Title: Sometimes Family is a Fugitive Gamer and the Corpse of Your Childhood Friend
Author's Note: This epilogue takes place after the end of Forgiveness is the Attribute of the Strong.
Shouta Aizawa was being watched.
For the past week, he'd been receiving strange gifts: a steaming hot mug of his favorite coffee, a new sleeping bag, a breakfast croissant that he hadn't been foolish enough to eat, and cat toys with a note saying, "For the stray you've been trying to tame." Most unnervingly, all of these gifts had been left inside his house. The mention of the stray cat outside his apartment proved that the present giver had been tailing him. It made his flesh crawl. Usually he excelled at detecting criminals, but he hadn't noticed anything when he'd been trying to lure the calico cat inside with a bowl of milk yesterday.
Last night, he'd fallen asleep sitting in front of his computer. He'd woken up with an unfamiliar blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The note pinned to the blue fleece read: "Try to go to bed earlier tonight! I worry about you."
Aizawa couldn't remain in denial any longer. He had a stalker. The additional alarms he'd added around his apartment had done him no good. The stalker had been watching him sleep. He shuddered to think of how close he could have come to death.
Up until this point, Aizawa hadn't told anyone because he felt embarrassed as a hero to require assistance. He'd have preferred to capture the culprit himself. Besides, Aizawa didn't consider himself a particularly attractive man. A shaggy-haired, scarred insomniac being stalked a mysterious and powerful villain? It seemed like the plot of a clichéd romance novel. What if someone laughed at him and accused him of being full of himself? Aizawa wasn't even certain the nature of this interest. There had been no openly romantic gifts. He'd lived in hope that a vengeful villain wanted to very subtly intimidate him. But the smiley faces all over the notes had made that increasingly unlikely.
In retrospect, his reasons seemed stupid. He should have reported this when it first started. Nezu would be annoyed with him for keeping this secret, and rightfully so.
Aizawa carefully folded up the blanket, picked up the stale croissant and cat toys in plastic bags, and headed to the principal's office. He didn't want to talk to anyone about this embarrassing situation, but Nezu was slightly preferrable—and more efficient—compared to the police.
In the hallway, Aizawa passed Yamada. He returned his friend's loud, cheerful greeting with a grunt.
Yamada smiled brightly. "You look grim. Another insomniac night? Are you planning on catching up on your sleep between classes today?" He gestured at the blanket.
Aizawa growled, "No, some creep left this blanket in my house. I'm bringing it to Nezu as evidence." He did not use the word stalker. He did not even like to think it. Surely there was still a small chance this might be a revenge plot instead.
Yamada blinked. "Uh, can I talk to you alone for a moment? Let's duck into an empty classroom."
Aizawa grunted. "Maybe later." He kept walking. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his friend's concern or protectiveness.
Yamada jogged after him. "I've been receiving gifts all over my house, too. I got a croissant just like that one."
"You never told me?!" Aizawa shrieked, forgetting his own hypocrisy.
Yamada took a step backward. "It didn't seem like a big deal. Just some nice gifts. Probably well-intended. Can I talk to you alone?"
"Did you eat the croissant? Tell me you didn't eat the croissant!"
"It was delicious."
"It was probably drugged!" Aizawa grabbed Yamada and dragged him down the hallway, growling, "I'm taking you to see Recovery Girl, then I'll talk to Nezu."
Sitting behind his desk, Nezu said, "What an interesting situation."
Aizawa winced. It was never good news when Nezu felt interested. "What kind of quirk do you think we're dealing with? A stealth ability?"
"Perhaps." Nezu frowned. "That croissant comes from a famous bakery in Geneva. But the blanket had the logo of a gift shop in America's Great Canyon National Park."
It took a moment for Aizawa's sleep-deprived brain to catch up. "Teleportation."
Nezu placed his paws together. "The only known villain with that ability is Kurogiri, who abandoned All for One along with Tomura Shigaraki. Given that Tomura Shigaraki has a known interest in you—"
"He does?" Aizawa asked.
"He shouted about how you're 'cool' on the battlefield."
Aizawa shrugged. "Eh, I always thought he was mocking me."
Nezu said, "Given his access to a warper, Tomura Shigaraki seems like the prime suspect. Kurogiri himself would have no personal interest in you. If it makes you feel better, Tomura seems more likely an obsessed fanboy than the romantic type of stalker."
Aizawa scowled. It did make him feel better, even though he didn't admit it out loud. He could handle dysfunctional kids. He taught plenty of them. Tomura's past even gave Aizawa some sympathy for him. Perhaps this could be handled with a stern lecture about boundaries. And some jail time. Aizawa hadn't forgotten about his "fan" trying to kill him at U.S.J.
Gaze distant, Nezu frowned. "I don't understand where Present Mic fits into this. Tomura Shigaraki has never shown any interest in him. The croissant did him no harm."
"Maybe the Decay brat is a fan of his radio show." Aizawa shrugged. "More importantly, how will we catch him?"
This was a matter of no small urgence to Aizawa. He'd planned to visit Eri at the orphanage after school today, but he didn't dare when a stalker might follow him. He'd grown very attached to the girl when he'd fostered her during the yakuza incident. He'd even started the paperwork to adopt her. But it wouldn't be possible until he could guarantee her a safe home environment, without teleporting villains popping up randomly. This matter needed to be settled soon and swiftly.
"I have a plan." Nezu grinned in a way which meant Aizawa would hate the plan.
When Nezu had suggested a handshake event, Aizawa had explained quite clearly that he didn't have fans. So why the hell was the line so long? There was a strange mixture of locals from his usual patrol route and half a dozen small-time villains who he'd busted in the past but hadn't called the police on. He had no concerns about those guys, he'd left them alone because they were mostly harmless, but did they have to embarrass him by showing up like this and asking for autographs?
Aizawa's phone buzzed. He already had several missed calls and texts from Yamada, but he ignored all of them. Yamada was probably upset that he was tackling a villain alone, but that was all Yamada's own fault for eating that croissant. Now Recovery Girl wanted to keep him overnight for observation to check for subtle poisons.
By the time he'd gotten through the line, Aizawa's hand felt ready to fall off. He'd yet to see any sign of Tomura Shigaraki. This had been a bust.
Just as Aizawa started to stand up, a voice shouted, "Am I too late?"
Tomura ran forward, hauling a giant shopping bag. He wore a cold mask and a wool cap, but no other disguise. "I had to collect all my merch to get it signed! I can't believe I almost missed your real life meetup." He blinked and rubbed his eyes. "The graphics are very bright outside."
At this point, Aizawa ought to have called for backup as planned. But Nezu had promised to give Aizawa the choice about arresting Tomura or not, in a tone that indicated the principal did not necessarily believe the former to be the best option. Aizawa trusted Nezu's judgement (annoying though his boss might be). So he decided to try talking first.
Pretending to be fooled by the stupid-looking mask, Aizawa said, "I'm still here and happy to sign everything. Wait, since when did I have merchandise?"
"My little brothers made it since you don't have anything official."
Aizawa's eye twitched. God damnit, there's more of him? I'm glad I've never met these no doubt demonic children. I've already got Izuku as a problem child—if another one of him showed up, then I'd retire.
Tomura continued, "I'm happy that we're a family now, Uncle Shouta. You're the only hero I respect."
Uncle Shouta? Is he delusional? Aizawa's smile became further strained.
"It's rare for you to hold publicity events. Are you too busy for them? That just goes to show how you're different from most fake heroes." Tomura beamed. "I fast-traveled straight here from my backpacking trip across the Grand Canyon. I'm a camping noob but scarface has been teaching me. He's a better wilderness role model than an older brother role model. I never used to like the outdoors or real life, but right now, I want to disconnect from society. The trip has been epic. I've been using Decay to remove litter from the park. My little brother suggested it. It feels different, using my quirk for something good."
Whoa, the fugitive from the law didn't even mind revealing his last location? What was going on here?
Tomura placed down a T-shirt with Aizawa's face crudely drawn on the front. With the ridiculous amount of glitter, it looked like a child's craft project. "I've been going back and forth on my identity. I still don't feel like a Tenko. Maybe I'm lagging. For now, just sign it to 'Tomura' not 'Tomura Shigaraki.'"
"You're not even hiding your identity?" Aizawa slammed his hands down on the table.
Tomura blinked. "Hiding? You know who I am. We met at U.S.J. Which was a first meeting epic fail in retrospect. I'm very sorry about that."
"Sorry is not enough for nearly killing me!" Aizawa glared. "Is that why you've been stalking me and leaving presents at my house? Out of a misguided attempt to apologize?"
"I haven't done any of that." Tomura looked confused.
Aizawa wanted to deny it, but it seemed unlikely that Tomura would lie after being so honest about everything else. "But the blanket was from the Grand Canyon National Park gift shop, and you just came from there! How many stalkers could I have who've been in the United States recently?"
Tomura's brow wrinkled. "Maybe a lot? You're a leet hero, Uncle Shouta. But if I had to guess, it's probably—"
"Who the hell made me your uncle?" Aizawa shrieked.
As if to answer his question, a glowing black portal appeared in the air. Kurogiri leapt out, crying, "Tomura! I told you that I still need more time before I face him—"
Aizawa immediately activated Erasure to stop the warper from escaping. His fury fueled his quirk. For a brief moment, the shadows peeled away, and Shirakumo Oboro's face stared back at him.
The world stopped. Aizawa fell out of his chair in shock.
Kurogiri vanished, dragging Tomura after him. Only the T-shirt remained on the table, still unsigned.
Yamada burst into the empty room. His cry broke the back window. "Shouta! Why didn't you pick up my calls?"
Aizawa whispered, "He had Shirakumo's face. It must have been a trick. A cruel trick." His hands trembled.
Yamada shook his head. "No, it's Shirakumo. We've been talking. He, uh, he's the one leaving presents. I didn't want to tell you in a public hallway at U.A. That's why I played the fool. I'm sorry. I asked him to let me break the news to you gently. I had no idea that he'd scare you by leaving stuff in your house."
"It's Shirakumo," Aizawa repeated. His shock warped into rage. "And you didn't tell me? Does Nezu know?"
"No, I wouldn't have told anyone before you. Though it's always difficult to say how much Nezu knows. I was going to tell you, I swear."
Aizawa ran out of the building, leaving Yamada and his excuses behind. When the first text message from his friend arrived, he set his phone to do not disturb.
Aizawa felt the sensation of being watched several more times. A prickling between his shoulder-blades during patrols. A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.
He still wasn't speaking to Yamada. The missed calls and texts on his phone had reached triple digits.
Every time Aizawa saw a shadow, he jumped on it. Sometimes it turned out to be a stray animal or a trick of the street light. Often he never was certain if he'd seen anything. His legs burned from exhaustion. He got even less sleep. He was going insane. He had to know if this was really his old friend, or if it was a villain's trick—or something in-between. It might be cruelest of all to find a warped shadow of who Shirakumo had once been.
The next time Aizawa felt the sensation of being watched, he decided to do something about it. He scaled up the closest building, using the cracks between bricks and the drainpipe. Then he pretended to fall.
"Shouta!" The voice did not sound like Oboro's. It was too deep. A hand in a black glove caught him and pulled him safely onto the roof. "Sorry, I tried to stay away, but it looked like you slipped—"
With the incoherent snarl of a coffee-less insomniac, Aizawa activated his quirk and slammed Kurogiri's head to the roof, knocking the villain out. He tied up Kurogiri in his capture scarf. Then he collapsed and fell asleep.
Aizawa awoke to the sound of his phone alarm going off. Oh, right, Eri.
He dialed Yamada. His friend picked up on the first ring. "Shouta, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I knew how much you blame yourself for Shirakumo's death—if he counts as dead—and I struggled to find the right words. I knew you'd be suspicious. But it really is him."
"I'll settle that later," Aizawa snapped. "Come here and look after Kurogiri. I knocked him out and tied him up with my capture scarf. He's still out cold. Don't let him run away before I can talk to him. I need to drop Eri off to play with Kouta. I promised her."
"Huh?" Yamada asked.
Aizawa rubbed his bleary eyes. "I'm texting you my address." He hung up.
Aizawa opened the gate to the orphanage garden. Eri's voice drifted over the bushes. She sounded happy, which was a welcome change of pace compared to when she'd first arrived at the orphanage. She'd had trouble adapting and fitting in with the other kids. Aizawa had promised her that he'd adopt her and make a new home for her. No matter what, he intended to keep that promise.
Eri cried, "Two-punch combo! Woot! Eviscerate the bastard!"
Rather alarmed, Aizawa rushed forward.
Tomura Shigaraki sat on a bench next to Eri. Her face scrunched up as her fingers danced over a portable gaming device.
Upon sighting Aizawa, Eri's whole face lit up. Leaping to her feet, she ran over and hugged him. "You came!"
"Of course I did. I promised." Aizawa patted her head. "I'm sorry I missed our last visit." Because of a certain stalker who has now offended me further by depositing his spawn near my cute little daughter. "Are you looking forward to visiting Kouta's?"
"Uh-huh!" She bounced from foot to foot eagerly.
"Do you have everything packed?" He gestured at her backpack. "Including the gift?"
"Yes! Thank you for buying it for me!" Eri beamed. "I'll be able to pay you back soon. I won twenty jewels today. Big brother says that's good."
"You don't have to pay me back. We're going to be family soon," Aizawa said. "Wait…big brother?"
Tomura said, "Uncle Shouta, she's a natural gamer. Totally OP. She soaks up everything I teach her like a sponge. I'm so happy that you adopted a girl! I've wanted a little sister forever. Little brothers are monsters."
Aizawa glared at the former villain over Eri's head, but he did not want a confrontation in front of his daughter. He said, "I need to drop off Eri, then I'll be back. Don't you dare leave before I return, or I'll burn your Eraserhead T-shirt."
Looking scared, Tomura nodded.
Aizawa, Yamada, and Tomura all sat around the cramped dining room table at Aizawa's apartment. Kurogiri had been tied to a chair with Aizawa's scarf. He did not try to escape. The room was silent except for Tomura pressing buttons on his gaming device. Music and the sound of enemy screaming came in response.
Yamada said, "Kuro, you scared Shouta with your stalking."
"I wasn't scared," Aizawa snapped.
"I'm sorry." Kurogiri hung his head. "I thought you'd recognize my handwriting."
"It's been years!" Aizawa left it unspoken that seeing his dead friend's handwriting wouldn't have made him feel better at the time. It would have seemed like something from a horror movie.
"I wasn't sure what name to sign my letters. I've been having identity confusion lately."
Nervously, Aizawa rapped his fingers on the table. "Are you Kurogiri or Shirakumo Oboro?" His voice came out harsher than he meant it to be.
"Both." Kurogiri shrugged, shifting his bonds. "I've used the name Kurogiri longer. It feels more like me. Hizashi didn't feel comfortable calling me that, so we settled on Kuro."
Aizawa stared, trying to find his old friend in this shadowy stranger. He only saw his bad memories from U.S.J. "When you tried to kill my students, was that your own will?"
Kurogiri shuddered. "The doctor used to give me orders. I couldn't disobey them. Not until I stopped going for checkups. I wanted to take Tomura away from those people for years. But I couldn't."
"It's not your fault." Tomura set aside a game to put his hand on the shadowed shoulder.
"Was U.S.J. not your fault either?" Aizawa glared. "My scars hurt looking at you."
Tomura hung his head. "I'm sorry for nearly killing you, Uncle Shouta."
Yamada coughed and whispered, "If you arrest Tomura, I'm afraid of what it will do to Kuro."
Aizawa almost snapped at Tomura again, but he couldn't quite do it. He couldn't bring himself to arrest Tomura, either. It wasn't for Tomura's sake. It was for the shadowy corpse of his old friend, who'd had no family except Tomura for years. Dammit. He couldn't see Kurogiri as Shirakumo, yet couldn't not see him as Shirakumo either.
In a painfully hopeful tone, Kurogiri asked, "I heard you're adopting a daughter? I'd like to meet her. When you're ready, of course."
"If only you taught your kid such boundaries," Aizawa muttered. "Although Tomura wasn't the one sneaking into my house."
Kurogiri said, "I was thrust into the position of becoming a guardian to Tomura unexpectedly, so I believe I can impart useful advice about your upcoming adoption of your daughter. For example, it's helpful to give your kid several small, inexpensive items to break so that he doesn't decay larger ones. I also have the number of a supplier of cheap, easily replaceable laptops."
Aizawa snorted. "Eri would never break a laptop."
"Yeah, she's too good at gaming to need to rage-quit," Tomura said.
Kurogiri laughed. It was a sound exactly like Oboro's laugh. It simultaneously broke Aizawa's heart and repaired it, because now he knew who was sitting across the table from him.
Aizawa yanked off the scarf. Then he held out his arms. "I'm glad you're here. Thank you for saving my life."
Kurogiri hugged him. He whispered, "Thank you for being alive."
"Holy Save Fail." Tomura held up his phone to show a text message. "Small for One needs an assist. Level One brother has been kidnapped by the Metahuman Liberation Army."
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: Uncle Kuro Meets Eri
Kurogiri: You're adorable! A little girl who looks like Tomura, but doesn't decay everything in sight. Is this an angel?
Tomura: Hey. I'd be offended except it's true.
Eri: FFS! I died again! Big brother Tomura, help me. The final boss is too OP and I only have one life left. I used the poison bombs like you told me but he didn't die fast enough. I swear I'll slaughter him!
Kurogiri: Tomura, you've corrupted the angel!
#
Omake: The Next Person with a Right to Know
Midnight: When I praised you for being rebellious, I didn't expect you to run off and become a villain. Idiot.
Kurogiri: (Chuckles) They already told you?
Midnight: I brought Sushi to see you. You owe me over a decade of cat child support.
#
Omake: Meanwhile, Todoroki Family Drama
Dabi: I'm here to bond with my family.
Shouto: I love my new brother already. He has the best conspiracy theories.
Natsuo: Go back to jail.
Fuyumi: That's unnecessarily harsh, Natsuo. Big brother, please go back to jail.
#
Omake: A Series of Letters Left on the Doorstep of Might Tower
All Might: What the hell? Who left this unsigned note shoved into my door? It says, I'm sorry I tried to kill you even though I'm not. My uncles made me write this. Weird.
Week Two Note: My uncle is a cool hero who actually cares about the people he's trying to help, unlike you, poser. But he works way too hard and barely sleeps. As a result, I've come to realize that it might be unreasonable to expect one hero to save everyone. It's still partly your fault for acting like you can save everyone, of course.
Week Three Note: My friend who I broke out of Tartarus told me all about his dad. This has convinced me there are actually way worse heroes than you.
Week Four Note: He lied to me about a lot of things. He told me to blame you for all my problems, and I did, because it was easier than blaming myself. I projected my issues on to you. I made you the symbol of everything I wanted to hate. I'm in therapy now. I'll visit you when I'm ready.
All Might: It's great to know this weirdo is in therapy but this visit sounds ominous.
Tomura: I'm here to apologize for trying to kill you. For real, this time. Would you tell me about my grandmother?
All Might: I'm so happy! Wait, you were the one leaving the stalker notes?
Tomura: Stalker notes? Kurogiri suggested them. Wasn't it obviously me?
All Might: Do you know how little 'villain who tried to kill me' narrows it down?
Author's Note: Credit goes to both A_SleepyBlackCatYawning and siren_world for suggesting an epilogue centered around Kurogiri and various ideas that I used.
Next up: After the Metahuman Liberation Army kidnaps little Yoichi, Izuku and Hisashi solo-attack them. It's hardly a fair fight…for the MLA.
