Izuku woke up bright and early the next day to meet Aizawa for their meeting. Ideally (and Izuku knew that Aizawa shared his sentiment), Izuku would have preferred to meet his teacher after school had finished for the day, but that simply wouldn't be possible. Aizawa had to go out on patrol after school, and after that, he had a staff meeting. Suffice to say, there was no other time for Izuku to speak to his teacher that day. Izuku wanted to explain everything to his teacher and get everything off of his chest before he visited his mother in the hospital, and he had left his meeting with Aizawa to the very last moment.

"Midoriya," Aizawa greeted in a gruff voice, he gestured for Izuku to take a seat on the other side of the table. Izuku did so quickly, not wanting to keep his teacher waiting when he was no doubt grumpy from having to be awake so early.

"Good morning, sir," Izuku returned, as he sat down, he fiddled with his fingers. His conversation with Katsuki came to the forefront of his mind. He was determined to keep his promise to his partner.

"This meeting is going to be pretty simple," Aizawa began, "You tell me what you can remember, at your own pace, as well as how you've been feeling since. You will be given the choice to start attending therapy sessions, this opportunity was offered to your classmates during your absence. I would strongly recommend that you accept."

Aizawa paused, offering a brief window of time for Izuku to confirm that he understood what Aizawa was saying. Izuku hummed in acknowledgement, this seemed enough for Aizawa to continue.

"Good. First of all, tell me what you remember from the night you were kidnapped, Bakugo has told us what he knows, but I'd like to hear it from you, as well." Aizawa intoned neutrally. He had never been an overly comforting figure, and yet Izuku had come to see him as a paternal figure. Ready to protect and comfort him should the need arise.

"My memory of back then is a bit foggy. In fact, everything is a bit foggy for that entire three-month duration. I... I remember sleeping and waking up because something just felt wrong. Kacchan and I woke up and we tried to take defensive positions. Then... I think I was knocked out and taken. I clearly remember waking up face to face with Shigaraki and the rest of the League, but everything after that is a massive blur." Izuku explained haltingly.

Aizawa nodded and scribbled something in his messy scrawl on the paper in front of him. If it had been anyone else (aside from maybe All Might), Izuku would have been worried about what was being written. But Aizawa had Izuku's trust. Of course, there was still the niggling thought at the back of his head. That persistent itch that said that Aizawa was going to tell everyone about how weak Izuku was to have let himself be kidnapped and tortured as he was, but Izuku pushed that thought away, but Aizawa wouldn't do that.

"Ok, I know you said that it's foggy, but is there anything you do remember from your three-month disappearance?" Aizawa asked.

"Umm..." this was where Izuku hesitated for longer than he had before, "I remember little bits and pieces. I remember floating in a tub... maybe. I think I hurt somebody, to the point that they were on the verge of dying. Or maybe they did die. I remember people speaking, but I don't know what they were saying. Sometimes, people who weren't from the LOV or the Liberation Front showed up. They wore suits and looked like they conducted official business. They always looked a little uneasy, but they never helped." Izuku trailed off. It was only now hitting him how little he truly remembered from those three months. He couldn't be sure how many of his memories were real. He couldn't be sure that he hadn't fabricated them to save his sanity.

"That's fine, if you can't remember anymore then don't force yourself," Aizawa reassured Izuku. Izuku nodded silently.

"Is there anything that has happened after you returned that has concerned you in any way?" Aizawa asked.

At this, Izuku perked up (even if it was minutely) and nodded his head, "Yes!" He shouted, only to flush red in embarrassment, "I mean, yes, there is something I think I should definitely tell you."

Aizawa raised his eyebrow at Izuku's sudden burst of enthusiasm but nodded nonetheless for Izuku to continue.

"Well, I've been having these episodes where I blackout, kind of. Like, I don't remember anything from point a to b. I didn't really think much about it until yesterday because yesterday I had vague memories of doing all of these random things before my mind became clearer and I was back in the gym." Izuku explained with his eyes glued to his hands as they fiddled on the table.

"Is that so?" Aizawa asked with a concerned tone of voice, "How many times would you say this has happened?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe three times at most since I've returned." Izuku shrugged ever so slightly.

"Ok, whilst this could simply be a response to the trauma your kidnapping caused, I think it would be best if you visited Recovery Girl to have this checked over," Aizawa suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Izuku hummed in a small voice.

It was near silent in the room for a minute. Neither occupant of the room said a word, the only sounds were the creaking of the chairs, the wind whistling and both of their gentle breathing. Izuku was mulling over what he had told Aizawa. Realistically, it was not much. Aside from the detail about him having gaps in his memory since returning, Izuku hadn't told Aizawa much that he didn't already know or could have guessed if he tried.

Finally, Aizawa broke the silence by standing up. His chair creaked ever so slightly. "I'll escort you to Recovery Girl."

Izuku nodded silently and followed after his teacher/ mentor.

As was expected by both Aizawa and Izuku, Recovery Girl gave Izuku an ear-full for not coming to see her sooner, even when he tried to explain that he hadn't been certain anything was wrong until the day before.

"Even, so, that's not an excuse, young man!" Recovery Girl berated him.

Izuku didn't even try to defend himself in the face of Recovery Girl's fire. The woman was like an over-protective mother bear, especially where Izuku was concerned. If Izuku tried to dispute her words, she would only chastise him more whilst she smothered him with her care.

"I'm sorry, Recovery Girl, if I'm ever in a situation like this again, I will be sure to come straight to you," Izuku said sincerely, though there was a slightly sarcastic tone underlining his words. Recovery Girl narrowed her eyes at Izuku in suspicion, but let his attitude go this time.

"Good. Now, let me just check you over and then we'll see what's wrong, shall we? It won't take any longer than an hour." Recovery Girl hummed as she bustled around the room, plucking medical instruments from their places and pulling machines behind her as she went.

Izuku's nerves concerning medical professionals and equipment had long since faded. He'd been forced to go to the nurse's office so many times that his fear had slowly dwindled away into a distant memory. Plus, it was hard to be scared of the nurse's office when it was Recovery Girl who was treating you. She wasn't to be messed with, stern and unyielding in her treatment of students, but her presence was gentle and kind all the same.

It took two hours for the tests to be done. By the time Recovery Girl had taken the last probe from Izuku's forehead, he was exhausted. Who knew that sitting there being tested on could cause so much exhaustion?

"Hmm, this is interesting," Recovery Girl hummed to herself. She was staring intently at two pictures of Izuku's brain scan side by side. With furrowed brows and pinched lips, she turned to Aizawa. "A word, Aizawa,"

Both adults shuffled over to the corner of the room and whispered hurriedly between themselves. As they spoke, Aizawa looked more and more concerned whilst Recovery Girl looked increasingly confused. The secrecy and concern on his teachers' faces weren't aiding Izuku's nerves at all. What could possibly be so wrong that Aizawa's usual look of indifference had melted away to be replaced with blatant concern and fear?

When, finally, the two adults turned back to Izuku, it suffices to say that Izuku was on the edge of his seat with anticipation.

"What is it? Why do you look so worried?" Izuku immediately burst out; he couldn't hold his tongue if he tried. Two of the adults he trusted the most were whispering amongst themselves, of course, that isn't going to help his nerves.

"I'll cut to the chase, Problem Child," Aizawa sighed heavily, "The scans of your brain from when you first came back and now are vastly different. I'm not an expert at reading or explaining these things so I'll let Recovery Girl do it,"

"To put it as simply as possible, Izuku, it looks as though something abnormal has been planted in your brain. I couldn't see it when you first came back because it was so small, but now it has grown significantly, larger. It seems to be a device that can control your actions, it is damaged now, which is most likely why you remember flashes of what you were doing last time you blacked out," Recovery Girl explained with all the patience of a doctor used to explaining bad news, "The good news is that I can remove it very easily with a simple surgery, although you will have to be put under anaesthesia for the procedure. The bad news is that once it is removed, and if they attempt to use the device again, the people who put it there will most certainly know you have escaped their control."

Izuku sat in silence. What else could he do?

Recovery Girl let Izuku leave the infirmary for a few hours whilst she prepared for the surgery. It would be wrong to say that Izuku was nervous about the surgery, after all, he'd had a few before due to him damaging his body. Of course, none of his previous surgeries concerned his brain, one of the most fragile and complex components of the human body.

Izuku felt like he was free-floating. He couldn't remember all that much from his stint away and he was starting to think that his poor memory was more than just a trauma response. It was completely viable that the device in his head was also restricting his access to any memories formed within the last three months.

"There you are, nerd!" Katsuki called as he rushed through the halls to his boyfriend, "You said that you would meet me back at the dorms for breakfast."

"Mhm, sorry..." Izuku muttered in a daze.

Ever observant, Katsuki quirked an eyebrow at his partner's subdued behaviour, "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked.

"Umm... There is a device in my head that has grown since I came back and now I'm going to have surgery to remove it." Izuku explained in a detached voice.

Katsuki was silent for a minute. They stood in the hall, the distant sound of students hurrying to class the only song in the air, with Katsuki staring down at Izuku and Izuku looking blankly out of the window.

"So, they're gonna do surgery on your head..." Katsuki huffed quietly, "Well, shit!"

"It's only minor," Izuku added, rather uselessly.

"What surgery on the head, more precisely the brain, is ever minor, Izuku?" Katsuki grumbled.

"Well... Recovery Girl's quirk does speed up healing, and when it comes to surgeries she has a professional team. Most surgeries are minor when you're in Recovery Girl's hands," Izuku shrugged. Some of the light had returned to his eyes and tone as he came to fully digest what had just transpired.

"That's not how that works, nerd," Katsuki said.

"Really, Kacchan, it will be fine," Izuku dismissed, he took Katsuki's hands into his and looked deep into his boyfriend's vermillion eyes, "You trust Recovery Girl, right? Surely this will be better than me blacking out? Hmm?"

Katsuki really couldn't deny that logic. Recovery Girl was far from an amateur doctor, she had experience dealing with all sorts of injuries acquired from the field. She was trustworthy. Of course, Katsuki would feel more secure if an actual neuro-surgeon was performing the surgery, but there wasn't enough time to get one to the school.

"Yeah, you're right..." Katsuki huffed, "Are you coming to the lesson or are you just going to walk around until Recovery Girl calls you?"

"I'll come with you. I'll just be sat in the dorms overthinking otherwise, I'd rather overthink in a classroom full of people than on my own." Izuku chuckled weakly. Katsuki snorted and shook his head.

Hand in hand (it seemed as though Katsuki had forgotten he was holding Izuku's hand, too lost in his worries about his partner) they walked down the hallway towards their classroom. Several people still meandering around the halls gaped slightly at the sight of their linked palms, be neither boy noticed, too absorbed in their own thoughts. Whilst the students of Class 2A were aware of the new relationship that he blossomed amongst their ranks, none of the other students of UA knew. Seeing two of the most competitive students merrily walking along with their hands linked was a shock, to say the least.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the plebs from Class 2A," Monoma Neito sneered when Katsuki and Izuku rounded the corner, "And holding hands too! My, my. Is this the tactic your homeroom teacher has employed to ensure that his students don't get kidnapped? A buddy system? I must admit, putting the two of you together seems like a bad idea, seeing as you've both been kidnapped by the same people before."

"Please leave us alone, Monoma, we don't want to deal with you today..." Izuku sighed. He pulled Katsuki along, walking straight past Monoma, eyes set determinedly on the door to their classroom.

"Touchy," Monoma cackled.

Katsuki sneered, the itch to respond with a scathing remark burned at the back of his throat, but he was pulled into his classroom before the words could leave his lips.

"You just need to ignore him, Kacchan," Izuku whispered harshly, "He's trying to bait you."

"I know," Katsuki grumbled.

"Don't worry about him, ok?" Izuku smiled at Katsuki, "Let's just sit down and focus on our lessons, yeah?" Izuku squeezed Katsuki's hand as a sign of comfort and reassurance.

"Yeah," Katsuki huffed, squeezing Izuku's hand back in return.

It wasn't until the third lesson of the day that Izuku was called down to Recovery Girl's office. He offered Katsuki a reassuring smile and bid his classmates farewell. Walking on shaky legs towards Recovery Girl's office, Izuku tried desperately to reassure himself that everything would be ok. He'd undergone plenty of surgeries since starting his journey towards becoming a hero. Of course, none of those surgeries had been performed on his head, one of the most delicate areas of the human body. He had complete trust in Recovery Girl and her team, but that didn't stop Izuku from being at the very least slightly apprehensive about the entire thing.

"Izuku," Recovery Girl greeted him amicably with a smile, "There's no need to look so nervous, Deary, everything will be fine."

"Yeah... I know..." Izuku muttered weakly. He tried to stand up a bit straighter to exude some sense of confidence, but he was sure that he failed spectacularly.

"Good, good. Now just sit on that bed over there whilst we prepare the operating theatre. Once we're done, we'll come and fetch you." Recovery Girl hummed, "Oh before I go, I need to ask which method of anaesthesia you would prefer. The injection or the gas mask?"

"Oh, umm, the gas mask, I guess? I'm not a fan of injections." Izuku chuckled nervously.

"Don't worry, Dear, we use numbing cream, for the injection. Though, it doesn't work sometimes. The gas mask it is then!" Recovery Girl hummed. She as off before Izuku could say anything further about the method with which he would be put to sleep.

For ten minutes, Izuku lay on the bed doing nothing but staring up at the ceiling. Just when he was starting to get dreadfully bored, Recovery Girl walked back into the room with a tall man accompanying her.

"Ok, Deary, we're ready for you. This is Tanaka-kun, he'll be helping slightly with the surgery. To access your head properly, we will have to shave off your hair, but Tanaka here has a quirk that will restore your hair to its original length within two days. Ok?" Recovery Girl said rapidly.

"Yeah, that's fine," Izuku whispered. He really didn't want them to know how nervous he was at the idea of being bald. He knew that his friends were going to get a kick out of this entire ordeal.

"Marvellous. Now, you just lie back. Tanaka-kun will push your bed into the theatre." Recovery Girl hummed.

Izuku followed her instructions and tried to soothe his thundering heart as his bed jerked and began rolling towards the ominous looking double doors.

Once they were through the doors, Izuku was greeted by a group of people dressed in the appropriate garments.

"Lie back, just like that. We're going to give you the gas now. It might feel a bit funny at first, you'll probably laugh. All you need to do is focus on those planes on the ceiling, ok?" Recovery Girl hummed gently. Izuku nodded in understanding.

A mask was placed over Izuku's mouth and nose, it took a few seconds before Izuku started feeling tingly and drowsy. For a reason unknown to him, Izuku felt the inexplicable need to laugh and chortle. As he giggled to himself, Izuku watched the once stationary planes on the ceiling as they started orbiting the painted earth. Around and around and around they flew until Izuku lost consciousness.  

Sorry that this update is a day late, yesterday was my sister's birthday. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day wherever you are.