(A/N: Oh hey! Oh hi! Oh hello! It's a surprise update that is actually intentional on my end! :D A show of appreciation for all my dear readers for staying with this long ass story. Happy Thanksgiving!
We've got a number of pov changes this chapter that I did my best to keep clear.
Alright, let's get to the scolding! Enjoy this treat and I do still intend to post next week.)
...
"SHIGARAKI TOMURA. WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE."
Tomura shivered remembering his master's sharp tone after he had hurt Izuku. He was terrified as he now stood before Sensei who had summoned him for a 'talk'. He had been taught many lessons over the years but never had that tone of voice been used on him. Not from All For One anyway.
Before him though…
Tomura stopped that train of thought right in its tracks to avoid the stabbing pain that came whenever he tried to remember before Sensei. Not that he tried that often because his past didn't matter to him as much as the future he was after. A world without judgment and no stupid Heroes to mess things up. Where they could live their lives as they wanted.
He didn't know why Sensei was so furious with him for hurting the admin. Tomura was the one who had chosen him to join them, not Sensei. Or so he thought.
"Do you know why I have summoned you here?" Sensei asked, his fury radiating from him in murderous waves.
Tomura knew there was a reason why All For One was considered the Number One Villain. Alive since the beginning of Quirks and had a collection of them built over the centuries. Had maimed and killed and stolen as he wished landing him on the highest throne of the Villain world. An all-powerful god of evil among men. Tomura knew this and yet he was still shocked and terrified of it when that lethal energy was directed at him.
"No, Sensei," the decayer replied in a fearful whisper.
He stood there feeling naked and scared shitless for the first time in front of the man who had taken him in when no one else would. The man who raised him and helped mold him into the Villain he was today. Who had offered him a second chance at life after his first had crumbled to dust. In a sense, All For One was his father for all intents and purposes other than them never saying as much. The heated glare from the eyeless man stung and made Tomura feel once again like that scared lost child that Sensei had found that fateful day.
All For One glared at his ward relishing in the ticks and tells of his fear and discomfort. Good. That means while he doesn't understand why they were there, that he could sense there was something wrong. The man sat in his throne once again hooked up to the various machines that were necessary to maintain his health. While he was about as good as new as one could be after a near death match, there were still some health-related issues they had to address.
The scarred man steepled his fingers as he let out a sigh and leaning back in his seat. While he enjoyed pressing with his mere presence the gravity of the situation, Tomura would never learn if he didn't explain. All For One hadn't necessarily planned to tell anyone his connection to Izuku or at least not so soon. But it seemed he needed to in order to assure the safety of his son when interacting with his chosen successor.
"You have placed yourself in a difficult situation," All For One admonished, lowering his hands slightly. "While I admire your resolve and carry through of bringing Midoriya Izuku to us, you have made a serious error in harming him."
Tomura knew that. It had been an accident. Hurting Izuku had never been the plan. He wanted the admin to join them and a carrot was better than the stick. Show him he was welcomed with open arms. But as happens with his Quirk, things get decayed without him necessarily meaning to. The snarky comment about Kurogiri's glasses was no joke.
"I'm sorry, Sensei," Tomura said with a grimace. One that All For One could see as he didn't even try to hide behind Father in front of him. His master would have been able to see it regardless. "It won't happen again."
"It had better not," All For One stressed with a hard tone. "No further harm is to come to him, understood?"
"Yes, Sensei," Tomura conceded.
"Good," the scarred man said, accepting the answer with a nod before turning to the misty man watching them quietly. "Kurogiri, you are to make sure he doesn't."
"Of course, master," Kurogiri replied, forming a small portal and reaching inside it for something. "These should also help prevent any further damage."
The warper brought out of the portal two pieces of cloth. All For One presented his palm and Kurogiri quickly placed them in his hand following the silent demand. He used one of his Quirks to see they were a pair of black gloves though they seemed designed to only cover two fingers with material that stretched down to wrist straps. His analytical mind considered the usage of them in connection to maintaining Tomura's control of his Quirk.
Impressive and simple.
"It was a suggestion given by young Midoriya, master," Kurogiri prompted without All For One needing to ask.
"Did he now?" the father muttered with a proud smile on his scarred face. "Well, we shall have to put this gift to good use. Nothing must come to harm the boy. Use them well, Tomura."
All For One offered the gloves to his ward who hesitantly took them from him. Still afraid of the man who had scolded him. In need of a distraction, Tomura studied the gloves to figure out how to put them on. They covered his pinkie and ring fingers on both hands and fit nicely around his wrists. They were a little weird since they were new, but he agreed that they should workout nicely to help control his Quirk.
Though there was something that confused him. Why did Sensei care so much about Izuku? In all the years he had known him, All For One had never shown any level of concern for anything. Yes, he had taken Tomura in but other than teaching him the wrongs of the world, he had never influenced or had concern over how he lived his life. Had always allowed the young leader to make his own choices and learn from his own mistakes.
Why does Sensei care what happens to Izuku?
He had never been concerned for any of his other recruits. Certainly not the thugs the decayer had chosen for the USJ attack. They had all been merely cannon fodder than anything else. Just a simple factor of numbers. It was a lesson he had learned from and had been more thoughtful for the chosen few sent to attack the training camp. That had definitely been a more successful raid.
But despite them being hand selected by himself, All For One had paid little attention to them and had never expressed any interest in their wellbeing. And yet he did for Izuku. So much so to make him livid with Tomura, but why? He didn't understand and desperately wanted to.
"Why do you care so much about Izuku, Sensei?" Tomura asked, not exactly expecting an answer but All For One had always said he could at least try. You never knew what was possible until you took the chance to find out.
All For One hummed in contemplation. He guessed he could tell his successor about Izuku. To implore how grave of a mistake it would be to ever bring harm to his son again. Yes, it seems it would be necessary to tell him exactly who Izuku was to him.
"He is my son, Shigaraki Tomura," All For One revealed, staring the much younger man down. "You are not to harm him in anyway ever again."
Sensei's…son?
Tomura stood there frozen in shock. Never in a million years would he have thought to hear that from Sensei. His master had never expressed any want or of actually having a family. Other than their talks of this fucked up world, they had only ever talked about his side project besides the League. The Noumu had been a long-standing experiment.
The creatures were created with the lowest dregs of society. Low life thugs and those abandoned by the rest of the world. Especially any Quirkless that still managed to pop up from time to time. When Tomura had first heard that Izuku was Quirkless, he had been surprised to see that he had made it so far in life. He had been more overwhelmed to learn the admin he had been searching for was Quirkless and instead naturally smart. But in the back of his mind had been a spark of a question that was quickly lost amongst his plans to bring Izuku in to join the League.
Why hadn't he been taken to become a Noumu like the rest?
Now he knew why. Sensei was protective of his son and therefore wouldn't subject him to the Noumufication process. Or at least seemed like he didn't. Not to family. Though that kind of connection didn't necessarily save anyone from that. The doctor had no qualms using his own grandson to make the winged Noumu they had lost in Hosu. Being family didn't guarantee protection from harm.
Except Izuku was.
Because he's…
"You're his…he's your…" Tomura muttered, his brain piecing together what that meant for Izuku and himself. Because this must mean they were closer than a young Villain leader and a recruit.
Tomura was to be All For One's successor. Izuku was his son and All For One was his father. And to Tomura, Sensei was kind of like his new father after he…no, don't think about that. So if All For One was his surrogate father and Izuku was his actual son, then that means, in a way, he's his…
"…I have a brother?"
That was not the reaction All For One had expected. He had thought that perhaps Tomura would not take it well. Potentially see Izuku as a replacement for himself as he was connected to All For One by blood. A stronger bond than being taken off the streets as an abandoned child. He could easily imagine his young ward throwing one of his typical temper tantrums upon learning that Izuku was his son.
But he didn't. Tomura sounded pleasantly surprised, innocently curious, and a tiny bit hopeful. Intriguing. Perhaps this will all work in All For One's favor. His chosen successor and his son working beside him. All he had to do was convince Izuku that his silly dreams of becoming a Hero were childish. That his fate was at All For One's side as he was born to be.
"In a way, yes," All For One replied, lowering his hands to his lap. "I am sure you now see why harming him in anyway cannot be allowed. There mustn't be any more incidents or the consequences will be severe."
"Yes, Sensei," Tomura agreed more eagerly, smiling a little in awe at this newest development.
I have a brother.
Which means that he had hurt his brother. By accident but still. At least with the gloves Izuku mentioned that Kurogiri was able to quickly find he wouldn't have to worry about that again. Still weird but not having to be as mindful of his fingers and just touching things? Now that was something Tomura could get used to. Why hadn't they thought of these for him before?
Thanks for the tip, admin.
Yet how did the young leader repay him? Fucking decaying his wrist. Tomura was a griefer to his own plans. The decayer thought of the damaged limb regretting what he had done. The doctor had mentioned that while the hand was still there, the dexterity of it had diminished. While he was a doctor, there had been only so much they could do. Decay had affected too much of the flesh for them to do much else.
Fuck.
How was this going to affect Izuku joining them now? Tomura had only wanted him to give up whatever he had been hiding. Which the decayer still didn't know nor did he care at this point. Whatever it had been was what led him to hurting Izuku. If anything, he would have liked to know so he could decay the shit out of it to vent his frustrations. But for now, he was marveling at the fact while the majority of his family now existed as disembodied hands like the one he typically wore on his face, he just learned that Izuku was kind of like family him. The son of his Sensei who was like a father to Tomura.
Could this be fate?
"Now go," All For One commanded, breaking him from his thoughts. "We all have work to do."
The young successor bowed as All For One dismissed them and Kurogiri already had a portal formed for them to exit through. Tomura stepped inside as he had many times before and was back in the bar instantaneously. Magne was sitting at the bar filing her nails as she had been tasked to watch over their guests. He signaled her to leave to which she nodded and vacated the room.
Once alone, Tomura turned his attention to their recruits. Bakugou was tied up in the chair but the muzzle had been taken off. The explosive blonde glanced over at him with that perpetual scowl on his face before scoffing in a huff and pointedly turned away.
Red eyes followed his gaze and found an interesting sight of Izuku lying on the couch in the corner asleep. The admin was curled up slightly into a ball as he clutched the blanket that had been laid over him. It was kind of endearing to see his newly found little brother looking so relaxed. Tomura looked fondly at the sight that he could easily get used to.
The young leader moved to walk over to the couch when Bakugou barked, "Hey, leave him alone, crusty."
His voice was sharp if quiet as to not wake up the Quirkless teen, but it had no effect on Tomura. It was nothing compared to Sensei's from earlier.
"He has nothing to fear from me," the decayer responded quietly, continuing towards the couch and carefully sitting down. His tone then turned to a low growl when he glanced back over at Bakugou. "You on the other hand better watch it. Or we can always muzzle you again."
Perhaps not the best thing to say to someone they're trying to recruit though honestly at this point Tomura wasn't feeling very motivated with this one. Too feral, defiant, and annoying. Bakugou glared as he reluctantly stayed quiet really not wanting the muzzle again. But he kept a sharp eye on the Villain who was way too close to his childhood friend. He needed to make sure nothing else happened to Izuku so they could get out of there alive. Tomura took his silence as a win and turned back to the boy asleep beside him.
The admin looked so peaceful sleeping there. Little sounds of his calm breathing gently filled the air. His freckled cheeks were something the Villain hadn't really noticed before but his eyes couldn't help connect them together. Then there was his hair all fluffy and green. Like a bush. It looked so soft and Tomura had the strong urge to touch it. And with the newly gifted gloves, he had no worries of hurting the other with his Quirk as he reached out his hand curiously.
He brushed the green curls lightly with his fingers. As he thought, they were really soft and Tomura carefully ran his hand more through the admin's hair. He was instantly fascinated not just at the feel but also the ability to not having to be overly aware of his fingers. While he couldn't feel as much with his covered fingers but the gloves gave him a new freedom he hadn't felt in a long time.
Izuku stirred in his sleep and Tomura froze not knowing what to do. He watched as the admin shifted in a way that ended up with him nuzzling into the young leader's lap. Two pairs of red eyes stared wide in shock. Bakugou watched in disbelief while Tomura gulped nervously before continuing to card his fingers carefully through his little brother's hair.
Yeah, he could get used to this.
...
Izuku found himself being slowly pulled back to consciousness as if coaxed by the fingers running through his hair. A comforting gesture since childhood that always helped calm him. He let out a sigh as he leaned into the touch and snuggled into his pillow. A pillow that then let out a soft dry chuckled at him.
Wait.
Izuku took stock of the situation as he kept his eyes closed. Last time had been a disaster and he wanted to prepare himself for whatever the world had in store for him next. Though he honestly couldn't think of anything worse than waking up and finding out his own father was gods damn All For One.
The hand in his hair was being gentle as it continued to play with his hair. Obviously, his pillow was actually a person which would mean he was most likely in their lap, but who exactly he didn't know. Okay, let's think this through. It couldn't be Himiko because the hand was too big which he knew from personal experience. It also wasn't Dabi because the hand didn't feel rough like his. Kurogiri could also be eliminated because his Quirk would have been a big give away.
So the hand was large but gentle. The slight scratches of the nails against his scalp left a nice tingle in their wake, but he only felt three fingers doing that. The other two fingers still gave a pleasant pressure but it didn't feel the same as the others. Then he noticed the smell. It was dusty and dry as if all of the moisture had been sucked out of it. Which means, considering all the members of the League and their Quirks, that could only mean it was…
Decay.
Izuku's eyes shot opened and he looked up in terror at Shigaraki. The Villain was watching him with that weird soft smile from before. Considering his Quirk, the Quirkless teen was too terrified to move as he gulped.
"No need to worry, admin," Shigaraki said, his tone sounding amused. "You're safe with me."
The decayer lifted his other hand and showed that he was wearing gloves. The same kind Izuku had suggested to him. Kurogiri really worked fast. The gloves meant that Decay wouldn't activate and upon knowing that, he pushed the Villain's hand away and scrambled to the other side of the couch. A little difficult considering he got tangled up in the blanket placed on him but Izuku managed to fling it off. He huddled there as he glared at his kidnapper who had dared to touch him like that.
"Stay away from me," Izuku seethed with a glare.
...
Tomura frowned at his reaction. It had been going so well when he was still asleep. Calm and quiet. Compliant. Actually leaning into his touch with no fear or hatred. But now that he was awake, he was instantly on his guard. Though could Tomura really blame him for that? The decayer did hurt him. Tomura needed to fix this.
Izuku was his little brother after all.
The thought of family had Tomura reaching into his pocket and pulling out Father. He always made a point to keep it with him at all times when he wasn't wearing it on his face. A gift from Sensei to remind him of his anger and his goal. To destroy the world in a rain of fire so a new one could be born from the ashes.
The Quirkless teen eyed the young leader cautiously, but other than taking out the creepy disembodied hand he made no other movement. Izuku didn't necessarily want to keep sharing the couch with him but also didn't really want to find out the Villain's reaction if he tried to move away even further. He was kind of a wild card when it came to his emotions. Especially when it came to Izuku threatening him one second and acting friendly the next. Let's just say it was confusing.
Izuku carefully sat there next to the young Villain who regarded him quietly. He glanced over at Katsuki who was watching them like a hawk but not doing or saying anything else. Well, at least he seemed alright. The silence that filled the room was awkward. Understandably so but still awkward. What does one talk about with their captor? It came to a point that he couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence with a question that had been bugging him.
"Why do you wear that hand on your face?" Izuku asked, peeking over at the Villain.
The decayer seemed surprised at the question for a second until a smirk grew on his face.
"You trying to unlock my character bio, admin?" Tomura replied, his tone dripping with amusement.
"Does that mean it's connected to why you became a Villain?" the teen countered, hoping he could learn more about his past.
"Yes, but I don't even know how much or why exactly," the decayer answered, gaining a confused look from the greenet. Tomura tapped his temple. "Repressed memories due to trauma, but I don't need to remember that to reach my goal."
Surprisingly the Villain was actually talking to him. Then again, he was trying to recruit Izuku so he guessed it made sense he was being so open. Especially after decaying his hand. There was no way Izuku would say yes to joining but he wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
"What happened to you?" Izuku pressed on, seeing what he could get. "I'd like to try to understand how you got here, why you're doing this. Because I don't believe anyone is born a Villain but rather made. Whether by their own ambitions or forced into it. I'm trying to figure out which one you are."
"Perhaps both, but like I said, the details are fuzzy for me," the young leader shrugged, turning to face the bar. "I don't remember much before Sensei found me."
"You don't?" the teen echoed, wondering what could have caused him to have amnesia. "What happened?"
The air was quiet as Tomura sat there thinking. Trying to figure an answer to give the admin beside him. The boy was trying to get to know him, to understand him, not just as a Villain but as a person. Wasn't ignoring him as so many others had. The least the decayer could do was to give as much of an answer as he could. The snippets that ran through his mind were painful as always to sift through but he gathered enough to form an idea.
Green eyes watched him in rapt attention as Tomura tilted his head towards the teen and said in a solemn tone, "I think I killed my family."
Izuku stared at him in shock and the reaction almost made the decayer laugh, but he didn't want to ruin this little heart-to-heart they were having. Just the two of them sitting side by side trading words besides the angry blonde glaring at them. It had been a long time since he ever talked about himself like this.
"W-what makes you think that?" Izuku breathed.
"Again, not sure," Tomura replied, shrugging again. "I remember them being kind and caring. Well except for my father who treated me like crap. Him I would have been glad to kill if I did."
Okay, so he had a shitbag of a father as well though he certainly wasn't alone in that category. Maybe the Todorokis and him could start a club. Izuku too now that he knew who exactly his father was. Which was something he was having a hard time processing. Hisashi had been so kind to him. Never took a hand to him or yelled at him too harshly. Had even told him to at least try to be a Hero only to now tell him it was impossible. That he was born to follow in All For One's footsteps.
Yeah, right. There's no way in hell I'm doing that.
He refused to lose his dream when the chance of achieving it was finally in his grasp. Fuck All For One and his bullshit. Izuku was going to be a Hero no matter what.
"They were kind and I have a strong feeling that I killed them," the young leader confessed, scowling down at the hand. Izuku didn't know how to feel about his captor as he listened. "I remember being angry and itching to do something about it. Then suddenly, the urge to itch disappeared and I was free. Except freedom for a five-year-old means wandering aimlessly hoping someone would reach out and help. But they never did."
He remembered wandering the streets alone for who knows how long. No shoes, obvious blood on his small hands, and apparently a crazed look on his face that drove most people running. Some had stopped to ask him if he was okay but after one look, they would leave quickly saying a cop or Hero would come along to help him eventually. But there had been no helping hand extended his way until Sensei found him. Taking a small lost child in his comforting arms and offering him a home.
"I wasn't bullied like you, Izuku," Tomura stated as he glanced over at the recruit. There were tears growing in the corners of those concerned green eyes. "No, I was abandoned by this society. No one helped, civilian or Hero alike, the clearly alone and lost little child wandering the streets. No one until Sensei."
The day Sensei had found him was seared into his brain. The air was muggy and smelled of minerals as the rain fell. He had taken refuge under a bridge and had been forlorn thinking no one would find him there. Yet Sensei did.
"Sensei saved me," the Villain said, a tone reverence in his voice. "Took me off the streets and helped me when no one else ever did. Guided me and gave me my family to help me on my mission in life. Told me that I was allowed to let go and destroy all those who wronged me. That this world was mine to tear down and rebuild it to what I want."
...
While Izuku could feel for the man beside him, he couldn't help but question why All For One took him in. Because from just that small glimpse into his past, it was clear to the boy that Shigaraki did not exactly choose this path in life. Something happened to his family leaving him orphaned on the streets. And unfortunately, this society was reliant on Heroes so seeing a young traumatized child could be deemed too much responsibility to the average citizen. Leaving said child to fend for themselves and vulnerable to be led astray.
How unlucky for Shigaraki to be found by All For One out of anyone in the world. Izuku could relate now after finding out who exactly his father was having been lied to his whole life. Hisashi was a farce and All For One was a bastard who expected him to become a Villain like him. No way that was happening for Izuku but who knows what the Number One Villain filled Shigaraki's younger self with to make him who he was today. Lessons on how to hate the world while also giving him a home and…wait, did he say All For One gave him his family?
"What do you mean by he 'gave' you your family?" Izuku asked, brows furrowed in morbid curiosity.
"This…" the Villain said as he held up the disembodied hand for him to see. "…is Father."
Green eyes blinked once, twice, and then thrice before he understood.
"Wait, is that actually your father's hand?!" the Quirkless teen squeaked in revulsive shock. He didn't really want to think about what that meant for the other hands.
Shigaraki let out an amused chuckle then replied, "The hands I wear were a gift from Sensei and the doctor. A way to keep them close and remind me why I was now here. They are a part of me and fuel my hatred for this world that turned its back on me."
Izuku wasn't sure how to respond to that. Didn't know if he could say anything. He was still in shock to learn that the Villain wore actual hands, the hands of his own family, as a costume of sorts to show where he came from. To be honest it was overwhelming. He had guessed there was more to Shigaraki's story but never expected this and this was only a peek. He needed a change in subject, at least for the moment.
"What is your plan exactly?" Izuku asked, not really sure what else to say but trying to see if he could get some answers.
...
Tomura eyed him curiously. Did he want to know because he wanted to join or was he just fishing for information? Honestly, he wasn't sure at this point. While he wanted the admin to join them, he was starting to see that was going to be harder than he thought. Although Izuku has seen the darker side of this world, instead of making him fall into that darkness, his experiences were pushing him into the light.
Little Hero, indeed.
The young leader still wanted him to join them. Be a part of the change Tomura wanted to make to the heartless world they lived in. To show that Heroes were false idols and the people had become complacent sheep. Standing idly by while others did the work. All of them a part of the problem that left those rejected and neglected to fall into the only place left for them to go.
'What happened to you? I'd like to try to understand how you got here, why you're doing this.'
The admin had wanted to know his story. Not that Tomura remembered all of it himself. Memories of his past repressed from a trauma he didn't really want to remember anyway. He didn't need it because the hands of his family gifted to him by Sensei were reminders enough. Both a comfort and a torment at the same time. Serving as a symbol of his first steps on his path to Villainy.
'Because I don't believe anyone is born a Villain but rather made. Whether by their own ambitions or forced into it. I'm trying to figure out which one you are.'
Honestly, Tomura wasn't entirely sure himself. It certainly wasn't his original idea as a kid. In fact, he thinks he wanted to be a H…a stab of pain pinned that thought in its tracks. Why was his mind trying to bring up his past so much lately? Was it because of Izuku? A Quirkless boy who had seen the inequality and prejudice of this world first hand. Who could understand to a degree what he himself had experienced. It was as if his mind wanted to connect to Izuku and maybe see if Izuku would accept him as he is.
But the admin has yet to agree to join them. Frustrating, yes, but again with how things have been going, he couldn't really blame him for hesitating. Muscular attacking his mother had never been part of the plan. That was on that blood obsessed muscle head. If anything, Muscular being captured at the training camp saved the young leader the trouble of having to deal with the idiot himself.
Good riddance.
Tomura also never intended to hurt Izuku but he ended up doing that anyway. And now he learned that the admin had actually been Sensei's son all this time. This had to be fate even though Izuku was too stubborn to see or accept it. Yet. This would all be a matter of time even though it was going to be longer than he wanted. But if it was for the admin, Tomura figured he could actually try to be patient.
"Spoilers," the decayer said as he stood up from the couch. "When you join us, you can hear our plans. For now, relax and consider our offer. We really do want you to join us, Izuku. I want you to…"
He leaned down causing the boy to freeze allowing him to get close and whisper in his ear.
"…little brother."
As he leaned back, he gave Izuku an encouraging soft smile that he strangely found so easy to make in the boy's presence. The teen stared up at him green eyes wide with shock. He knows and now he knows Tomura knows too. Good. Now he could see they were more connected than he realized. That they were meant to be together recreating this fucked world side by side.
"Think, admin," Tomura said as he placed Father on his face. "Take all the time you need. We really do want you."
He gave one lingering look at Izuku before turning to leave. As if sensing it, Kurogiri suddenly appeared at his usual place behind the bar. It gave Tomura peace of mind that the boy would be well looked after. Not that he was necessarily worried about the other members of the League. Toga and Dabi already seemed close despite the burnt raisin's initial hostility. Even Spinner seemed fine with the kid after their clash of ideals. Izuku would fit in just fine.
It has to be fate, he thought as he left the room.
...
Katsuki glared at the Villain as he walked away. Once he was out of sight, he turned to watch Izuku who was still frozen on the couch. What the fuck did Crusty say to him?
"Oi, De-Zuku," Katsuki called out in a harsh whisper. "What the fuck did he say to you?"
The sound of his new nickname, despite it being choppy with the old one, was enough to break him from his trance. Green eyes blinked before connecting with concerned red. They stared at each other in silence until Izuku could collect himself.
"H-he knows," the greenet finally said with a stutter. "About All For One a-and me."
Now it was Katsuki's turn to be shocked. Well fuck. That can't be good. If that Shigafucker knew about who his shitbag dad was, there was no telling what he would do with that information.
"What exactly did he say to you?" the explosive blonde questioned.
Kurogiri silently observed them but they paid the misty man no mind. Honestly it was just them right now and neither could give two shits for anyone else. They were only teenagers gods damn it. All of this crap was way too much for them to handle.
"He…he called me…," Izuku started only to pause for a moment. A confused expression then took over his face. "He called me 'little brother'."
Katsuki blinked not really knowing how to react to that. Little brother? What the fuck was up with that? Handsy finds out that All For One is Izuku's father and now he sees him as a little brother? What the fuck?!
But now was not the time to panic. As Izuku had said over and over since they got here, they needed to be smart and wait for the opportune moment to escape. Which meant they had to keep their wits even though this was so much more fucked up the longer they stayed. And if the nerd was having a hard time doing that, even if it was understandable why, then Katsuki was going to have to step up and act as his support. Because despite all of the fucked-up shit he pulled as a kid, Katsuki had to make up for it and was going to be the best damn Hero he can.
And right now, Izuku was in desperate need for a gods damn Hero.
"Okay, okay, so that shitty fucker knows," Katsuki spoke, trying to be calm for fucking once in his life. "But we need to stay focused, Zuku."
The new nickname dropped from his lips so much easier than his first name. It had a similar feel in his mouth as Deku but without all of the bad history tied to it. But it was still new so it felt like a novelty.
"I'll have to get used to you calling me that," Izuku said, smiling at him with that stupid sappy look on his face. It turned amused as a blush unwantedly flared on the blonde's cheeks.
"Shut up, nerd," Katsuki grumbled, annoyed when his childhood friend actually giggled at his embarrassment. "Whatever. I know this has been shitty from the start but we gotta stay strong."
"Of course, Kacchan," Izuku agreed with a chuckle. "We'll get through this together. Plus Ultra."
He held up a fist even though Katsuki couldn't return it with his hands bound, but the sentiment was still clear.
Katsuki replied instead with a nod as he said, "Plus Ultra."
Still silent, Kurogiri said nothing but in the swirling depths of his warped mind he too would go beyond as best he could with his conditioning. While he was a Villain now, no matter what All For One and the doctor did to him, no Quirk or experimentation would ever fully snuff out the Hero within. If possible, he would help these innocent children in any way he could.
Plus Ultra, indeed.
...
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