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Chapter Text

"Sleep times over brat wake up" 

The voice of one of Overhaul's men broke the silence of the enclosed space. His cold eyes glared down at the small child curled up on the thin cot in the middle of the cell. Izuku rose up out of the thin blankets. 

" Today is a new day" 

 Drawing in a deep breath the green-haired child slid his legs off the bed and stared up at the man with distant eyes. His arms outstretched ready to be shackled.

"I wonder if it will be different" Izuku thought to himself,.

He didn't struggle when the man clenched his wings and hands into a pair of chains.

Resistance leads to pain.

He learnt months ago that it's always better to let them take what they need. At least then he's left alone afterwards.

"It always hurt more when I don't give him what he wants." 

The man ... He thinks his name was Shin? Grasped him firmly by the wrist and heaved him up into his arms.

 " Listen and listen well, We have a special guest for you today, And he's vital to the preservation on the Shie Hassaiki" he said gruffly

Izuku leaned against the man's chest and stared ahead as they began their trek down the cement hallway.

" The boss says that if you do well he'll put off your scheduled exam until next week."

Izuku shivered in the man's arms, his wings subconsciously curled around his thin frame in a feeble attempt to protect himself.

Memories of his previous exams flashed in his head.  Visions of that scalpel carving into his skin slicing through layers of skin.

As he lay screaming strapped down to that cold metal table his face frozen with terror as he was forced to stare straight into the beaming ray of light that lit up the examination table.

Overhaul would make force him to lay on that table for hours as he sliced through layers of pale freckled skin. The only thing that distracted Izuku from the unyielding pain was his tormentor's voice.

"Quiet, Izuku the more you scream the longer this takes" 

" This world is disgusting everyone and everything has been destroyed by the virus that is quirks and only i know it." 

"I must purify this world"

" And even though I have been poisoned with this virus I am different, This curse can be weilded like a tool." 

" You a are a tool my little bird, Using your curse I can will gather enough influence and power to one day rise to the top of this world." 

"And not only rid the world of this disease but also restore the Shie Hassaiki to its place at the top." 

It was usually around this point where he would give up, Begging was useless his voice was gone and his tears had long since ran dry. 

Now he could only whimper and wait for the hours to pass. It was only after he'd extracted all he could from the sobbing green-haired 8 year old.         

  That Chisaki would lay his hand down on the Izuku's chest and his world would explode in a flash of pain and light. Suspending Izuku in a chamber of infinite inky darkness for what felt like a lifetime.

Then in a flash he'd be reformed. 

Like nothing ever happened. 

Shaking and sobbing as muscle, skin and organs mended together rapidly, leaving him with nothing but thin white scars all along his body and the lingering memories of terror and pain.

 He could hardly remember what happened afterwards. But he knew he'd wake up in his cell the next morning.

With nothing but pain.

 Pain all the time-

"Oi, we're here you head in there and get ready for our client." Shin said as he let the boy down and guided him into the white room with a shove. 

The sudden voice drew him out of his head with a gasp. Gazing into the room he already knew his fate.

The floor was an dull cement floor with several stiff black armchairs pressed up against the wall. The only form of light were a bright set of light fixtures casting away all the shadows. And situated right in the middle of the room was a operating table with a tarp over it.

 The exam room 

Izuku fluttered his wings and stumbled over to the furthest corner of the room, pushing himself up against it and making himself look as small a possible.

 Careful to be as quiet as possible. 

The door locked behind him leaving Izuku all to his lonesome. Dull white wings raised and stretched as he savored these few moments he had alone. He lifted his head and gazed into a mirror in the other farthest corner.

God he looked terrible 

Overhaul despised all forms of dirt, as a result he made sure everything in his life was devoid of it. And that included Izuku, every afternoon one of his henchmen would drag him to the baths and scrub his skin until it was raw. So he was by definition "relatively clean". But being clean doesn't rid him of the scars, deep eyebags and splintered feathers.

Sighing Izuku shut his eyes 

 He doesn't know how much time passed but at the sound of distant footsteps, Midoriya jerked up and scrambled to stand like he was expected to right in front of the door. 

As the pair of steps approached he could pick up on their conversation.

"-Now are you sure this kid can heal my partner of his ... ehem.... uh aflictions" a croaky voice said.

" That blond smiling bastard nearly caved his skull in, I believe his face is in critical condition." 

"I was barely able to keep him alive.."

Midoriya stiffened as the smooth voice of Overhaul responded. 

" I can assure you that no matter how grave the wound this child, is capable of restoring him back to his original form without so much as a scratch." 

" And correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the assumption that All for- I mean the client would be here in person for his first healing session"  Chisaki said in a strained voice. 

" Hah, don't make me laugh kid, we both know the yakuza hasn't been powerful in decades." The man cackled 

"I'm only here to see if your claims of an all powerful healer are even true."

" If they are then I supposes we can look into  a more expansive partnership"  "But don't be mistaken boy, my partner is not one to take lies lightly" 

They stopped at the door and paused 

" The name is Overhaul and I assure you-" 

He pushed open the door. 

"Under my rule the Shie Hassaiki will flourish even in this land of disease -" 

Izuku could feel those golden eyes burning into his head but he kept his sights on his feet. " Even if we have to use infected tools to do so" He finished as he guided the man into the room. 

Izuku stiffened as Overhaul placed his hands on his shoulders. And positioned himself behind Izuku. His hands felt like weights digging into his skin, keeping him trapped.

" This is Izuku" " He is the tool that we use to heal our clientel" Overhaul purred.

Izuku hesitantly raised his head to meet the man's eyes.

The man was short in stature and clothing like a docters. He seemed to be old with wrinkles expanding down his face the only features Izuku could make out were his large glasses, bushy mustache and a bright bald head.

"Huh, Kid seems pretty young you sure he can handle this?" The man said 

" What he can handle doesn't matter its what he will do, My little birds quirks capability is beyond measure "

"As long as he's put his palms on the inflicted person he can practically heal anything, Dr. Garaki." Overhaul replied. If Izuku didn't know any better he would almost say he sounded proud.

"Uh huh I'll believe it when I see it, and what is the backlash" 

"Hmm?" Overhaul hummed

" The Quirk backlash what does it do to the child"

" Ah yes, Izuku's quirk flows through his entire body it works by drawing healing matter from himself and converting it into energy which is then used to heal, after an intense round of healing he may lose consciousness" 

"I've found that another form of Izuku's healing is quite literally in his blood, I've found it to be and excellent source of income. Very useful for petty criminals who can't afford sessions like this." 

"The brat seems pretty stretched thin, you sure he'll be able to preform?"

"  So do not fret , I will make sure he heals to the very best of his ability, He knows the consequences if he doesn't" 

"Its like he was made for this."

" Observe"  Overhaul said as he pushed Izuku towards the operating table.

He pulled back the tarp and revealed a severely wounded woman . Blood seemed to be caked on to every crevise on her body, on her chest Izuku saw a gaping wound. Inflamed and bloody looking a little bit past that he could even see an exposed rib and lung just barely visible behind the layers of tissue and fat. 

Izuku's stomach churned he could feel bile nipping at his throat like acid.

The only indication she was still alive was the faint unsteady rise and fall of her chest.

"Not this again" Izuku thought to himself 

" This is the Stealth Hero "Mystery woman", I caught her spying on one of our operations a month ago, "

" And ever since  she's been used as a practice dummy for my Izuku.-"

Izuku stared down at the woman. Her tan skin had dimmed to a yellowish tint, and her jet black hair was plastered to her forehead by sweat.

" At least she's not awake this time its always worse when she's awake" Izuku mumbled gratefully. He doesn't know if he could push through, if she was screaming and begging. 

"Now Izuku, Begin. "

Izuku sighed and began to work allowing his Quirk to settle deep into his bones and heat him from within. He felt that familiar warm glow fill his palms. And he began to hover his hands over the wound. 

His eyes glowed a bright green as he felt himself sink into a sort of flow state. Nothing could touch him here, All he was aware of was the need to heal.

"Diagnosis, open pneumothorax air has filled the cavitity leading to the lungs partial collapse" Izuku said quietly as he continued to inspect the woman. 

"Mass amounts of blood has been lost, must stabilize the patient immediately."

"Beginning restoration now." He pressed his hands in and began to mend, he's been doing this for so long he'd almost forgotten how amazing it truly was. 

A bright light erupted from his palms and flowed into her body like mist.

He heard the Doctor gasp but pressed on, tissue began to reform itself and build upon the wound as fat and muscle grew in. Blood materialized from his palms and flowed into veins. And her face began to gain color. 

"It's working"

Izuku could feel his hands start to shake and that ache he was all to familiar with began to set in. But he couldn't stop he needed this. He needed to feel like he could save her

No...

He needed to save her. 

Be a hero.

Save her.

Sweat beaded down his forehead as the final few layers of skin closed. The light from his palms flickered on and off signaling the end of the healing process.

 This woman would live.

She drew in deep uneven breathes but she would live. The gaping wound on her body haddissappeard. The only evidence that there ever was a injury was a small star shaped scar.

 She was saved, Izuku's knees shook as he collapsed to the ground gasping as he forced his body to draw in air. He could already feel the exhaustion consuming him.

"Unbelievable," The doctor gasped in disbelief. 

" I've never seen a healing quirk like this before, did he just restore tissue !?"

Overhaul smirked behind his mask he walked over to Izuku and placed a heavy hand on his head. " As you can see my Izuku has the ability to heal a person of practically anything." 

"Don't call me yours I'm not yours I'm not anyone's." Izuku whispered 

The grip in his hair tightened 

"As you can see a partnership with the Shie Hassaiki will be most beneficial to both out organizations" Overhaul said smoothly 

"Hmm, why of course, my partner will be most pleased to know that he will soon be restored to his former glory." The Doctor said as he still stared with disbelieve at the the place where there should be a hole. 

" Let us head back to the meeting room and and discuss further " " But if you'lI excuse me I must dispose of this filth." Overhaul looked back at the hero on the table and removed one of  his gloves. 

Even in his exhausted state Izuku could see what was about to happen before it happened. Overhaul uses people like tools thats just what he does. Once something has no use for him he disposes of It.

Permanently. 

Time slowed

Izuku only had the opportunity to gasp and cry out "WAIT..-" 

Before Chisaki pressed his bare hand against the hero's face.

And activated Overhaul

And just like that all his work amounted to nothing,  He couldn't save anyone not now not ever. The hero was dead in flash of red.

Izuku was useless

 He couldn't save anyone.  

Not Mystery Woman 

Not Mama 

Not even himself.

He could barely hear Overhauls footsteps fade away as he sobbed into the floor pulling at his wings in sorrow. "I'm useless I can't even save 1 person! "

He sobbed until his throat was raw , until his tears ran dry until all the pain faded and he was filled with only numb misery. 

It was only then that he noticed something 

In his haste.

Overhaul left the door open and unlocked.

In that moment all Izuku could think about was.

"I'm going to make today...... different" 

Chapter Text

Shouto Aizawa had pretty shit luck, that much was obvious.

When he'd learnt yesterday, while in the comfort of his own home surrounded by his cats, that his solo investigation had been merged with another joint-agency investigation on the same organization. All hope of a unremarkable day had been thrown out the windows.

He doesn't even known why he was so bothered by him. 

"I suppose its because...."

" I have no clue what he's thinking" 

"Even back then"

~~~

  He'd only ever met the "man" (if he could even call him that) once before. If he remembered correctly, it was almost 2 years back at an upcoming heros event in Kamino.

Aizawa stood stone-faced in the main hallway to the venue 

"No."

Having been forced to go by his fiance Hizashi (at the time) and friend Nemuri, he'd mostly resigned his fate to sitting in the shadows. Trying his best to avoid conversation and observe as he did best.

But of course his extroverted company would have their complaints.

" Come onnn Shouta!, This is a chance to checkout all hero worlds upcoming Allstars and your just missing it!" Hizashi whined as he grasped onto his arm like a baby. 

" Hate to say it, but loud mouth over here is right"  Nemuri purred in her usual velvet voice 

"HEY!?"

Ignoring Hizashi's squack of protest she crossed her arms and pressed on.

" Don't you wanna see all the fresh competition for the Hero charts" 

" Not to mention you look great, don't you wanna get out there and show off your new look" 

Aizawa sighed and ran his hand through his freshly groomed hair. Nemuri had spent half an hour combing through his tangled mess of locks and was not eager to see it go to waste.

"Not a chance It's the same every year, the Hero commission presents us with all these fresh faced teens they call hero's with questionable backstories and even more questionable hero licenses and send them out to the field like soldiers." 

Aizawa grimaced 

"I appreciate your efforts but I'm just not good at parties like you two."

" Plus, I'm not interested in getting involved with the Hero Commissions lap dogs" 

 There was a slight pause 

They all knew of the Hero Commissions questionable practices.

Midnight shifted uncomfortably in her heels, she took in a deep breath and grasped Hizashi by the shoulder. " I can see by your face there's no changing your mind, after all hero connections have never been your cup of tea" she said exasperated. 

"It was worth a shot." 

"But networking is super important for us limelight heros so let's go out there and make an effort !!" And just like that Nemuri was filled with a burning conviction she spent a moment fixing her hair and bounded off in a flash.

"That's one down." He thought to himself "One more to go"

" Are you sure babe, this could be your chance to make yourself seen.?" Of course Hizashi would persist he's always complaining about how Shouta isn't recognized for his work.  

Aizawa smiled fondly.

" Zashi," he said in a soft voice only reserved for those he was closest to. " I promise you I'll be fine besides I work better when I'm not the center of attention,." 

Hizashi's words of protest died in his throat, suddenly lost in the ocean of gray that was Shouta' eyes. 

Letting out a sputter he averted his gaze and turned away from his fiance, his face as red as a tomato.

"Even after all everything He can still make me melt into jelly with just a word."  

Beaming red he stumbled back and started in the direction of the flashing lights and loud music  in Main Hall.

"WELL IF YOUR SURE!!!" He shouted as he bounded off into the crowd.

Aizawa let out a small grin, almost unnoticeable . The joy almost felt foreign on his face. But Hizashi had that funny way of drawing the joy out of people. 

He turned on his heel and headed way from the main hall in the direction of the balcony, " I need a cigarette.".

The smoking habit he'd picked up after he lost

him.

 Had stuck around long after he'd graduated and became a hero. He couldn't tell if the addiction was a result of what he's lost or what he's seen.

After all the glassy eyes of dead children you fail to save sticks with a man long after they're buried. 

"I'm in for a scolding, Hizashi always manages to smell the smoke"

SHOUTA, ARE YOU SMOKING AGAIN!?" he'd cry " IT CAUSES CANCER YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BE A HERO IF YOUR LUNGS ARE DUST FROM CANCER!!

 In fact He could almost feel the that little angel on his shoulder,  screeching into his ear in protest leaving them ringing as he stepped out onto the moonlight lit balcony.

"But any release from this pain in my chest is worth the pain" 

Lighting up a spark he watched as the orange glow danced it's way up to his cigarette and ignited it in a flash of sparks. 

Gazing up at the stars he felt his mind float away from all the was wrong, allowing the stars to paint visions of what was right. Transforming into memories of Hizashi , their cats , Nemuri and Nezu. . . . Even for just a moment he allowed himself to see . . . . . . Shirakumo 

He'd allowed himself to dwell in his memories for so long he almost didn't even notice the sound of whooshing feathers and something heavy landing right behind him. 

Almost 

"Do my eyes deceive me," a cheery voice called out from the shadows behind him. 

Aizawa kept his eyes forward, there was no need to look back to see who it was. He'd known since the moment he heard the feathers. 

The newest hero in the field who was already making waves. "The blonde red-winged heartthrob" as the media was calling him.

The Hero Commissions latest sucess:

Hawks.

He was dressed well, in a modern velvet suit that melded well with his ruby red wing. Black dress shoes with gold accents that matched his sharp eyes perfectly. And unkempt dirty blond hair that somehow framed his face perfectly. 

Speaking of face, Just how old was this kid!?

Aizawa wasn't stupid he knew the heros that worked under the Commission were young. 

But this kid couldn't be older than 18 and that was being generous. 

" Your Hawks, correct?" Aizawa said purposely keeping his tone flat, He didn't want to let the kid on to the fact that he already knew everything that was available about him.

Granted it was very limited but still.

" Yep, of course you already knew that Im sure, " Hawks said in a joyous tone.

Aizawa paused 

"  A hero who works with mainly in the shadows of the underground, like yourself would know that for sure"

"I'm sure you have files. On everyone you've ever met, Eraserhead. "

Shouta was impressed, Most heros he met didn't even know his hero-name. But he was just as worried, how did this kid know all this.

" I'm guessing your not a fan of parties either" Aizawa continued undeterred, As he took another puff and breathed it out into the air.

Hawks swung his body onto the balcony railing allowing for his legs to dangle over the ledge.

"Nah, It's just you know how it is" " Since I'm such a hot topic the party usually becomes all about me and I didn't want to take all the spotlight." He said cheekily. 

"Hmm I see his personality is the same as his hero persona." Aizawa thought to himself.

"Or maybe..."

"Since we are being so personal-."

" Really was that personal?"  Hawks cut in, tilting his head to the side. That smile remaining on his face all the while. 

"- i can't help but wonder, how did someone so young become such a hotshot?" Shouta pressed on.

For a second the man ( boy?) paused his wings that were just a moment ago bristling in the wind,  suddenly became still. 

It was like for just a second the mask slipped, He could see those sparkling gold eyes dim. Like dirty gold coins. As he gazed ahead into the moon.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Shouta thought to himself.

Hawks turned to the dark haired man and grinned a toothy smile . "I've always wanted to be a Hero and the Hero Commission has trained me since I was a fledgling"  

 And only for a moment Shouta could see the true person behind the facade. 

" And hard work is the essence of being a hero, so I never really minded." 

And just like that the mask was back up. It was like a sheild. So impervious that even Aizawa couldn't peek through. Those inner thoughts remained unknown.

But Aizawas curiosity persisted and he tried a final time.

"Really?"

". . ."

"yeah."

The conversation fell silent, neither tried speak. Eventually the party ended and Aizawa departed to help Nemuri drag a red-faced  drunk Hizashi to the car.

~~~

Ever since , Even 2 years later those sad eyes he'd managed to grab just a glimpse of at the party persist in his heart. A protective fury that burned through his veins.

Why did he care so much, The thought made his head hurt 

In fact, He could literally feel the oncoming migraine. And not even a kiss on the cheek from his now husband  the walking embodiment of sunshine could cheer him up.

Ok maybe it helped a little.

But still Shouta isn't used to not knowing about  all there was about a person. It was strange, In the 2 years since their last conversation Hawks had skyrocketed up the charts with stunning speed.

It made sense his baby face had somewhat faded and he had become Japan's newest heartthrob. Ignoring his questionable background the 20 year old was genuinely talented.

 He'd dismantled several high profile villian organizations within his first year. And by the end of his first 10 months he'd opened up his first agency.

Aizawa was proud, he reminded him of one of his students.

One train ride later

 Aizawa was leaning against the wall of Hawks agency, his feet tapping the ground. As he waited for the predictablely late Hawks. 

A swoosh from above signaled the man's arrival.

"Heya, Eraser it's been so long lm glad to see your still kicking." Hawks landed next to him shaking his wings and flashing the dark haired man one of his signature sparkling smiles.

Maybe he wasn't that proud.

" It's Eraserhead when we're on patrol and your 20 minutes late" he said flatly, his voice left no hint of amusement for Hawks antics. Spinning on his heel he began to walk down the scheduled patrol route.

Hawks strolled leisurely after him.

The air was warm and crisp with the sun high in the sky as the pair began their walk down the streets of Mustafa.

So far it had been relatively uneventful, they had stopped a couple purse snatchers and found a lost kid but other than that the streets were calm.

"Doesn't seen like there's much going on today, fill me in on the reason for me being here." Aizawa stated.

"  Ah thats right, Sorry to make you come all the way to my district but my manager says that your Quirk will be invaluable for the upcoming operation we have running. "  

He stopped to blow a kiss to a group of flustered women, laughing as they shrieked and blushed.

Eraserhead rolled his eyes.

" You see, we've had an increase in yakuza activity around the city as of lately" " And we believe that the influx of gang related murders is related to that ,"Hawks continued.

" Real gruesome stuff, the victims looked like they had almost been deconstructed and refused in to mush" Hawks shuddered at the memory.

"And to top it all off there's been a rise in hero disappearances, and not just small time heros, im talking heavy hitters like Mystery Woman, Gigacat, Crismson bull and others " 

Now that peaked his interest, Heros rarely go missing and when they do it's never such big names.

How strange.

And the Yakuza somehow having involvement in the whole affair was stranger, they usually kept to the shadows to survive. And they had eyes everywhere. 

" You shouldn't say such stuff like that out loud, idiot, and drop the carefree tone this is serious" Aizawa looked back a Hawks with annoyance in his dark eyes.  Hawks bristled and waved an apology. He sped up and moved ahead of Aizawa likely to avoid his piercing gaze.

" So far our investigation has led us to belive that the main suspects are members of the Shie Hi-"

The words had barely left Hawks lips before he fell back, something had hit him. 

Specifically someone 

"Gottagocantstopifistophe'llkillmeicantstopwontstopwontgobackicantgobackithurtsidontwannagobackpleaseletmegothey'errightbehindmepleasepleaasepleaseple-"

He was shivering like a leaf in Hawks arms his grip so tight on the man's arms he thought he might bleed, Regardless that was the last thing on Hawks mind.

This kid is being abused.

He had burst out the alleyway like a bat out of hell.

He was covered in bandages all around his thin arms and legs, long curly green hair covered the entire of his head and every bit of his sun deprived  skin was covered in a constellation of star like freckles.  And those terror filled eyes tug at Hawks heart so much it almost felt like pain.

"What's wrong with this fledgling?!"

"Whoa Baby-bird why are you in such a hurry, are you OK whats-" Hawks stopped as he took in the child's appearance and stopped.

Attached to the kids back were a pair of beautiful white wings. Sure they were frayed In areas and the kid badly needed a preening session but still beautiful none the less.

Wings just like his, a quirk so familiar. 

Scarlet wings perked up, tense as a pair of footsteps echoed along the alleyway. His (his?) fledgling had frozen like stone in his lap.

His grip tightened and he clutched the kid closer to his chest and hissed.

Step.

Step..

Step...

"Ah, I see you've caught my son, Thank you so much heros." He spat the word "hero" with so much disgust it made Aizawa shudder.

Standing in the alleyway, was the last person he'd ever thought he'd see. 

The Shie Hassaiki's young leader.

A figurehead for underground crime and a man that eludes capture no matter how many crimes were linked back to him. 

Aizawa clasped his capture weapon and fell into a protective stance in front of Hawks. 

Kai Chisaki.

Also known as the villan Overhaul stood infront of them. His lower face hidden with that red golden mask, golden eyes shimmered with barely hidden annoyance and distane.

"Now I'd appreciate if you'd hand him over so I can  take him back where he belongs. "

What a way to make shit day worse...

Chapter Text

Keigo's heart was pounding in his ribcage like a boombox. Each beat sent shockwaves through his system  leaving his brain scrambled and raw with nothing left but a wild mess of emotion and instinct.

This shouldn't be happening.

  His instincts were going wild in his head. He could hardly understand what was happening. Warnings bounced all around in his brain screaming at him from all directions.

  "DANGERNOTSAFE

 FLYAWAY

KILLBABYINDANGER

RUN

KILL

RUN

PROTECT"

These emotions he had been trained to repress, the ones he'd sent to the farthest corners of his soul were suddenly flowing up to the forefront of his mind.

Unease rose up along his spine like cold water, leaving goosebumps all his tan skin,  leaving him feeling exposed.

He felt like a child stuck with his hands stuck in a cookie jar.

He resisted the urge to growl at the villan in front of him. Keeping his cover was crucial. He didn't have time to indulge in the avian parts of himself.

He knows this 

So why is it that he's suddenly struggling to keep it all caged 

His handler had trained this out of him. He should never be behaving this way.

It was unbecoming of hero, This part of his quirk was undesirable. 

"....hawks...."

"Keigo! How many times must I remind you, you are to never to engage this foolish bird behavior !" 

What will she do when she finds out he cooed, That was bad enough but to add growling to the list and he could already feel the collar closing around his throat. 

His breath quickened 

"...Hawks.." 

He could see the training cane resting against his cell door, the alleyway floor shifted and became littered with splatters of blood, the welts were already rising up and the bruises were blooming all over his legs and chest. 

" Why was it getting so hard to breathe" 

He could feel her disappointed eyes glaring down at him as if he was a stain on her heel. His handlers stern face etched her displeasure so deep into her face even her approval looked like disappoint.

Of course she was very rarely ever not disappointed. 

"I expect so much more from you my dear Takami, You will never reach your dreams at this rate." 

" Perhaps a couple days in your cell might even you out ? "

"..HAWKS.." 

The world around him faded away and shrunk and all of the sudden he was so much smaller. 

Alone, scared and aching with tears streaming down his face and his wings cocooned around him in his feeble excuse for a nest.

The setting sun cast long shadows along his concrete cell. The reprimands from his previous lessons ringing around his skull.

 "Not hero enough "

"He was never hero enough. "

"..HAWKS.." 

Keigo gasped as the cell faded away and reality fell back into place. 

Eraserhead was calling his name.

"My apologies Sir my fellow hero here tends to get distracted, He's got a bit of a bird brain."

That's right he was a hero. A pro hero who was out on patrol, he felt a weight in his lap.

Gazing down he locked eyes with the most vibrant pair of ocean green eyes, they dug into Keigo like piercing orbs of all knowing green.

It was in those eyes that everything made sense again. 

His name is Keigo Takami he's 20 years old and he's currently sitting on a dirty alleyway floor with the worlds cutest baby bird in his lap. And one of the underworld's most prolific villains infront of him.

Crap.

The green haired child gripped onto his jacket and trembled without a sound. His little white wings curled in on the himself and  incased himin the older avian's lap. Like he was trying to make himself small enough he'd dissappear from all the eyes on him.

A timid voice spoke in barely a whisper, If Keigo's ears weren't as sharp he might have missed it.

"please don't go" 

His heart trembled.

" Ah, I'm terribly sorry for my son  hero's, We had company over and he must have gotten spooked." Overhaul said in a sickingly sweet tone.

"Izuku, come here" 

"Bullshit" Hawks thought to himself,  with all the information we've managed to gather on Chisaki a child was never once mentioned. Not to mention with the state of the child and Overhaul's suspicious dealings there's no way this child is his. 

But even with all this knowledge none of the crimes they had collected could be tied to Chisaki in any legal way.

Meaning in the eyes of the law. 

Kai Chisaki was an innocent man

Keigo knew this, The investigation he had been assigned to made it very clear that Overhaul would and could go ghost at anytime. After all this was how the Yakuza had survived this long. 

By avoiding suspicion.

To much was weighing on this investigation, multiple hero agencies were gathered at this moment. Ready to pounce on the Hassaiki  compound. They couldn't allow Chisaki to slip through their fingers 

He had to let this go. 

Keigo grit his teeth and forced his voice into its normal carefree way.

"Haha, What a wonderful kid you've got here Sir, real adorable like a little angel" 

"Yes he's very .... cute as you said regardless if you wouldn't mind-" 

Let it go

" But I can't help but notice he's covered in bandages and he's trembling like crazy without a sound?" 

Eraserhead flashed him a look, But Keigo stared straight into those cold gold eyes. His voice firm.

"It's quite odd, and you know us heros are always looking out. ."

". . .So if you don't mind me asking... what the hell have you done to this boy."

The air stilled

Shit, so much for avoiding suspicion.

 Keigo could see out of the corner of his eyes Eraserhead tightened his grip on his capture weapon. His eyes wide and ready.

He rose with the fledgling still in hand his wings primed and ready. If Overhaul was to pick a fight here Hawks wasn't sure if the odds were in his favor.

His feathers twitched alerting him to the presence of 3 more people at the front of the ally way behind them , Certainly Overhaul's henchmen.

Shit, the situation was getting worse by the second. They were boxed in, countless possibilities ran through Takami's head.

"Would I be able to lift both this child and Eraser out of here before we're hit."

"Erasure doesn't work on more than 1 target, Shit we have no clue what those other 3's quirks are" 

" I'm picking up on the scent of fire and flame on one of them" 

"My feathers will burn instantly" 

" Shit"

" I think I'm to far out of range to call for backup" 

 "Shit"

"What if he just kills all 3 of us"

 "Shi-"

Just as Keigo was falling into an increasing panic he was shocked to hear the villan let out a faint chuckle. Like this was all some big joke and everything was fine. When it most definitely wasn't.

"Hah, You heros really pick up and peer into the most subtle things dont you,"

"Well unfortunately I must admit the reason is quite embarrassing and I wish to keep it from prying eyes,"

Chisaki turned around and began a slow walk into the down the alley,  The 3 men behind them marched right after their boss shoving Hawks with their shoulders as they passed.

"If you'd follow me" 

The two heros flashed eachother a look full of apprehension. Eraserhead narrowed practically screaming at Hawks to keep their cover sealed.

Hesitantly the heros slowly trailed after the masked man they're bodies tense.

" You see it's quite embarrassing to admit that you can't control your own child. But alas it seems that no matter what I do Izuku here insists on defying me" Overhaul said flatly.

" He's always making bad choices that result in pain just look at his bandages and as you can see this one is his latest, just look at my poor little birds feet." 

Hawks teeth grinded together, the boys feet were clearly scrapped all to hell, the underside was so raw infact that Keigo could make out bleeding cuts all along his feet. 

"Ah, Yes parenting does not seem easy it must be rough." Eraserhead replied.

" Yes, children can be tricky, especially my Izuku" Overhaul continued his march down the dim alleyway. Hawks instincts were blaring at him from all angles . Drilling into his brain that this was a trap. And Overhaul's relaxed demeanor wasn't helping that theory.

Why was he so calm.

Everything was way to quiet.

Overhaul's hands shifted down onto the rim of his pristine white gloves. 

"But for some reason, he continues to disobey me" 

The fledgling in Hawks arms went rigid, like his whole body had been plunged into ice. His heart was beating so hard in his chest that Keigo could actually hear it's frantic beats.

"I hope after this unfortunate situation he finally learns his lesson." Overhaul peered over his shoulder and locked eyes with the green haired boy. His gold eyes lit with such an intensity it caused the entire alleyway to plunge into suffocating silence.

Without a word, the little boy in Keigos arms began to rapidly wiggle and shift. Breaking free of his place in Hawks arms he plopped to the ground and shuffled over to Overhaul his head held low as he stared at the his feet.

"Uh hey wait...-" Hawks faltered as Eraserhead outstretched his arm. Stopping Hawks in his tracks. 

He couldn't stop the glare he sent the older man's way. 

Keigo watched as thin hands grasped at the back of the villans jacket and pulled. Like a silent act of submission and defeat.

"Oh my , done with your little tantrum ?"

Izuku nodded stiffly, his wings wrapped around himself like a feathered blanket.

" What a shame I still have so much more to show these hero's" Overhaul chuckled. 

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed, slipping his gloves back on he crouched and lifted Izuku up into his arms. And ran a gloved hand through  wild green curls.

"Well as you can see heros my child has obviously grown tired of his tantrum, Thank you again for catching him." 

Hawks grit his teeth he couldn't trust his voice, he could feel that quiet rage building up as he watched that poor child be consumed by the shadows. 

"No problem,  Everything seems to be in order so me and my partner will leave you to your ther rest of your day Sir." Eraserhead bowed.

Overhaul nodded and continued down the alleyway, dissappearing more into the shadows with each step.

Keigo Takami could do nothing but watch. Even as a hero he was useless. 

He watched as an innocent child was taken back into the cluches of darkness.

Keigo caught one last glimpse of those viridian eyes. So filled with pain as tears rushed down chubby freckled cheeks. 

This child was practically crying out to him begging for help.

And Hawks could do nothing 

He felt like the most useless hero in the world.

Chapter Text

Shouta has never felt more like a failure, He stared into the darkness of the alleyway. Hoping to see a glimpse of green but it never came. 

Those watery viridian eyes had dissappeard into the cluches of the shadows and all Shouta did was watch.He grit his teeth, Memories he'd stuffed down into his soul rose up and scrambled his mind. 

 From the darkness stared the eyes of the one's He'd been to late to save 

Cold lifeless eyes of Quirk trafficking victims.

Corpses of innocent bystanders torn to shreds by a rampaging villain.

Shoes laid neatly by a buildings railing, Their owners smashed to bits below. 

Heteromorph children abandoned by the system left to starve in alleyways. 

Collapsed buildings with goggles buried under rock.

Each time He swore He'd be quicker, work faster, be better. He'd repeat it over and over in his head as he pushed his body to the limit.

Relishing in the bruises and calluses built up on his body, Proof of his training 

Proof He was alive.

But what happens when there is no way to fight back, No way that wouldn't result in a larger consequence at least. 

When all you can do is watch and wait.

Shouta had always been good at waiting, But somehow this was different.

He hung his head in shame. 

He glanced over at the blonde-haired man and felt his heart burst.

Hawks really was just a kid , Those two years had only partially taken all his baby fat. His eyes still showed how young he really was. His usually cheery face was devoid of all it's light. 

Instead his face was covered in shadows. Keigo clenched his fist and stared at it.

Burning determination had overcome sorrow and now all Aizawa could see was one determined hero.

He met Shouta's eyes with a glare, His ruby red wings had puffed up behind him making him appear larger. 

Like a predator filled with vengeance.

"Eraserhead. "

" Contact all agencies connected to this case and tell them to meet at my agency."

He brushed past Shouta his eyes dead set and determined, Aizawa knew that even if he wanted to stop the kid there was no way he could.

Determination filled both of them.

"No more waiting," 

____ 

Izuku dug his face into Chisaki's shoulder,  a cold numbness had filled his body. He felt weightless nothing mattered anymore. He didn't even noticed the sky had dissappeared and he was back in the confines of the Shie Hassaiki's underground hallways.

Overhaul's shoes echoed against the floor as they went deeper.

Deeper and deeper into the shadows. 

deeper and deeper into hell

He might as well have never left.

Why did it even matter if he was back, He had never truly escaped anyway. He was always going to be brought back.

Chisaki was right.

He was his forever and always. 

"At least He didn't hurt them" Izuku thought to himself, The attempt to offer himself any form of solace rang hollow.

His mind flashed back to those two, The strangers in the alleyway. They weren't like the others. The blonde ones hands reminded him of a time before. 

A better time.

A time when all He had to worry about was what Mama would be cooking for dinner. A time when Mama would kiss his cheek and smile down at him with such kind eyes. Her long flowing green hair fell over his face like a curtain. Shielding him from everything.

Back when all the monsters stayed deep in his closet and under his bed. 

He'd sit in her lap and talk for hours about whatever came to him mind. Kacchan, All the new analysis He'd completed, Allmight. And she'd nod along just happy to be close to him.

Her face almost felt distant to him now. Like a faded memory, soft to the touch.

All he could really remember was her kind touch. And her eyes. When he really missed her he'd stare into the mirror in his room looking into his eyes for any trace of the her's. 

" I think she looked like. . . .me?"

His lip quivered and tears welled up in his eyes. Threatening to pour over and run down his freckled cheeks.

Thinking about Mama was dangerous, Sure it always started good. With the kisses and hugs but searching any deeper always eventually led back to that day.

The day she left and everything changed.

And the worst thing was...

It

Was

All

Izuku's

Fault. 

____ızuku pov___

This wasn't supposed to happen.

I had been so good at keeping my quirk a secret just like Mama said to. I kept my wings tight behind my back. Avoided all possible quirk based forms of healing.

Except a few times with Kacchan but that didn't count. 

I even managed to stop the slight glow from my hands after a while.

 But of course I had to break the rules.

I was running through the woods with Kacchan , Well, more like panting after him while he propelled himself forward with tiny explosions. 

"WAHHH WAIT FOR ME KACCHANNN!! " I yelled after him. My freshly molted wings barely able to keep me off the ground as I fluttered after him. 

" HAHAH, TRY TO KEEP UP DEKU, YOU'LL NEVER BEAT ME IF YOU CAN'T EVEN FLY!!."

A particularly large blast boosted him up and out of sight into a thicket of trees.

I collapsed to my knees, Gasping for air . Kacchan was gone having probably dissappeared into the woods up ahead. I could already see his smug grin as he sat patiently on a branch waiting for me to catch up so he can gloat. 

"Stupid Kacchan how am I supposed to fly when my wings have just molted he makes no sense!" 

I rolled my eyes, content to continue the rest of the race on foot.

I began to walk towards the direction I saw Kacchan blast through. Using the scent of sulfur and gas that hung in the air as my compass. Trying to ignore how alone I suddenly felt and how the trees once so innocent had blocked out the sun with their branches. 

I had clearly taken a wrong turn at some point.

"*Gulp* This is nothing,  If Allmight can walk through battlefields without fear I can walk through these woods" 

That helped it almost made me feel strong. That was until  I heard a cry of pain and nearly jumped out of my skin. It was so faint that if I didnt have my increased avian hearing I would have never heard it. 

I could have continued after Kacchan giggling , blissfully ignorant to the man bleeding out behind a tree. 

But I didn't,  I looked around until I found the source of those pained moans.

Leaned up against the tree was a man unknown to me (At the time). His shaggy brown hair was plastered to his face by sweat and he was covered in hives. 

Like a bug had stung him over and over and over again. His eyes were half lidded and his face was caught between a grimace and a scowl, beads of sweat poured down his cheeks and landed on his ruffled dress shirt.  A black mask covered the bottom half of his face.

His olive skin was white as a ghost and cold to the touch. If it wasn't for his noises I would have already thought he was dead. A loud groan sent me scrambling for the source of his pain. And It wasn't hard to find. 

3 uniform gashes several inches wide with the claws still buried in his side. Gushed blood onto the grass.

His clammy hands cluched desperately at the wound but it was clear. 

He was bleeding out. 

It wasn't my business 

And if I had any sense of forethought I would have left him there, Remove his face from my memory and lived out the rest of my life in safety and peace. 

With Kacchan and Mama.

But the words of All might flashed in my head.

" Meddling when your not supposed to, Is the essence of being a hero!" 

My heart was filled with determination. 

I jumped into action tossing his feeble hands to the side and pulling back his blood soaked shirt revealing the wound.

Iron hung heavy in the air, screwing with my senses. 

I paled , "Can I even do this?"  The extent of my healing practice thus far had only been Mama's aching joints and Kacchans little scrapes and bruising.

The worst injury I ever worked on was just a sprained ankle. I had no idea if I could do a wound this large

Of course Mama had taught me the basics, She was a doctor after all but injuries this severe would be way more complicated. 

I grasped the edge of the claws and pulled them out , Trying my hardest not to look at the flood of red pouring out. The man choked out a scream and clenched his teeth together. 

Before his eyes rolled back in his head and he stilled.

Panic filled me.

" Now or never! "

I shook my head and slammed my eyes shut, I pressed my hands into the mess . " Now is no time for thinking" 

The green glow flowed through my veins like a warm mist. It exited through my finger tips and  consumed the wound in glowing cloud. 

I opened my eyes in shock, I'd never been able to do anything like this before.

Slowly but surely the slashes became smaller and smaller, the man's chest rose and fell. And relief washed over me like a wave. Along with it came joy. 

" I DID IT I HEALED SOMEONE. "

"I SAVED SOMEONE LIKE ALL MIGHT. "

"LIKE A HERO!"

The wound eventually became nothing more than a couple of star shaped scars. My power fizzled out and dissipated into the air like glitter dust. It was only after I had triple checked that he was breathing I collapsed onto the forest floor.

It was like all the energy I had had was sucked out, my bones felt like jelly as if I had ran a marathon.

Panting I remember curling up in the grass a wave of exhaustion overcoming me. 

" Can't sleep yet. . . . Need to find Kacchan . . . Need to make sure this man will be ok."

Searching for anything to ground myself I brushed my gaze over the man. Then promptly froze when I locked eyes with cold gold orbs

Staring directly at me.

I gasped, I felt like a roach caught in the beam of a lamp light. 

I could feel my wings puff up behind me in an attempt to make myself seem larger.  My eyes narrowed as I stared back at the man. 

It was strange 

At the time I  knew nothing about him, but everything in my head was telling me to flee. 

And As mom said " Alway trust your head Avian instincts are never wrong" 

But I was still riding high from the joy of a successful healing. I still felt like a hero, after all I had just brought someone back from the brink of death.

"Are you OK? Mister?"

 I pushed my fear down and offered the man a hand.

Or at least I tried to

My heart skipped a beat as I realized the man had grabbed my wing in a vise grip, stopping me from coming any closer.

" Huh !?!"

" What did you do ..t.t. to me ! ?" the man's voice was rough ,  As if he hadn't spoken in weeks.

He rose to his feet lifting me higher by my wing, I stifled a pained whine as he steadied himself against the tree. 

Instantly all the courage I had gained from healing, leaked out of me.  Suddenly I was much more aware of how much bigger the man was and how much smaller I was by comparison.

Tears welled in my eyes,  "Oh no did I do something wrong!? ."

" Answer me !" He shouted his grip tightened.

I whimpered and stuttered out a frantic answer.

"Ahgh... I swear I..I didn't hurt you I..I.I found you bleeding here. I just used my Quirk to heal you.... please don't hurt m...m.mme!!" Tears ran down my cheeks I shivered, Terrified .

The man scowled as he searched for any trace a lie. 

Distantly I could hear the sound of rapid heavy footsteps approaching,

"I swear I just thought I was helping! I can hear your friends coming for you I'll explain everything to-" 

"Friends?" He narrowed his eyes and glanced behind him.

"They found me."

He turned back to face me.

"   Listen I don't know what you've done but I promise you if this disease you used on me has ANY lingering effects, I'll make sure to hang your pretty little wings on my wall." 

"Do you understand?"

My mouth felt dry I couldnt even trust myself to to speak. Instead I just nodded terrified of what I the mans next move. He grit his teeth and dropped me to the ground.

I wouldn't wait for the man to possibly regret his decision, I ran faster then I ever had before.

"Chisaki !!" One of the footsteps screamed.

 I didn't look back 

I ran so fast I might have even been able to out run Kacchan with his explosions.  I ran through branches and  tripped over roots  the low hanging branches snagged at my hair. The bushes cut at my arms and legs.

I didn't stop.

The sound of fighting roared behind me. Screams of pain and sound of steel meeting steel.

I could feel the bruises and cuts blossoming all over me. But I kept running, the adrenaline and my instincts made all the pain dissappear and made me move as if I was on auto pilot.

As I ran I only looked back once.

I could only barely see through the branches but what I did see made my blood run cold The footsteps I had heard approaching had revealed themselves to be a group of men. Dressed in suits and armed to the teeth with powerful quirks.

One of them, A large blonde man with a rat quirk charged forward and for a second I thought that the masked man would be crushed by his attacker. 

Until he lifted an ungloved hand and pressed it to the center of the mans chest.

It was as if someone popped a balloon full of red paint. The trees were  suddenly drenched in red as blood and gore drenched everything. 

The man was no more 

Tears ran down my horror-striken face as I turned away from the scene. Forcing my legs to go farther and farther. 

But no matter how far I ran it was as if those golden eyes stayed locked on to me.

I don't remember much after I broke through the tree line.

I can distantly remember Kacchans worried red eyes as he carried me home.

And Mama's warm hands as she combed through my hair and tried to coerce me into telling her what happened. 

"What's wrong baby, you know you can tell me anything?" 

I remember sobbing into her chest as I told her what happened.

The man 

His Quirk 

The blood 

All of it..

I kept saying how sorry I was, how I had broken the one rule she had and ruined everything. She clutched me closer to her chest, almost smothering me as she whispered .

"Don't worrie Izu, Everything will be fine." 

"I swear on my life I'll keep you safe." 

She called the police and they combed through every inch of the forest but the never found any evidence of the man I saw. 

 After a bit of time I was content to pass this all off as a stange dream or a moment of confusion.

Those cold gold eyes I'd seen in the woods drifting off the far corners of my mind,  A distant memory.

But things didn't return to normal.

After that day Mama was more cautious, Me and Kacchans play dates only happened at my house. School became a straight shot, No detours not even to the park.  My wings were kept covered by a jacket and flying time was cut in half.  No longer then 10 minutes in the air.

She'd come home from work nervous and we stopped answering the phone which had started to ring at all hours of the day and night. 

Whenever I asked Mama she's just say it was a "salesmen". Mama would confide to neighbors at night when she thought I was asleep she said she saw strange men everywhere.

Said they wore strange masks , Like a birds beak.  Mama got new locks and insisted that I stuck close to her when we went out.

I tried to be patient.

But as the weeks pass little by little my anger rose, Why did she have to coddled me like this,  People where beginning to notice Mama's eratic behavior.

She'd  mumbled aloud about mask men watching her from the windows. 

Auntie Mitsuki began to visit Mama more and more, Her worry was evident but Mama would push her away insisting that we were fine.

Even Kacchan noticed.

" What's wrong with Auntie, Izu" Kacchan asked one day after Mama had dropped me off for the 6th time that week.

" Why can't you walk on your own to school, Are you a baby!?" 

My cheeks burned red as embarrassment burned at my face. 

" NUN UH KACCHANNN, I'M REAL GROWN UP!" 

"HAHAHAH BABY DEKU!!!"

He continued to tease me the whole day,  By the time mom picked me up my face was as red as the setting sky, the phrase "Baby Deku" rang in my ears and tears filled my eyes.

"Whats wrong, Izu you look upset " 

At that moment all the irritation and anger that had built up over the past few weeks rose up and spilled from my lips.

Anger at her

At the world 

At my quirk 

" Why can't I sit be like the other kids Mama they get to play all the time but since that day you've kept me locked up in the house!" 

" Izu baby I know it's alot but please, you remember what I said your Quirk is special people would do anything to use yo-" 

" You keep saying this but nothings happened I've only ever really used my Quirk once and sure it was a mistake but since that day you've acted like I'll blow away in the wind!" 

"Baby listen know you want to be a hero but your so  fragile, I get so worried and-"

That was the tipping point.

"I'M NOT FRAGILE , AND I'LL NEVER BE A HERO WITH YOU SMOTHERING ME !!"

If I could go back in time I'd apologize on my hands and knees. Beg for forgiveness from the only person who had protected me and loved me. 

Mama didn't say anything she just stared down at me with eyes so full of sorrow I could feel the guilt grip me immediately. 

The walk home was silent both of us burdened by words we couldn't take back and things left unsaid. 

Again, had I been gifted with foresight or any quirk that would have allowed me to see the future I would have apologized before bed.

As mama tucked me into bed with tears in her  eyes.

Eyes so kind now burdened with stress.

" I know you don't understand now Izuku but i promise there is a reason for all of this" 

" I just want to keep you safe ." 

" You're to young to know how cruel the world can be... and I just wanna keep you from learning that lesson as long as I can." Her voice quivered and she leant  down to press a kiss to the side of my head. 

I buried my head into the pillows shielding myself from her words. Too ignorant to see how I hurt her. 

The lights switched off and I fell into a dreamless sleep. 

Back then I just assumed that it was just an argument  that we would wake up the next day and I'd apologize to Mama and we'd hug on the couch as she preened my feathers and explained everything.

I still thought I had time.

Time to be free.

But unfortunately time waits for no one and it arrives whether you want it or not.

After all the world is cruel. 

Something I learnt later that night.

The air was heavy with smoke when I was dragged from the comforts of my bed into the frantic arms of my mother. 

She held me tight against her chest as she barreled around the corners . Her hair long emerald hair was unkempt and frayed. 

My eyes adjusted to the scene, eye widening as I took in the full damage. Flames spread throughout the room. 

My world was aflame.

"Nonoonononohow...no...How did he find us?!?!" She cried as she tried to navigate through the fiery insides of our once home . 

Distantly I could hear the groaning of the beams of our home as they became kindling for the furious flames.

" Mama what's going-.."

" Shhh-Izu...baby don't worry everything will be ok just stay close and-AGH." Her words were cut short as she collapsed onto the floor.

It was all to much, My senses roared in my head. 

 She gasped in pain, she had tripped over a jagged glass peice, It carved into her ankle and the sharp scent of iron joined the mix of smoke and flame in the air.

" MAMA !"

My heart skipped a beat I was on the injury in seconds, pushing my powers onto the wound.

" AGH!, LISTEN TO ME! IZu..izu baby you need to run I-" the words died in her throat as she gazed at something behind me. 

Her clammy hands dragged me into her lap. Groaning as the flames licked her half-healed slash. 

" Hold still mama I'll fix this ." I was dead set on healing her, nothing else mattered. 

Not the flames licking at my skin

Or the smoke burning my lungs 

Or the creaking sound of our apartments structure breaking apart.

Or the footsteps creeping up behind us.

The only thing that mattered was Mama

A faint glow flickered on my hands as the power struggled to flow through my veins.

" Why isn't it working!?"

Mama's breathing became more strained as she gripped onto my hand and growled.

" I admit your a hard person to find,  Ms Midoriya " 

A voice calm and silky broke through my conscience like a bullet.

A voice so familiar.

" STAY AWAY FROM US YOU BASTERD" She screeched, she surged forward and dragged me impossibly closer

" Mama! Your leg -

A cold imposing figure stepped out of the smoke like a vestige of cruelty, his gold eyes blazed like the flames. 

He had clearly recovered from his wounds and now stood tall and strong.  A tight fit black suit with a white tie clung to his toned body. A gawkish green jacket was layered over the suit accented with an array of purple feathers. 

What had they called him?

I dug through my mind.

 flash of red, blood speckled leaves, gold eyes.

" Overhaul ."

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE US ALONE, I WON'T LET YOU HAVE HIM! - 

" Now now there's no need to scream. We're way past that now" his voice was calm it was as if this was all expected. So cold and calculated.

"This was all could have been avoided. If only you had listened, I gave you so many chances. "

" The men in the alleyways, the letters on the porch,. . . . i .it was all you. . . .w.w wasn't it!?" Mama quivered. 

He smirked 

"Guilty as charged "

Overhaul crouched down, catching my eyes in his piercing gaze . 

"Hello little bird"

Mama's hair flowed down her shoulders and shielding me from his view.

" GET AWAY FROM HIM!, " Mama's hand surged forward, a futile attempt at pushing the man back. 

Instead he caught her wrist in his hand.

His bare hand.

I could barely hold back a scream as Mama's arm from the elbow down twisted and flowed, her veins bubbled and then ... popped. 

Her screams still haunt my dreams. 

" MAMA NOOO! !" She collapsed onto the floor her body writhing with pain as I tried my hardest to control the bleeding.

I remember my hands being drenched in red, bits of what used to be Mama's arm littered the floor.

But there was just 

So 

Much 

Blood.

" Overhaul, Sir is this the child?"  one of the men flanking Overhaul questioned.

" Yes Hari , the old man may have his doubts but he'll see,"

"They'll all see." 

My power flickered out of my hands like sparks, struggling to heal the multitude of injuries on Mama. It wasn't working she was loosing to much blood. 

I remember her face once so full of life had drained to the color of snow. Her skin was cold to the touch. 

She mumbled into the floor

" Zuku...m..mommy l..loves y.y.. you."

I could feel the life leaving her, my tears blurred my vision, Everything was just to much. 

" Nononononononononnonno -!"

Dust and smoke flooded the apartment as parts of the roof collapsed to the floor.

"I didn't want it to be this way, Ink o. " Overhaul sighed , he  towered over her barely breathing form. 

" I pity you really.  You've been groomed by this disgusting world to believe that your quirks are anything but a disease." 

He spoke with such hate, like a words burned his throat and consumed his very being. 

" Your idolization of these powers has  led you to put your trust in false idols of trash." " You're ignorance allows you to live in this false senseof safety, while everyone deemed unfit  falls through the cracks "

" Left behind by society, we built homes in the shadows." 

"Homes that your idols, Later destroy to build upa fake image of a strong protector by crushing those this diseased society deems unworthy!" 

" All of this misery and pain because of quirks... But don't worry I'm going to change this world and carve out a place on top for all the misfits" 

" Just like before..." 

" And this Little bird will help me do it"  

" It may not make sense now but believe this, Your child will be part of a much bigger picture" 

I wasn't listening to his ramblings 

I pressed my hands into her body, forcing myself past the brink. Digging as deep as possible into the reserves of my energy.

Expelling it out of my veins, to the tips of my fingers.

Ignoring the fact that Mama's body had stopped moving, the sound of shuddering breaths gone quiet.

Ignoring the grip in my hair pulling me away from her corpse 

Her bright green eyes once so full of life had gone dim. 

They should be bright and shining. 

It didn't matter that exhaustion was consuming me. 

All that mattered was Mama 

" Ah, it seems she's gòŋę, what a shame" Overhaul's uncaring voice echoed through my head.

Gone?

No impossible Mama would never leave me. 

Gloved hands gripped my face, digging nails into my cheeks.

Forcing my gaze away from the body on the floor that....

Couldn't be Mama.

Mama was warm, gentle and 

Breathing .

Why wasn't she breathing.

My breath quickened, the blood roared in my ears.

Nothing made sense.

Didn't I save her? 

Didn't I heal her?

Wasn't I worth something?"

" Overhaul, Sir this building's structural integrity is  rapidly deteriorating. And the heros are on the way. It is imperative that we leave with the boy immediately. " The man "Hari" said 

I felt numb I didn't even notice I was off the ground and in another's arms outside the burning remains of my home until a hand settled in my hair and gold eyes met my gaze. 

" Be still little one, from now on I will give you a purpose."  He pressed my face into his chest, I could feel the weight of the night, dragging me to sleep. 

Before I succumbed to the comforts of unconsciousness. I heard his voice whisper to me. 

" You may be poisoned by the curse of quirks, but your different." 

" You will serve a purpose,

"Y ou are mine."

The darkness consumed me, and when I opened my eyes again I was met with the ceiling of a concrete cell.

And the beginning of my personal hell began. 

______end ızuku pov____

Izuku pulled himself out of the confines of his mind. Away from the dark memories of his past and into the present. 

They were still in the hallway, further down yet still in the same cement hallways. 

Overhaul' steps echoed as another pair of more frantic footsteps joined along side us. The nervous stuttering of one of subordinates assigned to watching him. 

Izuku hadn't bothered to learn his name, they were all the same, mean and uncaring and quickly replaced.

"Overhaul..S..Sir I swear this will never happen again, little shit must have slipped through the door after you forgot to c..close it I-" the man tripped over his words, desperately trying to keep calm. 

"Are you implying that the escape of one of our most valuable assets was my fault." Overhaul replied with a cold glance.

"AGH..N..no..ahem...N.. No of course not sir I just mean that next time I'll be-"

"Listen closely Shin, The Shie Hassaiki is a ever-growing machine that only runs smoothly if all the gears do their jobs efficiently and smoothly"

"Yes and I am commi-"

" I am the conductor of this machine and I make sure that all little gears and screws work as they should, and when something steps out of line i am always there to fix it, That is my job"

He smoothly slipped off a glove.

" Yes! ...And Hah might I say you've done an amazing job I.. uh I mean just look at how the Yakuza has thrived under your leadership!" Shin laughing nervously.

"Yes I keep this place running . . . " Overhaul paused, turning to face his subordinate.

"And I have no room for defects." 

Chapter Text

It wasn't easy getting a bunch of hero agencies scattered all across the entire tri-state area into one room on such short notice but with a boss as unpredictable and unprofessional as Hawks, Koko Unohara had learned to adapt.

She guesses it was just part of the job with all the stress Hawks gave her with his multiple brand deals and death defying saves she had to be flexible or else she'd break.

In fact she barely even flinched when the call came in late last night, She'd just assumed he'd gotten impatient with the time it was taking to gather evidence and wanted to pounce on the villans. Egar to close his newest case and hop on to the next. That boy never was particularly patient.

But there was something in his voice when he called her earlier. 

It was determined but still lined with a air of panic that made her pause.

"Koko, You know that Yakuza case we've been picking at for the past few months."

"Yes Sir, I just sent all the gathered evidence we have to the legal department just waiting for the OK before we start the process of procuring a warrant-"

"I want that warrent by tonight I also need you to gather all the information you can on an avian boy by the name of Izuku..I'm not sure of his last name."

"Sir!?  I'm not sure if that's wise we aren't sure if the evidence we have can will stick, And whos this kid your talking about-"

"I don't care I want it done !, Contact every hero agency we have connected to this case and have them in a meeting room by tomorrow!" His voice shook with such conviction it made Koko pause. 

Hawks only got this way when he had a personal stake in the case. Gone was his typical aditude now all that was left was an predator out for blood. 

Koko sighed exasperated, "I'll send a warrant request out this instant, and Eve down in connections has already contacted the legal department to put the policeon standby. You better be ready for tomorrow You big bunch of feathers"

She raked her hands through her graying red hair, she could feel the wrinkles growing on her face.

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line. "Thanks Grandma, Eraserhead and I are inbound see you in a bit"

"I'M ONLY 46, YOU BIRDBRAINED JACKASS-"

The line went dead before she could finish screeching.

Annoyance simmered under her bronze skin. 

She rose from her office desk and stepped outside to the balcony overlooking the cubicles scattered around the office.

Lighting up a cigarette as she prepared herself for another busy all-nighter.

~~

That cigarette wasn't nearly enough, After several hours, Multiple passive-aggressive emails and enough cups of black coffee to kill an elephant. 

Koko had done it .

She had successfully managed to get everyone connected to this investigation in one meeting room before the clock even struck 6am. If she wasn't so tired she'd be boasting right now.

Gathered around the table were an array of heros. At the farthest corner sat Nighteye his face as cold and calculating as ever. His green slick back hair and white suit made him easy to recognize. His sidekick and interns however were the complete opposite of him.

All dress in humorous outfits so far from the realm of respectability that Koko had to stifle a giggle when they first arrived. 

"Who knew a man so strict could have such an odd sense of humor?" she thought to herself.

Diagonal to him was the Fatgum agency, Their head hero "Fatgum" was a nice man his size may have made him as wide as a boat but behind it all he really was a big softie. Hawks always enjoyed his company infact they were the first agency asked to join the investigation.

They conversed openly and loudly as they helped themselves to the donuts an intern had brought in.

 The dragon hero Ryukyu and her agency were seated right next to Fat and clearly the early meeting hadn't bothered her much, She was completely put together as always. She nursed a latte smiling as she spoke to one of her excitable sidekicks. 

"Hey! hey! Ms Ryukyu what is this I thought the meeting was next week!?"

"Patcience my dear I'm sure it will all be explained shortly." Her sultry voice was as smooth as silk.

Others filed in and filled out the remaining seats

An array of police officials and some interns and sidekicks were all that was left . Until eventually every seat was full.

  "I'm actually glad this meeting was called I actually have a ton of new information share." Fat gum said in between bites.

"As do I" Nighteye added.

"Yeah me too." Ryukyu chimed.

"It seems there are multiple individual updates that need to be addressed?" Nighteye stated "And seeing as the heads of this meeting are running late I see no harm in starting now."

Mirko grined and nodded "Well in that case we'll go first right, Fat!"

Fatgum nodded as he swallowed down the last few bites and rose from his chair with a huff.

"Yeah, We have a ton of new information you see me and Mirko had a run in with a couple of thugs while out on patrol." 

"You know seemed like nothing major and we were down to the last guy, some petty thug with a simple metal blade quirk."  

" He was on his last leg, infact I was about to cuff him and call in a night because I was kindarushingbecausemyfavoritetakoyakipalcewasab-" 

"Get to the point Fat!?" Nighteye growled. His eyes glared into the other.

"Yesh, ok geez... Umm ok where was I... OH yeah the kid all of the sudden downs a bottle of some crap and then he's right as rain!?"

"All his injuries went *Poof* and even his quirk got a boost, He was even able to cut through a little bit of my fat!" He exclaimed.

He lifted his jacket to show off his bandaged side.

" Yeah,It was crazy" Mirko chimed scratching her chin." Of course he was no match for my stellar kicks but It was still really weird, I've never seen a drug like that!"

Ryukyu gasped, " You know what I had an odd encounter with a couple of criminals a few days back." 

"At first it just seemed like a typical villain group dispute but both suspects had gigantification quirks so they were causing quite a bit of damage."

"But when we got the situation under control and finally checked their records it had them as low risk users with simple enlargment quirks not  giantification "

Her sidekick Lady liquor chimed in " And if I recall correctly both of them were said to have something circulating in their system by paramedic's."

"But unfortunately by the time we got them to the hospital it left their bodies and we weren'tableto procure a sample. " Ryukyu muttered regrettably. 

"Don't feel to bad Ryu, We managed to get a sample of the stuff and sent it down to Nighteye's lab" Fatgum beamed.

All heads turned to Nighteye

" Speaking of which, Have you guys gotten around to it?" 

One of Nighteyes sidekicks by the name of "Centipeder" cleared her throat.

"I was going to disclose this information at our next meeting but it seems that this issue has spread farther than I'd had initially believed" Her antennas twitched as she motioned to another sidekick "Bubble girl" who pulled out a file.

"That's right,  About 2 year's prior to the creation of this joint case operation We discovered a new drug in circulation."

"At the time it seemed like a simple rejuvenation drug meant to boost the user's quirk for a minimum of 5 minutes or so." 

"We sent out a warning but at the time it was rather weak so it must have flown under most hero's radar. '"

 "We put Centipeder on the task of observing and tracking it's production. Just to be sure." 

"And for a while it seemed as if the drug had dissappeard, I was struggling to find traces of it anywhere.Until about 2 weeks ago when remnants of it were found in an alleyway along with the brutal remains of some notorious illegal drug distributor-"

The swing of a door brought the conversation to a hult as all eyes turned towards the final two heros, Hawks and Eraserhead.

"Uh... Sorry for being late we were going over some files ." Eraserhead muttered as he and Hawks shuffled through the room.

Both heros looked disheveled as they flopped into their chairs. The eyebags on their faces hinting towards an obviously sleepless night. 

Hawks looked around at the crowd, " Um.. D..Did we interrupt something?"

" Yes but it's fine, We can take a moment of pause seeing as you two did call the meeting." Nighteye stated.

"Afterall you did claim it was of monumental importance" he repeated with an air of superiority obviously annoyed by the suddeness of such a meeting.

Shoutas eyes twitched, He had never gotten along with that cynical man.

The sound of clicking heels broke the tension as Koko walked past. She handed Hawks a stack of papers as she took her leave.

"This is all the information you've requested for your meeting. "

 He thanked her quietly and quickly flicked through the thick bundle of papers. 

Trying not to focus on the green eyes he glimpsed through the papers. He'd already spent all of last night scouring through all the information he could find about the fledgling.

The eyebags he carried were more then enough proof.

He nodded to Eraserhead. 

"I'd like to thank everyone for coming out on such short notice, I'm sure you are all confused." He said gruffly brushing his hands through his thick black hair. 

 A ripple of grumbles spread through the crowd confirming his suspicion.

"Yes yes, We apologize the abruptness but this is important." " And it is incredibly connected to the Yakuza case. "

"Yesterday evening Hawks and I had an encounter with the suspected ring leader of the organzed crime group known as the Shie Hassaiki.".

"Overhaul!" Rock lock growled 

" At exactly 6:34 pm last evening we encountered the suspect Kai Chisaki in an alleyway south of Mustafa's center,"

"And he wasn't alone." Hawks continued his voice seething with simmering anger. "A avian child by the name of Izuku Midoriya was his hostage." 

Faces darkened, Most heros were accustomed to dealing with villains but adding in children always made the situation more tense.

"It is becoming clear that we can not sit back and wait for more information to fall into our laps, The time for action is now" Hawks spoke with conviction. More so then he had ever let show his talons gripped the edge of the table, splintering the wood beneath his fingers. 

"In that alleyway we were directly confronted with a child in need of our help. .a. . and-!"

Hawks grit his teeth he could feel the guilt choking him as he laid his shame to bare. 

"- For the sake of the case we... we left him there..." 

Watery green eyes flashed in his mind. Those innocent orbs so full of sorrow pierced through his soul like bullets. Eyes burned into him from all sides, adding to the guilt  building in his chest.

A constant reminder of his failure

"Our job as heros is to save, that is the one goal that keeps us going." " And I failed." 

The words hung heavy in the air, Keigo's carefully crafted mask of lies slipped and for the first time the truth was laid bare.

There were no rocky puns or laid back laughter 

Nothing to sheild him from the pain of failure.

And just for a moment Shouta caught a glimpse of the young boy hidden behind the commissions carefully constructed mask. 

Fatgum cleared his throat cutting through the tension. " Don't blame yourself big bird, you did what was best for the case at the time." His kind words did nothing but fuel the flames.

Hawks paused, his wings subconsciously curling closer to his body. 

"That's the thing, It didn't matter what was "best" at the time. What mattered was that someone I'm supposed to protect wasnt safe!" 

"How could I ever call myself a hero if I can't even save one little boy !" 

 "So I'm done waiting, I won't fail that fledgling again!" 

The crowd of hero's nodded in approval, But Centipeder eyes narrowed as she squinted at the file.

"Hawks can you pasd me the file you have for that kid?"  Centipeder asked suddenly 

Hawks nodded he slid the file down to Centipeder, who flicked through the pages with vigor. Her multiple eyes scanned the information as she mumbled.

" Hawks when you met this kid in the alleyway what was his condition, What did he look like!?" He voice sounded thick with panic.

"He was wrapped in bandages, looked very frail Chisaki said it was from his clumsiness but I highly doubt it."

"He was covered in scars." 

"Oh no" Bubble girl mumbled "Cen, you dont think he's the- " 

"It matches the sample and look at his quirk description this can't be a coincidence-"

Nighteye narrowed his eyes and loudly cleared his throat cutting through their ramblings.

" Ladies now is not time for secrets. Share what you have?" 

" My apologies Sir it's just-" 

"What is it!?" Eraserhead demanded.

Once again all eyes were on the sidekicks.

Centipeder shook her head and sat up in her seat "Looking through this information I believe we have a theory-" 

" But if it's true it could mean-"

"If you have information just say it!" Hawks snapped, his patcience was running thin he couldn't afford to waste time. Not when so much was at stake. 

Bubble girl cleared her throat.

"Before you two arrived we had started to discuss the presence of a much stronger version of an old drug that has begun to circulate in the streets again." 

"But until a few days ago we hadn't really known its whereabouts"

" Until Fat sent in a sample and we were able to uncover it's contents and what it does."

"It works by temporarily flooding the body with energy that then boosts its quirk factor and heals practically all visible wounds."

A sense of unease spread through Aizawa's skin working as an undercover hero meant he'd gotten familiar with all sorts of illegal substances. But he'd never even heard of a drug like this.

Centipeder paused, taking in a deep breath as if the words she'd udder next were poison. 

"And that's not the worst of it, after multiple test we uncovered something truly sickening."

.  

. 

.

" It contains human blood and cells."

Everything froze  eyes widened and horrified gasps echoed the room as the words washed over them. Keigo's breath caught in his throat as the realization dawned on him. 

Distantly he could feel Shouta's grip on his shoulder tightened, An attempt to keep him grounded as the blood rushed through his ears. 

The guilt in his stomach churned and turned into an acidic bile that clawed in the back of his throat. 

Everything was to much. He gagged.

"Whaa...No...No way!?" 

"Your kidding..there's no way someone could..!"

Gags and gasps 

Words of disbelief 

Shouta stifled a sigh as the information took its toll. Watching as unseasoned and seasoned heros alike reacted . The more hardened heros took it in with a grimace on they're faces. While the more inexperienced tried and failed to keep the horror within.

Internally he felt another wave of guilt rack him. The bandages, bruises and scars all pointed to it. "How could I be so stupid?" He thought to himself. 

"So In other words this effect is deprived from another person's inner quirk factor. " Ryukyu murmured her unsteady voice broke the shocked silence. 

"Correct" Centipeder nodded. 

"After some digging we were able to connect the sample sent to us back to the remains of those drug distributors, Its likely they were pushers for this drug but they got too out of hand and had to be dealt with."

"Using that connection we tracked it's production through multiple strings of criminal activity, leading back to-"

"Chisaki." Hawks seethed . The scars covering that timid body flashed in his mind.

" Mhm, His quirk is called "Overhaul" it allows him to disassemble and reassemble any target. This includes biological matter."

Images flashed through Keigo's head, over and over. Peices fell into place.

"All things considered it is incredibly powerful, A power that can dismantle, destroy and repair all at once, and along with this serum he can heal and boost quirks." 

Blood soaked bandages covering thin freckled limbs.

"When these two encountered Chisaki yesterday that stated he said that the boy was his son. But going through information available this is a bold faced lie."

"Using his quirk it wouldn't be hard to extract blood from someone. . . and you said the boy was covered in bandages.."

The final peices of the puzzle fell into place, painting a brutal picture in all of their minds.

"It can't be.." Mirko whispered

"No...n...no to do something so heinous to a child its-!" Ryukyu cried 

"Whatduya expect, when you have a world full superpowered monsters, one is bound to think he can do anything." Gran torino frowned.

"Should these interns be present to hear this?" Rocklock said silently.

"What do you mean, Am I missing something " an Intern blurted. She shook her upperclassmen confused by his shocked face.

Rocklock rolled his eyes "See this is why we don't need to have these kids around, they're to slow on the uptake. "

"To put it simply....."

"This freak is most likely turning the kids body into drugs."

The hair on the back of Shouta's neck raised. Looking up at Hawks he could see no emotion in the other man's eyes. It was as if the words spoken had wiped hero of all he was.

He seemed so hollow.

Nighteye stood, "After years of profecting the recipe they seem to be ready to truly start production." 

"We believe these drugs were just tests. Samples if you will. Used to stir up interest in the product and help them procure allies. "

"Multiple people have been spotted entering and leaving the complex, Most of their identities being hidden but still its still questionable" 

"Hypothetically, There is no limit to the lengths this could go. One could even theorize that if perfected, This drug could alter the very fabric of the quirk factor itself."

"Meaning whomever weilds the final product has the power to remake and boost a quirk as they see fit."

"What a terrifying thought." An Intern mumbled 

"A drug like that could fetch a pretty penny" Fatgum remarked.

"Exactly."

"JUST IMAGINEING IT MAKE MY BLOOD BOIL SO WHY ARE WE JUST HOPPING AROUND, LETS GO DESTROY THOSE FUCKERS AND THEIR SHITTY HIDEOUT RIGHT NOW!?!?" Mirko bellowed, Her ears twitched with rage.

"Careful Mirko we can't rush in, As much as I hate this there's no doubt we are unprepared." Bubble lamented.

"All I'm hearing is that if those two had just grabbed the boy when they had the chance this all could have been over with." A newer hero named "Cannonball" scoffed 

"Now is not time to place blame, I reiterated time and time again the importance of not directly interacting with Chisaki, so I am to blame aswell." Nighteye stated.

Shoutas blood boiled, he balled his hands into a fist so tight it cut through skin. He wanted to lash out, but deep down there was nothing he could say. That man was right. 

He had failed.

" I swore I'd be better. So why after all I've done why am I not better?" He thought to himself.

"Had they confronted Chisaki there is no doubt in my mind the damage would have been catastrophic, And in the chaos he might have even been able to escape."

" In the end I believe there is no one more frustrated with themselves then these two" Nighteye gestured to the heros.

The sound of scraping chairs reverberated the room as the two men glared up.

Determined. 

"WE WONT FAIL THIS TIME," Hawks announced his eyes firm.

"Like Hawks said we are done waiting, Either we bring the boy home or we're frauds who dont deserve the name hero!"

Their persistent fury was infectious. 

"We're all behind you guys, There's no way we'd ever let that boy suffer!" Ryukyu stated firmly. As similar worlds of assurance and alliance spread throughout the room. 

"No doubt about it!" Rocklock confirmed 

"Like We'd ever let a Lil birdy stay trapped like that are you joking !" Mirko cried slamming her hands against the table. "Just tell me when and I'll hop down there and crush the bastard!"

Eraserhead glanced over at the blonde-haired man.  Letting out a relieved sigh as those gold eyes met his gaze.

"Tch its fine and all, The kids still alive I guess but let's think about this. Wouldn't that Overhaul guy what to hide the kid I mean he is sort of the key component in his plan?." Cannonball retorted.

"Especially after the he escaped and managed to be seen by not one but two pro's?"

"If I were him I'd start cleaning up shop as soon as possible." 

" Unfortunately dickwad over there is right!" Mirko noted

"HEY!?"

"Right, Nighteye? " 

"Correct, We still dont know much regarding the inner workings of the Yakuza but we have informants observing the headquarters 24/7 and we believe he has important business he can't leave behind just yet." 

" Still with that being said time is of the essence." Nighteye adjusted his glasses.

"My agency has been building plan we had hoped to complete it in the next meeting. But that was when we still thought we had time."

Keigo wings twitched.

"A headfirst approach is what we have planned, we've already begun preparations we had initially scheduled the raid for the 21st two weeks from now but Chisaki will surely be long gone by then so-"

"Well if we all agree on the no more waiting sentiment, Then why not in 1 days time from now." Eraserhead declared 

Hawks wings bristled, Wanting to pounce on the compound immediately. 

"But isn't that to soon I mean there's still so much to organize and prepare for." Ryukyu murmured 

"There is no time like the present and the Nighteye agency prides itself of efficiency, I am sure that we can finish organizing a raid by tomorrow."

"And there's no doubt Chisaki's grown suspicious he may dissappear at any moment, Taking both the boy and his crimes with him" Nighteye stated.

 Hawks growled, Just the thought of it made the winged hero shudder.

"Yeah Nighteye's right, I don't know how I'd even be able to eat knowing that Lil guys still in danger." Fatgum exclaimed 

Murmurs of agreement rang out.

"And the longer we wait the more time that asshat gets to prepare." Mirko growled

"Well then it seems our objective is clear." Hawks continued " In one days time we'll raid the yakuza headquarters and resolve the situation as quickly and effectively as possible."

"Locating the boy and securing his rescue!" 

The heros resonated with shared understanding.

"Thank you all for your cooperation." 

~

The meeting had ended hours ago but even after every last hero had slowly trickled out Keigo remained glued to his seat. And he showed no sign of moving, His hair fell over his face as he bent down into the desk.

The sun had long since set, The Mustafa skyline now dotted with sparkling specks of light shining in the darkness.

 He poured over every file he was able to get his hands on. Gold eyes flicking rapidly over every sentence and page. Desperately searching for any information that could even slightly help.

It was the only thing keeping him in some semblance of calm. "If it had been up to me we would be busting through those gates right now!" Logicaly he knew that wasn't the best idea, They were unprepared as is and even with a days preparation they were still going in blind.

But he wasn't thinking logically, Everytime he closed his eyes he was met with him. 

"Why can't I get him out of my head?" 

Looking down he was met with those same green eyes. They looked so different in his case file. He looked younger his cheeks were fuller but still dotted with star shaped freckles tight curls surrounded his face and little wings that were so familiar.

He looked like a living bush. But he was still so adorable his mouth was split in a grin and you could make out a gap were a tooth was meant to be.

It was a completely different look when compared to the terrified fledgling that he'd held in his hands just a day ago.

Hawks frowned "What did they do to you little baby bird?" He muttered to himself.

His file read:

___

NAME: Izuku Midoriya 

DATE OF BIRTH: July 15th 20XX

AGE : 5 at time of record 

GENDER: Male

RACE: Asian

ETHNICITY: Japanese/Filipino 

EYES: Green

HAIR: Green

HEIGHT: 3,9

WEIGHT: 56 pounds

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Vibrant green hair and eyes with star shaped white pupils and tan skin and brown star shaped freckles along with a pair of white wings attached to his back.

QUIRK: Angel pulse, user is imbued with healing energy that is expelled through the palms of their hands. User also has wings capable of flight. Healing energy can be found in users biological fluids such as blood, sweat and tears.  

QUIRK BACKLASH: Extreme nausea, exhaustion and soreness of limbs. If quirk is used for biological healing purposes the user can suffer blood loss and dehydration.

QUIRK STATUS: Protected status user, (file cannot be seen on quirk registry without express permission.)

STATUS: Missing (believed deceased)

LAST SEEN:  In his home right before it burnt down resulting. 1 body was uncovered at the scene (Inko Midoriya) . ( Izuku Midoriya) still remains missing.

__

Keigo sighed  his face stuck in a scowl.

Of course a quirk this powerful gave Izuku a protected quirk status. A healing quirk with no clear limit was practically unheard of.

 And with how rare healing quirks were even a weak healing quirk was seen as a gift.

"He could have gone so far." Keigo whispered.

" He still will ." A voice stated. Keigo gasped and whipped around in a flash. Narrowing his eyes as he was met face to face with Eraserhead.

"After we get him back."

He had changed  swapping out his black jumpsuit for a more comfortable shirt and sweatpants. His hair was wrapped in a bun so it was out of his way and in his hands were two steaming mugs of liquid.

"I figured you were tired, brought you some tea" the older man's mumbled.

"Thanks but I've got a lot of work to do." Keigo declined."Besides shouldn't you be heading home?"

"Nope I've got all night besides I'm here to make sure you get some sleep." 

" Did Koko put you up to this."

"Yes and no, We are both worried you didn't sleep last night either."

"Thanks for the concern but as I said before I've got a lot of work to do." 

"Mhm, and by work you mean those nearly 5 year old files you've looked over 20 times?" 

Keigo mumbled out an excuse looking down at his hands. As the other man's stared at him blankly with one eyebrows raised.

"Look I know your worried, Trust me I know the feeling." 

Gold eyes met gray. Shouta suddenly felt like he was talking to another on of his problem children. The feeling so paternal he felt himself go soft. As he squatted down so that he was right in front of the younger hero. 

"Really?" 

"Mhm. "

"There were times when I'd stay up for days trying to look for any possible lead. I'd be out on the streets from sun up to sundown." He smirked slightly recalling the memory. " I remember one time Hizashi got so sick of it he dragged  me home by my scarf."

"I know how much regret can hurt. Sometimes it feels like you'll never get it out of your head."

" But I've learnt that even if your feeling lost in regret, There's no point in suffering in it."

"Sitting around feeling sorry does nothing, Things only change when you start moving and make it change"

"Yesterday, We may have barely missed rescuing him. But I bet when he was in your arms."

"For the first time in a long time he felt something other then despair." 

"So we'll keep pushing forward, To a tomorrow we can be proud of."

He raised a hand, pausing slightly when the other flinched. Before he settled it in Keigo's hair a sad smile on his face.

Big pleading eyes flashed in Keigo's mind "please don't go" 

But instead of the usual guilt he felt something else.

Something almost like determined hope. So for just a moment he let everything go.

"Hey Eraserhead."

"Hm?"

"My name-

"Its Keigo. . . .Keigo Takami." he mumbled into his arms, His red face hidden with only the tips of his red ears visible.

If the man was shocked he didn't show it instead he just grinned. And ruffled Keigo's hair even more.

"Nice to meet ya, Keigo."