No. 7: ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES Unconventional Weapon Magic with a Cost "It's us or them."
Tags: violence, bullying, abuse, manipulation, found family
"Deku!" Izuku froze where he was. He didn't- he didn't need this now. Not right now. "Come back here, Deku!"
Izuku turned around, his expression guilty. He hadn't done anything (terribly) illegal, but he held his hands up like he was a criminal anyway.
"Kaachan."
"What the fuck, Deku?!" Bakugou's voice was loud, loud as it always was. Bakugou hadn't changed, he hadn't changed at all, no matter how hard he pretended.
For some reason, that voice sounded like Tomura's.
"What, Kaachan…?"
"Are you two timing me?! First you hang out with us, and then you're seen with villains?! What the fuck?!"
"I-"
"Don't even try to lie your way out of it!" Spittle flew from the blonde teen's mouth. He was angry, angrier than Izuku had ever seen. Izuku didn't like it much, but he could understand why Kaachan was angry.
He always understood.
"Kaachan, they're my friends."
"Bullshit!" Katsuki's voice was abrasive. Scary. It was pure fire and heat and Izuku knew he was going to get burned. "We're your friends!"
"When have you ever been my friend?!" Izuku yells back, tears pricking in his eyes. Memories of middle school flooded his brain, flooded his heart. "You- you have NEVER been my friend!"
"Hah?! That's not true, you damn nerd!"
"What type of friend tells you to kill yourself?!"
It goes quiet. Izuku's breathing is rough, laboured. He's tired, and oh so angry. Not in the same volatile way as the blonde hero, but a silent sort of angry. The type built up over years, the type of anger that can only be formed when love turns into resentment. When hate is all that comforts you, even when you push it down to the back of your mind.
"If I see you with them again, I'm arresting your ass." Katsuki breaths.
"Fine." Izuku says, voice made of steel. And then…he runs.
Izuku run's until his very world is about to fall apart. He'd chosen his side. Even if he hadn't said it outloud. He knew what this would do to them, but Izuku didn't care. Izuku didn't care about anything anymore when it came to heroes. All he cared about was his friends, his good friends, like Tomura who was always there to console him. Or like Dabi, who offered him views he had never thought of before. Or Toga, who, while crazy, was a very good listener. Or Kurogiri, who mothered him and cared in ways his own mother didn't.
"Kurogiri?" Izuku called the man, speaking into the phone. "I need you, I'm sorry."
"Never be sorry for needing me, Izuku." A portal opened up a few feet away. Izuku walked through it, all eyes instantly on him as he walked in. Toga's, Dabi's, Tomura's; they're all looking at him.
He's sure he looks like a wreck.
"Bad day?" Toga says quietly. She comes up to his side, and the green-haired teen slouches against her.
"The worst."
"Sorry, kid." Dabi muttered. "If I hadn't-"
"It's not you, Dabi…" Izuku sighed. He slips into his seat at the bar, right next to Tomura, as he always was. It was his place as Player Two, after all.
"It's that hero again, isn't it?" Tomura said, pushing a glass of water towards him. Izuku only managed a nod. "I should have killed him for you, Player Two."
"Hm," Izuku just stared at the glass. He had grown used to Tomura speaking in such horrid ways. It was just how he was. Izuku could try and try to fix him, but you just couldn't fix something that enjoyed being broken.
Izuku wished he had never looked for Tomura that day.
"Tch, look at him! Bleeding out all over the concrete!"
"Haha, what a loser! Someone take a photo of him! He looks pathetic."
The boy's eyes were lidded, his open mouth full of blood, overflowing and running down his pale skin. His face was screwed up, absolutely horrible, his cheeks alternating shades of purple and yellow. His uniform had been slightly torn, and bruises marred most of his upper body as well.
"'ot ah-ae-ic," he slurred, his head lolling into his bruised shoulder. It hurt, but nothing hurt worse than the glass shards embedded in his leg from where he had fallen.
"That's right, you are pathetic!" One of the middle school boys cheered. He heard the sound of a photo being taken, and Izuku closed his eyes.
He'd have to live with this tomorrow.
Izuku didn't want to.
His head throbbed as he got up, avoiding using his weak leg as much as possible. Something dripped down his leg, and he couldn't tell if it was blood or piss. Maybe both.
It had never been this bad before.
Leaning against the wall, Izuku forced his feet to move, taking him step after step in whatever direction he could think of. He just needed help. Just someone to remove the glass in his leg and wrap it up so he could get home. That's all he needed.
Something ran into Izuku, and knocked him to the ground. It was a man, scared by the looks of it. Not that Izuku could bring himself to care much. Not when he could barely keep his eyes open. Not when his leg ached as painfully as it did now.
"Move, ki-" the man's voice is cut off as he slowly turns grey. Izuku watched as the dust fell from the man's throat and into his lap. He blinked slowly.
"What the fuck is this extra…?" The blue haired teen in front asked slightly. Izuku tried to make a sound, but only made a gurgle. "I'll kill it."
Izuku closed his eyes. Finally, death.
"Tomura, no." The portal behind the man said. Izuku would have rubbed his eyes if he could have, so he settled on blinking. "That's a child."
"So?"
"An injured child."
"So?"
"There is no need to kill him."
The man standing in front of Izuku scratched his neck as purple smoke billowed out from behind him. Hm. Was this heaven or hell? Was he even dead?
"Fine, leave him alive." The man with the light blue hair turned around, walking away. Izuku stared at it, trying to memorise as much as he could before his eyes closed.
Izuku's head thudded lightly against the ground as he passed out. Kurogiri looked down at the other child, feeling pity for it. The boy looked awful. He'd probably die out here eventually.
Turning his portal back into himself, Kurogiri picked up the teen and carried him through. He was pretty light. That didn't sit right with Kurogiri. Teens were supposed to be growing and practising their quirk, putting on a little weight.
This boy felt like he was maybe a hundred and ten[110] pounds.
"What are you doing with that thing?" Kurogiri heard Tomura ask. The mist-man sighed.
"I'm simply going to drop him off at The Doctors, and then take him home."
"Why?" Tomura grunted, sitting on a large cracked couch. If Kurogiri had teeth, he would have been grinding them together.
"Because he is hurt, Master Tomura. Besides, he may be of use, you never know." Kurogiri tried to explain. He doubted the man would ever understand.
"Hm," Kurogiri sighed and stepped through another portal.
"Doctor?"
"Ah, Kurogiri!" A short, plump man with wide glasses greeted. "Has Shigaraki decayed off one of your limbs again? Haha!"
"No, Doctor, not this time. I bring you a human patient." Kurogiri laid the sleeping child on the clean white table, careful to not lay him down on his stabbed leg. The Doctor coming over to peer down at the boy.
"That's some damage done to him."
"Yes."
"Did you find him like this?" The Doctor slipped on a pair of white gloves. Kurogiri nodded his smokey head.
"Yes, he passed out after witnessing one of Master Tomura's…tempers."
"Poor kid," The Doctor snorted, pulling the large glass chunk out of his calf. "Name?"
"I do not know."
"Check his ID," The Doctor handed him the wallet he had taken off of the kid. "Damn, was he tortured or something?"
"I do not know." Kurogiri said quietly. He didn't like seeing children get hurt. He refused to harm children; it was why the Master had put him in charge of Tomura in the first place. "Izuku Midoriya."
"Hm, sounds familiar. Well, he'll live, but he's gonna need a bit of my quirk."
"Pardon?"
"Your master has given me a…enhanced version of my quirk, Life Force, as a means to help support him. I'll be fine giving some of it to this boy."
"Do you miss him?" Kurogiri said quietly. The Doctor froze.
"Sometimes." The man cleared his throat, wrapping up the green-haired teen's neck. "When I see children around this kid's age. I just remind myself that Fujio was going to die soon anyway, and now his quirk gets to serve in something greater."
Kurogiri stayed silent.
"Well, he's fixed up. Are you just going to drop him somewhere?"
"Something like that," Kurogiri scooped up the child, holding him close. "Thank you, Doctor Tsubasa."
"No problem, Nomu 001."
Kurogiri left through a portal quickly, appearing at the address he had read in the boy's wallet. Kurogiri placed him outside the apartment door and turned to warp back to the base.
"Sir…?"
The words were slurred.
"Be safe," Kurogiri found himself saying.
"'Anks…"
Kurogiri left quickly.
"Izuku!" A woman's voice rang out, and Izuku slowly woke up more. "Oh, my baby, are you okay? What happened?"
Izuku said nothing, just letting his mother bring him inside. He could only remember a few things. The bullies, the man with light-blue hair, and the mist. Were the last two related? Izuku didn't know. He didn't care much either.
He just needed to find his saviour.
Once Izuku was healed and thoroughly checked over by doctors and his mother, the teen began looking for the people who saved him. He wanted to thank them! He didn't have much of anything to offer, but he could buy them coffee or lunch, some small way to say how grateful he was.
It took him months to even find the first clue: a pile of dust. A very large pile of dust. Good, Izuku could work with that.
He travelled around the area where his bullies had beaten him up. Thankfully, he had accidentally scared them shitless when he didn't come to school for two weeks because of how bad his injuries were. Besides Kaachan, they were all leaving him alone. He preferred it this way, especially with his third year coming to a close soon.
"Come on, Kurogiri." He heard the voice. It struck an odd chord inside him, and Izuku found himself running towards it, moving as quickly as possible.
He saw a flicker of purple fog, and a memory surfaced.
"Sir…?" Izuku slurred, staring up at the purple thing in front of him. 'Ma'am?' he tried to say, but the words just would come out.
"Be safe," the man whispered. Izuku heard them clear as day. He let his eyes close again, feeling the restrictive bandages around his body.
"'Anks…" Izuku muttered, his head leaning back against the stone wall. Where was he? He couldn't open his eyes enough to tell.
"Izuku!" The teen heard. He recognised the voice. It was his mother.
He was home.
"W-wait, please!" Izuku called out, skidding to a stop. He watched the man made of mist freeze. The other man, who was half way through the portal, turned around. "You might not remember me but-"
"I do." Kurogiri said, returning to his natural body state. Izuku's eyes sparkled, desperate to ask questions about the man's quirk but avoiding it for now.
"You saved me! I just- I just wanted to thank you! Please, let me take you out for a drink or- or something!"
"Why?" The sky-haired man asked. He stepped forward, and Izuku couldn't help but smile.
"You saved me! I need to- I've never been-" the teen quieted, his head falling as he gulped. "No one's ever helped me out before."
"What's your name?"
"Oh! Izuku Midoriya!"
"Hm." Tomura turned around, facing Kurogiri. The mist-man nodded.
"This could be good for you, Master Tomura. You could make a friend of sorts."
"Hm. A friend?" Tomura scratched at his neck. "I've been needing a player two recently. Alright. Izuku."
"Er- yes?" The teen was flabbergasted at someone using his first name so openly.
"We're friends now. Do you play Spore?"
"Er, yes! I love the game! I'm not very good, and I've only made it to the third evolution, but-"
"You talk a lot, Player Two." Kurogiri opened a portal for the pair. "Come on. We're gonna play."
Izuku figured he didn't have a say, but for once, he didn't mind. He was excited! His whole life, all he wanted was to have a friend to hang out with and play games and maybe even talk about heroes with! He finally had that!
Izuku walked through the warp-gate, almost buzzing with excitement. He wanted to ask so many questions, but he didn't openly do so, not yet. He didn't wanna upset 'Tomura' and his…dad?
"What's your name?"
"Tomura," The man said gruffly. "Call me Player One."
"O-Okay, Player One!" Izuku smiled widely, the grin splitting his face so much it hurt. Nicknames! "And you, sir?"
"Kurogiri," The mist said softly, staring at Izuku. "Are you hungry, Midoriya?"
"Oh! Uh, a little. A-and you can call me Izuku! I don't mind." Kurogiri smiled through the mist.
"Grab a remote," Tomura demanded, and Izuku picked one up. Turning it on, Tomura quickly connected it to a second computer, loading it up for Izuku. "We'll start at zero and grind."
Izuku was very, very excited.
They played for a few hours, and Izuku got to know the people a bit more. They seemed nice enough, even if they weren't the most talkative people. Tomura's quirk was decay, as Izuku learned when the pissed off man disintegrated his own remote, Kurogiri passing him another one.
"Why don't you get partial gloves?" Izuku offered up. Tomura just looked at him.
"What."
"Y-you know, gloves that only cover a finger or two. I'm guessing it's a five-point activation quirk?" Tomura nodded slightly. Izuku continued. "So if you get partial gloves that cover your, uh, thumb and pinky, or pinky and ring finger, your quirk shoudn't activate."
The silence in the room was almost deafening. Oh God, had Izuku screwed up?
"Do you play League of Legends?" Tomura asked suddenly.
"Uh, no, I don't- I don't have a computer that can run it."
"We'll play tomorrow." Tomura decided instantly. Izuku felt his heart swell. Player One wanted him to come back!
"O-okay! Thanks Player One!" Maybe he'd play on the second laptop like he was doing now? Oh man, this was so exciting!
And then his phone rang.
"Izuku! Where are you? It's my day off, and I'm here worried sick-"
"Mom? Oh my gosh, I was hanging out with a f-friend and we were playing- I'm sorry, Mom, I lost track of time. I'll be home soon, I promise!"
"A friend?" Inko asked. She sounded like she didn't believe it. "Well, uh, please be home as soon as possible, Izuku."
The phone clicked off, and Izuku sighed. He didn't know his mom was off today. If he had, he would have just gone straight home after school. But, he was glad he didn't.
"Thank you for having me, Player One!" Izuku said with a smile. "I have to go home now though."
"Kurogiri." Tomura snapped. A portal opened, showing Izuku an area near his house. He recognised it by the house that kept their Christmas decorations around all year. "Be there tomorrow, I wanna play."
"W-what time? I have school and stuff…"
"Ugh." Tomura didn't like that.
"I-I mean, maybe I can miss some of it?" Izuku rubbed his neck awkwardly. He didn't want to upset his first ever friend!
"Good. Be there in the morning. Kurogiri will get you."
Izuku nodded, said his goodbye's to both, and stepped through the portal, muttering to himself about how cool the quirk was. Kurogiri smiled and closed it behind him.
"So, what do you think?"
"He's useful." Tomura grunted. Kurogiri felt like a proud mother. Tomura was growing! "Good at games."
"Yes, I saw that. Very good at strategy against the, uh, monsters." Kurogiri finished, not knowing the name of the nightmarish creatures Izuku and Tomura had been fighting against.
"Go get him a laptop like mine." Tomura snapped. Kurogiri could have laughed. Tomura must have really liked the boy! Good! This was great! So great! "And a pair of those gloves."
"Right away, Master."
"Mom!" Izuku said, opening the door. He saw his mother in the living room, holding a cup of tea. "I'm so sorry!"
"Izuku, be honest, were you really with a friend?" Inko said instead of a greeting. Izuku nodded.
"Yes, I promise! His name is Tomura, and he's really cool. His dad's nice too! I think he's adopted."
"Does he know you're…?"
Izuku froze. So this was why she didn't believe him? Because he was quirkless, he couldn't have friends? Something in Izuku's chest turned sour.
"Yes! He- he doesn't care because he has a dangerous quirk! So- so he's…just like me…"
Izuku didn't know if that was true. He didn't even know how old Tomura was, or why he was hanging around Izuku. But Izuku knew they were friends. Or he hoped they were- same thing!
"Well, I'm glad." Inko smiled. It looked forced, Izuku noticed. Has her smile always looked that way? Izuku couldn't remember.
"Can I hang out with them tomorrow?" Izuku asked. He was going to do it anyway but he figured he'd ask. "Like after school?"
"Sure. I'd like to meet this boy though. Tomura you said? Is that his last name?"
"N-no his first. He doesn't like his last name…" Izuku lied. He didn't like lying to his mom.
"Hm, well alright. I'll be gone at work anyway. Just don't slack off on your school work."
"I won't! Thanks mom!"
Inko never asked about Tomura again.
"Hi Kurogiri! Hi Player One!" Izuku greeted as he walked through the warp gate, as Kurogiri called it.
"Player Two," Tomura greeted, scratching his neck.
"Hi!" He said again, moving to the couch. There was a shiny computer where Izuku was sitting, and it was obviously new. "Er-"
"It's yours."
"H-huh?"
"Sit down and open it." Tomura commanded. Izuku moved the computer and sat down. Tomura picked up the computer and placed it in Izuku's lap. Izuku noticed how he touched it will all five fingers, two of them covered with fabric. Izuku felt his heart swell in his chest. Tomura was wearing his suggestion!
The pair played for a while, before Izuku had to take a break. League of Legends frustrated him so bad!
"I can't do this anymore," Izuku whined, curling up on the couch. Tomura snorted.
"Weak." Izuku's phone went off with a loud "A TEXT IS HERE!" Izuku felt heat rising to his face as he quickly checked to see who it was. Kaachan. Why was he texting?
"All Might?" Tomura said stiffly. Izuku blushed more.
"Y-yeah. I wanna be a hero like him."
"Why?" Tomura sounded cold. Izuku didn't like that. It was because Tomura knew he was quirkless wasn't it?
"I know I'm quirkless but I still wanna help people!" Tomura looked up at him.
"You're quirkless?"
"You didn't know? I- then why are you asking why like that?"
"Because who would want to be like that phoney?" Tomura spat. "That fake hero!"
"Tomura, let it rest." Kurogiri's calming voice cut in. Two plates of hot food were placed in front of them. "He's young."
Izuku's head whirled. Tomura didn't like heroes? Why? And why was- Oh. Izuku had put two and two together. Or at least he thought he had. His heart ached for his new friend.
"Tomura- I mean Player One, did All Might, was he not able to save your parents? Is that why you live with MR Kurogiri?" Izuku asked quietly, looking away. He missed the look of utter confusion Tomura had given him. Kurogiri cleared his throat.
"Precisely, Izuku. You're very insightful." Kurogiri praised. Izuku felt his cheeks heat up. This was an odd situation. Usually people just called him stupid. "Yes, Tomura lost his family because of All Might."
"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't know…" Izuku said, tears filling his eyes. That was just…so sad!
"Whatever. I don't- nevermind. Just change your ringtone." He said coldly, picking up his plate and beginning to eat. Izuku nodded and quickly started to change it.
"What should I change it to?"
"Me."
"What?"
Tomura snatched the phone out of Izuku's hand, ignoring the squawk of protest from the teen. Holding the phone away, Tomura began to record.
"Pick up the phone…All Might sucks."
"You can't just-" The recording clicked off and Izuku laughed. This was fun! He was messing around with a friend. Tomura handed the phone back to him.
"Don't change it."
"I won't!" Izuku promised. He never did.
The next day Izuku went to school, happier than ever. Kurogiri had dropped him off right around the corner so that he wouldn't get bullied on his way to school, and he was there right as the bell rang so he wouldn't be bullied before class! Kurogiri really was a great dad. Izuku kind of wished Kurogiri was his dad.
Then he and Tomura could be brothers!
"Nerd!" Someone yelled as he took his seat. Kaachan.
"Y-Yes, Kaachan?"
"Where were you yesterday?! And I told you to stop calling me that stupid nickname!"
Right. Tomura said the same thing.
"He only bullies you because you haven't kicked his teeth in yet. Quit calling him a stupid name. Give me one instead."
"Like Tomuchan?" Izuku offered with a laugh. "I already call you Player One…"
"Yeah. Call me Tomuchan. Nothing else."
"Okay, Tomuchan."
"Are you even listening?!" Izuku's desk was treated to a light explosion. Izuku flinched and shook his head.
"S-Sorry Kaa- uh, Sorry! I'm still pretty sick."
"Sick? You don't look sick." Katsuki narrowed his eyes.
"T-That's cause I stayed home yesterday. I'm feeling better but my head's still foggy and…stuff."
Katsuki just turned and sat down at his desk a few chairs away. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled out his phone and sent Tomura a quick text. He hesitated after sending it. Did Tomura even wanna know?
The rest of the day went by with relative ease. No one really paid any attention to him, and at lunch Izuku managed to slip away to the rooftop unbothered. He was enjoying the day. He and Tomuchan had texted a little bit throughout the day, but about four hours ago, Tomura had said that he'd be busy and would text first.
Now Izuku was waiting for class to end as well as waiting on a text.
Hearing the bell ring, Izuku stood up quickly. He'd go home, get comfy, and wait to hang out with Tomuchan!
"Where the hell do you think you're going, Deku?!"
"Uh- home?" Izuku answered, taking a step back. He was glad he hadn't brought anything with him but his school supplies. His newer notebooks were at Tomura's house sitting near the couch.
"You made these?" Tomuchan grunted. Izuku nodded.
"Y-Yeah. I hope they aren't too creepy? I mean, I don't even know if they're right, but-"
"They're very right. That's what I don't like."
"What?" When Tomuchan didn't explain, Kurogiri did.
"Izuku, you've seen Tomura use his quirk once, yet you've already been able to deduce how it works perfectly. Even my own, which while you've seen it a lot, you've never once asked how it worked. That's very impressive."
Izuku preened.
"You think so?"
"Yeah. I want them."
"O-Okay! They're yours!" Izuku smiled wildly.
"You're very talented, Izuku. You could do a lot with all of this."
"I could?"
Izuku didn't know how to feel about that. Maybe Kurogiri didn't know that most research centres demanded you have a quirk. Or that working with heroes and police required one as well. Well, Kurogiri meant no harm, and it made Izuku feel good.
"Yes. There are many people in my…area of work that I could talk to, if you'd like?"
"R-really?!"
"DEKU!" His shoulder exploded, literally, in pain. Izuku cried out loudly, jerking away from the blow and grabbing his shoulder.
"What the hell Bakugou?!" Izuku yelled. Through his pain-filled mind he realised he'd finally called Kaachan Bakugou. Good! Good. Blood dripped down his arm, dripping onto the floor.
"What did you just call me?!" The blonde looked livid, but his eyes kept glancing towards Izuku's shoulder. The teen wondered if Bakugou liked the wounds he left on him. "Doesn't matter! Just stay out of my damn way! And if you tell anyone about that, you're dead! Going around, trying to be a hero."
"I don't wanna be a hero." Izuku said quietly. The room went silent.
"What?" Bakugou's voice was cold, colder than Izuku had ever heard it.
"I said I don't wanna be a hero. You're right, I'm quirkless. I don't need to kill myself out there."
"Why you-"
"Pick up the phone…All Might sucks." His phone vibrated. Izuku's eyes widened and he couldn't help his smile, despite how much his shoulder hurt. Tomuchan had texted him!
"Who was that?" One of the lackeys whispered.
"Did he- but Deku loves All Might!" Said another.
Izuku paid them no mind. Kurogiri was going to pick him up! Finally! Maybe Mr Kurogiri could treat his shoulder? He new he'd be left with another nasty scar, thanks to Bakugou, but he didn't even care about that at the moment.
"I need to-"
Izuku's vision swam as he felt something collide with his temple. What the hell?! He rolled over on his side, trying to see who did it, even though he probably knew who did it.
"If I ever see you again, you're dead, Deku!"
Izuku never wanted to see him again either.
Once Bakugou and his lackeys left, Izuku got up, holding his injured shoulder as he made his way through the school and to the meet up spot.
It hurt. Everything hurts.
"Player Two?"
"Tomuchan!" Izuku smiled. Blood dripped as he stumbled forward.
"Kaachan?" His friend growled out. Izuku nodded. "I'll kill him." For some reason, Izuku didn't mind that.
When Izuku felt better, Kurogiri went home with him, introducing himself as Tomura's father, and explaining what a student at his middle school had done and said to Izuku. Inko had asked him, begged him, to say it wasn't true. Izuku broke down and told her everything.
Izuku never went back to that middle school again.
A year and a few months had passed since Izuku was pulled from his middle school. Thanks to being online, Izuku spent most of his days with Tomuchan, his best friend ever, either at Tomu's house or at his own.
A lot of things had happened since that day: Izuku had become a junior in high school thanks to how quickly he could go through classes, he'd filled in three more notebooks, and Tomuchan and Mr Kurogiri had moved into a new house, this time into one that actually looked like a house! Izuku had even gotten to have a phone call with the person who actually took Tomuchan in. Kurogiri was more like a caretaker, or a babysitter to Tomuchan.
Part of Izuku was glad. Him and Kurogiri were close, and Izuku had begun seeing the man as a father. Especially with his mom not even speaking to him half the time. She worked so often, Izuku only saw her on Sundays for dinner.
Thanks to the consistent meals and working out Kurogiri wanted him to do with Tomuchan, Izuku was looking much healthier than he had a year back. He figured it was because of all the health stuff Kurogiri had him doing, and also because he was finally happy.
"Izu, if you don't stop staring at that dog, I'm going to leave without you." Tomura said roughly. For some reason, he started dying his hair black and wearing a mask when they went out. Izuku copied him with the mask idea. It made them look cool! Especially with their matching pair of cargo pants and chain.
Izuku felt wonderful.
"Coming! Bye, puppy!" Izuku laughed, catching up to his friend. Tomura, who was twenty-one as Izuku learned on his birthday, was becoming a grouchy old man quicker than Kurogiri was! "Where do you wanna go today?"
"I picked last time, you pick."
"You don't like my choices," Izuku whined, laughing as Tomura pushed him away in annoyance. The pair had gotten very close, so much so that neither of them spent a day without each other. Kurogiri thought it was unhealthy, but as Tomuchan had put it (Izuku had apologised so much) Kurogiri didn't have friends. What would he know?
A lot, apparently. Both had been given books on codependency. Tomura had decayed them instantly.
"Just pick,"
"Fine, fine, hm, the video game cafe?"
"That's on the first floor."
"Fine-"
"No, we're going, I was just reminding you." Tomura walked off without the green haired teen. Izuku just rolled his eyes and caught up to his friend. Honestly, Tomura acted like such a child sometimes.
"De-ku?" Izuku froze.
The voice brought back many feelings to the teen. Feelings of rage, heartbreak, loss…fear. So much fear.
"Bakugou! Who's this?"
Izuku grips Tomura's hand. The roughness of his half fingered gloves somewhat shocks him back into reality. His free hand pulls down the black mask on his face.
"Izu, is that him?" Tomura growls. It's low and dark and dangerous. Izuku feels like someone is going to die.
"Yo! Are you one of Bakugou's friends?" A boy with bright red hair, his roots black, comes up to them. He's grinning and smiling and just there.
It reminds Izuku of himself and he hates it.
"Uh-"
"We went to middle school together. I figured he had just moved or something." Bakugou grunts. "Whose this loser?"
"Bakugou-"
"The name's Tenko." Tomura lies. Why does Tomuchan always lie? "I've heard about you."
Bakugou freezes and looks between the two. His eyes glanced between their closeness, their hands, the anger in "Tenko's" eyes.
"He's the one who made my ringtone back then, ha…"
"We were just heading to lunch! Wanna join us?"
"Uh-"
"Yeah, we will. Izu needs to socialise more." Tomura smiles beneath his mask. His red eyes squint. Red eyes, just like Bakugou's.
Bakugou Katsuki had been replaced.
"Tomuchan…!"
"Come on, Izu." He leans down, whispering something into Izuku's ear. Bakugou is livid. Izuku just laughs.
"Fine! What's your name by the way?" Izuku asks the redhead.
"I'm Eijiro Kirishima! And you're de-"
"Izuku Midoriya! You can just call me Izuku." The bright teens smile at each other. "Are you two classmates?"
They talk while they walk through the mall. Tomura's hand never quits holding Izuku's. Eventually they settle down at a food court nearby, Izuku and Eijiro talking excitedly to one another. Katsuki glared at Tomura, and Tomura glared back.
"You're mega strong looking for a regular guy! What's your quirk?"
The dreaded question.
"I'm actually quirkless." Izuku said with an awkward laugh. For the second time in his life, someone didn't care.
"That's so cool! That's extra manly! How'd you start working out?" Izuku wanted to tell the truth, and so he did. Partly.
"Mr Tomugiri wants to keep us in shape!" Tomura squeezes his hand, and Izuku glances at his masked friend. His phone virbates.
Good job. Proud of you. Izuku
"Wealthy…mist? That's a last name right?" Kirishima laughs. "Must be why you call Tenko 'Tomuchan' right?"
"Yeah!"
"I'm not a fan of my last name," Tomura says, hand gripping Izuku's like he's about to lose the teen. "Izu, can we-"
"I don't like you, Tenko."
"I don't particularly care, Bakugou." Tomura shoots back quickly, head whipping to the side. If Bakugou wanted to die, Tomura would take care of that wish right then and there.
"Bakugou, that's so rude!" Eijirou chided. Izuku didn't bother to scold Tomura.
"I'm gonna protect you. You're mine now."
"What?"
"Don't worry about it, Izuku." Kurogiri sighed. He did that a lot. "This is just how Tomura is."
"You think I don't know about middle school?" Tomura goaded. Izuku stood up quickly. Bakugou looked stricken with anger…and a little bit of fear.
"Right! That's our queue to leave. Nice to meet you, Kirishima! We've gotta blast. Bye!"
Izuku pulled Tomura from the area, their food forgotten as the teen tried to get out of there fast. The students didn't bother going after them.
"Bakugou? What happened in middle school?"
"Nothing." He spits back.
A few miles away, Izuku and Tomura are warped in front of a retro-styled arcade, and the earlier events of the day are forgotten.
Until Izuku receives a text.
Hey! This is Kirishima! Hope this is Midoriya haha! We're gonna hang out again tomorrow. You should come! Bring Tenko too!
Tenko doesn't go. He doesn't want Izuku to go either. Izuku doesn't listen.
"Tomuchan-"
"No! I told you, Izuku! I told you that you were my Player Two!"
"You're attacking my friends!"
"I was your friend first," Tomura practically snarls. The sound is loud and it hurts and Izuku doesn't know what to think. "You never would have met them if it wasn't for that stupid Bakugou! You should have let me kill him ages ago!"
"No!"
"Why not?!" Tomura grips his shoulders. Izuku is scared. Not because of Tomura, but because of the man's quirk. If his glove even slips just a centimeter, Izuku could lose an arm. Or his life. "Why?! After all that he has done to you?! Aren't you angry?!"
"Of course I'm angry but-"
"Then let me take care of him for you! Izuku, you are mine, I told you this!" A laugh bubbles up out of Tomura's throat. It's scratchy and it's raw and it's scary. Izuku doesn't want to be here anymore. "You can stay my Player Two, or I kill you."
"What?" Izuku feels his blood go cold. Tomura is gripping him, but he's smiling so widely, all Izuku wants to do is smile back.
"I told you! You're my accomplice now, my little alibi! Not just my Player Two!" Izuku is pulled forward, his chin colliding painfully with Tomura's shoulder. "I saved you, I protected you, you told me that!"
"Yes but-"
"See?! You know it! So stay with me!"
His voice is like a poisonous honey dripping into his ears. Izuku doesn't know what to think. It's true, everything Tomura had said, but Izuku just- he couldn't! Tomura killed people! Kaachan was tied up in the other room!
No, not Kaachan, Bakugou, a voice whispered in his head. Tomura helped you realise that. The voice was right. Izuku probably– no, he would have been dead by now if it weren't for Tomura and Kurogiri.
"I'll stay." Izuku whispers.
"I know!" Tomura responds.
They can never go back.
"Izu? You're back earlier."
"I ran into Bakugou," Izuku admitted quietly.
"Where? We can still find him!" Tomura said excitedly. Izuku gave them the address. He had no more tears to shed over him. Bakugou didn't deserve it.
Izuku had chosen his side long ago.