my type?
beautiful tragedies. -leilah ali
I aggressively wiped the sludge out of my eyes, coughing up the last of it, and wobbled to my feet off my knees, looking around. An uneasy anxiety had settled its way into my stomach, as the place was so familiar. The League was all coughing and gagging behind me, but I wasn't ready to turn around yet, almost afraid that I'd see something I didn't want to.
"Where are we now?" Dabi growled, and Toga frowned, attempting to scrub any stains the sludge left behind on her skirt.
"Stinky..."
I turned around, facing the League, and my eyes widened. The tanks. There were tanks, filled with green and yellow liquid, with different species and types of Nomu and other experiments floating in them, all around the room. I was back... back to where all my surgeries started. I locked eyes with Tenko, and he nodded.
"This place..." He trailed off.
"These are Nomu? Not like any we've seen." Dabi glanced around, and I fell into step beside him, fingers fumbling together, which drew his attention. "Y/N, you good?"
"She's just having some memories, right, Y/N?!" A jolly, yet dangerous, voice laughed, and the small, chubby doctor I remembered spun around in his chair, watching us from far down the line of tanks. It was too bright for anyone else to see, but I heightened my vision and sure enough, it was him, not just my imagination. "And yes, Dabi, you can tell the difference! You've got a sharp pair of eyes! These Nomu are high end, not like the low to middle-grade Nomu you've worked with in the past! I could almost call these masterpieces!"
Nobody replied. I stared at him, hands tightening into fists.
"Doctor, I've been looking for you. I need you to reproduce these bullets we have." Shigaraki cut in, breaking the silence. He was talking about the bullets we took from Chisaki, of course. The doctor was the only person that could responsibly reproduce them to help us.
"Shigaraki, you've let your hair grow out! How is Father and the others?" He grinned at Tenko, and I didn't realize that I was also looking at him fondly until Toga nudged me. His hair was becoming a lighter shade of blue every day, and it was wavy and almost to his shoulders. His scars remained, but his dry skin on his face had dramatically lessened, and more muscle was beginning to build along his entire body. I blushed, looking down, and Toga giggled.
"Fine." Tenko replied, tone clipped, and Compress squinted, taking a step forward.
"Is that the doctor we are looking for? It is so bright in here."
"It's him." I whispered.
"STAY BACK!" The doctor screamed, which made Compress step back to his original place. "Sorry about this, but I wouldn't recommend coming any closer. Y/N is probably the only one that can see me clearly. When we meet face-to-face, I'll come to you. If you break this rule, I'll send you back to that meat grinder."
"You're the one that summoned us here, you freaky geezer." Twice frowned.
"Why are we here?" Dabi asked.
"I'd rather not give out my location, so I transported you all here instead." The doctor's chair slowly wheeled closer to us. "Besides Shigaraki and Y/N, you're all fresh faces, I guess, but maybe we've met somewhere before. Like Gigantomachia, I'm one of All For One's confidants. Daruma Ujiko is the name I'm going by, for now. Anyhow. Shigaraki, Y/N, I summoned you here out of respect for the boss. My life's work, my tech, and my little ones here... I offered them all up to the great All For One. Up to now, you two and the League have been getting by with just scraps and leftovers of my work. Now, I've got nothing against you. I just need to judge whether you're worthy of having all of this."
Ujiko's chair slowly turned, his eyes locking on us through his goggles, before he focused on Tenko.
"'Cuz right now, you're nothing. Just a twenty year old kid palling around with the dregs of society. So, what do you have to show me, Tomura Shigaraki?" His attention suddenly snapped over to me. "And you, Y/N? You wanted to know what your role is in all this, correct? Well, did your Master ever tell you about the future vision of reproduction between you two?"
My face must've burst into flames, because his eyebrows raised at my expression. Tenko coughed, uncomfortable. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see how pink his face was getting.
"Uh, I... Reproduction? What?" I laughed nervously.
"I'll take that as a no. Ho, ho, well, this is quite the situation!" Ujiko's eyes darted back and forth between Tenko and I. "Wait, don't tell me...?!"
"They're in love!" Toga squealed, and I elbowed her.
"Toga!" I hissed, and the doctor burst out laughing.
"Well, this is quite the turn of events! This wasn't expected at all!"
"Wait, what?" Tenko growled.
"Yeah, what? You do know how reproduction works, right, doctor?" My fingers were fumbling together again.
"Y/N, the odds of you being able to get pregnant are extremely low. After all your surgeries and the alterations made to your body, inside and out, your body is quite unlikely to be able to carry offspring." He motioned around us. "Even in the rare case that you would be able to carry Tomura's child, there would be a good chance that the child could be quirkless, or only have a lesser version of his Decay. With our technology, we could merge your DNA, sperm and egg cells and create a child, or multiple children, that would have unbeatable mixtures of Decay and all your quirks, Y/N."
We were silent for a moment. I don't want kids, and neither does he, so we were pretty happy that I was basically infertile. We would probably be shitty parents anyway.
"I don't want kids." I set my jaw. Tenko scoffed, shaking his head.
"Absolutely not."
"Well, you'll cross that road when you've actually established a criminal empire like your Master had. You might think differently."
"I doubt it."
"Well, even if you're so against having offspring, you must have noticed how in sync you two are." The doctor motioned to the League, who all nodded. "Talking at the same time while saying the exact same words without warning, feeding off of one another's emotions and power, all that? Well, that's because you two are wired to protect and fight beside one another." His finger touched a round button on his chair, but I didn't think much of it. "Y/N, you find yourself feeding off of his power and sensing emotions, right?"
"Yes..." I replied warily.
"And Tomura, you find yourself feeling Y/N's emotions and even seeing her or hearing her when she isn't present, correct?"
"The jail." He replied, voice low. "Yeah." I looked at him in surprise. What does that mean?
"Well, that's because you two are what we call 'coordinates'. Without the x or y axis, you cannot find a destination, and that is basically how you two work. You, especially Y/N, were both slightly altered mentally, and in Y/N's case, physically, to protect and fall back on one another." He smiled. "It's just barely kicking in now, but pretty soon, almost every day the connection will get stronger. Maybe... even just now. Maybe... sooner than you'd think. " He clicked a button, chuckling, but nothing happened.
"You're acting weird, Doctor." Tenko growled.
Slightly altered, mentally and physically. My heart felt like it shattered.
"So... is that why..."
"No! Nope! Don't worry! The coordinate relationship that you two have has nothing to do with intimacy or romance at all. Enemies, best friends, acquaintances; anyone can be a coordinate, but you two obviously have something deeper there. That was completely on your own."
"Thank god." I whispered, under my breath, and dipped into Tenko's head very quickly.
"How sweet." The doctor smirked.
I love you. I love you, I really do. I wasn't programmed to, or anything like that, I know it sounds crazy- My thoughts spun in rapid, terrified circles, until Tenko's thoughts cut mine off.
I know you weren't programmed, dummy, because I know you, and I know how you look at me. I just wish you could see how I look at you, you insecure dumbass.
"We can actually see how far you two have come pretty soon!" Ujiko pointed at Tenko again, interrupting our conversation. I left his head, shutting off communication. "Now, you. Tell me. Tell me why you deserve all of this. Tell me why you are worthy."
"I don't remember much about my life before Master." Tenko said quietly, and out of nowhere, a painful flash ran through my body, buzzing in my mind. I could see, very briefly, a family. Two parents, grandparents, and a daughter, as well as a son. The son, I knew, because it was Tenko. Dark hair, glassy red eyes, and an innocent, scarred face. The emotions that drowned me were mainly anger, hatred, sadness, and helplessness. It rang in my head and body for a few moments before dulling.
"Ah!" I rubbed my temples, looking up at Ujiko. "What are you doing to me?"
"I said you'd feel it sooner than you'd think! I just triggered the last chemical reaction in your physical makeup, Y/N. You can see what he does mentally, feel what he does, and vice versa. You two will have shared power. It'll typically only happen during intense emotions or fights, though."
I was completely silent, taking everything in.
"Now, Shigaraki. Continue."
"When I equip everyone all over me... my rage boils up. I just can't help it. Ever since then, I've done a lot of thinking." His voice was soft and ragged, like a broken whisper. Another image flashed through my brain just as quickly and vividly as before; a very young Tenko sitting on the ground, leaned against a brick wall, basically gasping for air with tears streaming down his dirty cheeks, as Master walked towards him. A horrifying mix of anger, intense anxiety, fear, and grief rushed through me for a split second and I keeled over, gripping my stomach, tears already building in my eyes.
Tenko must have looked at me, because the doctor was telling him to continue, saying my mind and body was still adjusting. Toga kneeled beside me, her voice worried, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. I noticed Dabi shift so he was in front of me, blocking me from the doctor, and Tenko's words were white noise to me.
Flash.
His dog, small and panting with excitement. The dog suddenly being in pieces, the bits of fur remaining soaked with blood.
Flash.
His sister was screaming.
Flash.
The ground was swallowing his grandparents whole as it crumbled under his touch.
Flash.
His mother was sobbing, reaching for her son, only for him to kill her, her blood flying out of his grip.
Flash.
His dad was pleading for him to stop.
Flash.
His hand pressed to his father's face, pure bloodlust blinding his vision.
Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
I puked, the emotions too much to handle, unable to stop the images flooding my head. Toga gasped, looking up at Shigaraki, who was watching me, eyes wide and horrified. I gripped Toga's arm, trying to catch my breath, as the images were calming down. Tenko had finished talking, but I hadn't heard the end in the slightest.
"Y/N is fine, Shigaraki." Ujiko said firmly. "She's adjusting to your emotions and memories."
"I'm f-fine, Tomura." I wiped my mouth on my sleeve, standing shakily, and I really was, aside from throwing up. Now that the flashes had stopped, I felt strangely calm and peaceful. "So, Doc, do you wanna support us or not?"
"It's such a childish daydream, really. I find it hilarious that Shigaraki said it all with a straight face, and am actually impressed with how well you handled that, Y/N. I expected more of a breakdown." Ujiko laughed, but nodded. "So yes, very well. I will help you! Prove to me that you can make your villainous pipe dreams a reality!"
"So easy-going." Compress said softly, and Toga looked concerned.
"Tomura seems so disturbed." She thought for a moment before narrowing her thin eyebrows. "Wait. You want to destroy the stuff I love too, Tomura?!"
"No. You guys are my allies." He replied, and we locked eyes for a moment. "You deserve what you want in life."
"Yay!" Twice and Himiko cheered. I cracked a smile, holding the eye contact, and Tenko quickly looked away, his thoughts flaring up, all flustered, but he kept a poker face.
"Heh. Nicely done, Tomura Shigaraki. You passed with flying colors."
"You were testing me..?" Tenko hissed, flexing his gloved fingers, and the doctor nodded, chuckling.
"Yes, of course. I wanted to see how much you have grown, as well as Y/N. I've been doing research, and the plan was always to help you out. These little ones will be a step in the right direction." He motioned to the Nomu in the capsules. "It's all to give you power, Tomura. But I can't give that yet, because you're all weak! Y/N is probably the strongest out of the lot, and she's at a position of less power."
"Way to single me out, Doc. They're all strong." I argued, suddenly very defensive of the League.
"Yes, but not strong enough, and neither are you. You guys need to develop. Grow. You need to prove yourself by defeating the big guy." He shrugged. "He hasn't come to accept you, unlike me. If you can prove yourself to Gigantomachia, everything I have will be yours. You will have my full support."
"Right." Tenko grinned. "This has been one long tutorial."
"Do what you want, Mr. Leader, but I'm out. Y/N and I are working with the new ally, at the moment. I know she'll come right back to you after our next mission with the potential ally , because she's needed here, but I'm dedicating my time to that."
I nodded.
"I'll be back."
"Okay. Get this ally then. I'll be waiting."
"Dabi, Y/N! This is perfect! You can help me test out a new Nomu! He'll fit both of your aesthetics, absolutely!"
"Do you even pay attention?" I rolled my eyes.
"Okay, let us go. I feel like I can take on the world right now." Tenko growled, and while Ujiko was lifting Johnny, the Nomu who was teleporting us around, onto his lap, a robotic arm shot out from the doctor's chair, giving us all earpieces.
"Very well, keep in touch with me using these!" We all grabbed one, and I sighed, putting it in my ear, and met Tenko's eyes again as Johnny began to gag, ready to teleport them.
Stay safe, Handyman.
Safe is basically my middle name, Scarface.
The goo swallowed them up and soon, it was just Ujiko, Johnny, Dabi and I, all standing in awkward silence.
"So... wanna show us the Nomu, Doc?"