Enji Chigira, the Flame Hero Endeavor truly felt guilty for how badly he enjoyed that pause in his life. His Hawks was away from him and so were his children (and he missed them, he truly did) and he still soaked this all gladly, this place in which he did not have to rush to save anyone, where there were no sudden emergency calls on unexpected days and hours, where he did not have to keep thinking about his responsibilities and consequences of failing them. Nothing could go wrong here just because he let himself sit in the loveseat and read, instead of being in constant alert. He would not go back to his job with a guilty conscience that those accidents that had happened during his off-day might have been prevented if he was there.

This was an amazing feeling. He truly felt guilty for it, especially when thinking about his kids and Hawks, but he couldn't help but enjoy himself.

The days were passing incredibly peacefully. They'd find breakfast prepared by Kurogiri ready on the table (neither Enji nor Oboro were such early birds as the other man) and then they would just sit together on the loveseat in front of the hut (the excuse they all had for Oboro was that Skyrim was a cold place and he would be more comfortable by Enji's side) and read the books the Girl had brought them whole day, interrupted only by playing with Mon-chan, and by Kurogiri bringing food. Kurogiri would often join them too with a lighter-themed book, on the armchair of course, saying that his Noumu skin prevented getting cold, though Enji knew well he was happy that he did not have to be touched, and they all would read in relative silence, only sometimes broken by Oboro commenting with anger on something particularly horrible or depressing that apparently happened in one of the other Universes. The boy proved incredibly empathetic, a thing Enji would have never guessed before, even too much empathic. But it sort of explained why it was easy for All for One to fuel hatred and anger in him – a person that sensitive to other people's pain had to come to loath the cold cruel world. So Enji kept telling Oboro, whenever his mood was particularly incensed by some event from the books, that they would work to make things better in their universe, and it was working. Which in turn was making Enji even more hopeful about their future, seeing Oboro so willing to make things right.

They were regularly visited by Izuku who now had an 'active player status' and was enjoying himself thoroughly. Every time he was around he would show them new spells he had learned and his mouth would run constantly about the cities and villages he had seen, people from other universes he had met ('So many races, Dad! I have met a pair of centaurs, Dad! Actual centaurs, like for real!'), the dragons he had fought. Oboro would roll his eyes at all that and pretend he was buried in his book but everyone could see the pages were not turning. It usually ended with Izuku asking Kurogiri to warp them all somewhere 'particularly beautiful', and, yeah, it indeed always was amazing and was making Enji reinforce his resolution to, one day, after they had taken care of more important things, go and explore everything properly.

But for the time being he stayed by Oboro's side, watching the boy getting more and more sleep, less and less nightmares, and looking healthier with every day. Enji wasn't so naive to think Oboro's grim past would stop weighing on him only because it was over, but he was glad to see the progress. The only thing that worried him a little was the fact how inactive the boy was now. It seemed so unlike him to just read instead of itching to get back to his world to change it. Enji hoped it wasn't a depression growing.

"Alright, why are you worried about me now?"

Enji blinked, torn away from his thoughts.

"You stare at me as if I had fucking cancer."

"...you probably could make cancer disappear from the face of Earth," Enji jumped at the occasion. He thought about it for some time now.

"Probably," said Oboro. "Don't change the topic. I have noticed those concerned glances. The fuck?"

Enji sighed. When Oboro wanted to know something it was better to tell him. The boy had enough or lies or secrets.

"Just wonder if you are truly feeling better. You always struck me as a very active man."

"I thought you all told me I should rest?"

"And how are you feeling about it?"

"I'm feeling fine, thank you. I've made a lot of mistakes and if I'm coming back, I'm coming back prepared."

Ah, so this was how things were.

"Still a little bit unlike you, to doubt yourself."

"I swear you've got amnesia. I have noticed that before. I just told you I've made a lot of mistakes."

"You can fix things now."

"Damn, nice that you have told me, I wouldn't know otherwise."

"You are a brat, Kurogiri is right."

"It's Kurogiri-san to you."

"Just because I was calling him that after that coffee snafu, it doesn't mean I will forever."

"...he is so stubborn," murmured Oboro but there was a clear note of fondness in it.

They heard the sound of a couple of horses approaching, not an unusual situation.

"Couldn't we get some super-ultra-highlevel-dragon to keep flying over this place and kill off those people?" mused Oboro.

"You know well it would just attract people wanting to level up."

"Tr-" Oboro stared at the players who came into their view.

"Ah," smiled Enji. "Mr Compress and Touga. Been a while."

"Fucking finally," murmured Oboro. So, the boy was worried about his friends, of course he was. But it seemed unnecessary as both were grinning widely as they jumped off their mounts, Mon-chan barking loudly at the horses, as usual. Enji realized how light his heart became seeing the girl happy. A part of him was worried for the poor kid. She should have gone to a Quirk counsellor not be left to her devices here. But, apparently, this was a really good place for recovery.

"Nice armors. And you got yourself a unicorn, too," he said instead.

Touga grinned at Enji. "It's so cool, right?"

"Looks like a normal horse with a horn," Oboro rolled his eyes.

"A unicorn is a horse with a horn, Oboro-grump," replied Touga. "So, have you missed us?!" she exclaimed as she hugged Oboro.

"Like he'd ever admit that," smirked Enji.

"Haha, true, you know our Oboro-kun well by now!"

"Even very well, it would seem, you share a love seat now?" came Compress' amused smile from behind the mask.

"It's fucking cold here if you haven't noticed," growled Oboro in return.

"You two look pleased," said Enji.

"Ooooh, this is something completely else!" exclaimed Touga. "We've met all sorts of players from other universes! They're completely chill with my Quirk! And some of them even loved it!"

Enji frowned and noticed Oboro doing the same.

"Loved it as in...?" Enji asked, worried about the answer.

"Well, they liked it a lot!"

He could see Oboro glancing at him and then glaring at Mr Compress.

"Um," said Enji. "I am glad you're happy, I really am, but... you're so young. I mean... they... you know people, some of them will want to use you."

There was an almost imperceptible nod on Oboro's side.

"Oh, Enji-kun!" she exclaimed merrily and hugged him. "You're so sweet to worry about me! But I'm not a kid anymore! I'm already eighteen! And... weren't you offering yourself before?"

"That's different," said Enji, feeling his cheeks burning a little. "This was not for my pleasure."

Touga put her finger on his nose. "And that's why I didn't want it. This is something else! I could suck someone's blood and they liked it! They weren't terrified! They didn't look at me like a freak! They thought it cool!"

"How old were they?" asked Enji. This girl was desperate and had good reasons for that, and there were plenty of men, and perhaps other genders too, who would be happy to use it, he was certain of that.

"I haven't asked, Enji! This would be quite rude!" she laughed.

"Touga-kun... please don't be mad at me..." He could see Oboro getting tense but giving Enji a small encouraging nod. Yeah, make old Enji do the whole unpleasant work. "...but they were probably... just using you."

Touga started to laugh. "Enji-kun, I'm not a child! I am aware a man whom I just met won't marry me! I know that they have a vampire kink or something! And it's okay! Nobody ever treated this part of me as their kink! It makes me feel like a normal person! After all normal people usually have traits that are kinks for others, right? Size, height, build, even haircuts! You're so silly, Enji-kun."

Enji sighed. It seemed like a battle lost. Then again, she was happy wasn't she?

"Are you at least on any sort of birth control?" he murmured feeling he was getting even redder.

"It's okay, my parents sterilized me a long time ago!"

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Oboro jumped off the loveseat, seething. "WHAT THE FUCK!" Enji didn't blame him since he himself felt his fists clenching painfully.

"Well, they were worried I would get pregnant too young-"

"SO THEY FUCKING MADE SURE YOU WOULDN'T AT ALL!"

"Well, they said it was better if this Quirk wouldn't be passed onto anyone..."

"I'll fucking kill them," growled Oboro, madness burning in his eyes. "I'll fucking make them regret every second of their pitiful life and-"

"I don't want that," said Touga firmly. "I want past to be past. I am really happy, Oboro-kun, that you're so angry on my behalf, but I don't want it. Let them live whatever lives they want."

Oboro threw himself back at the loveseat, arms crossed, fury on his face.

"Hey, Oboro-kun, don't be like that. You don't look cute now." She hugged the boy again.

"I never look cute," he growled.

"You kinda do. Like a feral kitten in the rain," she replied and that did elicit a small smile.

"Stupid," Oboro of course said, despite his face betraying him.

"So, what were you two doing?"

Oboro shrugged. "I'm reading about other universes. Mostly irritating but some events are hilarious."

"Are they?" asked Compress curiously.

"Yep. You know the Girl, right? In her original universe, when she felt she was prepared enough to change things, she didn't just go back to Earth to start a revolution. Instead, she created a copy of Earth, with everything, houses, power plants, factories. And then she opened portals on Earth to invite whoever wanted to be out of there, of course under strict terms."

"And?"

"And, of course, all the poor went there. It fucking sent the economy, which was based on poverty, to its knees. I fucking loved that. Look at that, no more peasants working their asses off for you!"

Mr Compress hummed. "I bet it hit the middle class though, not the billionaires. You know them, they're always on top."

Oboro shrugged irritated. "Well, I think it was a great middle finger."

"And wasn't it difficult to just start a new system on a brand new planet?"

"Well, she didn't do it alone. Before she started doing anything she had gotten herself a council and an army and experts, and all that shit." Oboro's mood was dampened now. "Things aren't fucking easy, even if you're a god or something."

"I'm sure you'll do great," Mr Compress assured.

"Exactly, Oboro-kun!"

"And... what about Spinner?"

"I haven't been there yet," murmured Oboro sounding surprisingly upset, his hand reaching to scratch at his neck lightly. "You know he didn't want any... but I should have gone back, I guess..." Scratching intensified.

"Hey," said Enji. "First take care of yourself, right?"

"Bullshit," growled Oboro. "I am his friend even if he is not mine anymore."

"We'll go back then," said Enji doing his best to suppress the instinct to grab Oboro's hand and pull it away from his skin.

"Don't worry too much about it," said Compress. "Can't you just go back in time or do some other amazing magic?"

"...I'll see. All that shit is a little more complicated than... you have to avoid paradoxes and other crap, or at least have experience in dealing with them."

"The Girl will gladly help," Enji reminded him.

"True," murmured the boy. The hand landed back on his knees.

"So, how is our world?"

Oboro started laughing at Compress' question. "Everything got healed when my Quirk activated! On the whole fucking planet! And you know what they did? Started violent religious riots!"

Compress sighed. "That's people for you, I guess."

"Yeah," said Oboro in a quite sulking voice now. "That's why I have to rethink well what to do when I... go back for real. Because you'll give them a knife to cut their fucking bread with and they'll start stabbing each other."

Touga started laughing. "A little stabbing is yummy, sometimes."

"A little, yes," agreed Oboro. "Especially when consensual."

"Or when you really don't like someone."

Oboro snorted loudly, visibly amused.

"Yeah."

"And how is Kurogiri?"

"Well. He's upstairs, so to speak."

"Let's go and say hi!"

"Let's go and eat some of his food. I mean, what they serve here is great, but Kurogiri's is incomparable."

Touga mounted her unicorn as if she had been riding horses all her life but Oboro dragged Mr Compress by his sleeve before he could join her.

"You're thirty," he hissed. "She is eighteen! Endeavor isn't wrong! Or else you're gonna look after her like an adult man or you're fucking no friend of mine!"

"Oboro-kun, you're so sweet when you're protective like that! Not very villainous of you! And Atsuhiro-kun is thirty-three, actually!"

"Who cares."

They watched them disappear among the trees and Oboro lay back in the comfortable position, that is pushing his feet (in fluffy socks brought by Enji) against Enji's chest. His face was clouded though.

"Well, she is of age now. There is only so much you can do unless you want to go with her a-"

"Am thinking about Spinner," replied Oboro irritably. "It was more than a month, right?"

"Yes. But Tartarus is not being used yet. Besides, with his Quirk, they wouldn't put him anywhere too horrible."

"Still..." murmured Oboro.

"If you don't want to go back there, let's just ask the Girl."

"This is my responsibility."

"What's the difference if you go there or you ask the Girl?"

"...I'll speak with him, whether he likes it or not."

"Okay," said Enji far from being happy with that.

"Don't worry, he won't persuade me to go and destroy everything."

"I know. You'll do what you want to do."

Oboro seemed happy with that answer. They got back to their books until Oboro's phone buzzed an hour or so later, and he growled as he checked it.

"I fucking hate you all."

"Why? What did they do?"

But Oboro refused to answer. Then, Enji's phone buzzed too. Touga sent him the photo of Oboro with a flower by his ear. 'Did you see that, Enji-kun?!'

Enji grinned.

"You all will pay for that."

"I think you should wear flowers more often. Nothing more creepy than a villain with a flower crown. You want people to be terrified of you."

"What am I, Hannibal?"

"What?"

Oboro just shook his head. "It's an old Internet thing. You wouldn't know."

"Hey, that's not really nice."

888

The days were passing slowly and sometimes Enji wondered if he was really needed here. Oboro was buried in his books, a thing that was surprising for a boy who was a gamer, until, when asked, Oboro had told him the games had been his hobby because it had been the only thing immersive enough to make him forget about itching skin and 'other things'. Enji had really felt horrible hearing that and wished, not for the first time, he was allowed to kill AfO again. So, Enji most of the time simply was by his side, also reading, and the only constructive thing he was doing was when sometimes Oboro would want to discuss something that had been done in an alternate reality which gave Enji a chance to show the boy possible, not too destructive, directions in which to push their own world. But besides that, he wondered if he was still needed.

Kurogiri froze.

"I mean," said Enji immediately. "I am most happy to be here. But maybe you both don't need me anymore? Shouldn't you have some time for yourselves?"

Kurogiri visibly relaxed and plopped a Polish crepe onto Enji's plate, even though Enji had specifically told him he wasn't hungry. Then he spread a homemade chocolate cream on it and put strawberries and blueberries on it.

Okay, maybe Enji could eat one. Or two.

"You don't know Oboro as well as I do. I watch you two and he really got very attached to you. Don't ever tell him I said that, by the way. He, despite what you might think, is a person who needs people around. Touya Todoroki proved he wasn't true friends with him, Jin Bubaigawara is dead, Shuuichi Iguchi has left, Himiko Touga and Atsuhiro Sako both have their own issues to solve and futures they start to think of. And I know he wants to give me my space, he is stubborn about it. But, trust me, he would be miserable if left in that hut alone. Of course, I would not let it happen, but I know he would feel guilty if I was there with him all the time. He already asked me a couple of times if I do not want to 'live my own life', not bound to him."

"Ah."

"Yes," agreed Kurogiri. "And I think you help him develop better traits. He might not be talking much but he observes and thinks a lot about people surrounding him. To have a hero stubbornly keeping by his side will make him think twice about taking a villain path again."

"I'm glad then. You know, I'm not best at reading people, I didn't want to be a bother to you two."

"You're absolutely not. And he still craves the touch, I can see that. Maybe not as much as before, but I am not blind. He could just pull the armchair closer but he still is sitting on the love seat with you."

"Yeah, and is putting his smelly feet right by my face."

"Sorry for that," Kurogiri laughed lightly. "This boy always had a problem with seeing the point of personal hygiene."

"I'll survive."

"There is a stream nearby, we can try dragging him there regularly."

"I am not sure warping him straight into the water isn't the only way."

Kurogiri chuckled at that. "And look at you, Mister Not Hungry at all, it's already a fourth crepe."

"I will be fat and it will be all your fault, Kurogiri."

So, the days passed, and after a couple of weeks, Enji noticed his Izuku started becoming restless even if the boy was, as usual, trying to cover it up with his usual cheerfulness. Right, he barely started dating Katsuki, and he was dragged away from him.

"Do you want to go back?"

"No, of course n-"

"He's lying," said Oboro flatly.

"Oboro," scolded Kurogiri.

"What? I'm merely telling the truth. Unlike him."

"You could say it in a nicer way."

Oboro just snorted lightly at that.

"Um, well, I miss our family a bit, but it's alright."

Oboro sighed, to everyone's surprise. "Let the kid go. And... I should go to Spinner, too, while we are at that."

"Are you sure?" asked Enji worriedly.

Oboro just rolled his eyes. "Stop treating me like a fragile princess. If I was gonna break, I would have a long time ago."

"... Those kinds of statements definitely make me less worried about you," murmured Enji.

"We don't have to go now," said Izuku looking a little guilty.

"No," Oboro said in a rather despondent tone. "Let's... get it over with. I was putting it off for too long anyway."

The Girl appeared by their side. "What can I help you with today?"

"I want to go back," said Oboro.

The Girl's brows rose by a fraction but then she smiled with understanding.

"It's about Shuuichi Iguchi?"

"Yes, I want to go speak with him, but I'll need to stop the time, and I might need a new ID for him and money, etc."

"Of course, I'll gladly walk you through implementing necessary changes in reality."

"Thanks," murmured Oboro, scratching his scalp. "After that I want to go back here, but those two will stay."

"Of course."

"Um," said Izuku suddenly. "Oboro-san..." Oboro looked at Enji's boy with suspicion. "I can't bring my friends here, can I?"

Oboro immediately looked miffed. "Of course you can, I don't care," he growled irritably.

But Izuku knew better. "Okay, maybe... some other time."

"I told you, you can!" spat Oboro, now properly incensed. The Girl looked like she was hiding her amusement.

"Well, you don't seem overly happy about it," said Izuku in a conciliatory tone.

"Of course, I'm not happy with a bunch of hero brats! But if I told you can, you fucking can!"

"Oboro needs his space and some peace-" started The Girl.

"I'm fine!"

"-so how about you keep your friends to southern holds?"

Izuku seemed hesitant but both Kurogiri and the Girl nodded at him lightly but with pressure visible in their eyes. "...okay, then," smiled Izuku.

888

Shouto came inside without a word.

Tenya looked a little stressed when he said, "Hello, Chigira-san."

Shouto passed Enji in silence.

"Shouto, love, I couldn't tell anyone about it."

No response.

"Shouto, my dear child, my pride and light of my eyes, please understand me and my position."

Shouto finally turned to Enji, his eyes as cold as his mother's Quirk. "What position?" he hissed. "Izuku knew!"

"He is considered Ob- Shigaraki's friend!"

"And I am his brother! And part of the team! You think I couldn't keep a secret! And Izuku told me Untenmaru and Hawks know too! So everyone in this family is worth trust but me and Tenya?"

"Stop fucking whining, you double-ass!" came Katsuki's roar, and both Izuku and his boyfriend entered the kitchen.

"Right, you knew too!" snapped Shouto.

What? Enji turned to Izuku who looked red and guilty now. "He's my boyfriend, dad," he murmured.

"True," said Shouto calmly. "You told your boyfriend but you didn't tell your brother. Alright. I get it. So many years together, supporting each other, mean nothing compared to getting laid."

"Shouto," murmured Enji.

"I get it. Fine. You don't trust me. Alright."

"Shouto," said Tenya.

Katsuki decided to reach for more fine arguments and aimed a kick at Shouto's head just for his foot to stop on the ice block.

"Kacchan," sighed Izuku.

"Nobody told you because you'd fucking find a way to sneak there."

"Don't be foolish," said Shouto coldly but Enji knew well when Shouto was lying. The boy wasn't the best at that.

"Oh, I know you and your little 'Dekusquad' well," said Katsuki irritably. "Laws weren't made for you, everybody knows that."

"I still want you all to know that I am deeply hurt by this whole situation."

"I brought 'A Herbalist's Guide' for you," said Enji apologetically and rushed to get the books he brought for both boys. This, along with some real actual Skyrim sweet rolls, proved to be a brilliant idea to appease Shouto.

"Don't think I'll forget that soon," the boy said nevertheless, staring at the book in awe. "I thought I meant more to you."

"What a drama bitch you are," growled Katsuki.

"So, is it really okay for us to go there?" Tenya asked, his eyes shining.

Enji couldn't help but smile. "Yes, you all can go to Skyrim."

888

Enji hated he hadn't told them more on the phone when he saw Hizashi's and Shouta's concerned, grim faces when they entered his garden. But it really wasn't a conversation to be hold not face-to-face and if he had told them a piece, he would have to explain everything, there simply was no other way, considering what he had to explain.

"Hey, there really is nothing to be worried about," he repeated what he had already said during the call, as he met them halfway.

Both men exchanged looks.

"You said it was about Oboro," said Shouta as if it was reason enough to be concerned. And, yeah, it probably was, from their perspective.

"Yes, but he is fine." The men looked at each other again. "Come on in."

They sat down around the kitchen table in silence, expectant eyes on him.

"Alright. You'll think me insane but... There is an... There is a whole multiverse out there."

Both of them nodded, unsurprised. Enji blinked.

"Enji, I was there, when the singularity happened. I heard that woman."

Right, it seemed so long ago Enji forgot Shouta witnessed the whole conversation.

"Right. So, among others, there is an artificial universe out there, sort of a real-life game, based on Skyrim, and... Oboro is there, with Shigaraki, recovering, piecing their psychic back."

Honestly, Enji expected more shock but then again, after seeing the whole world healed and feeling the entire cosmos revolve, maybe it was nothing earth-shaking.

"And All for One?" asked Hizashi, anger rising in his eyes.

"...he is kind of alive but... imprisoned."

"If he escapes again-" started Shouta.

"He won't."

"We thought the same about Tartarus!" said Hizashi, clearly agitated.

"He won't. He doesn't have such power and... he no longer has a body either."

Both men blinked.

"He's just a soul in a gem now," sighed Enji and rubbed his temple, avoiding their eyes.

"Okay," said Shouta in a very composed voice. "Okay. He won't escape. And if he will, Shigaraki will be on him, right?"

"Right."

"But what we came here for is to speak about Oboro. He needs help, Enji. He was built and programmed by All for One and he needs doctors and scientists to take care of him. To help him... become more human again."

Enji was very glad he could have this talk before they met Kurogiri. Kurogiri would surely know Shouta meant it well but, still, it would hurt him.

"In his case, it's... less of a brain damage leading to control and more... torturing leading to the conditioning of him." Both Hizashi's and Shouta's fists clenched. "Which means he... is a human, Shouta. I know that his body was altered to be able to regenerate quicker and withstand many adverse conditions better but he is not like other Noumus."

"No," agreed Shouta. "He was... capable of perfect speech and seemed to possess a normal level of intelligence."

"But there was this moment when he sort of..." said Hizashi, his fingers clenching and unclenching in nerves. "Shut off? And before that, it seemed like Oboro was breaking through?"

Enji knew nothing about it. "I... have spent quite some time there and nothing like this ever happened. He was behaving like a normal man who had been through a lot."

He could see Hizashi wasn't convinced at all. "...Yes, he was behaving normally until we managed to get some sort of a breakthrough, speaking about his past, trying to make him remember. He was behaving perfectly normal when he was... Kurogiri, not our Oboro. You can't just buy it, Enji. This is not real him."

Damn, now Enji was really worried about that meeting. Still, he tried again, "He wasn't talking like a programmed villain with me. He... told me he doesn't want to be one anymore. That he wants to just live a normal life, take care of his family, polish his cooking skills, read light books."

It seemed to have an effect, as both men looked surprised and... was that hope in their eyes, especially Shouta's? But then Hizashi frowned. "And what about Shigaraki?"

"Shigaraki is like a son to him."

"You see! He is still doing what AfO made him do! Maybe that domestic facet of his is just another part of his brainwashing? To make him bond better with Shigaraki when Shigaraki was just a kid?"

So, Hizashi was really bent on not accepting who Kurogiri was now. That was truly concerning and the last thing Kurogiri would need right now.

"Whether you are right and he is still a programmed advanced Noumu-"

"I'm not saying he's a Noumu, I'm saying he..."

Enji waited expectantly.

"...he needs help! We need to remove everything AfO has done to him! If Oboro truly is there and can be saved, we should do it!"

"You can't just rewind him to who he was before," said Enji quietly. "How do you imagine that?"

"But he is a monster and villain now, Enji!" Hizashi sounded desperate.

"He isn't," said Enji trying not to sound angry. Hizashi was just in pain, thinking about a dear friend from the past and what had been done to him.

Hizashi shook his head. "What is wrong with you, Enji? Did Shigaraki mess with your mind? Can't you see what they did to him? He attacked Yuuei, for God's sake! Our Oboro, the purest, kindest kid that ever existed, a kid that was going to be a hero! He would never do it! Which means this isn't him!"

Enji took a deep breath. "Hizashi, I understand how badly this hurts you but I have told you... he was conditioned to fear All for One and regrets deeply he was too terrified to go against his orders."

"Did he tell you that?"

"Yes, he told me he was a coward. He told me he blamed himself for not saving Shigaraki from AfO's influence."

"Our Oboro wasn't a coward..." said Hizashi quietly in a pained voice.

"Enough, Hizashi." They both looked at, quiet so far, Shouta. "All for One was a monster. Everyone was terrified of him. We spoke with Aoyama's parents, we read plenty of reports. That man was a master manipulator, cruel beyond any measure. What he had done to Tenko Shimura is proof enough. Our Oboro was a kind, brave teenager who died and was revived to horrors we have no idea about delivered by him. Do you really intend to tell Oboro that this can't be him because All for One broke him? Is this how you want to help him?"

"I just... I just want either him back or..."

"Or to destroy who he is now?"

"But it's not... it's a Noumu, the way he is now, Shouta!"

Didn't he say just minutes ago he didn't think Kurogiri to be a Noumu? But then again he was so torn with emotions, he probably did not know what to think anymore. "He's not a Noumu," said Enji quietly. "You know he isn't. Recall his behavior and tell me he is like those creatures you fought."

Hizashi was white as a sheet, tears in his eyes, anguish twisting his face.

"This is not Oboro," he whispered. "This is not our Oboro."

"No," said Shouta quietly. "And we aren't who we were back then either. What we've been through changed us, and he... he just went through things much worse than any of us."

"I just wish you treated him like a human being," said Enji. "He deserves at least that, he truly does. He is kind, he is gentle, he is caring, he regrets everything he has done, he loves Shigaraki as he would his own child, he has his dreams for the future. Don't treat him like a Noumu, don't treat him like he is just a broken version of a 'proper human', a twisted version of your childhood friend you want back."

Hizashi bowed his head and a couple of tears fell onto the table.