Two Heroes and A Hustler

25

Deku feels nothing short of empty as he gets off the elevator, stepping into the underground lab. He doesn't have the energy to be impressed by the holographic black boards or the grades of computers Bitch #1 instructs him how to use.

He doesn't want to feel anything anymore. The last time he did, it hurt.

He'd do this job and disappear into the city as it gets rebuilt and reorganized. He'd live the life he deserved.

The boy refocuses when she begins talking about the project specifically, pulling up a hologram of the timeline and equations for predicting the League's movements.

Deku bursts out laughing, causing the lady to narrow her eyes, "Three months?! You're fucking mental."

The woman doesn't give any reaction, still standing in the middle of the lab with her arms crossed. Deku continues, "It took twenty men, hundreds of consultants, and it still took them three whole years to develop a consistent drug that had universal effects. What you're asking is impossible!"

She shifts her weight, "You have a state of the art lab with advanced simulators, data transcribers, a military grade printer, and every DNA storage database in the world. What do you need to get this done in three months?"

He scans the room, resting his arms against the table. To start from scratch, no to start before scratch. This weapon needs to be mass produced and they can't just steal blood like the Shie Hassaikai.

His stomach turns. He wanted to push it away, that the blood he analyzed was his little- was the kind little girl.

Four months would be better than three. A month on each step could be reasonably done if things go smoothly. But three months?

This lab was impressive, but that alone wouldn't be enough.

Him alone wouldn't be enough.

He smiles, shaking his head. A stranger wouldn't work. He needs to understand a persons strengths and ideas, they didn't have the time for new trust.

"Hatsume Mei." He turns around, "First year Support Course student at UA. Bring me her, she's the best chance we got."

She raises an eyebrow, taking mental note of the name, "How likely are you to finish without her?"

Deku sighs. He didn't know the technology, but, "Without her, probability is maybe 35%. With her?" He takes a breath, finally looking in the woman's distrusting eyes, "70%, maybe 75%."

Reluctantly, she agrees, "Give me two weeks, we'll get her here."

Everything else blurs together. Write down what he wants for food, once a week deliveries, biweekly progress checks, locked elevator, no contact with the outside world...

It has to blur, because if it didn't... the empty feeling would leave.

He'd realize that his five year old self and his fifteen year old self were in the exact same place.

Trapped, caged in a room like an animal. No one to talk to, little to sustain him- abandoned by everyone and everything. Being used, though this time it's his brain rather than his quirk, it didn't matter. Because it felt the same.

But he didn't want to feel.

Once she's gone, he explores the room. The main part, a large glass conference table houses the projectors and hard drives, and a specific computer with a genome sequencing program accompanied by a tablet on the adjacent counter top. The kitchen opens into the work space, the cupboards filled with coffee, energy drinks, protein bars, and ramen. The furnishings are bare, only about five chairs in total which is a little weird considering the length and width of the desk.