———
Deo knew how strong Techno was. He's heard heroes talk about how one man can't be so deadly with just a sword, laugh at the villain like he was some child, then be defeated in three seconds. Naturally, Deo learned to not underestimate him.
He took on an overhand guard. Techno watched and smirked tentatively and did the same. Deo lunged forward, sprinting towards him and throwing an overhand cut to which Techno parried smoothly, delivering back a diagonal rising cut towards Deo's right leg. Deo deflected it with his blade and there was a short pause where the two men glared at each other with determination in their eyes. Techno leapt back and drew his blade away, swinging horizontally at Deo's neck. Deo leaned back to avoid the blade and almost stumbled at how close the sword was to decapitating him smoothly.
Techno repeated this motion and this time Deo was quick enough to block it with his sword. To his surprise, Techno continued pushing his sword forward, putting pressure on his blade and driving Deo up against a wall. He couldn't dare to move his sword away from his throat or else Techno would cut through his neck and the weight against his the edge of his sword was pressing his own blade towards his throat. Deo resisted, trying to push Techno away, but the pink-haired man didn't budge. With every still second, his blade neared his throat dangerously.
"I've had fights with heroes longer than this," Techno snarled with a cocky grin. Deo smiled back unconsciously, his lips stretching upwards despite himself.
"Really?" Deo murmured before lifting his leg and driving his foot into his opponent's solar plexus. Techno faltered, falling backwards and let out a painful groan. He immediately assumed an overhand guard and met Deo's blade mid-swing.
The two went back and forth, every thrust and cut made with murderous intent. They swung tirelessly, going at it for what felt like an eternity until Deo felt a sharp pain at his thigh and lurched backwards, feeling it with his empty hand for a second or two. Blood ran down his palm and in between his fingers, dazing him for a second or two. It was only until he caught Techno swinging down at him out of the corner of his eye did he come back to his senses and dodge the slice but barely.
He drove his sword into a low thrust, catching Techno's attention to the lower halves of their bodies and causing him to instinctively go for a block. With a twirl of his wrist, Deo compass-stepped and shifted into a moulinet and went for Techno's head. The terrorist ducked and smirked, stepping backwards and assuming a middle neutral stance again. "Not bad," he sneered. Deo scoffed and stepped back as well, copying his movements. "I haven't fought this exciting ever,"
"I could say the same," Deo mocked, his grip on his sword tightening. Techno must've noticed something wrong when the NOLIFE leader struck at him again but with two times the strength of before, nearly knocking the diamond sword out of Techno's hands.
"You used your quirk," the terrorist snapped, eyes gleaming mercilessly. Deo nodded in confirmation and went in for another blow. His hold on his sword was relaxed but because of his quirk effects, they were tight around the handle.
Techno was now forced to parry and block as Deo fought without yielding, driving Techno around the area like a toy. A few times Techno would try to go on the offensive and be countered easily and be forced back to cower and deflect the blows that Deo delivered.
He knew that he was close to victory when the diamond sword was hit out of Techno's hands, flying through the air and clattering to the ground. Techno dived forward to retrieve it and grabbed it just in time to fend off another ruthless blow.
He knew that he was close to victory when two of his crosscuts hit its mark, slicing a clean gash in Techno's forearm and another slashing the edge through Techno's side. Techno cried out in agony and was forced to back off to recover slightly.
With a shaky breath, Deo put all of his strength into a downward strike to which Techno raised his sword to block. It pushed Techno back subtly and pressed the diamond sword back so the blade was almost brushing Techno's nose. Deo leaned forward with his sword, both his and Techno's arms and swords shaking from the strength they're putting into attacking or defending. He could see the fear in Techno's eyes despite the hard expression he bore and relished in it, his smirk widening. He was so distracted that he didn't even notice his quirk wearing off.
Techno did, however, and pushed back with such force that Deo was sent scrambling backwards. With another hard strike, Deo's sword was sent flying down the alleyway, so far that he couldn't reach without being killed. In only two seconds, Deo lost his advantage and now had a blade pressed to his throat with nothing to defend it. He was backed against a wall, similar to before, but this time he didn't have a sword to parry off the other.
"That was good," Techno breathed, the blade nearing Deo's throat until it barely brushed against the skin. Deo felt his chest tighten as he stared at Techno defiantly. He was trapped now. There was no way out of this without certain death. His eyes darted towards the iron sword again, stained with blood and at least twelve feet away. Oh, he's really fucked now.
There was a moment of still silence with only the heavy breathing from both men. Their eyes were locked together, neither blinking and the air tense. Red eyes stared into pink and Deo wished he could say what was running through Techno's head.
There was a pain in his lower abdomen. His eyes widened. Technos stepped away and he slid to the ground slowly, weakly raising his hand to touch the wound Techno made. There was blood dripping from Techno's sword and also a cut right below his belly button. Blood spilled out like no tomorrow and he could also feel it start to trickle out his mouth.
"You'll live," he heard Techno murmur. He could barely see the man now for now his vision was blurry. Those words echoed in his head.
He heard footsteps fading away, growing fainter and fainter until a new set of footsteps replaced them, pounding and loud and rapid. The last thing he saw before the darkness clouding his vision was a blond man with a white smiley face mask.
His sunglasses laid on the alleyway floor broken.
———
He woke up.
Was this heaven? Deo looked down on himself and found no injuries. Why was heaven so familiar though?
He recognized the setting now and noticed himself sitting on the floor, colouring in a car with Crayola crayons dejectedly. It was him, but not him. This version of him was younger, way younger. Maybe seven, eight tops. Children were bustling around him, playing with each other and sharing their toys. He recognized all their faces- five-year-old Emily with red curls bouncing as she bragged to the other children about her adoption, showing all her sharp teeth. He caught himself staring at her sadly before returning to his colouring sheet.
Deo watched as a blond-haired boy bounced up to himself, poking at his shoulder. He watched as the younger him jumped up and whirled around to stare at the blond, who was grinning mischievously. "Hey!" Tommy said, sitting down beside him. Deo watched as the younger Deo inched away cautiously. "Can I colour with you?"
Tommy didn't even wait for a response before snatching up a gray crayon and beginning to colour in the wheels of the car. Younger Deo paused as if to contemplate whether or not to hit the five-year-old Tommy, but relaxed and silently began to finish colouring the car orange.
———
He watched as the younger him snuck around the corridors and tip-toed downstairs. The front door was locked, as was the back doors, but he watched as the younger Deo open the windows and climb outside, almost kicking down a vase next to the windowsill. Deo couldn't help but smile as the younger him waved at a blond boy running down the street. The streets were dark as Tommy tackled the younger him in a hug.
"Happy birthday, Deo!" Tommy cheered when he broke away, sporting a gummy smile. Young Deo shushed Tommy hastily, looking around to see if anyone noticed before turning back to Tommy with a wide smile. "You're nine now! How do you feel?"
"Older," young Deo said simply, causing Tommy to laugh heartily.
He watched as Tommy presented the younger him with a pair of sunglasses, explaining that it looked cool and he knew it would love them. He watched as the young him put on the sunglasses and having it fall because it was too big. He watched as Tommy went red as young Deo teased him relentlessly.
"Keep it then," he heard Tommy murmur. "Keep it until you get old. You'll remember me that way."
———
Tommy got a phone when he was eight.
Deo watched as Tommy showed the young him how he could watch YouTube videos and browse social media. He showed young Deo how to take a selfie, and Deo watched as the two of them proceeded to take one in front of the big oak tree in front of Deo's orphanage. He watched as Tommy set it as his phone background.
———
The new kid at the orphanage was instantly well-liked. He was the same age as Deo, eleven years old, and had fluffy black hair and piercing blue eyes. For some reason, he really hated Deo.
Deo watched from afar as the boy pushed him around, laughing at his scarlet eyes. He said he looked like a vampire. He watched as young Deo took it as the other kids laughed at him, laughed at his clothes, laughed at his eyes. Then he laughed at Tommy, laughing about how Deo's probably only with him because his family's rich.
Young Deo punched him in the nose.
Deo was locked in his room for three days. He could hear Tommy crying outside at the orphanage managers who tried to explain to the young boy that Deo was locked away because he was unstable and violent. Tommy insisted that Deo was his best friend and he wanted to see him. Deo cracked a smile as Tommy continued screaming and crying until his parents ushered him away, apologizing to the orphanage managers.
———
As soon as Deo and Tommy met up again, Tommy hugged him tight and presented him with a bag of candy. Tommy asked why Deo was locked away, and Deo said that he didn't need to know and bopped Tommy on the nose. Tommy giggled and began to show him all the new games on his phone and the two of them sat in Deo's room playing games for the entire day.
As soon as Tommy left, Deo realized the bag of candy Tommy gave him was missing. He looked everywhere and caught the black-haired boy snickering and spreading gumdrops to all the other children.
Deo punched him in the nose again and was locked in his room for a week. This time, Tommy screamed really, really loud. Deo was stuck nibbling on gummies and peppermints. At least he got the candy back.
———
"You need to stop getting in trouble," Tommy huffed when Deo was finally able to talk to him again.
Young Deo only smirked and ruffled Tommy's hair, much to the younger boy's dismay. Tommy began whining and trying to smooth his hair out as young Deo looked away, glaring at the room across the hall.
The door across the hall opened. Deo watched as the black-haired boy walked out of it with one of the brunette girls at her side and the two snarled at Deo about how much of a freak he was. When they turned their insults to Tommy, Deo got up, but Tommy was getting restless.
This time, Tommy punched the black-haired boy.
He got a ban from the orphanage right there.
———
"Why did you have to punch him?" Young Deo sighed as he climbed out of the window again, meeting Tommy in the middle of the road. Tommy crossed his arms and huffed, rolling his eyes.
"Why did you have to punch him?" the ten-year-old fired back. Young Deo laughed and poked Tommy in the cheek before starting to talk about what they were going to do when they grew up.
"We should run away together," Tommy suggested. Young Deo looked at him and smiled wide.
"We should."
———
They didn't.
———
"I'm moving to Britain," Tommy admitted to Deo when he was twelve. Young Deo piped up and snapped his head to him, eyes wide. Deo watched as the younger him narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"What?"
"I'm moving to England," Tommy stated matter-of-factly. Deo watched as young Deo processed this, looking angry, then sad, then acceptingly. Young Deo looked away and put his head down.
"Oh. Okay."
"Yeah."
The two sat in silence.
———
"You only care about yourself!" Tommy had screamed at him, pointing a finger at Deo's chest. "You don't care about me! You never had!" Tommy was crying, tears rolling down his cheeks. The younger him looked close to tears as well, his fists clenched and teeth gritted.
Young Deo glared back, stepping backwards. "What the fuck are you on about? I never did anything wrong to you! Stop throwing a fit, you're being such a baby!" he had snapped, crossing his arms.
"Don't lie!" Tommy shouted pathetically, hugging himself and glancing downwards. "They told me. They told me all the shit you said about me. How I was a brat and how much you loved my money. I hope you die!" Deo had faltered, confused, thinking of when the hell he ever said that. Tommy's hands shook as he said the last words. "All the stuff I gave you? Burn them! I'm so glad I'm moving to England- I never want to see you again!"
Those were the last words Tommy ever said to him.
That was also the last time he ever saw Tommy.
———
Maybe that's where he went wrong.
both fanart in this chapter is by @pigandciu on insta. tysm!!