Third person pov
There are flashes that Kurogiri struggles to cling to. He claws at them like an irritable cat, dragging them closer and closer until he's sure they won't slip away from him again. They're slim to nothing, but they're evidence of an existence before what he is now. He collects them like a greedy child collects candy from a piñata at someone else's birthday party.
They're jagged shards that don't quite fit together, but they all paint their own individual pictures anyway. He does not tell anyone he has them. They'd be taken from him if he did-- wiped away and out of reach.
A cloudy sky with the muffled sound of laughter surrounding him, along with light banter he can't quite make out. The taste of a strawberry milkshake on his tongue. An orange tabby under an umbrella, then shoved into a brightly colored backpack by hands that are solid, real, and not shrouded in cold purple mist. Shiny blonde hair. Dark eyes rolling in exasperation. Something soft and damp under his hands, carrying him higher and higher.
He was someone in the same way that Tomura was someone once. He takes solace in that, reassures himself that what he's doing is right. That if he helps Tomura find himself again, maybe that means he's allowed to find himself in the process as well. It's like a justification. A loophole in his programming that he can slip through and revel in.
He lets himself drift through visions of baby blue, pencils on pop quizzes, one sushi roll too many shoved in his mouth. Kurogiri hunts and digs and begs for more slivers of himself, and he knows Tomura does the same.
Tomura is different now, with his dark hair and lighter eyes. His irritability seems entirely gone now, and all that's left behind is a mellow kindness and the vague madness that comes with not knowing. Kind is not a word Kurogiri had ever thought he'd use to describe his charge.
Kurogiri is proud of him and how far he's comes, something warm bursting forth in his chest without him meaning it to. Kurogiri clings onto that too.
His emotions are always scant and when they slip between his fingers like fine grains of sand, he's always left feeling cold and empty. He's getting better at holding onto them these days, however. The positive lasts longer than the negative as he coaxes Tomura back into himself. Kurogiri thinks this is as close to a miracle as he'll ever get. Though, he's wary of it all. He knows that good things always come crashing back down.
He almost thinks they're going to when Tomura talks to Stain. Kurogiri is surprised by how easily he channels his past impatience. Tomura lets himself shriek, lets himself scratch, lets his eyes narrow into dangerous slits. His words are hissed out with vehemence.
Kurogiri continues to polish glasses behind the bar and pretends it doesn't feel like all the air in the room has been sucked out when Sensei sighs from the television, disappointment so palpable in the air that it's suffocating. Tomura does not falter in his act.
Stain had said no, that he wouldn't join them. A shame according to Sensei, who voices his displeasure very clearly for Tomura to hear. His tone is more warning and more dangerous than usual, and ice slides down Kurogiri's spine when he realizes what that means. He may not remember who he was before he was Kurogiri but that does not mean he is stupid.
Sensei knows something. It's clear as day in his voice, which rasps with an undertone of venom that isn't usually there. It's a warning. He's onto them, and Kurogiri's mouth feels dry.
Silence surrounds them. Kurogiri feels like he's dizzy, the knowledge that Sensei knows something eating at him. He must've slipped up at some point. He knows Tomura hasn't. Tomura has been perfectly disciplined, painstakingly clever now that his head is cleared of whatever plagued it before.
The ocean has helped center him. Where Tomura has become precise, Kurogiri feels he's gotten sloppy. He's slipping. Tomura is climbing. This is a good thing, but a risky one. What if he's ruined everything? What if Tomura is taken?
"...Tomura Shigaraki--" Kurogiri starts to say when the light on the TV stays off and the tight feeling in the air has passed. Tomura's chest is heaving now that Sensei is no longer watching, hostile facade melting off of him and leaving him panicked.
His fingers curl into the edge of the bar so tight Kurogiri almost thinks the wood will crack, pinkies consciously raised. Tomura goes out of his way to keep from creating messes for Kurogiri to clean up, and apologizes for any accidents that do occur with his five-point touch.
"That isn't my name." Tomura gasps out like he can't breathe. There's no snap in his tone like there might've been not all that long ago. Kurogiri's mouth seals itself shut, his yellow eyes flickering left when he hears the sink turn on. The glass of water on the bar begins to rattle precariously. Kurogiri doesn't move. "That's... That's not me. It's not me. This isn't me. It isn't right, Kurogiri, i-it's not!"
He sounds like he's being choked. Something in Kurogiri twists at the sound.
"...I know." Kurogiri says after a moment. The water in the cup is spinning like a small whirlpool now. He tries not to look at it, but he can't stop his fascination.
Lighting flashes outside, followed by the pitter of rain that wasn't on today's forecast. Thunder roils outside in a devastating boom that crashes down in time with Tomura raking a hand through his hair, which is still only blue at the tips and oily black otherwise.
"I don't want to hurt anyone. K-Killing these people-- it's wrong. I can't... I-I-" Tomura stuttered out. The water in the cup begins to rise, and Kurogiri's eyes go wide. The sound of water hitting the bottom of the sink stops, but the sound of it running somehow doesn't. Kurogiri looks up at the same time Tomura does. His eyes are glowing blue, desperate, broken, and terrified. Kurogiri feels the world stop around him, like everything has suddenly gone still. Lightning flashes outside again, illuminating Tomura in a way that makes him look like he's not quite of this world. "Kurogiri, who am I?"
Thunder snaps again, and suddenly the floating water explodes into dozens upon dozens of tiny droplets that spray across them like an explosion. The water from the sink-- had it been snaking up above them?-- does the same.
The rain outside intensifies as Tomura jumps so hard his knees bang the underside of the bar. Kurogiri releases a breath he hadn't realized he'd still been holding, planting his hands on the bar and gasping a little. The sink flicks off. Wind howls outside.
They're both damp now, another explosions worth of water away from soaked. Kurogiri's heart thunders so hard it feels like it's about to beat out of his chest. Tomura holds his gaze with big eyes, but somehow he doesn't look scared or startled.
No, he seems taken aback rather. Stunned, maybe even awed, as he peers at him. Kurogiri blinks as Tomura straightens slowly, leaning closer in a manner near cautious. The lights are flickering, but even then Tomura doesn't look away. Kurogiri doesn't either.
"...What is it?" Kurogiri whispers into the wispy ambience, resisting the urge to address him by his name. Because it isn't his name and it never was, and he doesn't want to upset Tomura. But he doesn't know what else to call him-- can't answer his question about who he is.
Tomura doesn't seem to care about that anymore, letting out a shaky sort of huff as he settles back into his seat fully. He takes Kurogiri in in his entirety. The warp-gate user feels his nerves continue to spike.
"Kurogiri." Tomura says, and then he smiles in such a genuine and pleased way that Kurogiri finds himself taken aback too. It's an expression that brightens his entire face. Kurogiri isn't sure he's ever seen Tomura look this happy outside the times they risk visiting the sea. "Kurogiri, you've turned... you've turned blue."
Kurogiri looks down at his hands, a strangled noise escaping him. Because Tomura is right. He's not miasmic shades of black and purple that curl into one another anymore. Now, he is the same pale blue color he dreams of most nights. The hue melts into stark white around the edges, the complete opposite of his coloration a moment ago.
He stares, struggling to process. Trembles race from his feet all the way to the top of his head. Cool water drips from the ends of Tomura's hair, the noise of the drops plopping onto the bar lost in the rain.
He is blue. Kurogiri has turned... blue. And Tomura has just summoned water from the sink and made it float. He's just dampened them both, making the A/C blow down even colder on the two of them. It's uncomfortable and the collar of his shirt sticks to his neck, and his sleeves to his arms.
He stares at his misty hands, drinking the color in like this is the last time he'll ever see it again. The droplets that fall from his shrouded face aren't water, but it's impossible to tell with his mist hiding the fact.
Kurogiri tearfully looks up, meets Tomura's excited gaze, and smiles back. Because neither of them know who they are, but they both feel pretty damn close to finding out.
~~~~~~~~
They launched an increased effort to hunt Shigaraki down, keeping this new team more discrete in their efforts. Toshinori called in a few favors with Detective Tsukauchi, who was more than willing to reach out to a few undercover operatives who were out in their field of interest.
Atlantis found himself feeling overly anxious at the possibility that this "Shigaraki" individual was a merman. He didn't recognize the name by any means. That didn't mean much, however. It could be a fake name, and the chances that they were from the same pod seemed slim.
Still, Shigaraki hadn't been... he wasn't old. Midoriya had hesitantly relayed that Shigaraki honestly didn't seem that much older than he was despite his cracked skin and tendency to scratch his neck. Irritable, quick to anger, almost childish in his demeanor.
Mirai had grimaced and noted that such symptoms were characteristic of a mer who'd had their tail taken and didn't take regular trips to the sea to keep replenished. Dehydration of the skin, irritation from lack of gills in neck. It was almost enough to seal the deal-- to confirm their working theory.
Did Shigaraki know he was a merman? Did he know who he was working for, or had he been taken when he was young and brainwashed? Atlantis couldn't help but fret over it. He wanted to know who he was and if he was okay. Offer him help, because there was no way he was a willing participant if he'd had his tail forcibly taken from him.
Hitoshi had agreed. He'd still had his tail, even if he couldn't access it, and it had been agony living just that way. To have it gone entirely? Ripped away, so far out of reach it was a near pipe dream to even think you could come anywhere close to getting it back all on your own?
Atlantis didn't have to take regular trips to the ocean, and neither did Hitoshi. They did because they wanted to and because it felt amazing, but they had their tails and they could live with just that if they needed to. Hitoshi had survived with minimal ocean visits whilst the crystal was imbedded in his chest and that had worked out just fine.
This was different. It sounded like Shigaraki was slowly dying. Not visiting the ocean and allowing it to take care of him, not trying to reconnect with his lost tail no matter how hard it seemed... That was dangerous. No mer would ever... he had to be a victim. Atlantis was sure of it.
"Is this the right place?" Atlantis asked quietly. After meeting with Mirai, Izuku had hesitantly approached Atlantis with big, watery eyes and a desperate request. Atlantis hadn't been sure at first, but the bond between him and Shota had swelled with hope under the appeal of the freckled boy.
Shota wanted him to say yes, so of course Atlantis would never say no. Midoriya was asking so earnestly on top of that, and after receiving the news that he had a merfolk legacy living in his very bones... well, suffice to say that Atlantis was just about ready to do anything for the boy.
"Y-Yeah! Thank you so much for agreeing to come. I-I don't know if you'll be able to fix it, but it'll mean a lot to Iida that you even came to look." Midoriya babbled nervously as he led them up the steps to the hospital.
Tenya Iida-- one of Shota's other students-- had an older brother who had sustained a grievous injury from a vile man who liked to run around killing off heroes. It was sickening, but the world is a cruel and unruly place. Even more so on land, Atlantis is coming to realize.
So Atlantis had smiled and said yes, that he'd be happy to visit him in the hospital the next day. He'd talked to Shota about it later and uncovered that the older brother in question-- Tensei Iida, a noble hero whom was looked up to by many-- was actually one of Shota's friends. Friends! One he'd gone to school with, and whom he'd been meaning to bring up to Atlantis ever since the Sports Festival.
Things had just snowballed so fast that he hadn't had time. Of course Atlantis was going to heal one of Shota's friends. There was no question about it. He was excited to meet him!
"He can fix it." Shota said shortly, looking a little disgruntled. Atlantis beamed up at him, lacing his fingers with his and tugging him to go faster.
Atlantis had felt elated since yesterday. Finding out his Uncle Mirai was here, on land and alive, was astonishing. Atlantis had never dreamed he'd see him again, let alone anyone else from his pod.
Thinking about his lost family too much caused a painful thrum to rush through him, so Atlantis had always avoided bringing them up. But to see another mer, someone he considered family... Maybe there were more out there. Maybe Atlantis and Hitoshi weren't as alone as they'd originally thought.
Midoriya grinned in a wobbly way and rapidly nodded. He was leaving for his internship tomorrow and so was the rest of 1-A, so he'd insisted it had to be today. He was concerned about Tenya, who'd been distant and withdrawn since the incident. Shota had clenched his jaw and nodded in agreement, gruffly noting that Iida had chosen a hero agency in Hosu. AKA, the last place the hero killer had been sighted. Atlantis found that to be incredibly concerning.
"If it's an injury of the spine as you say, then certainly." Atlantis reassured. Midoriya looked more excited now, his nerves fading a little. Shota couldn't blame the kid. Atlantis was so nice it was easy to relax around him. "You remember the state of Mr. Yagi's side prior to my... quirk, yes? After that, I'm sure I'm up to take on any of these human injuries thrown my way."
He punctuated with a winning smile that makes Shota melt on the inside. Midoriya nods rapidly, green eyes rounded in awe. He looks at Atlantis like Atlantis personally hung the moon and stars, which is completely fair and understandable. Atlantis is a ball of condensed goodwill and tenderness. He doesn't discriminate between anyone, and Shota loves him for it.
He's equal amounts of kind to everyone he meets, no matter what they look like, no matter what they sound like, no matter what baseless rumors he's heard before. He judges solely off of facts and firsthand impressions. That's incredibly rare on land.
The hospital is a cold and impersonal place that Aizawa hates with a burning passion. Knowing that he'll probably never be admitted to one again so long as Atlantis stays by his side is only a small comfort.
He knows what they're doing right now is risky. If it gets out that Atlantis exists, they're all in danger. All Might had likely injured his foe just as bad as his foe had injured him, meaning All For One would be looking for a healer too. But this was Tensei they were talking about! Even Mirai had said it would be okay, so long as they didn't make a habit of it. He'd know better than any of them.
Tensei's room is on the second floor and he doesn't know they're coming. Tensei's phone had been lost during his altercation and he was incredibly weak, unable to do much but lay there and breathe. Izuku had tried to text Tenya to ask in advance but was pretty sure the guy had his phone off to ward off unwanted calls from concerned friends and family. Izuku is fairly certain he hasn't been to visit his brother since the incident. There's no solid proof to back this, but his hunches are seldom ever wrong.
"He's in here." Shota grunted, eyeing Midoriya. He originally hadn't wanted to the kid to come with but Izuku had insisted, and the fire in his eyes was way too intent for him to refuse.
Atlantis found the whole thing incredibly amusing and adorable, pinching at Izuku's cheeks despite Hitoshi and Shota's previous lessons that you weren't supposed to touch anyone you didn't know very well without their permission first. Luckily, Izuku hadn't appeared to mind. He just flushed red and grinned dopily in that way only teenagers could.
Tensei's room was empty save for the man himself, who was currently propped up in bed and looking rather dazed. There were flowers, cards, and balloons flooding the windowsill and the tables on either side of the downed hero.
The fog in his eyes seemed to clear when they entered, and Shota felt a pang rush through him at the sight of his friend. His hands curled into slight fists at his own negligence. He should've come sooner. Should've at least called when it happened to let him know he had a solution instead of letting him waste away in this hospital room, thinking he'd never stand on his own two feet unaided again.
He blinks a few times, tired smile curling at his lips when he registers that it's Shota that just walked in. He's aware he looks a lot different than the last time Tensei saw him. They don't get together often due to work. They're both busy people with busy lives, and last he saw of Shota, Shota looked like a homeless man with severe insomnia who didn't get anywhere near his daily calorie intake quota. Greasy hair, uneven stubble, bags under his eyes deeper and darker than the Mariana Trench, skinny wrists, obvious fatigue.
Now, he's... well, he looks cleaner for one. His stubble has been tamed and cleaned up around the edges. His hair is washed, conditioned, and free of tangles. He's been sleeping fairly regular hours. He says fairly because merfolk don't need as much sleep as most, and that leads to Shota operating on their hours no matter how much Atlantis insists he should get a few more hours in.
He stands up straighter, it's clear he's been eating better, he... he just looks like he's taking care of himself. Tensei seems surprised by this, but pleasantly so. He takes it all in with that obnoxiously calculating glint in his eyes.
"Shota." Tensei greets easily, voice a little raspy. His eyes flicker to Izuku and Atlantis, who have matching looks of anticipation plastered on their faces. It would be almost endearing if Shota actually liked kids. "And you're... Midoriya, from the sports festival! Tenya's mentioned you a few times. Your performance was pretty terrifying, kid! It's nice to meet you, and you as well, Mr..."
"Atlantis Aizawa." Shota filled in before anyone else could say anything, feeling a sense of vindictive glee when Tensei's smile slips. His head snaps back at towards Aizawa, and he stares at him like he doesn't believe what he just heard. Shota grins widely, smug and entirely self-satisfied. Atlantis makes a noise at him that's halfway caught between scolding and amusement. "My husband."
"Hi!" Atlantis blurted out brightly, turning away form his husband and instead giving a wave. Izuku looked like he could hardly contain his own excitement, practically teeming in place.
Tensei blinked wildly a few times, looking between the two men like he thought maybe he was hallucinating. Shota could barely keep himself from laughing out loud when he moved to check the painkiller dial on his wrist, a furrow in his brows.
"You're not imagining it. I'm honestly surprised Nemuri didn't tell you." Shota drawled out, throwing an arm around his husband's shoulders. Tensei made a face like he'd just sucked a lemon and even Midoriya was eyeing him like he was from another planet. Was it really that shocking that Shota managed to reel someone of Atlantis' caliber in? He did have a lot of character flaws... and had sort of looked like garbage when they first met... and-- you know what, never mind. At least he had a six pack and was good at bending to Atlantis' every whim at the drop of a hat. Shota sniffed suddenly, frowning. Not the point here. "I'm sorry we didn't come sooner, Tensei."
Atlantis's smile dimmed a little too and he nodded as well, shoving himself further into his husband's side. Midoriya glanced down at his feet, biting the inside of his cheek and not saying anything. Tensei seemed to sober up at that pretty fast. He let the shock wash off his face, instead giving them a smile. It was a strained one that didn't match his eyes, which were still a little wild from the shocking revelation that had been dropped on him.
"Hey, no. It's not a big deal at all." Tensei said in a good-natured sort of way. Shota huffed out a burst of air, and Tensei glanced down at his legs. There were blankets over them but it didn't matter. Even if they were cold, he wouldn't feel it. "You really didn't have to. I'll be out of here in no time. I'm grateful for the company, but--"
"That's the thing, Tensei. We're not here to keep you company." Shota cut him off. Tensei stopped, blinking at him. Aizawa looked down, feeling oddly ashamed to be standing in front of his friend like this now. Tensei would've came for Shota as soon as he heard. Aizawa should have done the same, especially seeing the state his student was in as a result. "I'm sorry we didn't come sooner, or at least call. Things have been... very complicated lately, but it's not excuse."
Tensei looked utterly lost now, staring at Shota like he was batshit fucking insane. Which was fair. Shota's life, to be honest, was. He was married to a merman and now there was an ancient power in one of his students, and there was some several-centuries-old aquatic supervillain out there ready to steal their quirks and kill them all. His husband was also buffed as all hell and could apparently heal spinal injuries that were classified as irreversible.
"I lived a very secluded life before I met Shota, Mr. Iida." Atlantis piped up hesitantly. He stepped forward slightly, wringing his hands together nervously. It was a move he wouldn't have had the courage to make not all that long ago. Shota felt irrationally proud. "My quirk wasn't registered, and even now the extent of it isn't filed for safety purposes. But you're my husband's friend, and one of his student's is your younger brother. When I heard what happened, we had to come. I'm sorry we couldn't arrive sooner."
Something clicked in Tensei's brain, and suddenly he looked very, very fragile.
"I-I-" Tensei sputtered out, unsure. His hands curled into fists around his blanket. His eyes were suspiciously wet, but Atlantis' smile was encouraging and so openly honest it seemed like it'd be cruel to cry. "You're not saying-"
"He has a healing quirk." Izuku couldn't help himself. Tensei looked like all the air in his lungs had been pushed out, but there was something underneath that seemed a lot like hope. Izuku cleared his throat a bit, cheeks flushing a bit under Aizawa's unimpressed gaze. Atlantis didn't share that sentiment, simply nodding. Izuku cleared his throat a little, tone lowering. "I-It's really good, Mr. Iida. Like, really good."
"He's right. It doesn't take energy out of the patient, either. It uses water somehow and-- we really don't know the logistics of how it works. We just know it does and that it's incredibly powerful. You can't tell anyone about it, because people will ask." Shota spoke, voice carefully controlled. Tensei brought a shaking hand up to his mouth, and Aizawa couldn't help but smile at him. It was a genuine, apologetic sort of smile. "But he can do it, Tensei. If you want him to."
Atlantis felt his husband's passion and hope and regret for not getting here sooner thrumming through their connection in a steady stream. He held his breath, watching Tensei roll the words over.
It was a rather amazing sight to witness. Atlantis had never thought he'd be able to help people this way. Alone in the ocean, it hadn't seemed like he'd get the chance to use his powers on anything but sea life. Which was fine and he reveled in that too, but this was something else. There was a level of connection and emotion here that animals did not have.
It was easy to forget what they were up against out there when they were sequestered alone in here. Where the only issue they faced was a spinal injury and a heart monitor that was now racing with anticipation. Tensei looked like he'd been smacked in the face. He didn't seem to trust himself enough to speak, gawking like he didn't quite believe them but desperately wanted to. He knew Shota would never lie, but this sounded impossible. Was impossible, really, but magic sort of defied the logic of what was by being what should be instead.
Atlantis stepped forward one more time, to the end of Tensei's bed. He looked him in the eyes, earnest promise swimming in the glowing, sea-green depths of his iris. Something in the air hitched, and Tensei's breath followed with it.
The energy that drifted through the air in tendrils wasn't normal. It filled the room startlingly, and Shota stepped to the side to close the door as the sky outside began to darken in a manner near ominous. Midoriya flinched only slightly, eyes darting to the sudden storm brewing outside.
All Tensei could manage was a nod. Outside, the light patter of rain started, steady on the window. Atlantis smiled.
~
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