever you need to do to come to terms with what you have to do. And then starting tomorrow, your mission starts.”

Izuku nodded numbly. He stood up and walked to the door in a daze. He didn’t remember leaving the office or the school but somehow he found himself in the dorm bathroom. He hunched over a toilet and spilled the meager contents of his breakfast into the bowl. He needed to ask Recovery Girl for more of those little emergency pills. As he stood there, heaving over the toilet, he realized that for the first time that maybe, he didn’t want to be like All-Might anymore.

Chapter Text

Izuku awoke the next morning with the worst stomachache he’d had in a while. He padded over to Aoyama’s room for some medicine and his friend looked at him worriedly.

“You only get stomach aches when you’re anxious,” Aoyama pointed out, “What’s on your mind?”

Izuku smiled thinly.

“Just have a physical therapy appointment coming up and I’m not a fan of being told that my hands don’t seem to be doing any better than last month.” he replied. It wasn’t a full lie, he did have an appointment coming up and it was always nerve-wracking: it just happened to not be the thing on his mind at the moment.

Aoyama’s face softened.

“Right. I’m sure you’ll see progress soon.” he soothed. “See you in the cafeteria?”

“Yeah, see you there.” Izuku said. He went back to his room, changed his clothes, and sat for a moment on his bed, staring at the wall. 

He needed a game plan. If he just walked up to Hagakure and asked to be her friend, it wouldn’t be out of character for him but it would still cause suspicion and draw attention. Perhaps if he had a reason to get to know her better? 

Izuku groaned. He was getting nowhere: he needed a second pair of eyes on this. He decided to head down to the cafeteria and probe Iida’s brain for answers. Izuku found the class rep at their usual table with Ochako next to him. The two seemed engrossed in a conversation about the economy but they stopped when Izuku approached.

“Good morning Deku!” Ochako said cheerfully, “Iida and I were just discussing the latest price raises on costume manufacturing.”

“Uh that sure sounds...interesting.” Izuku replied. Iida greeted Izuku as well and Izuku realized that suddenly the class rep seemed less animated. In fact, Iida’s whole body had tensed up and his smile had dropped from his face.

“Izuku,” Iida said firmly, “I was wondering if I could get your help with that project the principal has us working on?”

Izuku froze: Iida knew about the traitor? Did Nezu tell him? Did he figure it out?

“I wasn’t aware I was working on it with you.” Izuku replied, careful to keep his voice even.

“Well our principal figured as class rep, I could back you up.”

“I see. That’s uh, great, I could use all the help I can get.”

Ochako looked back and forth at the two of them, confused.

“Is something going on?” she asked worriedly.

“No! Uh, Iida and I are planning a fun class event, to raise everyone’s spirits! It was Principal Nezu’s suggestion.” Izuku stammered out.

Ochako narrowed her eyes.

“You’re an awful liar Izuku,” she said. “Think of a better story to tell everyone else. I won’t ask what it is you guys are up to, but I need to know: will you both be safe?”

“If we pull this off, yes.”

“Then, I think I see Tsuyu and Momo over to our right. I’ll go have lunch with them today.”

Izuku and Iida watched her go, guilt written all over their faces. Only when they saw her sit down did they turn back to each other.

“I was suspicious about Principal Nezu’s question to me and I put two and two together. When I confronted our principal about it, he asked me to use my position as class rep to make sure you didn’t fall under any suspicion.” Iida explained.

Izuku let himself relax, unwinding his body one muscle at a time.

“Do you have any ideas?” he asked his friend.

“Actually yes. You told Ochako that we were doing a class event. I think that’s a great idea. We’ll do a gift exchange event: for four months each person will be paired with someone they don’t know too well and get to know them better in order to give them a great gift at the end of the four months. I’ll make the pairings to make sure you and Hagakure are put together.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Izuku?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it selfish of me to say that I’m glad it’s not me doing this mission? I don’t know what I’d do if I had to confront Hagakure.”

“Honestly Iida? I still don’t know that I won’t blow it.”

And so, the plan was set in motion. Iida brought up the idea during homeroom and everyone besides Bakugo agreed it was a grand idea. Izuku was paired with Hagakure as planned and they’d decided to meet in one of the study rooms on campus to talk about how the next four months were going to go. 

Later that day, instead of eating lunch in the cafeteria with his friends, Izuku grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and headed up to the study rooms. Upon entering the room, Izuku’s eyes were drawn to the floating chopsticks, holding a piece of sushi.

“Is that what you’re eating?” Hagakure asked, gesturing with the chopsticks towards Izuku’s sandwich.

“Yeah, are you allergic?”

“No, no. It just looks so sad. Do you want to share my bento?”

Izuku felt his face heat up.

“S-share your bento? That seems a little personal.” he squeaked out.

Hagakure giggled.

“Suit yourself. There’s only two pieces left anyway”

Izuku slid into the seat across from her and pulled out a little notebook, where he’d jotted down questions he wanted to ask her.

“Is it okay if I start off with something a little personal?” he asked.

“Sure, go ahead!”

“What do you look like?”

The floating chopsticks rested on the bento box and Hagakure let out a sigh.

“That’s like asking a blind person what they look like. I can only guess, using my hands. I can feel that my cheeks are thin, that my nose is small, that my lips are soft, but I couldn’t tell you what shape anything is. I know my eyes are blue but I don’t know how they sit on my face, if they’re my best feature or not. I can’t even shave so I can feel that I have a little bit of a unibrow but I can’t get rid of it! I also have a little mustache coming in—”

“I get it now.” Izuku interrupted, feeling his face flush even more.

“Oh sorry! That was a lot. My mom always says I tend to overshare.”

“It’s fine. But, you said you can’t see yourself right? So, how do you know your eyes are blue?”

“W-what?”

“You said—”

It was Hagakure’s turn to cut him off.

“I’ve just always wanted blue eyes and no one can tell if I have them or not so I just say I have them!” she blurted out.

“Alright. Sorry, maybe I should have started with a lighter question.” Izuku apologized.

“It’s fine, what else do you have?”

“Um, are you an only child?”

“Yup!”

“What do you like to do in your free time?”

“Shop!”

Izuku paused.

“That’s it?” he clarified.

“Well um I’m also a content creator? I make videos about fashion and clothes and stuff.” Hagakure mumbled.

“Oh that’s nice.” Izuku said.

“I guess. Um, Midoriya?”

“Yeah?”

“Not to be rude, but I feel like playing a game of twenty questions isn’t going to get us anywhere.”

“Oh. Well, what do you think we should do?” Izuku asked.

“When I was becoming friends with Ojiro we did some sparring with other classmates.” Hagakure suggested.

“Really?”

“Yeah? Is it not a good idea?”

“No it’s fine! I just didn't expect it from you.”

Hagakure giggled.

“See, you’re learning new things about me already!” she said cheerfully. She packed her lunch away and rose from the table, pushing her chair back in.

“Lunch break is over: you didn’t eat?” she asked.

Izuku looked down at his sandwich, still in its plastic bag.

“I guess not.” he said lamely.

“Do you do that often?”

“Do what?”

“Not eat.”

“I guess.”

“Hmm. Well, see you in class.” 

Hagakure brushed past Izuku and he wouldn’t have thought more of their conversation except that at dinnertime, Aoyama approached him with a handful of cheese.

“I heard you didn’t have lunch today.” the blonde scolded, dropping the little pile onto Izuku’s tray.

“I just ate.” Izuku protested.

“Then think of this as dessert . Sato’s baking a pie later and he’ll bring you a piece. You should have that too.”

“But—”

“Eat.” Aoyama ordered and Izuku, ever obedient, dutifully forced the cheese down. As he chewed, Izuku’s eyes drifted over to where Hagakure was sitting. How did she know to tell Aoyama about his skipped meal? Did she assume Izuku was friends with everyone or did she know all about the things Aoyama did for him? Was it a lucky guess? Why not pick Ochako or Iida: the two people he hung out with most?

It seemed that Hagakure noticed more than she let on. Izuku needed to remember that.

Chapter Text

The next morning Izuku was woken up by a firm knock at his door. Yawning, he opened the door to find Iida standing behind it, already in his student uniform despite the early hour. The class rep handed Izuku a slip.

“This is a reservation for the gym for sparring, in case anyone asks.” Iida explained. “Momo, Todoroki, Tokoyami and I will be joining you.”

“Iida are you sure that’s the best idea: Momo is really smart, won’t she catch on?”

Iida shook his head.

“Ochako told me the other week that Momo is really worried about her ability to act under pressure so I told her I’d help her work on it.”

“And you remembered that? I can barely remember what I did three days ago.”

Iida grinned.

“As class representative, I take my role very seriously. It’s my job to remember these things. In fact…” 

Iida pulled an apple out of his pocket, shined it on his sleeve, and thrust it at Izuku. Izuku took it, dangling the fruit at the tip of his fingers like it was garbage.

“T-thanks?” Izuku said confusedly.

“I heard you missed lunch and almost missed dinner yesterday. And from what Ochako’s been telling me, this is a pattern.” Iida replied sternly, crossing her arms.

Izuku’s shoulders slumped.

“Latel,” he began, his voice low, “it’s been harder to keep food down. Recovery Girl says I have panic disorder or something. Sometimes I get these things she calls panic attacks and I throw up or my stomach cramps and it’s just easier to deal with that on an empty stomach.”

Iida sighed.

“Well I’m glad it wasn’t you doing this on purpose. Have you talked to our teachers about this? I’m sure they could give advice—”

Izuku shook his head furiously, cutting his friend off “I can handle this on my own,” he insisted, “Everyone has so much on their mind already I don’t need to be another problem.”

“Izuku, you know it doesn’t make you weak to ask for help. I’m sure even All-Might—”

“Don’t talk like you know him.” Izuku snapped. In his mind he could see his mentor, rail-thin, coughing up blood into his palm, smiling with blood-stained teeth. Always insisting that he was fine, that the matter at hand was more important. Perhaps, the two of them were more alike than Izuku thought.

Iida stepped back, arms raised in a gesture of surrender.

“Okay,” he acquiesced, “Just, eat it. Please.” 

A lump formed in Izuku’s throat. Iida never begged.

“I will. How’s Ochako doing?” Izuku replied.

Iida’s brows raised in alarm and a small grimace appeared on his face.

“So you’ve noticed.” he said flatly.

“Yeah. She’s been talking about her family doing poorly but somehow she always has food and money. And lately, I hear her mention a guardian angel when she thinks no one can hear her.”

“Her father got laid off. I noticed she’d stopped going out with her friends to save money  and I hated seeing her so sad.”

“Iida. You like Ochako don’t you.”

Iida’s shoulders stiffened.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked quietly.

“To everyone but her. Why don’t you give her the apple?”

“She doesn’t like red ones. Anyway, I’ll see you later in the gym: I’m going out for my morning sprint.”

“See you later.”

Iida strode off down the hallway and Izuku took a bite of the apple. It was sweet and the juice dripped down his fingers. He finished half the fruit before he realized that breakfast was in an hour and he hadn’t packed his bag or gotten dressed. He headed back into his room, closed the door, and took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to: everyone was counting on him.

Chapter Text

When Iida, Momo, and Izuku entered the training room, Hagakure, Todoroki, and Tokoyami were already there. Hagakure waved her gloved hands at the sight of Izuku and he walked over to where she was standing.

“Good afternoon Midoriya! Ready to practice our moves?” she asked cheerfully.

“Yeah.” Izuku replied eloquently. As her Hagakure started stretching and warming up before the spar, Izuku noted that she was wearing her hero outfit, which consisted solely of boots and gloves.

“Hagakure, can I ask you a question?” Izuku asked.

“Sure!”

“Why do you keep your gloves and boots on: doesn’t it just give away your position?”

“Are you suggesting I should undress?” 

Izuku felt his face heat up.

“No! I just think it’s a tactical disadvantage that negates the whole point of your Quirk!” he blurted out.

“I was teasing. I got a chance to talk to Mt. Lady and she said I needed a way to be recognizable so I could get credits for my actions and be able to market myself better.”

“Yeah that sounds like her.”

“Anyway,” Hagakure chirped, standing up, “Can I practice using my Light Reflection move on you?”

“Yeah of course.”

“Then, here I go!” Hagakure shouted, and suddenly it was like the world’s brightest flashlight was beaming right into Izuku’s eyes.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his mind whirring as he tried to devise a plan. How was he going to fight something he couldn’t see? Izuku thought back to Mirio’s first full demonstration of his Quirk: how the hero stated he memorized where people were and predicted where they would be. All Izuku had to do was remember where Hagakure was.

The first time he lunged himself at Hagakure, he hit nothing and he crashed into the floor, wincing at the impact.

“That was close!” Hagakure called, “Just a little to your—”

“No!” Izuku yelled. “Don’t tell me: I want to figure it out.”

“Okaay! If you say so.”

Izuku stood up and tried to orient himself. He knew Hagakure was behind him and that according to her, he’d been close. But how close? He had to get her talking.

“How long can you keep that up for?” Izuku shouted.

“Forever I guess!” Hagakure recalled. Izuku followed the sound of her voice and noted she was a little to his right. Izuku spun around, raced forward, and kicked, aiming to trip Hagakure. He felt his leg connect and Hagakure let out a squeal. Izuku rolled and sprang to his feet, finally daring to open his eyes. Hagakure was lying on the ground, no longer emitted light, and laughing.

“You did it!” Hagakure cheered, clapping her hands.

“Yeah.” Izuku said, grinning. “Hagakure I was wondering, can you use that move while you walk around?”

“Probably! Why, you want to practice hitting a moving target while you can’t see?”

“Exactly.”

Izuku was starting to mull over his strategy for predicting Hagakure’s next moves when Tokoyami piped up from across the room.

“Hey Hagakure! Could you not use that move: Dark Shadow is weak enough against Todoroki’s flames and the blinding light isn’t helping.” he called.

“Sorry!” Hagakure yelled back. She turned to Izuku.

“It’s still a good idea,” she said, “Should we try it tomorrow?”

Izuku grinned.

“I’ll get you for sure tomorrow.”

***

Izuku didn’t get her the next day. Or the day after that. Or the one after that. After about two months of sparring and studying together and asking questions, Izuku was getting nowhere. He was worried that he was running out of time. So when Hagakure stopped by his desk at homeroom and asked if he wanted to spar later, Izuku shook his head.

“I think I don’t know enough about you to predict your moves.” he explained.

“That makes sense! After all, you can’t really learn about me with your eyes closed.” Hagakure agreed.

“I think the issue is, you aren’t really passionate about sparring. Maybe I need to see you be passionate about something to get to know you.” Izuku suggested.

“How about we go shopping then? I’ll invite Momo and Ochako to come with us and we can make it a fun hangout!” Hagakure said.

“Great: I’ll invite Iida and Aoyama.” Izuku replied.

“Iida? He doesn’t really seem to be into shopping.”

“Yeah but Momo is his gift partner so maybe it’ll help him too.”

“Okay! I’ll see you this Saturday then.” She headed over to her desk and Izuku sighed. The thought of going to a crowded mall, on the weekend, watching girls go shopping and somehow having to gather information from Hagakure made his stomach cramp. This whole secret mission thing was not good for his health.

Chapter Text

The last time Izuku had been in a mall, a villain had taunted him and left him with a lingering paranoia and nightmares for weeks. Even now, surrounded by his friends, Izuku still couldn’t help but stare at the face of every stranger they passed, half expecting one of them to be a member of the League grinning back at him. When the group approached a map to scout out the stores they wanted to look at, Izuku memorized every exit available to them. He even noted the skylight and was lost in his mind for a couple of minutes as he debated if the glass was thick enough to smash through.

The sound of Hagakure calling his name snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see the girl standing near an ice-cream shop.
“Let’s grab some ice-cream Midoriya! You can tell a lot about someone about their favorite flavor.” she said. Izuku couldn’t help but smile as he walked over to her.
“You just want an excuse to get some ice-cream.” he teased.
“You can’t prove that!”
Izuku ordered a plain vanilla cone and Hagakure ordered a small bowl with one scoop of strawberry and one scoop of chocolate.
“Ah, the boring safe choice.” Hagakure said, gesturing with a spoon at Izuku’s ice cream.
“So I guess your choice means you have a light side and a dark side?” Izuku shot back.
Hagakure giggled.
“What do you think my dark side is?” she asked, skipping out of the store. She leaned against the railing across from the store, eating the ice cream while she waited for Izuku’s response.
Before he could provide an answer, a group of teenagers walked by, jostling each other. As Izuku moved to get around them, one of the boys pushed another and the teen slammed into Hagakure. Her ice cream flew out of her hands and she let out a scream as the force of the impact started to send her over the railing. Izuku acted without thinking: he concentrated 30% of his power into his legs and sprung towards Hagakure, arms outstretched, His hand closed around something that felt like her arm and he squeezed, his grip tight enough that she couldn’t slip out. He felt himself also going over the railing, but hands gripped his ankles, and Izuku and Hagakure ended up crumpled on the marble floor, gasping for air.

Ignoring the worried cries and exclamations of their classmates, Hagakure turned to Izuku.
“How...did..you...know?” she asked between sharp inhales.
“W-what?”
“How did...you know..where my arm...was?”
“I guess I’ve just spent enough time with you to figure it out.”
“You can’t tell, but I’m smiling.”
Izuku smiled back.
***
The near-death experience had soured the mood and everyone but Hagakure, Izuku, and Aoyama left the mall, leaving the trio to continue their shopping adventures alone. A pattern started to emerge: the three of them would enter a store and Izuku would watch his friends model clothes for him in impromptu fashion shows. Izuku slowly started to realize the two of them had very expensive tastes, and he often widened his eyes at the price tags of their clothing picks. And despite himself, Izuku found himself having fun, found his shoulders relaxing and his hands unclenching as he just enjoyed having an innocent, high schooler moment with his friends. A couple hours later, the trio started to head towards the exit, wearing some of their new purchases. Aoyama had insisted he buy Izuku some fingerless gloves for his hands as well as hand lotion to soften his scars, and Izuku couldn’t stop turning his hands over to admire the way the leather looked against his skin.

He opened his mouth to give Aoyama a warm thanks for the millionth time when a phone rang, startling him into silence.
“Sorry!” Hagakure chirped. “That’s mine!” The boys watched as her purse jostled around a bit and her phone floated out of the bag. She flipped it open and put the phone to her ear.
“Hello?’ she said jauntily. There was a pause and then Hagakure stormed off without saying another word to Izuku or Aoyama, leaving them to watch her whisper into the phone as she stomped away.

Izuku turned to his friend.
“Aoyama, I’m going to go after her. This isn’t like her and I’m worried.” he said.
Aoyama tilted his head in confusion.
“Why are you worried? I’m sure it’s just a fight with a friend of hers.” Aoyama replied.
“I-I just think from the way she was acting it was more serious than that.” Izuku stammered out, unable to think of a better lie.
“So, you know her well enough to tell that?” Aoyama asked in a clipped tone.
“What? No! It’s not like that!” Izuku said, flailing his arms. He glanced towards Hagakure’s retreating figure, and then back at his friend. “Look I have to go but I promise it’s not like that: the only person I’m close like that with is you!”
“Me, huh?”
Izuku’s face turned scarlet as he realized what he’d revealed. He turned to chase after Hagakure without giving a response.
“Midoriya!” Aoyama shouted at Izuku’s back as he ran after the invisible girl. “You can call me Yuga!”
Izuku grinned. He’d have to remember that the next time they talked.
***
After chasing Hagakure halfway across the mall, using the crowds as cover, taking care to stay a good distance behind the girl, Izuku spotted Hagakure slipping into a single-stall bathroom next to the food court. From when Iida had used the stall during their trip, Izuku knew the wall between the stalls was thin as paper, and he slipped into the adjourning bathroom, quietly closing the door behind him. To his surprise, he could hear not one but two voices. Two familiar voices.
“I don’t see what the problem is!” Toga said, her voice loud and clear, even from the other bathroom. “I waited to call until your friends were leaving, it’s not like I came up to say hi when you guys were hanging out!”
“The problem is that you shouldn’t be here! You should be back at the hideout, learning more about Shiguraki’s plan! What if someone had seen you?” Hagakure snapped, her voice ice cold. Izuku shivered: he’d never heard Hagakure sound this mad, he’d never even known Hagakure was capable of feeling anger.

On the other side of the wall, Toga’s voice started up again.
“I just wanted to hang out with my friend, is that so wrong?” she whined.
“Of course not! You know I like hanging out with you, just not in places where we could get caught!” Hagakure replied.
“You know, it’s starting to sound like you’d rather hang out with your little hero friends over me—”
“Of course not! Like I’ve been saying, it’s just about safety—”
“Because don’t forget Toru: I know you better than anyone. You don’t even trust your so-called friends to tell them about the fact that you can turn your power off!”
“Toga look I’m allowed to have more than one friend, it doesn’t mean I care about you less!”

Forgetting himself, Izuku let out a gasp as his mind processed Toga’s words. Hagakure could turn her power off? She could stop being invisible whenever she wanted? Why would she hide that besides for bad reasons? No, he had to believe in Hagakure, had to believe that she had a good explanation for all of this. As he focused his hearing back towards the other restroom, Izuku realized that he couldn’t hear the girl’s talking anymore. He pressed his ear to the wall: right as the bathroom door on his side swung open. Hagakure and Toga stormed in, the two of them positioning themselves between Izuku and the door.
“Midoriya?” Hagakure exclaimed in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Izuku’s jaw dropped. Hagakure was no longer invisible and she looked nothing like he had envisioned. The girl who had such a peppy demeanor, always acting bubbly and naive, had long jet-black hair, thick dark eyeliner, and black lipstick. She had two piercings under her lower lip, a stud in her nose, and a piercing at the bridge of her nose. She looked more like a member of the League than Toga, who stood next to her in a typical school uniform.
“Was, was the way you acted a lie too?” Izuku stammered.
Hagakure ignored him, instead choosing to shoot Toga a mean look.
“And this is why you don’t follow me to public places!’ Hagakure shouted, “He followed me to our meeting spot and now he knows about me!”
“But why was he following you in the first place?” Toga pointed out, “I think he knew about your involvement with the League already.”
Hagakure turned back to Izuku.
“Is that true?” Hagakure demanded, “Did you already know?”
“...No….” Izuku replied.
“You’re a bad liar Midoriya. And a hypocrite at that: talking about my lies when you only became my friend to find out about the League, didn’t you?”
“No! I mean yes, but no! I did know about you being the UA traitor but I didn’t want to believe it! I wanted to believe you had a reason, especially after we started becoming friends. I mean, now, I consider you my friend. Don’t you feel the same way?”
“I don’t believe his words for a second! I think I should take some of his blood, as punishment for being a cute little eavesdropper!” Toga interjected, licking her lips.
“I swear, I’m telling the truth!” Izuku protested, “You matter more to me than some mission Hagakure!”
“Toru, I’ll prove it to you, I’ll show you that Deku is nothing but a fake friend, and that I’m the only one you can trust.” Toga replied. She pulled out a folded piece of paper from her skirt pocket, and unfurled it fold by fold until she was holding what were unmistakably a set of blueprints, marked up with labels, arrows, symbols, and a legend.
Hagakure gasped.
“Toga, is that the blueprint for the hideout?” she asked, “How did you get that?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is what Izuku does with them.”

With that, the blonde handed the paper to Izuku, who held it gingerly in his hands.
“Right in your hands is your ticket to bringing down the League.” Toga explained. She extended a finger towards the toilet next to Izuku and continued. “Now you can prove to us that Toru matters more to you and flush it down the toilet, or you can keep it and fight your way out of this bathroom, proving that all you care about is your stupid hero school and following orders.” Izuku glanced between the two girls and bit his lip. That map was the most important piece of paper Izuku had ever laid eyes on in his life. With this, so many lost lives would get justice, and so many of the living could stay safe. Eri wouldn’t have to worry about other members of the League coming for her, and maybe they could find the quirk erasing production materials and stop more from being produced. With Shigaraki under control, the world would be a safer place, he could stop looking over his shoulder, stop waking up at night screaming. Izuku looked at Hagakure, looked at the scowl on her face, looked past that mask of anger into her eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. He noticed how her hands were shaking, even as they were balled into fists. He knew better than most what it felt like to have this secret that weighed on your shoulders and the physical relief of knowing there was someone you could talk to about it, someone who knew all of who you were.

And knowing all that he did, Izuku folded up the piece of paper, placed it in his pocket, and shifted his weight to assume a fighting stance. Toga let out a long, loud cackle, turning to Hagakue with a gleeful smile.
“See I told you Toru!” she gloated, “I told you that I’m the only one who cares about you the only one who’s your real frie—”
Toru was interrupted by a blast from behind her, throwing her into Izuku, who sprawled to the floor under her weight. The world went white and Izuku was lost in all the noises around him: screams, shouts of orders, slams from bodies going against walls. At some point he felt water spray onto him, heard a scream, and then suddenly, Toga was pulled off him, her body limp. A hand reached out and Izuku took it, using it to pull himself upright. He blinked and looked around him, still a little dazed at how fast everything had happened.

The bathroom was a mess: the sinks had been smashed, and water was spewing from the broken pipes. A pool of water was forming underneath everyone’s feets, and it was only when Izuku started taking count of the number of feet in the room that he realized two things: one, there were enough feet in the room to suggest there were three other people in the bathroom with him and two, none of those feet were wearing the shoes that Toga or Hagakure had been sporting. Izuku looked up at the owner of the hand that had helped him up and pro hero Crust grinned back down at him.
“You did it kid!” Crust said, patting Izuku on the back, “I knew you had it in you! Now we can get that son of a bitch Shiguraki and put him and his team behind bars where they belong.”
“T-thanks.” Izuku said slowly. “What happened to the girls?”
“Oh the two villains? They’re in custody now: the invisible one fought hard but it was nothing we pro heroes couldn’t handle!”
A police officer marking up the crime scene, piped up from where he was rolling caution tape in front of the bathroom door.
“Yeah it’s such a blessing that the force has some of those quirk-erasing bullets for tight situations!” he said cheerfully.
“You used the quirk-erasing bullets?” Izuku blurted out.
Crust awkwardly scratched his head.
“We were worried we would lose someone with an invisible quirk. And then she let out that power of hers, that bright light that shines and blinds people? And we were worried that while we were blinded she would strip and we would completely lose her. But luckily I’d grabbed onto her right as she’d let out her power so I told them to fire the bullet to her last known position.” he explained.
“Why not just bring Eraserhead along?”
“He was busy with another mission. Something about a Nomu that got brought in, super important.”
Izuku was about to make some other rebuttal or answer of disapproval when another police officer poked his head into the bathroom.
“Is there an Izuku Midoriya here?” he called, “UA is looking for you, wants you to head back to the school and meet with the principal?”
Izuku took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, shakily.
It was time to head back to school.

Chapter Text

When Izuku reached the principal’s office, he was surprised to see not Nezu, but All-Might, slumped in a chair, tears streaking his face.
“All-Might?” Izuku said softly. All-Might lifted his head to face his mentee.
“Izuku,” All-Might replied, sadness tinging his voice, “I wanted to be the one to tell you about Hagakure. She—”
“I know. I know about the quirk-erasing bullet.” Izuku’s hands balled into fists. “They didn’t have to use that on her. It’s going to destroy her to not have a quirk anymore, especially a quirk like hers.”
All-Might rose and walked over to Izuku, placing a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Sometimes being a hero means that you have to hurt good people. Sometimes it means that in order to conquer evil, we have to make some...questionable decisions. We have to put safety over our feelings.” the ex-pro hero said.
“I don’t know if I want to be a hero anymore.” Izuku said quietly.
The hand on Izuku’s shoulder tightened.
“And that’s why you must become one Young Midoriya. You have a wonderful capacity for empathy, for seeing villains as people instead of just evil figures, and you have an ability to use both emotion and logic in your actions. You are the embodiment of all that is good in this world, and some may call you naive, but I think you just see the light in everyone. The world needs you to be our smiling beacon of hope.” All-Might replied.
Izuku stayed silent, staring at the ground. All-Might squeezed his shoulder, and Izuku looked into the watery eyes of his mentor.
“Go to your dorm room,” All-Might whispered, “Be with your friends.”
“But what’s going to happen to Hagakure?”
“She’ll be moved to the general course. I promise Young Midoriya, I will be your voice to make sure she gets the best education and she gets a second chance. Do you believe in me?”
“Always. I always believe in you.”
“Then believe me when I tell you: we are going to do right by that girl. What happened was not your fault. We are the adults, it is our burden, not yours.”

Izuku sighed and All-Might removed his hand from the boy’s shoulder. Izuku could feel his mentor’s eyes on him as he walked out of the room, burning into his back with regret and worry. He took out his phone, and called the one person he wanted to hear from right now.

“Hello?” the voice on the other end said, “Izuku is that you?”
“It is Ao—Yuga. D-did you just call me Izuku?”
“Yeah. Is that a problem?”
“No, I like it.”
A small laugh came from the phone’s speakers before Yuga’s voice turned somber.
“You knew about this whole thing with Hagakure didn’t you? Mr. Aizawa gathered everyone in the dorm lounge and told us.”
“Yeah. I knew. It’s why I followed her.”
“Are you going to be alright tonight? I don’t really know what happened but I know you were there.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“...Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”
“...Yeah.”
“Okay. Get that chair nice and warm for me Izuku.”
It was Izuku’s turn to laugh.
“Actually Yuga, I was thinking, if you wanted, maybe we could share my bed?”
“...Get the bed nice and warm for me then.” Yuga replied lowly. Izuku flushed and hung up the phone, flustered. Maybe, surrounded by all the darkness and fighting in the world, he could still have something a little good. Maybe he deserved something a little good. A genuine smile spread across Izuku’s face, and he started the walk back to his dorm room.

That night, he didn’t go to bed alone, and he didn’t wake up screaming.