Nonchalant

Chapter 26

Izuku had been conflicted about his name. He wasn't even sure whether or not he needed one.

But he could see Eraser's mind turn as the hero called him 'kid' all the time. Izuku decided that a name would surely convenience him, if not just a little bit. 

He'd initially wanted to use 'Deku' but Eraser was smart. He'd be able to connect the dots instantly, regardless of the pro even remembered him.

Who knows? Kacchan might even give a shit about him and have a stroke if he found out that useless Deku was doing something 'heroic'.

This is Kacchan you're talking about. Don't be so hopeful.

The voice in his head was right as always. Izuku was being unrealistic.

On another note, he was starving.

Izuku dug through his food stock and assessed his resources. He currently had half a bag of sliced bread, discarded by an angry high schooler who was about to toss it in the trash before Izuku caught it behind his back.

There was also a cereal bar, a pack of vitamin gummies, a red bean bun, and a bag of grapes he found when a woman was throwing them out, complaining about finding a moldy grape.

Izuku knew that it probably wasn't a good idea, but he didn't have many options. He picked the bad one out and washed the rest.

He was getting better at scavenging. People also threw way too much stuff. It was dumb.

Izuku picked up a handful of grapes and started nibbling at the fruit. The sweet taste was refreshing and it tasted good.

"Hey, got any grapes?" He mumbled under his breath. He was going nuts for the fourth time this week, going so far as to quote internet memes.

Not that they were bad. He just wasn't obsessed with them like some of the kids in his class.

Izuku stood up and grabbed his dented pipe and his rope, winding it up and tucking it into his pocket.

Another night of trying to find a will to live, strong enough to withstand the horrors known as life.

Sumiko was already a big reason for why he was alive today, but it still wasn't enough to combat his will to die. It was twice as strong as All Might, maybe even stronger.

No. Definitely stronger.

His rooftop parkour was strangely something he enjoyed. The wind was always cold and carefree as it pricked his face and rejuvenated him.

The adrenaline was what motivated him to come out each night. Sometimes he would stay out until dawn and be able to witness the bright rays of the morning sun as it ascended from the city line. It was a beautiful sight.

Speaking of which, he should go right now.

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Aizawa was not looking forward to this.

His patrol seemed more unappealing than usual when he faced the problem known as 'Kuzu'. So far, all he knew was that the kid was 152 centimeters (5ft) at best. He was thin, relatively pale, and his dark circles were pitch-black. 

The worst thing was his eyes and his voice.

Kuzu's eyes were blank, dark, and empty. It was like staring into an endless abyss. There was no life, no spark that showed he was alive. He could be mistaken for a corpse and no one would know.

His voice was calm and collected and almost sounded like he was an adult, but Aizawa could hear how young he really was. It horrified him.

'Kuzu' wasn't helping, either. Giving yourself a name that literally meant waste was a disturbing discovery. When Aizawa had received the kid's letter, he had to double check the name to make sure he wasn't seeing things, and the use of such a word as a name was a depressing fact.

But it was all the better to go out tonight to make sure he stopped the kid from throwing himself into street brawls. He didn't want the kid to die, assuming he was still healing from his injuries. Kuzu hadn't shown up for a week. Either he was resting or Aizawa was bad at his job.

It was probably the former.

Aizawa decided to pack extra bandages like he had been doing for the past few days. Just as a precaution.

He did his usual routine, checking for robberies and assaults, breaking up some fights, dropping off some people at the station. He'd stop for a quick break of terrible coffee from a nearby vending machine and be on his way again. 

All the while, he kept an eye out for Kuzu.

Finally, at the unearthly hour of 2 a.m., he spotted the kid in an alley, accompanied by a young boy and a tied up man, lying against a wall. The boy looked to be around nine or ten, and he was crying rivers.

Kuzu was holding a handkerchief and mopping away the tears and mucus as he gave the boy a hug and a pat on the head. When would he try to move away, presumably to check on the man, the boy would cling to him and cry harder, and Kuzu would wipe away more tears.

Aizawa landed with a soft thud on the ground. Kuzu stared from the corner of his eye and the boy clutched his hoodie. 

"What happened?" he started off. Kuzu turned back to the child.

"Sexual assault. He said the man took him from school in the afternoon and kept him in a room for a long time. I spotted them as he tried to bring him somewhere else," 

Kuzu pointed to the man's pocket. "Makato said the man was checking his phone frequently. There might be something of value in there."

Makato, he assumed was the child, was sniffing and eyeing Aizawa with a hesitant gaze.

Aizawa secured the assaulter with his capture weapon, though the man was probably unconscious. He could see the man was still breathing.

Kuzu lead Makato to Aizawa. "Makato, this is a hero. You said you liked heroes, right? Well, Eraser Head will be taking you back to your parents now, so you don't have to be scared of him." Kuzu spoke in a low voice. 

Makato grasped Aizawa's scarf end and smiled as he played with the cloth. The pro extended some of it so the child could have more to play with.

Damn it. I can't go after him again. Not with the guy and this child. 

Kuzu seemed to know that, too. He pulled out a notebook, scribbled in it for a few minutes, then ripped the page out and handed it to Aizawa. It was another detailed paragraph about what happened. 

"Wait. What about the man's quirk? Did he use it on you?" Aizawa asked worriedly. Kuzu shrugged, staring into the sky. 

"It was an illusion quirk. That's how he got to Makato. His quirk's on the back."

Aizawa flipped the page and was flabbergasted by the sheer amount of material he saw.

Lmao I'm ending it here coz I'm tired as hell

Imma binge stuff now ( •̀ ω •́ )✧