Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Of all the places they could have chosen for a double date, it had to be a circus.

Shouta loved his boyfriends, he really did. But a circus, with Nemuri and Emi... Well, it was just a disaster waiting to happen.

The two women had taken off shortly after they passed through the front gates of Seiiki Circus, heading deeper into the crowded grounds. Shouta clings to Oboro's hand, shoulders tense at seeing just how many people were out and about today. He wishes he'd brought his capture weapon along, but they'd all left their hero gear at home for the day. Why was he putting himself through this?

Oboro bumps their shoulders together, flashing a reassuring grin. Holding onto Oboro's other hand was Hizashi, looking around in excitement and bouncing on the balls of his feet like a child, despite being twenty five years old. Shouta's heart warms at the sight.

Oh yeah, that's why.

Love.

Now that they were past the ticket booths and front entrance, Shouta can see that this was less of a traditional small circus, and more like a faire. A multitude of shops and attractions as far as the eye can see, dirt roads winding between them. It was almost too much to take in all at once. Lanterns hanging from ropes between the stands, the tantalizing smell of cooking food hanging heavy in the air, the cries of children playing.

Further in, he can just make out the red and white striped big top tent, which seemed to be placed near the center of the circus.

Oboro pulls both Shouta and Hizashi forward to a spot with less people, before letting go of their hands and looking around at the different stands. Shouta glanced to the side, seeing that Hizashi was staring longingly at the carnival games. "Don't," he says softly.

"But Shoooooo~" Hizashi whined, leaning heavily against Shouta's side with a pout.

"No, you know those things are rigged..." he lets his eyes wander, lingering on one in particular that had all cat themed prizes, before looking away with a sigh. "Besides, we would have to carry around whatever you won all day."

Shouta looks askance when Hizashi turns to face him, already knowing the blonde would be sporting his patented puppy dog eyes. He hears Oboro laugh at his misery, the man coming up to wrap a warm arm around Shouta's shoulder and gently shake him.

"Aww, let him have some fun, Sho!" Oboro cajoles jovially, taking a big bite of pink cotton candy that Shouta didn't remember him having just a minute ago. "I'll carry whatever we win with my clouds, and it's not like we don't have the money to spare!"

"We're off duty right now, you're not supposed to use your quirk," Shouta mutters back, snatching a bit of cotton candy and eating it before Oboro can stop him. Oboro just sticks his tongue out in response.

"Pleeeaaase?" Hizashi pouts, leaning into Shouta's field of vision.

Shouta sighs, glancing between his two boyfriend's hopeful expressions and feeling his resolve crumble. "...Fine, just don't say I didn't warn you."

Both Hizashi and Oboro cheer, squishing Shouta in a brief hug before running off in opposite directions.

Children, the lot of them. Really though, they didn't need his permission, Shouta just didn't see the point of wasting their hard earned paychecks on rigged games. 

It was a smart way for the circus to make a profit though, most people being unable to tell which games were unbeatable, even more so when children were involved. If Shouta had to guess, the stalls with the highest quality prizes would be the most difficult to win at, those stalls also happened to be the most eye-catching. Flashy, colorful, loud—just like the heroes they were advertising.

Oh well, he might as well have a look around. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Shouta wanders down one of the trails at random, doing his best not to bump into anyone. Many of the games and prizes were hero themed, he ignores those booths and continues walking. 

Eventually, one of the booths catches his attention. 

It wasn't as colorful as the others, almost seeming to be intentionally unremarkable. He shuffles closer, eyeing the large tub filled with countless colorful gemstones, all polished and smooth.

There was no line. 

Looking into the box, he can see now that they're all different from one another, sporting a multitude of interesting designs and patterns. He kind of wants to dip his hand in and run his fingers through the rocks.

"Interested?" the person behind the counter asks, voice rasping and entire body concealed by a baggy lavender cloak. Shouta shrugs noncommittally. "Hmm, you require more information before committing, smart." 

Shouta raises an eyebrow, turning away from the tub to fully face them. 

"You may call me Shinpi, here is the game," they say, reaching below to retrieve a bundle of deep purple fabric, placing it on the counter between them. "Pick a knife, hear it's song, aim for the target that calls to it." 

"...Knife?" Shouta can't help but ask, confused by the utter nonsense he'd just heard. 

In lieu of a verbal response, they unroll the fabric, revealing several intricate looking knives and daggers. Ah, knives. 

Keeping his hands in his pockets, Shouta glances up. "How much to play?" he asks. It's best to ask now, instead of finding out after and being stuck with the price. 

Despite not being able to see their face, Shouta gets the oddest feeling that Shinpi was smiling at him. "Smart man, smart," they rasp, "it is alright, you have already paid the price." 

Well, that wasn't at all ominous. 

"Have I?" Shouta asks casually, eyes narrowed. He may not be on hero duty right now, but he wouldn't hesitate to fight back if this guy turned dangerous.

Shinpi nods, shifting back and forth on their feet, "you heard the call, that is the price," they sound pleased. "Please, pick a knife." 

...Screw it, today was already weird enough, he might as well play along. 

Shouta takes a moment to inspect the knives laid before him. They were obviously well taken care of, polished to a shine and edges ground sharp. 

One in particular piques his interest; a curved blade that was nearly all black, though he could see flecks of iridescent color glinting brightly. Mesmerized, Shouta carefully picks the blade up for a closer look. It was lighter than he'd expected, cold and smooth in his hands. He grips the handle tight, tilting it to watch the rainbow of colors dance in the light. It feels right in his hand, good.

"You've heard it's song, but can you understand?"

Shouta startles, suddenly remembering where he was. He clears his throat, embarrassed at having gotten so distracted. 

"Worry not," Shinpi says, stepping to the side to reveal a wooden wall, covered by countless targets. They gesture widely towards it, "we will know soon. Throw when you are ready, smart man." 

There was no obvious indication what target was the 'correct' one, as far as Shouta could tell. He really hoped he wasn't about to get scammed. The handle felt warm now against his skin, and Shouta takes his time testing the weight of it by tossing it in the air. 

He had a good amount of experience with handling knives, it was a very versatile tool, and useful in the field of underground heroics. Though he didn't normally throw said knives, and for good reason. Any thrown weapon can become a liability, especially if it finds it's way into the hands of the enemy. No, it was best to keep his weapons within reach in most cases. 

But he could do this, had trained himself how to properly throw a knife.

Shouta's eyes slip shut without thought. He takes a slow breath in, and throws the knife. 

His hand feels colder now that it was empty, a momentary feeling of loss inexplicably washing over him. He hears the blade meet it's mark, thunking audibly as it sinks into the wooden wall. When he opens his eyes, Shinpi has already moved forward to retrieve the blade.

Shinpi grabs the handle, bringing down with it the target the blade was buried in. Turning it over, they reveal a single playing card affixed to the other side.

A three of hearts.

The knife had split the card unevenly, one heart separated from the other two. Shouta didn't feel like thinking about the implications of that.

"Excellent!" Shinpi congratulates, grabbing one of Shouta's hands and gently pressing the punctured card into his palm. "Keep the three reunited, you may choose just as many gems to keep." They back away, gesturing towards the tub before beginning to clean the knife Shouta had thrown.

Tucking the card away in his pocket without looking at it, Shouta shuffles back over to the tub and looks it over. He could pick three, huh?

Finding the first two is easy enough. 

After digging through the tub to uncover the stones buried underneath, he manages to find a stone for Oboro. Light blue, clouded with wisps of white, soft pink, and just a hint of yellow, it almost seemed to be glowing in the light.

Then, a bright yellow stone catches his attention. Dark brown and black veins break up the vivid color, a stark contrast to the gentle dusting of greens and reds that were nearly unnoticeable compared to the yellow.

Attempting to find a gemstone for himself proves to be more challenging.

It was easy to find an object that reminded him of his boyfriends, but what sort of thing reminded him of himself? None of the shiny black stones feel right, despite that being the color he most often wore. Shouta almost feels frustrated with himself for taking so long, and his own indecisiveness in what should have been a simple decision.

Fed up, Shouta plunges his hand into the tub and grabs a stone at random, ready to be done with this and go find his boyfriends. Then, he sees what he's grabbed.

Oh.

The gemstone was a deep, dark red, completely opaque. When Shouta brings it closer to his face to inspect, it seems to catch the light just right and flashes gold.

It was perfect.

"These ones, please," Shouta murmurs, holding the three rocks up in the palm of his hand. Shinpi nods at his selection.

"You can take them as they are, or-" Shinpi reaches into their hood, producing an intricate pendant containing a purple gemstone, "I can wrap them in metal and attach a string~"

That would be more convenient, the gemstones were liable to be misplaced as they were now, so adding a string was logical. Shouta hums in assent, gently placing the stones on the counter. Luckily, picking out what color wiring he wanted for each pendant was much easier than the rocks themselves. Silver wiring for Oboro, gold for Hizashi, and black for Shouta.

He watches patiently as Shinpi manipulates the thin metal with a pair of pliers, intricate loops and spirals curling around the respective stones like a gilded cage. They work methodically, every movement intentional and precise in a way that shows their experience with the craft.

In no time at all, Shouta was handed the three completed necklaces.

"Keep your eyes open, Aizawa Shouta, but don't forget to listen," Shinpi rasps, patting the back of Shouta's hand. "All is as it's meant to be."

"...Thanks," Shouta finds himself replying, slightly dazed by the disorienting  experience. He slips his new necklace on for safe keeping, placing the other two in his pocket with the card. Something clicks in his mind. "Wait—how did you-"

Shinpi had disappeared, along with the booth.

What the fuck.

Squinting in confusion, Shouta can almost feel his eyes skipping past the spot where the booth should be. 

Well, that was less than reassuring. It was as if Shinpi and their booth never existed. But he can still feel the weight of his new possessions in his pocket and around his neck, and knows that what just happened at least wasn't some random hallucination. He's half tempted to activate Erasure in the general direction of when he knows Shinpi should still be, or maybe even throw something over there. He wonders if sound is also blocked by whatever quirk is keeping that area hidden.

"Shoutaaa~!"

Oh no.

Reluctantly, Shouta turns towards the call of his name and sees Nemuri. Her face was shiny with paint, adorned by blue and purple butterflies. "There you are! Was wondering where you'd gone," she throws an arm around his shoulders, forcing Shouta to lean away to avoid any paint getting on him. "Getting up to something naughty~?" 

"Why'd you get your face painted?" Shouta asks bluntly, wanting to change the topic away from Nemuri's tendency to make things inappropriate. She pouts.

"Can't a girl have a little fun?" Nemuri sighs as dramatically as possible, Shouta just continues to stare, raising one eyebrow. She gently smacks his arm, "okay fine, they had a clown option and I like seeing Em' happy." Then, Nemuri grins mischievously, "they have a cat option~" she practically purrs. 

"Oh?" Shouta hums, doing his best to appear disinterested. Judging by the smug look in her eyes, it's not working. Shit. 

"Mhm~ with little whiskers and everything," Nemuri goes on, knowing she had him beat. Sauntering closer, she loops their arms together and starts dragging him in the direction of the face paint booth. 

"Don't I get a say in this?" Shouta grumbles, not bothering to struggle and instead keeping pace with his friend. 

"Of course you do!" Nemuri chirps, not letting up her grip on his arm at all. 

He spots Emi sitting by the booth as they approach, hands drumming on her knees as her face was painted.

"Really, Emi? Clown makeup?" Shouta can't help but ask, fond exasperation swirling in his chest. "You couldn't be at least a little original?" Emi pouts at him as much as she can, face absolutely covered in bright paint.

"Rude," Nemuri scolds, tapping Shouta lightly on the nose and causing his expression to pinch in displeasure. He swats her hand away from his face. "C'mon, grumpy pants," she starts pulling on his trapped arm again, towards a large sign displaying all the face paint options, "live a little!"

"Make him get the kitty cat one!" Emi calls from her seat.

Nemuri laughs, "I will~!" she calls back. As soon as they're standing right in front of the sign, Nemuri points at one in particular, advertising a pink heart nose and three black whiskers per cheek. Shouta sighs, at least it was cheap.

As Nemuri flags down one of the workers, Shouta lets his eyes roam over the other options available. There was quite a few, and though none of them appealed to him, he could picture Hizashi and Oboro enjoying them. All too soon, Emi's face paint is done and he's being shooed into the seat by his over enthusiastic friends.

The paint was shockingly cold against his skin, and Shouta resists the urge to grimace. 

He can hear Emi giggling at his plight, a blur of green in his peripheral vision. He aims a glare at Nemuri, since she was still in his field of vision without having to turn his head. She joins her girlfriend in laughing at him. 

Luckily, since he'd chosen such a simple design, they're done with him relatively quickly. Within five minutes, the paint was completely dry. 

"Sooo, what'dya think?" Emi asks, pulling him to stand in front of the nearby mirror. 

"It's alright," Shouta mumbles, fighting a blush at the sight of himself with a pink heart on his nose and whiskers. 

Nemuri drapes herself over his shoulder. "He loves it!" she crows, phone already pulled out to take pictures of the three of them in the mirror. Emi claps her hands, leaning in to pose dramatically and squish Shouta between them.  He feels his eye twitch. 

"If those photos ever see the light of day, Somnambulist won't be able to save you," Shouta grits out. Nemuri smiles innocently at him. "Nemuri."

"Why, Shouchan," Nemuri's eyes sparkle with barely contained glee, "are you threatening me?" 

Emi perks up, excited at the prospect of a 'threat'.

"No," Shouta grunts, baring his teeth in a mockery of a grin, "just a friendly warning."

"Oooh, nice one," Nemuri whistles, still smiling widely, "I'm so scared, look, I'm shaking!" she holds up her hands, which weren't shaking at all.

"Yeah, yeah..." Shouta rolls his eyes, shuffling away from the mirror when someone shoots them a filthy glare for blocking it. "We're done here, let's go."

Shouta spends the next half hour exploring the circus with Nemuri and Emi. 

Well, he mostly spends that time watching them try every game the circus has to offer. It's certainly entertaining, and Emi is surprisingly good at winning every game she tries.

He doesn't bother playing any himself, but he does buy himself a canned coffee from one of the concession stands.

Nemuri keeps trying to get Shouta to carry their prizes, which he absolutely refuses to do... for all of ten minutes. Begrudgingly, Shouta finds himself with an armful of various plush toys, struggling to take even a sip of his drink. Emi had managed to win a giant inflatable hammer, which made a squeaking noise every time she hit something with it. She hadn't hit him with it... yet.

Reaching the end of his patience, Shouta makes them buy a bag that's big enough to carry all their prizes, happily stuffing them all in without care.

He still has to carry the bag, but at least his arms are free now.

"Shooo~" Hizashi's voice catches his attention, floating over the drone of noise from the other circus goers. Shouta has only just turned to answer when something large and gray was shoved in his face, "look, look what I got you!"

Shouta holds it out at arm's length, taking a moment to see what he'd been handed. It was a gray and white cat plushie, nearly three feet long and incredibly soft. It was adorable. 

Hizashi suddenly squeals, placing both hands on the sides of Shouta's face. "Ohh, so cute!" he coos. "Look'it your lil nose~" Hizashi pulls him forward, planting a quick kiss right on the tip of Shouta's nose. 

Shouta wrinkles his nose, pouting at Hizashi. 

"So! What do you think of your gift?" Hizashi lets go of Shouta's face, backing up a step and looking at him expectantly.

Shouta blinks, looking down again at the plush in his arms. He loved it. "I'm gonna have to carry this around until we get home, aren't I?" he asks, readjusting his grip on the illogically large plush cat.

Hizashi grins, eyes crinkling in mirth, "I can take it back if you-"

"No," Shouta glared, hugging the toy closer to his chest and turning slightly away, "it's mine now." Hizashi chuckles softly, holding his hands up in surrender and backing a step away.

"What're you gonna name yours?" Oboro asks, holding up his own prize—a long cream colored plush snake, "I'm naming mine Noodles!" 

Head tilting to the side, Shouta hums in thought over the question. He wasn't exactly 'good' at naming things, Oboro already knew this. "Cat," Shouta decides, giving a crooked grin when all four of his friends groan in unison.

"You can't just name it 'Cat', Shouta!" Hizashi chides in exasperation.

"Why not?" Shouta asks with a purposefully innocent expression, "it's a cat, the name makes sense."

Hizashi takes a deep breath in, both hands held up to his mouth in a 'praying' gesture. "Babe..." Shouta fights to keep the grin off his face.

Oboro reaches past Hizashi, taking one of the cat's paws in his hand and shaking it solemnly, "it's nice to meet you, Cat." Then he wraps the snake—Noodles—around his shoulders like a scarf, smiling as bright as the sun, "hey, now we match!"

Shouta doesn't stop the fond smile that finds it's way onto his face, chin tucked to his chest and partially hidden behind his own scarf, "we do."

"Oh! I gotcha something too," Oboro perks up, reaching into his pockets to pull out three large t-shirts. He throws one at Shouta, and another at Hizashi, who yelps in surprise, "matching t-shirts!"

Shouta adjusts his grip on Cat again, glancing down at the shirt and rubbing the soft fabric between his fingers. It had a pocket sewn onto the front, with a cartoon cat peeking out the top at him. Curious, he pulls the pocket down to see more, and lets out a startled laugh. The cat was flipping him off.

"Mine has a taco," Oboro laughed giddily, showing Shouta a similar shirt with, yes, a cat in a pocket holding a taco, "did'ja find anything cool?"

"Mhm," Shouta hums, reaching into his pocket to pull out the two necklaces. "This one's for you-" he hands the blue pendant to Oboro- "and for you-" he hands the other to Hizashi. They both take a moment to admire their respective pendants.

"I didn't even know you could get something like this at a circus," Oboro remarks, holding the gemstone up to see the light shine through it.

"Yeah, they rock!" Emi jumps in with a laugh. "Show me where you got them?" she asks, looking up at Shouta with pleading eyes.

"I would if I could," he shrugs, realizing he doesn't actually remember exactly where the stall had been. Huh. Well that wasn't concerning at all. "But the stall... disappeared?"

Had it really 'disappeared' though? Or would a more accurate word be that it had been hidden, simply unable to be looked at. Whatever it had been, Shouta had to admit it was an incredibly useful and versatile quirk.

Emi blinked at his words, "disappeared...?"

Shouta nods slowly, looking askance. "Along with the attendant, some sort of invisibility quirk." No, that wasn't the right word either. "...Perception quirk?" he mumbles, bringing a hand up to scratch at the stubble on his cheek.

"That's a shame," Emi pouts, crossing her arms with a huff, "I want a pretty rock too..."

"Quirk or no quirk, these are awesome! Thanks babe~" Hizashi puts his new necklace on, darting forward again to land a quick kiss on Shouta's cheek. Then, he breaks into rap, interspaced with random English words, "Yeeaah, we found some rad stuff, so cool so cool, that ain't no guff, alright~!" As Hizashi raps, he does an odd little dance, feet shuffling on the dusty ground.

Shouta buries his face in the plush material of Cat in embarrassment over Hizashi's antics. Nemuri pats him on the back with a wry smile, "you're dating a real fun guy, huh?"

Turning his head just enough to squint at her, Shouta incredulously says, "you are literally dating a clown."

"What can I say? I'm down to clown," Nemuri rests one hand on her cheek, eyes half lidded, "she's fun in bed too~"

"Gross," Shouta mumbles, pushing Nemuri off of him and shoving the bag full of their won prizes into her arms.

"Hey guys, it sounds like the main event is starting soon," Oboro remarks, looking over at the big top which was now open, "wanna head over?"

"You guys go on ahead, I'll grab the snacks!" Hizashi calls, already headed towards the concession stands. Emi runs off after him, chanting the word 'snacks' over and over.

"Get extra butter!" Oboro calls back, getting a 'yeeeaaah' in response.

Looping arms with Shouta and Nemuri, Oboro excitedly heads for the big top. As they pass under the tarp, Shouta blinks as his eyes adjust to the dim lighting. There's already a good amount of people making their way to the seats, but luckily they're able to find a good spot near the front.

Shouta looks around, noting that the tent seemed more spacious on the inside than he had been expecting. At the moment, the ring was completely empty.

It's not long before Hizashi and Emi return with the snacks.

Hizashi plops himself between Shouta and Oboro, one arm grappling with his prizes and trying not to drop them, and the other holding a large bucket of popcorn. "Why'd you bring those with you?" Shouta tuts, but takes pity on him, grabbing the plushies and stuffing as many as he can into his pockets. He's flashed a thankful, if apologetic, grin. 

Everyone's attention is grabbed by a drumroll, the dark tent suddenly lighting up.

The Ringleader walks out, arms spread wide as he address the crowd in a booming voice. "Welcome, and thank you for joining us for today's show!" To the delight of the crowd, several performers and animals run out and begin circling the stage. One of the animals, a small tiger, coils around the Ringleader's legs with a rumbling growl. "Keep a good grip on your socks, because we're about to blow them off!"

Hidden confetti cannons go off with a bang, startling cries out of several people as the colorful paper dances over their heads. The tiger lunges towards the crowd with a roar, jumping up onto the barrier and trotting along it, huffing at those in the front seats with glowing eyes. Some of the people clap in delight after being frightened by the exotic animal.

It's entertaining enough, Shouta admits, watching the tiger pass them before it leaps off the barrier and bounds away, crisscrossing between the legs of a stoic elephant.

One performer in particular catches Shouta's attention, a child dressed as a clown cartwheeling around the stage with a beaming smile.

Oboro leans over Nemuri to nudge Emi with his elbow. "Look Em', it's you!" he chuckles, pointing towards the performer. Shouta internally agreed, it was obvious the kid had taken inspiration from Ms. Joke's hero costume. 

Hell, the green and orange striped pants were nearly identical. Even their hair color was similar, though the kid's hair was split down the middle so only one side was that familiar vivid green, the other side being an equally vivid purple. 

He's glad Emi's hero costume was a lot less... clown themed.

Nemuri wraps her arms around Oboro, who was still leaning past her, startling a yelp out of the man. "You callin' my girlfriend a clown, punk?!" she crows, pulling him into a chokehold with one arm and using the other to noogie him. Oboro's hair flickers erratically under her fist as he attempts to escape.

"Nem', babe, I am a clown," Emi laughs loudly at Oboro's struggle, before giving Nemuri a quick kiss on the cheek. "You don't have to torture Obo-kun~"

"She is a clown! I only speak the truth-" The snake plushie wrapped around Oboro's neck is knocked loose, nearly falling to the dirty floor below. "Nooo—Noodles!" Oboro cries, managing to grab the wayward toy and hold onto it.

"Hey hey! Chill out-" Hizashi hisses, gripping the bucket of popcorn protectively when it almost gets knocked over by Oboro's flailing.

This was getting out of hand.

"Please don't get us kicked out," Shouta says, resisting the urge to put his head in his hands at their antics. He can practically feel the other circus goers turning to stare. Nemuri pauses in her assault of Oboro's hair, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm serious, if you get us kicked out of a circus, I'll never forgive you."

"You're so boooring, Shouchan~" Nemuri whines, but still lets go of Oboro, who scrambles away with Noodles. Rubbing his head in pain, the man switches seats to put Shouta and Hizashi between him and Nemuri. Hizashi shuffles nervously now that he was the one closest to Nemuri. Shouta pats him on the back in sympathy.

Suddenly, Emi gasps in delight, redirecting Nemuri's attention away from Shouta's terrified boyfriends. "Look!" she points above the stage. "There's a mini-Eraser to match the mini-me!" Emi says, quiet enough that only their group would hear her.

Intrigued, Shouta looked where she was pointing and squints.

Perched in a crouch on the rafters was a small figure, dressed in black and white. A split kitsune mask obscured their face completely, short black hair framing the mask, and bandages wrapped around their forearms. Most familiar of all was the gray scarf wrapped around their neck and shoulders, edges faded red. He can barely see them, hidden by the thick shadows near the top of the tent.

"Huh, they really do look like you, Sho," Oboro remarks.

"You have a little admirer, adorable~" Nemuri sighs dreamily, before resting her head on Emi's shoulder. "I could just eat them up."

"Mini-me is so talented!" Emi gasps, watching the performer balance on a large ball, slowly circling the ring while juggling several plastic balls.

Shouta splits his attention between the show and the mysterious 'mini-Eraser', glancing up every few minutes to see if they were still there. And every time, they were. He has to assume they're another performer, based on the costume, but what was the purpose of them being up there? 

"Who's ready for a little excitement?!" the Ringleader crows, one arm gesturing out in a wide arc and prompting a loud cheer for the audience. "Everyone please give a warm welcome to—HARLEQUIN!!" Some of the stage lights shift upwards as the Ringleader points, focusing on the small figure that the heroes had noticed earlier.

To the shock of Shouta and the rest of the crowd, the kid leaps off the rafters without warning and starts to freefall. Shouta feels himself jolt forward in his seat, years worth of instinct demanding he catch the kid, one hand shooting up to grip for the capture weapon he wasn't wearing-

A capture weapon is thrown, but it's not Shouta's.

Unable to believe his eyes, Shouta watches as the kid's scarf flies out and wraps around a beam, turning the freefall into a controlled swing. 

For several minutes, Harlequin flies through the air, twisting and turning to perform complicated flips that has the crowd enraptured. It's obvious even from a distance that the kid knows what he's doing, every flip done without a hint of hesitation. At some points, Harlequin's movements slow, less flying through the air and more slow spinning in place, almost like a dance. Then, without warning, Harlequin would take off again, scarf whipping through the air with dangerous accuracy.

After what feels like an eternity, Harlequin pauses, hanging upside down from the scarf in a way that makes something in Shouta's mind itch. There's a moment where they lock eyes, though Harlequin's are still hidden by the kitsune mask, and Shouta almost feels as though something passes between them. Something important. Then Shouta blinks, and the moment passes.

He watches as Harlequin begins to climb back up to the rafters after catching their breath. 

"You know, when I called him a mini-you, Shouta, it was supposed to be a joke," Emi mumbles, eyes darting between Shouta and Harlequin in disbelief. Shouta nods stiffly, throat dry.

Once more, Harlequin launches off the rafter and swings widely, feet outstretched and on a direct course to strike the clown, whose back was turned. The crowd screams in a mixture of horror and warning.

Hizashi's free hand grips Shouta's arm, all five heroes perched on the edge of their seats with wide eyes. Oboro's hands were twitching.

At the last second, Jester leaps out of the way, narrowly avoiding the pair of boots aimed at her back. Harlequin keeps going, twisting midair to land on his feet in a spray of sand, scarf unraveling from the beam and seeming to disregard gravity as it floats around the performer.

"The fuck," Hizashi mutters under his breath, eyebrows furrowed, "that's-"

"A sudden attack by Harlequin, expertly dodged by our resident Jester!" the Ringleader crows in his mic.

Without a moments hesitation, Harlequin launches towards Jester with incredible speed. The Ringleader begins to narrate a play-by-play of every move the two make.

They trade blows, almost seeming to dance around one another as they throw countless kicks and punches that never land. It's a flashy fight, unnecessary flips and jumps added in more so for the benefit of the audience, only serving to exhaust the two performers faster.

"That fighting technique..." he hears Emi mutter, watching the fight with an intense expression.

A feeling of dread sits heavy in Shouta's heart, growing only heavier as the fight went on. It was familiar, so familiar... where had he seen this before?

"Geez, hell're they feeding these kids?" Nemuri whistles, leaning back in her seat. "Seriously, they're fighting like seasoned pros!"

"Not just any pros, that Harlequin kid fights just like you, Shouta," Hizashi mutters, a hint of awe coloring his tone, "and Emi, Jester..."

"Dude..." Oboro suddenly whispers, leaning towards Shouta with an odd expression, "did you fuck a clown...?"

Shouta nearly chokes on his spit, "NO?! Why would you-" he sputters in disbelief, eyes wide and face flushed red. Oboro just gestures vaguely, looking absolutely lost. Attempting to regain his composure, Shouta clears his throat, "I have not, nor will I ever, fuck a clown."

"WHAT?!" Hizashi squeaks, spitting out a mouthful of popcorn and nearly activating his quirk. Several people wince at the abrupt noise, turning to see what was happening. Hizashi blushes in embarrassment. "Y-you—what're you two talking about?!" he asks in a much quieter voice, one hand cupping around his mouth in a bid for secrecy.

Oboro perks up, "I asked-"

"No-" Shouta slaps a hand over Oboro's mouth, tamping down the urge to scream. "Don't... don't repeat it..." he wheezes, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden. The second they get home, Shouta is gonna sleep for a week straight. No, a month.

"But I insist," Nemuri purrs, leaning over a flustered Hizashi, "repeat it~"

Oboro shakes his head 'no', mouth still covered by Shouta's hand.

"A bold move by Jester!" the Ringleader's voice booms, drawing everyone's attention back to the fight, "how will Harlequin counter?"

Shouta watches Harlequin throw their scarf out in a move he's intimately familiar with, the end wrapping around Jester's ankle and throwing her into the air. Jester twists like a cat, landing on her feet only a short distance away. 

"Jester's not clowning around!" the audience chuckles at the pun, watching as Jester stands straight, having landed near the center of the ring, "but what's a clown if they don't make you..."

"LAUGH!"

Unexpectedly, a laugh bubbles it's way out of Shouta's mouth against his will. He instinctively turns to look at Emi, only to see that she had not activated Outburst. In fact, Emi is laughing just an uncontrollably as he is, a downright incredulous look in her wide eyes as they trade glances. They turn as one towards the ring, seeing Jester—the kid that looks like Emi—standing with her arms outstretched, the only one not laughing.

Just as suddenly as the laughter had begun, it stops, an entire tent worth of people going deathly silent all at once.

Shouta looks for the source, and his heart nearly skips a beat.

He feels Oboro stiffen beside him, "yooo-"

The right eye socket of Harlequin's mask was glowing a familiar red, hair floating in the air as though he was underwater, partially held down by string.

"Sho, isn't that..." Hizashi asks in a hushed voice, popcorn forgotten. 

"Yeah," Shouta breathes, eyes wide in disbelief. He remembered now, why that fighting style had been so familiar, and the fact the kid was dressed like him... It seemed impossible, but he couldn't deny what they had all seen.

Harlequin had just used Erasure.

Chapter Text

Midoriya Izuku was having a bad day.

Actually, scratch that, he was having a bad life.

Ever since he'd gained over thirty years of memories from another life, things had just gone from bad to worse. 

And now here he was, nine years old and running away from home. Nothing but the clothes on his back, his battered yellow backpack, and a head full of memories that shouldn't be there.

Pathetic.

He'd thought he could handle it, could handle the bullying, the loneliness. He used to be a formidable pro hero after all, the elusive Eraserhead. Aizawa Shouta. Hero, teacher, husband. Surely he could survive something as simple as elementary school, he'd already gone through it once before. 

Kids were cruel, he already knew this, but it was disheartening to see it first hand. For some reason he still hadn't been able to figure out, Inko had registered him as quirkless. Izuku wasn't exactly one to go around showcasing his quirk, but he still had one.

He knows that the original Midoriya Izuku, his student, had loved his mother. He only hopes Inko had been a better mother before than she was now.

Izuku tried to be 'good'—as good as a traumatized pro hero that had died and was reborn as a completely different person can be. Despite being denied his quirk, his freedom, and his emotions. Denied the right to be himself. But eventually his patience wore thin, and he rebelled. He refused to act like a child, he shied away from too tight hugs, didn't wear the childish clothing she bought.

She wanted him to act like the child she didn't know she'd already lost.

But the more he rebelled, the harsher the punishments seemed to get. Eventually, he'd had to admit defeat. As much as doing so had disagreed with his pride, it was much easier to survive when Inko wasn't breathing down his neck.

He stopped trying to be 'good', stopped trying to fix things... stopped talking.

Nothing he did mattered in the end, Izuku couldn't be what she wanted. The punishments didn't stop like he'd hoped. 

He was tired.

Over the years he had transferred schools often, but a few days ago he'd overheard her talking on the phone. Homeschooling, he wouldn't even be able to leave the house anymore. That scared him more than it should have.

And so he ran away.

It was better this way, better for him to just disappear until the time was right.

He could survive just fine on the streets by himself. A small part of him briefly considers going to the Bakugou's house, remembering the promise they had made to him. 'You'll always have a place here with us, Izu-kun,' they had said. But... he hadn't seen any of them in years, not since Inko had taken him and moved away without warning shortly after he got his memories back.

He didn't even remember where they lived.

Izuku knew that time was against him, that he needed to get as far away from his house as possible. He'd been walking for a few hours now, fatigue slowing his steps the further he went. But he couldn't stop.

It was too late to go back now.

In the morning when Inko discovered he was gone, it was probable that she would report him missing. Her 'weak, defenseless baby' wouldn't stand a chance on the streets without her to protect him. Poor, quirkless Izuku.

What she didn't know was that he was far from defenseless. He'd been training in secret for years, mostly in terms of acrobatics and flexibility, and less so in terms of strength like most of his peers assumed were helpful for heroics. Muscle memory was a powerful thing, it had taken him a while to reteach his new body everything he had learned as Aizawa Shouta. Things like quieting his footsteps, being ready to take off at a moment's notice, looking as unassuming as possible.

Now, it was as natural as breathing.

Izuku keeps walking despite the pain shooting up his legs with every step. There's not many people out and about this late at night, but regardless, he sticks to the shadows and stays absolutely silent. He didn't need for some good Samaritan to see him and call the police, only for them to bring him right back 'home' to his mother.

That, or ship him off into the system. Izuku scoffs at the thought, as if any foster family in their right might would take in some 'quirkless' kid, not with the way society thought about quirkless individuals.

He didn't need them anyways, he could take care of himself.

...This should be far enough for now.

Sitting down on the curb, Izuku takes a moment to look over everything he'd managed to grab.

He'd taken as much as he could physically fit into his backpack and pockets—mostly food, but also his journals and trinkets. Maybe bringing along the nonessentials was foolish, but he couldn't just leave them, the thought had been... too painful to bear.

There was also a pocket knife, a lighter, a thin blanket, and a small metal pan. And, well, he'd taken all the money that had been in Inko's purse.

Theft wasn't really his style, but he needed the money.

Inko would certainly be upset when she saw how much stuff was missing though, yet another reason to get as far away as possible. The food he'd taken was all nonperishables, he needed it to last as long as possible.

Grabbing a can at random and a bottle of water, Izuku zips his bag back up and puts it to the side with a sigh. Cracking the can open—some simple tuna in water—Izuku eats quickly, anxious to get back on the move. He barely even registers the taste as he eats, taking frequent sips of water between bites.

He's almost done with the can when a piece of paper flies into him, nearly causing him to choke on the cold tuna.

Pulling the paper free, Izuku glances over it for a moment. It's just an advertisement for a nearby circus, nothing important. He's just about to let go of the paper when something clicks in his mind.

...Wait, he remembers this.

Izuku looks at the poster again, focusing on the name of the circus. Seiiki Circus, right, he'd been on this case as Eraserhead years ago.

The circus hadn't done anything bad, per se, but they had broken several laws and had been subsequently shut down. Identity fraud, illegal quirk use, forged paperwork...

Seiiki Circus, Sanctuary, they harbored runaway minors.

...Izuku was a runaway minor.

It would be several more years before the circus was due to be shut down. That was plenty of time, he just had to survive until he was old enough to get a job. Plus, if the dorm system was implemented at UA like it was last time, he could bunk there when the time came.

He had nothing to lose by checking the place out, it was worth a shot. Besides, if it turned out the place wasn't as good as he remembered, he could just leave. Izuku didn't really care about the laws being broken so long as they didn't hurt anyone, though he refused to break any himself. Other than the theft, but he wasn't counting that.

And if the circus did turn out to be a safe haven, he would have a place to hide out. If he was lucky, Inko wouldn't even think to look for him there.

Mind made up, Izuku finishes eating the tuna and stands up, pushing his bangs back with a sigh. His hair was shorter than he would prefer, though it was longer than he'd ever seen it on the original Midoriya. This is about the length where Inko would usually drag him to the barbers shop. 

Maybe now that he was free he could grow it out? ...Yeah, that sounded nice.

Tossing the empty can into a nearby dumpster, Izuku tucks the half empty water bottle back in his bag. Rolling his sore shoulders, Izuku bears the weight of the backpack as he scales the nearest building's fire escape.

Just because the poster had the circus's address on it didn't mean he knew which way to head, and a better vantage point was always an advantage. Plus, he was less likely to be spotted up here. As soon as he's oriented and figures out where to go, he takes off in a steady sprint.

Izuku lets himself fall into his old patrol mindset as he jumps between rooftops.

If only Hizashi and Oboro could see him now, they had always loved the energy and chaos of circuses and carnivals. He sort of wishes Seiiki Circus had been busted later, it would have been nice to visit with both his husbands.

Nemuri would probably have made some joke about him being a clown fucker, despite her being one herself, the hypocrite. Emi would have found it hilarious, the humorless Shouta wouldn't have gone anywhere near a circus, let alone consider living at one. Even the person he used to be would have scoffed at the idea. Him? Willingly visit a circus? Not in a million years.

His students would have similarly found the idea laughable, they never would have let him live it down.

...Izuku wishes they were here.

Well, no, he would never want them to die like he had, to be brought back in the wrong body, but... he missed them. It had been nearly five years now since he'd regained his memories, yet not once had he seen anyone that might be like him. 

Maybe it was time for Izuku to admit the hard truth, that him coming back was nothing but a one-off fluke, and that he would never see his friends and family again. Maybe this was some sort of punishment from the universe itself, torturing with the knowledge that the people he loved were somewhere in the world with absolutely no idea he even existed. No idea that he loved them.

Or maybe they were out there, and he just had to keep looking. Izuku didn't even care who he found first, or at all, because at least it would mean that he wasn't alone. 

Truthfully, he could find out Endeavor was reborn as some random student and he wouldn't even care. Well, maybe he would care a bit, the thought of being stuck with Todoroki Enji was pretty mortifying. Izuku would be quite happy if that never became a reality, thank you very much.

Come to think of it, the number of people Izuku would be happy to be reunited with was pretty small. He'd never been much of a people person.

Worrying over such improbable things would get him nowhere. No, it was best to stop while he was still ahead.

He still had a long way to walk before he made to the circus, and Izuku would really like to avoid sleeping in an alley once the sun came up. Of course, he could keep going, but his chances of being spotted in the daylight were much higher compared to at night.

He would just have to tough it out.

Chapter Text

It had taken several hours worth of walking, but Izuku had finally made it.

Seiiki Circus.

The sun had risen and long since set. Honestly, Izuku is ready to just find somewhere to curl up and pass the fuck out for a month straight, but there are still things that need to be done.

Namely, finding a place to sleep that isn't outside.

The circus is a bit of a walk from the road, being surrounded mostly by trees and a dirt parking lot. Izuku climbs one of the trees and hides his heavy backpack in the branches, hiding it completely from view. Kids don't typically go to the circus with their backpacks stuffed full, it might draw him unwanted attention. Besides, his shoulders need a break.

He approaches the circus, eyeing the tall wooden walls enclosing the entire grounds, the multitude of flags fluttering in the breeze, the ticket booths right next to the impossibly large front gates.

...The front gates that are closed, not a person in sight.

And isn't that just his luck, that the damn circus is closed on the one day he actually wants in. No actually, it's night time, of-fucking-course it's closed.

Maybe he could just... have a little look around. Just to make sure the place was really as safe as it was implied to be. He was good at sneaking around, he could be in and out and no one had to know. And then tomorrow, once the gates opened, he could see about going in the proper, less illegal way.

He's really got nothing left to lose.

Getting in would be a lot easier if he had his capture weapon, but Izuku is still able to scale the wall without too much hassle. He takes a moment to catch his breath, perched atop the surprisingly sturdy wall, and looks out over the circus.

The grounds are eerily quiet, he can't see or hear anyone. That's good, hopefully they were all fast asleep and would stay none-the-wiser.

In the distance, he hears the cry of an owl.

Izuku drops off the wall, aiming for a section of grass and rolling once he lands.

No going back now.

It's a little unnerving, seeing the circus like this, though he supposes that it would look much friendlier in the light. 

The vivid colors of his surroundings have been muted by the darkness, even despite the faint light of the moon above. Everything had been reduced to a dull, muddy blue, static snow dancing in his vision. Distracting.

He squints, willing Erasure to activate just enough for his vision to clear, eyes flashing. It had taken some practice, but Izuku had figured out he could actually see better now as opposed to when he had been Shouta, especially in the dark. Another bonus, he didn't have dry-eye anymore. He didn't necessarily have to use Erasure to see in the dark, either, but it did enhance his sight just that little bit more. It also made him more noticeable, so he didn't often do it.

After making sure the coast was clear, Izuku blinks and starts moving.

He moves through the circus slowly, methodically.

Near the gates seems to be mostly attractions and booths, nothing important. But cutting across the sky, right at the center, is the imposing big top tent. The walls cut across the grounds towards it, cutting the circus in half. It's not as tall as the outer walls, so Izuku hops right over.

It's immediately clear that this area wasn't intended to be seen by the public.

There's a lot less decorations back here, the layout set up more for convenience than entertainment. He thinks he can see some storage areas in the distance, and though he can't see or hear them, Izuku can almost sense the presence of unknown quirks within some of the buildings.

He really needed to practice more with that aspect of his quirk, being able to sense where others were without seeing them would be incredibly handy in a fight.

Regardless, Izuku makes sure to steer clear of those buildings.

There's not much else left to do though, he'd only wanted to look around, and the storage buildings upon closer inspection were all locked tight. He was already trespassing, best not to add 'break and entering' to his list of crimes.

"Now then, what do we have here?" a voice ponders, much calmer than it had any right to be.

Izuku freezes, spinning on the spot and landing in a defensive position. He sees a man, tall and lanky, standing under a single light that Izuku's positive wasn't there just a moment ago. Izuku's about three odd seconds away from bolting, but something about the man's appearance gives him pause.

In stark contrast to Izuku's tense posture, the man seems completely at ease. His hands were lightly gripping a wooden cane, and his clothes... a top hat with a blue rose pinned to it, a flashy tail coat, and—was that a bow tie? Who the fuck even wears bow ties anymore??

He can see the man's quirk from here, bright blue and dripping little embers that flicker in and out of existence. The sound of windchimes jangling softly nudges at the edge of Izuku's mind, though it's not actually audible in a way his ears can interpret.

"Who are you?" Izuku signs, movements rusty but harsh in their delivery.

The man chuckles, tipping his hat in a rather dramatic stage bow. "Korizami Inuzaka," he says, placing his hat back on his head and signing as he spoke, "you may call me the Ringleader, and you are?"

Frowning, Izuku doesn't relax his stance. "Nobody," he signs back, dismissive.

"Nobody, hmm?" the Ringleader—Korizami—hums, blue eyes sparkling in curiosity, "and what is 'nobody' doing in my circus past closing time?"

So this was the owner of the circus, he probably should have figured.

Taking a chance, Izuku signs just one word— "Sanctuary."

Korizami smiles, the skin around his eyes wrinkling. "Well then, why didn't you say so?" Something in his tone changes, and Izuku is left with the oddest feeling that he just dodged a bullet. "If sanctuary is what you're seeking, then just follow me. Or don't, the choice is yours~"

The Ringleader pivots, cane tapping the ground softly with every step as he walks away at a leisurely pace.

After a moment of hesitation, Izuku follows.

He doesn't let his guard down, though. This was enemy territory, and the Ringleader was its ruler. 

But isn't this what he'd wanted? Technically, no. Right now he'd wanted to get in and out without being detected. The other thing, though. He'd been uncertain how to ask about the offer of sanctuary, much less who to ask. So this was... good?

He probably wouldn't get murdered and have his body disposed of, never to be seen again.

Just as that thought crosses his mind, the light that had been on went out with a 'pop' behind him. Izuku freezes as though he had been shot, eyes wide and shoulders near his ears. The Ringleader kept walking as though nothing had happened.

This is so not logical, he should leave and just pretend this never happened.

But then he'd have to find somewhere else to stay, and he was already here. Fuck it, seriously, if he gets murdered then at least he doesn't have anything to worry about anymore. Problem solved.

He's led to a small building, a label on the door proudly proclaiming it to be the Ringleader's 'office'. Cautiously, Izuku follows the man inside.

In spite of it's unremarkable exterior, the inside of the office is bright and colorful.

It's almost too much to look at all at once. A large wooden desk sits in the center of the room, covered in various knick-knacks and papers. The walls are lined with shelves, even more trinkets piled onto them to the point Izuku is worried even a small breeze would cause a domino effect.

Korizami gestures at a chair sitting in front of the desk, but Izuku ignores it for now and stays standing near the door, eyes darting all around the room.

"I will be 'real' with you, Nobody-kun. My quirk tends to make people a little wary," Korizami says, relaxing back in his chair with a sigh and placing his cane to lean against the desk. With closed eyes, he holds one hand palm-up to reveal a small blue butterfly, shimmering gently. "Illusion, I can make people see or believe whatever I want them to. Rather handy in the circus business, as you might imagine."

Izuku frowns, head tilting to the side as the butterfly flutters around the room before disappearing in a burst of light. The man doesn't say anything else. 

Why? What was the point of telling Izuku about his quirk?

To him, Izuku was just a strange child who had broken into his circus, a total unknown. Surely he couldn't be so trusting as to confide something so dangerous, without even knowing what Izuku's intentions were. 

Izuku clears his throat. "...Wh-" he coughs, voice rasping from disuse, "why are you telling me all this?" His question is quiet, the shape of the words feeling odd after so long without. He can't even remember the last time he'd spoken out loud.

Korizami peeks one eye open at his words, considering Izuku for a long moment. 

"In my book, honesty is the best policy," the man says in a surprisingly soft voice, "I'm telling you so you can make an informed decision, I don't force anyone to stay here, but..." 

He sits up abruptly, pulling open a drawer to retrieve a bundle of papers, which he places on the desk and gently pushes towards Izuku.

"You could start over here, if you wanted," the man said with a conspiratorial grin, as though he was sharing a great secret. His eyes, however, held a deep tiredness that Izuku could relate to. "That's why I chose the name 'sanctuary', you know," he whispers, hand cupped near his mouth.

Finally taking the offered seat, Izuku leans forward to inspect the papers.

It's incredibly thorough and well organized. Leafing through the different papers, Izuku can see it's mostly consent forms for various things related to the circus, as well as blank identity documents, and custody forms. So that was it, huh? The rumors were true.

He looks closer at one of the consent forms, one that would allow him to use his quirk and perform at the circus.

"You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with," Korizami says, noticing what he was looking at, "plenty of our residents help out back stage away from the crowds."

Izuku raises an eyebrow at that. Just how many people were hiding at this circus? 

Looking back down at the papers, Izuku can't help but pout. He hates paperwork. As mind-numbingly tedious as it was, Izuku makes sure to read all the contacts thoroughly. Even if a small part of him just wanted to skip to the end, it was important to know exactly what he was getting into. It would be illogical not to.

Luckily, it all seemed rather straightforward. 

For one, he was not to intentionally harm anyone on the circus premises unless it's in self defense, easy enough. 

Another stated that he was not to divulge any sensitive information about the circus to anyone who didn't work there, a little suspicious, but still easy enough to follow. 

Room and board was provided, as well as 'anything else you'd need' as the Ringleader kept saying.

"Very detailed..." Izuku mumbles once he's nearly done, fidgeting with the pen and tapping it lightly on the paper.

"Wanted to be a lawyer," Korizami grins, sitting back in his chair again with a wink, and spreading his arms wide. Not expecting the man to have heard him, Izuku looks up through his bangs. Korizami winks at him, "didn't work out, as you could probably tell."

With that added bit of information, the process makes a lot more sense. Korizami had been patiently explaining a lot of the paperwork, which wasn't needed in his case but was appreciated. Apparently, any work he did would be adequately compensated—as in, he would be getting a biweekly paycheck, the majority of which would be deposited into a trust fund that he would get once he was old enough, and the rest being given to him to spend as he wished.

Korizami assures him that it was all legal—or as legal as it could be, all things considered—and that he would receive a monthly bank statement to show the man was putting the right amount of money in and not taking any out.

It seemed too good to be true.

Then comes the paperwork Izuku had been dreading—crafting a new identity. The tip of the pen hovers over the first line. His name, he couldn't write 'Midoriya Izuku', that was just asking for the police to find him right away.

Seeming to sense his internal crisis, Korizami reaches out slowly and taps his finger on the empty line. "Lottsa folks chose a new name when they come here," he says quietly.

"I..." Izuku considers it, hands stilling in thought.

Could he? Five years of wishing he was called Shouta, five years of training himself to respond to the name 'Izuku'. Five long years... could he really go back on all that? The thought of being called 'Shouta' again makes something in his chest ache, breath hitching.

"You don't have to decide right now," Korizami says with a soft smile, "we can always come back to this later."

Izuku shakes his head. "...Just call me nobody for now," he finally decides. It doesn't really matter what people call him, but it's better that know one knows the name Midoriya Izuku.

"Alrighty," Korizami says, writing something down on a different piece of paper, "and how would you like to be introduced to the family? Y'know, pronouns and stuff."

Izuku shrugs, "he/him."

He didn't really care, people had called him all kinds of things both as Izuku and as Shouta.

Stifling a yawn, Izuku glances over the paperwork one last time before piling it back up and tapping it on the table until it's neat.

"Listen, if you're not feeling up to it that's alright, I can let everybody know if you just want some shut eye," Korizami says, startling Izuku back awake. Then, he leans back in his chair far enough that Izuku's almost afraid he'll tip over, staring at a clock on the wall. "It's pretty late anyhow, how's about we save the introductions for the morning, eh?"

That's true, it was late and Izuku is so very tired. But he can't sleep yet, his backpack was still up in that tree, he had to get it.

Izuku shakes his head and shrugs again, sleepily signing "I need to get my backpack first." Korizami nods.

"Gotcha, lead the way, Nobody-kun." He gets up, stretching his back with a groan and grabbing his cane as he left the office. Izuku follows him for a moment, before taking the lead and heading for the front of the circus.

The Ringleader opens the front gates for him once they get there, which Izuku greatly appreciates. As quickly as he can without tripping over his own feet, he jogs up to the correct tree and climbs it, sighing in relief at seeing his backpack safe and sound.

The gates are still open when he comes back, Korizami leaning casually against them. "All done?" he asks, only glancing at the backpack for a moment before locking eyes with Izuku.

Looking askance, Izuku adjusts the bag on his aching shoulders and nods.

After the gates have been closed back up and locked, they start walking towards the back of the circus once more. Izuku stays a few steps behind the Ringleader, fighting another yawn.

Uhoo 

...Huh?

Izuku pauses in his stride, looking up towards the odd sound and finding a rather large pair of green eyes peering at him from the darkness. 

A pair of eyes attached to the biggest damn owl he's ever seen in his life. 

The owl tilted it's head, beak clacking audibly even from atop the tall structure. Two tufts of feathers protruded from it's head, reminding Izuku of little bunny ears. He tilts his own head in response, mimicking the owl's action and blinking slowly. 

He wasn't actually sure if the slow blink would work on an owl like it did with cats, but it was worth a try. 

"Nobody-kun? Where did you-" the Ringleader suddenly appears next to Izuku, having noticed he'd lagged behind. "Oh, I see you've met Mimizuku. Don't worry about him too much, he likes to hang around and keep the rodent population down." 

The owl—Mimizuku—lets out a low hoot, prompting a short laugh from the man. 

"I'd pay him if I could, though I'm not sure where an owl would spend a paycheck..." he chuckles, seemingly amused by his own joke. 

Izuku hums in response, still focused on the owl's eyes. Such a vivid green couldn't be natural, surely it was a "...quirk?" 

Korizami shrugs, "your guess is as good as mine. Whatever the reason, he's a part of this family too, so play nice!" He makes a dramatic gesture with his hand, pointing in the direction they had been walking. "We're almost there, come along now!" And with that, he's off.

When Izuku looks up again, the owl is gone.

Shrugging off the odd encounter, Izuku hurries to catch up to the longer strides of the Ringleader.

At this point, Izuku is really struggling to stay awake, and would be content to just curl up on the ground right here and now. The adrenaline from sneaking around and being caught had faded, every single one of his muscles screaming for rest. He's used to this though, used to running on fumes and still finishing a patrol. He just has to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

The next few minutes pass in a bit of a blur for Izuku. He's shown to an empty sleeping area, before Korizami bids him goodnight and walks away. After making sure the door only locked from the inside, and checking for any hidden cameras or traps, Izuku finally relaxes and lays down.

He's asleep within seconds.

Chapter Text

Upon waking up, Izuku has three thoughts in rapid succession.

One; it's morning now. 

The gentle sunlight streaming through the blinds was just bright enough to rouse him from slumber. Or rather, the one specific beam of sunlight that had so very rudely decided to shine directly onto his sleeping face, that's what roused him.

Two; no one's murdered him in his sleep. 

By the time he'd fallen unconscious that hadn't really been much of a concern anymore, but it was always nice to not be murdered. Just once was enough for him, thanks.

And three; circuses are fucking loud.

It's still too early for the circus to actually be up and running—considering the clock on the wall proudly proclaiming it was about six in the morning—but he can hear people talking nearby, the sound of animals, and... oh.

Someone's knocking on a door.

The door to his little room, specifically.

He stalks silently towards it, but stops midstep when a muffled voice calls through. A voice he recognizes.

"Hello hello~ Is 'Nobody' still in there?"

It's the Ringleader.

Still feeling a good bit cautious despite the man's best efforts to help him feel comfortable last night, Izuku only opens the door a crack so he can peer up him.

"Ah! So he is," Korizami greets, sounding much too chipper for this early in the morning and one hand raised like he was just about to knock again. Though now that Izuku had answered the door, the man takes a step back. "I do hope you slept well, Nobody-kun. How are we feeling about meeting some new people today?"

In truth, Izuku felt like shit. His legs ached from all the walking he'd done in the past day, it felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to his skull, and he was fucking exhausted.

So obviously it was the perfect time to meet an unknown amount of new people.

It was either that or hiding in here for the rest of his life, considering the fact Inko would have noticed his disappearance by now and consequently alerted the authorities. He has to be careful to make sure the wrong people didn't recognize him—the problem being of course that he has no idea who the 'wrong people' are.

Well, if everyone else at this circus was a runaway like him, he could at least assume they won't rat him out to the police.

Maybe they'd have food and coffee wherever Korizami's taking him, and he might even be allowed to have some. The coffee especially, please and fucking thank you, because he hasn't been able to have so much as a sip under Inko's ever-watchful eye.

But he actually has to answer before that can happen, so Izuku opens the door enough for Korizami to see him shrug and nod.

As much of a 'yes' as he was going to get.

Korizami seems to take his lack of a verbal response in stride though, simply gesturing with his head to the path behind him with a smile. "To the cafeteria we go, then. I do hope you're feeling hungry, cause there's plenty of food to go around—we always end up making too much."

This time Izuku doesn't even need to answer, because his stomach very rudely does so for him. He ducks his head with a disgruntled expression, but Korizami just laughs softly.

"I'll take that as a yes. Come along, then~"

Huffing, Izuku glances back at his bag as he pulls his shoes on, making sure to grab it before he trudges after the Ringleader. 

Even if it was safe here, he really didn't feel like leaving his bag behind.

In the soft morning light, the path was much friendlier looking than it had been last night. And more detailed, funny how being awake enough to look at things helped with that. 

He doesn't get much time to look around, though. 

The 'cafeteria'—a plain structure whose only difference to all the other identical buildings was that it was the biggest—isn't too far away, and Izuku lingers near the entrance while Korizami announces their arrival. Most of the space inside was taken up by several long tables. Sat at those tables were what he would assume is everyone who works here at the circus, most looking up from their breakfasts and—oh, looking at him.

"Alright, everyone! As you may have heard, this is our newest addition to the family; currently known as Nobody-kun~!" Korizami says, loud enough for everyone to hear him—too loud in Izuku's opinion. "Please make sure to treat him kindly!"

Okay, so maybe asking to be called 'nobody' was a dumb idea. He had never claimed to be good at coming up with names on the spot. He's not too bothered about being introduced as 'Nobody-kun' though. 

What does bother him is, again, he's being watched.

Despite the fact Izuku's faced far worse—countless villains sneering at him, a new class of twenty students every year, even that damn press conference—having so many people looking at him in this exact moment makes his chest tighten. 

The gnawing urge to duck out of sight hits him like a nomu, and he's rather abruptly reminded of just how small he is as nine-year-old Midoriya Izuku.

Managing to resist the urge by the skin of his teeth—because he still has all the memories of Aizawa-fucking-Shouta and like hell was he going to cower—Izuku forces himself to shuffle a little further into the room and bow in greeting. At least with his eyes on the floor he doesn't have to face the fact everything's so much bigger than him.

Several voices call out greetings to fill the silence his lack of one had created.

Thus begins the arduous task of being introduced to countless new people. And by that, he means just following Korizami around while the man talks.

It's more people than he's ever been introduced to in this life beyond meeting his classmates at each new school. Not that any of them really paid him much mind outside of being bullying pricks, considering his mother and teachers were never quiet about his 'quirkless' status.

And apparently 'nobody' wasn't so odd of a name, since every name the Ringleader tells him are stage-names in and of themselves. 

There's plenty of adults, many of them with physical mutations or obvious quirks that he's sure their society doesn't take kindly to. Some of them he even vaguely recognizes. Like the middle-aged woman covered in oil, lazily chewing on a sausage. She's introduced to him as 'The Conductor', and if he remembers correctly her quirk had something to do with steam trains. Other adults too, a lanky man called 'The Contortionist'—no need to guess what he does here—then a short, burly woman in coveralls he's told is 'The Zookeeper'.

Enough adults that he starts to lose track of all of them.

They're not what gets his attention though, no. It's the kids. Not a whole lot of them, certainly not as many as there are adults, but it just cements the fact this place really does harbor runaway minors.

Like him.

And apparently 'nobody' wasn't so odd of a name, since every name the Ringleader tells him are stage-names in and of themselves. 

"We've got our triple trouble Doppelganger siblings-" Korizami gestures at three identical teenagers, their hair a pale blonde and eyes as pitch black as his used to be. The similarities ended there though, as they all had bowls of different cereals and were wearing different clothing.

"Sup—Hey—Yo-" the three of them greet at the same time, otherwise seeming uninterested as Korizami moves on the next teenager, this one with a rather bird-like appearance.

"This here's Mockingbird-"

"Nice to, meet, you! Nobody-kun~!" the introduced 'Mockingbird' chirps, though it sounds like more than one person was speaking—the words stilted and clipped together, with the 'Nobody-kun~!' at the end being a perfect replication of Korizami's voice just a moment ago. Interesting. Seeming to catch his expression, Mockingbird adds, "my quirk... Mimic!"

Ah, Mocking-bird.

Right.

"And I'm Momiji!" a young voice squeaks, just a second before a red panda that had apparently been clinging to Mockingbird's back appears near their shoulder. And... was it wearing a t-shirt?

Wait, a talking animal.

This better not be another Nedzu situation.

Admittedly, he had never heard of a talking red panda in his last life, and considering he'd worked with Nedzu for years he thinks he would have. That is, if his previous employer had ever known Momiji existed in the first place. But why wouldn't he?

Another talking animal in Japan was kind of a big deal.

"Ah, I was just about to introduce you, Momiji-kun," Korizami tuts, reaching a hand out to ruffle the fur between the panda's ears with a fond smile, eliciting a giggle. Then he turns to Izuku and raises a finger to his lips, winking. "Momiji-kun is one of our little secrets here at the circus, you see."

...Oh, now he remembers.

One of the forms he'd signed last night had been a nondisclosure agreement.

Even that could be ignored though if someone really wanted to talk about what they'd seen, but it's entirely possible that when the circus had been shut down everyone they'd arrested had decided to keep him a secret. 

That, or Momiji had been taken in by the HPSC and subsequently disappeared before anyone was able to learn of his existence. Which was exactly what Izuku was trying to avoid happening to him.

Nedzu wasn't the only one who would be interested in another quirked animal.

And it's not like he could remember very many fine details of a case that happened nearly a decade ago for him. He'd just been brought in as extra muscle to help with clean-up, and thus had no part in interrogating any of the captured suspects. What he did know is that most of the adults ended up in prison, and the minors had been put into protection programs or juvie. 

He feels a little bad about his involvement now, but he couldn't dwell on it. All that mattered was the circus shouldn't be shut down until he's already in school and able to take care of himself.

And maybe, just maybe, he could tip the Ringleader off about the raid so they could get away in time.

Then they're moving onto the next person, and both Momiji and Mockingbird are waving goodbye.

After a moment's hesitation, Izuku does the same.

Soon, he's been more or less introduced to everyone in the cafeteria.

All but one. 

Because there's a person standing ominously in the corner of the room dressed entirely in a purple robe. They hadn't moved or said anything, and no one had given any indication they knew the guy was there, but the pulse of a quirk tells Izuku they're a real person.

The Ringleader must notice him staring, because a moment later he startles Izuku with a hand on his shoulder.

"I see you've noticed Shinpi," he says. "They just sort of do their own thing here, you don't need to worry yourself 'bout them."

Izuku raises an eyebrow at him in response.

The guy's name is 'Mystery'?

Seriously?

But when Izuku glances back to the corner of the room, the mysterious 'Shinpi' has disappeared.

Okay, what the actual fuck?

He doesn't really get a chance to think much more on it, because the Ringleader is talking again, ushering Izuku towards the table laden with breakfast foods. He's reminded again of his own hunger.

"Now, I know that it is rather tempting to eat nothing but junk and candy at the circus," Izuku listens to Korizami say, "but I do hope you'll—"

The door to the cafeteria swings open with a bang then, startling Izuku nearly out of his skin.

He watches, wide-eyed and bristling, as a girl with green and purple hair stumbles through the room and past them, headed straight for the coffee machine. Izuku honestly can't blame her, he could go for some coffee himself.

"Ah, that'd be our Jester," the Ringleader chuckles in explanation. He leads Izuku closer, to where the girl—apparently called 'Jester'—is pouring herself a mug of the steaming hot coffee. Korizami continues, "She likes making people laugh. Very helpful in the entertainment business, you know."

"Not before I've had my coffee I don't," Jester responds with a tired wink and a yawn. "You look like you could use some yourself. Seriously, those eyebags're darker than Momiji's, and he's practically a raccoon!"

She watches him closely for any sort of reaction, but if it's laughter she's after then Izuku has nothing for her.

"...Nothin', huh?" Jester huffs, predictably.

"I... don't laugh much," Izuku mutters with a halfhearted shrug, not really interested in getting all buddy-buddy with everyone when he was only going to be here temporarily. "Sorry."

"Aw, that's okay, I'll figure something out."

"I'd really rather you didn't."

The Ringleader steps back in then to say, "Since you missed the meet-and-greet earlier, Jester, this here is our newest addition; Nobody-kun."

Izuku offers an obliging 'yo' when he's prompted, but not much else.

"Creative," Jester notes lightly. "Y'know I'm called Jester, but you can just call me 'Emi' when we're off the clock, new guy."

Wait.

What?

"Well then, now that introductions are out of the way..." Izuku hears Korizami saying, but the words don't really reach him. His thoughts have ground to a halt.

Emi? Izuku thinks.

As in Fukukado Emi? Ms. Joke Emi?

Distantly; "How would you like a proper look around the place, Nobody-kun? It's much more impressive in the daylight, I assure you."

His mouth feels very dry all of a sudden, heart racing a mile a minute. Could it really be...?

No.

It's illogical, improbable. But so is the fact that he's here.

Maybe he's just so desperate for someone else to understand that he's projecting onto this random person now, or maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the only one brought back after death.

"Nobody-kun?"

But he's been alone for so long, and hope is painful. He doesn't know if he could take it if he's wrong. The more he looks though, the more likely it seems.

The right half of Jester's hair is the same light green he remembers Emi's being, and her left eye is that same darker green. There's a thin scar along the bridge of her nose, several colorful bracelets adorning both of her wrists, and an orange handkerchief tied around her neck. She looks about the same age as him, too, and he doesn't remember anyone like her being here in his last life.

So maybe, maybe it really is—

"Nobody-kun? Are you alright?" the Ringleader's voice startles him, and Izuku realizes that he's been clenching his fists so tightly his fingernails have cut into the palms of his hands.

"Sorry, um—" his voice cracks, and even after Izuku's cleared his throat his voice still comes out much too small for his liking. "...Emi?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out," she—Emi replies. Her gaze has sharpened now, watching him with this little frown that feels familiar and foreign all at once. "What's up, new guy?"

"I think..." Izuku hesitates, the tiny flicker of hope burning painfully in his chest. "I... may know you?" 

Emi doesn't say anything at first, but Izuku notices that her knuckles have gone white around the coffee cup.

"Oh," she says.

Izuku immediately regrets his moment of weakness.

This is illogical, this is so fucking stupid of him. He's going to make these people think he's odd or untrustworthy, and all because he's so desperate for something that's been forever lost to him that he's throwing all caution to the wind.

He grits his teeth, glaring down at his shoes as he forces out the words "Nevermind... Sorry."

"Come now, Nobody-kun," he hears the Ringleader say, not unkindly, and a warm hand lands on his shoulder. "How about that tour? We can go once you've had something to eat."

Izuku can't exactly say no. An actual tour would be good, much better than his late night guesswork. He nods.

"Actually... how 'bout I show this one around?"

Emi's words are a surprise to both Izuku and Korizami, and when Izuku looks up he can see she's watching him with an unreadable expression.

"Are you certain, Jester?" Korizami asks, but Emi only waves him off.

"Yeah, yeah, keep your hat on, Big Top," she says, before downing what remains of her coffee. "I can give the new guy the grand tour."

She can?

Izuku doesn't really care who shows him around, but the way she's looking at him is making his skin itch. Like he's something new and interesting. Like she can see right through him and the front he puts up, despite how she appears to be barely older than himself.

But Izuku is older than he looks too, and if this Emi truly is who he thinks she is...

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

"Well, who am I to stop you? I thank you for your help, Jester," Korizami says, looking between the two of them. "If either of you have need of me, I shall be in my office."

The man gives a dramatic bow, before plucking an apple from the table and exiting the cafeteria.

"Alrighty then, new guy," Emi's voice brings Izuku back to the present, and he turns to watch her refill the coffee cup she's holding. "You're gonna get something to eat, and then I'm gonna show you around the place, 'kay?"

Izuku tries not to frown. "You can't just 'show me around' now?" he asks.

"Nope!" she says, popping the 'p'. He watches her take a long gulp from the steaming mug. Then, she continues, "First rule of living here; everybody eats."

"Does that include you having more than just coffee?" Izuku does frown this time, looking pointedly at her mug.

She laughs. "It does indeedy-do! Here, I'll eat with you, then we can go and you can ask all those questions you're no doubt dying to ask." 

Izuku wouldn't say he's dying to ask his questions—or rather, ask one question in particular—but if eating something is all he has to do before he can do that, that's something he can do.

There's no jelly packets among the assortment of breakfast foods, but the onigiri look good enough. Izuku takes two, and he's pleasantly surprised to find the filling is spicy tuna. He grabs some coffee for himself as well, because holy shit it has been too damn long since he was able to have some without sneaking it.

Emi plops down next to the seat he'd chosen, a bowl of rice and eggs in one hand.

The only thing stopping Izuku from asking what he wants to ask is all the other people in the room with them. This wasn't exactly something he wanted anyone overhearing, especially if he ends up being wrong.

Just eating next to each other in silence was terribly awkward, though.

What makes matters worse is Izuku's abysmal social skills. He was terrible at it in his past life, and he hasn't magically gotten better at it now.

Thankfully, they both finish eating relatively fast.

Emi calls out goodbyes as they leave the cafeteria, with Izuku trailing awkwardly behind her.

They don't make it far.

"Okay, spill," Emi says once they've made it a good distance from the cafeteria, no other people around to hear them. "You wanted to ask something earlier, and I'll admit I'm curious. So, ask away."

Wait, just like that??

Izuku finds himself taken aback, shoulders tensing up as she stares him down.

"Um," he falters.

"Come one, I don't bite. Much."

She gestures at him to go on, and while Izuku is glad he didn't have to lead into the question he's suddenly at a loss for words.

Anxiety claws at his throat like a wild animal.

"Okay," he says, focusing down at his shoes as he heaves a sigh. He runs a hand through his hair. "Okay... Look, if I'm wrong you can just—just tell me off and I'll never mention it again. But...

"Are you—I-I mean... did you used to be...?"

When he dares to glance back at Emi, he can see that her face is twisted in a grimace. Conflicted, like she wants to hear him out but also that what he's saying is making her uncomfortable.

Fuck, shit.

"Um—" Izuku backpedals fast enough he's surprised he hasn't given himself whiplash. "Maybe this was a bad idea. I'm sorry, you just... reminded me of my friend. The Emi I remember used to love making others laugh, too, and—I'll just go-"

"Wait, what—" Emi says, freezing Izuku in his tracks. Then, she starts to laugh.

"I thought—oh, Kami." She doubles over as she laughs, and Izuku's not sure whether to be relieved or concerned. He settles on vaguely perplexed for now. Emi somehow manages to speak through her laughter, saying, "I—I thought you were gonna deadname me—" she snorts— "I mean, in a way you kinda did, but, yeah. Yeah, I'm Emi."

There's tears shimmering in her eyes when she finally straightens back up to look at him, then her smile falls as she seems to... realize something.

Izuku's skin crawls as she looks him over, her gaze flitting over him with an intense scrutiny before zeroing in on his own mismatched eyes. His right eye, specifically. His own Emi had always been terribly intuitive, if this really is her.

Reflected in her own eyes is the same kind of desperate, gnawing hope he can feel flickering brighter in his chest.

Please, it begs.

Let me be right, just this once.

He decides to take the risk, clenching his teeth before he lets his eyes flash red with Erasure.

Her gasp is all the proof he needs, but what she says next only solidifies it.

"...Shouta?"

He smiles at her—a real smile, not the fake one he's been wearing this whole life—eyes stinging with unshed tears and heart aching in a way that finally feels right. 

"It's good to see you again, Emi," he says.