Silhouette

Ch. 4

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.