Author's Note: Warning for spoilers for manga chapter 407. Second = Kaiji Kudou and Third = Sanzou Bruce. Since Bruce can be a first or a last name, I'd rather use it as a last name so I can keep my favorite first name. (And because I'm still not done the five stages of grief over Third's name.)
Whatever had led All for One to lock up his own brother in a bank vault, it hadn't been indifference. His animalistic screams filled the sewers as he chased after the vigilantes and his little brother. All for One screamed in some language Kaiji did not understand. It wasn't Japanese. Maybe not any language, just rantings. Whatever darkness had caused All for One to seal his brother away in a lightless vault, it could not possibly be called love, but Kaiji did not believe it to be hatred either. It gave him the chills to imagine the look on All for One's face when he'd seen his brother again for the first time since the vault.
With his weak body, Yoichi had unfortunately fallen behind. Kaiji ran back, grabbed his hand, and dragged him along.
The rantings made Yoichi flinch. He seemed to understand All for One's words. Was it a twin language? There was no time to ask, only move.
A whirring sliced the air.
Kaiji Kudou had lived on the streets since he'd been ten years old. During this time, he'd picked up a keen instinct for danger. He did not know exactly what alerted him: a subtle shift in the pressure or the sound of wind. Without thinking, he yanked Yoichi toward him.
All for One's air canon blasted into the wall. The shards hit Kaiji, knocking him down and dripping blood down his forehead. Yoichi screamed as an air blade sliced off his left hand.
For a moment, everyone stood still in shock.
Sanzou Bruce moved first. He'd reached the rank of second-in-command of the vigilantes for a good reason. While All for One seemed stunned at his own sin, Sanzou leapt forward and shot the villain in the stomach. He screamed, "RUN!"
It would have been a fatal blow for anyone else. They did not expect to stop the monster for long. Kaiji lifted Yoichi onto his back, then ran.
The vigilantes did not dare take Yoichi to a hospital, not when All for One controlled them all. They'd treated his injury themselves with a tourniquet and emergency stiches. They did not have antibiotics, so they could only pray Yoichi did not get infected. They did not have painkillers, either. Yoichi's screams would haunt Kaiji's nightmares for the rest of his life. Grim-faced, Sanzou had poured a bottle of whiskey down the patient's throat.
Yoichi, who was much tougher than he looked (than his brother had ever admitted) pulled through. Fortunately, their medical supplies contained a shrinker sock, a compression device to prevent swelling in the wrist stump.
Although Yoichi put on a brave face, he was clearly struggling. Frustration filled his face at mealtime. He'd only just learned how to use chopsticks after a life on the street, and now he couldn't. Normally, Yoichi would only eat a bite of every meal, then eat the rest the next day. He'd picked up this habit as a child because a lot of times the trash he ate would give him food poisoning, so he tested it. Thus, it took Kaiji a few days to realize Yoichi had nearly completely stopped eating. He was ashamed of his slipping table manners.
Kaiji started sending Yoichi's meals to his room. When Yoichi ate alone, the plates came back empty.
Taking his second-in-command aside, Kaiji hissed, "We've got to find a way to get a prosthetic for Yoichi."
Sanzou sighed. "You know we can't take him to the hospital. All for One has been ripping the city apart looking for Yoichi."
"I know. We haven't got money, either. Can we trade for one?"
"I don't have any connections who can produce a prosthetic hand. Injuries and maimings have been on the rise in Japan for years, increasing demand."
"Then what if we make one?" Kaiji demanded.
Sanzou was quite for a moment, long enough for Kaiji to think his idea had been stupid. Then he said, "It would be worth a try. People have been doing it since the early days of humanity."
Yoichi Shigaraki started crying halfway through putting on his shirt. He couldn't manage the buttons with only one hand. Or rather, he could, if the damn shirt would just stay still!
For his entire life, Yoichi had been called useless by his brother. Now he felt like it must be true. He was a burden on the vigilantes. He knew he shouldn't think that way, but he couldn't stop. What good was a man who couldn't even dress himself?
Someone knocked on the door.
"Coming!" Yoichi called. He dried his eyes and put on a robe to hide his half-naked chest.
Kaiji Kudou and Sanzou Bruce stood outside with nervous expressions. For a brief moment, Yoichi had a fantasy that they were about to boot him for being useless (even though he knew they wouldn't.)
Kaiji held out a box. "We made this together. Uh, I hope it fits."
Yoichi pulled off the lid. Inside was a hook hand.
Sanzou said, "I know it's not a proper prosthetic. We'll keep trying—"
Yoichi burst into tears.
"He hates it," Kaiji muttered, eyes panicked.
Yoichi threw his arms around them both and hugged them. "I love it," he sobbed.
Later, Yoichi decorated the cup of his new hook with sparkly Captain Hero stickers.
Author's Note: Happy birthday Aviva! You asked for Second and Third giving Yoichi a gift. I immediately thought of them making Yoichi a prosthetic hand BECAUSE HE DIDN'T DIE WHEN ALL FOR ONE ATTACKED HE LIVED A LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE OKAY. IT WAS JUST A LOST HAND LIKE I FIRST THOUGHT READING CHAPTER 407.