Heroics and Other Things

Chapter 15: I Will Answer . . .

The next day of school dawned cold and rainy. As Izuku dug out his umbrella, unused up to this point in the year, he wondered vaguely if it would let up by lunchtime. Even if it did, the grass would be all wet, so eating outside under their usual tree would be out of the question. He supposed he and Shinsou -- Hitoshi, he thought with a smile -- would just have to eat inside. Maybe they could actually join in with the other hero students for a change, now that Hitoshi didn't have to feel awkward as the only Gen Ed kid at the table.

The rain showed no sign of letting up as Izuku neared the school, and he didn't see Hitoshi waiting for him outside like he usually did. Izuku smiled to himself, imagining Hitoshi leaving his umbrella out for some wet cat and getting soaked. He was just wondering if it was weird to actually hope Hitoshi had done just that so they would have to share Izuku's umbrella on the way home, when suddenly the sound of splashing footfalls came from behind him.

"Iida!" he said in surprise, watching as the class rep sped by him in a rain slicker and large rubber boots. "Going all out with the raingear huh?"

"Why are you walking so slowly?" Iida demanded, and Izuku picked up the pace to jog along behind him. "You'll be late!"

"There's still five minutes until class starts," Izuku protested, but none the less kept pace with Iida.

"UA students should always be ten minutes early!" Iida declared, which Izuku had to admit was a very Iida-like affirmation.

Once they were inside though, Izuku couldn't help but let his thoughts turn to what Uraraka had said about the reason Iida had left the sports festival early. The attack on Ingenium had been all over the news, but details had been limited. He had been in Hosu City hunting a specific villain, the hero killer who called himself Stain. There had been an altercation, and Ingenium was now in the hospital. Izuku looked askance at Iida as he shook the water out of his umbrella. What burden might he be carrying, depending on the details of Ingenium's condition the press had left out?

"Iida-" Izuku began, turning to his friend with umbrella still in hand.

"Midoriya," Iida said, at nearly the same time, turning to Izuku once he had the hood of his rain slicker down.

"I was-" Izuku tried again, but was taken aback when Iida bowed his head, bending slightly at the waist.

"The Iida family owes you a debt of gratitude," Iida told him solemnly. "It's because of you my brother isn't permanently crippled."

"What!" Izuku gasped. "What do you mean crippled?"

Iida hesitated, swallowing audibly, then went on without raising his head.

"My brother, Tensei, was separated from the other pros he was working with in pursuit of the villain they were chasing," he explained. "His helmet was damaged in the fight, leaving him unable to call for help. He would have had to drag himself out onto the street to get medical attention, which the doctors say would have damaged his spine significantly more. However, he used a technique you had recommended in your analysis, using the smoke from his exhaust pipe to send a signal, and he was found without having to move himself. It's because of that technique, which you designed, that my brother will walk again, and Ingenium will, with time, return to work as a pro hero."

"Iida," Izuku breathed, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. Iida straightened, and Izuku immediately bowed his own head. "I'm so sorry! I'm glad he'll get better, and honored that my analysis was a help to him, but I just wish I could have come up with a technique that would have stopped him from getting injured at all!"

A hand landed on Izuku's shoulder, and Izuku looked up to see Iida smiling benevolently down at him.

"For that injury only one man is to blame," Iida said simply. "I could not ask any more from you than you have already given me. I'm in your debt, Midoriya."