The next day, Izuku was tired. Dead tired, but that wasn't a new feeling for him. Having the day off had been... nice. Odd, but not entirely awful. 'Relaxing' at home didn't equal a restful night of sleep, though. He'd managed to nap and get a few hours of regular sleep, but that was about it. He'd been a hero for a while, and that came with more nightmares than he cared to admit. 

"How was the day off?" Uraraka chirped as soon as he entered the agency building. She was at the front desk, her elbows leaning against it. She had probably been gossiping with the receptionist again. 

Izuku shrugged one shoulder half-heartedly. "A day off. Got some sleep, though, so you and Iida can't keep bitching me out." 

The woman's smile dropped as she pursed her lips, looking him up and down. "Sleep deprivation makes you grouchy. Careful you don't get sassy with any civilians. I think Japan would have a collective stroke if their golden boy started yelling at innocents." 

He forced a bright smile, something that came as second nature to him after his many years of practice. "Don't worry, the sassy is saved exclusively for you and the drill sergeant." 

The receptionist Izuku hadn't learned the name of yet giggled behind her hand at the nickname for Iida. He flashed her a tired grin before stepping past the two women to head for his desk on the upper floors. "I'm heading out for patrol in thirty," he called behind him. 

"You're not scheduled until six!" Uraraka shouted back, but her exasperated sigh let him know that she had given up on the argument. 

It was only three, which meant he'd be starting a whole two and half hours early, but Izuku didn't mind. He liked his job; he liked staying busy. If he sat still for too long, it felt like his skin was crawling. Ever since the war in his high school years, he's felt like he couldn't shut it off, his hero persona. He had to be a hero, had to keep being a hero, or people would die. That's just how it was, and he was fine with that. 

What good was he if he wasn't being a pro hero? It was all he had, his only purpose in life. 

The first half of his patrol was tame. He helped an old woman cross the road, got a little boy's cat out of a tree, and signed so many autographs that his old wrist injuries started acting up. It was a regular daytime patrol, which was why Izuku preferred late-night work. The real villains appeared when the sun went down. 

It had just hit ten when Izuku plopped down on the edge of a rooftop. He'd been running around the city for the better part of six hours, and he needed a breather. It was a peaceful night in the better part of town, so he wasn't expecting too much action anyway. Even so, he would fight better if he caught his breath now. 

He tilted his chin up, eyes drawn to the stars above him. In the middle of the city, they weren't the most visible, but it calmed him to see a few twinkling and winking back at him. No matter where his job took him, it was always the same night sky with the same stars. It was an oddly comforting thought for someone as frequently on the move as Izuku Midoriya. 

With a heavy sigh, he redirected his gaze back to the street below and pushed himself to stand. He'd had his break, caught his breath, and now he needed to get back to work. 

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. In a second, he was locked into hero mode, ready to shoot off at the first sign of danger. He cocked his head to the side as a figure exited an alley and appeared on the street below. 

Even from his vantage point a hundred or so feet away, he could tell they were tall, definitely taller than him. They were looking around with a caution Izuku easily recognized as a sign they didn't want to be seen. What really caught his attention, though, was the giant brown sack the person was carrying. A sack with a big money sign on it. 

"They're a cartoon," Izuku mumbled to himself in astonishment. He used one hand to rub at his eyes, wondering if the lack of sleep was finally getting to him. When the image stayed the same, he released a small groan. "Great, I'm arresting cartoon characters now." 

He pushed himself off the building and landed with a hard thud on the sidewalk below. The sound drew the attention of the shady figure, who froze as he realized he wasn't alone. Yes, from this close, Izuku could conclude it was a man. The red button-down dress shirt and slacks, paired with a black hockey mask, were key indicators of who he was dealing with. 

It was Red, at least, that was what the media had started calling him. It lacked originality, but Izuku supposed that's what the villain got for color coordinating with his hair. Izuku had never seen him before but had heard enough to already be on guard. Red was at the top of the most wanted list. He and his partner, Zero (Izuku thought that was a much more creative name for a villain), were known for leaving nothing but destruction and devastation in their wakes. 

"Are you cosplaying as the Hamburglar?" Izuku asked, one eyebrow cocked as he looked the dangerous man up and down. He didn't seem nearly as scary as everyone made him out to be. Sure, he was tall, built like an ox, and had a quirk that made him nearly indestructible, but c'mon! The guy was a cartoon character. 

Red regained movement, relaxing his posture and standing straight. He did his own once-over of Izuku before rolling his shoulders back. "No clue what you're talking about." 

Izuku had read that the two villains used voice changers, but the robotic tone still caught him off guard. A shiver went down his spine at the sound, unnatural and unsettling. "What's in the bag, Red?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Coming face to face with such a dangerous villain hadn't been on his patrol bingo card for the night, but he wasn't about to kick a gift horse in the mouth. He wanted action, and something told him he just found it. 

The villain readjusted the bag, slinging it over one shoulder as a grating and buzzing chuckle filled the air. "So, the number one pro has heard of me?" 

"Pretty sure everyone's heard of you," Izuku said, already annoyed with the ego. 

"Careful," Red said, a teasing lilt leaking through the cyber tone of his altered voice. "Keep that up, and my head won't fit through doorways anymore." 

"And what a shame that would be," Izuku drawled, already bored of the chitchat. Sure, he preferred to talk with the villains before throwing fists around. If he could talk them off the ledge, get them to see reason without violence, that was a bigger win than defeating them physically. Unfortunately, he highly doubted that tactic would work with a villain as violent and volatile as Red. "Now, what's in the bag?" 

"This thing?" Red asked, holding the bag up in the air and inspecting it for a moment. "Come on, Deku. Is it illegal for a guy to walk around with a bag?" 

"Depends," the hero said, his eyes slightly narrowed, waiting for any sign that he was about to bolt or attack. "Did you steal it?" 

Another clipped laugh rang through the still night air. "Straight to the point. You know, I like that about you." 

The corners of Izuku's lips tugged down in a frown. "Am I supposed to be flattered? The thought of a villain such as yourself liking anything about me isn't a comfort." 

Red let the bag drop from his hand, landing on the road beside him with little sound. "But there's so much to like," he said slowly, taking a few steps forward and closing some of the distance between them. 

Izuku felt even less comfort. He took a hesitant step back, not enjoying the shortening distance. 

Red seemed as if he didn't notice, his steady steps forward not faltering until there were only a few feet left between the two of them. "I mean, you're so damn positive and smiley all the time, it almost makes you want to be... happy or something." He spoke the word as if it was foreign to him. "Where's that fearless smile now, Deku?" 

Izuku clenched his fists at his sides, already feeling One For All crackling toward the surface, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. "It's reserved for those who deserve it," he spat. 

The hockey mask obscured all of Red's face, but from the way his hairline shifted, Izuku knew he had raised his eyebrows at that. "You don't think I deserve it? But I'm doing my job so well." 

Izuku's breath hitched. It was at that moment he realized he was focused on the wrong threat. He was so stupid. He'd read up on Red and knew, he fucking knew damn it, that he never worked alone. Where Red was, Zero was never far off. 

He could hear the smirk in Red's tone, even through the voice modifier. Then, he heard the explosion against his back. 

Izuku was thrown forward from the force of it, directly into Red's chest. He had enough time to turn around before the villain wrapped his arms around his body, holding his arms tightly against his sides. He could feel the arms go from tough muscle to chiseled stone as Red activated his quirk. 

"Ya know," Red drawled, forcing Izuku's attention up toward him. "If you wanted me to sweep you off your feet, all you had to do was ask." 

The sudden flirting caught Izuku off guard, causing him to sputter in the villain's arms as he tried to wrap his mind around what the fuck was happening. 

"Keep it in your damn pants!" a new, gruffer but equally robotic voice shouted. 

Izuku snapped his head down, finding Zero standing in front of him with narrowed eyes. The villain was basically the matching pair to Red. An orange button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and black slacks. The only difference, besides their choice of color, was the mask. Where Red wore a hockey mask to cover his entire face, Zero only wore a black surgical mask with an orange X across it. 

It took Izuku all of two seconds to put the pieces together. He wasn't stupid, but apparently Zero was. 

"I had my suspicions," Izuku said quietly as the gears in his brain started to whir at the sight of the villain. "I'd be an idiot not to. A blond villain with an explosion quirk and a beyond-hostile personality? I mean, come on, Kacchan. I thought you were smarter than that." 

Red eyes narrowed slightly at the nickname. "And I thought you were stupider than that. I guess we're both disappointed." 

"Yeah," Izuku agreed, a newfound fire blazing in his eyes. "I guess we are." 

Zero, or rather Katsuki Bakugou, brought one hand up and hooked a finger over his mask, pulling it to rest under his chin. "Should I be offended or honored you made my nickname your hero name?" he asked, his own voice hitting Izuku's ears like a runaway train. 

What had happened to his childhood friend? The only person he knew who was more determined to become a hero than himself. How had he strayed so far from the only path he'd ever wanted to follow? 

Instead of answering, Izuku glanced over his shoulder at Red. "I assume this is the friend that failed at stealing gas station snacks. What was it, Kirishima?" 

He was deflecting, and it was painfully obvious, to the villains and himself. 

Red pushed him forward suddenly, causing Izuku to stumble for a moment before he caught himself. He turned just in time to watch the villain lift his mask, letting it rest on top of his head as a tooth smile showed on the redhead's face. "Awe, you remember me." 

Izuku took a step back, putting a foot of distance between himself and both villains on either side of him. "What happened to you, Kacchan?" he asked, desperation leaking into his voice without his permission. He'd spent years asking himself the same question. He could never understand where his best friend had gone without a word. Now he knew, but the how was beyond his reach. Nothing his own brain could come up with made any sort of sense. 

"Nothing happened to me, Deku. Stop being so damn naive," Katsuki spat, his arms crossing over his chest as he stood to his full height. 

Eijirou closed the distance between him and his partner, leaning one elbow against the blond's shoulder. It earned him a glare, but Katsuki did nothing to get away from the touch. "Do we kill him now?" Eijirou asked, his head tilting ever so slightly as he took in Izuku. "He's seen our faces, knows our names. We can't just let him walk away." 

Instinctually, a hand covered Izuku's mouth. Laughter threatened to spill from his lips, and after a second, he let it, holding his stomach as he nearly fell over. "It's adorable that you two amateurs think you can kill me. Do you know who I am?" 

"Who the fuck you calling amateurs?" Katsuki barked, shrugging Eijirou off when he just chuckled. 

Izuku wiped away a tear that had fallen during his laughing fit, taking a deep breath to sober himself up. "You two destroy more buildings than lives; I think I'll take my chances." 

Katsuki's jaw ticked before he took a step back, smacking Eijirou on the chest. "C'mon. He won't say shit." 

"You can't be serious," the redhead balked, looking between the hero and villain as if there was something he had missed. 

Izuku clenched his fists as anger burned in his gut. Katsuki had always had a habit of brushing him off, ever since they were kids. Now, they were adults who stood on opposite sides of the law. Izuku was Japan's number one, and Katsuki still wasn't taking him seriously. "What're you playing at, Kacchan?" he shouted at the blond's back. 

He stopped his retreat, looking over his shoulder with a satisfied smirk. "I was your best friend, Deku. I knew you better than anyone and still do. If you were gonna turn me in, you would have dropped that stupid fucking nickname." 

"You're betting our lives on a nickname?" Eijirou hissed, just loud enough for Izuku to pick up on it. At least one of them saw him for the threat he was. 

"Deku's a lot of things," Katsuki said simply, glancing at his partner before looking back to the hero. "Loyal's one of 'em. He won't do shit until he hears my side of the story, which he isn't getting any time soon." With that, he turned and continued to walk off, Eijirou trailing closely behind and throwing glances over his shoulder to see if Izuku would try to follow. 

He didn't, glued in place by the weight of what had just happened. He'd found him, after all these years, he'd found Katsuki. 

"They're still looking for you, you know!" Izuku shouted, unsure of what else he could even do. He didn't think he had it in him to fight the blond. He'd probably start crying and give the villain the upper hand. Controlling himself around Katsuki had never been his strong suit. 

His words at least got the villain to pause. 

"Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido," Izuku added, hoping and praying that something he said would get to Katsuki. If Izuku wasn't enough to bring him back, maybe the mention of the only other real friends he had would. "As soon as we graduated, they took your case. Haven't given up no matter how cold it went. They still... They're still looking for you, Kacchan. Does that mean nothing to you?" 

There was a tense pause. Izuku half expected the blond to give in; half expected him to aim an explosion right for him. Katsuki did neither. 

"Why would I give a damn if those shitty extras are looking for someone who doesn't exist anymore?" Katsuki asked, his voice coming out hoarse and tense. That was the last thing he said before he took off into the night with Eijirou a step behind. 

Izuku watched them both disappear into the darkness before he let himself breathe again. As the rush of adrenaline faded, the sting of his back was impossible to ignore. Not just his back, but his entire body. Katsuki's explosions had been a force to be reckoned with back in high school, but now it seemed as if he'd refined them. It had been a directed shot to Izuku's back, and he knew that the skin was already peeled away, leaving his flesh red and raw. 

He'd need to see a healer or medic. Which meant he'd need to tell people what had happened here and who he'd fought. 

Did he reveal the identities of Red and Zero, or did he keep that information to himself just like Katsuki had said he would? 

Izuku started back to his agency with a sigh, his mind already made up. Even years later, he hated when Katsuki was right. 

Ah finally, we've reached the good part.