Chapter 4: Adapt and Overcome

They waited and waited but Sensei never arrived. That evening on the spare television Kurogiri had brought out from storage the breaking news was the fight between All Might and the man the news could only identify as an unknown but strong villain; those within certain circles knew exactly who the mysterious opponent was: the leader of the League of Villains, All For One. On the screen the two towering imposing men stood opposite of one another amidst rubble, looking worn but far from finished.

Had All For One been recovered more the fight would have gone differently, lasted much longer and with clear damage to both sides rather than one that seemed to unfairly dominate. Instead the fight resulted in the obliteration of the hideout as well as the mass capture of Villains, including Kakashiro who looked unconscious on the screen. All For One had landed hits on All Might and even took punishment from him rather well but in the end All Might pinned him to the ground, unleashing his United States of Smash on his archenemy.

When the Number One Hero stood victorious, holding up a triumphant bloodied fist shouts of excitement were heard in a deafening chorus as bystanders showered the Symbol of Peace with praise as the apparent rising villain and his ring were now crushed beneath his heel, the publicly unknown Villain Emperor seemingly unconscious. Even the newscasters sang their praise and relief as the present formidable evil was seemingly conquered, not knowing who or what danger All Might had just apprehended. However for some watching through the screen only fury and sorrow was felt, a stray glass shattering against the tv that was coupled with a scream of anger that was almost feral.

Kurogiri cleaned up the glass wordlessly as Tomura mourned, seemingly lost while Deku did the same, biting back sobs while tears streamed down. When the green haired boy finally began to propose though a shaky voice they formulate a jailbreak Kurogiri just shook his head. The mist man admitted Sensei had planned for this inevitable day and insisted if he were captured to leave him as he would be perfectly safe, albeit a little bored and uncomfortable; he would one day reunite with them, that was his promise, but they both had roles to carry out in the meantime.

That had only increased the woeful mood and it seemed downhill from there for the rest of the day.

The following weeks weren't any better.

Tomura seemed to regress; his confidence shaken and his mood foul once more, acting like a wounded beast at times. He resumed sitting hunched while radiating annoyance, his neck nearly raw from his habit making a savage comeback. He was not much for conversation, instead simply brooding as he muttered to himself and cursed, swearing All Might his number one nemesis to be destroyed at least thirty times a day. Had he been interested in drinking, regardless of age, Kurogiri as well as Deku feared he'd turn into an alcoholic; that was one grace they were allowed as instead he sulked like a resentful child.

Meanwhile Deku had gone from the bright-eyed youth to a rather dejected state, his green eyes dim and his expression solemn. In an attempt to keep busy and productive he worked on his Quirk Analysis of All Might, going over all Sensei had told him about the Quirk One For All and what he could gather from video clips online of the Hero's feats, combing over them for weaknesses. If Sensei had indeed dealt a mortal blow to the blond haired Hero just over two years ago, he should be slowing down, about ready to plateau before declining suddenly. They just had to wait for that day, figure out that moment. After all that was part of the reason Deku had been accepted into the League, what the League's main goal was—sniffing out One For All and its wielders.

Question now was how many years would it take and how long before All For One sprung himself? Given his present condition an escape would go badly for him and everyone involved; no one could match All Might save perhaps Gigantomachia, whom Deku had never met, but he was in a healing hibernation for who knew how long. Not to mention the security system on All For One wouldn't be anything to sneeze at if he was indeed inside Tartarus; they needed the right team, the right skills and right person on the inside as a simple snatch and grab with Kurogiri would be impossible unless he knew the exact coordinates.

Deku leaned back, rubbing his face as he felt exhausted mentally and physically. It'd been almost a month and the League was a mess without All For One at the helm, hanging by a thread through videoconferences with the two protégés, much like what Sensei had done. Given the man had been in the background for the past couple of years, the public display of his arrest and defeat shook the League as well as villainy in general to its core; the general populace had no idea who All Might had thrown down with but Heroes and Villains knew a shift had occurred.

While Deku didn't mind the decrease in crime, in fact he welcomed it, seeing the League take such a blow with many members being arrested and imprisoned harshly, even the petty crime members, hurt him. Anyone with knowledge of the League knew its leader had been publicly defeated, an enigma who was now probably detained inside the most maximum security prison in all of Japan. If things were left alone too long either the League would fall apart or a bigger fish would come along to swallow it as they currently seemed to flounder.

His mind went to the foreign organization Tomura had met with the day everything went wrong. They had been dead silent with negotiations as all Villains seemed to go underground. Had they retreated from Japan, afraid of the Symbol of Peace after seeing him take down a major Villain overlord on live tv? After seeing the major bust of Villains that weren't petty thieves or gang members? Were they in part responsible?

Just how had All Might figured out where they with the League having a few different hideouts to rotate every so many months? The one that had been raided was the one Deku actually called home given there were other decoy bases about, so just how did they find them? How was it Sensei was ripped away so easily, despite him evidently having an inkling it would happen one day? There was something he was missing, something he knew but couldn't put his finger on it.

Deku let out a sigh, feeling numb as even his habit of processing out loud through rapid mumbling did not seem to help his deducing. He'd learned to isolate himself during such times these past weeks especially given Tomura's present state offered no assurance as to how he'd react in irritation to the unintelligible jabbering. It was like walking on eggshells possibly loaded with C-4. Deciding he needed a break he got up, feeling a headache coming on.

He walked into the bathroom and washed his face, hoping it would somehow clear his head and calm him. Just how was he and Tomura supposed to keep the League going? Both were inexperienced kids, a tween and a teen; nothing like the experienced charismatic, cunning and impressive man that had recruited them. Commanding respect of well-seasoned villains was going to take more than a show of force, which Tomura was eager to do. The drawback to Tomura's approach was the times he killed nearly everyone on multiple occasions and now he was even more of a loose canon.

In it all they were both children thrust into an adult's world and given the task of managing adult affairs, regardless of age and experience; in another life Deku would be at home playing video games, reading, even hanging with friends without a care in the world. How mundane yet wonderful that would be, the complete ignorance and freedom from such obligations until he was a bit older.

He let out another sigh, closing his eyes as he hovered above the sink, head down as he listened to the sound of the water run. It was almost therapeutic, canceling out the noise in his head and the humming in his veins and the twist of his gut. There was no easy way out, no easy solution and he had to figure out a way to fulfill his conditions.

Everything was on his and Tomura's shoulders now, whether they were prepared or not. Sensei believed in them, entrusting them with affairs while daring to fight the man who'd mutilated him to nearly a shadow of his former self, despite knowing things would most likely not end in his favor. He'd sacrificed himself for them to throw All Might off the trail in thinking the League was done for with his imprisonment. The thought twisted his gut even more, almost giving him the urge to throw up.

It wasn't Sensei's fault he was taken, it wasn't his choice to walk away as the day was looming and he went down fighting; he was protecting his charges. He wasn't abandoning them for sake of work.

A tear dared to escape his eye, falling into the sink with a traitorous plop. He gave a low snivel, still trying to master his emotions. Now was not the time for tears, mourning would get him nowhere. Even if he and Tomura had taken to wearing near identical black shirts for the time being in silent solidarity as a means of mourning attire, there were things to be done.

When he looked up into the mirror as he finished his thoughts he noticed his eyes were red. Or rather, one was and it wasn't bloodshot either. The iris itself was completely red. He did a double take and looked closer, starting at the apparent sudden heterochromia. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, thinking perhaps he was overtired, his mind playing tricks or his body simply showing its protest in odd ways. He pressed closer to the mirror, eyes wide for a better look at the now red right one.

What did it mean?

"What are you doing?" A voice suddenly cut through the ambience, startling the boy who looked up at the other reflection that was now in the mirror.

"Tom—Shigaraki-senpai." He began but quickly corrected himself, remembering how he'd slipped on that during the raid. He'd only called the teen by his first name to appeal to him, to beg him, much like how Sensei at times would which seemed to always get Tomura's attention.

"You've already broken that mold, might as well stick with it if you have a backbone. So long as you still call me your superior." Tomura responded, his voice sounding raspy as he had been busy with his tirade for the day. What had partly startled Deku was he was looking at his companion who had forgone the hand he called "Father," staring the boy squarely in the eye with his own red eyes, his scarred lips slightly frowning. "What's going on?"

"I… I don't know." He admitted, his focus shifting back to the lone red eye that seemed so foreign on his face, touching the mirror with one hand in disbelief. "T-Tomura-senpai…?"

The teen seemed to register what he was cryptically talking about, his gaze focusing on the boy's reflection as his back was to him. His eyes were hooded, his tone level and curious despite its raspiness. "Are you scared of it?"

"I'm not sure what-"

"It's the source of your Quirk, numbskull; the manifestation of its activation. Obviously you can't balance it properly."

"My Quirk?" Izuku's eyes widened as he started into the mirror, his mind racing. Changing eye color? Quirks? Which Quirk? What was the cause of the apparent mutation or triggering of it? What was the base source? … The unknown Quirk Sensei had given to him?!

"Looks like it took some time to incubate but isn't complete. Feel any different?"

"N-no… I don't even know what it is. My eye is the only thing different."

"Sensei gave a Quirk for you, Mr. Brains, to figure out?" Came the harsh tone, though Deku knew it wasn't directed at him. Most anything that came out of his foster brother's mouth since All For One's capture was meant to incite a fight or flight response. "Damn All Might didn't give him much time to talk. I hate that self-righteous types like him! Acting like he can do anything, that just because he says so it will be, what a pack of lies. What a fake."

There it was, confirmation of the target of his venom.

"I don't know, maybe it's a side effect of all the Quirks combining together? Or it's just the new one he gave me…" Deku tried to guide the conversation back to where it'd started, still concerned about his current state.

"You haven't tried activating it this whole time?" The disbelief was clear as well as somewhat of scoffing. Tomura's face reflecting back at him said it all, clearly disapproving and puzzled.

"I've been busy. I honestly forgot about it… it's not like I've been training…" Deku's face fell, having not sparred with anyone since they had come to the new location; his mind immediately went to the intimidating but kind Kakashiro who probably was in Tartarus as well, the poor guy. No one was allowed to know their location for fear of compromise, along with Kurogiri making a point with Sensei being locked up some of the less savory members might try to seize control from the two young protégés through ruthless means; a situation they were not prepared for given their mourning. They couldn't be caught with their pants down, not again.

"You're such a moron, you know that? For being such a so called genius." Tomura scolded causing Deku to haunch his shoulders, taking the verbal assault. It was nothing like the pure disregard and belittlement Kacchan had subjected him to for years, this was harsh but there was an underlying tone that was deeper—softer—beneath that savagery of a wounded beast.

"Yeah…"

"C'mere." Tomura instructed, wagging a beckoning finger. His expression was rather serious, the most Deku had seen since the incident. It was unreadable in a way, which unnerved him.

"What…?" Deku inquired, curious but wary given the other boy very much so seemed like an unpredictable cat that would either ignore you, play with you, adore you, or suddenly go into attack mode. Problem was he didn't know what mood this one was to lead into.

"We're going to talk to Kurogiri. Right now. He knew about Sensei's plan, he must know about your stupid Quirk too. Get some answers instead of stumbling around in the dark or lost in your own head; I can't take your insistent muttering."

"Oh." Deku resigned, blinking.

Abashed he trailed after Tomura who turned on his heel and marched off to where the mist man was, apparently conducting inventory. From the back as Tomura walked, Deku was reminded of an angry mother storming after whatever unfortunate had incurred her wrath in regards to her children. Heaven help Kurogiri as the teen was a Molotov cocktail at this point, ready to shatter and explode over anyone within the radius of him. A smile tweaked the younger boy's features at the visual comparison but instantly faltered at the sudden thought of his own mother, Inko—something he'd always try to avoid through distraction.

Instantly gloom took over him again, maintaining a rather sullen expression as he approached Kurogiri, Tomura already snarling at the poor refined mist man. This was certainly going to be a long recovery, if at all.

Despite Kurogiri divulging what he knew about Young Deku's most recent Quirk addition, Emanation, the boy was still struggling to control it after two months, his eyes almost always a constant state of heterochormia. In addition the boy lacked proper resources for a proper training partner, having to rely on Kurogiri as a stand in to deflect blows or use a traditional training dummy. Actual manifestations of his Quirk came in bursts as he dug down, searching for the source of whatever it was. In time he managed to conjure up a dark aura from his hands that seemed capable of inflicting damage as energy seemed to compress into physical form that resulted in greater force behind his already enhanced blows, even delivering what seemed to be like an abrasive component as well. It was a start.

But it wasn't enough.

Without Sensei it was like being thrown into the deep end of the pool only to realize it turned out to be the ocean. Despite preparation and training he felt like his was drowning, trying to understand the mysterious fundamentals of the last Quirk that had been gifted to him. Sensei had entrusted it to him yet he was wielding it half-cocked, it not always activating at his will; when it sometimes did it was only one hand that was cloaked in the dark aura. To say he had control would be a stretch as he could utilize his strength and endurance enhancement Quirks fine but as they seemed to be fusing with Emanation they also became hard to call upon individually.

It was like he was backsliding compared to how far he'd come since Sensei had taken him in. It was like going from zero to one hundred to idling at fifty to suddenly being stuck at zero again.

What was he missing? What did he need to make the Quirks unite and be at his beck and call rather than the random bursts that sometimes happened even when he didn't call upon the Quirk? Latest incident had him accidentally throwing a plate at Kurogiri as he'd gone to hand it over but instead found he was hurtling it like a deadly Frisbee with a glowing hand; the mist man had easily dodged with an impromptu Warp Gate though clearly he had been startled—he wasn't the only one.

A groan escaped him at the recent memory. Rather than worthless and Quirkless he was now more like Jerky Quirky, unstable and unreliable as he wasn't clever enough through all his analysis to get his body to work properly with the bestowed Quirk. Was he a lost cause, talent that fizzled out due to delayed incompatibility? If so all he had was his analytical prowess, Sensei's faith in him wasted in regards to figuring out and mastering Emanation. A Quirk he gifted him that maybe would have helped in his fight against All Might during the raid…

What would Sensei say at his sputtering progress?

A light knock was heard, tentative as if not sure if it wanted to disturb or perhaps was simply relearning how to do the gesture. Whatever the cause the sound was not welcomed.

"Not now Kurogiri-san," came Deku's muffled voice as he was sprawled on his bed. His face was buried in his pillow, his arms wrapped around it as he pressed into it. The boy was far from the mood to have company or hold a conversation, his head was pounding as if there was a headache right behind his eyes.

"Good, because it's not him."

He startled at the unexpected voice, partly turning his head to look at the figure now in his room as he barely heard the door open. With one eye he glared at the teen who'd invited himself in with slightly less audacity than a parent waltzing in on their child without knocking. The bold guest glared back through "Father," arms hanging by his sides, for once not clawing at his neck at the perpetual itch that only increased with any cause of irritation.

"What, crying?" Tomura asked in a mock incredulous voice.

"No," Deku grounded out through a strangled breath, trying to subdue the tremor that threatened sabotage that statement. He turned his head away, hiding his lone red eye that was stubborn to remain that way, thus providing the ammo for the joke though it was far from being red rimmed and puffy. Any energy to try to further rebuff the teen was gone, the headache assaulting his sense of decency.

"Honestly if I didn't know you were Quirkless beforehand I would think Waterworks was your Quirk."

"Hah hah." A dry laugh arose from the pillow as he refused to look up and entertain the goading. Now was his scheduling wallowing and he wasn't going to be deterred.

Silence followed before there was a shuffling of feet and another period of silence. Awkwardness hung in the air as one refused to engage and the other seemed out of his depth. After a few breathy moments there was something pressing against the bed before the weight suddenly changed and Deku felt the mattress shift downwards near the foot of his bed. The sensation was nostalgic but it did little for his mood.

"What are you doing?" His muffled voice asked though it wasn't much of a question but a tired statement.

"Sucks having a Quirk that doesn't do what you always want, huh? Big inconvenience."

"No duh. Here to gloat, senpai?"

"Hm, maybe. Though seeing Kurogiri caught off guard like that was amusing; but I think he was more concerned about his fine china being smashed than your sudden manhandling. Guess you'll be using disposable tableware like me from now on."

"Trust's been broken, huh? I've been demoted even from handling household items. It's plasticware for me."

A low laugh escaped Tomura though it sounded more tired than gleeful. Had he ever reached such a feeling in the time Deku had known him? "Looks like we're on equal footing now, Deku."

"I never thought we weren't," He offered lamely, still speaking into the pillow but knowing he could be heard. "But fine, yes. We both suck."

"More like you've hit a point in grinding where your leveling up is stalling due to increased EXP requirement. A seemingly impossible task to complete your mission only there are no help guides along the way. No cheat codes, only cryptic NPCs."

Was… he trying to comfort him?

"Whatever it is, it sucks. I know it's not supposed to be like this, I can feel it but it just won't do what I want. I train but it's just not clicking."

"Quirks sometimes do things you don't want," came the hollow tone which made Deku pause, curiosity prickling at him. He dared to turn his head slightly, casting a timid look at his foster brother who sat on the edge of the bed, looking just about doubled over from fatigue or simply lack of proper posture. "In your case it might need a longer incubating period to be fully accessible and you just have to keep training your body and technique to activate it. Or perhaps it's simply the wrong emotion to activate it."

There was something in his voice that made Deku look up, gazing down at the foot of his bed where Tomura sat, his back to him. The scrawny teen didn't seem like much of a threat but something about his demeanor set off warning bells that there was something underlying.

"You…" Deku began but let it die in his throat, biting down on the question that had silently been floating around in his head since the first day he laid eyes on the teen known as Tomura Shigaraki. Just what was his story? How had he ended up under the guidance of Sensei yet with so much emotional baggage and the physical scars?

"Quirks can be unstable, got to live with that. Hands are all I have left of my family."

The statement was so low Deku had to strain to hear it, blinking as he believed for a moment it was his own thoughts. He shifted his weight, turning to better look at his company, a feeling a twist in his stomach. Suddenly his problems were forgotten as his attention immediately went to the hand that clung to Tomura's face, "Father," pieces clicking together as horror dawned upon him.

"I don't really remember, it's bits and pieces." Tomura suddenly snarled as if Deku had willingly coaxed the sudden info out of him through force. The bed shook at the movement and Deku tensed, the wounded bear seemingly lured into his own cave for shelter. "Things got out of control, it's all in pieces."

The teen grabbed his head, his voice shaking as he seemed to be slipping between realities of the present and the past. "I try to remember, but I don't want to… Ugh! If only Sensei were here, I hate this! Damn All Might!"

"How… how long have you been with Sensei?"

"Forever. This is my home, there's nothing else. Been here longer." Tomura answered in fragments, distracted, seemingly still grappling with his thoughts. His hands were moving from his hair down toward his neck, the urge to scratch intensifying as his nerves escalated and enflamed his underlying condition.

"I… sorta ran away from home." Deku offered feebly, not sure how to redirect the increasingly awkward and volatile conversation.

"How do you sorta run away? You do or you don't."

"I mean, I guess I did. It's not like Sensei kidnapped me… Though I guess it would seem that way to some."

"If you were Quirkless why did you run away? Not like you had an… 'incident' to worry about like with a Quirk. Seems like you had it made from what I can gather."

"Things sucked. Honestly I don't know what's worse, having a Quirk that ruins your life or being Quirkless which makes others ruin your life."

This statement seemed to snag Tomura's attention as he straightened and turned toward Deku, head tilted slightly with interest. It took a moment for the younger boy to realize the teen really had no idea what it was like out in the world. He lacked the perspective of someone frail and helpless constantly beat down by a society that sang equal treatment by having limiter laws in place yet looked down on those deemed unfit or unnatural just for being the minority.

"I was… bullied. It was pretty much free entertainment given I couldn't defend myself from any Quirk related assaults once it came out I was Quirkless. I was probably the only Quirkless one at my schools given we only make up twenty percent of the population. Basically I was the anomaly that had to be reminded of that fact constantly; as if I didn't already know it living with myself. People are really dumb, petty and repetitive."

"Mistreated for… something you could not control? Biological supremacy? That logic is flawed. Even Sensei can change all that, his Quirk gives and takes away. He can choose to overwrite so called genetics."

Deku shrugged but his stomach twisted more at the various memories of enduring humiliation and assault just by being different, the so-called odd man out. A sardonic smile appeared as he gestured to his face, "It's not like that's new. Even with a Quirk I can't control it, so I guess the mindset makes sense to a degree. Kacchan would be laughing in my face right now, still calling me useless…"

"Who's Kacchan?"

"Oh… A childhood fri—er, playmate or former classmate is more accurate. I thought we were friends for years but I was his doormat, part time punching bag. Even when I started giving him space he still made my life hell if he so much as saw me catching his eye… I can't believe for his last birthday party I actually got him a fairly expensive gift."

"You were his what."

"Childhood fr-"

"No. His. What?"

"Doormat?" The glare only intensified and Deku managed to squeak out, "Punching bag?"

Tomura was silent for a few moments before suddenly mumbling to himself, his hand scratching at his neck in a fury. Deku realized in that moment his analytical muttering paralleled with the other's urgency to scratch, the two probably driving Kurogiri insane when in the same room and their so called tics acted up; the mist man was surely a saint. Still he caught various bits of words like "suffer" "trash" "no good" "pay" "dust" and "nothing" which gave him an impression of just what the storm of words were regarding.

"Uh, Tomura-senpai? It's okay… are you okay? Maybe you should-"

"Don't have a picture of the twerp do you? What area are you from?"

"Uh, no… Don't worry about. Thanks…?" Deku was suddenly very thankful he had left all personal belongings behind. Despite Kacchan being a jerk, incurring the wrath of an unstable Tomura seemed a bit severe, despite his own desire to teach the bully a lesson. If he ever got the chance, he wanted to witness it for himself and hear the words he longed for the explosive boy to utter out of self-reflection and not being strong-armed into saying it. This was between the two of them, and maybe, just maybe, one day he could have closure. "Just got to focus on my Quirk."

"Got to make it your own." Tomura muttered almost ominously before shifting his attention toward Deku, suddenly dialed into the conversation as his previous mental breakdown and thirst for vengeance seemed to take a backseat, forgotten as his mental train switched tracks erratically. Even his compulsive scratching had halted, "What do you call it?"

"Bwah?"

"Your Quirk." Tomura clarified, pointing at Deku's face, his visible red eye locked with the younger boy's lone red one. "What do you want to call it?"

"Emana-"

"No, that's Sensei's Quirk that he gave you. I've been with him long enough to see how he makes them work though it was rare…" There was a hint of bitterness in the tone as well as awe but Tomura seemed to regain focus to continue, "Sensei stockpiles Quirks and tries out various combinations. But yours is different, yours isn't about changing up combos and trading Quirks."

"It's not…"

"Then stop treating it the same! It's its own separate component, something you got individually from him but it's not just by itself anymore. Think, Mr. Brains!"

"No… it's… an amalgam." Deku spoke, remembering his mentor's words to him shortly before they were separated: Make the Quirks your own, amalgamate them.

Tomura was observing him keenly, shoulders hunched as if bracing himself for something. Deku stared at his hands, flexing them as he thought of the three Quirks that seemed to be melding together inside him at different rates. After a few moments of silence the green haired boy spoke, his heterochromia eyes serious as the headache that had been plaguing him seemed to vanish, "Amalgam Emanation."

Tomura watched as Deku looked at him with a new expression, something that sent a shiver through him. Despite the softness of the boy's features and overall demeanor, there was an underlying edge to him, his mental capabilities alone enough to cause such a vibe. The teen wouldn't admit it to anyone but when Deku had suited up like Sensei that fateful day, exception being the tie and gloves he dare added, it sent a chill up his spine with eerie familiarity. It had unnerved him, prompting his blunt response, bluffing; in reality his heart was pounding, not daring to look at Sensei whose own features had been stolen by his disfigurement.

Deku, the numbskull he was for all his supposed brilliance, had no idea of how his copying of his idol had just about given Tomura a heart attack. Thankfully at present the boy was in casual wear but it only lessened the effect slightly, intelligence in his eyes glittering.

"Amalgam Emanation it is." Tomura lifted up his hands as if in praise, instead looking like a surrender as he flipped from his thoughts to the conversation. "Now that it has a name, tackle it as a whole, a collective that functions as one. My Decay is no different if I think of each finger being a component that if I make contact with all five it activates my Quirk, but separate they are useless. I have to be conscious of each one, but I feel it as a whole."

"When in doubt pinkie out." Deku quipped, smirking mischievously as he jabbed at how his foster brother sometimes held cups. Instantly however his brow furrowed, "Yeah but your Quirk is always active… mine is like a half flipped light switch, stuck in the middle. We're just suppose to adapt and overcome, but it feels like… I just wish it wasn't so hard."

"If that isn't life I don't know what is." Tomura said sourly, thinking of his general distaste for the world that he itched to tear down. His hand started to reach up for his neck once more but Deku's words made him halt, distracting him.

"You're… pretty smart, Tomura-senpai."

"Don't sound so surprised. Just because I leave most of the critical thinking to you doesn't mean I don't have a brain."

"Maybe you should exercise it more rather than veg out in front of games."

"Careful or your bed might be dust." Tomura warned as his attention shifted to the piece of furniture both of them were on.

"You wouldn't dare."

A hand reached up and hovered over the bed dangerously, fingers splayed as if ready to give a low-five. Even with the mask over his face Deku knew the teen had a devious smile that would surely come across as haunting to any who saw it.

There was a loud thud upstairs from Young Deku's bedroom, sounding like something hit the floor with violent force. Kuorogiri took a moment to ponder, thinking he should check in on his two charges when a piercing young voice screeched his name in the most exasperated and tattle-tale pitch he could ever imagine, causing him to fumble the vase he currently held.

"KUROGIRI-SAN!"