Touch of Chaos

Chapter 6

Ok, so coffee with Eraserhead was a WHOLE lot more awkward than he thought it would be, especially as they were both in their hero (or, in Izukus's case, Vigilante) gear.

It certainly earned them a weird look or two from the tired barista.

They sat across from each other in the small cafe and waited for their drinks in uncomfortable silence. It didn't take long for their drinks to be bought out. Izuku stirred his iced coffee (he would have rathered a hot drink, but he wouldn't be able to drink it with his mask).

"So, Eraserhead," he cleared his throat, "explain this 'deal' to me."

So maybe the coffee thing was just Aizawa buying time to think of something. Honestly, what was he supposed to say to gain the Vigilante's trust? The cafe was closer than he would have liked. He had to think fast. He looked at Chaos, sitting in front of him and swinging his legs lazily, waiting for Aizawa to speak.

He had an idea, but it was up to the kid to make his choice.

"I will, but I need you to tell me something first,"

He looked at Aizawa, waiting for him to make the first move. His brown eyes stared into his soul, analyzing his every move, his every breath, and every word.

"Is this the life you want, kid? Do you want to be this, the law-bending Vigilante causing trouble at every turn?" A risky question, but necessary.

"Why would you care?" His words coated in animosity, yet, somehow sounding more frightened than angry.

"Just answer the question."

"...No."

A heavy silence fell over them, thicker than the uncomfortable tension in the air. Chaos's critical eyes darted around, trying to avoid catching Aizawa's gaze.

He noticed Chaos fiddling with his hoodie, touching it softly as if it was the only thing grounding him to the reality around him.

Aizawa took a deep breath, uncharacteristically nervous, "Do you want to be a hero, Chaos?"

"Get to the point Eraser." He snapped, no ounce of fear left in his stern voice.

"You are young. I know that much at least. I want to help you if you will let me. I want to call a cease-fire of sorts, and I want to help you get through the U.A entrance exams."

He took a sip of his coffee and looked the Vigilante in the eyes. "I don't care about all of this, the crime-fighting and the law-breaking. But kid, you have to trust me. We can help you. But you need to stop running."

"You want to arrest me, Eraserhead. You haven't been subtle about that, so why in the hell should I trust you?" his point was exaggerated with an eye roll that put even Aizawa to shame.

"Like I said, kid, cease-fire."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Kid, if you don't let me help you, the next step will be to bring Endeavor onto the case, and you know how he deals with Vigilantism."

Izuku grit his teeth behind his mask, "So, either I accept your 'help' or, I get burned to death?" He slipped his straw under his mask and took a long sip of his drink, still keeping his scrutinizing gaze locked with Aizawas.

"Kid, all I want from you is a yes or a no. No 'I'll think about it' just a simple yes or no."

Sure, Izuku didn't expect that. His thoughts were blank.

What a rare event. Normally his thoughts were twisting and turning, strangling him with their murmurs. What was he supposed to do in this situation? He didn't think Aizawa was the type to lie about this sort of thing, and he really didn't want to die a fiery death.

But he could be lying, and Izuku didn't want to end up in Tartarus. He had so much more to do.

"Explain to me. What will happen if I say yes?"

"To start with, you will stop patrolling by yourself. I won't ask you to stop your work as Chaos, that is unlikely to happen. Instead, I want you to work with me. We will patrol together, I will supervise your work. We will train together, and I will help prepare you for the exams."

He stopped for another sip of coffee before continuing, "And I need to know who you are. It doesn't have to be right now. But when you are comfortable, you will need to tell me. And if you are going to agree, you will need to tell me how old you are, kid."

He watched Chaos's face. He didn't show any emotion like Aizawa thought he would. His eyes gave nothing away. He was silent for so long that Aizawa started to get worried. What was he going to tell Tsukauchi if the kid said no?

"Ok, damn, that's deep old man."

"That's not an answer kid."

A long pause sent chills down Aizawas spine. Fear lingering before the kid let out a sharp breath and responded,

"Yes."