A State of Decay

Chapter 11

Izuku bound up the villain exceptionally well with the zip ties he kept in his belt before phoning the police. He then took to the rooftops just above, where the villain was bound to keep an eye on him until the police could arrest him. Izuku couldn't be seen by the police because what he was doing was also technically considered illegal. Vigilantism wasn't something the Safety Commission wanted people to do. 

There were others out there like Izuku, but they mostly stuck to the rougher parts of town, where the police and other heroes were still having trouble getting under control. 

After the police come and collect the villain, Izuku moves on, watching the streets from the rooftops. As he leaps from a relatively tall building to a short one, using float to ease his way down, the burner phone in his pocket dings. He lands on the soft gravel on the roof and pulls the phone out. 

It's a random number, which isn't atypical for messages on this phone, but it's the message that makes Izuku tense up. 

My friends are ready for you, hero. Are you ready to prove yourself?

Below that, there's a date, time, and location attached. They want to meet him in an abandoned warehouse tomorrow night. He's excited that this is his first real lead toward his goal, but he pauses. He can already hear Shigaraki nagging him about what he's going to do. 

He also told Shigaraki that he wouldn't. 

Izuku doesn't like to break promises, but Shigaraki doesn't understand. He doesn't get it. Izuku feels excited for the first time in a long time, knowing this might get him one step closer to his goal. 

But then he feels it- the tugging of the bond in the back of his head; Shigaraki is listening. He knows it. 

Izuku pockets the phone right as Shigaraki's voice fills his head. 

"What did I tell you, little hero?" 

Izuku remains silent but doesn't block Shigaraki out like he thought about doing. 

"If you plan on doing anything, you promised you'd let me help," Shigaraki says. "Don't tell me you break promises too, now." 

"I never said I was going to do anything," Izuku defends. 

"You forget I can hear everything you're thinking right now." 

Izuku groans and sits down, running his hands through his hair. Was he not allowed to make his own decisions now? Was Shigaraki really going to start monitoring his thoughts? 

"I will if I can't trust you to make the right choices," Shigaraki says, confirming that, yes, he is always fucking listening. 

"You're essentially long-distance babysitting me," Izuku pouts. 

"If that's what you want to call it, then yes." 

A slight pause in their conversation occurs before Shigaraki speaks up again. 

"You're still thinking about their offer," he grumbles. "Are you really about to throw all your morals out the window for the possibility that they're being honest? Are you really that stupid, little hero?" 

"Okay, since you seem to have all the answers, what do you suggest I do?" Izuku fumes. He pulls at his hair, feeling more frustrated by the minute. 

"Give up." 

"You know I can't do that." 

"I know." Shigaraki's tone is soft and understanding. Izuku takes a deep breath and tries to relax a bit. He needs to think about this logically. He always tends to let his emotions get the better of him, but he can't do that. Not with something like this.