Green Knight of Kuoh

Way Down We Go

Izuku used to like being around people. It distracted him from the horrible memories of his life before gaining One for All and entering UA. Spending time with his friends as they roamed around the city, or ate together, or even just walked toward the gate together. They all made him feel at ease and at peace with himself.

Now though? He hated the idea of being around other people. He was once again different from them. It was almost the same as being Quirkless. Except now instead of everyone else having power, he's the one with the power that makes him different from everyone else.

There was one positive, though. It was much easier to pretend to have no powers than it was to pretend he had some kind of ability. But that didn't make him feel any less alone.

Everyone around him kept dying. All because of him. His mother, his friends, his teacher, countless civilians. He may have not been holding the gun, but he was the trigger. And their blood was on his hands.

If he'd just been stronger. If he'd just had more time. He might have been able to at least save some of them, but that time had long since passed, and he was truly alone.

Now add the fact that anyone around him could be a Devil. A creature that masquerades took the form of Humans. A species that were after his powers? The results weren't pretty.

He despised being around others. He honestly just wanted to hole up somewhere and just die. But that would raise questions, which would all point towards the Hyoudou's. Izuku had already ruined so many lives, he didn't want to ruin a family because of his own selfish desires.

No matter how tempting it was.

So when someone he'd rarely spoken to asked him out for dinner, his first instinct was to say "no" and leave. She could be a Devil, even if Danger Sense wasn't picking anything up, that was probably because she didn't know he was the vigilante. And he intended to keep it that way.

But he could also use this to his advantage. He didn't plan to create a bond with this girl, but confirming her species as a Human would be a godsend. One less person to think of as a potential enemy.

But he couldn't just say yes and be off. He needed to devise a plan. A way to confirm she's Human, and he needed time to do that. Thankfully, he knew the perfect way to gain a bit more time.

"I need to go tell Hyoudou," Izuku stated.

Rias was taken aback by the answer, half expecting the boy to flat-out decline. She didn't let that hinder her as she quickly regained composure and gave a small nod. "I'll wait here for you," She said with a smile.

Izuku gave a small nod before turning around and heading straight back into the school. And so he began his search for the boy he lived with.

——

"You understand, Mr. Hyoudou?" His teacher told him with a disappointed tone.

"Yes," Issei mumbled, looking at the ground. He'd hoped the teacher just wanted to ask how Izuku was settling in or something. He never imagined this would happen. Although thinking about it now, he should've been surprised it took her this long to talk to him about it.

"Alright. I expect more from you, Mr. Hyoudou. We all do," The teacher said before walking off, leaving Issei all alone in the classroom.

'God damn it!' Issei thought, holding his head in his hands. Things were getting worse and worse since the year started. First it was encountering Izuku bleeding to death in an alleyway and probably worsening his condition with his lack of knowledge. And now this shit? He hoped nothing else would happen, but he knew it was just wishful thinking.