A Silent Kind of Strength

Chapter 74

Izuku floated in and out of awareness in the large hospital room that was being used for a chunk of the kids from the camp. They had them separated into two groups, one for those with physical injuries, and one for those affected by the unknown gas.

The tiny country hospital was struggling a bit with the large influx of teens so they did what they could. Converting a large conference hall and a communal waiting area into spaces for the younglings in need. The teen was distantly grateful that they were too busy to check everyone's quirk status.

Izuku had been placed in a bed near a large window with no blinds. Able to watch as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. The light steadily killing off the darkness of a night full of terror, bringing forth a new day. Except the teen couldn't seem to let go of the shadows holding his mind captive. Flashes of blood and desperation stained the back of his eyelids, visible every time he blinked. But completely ignored in the face of the deep feeling of loss the greenette was trying to process.

His best friend was gone, taken right out from under their noses. And Izuku hadn't even tried to help him. A roster of his classmates were assigned to keep an eye on him, he wasn't allowed to sleep for 12 hours so those who weren't injured were asked to help the nurses.

Todoroki was the one on concussion duty when Yaoyarozu awoke from the quirk exhaustion related slumber. The others who were awake all greeted her quietly before asking for what all she had done during the events. All of them who were up to speaking had been passing stories back and forth, comparing each other's memories and trying to get a picture of the whole giant battle.

It was a very rough picture so far with most of the students in the area where the gas had been unconscious or resting after carrying so many others free of the danger. The greenette in the corner had, of course, been listening even if he wasn't consciously processing the conversation. The idle hum of quiet voices passing between his ears and into his memory bank even though he wasn't really paying attention.

But when Yaoyarozu mentioned she had set a tracker on a Nomu that Ragdoll and her had seen in the forest his brain went from idle to racing. A tracker meant they could find the Nomu. And if they found the pet they would find the master. The master who had taken his friend who might be more than a friend.

He was standing before he really knew what he was doing. Crossing the room in unsteady but determined strides. "Yaoyorozu-san. The tracker. You have a way to hunt it down right?"

"...Well yes? That is the point of a tracker after all?"

"Good. Give me the link or signal translator. Whatever it is that you used."

He was aware of the others around him exclaiming and trying to herd him back to bed. But he wasn't budging. He stared the stared young woman down. Standing at her bedside and clutching at the railing to keep from falling over. "Toshi wouldn't leave me there. I Will Not Leave Him."

"Midoriya…" She started, seemingly moved by his words. But then she studied his face, focusing on his eyes and let out a trembling breath. "I can't do that. I'm sorry."

He grit his teeth at her denial, almost snarling. "Why the hell not?!" He swatted away the hands trying to guide him back, away from the target he had locked on to.