Chapter 22

During dinner, Izuku doesn't see Kota anywhere around. He ignores his friends' outbursts about the food and how good it is, even when it really isn't. He frowns as he gets up, searching for Mandalay. "Hey, Mandalay," he says, heading over to her. "Where's Kota?"

The older woman turns towards him, processing his question. "He's probably in his secret place, I don't know where it is since I want him to have privacy. Why do you ask?"

" I was wondering if he's eaten yet. If not, I can give him the food. I won't bother him too long." He gestures to the plate of food. "I'll be able to find him, don't worry. I just need to know the initial direction he goes."

Shino stares at the teen before sighing and nodding. She points to the initial direction and earns happy thank you in response. She watches as Midoriya walks away, slightly hoping he can help her nephew.

Izuku is following the footprints, glancing at Beetle who finally decided to join him. The Ghoul is talking about the whole heart feast he had. "Dude, I can't believe my girlfriend dumped me! I mean, I don't see why she'd do that-then again she was an alien. "No response. "You're not even listening to me!"

"What? Yeah, I am. You dated an alien who dumped you," he answers. He grins at the Ghoul who is glaring at him. "I don't find it weird! I mean, you eat human hearts. So don't give me that look.

Now, hush. I'm sure we're nearing his hideout." He finds that he is right. The next few feet, he can see the five-year old sitting near the edge of the cliff.

He gets in view when he hears the child's stomach growl. "I bet you're hungry." He announces his presence as he walks forward with the plate of food. Beside Kota, the being Fate materializes.

Izuku's wide, green eyes meet the mischievous, amber ones that are narrowed at him. A smirk on his face. Izuku glances over at Kota who is giving him the stink eye. He clears his throat. "I brought you some food."

Why the hell is he doing here? Fate better not doing anything to give himself away. Well, if he does scare the green bean away then I'll be thankful. "I don't want it! How did you even find me?"

"I followed your footsteps. Um, are you okay?"

"Other than being his moody self, I think he is.

After all, everyone goes through an emo phase-just, he's going through it quite early, don't you think?"

The two of them glare at the Persona. Izumi is just side glances at him while Midoriya looks straight at him. He shakes his head a tiny bit before turning back to Kota. "I apologize for bothering you," he murmurs as he moves forward. "I heard about your parents-"

"Did Mandalay-?"

"No. I figured it out. You show signs of having lost someone, Mandalay just told me about her cousins. put two and two together. It's terrible losing someone."

Kota glares at him, scoffing. He doesn't want to hear it and he doesn't care. "Quirks, heroes, it's all stupid. You heroes are so dumb throwing your lives out like it's nothing! You talk about your quirks and show off. Idiots. Now leave! Get out of my secret base!"

"You're right."

"What?" He didn't expect that, most would've argued with him. They would've said how disrespectful he is for downgrading heroics. He is always chastised for it by any hero that he meets.

Why is this one telling him that he's right? He would've been able to handle all of that, but someone agreeing with him? That--he doesn't know how to respond to it.

Midoriya gives a soft smile. "We are dumb. We sacrifice ourselves, put our life on the line against villains -against criminals. We all have this--this complex to save people, but we don't think about the people we leave behind. Even before quirks shower up, people have risked themselves to save others." He glances at Fate deciding to take a page out of the Persona's book. "Honestly, our fates are determined since the beginning and we can make our decisions, choose different paths, but most of the time we all lead back to one single destination."

Izumi Kota stares at the ground, lips parted in shock. He glances at Fate (who is spectating the whole ordeal, that bastard) then at Midoriya. His mind on that statement, the gears turning as he brings together his eyebrows. How did he-? Fate told me that a long time ago. He cannot have heard that! There's no way.

"You know," he begins, looking at the plate of food in his hands. He takes a few steps forward and standing near Kota who is staring holes into the ground. "If I didn't know any better, I would have mistaken you to be the Champion of War and not of Fate."

Kota's head snaps up so fast-Izuku fears that he might've given himself whiplash. It doesn't seem to matter though, he got the reaction he needed to confirm his suspicions. "You-You know of the Champions? The Immortal Beings of Creation?"

"I am one of those Champions."

"Of who?" His eyes show his skepticism. He wants to believe him, but he believes he may have heard it from somewhere and is now mocking him.

Honestly, who does he think he is? He can't know of them.

"Of Death."

Izumi gawks at Midoriya. The cynical expression that he wears lets the older Champion know that he doesn't believe him. Midoriya summons his scythe but he still denies it. He won't accept it. This isn't-! He can't-! He shakes his head. No. No. No!

No! "You are not a Champion! You can't be!"

"Why ever not?"

"Be-because! You'll be alive for the next four hundred years! How would you explain that to people? You're only lying! Champions can't be known by the people! If anything-"

"Well, yes," intervenes Midoriya, tilting his head and putting a hand to his chin. Kota snarls, his lip pulled back as he stomps his foot in impatience.

"While that is true, I can always retire after the age of 'thirty'. We stop aging at twenty-five after all," he says casually. He's planned it out. Five years after he stops aging, he'll find a successor for One For All and go into hiding. "Plus, we do need to learn witchcraft. Surely there's a spell on how to erase or warp memories."

Kota doesn't answer, shaking his head again. No wonder he had gotten an off feeling from him. Not just an off feeling but it's of a terrifying feeling. The same one he gets when looking into the Fate of people who'll die. "You -you can see when we die, don't you? Your Guides, they're actual dead people?" he whispers. A nod. "Can you see my parents around?"

A sad smile and a shake of his head. "I'm sorry. I only see Ghouls not Ghosts. They're different.

Ghouls are the dead that stay around feeding on the living or the dead. Ghost are apparitions, those can be seen by a few people when the spirit is strong enough but they can be fierce. Your parents

-if they'd stayed -they wouldn't be your parents anymore. One day, I'm sure Death will let you see them." Midoriya drops his hand from his face and goes back to holding the plate with both hands again. They fall silent for a moment, Kota processing this revelation. Midoriya looks off to the side, studying the land. "I don't mean to pry too much and honestly you don't have to answer. I

-What happened? The day you lost your parents.

Surely-Surely, you tried changing their fate, right?"

Kota scowls, trying not to cry at the reminder of the day. It doesn't matter if I tell him or not, he'll figure it out eventually. He turns his head away as he says, "I had to watch my parents be killed twice

-even more in my dreams." I saw their strings of fate be cut. I had tried to reason with Atropos-with the other Arachnids!" tried! I tried to stop them from going. I tried changing their fate! In the end, it didn't seem to matter." He turns away from him, tears slipping past his defenses and splattering onto the dirt below. His small shoulders shake with suppressed sobs. His voice lowering to a mumble as he continues,

"Sometimes-sometimes I can't help but wonder why. Why was I chosen if I can't save my own parents? Why can't I change fate once?" In broken sobs, he asks, "Why was I cursed?"

Suddenly, his eyes widen as he feels arms wrap around him. He gasps when he is turned around and hugged by the stupid hero. Izuku comforts him, holding the five-year old close. "You're not cursed." /am not letting you fall into the same hole I had put myself in when I was your age. I had no one to help me through this whole thing, but I'll help you. I'll be here for you. "Kota, I swear, you are not cursed." He hugs him tighter, letting him cry. "We can't force a change if people don't want it. Hearned that the hard way."

They stay that way for what feels like hours but in reality it's a few minutes. Kota pulls away from him, wiping his face. He scowls, trying to put back the wall between them. "I-"

"Kota. I won't force you to talk about anything that you don't want to, or force you to talk to me. I'm sorry for having asked that insensitive question. I know you don't like us. I don't want to bother you anymore than I have, but please don't push anyone away," he says, giving a small smile. He reaches up and helps rid of the dried tear tracks.

"Midoriya," he begins, scowling a bit before dropping it. "I want to know why you became a hero. Why do you want to leave the people you care about?"

Midoriya nods. "Okay, I'll answer that but you need to eat."

Kota glances at the plate of food and picks it up.

The two sit beside each other, the younger Champion leaning against the older. He explains to him his reasoning, wrapping an arm around him when the temperature gradually falls. He talks past that, answering any questions the younger holds.

He speaks to him about the Champions and what he might need to know. The marking on his wrist fades into existence and Kota asks about it.

"I'm stubborn. I don't want to accept being a full Champion just yet," he murmurs as he props his chin on Kota's head. "It's because of my mom. I care too much for her. She doesn't want me to accept being the Champion of Death, so I won't be until I'm older. She hasn't said it out loud, but I know that is what she's thinking.

know that is what she's thinking."

"You might die sometime."

"Will ?"

"I'm not sure. I don't want to look into another's fate. Right now, your fates are all intertwined. I can see the emotions that will come up and there is no stopping this one, it is set in stone." He looks up at him and with a serious and steady voice he continues, "Sometime in the future, fear will sweep across you all. Something will happen and no one can stop it."

Midoriya glances down at the five-year old who is yawning and curling up against him. "Can you tell when?"

"Soo-" he cuts off with another yawn. "Soon. It'll happen soon. The colors are dulling, it will happen soon."

Izuku hums in thought before noticing that Kota fell asleep. He sighs and picks him up, grabbing the plate as he walks away from the ridge. Some of his classmates must've turned in for the night. It is late. The night sky is a mixture of silver and a soft lavender that stand out in the darkness. The dark clouds are barely noticeable but they are there. If anything, the only way one could see them is if they look close enough to find the silver glow of thevnoon outlining them. With how late it peers to be, it must mean that the remedial class will be at their lessons at the moment. He stops when he sees that his class is still awake.

"Oh! Midoriya, you brought Kota back," notes Ragdoll, quieting his voice at seeing the sleeping form of the child. "Here, I'll take him off your hands. You can go and wash the dishes. Some of your classmates are in the hot springs but don't worry, no one is going to try anything with Pixie-Bob and Tiger watching them."

He nods and hands the child over to her, walking away to help his friends with the dishes. They don't question where he had gone but the expressions on their faces give away their curiosity. He pointedly ignores it, turning in for the night. Todoroki is in the room, poking his shoulder.

"Where did you get your burn scars? And those scars on your back? They look like someone with claws grabbed a hold of you."

He's so blunt. Well, at least he doesn't beat around the bush. "Bullies," he answers simply, yawning and curling up in his designated spot. The claw-like scars on his back, like the one on his lip, he doesn't know where he got them. He can feel the sharp gaze from his powerful friend, but he pointedly ignores it, deciding to get to sleep before he can't.

"Goodnight, Todoroki."

Shout sighs, watching the chaotic-good child fall asleep. He shakes his head and murmurs a small goodnight. He watches his chest rise and fall with every breath. The scars that are prominent on the pale skin of his friend are permanent reminders for the dual quirk user of the fight. You've helped me too many times, Midoriya. Let me return the favor, please. Shouto turns from his friend and jumps when a bag falls on the ground. He glances to the source and finds that it was Izuku's. With a sigh and seeing that no one is still around, he walks over and picks it up. A book falling out of it.

Frowning, he picks it up reading the book's title.

Witchcraft and Symbolism. Todoroki tilts his head with a quirked eyebrow. Witchcraft?He doesn't say anything but it's apparent that he's confused.

"What are you doing with this?" he whispers, his gaze cutting to the sleeping form of Midoriya. He puts it away and plans on confronting Midoriya the next day. Shouto really does not understand his friend and his odd tendencies.