Archeologist Deku

Recovery

Izuku and Inko were happy to see Cathleen return the next day. Inko decided to stay at the hospital, sitting on a chair next to his bed. She didn't want to leave him at all, which was nice for the heroine to see. "How are you doing, Izuku?"
"Better than before... I wish I could take this off, though..." He gestured to the bandages around his right eye. His war wounds, which stuck out the most to the adults when they had met him. Stars & Stripes already knew what lay under there, but Inko did not.

The blonde woman asked, "Have the staff given you a timeline for it?"

Inko responded for him, "Yeah. Two days."

She then shrugged, and responded to Izuku's growing agitation. It was clear he didn't want to just sit here. His stint in the Rockies had given him a free spirit, and he wanted nothing mor than to return. Back to the wild. "Nothing can really be done about it, then."
He looked out the window, back at the forest, the national park just beyond the hospital grounds... "I know..."
Cathleen walked over and sat in a chair next to Inko, asking, "After you get released from the hospital... what do you plan to do?"
Without turning back... he stated what he needed to achieve his new dream. "I want to go back... retrieve some things from a part of the area... then head back to Japan to finalize my findings."
Inko asked, relieved that he was going home, but still unsure of what else he could want from the ruins. "What are you going to look for?"
Izuku actually turned to meet her gaze. "Some important documents that are necessary."
"I see..." She smiled, and then the hero through them for a loop, "I'll help!"
Izuku's eyes widened, and he smiled, "Really?! Don't you have some hero work to do?"
She brushed that concern off, "The president is giving me a break, so I'm spending it here! I admit, you've grown on me a lot. So, I'll support you directly." She beamed, causing awe to form in Izuku's expression. "But... I am curious... after that, what will you do next?"
His gaze turned from awe to raw determination. "Come back. There is so much more to explore, and I want to show it all to the world."

And so, for the next few days, Izuku relaxed, scribbled notes into his notebook, and talked in finer detail to those who would listen. A few nurses actually did linger to heart the stories of his time in the valley. Whether he knew it or not, he was becoming better at speaking to others... and he was an amazing storyteller. Children gathered around his bed, as each part was told. Nurses and parents watched as he was animated in describing the places, the dangers... Even shocked as he told about the Wendigos, and how he nearly lost his eye to the Alpha. Finally wrapping up his tale with the timely arrival of Stars & Stripes, the heroine herself arrives.

"And that... was how I got here."

All the kids cheered, in awe of his story. The parents smiled at their children's amusement, but were unsure of whether to believe the greenette or not. However, Stars & Stripes arrived: "He did indeed do that. The only reason I found him was because of the explosions he caused. They were like dangerous fireworks, and he landed in the water, wearing that suit over there. It was like an action movie I was only seeing the end of." She shook her head. "It's amazing."

The kids gawked over the fact that America's number one hero was there, and corroborating his story. She entertained the kids for a few minutes, before telling everyone to let her speak to Izuku in privacy. After they left, a nurse arrived. "You'll be happy to know that we can take off the bandage now. Try not to strain your eyes too much, as it will have to readjust to use..."
He could only wait as she carefully unwrapped the gauze. It exposed the skin around his eye. His mother gasped, as she hadn't seen scar behind the wrappings before. "Oh, Izuku..."
They were three long gashes, running from the top of his forehead all the way down to his cheek, the middle and longest scar running down to his jawbone. Opening both his eyes at the same time now, he started to tear up, finally healed. Finally safe.

The next day, they left the hospital... but Izuku had to make a stop before heading home. Waiting in a helicopter while dressed in the LEAF suit, Izuku watched as the familiar Valley opened up to him again. However, this time they weren't going to where he was found... but back to a different place. As they circled, Izuku saw the large head poking out of the ground, and the ancient facility next to it. Into the headset, he called out: "There! See if you can land on top of that stone head. I can quickly get what I need."

Cathleen called out to the pilot: "You hear that, Chuck?"
The pilot called back through his headset. "Yes, Ma'am!"

The pilot expertly maneuvered the craft down, landing carefully on the sculpted head, without damaging the sculpture, and powered down the craft.

Izuku called back, "I won't be more than 5 minutes or so." Turning to his mother, who started to insist on coming with, he replied, "Don't leave the chopper. It's too dangerous at the moment."

She nodded, "Be quick, ok?"
"I will." Taking the headset off and leaving it in the chopper, he ran forward, sliding down the smooth stone, before leaping off and jumping again in the air.

Inko's mouth dropped, I know I saw his memories... but seeing it in person is quite different...

Cathleen quickly ran forward, following the young man that had become like a younger brother. So this is what you were wanting to come back to... but why? He entered the decrepit building, with her following behind. He jumped up, using the suit, to reach another area, and she followed shortly behind. And that was when she noticed where they were. A penitentiary area? He went down the stairs first, and stopped at an open cell, carefully picking up a letter, and placing it within his notebook. Heading back upstairs, she couldn't ask him what it was he found. And that was when she saw the second cell he was heading to. Peering inside, he picked up another letter... and a music box. Putting the letter into his notebook, he stowed it away safely, and clutched the music box tight. It was beautiful, made from dark oak, with inlaid brass. Definitely a treasure in this ancient place. He looked back, noting the look in Cathleen's eyes: "Alright, time to go home. I found what I came for."