18. You can't handle the truth!

Deku walked down the stairs towards me and Himiko, twiddling queasily.

"Morning, Matsun, Himiko-chan. What are we doing today?" He asked, concerned.

I slapped his shoulder and walked past him.

"You'll find out. Come."

I led him to the van parked outside the beach entrance as we made our way to the outskirts of Naruhata.

"Deku, mind pulling up maps for this?" I asked, as we crossed the mile marker for the city.

"Sure." Deku answered, pulling out his phone.

"Say, where's the nearest hero agency?" I said, pulling into a side street, leading into the slums.

Deku looked at me oddly, then at the road, noting the change of scenery.

"It's on 4th street, opposite the central plaza. Why? It's not this way if you're asking." Deku replied.

"I know." I said, parking the car, by a line of storage lockers.

"Then why as-" Deku said, as Himiko smiled knowingly.

"You sure about this? Can he handle it?" She asked.

"No. He's not ready. But he needs to know." I replied, picking up a cardboard container from the backseat.

"Know what? I can handle anything!" Deku asked, scanning the surroundings.

"You can't handle the truth Deku!

But fine. It's high time you knew.

Deku, when was the last time you saw someone with a mutant quirk?

And I don't mean long ears or wooden skin. I'm talking about the ugly ones, with loose pus filled sacs or pockmarks and insect horns, or even just weird unsettling eyes, or hooves for hands." I reciprocated with a question.

"Oh, I just saw on- wait." Deku fell into thought.

When was the last time he had seen one?

The earliest he could remember was months ago.

Months without a sighting.

And mutant quirk were the most prominent ones.

The thought deeply unsettled him as he jerked in realization.

I nodded understandingly.

"What ..... are you implying, Matsun?" Deku asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" I answered, pressing the button by one locker as the metal grill lifted, revealing a giant grasshopper drinking tea in a comically oversized cup.

"Yo, bugbro, how you doin'?" I said, giving the insect a hug.

"Better than I deserve. What brings you here, Yuji?" He asked.

"I was taking a newbie around, showing him the ropes. Figured I'd drop by. I brought cakes. Strawberry and pineapple." I replied, placing the box on the table and handing him a piece.

"Mmmhm...just the way I like it!" He crooned, "So what should I call Detective Junior Junior here? He got a name?"

"Oh, I'm Midoriya Iz-"

"Yeah, he's Deku." I cut in, smiling cheekily, as Deku glared at me like an angry kitten, "And besides, I think I've earned enough cred around here to not be called Detective Junior by now!"

"Oho, is that so?" A voice called out from behind, as a fist landed on my head.

"Uuuhh, hi Soga? Didn't uh, see you there, Hehehe..." I replied, scratching my head as I turned to face him.

"Keys." He ordered, open palmed, as I handed him the van keys.

"And next time ask before you take my van for a joyride! I had to walk here, all the way across town!" Soga grumbled, cross armed.

"Sorry." I muttered, looking down.

"You damn well be!" Soga said, smiling, as he handed a paper bag to the bug man.

"Your tea." He added.

"Thanks." The bug man replied, "want some cake?"

"Nah. I'm on a delivery call. See ya." Soga replied, as he got into the van, giving me the 'I'm watching you' gesture, before speeding away.

I turned to Deku only to find him grinning at my misfortune.

I scowled at him as he covered his grin with his hands.

"Yeah, laugh it up chucklehead." I said grumpily, "and get ready for a long walk. We don't have the van to drive us everywhere now!"

"You have to admit, it was funny seeing you like that." Himiko replied, skipping out of the locker,

"Where are we going next?"

"Now, now. Let's not ruin the surprise shall we?" I said, wagging a finger as I waved bugbro goodbye.

Through the twisting web of back alleys, I led the two to our next destination.

"What you saw back there was the Monster Quarter. And trust me, it's called that affectionately. The things people say about it's residents though, not so much. They are people who would never be accepted or allowed in normal society, pushed to the corners of civilization, and left to rot till they die or kill themselves. The fact that bugbro is still keeping himself in ship shape is a testament to both his will to live and the love and friendship of people like us, and his brothers." I explained.

"Why didn't I notice this earlier? I should've known!" Deku cried.

"But you didn't. And that's that. Doesn't do well to dwell on it. Besides, this is the least of it." I said, leading us into a narrow alley and into the unofficial red light district, as the workers catcalled Deku.

"Don't stare at them, it's rude." I admonished a bug eyed Deku.

"Uh, yes, right." Deku responded, distracted, until he spotted exactly what I wanted and his boner died down like a mayfly.

"Are those...kids?" He asked shakily.

"Yep." I replied, "Orphans, street urchins, runaways, drug addicts. People who have nowhere to be and nowhere to go."

"B-but shouldn't the government have-" Deku asked.

"If they had the choice you think they'd want to be here?" I asked softly as we exited the red light district, looking Deku in the eyes.

His eyes clouded over as he understood what I meant.

"No one cares...." he muttered, "they all turn a blind eye, acting like nothings wrong..."

"Exactly. You're not the only one and you're not even the worst of them.

See Deku, that's the thing. The world isn't fair. It's horribly unfair. And the people on the low end? They don't even have the choice, nay, the freedom to be mad at it." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I get it Matsun. I was being a brat. I shouldn't have been-" Deku gave in.

"No. That's not remotely my fucking point Deku." I interrupted.

"I didn't bring here to show you how insignificant your first world problems were. And you should certainly be mad. Get mad. Very very mad.

What I just showed you was 180 degrees from right. Nothing good about it.

The thing I bought you here for was to make you understand the true depth of the problem.

In three months we'll be headed to UA, well on our way to become heroes. This, here? You won't see any heroes slumming it up down here.

Remember when I told you to look up the nearest hero agency?" I asked.

Deku nodded and then stopped as realization dawned on him for the bajillionth time today.

He frantically pulled out his phone and looked it up again.

"This....." he said, tongue tied.

"Yeah. Now think about that day, with the sludge villain. Remember how those heroes acted when I brought up their incompetence? What was their reaction? Did they apologize and promise to improve?" I asked.

"No. They...they got angry. Like it was your fault they failed to save Kacchan. That was such a scummy thing to do!" Deku exclaimed.

I sighed and nodded.

"That's the point, Deku. This system, it's bursting at it's seams. The era of peace has lasted nearly 30 years now. And those heroes, they're like shining stars, up in the sky. They cast a damn long shadow upon us, all of us.

All Might, the other heroes, hell, even the average normie wants to believe that the war is over. But I know this.

All Might won't be the symbol of peace forever.

The war is just beginning, and it won't be over for a long, long time. You don't have to believe me. I know it's a hard admission. But you'll see it soon enough. How truly, horrifyingly and regrettably right I am. When that time comes, you'll have a hard choice to make, Deku. Make that choice with conviction. Don't falter at the last step. Because even without a quirk, you could very well be the one to change the tides of war." I explained, and let the silence and my exposition settle in.

As he took it in, Deku looked at me with convinction.

"I believe you Matsun. Because even if you're wrong, what I've seen today is enough to convince me. Change is necessary and if I can do anything to help it, I will!"

"Thanks." I said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, as Himiko snuggled up to me.

"Let's get back home now. Before it's too dark. Wouldn't want your mom worrying about little old Deku now would we?" I said, pinching his nose.

"Umu! Stop treating me like a kid, Matsun! And while you're at it, start calling me by my name! It's not Deku, it's Izuku!" Deku insisted.

I laughed in his face as I replied.

"Hehehehe, yeah no. You wanna be called by your name? Earn it. Prove to me that you're no longer a fucking Deku. And when you earn my respect, I'll reciprocate."