"Yo, the fuck is patchwork doing here?" Tomura sneered at the sight of the burned man, a mere year older then him, yet already having this absolutely grating 'holier the though' attitude.
He hated this... Oh, the only reason why Tomura even tolerated the two-faced creep was due to his connection with Giran and Stain... no, him being a walking incinerator had nothing to do with it. Hell, it was motherfucking redundant to have him around since, He, the MC, already had the awesome dissolving power and more fighting prowess then Skinny Mac gee over there.
Really, it made Dabi's Incineration quirk unneeded, just like him...
But... Sensei had told Tomura numerous times that he needed to build his league of villains.
This had caused the young man to scoff, he didn't need a team. He could take them all by himself and then some. But Sensei said that having such a powerful ally was a good thing since the hero always needed a backup, a lancer...
Tomura had relented, knowing that even Luigi had Mario.
But... The blunette thought himself closer to Link, to be honest. A lone hero, the chosen one by Hylia...
Or, in his case, Sensei... but Sensei was as close to a god as Tomura cared.
"Oh hey, Crusty the clown." The burnt victim smirked, pulling his staples in a ghoulish smile. " It's been too long, I'd forgotten how I hated your face."
"Mood," Tomura spoke smoothly as he plopped down on the bar's main coach and console. Booting up one of the games he'd just bought.
It was in the cheap bin, so Tomura was not having any expectations here... besides, how good could an ancient Wii game that was a shameless rip-off of twilight princess be any good? "So... why do you have to steal our oxygen, you burnt chicken? We ain't the only bar here, and I doubt you'd be able to pay for the shit Kurogiri can whip up, even his cheap Vodka and pissy beer would cost you more then what you paid for your discount staples, dickhead."
"Ah, and I thought your insults were getting creative." Dabi playfully scoffed as he plopped down from Tomura's seat at the bar. " You, as always, disappoint me."
There was nothing special about it... except that Tomura had been sitting there since he was ten and thus it was his seat, not Sally's hobo cousin's seat.
But by the ghoulish grin, it was clear Dabi was having more fun then he should by riling the dangerous man. " You have a death wish, Sally?"
"Maybe?" Dabi replied with a shit-eating grin as he ordered the cheapest booze on the house. " With how I look, I'm just one step away from the incinerator anyway." He chuckled. "Now... I wonder who will dust me first?" He playfully wondered as he grabbed the can Kurogiri slid to him.
At this point, Tomura could have played his villain card, wrestled the man over the countertop and treated him with his hand decaying something unimportant (like whatever remained of his dick, for example.) but he chose not to...
in a rare show of Maturity, Tomura calmed down. Doing his best to ignore Dabi's baiting. He was a troll, and trolls were nasty little creatures who strive on others' anger. If Tomura didn't feed this particular troll, would starve and die on the spot.
He looked half-dead already, might as well let nature take his course.
But still, Tomura wanted to know why bacon-depot was here.
"Listen, if you tell me why you're looking for a quest in my guild." Tomura began, fighting back his urge to decay staple-face when he mocked his lingo. (Sensei told him he could get his agro out on his pawn when completely subjugated and not before.) and marched forward. " Then I'll let you have the expansive booze, like, the one Kurogiri lock's in the security box and save for those very special guests." Basically Sensei. "Actually, I have a better deal... you tell me your plan for the night, and you can leave with whatever fancy booze you want." Like this one ancient bottle of champagne that was kept under lock and key.
Rumour has it that Kurogiri wasted to break out this particular champagne when Sensei would recover from his numerous injuries (All might can go suck on a dragon's-) or when All Might would be dead and decayed.
But... Tomura had the feeling he had to know what Dabi was up to. Something told him... something in his rotten heart was telling him it had something to do with his Bard.
Why was he thinking about his Bard now? Maybe because Tomura was planing to hang out with him and chant his magical tune. Since last night, the blunette had an awesome sleep filled with a pair of dancing golden men in a riot.
Like, legitimate torch and fancy Indien instrument riot. They'd even taken over King's paled, destroying his garden and almost setting fire to the place, it was fun!
"For real? Like, you just want to know what the hell I'll be doing for the next twenty-four hours, just some fucking errand and you gonna crack the champagne?" Dabi asked incredulously.
Tomura lazily leaned on the back of the bar, for the place was his anyway. " It depends on how forthcoming you'll be." Then he dramatically turned his ruby-red eyes to the national bacon face of japan. " But truly, I'd never think you'd go for that... since you have a more... distinctive palate." He gestured at the yen store beer.
Well alright, it was a crafted beer, but the quality of it was shit, and even Tomura at his most desperate, would not touch it with a ten-foot pole.
Dabi seemed to mull the offer over, then he leaned back, set his donkey piss down and closed his eyes.
"Stain's police contact asked him to babysit this homeless kid living in Musutafu-" Dabi began, and immediately, Tomura could easily picture a mess of green curl and a sea of freckles... and a smile that could probably evaporate the dark fog that made Kurogiri with its brightness. " Apparently, this Kids special to Kit-kat, and he wants me to keep an eye out for a bluish-white-haired freak with red eyes and flaking skin, ring any bells?" He smirked. And Tomura had to do everything in his power not to start shredding his neck despite his trimmed nails.
"No..." The decay user flatly denied it. Fuck... he'd been recognized.
"Anyway, I was just wondering if you would like to join me... you know, to finish what you started?" Dabi spoke meaningfully.
Now, Dabi was not all that well known as a villain, but his reputation as a vigilante was... dubious.
He was known to leave his victims as piles of ashed and charred bones.
The sight of Izuku's would be remains flashed in front of Tomura's vision...
"The hell' d'you mean by 'What I started?'" the blue-haired youth asked as he wrapped his arms around his chest in an attempt not to scratch his neck.
"Well, heard from some source that you stalked a little Hobo to his home, then you bought his enough groceries to last a month-"
"Yeah? So?" Tomura asked defensively. "What's wrong with buttering up a new recruit for the League of Villain?"
Dabi gave Shigaraki an incredulous look. "really? Word's on the street is that the singing broccoli's quirkless and driven mad. If that's what's you're looking for for the league, then things will be a shit storm." he smirked. "My throat's dry now. Give me the most expansive thing on the menu." The fire user snaps his finger at Tomura.
"Orphan tears... Hope you like bitter shit, Dabi." and with that, Tomura went up to his room to grab his villain suit and his family. "Oh... And I'm stealing your quest, American-bacon. Kurogiri! Keep Dabi at the bar... make him clean the pace up or something." and with that, the man-child left with a cackle. Enjoying how Dabi's leer was burning his back and how his fav nomu gave a discreet put-upon sigh.
Yes, petty evil was the best... and was better was the fact that he would have another chance to see his bard.
Since this was an official, unofficial mission, a secret quest with an unknown reward, Tomura had elected to wear his full costume. He was excited too, it felt like going at his first convention years ago with his Princess Celestia Cosplay.
It was the one thing he had managed to hide from Sensei... something he would never approve of. But by god! It felt great to wear it, he'd even managed to make some friends!
Friends that had mysteriously disappeared. (Not his fault, Sensei just thought they would get in the way of Tomura's maturing or some crap...)
Nevertheless, this was not a public event, and since his last birthday (and an epic tantrum) Sensei finally let Tomura have enough leeway for him to do his own things...
Like getting Video games... only Video games.
But now... Tomura had another thing that had caught his attention; the tiny Hare Krishna Bard.
He had only met the kid twice, and already the green bush had etched his very existence in Tomura's save file. But unlike a shitty virus sent to troll him (Sensei liked to test Tomura in different ways, after all.), Izuku was not anything damaging.
He was like the Pokerus, something that made his Pokemon grow faster and stronger.
But instead of his Pokemon, it was the trainer that received the battle bonuses and the crazy growth stat.
'Huh... The trainers doing all the fighting... a reverse Pokemon game. I'd like to play that.' Tomura thought as he swiftly and nimbly jumped from roof to roof... as nimble as he could be anyway.
No... it's not that he was unfit, Sensei made sure Tomura would have at least three to four gym sessions a week, given by Kurogiri (was there anything the Nomu could not do?) So he was fit!
Just... not Fit enough to do parkour from Kal-el to Musutafu none-stop.
Just as he was feeling his second wind leave him, he arrived at the place when he'd met Midoriya the first time.
For some reason, Tomura could not help but remember this place, it was like someone made a diorama of it in his heart and put it at the forefront of his mind.
It was weird... but...
Yeah, no, it was weird. 'His bard powers must be way above average if he can make a heart-construct like that.' Tomura smiled behind Father as he flopped on the ground, exhausted by his run across the city. He jumped to his feet and peered down at where his Green Bard would sleep.
It was already late, and only the light of the city provided the light Tomura needed. Not that he needed much.
Sensei had given him a sort of night vision so that he could fight his own monster when he was small... It helped his night terror a little...
Still, this meant that he didn't need a flashlight t see where he was going, it would give him a headache most of the time, but Tomura could live with the pain. Especially if it meant he could protect his little Bard.
He looked down to where the alley opened to a small area that had not another exit. It was easy to protect, and with Tomura on the roof, nothing could come from above.
The small area was rather clean despite the boxes and other refuse that lay just outside of its perimeter. In one of the biggest boxes, Tomura could see one of his Bard's feet peeking out of it.
The air was balmy, a breeze cooling it further down.
Midoriya Izuku brought his foot back in under a duvet.
Yes, this was the right place... and maybe... Maybe one day...
Tomura frowned under Father, no, he doubted Sensei would let him keep a Quirkless homeless kid for no reason.
And thus, Tomura settled down, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for any sign of trouble. He may not be able to take the walking green bush of Happiness back home. But the least he could do was to ensure his survival.
... and maybe, when Sensei will trust Tomura enough, he would let him keep a pet.
Back on the ground, in their unmanifested form. Nitai and Gaurasundara looked up to see the Ghost infested boy wishing to protect their favourite friend.
This child of heaven, the descendent of the seventh, had terrible karma. His life had been filled with pain and tragedy, and, if their Ijuku had not found their book-avatar, his life would have turned even worst... all life would have turned for the worst.
It was the heavy Karmic reaction Japan had garnered. One may be ignorant, an atheist and a fool, but fire will burn those also.
But... This was a different Yuga. It was not one in which the golden lord had four arms and preached the benefits of rules and regulation. It was the age of the Golden Avatari, Krishna returned with the carnation of Causeless love, a sing that Radharani had once again merged with him; Gold.
In this incarnation, he gave the religion of the age by his example. The religion in which, chanting the Holy Names of God in ecstasy, dancing and eating Prasadam took aver all rules and regulation.
Well, rules and regulations still had t be followed, but only four regulations over a thousand were rather light. And besides, he was here to Salvage, not to Kill the Demons.
Where he to do that, and no one would be left on earth.
Sri-Chaitania gave himself and the highest goal of life to all without asking for them to surrender, only to stop sinning. And Nitai asked for even less.
Thus inspired by his own mood of mercy, the transcendental Brother's from a different (on paper) mother and father, joyfully manifested as a book...
And this book, the Bhagavad-Gita as it is... His eternal words spoke to his best friend on the sacred battle field of Kurukshetra. Had already changed so much.
"Say... my Lord?" Nitiananda asked, thankfully still clothed. " This friend, on top of the roof."
"Yes, The heaven-born."
"I like him!"
"Me too."
"I want to save him!" Nitai exclaimed his demeanour now that of a young child of Vraja... of Balai.
Gaurasundara chuckled. "yes, then if it is you desire, then it shall be done."
"Can I have Aloo wada?" Nitai suddenly asked.
"Yes, you can have aloo wada."
"No!" Nitai stomped his foot on the ground petulantly.
Gaurasundara's long, lotus-like eyes grew wide like the flower it inspired. "You... don't want wadas?"
"Malini doesn't want to feed me... So I'm leaving." Nitai cutely pouted as he plopped down on the ground and undid his dothy, throwing a tantrum.
Gauranga sighed indulgently, as his now little Brother blessed the alleyway by the touch of his transcendental body.
Meanwhile, Yamaraja and Citra-Gupta, his minister watched with blissful tears as all of Tenko's sins sank at the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again.
The Lord had Spoken, fate had changed... and quite a few souls would return back home, back to Godhead.
Tomura blinked warily as the colour of the sky changed from deep black to red... then light came up.
Getting up, the decay user watched as the sun rose and stared...
He had heard many descriptions of sunrise, even saw many depictions in his video games but this...
This... was beyond words.
The gentle rays of the sun were pleasantly warm on his face (he had removed father three hours in his quest, he hated being sweaty under there, and it wasn't like Sensei would correct him for removing it.) his body, face... his hands, the nighttime chill that had seeped inside his bones was steadily replaced by a kiss from the natural fusion core of their galaxy.
When was the last time he'd seen something so beautiful?
"Hey! Mister V!" He heard someone, Midoriya Izuku, yell.
'Mister V?' No idea how this kid came up with the stupid moniker but... sure. He thought as he peered down at the insane young man with a surprisingly good taste in song.
Why insane?
Well... Tomura had thought his bard would wake up at around seven or eight. But no, Izuku was an ungodly riser. What he meant by that is that the greenette woke up at three in the fucking morning and took a cold bucket bath.
As if he wasn't terribly exposed. He wore but a strip of cloth as underwear.
A scary thought came to Tomura... what if... what if he took...
"Yo, d'you take a bucket bath in the dead of winter?" The pale blunette asked after removing Father from his face, wanting to feel the morning breeze for once.
Midoriya looked at him weirdly. "Now that's a question... but yeah, I do!" The Greenette grinned, and Tomura's assessment of the bard went up in spades. "I bath in the morning, after passing stool and if I sweat so much, and I do so every day."
"Fuck, bro. That's way too many showers." Tomura yield as he jumped off the building.
He wanted to be with his special, crazy bard; he knew those character would have either an awesome growth or were uber strong at the start.
And he was nice, Midoriya was so different from the rest of the world. While the general population would be focused on Hero's and how they ruined the lives of those with weak to ' dangerous' quirk while turning blind eyes to the worlds problem and those who begged to be seen, Midoriya was instead focused on a guy named Krishna while being super aware of what was really going on. And yet...
And yet, he was not confused with righteous anger. He was... detached.
Well, not that Tomura had a lot to go one about his bard, but that was the feeling he got from the happiest quirkless teen hobo in the world.
Not just that, but Midoriya didn't even seem scared and creeped out by Tomura, even with all of his Families hands on his body.
But... he also had the distinct feeling that the boy may not know that those were real hands and not just some props. And Tomura was in no rush to tell him.
No matter how funny his reaction maybe... it was just not worth it.
That's what his shrivelled heart told him anyway... and since his heart was usually silent, Tomura was more inclined to listen then usual.
"Ne, Shigaraki-san." The Ascetic called to him, breaking Tomura out of his head. " Bhagavan's done eating, come and take breakfast, you must be hungry."
Tomura had been about to refuse when... he felt some hunger pangs.
He pressed on his stomach... huh, he'd never thought he would feel this human weakness anymore... Sensei has trained him to be without flaws.
And speaking of which, he did feel a bit dizzy also.
Instead of replying, Tomura jumped down from the room and rolled his landing, just as he had been taught. "Alright... yeah, I guess I ran out of Mana... and stamina." What the hell was wrong with him? He felt so... tired, so relaxed. He felt as if he could fall asleep were he crouched.
"When was the last time you slept?" Izuku asked as he helped Tomura to his feet.
'When was it again? Let's see... when was the last time I had to wake up? There was a raid on RuneCraft with my fav NPC, then I got challenged to a speed run in Genshin Hit, and after that... shit, what did I do after that... right, Sensei wanted to talk to me-"
"Yeah, OK... do you want to eat first? Or to want to lay down now?" Midoriya broke Tomura out of his thought, he looked...
Oh wow, was this how concerned people actually looked like? Yeah, Sure, Kurogiri was taking care of him, and he would fuss over Tomura all day long but... the decay user knew this was how he was programmed. And the dark cloud only had a pair of glowing yellow eyes to convey how he felt.
But... everything he did lacked life, its lack the genuine emotions living to beings were known for, the warmth of life...
Everything felt artificial about him. dead, even.
But with Izuku...
His eyes were bright and expressive, his smiles shamed the sun and everything about him was lively, real and vibrant.
He smiled behind Father... he knew he had to recruit this Bard. He had to... he needed to.
"Nee, Shigaraki-san." Midoriya waved a hand in front of the villain's face. "So... food?" He showed a fragrant bowl of rice porridge. "Or a small nap in my box?" He gestured at the oversized plasticized box covered with a tarp. There a thin mattress in it and Tomura resolve to get his divine bard something better.
Like an actual bed with a memory foam mattress like he had. (and no, he didn't decay his bed, his quirk slept with him.)
He felt something being pressed in his hands... his actual hands. "You know what? Eat what you can, then take a nap. I'll watch over you." Midoriya spoke kindly, and Tomura complied with the sweet request. He ate the simple, yet, hearty meal (it's so good like... Kurogiri won't be cooking for him anymore, that's for sure.) then, when he felt close to crashing hard, he crawled in the shelter and wrapped himself in the super-soft blanket that he bought his bard.
There, outside of the super-secure facility, in the middle of a back street. Sleeping on a thin yoga mat over metallic cellophane, Shigaraki Tomura fell asleep, feeling safe and filled with warm, divine food.
Izuku looked on and went to another box, this one locked with a key and completely waterproof. There, he took out his charged e-reader (it was super old, but the battery still worked, and it was a gift he receive from a woman he'd once helped returning home after a very productive night.) and his heavy baseball bat.
The reason?
Mister Shigaraki was sleeping in his box, and being a good host, would do everything in his power to protect him as he slept.
" I see you're taking your duty as a host very seriously," Gauranga mentioned from his seat, an old Lazy-boy covered with a clean blanket over a plastic tarp.
It was not... proper, since one should always offer the Lord things that were new and unused. But... Izuku was practical, the seat may have been used then thrown in the trash, but the only thing it did wrong was the gaudy pattern and the squeaky springs. Otherwise, it had barely been used, didn't smell bad and managed to survive the wintertime and monsoon without much problem.
And, most importantly, Gaurasundara was sitting on it.
Speaking if witch. " Yes, my Lord. Shigaraki Tomura stayed up all night to make sure I would get hurt by demons and gundas." Izuku spoke with a tender smile as he gazed back at the hand-covered man. " He... he gave up sleep for little old me. On an Ekadasi night."
Unbeknownst to Him, God in his most merciful and generous form was looking at the sleeping blunette with a thousand times more love and affection, even more.
"Say... My-"
"Please, call me Neemai."
"Neemai...what are those hands on his body, they look... real," Izuku asked as he warily gazed at them. He'd never seen anything like this in his short life.
Neemai's easy and life-giving smile faded as tears gathered. "Those... are real."
Izuku took a sharp intake of air, looking quite a few shades paler. "Oh, God..."
"Yes?"
"Those... are the hands of his family, isn't it?" The greenette whispered in horror and sadness. "What happened to them..."
" He... When Tomura was a young child, his demoniac father would beat him up for no reason." Gaura began, his eyes closing in a pain only he and Tomura could feel. " One day, his special ability awoke later then most..."
"Those hands you see, are what was left of his family. I, in his heart, told him to get rid of the demon... but the rest of them were but 'accidents' a karmic play of cruel fate. He escaped his decayed home and lurked in the street for quite some time waiting for someone to take notice and give him shelter... but all of those two-legged animals ignored the child bloodied, broken orphan dismissing him as unimportant. Thinking a 'Hero' would somehow materialize to save him."
"Dang... now that's some awful Karma," Izuku muttered, as a smart turtle once said, there is no accident.
Still...
"He was found by... a Demon of a man. Another unfortunate soul in the strong Grip of the Illusory potency and the modes of passion and ignorance."
"And?" Izuku asked, feeling something crawling under his skin.
But before Gaurasundara could elaborate, another visitor literally dropped in the youth's Ashram.
He wore all black, his hair was curly and mane-like,reminding Izuku of another Form of his Lord, the Half-Lion half-man Protector-God. Around his neck hung his capture weapon and his highly inefficient goggles were still on his eyes, and by the glow of it.
"Aizawa-Prabhu." Izuku bowed. " Welcome back... and please, turn off your quirk, Tomura Prabhu didn't sleep at all last night."
Eraserhead's scowl did not diminish. "Sorry kid... but this guy's a Vi-"
"A person who stayed awake all night long to make sure no one would disturb me." Izuku interrupted as he climbed up to his feet, his own scowl now in place. " This is my Ashram, and in this Ashram, this shelter, all who come are treated as a guest. Unless it's a Hopeless cause, someone even God will warn me to be wary of, then they are welcome to stay unless they start causing trouble."
Aizawa crossed his arms. "So, let me get this straight... if Muscular, Moonfish, Toxic Chainsaw... Stain?"
"Well, not as far as that..." Izuku admitted as he crossed his arms. " But if they would surrender to the Lotus feet of Gauranga, and Nityananda, Vowing to stop killing people for the fun of it. then yes, I would give them shelter and spiritual guidance. And Shigaraki-Prabhu has been nothing but kind since I've first met him." Then Izuku narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms, a stormy look on his face. " You know, if we would give a chance to those who, due to circumstances, walked the wrong path, I'm sure we would see the number of villains and other criminals fall. Just yesterday, I was talking with Stain-"
"WHAT!" Eraserhead yelped. And thankfully, Shigaraki-San was still deeply asleep.
It... also helped that Gauranga was covering his ears, unmindful of the preserved hands...
Actually... now that he thought about it, since those two hands encasing Shigaraki's head... and Shigaraki himself were being touched by God, what would happen to them?
Well, the second part was easy. Shigaraki would be purified from all sins, his previous Karma, both good and bad, obliterated, his heart would melt in ecstasy and he would soon chant with Izuku on the street the Holy Names of Radha, Krishna and Rama.
But how about those hands? would they be considered reliquaries like the Christian were so fond of? But reliquaries were usually blood or some other body parts of saints like Saint-Catherine's thumbs and head, Saint Marie-Magdalene's holy skull and forehead skin and Saint-Nicholas entire skeleton and-
"Problem child, what the hell are you talking about?" Aizawa-sama asked with a twitch of his brow, he had no tolerance for Izuku's mumbling.
Not that the mumbler blamed him... but it was not something he could stop, unfortunately.
"Oh... I was just wondering if Shigaraki-Sama's family hands would be considered reliquaries after God touch them... I will need to ask Him." Izuku uttered as he still held his chin. "But... That's not important right now. Shigaraki stayed awake all night, on Ekadasi, to boot. Actually, he was awake for longer and now, he needs to sleep in peace." He gently and quietly clapped his hands. "Just like you Eraser-sama."
Eraserhead just look at the teen with a look of utter exhaustion... he was way too tired for this shit so late in his day.
Izuku took this as a permission to set up Eraserhead's sleeping bag over three thick yoga mats. After this was set up, he'd make his favourite hero sit down, fed and water him (poor man was so busy and depressed, he could not feed himself properly. Well, this aspiring servant would make sure he would not starve, mark his words!) and after that, took the U.A teacher by the hand and helped him to find his Jerry-rigged shower, and since the sun was shinning on the water tank, it meant that the water would be warm.
And after all that, Eraserhead gratefully slid into his secondary sleeping bag and was out like a light.
Izuku sighed as he sat down on his own asana and began to read the last part of the tenth canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sure no temple was there in Musutafu, or even Japan, last he'd checked. But it didn't mean that Izuku could not practice Bhakti and attempt to cultivate those he could. And, who knew? Maybe he would have a generous benefactor willing to either pay him a one-way ticket to India, were he would live close to the Nepalese border and beg alms to go back and forth every six months or so...
Or maybe he, with the help of Gauranga and Nityananda, revive the Japanese Yatra?
Izuku sighed... it was all in God's capable hands now, he just had to do his best.
He just hoped Stain would not show himself here, the poor guy would have a heart attack at the sight of Aizawa-Sama.
Tomura woke up after the best sleep he had in his life, his mind felt clear, his heart light, and he was just about to burst into his fav NPC's magical song...
and he did, just for the hell of it.
" Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare~~~~~ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare~~~~~" he kept repeating it over and over. Felt like the Goddamn sun had migrated to his heart and had chased away the sticky tar-like darkness that filled his heart.
He felt alive, he felt happy... like... really Happy, and Awake!
He heard the wonderful sound of his bard and turned his attention to him... and smiled.
He had no idea if his smile was right or not, he's never really had a good example of what a good smile was...
But from what he was seeing on Izuku's face, he had a better example now... even if he looked goofy.
"Well, someone woke up at the right side of the bed," Izuku spoke with joy, something Tomura never got to experience.
Also, why call him Midoriya? He will call him Izuku from now on, he was too sweet to call him otherwise.
"Yeah! What the fuck was that? The food you gave me refilled all my Hp, Mps and whatever the fuck was messing with my UI's gone and-" Suddenly the tinkling sound of Izuku's laughter blessed Tomura's ears.
The youth then arose from the ground, raising his arms up to the sky as he beamed hard enough to make the sun look dull. "Namo Maha-vandanaya, Krishna-prema-pradayate! Krishnaya Krishna-Chaitania-Namne Gaura-these Namah!" And he kept going and going, speaking in his very special dialect.
Tomura got up, and walking up to the gibberish spouting teen and grabbed his head (careful not to touch with his five-finger.) turning his head to the side to take a good look at his ears.
"What the fuck..." He whispered... those were normal ears. Not even elongated a bit.
"And... Shigaraki-san?" Izuku asked. "what are you doing?"
" You have normal ears."
"Yes, and double-jointed pinkie toes... why tough?"
"You spoke in Elvin language."
"..."
"What the fuck you were saying any way?" Tomura asked as he let go of the happiest homeless in the world.
" 'O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden colour of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.'" Izuku quoted with a grin, totally unafraid of what Tomura's hands could do. (The decay user had yet to show his new favourite NPC... that felt more like another player, to be honest.) "And it's in Sanskrit, the most ancient language in the world."
"... Sanskrit?"
"Yeah, you know. It sounds and looks like Hindi, but cleaner."
"Hindi?"
"What the Indian speak." At this point, Izuku had removed Tomura's hand from his head, looking at the older man with deep concern.
"Indian?"
"yeah... people from India... the main continent, beyond the Himalayas?" Izuku clarified...
and once again, only confusion was in Tomura's mind.
Apparently, his Sensei did not bother teaching his heir that the world did not only consist of Japan, there was also a place called India that was beyond the Himalayas.
In Tomura's Game-addled mind, Midoriya Izuku went from special NPC to Potential party member to finally the expansion pack... and the Guru that came with it.
Like, a whole new part of the world was hinted at now, and with how Midoryia looked at him, it was clear it must be super important.
Especially after the awesome dream, he'd just had.
"Shigaraki-san... what do you know about the world?" Izuku asked with narrowed eyes.
"That I have to destroy it."
...
"Ok... do you know what you are destroying?" Izuku asked.
Tomura's silence was louder then the Voice hero's screech.
And thus, this brings us to the very comical sight of Shigaraki Tomura, freshly washed and with a new set of white cloth (Provided by the world's equipped and clean Homeless youth.) sitting at a table in a Library Izuku knew.
It was still in Musutafu, and the way the librarian smiled at the boy and lead him to a particular work station, it was clear he was well known around those parts.
And for the Decay user, this was quite the experience, he had never been in another interior location save for the bar, his room, Sensei's office, some game stores and the training grounds. And he had to say... he'd never thought he's would see so much natural light shinning in a building. Nor so many books and other types of ancient media, even some video games.
"So... you are telling me that in this library if you want to take something, you just have to be a member and bring back the books or whatever before the time limit is over?" Tomura asked with childlike glee.
This was new! So, so new!
Sensei might punish him for exploring something new, but Goddammit! Tomura wanted more then what he'd given him! He was a greedy bastard and assuming it proudly!
Izuku nodded. "Yep, and you can also use their computer for research or just for fun. They also have a free E-book service that also has a few fanfictions and games for rent... but that's not what were here for." Izuku declared as he whomped on the worktable a hefty pile of books.
One was an atlas, and the other's was a world encyclopedia.
Tomura eyes them with greed. Information about the world, things he didn't know... answers to questions Sensei had been vague about.
"Alright, let's start," Izuku said as he pulled the biggest book Tomura ever had the chance of seeing, and once again, his admiration of Midoriya Izuku grew.
Who would have thought the little bard had the strength of a Paladin?
He opened one of the huge books, it was called Wikipedia. Then he handed Tomura a pair of Hologlasses. " Alright, It seems Krishna really wants you to learn about the world, my friend." Tomura felt a happy warm feeling bubble inside his heart. " This book is the most popular in the Library, it's the QR version of the greatest online mundane encyclopedia in the world." He declared as he chose the part about the world map. "But the greatest spiritual encyclopedia, the Srimad-Bhagavatam's even better... anyway, let's start with the world map." He activated the goggles, and the image turned 3D.
It was the earth... and from the looks of it, it was huge.
"So... that's mother earth or Bhu-Devi... also, I will use the Vedic therms since, while Wikipedia is a great source of mundane knowledge, it can only explain what the scientist and laypersons can experience, not the spiritual nature."
"Alright... so the earth is a mother and a Devi." Tomura synthesized, feeling jittery with anticipation for the epic lore dump.
Izuku smiled. "Yep! She's one of our seven mothers, and the wife of God."
"Awesome... so, which of those two islands japan?" He asked as he pointed at the two continents.
"None... Japan is there." Izuku pointed at the small (compared to the rest of the world.) right by the bay of Seoul. And going up to a place called Russia.
"Oh..." Apparently, Sensei didn't tell him that japan was not the whole world. It was small compared to everything else...
It was clear that Sensei had neglected to teach him some things...
and after five hours of researching about what lived on earth, some ugly doubt about Sensei came to be.
Eventually, Tomura remembered that he had a cell phone... and what met him was the frantic SMS from Kurogiri trying to get his location and health status.
He sent him the message that he was fine, Izuku was awesome and he'd learned more about the world from the younger by then what Sensei gave him.
The world was awesome, not all of it was bad and had to be destroyed, and to destroy everything meant that Tomura would have no more video games, no more tournaments, no more crazy discord talk with his chaotic friend from all over the world, no new release and he would have to live with nothing...
He didn't want to live with anything...
He didn't want to destroy Izuku either... actually, now that he'd thought about it, Tomura had no idea what his goal really was.
"SO Sensei, the guy who got me off the streets, he told me my destiny was to destroy the hero culture since, you know. It's trash." He explained to Izuku at the two returned to Bard's place of respite. The greenette nodded emphatically.
'Finally, someone who's woken enough to realize this fact.' Tomura thought with a grin.
"But... He also told me that I was meant to destroy everything... like, everything," he admitted, his good mood going away to another castle. " I mean... before I thought he was talking about this island and all the crap on it, you know... but..." He stopped.
"You don't want to do it... do you?"
And once again, the holy bard showed more intelligence then anybody Tomura knew... scarily enough.
He shook his head. "No... No, I... I don't wanna!" He hunched his shoulders... memories of the past resurfacing, the thing he'd hopped his video games and internet meme hunts had drowned out.
'Sen-Sensei! I don't wanna- I don't wanna destroy! I d-'
"Shigara-"
"Tomura... Call me Tenko... I..." The blue-haired youth began to scratch his neck, feeling the pain drag him away from his first week with Sensei and his teachings...
Those... they had felt right once he'd learned to listen and do as Sensei wanted. He had to follow Sensei's teachings... What Sensei wanted... what Father wanted.
He would have no food if he didn't kill...
He would be alone if he didn't destroy his pets...
Kurogiri would suffer if-
" Tomura! Tenko!" Once again, a voice appeared... but Tomura could not hear... he had to come back, but Sensei had lied to him... but he had to come back...
He didn't want to come back...
He didn't want to destroy the world, it was an awesome place...
Tomura wanted to see the world... He wanted to taste all the street food, see the way people dress, hear how they speak...
And suddenly, as his obsession about killing All Might reared its ugly head... he heard the divine song.
"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare... Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama rama Hare Hare~." The divine bard sang sweetly as he felt the pair of small yet strong arms encircle his chest.
He clung to him... to his divine bard as he felt painful pressure build in the back of his skull.
He had to return o Sensei... But Sensei had lied to him about the world... would Kill All Might quell the itch? Or was this also a lie?
Was father wrong?
But Tenko was a monster! Monsters didn't deserve love, the only thing they deserve was hatred both felt and received.
What Izuku was giving him...
The look, the patient smile the joking at human stupidity and their great triumph, looking up for the weirdest thing on Wikipedia, the one you didn't want to know but now did. Passing hours abusing the random link.
The pats on his back, the worried glances, the reminders that Tenko had to eat and drink.
The cookie box filled with tasty noodles, sprouted beans and other delicious things... healthy thing Tomura would sneer at first before the NPC would slip it through his lips, making the decay user's mouth fill with pure taste...
NPC...
No... Tomura could no longer call him an NPC, those were not a single-player game.
It was the world's most extensive MMO... and everyone was a player, the main one being Krishna.
That's what his... A friend told him.
And one could get out of this crazy matrix once they started playing with Krishna as his friend.
A friend...
Tomura never had that in his life... But...
Izuku was nice... having a friend was nice...
But Sensei wanted him to destroy everything. Having a friend would be detrimental to this goal and Tomura just knew Sensei would ruin Izuku until the only thing Tomura had left was hatred for him...
And he had to destroy what he hated.
Today... Izuku destroyed his hatred for the world. It was not such a bad place, especially with all the animals, plants and precious and semi-precious stones.
Hell, if he made more friend, her could go Larping with foam sword... just like in a real video-games but with his own stats!
And he wanted to build a snow man... he wanted to play in the mud, go through a forest on top of threes, go spelunking for real...
He didn't want... he could destroy the world and go through those things...
Well, The Hero Society could go burn in hell, and even Izuku agreed on that but... he had to find a way how to topple it.
But... But... Sensei...
Sensei had lied to him about the size of the world... maybe he had lied about other things?
'No... no, Sensei's perfect... Sensei knows what's good for me, he would never... he would never hurt Me... But he did but... it was for my own good... was it?'
Why did he remember the page on gaslighting, emotional manipulation, mind quirk and abuse? Sensei wasn't father... he never yelled at him or throw glass bottles at him... and Tomura was fed!
Wait... but that was Kurogiri...
Kurogiri... he must be worried.
He would be punished... and Izuku... his Izuku... his first and only friend...
He focused on his friend's hands on him... grounding him as his panic subsided.
When he returned to... sanity, he guessed. He noticed that he was back in his Bards home, and looming beside him was Eraserhead and... was it stain?
Holy crap! It was!
"Hey, Kid." Eraserhead addressed him... he spoke so kindly that Tomura didn't mind being called a kid... he sorta sounded like Kurogiri, but without his robotic politeness. "You back with us?"
"Umm... yeah... where did I went?" He asked, he didn't remember leaving them...
" In your mind." Eraserhead deadpan with the utmost care. "Alright... listen, are you safe at home?"
"yes!" Tomura without hesitation. He was safe, Father was dead... so it meant it was safe.
"Hey, Klondike." The Hero killer addressed him... and despite feeling out of it, Tomura could not help but fangasme at the man.
He was so cool... like reverse eraser head cool!
"You kept mumbling about this Sensei..." Stain spoke. "Do... how old are you?"
"Twenty..." That was a weird question.
"Do you live alone?" Eraser's head asked as he kneeled in front of Tomura. " Do you still have contact with your family?"
Oh, Tomura could make so many jokes about how yes, he was still in contact whit his family's hands. But... he didn't want to upset Izuku more.
Seriously, the moment he'd implied that those were the real hands of his family, Izuku had begun tearing up in the library.
Still, this was Stain, and Stain was a badass. Tomura was sure his badassery would seep onto Izuku, Making him even better then he was now.
"No, I killed them all."
There was a heavy, stunned silence.
" Hey, don't look at me like that." He defended. " It was like... Geez, I think I was eight or something. Or six?"
"It was your quirk... right?" Izuku asked among his tears. " I saw it... when you decayed the garbage blocking the alleyway... your quirk manifestation happened late, didn't it?"
"Yeah..."
"And who is this Sensei?" Eraserhead asked with a gravity that made Tomura feel... both extremely safe and extremely exposed.
He lowered his face, hoping that he had kept Father with him... "Sensei found me... no Heroes-" He spate. "Came to save me... everyone told me that a Hero would come, that they would save me..."
"But Nobody came...Except Sensei..."
Sensei... who tough him to destroy whatever he hated... not bothering to... teach him anything more.
Unlike Izuku...
He felt a hand on his knee and raised his head to peer at Izuku's messy mop of hair and kind eyes...
Like his Mother...
Like Kurogiri... sometimes.
"Hey... Bhagavan wants you to stay." Izuku spoke, and it may be a trick of the light, but the boy seemed to glow from the inside out.
"He will find me."
" Not if God has anything to say," Izuku assured with a faith so strong, it made whatever Sensei told him sound unsure and flimsy.
And after years of living in false safety, Tenko felt what he had been deprived of.
Everything would be alright.