Katsuki backed away slowly. Whatever this was, he was going to hate himself if he screwed up All Might's strategy. He.. he has a strategy.. Right?
Gah. I can't be foolish and think he'll need my help. I'm sure there's a plan, and I'm.. I'm just not in it.
"Taiyaki!" he heard a street vendor promote. Without realizing, he had backed up back into the market street. He was in a slight nervous daze, before "Anzu-ame!" snapped him out.
Grr! Had it been anyone other than All-Might I would've been pissed about my first case going down like that.
Katsuki's palms were dangerously sweaty but he focused on packing to return home. Uh.. 'home'..
He paused then dried his hand on his pants before reaching for his phone. What time is it in California? ..7am.
***
"I used to live and work in Detroit. Growing up there, I always had this vague sense that real heroes with real powers were.. well, real."
Ezra noticed Izuku shift.
"Sometime around elementary school, I realized that people only considered heroes as a character, a genre. I swore I had such vivid.. memories.. but was told it was just a child's overactive imagination."
Izuku faced him, wanting to read his face. He's serious..
"Well, you know how the government and the media can be. They can easily distract citizens from what they see -even with their own two eyes- convince them it's something else."
Izuku was now following in earnest. He was still learning how the government here compared to what he knew back home.
"Strange unexplained things happen all the time, but with people believing in everything from witchcraft to miracles, ghosts to aliens.. there's always some 'accepted' reason.
I mean come on, your hair is green and no one here's ever batted an eye." Ezra watched him subconsciously touch it. Oh, "Hey Izuku, have you heard of Comic Con here?"
"Y-yes, it's in a week or so." Izuku had straightened up, hearing his name all of a sudden.
"Nowadays, people can walk around in all sorts of costumes and wigs, wielding gadgets and weapons.. Others won't even think much of it.. they might even ask for pictures, or if it's a street performance, toss 'em some money.
Hell, we live by Hollywood and well-known theme parks.. People can assume action scenes, stunts and skits are all the norm. If not," Ezra scoffed, "I wouldn't be surprised if that's why Cali was so quick to legalize cannabis - just to be able to more easily dismiss witness statements.
Anything can be covered up here, and make no mistake, that is by design.
Incidentally, was anything weird at the airport? Did you have to sign a form or anything? Or feel like.. you've forgotten something?"
Ezra watched confusion flash through Izuku's eyes.
The abrupt change from storytelling to now audience-participation had thrown Izuku off.
He remembered back to his previous week's travels and there being some confusion going through security. He had shown his identification and was still being asked if he had something else. Was it a form?
The young transportation security officer seemed new, and was giving Izuku some trouble. He pointed him towards an office, and so Izuku got out of line and headed there. He noticed how people coming out of it looked more confused than he felt going in, so he didn't.
He slipped into the restrooms right next to it instead. What am I doing? He reflected why he was actually nervous.
Along with being 'in his feels' about the prospects of returning, he also felt a sort of guilt for going awol/not letting his Agency know. He ended up just getting flustered as he felt 'confronted', in a second language no less.
When he had gathered himself, he poked his head out and saw there were different officers at the ends of some lines. Shift change?
He tried his luck again and went through without issue.
"Izuku.." Ezra brought him back to the present.
"Ah.. there was something about a form.. but I didn't understand and I just.. got out of line.. When I came back to another line, I went through just fine."
Ezra blinked, then laughed. Smiling at Izuku, he was genuinely amused by him.
Izuku got annoyed and stood up, "If this is the part where you start harassing me then I'm done here."
Ezra pulled him down onto his lap. Speaking into his neck, the following words vibrated through him, "As much as I'd love to, story-time isn't over yet. Settle down."
***
Katsuki debated calling Izuku all the way til he stood in front of his old apartment building. He stood there with bags, no key.
He looked down at his phone again. Stupid Nerd sat just under Shitty Hair in his contacts. He was about to call when he noticed Eijiro himself strolling towards him, content and.. satisfied? That is, til they locked eyes and Eijiro all but yelled Oh Shit
"Kats?"
***
