Tenko had two new names. To Sensei and the Doctor, he was Shigaraki Tomura, beloved protege and heir to Sensei's criminal empire of super secret underground villains, all waiting to strike.
To a ten-year-old seeking solace from nightmarish hands and dreams of blood, striking down heroes who failed to save him from that miserable, fearful unknown was an awesome dream to reach for. He could meet people like him, Sensei said, others who were turned away and feared by society, who wouldn't care that he'd (- no no no don't go there never there please don't remember never remember always forget forget forget the screams the terror the bl -) accidentally disintegrated some of his toys, couldn't write properly because of his Quirk, had the inability to play some games like other kids since his Quirk was too awesome for them to handle, even if every use made him feel like throwing up.
Both Sensei and the Doctor said he wouldn't feel this sick every time he activated his Quirk. He just had to get used to it.
Outside of actually having to use it sometimes for Sensei, Tenko didn't care if getting used to it took a while. He decided he didn't like other kids anyway - the ones he saw from afar were bossy and pushy. They'd probably cry a lot if he pushed back, and having other kids around meant sharing.
Anyone who took his toys or Sensei away - especially Sensei - was unforgivable. Tenko would make them pay.
His second name, he only remembered when he was dreaming. Actually really dreamed, and he didn't find himself in a horrid black maze of hands-darkness-blood, but high in the big blue sky and under the bright sun, flying with wings, his Quirk warm and terrible and ablaze.
(Byakuran-sama, called a giggling girl with long blue hair, pulling him close to a bunch of adults taller than Tenko. Except Tenko was about as tall as them in this dream, taller still when the girl and the others obediently kneeled in front of him, confident and at ease while waiting for his orders, trusting him and only him. Soon, they - he - was going to rule the world and the universe, for ever and ever.
It wasn't so bad, Tenko thought, if he had maybe-friends like these. Friends who'd follow him without question. Friends who'd never leave him. Friends he could leave, if they ever hurt him. Friends he could hurt and kill, because he never needed them.)
One day, Tenko asked Sensei if it was possible for people like himself to have two Quirks. Or, as he worded it, getting a second skill slot. That's usually a great power-up to have, killed things dead faster and earned him more points and levels. His and Sensei's win, game over for everybody else.
Plus, it sounded way cooler that way.
"Soon," Sensei laughed, touching his shoulder as they walked, and the young boy beamed with cracked lips. "When you're older and won't get a fever for it."
Oh. Tenko made a face. Medicine tasted yucky.
"Exactly," Sensei said, tone still encouraging, all too aware that even the thought of drinking horrible syrup wouldn't be enough to deter the boy from asking again for too long. Maybe a day, at most. "Ah, but truly, I'm glad to see you're interested, Tomura-kun. However, it won't do for you just to have any Quirk. We'll need to find the best only for you."
Tenko never got to ask if he could have wings. A fire Quirk, however, was the top of the wish list he passed to Sensei, a mess of hiragana the new shadow guy tried to help with in spite of Tenko's protests. They went through an entire box of pencils and then some.
Sensei gave him a pleased smile and promised to frame the smudged paper.
Tenko felt warm to the tips of his toes.