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For a moment, all was silence, all was darkness, all was the corpse-cold of blanketing shadow and deafening shade.

For only a moment Izuku fell, though it felt to him as though he was falling for an eternity. He was drowning in airless shadow, in the deepest of the abyssal void. There was a peace there, in that strange, timeless moment. A deathly peace which embraced him like a weeping mother, comforting him and draining the energy from his mind and body.

He wondered if this was what it was like to die. To drift eternal, cold and empty through the void.

But reality is a jealous creature, and after the second-long eternity passed, it reached for its child, eager to take back what had not yet served its time.

The darkness ended like a hammer blow to the head and was replaced with chaos manifest. The noise of the wind tore through his whole body like a wolf. It ripped at every inch of his exposed skin and with it came the arrowheads of rain which pelted his body with a cruel, murderous intent.

And to make it all worse, he was falling.

Izuku tumbled from the sky with a speed he had only experienced once before. Back in the exam. Back when he had thrown himself at a monstrous robot and allowed his curse to blast it apart.

But there was no Uraraka to save him this time.

And not just that, but the utter madness of the sudden storm he found himself in tossed and threw him through the air like a doll. He couldn't right himself, he couldn't gain any measure of control. He simply spun and fell and he knew any moment now his skull would hit the ground and he'd be gone forever. He tried to scream but his voice was utterly lost on the howling fury of the wind.

"NO." Nemesis roared suddenly within him and power, black and thick and terrible rushed through his limbs. "WE WILL NOT DIE."

Izuku screamed again, but now in sharp, burning pain as he felt the skin along his back tear as his muscles cracked and split and reformed as flesh-scorching fire tore through his scars and his wings began to grow.

They spread from his back in sudden, swift jolts of movement, as if they were bones snapping into place. Great and long, like the wings of a vast demonic bat, but made of a terrible burning shadow. They too were turned and battered by the hurricane and Izuku felt his senses spinning as the sudden, dizzying sensation of power surged through him.

Even worse his skin burned and sizzled from the fire-heat, coming into immediate conflict with the rain and instantly evaporating the air around him. Steam now joined the chaos, though thankfully it trailed mostly behind him.

From somewhere within his heart he summoned the will and the knowledge to flap as hard as he could. It felt bizarre, even amongst the overwhelming sensation of the storm, like having giant hands plastered onto his shoulder blades. He curled them as hard as he could, forcing his body to suddenly stop spinning and gain a tiny measure of self-control.

He felt his speed slow.

Even so, it was barely enough. He flapped them again, long and forceful and almost graceful despite feeling as though he was clinging onto his mind and heart with the tips of his fingers. His rapid decent slowed as the asphalt street zoomed up to greet him.

Though he didn't exactly come to a halt.

He landed onto the wet street with a run as his body naturally swung downwards, but it was a landing at a sprinter's pace, forcing him into a swift pelt.

He had landed right outside of a fake storefront. A storefront which was now rushing towards him with the speed of an oncoming car. Izuku had no way of stopping himself and he knew it.

In that second, he made the only decision he knew he could that would at least leave him in one piece.

He dived.

His hands rushed up in front of him as the shattering of glass now filled his world and thousands of shards now glittered around him, wet and tossed across him by both his own force and the ravenous wind outside.

Nemesis was swift to react, but even it hadn't seen the windowpane coming, and as such his scars burned a second too late as he hit the floor with a heavy, almost bone-breaking smash and began rolling until something big and solid stopped him with the suddenness of piece of fruit hitting a brick wall.

Izuku however, was still alive.

He knew he was still alive because he could feel pain. And he felt a lot of pain at that moment. His arms were groaning from where they'd hit the glass, his legs felt like they were about to quit off his body entirely, his lungs burned from his screaming and landing and sprinting, and his back was on fire from where his wings had sprouted from his body.

They had vanished, however, turning to ash the second his feet had hit the ground.

All of this was, of course, ignoring the fact that his vision was spinning in front of him and he felt as though he was about to throw up his breakfast. He wasn't sure if it was from using his curse, or from the fall, but either way, he felt like a sack of black death warmed up.

He lay there for a moment, simply groaning to himself before slowly managing to sit himself up. He'd hit a counter, which had thankfully not crumpled as he'd collided with it. The rain drenched the floor before him, though he'd come far enough to keep away from most of it, and the wind howled outside the shop like a beast denied its meal.

His clothes, boots, and hair were utterly drenched. He lifted a hand up to wipe his fringe from his eyes and blinked exhaustedly, trying to focus on something solid so his vision would stop turning at the corners.

Izuku spat onto the floor beside him, coppery and thick as he took in gulping breaths.

Steam surrounded him and slowly the chill began to lift from his bones.

It was one of the very, very few benefits of his quirk. He would dry off from any spell of rain in a matter of moments thanks to the fire lurking within his blood.

As he sat there, a thought began to meander through his still shaky mess of a mind. Nemesis had saved him. It did everything it could to make his life a living hell, and yet it had saved him. He knew he shouldn't talk to it, he knew he should ignore it completely, but alone and cold and, yes, scared, he breathed out, "T-Thank you."

"For what?" Nemesis replied with a hiss through his mind like that of a drawn blade, "We are Izuku Midoriya. Why would we let ourselves die?"

"You're not Izuku Midoriya. I'm Izuku Midoriya. You're Nemesis," Izuku growled out as he climbed onto shaking, but gradually steadying, feet.

"We're both, and all, one and the same," Nemesis replied as if shrugging, "Why argue about it?"

"Whatever." Izuku looked around, realizing that the shop he'd fallen into was mostly filled with props. It was a fake, like everything in this place, designed only to provide some measure of realism to the exercises ran through it. Even the window was clearly designed to break apart, which was why it had easily crumpled on impact and left only a few minor scratches on his arms.

He could feel water still dripping from his ears. He screwed up his nose and tried to wipe them clean. It was a weird feeling and he was utterly unused to it. As he did so, he began talking to himself, "Alright, think Izuku. I need to get back to Aizawa-sensei and the others."

"The Living-Shadow dropped us here," Nemesis added, almost thoughtfully, "In this hurricane-storm. The rain hinders our flame, it is a poor battlefield. Do we know if we're alone?"

Izuku had to admit it had a point. He had seen hundreds of villains walking out of the shadowed gates. It stood to reason not all of them might have headed straight at their class. Not to mention the Shadow-man had chosen the perfect place to throw someone who used fire as a primary weapon.

"Well, can't you," He raised a hand up in puzzlement before it slapped wetly back down to his thigh. "I don't know, sense their souls or something?"

"… we are not a radar." Nemesis growled back. "We only see the souls of others when we can see them with our own eyes."

Izuku had no idea what to make of that but logged it for later. Of course, the moment he did so he rolled his eyes at himself and shook his head. He was doing it again. Buying into the bullshit that Nemesis spewed out on a daily basis. He was glad he caught himself, otherwise it could have led him right into letting it take over him.

No, not ever again.

Deciding he felt well enough to move, Izuku made his way over to the door, finding it unlocked. He squinted against the storm and looked down the street, wondering which way he should take to hopefully find an exit before he suddenly heard something through the howling wind and pounding rain.

It was scream. A high-pitched scream, feminine and sharp and spiteful to his own ears. It set his teeth on edge and sent a shiver along his spine. It sounded almost haunting, and yet vicious and angry.

"What the hell…" He turned his head towards the sound, it had come from about a block from down the street. Logic told him to move away from the sound. He was alone and possibly outclassed by who knew how many villains.

But then it was replied.

A screeching nose like that of a crying crow but long and hateful and almost echoing with the call of a thousand more of its own kind. The sound rushed down the street and struck at something deep within Izuku, far more than the feminine one had done.

It was in pain, whatever had made that noise was in pain.

His legs started moving.

He raised a hand to his eyes in a poor shield against the rain and his clothes once again became utterly drenched as he sprinted through the storm towards the noise. He could already feel Nemesis crawling through his veins, moving along his limbs in readiness for whatever horror he was about to stumble onto. Steam rose from his body as he ran, giving his whole form an odd, ethereal effect.

He heard the cry twice more in succession, followed by the sound of bricks being shattered and a window being smashed. As he approached the corner he slowed, throwing his drenched back against a wall and brushing his water-soaked hair from his eyes. He took a deep, nerve-steadying breath and turned to peek around the corner.

Fumikage was bleeding.

There was a gash in his cloak where one might assume his arm would have been and, on its midnight-black fabric, there was a blossoming of red blood. Above him, suspended like a monstrous protector, was Dark Shadow. They opened their mouth slowly and let out a low, evil sounding cackling noise, their claws already raised up in fury.

Before him were three villains.

One was lying to the side, already defeated, his body an unconscious, crumpled form by a smashed window. He was a slight, ugly looking man who resembled a lizard with teal green scaled skin and a large fin sprouting from his head.

But two still stood.

One was a woman, dressed in tough looking leather, her short black hair plastered to her skull and her face turned away from Izuku. She was slim and short but looked like she knew how to throw a punch.

The other was a large man who looked big, strong and wore only a pair of combat pants. He also looked like a wolf. His body was covered in grey fur and his hands, from what Izuku could see of them, resembled the claws of the dreaded animal. He even had a snout and face to match.

Through the howling wind he saw Fumikage's beak move but he couldn't hear his words, and suddenly Dark Shadow darted forwards, swiping at the woman who rolled aside. Izuku watched as her mouth opened and the scream tore through the air.

It was so loud that the teen flinched and threw his hands over his ears. The windows to the far side of him cracked along the seems and some even shattered only to be swept up into the storm.

Fumikage stumbled back and Dark Shadow seemed to wince in pain at the sound. Then the moment her mouth closed, the wolf-man moved at Fumikage like lightning, rushing forward with a bellowing howl.

Dark Shadow dove forward, saving their host just before the villain could slice through Fumikage's chest. They smashed the assault away, but the force of the blow sent Fumikage stumbling and he fell to one knee.

Dark Shadow went to strike again, but again the woman screamed and the shadow-beast was frozen in place by the sheer volume of her attack. The wolf-man moved swiftly, rushing at Fumikage. His quirk-beast reacted, but it was obvious it would be too late.

The wolf-man raised his claws.

And Izuku was already there.

At what point he had begun moving he wasn't sure, perhaps it was when the woman screamed a second time, perhaps it had been when Fumikage had fallen.

All he knew was that suddenly he wasn't by the corner, he was in front of Fumikage and every scar on his body was on fire as his power flowed through him like the fury of a tsunami. He palm was out, stretched forwards and less than a heartbeat from pressing into the wolf-man's chest.

The wolf-man barely had time to blink before Izuku's roar filled the air, and mingled with it a micro-second later, was the sudden boom of blue fire that erupted from his palm like an exploding grenade.

The noise shook Izuku's entire world to its foundations and he was thrown backward, his feet slipping on the water-drenched road, though miraculously he managed to keep upright. Steam exploded around him and for a moment it even masked both himself and the bird-like teenager.

Nemesis screamed through his system, all claws and fire and fury. However, the blasphemous blue fire faded along with the smoke and steam and the ash flaking from his arm, all washed away by the pouring rain. He could see that the wolf-man had been blown so far back he'd collided with a lamppost and bounced off it like a ragdoll.

Izuku wavered on his feet but he kept his stance. His sharp teeth were gritted into a fanged half-grin half-grimace as he held his palm out like a loaded gun. Internally he pulled the leash of his monster back and Nemesis cried out in irritation.

He could smell the stench of burning fur, scorched flesh, and open blood in the air and it was almost intoxicating. Something horrible and wicked and violent was rising within him along with the rush of battle. He panted heavily as he eyed the shocked looking woman, who had a surprisingly pretty face, though it wore the sullen cheeks and heavy eyes of drug addiction.

Without taking his eyes from her he called out through the howling wind, "Fumikage? Are you alright?"

He was met by silence and only with a sudden glance down did he see why.

Fumikage was on the floor, staring at him with wide eyes. Then, as he climbed back to his feet, he did something Izuku did not expect.

He back away swiftly.

Dark Shadow rushed to his side as Fumikage staggered his eyes never once leaving Izuku. "What is this? What game are you playing?"

"You were about to get torn apart by a werewolf." Izuku snapped suddenly as his eyes went back to the villains. "I'm not going to let you die, Fumikage. I don't care how much you hate me, I'm not going to let anyone die."

"These sinners." Nemesis was not just growling now but was stalking through his mind, his body, he could almost feel its shadowed hand trying to guide his arm to use more fire on their opponents. "They deserve death. All of them do. The Seventh Son especially."

"So, the Little Demon shows his colors at last." From his side Izuku could hear Dark Shadow hiss. Their voice was a strange jackdawish caw that sent a strange shiver running along his skin. "It is fitting we finally greet one another upon the field of battle, Nemesis. My master would surely appreciate your aid."

"Unlikely." Fumikage spat out. "I need no help from creatures of his kind."

"Would you rather die here?" Izuku called out, his patience running thinner and thinner as he saw the wolf-man climb back to his feet, the villainous woman was now stalking towards them carefully, her sunken eyes reassessing them with each step.

"I know you don't like me, Fumikage and I know there's a ton of shit we need to talk about," Izuku cried as he backed up to come alongside him, his eyes glancing at him again as the bird-like teenager backed away a few more steps, but otherwise keep the line, "But if we don't work together you, me and everyone else in our class will die."

His eyes hardened, despite squinting in the pouring rain. "I don't know what you think I am, but it doesn't matter, because I am going take this horrible curse inside me and I'm going to use it to save lives, to do good." His voice was a roar over the wind, a rallying cry against all the imposing darkness that seemed to hang over them, "I'm going to take my power and use it to become a hero!"

Fumikage paused, his eyes grew wide, and within them, for just a split second, Izuku saw something he had recognized. Pain, suffering, and from somewhere deep under that, an understanding.

The villains struck.

The woman screamed, her voice cracking the windows around them and causing both the teenagers to wince suddenly. Izuku felt his teeth vibrate within his own mouth, his insides shake, and his ears spiked with pain as the scream seemed to rattle every atom of his being.

However Dark Shadow drew up and swung down in a scream of crow-like rage, and for a moment her sonic attack was drawn from them.

In the same moment, the wolf-man charged forwards, roaring in fury. His chest was a mangle of matted, burned fur, flesh, and blood bright against the rain. The very sight of it set Izuku's battle-lust on fire, his teeth on edge and his brain alight.

It made Nemesis grin within him.

The wolf-man threw a fist, and Izuku considered replying with a fist of his own. One made of burning flame and blackened claw, to rip and tear through his chest like it was made of paper.

No, he shut the thought down as a better instinct kicked in.

He turned, and swiveled, and in the same moment grabbed the vast damp, furry arm and using the very momentum of his attacker he swung the wolf-man over his shoulder with a scream of fury. At the same time, he allowed a flurry of power to rush through his arms, giving him the extra punching power he knew he'd need.

It was the same move he'd used on Katsuki, the same move he'd perfected in the exercise.

And it was horribly effective.

The wolf-man went flying over his stocky form and smashed into the asphalt, his roar of pain sending a giddy, ugly rush through his heart.

The boy, however, wasn't finished.

Using the power still rushing through his fists he swung down against the jaw of the wolf-man, smashing the very teeth right out of his mouth and knocking him utterly unconscious in one horrendous blow.

Almost simultaneously he heard a sharp scream and the shattering of glass, followed by a long cackle of vicious joy.

He held back from smashing the man again. Flashes of his fight with Katsuki echoed through his brain and he had to stagger back to stop Nemesis from urging him on. Blood was spattered across his gloves and he was breathing heavily.

The world span around him, the water felt wetter on his skin, and the wind cut like a dagger through his hair. His senses felt sharper, better, more suited to the dance of war and battle. Steam roped around him once again, almost shimmering in the air, giving his body an unearthly appearance.

"Finish them off. All of them. Make them bleed, make them pay for their sins."

The temptation caught his breath in his throat. Izuku, however, gulped heavily and screwed up his eyes, suppressing it all down. He hadn't used that much of Nemesis's power, not nearly enough for it to dig its claws into him.

But he'd used enough to have it slither through his limbs. To plant the idea within his head and make sure it wouldn't go away.

Fighting the villain. It had felt good. Wickedly, viciously so. He knew it shouldn't, but it had, and he knew it was Nemesis, but it felt so natural that it sickened him.

Again, he gulped down a breath of cold air and turned to look across the street.

The woman was gone. To his far right there was a newly smashed window and from it the black-clad form of Dark Shadow emerged. They looked very, very pleased with themselves.

He turned his head again to see Fumikage standing to one side. There was barely a handful of meters between them.

And yet it felt as though there was a gulf in that small stretch of road.

"We need to get inside," Izuku called out across the storm, "There's probably more of them coming, and you're hurt. I-I have some bandages in my belt."

Fumikage seemed to hesitate at this, his eyes still locked onto Izuku suspiciously, even as Dark Shadow circled him like a hawk waiting to dive on an unsuspecting mouse. There was a war within his eyes, some problem he was wrestling furiously with. Izuku had no doubts that it was over himself, and as such, he simply kept in his place, steam rising from his heated form.

Fumikage finally spoke, his voice low and colder than the storm's rain. "Do not take my co-operation as a sign of trust, so-called Izuku Midoriya, this is simply for my own survival. You will follow my lead, Dark Shadow," His eyes glanced up to his monstrous quirk, "Keep an eye on him."

"Yes, master." Dark Shadow bowed to their host and turned their tarnish-yellow eyes back to Izuku. "Come along, Little Demon." They clapped their hands together and grinned viciously, "We have so much to talk about."

"If that parasite calls us Little Demon one more time-"

"Right!" Izuku called out before his own monster could finish its threat.

Fumikage moved and Izuku moved with him, matching his pace with ease. Together they ran through the howling wind, through the relentless, drowning rain. The entire time Dark Shadow looked back, watching Izuku with a cunning gleam to their eyes.

Despite his wound, the raven-headed teenager managed to lead Izuku down two separate streets before diving into a small shop with an open door. Together they retreated into a backspace storage room which was lit only by a single overhead bulb. It gave the entire room a strange, liminal feeling, as if they had both entered into a world apart from their own.

Both of them panted heavily, though Izuku remained standing while Fumikage finally allowed himself to sit on a small pile of crates placed against a plain grey wall. The black-clad teen looked utterly drenched and raindrops fell freely from his dark feathers. They even dripped from the end of his beak, though Izuku tried not to focus on that.

It was easy not to, not when the red patch on his arm seemed to be slowly growing.

"Fumikage, your arm," Izuku breathed out, gulping down his fears for the moment. "We need to bandage it."

"It appears worse than it is." The raven-headed boy replied. "The water-"

"Don't be stupid," Izuku snapped at him suddenly, drawing a grin from Dark Shadow and a deep frown from Fumikage, "Let me bandage the wound before you bleed out or something."

"And allow you access to my blood? Do not treat me for a fool, Demon."

"My master has been well trained," Dark Shadow cawed as it hovered protectively over their host, "Your petty tricks will not so easily sway him."

"I'm not a- ugh!" He rolled his eyes and with it, curled back his irritation. "Look, you need to trust me. I have a thousand and one questions for you but now isn't the time. You're hurt, I can help, let me bandage your arm." Izuku huffed out with a matching frown and a prickle of fire-heat from his scars.

Steam rose from him as his clothes dried simply from contact with his skin and he tried to ignore the feeling of water dripping once again from his ear tips.

The bird-like teenager, however, made no move and instead only frowned deeper as his crimson gaze seemed to note the soft steam rising from Izuku.

He watched Fumikage's eyes observe the effect before throwing his arms up in annoyance and then letting them fall, slapping back down onto his sides. "What can I do to persuade you I'm not going to hurt you?"

"Like you persuaded Katsuki Bakugo?" Fumikage's deep tone was surprisingly cutting and Izuku winced.

"That was an accident, Nemesis, it- it took control of me."

"A clever story," Fumikage spoke with no hesitation, his words sharp, "And a convincing performance. But I am not so easily swayed by crocodile tears. I know your kind does not feel empathy or sorrow."

Izuku grit his teeth at this. Did Fumikage seriously believe he wasn't torn to shreds by what he'd done to Katsuki? That he didn't spend every day wishing it could have been different? That he didn't recoil at himself every time he looked at Katsuki's face?

"Is that what you think?" Izuku spoke in a lower tone now, his heart pained by the memory of his fight with Katsuki. It was still within his mind, still in high-quality sixty-frames-per-second like it'd happened only moments ago. Nemesis made sure he would never, ever forget it. "You think I'm-" He hesitated on the word before breathing it out, "A demon?"

"Are you not?" Fumikage cocked his head just slightly. "I cannot see your soul, but Dark Shadow can. They have told me how it burns with the accursed flame, how it is surrounded by the unlight. They tell me it is unusual in its makeup, but demonic nonetheless."

For a second Izuku's mind raced back to what the shadow-man had said at the fountain and he felt that same iceberg go sailing down his spine.

"Do not hide yourself from us," Dark Shadow announced suddenly, grinning at the green-clad boy. "We are of kin! It gladdens me to know that I am not the only one of my kind within that temple of vain-glory they call a school." They cocked their head and blinked in a remarkably bird-like manner. "Your possession of your host is most admirable, Nemesis, clever and deceiving. The other mortals haven't a clue what you truly are."

"We have no idea what they're talking about," Nemesis whispered through Izuku's mind, "We are Izuku Midoriya. We are Nemesis. We are one and all."

"I'm not a demon," Izuku said finally, his hands clenching at his sides, "I just have a horrible, awful quirk and-"

"You see the Unborn," Fumikage cut in suddenly and pointed a, somehow sharp, finger at him with his good hand, "You use the accused flame openly as your weapon, your skin is warped by the unlight and," His eyes twitched, "From what I heard you become monstrous when in the heat of your bloodlust. Yet you insist on playing this game with me?"

"I-I'm not a demon!" Izuku stammered out, his eyes darting almost as if he didn't believe his own words. "But…"

The information was flooding his mind all at once. The unborn, the unlight, the accursed flame, possessions and demons and monsters and- A migraine threatened at his temples and fire rolled through his scars.

Izuku took a long breath, trying to stop his stomach from doing flips. "I don't know what Nemesis is." He admitted in a small tone. "All I know is that as long as I don't let it get to me, as long as I don't use it too much, it won't take control me." He rubbed his eyes, though from exhaustion more than tears. "Nemesis is violent and evil, but I can hold it back as long as I'm careful. I slipped up with Kaachan." And for a moment, Izuku's voice lowered, almost to a whisper. "I'll never let it happen again."

"We can't trust him, we know we can't trust him." Nemesis, as if on cue, urged with all the calm of a smoking gun. "We need to destroy him."

"Nemesis." Fumikage weighed the name on his tongue for a moment. He seemed to pause, as if considering separate options, and Izuku could almost see the thoughts moving one by one through his mind's eye, as if he was planning out each event to its full conclusion.

"Fine, have it your way, so-called Izuku Midoriya. I propose a test. If you pass, I will allow your assistance and accept your story. If you fail," He shrugged and then winced and from under his black cloak, Izuku could see his good hand move to his injured arm. He looked to Izuku and shadows played across his face, causing him to look sinister in the dull light, "Well, we'll live with the consequences."

Dark Shadow's grin suddenly seemed a hell of a lot sharper.

Izuku gulped again.

"He's going to hurt us, we know it, we should attack! Now!" Heat washed through his scars, as if to press the sword into his palm.

Izuku resisted and gritted his teeth, his eyes lingering on Fumikage's bloody arm. "Whatever it takes."

Fumikage seemed to look surprised for a moment, as if he hadn't expected Izuku to say yes. However, he stood up, again wincing as he did so. He looked as though whatever adrenaline had been holding him upright was wearing off, and even Dark Shadow shot their master a cursory glance.

With his good arm, Fumikage rummaged for something within the confines of his cloak and Izuku felt his stomach twist with anxiety before suddenly the teenager drew out a small bottle of water in a clear, plastic bottle.

Izuku frowned slowly. "… you're going to give me a drink?"

Fumikage rolled his eyes before holding the bottle up in his hand. "This is holy water, blessed by a man of true faith. When it touches a being of demonic origin, they react violently."

The green haired teen almost laughed out loud, though he managed to hold it back even as a roil of curious heat washed along his scars.

"Holy water? We're not a vampire."

"I can see you don't believe me." Fumikage mused in a tone that suggested he'd been through all of this before. He flicked a thumb against the cap of the bottle, opening it with a light click, "Allow me to provide evidence."

"Master? Master please don't, no-no-!" Dark Shadow almost immediately tried to squirm away as Fumikage turned the bottle down over the shadowy trail that led into his chest and squeezed the bottle. A few drops fell and landed on to Dark Shadow.

And the beast screamed. They screamed so much that the sound filled every inch of the room and Izuku jolted back, flinching and looking to the door, worried that someone outside may have heard them. When he looked back, he could see hot steam rising from Dark Shadow's body where the water had hit them, and Fumikage too winced and grit his teeth in mild pain.

Dark Shadow finally stopped and began whimpering softly. "Why? Why, master?"

"I apologize, Dark Shadow," Fumikage even gave the quirk-familiar a small bow of his head, "But an example was required." Crimson eyes flicked back to Izuku. "Are you now prepared?"

Izuku gulped. Before he had thought it kind of silly, dropping holy water onto someone to see if they were a demon or not. Yet the way Dark Shadow had reacted caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise.

Was the same about to happen to him?

His heart began hammering in his chest as he thought about all the things that had happened to him lately. His new teeth, ears, and blackened fingernails. The monsters he had seen Dark Shadow devour, the ones he had thought imaginary all his life. His reaction to Aizawa's quirk and the true awakening of Nemesis into his life.

Izuku took a breath through his nose and silently removed his gloves, placing them on a nearby box. He then turned his palms up to Fumikage and nodded once slowly. At this point, any answer would be welcome. Even if the price for that knowledge was pain and suffering, he would endure it. He would know if he was possessed by a demon or not.

After all, there could only be two outcomes. Either nothing happened, and he was let go, or something happened… and he was murdered by Dark Shadow.

So, no pressure.

"I'm ready."

"This is stupid. We're not a demon. We are Izuku Midoriya, shadow and flame!"

Izuku bit his lip as Fumikage held the bottle over his palm.

He squeezed, and for a moment, time slowed as Izuku's green eyes watched the tiny droplets of holy water fall onto the pale skin of his palms.

He felt something.

It wasn't the immediate burning that had afflicted Dark Shadow, nor was it the cold chill of rainwater on his skin. It was a strange tingling sensation that pickled across his palm in an odd, creeping manner, like a spider making a cautious crawl across an open space.

The closest thing he could compare it too, within his own mind, was that of resting on one's arm too long and having it fall asleep from under him. Not quite numbing, but not quite feeling either.

"This is uncomfortable," Nemesis whispered with a sound like the whetting of a blade, "And pointless, just like we said it would be."

Izuku opened his mouth to say something, but Fumikage drew the bottle away before he could even speak. "How did- how is this possible?" His eyes locked with Izuku's own confused gaze and he growled out, "Why did you not burn?"

"Look, Fumikage I-"

Dark Shadow moved around him suddenly, blazing yellowish eyes boring into him and forcing the teenager to lean away from them, "LITTLE DEMON! WHY DID YOU NOT BURN?"

"I don't know!" Izuku practically stammered out. "I don't know how your stupid test works!" He decided, internally, that he wasn't technically lying to Fumikage if he just let him believe that the holy water hadn't affected him, at least for now.

After they got out alive, he could admit the odd numbing sensation he'd felt and deal with the consequences of it.

But for now, they had more important matters to attend to. Like not dying.

"Can I bandage you up now?" Izuku asked, his eyes darting from Dark Shadow to Fumikage and back again, "We need to get moving if we're going to get back to the others."

"Master," Dark Shadow growled out, circling their host slowly, "Don't trust him."

The air in the tiny room grew heavy and pregnant. Fumikage's eyes focused on Izuku with a gaze so intense that Izuku could almost feel it boring into his soul. He was waiting for something, anything, any sign that Izuku would suddenly come at him, teeth bared and claws raised.

And yet when all he saw was a slightly damp, drained-looking teenager who looked like he needed a big hug and a nice long nap, he finally shook his head and mumbled, "A promise is a promise, and let no one say I am not a man of my word. Dark Shadow, do not interfere."

The shadow-beast seemed torn, gritting their teeth tightly before moving away from Izuku, grumbling something dark under their breath.

"Thank you, jeeze," Izuku quickly reached into a pouch on his belt and drew out a package of gauze, tearing it open with his teeth and moving to Fumikage's side. The bird-headed boy drew back his cloak and revealed a rather nasty looking cut along his arm where the wolf-man had attacked him.

Izuku winced at the sight, even though his heart picked up a beat at the sight of the blood. "You're right, it's not as bad as I thought, but still…" He began cleaning and wrapping the wound as best he could as a strange silence settled between the two boys.

"Izuku," Fumikage began, looking away from him, "I would like to-"

"Fumikage." Izuku cut him off suddenly, looking to the avian teen with an exhausted gaze. "We both know right now isn't the right time for this. When we get out, we can sit down over some lunch and…" He trailed off before shaking his head and shrugging, throwing his hands up an exasperated manner. "You know?"

Fumikage seemed to consider this proposal for a long moment before he finally nodded. "Agreed." There was a tone in his voice which Izuku knew implied a mistrust that he had yet to fully overcome, but for now, he would accept his cooperation in keeping each other alive.

It would have to do.

Dark Shadow huffed from behind their master and eyed Izuku suspiciously as the boy continued to work. "I don't know what you are, Nemesis, but I swear one day I will face you in battle and kill you myself."

Izuku didn't answer him, but within his own mind he heard Nemesis gleefully, cruelly hiss back, "Not if we kill you first, Dark Shadow."


SO ABOUT THEM MYSTERIES HUH. Still confused? Good, you should be.

But it looks like our two boys have finally found some common ground! So that's good, right? Right. Totally gonna work out in the end. Not like there's a giant horrible monster waiting just outside the storm arena for them.

Also, I broke my writer's block and I'm already up to chapter 18 here, though I'm thinking once USJ has been wrapped up I may go on another short break to fully recharge the old batteries. Anyway, HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND 'TILL NEXT TIME MY DUDES.