Shouto sat there in the doctor's office. They had forced him to go to the hospital after he told him about the thought he might have cancer. The scans were rushed since he was Endeavor's son but the doctor was sworn to secrecy. Shouto sat in the room for three hours before the doctor returned with a grave look on his face.
"I think I have bad news for you."
Shouto nodded showing no emotion.
"Is it really bad?"
The doctor scratched his head.
"It looks like it's between stages three and four. I can do what I can to keep it under wraps. I think we can do radiation and chemo. That would be the best course of action in my opinion."
"Don't worry about it. I need time to think about it."
"I wouldn't wait too long... If you leave it like this..."
Shouto nodded as he grabbed his jacket.
I guess he was right. I wonder how he guessed that. He had explained his quirk to me but that makes me think he helps other people. So he knew... So why would he want to be a villain?
Shouto pulled out his phone staring at it as he stood on the side of the street. Since they were in their last year, they had a curfew of eleven at night. Most it was because of volunteer patrols or internships.
Do I even want help anymore? If I go to Deku then maybe I can learn about him.
Shouto punched in his number.
Shouto: I do have cancer.
He replaced his phone and went to a small coffee shop nearby. He was beginning to feel nervous. What if everything Deku did was intended to give him a false sense of security? What if he planned to make Shouto think he was truly a good guy and he was aiming to kill him?
At this rate... I'm already dying. I guess it wouldn't matter.
Shouto ordered his coffee and waited at a table. He grabbed his phone to see that he got a message back.
Deku: I had a feeling you did. I haven't been that weak in a long time.
Shouto: I apologize. I had no intentions of asking for help from anyone.
Deku: No reason to be like that. Normally my clients have informed me of their condition. You had no idea so it's no problem.
Shouto took his coffee from the waitress.
Shouto: I don't know if I want help.
Deku: ?
Shouto: If I go to you for help, you're going to tell me about you.
Five minutes passed and he was growing more anxious as his coffee got colder.
Deku: Only if you tell me about yourself too. It'll probably take ten to fifteen sessions. So we will have pretty good amount of time to talk. Come here tomorrow around six.
Shouto: Ok. See you then.
Shouto put his phone down. His heart was pounding.
Why do I feel like this? Maybe it's the end of a long obsession I shouldn't have had. I finally get some answers.
Shouto finished off his coffee and headed back to the dorms.
X
X
After the last class finished, Shouto practically ran to his room to change. He ignored the weird looks he had gotten and continued to do his homework as quickly as he could. He changed into jeans and a dark blue t shirt. No one questioned him as he went out the door.
As he made his way towards Deku's place, he made sure he wasn't being followed. He felt it like it was wasted effort because no one was really friends with him or that anyone cared enough to know where he was going. He walked down the damp alley looking around. The buildings looked like crap but it didn't surprise him that he was hiding out.
There was a door with a yellow flower laying on the porch. He picked it up before knocking on the door. He heard some footsteps and the door opened it. Deku stood there with a opened white shirt and black dress pants.
"You're thirty minutes early. I would've dressed a little bit more professionally..." he said turning pink.
Shouto stared. He looked pale but he had tons of scars all over his body. It looked like he had taken a lot of damage from something or someone. Deku stepped aside to let him in. Shouto stood to the side as Deku locked up the door. The place looked like trash.
"This is more of a cover up. I promise my place isn't that bad. I keep it pretty clean."
Deku walked into the hallway and pulled down a ladder. He went first with Shouto right behind him. Deku must've trusted the hero far more than he had originally thought. It seemed like the villain had put in place a way to make sure his home wasn't figure out so easily.
Deku touched the wall, making it go inward. The wall opened up revealing a ladder.
"I live underground."
"You realize that I could bring pro heroes here to get you."
Deku smiled, "Go ahead."
The hero said nothing.
"If you really want me to be arrested then do it. It doesn't really bother me. No one would miss me anyways."
Oh.
That made Shouto's icy heart ache some.
"Sorry, wasn't trying to make you feel like an asshole. It's all true though. My mother is dead."
"I'm sorry."
Deku shrugged it off and headed down ward. The wall closed behind them. Shouto watched carefully as he slid down the ladder like he did it everyday. He decided to give it a try and it wasn't too hard to do. Shouto landed gracefully. He took a look around seeing the walls were in shades of red, black or dark gray.
It looked depressing.
"Want a drink? I have tea and you look like a tea guy."
Shouto gave a small smile as he nodded. Deku poured him a glass of iced tea.
It's cold down here but it's pretty clean. It looks like a large work space.
His eyes landed on a giant book shelf filled with notebooks. He could see hero and villain names on the sides. He walked over gazing over them. It looked like there were more books on All Might than anyone else. Shouto looked over at a desk to see a picture of himself on a page with small notes around the image.
"Do... Do you study people?" Shouto asked.
Deku's face turned bright red.
"I'm... I'm a fanboy."
"What does that even mean?"
"I like heroes and quirks. All I need is enough time to study someone fighting or videos... Even talking to them and I can tell you anything."
He rubbed the back of his neck feeling embarrassed.
"Those books can be dangerous."
Deku nodded, "I'm aware but I keep to myself. I even have them on the League of Villains if you want to take a look."
"How...?"
"I'm plain and not someone people remember easily... I can hide in plain sight but the only person who sees me is you for whatever reason."
Deku stared at Shouto like he was waiting for an answer but he said nothing.
"Ok then... Well, let's go to my room."
Shouto took his shoes off and laid onto the bed. Deku walked around his room gathering supplies from rubber maid containers and laying them on a metal tray beside of the hero. Shouto felt nervous. He was really expecting to be ambushes because he was the biggest idiot but that wasn't the case.
"What stage are you darling? I'm sure they mentioned it."
"He said three or four?"
Deku hummed for a few seconds, "I wonder if you were in the late stages before the other day."
He said nothing.
"You know what kind?"
Shouto shook his head.
"You didn't do a biopsy?"
"I came straight to you."
Deku sighed.
"I wasn't... I didn't want to know anymore than that."
"Fair enough. Since six large ones will be obviously too much on me, I'll do three smaller ones this time then one slightly bigger each time after that. Up to the ninth session, go see the doctor. You can lie and say you did herbs or something but I don't have the equipment to test it myself."
"What if I don't care?"
Deku sat down on the stool.
"My blood can be poisonous to healthy people. Another thing is, I must cut you for my quirk to work. It reacts to pain first before healing anything else."
Shouto nodded.
"Let's get started I suppose."
Deku tied off his left arm and started drawing blood from it. Shouto grimaced slightly. He didn't understand how the villain didn't find that painful. He finished and wiped off the area before grabbing a scalpel.
He wiped the blade off with a alcohol pad then another pad to wipe off a small spot on Shouto's arm. The hero looked away as the blade pressed into his skin and he let out a low hiss. Blood poured out slowly. Deku dabbed the area with a wet cloth before tying off Shouto's arm.
"Ready?"
He nodded without looking. Deku injected the blood into his vein then the second a minute later then another. He wheeled away to his desk going through a drawer. He came back and handed Shouto a black book.
"My name is Izuku Midoriya by the way."
"Izuku huh?"
He nodded.
"Where did Deku come from then?"
Deku made a face as he messed with the hem of his shirt.
"I know he is in your class 1A. Katsuki Bakugou."
Shouto rolled his eyes, "I'm aware of his presence unfortunately."
Izuku snickered before a sad smile appeared on his face.
"We were actually childhood friends. When he got his quirk he started making fun of me. He named me Deku because I was a worthless good for nothing loser. I was honestly a quirkless loser..."
"You have a quirk."
"I was... Quirklesss."
"Then how did you get one?"
"I can't tell you that. Kacchan doesn't know either... As far as people who actually know me, I'm quirkless. The people I help know I'm not. I am a secret among people who need help."
Shouto opened the book to reveal photos of a younger Izuku Midoriya in an All Might outfit with a woman with the same shade of hair as him.
"My mom died when I was fourteen. I tried telling her I could save her but she died from illness."
"I'm sorry."
"It's life."
"I'm surprised you didn't force it on her."
Deku shook his head, "I can't do it without permission. It feels wrong."
"You're not a villain so why take the name of one?" Shouto asked trying to understand.
"People need someone to hate. So... I am that person."
"That makes no sense."
Deku smiled sadly.
"Doesn't need to when it works for everyone else."
X
X
Shouto walked in the dormitory with his hands in his pockets. He was bothered by the fact an innocent, sweet person would be hated by the majority just because. He walked in the living room to see Katsuki and Eijirou sitting there watching TV. Eijirou turned and waved.
"Hey man! You missed dinner!"
"It's ok, I ate already."
The look on Bakugou's face was pissing him off.
"The fuck you looking at?!" the blonde snapped.
"I don't know Kacchan, you tell me," Shouto snapped.
Katsuki's face turned white.
"Kacchan?" Eijirou said looking confused.
"Where did you learn that?!" he hissed.
Shit.
"I thought it would suit you," he answered.
Why did I get so mad? Izuku seems like he don't mind the nickname... It just irritates me. He's probably half the reason he resorted to being a low life villain.
Bakugou was standing now with his fists shaking.
"No one else has ever called me that but one person."
Shouto felt frozen. He had messed up pretty bad now but there was no going back.
Does he know Deku is his childhood friend or he really that dense?
Shouto turned around going for his room but the fiery hero grabbed his shoulder. Shouto whipped around, his fist connecting with Katsuki's nose. Blood covered his fist. The blonde screamed in agony, confusion and anger.
"What the fuck man?!" Kirishima yelled.
Shouto stood there stunned. He never reacted to anyone else the whole time be was at school but after hearing Izuku tell him about his abusive friend... It made him angry because he could relate to it.
X
"Ok... In the years you two have been going at it, you punch him?" Aizawa asked looking more pissed than usual.
Shouto said nothing.
"I'm surprised it took this long for someone to get mad at you," he said scratching his stubbly chin, "Both of you will be on cleaning duty for a week."
"Ugh! Fuck that!" Katsuki yelled.
"Fine, ten days for you."
Shouto hid the smirk on his face as the teacher walked away. Shouto went to return to for his room then turned to look at Katsuki one last time. He looked conflicted. His fists were balled up so tight his knuckles were white. It was odd... For the first time Bakugou didn't look angry, he looked guilty.
AmbertheCat: The best place to read it is always in bed! get some rest!
Sorry if it feels like it's dragging but it'll get to juicy parts soon!