Chapter Text
Missing People
Shouta watched in silence as the students climbed up the bus. From his peripheral he could see Katsuki started to get antsy. The frown on his face deepening as he grew restless.
“What—”
“Shh.”
Shouta let out a soft amused snort at the offended look on Katsuki’s face after being shushed.
Once the UA school bus had started and moved out of the gates, Shouta spoke up.
“Before I tell you why I brought you here, I want you to know, that you can say no. You don’t have to do or agree with anything you don’t want to. And if you say no, there are no consequence, I’ll simply drop you off at UA.”
Katsuki stilled for a second. Myriads of expressions flittered across his face as he processed the sentences. At the end of it a guarded expression took over his facial features.
Good instincts. Shouta thought approvingly to himself, reassuring his previous beliefs when he chose Katsuki.
“… what do you need me to do?”
“I can’t tell you that before I hear your answer.”
Katsuki frowned, looking almost pissed. “What? I’m supposed to just trust you blindly?”
Shouta let out a soft chuckle as he leaned against the steering wheel. “To be honest, as a guardian, I’d tell you to straight up say no when someone asks you to blindly trust them. Irrespective of who the person is. And that includes me. Unless of course, you trust them enough to feel that even if you blindly trust them, no matter bad, the consequences won’t be too… damning.”
“…do you not want me to say yes?” Katsuki asked, raising an eyebrow.
Shouta looked at the boy as he thought about where they will be growing. If it were up to him then yes, he wanted to Katsuki to reject him. But as the situation was, there truly was no one else Shouta could’ve picked.
Katsuki looked away for a second, thoughtful as he gnawed on his lower lip before looking back up with a steely gaze. “Why me instead of the nerd?”
Shouta thought about his answer, deciding how to correctly phrase it before he spoke. “The reason I didn’t pick Izuku… isn’t what you think it is.”
There could be plenty of reasons why Katsuki asked that particular question but none that Shouta could surely guess. But he believed his answer will cover at least most of those reasons.
“So, it’s not because whatever it is would put Izuku risk?”
Shouta froze, his usual neutral expression cracking as the entirely unexpected question. Far too horrified once the question sunk fully into his brain.
“Bakugo, I’d never—”
“Yeah okay, shut up, I got it. I know.” Katsuki huffed, rolling his eyes as he turned away to look front and crossed his arm over his chest. “I didn’t mean to imply you’re tryna use me cause I’m expendable or whatever. Fucking hell. Tsk.” He paused, sniffing as he started unlocking the clasps on his gauntlet. Grumbling under his breath all huffy and puffy. Something along the lines of how ‘the nerd’ is spreading ‘something’ to everyone ‘Aizawa’ included. “I’m asking what kind of shit this is. You didn’t grab an adult. You didn’t grab the nerd. You grabbed me.” He rolled his eyes once more as if his ‘question’ should’ve been obvious from the beginning.
Despite Katsuki word’s, Shouta pressed his lips in thin line, reconsidering his pending requests. He needed people who were present on site, had interacted or engaged and a reliable track-record when it came to remembering details. Shouta thought it was pathetic how the list of people who fit all the categories, didn’t include a single adult.
“Oh for fuck’s face. I’m not a fucking flowering, okay? What is it? What did you call me out for? Are you going to frigging tell me or I’m gonna walk back to UA.”
Shouta blinked out of his thoughts, schooling his expression as he raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t said yes yet.”
The expression on Katsuki face clearly told that if the teen had any lesser patience, he would’ve tried to punch him.
“What are you? A fricking middle schooler that you need me to say it? Do you think I was asking those questions because— Ugh, yes!”
Shouta nod in lieu of a thank you, before speaking up. “I’m going to take you to a secure location where all the caught Nomu’s are being kept. There have been recent incidents that has caused some doubts over the number of Nomu’s we’ve caught so we need someone who was present and has engaged with them to confirm their identity. You may be asked questions as well regarding the incidents where you had to engage with the identified Nomus. Now, I understand it’s an unpleasant request, so like I said, you’re free to say no. And given the nature of the situation your parents have also been informed of what is being requested of you.”
“Huh…” Katsuki huffed taking in the words for a moment. Something struck him off as he scowled and snapped his head back towards Shouta. “You wouldn’t have picked me if it was just to identify some fucking Nomus. Anyone in the class could’ve done it. They were all involved in during the Nomu attacks.”
Shouta shook his head, “Not… all of them. There were also Nomu attacks during the Hosu incident but the information was kept under the wraps for prevent the public from panicking.”
Katsuki shook his head even before Shouta could finish talking. “That still keeps the nerd, that half-and-half, four eyes.”
Shouta dropped his head as he sighed. “You’re right… it does.”
“So? What is it? Are you fucking telling me anytime soon or what?”
Shouta started the car and answered, “Let’s get going. I’ll tell you on the way.”
The boy let out a disgruntled noise but didn’t protest. Although, the silence only lasted till the car rolled out of the premises and hit the main road.
“I won’t hesitate to blow of your head.” Katsuki hissed after Shouta continued to remain quiet despite the teen demanding of him tell why he had specifically picked him.
“As a teacher, the students are my top priority, Katsuki.” Shouta started keeping his eyes on the road. “And I need to keep all of you safe, no matter what or from who.”
Katsuki frowned, brows knitting. “What are you getting at?”
Shouta tapped his finger against the steering wheel as he considered his decision over and over again. He still had the chance to not go through his decision. There were other ways, of course. But those other ways decreased the chances of success, or even a guaranteed result.
Moreover, Shouta’s absence will increase the chances of information about the students being slipped out. With everything that was happening and will happen while he’s absent risked far too much to be leaked.
“What I’m about to tell you, cannot be, or even hinted to anyone. And that includes your friends, your classmates, and any adult in UA or outside.”
Katsuki’s red eyes sharpened, a mix of impatience and curiosity and underlying wariness.
As the car slowed to a stop at a red light, Shouta turned to face the teenager directly. He needed Katsuki to know he wasn’t joking, or testing him. That this wasn’t a logical ruse at all.
“There’s a traitor in UA.” He said.
Katsuki went rigid, jaw slackening “What…?”
“The USJ incident. The attack at the summer camp. Someone’s been feeding information about 1-A’s schedule and location to LOV.”
“…You’re bullshitting me.” Katsuki muttered at the end, jaw tight. “Why would anyone— What— How?”
“Even if the break-in before USJ and the incident itself were a fault on our end,” Shouta said, eyes still on the road, “the camp couldn’t have been.”
Katsuki went quiet. He slouched back in the seat, staring at nothing in particular as he turned the words over. Then his posture stiffened. He turned sharply toward Shouta, eyes wide.
“You think the traitor is someone from our class.”
Shouta didn’t answer right away. He let the statement sit before asking, evenly, “Why do you think that?”
Katsuki crossed his arms, scowling. “Why else would you need me? Or anyone from our class?” He clicked his tongue, irritated. “If it was a teacher, you could watch them. Hell, the principal wouldn’t let anyone sneeze without knowing about it. That leaves students.”
He continued, more matter-of-fact now. “It can’t be someone from another department. They wouldn’t know about the camp. And if it was 1-B, I wouldn’t be sitting here.” He grimaced. “So yeah. It’s us.”
Shouta’s gaze stayed on the street ahead. The conclusion had come too easily.
“You’re right.”
Katsuki leaned back again, frowning. “Then why me?” He glanced sideways. “The nerd talks to everyone. Raccoon Eyes won’t shut up. They’d notice more.”
Shouta opened his mouth, then closed it. Any answer he gave would tilt things the wrong way.
“I can’t answer that,” he said instead.
Katsuki looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. He sank back into the seat, jaw tight. Shouta let the silence stretch. The decision needed to be Katsuki’s, not pushed.
After a moment, Katsuki spoke again, quieter.
“If you’re right… and it’s someone in our class. What happens to them?”
Shouta chose his words carefully. “That depends on what we find,” he said. “And why. This isn’t a normal situation.”
Katsuki huffed, arms crossing again. Minutes passed. Then—
“Alright,” he said. “I’ll do it.”
Shouta glanced over. “You’re sure? You don’t have to agree. If you want to walk away, you can. There’s no obligation—”
“I said yes,” Katsuki snapped. “I’m not gonna crumble over it.”
“I wasn’t implying—”
“Drop it.”
Shouta exhaled, raising a hand. “Alright.”
Katsuki leaned back with an annoyed grunt.
“Open up the glove compartment.” Shouta ordered, “There’s a blindfold in there. Put it on.”
Katsuki scowled, “What kinda freaky ass—”
“The location is classified,” Shouta cut in before Katsuki could finish the sentence. “Can’t have you knowing.”
“Huh.” Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes yet again but put on the blindfold without further comments. Shouta picked up his phone with one hand and used it to flash the flashlight towards Katsuki, checking for a reaction. Once he was sure the boy had put on the blindfold correctly, he put away the phone, and rolled up all the windows
“We’ll be there in 20 minutes.” Shouta lied.
Katsuki's mouth twisted. "You're not going to tell me anything else, are you."
It wasn't a question.
"No."
"Fantastic." The word came out flat and clipped. A beat of silence before he asked, "Is it at least climate controlled? Because if you're dragging me somewhere that smells like a sewer I'm going to be genuinely pissed off."
"It's climate controlled."
"Great. Wonderful. Very informative conversation we're having."
Shouta said nothing. Katsuki shifted in the seat, the leather making soft squeaking sounds under him.
"You know most people," Katsuki started again, "when they ask someone to do something, they at least—"
"Bakugo."
"What."
"Twenty minutes."
The teen let out a sharp exhale through his nose — more air than sound — and went quiet. Quiet, but not calm, jerking his leg and tapping his fingers insistently against his arm.
Shouta took it as a small winning, sighing soft, watching the city thin out beyond the tinted glasses. He pressed down the accelerator as they got up on a highway, picking up speed to reach as quickly as possible.
#
Shouta kept a hand on Katsuki’s shoulder as he guided him down the corridor. The halls were narrow, the lighting stark and cold, the hum of machinery ever-present beneath their footsteps. When they reached the door, Shouta knocked once and waited.
“Identity?” came the voice through the speaker.
“Eraserhead.”
There was a brief pause. Then a concealed panel slid open beside the massive metal door, revealing a keyboard. Shouta entered the passcode without hesitation. A moment later, the door hissed and split open.
“If you get cold, tell me,” Shouta said.
A rush of chilled air poured out as they stepped inside, sharp enough to raise goosebumps. Once they were through the threshold, Shouta removed the blindfold and folded it away into his pocket.
Ahead of them stood another sealed door. Beyond it lay the research wing—where the Nomu were being held. Before entry, decontamination was mandatory.
Katsuki blinked, adjusting to the harsh lighting. Shouta noticed the exact moment his gaze locked past the glass.
“Please step inside, one at a time,” an automated voice instructed. “Sanitization will begin shortly.”
#
The room held several Nomus in different states.
Some were suspended from reinforced hooks anchored into the ceiling, their bodies slack and unmoving. Thick cables ran from their forms into surrounding machinery. Each was surrounded by a small cluster of researchers, gloved hands drawing samples or examining mutated tissue with clinical detachment.
Others were contained within large tanks filled with a yellow-tinged solution, oxygen masks secured tightly over their faces. Subtle twitches rippled beneath their skin—alive, conscious enough to react, but restrained and heavily sedated.
They weren’t all kept together. Shouta knew better than most how quickly a single failure could escalate. The Nomu were isolated across multiple chambers, brought into shared spaces only when necessary
“Is this the kid?” Asked a man dressed up in a blue hazmat suit, complete with mask and respirators on his face.
Shouta inclined his face “Yes.”
“Alright.” The man, nodding towards Katsuki in a lie of greeting. “Please follow me.”
The two of them followed after the man to a different room where several Nomus were kept in cryogenic chambers. Gigantic glass panels allowed full view the restrained creatures, illuminated by harsh white overhead lights.
“Here are four of the Nomu that were captured,” the man said, gesturing toward the reinforced observation rooms as they walked. “One from USJ, one of the two recovered in Hosu, and two from the summer camp site.
Pointing down the corridor he added, “The remaining are further down the hall in a separate wing. Once you’ve confirmed the identities of the Nomus here, I’ll take you there.” He continued. “If you need to take a closer look, let me know.”
He studied the Nomu inside for a few seconds before speaking, reciting what he remembered He skipped past the specimen without comment; he wasn’t involved in that incident.
“…super strength and super-regeneration.” Katsuki informed, “Although… this one was comparatively dumber than ones we fought at the summer camp or at Kawasaki”
The man stood up straighter, eyes gleaming with desire to get a hold of new information. “How so?”
The look on the man’s face made Katsuki’s lips curl, “This one only followed the orders of that Handyman. Buts the ones in camp or at the port were making their own decisions.”
“They showed… autonomy?” The man’s voice turned faint, eyes widening with horror. Shouta understood the emotions. The idea of such strong creatures having autonomy was a terrifying thought.
“Not autonomy.” Katsuki shook his head, “Just… responsive. The USJ Nomu would stand there until Handguy told it to move. The ones at camp didn’t wait. Especially the ones at the port.”
He frowned, thinking back. “I don’t think anyone ordered them to chase us.”
The man nodded, already typing notes into his tablet. “Understood.” He looked up again. “Thank you. Please follow me—I’ll show you the remaining specimens.”
#
There wasn’t much more Katsuki could add after that. He identified the rest as best he could: ones he was certain about, ones that felt familiar, and a few that had clearly been mislabeled.
While Shouta finished speaking with the man, Katsuki drifted ahead on his own, stopping at the observation windows for Nomu he didn’t recognize.
‘These ones are from Hosu’ Katsuki mentally. Then he stopped, faltering almost He stared harder, his mind pushing back before the thought had fully formed. It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t and and yet...
Red. Large. Webbed, not feathered, shaped more like a bat’s than a bird’s. Those engravings. And that scar. The scar that happened when they were playing pretend adventurous.
Everything matched.
So why the hell does a fucking Nomu have the same wing as my childhood friend?
“Oi,” Katsuki growled out, red eyes stuck to the Nomu hanging beyond the glass, “What the fuck is this?”
Shouta started to turn, a sharp correction on his tongue, but he froze once he caught Katsuki’s expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“This Nomu.” He emphasized, pointing towards the creature, his red eyes were wild with emotions, his breathing had gotten shallow uneven. “Why does it have Tsubasa’s wings?”e
The room stalled.
The question landed like a heavy stone dropped into a still lake.
“Who’s Tsubasa?” Shouta asked. The name seemed familiar but he couldn’t put a face to it.
“Open it,” Katsuki grit, tone clipped, impatient in a way that skipped past impatience, “I need to see it up close.”
The man glanced at Shouta, who studied Katsuki for a moment longer than necessary. Then he nodded, “Do it.”
The door hissed as it unlocked. The air inside the room was colder and the air sharp with the smell of disinfectant. Katsuki stepped in without stopping.
“Please do not touch the specimen.” The man tried to warn, but the teen paid no heed.
Katsuki went around the Nomu and studied the wing on the back.
“This is Tsubasa’s wing. How can a Nomu have the same fucking wing as him?” Katsuki demanded.
“Quirks can be similar.” Shouta suggested.
“No,” Katsuki denied immediately, “That scar on the back,” He pointed towards the jagged pinkish line that ran down the upper ridge of the wing. “Tsubasa got it when we were five. We were playing at the stream near the park. There was this old oak tree. And we were hunting of beetles. Tsubasa climbed up the tree, but ended up falling. He cut his wings on a rock and got a scar there.”
Shouta frowned, but nodded. His phone pinged drawing his attention. Checking it he learnt Tsukauchi had arrived.
“We’ll get back to this, but Detective Tsukauchi just arrived.” Shouta informed.
“What? I tell you these wings belong to Tsubasa and you—”
Shouta met his eyes, “I believe you.” Shouta crouched down, looking up at his student with sincere gaze. “And I’ll look into it. I promise you, I’ll find out the truth.”
The teen stared back adamantly before giving in and nodding.
“Right now, Tsukauchi is here because he needs to ask you a few questions regarding what happened back at Kawasaki. Are you willing to meet him right now?”
The blond frowned, “I already told them everything I know after the incident.”
“Well yes, but after some investigation, we need to re-confirm a few details.” Shouta explained. “It’s simply just a re-assessment. You won’t be asked any new questions.” He raised his hand in an amicable gesture, “But, if you don’t want to do it, that’s fine as well. I’ll let Tsukauchi know.”
Then scowled, staring at him for a few seconds before looking up at the hung Nomu. The furrow between his eyebrow deepened, a sombre expression clouding his face. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with”
“Very well.” Shouta pivoted them to the entrance of the room. As they left the room, Shouta glanced back at the Nomu once more. Katsuki wasn’t the type of kid of mix up details of memories he remembered.
“Ghostwire?”
“Already on it, tiger.”
#
Tsukauchi stood up with an amicable smile, dipping his head in a curt bow to greet them. Shouta returned the greeting, lightly smacking the back of Katsuki’s head to get him to do the same. But the blond refused, snarling back at him before returning to his usual scowling glare.
Shouta let out a resigned sigh, shaking his head as he directed the kid to the couch.
The room was well light with bright over-head lights. A solid metal table pushed to the corner, with a chair next to it. And two brown couches against the opposite wall.
“Alright, I’ll be outside if you need me,” Shouta informed, his voice gravelly as he stepped toward the door.
Katsuki shifted in the sterile chair, his eyes narrowing. “Wait, you’re leaving? You’re the one who dragged me here.”
Shouta paused, his hand resting on the heavy metal handle. He glanced back at Tsukauchi, then at the camera blinking in the corner of the room.
“Legally, I’m your temporary guardian under the UA Emergency Mandate,” Shouta explained, looking at Katsuki, “But professionally, I’m the one who led the extraction team in Kawasaki. If I’m in the room while you give your account, it creates a risk of ‘collaborative memory.’ For the record to be valid, your observations of the Nomu perimeter need to be entirely independent of mine.” He pushed the handle down and opened the door. “I’m just on the other side here. The door is going to remain open. If you need me, you can come out any time you want.”
The blond scoffed, twisting back in his seat and facing the detective with his arms crossed. “Well? Get on with it.”
Shouta closed the door behind, taking a few steps to the side before leaning against the wall. Shouta only had to wait a few moments before Miran’s voice crackled through his earpiece.
“Tsubasa Garaki,” she began, her tone clinical yet heavy. “Reported missing five years ago at age ten. The family had moved back to the father’s ancestral home in the Suginami District. The local precinct’s Missing Persons unit led the charge, but the trail went cold in under a year. No clues, no leads, no witnesses. It’s as if the boy simply stepped off the face of the earth. The case was never reopened, and both parents died in a car accident two years later.”
Miran’s voice thinned, growing frail as she reached the grim part of her report. “His quirk was a heteromorphic blend—dragon and bat wings, inherited from both sides. Red. I had to snoop through archived social media, but it’s exactly as Katsuki described. Pictures from seven years ago show a distinct scar on the wing membrane. The placement is similar to the Kawasaki Nomu.”
“Similar?” Shouta caught the word, a flicker of desperate hope surfacing despite his nature.
“Similar,” Miran confirmed. “He was five when he got the scar and seven when he vanished. Heteromorphic traits shift as a child grows—the skin stretches, and the bone structure expands. A few centimeters of displacement is expected, but the marking is unmistakable.”
Shouta’s brow furrowed. “You said it was the grandfather’s house. What do we have on him?”
“Records are thin. The grandmother died years before Tsubasa was even born. The grandfather was a doctor—Dr. Garaki—who reportedly passed away a few years after her. As for the maternal side? Total radio silence. I’ve scrolled through a decade of posts; there are frequent memorials for the Garakis, but the mother never mentioned her own parents. I’ll have to dig deeper into the maternal line.”
Shouta let out a defeated sigh, the weight of the conspiracy settling in his chest. “I’m going to have Tsukauchi pull every cold case involving missing children. Miran, can you—”
“Of course, Tiger,” Miran interrupted earnestly. “You don’t even have to ask.”
Shouta dipped his head, hair falling forward to mask a small smile. “Thank you.” He could practically feel Miran’s smug, sweet expression through the line.
“Although,” her voice sobered, “you should tell Tsukauchi to broaden the search to all missing persons. There’s no guarantee that only children were...” She trailed off, the gory implication hanging between them.
Shouta rubbed his face, exhaustion seeping into his bones. “That’s a logistical nightmare. Naomasa only has direct access to his own files. For anything else, he needs a Captain’s sign-off. Even if I call in every favor I have across the Musutafu and neighbouring precincts, it could take months to bypass the red tape.”
“Darling, darling... my sweet, sweet Tiger,” Miran’s voice hummed with a playful edge. “Have you forgotten who I am? What I do?”
Shouta resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing she’d somehow sense the gesture anyway. “I cannot condone you hacking into a federal police database, Miran.”
“You let me hack the Commission!”
“Ghost—”
“Besides, GhostWire operates independently,” she countered, her voice dropping into the professional purr of an indomitable information broker. He could almost see her mischievous grin. “I collect data and auction it to the highest bidder. But... if you’re extra sweet to me, I might just give you a hero’s discount.”
“Mhm,” Shouta hummed dryly, though the tension in his shoulders had eased.
Miran’s soft giggle echoed in his ear. “You’re welcome.”
#
The door to the room opened with a click. Katsuki strutted out with his usual scowl on his face. Shouta tossed a juice box, a cookie flavored protein bar towards him before the teen could start speaking.
Katsuki caught it with a reflex born of years of training. He glared at the contents in his hand, then at Shouta. "I'm not a kid, Eraser."
“Shut up and eat it.” Shouta countered. “You haven’t eaten anything since the provisional exam ended and you used your quirk plenty during it. I can’t have you passing out on me here.”
The teen gave him a disgruntled look, stabbing the straw into the packet before angrily sipping the drink. Shouta watched him stomp forward to the main door while he lingered behind to talk to Tsukauchi.
Once the detective stepped out, he filled him in on the information he had learnt earlier. He kept the details of how he got the information vague, omitting any mention of Miran or GhostWire. He simply laid out the facts: the name, the missing person’s report, and the impossible, jagged scar on the Winged Nomu’s wing.
As Shouta spoke, Tsukauchi’s face went pale, his professional mask crumbling into a look of pure horror before settling into a grim, determined lines.
“If what you’re suggesting is true,” Tsukauchi whispered, his voice echoing in the empty hall, “then we looking at something far worse than a kidnapping ring.” The man groaned, rubbing his forehead as he considered the possibilities. “I’ll try to get as many files as I can as soon as possible.”
Shouta gave curt nod in response, “I’ll contact the other precincts tonight.”
With that, the two parted ways. Shouta walked down the nearly empty corridors towards the main door by himself.
“About what Izuku… found out,” Miran said hesitantly.
Shouta stopped walking.
The sterile hallway suddenly felt colder.
His chest tightened as unease crept into his stomach.
“I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t see how it’s possible. I was there. I saw him. Miran, I—”
“I know,” she said quickly. “I know. I just…”
She swore under her breath.
“Fuck. I really don’t want to say this over comms.”
Shouta frowned slightly.
“…Say what?”
A small pause.
“What about afterwards?” Miran said carefully.
“…Afterwards?”
“After the accident,” she clarified. “After the hospital.”
Shouta blinked slowly.
“What are you talking about?”
Another pause crackled through the line.
“Look,” Miran said finally. “I’d rather talk about this face-to-face. Are you coming over tonight?”
Shouta exhaled sharply through his nose, pinching the bridge of it as his thoughts churned.
Something about the way she said it twisted unpleasantly in his gut.
“…Yeah,” he said after a moment. “Yeah. I’ll come over.”
“Okay,” Miran replied softly. “Drive safe, Tiger. Please.”
#