Chapter 9: Enter: Vampire
The building Himiko found herself in was an empty convenience store. It looked like the two boys had been calling it home for some time. There was a small sitting area in the corner with some old style armchairs and a chipped and gouged coffee table. Some well used workout equipment was off to the side.
Several cats were gathered on a set of shelves and nailed together building material that served as a climbing wall. They stopped to stare at the trio as they passed. Himiko saw the graying tabby she had threatened sitting beside a huge calico that was lounging on a cushion. It was looking at her intensely with yellow eyes. Himiko felt like she was being judged, and she did not want to be found wanting.
The cat boy had somehow ended up on the fire user's back, his cheek resting on the older boy's shoulder as he dozed. The teen wasn't even holding the kid as he led her to the back rooms, he just clung on like a koala.
The back rooms consisted of a main storage room, a small storage room and an office.
There was a cobbled together kitchenette in the main room with a microwave, rice cooker and hotplate. The shelves under the counter held some food, pots and pans, a kettle and dishes. A round table with two mismatched chairs was in the middle.
They passed the small storage room. The door was open and Himiko caught a peek of a mattress with a black blanket. The wall above the bed was spray painted with a mural of a futuristic city under a planet filled sky. A peeling blue dresser with a stereo and scattered junk across the top was against the wall beside a desk littered with paper and files. A dented white board covered with doodles, notes, stickers and newspaper clippings took up one whole wall.
In the office, the walls were covered in a colorful collection of hero posters and cheap artwork you would find in home decor stores. There were a couple fuzzy blankets and several miss matched pillows on the mattress. There was a stack of crates turned sideways to create shelves where countless notebooks were displayed neatly. A wooden chair and a metal desk were in the corner. A glass tank with a heat lamp was sitting on top. It was full of greenery and sand. Strangely, there was a ramp made of sticks that offered the perfect escape route. Himiko hoped nothing was on the loose in here.
"This is Izu's room," the older boy, Dabi, said. "Get some rest. When you wake up, come find me."
Himiko glanced at the sleeping boy, Izuku. "I don't want to take his bed, I can sleep in the front room," she said timidly.
"Don't worry, he has a couple places he likes to sleep. He'll be fine."
She nodded, not wanting to argue with her host. Dabi gestured to a small dresser.
"There are t-shirts and sweats in the top drawer. Feel free to change into something clean."
Bending over and somehow not disturbing his brother, the fire user picked up a vintage looking suitcase from beside the door and left.
Himiko found a purple shirt and gray sweats to change into. It had been so long since she had clean clothes and a secure place to sleep that she couldn't help but cry as she snuggled under the blankets. It didn't take her long to fall asleep.
Himiko woke up more rested and clear headed than she had been in weeks. She was reluctant to leave the cozy cocoon she had made for herself but she didn't want to overstay her welcome. Throwing the blankets off she rolled over and caught sight of a mug and plate of rice cakes on the floor beside her. There was a note under the mug.
Here's some food and tea for you. I'm in the main area when you're ready. DO NOT remove anything from the bed. Izu's nesting instincts aren't too strong but he won't like it if anything is taken.
Nesting? Strange. She didn't think cats did that but she wasn't about to test it. She would feel really bad if she upset the boy that treated her so kindly.
The tea was still warm and she was surprised that it was heavily sweetened just the way she liked. Himiko felt a spark of hope as she sipped it. These boys hadn't thought she was a monster to be avoided, they helped her and cared for her.
When the cakes and tea were gone she took the dishes out to the kitchenette. There wasn't a sink so she just left them on the table and went to find Dabi.
The main area was the same as before. The cats were all napping, either curled up or sprawled out like they had no bones. It was still light outside, the top couple feet of the large front windows were uncovered, revealing that the sun was still up. The rest was covered in plywood to maintain the abandoned look that kept the hideout undiscovered. The front door was chained and shrouded with a black curtain so no one could wander in.
Dabi was sitting in one of the armchairs typing on his phone. A mug sat on the table nearby. The suitcase from Izuku's room was open beside him revealing the clothes the younger boy had been wearing the night before. Special slots had been added for different styles of kunai to be organized.
"How'd you sleep?"
Himiko jumped, the older boy hadn't indicated that he even noticed her presence.
"Really well, thank you," she answered politely.
"Good, what's your name?"
"To-Toga Himiko," she stammered, embarrassed that she had been so blood crazy she forgot to introduce herself. "Sorry about yesterday."
Dabi lowered his phone to look at her. It was calculating but not judgmental. He felt more approachable now in sweats and a hoodie and… was that a lizard laying on his chest?
"No need to be sorry," he assured her. "We all have bad days."
Himiko chose not to address the green reptile which she assumed belonged in the terrarium in Izuku's room. She looked around nervously, mind scrambling for a new topic.
"Where is Izuku?" she asked. "Is he sleeping in your room?"
The fire user raised his eyebrows, a small smile playing at his lips.
"No, he's just hanging around," Dabi pointed up.
Following his finger Himiko saw a black bundle hanging from the rafters. Clawed feet gripped the metal beam tightly and black wings wrapped snugly around the boy that she had dubbed kitty-chan just hours ago. Wings shifted and Izuku yawned widely, showing off sharp teeth. His eyes blinked open as he chirped sleepily.
"Heya Izu, we have company."
That seemed to wake the boy up. He spread his wings revealing a large black hoodie and checkered yellow pajama pants. Izuku let himself fall, righting himself in the air to land on the back of Dabi's seat. He waved at Himiko.
Himiko waved back, a little intimidated by the sight of the tiny boy shrouding his brother under massive wings like a gargoyle.
"Take a seat, I'm sure you have questions. We do too."
The blonde claimed the other armchair while Izuku hopped down to crouch on a worn ottoman. As soon as he was settled the wings vanished and his fluffy tail reappeared to wrap around his feet. Dabi plucked the lizard off his sweater and placed it on his brother's head. It buried itself in his curls. The boy didn't even flinch, he smiled fondly.
There was an awkward silence. The two boys watched her but Himiko couldn't meet their eyes. What if they had decided she was a blood sucking monster after all? Like her parents and classmates had?
"I don't think Izu caught your name," Dabi prompted. Himiko blinked before bowing clumsily while still seated.
"I apologize. I'm Toga Himiko. Thank you for helping me yesterday."
"No need to be so formal, we're not exactly cultured around here."
Sudden movement from Izuku made her glance up. The boy was signing to Dabi.
"Izuku wants to know if you have a blood quirk."
Himiko fidgeted with the hem of her borrowed t-shirt.
"Yes, if I drink someone's blood I can transform into them. The more blood I drink the longer I can keep their form."
She waited for disgust to fill their faces, for the subtle shifting away from her and the yelling and name calling.
Izuku signed something again.
"Why did you wait so long to drink any blood?"
Himiko blinked, confused by the question.
"Because drinking blood is evil. My parents said good girls don't need blood but sometimes I can't help it. I can smell it all the time and feel its warmth when I get too close. I'm a monster."
She curled up in the arm chair, closing her eyes against the tears threatening to spill. A low growl made her open them again. Izuku was signing, whatever he was saying made Dabi frown.
"You're not a monster. Craving blood is a normal part of having a blood quirk. Denying yourself would cause you to have a psychotic break until you got blood by whatever means necessary. Whoever starved you is the real monster here."
Himiko's eyes widened.
"You mean I'm not e-evil for wanting blood?" She stuttered.
"No, you're perfectly normal. As long as you have a little blood daily you shouldn't ever experience bloodlust again."
She burst into tears.
"I hurt one of my cl-classmates. I was so thirsty so-so I stabbed him with a pencil and ne-ne-nearly drank him d-dry. They called the police and my parents ki-kicked me out."
She was shaking, her breath heaving with heavy sobs. Something soft touched her arm. Izuku had hopped over and was leaning his head on her, purring loudly. Himiko didn't fight the urge to run her fingers through his soft hair. The boy seemed to like it.
"You can stay here as long as you like but you need to promise not to tell anyone about us or about the base."
Himiko sniffled, wiping her eyes as she nodded.
"Good, there are a few things you need to know if you're going to live here," the teen leaned forward. His eyes bore into her, trying to stress how serious he was being. "What do you know about Kaijin?"
"The cryptid? I heard about him while I was still in school. People say he's a monster that hunts at night. He would protect the innocent and eat the wicked. I heard other stories while I was on the streets. Some claim he's an avenging ghost that can walk through walls or a demon that feeds on sin. He's a popular urban legend."
Dabi chuckled and Izuku made an amused huffing sound from under her hand.
"Kaijin is very real, you're petting him."
Himiko's hand stilled as she absorbed the new information before she snatched it away in shock. Izuku whined at the loss even as he grinned up at her mischievously. Horns suddenly grew from his head and massive feathered wings emerged. He certainly looked like the images of fallen angels she had seen at the church her mom had forced her to attend.
"The truth about Kaijin is that he's a vigilante with an animal transformation quirk. While Izuku was learning his quirk, people spotted him and started spreading rumors about a creature lurking in alleyways. Over time the whispers grew into well known ghost stories aided by his vigilante work and talent for stealth."
"Where do you fit into this?" she asked as Izuku changed back into the cat form he seemed to prefer. Though she was pretty sure those big ribbed ears belonged to a different animal.
"I'm Onibi," Dabi revealed. "An underground informant. I do the face-to-face information gathering that Izuku can't."
Izuku turned to sign something.
"Izuku wants to know how accurate your transformations are. Do you change into someone exactly as they were when you took their blood?"
"I think so? Obviously I get all their physical attributes like height, build, hair and eye color. Even their voice and scars seem to transfer. The only thing that can give me away is mannerisms and personality. Also, I can't use their quirks, unless it's a physical mutation."
Izuku began signing again, faster than before, causing Dabi to frown and blink in confusion.
"Slow down kid, I didn't catch all that," he leaned over and rummaged in the suitcase to retrieve a black notebook. Izuku crouch hopped over and started writing, filling up the whole page. It took Dabi a few minutes to read it. When he finished he looked impressed but wore a worried frown.
"Okay, how do I explain this," he said, mostly to himself before refocusing on the newcomer. "I guess you've noticed that Izuku doesn't talk? He spent so long not speaking that by the time he met me he couldn't say a word. We do speech therapy but it's been a year and we've made very little progress. Izuku has a theory that his vocal cords have mutated because of his quirk." The boy paused, checking that Himiko was keeping up. She nodded for him to continue. "Can you use your quirk to check? If you change into Izu and you're not able to speak then it's likely a mutation and we need to find new ways for him to communicate."
Himiko was quiet for a moment, not because she didn't want to do it, but because it felt good that her quirk could be helpful. She owed them for treating her like a human being so she would do anything to answer their question.
"I'll need more blood, the effects from earlier have worn off."
Izuku nodded and produced a small knife from behind him. Had he been wearing that the whole time? He nicked his thumb and held it out for Himiko. She hesitated, still thrown off by the casual way the boy gave her his blood, before scooping up the warm liquid with her finger and popping it in her mouth.
Himiko's quirk felt like sinking into warm, smooth mud. When the sensation faded she was noticeably shorter and used pale, freckled arms to push curls from her face. Original Izuku stood to get a closer look, Himiko imitated his movements. It made the boy giggle while Dabi muttered about it being "freaky cool". She had never felt this content while using her quirk.
"Try to speak."
Himiko opened her mouth to say something goofy but only a high pitched whine came out. She tried again. Her mouth and throat didn't move like she wanted resulting in a pitiful breathy noise.
Dabi sighed.
"I guess that's it then. Sorry kid."
The teen looked sad but Izuku just looked resigned. Himiko suspected that the kid had known the outcome and only suggested the experiment for his brother's sake. She let the transformation slide off her, goopy clumps falling to the floor and evaporating to reveal her true form.
"It's not all bad," she comforted. "You two communicate pretty well already. I'll learn to sign and we'll be making conversation before you know it."
"It's not us I'm worried about," Dabi said. "We were contacted by an underground hero last night. Kaijin is getting some attention and if he's going to be doing team ups he needs a reliable way to communicate. Plus, I don't like that he can't call when he's in trouble. It's not like he can just stop and shoot me a text if he's fighting or running."
Himiko frowned, those were valid concerns. The trio fell into silence while trying to think of a way around the issue. The blonde's eyes were drawn to the feathers braided in Izuku's hair.
"Are those feathers for your quirk?"
Izuku nodded.
"He has to be touching a DNA source in order to borrow animal traits," Dabi explained. Himiko hummed, a crazy idea forming.
"Some animals can speak. Parrots and crows and such. If Izuku had a feather from one of them could he gain the ability to speak? Even if it's just basic phrases?"
The two boys stared at her before Izuku twittered excitedly and binkied around the room. Himiko blinked in surprise at the bunny legs he was now wearing. He dove for the notebook and scribbled something, bringing it over for Himiko to read.
" You're a genius! I may even be more articulate than a parrot because my brain is more complex !"
The boy continued to hop in place with a big grin. Himiko grinned back.
"Glad I could help Zuzu-chan," she beamed.
Himiko wondered where they would get a parrot feather but Izuku had everything covered. Turns out he was very well read in zoology and knew that an African Gray was one of the best talking parrots out there.
That's how they found themselves outside Yujin's Pet Shop just after sunset. Dabi picked the lock on the back door and led them inside. He even deactivated the alarm much to Himiko's surprise.
"I know the alarm codes of most buildings in our territory, just in case," he explained.
It didn't take them long to find the birds. They were lucky it was molting season and there were plenty of loose feathers to choose from. Most were a soft gray but Himiko zeroed in on one bright red tail feather and snatched it.
"Here Zuzu, you like color right?" she said, remembering the boy's decor and pillows.
Izuku beamed as he took the gift.
"Try and say something," Dabi urged with a hopeful tone.
"Say something, say something," Izuku repeated. His grin stretched wider. He was speaking relatively normally even if there was an urge to repeat words and a little hint of a squawk underneath.
"Parrots rely on imitation," Dabi said. "If you sit in on my and Himiko's sign language lessons you should pick up a lot. I'll even read you the dictionary if I have to."
Izuku nodded happily. He put the red feather behind his ear for safekeeping before flapping his hands excitedly and pulling Himiko away. He turned his back on Dabi while he wrote in his notebook and tilted it towards her.
Himiko smiled. She whispered in the boy's ear.
He hugged her quickly and bounded up to the teen, gesturing for him to bend down. Placing small, scared hands on his brother's stapled cheeks he spoke.
"Dabi."
The teen looked like he was about to cry as he pulled Izuku into a hug, his little brother repeating his name over and over.
—-----------------
Kaijin was running over rooftops in pursuit of a drug supplier Onibi had been tracking for weeks. The man had a quirk that allowed him to teleport to someplace he could see. He would zip to the end of an alley, turn the corner then disappear again. That wasn't a problem for Kaijin though, there was a whooshing sound every time he used his quirk and the vigilante could hear it from several streets away.
The thug's jumps were becoming shorter. He was breathing heavily and his running was unbalanced but no matter what he did every time he looked up the hooded demon was right behind him. Changing tactics, the man ducked into an old movie theater. Kaijin leapt off the roof and glided to the ground on feathered wings.
Inside was dark, the building looked like it was in the middle of being renovated before it was abandoned. Old scaffolding and plastic sheeting was spread through the lobby. Kaijin clicked and mapped out the area using sonar. He noted two hallways in the back corners leading to the theaters. The right one was empty but there was a crouching figure just around the corner on the left.
Moving silently the shape shifter scurried up the wall and made his way toward his target. Kaijin was impressed that the man was able to breath so quietly that the rustle of plastic sheeting masked it.
Turning the corner, Kaijin positioned himself above the man. He pressed his feet to the roof, activated rabbit and prepared to launch himself.
That was when the thug looked up.
Faced with a green eyed monster glaring down at him the man screamed and teleported to the opposite hallway.
Kaijin growled in frustration. He activated spider and gave chase, using his longer reach to clear the lobby in moments.
"Holy shit, go away!" The man yelled. He wrenched the double doors open and dashed into the theater with the cryptid hot on his tail.
Kaijin would catch him now. The dealer had trapped himself in a box where his quirk was useless but the vigilante would be able to take advantage of the high ceilings to fly.
There was a shriek, much higher pitched than a grown man, and voices screaming.
Kaijin burst through the doors.
The man was holding a child against his chest with a gun pressed to their head. Three more kids were off to the side yelling and crying for the boy to be let go. A girl, the oldest of the bunch, was shielding the other two.
Kaijin snarled, his spider legs curving around him to point at the threat as he flexed his clawed fingers.
"Now now Kaijin. I won't hurt the brat. You just stay right there while I take my leave," he stepped back toward the screen and the glowing emergency exit sign.
"Let them go," Kaijin growled.
"Oh my, the beast can talk. I must say that I'm honored you're interested in little old me. They say you only go after those that are truly evil," he moved the gun to press it into the child's cheek making them whimper. "I'm just a lowly trigger dealer."
Kaijin desperately wanted to skewer the man. His arm itched at the mention of the quirk enhancing drug.
"I will catch you."
"Maybe another time."
There was movement in the shadows by the emergency exit. A flash of silver and red. Kaijin grinned under his mask.
"I think you forgot," the vigilante taunted. "I'm not the only monster that hunts in this area."
A small figure in a black bodysuit, a deep red jacket and red skirt held a knife to the man's throat and quickly blocked his vision with a gloved hand to keep him from teleporting. Yellow eyes over a metal mask stylized with an oni grin and fangs sparkled with glee.
"Kai-chan, you were having fun without me," a poisonously sweet voice whined.
"Sorry Hannya, this one got away from me."
"I'll forgive you if you let me have his blood. You can have some sin when I'm done. I'm sure he has enough pride and greed to satisfy you."
Kaijin suppressed a laugh at her antics. The thug was trembling, his hostage forgotten in his shock and fear.
"Drop them or I'll have to make this a mess meal," the vampire vigilante ordered, pressing the knife down harder.
The man didn't hesitate to release the kid who ran back to his friends, sobbing as the girl wrapped him in a hug.
"Good job," Hannya cooed before slamming the hilt of her blade into his temple, knocking him out cold.
"I'll drag him a few blocks away. Onibi already sent his rap sheet to the police so they'll be ready for him."
"Make sure you blindfold him or he'll be able to escape if he wakes up."
Hannya saluted. She cuffed the man and dragged him out by the chain, not caring when the door slammed into his ribs on the way out.
"Thank you."
The four kids were huddled together, each touching the little boy as if ensuring he was still there. They were skinny and their clothes were grimy. There were a few blankets and two backpacks against the wall. Most of the theater seats had been removed but the closest row had more blankets laid out on them.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he removed his mask and lowered his hood. The girl nodded, her eyes repeatedly flicking to his still poised spider legs. Izuku deactivated them.
"How long have you been living here?" he asked.
"A few days."
There was an awkward silence, Izuku wasn't used to conversations outside Dabi and Himi.
"Do you have any food, mister?" one of the younger kids asked. A girl about 8 years old with blue speckled black hair.
"Ara, don't be rude," the eldest scolded.
"No worries, I have some granola bars," Izuku pulled four bars from his pocket and handed them to the kids. The two middle children ripped into them with gusto while the eldest opened the treat for the youngest. He noticed that she pocketed hers.
"You should have some food too. You can't protect them if you're hungry."
She blinked sheepishly at him. Her eyes were orange, like her hair, with black sclera.
"I'm trying to build a stash so we don't run out," she explained. Izuku remembered those days. Choosing to go without so that there would be something for when he really needed it.
"What is your name?"
"I'm Thos. This is Po," she ruffled the youngest's white hair. "They are Ara and Artie."
"I'm Izuku but don't tell anybody that."
"Are you really Kaijin?" The boy with red speckled black hair, Artie, asked.
"I am," Izuku answered. He activated his wings, horns and tail. He waved the tail in front of Po who reached out to feel the soft fur. "I guess I looked pretty scary when I was learning my quirk so people thought I was a monster."
The kids asked him what other animals he could transform into so he explained his bat ears and showed them fish and gave both Artie and Ara a piggyback ride while hopping with rabbit. It passed the time until Himiko came back. She burst into the room and bowed dramatically.
"The villain is in custody," she declared.
"Thanks Himi. This is Thos, Po, Artie and Ara. They live here."
Himi removed her mask and gave them a kind smile.
"I'm Himiko."
"Do you actually drink blood?" Artie asked, still full of questions.
"I do, I need it for my quirk," she pulled a bottle from her utility belt. It was semi clear so everyone could see the thick liquid sloshing inside. Izuku was proud of her. Just a couple of months before she would have dodged the question.
"What are you kiddos doing out here?"
The four of them bunched up again. They were tense, all of them avoiding eye contact.
"Our foster parents took the money they got for raising us and left the country. We were in the house for weeks until the food ran out. No one checked on us and we didn't want to be separated so we ran away."
Ara began to cry, Artie hugged her, his own eyes were wet.
"Hey, it's okay," Izuku soothed. "We'll help you."
Thos' eyes lit up as she rubbed soothing circles on little Po's back.
"Really?"
"You bet, we just have to call a friend. Is that okay?" Himiko asked.
The girl nodded so Izuku pulled out his phone.
"How'd the mission go?" Dabi asked in lieu of a greeting.
"Fine, he's in custody but we need some help."
"Are either of you injured?"
"No Dabs," Himiko assured him. "We stumbled on a couple of kids. They need some food, can you meet us at that old movie theater near the market?"
"On my way."
"Who was that?" Ara asked when Izuku had hung up, her distress stamped down by curiosity.
"Our brother Dabi. He'll bring us some food," Izuku assured them.
"He acts tough but he's a sweetheart," Himiko giggled.
"Don't let him hear you say that," Izuku teased.
They passed the time chatting. Artie and Ara were twins and weren't related to Thos or Po. Po had only been at the home for a few days before their fosters left, just long enough for the cheque to clear. Thos has been in foster care her whole life, her parents had abandoned her when she was born with black sclera. Turns out her mom had cheated.
Izuku and Himi shared a little about themselves too. Himi left out that she had almost killed a classmate and Izuku glossed over his imprisonment.
Soon Dabi arrived with enough Chinese food to feed an army. Ara and Artie asked him a ton of questions. He sighed tiredly but answered everything with his usual dramatic flair. When they asked about his grafts and staples he told them it was a quirk accident which started them on a conversation about quirks.
"Ara can make people see things and I can make them hear things," Artie said, his mouth full of fried rice.
"I can make light from my hands," Thos explained. She held up a small orb of warm light. "The more I've been out in the sun the longer and brighter I can make the light."
Izuku was itching for his notebooks. Tandem quirks were more common in twins but still rare and he was betting Thos could do more than she knew.
As they finished their feast Po drifted off to sleep and the twins looked drowsy as well. Thos gently tucked the younger kids in.
Dabi jerked his head at Himi and Izuku. They huddled up by the door where the kids couldn't hear them.
"We can't leave them here," he said. Izuku and Himi agreed.
"We can't take them to the store," Izuku pointed out. "Night Jumper has been trying to find it. We could use the tunnels to sneak them in but they wouldn't be able to leave."
"What if we moved?" Himi suggested. "We'll keep losing Jumper in the area around the store then use the tunnels to get back here. That should throw him off."
It took a week to move everything to the theater. While Kaijin or Hannya distracted Night Jumper with joint patrols, the others transferred their belongings through the tunnels.
They found an extra mattress for the twins who preferred sleeping together. Thos and Po kept their makeshift beds on the remaining cushioned seating. It was surprisingly comfortable. Due to their nightly activities Izuku and Himi bunked up in the break room while Dabi converted a storage room for himself to keep all the data he collected as Onibi secured. They rebuilt the kitchenette out in the hall and scrounged up a bigger table and extra chairs.
The four kids were happy to have the three crime fighters living with them and helped in any way they could. The trio dipped into their not insignificant savings to get them new clothes and stock their pantry with healthy food. Dumpster diving wasn't going to be enough any more but they made good money now.
Queenie followed her kittens and the colony was never far behind her. They used extra scaffolding to rebuild the climbing wall against the projection screen. Izuku taught Thos how to make her light super hot and melted a hole in the emergency exit door so the cats could come and go as they pleased. Artie had fallen in love with Kiseki ever since she had emerged from Izuku's hair during breakfast one day. The boy would play with the lizard whenever he could. He helped Izuku clean her terrarium and tended the grass planters scattered around the theater. The first time the little reptile crawled into his hair Artie was delighted.
Eating dinner with the group, Izuku couldn't help thinking back to his life before he met Dabi. His mother's abuse, his time with the doctor, his years on the streets with only the cats. He had built something that made him happy.
Himi had never had so many friends. They accepted her. She had blood whenever she wanted and that helped her be who she wanted instead of the monster she was on the path to becoming.
Dabi gave Ara more vegetables, the girl whined that she had already had a serving but Dabi called her out. She had dumped her share on her brother's plate. Looking around he knew this is what a family meal should be like, full of chatter and laughter. No anxiety or fear.
—---------------
Night Jumper emerged from the shadows beside Kaijin. The vigilante's eyes were watchful and his huge ears swiveled as he listened for sounds of distress. The duo had broken up a couple drug deals and stopped a few muggings. Jumper had just gotten back from escorting a drunk girl who got accosted when she wandered from the busy clubs.
"Busy night," he commented.
Kaijin nodded. He was focused on the sound of rustling fabric a few roofs over. Someone had been following them their whole patrol but the vigilante had yet to see them.
The sound of a scuffle and a yell alerted Kaijin to trouble.
"Mugging. Three streets East," he called to the hero as he jumped across the alley.
A couple was surrounded by several thugs at a small park nestled between tall buildings. The man was trying his best to shield his date while the muggers jeered.
"Use your quirk to get the couple out. I'll provide a distraction," he ordered as Jumper appeared. He lept around the park to the other side and made himself as scary as possible. Horns, claws, bat wings, spider legs. He even threw in fish, the scales and fins adding to the eerie form.
He jumped from the rooftop and landed with a crash, purposely knocking over trash cans. He let out a piercing yowl as he skittered forward. All eyes were on him when he burst through the trees. Blind terror filling their faces at the sight of the eldritch horror charging toward them. Izuku lashed out and knocked two thugs into trees where they lay unmoving. The remaining four seemed stuck between running for their lives and trusting their liquid courage in a fight.
Night Jumper materialized near the couple and rushed them into the safety of the nearby streets. Kaijin struck out again but the tall thug he was aiming for stomped resulting in a wave of dirt and concrete rushing toward him. He had to pull the leg back to keep his balance. Kaijin recognized that quirk.
"Hey Kaijin, it's been a while," the man's words were slightly slurred as he taunted the cryptid.
Kaijin hissed. This was the man who had been beating Dabi the day they met. The piece of shit that had tried to take everything his adoptive brother owned and, when he refused, ripped out his staples, gave him a concussion and kicked him while he was down.
Kaijin used his wings and rabbit feet to rocket toward the tall man, hitting him solidly in the chest and sending him flying backward. Sensing someone charging at his back the vigilante jumped. He flipped over the attacker and kicked them in the back. He collided with the tall man, knocking him over again just as he found his feet.
That was four down and two had run away. Kaijin trusted Night Jumper to take care of them. The vigilante was looking around for the last mugger when he felt all his muscles lock up. A sensation like repeated static shocks radiated from Kaijin's arm where a man with gray hair and eyes was touching him.
Right, the tall asshole had a partner. Dabi had said it was touch based paralysis.
"Don't let him get away," the tall man said, stumbling to his feet unsteadily. The thug Kaijin had thrown at him groaned on the ground with blood running down his face.
"No shit, let me just release the nightmare abomination that attacked us. Great plan dumbass," the gray man scoffed. His voice dripped with sarcasm but his grip did tighten.
"What's it been? Almost two years since we saw ya last?" the thug asked, his eyes shining with sick glee as he stalked up to the cryptid. "How's that scared kid you saved?"
Kaijin growled, pleased that his throat, tongue and eyes didn't seem paralyzed.
"He was pretty. I bet I could find him in the red light district tonight. Maybe I'll finish what I started and carve him up after we've had some fun. Then again, you've grown up quite a bit Kaijin. If we spent some time taming you, you would be a great little pet."
The man reached for him. The snarl that ripped out of the vigilante was so vicious and the look in his eyes so enraged that the thug actually recoiled which just made him angrier at his own cowardice.
"Fuck you," he punch the vigilante in the gut, forcing out a choked gasp.
"You're nothing. A worthless street kid playing at being a hero," a punch to his left cheek made Kaijin's head snap toward the gray man who was grinning wickedly. Kaijin felt a familiar numbness spreading through his body. The thug's words echoing with his mother's voice as his lungs seemed to tighten.
"You're not even human, just an animal that needs to be put down," a punch to the other cheek wrenched his head the other way. He tasted blood and his vision went fuzzy. His brain was trying to pull him away, to protect him from the beating and the cruel words, but his instincts remained sharp. He could make out movement in the trees. Someone was swinging through the branches toward them.
"I'm going to kill you and cut you up," Kaijin saw the glint of a blade in the corner of his eye. "I know a few people who will pay a pretty price for your eyes or one of your horns. Too bad your wings aren't out, I would have made a fortune."
A man dressed in black landed in the branches of the nearest tree. A ribbon of gray fabric whipped out, moving as if it was a living thing, and wrapped around the tall man's arm. He was wrenched off his feet, the knife falling to the ground and his arm making a loud snapping sound as it broke.
The gray man gave a startled cry and turned to locate the new threat. In his panic he just barely lifted his pointer finger. Kaijin nearly collapsed when his body was freed, only a lifetime of survival instincts and years of fighting kept him standing.
He activated rooster and slammed the sharp spur into his captors shin. The gray man screamed in pain and fell to his knees. Four sharp appendages knocked him on his back and pinned him through his jacket and jeans, two more hovered over his face, dangerously close to his eyes. Kaijin snarled, his teeth bared and eyes dilated. He fought with the instincts screaming at him to eliminate the threat, the feral need to remove a predator from his territory.
"Kaijin," a gruff voice he didn't recognize called. "It's over kid, Jumper is coming with the cuffs."
As if summoned the shadow walker materialized and took in the scene. One thug wrapped in a gray capture weapon and the other being pinned down by a seething cryptid. He approached the vigilante with his cuffs only to be stopped by a territorial growl.
"Hey buddy, you can stand down. You got 'em, we'll take them away and they won't be able to come back."
Kaijin blinked, Jumper's promise soothed the animalistic part of the shape shifter's brain. His stance relaxed. The spider legs retreated into his back but the thug didn't dare move as Jumper cuffed him.
"You know these guys?" the gruff voice asked again.
Kaijin turned and finally got a good look at the man that had been following them all night. He had long black hair held back by a pair of yellow goggles. A few loops of a long gray scarf was wrapped around his neck and arms, the rest was cocooned tightly around the tall man. The thug's eyes were glazed from pain.
"Ran into them years ago. That one has a manipulation quirk that -" Kaijin frowned, his mouth opened but the word couldn't escape. "That bends surfaces." He amended.
"Bends surfaces?" the new hero questioned, raising an eyebrow. The vigilante huffed in annoyance.
"Write it down kid," Jumper handed him a notebook and pen.
It hadn't taken Night Jumper long to figure out the activation requirements for Kaijin's quirk. The feathers were hard to miss and catching sight of the necklaces and bracelets a few times made all the pieces come together. Kaijin's sudden ability to talk had been explained away as practice at first but, after Jumper confessed he had deduced that reason for his odd jewelry, the vigilante told him the truth about the bright red feather.
Kaijin wrote the word he needed, thought for a moment, then wrote another.
"Distort," Jumper read aloud.
"That one has a quirk that can distort surfaces and this one can -" he trailed off.
"Paralyze," Night Jumper supplied, reading the other word Kaijin had written.
"- can paralyze anyone they touch with five fingers."
Kaijin's ears twitched. He could hear sirens racing toward them.
"The police are coming. I'll meet you in the regular spot Jumper. Bring Eraser with you."
Kaijin summoned his wings and took off, leaving two confused and stunned underground heroes behind.
Chapter 10: Sacre Bleu and Deja Vu
Once the muggers were handed over to the police Eraserhead climbed the nearest fire escape and followed Night Jumper who was shadow warping from building to building.
He caught up on a rooftop with an access door and a water tower on stilts. Eraser looked around for the vigilante.
"Where is he?"
"Being a brat," Jumper scoffed. Eraser turned to question the younger hero but was cut off.
"Give me a break Jumper. I just had my shit rocked. I'm taking a rest."
Just past Night Jumper, under the water tower, was Kaijin. He was hanging upside down, expertly twirling a needle kunai between his clawed fingers, his fluffy tail swaying behind him. Slitted eyes seemed to glow as he watched.
"Language, problem child," Eraser admonished automatically. "How do you know swear words and not "distort""
The cryptid laughed and jumped down, the frankly creepy toe claws changing to rabbits feet as he landed.
"Onibi is a bad influence," Kaijin replied.
"Kaijin this is -"
"The Erasure Hero: Eraserhead," the vigilante interrupted. "You're one of my favorites."
"Not many people know who I am," the underground hero confessed. Kaijin shrugged.
"When Night Jumper contacted us we did some research. You run the underground agency he's licensed with. I expected you would pop up eventually."
Eraserhead was impressed and a little put off by Kaijin's knowledge. Underground agencies were highly secretive, very few people even knew they existed.
"Why would you expect me?"
Kaijin scoffed.
"Jumper isn't stupid and neither am I. We knew that when he realized how young I was he would report it."
"Then you know why I'm here," Eraserhead stated. If they had done as much digging as he suspected Kaijin would know of his reputation for helping vigilanties get hero licenses.
Kaijin's eyes narrowed. He stopped spinning the blade and held it casually but ready to use.
"No thanks Eraser, I'm doing just fine on my own."
"But you're not on your own. My offer extends to Onibi and your newest partner, Hannya, as well."
Based on Night Jumpers reports it would be impossible to convince Kaijin to become a hero without also looping in the other vigilante and the informant. They were an impressive team. Eraser was honestly glad that the trio of young crime fighters had come together and protected each other like family.
"All three of you do good work. We could use talented heroes like you."
"It's still no Eraser," Kaijin replied. He leaned casually against one of the stilts, projecting an air of confidence but he fiddled with the flap of one of his pants pockets and his eyes were ever watchful.
"Come on kid," Jumper tried. "We want to help. Don't you trust me?"
Eraser suppressed a flinch. Years of convincing vigilanties to walk the straight and narrow had taught him a few things. Like not assuming anyone who chose the path of an illegal crime fighter ever trusted anyone. He saw the moment Kaijin tensed but was surprised when it wasn't anger that filled his eyes but regret.
"I respect you Jumper but I don't trust you," the vigilante said bluntly. Night Jumper looked honestly upset at his statement. "I've been through a lot. I saved myself, not a single hero helped me. Onibi, Hannya and I will continue as we are."
It was a tale Eraser had heard time and again. Hero society failed Kaijin. This child had to fend for himself through whatever trials life had thrown at him. He was abandoned but he had found others like himself and built something truly impressive. If it wasn't for how young the group was Eraser would have considered simply reporting them as underground assets to the commission and leaving them be but he wanted to give them a better life. Off the streets, reliable access to food, medical care, loving parents.
Eraser mentally shook himself when an image of Hizashi and Nao walking in a park with a black haired kid flashed in his head.
Stop it Sho, he's not one of your strays.
"You don't have to trust us," he assured the vigilante. "But the commission is starting to take notice. If you -"
He was cut off by Kaijin holding up his hand. His eyes flitted around the rooftop and his ears twitched as he became alert. The two undergrounds looked around, trying to detect what had Kaijin on edge.
A silver blur shot past Eraser's ear straight at Kaijin. The vigilante shifted to his right and snatched the blade out of the air mere inches from where his face had been.
"You're going to have to try harder. I could have easily dodged that."
Eraserhead and Night Jumper were still locked in defensive stances as a girl with blonde hair in a pair of buns and a black and red costume skipped out of the shadows. Night Jumper grabbed Eraser's arm, pulling his hand away from the capture weapon. He shook his head.
"Hey Kai-chan, Onibi said you needed backup but you were just having a party without me," the girl pouted and threw her arm over the shorter boy's shoulder. The snarling oni mouth guard contrasted strangely with her bubbly attitude and sparkling eyes.
"Heya Hannya," Night Jumper greeted, cluing the older hero into her identity.
The vampire vigilante Hannya. She had appeared a little less than a year ago patrolling with Kaijin. Around that time Onibi also started dealing in more valuable information. They suspected that Hannya had something to do with it but without knowing her quirk it was hard to tell. All they knew was that she was agile, good with knives and was known to take blood from some of her victims. Criminals they interviewed reported her asking them for their blood and making other unsettling comments.
"Onibi is a mother hen," Kaijin complained. "I'm just having a meeting with our friends."
Hannya hummed, not even looking at the two heroes.
"You got any blood? I came straight here and haven't had a sip for a few hours."
Kaijin dug in his pockets and pulled out a vial of red liquid. He handed it to Hannya who shifted her mask and downed it like a shot of sake.
"That's better. I was going a bit loopy."
So Hannya had a blood quirk. Eraserhead filed that way for later. It certainly explained a lot.
"What's the sitch Sir Cryptid?" the vampire asked.
"Eraserhead here was just offering us legal employment. As heroes."
Neither vigilante indicated they were aware that the heroes were still present. It was like they were in their own world but Eraser didn't doubt both were keeping tabs on them. He had seen this tactic before. This was their territory, they were in control. Night Jumper and Eraserhead were outsiders.
"As if," Hannya scoffed.
"They say that the commission will back off if we get licenses."
"They obviously don't know anything about the commission then."
That made Eraser perk up. Had the commission already contacted the trio?
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Kaijin and Hannya shared a conspiratorial look before turning to him.
"You don't really believe the commission would leave us alone just because we have licenses do you?" Hannya inquired, tilting her head curiously.
"Why would they care once you're legal?" Jumper asked.
Kaijin laughed humorlessly.
"Onibi, Hannya and I have quirks the commission would love to get their hands on. Giving us licenses would just make it easier for them. Maybe you should stop investigating us and try looking inward. I would start with that new hero, Hawks. Something fishy is going on there."
Eraserhead already had suspicions that the commission was too involved in the new hero's career. The 22 year old had appeared from nowhere with a license and a commission sponsored agency. He was already in the top 50 just a few months after his debut.
"I'll look into it," he said, recognizing the challenge for what it was. A test to prove he took them seriously. That he was willing to doubt the foundations of hero society.
Kaijin suddenly tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He made a clicking noise, his ears swiveling to his left for a moment. He sighed as he pulled out his phone.
It rang twice on speaker before someone picked up.
"You on your way back?" a slightly raspy voice asked.
"Don't play dumb Onibi," Kaijin scolded. "I see you three roofs over with the sniper rifle."
Both heroes stiffened and turned toward where Kaijin's ears had indicated the threat was. They stood perfectly still.
"The safety is on, I'm just using the scope," the informant assured them.
"That does not make us feel better!" Jumper snapped.
"Blame the little monsters. They didn't check in," Onibi replied. "Heya Eraserhead. Does this count as our official meeting?"
"Onibi," Eraser greeted, relaxing a little. He was reasonably sure the trio didn't mean them any harm. They were just agents of chaos that were determined to give him a migraine. "Do I want to know where you got the gun?"
"You know, I get around. Now send my dear brother and sister off home. I promise you'll see them again."
"I think we're finished here," Eraser assured him.
"Finally, a competent babysitter," the informant snarked.
"Hey!" Jumper protested.
"Stand down Onibi, we'll be home soon," Kaijin promised.
"Bye dad!" Hannya said sweetly.
Onibi grumbled as he hung up.
"I guess this is good night then," Kaijin said, pocketing the phone. "Can we expect you to try and follow us?"
Jumper sputtered, his mouth opening and closing a few times.
"Jumper-chan and Eraser-chan have things to talk about," Hannya answered for the hero. "I think we're safe tonight," She jumped into Kaijin's arms, the smaller boy taking her weight no problem.
"Fly my pretty, I want stir fry!" she cried.
Kaijin giggled at her childish antics. The scene warmed Eraser's soul even as it made his chest tighten. They were so young.
With a nod to the heroes, wings snapped open and the pair dove off the roof, flying into the night.
—---------------
Middle school fucking blows.
If it wasn't boring lessons on shit he already knew it was the dumb extras trying to cozy up to him. Even the teachers were pathetically transparent as they praised his every action and gushed about how amazing he was.
He knew it wasn't him.
It was his quirk.
Aldera Middle School was a low funded, low performing school with nothing to boast about. Then in came Bakugou Katsuki with aspirations of being a hero and a quirk to back it up. He was their ticket to notoriety. If one of their students made it to UA and then became a top ranking hero the school would reap the rewards.
None of them knew. None of them even cared to learn how hard Katsuki had worked just to control his explosions so he didn't blast the closest person to bits every time he worked up a sweat. How often he had treated burns and iced his aching muscles on his journey to get stronger. How much time he spent with Kayama-sensei and Toyomitsu-sensei so he could be more than a walking bomb and could actually make a difference.
"Hey Bakugou!" Katsuki ground his teeth as the two oblivious bastards that had decided to cling to him like leeches sauntered up to his desk.
"I hear we're getting a new student today," said Fingers.
"I wonder what their quirk is," added Wings.
"Who cares?" Katsuki snapped, already done with them and homeroom had just started.
"Your right, there's no way they're quirk is cooler than yours," Fingers clapped him on the shoulder, Katsuki shrugged it off with a growl.
He had given up in the first few weeks of term trying to get it through their thick skulls that he didn't care about quirks, that no quirk was useless or villainous. No one could fathom the idea that Katsuki, with his powerful quirk and confident attitude, didn't look down on everyone else. They projected their own toxic hero worship onto him. The rumors that had followed him out of elementary school didn't help.
"Alright class, in your seats," the teacher called as she swept into the room, a student Katuki didn't recognize followed her.
The leaches didn't leave, they knew that if they were talking to Katsuki the teacher wouldn't do anything about it. She just stood awkwardly at the front of the room not making a move to save him from their mind numbing blathering. He did his best to ignore it and studied the new kid instead. He had wild lavender hair stuck up in all directions like he had been shocked, his uniform was too big and hung off his scrawny frame, his eye bags rivaled both of Loudmouth's husbands combined.
"Get your asses in gear," Katsuki finally snapped, taking pity on the purple kid's obviously increasing anxiety. "Fuck off."
They laughed like he hadn't just shot them his most dangerous glare and finally let the teacher start class.
"This is Shinsou Hitoshi, he just transferred in. Please make him feel welcome."
"As if," Katsuki thought as several people snickered. "He's going to get hazed."
"'Tell us about yourself Shinsou-kun."
"No thanks," he answered in a bored voice.
"Come now, at least tell us your quirk."
The kid tensed up, the hands in his pockets balled into fists as fear flashed in his eyes.
"Don't do that," Katsuki tried to warn him silently. Some of his classmates leaned forward with greedy expressions, sensing blood in the water.
"No," the purple kid repeated.
"Shinsou-kun, don't be rude. Tell us what your quirk is," the teacher pressed.
He'll have to tell them now or whatever they make up will be worse.
"My quirk is Brainwashing."
Shit, he took it back. This was so much worse. Katsuki saw Fingers and Wings share an evil grin out of the corner of his eye. They would eat him alive.
The teacher gave Shinsou a poisonously sweet smile. Katsuki almost combusted when he realized that bitch had known his quirk and thrown him to the wolves.
"Thank you Shinsou-kun, you can take the empty seat by the window."
Homeroom went on as normal.
So did the rest of the day.
And the next three weeks.
Katsuki kept a close eye on his classmates and Shinsou. There seemed to be a bubble around the purple kid at all times. During PE, in the cafeteria, even in the halls the crowd would part around him. The students were scared of him, they didn't know how his quirk worked so they didn't let him touch them, or talk to them, or even make eye contact. Katsuki didn't let his guard down though, he knew it wouldn't last.
The stalemate finally broke in PE a month after Shinsou arrived. They were playing dodgeball. Shinsou was on the opposite team and everything was going well until Katsuki noticed that Shinsou's teammates were dropping like flies. They were being taken out much faster than they should be and with hits they should have been able to dodge. Soon it was only Shinsou left.
Everything went still before a barrage of rubber balls rocketed at Shinsou from both Katsuki's team and his own teammates sitting on the sidelines. The purple haired boy scrunched up and threw his arms over his head as hits rained down on every part of his body until a ball hit him square between the shoulder blades and he went down with a gasp, landing awkwardly on his shoulder.
"What the fuck was that?" Katsuki screamed, causing the gym teacher to finally look up from his phone. The blonde marched up to Shinsou's closest teammate and grabbed him by the collar, not caring that his hand was red hot and scorched the fabric. "Did you throw the match on purpose?"
"Come on Bakugou, you get it, the villain needed to be taught his place."
Katsuki was seething. "It wasn't a fair fight," he screamed.
"Now now," the teacher said, placing his hand on Katsuki's shoulder. The explosion user dropped his classmate and shrugged the hand off. "We all know how competitive you are but you won, as usual." the teacher sounded so proud when he said it that Katsuki stared at him in shock for a moment.
He hadn't meant that the dodgeball game wasn't fair. He meant the vicious, dishonorable attack that Shinsou had no chance of defending against. By the time Katsuki had wrestled his rage into a small enough ball to snap at his teacher without destroying the gym the bell rang and they were dismissed.
Katsuki looked around for Shinsou but he was already gone. Hopefully to the nurse.
He did not, in fact, go to the nurse. He was already at his desk when they got to their next class, protecting his shoulder and wincing every time he moved. Katsuki didn't know why the scene gave him deja vu or why he suddenly felt very protective of the new kid.
It escalated from there. Nasty messages were written on his desk and his locker, he was tripped and pushed in the hall, his small bento box was thrown to the floor and stomped on. The teachers would mock him when he got answers wrong in class or when he choked on his words and couldn't bring himself to speak. The day Katsuki got to class and saw Shinsou twirling a spider lily in his fingers he had just about had enough.
Shinsou's bento had been stomped on again, Katsuki stepped over it as he entered the cafeteria. The meager helping of rice and edamame was ground into the tile. He looked around for the beacon of lavender hair but didn't see it anywhere so he went searching. As he passed the stairwell to the second floor he heard voices.
"Keep your hands in your pockets. I don't want a disgusting villain touching me."
There was a yelp and another voice cut in.
"No one wants you here, why don't you just run off and die?"
Katsuki saw red as he kicked the door open revealing Fingers holding Shinsou's wrists so he couldn't pull them from his pockets while Wings had a fistfull of purple hair and was wrenching the brainwasher's head to the side.
"What the fuck are you fuckers doing?" he snarled.
"Hey Bakugou, wanna get in on this?" Fingers asked gleefully.
Lavender eyes with white pupils snapped to lock with fiery red. There was fear there but also a burning defiance that basically slapped Katsuki in the face. He could have sworn those eyes turned green for a moment and he suddenly understood why seeing Shinsou being treated like this made his heart ache.
"What do you say? You can have the first punch," Wings offered, tugging Shinsou's head forward as if presenting it to him.
Fuck it, this had worked before.
"Back off, this bitch is mine," Katsuki sneered, pushing Fingers out of the way. He grabbed Shinsou by the back of his jacket and tugged him toward the door.
"Hey! At least let us watch!" Wings whined. Katsuki had to remind himself that if he popped off now he would hurt Shinsou.
"Fuck off, don't follow me."
He escorted Shinsou past the cafeteria and out into the sports field. Once they were hidden behind the equipment shed he released Shinsou, letting him lean against the wooden boards.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Shinsou regarded him warily, his body was turned away and his knees were bent, ready to run. "Don't run, if they see you too soon they'll know. Just wait a second and I'll explain."
Katsuki retreated several steps and let off a few explosions. The loud noise made Shinsou jump and press his back to the shed.
"Sorry," Katsuki apologized. "I had to burn some sweat off."
A spark of confusion shone behind Shinsou's apprehension and fear.
"It's my quirk. I sweat nitroglycerin. Sometimes I have to burn it off or it will build up and I could really hurt someone. Are you okay?" he repeated.
Shinsou remained silent but he wasn't poised to escape anymore. He still looked confused. Katsuki remembered all the times Shinsou seemed to go mute and couldn't say a word no matter how harshly someone was laying into him.
"Can you sign?"
The question seemed to shock Shinsou like an electric current. His eyes locked with Katsuki's.
"You know JSL?" he signed.
"Yeah, I'm going deaf from the explosions so my sensei suggested I learn. Plus it's good for hero work."
Shinsou appeared to take in the new information before signing again.
"What is going on?"
"Right, it's a little complicated but if everyone thinks I've claimed you as my personal punching bag they should leave you alone."
Shinsou's entire aura changed. He glowered at Katsuki, all his swirling emotions suddenly replaced by anger.
"Of course," he hissed, finding his voice. "The amazing hero hopeful Bakugou Katsuki wants to protect the weak villainous kid. What do you really want? To use me to trick the world into thinking you're more than just a bully?"
Katsuki felt his anger bubble up but years of therapy helped him reign it in. It must have shown on his face though, Shinsou suddenly looked like he regretted opening his mouth.
"When have you ever seen me bully anyone?" he asked.
Shinsou started to answer but stopped. Katsuki could almost hear the whirl of a projector as Shinsou played back months of memories looking for one time Katsuki had actually bullied someone.
"It doesn't matter," Shinsou snapped, not backing down. "You're brash and angry and have a powerful quirk, no one with a heroic quirk would care about someone with a villain quirk."
"So what, you're going to judge me based on a stereotype just like they're doing to you?" Katsuki yelled back. "Let me tell you something about my oh so heroic quirk. When I manifested it I nearly blew my best friend's face off. Can you imagine that? A six year old suddenly being able to set off literal bombs in their hands?
"I put serious work into making sure that I could control it but my quirk still affects me everyday. I already said it's making me deaf but did you know nitroglycerine is toxic? I'm immune to its effects but my body still recognizes it as a threat. I'm on blood pressure medication so the adrenaline my body pumps out at all times doesn't stop my heart. I'm constantly angry because the best way to burn off excess adrenaline is to be angry or terrified and I can't afford to be terrified if I want to be a hero."
Katsuki was panting as he finished. All his frustration around his quirk and how this god forsaken school, that knew nothing about his struggles, treated him like he was hot shit just because he was a future hero poured out of him. It felt oddly cathartic even if he was a little embarrassed to have dumped it on Shinsou.
"What about the kid they told me you bullied and made disappear?" Shinsou asked, his tone was curious this time instead of accusatory but Katsuki's stomach dropped.
He knew he had gone deathly pale based on Shinsou's sudden horror. Too many emotions suddenly slammed into him. Regret, sadness, hopelessness, grief and ever present anger. He felt his quirk roiling under his skin, his palms burning as sparks flew off them. He turned and let off a large blast, scorching the grass for several meters. He stood deathly still, gasping for breath and shaking. When he finally turned back around he expected Shinsou to be gone but he was still there looking worried.
"Zuku was my best friend. The day I came to school with a new quirk and he came with a giant burn scar on his cheek a rumor started that I was bullying him.
We wanted to be heroes together but he was diagnosed quirkless. I guess his mom didn't want to raise a quirkless child because she sold him to a gang and I never saw him again," Katsuki wasn't sure when he started crying. He angrily wiped away the tears. "I wasn't the same after, I let my anger control me. It felt better than the emptiness. The rumors of his disappearance got all tangled up with the bullying accusations so everyone thinks it was my fault somehow."
There was silence, Katsuki didn't look up at Shinsou. He couldn't bear to see the pity on his face. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was people thinking Izuku's disappearance had broken him. It had, but it also inspired him, helped him put the pieces back together and gave him direction and purpose.
"That- What- Wow," Shinsou stuttered. "I'm sorry I listened to those ass holes."
Katuki barked out a laugh, sniffling as he dried the last of his tears.
"He's not dead is he?"
Katsuki finally looked at Shinsou, he was much more relaxed, if a little anxious about the answer to his question.
"Nah, nerd's too smart for that. He's out there somewhere."
This time Katsuki didn't look away as he waited for the pity he always saw in his parent's and therapist's eyes whenever he denied that Zuku could be gone for good. It didn't happen, all he saw was the defiance and determination that had reminded Katsuki so much of his best friend spark up again.
"Good," he said. "I want to meet him one day."
"He'll love your quirk. He'll ask you so many questions your head will spin."
Shinsou's eyes darkened a little and he nervously shuffled his feet.
"So, I'm your personal punching bag now?"
"It's worked before. No one dared bully Zuku once people decided I already was. Just keep your head down."
Shinsou nodded as the bell rang.
Katsuki didn't tell Shinsou that it was only a matter of time until their ruse was discovered. No matter how often or loudly the blonde insulted Shinsou or directed explosions in his direction they would eventually catch on. He was sure someone would notice Shinsou was never actually injured, but it had been several weeks and everyone still assumed Katsuki was hurting Shinsou.
Because Shinsou was getting injured.
When Katsuki noticed new bruises a couple weeks after the conversation behind the shed he confronted Shinsou. They had started meeting on a street corner near the back of the school every day that Katsuki didn't have training so they could walk home. Turns out Shinsou didn't live too far from him, splitting off only a couple blocks from Katsuki's street.
"Is someone still bullying you?" he asked, gesturing to the deep purple bruise on Shinsou's cheekbone.
"Nah, I ran into a door."
I hit my arm on the door Kacchan.
It was the ghost of an old memory but it was enough to make him shiver.
"You sure?"
Shinsou couldn't look him in the eye.
"Yeah, I'm just a clutz."
I'm so worried about Izuku, he can be a clutz sometimes.
He almost gagged as Aunie Inko's voice filled his head. They were reaching the corner where Shinsou always turned while Katsuki went straight on. He had to do something.
"Hey," he said, throwing his arm around the purplette. "We're friends right?"
Katsuki had promised himself that he would never have friends again after Zuku. At first it was because no one was good enough to replace him then it was because Katsuki was too close off to let anyone try. Now he was willing to rip himself open again if it meant the purple haired boy that reminded him so much of Zuku would just talk to him.
"I guess," Shinsou answered hesitantly.
"Good, I'll see you tomorrow loser," he ruffled Shinsou's hair and continued down the street with a wave.
After that Shinsou shared more about himself. Katsuki learned that he had been in foster care since he was five, abandoned to the system when his quirk came in. People at his last school would do shitty things and say that Shinsou forced them. Eventually that home and school kicked him out and he ended up in Masutafu at Aldera Middle School.
One day Katsuki arrived to see a cast on Shinsou's arm. Katsuki dragged him away despite the jeers from their classmates and asked him what the hell happened.
"I fell down the stairs," Shinsou insisted but he was looking at Katsuki's chest when he said it.
"Come on, what really happened?"
"I tripped on the carpet and fell down the stairs. Nothing more to tell."
Katsuki opened his mouth but caught sight of Shinsou's eyes. There was actual terror there, a bone deep fear of Katsuki not believing him.
"Watch your fucking step next time you klutz. You're going to break your neck at this rate."
Shinsou looked like he would melt from relief and headed to the bathroom to hide from their peers for lunch break. Katsuki stayed where he was, alone in a little used corridor using the breathing exercises his therapist had taught him.
He felt useless not being able to help Shinsou but he hadn't been working with Midnight and Fat Gum for nothing. He knew directly confronting his friend could push him away. He was scared of whoever was hurting him. Katsuki would put money on it being the foster parents. They were likely holding something over his head to ensure his silence. Katsuki would just have to prove he could be trusted and let Shinsou come to him.
It was the last week of term when Katsuki realized he couldn't wait any more.
It was insanely hot outside but the PE teacher had insisted on a two kilometer run to see their improvement. Everyone had collapsed on the grass, too tired to notice Shinsou and Katsuki sitting together as they caught their breath.
Shinsou used the collar of his T-shirt to wipe sweat from his face. When he looked in Katsuki's direction it took everything in him to remain calm.
A line extended from one cheek to the other over the bridge of his nose. It was red and irritated looking even under the thin film of concealer still clinging to his skin.
A muzzle.
Katsuki covered his enraged growl with a huff as he stood and stalked away to burn off some sweat. The blasts were bigger than normal thanks to the storm of emotions raging inside him.
How long had this been happening? How often? Was it every day when Katsuki left him to walk alone back to that hell hole?
Katsuki wouldn't let him go back.
As the rest of the class headed inside to air conditioning and a drink of water, Katsuki pulled out his phone.
Thank Kami it was Tuesday.
......
"You want to come to training with me today?"
Hitoshi looked up from his beat up flip phone and blinked at Bakugou as he approached their corner. He had been dreading what the blonde would say since he had realized his scars were visible after PE. He had reapplied the makeup and prayed that Bakugou hadn't noticed.
"You mean the super secret training you won't tell me about?"
"Yeah, I trust you and you want to be a hero too right? I could use a new sparring partner."
Hitoshi could feel his eyes light up even as he tried to maintain his usual indifferent attitude. Ever since the brainwasher had confessed that he wanted to be a hero to prove he wasn't a villain and Katsuki had encouraged him, Hitoshi loved talking about hero training and UA with the blonde. It was often the highlight of his day even if it did inevitably lead to talking about his quirk, a topic he always avoided. He really liked Bakugou and he didn't think he could handle it if the blonde stopped talking to him.
"Sure, I'll come with," he agreed.
Bakugou walked them in the opposite direction they usually took.
"Let's get going, if we're late I'm making you do any drills Sensei gives me."
They caught the train for a few stops and walked the rest of the way. Hitoshi's confusion grew as they got closer to their destination, culminating in pure shock when Katsuki pulled him across the street toward the gate.
"What are we doing here?"
Bakugou rummaged in his bag.
"Going to training, or did you forget?"
"Bakugou, this is UA."
His friend pulled out a pass and scanned it, the gate opened with a heavy thud.
"Why do you have a pass for UA?" Hitoshi was basically yelling now, his eyes wide.
"This is where I train. Yamada-sensei is a teacher here."
Hitoshi followed Bakugou in a daze. They entered the school, several lingering students waving to the blonde as he marched through the halls. Eventually they stopped outside one of the gyms and Bakugou gently pushed Hitoshi toward the double doors.
"I have to change, I already told him you were coming. Go introduce yourself and don't freak out."
Hitoshi shook his head to clear it.
"Freak out? Why would I freak out?" he asked but Bakugou was already gone.
The purplette opened the door slowly and popped his head inside. The gym was huge with miniature mountains and full size buildings scattered around. A few sparring mats were laid out close to the door. A tall man with blonde hair up in a bun was pacing in front of a line of small robots and typing on a tablet. As if sensing eyes on him he turned and shot a beaming smile at Hitoshi.
'You must be Katsuki's friend. I'm Yamada Hizashi, come on in."
Hitoshi approached the man. He had lime green eyes behind rectangular reading glasses, his nails were painted sky blue and his combat boots had yellow laces with a guitar pin attached to the left one. He wore distressed blue jeans and a leather jacket Hitoshi recognized.
Suddenly he remembered that all UA staff were required to be Pro Heroes.
This man was a Pro Hero.
Present Mic.
"You're the Voice Hero: Present Mic," he said in awe. Present Mic laughed.
"I am. I'm impressed, not many people recognize me out of costume."
"Your jacket gave it away."
"Ah, that would do it. Normally I would be in my civies by now but I need my support items for today's training."
The door burst open and Bakugou strode in. He was wearing track pants and sneakers. His tight fitting black shirt had odd stitching around the shoulders and upper arms. He was making final adjustments to the green gauntlets on his wrists.
"Hey Loudmouth, we doing flight training today?"
Hitoshi gaped at him.
"Bakugou, that's Present Mic!" he scolded.
"So? He's a loudmouth, are you going to tell me that I'm wrong?"
Hitoshi didn't really have a comeback as his eyes flicked between his friend and the hero.
"No worries Shinsou-kun, I've been training the bomberanian for two years. I'm used to it," Present Mic said with a wink. "Yeah, we're working on dodging and turbulence today."
"In other words you're going to start by siccing the robots on me then move on to screaming until I fall out of the sky?"
"Exactly!" the hero said as if Bakugou hadn't just described something that sounded extremely dangerous. "Go do your warm up."
Yamada-sensei, as he insisted Hitoshi call him when he tried to go with Present Mic-sensei, was a good teacher. He was patient and attentive to Bakugou even when he was just stretching, making sure he was as ready as he could be for training.
"You know the drill. The robots have been programmed to be faster this time."
"Bring it on!" Bakugou cheered as he blasted off into the jungle of buildings and stone pillars. Robots scattered throughout the gym began shooting red balls at him. He rocketed through the air, either knocking balls away or avoiding them with a series of well timed explosions.
"I didn't know he could do that," Hitoshi said.
"He's been working at it a long time. When I offered to train him he could only handle one jump straight up."
Bakugou executed an impressive dive and spiral to avoid four balls at once before hovering with a series of rapid fire explosions and taking off again.
"Katsuki says you want to apply to UA."
Hitoshi tore his eyes from Bakugou's aerial acrobatics and looked at Yamada-sensei.
"Yeah. I'm going to apply to general studies."
Yamada frowned.
"Not heroics?"
Hitoshi fidgeted with his shirt. He knew he stood no chance at passing the heroics practical. Bakugou was amazing and there were hundreds of other applicants with flashy quirks like his.
"I have a mental quirk. It's better if I get in through general studies and transfer during the sports festival. Besides, my fosters wouldn't allow me to apply to the hero course anyway."
"Why would your foster parents not want you to try for heroics?"
Hitoshi mentally kicked himself. He said too much and now they were on a forbidden topic.
"They worry about me," he answered vaguely.
"Yeah, they worry I'm going to be a villain," he added bitterly in his head.
"Are you sure it has nothing to do with brainwashing being considered a villain's quirk?"
Hitoshi's eyes snapped to Yamada's. His breath caught in his chest. He knew, Bakugou had told him. Was it all a trick? Were they just laughing at him behind his back? Was he going to be told by Present Mic himself that he couldn't be a hero? That he was only ever going to be a villain?
"My husband's quirk is considered villainous," the hero continued. Hitoshi blinked, his lungs ached as his oncoming panic attack was stopped in its tracks. "Now he's a wonderful hero that saves people every day. People who judge someone because of their quirk and not their actions or heart are the worst kind of villain."
Hitoshi thought of his foster father hitting him, kicking him, berating him. Of his foster mother ignoring him and taking away his food. He thought of the muzzle and being kicked out into the cold to sleep in the dog house.
"Do me a favor and cover your ears please," Yamada said, nudging Hitoshi out of his head. He complied but his ears still rang when the voice hero yelled for Bakugou to come back.
"Did you know I was born with my quirk?" Yamada asked as they waited for his student. "I deafened the doctor, nurses and my parents with my first cry."
Bakugou landed a little ways away.
"Kat, can you get my makeup bag from my gear?"
Hitoshi expected Bakugou to make some kind of fuss but when his eyes flicked to Hitoshi they held something that the purplette had never seen in the confident blonde. Desperation. The kind that people had when they prayed for a miracle.
"My parents didn't want me after that. I would have ended up in foster care if my grandparents hadn't taken me in. At the time it was illegal to put an infant on quirk suppressing drugs," Bakugou returned with a small bag covered in sharpie music notes. Yamada rummaged in it until he pulled out a small cloth. "But there were no laws against quirk suppressing devices."
With one long swipe Yamada wiped away his makeup to reveal a silvery line across his cheeks and nose. Another swipe and suddenly there were two more scars on either side of his chin.
"I wore a muzzle until I was five. That's when my grandmother was finally able to get the drugs, but my grandfather was a cheap bastard and would only let me take them to go to school. The rest of the time I remained in the muzzle. This went on until I was eight and my grandmother couldn't stand it anymore. She divorced him and took me away. She got me a quirk councilor and I started being able to control my voice."
A warm hand grabbed Hitoshi's and held tight. Bakugou's form swam as Hitoshi looked up. When had he started crying?
"Something I didn't tell you about Izuku. His mom beat him his whole life and I was too stup- young to notice. I want to be a hero to help people who aren't given a chance so when I started seeing the signs I missed in my best friend in you I couldn't just stand by and let you suffer."
Hitoshi squeezed his friend's hand back. He rubbed his tears into his cheeks, removing the hastily applied concealer. He had been forced to sleep in the muzzle the night before so he knew the wounds looked raw and painful.
"My quirk is a call and response. My foster parents make me wear a muzzle so I cant use it. He hits me and she neglects me. I barely get food, I don't have a bed and sometimes they make me sleep outside." Hitoshi let it all tumble out, too scared that if he stopped his voice would fail. Bakugou was kneading his thumb into Hitoshi's palm to keep him grounded. A low crackling sound was coming from Yamada.
"What do I do? If they find out I told they'll hurt me, maybe even kill me."
The crackling cut off as his other hand was grabbed.
"All pro heroes have emergency foster licenses for this exact reason. Would you like to come home with me?"
Hitoshi sobbed.
"Are you sure? I'm just a villain kid, why would you want me?"
"We would love to have you," Yamada assured him. "We want to help."
"Go for it Hitoshi," Bakugou urged him, a warmth filled Hitoshi's chest when the blonde used his given name. "Zashi and his husbands will be good to you."
"Husbands?" Hitoshi hiccupped, finally getting control of his tears.
"Yeah, I have two," Yamada said. "We've all been through something similar to you. Sho once made a drunken joke that we were the manifestation of 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'. I was muzzled, Sho has a vision quirk so he was blindfolded and Nao had to wear noise canceling headphone because he can hear lies. We understand you, we believe you, will you let us help?"
Hitoshi's tears started again. All he could do was nod and gasp out a desperate yes.
Strong arms were suddenly wrapped around him and Hitoshi didn't hesitate to cling to his friend.
"Thank you Katsuki," he cried. "Thank you."