perhaps even these things will be good to remember one day
Chapter Summary
John gets dragged to act like Izuku's age and goes to the arcade. For some reason.
~
AKA Scattered moments after the USJ Attack, in no particular order.
Chapter Notes
sURPRISE BITCH I SURVIVED MY FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE BY THE SKIN OF MY TEETH
also wtf I blinked and this fic reached 230k hits, THANK YOU??? how did this happen, idk, but i appreciate yall 3
CW: none! well...maybe some mentions of blood but nothing too graphic, I hope.
I had so much fun with the last segment lol just a warning, it's self-indulgent as hell but i loved it too much to delete it akskdk
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Now, here's the thing.
Midoriya Inko prides herself in her abilities as a mom. As (vehemently) stated plenty of times by Mitsuki, she's a damn good one.
As such, she isn't as oblivious as her son seems to think when it comes to what he does when he's not at home. Okay, she doesn't know all the specifics, and she could just be basing this on Mother's Intuition, but she recognizes the kind of trouble Izuku inadvertently gets involved in.
It had been by sheer luck that she caught him at a local playground one day, stopping a trio of older kids from hurting a young girl with sheep features, using the toys from the sandbox, shockingly enough.
She was surprised to be sure, but it fell into the wayside for the surging, swirling feeling of pride and worry in her chest. She knew since day one that her boy always had a kind heart. She used to fear that, after they visited the doctor, this world so centered around power, fame, and Quirks would destroy him, rip the compassion out of him, and leave him cold and bitter.
She feared she'd fail Izuku without knowing it, and he would grow to resent her for not trying hard enough, for not providing him what every kid in the world had.
None of that happened, though. When it comes down to it, her Izuku is such a kind and gentle soul; a kind and gentle soul who clearly can defend himself and others, even by unconventional means.
On the one hand, Inko is so utterly proud of her boy for protecting others and using what he learned from his defense classes to diffuse the situation as best as he could. On the other, the mother in her can't help but worry for his safety.
Her son is not fragile, she knows that deep down. Humanity survived way before Quirks ever emerged, so it doesn't make a difference that her baby is Quirkless. He's as tough as they come and the holographic message after the Entrance Exams cemented what Inko already knew.
But still, even with his skills, going up against dangerous people that could kill you with just a flick of the wrist or a well-aimed stare? She physically can't imagine the possibilities without her stomach churning. Those sorts of scenarios already invade her dreams on the worse nights.
Her son is not fragile, he never was, but he isn't invincible either. He's still just a boy in his first year of high school.
And what else can she say? Inko has always been the worrier type, so no one can judge or blame her for being a raging Mother Hen throughout the week after the USJ incident.
Izuku doesn't appear to mind the hovering and fussing, though.
He takes her worries in stride, letting her handle the reins of caring for him until the cuts and bruises on his skin fade away. She's not sure how well he's doing mentally, but he insists with gentle (if a little clumsy) promises that he's okay.
Inko doesn't fully believe him.
Throughout the first few days, she saw the way he carried himself so stiffly yet withdrawn, as though he was moving his body without his mind being completely there. She saw how he'd stare intently at nothing before blinking back to awareness. She saw how different Izuku was after the USJ fiasco as if he was a soldier who came back fresh from the war.
That comparison, in hindsight, didn't seem so far off. It scares her just as much as it breaks her heart.
She thought about getting Izuku into therapy. U.A.'s principal had already sent all the concerned parents an email detailing that the school would pay for any therapy bills they would need, adding they have a counselor on staff as well and Inko wishes to utilize that for her son. The first step to get there is to talk to him about it.
That in itself is a matter all on its own. Inko knows her son and she knows he's reserved and introverted by nature so it's a toss-up if he'll ever talk about his experience and be open to seeing a therapist. She has her hopes, though.
But after watching him slowly become himself again, looking less like a ghost with a weight on his mind, Inko doesn't want to make him feel like he's being backed into a corner with her prodding. She doesn't want him to feel obligated to share whatever is on his mind and risk circling back to being closed off just because she's his mother.
She wants him to tell her when he's ready, not because he was forced to.
Her boy is a teenager, after all, and teens are known to want some independence and agency.
Inko is willing to give Izuku a sensible amount of space in that department, but he's smart enough not to stop her from fretting over his physical injuries. Lots of ice, pain medication, and good food perfectly pave a smooth road to recovery. It still gives her a sick feeling in her stomach that she
needs to perform this extent of first aid in the first place.
It's only been a few days since the school year began. April is still underway, and already her son has been put through the wringer. All the kids in his class have, honestly. It's sheer luck, again, that All Might had been there.
Inko's just grateful the children are all alive and safe. Especially Izuku.
Oh, her poor boy... When she first got the call from a friendly detective, Inko just about had an internal nervous breakdown but stayed strong enough to hear what he had to say, and afterward, she lit a fiery path to the school to pick her son up. Mitsuki had been right behind her, concealing her anxiety with expletives and threats of physical violence against the villains who tried hurting her son.
A lot of tears were involved (thanks to Inko), mostly out of relief. Izuku hadn't looked close to what she fearfully imagined he'd look like considering the circumstances, but she was thankful, all the same, that she didn't need to see her son in a hospital bed.
Maybe she'll broach the subject of therapy later on when they're both on steadier feet.
"Are you sure you don't need anything else, honey?" Inko asks (she lost count of how much she did that, but she wants to be thorough) as she pads around the kitchen.
Izuku, the skin of his face decorated with faint yellow splotches, looks up from the book he's reading on the couch, his expression not once contorting into an annoyed frown as one would expect from a typical teen.
Instead, he seems amused with his slightly raised brows and soft, relaxed look. "I'm fine, Mom, really. Thank you."
She smiles. Always so polite, her boy. "Alright, then. Let me know if—"
"If I need anything, yeah. I will. Thanks, Mom."
Inko wants to extend that same invitation when he's involved in scuffles when he's not at home, but something in her holds her back.
She doesn't think Izuku is hiding what he does from her purposefully to blindside her, but she knows that if he did tell her, she'd probably make a huge mountain out of it. Izuku is a private person like that. She'll let him tell her in his own time. As long as he's being careful, she won't poke at that particular elephant.
Hours later, there's a knock on the door.
It's Katsuki and his and Izuku's new friend who Inko has been growing quite fond of over the past year (if not a little concerned due to the dark bags under the boy's eyes, which she chalks up to insomnia or the teenage rebellion of staying up past their bedtime) with a Katsuki-like declaration of taking Izuku out for the day.
As much as Inko wants to spoil her boy for another week, she's sure being around his friends would do him good.
Her son deserves a day of fun and Inko is all the more willing to give it to him.
~
Insomniac Troll Doll
Today 3:02 PM
Me: oi wake the fuck up asshole, we're taking deku to the arcade
Insomniac Troll Doll: ????? the fuck Insomniac Troll Doll: it's too early for this
Me: no it fucking isn't Me: it's 3 in the afternoon Me: get some goddamn sunlight you fucking vampire
Insomniac Troll Doll: eat my cat's shit you fuckin sea urchin Insomniac Troll Doll: what's this about taking mido to the arcade btw?
Me: that bitch needs extra sun and fresh fucking air more than you do Me: and enrichment or whatever the fuck Me: he's been holed up in his room for the entire fucking week, I won't be surprised if he turns into a goddamn vegetable by tomorrow
Insomniac Troll Doll: doth my eyes bamboozle me? is bakubich admitting he's worried over his best friend? who'd've thunk?
Me: piss off or I'm boiling your shitty kneecaps.
Insomniac Troll Doll: whatever dickhead
Me: LOOK ARE YOU IN OR NOT YOU DISCOUNT FURBY REJECT
Insomniac Troll Doll: fine fine. do you have a plan bc I honestly bet my lunch money that you'll just drag him by the toenails since we both know it'll take a lot to convince him Insomniac Troll Doll: plus you're shit at expressing your Feelings w/o sounding like you're at a rock concert
Me: first of all fuck you Me: second of all I do have a plan, just shut the fuck up when we get to his place
Insomniac Troll Doll: sure thing pal Insomniac Troll Doll: be honest w me tho, where did this plan come from all of a sudden?? I never pegged you to be the Go Out n Start Shit w My Buddies type of guy Insomniac Troll Doll: and no misdirecting or I'm spamming you w vids of angry chihuahuas for weeks
Me: nothing. Me: just wanted to get the hell out of the house. the old hag is getting on my damn nerves with her
hovering
Insomniac Troll Doll: would it kill you to accept love n affection or are you just as allergic to those as you are w being chill
Me:
Insomniac Troll Doll: charming. now answer the gd question or I'm gonna have to guess, n I know you hate it when I guess wrong on purpose
Me: eat shit
Insomniac Troll Doll: is this about what happened @ the usj? Insomniac Troll Doll: silence means yes Insomniac Troll Doll: and honestly I don't blame you bc wtf was THAT man
Me: just deku being deku and making sure none of us show up on the damn obituary Me: nothing more, nothing less, raccoon face
Insomniac Troll Doll: yeah yeah I get that but Insomniac Troll Doll: idk, it's probably just me but we were literally there, we saw what went down Insomniac Troll Doll: mido took out that Thing w a stick no problem n proceeded to beat the shit out of Mr. Handjob like it was just a normal wednesday Insomniac Troll Doll: and...y'know. shot him. kinda. no hesitation n everything
Me: yeah, and? deku didn't fucking murder the pruney bastard. he shot that bitch in the limbs. self- defense Me: I would know because I heard that crinkly ass motherfucker scream he was gonna kill deku and deku reacted
Insomniac Troll Doll: I GET IT bakugou, I do. I'm not an idiot n I'm not blaming midoriya for what he did. but that's not what I'm really worried about. Insomniac Troll Doll: I'm more worried about how he's doing mentally after all that Insomniac Troll Doll: yeah he built up some street cred since middle school but I don't think anyone could come out of that w/o getting a little fucked in the head Insomniac Troll Doll: plus mido's always been a secretive guy n I'm like 89% sure he's the type to sit n look pretty while he bleeds to death if we don't do smth about it
Me: we are doing something, dipshit Me: we're taking him out of the house for one goddamn day or I'm gonna force him to sit through 5 All Might movies back to back.
Insomniac Troll Doll: diabolical. so when are we picking him up?
Me: right fucking now bitch
Insomniac Troll Doll: cool, anything else we should do when we get there?
Me: if he runs, we tackle him.
Insomniac Troll Doll: amazing Insomniac Troll Doll: y'know, it's times like these that I forget you're a honey badger w a heart
Me: just shut the fuck up and get your zombie ass out here before I change my mind
Insomniac Troll Doll: operation: get mido to have fun like an average teenager as a form of therapy after a traumatic event is a go
~
The weather outside promises nothing but a mildly sunny day instead of a torrent of rain, which John considers to be a fringe benefit. After the USJ, he's beginning to dislike rain. Slightly. A lot. Yeah, perhaps a lot.
(He disliked rain before too.)
At least he didn't get sick. Mom didn't need another reason to freak out, especially when she's been taking extra steps to help him heal from the external injuries he received. He sometimes worries she'll run herself sick with all the fretting she's doing but he figures just letting her go through her mother-henning would ease some of her anxiety.
(would she fear him if she knew what he had done?)
It certainly helped Mom by the latter half of the week, emotionally. She's far less tense and fretful around him as she works in the kitchen, a faint echo of the day post-Entrance Exams when the worst injuries he got were just scrapes on his cheeks and elbows.
(would she not heal his wounds if she realized what her son turned into? what he used to be?)
John should get her something as an apology for all the stress he put her in, indirectly or not. She was crying herself to dehydration when she arrived at the school to pick him up. He could make her dinner. Yeah, that could work. He isn't a five-star chef but he can make a decent meal.
Before then, John stays in his room, content with just making plans in his head while resting in the silence he once took for granted. It's nice. Maybe he can go for a nap or two, and enjoy the peace while it lasts.
(it never does, does it?)
But a meteor crashes into his room, effectively setting all of his plans up in smoke, and it's in the form of Bakugou Katsuki. And Hitoshi, for some reason.
"Get dressed, asshole, we're going to the arcade."
Katsuki had all but manhandled John into a respectable outfit for going out while Hitoshi argued the blond's "poor tastes in fashion" by the end of it. The same song and dance which they skillfully hid away from Mom (who evidently allowed this outing the moment his friends were at the front door) except John elected to ignore them until the shopping district came to view, and before he
knew it, John is standing in the middle of a spacious arcade that he vaguely guesses used to be a nightclub of sorts.
Whatever. He's not going to think about that now. (Think of something else. Anything else, anything at all.)
What he is going to think about is his escape plan. He refuses to undergo whatever scheme Katsuki and Hitoshi have concocted together when John wasn't looking.
They were supposed to recuperate during the free week they had been given and John can recognize that he isn't exactly ready right now to engage in normal teenage things like arcade games. He isn't ready to engage in anything else, period.
Unfortunately, Katsuki has an iron grip on his jacket sleeve while Hitoshi trails behind them, likely acting as a 'rear guard' in case John attempts to slip away even though all three of them know it won't be enough to deter him. He'd already be on his way back home before the two of them could grab tokens.
Although...
"Be sure to have fun, okay, dear?"
Mom had been relieved when John (begrudgingly) allowed Katsuki and Hitoshi to take him outside the apartment for the day. Happy knowing he's hanging out with friends like any average boy. He can't say he blames her; he must've worried her, still, for remaining inside the apartment throughout the week instead of mingling with kids his age to regain some sense of normalcy.
John isn't ashamed to acknowledge that he'll bend over backward for his mother if it comes to it. She's his only living family as far as he knows and, since day one, he took a silent oath not to make her cry or cause her pain.
(she will hate you if she knew what you truly are.)
He'll do anything for his mother, do as she asks, but at this moment, he just might reconsider Mom's instruction and go home.
That is if he can remove Katsuki's firm clutch on his wrist and dodge Hitoshi loitering behind him like a sentinel. When those two are determined, they know how to wrangle him. John just sighs internally, accepting his fate like a dog would at the vet.
"Okay, we're here," Hitoshi points out, raising a brow at the complex-looking dance machine near the entrance. The bright neon colors burn John's retinas. "Now what?"
~
A-vengers Japan
Today 3:39 PM SENDER: pikachu ginjinka - WHATS UP GAMERS WHOS UP FOR CLASS HANGOUT B4 SCHOOL STARTS
SENDER: hot topic music section - sorry can't, busy w/ jams
SENDER: flex tape gijinka - sorry can't, stuck to the wall
SENDER: princess bubblegum alien remix - sorry can't, doing backflips
SENDER: kirby gijinka - sorry can't, dealing w gravity
SENDER: sanik nyoom - My apologies, Kaminari-kun! But I'll be going on a family outing later today! Perhaps we'll set up a class outing once everyone is free!
SENDER: toph beifong's grandson - sorry bro, busy with my workouts!
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - et tu, bro??
SENDER: flex tape gijinka - F in the chat for you, my dude
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - is anyone else free??? i seek companionship in these trying times ( Д )ゝ" - WAIT A MINUTE - @explosive cactus @coraline's dad YALL FREE YES OR YES
SENDER: explosive cactus - No.
SENDER: coraline's dad - sorry can't, busy reassimilating a bestie into the outside world via arcade shit
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - what does that MEAN - and can i join :3c
SENDER: explosive cactus - No.
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - but WHYY
SENDER: coraline's dad - don't take it personally man, mido just has a social battery of a platypus
- also bakugou hates sharing his bff w other ppl
SENDER: explosive cactus - FUCK OFF WE FUCKING PLANNED THIS SHIT AND I'M NOT SOME CLINGY MOTHERFUCKER
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - wait YALL PLANNED PLANS W/O ME??? ON THE DAY I MADE MY PLANS??? D:
SENDER: hot topic music section - F
SENDER: flex tape gijinka - F
SENDER: princess bubblegum alien remix - F
SENDER: kirby gijinka - F (have fun aiyama-kun! and say hi to midoriya-kun for me )
SENDER: coraline's dad - @kirby gijinka he's w us rn but I'll tell him to say hi just so he has smth to say in this gc - mido say hi
Me: Hello.
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - gasp HE SPOKETH
SENDER: coraline's dad - ok that's all you're gonna get from us, i'm about to try the 1v1 fighting games n kick bakugou's ass, byeee
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - WAIT COME BACKKKK - DONT LEAVE ME W THE WOLVES - AT LEAST TELL ME WHERE YALL @ SO I CAN WATCH LOCAL BROCCOLI BOI OBLITERATE LOCAL CHIHUAHUA MAN
SENDER: flex tape gijinka - they're gone man, F
SENDER: pikachu gijinka - :(
~
"How are the kids?"
Hizashi will kill him if he knew Shouta was pushing it with his recovery by talking. Hell, he'll probably snitch and get Recovery Girl so she can kill Shouta herself. But as far as he can tell, Hizashi is currently not present, nor is Recovery Girl, so Shouta can do whatever the hell he wants.
In this instance, ask Tsukauchi about the well-being of his students because at least he can trust the detective to be transparent with him instead of telling him to get some more rest, Shouta.
He deeply appreciates his husband for dividing his time between patrol, teaching his classes, looking after Hitoshi at home, and caring for Shouta in the hospital. Never will he take HIzashi's kindness for granted but sometimes he gets frustratingly dodgy when answering Shouta's questions outside of his recovery.
Shouta hears Tsukauchi sigh lightly, although he's pretty sure the detective is laughing at him but trying to maintain professionalism.
"Your students are fine, Eraser," Tsukauchi answers as the empty chair by the bed creaks softly. "Shaken up by the experience, but otherwise, they're okay. Although I'd recommend some therapy sessions for them, just in case."
Shouta wants to believe him. With this tiny ball of relief in his chest, he wants to believe him. It's irrational for him to doubt Tsukauchi's words and believe whatever his drug-induced brain concocted to fuel his nightmares. It's stupid to deny this olive branch when he'd been drowning in his deep-seated fear of failure yet again.
But fear is one hell of a game-changer.
Sometimes, when he drifts to sleep to fight the dull pain throughout his body, he still feels his bones snapping and breaking again by that monster. Behind closed, bandaged eyes, he still sees Shigaraki reaching out to Hitoshi and Asui, turning them into ash and dust. In fleeting dreams, he still sees the bodies of children who had their dreams cut too short, too soon.
(All because Shouta had been too weak, too slow, too incompetent to prevent it.)
However, in the back of his mind, he remembers seeing a boy standing tall in the face of monsters, practically driving the low-level villains into running by his presence alone. A boy who managed to make it to U.A. against all odds.
A boy who leaves Shouta with more questions than he knows what to do with.
"How's Midoriya?" Shouta asks behind his mask of medical bandages.
Tsukauchi doesn't answer right away. It's either a good sign or a bad one, and Shouta hates figuring out which one it is. Still, he begs with all his might that it isn't a bad one.
The room falls into silence, occasionally punctured by the city's everyday bustle outside the window. If Shouta listens hard enough, he can hear the nurses whispering in the hallway about the USJ incident. About the villains, the heroes, his students, and the aftermath. He doesn't want to think about the worst-case scenarios.
Think of anything else.
Tsukauchi's voice picks up again, carefully neutral and calm. "He's okay too. Why ask for him specifically, if I may?"
Shouta pauses. Thinks on it.
He doesn't know Midoriya all that well outside of what Tsukauchi told him that first time and from his observations throughout the first week of school. Hitoshi probably knows a lot as it's clear to Shouta now that his son and Midoriya are friends. But beyond the basics and a few assumptions, Shouta hardly has a clue about Midoriya's character as a whole.
Well. Until now.
"...He stood up to those villains. On his own."
Shouta can recall the bits and pieces of what happened while falling in and out of consciousness.
He remembers hearing Shigaraki's frustrated screams and seeing Midoriya fighting him and winning. He remembers Midoriya keeping his distance, acting as a wall between Shigaraki and his classmates. Then the disorienting sound of a gun going off and the bustling drone of first responders and Pro Heroes.
It's all a messy blur of events, cluttered, and confusing, but one thing had been clear to him; Midoriya didn't look the least bit afraid.
(It shouldn't catch Shouta's attention so much but it does. Because if he thinks back deeply enough on that moment, recalls the calmness and detachment his student displayed as villains ran away from him, he could've sworn Midoriya looked almost... Deadly. Like a wolf locked onto a threat.)
Tsukauchi snorts at that as if it's an inside joke Shouta has yet to be privy to fully. Then again, maybe it is. Maybe Shouta is slowly beginning to get it.
"Yeah, he's...like that," is all Tsukauchi offers with an exasperation that only Aizawa "Parent of One Teenage Boy" Shouta can relate to.
At the end of their little conversation, Shouta thinks that if this headache doesn't kill him, then the knowledge of Midoriya having the self-preservation skills of a plastic bag will.
~
Today is just great. So great. Super great, in fact, because Hitoshi is ever so slowly kicking Bakugou's ass. Hitoshi thinks this is solidly one of the best days he's ever had.
"Oh damn it!"
"Losing your touch, Mr. Perfectionist?"
"Eat fish bones, you sleepless sack of shit!"
"Grouchy today, aren't we?"
Bakugou can only grumble as he lost the last round in Tekken (and he was using Jinpachi too!) while Hitoshi stands from his seat with a solid six out of ten wins (not bad, considering he
switched between using Armor King and Dragunov).
Midoriya, on the other hand, is somehow content with just acting as the ticket holder and spectator despite Hitoshi and Bakugou's invites to have a turn.
Sure, he went and played a few claw machines earlier just to win a pack of bubblegum and an All Might keychain (much to Bakugou's embarrassment when Midoriya later gives the thing to him) but eventually, he retired to onlooker status and let Hitoshi play in his stead.
Hitoshi initially didn't win a great number of games but to his surprise, he soon managed to knock Bakugou down a few pegs in the first round of Street Fighter.
He'll cherish the pure outrage on Bakugou's face for years.
The three of them have moved on from the typical 1v1 fighting games and towards the shooting games, most of them being of the VR variety. But Bakugou being Bakugou wanted to do things the old-fashioned way so he hauls Hitoshi by the collar to the light gun game machines like an impatient toddler.
"Best three out of five, asshole, don't slack off!" Bakugou declares once he inserts the tokens and grabs the red arcade gun from its port with fiery zest while Hitoshi gets the blue one.
"Wouldn't dream of it, shitnugget." Something tells him he's not gonna make it out of this alive judging from the manic smile his friend/bane of his existence has got going for him. Ugh.
The game begins without much fanfare and Bakugou walks away a tyrant with 500 points, leaving Hitoshi to kiss his win streak goodbye with his measly 390 points. Damn, he's gonna hold this over me for weeks.
"Oi, Deku, you sure you don't wanna play?" Bakugou asks, the smugness yet to leave his stupid face.
Midoriya gestures to the rest of the arcade but Hitoshi can see how less tense his friend is now, unlike a few hours ago when his subtle body language suggested he was about to leave the both of them in the dust. Maybe Bakubitch had the right idea of getting Mido here. "Yeah. You can keep playing."
While Hitoshi can accept that (because if he's being honest, after a few rounds at the racing games - both the car and motorcycle variety - and some of the ones that need hand-eye coordination, he's noticed Midoriya getting increasingly sluggish) Bakugou doesn't as per usual because his competitive streak demands satisfaction.
So he's off with the wind, probably sniffing out a new game for him to drag Midoriya into playing, likely for the sake of earning another tally to his win streak.
(Or it could just be Bakugou's way of prolonging Midoriya's stay in the arcade, making sure his friend is having fun after a difficult week. Hitoshi can never tell with that explosive bastard, though.)
With a shared look, Hitoshi and Midoriya follow Bakugou's path to the very back of the building where it opens up to an outdoor area. Turns out, a line of food stalls and gaming booths sit right outside, just as packed as the inside. And standing before the cork gun booth is Bakugou, talking to (more like demanding) the owner.
"Took you guys long enough."
Unprompted, he gruffly gives Hitoshi and Midoriya a small wood imitation of a flintlock pistol gun each. Why Bakugou decided to drag Hitoshi into his unspoken contest with Midoriya, he'll never know. But that doesn't mean Hitoshi will pass up the opportunity to wipe that stupid grin off that competitive meathead's face.
"We take turns with this shit; the first to get the highest score wins."
"Do we get prizes or bragging rights? Because I'm down for either of those," Hitoshi quips with a smirk.
Bakugou, in typical fashion, points at him and demands, "Then you go first, Shaggy Hair!"
Hitoshi shrugs. It's not like he's gonna do his absolute best but he wants to at least try. Maybe he can win that off-brand Presentation Michael toy for Pops. He's got a collection going for the sole purpose of annoying Dad.
With Midoriya and Bakugou standing at the side, Hitoshi readies himself, pointing the toy gun's barrel at the goofy-looking aliens serving as his targets. The stall owner presses a button and the targets move, the LED lights flashing in rhythm to a random tune. He manages to shoot a few marks but ultimately, Hitoshi only earns a meager 25 points. He shrugs. Ah well. He's never had that great of an aim. At least it's enough to get him that Presentation Michael toy.
It's Bakugou's turn now, and Hitoshi sees the high score coming from miles away. 70 points. Jeez, next thing you know, the guy's gonna find a way to make his explosions concentrated enough to blast them like a mini-gun. Now isn't that a terrifying thought? 'Local dynamite boy discovers a new way to terrorize the villains.'
In no time at all, it's Midoriya standing before the booth.
(A sense of something gnaws at his gut as Hitoshi begins to wonder if this is a good idea. You know, taking the mental trauma and everything attached to it into consideration.
Was Midoriya okay with this? Will he be okay afterward? Was having him play this game too soon? He doesn't know. But he'll make damn sure he won't leave his friend to deal with it by himself.)
Uncaring of Hitoshi's inner conflict, the game starts, the targets move, and the lights flash. Midoriya doesn't look fazed in the slightest.
He just breathes, raises the gun, and just hits every single target like it's nothing. He never misses as he keeps focused, quiet, and steady. Even his form looks pretty professional like he's been practicing his whole life.
If he didn't know any better, Hitoshi would assume that his friend never blinked throughout the entire two minutes or is blessed by some greater force to make the shot. But he does know better so he watches in awe as Midoriya doesn't pause or hesitate in hitting bullseyes, raising his score bit by bit.
Bakugou hadn't been a slouch either, Hitoshi can admit that since the guy didn't waste ammo like there was no tomorrow, but the difference had been that it took him a bit more time to adjust his aim and shoot.
Here, Midoriya shoots as if he calculated where and when to do so right on the spot. It's...admittedly awesome to watch. Hell, Hitoshi is pretty damn sure Bakugou thinks this is cool as hell. If he doesn't, he'd be fucking lying.
The timer buzzes and Midoriya beats Bakugou by the grace of every gunslinger in existence at 83 points, triumphing over the latter's 70. There's an ironic joke in there somewhere but Hitoshi is too busy laughing at Bakugou's face turning into a tomato to figure out what it is.
"What the fuck!"
Hitoshi rolls his eyes as he snickers, "Face it, man, Mido fucking destroyed you. Save what pride you got left in that angry little body of yours."
"Just shuddup and get your damn toy, Anti-Forty Winks!"
"How long did it take you to come up with that?"
"You—!"
"Hitoshi. Katsuki."
Bakugou grumbles (for the nth time today, Hitoshi lost count) but huffs in satisfaction at the prize he picked out; a pretty pristine and glossy All Might figure in its see-through packaging. And, wow, it's even got tiny props inside. Hitoshi can't help but chuckle.
For such a hotheaded perfectionist with an allergy to being chill, Bakugou sure is a nerd. Not that he'd say it to his face. He does take a sneaky pic of it though; for posterity and potential blackmail material should there ever be a scenario that requires it.
On the other side of the spectrum, Midoriya gets a big plush of a cute cartoon dog that's almost the same height as him. Huh. That is oddly endearing. Stoic, a-little-aloof, definitely-badass Midoriya Izuku getting a plush toy as his prize. Surprises never end with him, do they?
"Is that what you're getting, Mido?"
"Yeah."
"Huh," he stares a little dumbfounded at this newly discovered aspect of his friend. "Didn't know you liked—"
"It's not for me," Midoriya cuts him off. "It's for my mom."
Oh. Oh. Aww, now that's pretty sweet. Hitoshi always figured him to be a mama's boy but he can't blame him. Mama Midoriya deserves the world and Hitoshi's only met the woman a couple of times he's been over at their apartment.
"That's nice of you. But what about you? Not gonna pick one for yourself? You did get a high score."
Midoriya shakes his head. "No. I don't really need anything."
Hitoshi would disagree. In his opinion, Midoriya needs a lot of things; some therapy, maybe lots of ice cream, and a good hug if he allows it. And a stuffed toy or something like the one he's giving to his mom. After the USJ, Hitoshi is inclined to think that his best friend deserves a little bit of softness.
Well, at least Hitoshi has an idea for a birthday gift.
"I mean, there must be something—"
"Oi! Are you dorks done gossiping or what? Let's get something to eat, I'm fucking starving; you're paying for the food, Hypnoshit."
Hitoshi gapes, "What? Why do I get to do it? You know I'm a broke cat parent, you petty asshole," and soon, another 'argument' sprouts between them on their way to a food place with poor Midoriya and (unofficially named) Midoriya Junior stuck in the middle of it.
At least he's not running away from them. At least he looks less like the sky is crushing him against the earth. At least here, with Hitoshi and Bakugou, Midoriya seems a lot better than he was a week ago.
Today is simply great.
~
"Hey. Deku. Did you... You know, did you have fun or whatever?"
"...Yeah. I did."
(it doesn't feel like a lie.)
~
The young master is displeased when they return.
Of course, the young master is always displeased and ill-natured towards anything that is not his prized gaming device, but this level of irritation is far from his usual temper. It is akin to a furious hurricane, pulling in ruined buildings and debris in its vortex and leaving behind an even grander scale of destruction.
Such is the disposition of Sensei's heir.
"I'm gonna kill that stupid brat!"
Another stool turns to dust, mixing with the blood forming a puddle on the floor, tarnishing Kurogiri's hard work of extensive sweeping and mopping around the bar.
Kurogiri wisely does not comment on it, allowing the young master to throw another one of his tantrums in the face of failure; the failure, in this instance, being the USJ fiasco. It did not end the way Shigaraki Tomura wanted, thus his meltdown of extra proportions.
Kurogiri is logical in that he holds no sense of blind faith in an assured victory. It is attainable, yes, but only when one plays their pieces on the board correctly, choosing strategy over brute force.
Shigaraki Tomura did both and yet he still failed.
"Who does that little shit think he is?!" Shigaraki Tomura writhes on the floor, angrily pressing the bullet wound in his shoulder with one finger raised. He trashes his legs despite the injuries, creating
an even bigger mess of crimson on mahogany brown.
Kurogiri fetches the first-aid kit under the bar counter without pause.
"He's a fucking hacker! He probably had cheat codes so he was able to kill my Nomu! He had a trump card; a Quirk that let him kill it!"
Highly unlikely, if the villains they recruited for their assault are to be believed.
The green devil, those people said with such terror and recognition.
Then, like a demon with its name spoken thrice, an unassuming boy came and took down the Nomu and the young master almost effortlessly, effectively ending the USJ attack before All Might arrived. And he did it all without using a Quirk, it seemed. Only armed with a staff and a gun. Peculiar.
Kurogiri prefers to keep tabs on the goings-on in the underworld. Rumors, deals, schemes; the works. It also helps that he and Sensei have Giran do the groundwork of intel-gathering.
Kurogiri is well-informed in most things, including the neverending grapevine that is the underworld rumor mill, so imagine his muted surprise when he connects "the green devil" name to the figure of so-called myth, a shadow on the walls, the monster all villains and crooks fear encountering in alleyways, and the angel in disguise for the innocents to rely on.
It is a near-recent tale, worth perhaps a few years. Much unlike the prevailing legend of Sensei that lasted for centuries. However, it strikes fear and caution in villains, all the same. A boogeyman for the boogeymen. Peculiar indeed.
"Oi, Kurogiri, you better find me that kid's name 'cause I'm gonna—"
"Ah, Tomura. I see your seige has failed."
The television screen had long since been active. Kurogiri prepares for whatever scolding Sensei will undoubtedly bring. Or sage advice, as few and far between they gradually came to be.
Shigaraki Tomura scoffs but answers as respectfully as he can, "More like ruined, Sensei. Some U.A. brat destroyed everything I've built. He managed to kill my Nomu!"
A contemplative silence.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, and he even made the grunts run away like cowards and piss their pants, it was annoying. He was annoying. Acting all brave and crap like he's some stupid hero. But he's just some brat!"
"And what does this 'brat' look like, Tomura?"
"Huh? Nothing special... Just dumb green hair and eyes. Looks plain as hell to me."
Sensei hums, an amused, all-knowing sound. "Well, that boy sounds awfully familiar. Don't you think, Kurogiri?"
"Yes, Sensei."
"And you, Kreuger?"
"What isn't familiar about that brat at this point?" The aforementioned man cackles drunkenly from the dirtied couch in the corner of the bar. Ah. Kurogiri forgot he warped the man here as well under the Master's orders. "A fucking Brothers Grimm fairy tale come to life if I ever knew one."
"What the fuck are you talking about, Kreuger?" Shigaraki Tomura's fingers creak and crack as he flexes them, a telltale sign of his kindling aggression, and Kurogiri watches out for an outburst. At the rate Kreuger is going, he may well become another anthill of crumbled bones for the young master to create.
Magenta eyes shine maniacally despite how relaxed Kreuger lounges. "Oh, you wouldn't get it. Then again, you got a taste of it already, so maybe you do; just a little bit."
It is clear to Kurogiri that his charge is not in the mood for vagueness and insolent riddles but he remains behind the bar, a silent guard over the young master's mood.
"Sensei, can I kill him? I wanna kill him. He's annoying," Shigaraki Tomura seethes, completely ignoring the bullet wounds on his body to prepare for another bloodstained incident.
"Calm yourself, Tomura. Kreuger may be a significant help to you in your cause."
"How can this idiot be of use to me, Sensei? He's barely making any sense!"
"It's 'cause I know some shit about the little fucker that beat your bony ass, you washed up raisin," Kreuger answers crudely but his face betrays his excitement and thrill. Over what, Kurogiri can hardly put a pin on it, much less give a considered thought. So long as the man can benefit the League of Villains and bring Shigaraki Tomura and Sensei closer to their goals, Kurogiri will not concern himself with whatever is on Kreuger's mind.
Hackles rising once more, Shigaraki Tomura snarls in seething rage, "That U.A. brat? That fucking nobody?"
"That 'nobody', Tomura, is the Viridian Devil," Sensei says, bringing a certain pressure in the room with his words. It is a heaviness that forces Shigaraki Tomura to listen and Kreuger to silence himself.
"The guy everyone in the underworld keeps whining about? Like a boogeyman?" Shigaraki Tomura questions, allowing Kurogiri the opportunity to bandage his injuries and start mopping the floor clean once again. He does not need to pay attention to this tale. He has heard quite enough to form a picture.
Sensei chuckles and it is a dark, ominous thing. "Precisely. Although you may argue that he's the one the boogeyman always hides away from."
"Oh," Shigaraki Tomura breathes, something akin to veneration and disbelief damping his ire before they are washed away by indignation on his lord's behalf. "Does this devil guy scare you, Sensei? I don't believe that."
"No, not at all, Tomura." Kurogiri can hear the toothy smile from the other side. "In fact, I am...intrigued. Curious, even."
That catches Shigaraki Tomura's attention.
"Many sources tell different stories, Tomura," Sensei continues. "Some say the Viridian Devil is a child while others argue he is an adult. Some claim he's a human while others say he's a ghost. Some believe him to have a Quirk while others attest that he's Quirkless. But one thing is for
certain among the weak, the cowardly, and the delusional; when he gazes upon you, it will feel like death is biding its time.
"Of course, he is not like me; I am more than he is. But he is what those hiding in the shadows fear most when they think they can extinguish the light.
"And I am fascinated, Tomura. Fascinated to know that such a person is within U.A.'s walls and that he has killed the Nomu so easily despite the Doctor's bluster of its strength, despite its purpose of being All Might's equal. He is truly someone worth watching. Don't you think so, Kreuger?"
The grating laughter echoes in the bar, emphasized by Kreuger's elated clapping. "I'll say! By far my favorite little mind to pick apart even though he's irritating as hell. Oh, better watch yourself now, Tomura-chan, or the Devil might stab you from behind when you're not looking!"
Kurogiri sees it coming. He opens a small portal before Shigaraki Tomura can lash a hand out to Kreuger. "Shigaraki Tomura, calm yourself."
"I'll do that when I turn this dumb shit into—"
"Tomura."
The young master stops. Sensei is not angry, Kurogiri knows. In fact, Sensei's patience for his heir is as long-lasting as Kurogiri's. Tonight will be a teachable moment, it seems. Kurogiri only wishes that Shigaraki Tomura listens carefully this time.
"No need to be so angry at your comrade. He may well be a valuable ally. And this failure is but another stepping stone to your victory so have patience."
"Sensei..."
"As for the Viridian Devil, I will let you decide for yourself what to do with him. Whether you'll eliminate him or have him join our ranks, I will support you no matter what, Tomura," Sensei says but Kurogiri is almost certain he has plans for the Viridian Devil - a U.A. student, a hero-in- training - no matter what Shigaraki Tomura decides. Whatever it is, Kurogiri will do what he must to support him.
All for the Master.
~
UNKNOWN
Today 9:02 PM UNKNOWN: New orders from the boss. UNKNOWN: Keep a close eye on the kid with the green broccoli hair. You know the one.
Me: Yes.
UNKNOWN: Don't fail or you're dead.
9:13 PM Me: Yes.
Chapter End Notes
next chapter: something ominous lurks and the kids get to have fun via school- sanctioned battles to the not-death! (aka the beginnings of the sports fest arc!!!)
for the shooting game segment w the moving targets, imagine that one scene from arcane where powder shut mylo up w her on-point gun skillz lol
btw i have not watched the 4th john wick film bc College has been Kicking My Ass (i barely managed to hang in there lol frickin math n data collection n voting schedules n BOX PLOTS) which depleted my motivation/interest.
BUT! since my first year of college is pretty much over, I'm hoping to watch it online (if it's even available) when I have the chance. until then, don't expect any references to the 4th film yet throughout the duration of this fic. Maybe I'll edit this thing once I do but we'll see :D
oh and,i am,getting into demon slayer now too omg (i want the world to know i love genya n muichiro so much thEYRE MY BOIS)
Works inspired by this oneChainsaw Hero by Mickskicks, and the blades breathe again by GLITCHEDXAI, Stampeding Through the Hero World by CXMP_14
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