Devil's Bargain - MHA Various X M!Reader

Four - Introduction

[Name]'s right eye was blown wide open as he took in his surroundings. The mall was bustling with people and bright colours shone at him from all angles. The blackette turned as he breathed through his mask in awe of the modern establishment. As a vigilante and wanted criminal on the run, he couldn't risk exploring areas such as these in broad daylight in front of prying eyes and security cameras.

"Come on," Aizawa said. "Clothes first."

[Name] followed the adult, metal cuffs clinking as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of the black pants he had been wearing since he was let out of Tartarus. He clenched his fists, trying to stop his fingers from trembling as he took in the sheer amount of people. He hurried to catch up to the ravenette.

"Hmmm... this looks good."

The man stopped in front of a store, boy still following behind him. [Name] looked through the window. It was filled to the brim with dark clothes, ranging from simple hoodie-and-sweatpant combos to intricate vests made from jet black leather. It was clearly a brand of good quality— an expensive one.

Before [Name] could protest about the price, the bell tinkled as Aizawa opened the door and walked in. He turned his head back.

"Coming, kid?"

"I- yes, sir."

"No need for the formalities. Call me Shouta."

[Name] hesitated.

"Yes, Aizawa."

Aizawa sighed. Though they were closer than before already, he still had a long way to go before gaining [Name]'s full trust. It was obvious that his past, unknown to the hero, as well as the events of that night had emotionally scarred him. Whatever walls had broken down in that moment had left him vulnerable until now; presently, it seemed that he had rebuilt them stronger than ever.

As Aizawa leafed through the sea of black fabric, he hypothesised about what could have happened. [Name] had told them that they were dead— but who were they? His brothers whom he lived with? Come to think of it, he had never seen anyone with [Name] before when he was patrolling, chasing after the ex-vigilante in the moonlight. Did they also have late-night activities like [Name]? Were they just undetected by the hero commission? How many were there?

The hero realised he was gripping a black shirt a bit too hard. His knuckles were whitening under the sheer force he was exerting. Quickly letting go, the man took a deep breath as he looked around for the boy.

[Name] was walking through the aisles, studying the articles of clothing under his sharp gaze. Once in a while he would pause to inspect one more closely before continuing on. Though undetected by the average person, Aizawa had spent enough time with the blank-faced boy to recognise a well-hidden look of worry present on his features as well as how he would discreetly check the price tag every time before walking away. The ravenette went up to the boy. [Name] turned around as he came closer, familiar with his gait and walking pattern.

"Is this not to your taste? I thought you might like it since you often wore black."

"No, it's perfect, actually. Thank you. I'm just still looking around."

"Don't worry about the money. Even if I may look scraggly, the commission pays heroes well and I also got extra funding to take care of you."

[Name] looked down slightly, acknowledging the statement with a slight nod. Aizawa sighed. He could tell that the boy was still reluctant.

The man started walking back the way he came, deliberately stopping here and there to pick out some clothes to drape over his arm. At a second glance, [Name] was able to see that the ravenette was picking out the clothes he had previously been looking at.