Right Where I Needed to be

Seventeen

"What's on your mind?" I questioned to Iida as we slowly walked through the city. Once a week, we patrolled together. It was usually one a Friday, like today. There was more crime on the weekends, so most heroes chose to patrol together.

"What do you mean?" He asks in return. He sent me a confused look as we turned into an abandoned alleyway.

"You've been oddly silent since we started patrolling, and you're usually very talkative, so what's on your mind?" I ask once more. Iida let out a heavy sigh, knowing that nothing had gotten past me. "If it's the thing that's been distracting you and you're not ready to talk about it, that's okay," I added with a smile, not wanting him to feel pressured.

"It is, but I'm ready to tell you." He responded as he stopped halfway down the alley, enjoying the shade the two big brick buildings provided. "I've been talking with Shoto, and we've decided that I should move in with him." He said with a sad smile. "Living with you has been great, and I thank you for letting me stay with you."

"That's what has been bothering you?" I questioned with a small laugh as I watched his body relax. "Iida, people don't have roommates forever."

"You're not mad or anything?" He asked me with confusion.

"Of course not." I replied with a smile. "I'm extremely happy for you and Todoroki." I was a little bummed, but I wasn't going to let him know that. I knew it would eventually happen, but I wasn't expecting it to be for a few more months. I can't stand to be alone, knowing that all I'm going to do is think about how sick I am. Having someone around distracted me, but I knew it was selfish of me to keep him around for that reason.

"You just always have a roommate, so I figured you struggled to afford the fees from the penthouse." He responded nervously as a group of kids ran down the street, reminding us that we were still patrolling.

"It's not that I can't afford it, because I can." I responded with a shrug as we continued walking down the alley, away from the street. "I know a lot of people forget since I don't talk about it too much, especially to people who aren't employed at Might Tower, but I do have my own agency. Not to mention, we make decent money from being in the top twenty heroes." Endeavor and Hawks were still filling the top two spots, but my classmates and I were slowly climbing the ladder.

"I never thought about that I guess." He responded simply as we rounded the corner. "Why do you always look for a new roommate then?" He asked me.

"I like having someone else around." I responded honestly. "It's no big deal, though. I'm really happy for you and Todoroki."

"Thank you." He whispered happily. My left foot slipped on the ground below us when I took another step forward. My arms began flailing around, trying to catch my balance once more before Iida grabbed my arm, steadying me.

"Thanks." I mumbled, taking a deep breath. I watched his eyes widen in horror as he looked to the ground. With confusion, I followed his gaze. My eyes widened in terror, and my breathing hitched in my throat when I saw what I had slipped in. "I-Is that.."

"Blood." Iida continued, releasing my arm. We slowly followed the thick trail to a stack of trash bags near a dumpster. With a deep breath, Iida picked up one of the large trash bags and set it aside. One by one, we moved the bags to the middle of the alley. We saw a patch of blond hair peeking out, and our hearts fell to our stomachs as we began throwing the bags faster.

"Ojiro?" I question in shock. Iida dropped to his knees, grabbing our old classmate's wrist to check for a pulse. My heart was racing, and I felt sick to my stomach. I continued staring down in shock, unsure if this was real. When I saw the number seventeen painted on his chest, I knew it was. The U.A. Killer killed another one. Ojiro was lying in a pool of his blood, his eyes wide open. His tail was lying up by his head, no longer connected to his body. He had several stab wounds to most of his body and cuts lingering on his face. If I didn't know his hero costume and see his tail, I wouldn't even be sure it was him.