The Hope Barely Found

Eri?

"That's... that's bullshit. Eri can't be dead. Deku would... he would've stopped it, or killed himself first. You don't understand!" Katsuki was desperately trying to make this make sense.

But it didn't. Deku would've fought anyone to get in his way if it came down to Eri. Sure, it's been over five years since they've last seen each other, but Katsuki knew Deku.

"Katsuki!" Kirishima snapped, finally getting his attention.

"I'm sorry Katsuki. She's dead," Aizawa murmured, as the pieces all came together.

"No!" Katsuki spat, voice cracking.

"Thats the video Izuku watched," Shinsou muttered in realization. "They must have made him... watch".

"Watch his own sisters death. That was his punishment for disobeying," Todoroki added solemnly.

"And it broke him. That's why he refuses to talk now," Uraraka whispered. Even if she didn't know him before, she had been told enough to know this was new.

"Is this why Izuku doesn't smile?" Mina wondered.

"No, I think that's an older thing," Shinsou guessed.

"Why do you think that?" Jirou asked.

Shinsou shrugged. "You don't always control when you smile, sometimes you can't help it, and yet Izuku hadn't done it once. Not even before he saw the video".

"It was a cage fight," Todoroki pointed out.

"Well, just in case we are wrong, don't go telling any of this to Midoriya," Aizawa interrupted, "and me and Mic will need to up security a little, now that we know he's still being targeted".

Everyone murmured an agreement.

"And in the mean time?" Kirishima asked.

"In the mean time, focus on healing," Mic responded.

"Yeah. That's all we ever do," Katsuki muttered sourly.

        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izuku awoke in a cold sweat, screaming. Mic and Aizawa were over him, shaking the scared boy.

"It's okay, everything's all right. Your safe now," Mic tried to soothe.

Izuku started crying, sobbing into his chest. Even in his dreams he re-lived Eri's death. Izuku just couldn't catch a break from it.

Aizawa sighed and glanced at the clock. 5:36. It was too late to go back to sleep and get any good rest, so Aizawa made some hot chocolate, and sat in the living room with Izuku, watching a Disney movie, hoping that would soothe the boys mind.

It worked, and soon Izuku has stopped crying and was staring intently at the screen. Aizawa felt immensely relieved he had found a good distraction, and Mic had started on breakfast for those who were waking up.

"Hey. How long has the shitty nerd been up?" Katsuki asked, joining Mina and Kirishima on the couch.

"5:30," Aizawa sighed. "I think he had a nightmare".

Izuku gave a small nod, and hugged himself tightly, refusing to look at anyone, and instead staring intensely at the screen.