I guess
we are both angels
in each other's stories
and
demons
in our own context. -Afreen Razvi
Long story short, dear reader, our Nomu didn't win. He lost pitifully, actually; a hit from All Might sent him flying through the glass ceiling and out of the USJ.
"No...no," Tomura scratched at his neck, yelling. "You cheated! This isn't fair!" Chaos drowned the room as the main threat was eliminated, and I noticed that Kurogiri had created a portal near Izuku. I ran at it, pulling a knife from the strap on my leg, and aimed to stab his right arm, his punching arm. He tried to dodge, but he was distracted by All Might, and slow.
The gunshot was loud and clear, and it was coming for me. I jolted back, falling out of the portal to try and dodge, but Tomura was suddenly in front of me, the bullet piercing his arm. I gasped, trying to push him away, but he didn't budge, shifting with me as Snipe, a pro hero who had arrived on the scene with many others when we were preoccupied and didn't notice, continued to aim for both of us. One sliced my cheek, my reflexes barely saving me from being shot directly in the face.
A bullet whizzed at my chest and without giving me a chance to dodge, he shoved me back, causing it to nick his shoulder.
"Tomura, stop!" I yelled as he was shot in the arms and legs before I was finally able to muscle him back into the portal. We free-fell downwards and he grabbed me as I fell, somehow avoiding touching me with all five fingers on either hand, turning so he took the impact as our bodies hit the wooden floor of our bar jarringly. I quickly rolled off him, his blood on my clothes.
"Tomura, oh my god." I exhaled as his eyes lazily met mine. "You're so fucking dumb. You could've just died."
Hearing laughter that was low and sounded like static, I looked up to see the TV mounted on the wall flicker on, bold red letters reading Audio Only.
"Master...I was shot. Both arms, my left shoulder, and both legs. We were crushed, and he beat the Nomu. Even the damn kids are strong." Shigaraki coughed.
"I was clipped in the cheek by a bullet." I touched it and my fingertips came away red. "He's in perfect health, Master."
"You were wrong." Tomura hissed.
"I was not wrong." The gravelly voice belonging to All For One replied over the TV. "We simply overstepped our bounds. We underestimated them."
"There was one kid...as fast and strong as All Might." Tomura said quietly.
"His name is Izuku Midoriya, and All Might is training him for some reason. I think it's because they have similar quirks. I don't know. He got in the way of killing All Might." I added, crossing my arms and shivering. The bar was cold and our voices collectively bounced around the empty and echoing space.
"No use crying over spilled milk." Master responded. "We will do this, but we can't move freely. Gather the troops, take the time. The time is plentiful. Tomura Shigaraki, Y/N L/N; next time the world will know of the terror you represent."
Then there was silence. The TV clicked off, and he was gone. After a stretch of silence, I turned to Shigaraki, who was lying on his back, his chest heaving with each breath. Something panged in my heart.
"You're...such an idiot." I said softly. He shakily reached up, removing Father from his face, and looked at me. Something felt off, and it was hard to describe. I couldn't look at him for some reason, my stomach twisting like I was excited. "You really shouldn't have taken those bullets for me. That was-"
"Dumb, I know. You've mentioned." Tomura scoffed. "Whatever." Reaching up again, now towards me, he wiped the blood off my face with two fingers. My face heated up at the sudden touch, making me feel incredibly awkward. I might just be embarrassed that he saved me like that. I gently, but forcefully, pushed his arm back down.
"You're bleeding everywhere Handsy, stop moving."
Kurogiri floated towards us, but I shot him a warning glare, entering his thoughts. Don't come near him, he's beyond pissed. I thought at him and he was gone within seconds, disappearing to who-knows-where. Focusing back on Shigaraki, I rolled my eyes.
"But really, why did you, Shigaraki?" I said seriously. "I'm not kidding, you could've died. You're lucky Kurogiri is good with bullet wounds."
"Y/N, for god's sake. When we're alone, just call me Tenko."
Tenko Shimura, grandson of Nana Shimura.
"Okay, well, Tenko, could you please answer the goddamn question?"
He actually laughed a little, husky.
"I've been stuck with you for so long, it'd be weird if you died. That's it. Happy?"
I flopped back, onto my physical back, beside him, and turned my head to look at him.
"Sure." Rolling my eyes yet again, I looked straight ahead and stared at the ceiling. My whole body felt hot. "Thanks..."
"Don't get used to it." He gruffed, and a silence fell over us, both of us just lying there. It was kind of peaceful, even with his blood on the floor and our injuries. My eyes fluttered shut, exhausted, when a surprisingly warm pinky finger linked with mine, causing them to shoot open. His were closed as my line of sight darted around his face, confused. He's...never like this. He's never saved me like that, never talked to me so softly, never touched me in such a genuine way before. My face burned, and I knew I was flustered, but why, exactly? It's Tenko. It's not Kai (more on him later, trust me) or any of my childhood crushes on random people I couldn't even name now. It's Tomura. I thought he was asleep, but he whispered something very quietly and I turned to look at him again.
"Huh? I can't hear you."
He didn't respond; he just tightened the link of our pinkies the slightest bit more.
.
.
.
I guess I fell asleep, because I woke up on the floor alone, my hand feeling cold. I sat up, gently touching my cheek, and looked out at the tiniest bit of window in the bar to see that it was pitch-black out. The bar would be the same if not for the dull twenty-four-hour running emergency light that flickered and hummed above me, just barely giving the space brightness. Beyond the light beams, the bar would be too dark to see your hand in front of your face. I sat cross-legged on the ground, rubbing my hands to get warmth into them, eyelids heavy and tired. Recalling the day's events, I knew it was time for the League to take a step back and reconsider our goals.
Time had passed, probably a few months. We stayed quiet. Tenko and I watched the UA Sports Festival, which that blonde brat Katuki Bakugo won. Midoriya came in first in the obstacle course race, but you can imagine my joy when he got beat to a pulp by Endeavor's kid, but that was before. This is now.
I was on the ratty sofa, sprawled out and taking up almost all the space on it. Kurogiri was gone retrieving a potential asset, and Tenko was on a stool at the counter, staring at a picture of Midoriya.
"Listen," I spoke aloud, his attention directing to me. "I know I'm obsessed with taking down the kid, but at least I'm not staring at pictures of him. That's a tad bit creepy, Shimura."
He disintegrated it, glaring at me.
"Shut up. You're creepier about all this than me."
I laughed. "Whatever you say."
The door opened and I shifted, sitting up straight. I was wearing a little black dress and my boots, my hair pulled off my face, and my focus was directly on the man who limped in after Kurogiri. He was mostly concealed by the natural shadows of the bar.
"This is him." Kurogiri said. Tomura nodded.
"Who is this?" I asked, my guard up, clicking on the TV so Master could see and hear us, the bold red lettering somehow comforting.
"Shut up." Tenko hissed. I rolled my eyes.
"These are the two I'm doing business with?" The deep, unfamiliar voice snarled. I slowly stood, hand brushing underneath the dress skirt, fingers curling around a knife handle. A little tug would pull it from it's protective holder and I'd be good to go. I sat beside Handsy on a stool, clenching my jaw, dipping into his head.
Tenko, what in the hell is going on?
Shut up.
We're not even talking out loud!
I redirected my attention to the man as he stepped out of the shadows, but all I got was a glimpse at his scarves and strips of fabric hanging from his body; all red and beige. It was all the identification I needed. I removed my hand from the knife. In the worse case scenario, my quirks can get it.
"Okay." Hero Killer Stain began suspiciously. "I get it now. You guys are the ones who attacked UA. And you want me to join your little gang." He glanced from his dead stare on Tenko to me, his eyes dark and empty. I waved, and he looked back at my pale counterpart, covered in all his hands.
"Yep. Exactly." He replied, shrugging. "When it comes to being 'evil'-" he drew out the word sarcastically, "-you're a pro."
"What're you after?"
"We want to kill All Might eventually." Tenko said. I echoed his words under my breath. "But I also want to destroy everything I dislike. Like...the UA brats. Everything." I nodded, smirking, but it fell off my face as Stain's face twisted in disgust.
"It's ridiculous." He basically spat. "You actually had my attention there, too. You are the type I...hate the most."
"Huh?" I asked, confused.
"As if I'd team up with some temper-tantrum throwing child and his girlfriend!" Laughing dryly, he glared at us. I rolled my eyes at the girlfriend comment. Really man? "Bloodlust without conviction is meaningless!"
Heightening my hearing, I listened in on Kurogiri whispering to Master on the monitor, asking if he should stop the exchange. To my surprise, Master said no. I sighed, looking back to Stain, who was stepping closer, and it happened so quick I barely noticed it.
"To truly accomplish anything, you need will...and conviction. Those without it are weak and will be weeded out...it's only natural." Stain growled, and in a flash, he stabbed Kurogiri in the shoulder, licking the blade, and was on me before I could react. I felt the jagged metal rip past my arm, slicing it and drawing blood. His tongue dragged across the blade again and paralysis froze up my body, not even allowing my chest to heave with the quick breathing taking over me. Springing away from me, Stain pinned Tenko down, and the sickening sound of the sword digging into his shoulder, the same shoulder where his bullet wound had just healed, was the only sound in the bar besides my breathing. I saw red, anger bubbling up inside me as I watched Tenko's face twist in pain under Father, holding back any noise.
"Get off him!" I choked out. Stain ignored me, staring down at Tenko again.
"And that's why you're about to die." He finished. Tenko chuckled, masking any sign of pain.
"Ow. So strong...Kurogiri, send him away."
"I can't, it's his quirk, we're frozen." Kurogiri responded. Shimura's eyes met mine for a split second and I focused on the knife strapped under my dress.
"The word hero has lost its true meaning in this corrupt society, full of shams and fakers. Also criminals who aimlessly throw their weight around, too..." His blade shifted from Tenko's shoulder towards Father and Tenko's face and neck. My eyes widened, panic setting in. "You're all targets of my purge..."
Tenko, you moron! He's gonna cut you, and Father too! Decay the damn blade! I yelled at him with my mind, and realization rushed through him as he let the thought sink in, before grabbing the blade with his uninjured arm, decaying it completely although he cut his hand, as well. My heart pounded.
"Woah. Not...this hand." He stared dead up at Stain, growling the words quietly. "I'll kill you...you sure talk a lot of convictions, huh? I have nothing so grand, but I'd say what drives me is All Might...That piece of garbage and the society that worships him. I wanna crush them all into dust. That's my conviction."
The knife at my leg slipped out of its protective case and I concentrated on it, sending it flying towards Stain's head, and made it freeze about an inch from his head.
"Get. Off. Him!" I yelled. Seeing the blade and studying the anger on my face, the Hero Killer carefully moved off Tenko. "Your quirk isn't that great, asshole." I didn't know why exactly I was so angry at Stain, I've seen Tenko get hurt so many times, but for some reason I reacted so differently. "This isn't the only weapon I have hidden away. Don't try shit."
Tenko staggered to his feet.
"My wounds just healed from the last time...we don't have a healer in our little group, you see. Take some responsibility for what you've done." He muttered.
It was straining to hold the knife so stiffly in the air, but I barely felt it. Stain raised his hands up, as if to say that he wasn't going to do anything, but I narrowed my eyes.
"Ghost. You can relax." Tenko said. I glared at Stain, but briefly looked at Tenko and something about the way he was looking at me made me relax, the knife clattering to the floor.
"Our respective goals couldn't be farther apart." The Hero Killer spoke after a moment. "But...destroying the status quo...that's one ambition we have in common."
"What? Go home and die. I'm the 'type you hate most' or whatever." Tenko argued.
"I was testing your sincerity," He replied, meeting Shimura's eyes. "People show their true colors when death is staring them in the face. You're an odd one...but your will...I can see the seed of some warped conviction in you." He stopped, looking at me, nudging the knife on the ground with his foot. "But...I could tell this one-Ghost was it?-was in your head. That split second you froze. Some variation of telekinetic and telepathic ability, I'm suspecting. So she shares your convictions?"
"Why don't you talk to me as if I'm here? I'm full of surprises." I spat.
"I wonder what that seed will yield for the both of you...seeing two people so different from one another so much in sync and on the same page is rare." I quickly glanced at Tenko, who was glaring at Stain with fire in his crimson gaze. "I'll deal with you properly once I've seen that through. It might not be too late."
"Deal with us?" I scoffed. "Alright, sure."
"Can't say I want this crazy guy as a member of our party." Tenko scratched his neck. Kurogiri stiffly stood, Stain's quirk beginning to wear off. My muscles were beginning to loosen, so I wasn't far behind.
"Tomura Shigaraki. Ghost. He'll add some much needed firepower to our efforts. Our negotiations were successful." Kuro hushed us.
"Take me back to Hosu." Stain licked his lips. "I still have some business to attend to there." Soon, Kurogiri was back to normal and Stain was warped away. I shakily stood, and Tenko looked at me, silent. I turned away and went upstairs, locking myself in my room, holding my arm as the blood seeped over my fingers.