In a tranquil little town where nothing remarkable ever happens, sat a tiny, single-story house near the outskirt of town. Inside, y/n was on her couch, snuggled under a fuzzy blanket. Her darkened living room was lit up by both the moonlight sparkling through her open window and the television light as she flipped rapidly through different channels.
A live news report had caught her attention. She cocked her head to the side slightly and pulled the blanket closer to her face as she watched. Footage from a news copter showed people in a panic and running in the streets as a group of sizeable dark figures ran wild. They were destroying everything. Buildings falling apart, cars flipped over, and the occasional body was shown laying limp and lifeless in the street. Y/n could hear the news reporter's frightened voice shake as she reported the chaos from the security of the news copter.
"Shinitori City," y/n muttered under her breath. "That's not far away." The TV flashed back to more footage of the strange figures running in the street as a car burst into flames. Y/n wondered if those were legitimate monsters or maybe a group of villains with heteromorphic quirks. Either way, y/n felt terrified.
A shiver ran down her spine. The news is always so scary nowadays; this is why I barely ever watch stuff like this anymore. Y/n glimpsed over to her window and looked out. As far as she can tell, everything appeared peaceful. The little scene outside her windowpane was so calm that it almost looked like time itself had stopped. A small wave of relief came over her; it seems like she had nothing to fear.
Her attention returned to the TV once again. A large flock of pro heroes made it onto the scene. Y/n supposed there's even less to worry about now. And with that, she turned off the TV.
Y/n stood up, allowing her blanket to fall back onto the couch. The clock over in the kitchen read 10 o'clock, she stretched. "Hm, time to sleep soon."
She made her way out of the living room and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom door. Sitting on the edge of her bathtub, she turned the hot water faucet and watched the water slowly fill the tub. Y/n couldn't help but think about those poor people in Shinitori City right now. While she was getting ready to relax in a nice warm bath, many people not too far away were suffering.
Y/n slid down into the water, just far enough to submerge her mouth. Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she then slowly exhaled out of her mouth and watched the tiny bubbles emerge to the surface. Y/n needed to take her mind off the news.
It's a little past 10. I have to be up at 5 and get to the shop by 6, y/n began to think to herself. In y/n's head, she counted the hours. 11, 12, 1, 2... 7? About 7 hours. Not too bad.
Y/n finished up in the tub and pulled the drain. Grabbing a soft, fluffy towel and wrapping it around her body as she stepped out. She dried herself as fast as she could and hurried across the hallway towards her room. Y/n grabbed the first thing she saw, a loose T-shirt and a pair of shorts. She put them on and slid into bed.
Meanwhile, the city of Shinitori was in shambles. The pro heroes had split themselves into groups and got to work. Some groups led civilians to safety, some groups dug through the rubble looking for the injured, other groups fought head to head with the monsters they called Nomu. A much smaller group searched the city for the ringleader of this attack. Little did the heroes know, the young man behind the attack was still in Shinitori city. He was carefully watching and studying his newest batch of Nomu.
The blue-haired ringleader stood in an alleyway, well hidden among the shadows, his arms crossed in front of him and leaning his shoulder against a wall. "Well, any news?" he asked out loud as his adviser manifested behind him.
The second man was well dressed, but his unique physical features stood out the most. The man had a strange shadow-like attribute that moved about like a flame on a candle and wispy yellow eyes. He spoke up immediately. "It seems many of the nearby pros have made their way in town. I believe all nearby cities have been left mostly to sidekicks."
His blue-haired leader dropped his hands to his side and turned around. His ruby eyes reflected in the moonlight as they met with his comrade's. "And the groups?" he inquired.
"Both teams have made it to their designated towns. Due to the chaos here, they are fully able to go about undetected," the shadow-like man reported. Pleased with the report, the young leader hid a twisted smile, obscured by a disembodied hand latched onto his face. His adviser continued. "No matter what happens to these Nomu, the plan will succeed. Shall we return to the base, Tomura Shigaraki?"
The ringleader, who was known as Tomura Shigaraki, crossed his arms once again and shook his head. "I don't think so. I want to stay for a little bit longer." His ally strongly opposed the decision, but he held his tongue and let the young master do as he wished.
Suddenly, a sharp pain overcame Shigaraki, and before he knew it, he and his comrades were face down on the ground. Shigaraki turned his head and looked over his shoulder to see a hero had pinned him down. Another hero, who held down his shadowy comrade, called out with a warning. "Careful with that one, don't let him touch you."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," he answered casually; "I've read the reports. He can disintegrate everything he touches, eh? I'm not letting this one get away." The hero who had Shigaraki pinned down was near twice his size. His hands curled over Shigaraki's arms, and his razor-sharp nails effortlessly dug into the concrete below them. He had no intention of ever letting go of this villain. He glanced up at the other hero. "Hey, my hands are kinda tied, think you can call for backup and the cops?" The much shorter hero nodded and called for backup on a handheld radio.
Shigaraki took advantage of the heroes' shift in attention. He slipped an arm free from the hero's grasp and swiped at the man above him. The hero leaned back, just barely escaping Shigaraki's touch. He recoiled and, in turn, dug his claw-like nails into the villain's now free arm, leaving a deep wound in Shigaraki's left arm. Once again, Shigaraki was pinned down.
In the distance, Shigaraki could hear police sirens quickly approaching. "Kurogiri, get us out of here," he demanded. In an instant, a black fog formed under Shigaraki and the man called Kurogiri.
"No, no, no," the hero panicked as Shigaraki began to sink into the fog quickly. He felt the hero release his grip on the hits arms. A sharp pain overtook Shigaraki as he saw the hero dig his claws into Shigaraki's stomach in a futile attempt to get a better hold on him.
Now that the villain's hands were finally free, Shigaraki reached out and held the hero's arm in his grip. Before his comrade's portal closed, Shigaraki heard the hero howl in pain as his skin flaked off along his arm, revealing the sensitive nerve endings and muscles underneath.
Shigaraki found himself in the middle of the quiet street. He stood up weakly, blood dripped from his arm and stomach. He kept his cool and observed his surroundings.
There was a small strip of shops along a tree-lined street. The street was empty, and all the shops appeared closed for the day. With no knowledge of the area, Shigaraki aimlessly walked down the road slowly.
An adrenaline high kept him from being overcome with the pain from his wounds. While Shigaraki walked, he carefully used torn up bits of his shirt to soak up some of the blood.
Nearly half an hour had passed since Shigaraki found himself in the tree-lined shopping area, although he felt like he had been walking for hours. He was starting to calm down and was now beginning to feel the pain from his open wounds.
Shigaraki fell to his knees and curled forward, he sharply inhaled with gritted teeth. The villain scanned the area. He seemed to be in a residential area. Mustering all of his strength, the blue-haired villain rose to his feet. The pain from his wounds had become overwhelming, and his vision began to blur.
Even so, he refused to die here. He still had plans. He still needed to become the overlord of the underworld.
Shigaraki made his way to a nearby house; it was quaint with a small garden in front. Shigaraki noticed the lights were off. He guessed that he could probably break inside and kill whoever lived there. It might take a day or two until anyone notices the inhabitants have gone missing. Once inside, he can find a way to contact someone from his organization, The League of Villains, and then recover in safety.
The blue-haired villain approached the back door and touched the doorknob with three fingers. It was locked, but that won't stop him for too long. He placed his remaining fingers on the handle, and it began to chip away piece by piece until it was gone entirely. Shigaraki pushed the door open with his shoulder.
Exhausted, bleeding, and in pain, Shigaraki entered the house. He walked a few more feet forward before collapsing to the wooden floor. Facedown, he lay silent, listening carefully.
It looks like whoever lives here doesn't own a dog, nor have they been alerted to my presence. Shigaraki quietly exhaled. His vision was beginning to go black, and his eyelids growing heavy. It'll probably be fine to rest for a minute before finding the inhabitants.
Y/n woke to a strange sound outside her hallway. Rolling over, she reached out and grabbed her phone. She instinctively let out a small groan after being blinded by her phone's light. Y/n squinted her eyes and looked at the time. It's nearly one in the morning. She placed her phone back on the end table by her bedside and stared at the wall.
After her vision adjusted itself to the darkness again, she got up and walked out of her room. She made her way out of the hallway and into her living room. Y/n's fingertips ran down the wall next to her, searching for the light switch. Not long after, she flipped the switch, and light illuminated the room.
Eyes wide, y/n covered her mouth in shock as she discovered the stranger lying unconscious on her floor. As slowly as possible, she inched her way towards the man to get a closer look.
Y/n could feel herself break into a cold sweat. A chill ran down her spine as she saw the puddle of blood coming out from underneath him. Y/n wondered if he was dead.
Taking unsteady steps forward, she approached him and got down to her knees. Y/n reached out and placed her trembling fingertips against his neck. Immediately, she noticed the condition of his neck. There were scratches, scabs, and scars littered all over.
His skin was as cold as ice, but she ignored it. A pulse is what decides if someone is alive or dead, not the warmth of their skin. Y/n waited, trying to feel for a pulse.
It was slow and faint, but he had a pulse. He's alive, y/n thought to herself, a wave of relief washed over her.
She looked down at the blood puddle underneath him. Y/n noted that he was bleeding out fast. Questions raced through her mind as she panicked over what to do. Who is he? How did he get in? How much blood loss is too much? If I called an ambulance, would they make it in time? Do I have anything to stop the bleeding?
Quickly, y/n rose to her feet and rushed into the bathroom. She didn't know if she had time to properly search for her first aid kit, so y/n grabbed a pile of clean towels and brought them to the stranger. As carefully as she could, y/n rolled him onto his back.
Now she could see the full scope of his injuries. Y/n peeled away at the fabric scraps that had been thoroughly soaked in blood and hardened into his open wound while feeling a bit squeamish. She tightly wrapped his arm up with a towel, trying to put as much pressure as she could without needing to keep a constant hold on it.
As soon as she was sure his blood flow slowed, y/n grabbed more towels from the stack next to her and pressed them against the wound on his stomach. Y/n sat motionless, putting all of her efforts into maintaining the pressure on his injury.
Y/n felt like she had been sitting by the stranger's side for eternity. In reality, it couldn't have been more than ten minutes.
She looked towards his face, strangely, she just now noticed the hand obscuring it. Y/n wondered if it was real, but she quickly shook the thought out of her head. That's ridiculous. There's no way.
Suddenly, she thought about her phone. Y/n mentally scolded herself. Had she not left her phone in her bedroom, she could have called an ambulance while she did this.
Lifting one hand off the towel, y/n reached over and checked for the stranger's pulse. His skin is so cold, but he's still alive, she reassured herself.
"Okay, as soon as I'm sure his bleeding stopped, I'll call for an ambulance," she muttered under her breath. Y/n began to pull her hand back from the stranger's neck when suddenly she felt something wrap around her wrist.
The pressure around her wrist was quick and sudden, almost like a snake snapping at its prey. Y/n jumped and let out a small yelp. As if a reflex, she covered her mouth with her free hand.
The stranger stared at her; the look in his eyes was cold and piercing. A chill ran down her spine. It was as if he was looking into her soul. Y/n froze in her place. The stranger was on the ground, the look in his eye made y/n feel like he was looking down on her. She didn't know who he was, but she knew she was scared of him.
Shigaraki stayed silent as he pondered the fate of the girl in his grip. On the one hand, the girl before him did try to save his life. For that, he spared her from his quirk. He had a tight grip on her wrist, all of his fingers dug into her skin, sans his little finger. On the other hand, he'd heard her mention calling an ambulance. That was inexcusable and was reason enough to execute her.
He made a decision. The girl's ability to keep herself alive will depend on how she answered his questions. "What's your name?"
He noticed the girl flinch at his harsh tone. "M-my name," she stuttered. The h/c haired girl took a deep yet shaky breath. "My name is y/n l/n."
Shigaraki studied the girl. He noticed she was showing many signs of fear, but she managed to maintain eye contact with him. He was sure y/n knew he could see her fear. Shigaraki guessed that y/n wanted to have at least one way to show even an ounce of bravery.
"Y/n," he started, his rough voice made y/n flinch again. "Does anyone else live here? Remember, I'll kill you if you lie to me." His little finger ever so slightly hovered over her skin.
"Ah, no," y/n broke her eye contact for a moment. "I live alone. Honestly." Her eyes moved back up to meet his. He went silent for a moment and observed her body language further.
Y/n appeared scared and didn't have a bit of confidence. Although Shigaraki believed she was telling the truth, he had already prepared a plan just in case she was lying to him. "You will not be calling an ambulance or the police," his grip tightened even more, and his voice became more guttural as he talked. "Or a hero."
The girl in his grip let out a pitiful whimper. Shigaraki could see how desperately she wanted to pry his fingers from her wrist. Y/n, looking broken and defeated, bowed her head in submission. "Yes, I understand. I'm so sorry." She bowed down even more. "I-I am. I was– trying to help." She looked up at him, and tears were running down her face.
"I've made a decision," he stated; "I'm staying here until I heal up a little." Y/n opened her mouth to say something, but Shigaraki cut her off before she could say anything. "I'm not asking. I'm demanding."
Shigaraki could see the life drain from her face. There was nothing she could do. He had her and her life in his grip. "I-I understand," she replied weakly. Shigaraki felt like he had sufficiently put fear into her. He knew she would do whatever he needed.
"If you turn on me, I'll kill you. But before that, my comrades will go and hunt down everyone you have ever loved and cared for. They'll kill them all first, and their blood will be on your hands." Although she couldn't see it, he was grinning under the hand attached to his face. "Friends, family, coworkers. It'll be game over."
She looked to the ground in submission. "Right, I understand."
And with that, the villain released her from his grip. Y/n pulled her hand to her chest and held onto it with the other. "Uhm," she began, looking towards the hallway. "I think I should move you to another room. Probably shouldn't bleed out on the floor." She raised herself to her feet, offering him her hand. "D-do you need help?"
Shigaraki looked at her hand. He took hold of it, careful to keep one finger off her. With y/n's help, he forced himself to sit up. He felt a sudden jolt of pain and placed the palm of his hand on his stomach as he recoiled. Shigaraki noticed y/n watching him with a helpless expression on her face.
Y/n had let him rest for a bit. After a moment, she removed the stranger's hand from hers and offered him her forearm instead. She helped him to his feet. It took some effort, but together, Shigaraki got himself standing. Y/n slowly led him to the hallway in silence.
Shigaraki observed the hallway. The house was small. It almost seemed too small for one person. It has also been dead silent this whole time. He finally concluded the girl leading him was not lying. She truly lived alone. Would she betray him? He was not so sure about that.
She led him to her room and flipped the light switch. "Sorry, I only have one bedroom," he heard her say quietly.
Shigaraki looked around and noticed the cell phone on the nightstand. As soon as she finished helping him into her bed, he released her arm and pointed to her cell phone. "I want that," he demanded.
"Ah, w-wait, wait," she pleaded with him. Shigaraki shot a furious look at her from behind his face-obscuring hand. Y/n looked down and explained herself. "That's my only phone. I have work in a few hours. I live in a small community. If I don't show up, then someone will come here looking for me."
"So be it. Call out of work now," Shigaraki replied. "You will call right here, right now. Make up a reason to be out for a few days. You will then hand that phone over to me."
Y/n took the phone in her hand and looked down at it. He heard her mumble something about it being nearly two in the morning. Shigaraki watched the girl swipe her finger across the screen to unlock it and tap around. Finally, she stopped at a number.
She hesitated before calling the number. Shigaraki could see y/n's eyes look from the phone up to Shigaraki. Her lips quivered as she turned on the phone's speaker so both she and the stranger can listen in.
The sound of ringing filled the room as she and the villain both waited silently. As expected, no answer. The voicemail message went off. Y/n felt uncomfortable knowing the blue-haired man now knew her boss's full name. Suddenly, her train of thought broke by a long beep.
Y/n hesitated before she spoke, she didn't have enough time to gather her thoughts. "Ah, yes. Miss Yagami, it's me y/n. I am so sorry to call you at this time." She cleared her throat. She sounded distressed. "I-I... I," her voice trailed off, and she sighed.
It was all or nothing, and her life depended on this voicemail. "I just got a call from family, and there's been an emergency. I have to leave tomorrow morning to be with them. I-I'm sorry, but I won't be in for a few days. I promise I'll make it up to whoever takes my shifts and cover for them the minute I get back in town. I think I'm going to lose reception on the way. Sorry, but I'll try to keep in touch as soon as I can."
Y/n hung up and handed her phone to the villain sitting in her bed. He took her phone into his hand and held onto it. His ruby eyes met her e/c eyes. "Let this be a demonstration of what could happen to you if you annoy me."
He placed all five fingers onto her phone. She watched as her phone began to chip and rust into nothing. Y/n gave him a look as if to say she understood. A smile crossed his face. "Good girl."
"U-uhm," she stammered. "Mister," y/n elongated the R in mister, realizing she didn't know what to call him. She was too terrified to call him something he didn't like.
"Tomura Shigaraki," he replied.
"Right, Shigaraki." Y/n pointed to the other side of her room. "Before you lay down, maybe I should patch up your wounds?" She didn't sound confident, and it showed.
Shigaraki sighed as if she was a hassle. "Do as you wish."
Y/n anxiously turned around and rummaged in her closet. A moment later, she pulled out a small box and approached Shigaraki. "Uhm," she began, but Shigaraki cut her off.
"I know, I know," he impatiently replied as he carefully removed the hand from his face and gingerly placed it down beside him. Using his uninjured arm, he tried to remove his shirt. Y/n watched him struggle.
She noted that he seemed frustrated with his wounded arm. She patiently stood still as he placed his fingers on his shirt, the ash residue from his quirk dirtied her blankets.
Cautiously, y/n approached even closer and sat on the edge of the bed, placing the box onto her lap. Y/n placed the box on her bed and stood back up. She walked out of the room for a moment and came back in with a towel, dampened with warm water.
Y/n sat back down on the bed and gently cleaned the wound on his stomach. Her eyes looked him over for a moment. When y/n first began to treat him on the floor, she had wondered what he was hiding under the hand. In another timeline, had she never met him under these circumstances, she wouldn't have thought he was so scary.
To y/n's surprise, he seemed to be about her age. The villain didn't look like a monster. Y/n could tell he didn't take care of himself just by looking at his unmasked face. His neck was in horrid condition with scars and scratches all over. Deep wrinkles surrounded his eyes. The villain's nearly shoulder-length hair was a mess, y/n wouldn't be surprised if he had several knots hidden in his light blue hair. Y/n could also see that he has undoubtedly been biting on his nails. Those features certainly made him look unique.
Shigaraki gave her a stern look. She figured he noticed that she was staring at his face. "What?" he asked in a bitter tone. Y/n instantly shook her head as if to say nothing and began treating his wounds.
As quickly and carefully as possible, she finished wiping the dried blood that accumulated on his chest and stomach. Y/n cut and peeled the protective paper from the bandage and placed it on his wound. She stood up and moved to sit behind him.
Y/n felt more comfortable sitting behind Shigaraki, away from his piercing gaze. She began to wrap up his abdomen. As she did, y/n noticed little things about Shigaraki that she hadn't seen earlier.
He has a scar on his right shoulder, and it looks like it was a deep one. There was a small scar right above his elbow. He also had matching scars on both his hands. Those scars, in particular, stood out as odd to y/n. Having identical scars on the palms of his hands was unusual.
Shigaraki was also more muscular than she thought. The villain had a sickly appearance to him. His shirt, which wore loose on him, definitely made him look thinner.
Finished with his abdomen, she moved back to her previous spot to work on patching up his left arm. She hesitated for a moment; her bed was in the upper left corner of her room, so she couldn't just walk to the other side of the bed to get closer to his injured arm. Y/n doubted that she could convince him to move.
Y/n had two choices. Option A: climb over him and sit between him and the wall. Or option B: reach over him. Y/n settled with B, refusing to trap herself between him and the wall.
She scooted closer to him and did her best to clean and bandage Shigaraki's wounded left arm from his right side. As she moved around, her shoulder would occasionally softly bump into Shigaraki's chest.
In the corner of her eye, y/n saw Shigaraki tilt his head. She could feel Shigaraki's gaze on her. The villain staring at her made her feel uncomfortable. Y/n could feel her chest tighten up, but she dare not meet his eyes or even suggest that she knew he was looking at her. Upsetting him was the last thing y/n wanted to do.
Finally, she sat up straight. "Okay, I'm done." Y/n packed the extra gauze and bandages into the box. Standing up and walking to the nightstand, she placed the box down. Under her feet, she can feel the dust that was once her cell phone. "I guess, I will let you rest," she quietly said, turning to the blue-haired man.
Y/n walked to the bedroom door. Behind her, she could hear Shigaraki readjust himself before lying down. She glanced over her shoulder and looked at Shigaraki before turning off the light. "Let me know if you need anything," she said before closing the door.
Y/n was restless and couldn't sleep. A dangerous villain was in the other room, and she didn't know what to do. For a moment, she considered leaving and getting help while he was in her room. Then she remembered what Shigaraki told her. Her heart sank as she remembered him saying his comrades would kill all of her friends and family. Y/n couldn't take the risk.
Y/n huddled into a ball on the couch. She turned on the TV and watched a news report. It looks like the villain attack in Shinitori was cleared up. The monsters wreaking havoc were completely wrangled up and being hauled off. Many people were safe, but there were just as many casualties.
The reporter mentioned two villains were tracked down by a pair of new heroes. One hero was hospitalized in serious condition. Unfortunately, both villains escaped. No further information about the escape was released. However, names were released.
Y/n's chest deflated as she read the names on the screen. Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe; she practically forgot how to. Not only was the man in her room one of the names that popped up on her screen, but he also had something to do with the horrible attack in Shinitori.
She learned that he was a member of the League of Villains. Y/n wasn't familiar with Shigaraki, but she's overheard conversations about The League of Villains at the shop. They've worked personally with Hero Killer: Stain, the man in prison for both killing thirteen heroes and injuring many more to the point of early retirement. The League of Villains was also the source of several attacks throughout the country.
Her blood ran cold, and she grew even more nervous than she already was. Y/n began to feel nauseous, her heart raced, and her hands were trembling more than they ever have before. Y/n turned off the TV and sat in the dark. She couldn't handle this right now.
Y/n sat in the dark for hours. Motionless and thoughtless. Her trance broke by the light from the rising sun entering her living room window. The clock in the kitchen read 8:30 am. She doesn't remember the past five and a half hours. Y/n practically blacked out, huddled on the couch.
A thought of denial crossed her mind. She recalled watching a news report before bed. She convinced herself that she took details from yesterday's villain attack and had a nightmare. Y/n told herself that it was the most logical conclusion.
Y/n rose to her feet with a little more confidence and glanced at the now dried blood puddle on the floor. Her attention moved to her wrist. Y/n saw four bruises imprinted onto her skin. No, it wasn't a dream after all.
Y/n approached the dried blood and bent down to touch it, all while wondering if she can scrub it out. She was going to have time to kill for the next week, so she figured she could spend some time trying to remove the stain. If he heals quicker, he might leave even sooner.
She decided, for the next week, y/n will dot her i's and cross her t's. Her priority was not to upset Shigaraki. He might decide not to kill her, and then he will leave. Y/n will never see him again. Years from now, she will have her personal horror story to tell her future children when the trauma eventually dies down. If it ever does.
Walking away from the dried blood, she made her way to the kitchen while she counted how many times she'd need to interact with Shigaraki in a day. Well, I need to feed him, so that'll be three visits right there, she thought to herself while opening the fridge, mindlessly grabbing the eggs and bacon. Maybe six visits total? She wondered. Y/n grabbed the nearest frying pan.
She stood at the stovetop and silently prepared scrambled eggs and bacon. Once y/n finished making breakfast, she divided the food evenly onto two plates. She poured apple juice into a pair of glasses.
Placing everything on a serving tray, she carefully walked to her room. Y/n cracked the door open and stood still, listening for Shigaraki. "Yes, I'm awake," he grumbled.
Y/n remind herself to throw on her Customer Service Happy Face before walking into the room. She placed the tray on her nightstand alongside the first aid kit and hand.
"I made breakfast," she announced. Shigaraki turned his head and raised an eyebrow, noting that she had brought in two plates. Slowly, Shigaraki began to sit up. Y/n jumped to help him by moving his pillow and propping it against the headboard. Shigaraki slid himself in his place.
She handed him his plate and walked over to the desk by her closet. Y/n rolled her computer chair beside the bed and sat crisscross in the chair.
She didn't want to spend the next week being his silent servant. She was going to make the best of a horrible situation. She planned to try to be as friendly as possible and pray that he'll let her live. "So, do you have any advice for removing dried blood on wood?" Y/n asked, assuming that the villain had experience on the topic.
"Put a rug over it," Shigaraki replied in a flat tone while he stabbed at the eggs with a fork. "Next time you make food, bring chopsticks instead of utensils like these. It's easier on my quirk," he informed y/n in a demanding tone.
Y/n held her tongue and nodded, the way he said that irritated her. She asked herself how she was supposed to know that. "Oh," she said, looking down at her food.
Y/n realized she didn't have anything to talk about with the villain. She was in a once and a lifetime situation. Not many have the chance to speak with a lunatic like Shigaraki and poke at his brain. However, nothing was coming up, and this was starting to feel like a missed opportunity.
Shigaraki broke the silence. "Your quirk." Y/n's skin began to crawl. Asking about her quirk was the one thing she prayed wouldn't happen. She hadn't gotten on his good side yet.
Y/n sat quietly, debating what to say to the villain. The truth, quirkless, the truth, quirkless, her mind bounced back and forth between the two.
"My quirk," y/n echoed, deciding it would be in her best interest to tell him the truth. "It's called Liar." Shigaraki raised a brow and demanded the details. Y/n didn't want to tell him everything. Her quirk has too many rules; besides, she rarely used her quirk, so she didn't understand the ins and outs of it herself. "Basically, in layman terms, I'm a good liar," she looked over to him, her eyes meeting his.
"How do I know you haven't used it on me then?" Shigaraki snapped, irritated and paranoid that she may have used her quirk on him. He began to scratch at his neck out of frustration as he began to ramble psychotically. "I knew I should have just killed you, this is what I get for being a nice guy and sparing you," his voice began to rise with his growing irritation. "I can't. I'm done. You, Y/n, you are don–"
Y/n was visibly panicking as she saw him reach out for her. She tried to shield herself with her arms, even though she should be well aware that won't work. "I haven't lied to you," y/n blurted as quickly as possible.
Shigaraki stopped himself. His fingers only mere inches away from her. "Can you prove it? Choose your words carefully, girl," he threatened, refusing to pull his hand away.
"If I was going to lie to you, wouldn't it be easier to say I was quirkless or make up a different quirk?" Her eyes met his. "It's not easy to prove I haven't used my quirk, but if I had, you would believe my word immediately. You wouldn't question anything I say."
That was true. At no point had Shigaraki ever taken her word at face value. He learned always to have a guard of caution up and always to be wary of people he couldn't trust. Still, that doesn't mean she hadn't used her quirk. For all he knew, that was another lie.
He deduced that she had to have been at least somewhat truthful. As much as the thought of her quirk made him sick, he realized that she hadn't called for help yet. "Then how do I know when you're telling the truth?" His eyes narrowed as she shook her head. "How do I know I can trust you?"
Y/n let out a small, empty laugh. "Well, get in line then. No one ever fully trusts me. I can't turn it off, so how could they? I don't blame them, though. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't trust me neither."
Shigaraki noted a change of tone in her voice, one he had not heard her use before. By now, he's listened to her scared, distressed, timid, and even at one point worried for his sake. Y/n had just now talked much more directly than she ever had before. It seems I struck a chord.
"A game of perception, eh?" Shigaraki retracted his hand in thought. "I'll play along."
Author's Note:
❣ Thank you to OkayItsRobine for becoming my official beta reader and keeping me sane while I rewrite this whole thing! Please give her some love. ❣