【𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 • 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐊𝐔 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑】

15| Deal

"You can continue with your worthless life,

or you can become someone who matters."

❧

"I am not worthless," you snarl, standing from your chair, "My life is not some random coincidence."

"But you're alone," Midoriya says, "and that, my dear, can be just as bad."

You crumble back into your seat. He's right.

You're alone.

Your parents are dead. Your brother is dead. You don't have any friends and no one who would look for you. Hiroto's murderer is still out there, but you have zero leads. You clench your fists.

But there's a solution sitting right in front of you.

You grin, sitting back down in front of Midoriya.

"Tell me, Midoriya," you ask, "are you a hero?"

"I'm no hero," he responds, glaring at you, "not anymore."

The answer shocks you, and you once again find yourself wondering about the person in front of you. "My brother was recently murdered," you say, as if it was an everyday occurrence, "no more than two days ago, actually."

You keep the grief from you voice. Hide all signs of remorse. Midoriya's eyes show a flash of sympathy, but it's gone in an instant, replaced by curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat.

"So," you start, humoring Midoriya's shattered sense of pride, "as your last act of heroism, only if you help me find his murderer will I join you."

"You act as if I need you by my side; as if I am some damsel in distress in need of saving." The former hero remarks, leaning back in his chair. He glares at you, clearly confused but trying to hide it. You can practically hear his thoughts: Why would she want to join me? What's in it for her?

You watch his eyes as he takes you in, taking you apart and analyzing every piece. He mutters to himself, eyes sharper than a sword.

"But you're alone," you grin, repeating his words, "and that, my dear, can be just as bad."

"Alright then," Midoriya says, standing up and offering a hand, "a favor for a favor. We'll take turns."

You don't know why he's taken an interest in you. What could he get out of this deal? But you? You get the world's former top-hero to help you solve a murder.

There couldn't be a better partner.

You take his hand, noting the cold lingering there.

"It's a deal," you grimace, "a favor for a favor."

❧

Never trust a survivor until you know what they did to survive.

The words or advice echo in your head; you've heard the phrase so many times, but now you feel as if it really applies to your life.

How did he survive?

Midoriya is in the basement of the store, doing who knows what. Even though you accepted his deal, he's still as mysterious as ever. What could he possibly want from you?

You fully intend on asking him.

You start to climb down the ladder carefully, feeling a sense of pride at being able to do so without your partner's help. You hop down, favoring your sprained ankle, and only when you look up do you realize what a mistake it was.

Midoriya is sitting on the bed, half naked. He has no shirt on. You blush.

But that's not it - not entirely. It's the scars.

Rippling and coursing down his chest, as if someone had torn apart the hero and stitched him back together. Your blush fading, you walk over to him, covering your mouth with your hands.

"Oh my god," you whisper, sitting down beside him.

He's silent, staring at the ground. The bandages are beside him, as if he was tying to dress his own wound. A gash is on his shoulder; you didn't even notice it. You make no move to help. He's unpredictable, you remind yourself, even as your heart pings with sympathy.

"Does it hurt?" You ask carefully, eyes trailing over the huge scar that trails from Midoriya's shoulder to his navel. It's pale in color and looks as if he was cut open.

"It did," he explains, "years ago, when I first received it."

You look up, wanting to hear the story but too afraid to ask. Instead, you whisper. "I can't believe someone would do this to you."

That got Midoriya's attention, his eyes snapping to yours. A small smile plays across his lips. "Your view of the world must be so shattered to believe that people aren't capable of hurting one another."

You stare at him, meeting his intense gaze.

"My view of the world is not shattered," you say, matching his tone of voice, "it has been obliterated. I believe that people are selfish. I believe that people are cruel. People rob each other of happiness without a second thought."

You pause.

"I just never thought someone would do this to you."

Midoriya seems surprised at your statement, but that hint of surprise is gone in an instant. 

"Some aren't as old," he grins, as if proud of them, "I got this one only a week ago."

He points to his stomach, where a large burn scar resides, shaped like a small explosion. You tilt your head. "How?"

"Don't worry," Midoriya says, "they got something in return."

His voice is sinister, and you almost flinch, but he looks so wounded and broken you can't bring yourself to be scared. 

You don't want to ask about his shoulder, instead you silently help him dress the wound. It looks new; you figure it's related to the blood that was on his hands. 

Finally, once his shoulder is bandaged, you muster up the courage to ask the question that's been on your mind since the beginning. 

"How . . . " you start, " . . . did you survive?"

"Survive what, my dear?" Midoriya grins, "unfortunately I've survived too much to distinguish the events."

"How did you survive after All Might died?" You say, pushing out the sentence in one breath. Midoriya freezes, his body tensing up.

"That's the thing . . . "

" . . . I didn't"

❧