UA's Immortal Teacher

Part 55

Izuku stared at Bakugo with mounting horror, barely even registering his student's flared nostrils and enraged eyes. In his mind, all that kept replaying were those few words that seemed so small but meant so much.

Why would you help All For One?

Why would you help All For One?

Help All For One.

Izuku did his best to calm his racing heart, his puffy breaths that felt like they were coming too fast, but he still wasn't getting enough air. His mouth was entirely too dry, and he couldn't stop the scene that started playing in his minds eye...

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Izuku crouches down as low as he can go, shamelessly spying on his two friends. At first he'd just caught sight of them past his window and thought he'd come down to say hello, but when he got closer he could hear raised voices and saw how they stood opposed to one another.

He chose to turn away in the beginning, not wanting to get involved. More than likely, it was just another one of Aki's rants about staying safe and making sure that there were no flare-ups or anything similar. But this time was different. Aki had yelled out, why wouldn't you just accept the damn ability!?

Aki almost never yelled at Yoichi. Sure, sometimes he would get frustrated and he teased Yoichi more often than not, but he had never outright raised his voice at him, at least not that Izuku had seen. And the discussion about abilities got his attention. Usually, the three of them veered away from that topic of discussion together unless it involved the science or political matters of it.

Personal things... those weren't ever really spoken of.

"Aki, you're not making any sense! I already told you, I'm not really interested! I thought you understood that?"

"What I don't understand," Aki gritted out, "Is why you think having an ability would be so bad. You're my brother! You're supposed to understand this."

Yoichi ran his hands through his hair wildly, clutching at the strands like if he pulled hard enough he could make the situation go away. "Aki, listen to yourself! You're acting like a crazy person! I don't care what points you bring up, I don't care what you think you can do, I don't want a freaking ability!"

The air around them goes silent, and for a moment Izuku thinks it's over. Then Aki says in a dark tone, "If you don't see that this is the right thing for you, then I'll make you see."

Izuku's spine runs cold from his words, limbs going heavy and breath sounding in his ears. He knows, logically, that he should be able to move, and yet he stays stock-still. He's never heard Aki speak like that, so low and ghastly and ominous. It sounded like he was threatening Yoichi, but... he wouldn't do that, would he?

"Aki," Yoichi's voice shook, "What are you doing? Sto-stop!"

As soon as Izuku heard Yoichi's yelped words, he bolted up and saw Aki reach over and grip the bare skin of Yoichi's forearm. It could have been a completely innocent gesture, in any other context.

But looking at Aki's grin... Izuku had this horrible feeling...

"Aki!" Izuku yelled. "What in the world are you doing?!"

The white-haired man didn't respond, staring fixedly at Yoichi's face. Izuku rushed forward without sparing another thought, and tore his arm away, feeling like he would yank it out of it's socket if that's what it would take.

"Izuku?" Aki blinks at him, confused. "What are you doing here? Nevermind, just leave. This is a family matter."

Yoichi was slumped down on the ground, staring at his hands with mounting horror. His breaths was coming fast and reedy, and Izuku wanted to crouch down and see what was wrong with him but didn't want to take his eyes off of Aki.