章 2328: 70
Chapter 70: Stranger
A/N: Now here we go with chapter 70! This time around we have a little bit of the aftermath of the fight with Stain, as well as a meeting with an essential stranger.
P.S. Also, just in case some of you didn't notice: This has a companion fic now! I thank Squared again for inspiring the first chapter with his suggestion!
"Look, I'm fine," Izuku muttered to the paramedic. "I'm more worried about the others. Are they alright?"
"Don't worry about them for now," the paramedic said. She shined a light into Izuku's eyes, gauging their dilations. "Hmm… stimulus in the eyes seems steady. That's good."
Izuku growled, attempting to remove himself from his seat on the floor of the ambulance. He was pushed back down however, the paramedic's hands finding his shoulders and planting him back on his butt. He then attempted to connect to his bugs, which resulted in a soft smack colliding against his head.
"Sit still," the paramedic said. "And I told you, no quirk usage until I've properly diagnosed your condition." She pulled out a small device and rested it against his wrist. A heart monitor, Izuku realized eventually.
This went on for a little bit, Izuku fidgeting around in impatience as the paramedic continued on with what she said was '"standard procedure" whenever they were called on scene to a villain attack.
Eventually, the paramedic did one final check on Izuku breathing before she nodded in satisfaction. "Well, it seems that your in tip-top shape Mr. Dragonfly. Not an injury or ailment on you."
"As I said I would be when you got here," Izuku muttered. "I already told you that they didn't get a hit on me."
"Sheesh, Mr. Grumpypants. You can never be too sure, you know? That's why we're trained for this sort of thing. But I'll get out your hair for now." She gestured her head off to the side. "Your girlfriend seems to be dying to talk to you, by the looks of it."
Izuku sputtered. "I—wha—but—"
"Don't worry," the woman interrupted with a smirk. "I know how you guys can be at your age. I was the same for quite some time, you know! So go on." She walked off, only for someone else to make their way around the side of the ambulance. The person in front of Izuku ended up being none other than Setsuna.
She arched her arms and planted her hands on her hip, her gaze morphing into a bawdy look. "Girlfriend, eh?"
"I didn't say that!" Izuku defended. "She assumed that all by herself!"
Setsuna tittered. "Oh, I'm sure you did." She walked forward and planted herself beside Izuku on the floor of the ambulance. "So... Stain? Really?"
"Later, Setsuna," Izuku said as he went to get up. "The others—"
Izuku was stopped before he was even midway through his attempt, Setsuna's arm blocking his movement.
"Down," she said, pushing him back down. "Rest. You deserve it."
"But—"
"They're fine," Setsuna said. "Kaminari only got a bump on his head, and Mt. Lady's injuries are superficial. And you know how Highbrow is; he'll be fine once his quirk kicks in."
Izuku huffed, crossing his arms and keeping his shoulders tense, but no longing attempting to leave. "Fine."
"Great! So we can talk then!"
"Right. So—"
"Eh eh! "Hold up for a second." Setsuna interrupted. She turned to the ambulance's wall, her eyes searching. "Now where's that button…"
Izuku quirked an eyebrow. "Button?"
"Mhm. There's usually a configuration in the vehicle for people with gigantification quirks."
Setsuna began moving around panels and supplies from the ambulance's wall.
"Are you sure that you know what you're doing?"
"This isn't the first time I've been in an ambulance, just so you know," Setsuna muttered. "In fact… Aha! Here it is!"
Setsuna pressed the button, causing the ambulance to shift and shake. The floor they were sitting on suddenly moved, morphing into a platform that rose a good foot or so from the floor.
"There we are!" Setsuna exclaimed as the platform stopped. With her feet no longer touching the ground, she began to sway her legs back and forth through the air.
Izuku looked on incredulously through the entire thing, but didn't peep a word.
"So," Setsuna began, "You fought Stain. And his lackeys — like those two weirdos with a huge internet following. And Spinner, that lizard guy — and ain't that a shame; we could've been friends!"
Izuku found a small chuckle coming out of him. "Yeah, that was all of them. But I really only fought Gentle. Stain and Spinner were more of a… talkdown? I guess?"
Setsuna scrunched up her nose. "You mean you actually did talk them down? I thought Mt. Lady was just joking!"
"Well," Izuku scratched his head, "if we're being technical I barely said a thing. Stain did most of the talking, really."
"So he just, what?" Setsuna splayed her arms out in front of her. "Let you go? For no reason?"
"Only after I jumped in the way of a sword strike aimed for Kaminari. Oh! And took my mask off."
There was a moment of silence before the shriek pierced the air. "You did what?!"
"Hey! I was fairly certain that my suit could handle it!"
"Then why did you take your mask off?! Wouldn't that leave everything above your neckline vulnerable?!"
Izuku laughed a nervous laugh. "Well… Stain said that he wanted to see my face. So I obliged him. I wasn't really in a position not to."
Setsuna blinked. "He wanted to see your face?"
She tilted her head, planting one of her hands under her chin. She began looking Izuku up and down, an ascertering look coming to her eyes.
A sparkle came to her eyes. "I suppose that I can see where he's coming from. I certainly wouldn't be adverse to you showing off more skin either," she spoke, eyebrows waggling.
Izuku took in a deep breath, and it was only then that he realized that most of the tension in his body had disappeared. He smiled, shaking his head in response. "Pfft. Your one to talk, full bodysuit and all."
Setsuna smirked. "Is that a proposition I hear, my dear Izuku?"
With his bugs, Izuku suddenly sensed an incoming figure approaching their position fast.
"Even if it was," Izuku retorted, "it'd have to wait. Kamui coming this way."
Just at the moment he said it, Kamui Woods bustled in from around the corner. His eyes immediately zoomed in on Izuku. "There you are!" he said as he carried on forward.
And then Izuku suddenly found himself enveloped in a hug. He stiffened at first, not expecting the contact at all from the hero. But eventually, Izuku reciprocated and leaned into the hug — even if he didn't exactly know what it was for.
"Thank you!" Kamui Woods exclaimed. "I know that this might be a bit unprofessional, being your superior and all, but still! Thank you so much!"
"Uh… right." Izuku patted the hero's back reluctantly. Off to the side, Izuku spotted the snickering form of Setsuna. Izuku sent over a glare, which Setsuna responded to with even more snickering.
"It was… no problem at all Kamui Woods," Izuku said, patting the man's back again. "But, umm… I'm a bit confused. You're thankful for what, exactly?"
Kamui Woods backed off, clearing his throat. He then stared Izuku in the eyes. "Why, saving Mt Lady of course! I mean, I wouldn't have thought Stain to have been after her. She wasn't ready for such a thing!"
Kamui Woods sniffled a bit. "The fact that she's… that she's still alive is all thanks to you and the others. And I can't thank you all enough for that."
"Umm…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "But of course. It was nothing. I was just doing what any decent person would've done. We weren't just going to leave her, you know."
Kamui Woods sighed as he planted his arms behind his back.. "I know that. Still, I appreciate it."
Izuku nodded. "Anytime, Kamui Woods."
Kamui Woods clapped his hands together. "Well, alright! You two come with me then. Edgeshot and the others are about to get here; we'll probably be going soon.
"Hey guys! Look at this!" Kaminari gestured out, catching the attention of the others who were lulling around nearby.
"What is it?" Sero asked, scooting over from his side of the sofa.
Kamnari showed off the screen on his phone."It's Midoriya!"
Izuku perked his head up from where he sat, straying his attention away from his bugs and towards the small crowd gathering near Kaminari.
"Wow Izuku!" Setsuna exclaimed, her head peeking over Kaminari's shoulder. "I think La Brava did really well in catching your likeness!"
"Dude," Mineta exclaimed as he climbed up on the sofa's armrest beside Kaminari, "they're talking all about you! Dang it man! You're going to be getting so many looks from the ladies!"
"Seriously?" Izuku muttered. He took out his own phone and searched up news related to Stain. True to Kaminari's word, anything even remotely related to Stain in the past few hours featured Izuku prominently.
Izuku groaned, leaning back in his seat and planting an arm over his face. "Are you kidding me? I don't want to make the news again!"
"Kind of too late for that," Kaminari said. "Honestly, you're lucky it took anyone this long to notice in the first place. The video's been up since yesterday. There wasn't much you could do."
Izuku shrugged his shoulders. "I could maybe go back in time and stop myself from blocking that sword from hitting you. I wouldn't have done anything newsworthy then."
"Hey! I'll have you know that I—"
Before Kaminari could continue on with his retort, a blaring roar filled the walls of the agency; an alarm system specifically installed to alert for high-risk situations.
"You're shitting me," Kaminari cursed, rubbing the bandage on his head. "So soon? "
The alarms died down almost as quickly as they sounded off. It was silent for all but a moment before Edgeshot shot into the room in his quirk form. He eventually reformed back to his normal form, his eyes finding those of everyone's in the room.
"It's the Nine," Edgeshot said flatly. "It's another attack."
Izuku shot up from his seat, speeding his way towards the door. "Then we better get ready! There's no telling—"
"No."
Izuku froze. "What?"
"You're not going Midoriya." Edgeshot looked at the others in the room. "And none of you are either."
"But why?!" Izuku exclaimed.
"Crime scenes featuring the Nine aren't places for interns such as all of you. You don't need to witness such horrors at such an age." Edgeshot gestured behind him.
From the doorway emerged Highbrow. He looked like his usual self — as long as you ignored the empty sockets for eyes and the cane he was using to help himself in getting around.
"Highbrow will be watching all of you until we get back," Edgeshot said. "Just in case."
"But why should we even stay? We've got experience!" Izuku countered. "Setsuna and I—"
"I know that, Midoriya," Edgeshot interrupted. "I know that you two can handle it. But the fact of the matter is that you shouldn't have had to experience such things in the first place. I shouldn't have allowed you two to be part of the response teams in the first place."
Edgeshot turned his gaze towards Izuku. "It's partially my fault that you've got caught up in your current situation, Midoriya. And I regret that."
Izuku didn't have the will to tell him the truth — couldn't tell Edgeshot that it wasn't his fault. That Kentaro would have tracked him down anyways, set the challenge up on him in the first anyways, and tortured him for the sake of it. All because of his connection to QA.
"You two don't have to go," Edgeshot continued. "You won't go. We have plenty of volunteers now."
"But we've been going since the beginning! If we go there's a chance that we can stop them sooner. And the sooner they're stopped the less people that die!" Izuku argued. "And Kentaro won't kill me for the sake of the challenge!"
"Highbrow has experience with the Nine as well. And he isn't comi—"
"That's because his eyes won't be done healing for another week!"
Edgeshot stamped his foot down. "Midoriya."
Izuku clenched his fists and sent a glare at Edgeshot. Eventually, he took a breath, his body losing a bit of the tenseness it had been holding just a second ago.
Edgeshot nodded. "I'll be going then. Traveler will be here soon and—"
"Can I at least go out on patrol?" Izuku asked.
Edgeshot narrowed his eyes in thought before sighing. "On your lonesome, I'm assuming?"
Izuku nodded.
"Promise me that you won't follow then."
"Can I even follow?" Izuku asked. "Where are they even at?"
Edgeshot pressed his lips into a line. "Itsukushima."
"See?"
Edgeshot sighed once more, turning towards Highbrow. "Let him go on ahead. He doesn't need the supervision if he doesn't want it."
"He gets what?" Kaminari and Sero yelled both at once. The yells almost startled Izuku, having almost forgotten the presence of everybody else in the room aside from Edgeshot.
"It's because of that special provisional license he has, isn't it?" Setsuna questioned.
Edgeshot nodded, then turned once more to Izuku. "Just make sure your comms are on at all times. Just in case. Okay?"
Izuku nodded.
"Good. Don't make me regret this, Midoriya." Edgeshot activated his quirk and shot out the window to the ground below.
Back in the room, the rest of the interns were mostly quiet, staring at the mostly motionless form of Izuku standing in the middle of the room.
Izuku suddenly growled, opening and clenching his fists over and over. "Fucking, shitting, fucking…"
"Hey hey hey," Setsuna's upper half floated before Izuku, planting her hands on his shoulders. "Calm down, Izuku."
Izuku looked away. "I just…"
"I've told you before Izuku. You can talk to us, you know?"
Izuku sighed. "Yeah… I know. "He turned towards Highbrow. "Can I?"
And then he remembered that Highbrow couldn't exactly see at the moment. "May I go out, Highbrow?"
Highbrow hesitated for a bit, but eventually answered. "Yeah. Go ahead, kid."
Izuku nodded to Setsuna, loosening her grip on him and then going off towards the door. "Later Setsuna. Later guys. I'll be back later."
Izuku found himself traversing the rooftops of a cloudless Kyoto night. He'd been out for nearly an hour, traveling mostly to clear out his head rather than to actually find some criminals. It had been a repetitive pattern, jumping and landing and thinking and contemplating.
The present moment in time wasn't any different. Izuku jumped and rolled, landing onto another rooftop. He stood up and stared off into the distance, sighing all while he did so.
QA? You there?
Silence.
Izuku growled. He'd been attempting to talk to his elusive head buddy since the start of his patrol, but he hadn't fared another luck. He assumed that she was working on that ever elusive thing she was always talking about, and he hated that she wasn't free at a time when he needed her to talk.
He crouched down on the building's edge. He closed his eyes and took a breath, taking in the relatively present silence that came with being a few stories from above street level.
With his bugs he suddenly felt a presence approaching him from the sky. Izuku didn't react all too much, however, very easily recognizing the form of the current number two hero even if he hadn't met the man before.
Hawks landed in a rustling of feathers, a small gust of wind following as he touched the ground.
"Hello Hawks," Izuku greeted, though not leaving his position.
The bugs sensed the hero raising an eyebrow. They watched as he began looking around, and noticed when his head stopped when his gaze found some of the bugs hidden in their surroundings.
"Huh. I guess they really weren't lying." He shook his head. "Right. Hello, Midoriya. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"
Izuku sighed. "I suppose not. It's not as if everybody doesn't know who I am at this point."
"Right…" Hawks trailed off. He stretched his arms behind himself before continuing. "Something on your mind?"
Izuku sighed. "Get to the point, Hawks. Someone as high profile as you wouldn;t be caught talking to a nobody like me without reason."
Hawks smirked. "I'm guessing that you won't be agreeing to follow me to somewhere more private anytime soon?"
"You may be the number two hero," Izuku answered, "but that doesn't mean anything to me. I have no reason to trust you, you know. And I have bugs ready to attack if you prove to be a danger."
Hawks wasn't even fazed, and he merely nodded to the implied threat. He slowly walked forward, eyeing the crouching form of Izuku in contemplation. The hero eventually followed Izuku's example and took a seat on the ledge beside Izuku.
Hawks looked Izuku up and down before he laid his gaze onto the night sky. The two of them sat like that for minutes, letting the silence of the night fill the space of conversation.
Eventually, however, it was Hawks that broke the silence "I won't lie to you Midoriya; I'm here because the Commission wanted me to check up on you. Evaluate your psyche and such, if you will.
Izuku opened one of his eyes at that, slightly turning his head towards Hawks beside him. "The Commission? You mean the HPSC? And why would they be interested in a nobody like me?"
"I'd like to remind you that I work fairly closely with the Commission. Though if you want to continue playing dumb I won't stop you. I just want to let you know that they gave me your file so I could talk to you. Some things they've heard recently have bothered them."
Izuku hummed in thought. "Sure. Let's say that they did that. What did they hear, and why did they send you of all people?"
"Honestly?" Hawks smirked, the inklings of a chuckle erupting from his throat. "They think you're a villain. Some things Sir Nighteye said. And they sent me because I'm probably the most likely to survive if you go hostile."
"Nighteye eh?" Izuku scoffed. "Of course it was him."
Izuku relieved himself from his crouched position, following Hawks' example and taking a proper seat on the building's ledge. "But really? They trust your ability to deal with me that much? No backup whatsoever?"
"Well," Hawks shrugged, "I am the number two hero for a reason."
"Endeavor would be a better matchup," Izuku said. "Aoe fire-based attacks are a perfect counter to bugs. On the other hand, your quirk — while suited to dealing with multiple targets — isn't really suited to dealing with millions of bugs. And you probably know that your feathers won't pierce my costume — at least not with your initial attacks. And by then you'd be swarmed."
Hawks blinked and breathed some air out through his nostrils in amusement. "I like you, kid. Not many would even consider saying something like that to my face. That or you're crazy. And honestly I think that both of those can apply."
Izuku didn't reply.
"Mind answering my previous question though? I'm still a bit curious."
Izuku turned again to look at Hawks. He stared at the hero for quite some time, eventually responding after a minute or so. "Just a bit mad that Edgeshot didn't let me go with him to The Nine, is all."
Hawks slowly nodded. "I see." Hawks then stood up, stretching his arms and legs. "Well, I might as well get going. Job's done in my opinion."
"That's all?" Izuku asked.
Hawks looked down at the still sitting Izuku. He shrugged his shoulders again. "I suppose that I can warn you about the Paranormal Liberation Front. They've recently formed; a combination of the League of Villains and another villain group called the Meta Liberation Army. They number into the thousands, some members even being pro heroes. So just watch out for anything like that, try to relay anyone suspicious back to the Commission. Just be careful about who you tell; you never know who might be involved."
Izuku narrowed his eyes. "And you're telling me this why?" Izuku asked. "I'm pretty sure that this information is classified, isn't it?"
"Eh," Hawks shrugged again. This time he took into the air, his wings levitating him off the ground. "I'd rather have you at my back than you going against me. Your quirk would be a pain to deal with, after all."
"And that's all?" Izuku asked.
"I guess I'd feel bad leaving you with nothing. Especially after I got here what I came for."
Haks flew forward, taking off to the skies. However, before he got too far away, he turned back towards Izuku.
"And nice job on that thing with Stain. I've fought him once already, so I know how impossibly high the guy's standards are. And, truth is, it takes a lot of guts to do something like you did."
Hawks flew off into the sky, disappearing into the night. Izuku stayed where he was, content to let his mind run.
A/N: Just to clear up any confusion: Skeptic's dead. That's why Hawks can go around talking to Izuku about things; no listening devices on him or anything.
Anyways, things and things all around this chapter! Hope everyone liked it! Stay tuned for next time!
P.S. Might be a few prominent errors this time around. Didn't really feel up to double checking my work this time around. Apologies!
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