Tomura was acting strangely after y/n came back with Spinner. It was like he was in a bad mood, except y/n could tell he wasn't; not any more than usual, that is. Unless it was League related, he kept to himself and ignored y/n.
Y/n thought it was unusual, but didn't think much of it for the first few days. She assumed Tomura was having one of his moods, and he was keeping y/n at arm's length to prevent himself from blowing up at her. Alternatively, Kurogiri has been encouraging y/n to find more villains for The League. She was never able to recreate the same overwhelming success as the time Spinner accompanied her. Y/n considered that Tomura might be upset with how she has been performing.
Either way, y/n ignored Tomura's odd behavior, she has given Tomura the silent treatment before. When he first brought y/n to his hideout, she ignored him on and off for three weeks. After IronStrike's death, she went silent for several days; y/n wanted to refuse Tomura's advances, but she wasn't going to pass up a chance to see the Nomu. Y/n was still hard at work mentally keeping a record of all League activity for the police when the opportunity comes up to hand over the information.
However, after a week of silence, y/n grew concerned for Tomura's mental health. As much as she didn't want to care about his well being, Tomura was still a person, and someone had to look out for him. Kurogiri was the only one Tomura was somewhat close to, but even Kurogiri didn't seem alarmed by Tomura's sudden sullenness. Y/n felt terrible that no one seemed to care or notice, she decided it would be inhuman not to check up on him.
"Umm, Tomura?" y/n quietly called the villain as she walked to his side and fumbled with her fingers. Tomura paused and glanced over towards y/n. The villain stayed silent. Y/n could see one eye from behind his hair, and the hand latched to his face. The eye looked glossed over and tired. It was hard to tell if Tomura was looking at or behind her.
Y/n took a quick peek at his computer screen. He was looking at local news reports for more villains he deemed qualified to become Nomu. That gave y/n an idea. "Would you like to come with me next time it's my turn to go recruiting?" Tomura shook his head and turned back to his computer. Well, he replied, sort of. Y/n was happy enough to get a response, even if it was nonverbal.
Y/n walked away from the villain and sat down on the couch. She vacantly stared at the back of Tomura's head, lost in thought. Y/n went over the details from her recruitment run with Spinner. She recalled that he was indeed acting normally when she left. Y/n was sure she couldn't have irritated him while she was with Spinner. Y/n tapped her index finger against her lips and thought back to when she got back.
She remembered the last bit of interaction she had with Tomura vividly. It was like seeing snapshots in y/n's mind, clear as day. He messed with her hair and praised her. Then he turned away and became like this. Unbeknownst to y/n, she had a gentle smile on her face.
She often heard people complain about Tomura's childish personality. The way he ruffled her hair always made her feel like he was treating her like a child. At first, y/n thought it was annoying and a little insulting, but now that he hasn't done it in a while, she found that it wasn't as bothersome as she remembered. Y/n ran her fingertips through her h/c hair. I kinda miss it.
Y/n heard Kurogiri calling her. Y/n jumped onto her feet and made her way into the back room. Since Tomura had gone silent, y/n been taking orders from Kurogiri. Y/n lightly touched the back door and peeked inside.
His room wasn't lit up. Y/n could barely see movement from beyond the veil of darkness. "Kurogiri?" y/n called out as she squinted her eyes.
Kurogiri turned on a light, and y/n opened the door wider. "Come on in," Kurogiri said. Y/n did as she was asked and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
Y/n wondered what Kurogiri wanted. Part of her hoped that he'd want to discuss Tomura's sudden withdrawal, she'd prefer to do that then go meet up with more villains. Y/n paused and thought about it. Kurogiri couldn't be asking her to recruit. It wasn't her turn today; unless Himiko somehow convinced Kurogiri to switch days with y/n.
"What do you need?" y/n asked, hoping that Himiko didn't back out today.
"I need you to go to Giran's office today. Tomura Shigaraki and I have some business to take care of." Before y/n could reply, Kurogiri opened up a portal for y/n.
She already knew the answer, but she decided it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Or," y/n paused for a moment before continuing; "I can stay here. I'm a big girl; I don't need a babysitter, right?"
"Very funny, Miss y/n, go through the portal before I bring it to you." Y/n let out a small sigh. Tomura was sure she could be trusted to go outside, y/n wished Kurogiri was the same.
Y/n walked to the portal and inhaled the suffocating aroma of smoke filling a small room. It's been a while since y/n has visited Giran last, she completely forgot to get one last breath of fresh air before entering the warp gate. Y/n tried to stifle a cough. "Hello, y/n," Giran called out from her desk.
Y/n smiled at Giran. "Hi, how are you?" y/n asked. Y/n listened to Giran talk about work as she sat down on the sofa in his office. She glanced it the window and watched people in the streets down below walk about like ants.
Something hard hit y/n's leg, whatever it was bounced off y/n, and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Y/n looked down at the ground and spotted a little black phone. She picked it up and looked at it curiously.
Giran chuckled, catching y/n's attention. "C' mon now, don't act like you've never seen a phone before."
Y/n felt her face flush. "Ah, sorry," she said embarrassed; "it's been a while since I've seen one. What's it for?"
"Man, they keep ya isolated, don't they?" Giran asked. He had no idea how isolated she was. Y/n nodded and listened to Giran talk. "Well, I made a deal with Kurogiri. I need an extra pair of hands around here, so I figured I could borrow a bit of your time, in exchange The League can have a ten percent discount on getting their gear fixed next time. Take that phone. It'll be easier for me to keep in contact with you."
Y/n smiled at the villain and thanked him for the new piece of technology as she looked through the phone. In her contacts, she noticed there was more than just Giran's number saved. Everyone in The League was there. Y/n can't think of a reason to text any of them except Himiko and Twice.
She typed out a quick text to Himiko and paused before sending it. Y/n gave it a thought and wondered if she wanted to provide Himiko with her number right away. Y/n is supposed to be working right now, and she wasn't confident she could hold a conversation with Himiko while doing Giran's odd jobs. Y/n decided not to send Twice a text too. Himiko would probably stab her if the insane blonde girl found out y/n messaged Twice before her.
Giran put y/n straight to work. He needed her to sort through some paperwork and organize his clients into different categories. The much older villain even offered to let y/n work from the couch if she thought it was more comfortable than the floor. Y/n politely smiled and agreed to Giran's offer.
Y/n didn't mind doing Giran's paperwork. The job was simple enough, she enjoyed the older villain's company, and he often bought her a free meal. Plus, y/n knew she could use this time to get information out of Giran. Y/n has had plenty of chances to get help from a police officer or a hero, but she's been putting her rescue off. There were more pressing matters at hand that y/n felt like she needed to deal with first.
Before y/n felt comfortable to flag down help, she needed to find the location of the Nomu Factory. Y/n decided that she would personally make sure that Tomura's plans don't come to fruition. It was the only way she could make up for IronStrike's death. She didn't want him to die in vain.
Planning on double-crossing Tomura was a tricky subject. Tomura always seemed to plan ahead of her. Y/n tried her best to stay on guard and to be wary. She had no idea if Tomura was also holding onto any of her friends and family hostage, just in case y/n acted out. Y/n refused to make a move until she knew everyone was safe and sound. Until she had that vital information, y/n decided that she had to play along with Tomura, just for a little bit longer.
"So, by any chance, do you know anything about The League's plans?" y/n decided that she could be upfront and straight to the point with Giran. Y/n knew if she overstepped any boundaries, she could always wipe his memory and change the subject. It might have been Tomura's crazy rubbing off on her, but y/n found herself becoming more and more comfortable with her quirk as the days go by.
"Nope, not a clue," Giran replied from his desk. He glanced over his computer screen. "I'm just a supplier; I don't get into my client's business. If it doesn't affect me, I don't care."
Y/n felt her heart sink. He wouldn't have any ideas as to where to find the Nomu Factory. For months now, that was y/n's biggest concern. Japan is a big country. It could be hiding anywhere. Plus, The League had Kurogiri, for all y/n knew, that factory could be anywhere in the world. It was frustrating knowing that the factory exists, but having no clue where it physically was.
Y/n decided she struck out with her first question. She was feeling fortunate, though, so she gave her second question a go. Y/n placed down the file in her hand onto one of the stacks. "Part of your job is keeping up with the heroes' gossip," y/n began, she wasn't telling Giran something he already knew. "Has there been any news about my family? Friends, maybe?"
Giran looked over to her. The look in his eyes from behind his glasses was different this time around. She's never seen his eyes carry so much gravity before. It was like his stare alone had slowed down time. If she didn't know any better, y/n world have assumed that was his quirk. Y/n felt her chest grow heavy as she waited for Giran's response.
"Hey, looks like ya finished your pile," Giran began as he reached for another stack on his desk. "This will be next." He pulled his hand out towards y/n.
Y/n stood up and walked towards Giran's desk. She held the thick stack of papers in her hand. "You changed the subject," y/n mumbled in a sad tone. The two made eye contact as they traded off the papers.
"I sure did," Giran replied, his eyes softened back up, and his face returned to normal.
Y/n bit her bottom lip hard. Usually, the act was instinctive, as Tomura pointed out she does it without realizing it when she's too preoccupied thinking of a lie. This time around, it was intentional. Y/n was trying her best to stop herself from lying.
She turned away from the villain and walked back to the couch.
"Thank you for telling me. I appreciate the honesty," y/n mumbled as she sat down and stared at the papers in her hand. Y/n glanced up from the documents. Her gaze trailed the floor towards Giran's desk and up to the villain.
Gran looked blank as if he was effectively brainless. Y/n waited as her quirk affected Giran's memories. Y/n wondered how long it would take this time around. Ever since y/n has been practicing her quirk on villains, she had been learning little things about her quirk that she wouldn't have learned if not for Tomura.
Different lies take longer to override memories compared to others. Y/n doesn't have enough data on her quirk to connect the dots just yet, but y/n knew she'd figure it out eventually. Y/n hoped she was going to get out of The League before that, but finding where Tomura was hiding his Nomu was proving to be more difficult than she thought.
Giran's face returned to normal. Her quirk has done its job. "I'm sorry ya had to learn about it like this." Giran's words were vague but carried so much weight. Y/n needed more details than that. For all she knew, The League murdered everyone, and she was none the wiser this whole time.
Y/n felt like she had been hit by a train. For a moment, y/n nearly forgot where she was. "C-can you run it by me one more time?" y/n managed to stutter. Her hands were now visibly shaking, and she was beginning to feel sick.
"Are ya sure you can handle it? You're looking a little pale there." Y/n tried her best to calm herself down. Taking an unstable breath, y/n swallowed hard and nodded. "Well, after ya were reported missing, one of your little friends had been questioned by the cops. Can't remember her name, gimme one second..." Giran's voice trailed off as he glanced over to his computer. The clacking from his keyboard filled the air. "Ah, yes," he murmured to himself; "Aya was her name." Y/n leaned forward, wondering how Aya had to do with any of this. "She reported that you were last seen with some friends. One of the descriptions she gave matched Shigaraki, right down to that freakish hand he keeps on his face."
It suddenly felt like y/n's world was falling apart, and she was bearing the weight of the remaining pieces on her shoulders. Karma seemed to be collecting her debts; this is why y/n tried so hard not to use her quirk. Y/n wondered how she could get herself out of this mess. "I-I," y/n was rendered speechless. Tomura previously mentioned that she was linked to IronStrike's death. Still, y/n didn't fully understand the full extent of her situation. She wondered if he knew about this and had been hiding this from her for months.
She had no idea things had gotten this out of control. Around the time of IronStrike's death, y/n was positive that she'd only bear the stigma of being labeled a murderer for a little while. Just until she could clear her name.
Y/n began to panic on the inside; however, on the outside, she was still and emotionless. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience. Her mind and body were completely out of sync. Y/n tried to think things through. The investigators had proof that y/n was tied to Tomura and The League months before IronStrike's death. She supposed she could tell the truth and remove her quirk's effect on Aya.
Y/n couldn't help but wonder if that was even possible. It's been a little over half a year since the last time y/n had seen Aya. Y/n has never held her quirk on a person for so long. What if she could remove Liar's effect? Y/n couldn't see how that could benefit her. So what if Aya knew the truth, it wouldn't help her. The only thing it would do is reveal y/n's quirk.
Y/n changed all her legal records to register herself as quirkless. That's illegal. Y/n hated her quirk so much that she wanted to cover any trace of its existence. She never thought of the legal ramifications because she never planned on using it. If y/n's name was announced on TV, the authorities might already know. Someone she went to elementary school or middle school with could have reported her quirk.
Y/n asked herself what was the point, once again, desperately trying to find one shred of reason. Even if y/n removed Liar's effect on Aya, there's no way she could prove anything. It was the nature of her quirk, after all. Y/n can't be trusted.
Y/n tried to think about this situation rationally. She attempted to direct and look at every angle possible. A small, nagging thought attacked her brain: I can't fix this.
Y/n was deathly silent for the rest of her time with Giran. She politely declined his invitation to go out for lunch, suddenly, y/n didn't feel safe going outside anymore. Instead, she kept her head down and continued the monotonous task Giran had assigned to her. It was the only thing stopping her from bursting into tears right then and there.
Kurogiri's portal manifested in Giran's office. Y/n glanced over to Giran and gave him a weak smile. "I'll see you around."
"See you, sweetheart, feel better soon," Giran replied from his desk. He gave y/n a small nod and a reassuring smile.
Y/n walked through the blackened fog. She wasn't expecting much waiting for her back at the hideout. Kurogiri, who preferred to retire to bed early, was most likely going to beeline into his room as soon as she successfully made it back. Y/n knew to keep her expectations low when it came to Tomura. Unless something happened to Tomura, and he's on speaking terms with y/n again.
She watched as the fog dissipated before her. As soon as she could see again, y/n observed her surroundings. It was exactly as she thought, Kurogiri had already turned around and was headed straight for his room. Tomura was sitting on the couch, playing a game.
Tomura didn't look up from his game and acknowledge y/n. She, in turn, felt like he was stabbing her in the heart. Y/n felt helpless in the situation she found herself in. Right now, she truly needed someone to be there for her. Y/n approached the couch and sat down next to Tomura.
Y/n hugged her legs to her chest and rested her cheek against her knees. Her gaze drifted to Tomura's direction, and her eyes fixated on his little handheld.
For an hour, y/n sat next to Tomura in silence and watched him play. She guessed that he was at least halfway through the game by how she was unable to understand the plot. Sometimes, she'd look over to the blue-haired villain next to her.
This is the first time in a long time since they last sat together. It was comforting, even if neither party was talking. Y/n wanted Tomura to acknowledge her. For the first time, y/n didn't repress those warm feelings the villain gave her. The familiarity of sitting close to Tomura was the only thing keeping her grounded.
Art Corner #3:
Had to wait a little after this chapter was posted to add more art. This one is by OkayItsRobine.
Drawing anon characters is hard and I think she did a great job keeping Reader-Chan as anonymous as possible. 👼
❣ Go give the artist some love! ❣