Viridian: The Green Guide

Chapter 53: Hidden

Eraser hadn't wanted him to leave, Izuku could tell. It was only logical, so he didn't want to blame him, but it was still kinda annoying to have to focus on being stealthy and losing a tail when all he wanted to do was fall into bed and never wake up. Finally, after using every bit of stealth he'd picked up from spending nights around heroes, Izuku managed to get rid of that weird tingle in his spine that said he was being watched and was able to go home.

He crawled in his window and barely had the energy to shed his weapons and switch his jeans out with pjs before he collapsed onto the bed. Izuku distantly realized that he should probably take off the stupid hoodie that Amplifier had given him, but he was tired and it was comfy! It wasn't his usual hoodie, so it wasn't like he actually had to worry about anyone seeing it and realizing he was Viridian, right?

There was another part of him, buried deep at the moment, that was screaming as loud as it could that those were all just excuses and that the real reason he didn't want to take off the hoodie was because it was a physical reminder that there were people that would miss him if he died. Izuku didn't let himself listen to that part. If he did, he knew he'd just feel guilty, because he didn't deserve to be wrapped in a hoodie-hug from one of his favorite heroes, so he chose not to overthink it, instead giving into the bone deep exhaustion and pretending that everything would be better in the morning.

Shouta really needed a drink, but the sun was barely even up, so having alcohol in his system right now would be the height of irrationality. Still didn't mean that he wanted to deal with any of the paperwork from last night.

At least they were almost done. It was one of the only positives of the whole situation. It had killed him to let Viridian leave like that, but he trusted the kid. He knew he wasn't going to break his promise, which meant that they had at least another day where the kid would be safe and then they could deal with everything. Add that to the fact that Shouta was the one who first discovered the body and needed to be on site when the police arrived, and it basically led to the perfect storm leading to him, a licensed hero, letting a suicidal kid known to be relapsing, walk away alone.

He hated it.

Shouta sighed in exhaustion as he signed the final page. Maybe he should get Nedzu to help him track the kid down. It seemed like a betrayal of trust, but if it would keep the kid safe, then...

His thoughts were interrupted by a kid in a middle school uniform pushing open the front doors of the police station with a tad more force than was strictly necessary. The kid slouched up to the front desk where Sansa was sitting, hands deep in his pockets, and Shouta would almost be tempted to think the kid was worried about something if he wasn't acting like such an obvious delinquent.

"Yo, fur ball." The kid grumbled. "Amplifier anywhere around here?"

Shouta's eyes almost widened with surprise, but he was dealing with a teenager, so it was only logical to expect the unexpected. Still, a kid with enough delinquent tendencies to call a cop furball walking straight into a police station and asking for a specific hero? Maybe he was just eager for a distraction, but it made him curious, which is how he found himself approaching the desk.

"She had to run to the restroom real quick." Shouta volunteered. "She should be back in a minute."

The kid looked him up and down, looking unimpressed, "What are you supposed to be? A hobo?"

Shouta scoffed, "Try a hero, kid."

The kid raised an eyebrow at him, "Seriously? How do you ever expect to get popular if you dress like that?!"

"Not every hero has to be popular, kid." Shouta huffed. "Some of us don't like dealing with the vultures."

"...oh."