Licensed Villains

Offers

When Izuku was a kid everyone was always gathered in groups. Classmates would clump together into packs, chatting excitedly about new episodes of shows or playing a game to pass the time. Kacchan, most especially, was always surrounded, even before his quirk came in. Naturally, that meant Izuku was always surrounded as well. 

But that was almost a decade ago. Now out of practice, he felt more than a little overwhelmed as all the students of 1-C huddled together shouting theories and exclaiming their shock. 

"I can't believe it! It was so sudden!" 

"Sure, but I can't get over that video. Did you hear what Revite said to Stain?"

"Who cares about Stain? Hawks is the one who just became a criminal!" 

"It probably had something to do with his interaction with Stain, though." 

"Maybe. Midoriya-kun, you were there. What do you think?" 

Izuku startled as the cluster of students all turned their attention to him. Freezing in his desk, he made a squeak of surprise. So far he'd been perfectly fine sitting in the background, listening in. In no way did he want to be involved in this conversation. 

His mouth flapped like a fishes as he struggled to speak. It took Shinsou elbowing him lightly to jerk the words out of his throat. 

"Uh, I wasn't really there?" he says, uncertainty laced into his tone as he rubs at the back of his neck. Internally, he winces at his own voice. "Um, I mean, I wasn't actually there, just in the area. Endeavor-san sent me back to agency before he faced Stain." 

Komori leaned her elbows on his desk, a grin stretched across her lips, displaying her sharper canines. "Duh. But, like, what do think of this whole mess? Besides being the best analyst here, you also have worked with Hawks in the past." 

"Komori's right," Kaseki said, placing his hands on his hips. "You're opinion would be nice."

Izuku resisted the urge to sink further down in his seat to escape the bombard of questions. This is worse than the time at the USJ. At least then Komori and Kaseki broke up the crowd and their questions weren't difficult. This time, he doesn't know the answers himself. He didn't get the chance to ask Hawks anything. 

After Hawks showed up at the flat, Dabi and Izuku had promised he'd be okay crashing with them for a while until things settle down. They barely talked aside from that and Hawks briefly explaining what the commission had threatened him. They didn't say how he got out or what he made of the situation. They didn't discuss their next steps or go over what this meant in terms of blackmail. They only sat there for comfort and waited the night out, each of them falling asleep at one point or another. 

With most of 1-C staring at him eagerly, he didn't have anything to say. 

"You don't need to share if you don't want," Shinsou whisper to him. 

He blanks, glancing at the boy. "But they--" 

"--said your opinion would be nice. Doesn't mean it's needed," he interrupts. 

Komori - curse her bat hearing - says, "What he said. There's no pressure."

Relieved, Izuku exhales and mumbles, "Thanks." 

"No problem." She whirls around to face the two identical girls standing next her. "Right, well since Midoriya-kun isn't giving his input, Onishi-kun, why don't you share?" 

The two girl glance between each other, the say in unison, "Me?" 

"Asami Onishi," Komori clarifies while Kaseki snickers in his hand. Komori glares at him and immediately he snuffs out his amusement.