Days later, with Izuku

Night time

Izuku: Jesus, what did she do to you, girl? It should be illegal for her to keep driving you; this is just abuse.

*Izuku said to himself as he finished fixing another part of Yaoyorozu's car engine. He got up and sighed, cracking his back. He glanced at the clock with a click of his tongue, becoming extremely annoyed.*

Izuku: Damn it, old man, where the hell are you with my baby?

Izuku muttered bitterly to himself as he took his phone out and called his father.

Chizome:mh...hello?

*Chizome said in a groggy tone, making Izuku take a deep, annoyed, hot breath.*

Izuku, please, oh, please tell me you didn't forget you borrowed my baby mutt and were supposed to bring it to me at the end of the day.

Chizome: Ups, give me like... 1 or maybe 2 hours.

Izuku: Fuck that. Just get my baby back to me tomorrow, and I'll walk home.

Chizome: Are you sure that's a good idea?

*Izuku smirked, flexing a bit, looking himself in the mirror.*

Izuku: I'm the guy who won a death tournament in Tartarus.

Chizome: The same guy who was having panic attacks at the second end of the tournament is also the guy who hasn't done any serious training except light workouts in 4 years.

*Not exactly a lie. Izuku stopped doing intensive workouts, lost his defined muscle, and is a "little chubby kero." As Tsuyu told him, his strength from his prison days is pretty much gone. Izuku only does enough to keep his back healthy.

Izuku: "Fair, but I'll be fine. Just make sure you have my car, and I swear it's the last time I give it to somebody.

*Izuku hung up and started walking home. It was a slow journey, seeing as today was an annoying day pain-wise and he needed to use his cane as a consequence of walking for 5 straight hours a few days ago. *Izuku's half way home when he hears the undeniable sound of a scream. Someone was in danger.

Stay back, I'm warning you!!

*Izuku froze as the world slowed down. The sound came from a woman in trouble, and he could tell she was scared by her tone. *Izuku glanced with his left eye at the alleyway where the sound came from, thinking what to do.

Izuku: Oh, magneto, damn it...

Zuku walked fast to the alleyway and saw two shadows fighting over a gun. Zuku grabbed his cane as a bat and broke it on the man's head, knocking him unconscious.

Izuku: Are you okay, ma'am?

Lois: Yes, thank you so much. I can't believe this brute was trying to get his way with me, and here I thought Japan was such a nice place.

*Lois kicked the man in the gut with her high heels, making Izuku chuckle.*

Izuku: Japan is a beautiful place, but it's got its share of problems, like any other nation. The difference is that we know to hide it. What's your name, miss?

Lois:lane Lois Lane, the 4th I'm an international reporter. Good to meet you, sir.

Izuku flinched and internally groaned.

Izuku:If it's not heroes, it's the fucking media."

Izuku: Well, Miss Lane, I recommend you just walk away, being a woman, and me being quirkless, if we call the police, even if I just defended you and you were the victim, the police is going to be biased, and believe the knocked-out scumbag, here some money for cab fare. Good luck.

*Izuku gave some cash to Miss Lane and walked away as fast as his limbing body would let him; sadly for him, there was someone in the shadows that saw the whole thing.*

Later in the night,

*Izuku was sleeping peacefully, hugging Tsuyu's pillow that still smelled like her, when he was awoken by the sound of the door knocking, making him wake up groaning.*

Izuku: You already did a good thing for today; just ignore it.

*The sound of the knock got louder and louder until Izuku got up.*

Izuku:MOTHER FUCKER, IM COMING, IM COMING, JUST FUCKING SHUT UP!!!

*Izuku got dressed, grabbing his pure metal cane. Whoever it was, when he hit them with this, it was really going to hurt.*

Izuku: Whoever you are, I swear if you are a magnevangelist, I swear you will see your Lord tonight!

*Izuku opened the door, and his eyes widen a little as in front of him was uraraka ochako and behind her was a par of cops. *Izuku's eyes narrow looking at his former first true friend*

Izuku: Can I help you, Miss Urava?

Ochako: Yes, may we come in?

*Izuku put his hand on the doorframe, stopping Uraraka from walking inside. Izuku could see in the background the cops putting their hands on their guns, making Izuku's eyes roll at the back of his head.

Izuku: Yeah, I'll say this as kindly as I possibly can. I know my rights, so unless you and your two trigger happy minions have a warrant behind your backs, you are not stepping foot in my house.

Policeman: Listen here, you...

Izuku: Oh, and here comes the intimidation. Please do it. I'm sure my security cameras with audio will just love to film that.

*The policemen stopped in their tracks, making Izuku smirk. He then looked at Uraraka.*

Izuku: Well, if that's all, come back with a warrant. I'm going to sleep.

Uraraka: izuku Please don't make this difficult. I saw you helping that woman.

Izuku: Then shouldn't you thank me for doing your job?

Uraraka:izuku I don't think you know just how badly you messed up. That man was an undercover pro-hero; he was supposed to assault that woman in order to end a gang, but now he's in the hospital because of you.

Izuku: So in other words, you're pulling a sir's night eye. You don't care if an innocent woman is forever traumatized as long as you get your guy. Wow, good to know UA's finest are truly pro heroes.

Uraraka:izuku This is serious. Stop being difficult and let me help you.

Izuku: If you want to help me get the warrant

Uraraka: Izuku, stop acting like you didn't just destroy the month of work of a very important undercover mission, so please do yourself a favor and come with us peacefully.

Izuku: I'm not being difficult; I just know my rights.

*Izuku tired to close the door, but Okako forced her way inside and tackled him, making him grunt in pain as she twisted his arms to put his hands in cuffs.*

Ochako: Izuku Midoriya, you are under arrest for resisting arrest, for interrupting an ongoing investigation, and for vigilantism.

Izuku: Oh, you fucking bitch!

*Izuku squirmed, trying to break free, but Uraraka roughly picked him up and sat him down on the police car. Izuku was livid with this.

Izuku:Oh, uncle Masaru will have a field day with them!"

Later

*We saw Izuku in the police station cell when the door was opened.*

Policeman: Midoriya, your lawyer is here.

Izuku: Thank you, Magneto.

*Izuku got up and walked with the policeman to the private room; he smiled seeing his uncle there.*

Izuku: Uncle, sorry for waking you up at 3 in the morning.

Masaru: Think nothing of it; tell me what happened.

Zuku sat down and explained what he did. Masaru sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

Masaru: I see, chances are they destroyed the video evidence, showing how corrupt they are.

Izuku: Great, so what can you do?

Masaru: What I always do is win the case, but it being you, and you know, people not seeing you in the best of light, they'll no doubt drag their feet on a jury date. In the meantime, you'll have to stay in jail.

*The world seemed to slow down for Izuku after 4 years of freedom. Will he go back just for doing the right thing?*

Real world

*Izuku froze as the world slowed down. The sound came from a woman in trouble, and he could tell she was scared by her tone. *Izuku glanced with his right eye at the road ahead for him to go home and just ignore the woman in trouble.

Inside Izuku's mind

*Izuku looked at the alleyway; he could see two shadows, one obviously in danger and the other in a threatening manner. *Izuku walked away, ignoring the screams and shutting his eyes tightly.

Izuku: Don't get involved. Not my business, not my problem. You're a civilian, not a pro-hero.

Zuku muttered bitterly to himself as the bloodcurtailing screams got louder but suddenly stopped. Zuku froze for a second, closing his eyes tight, before he kept going home, knowing someone died because of his inaction.

The next day

*Izuku woke up from a dreamless sleep. The events of last night were still haunting his head as he looked around, seeing his room and nobody but himself in the mirror. He took a few deep breaths and sat on the bed, putting his hands over his face.

Izuku: You are not a pro-hero; you are a civilian. There was nothing that you could have done.

Zuku muttered bitterly to himself as his hands started shaking a bit in pain. He grabbed a bottle and took some pills.

Izuku: If you had helped, what could you have possibly done? You're in no shape to help anybody, so stop it. You have nothing to feel guilty about. And I'm talking to a mirror like a lunatic. My magneto, I need some coffee.

*Izuku said to himself before getting up, even after sleeping for hours, he felt restless. Going to the bathroom, he did his routine: took a shower, brushed his teeth, brushed his still-unkept hair, got dressed, sat on the bed, and put on the radio as he tied his shoes.*

Radio: In other news, two bodies were found in an alleyway, a mother and her child dead. The investigators still don't know...

*Izuku turned the radio off and covered his face with his hands.*

Izuku: Couldn't it just be hero news?

*Izuku takes a cigarette, puts it in his mouth, and starts to smoke as he doesn't even look himself in the mirror, not wanting to see the reality of the situation but rather pretending that he's fine.*

Izuku: Stop thinking about it, just go to work. Time to start the day.

*Izuku got down almost tripping himself at the stairs as his door was knocked. He walked to it, opening the door, seeing his father there holding izuku's car keys. Chizome's eyes widen as he looks at his son. He opens his mouth to try and be supportive.

Chizome: Man, son, you look like shit.

Izuku: and good morning to you too, asshole.

Zuku said, taking his keys and walking back inside. Chizome followed his son inside, closing the door behind him.

Izuku: Staying a bit?

Chizome: Sure, why not? Business is slow, and Kaina is off on an undercover mission. Don't mind having breakfast with your old man, do you?

Izuku, how are you and Kaina doing?

Chizome: We're not at your mother's and Ryuko's level, but we're doing fine. What about you?

Izuku: Just missing Tsuyu. I really could use her right now so she can calm me down.

Chizome: Then talk to me.

Izuku: Yeah, no. Set the table, would you?

*Chizome sets the table as Izuku finishes making breakfast, putting their plates on the table.*

Chizome:fancy-looking pancakes you made. I didn't know your mother taught you to cook like...

Izuku: If you have a problem, don't eat it.

Chizome: No problem, just saying anyway, let's eat.

Izuku and Chizome: Itadakimasu

*Izuku started eating for a bit until he sighed, put his utensil down, and looked at his father.*

Izuku: Is there any reason why you are staring at me?

Chizome: I'm just wondering how long until you finally talk about what's bothering you.

Izuku: Just feeling restless and missing Tsuyu, same as usual, do drop it.

Chizome: That's a lie. You never act like this when Tsuyu's gone, so come on, just tell me.

Izuku: You are not going to drop it, are you?

Chizome: No, I am not. You got your stubbornness from your mother, but your never-give-up attitude from me, so spit it out.

Izuku: Last night walking home, I was witness to the murder that everyone was talking about this morning on the news, and I just walked away.

Chizome: You walked away?

Izuku: Please don't repeat what I said because I don't need that today. I mean what was I supposed to do? Just run into the action and hit them with the cane? Like you said, I haven't done any intensive training in years. All I would have done was get myself more hurt than I already am. I did what was right by walking away.

Chizome: And that's why you're telling me this? Because you feel like you did the right thing so much that it's eating you up inside?

Izuku: I should have waited for Tsuyu to come home. I don't know why I'm talking to you.

Chizome: Because you feel guilty about walking away, and you should be

Izuku:excuse me? Are you really going to talk to me about walking away?

Chizome: Yes, I am because I have experience. When I walked away from you and your mother, I thought I was doing what was right. I was so sure and blinded by my beliefs. I was so sure of what was best for me that, like an idiot, I thought I made the right choice that I could look back at my life and say I did it right, but now? I feel nothing but shame and disgust at the younger me. I still feel such guilt when I see your mother. Everything I made her and you suffer. I'm happy she was able to find happiness and love, but me walking away. It's something that will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I don't want the same for you.

*Chizome got up and looked at Izuku. In his eyes, he saw that Izuku was the 4-year-old boy of so long ago, making him out a bitter chuckle and have a smile on his face.*

Chizome: Learn from my mistake, son. If you can look back on your choices without regret, then you've made the right choice.

*Chizome walked out, leaving Izuku alone there with his thoughts. Izuku closed his eyes as the thoughts were getting louder and louder until he opened his eyes. His house was gone. The whole world was gone. It was just a black void with two people, Izuku and his younger self, looking at him.

Young Izuku: I can't believe this is what I grew up as—someone who would just run away from saving someone in need.

Older Izuku: Magneto, was I always this annoyingly optimistic? Listen, you little shit...

Young Izuku: No, you listen! Just look at yourself! You used to be the person who would never give up, the person who would save anyone with a smile. What happened to dying with a smile because you saved just one person?

Older izuku: You said it yourself, younger me. Look at me! This is what happened to me for trying to help, for wanting to save people, for fucking trusting people! I lost everything; the world just took and took and left me with nothing!! And my magneto sacrificing my life to save someone—was I that fucked up in the head? Did I need people to like me so much that I was really willing to give up my life as if it meant less to me than the people I was saving? You want me to just give all I managed to get up? Now that I have managed to crawl my way into a comfortable, happy life, you want me to what? Ruin it for somebody I don't even know?! Fuck that and fuck you do. I don't care if there's a fucking war going on. I'm not getting involved; it's not my problem!!

*Younger Izuku just looked at his older self with nothing but disgust and disappointment.*

Younger: I'm glad I'm dead, so I don't have to see just how pathetic I became.

*Younger Izuku left as the world started coming back into view.*

Real world

The world started to return to its normal pace. Zuku's eyes kept moving side to side; he needed to make a decision and make it now: will he help the person in trouble or will he walk away? Zuku's feet started to walk in a direction; his gut was already making the decision for him, and that decision will be...

To be continued on Patreon

Special thanks to:

Ben knight

Fateee

Ricardo Cano

Jacob Mooe

Abdalali

Sarudark

nT_wolf 0

Nuker2025

Ayham Alqaissi

José Ruiz de Austri

George Alves

Thai Nguyen

Trevor Ferguson

Ty Kennedy

Randomblackman

Jameil fluker

Osbaldo

Ace

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