Red Shoes: an MHA Tale

Chapter 15: Nightmares

The Nighteye Agency faced backlash the following week. Although they mostly did not blame Deku for the bombing, there were charges made on account of recklessness and interference. No call for assistance was given by Lemillion and Deku was supposed to be investigating the warehouse incident.

Thankfully, the Agency's attorney helped drop the harsher charges but Deku was sentenced to no longer work against the case. However, in the middle of the court, he cried out how the villains responsible kidnapped his wife.

At the same time, the police already knew and were investigating the Midoriya residence for clues. Ochako was no where to be found, but there were signs of a struggle. Furniture was tossed everywhere as if she used her Quirk on everything in the room. She would not go without a fight.

It was suspected that the Purity Alliance could be targeting the loved ones of all the pro-heroes involved in the warehouse incident. While Deku was placed under house-arrest to prevent any possible meddling in the cases, increased protection was enforced on the families of Red Riot, Tsukuyomi, Real Steel, and the others. Security at the UA dorms also increased to protect the students.

Late at night, Eri tossed and turned in her bed. Kai Chisaki was sitting at the foot of her mattress with his bird-like mask on.

"You are such a burden." He said. "Come. Let us fix you."

Thunder cracked in the dim light of the moon through the window to reveal his arms were missing. Yet everything around them seem to come apart and get back together at random. Particles from the bed and the walls floated around Eri's face, clouding her sight as a devilish figure flew from the shadows of the far, darker wall untouched by the light of the moon and lunged at her with piercing yellow eyes. His horrific scream shattered her heart and her ears.

Then Eri jolted awake and sat up mid-scream. She looked around her bedroom and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Once she knew she was safe, she began to cry.

After a brief minute of silent sobbing and clutching her Deku themed plush doll, she hushed herself as she heard voices outside her door.

"There you are! Go in there and see what's up with her!" One of her female classmates ordered someone.

The door opened then shut as Katsuma rushed in. "Eri? I-Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Just a bad dream." Eri insisted.

"Your horn is bigger." The curly-haired boy pointed out. "Are you sure you're alright, Er?"

She nodded silently.

"Is it about Deku?" He asked.

Eri shook her head. "Well. Kinda. It's everything."

Katsuma stepped toward her bed. "Um. May I?" He gestured to the edge asking in context to sit down.

Eri nodded again.

"I'm scared too."

The horned girl looked up and met eyes with her friend.

"I know it's not professional or manly or anything a real hero should be but I just... On the train, I just felt so useless." Katsuma admitted. He lifted his legs up and hugged them on her bed.

"Well, I know one thing. You're wrong about manliness. Just talk to Red Riot and he'll let you know." Eri said with a side smile and a tilt of her head.

"But I can't keep the fear away." He sighed. "When I was little, Deku risked everything to save my life. But there was a moment where no one was left to protect us. Just me and my sister. And I let her get between me and the villain..."

"You've told that story. And I remember Deku telling me that you ran to save her." Eri said. She reached over and wrapped her fingers over his arm gently. "I've talked with Deku here and there since the semester began. You and Kota are so much stronger than you both think. But Deku told me that you are so much like him, that it scares him more than you."

Katsuma exhaled. "In that moment, it seemed like nothing else mattered. I just wanted my sister safe. I wanted the fighting and the destruction to stop if it meant I'd lose my Quirk."

"You were willing to sacrifice. That's a true hero, Katsuma. I saw that in you myself on the train. Just because you couldn't fight those powerful villains doesn't mean you'll always be that unprepared or powerless. Failure does not make you less of a hero. I know that much." Eri explained.

He sat motionless in thought. Then, he looked her in the eyes again.

Eri sighed. "I get nightmares like this all the time. Just a side effect of being a child slave."

"Something was different though, wasn't it? Satsuki doesn't normally wake me up to talk to you." Katsuma questioned.

"No. She usually checks on me herself..." Eri giggled to herself. "I think she just wanted to give you a chance for once."

"Weird." Katsuma suddenly realized something and blushed. "Um. What?"

"Thanks for coming to check up on me, Katsuma. But you might want to get back to your own dorm before Mr. Serizawa catches you." She said.

The boy was a stuttering mess from that moment on. So Eri climbed out of her sheets and walked him to the door, but not before quickly kissing his cheek. "Don't tell Kota about this. I want you guys to be friends. He's just not that good with emotional stuff."

Before Katsuma could say anything about the last two seconds, she rushed him out and shut the door behind him.

Not another second later, Mr. Serizawa passed into the hall with a flashlight directly over the boy's face.

"Shimano, please tell me I have not caught you doing something you shouldn't." He said with an exhausted frown.

Katsuma froze up then looked around for any nonexistent alibis or help.

"How about two weeks worth of dorm chores. Does this make us even?" The teacher asked.

He sighed and dropped his head in defeat before nodding silently.

"Good. Now, straight to your dorm. Anymore sleep lost for me and I'll add two more weeks to your sentence." Serizawa declared.

~~~~~~~

Deku did not sleep that night. Not at all since the news. He wouldn't touch the bed, or the living room where it happened. He couldn't leave his apartment. He couldn't even don his hero suit. Just sit there for another two weeks. If it weren't for his recklessness in abandoning the warehouse investigation to attack the villains on the train, he would have been granted full access to the search for Ochako. His wife and best friend.

But he couldn't wait then. Why should he wait now? The weight of his emotions to his responsibility constantly shifted balance minute after minute. As a professional hero and a growing Symbol, he had a responsibility to uphold the laws that sustain him and the rest of hero society.

But on the other hand, being a hero means doing what's right no matter what. And not waiting for a moment of convenience to arrive.

Then again, even if he were to defy his subordinates. Where would he look? How would he find her and the Purity Alliance in time? Everything has since led to a dead end.

However, this was more than just another innocent civilian that needed his help. This was Ochako. His best friend and wife. The most important person in his life. In the hands of murderers and child slave owners. There's no telling how much time he had or what they might do to her.

They were taunting him. Testing him. They know there's nothing he can do about it.

One For All burned within his veins as his eyes grew bright green. His fists tightened, the force sending quick gusts of wind through the apartment.

He felt like a fire, building up and growing in power, trapped inside a box.