#chapter 318

Chapter 318: When I'm at school, my backpack is just my pocket dimension bag; it can hold an entire world inside it.

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“Ha ha ha! I already had the emblem thought up!”

“This flag...isn’t something you fly on a whim!”

“It’s just a symbol...so I’ll draw you a new one over it.”

“I totally get who Robin’s enemy is.”

“If there’s anything that could bolster Izuku Midoriya now, it would be…”

Words aren't enough to describe the way these panels are my comfort panels and make me smile 

The way Izuku eyes shines when he notices katsuki, the way he was ready to gave up few minutes ago because he was exhausted and suddenly katsuki shows up,  giving him hope where he never expected to find it. I’m not gonna talk about katsuki’s face because it’s probably one of his softest faces he ever made, this one is destined to izuku because he finally finds him after all those months, leaving everyone with a simple letter and their reunion is probably one of the best things that happened in the manga, thanks horikoshi <3 

“Guys, I found him.”

That’s when he sees Katsuki. Ethereal, standing overhead like an angel, and it’s only now that Izuku realizes how exhausted he is. His legs have started to burn, like they might give out beneath him.

How did he find him? He’s been so careful… Or has he?

Only a second passes before Katsuki pulls him up by the shoulders, swiftly hooking an arm under his knees and bringing his head to his chest.

“Yeah, we’ll meet you there.” He must be talking over some kind of radio. Izuku lifts his head to look at him, trying to fight back the exhaustion, his eyes threatening to slam shut.

“Kacchan?”

Katsuki doesn’t look at him. Instead, he keeps his eyes straight ahead as he sprints through the crowd, down the street.

“You fucking idiot,” he mutters, and Izuku’s not sure if he’s talking to him or himself, but he doesn’t have time to figure it out as he soon succumbs to sleep.

/

“Good, you’re awake.”

Izuku rubs his eyes, sniffling as he sits up from his place on a bed with a gaudy floral print. He quickly surveys the dimly lit room, willing himself to keep up his guard. They seem to be in an old lady’s bedroom, as it’s decorated floor to ceiling with flower patterns and framed photos of a not entirely unfamiliar family…

“Where are we?”

Katsuki leans against the large antique-looking vanity across from him, still in his hero uniform but without his mask. He looks down.

“Kacchan, where are we?” Izuku demands this time.

“My grandmother’s apartment -”

“Kacchan!” Izuku scolds, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He cringes at the dirt left behind by his clothes and shoes. When he stands, he’s able to convince himself the pain in his legs isn’t so bad anymore. “This is exactly why I -”

“Yeah, I’m fully aware of the stupid lies you’ve convinced yourself of, and it’s all bullshit.”

Izuku rolls his eyes. Where is his mask? He has to get out of here.

“But before you get your fucking panties in a bunch, no one lives here. I offered to use this place because she moved to the country.”

Izuku sighs. Well, at least they’re not putting anyone in danger. He spots his mask on the dresser and picks it up before heading to the door.

“Deku.” Katsuki’s voice is low, making him stop in his tracks. “This is over. Whatever stupid plan you have. Give it up.” He pauses. “What were you thinking? Doing this alone? Was all that talk about being a team just bullshit to you?”

Izuku shakes his head. “This isn’t about you. I can’t - can’t put anyone in harm’s way -”

“And what about you, huh?” He stands.

Izuku squints. “What does it matter to you?”

“What the fuck does that mean, Deku?” Katsuki slams his fist against the wall next to him, then turns his head away. “You think I - You think we don’t care about you, you moron? You’re not alone. You never have been.”

“Well, that’s nice of you to say, I guess, but you guys don’t understand what’s going on. This is my responsibility and mine alone.” He reaches for the doorknob, but Katsuki’s there in seconds, his hand against the door, holding it shut.

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

There’s always the window. It looks big enough anyway.

“Don’t even think about it.” Katsuki stares him down, his nostrils flared, but Izuku’s already gearing up full cowling and shooting himself toward the other exit.

“Dammit!” Katsuki catches his foot and slams him down onto an old knit rug. He pins down Izuku’s shoulders with his forearm. “You really are a fucking moron, you know that? You think I’m gonna fucking let you go after all this? You think you’re gonna get away that easily?”

The look in his eye - Izuku hadn’t noticed before. There’s anger, yes, but also desperation, and sadness, and something Izuku can’t quite name, but it hurts, bad.

Izuku knew, on some level, that if he saw Kacchan again, he wouldn’t be able to keep it up anymore, he wouldn’t be able to be strong enough to keep going on this path.

“You think I’ve been spending all this time searching for you every damn day and night just for fun?”

Izuku can’t help it, his eyes start to water, and oh, he hasn’t cried in so long. The feeling is almost unfamiliar.

“You think that you aren’t…”

Katsuki’s face starts to warp, his nose scrunches up, his eyes cloudy, and Izuku realizes that he’s about to cry. He’s never seen him cry before. Except for maybe when they were very young, but not since then.

His voice is barely a whisper. “That you aren’t the most important person in my life? What would I do -” he tries to hold back a sob. “- if something happened to you?”

Izuku’s tears come freely now, sliding down his ears and neck. Katsuki isn’t really holding him down anymore, just staring at him with a look that, if Izuku didn’t know any better, he would have said was disgust.

“I… I didn’t know you felt that way. I thought -” Izuku tries to steady his breathing so he can speak properly. “I wanted to prove I was strong enough. I wanted to prove that I could be the hero that everyone needs me to be -”

“You don’t have to prove shit! Not to me. Not to anyone.” He sits up, offering Izuku his hand. He takes it and sits next to him. There's a long silence while Izuku dries his tears (unlike Katsuki, who seemed to have stopped crying as soon as he started).

“We have a plan, okay? Please. Just - stay.” He looks at him, again with that sad, desperate expression. How can Izuku say no? And besides, he’s tired. He’s, like, really tired.

He nods, starting to feel his eyes well up again as he makes up his mind. “Okay.”

“Good.” Relief washes over Katsuki’s features, his eyebrows softening, his eyes half-closed, a small smile forming on his lips. He stands, helping Izuku up. “Ah, dammit, c’mere.” Katsuki pulls him in for a hug as Izuku sobs into his chest, his arms tight around Katsuki.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I -”

“Shh, shh.” Katsuki pats the back of his head. “You’re fine. You look like shit, but you’re fine.”

Izuku leans back to take a good look at him. He missed him a lot.

“Really. Have you looked in a mirror lately? You need a shower. There's one down the hall.”

“Okay, Kacchan.” Izuku starts toward the bathroom.

“You reek, too.”

“I’m going!”

The Spinner fanboys. <3

This gives me hope that I’m correct to believe Spinner’s role in the story will only increase in relevance and importance. This wordless single panel of two background characters who we’ll likely never see again; this silly visual of people cosplaying Spinner who we know is a cosplayer himself, of Stain - and it is Spinner, what with the white vest and prominent polka dotted shirt and headband-goggles: a look that resembles more Spinner than Stain, recalling first thing to mind the former rather than the latter. This deliberate decision of a drawing that I hope foreshadows Spinner’s return and further plot line.

The League’s continuing to influence people, which is hardly a surprise; and Spinner apparently has his own particular effect on society, enough to serve as a icon to cosplay. For some reason, tho, it’s Spinner out of everyone else in the League who inspires admirers.

From what we’ve seen of the general public opinion, Dabi is annoying and AFO is greatly feared and Shigaraki Tomura is likely also a terror. Somewhat related, Toga was meant to serve as a pitiful tragic figure poster-child of the failures of quirk counseling and suppression. If we wanna differentiate between civilians and those who’ve decided to use their quirks for whatever reason, the rando vigilantes/villains we’ve seen so far in this arc haven’t dedicated their rampages to the League.

Spinner, though, has fans. I don’t think this is a coincidence or some thoughtless space filler; one drawn Spinner stan might have been, but we’ve got two examples; and moreover, his fans are Villains opposed to the Heroes that represent HeroAca society, and are visible, full-body heteromorphs, just like him.

It’s Spinner who introduces us to the canon fact of heteromorph discrimination, which immediately re-contextualizes all previous instances of people with mutant quirks being called or thought of as an animal and the experiences of the other heteromorph characters in the series; and out of all those heteromorph characters, it’s Spinner who the manga paid attention to, this societal problem being explicitly part of his backstory.

So the theme of heteromorph discrimination is intertwined with Spinner’s character and role in the story, making him the current central figure in this ‘abolish fantasy-bigotry-ism’ maybe storyline. That’s not to say other characters like Shoji and Tsuyu who’s implied to have dealt with this don’t get their time in the spotlight; but Spinner is most prominent and who the story directs our focus on. If and whenever the theme pops up, it probably will get Spinner involved one way or another, and this panel in this new chapter only backs this up.

Spinner has fans, and it could be that they look up to him as a heteromorph role model rebel. Spinner has fans that support him and his resentment of heteromorph discrimination that Hero Society never solved, especially in a meta sense. Spinner has fans which shows he’s right (about this at least), and it’s a problem Deku has to face and tackle and save people from and cede some compassion and empathy towards people pushed too far and lashes out at this injustice as Villains. Please.