Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a relatively normal day for Midoriya considering all the shit Class 1-A had been through, and that’s excluding all the Villain attacks that happened. He, Iida and Uraraka were walking towards the gym room, chatting about the usual things like Heroes and homework. Iida had requested for his help to move some things as per Aizawa-sensei’s orders and Uraraka had volunteered to help.

But it seems that Midoriya spoke too soon.

While heading towards their destination, a sudden bright light flashed behind them. Immediately, their senses went high on alert, wondering if this was yet another Villain attack. 

They heard two thuds as the light faded, like the sound of bodies hitting the ground. And maybe because it was what they were taught to do or their Heroic instincts, the three of them didn’t hesitate to run forward to help. 

If Aizawa-sensei were here, he'd have threatened to expel them for rushing forward recklessly, but someone might be in danger, so to hell with expulsion. They were the closest to the scene, and if it really were a Villain attack, they’re the only ones who could stop them before someone else gets hurt.

After regaining their eyesight from the blinding light, they found two bodies lying on the ground motionless. Midoriya feared the worst as he activated One for All even if it was against the rules. He shot forward, arriving at the two bodies in a split second.

With trembling hands, he shook one of the bodies, praying that they were still alive. Not a drop of blood was seen, but with how diverse quirks are, it isn’t a stretch to assume a quirk could stop someone’s heart from beating without spilling blood.

Only when Midoriya was searching for a pulse did he realise the peculiar get up of the unconscious boy he was holding onto. Almost every inch of his exposed skin was wrapped in bandages. Around his neck, his wrists, even his right eye. An ominous feeling made his hair stand on end.

When Iida and Uraraka finally arrived, they inspected the other body still lying on the ground. It was at this moment when the bandaged boy in his hands cracked open his eyelids. Relief washed over Midoriya in waves, glad to see he was still breathing.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt–” Before Midoriya could even finish voicing out his question, he felt someone grabbing his wrist and in one swift motion, he found himself face-planted on the ground. One moment, the bandaged boy was unconscious on the ground, the next, Midoriya was the one on the ground.

The boy had a firm grip on his wrist, holding it at an angle that would dislocate his shoulders should the greenhead move rashly. His other hand was pinned down with a foot, a knee dug into his back, locking him down. All these happened in a moment and Midoriya couldn’t even react.

When Iida and Uraraka noticed, they ran forward to help. Well, they attempted to. Yet before they could even take a step forward, a red glow enveloped their bodies before they fell face first into the ground.

“Iida-kun! Uraraka-san!” he shouted. Midoriya could still move his legs and head, albeit uselessly, but both Iida and Uraraka couldn’t even lift a finger. They tried, yet ultimately failing, their bodies sinking deeper into the ground along with their anguish cries.

“Wh-What quirk is this…?!” Iida stammered out weakly. The invisible force crushing him made it hard for him to speak properly.

When Midoriya tried to activate One for All again, he heard a click, then the nozzle of a pistol aimed at his skull.

“You, who are you?” a voice so cold and detached drifted from the bandaged boy. 

“I-I’m Midoriya Izuku! We’re just… We’re just trying to help! W-We found you lying on the ground uncon–” he stammered out, trying his best to sound harmless. The boy was probably startled, so if he assured the boy that he’s safe, he’d calm down. But it seems the bandaged boy had other plans.

“I don’t give a shit about your name. Who are you and where am I?” Perhaps it was because he’d been involved in too many dangerous situations, but Midoriya felt the murderous intent rolling off the brunette. It was so dense the young hero felt it difficult to breathe.

“I-I’m a Hero student at the UA Hero School, we’re in the UA school grounds currently!” Midoriya had hoped that the mention of UA would cause the boy to back off considering how many Pro Heroes were stationed here after all the Villain attacks but he should’ve learned from before to not hold onto hope so much.

“UA? What kind of institute is that? Never heard of it. And what’s with the Hero storyline? Are you filming a movie or something?”

That can’t be. Who in Japan would not know of UA Hero School? And who in the world would not know of Heroes, the very pillar holding up society right now?

The boy spoke again before Midoriya could respond. This time, his question was directed at someone else.

“Chuuya, is your brain still intact?” he called out, pistol still aimed at the greenhead’s skull. “Oh right, you don’t have one. Nevermind then!”

“Would it fucking kill you to be serious for once, you shithead?” the other boy–Chuuya, apparently–who still had both Iida and Uraraka pinned down answered. “And here I thought you were actually concerned for my well-being.”

The two boys continued bickering back and forth. Midoriya strained to turn his head so he could get a good look at the second boy. A bed of red hair sat on his head, an old-fashioned hat over it. He was wearing a suit similar to the bandaged boy with a bolo tie instead, and a long black overcoat. His eyes were a bright cerulean blue instead of the dark amber eyes the brunette has, a stark contrast of the both. 

Was he a foreigner? But his name is Japanese, so maybe a mixed race then.

Just when Midoriya was trying to form a plan to get out of this predicament and save both Iida and Uraraka from being crushed to death, numerous footsteps were heard, coming from the direction of UA’s towers.

He first spotted Aizawa-sensei at the front, running towards them at full speed, his eyes glowing with the activation of his quirk. Then following behind is All Might in his shrivelled form and Nemuri-sensei. 

The sight of the Pro Heroes put Midoriya’s mind at ease, thinking that they were saved. The young hero would remind himself later to learn from his mistakes. 

“That’s enough. One more step closer and I’ll put a bullet through his head.” Dazai–Midoriya had picked up his name from their bicker earlier–said, pushing the pistol deeper into his skull and unlocking the safety. 

Dazai’s voice wasn’t loud, but it’s clear that Aizawa-sensei heard him from where he halted in his steps. All Might and Nemuri-sensei stopped at his side too, obeying his command.

“Put the gun down and let my students go. Whatever it is, we can talk.” Aizawa-sensei still has his quirk activated from the way his eyes were glowing and his hair floating, but it was practically useless when his assailant had a literal gun pointed at his head. 

Dazai seemed to notice this too. He took a second to think about it before saying, “I think not. We can converse this way perfectly.”

When Aizawa-sensei was at a loss, thinking about his next course of action, a shot was fired.

Midoriya went rigid, wondering if the bandaged boy had pulled the trigger and if he was the target. Yet he felt no pain and his vision was still clear. Did he hear wrong? Or was it Snipe that fired it?

His answer came in the form of a stinging pain from his right ear, where he felt something moist sliding down to his neck.

“One more misstep and I won’t be so merciful. That includes you too, oba-san .” Dazai had fired the shot. Not at his head, but close enough. The bullet had grazed the skin of his ear and embedded itself into the ground. If Dazai had angled his gun just a few degrees left, Midoirya would be buried with a hole through his skull.

Nemuri-sensei looked positively offended at being called an aunty, but her hands returned to her side where she was about to tear her skintight suit and release her sleep-inducing aroma. She was mostly hidden behind All Might and Aizawa-sensei, so Midoriya had no idea how Dazai found out.

“Young man, we’re not trying to harm you. There’s no need for viol–” All Might tries to diffuse the situation, holding his hands up in surrender, taking a small, slow step forward.

But Dazai meant every word he said. He aimed his gun and fired. Without hesitation.

However, what should’ve been a loud bang from a gunshot was instead replaced by a soft click of an empty gun. 

“Ah… That was my last bullet,” Dazai drawled, swinging the pistol in his hands dramatically.

Aizawa-sensei reacted immediately, pouncing forward while unwrapping his scarf. Before he could even get close, an object enveloped in a red glow came hurtling at him at the speed of sound. Because of the imminent danger, he was forced to change directions midway, barely avoiding the object aimed at him. A small slit appeared on his cheek, oozing with blood.

If Aizawa-sensei had been any less slow in noticing the danger, there would be a dagger impaled into his skull.

“Oi, the bandaged freak said to not move didn’t he? Hope you didn’t forget about me just ‘cause I was quiet.” Chuuya glared at Aizawa-sensei fiercely, his pupils narrowing to slits like a cat. At some point in time, he had made himself comfortable on Iida’s back with one foot over Uraraka to keep her down.

“Chuuya! How could you call me that?! I’m sensitive to cruel words y’know?” Dazai whined, his tone high pitched like a girl’s.

“Quit whining and get down to business, you fucker. Find out what the fuck’s going on so we can get the hell back!” Chuuya snapped, throwing a pebble at Dazai’s direction which was easily avoided by the latter. “This some kind of child experiment facility? Kid’s got a jet engine on his calves.”

Chuuya taps on the exhaust pipes protruding from Iida’s calves, a confused look on his face. 

“Ugh, fine. Maybe if you grew some brains, I wouldn’t have to do so much. But I guess life is never fair, huh?” Dazai rolls his eyes, completely unaware of how the ginger was practically fuming from his ears.

Meanwhile, Midoriya was busy trying to think of a way to escape with Iida and Uraraka. The fact that they had been subdued by the enemy was hindering the teachers from doing their jobs. If they weren’t being held as hostages, Aizawa-sensei and the others wouldn’t have to hold back. 

“Reinforcements are coming. If you surrender now, we can still talk this out,” Aizawa-sensei gritted out, his glowing eyes now trained on Chuuya. Yet, the red glow enveloping both Iida and Uraraka remained, not weakening in the slightest. This outcome baffled Midoriya, Aizawa-sensei even more so. The Pro Hero’s eyes widened. “How…?” he muttered.

“Might I remind you that I have three of your students under my mercy? If anything, you’re in no position to negotiate with me,” Dazai said matter-of-factly. Midoriya couldn’t help the tense feeling crawling up to him. The three of them were his biggest bargaining chips. If Midoriya could just escape with Iida and Uraraka, they’d lose their initiative and the Heroes can act freely.

Midoriya caught All Might’s gaze, who gave him a slight nod, understanding what he was about to do. With his reassurance, and the fact he doesn’t have a gun pointed at him anymore, Midoriya stopped holding back and activated One for All.

One for All, Full Cowl!

One second.

Two seconds.

Nothing happened.

The power that had grown familiar with Midoriya for a long time showed no signs of responding no matter how much he called out to them. He tried reaching for it, yet it felt like his connection with his quirk had been completely cut off. Never had he thought that he’d feel so powerless again like he was back when he was still the ordinary, quirkless boy.

Was it Dazai’s quirk? Does he have an erasure quirk similar to Aizawa-sensei’s? 

“No need to be so stiff. We just wanted to ask a few questions.” Dazai waved the gun in his hands playfully, a bright smile that didn't quite reach his eyes plastered on his face.

“...What questions?” Aizawa-sensei asked sceptically. Realising that his quirk doesn’t affect the two boys, he wisely deactivated it to conserve his energy. It would be bad if he overworked himself before capturing the two intruders.

“Oh, just simple ones. Nothing you can’t answer,” he replied. “Like where are we and what year is it.”

“Wait. What year is it? Are you saying we teleported and time travelled?” Chuuya caught onto Dazai's keywords and asked incredulously, his jaw hanging slack.

“Of course your pea-sized body comes equipped with a pea-sized brain,” Dazai tutted, to which Chuuya flipped him off aggressively. “Let me break it down in simple terms so you don’t fry your brain,”–Chuuya looked like he wanted to throw Iida at him but thought otherwise–“Since we’re conversing in Japanese, I assume we’re still in Japan, and since Yokohama is a port city yet there’s no scent of salt basically means that we’re in a different city but still in Japan. 

“Then there’s the weird Hero shit they mentioned. Right now, in our time, Abilities are a rarity and people would rather hide them so they don’t stand out in society, yet in this timeline, it’s used as a profession. I don’t think the boy’s engine calves are an experiment but rather an evolution of time, where Abilities can now manifest itself physically. Though I guess they call it quirks considering how quirky they are. Pun intended.”

It was an amazing analysis with so minimal of evidence, Midoriya noted. And he was the one who was supposed to have the Hero Analysis Book he recorded from his observations. 

Even though he was very much in a dangerous situation, Midoriya couldn’t help but find Dazai’s situation intriguing. Teleportation and time-travelling? The closest he had ever been to a space or time ability was Kurogiri’s warp quirk. And even that was limited to places the Villain has been before.

“Ugh, fine, you can stop rubbing it in my face now, you arrogant bastard.” 

“But Chuuya! I was only trying to help!” Dazai pouted, yet it didn’t stop the smug smile from forming on his face. Then he turned back to Aizawa-sensei. “As I was saying, where are we and what year is it?”

“... We’re in Musutafu, Japan,” Aizawa-sensei answered, careful to keep his tone levelled and to reveal as little information as ever. Though it wasn’t necessary because Midoriya already revealed they were in UA. He’ll need to learn from that mistake too. “The year is 2257–”

“200 YEARS?!!” Chuuya shrieked, startling everyone on scene.  

“Chuuya calm down, I can do basic maths, there’s no need to yell,” Dazai chided.

“CALM DOWN?! WE’RE THROWN 200 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?! ” He started scratching his head furiously, then proceeded to pull his hair. 

Dazai only covered his ears with a grimace as a response.

“Now, I assume you realise the predicament we’re in courtesy of the loud, idiot slug back there. Just like how you want your students to be freed, we would very much like to go back to our world too,” Dazai answered all sincerely. “I’m sure as Heroes , you people can’t bear to watch two powerless teenagers wander around in a world that’s not theirs right?”

Midoriya baulked at that statement. Both Dazai and Chuuya were anything but powerless teenagers. In fact, they’re the ones holding all the cards here!

The silence around them thickened, the tension so tangible one could cut it with a pair of scissors. Dazai only stared at Aizawa-sensei with a light smile on his lips. His gaze firm and unwavering as he continued his stare-down with the Pro Hero. 

Eventually, it was Aizawa-sensei who backed down first. 

“...Very well. I’ll talk to the Principal and we’ll see what we can do,” Aizawa-sensei sighed, rubbing his temples and letting go of his scarf. “Now, will you please release the students? They don’t have to be involved.”

Dazai tapped his lips, miming a thinking expression. That’s when Midoriya heard the pattering sounds of multiple footsteps approaching this way. This was most likely the reinforcements Aizawa-sensei mentioned. 

Just when he thought freedom was in his grasp, Midoriya felt it being ruthlessly ripped away from him. With so many Heroes arriving, there was no way Dazai would let go of his one and only bargaining chip. Now more than ever, he has to hold on to the three of them so the Heroes won’t arrest them.

However, the opposite happened instead. 

Midoriya felt the weight on his body lifting and the grip around his wrist loosening. He could feel the familiar tickle of One for All returning back to him. 

“Of course. Since we have a deal, I won’t need them anymore,” Dazai said, raising his arms in surrender and even dropping his gun. Chuuya mirrored the brunette’s actions, retracting his powers over Iida and Uraraka, coming over to stand beside Dazai.

Such a development wasn’t one that Midoriya expected, but he didn’t have the time to think it over. After being freed, he rushed over to his two friends who struggled to get up from their positions on the ground. 

“Are you guys alright?” he asked worriedly, checking to see if they were hurt or anything.

“I’m fin–ugh!” Uraraka held onto her ribs, folding over and groaning in pain. Chuuya’s power had crushed her so hard one of her ribs probably broke.

“Midoriya, take both of them to Recovery Girl now. We’ll take care of things here.” Midoriya wanted to protest, but seeing how his friends were in pain, he obeyed his teacher’s words, albeit somewhat reluctantly. 

Before he left while supporting both Iida and Uraraka, he dared a last look at the duo who appeared so suddenly to find Dazai staring at him with a mysterious smile on his face. The look he gave was chilling enough to send a shiver travelling up his spine.

“Now, shall we get our discussion going then?” was the last thing he heard before he sped off to the infirmary.

—

“So I heard of your situation from Aizawa-sensei. You’re saying you travelled 200 years into the future?” Nedzu repeated. They were currently in the conference room with the Principal seated at the head of the table while the two intruders from the past were seated at the opposite end. Most of the UA teachers who arrived at the end of his interaction with the two of them took up the seats at the side.

“Yes. That’s what I presume to have happened from all the evidence I’ve gathered thus far.” The boy–Dazai Osamu as he introduced earlier–replied truthfully. His companion–Nakahara Chuuya–was rather quiet by his side, though his glare was anything but.

Aizawa swears those eyes could kill someone. Just how does a teenager have a gaze that intense?

“Time-travel? Seriously? Quirks had only just manifested 200 hundred years ago and you’re saying something that powerful was what caused you to appear here?” Hizashi said sceptically, an incredulous look on his face. Aizawa, for the first time, thought his friend's reasoning was sound and nodded along beside him.

“Like you said, quirks only manifested 200 years ago. It may not be that powerful of an ability, but since it was a relatively foreign addition, there’s a chance of it going out of control and causing this to happen,” Dazai reasoned. Aizawa never liked the boy from the very start when he threatened his students, but he had to admit, the boy was smart. “Plus, it may not even be because of someone from my timeline, but rather yours.”

“Oh? What do you mean by that?” Nedzu asked, his eyes widening in curiosity. Aizawa was dying to know too but he composed himself.

“Well as I told you before, my ability is that it can nullify others. So technically speaking, no powers can affect me, or at least the ones I’ve encountered before.” Aizawa wondered if their quirks clashed, would his quirk erase Dazai’s nullifying one or would he nullify Aizawa’s quirk first. “Unless say I’m a collateral from whatever ability that was activated. For example, if Chuuya here was hit with an ability that causes all living objects to stick to him–”

“What the fuck is that stupid ability?”

“–I would also be affected by it and have to, unfortunately, stick to him.” Dazai continued, ignoring his companion’s question.

“I see. So you’re saying that while you’re able to nullify whatever quirk that’s been used on you directly, there’s a chance of it affecting you if it was used indirectly, is that right?” Nedzu simplified it, earning a nod from the brunette.

“Gosh, talking with someone on the same wavelength is so refreshing. Unlike someone.” Dazai’s comment earned a swift kick to the shin from Nakahara.

“So you’re saying that there’s someone with a quirk from our timeline that…sort of summoned you here?”

“That’s a possibility, yes.”

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do. For now, you can rest at UA while we discuss our next course of action. Ishiyama-sensei, please show Dazai-kun and Nakahara-kun to the lounge.” 

“Perfect! We definitely need some rest after everything that happened. I’m sure you Heroes know what’s best to do so we’ll leave it to you!” With that, Dazai hopped up and followed Cementoss out along with Nakahara.

The lack of protest made Aizawa feel wary. With how adamant the both had acted previously, it was hard to believe they’d accept Nedzu’s dismissal so easily. Was it because their numbers were at odds against them? It would indeed be foolish to provoke a fight in a room full of Heroes.

If that were the case, he could understand their behaviour back on the field. Since his quirk didn’t work on them and both Nemuri and Toshinori couldn’t act, it’s clear that they had the upper hand. However, there was still something that didn’t sit right with him.

“Hm, something rather interesting happened,” Nedzu commented with a gleam in his eyes. Aizawa didn’t like the look of that. He was sure the Principal would make this into one of his sick games to toy around with. “You said he released the students when you agreed to his terms and the reinforcement came?” Nedzu directed his question to Aizawa.

“Yes. I think he realised he couldn’t defeat us since the numbers were against him.” Aizawa answered.

“That would be the logical explanation now, isn’t it?” Nedzu said vaguely. “From what I can tell, Dazai-kun is a smart kid. Perhaps as smart as me even with my High-Spec quirk. He made a deal with you knowing that you won’t go back on it. Then he released the students because he deemed them unnecessary and to paint a picture of innocence to the other teachers who had yet to arrive at the scene.” 

“Are you saying the kid planned all of this? Right down to the moment in this room?” Aizawa asked in disbelief. Indeed, he used logical reasoning to deduce the bandaged boy’s actions, but if he really was as smart as Nedzu praises him to be, then logic doesn’t apply to him either.

“It’s a stretch, but there’s a high chance it is.”

“Doesn’t that make them highly dangerous then? UA is still in their sensitive period with all the Villain attacks that occurred, we can’t possibly accommodate two variables at this critical time.” At this moment, all Aizawa could think of was the safety of his students despite how much he finds them insufferable. If the two boys would be a threat to their newfound peace, he wanted them out as soon as possible.

“But we can’t just leave them. Even if we’re being manipulated to do their biddings, we can’t just abandon them,” Toshinori said in a defeated tone. He looked like he was in a dilemma. He must’ve been shaken after witnessing his favourite student almost at death’s door. But even if the Symbol of Peace is out of commission, he was still All Might, the number one Hero. “We have to help them…

“Because we’re Heroes.”

—

After that cube-looking cement dude left them at the school lounge to return to the conference room, Chuuya finally let out his pent-up frustration by stuffing his face into his hat and groaning loudly.

Just two hours earlier they were busy taking down a drug ring Mori had ordered them to. They were just finishing up when a bright light flashed and they were falling. Never once had Chuuya felt so untouched by gravity as he was falling without knowledge of where was up and down.

The trip had been so dizzying it made him unconscious, which was a deadly mistake that could cost him his life if he ended up at a different place. In a way, he’s grateful he fell into a world run by righteous, justice-filled Heroes, albeit how ridiculous it sounds.

As for Dazai, he seemed totally unaffected by what’s happening and was already scurrying off to snoop around. Eventually, he returned with a laptop he found lying somewhere around the lounge.

Taking a seat beside Chuuya, he went to work immediately, his fingers flying through the keyboard.

“How are you still so energetic in this situation?” Chuuya couldn’t help but ask, knowing the brunette would tease him to no end about it.

“It’s not like we’re stuck here forever, Chibi. There’s still a chance of us returning.” The ginger pointedly ignored the insulting nickname seeing as he doesn’t have the energy to fight back. Even if he did, that waste of bandages would just retort back and this would go on and on and on until someone stops them.

“Yeah, but still. We’re going to be stuck here for a while, no?”

“I’m afraid so. Not until we find who or what brought us here in the first place. So until then, I have to oh so graciously put up with your constant presence beside me that’s eating up my brain cells every second,” Dazai faked passing out dramatically, placing a hand over his forehead to sell the act. 

“Would it kill you to lay off the insults for one fucking day, you bastard?” Chuuya retorted weakly. There was no fight in his voice. “What are we supposed to do now? Are you sure it’s alright just leaving the meeting like that?”

“Oh, it’s fine. I had everything under control when that tired-looking teacher agreed to let us speak with the Principal,” Dazai brushed the topic off like someone was just commenting about the weather.

“You think they’ll just let us stay and help us without question?”

“Oh, I don’t just think. I know they will.” 

“Why?” Against his better judgement, Chuuya voiced out his question. They say curiosity killed the cat, and right now, he was dying of curiosity. They just got transported into an unknown world, yet Dazai was as sure of himself as ever. Even centuries apart, he still managed to read the people like a book.

And perhaps Dazai really was feeling ‘gracious’ today. Because for once, he forgoed teasing the ginger and answered truthfully without talking in roundabout ways.

“Because they’re Heroes.”

Chapter Text

If you had told the Dazai of yesterday that he’d live to see the world 200 years later, he’d take a swan dive off the roof of the Port Mafia’s headquarters while shooting himself in the head during the descent for extra measure.

Even now, sitting in the spacious lounge of this UA Hero School that’s really just a front to produce child soldiers, he couldn’t quite believe that this is what the world came to in just a measly 200 years. The world he was from was made in various shades of grey, good and evil and everything in between co-existed in harmony. 

In this world however, everything is only distinguished in either black or white where both sides would never mix. Heroes and Villains. Good and Evil. 

It honestly felt like a third-rate novel where the characters had no depth at all and the plot is just…justice. It was an utter bore. Dazai makes a mental note to remind Odasaku to avoid these settings in the novel he plans on writing.

“What are you doing anyways?” Chuuya scoots over to have a look at the laptop screen where Dazai had been busy working on for the past 15 minutes. 

“Well, Chuuya. While you were busy sulking like a little girl who’s just been dumped,”–Dazai ducked to avoid the swing for his head–“I was busy gathering information about our new world. And you won’t believe how easy it was to access all these otherwise considered top-secret information. I didn’t even have to hack into the school’s database to get them!”

Piqued by curiosity, Chuuya leaned over to read the webpage Dazai has on. The brunette held himself back from ruffling the ginger’s bed of red hair. The last time he did that, he barely got out with a black eye and a nosebleed.

“What’s this? A Hero Forum?” Chuuya took away the laptop from Dazai’s lap to get a closer look at it. His eyes scanned over the page briefly before scrolling down to do it again.

“Oh it’s really nothing much. Just the basic information of the Pro Heroes' quirks, which district they’re stationed at and when they usually do patrols of the city,” Dazai explained, the sarcasm in his tone evident. 

“And they just publicise it on the internet? What kind of idiot would do that?” Dazai was about to call him an idiot but decided against it. There would be another time for teasing and bickering, Chuuya needed to have a good grasp of the world they’re in so they’d be at the same wavelength when Dazai hatches his plans later. 

“I’m positive they’re just doing this for publicity. These so-called Heroes are practically worshipped here,” Dazai said, taking back the laptop from Chuuya’s hands. “It’s such a big deal that there are multiple schools like this one to nurture them, though UA is one of the best.”

“So like, child soldiers but in a glorified, legal way and strongly encouraged?” 

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Dazai hummed. “Of course I can, but you get what I mean.”

Chuuya grumbled about something along the lines of ‘arrogant bastard’ and ‘self-centred shithead’ which Dazai brushed off lightly. He then switched to a different site about the latest news which is mostly just Villain attacks and Heroes swooping in to save the day and everything else found in cliche Superhero comics.

He clicked on a particular article and shifted the screen so Chuuya could have a good look too.

“‘League of Villains Strike Again. All for One Appears After 20 Years.’ What now? The final showdown between the Superhero and Supervillain?” Chuuya rolled his eyes at the ridiculous heading only found in cartoons and comics. 

“Your guess is on point actually. But that’s not what I’m showing this to you for,” Dazai scrolled down where a few portraits were showcased with the words ‘VILLAINS’ plastered in bold. “They’re our alternative plan should the Heroes prove useless in aiding our return. Their tacky name aside, the LOV has the funds and resources that could help us in finding a way back.”

“And how would we do that? You can’t just waltz into enemy ground and demand they help us,” Chuuya deadpanned. 

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do. I’ll think of a way to convince them in the meantime.” Dazai went back to doing his research, on both Heroes and Villains. He had a somewhat basic understanding of the world they’re in even without much information. All these people with such extreme ideals are just so predictable. “Don’t worry about it and just leave the convincing to me. I’ll make it so they have no choice but to help us.”

“You’re impossible.”

After another 10 minutes of digging through every major news article since two centuries ago, Dazai has a good understanding on how this world came to be. In his timeline, Ability Users were a rarity, not even five percent of the world’s population possess an Ability. However, somewhere down the line, a change occurred, causing over eighty percent of the population to manifest superhuman abilities called ‘Quirks’.

In light of the rapidly increasing population of humans who possess a superpower, there was a fundamental change in how the ability works. Abilities have certain rules that need to be followed in order to activate it along with some restrictions, and while Quirks can be used more freely, their strength has significantly declined. You take some, you lose some.

Another point to note is how Quirks started to manifest physically, causing the humans’ body anatomy to undergo mutations in order to support their Quirks.

Though Dazai can’t quite wrap his head around how a literal rat managed to get an intelligence quirk. Thank god he doesn’t have to deal with smartass rodents back in his world.

“Someone’s coming,” Chuuya alerted, fixing his laidback posture and wiping the sulk from his face. Dazai shut the laptop and stuffed it into his coat. He was almost thankful for Mori giving him this coat. It was perfect for hiding stuff. 

Whoever this laptop belongs to, they’d have to get a new one.

The door to the lounge swung open to reveal the tired-looking teacher–called Aizawa if he remembered correctly–and a shrivelled up blonde–All Might apparently, from the pictures taken during his showdown with All for One at the Kamino Ward.

“Oh great. Has your meeting ended? So what’s UA’s decision?” Dazai started, leaning forward to rest his chin on his palm.

“Before that, we have some questions for you.” Aizawa and All Might took a seat directly across from them. It would’ve looked like an interrogation if the venue had been any different. “Name and age.”

“Dazai Osamu, 16.”

“Nakahara Chuuya, 16.”

All Might jotted it down dutifully.

“Alright, we know Dazai has a nullifying quirk. What’s yours Nakahara?” Aizawa squinted at the ginger who returned a glare at him.

“Gravity manipulation,” he answered truthfully. Since Dazai didn’t bother to conceal his ability, he didn’t see the need to conceal his too.

“Oh like young Uraraka,” All Might muttered. Dazai vaguely remembers the name from when the broccoli head boy called out to them. Clearly, Chuuya’s ability was much stronger than hers if she couldn’t even lift a finger under his powers.

“Who are your parents?” Aizawa continued.

“Dead.”

“Dead.”

A pause. Dazai never found the prospect of being an orphan to be anything interesting enough to warrant a conversation, but it seems that it’s seen as something pitiable in this world. Chuuya’s unsmiling face morphed into a scowl at their pity. Dazai finds this aspect as something to be used.

“...What about school?”

“Schools are for kids.” 

“You’re a kid,” Aizawa deadpanned.

“Last I checked, we’re technically 200 years older than you,” Dazai shrugged. A sigh escaped from Aizawa. He’s similar to Hirotsu, Dazai noted, in a way where he has to put up with him. 

“So both of you don’t go to school. What do you do then?” 

“Mafia work.”

“Mafia stuff.”

Another pause.

“You guys are affiliated with the Mafia?!” All Might sputtered out, disbelief written all over his face. 

“Oh don’t worry. Mori pays well. We’re not victims of child labour or anything.” Dazai would argue that Mori gives him too much work, and by that he means any work, but that’s not the point here. Imagine the Heroes horrified looks if they discovered they’re orphans and victims of child labour.

“I think he’s worried about why 16-year-olds are in the Mafia,” Chuuya corrected with a roll of his eyes. 

“Is that why you possess a firearm?” Aizawa looked even more exhausted than before.

“It’s a dangerous place from where we come from,” Dazai answered vaguely. Frankly speaking, the two of them were the biggest source of danger, especially to the Mafia’s enemies. But they don’t have to know that.

The questioning session continued on. They only supplied the two Heroes with brief answers that are enough to satisfy their curiosity. Though Dazai can tell there’s a question they’re dying to ask after finding out they’re affiliated with the Mafia.

Have you killed anyone?

Eventually, the questions came to an end without any mention of killings. 

“Principal Nedzu and the teachers board have all agreed to aid you in your return,” Aizawa began. Then his voice turned stern. “On the basis that you follow our rules. You’re to act as transfer students during your stay here and keep the truth of your situation a secret. Is that clear?”

“Ugh, fine. We’ll go to school and act like studious little children. I guess it’s the price we have to pay for winding up in this mess,” Dazai sulked. From a very young age, Dazai only ever interacted with adults. While kids his age were still learning algebra, he was busy negotiating (manipulating) with the Mafia’s partners. He can’t imagine having to surround himself with immature kids his age. Only Chuuya was an exception. Having the ginger around was like adding colours into his dull, grey life. “I guess Chuuya could use the education to develop his brain a little.”

“ You’re the one who needs to learn how to shut the fuck up, you goddamn piece of shit,” Chuuya spat, elbowing the brunette’s ribs. 

“I’ll add a rule. Mind your language when you’re speaking,” Aizawa demanded.

“You hear that, chibi? Aizawa- sensei is asking you to cut down on the vulgar words in your speech.” Chuuya pinched and twisted the skin at his side, earning a high-pitched yelp from Dazai.

“And Dazai, stop egging your friend.”

“Hear that, you fuc–moron?” Dazai snickered at his almost-slip-up. Almost every sentence the ginger utters has a combination of curse words. It’s part of his personality.

“For now, All Might will guide you to purchase your basic necessities during your stay here,” Aizawa stood up, ready to leave. He held out his hand towards Dazai. “Your gun. It’s illegal for an unlicensed civilian to carry a firearm around.”

As if Dazai would hand over his only means of protection. 

“NOOO!!” he whined, cradling his pistol close to his chest. A perfect excuse was already forming in his mind. “This is the last keepsake of my late father before he was murdered. Don’t take it away from me! Besides, I ran out of bullets already, so it’s fine! At least let me keep this, please!”

Thankfully, Chuuya’s flinch was barely noticeable. He kept his face unreadable as Dazai weaved his story. 

“...Fine,” Aizawa finally relented after Dazai pulled out his puppy eyes. If it were anyone else in the Mafia who knew at least half of what he’s capable of, they’d question if the infamous Demon Prodigy was possessed. “Dealing with you is above my paygrade.” He heard Aizawa mutter.

“Great! Let’s go explore our new world, Chuuya!” Dazai hopped up enthusiastically. While his goal is to find a way to return as soon as possible, he isn’t all that eager to return to Mafia work. He’d just have to treat this experience as a vacation. Look at the bright side, they say.

“Stop sounding like a 5-year-old going to an amusement park for the first time,” Chuuya huffed, standing up beside him.

Aizawa left first to inform Nedzu of their earlier questioning, leaving All Might alone the both of them.

“Er, so…shall we?” he said awkwardly. Dazai nodded with a wide grin on his face, hopping along behind the Hero. He wonders how much the world had evolved aside from the increased number of people possessing superhuman abilities.

On their walk out of the UA building, Chuuya leaned over to whisper. “Is that gun really your late father’s?”

“No. It’s the old boss’s prized possession I pestered Mori into giving me,” he whispered back. 

“Of course you did,” Chuuya replied, exasperated. At least he won’t feel so lonely being stranded in an unknown world with Chuuya here.

—

During his years as a Hero, Toshinori had faced off against countless Villains, yet none of them had unsettled him as much as these two teenagers have. Sure, All for One is basically evil incarnate, but at least his nature was clear. Not these two though.

One moment the kid had a gun pointed at his successor’s head, threatening to kill him where he stands, the next, Toshinori found himself pitying the boy for having lost his parents. He felt conflicted towards the kid. Unlike his friend, who was more expressive with his emotions where Toshinori could tell when he was angry or frustrated, this kid was just…unreadable.

It felt like he was wearing a mask each time. Just when Toshinori thought he had uncovered his mask, another replaces it.

When the retired Hero had locked eyes with him, he felt like he was facing a cold-hearted killer. The boy’s amber eyes looked so dead as though his very life had been sucked out, leaving only an empty vessel behind without a soul.

But when he noticed the numerous bandages that covered almost every inch of the boy’s skin, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of hardships he’d been through. He was only sixteen, the same age as his successor and everyone else in Class 1-A. Kids at this age were still thinking about their dreams and worrying over their exams, not working in a Mafia surrounded by violence and death. 

“Young Dazai,” he mustered up his courage to voice out his question. “I hope I’m not intruding, but may I ask why you’re wearing so many bandages?”

“But you are intruding on my privacy though.” Dazai blinked. Then blinked again before averting his gaze and skipping ahead. 

“O-Oh…” Toshinori faltered. This was his first time he was shut down so brutally by a kid. And he even prided himself on being great with kids. How embarrassing!

“Don’t bother. He’s just a pain in the ass to talk to,” Chuuya said, walking past him to catch up with his companion. 

“Young Nakahara–”

“Just Chuuya is fine.”

“Young Chuuya, didn’t Aizawa tell you to mind your language?” he reminded. 

“Doesn’t that rule only apply to when I’m speaking in front of him?” Chuuya asked, an eyebrow raised in question.

“I, er…” Toshinori didn’t have an answer to that. Did Aizawa mean for the boy to mind his language in front of him only?

“Hey, Chuuya! Look! An arcade!” Dazai gestured for his friend to hurry up while pointing at a store from across the street. “Loser calls the winner master for a week!”

“You’re on! I’ll be sure to kick your ass this time!” 

“Don’t come crying to me when you lose~” With that, the duo took off towards the arcade without warning. And to Toshinori’s horror, both of them did it without looking at incoming traffic! Luckily, the cars were relatively slow at this part of the city with so many pedestrians walking about.

“Watch where you’re going boys…!” Toshinori followed them anxiously, frantically apologising to all the cars who were forced to emergency brake because of them. “And we’re supposed to shop for your basic necessities! We can’t get sidetracked now!”

All of his words fell on deaf ears though. It wasn’t only until two hours later that Toshinori managed to convince them to leave. Judging from Nakahara’s dejected look compared to Dazai’s triumphant one, it wasn’t difficult to guess who won. 

“C’mon Chuuya~ Let’s hear it. Congratulate your master now!” Dazai taunted, putting a hand over his ear while leaning towards the ginger. 

“Congratulations…m-m-mas-mast–ARGHH! I’m not satisfied! I want a rematch!” Chuuya bellowed.

NOOOO!!

…

“Hey, Toshinori-san. Can you go buy us some liquor?”

“Wh-What?! You’re sixteen! It’s illegal for you to drink!” Toshinori sputtered.

“But in our timeline, sixteen is already a legal age to drink. Plus, we’re over 200 years old so we’re more than qualified,” Dazai reasoned.

“Still! UA forbids alcohol inside!” 

…

“What about this, Toshinori-san?”

“No, you do not need rollerblades, young Dazai.”

“What about this? It’s freaking cool!”

“You do not need a nerf cannon too, young Chuuya.”

“This?”

“Where did you even get that chameleon from, young Dazai?!”

…

“How do I look?” Dazai struck a pose.

“PFFT. BAHAHAHAHAHA!! I need to save this.”

“Young Dazai, stop stuffing clothes into your chest!”

“Chuuya looks great in pink.” Dazai assessed from afar.

“Wha–When did you even–! DAZAAAAIII!!”

“Young Chuuya, don’t run around in a ballerina tutu!”

…

By the time the sun began to set, Toshinori was completely drained of his energy. Not even fighting Villains day and night was as exhausting as this. He might have to re-evaluate how chaotic Class 1-A is compared to these two teenagers. He can’t even begin to imagine just how Aizawa is supposed to handle both Class 1-A and them at the same time.

Toshinori suddenly felt the need to give that man a pat on the back. He’s got a long way ahead of him if they want to find a way for them to return.

“Hey, Chuuya. You think they invented a way to commit suicide painlessly after two centuries?” Dazai prodded the teenager beside him with his finger. 

“Hah? How the fuck would I know? Don’t rope me into your suicide bullshit.” Chuuya grumbled, trying to put some distance between them because of Dazai’s incessant poking.

While that wasn’t the most insane thing Toshinori heard escape from the teenager’s mouth, it was certainly the most concerning. And their interaction on the topic of suicide was so natural it made him assume this wasn’t just the first time Dazai had mention it before.

That would explain why he looked so empty when he first locked eyes with the kid.

Back then when he first met Midoriya on the rooftop and told him it was better to give up on being a Hero if he was quirkless, the same empty look had appeared in the boy’s eyes. However, that was only for a passing moment. For Dazai, it seemed to have existed for all his life. Even when he was goofing off with Chuuya, that empty look of his was only toned down a little before returning at full force when the moment was over.

The bandages, the empty look in his eyes no kids his age should have, the way he turns to violence and death with no hesitation, the mentions of suicide. The more he thinks about it, the more he finds himself feeling sympathy for the very person who threatened to kill his students. 

Maybe it was his Hero instincts calling out to him or perhaps it was just his human side that’s pleading to him, but never had Toshinori felt the need to save someone so desperately like now.

Of course, saving Bakugou from the League of Villains is one thing, the boy was in mortal danger for god’s sake. But Dazai…Dazai was different. It felt like he was teetering at the edge of a cliff. One light push and he’ll be sent plunging into the endless darkness beneath. 

As a Hero, the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace in fact, Toshinori couldn’t possibly ignore this silent plea for help. It was his job to bring light to people at their darkest moments. To show them love and care, and to bring them hope. 

‘Meddling when you don’t need to…that is the essence of being a hero,’ he once told Midoriya.

“Young Dazai, such constant mention of suicide is bad for your mental health.” Toshinori finally caught up with the two boys. Don’t blame him, but walking around town with so many bags from their shopping endeavours was tiring. Not to mention the two teenagers who seemed to have no end to their energy supply. “If there’s anything troubling you, please don’t hesitate to speak up. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

A pause. The two blinked simultaneously, looked at each other, then blinked again. It made Toshinori self-conscious and wondered if he said the wrong thing again. 

“While I do appreciate the effort, All Might, I’ll have to respectfully decline.” Dazai said evenly.

“But–”

“I know it’s your job and all to save people as a Hero, but I’ll have to remind you that we’re from different generations. Heroes don’t exist in my timeline.” Again, that empty look in the boy’s eyes. “So I would appreciate it if you don’t try to push your ideals on me. Besides, what’s the point in trying to save me? By the time we return, I’d already be dead in your timeline, so what difference does it make?”

Toshinori didn’t have an answer to that, just like how he doesn’t have an answer as to why he wants to save the boy. Dazai has a point. Either way, he’d already be dead when he returned to his timeline, so why bother?

But still, letting the boy be just didn’t sit right with his conscience. He at least has to try helping him. 

“But, Young Daza–”

“That’s enough, All Might. Not everyone needs saving.”

Toshinori felt a door was slammed shut in his face.

Chapter Text

Chuuya forgot going to school entails having to wear uniforms considering how he has never attended one before. He should’ve anticipated it when he subdued those kids yesterday. 

“Ugh, this is suffocating,” he muttered, pulling his tie loose. He never liked to wear ties in the first place, though Dazai seems pretty chill about it. That sick bastard probably enjoys the feeling of being suffocated.

(His choker is an exception despite its name. It is an accessory, it is stylish, and it is not uncomfortable, thank you very much.)

“Oh c’mon, Chuuya. It’s your first day of school! At least be a little excited about it!” Dazai chirped from beside him. The ginger gave him a once over, noting how his tie hung a little loose too. 

It was Chuuya’s first time seeing the mackerel in colours other than black and white, and the occasional red from their enemies’ blood. He actually looked like an ordinary student, provided you look past all the bandages he’s wearing. 

“You act like we’re on vacation,” Chuuya pointed out. Enthusiasm was basically radiating out of Dazai’s body as though he had discovered a way to die a peaceful and painless death. Never had Chuuya seen him so genuinely excited about something so mundane as going to school.

(Except whenever he wins a bet and makes Chuuya do ridiculous stuff but that’s not the point.)

“It’s rare to have days where we don’t have to be taking down various drug rings or making our prisoners spit out information. The least I could do is enjoy it,” Dazai shrugged, twirling in his new uniform like a little girl. “I’ll have to ask Mori to give us more days off like this. Doing paperwork day in and day out is exhausting!”

“You talk as if you don’t just shove all your workload on me,” Chuuya grumbled under his breath. But Dazai’s right. It’s rare to have days where they’re not constantly in danger of being killed. Don’t get him wrong, getting to beat the shit out of Port Mafia’s enemies or people that threatened him is pure bliss, but Chuuya sometimes just wants to let down his hair and enjoy a quiet day without any violence or bloodshed.

Though Dazai’s presence in their little time-travelling trip will be anything but quiet.

Aizawa suddenly stopped in front of a colossal door that was at least 6 metres high (seriously though, why the heck is it so large?) with the words 1A written on it vertically. Before Dazai could comment something about his height and the door (the mackerel hasn’t actually said anything, but his Dazai bullshit detector is ringing so yeah), Aizawa turned to face them.

“I’m sure you already know this, but I’ll remind you again. The truth about your arrival here is to be kept a secret. Under no circumstance are you to expose it to anyone other than the staff members.” The way he talked was like he was reminding a child to brush their teeth before bed and remember to wear their underwear. Although Chuuya didn’t like it, he kept quiet. “I’ve already informed Midoriya and the others to keep your secret so there’s no need to worry about them spilling it.”

“Yes, sir, Aizawa-sensei,” Dazai replied in mock salute. Chuuya only grumbled out an indiscernible yes. Aizawa sighed, finding their responses the most he could get out of them. 

“Good. And be nice to your classmates,” he said sternly. Chuuya could tell the teacher was still holding a grudge for treating his precious students so roughly yesterday. 

It’s not like they did anything too serious, in fact they were going easy on them. Why else would they have managed to get off unscathed with barely any scratches? They were Soukoku , the notorious duo in the underground world of Yokohama for fuck’s sake.

Aizawa slid open the door, announcing his arrival to the class without saying a word. The once rowdy classroom quietened down a bunch, the students returning to their respectful seats.

However, when Aizawa entered the classroom with two unknown teenagers wearing their uniforms, the class exploded with a cacophony of noises. 

“Settle down,” Aizawa said, slamming his hand on the podium to catch their attention. The students quietened down considerably, but whispers and mutters still continued on. “As you can guess, we have two new transfer students that’ll be joining us for the rest of the semester. They’re from a private Yokohama Hero Institute–”

Chuuya tuned out the teacher’s explanation, opting to study the rest of the class instead. Somehow, that bastard Dazai managed to hack into the school system and got the files of their soon-to-be classmates, so Chuuya recognised all of them. Conniving bastard.

The mackerel was to blame too for the dark eyebags that were hanging heavily below his eyes from pulling an all-nighter to study the students’ information. The students with mutation quirks were what kept him up mostly. Like that pink alien girl and the half-bird, half-human kid.

As he scanned over the students–some with excited and expectant gazes, others more composed–he spotted the three students that they had unfortunately stumbled on upon their arrival. He squinted, studying their expressions. 

Looks of apprehension and wariness were casted towards Dazai and him. He watched them squirm uncomfortably in their seats, unable to share their class’s excitement. Chuuya scoffed. Just that bit of intimidation and already they look scared enough they could piss their pants. 

How boring. He expected much more coming from the proclaimed best Hero School. 

“...Be nice to them.” He heard Aizawa finish. Then the man gestured for them to introduce themselves, which Dazai complied enthusiastically. 

“Dazai Osamu, at your service! Pleasure to meet you! I hope we get along and I manage to find a beauty to commit–” Chuuya kicked the brunette’s shin before he could finish his sentence and startle their new classmates. While Chuuya didn’t really give a shit about what others thought of him, he’d rather not be associated with the suicidal maniac and his psychopathic tendencies.

“Nakahara Chuuya. Just call me Chuuya, that’s all,” he said curtly. If he comes out as rude and standoffish to his new classmates, he couldn’t care less. He wasn’t here to make friends with a bunch of immature teenagers who only saw the bright side of the world and believed in the righteous, commit-no-evil path. 

He didn’t need friends. The last time he had them, they either betrayed him or were murdered brutally. Dazai was an exception though. While he only considered the waste of bandages as nothing more than an annoying business partner (not to the extent of friends because that’s Dazai ), that cockroach-like bastard was basically immune to death. The irony.

A moment of silence as the whole class seemed to glance at the greenhead–Midoriya Izuku was it? Or broccoli head as Dazai calls him–who had his head bowed and was staring intently at his table. Like he didn’t want to make eye contact with them, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.

“Er, what are your Quirks then?” the kid with yellow hair and a black streak along–Kaminari Denki if Chuuya remembers correctly–raised his hands to ask. 

Chuuya cringed at the word ‘Quirk’, though he kept his face straight on the outside. Couldn’t they have used a better word? Like Abilities or Superpowers. Scratch that, Superpowers sound lame.

“I have a nullification ability, much like your sensei here. Though mine activates through touch,” Dazai explained. Chuuya had been reminded that since this is technically the future where the Port Mafia didn’t exist, there was no need to conceal too much information. 

“Gravity manipulation.” Guess Corruption should be kept under wraps. It would be way too unbelievable if he said it to these kids here. And the Principal might think twice about letting someone as dangerous as him be in the same room as the promising young Heroes of UA.

Distantly, he heard someone murmur, “similar to Ochako-chan’s”. His eyes flitted over to the girl with a chubby face, the same one he had ‘accidentally’ broke a rib under the influence of his gravity. Can’t say he was sorry for it though.

When Uraraka Ochako locked eyes with him, she averted her gaze almost instantly, her complexion growing paler as her fidgets increased.

When Chuuya had read about her, he thought he’d found someone who shares a common interest with him. But it seems that now, the girl was too afraid to even look at him. A shame.

Was there really something to be so afraid of? Sure, back in his timeline, his and Dazai’s name would’ve sowed fear into the hearts of their enemies, but it’s not like Soukoku’s influence reached this generation. Right?

Okay, maybe breaking a rib had shaken her a little but she looks fine right now, so all’s good.

“Um, if you don’t mind, what’s with all the bandages? Are you hurt or something?” a boy with red hair and spiky teeth–Kirishima Eijirou–asked curiously. Right, he’s been so used to Dazai wearing all those bandages since they first met that he forgets to others, it would seem unsettling. Or that maybe people would assume he’s involved in a case of abuse even though he’s the one tormenting everyone around him.

When Dazai gave no indication of responding, he was about to tell the boy to mind his business and be done with it. The topic of Dazai’s bandages is a sensitive one, not even he was privy to it. 

But of course Dazai’s deflection ability is top-tier. And it comes at the price of his dignity.

“This may be shocking to you, but these bandages help to keep the black flame dragon in me from going berserk and end up destroying the world!” 

A beat–

Then the room erupted with uncontrollable laughter to fill in the awkward silence after Dazai revealed the ‘truth’ behind his bandages. It did not help that the mackerel was striking a dramatic pose with one of his hands clutching the eye wrapped in bandages. 

Chuuya stared at the brunette for a good long second with his jaw slack at the sheer unbelievability of the shit that he just spouted. Heat was rising to his cheeks as the laughter continued. Even the three students who avoided their gazes had looked up in disbelief, their fear and apprehension forgotten.

Never had Chuuya felt the urge to dig a hole and bury himself in it so strong as of now, preferably after he throws that idiot off a fucking building first. 

“What kind of fucking bullshit is this extra spewing?” the explosion kid commented.

“Is this some kind of chuunibyou disease?” the girl with extended ears wondered.

“Wait, are you for real?” the boy with a spiderman-like quirk asked.

Ah, god forbid he doesn’t commit murder in front of twenty young Heroes in the making. That scene would be too gruesome and gory for the likes of them.

While Chuuya was still contemplating on his plans for bloody murder, Aizawa recovered first to calm the chaos that was his students down. The man really looked like he could use 30 hours of sleep. And the fact that he had to deal with both of them on top of having to keep twenty chaotic students in line was sure to be taxing on his sleep schedule. Dazai for the most part.

“Alright, that’s enough jokes for now. Go ahead and take a seat. Homeroom ends at fifteen.” Chuuya was eager to shed the spotlight off of him after the stunt that Dazai pulled. Fuck, he was going to have a good word with the mackerel about doing embarrassing stuff in his vicinity.

As the both of them weaved between their classmates’ tables to get to theirs, Chuuya pinched the flesh of Dazai’s back viciously. He leapt up and a high-pitched yelp escaped his mouth, turning the attention of the students towards them again.

Wrong move.

Chuuya sped up and plopped into his seat quickly while the mackerel was still rubbing at the sore spot on his back.

“Chuuya’s a meanie!” the mackerel whined when he took the seat beside him. The ginger flipped him off in response, careful to avoid letting Aizawa see. 

And if Dazai’s aggravating presence isn’t enough already, the students decided it was a good idea to swarm around them, severely invading his personal space. 

“Nice to meet you! I’m Ashido Mina!” the pink girl shoved her face forward, filling up his entire vision. If that had been Dazai, he would’ve smacked his face away, but since this was his new classmate and he was supposed to be nice , he held back. Chuuya inched away from her, hoping it doesn’t seem too disrespectful.

“And I’m Hagakure Toru!” invisible girl chimed in. Even while knowing mutations were common in humans to accommodate their quirks, he still can’t get used to seeing (or not seeing) someone invisible with just their clothes floating around.

The other students started introducing themselves too even if it wasn’t needed since Chuuya had already read through their files. Still, he supposes he should play along.

“Name’s Kirishima Eijirou!”

“Kaminari Denki!”

“I’m Sero Hanta. And that angry looking guy is Bakugou Katsuki.”

“Oi, flat face. Don’t be so fucking nosy.”

…

“I’ve never heard of a Yokohama Hero Institute before. What’s it like there?” the girl with a black ponytail–Yaoyorozu Momo–inquired. 

“That’s a secret,” Dazai winked flirtatiously, a finger over his lips in shushing motion. That move of his seemed to excite the first two girls who had introduced themselves first, throwing the brunette sparkling gazes. “Since it’s a private institute, not many people know about them.”

“Then how do you enrol into it?” Jirou Kyouka asked, while twirling the extended part of her ear. Chuuya was tempted to pull it for some reason.

“We’re recruited specially,” Dazai lied smoothly, leaving no loopholes for the others to discover.

“Based on what criteria?” the boy with heterochromia eyes and hair–Todoroki Shoto–followed up. This boy had one of the more powerful quirks in his class, Chuuya remembered. Not as powerful as his though, obviously.

“Our quirks are just stronger than most, I guess.”

“HAH?! ARE YOU IMPLYING OUR QUIRKS ARE WEAK, YOU BANDAGED FREAK?!” Bakugou yelled. He seemed ready to explode at a moment’s notice. Chuuya deduced that either one’s quirk has influence over their character or the other way around. 

“Your words, not mine,” Dazai shrugged, pissing off the blonde even more. Sero had to hold him back from lunging at the smug bastard. While he may not agree with Bakugou’s aggressive behaviour, he does welcome anyone who has the same sentiment of wanting to beat the shit out of Dazai.

“He’s like a bigger version of you, Chuuya. But louder and pissier,” Dazai whispered. Now it was Chuuya holding on to the last thread of sanity that was going to snap at any moment. As punishment, the brunette received a swift blow to his ribs by his trusty elbow.

“What’s the difference between there and UA?” Kirishima asked, ignoring his blonde friend who was still trying to free himself from Sero’s grasp. 

“It’s more combat-oriented,” Dazai’s story continued on. Whatever lie the mackerel was weaving, it seemed to capture the students’ interests perfectly. All of them wanted to hear more. “We spend more time doing field training and mock battles. For privacy purposes, I won’t say which Hero, but we’re more likely to do infiltration missions and intel-gathering.”

“So you guys don’t even involve yourselves in direct fights?” Bakugou scoffed, a nasty smirk on his face. “More powerful quirks, my ass. You extras don’t even amount to much.”

Damn, this kid was seriously getting on his nerves. It’s been a while since he had thrown hands, he was itching to fight. Beating Dazai’s ass doesn’t count because he feels more exhausted than exhilarated when doing it.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe there’s someone with more brawn than brains than you, chibi!” Dazai exclaimed in mock surprise. 

Whose fucking side is this fucking bastard on, really? Only Dazai could manage to insult both sides of the party with just one sentence. Worse still is him making it sound like a compliment!

“You’re really asking for a beating, huh? You shitty mackerel.”

“HAH?! THE FUCK YOU SAID?!” 

“Chill, Bakubro. It’s just a joke.” Now both Sero and Kirishima had to hold back the angry gremlin. “Don’t mind my friend. He can be a bit…expressive.”

“LET ME GO, SHITTY HAIR!” 

Anyway, where the hell was Aizawa during all this mess? 

Chuuya looked around, but couldn’t find a trace of that tired-looking teacher’s whereabouts. Then his eyes snagged on a bright yellow worm(?) lying behind the podium. It took him a while to realise it was Aizawa huddled inside a sleeping bag. 

Seriously?

“Have you guys gotten your Hero licence yet?” Ashido turned their attention back to her, obviously already used to the boys’ shenanigans. “My Hero name is Pinky by the way!”

“That’s still in the process of being approved, since we plan to debut as duo Heroes that operate under one name.”

“Oh! I’ve never heard of a duo Hero before! What will your Hero name be then?”

“Soukoku.” It was Chuuya who replied then. He doesn’t know why but his mouth moved before he could think. The ginger caught Dazai’s gaze then, who gave him a mischievous smile. He turned around, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks.

“That’s a cool name! Why as a duo though, if you don’t mind me asking.” 

“Because I’m the absolute offence–” Chuuya began.

“–and I’m the absolute defence,” Dazai finished.

As the both of them continued to entertain their classmates’ questions, Chuuya felt a murderous gaze which alarmed him. He turned abruptly, expecting to find an enemy, but instead found the boy with balls for hair staring at them intently, his face scrunched up disgustingly.

(Chuuya can’t believe there was someone that he can confidently say is much shorter than him. And he will be able to say that to Dazai soon enough, he’s still fucking growing, dammit.)

“Why are you wearing a choker when accessories are forbidden? Are you trying to impress the girls? Is that what you’re trying to do? To act cool and stylish? Huh ?!” grape boy–Mineta Minoru–asked threateningly. Ah, he remembered reading about this sick pervert. How did he even get into the Hero Course with that stupid quirk of his?

Chuuya was about to snap and tell him to mind his business, but then he felt someone grab his neck from the back.

“That’s because Chuuya’s my dog.” Dazai appeared right beside Chuuya, his voice dangerously low. His fingers fiddled with the edge of his choker. Each brush of his fingertips on bare skin sent a bolt of lightning to his nerves. 

Too close. Too fucking close!

Chuuya doesn’t need to see to know he was blushing, profusely. Because of anger, not embarrassment!

“KYAAA!!” both Ashido and Hagakure squealed, pressing their bodies together. Fuck, they were misinterpreting the situation. 

Before he could even attempt to diffuse whatever situation this is, the bell rang, a sign for the students to return to their seats.

As he watched the two girls giggling to themselves while walking away, he could already tell this was going to be a long, agonising day.

—

Dazai couldn’t care less about whatever the teachers rattled on in front of the class. Even after going through 200 years of change and evolution, the school system was still relatively the same. Not that he went to one before but he knew enough about it to know it was an utter waste of time.

Languages were elementary, history is boring, and science and maths had barely any breakthrough in two centuries after Quirks took the world by storm. He wonders if those nerdy scientists and mathematicians ditched their work to go play Hero in spandex suits. Though he is interested in the changes of human anatomy due to all the mutation quirks. Maybe he could convince one of them to let him dissect them, like that frog girl and bird boy.

What intrigues him even more is that his ability can’t undo their mutations. 

Before, while no one was looking, he made contact with Hagakure subtly, yet nothing happened. His ability was absolute, just one brush and it would deactivate any abilities that were in use. Yet Hagakure remained invisible. Dazai supposes his ability doesn’t identify their mutation quirk as a foreign power, but rather a part of their genetics that makes the organism whole. 

Though Dazai still has to find out if his ability can cause their mutations to be rendered useless.

With nothing better to do, he started doodling on his notebook, and by doodling, he meant drawing ugly pictures of Chuuya, and throwing them to him. Thankfully, they were seated at the last row so they were fairly unnoticeable by the teachers.

He saw the hatrack grit his teeth, then crumpled the paper in his hands, then no more. Huh. He was kinda expecting him to retaliate in some form. But the slug was suspiciously tame and quiet.

Strange.

To get a rise out of Chuuya was easier than taking candy from a baby (mostly because babies were little shits with ridiculous grip strength but that was just a metaphor). Dazai knew exactly which buttons to press for the ginger to go full berserk mode on him. If he had treasured his life a fraction more, he would refrain from doing something as stupid as that.

But aggravating the ginger was just so amusing .

After a series of meddling and prodding that drew almost zero reaction from the ginger, the bell for recess rang.

“Join us for lunch, man.” Kirishima came over to invite them, Kaminari and Sero nodding along behind. 

“Yeah, we could even show you around the campus!” Ashido appeared right beside them then. Dazai supposes they’re the extroverted clique of the class, the type he’d rather stay away from. Socialising was a pain if it didn’t benefit him in some way.

Though Chuuya might fit right in, considering how they took that blonde gremlin in their care.

“Sure,” he says outwardly, as if he didn’t already memorise the entire layout of UA’s campus the night before. It was crucial to know exactly where the security cameras and exits are when he’s in foreign territory. Call it survival instincts, no matter how ironic it was. “Thanks for your help.”

“Are you extras done talking yet?” Bakugou calls out from a distance away. Damn, he really was like Chuuya in some ways. From his explosive temper to the way he stands with his hands tucked in his pockets. Even with how he wears his feelings on his sleeves and how his solution to everything is violence. 

Well, if the chibi wants to ignore him, he’ll just find a different victim.

They followed the group of rowdy teenagers out of the class. They were having a conversation about the soap opera they watched last night with Bakugou shit-talking about the casts’ outfit choices. Right, the kid’s parents work in the fashion industry, a most bizarre combo really.

While they weren’t paying attention, Dazai grabbed Chuuya’s arm and pulled him into another, quieter hallway. Without security cameras.

“The fuck? Where are we going?” he asked, following the brunette despite his obvious reluctance. Almost like a dog, Dazai thought.

“Oh, so Chuuya can speak. I was starting to worry when you didn’t blow up like you used to when I’m annoying you.”

“Oh, so you do know you’re annoying me, you fucker.” Chuuya grumbled back.

“It’s part of my job description, y’know?” Dazai shrugged, ducking out of the way when Chuuya tried to grab him. “Great! Lil’ ol’ Chuuya is back! I liked this version of Chuuya more, anyway.”

“Ugh, why do I even try,” Chuuya muttered under his breath. “Just spit out what you want to say, bastard. I want to eat.”

“Yes, yes. How dare I try to rob Chuuya from getting the nutrition he needs to grow taller even if it’s wishful thinking?” This time, Dazai lets Chuuya smack him over the head. “Anyway, I tried accessing all of Mori’s bank accounts with the ATM machine in school yesterday.”

He took out the card holder wallet he swiped from Mori just before he went on his fateful mission that brought him here. 

“Wait, what? Did you steal that from the Boss?” Chuuya asked as if it wasn’t already obvious that he did. Though he suspects Mori already knows and just lets him. 

“Duh. Don’t worry though, I left Elise’s shopping bank account card behind.”

“And that’s supposed to be better?” Chuuya rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, as I was saying, I tried accessing Mori’s bank accounts,” Dazai continued on. “But of course all of them were already disabled after such a long time. Except for one.”

“One’s still working?”

“Yup! It’s an emergency bank account where Mori keeps a set amount of money if the Port Mafia ever collapses.” If Dazai had been told the Port Mafia will cease to exist in the future, he’d laugh. But reality was right in front of him, the Port Mafia had disappeared, with no records of it ever existing. 

“So…what? The Boss left us some money to help us?”

“Don’t just take it at face value, chibi. As if Mori is ever that simple,” Dazai said flatly. If anything, that slimy boss of his was the most complicated being ever. Everything the man did has an ulterior motive behind that he always tasks Dazai on figuring out rather than just telling him straightly. “There was a code message: ‘Return quickly’, it says. And he left us a random amount of money, which is strange for Mori. Wanna take a wild guess on what those number digits mean?”

“...Coordinates?” Chuuya said after a while of pondering.

“Ding ding ding! See, you could do it too if you just used your brains.” Chuuya punched his side lightly, without his usual force. 

“Well. When are we leaving?” Chuuya asked, his expression already lighting up at finding a clue that could bring them home. But what Dazai’s puzzled about, is how Mori knew they were in the future. If someone just randomly disappears, you’d think they were either kidnapped or ran away. But this was Soukoku. They’re the ones doing the kidnapping, not the other way around. Even then, Mori’s first guess would’ve been they were transported somewhere, because the prospect of travelling through time is just too unbelievable. 

But Mori guessed it right. Or maybe there were some clues left behind that suggested it. If so, what clues exactly?

“Ah, we can’t go there. At least not yet since we’re heavily guarded by UA’s security.” Well, Dazai could technically attempt to hack the security system of UA but that would take way too long and might even backfire on him instead. If something goes wrong, they might be put on probation while the Pro Heroes go and find a solution so they can return.

While it is tempting to let others do his work for him, Dazai doesn’t exactly trust the Heroes’ capabilities. 

“Then what the hell are we supposed to do…” Chuuya said, deflated. What Dazai can’t understand is why he’s so desperate to return. Mori keeps piling work on him he doesn’t even have time to attempt his newest suicide method. Or maybe that was his intention from the beginning.

“I meant what I said last time. Think of this as vacation ,” Dazai shrugged, even though attending school with a bunch of teenagers while on house arrest barely counts as one. “It’s not like we had the chance of experiencing a normal life like this, chibi.”

Saying what he needed to, Dazai turned the corner to go to the cafeteria. That’s when he almost face-planted into someone’s chest. 

“What are you guys doing here?” came Aizawa’s tired voice. Well, he’s definitely an underground Hero with such little presence that Dazai didn’t even notice him until he almost bumped into the Hero.

“A lovers rendezvous,” Dazai said without thinking. A secluded corner where not many people passed. Not to mention the lack of security cameras aimed their way. A prime spot for lovers to hang out. And for them to plot. 

“WH-WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU FUCKING IMBECILE?!” Dazai was going to go deaf if he continued staying beside the chibi. His vocal cord’s range was incredible for someone as small as him.

“Nakahara, language,” Aizawa sighed, rubbing his temples like he has a headache. “And keep your nonsense to yourselves. Recess ends in 20 minutes, quickly go to the cafeteria if you don’t want to starve.”

“Aye, aye, sir!” Dazai went around Aizawa, pulling Chuuya’s arm from behind. He wonders if Aizawa was there by coincidence or if he was only acting. But from his reaction, it seems like he really was there by coincidence. Oh well, whatever.

By the time he reached Lunch Rush Cafeteria (why they named it that he doesn’t know but it is kind of cute), the place was bustling with students. It didn’t take them long to find their friendly, extroverted group of friends nonetheless, what with them being one of the loudest tables ever. Courtesy to Bakugou’s constant yelling. Dazai finds it amusing because that’s how he locates Chuuya too. 

“Oh, you guys are finally here!” Kaminari noticed them and waved them over. “You guys suddenly disappeared so we thought you got lost!”

“Chuuya was just walking at a snail’s pace so I had to slow down and follow him in case he got lost. He’s got rather short legs and terrible with directions.” Dazai imitated a whispering pose, yet his voice was loud enough to be overheard. 

“Stop spouting bullshit, you fucker.” Dazai evaded Chuuya’s stomp, taking a seat beside Sero, the sanest one in this friend group.

“We don’t know when you guys will be back, so we took your lunch for you already!” Ashido said with her mouth full, sliding over two trays of food. Bakugou yelled at her to not talk with food in her mouth.

“Anyway, we’ll take you on a rough tour later,” Kirishima interjected, calming his angry friend down. “You guys should eat up. We got practical training later.”

Dazai looked at his food, prodded it with a fork, took a small nibble of the broccoli, then concluded he was done with it. He pushed his tray towards Chuuya subtly, knowing the ginger’s big appetite contrary to his small stature.

“At least eat a little, mackerel,” Chuuya mumbled. Dazai pretends he didn’t hear it and continues his conversation with the others to distract them from noticing he isn’t eating.

“Speaking of, Midoriya is acting kinda weird today. You’d think he’d be all excited about newcomers and bug them about their quirks,” Kaminari commented while eating his yoghurt. “You think something happened?”

“Tch, that damn nerd was always weird. Who cares what happened to him?” Bakugou said rudely. 

Dazai scanned the cafeteria, finding that unmistakable patch of green hair seated at a couple tables in front of theirs. He was with Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki and Asui, seemingly very relaxed and excited while engaged in a conversation. Dazai remembered how he didn’t even dare to look up at him when they were introducing themselves. 

“We met that Midoriya kid yesterday, actually,” Dazai explained. “Kind of got off the wrong foot. Maybe that’s why he’s acting so distant.”

They didn’t just ‘get off the wrong foot’, he almost killed him and Chuuya almost crushed his friends with gravity. But at least he’s good at keeping secrets. 

“Woah, what did you do man? Midoriya’s like the nicest guy ever. I can’t imagine someone not getting along with him, other than Bakugou of course.” Sero raised his brows in question. 

“The fuck you mean? Deku’s an annoying prick, only weirdos get along with him.” Dazai doesn’t know why, but it felt like he was getting approval from that blonde. He knows their relationship isn’t the greatest, but just how bad could it be that he would actually approve of someone who had insulted him previously just because he didn’t get along with the kid?

An enemy of the enemy is a friend, or some shit.

“I kind of pointed a gun at him I guess.”

“...What?”

“What?”

“You pointed a gun at him?” Kaminari blurted out. He could hear Chuuya choking beside him. “You have a gun ?”

“Calm down, it’s just my weapon,” Dazai shrugged. Since Heroes were equipped with all kinds of equipment that aids their quirk usage, it really shouldn’t be so weird to have a gun. For example, that Snipe Hero. “I’m a weak person, I need something to protect myself with.”

“But still, guns are kinda cool. The only other Hero I know that uses a gun is Snipe.”

Would they say the same if he told them said gun had taken the lives of many? How a pull of the trigger with his fingers had robbed the lives of so many people. In the end, Dazai decided against it. He and Chuuya needed a place to stay, and UA was perfect for it. So keeping up appearances with the school’s students was a wise choice.

“Anyway, what are we doing for practical training?” Chuuya finally joined in on their conversation after finishing both his and Dazai’s plate, evidently trying to steer the topic away from their not-so-peaceful encounter with their classmates.

“I heard we’re having a sparring session today. For us to improve our close-combat skills,” Kirishima replied. Chuuya perked up at the answer, his brows rising higher in delight. Ah, yes, the petite mafioso has a knack for kicking and beating people up and enjoys it greatly. He was probably itching for a fight after being dropped here to let out his frustrations.

“Chibi, don’t look so excited about being able to beat up kids,” Dazai reminded.

Chapter Text

To say that UA’s gymnasium–Gym Gamma as they call it–is spacious is a huge understatement. It looks to be even bigger than the Port Mafia’s training quarters, Dazai reckons. It was close to six storeys high with two floors of balcony to overlook the place. 

“Why aren’t you changing in the locker rooms? We’re having practical training now.” Aizawa’s voice suddenly popped up from behind him. Seriously, he has minimal to no presence at all. He could only sense the man if he knew the Hero was coming. 

“Don’t wanna~ I’m exhausted, so I’m sitting this one out,” Dazai sing-songed. Fighting is Chuuya’s forte, his role is to supply strategic plans and order his lackeys around. Getting all physical is so unclassy and brutish, much like Chuuya. “Besides, I’m too weak to even pose a challenge to these young, aspiring Heroes.”

Aizawa frowned at his statement, his eyes full of distrust. Heh, sharp guy. “You’re here as a transfer student, Dazai. I expect you to involve yourself in the class activities too.” Aizawa sounds like a stern parent giving their problematic child a lesson. 

He’s kind of like Odasaku in that aspect. Just like how Odasaku has to take care of a bunch of mischievous orphan brats, Aizawa had to put up with twenty teenagers with the mentality of a three-year-old.

They share the same vibe and unkempt appearance too.

“Eh, what difference does it make?” Dazai shrugged, taking the stairs to the second floor balcony. “Just write in your report that I have period cramps or something.”

“...”

Not bothering to find out how Aizawa’s reacting, Dazai finally reached the balcony. Looking down, he realised this was a pretty awkward height. Because if he were to jump, there was a 50-50 chance that he might survive while breaking a bone or two. 

While he was calculating how to make his death assured, Class 1-A appeared in their PE outfits with All Might in tow. It didn’t take long for him to spot Chuuya, he’d always be able to pick that slug out in a crowd easily. 

As if sensing his gaze, the ginger looked up, locking gazes with Dazai. He wriggled his fingers at him as a greeting, but the hatrack only ignored him and rolled his eyes. Rude.

Toshinori joined Aizawa and him on the balcony after saying something to the broccoli kid and patting his back. Weird. They seem unnaturally close for a teacher and student. He’s aware that Midoriya is a hardcore fan of All Might, what with all the merchandise he saw on the boy, but this blatant favouritism was something else.

“Young Dazai, aren’t you going to participate?” Toshinori asked when he saw him. Contained within those cerulean blue eyes–similar to Chuuya’s, Dazai noted–of his was genuine kindness and concern. Perhaps not that similar. His was like the blue of a calm sea and the vast sky, while Chuuya’s was a bright, burning blue flame that would incinerate anything it touches, yet you’d still be inexplicably drawn to them.

“Nah, I have period cramps.”

“...Pardon?”

“Just ignore him…”

Dazai turned his attention back to the students who were busy stretching and warming up. Some of the students had already noticed his absence and started asking Chuuya questions. He can already feel the irritation from the ginger at being pestered about his well-being.

It seems Chuuya’s answer earned some confused gazes and giggles. Being so high up, Dazai could barely hear anything, but reading lips was a skill he picked up in the Port Mafia. 

“Don’t bother with that bastard. He has period cramps.” Dazai chuckled to himself when he read Chuuya’s lips. 

“OI! What are you doing up there? Get down here so I can beat your ass!” Ah, only Bakugou’s voice could reach this high up so effortlessly. “Absolute offence and absolute defence? Bullshit. Having to rely on someone else just means you’re weak and lacking. I’ll take both of you on together and show your stupid little Hero Institute that they made the wrong choice.”

“Eh…Don’t wanna~” Dazai shook his hands dismissively. This kid seriously has a large ego and always wants to prove he’s better than everyone. That trait of his made him such an easy target to manipulate.

And break.

“What? You chickening out?” Bakugou taunted. If he was Chuuya, he’d have already risen to the bait. To Dazai though, childish taunts and insults like this just slide right off him. 

“Yeah!” Dazai replied without hesitation. “I admit defeat. You win. Now move along and taunt that little slug instead.”

Chuuya scowled at his nickname. Dazai winked in response, provoking the chibi even more. 

That’s when Aizawa decided to step in. 

“That’s enough, both of you. And I’ve already paired up everyone, so Bakugou, don’t go picking fights on your own.” Aizawa held up a roster where a list was already prepared. “And Dazai, if you’re sitting this one out, then Nakahara would have to join another group.”

Ah, how typical that he would group both of the transfer students together instead of splitting them up. What a convenient way of trying to gauge their strengths without endangering his students. How clever, and how predictable. 

“Ah, but isn’t that just so boring, Aizawa-sensei?” If what Aizawa wants is to gauge their strength, he’ll gladly give it to him. “My dear Chuuya there has all his frustrations pent up in that tiny body of his. He’s itching for a fight right now. Put him up against multiple opponents so he can blow off some steam, will you?”

You want to see how strong he is, don’t you? You’re puzzled why your Quirk doesn’t work on him, aren’t you? You’ll certainly accept my offer now, won't you?

It was obvious that Dazai was baiting the teacher. But so what? Even if he knew, he had no choice but to accept if he wanted to ensure his students’ safety. 

Eventually, as Dazai predicted, the Hero relented. 

“Aizawa-sensei, are you sure about this? Wouldn’t it be too much for the boy to handle?” Toshinori seemed worried about his suggestion. All these Heroes were such worrywarts and always treated them like fragile teenagers. It was even starting to annoy Dazai a little. 

“All Might, you’ve seen what they could do. And Dazai’s saying Nakahara can handle it. I have no reason to doubt it. This can also improve the students’ teamwork.” Aizawa’s explanation was valid and sound, successfully dispelling Toshinori’s worries. “If Nakahara agrees too, then it’s fine.”

Dazai didn’t bother hiding his triumphant smile. He’s sure the ginger would appreciate his efforts for letting him blow off some steam. 

“Nakahara, Dazai suggested that you could take on multiple opponents at once. Are you alright with that?” Aizawa called out, catching the students’ attention. Most of the students gaped at their teachers’ words, with only one exception.

“HAH?! Why does he get special treatment?” And of course only that aggressive blonde would think this is favouritism. 

Chuuya turned to him then rolled his eyes again when Dazai winked. But behind that irritated expression, Dazai could see the ginger’s glee perfectly. He trusted him to understand his intentions without needing to convey anything. 

Chuuya loves to fight, especially when the odds are seemingly stacked against him. He would have this crazed smile whenever he crushes his opponents with gravity. He was a one-man army himself, and Mori often sent them for dangerous missions without any lackeys to reduce the casualties. 

Because what is a hundred armed men compared to a single person with gravity at his very fingertips? 

“I don’t care. I’ll fight them one-on-one or twenty-to-one any day.” How he acts like he isn’t excited about the fight is just so adorable. 

“Very well,” Aizawa sighed. He looks like he isn’t paid enough to deal with this shit. “Everyone, to your positions. I’ll interfere if things go bad.”

“Try not to kill anyone, Chibi!” Dazai shouted, earning startled gazes and nervous laughter from the class. 

“Just shut up and watch me, shitty Dazai.”

When Aizawa gave the signal to battle, that’s when the screams started.

—

Aizawa couldn’t believe what his eyes were witnessing right now. Nothing could’ve prepared him for this. This moment where Nakahara was one-sidedly obliterating the entirety of Class 1-A. 

And the worst part? He hadn’t even taken his hands out of his pockets once.

Some of the students with weaker support type quirks had been incapacitated, lying on the ground unconscious but still breathing. Not only did Nakahara possess such destructive powers, he had absolute control over it, hitting them just enough that it didn’t warrant the teachers’ interference.

Knowing this, that crazed smile on his face unsettled him even more. The only other student who would smile so widely while fighting was Bakugou, who was currently frustrated at not being able to land even a single hit on the boy. 

Bakugou thrived on the feeling of winning a fight. But for Nakahara, he relishes the thrill of a fight itself.

The gravity manipulator was essentially toying with his students to drag out this fight.

It wasn’t all that bad at first. His students were holding up well and their teamwork was great. It’s something they managed to develop naturally after overcoming so many crises. However, that moment shattered in a blink of an eye when Nakahara knocked out five students in one go.

You’d think fighting one against twenty would at least make Nakahara feel a little nervous. But no, the teenager’s posture exuded confidence. From the way he smirked with his head held high to the casual stance he took with both hands tucked into his pockets. As casual as his stance may seem, Aizawa couldn’t detect even a single opening from him.

After their 3 second long staredown (for once Bakugou didn’t charge in blindly, most likely sensing the danger emanating from the ginger’s body), Class 1-A took off. Students with offensive quirks like Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki charged forward, leading the vanguard. 

When they were only a few steps apart, that was the moment Nakahara chose to move. And when he moved, a trail of destruction was left at his wake.

Nakahara squatted, then propelled himself upwards, demolishing the ground beneath his feet. He jumped almost as high as the ceiling with the aid of his quirk, diving down like a meteor, causing a shockwave from his descent.

He arrived at the rear of Class 1-A in a split second. Before the students at the vanguard could even react, Nakahara struck.

The first of his victims was Mineta. Nakahara sent the poor kid flying like a football. And if it wasn’t for his quirk cushioning his head from hitting the wall, Mineta would’ve found himself hung on the wall from his head.

The next was Koda. He kicked him similarly, sending the shy kid flying and accidentally knocking into Hagakure as well. Koda lost his consciousness and Hagakure was unfortunately pinned underneath and unable to move.

That was three down already in under 3 seconds. 

Bakugou arrived at the scene first, sparks going off at his palms, ready for an explosion. 

“HAH! Don't go hiding in the rear and face us head-on, you twerp!” Bakugou taunted. An explosion went off right in front of Nakahara's face, but he had again leapt up to dodge the blow. Nakahara’s grin turned even wider–if that was even possible–than before.

Aizawa had a really bad feeling about this.

Yayorozu had been biding her time all this while and finally, she used her quirk to create a cannon. From what she had observed, she deemed it necessary to use such drastic measures on someone like Chuuya. 

Even if he can use gravity to stop the impact, the distraction would be enough for the others to surround him.  

Nakahara had his back towards her at this moment. It was a prime opportunity to strike with his back wide open. Without hesitating a second longer, she fired. 

BANG!! 

Just when she thought it was going smoothly, her blood ran cold. Chuuya had twisted his body agilely, dodging the cannonball effortlessly. 

But that wasn't all. Instead of just allowing it to continue its course, Chuuya decided to kick that 5 kg worth of lead right back. 

The curl of his lips was her only warning as her own creation came barrelling back to her. 

Midoriya watched as Yaoyorozu was taken down by the weapon of her creation. The cannonball collided with her cannon, exploding on impact. Yaoyorozu being the closest to it was unfortunately implicated. Soot covered her face as she flopped lifelessly onto the floor.

Jirou had already ran forward to check on their assistant class rep, so Midoriya turned his focus back onto the chaos ahead. Kaachan was currently engaging in a fight with Chuuya, however, he had never seen his childhood friend so helpless before. 

Each of his punches and explosions were either blocked, dodged, or countered. And Midoriya knew, the fact that Kaachan was still able to fight wasn’t because of his abilities but rather Chuuya toying around with him. Their new ‘transfer student’ was leading Kaachan on by his nose. 

“Kaachan, we have to fight him together or he’ll take us down one by one!” Midoriya shouted, regrouping with his classmates on the ground. 

“SHUT UP DEKU! I don’t need you to tell me that!” Kaachan launched another explosion towards Chuuya. 

Midoriya is painfully aware of how powerful Chuuya is, Uraraka and Iida even more so after experiencing his powers firsthand. 

“It was like being crushed under a mountain. I couldn’t even lift a finger or even cry out.” Iida had told him in the infirmary. He could sense the fear in his friend’s eyes. This was just like his experience with the Hero Killer: Stain, amplified by ten times.

“I felt like an ant waiting to be crushed under his gravity.” Uraraka said, her usual bubbly expression nowhere to be seen. Recovery Girl had healed her, but there was still some lingering pain where her ribs had cracked. 

How would they even take down this monster if no one can even get near him? For now, only long-range attacks would seem to work. He needed to stall for time while he thought of a plan.

Chuuya descended to the ground just then, leaving Kaachan to his explosions in the sky. He can’t stay up there for long , Midoriya noted. 

“Jirou-san!” he called out, hoping the girl would understand his intentions.

“I know!” Jirou plugged her earphone jacks into the ground. Gravity couldn’t deter something that doesn’t have a physical form like soundwaves. Jirou only needed to send a vibration through the ground towards Chuuya to throw him off balance. 

And when he’s still busy steadying himself, they’ll counter.

But Midoriya had to find out just how naive his thinking was the hard way. 

Before Jirou could launch her attack at him, Chuuya striked first, almost like he was waiting for this moment. That familiar, deadly red sheen of his powers spread out, covering the land he stands on. 

Then Jirou was already lying on the ground unconscious with blood seeping out of her ears. 

He used her quirk against her! Midoriya realised. 

Five people down and not even a minute has passed.

Before anyone could even process what Chuuya did, he had already launched himself up with a piece of the ground beneath him. It was back to square one again.

Using gravity, Chuuya split the block of cement into two and proceeded to kick it into two different directions. The unfortunate victims this time were Aoyama and Shouji, who had been hit square in the head and passed out immediately. It’d be a miracle if they only suffered from a concussion.

That’s when something jumped out of the darkness. Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow appeared behind Chuuya, and since shadows didn’t have a presence, Chuuya couldn’t detect it.

Dark Shadow wrapped itself around Chuuya, holding him in place. Caught off guard, Chuuya couldn’t react for a split second. And that split second was enough.

“Guys, I can’t hold him for long! Take him down, now!” Tokoyami shouted somewhere from the shadows.

Midoriya used Full Cowl and jumped. Kaachan used explosions and blasted himself off. Todoroki used ice to create a path. Uraraka used Zero Gravity to make herself float. Iida, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Ashido, Sato and Ojiro followed behind Todoroki. 

With Chuuya temporarily immobilised, this was the perfect moment for them to surround him and attack all at once. 

As everyone prepared their ultimate move to take the gravity manipulator down, his lips twisted up ominously.

“Is that all?” he heard the ginger mumble. Again, the same red sheen appeared around his body as he pried Dark Shadow’s claw off his body. The sentient quirk tried to wriggle itself away from Chuuya’s grip to no avail.

And Chuuya’s next move shouldn’t have been a surprise after all the stunts he pulled but of course, surprised they were.

Still using gravity to hold onto Dark Shadow, Chuuya swung it around like a whip, pulling Tokoyami out of the shadows. Like swinging a baseball bat where they were currently the baseballs, those who couldn’t react quick enough were taken down. 

Ojiro and Sato were flung to the other end of the gymnasium, falling like a lifeless doll to the ground. 

“Home run!” he heard Dazai shout somewhere from the balcony. He was really enjoying himself, wasn't he?

After using his temporary whip to do a few sweeps around, Chuuya finally released Dark Shadow. And either by pure coincidence or by Chuuya’s calculations, Tokoyami collided into the wall where Tsuyu had camouflaged herself.

Another two down. 

Their number advantage was starting to decrease by the second. A fight that was initially an overwhelming twenty-to-one had dwindled to a measly nine against one. Chuuya had single-handedly taken down half of Class 1-A.

“Man, this is like Mirio-senpai all over again! How are we supposed to take him down if we can’t even touch him?” Kirishima shouted with both Kaminari and Ashido in his hands. The boy managed to react in time and back off from Chuuya’s devastating sweep, grabbing his friends in the process.

Indeed, this was like fighting Mirio-senpai all over again. But more painful, highly destructive, and dangerously efficient. Though Mirio-senpai used a shorter time to take down half the class, Chuuya wasn’t even using his powers to the full extent. 

The gravity manipulator hasn’t even used his hands for god’s sake!

From what Midoriya could tell, he was only using his quirk as a support rather than using it offensively. To choose to fight head-on instead of utilising that overpowered quirk of his to immobilise everyone in one go shows Chuuya’s absolute arrogance and boundless confidence in his abilities.

Nakahara Chuuya is the personification of raw power itself.

“Deku, we need a plan. We can’t go on like this.” Uraraka had appeared beside him at some point. Midoriya noticed how her hands trembled subtly, which she hid behind her body. 

He wanted desperately to tell her he has a plan, but the fact is, each plan he envisioned was ruthlessly foiled by Chuuya’s sheer power alone. He was at a loss. In no way could he see Class 1-A potentially winning this fight even at full power with their gears equipped. 

“Ah, damn it! We’ll just charge in and overwhelm him together!” With that, the Bakusquad acted. First was Sero. He wrapped his tape around Chuuya tightly like a mummy. And to not repeat what happened previously, he cut off the tape so he wouldn’t be used like a whip.

Then Kirishima appeared behind with his body hardened to the core. He tackled Chuuya down, holding him in place. “Even if you crush me or hit me with rubble, I won’t back down! Kaminari, Ashido, now!”

“Aye, aye!” Ashido used her Acid quirk to support Kaminari and got close to where Chuuya and Kirishima were currently tangled together. Midoriya realised what they were trying to do and thought it wasn’t a bad idea at all.

While Kirishima and Sero’s quirk were holding him down, Kaminari would use his to electrify Chuuya. It was a great plan actually, against ordinary people that is.

But Nakahara Chuuya was far from ordinary.

With the same crazed smile plastered on his face, he activated his quirk again. And this time, he didn’t hold back.

Radial cracks started forming with him at the centre. The cracks spread, reaching every single member of the Bakusquad except Bakugou who retreated to the air just in time. And where their feet touched the ground, they were bound by gravity too.

With just a thought, gravity responded at his call, causing the ground to swallow his classmates up. When Chuuya withdrew his powers, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido had their bodies buried underground, unconscious. 

Iida appeared then. Using the moment when Chuuya deactivated his quirk, Iida rushed forward at full speed, launching a roundhouse kick at him with the aid of his engine quirk.

Yet again, Iida’s lightning fast kick couldn’t even touch a strand of hair on Chuuya. Iida’s leg stopped inches away from Chuuya’s head, that familiar red glow enveloping it. 

“S-So heavy…!”

“ This is how you do a roundhouse kick.” Chuuya twisted his body, delivering a kick straight to Iida’s temple. Class 1-A’s monitor was out cold.

“DIEEE!!” Kaachan yelled from where he was. Using his ultimate move that had secured his victory from the UA Sports Festival, Kaachan approached like a tornado.

Midoriya had a feeling that the fight was near its end, so it was now or never. Plans be damned, whatever it was, it wouldn’t work on Chuuya anyway. The only solution right now was to go all out and hope for the best. 

One For All: Full Cowl, 15 percent!

Todoroki followed suit, using his fire quirk to support himself. Uraraka took advantage of all the rubble caused by Chuuya’s quirk and launched them towards him. 

It was all or nothing. He won’t give up till the very end.

“Playtime’s over.” 

That was the last thing he heard before he experienced what it felt like to be crushed by gravity. 

Aizawa was…discombobulated, to say the least. Watching his students passed out on the ground–some in the ground even–sent chills up his spine. Of course, Mirio had done the same just a few weeks ago, but at least his students were still conscious and able to move. 

Aizawa should’ve stopped the fight–no, fight was too vague a word to describe this situation. It was a one-sided massacre , minus the blood and gore and deaths. But if Nakahara had been a Villain…He doesn’t even want to entertain that possibility.

“Th-This…” Even Toshinori with years of experience up his sleeves found it difficult to comprehend the scene in front of him. The hands holding the balcony railings were trembling ever so slightly, his jaw hanging loose.

“5 minutes and 13 seconds,” Dazai called out from the balcony. “You’ve really taken your time huh, slug?”

“Oh shut up, you bastard. As if you have any right to say anything lounging up there.” Nakahara finally deactivated his quirk, releasing his grip on gravity and setting the rest of the students free. 

The twenty-to-one fight ended with 15 unconscious, 1 immobilised, and 4 conscious but incapacitated. It was solely Nakahara Chuuya’s win. 

“What a devastating beauty, don’t you think so?” Dazai leaned against the railing, tilting his head towards them. Aizawa can see the darkness in his amber eye swirl, like something was stirring it. “And a complete show-off too.”

“...Was that his full power?” Aizawa went straight to the point. If the kid knows his intentions, he won’t bother hiding it. He needed to know what was the extent of Nakahara’s abilities should there come a time when they turn their backs on the Heroes.

“No,” Dazai said lightly, a devious grin cutting across his face. “Not even close.”

—

Bakugou had never felt so thoroughly defeated before. The only other time he felt this helpless was back when he encountered that sludge Villain. And what makes it that much more significant is because he’s grown much stronger than before.

He’s positive that if he were to encounter that sludge motherfucker now, he can blow it up into pitiful slobs and send it back to where it came from.

But strangely enough, he doesn’t feel too bummed out about it. Sure, he’s frustrated he lost, even more so when he remembers how he couldn’t even land a clean hit on the ginger.

Chuuya was the same age as him, and if he still lost against him with 19 other extras on his team, that just means he’s not strong enough. Worst still when the shorty hadn’t even used his full power. That ‘Absolute Offence’ bullcrap wasn’t just an exaggerating and cringy nickname. 

Bakugou can be angry at that all he wants, but reality is, Nakahara Chuuya was just too damn powerful. And that’s why, he’s mad about another thing.

Why the hell was someone as strong as him partnered with that bandaged weakling?

“OI! If you’re that strong, why bother hanging around that bandaged weakling?” Bakugou stalked over to where Chuuya was currently tying his hair. From what he could tell, Chuuya had it all. Offence, defence, skill and technique, close-range and long-range, and to top it all off, that overpowered quirk of his. What use was there in teaming up with a coward who doesn’t even dare to fight? 

“You mean Dazai?” Chuuya raised his eyebrows at him. “I have my reasons.”

“HAH?! Speak properly and don’t be vague.” The ginger rolled his eyes at him, finally securing his hair into a low ponytail. 

“Yes, I’m strong. Stronger than that mackerel by several folds actually,” Chuuya’s gaze flickered over to where Dazai was conversing with his teachers. “But while I’m stronger than him physically and ability-wise, Dazai is far more frightening than I am.”

“ That fucking weakling?” Bakugou scoffed, wondering if they were even talking about the same person. “He looks like a strong breeze would blow him away.”

Chuuya cackled, then said, “Yeah, that bastard’s all skin and bones. A word of advice, don’t try to provoke him too much. You’ll fall into his scheme before you even notice.”

“The fuck are you trying to tell me?” 

Dazai called out to Chuuya then, waving a water bottle in the air. He heard the ginger mutter “The bastard’s acting nice?” with a confused scrunch of his brows. 

“Tell me, which is more terrifying?” Chuuya suddenly asked as he made his way over to Dazai. “To overwhelm your enemies with raw power alone, or defeat them without even lifting a finger?”

The ginger went off after shoving that question into his face, using his quirk to float himself to the second floor balcony. Dazai held the bottle towards the floating ginger who reached out to take it sceptically. 

And then Dazai decided to spurt water right into Chuuya’s face.

Chuuya’s yell echoed in the gymnasium, but Dazai wasn't done yet. He pressed a finger to the ginger’s forehead. A blue glow was emitted from his fingertips that spread all over Chuuya’s body, cancelling out the red glow of his quirk. Without the help of his quirk, Chuuya fell down gracelessly. Luckily, he managed to activate his quirk just in time to cushion his fall. 

That was what prompted the cat and mouse chase around the gymnasium while more than half the class lay unconscious on the ground.

Bakugou’s pretty sure his teachers have already contacted Recovery Girl so they would be safe for now. That damn nerd was going around and checking on everyone like a goody-two-shoes with icy-hot and round cheeks tagging along. 

While looking at the destruction around him, Bakugou found himself pondering over Chuuya’s words. If what he said held any truth in it, he wonders how terrifyingly powerful both Dazai and Chuuya would be if they teamed up.

Chapter Text

“Man, you really did us in bro,” Kirishima drawled, his back hunched over in defeat. “Couldn’t you have held back a little?”

But I held back a lot though , Chuuya thought. Well, it’s best if he doesn’t startle them too much when they just met today. 

“...I won’t apologise for it though,” Chuuya said, eyeing all the bandages wrapped around Kirishima and Ashido. While most of the students of Class 1-A had to be brought to the infirmary so Recovery Girl could heal them, only a few were allowed to leave. The rest had to stay overnight just in case. “If you want someone to blame, blame that mackerel. He set yall up against me.”

“Chuuya! How could you throw me under the bus like that?!” Dazai whined, faking a heartache. “The betrayal!”

“I will throw you directly in front of a bus if you don’t quit whining,” Chuuya threatened. Dazai faked hiding beside his luggage like some poor, homeless puppy. 

They are currently moving to the 1-A’s dorm where they’ll be staying with their classmates. Chuuya finds it a hassle because the spare room Nedzu gave them on their first night was more than enough. Plus, they didn’t have to share it with 20 other teenagers who were more trouble than they signed up for.

“Aw, you guys have such a cute relationship,” Ashido chirped. Chuuya was pretty sure the look of pure disgust and horror he gave her would give a 3-year-old recurring nightmares. And that fucking bastard has the gall to look amused while nodding his head.

“We are neither cute nor have a fucking relationship whatsoever,” Chuuya defended. He felt like his pride was on the line here. “The only thing closest to a relationship I have with this shithead is when my fist is connected to his face.”

“Mina-chan~ Look at how Chuuya is always abusing me!” Dazai whined again, this time he hid behind Ashido. “I’m a victim of domestic violence here!”

“There, there.” He doesn’t know what spell the mackerel put her under, but Ashido started comforting that self-proclaimed victim. If anything, Chuuya was the biggest victim for being roped into whatever bullshit that has happened because of Dazai. If he wasn’t so desperate to get back home, he’d have already strangled that waste-of-bandages.

“Haha, you guys sure are an amusing bunch,” Kirishima commented after a while. “Kind of like Bakubro and Midoriya.”

“Those two? What’s up with them, really? They look like their ancestors have a blood feud.”

“Haha, that’s a bit extreme bro. They just hate each other. Well, Bakubro at least.”

“If they hate each other so much, why the nicknames?” Dazai asked innocently. As if he doesn’t already know everything about them. Even that little fight they had that put both of them on house arrest had already been found out by Dazai from hacking into the security footage files.

“Well, they’re actually childhood friends,” Kirishima explained. “I’m not too sure but I think Bakugou thought Midoriya was quirkless but he actually just manifested his quirk late. That kinda started their current rivalry I guess.”

“Hm, I see.” Dazai may seem like he was asking a harmless question, but Chuuya knew the bastard probably figured something out from the redhead’s words. Conniving bastard. 

After a little while more of walking, they finally reached their dorm building. It was a giant five storey tall building with the words ‘1-A’ plastered on top. Chuuya couldn’t help but wonder how much funds UA actually have because all the facilities he’s seen are all high-end and advanced. 

One 5-storey building like this would already cost several million yen, even if it was built with the help of quirks, the maintenance and material costs wouldn’t be cheap. Not to mention there’s a dorm for each class including general education, support and management. 

Chuuya can’t believe he’s admitting it, but UA might just be wealthier than the Port Mafia. 

“Welcome to our humble abode!” Ashido and Kirishima opened both sides of the double doors like valets of a 5-star hotel. They were just a little behind on Dazai’s dramatics. Maybe that’s why they were much easier to talk to.

“There’d be more people welcoming you guys if they weren’t in the infirmary right now,” Kirishima chuckled. It was true, this large building had barely anyone. Including the both of them, there were only Todoroki, Bakugou, Kirishima, Ashido, and Hagakure. Midoriya and Uraraka, who weren’t injured much, had stayed behind to help Recovery Girl.

The poor lady probably had her hands full for treating them. Not that Chuuya was sorry about it though.

Todoroki had looked up from his bowl of cold soba when he heard them enter. Slurping the last of his noodles, he gave them a nod as welcome and went back eating. 

“Yaoyorozu, Ojiro, Iida and Sato were supposed to be on dinner duty today, too bad they’re unavailable now.” Ashido heaved a sign, rubbing a tummy like she was hungry. Okay, maybe Chuuya felt a little bad. Just a little.

“Oh! You guys are back!” From the kitchen, he found Hagakure waving at them. At least that’s what it looks like with the way her sleeves were held up. “We're cooking curry right now, you want some?”

“HAH?! They can cook for themselves! I ain’t sharing!” Bakugou suddenly yelled from where he was stirring a big, steaming hot pot of curry. A pot big enough to feed 10 people that is.

“Oooh! I thought of a great idea!” Ashido suddenly said, turning to the both of them with sparkly eyes. “Why don’t both of you be on dinner duty tonight? Since you’re going to be staying here for a while, you should have your share of the chores too!”

“Hell no. If you let that bastard anywhere near the kitchens, he’ll blow up half the building in record speed.” Chuuya gestured at Dazai who was pouting and whining again but Chuuya had gotten better at tuning his voice out. 

“I’m sure it can’t be that bad…right?” Kirishima was a little sceptical at the exaggeration, but with Dazai, it’s really not. 

“This bastard racked up 5 million yen in property damages for trying to cook instant noodles, ” Chuuya deadpanned. 

“No fair! I just accidentally left Mori’s scalpel in the microwave for a moment!” And don’t even ask how the bastard managed to forget putting Mori’s scalpel in the microwave, because Dazai never forgets. He probably did it hoping one of the shrapnels from the explosion would hit his neck. “Chuuya’s a meanie! I’m ignoring you!”

With that, Dazai stalked over to the kitchens. Chuuya felt a weight was lifted off his shoulders and he could breathe a little better. Thank fucking Christ , he thought.

Let Dazai pester someone else, Chuuya needs a break. Even if said someone is a certain angry blonde.

“Kaachan~ You can cook? How surprising!” Dazai draped his arm over Bakugou’s shoulder, peering over to get a good look at the pot.

“THE FUCK?! WHO SAID YOU COULD CALL ME THAT? QUIT IT, IT’S DISGUSTING!” Chuuya swears his hair turned even spikier than before like a porcupine’s. Bakugou got as far away from Dazai as possible while still holding onto the ladle and stirring.

Maybe letting Dazai pester a literal human TNT isn’t that good of an idea.

Perhaps Ashido and Kirishima had the same idea and went forward to help too. She went ahead to wash the vegetables while he worked on chopping them. 

As for Chuuya, he was trying to stop the brunette from throwing a whole cucumber into the curry.

“Eh~ I’m just trying to tone down the spiciness though…”

“FUCK! GET HIM AWAY FROM THE KITCHEN!” Bakugou yelled. But Dazai was as slippery as an eel. Just when you thought you had subdued him, he’ll slip right out of your grasp.

After 20 minutes of cooking (wrestling), dinner was prepared. Good news? They only broke one plate. Bad news? Well…

“Hopefully the sugar doesn’t taste too bad in the curry,” Ashido eyed the plate of curry that looked fairly normal and delicious. While nobody was looking (Chuuya doesn’t know how because he’s positive he hasn’t taken his eye off the mackerel once), Dazai decided to add a few ‘touch ups’ to their curry. 

“Maybe it’s just a new recipe Dazai’s trying out,” Todoroki said, innocent as ever. He scooped himself a small bowl of curry after finishing his soba because according to him, they seemed like they were having fun. 

“LIKE HELL IT IS, FUCKING IDIOT!” Bakugou shot a death glare towards Dazai who had mastered the art of ignorance. He didn’t even try to look apologetic for messing with their dinner.

“Enough talking. Let’s dig in!” Ashido prompted, most likely afraid a dog-fight would break out on the dining table.

“Itadakimasu!” they all said in unison.

However, before they could even take a bite out of it, the double doors to their dorm burst open, revealing a serious-looking Aizawa. His eyes snapped to them in an instant, more specifically him and Dazai.

“Dazai, Chuuya. I need to see both of you. Now.” Aizawa was a little out of breath as he talked, like he had run all the way here from wherever he was earlier.

Everyone was looking at them with curious gazes. Even Chuuya can’t think of the reason Aizawa was acting so frantic right now. He didn’t accidentally kill one of the students, right?

When Dazai walked past him towards where their teacher was, Chuuya caught the knowing smile on his face.

Fuck. The bastard already knew. And didn’t think to tell him.

—

Hirotsu Ryuurou wanted nothing more than to have a drink and a nice, long smoke right now. He hadn’t had much time to indulge himself ever since Mori gave him the task of overlooking the two teenagers the Boss had taken in. The two were troublemakers to the core. The fact that one possesses godly powers and the other demonic intellect doesn’t make it any better.

He had naively thought if those two weren’t around, he’d finally catch a break. But now that they had actually disappeared, like a magician had ‘poofed’ them out of existence, Hirotsu can already feel the migraine assaulting his mind from having to clean up this mess.

“Sir, what should we do with them?” a henchman came up to ask. Hirotsu casts a glance where two petrified teenagers were tied up and gagged. They wore the same grey jacket and red ties like a school uniform of some sort. Not any schools around Yokohama that he remembered.

The two teenagers, a boy and a girl, had paled to a serious degree with two guns aimed at their heads. Hirotsu doesn’t know what’s going on, and the two teenagers seemed to be in the same boat as him. 

But when Port Mafia’s Strongest Soldier and Demon Prodigy disappear simultaneously, this matter isn’t one to be taken lightly. For all Hirotsu knew, this might be an attack to decrease the Port Mafia’s influence. With the notorious Soukoku out of the picture, it was enough to lure enemy organisations to launch an attack on them.

A car engine rumbled just outside the abandoned warehouse then, the Port Mafia’s signature black sedan with its tinted windows appeared behind Hirotsu. Only two types of people in the Port Mafia would use this ride: the Executives and the Boss himself.

Two henchmen went forward dutifully to open the car door. Before the person occupying the vehicle even came into view, every single one of the Port Mafia’s men that were present got down on one knee with their head bowed. The Mafia prioritised hierarchy over anything else, it’s the first lesson that’s been ingrained into their minds ever since they joined.

“What a mess,” came the voice of none other than the Boss himself, Mori Ougai. The scene was still covered in blood and gore where the Mafia members had shot down every last one of this illegal drug ring operating without the Mafia’s consent. “Rise.”

Only when they heard the permission to lift their heads did the Mafia members stand. They stood at attention, their arms behind their body as they waited for further orders.

Hirotsu followed suit, his head bowed a little when facing Mori and Kouyou who had followed along. Mori was wearing his usual mafia black suit with a blood red scarf draped over his neck, the very picture of a boss himself. As for Kouyou, she donned her usual pink kimono with red spider-lilies patterns at the hem of her skirt. And were those blotches of scarlet blood or part of her kimono?

‘You are not to speak unless spoken to,’ the second lesson they learnt, hence Hirotsu kept quiet as he waited for Mori to speak.

“Explain, Hirotsu.”

“Yes, Boss.” Given permission to speak, Hirotsu started explaining as best as he could. He told Mori how their ambush went, then how Dazai and Chuuya disappeared when a bright light shone. After that, two random teenagers took their place, lying unconscious on the ground. “These were on them when we did a body-check of them.”

Hirotsu handed over the student cards he confiscated earlier. Mori took it, walking past him towards the two tied-up teenagers. The guns that had been trained on them had been removed ever since the Boss arrived. As ironic as it may be, Mori dislikes the sight of guns whenever he’s around.

And with the source of their fear gone, the students no longer had the petrified expression on their faces. A defiant look had taken its place instead. It’s quite humorous actually, because they should fear Mori more if they even knew an inkling about who he was.

“Sayuki Chiho and Matsumoto Shinji. And you’re from UA?” Mori asked with a raise of his brow. Clearly, even he had not heard of a school like this before in Yokohama. Unless the school isn’t in Yokohama. The two tried speaking, but with their mouths gagged, hardly any words could be heard. “Take off their gags.”

“You Villains!” the boy immediately shouted as soon as he was free. “UA will not stand for this! When the Heroes find us, they’ll capture you and put you behind bars for the rest of your lives!” 

The boy had amazing tenacity despite being surrounded by so many men armed with guns. They must be really confident that they won’t be shot where they stand. And who were these ‘Heroes’ they were threatening them with? Not even the government gave their lackeys such a tacky title in the name of justice. 

“Boy, who gave you the right to raise your voice?” came Kouyou’s sharp and chilly voice. She had her katana aimed at Matsumoto’s neck, close enough to draw blood. “Remember that we only need one prisoner to question.”

The boy shut up immediately, whimpering like a cornered rat, his previous bravery melted into nothing. 

“It’s alright, Kouyou-dono.” Mori lifted his hand and Kouyou obeyed, sheathing her katana back into the umbrella where she first drew it. “They’re just a little shaken is all. We just have a few questions for the both of you. Who are you affiliated with and where are my two subordinates?”

The pair gritted their teeth but showed no signs of answering. 

The third lesson: Always obey the Boss’s commands.

“Hm, not speaking I see,” Mori frowned a little. That wasn’t a good sign. “I don’t know, nor do I care, what fantasy world you’ve been living in until now. You will talk one way or another. Whether you speak willingly or we make you speak, it’s up for you to decide. And I can assure you, that no Heroes are going to come to your rescue. You are under the Port Mafia’s mercy so long as you continue to stay in our territory.”

Mori’s words seem to have an effect on the teenagers, their complexion turning paler at the mention that no one would come to save them. Not even government authorities would dare meddle in the Mafia’s matters unless they were prepared to face the consequences. The only way out for them is to fess up, or they will die if they prove useless in aiding the Mafia’s goal.

“Lock them up in the Mafia’s headquarters,” Mori commanded as he walked back towards the car after saying what needed to be said. Now, he only needed to wait for his subordinates to show him the results. “And Kouyou-dono, I know you’re itching to question them yourself, but you have a mission in France. I won’t tolerate any mishaps because you got distracted on your mission. I promise you we’ll find Chuuya and Dazai.”

“Don’t worry, Boss. I won’t disappoint. And I thank you for your reassurance.” Kouyou bowed her head subserviently. Hirotsu noticed how her grip tightened around the hilt of her umbrella. It’s known to everyone in the Mafia how Kouyou has a soft spot for Nakahara Chuuya. It’s only rational that she would react like this when one of her favourite subordinates went missing. 

“And Hirotsu, use whatever means necessary to find out everything about them.” Mori stopped beside him. Hirotsu could feel the waves of eerie darkness emanating from the man. While he may seem nonchalant on the outside, Hirotsu knew Mori was very serious about the disappearance of both Dazai and Chuuya, especially when they’re prime candidates for the executive position. “I expect a report on my desk by noon tomorrow.”

“Yes, Boss. And who will be conducting the questioning?”

“I have just the perfect person,” Mori said with a slight twist of his lips, handing over a matchbox to him. “You can find the man here and bring him in.”

—

The sight of the moon was much clearer on the rooftop. It was a full moon tonight. Dazai wonders if the night sky in Yokohama was the same as Musutafu, or would it be dyed in red like always. 

Chuuya’s head popped up from the ledge of the roof then. 

“The hell? Where did you get all this booze from?” Dazai threw one of the unopened cans of beer towards Chuuya who caught it deftly. There’s a total of ten cans, enough for both of them to share. 

“Let’s just say Toshinori isn’t that bright of a man,” Dazai explained crudely. It really wasn’t all that difficult to sneak some of these bad boys in when the retired Pro Hero didn’t even try to check. Props to Dazai’s amazing hiding abilities.

When Chuuya popped open the can of beer, foam started bubbling out and splashed all over the ground. Dazai cackled. How naive of the slug to not predict that he would tamper with it. Chuuya never learns.

And Dazai too, for that matter. So caught up in laughing, he didn’t notice when Chuuya hurled the can towards his head, leaving a bright red mark where it hit his forehead. If Chuuya had used his ability to manipulate it, Dazai would be considered lucky if only his skull cracked.

“Ouch! Chuuya~ That hurts!”

“Tch, it better.”

Well, now there were nine cans of beer left. Chuuya stalked over, sitting on the ledge of the roof with one foot dangling beside Dazai. He popped open another, untampered can of beer and gulped down its contents in a matter of seconds.

“Ew, this tastes like shit.”

“Well I apologise for not being able to cater to your expensive taste, chibi,” Dazai said sarcastically. “But this was the only store I managed to find that didn’t give a shit if I was a minor.”

Already, the chibi’s face turned rosy from the alcohol. It was so obvious he was such a lightweight, yet still he continues to deny it for his love of booze. Dazai couldn’t count how many times Chuuya had drank himself drunk and proceeded to do drunk people activities. 

(It was a total of 23 times and that was only counting this year. Out of that 23 times, there were 14 counts of property damage, 7 counts of aggravated assault caused by brawling with other drunk dudes, and 2 counts of property theft where he stole a wealthy businessman’s sports car, twice.)

They sat in comfortable silence with only the soft clinking of empty cans to accompany them as the night passed. Eventually, Chuuya was the one to break the silence.

“Did you already know?” Chuuya didn’t elaborate after that, but Dazai knew what he was talking about. It was only two hours ago when they returned from the conference room where Nedzu had broken the news that two of the UA students had disappeared without a trace the same day they appeared. 

Even a baby could deduce the connection between these two cases.

“I had a hunch, though I didn’t have enough evidence to confirm it,” Dazai explained lightly, finishing his second can of beer. Mori’s knowledge of them being in the future played a big part in his deduction. The UA staff helped him confirm it.

The nature of their arrival 200 years into the future isn’t something as simple as being transported for no good reason. They had swapped places with two other people. 

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Chuuya mumbled. His expression was locked in a frustrated frown. If the atmosphere had been any less sombre, Dazai would tease him about having wrinkles by the time he turns 20. “Don’t keep me in the dark about things like this next time, Dazai. We’re in this together, I have a right to know too.” Chuuya said aloud, his stance clear.

“Understood~” Dazai hummed. It was the most Chuuya could draw out from Dazai, so he dropped the subject completely.

“Anyway, when are we going to that place?” By that place, Chuuya meant the coordinates that Mori left for them. “Are we even going to mention it to the Heroes?”

“No, Chuuya. We can’t have them ransacking the place without us there. We’ll have to find a way to go there ourselves.” This was the only piece of clue Mori had left for them, they couldn’t risk losing it. And Dazai reckons even if this location was accidentally leaked to the teachers, Mori wouldn’t be so simple as to leave it in such an obvious way that others could find it. That said, it’s better to be safe than sorry. “And I have to warn you Chuuya, there’s a possibility that this coordinate will lead us to a dead end after so many years. If that happens, I need you to be prepared for the fact that we might never return.” 

They both locked gazes, Dazai’s expression extremely serious for once. Dazai had calculated every possibility of their return, and frankly, the chance of them not returning at all isn’t low. And if that happens, they’ll have to be stuck here for the rest of their lives, 200 years ahead of their timeline.

“...I know. I can’t say I’m prepared to not see anyone ever again, but I know. And if that time comes, I’ll accept it however I can.” 

Two people stranded in a world 200 years in the future. If this had been a soap opera, how romantic that would be.

“Let’s say that actually happens, Chuuya,” Dazai started, resting his head on his knees while looking at Chuuya, his face bathed in moonlight. Even the moon shone brighter when reflected through his cerulean blue eyes. “What do you say we rebuild the Port Mafia, both you and I? I’ll be sure to make you my right-hand man.”

“Rebuild the Port Mafia? That’s nice…” Chuuya used his ability to balance the empty can on his fingertips, leaning back on his arms. “Wait, why am I the right-hand man? Why do you get to decide who’s Boss?”

Was that really a question?

“It’s painfully obvious who’s the smarter one between us, chibi,” Dazai said in a haughty tone. And as much as it irks him to admit it, he was very similar to Mori, who views benefits over all else. Of course Dazai would be the better Boss than Mori will ever be, that’s for certain. 

“Tch, arrogant bastard.” 

Dazai snickered. Since Chuuya didn’t refute it, it technically means he admitted to being the dumber one between the two of them. They fell into comfortable silence yet again, watching as the night passed quietly. Classes were cancelled the following day considering Chuuya sent half the class in the infirmary. They didn’t need to worry about oversleeping and missing classes. 

Dazai can’t believe he only had to worry about getting detention if he skipped classes. It was so… normal .

In the Mafia, being late could cost someone their life.

“I’ll have to pester Mori into promoting us to executives when we get back. This is too much work!” Dazai whined. Yet the only response he got was a soft thud on his shoulder.

Surprised, Dazai turned around to find Chuuya leaning his forehead on his shoulder. The chibi’s rhythmic breathing tells him that Chuuya has fallen asleep. Guess he chose to be a quiet drunk today.

Dazai felt the tips of his lips lifting up, a different type of smile from his usual fake ones. One he wasn’t accustomed to.

“I promise I’ll find a way for us to return, Chuuya.” With the chibi sound asleep, Dazai took this chance to ruffle the ginger’s hair.

Chapter Text

“Why the hell did you agree to do this?” Chuuya grumbled, holding a long list of items they were tasked to buy by their classmates. They’ve bought roughly half of everything already but Chuuya was running out of hand space to carry them. “And why do I have to tag along?”

“Because, Chuuya, it’s the price we have to pay for not taking part in the School Festival,” Dazai said matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes as if it wasn’t already obvious. Aizawa had announced yesterday that UA’s School Festival will be held in two weeks time, so everyone was busy preparing for it. The school was physically vibrating from all the excitement coursing through the students. Dazai and Chuuya though? They couldn’t care less about it.

Dazai knows that Chuuya would rather return before having to witness the School Festival play out, but he knows it wouldn’t be that simple. Until now, the rat principal hadn’t given them any indication that their investigations had any progress, which was concerning. 

If whoever transported them here is back in their timeline, that would put Dazai in a passive position. He had no choice but to wait and hope Mori finds a solution to bring them back. And while Dazai knows Mori is competent and efficient in his tasks, the idea of hoping that Mori will save them irks him. At that point, he’d rather die.

The only clue they have at this moment is the coordinate Mori left them. But he can’t guarantee that the Heroes will allow them to explore without interfering. He needs something to ensure that the Heroes won’t pointlessly meddle in. 

Dazai needs leverage. And that’s why he’s here to find it.

They continued their shopping spree for a moment, crossing off the items on their list once in a while. Yaoyorozu had given them the class funds to do their shopping, which was enough to buy themselves a luxury suite at a high-end hotel. UA people sure are rich, the type of clients Mori would’ve treasured.

Too bad they don’t deal in drugs or firearms or assassinations.

“Chuuya, take these!” Dazai dumped all his share of the items onto Chuuya without warning. The ginger had difficulty steadying himself while still trying to balance everything on both of his otherwise occupied hands. “I’m having an emergency! My bladder is going to burst!”

“HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU FUC–”

Dazai scurried off without looking back, ducking into a narrow alleyway. It was darker than usual being surrounded by towering brick walls despite it being midmorning. There was less sunlight, less people and even fewer Heroes here. 

Since it was the weekend, Dazai spotted quite a number of Heroes patrolling the city. All wearing their ridiculous spandex suits with vibrant colours as if announcing their presence to the masses. It really makes him wonder if their Hero costumes were just decorations for fans to recognise them or do they actually serve to aid their quirk.

It seems to him that the Heroes care more about publicity than safety.

Dazai wonders how traumatised the civilians would be if he puts a bullet through their otherwise unprotected skull.

He twisted and turned randomly without a destination in mind, burrowing deeper into the maze of alleyways. This is a desolate part of the city, where Dazai couldn’t even detect a single presence. He continued walking on without slowing down, like he had a destination in mind.

Then he turned right into a dead end. 

“Oops. I think I’m lost,” Dazai mumbled.

Then two sets of footsteps were heard behind him, halting just at the opening of the alley, barricading him. 

“Neh, do you guys know the way out? I’m new here, so I’m a bit lost,” Dazai said, turning to face the two strangers with a pleasant smile. One was a girl his age, wearing a summer school uniform. The other was a guy with hideous burnt marks covering half his face, staples holding his peeling skin together. Ouch. Those looked like they hurt.

“Hey, hey, Dabi-kun! You think he has scars like you do under all those bandages?” The girl tugged on the guy’s sleeve, pointing at Dazai with a dagger that had somehow magically appeared in her hand.

“Shut up, Toga.” The guy shoved off the girl’s insistent tugging, returning his hands into the pocket of his coat, casting a bored gaze towards Dazai. His eyes were a striking cerulean blue too, much like Chuuya’s. 

Dazai stared at them the same way, his pleasant smile still plastered on his face, completely unalarmed at being surrounded by two sketchy looking people. Toga Himiko and Dabi, two infamous members of the League of Villains. Ask anyone in the city if they know them and everyone will shrink away while saying yes.

And right now, Dazai was trapped with no escape.

Or at least that’s what they think. Dazai didn’t come all the way to lurk around the streets of their supposed base only to wind up lost.

“Are you guys trying to mug me? Is that what this is? Aw, you guys know that’s bad right?” Dazai wiggled his finger in a no-no gesture like a goody-two-shoes. “Though you guys do look like you need a buck or two.”

Dabi scoffed, scratching his head in a lazy manner before turning back to glare at Dazai this time. “You’re a lot more annoying than Toga, huh?”

“Hey! That’s rude, Dabi-kun!” 

“You’re awfully relaxed despite being surrounded by the League of Villains, kid.” A third voice appeared then from behind the two of them. Dabi and Toga parted a little to let the newcomer through. Tattered clothing, hunched back, a severed hand covering his face, and, even from afar, Dazai can see his skin was extremely dry, to the point of being flaky even. Yikes.

“Why? Should I be scared?” Dazai’s tone was what Chuuya would call an ‘asking-for-a-beating’ tone. Well, Chuuya was absolutely right about that. Hand-man looked like he wanted to rip Dazai apart with his bare hands. How intense those crimson eyes are.

Dazai wonders if it’ll glow the same shade as his blood when he gouges them out.

“You’re pretty cocky for a transfer brat. Makes me want to kill you,” Shigaraki threatened, picking at the dry skin on his neck.

Dazai’s brows raised for a moment before returning to normal. His pleasant smile morphed into a knowing one. Chuuya would say it’s the smile he has whenever he successfully extracted information from their prisoners. 

Change of plans.

“Neh, Tomura-kun! Let me stab him first, pretty please?” Toga pleaded like a little girl pleading for ice-cream. 

Shigaraki looked like he wanted to say something but before he could, Toga had already pounced forward with her dagger drawn.

In a split second, Toga had appeared right in front of him before he could even blink. Her dagger aiming for his right bandaged eye with a gleeful smile on her face. 

Then.

Dazai sidestepped when the dagger was only inches away. As dangerous as he was being outnumbered three-to-one, Dazai wasn’t going to let this opportunity to even his odds slip by. 

With one arm, he hooked it around Toga’s outstretched arm, locking it into place. With his other arm, Dazai striked the back of her elbow, disarming her at the same time. The cracking of bones were unmistakable in the quiet alleyway.

And if that weren’t obvious enough, Toga’s scream was enough of an explanation.

But Dazai didn’t just stop there. Before anyone could react to what he did, he caught the dagger she dropped and stabbed it right into her thigh. An agonising shriek tore through Toga’s throat, reverberating throughout the alleyway.

She crumpled to the floor, trembling as blood pooled beneath her. 

“You’re loud. Quiet down, will you?”

—

All his life, he’d been surrounded by flames. Even when he was young, his blue flames would trail after him like a clingy friend. Even when his life was burning up in flames, it never left him like a faithful companion. Even if it was the very being that was scorching him alive.

At least he never had to experience how cold the night was when he ran away from home.

For the first time ever, Dabi felt chills crawl up his spine.

He was still thinking about how to clean up Toga’s mess when she collapsed into a pool of her own blood, with a broken arm and her thigh stabbed straight through. He was so focused on processing what was going on he didn’t even register her anguished cries. 

It was the perpetrator’s cold and detached voice that brought him back to reality.

His body moved before he could even think. Bright, blue flames shot out of his palms, filling up the entirety of the alleyway. It was only a beat later when he remembered Toga was still there that he put out his flames.

What he expected to see were the scorched bodies of Toga and the bandaged boy, but what greeted him instead was the silver sheen of a blade, cutting right past his cheeks, too close for comfort. There stood the bandaged boy in pristine condition, not even a strand of his hair singed or the hem of his coat seared. 

How the fuck?

“What the fuck is going on?! This is different from what I’ve heard!” Shigaraki seethed beside him, his knuckles cracking like he was itching to disintegrate something. For once, Dabi shared the same sentiments as his child-like boss.

The intel they got stated that two students from a private Hero Institute situated in Yokohama had transferred to UA. One who could nullify quirks and the other who could manipulate gravity. One with a lanky figure and all bandaged up while the other had ginger hair and was shorter than normal. Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya. 

If Dabi remembered correctly, it was the latter they had to be wary of. The gravity manipulator who took out all twenty students of Class 1-A.

Nothing was said about the flimsy brunette. 

“Oi oi, your comrade is still here y’know? Are you trying to burn her alive?” the brunette–Dazai Osamu–said, spinning a dagger with the tip of his finger. Those were Toga’s daggers, Dabi noted. Did he swipe them off her when his flames had engulfed them?

When Dabi glared at Dazai this time, he felt something distinctly different about him. He couldn’t point out what exactly, just that the air around Dazai unsettled him greatly. 

That sole amber eye of his had an eerie feeling to it, pricking up all his senses, sending them high on alert. 

Dabi felt like he was facing a predator where he was the prey, backed into a corner with no means of escaping. A feeling he hasn’t felt in a long time after he decided to become the monster he was made to be. 

“Haha, you’re one to talk after stabbing her,” Dabi laughed in an effort to mask his anxiety. Shigaraki didn’t charge in recklessly either, but he could feel the rage rolling off his boss. “You Heroes are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.”

“Hm? Isn’t that a legitimate form of self defence though? She was the one coming at me with a knife.” Dazai gestured to the crumpled form of Toga who had recovered slightly from the pain. That familiar, menacing smile on her face had long since faded away, replaced by a tear-streaked face instead. “Don’t you agree, Himiko-chan~?” Dazai used her dagger to tilt her face up so she was looking at him.

“You’re a big meanie,” Toga managed to choke out, sniffling like a helpless lamb.

Dazai chuckled, letting her face drop before turning his attention back to them. Twirling the dagger with his fingers, he walked towards them in confident strides, his posture as relaxed as when they first met him.

“You, just who are you really?” The Dazai Osamu they got from their intel was drastically different from this Dazai Osamu in front of them. Even the intel about his nullifying quirk was different.

They were told his quirk worked similarly to Aizawa’s, except it was through touch. It wasn’t mentioned that he could nullify the quirk itself without touching the user. He was practically invulnerable if no quirks could work on him. 

It was wrong for them to be more wary of Nakahara Chuuya because of his overpowered quirk when really, they should’ve been more cautious that their quirk wouldn’t work on Dazai Osamu.

“You guys are the one who trapped me here. Shouldn’t you know?” His lilt tone is what infuriates them the most. How he acts like he couldn’t care less even when Japan’s most wanted Villains were standing right in front of him. 

Shigaraki moved the same time he did, flames dancing out of his palms. He already knows quirks won’t work on Dazai as he demonstrated earlier, but that wasn’t his goal. It only served as a distraction. To buy time for Shigaraki to get into Dazai’s blind spot. 

He heard Dazai’s exhale first, then a strangled cry tore through. 

Deactivating his quirk, Dabi only found the kneeling figure of Shigaraki on the ground, clutching at the side of his torso that was dripping blood. Dazai was gone. 

A thud. Then Dabi felt himself losing balance, tumbling backwards, the back of his head hitting gravel. 

Shit. What the fuck was going on? 

“You fucking brat!” Shigaraki pressed his free hand on the ground, cracks already forming on the ground as he activated his quirk. That’s when Dazai appeared and delivered a kick straight to his face. That crusty hand (his deceased father?) covering his face dropped to the ground, leaving a growing red mark on his cheek. Shigaraki’s quirk deactivated through that brief contact, the spreading cracks coming to an end. 

“You can’t do that, Tomura-kun. You’ll bury your comrades alive if the buildings collapse, y’know?” The dagger was dripping with blood from where he had cut Shigaraki. Dazai turned and looked down (literally and metaphorically) at him, his gaze bored like this whole exchange wasn’t even worth his time.

Dabi felt the pit of fury in him boil over at Dazai’s arrogant way of looking at him. It reminded him of someone unpleasant. He’s going to burn this brat alive, consequences be damned. 

All his life he could feel the hot flame of his quirk tickling beneath his skin. That feeling disappeared altogether when Dazai grabbed his face without warning. 

Try as he might, Dabi could not pry Dazai’s fingers away. His grip was unyielding, his fingers digging deep into his cheekbones. A stinging pain spread across his face from the staples being embedded deep into his flesh. Blood trickled down his jaw.

But the pain he felt was only secondary to the blooming instinctive fear that was rooted deep in the recesses of his mind he had long thought vanished. 

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. If that were true, then Dazai Osamu does not have one. Those empty eyes of his was a void, it held no emotions, no feelings, nothing. 

Then Dazai pulled out a gun from his coat and aimed it straight at Shigaraki’s head.

“I’ve heard a lot about you guys from the news. But seeing you in person…It’s quite disappointing.” If looks could kill, Dazai would’ve died a few times over from how Shigaraki was glaring at him. But with a literal gun trained on his head, his boss couldn’t do much about it.

“A playful, immature schoolgirl, your supposed leader who has the mentality of a three-year-old,” Dazai continued. Toga managed to sit up after a while, though she was in no condition to fight, much less free them from this demon’s hold. “And you, with such a vengeful spirit residing inside. Such a ragtag bunch of you lowlifes wants to overthrow this rotten Hero Society? How laughable.”

Dabi was starting to get confused about this whole situation. Dazai’s words don't sound like he’s satisfied with this societal system the Heroes have established, in fact it sounded like he loathes it. Dazai looks nothing like a Hero. No Hero would move as ruthlessly as he did.

He looked more like a demon than a Villain even.

“It’s all because of you hypocrites who’s always preaching about saving lives and defeating evil that shunned away people like us,” Shigaraki gritted out. “We’ll demolish this fucked up system and reign as the Symbol of Fear when we kill All Might.”

“And then what? After you completely upend this Hero society that you so despised, what are you going to do then?”

“...What?”

“See? You don’t even know what the hell you’re going to do after. Your petty goals are superficial at best. In the end, you’re just going to reign over everyone with fear until someone’s brave enough to stand up and start a revolution. And then the whole thing will repeat again in a never-ending cycle. Symbol of Fear you say? Bullshit. The only symbol all of you would be is the Symbol of Failure.”

Dabi had no idea why they were having this conversation with a kid. Was he trying to buy time? Did he inform the Heroes and they were coming right this moment? But he had to admit, each of his words delivered a fatal strike to their convictions. 

Shigaraki scoffed. “Kill us then. If you do, you’ll be worshipped as the Hero who defeated evil. Isn’t that what you Heroes love? Go ahead, then. But you’ll always live with our blood on your hands. And you’ll always be no better than a murderer . As long as Sensei is alive, the League of Villains will always rise back up.”

A beat–

Then, completely out of his expectations, Dazai burst out laughing. He laughed so hard Dabi wondered if he was going to dislocate his jaw. 

“Kill you? I have no problem doing that. Did you think the act of killing would haunt me for the rest of my life? How ridiculous. I mean, would you feel guilt from stepping on an ant?” His smile was a vicious thing. Curved like the scythe of a grim reaper’s, its sharp edge breathing down your neck. “But you see, as worthless as you may be, you’re not entirely useless. I don’t like to discard my cards so easily. Plus…”

Dazai pulled the trigger.

The gaping hole between Shigaraki’s eyes was nowhere to be found. Dabi felt his heart skip a beat then started pumping ferociously. 

“I’m out of bullets sadly. So while I commend your effort to die so willingly, I’ll have to disappoint you unfortunately.” Dazai twirled his pistol around his finger before tucking it back into his coat, hidden from view. He also released his grip around Dabi’s face, allowing him to breathe. “It’s a shame we weren’t able to have a more…intimate conversation, but I’ve been gone for a bit too long, my dog might start barking! Anyway, Dabi-kun, I’ll leave them to you. Though I did avoid Himiko-chan’s arteries and Tomura-kun’s organs, there’s no guarantee they won’t bleed out if they aren’t treated in time. Well then, toodles~!”

With that being said, Dazai skipped out the alleyway and vanished from their sight. 

Dabi couldn’t find it in himself to get mad. He only felt relieved that Dazai was gone. If word were to spread that the LOV had almost been wiped out by a single kid, no one would take them seriously. Because who would even believe that a scrawny kid like Dazai would be able to take out the Villain organisation that had been a headache to the Hero Society?

If that were to happen, not only would the LOV be a laughingstock, even the Heroes eligibility would be questioned.

“Fuck. How the hell am I supposed to carry them back?” Dabi muttered.

—

The first thing Chuuya thought when he saw Dazai emerge from around the corner was to bash his face in and be convicted for assault.

The second thing he thought of was to push him into oncoming traffic and be convicted for manslaughter.

“WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEE–” Chuuya yelled, drawing the pedestrians attention, but right now, he couldn’t care less. He stopped short, noticing the smidge of crimson on his bandages. “You’re bleeding.”

“Hm? Oh, this?” Dazai raised his hand, rubbing over the red spot a few times, causing the blood to smear. “It’s not my blood.”

Somehow that’s even more concerning.

“So, care to tell me where the hell you were? It’s been fifteen minutes!” Chuuya huffed, exasperation leaking into his tone. This wasn’t the first time Dazai left him stranded and clueless out of the blue. 

They were supposed to be partners. He’d like if Dazai included him more in his endeavours instead of just leaving him to find out for himself.

“Aw, is Chuuya worried?” Dazai batted–yes, he batted –his eyes, leaning his face forward like he was waiting for an answer. 

“Like hell I am!” Chuuya shoved the mackerel’s face away, dropping half of the items they bought for their class’s festival preparations. 

“I’m hurt, Chuuya. To think you wouldn’t even care about your dear partner’s well-being!” Chuuya seriously contemplated his previous two options. “Let’s talk somewhere more private. I’ll fill you in on my ‘fortuitous’ encounter.”

Chuuya sighed. At least Dazai was telling him stuff now rather than keeping it in the dark. “Fine. Something weird happened earlier too when you disappeared.”

It was way past noon already, and Chuuya only had an omelette for breakfast. He’s famished. They walk past a few stores before entering a seafood restaurant. There weren’t many customers inside, so they didn’t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping. Still, they chose a booth at the far corner just in case.

“Two sets of king crabs and a sashimi platter. Thanks,” he told the waiter. Since Mori left them some money, it would be a waste to not use them. Chuuya doesn’t know how Mori had kept this account alive even after two whole centuries, but he wasn’t one to question the methods of his boss.

“Wow~ Chuuya’s splurging today.” Dazai took a seat across from him, having a view of the front door. “I’ll have to tell Mori how you’re abusing his bank account.”

“Shut up, dickhead. I’ll tell Mori to deduct it from your salary for all the headaches you’ve caused me.” 

It didn’t take long for their food to arrive, two large king crabs steamed to perfection paired with an assortment of sashimis. 

“While I appreciate the effort, chibi, I prefer canned crabs more,” Dazai said in a haughty tone. He’s seriously a bastard through and through.

“You only like canned crabs ‘cause you’re too fucking lazy to peel it yourself.” Chuuya cracked apart one of the crab legs and started peeling its skin off with the help of a pair of scissors. “So, feel like talking now?”

“Hm, you go first.”

“Fine, whatever,” He gave the freshly peeled crab leg to Dazai then started peeling another. “When you left I felt someone watching me. I wandered around the block but they didn’t show themselves, only observing from afar. They left shortly before you appeared.”

“Hm~” As Dazai munched on his crab leg, Chuuya observed him closely. He’s certain the mackerel knows something. “Ok, my turn! I bumped into the LOV earlier.”

“What?!” Chuuya almost threw his crab leg at him. Some of the patrons were startled by his voice and tried to see what’s going on. Calming himself, Chuuya steadied his breathing and asked again. “What the fuck do you mean you bumped into the LOV?! How many of them were there?! How did you even escape?!” 

“Slow down, Chuuya. I’m reaching that part.” Dazai reached over to pick a slice of sashimi. “There were only three of them, so I suspect the one following you is one of the LOV too.”

“And you just faced off against the three of them?! You could’ve at least called for me!”

“Aw, is Chuuya getting worried?” 

“Of course I am, you idiot!” Chuuya said without thinking. A flash of surprise crossed Dazai’s face, too brief for Chuuya to catch.

“At first I was just trying to accidentally bump into them. But it felt like they already knew I was there and were waiting for me. I’m 80 percent sure they would’ve tried to split us up if I hadn’t done it myself.”

“That doesn’t even make sense. How would they know who we are? They shouldn’t even know that we–Wait. Unless…”

“Exactly what you’re thinking, chibi,” Dazai slurped up the last of his crab meat, his lips twisted up into a devious smile. It’s Dazai’s scheming smile, and Chuuya absolutely hates it. It never bode well for him or his enemies whenever Dazai had that look. “We’ve got a traitor on our hands~ One of our dear classmates is a double agent.”

Chuuya frowned. “Why not the teachers? They know our identities too and they have better access to UA’s information.”

“Because they called me a ‘transfer’,” Dazai hummed, recounting his story. “If it were the teachers who know of our true identities, they would less likely withhold the fact that we’re time-travellers. But I think they truly believed we transferred to UA from Yokohama. And if they were lying, I would be able to see through it.”

He didn’t doubt Dazai’s ability to spot a liar with him being the biggest pathological liar there is. “I guess we can cross off those three who saw us then.”

“Yup! They’re good at keeping secrets, that’s for sure.” Dazai finally finished his crab, all thanks to Chuuya being the decent person he is helping the mackerel peel all his crab shell. At least he was eating now. His face seemed a little fuller than before. “I was going to strike an agreement with the LOV as backup, but I’ll have to rewrite my plans.”

Personally, Chuuya doesn’t like the idea of striking a deal with the LOV. He has a feeling he wouldn’t get along with any of them at all. Worst case, he might just crush them all. “Are we going to uncover who the spy is?”

Dazai nodded, an expression of glee on his face. That’s Dazai’s favourite job for sure, uncovering spies and exposing people. 

Then he gets to torture them for information and make them confess.

“Yup! I’ll need your cooperation for that, chibi. I’m going to have to dig up some proof.”

How rare for Dazai to ask for help. At least he wasn’t excluding him from his plans. That’s an improvement, Chuuya supposes.

“Hmph. Like you have to ask.”

Dazai flashed a toothy grin at him. “I knew I could count on Chuuya.”

Chuuya rolled his eyes, averting his gaze from the brunette. For a long time, Chuuya had always been the one to rely on Dazai. Whether because of his ability when using Corruption or just in general, he always felt like he was relying too much on Dazai. His wits, to be specific, and the trust they had for each other to understand and predict the other’s actions.

It felt nice to know Dazai had also been relying on Chuuya. 

“By the way, Chuuya. If we ever get to the point of rebuilding the Port Mafia, let’s eliminate the LOV first. They’ll be a nuisance to our organisation,” Dazai said offhandedly.

“Sure.” Chuuya replied without looking up.

He observed Dazai’s face as he rang for the bill. The mackerel had fished out his new phone and started playing games on it. Seeing how nonchalant he was, Chuuya didn’t see a need to worry about how they were going to find the traitor. As much as he’d hate to admit it, Dazai was his best assurance in their predicament right now. If anything, he’s the best possible person to be stuck with 200 hundred years into the future, his insufferable asshole personality aside.

There’s a reason why Dazai’s called the Demon Prodigy after all.

Chapter Text

A black sedan with tinted windows rolled up in front of a building. No, a skyscraper would be a more apt way of describing it, so tall it disappears into the clouds. 

A man dressed in a standard black suit with black shades hurried forward, opening the car door like a well-practised valet. The woman that emerged casts a stark contrast to the surrounding shades of black, like a rose that bloomed in a bush of wild grass. She was someone who demands attention wherever she goes, her presence unignorable.

From her cherry red hair to her nails painted in a deep crimson hue, everything about her was striking. There was a regal grace in the way she held herself, almost like royalty. Red was undoubtedly her colour.

And like roses, she has thorns too.

Kouyou Ozaki isn’t one to mess with.

Kouyou looked up. The Port Mafia’s headquarters were as imposing as ever as it stared down its beloved city–Yokohama. The man who was overseeing this city of theirs was on the top floor, and Kouyou was going to meet this man. 

She strided over, umbrella in hand, her heels making a satisfying click-clack everytime she landed. Everywhere, you could see people wearing the same monotone black suit as what is demanded of the Port Mafia. Especially low-level grunts. 

When she passed, everyone dipped their heads in respect. And fear. Hierarchy was an important thing in the Mafia, and being an executive puts you on top of most, with the exception being the Boss himself. 

She boarded a unique elevator with only one button, taking her straight to the top floor. Only authorised personnel had access to it, Kouyou being one of them.

It took a while, but when she reached, she headed straight to the end of the corridor where two bodyguards flanked both sides of the large, velvet double doors. She stood in front of the double doors, waiting for permission. 

There was no need for her to knock, her arrival had already been alerted the moment she stepped out of the Port Mafia’s vehicle.

“Come in.” A voice said from inside. 

The two bodyguards pushed open the doors, closing it behind her when she entered. To her left was a large floor-to-ceiling window with Yokohama’s scenery as the view. And seated on an opulent couch in the middle was none other than the Boss of Port Mafia–Mori Ougai.

He was watching the scene beneath him with a calculative smile, his gloved hands held together in front of him. She took a seat to his right, where a similar couch had been prepared for her. Mori had already known she was arriving. 

“Welcome back, Kouyou-dono,” he said without taking his eyes off Yokohama. 

“Good to see you too, Boss,” she replied. She noticed a file of documents sitting on the coffee table between them. There were no labels or tags or anything to indicate its contents.

“You’ve come back earlier than I expected.” Well, since Mori presented it to their meeting, he will bring it up eventually. 

“I like to be efficient,” she said, her reply curt. She understood what Mori was implying. Have you completed the task I’ve given you?  

Back then, right before she was about to take off to France, she got a call saying Chuuya had vanished. For a second there, she feared the boy had deserted the Mafia, just as she tried to when she was younger, which led to her ex-lover’s untimely demise.

The Mafia doesn’t take deserters lightly.

Imagine her surprise when she found out he had disappeared off the face of earth, literally, along with that godforsaken demon–Dazai Osamu. But that complicates things. Because with his ability, it’s impossible for any ability to affect him. There was something new at play here. Something that managed to catch them unawares and steal the Port Mafia’s unrivalled duo.

Hell, Kouyou was worried. It sounds as ridiculous as when the feeling first washed over her. 

Back when Chuuya just joined the Port Mafia, Mori had put him under her care, which she was reluctant to accept. She had missions to complete, babysitting is not one of them. However, over time, the boy had started to grow on her. The way he respects her, how he's willing to learn when criticised, how he brewed her favourite cup of tea when she was feeling down. 

How he called her ‘Ane-sanʼ. 

She found herself caring for him. A feeling she had long forgotten. 

“What was Monsieur Voltaire’s response then?” Mori asked.

“He had been most excited to accept our proposal. The contract is signed and he has agreed to meet with us in a week from now,” Kouyou reported dutifully. 

“Excellent,” Mori praised, the tip of his lips lifted a fraction higher. She's certain Mori already knows the outcome of her mission, but having her report it herself builds a basis of trust between them. Mori is a meticulous person, each and every move of his is calculating. So when he slid the mysterious file over to her, she knew she'd passed his test. “I know you're worried about Chuuya-kun. Here are the documents that we've gathered thus far.” 

Kouyou didn't bother to hide her eagerness when she dumped out all the contents in the file. The first thing she saw were the pictures of the two strange students who appeared at the same time when Dazai and Chuuya disappeared–Sayuki and Matsumoto if she remembered correctly. There wasn't much information, which was weird considering it's been a week and this is the Port Mafia who could find out your dead dog's name in less than an hour, but it was still information regardless. She took her time to scan over each paper, not missing even a tiny detail. 

After a while, she finally spoke up. “So… They swapped places? And now both Dazai and Chuuya are in the future?” Saying it out loud is even more ridiculous than reading it. 

Time-leaping, what an absurd idea. 

“That is what we've managed to conclude so far,” Mori nodded, his eyes still fixed in a calculative gaze. A plan must be shaping itself in his mind with all the information he has right now. 

“So this isn't an enemy attack then?” She read over the report again, taking note of the part where it's mentioned they were studying in UA, a prestigious Hero School. Just the name sounds pretentious, no enemy organisation would come up with such a lame tactic to fool the Port Mafia, right? 

“We can't be for certain, but it's highly unlikely,” Mori explained. “Abilities don't work on Dazai-kun. If this was an attempt by our enemies, he would be able to nullify them. I suspect it's the doing of someone from their world.”

Kouyou frowned. If that were the case, it would put them in a passive position. All they could do was wait for them to find the culprit and hopefully bring themselves back. Though she supposes she doesn't have to worry much with Dazai there. She'd be more concerned if Chuuya was there alone. 

( Back in the MHA world : Chuuya sneezed. Is that shitty mackerel bad-mouthing me again? ) 

“Just for precaution, I spared both of their lives, even if killing one would be the wiser choice,” Mori continued, this time turning over to face her. “Logically speaking, we'd kill one and question the other if there were two prisoners. But there's a chance their counterpart won't be able to return if one of them is dead, and I'd rather not take that risk. Losing either Dazai-kun or Chuuya-kun is detrimental to the Mafia, I'd like to avoid that.” 

Mori's reasoning was logical. This was a risk the Port Mafia could not take. The loss would simply be too great. The infamous Soukoku could not exist with one and without the other. 

“Boss, what if I–” 

Mori cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “I appreciate your offer to help, but there is no need for you to conduct the interrogation personally. The current interrogator is doing a great job, so you don't have to step in.”

Kouyou suppressed her urge to ask who. She could find out about it herself. 

“What of these two documents then?” Kouyou asked. She squinted at the picture of two younger boys clipped on top. They looked even younger than Dazai and Chuuya, yet their eyes tell the tragic life they’ve led. Who are they?

“Replacements,” came Mori’s curt reply. Kouyou snapped her head up at Mori, who was studying her every movement. Just in time, she managed to school her expression, returning to her cool, unreadable self. Mori looked away with a small smile before explaining. “I can’t wait for Dazai-kun and Chuuya-kun forever.”

It wasn’t a question. There would be no room for negotiation despite how much Kouyou wanted to protest. But that would mean she was using her emotions to judge instead of considering it on a larger scale. Mori’s actions were logical. No underground organisation would stay still if they discover the absence of Soukoku. 

The Mafia needed a new duo. And Mori has already set his sights on two candidates in less than a week since Soukoku’s disappearance. Truly a man who puts the Mafia ahead of everything else.

Even if it meant discarding his favourite protégé and his strongest soldier.

As a person, Kouyou loathes that trait of his. As an executive, she admires Mori for it.

“If there's nothing else, you may leave.” Mori's dismissal is final. 

“Yes, Boss,” she obeyed, standing up to take her leave. Before leaving, she dipped her head in gratitude. “Thank you for sharing this with me.” 

As she walked out the room and took the elevator to the ground floor, Kouyou vowed to do everything in her power to ensure Chuuya returns. 

And maybe Dazai. 

For the sake of the Port Mafia. 

—

There was a faint scent of tobacco in the air. Mingled with the bitterness of alcohol and the soft jazz music playing in the background, it creates an ambient atmosphere where Ango can relax. 

He had shed off his pale brown blazer and loosened his tie after an exhausting day of work consisting of virtually nothing but paperwork. His glasses were getting thicker by the week with how many words he has to squint down everyday. 

He was taking a sip of his whiskey, and savouring its taste when a familiar pair of footfalls sounded from outside, getting closer as they neared the door of Bar Lupin. He didn’t need to look up to know it was Oda who walked in.

The bartender served his regular patron a whiskey, turning back to continue his task of polishing all the glasses on display. From his peripheral view, Ango noticed his friend’s complexion had worsened considerably. 

Dark eye circles. Untidy stubble. Messy hair. Unkempt appearance. Oda was never one to focus too much on his outward appearance, but not like this . 

Oda looked… hopeless . 

“Been a while since we had a drink.” Ango suddenly broke the silence. 

“Yeah,” Oda answered, his voice raspy like he hadn’t drunk water. 

The silence stretched out between them, accentuating the absence of one person in this odd group of three. Dazai had always been the talkative one among them, sharing just about any kind of story he has. If not, it would be him brainstorming about his newest method of suicide along with their input occasionally. 

But Dazai isn’t here now. He hasn’t been for the past week.

Same as Oda, until he showed up tonight.

Ango still remembers how both he and Oda had been waiting for their friend to arrive only to have the leader of the Black Lizard’s group–Hirotsu Ryuurou–show up. Along with his unexpected appearance, he brought unexpected news with him too.

Dazai was MIA, same as Nakahara Chuuya. Though not by their own volition apparently. Two teenagers took their place instead, whom the Port Mafia had already detained for further questioning.

Which was also the reason why Hirotsu appeared in this inconspicuous bar they frequented.

The Port Mafia needed an interrogator. Why they didn’t just use their usual ones Ango didn’t know. Not even Hirotsu knows, just that it was a direct order from the Boss himself. And Mori’s orders are absolute.

Then Hirotsu slid over an old, Bar Lupin exclusive matchbox on the counter.

“That’s mine,” Oda had said. “I lost it some time ago.”

Even if Mori didn’t voice it out, both of them knew what he was trying to convey. Oda will be the one to conduct the interrogation. He left that very moment without protest, leaving Ango to be anxious on his own. 

That was the last he saw of Oda. Until today.

Just what happened?

Curious as he may be, Ango didn’t voice out his question, even if he was worried for Dazai. Oda would speak up if he was willing to, he just had to wait. 

Eventually, Oda does speak up. “Sorry I’ve been absent these days, I have a lot going on. Boss’s orders.”

Ango hummed in acknowledgement, even if his explanation was vague. “Glad to see you back. How’s the investigation?”

Investigation. Not interrogation.

“It’s…progressing. I’ve come to ask you for a favour actually.” Ango turned to face Oda then, fully taking in just how much his friend had changed in a week. Was he even eating? “The Boss wants more answers, but we’ve extracted as much as we could already. If you don’t mind, can you use your ability on this?”

Oda handed him a student card. ‘Matsumoto Shinji’ from General Studies in UA Hero School.

It was one of the teenagers the Port Mafia had recently detained, and their biggest–and only–clue to Dazai and Chuuya’s whereabouts. Even though information about them is strictly restricted in case of an ambush from enemy organisations, Ango at least knows this much. 

While inspecting the card, he noticed a smudge of dried blood at the edge.

So that’s why Oda looked so dishevelled. The Port Mafia isn’t famous for having mercy on their prisoners.

“Use your ability on this and tell me what you see.” 

Ango obliged. He activated his ability, his irises turning white as he peered into the object’s memory. 

Blue skies.

Green grass.

A girl wearing a grey school uniform beside him. Sayuki Chiho most likely.

Two towering buildings with a bridge linking them together.

Then, he saw it.

He saw her .

Standing by the window a few floors above was a girl with blonde hair, staring at him. The two students technically. He couldn’t read any expression from her face. She just stood there, and stared.

Ango’s ability deactivated just then, pulling him back to reality. Back to the familiar ambience of Bar Lupin, back to where Oda was looking at him with desperation in his eyes. 

“A blonde girl,” Ango said, recounting back on what he glimpsed with his ability. “With shoulder-length hair. She was staring at them from a tall building. She’s the only one around, so she might be the person who caused this.”

It was a hunch. But something in his guts screamed to him that it’s the truth. Find her and this whole situation will be resolved. 

“Are you sure?” Oda asked, alarmed. 

“More or less.”

That was all the confirmation Oda needed. “Now I just need a name to go with it. Thanks, Ango.”

Oda took back the student card, gulping down the last of his whiskey then hurrying for the door. Ango unconsciously reached out to stop his friend.

“...Are you okay, Oda?”

“I’m fine.”

Ango let go, watching as his friend ran out of the bar, his footsteps fading further and further. 

Lies.

—

Oda ran.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him despite how lethargic he felt from the lack of sleep and food these days. It couldn’t be helped. Seeing teenagers Dazai’s age being tortured for information has that kind of effect.

He had been reluctant to use violence at first, thinking the two students would comply when they understood the situation they were in. But kids were always stubborn. They were adamant on keeping their mouths shut, opting to glare at him hard enough to will him away. Even using threats were of no use. They somehow believed that ‘Heroes’ will come to save them. This ‘All Might’ guy especially.

Either they’ve been living under a rock all their lives or they genuinely believe someone would be courageous enough to challenge the Port Mafia. In the end, he chose to use the gentle approach.

It worked.

They narrated their story, albeit with vague and curt explanations. They revealed just enough to satisfy his curiosity without revealing any information of significance. Smart.

The news of them being from the future greatly surprised him. Even Mori was intrigued when he first heard of it, his eyes glinting like he picked up something valuable. Oda had thought it would end there, that the two students wouldn’t have to go through whatever the Mafia had in store for them should they refuse to speak. 

But it wasn’t enough. Mori demanded more.

And when Oda had refused to use violence, the original interrogation squad took over. They were as merciless as the rumours claimed them to be, zero hesitation as they wringed out information from them. He couldn’t stand that sight, but he couldn’t exactly disobey Mori’s orders either. He had to choose.

Choose Dazai, or choose two unknown students who weren’t even from his timeline. 

It was natural which side Oda had chosen. Regardless, it didn’t make it any less difficult. 

With this new information he obtained from Ango, hopefully it can stop this time. 

It didn’t take long for him to reach the Port Mafia’s headquarters, where he boarded an elevator that took him below ground. The lower floors were filled with cells, all containing the Port Mafia’s prisoners that still hold some value in them. It’s the only reason why they were even alive right now.

Without lingering too much, he headed straight for the cell at the end. He swung open the door, light from the hallways pouring into the dark, windowless cell. 

Two crumpled forms were huddled together at the far corner, their limbs chained together to prevent them from escaping. They shied away from the light after spending so long in the dark. Oda’s heart ached. Maybe he should’ve knocked to alert them first.

He didn’t have time to lament over his minor mistake, squatting down in front of Matsumoto and Sayuki. The quicker he’s done with this, the sooner they can be free.

“Sorry for disturbing you.” His voice stirred them from their daze. Staying so long underground with no sunlight must’ve messed up their concept of time no doubt. The only thing keeping them sane was each other’s company, which Mori was gracious enough to let them keep. “Before you came here, do you remember a girl staring at you? She was looking down from the window of a tall building. Blonde, shoulder-length hair,” Oda recounted.

“...A blonde girl?” Matsumoto’s voice was weak, barely a whisper that Oda was able to comprehend. 

Sayuki propped herself up from beside him. The usual plumpiness of her cheeks when Oda first saw her had vanished. She was so thin right now her cheekbones jutted out. 

“I… think I remember,” she mumbled. “...She was interning at UA. It was her last day there if I remember correctly.”

Good, they were getting somewhere.

“What’s her name?” 

“Hinako Ichika.”

Chapter Text

The opportunity came quicker than Dazai had anticipated. An opportunity he intends to grasp no matter what.

Ever since arriving here, it has been troublesome to do anything. From his movement to his speech, even to the people he interacted with has to be strictly considered and calculated. This isn’t the Port Mafia, he was an outsider here in UA, he had to tread his path carefully. 

One misstep and he might lose his current freedom.

If this was back in the Port Mafia, Dazai wouldn’t have to worry about gathering information. They had spies for that. Mori also keeps tabs on each organisation and individual he’s interacted with. And by that, it means their strengths, weaknesses, connections and affiliations, their daily routines even. 

To the Port Mafia, any information they’ve extracted and gotten ahold of is worth its weight in blood.

However, it’s different here.

Dazai does not have the resources or connections to gather the information he needs. As such, he had to do this the old way. It’s during times like this that he misses the Port Mafia especially. 

He’d better get promoted to executive when he returns for all the labour he’s gone through.

That way, he can legitimately boss Chuuya around. There’s no way the chibi can refuse a ‘higher-up’s’ orders then!

“...First-aid is extremely important in times of emergencies. Especially during rescue emergencies.” Recovery Girl’s breathy voice finally brought him back to reality from the fantasy his mind had wandered to. “It can be the determining factor between life and death so it’s of the utmost importance that you are able to identify the basic injuries the victims have suffered precisely.”

Dazai frowned a little, already knowing this class is going to be as boring as everything else. Though Chuuya seems to be listening quite attentively. Makes him want to pester the hatrack.

Which, of course, is what he does.

“Chuuya~ Would you give me CPR if my life depended on it~?” He leaned in close to whisper into the ginger’s ears, which had quite the effect with how his body froze up.  Bullseye. 

Chuuya elbowed his ribs harshly, accidentally letting a squeak of pain escape. “Zip it, shitty Dazai!” he whispered-shouted. “I’d no sooner burn myself on a stake than get anywhere near your slimy lips!”

Dazai can almost hear the screech Chuuya would let out if he were a cat. He noted how the hatrack’s pupils narrowed into slits and the red tint growing on his cheeks and the tip of his ears. If Dazai approaches, he’d get bitten.

How aggressively adorable.

“You’d leave me to die then?” Dazai pouted.

“I’d be the cause of your death if I could,” Chuuya retorted. “Now shut up and pay attention.”

Dazai couldn’t really take Chuuya’s harsh words seriously with how his ears were burning the same shade as his hair, but he obeyed and focused on Recovery Girl's long-winded explanation. Chuuya was the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, a trait that Dazai had always criticised and took advantage of, much to the ginger’s chagrin. 

But he supposes it’s better than having to fake them. 

“Alright, get into groups of two,” Recovery Girl instructed. “We’re going to play a game today. As you can see, I’ve set up a few stations around the room with different dummy bodies. You’ll have 5 minutes to diagnose the injuries and write down how to deal with it on a sheet of paper. You can move onto the next station when you’re finished. The last to finish will have to stay back and clean the room!”

Excited chatters and a few unmistakable groans sounded from their classmates as they shuffled to their partners. It goes without saying that Dazai and Chuuya would be a pair, so there wasn’t a need for them to move. 

“Chuuya, I’ll need your cooperation later.” Dazai’s earlier playful tone took a serious turn. Recovery Girl is almost always at the infirmary. Even if she left, it would only be for a brief moment. Not nearly enough for Dazai to complete his task.

With her here teaching 1-A, it was Dazai’s chance to snoop around.

Chuuya raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. It didn’t take long for him to understand what Dazai was trying to convey. It’s what he likes about Chuuya, how he could so effortlessly read between the lines. 

“Dazai-kun, Nakahara-kun.” Recovery Girl approached them from behind, her cane making rhythmic thumps on the ground. Dazai wonders why she doesn’t just kiss herself and heal her ageing back herself. “I went over this topic a few weeks back with 1-A. Since you guys only joined last week, there’s no need for you to participate. You’re free to sit this one out and observe your classmates.”

“Eh~ But that’d be too boring, sensei! Chuuya and I will do just fine! Our guardian is a doctor after all.” Dazai could practically hear the eyeroll Chuuya had just given him. 

So what if he was up to no good by coaxing an old lady? He’s trying to get them back for god’s sake! Not even a speck of appreciation for all the hard work he’s putting in!

Hmph, ungrateful slug.

“Oh! That’s quite a surprise! Alright, I’ll look forward to seeing your results.” With that, Recovery Girl returned to the front of class while their classmates shuffled to the stations they were assigned to. 

There were ten stations in total, each with its own dummy body and a statement of their conditions. Since there were 22 of them, Yaoyorozu and Jirou along with Kaminari and Sero were assigned to the same station as them, while the other stations had two groups instead.

“Here, Chuuya. Try to keep up.” Dazai tossed the pen and paper to Chuuya, who’ll obviously be doing the writing. Of course the genius of their group–which is Dazai obviously –had to step up and offer his wisdom.

“Tch, arrogant bastard.” Though Chuuya said that, he didn’t protest, already prepared to write down everything that comes out of Dazai’s mouth.

Without further ado, the timer started. Everyone went to work immediately, their competitive side emerging. While there isn’t a special prize for being the first, there’s definitely a certain glory at being able to win against your classmates.

He and Chuuya will be the ones to taste that glory.

Dazai scanned over the statement written and examined the body briefly. It only took him two seconds to figure out what’s going on.

“Bone fracture at the forearm,” he said, already moving on to the next station. “Restrict movement of the arm and put it in a sling to stabilise it.”

Chuuya wrote everything down without looking up, following him to the next station.

“Wait, you guys are done already?” Kaminari asked from behind.

Dazai didn’t bother to answer as he made his way over to the next station where Todoroki, Tokoyami, Sato, and Aoyama were. Like the previous station, Dazai scanned over the statement and did a brief check-up of the body.

“Water has entered lungs due to drowning, causing suffocation,” Dazai began. “Check for breathing and pulse. Perform CPR immediately. 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths to remove water from lungs.”

Next station.

Difficulty in breathing and wheezing due to inhaling too much smoke.

Next.

Brain concussion from blunt force trauma.

Next.

Broken ribs causing puncture through lungs.

…

“How the hell are they doing this?”

“They didn’t just give up and write nonsense right?”

“Is this for real?”

…

In 10 minutes, Dazai had cleared each station, leaving his classmates dumbfounded and staring wide-eyed. Chuuya had also written everything down in record speed, his cursive words just barely readable.

“O-Oh…That was fast. Are you sure you don’t want to double check?” Recovery Girl had a rather sceptical look on her face as she retrieved the paper Chuuya handed her. 

“It’s fine. If there’s anything wrong, it’s probably just Chuuya’s horrible spelling,” Dazai replied with a pleasant smile on his face.

“Oi.”

“...Well, if you say so.” Recovery Girl started squinting, reading over the sheet of paper. There was no need for Dazai to wonder if he got them right, he knows he got them right. Mori’s teaching played a big part in his current understanding of human anatomy. 

It’s required in his line of work after all.

Dazai barely registered Recovery Girl’s praise as he had already shifted his attention to his classmates. They seem to be burning with a newfound vigour as they worked twice as hard to diagnose their injured ‘patients’.  While observing may be a nice word to put it, Dazai’s actually scrutinising each of his classmates movements, documenting every minute detail into his mind palace. 

There was no helping it, a traitor existed amongst their ranks.

He didn’t forget to keep track of the time too as he focused on his classmates. However, it was still much too early for his plan to hatch. There was no way he would be left alone if Recovery Girl was so unoccupied right now. He needed to time his actions perfectly, there was no room for mistakes.

The second group to finish is Midoriya and Iida, who took almost double the time Dazai and Chuuya did. While they weren’t as apprehensive as before, both of them still kept their distance. Not that Dazai feels bad or anything. They could only blame themselves for having the misfortune of bumping into them.

“Damn, you guys were flying through the course!” Kirishima came up to them just then, having finished in fourth place right after Yaoyorozu and Jirou. “I would probably still be stuck on the third station if it weren’t for Bakugou.”

“We could’ve gotten first place if you had used half your brains, shitty hair!” Bakugou berated. Dazai doubted Bakugou would get first place even if he gave the gremlin a head start, but it certainly had been a surprise to find out he ranked amongst the top in his class. Chuuya could never.

“My guardian is a doctor, so I’m more familiar when it comes to injuries.” He omitted the part where it was him inflicting the injuries. While Mori is far from being a guardian, it’s an undeniable fact that he was the one who taught Dazai most of what he knows today. He was a great teacher, a bit too great in fact. And now was the time for Dazai to utilise the man’s teachings. “Here, let me show you a trick.”

Before anyone could even realise what ‘trick’ it was, and attempt to stop him, Dazai had already dislocated his left shoulder, his joint sticking out unnaturally.

The unmistakable cracking of bones was like a loud echo in the room, drawing everyone’s attention towards the source, which was Dazai in this case. From his peripheral vision, he could make out Recovery Girl’s horrified expression. Good, his plan is going smoothly.

“WOAH! What the hell dude?!” Kirishima started panicking, his hands flailing around, unsure of what to do. Even Bakugou had a rare show of concern, his jaw laying slack. Only Chuuya remained calm by his side, though the slight twitch of his brows didn’t go unnoticed. 

All Dazai felt was a dull pain thrumming through his shoulder as it lay motionless beside him. His sense of pain had long since been numbed, thanks to all the ‘training’ Mori has put him through. In return, he knew exactly where to strike to inflict the worst pain possible. 

A worthwhile trade, if he does say so himself.

When Recovery Girl was just a few paces away, Dazai popped his joint back into place, his shoulder as good as new. 

“Dazai-kun! Are you alright? Why would you suddenly do that?! Let me check!” Recovery Girl looked like she wanted to yank him down just so she could inspect him, yet she refrained, afraid of hurting Dazai even more. How considerate of her. 

“Eh~ It’s nothing, sensei. I was just showing them a trick I learnt. No biggie~” Dazai rolled his shoulder back and forth to further convince her, yet her sceptical look remained regardless. Good, just the reaction he expected.

“Trick or not, I still have an obligation to take care of my students’ well-being,” Recovery Girl sighed, then she turned towards Chuuya. “Nakahara-kun, take Dazai-kun to the infirmary. I’ll do a brief check-up on him when class is over.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

When Chuuya dragged him away, a small smile played on his lips.

Time to commence phase two of his plan. 

—

Dazai hates pain.

At least that’s what Chuuya is aware of from how he acts all the time. But seeing him so readily break his body like that without so much as a flinch? That changes things altogether. 

He’s aware Dazai had been put through training when he joined the Port Mafia just like he did, but he doesn’t exactly know what kind of training. Chuuya was mainly trained in his combat skills and martial arts since his role in the Mafia is a damage dealer. As for Dazai, he specialises in strategies and negotiations. Torturing the Mafia’s prisoners was his specialty too.

How does one get so good at torturing others? Chuuya doesn’t even want to imagine it.

Chuuya let go of Dazai’s collar when they arrived at the infirmary which was thankfully empty, much like what Dazai had predicted previously. 

“Okay, chibi. Just stand guard here and alert me if someone’s coming,” Dazai instructed, already heading straight to Recovery Girl’s desk. “I’ll just be snooping around~”

Though Chuuya hates being on watchdog duty, he nodded nonetheless. “Make it quick.”

Already Dazai was opening cabinets and sifting through tons of documents he found, putting everything back in place like no one had touched them before. Since there weren’t any cameras in the infirmary too, no one would know what they’re up to unless they witnessed it for themselves. 

When Dazai came across a locked cabinet, he retrieved a paper clip from under the folds of his bandages, bending it into shape. With just a few twists and turns, the lock gave way with a satisfying click. Inside were even more files, which Dazai examined carefully this time. 

Chuuya’s eyes snagged on the tag labelled ‘1-A’ on the file Dazai was holding. His lips quirked up in a smug way, indicating the brunette got what he came for. Why would he need the medical records of Class 1-A though?

Dazai flipped open the file, scanning over each page thoroughly, no doubt already imprinting it into his memory. He had always been too smart for his own good.

Chuuya got lost in his thoughts while watching Dazai do his thing. Memories of the past surfaced in his mind, all the times spent with Dazai and his irritating quips. Without fail, Chuuya would always move to smack his head or kick him in the ass or stomp on his foot, which were mostly avoided by that slimy mackerel. The ones that do land though, he would give a dramatic yelp or squeak of pain.

Chuuya wonders if he was just faking it all this time. Because there’s no way a smack to the head would hurt more than breaking your body and putting it back to place.

After all, it takes a lot to inflict pain on someone who’s numb to it.

“Recovery Girl just turned around the corner,” Chuuya informed, watching through the glass panel on the door. Dazai only hummed in acknowledgement, putting his full concentration back on scanning 1-A’s documents. He was almost done, but they had barely any time left to return everything back into its position before Recovery Girl came barreling through the door.

“Anytime now.” 15 seconds left.

“Dazai.” 10  seconds.

“ Dazai .” 5 seconds.

By the time she lowered the door handle, Chuuya had already hopped away, sitting on an empty couch. Dazai had somehow managed to put the files back, re-locked the cabinet, and plopped himself on the bed like he was supposed to.

When the door opened, everything was as it should be, with Recovery Girl not noticing anything amiss. Dazai winked at him playfully from the bed. Sly bastard.

“Dazai-kun, let me examine you.” Recovery Girl wasted no time in checking up on Dazai, pressing the palm of her hands on his shoulder. Chuuya noticed the imperceptible jolt from the mackerel upon contact. “Tell me if it hurts.”

When Dazai didn’t react in any way or even flinch back from pain, Recovery Girl finally decided that he was fine without any issues. 

“Dazai-kun, don’t ever do that again. It’s not okay to purposely hurt yourself for a trick, understand?” she reprimanded, not that Dazai would ever listen. But for appearance sake, Dazai only nodded and gave her a mock salute. “Now go back to class.”

Dazai didn’t hesitate to jump off the bed and leave the infirmary, Chuuya falling into step beside him. 

“You got what you need?” Chuuya asked halfway on their walk.

“Yup!” Dazai said in a cheery tone. There wasn’t anything wrong about it, but Chuuya could tell it was forced. 

That’s when he remembered Dazai hates being touched by strangers too.

—

“He what ?!” Aizawa’s fingers froze over his keyboard, trying to process what the staff assistant just told him. He’s pretty sure his eyes were as big as saucers because what he was just told was too unbelievable. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir. That’s what I was informed of.” The assistant nodded her head vigorously, looking like she wanted to be gone from there as soon as possible. Aizawa tends to forget his face can get pretty scary when he doesn’t have enough sleep. Knowing this, he dismissed the assistant, who hurried away immediately.

Four hours of sleep in two days really did him in, huh?

“This troublesome brat…” Aizawa had a feeling he’s about to lose even more sleep because of the two time-leaper brats. 

“What’s got you so hung up, Shouta?” Hizashi’s head popped out from behind the divider separating their tables. Frankly speaking, he was too tired to deal with his friend who’s like a big ball of unending energy, but ignoring him would backfire instead. He really doesn’t have the patience to deal with Hizashi’s continuous pestering if he ignored the man.

“Dazai dislocated his shoulder during first-aid class today,” Aizawa started, already dreading the paperwork this incident would entail. First was Nakahara Chuuya putting everyone in the infirmary, then it was Dazai Osamu putting himself in the infirmary. “He then put it back into place.”

“That’s not too bad then? No one got hurt at least,” Hizashi shrugged. Maybe if he were in his position, Hizashi would realise just how much chaos their presence promised. 

“He did that on purpose , Hizashi.” 

“Oh.”

It’s only been a week since they arrived, yet they’re on track to break 1-A’s record of causing troubles already. Aizawa wanted nothing more than to find a way for them to return just so he could get his previous not-so-chaotic life back. 1-A is already a handful, adding the both of them would just double his workload. 

Aizawa needs a raise.

And a vacation to the Bahamas or something.

“I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but…” Hizashi started, darting his eyes around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. When he deemed it safe, he continued. “But they kind of unsettle me. I don’t know how to put my finger on it, but there’s just this sinister vibe I get from them, y’know?”

Aizawa does, in fact, know. He had been suppressing that feeling ever since he first met them, thinking it was just him being paranoid over two lost kids. So knowing someone shared the same thoughts as him is both relieving and worrying.

At first, Aizawa attributed this feeling to the fact that he has knowledge about them working for the Mafia, whether willingly or unwillingly. And only three people were privy to this fact: Nedzu, Toshinori, and him. If Hizashi is getting the same feeling as him despite his lack of knowledge on their background, then there’s definitely something wrong with them.

Not to mention the fact that his quirk works on neither of them. Dazai’s he could understand, their quirks most likely cancels each other out. But Chuuya’s? There must be a reason why his quirk doesn’t work on the gravity manipulator.

Just what secrets were they hiding?

“Especially that Dazai kid,” Hizashi continued on. He certainly didn’t find it shameless to be gossiping about a student right in front of their homeroom teacher. “Like I’ve heard about how strong that Nakahara kid is, but honestly, Dazai scares me more.”

Aizawa couldn’t agree more. Not that he’d say it out loud, or he’d risk getting roped into Hizashi’s gossiping. If Nemuri was here, she’d gladly indulge him though. 

The bell rang, signalling for the next period. Aizawa and Hizashi started packing their stuff to go to class. His next class was practicals with 1-A alongside Toshinori. After what happened, he’s pretty sure Dazai would sit this one out too, like he usually did. At least he has a valid excuse this time.

There hasn’t been any news from Nedzu’s end regarding his investigation into Dazai’s and Nakahara’s situation. And if the both of them were going to stay here for a long period of time, he’s going to keep a close eye on them.

Aizawa will take it upon himself to subdue them if they ever pose a threat to his students.

Chapter Text

“Hey, so we’re going to train for the school festival, do you want to join?”

Both Dazai and Chuuya looked at him for a good long second before replying. “Yeah, sure. We have nothing else to do anyways.” 

Only then did Midoriya let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. It was his first time taking the initiative to talk to them after what happened the other day. Call him a coward, but it wasn’t easy talking to someone who almost put a bullet through your head and hurt your friends. 

To be honest, he felt ashamed for having avoided them like a plague for so long. After All Might revealed the truth behind their situation, Midoriya couldn’t help but feel pity for them. To be thrown so far into the future where none of their family or friends were alive, they must be terrified.

Though just because Midoriya felt sympathy for them doesn’t mean it made it any easier to talk to them. His classmates seemed to have warmed up to them, even Kaachan doesn’t look so annoyed with them, but that’s because they were unaware of what they’re capable of.

Especially Dazai.

All this time, only Chuuya had shown his impeccable martial prowess during practical training while Dazai mostly watched on the sidelines without participating. Combined with his lanky figure and the lack of knowledge of his true capabilities, it’s natural that his classmates would think he doesn’t pose much of a threat compared to Chuuya. 

A severely incorrect assumption, in his opinion.

He had experienced firsthand what Dazai was capable of when he had been pinned down and unable to move. Not to brag, but he has gone through hellish training before succeeding All Might’s legacy so he’s pretty sure he could easily overpower Dazai in strength. But that was clearly not the case when he’d been rendered useless under his weight.

Dazai isn’t weak. That much was at least clear to Midoriya.

Yet, hesitant as he might be, he mustered up the courage to talk to them. 

Because he made All Might a promise.

2 days ago.

Midoriya hummed a light tune as he made his way over to the teacher’s lounge with his bento box. It was katsudon today, his favourite. And, All Might had scheduled to meet up during breaktime the day before. 

He feels a tad bit bad for leaving his friends without a proper explanation, but it isn’t everyday you get to have a one-to-one meal with your idol who’s also your mentor secretly. He wouldn’t miss it for the world. 

“I’m here, All Might!” Midoriya greeted as he opened the door. All Might was in his shrunken form which he had gotten used to seeing, to his dismay. 

“Come in. Sit, Young Midoriya.” 

He obliged, taking a seat across from his mentor. After having lunch sessions like this with All Might for so long, he didn’t feel embarrassed when he was the only one eating while his mentor just observed. It was quite relaxing on the contrary. 

Chewing his second piece of katsudon, All Might spoke up then. “How’s your class’s preparations for the upcoming School Festival?”

“It’s going great actually,” Midoriya started explaining. “Jirou-san is handling the band members and is already composing a song. She’s got the rhythm and melody down, just struggling a little on the lyrics part.”

Midoriya knows he’s a chatterbox, especially when it comes to things he’s passionate about. Sometimes when he gets too excited and catches himself, he’d feel a bit embarrassed for talking non-stop, afraid others might find it bothersome. 

But All Might wasn’t like that. He always listened patiently with a smile, waiting for him to complete his story without interrupting. It’s what made him grow attached, idolising his mentor even more. All Might isn’t just an ordinary mentor to him. He was like the father figure Midoriya never had the chance to experience.

“As for the dancing part, Mina-san is teaching us the moves she choreographed,” Midoriya continued. “Though I’m still a bit of a mess since I’ve never danced before. I’ll need to practise more so I don’t let my classmates down.”

“That’s good to hear,” All Might smiled. Then Midoriya noticed the subtle change in his demeanour. How All Might crossed his fingers in front of him, how he was looking around the room without making direct eye contact with him, all the little things Midoriya had observed thus far. “Actually…I scheduled this meeting because I have a favour to ask you.”

Of course, there’s no way All Might would schedule a meeting out of the blue and risk their relationship from being exposed. The fact that Midoriya is the next wielder of One for All should be kept a secret for as long as possible, until he was able to handle the burden that came with succeeding the legacy of the Symbol of Peace. 

It was also for Midoriya’s safety that this information cannot be disclosed.

“What is it, All Might?” Midoriya set his bento down, concentrating his full attention on All Might’s next words. This seemed serious, and he was getting anxious. Was it his health? Or maybe the LOV? 

“I know this may be too much to ask of you considering what had happened, but can you keep an eye out for Dazai and Chuuya? Befriend them and get to know them more too, if you can.”

Well, that was definitely a favour Midoriya least expected. 

Not only has Midoriya not spoken a word to them, he even avoided making direct eye contact with them. A really pathetic move, Midoriya’s aware. 

“May I…ask why?” he said tentatively. “Oh, it’s not that I’m refusing your request, All Might. It’s just this was so sudden so I was curious about what your reasons were. And I’m not saying I have any object–”

“There’s…an innate darkness in them,” All Might started, his looks crestfallen. Like he had failed to save someone from danger. “I’m not exactly sure what it is…but I can feel it. I feel it in my bones. There’s something about them that just isn’t right. ”

Midoriya went silent, taking his time to ponder over All Might’s words. 

“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you’re the only one I trust with this information,” All Might continued on, his cerulean blue eyes searing into him. There was determination in it. And a mix of desperation. “You’re probably wondering why Dazai carries a gun around and how Chuuya is so adept at fighting right? It’s because they’re associated with the Mafia.”

“ The Mafia?! ” he exclaimed. “Wouldn’t that be considered as a Villain organisation then? Like the Hassaikai Yakuza Group? They’re just the same age as us! Were they coerced to join the Mafia?”

Questions were piling up in his head, which only led to more unanswered questions he couldn’t voice out. Dazai and Chuuya had always been a mystery to him. Even with his observational skills, he could never get a read on the both of them. Now, with this newfound knowledge, the fog shrouding the truth about them just grew thicker. 

Just who exactly were they?

“That’s what I believed at first. But from their speech, it doesn’t seem to be that case. Even if they had joined reluctantly, they seemed to be staying there willingly.”

“That’s just absurd! Who in the world would willingly stay in a place surrounded by violence and death?!”

“Young Midoriya, I hate to break it to you, but we can’t exactly judge them based on our current system,” All Might explained in a grim voice. “As you know they’re from the past when quirks had just started to develop in humans. You’ve learned in History class that those days were considered the Dark Era of quirks. Villains were using their quirks to commit evil and wreak havoc,” he sighed while rubbing his nose bridge. “You can’t blame them if they were forced to join a Villain organisation for survival if they grew up in that situation.”

Midoriya’s shoulder sagged in defeat. All Might is right, he shouldn’t just draw conclusions based on what he knows today. It was his fault for not thinking about things from their perspective. 

To grow up in such a place where danger lurks everywhere, they must’ve been forced to mature earlier than most to ensure their own survival. 

“That must be tough…” he commented sullenly. All at once, the times when Midoriya had purposely avoided them seemed so shameful now. He was judging them even before knowing about their story. How unheroic of him.

“And…I think Dazai has suicidal thoughts,” All Might said, his fingers clenching around each other. “Both he and Chuuya were talking about suicide like it was an everyday topic, which concerns me deeply. But when I approached them, they shut me down. Said they didn’t need saving.”

Suicidal thoughts. Midoriya never knew that. Dazai had always shown his mischievous side to his classmates, never revealing anything more or less than what they expected. But to think it was just one of his masks.

That would explain how he had been so nonchalant when hurting himself. 

Maybe the bandages…

“At this rate, they’re going to tumble down a spiral of darkness and never see the light again. I don’t want to see that happen. That’s why I want you to show them the light, Young Midoriya. Can you do that?”

All Might’s pleading voice was a persuasive factor. But Midoriya already had every intention of doing so after hearing about their story. He’s aiming to be the Symbol of Peace to carry on All Might’s legacy. He wouldn’t abandon someone who’s clearly in need of help.

He will do whatever it takes to save them.

“Yes, I can. And I will.”

Back to the present

“Earth to Midoriya! Are you there?” 

Midoriya was startled out of his thoughts by Ashido’s voice, her pink face tilted sideways as she regarded him. He glanced around, noticing how everyone was staring at him with concerned gazes.

Right, he was supposed to be practising for the School Festival. He must’ve drifted off to his thoughts halfway through. How embarrassing. But All Might’s words just kept replaying in his mind, repeating over and over and over. 

“Deku-kun, are you alright? Do you need some rest?” Uraraka came up to him then, her brows creased in worry. 

“Ah…N-No problem. I’m fine. Really,” he rushed to explain. How could he tell her about what he knew? She’d likely freak out. Just being near Chuuya sets her on edge after she had to experience being crushed under gravity twice . 

Uraraka didn’t seem convinced, but he’s grateful that she let it go. “C’mon then, Mina-chan is teaching us the next part of the dance.”

As she ushered him over, his gaze unknowingly flitted over to where Dazai and Chuuya were perched on the second floor balcony, watching over their classmates. Many had tried to dissuade them from passing up their participation in the School Festival to no avail. Dazai and Chuuya were adamant in not participating, and no one can convince them otherwise. 

He stared at the Mafia duo, who looked like they were having another bout of bickering again from afar, though Midoriya couldn’t hear them. Dazai was flashing a goofy grin across his face while Chuuya had his fists clenched like he was about to throw a punch at the brunette. 

When Ashido clapped her hands, drawing his classmates’ attention to her, he tore his gaze away from the pair. While All Might’s request was important, it doesn’t mean he can neglect his role in the School Festival. His task from All Might would have to wait until after the School Festival.

As he learned the new moves Ashido demonstrated (with great difficulty), he would glance up at the balcony every now and then, observing the pair. Sometimes, they would share a hearty laugh. Or Dazai would be pouting while Chuuya had an annoyed expression. Or both of them would be whispering with a serious face even if there wasn’t anyone around to hear it. 

Despite their continuous bickering and Chuuya’s constant threat of breaking Dazai’s face, Midoriya could tell there was an inseparable bond between them. How they would watch each other’s back and trust the other to keep them safe. He swears he had even seen them communicating with their eyes only, with not a single word exchanged.

It felt like one soul residing in two bodies. Dazai and Chuuya.

Then the realisation hit him. In that bleak and dark world of theirs, where cruelty was like a blade that was aiming for their lives, they only had each other. They could only rely on each other. Trust each other. 

Belong to each other. 

He still felt ashamed for jumping into conclusions without any proof. The determination to complete All Might’s task burned in him. He will let them understand it wouldn’t need to be just them fighting against the world.

And the more he observed, the more he noticed. About Dazai especially.

It’s like he could barely see past his mask whenever he’s with Chuuya.

He seems happier .

—

The glass turned to ashes before it could even break under the strength of his grip. Shigaraki had lost count of how many times this happened ever since that day. Every throb of his wound would bring him back to the humiliation he suffered at the hands of a bratty Hero kid.

Could that demon even be considered a Hero? 

For once, Shigaraki’s urge to kill Dazai overpowered his urge to end the Symbol of Peace.

If his quirk doesn’t work on him, then he’ll personally cut him up. Slowly. Painfully. He’ll cut off that filthy tongue of his for daring to belittle their grand aspirations. Then he’ll gouge his eyes out for daring to look at him like he was insignificant. And he’ll keep him alive throughout the process, make him scream and wish he was killed instead. He’ll also–

“Toga Himiko coming through!” Toga’s voice halted his increasingly gory thoughts. He turned, finding her perched on a wheelchair with Twice pushing from behind. Her right arm was hung in a sling, while her thigh was wrapped in bandages.

Toga’s condition was much worse compared to his. By the time Dabi brought– dragged –them back to base, she was already on the edge of losing consciousness from the blood loss. Were it not for Mr. Compress’s knowledge in stitching, however little it was, the LOV might lose another one of its members. 

“Why are you glaring at me so murderously like that, Shiggy?” Toga asked, a mock innocence to her voice. “Are you trying to steal Himiko’s wheelchair ‘cause the pain is too unbearable? Aw, you’ll have to get your own wheelchair. I’m not sharing.”

Okay, maybe the LOV could stand to lose one of its members.

“Of course we have to share! He’s our boss!” Twice said.

“Of course we’re not sharing! This is ours!” Twice said again.

Seriously, these imbeciles–

“Even if you’re our boss, you can’t just turn our glasses into ashes. How the hell are we supposed to drink then?” Dabi’s voice came from behind. He swiped the whiskey bottle off the counter, downing it directly from the bottle. “And are you sure you’re supposed to drink? You haven’t even healed completely yet.”

Ah, maybe he should just kill everyone and recruit new members into the LOV. His patience, and his self-control, is running dangerously thin.

“Shut the fuck up. It’s because you seared my wound close that it’s taking so long to heal,” Shigaraki seethed, his hands itching to disintegrate something.

In the end, Mr. Compress was only one person. And they can’t exactly go to a hospital to get proper treatment. But if Shigaraki was just left to bleed out, he’d die before Toga was finished being treated. And so Dabi did the only thing he could and burnt his flesh shut.

The pain was so excruciating he’d foamed in his mouth. The humiliation was more unbearable than the pain itself.

In the end, Mr. Compress had to use a much longer time to remove his burnt flesh before stitching them up again.

“Well I deeply apologise for trying to save your ass, Boss. Next time, I’ll be sure to let you bleed out like the good subordinate I am.” Dabi threw his hands up in exasperation, sinking himself onto the musty, old couch before chugging the whole bottle of whiskey down. 

“What a mess,” he heard Mr. Compress mutter from the corner of the room. 

Spinner was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, strangely quiet for a hot-headed reptile like him. 

When they got word the two transfers were loitering around the area of their new base, Shigaraki had been eager to see what the two of them were like. He had never heard of a private Hero institution from Yokohama, so he had wanted to see what was so special about them. Surely, if they were so private that there was zero information about them anywhere, there must be something unique about them right?

Who would’ve thought his rashly made decision would end up costing them this much? If Dazai had been any more ruthless than he already was, or if he hadn’t so conveniently used up all his bullets, the three of them wouldn’t be alive right now.

Which begs the question, what the hell did he use his bullets for?

It frustrates him to know they were only alive because of Dazai’s mercy .

And he’ll have to live with that frustration, until he kills him off.

What Shigaraki needs to do now is plan. He’ll think of a foolproof plan, set up a trap to capture a rat. And instead of just three, he’ll use all of his subordinates this time, maybe even utilise some of the Nomus under his disposal. Yes, that’s what he needs to do. Dazai Osamu needs to know that the LOV isn’t one to be messed with. He’ll pay for what he’s done. He’ll know–

“What that Dazai kid said,” Spinner started, his tone lowered in caution. “Our objective after achieving our goal of demolishing the Hero society. What is our objective?”

The final thread of his sanity snapped.

He lunged, his hand outstretched as he aimed for Spinner’s reptilian neck. The sensations of decay danced across his fingertips, eager to destroy something. Everything.

Someone is going to die here today.

Then the small-screen television that he used to contact Sensei buzzed to life.

Shigaraki’s hand stopped inches away from the lizard with widening eyes, his pupils narrowing to slits like how a reptile’s would when in danger. He ignored it, rushing over to where the television crackled with static. 

Sensei? But wasn’t he imprisoned?

“Sensei, is that you?!” he asked frantically, hitting the side of the television so it works. 

“Sadly, it’s not him, Tomura-kun.”A familiar voice rang out instead, not of Sensei’s, but someone he’s met a handful of times. Someone Sensei trusts more than him even. Doctor. “But I do have a message to relay from him.”

Shigaraki gritted his teeth at the smug way he said it. Like he’s the only one who can speak to Sensei, and in turn order them around in the name of Sensei. 

Ah, Shigaraki was filled with murderous intent today. 

He reined in his anger, schooling his face into a neutral expression so Doctor doesn’t have the luxury to see him frustrated. It was what he always criticised Shigaraki about–his short temper.

“What is it?”

“Sensei said your actions were rash.” Shigaraki’s nails dug into his palms. “Because of your carelessness, you were almost killed by a kid no older than 16. He’s very disappointed.”

Shigaraki bit his lip until he could taste blood. Even though they’re leagues away–Sensei imprisoned in Tartarus, while he was holed up in an abandoned bar–somehow, Sensei still knew of his every move. Even though Sensei was the one who took him in, nurtured him, fanning the flames of vengeance in him, still he wasn’t enough.

When will he ever be enough ?

“I can fix this!” Shigaraki thundered. The need to prove himself, to redeem himself, all of it was fueling him at this moment. He just needed to make it right, then Sensei would acknowledge him once more. “I just need a plan. I’ll set up a trap, then they’ll be like a fish caught in a net. Borrow me some Nomus and I’ll finish this!”

“You want Nomus to deal with a couple of teenagers? My creations aren’t your playthings to toy around, Tomura-kun.” Doctor’s voice was stern, like a parent reprimanding a child. A humiliation in Shigaraki’s eyes. How dare he? “Even if I agree to that absurd demand, Sensei has instructed you to leave the both of them alone. You’re not to attempt something like that again or even go near them. Understood?”

“But why?! They’re not even from UA, so why should we hold back?” Shigaraki, in fact, could not understand. This wasn’t how they operated. If they find a nuisance, they’ll dispose of it immediately without delay. It was how they earned their notorious fame for being the League of Villains. 

And now Shigaraki is being asked to stay put?

“Sensei has his own reasons,” was the only reply he got from Doctor.

“I know! But–”

“Are you questioning him, Tomura-kun?” Doctor cut him off, his voice going dangerously low. Shigaraki’s mouth clamped shut. He could imagine Sensei before him, how his lips would be pulled down into a frown.

Disappointment. Failure. Not enough.

Never enough.

“If there’s no more questions, that’ll be all,” Doctor said, a finality to his tone. And as if Shigaraki hadn’t suffered enough humiliation already, he reminded, “Remember, you’re not to touch the two transfer students. Sensei has his plans for them. Do not interfere.”

With that, the connection ended, the Doctor’s silhouette replaced by Shigaraki’s reflection.

“I don’t know why but I want to stab him,” Toga commented, her usual smile morphing into a frown.

Then the bar counter turned to ashes altogether.

Chapter Text

Chuuya was being summoned. It was yet another new experience for him in this new world. Okay, maybe not so new considering how Kouyou and Mori could do just the same since they were his higher-ups. But it was different.

Chuuya didn’t mind being summoned by them because he was loyal to them. Not because it’s what he’s expected to do.

There’s a world of difference between the two.

However, that apparently isn’t the case when it comes to ‘UA transfer student Nakahara Chuuya’. If a teacher calls you, you are to answer. Especially so when it’s the Principal himself requesting the meeting.

Though he’s less annoyed by that fact and more concerned about why it was him only. What about Dazai? Why was he left out?

Or rather, why was he chosen?

“Argh.” Thinking frustrates him. It only ever generates more questions with no answers to. Besides, looking back at his reaction, Dazai doesn’t seem to think it was a big deal.

“Go on. You can handle this.”

While Chuuya appreciates the trust his partner had in him, it was vexing to know how Dazai had already figured the whole thing out in less than three seconds since he was summoned. Well whatever, he’ll figure it out in due time.

The doors to the Principal’s office appeared in front of him when he turned the corner, sitting at the end of the hallway. Much like Mori’s without the glam and extravagance, Chuuya noted. 

Time to find out what UA was planning.

“You called?”

“Ah, Nakahara-kun. Just the man I wanted to see.” If Nedzu was annoyed by the fact that Chuuya hadn’t knocked and just barged in rudely, he didn’t show it, wearing only a pleasant smile across his face. A calculated smile to be precise. “Come, sit.”

Nedzu hopped down from his seat, making his way over to where his couch was. Chuuya took the seat across from him, not letting his guard down for even a fraction of a second. If his quirk really does grant him intelligence that surpasses that of humans, then Chuuya had to be alert.

He could be just as crafty as Dazai, seeing as how he’d always fall for the mackerel’s traps unknowingly.

Well, if he could handle the real Dazai, there’s no reason he couldn’t handle a copy of him.

“So, why have you called me here?” Only me, and not Dazai.

“Well, it’s been almost two weeks since you guys arrived here. As your host, I ought to ask how you’re faring,” Nedzu said while sipping on his tea. 

Chuuya eyed him, suspicion flaring under his skin. Nedzu called him here just to ask how he was doing? Bullshit. If that were the case, Dazai wouldn’t have been left out. There was no logical explanation why he would ask for one’s opinion and disregard the other. 

Nedzu was trying to coax information out of him. That he was very much clear.

Though if it were Dazai, he’d never be so foolishly obvious.

Hell, to think all those days of him being tormented by that resilient cockroach would actually come in handy when dealing with people who were exactly like him. 

That didn’t mean he appreciates that stupid waste-of-bandages though.

“I’m getting by,” Chuuya played along, his vigilant posture relaxing as he settled into the couch. It was only just for show though. There’s no way he’d let his guard down around someone whose wits were equal to that of Dazai. “Classes are boring though.”

“Haha, I suppose sitting for so long to listen to someone talk everyday can be quite tedious.” 

“Cut the crap and spit out what you want. There’s no way you called me here just to have small talk.” Chuuya glared at the rat in front of him. He had no mind to care for manners, they weren’t exactly at the stage to be sharing smiles and respect for each other. This was merely a business relationship.

UA uses their abundant resources to get to the bottom of this while they play their part as transfer students, being under their watch willingly in exchange for their help.

“I suppose that would be good for the both of us,” Nedzu smiled, setting his cup of tea down. That pleasant atmosphere around him faded away, taking on a shrewder demeanour. Usually, these kinds of things were more of Dazai’s forte, but Chuuya had dealt with enough shrewd bastards to know how to handle people like Nedzu. “Well, I won’t beat around the bush then. I know the two of you are doing investigations of your own, so tell me, what have you guys found out so far?”

“Straight to the point, huh?” I like it. Chuuya grinned, unconsciously cracking his knuckles like he was preparing for a fight. This time, it would be a fight of wits instead of strength. “That’s a question we should be asking. We’ve heard almost nothing from you since two weeks ago when you agreed to lead the investigation. I sure do hope you’re not trying to keep the information to yourself.”

Nedzu chuckled. Chuuya frowned. He must’ve caught on to something from his answer. 

“Can I assume that you deflecting my question means you guys have a clue?” 

Tch, this is why he hates dealing with conniving bastards like Dazai.

Two can play this game.

“Then I take it you asking me this question means you guys found nothing, right?” Chuuya shot back. Two weeks with nothing to show, it was right for them to not show their cards, however eager they were to return. 

They’d never really know if the Heroes were friend or foe.

“As embarrassed as I am to admit it, that is sadly the case for us,” Nedzu answered, still calm as ever. He revealed his hands easily without hiding much. A fool’s move, if Chuuya had anything to say about it. A clever move to make him let his guard down. If he had been any less vigilant as he was now, he would’ve fallen for it. “I tried checking the security footage from back then numerous times, but nothing came up. All it showed was the flash of white before the two of you appeared in place of our students. There was no one remotely nearby who could’ve been the cause of this incident.”

Chuuya kept silent as he pondered over Nedzu’s words. With how tight the security here was, it was weird how UA hadn’t even been able to narrow down a list of suspects. And if this was the work of the LOV to cause unrest in the school, it’s weirder why they chose to target two ordinary students instead of the prone-to-attack Class 1-A Hero students. Plus, Dazai met up with the LOV before, who were completely clueless of their origins.

If there wasn’t a breach in security when this happened, then it had to be someone from the inside who caused this. 

“Have you ever entertained the idea that the culprit who caused this is someone from your timeline?” Nedzu asked after a bout of silence, his eyes glistening as he took in Chuuya’s reaction. Only a mask of indifference covered his face, not even the littlest crease in his brows. 

“If the culprit is from my timeline, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now because we’d have already returned long before. Mori would’ve caught the culprit and undo this whole thing in three days, max.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. It was simply a statement. Straight, cold, hard facts. The Port Mafia’s efficiency and effectiveness isn’t one to be scoffed at. 

At this time, Chuuya would probably be busy completing their next mission with that shitty Dazai.

Mori’s coded message also tells them the culprit was right here with them. Not that the Principal needs to know about that. Yet.

Until Dazai finds the perfect leverage to use against the Heroes, that place stays a secret. He doesn’t mind spending a few more weeks here.

It’s…peaceful.

Nedzu squinted. “You sound awfully sure about that.” 

“I am. And Dazai’s ability is absolute. Unless we somehow miraculously spawned here, there’s no way Dazai wouldn’t be able to nullify any quirk or ability that could’ve potentially caused this.” 

Nedzu’s lips pinched into a thin line, his calm demeanour showing signs of cracking. It isn’t everyday a teenager would tell off someone who supposedly has an intelligence quirk. But it doesn’t seem like Nedzu was particularly annoyed by that fact. The worry on his face actually looked genuine.

“Nakahara-kun, as you know, it isn’t just your lives that were affected because of this phenomenon. Two of our students were also involved. As the Principal, it’s my duty to ensure their safety at all costs. So, please, using my title as Principal, I implore you to share whatever clues you’ve gathered thus far.” Unexpectedly, he lowered his head into a bow. The Principal of Japan’s best Hero school to someone who doesn't even belong there.

It seemed like Nedzu was at his wit’s end. Seeing as how coaxing information out of him wasn’t working, Nedzu had decided to persuade him outright, even putting down his status to do so. Chuuya can see the dedication the Principal has for his students, and he almost wants to reveal just a little of what they had gathered.

Frankly speaking, he doesn’t know why Dazai is dragging this on for so long. His concerns for not acting alone in case the place doesn’t even exist and they ended up throwing away their only sanctuary in this timeline was valid. But Chuuya couldn’t understand why he was so adamant on keeping them from the Heroes.

While it was a ridiculous title, they certainly fit the role with their overly righteous way of living. Chuuya can’t imagine them trying to sabotage whatever information Mori had left behind for them simply because they don’t have the capacity to. Not with that mindset of theirs.

Chuuya bit the insides of his cheeks, hesitating for just a fraction of a second.

Then the realisation hit him.

Why was it him alone that was summoned here without Dazai.

Dazai couldn’t be manipulated. Chuuya could.

And he almost fell for this intricate plot Nedzu had set up. The rat Principal had never expected him to reveal any information from the start, his show of being at his wit’s end was all just a ploy to get him to speak. And it almost worked.

Almost.

The coffee table between them split in half as the couch he was sitting on folded in on itself. The already cold, unfinished tea splashed to the ground, gathering at the bottom of the crater that had appeared in the middle of the room.

“You’ve got some nerve trying to trick me for information, you rodent.” Raw power rippled across his body, encasing it in a faint red glow. The space around him distorted a little as the gravity multiplied. “I’ll remind you that you aren’t the ones holding the reins here. We only agreed to stay here because you’re our best chance, not because you’re our only choice .” Even without the help of UA’s Heroes, Chuuya is confident that Dazai and him would find a way to return, even if it takes a longer time. “If you don’t want news of your incompetence about losing two students right under your nose spreading, I suggest you behave.”

Chuuya couldn’t tell much with his bangs covering his eyes, his head tipped low. But judging from the way Nedzu was forced back onto the wall made it clear he got his point across. 

“Pull that stunt again,” Chuuya continued, the crater growing in size beneath him. “And I’ll guarantee you those two students aren’t the only ones you'll be losing.”

Saying what he needed to, Chuuya spun, heading straight for the door. Before he could even reach for the doorknob, the door burst open, revealing more than half the staff teachers who were also Pro Heroes standing outside, their bodies poised for battle.

“Principal! Are you alright? We heard a loud explo—”

It didn’t take long for the Pro Heroes to take in what happened. The crater that had formed in the middle of the room, Nedzu with his back against the wall, and Chuuya giving them a murderous glare.

“Move,” was all he said in response to their questioning gazes.

Present Mic and Midnight were the first to show up to the scene, their frames occupying the entrance. Their brows creased into a frown, clearly unhappy with how rudely Chuuya was acting right now.

Not that he has any fucks to give.

“Explain yourself, young man. This behaviour is—”

“I said, move ,” he repeated once again, his fingers twitching at his sides as his ability threatened to run rampant and devastate the whole area. 

More teachers were arriving. He eyed Snipe coming up from the corner along with the Ectoplasm guy. That cement looking teacher was also rushing over from the other end.

A bunch of vermin.

If they won’t move, Chuuya will make them move.

Before all hell broke loose, a familiar voice shouted at them. “Stop!”

All heads swivelled around to find Aizawa was the one who shouted. His quirk was activated, with how his eyes glowed red, his hair standing on its end. The scarf around his neck had been unwound, prepared to capture anything that went astray.

“Hizashi, Nemuri. Let him pass.” Aizawa’s unexpected aid wasn’t short of surprising to him. Chuuya always felt the man was a touch apprehensive when it came to him and Dazai. Though Aizawa’s intervention did nothing to help alleviate this growing impatience he felt for the Heroes.

The more time he spends here in this Hero world, the more stuck-up he finds them.

What he wouldn’t do to put them in their place.

“But, Shouta—” Present Mic started, his eyes still trained on him like looking away for one second will spell the end of his life. At least he has some senses, Chuuya will give him that. 

Though the other Heroes didn’t look so eager to just back down after an unwelcome intruder posing as a transfer student broke the rules and even threatened the life of their beloved Principal. Only when Aizawa signalled to them with a subtle shake of his head did they loosen their stance a bit. 

Then, as if they had discussed this beforehand, Nedzu spoke up, trying to diffuse the commotion.

“We’re quite alright, everyone.” When Nedzu talked, everyone turned their attention to their precious little Principal. Nedzu dusted off his suit, seemingly unscathed save for the tea stain at the hem of his trousers when Chuuya broke the table. “We just had a little disagreement, is all.”

“Principal, are you sure? Nakahara-kun here broke the rules for using his quirk on school grounds though,” Midnight sounded doubtful, her eyes darting between him and Nedzu like she was ready to pounce on him should the Principal say so. 

A crowd was starting to gather, even a small group of students who were close by when his anger exploded earlier were trying to get a good look at what’s happening. And Chuuya was slowly getting surrounded by the Pro Heroes from UA.

He was outnumbered.

But not outmatched.

“Everyone, let’s not make a fuss.” Nedzu tried appeasing the growing crowd, shutting the door to his room so no one could see how he had laid waste to the Principal’s office. “No one was hurt and everything is fine. Let’s all return to our positions now, shall we?”

Well, Chuuya supposes there’s no need for any unnecessary violence. Not that he forgives the rat bastard for trying to trick him for information though. He’ll settle the score next time.

For now, a warning shall do.

“You pull that stunt like that ever again,” he started, not even deigning to spare any manners for the Principal to keep up appearances. “I’ll guarantee that you’ll regret that.”

With that, he shouldered past the Heroes blocking the hallways, giving them each a poisonous glare that held a deadly promise. 

Touch me and see what happens.

—

Upon returning, Chuuya didn’t bother to enter through the front entrance. Instead, he rounded the building, standing directly below a particular window on the fourth floor, then proceeded to launch himself up with the help of his gravity.

He landed soundlessly on the balcony, the red glow of his ability dispelling as he willed it. This was much more efficient than taking an elevator. 

He approached the pair of sliding windows, which were weirdly plastered over with newspapers, blocking out any sunlight that could have penetrated it.

Such was the trait of his accursed partner who’s allergic to sunlight like the ghost he is.

“Back so soon?” Dazai didn’t even have to look to know it was him who had barged through his window. The bastard probably already anticipated it. 

“I don’t see the point in staying there any longer,” Chuuya replied curtly. Any longer and the crater in the middle of the Principal’s room would be the least of their worries. 

“Judging by the lack of commotion after your outburst, I assume Aizawa-sensei arrived in time.”

“ You sent Aizawa-sensei there? And why did you just assume I lost control?” Well, Dazai wasn’t technically wrong, but it still annoys him every time the mackerel guessed correctly.

“As if I would ever mistake the slightest tremor caused by your ability,” Dazai bragged, his lips quirked into a smug smile. “And I just casually mentioned how you were meeting with the Principal who kinda resembles me. Aizawa-sensei quite literally ran off after that.”

Chuuya rolled his eyes. “Cheeky bastard.”

Dazai hummed in acknowledgement, busying himself by pinning a document on the wall. It was only then did Chuuya think to take a closer look around Dazai’s room.

It was a dark room, barely lit by the weak bulb of the study lamp. Darkness wasn’t the only companion of Dazai in his room though. Papers took up almost every inch of his space. Pinned on the walls, scattered across the floor, piling on his desk; it was a forest of dead trees with how much papers there were.

“What the…” he muttered, picking up a random paper by his feet. He flipped it over, finding a map printed on it. There was an area being circled in red with three big question marks.  ‘Location? Time?’ was written in capital letters below it.

“Ah, Chuuya. Put it back when you’re done. While it may seem messy, it’s technically organised in a specific system that fits me. Don’t go messing up my progress now!” Dazai’s tone carried an air of lightheartedness, contrary to his words. He popped open the cap of a marker pen before jotting down more notes on the paper he was holding.

“What is this…?” Chuuya asked, his tone uncertain. It was never easy getting a read on Dazai’s thoughts, even more so when anything he does is often complicated and ambiguous.

“Oh that? I was having a hard time figuring out on what basis does this quirk that transported us here work on. Like is it because our locations coincide with the two UA students, or does it work on a specific timeframe. Those kinds of things.” He hadn’t stopped writing as he explained it to Chuuya. His back hunched over as he pored over the paper. 

His answer only spurred more questions. Chuuya’s certain Dazai only left it at that just so he would be forced to ask  more. And Chuuya knows that he should ask: about what he found out; about how it all works–just about anything that can let him better understand the situation they were in.

Yet, what instead came out of his mouth was “Dazai, how long has it been since you slept?”

Dazai stopped writing, blinking over at him. His face was unreadable as always, though that flash of surprise across his face didn’t go unnoticed. 

From this angle, the light from the study lamp was only able to lit up the uncovered half of his face, casting strong shadows across his features. But not even the shadows could hide the haggardness of his face. Pale and frail, that was the only way to describe him. 

The silence stretched between them, Chuuya still waiting for an answer. Dazai’s pupils darted left and right, most likely debating if he should joke about it or actually answer truthfully for once. 

In the end, he chose the latter.

“Like 2 days maybe? Perhaps 3 days.”

Chuuya bit his lip.

4 days then.

“Go to sleep, shitty Dazai.” A terrible feeling churned in him then. All this time, he was sulking about how bored it was playing the goody-two-shoes Hero students they were expected to be, missing the days when Mori would send them on missions. Hell, he sometimes even missed all those paperworks Dazai would shove to him. 

So seeing Dazai act so carefree and unbothered every time had mildly annoyed him. To think reality isn’t at all what it seemed to be.

How had he not noticed it at all?

“Not now, Chuuya. I’m busy calculating our coordinates to compare them with our coordinates here. I must admit though, geography isn’t my strong suit.” Because he knew to look for it, Chuuya could tell that hint of exhaustion in Dazai’s voice he failed to mask. That tiny instance when his voice cracked, when he breathed a little too hard like he was out of breath from just speaking. 

“I’m not asking , Dazai. Go to sleep.” His words left no room for negotiation. Before he could refute in any way, Dazai’s mouth clamped shut, considering his words seriously for once. But being compliant isn’t something Dazai’s used to.

“The faster we can return, the better, no? Plus, Chuuya’s so eager to return–”

“ I don’t fucking care about that, Dazai. Yes, it’s true that I want to return, but not like this .” Not at the cost of destroying your body . “As long as we have a chance to return, I’m fine with that. I don’t care how long it takes. Two months? One year? Ten years? I don’t care. I–”

I care about you.

Chuuya held his tongue just in time, his words left unspoken at the edge of his tongue. It took him a while to realise just what he was about to say, heat creeping up at the base of his neck. He was thankful for the dimly lit room mostly shrouding his face in darkness. 

Why did he think that?

Perhaps it was just in the heat of the moment. Or maybe it was just a natural emotional response to someone working so hard to fulfil his wishes. Or–

Or it was just how he truly felt. As simple as that.

He gulped.

“If–If there’s hope for us returning,” he stammered. “That’s more than enough for me right now. So just listen for once and go to sleep, Dazai. You can do this another day. I can help you with it.”

To be frank, he doesn’t actually know what he can do to help. He isn’t as good with patterns, or numbers, or deduction like Dazai was, and he’s pretty sure the mackerel knew that too, but instead of poking fun at it like how he’d usually do, Dazai kept quiet, only a silent acceptance at Chuuya’s offer. 

“Is Chuuya going to tuck me in then?” Dazai cocked his head sideways, throwing him an innocent, questioning gaze.

“ Sigh …You’re insufferable as always,” Chuuya huffed. He lowered his head to scratch at it in an irritating manner, a small smile playing across his lips. “Who would’ve thought you’d be such a big baby?”

“At least I’m big, unlike a certain chibi I know,” Dazai shrugged.

Back to his old self, huh?

“You can either sleep in peace naturally, or I can punch your lights out and put you in a coma. Now choose wisely,” Chuuya threatened. Yet his words lack none of the heat behind it. It almost sounds endearing.

Ew.

And Dazai did indeed choose wisely by shutting his mouth. Shaking off his jacket, he slid under his covers that looked untouched for days, a sign of just how much he had not slept. 

“Chuuya would be a great nanny if he sang me a lullaby,” Dazai commented as he got himself comfortable under the sheets. 

“The only time I’ll be singing for you is over your grave,” Chuuya spat, turning off the sole source of light in this room. Immediately, the room was plunged into complete darkness, even the cracks from the door were carefully blocked out by Dazai.

The absolute darkness forced unwanted memories to surface in his mind, which he suppressed as best as he could. 

“Chuuya should just stand there and not move until I wake up so you don’t mess up the pattern I laid everything in.” Dazai’s voice was like an anchor, keeping him in place before his mind could drift off to somewhere unpleasant.

At least he wouldn’t need to be alone in the dark anymore. 

“Oh please. I’ve cleaned up after you enough times to know all your stupid patterns, Dazai. Now stop being a dick and just sleep.”

“Hmm~ I’ve trained my dog so well he’s my maid now,” Dazai mused, the exhaustion in his voice getting harder and harder to mask. “Chuuya’s the best…”

Then his sentence slurred into even, rhythmic breathings.

Chuuya just stood there for a while, listening to his breaths until he was certain the mackerel was asleep. Until he memorised each inhale and exhale of his.

Sometimes, his breaths were so soft it was hard to tell if he was alive or not.

At that point, his eyes have already mostly adjusted to the dark. It wasn’t to the point where he could see everything clearly, but he could at least map out his surroundings. 

And like he always did, Chuuya started cleaning up after Dazai, picking up all his scattered documents and stacking them into a neat pile. 

How long had Dazai been doing this to accumulate this much information? Last week? Since they arrived here?

Before leaving, he walked over to Dazai’s bedside, his footsteps light and silent. Watching the mackerel’s chest rise up and down rhythmically brought him a sense of relief. Chuuya brushed a lock of hair away, the back of his hand resting gently on the brunette’s brows. 

“Sleep well, Osamu.”

Then he left through the window as soundlessly as he came.

—

People say violence isn’t the answer to everything, but for Chuuya, it seemed to be his go-to solution whenever his frustration is starting to undo the seams of his sanity. 

Well, it couldn’t technically be called violence. It was just him utilising the facilities of UA to get some training in. Move his body around, get his mind to loosen up, blow off some steam. 

(Though imagining the punching bag before him as Dazai is, in itself, a form of violence, one might argue.)

If he focuses on exhausting his body, he wouldn’t have the time to think, to be swallowed up by his thoughts. 

Unfortunately, this method of his was hardly working this time.

Throwing kicks and punches came so naturally to him that his body moved before his mind even thought to do so. With his body moving so habitually swift and smooth, his brain had little else to do except think, the one thing he was trying to avoid doing. 

Stupid Dazai who’s too prideful to ask for help.

He threw a right jab.

Stupid Dazai who doesn’t know how to take care of himself.

His body twisted into a roundhouse kick.

Stupid Dazai who’s always making him worry.

A front kick this time.

…

Each curse he spat in his mind, he accompanied it with a punch or a kick at the punching bag before him–the unfortunate victim of his pent-up frustrations.

Stupid Dazai who wouldn’t leave his mind.

Three consecutive jabs to the middle.

…

… Useless Chuuya who had done nothing to help.

The force behind his last punch was so great, the punching bag flew off its hinges, the metal chain holding it up bending from the momentum of his punch. 

He watched it roll to the other side of the room, feeling a bit sorry for it. Hopefully, it was still usable so he wouldn’t have to pay the damage fees.

“If you could punch that well, why do you not use your hands when fighting?”

Chuuya’s head swivelled to where the voice came from. Being so preoccupied with his thoughts, he hadn’t sensed anyone entering the gym. A slip that would’ve proven fatal in a different scenario. How careless of him.

Standing at the entrance was his ever explosive classmate, Bakugou Katsuki. He had on his sports attire, a towel draping across his neck. Had he come to train too?

Gulping down a mouthful of water to rehydrate himself, he replied, “I have my own principles.”

“HAH? What? That you’d give yourself a handicap when fighting weaklings?” Bakugou scoffed. 

Although a little irritated by his words, Chuuya wasn’t in the mood to bicker right now. “If I use my hands, it takes the thrill away from the fight. Not using it keeps me grounded so I don’t go overboard.”

“Now you’re just being an arrogant fucking prick.”

Chuuya rolled his eyes. Well, he never expected the guy to understand his situation anyway. 

“Think what you want. I don’t give a shit.”

His mood was utterly ruined now. Why did he even bother telling someone as irrelevant as Bakugou about his principles? He should’ve just ignored him completely.

Though deep down, Chuuya knew why. It was only to distract himself from his thoughts, forcing his mind to focus on his classmate instead of the growing anxiety in his head.

“Acting so high and mighty like you’re better than everyone huh? Get your ass over here. I’ll make you have no choice but to use your hands.” Bakugou started cracking his knuckles, like he was squaring up for a fight.

Chuuya frowned.

…Was Bakugou trying to provoke him into a fight? Is that what he’s aiming for?

Confusion turned into understanding, then morphed into contemplation. Should he rise to such an obvious bait? Or should he just ignore him like what he should’ve done initially?

There wasn’t much to think about. He already knew the answer when he started considering the blonde’s unspoken request.

Putting down his water bottle, Chuuya walked into the ring, throwing a beckoning glance at him. “Oh? Try me then.”

Bakugou sneered, jumping into the ring. “HAH! At least you’ve got the guts to bolster that arrogance of yours.”

Says one of the most egotistical people Chuuya has ever met.

He’ll enjoy knocking him down a peg.

For once, Chuuya found himself focusing on the fight ahead of him instead of the unwelcome thoughts that plague his mind.

Chapter Text

UA was already buzzing with fervour energy before the sun even had the chance to rise. It was the most anticipated event of the year for the students–UA’s School Festival.

Dazai had to stifle a yawn as he forced his eye open with much difficulty. He had taken Chuuya’s advice–no matter how ridiculous that sounded–to sleep, though he didn’t specify how long, so two hours a day counts too. Progress.

Sleeping is such a strange requirement for the body to have. It’s like you’re surrendering your consciousness and hoping it’d find its way back in a few hours. Like why would anyone even enjoy doing that on a daily basis?

Though Dazai doesn’t mind suddenly dying in his sleep. It’s the most peaceful way to go out of all his suicide methods. But then it would actually require him to sleep for it to work.

Oh, the irony.

To be quite frank, Dazai would like to sleep for another 26 minutes to reach his 2 hour sleep per day quota, but the commotion happening all around the building doesn’t really allow him a peaceful and quiet sleep. Not that he can complain about sleeping at 5 AM when the festival starts at 8 AM. Obviously, with the unusual vigour of these Hero students, they’d be up and about doing their preparations. 

Dazai can’t really relate to all the excitement coming from his classmates, having not experienced or even being remotely interested in any festivals of sorts. 

Reluctantly, he dragged himself out of bed, opening the door to his room only to be greeted by what was nothing short of chaos. Class 1-A was all over the place, everyone’s voices overlapping each other made it difficult to even interpret a single sentence.

What a lively bunch.

Tuning out their voices, Dazai weaved through his classmates like a ghost. He faintly registered some voices telling him good morning, or maybe it was a hallucination. No idea, who cares. The only thing he has in mind right now is finding a quiet spot, away from all this cacophony that is too much for six in the fucking morning.

In the end, he found a spot at the very end of this dormitory’s very large kitchen where the voices sounded like distant muffles. Perfect.

Sleep was starting to invade his mind, and he was just about to accept it when he was woken up again.

By the sound of popping eggs and the smell of sizzling bacon.

What greeted Dazai this time was the frame of his partner wearing an apron while holding a spatula. 

Housewife was the first thing that came to Dazai’s mind. Not maid, surprisingly.

“Chuu~ya~” he drawled, still sprawled across the counter.

“You up, mackerel?” Chuuya replied without taking his eyes off the pan. He expertly flipped over the eggs with a light toss of the pan. He used his ability. Definitely. Probably.

It certainly came as a surprise to Dazai when he first found out the hatrack could cook. With how he grew up in the slums, it would be more accurate to imagine Chuuya wrestling a grizzly bear to fight over a bite of raw fish. The scene playing in Dazai’s head makes him want to pit the slug against an 8-foot-tall killer bear. 

That would surely be a sight to see.

Dazai sauntered over to Chuuya, his movements still sluggish from the two hour sleep he got. Peeking over his shoulder (which wasn’t very difficult judging by how Dazai’s almost a full head taller than the ginger) Dazai eyed the bacon and eggs still sizzling in the pan. 

The fact that it’s for two servings doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Aw, is Chuuya cooking for me too?”

Perhaps it was because of how he managed to get a good night’s rest, however little it may be, Dazai felt his appetite flaring as the smell of cooked bacon pervaded his nostrils. 

He had never tasted Chuuya’s cooking before, at least not officially. The one time Dazai caught Chuuya cooking, he snatched away a piece and tasted it just so he could verbally abuse the ginger’s cooking, only to find himself speechless. 

Chuuya wasn’t a good cook per se, but he was certainly not a terrible one. He was decent, if anything. Most definitely better than Dazai, though he’d rather die two times over before personally admitting it. 

Chuuya’s cooking made him feel…

He can’t put a word on it.

“You’re damn right I am,” Chuuya said. He walked over to the toaster and pulled out two perfectly toasted bread before returning to keep an eye out for the eggs and bacon. “Since your troublesome ass has no idea how to take care of itself, I’m making sure you’re eating three meals a day.”

Dazai blinked. Chuuya was acting weird these days. Always pestering and interrogating him about whether he slept or ate. And while Dazai is a natural-born liar, under Chuuya’s scrutinising gaze, it felt like his ability to lie had been rendered useless. Any lie or deflection he could come up with would undoubtedly be exposed.

And what he said earlier…Was this Chuuya’s way of taking care of him?

An unfamiliar warm and fuzzy feeling was bubbling up in his body.

“Chuuya should change his profession from a mafioso to a full-time nanny.”

Chuuya scowled. Then he turned around to face him, his glare piercing a hole into Dazai’s skull. “If I hear one ungrateful sound escaping your lips, you’re in for a world of pain, Dazai Osamu .”

Yikes. Using his full name like that was cheating. Now, Dazai would have no choice but to lick the plate clean.

Holding his hands out in a defensive gesture, Dazai replied. “Yes, yes. Whatever you say, Boss.”

Chuuya eyed him for a second longer before he was satisfied, turning back to plate the dishes. When Chuuya wasn’t looking, Dazai allowed a small smile to escape, looking at the back of the ginger’s head with a tinge of forlorn. 

Being taken care of was such a foreign feeling to the sixteen-year-old teenager who had only ever experienced the cruelty of the world all his life. Care isn’t something he’s accustomed to. To care for something means having to bear the consequence of it being destroyed. And that’s what Dazai had always known. To destroy.

Yet here was Chuuya, with the most destructive ability known to mankind, giving out his care so willingly even after all that he’s lost. The Sheep, the Flags, his childhood, his memories. 

Here was someone who had lost his humanity, yet is the most human person Dazai has ever known.

And because Dazai is illiterate when it comes to expressing his feelings, all he could do was simply lower his head and rub it gently with Chuuya’s. 

Thank you, Chuuya .

…

Dazai felt a little tug at his trousers as he was busy trying to dodge every attempt of Chuuya’s at elbowing him away from the sink. Although Dazai’s aware of the trust Chuuya has in him, that trust only seems to extend to anywhere but the kitchen. And his bed of pretty red hair.

Pausing his attempts, Dazai looked down. A peculiar little girl with a tiny bump protruding the right side of her forehead was staring at him with wide, glistening red eyes. She looked to be around Q’s age, her height barely reaching Dazai’s hip. 

“What the–” he frowned, squinting at the little girl, her little hands clutching at the strap of her sling bag like she was nervous. “Where did this demon spa–”

Chuuya cut him off by shoving a sponge into his mouth.

He spat out the wet sponge Chuuya was using just a moment ago to wash their dishes, viciously scrubbing his tongue raw to get rid of that god awful detergent taste. It’s good to say Dazai can officially scratch ‘suicide by ingesting detergent’ off his list after this. 

How very considerate of Chuuya.

After washing down his mouth for the fifth time, Dazai turned to scowl. Chuuya didn’t look the least bit regretful after pulling that stunt on him, even finding the time to wipe his hands down and prop the little girl onto his arms. The betrayal!

To think he’d forsake their partnership for a little kid!

“That was low. Even for you, Chuuya.”

The ginger only rolled his eyes, ignoring him to speak to the kid instead. “Hey kid. What are you doing here? Are you lost?”

The girl shook her head, turning to continue staring at Dazai with a kind of fascination in her eyes. Dazai had to retreat a little from all the undivided attention she was giving him. 

“What’s your name, de–” Chuuya cut him a sharp glare which was a threat enough. Clearing his throat, he righted himself. “ Girl ?”

“Eri.” Her meek voice was barely audible even though it was only the three of them in this large kitchen. 

“Well, Eri-chan ,” Dazai started, flashing a smile as genuine as his will to live. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you to not take people’s stuff? Chuuya’s my dog.”

“I’m not your fucking dog, you damn bastard.” Chuuya hissed, trying to kick his shin which he expertly dodged. “And don’t talk like I’m your possession!”

Dazai was about to bicker back, but Eri spoke up again, her expression crestfallen. “…I don’t have parents.”

Well shit. Dazai didn’t expect a sudden trauma dump.

“Look at what you did! You made her sad!” Chuuya scolded, stroking the girl’s long, white hair tenderly to comfort her. His tone changed when he spoke to Eri. “It’s okay, Eri. Don’t listen to him. He’s a stupid mackerel.”

“Unfair! We don’t have parents either. She ain’t special!” Dazai whined. 

“Another word and I’ll kick your ass, Dazai.”

Falling back into their usual back and forth, Dazai couldn’t help observing Eri closely. She looked like a normal child at first, but upon a closer look, he could tell she wasn’t just any ordinary kid. 

Even with her layers of clothes, she was thinner than most kids her age, who should still be having baby fat around their cheeks and thighs and arms. And that pale complexion of hers he knew she wasn’t born naturally with. Dazai would know, always seeing the same complexion in himself whenever he comes across a mirror.

It was what happened to the skin when one was devoid of sunlight for too long. Or when blood was continuously being drawn from the body. Even the way she mentioned how she had no parents earlier. That sullen look on her wasn’t one of grief. 

It was guilt.

Eri stretched out her hand at him with a grabbing motion then, looking at Chuuya with a silent plea to move closer. 

“I would never understand why little kids are always drawn to you when you’re the biggest asshole ever,” Chuuya sighed, closing the distance enough that Eri’s hand was only inches away from him. Though he gave room for Dazai to back away, knowing he wasn’t comfortable with being touched by a stranger, even if said stranger is a harmless little girl. 

Strangely, Dazai doesn’t feel the need to back away from Eri. Some part of him tugged at her, like they were connected by an invisible thread. “Obviously because I’m a charming and lovable young man.” 

Chuuya scoffed. It’s not without reason that only Dazai is close with Elise and Q back in the Port Mafia. Even though Mori always warns Elise to stay away from Dazai because of his ability, Elise never listens, seeking him out actively since he always gives her the best method to irritate Mori. As for Q, only Dazai can handle their horrific ability, so it isn’t a surprise why Q always sticks with him. 

Then Chuuya tilted his head, regarding him with a look as if something clicked in his mind.

“Shut up.” Dazai snapped. “I’m not like Mori.”

“I didn’t even say anything!”

“You were thinking it!”

Rolling his eyes again, Chuuya looked away like he was caught. Eri looked between them with a concerned gaze, her hand still outstretched. Dazai poked at it with his index finger. 

“What is it, Eri-chan?” 

“Bandages… Are you…hurt?” she asked cautiously, her gaze trailing over his covered eye to his neck, then his forearms. 

Seeing how Dazai didn’t mind her touch, Chuuya propped her closer to him. Her fingertips brushed against the bandage covering the left half of his face slightly, her hands jerking back faintly like it had burnt her. Or she was afraid she burnt him. 

“It’s okay. It’s alright now.” She sounded more like she was comforting herself than she was Dazai. “Heroes are here.”

What a peculiar child. 

If she thought he was in any danger, she was entirely wrong. He was the danger here. She would probably shrink back in fear if she knew the list of his achievements. A long, dark, and bloody list.

“Eri-chan! Where are you? The festival’s starting!” A male voice called out from the living room then. Three heads turned, focusing on the man who appeared dressed in a red varsity jacket. When their eyes met, he started heading over to the kitchen. “Ah, there you are!”

When Eri motioned forward, Chuuya placed her gently back on the ground, watching as she made her way over to the newcomer, almost tripping over her own foot.

It didn’t take long for Dazai to identify the man as Mirio Togata, a third-year student in UA and part of UA’s ‘Big Three’. He was also the guy who took down Class 1-A other than Chuuya, the only significant difference between them is the degree of their powers. 

Mirio’s permeation quirk is pretty simple and straightforward, nothing noteworthy about it to say the least. It wasn’t a powerful quirk, but his skills and control more than makes up for it. 

When Mirio propped Eri up into his arms, her eyes were still trained on him, or more specifically Dazai’s bandages. Dazai only plastered on the most pleasant smile he could muster.

“You guys must be the new transfer students from Yokohama. Seems like Eri-chan’s taken a liking to you,” he commented, smiling broadly. “I’m Mirio Togata by the way. A third-year student.”

“Oh! So you’re the senpai our classmates have been mentioning!” Dazai exclaimed, feigning innocence. “I heard you defeated our classmates in a matter of minutes like Chuuya too! Though you certainly look the part more than the chibi does.”

“Oi.”

Aizawa arrived just when Dazai ducked to avoid Chuuya’s swinging fist to his head. Dazai noticed how his gaze lingered on Chuuya just a fraction longer, then turning to face Eri, the hardness in his eyes seemed to soften a little. 

What an uncanny resemblance he bore with Odasaku. 

Dazai misses his friend.

“Eri-chan, Mirio will guide you through the festival, so stick close to him,” reminded Aizawa like a strict parent. The girl nodded her head vigorously, showing that she understood. Satisfied, Aizawa turned over to them. “I know you guys skipped out of the performance, but you should hurry up too. The School Festival’s starting.”

“Don’t worry about us. We’ll catch up,” Chuuya replied, untying his apron. Aizawa nodded once, exiting the dorm with Mirio and Eri in tow. Turning around, Eri held up her hand, giving them a tentative wave. 

Dazai would’ve looked on were it not for Chuuya snatching his hand up to wave back. 

“I’m getting a change of clothes,” Chuuya said after they left. He frowned at the little oil spills all over his shirt and pants. “We can go to the festival after.”

Dazai grabbed his wrists, stopping the ginger in his tracks. Then, even though it was just the two of them left in the building, Dazai still pulled Chuuya closer, lowering his voice to whisper into his ear. “Lend me a hand.”

Dazai gave him a look.

Chuuya understood.

He slipped a piece of paper into Chuuya’s hands, then they went their separate ways. Chuuya back into the dorm, and Dazai towards the festival. 

It still amazes Dazai how UA has the boldness and audacity to open their gates to the public after all the villain attacks their supposed precious students had suffered, not to mention the unidentified traitor in their midst. Guess they weren’t precious enough to give up this great opportunity for a publicity stunt. 

Well, as long as their plans align with Dazai’s, he doesn’t really care what they do or what happens to them. Though there’s a slight change in his original plan after meeting the LOV a while back. 

His meeting with the LOV had made him reach a conclusion that working with the Heroes would yield better results, albeit how stagnant they were in their progress thus far. However, there’s no denying that they genuinely want to send them back to their own timeline in return for the two other UA students who got caught up in this whole mess.

As for the villains…

There’s no guarantee if they’ll even try to help them find a way back. There’s a chance they might even hinder them. Especially if they got their hands on Chuuya. AFO is the power-obsessed, world domination type of villain he knows and hates the most. Working with them would mean risking Chuuya who was an absolute powerhouse he’s certain AFO would kill for.

And Dazai would rather die than let anyone else use his slug other than him.

He never attempted to come into contact with them again after that. Plus, Dazai doesn’t like to burn his bridges so quickly, getting on the Heroes’ bad side this early into the game was unwise. Should there be a chance where Chuuya and him would be permanently stuck in this timeline, he doesn’t want to play hide and seek with Heroes and be labelled criminals.

The Heroes held all the control and the power, and Dazai’s going to take full advantage of that. 

While his previous plan had to be scratched off, he wasn’t going to miss this golden opportunity when the Heroes would be busy patrolling the festival and when the students were busy managing their booths. It was high time he started narrowing down his list of suspects. With how obsessed UA is about how the public views them, he’s certain the identity of UA’s traitor would be a great leverage to make the Heroes do his bidding.

Now, where was Class 1-A having their performance again?

—

Chuuya scratched his ears unknowingly. It felt a little ticklish from where Dazai’s breath grazed it. Somehow, he was extremely aware and conscious whenever he’s around the mackerel. Even Dazai’s gesture from before, he had no idea how to react. In the end, he just let the moment pass.

However, Chuuya doesn’t have the luxury to dwell on these new, unknown, festering feelings inside him. He can think about it later. For now, he has work to do.

Dazai didn’t say much, but he got the message pretty clearly. And when his voice turns serious like that, it means Dazai’s down to business.

With a traitor amongst his classmates, what better time to infiltrate their rooms which would so conveniently be empty during the festival?

After changing, Chuuya leapt out from his balcony to enter his first room. Since security cameras were fixed in the hallways and the common area, infiltrating their rooms from the outside was more practical. 

The paper Dazai handed him contained some of his classmates’ names, most likely the students Dazai suspected the most. 

Aoyama, Kaminari, Hagakure, Jirou, and Shouji.

How Dazai even managed to narrow down their class of 20 to just these 5 suspects with little to no clues baffles him. But Chuuya had never doubted his partner when it came to strategies. There must be something Dazai noticed about them that he didn’t.

Chuuya landed lightly on Kaminari’s balcony without a sound. Under the force of his ability, the latch of the sliding door was rendered useless, just a simple flick of his finger and it clicked open. UA should have a better security system installed.

Kaminari’s room was…a cluttered mess, to say the least. Clothes strewn across the room haphazardly, with no clue if it was clean or dirty laundry. Chuuya sighed, it was going to take a while before he could find anything conclusive. Luckily, he knew what he had to look out for: a burner phone, or a secondary phone being stashed away, or a coded message, anything that a traitor would use to send information out of UA.

At least Kaminari wouldn’t notice anything amiss even if Chuuya messed things around a little.

He checked the cupboards, the desk drawers, on top of shelves, anywhere that was a good hiding place. Then, when he checked under the bed, he came across something unexpected.

He pulled out a magazine and flipped it open. Each page was filled with half-naked models wearing bikinis that just barely covered their private parts. And this wasn’t the only one, there was a whole stash underneath.

Chuuya frowned, disgusted. If Kouyou had been the one to discover this, she’d no doubt traumatise the boy so badly he’d turn into an ascetic monk.

Speaking of Kouyou, Chuuya missed their weekly tea sessions terribly. They were supposed to have one last session before she went on her mission in France, but then this happened. He feels bad for disappearing on her like that, even if he knew this wasn’t something he could control.

He’ll have to tell her everything about the Heroes and Villains, and UA when they return— if they even return.

Chuuya cut his thoughts right there. He wasn’t ready to delve into the topic of them being stuck here forever.

After another round of inspecting with no results, Chuuya decided he was done with Kaminari’s room. He didn’t forget to click the lock back into place as he moved on to his next target’s room.

Jirou’s room was filled with musical instruments, from guitars to drum sets, and even a small electronic panel Chuuya had never seen before. Hagakure’s room was filled with girly stuff. Laces, ribbons, frills, you name it. As for Shouji’s room, it was so empty Chuuya had to double check if he went into a vacant room instead.

With four of Dazai’s suspects crossed off the list, there was still no evidence to point out who could be the possible traitor. It was an absurd thought, but could Dazai have possibly made a mistake?

He could understand why Jirou and Shouji were suspected. With their quirks, it was easy to eavesdrop and spy on the UA staff, the perfect candidates for infiltration missions. There wasn’t even a need to mention Hagakure. Her invisibility quirk was made for infiltration and spywork. He could understand these three. It’s Kaminari and Aoyama being on the list that confuses him.

While Chuuya had never interacted with Aoyama other than that one time where he kicked his ass during practical training, Kaminari was someone he often interacted with. And in just a few weeks of knowing him, he concluded that the lightning boy was far too simple-minded to be involved in something so complicated like playing spy.

Or was it just a front? Maybe Dazai had seen through it and that’s why he suspected him.

If that were the case, Kaminari was doing a damn good job. So good he even managed to deceive Chuuya’s own instincts.

This time, when Chuuya entered Aoyama’s room, he almost destroyed the whole room. From his peripheral vision, he had noticed a silhouette standing right there beside him. Whirling around, his ability at the ready, Chuuya came face to face with his own reflection. 

It wasn’t the silhouette of a person, just a stupid mirror reflecting him. And that wasn’t the only mirror. Now that he was looking closely, Chuuya noticed almost the entirety of the room was covered with mirrors of every shape and size save for the ceiling and floor. Chuuya was thankful for the curtains blocking most of the sunlight or he would’ve been blinded.

He was aware that Aoyama was a bit of an eccentric and obsessed with everything that sparkles, but he never pinned the guy for being such a narcissist. 

Just what happened in that 200 years for everyone to turn out so weird? 

Chuuya repeated his previous routine, checking every hidden spot for a communication device of some sort. When he reached under the bed this time, fully expecting to find an album full of Aoyama’s portraits himself, Chuuya instead found a stash of stomach medicine. It wasn’t weird for someone to have some just in case, but having four bottles at once certainly raises suspicion.

Just when he was about to put the medicine back where he found it, Chuuya was suddenly reminded about that day when Dazai had sent himself to the infirmary to steal Class 1-A’s medical record. 

Did Dazai happen to notice something odd while going through the records? Was that why he suspected Aoyama?

Chuuya could feel his guts pulling his train of thought into a different direction. His instincts were telling him Aoyama’s secret stash of stomach medicines had something to do with whatever Dazai found in his medical records. 

And until now, his instincts have yet to fail him. 

His phone buzzed in his back pocket then. There was only one contact on his phone. He didn’t need to see to know who texted him.

Master
anything?

Chibi Maid
nothing much
the fuck? when did u change my contact names??

you thought i’d forget about our bet back then?
i still haven’t heard you call me master after you lost the game
remember??

…ugh
why do i even bother
anyways, nothing weird or suspicious in their room
tho A’s got a whole stash of stomach medicine

oh?
i see how it is

what bout your end?
figure anything out?

maybe
if you’re done then come over
there’s a gaming booth i’d like to beat you in

oh fuck u! you’re on!

Chuuya huffed, shoved his phone back into his pocket then leapt off the balcony after locking the balcony door. From the looks of it, it seems Dazai managed to figure something out from his end too. And his intel on Aoyama’s room must’ve confirmed one of his theories from the way he reacted.

If finding out who the UA traitor was is the key to their return, Chuuya would do whatever it takes to expose them.

Even if he has to get his hands dirty.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for Chuuya to arrive after that last text he sent. It really doesn’t take much to get him riled up before he’d come stomping over with all the grace of a hissing cat.

“Ah, Chuuya~ You’re finally here!” Dazai waved him over from where he was seated, his knees tucked into his chest as his thumb flew across his phone screen trying to stay alive in the game he was playing. “I was starting to get bored.”

Chuuya frowned. “You weren’t just sitting there playing your stupid games while you made me do all the dirty work now, did you?”

Dazai gave him an affronted look, his jaw hanging slack like he had been physically assaulted by his accusation. “How could Chuuya think so little of his beloved partner?! Even after I gave you the easy job! Do you know how challenging it was trying to break all 20 of our classmates’ password codes?”

It wasn’t that difficult honestly, 1-A was just so predictable and easy to read it didn’t take him more than 5 tries to crack each of their codes. Not that Chuuya needs to know any of that. Let him think he got the easy job, it makes him feel indebted.

Rolling his eyes—this reaction of his was becoming frequent ever since they were transported here, and it never fails to amuse Dazai—Chuuya huffed out a breath. “So, what did you find then?” he asked, ignoring Dazai’s previous question.

“Honestly? Bunch of normal stuff you’d find in a teenager’s phone. Nothing special,” Dazai said, pocketing his phone away as he made his way over to Chuuya. While his investigation hadn’t been fruitful, it hadn’t been necessarily fruit less either. “Though I do have my own suspicions.”

Dazai flicked a glass bottle on the side lightly, watching it wobble unsteadily as he thought back on his findings. Class 1-A was already poised to perform when he arrived. A most convenient and opportune time for him to get down to business.

One by one, he checked each of their garments, reaching deep into their pockets to find something concrete that would lead him closer to the UA traitor. Normally, spies would hide their means of communication in either two places: their base, or they would carry it around themselves always.

Chuuya is currently in charge of scouting their potential traitor’s base. With his ability, and if he cared to tone down his flashy ways of operating, Chuuya might just be the best candidate for covert operations. 

Footsteps? He can just lighten himself and make his footsteps non-existent. Hell, he could even manipulate the gravity around himself and fly . No locked doors would even be an obstacle for him. Those 3 feet thick steel doors for bank vaults would be a piece of cake. 

But this was none other than Chuuya himself. Moderation does not exist in his vocabulary.

Maybe this task can make the chibi realise the potential of his ability. And when that time comes, he’ll convince the ginger to unlock Mori’s bedroom door and make Elise pour flour into each of his coat pockets.

Now that’s something to look forward to.

After a round of searching with no results, Dazai decided to move onto his classmates' phones. Normal spies wouldn’t use their own personal phone as a means of transmitting information, at least a trained spy wouldn’t.

But he has a feeling this spy he’s about to catch isn’t trained, in fact they were forced into this position unwillingly. They were threatened– are being threatened. Most likely with the people they care about most.

It was a common weakness to exploit, a common strategy Dazai uses frequently against his enemies too. And not having the capacity to care has made him invulnerable to tactics like this. 

To love and to care is something Dazai could ill afford, especially when involved in a Mafia.

He typed in a code, unlocking Midoriya’s phone with ease. All Might’s debut date wasn’t that difficult to guess, especially when it’s just a search bar away. The broccoli kid can sometimes be too predictable for his own good.

Even though he ruled out Midoriya as the traitor early on, it didn’t hurt to check. Plus, there’s no telling he wouldn’t find something even more interesting in here. 

Finding nothing after scrolling through albums of All Might pictures (all sorted based on his different Hero costume), Dazai moved on to check his messages. Having All Might pinned isn’t that much of a surprise, though it has turned slightly concerning from how much Midoriya is fanboying over his teacher. 

Dazai hopes he doesn’t find anything cringe-worthy or cheesy in here. 

He glazed over their previous messages until he caught onto something. 

‘...training. At 5PM. Usual spot.’

Weird. Training? 

Of course it wasn’t too weird considering how All Might is technically in charge of the combat lessons in the Hero Course. What’s weird is why he was training Midoriya specifically . 

Preferential treatment? Maybe. But with how strongly Heroes advocate for fairness and justice, it didn’t seem right that the Symbol of Peace isn’t upholding them himself. 

Then he remembered reading Midoriya’s medical report, and how he was constantly being admitted to the infirmary because of broken bones at the start of the year. 

Perhaps All Might is training him so he can control his quirk better. 

Speaking of, they have quite similar quirks…

Oh.

Dazai smirked when he realised. “What an unexpected find,” he mumbled, chuckling to himself as he ruminated over his thoughts.

He moved on to the next phone without wasting too much time on his dear classmate’s secret. He still had a traitor to find.

After checking over all five of his prime suspects’ phones, Dazai frowned at not being able to find anything to suggest any one of them being the traitor. Had his deduction been off? Unlikely. If there’s one thing Dazai trusts more than anything, it’s his mind.

Unsatisfied, Dazai went over their phones again, doing a more thorough check of their messages and call logs. That’s when he spotted something he missed previously.

It would’ve gone unnoticed without his suspicions. Dazai had to commend their ingenious ways of communicating.

There, in Aoyama’s call history, were a set of weird records that doesn’t seem to add up.

Every Sunday night, there would be a call made to his parents. Of course, calling one’s parents isn’t something to be suspicious about, especially when they moved into the dorms away from home. No, what’s weird was how long each call lasted. 

Barely even two minutes in and the call ended. And this applied to every time he called his parents on a Sunday night ever since the dorm was built. 

Ever since the students weren’t allowed to leave UA’s premises under the pretext of ensuring their safety.

And Dazai had checked his messages with his parents. They seemed like a lovely family of three, both his father and mother were especially loving towards their one and only son. 

That’s why it didn’t make sense that their calls would last barely 2 minutes each time. 

However, 2 minutes was more than enough time for a spy to relay his findings.

Something clicked right into place in Dazai’s mind, like the missing piece of a puzzle found. Even with little to no evidence found, even if he was just basing everything on his intuition and deduction, he was certain of it.

Aoyama is the UA traitor.

Finally, he was making some progress. With this information in his grasp, he has the leverage he needs to convince the UA Heroes to let them explore Mori’s location, unattended. 

But that was a plan for future him to think of. For now, he has a curious ginger in front of him to please.

“I’ll tell you the details later,” he said, by way of answering Chuuya’s questioning gaze. “For now, let’s enjoy the festival!”

“Hey.” Chuuya stopped Dazai with a firm grip on his shoulder, his eyes darkening dangerously. “I said to not fucking keep stuff from me, didn’t I?”

Ugh, if looks could kill, Dazai would’ve long been granted the sweet relief of death. Too bad it doesn’t, and all it does is promise him a world of pain should he dare try to challenge the owner of that dangerous glare.

“I know, and I’m not doing that on purpose,” Dazai reasoned. “It’s just there’s a lot to tell, we should do this privately.” Dazai gestured to the stage outside, where Class 1-A was in the middle of performing their fourth encore. 

Chuuya released his grip, seemingly appeased by his reason after thinking it through. “Fine. Tonight. After the festival.”

“Tonight.” Dazai echoed.

Then, Chuuya turned, heading towards the exit. Dazai was about to follow suit when something on the dressing table caught his eye, an idea springing into his mind.

“Wait!” Dazai said, pulling Chuuya in the other direction. “I have something I want to try!”

“What the- Dazai, whatever it is, I do not agree with it.”

“Oh don’t be such a spoilsport. It’s going to be fun, I promise.” Dazai dragged Chuuya and sat him in front of the vanity mirror. The table was a cluttered mess of makeup supplies. From eyeshadows, to lipsticks, and even a curling iron. He had always seen Elise dolling Mori up (Dazai desperately hopes he never has to see that again) with makeup, so he wanted to give it a try, this time with Chuuya as his guinea pig. 

One look at the table and Chuuya was already trying to get away from it like it was an active bomb.

“ Absolutely not, ” he shrieked.

“But it’ll be fun! I’m good with my hands, no worries!” 

“That’s exactly why I’m saying no. I’m not letting you anywhere near my face with makeup,” he emphasised. 

“Pleaseee~ Just think of it as compensation for inducing an emotional trauma on me earlier!” Dazai didn’t hesitate to whip out his victim card. “My shoulder still hurts a little y’know?”

“Don’t be dramatic,” he scoffed. “And the answer is still no .”

“Pleaseee~ Just this once!”

“As fucking if.”

“Pleaseee~”

“ No. ”

“Aw, Chuuya pretty pleaseee~ I’ll even let you boss me around for the whole day!” he blurted out unknowingly.

Silence stretched between the two of them, Dazai’s last words hanging in the space between them. At a moment of hastiness, he said something he shouldn’t have, and even if he wished with all his might to eat his words back, the look of realisation on Chuuya’s face made it clear it was already too late.

“What did you just say…?” 

“Nothing,” Dazai replied a little too quickly.

“I’m holding you onto that,” Chuuya said, ignoring Dazai’s look of regret completely. When he tried to protest, Chuuya cut him off resolutely. “Taking your words back ain’t gonna work. I heard them loud and clear.”

Dazai pouted as Chuuya made himself comfortable in front of the vanity mirror. Dazai had dug his own grave, and he did not like it at all . Curse his stupid blabbering mouth. Curse his stupid brain for not keeping up with his stupid blabbering mouth.

“It’s only effective for the duration of the festival. So wipe that sloppy smirk off your face,” Dazai grumbled. 

“Hey! You said for the whole day!” Chuuya potested.

“Did not !!” 

“Did to!”

“I said during the festival! During the festival !!” Dazai cringed at the blatant way he was lying in a bid to save his skin. He normally wasn’t ashamed of lying–it was in his blood to lie–but trying to cover up his slip of a tongue earlier made him seem desperately pathetic. Though being seen as a pathetic coward is evidently much better than letting Chuuya have free reign over him for the entire day.

Dazai shuddered at the thought of what Chuuya would make him do.

“ Fine . During the festival,” Chuuya relented, much to Dazai’s relief. “You better not whine or complain later.”

With that, Chuuya turned back to face the mirror, crossing his arm in front of himself and shutting his eyes, like he wasn’t ready to witness the utter monstrosity Dazai was about to unleash on his beautiful face.

Hmph. Always distrusting him. What kind of person treats their partner like that?!

Dazai sighed. What’s done is done. There’s no way to undo what he just did nor is there a way to dissuade Chuuya. Since that was the case, Dazai supposes he should just enjoy this blissful moment when he gets to draw on the ginger’s face without protest in exchange for his freedom for the rest of the festival.

There wasn’t much he wanted to do anyway. Just some eyeliner, mascara, and maybe some lipstick. Chuuya had always been the fashionista between the two of them, always having an assortment of garments to mix and match with. Even after being transported here, he never held back on spending the funds Mori left them as a clue, buying a whole suitcase worth of clothing. 

This time, he fashioned some black, ripped jeans with a pair of black leather boots, coupled with a black leather jacket layered over a loose, red tank top. Of course, Chuuya hadn’t forgotten to wear his beloved hat. Since he wasn’t allowed to wear them in class, the ginger must’ve missed wearing his hat dearly. 

Typical Chuuya.

Without hesitating any longer, Dazai tilted Chuuya’s chin up and started working on his eyeliner. He doesn’t know much about eyeliners, but always seeing Kouyou with her striking red pointy eyeliner gave him a few ideas. In one swift stroke, Dazai mimicked the way Kouyou did hers: a clean upward stroke from the corner of the eye, its tip as sharp as a blade. 

Satisfied with how it turned out, Dazai went back to fill in the gaps before moving onto Chuuya’s other eye. Being ambidextrous, Dazai shifted the eyeliner pen onto his left hand, repeating his movements in a fluid motion with little to no difficulty. 

“You being so quiet makes me nervous,” Chuuya commented after a while, still keeping his eyes shut. 

“Tch. Your yapping is making me lose focus,” Dazai snapped back. 

Clamping a hand over his mouth, Dazai leaned back to admire his work, ignoring the muffled protest from the slug. He cocked his head sideways, assessing it and frowning. 

There was something missing. Just the black eyeliner alone looks too plain. There was barely even a hint of colour other than black on his body too, with the sole exception of his hair and shirt. It didn’t take long for Dazai to grab the large palette of eyeshadows and a sharp brush before he started adding another layer of eyeliner on top of the original one.

This time, in red.

Dazai was getting high off this elation he felt as he painted over Chuuya’s features, making him start to hum his favourite suicide melody. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea to give up his freedom in exchange for this. When else would he have the chance to get this close to Chuuya’s face without the ginger clawing his eyes off?

Finishing up the eyeliner, Dazai moved on to the mascara, brushing along his lashes and pulling them up. He had always known Chuuya’s lashes were long, but looking at them up close only made him realise just how long it really is. Any girl would kill for these.

He decided to forgo any foundation and concealer; Chuuya’s skin was good enough, plus he doesn’t really understand how it works. After darkening his brows a little, it was time for his lips.

Dazai eyed the scattered piles of lipstick all over the vanity and frowned. Sharing a lipstick doesn’t seem too hygienic to him, but leaving Chuuya’s lips bare would make it stick out like a sore thumb. He looked over the pile of makeup supplies, scanning for something that could work.

Would eyeshadow work? Oh well, Chuuya will be suffering the consequences for that, Dazai’s job is to make him look pretty. The aftermath doesn’t concern him. 

With his mind made up, he snagged a brand new brush, dabbing it in the same red eyeshadow he used earlier before smearing it on Chuuya’s lips. He painted over them in tender strokes, squeezing Chuuya’s cheeks a little so his mouth opened up. 

It was Chuuya’s exhale that tickled his nose did Dazai realise the close proximity of their faces. Being distracted by the work at hand made him unaware of this (nonexistent) distance between them. But now, that distraction has broken, leaving him fully aware of his surroundings–of Chuuya .

Dazai’s hand went rigid, the brush hovering just above his painted red lips. He gulped. It was his first time being this close to Chuuya’s face, where Dazai could see every follicle and every beauty mark littered across his features. 

He wanted to savour this moment for as long as he could. He wanted to slide his finger across his jawline, his nose bridge. He wanted to–

Dazai’s hands fell away. He stepped back, willing his thoughts to stop its rampage. Completing that thought of his scares him, it was best for him to leave it, tuck it away into a discarded corner of his mind, forever forgotten and never mentioned again.

“Are we done?” Chuuya asked, cracking an eyelid open, unaware of the mid-life crisis Dazai had just gone through.

Collecting his bearings, he stepped away from the mirror, letting Chuuya have a full view of his completed look. “See for yourself.”

Dazai watched as the ginger’s eyes widened, leaning closer to the mirror to get a better look at the eyeliner specifically. His fingers reached up to brush it carefully, mindful of not smudging it accidentally. 

“...Wow. I don’t know what to say…” he started, shooting a glance at Dazai from the mirror. “You really are good with your hands.”

Getting over his initial fluster, Dazai went back to his old, smug self. “What can I say? I’m a certified genius.”

Chuuya rolled his eyes, though the growing smirk on his face really betrayed how he actually felt. He alternated between both of his eyes, scrutinising them at different angles. Seeing this, Dazai decided to take his chances.

“Since you like it so much, how about we call off–”

“ Hell. No. ” came Chuuya’s curt reply, not even bothering to look up.

Dazai sighed dejectedly. Well, it didn’t hurt to try, even though failing did hurt a bit. At least with him doing such a great job at it would subtly manipulate Chuuya’s thinking at the subconscious level, so he doesn’t have to worry about being told to do something atrocious.

Someone decided to barge in just then.

“Oh. My. God.” Ashido’s jaw quite literally dropped as she ogled Chuuya up and down. “You look stunning. We need pictures!””

“Seconded!” Hagakure squealed from behind. 

They both ran up to Chuuya, swiping their phones off the table where Dazai had found them previously. Immediately, they started firing off selfies at different angles with Chuuya at the centre. 

And normally, Dazai would’ve thought the ginger would shove them away, but no! Chuuya actually flashed a wide, toothy grin and even started posing for the picture!

Dazai just stared unblinkingly in disbelief. 

“Your eyeliner is so sharp it could literally stab me!” Ashido commented halfway through, getting a close up photo of Chuuya’s eye. “You have to teach me how you did that!”

“Actually, Dazai was the one that did all this for me,” Chuuya answered, gesturing at his whole face. “You should ask him.”

Ashido and Hagakure’s head swivelled to him in an instant, like they had only just noticed him standing there. 

Tch, just how much were they paying attention to Chuuya they didn’t even realise he was standing right there?

“Dazai, you know how to use makeup?!” Hagakure asked incredulously. And though Dazai couldn’t see her face, he’s pretty sure her jaw is hanging slack in surprise. 

“Not really,” he admitted. Dazai can already sense the oncoming migraine he would experience if he were to agree to that question. “I was just experimenting, and Chuuya was my little guinea pig.”

Both Ashido and Hagakure started bombarding him with questions he would very much like to not answer. But if anything, those two girls can only be described as persistent. Dazai was on his last thread of sanity.

He shot a glare at Chuuya who was snickering behind, positive that the damn slug directed his classmates attention on him to make fun of him. 

The noise outside started growing. Soon, they’ll be surrounded by their nosy classmates, which Dazai would very much like to avoid. Totally because he hates crowds and not because he doesn’t like Chuuya being swarmed by a bunch of pesky flies. 

Without hesitating any longer, he grabbed Chuuya’s wrist and dashed out of the backstage he himself had trapped themselves in. He ignored his classmates’ yelp of surprise, focused only on getting him and Chuuya out. 

Suddenly, Chuuya burst out laughing from behind. Dazai turned to look at his partner, a grin so wide it might just tear his face in half. This laughter of his was nothing like any he’s heard before. It was so carefree, so unrestrained, so… Chuuya .

His laughter was infectious too, for Dazai found himself laughing along with him. He slowed down unconsciously, matching their paces as they made their way out.

At that moment, Dazai’s mind was clear. The anxiety of returning, of not returning, of exposing the traitor, everything vanished from his mind. Only Chuuya’s laughter mingled with his own and the breeze brushing through his hair remained.

It felt like he could run for eternity. And Dazai would run for eternity, so long as Chuuya was by his side. 

He would run forever.

—

Chuuya stood by a stall, waiting. He ignored the gazes sent his way, focusing on punching his fingers across his phone. Being stared at wasn’t anything new at this point. Though back in the Port Mafia, it was often a gaze filled with fear, not outright gawking like he was experiencing now. Well, not that he particularly hates being the centre of attention. 

He waited for a while longer until a certain brunette pushed his way through the crowds towards him, two skewers of barbecued meat in his hands. Chuuya smirked a little when he saw Dazai’s pout as he made his way over. 

“See, that wasn’t so hard now was it?” Chuuya cooed, plucking one of the skewered meat off Dazai’s hand he made the brunette queue fifteen minutes for. Steam was still rising from it as he bit into the tender, juicy meat. He savoured it immensely, as it was something he made the Dazai Osamu do for him. 

Ah, Chuuya was getting drunk on this power he held over his dear partner.

“It was agonising ,” Dazai whined, his shoulders slumped down in defeat. “The heat and smell was too much to bear! I’d rather you just kill me!”

“Stop being such a drama queen,” Chuuya chastised, side-eyeing the mackerel as he took another bite of the meat. “And I specifically said no whining or complaining.”

Dazai pouted even harder at that, his brows scrunched down in dissatisfaction. Chuuya had to restrain himself from cackling at the sight, which was taking every ounce of willpower in him to do so. 

Agreeing to Dazai’s request earlier might arguably be the best decision he has ever made. At first, the thought of letting Dazai anywhere near his face with a pencil–albeit a harmless, makeup pencil–was simply absurd. He had fallen for this scheme of his twice now, he wasn’t going to fall for it for the third time. 

The first time, he had woken up with the word ‘slug’ scrawled over his forehead with a permanent marker. Thankfully, he noticed it pretty quickly when he went to wash his face in the bathroom. It took him almost a full hour scrubbing his forehead raw just to get it off. And even then, there was still a faint mark of the word left behind. Chuuya was in such a desperate situation that he even considered cutting his bangs to cover it.

The second time was worse. He had gone a full day without noticing the slimy mackerel had drawn a french moustache above his lips until he retired for the day, which also explained all the weird stares he was getting throughout the day. It was also marked as one of the Port Mafia’s dark history moments when Chuuya blew up a warehouse to catch that snivelling rat bastard.

However, Dazai’s last words made him do a double-take. Even though he tried to deflect it, Chuuya heard his words loud and clear. 

‘I’ll even let you boss me around!’

And that line was more than enough to persuade him to let Dazai draw on his face. Since it was makeup, Chuuya could just wipe it off if the mackerel fucks it up. Unless he was carrying a permanent marker with him. Though it was a risk he’s willing to take if it means getting to order him around.

It wasn’t an exaggeration when he says he was stunned speechless by the end product. To be frank, he wasn’t expecting much of anything from Dazai, so seeing that flawless, winged eyeliner drawn in a single stroke from the corner of his eye made his jaw drop. 

It was just a simple eyeliner, yet his skills would put most makeup artists to shame. Especially when Dazai doesn’t even have a shred of experience when handling makeup.

He almost felt bad that Dazai was getting the shorter end of the stick even though he did such a great job at it.

Almost.

There was no force on earth that was strong enough to convince Chuuya to give up on bossing Dazai around. In the end, this was a win-win situation for him. He gets to boss Dazai around and he looks damn good doing it. 

Finishing off the last piece of meat, Chuuya passed his empty skewer to Dazai, gesturing for him to throw it into the bin behind him. And like the drama queen he was, Dazai sighed heavily as he (reluctantly) obeyed. Not that Chuuya feels even the least bit sorry for him.

They went on walking through the festival, passing various stalls with Chuuya ordering Dazai around every two seconds.

“Get me that taiyaki.”

…

“I want that daifuku.”

…

“Takoyaki.”

Dazai sighed again for the nth time, making his way over to the queue without protesting much. Honestly, Chuuya was pretty surprised at how Dazai was still keeping this up. He half expected the brunette to run away and disappear until the festival was over. At least Dazai keeps his promises. That’s a good sign.

Dazai came back with a dozen takoyakis on a tray. Looking at him, Chuuya was tempted to go further and ask the brunette to feed him, just so he can test the boundaries of how far he can actually ‘boss’ him around. But Chuuya held back. 

They were in public, and he doesn’t have skin as thick as the mackerel’s. Maybe if it were just the two of them…

As they walked deeper into the festival, the crowds were getting bigger and bigger, the noise growing louder too. When they reached the gaming sector of the festival, the crowd was positively booming with excitement.

They weaved through the crowd, stopping for a moment to spectate at times, until they came across a familiar head of blonde hair and a blue varsity jacket. 

Mirio was holding a rifle in his hand, the nozzle aimed at a tin can some 15 feet away. He fired, missing the target completely by a huge margin. The next three subsequent shots were just as bad too, one even almost hitting the person in charge. 

Dazai snickered, a hand covering his mouth to stop himself from exploding with laughter. Of course he was still the same bastard as before, though Chuuya can’t deny it was a tad bit comical watching the supposed strongest of the ‘Big Three’ fail so miserably at hitting a target. 

They were just about to continue on their way when something (small) blocked their way. They both looked down to find Eri, one of her hands fisting Dazai’s coat. She stared up at them with her big, round eyes, her expression more relaxed than it had been when they met at the dorm.

Like before, Chuuya crouched and scooped her into his arms. He had already noticed this before, but she was terribly skinny for a 7-year-old. If it weren’t for him carrying her up personally, Chuuya wouldn’t have noticed her abnormal weight under that thick layer of clothes. 

This time, her expression was less reserved than before. It was more open and relaxed, like how all children her age should be. Another thing different was how she was throwing sparkles with her gaze not at Dazai this time, but at him instead.

“I see we meet again, Eri-chan.” Chuuya tried to ignore her intense gaze at him and failed miserably. Shit, did the makeup make him unrecognisable? Is that why she’s staring so hard, wondering why a weird guy is picking her up?

His question was answered in three simple words. “You look pretty…”

Chuuya’s brows shot up a fraction higher, her response something he wasn’t expecting. If anyone else had said that to him, he would’ve just scoffed and brushed it off. However, coming from a kid like her, who’s known to be innocent and brutally honest, makes him believe it wholeheartedly. 

“Well, thank you for the compliment, Eri-chan,” he beamed at her. “I appreciate it.”

“Now to make things clear before you praise him again,” interjected Dazai. “Just know that it was me –”

Chuuya shoved his face away before he could finish his sentence. He turned back to Eri with a smile, hoping it would distract her from Dazai’s annoying whines and groans from behind. He had grown so accustomed to it, it practically felt like background noise now.

“Oh! What a coincidence, Dazai and Chuuya. You guys are here too!” Mirio walked over to them after returning the rifle to the stall owner. “Hope you guys didn’t see my embarrassing display earlier. Hahaha!”

We saw everything though…

Then Mirio turned to Eri, flashing an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Eri. I didn’t manage to win you the prize you want.”

“It’s okay,” Eri comforted, patting the third year’s shoulder. “Thank you for trying.”

Chuuya turned back to the stall, where some unicorn plushies were displayed as the prize for winning. Was Mirio trying to help Eri get that? And even though she was smiling, Chuuya could sense she was a little dejected. 

Well, he supposes he should thank her for her compliment earlier, right? If it was just shooting down a few tin cans, there’s no way he would miss, especially if he were to use his abilities. But he didn’t want that. Instead, he turned his focus onto Dazai, still whining and pouting. 

Seeing how fascinated she was by the brunette, Chuuya ought to make him do something good for the sweet kid, shouldn’t he? Plus, he just wanted an excuse to boss him around.

“Dazai,” Chuuya called, pointing over to the stall.

Dazai looked at him incredulously. “What? Like I can understand all the food, but why does Chuuya want a pink unicorn plushie that’s almost the same size as him?” 

The smack he delivered to the back of Dazai’s head was audible even in the noisy crowd. “Just shut up and go.”

“Ugh…fine.” Dazai groaned, rubbing the back of his head where Chuuya had hit him. 

He noticed Eri throwing him a curious glance, alternating between Dazai and him. “Just watch. My partner has great aim.” he said, by way of explaining.

They watched as Dazai exchanged a few bill notes for a rifle, taking his position in the middle of the stall. He held the rifle in his hands, testing its weight and frowning a little.

“Remember, you only have five chances to shoot down all four of these tin cans here if you want to win the prize,” the slit-eye chubs reminded. Looking at him, Chuuya has a feeling that the game’s rigged, which would explain why his stall is still filled with the unicorn plushies even though the festival had been going on for a while now.

Chuuya supposes if he was the one participating, he could just control the steel balls’ direction with his ability. But where’s the fun in that?

He’d rather make Dazai do it for him. And if by some chance he loses—Eri would most likely be sad again—Chuuya would step in. And win.

Not only is he able to cheer Eri up, he gets to gloat about his victory to the brunette, killing two birds with one stone.

Though the chances of Dazai losing were slim to none.

Dazai never plays a game where his victory isn’t ensured after all.

BANG!!

Dazai fired. The steel ball whizzed past the tin can, missing the target by mere inches. He didn’t seem too fazed by that, instantly reloading his rifle and taking aim again. This time, he moved a little to the right, making up for the distance he missed.

BANG!!

He fired again, his shot true, hitting the tin can right in the middle. The can toppled over the wooden perch it stood on. Without even waiting for the fallen can to touch the ground, Dazai had already moved onto the next target. 

He shot the last three remaining steel balls, each of them hitting the tin cans right in the middle without fail. The small crowd that had gathered around them a little while back started cheering while the chubs widened his eyes in shock and disbelief, his jaw hanging loosely. Chuuya snickered. 

Dazai tossed the rifle back at him, snatching the unicorn plushie before the chubs could even react. He stalked over to them, his eyes narrowing when he glanced over at Eri. But Eri seemed to only have eyes for the unicorn swaying in Dazai’s hands, taking no notice of the borderline hostile glare he was sending her way. 

When she tried reaching out to grab hold of the unicorn, Dazai–the asshole he was–hid it behind him, out of reach from Eri. “I’ll give it to you if you return Chuuya back to me.”

Chuuya kicked his shin, earning a high-pitched yelp. “Just give her the damn unicorn, Dazai.”

Dazai pouted, handing over the unicorn obediently. Chuuya watched as Eri’s mouth widened into the biggest grin he’s ever seen on her, a total contrast from when they just met. She didn’t seem as apprehensive and reserved as before, the walls erected around her having crumbled at some point. Without realising, Chuuya broke into a fond smile at Eri.

Mirio came up to them then, his hand reaching out to pat Eri on the head as she showed him the unicorn Dazai had just won for her. He turned to Dazai, “Wow, Dazai-kun. If I hadn’t known your quirk, I would’ve assumed you have a similar quirk with Snipe-sensei.”

“You flatter me,” Dazai said, his smile not really reaching his eyes.

“Say, do you mind watching Eri-chan for a while?” Mirio suddenly asked, winking at the both of them like they had a secret code or something. “She seems to have grown on you guys.” Mirio whispered to them.

Before even waiting for the both of them to respond, Mirio took off in the other direction, winking yet again with a thumbs up this time. 

“Hey! We didn’t agree to babysit your secret love child!” Dazai called out. Chuuya ignored the mackerel’s efforts at trying to get Eri off their hands (as if he’d allow that), perfectly content with this unexpected babysitting chore. 

“Well then, Eri-chan. Is there anything you want to do in particular?” Chuuya beamed at her. “We can do anything you want.”

“Anything?” Eri questioned.

“Anything.” Chuuya affirmed.

He has to admit, the kid had grown on him despite their very brief meetings. Chuuya wondered if his time away from the mafia and blood and violence he’s always surrounded by has made him grow soft. Unsure of the reason himself, Chuuya was ready to fulfil all her desires as best as he could while he’s still here.

“Don’t just leave me behind, Chuuya~” Dazai called out from behind, rushing to catch up to them.

——

When Chuuya said he would do anything Eri wants, he wasn’t lying about it. The ginger took her everywhere she wanted to go without question, sometimes even doubling back to the same stall twice. 

Dazai couldn’t quite believe how his partner was willingly letting himself be led around by the nose by a kid who’s almost a decade younger than him. And if Dazai was being critical here, they were technically to centuries their seniors!

It’s unfair how Eri can convince him to do anything just by looking at him with those big, round, expectant eyes. It takes a lot of effort just for Dazai to make the slug do what he wants unknowingly, damn it. If he had known all it took were a pair of innocent saucer eyes, he would’ve trained Q to do that for him.

Eri pointed at somewhere across the street just then, her eyes sparkling like she found a treasure. They looked over to where she was pointing, finding a makeshift obstacle course erected over a large area. A lot of people were gathered there, some cheering the participants while some were waiting in line for their turn.

“You wanna go there?” Chuuya asked, to which Eri nodded her head vigorously in response.”Alright, let’s go.”

Seeing this chance laid out in front of him, Dazai grasp onto it firmly. “Hey, Eri-chan! You wanna see Chuuya participating in that?”

“What? Dazai, what are you planning this time?” Chuuya asked, squinting at him sceptically. 

Dazai ignored him, focusing solely on Eri and her answer. She seemed to be in a dilemma, her gaze alternating between the stall and on Chuuya. Dazai decided to give her a little push. “He’s really strong, y'know. Could probably do it with his eyes closed.”

“Strong…?” Eri repeated. 

“The strongest person I’ve ever known,” Dazai assured. Hearing that, Eri’s eyes sparkled even more brightly when she looked at Chuuya.

“Can you really do that?” she asked Chuuya this time.

“I could if I wanted to,” came his brief reply. “Do you wanna see me participate?”

Eri nodded her head excitedly, her mouth almost breaking into a toothy, wide grin. That seemed to be enough of a reason to convince Chuuya into participating. He passed Eri to Dazai, shedding off his jacket, exposing the lean muscles along his arm. He passed that over to Dazai too, making him seem like an attendant from all the stuff he’s carrying. Eri included.

“Remember to watch me closely, okay?” he said, ruffling Eri’s hair while smiling. Then Chuuya turned to face him, flashing him a sweet smile filled with venom. Yikes, he didn’t even need to use words for his point to get across.

Take care of her or I’ll bury you alive.

Dazai averted his gaze, unable to bear the intense scrutiny of the ginger. Chuuya seemed satisfied enough with his reaction, walking towards the booth to sign himself up for the obstacle course race. There weren't too many participants so it didn’t take him long to finish the required process before he was escorted to the waiting area.

As Dazai waited for Chuuya’s turn in the spectator area, Eri suddenly asked, “Is Chuuya-san really strong?”

He turned to look at Eri, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Chuuya then around the whole obstacle course. She probably found the whole course daunting, with its tall, seemingly unscalable walls and narrow pillars they had to use to cross over to the other side. 

“Are you worried because Chuuya is so chibi-sized?” Dazai asked, raising a brow at her. He chuckled when her cheeks reddened a little from embarrassment. It isn’t the first time Chuuya was being underestimated purely because of his size, but hearing it from a 7-year-old kid made it all the more humorous. 

He wonders how Chuuya would react if he were here right now.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured the kid. And even though he knows Eri is solely asking about his abilities, Dazai couldn’t help but think back to Chuuya’s past. When he first found this chibi with the tenacity of a bull in the slums, when he first used Corruption against his brother, when he first found out his past. When he started questioning his humanity. All those times, Dazai was there to witness Chuuya in his most vulnerable form. And each of those times, Chuuya fought back with everything he could. It was doubtless to say that– “He’s the strongest person I know.”

The host announced Chuuya’s name then, their conversation coming to a halt. Both of them looked up to see Chuuya standing at the starting line along with a second-year student Dazai doesn’t recognise. “Remember, if you manage to beat your opponent, you’ll receive a grand prize! But don’t feel dejected if you lose, because if you still manage to complete the course in the given time, you’ll win a prize too!”

Dazai couldn’t be bothered to listen as the host rambled on about the rules and gave an introduction of the whole race course. Instead, he focused his attention wholly on Chuuya himself. The chibi started stretching, loosening his muscles as he prepared for his turn. The second-year beside him was almost twice his size, with bulky muscles and a whole head taller than Chuuya was. Though he seems completely unbothered by the sheer difference of their sizes.

Well, this is going to be easy, Dazai thought, already sure of the winner before the race even started.

“And don’t forget, the use of quirks is NOT allowed!” the host emphasised. “Well then, participants, to your line!”

Both Chuuya and the second-year lowered their bodies, getting into stance. 

“Ready!”

“Set…”

“...Go!”

A horn blared, signalling the start of the race. Both of them had an amazing start, bursting off to tackle their first obstacle. Though gradually, Chuuya started stretching the distance between them.

He climbed over the ladder two at a time, throwing himself over it and free-falling as he got to the ground. Rolling over to soften the impact, he immediately went to the next course. His smaller frame proved to be an advantage on the monkey bars as he swung from one end to the other while his opponent struggled a little to keep his body weight up.  

Dazai found himself cheering for the chibi along with Eri, pumping his fists in the air as he shouted for Chuuya.

The next course tested his speed and agility, having to run in a zig-zag formation with sharp corners. Chuuya also breezed through them easily, leaving his opponent bumping against the railing as the second-year started getting hasty as being overtaken. The next course was a little trickier than the previous one. Narrow pillars erected that Chuuya has to run on. His shorter legs made it difficult for him to reach the next pillar, with how far apart they were distanced.

If Chuuya can’t reach the next pillar, he’ll just jump towards it. Though if he falls, he would have to start over again and his opponent would catch up to him at that time. However, whatever his size lacked, his balance made up for it. His form barely wobbled as he jumped onto the next pillar, safely making his way across the course. The distance between him and his opponent had widened to a degree where even if Chuuya were to take a short break right there, he would still win.

In the last course where he had to scale a close to 20-feet wall with no ropes or foothold, Chuuya barely hesitated as he dashed towards it. He took big strides, pushing himself up the wall with each kick until his hand managed to grip at the ledge. He flipped himself forward, pressing a buzzer to signal the end of the race while his opponent had just finished crossing the pillar course. 

The crowd erupted with cheers and claps, each of them rooting for Chuuya who didn’t even break a sweat as he raced through the course. Even Eri was applauding him with a wide smile, her eyes filled with admiration and reverence as she stared at Chuuya standing at the top of the wall.

“Chuuya-san won!” she told him excitedly, even though he could see it just as clearly as she did. But seeing her so happy for him made Dazai feel a little proud too. 

Perhaps Eri wasn’t such a bad person to have around. Perhaps.

Chuuya looked around, his gaze finding them instantly. He smiled broadly then, giving them a thumbs-up. 

And Dazai understood just then. He understood why Chuuya was so protective and fond of Eri. 

Because like him too, Dazai wanted to protect that smile on his face. 

——

It was a cold, eerie underground space where not even a shred of sunlight could reach. The only light that exists to illuminate the pitch darkness of this space was coming from the bottom of the enormous tubes lining the walls that were housing an organism of some form.

The peculiar thing about these organisms was how they share the characteristics of a human, yet so very different from them. Some had arms as long as their bodies, limbs the size of canons, and even some with multiple pairs of arms, sticking out unnaturally from their back. But all of them shared a similar trait: their exposed brains.

These organisms were submerged in a gel-like liquid, not moving yet alive, if the beeping monitor in front of them were anything to go by. 

An old, portly man with a bald head strolled past them with a content smile on his face, looking up at the organisms fondly, like one would to a loved one. 

It was one of Garaki’s daily routines. He would do check-ups diligently on these Nomus he was raising, keeping an eye out on their health and status. If there was one thing that the doctor was proud of, it was these masterpieces of his own creation. There was nothing more he could ask for as an offering to his master and his closest friend.

One day, he would perfect these Nomus, and unleash them to serve his master’s purpose. And he would watch alongside his friend as they wreak havoc across the streets of Japan. 

Garaki walked all the way till the end of his underground lair, turning to face an empty tube. Not for long , he thought. I have the perfect candidate for you .

He looked down at his tablet, the screen displaying the portrait of a teenage boy with red curls. Garaki was reminded of his conversation with his friend not too long ago. 

‘I want his quirk, Doctor. Bring him to me.’

He’s heard of the destructive might of Nakahara Chuuya’s quirk from the spy they planted in UA, though he thought they were just exaggerations. After all, how could a 16-year-old boy with such a domineering quirk go unnoticed for so long? 

“Gravity manipulation, huh? What a fine quirk that is,” Garaki muttered, his gaze longing as he stared at Nakahara Chuuya’s portrait. With the power to manipulate gravity itself, everyone would be brought to their knees in the presence of All for One. 

“His body would be perfect to experiment on too,” he thought to himself. If Nakahara Chuuya’s body was holding such a destructive quirk, it’s safe to assume his body is more resilient than most. Garaki probably wouldn’t even need to do much to make his body capable of possessing multiple quirks on top of his original quirk. “He might just be my greatest masterpiece yet.”

However, it would prove to be a tricky job trying to kidnap someone like him. Even if he were to hire someone to do the dirty job for him, Nakahara Chuuya could easily overpower them just as he did to Class 1-A. Not to mention all twenty of them were receiving training from All Might himself, just a few random villains were not enough to capture the boy. 

Garaki needs to improvise his plan. 

If they were as close as they said… then Garaki shouldn’t be targeting Nakahara Chuuya, but him .

Dazai Osamu.

Chapter Text

To say there was a lot on his mind is a severe understatement. He found UA’s traitor, yes. But there was no evidence to back up his claim. It was mere speculation on his end, not nearly enough to convince UA of the traitor’s identity, even if Dazai was willing to bet his right arm that his deduction is accurate. Mori would’ve believed him without question.

And speaking of Mori, the hidden warehouse he had prepared for the sole purpose of aiding them in their return hadn’t even been explored yet. Dazai had tried hard not to focus on that trove of information just sitting there, waiting for it to be unravelled. It was too big of a risk to reveal this particular information. And while he knows Mori wouldn’t just let such information sit around without at least a few layers of protection, he couldn’t guarantee that smartass rodent wouldn’t figure out how to bypass it all. Hell, he couldn’t even guarantee Mori’s warehouse had withstood the test of time after all these years.

If the warehouse was no more, they would be stuck at a dead end, their hopes of returning crushed.

Lastly, the culprit who had caused all these in the first place remains a complete mystery to him. Who they were, where they were, how they brought them here, why this happened in the first place; each time he asks himself a question about this absurd situation, two more sprang up, plaguing his mind further. Dazai hated this feeling of not knowing. It makes him feel vulnerable and exposed. Like he was a puppet being controlled to follow a script he didn’t write.

As Dazai lamented on his thoughts, Chuuya joined him, leaning against the railing that was supporting his crouching frame. He felt the ginger’s gaze on him, a silent question he didn’t bother to acknowledge. If Chuuya wants to know something, he’s going to have to ask for it.

“And what are you sulking about, shitty mackerel?” Chuuya finally relented.

“How your descendants might suffer from dwarfism if they inherit your genes.”

Not that Dazai would give him an answer though.

“YOU LITTLE—!” Before Chuuya could put strength into his grip to strangle the life out of Dazai though, Class 1-A made their entrance, all donning their winter Hero costumes of varying colour and design. 

It had always been such a tacky aspect of Heroes that Dazai finds amusing. If Heroes were really adhering to their policy of saving lives, why would they need a uniform to distinguish themselves? But the civilians seemed to love it. Brings them a sense of comfort knowing a Hero is close, Dazai guessed.

Though it would ultimately be their undoing. Relying entirely on Heroes alone will make society progress backwards, unable to function without the presence of their beloved superheroes. Dazai wonders about the quirk-erasing drug the Shie Hassaikai had developed using Eri’s blood.

He hadn’t meant to pry previously, but after some time of bonding–if you could even call it that–with the kid back during the festival has definitely aroused Dazai’s curiosity. A little nudging and instigation from his part made Kirishima spill everything that happened when the Heroes subjugated the underground Yakuza group.

And the reason why Eri had been so entranced by the bandages covering almost every inch of his exposed skin made sense to him too, thinking he had also gone through what she did when reality was quite the opposite. If Mori had ordered it, he would’ve done what the Shie Hassaikai did to her without a shred of mercy, of that he is certain. 

Because a drug that could erase abilities would make the Port Mafia powerful beyond compare, controlling the very right of ability users to keep their abilities as they see fit. Those who obeyed them would be spared, and those who defied them would have their abilities vanquished. 

The life of a young girl in exchange for absolute dominance would’ve been a worthwhile sacrifice for Mori.

Dazai is an asshole who has no regards when it comes to deceiving people. But the thought of cheating Eri for her misplaced affection and sympathy does leave a bad taste in his mouth. 

This piece of information was the only one he kept hidden from Chuuya when he revealed his findings of UA’s traitor that night. Knowing Chuuya, he might just storm into Tartarus to finish off the bastard who dared to lay his hands on the kid he had come to care for. 

Even if he promised Chuuya that there would be no more secrets between them, Dazai couldn’t afford any distractions from the redhead at such a crucial time.

He would tell Chuuya everything in due time.

“You’re not trying to strangle him now, are you?” Kaminari chuckled, though it was laced with a tinge of concern for them. 

Chuuya released his hold around Dazai’s neck as more people approached, letting him flop back onto the railing. “Consider yourself lucky, shitty mackerel,” the ginger grumbled, leaning back against the railing as he observed the crowd.

“You guys’ friendship never fails to amuse me,” Kirishima jokingly commented.

“Who in their right mind would ever choose to be friends with this waste of space?” Chuuya scoffed.

“ Chuuya~! We’re supposed to be partners !” Dazai whined, grabbing the redhead by his shoulders and violently shaking him.

“Oh, fuck off.”

“Ugh, get a room.” Dazai distantly heard Bakugou mutter.

As Dazai tried to fend off Chuuya’s outstretched hand that was keeping him at bay, a wave of mocking laughter emerged from where Class 1-A had passed through earlier. When they stepped into the light, Dazai cringed at seeing yet another twenty more students all dressed in their winter Hero costumes. 

When Class 1-B were face to face with Class 1-A, a boy with neat blonde hair came forward, looked down at them with his nose in the sky, and declared in a mockery tone, “We’ll settle this once and for all, you arrogant lot from Class 1-A! We’ll pummel you like how you got your ass handed to you by a newcomer!”

The boy–Monoma Neito as Dazai remembered–started cackling without care even as the crowd around him were silent. Some of the 1-B students were even shaking their heads in embarrassment at Monoma’s proclamation. And because it was in his genes to fan the flames of hostility when he sees one, Dazai spoke.

“Wow, can’t believe someone has an even more aggravating voice than you, Kaachan,” Dazai said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY, YOU BANDAGED FREAK?!” Bakugou yelled, storming over and lifting him off the ground by his collar. “AND WHO THE FUCK SAID YOU COULD CALL ME THAT?!”

“Idiot,” Chuuya muttered, shaking his head but not moving to help him. Traitor.

It seems his little comment had ticked off Monoma too, for the cocky blondie strode forward into ‘enemy’ territory despite his fellow classmates’ protest. 

“You must be the new transfer. Dazoo…? Or David…? Apologies, but you’re not as remarkable as your so-called partner,” Monoma said in that mocking tone of his. To be honest, Monoma’s insult just slides right off him, but the image of Chuuya trying to stifle his laugh doesn’t go unnoticed. Then, Monoma turned to Chuuya, catching him off guard a little. “I must say, Nakahara-san. You should transfer to Class 1-B instead. This insufferable air in Class 1-A must be suffocating for you. We’ll gladly welcome you into the ranks of Class 1-B.”

The tone in which he spoke to Chuuya was vastly different from how he spoke with the entirety of Class 1-A. Like Chuuya was a separate entity from whatever category Monoma had classified Class 1-A as. Such a detail had of course not gone unnoticed by the ever observant Bakugou who was still holding him by his collar.

“You’re not welcome here, you 1-B extra.” Bakugou stalked over, forgetting about the bone he had to pick with Dazai just a moment ago. “You should head back to your gang of background characters where you belong.”

“And who asked you for your opinion, you angry chihuahua?” Monoma turned away from Chuuya to meet the blonde gremlin straight on. Dazai can see the bulging vein in both their foreheads as they worked to keep their tempers from spilling over. “Admit it, no one likes you.”

Dazai went to stand beside Chuuya as he watched the two blondes headbutt each other like agitated bulls, both sides trying to one up the other without getting physical. Some other students had intervened to keep the two from exploding before their joint training even began. 

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Chuuya commented.

“Chuuya loves that side of me though,” Dazai replied.

Chuuya scoffed, turning his head away. Dazai noticed the growing redness at the tip of his ears, feeling his own cheeks warm at the sight. He ignored these fettering feelings in him, afraid of confronting something he couldn’t bring himself to understand. Instead, he focused on what he could make sense of, what he could do without his mind shutting itself on him. 

What he needs now is evidence to back up his claim. Even just a small clue that could lead to a confession was enough. It was part of the deal he struck with Nedzu. Evidence in exchange for him turning a blind eye to whatever information he may find in Mori’s warehouse.

Should he abstain from this joint training battle like how he always has? Use this time to dig out for even more information he could use to his advantage. Or is there any way he could exploit this situation to get what he needs?

Dazai eyed Aoyama standing in the back of the crowd, wondering if he felt any guilt in standing amongst a bunch of gullible Heroes-in-training, parading as their friend while feeding information to their enemies. 

Dazai smiled cruelly as he wondered how much would it take for the boy to crack.

While his mind worked, his exterior betrayed none of the roiling thoughts crashing in him. All they’ll ever see is the playful and witty mask he chose to show, unbeknownst of how he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice any of them if it meant accomplishing his goals.

This time, he would have to sacrifice the trust Class 1-A had for each other.

“Don’t go around starting fights now, you brats.” A low, tired voice echoed from the entrance to Ground Gamma. A grey scarf had found its way around both Bakugou’s and Monoma’s neck, silencing both of them from any more nasty insults they were about to throw at each other.

From the darkness emerged the wielder of said grey scarf along with another figure. Aizawa Shouta and Vlad King, homeroom teachers of Class 1-A and 1-B respectively. Aizawa only loosened his hold on them after they were separated some distance away by their friends, sighing heavily under his breath.

Aizawa scanned the students gathered around him, his gaze lingering a second longer as it passed over Chuuya and him. Dazai only smiled, wondering what the underground Hero was thinking behind those inscrutable eyes of his. Nothing good, Dazai bet. He wasn’t quite keen on the idea that one of his students is the traitor UA hadn’t managed to uncover when Dazai had brought it up that day. 

“Before we start today’s joint training, we have a special guest joining us today,” Aizawa announced, grabbing everyone’s attention with that particular piece of information. Even Dazai was curious who this special guest would be. “He’s aiming to transfer into the Hero Course, so don’t make a fool of yourselves.” He directed his last sentence mostly to the two troublemakers he had to subdue previously.

“Special guest?”

“Who could it be?”

As murmurs broke out amongst the crowd, Aizawa stepped aside, revealing another figure from behind. A bed of messy, indigo hair with heavy eye bags hanging low that Dazai finds strangely similar to his sensei. He wore a mask-like device over the lower half of his face, a grey scarf wrapped loosely around his neck like the one Aizawa used. 

At the sight of Shinsou Hitoshi, Dazai felt something click into place, like he had found a missing puzzle piece he didn’t know he needed. The cogs in his mind spun faster than ever, weaving him a plan that just might work. 

Dazai studied Shinso as he would a textbook, calculating how their special guest would fit into this last-minute plan of his. Dazai took into account what he knew about Shinso’s brainwashing quirk, how it works, its limitations.

And the key for all this to work…

Dazai’s gaze landed on the ginger beside him. Whether his plan would work or not depends entirely on how Chuuya would act. He wasn’t even certain if Shinso’s quirk would work the way he wanted it to. But theoretically speaking, if it did work as he envisioned, his plan would be perfect.

However, even just one tiny miscalculation on Dazai’s part, and Chuuya might end up getting hurt in the process. 

And hurting Chuuya was the last thing Dazai wanted.

“What is it? What are you scheming, you bastard?” Chuuya asked, noticing Dazai’s eyes on him. The ginger frowned, his glare a silent command that Dazai spit out everything he was scheming. 

Instead of answering, Dazai asked a question that would determine the fate of his plan.

“Chuuya, do you trust me?”

—

Aizawa felt relieved seeing how everyone was so welcoming of Shinso. Frankly speaking, he was a little worried for the kid, afraid the others might distance themselves from him after what happened during the Sports Festival. Shinso hadn’t exactly gotten off the right foot with some of his students.

“Go ahead and introduce yourself,” Aizawa urged.

Shinso seemed to think about what to say for a moment, scanning his surroundings before speaking. “I'm Shinso Hitoshi. Some of you have already met me during the Sports Festival, and most of you probably don’t have the greatest impression of me because of my quirk. But your opinion doesn’t concern me. What I can tell you is that I will become a great Hero so I can use my quirk to help others. I have no intentions of making friends, and each of you are merely obstacles that I must overcome to achieve my goal.”

Aizawa held his breath for a moment after Shinso’s brief introduction. He understands why the kid is so desperate, starting so far behind the rest of his peers. It was why he agreed to be his mentor when Nedzu mentioned Shinso’s intention of transferring to the Hero Course, if only to help him shorten the gap that exists between him and the Hero Course students.

And to be quite honest, he saw his old self in the kid. Having to work his ass off twice as hard as his peers because his quirk isn’t the flashy kind that’s popular amongst Heroes. But being a loner isn’t the way to go, teamwork is an essential part in being a Hero. Aizawa wouldn’t have realised that were it not for Hizashi and Oboro. 

His heart clenched as memories of the past surfaced in his mind.

Before he could drown himself in those murky waters of the past, a round of applause sounded. Some of the students even started cheering and giving Shinso the thumbs up. Aizawa smiled faintly, seeing how welcoming and accepting everyone was. 

Well, seems like Shinso would fit in perfectly.

Vlad King was about to announce the next part of this training when Aizawa stopped him, noticing someone approaching. Someone Aizawa would very much prefer to not involve himself with, but the fact of the matter is, Dazai was under his responsibility, and therefore his business. 

Aizawa frowned as he watched the brunette approach with that easy smile on his face. It was an unsettling thing, Dazai paired with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. It reminded him of that day he had been summoned by Nedzu only for Dazai to announce–no, accuse –that one of his students was the traitor. 

The very same traitor that had jeopardised the lives of all twenty of his students multiple times, even leading to the kidnap of one of them by the LOV. No, he had tolerated enough Dazai’s borderline murderous actions ever since he had tried to put a bullet through his and Midoriya’s head, he would not allow another one of his students to fall victim to whatever scheme he was brewing. 

The moment Dazai starts pointing fingers at UA’s supposed traitor, that would be the day when UA would fall into a pit of doubt and distrust. If an internal strife were to occur within the Hero’s ranks, how were they supposed to face the League of Villains head-on in the future without a united front?

“Why should we believe you?” Aizawa had asked, his fists clenched hard as he controlled his temper from blowing out of proportions. “You appeared on our doorstep, threatened to kill my students, and now you accuse them of being a spy? You’ve barely been here for a month and you dare try to presume the loyalties of my students? You should consider yourselves lucky we hadn’t imprisoned you the moment you pulled out a loaded gun.”

And even after all that, all Dazai did was chuckle. Like Aizawa had simply commented about the weather.

“Accused? Presumed? You're severely mistaken. No, Aizawa-sensei, I’m simply stating the facts,” Dazai had replied lightly, that easy smile of his turned into a mocking one. “As much as I commend the trust and love you have for your students, if you still can’t see what’s happening after everything your students have gone through… Then you’re a fool.”

Aizawa found himself speechless at that. Because deep down, he knew . He knew and yet he never bothered to address it, blindly believing in the goodness of his students. Because he could never imagine any one of them being a spy for the Villains. Because it was the easy thing to do.

The fact that his dead friend’s corpse had been used to create Kurogiri, a being that was entirely loyal to the League of Villains, should’ve already been a warning to him. The fact that a spy of the LOV had managed to infiltrate themselves into UA shouldn’t come as a surprise to him. And yet he still chose to ignore the signs, unwilling to accept that one of his students would ever betray them.

And Dazai, who was a stranger, would be the one who could view things objectively without any bias as much as Aizawa hates to admit it. Regardless of how much truth his words hold though, it doesn’t necessarily mean Aizawa trusts the boy. 

Out of instinct, his hand had twitched to grab the binding scarf draped around him, a small comfort in knowing his weapon was close. However, that small little movement of his was caught by Nakahara who had been quietly observing since the beginning. In response, he stepped forward, shielding Dazai behind him. A faint red glow started outlining the silhouette of his body, sending a small yet dense wave of power radiating across the room.

“Try anything funny and see what happens,” he threatened, his voice low and menacing. It sent chills down Aizawa’s spine, knowing what the unassuming redhead was capable of, even more chilling was the fact that his erasure quirk would do nothing against Nakahara’s. 

Even having the former No. 1 Hero in the room with them would be of no help against an absolute powerhouse like Nakahara since All Might had lost his powers some time ago. 

“That’s quite enough,” Nedzu finally spoke, breaking the stalemate between them. “Aizawa-sensei, I understand your concerns regarding this matter, but I ask of you to control yourself and consider the possibilities. Suspecting anyone from our side, especially one of our students is the last thing I want to do. But it would be detrimental if we don’t cut off this tumour before it starts spreading and affects us negatively.”

“...I apologise, Principal. I understand your point. That was rash of me,” Aizawa sighed out, bowing a little towards Nedzu. Nakahara also released his quirk and relaxed his stance after Aizawa did so, though their glares never left each other. “But I hope Dazai’s opinion wouldn’t cloud your judgement or influence you in any way going forward.”

“Thank you for your advice, Aizawa-sensei.” Nedzu was surprisingly genuine when he said that. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to have some alone time with Dazai-kun.”

Nedzu’s dismissal was final. Even Nakahara didn’t protest as he made his way out of the room without questions. Aizawa could only follow, exiting the room along with All Might who had been silent the whole time with a conflicted expression on his face. 

After that, Aizawa hadn’t heard anything back from Nedzu. Seeing Dazai approach him now without any sort of wariness just made Aizawa want to tie the teenager up and wring out every last piece of information he was hiding under that mask on his.

“What is it?” he asked instead, not even trying to hide the disdain in his tone. “If you’re here to tell me you’re going to abstain from participating then do as you wish.” 

“Actually, I was about to tell you that Chuuya and I would be joining this time,” Dazai explained, much to Aizawa’s surprise. Up till now, Dazai hadn’t bothered to participate in any of the activities, especially when it required physical work. Aizawa initially guessed it was due to all the bandages, but after a while, he just chalked it up to the brunette being lazy and had no interest. So, why now?

“I see you’re trying to figure out why the sudden change of heart,” Dazai stated, most likely reading the puzzled expression on his face as Aizawa tried to decipher the teenager’s intentions. “I’m sure you already had this little training session planned for a while before our arrival, so I’m assuming this is going to be a battle with four of five people per group.” Aizawa kept quiet, listening to what kind of excuse Dazai was going to come up with today. “I’ll make it easy for you then. Both Chuuya and I, against another five. What do you say?”

Aizawa’s confusion only sank deeper. “Two against five? If you’re going to participate, we could just split the both of you into different classes so it would be balanced.”

“That’s true. But Principal Nedzu added a condition if we were to explore the warehouse I mentioned a few days ago.” Yes, this mysterious warehouse that sparked the whole conversation about the traitor in the first place. Apparently, it was a warehouse left behind by Dazai’s guardian–who’s also the Mafia Boss, Aizawa had recently gotten to know–in order to aid the return of the both of them. How Dazai even knew about this detail, Aizawa had no idea. And the fact that the Mafia Boss himself was personally aiding them makes Aizawa wonder how high up their position was in the Mafia. It made him rethink if they were simply children being taken advantage of to do the Mafia’s bidding. “He said we would have to prove that we can protect ourselves even if it’s just the both of us alone. He had planned for Chuuya and I to fight together soon, but I thought we could just use this opportunity now.”

Did Nedzu really plan that? He hadn’t heard a word about it from him. Though Aizawa supposed it could have been during their private discussion back then. He doesn’t know if he really should trust Dazai’s words, but it does seem like something Nedzu would propose. 

“...Fine. I can accept that,” Aizawa finally relented. Even though it was going to be an unfair fight, the fact that Chuuya managed to defeat all twenty of his students alone was a reminder enough that these two teenagers weren’t ordinary. Plus, Aizawa is curious how Dazai would fare in a battle. “And your opponents? Do you have someone in mind or we could just pick randomly?” 

“Well, I do have a few people in mind that I’d like to fight against,” Dazai said, his gaze scanning the students behind him. “If possible, we’d like to fight against Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, Iida, and Shinso.”

Aizawa’s eye twitched at the mention of his mentee. Was that Dazai’s goal all along?

“Why them?” he asked.

“Because they’re strong,” Dazai replied curtly. Then, as if thinking about it thoroughly, he added, “And if anything were to happen, they can protect themselves.”

“You say that as if something is going to happen,” Aizawa pointed out.

“It’s a battle. Accidents happen.” 

Dazai was deflecting, Aizawa could tell. 

“I can understand Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Iida. But why Shinso? You haven’t even seen him fight yet, how could you know if he’s strong enough to protect himself?”

“Hm, you’re right. But I trust his teammates would protect him if something happens.” Aizawa was a little surprised by that answer, to say the least. Was Dazai actually trying to look out for someone? Is Dazai a person capable of that? “Plus, Shinso’s quirk is intriguing. I want to see if his quirk would work on Chuuya or not. If it does, I’m going to make the slug my slave forever! Isn’t that great?!!”

Aizawa frowned at Dazai’s sudden change in attitude. Was that really the only reason why he chose Shinso? So he could mess with his friend? It certainly felt like something Dazai would do, but it doesn’t feel like that was the entirety of it to Aizawa. 

“...Alright. You’ll have your turn after everyone has fought, provided that they agree to it.” 

“Perfect!” 

—

He rustled through his pockets, trying to grab something when reality struck him. Chuuya cursed internally, remembering where he was at the moment and he didn’t have his stash of cigarettes with him. 

Chuuya desperately needed a smoke right now. The stress—of everything, really—was threatening to crush him under its weight. Which would sound ironic considering he could control gravity, and weight, of all things, should affect him least. But that’s not the case when it comes to the works of the mind.

Fists clenched, he examined the immaculate area that was Ground Gamma in front of him. It was a sight to behold, not necessarily because of how it looks, but rather the sheer expanse of it. It was almost the size of a mini-city with its buildings and structures and all, yet its purpose was just for little Hero brats to train their quirks.

And UA supposedly had more of these?

Chuuya wonders if it really was a wise choice pouring this much funds into one, singular institution when the money could’ve been used to raise the standards of living for the country’s citizens. Not that he could say much when he worked for the Mafia that could probably buy a whole city if they wanted to with all the money they had.

Despite it just being a random, normal day, Chuuya couldn’t stop the anxiety from bubbling up to the surface of his mind. Because how could it ever be a normal day when you’re plunged 200 tears into the future?

Glancing to where the students were sitting around in groups they had been assigned to just earlier, Chuuya sighed. He actually wanted to join in on whatever this joint training battle is, if only so he could loosen this tension that had coiled itself around his body since Dazai struck that deal with Nedzu. 

He knows he should feel relieved, elated even since they were finally getting somewhere , even if that somewhere was still unknown to him. After so many days have passed where they had let the Heroes handle everything like the obedient child they were expected to be, Dazai and him were finally able to get a hold on something that could loosen this chain shackling them.

Well, Dazai did it mostly. Chuuya could only slowly piece together whatever little information and clues they found until Dazai finally revealed how all of them connected to each other. 

Which was a little humiliating to say the least. It wasn’t like Chuuya’s too stupid to figure anything out, that slimy mackerel was just too smart and devious for his own good. And in his defence, Dazai only had to elaborate a certain clue a tiny bit more before Chuuya eventually got the gist of it too.

It just infuriates him whenever Dazai explains it like it’s obvious.

And it does feel obvious when he mentioned it.

But still .

Back then, when Dazai implied the traitor to be Aoyama, he couldn’t make sense of it. To him, the boy was just a narcissist who was obsessed with himself, and hence all the mirrors he found in the boy’s room. He would’ve been the last guy Chuuya ever suspected to double-cross the Heroes. 

But then Dazai mentioned the interesting set of call logs he found while rummaging through Class 1-A’s phones. And though it does put Aoyama in a suspicious light, he was still confused about something.

“Why were you even suspicious of him in the first place?” Chuuya had asked. “I get why you suspected Hagakure, Jirou, and Shouji. But why Kaminari and Aoyama?”

Hagakure, Jirou, and Shouji had quirks that were fit for spy work, so it made sense if they were the spies. Especially Hagakure who could basically eavesdrop on any important meetings right under the Heroes’ nose. 

But Kaminari and Aoyama? A simpleton and a narcissist? They couldn’t be further from the spy that Chuuya had in mind who could evade detection for so long. 

“Because they aren’t used to their quirks.” Dazai didn’t offer any more elaboration after that, like that fact alone should solve all the questions he had.

“…So what? How does that fact alone put them under your radar?”

“Tsk tsk. Chuuya should pay attention in class.” Dazai had shook his head like he was disappointed and hadn’t expected much of him from the start, which irritated Chuuya to the core.

“Just spit it out, slimy mackerel.”

“You know how quirks are different from our abilities?”

“Yeah? Their powers are like integrated into their DNA while our abilities are separate. What about that?”

“Exactly. For the past 200 years, humans had been evolving that their powers became one with their body. Which would explain the sudden surge of abilities since genes can be inherited,” Dazai explained. “And since their powers are linked to their genetic DNA, it would make sense that their very genetic structure would be altered so it could accommodate whatever powers they manifested.”

“Okay…” Chuuya had been listening really closely, but the path Dazai was trying to lead him in was still blurry.

“Take Bakugou for example. His sweat contains nitroglycerin, which is what gives him his explosion quirk. However, just because he has an extra substance in his sweat doesn’t mean his body should be able to withstand all those explosions. You see where I’m trying to get to?”

“…Yeah, I guess.” And then the path didn’t seem blurry at all now, because Chuuya could in fact understand what Dazai was trying to tell him. Any normal human shouldn’t be able to withstand an explosion without taking some damage, but Bakugou could. He could release a volley of explosions and his hands would still be fine, albeit some strain to it for overexerting his quirk. But he was relatively fine at the end of the day. Something in his genetic structure must’ve been different for him to withstand his own explosions. “Are you suggesting that because Kaminari and Aoyama couldn’t resist the drawbacks of their quirks that they weren’t naturally born with them? Couldn’t it just have been a genetic defect then? It isn’t rare for that to happen.”

“Only Aoyama in this case. All this while when I had excused myself from practical training, I’ve been observing how 1-A uses their quirks and studied the drawbacks. Kaminari frying his brain from using his quirk seems inevitable, even with his genetic structure altered. And seeing how quick he recovers from it, I guess that’s his body’s way of accommodating his quirk.” Then Dazai had looked him straight in the eye with a type of seriousness that could only mean whatever he would say next was an important clue. “Tell me Chuuya, what do you know about All for One?”

“That super, mega, big boss villain of this era? Well, we know he’s the actual leader of the LOV, and that he's been alive since a very long time ago, and his quirk is that he can steal quirks and can also grant them—”

His eyes had widened with clarity. Everything made sense to him in that instant. 

“Wait, was that why you snuck into the infirmary last time?” When Chuuya glanced back at Dazai, the brunette had his smug smile on. The smile that screams ‘punch me’ in Chuuya’s books. 

“Yup! And guess who always visits the infirmary for stomach problems.” Dazai winked at him.

No wonder why him finding stomach pills stashed under Aoyama’s bed had piqued Dazai’s interest. 

“Well shit. Do you think Aoyama’s doing it willingly then?”

“Not too sure. He could be doing it willingly as a way to repay All for One for giving him a quirk. Or the likely scenario in this world–where quirkless people are often ostracised and seen as ‘less’–is that he couldn’t accept that he was quirkless and reached out to All for One, who then turned him into a spy as a form of repayment. Or his parents did that since they’re like a middleman in all of this. But honestly? I don’t really care how or why Aoyama’s the spy. I just care that he is and he’ll be our bargaining chip with UA.” Dazai shrugged it off, like he didn’t care to dig further than needed.

“I guess…”

“Oh, and you know what’s the best part?” Dazai turned all giddy when he reached this part, like he was about to gossip about the latest scandal or whatnot.

“What?” Chuuya didn’t bother hiding the scepticism in his tone then.

“Aoyama isn’t the only one who got his powers from an external source…”

Originally, Chuuya had already been satisfied that Dazai was willing to tell him so much, even if he was being an asshole at times. So when he had revealed that the broccoli boy had inherited his quirk from the Symbol of Peace himself, Chuuya had been surprised, to say the least. And when he started comparing Midoriya’s quirk to All Might’s, he noticed all the uncanny similarities they share.

Everything seemed so obvious the moment Dazai pointed it out, not that he was ever going to admit it. Just thinking of how that mackerel would gloat about it makes him have a headache.

As Chuuya started beating the shit out of this imaginary version of Dazai he conjured in his mind (which is becoming a little unhealthy, Chuuya admits), someone came up to him.

“How are you doing, young Chuuya?” All Might asked, plastering on this kind and genuine smile that honestly puts him on edge. He eyed the former No. 1 Hero up and down, wondering what he wanted to say to him. His gaze flitted back to the corner where All Might came from.

And there was Midoriya, staring at them with eyes filled with concern and wariness.

Had they been talking? Chuuya wondered.

Chuuya doesn’t care about what they talked about, but after he knew the truth and started paying attention, their little interactions only solidified Dazai’s deductions that All Might had passed down his quirk to Midoriya. 

“Never better,” Chuuya replied with no further explanation, hoping the Hero either walks away or drops all the small talk and gets to the point.

“So, um, about what you and Dazai proposed the other day,” All Might started, his tone cautious and uncertain. His fingers fidgeted against the cuff of his suit, like some nervous little kid who was about to get scolded by their parents. “You guys said you found the UA traitor?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I have to ask. How certain are you that the culprit you have in mind is the correct one?” All Might’s tone suggested that he doubted what they said were the truth, but Chuuya was not going to go out of his way to convince him. 

He can doubt them all he wants, but it still wouldn’t change the fact that a traitor exists among their ranks. And Chuuya’s pretty sure UA knows that too, so if they still choose to ignore the signs, then so be it.

“Very,” he replied curtly.

“But how can you be so sure?” All Might’s tone sounded desperate now. It was as though he was trying to make Chuuya question himself. “We hadn’t even gotten a clue on who—”

“Because you Heroes are a bunch of arrogant stuck-ups who never for once stop to think that not everyone is as heroic as they claim to be,” Chuuya interrupted him, turning to glare at All Might straight in the eye. “You Heroes are so narrow-minded and stubborn in your beliefs that all anyone could ever be is either a Hero or a Villain. And because of that, you’re blind to the fact that not every Hero is as good as they say. Plus, you Heroes just can’t accept the fact that a Villain has bested you and is parading right under your nose.”

All Might flinched away from Chuuya, like his words had physically burnt him. Chuuya wanted to ridicule him more, point out every single flaw in their beliefs, in the way they operated for the greater good . He held back nonetheless. This wasn’t his world, he had no obligation to try and change it. 

If this generation can’t identify the flaws in this system they themselves set up, society would eventually collapse. And when that time comes, Chuuya would be long gone.

“Even still—” All Might tried.

“If Dazai said he found the traitor, then he found the traitor.” Chuuya left the poor guy no room for doubt, his words held conviction in every syllable, his voice unwavering. 

“And you just believe him without a doubt?” Chuuya could tell All Might was trying to make them rethink their decisions in order to protect this trust and bond Class 1-A shared after overcoming so many ordeals together. All of it would crumble if they started pointing fingers. Class 1-A would not be the same again when they find out one of their peers was secretly sabotaging them. “What makes you trust his judgement so much?”

Trust was such a colossal yet fragile word to him. It took so much of him to trust someone unconditionally, and yet it took so little to shatter said trust completely. He’s not proud to say he experienced such an incident just a year ago when the Sheep betrayed him, but at least he managed to learn something from it.

And Dazai?

He’s the most loathsome, detestable, aggravating asshole that existed on the planet without a doubt. Chuuya couldn’t even remember the number of times he had fallen for the bastard’s lies and pranks and schemes. Dazai may be a lying, conniving, deceiving bastard, but… 

“Chuuya, do you trust me?”  

So, does he trust Dazai?

Chuuya knew it the moment he asked himself that question. It wasn’t even a question worth debating about.

While he doesn’t trust the mackerel to not put him into dangerous situations… He sure as hell trusts Dazai to have his back when things get dangerous.

“No idea. But I trust that bastard with my life.”

Chapter Text

“So, how did your conversation go with Aizawa-sensei?” 

“Perfectly as planned. He agreed, obviously.”

“Why the hell would he even agree to it in the first place?”

“Borrowed Nedzu’s name for a bit. Little white lie. No harm done.”

Yet.

“I’ll never understand what kind of sorcery you use to get people to do what you want.”

“People find me rather charming, I must say.”

…

“Get your fucking head off of me, you shitty mackerel!” Unable to endure it any longer, Chuuya elbowed Dazai away, his head finally freed from the weight of the mackerel’s head. The brunette made a big show about it as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his chest like Chuuya had impaled him.

Always the drama queen, Dazai Osamu was. 

The hit wasn’t even strong enough to warrant that kind of reaction. Right?

“Aww~~But Chuuya’s height is made for the perfect headrest!” Dazai moaned in that whiny voice of his that never failed to trigger this bubbling annoyance in him. It seems like the only emotion that Dazai manages to stimulate in him ever since they first met.

Until it wasn’t.

Chuuya wasn’t about to delve into that foreign territory yet.

Dazai pulled himself up with a pout, dusting off his black overcoat. Chuuya couldn’t help but scrutinise the brunette before him, taking in every single change he hadn’t noticed before. His face lacked the roundness and baby flesh Chuuya was once accustomed with. His cheekbones and jawline had grown more prominent over the months when they were partners in the Port Mafia.

And the most notable change of all is the mackerel’s height.

When they first met at age fifteen, Dazai had only won him over a couple centimetres in height. But now, after only a year, Dazai was positively towering over him.

(That was just a gross exaggeration on his part because Dazai is just barely half a head taller than him, though in Chuuya’s perspective, having to tilt his head up whenever he speaks to the mackerel is quite the humbling experience.)

Chuuya finds the growth of the human body as incomprehensible as this world he was thrown into. How, in whatever circumstance, could Chuuya be shorter than Dazai ? He was the one eating three meals a day. He was the one drinking milk diligently. He was the one who exercised consistently. So where the hell did Dazai , who barely even eats or exercises, find the nutrients to increase his height so overwhelmingly while Chuuya was still stuck in this cursed height?

It felt like a stab to his guts to admit he was, indeed, not growing at all.

Feeling annoyed, Chuuya stomped his heels hard onto Dazai’s foot.

“Hey! What was that for?” Dazai complained, doubling over and clutching his injured foot this time.

Ignoring the mackerel’s continued whines and complaints, Chuuya turned around to focus on the large screen in front of him. It was split into a few smaller screens that displayed different scenes across the entirety of Ground Gamma. One panel enlarged to show the positions of the two teams who were starting off this joint training battle.

Chuuya was pretty familiar with Class 1-A’s side of students, having trained and sparred with them for quite some time. Shinso Hitoshi was a bit of a question mark though. All he knew about the kid was the brainwashing quirk he saw Shinso used in the Sports Festival footage. 

Class 1-B was an even bigger question mark since he never saw them in action before. Though he knew about their quirks, all thanks to Dazai’s disgustingly amazing snooping skills.

He always had–at least he thought he had–his eyes on Dazai, so how Dazai managed to procure this much information on UA will always be a mystery to him.

Vlad King announced the start of the match without delay. The lively chatter of the students quietened down too, favouring their attention on the big screen, their eyes filled with anticipation. 

Chuuya was also watching the match closely, surveying the field so he could get a good grasp of the entire terrain of Ground Gamma. Being the first team to battle is like being the guinea pig in an experiment since they have close to zero knowledge about the field. As for the other teams, they could survey the field like he is and plan accordingly.

The last team would have the biggest advantage when it comes to understanding the terrain. Which brings the question: was it just a coincidence that Dazai planned for their team to go last or was it intentional?

With Dazai, it’s always impossible to decipher his thoughts accurately.

After a while, the first match ended with Class 1-A’s victory. It was a rather anticlimactic match to Chuuya, though it was interesting seeing them use their variety of quirks. It’s not like it was common for over a dozen people with supernatural abilities to gather together back in their world. And normally, ability users don’t tend to flaunt their powers so openly in front of a crowd. 

UA’s complacence in the virtues of their beloved Hero students has blinded them from seeing the truth. They were basically spoon-feeding information to the traitor which would then fall into the Villains’ hands, damning themselves ultimately.

Chuuya has a feeling Dazai was utilising that little detail when he said they would be participating in this joint training battle. 

If UA wants evidence, they just need to make them.

Speaking of, he needed to discuss with the mackerel what hazardous plan he thought of.

“Oi, shitty Dazai. What’s our plan?” Chuuya asked. Dazai had dropped his dramatics at some point of time and had been watching the screen just as intently as Chuuya had. Now that the match was over and Aizawa was briefing the students, they had some time to converse away from prying eyes.

“Hmm…Divide and conquer?” Dazai replied casually, his gaze shifted over to Shinso.

“Hah? Shouldn’t we stick together?”

“Aww~~ Is my dog going to miss me~?”

“Don’t push it,” Chuuya threatened, brandishing his fist as a warning. “And be serious. I know you’re planning something. I want you to tell me what it is instead of making me figure it out all by myself.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Dazai pouted.

“Dazai. You promised. ” Chuuya’s tone was firm and demanded an answer. Not even Dazai, with his mastery in the art of deflection, can ignore this.

Dazai sighed, pressing his lips into a thin line. “Fine, I’ll tell you. You’re not gonna like it though.”

“Spare me the theatrics and just spit it out.” 

“You'll have to purposely get brainwashed by Shinso.” 

“Hah! And you expect me–”

“I’m serious Chuuya.”

With the playfulness stripped from his voice, that is when Chuuya fully recognises the gravity of Dazai's supposed plan. 

There’s only a handful of instances when Dazai would be so absolute in his seriousness. One Chuuya didn’t like to acknowledge. 

“And then what? What are you trying to accomplish here?” Chuuya grunted out, his gaze on the brunette intensifying.

Chuuya already knew where this was going, but he needed to hear it from the bastard’s bloody mouth to make it real.

“Surely you understand what I’m trying to imply–”

“I want to hear you say it.”

They were both silent for a moment, the din of their classmates fading to a hum of background noise as they both stared at each other.

“When Shinso brainwashes you,” Dazai started. “Your consciousness would be surrendered to him. And when that happens, Arahabaki would likely take over.”

“Arahabaki,” Chuuya breathed out, his power flaring underneath his skin for a moment, as though a simple mention of that accursed entity had managed to awaken it. An infant stirring into consciousness whenever its name was called. It was painfully obvious that whenever Arahabaki is involved, shit happens.

He wasn’t even certain Corruption would activate without saying the usual verses.

Theoretically, it could work. The moment his consciousness was seized, Arahabaki wouldn’t miss the opportunity to take over the very vessel housing it. Chuuya’s concerns lie in how it would affect Corruption altogether if Arahabaki wasn’t released in the conventional way.

“If you’re uncomfortable with that, I’ll think of something else.” Dazai’s voice pulled him away from his thoughts. “We still have plenty of time, we don’t have to–”

“Don’t patronise me,” Chuuya hissed. “If Corruption is needed for your plan to work, then I’ll do it.” Chuuya bumped his fist against Dazai’s chest, not at all gently. “You asked me to trust you, right? Well, this is my answer. So you had better come save my ass, shitty Dazai.”

A rare smile played across the brunette’s lips, with none of his usual scheming and conniving edge.

“Duly noted.”

—

The joint training battle concluded without any mishaps. Well, excluding Midoriya’s quirk suddenly going haywire and nearly putting his teammates’ lives in danger. Though thanks to Shinso’s brainwashing, Midoriya’s quirk managed to calm down before the teachers had to intervene.

Aizawa smiled a little. There was no need for the kid to worry about his quirk being perceived as ‘villainous’. Shinso would make a fine Hero.

Class 1-A’s performance was impeccable too. They were vastly different from the inexperienced punks he met during the first day of school. Each of them had grown from a brat into someone worthy of the title ‘Hero’. 

Some day, Aizawa would be facing them as a Hero, not as a student. And when that day comes, he knows he would have succeeded as a teacher.

While he watched the students talking amongst themselves, reflecting over their performance earlier, two pairs of footsteps came to a halt behind him. Aizawa cursed internally. He didn’t need to turn to know who was behind him.

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten about his promise with Dazai. Regardless, it didn’t mean he was entirely supportive of it. He only accepted it as a courtesy to Nedzu. Dazai shared such an uncanny resemblance with the Principal’s cunningness that Aizawa's time was better suited thinking of countermeasures rather than trying to crack the mysteries surrounding them.

He could only hope Dazai and Chuuya would keep the disasters to a minimum . 

Aizawa cleared his throat. “Before we wrap things up for today, there’s one more match to go.” The news of another training battle perked the students up, some of them displaying confusion and curiosity. “As per requested–” Aizawa halted for a moment, trying to think of a logical reason to back up this sudden announcement since Dazai’s and Chuuya’s identity are meant to be a secret. “–by the Yokohama Hero Institution, we are to conduct a training battle with their students too. They have requested for Dazai and Nakahara to be paired up in hopes of improving their team dynamic by making them hold out for as long as possible against multiple enemies at once–”

The students’ roar reverberated across the entire field. 

“Are we going to see Dazai and Chuuya fight together then?!”

“We’ve never even seen Dazai in action before!”

“Ooh! Do we get to see the two transfers fight?”

“Did Aizawa-sensei just say multiple enemies?!”

“Silence!” Aizawa bellowed out as loud as he could. The students, thankfully, settled down pretty quickly, though murmurs were still passed around in hushed whispers. “As I was saying, Dazai and Chuuya will be facing multiple enemies at once. And they have specially requested five of you: Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, Iida, and Shinso.”

All heads swivelled to the five of them as they stood a little straighter, their eyes widening a fraction at their names being called. Shinso particularly seemed quite perplexed by the situation. Aizawa winced internally, realising how his story doesn’t add up since Shinso’s involvement in today’s training wasn’t even mentioned until, well, today .

Lying is certainly not his forte.

“Before that,” he went on hastily, hoping that little slip-up would go unnoticed. “All five of you have the right to abstain from this battle as you see fit. Midoriya, your sudden quirk outburst earlier could be taking a toll on your body. Todoroki and Iida, both of you have only just returned from the infirmary. Shinso, you’ve more than proven yourself worthy of transferring to the Hero Course. There is no need for any of you to agree to this battle if you are unwilling to.”

“HAH! NO FUCKING WAY I’LL ABSTAIN! BRING IT ON, YOU FUCKERS!” Bakugou pumped his fists, a small spark going off between his fists. He flashed a crazed smile as his battle intent rose.

“Bakugou. Language, ” Aizawa chided sternly, though the boy barely acknowledged his words, preferring to glare past his shoulders at the pair standing behind him. 

Aizawa sighed, turning to face Midoriya, beckoning him to give an answer.

“I…I would like to participate in this battle too, Aizawa-sensei,” he said with some conviction. “I promise I’m not pushing myself. In fact, I feel much better now than before. I believe my quirk has calmed down from its previous outburst. I think–”

Aizawa held up a hand to stop the boy from rambling further, posing his question to another party instead. “What about the both of you, Todoroki and Iida?”

They both contemplated in silence for a while. 

Finally, Todoroki spoke up first. “I would like to participate in this battle too. I think I can perform better than I did earlier. And…I want to win.”

Aizawa heard Bakugou scoff at that.

“Me too. We have already recovered from our injuries, so I don’t think there will be a problem. Therefore, I would like to participate in this battle too.”

Aizawa nodded at that, then turned to the last participant. “And Shinso?”

His mentee seemed a little lost at what he should do. Glancing over to where Dazai and Chuuya were, Aizawa watched from his peripheral vision as the former gave Shinso a friendly wave. 

Shortly after, Shinso gave his answer. “I…I’ve never watched them fight before, so I’m a little curious about how other Hero Institutions train their students. Fighting them will give me more insight on how a Hero operates. So I would like to participate in this battle too, as a learning experience.”

Glancing over at each of their determined faces, Aizawa couldn’t help but sigh. Even before, he had already expected such a result. His students were never one to back away from a challenge. This sense of competitiveness is further fuelled by the fact that they have been defeated by Chuuya alone, without Dazai, and with plenty more help on their side. That moment of defeat was surely etched deep in their memories and would forever plague them until their hunger is satisfied with the taste of victory.

Still, a small part of him had hope one of them would reject it. That way, Dazai’s plan would be null. And he could prevent his students from the risk of danger too.

After all, it never bodes well to be involved in whatever schemes Dazai and Nedzu plotted.

Aizawa didn’t even have to ask to know this was all going accordingly as Dazai had planned. He’s pretty sure the brunette had even calculated such positive responses from the five of them that he didn’t bother to refute Aizawa’s decision to let the five of them choose if they wanted to participate or not. 

That doesn’t mean he was just going to sit by and watch Dazai carry out his plan at the expense of his students’ safety. 

If he can't figure out Dazai’s scheme, he’ll just take countermeasures against the possible outcomes.

“Before we start, there’s a few changes to the rules of this battle,” Aizawa continued, having already rehearsed this in his mind a few times over while the training battle had been ongoing. “Like previously, Midoriya’s team only needs to capture their opponents and hold them captive in their own prison. And since there’ll only be two people on Dazai’s and Nakahara’s team, the battle will be over when both of them are captured. However, this won’t apply to Dazai and Chuuya.” Aizawa noticed Dazai’s look of bemusement from the corner of his eye; he promptly ignored the teenager. “Both of them would have to hold out for the entirety of the twenty minutes allocated for the battle, meaning Midoriya’s team has the right to capture them but not the other way around. Furthermore, if anyone from Midoriya’s team can touch any vital spots–whether the head or the chest–of either Dazai or Chuuya, they would be considered ‘dead’ and will subsequently be forfeited from the battle.”

The students roared yet again, this time with even more fervour than before. Confusion and curiosity was replaced by astonishment and disbelief. Aizawa understood how bizarre and absurd such an arrangement sounded, but he had no choice if he wanted to protect his students from falling into Dazai’s trap.

“ Another handicap?! Just how brutal is the training programme in Yokohama?!”

“I know right! Do their teachers hate them or something?”

“But it isn’t exactly unfair though. Chuuya did technically defeat all of us alone without a single person being able to land a hit on him.”

“You’re right!”

“But still! How are they so nonchalant about this?!”

“Alright, settle down!” Aizawa shouted again, attempting to calm the students who were even more frantic than the involved participants. “If there’s no questions, you can go ahead and strategize your course of action. The battle will begin in ten minutes!”

—

“I say we face them head-on!” Bakugou suggested, a wild gleam across his pupils. He won his previous match in breakneck speed, but that was not nearly enough to make him feel truly excited. Of course, he’s glad he’d won, however that battle hadn’t made his blood pump as vigorously as it did now.

He had a score to settle with that redhead shrimp after all.

Just thinking about it caused him to feel that phantom, numbing pain on his ribs where a faint bruise mark still lies. To think it was just barely a week ago when he had been so mercilessly pummelled by that pipsqueak. Chuuya had not held back at all on his kicks, delivering them with the force of a wrecking ball towards his torso. Unable to defend his flurry of kicks, Bakugou’s ribs had ended up taking the brunt of it.

It was definitely a miracle that he managed to walk away without a cracked rib, though a blue-black mark had sprouted across his sides and front where the kicks had been centred on.

What pissed him off even more was the fact that the entire time they were sparring–if you could even call it that–Chuuya hadn’t even deigned to remove his hands from his pockets.

The mark had subsided since then, yet the mental mark of such a defeat was still etched deeply in his mind. The only way Bakugou could be satisfied was by forcing that pompous little shit to use his hands.

“Um, Kaachan, that’s a bit–”

“SHUT UP, DEKU!” Bakugou yelled. Obviously fighting them head-on is a bad fucking idea, he was fully aware of that. Regardless, that didn’t mean he needed the nerd to remind him. 

“Guys, let’s not argue and focus on coming up with a plan first,” Iida said, his arms moving in a robotic way. 

“Before that, mind telling me a bit about the two transfers? I’ve never actually seen them in action before,” Shinso interjected with a raise of his hand. “I only know their quirks.”

And of course Deku took upon the job of explaining it to the newbie like the damn nerd he was.

“Of course, Shinso-kun! As you know, Dazai-kun has a nullifying ability like Aizawa-sensei’s though his is activated through touch. Chuuya-kun on the other hand is similar to Uraraka-chan though he can manipulate gravity entirely,” Deku started, as if the other party didn’t already know this obvious fact. “We had fought against Chuuya-kun before and his control over his quirk is phenomenal, I must say. Until now, we’ve never seen the drawbacks of his quirk, much less the limits of it, so he’s a very formidable opponent and you must stay extremely vigilant when going against him.” Shinso nodded in acknowledgement, no doubt thinking about the rumours of Class 1-A being defeated by a single student. “As for Dazai…”

Deku trailed off, his eyes darting around before landing on Iida for a brief second too long. Bakugou scrunched his brows downwards, wondering what other secrets the nerd was hiding.

“We know almost nothing about him. At least when he’s in battle,” Iida continued on where Deku left off. 

“How come? Haven’t you guys already spent a whole month with them?” Shinso inquired. The confusion in his voice was understandable. Not even Bakugou could figure out the bandaged freak’s intentions. He looked weak, but apparently, according to his dear partner, he was an even more terrifying opponent to go up against. 

Bakugou couldn’t determine if his words were true or if it was just a ridiculous exaggeration.

Dazai was basically quirkless so long as you don’t get too close to him. 

In his opinion, Dazai’s quirk was a downgrade of Aizawa’s. At least his sensei could disable someone’s quirk from a distance away before capturing them. What could Dazai do if his target were to run away from him using their quirk?

“Well, that may be so, but he kinda skipped out on each of our practical training,” Deku laughed nervously like he was the one missing out on classes. 

“So that prick was watching us, huh? Sly bastard,” Bakugou commented. People may see him as someone who thinks with his fists, but he wasn’t blind. In fact, Bakugou sees himself as someone who’s quite observant. 

The sight of Dazai always watching from somewhere nearby never went unnoticed.

“Wait, Kaachan, you’re right!” Deku exclaimed, most likely coming to the same conclusion as him.

“Of course I am, the fuck?!”

“So the reason why he wasn’t participating was because he was watching us?” Iida questioned in disbelief. “Then that means…”

“So he knows all about you but no one knows anything about him, huh?” Shinso finished, already caught up. “Then that means I’m the only one he isn’t familiar with. Would my quirk even work on him though?”

“Aizawa-sensei has been training you right?” Deku directed his question to him. “Have you tried using your quirk on him?”

“I wanted to, but sensei never agreed.”

“Okay, then we’ll just assume the worst that Shinso’s quirk won’t work on Dazai.”

It would be a bummer if Shinso’s quirk doesn’t work on Dazai even if he wasn’t touching the latter. If it worked, they could just focus on brainwashing Dazai then control him to nullify Chuuya. And when his quirk is nullified, someone just has to touch one of his vital spots and it’s game over.

Speaking of, Bakugou was pretty pissed about the handicap given to the two of them. It felt like those people from the Yokohama Hero Institution were looking down on them, deeming them unable to even fight them on even grounds without such an extreme handicap.

They weren’t exactly wrong, but still.

“I have something to input.” Todoroki said, gathering everyone’s attention on him. “It isn’t much, but one time when Chuuya was using his quirk to balance his water bottle without using his hands, Dazai managed to nullify Chuuya’s quirk just by touching the bottle. Not his body.”

That, Bakugou didn’t know. Props to the icy hot bastard to notice the most random thing ever. At least his observation is helpful this time.

”That’s pretty insightful, Todoroki-kun. Now we know Dazai can nullify someone without touching them directly. Which also means we can’t get too close to him and have to be extra careful around him…” 

Bakugou rolled his eyes, trying to tune off the nerd’s incessant muttering with no success. 

“So if I used my capture weapon to subdue him, I won’t be able to use my quirk too,”  Shinso commented, looking down at his scarf, his expression morphed into a frown.

“But if you subdued him, I could just run up to him and touch one of his vital areas. You should be able to keep ahold of him since Dazai isn’t too physically strong.” Iida said with determination. 

Of course it’s a viable idea, however he was forgetting about something.

“I doubt the ginger would just stand idly by when his partner is immobilised,” Bakugou countered. Then in a challenging tone, he added, “Unless you’re confident you can be faster than Chuuya, four eyes.”

In terms of speed, Chuuya wasn’t that remarkable. Even Bakugou could best him with his explosions if they were competing solely on speed alone. However, what’s scary about Chuuya is his quick and precise decision making. Bakugou had never seen the ginger waver or hesitate while battling. His battle intent and instincts were top notch too. Chuuya wouldn’t waste a second to retaliate the moment Dazai is captured.

Furthermore, he’s pretty sure he could defeat Dazai with or without his quirk. They’d be better off thinking of a way to counter Chuuya’s quirk instead. 

“Kaachan’s right, Iida-kun. Chuuya wouldn’t let you get close enough to eliminate Dazai. If he increased the gravity around your legs, it would slow you down significantly and you’ll be vulnerable,” Deku explained with a grim expression. “I can see why they’re the absolute offence and absolute defence.”

Indeed, even Bakugou couldn’t refute that statement any longer. There was no getting by Dazai’s quirk. The moment he nullifies your quirk, Chuuya wouldn’t be far behind to deliver the finishing blow. And for that to happen, their synchronisation had to be flawless. 

“There’s only one way to win this,” Bakugou started, giving each of them a stern look. “We eliminate both of them at the same time.”

“But how? We can’t even deal with one of them,” Iida questioned sceptically. Of course he would think that, his train of thought was always straightforward and robotic, no flexibility at all.

“Eye bags here will focus on brainwashing Chuuya, not Dazai,” Bakugou said simply by way of an explanation. Surely that’ll be enough to convey his intentions across.

“Eye bags?” he heard Shinso mutter.

“Yes, indeed! When Shinso brainwashes Chuuya, we’ll use him to capture Dazai. And the minute Chuuya restrains Dazai, there’ll be a brief moment when Chuuya’s quirk is nullified too. There’s also a chance where Dazai might reverse Shinso-kun’s brainwashing effect on Chuuya, so we have to eliminate both of them in that instant!”

Deku’s blabbering mouth is only tolerable at times like this.

Not really.

“But it isn’t guaranteed that Chuuya would respond to me even if I use my quirk on him. There’s only the two of them on their team. And if they’re always together, there’s no way I can trick him into thinking I’m Dazai.” 

“So we split them up,” Todoroki answered. At this point, everyone was already on board with the plan. A nod of understanding passed through the group, each of them aware of their own roles.

“Alright, this is our final plan then. We split them up. Then Shinso will focus on trying to brainwash Chuuya while Iida stands by as backup and gets Shinso out of there if he’s in danger.” Both Shinso and Iida nodded. “Kaachan, Todoroki-kun, and I will keep Dazai away from Chuuya for as long as possible until Shinso succeeds.”

Just then, Aizawa’s voice sounded. “Alright, time’s up! To your positions, both of you!”

Bakugou cracked his knuckles, his quirk flaring underneath his skin, eager to be unleashed. His lips curled up unknowingly, already looking forward to the battle ahead. 

Yet, as he made his way towards his station, he couldn’t help but feel something wasn’t right about this arrangement. Him, Deku, Icy hot, and four eyes were pretty well-rounded in their overall stats, but eye bags over there was basically just a newbie who started his Hero training not long ago. If the professors from the Yokohama Institute wanted to make things difficult for Dazai and Chuuya in order to test them, it’d be better to put either bird brain or ponytails in their team.

So why Shinso?

Not to mention, Aizawa only just announced UA’s consideration of letting Shinso switch over to the Hero Course today. So by that logic, only the UA higher ups would’ve been privy to this fact seeing as how they were only being informed of that fact today.

Then, how the hell did those people from the Yokohama Institute find out that Shinso was participating?

—

Midoriya’s a bundle of nerves all tangled up and ready to snap at the slightest pull in the wrong direction. He wished he could say this anxiety was rooted from the sudden outburst of his quirk not too long ago but that would be a lie. 

And speaking of lies, this whole situation itself is nothing more than a deception. The moment Aizawa mentioned this being a request from the Yokohama Hero Institution, he already knew something was brewing underneath, most likely orchestrated by Dazai himself. 

Both Iida and Uraraka had locked eyes with him then, a flash of concern and uncertainty across their gazes, fully aware of the fact that there was no such thing as a ‘Yokohama Hero Institution’. All these were just made up by the teachers in UA, to cover up the truth of their transfer students’ origins lest it cause a national commotion.

Midoriya is certain that if news of their origins were to be exposed, government officials, executives of the Hero Association, journalists and reporters, and even ordinary civilians would all flock over just to get a glimpse of the both of them. It isn’t everyday someone from the past would magically spawn in their backyard, much less the people who were from the beginning of the era of quirks.

Much history was lost during that dark era, and even though they’ve managed to uncover most of it, there were still bits and chunks missing to really tie the stories together.

And Midoriya admits, he was quite fascinated and intrigued by that fact too and would’ve bombarded Dazai and Chuuya with questions were it not for the fact that their first meeting landed him almost having a bullet shot through his brain. Midoriya never quite recovered from that experience yet, the horror of being so close to death. He still remembers the nozzle of a gun pressed against his skull, the smell of gunpowder as Dazai pulled the trigger, the brush of the bullet grazing his ear. 

All in all, he wasn’t quite yet ready to confront his almost would-be murderer.

Though All Might’s tales about them had made him see them in a different light. It was only natural that they’d react so violently when they found themselves lying in an unknown place, what with them coming from an era when the streets were always rife with danger. 

Then there was All Might’s task for him too, to befriend them, to show Dazai and Chuuya that not all hope is lost yet, to set their paths aright before it strays further down. Midoriya hadn’t gotten around doing that yet, not knowing how to nor seeing the chance to. 

They say battles are like having a conversation, he hopes that with this battle he could understand them a little better, look past the walls shielding the real them from sight. And Midoriya hopes whatever they were trying to accomplish by setting this up doesn’t involve anyone getting hurt. He’ll stop them personally if things were to progress that way.

Kaachan, Todoroki, and him were in the vanguard, with Shinso and Iida bringing up the rear. They were moving slowly, their eyes scanning every corner and shadow for the sign of a crimson glow.

Based on Chuuya’s personality, there was a high chance the gravity manipulator would charge straight over without restrain. Even if Chuuya was trying to sneak up on them, Midoriya’s certain he would see the redhead coming, feel the tremor that accompanied Chuuya as he moved. With that in mind, the team decided to practise caution, going slow in hopes of encountering their opponent in their own turf. 

“Something’s wrong. It’s too quiet,” Kaachan said from where he was surveying the field at the top. His pupils narrowed, doubt creasing his brows as he tried, and failed, to detect even a single motion from his vantage point.

Midoriya gulped. He had the same feeling too, the hair over his arms and neck standing on end like a warning signal. Yet even as he did a three-sixty scan of his entire surroundings, he still couldn’t detect where the danger was. Everything was still as if time had stopped.

Was he mistaken about Chuuya’s behaviour? No, that can’t be. 

The first to move is always advantageous. Midoriya knows Chuuya is aware of this fact, seeing as how he never hesitates to make the first move everytime during practical training. This shouldn’t be any different.

And yet…

Chuuya wasn’t alone this time. Dazai’s with him. And just that fact alone made this whole situation even more unsettling as it already is. 

“There!” came Todoroki’s voice from below, pointing to the front as he sped up. Kaachan must’ve seen them too, propelling himself forward with his explosions. 

One for All, Full Cowl!

Midoriya dashed ahead, preparing himself for what’s to come the moment they clashed. He exited the maze of steel pipes and heavy machinery, coming to a clearing where he spotted Dazai standing in the middle.

Alone.

What’s weirder was how the brunette had his hands up as if to surrender, a peaceful smile plastered across his face like this was no more than a game of hide-and-seek. 

Kaachan already had sparks forming in his palms, preparing a long-range attack aimed at Dazai while frost was crawling up Todoroki’s arm, the ground under his feet already turning to ice with every step he took. Even Midoriya himself was readying his finger flick to send out a shockwave that would push Dazai back. 

The only question is, where’s Chuuya?

“Where is … Chuuya?” Midoriya’s eyes widened as he realised his mistake. He had come over with such haste he forgot about Iida and Shinso who were still behind. And not seeing the shadow of Chuuya with Dazai left him unnerved.

Shoot. Was this a trap? Had they figured out their ploy of using Shinso to subdue Chuuya? Was Dazai just a decoy so Chuuya could ambush Shinso first?

Midoriya was about to turn his head back, expecting to find Chuuya pouncing on clueless Shinso. But then Chuuya appeared from behind Dazai instead, at the moment when Kaachan and Todoroki were about to unleash their quirk.

Dazai ducked in a blink of an eye, Chuuya leaping over his hunched figure as he let loose a powerful kick. Though it didn’t hit anyone, the kick had created a shockwave so huge it knocked everyone off balance. 

Todoroki was sent flying a few feet back; Kaachan struggled to right himself midair; and Midoriya almost toppled over the pipeline he was standing on. While Iida and Shinso were farther back than them, they weren’t exactly unaffected either. Only by grabbing onto a steel pipe did they manage to not get blown away.

Without giving them any time to rest, Chuuya struck again. Still in midair, he lifted his arm up, and with it rose a devastating amount of projectiles, almost obscuring the sunlight from the sky above. Screws and nuts and bolts and parts of the pipelines bent and compressed into a sphere was floating above them, its bodies enshrouded in the same crimson glow that enveloped Chuuya now. 

Seeing that, Midoriya already knew it was too late.

With a single gesture, Chuuya let his arm fall decisively, the makeshift bullets raining down on them like hail. 

“GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT!” he heard Kaachan’s shout. 

Midoriya had never once seen Chuuya use his quirk with such magnitude before, at most he’d seen him lift five dumbbells at once, each weighing around thirty kilograms. And while his limit may have been a hundred and fifty kilos, the number of items he could control at once seemed to have a different limit. 

Not having the time to gawk at this spectacle, Midoriya immediately got into a defensive stance, flicking his fingers wildly to stop the onslaught of projectiles. Kaachan blasted a fierce explosion towards the sky while Todoroki created a dome made of ice, shielding both Shinso and Iida under it.

Regardless of how hard they fought back, the projectiles only veered off course by a little, Chuuya’s hold over them still strong as ever. They only just barely avoided being littered with holes considering how fast those bullets were moving.

“Guys, Dazai’s running away!” Todoroki called out from below as he kept adding layers of ice on top of the existing one to fortify it. 

Sparing a glance towards the front, Midoriya spotted Dazai’s retreating figure, vanishing into the shadows with a slight smile on his lips. At the same time, the hail Chuuya had sent down started to dwindle too, enough so that they weren’t stuck in place and forced to defend. 

They split up willingly?!

Of course, this turn of events worked in their favour, but it was simply beyond Midoriya’s expectations for it to progress so smoothly. Previously, he had already predicted the act of separating Dazai and Chuuya from each other would take up the bulk of their time, provided they were still on their feet after clashing with the redhead. 

But Midoriya didn’t have the luxury to dwell on that. He could only hope that Dazai had calculated his plan incorrectly.

As planned, Midoriya ran forward to pursue Dazai, Todoroki hot on his heels. Kaachan sent one last explosion towards the sky where Chuuya was floating before catching up with them, leaving Iida and Shinso behind with Chuuya. 

After seeing what Chuuya could do, Midoriya wondered if letting Shinso face him alone with only Iida as a backup was the right call. At that moment, it seemed almost impossible for them to pull off a stunt as absurd as attempting to brainwash this absolute powerhouse. 

For now, Midoriya would just have to trust them. 

…

It seemed almost impossible to catch Dazai then. The quirk nullifier was as nimble as a deer, lithe in his movements, quick in his thinking. He would turn right, then left, taking sharp turns and hiding behind the industrial pipes when it was convenient for him, always dodging his captor by a hair’s breadth. 

And the most insane part about this, is how Dazai had not, even once, shown his back to them. Even with the three of them closing in from every direction, Dazai would move in such a way that they would always be facing him, putting obstacles between them to gain some distance.

It was like catching a slippery eel, the moment you think you’ve caught him, he would already be out of your grasp.

“FUCK! THIS SLIMY BASTARD!” Unable to take being toyed around anymore, Kaachan blasted himself skywards. “ICY-HOT SEAL HIM IN!” he yelled.

Catching onto his intentions, Todoroki moved instantly. He stretched both of his arms out, frost spreading out rapidly from where his hands came into contact with the pipes. Todoroki’s ice was swift, quicker even than the speed of Dazai’s retreating form. In just a few seconds, a sphere made of ice had the brunette surrounded, leaving a small opening at the top where Kaachan would undoubtedly pelt down a torrent of explosions onto Dazai.

Regardless, being trapped where the only escape is either above or in front, it didn’t deter Dazai by even a bit. He continued retreating until his back struck ice. Just when Midoriya thought they had trapped him, Dazai pressed his palm against the smooth, glassy surface of the ice.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The ice dissolved . It didn’t melt into a puddle, nor did it break apart into tiny chunks; the ice simply dissolved as if it were never there. The blue glow that enveloped Dazai as he activated his quirk started to fade away, as did his figure as he entered deeper into the maze. 

“He could nullify the quirk itself?!” Midoriya couldn’t help but exclaim. Everything he thought he knew about Dazai is rewriting itself with this new information, one that could tip the scales of victory against their favour. If Dazai’s quirk had been something like Aizawa-sensei’s, he was certain he could think of a way to counter it. But this? 

Dazai was basically impervious to all quirks. The ultimate shield. 

Never in his wildest dreams had Midoriya thought he’d have to fight someone quirkless after being granted One for All. The shadow of being quirkless for most of his life crept up in his spine then, its silhouette haunting him in his dreams.

Midoriya knows he shouldn’t be feeling distracted now, but he couldn’t help it. No matter how many solutions his mind spun, it seemed that every single one of them would fall apart with a mere touch from Dazai. 

“Midoriya! Let’s go, he’s getting away! We’ll think of a way later!” Todoroki’s voice shook him out of his stupor. Pushing the whole matter to the back of his mind, Midoriya dashed ahead, his mind working tirelessly for a plan. 

Before he could even form a complete thought, the sight of Dazai standing just a few feet in front motionlessly caught him unawares. Why was he stopping now?

“This should be far enough,” Dazai muttered, his attention everywhere but at them. It’s like he doesn’t even see them there, not bothering to even look in their direction. In normal circumstances, it would’ve been disrespectful. Yet, all Midoriya felt right now was this unmistakable sense of wariness and alarm.

Whatever Dazai was planning, he was executing it now.

“GO TO HELL, BASTARD!” Kaachan’s yell came from above, his figure casting a shadow on the ground. “AP SHOT!”

Kaachan sent a volley of concentrated explosions towards Dazai, knowing it would be ineffective against him and would all be nullified. Midoriya is sure his childhood friend had seen what Dazai was capable of, and despite knowing, Kaachan was still attacking without rest. If anything, attacking someone who’s immune seems foolish and would only drain one’s energy.

As expected, Dazai didn’t bother dodging the flurry of attacks. Instead, he flung his coat over his head, the cloth now wrapped in that light blue glow as it did when he nullified Todoroki’s ice. Each shot that landed on him had subsequently dissipated, not a single hair of him singed in the process. 

However, even though none of his shots had hit its intended target, Kaachan still smiled as if he’d won. 

“WASN’T AIMING AT YA, FUCKER!” 

Following his taunt, the pipe beneath Dazai’s feet gave out. Midoriya only realised then that Kaachan did know his attacks wouldn’t work, and thus he curbed around it, using Dazai’s surroundings against him. Dazai could nullify quirks, true. But he could do nothing against concrete objects.

Midoriya reprimanded himself internally for failing to notice that. Were it not for his childhood friend’s display, he might still be struggling to think of a plan. 

The fall wasn’t too high from where Dazai was. He would only bruise his body a little if he landed wrongly, nothing too serious. But that window of opening was more than enough for Todoroki as he rushed forward. No matter how nimble or dexterous Dazai is, there was no way for him to avoid this next attack while midair.

Nevertheless, even though victory was right in front of them, there was a part of Midoriya’s mind screaming at him, warning him despite the very obvious odds stacked in their favour.

Dazai was never one to reveal his cards so quickly from the start. 

Still calm as ever even as he fell, Dazai retrieved something from his coat. A clang of metal on metal rang out almost at the same time Dazai’s descent halted, his right arm raised with a cable connected to a pistol-shaped object.

A grappling hook!?

Dazai pressed a button, causing the cable to retract and pull his body up. He landed on another, more secure pipe that would take more than a few stray shots from Kaachan to collapse.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” Kaachan yelled, gritting his teeth harshly, joining both him and Todoroki on the ground as they stared up at Dazai. Even with how hot-tempered Kaachan usually is, he didn’t move in rashly as he always did. 

For all their previous planning to hold their own against Dazai’s nullifying ability, to think it would have to be flushed down the drain just like that. There was no one else to blame but them for their naivety, for thinking Dazai would be the ‘easier’ opponent when they know virtually nothing about him. It was the height of arrogance to just assume he’d be weak just because he looked weak.

“You guys seemed surprised,” Dazai observed, speaking in that nonchalant tone of his without even breathing hard. “If you’re wondering, I got this hook from the Development Studio. That Hatsume girl from the Support Department seemed really eager to forge it for me. Never thought I’d use it here though.”

Dazai’s grappling hook was the least of their worries right now. They were more concerned about how they were supposed to proceed with their plan. The ideal scenario would be Shinso successfully brainwashing Chuuya while they successfully capture Dazai before they meet up to eliminate both of them together. But now, that possibility seems bleak as ever. They had, from the very beginning, failed at every attempt to capture Dazai. Furthermore, there wasn’t even a signal from Iida’s end until now. Though Midoriya supposes the lack of commotion from their end meant Chuuya wasn’t decimating the whole field.

Or both Iida and Shinso had both been knocked out and are out of commission. 

“Midoriya, Bakugou. I still haven’t recovered completely from my fight earlier,” Todoroki panted out in a hushed tone. His legs were trembling a little like it was straining to hold his body up, having already expended most of his energy on his previous match which landed him in the infirmary. “I might have a hard time if this drags on.”

“HAH?!” Kaachan whisper-shouted, his face showing an incredulous expression. “Then why the hell did you even agree to participate? Are you dumb?”

“I participated for the same reasons as you did,” Todoroki replied, ignoring the insult Kaachan had so bluntly spat at him. “I wanted to fight them too.”

Kaachan scoffed, but didn’t say anything else to that. In fact, everyone’s reason for participating is definitely the same. Even though Shinso had only just met them today, it made sense how he knew about them when news of Class 1-A’s embarrassing defeat against one transfer had spread like wildfire in UA. All of them saw Dazai and Chuuya as an insurmountable wall to overcome, a cliff they had to scale if they wanted to become the best.

“It’s alright, Todoroki-kun. Try not to push yourself too hard,” Midoriya comforted, no guarantee that everything would actually be alright. 

“I’d love to join in on your chit-chats if I could, but unfortunately we’re opponents now and we’re currently in the middle of a battle,” came Dazai’s voice from above. In the short time it took for them to exchange a few words, Dazai had already kept his grappling hook into his coat. Midoriya wonders how many more hidden tools he was carrying on him. “Y’know, I expected at least one of you would be trying to hold down Chuuya while the other two would be chasing me. So I’m quite flattered that all three of you showed up together. The chibi will be pleasantly pissed when I tell him you think me a bigger threat.”

Midoriya gulped. What was Dazai playing at? Was it a diversion? Was he trying to make them let down their guards by making small talk? Was Chuuya advancing towards them as they spoke?

So many questions crowding his head made it difficult for him to decide on his next course of action. Should they attack? Should they retreat? 

“Well, I guess I’ll play with you for a bit then,” Dazai continued. Then, he clapped his hands once, adding on, “We’ll start whenever you’re ready!”

The provocative tone he used to speak managed to trigger Kaachan thoroughly as his childhood friend began launching himself towards Dazai.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU ARROGANT PRICK!” Knowing Dazai could nullify his explosions, Kaachan aimed his attack at the pipe Dazai was standing on. Though Dazai wasn’t going to just stand idly by and watch Kaachan blast off his supporting platform for the second time. 

He leapt backwards, going back to the direction they came from. However, he wasn’t exactly leading them back to the clearing where they had first clashed, instead keeping his circle of movement around this area without going too far.

It almost felt like Dazai was the one trying to keep their fight here instead of the other way around. 

They were playing the same tune as they did previously. The three of them attacked while Dazai simply dodged and manoeuvred his way around the maze like it was his own home. It couldn’t be that Dazai had already memorised the entire terrain in this industrial site now, had he? 

Midoriya had tried kicking and throwing some of the discarded pipes around them, but Dazai had ducked and twisted his way out every time. He swore Dazai was already moving to dodge them before he had even sent the pipes flying.

“Okay, that’s enough. It’s time I even out the odds,” Dazai suddenly announced, his hand reaching into his coat for another weapon. Then, his gaze landed on Kaachan who was propelling himself forward from his left. “Starting with you first.” 

None of them even had time to register what Dazai meant when he retrieved the very same gun that almost killed Midoriya from his coat, aimed it, and fired. Seeing Dazai holding the gun brought back bitter memories he’d rather forget about. However, the gun wasn’t aimed at him this time. 

With smoke still coming out of the gun’s nozzle, Midoriya’s head whipped towards its recipient in horror.

“KAACHAN–!” Thinking he would find the limp body of his childhood friend sprawled on the floor with a gaping hole in his forehead, Midoriya felt an immense wave of relief washing over him to see Kaachan was still standing, his head tilted a couple degrees right. 

As if he was born without a sense of fear, Kaachan continued blasting himself forwards, Dazai’s gun still aimed at him. Dazai fired two more shots at him, both missing Kaachan completely by a few inches.

“HAH! YOU MISSED, SHITHEAD!” Kaachan’s toothy grin turned wide, the distance between him and Dazai closing rapidly by the second. 

“Did I?” Dazai questioned, raising his eyebrow in a goading way. 

Back during the School Festival, he had learnt from Mirio-senpai that Dazai was an amazing marksman, having won Eri’s new favourite unicorn plushie in one go. Seeing how he’d missed not one but three of his shots left a bad taste in his mouth. If Mirio-senpai wasn’t exaggerating, then there was no logical explanation as to why he would suddenly be doing such a terrible job at shooting.

Unless Dazai hadn’t been aiming at Kaachan from the start.

And just like how Kaachan did, Dazai was also faking his actual target.

“Rest a little, Kaachan~” Dazai sing-songed.

“WATCH OUT–!” Midoriya yelled. But it was too late, the damage had already been done. There was no need for him to find Dazai’s target as the answer presented itself in the form of a shadow overlapping Kaachan’s figure. The moment he looked up, he found the entire structure caving in where his childhood friend was.

Even if Midoriya were to rush in at full speed to knock Kaachan out of the way, he would be blocked by the pipes in the way. Plus, he’d kept One for All’s output to a minimum, afraid a sudden outburst of his quirk would happen again if he exerts too much.

Kaachan didn’t even have time to release his explosions before he was buried underneath, taking with him all the vulgar curses he spat at Dazai. 

“BAKUGOU!” Todoroki shouted, veering left with his ice to get to where Kaachan was. “Midoriya, you deal with Dazai! I’ll get Bakugou out from here!”

“Okay!” Everything was, in fact, not okay. If Midoriya couldn’t use his quirk to his full extent, he’d have to make full use of his mind. 

From what he’s learnt until now, Dazai isn’t one to be underestimated. It’s something he knew already beforehand, but it was only now that he’s faced with this crushing reality of how terrifying Dazai could really be. He wasn’t just some ruthless, cunning, and witty teenager Midoriya had chalked him up to be. No, Dazai was more than that, the workings of his mind none could replicate or foresee. Dazai’s blood ran deeper, darker, colder. 

That attack on Kaachan wasn’t something that happened because of a few stray shots from Dazai. It was predetermined, a trap he set up in advance before luring them into it. And like the fools they were, they had walked right into it. 

The only question was how did Dazai manage to pull it off. If that trap had been set up for Kaachan specifically, that meant Dazai had known he would use that path to get to him. It explained why Dazai was going around in circles, choosing his route carefully where he had already laid out his trap. This could mean that there were several other traps scattered around them, one that would be triggered if the conditions were met. 

And if so, then his second question would be how did Dazai manage to do it all so quickly. Hardly any time passed when they first met face-to-face in the clearing. Even if Chuuya was there to help him set up the traps, there was no possible way for him to do it so quickly. 

The only explanation for this, is if Dazai already knew where and how the traps would work before he even stepped into the field. And for that to happen, he’d have to memorise the entire terrain of Ground Gamma from just what he’d seen on the screen during the previous five battles. 

Thinking about it that way, it seemed unrealistic and impossible to accomplish. For ordinary people, that is. If it was Dazai… Midoriya doesn’t doubt the plausibility of him achieving it. 

However, there was no reason for him to dwell on what already happened. He should focus on what he could do next instead. Both Kaachan and Todoroki were counting on him. He hadn’t done anything since the start of the match, he couldn’t fail them now.

Midoriya leapt ahead, trying hard to close the distance between them. He was determined to capture Dazai more than ever, though determination could only do so much. No matter if Midoriya was using One for All to boost his speed, Dazai always seemed to drift further and further away. 

“So it’s just you and me, huh?” Dazai sighed. In all honesty, he seemed bored about this whole situation, not even breaking a sweat after being chased down by three people. Midoriya was going to just ignore Dazai when he said something that was all but ignorable. “How does it feel to be the Symbol of Peace’s successor?”

Midoriya almost tripped over his own feet when he heard that. He stared at Dazai with wide eyes, his jaw slack as he processed Dazai’s words in his head over and over again. His heart was hammering so hard he could scarcely hear his own thoughts.

“H-How did you–” 

Dazai levelled his gun at him just then.

“Time’s up,” he said. 

Then, he fired.

—

He could fly .

That was something the team had failed to mention about him, and Shinso could only gawk. Being able to jump high up by manipulating the gravity around your body was understandable. But to remain in the air after that? Now that would definitely take some skills.

After seeing how Chuuya could easily flatten all of them single-handedly, it seemed extremely ridiculous that only Iida and him are stationed here to keep this monster at bay. The only reason why they were hanging on until now is because Chuuya hadn’t attacked after the previous one. Ever since Dazai fled and the other three took off to chase him, the gravity manipulator had been floating there with his arms crossed. 

And since the both of them had none of the skillset required to fight in midair, the whole match had been at a stand still. Iida did try kicking some of the projectiles back at Chuuya but he easily flicked them away, like they were nothing more than a bunch of pesky insects. 

Shinso tried getting on with his task, attempting to brainwash Chuuya in many different ways to no avail. He even used the long list of insults Bakugou told him about that Dazai apparently uses to ‘piss his partner’s pants off’. 

Though, obviously, it didn't work. Chuuya had no doubt already seen him use his quirk twice in the previous matches, so it’d make sense he would guard against it. Plus, he already knew Dazai wasn’t anywhere near him, so why would he answer such an obvious bait?

Shinso was starting to get frustrated at not being able to do anything, even pondering if he should abandon his task and head to where Dazai was. However, even though Chuuya wasn’t doing anything, he had a feeling the redhead was watching him closely, his cerulean eyes never leaving him for long enough to plot an escape. Furthermore, Shinso was worried that if both of them left Chuuya alone to join the others, they’d be ambushed from behind.

In any case, they were stagnant, without any room for them to advance or retreat.

“Hey, this isn’t going to work! We need to do something!” He whispered to Iida. The class representative of 1-A had been running around in circles at the start, trying to make Chuuya descend. All he managed to do was make himself a fool and spin his head dizzy.

“I know! But we can’t just leave Chuuya here. They’d be even more unstoppable if Dazai and Chuuya were together!” Iida replied, anxious.

“We can’t just stay here forever! Twenty minutes will be gone by the time we even do something!” Shinso spat out, growing more frustrated by the second. Even though he wasn’t physically exhausted from his previous matches, he was definitely mentally exhausted. Shinso thinks perhaps he should’ve sat this one out, since his transfer into the Hero Course had already been determined. 

Iida was silent for a while. Shinso couldn’t see what was happening under his mask, but he could tell the boy was thinking hard about something. He waited for Iida to sort out his thoughts without interrupting him. Eventually, he sighed.

“If I run fast enough, I can probably launch myself up and reach Chuuya before I fall. However, I estimate I can only use Recipro Burst once before my engine overheats and breaks down. I still haven’t recovered fully from my earlier match after all.”

“No, that’d be too risky,” Shinso said after processing it for a while. “There’s no guarantee that Chuuya wouldn’t just smack you down like he did with all those projectiles earlier. And even if you do manage to get him, there’s no way for you to land without breaking at least two or three of your bones.”

Right then, a loud bang sounded ahead where Midoriya and the others were.

“That sounded awfully like a gunshot,” Shinso commented, turning his gaze towards the source of the noise. Even Chuuya had turned his head over, a serious expression on his face.

“...That must be Dazai,” Iida said in a grim tone. “He uses a gun as a weapon.”

“Like an actual gun?!” Shinso exclaimed incredulously. He could understand some Heroes using weapons to assist them, like how he and Aizawa-sensei used a binding cloth. But rarely do Heroes use guns as they can be seen as a form of violence. Only Heroes who are certified and have a quirk that requires a firearm are allowed to use guns. “No one told me that!”

“Well I didn’t know he still had his gun on him!” Iida tried to explain. “I thought the UA staff would confiscate it when they transferred!”

“Confiscated? You mean he’s using it illegally?!”

“I don’t know!”

Two more shots rang out then. Shinso subconsciously ducked to avoid the invisible bullet, shielding his head with his arms. He stayed in that position for a while before moving again when he was certain the gunshots had stopped.

“It should be fine though,” Iida said by way of trying to defuse this whole situation. “It’s probably all empty shots since he used up his bullets already.”

That was not helpful at all.

“Used up his bullets?! Where?! Is someone going to die?!”

“NOOO!!” Iida shook his head vigorously, then paused. “Well, I hope not? I’m sure the Heroes would’ve interfered if Dazai tried to kill anyone.”

Shinso clicked his tongue. He had no idea what was going on but it sounds like it’d be best if he stayed here since Chuuya wasn’t even attacking. That seemed like a wise decision. 

Activating his artificial vocal cords again, Shinso ran quietly, trying to get into Chuuya’s blindspot who was still glancing at where the sound came from. If Dazai’s voice doesn’t work, perhaps he should try using his other teammates' voices. If he could trick Chuuya into thinking Dazai was captured, maybe then Chuuya would move. 

Hiding behind a pipe, Shinso started his ploy.

“Iida-kun, Shinso-kun! We’ve caught Dazai already. We’re here to help!” ‘Midoriya’ said.

No response. Hell, Chuuya didn’t even blink.

But Shinso wasn’t about to give up then. He continued this one-person act, constantly tuning his vocal cords to make them sound correctly. It seemed like a great idea at first, but after a while of no response, it felt embarrassing to be answering his own questions in multiple voices.

Shinso almost fell over when three shots sounded in rapid succession. Who the hell was Dazai shooting? Were they even alive now?

It was then when Chuuya finally looked away, turning his head around to find where Shinso was. He noticed the redhead muttering something underneath his breath but didn’t care much for it. In Dazai’s voice again, he continued.

“Chibi, save me!!”

And completely out of his expectations, Chuuya responded.

“DAZAI, YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS—!!”

It wasn’t the response he was anticipating, but it was enough. Like every time his quirk activated, Shinso felt an invisible thread connecting his mind to his target, almost like a marionette where he was the puppeteer. The moment Shinso seized his target’s consciousness, everything was smooth sailing afterwards. 

Until now.

Just when he thought his plan succeeded and was about to pull at the thread to bend Chuuya’s will to his, that invisible thread snapped.

And the world exploded.

Chapter Text

Dazai hardly blinked as he watched Midoriya stagger over, hands clutching his front as he bit back a groan. Midoriya’s legs were trembling, just barely keeping his body up. The nozzle of Dazai’s gun was still smoking from when he opened fire earlier. 

Three consecutive shots.

That was Chuuya’s cue.

Dazai made sure they weren’t too far apart, close enough that Chuuya could hear the gunshots clearly, but not too close that it’ll affect his side of things. 

Though, it wasn’t like he couldn’t shoot at someone. Midoriya was just unlucky enough to be in his line of sight. Two towards his thighs, the other straight through his guts. Of course, the bullets he used were made out of rubber (As if UA would let him run around with a lethal weapon without a licence). And while rubber bullets aren’t nearly enough to pierce through skin, at that speed, it was sure to hurt like a motherfucker.

If he still had his wits about him, Dazai was certain Midoriya could’ve easily dodged the bullets even if it was fired at point-blank range. Though that would risk him being held captive in his opponents’ hands, which was not in line with his plans. It was why he used every trick in his book to steer the young Hero off course.

Frankly speaking, Dazai would much prefer not having to display his cards so early in the game. Yet, if this last-minute, crude-looking plan went well, he may not need to stay long enough for that information to be of any use. Plus, there was a reason why he was targeting Midoriya. From what he’d observed up till now, he could say for certain that the boy would be an obstacle in his way if not dealt with properly. It’s why Dazai struck before Midoriya could catch his bearings.

Seeing how Midoriya faltered before him like someone told him his mom died, Dazai at least knew that little piece of information the boy tried (and failed so very obviously) to conceal carried such gravity. Though, it was quite a pity the traps he had Chuuya dig up weren’t of much use.

Bakugou’s had been the only one that met the conditions for his trap to be triggered. 

Surprisingly enough, Bakugou’s unpredictable behaviour and temper aside, his movements were the most predictable out of everyone’s. After a month of observing his classmates’ fighting style, Dazai had a pretty good grasp of the gremlin’s thought process whenever he’s engaged in combat. The boy fights with his instincts. Act first then think of his next step. Combine that with his unnaturally high battle intelligence, and you’ll get someone who shares an uncanny resemblance to Chuuya’s fighting style.

Bakugou would’ve been on par with Chuuya in terms of battle IQ if his opponent wasn’t, well, Chuuya .

Long story short, he set up Bakugou’s trap with the thought of Chuuya falling for it.

Looking at the results, it seemed all those pranks he pulled on Chuuya had its uses. Even Dazai was beginning to admire his efforts in preparing for the future. He would have to double his efforts after this. Just in case.

Ah, what a hard-working life he’s leading.

Glancing over to where Bakugou was buried under, little sparks forming from what little gaps he could see through, Dazai was pretty satisfied with how it worked out. He was sceptical initially whether such a crude trap would even have any effect, considering something like this would just slow Chuuya down a little. From what he could tell, Bakugou was alive, though he would be stuck underneath those piles of pipes long enough that he wouldn’t interfere with Dazai’s plans.

As for Todoroki, he was very gently and carefully trying to excavate his teammate out from the pile. 

Shame the trap Dazai set up for him couldn’t be used. 

He turned back to Midoriya, still struggling to move forward even though his legs were barely keeping his body upright. “W-Wait… St-Stop there.”

Dazai huffed. Anytime now, Chuuya would activate Corruption. That would be Dazai’s cue to move. He led his classmates here for a reason. To keep them as far away as he could from Chuuya lest they obstruct him. Close enough that Dazai could get to where Chuuya was under a minute at full speed, but not too far that he won’t be able to feel the exact moment Chuuya turned.

“Y’know, I always find it funny–”

His following words were snatched away from him forcefully. A gust of wind threw him off-balance, sending him plummeting to the ground beneath.

This would’ve been a much more embarrassing display were it not for the fact that the entirety of Ground Gamma shook from the force of said gust. 

Dazai caught himself on a ledge, holding on for dear life as he turned his face towards the west where Chuuya was, alarm bells going off frantically in his head. That was no natural wind. It was a man-made one, a shockwave stronger than any he had ever felt. So strong in fact that it blew off the heap of pipes Bakugou was buried under. Not even Todoroki’s sturdy ice could withstand the force of it, each layer breaking like glass the more he conjured it. 

Dazai knew what it was and yet he didn't at the same time. He already knew where this sudden wave came from, who it came from. But never had he experienced anything as strong as this before.

Even previously when Chuuya would activate Corruption right beside him, the aftermath would only result in a few gusts of chaotic wind pushing him back a little, his hair and clothes fluttering wildly. But now, even as Dazai stood over a hundred metres away, the shockwave had been so strong it slammed the breath out of him.

His plan worked. Chuuya is brainwashed. Corruption was activated. 

And yet, something very, very wrong had happened.

Before Dazai could even guess what went wrong, a blood-curdling, gut-wrenching cry tore through the skies of UA.

Chuuya .

—

All was black. 

No. That isn’t right.

Colour doesn’t exist here. It was a void. A void that swallows up even colour and light. A void of infinite nothingness. Yes. That’s a more accurate description of it.

And within this space of absolute nothingness, a spirit drifted.

He had eyes that could not see. He had a throat that had no voice. He had a body he could not feel. Such was the incomprehensible state he was in. 

This space of nothingness seemed to stretch on for eternity, yet it seemed like he could touch the edge of it if he just reached out with his nonexistent arm.

Space was distorted here, and so was time. 

How long had he been here? A minute? An hour? An eternity?

As he floated aimlessly in this space, thinking this nothingness would swallow him up eventually, a change occurred.

Something appeared.

A figure. Darker than black, deeper than the abyss. Morphing itself into existence. 

He watched, not with his eyes, but by experiencing this birth of something with his entire being. 

An indescribable phenomena would be the most accurate depiction of it. 

Bit by bit, what could only be called an abomination unfolded itself before him.

He knew not what it was, only that its existence was an error in itself. A flaw in the fabrics of reality.

Then. 

He didn’t see it exactly, but he knew.

A sinister smile stretched across the abomination’s features.

And it was directed at him.

—

“SHINSOU-KUN!” A voice yelled. Distant and near at once. “SHINSOU-KUN, WAKE UP!”

He blinked, seeing his surroundings in doubles for a while before his mind stabled. It took him a while to take in his surroundings, his head like an overweight ball of steel. Just trying to think made his brain fuzzy.

“Wh-What happened?” he asked, trying to stabilise his vision by massaging his temples. Iida’s worried face slowly came into focus. His head-piece that was part of his Hero costume was gone, and blood was trickling down the side of his head. Whatever knocked Iida must’ve knocked him too. Though with his head protected, it seemed like Iida wasn’t too affected by it.

Shinsou wasn’t so lucky though. All he remembered was being blown away by an explosive wave before everything turned black. He must’ve hit his head and blacked out considering how painfully his head was throbbing right now.

“I’m not sure either, but we can’t stay here.” Iida looked around frantically, like he was trying to find something. It was only then that Shinsou realised they were trapped under debris and broken pipes. He thought the dimness had been because of the blow to his head. “We need to find a way out before we’re buried under!”

“Right.” Finally getting his bearings straight, Shinsou realised the direness of the situation they were in. “Let’s get goin–”

Shinsou hissed, grabbing his left arm tightly after trying to push himself up. 

“What? What is it? Are you hurt?” Iida waved his arms around in a robotic way, trying to check his condition but not daring to touch anything rashly in case it might worsen the condition. 

“My arm.” Shinsou tried lifting his arm but found he could move it no more than a few inches before shocks of pain assaulted him. “Must’ve broken it against something when I blacked out.”

Shinsou pushed himself up with his good arm, cradling his broken one close to him. 

“Can you stand? Are you hurt anywhere–”

Before Iida could finish his sentence, the very earth shook like a deadly earthquake. The structure that was somehow keeping them from being buried alive trembled vigorously, with debris falling and shattering into pieces.  

It wouldn’t be long before they see their ancestors if they don’t find a way out immediately.

“Shoot! We need to move now!” Iida said, crouching down in front of him with his back facing him. “Get on! We’ll be quicker if I carry you.”

“Alright.” Normally, Shinsou would’ve rejected such an offer and insisted on walking with his own two feet. But in this case, he had no other choice. He doesn’t have a fancy quirk that could miraculously solve this predicament they were in, not to mention that he was injured too. 

If there’s one thing Shinsou hates more than being useless, it’s being a liability.

“I’ll try to fend off any falling debris with my capture weapon, so don’t worry about your head.” Still, Shinsou should try his best to help. That’s what being a Hero is, isn’t it?

“I’ll be counting on you then!” Hooking his arms under Shinsou’s knees, Iida got into a running stance. “Brace yourself, I’ll be using my last Recipro Burst to break us out of here!”

Shinsou nodded, strengthening his grip on Iida’s armour as much as he could. 

“Recipro Burst!”

At once, Iida shot forward, and all Shinsou could see was a blur. In fact, Iida was moving so fast Shinsou could barely open his eyes from the wind beating against it. Unable to even process the speed they were travelling at, Iida suddenly launched them upwards through a rather large opening where the ‘outside’ was.

Shinsou felt something scrape across his back and winced, biting his lip to keep himself from screaming out. When they landed, Shinsou immediately did a quick sweep of their surroundings, trying to identify any dangers even as he had to shield his eyes away from the sudden brightness. 

Then, he saw it .

“Wh-What the hell is that…?!” 

Hearing the horror in his voice, Iida turned to look. His expression mirrored Shinsou’s. Eyes wide open, jaw hanging low. 

Because what they saw was something so unbelievable and unfathomable it could not be explained in human terms. 

With the sun as a bright sphere in the background, there were two black spheres occupying the space between them. And sandwiched in the middle was a figure outlined in a crimson hue. 

That’s right. This whole catastrophe didn’t just happen out of nowhere. It happened the moment Shinsou tried to brainwash Chuuya . Somehow, in some way, Shinsou’s quirk had caused Chuuya’s to go absolutely ballistic. 

Shinsou wouldn’t consider himself a smart person, but he certainly wasn’t an idiot. Even if he had no idea what happened, he at least has some hunches about what was going on. And seeing how space was literally distorting around those spheres, coupled with Chuuya’s gravity manipulation quirk, it was quite obvious those black… things behind him were black holes. The very same one that could swallow even light that he only read about in books, even if it was an extremely weakened imitation of it. 

Yet, this ‘weakened imitation’ of a black hole was enough to make UA completely cease to exist except in history. 

As he watched Chuuya that was not Chuuya floating in midair with those menacing spheres of blackness flanking him, the reality of what happened slowly sank in.

He caused this. It was his fault. The allegations about his quirk being villainous was true. As much as Shinsou wanted to use his quirk for good, he ended up hurting someone. He not only injured himself, he even put everyone’s life at risk. 

He needs to fix this. He has to .

“This does not look good. We need to run!” Iida urged, tugging him on his good arm. 

“Run?! Shouldn’t we save him?” I have to save him . “We can’t just leave Chuuya there!”

And as if in response, Chuuya’s mangled cry reverberated through the air. 

If there was one thing Shinsou was certain of about being a Hero, is that a Hero must save and protect those in danger unconditionally. And you’re telling him he was supposed to ignore this desperate plea for help? There’s no way he could turn a blind eye to that.

Then again, what could someone like him do in the face of such sheer, utter mayhem?

The lump in his heart grew heavier and heavier. 

It was only later that Shinsou would realise this uneasy sensation he felt was guilt. As for right now, all he could do was think of a solution to fix this mess, to set everything back to normal.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, Shinsou-kun, but there’s nothing we can do right now,” Iida said. “We couldn’t even handle Chuuya before, there’s virtually zero chance of us doing anything now that he’s unimaginably more powerful than before.” Iida kept tugging his arm away, urging him to follow. “The Heroes have no doubt been alerted already after such a huge commotion. We need to leave before they get here or we’ll just be in their way.”

What Iida said made sense. In fact, it made so much sense that Shinsou could find no words to refute it. And yet still.

Still.

“...Fuck!”

Making up his mind, Shinsou ran.

Like the failure and disappointment he was, he ran.

—

Dazai ran.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. If he slowed down for even a moment, this whole situation might just be blown out of proportions. 

The second shock wave had caused him to lose his footing for a second there, but still Dazai held on. He continued running forwards until the air around him felt significantly heavier. He would recognise this feeling anywhere, this unnatural pressure against his body. 

Another cry tore through. Much more disturbing and harrowing than the previous one. 

Dazai knew this instinctively as if his own soul vibrated in resonance.

Wherever Chuuya was, he was in pain. 

For the first time ever, Dazai’s plan had gone awry. And as a consequence for such a lapse in judgement, it was Chuuya who had to face this torment. Such was the most painful punishment that could ever be dealt to Dazai. 

He would set things straight and save Chuuya by all means even at the cost of his pathetic life. 

Following the cry, Dazai finally came to the clearing where he had separated with Chuuya initially. And just like he expected, the whole area was flattened. Destruction trailed at every corner Chuuya’s power had swept through. 

And in the heart of that chaos, was Chuuya. 

Or a shadow of what he was.

Dazai had seen Chuuya in his Corruption form firsthand multiple times, always closeby to reverse his transformation before it was too late. That’s why Dazai knew that something was very, very wrong with Chuuya’s Corruption form right now.

Even people who hadn’t witnessed Corruption before would be aware of this wrongness his form held.

The only physical change that would occur when Chuuya activated Corruption were the blackish-red tendrils that would spiral up along his arm and face. Like how a snake coils around its prey, slowly suffocating it, that was how Arahabaki seized control over Chuuya’s body. 

But what presented itself before Dazai was entirely different.

Those ominous tendrils that were a sign of Arahabaki’s control? It was consuming Chuuya. Human fingers turned into monster-like claws. Sharp, jagged wings protruding out of his upper back. His head had horns sprouting out of them, his beloved red hair nowhere to be found. Even half his face was gone, those once bright cerulean eyes of his replaced with soulless, empty orbs.

This wasn’t Chuuya. 

It was a calamity reborn.

Fear. An emotion so foreign to Dazai. Not even in the face of death had he felt this sensation before. Yet at this very moment, he felt it acutely. Not at the thing Chuuya had transformed into – Chuuya was the one thing he would never fear or shirk away from – but rather at the severity of his miscalculation. 

Dazai clenched his fist hard enough he could feel his nails digging into his skin. There was only one thing on his mind then: to save Chuuya. It was what he promised the slug after all. And Dazai wasn’t about to break his end of the bargain anytime soon.

He could just picture Chuuya waiting at the gate of the afterworld to beat him to a pulp if he failed here.

Shoving every unnecessary thought away from his mind, Dazai focused his brain on the situation ahead. Since his initial plan failed, he just needs to think of a new plan to solve it. That was his expertise. Thinking, planning, solving. 

Resuming his calm, calculative demeanour, Dazai assessed the situation, determined to fix his mistake more than ever. He couldn’t afford to fail a second time.

First thing he needed to focus on was stopping Chuuya’s Corruption. That was the simple part. Dazai just needed to touch him and let his ability do the work. What’s difficult is how he was going to do it. 

Chuuya’s transformation was rapidly progressing. While Dazai could technically see the ginger, he was quite some distance away. But he could tell Chuuya’s human form was slowly being consumed by Arahabaki. Dazai could just barely make out Chuuya’s exposed skin. 

The lower half of his face. His neck. And his shoulders. 

Even though everything was based off of his deductions and intuition only, there was something he was eerily certain of. 

The moment Chuuya is fully transformed, and Arahabaki completely takes over, it would be too late then. Not even Dazai’s nullification ability would be able to undo the devastation that would soon fall over UA. 

If Arahabaki is allowed free reign over Chuuya’s body, Japan would be wiped off the map by dawn. 

The weight on Dazai’s shoulder seemed to increase tenfold, yet there was nothing he could do about it except move forward. It bodes ill for everyone if he were to be hung up on his past mistake. 

Second thing Dazai noticed, was how up until now, excluding those intense shockwaves from before, Chuuya – or rather Arahabaki – hasn’t attacked even once. The two gravitons converging behind hadn’t yet been launched. It just kept growing and growing, trembling a little now and then like it was struggling to maintain its form.

It was unusual because in normal circumstances, when Chuuya activated Corruption, he’d go completely wild. ‘Holding back’ did not exist when Chuuya was in that state. He would create those compressed gravitons one after the other and launch it without rest, only thinking of wreaking havoc and causing destruction.

The fact that it hasn’t been launched until now signifies that Chuuya was somewhere inside fighting for control against Arahabaki. 

And Chuuya was gradually losing.

And lastly, the biggest headache for Dazai. Chuuya was floating in midair . This whole situation would’ve ended by now if Chuuya had been on the ground to begin with, where Dazai could actually reach him. But with Chuuya hovering in the air with no pillars or structures Dazai could hold on to, it was virtually impossible to reach Chuuya.

Even if a flying Hero was miraculously beside him, Dazai would nullify their quirk before they even got close to Chuuya. Not to mention how they’d be shredded into pieces if they got too close to those compressed gravitons.

“Ah, typical Chuuya… always making me work twice as hard,” Dazai chuckled drily.

Dazai looked around him, keeping in mind what tools he had on him that would be handy. Normally, there were several stages when it came to planning. Dazai would calculate the likelihood of every single possibility, plan his next course accordingly, and think of backup plans to account for anything unexpected. But time was not on his side now, the longer he took, the more danger Chuuya would be in. 

In the end, a plan did form. The kind of plan only a hothead like Chuuya would think of.

His newly acquired grappling hook was more than long enough to reach Chuuya. And Dazai would’ve used it to capture Chuuya like how cowboys do, but that’s not possible. Before it could even reach halfway across the distance, his grappling hook would no doubt get sucked into Chuuya’s DIY black holes. Dazai would be left with no tools that could let him reach Chuuya if that happens. 

Though it would be a different story if he was the one nearing Chuuya. With his nullification ability, it would offset the suction force of Chuuya’s compressed gravitons. In short, Dazai would have to throw himself towards Chuuya with no support except for the thin wire connected to his grappling hook. 

It wasn’t a great plan at all, but it would have to be enough.

Without wasting even another second in case he changed his mind, Dazai immediately went to work. It was quite a simple and effective plan really, providing that he ignored the aftermath and laws of physics. But it was the only way that would work at this moment. It’d be better if Dazai suddenly grew wings to fly, but he doesn’t exactly have the luxury to nitpick on it.

He just hoped his physical strength would be enough to pull this off.

Because if he falls here, no one would be spared, not even him. 

Unwinding his grappling hook from its gear, Dazai wound the thin wire around a sturdy pipe a few times, tugging on it hard a few times to ensure it wouldn’t suddenly fail on him. Next, he tied the other end around his waist, using his coat as a cushion to reduce the sting. There’s no telling such a thin wire wouldn’t just cut straight through his torso without some level of protection. 

The next part of his plan was the easiest yet the hardest to execute.

Going as far back as he could on the platform he was standing on, Dazai ran full speed ahead.

Then, kicking off the ledge in one powerful push, he jumped.

—

He was slowly losing himself.

Each second that passed, a small part of himself was chipped away. Fragments of his self? His soul? (Does he even have that?) Was being ripped apart mercilessly. Each tear in his form was replaced by this abomination he was fighting, their beings assimilated and fused with each other.

It was futile to resist. Everything he did or tried to do was ruthlessly overpowered. Still, he struggled and fought relentlessly through it all. Each attack he evaded bought him just a little more time.

He could not give in. He would not . Giving in would spell the end for him.

And so he fought.

He fought even though he had no idea what he was fighting for. He fought even though giving in seemed like the better option. He fought even though his chances of winning were uncertain.

Because if there’s one thing he knows, is that there’s no fucking way he’d go down without putting up a goddamned fight.

Soon, he would realise the futility of his struggle, the meaningless suffering he continued to endure. But as of this moment, his only will was to fight and survive. If perseverance was his only company in this lonely, endless battle, then so be it.

Even if his efforts would be boiled down to nothing, he would have zero regrets.

…

Time passed.

Every second felt like an eternity.

His form was barely half of what it originally was. Each attack he evaded, he would be assaulted two times more brutally. Each piece of himself he tried to save, a whole chunk of him would be stolen away.

Slowly but surely, his entire existence was being consumed. He could feel the giddiness of this abomination coursing through him as it fed on his existence.

He felt himself transforming into it.

A large chunk disappeared.

Is this…how it ends?

A fragment forever lost.

Why…do I fight?

His spirit fading away.

Who…am I?

Gradually loosening his grip on that thin thread of life he fought so hard to hold onto, all he felt was exhaustion and relief.

If death was all that waited for him on the other side, he would welcome it with open arms.

Then.

A crack.

An opening in this void of nothingness.

From it spilled forth a stream of light brighter than a thousand suns.

Where the light scorched it, the abomination shrunk away, its form vaporising unsparingly.

Where the light touched him, he felt revitalised, each piece he lost was restored completely.

Hope .

It rekindled his fighting spirit more than ever. His efforts and suffering had not been in vain. This time, he gathered up every last speck of his strength he could muster and pushed himself towards the light as the abomination sunk lower and lower into the abyss, its howl of rage and pain turning into mere whispers.

Reaching towards the light, he remembered everything.

I am Nakahara Chuuya.

I fought for my life.

And…

Like gaining an epiphany after experiencing a desperate, gruesome fight, he knew this with confidence.

I am human with a soul.

As the warmth of the light engulfed him, a name surfaced like it had always been there, like it had never left, always accompanying him by his side.

Dazai.

—

Dazai’s leap of faith succeeded. He defied gravity and reached Chuuya. Without wasting a second, No Longer Human activated in a flash of bright blue light the moment Dazai’s fingers brushed along the bare skin of Chuuya’s neck, taking action immediately by turning the compressed gravitons into a cloud of vapour.

He felt Arahabaki trying to put up a fight, though it failed as his ability was absolute with no exceptions. Even if the other party was a god-like existence. 

The traces of Corruption slowly undid itself, reverting Chuuya back to his human form. Still, Dazai kept his fingers pressed against Chuuya’s neck, making sure his ability wouldn’t run rampant again.

With his other arm, Dazai wrapped it around Chuuya’s waist tightly, pulling him as close as possible like he was afraid of letting go as his ability nullified the effects of Chuuya’s gravity manipulation. They floated in midair for longer than normal before gravity ultimately claimed them, sending them to free fall 50 feet towards the ground. 

However, with the grappling hook’s wire tied around his waist, it prevented them from splattering their guts all over the concrete floors. Though that only solved half their problems.

“This is going to hurt…”

Dazai tightened his hold on Chuuya as they swung at maximum potential energy towards a giant pipeline that somehow withstood Chuuya’s initial outburst. While still in the air, Dazai positioned his body in a way that would shield Chuuya, acting as a cushion that would absorb most of the impact from the force of hitting a steel pipe. 

BANG!!

The pain was so unbearable Dazai started seeing whites in his vision. He grunted out, biting his lips hard until they bled so he wouldn’t pass out from the pain. Feeling something warm trickling down his arm, he looked down to find his entire left side, from shoulder to fingers, completely fucked up. Blood stained his bandages a deep shade of crimson, smearing it onto his white collared shirt.

Being the victim that took most of the impact, his shoulder slumped unnaturally, and it wasn’t any simple dislocation he could just pop back into place casually. His left arm may be rendered useless for a whole week even if he got treatment right away. 

But his job wasn’t done yet. Gritting his teeth, Dazai reached into his pocket to retrieve a small dagger. Then, enduring the excruciating pain that threatened to push him over the edge, Dazai reached up with his left, fucked-up arm and cut the wire, his right arm still wrapped around Chuuya tightly. 

They were falling again. Though this time, they were only a few feet from the ground, so Dazai managed to land without any problems. 

Only when he was certain they were safe did Dazai finally loosen his grip on Chuuya, laying his body on the ground while letting his head rest on his thighs. 

Chuuya’s eyes were still closed, and it would seem like he was just sleeping peacefully were it not for his lack of breathing. Dazai should check on his condition. He knows he should. But weirdly enough, even though he just fell from a height that would most definitely kill him in normal circumstances, Dazai was instead afraid of what he would discover. 

What if he had been too slow? What if nullifying Arahabaki wasn’t enough? What if he failed Chuuya?

All these ‘what ifs’ held him back, keeping him rooted to the spot. 

But then, what if he was alive?

Inhaling deeply, Dazai pressed his fingers against Chuuya’s wrist, bending down to put his face near Chuuya’s nose. 

Please , he thought to himself, please.

He stayed in that position for a while with no sign of life from Chuuya. Until finally, miraculously , he felt it. A pulse, albeit slower and weaker than normal. Then a shallow breath tickling his ear.

Chuuya is alive . His heart still beats. His breath still comes.

Relief washed over him like a tide, releasing all the built-up tension in his body with a single exhale. Knowing Chuuya wasn’t in immediate danger anymore, Dazai finally relaxed.

Loosening his grip on Chuuya’s wrist, Dazai tried waking him up gently, careful to not be too rough on him. And even though he knew how much Chuuya hated it when he’s being treated like some fragile princess made of glass that would shatter with one wrong touch, Dazai couldn’t help it. Even if Chuuya is well (not exactly) and alive right now, he was still in a weakened state and would kick the bucket at any moment if not handled properly. 

Dazai swore to himself then, that he would take zero chances that could potentially put Chuuya’s life in danger again. 

It was the height of his arrogance to think he could utilise the calamity residing inside Chuuya without facing any consequences. This severe miscalculation of his would serve as a grim reminder to him in the future, and he’ll make sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again.

That is a promise to Chuuya and to himself.

“Chuuya,” he called out, tapping his cheeks lightly with his palm.

No response.

“Chuuya,” he tried again, pinching his cheeks a little.

A flicker of movement behind his eyelids.

“Chuuya…” he repeated. This time, he blew against the ginger’s ear – his sensitive spot.

And like magic, his eyes flew open. Chuuya bolted upright, panting vigorously while clutching his chest, trying to take in as much oxygen his lungs could hold. Then, as if his body had gotten the memo that its owner was living and breathing, in came the backlash his body had suffered due to Corruption. Dark, black blood started spurting out of his nostrils and mouth, causing his body to fall back helplessly to the ground. Dazai caught him before he could hit the ground.

As his erratic breathing started to calm, Chuuya’s pupils wandered until they landed on him. Dazai held his gaze like it was something sacred to him. And perhaps it was. Because there was nothing he wouldn’t give up if it meant that he could look into those cerulean eyes for another day.

“D-Dazai…?” Chuuya croaked out, his voice barely recognisable. He must’ve damaged it after letting out that sound-barrier-breaking cry twice. 

“Yes, Chuuya. I’m here,” he replied, tugging Chuuya closer.

“I’ll…I’ll k-kill you later…” Then, like a switch had been flipped, Chuuya passed out yet again.

Though this time, Dazai wasn’t too worried or anxious. Instead, he let out an unexpected chuckle that surprised even himself. 

“Okay,” he responded.

Then, bending down to bump his forehead with Chuuya’s, he whispered.

“And I’m sorry, Chuuya.” 

Chapter Text

Aizawa stormed onwards until he reached the familiar double doors that lead to Principal Nedzu's office. Without hesitation, he burst through the doors, courtesy and manners be damned. There was only a singular goal he had in mind. 

To expel the two troublemakers from UA once and for all. 

“Principal!” he called out as soon as he stepped foot inside. “We need to talk. Now!” 

The fury in his voice only serves as a mask to hide his underlying fear of what he had witnessed earlier. Aizawa could barely stop his clenched fists from trembling. Just remembering the scene sent chills running down his spine. 

“Please calm down for a moment, Aizawa-sensei.” Nedzu's voice was as calm as ever, which in normal circumstances would be reassuring, but at this moment it just pissed him off. “If you're here to talk about the events that transpired in Ground Gamma today, then sit. All Might and I were just in the middle of a conversation regarding that.” 

Aizawa turned. Lost in his previous haste, he had completely overlooked the former Hero sitting on the couch in front of Nedzu. Meeting his gaze, Toshinori gave him a fragile smile that did nothing to alleviate his worries.

Taking a deep breath to calm the turmoil raging in him, Aizawa let his haggard body flop onto the seat beside Toshinori. He was never one to care much about his outward appearance, though he’s certain he probably looked like he aged ten years even without a mirror.

“…I’ve basically understood the gist of what happened from All Might’s explanation,” Nedzu started, hopping down from his seat to sit on the couch across from them. “Well, even if All Might hadn’t come to warn me about what happened, it wasn’t exactly subtle enough to ignore. Those two sure have caused quite a stir huh?”

“I told you they were more trouble than we can afford,” Aizawa seethed, glaring hard through his dishevelled bangs. “I don’t want either of them near my students again. I want them out , Principal.”

Aizawa should’ve known better the moment those troublemakers from the past revealed that they were affiliated with the Mafia. But of course, they were blinded by the fact that Dazai and Nakahara were only teenagers, thinking they weren’t capable of the blood and violence a typical Mafioso would commit. 

Oh, how naive their thinking was.

Just their first encounter with them was a major red flag. The way Dazai didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger and how Nakahara was using his quirk in such a ruthless way with no remorse. Those signs should’ve been more than enough to warn them to stay away from those teens, yet they still ignored it, refusing to acknowledge the fact that they were simply too much for them to handle, even for the Pros.

And today’s incident was more than enough to prove exactly that.  

“I understand your point, Aizawa-sensei,” Nedzu said. Aizawa can already sense the ‘but’ that was coming. “But we still need both of them if we want our missing students returned.”

Aizawa knew more than anyone that rescuing the two missing UA students was the priority here. With Dazai and Nakahara being the key for their safe return, it was only right to keep them close in case anything occurred. Even if both Sayuki Chiho and Matsumoto Shinji weren’t his students personally, Aizawa as a teacher in UA and a Pro Hero in general couldn’t just look the other way. Obviously he would do whatever is needed if it meant everything would return to the way it was.

Aizawa is a realist through and through. He rarely minces his words and is straightforward and blunt most of the time. That’s why when the realist part of him was screaming that Dazai and Nakahara were more than what they bargained for, he listened, even if it meant betraying the Hero in him.

Because with the way things are progressing right now, only more people would get hurt before they’re even close to saving Sayuki and Matsumoto. Such thinking made Aizawa bite his lip so hard he tasted blood.

“I also understand Aizawa-sensei’s concern for the students,” Toshinori started, his eyes darting between Nedzu and Aizawa, like he was about to make an absurd statement. His guess was spot on. “But…I also want to help them while they’re here. We could help change their ways, let them see a brighter future than what is arranged for them. We could save them from the darkness—”

Aizawa slammed his fists on the table, startling Toshinori who was still trying to plead his case.

“There is no saving them! THEY CANNOT BE SAVED!” Aizawa emphasised. He was well aware of Toshinori’s generous heart, always believing that there was hope for everyone and they could be saved. But Aizawa had to disagree here. He knew full well that Dazai and Nakahara had nothing that could be salvaged. What little innocence or morality a teenager like them should possess is gone. “Whatever darkness or despair they came from lives in them now. I hate to break it to you, All Might, but we are not in any position to be playing Hero with them.”

“Still, they’re children, Aizawa! If we as Heroes turned away from them, who else could they turn to?”

“Those children are dangerous. In fact, they’re hazardous to have around,” Aizawa interrupted. “You weren’t there to see what exactly happened earlier. You didn’t see the monster Nakahara Chuuya turned into, the overwhelming power he wielded. My Erasure couldn’t even work on him before, much less this monstrous version of him. Only Dazai was able to stop him then. Don’t you see? They have the power to raze the entirety of UA to the ground if they wanted to.”

Aizawa was glaring at Toshinori intently, daring the former Number One Hero to object or deny. His fists quivered ever so slightly just thinking about it. It came to him with such vivid clarity he could picture it playing out in perfect detail.

It all went downhill when the first shockwave hit.

Aizawa distinctly remembered hearing Kaminari mention something about Kokeshi dolls when his feet were lifted off the ground and he was thrown 10 feet back. It was only with years of experience under his sleeves that Aizawa had managed to react by using his capture weapon to stop himself from flying over the railings. 

As for the students, some managed to stand their ground, since the shockwave was softened by multiple human ‘barriers’ in front of them, though the unlucky ones hit their heads pretty hard after being blown back. Chaos ensued as panicked screams filled the throng, a tangle of limbs and bodies everywhere.

Unsure of what went down, Aizawa prioritised on checking the injured and calming the situation, making sure no one sustained any serious injuries. He tried checking the large screen to get a sense of what happened in the battlefield between Dazai and his students, but it was either blank or just a bunch of static. Whatever that shockwave was must’ve destroyed the cameras and drones.

Just then, Aizawa realised he didn’t even need the cameras to see what was going on.

“W-What the hell is that?!” a student exclaimed, pointing with shaky fingers towards his right. 

There, in the distance away, were two gargantuan reddish black spheres floating in the sky. Even from such a considerable distance, Aizawa could tell those spheres were massive, almost as big as a two-storey house. And, as unbelievable as it may seem, the spheres were getting increasingly bigger the longer he looked at it.

Aizawa’s brain was sent into overdrive right then and there. What was that? Who did that? How did they do that? Was it an enemy attack? Did Midoriya’s quirk go out of control again? Are the kids safe?

The only way to answer all of his questions was by going to the scene there himself. And he needed to move fast in order to stop those two spheres from launching. Because if those two were released, Aizawa had a hunch that it’s not going to look pretty. 

“Vlad! Midnight!” he called out, the only other two Heroes present. They understood immediately, getting ready to unleash their quirks at a moment’s command. “All Might! Take care of the injured!”

“On it! Be careful out there!”

Knowing that the students were in good hands, Aizawa, Midnight, and Vlad took off, running straight into the chaos. 

It was an arduous journey trying to reach the centre of the storm. Pipes and debris scattered all over, blocking the paths and making it difficult to tread. When they could, Aizawa and Vlad would clear the way so Midnight could pass easily. But they’re not so lucky. Most of the times, they had to skirt around it, like they were passing through a jungle with a bunch of booby traps and hurdles. Not to mention the sheer wind pressure from an unidentified source was pushing them back the more they tried to advance. 

It took them longer than Aizawa would’ve liked just to get close enough to see what was happening closely.

And Aizawa did not like the sight one bit. 

The wind around them had gotten harsher as they closed in on the two spheres. One misstep and they would be swept away. The only real progress they made was being close enough to get a clear view of what caused it all. Though the situation hasn’t turned any less incomprehensible.

There was bad news and worse news. Bad news is that the figure floating in the middle of those spheres, who Aizawa assumed caused it, was not Midoriya but Nakahara. The worse news? Since the figure floating there was Nakahara, it meant his Erasure would not work to stop this absolute force of nature that was threatening to wipe out everything in sight. Just spectating it from afar made goosebumps appear all over his skin from the sheer force Nakahara’s power held.

His altered appearance didn’t do much to help ease Aizawa’s worries too.

Even though he couldn’t see what exactly changed about Nakahara’s appearance, just this unnatural feeling he was getting from it was enough to tell him that the being up there is no longer just Nakahara. It was something else entirely.

Unlike Nomus, whose presence gives off immense pressure from their raw power alone, this form of Nakahara was inherently different. Instead of a crushing pressure weighing down on him, this sinister sensation made him feel like he was suffocating just by being in its presence. He felt himself drowning in this thick, black liquid that was slowly swallowing him up. The only thing that waited below was despair. 

An overwhelming, endless pit of despair. 

It was that very feeling that caused him to stop in his tracks, his body and mind completely froze up as all he could do was stare helplessly and await for his death. Aizawa couldn’t even begin to describe this unnatural, twisted sensation. Like a warped spot in the fabric of reality, the existence of this being was in itself an error. Midnight and Vlad must’ve felt the same as him, fear splattered all across their features, their faces drained of colour. 

Unexpectedly, Aizawa felt himself back away.

It was just a single step. Yet that single step backwards was all it took to sap away whatever resolve he might have had when coming here. 

Even as the second gut-wrenching cry tore through the skies, Aizawa could only let his limbs fall slack as he stared at the scene ahead. Gravity worked against their favour. Unable to advance nor retreat, they could only stand still, like preys waiting to be devoured.

Aizawa had no idea how long he stood in that position for until a change occurred just from the corner of his eye. Another figure appeared at that time, leaping fearlessly through midair with nothing more than a rope tied around the waist. The figure, upon closer look, was none other than Dazai. 

Watching him soar through the air with a 50 feet fatal drop below made Aizawa want to scream his lungs out. To tell Dazai it was a futile effort, that he would die if he got close. But like the rest of his body, his voice betrayed him too. He couldn’t even muster up a single whisper as he watched Dazai head towards certain death.

Yet, the moment Dazai reached Nakahara, a bright light shone, enveloping both their bodies. It didn’t take long for the winds around them to gradually calm, the two spheres crumbling apart like it was no more than an illusion. That preternatural pressure crushing him lifted, setting him free alas. 

The breath of relief he exhaled almost made him slump on the floor in defeat.

But Aizawa wasn’t so weak as to admit defeat right then. In fact, this was no time to afford being weak. Aizawa is a Hero and he intends to live up to its name. 

Moving the first step forwards was the hardest. After all, his guts were telling him to run far far away from here. Going against that very instinct to move forward was betraying all the survival instincts he had relied on to stay alive until today. 

Though after that first step, it was far easier moving his legs the rest of the way. Eventually, they arrived at the spot where Aizawa saw Dazai and Chuuya fell. 

It was a gruesome sight to behold in all honesty. Blood was spattered everywhere, pooling in a deadly crimson swamp beneath the two teenagers’ bodies. Nakahara was in a horrific state with blood pouring out of his mouth, nostrils, eyes, and almost everywhere that had an opening. Blood almost as dark as black like it had been corrupted. 

Dazai wasn’t any better either. One side of his arm was completely battered to the point of it being unrecognisable. Aizawa could see bones sticking out and bent in various directions, the muscles and tendons barely holding it intact.

Even if Aizawa could force himself to be mentally strong, his stomach was definitely weaker. He had to stop himself from hurling everything inside him out. Vlad being a blood user managed to tolerate the scene just a little better, though Midnight had no choice but to look away and cover her mouth. The stench of blood itself was unbearable, coupled with the grotesque sight for all to see, it was just too much to bear.

Noticing their arrival, Dazai, using whatever humanly impossible method to stay conscious, lifted his head up from where he was resting it against Nakahara’s forehead. Whether it was because of his absurd pain tolerance or simply because he was just a monstrous bastard, Aizawa didn’t have the time to care. 

“Ah, you’re here,” he said faintly, voice barely perceivable even after all the ruckus calmed. “We surrender this match. Treat us well, okay?”

After saying that, Dazai passed out, letting his body slump over his partner’s, his good arm still holding onto Nakahara tightly, as if he was afraid he might disappear.

Everything passed by in a flash then. The other Heroes arriving. UA’s medics assembling to perform first-aid on those injured. The blur of students and teachers around him. He barely remembered seeing the other five students who had been in Ground Gamma when the incident occurred. None had sustained any serious injuries except for Shinsou and Bakugou who broke an arm while the others had surface scratches.  

If anything, the ones to suffer the worst had been none other than Dazai and Nakahara themselves, the very cause of this whole situation in the first place. They were immediately escorted to UA’s infirmary where Recovery Girl was already on standby to treat the worst of the injuries before it turned fatal.

As for Dazai, with his nullifying quirk being constantly active, UA could only call in an extremely skilled traditional doctor who was also a close friend of Recovery Girl. 

The operation took place almost immediately. Aizawa wasn’t there to witness it personally as he had a bewildered Class 1-A to take care of, but Hizashi was there to help him keep an eye on it. Class for the rest of the day was cancelled, so Aizawa ushered his students into their dorms, ignoring all their questions and demanding them to rest before going off to deal with other matters. It was only after the operation had been completed successfully did he make his way over to Principal Nedzu’s office right away. 

Squeezing his eyes shut and willing this morning’s freak accident away from his mind, Aizawa shot Nedzu a look filled with determination. There wasn’t a need to voice out his thoughts, Nedzu would be able to guess it after everything that had transpired. It was an action they should’ve taken long ago. Maybe then this incident wouldn’t even have the chance to play out in the first place. 

“ Whew … I’m afraid that Aizawa-sensei’s suggestion is much more practical in this case Yagi-san,” Nedzu said apologetically to Toshinori. He could see the understanding in the former Hero’s face even if it was a bit crestfallen. No doubt he was still All Might in spirit even if he’s physically incapable of continuing his Hero career. “With all these circumstances, as the Principal of UA, I must prioritise the livelihood of UA’s students first.” Nedzu addressed All Might’s worries first before turning to him again. “And Aizawa-sensei, do you have any idea what happened to have caused all of it in the first place?” 

“I’m not sure of the details myself, but Dazai and Nakahara were never meant to participate in this joint training battle between Class 1-A and 1-B in the first place.”

“Oh? Why the sudden change then?”

Aizawa frowned a little at Nedzu’s genuine questioning look. 

“Principal, Dazai told me it was your idea for them to have a battle so you could gauge their strength before sending them off to whatever warehouse it is they mentioned.” Seeing the surprise on the Principal’s face, Aizawa realised he had been duped all along. There hadn’t been any arrangements or plans to have a battle in order to ‘prove’ their abilities. Everything was just Dazai’s sick, selfish, horrid plan without a care for anyone’s–not even his partner’s–life at all.

Realising this, Aizawa gritted his teeth in anger. 

Just how far would he go to satisfy his unorthodox plans? At what costs?

“Well, I guess there’s nothing more that needs to be said then,” Nedzu started, his small shoulders weighing down like a huge burden had been transferred to him. “As of now, Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya have officially been suspended from their scheduled classes. They are to be strictly confined to their rooms unless said otherwise. Effective immediately.”

—

It has been two days. The usual rowdy, energetic air that Class 1-A possessed was instead replaced by a tensed atmosphere like a string pulled taut. Occasionally, some of the students’ eyes will flit towards the two empty seats at the very back of the classroom, a question unanswered plaguing their minds.

Of course, there were whispers and murmurs and such, but no one really had the gall to bring it up. Classes had been cancelled for the past two days in light of what occurred during the joint training battle. Everyone had been staying in their dorms as instructed by Aizawa, to rest and recuperate as they cleaned up the aftermath of a ‘quirk malfunction’ –as they called it–thar almost blew up the entirety of Ground Gamma. 

That was certainly a nice way to put it. What Midoriya experienced could be classified as a quirk malfunction, but what happened to Chuuya? That could only be called a quirk disaster . 

He’s fought many opponents ever since he started his studies at UA. Villains like Muscular, Stain, Shigaraki, and Overhaul had certainly been some of the worst encounters he’s had, being so close to death’s door while facing them. At any rate, they definitely weren’t Villains to be looked down on.

None of them could hold a candle to what Chuuya was capable of though. 

Midoriya couldn’t tell for sure what had happened at that particular moment, being disoriented by the gunshots Dazai had so accurately aimed at him. Luckily it was only rubber balls and not actual bullets, not that it did much to lessen the pain. 

However, having sustained multiple injuries that involved breaking his bones and tearing his muscles, it wasn’t all that difficult to endure the pain of a few gunshots. For a brief moment, he had noticed Dazai let his guard down after firing at him, like he had accomplished a goal of his or something. Midoriya had originally wanted to use that window of opportunity to launch a counterattack, but that was when the shockwave came. 

With nothing to hold on to and his thighs still stinging, Midoriya fell helplessly. Thousands of questions were coursing through his mind in a fraction of a second, all trying to make sense of what happened. Kaachan and Todoroki were with him so it couldn’t be them. Shinsou’s quirk is a mental-based attack, while Iida’s engines don’t have the capacity to create such a huge shockwave. 

So the only possible explanation was Chuuya.

He had half a mind to assume it was a possible Villain attack, but when Midoriya saw the look on Dazai’s face as a bestial cry tore through the skies, it was like a confirmation that Chuuya was the cause.

After all, only someone like Dazai who never shows his true feelings would have a face like that when it concerns his partner.

“Wait…!” Midoriya groaned out, but Dazai sped ahead, no doubt with a singular destination in mind. 

Right at the last second, before he hits the floor and possibly breaks his neck, Midoriya activated black whip once again to catch himself. He was still unfamiliar with this new power of his so it was a little shaky, though compared to his previous match, he had a far easier time controlling it. 

When he secured a safe landing, Midoriya released black whip. He wanted to follow Dazai to find out what’s going on but remembered Todoroki was still helping Kacchan. He turned, picking out Todoroki’s bright red hair and Kacchan’s blonde one easily amidst all the dust and wreckage. They seemed fine, though Kacchan was cradling his right elbow and pushing Todoroki away at the same time. 

Kacchan will be fine if Todoroki’s there, he thought. 

Then, without hesitating, he resolutely chose to follow after Dazai.

Kacchan and Todoroki have been accounted for, though it seems Kacchan has sustained an injury to his arm. And since it was apparent that something went wrong after that initial shockwave, they’ll both head back to the others where the teachers and medical team would be. 

Midoriya had his mind on Iida and Shinsou now. The two of them had been the closest to Chuuya when they were all swept away by the strong wave. They had to be the ones who were affected by it the most. If they were unlucky, they might even get caught up in the centre of it.

Midoriya had to hurry.

Using One for All to increase his speed, he eventually caught sight of Dazai’s silhouette. It was amazing how swift and quick his movements were despite his quirk not being an enhancing type or strength type. 

Desperate to catch up, Midoriya tried increasing his speed. However, the closer he got to where Chuuya had been, the stronger the wind blew, creating immense resistance that hindered his advance. Yet Dazai still rushed ahead without slowing down, almost like the wind didn't affect him. 

It shouldn’t be possible, unless this wind was created by a quirk. But Chuuya controls gravity, not wind, so how was that possible?

Shoot… I can’t move forward anymore.

He thought of using black whip again to push through this wall of wind, but it carries the risk of his quirk having another outburst if he overdid it. Even so, Shinsou and Iida were still there, he had to at least make sure they were safe. 

Even if Dazai had no problem reaching, Midoriya wouldn’t count on him to keep them safe. He knew full well that when it truly came down to it, Dazai would choose Chuuya over anyone else in a second. 

The loyalty and bond they share with each other is admirable, but in this case, it could spell danger for the others. 

Midoriya debated if he should turn back and let the Pros deal with the situation, hoping Shinsou and Iida were lucky and made it out safe, or if he should push through forcefully. The group had decided to pair Iida and Shinsou together for this exact scenario where they were required to keep their distance from Chuuya if he were to attack. 

Unfortunately, an attack of this magnitude was unforeseen. 

Just when Midoriya was having an internal conflict between listening to his head or his heart, a second shockwave much stronger and harder than the first erupted. This was followed by another gut-wrenching shriek.  

This time, he had ample time to prepare, but the strong gust of wind still sent him flying. Kicking off a sturdy pole, Midoriya flipped himself over, landing on the ground rather roughly. The wind wasn’t as strong now that he was on the ground, only the residual drafts could be felt. 

This could only mean that the source of this shockwave is in midair, which increases the chances of Shinsou and Iida being safe. Only Chuuya could use his gravity manipulation quirk to fly, both Shinsou and Iida wouldn’t have been anywhere near Chuuya then.

Even though this realisation put him at ease a little, it wasn’t long before he felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through his body, skyrocketing his heartbeat. This should’ve been a sign to run, yet his body was rooted to the spot firmly, like his feet were nailed to the ground as his entire nervous system started vibrating like a cornered prey. 

He felt his limbs trembling uncontrollably, his entire body betraying his instincts that were telling him to run. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face to his neck. At that moment, an impending sense of doom washed over him. 

Bloodlust.

It was a feeling that wasn’t at all foreign to him. In fact, he experienced it firsthand when he was fighting the Hero Killer, Stain. 

But this? This was something far sinister than before. The despair that comes from an inevitable death. It was the only way to describe this sensation he felt. 

And Dazai was heading straight towards that with no hesitation whatsoever. 

It seems not even the fear of death could put a dent in the sacred bond they shared.

Midoriya had no idea how long had passed when the intense pressure suddenly vanished. His body could move once again, his heart and lungs slowed its pumping to a normal pace. 

Whatever happened, it seemed Dazai managed to succeed in saving Chuuya. Midoriya wasn’t about to find out though. The moment his legs could carry him, he bolted out of the site, heading straight to where his classmates and the teachers would be.

“Young Midoriya!” he heard All Might’s voice calling. Midoriya looked up to where the spectators' platform was to find All Might and a few of his classmates leaning over the railings and searching for him.

“Down here!” he responded. He then proceeded to jump up and over the railing, joining his friends and All Might. 

Midoriya expected to feel relief at the fact that he was finally away from danger, but one glance around him and his heart dropped. Though they were awake, not everyone was well. Some students were laying on the ground with blood running down their forehead, their faces scrunched into one of pain.

“Wh-What happened?” he stammered out, looking towards All Might who had come up to check on him. 

“I’m sure you felt that shockwave earlier,” All Might sighed. “It threw everyone back and some of them hit their heads pretty hard.”

“It reached all the way here…?” 

“Yes. And we still have no idea what caused it… Aizawa, Midnight, and Vlad took off to find out what’s happening but they haven’t returned yet. I’ve called the medical team to come over already so for now we can only wait.”

“That transfer student, Nakahara Chuuya, lost control of his quirk,” a voice interjected. Midoriya turned to find Shinsou walking towards him, his breaths coming out in exhausted pants. “I brainwashed him like we planned. And… well, you saw what happened.”

“Shinsou-kun!” Midoriya ran up to him, glad to see he made it back safely. Though he noticed how Shinsou was favouring his left arm. “Are you okay? Did Iida-kun come back with you?”

Midoriya looked towards the direction he came from and sure enough found Iida sitting against a railing. Uraraka and Todoroki were with him so he should be fine. Further back was Kacchan who was with Kirishima and Kaminari this time. Seeing how energetic he was at pushing everyone away, it seemed like he wasn’t hurt too badly.

“Young Shinsou, you should rest. You’re hurt!” 

“I’m fine, I’ve rested enough,” he said, waving off All Might’s worry. “More importantly, I’m still trying to make sense of what happened. Did any of you know Chuuya could do that?”

“The two spherical things?” All Might asked, using his fingers to gesture in the shape of a circle. 

“What two spherical things? What did you guys see?” As for Midoriya, he was a little confused. Back then he was stuck in the maze of pipes so he couldn’t see anything clearly. Not to mention those strong gusts of wind obstructing his way.

“There were these two giant spheres that may have been a black hole. An imitation of it at least,” Shinsou explained, saying such an outrageous sentence so casually. “I was blown far away from the first shockwave so I wasn’t that close, but those two spheres were massive. At first I thought I was still dizzy and couldn’t see clearly, but I’m certain that space was distorted around those spheres, that much I can guarantee.”

“B-Black hole? Like Thirteen’s quirk? But Young Chuuya’s quirk is gravity manipulation. How did losing control of his quirk change its nature?” All Might questioned, trying to make sense about it. 

“No… It didn’t change,” Midoriya said slowly, the pieces clicking into place in his mind. “Black holes are essentially a region with an extremely strong gravitational force. And since Chuuya manipulates gravity, he could definitely create a fake black hole in theory.”

“That’s what I thought too,” Shinsou confirmed with a nod of his head. Then taking a deep breath, he said in a resigned tone, “When I brainwashed him, my connection to him was forcibly cut the moment I gained control of his mind. It almost felt like when I seized his consciousness, something else took over, like there were two beings residing in him. I… I don’t know how to describe it but that’s what it feels like.”

After hearing that Midoriya couldn’t help but think back to when Shinsou first brainwashed him during the Sports Festival. The past users of OFA had appeared in his vision at that moment. Suddenly, all the pieces of information were fixing itself, forming a bigger picture in his mind.

He had spent the past two days pondering over it until he came up with a possible theory: If what Shinsou said was true, that Chuuya had two consciousness residing in his body, that could only mean his quirk was just like One for All, a quirk that was passed down to him instead of being born with him. 

It was a suitable hypothesis considering how all the past users of OFA had left a small piece of them in it. But something about Chuuya’s quirk was fundamentally different. Back then when Midoriya was brainwashed, it was evident he didn’t break out of Shinsou’s control by himself. The past users of OFA must’ve taken control over OFA for a split second in order to send a shock to his consciousness to break him out from the clutches of Shinsou’s quirk. 

In that case, the past OFA users could only be considered as a type of guardian angel that was watching over him and guiding him. In Chuuya’s case, it was the opposite. Whatever that was residing in him is a being filled with malice. A parasite of sorts.

He hadn’t told All Might about his thoughts yet. It was too wild and unbelievable. Yet it was the only plausible explanation he could’ve come up with based on Shinsou’s experience.

This could all just be him overthinking it when the truth is that Chuuya did in fact have a quirk outburst like he did, just on a much different scale.

With everything that was going on, he could hardly see his mentor. Even if Midoriya wanted to tell All Might about it, he couldn’t find the right way to reveal it. Doing it through text doesn’t seem like a great idea so he had withheld this information until now. Hell, he doesn’t even know how to tell All Might that Dazai knew about him being his successor.

Dazai knowing about his and All Might’s relationship is a whole different problem altogether. How did he even make the connection in the first place? Did they do something suspicious that gave them away? Or had Dazai accidentally stumbled on them while they were having private talks about OFA? 

It didn’t make sense for Dazai to have known about it unless he was told outright. Kacchan was a different case since it was Midoriya himself who revealed a clue about the nature of his quirk. It wasn’t long until Kacchan connected all the dots together. 

But even then, Dazai, who was barely around for a month, had somehow managed to crack the code with little to no information. He was even quicker than Kacchan who reached the same conclusion.

Suddenly, the fog of mystery shrouding Dazai grew even thicker. 

The doors to Class 1-A slid open then, and in came Aizawa and All Might, though both looked like they'd aged a decade. 

“Good morning class,” Aizawa started. The response was subpar at best, even Iida had forgotten to lead the morning greeting as usual. Midoriya couldn’t blame him, everyone had the same expectant expression on their faces as they watched their teachers walk in. There was only one thing they wanted: an answer. Aizawa clearly noticed as he sighed. “As you guys already know, class was suspended for the last two days because of what happened during the joint training battle. What happened was an unfortunate tragedy no one saw coming. Luckily, no one had been seriously injured and UA is in the process of resolving this issue. The main perpetrators of this incident were Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya, hence they’ll be suspended indefinitely and put under strict surveillance.”

The quietness of the class previously shattered at the last sentence, gasps of disbelief echoing throughout the classroom. 

“Wait, suspended you say??”

“What even happened then? How were Dazai and Chuuya mixed into this?”

“This can’t be real.”

“Are… Are they at least alright?” Yaoyorozu raised her hand high, grabbing everyone’s attention instantly. That’s right, even if they were desperate to know what happened, they were more concerned about the conditions of the two transfer students who had joined their ranks for the past month. “Dazai and Chuuya… We haven’t gotten a word about them or even seen them so all of us are worried…”

Aizawa, seeming like he expected this question, already had an answer.

“Their conditions are… stable for now,” Aizawa explained. “Dazai’s left arm was completely mangled but because his quirk is activated constantly, we had to bring in a traditional doctor to heal him. The operation had been a success and his arm was saved, but there may be some side effects in the future. As for Nakahara…” Aizawa exhaled dejectedly, like his next words were difficult to verbalise. “Recovery Girl did her best healing him with her quirk, however he is still in a comatose state and we are unsure when he would awaken.”

Even more gasps were heard then. No one could’ve guessed that a normal practical training session would turn into such a ghastly accident. 

It took a moment but realisation dawned on him then. Earlier, Midoriya had found it weird when Aizawa mentioned no one was seriously injured because he had clearly seen the state of both Dazai’s and Chuuya’s bodies when they were carried out of Ground Gamma. Dazai’s arm was mangled to the point that it looked like he used OFA at a hundred percent multiple times. And for Chuuya, who had seemed to be in a worse condition than his partner, couldn’t even wake up from his coma, so how could their condition be anything but severe?

Thus, when Aizawa said no one was seriously injured, he meant no one from UA is injured. Dazai and Chuuya are nothing more than outsiders in their eyes. And even if Midoriya knew the true origin of them both, pushing them aside like this just felt wrong. 

“Th-Then, why are they being treated like suspects?” It was Kaminari who voiced out his question this time. “Aren’t they also victims in this incident? Why are they being watched like some criminal?”

“Yeah! Wasn’t this all just a freak accident?” Ashido interjected, showing her support.

“We have qualms to believe this incident was orchestrated by the both of them. An accident that was entirely intentional with a deliberate motive. We still haven’t figured out what they were trying to achieve, but that is our stance for now.”

Another uproar erupted, the shouts and gasps of disbelief became even more potent. Midoriya couldn’t hide his shock to hear that UA had come to such a drastic conclusion. 

Because he had been there to witness Dazai’s expression morphing into one akin to terror when the incident took place. It was nothing short of a mystery to see the usual nonchalant, confident Dazai to be in such a state of trepidation. Midoriya knew better than to assume this accident was staged.

“But—” he was about to protest when All Might gave him a slight shake of his head, silently telling him to back down for now. Midoriya was confused as to why his mentor wasn’t protesting too. It had been All Might’s idea to befriend Dazai and Chuuya as a way to try and save them from the darkness by giving them the light of hope. Surely, All Might could see how absurd it was to think they’d hurt the only other person they could rely on.

But for now, Midoriya obeyed All Might’s wishes, hoping he would explain it later.

“HAH?! What do you mean they orchestrated it? That’s bullshit. Only idiots could think of such a suicidal plan and actually execute it.” It seemed like Kacchan was on the same page as him too. And even though it was subtle, Midoriya couldn’t help but think his childhood friend was trying to defend Dazai and Chuuya in some way.

“Exactly. If they staged that accident with the intent to cause harm, it makes no sense that they were the ones who were injured the most.” Kirishima brought up a really good point there, some of the students were even nodding along, clearly sharing his logic.

“We still haven’t figured out what their intentions were yet. For all we know, this whole mishap occurred because their plans went awry somewhere. We have no choice but to put them under temporary surveillance until the truth is revealed.”

Even after Aizawa’s explanation, not everyone accepted it. Some were claiming about how ridiculous it sounds, reasoning that they were students just like them. Some of them were even questioning UA’s choice of action.

“Enough!” Aizawa slammed on the table to regain everyone’s attention. “UA’s decision is final and we won’t be changing it no matter what you say.” Then, Aizawa took a deep breath before continuing. “I know most of you have grown closer to both Dazai and Nakahara in the past month, but your safety is our priority here. Even if our precautionary step may seem cruel, it is a necessary path we have to take to prevent the same incident from happening again.”

Everyone grew silent at that. They couldn’t exactly argue with UA’s methods if it was done with their safety in mind. Even if Class 1-A is stubborn, they know when it’s time to step down. 

“I haven’t told anyone besides the teachers yet, but my quirk doesn’t work on Nakahara,” Aizawa suddenly blurted out. Everyone’s head shot up in shock and disbelief at such a revelation. “I don’t know why it doesn’t work but I do know only Dazai’s nullifying quirk works on him. Even though us Pros had rushed to the scene in an attempt to stop whatever was going on, we could do nothing except watch until Dazai finally stopped Nakahara’s outburst at the cost of his arm. And we’re aware that how we’re treating them is unfair after everything they’ve gone through, but we can’t guarantee there won’t be a second time. What if Nakahara lost control of his quirk again and Dazai isn’t there to stop him? UA could be decimated in minutes if that happened. Worst still is what if Nakahara learnt how to control that dangerous power and used it against us? We could only be under their mercy, unable to do anything about it. Such consequences are too much even for UA to bear.”

No one could utter a single argument about that. Indeed, when put in that context, Dazai and Chuuya would seem more like a threat. It may be harder for the others to accept that fact since they were told Dazai and Chuuya were just ordinary transfer students like them, just from a different Hero Institute. Not Midoriya though. He knew full well the threat they posed by being affiliated to the Mafia, whether in the past or  the present. It’s a no brainer why UA would be extra cautious while dealing with them. It was better to make the wrong call than to be sorry about not making one after all.

“We understand that we can’t force you to keep silent about this incident,” Aizawa continued again. “However, we sincerely hope all of you can keep this incident to yourself until we get to the bottom of this. Fear can be used as a powerful weapon to wreak havoc when we least expect it. UA wants to avoid that outcome as much as possible.”

—

Night was the time for good people to have sweet dreams; the bad ones to fear nightmares. Unlike in the Port Mafia where most dealings were done using the darkness of night as coverage, this hour of the night has recently grown to a peaceful time for him. 

It was only here when he managed to get a good night’s rest, if a mere two to four hours of shut eye counts. 

Yet, on such a tranquil night as this, Dazai had no intention of sleeping. 

Beep.

A pause. Then, another.

Beep.

The rhythmic beats coming from the heart monitor was the only thing keeping him awake right now. Everytime it beeps, Dazai would patiently await the next one. 

He put a hand over his chest, feeling the beating of his own heart under his palm. He closed his eyes, gathering his focus and controlling his breathing until he felt his heart rate slow. Dazai used this weird little talent of his and adjusted his heart rate to match the pace of what’s displayed on the monitor. 

When the only two hearts present were beating in tandem, Dazai slowly opened his eyes, shifting his sight to the figure lying on the hospital bed beside where he sat. He traced each line and curve and hollow of the face framed by the most beautiful vermilion red hair ever, noting each strand of it and how it curls at the end. 

Such a serene face makes Chuuya look like he was only taking a simple nap. 

A nap where Dazai can’t tell how long it’ll last. 

It has been four days since Dazai first awoke after his arm surgery. Four days of Chuuya being asleep. Four days since he last slept.

His sleep schedule had already been thoroughly fucked anyway, so it really doesn’t matter at this point.

Then, using his only free arm–the other was practically useless being slung around his neck in a cast–he rested it on top of Chuuya’s hand. Gently caressing it, he memorised the little bumps of the knuckles, drawing lines across the fingers with his. Dazai lifted the hand, propping his own underneath it and giving it a squeeze.

His little guilty act drew no reaction from the other, Chuuya still sound asleep on the bed. His hand didn’t stop there. Dazai went on to pinch each of Chuuya’s fingers lightly, drawing circles on his knuckles, intertwining their fingers together. Still, there was no reaction, not even a flicker behind his eyelids.

His own hospital bed laid empty behind him, but there was no way Dazai could lie down and fall asleep. The only thing indicating that Chuuya is alive was nothing more than a machine. Dazai was afraid that if he slept, those reassuring beeps from the monitor would cease too. He couldn’t risk that happening.

So he chose to stay awake, accompanied only by the beeping monitor and the soft gleam of the moon. 

“Look who’s the waste of bandages now,” he mumbled into the night, chuckling a little to no one in particular. Chuuya was twinning with him now. Bandages covering his arms, his legs, and his body all the way up to his neck. 

If Chuuya was awake, he would’ve cracked a joke about it which would no doubt earn him a smack across his head. There was honestly nothing more that Dazai would wish for at this moment. Yet all he could do now was just helplessly stare.

Dazai had never felt so useless before. He could do nothing to get rid of the pain the chibi must be experiencing, could not heal all of the chibi’s injuries with a snap of his fingers, and neither could he rewind time to prevent all this from happening.

All he could do now was pray to a God that doesn’t care and trust that Chuuya is strong enough to overcome it. 

Inadvertently, he got lost under the hypnotising beat of Chuuya’s heart, time slipping away like water through his fingers. He snapped out of his trance when his phone started vibrating in his pocket.

Dazai retrieved it and stared at the caller ID displayed on the screen. His brows rose a little when he registered the phone number. He didn’t hesitate to slide over the call button.

When the call connected, he didn’t say a word, just put the receiver over his ear and listened. 

“ H-Hello…? Maman? Papa? ”

It was a Sunday night, and sure enough, out came Aoyama’s voice from the receiver.

Dazai listened quietly to the conversation, having already pressed the record button so he’d have physical evidence of the phone call happening. 

As he previously discovered, the call lasted barely two minutes this time too. There wasn’t a single word of concern or love exchanged between them, just a straight up report about everything that happened during the week.

And just as he predicted, Chuuya was the main star in this conversation. The execution of his plan may have gone awry, but he still achieved the goal he set. It was the only silver lining after making such a stupid mistake. 

If even after all of this Dazai’s goal wasn’t reached, it meant he had needlessly put Chuuya in danger, Dazai isn’t sure what he would do then. He would never have forgiven himself if that happened.

That’s why when the call ended, a cruel smile stretched across his face.

Dazai vowed to do everything in his power to revert this situation and return them to their beloved Yokohama 200 years ago. 

That would be his way of atoning after letting Chuuya down. 

No matter what, failure was not an option.

Chapter Text

The last thing he remembered was being enfolded in a bright radiance that consumed the nightmare he was shrouded with in its entirety. It had been a warm thing, its touch featherlight. It shone like a brilliant ray of hope when he was in the depths of despair.

Being enveloped in such gentleness and warmth, he had never felt so safe and protected.

When Nakahara Chuuya cracked open his eyes this time, only a blinding white greeted him. It was nothing like what he remembered, this brightness and whiteness instead felt like the stabbing of a thousand tiny needles into his eyeballs. 

Chuuya squeezed his eyes shut almost instantly, seeing dots of colours behind his eyelids. Taking a deep breath as he recalibrated himself, Chuuya caught a whiff of antiseptic coursing through the air. He heard the sound of a machine beeping softly beside him too.

This environment is something he’s grown quite familiar with this past year since being partnered up with Dazai in the Mafia. His ingenious plans have the tendency to be a tad bit suicidal—and homicidal though that only applies to Chuuya—at times. 

What the hell happened?

He tried recalling his most recent memories, but that only triggered a shock of pain to travel across his brain, making his mind spin. 

When Chuuya tried to sit up, he found his muscles from the neck under were completely cramped, even a simple movement like wriggling his toes took a monumental effort.

The only exception was his right hand. It worked fine compared to his other limbs.

Using that very same hand, he pushed himself up, straining every ounce of his strength just to get up into a sitting position. Never had he felt so shitty or awful before, not even when he had a major hangover from drinking too much the night before.

His body felt like it weighed a ton, his tongue and throat felt like a desert that hasn’t seen water in days, his mind was woozy from all the blinding lights, his eyes couldn’t even focus and see straight in front of him.

And god, he was starving like a motherfucker.

“Fuck…” he croaked out in a voice that sounded like a dying old man’s.

“Y-You’re awake!” The foreign voice had been so sudden it jolted him out from his own confusion. Chuuya had thought he was the only one in the room, but apparently not anymore.

He shifted his gaze towards the voice, finding someone standing by the door. A messy tuft of indigo hair sat on his head, his similarly coloured eyes framed by dark, heavy bags almost like a certain someone. 

Chuuya eyed him up and down, taking in how his look of surprise was slowly morphing into one of concern. He looked familiar, but Chuuya can’t quite put a finger on it. Just trying to search his memory for a name felt like his brain was struck by lightning. 

Hesitantly, the boy invited himself in. He closed the door behind him but still remained in his position, almost like he wanted to keep his distance from Chuuya. 

“Look, I know I’m probably the last person you want to see, but—I just—you see—” The boy scratched his head frustratedly, his face pulled into a grimace as he tried to find the words to form his sentence but couldn’t.

“Wa…ter…” Chuuya rasped out, his own voice barely recognisable even to himself. 

“Huh…? What?” 

When the boy lifted his head, finally daring to look Chuuya straight in the face instead of just hanging his head and averting his eyes like guilt was consuming him, Chuuya pointed to his throat, gesturing the motion of drinking water.

“Oh! Water! Okay, wait a moment.”

Putting the plastic bag he was holding on the table, the boy poured Chuuya a glass of water and handed it to him. Eagerly, Chuuya snatched the glass from his hands, gulping down its contents in the span of two seconds, some droplets overflowing from the corners of his mouth.

When the water hit his tongue and travelled down to his throat, it felt heavenly. Water had never tasted so good before. 

One glass was hardly enough to quench his thirst. Chuuya held out the empty glass, gesturing for the boy to pour more water, and so he did. This happened a few more times until the jug the boy had been pouring the water from was completely empty. Chuuya’s bladder was entirely filled by then, but at least he didn’t feel like clawing his throat out anymore.

“Fuck…I thought I was actually going to die from thirst,” he sighed, putting a hand over his bloated stomach from all the liquid. Chuuya was feeling a little queasy right now. Perhaps gulping down so much water in such a short time was backfiring on him.

“Um, so…” the boy began, scratching at the back of his head, his eyes once again looking down at his feet. “I just wanted to—”

“Wait. Remind me who you are again?” Chuuya cut him off. He hadn’t a clue what the boy was trying to say the moment he appeared here, but if the numbing headache whenever he tried to remember the boy was any indication, Chuuya felt like he could at least somewhat explain the situation he was in right now.

“You… You don’t remember?” he looked up, brows scrunched in confusion. 

“Not in the slightest. I don’t even remember how I got here in the first place.” Chuuya looked all around him. It was definitely an infirmary. The very same infirmary Dazai snuck himself into to obtain Class 1-A’s medical files. “And to not be confused, I didn’t lose all my memories. Just the ones about what happened before are a bit blurry to me.”

“Oh, I see…” he mumbled, evidently still perplexed and most definitely did not see. “Well, for starters, I’m Shinsou Hitoshi from the General Ed. Course. We met during the joint training battle. Does that ring any bells?”

Shinsou Hitoshi.

That name, in fact, does ring a few bells. 

Slowly, all the events that had transpired which landed him on the infirmary bed were coming back to him. 

The meeting of Class 1-A and Class 1-B.

The students winter Hero costumes (still not any less tacky).

Dazai’s stupid fucking plan.

And the key to it all.

Chuuya looked up at Shinsou, his expression crinkled with anxiety and concern that did well to hide his true feelings which was undeniably guilt. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why the boy was here.

“So, you’re the one that brainwashed me?”

And let Arahabaki out, he didn’t say.

Shinsou opened his mouth, about to say something, but a malevolent screech interrupted him. Or more specifically, a screech only Chuuya could hear in his mind.

Arahabaki.

It seems only a single thought of that entity was enough to jostle the God of Destruction from its slumber, its bottomless rage and chaos burning awake with it.

Chuuya grabbed his head, grunting out in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get ahold of his mind that felt like it was being hit repeatedly by a metal bat. 

It was almost like Arahabaki was rampaging around, trying to take control yet again.

When he opened his eyes, Chuuya was seeing doubles, maybe even triples. He could hear Shinsou calling out to him anxiously, though his voice sounded distant and muffled through the ringing in his ear.

His arm trembled as he held it in front of him, trying to inspect it to see if any red imprints were visible, a sign that Arahabaki might actually be taking over. 

His arm was pristine, no signs of Corruption activating. Though after forcefully activating it with Shinsou’s quirk instead of chanting his usual verse, Chuuya wasn’t too sure Corruption wouldn’t suddenly activate from another stimuli.

At least for now, everything seemed fine. Other than Arahabaki causing a wreck in his mind of course.

But this time, Chuuya wasn’t going to be overpowered so easily. He isn’t so weak as to succumb to this barbaric, savage beast running amok in his mind. This is his mind, his consciousness first and foremost. He doesn’t share it with Arahabaki. Sharing would imply they both have equal custody over it, which is not the case. It was Chuuya’s and Chuuya’s only. 

And he’ll be damned if Arahabaki ever tried to take what was rightfully his.

This is my body, he willed.

You. Listen. To. Me.

That seemed to work as Arahabaki gradually calmed, retreating back to its corner as Chuuya willed it to do. The ringing ceased, his head cleared, and he was finally at peace. 

Chuuya clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling his muscles flex and his blood running through his veins. Previously, Arahabaki’s presence could only be felt when he used his ability. But now, it felt like it was lurking directly under his skin, its shadow ever present with him. Good thing is that Chuuya still has control over Arahabaki for now, though he still needs to be on high alert in case anything goes wrong.

“Are you alright?” Shinsou asks, his arms flailing around like he didn’t know what to do with them. “I was about to call the Heroes.”

Chuuya waved him off, leaning his back against the pillow. It hasn’t even been a few minutes since he awoke but it already feels like he needs a long nap. He was physically strained and mentally drained. What an excellent combo that was.

“I’m fine. Mostly,” he replied. Shinsou doesn’t look at all convinced, his head tilted in suspicion. “How long was I out anyway?”

“Well, it’s technically been a week since the joint training battle, So… A week I guess?” 

“A whole fucking week?!” Chuuya repeated incredulously. That information was so surprising he jerked back up, silently wincing at his backache and his joints cracking. “I’m usually out for three days max… Guess that explains my muscle cramps.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing.” Chuuya brushed him off, not wanting to go into the specifics of Arahabaki and Corruption and whatnot. It’s not like he would believe it anyway. Better save the kid some sanity. Whatever Shinsou doesn’t know is not his problem to care about.

Chuuya, though, has a minor problem. 

Being in a coma for a whole week is a bit concerning, to say the least. Back then when Chuuya had used Corruption to his absolute fucking limit, he would be up in three days even with Mori’s medical support. To be out cold for a whole week was a serious jump. But then again, Chuuya understands that the Corruption he used this time was different from all the other times he used it, so it would somewhat explain his current bizarre condition. 

Seems like letting Arahabaki out forcefully instead of the conventional way took a big toll on his body. 

“So what did you come here for?” Chuuya inquired. It seemed like he wanted to say something when he arrived but got interrupted every time, so now Chuuya was giving Shinsou a chance to do it. “It can’t be that you’re just here to visit me right? We’re not even that close. And sit down so I don’t have to look up just to see your face. My neck hurts.”

“Oh. Er, okay, if you insist.”

Shinsou took a seat on the chair beside his hospital bed rather hesitantly, his whole body rigid like a robot who doesn’t have its joints oiled. Again, like earlier, he avoided Chuuya’s eyes, opting to just look down at his feet and biting the insides of his cheek instead of just saying whatever he was planning to say. 

Chuuya isn’t too unfamiliar with this kind of treatment when he was in the Mafia. Though he may be sixteen, he still holds a pretty high standing compared to other ordinary grunts. And when they speak to him, they often have their heads bowed slightly. But that was out of respect and fear; hierarchy in the Mafia is something Mafiosos like them had to strictly adhere to after all. 

However, looking at how Shinsou was acting despite both of them being a UA student, it didn’t sit right with Chuuya.

“Stop sulking and spit out what you want to say,” Chuuya grumbled, scratching his head in exasperation. He has a hunch about Shinsou’s reason for coming here, and Chuuya could very well just say he gets it and be done with it all, but it’s probably better to let the kid speak out for himself. “And look at me when you’re speaking. It’s like you’re talking to the floor if you keep looking down.”

Shinsou snapped his head up a tad too quickly, like Chuuya was giving him an order he couldn’t defy. Chuuya frowned a little at that. Did he sound that demanding?

They sat in silence for a while, Chuuya waiting for the boy to speak, while Shinsou seemed to be mulling over the words he was about to say. Eventually, Shinsou opens his mouth to speak.

“Nakahara-san. I…I came here to apologise about what happened.” Shinsou bowed his head completely even though he was still sitting. “Though it wasn’t my intention, the choice of using my quirk on you has landed you here. It was my fault entirely that your quirk suddenly went out of control, which ended up with you being in a coma for a whole week.” Shinsou took in a deep breath, his exhale coming out shaky. “My quirk had been labelled villainous for a time now, so I wanted to change that. But because of my selfishness and eagerness to prove myself, I ended up putting not only your life in danger, but everyone else involved too. I completely understand if you do not accept my apology, but I’ll still take full responsibility for my actions. So once again, I’m sorry for what’s happened, and I hope you can forgive me for it.”

When Shinsou finished off his lengthy apology, Chuuya noticed how his tightly clasped hands were trembling. Honestly, to Chuuya, this whole situation wasn’t too big of a deal. He’s experienced worse things other than Arahabaki going on a rampage with his body, so what really matters is that he’s still alive and whole. 

But he could tell that to Shinsou, this matter held a significant weight to it. Much more than just Corruption being activated forcefully because of his brainwashing quirk.

“Don’t flatter yourself, kid,” Chuuya huffed out after a moment of silence. Seeing how Shinsou was bashing himself so harshly over something he couldn’t control, Chuuya felt the need to put the aspiring Hero’s mind at ease. After this incident, it was clear that Shinsou blamed himself and most probably felt himself unfit to be a Hero even though the whole point of him participating in the joint training battle was to prove himself worthy of being one. To have his hopes and dreams crushed so easily like that, it was no wonder why he was so dejected. It was up to Chuuya to change this negative view of himself. “If my quirk went out of control, then it’s entirely my fault for not keeping it under control. Why are you trying to take credit for my failure?”

Shinsou’s head perked up at that, looking straight towards Chuuya with widened eyes and a confused expression. He seemed like he wanted to retort, but Chuuya didn’t give him the chance to, cutting him off before he even had the chance to speak.

“There’s nothing you need to change or prove to anyone.” Chuuya was never one to be great with words, especially when it comes to comforting people. He never really knows what’s the right thing to say. So he decided to just tell the truth about his own feelings. It was much easier that way than trying to think of false, empty words. “Having a valiant, heroic heart is more than enough to be a Hero. You don’t need someone else to tell you if you’re worthy or not.”

Chuuya pointed at Shinsou’s heart, hoping the boy remembers the reason he wanted to be a Hero in the first place. He had seen Shinsou’s fight against Midoriya’s team before theirs. If being a Hero meant saving people, then he already is one, there was no question about it. 

“And there’s no such thing as a villainous quirk. A quirk can only be villainous if its user wields it with malicious intent.” At this, Shinsou bit his lip. Chuuya didn’t think much about that small reaction of his, instead looking down at his own hands. Despite the few scars on it, it was otherwise in perfect condition. And it’s with these very same hands that Chuuya used to crush his enemies. Of course, he doesn’t regret it, but sitting here trying to convince a kid that his quirk wasn’t villainous with all the blood he spilled makes him feel like a hypocrite. “So don’t go blaming yourself over something you can’t control. Our quirks were just a bad matchup, that’s all.”

“But still–”

“Tch. I said it’s fine so it’s fine, okay?” Chuuya gave Shinsou a dismissive wave, not wanting to hear the teenager’s reasoning anymore. The whole ordeal was over anyway, why dwell on it? “And if you really want to blame someone, just blame that bastard Dazai. He’s the one who nominated you in the battle after all. And speaking of, where is that blue mackerel anyway?”

Chuuya turned to his right where an empty bed was. Judging by how neat and folded the sheets were, it was more likely to assume that no one occupied it. And while Chuuya barely remembers anything when Arahabaki had taken over, he still recalls glimpses of it, and he’s pretty sure Dazai sustained some serious injuries trying to get to him. 

Unless UA decided to separate them, which is honestly a shitty move considering Chuuya would’ve decimated UA were it not for Dazai’s ability. 

“Blue…mackerel? You mean Dazai?”

“Yeah. Who else looks like a mackerel other than him?”

Shinsou blinked twice, furrowing his brows a little. Chuuya didn’t care to elaborate on that topic. If Chuuya says he looks like a mackerel, then that son of a bitch looks like a mackerel. 

“Well, I’m not too sure myself. Honestly, I was a little surprised I didn’t see him here when I came,” Shinsou explained. “I used to come here during lunchtime and after classes to check on you but he would always be here. Even when I came during nighttime, he would still be here.”

“Here as in…?”

“Exactly right here,” Shinsou said, pointing down on the chair he was sitting on. “I never got the chance to properly visit until today because he would always be sitting here right beside you. I think he was looking after you so I didn’t want to disturb and went back. Sometimes, I don’t think he even moved after I returned a while later.”

Hearing that, Chuuya gritted his teeth unconsciously. 

That motherfucker–!

“Oi, Shinsou. If you still feel bad for putting me here, then help me up.”

“Huh? Shouldn’t you be resting?” Even though he was expressing his concerns, Shinsou still stood up from his seat and leaned over to help Chuuya. 

Chuuya draped his hand around Shinsou’s shoulder, using him like a crutch to pull himself off the bed and stand on his wobbly feet. The cramp was still there, clawing at each of his muscle fibres, threatening to give up on him. Chuuya bit his tongue, trying to divert his attention from his legs to the pain on his tongue instead. It was manageable for now, he just needed someone to help him walk.

“Are you sure you can walk? You can barely stand right now.” Shinsou was standing in front of him now, acting like an actual crutch by supporting his arms. It was quite the pathetic state he was in at the moment, but Chuuya couldn’t care less about that fact. There were more important things to do.

“That’s not the problem right now,” Chuuya grunted out. “I’ve got a mackerel to thrash.”

—

In a room occupied by four, a tense silence stretched long. Everyone had their ears perked up, listening intensely to the recording playing a soft, static voice.

“…more than it seems. Tell him. That’s all.”

Even after the recording gave a resounding click to indicate its end, there weren’t any changes to the four seated. It was hard to tell what everyone was thinking, but Dazai supposes he has an idea or two.

His gaze swept through the other three before retrieving his phone from the coffee table and pocketing it.

For this particular meeting, Dazai had taken off his signature black overcoat, laying it neatly across his thighs instead of his shoulders where they belong. It allowed his bandages to be on full display, from his right eye all the way to his forearm. Not to mention he has a big, bulky, broken arm wrapped in a cast and slung around his neck. It painted the perfect picture of your typical ‘victim’.

After all, it’s one of Dazai’s expertise to uncover his enemy’s weaknesses and exploit it. What better way to deal with Heroes by showing them a weak, need-to-be-saved child in front of them?

Though honestly, after all that happened, Dazai wasn’t too certain his trick would do the work.

“Well, there you have it. The proof I promised,” he began since no one took the initiative to start. Nedzu had his head tipped low, making it difficult for Dazai to get a read on him. But then again, he was technically a rat so who knew how different he is from a human? Toshinori seemed dazed, his jaw hanging loose like he couldn’t believe what just happened. Aizawa seemed the most composed of them all, but with the way he was clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, Dazai guessed he must be the most unsettled out of everyone. Not that he could blame them. Their reactions were a given when a traitor is exposed in their ranks. “It’s time for UA to hold up their end of the deal.”

“Is…Is this real?” Toshinori breathed out, his words barely audible as though the act of acknowledging it was taboo itself.

“As real as it can be, All Might.” Dazai eyed the former No. 1 Hero as he fully took in and processed the information: the existence of a mole in Class 1-A. Of course, the older man was sceptical about his claims, but it wasn’t Dazai’s job to convince him otherwise. Eventually, when everything comes to light, they have no choice but to accept that fact.

“And how do we know you didn’t just forge this…evidence?” Aizawa questioned, directing a hostile glare at Dazai. Out of the three, he’s probably the one who holds the most animosity towards Dazai. Now that’s definitely a teacher who cares about his students. “Because that does not sound like any of my students.”

“If I really wanted to lie to you, I could’ve used a simpler method to do it,” Dazai shrugged, his tone matter-of-factly. It’s obvious why Aizawa was so doubtful of Dazai given that whatever basis of trust the Underground Hero used to have for him was completely crushed. “And even if I really were lying, you’d never know.”

That last sentence seemed to push Aizawa over the edge as he slammed his fist on the table, rattling the porcelain tea set sitting on it. “You sure got a lot of nerve saying that.”

Dazai’s face was the reflection of calm even as his homeroom teacher’s hair started floating while gripping onto that capture weapon around his neck. Dazai stared straight into those glowing red eyes of his without flinching away. “Face it, Aizawa-sensei. We both know I’m speaking the truth here.” Then, Dazai’s lips quirked up into a nasty smile. “After all, if you truly believed in the innocence of your students, you wouldn’t have reacted so violently now, would you?”

“You little–!”

When Aizawa lunged at him, Dazai didn’t even bother to break eye contact with him. He continued gazing into those rageful eyes as Aizawa pulled his fist back to deliver a strike.

That’s right. Come. Hit me.

“Aizawa-sensei–!!” Right at the last moment, Toshinori jumped in, stopping Aizawa before he could fully land a punch.

Shame.

“All of you, please, calm down!” Nedzu finally spoke. When Dazai looked at him this time, it seemed like his usual cheerful, calculative demeanour was gone. Instead, those black, beady eyes of him only showed concern and defeat. “Senseis, please remain seated. And Dazai-kun, stop provoking Aizawa-sensei.”

Ah, so he realised. Guess it wasn’t as easy to escape those keen eyes of his.

Aizawa obeyed, albeit reluctantly. He shrugged off Toshinori’s hold on him, deactivating his quirk and seating himself back on the couch. He rubbed his eyes, relieving it of its strain after maintaining it for a while. Toshinori also went back to his seat, his eyes still trained on his colleague after that sudden outburst. 

“Dazai-kun, while I appreciate your effort and willingness to help expose UA’s traitor, I’m afraid I harbour the same doubts as Aizawa-sensei.” Dazai stayed silent, simply looking at Nedzu with an observant gaze and listening to his words. “The probability of this proof being forged is very likely after what occurred during the joint training battle. Based on what I heard and the agreement we had, I believe it’s safe to assume your intervention during the training was in order to sniff out the traitor, right?”

Dazai nodded in affirmation. “Indeed it was.” 

“Then, when Nakahara-kun was met with a sudden accident during the execution of your plan, that’s when you realised your partner was in danger and your plan failed.” It wasn’t a question. Nedzu was stating that as a fact. An irrefutable truth. “And since your plan failed, it’s highly possible you would resort to deception in order to produce the results you wanted.”

Three pairs of eyes turned to him. One filled with trepidation. One with hostility. The last with an unwarranted self-assuredness that was convinced Dazai’s ‘lie’ was out in the open. 

“Yes and no,” Dazai said, lacking all the nervousness of a criminal who was caught red-handed. “My plan didn’t fail entirely. It just blew out of proportions. Much more than I expected actually. Though ultimately, I did reach my objective.” Then, he turned to Aizawa to relieve the man of his previous concern. “As for the recording from earlier, I used a voice changer. It’s why you couldn’t recognise it as any of your students’ voices. Call it a precautionary step on my part.”

Nedzu frowned at his explanation, no doubt perplexed at this revelation. It’s to be expected when someone with an intelligence quirk like his was told his deductions were wrong. “Care to elaborate?”

“As I said, Chuuya’s ‘accident’ isn’t really an accident. His ability going out of control was precisely my objective. The degree of it was just a little” –a lot actually– “out of my expectations is all. And I intentionally hid the identity of your traitor for my sake. It would be pretty foolish of me if I were to just lay down all my cards so easily, don’t you think?”

Dazai chuckled lightly like he had just cracked a funny joke. His laugh was really out of place considering the atmosphere of his surroundings. 

“Wait…can we backtrack a little? What do you mean by young Chuuya’s quirk going out of control was your objective…?”

Dazai huffed out an exasperated sigh at Toshinori’s question. Seriously, can they move on already? He came here with the intention of getting Nedzu’s verbal confirmation that grants him and Chuuya the freedom needed to explore the grounds outside UA without supervision. All he wanted was to get this whole interaction over with so he can get back to Chuuya. Who knew if the slug was still playing sleeping beauty or not?

And yet, these Heroes seemed to have nothing better to do other than to discuss a subject that wasn’t even present.

“Exactly what you heard, All Might,” Dazai replied, resisting from giving the Symbol of Peace the biggest eyeroll ever. “All of you are probably still wondering why Aizawa-sensei’s Erasure doesn’t work on Chuuya right? Well, that’s because he wasn’t looking at the true body of Chuuya’s ability. I simply used Shinsou-kun’s brainwashing quirk to unseal the true entity behind Chuuya’s power.”

“Wh-What…? That doesn’t make any sense! Are you–”

“But in fact, it does, All Might.” Aizawa was the one to reply. The intensity of his glare hadn’t softened in the slightest. “The League have their Nomus. If their genetic structures can be artificially altered to give them multiple quirks, it isn’t too unbelievable to think that Nakahara’s quirk isn’t his own either.”

Dazai frowned a little at that. Even if the comparison had a modicum of truth in it, he wouldn’t go so far as to place Chuuya in the same category as those mindless beasts. Though, for now, if it meant the Heroes would have even an inkling of understanding, it’ll do he supposes. “Pretty much.”

“So for the purpose of achieving your twisted goal, not only did you risk endangering the lives of innocent people,” Aizawa gritted out, his gaze hardened with silent fury. “You even went as far as to turn your own partner into a monster to do your bidding–”

“Chuuya is not a monster,” Dazai interjected, his tone losing all the nonchalance and lilt it always had. He returned Aizawa’s glare with ten times the intensity as he was shown. Dazai couldn’t tell what expression he had on, but it was probably unnerving enough to draw a slight flinch from the man. “Even when his ability was threatening to consume him whole, Chuuya was never a monster.”

Dazai was. The fact he tried to use the very thing that makes Chuuya vulnerable makes him the biggest, ugliest monster there is. 

But the Heroes don't know that. They only take everything at face value, unwilling to see the mess and filth that lies underneath so they can keep their hands squeaky clean. Dazai wasn’t about to let them get away from that so easily. He’ll make them bear the burden of the truth if that’s what it takes for them to open their eyes and actually see what’s going on.

“Allow me to tell you a story,” Dazai said, the corners of his lips twisting up into a smile that wasn’t a smile. “A story about a boy who had his humanity forcefully stripped from him.”

Dazai doesn’t know why he was doing this. But still, his mouth spoke. 

“Once upon a time, there lived a clueless young boy who had not a care in the world. He probably looked as ugly as he did now, there’s no doubt about that. But that’s besides the problem here. The boy should’ve been living a normal life, yet everything was stripped away from him one fateful day…”

Kidnapped.

Tortured.

Experimented on.

“The normal, human boy was weaponized into the vessel of a god.”

A boy who had no choice but to be a man.

A boy who had no one to rely on but himself. 

A boy forced to fight for his humanity.

“After the boy, against all odds, escaped from the facility, he joined this band of ruffians who had no place to belong just like him. The Sheep ruled Suribachi City with him as its King, and finally, the boy felt like he actually belonged for once.”

The words flowed out of Dazai’s mouth of its own accord, his control over it long since gone. What was he doing really? In normal circumstances, if Dazai had kept his wits about him, he’d probably would’ve used Chuuya’s story as a way to gain the sympathy of the Heroes, to guilt trip them into feeling bad about how they’ve treated Chuuya so far, to trigger that heroism engraved into every single one of their souls. 

But that wasn’t quite the truth now was it? Dazai could tell himself it was, but he knows very well how much of a lie that would be. Despite him being the biggest pathological liar there is, all that spilled forth from his mouth was nothing but the truth. 

The naked, raw, ugly truth. 

“After being betrayed by the people he calls family, the boy joined the Port Mafia. And there was where he met the Flags. When the boy turned sixteen, it was then when his life took a turn for the worse.”

Each word he said exposed yet another scar marked on Chuuya’s life, laying him bare for all to see. Dazai knows he was overstepping his boundaries here, this was Chuuya’s story, it wasn’t his to tell. Still, his mouth kept moving like it was being puppeteered by someone else. It was wrong of him to do this, he only did it because it felt right.

Because defending Chuuya’s humanity was the right thing to do.

——

How much can a human endure before they’re tipped over the edge of insanity? Before they lose all sense of rationality? Before they lose the only thing that makes them human?

Could someone who had been through such hell truly be saved? 

Even as a former Pro Hero, Toshinori doesn’t have a definite answer to that question. He spent his life adhering to his beliefs that everyone can, and deserves to, be saved, even the worst of Villains deserves a chance to repent and change. 

And Toshinori did abide by that rule. He saved anyone he could, victims and Villains alike.

“Despite having every right to turn into a monster the world made him to be, Chuuya always fought for his humanity relentlessly,” Dazai was saying, a weak smile on his face. “Like seriously, with how annoying he acts, it’s a no brainer that slug is a human, right?”

Toshinori could feel the weight of that small chuckle Dazai let out.

These two teenagers from another timeline had always intrigued (and unsettled) him immensely. They weren’t like how the young’uns from Class 1-A are. Sure they can be cheeky and mischievous like how normal teenagers are, but underneath that mask lies something unfathomable.

It isn’t an everyday thing to witness, let alone experience, being thrown so far ahead into the future. Any normal person who had to go through that would most definitely be panicking, wondering how they were supposed to return to their timeline. Yet with the two of them, they had already accepted the fact that there’s a slight chance they might not make it back at all. 

What if it were Midoriya and Bakugou in their situation? Could the two of them have acted like Dazai and Chuuya did? Could they have endured the thought of never seeing their friends or loved ones ever again?

When a drastic change occurs, humans tend to shy away from the truth as a way of rejecting it. Toshinori is well aware of that, having seen the faces of grief-stricken people who refuse to accept that their child, or lover, or friend had passed. Toshinori was the same himself when it came to his sensei. 

Thus, knowing how easily both Dazai and Chuuya accepted their fate was heartbreaking. It’s like after losing so much they’re prepared to lose everything they hold dear again.

“Can you really say Chuuya is a monster after all that?” Dazai said, his head tilted back. Then he let out a wry chuckle. “A cockroach would be more fitting.”

The room was silent for a moment before Aizawa sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that when I called Nakahara a ‘monster’.”

“I know you didn’t mean it like that. But words can hurt. And it can be misinterpreted by others,” Dazai replied, the same smile on his lips, though he put in lesser effort to craft that than his usual ones. “And honestly speaking, I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this. It really isn’t my place to talk and I’m pretty sure the chibi will hit me if he finds out but oh well. I thought it’d be nice if you guys knew about this small little detail before making any hasty judgements. For the best of both worlds of course.”

This time, it was Principal Nedzu’s turn to sigh. “I understand, Dazai-kun. Give me some time to think things over before I get back to you, okay? All Might, if you’d be so kind as to accompany Dazai-kun back to his room?”

“Of course, Principal.” Toshinori nodded his head, his gaze passing from the principal’s unreadable expression to Aizawa-sensei’s defeated look. Dazai was already at the door by the time Toshinori fully stood up.

“Oh and Dazai-kun?” Nedzu called, prompting Dazai to halt halfway out of the room. “I’m deeply sorry for everything you and Chuuya-kun had to go through. And I mean it when I say we’re here for you. The Heroes are here for you. Please, remember that.”

When Dazai turned his head around, all he gave Nedzu was a smile. 

A smile that screams he doesn’t believe a single word the Principal said.

The silence was so unnerving and pressurising Toshinori felt like he was about to go into cardiac arrest on the spot. The fact there were only two of them walking down the hallway made it even worse. Toshinori wasn’t used to such silence after all.

Being the top Hero for so long, he had grown quite accustomed to people calling his Hero name and (not that he’s trying to brag about it, but it is what happened) how much they looked up to him. Even if the people around him were quiet, he’d be the one to strike up a casual conversation, engaging others with small talk.

Though the other party in question right now… isn’t too fond of meaningless conversations.

Dazai walked ahead of him, quieter than ever. This, to Toshinori, was rather odd considering all their past interactions. Even if Dazai is the kind to put on a mask every single time, he always had the tendency to speak what’s on his mind, no matter if what he said offended the other or not. He was always quick with sarcastic remarks or witty jokes that either cracks someone up or puts them on edge. Thus, seeing a boy with such a brilliant mind, albeit a rather dark one too, so quiet is quite distressing.

Then again, after what Dazai just revealed about young Chuuya, it wasn’t like he was in any mood to talk. Both he and Chuuya had been inseparable ever since they arrived, it’s evident how deep of a bond they share. Knowing your partner had to go through such…hell, it surely wasn’t an easy task having to relive it. 

Toshinori really, really wants to help in any way he could, but he just couldn’t think of any. Should he give Dazai some solace by saying a few words of comfort? Or perhaps crack a (bad) joke to get his mind off of it? Judging by Dazai’s personality, that was a surefire way for making the boy lose any ounce of respect or consideration for him, if he even had any in the first place.

For now, Toshinori could only think of one way that could be of help.

“...A5158.”

Toshinori was so caught up in his thoughts he almost didn’t catch the words Dazai uttered under his breath.

“I’m sorry?” Though he doesn’t quite understand what he means by that code.

“Chuuya wasn’t always Chuuya,” Dazai replied, though it felt more like he was talking to himself than Toshinori specifically. “He was a test subject, an experiment. And he was treated as such.”

Toshinori’s heart dropped, realising this was an extension to the story he told earlier. 

There was more to it?

Dazai barely touched on the experiment part while recounting Chuuya’s past, only mentioning it briefly in the process of his story. But Toshinori was aware of the gravity of it. 

Human experiments are one of the most vile offences Toshinori could think of. Just knowing that all the Nomus that All for One produced using live humans made him sick to his stomach. Death was the only way to save them from the agony of surviving.

Further explanation was not needed. Toshinori instinctively knew what Dazai meant by that.  

“If you tell a child they were a frog from birth, said child would grow up believing it is one. Trying to change their views would yield little to no results. The effects of one's words are just that perpetual and brainwashing when repeated over and over again, especially to a child.” 

Toshinori gulped, sensing the dark turn this story was taking. 

“Now imagine this verbal indoctrination extending towards the physical. No matter how hard one tries, there is zero hope in escaping the clutches of those dark, abusive claws that cut deep into one's core. Because how are you supposed to convince someone they're human, that they're more than just a vessel when a literal monster, a singularity that should never have existed, resides in their body–exactly like how a vessel works?” 

Toshinori kept quiet, taking in every sentence, extracting every drop of essence contained within each word down to its molecule. He's grown pretty used to young Midoriya's rambling by now, however this was much more intricate and cryptic than what he was familiar with. 

“But then again, what does it even mean to be human?” Dazai glanced back for just a slight moment. “To live? To die? To feel? To love? To hate? To struggle?” 

This question was being directed at him, a genuine question where Dazai is expecting an answer, though there's room for Toshinori to back out if he chooses to keep silent. 

Toshinori wishes to respond, yet the answer evades him. 

“And what if there exists someone who has no capacity for those… experiences? What does that make them? Are they still qualified to be human?” 

When Dazai said that, Toshinori sensed a self-deprecating tone within it, like the young boy was mocking himself, to speak as if his very existence was a stain upon the word ‘human’. 

Toshinori isn't unfamiliar to Dazai's rather dark abyss of thoughts. His way of thinking, while intriguing, also holds this impeccable loneliness in them, like he was alienating himself from the world around him. 

“I don't know, honestly,” Toshinori blurted out without thinking. It was like his mouth had a mind of its own. “My journey as a Hero is coming to an end, that I know. But I still have much that I have yet to discover on my journey as a human.” 

Toshinori isn't sure if the answer he's about to give is the answer Dazai wants. However, it is an answer that's from deep within him. 

“I don't think there's a definite answer on what is human and what is not. I believe if you asked anyone else, they'll have a different answer to that,” Toshinori continued. Dazai was still walking ahead, though he could tell the boy was listening. “If you were to ask me, I think being human is about embracing the opposites in life. To live life to the fullest and accept death when the time comes. To enjoy the happiness life brings and prepare for the sadness that comes with it. To feel passionate about the things you love and adamant in those you detest. To face any hardships or obstacles head-on and never give up despite the struggles. Even if all seems lost, the journey of discovering oneself is also what makes them human. To continue moving forward even if nothing feels right. And most importantly, to be true to yourself in whichever path you take. That's the beauty and the essence of being human, don't you think?” 

No response was heard from Dazai, though Toshinori wasn't expecting one. He just hopes his words manage to reach the young boy in front of him who seems to be drifting further and further away, like he was no longer human. 

Toshinori felt like if he even took his eyes off Dazai for a single moment, the boy would simply cease to exist. 

Right when Toshinori thought that, Dazai turned a corner, disappearing from his sight. It wasn't like this was some fantasy story where people would just disappear into thin air. However, Toshinori still felt compelled to rush over and keep Dazai within his line of sight. 

Turning the corner, Toshinori had to physically stop himself from bumping into Dazai standing there motionlessly. Catching himself from almost tripping on a teenager that was half his size, Toshinori finally realised what made the boy stop in his tracks. 

Standing right there at the end of the hallway, was none other than Dazai's anchor. 

“Chuuya…” 

 Nakahara Chuuya has awoken. 

—

Shinsou isn’t too keen on letting a patient who just woke up from a coma to roam around so readily, but Chuuya was pretty insistent and stubborn about it. And frankly, he doesn’t think he was even supposed to be here since the higher-ups have deemed Chuuya ‘off-limits’ indefinitely. Assisting said person to leave seemed like the last thing he should be doing.

However, Chuuya wasn’t taking ‘no’ as an answer.

And what’s the deal with trying to isolate someone who had barely escaped from the brink of death? If anything, the wise decision would be putting him on probation instead. It wasn’t like Chuuya went berserk of his own accord. It was due to Shinsou’s brainwashing powers that Chuuya ended up in such a dangerous state.

To say he feels conflicted about his quirk was an understatement. At one point, his quirk had been a major help in calming down Midoriya’s which had gone out of control for no reason. Yet barely even half an hour later, his quirk had provoked Chuuya’s quirk to the point of destruction and catastrophe. 

Was there perhaps something more to his brainwashing quirk than just giving simple commands to those he controls? What if he could not only control his target’s actions, but the very quirk they possess when under his influence?

Shinsou couldn’t stop a shudder from crawling down his spine. It was a dangerous thought. Forget about his quirk being viewed as villainous, even if he wielded his powers with zero malicious intent, just the possibility of him being able to control the quirks of others in a world where 80 percent of the population possesses one is a valid enough reason to lock him up for the sake of public safety. 

Being so caught up in his train of thought, Shinsou almost couldn’t react to Chuuya’s sudden stumble.

“Woah there.”

“Ugh. This feels worse than when I was being electrocuted by that bastard Professor,” Chuuya muttered under his breath.

Shinsou had to do a double take. “Excuse me, what?”

Just what the heck were they doing in that Yokohama Institute or something?!

“Nothing. Now keep walking.”

Shinsou didn’t pry more. He isn’t sure if he’s able to handle anything else the ginger was going to say.

It seemed to take forever just to reach the entrance of the infirmary. Shinsou truly thinks Chuuya ought to rest a little more before moving about so quickly. Though seeing how determined he was to get out of bed, Shinsou’s pretty sure his advice would just fall on deaf ears. Even now when using him as support, Chuuya barely put any of his weight on him despite how strenuous it was for him to take a single step. Shinsou’s positive that even without him here, Chuuya would’ve probably found a way to get out on his own.

They had just entered the hallway outside the infirmary when Shinsou felt two gazes behind him.

He turned, finding the very same ‘blue mackerel’ Chuuya wanted to thrash standing there, motionless, his jaw hanging slightly. All Might was right behind him, a similar look of surprise across his face.

“... Chuuya,” The brunette breathed like a sigh of relief.

Hearing his name, Chuuya looked up too. Both of them locked eyes instantly, their gazes meeting each other in the middle.

“Dazai…” Chuuya muttered.

Then, as if he was beckoned, Dazai went forward. Small, slow paces at first like he couldn’t believe the scene in front of him, then large, quick steps when he finally ascertained the reality before him. He broke out in a small run, his arms stretched forward, reaching out to Chuuya.

With unexpected strength, Chuuya pushed Shinsou aside, clearing his path towards the brunette. 

What Shinsou expected to be a heartwarming reunion between two friends who had faced death together, instead turned into a meeting of fist against cheek.

BAM!

“FUUUCCKKK! THAT HURTS!” Chuuya howled, stumbling towards the wall with his arm laying limp beside him, trembling slightly. Whatever strength he had, Chuuya most likely strained every ounce of it to deliver that blow.

Shinsou watched, his mouth agape. 

What the…?

“Ackk!” All Might’s look of relieved surprise initially morphed into mortification at the spectacle.

This was all a very shocking turn of events for the spectators obviously, though the party involved–Dazai, in this case–seemed perfectly calm even after suffering from that unforeseen punch to the face. In fact, when he looked up after eating that punch straight to his face, all Shinsou could see was a look of extreme endearingness etched across Dazai’s face.

“I guess I deserved that,” Dazai mumbled, rubbing his cheek in circles.

“You deserve a lot more than just that, bastard,” Chuuya snapped, glaring daggers at the brunette in front of him. Chuuya looked furious, though Shinsou detected a hint of melancholy behind those fierce gaze of his. 

“Yes, yes. You’re welcome to do whatever you want after you’ve rested up completely.” 

Dazai took hold of Chuuya’s arm, draping it across his shoulders. He crouched a little, allowing his partner to lean on him comfortably. And despite his sudden outburst earlier, Chuuya seemed pretty willing to go with the flow. 

Unlike earlier where Chuuya struggled to keep himself upright without relying on Shinsou’s help, he fully shifted his weight onto Dazai this time.

Seeing how one of Dazai’s arms was still wrapped in a cast and unusable in a sling, Shinsou wanted to offer a helping hand. Though he ultimately decided against it, feeling like he would be interrupting something between the two if he went forward now. 

Shinsou looked down at his own arm, unscathed even though he fractured it during the joint training battle a week ago. It healed within a day after Recovery Girl used her quirk on him. He heard Dazai’s condition had been far worse, the bones along his left arm having shattered into pieces. And if that wasn’t enough, due to his nullifying quirk being constantly active, Recovery Girl’s quirk had no effect on him. UA had to send over a doctor to manually operate on it. Such a talent was scarce in a world ruled by quirks. It was extremely fortunate that his arm could be saved under such dire circumstances.

Looking at the both of them now, although they were feared for their prowess, they had some pretty daunting hardships to face themselves.

“Hey! Why are we turning back?! I just got outta the goddamned bed!” Chuuya protested when he realised Dazai was taking him back into the room he had painstakingly came out from.

“And you should’ve stayed in bed to recover your strength,” Dazai countered.

“I don’t wanna! My muscles are so cramped from laying in bed for so fucking long! I need to move!”

“No can do. You can do that after you’ve rested more. In bed.” Dazai was adamant in his refusal.

Shinsou couldn’t help the incredulous smile that stretched across his lips when watching the two’s interaction. To an unsuspecting bystander, they both probably looked like a pair of friends who do nothing but bicker all day long. But witnessing it close up, it was hard to mistake the very apparent affection hidden in their words. 

“I can’t recover shit doing nothing in bed,” Chuuya grumbled. “I need nutrients! I’m fucking starving!”

As if already expecting this to happen, Dazai reached into his coat pocket to retrieve a wad of cash before swiftly shoving it into Shinsou’s hands.

“Uh…What?” he questioned, bemused at the stack of 10,000 yen bills in his hands. He’d never seen so much money in one go. How’d Dazai get his hands on these? Was he some rich second generation descendant or something?

“Can you go down to the cafeteria real quick and get however much food you can carry?”

“Uh. Well, sure I guess…”

Suddenly being tasked with this unexpected errand, Shinsou agreed instinctively. 

“Perfect,” Dazai beamed at him. Then returning his attention back to Chuuya, he said, “There. Happy now?”

“Tch.” Chuuya clicked his tongue and looked away. It’s obvious he was annoyed but he couldn’t say anything to rebut that.

With the cash in his hands, Shinsou went over to join All Might who was watching from afar. He took notice of the former Pro Hero’s smile as he watched the two make their way back to the infirmary. 

“Are they always like that?” Shinsou blurted out.

“Hoho. Aren’t they refreshing to see?” All Might chuckled. 

Shinsou couldn’t quite disagree with that statement.

Watching them disappear into the infirmary, Shinsou only just remembered he wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. And he was now stuck alone with All Might who could very well give him detention for not only skipping classes but also breaking the rules by coming to see Chuuya. 

As if their last encounter hadn’t jeopardised the entire existence of UA.

“Uh…So…” he trailed off, darting his eyes between All Might and where Dazai and Chuuya were.

All Might noticed the dilemma he was facing and gave him an encouraging smile. “Go on then. You’ve got lunches to buy.”

Seeing how All Might wasn’t going to punish him, Shinsou let out a sigh of relief. He was about to head towards the cafeteria when it struck him. It was English period right now, and Present Mic is the fussiest when it comes to students skipping classes. Shinsou had no doubts he’d get thoroughly shaken down about his whereabouts when he returns to class later. 

“Um… About class right now…” he suggested, giving All Might a meaningful gaze.

Catching his drift, All Might gave him a thumbs up. “Don’t worry. I’ll write you a slip later.”

With his verbal confirmation, Shinsou nodded his head in gratitude and headed off to the cafeteria without worries. On his way there, he couldn’t stop thinking about both Dazai and Chuuya. 

Many things about them intrigued him greatly. Just their quirk mastery and combat sense leaves him a little envious of the two. But what truly fascinates him most is perhaps their attitude towards the situation as a whole.

Normally, after releasing his quirk on his targets, all of them would instinctively assume a defensive position when talking to him again. Some who were more extreme would just downright ignore him to the point of avoiding eye contact, acting like he doesn’t exist for fear of him brainwashing them again. To say he doesn’t feel a little hurt would be a lie. Growing up, Shinsou had lost his fair share of ‘friends’ because of his quirk.

Whenever he went over to visit Chuuya, he fully expected the boy to be hostile and apprehensive when seeing him again. He prepared himself mentally each time to be showered with a look of disgust and contempt that he’s grown used to seeing. Of course, Shinsou wasn’t expecting forgiveness. It wasn’t like a simple ‘sorry’ could magically undo the situation and everything would go back to normal, yet still, he wanted to apologise.

Distancing himself was his usual, and the best course of action. But it was different this time. Lives were at stake this time. Running away was a cowardly thing to do. He’s certain if he were to look away from this incident, he’ll never be able to escape this shadow that will forever haunt him. It would hinder him from achieving his dream of being a Hero that helps others. And Shinsou was not about to give up on this dream just yet.

So when Chuuya said he didn’t blame him for what happened, Shinsou’s shock was more than warranted. His apology wasn’t accepted, but not in the sense that he wasn’t forgiven. It was more like his apology got outright rejected. 

Not to mention Chuuya had no problem speaking to him like normal even after the shit he had to go through because of his brainwashing quirk. Of course, it wasn’t like Shinsou was going to brainwash him again and recreate the whole incident, but still, you’d think he’d be a little more cautious when talking to someone who almost made him cross the River Styx. 

Then there’s Dazai too. While Shinsou didn’t directly cause his life to be in danger, he had sustained some nasty injuries fixing the mess Shinsou caused. It was well within Dazai’s rights to feel a little resentment regarding the entire situation. Not only did he have to endure his arm being shattered, his partner was in a coma where he might never awake from. And yet, the cause of all this managed to escape with barely even a scratch.

But instead of receiving animosity from the brunette, he was entrusted with a large sum of money. 

To buy food.

The most mundane of tasks.

All Shinsou was left with is this perplexing sense of disbelief. Like if their injuries weren’t apparent on their physical bodies, he might just think himself delusional, that this whole incident was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

“They don’t seem too bad,” Shinsou mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Shouldn’t you be in class right nyow, boy?”

Shinsou snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a voice that was not his own. Unknowingly, he had already arrived at the cafeteria while mulling over his thoughts. The person who talked to him was a half-cat half-man guy wearing an apron, standing behind the food stall.

“I have a slip,” he replied, then remembered he hadn’t exactly gotten his permission slip from All Might. Yet. “Uh, I was tasked to run an errand.”

The half-cat half-man guy just shrugged, not bothering to question more. “Well, what do you nyeed?”

Shinsou pulled out the wad of cash from his pocket and placed it in front of the worker, whose eyes widened at the sheer amount of it.

“Just give me all the food I can carry with both hands.”

The worker raised a sceptical brow at him before shrugging again. 

“Coming right up.”

—

“Thanks,” Chuuya said, already opening the container in front of him. Like what Dazai requested, Shinsou really brought all the food he could carry from the cafeteria. There was so much food in fact that there wasn’t enough space on the bedside table to fit all of them.

“No problem,” Shinsou replied, settling the last bag of food on the empty bed beside Chuuya’s, which was technically Dazai’s unoccupied one. 

Chuuya was famished, yes. But he still had limits. There’s no way he’s able to scarf down all this food in one go. There were bentos, noodles, onigiris, cutlets, and so much more. Oh well, he’ll just eat them for dinner later then.

Chuuya eyed the brunette sitting in the chair beside him.

If needed, he’ll just force a certain someone to eat his share too.

Shinsou was trying to return the remaining stack of money that wasn’t used, but Dazai just waved him off. Chuuya took a big bite out of his bento, savouring the taste of his pork cutlet and rice. 

“If you guys need any help, don’t hesitate to ask,” Shinsou said as he was leaving to go back to class. “And I pray for your full recovery.”

“Yeah, ok. See ya,” was all Chuuya said, his voice a little muffled from all the food in his mouth. Dazai wriggled his fingers like a girl as goodbye. 

After Shinsou left, the room lapsed back into silence, only Chuuya’s chewing and swallowing noises can be heard. Dazai was just leaning back on his chair, his gaze blank. Such behaviour was very unlike the Dazai he was familiar with. 

Chuuya chalked it up to it being his (most definitely) lack of food and sleep for who knows how long. 

From what Shinsou told him, he could already deduce that the mackerel had reverted back to his bad habits of not eating and sleeping for days again. And now, seeing him in the flesh only confirmed his deductions. Cheeks sunken in so severely his cheekbones were sticking out sharply and eyes so strained from staying up he could see the veins branching out in his single, visible eye. 

Dazai looked even worse than Chuuya who just awoke from a coma not too long ago.

At this rate, even his title as ‘Demon Prodigy’ isn’t going to save Dazai’s body from shutting down. Just the sensation–besides the pain–from punching his face earlier made it clear how malnourished and exhausted Dazai was. 

Chuuya gritted his teeth, biting his lip to refrain from going absolutely ballistic at the idiot in front of him who has one foot in the grave already.

“Here. Eat.” Chuuya tossed a packet of sandwich at him. Dazai caught it against his chest. He looked at it, then back up at Chuuya, then back down again.

“You sure you can spare–”

“Dazai. I’m not fucking playing right now,” he said coldly. “I swear to god if you don’t eat that I’ll shove it down your throat myself.”

Dazai went quiet. Obediently, he tore open the plastic wrapping with one hand and took a bite out of the sandwich.

The bite wasn’t big enough to satisfy him, but right now, it’ll have to do. At least the idiot was eating right now. 

“I fucking told you to take care of your goddamn body,” Chuuya grumbled frustratedly between bites. He shoved his spoon into the rice aggressively, as though trying to relieve his exasperation. “Never fucking listen.”

Chuuya doesn’t know why so much anger and frustration was boiling up in him. What does he care if the mackerel doesn’t want to take care of his own body? If he’s so unwilling to change those destructive habits of his despite all Chuuya’s efforts, then that mackerel can drop dead for all he cares.

But.

Chuuya cleared his thoughts, focusing on the food in front of him, filling his stomach up as much as he could. Even if he wanted to recover quickly, this was the most he could do at the moment.

After three bento boxes and two sandwiches, Chuuya’s hunger was finally satiated to lean back in satisfaction. A small bump appeared on his belly through his clothes from all the food he consumed.

Little by little, he could move his limbs freely without too much effort. The cramps were still there, but at least his body felt like his own now.

During the time it took Chuuya to gobble down his lunch, Dazai only managed to finish two sandwiches and half an onigiri. It wasn’t as much as Chuuya would’ve liked him to eat, but it was something. He’ll just make sure the mackerel eats a proper meal for dinner later. 

And future meals too.

Chuuya side-eyed Dazai, who was pointedly trying to not look at him. After all the bickers and the food, it was time for them to have a serious conversation. One that he’s certain the mackerel wants to run away from. Not that he has anywhere to run away from. And not that Chuuya was going to let him.

“So? Anything you’d like to say?” Chuuya questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Dazai sat quietly for a moment, tilting his head back as he mulled over his thoughts. He reached up to block the glare from the light. After some time, Dazai dropped his head, looking straight out the window. He was still unwilling to fully face Chuuya.

“I…I let you down,” Dazai started, his fingers fidgeting against the corner of Chuuya’s blanket. “I betrayed your trust. I put you in danger. I was too arrogant, too full of myself. I only thought about what I wanted. I didn’t hesitate to put you in harm’s way to fulfil my objective. I was rash, I was stupid. I never fully thought about the consequences of my actions. And because of that, you suffered.”

It was a whole stream of self-criticism that poured out of Dazai’s mouth. Knowing Dazai, each of that is probably akin to him physically stabbing himself over and over again. Dazai is always known for his intellect, for his strategic plannings, his thinking that surpasses normal humans. It was how he earned his nickname as the ‘Demon Prodigy’. It was how he climbed up the ladders in the Mafia. It was how his enemies feared him so. 

It was how he survived.

There was no room for mistakes. Especially not for something as major as this. 

To have an error he overlooked in his planning was simply unthinkable. His flawless planning, his ability to anticipate the outcome of his plans, that was what bolstered his confidence. It was because of his unbroken streaks of success that everyone had complete faith in his words. 

Until now.

One minor detail he overlooked had caused such a crisis to occur. Just this miniscule blunder on his part.

Chuuya exhaled, relaxing his body from its tension. He was trying to put up a strong front, trying to show Dazai he wasn’t going to get away from this with a simple ‘sorry’. Though judging from his words, he wasn’t planning to get away from this easily either. 

The expectations placed on his shoulders, the expectations he has for himself, the weight of it all has put him at such a high pedestal that one slip would mean falling to his death. All the pressure he had to endure was no doubt suffocating him, slowly choking out his very life. 

To Chuuya, he honestly considered all that happened as simply bad luck. Like what he told Shinsou earlier. A bad matchup. That’s all. There weren't technically any mistakes in Dazai’s plan. The variables–Arahabaki in this case–were just too unpredictable.

However, to Dazai. This whole incident probably weighs more than Chuuya imagined. 

How much more could Chuuya fault Dazai when he himself believes he’s to blame for everything that transpired?

“You trusted me, and I…” Dazai dropped his head lower, his brunette curls falling over his face. “I didn’t deserve that.”

His last words came out in a whisper. Chuuya caught him biting down on his trembling lips.

“H-Hey…” Chuuya lurched forward, noticing the growing drop of blood forming where his teeth were biting. 

He reached out, brushing the curls away from Dazai’s face carefully. Slipping a knot behind his ear, Chuuya’s hand travelled down to his chin, nudging it up a little in hopes of stopping Dazai from biting down so hard. 

When Dazai lifted his face, what Chuuya saw, he could scarcely comprehend.

His reddish, strained eyes could barely open after enduring such a long period of no sleep. His gaze was hazy and unfocused even though he was staring right at Chuuya’s. And past all that was something else.

Tears.

A drop welled up at the corner of his eye. It grew so heavy it fell, creating a glistening path in its wake.

Dazai was crying.

Dazai Osamu was crying.

This mentally impregnable fortress in front of him was having a breakdown. 

The sight of it was so startling it threw Chuuya into a daze. Time seemed to stop. He could only stare unblinkingly, jaw hanging loosely in shock.

It took a while before time started moving again. With quivering hands, Chuuya cupped Dazai’s face, using his thumb to wipe away a tear that was threatening to fall.

Before he had the chance to pull away, Dazai clasped his hand over Chuuya’s, leaning into the warmth of his palms instead of away from it.

Chuuya went rigid.

“Y-You…”

“I was afraid,” Dazai breathed out, his breath tickling the insides of his wrist. He didn’t seem fully aware of what’s happening. “When you didn’t wake up, I was so afraid.”

Dazai’s grip tightened. He angled his head a little, burrowing his face deeper into Chuuya’s palm. Chuuya could feel his lips graze the base of it.

“The thought of losing you,” Dazai continued, Chuuya feeling every movement of his lips. “It frightened me.”

What’s going on…?

Was he dreaming? Was this all just in his head?

Was this all because of sleep delusion? Because Dazai is clearly lacking sleep.

As if him crying wasn’t already baffling enough. Right now, Dazai was essentially pouring his heart out. 

In front of Chuuya no less.

He was displaying all his vulnerabilities for all to see.

When Chuuya realised that, his body moved on its own. He pulled Dazai in, letting him retreat into the crook of his neck. Chuuya placed a reassuring hand over Dazai’s head, his fingers all tangled up in those brunette curls. 

Seeing how exposed and defenceless Dazai was triggered an impulse to protect him. Chuuya had pulled Dazai into his arms, the embrace happened so naturally he didn't even register his actions. 

One hand behind the head. 

The other across his back. 

A human's most vulnerable spot: the back. 

Chuuya had moved to protect it by pure instinct. He wanted to shield Dazai from his own vulnerability. He created this safe area for Dazai through this embrace. 

But to tell the truth, in a moment of weakness and surrender, Chuuya's heart had a different plan initially. 

Seeing how exposed and unprotected Dazai was, Chuuya had wanted to pull him into a different kind of embrace. 

When that realisation dawned on him, Chuuya felt blood rush up his head, his ears turning hot. This time, it was him that felt the need to bury his face. He was glad Dazai couldn't see his face now. If he could, even if the brunette's thoughts were clouded over, he'd be able to see through Chuuya's intentions immediately. 

They stayed in that position for a while, their breaths hot against each other’s neck. Chuuya just stroked Dazai’s head listlessly, his mind distracted by something else.

It took a while for both of them to calm down. Dazai slowly pulled himself away, though his hand still clutched the sleeves of Chuuya’s robe. 

Squeezing his shoulders, Chuuya tried to get a good view of Dazai’s face. His eyes were a little puffy, but there weren’t any tears anymore.

“You alright?” 

“Yeah…” Dazai sniffled, a wry smile on his face. “What about you? How are you feeling?” 

“I'm fine,” Chuuya replied, clenching his fists easily. His strength has somewhat returned after eating. “I've still got muscle cramps, but it'll heal in no time.” 

It was a silent, mutual decision to not talk about the matter earlier. Even without voicing out their opinions, a simple eye contact or a nudge was more than enough to express their understanding to each other. It was like an unspoken bond they’ve managed to build up between them. Something inherent and fundamental in their relationship.

“How about your ability? Do you feel anything different using it?”

“I haven’t tried using it yet,” Chuuya sighed. He can still feel his powers coursing through him familiarly. It’ll come when called, Chuuya was certain about that. And although Arahabaki had a fit earlier, it had been quiet since. “Well, I think Arahabaki’s pretty dormant right now, so it shouldn’t pose a problem.”

“Hm. That’s good to hear.”

“Enough about me. What about the–”

Chuuya was planning to ask if this spectacle they put on helped them achieve their goal of securing the evidence to prove that Aoyama was the UA traitor. After all, triggering Corruption was only a means to an end, not their objective entirely.

But before he could, Dazai tugged at his sleeve. In one swift motion, he reached up to tuck his hair behind his ear, the entire flow of his movements looking as ordinary as possible to an observer’s eye.

Though Chuuya knew better than that.

They were being monitored. 

“What about the others? Was anyone hurt?” Chuuya pivoted around the question gracefully, leaving no cracks for their eavesdropper to catch.

“They’re mostly fine. Shinsou suffered a fractured arm since he was the closest when you were out of control. Bakugou also suffered a fractured arm being buried under rubble, though that was because of me,” Dazai explained casually, keeping their worried-about-others farce going like what any normal person would do. “As for the rest, they only suffered some minor injuries from the shockwave. Nothing too serious that Recovery Girl couldn’t fix.”

Chuuya nodded in approval, showing a look of relief on his face. Since they were being monitored, it was necessary for them to play the part of a concerned youth to keep up appearances. Not that he genuinely cares about his classmates’ condition, but in this world, it is the norm to put others' needs ahead of yours. A real fucked up concept, if Chuuya does say so himself. In the end, all you can really rely on is yourself.

“Oh and one more thing,” Dazai added like he just remembered. “I had a meeting earlier with the Principal. And I know it wasn’t my place to say it, but I did mention Chuuya’s situation a little, so they somewhat understand the nature of your abilities. Sorry if I overstepped.”

That explained why Dazai hadn’t stopped Chuuya from mentioning the existence of Arahabaki. 

“It’s whatever,” Chuuya brushed it off. It wasn’t like the origin of his ability was some big secret or anything. And he doesn’t particularly care about what others thought of him after finding out the truth. It’s not like some stranger’s opinion actually held any importance to his being, so who cares if they change their attitude when learning the truth? “Whether they know or not doesn’t change much of anything.”

“Mm. That’s such a Chuuya thing to say,” Dazai chuckled.

“The fuck that’s supposed to mean?”

“Nothing~” Dazai hummed. “Anyway, scoot over.”

“Huh?” Chuuya looked at him sceptically, wondering what the mackerel was about to do.

Dazai got out of his chair and climbed onto the bed like it was his. He nudged Chuuya away until there was just enough space for him to lie on, his head resting on the singular pillow Chuuya was leaning on.

“Oi. Who said you could sleep here? Go back to your own bed, idiot.” 

“My bed’s occupied. Yours will have to do,” Dazai mumbled, gesturing over to his bed that was being used as a counter for the excessive food Shinsou bought. Chuuya couldn’t quite argue with that, but still. “Plus, it’s not like Chuuya’s big enough to fill the whole bed. You’ll do fine sharing half of it.”

“Are you asking for a beating right now?” Chuuya growled, pinching the flesh on Dazai’s forearm, eliciting a tiny yelp from the other. 

“Ow~ Is this how you treat your saviour?” Dazai whined, his voice getting a little weaker. “And Chuuya’s the one nagging me to sleep earlier. Can’t you see I’m following your orders right now?”

“Don’t you get cheeky with me, bastard.” Chuuya grumbled. Seeing how the mackerel was back to his original, insufferable self made him feel at ease, albeit how ironic that sounds. “I’ll let you off this one time only, you hear me?”

“Yessir~” Dazai’s reply was a little slurred at the end. After saying that, his consciousness drifted off, his breathing turning calm and even. Judging by how quick he dozed off when the workings of his mind usually kept him awake, it was evident just how much the brunette drained himself these past few days. 

Watching this peaceful, sleeping figure beside him, Chuuya cautiously caressed the side of Dazai’s head. With the thought that the brunette was fast asleep and no one was around, Chuuya allowed himself a moment of boldness. 

He leaned down and planted a light kiss–just a small press of his lips–on Dazai’s hair. After that, he laid down facing the brunette, his mind in silent turmoil.

“Just what are you doing to me?” he muttered. The question hung in the air, unheard and unanswered. 

Something was changing between them. Something significant yet obscure at the same time. 

Chuuya pushed that thought away. He’ll have plenty of time to figure it out later. For now, he should get some shut eye.

It was only later when Recovery Girl would return from her errands and admonish them for using a patient bed to put their food. But right now, both of them took pleasure in the tranquillity and solitude of their room. 

For now, two teens lay serenely on a single-size hospital bed, strands of brunette and ginger intermingling with one another from their close proximity.

Two teens who had been through hell and back.

Chapter Text

Everyone was gathered in the common room, their faces a mix of seriousness and solemnity. Bakugou was growing restless sitting in the silence, so much that his leg began to shake unconsciously.

Then, like the world had sensed he was on the verge of exploding from the tension that hung in the air, a knock came to their dormitory door, cutting through the uncomfortable silence. Everyone’s head swivelled to the door, wondering who was their unlikely visitor.

“Ah, right!” Ponytails exclaimed. She then rushed to open the door, revealing the person behind. 

In entered a familiar face that sported dense eye bags under his eyes. Bakugou raised an eyebrow in slight curiosity when he saw him.

“Uh, hi guys.” 

“Shinsou-kun? What are you doing here?” Four Eyes straightened up when he realised who the visitor was. To this question, Ponytails came forward to offer an explanation.

“I was the one who called him over. I thought he should be a part of this conversation considering he was an active participant in the incident.” Everyone nodded in acknowledgement, agreeing with her choice of including him too. “Ah, please Shinsou-kun, come in and sit.”

Yaoyorozu directed him to the common room. Eyebags bowed slightly and went over to sit on an empty stool.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said. Like everyone had been waiting for this moment, Shinsou started, “Um, so, I came here because Yaoyorozu-san told me there was something of great importance to discuss. But I don’t exactly know the details.”

Both the class reps of 1-A looked at each other, their eyes conveying a silent message. 

“Well, the subject of our discussion this time”—Four eyes hesitated a little—“concerns the two transfer students: Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya,” he explained. It was like everyone had collectively sucked in their breath at the mention of those two. Even Bakugou couldn’t hide his frown (not that he was ever not frowning) from showing. Though Shinsou seemed oblivious to Class 1-A’s nervousness, his eyes instead lit up in understanding. 

“And since you were the closest one to witness…what happened happened , I thought it best to invite you over so you can share your opinions on the matter too,” Yaoyorozu followed up. 

“So, what do you want to know?” Shinsou asked rather hesitantly. Then he perked up like he remembered something. “Oh, if you want to know about their wellbeing, they’re doing pretty well the last I’ve seen them.”

Needless to say, everyone was surprised at his statement. 

“Wait, you met them? Really!?” Dunce Face exclaimed.

“I thought they were off limits?” Flat Face added, stating the obvious. 

Indeed, Aizawa-sensei had declared that they were strictly prohibited from going near them until otherwise said. And that had been almost two weeks ago. Their lives continued like normal, though not one person in Class 1-A had caught even a glimpse of them. Even when they brought the topic up to Aizawa-sensei, he only gave a curt reply before dropping the subject altogether.

“Well…I kinda broke a few rules doing that,” Shinsou explained sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he averted eye contact with everyone.  “Uh, please don’t tell Aizawa-sensei though. I’m dead if he finds out.”

“Hahaha!” Kaminari burst out, a sly look on his face. “I didn’t think you’d be the delinquent type, dude!”

“It’s only once,” Shinsou muttered, like it would somehow erase the fact that he did break the rules. “I had something to say to them.”

“So how were they?” Deku inquired, his face full of concern. Disgusting. “Are they still hurt?”

“Hm, they’ve pretty much healed up if you consider how bad their condition was. Chuuya was in a coma and only woke up last week. All his external and internal injuries were all healed already at that point thanks to Recovery Girl. As for Dazai, because of his quirk, his broken arm is still in a sling. Other than that, they seemed to be doing quite well from what I’ve seen.”

Some sighed in relief, some nodded, and some were in silent contemplation. Bakugou was of the latter. Narrowing his eyes, the gears in Bakugou’s mind began to turn. While Shinsou’s statement had eased some of Class 1-A’s worries, it instead posed a new puzzling question to them.

If they were all healed up, why haven’t they returned to classes?

At first, when Aizawa-sensei had prevented them from meeting with the two, everyone had naturally assumed it was to allow them to rest and recover without the disturbance of others. After all, the two of them had been the most affected by the incident, their injuries grave and gruesome. Even Bakugou who had suffered from a fracture reeled back at the state of their bodies when they were carried out on a stretcher.

As if they were drowning in their own blood, almost every inch of their bodies were stained in a dark crimson. The ginger shrimp looked like he had come out directly from a horror film, blood in a colour that was more black than red spurting out from all seven orifices on his face. Even though he was already unconscious when he was carried out from Ground Gamma, his body still convulsed sporadically, resulting in more blood spurting forth. It was a terrible sight.

The bandaged freak wasn’t too far off either. Although Bakugou had been pissed as hell when he fell into that stupid trap, seeing the severity of Dazai’s injuries made his fractured arm look like a joke compared to it. Mangled would be the best word to describe the state of his arm. Bones poking out in twisted angles, piercing through flesh and skin, and soaked in blood. It looked even worse than the stupid nerd’s arm when he used OFA repeatedly.

Bakugou had no idea what happened to be able to inflict such ghastly wounds on them. He had left the compound pretty soon after icy hot (not that he’s willing to admit) pulled him out from under the rubble. They were mostly blocked by the structure of Ground Gamma so they couldn’t see well, but there wasn’t a need to see. The sudden shockwave combined with the eerie sense of foreboding was enough to make their hair stand on end. 

By the time they joined up with the others, the ordeal was already over. Thus, when Kirishima filled him in on what they saw, he was sceptical, to say the least. Things conveyed through word of mouth tend to be exaggerated at best.

While Thirteen, the Space Hero, has a similar quirk to a black hole, Chuuya had the ability to manifest a black hole physically. Bringing not just one but two of said cosmic calamity, even if they were an extremely watered down version, was still unbelievable.

“Oh thank god. We were worried sick!” Raccoon Eyes exhaled like she had been holding her breath until now. 

“It’s a miracle Dazai’s arm could be saved,” Dangly Ears pointed out, shivering a little as she was reminded of the incident that day. “His nullifying quirk must’ve gotten in the way of Recovery Girl’s quirk.”

“I have a question,” Icyhot raised his arm to speak like they were in class. Ever the disgustingly polite and haughty young master he was. “If they’re all healed up already, why aren’t they back to class yet?”

Bakugou side-eyed him. Oftentimes, the half-and-half bastard can be as dense as a rock, but there are rare times when his perceptiveness towards certain issues were spot on. 

“Hm. Honestly, after something so dangerous happened, wouldn’t it be normal to think that they’d be sent back to their Hero Institution in Yokohama?” Kirishima offered from beside him, his head tilted up in contemplation. “I mean, think about it. If one of us were sent as transfer students to another school, and we almost died , wouldn’t UA do their best in getting us back? Their teachers at Yokohama must be rushing to get them back. And with how powerful they are, I’d assume that both of them are their star students.”

It was a rational reasoning. Many of them seemed to accept this explanation. And Bakugou would’ve been one to accept that too had he not noticed the slight fidget of the damn nerd. His brow twitched, a little habit of his when he sensed something amiss.

“Man, that’s too bad if that were the case,” Kaminari whined a little, his lips scrunched into a pout. “They’ve only been with us for a little over a month. It’d be a shame if they left us so early before we got the chance to really know about them.”

“I know right! I really wanted to get to know them better,” No Face girl said, her body slumping down in dejection.

“It’s best if they just disappeared altogether,” he heard Grape boy mutter with jealousy. Bakugou rolled his eyes, wondering how such a good-for-nothing could even manage to earn a spot in UA.

“I’m not trying to be that person, but…don’t you find them a little… sinister ?” Frog girl stated. “I’m not sure about you guys, but I get this creepy, tingling sensation whenever I’m around them, kero.”

“...R-Really? I mean, they’re definitely intimidating . But I don’t feel any sinister vibes from them,” Ashido replied, sharing her opinion. 

“Well, I’ve caught Dazai-kun staring at me a few times, and it isn’t the interested kind of stare that comes from the opposite sex or the perverted stare that’s like Mineta-kun (“Hey! What’s wrong with me?!” Everything .) but it’s almost like…how should I describe it? Like how a predator would stare at its prey. That’s the feeling I get from him.”

Everyone exchanged uncomfortable glances at that. They wanted to express how absurd that sounds but no one can actually guarantee the innocence of both Dazai and Chuuya. In fact, there’s probably some reservations in everyone’s minds that the two are perhaps a bit unhinged from the norm. 

“I’ve noticed that too,” Bird Brain suddenly interjected, confirming Asui’s suspicions. “He once plucked out my hair and just said he was wondering if it was actual hair or feathers. At first I thought he was simply intrigued with my body’s constitution, but his eyes said otherwise. Those eyes of his held a deep, swirling darkness within them. Dark Shadow and I can confirm.”

Bakugou huffed out in annoyance. The emo birdie was back with his edgy remarks again.

But that didn’t mean he totally disregarded both him and Frog girl’s statements. In fact, their revelation served as a crucial piece of information to his growing speculation of the two transfers.

Being half-human and half-animal, especially when their animal counterparts were well-known preys in most food chains, it was evident they developed a sixth sense when it comes to dealing with predator type individuals like them. Therefore if both of them were sensing such vibes from Dazai, there’s probably some truth in them.

“I think they might actually be more normal than you guys think,” Shinsou asserted, his tone a little defensive. “It’s not my place to say, but from what I’ve seen, they both deeply care about each other. I admit that I felt something off about them too when I first met them, but after visiting them at the infirmary, they’re both just normal teenagers. I’m sure there must be some kind of reason they give off this abnormal vibe, but I truly believe that they’re not bad people.”

“I agree with Shinsou-kun too,” Yaoyorozu joined. “As we all know, Dazai-kun doesn’t usually participate in practical sessions, but he came up to me one day and started discussing my quirk with great enthusiasm. I was very surprised and delighted to hear when he told me my quirk has the greatest potential. And even though he wasn’t actively taking part in the training, I realised he was actually watching all of us pretty closely. He gave me some really useful tips and suggestions that have helped me escape this bottleneck I’ve encountered with my quirk.”

“True. Dazai-kun also once asked if I was capable of combining both my ice and fire quirks together,” Todoroki inputted. “He suggested that I could create steam when I used my quirks together that would help in blinding my enemies. And if I managed to refine them to an extreme degree, I might even be able to create a tiny, artificial weather phenomenon. I’ve been experimenting on that and have seen pretty favourable results so far.”

And when one started listing the goods they’ve seen in their two, somewhat uncanny transfer students, everyone suddenly had something to say too.

“Man, now that you’ve said that, I gotta admit they’ve been pretty helpful in my quirk improvement too.” It was Kirishima’s turn to share his thoughts. “I’ve asked Chuuya to spar with me a few times so I could train to withstand his gravity, but he always crushes me instantly. That’s when he told me that instead of blindly hardening my body every chance I get, I should try to make my hardened body denser by flexing my muscle fibres and contracting them. I’m still figuring out how I’m supposed to do that, but it is a new perspective to think of. What about you, Bakubro? Aren’t you always sparring with Chuuya too?”

How the fuck does he know that?

“Shut up, Shitty Hair,” he grumbled.

As reluctant as he is to admit that, sparring with Chuuya had its perks. Though he was still bitter over the fact that he refuses to use his hands, fighting him had helped to hone his techniques. And while it wasn’t apparent, Bakugou had a feeling Chuuya wasn’t fighting him to defeat him, but rather subtly guiding him to improve his combat skills.

Normally, he’d be greatly offended that a rando would try to ‘help’ him in such a condescending manner, but Chuuya wasn’t just some ‘rando’. And as much as he hates it, he has to admit that the ginger was superior to him in many ways. 

So while his teachings weren’t technically welcomed, Bakugou certainly wouldn’t refuse a chance at growing stronger.

“What about you, Ochako-chan? Yours and Chuuya’s quirks are pretty similar. What’s your take?” Ashido directed her question to Round Face who had been awfully quiet along with the nerd throughout this discussion. 

“H-Huh! M-Me…?! Uh, well…” Round Face started rambling, not at all expecting the attention to be directed at her. She locked eyes with Deku for a moment, like she was seeking assurance or something. “W-Well, even though I’ve been crushed under Chuuya-kun’s gravity twi– once ”–his brow twitched again– “he did offer me some pointers to deal with my nausea. He told me he would experience such nausea at times too when he overexerted himself too much. And he also taught me how to balance myself and move my body when I’m floating in the air.”

The room fell into a bout of silence yet again, everyone in silent thought.

It was evident that the appearance of the two transfers had caused ripples, whether large or small, to propagate within them.

“Don’t you guys think the teachers are a little too… harsh on them?” Kaminari suddenly threw out this question. “Like isn’t the whole thing just a horrible accident? It wasn’t like it was Chuuya’s fault he lost control—”

Kaminari swung his head to Shinsou when he realised what his words implied.

“I didn’t mean it was your fault either, Shinsou bro.” 

“I understand. Carry on.” Shinsou nodded, gesturing for Kaminari to continue.

“As I was saying, Chuuya didn’t lose control on purpose . So I don’t understand why they’re treating them like criminals .”

Out of the corner of his eye, Bakugou noticed Deku fidget a little at the mention of criminals.

What are you hiding, Deku…?

“I believe our teachers are simply looking out for our safety,” their class rep suddenly declared, his hands moving in a choppy motion. “We shouldn’t doubt their intentions for doing so! I’m sure they’re just worried Chuuya’s condition might relapse and we would be caught in the middle of it.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Jirou acknowledged. 

“But still. We can’t even visit them once ? It’s like they’re deliberately trying to isolate them,” Kaminari pushed on.

“W-Well, the good thing is they’re recovering well, right?” Deku said, subtly changing the flow of the conversation. Bakugou picked up on that obviously. Both him and Uraraka, and perhaps even Iida, were definitely suspicious. There was something they weren’t telling the rest of them. “UA always had our best interests at heart, so I’m sure they’d do the same for Dazai and Chuuya too.”

“When you put it like that, I guess I was too quick to judge,” Kaminari sighed, deflating on the couch. Though he doesn’t seem too satisfied with the conclusion they drew, he dropped the subject nonetheless.

“I’m sure you guys will come to a conclusion on your own regarding the situation, but it’s getting pretty late now, so I should start heading back,” Shinsou suddenly announced, standing up to leave. “If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask me again.”

“Sure, dude. Join us for dinner sometime.” Sero flashed a toothy grin at him.

“Yeah! Can’t wait to have you in the Hero Course next year!” Kaminari lit up, shooting both his thumbs up.

“Uh, yeah. See you guys next year,” Shinsou replied, unsure of how to answer properly. He was about to take his leave when he seemed to have remembered something. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he reached into his pockets to retrieve a thick wad of cash, neatly stacked without a single wrinkle. “I’ve been meaning to give you guys this.”

Everyone gawked at the sight of the pile of 10,000 yen bills he placed on the table. Even Bakugou couldn’t hide his shock at seeing it. And Shinsou just casually took it out from his pocket like it was nothing.

“Uh… Shinsou-kun? What’s with this money?” Deku inquired hesitantly.

“If this is some sort of compensation for what happened, there’s no need for you to do that!” Iida declared, pushing the money back to him.

“Oh, no. This isn’t my money. It’s Dazai’s.”

” Dazai?! ” Everyone squawked in unison.

“Yeah. He originally passed it to me so I could help buy lunch for both of them. But when I wanted to return it later, he refused it,” Shinsou explained, seemingly a little confused at the situation too. “It didn’t feel right keeping so much money to myself so I thought I should give them to you guys instead. He’s in your class after all. You can put it into your class funds or something.”

“What the— Is Dazai secretly loaded or something?!” 

“ Mon dieu! ”

“I bet! I knew that black overcoat of his looked too good to not be designer!”

New speculations about their mysterious transfer classmates started to bloom, each of them coming up with absurd theories like Dazai was secretly royalty and Chuuya was actually his bodyguard in disguise. A load of bullcrap is what Bakugou thinks it is. But the fact Dazai had so much money so readily did raise some suspicions. 

“And Dazai-kun just gave it away?” Yaoyorozu asked. “This is like three times my monthly allowance!”

Everyone looked at her flatly at her last statement. But of course, Class 1-A’s royal princess doesn’t understand how her words weren't any less outrageous than Dazai’s act of giving this load of money away.

Shortly after Shinsou left, everyone began shuffling back to their rooms to turn in for the night. Bakugou did too. It was way past his usual bedtime for fuck’s sakes, and all they did was blabber on and on and on. 

Yet, when he laid on his bed, he couldn’t seem to get even a tiny wink of sleep. Tossing and turning aside, he just couldn’t seem to stop his mind from spinning. Though he silently grumbled about the useless gathering earlier, he couldn’t help replaying it over. There was just something–he couldn’t pinpoint what–that was irritating him. Like feeling a small grain of sand in your shoe that you couldn’t shake off, he wanted to pry his brain out and try to figure out just what was causing the itch.

He remembered the entire discussion vividly. And the thing that stood out to him the most? The expression that Deku wore the entire time. Obviously, like the typical nosy nerd he was, his face was painted with worry. One would naturally assume it was worry for Dazai and Chuuya’s condition. But that wasn’t enough to fool him.

There was something else Deku wasn’t telling the rest of the class.

And Bakugou had a hunch it has to do with his growing suspicion of the two transfers.

—

The calm before the storm.

That was probably the most apt way of describing this situation right now.

Dazai stood in front of the sink, letting the water run. He watched how the water splashed onto the marble of the sink before flowing to the middle and into the drain. There was no expression on his face. His heartbeat was a normal, rhythmic thump in his chest. Everything was fine. That’s what it looks like on the outside at least.

He closed the tap, ceasing the flow of water and dumping him into near silence save for the hums coming from the vent. 

It’s been a week since Chuuya awoke. During that week, he was diligent in recovering his strength, eating meals that could feed a whole family everyday. He didn’t forget to include Dazai in his very rigorous food consumption activity. Not only that, the chibi had a full eight hours sleep every night, to which he dragged Dazai along too. Day by day, Chuuya’s strength returned and his muscle cramps lessened. Dazai was no exception to such change too. Just a week of eating regular meals and sleeping sufficiently made him look world’s apart compared the him from the week before. 

And though he doesn’t want to admit it, being well rested and well fed made his brain work much more efficiently than it did. That murky layer that fogged over his brain had cleared away, each thought and idea he formed presented itself in startling clarity. It was probably the best Dazai’s brain has ever functioned.

Perhaps the act of eating and sleeping does have its perks, he supposes.

Leaving the bathroom, Dazai came to hover over his bedside table. He pulled open the drawer, peering at its contents within. He hadn’t much belongings with him from the start, only UA’s assigned smartphone and student ID along with a small roll of spare bandages he usually kept with him for emergencies.

And lastly…

Dazai picked up the pitch black pistol from the drawer. He’d always admire the sleekness and weight of it, how the grip fit so perfectly in his palms, as if this tool was specially crafted for him. How ironic it was, that a tool of such magnificence was used to commit the most nefarious of crimes. 

The pistol felt slightly lighter than when he last held it though. It wasn’t difficult to guess that the makeshift bullets he had the Hatsume girl from the support department create had already been removed by UA. Though considering how they still allowed him to possess a weapon capable of such destruction is pretty generous of them. 

Dazai debated with himself for a while before ultimately deciding to stash the pistol behind his trousers. There was no point in bringing along an empty pistol that served as nothing but a warning sign for those who saw it, but having it near him does give him some security. And considering the place they were about to go, it’s better having it than not.

As he was collecting the last of his stuff, he glanced at the empty bed beside his. There was only one other place Chuuya frequented after regaining enough strength to move on his own. Other than the cafeteria, of course.

Straightening his black overcoat one last time, Dazai made his way over to UA’s Gym Gamma.

When Dazai arrived, ruin was the only word to describe the scene before him. Craters littered the floors, each with varying depths and sizes. Some of the floor tiles were uprooted and twisted unnaturally, turning into makeshift spikes. Some of them were even compressed into a form so dense it sunk halfway into the ground.

And standing–or rather floating–in the middle of it all was Chuuya, the red glow surrounding his form complementing his bed of ginger hair. Dazai was a bit far so he isn’t too certain, but the redness of his ability seemed a shade darker than it used to, closer to a bloody crimson than a fiery scarlet.

Dazai walked towards Chuuya with light steps, completely undeterred by the wreckage that lay around him. Chuuya was also descending from his position, still unaware of his guest.

“Chuuya~” Dazai chanted, waving his not broken hand.

The ginger turned around at the sound of his name, his brows raising a little when he registered Dazai’s face. Though to Chuuya, it was already pretty obvious who it was since only Dazai would call his name like that.

Dazai looked Chuuya up and down in a contemplative glance, his eyes wandering over his surroundings. “I assume your ability is working fine then?”

“Yeah,” Chuuya nodded. “Works like always. But I think my output increased a little.”

Chuuya flexed his hand, summoning his ability to wrap itself around his fist. Dazai was certain of it now. He wasn’t just imagining it when he noticed Chuuya’s ability looked subtly different from before. 

“Hm. Do you have any idea why?”

Dazai had a hunch himself, though it was only an assumption based on what he understands, so he wanted to hear Chuuya’s thoughts about it seeing as he’s the one wielding the ability. 

Chuuya ruminated over the question a little, the answer already forming at the tip of his tongue.

“I’m guessing Arahabaki’s seal has weakened. We did forcefully tear it off with Shinsou’s quirk after all.” 

Dazai’s assumption was right. Yet, he felt no triumph over it. Only an inexplicable feeling washed over him. Dazai kept his face stoic even as his fist clenched tightly, his fingertips digging into his palm.

“But it isn’t just Arahabaki who’s affected by this,” Chuuya continued. “Because of the crack in the seal, I also gained more influence over it to keep it under control. At least for now, Arahabaki’s docile.”

It was a relief to hear that. All the tension in Dazai’s body left abruptly in a silent exhale. That was good, right? If Chuuya says that, it means he was in no risk of losing control suddenly, right?

Dazai was expecting the worst. Thinking that because of his foolish actions, he had placed Chuuya’s wellbeing on a precarious scale, where his life would always be in jeopardy. 

And if that were true, or if it would be in the future, Dazai was ready to take responsibility for it. 

“Then it’s probably best to not overuse it too much.”

Chuuya gave him a look that Dazai couldn’t explain. “I’ll be fine.”

Putting his hands back into his jacket pockets, it was Chuuya’s turn to let his gaze wander over their surroundings. Dazai had a feeling the chibi was trying to avoid eye contact with him. Normally, Dazai would use this as an excuse to tease him, but this time, he took advantage of that to really look at Chuuya.

He already noticed it earlier, but Chuuya sported an outfit that was suitable for combat. Fairly loose and comfortable clothing along with black, leather combat boots. His hair had grown a little after spending more than a month in UA, so he had it tied up into a little ponytail.

It was a tad bit over the top considering this wasn’t a Port Mafia mission where they were going on a raid or an ambush. But Dazai understood Chuuya’s anxiousness. He shared the same feeling after all. 

“Shall we go then? They’re already waiting for us by the entrance.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

They turned to leave Gym Gamma. The somewhat light-hearted atmosphere previously notably died down, in its place came a foreboding sensation that made their hairs stand on end. This could either be the climax or the prelude to their journey thus far.

For the first time ever, the infamous Double Black duo walked with uncertainty in their steps, heading to the destination that could change their lives forever.

—

As the bell rang for recess, Class 1-A students promptly filed out the class, chattering with each other animatedly while walking towards the cafeteria. 

Midoriya was the same as he chatted with Uraraka and Iida about the class earlier. As always, Iida gave his opinions in a report-like manner with all his reasonings and examples professionally. And as always, Uraraka would chuckle at their class monitor’s overly serious attitude during a supposedly casual conversation.

It was a rhythm Midoriya had long gotten used to since being a student in UA. And perhaps it was because being with his friends brought about this wholesome atmosphere, it had also brought him this false sense of security. So when the back of his collar was yanked unexpectedly, he couldn’t react in time.

The action was so swift and smooth not even Uraraka or Iida had noticed his absence. 

Midoriya admits he had been caught off guard, though it was only for a split second. In an instant, with all he gained from training in UA, he found his balance, getting ready into a battle stance to face whatever foe that had managed to slip past UA’s securities.

Until he came face to face with his childhood friend.

“K-Kacchan?!” Midoriya blurted, incredulous.

Good news? No Villain had infiltrated UA and UA was safe.

Bad news? Midoriya might as well be in danger from the look of Kacchan’s face.

Midoriya thought their relationship was slowly mending itself back together, that they could at least interact with each other in a peaceful manner which did not involve much violence (some minor violence is still expected, but progress).

“Wh-What’s going on? Is there something you need?” he asked, arms raised in front of him instinctively.

Kacchan didn’t say a word. He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving both of them alone in the room, away from all the cacophony outside.

Uh oh…?

To be fair, Midoriya was completely clueless as to why Kacchan was suddenly acting like this. He didn’t think he did anything wrong, but he definitely did something that somehow provoked his childhood friend.

“Spit it out,” Kacchan glowered, the glare from his red eyes so piercing Midoriya inwardly flinched. “Everything you know and everything you’re hiding, spit it out.”

What?

What was he talking about?

Midoriya couldn’t, for the life of him, understand what Kacchan was referring to. If this was before he confronted him about being All Might’s successor, then perhaps Midoriya would have some idea. But with his biggest secret out the bag, he couldn’t imagine what he knew that he hadn’t told Kacchan yet.

“Uh…Kacchan? What are you talking about?” 

“Don’t play dumb with me, Deku!” Kacchan seethed. “You know something. You and your little gang of friends know something that you’re not telling anyone.” It was more of a declaration than an accusation. “What secrets are you hiding about Dazai and Chuuya?”

It was like a boulder had fallen at the mention of those two names, anchoring him on the spot with no hopes of escaping. 

Kacchan, somehow, against all odds, realised something was off about their two transfers. From the way he’s asking, it seems Kacchan only has a hunch. He doesn’t know what, specifically, made both of them seem off, which is why he’s here to find out.

Though Midoriya is pretty stumped about what gave off the impression that he knew more than he was letting on. But then again, Kacchan was the one who learnt about his relationship with All Might and the nature of his quirk with minimal clues.

It was a slight on Midoriya’s part to underestimate the intuition and intelligence of his childhood friend.

“W-Well…” he started, his mind scrambling for whatever excuse he could offer.

But Kacchan didn’t give him the chance.

“I knew something was odd already when they came,” Kacchan began. “I’ve never heard of UA having any transfer programs or shit like that before. And right after…right after the Kamino Ward incident, UA’s less than likely to open their doors to just anyone. So it makes absolutely no fucking sense UA would accept transfers that stands a risk of allowing an unwanted guest to infiltrate inside.”

Midoriya gulped. He always knew Kacchan to be an observant person, his attention to detail second to none. But right now, he’s better off without that.

“And you ,” Kacchan spat the ‘you’ with such vehemence it sounded like an insult. “Normally, you wouldn’t shut the fuck up about anything and everything,”– Okay, that kinda hurts –“yet you hardly even tried to interact with the new students when they arrived. Matter of fact, you didn’t even pester them with your stupid ‘Hero Analysis’ notebook. It’s pretty damn obvious you knew something that you weren’t telling.”

Midoriya started sweating. 

He noticed that much?

To be fair, he was still pretty shakened from meeting Dazai and Chuuya that day, what with Dazai pointing a gun to his head and Chuuya crushing both his friends with gravity. Hell, Uraraka even broke a rib from that.

“And they say they’re from Yokohama Hero Institute?” Kacchan continued, scoffing when he mentioned the made up institution to justify Dazai’s and Chuuya’s appearance in UA. Not that Kacchan knows about it. “Yeah right. I’ve never heard of a Hero Institute from Yokohama. And all they had to say about it was that it’s private? That the students are selected specifically? A load of bullshit, I say. So I did some research on that–”

“You did research on the Yokohama Hero Institute?!” Midoriya couldn’t help but blurt out. 

“OF COURSE I DID RESEARCH ON THAT FISHY PLACE! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I AM!?”

Midoriya chuckled nervously at that. Of course he had to forget that out of everyone, Kacchan would be the most likely one to investigate that. And to tell the truth, had Midoriya been as clueless as Kacchan then, he would’ve tried to find out more about the ‘institution’ too.

“And guess the fuck what? There’s zero information on that place even after I scoured the whole internet about it. Even when I searched the map of Yokohama, no ‘Hero Institute’ popped up. Even if it was a private school, there would at least be some degree of information on it, yet all my efforts in finding it only resulted in blanks. The only explanation is either Dazai and Chuuya were lying, or that Yokohama Hero Institute never existed in the first place.”

After that, Kacchan kept listing out everything he found odd or didn’t add up: Chuuya was too proficient and natural in using his quirk at their age and he fought like he had professional combat training. Dazai was exceptionally smart and cunning, and how he so readily dislocated his shoulder then so easily snapped it back together suggests that he definitely went through some brutal training. He listed out every single detail about them that couldn’t have been learnt through orthodox means, and every single one of them hit the mark.

Kacchan then proceeded to mention the joint training battle where he, Todoroki, Iida, Shinsou, and Midoriya himself had participated. He noted how Shinsou had been picked by their supposed instructors when he wasn’t even a Hero Course student. And even if their school in Yokohama is true, there’s no way they would’ve known Shinsou was planning to transfer into the Hero Course. It wasn’t like UA was going around parading about their students’ businesses.

“Tell me I’m wrong, Deku. I fucking dare you.” 

There was no hiding it anymore. Kacchan didn’t come here to confront Midoriya about what he knows. He’s here to confirm his suspicions. And if Midoriya were to confirm it, then Kacchan would demand him to spill everything.

No amount of lies or excuses could weasel him away from this. He was like a caged bird with nowhere to escape. 

He knows he should probably keep this a secret since it’s what his teachers and All Might explicitly told him to do. But with how Kacchan’s pressing him for an answer right now, there’s zero chance he’d take ‘no’ as an answer.

Midoriya heaved a sigh at this seemingly unsolvable dilemma. In the end, he chose to believe in his guts that were telling him he could trust Kacchan with the truth. After all, Kacchan was privy to the fact that Midoriya inherited OFA from All Might and would be his successor.

“No, you’re absolutely right, Kacchan. The Yokohama Hero Institute is just a made up story,” Midoriya explained slowly, providing his affirmation to his childhood friend’s suspicion. “Dazai and Chuuya aren’t from there. In fact, they aren’t even from our world.”

That fact made Kacchan’s brows scrunch in confusion. 

“What?”

“Okay, that’s not exactly the right way to put it. What I’m trying to say is, they’re from a different timeline than us. We’re about 200 years ahead of them actually.”

Midoriya snuck a glance towards Kacchan, wanting to see his reaction to such an unthinkable statement. From the way he was looking at Midoriya, he could gauge that Kacchan was seriously doubting that.

But he couldn’t stop now. Midoriya went on. He told Kacchan about his first meeting with the two. He told them what little he knew that All Might had deigned to reveal to him in the first place. About how both of them were in the Mafia, how they speculated the situation from 200 years prior had forced them to join a Villain organisation. 

Midoriya clarified Kacchan’s initial doubts with the facts he knew and some assumptions on his part. As he talked, he could see his childhood friend’s expression morphing from scepticism at first, then confusion, bewilderment, and lastly deep contemplation.

“...That’s all I know about them,” Midoriya finished. He didn’t leave a single detail out. Trying to hide something from Kacchan was pointless anyway. Kacchan was too smart to be fooled like that.

Midoriya kept silent as he watched his childhood friend ponder over the revelation. It was a lot to take in, he knows. Even when he was there to learn about it firsthand, it had all been so mind-boggling he wondered if he was simply dreaming about the entire scenario.

“So they’re just a bunch of oldies acting like brats.”

Midoriya blinked. Of course that was the conclusion Kacchan would come to. 

He wanted to respond, but Midoriya had no idea what he should say. Though it wasn’t needed as Kacchan continued.

Clicking his tongue, Kacchan said, “And they had the balls to go around acting like they’re better than us or some shit. Arrogant little pricks.”

“Haha…”

After his tirade of obscenities stemming from his frustration and annoyance thus far, a gear shifted in Kacchan’s demeanour. All at once he went back to the serious side of him.

“That explains why you were acting so weird both during the joint training battle and yesterday’s discussion,” Kacchan pointed out in an accusatory tone. “Since you know the Yokohama Hero Institute doesn’t exist, you were aware that the excuse Aizawa-sensei gave about them participating is a lie, that the decision was made on both Dazai and Chuuya’s account.”

“Yes, precisely.” Midoriya nodded. “I agreed to join because I wanted to know what they were up to and hopefully stop it if it becomes dangerous. But I never expected Chuuya to just…”

Midoriya pressed his lips into a thin line, his brows furrowing as he recalled the scene he had witnessed during his battle.

“Dazai is a freak who always does something for a reason. There’s no way he’d want to join the battle just for fun when he’d been skipping our practical lessons all this while.”

Midoriya seconded that. 

“Let’s say they joined the battle for a reason and that Chuuya’s outburst was premeditated, what could they possibly want to achieve with that spectacle? Or was it entirely unplanned and they had a different goal in mind?”

If it were the former, the only thing Midoriya could think they’d want to achieve is to cause a distraction. Such a large scale uproar would be more than fitting to serve as a distraction to cause any mischief they had intended to do. However, since he was the closest to Dazai when Chuuya’s quirk went out of control, it was highly unlikely the brunette had planned it.

The look on Dazai’s face said it all.

And assuming that the whole spectacle was really to cause a distraction, who could it possibly be for? Last Midoriya knew, the two of them were alone in this timeline. Even if they were in the Mafia before, they had no ally here who could possibly make use of such a distraction. 

As for the latter point, would Chuuya’s outburst suggest that their plans had gone south? Would that mean their goal wasn’t achieved then? And if that were true, could the two be planning something else since their initial plan failed?

Midoriya really had no clue in which direction he should advance. Each branch in his path either took him to a dead end or another fork that keeps splitting into multiple routes with no end in sight.

The only thing he was certain of was that Shinsou played a vital role in his plans.

As to the reason why, Midoriya couldn’t say.

Regardless, all these speculations and uncertainties around their two time-leapers puts UA in a perilous spot. It makes sense why their teachers were so apprehensive and guarded when any of his classmates brought them up in front of them. 

After all, who knows what storm they might whip up if left to their own devices.

“Just what the hell are they plotting?”

—

Aizawa’s thoughts were all over the place right now. It’s starting to get really frustrating and exhausting. He wishes he could just sleep these thoughts away, but instead, he’s sitting in the car with All Might behind the wheel and the two sources of his mounting headaches seated behind.

“Take a left here.”

Aizawa was glad he wasn't the one driving. He doubts he could keep a clear head and concentrate on the road while listening to Dazai’s direction simultaneously.

They were heading…somewhere. A place no one knew except for Dazai and Chuuya. It was on Dazai’s terms that he’ll be the one directing them instead of revealing the exact location from the get-go. 

Just the fact that Dazai was being so secretive and vague about this whole thing unsettled him deeply. Aizawa was strongly against them moving about so quickly after the stunt they pulled. But as always, Principal Nedzu always does what he wants regardless of his persisted protests. 

“Aizawa-sensei, I understand your concerns. I truly do and empathise with it. However, forgive me, but I’ll have to disappoint you again.”

Thinking about their conversation again makes him grind his teeth. Disappointment was a light way to put it. If Aizawa was being truthful, it felt like he was being antagonised, seeing as how each proposition he put forth was always decisively rejected. 

Of course, he trusts Nedzu’s judgement, but there’s no helping the doubts that crept up his mind as more time passes. As if his mind was being invaded by cancerous cells, his doubts started to infect every thought he had until Aizawa found himself second-guessing everything that Nedzu does and says.

Aizawa wants to believe that he was looking out for his students’ best interest. And after that incident which caused a number of them to be hurt, Aizawa believes the best way to prevent another disaster from occurring is by placing both Dazai and Chuuya under supervised lockdown.

But here they are, just two weeks later when the flames of the whole fiasco barely died down, both the perpetrators were already out and about with only him and Toshinori to monitor them.

Aizawa has no confidence he could stop them if they decided to go rogue. 

“Please, Aizawa-sensei. I’ll tell you everything I know when the time is right. But for now, I’ll need you to trust me on this.”

But how could he trust Nedzu’s words wholeheartedly without questions? This concerns the livelihood of his students for god’s sake. If all Nedzu has to provide for it were empty promises then screw him. 

Aizawa chanced a glance at the rearview mirror. From his angle, he could only see Chuuya’s reflection. Like him, the ginger appeared to be plagued by various thoughts too. Both him and Dazai who were always seen engaged in endless chatter were eerily silent this time. 

He looked like a normal teenager here. Someone Aizawa could see sharing the same dreams as the misfits from Class 1-A. A teen who was full of life, aspiring to be a Hero in hopes of making the world a better place. Nakahara Chuuya certainly has that fiery spirit from what Aizawa had observed so far.

Only, a crack had formed in Aizawa’s little fantasy about the ginger youth. Everytime he looked at the youth now, for some reason, something else overlapped over his features. He would see the shadow of a pair of gnarly horns poking out Chuuya’s forehead. A set of malformed claws extending out from his arms.

Aizawa would blink, and everything would go back to normal, his vision true and honest.

Yet, the image of that grotesque monster he laid eyes upon left an everlasting impression on him.

“Chuuya is not a monster.”

Dazai’s words echoed back. 

Aizawa looked away, as if in shame. Hearing about his story from Dazai, Chuuya was just an unfortunate victim who had his life taken away from him brutally. Calling him a monster–even if Aizawa hadn’t meant anything other than his physical appearance–was pretty insensitive and inconsiderate of him. 

Maybe they were the lost, hapless, unlucky teenagers that All Might always claimed them to be. That they were doomed to a wretched fate due to their less-than-fortunate circumstances.

Still, how could Aizawa simply believe that? He’s seen what they were capable of, the destruction they could bring if they seriously set their minds to it. He could not unsee the dark nature they had grown into. Whatever black stain that corrupted their hearts by being in the Mafia could no longer be washed off.

All Might was the type who always believed in the best in people. The optimistic, positive Hero with the most valiant of hearts. There was no one better suited to be the world’s No. 1 Hero other than him.

Even 1-A students held the same belief as him. 

Aizawa could see how his students have warmed up to the duo after spending so much time with them. He could see the worry and concern in their faces whenever they inquired about Dazai and Chuuya’s conditions. Even Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida who knew the truth looked equally concerned.

And to tell the truth, he wanted so much to reveal the truth to them. To let his students see for themselves how Dazai and Chuuya aren’t who they present themselves to be. To let them learn about the true nature of the people they call ‘friends’. 

But Aizawa could not. Telling the truth would just put them in more danger. And Aizawa was sure as hell not going to forfeit the lives of his students at the mercy of the two mafioso just so he could prove a point. 

Being ignorant would at least keep them safe. 

If he had to be the Villain in this story, then so be it.

“You can stop here. We’ll go the rest of the way by foot.”

Hearing that, Aizawa was yanked back into reality. He hadn’t a clue how long they’ve been on the road for. But looking around, it was likely quite a long ride. They had left the bustling streets of Musutafu and found themselves in a remote mountain range on the outskirts of the city. Only nature surrounded them with not a soul in sight save for the four of them.

Aizawa’s eyes narrowed, his suspicions growing to the point of explosion. 

This can’t be the place Dazai keeps mentioning and pestering to come. The place that he was so secretive about he didn’t even want to reveal its location and would rather direct them himself. 

Honestly, to Aizawa, this looks like an awfully convenient place to eliminate someone secretly and leave no traces behind. He felt a trail of goosebumps going up his neck as he exited the car.

Whatever it is, Aizawa seriously hopes Nedzu knows what the heck he’s doing.

Chapter Text

“Here’s the last of it,” the boy said, handing over a sealed folder to the man sitting cross-legged on his leather armchair. His gaze never once left the cityscape of Yokohama. It was understandable, though, that a view this immaculate would no doubt capture the hearts of anyone who laid eyes upon it.

And to think the man in front of him has this city running in his very palms.

A gloved hand retrieved the folder lightly.

“Excellent work, Nakajima-kun.”

The boy frantically bowed his head in gratitude. It was rare hearing such praise from the man before him. And though such words might fill him with much giddiness, he had to gulp back the rising anxiety and trepidation that comes with being in the same room as this man.

An equal blend of fear and respect.

Such was the effect of the Port Mafia’s boss, Mori Ougai.

And towards a man of such disposition, Nakajima Atsushi holds nothing but admiration for him.

Atsushi watched as Mori unsealed the folder with a simple flick of his wrist. Silver glistened, a scalpel that appeared out of thin air held gracefully within Mori’s hand.

Atsushi waited patiently, hands clasped behind his back as he watched Mori flip through the contents of this mysterious folder. Atsushi has been on many missions, but the recent few he’s been assigned to, it was nothing short of confusing to him.

Of course, as a loyal subject to the Port Mafia, Atsushi wasn’t going to question his Boss’s motives, but it couldn’t be help that he’d start to question the purpose of these secretive missions he’s been tasked with lately.

It was by no means a difficult task, most of the time he’s only required to either retrieve a sealed folder like the one he presented to Mori earlier, or he was tasked to bring in an unknown ability user from some part of the country. There’s even one time he had to fly all the way to Germany just to escort an ability user that wasn’t even affiliated with the Mafia back.

And because the whole process should be kept under wraps from both Germany’s and Japan’s government, the resources and money spent on that singular mission was nothing to scoff at.

Yet, Atsushi didn’t have the slightest idea what Mori was planning with these people. It was highly unlikely Mori would waste so much of the Mafia’s resources just to recruit someone into the Mafia’s ranks.

Mori was planning something.

Something big.

Something only someone like Mori could foresee.

He felt all his past missions resurfacing. All of it accumulating into something even bigger.

Knock, knock.

The soft knocks on the door jolted Atsushi back from his wandering, almost treacherous, thoughts. He turned his head, waiting to see Mori’s other visitor.

“Come in,” Mori said.

At once, the double doors swung open, revealing a figure clad in black from head to toe. He had a sickly complexion, his paleness almost matching the white tips of his black hair. He had an inch over Atsushi in height, yet he was visibly skinnier and lanky than Atsushi was.

Atsushi almost couldn’t resist the urge to scoff at the sight of his accursed partner .

It was obvious the other party had the same thoughts as him too considering how he halted his stride midway through the door.

If Atsushi were to pick someone to survive with in a zombie apocalypse, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke would be at the bottom of the list.

They were like oil and water really. So, as far as his respect and admiration goes for Mori, Atsushi still thinks it was wrong of his Boss to partner both of them up together.

All their joint missions that ended in failure were solid proof of that fact.

They both glared at each other rigidly for a short moment before reverting back to their normal self. Which was essentially ignoring the other’s presence entirely.

As much as they hated each other’s guts, starting a fight in front of Mori was unwise. This, was the only thing both of them could agree on.

Akutagawa strode forward, his gaze on Mori only, actively avoiding to look in Atsushi’s direction. Atsushi did the same, turning his attention back to Mori.

While it isn’t visible or obvious in any way, Atsushi had a feeling Mori secretly enjoys seeing them always at each other’s throats. It’s not like it’s entirely out of character for Mori to be amused by things like these considering his rather… peculiar tastes. Atsushi just wonders where that preference came from.

“Speak.”

Akutagawa might be an arrogant prick (as per Atsushi’s observations and experience), but in front of Mori, he’s like a dog on a leash. His tail tucked, his fangs hidden. His head always bowed in servitude.

(Yes, it amuses Atsushi very much comparing him to a dog.)

“The warehouse is set,” Akutagawa reported. Atsushi’s brows twitched. “The transfer can be done anytime you wish.”

“Perfect.”

Right. There was that .

In light of all their failed joint operations, even if their partnership was amusing to Mori, he refrained from assigning any missions to them that required ‘teamwork’, a vocabulary that doesn’t exist between them.

While Atsushi was always jumping around the country, and sometimes even the entire globe, collecting intel and personnel, Akutagawa was assigned to gather resources. Resources so abundant it could supply a country’s military for a whole year.

And it wasn’t just any resources.

Curiosity got the best of him that time. He had snooped around the area to see what Akutagawa was up to only to find a whole warehouse filled to the brim with weaponry, firearms, ammunition, you name it. It didn’t stop there either, the amount of gold Atsushi saw there could possibly topple a small country’s economic structure.

If any normal person had seen what Atsushi saw, they’d think Mori was planning to stage a coup and consume Japan whole.

The sight was so bewildering to Atsushi he completely let his guard down. And, to Atsushi’s misfortune, his snooping was caught by Akutagawa. Naturally, as his alias suggests, Port Mafia’s ‘Mad Dog’ went berserk fighting his territory’s intruder, namely, Atsushi.

Surprisingly enough, the brawl ended much more anti-climatically than Atsushi expected.

Even if they weren’t working together, Atsushi could sense their missions were interconnected in a way. Though the correlation between them was lost on him. Even with everything laid out in front of him, he couldn’t possibly fathom what puzzle Mori was piecing together.

“And what of Gin?” Mori asked, casting a brief sideway glance at them.

Atsushi could feel Akutagawa stiffen up a little at the mention of his sister’s name. If any part of this beast beside him was human, it’s probably the love and affection he has for his one and only sister.

“Her report should be done and delivered by this evening,” Akutagawa replied evenly.

Gin’s report.

Another puzzle piece.

Mori nodded in approval, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Very well. You’re dismissed,” Mori said, returning back to his languid posture, continuing his hobby of observing Yokohama’s cityscape and skyline, completely unaware of Atsushi’s inner turmoil.

Or perhaps he was perfectly aware of it and chose to ignore it. That sounds more like what Mori would do.

But Atsushi couldn’t quite handle the mystery and suspicion that was constantly gnawing at him anymore. He just had to know, even if it meant questioning his own Boss’s motives.

“Boss, forgive me for my rudeness, but I must ask,” Atsushi blurted out. There was no turning back now. He gulped, gathering all the courage he has left to complete his question. “Just what exactly are you planning?”

“How insolent. You dare question the Boss’s motives?” Akutagawa seethed, his voice laced with disdain, clearly itching for a fight.

Atsushi brushed off the urge to snap back at him. His only priority right now was Mori’s reaction. If his question had crossed the line, then so be it. He’s willing to accept any punishment Mori gave.

“No, no. It’s quite alright, Akutagawa-kun,” Mori chuckled, not at all offended by Atsushi’s abrupt questioning. “I was wondering when one of you might ask.”

The statement made both of their brows scrunch in unison, clearly not expecting such an answer from Mori.

Hearing that, Atsushi took that as an invitation to continue his question. “My missions, Akutagawa’s, and even Gin’s report. All of them are part of something bigger right?”

Mori only chuckled.

“Indeed it is,” he finally replied, sighing as he did so. “It’s a mission I must accomplish. For the future of Port Mafia. For the sake of continuing our legacy. Does that answer satisfy you, Nakajima-kun?”

Atsushi was stunned to silence. The way Mori spoke, how his gaze drifted far and wide, how it was filled with ambition. Whatever picture Mori saw in the distant future, it was far out of reach from Atsushi.

“Y-Yes. It does. Thank you for your answer.”

“My pleasure.”

As Atsushi walked out Mori’s office, he felt a chill run up his spine.

This was it.

The source of his admiration stemmed from fear and respect equally.

Mori was unquestionably the leader of the Port Mafia, the absolute ruler of this underground empire.

A man who would stop at nothing to ensure this organization will be carved in history.

A slave to his own organization.

—

“Ugh. Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Chuuya grumbled as he pushed through the thicket of bushes and branches. His ability was activated the moment they started trekking into the woods away from the suggested path. His ability did well to clear the way ahead, though the place was swarming with insects that seemed to make it their mission to annoy to no end even if they couldn’t get close to him.

“Have patience, Chuuya,” Dazai said, leading their group confidently as if the entire place didn’t look the same from every angle. “We’ve only just started.”

“I think I’m with young Chuuya on this,” All Might called out from behind, almost tripping over a tree root that was expertly covered by a bush. “Couldn’t we have just driven the car all the way there, young Dazai?”

“See? Even the old man gets it.”

“...Old man?” All Might mumbled.

“And expose the exact location of our precious, invaluable, dearest warehouse prepared by our most beloved Boss he probably spent his whole life on to help us poor souls 200 years ahead?” Dazai fake-exclaimed. “I think not.”

Chuuya only rolled his eyes silently at his partner’s dramatic theatrics. Dazai really has not changed a bit. 

“Besides,” Dazai continued. “You guys gotta have a little more faith in me y’know? What, you think I’m leading all of you into this remote area so I can off you one by one?”

It wasn’t loud, but Chuuya could hear Aizawa mutter “You might be” behind him.

After a little while more of trekking, and when Chuuya’s patience was finally worn thin by all the irritating bugs around him, Dazai finally led them out the woods into a wide plain. 

“What? This is it? There’s nothing he–” Chuuya stopped short, finally noticing a man-made structure from the corner of his eye. His head swivelled in that direction to find a two to three storey tall, abandoned building just laying quietly at the edge of the plain, backed by a hill.

Is that it?

Chuuya had his hopes up for a while, but upon closer look, even from afar, the building looked less than perfect. There were vines and moss growing on the exterior, as if nature was trying to swallow this man-made thing that didn’t belong whole. 

Chuuya could see how there were holes on the roof, how parts of the walls were barely hanging on to support the structure, how most of the windows were shattered. Whatever warehouse Mori had prepared for them was long gone. Chuuya couldn’t imagine that whoever came across this place wouldn’t have already looted it entirely.