When we're together (I'm not afraid of my tears) - Must_have_been_the_wind - 文豪ストレイドッグス (2024)

Chapter 1: Prologue - The Live Stream

Chapter Text

Often tragedy is marked in the environment before it even happens. Writers love to use this technique, to let the weather reflect and portray the emotions running rampant in the scene. Perhaps, that is why, no one suspected anything to happen on such a “perfect” day. As the sun shone a live stream began, one that would change the course of history and affect the lives of many.

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🔴 Message to the “pro” heroes ;)

crab_lover29

0 viewers 0 likes

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The camera crackled to life, the screen filled with the face of a confused teenager. A second passed before a voice called out from behind, “Is it on then?”

The teenager sighed but nodded, “Yea, no one is watching though.” He moved slightly and the camera flared with bright sunlight, and for a moment two more figures came into view. The boy moved back and his ginger hair blocked out the other two people lurking in the back.

“Invite the people I followed then.” The first voice replied with ease.

For a few moments, the only visual is a face of concentration as the ginger boy fiddled with the phone. Seconds passed as the boy worked to invite people to the live stream and eventually, his efforts paid off, despite the low viewer count his face quickly turned smug.

SurprisedPikachu has joined the stream!

Packaging_tape has joined the stream!

GreenMight has joined the stream!

“There, viewers to your little message.” The boy moved back fully to join the other two and the whole scene became apparent. The trio were situated on a rooftop, a vast cityscape unfolding behind them. In the centre of the shot, a woman sat on or was rather tied to a chair. She wore a tight spandex costume, her blonde hair would, on any other day, add to her looks. That day however her hair was tangled and looked just as distressed as her face did, said face was contorted into fear as a thick gag prevented her from speaking.

Two teenage boys dressed in black suits were stationed on either side, the ginger boy stood to the woman’s right while the other boy lounged on the left armrest. The second boy seemed all too comfortable in leaning up against the terrified woman, one hand snugly rested on her neck at all times. A lone brown eye stared at the camera from under the shadow of equally dark hair.

A smile took over the dark-haired boy’s face as he leaned forward, “Only three viewers huh? Well, that’s fine. I’m sure some more will join soon, now then, I’m sure you recognise the woman beside me?”

The boy waited a moment as a single comment rolled in and he nodded, “That’s right, this is Mt. Lady and recently she made a very stupid decision. Why don’t you explain Chuuya? I think you would tell it better.”

The ginger boy, Chuuya, huffed and rolled his eyes. Despite that, he began talking, “This f*ckin’ pro broke into our place and started breaking sh*t, which happens all the time y’know but she really caused us a problem.” As he spoke Mt. Lady shook beneath the other boy’s hand.

“As inelegant as ever, but yes Mt. Lady here caused a lot of problems,” the other boy started, “I mean, trespassing into Yokohama and destroying an entire warehouse of Port Mafia supplies can’t go unpunished.”

The boy paused and allowed the viewers to take in his words, a satisfied smile taking place on his face once more people began joining the stream. More and more people trickle in as news spread that Mt. Lady was being held captive in the infamous city of Yokohama, even more so given the boys’ apparent involvement with the Port Mafia.

Once enough people had joined the dark-haired boy continued to speak, “This is a message to the so-called ‘pro heroes’, stay out of Yokohama. No one wants you here, not the civilians, the Port Mafia, or even the government.” In a swift moment, the boy took a gun out from a hidden pocket and leisurely placed it against Mt. Lady’s head, her muffled cries easily ignored. “Usually we’re more tolerant of this but you ‘pros’ are getting a little too confident, so here’s an official warning to stay away.”

The gun pressed impossibly closer and for a moment the helpless viewers turned away in fear of what may happen next. However, instead of shooting, the boy lowered the gun slightly and turned his attention to Chuuya. “Should we let her have some last words Chibi?”

Chuuya’s face contorted with anger, “Stop callin’ me that already you dead-eyed Mackerel! If you want her to get last words go ahead.”

The other boy nodded and seemed to think for a moment, “I’ve decided to be nice this once, Chuuya, bring the camera closer will you?”

Without either boy moving a finger the camera moved closer to give the viewers a clearer view of Mt. Lady’s face. The boy beside her moved the gun out of the frame slightly but the presence was still felt, as he did this a gloved pair of hands moved into the frame and grabbed onto Mt. Lady’s face. As the hands worked on removing the gag Chuuya spoke, “Make these words count, sh*tty Dazai won’t give you a second go.”

The gag came off and for a moment all Mt. Lady did is take a deep, shaky breath. A second later her face changed and she began yelling, “Help! Please, someone- pleas- I didn’t… I just wanted to-”

Her words were roughly cut off when the gag was forcibly replaced, the camera moved back a few seconds later as Chuuya groaned. “Burst my eardrums why don’t you, jeez.”

The other boy, now known as Dazai, laughed at his pain before gasping dramatically. “Oh! Chuuya let’s finish this up and head to the arcade, I heard there’s a new racing game.” The boy wiggled his visible eyebrow in a joking way, “I bet I’ll win it.”

Chuuya scoffed loudly, “Please, you can’t even ride a bike like f*ck you’d beat me.”

Dazai shooks his head with a mischievous smile, “Oh? Like how you said you’d win our first bet, do remind me how that went Chuuya.”

The duo continued to bicker over who would win, the gun slowly drifted further away from Mt. Lady’s head as the conversation went on. For a brief moment, the hundreds of amassed viewers felt a spark of hope, hope that perhaps the boy would be distracted and forget about Mt. Lady. Maybe another Hero will come to the rescue and stop this nightmare before it became all too real.

Dazai laughed loudly at something said by Chuuya, “I can’t wait to beat you again! Maybe this time you can be my maid and dog!” With one last laugh, he levelled the gun and-

Bang.

[In all future reposts of this stream this is where it cuts out, the scene of a woman’s head being shot through, brains splattering across the roof, was deemed far too gruesome and was scrubbed from the internet immediately. Of course, that didn’t erase the image from the minds of those who watched it, it didn’t erase the nonchalance shown by the two boys when the gun shot and it didn’t erase the horror felt by hundreds knowing such people exist.]

Dazai turns one last glance to the camera, “As I said, stay away from Yokohama alright?”

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Message to the “pro” heroes ;)

crab_lover29

Live stream has finished.

567K viewers 21K likes

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Chapter 2: 1 - The Fall Out

Chapter Text

The truth is this; Mt. Lady, known as Takeyama Yuu to friends and family, had always wanted to be a hero. Her Quirk was somewhat unique, or well, there weren’t any popular Pro Heroes with a gigantification Quirk anyway, but being able to turn into a giant was perfect for Hero work. No one could hurt her when she was that big, a gunshot would feel like a pinprick, and a stab would be like a scratch. Takeyama knew she had what it took, so she trained and eventually debuted with pride. She thought herself invincible when in her giant form, and that would be her downfall.

Yokohama, the city without Quirks, the city without heroes. Takeyama assumed the Villains there wouldn’t pose a threat, not without a Quirk. She had been confident that she would be the one to get into that city and save the civilians from harm, she just wanted to be a Hero people could rely on when in trouble.

Unfortunately, she did not have the experience to question how an anonymous informant would get the information needed to get into Yokohama. She did not question why she of all people was the one to get that information.

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In the days following Mt. Lady’s death the story spread like wildfire, a young and arrogant hero broke into Yokohama and was ruthlessly killed for it. Some people were enraged, others thought she was too arrogant and was asking for it, the one thing everyone agreed on was that the boys responsible must be punished. The idea that two teenagers- children really- could kill someone with barely a glance at her shocked everyone who saw the live stream. Those who did watch the live stream were haunted by the casual attitude and bickering between the two murderers as Mt. Lady sat helpless and begging for help. The world agreed that those two boys must be brought to justice, not only for killing Mt. Lady but also for the horrific way they went about it.

With such a media outcry Pro Heroes all across Japan promised to lend their aid in capturing these boys, no matter how hard it may be. The most notable announcement is the one made by all three top Pro Heroes. No one had expected a joint conference to be held to address the issue, even less expected All Might, Endeavour, and Hawks to be hosting the conference.

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Much like two days prior, a live stream began. This live stream however was a stream of the Top 3 conference and not a needless show of cruelty. The conference started with statements, each Pro getting a moment to personally address the issue.

Being the more sociable one Hawks begins his speech first, “Thank you all for attending today, I know everyone is in shock right now but I think it’s important to address this as soon as possible. What happened was horrific, there’s no way to dance around that, a Pro Hero was killed in a needless show of power. Mt. Lady was a good Hero and did not deserve to be hurt in such a way, to have her dreams crushed so soon. In light of this I, Hawks, promise I will not rest until those boys are brought to justice.” Throughout his statement, Hawks’ face is grim but determined, while he had never been too close to Mt. Lady he had run into her a few times. A bunch of Heroes had done things that could warrant such a death, but not her.

The reporters in the crowd shuffle in a way that screams they have questions but dutifully stay silent as Hawks sits down and Endeavour takes the main stage. Opinions are always mixed about the #2 Hero, some say he is too extreme and never seems to care what gets burned by his fire but even his worst critics know that the man would never let a villain get away if he could do something about it. When Endeavour speaks the masses know he would see it through to the very end, “For years I have strove to be the best Hero I can possibly be, to ignore such an affront to Hero society would be a failure in my books. We Pros will find these boys as soon as possible and I will personally see they are delivered the punishment deserved.” A short statement but powerful nonetheless.

Once Endeavour sits down All Might stands, his usually smiling face replaced with one of seriousness. Everyone knows the #1 Hero is strong, but his kind appearance always comforted people, never once was the public reminded that his strength could cause them terrible pain if inflicted on them. With his face set like so the reporters present felt a tinge of fear down their spines. In a powerful voice, All Might speaks, “It is my duty as the #1 Pro Hero to protect everyone and that includes my fellow Heroes, I am ashamed that Mt. Lady had to suffer so much and I was none the wiser. My promise to you, the media, the public, Pro Heroes, and most importantly the family of Mt. Lady is this: if justice is not served by the month’s end then I have no place being a Hero. I will not allow those boys to dance on Mt. Lady’s memory.”

The room remains silent for a moment, everyone shocked into silence by the sheer power and sincerity in All Might’s voice. Such a declaration will cause chaos if not held up, but not a single person in that room doubted him. Those boys will be shown justice, now the only question that remains is how.

The first-hand raises, somewhat unsure if questions are being taken, and suddenly the room is in chaos. Reporters yell and stretch to be seen and have their questions answered, the three Heroes share a look before calling for quiet. Hawks, ever the extrovert, gestures to a raised hand in acknowledgement. The reporter stands and a microphone is passed along to her. Wasting no time she asks bluntly, “Yokohama is completely sealed off, how are the Pros planning to enter to find these boys?”

Hawks nods, “That’s true, and frankly we’re still unsure how Mt. Lady got in there in the first place. Rest assured, we are in contact with the Yokohaman government and if that fails well- I’m sure we can find a way through that barrier ourselves.” The last part is spoken in a way that both comforts any worrying citizens and promises that there is no escape for the boys. The reporter nods and sits back down, seemingly happy with the answer. More hand raise and Hawks points out another.

The next reporter has the eyes of a snake and seems to overpronounce his ‘s’ sounds. “Do the Pros know who these boys are yet?”

Endeavour scowls at this but allows Hawks to answer once again, “We know as much as you do, two boys named ‘Chuuya’ and ‘Dazai’ from Yokohama. Like I said we’re waiting on news from the Yokohaman government, I’m sure they will be happy to provide information on these boys and possibly even hand them over to us.”

The snake man seems to want to protest this but sits down with a slight nod. A third reporter is chosen, one who stands with confidence and looks each Pro Hero in the eye before speaking. “Those boys mentioned the Port Mafia, if they really are part of that organisation then what repercussions can we expect when the Pros retaliate against them?” A good question, too good almost. Everyone knows of Yokohama, nicknamed the Quirkless city, and with that, most know of the Port Mafia. To those uninformed that name is whispered in rumours, spoken with a mocking tone or used as a warning to young children. The Port Mafia is a point of interest but not a worry for the vast majority, not when its members are composed of Quirkless people. To those in the know, however, the name strikes fear into their hearts and demands both respect and obedience. If the killing of Mt. Lady was done by senseless new recruits then the Port Mafia would, theoretically, be more willing to give them up. If it was an order from the top then things get more complicated. How a reporter seems to know about the threat posed by this group, none of the three Heroes are sure.

All Might swiftly speaks before Hawks can formulate an answer, “The Port Mafia may be frightening to Yokohama citizens, but they do not scare me. There may be a chance of violence should the Port Mafia refuse to hand those boys over, but we Pro Heroes will continue forward until justice is given.”

The reporter levels All Might with a serious look, one that seems to doubt his words for a moment. That moment passes and the reporter sighs but nods, seemingly knowing that the Pro Heroes will not be giving up the chase so easily.

The conference continues on in much the same way for a few hours, each question answered and everyone reassured that the Pro Heroes will find a way to punish those boys. While nothing could erase the horror felt by seeing that live stream many felt comforted by the dedication shown by the Pro Heroes, a hope soon began to grow that in a month’s time, no one will have to worry about those boys running around any more.

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“Hey Chuuya, who do you think is stronger, you or All Might?”

Chuuya looks up from his (Dazai’s) paperwork and takes a moment to stare at his partner who has spread himself out across the floor, phone held precariously above his head. With a scoff he answers, “What type of question is that? Me obviously.”

Dazai nods with a smirk, “Yea, I think so too.”

-

Since starting UA high school the class of 1A has been put through more than they should have been. The attack on the USJ was their first encounter with real Villains that want them dead, each student had been left with nightmares from that day. Fighting for their lives, seeing Aizawa-sensei beaten and bloody by an enemy they have no chance of defeating- it was something that landed most of them in therapy. For some unlucky souls the horrors continued, three students then had to experience fighting the infamous Hero Killer. For Midoriya he will always remember being unable to move while Stain stalked closer to his friends, he will always remember the sheer fear Stain imposed just by speaking. The Villains seen by the public never gave off a paralysing terror simply by looking at someone, but Stain had that, the Nomu had that, and Shigaraki had that. Midoriya knows when a Villain is truly scary, he knows the signs and the feelings, he knows it. And yet, when he joined that live stream, a decision made out of curiosity and boredom, those two boys did not feel like that. No, they felt worse.

At first, he thought the stream was something innocent, then maybe a prank but when Mt. Lady began to beg for her life he knew it was all too real. She was scared, terrified and those boys were not playing around. Before the gun was even drawn Midoriya knew he should have turned it off, should have ran for Aizawa-sensei but it is human nature to observe a tragedy. He continued watching and felt a type of fear that was so incredibly different from the other Villains he had faced, but somehow just as bad. Watching the boy, Dazai, move the gun around made his heart tighten and jump with every movement closer to Mt. Lady. There was something in the nonchalance that struck Midoriya to his very core, something that had him begging for Dazai to pull the trigger already. When the gun went off it felt like the bullet had hit him instead, a headshot with barely a glance, an insignificant moment for the boy and yet it terrified Midoriya so much he suddenly had the urge to run into his mother’s arms. The image will forever be ingrained into his mind along with the thousands of others that clicked on the stream, his classmates being among them.

UA had cancelled classes that day and the day after. Midoriya was glad for it gave him time to grieve for a Hero that he watched debut, it gave him and his classmates time to huddle together and try their hardest to erase the image of splattered brains from their memories. It didn’t work but no one acknowledged that.

Two days after the murder of Mt. Lady classes were back on, or rather one class was back on. Principal Nedzu had already sent out emails to every student giving them information about therapists and support groups, along with that he arranged for every homeroom teacher to spend however much time is needed addressing every student’s fears going forward. When 1A arrived for said class Aizawa-sensei was surprisingly already there, unsurprisingly he looked like he had not slept for days and for once most of 1A looked the same.

Once everyone settled down Aizawa-sensei begins, “Today I will be breaking down exactly what happened in that live stream and what will happen in the coming days, I will also answer any and all questions. To do that we will be discussing what happened and not vaguely, if you are uncomfortable at any point leave the room. There is no shame or judgement in this classroom, you got that?”

The class nods but no one leaves yet. Midoriya thinks some of them may be curious about what the Pros are planning, others just want the comfort of Aizawa-sensei’s rationalism. Aizawa-sensei does not lie about serious things, he will tell them the truth and they can trust him in that, if he says the Pros have a plan then they must have one.

Aizawa-sensei takes a deep breath before beginning for real, “How many of you saw it live?” The underlying question is of course how many of them saw Mt. Lady being shot.

Everyone raises their hands.

Their teacher grimaces before continuing, “You have all been through far too much for your age, the USJ is a testament to that but this is different isn’t it? Which felt worse, the USJ or watching the live stream?” He looks around the room, clearly looking for an answer. While usually Aizawa-sensei would just pick someone this time he waits patiently, eyes never lingering on a student too long.

Eventually, Yaoyorozu raises her hand before answering, “Personally, I felt worst this time. I- I don’t know why, but it just felt so much worse.”

Aizawa-sensei nods, “Does anyone have an idea why?” Silence descends on the class once again and after a few minutes of waiting Aizawa-sensei rephrases his question, “What disturbed you the most?”

At this new question, Kaminari hesitantly raises his hand, “It sounds so stupid compared to what happened at the end but… They were talking about going to an arcade and making bets about who would win and I- I do that! I challenge my friends to games all the time and it just, it felt wrong? Like they were talking about normal stuff while doing such a horrible thing.”

Nodding Aizawa-sensei agrees, “Yes, you’re right.”

Clearly not used to hearing those words from his teacher Kaminari looks shocked, “I am?”

Aizawa-sensei hums in agreement, “Of course, this doesn’t apply to everyone but what Kaminari said is right.” He moves across and begins to write names on the whiteboard, each one a Villain they had faced or was notably terrifying, he then wrote down the names of the two boys. Turning around he continued, “These boys are murderers, probably involved in a lot more crime than we think so why are they scarier?”

“It’s because they are your age,” he starts, “These boys are the same age as you all, they go to arcades and bet on who will win, they have nicknames for each other and inside jokes. They act like someone you would see on the street, a friend you would make at school. They act like that while holding a gun to someone’s head and shooting them.” Aizawa-sensei pauses to let his words sink in, in that time he moves back to the centre front of the room. “Shigaraki and the Nomu were frightening because they wanted you dead and were determined to do that, these boys are frightening because they have the capacity for murdering without a second glance and yet act completely unbothered.”

The class begins to shuffle, a few people look like they are debating leaving, and a few others look enlightened. What Aizawa-sensei was saying made sense, Midoriya had never seen a casual side of Stain or Shigaraki- they were always fully focused on winning the fight and achieving their goal. Dazai and Chuuya however acted like they were chatting after school, like they didn’t have someone’s life in their hands. He had never thought of it before but Villains are human, they enjoy the same things and act just like everyone else. Knowing that makes him feel sick, the idea that Villains aren’t some different species entirely that only have the capacity for evil.

Aizawa-sensei seems to notice the direst among the class and speaks again, “The barrier that surrounds Yokohama has been standing since the dawn of Quirks. Many Pros have tried to get through and not many have succeeded, we really aren’t sure how Mt. Lady got into the city. Somehow she did and got involved with the Port Mafia, I’m sure you all know that name but not the significance behind it.”

“The Port Mafia is made up of Quirkless individuals, but that does not mean they are something to scoff at. I can’t tell you the specifics as it’s more classified information but there is a reason Pro Heroes are taking caution when discussing how to get a hold of these boys, so I want to make it clear now,” Aizawa-sensei levels them with a serious look, “None of you will get involved with this, we Pro Heroes will handle everything.”

The class murmurs in agreement and a moment later Iida raises his hand. “Sensei, if the barrier is impossible to pass how do the Pros plan on getting through?”

Aizawa-sensei sighs in a way that clearly tells the class he’s been asked that question too many times but answers dutifully anyway, “The HSPC has contacted the Yokohaman government so hopefully, we can get some information from them, knowing the full names of those boys and any points to worry about would be helpful. They also might let us through the barrier willingly. Principal Nedzu did mention he has a contact in Yokohama, so if we don’t get what we need from the government there is a second option.”

Midoriya watches as more of his classmates ask questions and Aizawa-sensei answers them to the best of his ability all the while he can’t stop thinking about the live stream. Instantly after the live stream ended he had sat in shock and couldn’t stop replaying those end moments in his mind but then the urge to do something took over. While he would be no help in actually apprehending the boys he does have one talent that could be helpful, analysis. With that in mind, he found a re-upload of the stream and analysed it until he couldn’t stomach watching it any more. While there wasn’t much to go off to find their location, other than knowing it was Yokohama, the two boys did do a few things that felt suspicious. A few things made Midoriya think they may actually have Quirks, and so he did what he has always done best- he theorised about the possible Quirks. It might be useless information, or completely wrong but he had eventually landed on something that felt right and knew he had to tell Aizawa-sensei and the other Pros. Even if he is wrong it would be better to have an idea of what they are facing than going in blind, especially if the Yokohaman government does not give them any information.

With that in mind, he waited until everyone had their questions answered and began making their way out of the classroom. Midoriya waved his friends off and waited until it was just him and Aizawa-sensei before speaking. “Aizawa-sensei? I had something I wanted to tell you.”

Aizawa-sensei gestures for him to speak. “Well,” Midoriya starts, “I noticed a few things when watching the live, a few things about those boys and I thought I should say something? Just in case it’s helpful.”

His teacher doesn’t stop him so he continues, “Well, I was initially confused as to why Mt. Lady didn’t use her Quirk, if she had then the ropes binding her would have broken. Then I realised that one of the boys, Dazai, always kept a hand on her neck. I think he has a touch-activated Quirk, probably an erasure one like yours Sensei.”

“I had a similar thought as well, do you have any ideas about the other boy?” Aizawa-sensei does not dismiss his ideas but rather encourages him further.

With this encouragement, he moves to the other boy, “At one point Dazai says something like, ‘Chuuya move the camera closer’ and it does come closer! But neither of them move, and he was addressing Chuuya specifically so I doubt there was someone behind the camera. I think he has a telekinesis Quirk, or maybe some form of levitation.”

Aizawa-sensei places a hand on his shoulder and nods gratefully, “I hadn’t thought of that, good job problem child. Now go get something to eat.” As silly as it sounds the nickname comforted him more than the hand on his shoulder did, with a slight smile Midoriya nods.

-

Aizawa Shouta was no stranger to violence, no Pro Hero can claim to be unaffected by the work they do and any that do are certainly lying to themselves. The USJ incident had been bad, he had never been in as much pain as he was during that day and hopefully never will be again. It was one of the worse things he had experienced as a Pro and yet a live stream only a few minutes long had managed to rival that.

Even now, sat in a conference room surrounded by Pro Heroes he still feels uneasy. Principal Nedzu had called for a meeting of UA staff, plus Hawks and Endeavour, to discuss what should happen next. Aizawa himself is unsure, any Pro worth their salt knows about the Yokohama barrier, knows how it is impossible to get through. Well, it was impossible before Mt. Lady had somehow done it. Other than the barrier there was another problem to worry about, one very few Pros actually knew about.

He is brought out from his thoughts when Principle Nedzu begins speaking, “Thank you all for being here, I know everyone is itching to get out there but we must think and plan carefully our next moves. The Yokohaman government has sent us some files on those boys, but I’m afraid they aren’t much help.” As he speaks the power point behind him flicks to the next page, two information pages spanning across the screen.

Name: Dazai Osamu

Age: ~15

Ability: No Longer Human

Ability description: N/A

Affiliation: Port Mafia

Notes: N/A

Name: Nakahara Chuuya

Age: ~15

Ability: Upon the Tainted Sorrow

Ability description: N/A

Affiliation: Port Mafia

Notes: N/A

The pages contain barely any information and within seconds the room turns into uproar. Someone, Aizawa isn’t sure who yells out, “That’s all they give us?! They obviously have more!”

Privately Aizawa agrees, it’s obvious the Yokohaman government intentionally didn’t hand over certain information. There is no way they know the names of the Abilities but cannot give a description, it’s clear that they gave away just enough so the Pros couldn’t accuse them of anything while also giving them basically nothing. It’s infuriating but unfortunately, there isn’t much to do about it, even without further explanation Aizawa gets the feeling that’s all the information they will be getting.

Principal Nedzu shushes the room and everyone falls into an angry silence, a single hand raises a few moments later. Principal Nedzu gestures for the Pro to speak, “I’m sorry but I don’t understand what it means by ‘Ability’, is that just their word for a Quirk?”

Ah yes, Abilities, the other problem they have to worry about. Everyone knows that Yokohama has the lowest Quirked population in the world, so low in fact it’s easier to round down and say they have no Quirked people. That doesn’t mean they are defenceless, no, they have power so strong that a decision was made to keep it a secret from the public. Abilities, some say they are undeveloped Quirks, others say they are where Quirks come from. Everyone who is informed has a different opinion towards them but there are a few facts that are certain.

1. Abilities are not genetic like Quirks.

2. Abilities do not have negative drawbacks.

3. Abilities are stronger than Quirks.

Aizawa was first informed about them years ago, back when he was deemed useful enough. Being able to erase Quirks, and possibly Abilities, made him invaluable in case of an attack by an Ability user. Initially, he had been sceptical about the strength of these so-called Abilities, they might be powerful but there was no way to say Quirks will always be weaker, right? Then he spoke to Principal Nedzu, who had told him about an Ability user from America. According to the Principal, one of his contacts over there worked for an Ability organisation and they had recently recruited a new member. The Ability to drag someone into a story and keep them trapped there, helpless to the will of the Ability user. Aizawa had asked what the drawbacks were, perhaps the story must be written on the spot? Or maybe it had to be a certain amount of words? Principal Nedzu had shaken his head, simply telling Aizawa that any body of text worked no matter the length. All that had to be done was for the victim to read the words, which given the human nature to read words without thinking about it made that Ability deadly.

Aizawa stopped doubting after that.

Principal Nedzu explains all this to the Pro, even relaying the story of the American Ability user. Once done another Pro speaks up, “So these kids are stronger than us and that’s it? We don’t even know what their Abilities are!”

It is then that Aizawa remembers what Midoriya had told him, while it is likely that his theories have a few holes it gives them more information than they currently have. Before Principal Nedzu can respond to the Pro Aizawa speaks, “I have an idea of what their Abilities may be.” Curious eyes turn to him as he continues, “One of my students is good at Quirk analysis, he told me that given the information present Dazai might have a touch-based erasure Ability while Nakahara may have some form of telekinesis.”

Principal Nedzu nods in approval, “I was thinking the same thing actually, this student of yours is quite perceptive.” If Aizawa feels proud of the praise of Midoriya then no one has to know about that.

Now with more information to work on the Pro Heroes gathered begin chatting amongst themselves, each trying to figure out a way to defeat these boys. After a few moments Principal Nedzu begins speaking again, a certain glint in his eye that feels eerie to look at. “I have a contact in Yokohama, while he can’t give us information on the boys he has agreed to get a group of Heroes through the barrier and back out again. I have already made a team up to be the ones entering.”

The powerpoint changes once again, this time with 5 empty boxes in total. The boxes are split into three and two with the labels ‘Front Line’ and ‘Distance’ above them. At a click of a button, the three boxes grouped together now have pictures of Pro Heroes in them, All Might, Endeavour, and Hawks. Principal Nedzu gestures to the screen, “The top three Pros will work as the main fighting force, you’ll take the two boys on directly and focus on incapacitating them. Once the fight is over you three will be responsible for getting the boys to the barrier point where my contact will let you out”

Nedzu presses another button and two more pictures appear, this time of Dazai and Nakahara. Dazai’s picture is placed directly underneath Hawks’ own while Nakahara’s is in the middle of both All Might’s and Endeavour’s. “Hawks, you’ll take on Dazai alone. I’m almost entirely certain his Ability is touch-based so you will have an advantage given how you control your feathers from a distance. There is also a chance his Ability does not work on mutant Quirks, so even if he does get close you’ll still be better off.” Hawks nods at Nedzu’s words.

Turning his attention to the top 2 Heroes Principal Nedzu continues, “You two will take Nakahara, we do not know the range of his Ability so having two-on-one will be more beneficial. His Ability may be touch activated like Dazai’s, in that case, Endeavour’s flames will be able to ward him away.” Endeavour seems disgruntled by having to work with All Might but he does not say anything and instead agrees.

Nedzu then turns his attention to Aizawa and before the Principal even speaks he can feel the dry eye and headache. The powerpoint gets two more pictures, this time of Aizawa himself and Snipe. “Erasurehead, if your Quirk works on Abilities then you will be tasked with erasing Nakahara’s Ability when the moment is optimal. If not then your capture weapon will be vital in ensuring the boys cannot escape once we have them. Snipe, you will have a single attempt to shoot at Dazai, if you miss then I doubt he would hang around for a second attempt.”

Aizawa nods at his tasks but notices Snipe tilt his head in slight confusion, “Why not that Nakahara kid? Surely he’s more of a threat.”

A grin takes place on Nedzu’s face, one that sets everyone on edge immediately. “Nakahara has a more combat-orientated Ability I believe, so it’s likely he does most of the fighting while Dazai takes a more passive approach. They are clearly friends, I imagine they care for each other. So what do you think will happen when Nakahara sees his friend, who does not have a combative Ability, get shot while fighting at a disadvantage?”

It dawns on Aizawa what Nedzu’s plan really is, “He’ll lose focus, slip up.”

Nedzu nods, “Exactly. We’re going to use their care for one another to our advantage.”

Had it been any other circ*mstance then Aizawa would have been against such a method, but as it is he can’t really find it in himself to care all that much. Those boys chose to kill Mt. Lady with an audience, what happens to them now is only fair.

Chapter 3: 2 - Confrontation

Chapter Text

If there’s one thing Chuuya hates dealing with it’s when people assume he’s an idiot. They take one look at how easily he takes out a group of 20 enemies and decides he must only be good at fighting, of course, it doesn’t help that those same people then look at the ‘genius’ that is Dazai and assume he does all the thinking for them both. Which, sure, Dazai makes all the plans and is freakily informed of everything that could possibly change said plans- but he doesn’t do that because Chuuya is stupid. Dazai makes the plans because he is, and it pains Chuuya to admit this, better at accounting for any problems. Chuuya handles the fighting, not because Dazai can’t fight, but because the wimp is the size of a twig and also, y’know, suicidal. On solo missions he makes plans that work fine and notices all the things a rookie wouldn’t, it just takes him a few minutes longer than what it would take Dazai.

So yea, he has been wondering what the hell that live stream was about. Everything about it felt wrong compared to Dazai’s usual methods, all of it right down to very clearly saying his name. It was a small detail but glaringly obvious to Chuuya, that bastard has plenty of nicknames to choose from, so many in fact he hears the nicknames more than his actual name. It’s always ‘Slug’ this and ‘Chibi’ that, at this point, Chuuya responds to any insult that leaves Dazai’s mouth and 90% of the time it is directed at him. The point is, calling Chuuya by name was an intentional choice, so he returned the favour assuming that was what the bastard wanted. Of course, after the stream ended Dazai refused to explain anything and just looked at him in that way. The way that screams ‘I’m up to no good but you’ll have to figure it out yourself.’

It’s infuriating because Chuuya knows whatever Dazai is planning will end up affecting him too, like the time they were sent on a mission to take out a rival group. Things were going fine, great even, then one of them started blowing the building up around Chuuya. It didn’t matter much in the long run and he still beat the group easily, but still, it sure would have been nice to know about. sh*tty Dazai had claimed he ‘forgot’ about it, how he has the nerve to bald-faced lie to Chuuya’s face like that is a mystery. That along with the sixth sense he has developed for Dazai’s shenanigans means he is 100% sure something is going to go down.

He does have a few ideas about what the Mackerel's motivations may be, although it feels like he’s missing a piece of information. That live stream was an intentional move to apparently ‘warn’ the pro heroes to stay out of Yokohama but honestly if Chuuya was one of the pros heroes he would be so pissed off by it. Killing one of his own like that? Yea, he’d start throwing people. That very well could be the motivation behind it, maybe Dazai wanted to piss the pros off intentionally? But then that missing bit of information comes up again, why would he do that? Seems like a lot of trouble so there has to be a reason.

That final piece of information finally comes to him a few days later when he’s reporting back to the Boss. The report of his most recent solo mission was received well and Chuuya had expected to be excused quickly after giving his report. The Boss looked through the paper report and absent-mindedly commented, “Oh good job on that live stream, I’m sure it will be quite effective. I assume Dazai came up with the idea?”

Quite effective? Effective in doing what? His confusion must show on his face as the Boss laughs a little, “Ah, so he didn’t tell you? Somehow I’m not surprised.”

Chuuya feels a headache already forming, or perhaps that’s Arahabaki demanding he go and beat Dazai to a pulp, honestly, it’s hard to tell. He shakes his head, “No he didn’t.”

The Boss nods in understanding, “I see. Here, have a copy of the new mission that has been assigned to you two. I’m sure Dazai will give you more information if you need it.”

Internally Chuuya scoffs, that idiot will probably just whine about Chuuya finding out about the mission. Externally, he takes the paper with a bow and is excused shortly after. While he does itch to read the contents and know exactly what he’s being dragged into it feels smarter to walk away from the Boss’s offices before doing that. Typically when Dazai is involved he ends up breaking a wall, so to be safe he goes down a few levels before opening the paper.

MISSION ASSIGNMENT

Needed agents: Dazai Osamu, Nakahara Chuuya

Mission length: Undetermined

Mission objective: Take down All For One / League of Villains

Sub-objective: Gather information on Pro Hero society

Additional information: Due to an increase in [Pro Heroes] and the [League of Villains] attempting to enter Yokohama agents [Dazai Osamu] and [Nakahara Chuuya] are required to take out the [League of Villains] and stop [Pro Hero] interference.

Ok, so there’s a chance that live stream really was meant as a warning to stay away from Yokohama but also there is no way in hell that Dazai wouldn’t anticipate retaliation from the pro heroes. This means he’s counting on that happening, maybe even expecting a fight…. A chill runs down Chuuya’s spine. A fight, sure, but against who? All the pro heroes? It probably wouldn’t be that much of a pain, especially if he uses Corruption, but that seems unlikely. They’d probably take a smaller team if they wanted to get into Yokohama for the fight, a small team of the best fighters. The best would be the top ten…

“Hey Chuuya, who do you think is stronger, you or All Might?”

Bastard.

-

Dazai is given exactly no warning before a wild Chuuya appears and throws a punch right at his face. While he is very used to his partner’s antics by now dodging seems like a pain, so instead he takes the hit and turns to Chuuya with the most upset face he could muster. “Chuuya is so violent and for no reason.” To really sell the whining act Dazai makes sure to pout a little and is delighted when Chuuya scoffs. Chibi always gives the best reactions.

“No f*ckin’ reason? The Boss told me about the mission so why the hell didn’t you?” Chuuya nears yells, to an outsider they may believe Dazai is about to get murdered. But again, he knows the Chibi well enough to categorise his anger levels. This is about a 4/10, so a couple of punches to Dazai and maybe the nearby walls and he’ll be fine. Knowing this allows him to get away with annoying Chuuya further, which is a very fun thing to do. A hand grabbing his collar brings his attention back to the Chuuya in front of him, “Well?”

Dazai shrugs, “I have no idea what you mean, Slug.” That earns him being shook back and forth at rapid speeds.

“Bastard! Gimme the plan already! I’m not fighting f*ckin’ All Might with no prior warning, you got that?” Chibi is very demanding in his tone, which almost makes Dazai want to refuse to tell him anything. It is very amusing to see his partner caught off guard mid-fight. Another part of him is pleased that Chuuya figured out who his main opponent will be already, an above-average Slug indeed.

Deciding to be nice this once he concedes, “Chibi spoiled the surprise, so I guess I can tell you.” Once Chuuya lets go of his collar with a satisfied look on his face he begins laying out the plan. “Mori-san wants us to defeat All for One and his little League of Villains, it just so happens that that league of wannabes has their eyes on attacking class 1A of UA high school.”

Chuuya interrupts, “Yea and? You gonna use them as bait or something?”

Shaking his head Dazai continues, “Not quite, you see, I figured it would be easier to be there with 1A. We can easily gather information on both the League and Pro Heroes that way.” A look of dread soon takes place on Chuuya’s face, almost like he’s hoping Dazai won’t say what he thinks he will. In reaction to this Dazai smirks, “That’s right Chibi! We’re going to school!”

Immediately Chuuya shakes his head, “No. I’m not going to any school, let alone one for hero nerds.”

Dazai sighs and gestures for Chuuya to sit down, prior to the vicious attack on his face he had been enjoying a nice book (The Ultimate Guide to Suicide - Water Methods) in Chuuya’s office. He would have gone to his own but there’s paperwork there and frankly, Dazai doesn’t want to do them, if he waits a few days Chuuya will do them for him anyway. Right now they are both sitting on the fancy sofa that Chuuya had insisted be put in for some reason. Chuuya crosses his arms in a physical way of showing his defensiveness, in contrast, Dazai makes sure to adopt a more open position. “Here’s what will happen Chibi, the top three or so pro heroes will come into Yokohama to defeat us. We’ll give them a good fight but in the end, we lose, then before we can be tried for murder the principal of UA will give us a deal to do a ‘reformation’ course.”

Dazai continues without pause, “After that, we stick with 1A to get information on pro heroes and when the opportunity strikes take down the League, sound good?” It’s a rhetorical question, of course, too many things are in motion now for a plan change. Will that stop Chibi from answering? No, it won’t.

“Not good,” Chuuya answers as if on cue, “First of all, how the hell are they getting in Yokohama and how are you so sure that principal guy will give us a deal? Also, most importantly, I don’t wanna go to some hero school!” Chuuya huffs with annoyance but Dazai ignores it like usual.

“They’ll get in because Principal Nedzu’s contact is an acquaintance of mine. As for the deal, I know we’ll get it because we are unfortunate teenagers led down a dark path.” Chuuya looks at him skeptically, his face perfectly conveys his judgement about that last sentence. Obviously, neither of them are the pity cases that the pros will expect but with a little bit of acting no one will be the wiser. Dazai explains this to his partner, “When they capture us act all upset and scared, like you don’t want to be separated from me. Act like an actual 15-year-old, that way the pros who double as teachers will feel pity for us.”

Chuuya shoots him an unimpressed look, clearly still on board with going to UA. “You’re so hard to please Slug,” Dazai ignores the other’s sound of offence, “I don’t want to go to UA either, but it’s the easiest way…. The plan is also in motion already so you have no choice!”

That earns him a snack around the head, “God I hate being your partner.” Chuuya’s tone is both annoyed and defeated, which means he’s on board with the plan. Now the only thing left to do is get the exact information on which pros will be arriving and fine-tune the battle plan, the top three will definitely make an appearance, possibly with that Erasurehead guy. While he should warn Chuuya about the possibility of Upon the Tainted Sorrow being erased mid-fight Dazai thinks it would be far more entertaining to keep quiet about it. Chibi found out everything else after all, it’s only right there is something to surprise him.

-

The day of the attack arrives far too quickly for Aizawa’s taste. The group of them leave early in the morning to arrive in Yokohama with enough time for a more drawn-out fight, while they could easily go overnight that would bring its own risks. The longer they are in Yokohama fighting means there is a higher chance of backup being called, fighting in the dark increases the chance of hitting your own teammate, and of course, they don’t want to stay in the Quirkless City for longer than needed. Before leaving they had been fitted with earpieces and small body cameras, the earpieces would allow for communication between Snipe and Aizawa and the top three along with Nedzu who will be waiting outside the barrier. The cameras will be linked up for the Principal to view in real-time that way he can adjust the plan if needed and keep records of the fight for future reference.

They arrive at the barrier with no fanfare, only a single man stood waiting for them. The man, dressed in a neat suit and round glasses, stepped forward to introduce himself once they had all left the transport vehicle, “Greetings everyone, my name is Sakaguchi Ango and I’ll be getting you into the barrier today.”

Aizawa nodded in greeting while Principal Nedzu stepped forward, “Thank you for the help, Erasurehead and Snipe will be the first ones entering.” Nedzu gestures to them both before continuing, “The other three will enter once they have gotten into position.”

Sakaguchi nods, “Alright, are you ready now?”

There is no need to go over the plan again, not when Aizawa could repeat it in his sleep. Honestly, for the past few days, he’s been itching for the fight to happen already, so despite his nerves, he nods at Snipe and then Principal Nedzu. With that confirmation, Nedzu gives them an encouraging smile, “Do your best, plus ultra.”

All Might and Hawks give them encouraging smiles and with that, the two of them leave with Sakaguchi. For a few moments, they walk alongside the barrier, each step taking them further out of the other’s eyesight. Nedzu may trust Sakaguchi but Aizawa doesn’t hold the same beliefs, “Where are we going?” Through his many years as a Pro and a teacher he has mastered the perfect tone to speak in, firm enough that it’s obvious he’s serious but not too emotional. Almost like he doesn’t care about getting an answer or what it may be.

Sakaguchi spares him a quick glance before looking away again, “The barrier surrounding Yokohama is impossible to get through, however, it would be impractical to cut off all ways of contact with the rest of Japan.” A few moments after he finishes speaking they arrive at what looks to be a covered entrance to an underground bunker, crouching down Sakaguchi unlocks the doors and opens one wide for all three of them to enter. “It was decided to make underground passages to allow for the transport of goods and in an emergency, people.”

Snipe and Aizawa share a look, one of brief distrust, before they walk into the tunnel. Sakaguchi follows behind them and closes the door with a thunk, each step took echoing down the tunnel. The walk isn’t a long one but the silence is unbearably enhanced by the soft echoing, Snipe, who likely feels the same, attempts to start a conversation. “So… why did the barrier get set up anyway?”

“Ability users aren’t too common and yet have always caused far too much trouble, the idea of those powers becoming commonplace must have given some poor government workers heart attacks,” Sakaguchi explains with a sigh and a certain look on his face, the look of a man thinking of one specific troublemaker. His explanation does make sense, even with strict laws against public use Quirks always seem to be the major factor behind incidents.

In no time at all they arrive at the other side and one door later Aizawa and Snipe find themselves inside the barrier. The buildings around them give off the impressing of a busy city street and yet not a single person is in sight, in fact, Aizawa can already see multiple signs of abandonment. Noticing Aizawa’s questioning gaze Sakaguchi explains, “This area was abandoned some time ago due to an increase in gang activities, now it’s used as storage space for the Port Mafia.”

Storage space? Could this be where Mt. Lady had entered? Another question comes to mind soon after that, one that he decides to ask. “How do you know Dazai and Nakahara will be here?”

“With the recent destruction of supplies, the Port Mafia will want to take stock of what is left and replace anything missing, which would typically be left to lower-level members but a friend of mine has assured me that those two will be handling it this time,” Sakaguchi explains easily. Throughout the entire conversation he hadn’t changed facial expression much, it almost seemed like none of their questions bothered him. That could mean he is trustworthy, or maybe a good liar, Aizawa isn’t sure which it is yet.

Unaware of Aizawa’s internal debate Sakaguchi bows shallowly to them, “I’ll leave you to get into position. After the fight, I will be waiting at the tunnel with the door open, so do be quick.” With that, the man leaves Snipe and Aizawa in enemy territory. The two men share a look, one that vaguely says ‘what have gotten ourselves into’, before beginning their walk to positions.

For a while, they scout possible options but eventually decide on a large block of flats just on the corner of the street. If things go well the two boys should walk past them into the fight allowing the Pros to limit where they can run to, the building height will also help to keep them hidden. They settle in, Aizawa crouching near the roof access door and Snipe preparing his guns near the edge. They do not attempt to make small talk.

When the other three Pros arrive it suddenly feels more real, Aizawa’s body itches to do something but he holds back. The boys aren’t here yet, he can’t give away his and Snipe’s position so quickly either.

Minutes tick by and all five of them stay deadly silent, who knows what enemy could be nearby.

More time goes by and just when Aizawa feels the nerves eating him the sound of laughter breaks the settled quiet. A quick glance at Snipe confirms that it wasn’t one of their own, although that confirmation would soon become redundant when a voice echoes across the empty buildings. “You say that every time Chibi and yet never do anything about it, I’m beginning to think you’re a liar!”

Quietly Aizawa sneaks to the edge of the building a takes a peak, as suspected the targets are walking side by side with no one else in sight. They haven’t quite made it to Aizawa and Snipe’s position yet so the other three still have a few moments before the two boys round the corner and the fight commences. The two continue to talk, or rather argue if the yelling is anything to go by, without noticing Aizawa’s steady gaze. In what feels like a lifetime later they finally reach the corner and turn in, only stopping when they notice the three Heroes standing waiting for them.

Distantly Aizawa can hear Dazai speak, “Oh? It looks like we have intruders, how troublesome.”

The other boy, Nakahara, slips into a fighting stance while nodding, “Seems we do.”

Across from them, All Might takes a step forward and his bellowing voice is far easier to hear, “Young boys! Surrender now and we will not hurt you.”

The two boys seem unbothered by the threat of violence, which either speaks of their confidence or naivety, only taking a glance at each other. A second later Nakahara speaks, “Hear that sh*tty Dazai? Maybe you should surrender then, save me the trouble of protecting your ass.”

Dazai huffs, “So rude Chibi, I can handle myself you know.”

The other Pros, seeing that their offer of mercy is being ignored, share a look at each other. Without warning Hawks zips forward, aiming right for Dazai. While Nedzu had warned him to keep a distance from the boy it was agreed upon that Hawks would be the best way to start the fight, a swift attack like that would be hard to dodge even with prior warning. For a moment Aizawa was sure the attack would hit but just at the last moment Dazai reached into his pocket and-

Bang.

Hawks swiftly pulled up, just barely dodging the bullet. Dazai took a step back and kept his eyes locked on Hawks, his gun already point upwards. From beside him, Nakahara breathes out a laugh, “Hah, can’t even hit a bird Mr ‘perfect aim.’”

Dazai doesn’t spare him a glance as he responded, “This bird is a quick one, just like a certain Slug I know.” His tone sounded both relaxed and annoyed, not at all on guard or worried. Aizawa had thought the two of them were only joking around in that live because Mt. Lady had no way to fight back but now he’s starting to think they always do this. That type of attitude… It rubs Aizawa the wrong way.

Nakahara doesn’t grace his friend with a response, instead, he turns his attention to All Might and Endeavour. A second later and the boy is covered in a red glow, “C’mon then, let’s get this fight over with!” In a matter of moments, the boy has shot forward towards the top two Pros, once close enough he lifts a leg and aims a kick at All Might’s stomach. All Might easily jumps backwards, a grim expression on his face.

“Very well, you leave me no choice.” All Might gears up to send one of his famous punches towards the boy but stops short when Endeavour jumps in front of Nakahara. The flame Hero sends a wave of fire towards the boy, clearly intent on burning him at close range. The amount of flames is excessive, especially when Endeavour looks around confused once the flames settle and Nakahara is nowhere to be seen. From his advantage point, Aizawa could see how the boy jumped into the air when the flames flew outwards, how he stayed hovering just above Endeavour with a smirk on his face.

Aizawa taps on his earpiece, “Nakahara is above you.” He watched in real-time as the flame Hero looks up and attempted to shoot another wave of fire, only for it to be once again dodged.

A second later his earpiece crackles on again but this time from Nedzu, “That Nakahara boy has some form of gravity control, similar to 1A’s Uraraka. Precede with caution as we do not know the limits.” All Might seems to nod at the new information but before he can speak another gunshot rings out.

Aizawa looks back at the other fight, Hawks continues to circle Dazai while dodging his bullets. A few of his feathers come loose and shoot down towards the boy with deadly accuracy, they get closer and Aizawa is sure it’s going to be a hit. Then again, he was sure the last attack was going to hit too. Just as the feather gets to the boy a blue light emits from the boy, a second later the feather flutters down to the ground useless.

Part of Aizawa wants to be happy knowing that Dazai does have a touch-based erasure Ability, the other part realises that defeating him will be more difficult now. If Hawks can’t attack from a distance then they are only really relying on Snipe’s bullet taking the boy down.

The earpiece crackles again, “Hawks continue attacking Dazai however you can, at the very least keep him distracted.” As instructed Hawks sends down some more feathers, each one getting their own flash of blue light before falling to the ground.

“Hey, Chibi! I don’t suppose you want a feather for that tacky hat?” Dazai shouts over at his partner as he begins walking backwards, eyes always staying on Hawks. Aizawa, against better judgment, admires his focus. Any of his students would have gotten distracted by now.

Looking back over Aizawa can see Nakahara dodge a blast of air from one of All Might’s attacks, which ends up hitting a building, before yelling back, “f*ck off about the hat already!” Nakahara leaps from the ground onto the side of the building that had taken All Might’s attack. With a swift movement, he lands near the collapsed rubble and places a hand on it, not long after the same red glow that surrounds him covers the pieces of wall.

A rather large chunk of wall is sent flying out towards Endeavour, just barely clipping him on the shoulder as the flame Hero made an attempt to dodge. Nakahara continues to shoot out wall at All Might and Endeavour while expertly dodging attacks, not even a moment later Nedzu speaks once again, “Nakahara’s Ability is also touch-based, do not allow him to touch you.”

An uncomfortable thought enters Aizawa’s mind, if Nakahara did touch them would he be able to throw them as easily as he does the chunks of wall? He sincerely hopes they do not find out.

Taking a quick glance back Aizawa finds that Hawks is now attempting dive attacks, each one seems to be driving Dazai backwards and into the zone of the other fight. Is that an intentional move by Hawks? By bringing the two fights together it may be easier to overwhelm the two boys but it does also limit the attacks of the Pros.

Nakahara throws another chunk of wall at Endeavour, who responds by running towards the boy. The boy who is now almost back-to-back with Dazai.

Aizawa sees the moment it happens in slow motion, Endeavour shoots off a particularly large wave of flames just as Hawks swoops down to attack Dazai. Unfortunately, both boys take a dive out of the attack zone leaving Hawks and the wave of fire with nothing in between. For a heart-stopping moment, Aizawa thinks Hawks won’t be able to avoid being burnt, but at the last moment, he pulls upwards successfully avoiding most of the fire. The tips of his feathers seem a little crispy along with his clothes, which are now slightly blackened. Hawks wastes no time in yelling, “Hey you almost burnt me!”

Endeavour does what could be seen as an apologetic bow but more closely resembles a shallow head nod. During the commotion Nakahara seemed to have slipped around Endeavour and began running towards All Might, if All Might could actually land a hit on the boy then he would certainly be out of commission for the rest of the fight. Due to Nakahara’s Ability, however, they cannot take that risk so for now All Might is stuck hitting punches into the air to create large gusts of wind. As Nakahara approaches he scoffs, “You guys are real sh*t at teamwork.”

A gunshot rings out once more and Aizawa’s eyes find Dazai, who he had completely lost sight of after the near miss, shooting repeatedly for Hawks. Hawks continues to dodge the bullets but to Aizawa’s horror, it seems they are getting closer each time. Before there was a good amount of distance between the Hero and a dodged bullet. Now however Aizawa can see the edges of Hawks’ wings barely pull out of the way in time, which frankly adds another layer to this whole mess. Dazai is aiming for Hawks’ wings, likely to get him out of the air and easier to hit. That sort of tactic is smart but not something a 15-year-old should be coming up with, the combination of attempting to use Endeavour’s own fire to burn Hawks feels like a warning. A warning that these two boys are more of a threat than expected.

Frustratingly, it seems Endeavour has abandoned the plan as he begins attacking Dazai. While the flames may be effective it does mean that Hawks can’t get any closer to the boy without being toasted, a fact that seems to please Dazai somewhat. “What’s wrong bird boy,” Dazai yell up at Hawks while shooting a round at Endeavour, “Don’t wanna get any closer?”

Despite wearing a mask Aizawa gets the impression Snipe has the same exasperated look on his face when Endeavour huffs with anger at being ignored. The Pro makes to shoot a burst of fire at Dazai when he is abruptly hit and flown across the street. It seems that Nakahara had gotten his hands on one of the many abandoned cars around the street and took a shot at the distracted Endeavour, a shot that would have definitely broken a few of the man’s ribs.

Through the earpiece Aizawa can hear Nedzu checking that Endeavour is ok and instructing him to stay in place, he doesn’t listen too hard however as the feeling to do something comes back in full force. Something in Aizawa is pre-warning him that the end is coming, that he will need to use his Quirk soon and be ready for it. Deciding to trust his gut Aizawa blocks out any distractions and focuses solely on Nakahara, for a few minutes nothing seems any different. The boy continues to jump out of the way of attacks and launch his own back, not even breaking a sweat whilst doing so.

But then he sees it or rather feels it. A brief moment when Nakahara uses his Ability to jump upwards to escape an attack, he’s still in the air completely focused on All Might. He’s high enough that a fall would hurt but wouldn’t kill him and clearly relaxed enough that any major disruption would throw him off.

Erasure activates.

Aizawa watches as Nakahara loses the red glow around his body and begins plummeting to the ground, helpless as gravity breaks free from his control.

Everyone seems to pause for a moment as Nakahara hits the ground, a crack audible even from up on the building's top. Despite the pain he must be in the boy jumps back up, his left arm dangling uselessly at his side. Aizawa keeps his eyes on the boy at all times to ensure his Ability stays erased but can still hear the sounds of gunshots. A second later Dazai yells, “Ha! That was an impressive fall Chuuya!” His voice doesn’t sound worried at all, it’s more akin to amusem*nt in fact.

Nakahara takes a few steps backwards and keeps his eyes set on All Might, “I cannot stand you!”

Dazai shoots back almost as quickly as his gun, “Fall then- oh wait you already did~~”

Aizawa is somewhat worried and disturbed, these two don’t seem like friends at all. Laughing and teasing when your friend just fell a substantial height and broke his arm? Not normal. Regardless of his own reservations about the boy’s relationship Aizawa makes sure to keep his eyes on Nakahara as the boy continues to move back out of All Might’s range.

Principal Nedzu must have picked up on the clear lack of care between the two of them as he speaks just a few moments later, “Move to backup plan 3.”

In backup plan 3 they take the two boys down separately with harsher attacks that don’t rely on their relationship. If Aizawa wasn’t focusing on Nakahara he would have noticed Hawks seemingly pushing Dazai in a specific direction, he would have noticed when a wave of flames ambushed Dazai and caught his coat on fire. Dazai let out a panicked noise, one that drew the attention of Nakahara, as he attempted to put the flames out. Hawks took another dive at him causing the bandaged boy to be forced to dodge while putting the flames out, the most distracted he had been the entire fight.

Using this brief window Aizawa hears Snipe aim and shoot, the pained swear a second later confirms he had hit the mark. Snipe had been told to aim somewhere non-lethal but would still hinder the boy, he was also told to use special bullets that knock the victim unconscious after being hit. Assuming he had managed that Dazai should be out of commission right now, which only leaves Nakahara.

Aizawa notices when Nakahara’s face flashes worried for a moment before it returns to determination. It’s admirable that he hasn’t surrendered yet, most people faced with this situation would have given in by now. This boy however keeps getting up and fighting, even when Dazai has already been taken down.

Eventually, the fight must come to an end. All Might manages to knock Nakahara down with a strong blast of wind, the boy falls right onto his broken arm with a yelp. The momentary pause between Nakahara falling and getting up gives Snipe just the right amount of time to get a shot in, with the use of his Quirk it hits perfectly. Not two moments later and Nakahara no longer fights to get up, both he and Dazai are out cold on the street floor.

Aizawa finally blinks and shares a look with Snipe, he grins and speaks into his earpiece, “Principal, mission complete.”

Chapter 4: 3 - An offer is made

Chapter Text

Dazai is, very rudely, awoken by the harsh clanking of metal. He’s already in so much pain, what with getting set on fire and being shot, so why couldn’t they let him sleep a little longer? Whatever sleeping drug Snipe had put in those bullets had worked better than expected, maybe he should look into getting some for personal use. Looking around Dazai knows exactly where he is, prison! Or rather, a middle-security holding centre meant for interrogations before being sentenced. The grey walls, metal bed, and general feel of the place screamed prison but Dazai had done his research and knew with 90% certainty that he and Chuuya would be sent here. The pros need them somewhere locked up, secure, but nothing too extreme yet as they still need to get the police involved.

Although, Dazai muses, they could have been a little nicer about it. The handcuffs fit a little too snugly and might just be cutting his circulation. Not to mention the fact they took his coat but left him in the rest of his bloody and slightly burnt clothes, surely all of this isn’t good for his gunshot wound? If he dies from infection then the pros will probably rejoice but that also sounds very painful, so not the ideal death he is hoping for.

A loud clank brings his attention up to the cell door where a security guard glares at him with clear hatred, Dazai meets his gaze head-on. “Get over here.” The guard demands, on a normal day Dazai might refuse the order to see what would happen. Perhaps the guard would force him out? Maybe bring some others in for backup? Or maybe, in a fit of annoyance and anger, the guard would strike him down right there. Today, however, he must tone down his... 'Dazai-ness' as Chuuya would call it. For this mission he needs to be a poor teenager who only has Chuuya to care for him, so sad and depressed that he has lost all morals, so far gone that he sees no problem in killing other people. But, of course, not too far gone and that is the important part. Everything about this mission will involve balancing being bad enough but not too bad, smart enough but not too smart. Instead of causing trouble he stands and walks over to the gates, passively letting the guard apply more restraints before opening the cell and dragging Dazai out.

They walk in silence although it seems the guard wants to say something. He won’t though, he’ll stay quiet for now and let this rage simmer. He must have seen the live stream then and found it particularly disgusting. When they reach their destination the guard just shoves him inside, clearly not trusting himself to speak yet. Inside the room is the typical set-up you would see on TV, multiple stations with the intention of creating a record for whichever criminal was unfortunate enough to get caught. There are a few more guards inside the room, one shoves Dazai along to a metal table. One side has a computer screen and keyboard along with many papers and pens, the other side has a link to chain handcuffs down. Dazai sits and allows his handcuffs to be chained up and watches as another guard sits opposite him.

The guard, Okumura if the name badge is anything to go by, types a few things on the computer before speaking bluntly, “Name.”

“Dazai Osamu.”

“Age.”

“15.” That answer gets a few alarmed looks from the other guards in the room.

“Birthday.”

“June 19.”

There are a few more questions, boring ones that he hardly pays attention to. Dazai had thought being arrested would be more interesting than this, then again had he been arrested back in Yokohama it likely would have been. The police would freak out upon finding out he is the infamous Demon Prodigy, the Port Mafia would then storm the place to get him back out, not to mention how mad Chibi would be. Ahhh, that would be far more entertaining than answering simple questions and getting his fingerprints stamped. When he gets forced up to take a mugshot is by far the most interesting part, the guard looks unimpressed when he smiles for the picture but that doesn’t bother him. Maybe if he asked politely enough they would let him keep a copy of it, he could even make a matching set with Chuuya’s mugshot.

But of course, that part was never the main event anyway. No, the main event is when he’s led into an empty interrogation room and left chained to the table. In order to get what he wants from all this Dazai will need to make sure this goes perfectly, play the part of pitiful, wasted talent just right to catch the attention of his target, the principal of UA. Principal Nedzu has an intelligence Quirk, so he’ll be sitting behind that one-way mirror attempting to analyse Dazai. Having someone that matches his own intelligence be an important part of the plan is far more troublesome than anything else about this plan, Nedzu is possibly the only one who could see through all of this. Dazai needs to have multiple layers, the outer one being a pitiful and slightly deranged teenager, this mask will gain the sympathy of the 1A students and teachers at UA. The second layer needs to be just the right level of cunning, enough so that Nedzu will think his talent is wasted being in the Port Mafia but not too much that he gets suspicious. The last layer is the final defence, one last mask to keep his true self away from messing the plan up. If any of those masks slip up or get seen through then the mission is in danger of failing.Chuuya on the other hand, shouldn’t need to worry about masks and such, all he needs to do is act more caring towards Dazai. While that task may be very difficult for such a small-brained Slug he has confidence, especially since Chuuya’s personality is perfect for the goal he wishes to achieve. With such a strict moral compass the Chibi is sure to gain the trust of the pros quickly, which would make Dazai more trustworthy by association.

The door opens and in walks a familiar face. Erasurehead, otherwise known as Aizawa Shouta, walks steadily into the corner of the room and leans gently against the wall. The urge to say something to the pro about the fight they were both in is tempting, but Dazai doesn’t want to let anyone know he was aware of the man’s presence there just yet. It would make sense for him to have a guess, something along the lines of he searched Aizawa up due to their similar nullifying talents before and realised he must have been present when Chuuya fell, but that’s something to save for a more impactful moment.

A plain-looking man enters next, a policeman or maybe detective, and takes the seat across from Dazai. Another man enters, this time in a blue policeman uniform, and-

And he has the head of a dog.

Instinctively he pulls back slightly, body tensing as he keeps his visible eye locked on the dog-man. Out of all the possible mutant quirks that could have walked through that door it had to be the one animal he can’t stand, the one animal that could break his carefully crafted masks. Not for the first time Dazai finds himself cursing Mori and his methods internally.

Evidently, he must have pulled some type of face upon seeing the dog-man as he growls slightly, “You have a problem with mutant Quirks, kid?” For a second Dazai doesn’t register the words, still hung up on the fact the dog-man growled, god, will he start slobbering next?

Once he does register the words he is hit with how stupid a question it is, he’s from Yokohama. There are no quirks there and any transformation Abilities are temporary, so it’s only logical he would be creeped out by a mutant Quirk at first. None of that particularly bothers Dazai though, just the damn dog head. “Nope, just dogs.”

The officer across from him looks confused, “What?”

Dazai huffs while keeping his uncovered eye on the dog-man, “I don’t like dogs, mutant or not. It’s not hard to understand.” While revealing one of his few fears may be a stupid move Dazai has a feeling it will give him an advantage. Being scared of such a common thing will humanize him, if that’s truly possible, to anyone watching. It might even end with the dog-man leaving the room, which would be the ideal situation. Of course, he could easily continue the interrogation with the dog-man present but it would be harder, for one he would be more focused on him and not influencing Principal Nedzu.

The three other men seem to have a silent conversation before the man sitting in front of Dazai sighs, “Kaiinu-san, could you please leave?” The dog-man seems somewhat unhappy about this but leaves with a shallow bow. With that out of the way the man speaks again, “I am Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa, now, Dazai-kun, would you be willing to answer a few questions?”

Dazai relaxes a bit now the dog-man has left and flicks his eyes over to Aizawa, just to show he noticed that the man didn’t get an introduction, before nodding, “Sure, but only if I get to ask a question.”

Tsukauchi seems hesitant but nods, “I can’t guarantee I can answer but you can ask.”

“How is Chuuya?” Dazai asks and makes sure his tone is both relaxed and interested, he wants to sound like he cares for the Chibi but is trying to hide it. Typically, he wouldn’t bother asking about the health or whereabouts of Chuuya because there is simply no need, no one could truly hurt Chuuya apart from himself. This time however he needs to seem more concerned, hopefully, Chuuya will do something similar in his interview.

Tsukauchi takes a moment to deliberate his words before responding, “He’s doing just fine, no need to worry. We’ll be interviewing him just after you.” Again, not worried but it’s nice to know Slug hasn’t keeled over too soon. It’s also useful to know Dazai is being interrogated first, if Nedzu offers the deal like planned then the Slug should have an easier time in his own interrogation. The detective doesn’t wait too long before speaking again, “How long have you been in the Port Mafia?”

A good question to gain some pity, “Officially, two years.” Dazai notices Aizawa stand a little stiffer in the corner, likely doing the maths that a 13-year-old joined the Mafia. Tsukauchi too seems affected by it, perhaps he’s one of those types that try to protect children above all else, almost like Odasaku in a way.

Despite his pale face, Tsukauchi continues, “Officially?”

Dazai hums slightly before answering, “For a few years before officially joining the Mafia the guy I lived with worked closely with them and a few other gangs, eventually when he joined I went along too.” Dazai hopes someone picks up on the lack of familial terms, an orphan who was forced into a life of crime is far more pitiable than a depressed child chasing death. The bandages covering most of his body should already be concerning them, revealing a sad history will add to that nicely.

The detective writes something down and, still looking faintly sick, asks another question, “Why would he take you to join?”

He takes a moment before answering, almost like he needs to think about why someone would want him in the Mafia. “My Ability has no exceptions to its nullifying, it’s rather useful,” Dazai smirks a little in what he hopes is an arrogant way, “He also believes me to be a quick learner, if that’s true, well, I know I’m better than that Chibi at least.”

“So you could say he had you join for your Ability and intelligence?” Tsukauchi is trying not to sound upset but it failing, which is great news for the plan. The more people that fall for the ‘young child forced into the Mafia to be used for his talents’ the smoother everything will go. Part of Dazai wishes he could be present for when the detective finds out about Chuuya’s past, even excluding his time before the Sheep Dazai is confident that Chibi’s life will cause a tear or two. Dazai nods in response to the question, carefully making it so he seems unaffected by the topic.

It seems the detective needs a moment to collect himself as the next question doesn’t come for a few more minutes. “And your Ability, can you tell us more about it?”

“No Longer Human nullifies Abilities and their effects.” Confirming what they should already know and giving just a tiny bit of new information, knowing that he’s immune to the effects of Abilities, and by extension Quirks, is very valuable knowledge indeed.

Tsukauchi nods, “Let’s move on now, can you explain what happened when Mt. Lady entered Yokohama?”

“Well, she got in and broke Port Mafia supplies. Me and Chuuya were sent to deal with her.” His explanation is far too simple but that’s intended. If Nedzu really is as smart as rumoured then he likely has an idea about how high up the command he and Chuuya are, the rest of the pros and police are a different story. By keeping his story simple it’s more believable that he isn’t of much importance.

The detective is smart as it seems, “Who sent you there?” A name wouldn’t really matter, not when the pros know nothing about the Port Mafia and its members, but that’s only a part of what the detective wants. If Dazai answers something like ‘the Boss’ then that gives away that he gets direct orders from the Port Mafia boss, thus revealing how high in command he is. It would also tell the police whether Mt. Lady’s death was an attack by the Port Mafia or just two boys attacking on their own. That’s a lot of important information from a simple question.

“My superior.”

“And who is that?”

Dazai shakes his head, “I can’t tell you that.”

This being the first, and if things go to plan last, interrogation Tsukauchi mustn’t be too worried about getting details from him just yet. A few names that his team can research maybe, something to give to the press, in future sessions is where he would press for more names and information. Again, those sessions should not happen at all so no information is at risk, not like they could get anything out of him anyway.

For now, Tsukauchi nods while writing, “Do you have any idea who let her inside Yokohama?”

“Maybe it was your little friend,” Dazai watches with mild amusem*nt as Tsukauchi tenses at the question. Smirking he leans forward in his chair and looks over at Aizawa, “Who got you in? I’m dying to know which organisation helped.”

Aizawa meets his gaze head-on with an impressive poker face, “Why would I know?” The real question is ‘What makes you think I was there?’

“I’ve done research before you know,” Dazai starts, “My Ability is quite similar to your Quirk, so I know who you are Erasurehead. Chuuya never loses control of his Ability like that, so I knew from the moment he fell from the sky that you must have been around. You’re here now too, so do tell, who let you in?”

Aizawa stays quiet, he must be thinking over what would be best to say in this situation. His answer soon becomes irrelevant as the door opens and in walks exactly who he wanted to see, Nedzu. The bear-mouse walks in confidently, and both Tsukauchi and Aizawa bow in greeting to him, Tsukauchi even goes so far as to offer Nedzu his chair. The principal takes him up on that offer and jumps up onto the chair before laying his beady eyes on Dazai, “You have been quite the surprise.”

Dazai tilts his head slightly with a clearly fake smile, “A good surprise I hope?”

Nedzu laughs a little, “I had expected two arrogant teenagers, but you seem a little smarter than that.” The bear-mouse takes a moment to observe him before continuing, “I’m curious about you.”

This is where things get real, so to speak. Nedzu is testing him, trying to determine just how smart Dazai is. This is where his acting becomes important, too smart and Nedzu will be suspicious, not smart enough and he will lose interest. To strike the balance Dazai adopts a more genuine facial expression, one that seems a bit confused, curious, worried even, but still confident. He’s confident in himself and that’s what will bring Nedzu to make the offer, the offer he needs to get so the mission can succeed.

A silent moment later Nedzu smiles and nods, almost like confirming something to himself. “Very well, I have an offer for you and your friend.”

-

Like most days Chuuya wakes up and immediately begins swearing Dazai out. That much is normal, what isn’t normal is waking up with a broken arm, a gunshot wound, and being locked up. For a moment he remains laid down on the uncomfortable metal bed, really just letting everything sink in. Dazai already told him to go easy on the pros, that in the end, they had to lose the fight for the plan to work. That part didn’t bother him, no, it was the fact stupid Dazai keep information from him yet again! Had Chuuya been informed that the pros brought along a nullifier then he wouldn’t have used Upon the Tainted Sorrow so much, he certainly wouldn’t have used it to fly upwards either, which wouldn’t have left him with a broken arm.

For a good hour or so Chuuya stews in his anger at Dazai, only briefly interrupted when he got taken to get a record done. The whole process was boring really, the questions were all standard ones, although it did annoy him when his fingerprints got stamped. At some point before he woke up they must have taken his coat and hat, hopefully, he could get those back, and then they refused to give him his gloves back after the fingerprints. Without his gloves, hat or Dazai around Chuuya could feel the buzzing of Arahabaki threatening to take control over him. Logically he knew that there was no way for that to happen unless Chuuya wanted it to, but still, the gloves helped to keep his focus when the other options where unavailable. Unfortunately, no amount of demanding made the guards see reason and give him the gloves back. After that, he was dumped back into his cell and promptly ignored.

Getting out of this place would be a pain if the plan falls through, without his Ability Chuuya would have to rely on hand-to-hand. Finding Dazai would be another problem entirely, not to mention if he starts fighting people they might intentionally hide Dazai or use him as a trap. Of course, Corruption would solve most of the major problems but it also creates an even bigger one, if too many pros turn up over a delayed time then Chuuya will spend far too long in his Corruption form. The bigger issue would be if Dazai could get to him in time and get them both out, which he probably has a plan for but still. Once again the Mackerel didn’t inform him of any backup plan so Chuuya will just have to trust the idiot has one.

A guard snaps Chuuya out of his thoughts and for a moment he thinks they might know he’s thinking about which way would be most effective to beat them all up. That doesn’t seem to be the case though, so Chuuya relaxes a tad while following their commands. Just like the last time he got taken out of his cell the guard straps him with more restraints and leads him off to a different room, predictively he’s led right into an interrogation room. Soon after he’s been chained to the table three people enter the room, the first two aren’t too significant to Chuuya but the last one catches his eye. Dazai had described the principal of UA to be a ‘bear-mouse thing’, which at the time Chuuya had dismissed as nonsense. Looking at the guy now he can admit Dazai was right, but that’s not the point. The point is that if the principal of UA is coming in here right away then a deal has likely already been struck.

Two of the three sit down in chairs across from him, Chuuya pays them attention but does keep an eye on the homeless-looking guy in the corner. For a second no one speaks, so he decides to break the silence. “Where’s Dazai?”

The man shakes his head, “I’m not allowed-”

Chuuya cuts him off, “I don’t care what you’re allowed to do or not, tell me what you’ve done with him.” According to Dazai’s plan, he should act a little desperate here, really make it seem like it’s just the two of them against the world. Admittedly, he finds it easy to act this way. That idiot gets hurt far too much and it’s always left to Chuuya to deal with it, so yea, maybe he’s authentically worried about him. Right now he’s probably sitting in a cell picking at his gunshot wound and letting it get infected.

The principal, Nedzu if he remembers correctly, answers for the other guy, “Dazai-kun is doing just fine, we just had an interview with him actually.” The bear-mouse gestures to himself then the man beside him, “I am Nedzu, principal of UA high school and this is Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. The detective has a few questions to ask you, but first, I have an offer to make.”

Chuuya leans back a little and hums, “I don’t know if I believe you about how the Mackerel is, but if you have an offer I assume you gave it to him first?”

Nedzu nods, “Yes, he was quite agreeable in that regard. Now, I’ve been told you’ll only consider saying yes if we pass along a certain phrase?” Ah yes, the code phrase. For situations like this the two of them have different phrases that sound innocent enough but pass along information between them. Typically a phrase will include some way of saying ‘going along with the plan’, ‘won’t end well’, ‘caution needed’ etc. If Nedzu says the right phrase then Chuuya can trust that the deal he’s getting is the same one Dazai agreed to.

Chuuya nods for him to continue, with that prompting Nedzu speaks again, “The good doctor works well under pressure.” Chuuya keeps his face passive despite the sigh of relief he wants to let out. That particular phrase is a good one to hear, ‘The good doctor’ refers to Mori and ‘works’ means mission, that word combo tells Chuuya things are going according to the mission set by Mori, that it’s working. ‘Well’ says the deal is a good one, ‘under pressure’ implies that there are a few complications. So, in full the phrase means ‘Mori’s mission is going well, the deal is advantageous for us but with some negatives.’ The fact Dazai had used ‘under pressure’ and not say, ‘in emergencies’ shows that the negatives aren’t a large issue. Something small like having to keep the handcuffs on or something.

“What’s the offer?”

Nedzu smiles before explaining, “For a reduced sentence the two of you will come to UA and give our students some practical fighting experience, of course, you’ll still need to serve some time in prison.” That… isn’t right, is it? If it was Chuuya crafting a phrase around that he would use something with more weight than ‘under pressure’, hell he probably would have used a different sentence entirely. Something like ‘The good doctor struggles in emergencies’, so, either Dazai thinks differently on whether that’s a good deal or Nedzu is offering a different deal to Chuuya. Having worked with Dazai for some time now he knows how the guy thinks, what he thinks is a good deal or not and that one? Yea no, not that good.

Chuuya gives Nedzu a look, “And that’s what Dazai agreed to?”

The bear-mouse looks serious for a moment before shaking his head, “Not at all!” He exclaims with a grin, “I had a hunch that phrase would tell you about the offer, so I thought to test it. It seems I was right!”

If this guy turns out to be a Dazai 2.0 then Chuuya might go insane, dealing with one is already a hassle. Fighting back the urge to do something stupid Chuuya sighs, “What’s the real deal?”

“Ah! Yes,” Nedzu starts, “the two of you will join UA, specifically class 1A. While there you will help the students with their fighting and planning skills and also protect them should the League of Villains attack again. You’ll also be attending morality lessons and therapy sessions in the hopes of turning you two into upstanding members of society.”

That sounds more like the type of deal Dazai would agree to, it doesn’t sound that bad at all. Heh, maybe he’ll get to fight some of those hero kids too, see if they’re any good or not. With a grin, Chuuya responds, “Yea, that sounds fine to me.”

-

Aizawa has 1A’s homeroom in ten minutes, which, normally wouldn’t be a point of worry. While they might be annoying at times, his class is capable of staying quiet when he needs them to be and a majority of them do try in lessons. Today, however, he is not looking forward to it due to the announcement he must make. How in the world is he going to break the news that the two murderers that traumatised them just a week before will be joining their class? Had he been given prior warning about this then he would have slowly brought it up to the class, get them used to the idea and all that. As things typically go with Principal Nedzu however Aizawa first heard of this when the deal was offered to Dazai, afterwards, he had cornered Nedzu for an explanation. What he got was, “Those two are very interesting, when I think I have them figured out they do something that changes my mind. Besides, you feel bad for them don’t you?”

Which is true yes, originally Aizawa had felt no sympathy for the two boys. Then he learnt that Dazai had joined the Port Mafia at 13 and that he had been involved with gang activities for years before that. The boy is smart, has to be to catch Nedzu’s attention, and yet was clearly manipulated into joining the Mafia. And for what? A useful Ability and intelligence? Nakahara wasn’t any better either, the kid didn’t tell them the whole story but Aizawa can make a few assumptions from what he did say. Both of them were dealt a bad childhood which is no fault of their own, if they had a different upbringing would they be the same? No, they wouldn’t be.

Aizawa sighs and starts making his way to class, there won’t be an easy way to break the news to his class but hopefully, he can soften the blow. When he arrives at the classroom everyone is already present and sat in the correct seats, great, they can get this started quickly.

“There’s an important announcement I need to tell you,” He starts and the class falls silent, “Recently, me and four other Pro Heroes got into Yokohama and engaged those two boys in a fight. We won.” The class bursts into noise, most of the class cheers, some start insulting the two boys, Midoriya starts muttering like usual. A quick flash of his Quirk silences the class once more, “Don’t interrupt, there’s more.”

“Yokohama is known as the Quirkless City, which is for the most part true. However, a small percentage of Yokohama possess what is called an Ability, these are powers similar to Quirks but also very different,” Aizawa flicks on the projector so that the three main facts about Abilities are shown, “First of all they are not genetic, having two Ability user parents does not guarantee an Ability user child.”

He continues while ignoring the muttering from Midoriya once again, “Abilities have limitations, but not negative drawbacks like Quirks. Finally, Abilities are stronger than Quirks, these three facts are vital for dealing with Ability users.”

As expected not that many students seem the believe that last point, least of all Bakugou who scoffs loudly, “Hah, yea right. I’ll blow any Ability user sky high!”

Aizawa barely suppresses the urge to roll his eyes at the boy's arrogance, “Those two boys are Ability uses.” With another click the board projector changes the image, this time it shows the two boys’ mugshots along with their names and Ability names. “Dazai has a touch-based nullification Ability while Nakahara has a more powerful version of Uraraka’s Quirk, you’ll learn more detail in the coming days. The two of them put up more of a fight against the top 3 Pros than I expect any of you could currently, so don’t underestimate Abilities.”

Whispers break out across the class with varying levels of volume. Eventually, Iida raises his hand. Once Aizawa gesture for him to speak the boy goes ahead, “Sensei! I would like to know why we are being told about this?”

Well, no time like the present. “When we interviewed the two we found some distressing things, there is a very high chance the two of them were manipulated into joining the Mafia at a young age. Principal Nedzu… Well, he took an interest in them,” Aizawa pauses for breath before continuing, “Rather than being sent to prison, the two of them will be joining 1A. The goal of this is to rehabilitate them while also offering all of you some real-life fighting experience with tough enemies, they’ll also act as protection should anything happen to you all.”

There is silence for a moment, and then the class breaks into chaos. Almost everyone is freaking out, someone is crying, Bakugou is yelling again and- Is that Kaminari hiding under his desk? With a headache already forming Aizawa slams his hands down on the nearest hard surface to demand the class's attention, fortunately, it does work and the noise level drops significantly. “Look,” Aizawa starts, “I understand this is alarming, but be reassured that those two will be under constant supervision by me or another Pro. If they try anything we have a plan already in place to subdue them.”

Some of the class seems reassured by this but a large portion still looks on the edge of a breakdown. “If anyone does not want to be in class with them then I will arrange for you to join 1B when they are present, does anyone wish for that?” Aizawa falls silent and watches as some of his class consider the offer. In the end, no one raises their hand, which is slightly surprising to Aizawa. Mentally he makes a note to speak to everyone individually before the duo officially joins, just to make sure everyone is truly comfortable.

With that issue settled Aizawa simply nods and continues on, “In the next couple of days Dazai and Nakahara will move into the dorms while you guys are in class, after that, they will officially join the lesson.”

“Wait... They’re gonna live with us?” Kaminari exclaims with horror and the class breaks into chaos once again. Ugh, those two haven’t even joined yet and are still giving Aizawa the largest headache he’s ever had. Whatever did he do to deserver this?

Chapter 5: 4 - The mission begins

Chapter Text

The aftermath of telling 1A about their new classmates was a staggered effect. They were, of course, shocked and worried at first but after Aizawa had taken the time to reassure them and answer all their questions the class seemed more agreeable to the idea. Even the ones more outwardly scared of the notion went along with it and, naively, Aizawa had thought that meant they weren’t going to be too badly affected by it all.

The next morning, however, he saw the tense posture and anxious faces and knew this was going to be just as difficult as he had expected. Dazai and Nakahara wouldn’t be arriving for another day, and yet the class seemed on edge almost like they expected the two boys to jump out from around the corner at any moment. While Aizawa would love to sit and reassure the class once more he gets the feeling it won’t be of much effect, the best way for 1A to feel more at ease with the idea is to see first-hand that the two boys aren’t a threat any more. The first few days with them will be hard, Aizawa will have to keep a close eye on the whole class, but hopefully, after that nerves will settle.

There’s another reason why he can’t sit them down and that is because of the parent-teacher conference he has to attend. Regardless of if 1A is alright with Dazai and Nakahara joining the class, there is still the matter of parental approval. Aizawa expects this conference to be messy, those two boys had a nationwide effect on people after all, he severely doubts anyone would agree to the whole thing without further convincing. Having two murderers in class with their children, living in the same dorms as their children, no matter how pitiful the boys are that’s still a hard ask. Especially given the prior attack on the USJ dampening the trust parents have with UA staff… The only saving grace is that Nedzu promised to do all the talking. Even with that promise the sight of the room filling with confused parents makes Aizawa want to turn tail and leave.

Once all the parents find a seat Nedzu begins, he speaks clearly and swiftly and in a matter of moments the room falls into a shocked silence at the news. A second later, just like their children had done, the room erupts into chaos. Questions are being yelled, explanations demanded and Aizawa’s headache from the day before comes back in full force. Nedzu somehow takes all this in stride and simply calls for quiet, when everyone manages to be silent he speaks, “I understand your worries but rest assured we will be keeping a close eye on them both, any misbehaviour will not be taken lightly.”

Someone, who Aizawa immediately identifies as Bakugou’s mother, stands up, “I wanna know why those murderers are gettin’ special treatment! No other villains have gotten this deal right?” Her voice carries loudly across the room, she doesn’t sit down after either. Instead, she keeps a steady glare at Nedzu despite the way her husband tries to tug her back down.

Nedzu does not wavier under her gaze, “Of course, you are right! This will be the first time UA will be offering a rehabilitation course. For regular Villains, we would not have made such an offer, but I feel these two boys have extenuating circ*mstances.”

Another parent, this time Sero’s father, scoffs as he stands, “And what circ*mstances are we talking about? Because neither of them seemed reluctant during that damn live stream.” Multiple other parents chime in with agreements as the noise level slowly picks back up.

“Quite, please, and I’ll explain,” Nedzu waits for the muttering to quiet before continuing, “While we were interviewing those boys we learnt some distressing information. Dazai, the bandaged boy, told us he joined the Port Mafia when he was 13 with an unknown amount of years before that spent working with gangs. Nakahara joined just a year ago and although he didn’t say it outright I have reason to believe he grew up on the streets. It is very clear to me that the two of them had no choice in joining the Port Mafia.” Quite a few people seem caught off guard by that like they expected two arrogant boys who joined for some power rush.

Not all are swayed by that, Kaminari’s mother is the next to stand, “Even if they were manipulated into joining like you said they’re still Villains, if they wanted to they could have left the Port Mafia already.” Multiple others agree with this statement and Aizawa isn’t entirely surprised they seem to think this way. In today’s society Heroes and Villains are very black and white, Heroes are good and Villains are bad, there are no exceptions. No one cares about the reasons why Villains do what they do, no one feels sympathy for them, most people only care about Villains when they get to watch a Hero beat them up. For a long time, Aizawa had been the same, it’s hard not to be when that’s the society norm, then he started working a particularly gruesome case. The culprit had turned out to be a fellow Pro, something that still disgusts him to this day.

Aizawa is used to dealing with this sort of opinion, he is used to hearing people praise Pros he knows aren’t nearly as nice in private, he is used to Villains who commit crimes to keep their families alive being destroyed by the media. He is used to all of this and yet… And yet something about this time rubs him in the wrong way. Aizawa remembers the way both boys asked about the other’s health first and foremost, he remembers the tinge of real worry in Nakahara’s gaze when Tsukauchi didn’t answer his question, he remembers the way the two boys joked together like any teenager would. He’s not an idiot, those two boys are far more dangerous than they have any right to be but hearing grown adults insulting them like that, suggesting that they could have just not been manipulated if they were truly good people… It’s unfair.

Before Nedzu can respond Aizawa stands, he sets in place a glare that has never failed to shut someone up before talking, “You have all grown up with the privilege to choose to be good or bad but it would be moronic to assume that is the standard everywhere. In some places you must kill before you get killed, the fact you insinuate that a child is at blame for not resisting such an environment is appalling,” He pauses for breath and watches in satisfaction as the parents seem taken aback by his bluntness, “If there is even a slim chance that these boys can change, that if they were given the right resources from the get-go they would have become good people then it would be negligent for us to deny them that chance.”

The hall is silent and Aizawa resists the urge to feel regret, the parents of his homeroom class might hate him now due to his word choice. That would be rather troublesome to deal with but whatever, he’ll deal with that later. Besides him, Nedzu nods, “Erasurehead is right of course! These boys have potential, if they do take these lessons to heart then they will be incredible Heroes. Besides,” Nedzu pauses and adopts a calculating look, “If it were your own children you would wish them this second chance, right?”

Aizawa looks out at the expressions of the audience and feels slight relief, maybe it won’t be too hard to convince them all after all. There will be questions still, demands for certain things to be put into place for student safety but all of that can be finalized in this very room. Hopefully, things will go a little smoother from here on out.

-

A few hours after the parent-teacher conference the principal of UA holds yet another conference, this time with the press. Much like the previous conference, Nedzu announced his plan to reform the infamous duo and was once again met with outrage and confusion. Online forums immediately jumped into discussion and debate, while most were against this decision and demanded the two boys be punished more seriously there was a small percentage of people who saw the merits of a reformation course. Much like the never-ending online debates the conference continued for hours as Nedzu answered every question with precise words.

Towards the end a certain reporter was called on to ask her question, when she spoke it was not in the same outraged and snobbish tone other questions had been spoken in, no, her voice was steady and determined to get an answer. “Principal Nedzu, if these boys refuse to change and it takes months upon months to see even a small change will you give up on them?”

Nedzu shakes his head, “No no, of course not. As long as they do not harm any students then I will provide as much time as necessary to see development.” Not a moment later the room fills with more reporters vying for attention, each one shouts repetitive questions while waving their hands around. As such, Nedzu’s attention is drawn away from the woman rather quickly as he answers another question.

The woman waits a moment before slipping out of the crowd of reporters and towards the exit doors. The security guards posted on the doors do not spare her a second glance and so she walks freely out the doors and soon after the building as a whole. The streets are more crowded than they should be for a weekday, but she supposes it makes sense. When UA is making such an announcement, who wouldn’t want to take time away from work? She continues walking for a few miles, eventually slipping down a side street to an awaiting sleek black car. The woman climbs inside and gives the driver a nod to start driving, once the vehicle begins moving she relaxes and begins dialling a number on her phone.

The woman can’t help but sigh as the phone rings, “Those lads can have someone else verify next time…”

The phone picks up and a sly voice answers, “I trust everything is going well?”

“UA will only give up on them should harm come to a student.” She explains.

The man on the other side hums in thought, “Well, I’ll have to hope Dazai-kun won’t irritate Chuuya-kun into violence. I’ll see you back at headquarters then, Kouyou-kun?”

“Of course.”

-

The UA conference appeared on every news channel in Japan, everyone seemed eager to discuss the ramifications of two Hero murderers joining a Hero school. In such a case, anyone who owned or was simply near a TV could not avoid being informed about the future whereabouts of the two boys. That was the case for a certain bar, one that was hidden from the sight of Pro Heroes.

Inside that bar, a young man scoffs before turning away from the TV, “These new players joined the game too late…”

From behind the bar, a deeper voice spoke, “This is rather unexpected, but perhaps we could use this… moment of pity to further our agender.”

“How would we? Those brats remind me of stupid Stain too much, I don’t want them joining my party anyway.”

The older man makes a noise of agreement, “Perhaps you are right. I merely think pitting UA’s pity project against the very Pros who thought to ‘reform’ them, well, that would break the trust anyone has for the Pros.”

For a moment the other man stays silent, likely thinking over the proposed plan. “Yes… the chaos of distrust will hit the Pros hard and a large-scale attack after that will bring Hero society, will bring All Might down to his knees…. Those two are valuable players after all.”

-

Chuuya watches with mild discomfort as the car pulls up to UA’s front gate, reporters are crammed into every available space with cameras already pointing at the car. He’ll have to walk past all of them to get into the school, the pros in charge of escorting him will keep anyone from touching him but still, it’s a lot of people. It doesn’t help that no one had offered him a change of clothes yet, really, how long will they have him walk around in bloody clothes?

The car slows to a stop and the homeless-looking guy from the interrogation room, whose name he found out is Aizawa Shouta, unbuckles his seatbelt to leave the car. From what Nedzu told him, this Aizawa guy is the homeroom teacher of 1A and an underground hero. That last part is what interests Chuuya, if he works more discreetly then his Quirk can’t be anything too flashy, something that isn’t obvious at first or even second glance. Whatever it is Chuuya bets it’s useful in detaining people, his reasoning is that otherwise, the guy wouldn’t be preparing to walk through a crowd of reporters just to escort Chuuya into the school. The guy might look non-threatening, but there has to be a reason why he is escorting Chuuya and not Dazai.

Aizawa opens the car door and cameras immediately begin flashing, he climbs out and gestures for Chuuya to do the same. At some point before leaving for UA the Ability-nullifying handcuffs had been swapped for Ability-nullifying arm bands, they had somehow done this when Chuuya was asleep. When questioned Nedzu had told him that the armbands had some ‘extra functions’, which sounded suspicious as hell. They did allow for better movement though, such as shimmying across the back seat and out the door Aizawa held open.

If the cameras were excessive before then they started working overtime when Chuuya actually stepped out. Immediately people began yelling questions and for a moment he debates the merits of getting back in the car, his debate comes to an end when Aizawa gives him a look before shutting the car door. Resolved to his fate Chuuya walks forward with Aizawa trailing close behind, instead of being blinded by the flashing cameras he chooses to stare at the floor. Ignoring all the yelling is easier than expected as most of it just blends into indecipherable noise, it’s still annoying to deal with though. There must have been another way into UA right? A back door or something that wouldn’t be hounded with reporters that are giving Chuuya a splitting headache?

Thankfully, once they pass through the gate there aren’t any more reporters. Chuuya relaxes a bit the further they walk away from the reporters, just before the actual entrance to the UA building Aizawa signals for him to stop. In what quickly turns into a mistake, Chuuya takes a look up at the building to judge the scale. Not as tall as the Port Mafia’s headquarters but still decently tall and in a very odd shape, what puts him off the most is the many students peering out of the windows and looking directly at him. It’s weird to be the centre of attention like this, usually when he’s around this many people it’s to take them all down not to stand around and be stared at. While he can’t actually make out any faces from this angle the knowledge that his future classmates are likely up there somewhere watching him is freaky, the fact he’s going to school at all is freaky. During his time in the Mafia, some people have tutored him in certain subjects, mainly maths so he can deal with money, but he’d never actually been to school. To save himself from starting back at the building any longer Chuuya turns around and instead watches as Dazai stumbles out of a car, this is met with louder yelling and more camera flashes.

The idiot rights himself and begins walking to the gates like Chuuya had done not a moment before, his uncovered eye jumping from person to person. Had the situation been different Chuuya has no doubt he would have been posing for the cameras already, as it is all Dazai does is wave when a reporter shoves a camera closer to him. Must be eating him up inside not pulling stupid poses and saying outrageous things to the reporters, not like he can blame anyone but himself for it anyway. If the idiot wants to act a certain way then Chuuya isn’t going to stop him, especially not if that act means he has to actually behave for once.

When Dazai and his hero escort cross through the gate a large metal wall descends behind them, completely blocking anyone from entering or seeing through the gate. That doesn’t solve the problem of half the student body watching from the windows, but whatever, they won’t be hanging around out the front of the school for much longer. He hopes not anyway.

Aizawa dismisses the other pro, which is a bold move, before gesturing for both him and Dazai to begin walking down a path leading left. Chuuya waits for Dazai to start walking first, that way he could seamlessly position himself on the idiot’s right side. They might have stuck a deal with the pros but frankly, Chuuya doesn’t trust them at all, obviously, he’s at a disadvantage without his Ability but his hand-to-hand is nothing to scoff at. Aizawa’s Quirk is still a mystery, however, which is really bugging him, if he knew more about Quirks then guessing would be easier. As it stands now he only knows a couple of things about Quirks, but maybe he could think about this in terms of Abilities? Right, if this situation was swapped and the Port Mafia was escorting two heroes somewhere who would be the best non-offensive Ability user to bring… Well, Dazai obviously. So, this guy might have a nullifier Quirk? That would make sense actually, someone had gotten rid of Upon the Tainted Sorrow during the fight so it could have been Aizawa.

Which reminds him actually, he has yet to get back at Dazai for not informing him about the nullifier. Without waiting a second longer Chuuya uses his unbroken arm to hit the bastard in the arm, the yelp of pain he lets out is very satisfying.

“Ow Chuuya! What was that for?” Dazai whines.

In response to this Chuuya rolls his eyes, “You know what bastard.” Aizawa doesn’t say anything from behind them, maybe he’s attempting to observe and analyse them. Whatever, there’s something else Chuuya needs to talk to Dazai about anyway. He lowers his voice a tad, not low enough for Aizawa to be unable to hear but that’s fine, “Your gunshot wound?”

Dazai responds in a similarly quiet tone, “Fine, yours?”

“Arm hurts but I’m good,” Chuuya responds, “Surprised you didn’t intentionally infect the wound.”

Huffing Dazai shakes his head, “Stupid Chibi, infection is a terrible way to kill myself.”

Aizawa takes a sharp intake of breath behind them, so he was listening in after all. “What was that?” he asks with a forced relaxed tone.

Dazai glances back at the man before shrugging, “Nothing~~ Oh! I meant to ask Sensei,” he speaks the last word in an almost sarcastic tone, “Are we going to get new clothes? Being beaten and bloody would make a terrible first impression on our new classmates, you know?” Chuuya is glad he asked because again, the broken arm and bloody clothes are not very comfortable. So glad in fact he won’t point out that they already had a first impression to the class and that was shooting one of their beloved heroes in the head.

For a second Aizawa seems unwilling to let the subject change like that and gives Dazai a serious look. Unfortunately for him, Dazai is the master of changing the subject, so his stare is met with a look of indifference. Eventually, Aizawa must give up on it as he sighs, “Yes, you’ll get new clothes. I’m also going to take you to Recovery Girl to treat your injuries.”

Dazai hums in agreement. It doesn’t take long after that for the trio to arrive at 1A’s dorms, which is another tall and oddly shaped building. Aizawa leads the two inside and through to the common room, the dorm isn’t fancy by any means but definitely a step up from Dazai’s shipping container. The common room is pretty spacious too despite the large sofas angled towards a wall-mounted TV, of course, Chuuya’s own place is far better looking than this but he’ll make do. Aizawa stops in the middle of the room and begins speaking, “This is the common area and that,” he points to an archway along the wall, “is the kitchen. As of right now, you need either myself or at least two students to be in either room with you.”

Chuuya scoffs, “Kitchen sure, but why the hell can’t we sit in the common area alone? You think we’re going commit a crime with a sofa cushion?” Dazai snickers next to him, clearly agreeing with his thoughts.

Their new teacher sighs, “No but those are the rules. Show some change and we can adjust them.” Before Chuuya could make a comment the man turns and begins walking towards a hallway near the back, his silence forcing both boys to trail after him like ducklings. There are five doors in total in the hallway, two on the right, one on the left, and one at the end. Aizawa gestures to the two right ones, “These are your rooms, the doors have sensors on so we’ll know when you leave the room. The room at the end is the bathroom, use it as you please. My room is here on the left.”

Dazai and Chuuya share a look, sleeping separately in enemy territory is against everything they typically do on long missions. When they are required to be away from headquarters for long amounts of time it’s safer for the two of them to stay side by side when possible, that includes at night. Typically, one of them will stay up while the other sleeps, which is beneficial for two reasons. One, no one can attack them by surprise and two, it’s easier to get restful sleep when an ally is looking after you. In this situation, however, they have no say in the sleeping arrangements. Not to mention, if the pros know how much they rely on each other then they might get separated. The mission could still be completed that way, but it’d be easier to do it together. Plus, Chuuya doesn’t trust that Dazai won’t end up getting beaten up by some hero in training.

Dazai looks away first without acknowledging the silent conversation that transpired. Instead, he walks forward and opens both of the doors. He takes a look around both rooms before coming back out and nodding seriously, “Hmm, yes. Chuuya you take that one.” He points to the door farthest from the bathroom.

Aizawa once again has a serious look on his face, maybe he thinks Dazai checked for cameras or escape routes. That isn’t the whole case though, Chuuya can just tell from the bastard’s face that whatever comes out next will be an insult. Still, he asks, “Why that one?”

“I like the view from mine… Besides, yours is smaller and a Chibi like you doesn’t need as much space as I do.” He explains with a shrug, like what he said is common knowledge. This pisses Chuuya off because really, when is the idiot going to drop the height thing? They don’t even have that much of a height difference dammit! Possibly sensing Chuuya’s intent to cause him pain Dazai quickly ducks into his claimed room and shuts the door tight. “I’m getting changed now! So you can’t come in unless you’re a pervert Chuuya!”

“I wouldn’t wanna see that anyway!” Chuuya responds, not quite yelling but much louder than his indoor voice usually is. Without sparing a glance at Aizawa he turns and enters his new room, he’ll get changed before that idiot and wait outside his door as an ambush. With his door shut, he takes a glance around the room himself, single bed, desk, wardrobe, nothing looks out of place. A school uniform sits innocently on his desk along with his hat and gloves, Chuuya feels himself smile at that. He probably won’t be allowed to wear his hat during school hours but it feels nice to have it back, the gloves though he will be wearing.

Getting dressed with a broken arm means he takes longer than he would have liked but it does give him time to think things over. The separate rooms aren’t ideal but they will just have to deal with it, having Aizawa just across the hall would have been a bigger issue if they had been genuinely caught, as it stands he shouldn’t cause too much of an issue. Not when he doesn’t even notice a code phrase being exchanged right in front of him, what Dazai did and said earlier wasn’t entirely a jab at Chuuya’s height. He checked both rooms and made it seem like he was only checking the size and using it to insult Chuuya when in reality he was checking for cameras and microphones. What he said, ‘I like the view from mine…’ was confirmation there are no cameras. He hadn’t made a similar comment about possible microphones though, something like ‘That room has an echo’ or ‘That room is too quiet’ would respectively let Chuuya know there was or was not a microphone. Maybe Dazai didn’t spot any on such a quick look, once Chuuya’s arm isn’t as broken he’ll have to look around himself.

Despite his best efforts by the time he is fully changed and opens the door, Dazai is already standing outside with Aizawa. His first thought is disappointment he won’t get to ambush Dazai, the next thought is just laughter because, man, Dazai looks bad in the uniform. There’s just something about the bright red tie, green accents, and bandages that just looks terrible.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Dazai grumbles while glaring at Chuuya, if he was trying to be intimidating then it failed miserably. If only Chuuya had a camera right now, maybe he can get one of the 1A kids to take a picture for him.

Aizawa chooses then to speak, “Nakahara, you can’t wear gloves or a chocker with the uniform. You’ll have to leave them in your room.” That very quickly ruins Chuuya’s mood, he’s already forgoing the hat and now both his gloves and chocker?

“No, I wear them everywhere. No exceptions.” Which is true, he only really takes them off to sleep and bathe. Walking around UA without them will just put him on edge, even with Dazai by his side.

Aizawa must see something in his expression or tone as he doesn’t insist on anything, instead, he stays silent for a moment before speaking, “The gloves or chocker, you can wear one. The other needs to be taken off.”

Still not ideal and for a second Chuuya is about to push him further, if the idiot Dazai gets to keep his bandages then surely Chuuya can keep both the gloves and chocker? The only reason why he doesn’t is due to the hand Dazai places on his shoulder, he applies some pressure so that Chuuya can’t ignore him. Dazai isn’t wearing Ability nullifying arm bands, possibly because the pros underestimate his Ability, so Chuuya immediately feels the cold rush of No Longer Human banish Arahabaki’s whispers from his mind. He relaxes a tad, not because Arahabaki was fuelling his anger, but instead at the physical reminder that Dazai works better than gloves do in the long run- which makes sense, given the fact the gloves are more of a placebo effect than anything else. As long as they stay next to one another then Chuuya doesn’t have to worry about Arahabaki, so really the gloves should be the ones to go. Then again, there is no guarantee the pair of them will stay together for the entirety of their time at UA.

Dazai speaks in a teasing tone, “If you get rid of the chocker maybe I won’t see you as such a yapping dog any more~” Whatever kind of moment was created is broken then as Chuuya swipes Dazai’s hand away with a huff. He takes the chocker off quickly and shoves it in his blazer pocket, that way he could put it back on at a moment's notice.

Aizawa, who watched this exchange in silence, nods at him, “Alright, we’ll stop at Recovery Girl next before heading to introduce you to 1A.” He gestures for the two of them to walk ahead, probably to make sure they don’t wander off on the way. Just like last time, Chuuya waits for Dazai to move first before following on his right, he would rather not turn his back to Aizawa, especially without his chocker, but there isn’t much of a choice here.

-

Aizawa stays silent on the walk to Recovery Girl, only speaking to give directions when necessary. Dazai and Nakahara are… interesting people. They’re constantly bickering and throwing insults at each other without as much as a second thought, and yet still clearly cared for each other. The first thing they said to each other was a check-in on their injuries, not to mention how Nakahara seems prepared for a fight. Of course, the boy hasn’t done anything too confrontational yet but Aizawa has been a Pro for a while now, he can see the subtle signs. Staying on Dazai’s right, the side of his face that is covered in bandages, always being just a fraction behind Dazai, a fraction closer to Aizawa. If Aizawa was to attack right now then, should Nakahara notice in time, then he would be able to block it quickly. Like he said, subtle but there.

Dazai himself doesn’t look too on edge but he isn’t relaxed either, the entire walk he has been scanning the environment around them. Aizawa isn’t sure how smart the kid is exactly, he might just be taking note of things he sees, or he might be creating some escape plan. They do all this while joking around and laughing, which Aizawa can’t decide if that is worrying or impressive. Worrying that no teenager should be that good at hiding their true actions behind childish arguments, impressive that they can split their focus so easily.

It’s when they are almost at Recovery Girl’s office that Aizawa notices something… odd. On the back of Nakahara’s neck, just barely visible from behind his shirt collar and orange hair lies a string of text. On closer inspection, which means Aizawa squints and tilts his head forward, the string of text becomes a code, A258. He hadn’t noticed before as the chocker covered it just perfectly, which he now doubts is a coincidence. Unwillingly his eyes flick over to Dazai’s covered neck, if the bandages were taken off would they find a similar code on his neck? Perhaps it’s some sort of identification number used by the Port Mafia? At this point in time it’s unlikely Nakahara would tell him, so for now Aizawa will have to settle with informing Nedzu.

When they enter Recovery Girl’s office the woman herself has already set up a station and is waiting for them, “You two must be the new students, sit down and I’ll fix you right up.”

Dazai and Nakahara share a look which leads to the shorter of the two sitting down in front of Recovery Girl first. Wasting no time she reaches over and places a kiss on Nakahara’s forehead, an action that causes laughter from Dazai and bewilderment from Nakahara. In between laughter, Dazai manages to say, “Was that Chuuya’s first kiss?”

Nakahara's face turns red, either in embarrassment or anger, “That doesn’t count and you know it!” After speaking he jumps up and makes his way to Dazai only to pause and begin moving his left arm around. Judging by the look on his face the Port Mafia mustn’t have any Ability users that can heal as quickly as that.

“How does it feel?” Recover Girl asks.

“Ah, it feels great. Thank you.” Nakahara gives her a nod of appreciation and speaks in a much softer tone. Initially, Aizawa had expected to have a Bakugou 2.0 on his hands but that might not be the case. All the yelling at Dazai had put him under the impression Nakahara is like that to everyone, but it seems there is a real possibility that he’s a lot better mannered than other people. He also thanked Recovery Girl without being asked to, something Aizawa doubts a cold-blooded murderer would do.

Recovery Girl smiles in acknowledgement, “My Quirk healed your injuries at the expense of your energy, so make sure to get some sleep tonight.” She waits a moment before looking at Dazai, “Alright, your turn.”

Dazai seems to think for a moment, “Hmm, no thank you.”

Neither Aizawa nor Recovery Girl had expected this response, somewhat confused Aizawa asks, “Why not?”

The boy rolls his eyes like the answer is obvious, “My Ability is touch-based remember? Your Quirk won’t do anything to help me.” Ah, Aizawa understands now. He had assumed the boy’s Ability was activated on will but it must actually be on at all times, which would render Recovery Girl’s Quirk useless.

“I see,” Recovery Girl starts, “I am a trained doctor however, please sit down and I can check on the wound.”

The first dismissal had been reasonable but there is no excuse to not let Recovery Girl check on the wound, and yet Dazai doesn’t move for a few moments, almost like he’s thinking of an excuse to not get the wound checked out. A bad feeling settles in Aizawa’s gut about this, so he keeps a close eye on the boy.

Not even a second later Nakahara shoves the boy forward, “I’m not gettin’ in trouble if you die of infection, just let her take a quick look, stubborn bastard.” Dazai shoots him a dark look but sits down in front of Recovery Girl nonetheless. For a moment, he looks terribly tense, something that Aizawa files away for later, but the next moment he looks completely unbothered. His reluctance to be treated is curious and possibly related to his earlier comment, the ‘terrible way to kill myself.’ comment. Aizawa doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions just yet but things aren’t looking good, once again the most he can do in this situation is inform Nedzu and keep an eye out for any similar behaviours in the future.

“Do these bandages cover over injuries?” Recovery girl asks.

“Nope. I just think they look stylish, don’t you?” Dazai responds in a more childish tone. Recovery Girl does not give that a response, likely thinking the bandages do not look stylish at all. If they really are a fashion statement then Dazai must not have a good eye for style then, which sounds a little hypocritical coming from Aizawa but whatever.

While Recovery Girls checks over just the gunshot wound, Dazai refused to move his clothes enough for her to see anything else, Aizawa busies himself with explaining how the next few days will work. “After this, you’ll introduce yourself to 1A, including an in-detail explanation of your Abilities,” Nakahara groans a little but Aizawa ignores him, “After that, you’ll spend a couple of lessons with the class just to get used to things. While 1A has their practical heroics class you two will be introduced to your therapists.”

“I’m assuming fighting happens in this practical heroics class, if we aren’t there then how are we going to give them experience like Nedzu wants?” Nakahara asks.

“That’s just for today, starting tomorrow you’ll be following them to every class including practical heroics. Well, almost every class. You two will have lunch earlier than the rest of UA, that way during lunchtime you can have extra morality and ethic classes with me. Therapy will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school, don’t be late.” Aizawa explains and once again ignores any groans of protest.

Dazai then stands, seemingly done with the check-up, and retakes his place next to Nakahara. The shorter boy gives him a look and then gestures with his head to Recovery Girl, Dazai simply sighs before glancing back at her, “Thanks.” It doesn’t sound genuine at all but it’s somewhat surprising that Nakahara got him to do that in the first place. Who would have guessed that the one that’s almost always yelling actually has enough manners for both of them

“Well then,” Aizawa moves towards the door and opens it, “Time to meet 1A.”

-

Aizawa had gone into the classroom ahead of them, which feels like a stupid move really. Leaving both him and Dazai out in the hall alone like this, they could easily make a break for it. Chuuya doubts they would get far, but still, it’s a possibility.

Dazai hasn’t said anything yet, so he’s probably still annoyed that Chuuya had him get checked out. Given the circ*mstances, it made more sense to get the actual doctor to look at the wound, especially since Chuuya doubts he’ll get a moment to check it himself. He explains as much to Dazai and is met with a moment of silence, for a second all he can hear is the soft sound of Aizawa speaking to his class before Dazai collapses against him. “Chuuya doesn’t trust me?” he whines.

“Not with your own health, no,” Chuuya says as he shoves the other teen off his shoulder. Dazai can’t be that mad then, not if he’s whining like a child again.

Before Dazai could offer a rebuttal Aizawa calls out to them, “You two, come inside now.”

Dazai gives him a look, “You go in first.”

To that Chuuya rolls his eyes, “Yea yea, I was going to anyway.” For a second he feels nervous, this is a big moment in their plan after all. If they can’t get into 1A then things begin to fall apart, not to mention that Chuuya had never been in a class setting before. Then he remembers that he has faced much worse things than a class of teenage hero wannabes, so the nerves melt anyway. With his usual confidence, Chuuya opens the door and walks right in with Dazai following close behind.

The effect of their arrival is immediately obvious, the room is deadly silent with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Chuuya stops walking once he is beside Aizawa, that’s when he turns to face the class. Most of the class have expressions of fear or apprehension, and a few stare straight at Dazai with an almost angry look. So they won’t all be pushovers then, good to know.

“Go ahead, introduce yourselves along with your Ability name.”

“Nakahara Chuuya, my Ability is called Upon the Tainted Sorrow.” He explains easily, knowing that Dazai wouldn’t introduce himself first.

As expected, once Chuuya had spoken Dazai follows suit, “And I’m Dazai Osamu, my Ability is No Longer Human.” If Chuuya was looking at the bastard, then he would expect him to have some sort of teasing look on his face. As it stands, Chuuya somehow found himself in a staring contest with some purple-haired kid and he’s going to win dammit.

Muttering breaks the class’s previous silence and a few moments later someone scoffs, “What kinda names are those? Why the f*ck would you call ‘em that?”

If Dazai wants Chuuya to respond to that then he’s in trouble because right now he’s focusing on this staring contest and not some loud-mouthed kid. Fortunately, Dazai takes it upon himself to respond, “Right, because what you call Quirks is soooo much more creative. Also, we don’t get a say in the names.”

Chuuya’s eyes are starting to sting a little but he does not blink, not when the loudmouth says something else and not when Aizawa prompts them to give further explanation of their Abilities. Perhaps seeing that Chuuya is preoccupied, Dazai goes first this time, “No Longer Human nullifies whatever Ability or Quirk I come into contact with, that includes any effects as well.”

Blink.

Ah, the kid blinked! Feeling good about himself Chuuya finally turns away and brings his attention to Dazai. As predicted he has an irritating look on his face, not the worst Chuuya’s seen though so he’ll take that small blessing. He decides to take this brief moment of Dazai not speaking to explain his own Ability, “Upon the Tainted Sorrow is gravity manipulation. It can affect whatever I touch, minus Dazai of course.”

Aizawa gives them both a tired look, “That wasn’t very detailed.”

In response Chuuya fires back, “Want me to explain how gravity works? ‘Cause I think it’s pretty f*cking obvious.” Also, why the hell would he explain in detail how his Ability works? Chuuya might be under the pro heroes' control right now but that doesn’t mean he’s going to tell them everything, no, that would be stupid and unrealistic. If things go south then having a few tricks up his sleeve is more important than following the pro’s orders.

Dazai sighs in an exaggerated way, “Sorry about him, he’s not trained~”

Another dog joke? God, when will this guy drop that? The worst part is that if Chuuya insults Dazai or attacks him then the Mackerel will just say ‘Oh look you proved my point!’ Which would further annoy Chuuya and it becomes a cycle of beating Dazai up, which doesn’t sound that bad actually.

Aizawa intervenes before that, much to Chuuya’s disappointment, “Stop, both of you. I’m starting class now so go sit down, the rest of you can ask them any questions later.” He gestures to the only two open seats, both in the front row on opposite sides of the room. Chuuya decides to take the window seat, for obvious Dazai-related reasons, and doesn’t spare a single glance at Dazai before making his way over there.

The people around him seem a bit nervous when he sits down, but Chuuya doesn’t care that much. Dazai finds his seat across the room and they share a look, a look confirming everything is going to plan. Now that they’ve made it into 1A the mission can truly begin.

Chapter 6: 5 - The first day

Chapter Text

Dazai is not dead, which is a huge disappointment to many people including himself. Not for lack of trying but still, he’s alive and being alive means he must find some entertainment in the whole thing. That’s a hard task but lately, he’s been trying to enjoy the smaller things in life, (like Chuuya, mentally he makes a note to repeat that joke later) such as fresh bandages, canned crab, and tormenting people that are scared of him. He’s indulging in that last one now, a fact that makes being in UA far more tolerable.

After their little introduction, Aizawa began class like nothing was amiss. Something was amiss though and even now Dazai can feel stares boring into his back, as he had been the one to actually pull the trigger and kill Mt. Lady the class seem more scared of him than of Chuuya. Ironic, given that Chuuya could easily kill them all in a matter of moments even with the Ability nullifying handcuffs. If he had any empathy he might feel pity for the kids sitting around him that are clearly on edge, he doesn’t though so he finds the whole thing quite entertaining. Even just shifting in his seat causes the kid behind him to begin sweating, he knows this because he makes a comment about it every time without fail. When Dazai leans forward the kid audibly sighs in relief, so naturally he took it upon himself to lean back and forth repeatedly. So far he has heard 16 different ways to phrase ‘this sweat dulls my sparkle’, his favourite so far being ‘moisture like this is so anti-twinkle.’ The next fight he and Chuuya get in he will find a way to use that line and it will be glorious.

Dazai leans back and fights a smirk as the kid makes a sound of discomfort, absent-mindedly he wonders how quickly he could make someone cry. He’ll have to pretend to be more reserved for the next few days, maybe only cause trouble when Aizawa is present to stop retaliation, hide behind Chuuya a little, things that will make him seem less of a threat. Oh, maybe he could even irritate that blondie from earlier into hitting him and then act all pitiful afterwards, really drive home the misguided pitiful teenager thing. After an appropriate amount of ‘settle in’ time he can start acting out a bit more, throw in a few more suicide references, make a few kids cry etc. Dazai hadn't really planned out how to act while at UA so he may as well just go with the flow for now.

Oh, he might even make a bet with Chuuya to see how long it takes for Dazai to make someone cry, judging on the reaction from the kid behind him it would only take an hour, maybe less, of concentrated attention. He would have to pick the right target though, a few of these kids don’t look like the crying type.

For example, the kid sitting next to him. To the untrained eye, he would look largely unaffected by Dazai’s presence, but it’s painfully obvious to Dazai that the kid is just as scared as his classmates. His chair is pushed as far away from Dazai as it can go, not to mention how he is physically leaning away. It’s a valiant attempt at looking unbothered, even more so when the kid glances at Dazai. Their eyes lock and the kid turns away a moment later, still somehow acting all brave. Tormenting the kid behind him loses its fun when a new target is presented to him, a target that will be tougher to crack and have a more enjoyable reaction as a result.

The guy has a mutant Quirk, evident by the huge tail slung over his shoulder, which Dazai has always found himself curious if No Longer Human would work on mutants. Transformative Abilities are always temporary, which is to say that the user has a fully human state to return to when their Ability is nullified. Mutant-type Quirks are different though as the person is permanently like that, if he had to guess then Dazai would say No Longer Human wouldn’t work, or at least not in the same way it works on Abilities. It would be hilarious if he leaned over and touched the guy right now and his tail just disappeared, the chaos that would cause would be very entertaining. It would also be useful information to get this early on, should the plan go sideways then it would be best to know all variables to plan for fights. Naturally, Chuuya could take them all down in a matter of moments but it’s nice to have a backup plan where Dazai actually does something.

A few minutes later Aizawa turns his back to the class and Dazai swiftly takes the opportunity to act on his hypothesis. Given how close the desks are it only takes a little leaning out of his chair for his bare hand to come into contact with the tail, not a second later the kid whips his head around to stare at Dazai in shock and fear. That’s exactly the reaction he was hoping for, although the fact the tail doesn’t disappear is somewhat disappointing.

What’s even more disappointing is when not a moment later Aizawa has his hand on Dazai’s wrist pulling his arm away, “What are you doing?”

Dazai looks up at his serious tone and pouts, “I wasn’t going to hurt him, Sensei, promise,” his tone is equally sarcastic and innocent, “There aren’t any mutants in Yokohama, you can’t hate me for being curious, right?” Aizawa does not say anything, perhaps using the time to think up an appropriate response. In contrast, Dazai uses the time to lean backwards, to his delight the kid behind him makes yet another comment, and locks eye contact with tail-guy once more, “Hey,” he starts, “If I cut that tail off would it grow back like a lizards?”

Tail-guy looks faintly sick at the idea, so the answer is probably no. Aizawa does not look pleased by his question but Dazai could not care less, he’s already gained some useful information and entertainment so whatever happens now isn’t a concern. “Don’t ask questions like that. You can’t go around touching people just because you’re curious either, apologise to Ojirou-kun.” Aizawa says in a stern tone.

Dazai slumps down in his chair before waving his still-captured arm around, “Fine fine, my deepest apologies.” Not a single person would believe he is actually apologetic from his tone or actions, but what can they do about it? As far as Dazai knows UA doesn’t incorporate physical punishment, then again he isn’t a typical student so the typical rules might not apply… Oh well, maybe the pros will be nice enough to put him out of his misery.

Above him, Aizawa sighs before letting his arm go, “Have you even been listing to the lesson?”

“Of course not,” Dazai responds with a grin. He had listened for the first few minutes but quickly abandoned that in favour of tormenting his new classmates, not to mention that the current topic does not interest him at all. Despite never attending formal school he’s already far more knowledgeable than anyone else in this class, the only topic that may be interesting would be history. Of course, Dazai is familiar with Yokohama’s history but he never bothered to learn about the outside world much, it may however come in handy knowing about the origins of Quirk and pro heroes later in this mission. Aizawa was talking about something else though, current news or something boring like that. Dazai already knows what the current news is, most of it is about him after all.

“Well, you need to start listening then,” Aizawa turns to the other side of the room, “Nakahara, what about you?” If Dazai knows the Chibi well, and he is very confident he does, then his answer will be…

“Oh, uh, yes?”

Ah, such a predictable Chibi. While there is no doubt that Chuuya was paying attention to Aizawa he likely stopped listening to the lecture just as quickly as Dazai had. Rather than actually learning he would have been playing the perfect guard dog by keeping himself on the lookout for any immediate threats while assessing which order he should take out their new classmates should the need arise. Having someone as diligent as Chuuya gives Dazai ample time to slack off, partnering with the slug does have its benefits.

Clearly seeing through Chuuya’s terrible attempt at lying Aizawa sighs once again, “You two will be sitting exams with the rest of the class at the end of term, I would recommend paying attention.”

Aizawa then turns his back and begins making his way back to the front of the class and Dazai sticks his tongue out childishly at the man. High school exams, written or physical, will be a breeze for both of them.

-

The lesson didn’t last much longer after Dazai’s interruption, since he and Chuuya had arrived late they had missed most of the morning classes. That means next up is lunch, which will surely be an interesting event. Aizawa told them that typically they would have early lunch to be separated from the rest of the student body but today is an exception, although he hadn’t explained what exactly will happen. Where will they sit? Dazai doubts they’d be allowed in the dining hall, so maybe the staff room. That doesn’t sound too bad, while he had already researched UA’s staff it would be helpful to know how they act in a more private setting. Not to mention that All Might himself might be there.

Mori had been brief with the information regarding All for One, either because he wants Dazai to figure things out himself or because he simply doesn’t have that much on the guy. For now, Dazai knows this; All for One is All Might’s biggest enemy and has been since the dawn of Quirks. How that works, Mori hadn’t elaborated on, but Dazai guesses All Might’s Quirk must be transferable. That raises the question of who his predecessors were and, most importantly, who his successor is. It isn’t relevant information but it would be handy to know, anyway, for some reason All for One is no longer satisfied with ruling the underground of the rest of Japan and now wants Yokohama under his control. An ambitious decision, even more so when his little League of Villains is also trying to take down hero society as a whole. Any information he can glean from All Might about the man would be very helpful.

Dazai shelves those thoughts as Aizawa gestures for him and Chuuya to get up. With only a little bit of reluctance, he does so, when the duo get close enough Aizawa speaks, “You’ll be in the staff room for lunch today, follow me.” Without waiting for a response he begins walking out of the classroom, likely wanting to beat the crowd of students that will soon be leaving lesson.

The walk, which was spent in silence, doesn’t take too long and soon they arrive at the staff room. Aizawa enters a code, which Dazai observes to be 0812, before holding the door wide open, “I’ll get you something to eat, any preferences?”

Chuuya walks through the door first, “Whatever is fine.”

Dazai trails along a moment after, “I want crab!” Just before he enters the room he pauses and leans into Aizawa, despite this his voice is no quieter than before, “Oh, you should get Chuuya some milk, he needs it to grow you see.”

Aizawa nods passively at the comment while Chuuya curses him out, not that Dazai is paying him any attention. Instead, he shoots Aizawa a thankful smile before finally entering the staff room, predictively multiple pro heroes stare at him with clear distrust. No All Might, which is a shame, but there are a few others he made note of during his research. Despite being the ones in control the pros seem to be waiting for him and Chuuya to do something, this turns into a stand-off between them and Chuuya who is waiting for the same thing. It’s amusing to see but Dazai can’t be bothered standing here for who knows how long so he’ll make the first move.

The room itself is fairly simple in layout, on the opposite wall from the door is a small kitchenette area decked out with a microwave, kettle, and sink. The counters are crowded with empty cups and different snacks, altogether creating a very well-used appearance. Filling the space between the kitchenette and the door sits a large sofa and coffee table, the latter having cup stains engrained into the wood. Across from the sofa, and right to the door, is where the teachers all find themselves seated. Six tables, arranged in back-to-back rows of three, fill the remaining space in the room. The only other thing of note is the cupboards and filling cabinets that line the walls where possible, overall the room seemed like any old staff room you could find anywhere in the country, the only major difference being the pro heroes that occupy the space.

Taking Chuuya by the arm, he can’t see too confident after all, Dazai makes his way over to the sofa and promptly plops down. It’s surprisingly soft, maybe better than the one in Chibi’s office even, would it be inappropriate to take a nap right now? Probably, but it would annoy Chuuya so maybe…

As if sensing his intentions Chuuya elbows Dazai from where he sits beside him. He doesn’t say anything, which gives Dazai the chance to misinterpret his actions and make a fuss, “Owww, Chuuya! Why’d you hit me?”

The pros still watch on cautiously as Chuuya rolls his eyes, “I don’t need a reason.”

Dazai pouts at him with a response on the tip of his tongue when something catches his eye or rather someone. One of the pros glances between them like he intends to say something but isn’t sure if he should yet. His appearance is very distinctive, what with the blond hair pointing upwards, so it doesn’t take Dazai long to remember his name from the research he did. Present Mic, real name Yamada Hizashi. At UA he teaches English and along with being a pro hero he also runs a wildly popular radio show. Public opinion of the man is good, he rarely causes property damage or hurts innocents, an all-rounder really. His Quirk, Voice, would be rather annoying to deal with should they have to fight the man. Being close range guarantees burst eardrums, that would make nullifying his Quirk troublesome. If it came down to it then the best course of action would be to have Chuuya manipulate large objects into hitting the man, that way they could both could keep their distance and hopefully avoid any hearing damage.

Yamada takes his momentary silence as an opportunity to speak, “You two are the new students, yeah?”

Dazai turns his attention on the man, “Yep.” He could have answered with more words, something that would make it easier to continue the conversation but doing that would make things too easy for the pro. If he really is the ‘ultimate extrovert’ as the media say then he can put the work in.

To his credit he doesn’t seem off put by the one-word answer, “Well, it’s nice to meet you both! I teach English, so you can call me Yamada-sensei.” He flashes them a smile and Dazai vaguely wonders if the first half of that sentence was honest, it likely wasn’t given they had murdered a fellow pro in cold blood. Maybe he’s already fallen for the pitiful teenagers act, or maybe he’s just trying to be polite.

Dazai glances over at Chuuya and has to bite back a laugh. His facial expression… well, at least he’s trying to hide his thoughts of ‘what the f*ck’ even if he isn’t doing that well at it. It has to be the hairstyle that’s causing such an expression, or maybe it’s the tiny but well-groomed moustache. Even if they fail this mission, which they won’t, getting to see Chuuya’s dramatic expressions would make all the work worth it.

An awkward silence settles in the room only to be broken a few moments later by Yamada, “So, you kids got any hobbies?” It’s a painfully bland question for the situation, one that Dazai is almost tempted to answer in the most outrageous way possible. ‘Killing people’, ‘torture’, ‘attempting suicide’, any of those answers would cause big reactions by the pros in the room, which could be fun. But he also has the chance to poke fun at Chuuya with his answer, ah what a hard decision…. Actually, it’s an easy decision, Chuuya’s reactions are far more fun than anything the pros could do.

“I enjoy the small things in life,” he starts with a mischievous smile, “Like Chuuya!”

As expected Chuuya hits him in the stomach with no mercy, “Stop callin’ me short! You’re barely any taller than me!”

Dazai shrugs, “You look pretty small to me.”

In an impressive show of restraint, Chuuya simply glares at him, clearly wanting to hit him but holding back. Instead of following through on the unspoken threat of violence he instead turns to face Yamada, “I like arcade games and riding my bike.”

Yamada nods with an encouraging smile, “You have a bicycle? That must be fun.”

Chuuya gives him an incredulous look, “Bicycle? No, I have a motorbike.” A metal death trap that Dazai hates being on, mainly because Chibi uses his Ability when driving far too often. What if he forgets Dazai is on the back and tries to drive up a wall? Chuuya had argued that it would be impossible to forget he was there due to two factors. One, how tightly Dazai squeezes Chuuya and two, his near-constant screaming when they go around corners. Maybe his points are valid, but still, if he has a choice then he avoids the bike as much as possible.

One of the other pros gives Chuuya a scandalous look. The pro in question goes by Midnight, real name Kayama Nerumi. She’s fairly popular, mainly due to her revealing outfit and personality. Her Quirk might pose Chuuya a challenge depending on how quickly and high it can spread, but Dazai should be able to easily nullify it at the source. Less of a threat than Yamada but she could still be annoying to deal with. “Aren’t you a little young to be driving?” She asks in an almost teasing tone. Either she’s already forgotten about the extent of their crimes or she’s trying to lighten the mood, Dazai can’t tell.

“I don’t think me driving underage is all that important, not compared to the other illegal sh*t I do,” Chuuya answers casually, the room then falls back into an awkward silence as the pros are no undoubtedly remember their fallen comrade.

The silence continues until Aizawa returns with two lunches in hand and, to Dazai’s delight, a milk carton.

-

When Dazai was told he would be getting a therapist he had quite a few expectations. In his mind he expected some plain-faced pro that he could easily manipulate into giving false reports about his mental health, he expected to have the upper hand in all interactions with said therapist. He would go into a session and put on a good show, act like a disturbed little child and then go about his day. It didn’t matter who the therapist was in that scenario because he’s very confident when manipulating people and even if they were resistant then he had a rather simple backup plan. With all the things Dazai has been through and seen if he were to dump it all onto one person without giving them a break, well, they would probably go insane. Having the therapist quit on him could help further the mission after all.

He did not expect for the therapist to be the principal of UA, Nedzu. The mouse-bear looks on at him with a smile, perhaps unaware of the wrench he has thrown into Dazai’s plan. If Nedzu’s intelligence really is as impressive as everyone seems to believe then manipulating him will be a lot harder, had it been anyone else… Why isn’t it anyone else actually? Yes, Dazai intentionally showed off a bit by identifying Aizawa, he wanted to catch Nedzu’s attention after all, but being his personal therapist? That seems like too much interest, Nedzu couldn’t have possibly seen through him already, right?

The principal pours two cups of tea, unaware of Dazai’s thoughts, “Do let me know what you think of the tea, it’s my favourite blend.” Nodding Dazai takes the cup, part of him wants to analyse Nedzu's actions and attempt to pre-determine if the plan has been seen through. However, common sense dictates that he acts as normal as possible in this situation, if Nedzu has ulterior motives then he’s bound to slip up at some point. Besides, Nedzu will need proof of their plan to do anything about it- which Dazai was very careful to make sure no such evidence exists. The only feasible evidence Nedzu could collect would be a confession from either him or Chuuya, which won’t happen. Chuuya is beyond stubborn and loyal, even on his deathbed he wouldn’t rat the Port Mafia out, not to mention that he simply doesn’t know that much about the plan anyway. Dazai doesn’t have the same stupid loyalty but that doesn’t make him an easier target, no, not even the worst torture could get Port Mafia secrets out of him. Nedzu will be forced to lose interest if Dazai acts boringly normal.

Taking a sip of his tea Dazai makes a show of contemplating the flavour, “It’s alright.”

Nedzu nods at his words, “I’m glad to hear that!” He sets his cup down and picks up a folder, when he opens it Dazai can see it’s filled with the information they have on him, which to say isn’t a lot. The mouse-bear takes a second to read the information before looking back up at him, “I’m sure you’re curious as to why I’m your therapist.”

Dazai shrugs in a way that should come across as nonchalant but otherwise doesn’t respond. Seeing that Dazai has no intention to verbally respond Nedzu continues, “You see, Dazai-kun, I think you’re a lot more intelligent than your peers. As a teacher, I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t allow that intelligence to grow under my care.”

“I’m flattered! Ah, if only Chuuya was as kind as you are.” Dazai responds in a childish tone. What he really wants to say is, ‘How smart do you think I am?’

Nedzu laughs a little, “The two of you do seem to have a rather unique relationship! Having such a blunt partner, well, I’m sure it keeps you from getting too arrogant.” Chuuya is the only one who calls him an idiot that’s for sure, everyone else sees him as a freaky genius.

With a false smile stretched across his face Dazai sighs dramatically, “Chibi is so mean you know, he totally ruins my self-confidence!”

Closing the folder Nedzu nods, “Well luckily for you I am here to help with that! As this is the first session, let’s get to know each other shall we?” The mouse-bear then pulls out a chess board and Dazai has to fight back a grin, what an accurate analogy. This game between the two of them really will end up resembling a chess game in a matter of time, both making moves whilst trying to anticipate the next move of their opponent. It may be hard to win this little game but it will surely be interesting, having someone who can match Dazai’s intellect might turn out to be more fun than expected.

Given that the white pieces are on his side Dazai takes the first move by moving a pawn to the centre of the board, Nedzu matches this with a pawn of his own. That isn’t surprising, having control of the centre gives you an upper hand after all. As for the next move, Dazai decides to take a more direct attack by moving his bishop to c4.

Nedzu studies the board for a moment before moving his knight to c6. The opening caused by the bishop being moved allows Dazai to move his queen out straight to h5, in response Nedzu moves his own queen out to e7. Smart move, now Dazai is forced to change to defence by moving his knight to e2.

Nedzu moves his knight to b4, which is very close to Dazai’s bishop. Of course, as long as he keeps the piece out of the knight’s reach it should be fine, it’s somewhat unnerving though. Still on the defence Dazai castles king side, being taken out this early would just be embarrassing.

Nedzu continues on the offensive by taking a pawn with his knight. Dazai then moves one of his pawns, which unfortunately leads to his rook being taken by Nedzu’s knight. It’s starting to look bad for Dazai but he’s confident he can get out of this one way or another, hopefully, he’ll be able to take Nedzu’s knight in a few moves and return his focus on getting the king in check. Dazai moves his previously untouched bishop out of the way just for Nedzu to once again move his knight, just what is he planning? On Nedzu’s next turn, he moves his queen to b4, which allows Dazai to take the knight that took his rook. He would prefer for Nedzu’s queen not to be anywhere near his king but it isn’t too bad right now, he’ll focus on getting Nedzu’s king in check for now.

They continue like that for the next few minutes the silence only broken by the soft clank of the wooden pieces being set down. To someone else they would argue playing a game of chess in silence isn’t really getting to know each other, Dazai would disagree. In just one game he will be able to grasp Nedzu’s planning skills along with how easily he can read other people and anticipate their moves, the same could be said about what Nedzu will learn about Dazai. In that case, perhaps he should throw the game? By making a mistake that should have been easily avoided Nedzu will lower his expectations of Dazai’s intelligence.

The chance comes to put Nedzu in check, he’ll be able to easily break free of it so Dazai doubts he could win here. In that case, he’ll go for it. When Nedzu defends against the check Dazai might lose his queen, which would put him at a heavy disadvantage. That could work out for his plan though, after his queen is lost then he can make some mistakes that will lead Nedzu to the win.

With one of his pawns Dazai takes out the bishop protecting the king, this naturally leaves his queen open to be taken by Nedzu. However, instead of moving his remaining bishop to take the queen Nedzu just sighs and then faces Dazai with a grin, “It’s been a long time since someone challenged me like this! I’m afraid I’ll have to forfeit here.”

Forfeit? There are still a few moves Nedzu could make that would get his king safe so the question is why doesn’t he? Either he’s not smart enough to notice the possible moves or he gave up on purpose… Much like Nedzu said, it’s been a while since someone challenged him like this.

-

“Nice to see you again, Nakahara-kun!”

For a second Chuuya debates turning around and leaving because what the hell? Why out of every possible pro that could be his therapist did it have to be the guy with the worst hairstyle? Earlier he had introduced himself as Yamada but even then Chuuya was too busy staring at the spike of blond, it was just so distracting. Distracting in a bad way.

Knowing he can’t just leave the room Chuuya instead sits in the chair opposite to Yamada, eyes still trained on that hair. Really, with the way he’s acting, it’s like Yamada is an active threat and not his therapist. “Yea, hi.” Chuuya greets and finally drags his eyes away from the hair only to be confronted with the worst-looking moustache he’s ever seen. What’s with this guy and his terrible hair decisions?

“Since we’ve only just met let’s get to know each other,” Yamada smiles encouragingly, “How about we take turns asking each other a question?”

An ice-breaker like that shouldn’t include any serious questions, so it should be fine to go along with it. Nodding Chuuya relaxes into his chair a little, “I’ll go first, why does your hair look like that?”

Yamada laughs loudly at that, “I get that question a lot! I just think it looks cool.” That phrase eerily reminds Chuuya of a certain bandaged idiot. Yamada continues, “For my question… You said you like arcade games, which one is your favourite?”

In truth Chuuya has two favourite types of games, racing and dancing games. Racing games are good because he actually really enjoys playing them, basically, he likes the content even if Dazai beats him sometimes. Dancing games are good because his idiotic partner has the grace of a fish when dancing, which means Chuuya always wins when they play. He explains as much to Yamada who grins in response, “You two seem like close friends.”

Chuuya scoffs, “Absolutely not, I could never be friends with that guy.” He scrunchies his nose up at the idea, ugh, if he and Dazai were real friends he would probably get even more annoying. Right now they’re just partners, he’d like to keep it that way.

Yamada looks at him expectedly and Chuuya belatedly realises it’s his turn to ask a question now. With the hair question already asked he feels like there are no more questions he wants to ask but the opportunity to gather information shouldn’t be passed up on. He should figure out how much of a threat this guy is, “What’s your Quirk?”

“Oh, it’s called Voice! I can make my voice insanely loud, I can also control the pitch,” Yamada explains with a gesture to the contraption on his neck, “This device helps me to direct it.” Chuuya doesn’t want his eardrums burst so hopefully he won’t have to fight this guy, well he could fight at a distance but that isn’t really his style. Of course, if the plan goes well there won’t be a need to fight anyone.

Yamada continues speaking, “Your Ability is called Upon the Tainted Sorrow, right? That’s a pretty cool name, how’d you come up with it?”

“Oh, I didn’t,” Chuuya speaks casually only to be met with Yamada’s slightly confused face. Ah right, pro heroes don’t know that much about Abilities, let alone how they behave in a fight. That information shouldn’t be all that important to keep a secret, especially given the fact that he and Dazai are expected to ‘give 1A experience.’ They’ll have to fight that class at some point so he’ll just explain it to Yamada now, “When you use an Ability, words will appear that relate to your power, the name is in there. The amount of words that show up depends on how much you’re using it.”

An interested expression appears on Yamada’s face, “Oh wow and that happens with every Ability?”

“Yep, oh wait it’s my turn to ask a question isn’t it?” Chuuya asks. Technically, Yamada asked two in a row but he won’t call that out. To his credit the pro looks a little sheepish upon realising that, still, he nods and gestures for Chuuya to ask a question. Chuuya thinks for a moment before speaking, “You have a hero name right? What is it?”

“Present Mic!” Yamada announces with pride. Present Mic huh? Not the weirdest name he’s ever heard but still a little odd, then again hero names as a whole tend to be odd. In the Port Mafia, people just go by their name, when code names are used it’s only on missions where secrecy is necessary. While Chuuya thinks about the oddity of his name Yamada thinks of another question before speaking, “You said you have a bike earlier, how’d you get it?”

Before he can stop it memories spring to mind, memories now coloured in a bittersweet light. Thinking about The Flags hurts, even now a feeling of discomfort settles across his shoulders when he recalls them, recalls the end they came to. In the months after everything went down he had tried to keep busy, knowing that any moment spent dwelling on his friends might end with a bottle of wine. Besides, the Boss had been all too happy to give him extra missions. He isn’t going to tell all that to some pro he just met though, not a chance in hell. Instead, Chuuya shrugs in a way that he hopes comes across as nonchalant, “A friend.”

Yamada nods in understanding, for a moment it seems like he has picked up on Chuuya’s melancholy but in the next, that feeling is gone. Instead, the man smiles and leans in, “So, I gotta ask, if you and Dazai-kun hate each other so much how’d you two meet?”

A smile tugs at Chuuya’s face upon recalling that memory, what he wouldn’t give to kick that bastard into a wall again. Shifting upwards in his chair Chuuya begins explaining, “Heh, well that bastard was snooping around for information. I kicked him right into a wall, it was great.”

“Really? What happened after that?” Yamada encourages him to continue. Chuuya does exactly that, his mind focusing on recalling all the details from when he first met Dazai to accurately tell the story. It’s important to get everything just right, that way Yamada will agree with him that Dazai is beyond irritating and understand why they can never be friends.

-

At the end of the therapy session, Aizawa appeared with Dazai in tow to take them both back to the dorms, which Chuuya is somewhat dreading. Well, not dreading but certainly not looking forward to it. Unlike when they first arrived the dorms will now be full of students, without the restriction of being in class anything could go down. If the students feel that their, or more accurately Dazai’s, actions offended them then an argument, maybe even a fight could break out. If that does happen then Chuuya will obviously fight back, even if that lands him getting kicked from UA. Dazai must have been thinking the same as when they arrived at the dorms he sent Chuuya a calculating gaze before nodding.

Aizawa pauses before walking through the doors and shoots them both a look, “Remember the rules and behave, alright?”

Dazai nods his head as Chuuya answers, “Yea yea.” A moment later Aizawa deems this response satisfactory and enters the building with both boys following close behind. As soon as Chuuya and Dazai enter the main room things go quiet, once again the air turns stale with tension.

Glancing around the room Aizawa takes note of which students are present, “Iida-kun.”

Said student stands at attention, “Yes, Sensei?”

Aizawa gestures back at Chuuya and Dazai, “If these two do anything, and I mean anything, alert me immediately.” That implies he’s going to leave them in the main room with the students. Less supervision is nice but also increases the chance of a fight breaking out.

The kid, Iida, seems apprehensive but agrees nonetheless, “Of course.”

With one last warning glance at him and Dazai, Aizawa begins walking to his room and soon disappears from view.

The minutes after that are tense and full of nervous glances, with their teacher gone 1A doesn’t seem to want to move. From his left Chuuya feels Dazai nudge him, the bastard wants him to make the first move doesn’t he? 1A will probably feel threatened if he does move first, but that isn’t really a concern of his.

Near the main sitting area is a single armchair that looks pretty comfy, with that goal in mind Chuuya walks forward and dutifully ignores the flinches back from the students. He can hear Dazai following along behind him, very much a silent shadow. They pass a coffee table where most of the students find themselves seated, some unfortunate soul must have left their gaming device on the table. Chuuya says ‘unfortunate soul’ because he already knew that Dazai would scoop the device up upon passing it, if the kid ever gets it back then it’ll be a miracle.

Chuuya finally arrives at the armchair and sits down, for a second he actually believed that Dazai would sit elsewhere. That was wishful thinking however as the idiot promptly lays himself across Chuuya’s lap, the game console already loading up. Chuuya gives him a half-hearted shove, “You couldn’t sit anywhere else?”

Dazai doesn’t even spare him a glance, “No~~”

Chuuya doesn’t get the chance to respond as someone suddenly yells, “What the hell!!” Looking over at the guy it seems to be the same loudmouth that was yelling this morning, great, that guy is going to become a problem Chuuya can already tell. With Dazai laid over him there isn’t much Chuuya can do but keep steady eye contact with the guy, something that causes him to yell once again.

“What are you looking at carrot-top?!”

Chuuya feels anger build under his skin which is only amplified when Dazai snickers at the insult. “f*ck did you just call me?”

The blondie takes a step forward and for a moment Chuuya debates shoving Dazai off his lap to meet the guy standing up. Before he can do that, however, some other kid grabs hold of the blondies arm, “Woah, Bakugou calm down! You can’t fight in here.”

The kid, Bakugou, shoves his hand off, “I’m not sitting here while two murderers try and act all normal,” He waves a hand around angrily, “Having them here is a f*ckin’ joke.”

Chuuya rolls his eyes, he wants to be here as much as Bakugou wants him here it seems, if he had a choice then he wouldn’t have come anywhere near UA but due to sh*tty Dazai here he is. It looks like the redhead wants to say something but is interrupted when someone else stands, “Bakugou is right.”

“Todoroki?” Someone else responds slightly confused.

“These two don’t have any remorse for what they did, it doesn’t make sense to have them here,” Todoroki says while staring at Chuuya. If he wants an apology then he isn’t getting one, not a sincere one anyway.

The class break out into whispers while Chuuya finds himself in yet another staring contest, seriously, what is with these kids and staring at him?

A few minutes go by like this until a certain comment grabs his attention. Initially, he was willing to ignore whatever words they threw at him, a bunch of teenagers could never even begin to rival the worst things that have happened to him. Even if they happen to stumble across one of his insecurities he shouldn’t be that affected by a bunch of kids he doesn’t even know. That much remains true but the combination of two kids glaring him down and all the others whispering very clear insults is really grating on his nerves. Taking the opportunity, Chuuya shoves Dazai from his lap and ignores the offended yelp when he hits the floor.

Standing up Chuuya looks back at Bakugou, “Look, I don’t want to be here either but I didn’t really get a choice,” Chuuya takes a step forward, “You ignore us, we’ll ignore you. That sound good?”

Bakugou growls in a way that says ‘not good’ but doesn’t get a chance to respond. Iida, who was clearly watching Chuuya’s approach carefully, tried to grab onto his arm. Naturally, Chuuya pulls his arm away from his grip and sends him a glare, “Back off, I’m not going to do anything. Unlike a certain someone, I’m not suicidal.”

Iida looks somewhat confused by that comment but still remains a barrier between Chuuya and the rest of the class. Maybe this was a coordinated attack as another student appears on Chuuya’s other side, “Why did you do it?”

Chuuya glances at him, the kid has wild purple hair with eyes to match. Speaking of eyes, Chuuya recognises that pair from his morning staring contest, makes sense for the guy to be confronting him then. Chuuya opens his mouth to respond but is cut off by Dazai, “Don’t answer that, Chibi~”

Immediately, Chuuya’s mouth snaps closed. He isn’t a fan of listening to Dazai very often, especially in situations that aren’t a fight but something about this is different. Dazai could have just carried on playing his game, could have left Chuuya to fend off the whole class but he didn’t, instead, he warned Chuuya not to respond to one specific comment. Could it be this kid has some sort of voice-activated Quirk?

A few months back the UA sports festival had been on, Dazai had insisted they watch together to make fun of all the hero wannabes. Admittedly, it was fun to joke about the students and make bets on who would win, even if Chuuya ended up losing some money in the end. This kid must have been in the sports festival then, Chuuya remembers all the exciting matches so he must have had a tamer one. For a second he digs through his memories of watching the sports festival and soon comes upon an answer, the first match of the 1 vs 1 had gone by quickly. One of the kids had tried to brainwash the other, it hadn’t worked in the end but Chuuya can remember Dazai made a few comments about it back then.

Confident in his answer Chuuya turns his attention to Dazai in an attempt to make it clear who he is responding to, “Brainwashing kid, right?”

Dazai hums as the game console plays a little song. “Yep,” he sets the console down and finally gets up off the floor, “Wouldn’t want you to lose control of yourself, Chuuya~~”

The kids around them look taken aback, a few of them even look a little scared. Dazai sees this and sighs, “You act like we stalked him to get that information.” The class remain silent in a way that makes it feel like they don’t believe Dazai, which is funny in a way. Have they completely forgotten about the sports festival?

Now standing next to Chuuya, Dazai rolls his eyes, “Sports festival, remember? All your Quirks were broadcasted internationally, I just made note of the interesting ones.”

Bakugou somehow gets more outraged by this very common and obvious fact, “Bastard.”

Very used to being called that Dazai just waves him off, “That’s me~” Dazai then turns to Chuuya and begins pulling him away without a second glance at 1A, “Let’s go see what snacks they have~”

They are almost to the kitchen when Chuuya stops in his tracks, Dazai shoots him a curious look as he turns around to face the class once more. Everyone looks back at him like they expect him to make some last comment, what he’s really after is actually far more stupid.

“We can’t go in there without two students, so uh, could a couple of you come with?” He asks in a serious tone. Everyone seems shocked by his words, especially Dazai who starts spouting some nonsense about dramatic exits. In Chuuya’s defence, he isn’t going to get punished for breaking the rules to see if the kitchen has crab or not, which is absolutely the reason Dazai wanted to go in there.

Chapter 7: 6 - The first day pt.2

Chapter Text

Silence descends on the room quickly after Chuuya’s words, a few of the students have looks of clear disbelief on their faces. Admittedly, he can understand why they seem in shock by his words, two infamous criminals need babysitters to go in a kitchen? Just saying it like that sounds stupid, add on that little glaring contest he had with that Bakugou kid and it somehow gets worse. It is, unfortunately, the situation he finds himself in and not some poorly executed joke. If no one starts moving he might just end up starving, which actually raises another question, if no one comes with them do they just not get to eat? That doesn’t sound like something self-righteous heroes would do though, so maybe Aizawa would go with them? Speaking of, Aizawa had asked Iida to watch over them earlier, so he must be the most responsible of the class, with that in mind Chuuya shoots the kid a serious look in hopes that he’ll say something.

It seems to work as a moment later the shock wipes from his face, he takes a look around at the other 1A kids before responding, “As your class president I will volunteer.” His tone is both serious and reassuring, almost like he’s about to head into battle. In all honesty, Chuuya finds it very amusing, the worst thing that could happen in that kitchen would be a lack of canned crab. The reason being that Dazai would start hanging off Chuuya and whining like a toddler who got denied ice cream or some other treat. Even then, the 1A kids could just block their ears or something and be fine, so yeah, no need for the over-dramatics.

Some other kid stands up from his seat, “I’ll come with you, Iida.” His tone is much the same as Iida’s but that isn’t what Chuuya notices, no, that would be the kid’s green hair. Back in Yokohama Chuuya is often the subject of stares and unwanted questions, most of them going along the lines of ‘Is that hair natural?’ and ‘Are you a foreigner?’ It’s beyond annoying having to constantly repeat the same things, things like ‘Yes it’s natural’ and ‘Yes I’m Japanese’ and ‘No you absolutely cannot touch my hair.’ It’s tiring to deal with, even more so with that idiot Dazai teasing him about it all the time. It’s rare to see anyone with unique coloured hair back home, but here in Quirked society, no one gives Chuuya’s hair a second glance. It makes complete sense why, after all, mutant Quirks are far more noticeable than hair colour, but still, it’s weird. It’s such a small detail compared to the various other things he could be focusing on, such as the burning glare from Bakugou, and yet it still stands out to him.

The brainwashing kid from earlier also stands up, “Hope you don’t mind me tagging along.” Iida and the greenhead seem the slightest bit relieved upon hearing this, either because they now outnumber him and Dazai or because they believe the kid’s brainwashing will keep attacks at bay. It wouldn’t, not with Dazai around, but whatever, the quicker he can grab some food the quicker he can head to his room. There won’t be anything to do in his room but it sounds far more enjoyable than sitting with a bunch of hero wannabes and being stared at.

Although, as the trio of 1A kids make their way into the kitchen Chuuya can’t help but feel on guard. Initially, the unassuming purple-haired kid had slipped under his radar in terms of being a threat, compared to his flashy classmates Chuuya had thought the kid would be an easy takedown. Now though, things are different. Explosions, fire, electricity- none of that poses a threat to Chuuya, but brainwashing? The mere thought of his carefully maintained control being stripped away leaves him on edge, his instincts urge him to take the kid out before something can go down. Losing the control he prides himself on could never end well for two reasons, his Ability and Arahabaki.

Upon the Tainted Sorrow is a powerful Ability, no one can deny that, but what people don’t seem to understand is that using it requires perfect control. Even just one slip of focus and a building crumples like a can, one misstep and his enemies shoot up to space before they can even blink. Hell, if Chuuya wanted to he could level a town in a matter of moments, all he would have to do is make contact with that first building. That kid has no idea about any of that, he has no idea how precise you have to be when controlling gravity to avoid chaos. If he ordered Chuuya to do something, like say increase the weight on someone, then the lack of specific orders would certainly lead to a death.

And then, of course, the issue of Arahabaki. Chuuya has never been brainwashed so, in all honesty, he has no clue if Corruption would automatically trigger should he lose his control and frankly, he doesn’t want to find out. Right now not a soul outside of Yokohama knows about Corruption, if the pros do find out then things could go south fast. If they find out that Chuuya is a bigger threat than previously thought then Nedzu may just kick them out of UA, in that situation they either end up in prison or fighting a whole f*ck tonne of pro heroes. Then there’s the chance the government will be curious about him, about Arahabaki… If that happened, well, Chuuya would rather commit double suicide with Dazai than end up in some lab again.

Never mind All Might, that kid is by far the biggest threat.

He doesn’t let any of that show on his face though, lest the 1A kids think he’s intimidated by them. Instead, he follows the trio into the kitchen, which turns out to be just as large and fancy as the common area.

The three students sit down around the island counter, each with varying looks of suspicion and anxiety on their faces. Chuuya pays them no mind, instead, he begins familiarising himself with the kitchen layout and organisation. Dazai won’t cook anything, well he might try and then give himself food poisoning. The point is that Chuuya will be doing the cooking for them so knowing where everything is will be helpful. He searches through most of the kitchen, only avoiding the cupboards with students’ names on, and finds exactly no canned crab.

“No crab, you’ll have to actually eat something else for a change.” He explains while pulling out some rice. Maybe another night he can make something more complex for the two of them but since it’s their first day he’ll pick something easier, stir fried rice fits that just perfectly. There should be some vegetables in the fridge that he could include, maybe even some meat if he’s lucky.

Dazai, who surprisingly wasn’t making a nuisance of himself before this, gasps dramatically and dumps his body weight onto Chuuya. Despite being taller he doesn’t weigh all that much, something that is both worrying and fortunate at times. Worrying because he surely can’t be eating enough and fortunate as it allows Chuuya to pick him up without any issue. Before the idiot can even begin whining Chuuya easily pushes him onto the island counter before making a speedy getaway towards the large fridge.

Unsurprisingly, Dazai makes no attempt to move from his new spot and instead slumps down further. The 1A students sitting across from him seem uncomfortable by his presence, even more so when he peeks his eye out from behind bandaged arms. “Ahh, I dread to think what the Chibi will cook up,” he shivers in an overdramatic way, “thinking about it makes me ill.”

Overhearing this Chuuya resists the urge to throw something at the idiot, namely the knife he just picked up. Scoffing, Chuuya begins cutting up some vegetables, “But if I don’t make you anything you complain I’m starving you, pick a side.” Chuuya can’t see his face at the moment but he gets the distinct feeling Dazai is pulling some sort of face at him. Ignoring the urge to do something rash Chuuya simply continues preparing the meal, this causes the room to fall into silence.

A few minutes pass with the only sounds being the knife hitting the chopping board and the soft breathing of those in the room, that ambience comes to an end when Chuuya gets a bad feeling. Specifically his ‘Dazai is up to no good’ feeling, setting the knife down he prepares to deal with whatever nonsense the idiot is cooking up. Taking a look at said idiot reveals he’s starting down the green-haired kid and, by the looks of it, is starting to unsettle him. That’s not all that surprising given how naturally big Dazai’s eyes are, it’s far too easy to be sucked in and affected by whatever emotion appears in his eye. This particular emotion is one of Chuuya’s least favourites, or well, it would be more accurate to say lack of emotion. Wide, warm, and inviting brown eyes with absolutely no emotion, no friendlessness behind them. It’s unsettling because at first there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong but you still feel unnerved, you feel like something is wrong or unnatural with Dazai.

Chuuya has been on the receiving end of that look two times, the first time it worked like a charm and he had left that interaction creeped out and wary of Dazai. The second time it still affected him, but not in the intended way. Instead of being unnerved Chuuya felt pissed off, he had seen personally just how much emotion that brown eye could hold and yet Dazai was still trying to pass off as ‘unemotional’. A stupid idea in Chuuya’s opinion, which he did tell the Mackerel bastard and was then rewarded with a look of utter shock and confusion. That was one of the few times he had the pleasure of seeing a truly confused and taken-aback Dazai, something that is always amusing.

The green kid doesn’t seem to be fairing well though, it’s obvious he’s trying to meet Dazai’s gaze head-on without looking scared. It isn’t working though, as Chuuya can see the sweat forming on the kid’s forehead. Taking pity on the kid Chuuya decides to intervene, “Oi, bastard,” Chuuya starts, “Stop tormenting the greenie.”

Dazai sighs and deflates in a way that always proceeds whining and insults to Chuuya’s height, fortunately, the green kid interrupts before the idiot can begin making a fuss, “G-greenie?”

Chuuya gives him a shrug before turning back to the food, “Haven’t introduced yourself, so yeah, greenie.” After responding he begins the process of frying all the veg and meagre amount of meat he found in the fridge.

“Oh right, well I’m Midoriya Izuku. This,” Chuuya glances back to see who he was referencing, “is Shinsou Hitoshi and that’s Iida Tenya .”

Well, it’s nice to have a name for the biggest threat to the mission.

Dazai chuckles at that, which causes Shinsou to speak, “Why are you laughing?”

He does not get a response, which Chuuya expected. Dazai’s best weapon is his mind after all, take away his control and the fishy idiot will be f*cked. The fear of being completely controlled is something they both share- actually, would the kid's Quirk even work on Dazai? Chuuya wouldn't think so given No Longer Human but then again it is better to be safe than sorry.

Iida then speaks, “I too am curious why you laughed, Midoriya didn’t say anything funny.”

“Hmm, well- actually never mind~” Dazai replies and a glance back confirms the smirk that Chuuya guessed would be on his face, what’s interesting is that Dazai is staring at Midoriya once again. Alright then, he wants to mentally attack that kid over the other two. He probably noticed something about the kid that Chuuya hadn’t, something that makes him more of a target. Making a note to ask Dazai about it later Chuuya returns to cooking, the dish is almost done.

It seems Chuuya wasn’t the only one to notice the targeted attacks as Shinsou speaks up, “You’re doing this on purpose, right?”

Once again Dazai does not respond, Shinsou huffs in what seems like annoyance and anger. A few seconds later Midoriya speaks up, “Shinsou asked you a question.” He sounds on guard and slightly suspicious.

“I know, but why would I respond to him?” Dazai puts extra emphasis on that last word. The room turns more tense and Chuuya fights the urge to turn around, having his back to the enemy is against his very nature. Still, he has to have some faith that Dazai won’t go so far to instigate a physical fight, although even if it does come down to blows then Dazai would probably cover his back. Hopefully anyway, if not then Chuuya might just have to join the pro’s side to beat the bastard up.

“What does that mean?” Midoriya asks in a tense yet steady voice.

Dazai sighs in a carefree way, “Pretty obvious, no?”

A few seconds pass before Shinsou speaks, “My Quirk.”

Naturally, Dazai responds in the most obnoxious way possible by clapping, “Bingo~”

Chuuya turns to go grab some plates and sees the offended faces of Iida and Midoriya, Shinsou seems more resigned but still annoyed. Somehow, Iida sits up straighter than before, “You’re committing Quirk discrimination then, as the class pres-”

Dazai cuts off Iida with a dramatic sigh, “You make it sound so serious~”

Chuuya returns to his cooking with the plates in hand and rolls his eyes, seems Dazai intends to create a hostile environment straight off the bat. 1A already dislikes, possibly hates, them already so to re-enforce their feelings would cause the class to avoid them. Not having to deal with a bunch of hero wannabes would make this whole mission easier, for that reason Chuuya decides to stay quiet and let Dazai mess with the kids some more.

“That’s because it’s illegal,” Midoriya says in a serious tone.

Dazai makes a noise that is very clearly faked shock and Chuuya can’t help but make a jab at him, “Wow, can’t believe you’d break a law, how scandalous.” His tone is both sarcastic and dry, clearly showing how little he truly cares about the situation.

Huffing, Dazai doesn’t waste any time responding, “Like you’re any better Chibi... Besides, I was just being cautious, you can’t blame me for that right?”

“I don’t just use my Quirk on anyone I please.”

Midoriya chimes in after, “Yeah, Shinsou isn’t like that.”

Dazai hums slightly, “Right, right, and who do you use your Quirk on?”

A few seconds pass before anyone answers, they might be thinking it’s some sort of trick question. Eventually, Shinsou does reply, “Villains, I guess.”

Once again, Dazai does his obnoxious little clap, “Exactly! By your standards me and Chuuya are villains, so what reason do we have to trust you?” Silence falls at that and Chuuya gets the distinct feeling the 1A kids were taken aback by that. They probably haven’t had such close interaction with those who are dubbed ‘villains’, those who don’t look up to and trust pro heroes with all their hearts. Perhaps it hadn’t crossed their minds yet that both he and Dazai have even less of a reason to trust them, that the pair of them are in a disadvantageous situation surrounded by people whom they can’t trust.

The silence sits for a second before Chuuya speaks, “Oi, bastard, come get this plate.”

For once Dazai listens without complaining and dutifully collects the plate, the movement seems to jolt the three students back to reality. Iida stands and speaks louder than really necessary, “As Pro Heroes in training it would be dishonourable to attack you in this situation, no one here would do that!”

At this, Chuuya can’t help but scoff, “Oh come off it, from the looks of it that Bakugou kid would be all too willing to start a fight.” Iida seems stuck on how to answer, only proving that Bakugou would be so dishonourable to attack them. It’s amusing to see but Chuuya honestly can’t be bothered hanging around here any more, with one hand holding his plate and the other pushing Dazai out the door he spares one last look at the trio, “None of us trust each other, yea? So let’s just mind our own business.”

Chuuya continues shoving Dazai as they walk down the hall while steadily ignoring any and all stares from 1A. Once they arrive at Chuuya’s room he shoves the idiot inside and slams the door shut, “God, you just have to make everything difficult.”

At that, Dazai flops onto his bed and whines, “Ehhh, what do you mean by that?”

“Don’t eat on my bed, messy bastard,” Chuuya protests as he sits at his desk, “Also, you know exactly what I mean, laughing for no reason just to get a reaction.”

Despite his words, Chuuya actually makes no move to get Dazai to move off his bed, especially not when he actually eats a mouthful of the fried rice. Getting Dazai to eat is always a challenge, even with a smaller meal portion it’s unlikely he’ll actually eat most of it. Just this once he’ll let the idiot’s terrible manners slide if it means he’ll actually eat something.

“But I did have a reason!” Dazai exclaims, “That kid’s name is Midoriya and he has green hair, isn’t that funny?”

Honestly, Chuuya can’t tell if Dazai is being serious or not. Hopefully not, or else his sense of humour must really be too far gone. Electing to ignore his nonsense, Chuuya instead takes a big bite of his fried rice, it’s not the best meal he’s made but it’s not too bad.

Dazai huffs at being ignored but continues picking at his meal as the minutes tick by until, eventually, the idiot pushes his plate away and sighs, “This is so boring, why'd they have to take our phones…”

“So we don’t contact people, duh,” Also so they can search them for any information on the Port Mafia, not that they’ll find anything useful.

Dazai makes a dramatic sigh before rolling over in the bed, Chuuya decides to take this opportunity to grab the idiot’s plate. Between the two of them meal mealtime never lasts that long, Dazai takes a few bites and calls it quits while Chuuya devours it all quickly. Typically, if the Mackerel leaves too much food spare then it gets dumped onto Chuuya’s plate. A decent amount of Dazai’s food is gone today though so that doesn’t look necessary.

Grabbing both plates Chuuya makes his way to the door, “I’ll be right back, don’t make a mess.” Dazai sticks his tongue out, which is about as good as a response he’ll get. Hopefully, his room will still be intact when he gets back, if not he’ll force Dazai to swap.

The hallway to the main room isn’t too long but, as Chuuya is now finding out, sound travels well down it. Chuuya hears his name and pauses, slightly curious about what the 1A kids are saying about him.

“They just freak me out, y’know? Like I can’t explain why, but I feel like I’m about to get jumped or something.”

Another kid chimes in, “Yeah I get what you mean! They seem nice but obviously aren’t... Man, I’d prefer if they were just straight-up evil.”

“Maybe then the Pros would have let them rot in jail.”

Well, at least Dazai will get a kick out of knowing he’s scaring the students already. Chuuya waits a few more minutes before walking out to the kitchen, while he couldn’t really care if the 1A kids felt awkward knowing Chuuya overheard them talking sh*t, he honestly can’t be bothered with further interacting with the class. They’d try and apologise or make excuses, which would be stupid since he would be able to tell they were faking, which would be annoying to deal with.

Damn, only a day in and he’s already tired of this whole mission.

-

Chuuya has never been to school before and he has never been more glad for that fact. He had thought it would be somewhat interesting to learn new things and experience that classic atmosphere that always appears in TV shows about high school, but so far it’s been disappointing. All the stuff the teachers have been talking about so far have been things he either already knows or doesn’t care about, not to mention that the only atmosphere to speak of is one of anxiety.

Which, sure, Chuuya understands why 1A isn’t acting all buddy-buddy with him, but still, it’s boring as hell only having Dazai to talk to. Maybe the better word would be annoying actually, absolutely mind-breaking annoying. Last night the idiot had refused to leave Chuuya’s room until the last possible moment and when he finally did leave he then spent about an hour tapping out Morse code on their shared wall. It wasn’t even anything serious like updated plans, just constant short and dog jokes followed by whining at being ignored. Whining that he shouldn’t have been able to hear since it was Morse code, but that didn’t stop the Mackerel’s stupid voice echoing around his head. After this mission, he’ll take one far far away from Dazai, god knows he needs a break from the idiot.

Even now, in the middle of a lesson, Chuuya finds himself focusing more on the mischief Dazai is up to rather than the lesson contents. To anyone else, they wouldn’t see anything amiss with Dazai’s actions, he’s sat all quiet diligently writing things down. But that’s how Chuuya knows something is up because there is no need for Dazai to be writing things down, first of all, he most likely already knows the topic inside and out, and secondly even if it was a new topic for him that ‘genius mind’ would just absorb everything without the need for paper. So, Dazai is up to something.

In all honesty, he’s probably tormenting 1A in some way but there’s also a chance that this is something to annoy Chuuya with later, if that is the case then he’d rather know now and be ready. Not that he can actually see what the fishy bastard is writing from across the room but whatever, that’s not relevant.

Leaning forward Chuuya tries to get a read on Dazai’s face, he looks mischievous, which is not a surprise at all but does confirm that he’s up to something.

A shadow falls across Chuuya’s desk, a pre-warning before the teacher speaks, “How about you answer these questions then?” His tone is slightly snobbish and laced with hatred. If Chuuya had to make a guess he’d say whoever this guy is must have noticed he wasn’t paying attention, now he wants Chuuya to embarrass himself by failing to answer the questions.

Risking a glance up at the board Chuuya honestly expected harder questions, maybe the teacher just assumed he’d be sh*t at physics like many other kids his age. Unfortunately for this guy, Chuuya mastered physics before he even knew the name for it.

Answering the questions is a breeze and the shocked face of the teacher, and a few of the students around him, is very satisfying. Deciding to lean into the smugness he feels Chuuya just shrugs, “My Ability is literally physics, what’d you expect?”

With that out of the way, Chuuya turns his attention back to Dazai, just what could that guy be planning?

-

Aizawa has been a teacher for a long time now, when he first started he, admittedly, was a little nervous about it. Teaching the practical side of heroics would be easy enough, but standing in a classroom all day teaching basic subjects? That part felt completely foreign to him, of course, as the years went by he settled into the whole thing. He’s taught students who struggled with basic concepts and students who excelled above their peers, the point is, he knows how to teach.

An amendment to that statement; Aizawa knows how to teach morality and ethics classes to kids who want to be Pro Heroes. He does not, in fact, know how to teach that to a pair of murderous teenagers. Unfortunately, he does not have any time to dwell on this little problem as both Dazai and Nakahara are already sitting before him ready to be taught.

Well, ‘ready’ is an overstatement. The both of them look beyond uninterested but whatever, Aizawa will have to make do.

“This is our first lesson, so I want to get to know you both,” Aizawa explains, “Tell me about yourselves.”

Dazai and Nakahara both share a look of confusion, seeing this Aizawa elaborates, “Tell me about anything, your favourite things, places you go, things you do, whatever you like.”

While it would be nice to get some more information on Yokohama and the Port Mafia that isn’t Aizawa’s intention right now, he truly does just want to get to know the pair of them. He can’t teach them to be better people if he doesn’t know why they commit crimes in the first place, right?

Dazai looks a little suspicious, which isn’t all too surprising, “Hmm, well I like going to the arcade with Chuuya.”

“Arcade? You mentioned that before,” ‘during the livestream’ goes unsaid, “You both go there often?”

At that Nakahara shrugs, “When we have time and a score to settle.”

Aizawa nods, “Who wins more?”

Dazai immediately brightens while Nakahara slumps in his seat a little, with a grin Dazai exclaims, “I do, of course!”

“More like you cheat the most,” Nakahara huffs.

In a display of childishness, Dazai sticks his tongue out at the other before replying, “You’re just a sore loser~~”

It doesn’t take a genius to predict what will happen should this conversation continue, with that in mind Aizawa instead decides to swap subjects. Any question to do with the Port Mafia will probably be met with silence, so he’ll keep the conversation away from that when possible.

“Anything else you like doing?”

Dazai looks contemplative at that and takes a moment to answer, when he does a grin takes place on his face, “Well, I love trying to k-”

Before he can finish his sentence Nakahara has already elbowed him in the stomach, “Stop saying sh*t like that.”

Aizawa bites back his curiosity at what Dazai meant to say as Nakahara turns to face him, “We don’t really do much outside of work, it’ll be easier to just start the lesson.”

Part of Aizawa wants to dwell on the fact these two teenagers apparently spend all their time working (committing crimes) rather than actually being children, the only thing that stops him is the fact that both boys would likely clam up if he asked. It’s not that he’s surprised that they don’t have time to goof off that much, hell it even explains the childish way they act around each other. If they are expected to act as adults constantly, to have the same maturity and intelligence as a fully grown man without much room for a break then they must use their time together as a break, however small it may be. It’s not surprising but it is upsetting

For now, he’ll move on to the next topic, but he’ll keep that bit of information in his mind for later. Although Aizawa was hoping to be able to understand the kids a little bit more before bringing this next topic up it seems like he’ll just have to make do, something that seems to be a reoccurring theme with these two.

“Well,” he starts, “As you know the aim of this class is for the two of you to have better morals, so we’ll start with the catalyst of all this, why did you kill Mt. Lady?” Mentally, Aizawa prepares himself for whatever reaction he may get, more specifically if the two boys are nonchalant with it all. The death of a fellow Pro is always a sore wound to bring up, doing so with the very ones responsible probably isn’t a good idea.

Dazai shrugs, “Well, we were told to.”

That Aizawa already knows, the answer he’s actually looking for is different, “Yes, but I want to know why you thought it acceptable to do, why you seemed so unbothered by it all.”

This time it’s Chuuya that responds, “If she was a civilian then yea, I’d feel bad, but she smashed up a lot of our supplies and hurt other Mafia members, in that case, she should have been ready for retaliation.”

“You didn’t think about how her death may affect others like her family?” Aizawa asks and is met with silence, not a guilty silence but rather one that tells him that neither Dazai nor Nakahara thought about it or likely cared. Perhaps he needs to take a different approach, “What if the two of you got killed, how would the people close to you feel?”

The silence continues and Aizawa observes the boys, Nakahara seems caught off guard by the question and, hopefully, is feeling the effect Aizawa hoped for. Dazai on the other hand…

“I can confidently say if I dropped dead right here 99% of people that know me would rejoice.” He nods a little as he speaks.

“And that 1%?”

Dazai smirks, “Naturally, that 1% would be Chuuya! I bet the Chibi would be so angry someone killed me before he got the chance to~”

Besides him, Chuuya nods, “Got that right, with all the sh*t I’ve had to put up with it’s only fair.”

That’s… slightly worrying. Dazai must be exaggerating, right? There has to be at least one person who would miss him, well, Aizawa hopes so anyway. Being alone in life like that surely couldn’t be good for the boy’s mental health.

“And you, Nakahara? How would people react to your death?”

At that, Nakahara seems a little reluctant to speak, “The people I have would avenge me, that’s all that needs to be said.”

There is clearly more to his answer, so Aizawa makes the decision to prod a little, “So they would be angry, possibly upset?”

Nakahara’s face turns a little more stony like he’s trying to avoid proving Aizawa’s point. Again, he prod deeper, “You wouldn’t want them to feel that way, right? So why would you want others to feel like that?”

A slight glare is sent his way as Nakahara huffs, “That’s different.”

“How is it di-”

Aizawa is cut off by Dazai sighing loudly, “Ah~ I would be so upset if Chuuya was killed, who would be my dog then?”

The stony look vanishes from his face as Nakahara turns to face Dazai, “I’m not your f*ckin’ dog!”

In response, Dazai sticks his tongue out once again. This seems to have been over the line as Nakahara all but launches himself towards the other teen, sighing, Aizawa tries to de-escalate, “Both of you, sit down. Now, Nakahara, I was about to ask-”

Once again Aizawa finds himself cut off by Dazai, this time however it’s different. Ignoring the obvious change in that now Nakahara has hold of the boy’s collar in a threatening way there is something else, something to do with his face. So far, Dazai has been rather expressive and childish and that still stands true, the smile on his face is distinctly a teasing one and yet…

And yet that one eye is glimmering with a warning, a threat not to continue down that line of inquiry while also being lifeless and somehow teasing. So much emotion held in one eye, emotion that Aizawa has no doubt would vanish the second he looks away.

“Sensei, I’m realllly interested about that glowing baby, can you tell me about it?”

Despite it being a question Aizawa gets the feeling the topic change is non-negotiable, it seems he’ll be swapping to history for a little bit. That’s all right though, while the conversation may have been short Aizawa feels like he learnt a few important things. First, Dazai and Nakahara play in the arcade as an escape from Mafia work, people don’t like Dazai, and that if Nakahara doesn’t want to answer a question Dazai will ensure he doesn’t have to. Maybe Nedzu was right about the depth of their relationship after all.

Oh, he also learned that taking some painkillers beforehand would save him a massive headache.

-

Thankfully, the morality and ethics, or history as it turned into, lesson continued without a hitch. Dazai and Nakahara obviously didn’t care much for the subject but they still listened and answered questions, something Aizawa can’t say about certain 1A students. However, with one obstacle out of the way another rises to take its place, this time in the form of Practical Heroics.

While the class get changed Aizawa can’t help but think about Dazai and Nakahara, more specifically the fight in Yokohama. Back then he and the other Pros hadn’t expected the pair to be so strong, what they had encountered however was two teenagers far more advanced than their peers. If Aizawa had to place them then he would say the pair are around the same level as UA’s third years. Dazai with his freakishly good aim with a gun, and any unknown fighting skills, far made up for his lack of a combative Ability. Back then he led Hawks right into Endeavour’s flames, which if intentional suggests good spacial awareness mid-battle along with creating plans on the fly. Nakahara’s Ability is undoubtedly strong too, being able to jump around without a care in the world and through chunks of building like pebbles is a testament to that. Right now they don’t know the limitations of the boy’s Ability, for all they know he may be able to send people to space easily.

All of that is why Aizawa is apprehensive about this lesson because Nedzu had insisted that 1A fight the two of them as soon as possible. Naturally, he understands why the Principal wanted to do this, having the pair fight in a controlled environment will give them a better idea of their skills and threat level. Not to mention that it will remove the mystery surrounding them for 1A, currently, the kids know the pair are strong but don’t know their exact strength level. Even if they all fail in their fights, which Aizawa hopes does not happen, the fear of not knowing is far worse than the fear of knowing.

Soon enough the class begins to trickle into the gym, each one dressed in their costumes. Dazai and Nakahara appear alongside Iida, who must have taken it upon himself to escort them outside, in the official UA sports uniform. They don’t look all too pleased with it if the grumpy expressions are anything to go by.

One close enough Dazai voices his displeasure, “Senseiiii, why can’t we just wear our Mafia clothes? This uniform is so ugly.” Beside him, Chuuya nods in agreement.

“If you behave, then I’ll see about it for next time.” Is it morally bad to use their own clothes as an incentive to behave? Maybe.

Turning to address 1A, Aizawa begins explaining the plan for today’s lesson, “Today class, you’ll be fighting either Dazai or Nakahara without the use of Quirks or Abiliti-”

Before he can finish Bakugou interrupts, “Why not?! I wanna fight ‘em with my Quirk!” Smoke rises from the boy’s fist, much to Aizawa’s annoyance.

“As this is the first lesson with them it would be irre-”

Once again Aizawa is cut off, this time by Dazai, “But Sensei, you want us to give them an ‘authentic’ fight right? Authentically, Chuuya wouldn’t be caught dead without access to his Ability.”

That… makes sense. Also, it would be helpful to know more about Nakahara’s Ability and its limitations, but the safety of his students is more important than information.

Perhaps sensing his reluctance Nakahara speaks, “I’m not an idiot y’know, even with access to my Ability I won’t try anything surrounded by so combatants, especially when you’d just erase my Ability.”

Another good point… Feeling his resolve crumbling, Aizawa turns to 1A, “Does anyone have any objections to fighting with Quirks and Abilities?”

The students look around at each other but ultimately no one objects.

“Oh yea, Sensei, authentically I would have a gun sooo,” Dazai looks at him with what could only be described as a pleading expression in his eye, “You’ll let me have one for this, right?”

“Absolutely not.”

Whining, Dazai flops over and rests his weight on Nakahara, “C’mon Senseiii, it doesn’t have to be a real one.”

Aizawa can already feel a headache forming yet again, “We’ll discuss this later,” he then turns to 1A, “Nakahara will fight first, so anyone who wants to be up against him stay here. The rest of you head up to the observation deck with All Might.”

The students nod and begin splitting themselves up, Aizawa watches as a majority decide to fight Nakahara. 1A must think that Dazai is the bigger threat, evident by the fact only Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugou have chosen to fight him. Those three are the stronger and more heroic of 1A, it only makes sense for them to go against who they perceive as more threatening. Aizawa isn’t so confident that their assessment of the pair is correct, but 1A will have to figure that out themselves.

The three students and All Might begin making their way to the observation room followed by a sulking Dazai who clearly still wants a gun.

“Hey, Sensei,” Nakahara calls for his attention. Aizawa glances over at him and nods slightly. “Eighteen individual matches is gonna drag out, can I just take ‘em all on at once?”

The students around him, who previously were chattering anxiously, fall into silence with a bewildered look on their faces. Aizawa too feels shocked, all eighteen students at once? Sure, Aizawa already knew the kid has a strong Ability but fighting all eighteen at once? That type of confidence is rare even in more domestic situations, only having one ally in the whole room but still being unafraid to take on an entire group of people… Either Nakahara is confident Aizawa won’t let the fight get too serious, or he doesn’t see any of the students as a threat.

Aizawa feels like a broken record constantly being shocked at the same things, for now he’ll blame it on the fact these two kids are like nothing he’s seen before.

“You.. you want a 1 v 18 fight?” Aizawa clarifies.

In response, Nakahara nods his head, “Yep.” He looks completely unbothered by the prospect, in fact, Aizawa dares to say he looks a little excited.

From the observation deck, Dazai begins laughing, which causes the students below to break out of their stupor. In this particular gym, the observation area isn’t a separate room, instead a hidden staircase leads upwards to a section of wall that had been inset to create a room with just three walls, the fourth wall being a metal railing overlooking the gym. Dazai seems to have made himself comfortable up there by slotting his legs in between the railings and resting his head on the metal, a grin on his face as he watches the students grow more freaked out.

Mina gasps dramatically, “What do you mean take us all on?!”

Nakahara doesn’t get the chance to answer that as Dazai laughs again, the sound bounces around the gym as the students share looks of anxiety. The exception naturally is Bakugou, who instead begins yelling, “The hell are you laughing at, Bandages?!”

Dazai spares a glance behind him and smirks, “Hm~ Why don’t you take a guess, you three are the top students, right?”

Bakugou looks even angrier at that, his face only getting more scrunched when Midoriya begins talking. “We are the top students, that’s why we chose to fight you, we all assumed that you would be harder to fight… But now I feel like that’s wrong.”

Nodding, Dazai grins, “Your mistake really~” He then turns to face the students below, “In terms of raw strength… well, Chuuya is leagues ahead of me.”

Uraraka looks between Nakahara and Dazai with confusion clearly written on her face, “He is? But he’s not….” She trails off.

Despite that Nakahara still responds to her, “Scary?” A few students nod which encourages him to continue, “I don’t have a reason to be scary to you all, Dazai on the other hand is a f*ckin’ weirdo that enjoys freaking people out over nothing.”

Aizawa has half the mind to scold him for the swear but holds it back, instead, he chooses to address the more prominent issue. “If anyone wants to swap opponent then now is your chance, as for the 1 v 18… if the students are alright with it then go ahead.”

Nakahara seems pleased with that outcome and turns to face the students waiting around him, “I gotta warn you, I might be way stronger than Dazai, but that bastard up there won’t show any mercy, or well, as little as he can get away with. I’ll go easy on you all though, so, whose fighting me?”

The students seem conflicted by this, Aizawa can clearly see it on their faces as they quietly discuss it amongst themselves. A strong opponent or one that won’t show any mercy, it really is a ‘pick your poison’ situation. Up in the observation room, there is some commotion, which Aizawa only half listens to, something about Bakugou wanting to fight them both.

Eventually, the thing that cements the student’s decision is none other than Yaoyorozu. Despite her low confidence at times, the girl is a good motivator for the class, both when studying for tests and during training. When she speaks it’s steady, “If we all work together then we can win, I’m sure of it.”

Her words spark confidence in the students around her, they all turn to face Aizawa and look ready for a fight.

With all the students happy with the arrangement Aizawa begins explaining how the fight will work, “There are two ways to win, the first is to get your opponent, or opponents, out of the chalk square around the room. The second is to take them out, however, none of you are to inflict any serious injuries.” That last part is more so for Nakahara, in a normal training session the students can typically get away with holding back less.

“How am I supposed to ‘take them out’ if I can’t cause serious injury?” Nakahara asks.

Understanding the potential confusion Aizawa explains further, “Stop before you actually seriously hurt anyone, but if the attack would have caused the student to be knocked out then it counts and whoever it is will have to leave the fight.”

Nakahara nods, his relaxed stance easily slipping into something more prepared for battle. The 1A students shuffle around a little bit too, likely getting into some type of formation, Aizawa too moves backwards a bit. He has no clue how this fight will go, he can only hope his students don’t get beat too badly if at all.

From up in the observation room Dazai yells, “Give ‘em hell, Chuuya!”

In response, Nakahara rolls his eyes but a small smile forms on his face.

Aizawa’s hand slips into his pocket, the pocket where a certain remote control lies. The Ability nullifying bands that Nakahara is wearing can be controlled by said remote, by pressing a couple of buttons the boy’s Ability will be returned for the fight. Reading himself Aizawa softly presses down on the buttons,

“Start.”

Chapter 8: 7 - SKK vs 1A

Chapter Text

For a few seconds pass before anyone moves, the students of 1A once again too wary of him to make the first move.

Yesterday during that first lesson he had spent the time prioritising which students would need to be taken down in a fight first, which he is very glad about now. He ordered them in three groups, low, mid, and high-level threats. He had also taken the time to ask Dazai about any Quirks he couldn’t remember from the sports festival last night, which the idiot had actually been helpful with. There were a few students that he couldn’t order at that time, ones that he would have to actually fight to access their placement, but none of those were high threats. No, only two students made the top of the list.

The obvious one is Shinsou with his brainwashing, his Quirk has crazy potential and could likely take Chuuya down if he didn’t have any prior knowledge of it. That being said, as long as he stays silent then the kid’s Quirk is rendered useless and, in all honesty, the kid looks weaker than Dazai does. Chuuya is very confident he could take him down in a fistfight and that’s completely ignoring Upon the Tainted Sorrow.

The other threat is a bit different, at this current level Chuuya doubts that she could really do anything to him but the potential is there. That threat is none other than the invisible girl Hagakure, someone whom Chuuya doesn’t doubt typically files under people’s radar. From what he’s observed she acts quite bubbly and carefree, the type of personality that typically wouldn’t be too good at fighting. Her fighting skills are irrelevant in this situation though, because the moment Chuuya takes his eyes off her she could slip away. With a Quirk like hers, she could easily sneak up on Chuuya, possibly even pull a knife to cause injury depending on how her Quirk works. Naturally, any physical contact would alert Chuuya to her presence and allow his Ability to affect her, but still, she could get an attack in before he reacts.

Shinsou he can keep an eye on throughout the fight, Hagakure however needs to be dealt with first. With that in mind, Chuuya decides to stop wasting time and attack first, he relishes in the red glow that surrounds him along with the faint rings of literature before launching himself forward towards his target. Like many others he has fought, the kids of 1A can’t react fast enough to his speed, this gives him a clean opening to grab Hagakure and deposit her out of bounds.

The students finally jump to attention as Chuuya turns around to face them, he doesn’t bother fighting the grin that forms on his face, “Alright then, whose next?”

The students exchange looks, perhaps trying to wordlessly form a plan. They aren’t that good at it though, so Chuuya doesn’t see the need to let them continue. For now, he’ll pick them off starting with mid and high-level threats, Shinsou can be ignored for now though, instead, Chuuya sets his sights on the electricity kid. Once again launching himself forward he soon arrives in front of the kid and prepares a kick to his stomach, however, it seems after that first attack 1A has turned more vigilant. One of the kids beside electricity boy jumps in front and at the last second hardens his skin, not even flinching when Chuuya’s foot makes contact. Ignoring the slight sting in his foot Chuuya pulls himself backwards and out of range of the kid, while he can’t remember his name this guy is a low-level threat. Hard skin would be useful against say, Dazai’s gun, but not against gravity.

Of course, he has already made contact with the kid so he could just increase gravity and be done with him. He won’t though, not yet anyway. Just like the pros don’t know about Corruption, they don’t know the limits, or lack thereof, surrounding his Ability. They’ll know it’s touch-activated, that he can affect himself and objects, maybe even that he can make things both heavier and lighter but not that he can affect people. He’ll keep that a secret for now, it may be useful as a surprise move later.

From the corner of his eye, Chuuya notices as the tail guy, Ojirou if he remembers right, runs up behind him and prepares to hit him. In response, Chuuya drops low enough that the attack misses. Still crouching, he turns to face the kid before kicking his leg upwards, effectively hitting the kid in the chin. The hardening kid is still standing behind him, so Chuuya swings his leg right around and launches off the kid and towards Ojirou. Using a little extra acceleration curtsey of his Ability, Chuuya manages to push Ojirou all the way to the boundary and then beyond. Two out already, this fight really shouldn’t last that long if it continues at this rate.

In a flurry of pink, his next opponent comes gliding up with a determined look on her face, as she gets closer the ground behind her begins fizzing. Moving to the side Chuuya remembers what he can about the girl, acid Quirk, low-level threat, doesn’t look like a fighter. With that information he easily dodges the girl’s acid attacks, it would be better to fight at a distance with her but whatever, he’ll make do. Chuuya waits for a pause in her attacks before diving forward, in a swift movement he grabs the back of her neck and pulls her chest down. Without hesitation he knees her stomach, notably with less force than he would use normally, before sliding a finger across her throat, “And that’s you dead.”

The girl’s voice rang out, “What do you mean dead?!”

Perhaps if Chuuya wasn’t still beside her then he may have fallen for the little trick, as it stands however he can clearly see that acid girl’s mouth never opened. The only person with a motive to impersonate someone would have to be Shinsou, by using a different voice Chuuya would be less on guard and might respond. In theory, anyway, it clearly isn’t going to work now. Rather than verbally respond, Chuuya sends an unimpressed look over at Shinsou before jumping back towards electricity kid. In a real fight, electricity kid could still attack him even if held down by gravity, not to mention that a high enough voltage could do some damage, so he has a mid-level threat ranking.

Alas, once again the moment he gets close to the electricity kid someone jumps in front. This time it’s tape arms, yet another low-level threat. Chuuya could dodge here, although… this might be advantageous actually.

Rather than jumping out of the way, Chuuya continues forward until the tape that the kid sent out is in grabbing range. With a smirk, he grabs the tape and immediately makes himself lighter, so light in fact that tape boy is helpless but to dangle from his own tape. Honestly, he could just swing the kid around like some messed-up bowling, but he has another plan in mind. Instead, he uses the kid as a bat to hit into both the electricity kid and Iida, the force making all three group together. In a matter of moments, Chuuya increases his gravity and finds himself on top of all three kids making a show of ‘killing’ them, “Three more dead.”

Standing, Chuuya can’t help but notice the nearest kid is just standing there. It’s the small purple one and, frankly, the kid looks seconds away from wetting himself. The kid is a low-level threat anyway, so without any more thought, Chuuya kicks him out of bounds.

When he turns around to face the class once again, he barely has enough to time dodge an attack. The shadow creature lunges at him once again which causes him to dodge, this must be bird boy’s Quirk. On the next attack, Chuuya lets the shadow graze his arm and, as expected, finds that Upon the Tainted Sorrow has no effect on the thing.

Unconsciously, Chuuya feels a smile pull at his lips. A mid-level threat, one that might actually make this fight a bit more interesting. He’ll have to adopt a new plan, one that doesn’t centre around taking each student out individually.

With a sharp stomp of his foot the floor below splinters, not a second later the larger chunks glow red and rise up to be used as projectiles. Some of the kids seem nervous at the flowing kanji that appears, which is amusing considering that is the least threatening part of his Ability. Hopping onto one as it climbs higher, Chuuya keeps his eyes on the shadow creature. For now, he’ll keep it busy with dodging, once more of the students are out he can try and get closer to bird boy and knock him out, or well, pretend to.

A few of the chunks begin flying out to attack the shadow while a few stay put, this allows one of the students to jump up onto it. Frog girl, if the long tongue is anything to go by, continues jumping up and Chuuya pretends to have not noticed her for a few seconds. Then, before she can get too close, he changes the gravitational pull of the chunk of concrete she’s on. Now instead of hovering upwards, the chunk is snugly lodged into the nearest wall, which also brings Frog Girl out of bounds.

With the shadow sufficiently distracted, Chuuya jumps down with the intention of landing on some student. At the last second, however, the kid angles himself backwards and shoots a goddamn laser upwards, fortunately, Chuuya is able to dodge it before getting hit.

“How’d you dodge that, Chibi?” The bastard’s voice says, but once again Chuuya knows it isn’t him. The real Dazai wouldn’t care about asking, instead, he’d probably be whining about how Chuuya should have got hit. In fact, the idiot might be doing that right now up in the observation room. Maybe if Shinsou had started yelling insults in Dazai’s voice he would have responded.

Once again, he shoots Shinsou a ‘try harder’ look before turning back to navel laser guy. Sweeping the guy's legs out is easy, made even easier by the way he just clutches his stomach rather than trying to dodge. With the kid on the floor, Chuuya goes to elbow him in the face but stops short, “There, another out.”

The shadow creature from before loudly squawks, clearly overwhelmed with all the concrete being thrown around. Chuuya takes this as his opportunity to take down bird boy, or at least pretend to. He easily launches himself in the direction of the bird boy, but at the last second changes direction to hit right into a different student. The force of the acceleration causes the kid to stumble, which gives Chuuya the perfect chance to ‘kill’ him.

The kid beside him, some basic strength enhancer, makes a move to hit Chuuya. Naturally, he jumps out of the way and sends his own attack back which takes the kid down just like his friend.

The ground rumbles and not a moment later a loud beating hits Chuuya, the sheer volume takes him by surprise and forces him to stumble and jump upwards to dodge.

One of the mid-level threats has made her debut it seems. The girl herself doesn’t seem like too much of a threat, but Chuuya can’t control the gravity of the sound waves she sends out. He’ll have to get close to ‘knock’ her out, but getting close would increase the volume of her attacks, so using a projectile might be best.

Speaking of, with Chuuya being a tad distracted he hadn’t noticed how some of the floor pieces slipped from his control. A discrete glance tells him the chunks are now covered in a light pink glow, the obvious work of 1A’s own gravity manipulator. Back when he and Dazai had watched the sports festival Chuuya had taken note of the girl, Uraraka if his memory is right. Her fight with Bakugou was impressive, despite her age and relevant lack of experience she still showed a good grasp of her Quirk. Naturally, she still made a bunch of mistakes, ones that stood out to Chuuya like a sore thumb.

Her mistake now though is challenging Chuuya.

For now, though, he’ll let it slide. If she thinks the chunks are no longer under his control then he’ll go along with that, pretend like he couldn’t increase the gravity on them and snatch the control right back. Taking survey of the remaining seven students a plan quickly forms, if he pulls things off just right he might be able to take down three at once.

Lowering himself back to the ground Chuuya intentionally moves slower than before, he then launches forward towards a certain student, the creation girl. The shadow creature, now free from distraction, dives to attack him just as earphone girl lines up her next attack. The sound waves boom across the gym and Chuuya waits until the last possible moment to jump upwards, the result of this is the shadow creature taking the brunt of the attack.

Chuuya then increases the weight, not only on himself but on two of the floating chunks of concrete. The pieces of floor slam down onto both bird boy and Uraraka to keep them trapped, effectively taking them out of the fight. Chuuya himself lands on top of the creation girl and pretends to hit her in the face, “That would’ve knocked you, just so you know.”

Chuuya jumps up off of her and is immediately met with the next attack, this time an attempt at restraining. This kid is the mutant one with the many arms, arms that he now uses to wrap fully around Chuuya like a deadly hug. It’s a good attempt, especially considering that Chuuya can’t just make the guy float away, but not good enough. It’s very easy to increase his own weight, this causes the guy to fall forward, or more specifically, onto Chuuya’s back. Now with the positioning correct, Chuuya jumps upwards and does a slightly dramatic spin to loosen the guy’s hold. Just as predicted, it doesn’t take long for the guy’s arms to slip and soon he goes barrelling into the earphone girl, two students down, two left.

The hardening kid from before rushes over to his classmates with a worried expression on his face, before he can ask about their health, however, Chuuya dives down and grabs him. Caught off guard, the kid takes a moment to react and when he does it’s too late as Chuuya has already dropped him out of bounds.

Coming back to rest on the ground Chuuya turns to face the last opponent, Shinsou. The kid does a half-decent job of hiding his expression, the voice changer around covering most of his face certainly helps, but Chuuya can tell the kid knows he’s screwed. Maybe, if he were like Dazai, he would drag this out a little but fortunately for Shinsou, he is nothing like that idiot.

Before Shinsou can even make a last-ditch attempt at brainwashing him, Chuuya has already launched forward and hit the kid to the ground. In a swift movement, Chuuya brings his foot up and then slams it back down next to the kid’s head, the ground below once again fractures due to the force.

“Looks like I win.”

Part of Chuuya wants to stay standing there for a few more moments, mainly because he feels cool as f*ck right now. The other part of him knows that if he stays too long Dazai will start making fun of him, so instead he moves back from Shinsou and turns to face Aizawa. The man’s expression is unreadable, but the crowd of students behind him look both in awe and terrified.

Dazai, the slimly bastard, must have come down from the observation room at some point as he now slips through the crowd of 1A students with ease. Once at the front, he dramatically sighs, “I was hoping one of you would beat Chuuya around a little, but oh well, seems he’s too much of a brute for that.”

Mentally Chuuya debates the merits of using his Ability to throw some concrete at the idiot, it would re-enforce the brute comment and Aizawa would probably scold him…

Slightly nudging the nearest rock with his foot, Chuuya launches the thing right at Dazai’s chest with no remorse.

Naturally, Dazai acts like he’s been shot, actually, he doesn’t even whine like this when he does get shot. “Owww, Chuuya is so mean to me!” Dazai exclaims while clutching his chest.

“Nakahara,” Aizawa sends him a stern look, “Don’t throw things at your classmates.”

To that, Chuuya just shrugs, “Does it really count if it’s Dazai though?” Personally, he would say no. Their partnership is way different than just being classmates so Chuuya should be allowed to get away with things like this, especially when Dazai is the one who starts it all. Plus it’s not like he’s actually hurt, he’s just being dramatic to annoy people.

Aizawa doesn’t seem to share the same thoughts though, “Yes, it still counts.”

It’s hard to not roll his eyes at that, but somehow he succeeds. Wait a few weeks and Chuuya can bet the 1A kids will be on the verge of violence, actually make that a few days. Of course, if they actually try anything then Chuuya will have to stop them but still, it’s the thought that counts.

Proving that it was all an act, Dazai stops whining and turns to Aizawa with a begging look, “So, that gun you promised?”

“I didn’t promise any gun,” Aizawa responds, “Can’t you fight without one?”

Dazai sighs deeply, “Well yes, I can, but it would be so much more fun to have one. Plus if your students get to fight with their Quirks it’s only fair!”

Aizawa looks a second away from pointing out that Dazai’s opponents could fight without Quirks, something that Dazai must notice. Instead of waiting for an answer, the Mackerel turns to the creation girl, “Hey, you can make me a little paintball gun, right?”

Creation girl looks over at Aizawa with an unsure look and after a moment it seems the man relents, “Fine, Yaoyorozu-kun could you please make one?”

Despite still looking apprehensive at the notion, she complies and not a moment later a gun and some ammo starts forming out of her skin. It’s kinda weird to watch, but seems like a pretty useful Quirk. Although Chuuya can’t help but take notice of her outfit, naturally he’d never judge someone based on how revealing their clothes are but this is different. If she plans to head into a fight with that much-unprotected skin then she’s going to end up in the hospital fast, hell, now he’s paying attention most of the 1A kid’s costumes are terrible. Never has he been more glad that the Port Mafia considers both style and safety with its uniform.

Dazai looks delighted by the whole thing, even more so when the gun is passed over to him. With a little grin, he speaks, “I want to fight split dye first!”

From up in the observation room Bakugou yells, “Hell no! I’m fightin’ you first!”

Dazai simply threw a glance in his direction before turning away, “Nope, I’m fighting you last explodo-boy, so get comfy waiting~” Despite his relaxed posture Chuuya can tell something is up by the look on Dazai’s face, he’s up to something.

With Dazai already walking towards the main fighting area it isn’t too hard for Chuuya to get close and whisper, “You better not traumatise anyone.”

The sly smirk he gets in return is very telling.

-

The view from the observation room is pretty decent and it doesn’t take long before Chuuya finds himself leaning against the railing. If Chuuya was to be honest, and he would never say this aloud, then he’s kind of excited to watch Dazai fight. Typically he doesn’t get the chance to see him in action as the bastard just lets Chuuya do all the fighting, it’s a shame really as watching Dazai fight is always so… interesting, for lack of a better word. Dazai’s style of fighting is more sly than Chuuya’s, rather than being obvious with his movements Dazai will use sleight of hand to hide his true intentions until it’s too late. He fools opponents into walking straight into their own demise, he uses that annoying mouth of his to pick apart weaknesses mid-fight as some sort of psychological warfare. Not to mention his skill with guns, that perfect precision that never seems to miss its mark. Everything about how he fights is the opposite of Chuuya, which might be why they are such a good match, they do say opposites attract.

Obviously, he won’t be going all out on a bunch of hero kids regardless of how skilled they may be. Still, though, Chuuya finds himself hoping Dazai will drag the fights out just a little.

Chuuya watches as Dazai and his opponent, who he is pretty sure is Todoroki, take their positions across from each other. They both look on in silence, the difference being that Dazai has a teasing smile on his face. Chuuya can tell from that alone that the idiot has something planned, the only question is what that might be.

Aizawa still looks somewhat nervous about giving a gun, paintball or otherwise, to Dazai but he starts the fight nonetheless and if Chuuya leans in slightly to get a better view then no one has to know.

Unlike his classmates Todoroki does not wait around to be attacked, instead, he shifts a foot forward and a glacier of ice appears. He shows no mercy and easily encases Dazai, well that explains why he’s considered the top three of 1A then. The kids Chuuya had fought waited around too much, but this kid is far more confident and less scared. An attack like that as an opening move is impressive too, a weaker opponent would be taken down before the fight could really begin. Unfortunately for Todoroki, Dazai is not a weak enemy.

In the blink of an eye the ice disappears from view, even quicker is the gunshots that follow. Two paintballs fly straight towards Todoroki with deadly precision and, had they hit, Chuuya has no doubt it would have been ‘fatal’. As it stands though, Todoroki manages to summon a slab of ice just before the paintballs hit.

The ice melts away a moment later as Dazai hums, “Looks like your ice doesn’t work on me, ah~, too bad you don’t use fire in fights.”

Todoroki does not respond verbally but instead with another wave of ice, this time in an attempt to stab Dazai. Like the previous attack, the ice disappears the moment it comes into contact with Dazai, and since this time the view isn’t blocked by ice Chuuya gets to see light blue activation of No Longer Human in all its glory. That’s another thing that Chuuya would rather die than admit he likes about Dazai, there’s just a unique beauty in his Ability that Chuuya can’t help but like.

“Actually, that’s wrong. You did use fire during the sports festival after Midori-kun said ‘It’s your Quirk.’” If said ‘Midori-kun’ minds the nickname he doesn’t say, then again it’s not like Chuuya is paying attention to that. It’s clear now how Dazai intends to win this fight, bring up a sensitive topic and be a rude bastard about it, in other words, torment Todoroki into making a mistake.

The look on Todoroki’s face somehow turns more serious, clearly he would rather Dazai not bring up the sports festival at all. Knowing that his ice won’t work but still reluctant to use any fire Todoroki instead begins running towards Dazai in a zig-zag pattern, it’s a smart move to try and avoid being hit by paintballs.

Rather than try and shoot the boy, Dazai watches as he gets closer and hums to himself, “What an interesting phrase…”

“No Longer Human is my Ability because no one else has it, it lives and dies with me, but you… You were given someone else’s fire and ice, so can it really be called yours?”

For the first time a flash of real emotion appears on Todoroki’s face, a flash of anger to be specific. Chuuya isn’t surprised, that Mackerel has always been good at getting under people’s skin, that includes people that aren’t his target. The class around Chuuya begins to mutter and shift, a few even voicing their anger at Dazai’s actions.

Electricity boy shakes his head in anger for his classmate, “Why the hell would he say something like that?”

Almost instantly after he says that Chuuya can feel multiple students' eyes on his back. Lamenting the fact he has to look away from the fight, he looks back at the students, “I did say Dazai wouldn’t show any mercy,” Chuuya taps a finger against his head, “That includes psychological attacks.”

A few students seem to want to protest at that, probably coming up with some stupid excuse of it being unfair. Chuuya doesn’t pay them any mind though as he turns back to the fight, in his brief glance away it seems Todoroki had created yet another ice structure around Dazai.

Before Dazai could nullify the ice, Todoroki easily climbs up and positions himself above where Dazai was standing. The effect this has is that when the ice does get nullified Todoroki falls directly atop Dazai in a surprise attack.

Using the split moment before Dazai reacts, Todoroki has already thrown a punch directly at Dazai’s head. His other hand makes a grab for the gun and after a short tussle, it falls to the ground.

Blocking the punch Dazai leans in, “You know, I met a fire Quirk guy, he was a total mess, just all over the place.” He speaks with a relaxed tone, something that contrasts Todoroki’s steadily increasing body posture. Dazai then swings his arm around to break the hold Todoroki has on him before kicking him in the stomach.

With a little more distance between the pair, Dazai gasps dramatically, “You two are so similar actually… hey, I don’t suppose you know him? Endeavour that is.”

The look on Todoroki’s face grows darker as he rushes forward once again, this time aiming to sweep Dazai’s legs out from under him. It works and not a moment later Dazai is sent tumbling to the ground, however, he very quickly rolls backwards before pulling himself back up. To doesn’t slip by Chuuya’s notice that the fishy bastard managed to pick his gun up and stuff it into his waistband.

With a little laugh, Dazai continues his mental attack, “Oh oh! So you do, I don’t suppose that’s who gave you the fire?”

In retrospect, it is impressive how quickly Dazai can pick apart someone and turn a steady demeanour into one shaking with anger or upset. Maybe if Chuuya wasn’t the victim of that skill so often he would be able to appreciate it more.

Like many before him, Todoroki falls for Dazai’s taunts hook, line, and sinker. A sliver of smoke escapes the boy’s mouth as he once again gets close enough to throw a punch at Dazai, this time one that is ever so slightly sloppier.

Chuckling, Dazai dodges, “Oh you’re getting angry now! I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!’

Another punch is thrown followed by a hand grabbing at Dazai’s collar. The hand tightens as the two stare at each other, or well, one glare and one stare.

Chuuya can see it from his vantage point, but Todoroki obviously hasn’t noticed the hand reaching for the gun. In fact, he doesn’t notice until the gun is snugly pressed into his chest and the paint begins to seep into his clothes.

Dazai grins, “Looks like you’re dead.”

A second passes before Dazai is unceremoniously dropped to the ground and Todoroki stalks off.

Dazai doesn’t seem bothered by this, instead, he smiles and looks up at the observation room, “Midori-kun~ You’re next!”

-

Midoriya feels conflicted by Dazai and Nakahara. A large part of him hates the pair for what they did to Mt. Lady, hates that they could kill someone so easily and go about their day like nothing happened afterwards. He both hates and fears the strength Nakahara had shown in his fight, the way he didn’t even break a sweat. He hates how Dazai speaks and acts, how is just as scary as Stain but without even trying.

He hates them…. But that smaller part of him is so curious. Nakahara had perfect control of his Ability, he knew exactly how to use it while maximising efficiency but not risking any of the lives of 1A. Dazai picked up on Todoroki’s mental weak point and used that to his advantage while fighting Quirkless, he managed to take down one of the strongest in the class without any extra power that an offensive Quirk or Ability could give. Someone like that would have been an inspiration a year ago, someone Midoriya would look up to as proof he could be a Hero without a Quirk.

Not to mention the fact they’re from Yokohama, that they have Abilities and not Quirks. The fanboy side of him wants to grill the pair for all the information he can possibly get, he wants to know every difference between a Quirk and an Ability. He wants to know why words appear when an Ability activates, he wants to know the limits and variety of Abilities. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from a secluded community, to fight against those who are masters of their own powers and bodies.

He wants to know so very badly, but how would he even approach that topic? How could he possibly go up to Dazai and ask about Abilities without the death of Mt. Lady playing on loop in his head? Not to mention the strength he now knows they have, if he were to get close to them would Nakahara take him down? Would Dazai rip him apart with his words?

Now, as Midoriya stands across from Dazai in the fighting arena he feels all those questions and conflict coming back. Todoroki had been taken down so easily, will Midoriya face the same fate?

No, there’s no use thinking like that. Right now he should focus on Dazai, keep an eye on his hands and ignore anything he says.

Aizawa-sensei calls the start of the fight and Midoriya wastes no time in closing the distance between him and Dazai. At close range using a gun would be harder, that only leaves hand-to-hand combat. While Dazai’s skill level is unknown, Midoriya is cautiously hopeful that his training will come in handy.

Just like Todoroki had done, Midoriya jumps in a zig-zag pattern to avoid being shot, not that Dazai tries anyway. Instead, he stays perfectly still and just watches as Midoriya gets closer. Seeing this, he can’t help but be suspicious, does Dazai have some sort of plan?

There’s no time to dwell on that question however as Midoriya soon finds himself nearing the distance close enough to launch an attack, for now, he’ll go with something simple. Without putting any of his Quirk behind it, Midoriya raises a fist and lines it up with Dazai’s face. With one last jump, he flies along the remaining distance.

However, just before the fist makes contact, Dazai smiles and suddenly drops out of view. Midoriya only has a second to look down, whereupon he finds Dazai laid in a whole Nakahara had created earlier, before his stomach flares in pain. Dazai had kicked him hard, the force breaking the momentum of Midoriya’s previous jump and sending him flying to the ground.

Pushing through the pain, Midoriya throws himself to the side in case of attack. That proves to be a smart move as not even a second later a paintball splatters on the ground where he once lay, if he doesn’t want to get shot then he’ll have to keep moving. That’s easier said than done, especially with the pain in his stomach yet to go away.

“Hey, can I ask a question?”

Midoriya is back on his feet at this point and keeps a keen eye on Dazai, his innocent tone and expression almost make Midoriya respond on instinct. Then he remembers the match against Todoroki, how Dazai had started innocently and then tore into his friend. The only saving grace here is that he doesn’t know about One For All and Midoriya’s previous status as Quirkless, if that were the case then whatever he has planned to say would be far more effective.

Without answering the question Midoriya jumps in once again to try and attack Dazai, only to be once again evaded. A paintball lands by Midoriya’s feet which causes him to jump backwards, once again creating distance that would be an advantage to Dazai.

“You’re control is soooo much better than at the sports festival… I just wonder how you improved so much in such little time, especially if you have your whole life to get to this point.” Dazai continues with a curious tone, despite his relaxed tone he never looks away from Midoriya or brings his guard down.

Once again he finds himself at the receiving end of that brown eye staring straight into his soul. It’s hard to suppress the urge to tense up at that, with the way he’s staring and the words he said it’s like Dazai knows Midoriya’s secret. That’s impossible of course, but it’s still so very unnerving.

That’s when Midoriya notices where exactly he is, scattered on the ground around him are multiple large chunks of concrete. An idea comes to mind, one inspired by Nakahara’s fight. Quickly, he scoops up a piece of concrete and launches it towards Dazai, the chunk is just light enough that it soars across the arena. Without waiting for it to hit its mark, Midoriya runs right after it. Dazai will have to dodge in some way and when he does, that’s when Midoriya will jump in and defeat him.

As predicted, Dazai jumps to the side to avoid the concrete and soon finds himself directly in Midoriya’s line of fire. As Midoriya pulls back his fist brimming with One For All he feels confident, that he’ll finish this fight right here.

Dazai’s arm comes up in defence when the punch gets closer, something that should have still given Midoriya the win. And yet, the moment his fist makes contact with Dazai’s arm a blue light surrounds them along with faintly there kanji. The words ‘No Longer Human’ catch his eye and suddenly Midoriya feels like a fool, he had focused so much on Dazai’s other fighting techniques that his Ability had all but slipped his mind.

Any regret he feels is soon wiped away by a cold chill settling inside his body, the feeling of something being taken away and left empty. The feeling of being Quirkless.

Midoriya can’t move, he can’t focus on anything other than that familiar feeling of not having a Quirk. That emptiness that haunted him for so very long, the one he thought he had escaped.

“I just hope your mentor isn’t upset with you losing to me”

One cold eye stares down at him as a gun is levelled to his chest and shot. The paint begins to run down his shirt but it is only when Dazai steps away that he truly realises what just happened. When the warmth and gentle thrum of One For All is returned to him is when Midoriya realises he has lost, that not a single 1A student has won a fight today.

From where he stands Dazai grins, “I’ve been told No Longer Human is terrible to experience, seems that’s the case when it affects Quirks too~”

Midoriya needs to get moving, needs to head back up to the observation room so Kacchan can have his fight, needs to go tell his classmates about what just happened and yet, all he finds himself doing is nodding in agreement.

-

Bakugou stares down the bandaged freak with a violent glint in his eye. At first, he had assumed the two extras would be weak, weaker than half and half at least. Then the ginger had taken most of the class out without even trying, then Bandages over there had beat both half and half along with Deku. They should actually pose a threat to him, not being so weak will make this fight far more interesting. After this he’ll have to fight the other one too, just to prove he really is the best in 1A.

Dazai likes to use a gun, so as long as Bakugou gets it far enough away the f*cker will be doomed. Emphasise ‘far enough away’, half and half made that mistake and ended up losing because of it, Bakugou won’t make the same mistake.

So, when the fight starts he wastes no time in getting over to the maniac. Soaring through the sky with his explosions is easy and it only gets better when Dazai takes a pre-emptive step backwards, heh, this might be easier than expected if the guy is already wimping out. A smirk pulls at his lips once he gets closer, “No way in hell are you gonna win!”

Dazai seems to consider this as he leaps away from the attack, “If you think so~”

The gun in his hand shoots a few times, all of which Bakugou dodges without much thought. Aizawa-sensei had been reluctant to give the guy a gun but he doesn’t seem any good with it, not yet anyway.

Still being in the air gives him an advantage though, so he’ll make this next attack really count. Using one large explosion, Bakugou propels himself to be almost completely above Dazai. In one quick movement, he drops himself right in front of Dazai with a grin, before the other can react he pushes himself forward and leads with a right hook.

Once again instead of facing Bakugou in a fight, Dazai slips away like a coward. It irritates Bakugou how the f*cker won’t stay put and fight, “Oi, fight me!”

Dazai shrugs at that with a stupid smile on his face, then, in quick succession two more bullets are fired towards Bakugou. These ones are better aimed, just barely missing his arm as he leans out of the way, maybe this guy isn’t a sh*t shot after all. Although, that raises the notion the guy has been holding back so far, an idea that just pisses Bakugou off even more.

For a few minutes, the fight turns into a game of cat and mouse, every time Bakugou gets close enough to attack Dazai jumps away again. In contrast to his prior fights he doesn’t speak that much, not even to respond to Bakugou’s own insults.

Well, not until one certain comment.

Bakugou himself doesn't pay it much mind as it comes out of his mouth, he doesn't consider how Dazai may react, no, in the heat of the moment he just yells, “I’ll kill you!”

Dazai’s expression changes in that moment, it goes from bored to excited so fast that Bakugou didn’t have chance to register it. He especially didn’t spare it much thought when the guy finally quit running and instead dashed in closer to Bakugou.

Finally, a real f*cking fight! Bakugou runs forward too and once close enough pulls his arm back to throw another right hook, this time with his signature explosions crackling around it.

Dazai doesn’t look phased by it as the explosions get closer, in fact, he seems to lean even closer in. One of his hands shoots up and grabs Bakugou’s fist, which of course activates the guy’s Ability. Bakugou hadn’t forgotten about it but he knows how to throw a punch or two without explosions so he figured it would be fine.

But then No Longer Human takes effect, and the momentary stall is just long enough for Dazai to sneak in close. He hadn’t meant to pause like that, but the cold rush of having his Quirk stripped away was far too alarming. This gives the bastard just enough time to hook a leg around Bakugou’s, Dazai then leans backwards with all his weight, which causes the pair to crash to the ground.

Somehow, perhaps when he had been stunned, the gun had been slipped into Bakugou’s hand without his notice.

Slightly shocked by the turn of events, Bakugou can’t help but look down at Dazai’s face.

From below him, a single eye stares back up, one devoid of emotion and warmth. That eye so deep in its colour that Bakugou can’t look away, he can’t stop staring at that lifeless eye and eerie face. He’s completely drawn in, surrounded on all sides by that empty eye and the matching emptiness where his Quirk should be.

The gun in his hand is manipulated and soon pressed against Dazai’s head, all the while that eye stays wide and empty.

“Go on then, kill me.”

Chapter 9: 8 - Analysing and opinions

Chapter Text

The gun is a heavyweight in his hand and, for just a moment, time seems to slow down. The rest of the room falls away as that singular eye peers up at him, an eye that is somehow passive and commanding at the same time.

Just five words, five simple words spoken in a flat tone, and yet Bakugou can’t tear himself away, he can’t yell, he can’t refuse. Never in his life has he ever felt so compelled to follow an order but here he sits now, one finger getting heavier and heavier on the trigger without his permission.

Bakugou can’t help but be reminded of a different situation, one where he couldn’t do anything to save his own life. That feeling of helplessness was chilling, the feeling of having to rely on others who are just sat watching while leaving you to suffer. This is different however, this time he is powerless to stop his action.

The trigger clicks.

-

Aizawa should have stopped Dazai already, really he should have intervened during the fight against Todoroki. At first, he thought the boy was just going to do some light taunting, the type that any of his students (minus Bakugou) could easily ignore. Then he started bringing up sensitive topics, ones that Aizawa could tell ran deep in Todoroki. He should have stopped it then, he should have saved his student from being poked at by Dazai’s deductive mind.

He didn’t do that though, instead, he watched on in silence and curiosity. Of course, he already knew about Dazai’s intelligence before the fights but seeing it in action is different. Instead of charging straight at Todoroki, which may have helped to overcome the disadvantage between them, Dazai stayed back and utilised his nullification. When his gun was knocked away he took a fall and retrieved it without notice, he then kept it hidden until the most optimum moment. Then, of course, came the taunting. The way Dazai had ordered his sentences, the way he had spoken, it was all little things that came together to ruin Todoroki’s concentration.

In his fight against Midoriya, he displayed good spatial awareness once again, this time using the destruction Nakahara caused to effectively dodge the first attack. While his taunting wasn’t as effective, likely due to a lack of information, it certainly distracted Midoriya enough for the boy to forget about Dazai’s Ability. Speaking of, Aizawa had assumed that No Longer Human and his own Erasure would act quite similar just with a different application, now though he can’t help but think differently. Erasure has been used on Midoriya countless times and yet he never seems so caught off guard, never stalled so clearly, never had a look of shock and slight horror on his face. No Longer Human must feel different then, something more bold than Erasure’s silent removal of Quirks.

Bakugou’s fight completely contrasted the prior two, instead of taunting Dazai stayed silent and seemed to be observing his opponent, perhaps he had labeled Bakugou as the biggest threat. It was like that for a while, and then Bakugou made that comment. A comment that Aizawa has told him to stop saying countless times but is always ignored. In a matter of seconds Dazai closed the distance and in a flurry of movement took Bakugou down, except not in a way that would win. Dazai put himself at a disadvantage, he gave the gun to Bakugou and then-

“Go on then, kill me.”

A second passes as Aizawa tries to comprehend what just happened. It’s only due to his many years of Pro Hero work that he manages to move his capture weapon quickly enough to drag Bakugou away from Dazai. Not a second later a paintball flies from the gun and hits the ground, despite it being a fake gun Aizawa still sighs in relief at that. The situation got far too real, far too quick. As Bakugou lands next to Aizawa with a startled expression on his face the gun slips from his hand and clatters to the ground.

A commotion rings out from the observation room, it seems the rest of 1A have snapped out of their shock. Whatever, All Might can deal with calming the class, right now Aizawa’s attention is solely on Dazai. The teen, who is still sprawled across the floor, sighs heavily before turning his gaze to Aizawa.

Ignoring the annoyed look in his eye, Aizawa questions Dazai, “Why did you do that?”

Dazai sits up and sighs in a childish manner, “He was the one to threaten me, I just wanted him to follow through.”

Before Aizawa can further question that Nakahara appears out of nowhere, without sparing anyone else a glance the boy arrives at Dazai’s side and kicks him lightly. He seems completely unbothered about the prior events, or well, perhaps annoyed but not worried. Ignoring the whining the kick causes Nakahara scoffs, “You damn maniac, you couldn’t stop for a day at least?”

Despite his words, Nakahara still offers a hand to Dazai and pulls him up. Once stood Dazai just sighs wistfully, “But Chibi, that wasn’t a suicide attempt! You should know by now it only counts if I do it.”

Now that is worrying. It also confirms a suspicion Aizawa has been toying with over the last few days, back when Dazai and Nakahara were first being taken to the dorms Dazai had made a similar comment. ‘Terrible way to kill myself,’ or something to that extent. Back then Aizawa had filed it away but had assumed, or rather hoped, that it was just an off-hand comment. It seems that his fears have been confirmed, from now on he’ll have to keep a closer eye on Dazai. Of course, Nedzu will also need to be made aware of this too.

1A, who have all come down from the observation room, have varying degrees of shock on their faces. Iida too seems taken aback, or at least for a moment before he straightens up and speaks, “Joking about suicide is not appropriate! It is a real issue that-”

Iida is cut off by Dazai, “I would never joke about suicide. In fact, it’s my dream to commit the most painless suicide possible~” The innocent smile on his face contrasts the weight of the words he just said and throws the room into a tense silence.

Aizawa tries to see any sign of this being a joke on Dazai’s face, even with the smile and carefree expression he can tell the teen is serious. Beside him Nakahara doesn’t seem surprised, in fact, he simply sighs and rolls his eyes. That pretty much confirms that Dazai is suicidal and has been for quite some time, long enough that Nakahara isn’t even phased by such a sentence. He shouldn’t be surprised, even if he didn’t have a prior hunch about this what Dazai has revealed about his life so far would likely lead to such a thing.

“If you are being serious,” Aizawa starts, “Then I need to take you to the Principal immediately.”

Dazai looks genuinely shocked for a moment before his expression turns to something more childish, in the same whining tone he seems to favour he complains, “There’s no need for that… right, Chuuya?”

Nakahara spares him a glance before shrugging, “If it’ll stop you from asking any damn woman you see to double suicide then I’m all for it.” At this point Aizawa isn’t surprised by the relaxed tone when the boy speaks of such a serious topic, it seems to be a running trend with the pair. Absent-mindedly, Aizawa wonders if there is any topic these two wouldn’t be so relaxed with.

In response, Dazai drapes himself over Nakahara and smiles sweetly. It looks… odd. “No need to be so jealous Chibi, you’ll always be my top choice for double suicide~~”

Nakahara’s face scrunches up as he scoffs, “As if!” Wasting not a second longer he shoves Dazai off and begins storming across the room to the exit, Dazai trails along behind him whining once again.

Sighing, Aizawa resigns himself to corralling those two to their respective therapists. Nedzu needs to speak with Dazai about his suicidal tendencies and while Nakahara doesn’t need to visit Yamada it wouldn’t hurt to have him go. Unfortunately, that does mean he has to leave his class with All Might, which wouldn’t be that bad if the guy was just as good a teacher as he is a Pro Hero.

Before leaving, Aizawa’s eyes fall on Bakugou. The boy is still sitting in the exact same spot, his face unreadable. Hopefully, All Might has enough common sense to speak to the boy before dismissing class because he clearly needs it. Unfortunately, with the Nakahara and Dazai nearing the exit to the building, Aizawa has no time to do it himself. He’ll have to settle for a check-in later.

-

No one really speaks after All Might dismisses them from the lesson, in place of the usual chatter while they get changed is a stale silence. Uraraka understands why no one feels like talking, they’re supposed to be the newest generation of Pro Heroes in training. They’re supposed to be a step above the rest, Uraraka isn’t arrogant enough to think herself the strongest ever, but… Getting into UA means something, right? It means that along with her classmates, she has the potential to be a good Pro Hero, and yet she got beaten so easily. Of course, Aizawa-sensei had told them that Nakahara and Dazai are strong, that they managed to fight against the top 3 Pro Heroes for a decent amount of time but still… She had at least expected 18 of them to give Nakahara some trouble, not for him to wipe them all out easily.

Together, they all walk down to the dorms with the silence hanging heavy between them. Uraraka can’t help but wonder what everyone else is thinking, specifically Todoroki and Bakugou. They haven’t said anything but she can just tell Dazai had a negative effect on them, anyone would have in their position.

When they arrive at the dorms Sero collapses down onto the sofa with a sigh and finally breaks that silence, “That was a disaster.”

Kaminari joins him, “Those guys are way overpowered.”

The rest of the class, minus Todoroki and Bakugou who have already disappeared to their rooms, settle around the common room and finally give in to the urge to complain. Everyone seems to have something to say about the pair, none of it being good.

“How Dazai spoke to Todoroki was totally uncalled for..”

“Nakahara using Tokoyami and Jirou to attack each other was so dirty.”

“What the hell was that final move Dazai pulled?”

“You think Dazai is really suicidal? Maybe it’s another mind game…”

Uraraka doesn’t pay much mind to who says what, most every comment is the same anyway. Initially, she finds herself agreeing to all those comments. Nakahara was far stronger than she expected, or more specifically, his Ability was. Quirks that have some degree of control over gravity aren’t rare per se, but they certainly aren’t common. Of all the ones she knows of no one has the same control that Nakahara had displayed, he was able to fly through the air like it was water. The pieces of concrete never wobbled or slipped from his control, they moved the exact way he wanted even when under the influence of Uraraka’s Quirk. Maybe it was a worst loss for her in that way, here is someone who shares the same power as you but is so much better at it. She has been trying to get better control of herself when in the air for a long time now, she had thought she was doing well but looking at Nakahara it’s clear she’s leagues behind. It feels like a cruel type of irony that the only person she has met with advanced control over gravity happens to be a Villain, in other words, someone she can’t beg to teach her.

Dazai too was intimidating, somehow even more than before. The way he moved around screamed a casual confidence, there wasn’t a single point in his fights that he felt threatened. Of course, his mental attacks were far more prominent. To be honest, Uraraka can’t really put into words how she felt about all that. Picking apart Todoroki’s insecurities like that was just cruel, especially since Dazai knew what type of reaction he would get. Sure, that might be how he is in real fights but that wasn’t a real one, so why did he have to taunt like that? Not to mention what happened with Bakugou… Everything about how he acted was completely alien to Uraraka, she really didn’t like it.

“They could’ve gone easier on us or something… Fighting like that just feels unfair,” Mina complains.

That comment does catch Uraraka’s attention, in fact, it triggers a memory from when she was interning with Gunhead. At the start of the internship she had no fighting skills whatsoever, after a few days of learning moves Gunhead had her fight one of his sidekicks. The fight had gone terribly for her, her opponent was far more experienced and took her down in minutes. After the fight she had complained, why make her fight someone so much better when there was no chance of winning? Isn’t that just unfair? She still remembers what Gunhead has said in response, admittedly it isn’t hard to remember due to the tone he had spoken in.

Like he was speaking to an impatient child, which was partially true, Gunhead had asked what she would gain from fighting a beginner? Sure it would increase her chance of winning but it would also decrease what she learns. Besides, calling a fight unfair just because her opponent has more experience, has trained for longer, is insulting to all the time they had put into mastering their skills. Everyone is a beginner at some point, it’s just that some people put more work in to achieve a better result.

With that floating in her mind Uraraka looks back on those two fights and thinks about the skills the two of them had shown. How many people did Dazai try his mind attacks on before getting the result he wanted? How long did it take for him to learn the perfect word order to get good results?

Nakahara must have been like her once, must have had a period of time where he struggled to jump around the air, a period of time where his control was wobbly. Had he spent months learning those skills? Had he too wished for someone who could teach him the ropes? Maybe. Using Jirou and Tokoyami to take each other out was a smart move, not to mention he his first target was Hagakure. Back then Uraraka hadn’t thought much about it but now she could see the significance behind that move, clearly, he had thought about who would be a risk to him and took down the only person that could slip by undetected.

Really, the two of them had shown off an insane amount of skills that must have taken ages to perfect. To say that it was unfair, that they should have gone easy is rather stupid now she’s thinking about it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from highly skilled Villains with no risk.

“Fighting them was a learning opportunity, something we need if we want to be stronger,” Uraraka says.

Kaminari sighs, “Yeah I get that… Just wish they had toned it down a bit.” A few other classmates seem to agree with his statement.

Fortunately, Uraraka can see at least someone understands her. Across the room Yaoyorozu nods in her direction before speaking, “Think of is this way, we may have gotten beat around but we have learned valuable things about those two.” She pauses for a second to collect her thoughts, “Now we know how Dazai uses his words as a weapon, we know how his Ability works, we know Nakahara is a better fighter, we also know what his Ability can’t affect.”

“What it can’t affect?” Mina asks with slight confusion.

In response, Yaoyorozu nods, “Yes, remember how he used Jirou and Tokoyami to take each other down? I suspect that’s because he can’t manipulate the gravity on Dark Shadow or on sound waves. If he had gone easy, then we wouldn’t know that for next time.”

Uraraka can see as a spark is lit behind her classmates’ eyes. Kaminari sits up from where he was previously slouching, “My electricity would be good too right?”

From beside her Deku nods, honestly, part of her wants to be surprised at how long it’s taken for him to start analysing the pair. Typically, Deku can’t stop talking about Quirks and their uses, finding out about Abilities must have been like finding gold. (The other part of her knows his excitement was dampened by that live stream, it’s hard to be excited by murderers.)

“If we could stun Nakahara with either Kaminari’s or Jirou’s Quirk then it would give the rest of us an opportunity to attack,” Deku explains, “Obviously, Shinsou would be the best choice for taking Nakahara down but I doubt he would fall for that at this point.”

A few people nod while others sigh. Shinsou does a mix of both, “It was hell fighting those two, can’t help but feel bad for the people of Yokohama.”

“How come?” Tsu asks.

Shinsou shrugs, “At least they obeyed the law when fighting us, doubt they do that in Yokohama.”

The atmosphere in the room dips down again as people process what Shinsou said. It’s at that moment that Uraraka remembers just who these two are, they aren’t some cool fighters that have come to UA to teach them. They’re criminals, murderers. She hadn’t forgotten about that, there’s no way she could, but in analysing the fights it had slipped to the side of her mind.

For just a few minutes her brain had lessened the importance of that fact, the fact that they could have- would have- killed them in those fights. Or, perhaps, something worse. In a real fight, with a real gun, with Aizawa-sensei nowhere in sight, if all those conditions had been met would Dazai have turned Bakugou into a murderer? What would be worse, dying before becoming a Pro or turning into the very thing you strive to defeat?

The faces of her classmates say that they must be thinking something similar. Fortunately, Yaoyorozu is quick to change the topic, “Midoriya, I have a question.”

Deku looks up and nods at her to continue, with that encouragement she does, “During your fight, near the end, you touched Dazai and his Ability activated, I was wondering how it felt?”

Deku stays silent for a moment, like he’s trying to find the right way to say something, eventually, he speaks, “It was the exact opposite of Aizawa-sensei’s Quirk.”

That prompts a few confused looks, Uraraka feels the same. Seeing this, Deku continues, “With Aizawa-sensei you don’t even notice your Quirk is gone ‘til you can’t use it, it’s like a silent attack.”

“And Dazai’s was a loud attack?” Uraraka asks.

“Yes,” Deku sighs a little, “It… it felt like he was reaching inside me to take my Quirk. Where my Quirk is supposed to sit felt cold and empty… Like I was Quirkless with no hope of getting it back.”

Quirkless? That… Uraraka can’t imagine how terrible that must have felt. Having such an integral part of herself taken away, being constantly reminded of her loss by feeling empty and cold, it sounds like a nightmare. Realistically, she knows it’s impossible to forever lose her Quirk, there has never been a case- at least one in modern history- of someone losing their Quirk forever.

It doesn’t happen.

She knows this, so there is no reason to be afraid of Dazai. No need to imagine him leaving her cold and empty before killing her, no need to imagine him laughing over her corpse like she never mattered.

She is a Pro Hero in training, she has been given a golden opportunity to learn, she will not be scared of something she knows can’t happen.

(And if she hides away in her room for the rest of the evening, no one will blame her.)

-

He’s completely drawn in, surrounded on all sides by that empty eye and the matching emptiness where his Quirk should be.

He sharply turns over as his scowl deepens.

The gun in his hand is manipulated and soon pressed against Dazai’s head, all the while that eye stays wide and empty.

“Go on then, kill me.”

A borderline growl threatens to leave his throat, his hand grips his pillow harder.

The trigger clicks.

In a fit of anger, Bakugou can’t help but launch his pillow across the room, it hits the wall and falls to the ground with little fanfare. Disappointing, he would have liked to smash a hole into the wall in place of that bastard’s face. Honestly, if only it were a real fight. If that were the case Bakugou wouldn’t have been pulled away by Aizawa-sensei, then he could have pummelled that f*cker into the ground.

(If Aizawa-sensei hadn’t been there, would he have shot Dazai?)

Despite his best efforts, that bandaged freak and his words just keep echoing around his head, every second he closes his eyes the image of a gun in his hand appears. Every second spent in silence allows his words to return and taunt him, it’s off-putting and unsettling.

“Go on then, kill me.”

It’s infuriating, even more so than that idiot Deku. Why the hell can’t he stop thinking about it? Even now, hours later, the damn images won’t leave his mind. He can’t help but think about that eye, how empty it was, how emotionless he sounded when wishing to die, how his hand moved without his will… Why is he so affected by this? Why won’t that dead-eyed stare leave his mind?

Well, it’s obvious why, it wasn’t a fair f*cking fight. That’s why it won’t leave him alone, a missed opportunity to win always sticks around like that. That’s what it must be, anger that he was robbed of a win, nothing more. The heavy feeling in his stomach and slight shake in his hand is just repressed rage, clearly.

Really though, what f*cking right does that guy have to act like that? To put a gun in his hand and start making demands? No one makes Bakugou do anything, and that’s a fact.

(Dazai controlled his every move, he was powerless.)

Just thinking about it pisses him off. Bakugou wanted a real fight, he wanted to show that some Yokohama kids aren’t sh*t compared to him and that Abilities pale in comparison to his Quirk. That f*cker used cheap tricks to hide how sh*tty a fighter he must be, if he had actually engaged in a fight instead of running away Bakugou is sure he would have won the fight in seconds. Yeah, a real fight, that’s what he wants. Things would be different then, he would be better.

(If the gun was real-)

Really, he should have swapped to fight that Nakahara kid when he had the chance. He would have, but hearing that the bandaged f*ck wouldn’t hold back sounded far more interesting. A weak opponent who would show no mercy would always be more enjoyable than a strong opponent who held back. In the end, though, it was a sh*t fight and the other guy seemed the better choice. That guy at least wasn’t such a wimp that he avoided fighting, not that his stupid jumping around would do sh*t to help him win. Yea, Bakugou can see it right now, he’d try some gravity sh*t and get blown up for it. His explosions are far superior to gravity, he proved that back at the sports festival.

(Would Dazai’s head have exploded like Mt. Lady’s?)

He needs to get a re-match with that f*cker soon, show him that his ‘mind attacks’ don’t work on Bakugou. Maybe half and half is stupid enough to get emotional over it, but not Bakugou. There is nothing that freak could do to screw with his mind, not a word he could say or an action he could do. He’s the best in this whole damn school, stuff like that just doesn’t work on him. Maybe he’ll even use the bastard’s tricks on him, in Bakugou’s opinion he looks like the type who can’t take what they serve. The ginger too, he’d probably get pissy about it and mess up like half and half.

(Would that make him a killer?)

Tomorrow, that’s when he’ll set things right. He’ll challenge the two of them to a real fight and blast them to hell and back, show ‘em what a real Pro in training is made of. Heh, maybe he can send them flying back to Yokohama as a warning. Don’t mess with the next generation of Pros, or you’ll get your asses handed to you by the future number one Pro, Bakugou Katsuki.

(He was so close to becoming a murderer, a Villain.)

Chapter 10: 9 - Chuuya is tired

Chapter Text

“Good morning everyone!”

Yamada looks up from his papers and smiles at Nedzu as he enters the room. A few other teachers around him do the same while Shouta, as always, keeps his head resting on the desk until the last minute. Early morning staff meetings always end up like this, everyone else is awake and ready to go while the resident underground Pro is still half asleep.

While Nedzu gets himself settled into his chair Yamada prods at Shouta until he groans and lifts his head up. He somehow looks even more tired than usual, likely due to the two newest members of 1A.

“So everyone, I read all the lesson reports about those two,” Nedzu does not need to elaborate on who he is talking about, “And it seems they are settling in well!”

Multiple teachers share looks of disbelief at that, which Yamada can completely understand. So far he’s only had the chance to teach them once yesterday morning, while the two hadn’t done anything disruptive it was obvious neither of them were listening. At one point Yamada had tried to involve them a bit and had asked Dazai a simple question in English, he didn’t want to do anything too complex as he had assumed they wouldn’t know very much English. Whatever Yamada was expecting was completely thrown out the window when Dazai responded in French, whatever he said had gone over Yamada’s head but had caused Aoyama to look confused and for Nakahara to laugh. And then, of course, all that happened in the heroics lesson. Personally, he wouldn’t call that settling in well.

Ectoplasm leans back in his seat, “Settling in well?”

Nedzu nods, “Of course! Neither of them has attempted to hurt any students or sneak away, so I would say that is rather well-behaved.” When Nedzu puts it like that then yes, he supposes that they have settled in well. Nedzu continues, “There was a slight mishap with yesterday’s practical heroics lesson but we now have some useful information on the pair!”

“Mishap?” Snipe asks. For a second Yamada couldn’t believe he hadn’t heard about it, while Shouta was reluctant to speak about it the kids of 1A didn’t have the same reservations. They might not have intended for the information to spread across UA so quickly but gossip is always like that, one person tells their friend who tells their friend. It continues on like that until third-year support course students know about it, that’s significant because those lot always ignore anything that isn’t related to their work and upcoming exams. Although, now thinking about it Yamada doesn’t recall seeing Snipe at all yesterday, he must have been called to a mission outside of UA.

It’s Nerumi that answers Snipe’s question, “Well for starters most of the class was wiped out by little Nakahara.” She leans in like she’s telling some secret, “Of course, the real mishap was with Dazai’s fight with Bakugou… The kids say he asked for Bakugou to kill him.”

Snipe seems taken aback, “Really?” He looks over at Shouta for confirmation.

Said man just sighs, “Yes he did.”

“How is Bakugou after all that anyway?” Yamada asks.

Aizawa sighs, “He seemed out of it yesterday right after but I haven’t had the chance to speak to him just yet, I plan to check in during homeroom.”

A silence settles for just a moment before Nedzu breaks it, “For the foreseeable future I request you all keep an eye on Dazai, after a brief talk yesterday I believe his suicidal tendencies are real.” That doesn’t lighten the mood at all, instead, it brings the atmosphere down.

Yesterday while Nedzu spoke to Dazai, Yamada had been instructed to speak with Nakahara about the subject. At that point he didn’t have much to go off, no one had given him more than a brief explanation before shoving Nakahara into his office. Regardless, he had tried to speak to the boy about it. Nakahara didn’t answer any of his questions seriously but with what he did say it was obvious that Dazai hadn’t just decided to say something like that to freak 1A out but instead always spoke like that. If he was actually suicidal or just liked to say stuff like that, Yamada wasn’t sure. If Nedzu thinks that he’s not faking it then Yamada will make sure to take it seriously from now on.

Once again, Nedzu is the one to break the silence. “Erasurehead, you were monitoring the fights yesterday. What is your evaluation of their fighting skills?”

Shouta doesn’t respond for a moment, either thinking of what to say or fighting back to urge to yawn, “Nakahara has excellent control of his Ability, he was able to apply it in different ways and use 1A’s Quirks to his advantage. He also took out Hagakure first, clearly, he has been paying attention to everyone’s Quirks and knew which would cause him the most trouble.”

Yamada turns to him, “Used their Quirks to his advantage?”

Shouta nods, “He tricked Jirou and Tokoyami into attacking each other, he also used Sero to knock down a few kids.”

“For a kid of his age... I can’t help but say that’s impressive,” Nerumi says as she leans back into her chair. Yamada agrees with her, back when he was that age he had a tendency to just yell at things and hope he won. Carefully planning things out and using tricks was always more Shouta’s style.

Shouta hums in agreement, “As for Dazai, he was more on the defense and kept his distance. He seems to prefer psychological attacks and his aim with a gun is just as good as we expected. Despite being at a disadvantage he was relaxed the entire time and won all three matches.”

Nedzu nods, “An interesting duo indeed! Now, for the next tim-”

Typically, everyone tries to avoid interrupting Nedzu out of respect and slight fear. It happens sometimes when he proposes something a little too outrageous and out of all the teachers Shouta is the one who interrupts the most.

“There’s going to be a next time?” Shouta asks, his face giving away nothing about how he’s feeling, “I thought this would be enough for you to analyse them. Making 1A fight them again just to lose would be unfair and possibly disastrous.”

“Don’t have such little faith in you students, Erasurehead!” Nedzu happily responds. He picks up some papers and begins passing them along to the teachers, “As you can see I have already begun analysing the two of them, however, this is based on them fighting alone. If they were working together the dynamics might change.”

That does make sense Yamada must admit, working alone allows you to do more dangerous moves and go all out without worrying for your allies. Nakahara has great offensive skills but maybe when he’s working with someone else he tones things down or takes a different approach, same goes for Dazai. If the two of them often work together, which Yamada thinks is the case, then they likely have certain moves/plans they developed together. Getting a look into that would be helpful if the two of them try to attack any of the students, it could also maybe give some hints as to how the Port Mafia operates. Any large organisation like that would personally train up recruits in whatever fight style they prefer, figuring out what fight style that is would help for any future conflicts with the Port Mafia.

Actually, that reminds him of something he wanted to ask the Principal. After checking to make sure Shouta doesn’t have anything more to say Yamada speaks, “I was wondering, has the Port Mafia made any attempts to get those two back?”

That sparks a few murmurs from the others who are likely thinking the same, Nedzu shushes them before responding, “According to the Pros stationed near the Yokohama barrier there hasn’t been any noticeable increase in crime, which may be a good or bad sign.”

“Good or bad?” Powerloader asks.

“Well, it either means those two aren’t important and the Port Mafia won’t give us any trouble,” Nedzu pauses before continuing, “Or that they are important and retaliation will be more planned out and impactful.”

“From what I’ve heard those two are certainly talented, the Port Mafia must value their skills, right?” Nerumi muses while looking through the papers. Yamada is inclined to agree, they’re both formidable fighters and clearly smarter than the average fifteen-year-old.

Nedzu hums, “Right now we have no idea how strong the rest of the Port Mafia is, it could well be the case that those two are considered weak in comparison.” And isn’t that a nerve-wracking thought?

“And you have a plan for if they attack?” Snipe says.

Nedzu nods, “Why of course! I’ll be filling you all in at a later date so don’t worry for now.” No one responds to that verbally, this gives Nedzu the chance to continue talking, “Now, onto the next point for discussion.”

Using the remote sat beside him, Nedzu clicks on the screen behind him to reveal a collection of pictures. Most of them are random things like buildings or items in stores, some seem more personal like a motorbike or even a selfie… Wait a minute, that ginger kid in the picture wouldn’t happen to be Nakahara, would it? It only takes a second longer for Yamada to realise where Nedzu would have gotten these photos. “You searched their phones?” He asks.

“Yep!” Nedzu clicks the remote and the slide changes to screenshots of contacts. “We aren’t able to track the numbers as Yokohama uses a different network system, but I was able to look into the messages exchanged and put a few things together!”

Shouta seems interested in that as he leans forward a tad, “Like what?”

Nedzu once again changes the slide, this time to a more zoomed-in version of one contact list. “Nakahara only has a few contacts saved and even fewer chats, he likely deletes them often as a safety measure,” he gestures to the screen, “The contacts he has chatted with are ‘Ane-san’ and ‘Fish bastard’, the rest have been deleted already.”

“I’m guessing ‘Fish bastard’ is Dazai?” Shouta asks.

Nedzu laughs a little, “It would seem so! ‘Ane-san’ seems like a mentor of sorts, there aren’t any direct mission orders in the chat so I doubt she is the boss of the Port Mafia.” He changes the slide again, “Dazai’s contacts are quite different…”

Yamada takes a closer look and finds himself smiling a little, “Emojis?” Had Dazai really forgone any real names and just assigned everyone an emoji? Yamada is almost tempted to do that too now, although, given how extensive his contact list is he may forget who a few people are…

“Dazai has a lot of contacts but they are all emojis, for example, ‘🐶’, ‘🥃’, and, ‘👨🏼’. The chats he does have don’t give any information away about the Port Mafia or who the identity of the emoji is.” Nedzu explains. Now thinking about it that is a rather smart way of storing contact names, no one can decode the names if you assign them to random traits.

Snipe is the next one to speak, “Ya find anything else useful?”

“There are pictures of Yokohama city and a few unidentifiable people but other than that, no. It seems like they are very careful with what stays on their phones,” Nedzu clicks off the screen and pulls out the two phones from under the desk. He then slides them across to Aizawa, “I made a few modifications so they can’t contact anyone outside of UA so feel free to give them back.”

Aizawa nods and pockets the phones, after a moment he speaks, “Is that all, Principal?”

“One last thing,” Nedzu starts, “The HSPC is very keen on interviewing Nakahara and Dazai.” At that the room becomes a little tense, within the Pro Hero community, it’s an open secret that the HSPC has more... sad*stic tendencies. While there isn’t a lot of actual evidence there are a lot of rumours going around, most of which are difficult to write off as just a rumour. A lot of Pros, Yamada included, have lamented their dislike for the organisation and their wish to cease working with them. Unfortunately, the HSPC is too large and ingrained to be cut out like that.

“Are you going to let them?” Yamada asks with a slight tone of worry. If the HSPC gets their hands on those two kids, kids from Yokohama of all places with talent far beyond their years there is no telling what may happen to them. Even if Yamada still has a dislike for them due to the livestream it would be cruel to let that happen.

Nedzu smiles in his slightly off-putting way, “If they can withstand my efforts to stall, then perhaps.”

-

Chuuya is tired.

Tired of Dazai’s sh*t? Always, but no, he’s actually physically tired. Now, as a Port Mafia executive, he is no stranger to long work hours and little sleep. Ane-san often insists he gets at least six hours every night (or day, given the Port Mafia’s working hours), but that rarely happens given the workload he has. It, of course, doesn’t help that Dazai likes to shove half of his work onto Chuuya’s desk.

Now, the difference between the few hours he usually gets and the two or so hours he’s been sleeping these last few days is that normally he sleeps deeply. Back home he would fall asleep the second his head hit the pillow and get some good, restful sleep. Here at UA however, he keeps jolting awake at any and all noise during the night. Being in enemy territory naturally puts him on edge, you can never know when the next attack will come and who will do it. Meeting the 1A kids did settle some of those nerves though, Chuuya is a good judge of character, and those kids? Not a single one has the capability to be ‘evil’. He had decided then that they wouldn’t be too much of a risk, if the pros had said not to fight him and Dazai then the kids would listen.

But then of course Dazai just had to go and pull that stunt yesterday. God, what an annoying bastard he is. Who decides it’s a good idea to piss off two of the stronger members of the class? Who the hell decides it’s a good idea to f*ck with not only one of the strongest but also the one with the least self-control? That Bakugou kid seems half a second from blowing people up constantly, add in Dazai’s little ‘kill me then’ thing and now there’s an actual threat to the bastard’s life! Well, not fully. Bakugou might act all tough with his yelling and threats but he doesn’t seem like the type that’s capable of murder, that much is clear given how he froze up yesterday. He could still beat Dazai up though, maybe accidentally kill him. Which yea, it would be nice to be rid of that fish but that’s Chuuya’s kill dammit! If anyone gets to kill Dazai it has to be the one that has put up with him the most. That would be Chuuya.

Anyway, due to all that now instead of getting some restful sleep Chuuya had been sitting awake for most of the night. If he and Dazai shared a room it wouldn’t be as bad, at least then he could be certain that the noises weren’t a threat as long as the door (or window) didn’t open. Unfortunately, since they’re in different rooms he can’t rule out any noise, even ones that seem like nothing to worry about. Until he’s certain the noise is harmless he can’t trust it.

It doesn’t help that Present Mic had asked him to ‘be more social’ whatever the hell that means. Yesterday, after the little stunt of Dazai’s, Yamada had tried to get information out of him. It was a little funny, clearly no one fully filled him in on what happened so he spent half the time trying to find out from Chuuya. When he got that information he then tried to probe for information about Dazai, which naturally Chuuya kept his mouth shut. No, that’s a lie actually. He said a lot, but it was all complaining about how f*cking troublesome Dazai is. By the end of it, Yamada just said that he and Dazai need to ‘try more’ and interact with 1A in a non-threatening manner. So now he’s not allowed to hide away in his room during his free time, which also means he can’t catch up on sleep during the afternoon when he knows Dazai is in the room and safe (well, more safe than being elsewhere).

At least his talk with Yamada had been alright, judging by the sour look on his face Dazai didn’t enjoy his chat with Nedzu. While the fish hadn’t gone into detail he did say, “He tried to comfort me…. Chuuuuuuuya he made me promise not to kill myself before I could leave!”

Personally, Chuuya has no doubts that Dazai was crossing his fingers while making that promise.

So now he’s stood in another one of the training gyms wearing that stupid sports uniform- which really, why the hell does it look so bad? School colours are red and blue, sure, but why couldn’t they have picked a better shade? Something that actually matches and looks good? And don’t even get him started on the green in the other uniform- half asleep on his feet. If Aizawa wants him to fight 1A kids again they might actually have a chance at winning, right now he’s so tired he can’t even be bothered pushing Dazai away from where he lounges against Chuuya’s back.

(He may also be allowing Dazai to lounge over him like this to silence the buzz of Arahabaki in his mind, something that's always worse to deal with sleep deprived.)

Actually, saying the 1A kids could win might be having too much confidence in them. Chuuya could still easily take them down, especially if he wasn’t holding back but he would probably be on the verge of passing out afterwards.

It’s easy to tell when the 1A kids arrive at the training gym because for some reason they travel as a group and do not know how to shut up. Even now, before the door has been opened, Chuuya can hear them.

When the door opens and the noise echoes across the hall Chuuya realises why the class was speaking so loud. Leading the pack is none other than Bakugou, a pissed-off look on his face and determination in his steps. A few other kids gravitate around him with nervous expressions, ah, so that’s what’s happening.

Bakugou wastes no time in storming over to where he and Dazai are standing. Subconsciously, Chuuya finds himself leaning forward in anticipation.

Midoriya steps just slightly in front of the rest of 1A in some last-ditch attempt to prevent the inevitable, “Kacchan, I don’t thin-”

“Shut the f*ck up Deku,” Bakugou responds without turning back to acknowledge the boy. Without wasting any time Bakugou arrives at his destination and stares Dazai down before demanding, “Oi Bandaged bastard, re-match now.”

Dazai sighs and seems to lean into Chuuya more, he’s disinterested in a re-match then. Fortunately, before the idiot can open his mouth and make Bakugou more pissed off Aizawa speaks.

“Not happening,” he pauses and immediately speaks again to interrupt Bakugou’s complaints, “Today’s lesson is partner work, you’ll have to wait for a re-match. Oh also, watch your language.”

Bakugou turns to him with a scrunched face, “But-”

And then Dazai has to open his mouth.

“You should listen to Sensei, Kacchan~” Dazai’s tone is light and teasing and Chuuya is quite certain he’s smirking. It isn’t a surprise that he picked up on the nickname Midoriya used, and even less surprising that he used it to further annoy Bakugou. Mentally, Chuuya prepares himself to get even less sleep in the upcoming days.

Bakugou whips his head around, “The hell did you call me?”

Aizawa clearly wants to intervene but Dazai responds quicker, “Kacchan~”

Bakugou looks about ready to explode, which might actually be something to worry about. Can he explode or is it just his hands? Hmm, something to think about.

Aizawa steps in front of Bakugou in an attempt to placate him, “Calm down kid, go join the rest of the class.”

Bakugou huffs and for a moment it seems like he is actually going to drop the topic. Then a certain chill comes over Chuuya, the chill that always happens before Dazai causes chaos. It pains him to say but he does have a Dazai Sense and it is really f*cking accurate, so even without looking he knows that bastard is doing something to provoke Bakugou.

His theory is proven right when Bakugou’s face turns angry and he swiftly moves around Aizawa. “f*ck did you just say you freak of nature?” He growls while keeping direct eye contact with Dazai.

Maybe it’s because he’s tired and can’t be bothered dealing with this any longer or maybe it’s because his head would be on the block if Bakugou killed Dazai. It could be because Chuuya hates hearing people alienate Dazai, he hates people that try and say he is any different than anyone else. Maybe the insult ‘freak of nature’ just rubs him the wrong way.

Whatever the reason, Chuuya suddenly finds himself really pissed off and defensive. Shoving Dazai away from his back he steps up and closes the distance between himself and Bakugou. Now, since he has yet to hit his growth spurt Chuuya has learned a few different ways to look intimidating and like he’s looking down on someone while physically looking up at them. It’s all about facial expression, body language, keeping eye contact, and keeping still.

Angling himself to look the most intimidating while squaring up to Bakugou is like second nature to him at this point. Chuuya doesn’t need to say anything, no threats or warnings, he just needs to make his presence known. Make it clear that if Bakugou wants to try anything then he has to get through Chuuya first and that is a near-impossible task, even when he is sleep-deprived.

Bakugou moves his eyes to Chuuya and his gaze sharpens, it seems this might just end in a fight after all. He growls, “You got something to say carrot top?”

Chuuya doesn’t rise to the bait, instead, he just keeps a level gaze at Bakugou. He does this for two reasons, the first being that this is the best way to deal with people like him. The second is because Aizawa is most certainly about to intervene again and Chuuya doesn’t want to deal with getting chewed out due to Dazai’s need to stir the pot.

As predicted, Aizawa’s capture tape snakes around Bakugou and drags him back. “That’s enough, say anything else and you’ll get detention for a week,”

He speaks in a flat tone that leaves no room for argument.

When Bakugou does try to fight back against the capture tape Aizawa just pulls him along until they both arrive at the group of 1A kids.

Aizawa then turns to the class and begins explaining something but Chuuya finds himself tuning him out. Instead, he shuffles backward, closer to Dazai, and leans against the idiot’s chest. The familiar feeling of No Longer Human greets him like an old friend. He keeps both eyes on 1A despite otherwise having his attention elsewhere.

“What the hell did you say to him?” Chuuya asks.

Dazai hums and leans into Chuuya’s back slightly, “I’m offended you think I did anything.”

Chuuya involuntarily huffs a laugh, “Yeah sure, what didn’t you do then?”

“Well, I know I didn’t mouth loser at him,” Dazai says.

Chuuya sighs at that, such a damn troublemaker. For a moment they sit in silence and watch as the 1A kids begin splitting into pairs.

“Tch… I can’t tell if you have a grudge against that kid or you’re just being a pest,” Chuuya states. It really could be either option, if Dazai has noticed something about Bakugou then he might be messing with him on purpose. Maybe he wants to embarrass the kid in front of his classmates and show that ‘villains’ are better than even the strongest of them…. Or maybe he just likes f*cking with someone with a temper. Wouldn’t be the first or last time that’s happened.

“Don’t put too much thought into it Chibi,” the Dazai Sense tingle returns, “I don’t think your brain could handle thinking that much.”

One well-placed elbow later and Dazai is groaning in pain and hopefully regretting his words. Chuuya watches as Aizawa finishes up with 1A and turns to make his way back over to them, well it seems like he’ll have to get answers from Dazai later or figure it out himself.

-

Despite knowing better, Midoriya can’t help but look at Dazai and Nakahara from the corner of his eye. He’s glad Aizawa-sensei paired him up with Uraraka because otherwise, he would feel worse for splitting his attention like this, as it is Uraraka is also making not-so-discreet glances at the duo.

Maybe it’s different for the other kids, but for Midoriya he can’t help but look in hopes of seeing more of their Abilities. Ever since hearing about the existence of Abilities Midoriya’s mind had been set alight with possibilities. While yesterday was... eventful, it was also so very informative. Directly after the fights, he was still reeling from it all, seeing his classmates get beaten so easily was slightly distressing. At first, he was a little depressed about the whole thing, but then after the talk with his classmates last night he realised there was a better way to look at this situation. It’s like Uraraka said, this is a golden learning opportunity that may never come by again. Instead of being upset over the overwhelming loss they suffered yesterday Midoriya needs to use his brain to do what it does best; analysis. If he can figure out the exact workings of their Abilities then that could possibly extend to other Abilities too, which may be useful if Ability users ever leave Yokohama. It would also be useful to learn how Nakahara and Dazai think, if he can get inside their minds then he can make effective counterplans.

There are a lot of things that can be deduced from the fights, some more obvious than others. Nakahara clearly has experience fighting large groups on his own, if it wasn’t clear enough with how he asked for a 1 vs 18 then the results of the match speak volumes. He has an offensive Ability sure, but taking down that many people takes a sharp mind. He moved so quickly and still seemed to know exactly who to take down first, clearly he had been paying attention to the class and their Quirks.

And then, of course, his Ability. Midoriya had been expecting it to be more like Uraraka’s Quirk but in reality, it’s completely different. Uraraka can only remove the gravity of an object in two degrees, completely gone or just slightly removed. Nakahara on the other hand doesn’t seem to have any such limitations, during the match he both decreased and increased the gravity on objects. Not to mention how he changed the gravitational pull on one of the concrete chunks. Admittedly, Midoriya has been thinking about that fact a lot. If he was able to do that then what else could he do? Can he affect anything he touches or is there a weight limit? Is it possible he could manipulate a whole building? Aizawa-sensei did say that Abilities have limitations but so far there is no way of knowing what Nakahara’s limitation may be, anything could be possible.

His Ability extends to himself but not to anyone else, which is interesting because Midoriya would have assumed it would affect other people too. Or maybe he isn’t changing the gravity on himself but rather his clothes? He could easily make them light enough or heavy enough to bring his body where he wants it, plus it would mean he can only affect non-living things. That would neatly explain why he couldn’t change the gravity of other people. Then again, from what he could see it didn’t look like his clothes were straining or moving weirdly...

Moving on, Dazai too was interesting to watch and fight against. Begrudgingly, he has to admit his tactic against Todoroki was smart even if he hated it. Usually, in a fight Todoroki’s ice can carry him through with no problems but in that situation, his fire would have been far more effective. Even if Dazai nullified it he would still get burned and be at a disadvantage. Any normal person would realise that and stay quiet in hopes that no one else would notice, especially not Todoroki. Dazai however wasn’t afraid to bring it up. Since the sports festival, Todoroki has been trying to use his fire more often but has yet to really use it in lessons, but Dazai didn’t know that. It could have been the case that Todoroki was using his fire daily and bringing it up would cause him to use it. So why did he bring it up? Was he that confident his taunting would mess Todoroki up? Did he have a contingency plan if he was wrong?

His words weren’t as sharp when fighting against Midoriya, something that he can’t help but be relieved about. If Dazai had somehow known about his past and brought it up to taunt him then he wouldn’t have faired any better than Todoroki. Even the small things he did say struck Midoriya with worry and a warning to stay away.

One of the big mistakes Midoriya made during his fight was focusing too much on one aspect of Dazai’s defense. Something that feels like an intentional move on Dazai’s part, by keeping his attention on what he might say Dazai was then able to do more underhanded moves like using his Ability and sneaking the gun up close. In a real fight that sort of tactic would be incredibly useful for him.

He can’t stop thinking about all those things, can’t stop analysing and asking questions he likely won’t ever get answers to. But, more importantly, he can’t stop noticing new things. Right now, despite not being under a direct threat, Nakahara still stands in the same defensive stance as he did during the fight. Earlier, when Aizawa-sensei was explaining the task for today’s lesson Nakahara’s eyes never left the class and always seemed to stay close to Bakugou. He’s constantly on guard and ready to jump into a fight, something that makes the fact he always stands on Dazai’s bandaged side seem less like a coincidence.

Dazai doesn’t have any noticeable signs of being on guard but Midoriya is sure he is, someone smart like him must be taking note of everything just in case it turns into a fight. Bakugou isn’t like that, not even during middle school when he was at his most violent. So now he wants to know why they’re like that, why they seem ready for a surprise attack at any and all moments. UA is one of the safest places, so even if they don’t trust Pro Heroes they should at least be a bit more relaxed right?

His musing is interrupted by a hand tapping his shoulder, “Earth to Deku?”

Jolting, he turns to find Uraraka next to him with a concerned look on her face. Slightly embarrassed he waves off her concern, “Ah sorry, I was just thinking about a few things.”

“Analysing Nakahara and Dazai, right?”

Sheepishly he nods, “Haha… yea you got me. I’ve tried to shut my brain off but it just doesn’t work.”

Uraraka hums, “I totally get what you mean. Even before the fight, it was hard to get them out of your mind.”

Of course, back then it was because of the horrors of that livestream and not about their skills. Often, Midoriya has had to remind himself of that livestream to stop himself from fanboying over the two of them. Usually, all his analysing comes with a healthy amount of fanboying, but this time he must be completely clinical.

Midoriya risks a glance over at the two and notices they have started lazily warming up, seems like they’ll be participating in today’s lesson after all. Probably just fighting each other though, that’s the smart move anyway. Everyone is still a bit high-strung from yesterday, fighting them again today would cause people to be rash and possibly injure themselves.

“Do you think they’ll go easy on each other?” Uraraka asks. Midoriya sends her a curious look which prompts further explanation, “They seem really close, right? So they’ll probably go easy on each other.”

That does have some merit, especially given how lacklustre their warm-ups are. Just from that alone he could tell neither of them want to be here, then again he doubts they want to be in UA at all let alone in a practical heroics class.

Looking back over Midoriya finds the two boys have moved so that there is a decent amount of space between them. “Well maybe,” he says, “they’ll probably do enough to b-”

His voice cuts out as Nakahara jumps forward with a punch directly aimed at Dazai’s face. He isn’t using his Ability, which is due to the cuffs, but it’s clear he isn’t holding back.

Dazai takes a step back and swings his arms up to block his face and when Nakahara gets close enough he ducks down and attempts to tackle the boy.

Before he goes down Nakahara brings his foot up and slams it into Dazai’s stomach to launch him away. The moment he hits the floor he jumps right back up and dives onto Dazai, one hand going straight for the throat while the other going for Dazai’s hands. He isn’t quite fast enough as one of Dazai’s hands sneaks up and grabs onto Nakahara’s hair and pulls hard.

Morbidly, Midoriya really wants to see the end of the fight. That isn’t possible however as Aizawa-sensei quickly dives in and separates the boys.

“What is going on?” He asks in a stern tone.

Dazai shrugs, “Training?”

Aizawa-sensei shakes his head slightly, “No, you two were just beating each other up. That’s not training.”

Nakahara scoffs, “What is training then? Soft punches and constructive criticism?”

“Yes.”

Nakahara looks genuinely shocked by that for just a second. Aizawa-sensei must see this as after pulling both boys to their feet he turns to Midoriya and Uraraka, “You two, demonstrate for them.”

Jumping to attention, Midoriya gets into position and does exactly what he was asked to do. While they do have lessons when they can be a bit rougher (usually when All Might is solo teaching) it is generally a rule not to do any serious moves. While Recovery Girl can heal pretty much everything, well, everything that a bunch of teenagers could inflict, there are still rules about being too violent and going straight for the kill. Something that Nakahara obviously just did.

At the end of the demonstration fight Midoriya takes a glance over at Dazai and Nakahara and finds the look on their faces a mix of both disbelief and amusem*nt. Somehow, even with no words leaving their mouths Midoriya can’t help but feel like he’s being made fun of. Surely not going all out in training isn’t that embarrassing, right?

-

The rest of the training session was boring as hell. Aizawa refused to let him and Dazai do anything ‘too violent’ so they were stuck throwing punches like toddlers, something that was just as annoying as it was boring. Neither of them gained anything from fighting weak like that and the constructive criticism that Aizawa made them do quickly turned into an excuse to insult each other. Not that they need an excuse to do that.

Now heading to the changing rooms Chuuya comes to a realisation that this is the first time they will be changing clothes in 1A’s presence. Aizawa always brings them to the training hall early before 1A is done with their lunch and yesterday they got to leave early due to Dazai’s shenanigans. With this being the first time he can only imagine how awkward it’s going to be, there’s also a chance Bakugou will try something when Dazai’s back is turned.

When they arrive at the changing rooms Chuuya shoves Dazai into the corner where their clothes are and promptly turns to stand guard. It’s really obvious what he’s doing but he really couldn’t care, being sleep-deprived does that to you.

Fortunately, Dazai has decided to be cooperative and swiftly changes without issue. Before he knows it it’s Chuuya’s turn to be shoved into the corner with Dazai standing at his back. He’s grateful the fish is returning the favour, with how many scars he has (and the code) he can only imagine what type of questions 1A would ask. You would assume they would keep their mouths shut about it but Chuuya doesn’t have that much faith in them, a few 1A kids seem rather impulsive like that.

Case in point is the fact that Dazai loudly coughs before shifting to cover a different side of him, obviously, some kid couldn’t keep his eyes away. Maybe Chuuya should take that as a compliment.

By the time he’s finished changing half of the class is already waiting outside, although something seems to be off. Most of the kids look annoyed, almost like they’re dealing with something they can’t be bothered with. Chuuya knows this look as he often uses it when Dazai causes chaos, which he would assume to be the cause of those looks. The problem is that Dazai has actually been behaving since he annoyed Bakugou earlier, so for once it must be something else.

He gets his answers when electricity kid speaks, “Mineta, dude, you should totally drop it.”

Looking over Chuuya finds electricity boy, the small one who he now knows is called Mineta and a handful of girls stand next to each other. Creation girl has her hair down and looks quite uncomfortable, the other girls around her have matching expressions or ones of annoyance.

It quickly becomes clear just what is going on when Mineta speaks, “But I need to let Yaomomo know how beautiful I think she is!” He turns to face Yaomomo and Chuuya swears his eyes turn into hearts, “You are by far the hottest girl in this class!”

Yaomomo nods slightly but looks so damn uncomfortable, clearly, this is unwanted attention. Chuuya looks around and notices that literally no one is trying to stop Mineta, which makes him feel like this isn’t the first time this has happened. As he makes his way over to the group he can almost feel the spirit of Ane-san descend and possess him, if no one else is going to deal with the f*cker then he will.

“Stop harassing her,” He states in a serious tone. The group turns to look at him in shock and slight fear.

Yaomomo, for some reason, jumps to his defense, “Ah, well, I wouldn’t say it’s harassing-”

Mineta interrupts, “Yea! I’m just trying to show my appreciation for such a hottie!” As if to prove Chuuya’s point Yaomomo cringes back at that, can no one else see how uncomfortable she is?

“Anyone with eyes can see how uncomfortable she is, so do her a favour and quit it,” He glares a little and takes joy in how Mineta jumps in fear.

Somehow the kid is braver than expected and actually tries to fight back, “Y-you don’t know anything! I’ve been here longer an-”

Chuuya cuts him off by looking over to the girls, “Tell me honestly, is he bothering you?” The girls seem caught off guard for a second and Chuuya thinks they might not answer. It would be slightly embarrassing if they blanked him like that, or worse if they said it was fine when they’re clearly put off by the kid. Not like that would stop him from threatening the little f*cker.

Then earphone jacks speaks, “He’s a total creep.”

Acid girl nods in agreement, “He always manages to get away with it too!”

Nodding, Chuuya turns back to Mineta. The kid’s face is unreadable, not because he’s got a good poker face or anything but rather because there are about ten different emotions flickering across his face at one moment. Staring the kid down Chuuya makes sure to adopt a threatening look, “If you continue to bother them then I’ll give you some first-hand experience with how the Port Mafia deals with creeps like you.” He bends forward just a little so he can loom over Mineta, “Now f*ck off and leave Yaomomo and the rest alone, yea?”

Mineta looks like he’s about to wet himself which is funny, why is this kid even here when he gets scared so easily? In some attempt to save face, he spits out some insults but his voice is so warped by fear it’s impossible to tell what he said, after that he wastes no more time and speed walks his way down the hall.

When he moves back up and looks around the hall everyone is staring at him in shock, seriously, has no one put that kid in his place before? The girls look grateful though, so that’s good. Although Yaomomo has a certain look on her face, he can’t quite tell what it is. Confused, he tilts his head, “What?”

Yaomomo looks caught off guard by that but doesn’t get the chance to answer as Dazai steps up next to Chuuya. With a teasing grin, he says, “I’m pretty sure her real name is Yaoyorozu Momo, you just used her ‘friends only’ nickname.”

For some reason that feels a lot more embarrassing than it should be, his cheeks start to flush which only causes Dazai to laugh, “Ha! Don’t tell me you want to be her best friend~”

“Shut up,” He huffs while hitting Dazai. With a slight nod of apology in Yaoyorozu’s direction Chuuya promptly turns and begins marching back to the dorms. Dazai trails behind him laughing and teasing him, god, he’s too tired for this.

-

The rest of the afternoon passes quickly, which is probably due to Chuuya’s lack of sleep. When they got outside of the changing rooms Aizawa escorted them back to the dorms like usual, except this time he handed their phones over. Dazai was ecstatic to finally have something to do in his spare time, Chuuya would have been happy about it if he could actually look at the screen for longer than a few minutes. For some reason, he felt even more tired than before, which may have been because of the training session or threatening Mineta. Whatever the reason, looking at his phone screen for too long just makes his eyes sting.

Since they are no longer allowed to hide away in their rooms during free time Chuuya just found a seat in the main room and proceeded to zoom out. With Dazai sitting beside him he felt confident enough to do that but sleeping was out of the question, even with the fish next to him it was too dangerous. Being this tired he could easily fall asleep deeply and just not wake up when he’s needed.

At some point, Dazai disappeared for a few minutes and returned with a fully cooked meal, which is so suspicious on so many levels. How did he cook all that in just a few minutes? How does it actually taste good? Why isn’t there any crab when that’s all Dazai wants to eat? Unfortunately, Chuuya has too many questions and not enough effort to ask.

When it’s finally, blessedly, acceptable for him to go to bed he wastes no time getting there. With lightning speed he gets ready and changes before collapsing into bed with the hope he will be able to get some sleep. Unfortunately, his body or brain, whichever is at fault, is still on guard and stubbornly refusing to sleep.

He sits like that for a few minutes hating everything before his door slowly opens. Suddenly alert, Chuuya sits up to face the intruder and-

And it’s just Dazai.

Sighing he flops back down, “What do you want?”

Chuuya can hear as Dazai shut the door and makes his way over to the bed, when he gets close enough he sits down on the edge. “I’m here to save my dog.”

Ignoring the nickname he huffs a little, “Save me from what?”

Dazai stays silent for a second, it’s just as Chuuya begins to get impatient he finally shifts and lays himself down next to Chuuya. Ah, so that’s what he means. Nothing gets by the observant bastard, really he shouldn’t be surprised the f*cker picked up on his lack of sleep. So now here he is, trying to ‘save’ Chuuya by sleeping in the same bed and thus reducing how on guard he needs to be.

Well, Chuuya isn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Turning, Chuuya throws an arm over Dazai and gets comfortable. This isn’t the first time they’ve slept in the same bed so he already knows the best way to go about it, keeping an arm around Dazai is just an extra reassurance the bastard is still alive and well. They usually share a bed on missions that take longer than a day, sure sometimes they could get away with having two beds or even being in separate rooms but it’s easier this way. Easier to know that his partner is somewhere safe while Chuuya isn’t awake to keep an eye on him.

Of course, there’s also that other reason. The reason that they never talk about or acknowledge but are always aware of, maybe too aware at times. It’s the reason why Chuuya’s chest tightens when Dazai snuggles close like this, the reason why his face flushes when the idiot looks at him in adoration. It’s the reason why they know each other so well, the reason that they can place their lives in each other’s hands without a second of hesitation or regret. The reason that, despite all the insults and teasing, they hate working with anyone but each other.

They don’t talk about that reason, perhaps for fear that if they do things will change. Having someone dear to you in the Mafia is always a bad idea, even more so for two people who always seem to lose what they want to hold close.

But for now, it’s alright. For now, they can hold each other in the dark of Chuuya’s room acknowledging that reason, for now, Chuuya can lightly press his lips to Dazai’s forehead in thanks without anyone to question why.

Even before he drifts off, Chuuya just knows he’s going to sleep well.

Chapter 11: Interlude - Fox gloves and Steel

Chapter Text

She watches the video to completion and then rewinds the footage, the shadows in the room move and dance as the video replays. The computer is the only source of light or sound, everything else is quiet and dark.

“I can’t wait to beat you again! Maybe this time you can be my maid and dog!”

The words echo across the room as she does it again. Her eyes never stray from the screen, every second they flick around the screen in a hungry search for something.

“As I said, stay away from Yokohama alright?”

Her face remains carefully blank but, for just a moment, her eyes flash with something darker. One moment, her disgust at such a statement was clearly visible but in the next returned to blankness. She nods slightly, “Fine then, I’ll write it up for you, happy?”

“Is it on then?”

“Yea, no one is watching though.”

Chapter 12: 10- To be (sleeping Chuuya's spit rag) or not to be?

Chapter Text

Typically, when Dazai dreams it ends to be more nightmare-ish in nature. Well, nightmare-ish to other people’s standards but rather normal to him. Replays of fights, torture sessions, suicide attempts, the list goes on.

Dreaming about a dog laying on him and slobbering is new and clearly far worse than anything else and annoyingly, it does not go away once he wakes up. Instead, he finds a certain ginger dog sprawled across him in an impressive show of flexibility with his mouth wide open and drooling. Really, what a charming image to wake up to.

Huffing, Dazai eyes the offending spit. In all the time he’s known Chuuya this bad little habit has never been broken, something that annoys Dazai as much as it does the ever-elegant Kouyou. Someone else may feel honoured to have Chuuya lower his guard like this, he only droops when he sleeps deeply after all, but Dazai would personally prefer not to be a spit rag.

That being said, being a spit rag outweighs the cons of a sleep-deprived Chuuya. While it is beyond amusing to see the slug zone out and be complacent with all the teasing he would usually get mad at it’s just more trouble in the long run. The only kid in 1A Dazai could genuinely see trying something would be Bakugou, he is the only one who would give in to the temptations of violence. While Todoroki was clearly pissed at his comments the other day, and still most definitely is, he’s far too stoic and righteous to act out like that. In supervised fights, he’ll go all out, but during class time and downtime, he won’t try anything. Chuuya doesn’t see that though, or more likely sees it but doesn’t trust it. So, despite clearly being tired he still put himself on guard just like a dog.

If Dazai hadn’t snuck into Chuuya’s room last night then the slug would have stayed up again and run himself into the ground and that really won’t do. It’s the duty of an owner to care for his dog’s health, so having that happen would just be negligent on Dazai’s part.

So yes, now Dazai is trapped under what may as well be a rock with no chance of escape. Of course, he could wake Chuuya up, he should have gotten enough sleep by now anyway. He would do that, but Chuuya is grumpy when he gets woken up so for now he’ll leave it. If the slug takes too long to wake up though then he’ll have to suffer grumpy Chuuya for the sake of his freedom.

Absent-mindedly, Dazai thinks over the key players of 1A. First, there are the powerhouses, the ones that give inspiration to the class due to being ‘strong’ and ‘brave’. In a fight these kids set the tone, they encourage the others to continue fighting and improve their skills.

There are also the social leaders, ones that can influence the class with their words or feelings alone. It’s clear the class has already split into cliques and usually whoever the unspoken leader of a clique is tends to be a social leader. 1A is a little special in that regard however, two of the social leaders are in the same clique.

In Dazai’s opinion, the social leaders are Midoriya, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu. The first two are social butterflies, they seem to get on with almost everyone, which explains their influence over everyone. From what he’s seen so far Yaoyorozu seems a tad more reserved, still friendly but not that extroverted. Her influence comes from 1A’s respect for her, she’s smart and responsible, the type of person you can always turn to for help. Some may say Bakugou is a social leader, which would make sense. He is very much at the centre of his little group, seems to be aware of that fact too, and has tremendous influence over the class. He seemed like the perfect fit and at first, Dazai had lumped him in with the other three but as he observed the class he noticed something interesting. Whenever Bakugou states his opinion on something he tends to be ignored, well, maybe not ignored but his words don’t seem to be taken with the same weight as the other members of the class. He has influence sure, but more as a powerhouse than a social leader.

Other than Bakugou there are two other powerhouses, Midoriya and Todoroki. It was incredibly easy to figure that much out since only those three chose to fight him when he was perceived as the bigger threat. What’s really interesting is that Midoriya falls into both categories, being in both makes him seem like the centre of the class, almost like a protagonist would be.

Chuuya shifts and moves his face, which effectively smudges drool across Dazai’s chest. Really, what a gross slug.

Dazai remembers what Chuuya had said yesterday about Bakugou, he wanted to know why Dazai kept bugging the kid. In truth, he didn’t have some grand plan that hinged on Bakugou. If he had such a plan it would be centred on the main member of 1A, Midoriya. Currently, he’s only being rough with him to get some good reactions.

Although, perhaps putting a plan together wouldn’t be the worst idea. The main objective is to take down the LoV, right now Dazai is just killing time waiting for them to attack the class again. Originally, he was planning to stay distant from the class simply out of ease but now a new idea has come to him. If he and Chuuya manage to get close to the class then what chaos would he be able to cause? He could easily get the class to question hero society and their dreams of becoming one, when he and Chuuya ditch them after the mission is complete they’ll likely be majorly affected by that. By gaining their trust he can mess with them even better.

Of course, to do that he needs more influence over the class. Right now he could spill his whole life story and get some pity sure, but he would still be kept at arm's length, maybe over time he could wear them down using pity but that will just take far too long. There is a faster way to do this and that way is to get on the social leaders’ good sides. If they like him a majority of the class will too.

And- ah, things are just too perfect. Yaoyorozu must feel indebted to Chuuya from yesterday, she probably already sees him in a more favourable light. Uraraka had seemed impressed during the fight she had with Chuuya, Upon the Tainted Sorrow is quite similar to her Quirk after all so it makes sense. If Chuuya were to offer to train her then naturally she would warm up to him over time. They’ll both still be hung up on the whole killing a pro thing no doubt, so first they need to be softened up a little with a few sad stories.

Dazai huffs with slight laughter and looks down to the slug still snoozing away, having Chuuya as his partner really makes things so much easier. Sometimes he can’t help but think how perfect Chuuya is, somehow he’s always where Dazai needs him to be and is capable of everything he wants. Then again, the giant glob of drool currently falling from his lips certainly is a problem, so not perfect in the end.

Getting Midoriya will be easy too, Dazai had noticed he always seemed to perk up when Abilities or Yokohama, in general, was mentioned. He assumed the kid had some deep interest in the topic, the deal yesterday proved that. All he needs to do is butter the kid up with sad stories and then tell him all about Abilities and Yokohama. As long as Dazai keeps on his best behavior then things should run smoothly.

Bakugou and Todoroki will cause a problem though given how Dazai has already been ‘cruel’ (1A’s standards) to them. The rest of the class will likely continue to dislike Dazai until those two get over it and, just his luck, neither of them seems like the type to forgive and forget….hmm, how troublesome.

A snore brings his attention back down to Chuuya who is still lying across his chest. A smile blooms across Dazai’s face, why didn’t he think of this sooner?

With a smirk, he pokes one of Chuuya’s cheeks, “You’re going to play clean up for me Slug~ Aren’t you excited?”

Predictably, there is no response other than light snoring. Dazai will take that as a yes. If Chuuya could befriend both Todoroki and Bakugou then that would be ideal, he could change their opinions on Dazai which would help the rest of the class forget about the whole ‘it’s not your power’ thing. Todoroki seems to be the easier job, he typically hangs out with Midoriya’s group so influencing him will be a lot quicker. Bakugou on the other hand will take a little more effort and time, that temper of his only seems to flare up Chuuya’s temper. They need a common ground, something that can bring them together due to a shared opinion or experience…. Ah, well, the opinion of hating Dazai will surely do, right?

“Hey Chuuya,” he whispers, “Say something now if you have any objections against my plan.” In response Chuuya mumbles something, unfortunately for him, his mouth is too smushed against Dazai’s chest to actually make audible words. It is amusing to think even unconscious Chuuya wants to disagree with him, it’s a shame though (for him) that his half-said objection does not count and the plan will go ahead anyway.

The hurried opening of a door breaks his concentration and, a few moments later, causes him to smirk again. That door must be Aizawa leaving his room. Well, Dazai had been wondering how long it would take for the man to realise he never actually went into his room last night. On their first day at UA Aizawa had said there were sensors on the doors so in all honesty he had expected the man to appear last night, for whatever reason though he didn’t and now seems to be panicking about it.

Another door is nearly slammed open, that must be the door to Dazai’s room. Dazai glances down at Chuuya with a knowing smile, “It’s time for your wake-up call~”

As if on cue the door to Chuuya’s room is shoved open and Aizawa stumbles in. Three things happen in the next few moments, first of all, Aizawa’s face changes from panic to relief to confusion to shock. Second, Dazai moves his arms from where they were resting on Chuuya and, thirdly, Chuuya springs up and immediately jumps off the bed to start a fight.

It only takes a second for the tension in Chuuya’s posture to disappear as he realises that Aizawa is not a threat. “What the hell?” He asks slightly confused, for just waking up his voice sounds quite awake already. Ah, what a shame, sleepy Chuuya is always so fun~

Aizawa sighs and takes a step back, “I should be asking you that.” He turns to Dazai, “I suppose this is where you’ve been all night?”

“Yep! Can’t leave my dog unattended for too long~”

Predictably, Chuuya takes offence to this. He flops back to the bed, back onto Dazai, while muttering, “I’m not your damn dog.” He closes his eyes and it almost looks like he’s trying to go back to sleep, Dazai knows that isn’t the case though as Aizawa is still in the room.

Deciding to play along, Dazai aims a shove at Chuuya’s shoulder, “Nope, you are not going back to sleep! I want freedom from being your pillow.”

Chuuya groans and seems ready to make some sort of objection when Aizawa interrupts, “This,” he waves his hands at the two of them, “is not appropriate.”

Dazai gasps in fake shock, “Aizawa-sensei! I- I just don’t believe it! I didn’t think you were such a man….” He trails off with a look of heartbreak on his face, if he were anyone else he would be smirking by now. Fortunately, he is himself- which, wow, he has never said that before.

Aizawa looks confused, which is even better. Mustering up his best betrayed face he sniffles almost like he’s about to cry, “I thought better of you, but no! Here you are being hom*ophobic… so cruel…”

Chuuya rolls his eyes just as Aizawa’s widen in shock. For a second he seems genuinely alarmed, like he had actually said something wrong. It seems to only take him a few seconds to review what he said and come to the conclusion that Dazai is being troublesome on purpose, which of course is true. His face goes from worry to exasperated quickly, “You know that isn’t what I meant.”

Dazai debates the options of sticking his tongue out or just shrugging. He does both in the end.

Aizawa sighs and brings a hand up to his face. It looks like he wants to say something but is hesitant, almost like it’s going to be too awkward or weird- Ha, wait, he’s not going to say that is he? Will he actually? Really?

Aizawa’s face still has a tinge of that awkwardness but he steals his nerves and oh boy this is going to be good. “Look,” he starts, “If the two of you want to… do things together then that’s one thing, b-”

Chuuya must still be sleepy as it takes an unusual amount of time for him to react. When he does his eyes widen and a blush rises on his cheeks, how cute~

“A-as if!” Chuuya exclaims while jumping off Dazai, his face turns sour, “Who would ever want to do things with this slimy fish?!”

“Ehhh, Chuuya! You don’t love me?” Dazai asks with pleading eyes.

Chuuya takes one look at him and gags, if it’s fake or real Dazai can’t tell. He can’t find it in himself to take offence though, maybe because the drying drool on his chest is damming evidence that he isn’t that disgusting to be around.

A cough brings his attention back to Aizawa who is still standing in the doorway, “As long as whatever you do is safe-” Chuuya sounds actually distraught at that, which is so funny, “- then I don’t care. What I do care about is you not being where you should be.” He shoots a disproving look at Dazai, “If this is to happen again then tell me in advance where you’ll be, alright?”

Dazai nods while Chuuya still has the look of a sour lemon on his face.

Aizawa turns like he is about to leave but pauses, he glances over his shoulder, “Behave until Monday and I’ll get the clothes you arrived in ready for the next practical heroics class.” Just like that, he disappears from the room just as quickly as he had appeared. Chuuya looks quite pleased by the chance of getting his Mafia clothes back, which Dazai can actually relate to. Even though he has never really put stock into fashion and whatnot, he can clearly see that UA’s uniforms are just terrible.

Chuuya turns and for a second it looks like he is going to collapse onto the bed again, he must think better of it however as he scowls and stays standing.Dazai resists the urge to laugh, did what Aizawa say really leave such an impression on him? Either way, he’ll be taking this chance to escape the Slug’s bed and set his plans in motion.

In one fluid motion, he stands from the bed and begins to make his way to the door only to be stopped by Chuuya grabbing his arm, “Your bandages are all messed up.” Raising a hand to his face reveals that yes, the bandages over his eye are looser than normal. They aren’t showing anything yet, but with enough movement, they would probably just slip right off his face.

“Seems they are,” Dazai agrees as he begins to fix them. Chuuya lets go of his arm and he can’t help but think that maybe he should be more worried over the fact he didn’t notice them so loose, it’s fine in the end though since Chuuya noticed. His partner wouldn’t let him walk out there with half-on bandages, so it’s fine. Although, since the Chibi did warn him then maybe he should return the favour and inform him about the plan he cooked up earlier. Fortunately for the Slug back on their first night here Dazai went ahead and checked Chuuya’s room for any microphones when he had a moment alone in his room, which means that he could safely inform him of the plan. Part of Dazai wishes there were microphones just so he would have an excuse to leave Chuuya out of the loop. “Oh by the way, we’re going to be besties with 1A so play nice~” he states simply.

Chuuya scoffs, “Me? You’re the one causing all the trouble, also when the hell did you decide to be ‘besties’ with them?”

“While you were drooling all over me,” Dazai thinks for a second and decides to say something more, “One of us has to be thinking strategically and not snoozing away.”

Chuuya grumbles in annoyance at that as he starts digging around his room for some clothes to change into. Thankfully, UA had provided them with some more casual wear, while the clothes they picked certainly don’t match Dazai or Chuuya’s style it’s better than sitting in the school uniform all day. Once Aizawa gives him his Mafia clothes back Dazai has all intentions of wearing that whenever he can get away with it, Chuuya will likely do the same. As Chuuya pulls out something to wear Dazai realises that he too needs something to change into, “Chibi, give me some clothes.”

Chuuya scoffs but still turns back to his clothes to find something for Dazai. It almost sounds like he says ‘lazy bastard’ under his breath but before Dazai can call him out on it he speaks again, “What do I have to do?”

Obviously, Chuuya knows how to find clothes for someone so what he really wants to know is what role he will be playing in Dazai’s plan. “Just keep being the chivalrous gentleman that you are~” That is a lie as Chuuya is a tiny brute, but whatever. Dazai leans up against Chuuya’s desk as he continues, “I’m sure you’ll be the best of friends with Uraraka and Yaomomo without much effort, maybe you’ll even bond with Bakugou due to that fiery temper of yours.”

Dazai grins as Chuuya glares at him, maybe he’s annoyed that Dazai likened him to Bakugou or because he reminded him of his slip-up yesterday with Yaomomo. Either way, he still throws Dazai a clean set of clothes, so clearly it’s all for show. It seems this dog is all bark no bite~

-

Given that it’s the weekend, it’s not a surprise that a gaggle of students are hanging out in the common area. Typically, on a school day, most of the class wakes up about twenty minutes before the first lesson and completely bypasses the ‘chill in the common area’ part of the morning. That’s what Chuuya has observed so far anyway. Even before Chuuya has taken a step out of his room he can hear the sound of the TV drifting down the hallway, jeez, how loud do they want it?

‘Two Pro Hero sidekicks were found stabbed to death in the early hours of the morning, could this be a retaliation by the Port Mafia? Tune in at noon to hear what our experts have to say.”

Chuuya can’t help but roll his eyes at that. Even if the pros had actually managed to beat both him and Dazai and force them into UA Mori-san would have just left them to it. It had happened once before, back when he and Dazai had just started working together and Chuuya was apprehensive to trust his crazy plans. Things went sideways and the two of them ended up captured for about a week. Dazai most definitely had a plan to escape but the stubborn bastard refused to say anything to help them escape, he was so salty about Chuuya going against his initial plan and, to be fully honest, probably still is. Anyway, Mori-san had sent some people a week later because he had a new mission for the two of them and, in his words, ‘couldn’t let you dawdle any longer.’ If the man had confidence in their skills to keep themselves alive or he just rejoiced in having them out of his hair for a while Chuuya isn’t sure.

God, the Chuuya back then would be sick hearing that nowadays he just goes along with Dazai’s plans, most of the time without even knowing what said plans entail.

Dazai grins at him and quiets his footsteps in foreshadowing of the trouble he’s about to cause. Which, hey, wasn’t that idiot just on about playing nice with 1A?

For some reason, most of the 1A kids don’t even notice as Dazai sneaks in and looms ominously behind the sofa. While Dazai can easily move around without making a sound, Chuuya would have expected more of them to notice him from the corner of their eyes or something. One of them, acid girl, sighs as the news channel flicks over to a break, “I could totally see those murders being the Port Mafia’s fault.”

Electric kid nods from beside her.

Dazai grins and leans in slightly, “I’m rather confident that the Port Mafia is unaffiliated.”

Both acid and electric kids don’t seem to register who exactly is talking to them. That is until electric kid turns with clear intent to say something and promptly screams upon seeing Dazai so close. That naturally causes a chain reaction for other kids to yelp in surprise. Momentarily, Chuuya is reminded of the numerous times when Mafia rookies would meet Dazai for the first time. With only knowledge of the infamous ‘Demon Prodigy’ and not ‘Dazai the childish bastard’ it would usually end with freaked-out expressions and sometimes screams.

Dazai seems to take great pleasure in this, Chuuya however just sighs and heads over to what is steadily becoming his (and Dazai’s) spot.

Once the more jumpy students have calmed down the frog girl turns to face Dazai, “How are you so sure?” Her tone is steady and sure, a complete contrast to how most of the class speaks to Dazai.

“Well,” somehow Dazai leans in further without tipping over onto the sofa, “we have a signature way of sending a message and, well, let’s just say knives are not involved with that.”

Internally, Chuuya wonders why Dazai is bringing this up when he literally was just talking about being nice to 1A. This is the second time he’s thought that in the past five minutes, so yea, not looking good for Dazai’s plan so far.

Before any of the students can further question that, Dazai springs up and turns to face Midoriya, “Midori-kun~ I haven’t forgotten about our little deal y’know…”

A bad feeling settles in Chuuya’s stomach, “What deal?” When was a deal between those two made? Dazai has barely left his side since they got to UA, so if he made a deal then Chuuya would have heard it. Should have heard it anyway.

Dazai barely spares his a glance while making his way over to Midoriya, “It’s hardly any of your business Chibi Chuuya.”

It takes all his strength not to launch a pillow at that idiot. Instead, he turns to Midoriya with a disapproving and slightly suspicious look, “What deal?” he asks again.

Midoriya seems caught off guard by his sudden seriousness and quickly begins waving his hands around in a panic, “I-It’s nothing serious! I just- last night- That is to say Dazai-” He pauses and takes a breath before sheepishly continuing, “Dazai promised to show me some pictures from Yokohama if I made you both food last night so…”

That does make a lot of sense actually, Chuuya was quite suspicious about how Dazai had provided decent food last night. Makes sense that he would have outsourced the cooking to someone else.

Dazai huffs a little as he falls onto the sofa beside Midoriya, “Tch, why’d you tell him?” Midoriya doesn’t seem to have an answer for that, or maybe he just doesn’t want to admit that Chuuya spooked him into answering. Either way, he just looks around awkwardly until Dazai gives up on waiting for an answer, “Whatever. Here’s my phone, have fun~”

Midoriya nods as he takes the phone and begins looking through the camera roll. A few other kids see this and begin crowding around the boy to see the pictures too. It’s funny in a way to see these kids so intrigued by what Chuuya considers not special at all.

Hardening Quirk kid, which yea Chuuya needs to learn some more names, leans in to better see the phone, “I thought arcade games were rigged, how’d you get that high a score?” He asks Dazai.

Dazai takes a glance at the picture before shaking his head, “That was all Chuuya, his ridiculous strength comes in handy sometimes.” A few of the kids look over with what almost seems to be an impressed look, that is before they remember who he is and quickly look away. Chuuya doesn’t pay them any mind, instead, he thinks back to try and remember what picture they’re looking at. It takes a moment but then it comes to him, about a month or so ago Dazai had dared him to try one of those strength test things at the arcade. Even without Upon the Tainted Sorrow, he got a crazy high score, so high in fact that all the self-proclaimed ‘strong men’ that had previously been using the machine genuinely looked upset. Dazai had almost taken a picture of them but thankfully settled for just getting a picture of the machine.

Midoriya continues to scroll along the pictures with occasional input from Dazai (“That’s my favourite river!”, “Doesn’t that dog look just like Chuuya?”, “That’s the best bar in Yokohama~”) and protests from Chuuya (“Why the hell did you take a picture of me asleep?!”, “He only won because he cheated!”, “I thought I told you to delete that!”). Eventually, though, Midoriya stumbles across the first video. Dazai does have a bad habit of taking videos at inappropriate times, this means that even if he already got rid of all the ones containing sensitive information before the mission started there is a real chance the 1A kids might stumble across something out of their comfort zone.

Case in point when the video starts with Dazai whining about hats and Chuuya immediately knows which one this is. Subtly he sends a look over at Dazai, is he going to stop them from watching it or not? Dazai meets his eyes and raises his eyebrows, the one that’s visible anyway, a little bit. He then turns to face Midoriya and the group of kids around him. Alright, so he’s not going to stop it.

“Hey Chuuya, what do you think of this one?”

Chuuya can hear himself scoff in the video. If he remembers correctly, which he does, then the pair of them were in a hat store just on the outskirts of Suribachi City. Chuuya was actually looking for a new hat, Dazai was just messing around and trying on all the weird options. They were on an unofficial break, which is to say Dazai didn’t tell Chuuya they had a mission because he wanted to mess around for a bit.

From where he’s sitting Chuuya can see a few of the 1A kids soften a little while watching the video, the start of it is really domestic so he isn’t surprised. Dazai tries on extreme hats with huge feathers and bright colours while Chuuya just shakes his head in the background, it’s all very normal. The second half of the video is far from that though.

Even without looking at it, Chuuya can tell when the rival gang member enters the frame and throws a punch directly at Dazai. It quickly descends into a fistfight between Chuuya and the gang member, all the while Dazai is ducked behind a display stand. In the grand scheme of things, it’s really not that bad, not compared to the heaps of other sh*t that’s happened to the two of them, but the UA kids will probably overreact about it. Although, that might work in their favour. Dazai wants to create pity so people let their guards down right? What’s more sad than two teens being ambushed while having fun together?

Hardening Quirk kid shakes his head, “So unmanly…”

Acid girls turns to Chuuya, “How come that guy attacked you?”

Chuuya shrugs, how does he say ‘We wiped out his entire gang and went for ice cream afterward’ without causing a scene? Dazai, fortunately, saves him from having to answer, “We’re Port Mafia remember, with so many enemies it’s only natural for ambushes to happen~”

A few of the kids seem disturbed by that. Chuuya leans back in his chair, “You get used to it.” That doesn’t seem to help but whatever.

Before anyone can say anything else, and a few kids do look like they are about to ask questions, Dazai leans over and snatches back his phone. He tucks it into a pocket with unnecessary flare, “And that is the end of the show! Do me more favours and maybe you can see more~”

He stands and Chuuya can immediately tell what he’s planning on doing, “Don’t you dare.” Dazai does not listen, no surprise there, and shoves himself down the gap between Chuuya and the armrest. There is hardly enough room for the pair of them but why would that fishy bastard care? Annoyed, Chuuya gives him a good shove before trying to get comfortable.

The 1A kids soon disperse back to their seats and mostly keep to themselves. Occasionality, one of them will glance over at Chuuya and Dazai like they want to say something but can’t quite pluck up the courage just yet. After about twenty minutes Chuuya begins trying to guess who will look over next and when, he hasn’t got any right so far but if Dazai would stop elbowing him under the guise of getting comfortable then maybe he would be able to.

At some point Yaoyorozu enters the room, for a minute or so she hovers by the door before walking closer. She looks determined and is walking directly towards Chuuya, hopefully, she isn’t mad about his slip-up yesterday. In Chuuya’s defence, only like three kids have bothered to introduce themselves so he can’t be expected to know what is a nickname or not.

When she arrives in front of him the room quietens down as the class listens in to what she has to say. “Nakahara,” she starts, “I wanted to thank you for dealing with Mineta yesterday. The teachers do try to stop him, but well, they can’t be everywhere so…”

She trails off slightly and Chuuya takes that as his cue to speak, “Don’t worry about it, any decent person would do the same.” He pauses for a second, “Also, just call me Chuuya, literally no one calls me Nakahara back home.”

Yaoyorozu nods, “Chuuya then, please accept my gratitude regardless.”

Acid girl then takes the chance to chime in, “Yea thanks! Someone had to put that guy in his place.”

Electric guy sighs, “He never listens when we say something, so hopefully he’s too scared of you to try anything on the girls anymore.” A few of the other guys nod along, which kinda pisses Chuuya off. If this kid has been such a problem for so long why hasn’t UA done anything? If this was the Port Mafia Ane-san would have cut the guy’s hands off after the first sign of trouble, which yea UA can’t exactly do that but surely they can expel the kid?

Yaoyorozu looks confused and belatedly Chuuya realises that his annoyance must have leaked onto his face. Before he can say anything though, Dazai swoops in with a grin, “Oh don’t mind him, Chuuya’s just thinking of the injustice of it all! Why, I bet he’s thinking ‘If this was the Port Mafia-’”

Chuuya elbows him in the stomach to cut the idiot off, “No one asked, Mackerel.”

While Dazai whines and groans in pain Chuuya just turns back to face the class, interestingly he finds the frog girl looking directly at him. A moment later she asks, “I was just wondering, ribbit, why you think like that?”

Ignoring the ribbit Chuuya tilts his head, “You mean why I think any decent person would have done that?”

Frog girl nods her head. Chuuya doesn’t need to think much to answer, “Well, first of all, common sense. Secondly, my mentor back in the Mafia really values etiquette and all that- she would actually kill me if I let that slide.” Chuuya easily hits Dazai without looking before he has the chance to make a ‘Chuuya is a brute!’ comment before continuing, “Also, Yaoyorozu looked uncomfortable as f*ck. That plus what acid girl and earphone-”

Acid girl cuts him off, “How come you call Yaoyorozu her name and I’m just ‘acid girl’ huh?” She asks in mock offence.

“Well, you never introduced yourself, neither did most of you actually,” Chuuya responds.

For a second no one says anything, and then acid girl lets out a single “huh.” It takes a moment for her to speak again, “Well my name is Ashido Mina!”

Beside her electric boy speaks, “Kaminari Denki.”

“Kirishima Ejirou!”

That sets off a chain reaction of the class announcing their names, something Chuuya is glad for because the nicknames he gave them in his head were getting tiring to say.

-

Aizawa isn’t exactly looking forward to this next lesson. Practical heroics is always a pain to deal with, especially with All Might involved, but with the introduction of Dazai and Chuuya things have just gotten more troublesome. Two more students to keep an eye on and reign in when needed, except even worse because these two are actual criminals.

Part of Aizawa wants to be cautiously optimistic, unfortunately for that part, he is a pessimist by nature with no plans of changing. After that initial scare on Saturday morning, things had actually gone smoothly, both Dazai and Nakahara got on well with 1A. Which yes, that might just be because Aizawa promised them their Mafia clothes back if they were well-behaved but it doesn’t really matter, as long as no fights broke out it’s a win. Hell, he might even call it more than a win since some of the kids seem less skittish around those two now. While 1A should keep their guards up until Dazai and Nakahara stop being a threat it’s unnecessary for them to be so high-strung all the time.

None of the other teachers had reported them misbehaving during today’s lessons, although Nerumi did complain that Dazai was doodling the entire way through her lesson.

During the morality and ethics class today Aizawa had been able to get some more information out of the two of them about their lives back in Yokohama, it wasn’t anything huge but well, baby steps. First, he needs to build trust with them before he can even dream of getting more serious information, which in truth Aizawa doesn’t mind doing. He much prefers seeing those two argue over who has better taste in food or video games than seeing them fight with skills no teenager should have. Part of him, perhaps that cautiously optimistic part, thinks that he too is warming up to them just like 1A.

Before the morality and ethics class, Aizawa had stopped off at the support course rooms to retrieve the duo’s Mafia clothes. Powerloader had volunteered to be the one to check the clothes over and get them ready to be worn again, Aizawa suspects that what he really wanted was to see if Yokohama uses any unique fabric for clothes. Powerloader’s problem child Hatsume had also seemed interested in Dazai and Nakahara, the entire time Aizawa was there she kept asking about getting to speak to the pair. Apparently, Hatsume had already come up with twenty-five different support items for the pair and just had to speak to them about getting her ‘babies’ into Yokohama. Aizawa decided then and there it would be best to keep her away from those two, for both his sake and Powerloader’s.

When he had handed over their clean and mended Mafia clothes at the end of the morality and ethics class the two of them looked incredibly pleased and had wasted no time whisking off to the changing rooms to get ready. When they emerged fully dressed Aizawa briefly thought that it might have been a mistake to give them their clothes back so soon, while yes they certainly looked more comfortable in them over the UA sports uniform the sight of the two of them dressed like that does bring back some unpleasant memories. Hopefully, none of the 1A kids are badly affected by it.

Aizawa glances over at the pair as he waits for 1A to finish getting ready. In preparation for the lesson, Aizawa had already given Dazai a small paintball gun along with strict instructions to use it responsibly. That is to say, don’t try and replicate what happened last time. Dazai had agreed but Aizawa is still going to keep an eye on him just in case, he would hate for some other kid in 1A to get the same treatment that Bakugou did last time.

Speak of the devil, it seems 1A has finished getting ready as they slowly begin filing into the room. Thankfully, this time Bakugou isn’t leading the pack with the intention of starting a fight.

Aizawa waits until everyone gets close enough to him and stops chatting, “Today we’ll be heading to one of the larger training grounds.”

All Might nods, “Yes! While there you all will be playing… Cops and robbers!”

Whispers break out at that as the class discusses it amongst themselves. They look a little too excited by this, which is when Aizawa steps in, “Don’t think this is some game, the losing team will be punished.”

Kaminari looks around with an anxious expression, “Punished how?”

Aizawa grins, “Lose and you’ll find out.”

Iida raises his hand, “Sensei! How will we decide the teams?”

Before Aizawa can answer Dazai steps forward, a few of the class eye him wearily. It doesn’t seem like anyone is majorly put off by the outfit change, which is good to see. “Isn’t it obvious?” Dazai starts, “It’s gonna be all of you versus us!”

Iida looks to Aizawa for confirmation to which he nods. Like Nedzu said, those two will work differently when together so it’ll be useful to see them in action and while he doesn’t want to see his students lose again and again, it might end up being a good motivator for them.

Unsurprisingly, Bakugou grins and begins to let off small explosions from his hands while Midoriya begins to mutter plans. The rest of the class seems to be a mix between anxious and determined, it seems that those two might be motivating 1A already.

“Ah! Sensei, I actually have a request before we start.” Dazai says with an innocent look. Aizawa can’t find it in himself to believe that look, maybe because of how things ended the last time when Dazai had a request. He couldn’t be pestering for a gun this time though, given the fact he already has one. So, what is his request, and will Aizawa regret entertaining it? He gets a feeling the answer to that second part will always be yes.

“And what is this request?”

Dazai smiles, “Well! Me and Chuuya are, naturally, going to win here-” he ignores the disagreeing yells from Bakugou, “buuuut I can’t help but think it’s a little unfair on us, no?”

Given the skills the two of them have shown so far Aizawa would disagree with that, but he wants to see where this is going.

Dazai takes his silence as permission to continue, “2 vs.. how many is it? 21? Right, 2 vs 21 is just unfair right?”

“What’s your point?” Aizawa asks tiredly.

“Let’s make this a 3 vs 20,” Dazai is still smiling as class 1A sends each other worried looks. It isn’t surprising the class seems nervous to be on a team with those two, while it may be true that Dazai and Nakahara got on well with 1A over the weekend that doesn’t translate to teamwork in a fight.

“You… want a 1A kid to be on your team?”

“Yep!” Dazai nods. Chuuya looks disgruntled at this, almost like he doesn’t agree with the plan but has no say in it.

Aizawa thinks it over for a second, the point of this was to see how Nakahara and Dazai work together not to see how they work with someone else. However, working as a trio would cause them to explain things that would have previously gone unsaid by the duo. Depending on who they pick that student might get some real development on their own skills...

Sighing, Aizawa relents, “If anyone does not want to be on their team come stand near me.” Hopefully, this time he won’t come to regret giving in to Dazai’s request, if it does end up like that though then he swears not to ever do it again. A decent amount of the class moves across with little hesitation. Aizawa gestures to the ones remaining, “Go ahead then, pick a teammate.”

With a nod, Dazai turns to Chuuya, “Chibi! Who should we pick?”

Nakahara rolls his eyes, “Don’t call me that, and also why the hell are you asking me?”

“Because we’re partners!” Dazai declares.

“Oh so now I get an opinion? Not all the other times though, huh?”

“Well if you insist, I’ll just have to make the decision myself!”

Dazai turns his gaze to the group of students and grins, he points a finger and moves it around in a dramatic manor before finally landing on a student, “I want you~”

Chapter 13: 11 - Cops and robbers pt.1

Chapter Text

“The rules are as follows, the ‘cops’ will enter the training grounds and have a twenty-minute head start to scout the area, set traps, and whatever else they wish to do. The ‘cops’ will aim to guard the briefcase and ‘arrest’ any robbers they come across.”

“After that the ‘robbers’ will enter in teams of three every five minutes in a random order, the ‘robbers’ will aim to steal the briefcase and its contents from the ‘cops’. If, as a ‘robber’, you have been arrested, which is to say shot with a paintball or bested in a fight, then you will immediately head to ‘jail’. To rejoin the fight another ‘robber’ must come and touch your shoulder.”

“The exercise ends when all the ‘robbers’ have been caught, when the briefcase is stolen and brought to the entrance, or when lesson time runs out.”

-

Once Aizawa-sensei had given them the go-ahead, both Dazai and Chuuya had wasted no time in heading straight for the entrance to the training grounds. The building looms large and slightly ominously as they get closer, neither of the two in front of her seem to care, however.

If Yaoyorozu is being honest, she isn’t sure why Dazai picked her. When that finger landed on her she had really thought he mistook her for someone else, maybe she was just seeing things and he was actually pointing elsewhere. That could have been the case if Dazai’s singular eye wasn’t staring straight at her, he deliberately picked her before anyone else in 1A and that is slightly baffling.

Of course, Yaoyorozu isn’t stupid enough to think herself talentless, she did get into UA after all. In class, she is constantly at the top of grades and her Quirk is incredibly useful, but compared to some of her classmates? It’s clear she has a lot to learn. For someone like, say, Todoroki, using his Quirk is easy. Yes, he has to keep an eye on an array of things to make sure he doesn’t overdo it but ultimately his options are limited, ice or fire. He chooses the direction to send it in and the amount, that’s easy. For Yaoyorozu her Quirk requires a lot more thought, she needs to take in the situation and quickly decide what could help, then she needs to remember the construction of that item and make it.

The problem is that Yaoyorozu lacks those skills, she likes to rely on a plan and when things start to shift or falter her brain fizzes out in panic. She doesn’t have the confidence to just do something, to not second guess herself when creating an object. Why would Dazai want someone like that on his team? Both he and Chuuya are well-rounded, so surely someone who can’t help but hesitate before doing anything would just drag them down?

Part of her wants to ask, the other part doesn’t really want to speak to them. She still feels weary around them, even if Chuuya had been kind to her over the past few days. After Chuuya initially spoke out against Mineta Yaoyorozu was, admittedly, expecting him to sort of… well, she doesn’t want to say ignore the problem but more like he wouldn’t interfere next time. She had thought that maybe he only said something because he happened to be there, maybe because he was annoyed already and wanted someone to take it out on, maybe he just felt like threatening someone. To be honest, she isn’t sure exactly what she thought, even after thanking Chuuya the next day and getting his reasoning she still just felt so complicated about the whole thing. But then her expectations were completely flipped, whenever Mineta entered a room Yaoyorozu could see how Chuuya kept an eye on him. He didn’t immediately jump up to shoo Mineta away from the girls, instead he just looked over every so often, likely keeping an eye out for any signs of one of the girls being uncomfortable.

Yaoyorozu isn’t sure how the other girls felt about that, but she found it reassuring in a way. Fortunately, Mineta didn’t actually try anything over the weekend, he was likely still too shaken by Chuuya’s threat. Yaoyorozu isn’t surprised by that really, usually Mineta only listens when someone like Todoroki or Aizawa-sensei scolds him although even then it only takes a day or two before he’s back at it. Maybe the fact that Chuuya is an actual gang member makes his threats hold more weight.

All of that is to say that yes, she is very thankful that Chuuya stepped in. However, every time she thinks about that and how kind he was she then remembers the livestream. Does it matter how ‘chivalrous’ he was when he was there on that livestream without a care in the world?

She is snapped out of her thoughts as she enters the building and Dazai turns to face her. She must admit, seeing him wear this outfit rather than the UA sports uniform is far more intimidating. You would think that wearing such a large coat would have the opposite effect, kind of like seeing a small child wearing clothes meant for an adult and absolutely drowning in fabric. For Dazai however, it creates an air of mystery, the way his hands are tucked away out of sight leaves you on edge wondering what they might be up to.

“So, Yaoyorozu, Yaomomo even,” he shoots a glance at Chuuya which earns him a jab in the ribs, “What is our plan?”

Caught off guard, Yaoyorozu blinks in confusion, “Our plan?…”

Dazai nods, “Yep! What do you think we should do?”

Why is he asking her? From what she’s seen both of them are great at plan making so there really isn’t any reason, unless… Unless Dazai wants information about 1A. Looking at it that way it makes sense, while Dazai could probably easily make a plan there is no way he could accommodate for all the habits and unknown skills of her classmates. In that case, would it be smart to say anything? It would help in the short term but after that…

Yaoyorozu shakes her head, “I don’t think I can make a suitable plan…”

Dazai looks at her for a moment and Yaoyorozu can’t help but feel seen through. It only lasts a second though, by the time she has even processed the look he has already turned to Chuuya with an overly dramatic sigh, “Chibbbiiii! Whatever are we to do now?”

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that dammit!” Chuuya glares at him, “Don’t act like you don’t already have a plan, just hurry up and explain it.”

Yaoyorozu can’t help but feel a little bit entertained watching the pair of them act like this, it’s almost like they’re a comedy duo.

“Fine then!” Dazai throws the briefcase at Chuuya who just barely catches it, “Go explore for a bit Chuuya, you aren’t needed.”

Chuuya scoffs a little, “Tch, but let me guess, I’ll be needed later huh?”

Dazai sticks his tongue out, “I could deal fine without you! Now shoo~”

It’s only when Chuuya actually turns and begins leaving that Yaoyorozu realises that he is leaving. Which sounds redundant, of course, he’s leaving, but what she actually realises is that now she is alone with Dazai. Has any of 1A been alone with Dazai before? Or actually, has anyone been alone with either of them so far? Sure they act nice enough usually, but what if they act differently when separated from each other? Will Dazai now act like he had when fighting Bakugou?

“Yaomomo~” Dazai says and Yaoyorozu nearly jumps out of her skin. Right, now is not the time to get in her head about things. Whatever happens, she’ll just deal with it, and besides, there are numerous cameras around the training facility that both Aizawa-sensei and All Might are watching. If Dazai tries anything then it would only be a matter of minutes before a teacher arrives to stop it. “Now that Chibi is gone,” Dazai begins, “We can get to the fun stuff~”

“Fun stuff?” Yaoyorozu can’t help but ask.

Dazai nods and takes a step closer to her, it takes a lot of self-restraint not to step backward as he does. “We’ll be needing a few things, you can make them right?”

Ah, so this is why he wanted her, her Quirk is an easy way to get around any restrictions Aizawa-sensei put on weapons. “That depends… I need to know the structure of the item and…” She hesitates to say the next part because it boils down to saying ‘I don’t trust you’ to Dazai’s face. While true, and she suspects Dazai knows this, it still feels incredibly rude.

Dazai waves his hand in a dismissive manner, “Relax~ Aizawa-sensei already gave you a paintball gun right? We won’t be needing any other weaponry.” Yaoyorozu feels herself relax at that, she listens as Dazai continues, “You only need to make three things: a screwdriver, a large black coat, and heat-sensing goggles. Think you can do that?”

Those are… an odd combination. Heat-sensing goggles make sense, especially when dealing with Hagakure, but those other two don’t make much sense. Dazai already said she won’t be making any more weapons so the screwdriver must have a different purpose, as for the coat though, she has no clue. Despite her confusion, she nods, “I can. Why do you need them?”

Dazai smiles a little before he turns and begins walking, “Follow me and you might find out~”

Yaoyorozu does just that but it takes a few minutes for Dazai to speak again. Actually, he only makes any acknowledgment of her when they arrive upon a wall map of the training grounds. The building was made in the image of a medium-sized shopping centre. It’s worn down in a few places, likely due to past training exercises, but on the whole, it really does look like any regular shopping centre. From what Yaoyorozu can see on the map the whole building is split into two halves, each with two floors. Building ‘A’, the one she is currently in, has dedicated the entire first floor to be a food court area. The shops, ones she can actually see should she turn around, are all branded as knock-offs of actual fast food places. The second floor of building ‘A’ has significantly less space due to the large cut-out that allows people on the second floor to see down into the food court. In an actual shopping centre there would also be the bonus of the smell of food wafting upwards and tempting more people to go buy something, but of course, this place is fake. Building ‘B’ seems to make up for the lack of shops as it is jam-packed full of different fake brands, there are so many names that Yaoyorozu can’t help but wonder how long it took to come up with all of them.

Dazai points a finger out at an unmarked room on the map, “That is where we’re heading.” An unmarked room on the first floor of building ‘B’.

“It’s unmarked, doesn’t that mean it’s a storage room or something?” Yaoyorozu asks.

Dazai nods as he turns and starts walking towards the room, “I’m hoping it’s the power room, oh, I’ll need that screwdriver once we get there.”

The power room? The screwdriver? Yaoyorozu really hopes he isn’t planning to do any electrical work. The potential for that to go wrong is far too high, can Recovery Girl heal electrocutions? Probably, given that Kaminari is still fine after going past his limits so many times. Ah- but wait, Dazai’s Ability nullifies anyone who touches him. If he were to get electrocuted then would Recovery Girl be able to help him? Should Yaoyorozu tell him not to mess with the electrics in that case? Oh but what would he say if she did?

Dazai, perhaps sensing her internal conflict, looks back at her, “I’ll tell you this Yaomomo, as long as you follow my instructions then victory will be easy.”

They pass through the archway connecting building ‘A’ and ‘B’, Yaoyorozu’s eyes catch a fist-sized dent in the wall. He’s confident, which isn’t all that surprising. Still, Yaoyorozu can’t help but be curious about what he has planned, it must be something impressive if he is already so assured of victory. “What exactly do you have planned?”

Dazai spares her a glance, “Eh~ What plan?”

Yaoyorozu scrunches her face in confusion, “You said we would win if I followed your plan? You also asked for things to be made, surely you need them for something.”

“Well sure,” Dazai comes to a stop beside a blank door, he swings it open without hesitation, “Ah, bingo!” He waltzes into the room, the power room, and begins looking around. After a second he turns back to Yaoyorozu and holds out a hand, “Screwdriver?”

She sighs but makes the item anyway. It only takes a few seconds for the screwdriver to begin forming from her stomach, when it does happen Dazai drops his hand and leans in to get a closer look. He watches closely for a second, something that sets Yaoyorozu on edge. “Freaky~”

“What?”

Dazai straightens up and looks her in the eye, “You really need to relax more, I didn’t mean anything rude~”

In the privacy of her mind, Yaoyorozu scoffs a little, calling her Quirk freaky is most definitely rude. Now isn’t the time to think about that though, instead, she wants to bring the conversation back to her earlier question, “You were saying about your plan?”

Dazai rolls his eyes, “I already told you Yaomomo, I don’t have one~”

The screwdriver is finished, she grabs the handle and passes it over to Dazai who takes it with a grin. “You must have a plan, why else are we in here?” she asks as Dazai grabs a few random boxes from along the wall, he moves them toward the back of the room and begins stacking them.

“This is just a precaution, just in case that Chibi decides to do some fishing,” Dazai explains like that makes any sense, “Of course, I have a few minor ideas, methods to deal with certain students but other than that? We’ll be acting in the moment.”

Yaoyorozu feels a mix of shock and dread at that, acting in the moment is one of the things she is not good at. Will Dazai not give her any direction? If that’s the case why would he tell her to follow his instructions? Does that mean they’ll be sticking together?

“T-that doesn’t seem like a smart idea. We should make a plan, we will be up against 20 people each with their own powerful Quirk, just acting in the moment will surely lead to failure,” Yaoyorozu tries to reason but her words fall on deaf ears. Dazai doesn’t respond to her, instead, he begins climbing his tower of boxes. Once at the top, he reaches upwards and- ah, Yaoyorozu understands now. There is a vent directly above Dazai, one only secured with some basic screws. What he said earlier, something about Chuuya going fishing, that must have been his way of saying this is an escape route.

There is something comforting about seeing him plan ahead like this, but it also only furthers the anxiety slowly building in Yaoyorozu. She again tries to convince him to think of a plan, “The other team has a lot of analytical thinkers, they’ll be making a plan to take us down already.”

Dazai sighs as one of the screws falls to the ground, he moves on to the next one, “Would it make you more comfortable if I made a plan?”

Yaoyorozu nods and then realises that he can’t currently see her, “It would.”

Another screw falls, “Great, then I won’t be making one!”

Taken aback, Yaoyorozu can’t help but stutter, “B-but, you just asked if I woul-”

Dazai cuts her off, “You worry too much Yaomomo! Things will be fine~ Besides, you need to get out of your comfort zone sometimes.”

Yaoyorozu knows that but she still can’t help but ball her hands into fists at Dazai’s behaviour. What sort of person directly asks what would make her more comfortable and then goes against it? Here he is, happily taking screws out of a vent- happily planning ahead for Chuuya, and yet he refuses to plan ahead for her? If he’s going to act like this then why did he even bother picking her? If he wanted someone who could act on their own then he could have picked Todoroki or Midoriya. Her Quirk isn’t even that suited for combat. Once again Yaoyorozu feels the burning need to know why Dazai picked her.

As the last screw falls, Dazai pulls the vent cover down and throws it onto the ground, the loud clang it makes only serves to increase Yaoyorozu’s bad mood. She needs to stop thinking about this, maybe she can think of a plan now and just follow it without Dazai and Chuuya. It won’t be the best plan but it’s better than nothing.

Dazai looks at her and sighs before jumping down from his box tower, “You wanna know why I picked you over anyone else in 1A?”

Yaoyorozu is nodding before she can even realise it.

“It’s easy, you’re the most valuable kid in the class,” Dazai says this in a light tone, like he truly believes what he’s saying. He must see her confusion as he continues, “Let me ask you a question then, if you were making a team and it had,” he looks away, almost like he can’t bear to continue, “All Might on, would you still go looking for the strongest fighters?”

Yaoyorozu pauses, would she? “I suppose… it depends on what the team was for?”

Dazai gives her a tired look, “The answer is no, no you wouldn’t. Once you have one strong fighter the rest all blend together, a strong offence is good and all but only a fool would solely focus on that.” Dazai pauses for a second before continuing, “In this situation, Chuuya is our offence. No one in 1A could beat him in a fight, so it’s useless to get someone like Midori-kun who will only drag us down.”

“And I won’t be dragging you down?” Yaoyorozu asks.

“Nope!” Dazai responds, “Your Quirk is unique, and unique is good. In a fight you could easily turn things around and get the advantage by making something, you would make such a good Mafia subordinate…” He says the last part quieter and wistfully, Yaoyorozu decides to ignore it.

“I won’t disagree with that, it's just… I’m not good at making decisions in the moment, by the time I’ve thought of the right item to make, the situation has already changed. Even if having another strong fighter is redundant at least they would be able to act quickly without a plan like you and Chuuya,” Yaoyorozu explains.

Dazai sighs again and walks closer, “I would put my hand on your shoulder in some type of comforting manner, but you’ll probably freak out over my Ability so I won’t.” He raises a hand and waves it about, “You’re the top of the class right?”

“Well, not tech-”

Once again, Dazai cuts her off, “You’re the top of the class, which means you aren’t an idiot. You can either cling to my every instruction or use your knowledge on how to fight, how to plan ahead, and just combine those together and do it in the moment. If things go wrong then whatever, this is the best situation for it anyway.”

“The best situation?”

Dazai nods enthusiastically, “Do whatever you like, act without hesitation because if things go wrong then either me or Chuuya will fix it. So, like I said, this is the best situation for you to start being more confident.”

If someone had told Yaoyorozu a few months ago that she would be feeling inspired, feeling encouraged by the words of a literal murderer then she would have thought them crazy. As it stands though, she can’t help but feel her spirits being lifted. She still isn’t sure if she will be able to actually act in the moment or if she will freeze up, in truth everything might go wrong. For now, though, she will calm herself by remembering Dazai’s words, her Quirk is unique and unique is good, she is smart, she has the potential to do this.

Perhaps seeing her newfound confidence Dazai smirks, “Now then, about those other two items I asked about.”

-

Group A: Midoriya, Kaminari, Tsuyu

Tsu likes to think of herself as the straightforward type, having so many siblings she quickly learned the best way to communicate is to be direct. Adopting that style of speech led to her being more truthful with her feelings, especially when trying to get through emotionally complex matters in her head. Being honest with herself, and by extension, everyone else has made life a lot easier.

All of that practice is certainly coming in handy now for she is facing the most complex problem yet; how does she feel about Chuuya and Dazai?

At first, it was obvious. Just like her classmates, she had felt sick watching that live stream, she had thought anyone capable of doing that must be true evil.

She, like everyone else in the world, felt fear and hatred for those two.

And then she met them. During those first few days Tsu kept her distance, she has always been more observant than her peers, so she kept to the sides and just watched. She had expected them to be cruel, she had thought they would act not unlike the League of Villains. At the very least she expected them to have similar temperaments as Bakugou, but they weren’t any of those things.

Sure, Dazai has an unnerving aura around him. The way he acts just seems off in a way she can’t place, he goes out of his way to scare others and seems far too calculating even when no one is paying him any attention (except her of course.) Chuuya is more in line with what she expected, he yells and swears and could easily take them all down in a fight. He’s violent and isn’t afraid of hurting someone.

But then, on that day when Chuuya seemed to be dragging his feet and his eyes seemed to droop more, Dazai had nearly glued himself to his side- which is impressive given the fact those two never go anywhere without each other anyway. Dazai had gone to Midoriya and got food for Chuuya so he wouldn’t have to make anything himself, he had sat right beside the boy and kept an eye on anyone who got too close.

Chuuya, who she had pegged as the aggressive type, has never yelled at any of 1A. He saw Mineta causing problems and seamlessly walked in to help, he saw that as something anyone would do. He was embarrassed when he accidentally called Yaomomo by her nickname, he was more polite than quite a few UA students she knows.

And then, when looking deeper, she started seeing more. She noticed the way Chuuya is always on Dazai’s bandaged side, his blind spot. She noticed the way he tends to position himself between Dazai and whoever he deems a threat. She noticed how Dazai’s calculating gaze flicks back to Chuuya so often, even more so when the two aren’t side by side.

Maybe she’ll learn something new today, she thinks while walking into the training grounds, maybe she’ll see a side of them that is too reminiscent of that livestream to ignore. But for now, if someone were to ask, Tsu could honestly say this: those two are dangerous, they could easily take down the whole class and then some but she doesn’t think that will happen. Instead, she will place her trust in those kind moments they share, she will treat them like she does anyone else and hopefully earn their trust back.

-

Group F: Iida, Jirou, Tokoyami

Jirou really, really isn’t confident that this training session will go well. Dazai and Chuuya are freaky good fighters and Yaomomo is a literal genius, so, in her humble opinion, there is no chance they’re winning.

Iida doesn’t seem to think that though, given the fact he’s still going on about rules and a fair fight and whatever else. He had started all this when the first group had left to enter the training building, Jirou, admittedly, stopped listening pretty quickly. And now here they are about to enter the training building as the second group and he still hasn’t stopped, she’ll have to do something about this then.

“Hey, aren’t we the Villains in this?” Jirou looks to Iida as she asks this.

The boy seems slightly put off by being interrupted, but does not linger on it, “Yes! Why do you ask?”

Jirou shrugs a little, “I was just wondering if you were going to do the whole Villain act again.”

Iida’s eyes light up in realisation before he nods enthusiastically, “Of course! The key to a good training exercise is acting the part!” Not a second later and he has adopted his Villain persona, which Jirou has to admit is hilarious. For a second she wonders how the two actual Villains will react to Iida’s acts, from what she’s seen so far Dazai would probably laugh at him mid-battle. Maybe they can use that to their advantage though, like as a distraction.

Jirou continues to ponder the logistics of using Iida’s dramatics to their full potential as she and her team make their way into the training grounds. The place gives off abandoned vibes, like the type of place you go on a dare to prove how brave you are.

From beside her Tokoyami looks around before nodding, “The energy pooled here promises chaos.” Which, yeah, weird thing to say but Jirou won’t question it, he’s probably right to be fair. If the previous fights against Dazai and Chuuya are anything to go by then yeah, things will get chaotic. Especially with Bakugou on the loose.

She’s brought out of her musing when someone’s voice rings out, “Oh, guys! Over here!” Jirou looks up and finds Kaminari waving like an idiot from across the food court. Beside him are Midoriya and Tsu, no sign of the cop trio yet.

Together Jirou’s group walks over to the other three, once close enough Iida wastes no time in jumping into his Villain persona, “Ah! Fellow thieves, have those pesky cops attempted anything?”

Kaminari glances at her in a ‘Are you seeing this?’ type of way before responding to Iida, “Uhhh nope! Those troublesome coppers have not shown their faces!” He seems to be enjoying this, which is not at all surprising. At least Iida has a partner to role-play with now.

Midoriya nods at that, “We went looking around but couldn’t find anyone.” His eyes flick over to Jirou and she immediately understands the question he wants to ask. Part of her wonders if the cop trio had planned to just hide it out for the entire lesson, she doubts it since Yaomomo knows enough about Jirou’s Quirk to understand hiding would be pointless. Still, if that is the case then it’s lucky she got sent in with the second group.

“I’ll check using my Quirk,” She says before doing just that. The others all nod and settle into a silence, which she appreciates. Jirou’s ear-jack pierces into the ground and she focuses up, there are six people on the ground floor which makes sense. Her Quirk doesn’t have a wide range just yet, but on the edges of her range, she can sense someone moving around. Their footsteps are heavy, maybe it’s Dazai then-

Someone is above them.

Her head snaps up and yep, there’s Chuuya floating in the middle of the air without a care in the world. The briefcase, the one they need to grab to win, floats next to him.

The others catch on quickly and look up to find Chuuya watching them. Kaminari comically yelps in shock. Iida starts to say something but is drowned out by Midoriya calling out, “Tsu! Do you think you can-”

Before he can even finish speaking Tsu’s tongue has shot out in an attempt to grab the briefcase. Unfortunately, Chuuya is all too quick to grab the briefcase and jump off to safety. He lands on the ground a few metres away, “You’ll have to be quicker than that.”

Iida crouches down a bit, clearly intending on powering up his Quirk, “You foolish cop! We, the nefarious Villains, shall win this exercise!”

Chuuya looks at him in shock for a moment, which is kinda funny. Then, with an eye roll, he turns and launches down the hallway behind him. If Jirou remembers the map of this place correctly then he’s heading into the other building, which means he may be trying to lose them.

Iida shoots off after him almost immediately, the rest of them aren’t far behind.

After a few minutes of chase, Jirou watches as Chuuya ducks into some random room and slams the door behind him, which seems far too stupid a move. That guy is a talented fighter, he should know going into an enclosed space like that won’t end well- especially with how obviously he did it. It must be a trap then, Jirou glances at her classmates and is relieved that they’re all looking at the door with suspicion. Well, all except one.

Kaminari, the idiot he is, doesn’t seem to think things through before rushing towards the door. Midoriya reaches out in an attempt to stop him but is unsuccessful. After that, it only takes a second for Kaminari to disappear into the room, release a large charge attack, and- and the lights are out. Great.

As it seems, the room Chuuya ducked into, and somehow vanished from, is the electrical server room. Also known as the one-room Kaminari should not have let such a large attack out in, now the power is out and things have gotten a whole lot harder.

They try to regroup, which is to say they grab the charged-out Kaminari from the electrical server room and try to come up with some plan. Midoriya sighs, “If only we had Yaoyorozu to make flashlights…”

Jirou nods, “I get the feeling that’s why he took her.”

Midoriya looks like he wants to say something, he even starts to say it but is abruptly cut off by two sharp sounds in quick succession. Before anyone can react, a paintball spats Kaminari right on the chest. The second, aimed right at Tokoyami, is deflected by Dark Shadow.

Jirou, once again, whips her head around and just barely catches sight of movement at the end of the hall. She watches as the person, Dazai if she had to guess due to the large coat, ducks around the corner. His footsteps echo down the hall as he makes a break for it, he’s going in the direction of the emergency staircase to the upper floor.

It makes sense that Midoriya and Iida are the ones to dash after him, they are the fastest runners in this group after all. Well, at least she hasn’t been left alone in this dark hallway.

Distantly, she wonders who the next group to enter may be.

-

Group G: Bakugou, Mineta

As soon as Aizawa-sensei gave him the go-ahead Bakugou was off. Grape-head trailed along while whining, which Bakugou ignored without much thought. He doesn’t have time to listen to that guy's cries, this is UA for f*cks sake, if he can’t handle going into a training fight then he shouldn’t be here.

But whatever, this isn’t about that creep. This is about Bakugou getting his revenge match. He’s going to go in there and wipe the floor with the bandaged bastard, then after he’s kicked the f*cker around a bit he’ll take down the ginger too.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast he goes the grape-head always seems to be at his heels yapping like a dog. “Shut the hell up,” he doubts that’ll stop the whining but it’s worth a shot.

Grape-head shakes, like actually full body shakes, “B-but this place is huge! We need to stick together…” He looks around nervously, the fact that they’re currently in the open food court probably doesn’t make things any better. From here he can easily see up to the second floor.

Bakugou scoffs, yea, the place is huge but that’s the damn point. It doesn’t help that the damn lights are out, the windows only let in so much natural light- most of the place is covered in shadows. “I’m not your f*cking babysitter, I need to find that bandaged bastard and you’ll only…”

Bakugou trails off, his eyes catching on the shadows of the upper floor. Something, someone is moving.

“Oh? You’re looking for me~”

Bakugou doesn’t waste a second before launching upwards, the sound of his explosions echoes across the walls. He lands on the second floor, right where that bandaged f*cker had been just a moment ago.

“You’ll have to be faster than that~”

“Wait! Bakugou, there’s someone else down her- ah!”

Bakugou once again ignores the cries of the grape-head and instead chases after that infuriating voice, he can hear the bastard laughing and can see his singular eye catch the light before it disappears again. Except hiding in the shadows isn’t going to do sh*t, now Bakugou has the f*cker in his sights there is no chance he’s slipping away.

“Come back and fight me!” He yells as he runs along a line of shops, he’s getting nearer to the upstairs entrance to the other building. If he gets lead into there then it’ll be troublesome, of course, he’ll still succeed in tracking the bandaged maniac down, but the other groups are likely to be over there. They’ll try to interrupt his fight.

The shadow skids around a corner, the one leading straight into the other building. In response, Bakugou jumps up and uses his explosions to get him around that corner and-

And who is waiting for him isn’t the bandaged idiot, it’s f*cking Deku. Deku and Specs, two losers that’ll try and get in the way of his fight. He looks around and nope, not a single thing to show that Dazai is still in the area. Great.

“Where the hell did he go?” Bakugou demands, the pair of them must have seen that f*cker come past.

Deku has the gall to look confused, “Wha- We were just following Dazai so-”

“No, I was just following that f*cker. Now tell me which way he went!” Bakugou is losing precious time, with how slippery that guy is giving him any time to get away could ruin his chances of getting a revenge fight.

Deku and Specs share a look, one that pisses Bakugou off to no end.

-

Group D: Uraraka, Hagakure, Kirishima

“I’m gonna split off here guys, time to do some spying!”

Uraraka nods in Hagakure’s direction, “Be careful!” In response Hagakure does two thumbs up before her gloves fall to the ground, her shoes move a little as she takes them off and then she’s gone.

Besides her Kirishima hits his fists together, “Alright! What’s your plan Uraraka?”

Uraraka looks around the building and part of her wonders why Aizawa-sensei didn’t warn them that the lights would be off. Immediately after having that thought, she realises that keeping such a thing a secret is very much something he would do, this is probably meant to get them used to fighting late at night or something. Anyway, back to Kirishima’s question, “We should try and find Deku and the others, they might already have a plan.”

Kirishima nods, “Sounds good!”

For a few minutes they walk in silence, sometimes an echo of movement rings out that sets them on full alert but nothing happens. It’s only when they have entered the second building that they finally run into people, Tsu, Jirou, and Tokoyami to be exact. If her memory is correct then Tsu was in the first group while Jirou and Tokoyami were in the second, how come their other teammates are nowhere to be seen?

Uraraka asks this and is met by Jirou sighing, “That idiot Kaminari took the lights out then got shot by Dazai, Midoriya and Iida left to chase him.”

Uraraka nods and then pauses, “I thought the lights being off was intentional by Aizawa-sensei! H-how did he take them all out?”

Jirou just sighs, which gives Tokoyami the opportunity to say, “Evil forces are at play, tempting even the saints among us.”

There is silence for a few moments while everyone tries to decipher what he just said, even the two that were there for Kaminari’s stunt seem confused.

Now taking on the role of Jirou, Tokoyami sighs, “It was a trap.”

Chapter 14: 12 - Cops and robbers pt.2

Chapter Text

Group C: Todoroki, Mina, Aoyama

“Alright then team,” Mina claps her hands together once they enter the building, “What should we do first?”

Todoroki glances over at her, he debates responding to her or just going off on his own. Admittedly, a large part of him wants to just split off now and hunt down Dazai, but that’s something his father would do, so Todoroki will stay with them for now. If he cooperates with the others now then they’ll be more open to helping when it comes time to fight Dazai. Plus, after the whole sports festival and Stain thing he’s been trying to get closer to his classmates, make a few friends even. He isn’t sure it’s working. “We need to find the others,” Todoroki finally says.

Mina nods, “Oh yea, definitely! I bet Midoriya already has a plan…. Oo! Let’s go check over there first!” Mina points to one of the stores lined up along the side of the much larger food court area they’re currently in. Had the lights been on Todoroki probably would have been able to read the store name and get an idea of why Mina wanted to go there specifically, as it is he can only see the subtle glimmer of something in the store window.

Aoyama gasps, “Oui! I can see the sparkles from here!” Mina nods excitedly at his words before hooking her arm around his and marching onwards, Todoroki follows helplessly. Maybe it would be best to leave them after all, for some reason he highly doubts Dazai is hiding away in a- he’s close enough to read the sign now and is slightly stumped to see ‘The glitter boutique’ in the swoopiest cursive writing he has ever seen. He… He seriously can’t tell if this is a real store or something the principal made up for fun. Todoroki knows he doesn’t get out all that much, even now when he has a lot more freedom as a UA student, so it’s possible he just has never heard of such a store… But also, a store dedicated to glitter? That doesn’t feel like a real concept.

Then again, given how Aoyama and Mina light up at the name, maybe he is just uninformed. He’ll have to make a mental note of the store name for later research, maybe he might go visit the store himself if it turns out to be real. His sister is always saying having common interests with his classmates will make talking to them easier.

Todoroki is brought out of his glitter based-deliberations by Mina stopping dead in her tracks, for a second he doesn’t understand the reason for her sudden stop- but then he sees it. Inside the store something is moving, someone perhaps. It’s hard to decipher what exactly it is given how dark everything is, the movement almost perfectly blends in with the dark shadows towards the back of the store. Todoroki shares a look with his teammates, the chances that a member of 1A is hiding in the back of the store is slim to none.

Mina looks at him pointedly before gesturing her head to the store, a few seconds pass and she sighs, clearly seeing that Todoroki had not understood her. “Hey, Todoroki, have you ever been to ‘The Glitter boutique’ before?”

Todoroki shakes his head, “No.” While he may not understand what Mina wants from him just yet he can clearly tell she is trying to act like they haven’t seen the mystery person yet.

Aoyama gasps, Todoroki can’t tell if he’s acting it up or is genuinely this shocked, “Mon ami, this cannot stand!”

Mina nods along, once again she gestures to the store with her head, “Why don’t you go in first, that way you can experience the magic of this store uninterrupted.”

Ah, Todoroki gets it now. He nods, “Alright.”

The shadow is still there, although no longer moving. Todoroki tries not to make his intentions too obvious, so rather than going straight for the shadow he wanders into the store and walks along the wall. He takes stock of all the glittered items, some of which he’s actually seen Aoyama wearing. Does that mean this store is a real one after all?

He shakes that thought from his head, now is not the time.

Mina, who is no longer in his line of sight, calls out, “How are you liking it then? Fantastic isn’t it?”

Todoroki keeps his response simple, “It is.” The shadow still hasn’t moved, maybe whoever it is is hoping that by staying still they will go unnoticed. Of course, it’s too late for that now.

He’s close enough now that he should be able to get the jump of whoever this is, all he needs to do is quickly jump out and-

And when his arms wrap around the person he realises it’s not a person at all. Slightly shocked he looks down to find a bedazzled mannequin with wheels on the bottom. The moving from before must have been the mannequin just rolling around then, he relaxes for a second before another thought comes to mind, how did the mannequin start rolling? The store floor is flat, there isn’t anything on the floor to suggest something fell and knocked into the mannequin, the only option must be that someone moved it.

“Ah- Todo- He’s out here!” Aoyama shrieks.

Todoroki drops the mannequin and sprints out through the store, this time not bothering to follow along the walls. He skids to a stop just after leaving the entrance, immediately he begins scanning the area to try and find whoever had set them up. To his dismay the only people that remain are his two classmates, except now with bright paint splattered on their chests.

“Chuuya shot us, but he went that way!” Mina points out the direction, Todoroki gives her a thankful nod before running off. If he’s fast enough then he might just be able to catch up to Nakahara before he slips off.

-

Group E: Ojirou, Shinsou, Shouji

Aizawa watches the cameras and just sighs, the sort of deep sigh that lasts longer than five seconds. He can see as the next group enters, and they, like all the others, take a moment to look around the large open entrance area before advancing inwards. Shinsou comments about the lights being off, Ojirou suggests that it might have been a decision by Aizawa- it was not. While it is something he would do, and something he has already planned for the kids to do before the school year ends, does not mean he isn’t annoyed that they are all pinning it on him.

What’s more annoying is Dazai and Nakahara. More specifically the fact that they aren’t fighting together, which was the whole point of this training session. There are enough cameras that they have more than one angle on the duo as they move around the place, of course, that’s only helpful if they actually fought together. Scratch that, even if they bothered speaking to each other then the cameras would get something good out of this- but no, the pair have barely said a word to each other at all.

All Might looks over empathetically at him, “I get the feeling those two won’t actually fight together at all.”

Once again, Aizawa sighs, “How much do you want to bet that Nedzu will continue to request that they fight 1A until he gets the footage he wants?”

All Might grimaces, which Aizawa relates to all too well.

-

Yaoyorozu tries to quiet her breathing, her eyes following the newest group as they wander into the food court area and then towards building ‘B’. All of them oblivious to the pair of teenagers hidden in the shadows.

Dazai gives her an expectant look, she can hear the echoes of her classmates talking and running around the place. For a second she begins to feel that all too familiar panic, her breath stutters for a second and she fights to bring it back under control.

“Do whatever you like, act without hesitation because if things go wrong then either me or Chuuya will fix it.”

Right. Now is her time to think of something, come up with a base of a plan that can be changed as the situation demands it. Her eyes catch on the large black coat resting across her shoulders, an idea sparks to mind.

Dazai looks at her curiously as she crouches down and begins using her Quirk, Yaoyorozu does not offer any explanation. A few seconds pass, the sound of her classmates continues to echo as she works. When she’s finished with the first one she risks a glance up at Dazai and finds a grin in place on his face,

“Great idea Yaomomo~”

-

Group B: Sero, Sato, Koda

Sero was, admittedly, a little bit nervous when Aizawa-sensei told everyone the plan for today’s heroics lesson. Being taken down in a fight is one thing, but being picked apart by Dazai seems way worse and he really, really does not want that. Sure, it’s not like he has any major secrets or insecurities or anything but like, the way he managed to pinpoint Todoroki’s sore spot so quickly was freaky. Which, speaking of Todoroki, Sero isn’t all that keen on being in the same building as him during a training exercise. He remembers how the guy had acted way back during the first Villains vs Heroes fight, he had no qualms freezing the entire building. Of course, he can’t forget about the sports festival, even if Todoroki had already apologised for that Sero can’t just forget it. Getting frozen in a huge chunk of ice just sticks with you.

But yea, he already wasn’t looking forward to the whole thing and things just had to get worse.

“Oh ho~ Is this mister ‘nice try’ I see?”

Looking up Sero can see Dazai lounging against the railing of the second floor, the natural light streaming in through windows only just allowing him to see Dazai smirking.

Sero should not rise to the bait, he should stay with his teammates and not allow himself to be taunted by Dazai.

Sero does not do that.

Instead he is all too quick to shoot some tape up so he can pull himself up to the second floor, he lands right next to Dazai. Dazai doesn’t look surprised, which is really annoying but whatever. He aims another lot of tape to hit the guy but is left disappointed when he dodges out of the way.

Now a decent few steps away Dazai swings his arms around and- ah, he has the briefcase! If Sero can grab that and throw it down to Koda or Sato then this whole thing can finish right now. Dazai opens his mouth and Sero mentally prepares for another round of taunting, however, before anything can be said a scream rings out. A scream coming from where he left Koda and Sato.

Sero flings himself to the railing and nearly falls over it in his attempt to see which enemy those two are fighting, if it’s Nakahara then they have no chance. If it’s Yaoyorozu then they have like… a 40% chance. Oh but factoring in Dazai brings that right down to zero, in fact they probably have a negative percent chance with him here.

Oddly enough, when Sero peers over the edge he can’t see anyone other than Sato and Koda. He squints a little and can just about make out that there is something on the floor in front of Koda, funnily enough he can see Dazai doing the exact same as him.

A second passes, the thing on the floor moves, Koda yelps and ducks behind Sato, “S-spider…”

…

Dazai breaks down in laughter beside him. Sero almost wants to join him, but he also wants to defend Koda from this guy, being scared of spiders is totally understandable.

In between laughs Dazai manages to get out, “Y-your Quirk is animal control and you’re scared of spiders?

Koda cowers from behind Sato, seeing this Sero turns to Dazai with what he hopes is a disapproving look, “Hey! Laughing at him like that is totally…” his mind blanks for a moment, which then means he just spits out the first thing he can think of, “unmanly!”

Dazai looks like he wants to laugh more, which, rude. Sure, it sounds odd for Sero to call something unmanly when that’s usually Kirishima’s thing- but you can’t really blame him! He’s spent so much time around the guy already he just can’t help adopting Kirishima’s favourite catchphrase.

In an attempt to get Dazai to stop laughing Sero aims a punch at him, which should connect since Dazai had moved closer to him when looking down at Koda and Sato. Emphasis on should, in truth Dazai once again jumps back just out of reach.

“Well this has been fun!” Dazai smiles in a way that really rubs Sero wrong, “Yaomomo~ You know what to do!” Dazai turns in a flurry of his large black coat and starts running away.

Sero jerks forward, his instincts pushing him to chase after him but pauses. Yaomomo? What did he-

The sound of two gunshots pulls Sero’s attention back to the ground floor, both Koda and Sato are now covered in paint. He can just about hear the echo of Yaoyorozu’s shoes as she also runs away, which leaves him in a bit of a pickle. Who does he chase after?

Yaoyorozu or Dazai? His classmate or the murderer from Yokohama?

Hm. Yaoyorozu it is.

-

Iida feels a strong sense of satisfaction when he watches Dazai and Yaoyorozu ambush Sero, Sato, and Koda. After the initial attempt of chasing Dazai had ended with a run in with Bakugou, both him and Midoriya had decided to split up to try and find where he could have gone. Unfortunately, given just how large the training hall is, that turned out to be an impossible task. Not that it wasn’t useful, in fact, had Iida not been running around the place he wouldn’t have overheard the conversation that tipped him off to where the cop team may appear.

While searching around in one of the many stores on the second floor he had heard both Mina and Aoyama pass the store. Initially he had left to go meet them to brainstorm what to do next and, for a second, he had been disheartened to see them splattered with paint. While not against the rules, Iida had felt it better not to speak with students that had been taken out. He also had no intentions of following them just so he could break them free from ‘jail’ as soon as they got there. However, just before he could turn and leave the area something Mina said caught his attention.

“I can’t believe he waited near the entrance area just to ambush us!” She had complained.

It did not take a genius to conclude that the likelihood of someone from the cop team attempting another ambush was high, and so Iida had found a discreet place to hide near the entrance on the second floor and had waited.

Not too long later and his patience had been rewarded, with Sero choosing to pursue Yaoyorozu Iida was given a golden opportunity to get an attack in on Dazai.

Without wasting a second Iida shot off after Dazai and, fortunately, managed to catch up to him just before he could slip off into the shadows.

And now here he is, staring down Dazai in some dark corner of the shopping centre. The other boy looks momentarily surprised before shifting his expression into a smirk, “Gonna take me down all by yourself?” His tone is teasing, just bordering on mocking.

Iida fights to keep a level head, he knows better than most the dangers of rushing into a fight with anger clouding his mind. Then again, he also knows that facing a stronger opponent without backup is a fool’s play. Well, that can’t be helped. If Iida tries to run for assistance then Dazai will slip away, his only hope for backup is if one of his classmates happens to stumble across them.

And as for not approaching this with anger… Well, Iida would say he’s doing a mighty fine job, both in this training exercise and elsewhere. If he’s being honest with himself, then initially he was quite upset and even angry at the decision. Bringing two Villains, two hero killers, into UA felt incredibly inappropriate- insulting even. But, if Aizawa-sensei and the other Pros believe those two have a chance of redemption, then Iida will do his very best to aid them.

“Prepare to be bested, foolish cop!” Iida declares. Since the first Heroes vs Villains fight Iida had been studying up on Villain’s habits, both in action and speech. While some of his classmates seem to find that funny, Iida had found it quite helpful in understanding the mindset of Villains. He is aware that true Villains don’t speak the same way Iida tends to in these activities, but Iida feels his adaptation fits the learning environment better.

Dazai seems to pause for a moment before a grin settles on his face, for a second Iida expects some sort of taunting- perhaps even on the same level as his fight with Todoroki- but soon realises that his grin does not have any signs of malice. Instead, he almost seems amused.

“Oh please, only a novice would fall to you nefarious robber!” Dazai points a dramatic finger at him. That- that isn’t what Iida expected, but he has no time to dwell on it. However Dazai wishes to act, Iida will take it in stride and get that briefcase.

-

Todoroki, unfortunately, is not the most patient person out there. While he certainty doesn’t have as short of a fuse as say, Bakugou or even his father, he does tend to prefer things to be straightforward and quick. He had hoped that being in an enclosed space and having the upper hand in terms of numbers, this whole training exercise wouldn’t be too hard. Of course, he had expected it to be challenging, but at the very least he thought there would be more fighting. As it stands however, the cop trio seem to be running them around like fools.

Shouting echoes down the halls, likely a group of 1A kids chasing one of the cop trio or getting themselves caught. Todoroki grits his teeth knowing it would be pointless for him to get involved, no matter how fast he runs his opponents always seem to slip away just before he gets there. So far the only meaningful interaction he has managed to have with any of them was a brief moment where Nakahara dodged some of his attacks before using his Ability to jump away.

And, when he bumps into Midoriya and Uraraka, it’s obvious he isn’t the only one getting annoyed with this whole thing.

Midoriya, already crouching down with a flushed face from running, weakly smiles at Todoroki as he gets closer, “No luck?”

Todoroki shakes his head, something that causes Uraraka to groan, “Ugh, when Aizawa-sensei told us about this I had expected something other than…”

She hesitates for a moment, perhaps struggling to find the right words. “Chasing shadows?” Todoroki offers.

Uraraka nods while Midoriya sighs and stands up. If they want any chance of winning then things need to change, their strategy needs to change. “Midoriya,” Todoroki starts, “Do you have any plans?”

Midoriya brightens somewhat at that, which isn’t all that surprising, “Uh, well, yes! Since the last fights with Dazai and Nak- Chuuya, I’ve been brainstorming some ideas for beating them,” his face darkens a little, “But like this it’s impossible to use any of them.”

“How come?” Uraraka asks while placing a comforting hand on Midoriya’s shoulder. Todoroki feels a tad awkward, should he try and comfort Midoriya too? Maybe that would make things worse given that he has no clue how to do that.

“We have no clue who has been caught or not, plus everyone is so spread out that if we tried to pass along information then the other side would probably find out,” Midoriya responds. After saying that he pauses for a moment, his hands fidget slightly with his costume before he continues, “And that’s not mentioning the whole thing Dazai and Yaoyorozu have going on, plus the briefcases…”

That does not need any explanation, with the lights off the unique features of each of his classmates were lost to shadows, of course, for people like Shouji it was still easy to tell who they are- but a figure wearing a large black coat purposely running through the darkest corners? Now that could be anyone. Naturally, everyone had assumed it to be Dazai but after the third time two people happened to be chasing Dazai in opposite directions at the same time it became far too obvious what was actually going on. Yaoyorozu had made a second coat to disguise herself, to trick her opponents. It’s an admirable plan really, the weaker students would think she was Dazai and potentially avoid her and the stronger ones would be distracted by her, which would allow the real Dazai to carry out whatever plans he had up his sleeves. The duplicated briefcases are a nice extra touch, that way they can’t just send the strongest fighters to one person and be done with it.

Uraraka sighs, “Don’t remind me….” Todoroki looks at her curiously due to her embarrassed tone, this causes her to sigh once again before explaining further, “I thought I had run into Dazai, so I…. I tried to taunt him! But then he, or well she, shot at me but missed, which I know by now Dazai wouldn’t do…” She wilts a little after finishing.

Midoriya laughs a little at that, “Well at least you didn’t end up in jail.”

For a second it seems like Uraraka is content to silently agree, that is before her eyes light, “Deku! How about this, we go check out the ‘jail’. If we can get some people out, great, but even just getting a look would help you, right?”

Before anyone can actually respond to Uraraka’s proposal, the shouting from earlier gets closer and, in a whirl of shadow, a certain black coat comes running past. Todoroki quickly glances at Midoriya who is clearly rearing up to give chase, with a nod he turns to Uraraka, “You go, we’ll keep whoever that is distracted.”

Uraraka nods with determination, “I’ll meet you guys by the server room, oh and tell everyone else to go there too!”

A few members of 1A run by, clearly out of breath and not yet giving up on the chase. With one final nod of agreement Todoroki turns and begins to run, he can feel Midoriya keeping close to his side. Whether it’s Dazai or Yaoyorozu under that coat it doesn’t matter, he’ll catch up to them this time.

-

Despite how quickly she agreed to the plan, Uraraka does feel a little nervous about going to check out the jail area. If she remembers correctly, it should be on the second floor of Building ‘B’- a hat store to be specific. In an attempt to calm her nerves, she begins to think of what might exactly happen once she arrives there, one of the cop trio is being chased by Todoroki and Deku- but if that person is Yaoyorozu or Dazai she isn’t sure. Chuuya has been spotted around the place quite frequently, even Uraraka herself has seen him jumping around every or often. That being said, with his Ability it would be far too easy for Chuuya to cross the entire training hall in a few seconds. Ideally, no one would be waiting there, that way Uraraka can get whoever has been caught out of jail so they have a better chance later on. Chuuya would be difficult to beat, the other two she might just be able to manage.

Of course, all she really has to do is go have a look and report back to Deku who has been caught, but well, Uraraka wants to achieve something here. Freeing at least one person is her goal.

“Hey, over here!”

Uraraka stops in her tracks, her eyes flick over to the store where the comically loud whisper came from and find both Sero and Shouji beckoning her over. She smiles before jogging over to them, with backup it’ll be a lot easier to get at least one person out of jail.

“Sero, Shouji, are you both trying to free people from jail?” She asks and is immediately met with nodding.

One of Shouji’s tentacles forms into a mouth, “We managed to get pretty close, but then Nakahara appeared.” Sero winces at that, which probably means they had a close run in before managing to run back here. It might not be appropriate, but Uraraka can’t help the tingle of anticipation that runs up her spine. After her first fight with Chuuya she had been nervous about the thought of going up against him again, but after a change of viewpoint she almost looks forward to it. Chuuya’s Ability is similar enough to Uraraka’s Quirk that she might be able to pick a few tricks up by watching him fight. By fighting him she’ll be directly comparing herself to him, which while it may be disheartening at times she’ll be able to track her progress a lot better.

“Are you gonna try and get people out?” Sero asks, which effectively pulls Uraraka from her thoughts. She really needs to keep her focus here, getting the information back to Deku is her main objective- not fighting Chuuya.

“If I can,” Uraraka starts, “The important part is getting back to Deku so he knows who has been trapped, that way he can start thinking of plans.”

“I don’t suppose he gave you a plan for actually doing that?”

Uraraka quickly responds to Sero’s question, “Nope!” She forms two fists and pumps her arms up in determination, “But don’t worry about that, we can totally figure something out ourselves!”

Sero and Shouji share a look before turning back to Uraraka with a nod. “If we can drag the fight away from the jail area then someone can loop back to look and maybe get people out,” Shouji suggests.

Uraraka mentally debates that method, it’ll be far easier to do that than outright beat Chuuya. With how large this place is, with how some of the halls seem to twist and turn in a confusing manner, it wouldn’t be too hard to get Chuuya to follow them around a few corners so the jail area is unguarded. Although, actually keeping him there long enough to get people out would be the problem, with how fast he moves all their work could be trashed in a matter of seconds if he realises what they’re up to. Uraraka contemplates that before speaking, “Let’s look around the area, there might be something we can use to keep him busy.”

The other two agree and, a moment later, the trio creep their way out of the store and down the hall. Some of the shops seem to be in decent enough condition, minus one that has a smashed in window. Uraraka wonders if that had happened today or if UA staff just hadn’t gotten around to fixing it, whatever the case she makes a mental note to avoid the area in case of glass shards.

A few times bangs echo down the halls, it’s only after Shouji confirms it’s not too close with one of his ear tentacles that they continue moving down the hall. Even then the air of nerves is thick, if they make too much noise, if they take a wrong turn or don’t pay attention to their surroundings then there is a real chance that they could get caught right here. Ah, after being so confident telling Deku and Todoroki where to meet later she just can’t get caught, it would be even more embarrassing then the taunting incident with Yaoyorozu.

“You like to taunt people huh?! Well… Well! How about this- that coat makes you look like a ten-year-old!”

What was she even thinking? Had that actually been Dazai he probably would have laughed her right out of the building, maybe even shot her while he’s at it.

Still cringing at the memory, Uraraka turns her head to the side in an attempt to hide any blush that might have appeared on her face. Not that it matters really, with how dark it is-

Ah, that store, it could be perfect.

“Guys, this way,” Uraraka calls to her teammates, she doesn’t wait for them to follow.

It’s near impossible to tell what the store was supposed to be before this, not with the inside so destroyed and the lack of a sign on the front. Whatever had happened here must have been a fight to behold, that or some crazy accident. After all, how else could the entire floor have collapsed in?

“Whoa, what happened here?” Sero asks, Uraraka silently seconds that. It must have been from a previous fight, same with that window from before, she would have heard it if someone had done this during this session. Why UA hadn’t replaced the floor yet she isn’t sure, but she sure isn’t going to complain about it.

Uraraka stands cautiously on the edge of what remains of the floor, she peers down and is overjoyed to find all the chunks of floor are just waiting down there. Waiting for her to put them to use.

-

It takes just over a second for Chuuya to pick up on their presence and slide into a fighting stance, Uraraka fights back the urge to feel nervous at his quick response. Before coming over here they had hashed up a plan, Shouji will be on defence while Sero and Uraraka work on pulling Chuuya away from the jail area.

She catches a glimpse of someone inside the hat store, Kaminari if she can see right, and it fills her with determination. All she has to do is get a look at who is inside, even if the main part of their plan fails as long as she gets out of here with the knowledge of who is trapped in there then she succeeds.

Wasting not a second longer Uraraka throws a book in Chuuya’s direction, she had grabbed some projectiles from a store before coming here, with the use of her Quirk the object soars through the air. At the same time Sero, who is stationed down the other side of the hallway, shoots some tape directly at Chuuya’s centre. If it hits then he’ll have trouble dodging the book, and if he tries dodging the book then he’ll run into the tape.

Chuuya watches for a second, the tape gets close second by second. It’s only when the book gets in arm’s length does he act. A warm red glow surrounds the briefcase in his hand, Uraraka can just about make out as faint kanji appears with the activation of his Ability, in one swift movement he swings the briefcase upwards- directly hitting the book. The break in momentum causes the object to float up to the ceiling, a moment later Chuuya joins the item up there.

Before Uraraka can act and try to throw something else the red glow spreads to Chuuya’s body and he slams down into the ground. One hand holds the briefcase, which Uraraka knows she has no chance of getting, while the other reaches out and grabs at something… Grabs at Sero’s tape.

Thankfully Sero notices this and, likely remembering the last time he and Chuuya fought, quickly cuts the tape from his body.

This doesn’t stop Chuuya from grabbing it though, in a split second the tape turns stiff as gravity forces it into a straight line. Chuuya shifts his grip before pulling his arm back and launching it right towards Uraraka.

Given that she only has a moment to react, Uraraka doesn’t think she can be blamed for her choice of action. Quickly, she leans down just enough to activate her Quirk on both her ankles and leaps towards the nearest wall. While she does successfully dodge the tape, her attempt to kick off from the wall and land does not end so nicely. She doesn’t fall over, which is great, but it certainly was a near thing.

Once again proving his quick reaction time, Chuuya swiftly jumps forward and swings at her, which Uraraka is fortunate enough to dodge. In doing so Uraraka finds herself with her back to Sero and Chuuya across from her, she bites back a smile at this. All they have to do is push Chuuya back now, if they can keep up the offensive attacks then..

“You made yourself too light.”

Uraraka scolds herself for momentarily getting distracted. Remembering her training with Gunhead she slips into a fighting stance and takes a calming breath, “What?” Chuuya doesn’t seem like the type to try and manipulate someone with his words during a fight, at least not like how Dazai does.

Chuuya rolls his eyes, “That move, you were too light to pull it off.”

For a second Uraraka has to think about what he’s talking about, then it hits her. It just so happens that Chuuya’s heel hits her too, because apparently she can’t think and dodge simultaneously. She stubbles away slightly due to the force of the kick, but quickly regains her footing and presses forward. She needs to push Chuuya back, with this in mind she floats over another book and aims it at Chuuya. A small smile settles on her face as he jumps backward to dodge it.

Sero takes this as his chance to move in closer and make an attack, Shouji sticks close to him. It’s only a brief moment of rest but Uraraka takes it, her mind flicks back to what Chuuya said. She’s been trying to get that wall kick down for a while now, she had mastered doing it without her Quirk so the next move was to include it. Being able to float up and kick off a wall from any height would be very useful, both in battle and in rescue. Chuuya said she was too light to pull it off, which… Which makes sense. Uraraka feels mystified that she didn’t realise this before but if her Quirk is pulling her up, allowing her to get the height, then naturally it would be preventing her from easily coming back to the ground. Her landings are always off because her Quirk is attempting to keep her up, but if she just lets gravity do its thing then…

Uraraka waits for an opportunity, it doesn’t take long. Both Sero and Shouji are more to the right of the hallway while Chuuya is more to the left, if he wanted to he could slip through that gap and get behind both boys. That would leave them open to attacks and ruin their progress of pushing him down the hall, so Uraraka needs to solve that.

She once again activates her Quirk on her ankles and leaps up onto the wall, spending only a moment actually on the wall she kicks off while praying this works. Her fingers touch and she quietly mutters ‘release’ and-

And she lands.

She’s a little unsteady, sure, but it’s nowhere near as bad as before.

Uraraka really wants to celebrate that, but she needs to keep focused. Chuuya is now in front of her so she should try and attack, she decides to throw out a kick knowing that it wouldn’t land but hoping it would push him back.

Chuuya dodges, backwards which is great, as a grin forms on his face. Uraraka tries to pay it no mind, she needs to be focused right now! She cannot let her excitement from landing the move distract her.

From behind her she can hear her classmates yelling, mostly encouragement, from the jail. If she focuses she’s sure she can hear Mina’s voice, mentally she tucks that piece of information away just in case.

The fight continues on like that for a while, Uraraka and Sero launch attacks that miss and Chuuya strikes back with ones that hit. Fortunately, Shouji is always quick to jump in before either of them can be hit badly. A few times they get pushed backwards by the attacks, which isn’t great, but overall they’ve made good progress.

So good in fact that Uraraka can no longer see or hear the jail, but she can see that store from before. Actually luring Chuuya into the store is going to be tricky, but Sero had come up with an idea beforehand that might just work. It had taken a few minutes of working to figure out how to set the thing up, but they did it and now it’s time to activate it.

Chuuya had kept his focus solely on the three of them for the entire fight, a few times he glanced away to check where he was landing but otherwise he hadn’t taken much notice of their surroundings. A small part of Uraraka feels wrong thinking that, that part seems determined that that isn’t the case. She doesn’t have time to think about that though, so instead she prepares herself for the next part of their plan.

With another attack by Sero, Chuuya dodges once again without looking away.

Uraraka watches with satisfaction as his back makes contact with a piece of Sero’s tape that they had previously set up across the hallway. Before Chuuya can do anything, namely use his Ability on the tape, Uraraka touches her fingers together with a shout, “Release!”

The tape, which had been attacked around a rather large piece of rock from the other room, suddenly jerks to the side. The momentum of the rock falling quickly drags the tape, and Chuuya, through the broken window of the store. Sero shoots a few extra bits of tape at Chuuya as he goes by, but in a matter of moments he’s no longer in view. There is silence for a second before the sound of crashing echoes up to them. Along with the tape trap the three of them had set something up that would collapse all the other pieces of floor down after Chuuya was dragged through and to the bottom floor. It shouldn’t hurt him, probably anyway, but it would buy them a few minutes to rush back to the jail and get some people out.

Uraraka shares a smile with the other two before turning and sprinting back down the hall. Chuuya is fast, no doubt that the second he gets free of Sero’s tape he’ll be jumping back up through that hole and zipping down the hall to catch up with them. If they want to get people out, or at least see who is actually in there, then they need to be quick.

It takes significantly less time to get back to the jail, which is entirely due to the fact they aren’t fighting someone while moving. Uraraka is delighted to see her classmates waiting right in the doorway cheering for them.

“We heard that crash! What the hell did you guys do?”

“How did you manage to beat him?!”

“Those cops stand no chance against the true evil that is you!”

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Uraraka smiles, “We’ll tell you all later, right now we have a jail to break into!”

With that Uraraka and Sero step into the jail and begin patting the shoulders of everyone inside, Aizawa-sensei had said that was the only way to break someone out after all. Everyone is excited to be back in the game, Uraraka particularly feels beyond hyped up. With the help of Sero and Shouji they had managed to get everyone free, not just one! Deku will be so happy to see everyone out, his plans won’t be restricted that way. Not to mention the kick off the wall she did! How she knows the trick she’ll be able to perfect that move before the next class training session, which will open up so many opportunities for her to get a leg up in future sessions.

(A tiny part of Uraraka feels doubt at all this, that whole fight… It felt too easy.)

“Wow! You guys did so well!”

Uraraka’s head snaps up, “Hagakure, where are you?”

Hagakure picks up a piece of rubble from the ground and waves it around, “Right here! I was keeping an eye on the jail to see when I could sneak in and free everyone, but you guys beat me to it!”

“You were here the whole time?” Mina gasps.

Hagakure drops the rubble and laughs at that, which causes Uraraka to smile. All they have to do now is head to the server room and wait for Deku and the others, then, once they have a plan they can make a big push to get the briefcase.

Uraraka is the first to notice, simply for the fact that she happened to be looking in that direction. Down the hall the shadows seem to shift, just for a moment something reflects the meager amount of light here before disappearing again. She’s about to bring this up, about to warn her classmates to be on guard, when the rapid sound of gunfire rings out.

Someone grabs her, Shouji she belatedly realises, and practically drags her to be hidden behind him. Two others, Sero and Kaminari, are also tucked away behind Shouji’s large frame but no one else seemed to be as lucky. In shock people look down at their paint splattered chests and back up again, disbelief clearly written on their faces.

From down the hall Uraraka hears a laugh and tenses, “Ha! Turns out I don’t need these goggles after all, Invisa-girl gave her position away herself!”

Uraraka can just see Hagakure from around Shouji, well, she can see the paint splatter floating in mid-air. That doubt from before springs back tenfold, had this all been a trap? Did Chuuya allow himself to be dragged away so Dazai could swoop in and shoot everyone who tried to escape? A heavy feeling settles on her chest at the realisation, sure Kaminari had managed to not be shot but Shouji had. They had no more people free than they did at the beginning of this.

Kaminari leans in close to her, “Uhhh, I think we should get out of here.”

Right, yes, they need to get out of here. Uraraka sweeps a glance around and commits to memory everyone who had been captured, then she turns to Kaminari and nods. “Sero,” she starts quietly, “can you shoot some tape at Dazai to distract him?”

Sero doesn’t waste any time to agree to the plan, swiftly he leans around Shouji and shoots multiple pieces of tape. It’s only a momentary distraction, one that Dazai will likely be quick to see through, but it should give them just enough time to put some distance between themselves and Dazai.

As soon as the tape is flying across the hall, Uraraka turns and sprints down the hall. She can hear as Sero and Kaminari follow close behind, Dazai yells something but she pays it no mind. A thought occurs to her as they run, the trap they had set for Chuuya is this way….

She really, really hopes they don’t run into Chuuya, even if it’s a learning opportunity. One fight with that guy is more than enough for her right now.

-

A loud crash breaks his concentration, it’s the sort of crash that means something has completely collapsed. Something got hit so hard it smashed apart and to the ground, in a place like this the only things that could be broken and sound like that would have to be the walls… Maybe the floors too.

The only way such a thing could happen would be a fight, a big fight with strong opponents. If there’s a fight, then that means one of the cop trio must be in the area. Out of the three cops there is only one that might warrant his classmates to smash a wall up, only one that would have the strength to do it himself.

A grin pulls at his lips as he turns and begins running to where the crash had come from, a fight with the bandaged freak is his main goal but one with shorty wouldn’t hurt. No, it would be better than that.

Bakugou will enjoy this fight, he decides, because he’ll win and show those Yokohama freaks who is really in charge here.

Chapter 15: 13- Cops and robbers pt.3

Chapter Text

Chuuya was, admittedly, not expecting to be dragged through a window and gap in the floor and then, just to top things off, have a bunch of bricks piled on top of him. He knew those three were up to something, it was painfully obvious the way they got so excited any time he moved backwards. The tape across the hallway was also so very obvious, but Chuuya figured he may as well fall for it, see what tricks they had. Maybe he was spending too much time around Dazai because really he should have just got the three of them out instantly and moved on, but no, he just had to let things drag. Now he’s here, under a bunch of rubble and really wishing he had stayed back in Yokohama.

Sighing, he allows himself a moment more of just laying there. Dazai hadn’t told him any sort of plan before this whole thing started, which is far more infuriating than if the idiot just started bossing him around. It wouldn’t be hard for Chuuya to just take down everyone on the cop side, the quickest way naturally would be to just use Upon the Tainted Sorrow as soon as they stepped inside the building. Of course, he could go with a more stealthy option and wait for the 1A kids to split into small groups and take them down- hell he could even set some traps. The only reason he hasn’t done any of that is because Dazai would annoy him to hell and back if he messed up his plan, which again, Chuuya has no knowledge of such a plan. Knowing Dazai though he’ll say that Chuuya should have known anyway, which is stupid but whatever. In order to save his future self from having to deal with that Chuuya has resolved to be more passive, run around a bit to get the kids moving, guard the jail when he gets bored of that, take down a few kids that are too persistent.

Well, he may as well get up now and go chase after those three. He’s pretty sure Dazai is loitering somewhere around the jail, so maybe he’ll chase them over to be caught by the fish. At least that way Dazai can’t complain about Chuuya catching someone he didn’t want caught.

It barely takes a thought for the chunks of floor to begin floating up and allowing Chuuya to stand and dust himself off. Should he bring some of this with him? Would it be useful enough to bother? Maybe if he-

“Hah, there you are!”

Instinctively, Chuuya shifts forwards and spins to face his opponent. Well, he tries to but the explosions quickly getting closer makes that task harder. He isn’t too surprised that it’s Bakugou here, even less so surprised that he’s jumped into attacking immediately.

A chunk of floor flies into Bakugou’s path, the second of delay it causes gives Chuuya enough time to jump some distance back and begin piecing together a plan of attack. Bakugou is quick and his Quirk deadly, he’ll blow up any projectiles sent his way so hand to hand combat would be better… Chuuya eyes the explosions once again and decides against that, he’ll figure something out from over here where he will not get exploded.

“Tch, you could’ve got a sneak attack in there,” Chuuya comments. Typically he wouldn’t bother saying stuff like that, taunting with attacks that would have been better is much more of Dazai’s style, but with the new plan of befriending 1A he figures it can’t hurt. Giving pointers out, like how he did with Uraraka, will help them trust him more and encourage bonding. Or something like that anyway, Dazai had explained it earlier but Chuuya didn’t pay him any attention.

Bakugou scoffs, “Like f*ck that’d work.” He almost looks insulted, even more so when Chuuya raises an eyebrow. “I’m not a f*cking idiot,” he starts, “you’d see through that sh*t miles away.”

That much is true, mentally Chuuya praises the kid for not bothering with something that wouldn’t work. Other 1A kids would definitely still try for a sneak attack, which would give Chuuya the chance to let them get close and then take them down. Before he would have bet that Bakugou would be the type to go for that route, the type to brute force his way through something rather than plan around it. He knew the kid must have some intelligence beyond yelling and explosions, he is near the top of his class in grades, but that doesn’t always translate to battle smarts.

Well, there is one way to test how battle smart this kid is.

Chuuya makes no indication of his plan before launching himself forward and slightly to the left of Bakugou, it takes a second for the kid to react but even that is a lot shorter than some of his classmate’s reaction times. Without hesitation he shifts to better face Chuuya before pulling his hands up in a defensive position, well, Chuuya would use it as a defence but the explosions forming on his palms clearly show that Bakugou has other plans in mind.

Briefly Chuuya lands on a floating piece of floor before jumping to one closer to Bakugou, with Bakugou’s eyes trained on him Chuuya almost thinks he’ll miss the previous piece of floor rocketing towards him. As soon as the piece gets close enough to block Chuuya from Bakugou’s vision he jumps upwards and twists himself to land a kick easier before dropping back down, his intent to get a hit in while Bakugou is blowing up the piece of floor.

As predicted, Bakugou wastes no time in grabbing the chunk and blowing it up, what is surprising however is the fact that instead of letting the remains of the chunk fall to the floor he keeps them in his hand. Without looking, Bakugou flings said chunks upwards, towards Chuuya, with an open exploding palm following close behind.

Chuuya dodges, because even an attack at that close a range couldn’t beat his Ability. The chunk of floor Bakugou threw just so happens to hit the briefcase right in the centre as he’s moving away, which sh*t, is enough to make him lose his grip. He doesn’t panic, because he could easily use his Ability to get the briefcase back, but he does internally groan. If Bakugou grabs the vase and manages to get it to the entrance area then the cop team will win, which means Chuuya will have to deal with Dazai’s complaining about this for the rest of his life. Well, the rest of Dazai’s life- Chuuya is fairly certain he’ll be the one to live longer.

Bakugou whips his head around to face Chuuya and wastes no time in rushing closer, a snarl on his face as his explosions grow in size and frequency. Once more Chuuya simply uses his Ability to jump out of the way, this time settling himself in one of the ceiling corners, in response Bakugou yells, “Just stay still and fight me!”

“Who are you to give me orders huh?” Chuuya asks, he pauses a moment before adding, “Shouldn’t you be grabbing that briefcase by now?”

Bakugou scowls and launches a chunk of floor up towards Chuuya who dodges it, “I already told you I’m not a f*cking idiot, that bandaged f*cker has fake cases so why waste my time?”

Jumping down Chuuya aims a kick at Bakugou’s chest, once again the kid shows quick reflexes as his hand shoots out to grab at Chuuya’s ankle. For a moment he lets his leg linger there, just long enough that Bakugou focuses a little too much on grabbing it, and then he promptly lifts his other leg to smash into Bakugou’s side. He didn’t put his full strength into it, but the kid still ends up halfway across the room.

Now completely floating Chuuya watches as Bakugou re-centres himself and clearly prepares to make another attack, “Sure you wanna risk it?”

“I’m going to beat your ass, then,” Bakugou pauses as a grin forms, “I’ll go show that f*cker just where he can shove those tricks of his!”

Chuuya chuckles a little as he lowers himself onto the ground properly, “Seems we have something in common then.”

Bakugou doesn’t look confused at that, but his expression is clearly demanding further explanation on that statement. Either he thinks Chuuya is trying to taunt him or he’s just offended that a ‘villain’ thinks that they’re alike, either way Chuuya is happy to expand, “the urge to beat that idiot fish up.”

Bakugou smirks and Chuuya thinks, yea maybe befriending this guy won’t be so hard after all. If insulting Dazai is all it takes… Well, he’s already a pro at that.

-

“Deku!”

Midoriya’s head snaps up to watch as Uraraka, along with Sero and Kaminari, quickly make their way into the hallway leading to the server room. A sense of relief fills him as they get closer, it was only after he and Todoroki had left to chase Dazai (or Yaoyorozu) that he realised that sending Uraraka off on her own wasn’t a great idea. While she could definitely handle herself her Quirk is far too useful to lose in a fight like this, the jail is an area that the cop team is most likely to hang around.

It’s too late to think about that now though considering that Uraraka has already been there and back.

“How did it go?” Midoriya asks, they must have run into some trouble over there considering Uraraka has only brought two people back. After chasing around Dazai (Yaoyorozu?) for a few minutes they had once again disappeared, instead of being discouraged both him and Todoroki set about getting everyone to gather in the same spot so they could begin planning. Looking around now there are a decent amount of people that haven’t been caught yet so hopefully it won’t be too hard to fight the cop team…

Uraraka cringes at that, “Well, let’s just say things were going great…. Then Dazai appeared.” Both Sero and Kaminari nod solemnly at that, both a perfect mirror of each other. Which, really, Midoriya shouldn’t laugh at, Dazai can be pretty scary after all, and yet he can only just keep himself from chuckling at that. Judging by the expressions of his classmates, he isn’t the only one struggling.

By some miracle no one actually laughs, which gives Uraraka time to actually explain what happened- and more crucially, who is still in jail. Midoriya hasn’t actually been keeping track of the time, mainly because of the lack of clocks around, but he guesses that the lesson time will be coming soon. They have enough time to do something for sure, but staging a rescue mission to get the others out of jail might be pushing things.

“At this point we should put all our effort into one last big attack,” Midoriya sighs as his brain starts whizzing with ideas, “First we actually need to find the cop team, which Jirou can do I guess, but then we have to get there and knowing Dazai’s he’ll probably run off. We really don’t have time to be chasing people around…. No, no, they won’t stay still for that… Maybe if we- No that won’t work…”

One thing Midoriya really likes about his class is that no one gets mad at his rambling, at worst they give him an indulging look and at best they praise him for his plans. Even better though, is when they join in and help develop some of his ideas.

Shinsou hums a little, “We could divide and conquer? Teams of three should work, yeah?”

Midoriya considers this for a moment before nodding, “Actually, yes, that could work well! We already know which Quirks Chuuya has trouble with, ah, and with Ojirou Dazai wouldn’t be able to nullify anything! Oh and Shinsou….”

Once again, Midoriya is very grateful his classmates leave him to ramble about Quirks and team formations until he sorts his ideas out. They have ten people to work with, technically eleven but Bakugou is currently off doing who knows what, and near endless strategies for Quirk combos. Not only does he have to think about the practical sense of things, but also what would Chuuya and Dazai do when faced with certain people? Chuuya has already shown he won’t speak to Shinsou no matter how hard he tries, so no use sending him there. Kaminari’s Quirk won’t have any effect on Dazai, in fact he’s more likely to affect an ally in his attempts.

Despite knowing his classmates don’t mind waiting, Midoriya does try to keep his brainstorming session short. They don’t have all the time in the world after all. “Alright,” he starts, “Uraraka, Kaminari, and Tokoyami will have the best chances against Chuuya.”

Jirou cuts him off before he can continue, “Shouldn’t I be in that group too?”

She’s right, and Midoriya says as much, “You should, but we’ll need your help locating each of the cop team and getting us into position. Once that’s done you can go join in the fight against Chuuya.” Jirou nods in understanding, Midoriya turns to the others and continues explaining, “The other teams will be me, Ojirou, and Sero and then Shinsou, Todoroki, and Tsu. Either team will have a decent chance against Dazai or Yaoyorozu, so it doesn’t matter which we end up against.”

“Once we get the briefcase back to the entrance we’ll win right?” Uraraka asks, to which Midoriya nods. Hopefully at least one team can get the briefcase to the entrance, that way they at least have a one in three chance of winning. Making duplicates of the briefcase and Dazai’s coat is such a good idea, annoying to deal with sure, but good nonetheless.

“We aren’t sure who has the real one, and even if we did they might have swapped it around. The main focus should be getting the briefcases to the entrance,” Midoriya explains. Around him his classmates visibly prepare themselves for the task

“Well then, let’s get moving,” Jirou smirks a little as her earphones slip into the wall next to her.

-

Let it be known that while Kaminari is nowhere near as brave as say, Midoriya, he certainly isn’t a coward. Well, maybe he is a little bit but- But not when it matters! Sure, the idea of fighting Chuuya is low-key terrifying, but he’ll deal! He’ll go out there and do his best all while begging whatever god exists to let the fight end quicker. His classmates believe that his Quirk might stand a chance against Chuuya, so he won’t chicken out.

Even now, as they steadily approach the store that Chuuya should be in all while hearing the chaotic sounds of a fight echoing from that store he has not turned around! He wants to, but has not! Which is even more impressive given the fact the sound of explosions is very clear, thus meaning Bakugou is fighting Chuuya, thus meaning the chance of being hit by an explosion has just gone up about 60%. Bakugou may be a great fighter but man, he sucks at teamwork sometimes.

Jirou sends them a sympathetic look once they get close to the store, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She whispers, which feels redundant when considering how much noise there is from the fight.

Uraraka nods at her, which Jirou takes as her cue to leave, before turning to Tokoyami, “You remember what we talked about, right?”

Kaminari does, he made sure of it. On the way here the four of them had started brainstorming some ideas on how to get the briefcase away from Chuuya, while doing that they also came up with a few plans for attacks.

“In darkness there is the potential for chaos,” Tokoyami… Agrees? It’s hard to tell honestly, but that sounds like a good thing. Maybe.

Uraraka seems equally confused, which is partly comforting. What is less comforting is the wall of the store, the one they are supposed to enter, smashing into pieces as something- no wait, someone flies through it. He really shouldn’t be getting distracted like this, but Kaminari can’t help but wonder where the hell all the rubble flying across the place came from. The store window was already smashed when they got here, so it must have come from somewhere else…

Fortunately, his classmates aren’t so easily distracted like he is. As soon as Chuuya jumps through the hole in the wall, which must mean Bakugou was the someone who got thrown through, Dark Shadow rips through the air to land a hit. It isn’t successful, not really, but Chuuya does look slightly caught off guard by the attack even as he jumps a fair distance away.

“Oi!” Bakugou yells, “This is my fight!”

Again, good fighter but terrible teammate. Kaminari looks over at Bakugou as he emerges from the rubble and, wow, he looks a lot worse for wear. How long had the two of them been fighting? He pushes that thought aside for now, “We’re here to help dude!”

“I don’t need help!”

Yea, he should have expected that response.

What he doesn’t expect is for Chuuya to huff at that, a huff that sounds awfully like a laugh, “You sure about that?”

Bakugou growls at that but thankfully stays put while Dark Shadow whips out in another attack. Instead of jumping away again, Chuuya raises a foot and aims a sharp kick right at Dark Shadow’s head. One thing Kaminari has always wondered is just how Dark Shadow works because like, a being made of shadows should be able to just dissolve away from an attack right? That’s what Kaminari thinks, but Dark Shadow does not do that at all! Instead it takes the hit, like a champ he must say, and slithers backwards to assumedly prepare for another attack.

Uraraka gives him a pointed look before flicking her eyes over to Bakugou, she then touches a rather large piece of rubble and shoves it in Chuuya’s direction. Mentally, Kaminari slaps himself into focusing and turns to face Bakugou, “Let us help dude and this’ll end so much quicker!”

Bakugou scoffs, like he actually wants the fight to be longer, “I’m beating this f*cker myself!”

Ironically, it is then that the piece of rubble Uraraka used earlier comes flying back but this time covered in a red glow. With Bakugou distracted yelling at him he does not notice this little problem until it smashes against his stomach, which Kaminari is so glad it didn’t happen to him.

Part of him wants to go and see if Bakugou needs help, the other part knows he’ll end up getting yelled at and or exploded. He turns back to the fight, which is actually not even a fight at the moment since Chuuya is chilling on the ceiling and using rubble to deflect Dark Shadow’s attacks. There isn’t much Kaminari can do from here, if he tries to use his Quirk then his classmates will probably end up getting shocked in the process, he could throw something but his arm strength really isn’t that good.

Fortunately, while Kaminari stands there trying to come up with an idea his classmates take action. In a move that is so cool, Uraraka jumps onto the wall and manages to grab hold of one of the chunks of rubble under Chuuya’s control and yank it down as she jumps back to the floor. That gives enough of an opening for Dark Shadow to sneak through and strike at Chuuya- Which actually lands?? Or well, maybe Chuuya just decided to jump back to the ground on his own but Kaminari is choosing to believe Dark Shadow knocked him down.

Chuuya lands gracefully and does not waste any time shooting forward to Uraraka.

Now, if asked Kaminari would say he has no clue how this next thing happened, because honestly he does not have the fastest reaction time. If pressed he would say it’s because of all the first person shooters he’s been playing recently, some of the people he plays against are so crazy good he has no choice but to get better. Like this one player, FlyingFish, is able to react and get a headshot in the time it takes to blink. Although, FlyingFish hasn’t been online in a while… Anyway, maybe his reaction speed increased because of that game. Or maybe it was just a fluke, who knows.

What he does know is that when Chuuya suddenly changes trajectory and heads straight towards Bakugou, who is still kneeled over, he shoots out electricity faster than he ever has. Somehow it hits him, which wow, Kaminari will be bragging about later.

And it really does hit him, unlike before when it wasn’t quite clear if Dark Shadow had landed a hit or if Chuuya just jumped away Kaminari can clearly see the electricity bounce along Chuuya’s arm. Once again Chuuya quickly changes direction, does he suffer whiplash like ever?, and lands a good amount of distance away from the four of them.

Bakugou laughs loudly, “Ha, if even this idiot can land a hit you really aren’t that strong!”

Kaminari, still buzzing from actually landing a hit on Chuuya, ignores the insulting nickname.

“The light of heroism prevails,” Tokoyami says seriously. Kaminari smiles at him, he’s pretty sure that’s a compliment.

Chuuya still seems out of it from being shocked, so Kaminari turns to Bakugou once again, “The others are fighting Dazai, so let’s get this over wi-”

Bakugou head snaps up, he grins, “I’ll leave this f*cker to you then.”

Kaminari finds that very confusing considering just a few minutes ago Bakugou was yelling at them to leave him to fight Chuuya alone. What’s even more confusing is when Bakugou straightens up and starts running off, this causes Chuuya to laugh and say, “Give that bastard a hit around the head for me.”

For some reason Bakugou’s grin gets wider at that, “Do it yourself!”

If Kaminari didn’t know better he would say the two of them are joking around like friends, which really should be impossible.

-

With Jirou’s help it doesn’t take long for them to find Dazai, well, Shinsou hopes it’s Dazai anyway. It’s much too dark to actually tell who they are chasing right now, so it could well be Yaoyorozu. Whoever it is keeps ducking in and out of stores trying to lose them, which is thankfully not working. It would be such a pain to have to hunt Dazai/Yaoyorozu down again.

Dazai/Yaoyorozu ducks into yet another store, but this time is going to be different Shinsou can tell. Whoever they’ve been chasing has been steadily getting more tired, they’ve been slowing down. Add in Tsu’s weirdly fast hops and Todoroki’s ice gliding and it’s only a matter of time until they catch up, which means their opponent must be looking for a way out of this.

Shinsou motions for his teammates to stop before entering the store, quietly he says, “I think it’s a trap.”

Tsu tilts her head a little, “You think they set up a trap before we found them? Ribbit.”

Shinsou shrugs, “It was probably done before any robber even entered, or there might not be anything set up at all.”

It takes a moment, but Todoroki nods in understanding, “It will be easier for them to shoot us in an enclosed space.”

“In that case we need to get them out here again,” Tsu responds. There are only a few ways that could work though, they can’t get close enough to the person without them shooting- so physically chasing them won’t work. Shinsou could use his Quirk, but if it’s Dazai in there it either wouldn’t have an effect or he would just be ignored. Tsu’s Quirk isn’t suited for this, which means….

“Todoroki,” Shinsou starts, “You think you can freeze them out?” Maybe it’s not the most heroic way of doing things, but then again they are playing robbers in this situation.

Todoroki does not raise any concerns about the morals of such a thing, instead he nods and starts sending waves of ice into the store. Actually, this will be way more helpful than expected. If the ice disappears then it’s Dazai in there, if not then it’s more likely for it to be Yaoyorozu.

For a few minutes all they can hear is the crackling sound of ice being created and then-

Boom.

From the store next to them a figure, a very familiar figure, rushes out. The three robbers share a look for a moment, a look of ‘How did that happen?’ Shinsou shrugs off the confusion as quickly as he can, “Go after them! I’ll catch up.”

The other two nod and run off to try and close the distance between Dazai/Yaoyorozu and themselves. Separating may not be a smart idea, but Shinsou needs to check something out. Plus he’s the slowest runner of the three of them, it’ll be fine.

Still, he moves quickly and doesn’t spare any time to dawdle. The store next to the iced out one looks rather normal, it’s only once he’s ventured deep inside does he come across something interesting. The wall shared by this store and the iced out one has a rather large hole in, a hole that does not look like it belongs at all. Shinsou crouches down and picks something up from the ground, he grins when he finds exactly what he expected.

The remnants of a pack of explosives. A pack that he knows Yaoyorozu favours when making explosives, a pack that Dazai wouldn’t have.

He’s disappointed that the other Dazai team is the one that gets to fight the guy, but he can work with this. Or more like, his Quirk can work with this.

Dropping the remnants of the explosives he sprints out of the store and down the way his teammates went, his body protests at all the running but he ignores it. On the way there he brainstorms a few plan ideas and mentally thanks his past self for staying behind, this way he can try to catch Yaoyorozu off guard.

When he does arrive on scene, which is to say once he finds the dimly lit corner Yaoyorozu is hidden in, he makes sure to soften his steps. Todoroki is putting on quite the show with all the ice, he must still be mad at Dazai from that initial fight.

One hand comes up to fiddle with his voice changer, he’ll go with Nakahara for this. Once he reveals himself trying to get Yaoyorozu to answer a question will be ten times harder, so preferably he wants this to work on the first try.

He waits a moment and watches as Todoroki sends yet another ice wave as Tsu leaps into the darkness, Yaoyorozu must have forgotten about him by now. Bracing himself, Shinsou runs into the closest wall, hard.

Said wall happens to be rather brittle, so with the force of him slamming into it the whole thing crumbles down. Did Shinsou need to do this part? Maybe not, but he feels it’s more authentic this way. Chuuya seems like the guy who smashes through walls often after all.

Loudly, he yells, “sh*t!” As expected, it comes out sounding exactly like Nakahara.

He hears as Todoroki takes a sharp inhale, his brain likely moving at twice the speed to figure out how to deal with Nakahara. Shinsou doesn’t feel like being turned into an ice cube, or worse being burnt to death, so he quickly speaks up again, “That f*cking- Why the hell are you hiding in some corner? Did you forget that fishy f*cker’s plan?”

Todoroki, thankfully, has looked over and realised that he is not actually Nakahara. He does send some ice over though, probably to keep up the illusion, but none of it actually hits Shinsou. For the first time Shinsou is glad about the minimal lighting for he doubts Yaoyorozu will actually be able to see him in enough detail to realise his true identity.

Yaoyorozu doesn’t respond, which is annoying but Shinsou isn’t one to give in so easily. With a grunt he makes an effort to smash some of the ice around him, “I’ll deal with them, go and find that idiot! You know where he is right?”

It takes a second, but then he hears the sound of a few gunshots and shoes rapidly hitting the ground as someone, Yaoyorozu, runs out from the dark spot. Shinsou is scared for a second that she’ll actually go and find Dazai, which would make things so much worse, but thankfully she hesitates just a second.

She hasn’t seen him yet, which is great because it means she finally speaks, “Wh-”

He wastes no time in pulling her under his influence, his shoulder hurts from ramming into a wall so he decides someone else will have to be responsible for the briefcase, “Give the briefcase to Todoroki.”

Yaoyorozu mindlessly does just that, Todoroki takes it and with a quick glance to Shinsou starts running off again. Tsu is the faster runner, or hopper?, so it would make more sense to have her bring it to the entrance area. He would have done that, except now that Yaoyorozu is out of commission they are supposed to go find either Dazai or Chuuya to join in those fights. Midoriya had explained as Jirou led them around that he would prefer if they came to support the other Dazai/Yaoyorozu team, but if they found Nakahara first then they should help there. Against Nakahara Todoroki would probably do great, but his ice is useless against Dazai. Tsu on the other hand has an advantage since the guy can’t get rid of mutant type Quirks. So yes, Todoroki gets to deliver the briefcase.

Tsu gives him a slightly worried look, “You ran into the wall, ribbit, are you feeling alright?”

Shinsou sighs but nods, his shoulder hurts like hell but this is what he signed up for when he joined the heroics course.

-

“Hi again!”

Midoriya stops where he is, because what? Jirou had said that Dazai, or Yaoyorozu, was in the food court area of the building. That spot has the most light, still not all that much, so Midoriya had thought it must be Yaoyorozu. He had thought there was no way Dazai would be anywhere but the darkest corners of the building.

And yet, here Dazai is, sitting on a bench smiling at them. He might have waved too, Midoriya wasn’t paying attention.

Dazai sighs and comically slumps down, “Shouldn’t you be attacking me right now?”

That snaps Midoriya into moving, because yes they should be! Really, he shouldn’t still be so caught off guard by Dazai. Confronting the enemy head on like this seems exactly like something Dazai would do!

Using One for All, Midoriya shoots across the space. Mentally he prepares to dodge any incoming bullets, he isn’t moving in zig-zags so Dazai will probably take a shot at him…

Midoriya finds himself getting closer and closer and no bullets come, in fact, it’s only once Midoriya is in arm range does Dazai move. Still with that smile on his face Dazai allows himself to fall backwards just as Midoriya pulls back an arm to hit him, in one fluid motion Dazai’s hands make contact with the floor which allows him to kick over and land upright. Only then does he pull his gun up and fire, which Midoriya is only able to avoid being hit due to the tape that attaches to him and yanks him to the side.

He isn’t able to land on his feet, but it’s better than being shot and having to sit out for the rest of the fight. Sero offers him a hand, which Midoriya gratefully takes.

“So, what’s the plan, Midori-kun?” Dazai asks casually.

Midoriya can’t see how that could be a taunt, or at least he doesn’t see how it would lead to one, but even still he makes sure not to answer. Fighting Dazai will be tricky, even if all he needs to do is get the briefcase.

Midoriya resists the urge to look over at Ojirou, he wants to check that he’s ready to carry out the plan. He knows not to though, since that’ll give Dazai a hint about it. The plan is fairly simple, Midoriya will go in and try to disarm Dazai. Ojirou, who will be keeping close throughout, will then jump in and engage in hand to hand combat. Dazai most definitely knows how to fight without a gun, so Midoriya is banking on Ojirou being stronger overall. Sero will hang back and use his tape to pull them back if needed while also watching for an opening to grab the briefcase.

With a last lingering hope that things will work out, Midoriya once again jumps in to get closer. This time he moves in a zig-zag pattern, which he is glad for when Dazai begins shooting.

Dazai had moved backwards at some point, which gives Midoriya the chance to use the bench as leverage. Without breaking his stride he leaps onto the bench and channels just a little bit more of One for All into his legs, in a burst of power he jumps upwards and attempts to angle himself to kick Dazai as he lands. It’s hard to keep himself in the right position while also keeping himself heading in the right direction, absent-mindedly he wonders how much Chuuya’s Ability helps him when doing stuff like this.

Dazai doesn’t make an attempt to dodge, instead he swings the briefcase up just in time to collide with Midoriya’s foot. The hit causes him to veer off course, and just like before he struggles to land on his feet. Midoriya wants to feel embarrassed, but the sound of a gun reloading is all the warning he needs to get back on his feet and move out of the way.

Dazai fires a shot, one Midoriya thinks must be more of a warning than a real attempt to hit. His other arm swings back and forth with the briefcase, “Say, shouldn’t you be taking more care with this thing?”

Midoriya doesn’t respond, instead he manoeuvres to try another attack. Once again Dazai slips away unharmed, Dazai tuts his tongue, “Who knows what’s supposed to be inside here, if you’re so careless it could get destroyed!”

He makes a good point, one Midoriya will remember for future training sessions like this. As it stands though, he knows the briefcase is empty so he can afford to be a bit more reckless.

Unfortunately, even with Midoriya being more aggressive than usual with his attacks Dazai always seems to be able to dodge. The minutes drag on like hours and Midoriya feels the embarrassment from before returning at full force.

He’s just about to concede and swap to a backup plan when he notices an opening, a tiny window that has more chance of failure than succession. Midoriya holds back as Dazai sweeps the briefcase up in a dramatic arc, one he knows is hiding Dazai while he reloads the gun. A second later he lets the case drop down and it’s only a moment, just a second, but as the briefcase lowers Midoriya can see Dazai’s hand not yet settled into position on the gun. He just reloaded the thing one handed, of course he had to move his finger away from the trigger for that.

Using more of One for All than he really should, Midoriya kicks a nearby rock as hard as possible. He hopes against hope that it will hit the target, he hopes so badly that Dazai’s hold on the gun is just loose enough that he can knock it to the ground.

He watches with baited breath as the rock gets closer and closer, he watches as Dazai’s eye flicks to the rock just a moment too late.

The rock hits, the gun goes flying away. Dazai’s eye widens slightly as the gun clatters to the ground, mentally Midoriya holds himself back from cheering.

He needs to make use of this opportunity, both him and Ojirou actually. Without wasting any more time Midoriya once again jumps in close to Dazai, this time secure in the knowledge he won’t get shot.

Dazai scowls at him, “So unfair!” He complains, which Midoriya finds ironic given that he is sure Dazai uses underhanded tactics all the time.

Midoriya throws a punch, which Dazai uses an arm to block. Ojirou, who was hovering around the pair this whole time, whips his tail around towards the arm holding the briefcase. Dazai ducks down and rolls backwards to get out of range.

He’s getting closer to the gun, Midoriya realises. Determined not to lose the upper hand Midoriya yells, “Sero, the gun!”

Sero does not need to be told twice, before Dazai can make a grab for it a length of tape has already flown out and pulled the gun away. Once again Dazai scowls, “So rude!”

Again, Midoriya ignores the irony in that statement and instead moves forward for another joint attack with Ojirou.

Well, that was the plan but the sound of yelling and explosions causes him to falter.

Out of nowhere Bakugou appears, a violent grin on face and explosions popping from his hands. He wastes not a second to rush in, easily shoving past Midoriya to get to Dazai. Midoriya watches stunned as Dazai expertly deflects Bakugou’s attacks, he watches as the tell tale blue light of his Ability appears. Bakugou falters, just a second but still far too long when dealing with Dazai. Dazai swings a leg out just as he shoves Bakugou’s chest, while Bakugou falls to the ground he rushes backwards to create some distance.

“I would say nice to see you again Kacchan, but it really isn’t,” Dazai sighs, “This is way too much effort to deal with.”

Bakugou leaps up from the ground and growls, “Do not f*cking call me that!”

Dazai sticks his tongue out and Midoriya sighs. There’s no chance they’ll be able to pull off any good teamwork like this now. All his previous plans will need to be thrown out at this point, and unfortunately mid battle isn’t the best time to come up with new ones.

The fight continues on in a similar manner, Bakugou attacks relentlessly until Dazai manages to do something to interrupt the flow of his attacks. Midoriya and Ojirou then swoop in to try and continue with their plan from before, but before they can get much done Bakugou shoves his way back in.

At some point Dazai dodges a fist and sighs, “You totally suck at teamwork, shouldn’t a hero be good at that?”

Bakugou bristles, “f*ck do you know about being a hero?”

Dazai shrugs and once again moves out of range of an attack, “More than you apparently.”

Midoriya, who knows a lot about being a hero, agrees with Dazai. Hopefully in the next three years Bakugou will learn how to work in a team, Midoriya really doesn’t want fights to end up like this one once he’s a Pro.

It’s during this lamenting of his future that Midoriya once again spots an opportunity. It’s not something he can act on straight away, but now that he’s noticed it he might just be able to exploit it. When Bakugou throws out one of his explosive right hooks, there are a few different things Dazai seems to do in response. In one of them he pushes the briefcase upwards and into Bakugou’s space, almost right to his chest, while ducking the other way.

Midoriya bides his time, he continues with the pattern of attacks they had set before and tries not to let anything give his plan away.

When he sees Bakugou’s arm pull back in that familiar manner, he waits just a second to see what Dazai will do. It’s only when he can clearly see the briefcase being shoved upwards and towards Bakugou does he act.

As fast as he can Midoriya launches himself towards the pair, towards Bakugou’s back. He does not make any attempt to pull back or soften his blow as he slams into Bakugou, an act that sends the two of them flying away from Dazai.

Midoriya looks up in time to see as Dazai looks down to his empty hand and back up again at the briefcase still snug against Bakugou’s chest.

Interestingly, Dazai’s expression of shock perfectly matches everyone else’s. Including Midoriya, who had really thought that little trick would not work.

He doesn’t have time to think about that, because Sero has already snatched away both the briefcase and Midoriya. In a whirlwind of motion Midoriya finds himself holding the briefcase and being shoved in the direction of the entrance.

“Hey-” Dazai starts, but is cut off by the sound of explosions. Good, Bakugou can keep him busy.

With that thought Midoriya makes a beeline for the entrance.

-

Uraraka really, really wants this fight already. Sure, at first it was fun and educational- it still is educational actually! It just so happens that the only thing she is learning is how terrible she is compared to Chuuya!

Things had been looking up for a while, Kaminari kept getting sneaky attacks in while both her and Dark Shadow kept Chuuya busy. She had felt hopeful, she had thought that maybe once Jirou got back they’d be able to get the briefcase in a timely manner!

But no! Jirou got back and that’s when things fell apart. Jirou’s Quirk is so useful but, as they quickly discovered, also easy to manipulate. Just like in that initial fight, Chuuya practically danced around them, he jumped from one spot to the next so quickly that it sometimes left Uraraka’s head spinning. When Jirou actually got the opportunity to fire off some sound waves, Chuuya would angle himself so one of her allies would get hit also.

Uraraka doesn’t blame Jirou or anything, after all Chuuya had even used Uraraka’s Quirk against her a few times. She’s just… frustrated. Even with the little tips Chuuya keeps dropping it feels like there isn’t a way in hell she’ll ever be able to beat him.

She can tell the others feel the same, well, not Kaminari but that’s because he overloaded himself again.

Chuuya, with the briefcase snugly in hand, watches them from his spot down the hall. He raises an eyebrow, “Giving up?”

From beside her Tokoyami sighs, “To give in to darkness is the easy path, one that must not be taken.”

Uraraka nods, “What he said!” It’s true she wants this to end already, but she won’t give in. Until Aizawa-sensei announces the end of the lesson she’ll keep fighting, even if she is so over with it.

Chuuya shrugs as if to say ‘your funeral’ before kicking up a large bit of rubble and sending it down the hall. Uraraka dodges, overloaded Kaminari does not.

She ignores his sound of pain, because he’ll probably be fine, and gears up for another attack. She’s a little too tired to entertain ideas of running around, so maybe she can launch something like Chuuya. Then again, he’ll easily block that. Oh, maybe she can launch Tokoyami or Jirou? That’ll make it easier for them to attack and Chuuya’s Ability doesn’t work on other people.

She nods to herself and prepares to reach over to touch Tokoyami when a familiar voice crackles to life from one of the microphone/camera sets in the corner of the hall.

“Cop team wins, join us outside for review.”

Uraraka collapses to the floor like a puppet with cut strings. Jirou pats her shoulder in a comforting manner before going to deal with an overloaded Kaminari.

Chuuya strolls down the hall, the only thing showing that he had just been in a fight being some dust along his clothes. He offers a hand to Uraraka, who takes it and allows herself to be pulled up to her feet. Chuuya smiles slightly, it’s not a warm smile exactly but she can tell he’s being authentic when he says, “You all did a good job, much better than some rookies I’ve trained back home.”

Uraraka smiles back and ignores the reminder of where Chuuya is really from, if she does that then she doesn’t feel as guilty being nice to him.

Chapter 16: 14 - The real Chuuya vs Bakugou competition

Chapter Text

Yaoyorozu privately allows herself a moment of joy after everything is said and done. With the cops and robber battle finished, and with the class review done, she can finally relax a little.

The whole thing was an experience to be sure, but she can’t say she didn’t enjoy it. Well, perhaps enjoy isn’t quite the right word but still, she definitely learnt a lot from the experience. At first she had been so nervous to be working with Dazai and Chuuya, even after Dazai had encouraged her to make some plans up she still felt a little weary. Looking back on it now though her anxieties were definitely unfounded.

Of course, she knows that Dazai most likely did have a plan. Even if he said he wanted her to take the lead there is no way he would have walked into the exercise without a plan, he had no way of knowing if Yaoyorozu would come up with something or if what she came up with would be any good. Despite that, any time she plucked up the courage to tell him an idea he easily went along with it. She didn’t actually come up with too much, just a few ideas on how to lure people around. The briefcase idea was definitely her best, even now she feels some pride at coming up with it.

The worst part of it all was, naturally, falling for Shinsou’s trick. She really should have seen through it, in fact, she was suspicious upon hearing it. Shinsou had said she went off plan, but she knew for a fact the plan was ‘keep the students away from each other for as long as possible’. She really should have stuck to her guts and ignored him, but his voice changer is really effective and well… Yaoyorozu just started second guessing herself and panicked a little.

She would feel far guilty about it, and she did, but by the time she had got outside for the class review Chuuya was very loudly scolding Dazai for losing his briefcase. Hearing that she wasn’t the only one that got defeated lifted her spirits a little.

Ahead of her, her classmates laugh. They’re all walking back to the dorms together, both Dazai and Chuuya included. From where she is she can’t tell what they’re speaking about, but it must be something interesting if the exaggerated movements Dazai keeps making are anything to go by.

Yaoyorozu finds herself looking forward to the next practical heroics class, maybe she’ll get to work with Dazai and Chuuya again.

-

“Bakubro, you’re cooking tonight?!” Kirishima exclaims in pure joy, which is very amusing.

Bakugou continues grabbing things out of cupboards while huffing, “I’m not cooking for those two f*cks.”

Oh ho? As one of the two f*cks, Dazai feels the urge to weight into the conversation, “Chuuya’s cooking is superior anyway~”

Bakugou freezes at that, the other 1A kids around the room turn to Dazai with expressions of shock and horror. Seems like he just broke an unspoken rule, how fun.

Kaminari, quite bravely may he add, shuffles close to Dazai with a nearly white face, “Dude take it back, like, right now.” Dazai raises an eyebrow, which prompts him to continue with his rushed explanation, “Bakugou has this superiority- uh, what I mean is he- well”

Ah, that. Bakugou’s superiority complex is so obvious for anyone to see, but Dazai had figured it started and ended on the battlefield. Seems that isn’t the case though, Bakugou must want to be the best in everything possible.

Dazai sighs and acts like he doesn’t understand what Kaminari means, “Chibi may not look like it but he really is the best chef in the world.”

Before Chuuya can hit him for the use of the nickname, Bakugou whirls around and glares at Chuuya. “Cook something, and I'll make it a thousand times better.”

Chuuya will probably refuse this. “He’ll do it! Good luck Chuuya!” Dazai shoves Chuuya forward in the direction of Bakugou and grins at the annoyed shout he gets in return. Despite that, Chuuya does not make any attempt to back out.

Dazai grins as the pair begin working out what they’ll be cooking, he had half expected Chuuya to refuse. Even if the fights were easy, Chuuya would probably want to get some rest after the cops vs robbers game. Then again, maybe he agreed because he knew it would save him from Dazai pestering about wanting food. Hmm, he’ll have to ask later.

Kaminari is still standing oddly close to Dazai, he should deal with that. Putting on his best ‘this is a normal smile what do you mean?’ smile, he turns to Kaminari, “Who do you think will win?”

Kaminari visibly jumps from the sudden question, which is so funny, “Uhh, Bakugou definitely.” he shuffles away a little, having seemingly finally noticed just how close he was.

Dazai hums like he’s considering it, “Maybe, but I have to bet on Chuuya otherwise he’ll get violent so…”

Chuuya slams the fridge door closed, clearly he wants to turn and yell at Dazai but Chibi knows him so well, so naturally he knows that if he does Dazai will make some comment about him being such a violent dog or whatever.

Yaoyorozu is still lingering at the edge of the room, she’s been like that since everyone finished changing and started walking back to the dorms. She has never stuck him as the socially awkward type, but then again that was when she only spoke to her classmates. If Dazai had to make a guess now, he’d say she wants to speak to him and Chuuya but feels too awkward to. It’s likely she wants to thank them for going with her plans, but she may also want to befriend them. If Dazai’s plan of upping her self confidence has indeed worked, then she’ll feel like being friends with the two of them is the least she can do. Naturally, Dazai wants this to happen. Having Yaoyorozu openly trust them will improve how the rest of the class sees them. He wants to let Yaoyorozu make the move herself though, if he looks too eager to make friends all of a sudden people may get suspicious. Besides, it’ll do wonders for her confidence if she manages it.

It isn’t quite the full step, but Yaoyorozu makes progress when she decides to directly ask Dazai a question, “Does Chuuya cook for you often?”

Dazai shrugs a little, “For some reasons Chibi thinks I’ll simply pass away if he doesn’t see me eat, so strange~” Chuuya shoots him a look over his shoulder that translates to ‘bastard, we both know you just wouldn’t eat’. Which is partially true, depending on Dazai’s mood on the day, but 1A doesn't need to know that. A few of them might figure it out themselves, but that’s a later problem.

Midoriya laughs at that, he seems a little tense though. It might be due to the passive aggressive cook off going on, or maybe…. “Haha, my mother is like that too! You guys must have known each other for a while huh?”

And there it is. Dazai knows for a fact that given the chance, every single person in UA would love to pry into their lives in Yokohama. The teachers want to know about the Port Mafia, more specifically how Dazai and Chuuya ended up working there. The students seem to want to know everything and anything, anytime Dazai makes an off hand comment about Yokohama he can literally see ears pricking up with interest. A few of the teachers have tried to get information, but never by asking direct questions. Out of all of the students, Dazai isn’t surprised the first to ask something was Midoriya. He always seems to be itching for more information, sometimes it seems like his mouth moves to ask a question before his brain thinks it through.

Ah, but how should he play it? Childhood friends forced into a life of crime? Oh, maybe childhood friends that were separated and only met again once one was already too deep in the Port Mafia. The other selflessly joined to keep the first one safe. Now that certainly paints a romantic picture, but the question is how far can Dazai push it before Chuuya kicks off?

The answer is, apparently, not at all. Chuuya, who is chopping vegetables quicker than he can stab people, sighs, “A minute drags on like a month with this fool, so yea, you can say that.”

That is an annoyingly good answer. Directly answers the question without actually giving away any information, it’s the type of answer Dazai usually loves to use. In another situation he might even be proud of Chuuya for it, now though he’s annoyed that his scheming has to come to an end. Stupid Chuuya, always putting a stop to his fun.

Resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at the back of Chuuya’s head, who would probably be able to sense it, Dazai sighs and flops onto the kitchen island before him. “It feels like just yesterday that we met for the first time~”

Mina, who seems like the type to always jump for gossip, sits down at the island, “How’d you guys meet anyway?”

Dazai grins as an idea forms. If Chuuya won’t let him paint them as tragic childhood friends, then he’ll have to deal with this other option, “I was just wandering around, completely defenceless and innocent,” Chuuya scoffs at that, “when I was ruthlessly attacked!”

A few 1A kids look at him in disbelief, which is charming. They really think him so undefeatable huh? “I found myself slammed into a wall, and then kicked in the face all by a vicious little dog!”

Kaminari looks at him uncertainly, “Kicked…. by a dog?”

Dazai nods seriously, “A little ginger mutt.” It takes a seconds, but Dazai watches as the dots connect and one by one the class's eyes turn to Chuuya. Chuuya, in a show of much more restraint than he thought he had, sets the knife in his hand down before turning around.

Chuuya doesn’t say anything, instead he just gives Dazai a look of ‘don’t start your bullsh*t’. Naturally, Dazai looks back at him with a grin that translates to ‘Deal with it.’

“Careful Chibi,” Dazai starts, “If you get distracted Kacchan is going to win~”

Both Bakugou and Chuuya glare in sync due to the nicknames, this then makes Dazai wonder just how angry he could get the two of them at the same time. If he thinks about it he may even be able to say a single sentence to get the pair of them to start yelling at the same time, the real question is what should he say? Insulting Chuuya’s height always works to get him mad, but Bakugou wouldn’t fall for that.

Chuuya glares at him, “Don’t you dare.” Without further explanation he turns and goes back to preparing whatever dish he’s planning to make. Dazai can’t quite see what ingredients he’s got, not that he would have much of an idea of what Chuuya would make of them anyway.

Kirishima glances between the two of them quizzically, “Don’t dare do that?”

Dazai shrugs while putting his best face of innocence on while Chuuya sighs with more force than necessary, “He’s up to something.”

“He is?” Midoriya asks.

“Don’t fall for that ‘Oh I’m so innocent’ face I just know he’s pulling, that bastard is up to something I can feel it,” Chuuya continues before anyone can respond, “He’s probably thinking of ways to piss me off.”

Dazai gasps, “Me? I would never!”

A few of the 1A kids chuckle at this, despite only having known each other for a short amount of time they clearly already know just how much Dazai enjoys annoying Chuuya. The fact they feel relaxed enough to laugh like this is a good sign that the ‘Befriend 1A’ plan is going well. Although, despite being relaxed enough to laugh, Dazai can still stop a bit of tension in a few of them. Hm, a week or so more and that should disappear, hopefully anyway.

Dazai allows himself to slip off the kitchen island just enough that he sits properly in a chair, once stable he sighs and begins rummaging for his phone. UA got rid of the messaging features somehow, which isn’t that big a deal but still annoying. How is he supposed to spam Chuuya with useless pictures now?

“Chibi Chuuya~”

Chuuya glances over his shoulder, which gives Dazai the chance to snap a quick picture. Taking as many pictures as possible will have to replace spamming Chuuya, an idea pops into Dazai's head causing him to grin a little. Once they’ve finished up here and are back in Yokohama Dazai is going to spread his pictures everywhere, all the Port Mafia grunts will have them, he’ll plaster them to the walls in every street. Everyone will get to see the fearsome Nakahara Chuuya being a good little UA student.

Kaminari once again leans in close to Dazai, huh, he must be getting braver. “You take pictures of him like that all the time?”

Dazai nods, “Yep! You wanna see some?”

Now that catches the attention of the 1A kids. The last time he offered up his phone for perusal things did end on a slightly tense note, what with the whole ‘We get ambushed by rival gangs all the time’ thing. But even with the possibility of seeing a video like that again Dazai can tell they are too interested to pass up the chance, after all, these are the only pictures of Yokohama to exist out of the city itself! (Which is a lie, Dazai himself has sent numerous pictures to people just to mess with them.)

Kaminari nods eagerly as Dazai quickly opens up the photos app, he pauses for a moment before picking a certain photo album. These photos are his favourites, which is to say these are the pictures of his various pranks or the ones that look the most unflattering.

He clicks on a random one and leans back a bit so more people can see, it’s a rather unflattering picture of Chuuya asleep with pen all over his face. For once it wasn’t Dazai's fault, instead Chuuya had somehow managed to drool enough to make the written documents under his head smudge and get all over his face. It’s rather disgusting actually, but also very funny.

Once he feels the 1A kids have looked long enough, he swipes to the next one.

It’s once again a picture of Chuuya, except this time covered in glitter and glaring at the camera with killing intent. Ah, that day was great on so many levels. Getting Chuuya with the glitter bomb was amazing, and then, when Chuuya got his revenge Dazai was able to think up three more ideas for killing himself. None of them worked out in the end, but mainly due to Chuuya interfering.

He swipes once again, this time the picture is a selfie of Dazai in front of floating red objects.

Uraraka, who had previously been very silent, tilts her head a little, “That’s Chuuya Ability right? Why’d you take a picture?”

Dazai grins, “Well, for some very tragic and unknown reason Chuuya’s place happened to flood, a leaky pipe I say. Anyway, Chuuya had to go on some very important business so he left all his things floating ‘til he got back…”

Chuuya once again sighs forcefully, “Firstly, we all know the flood was your doing and secondly, that bastard kept sending me pictures of him almost touching my stuff.”

“Touching your..” Midoriya starts before understanding dawns, “His Ability would make it fall!”

“Yep~” Dazai smiles, “Trust me though, Chuuya deserved it.”

Chuuya turns to glare at him while reaching a hand out to grab something, ah, he’s going for the salt. Dazai bites back another grin when he notices Bakugou also reaching out for the salt without paying attention. Their hands meet, which causes their eyes to immediately snap over to each other. For a moment neither says anything, then they both whip their hands back and look at each other in what must be either shock or disgust.

Dazai laughs with most of the 1A kids following suit. Both Bakugou and Chuuya look annoyed by the laughing but don’t actually say anything to stop the laughing, they must be too embarrassed by the whole thing. Sensing an opportunity, Dazai smirks, “Awww, you two wanted to hold hands huh?”

Chuuya and Bakugou, both still clearly embarrassed, turn to glare at Dazai.

“Shut the f*ck up Bandages,” Bakugou snaps. Dazai thinks that Chuuya might have said something similar, had Bakugou not beaten him to the punch. Ah, if only they had spoken at the same time, that would have made things even funnier.

Dazai’s phone vibrates in his hand, his eyes flick down to find a game notification lingering at the top of his screen. Over half of his phone storage is taken up by random games, most of them being cheaply made add-filled games. There are a few decent ones though, mainly shooter games he plays to kill time during missions.

Kaminari gasps, “No way, you play that game too?”

Dazai shrugs, he used to play quite often actually. While the core mechanics of the game are basic it has a great map creation feature, a few times Dazai had actually recreated places around Yokohama in game to better make plans. Most of the time though he just messed around on the game during missions to annoy Chuuya, he also got a lot of fun from forcing Hirotsu to take over in the middle of a battle. He hadn’t had much time to play recently though given the whole UA thing. “What level are you?” He asks even though he’s fairly certain he’s a higher level than Kaminari.

Kaminari whips out his phone and quickly moves to open the app, “I’m still stuck on the level 50 challenge, what about you?”

Dazai grins, it’s just as he thought, “Level 80.”

Kaminari’s eyes widen comically, “For real?” He seems shocked for a moment, then his eyes lighten up as he shoves his phone screen in Dazai’s direction. “Dude,” he starts, “I’ve been stuck on the level 50 challenge for like a week, please help me!”

Dazai peers down at the phone while contemplating, helping out would make Kaminari like him more. While Kaminari might not have a large amount of influence over the class, if the others see Dazai helping him out then their opinion of him will likely improve. “Hm, fine fine. You’ll owe me one though~”

Ah, what dangerous words those are. Back in Yokohama the idea of owing the Demon Prodigy a favour would scare many people down to their bones, in fact, there were many times where people had pulled out of deals at the last minute because of that. The idea that Kaminari is about to agree to owing Dazai a favour for help with a video game is just too funny.

Kaminari cheers, “Dude thanks so much! Sero’s gonna be so jealous when he finds out you’re helping me… Wait, what’s your username?” As he speaks his fingers flick around the screen to pull up the ‘Add friend’ section, Dazai bites back a grin. When Kaminari showed him his account Dazai had actually recognised the username, he never truly pays attention to the people he plays with but sometimes he finds someone who is more fun than the others.

Rather than responding, Dazai simply pulls up his own account and turns his phone for Kaminari to see. He leans in to see properly and then in a very comical move, drops his own phone in shock. Dazai muffles a laugh as the 1A kids around them turn to the boy in concern.

“Are you alri-”

Snapping his head around Kaminari flounders around, “Am I- You don- This guy-” he gestures to Dazai, “He’s- he’s FlyingFish!”

No one gives him a reaction, which causes him to huff, “Look ok, if you played the game you’d understand how crazy that is! FlyingFish is like, the best player! I thought I was lucky enough to be added as a friend but now…”

He trails off before turning his attention back to Dazai, “Wait wait, why did you add me? Oh and that one trick shot- Wait no, your maps, are they-”

All good questions, unfortunately for Kaminari, he’s not going to answer any of them. Instead he grins and turns his attention to Chuuya and Bakugou, “Oh look, I think it’s time for judging~”

As if on cue, both Bakugou and Chuuya begin plating their meals and turning to bring them to the island. Dazai ignores the sounds of protest from Kaminari, “Let’s see who is the better cook, shall we?”

It doesn’t take long for Kaminari to give up protesting once the rest of the 1A kids begin moving in closer and taste testing both dishes. Dazai, not being all that hungry, sits back and simply observes.

Bakugou still keeps throwing nasty glares in Dazai’s direction, Chuuya’s too whenever someone compliments his food, but overall he seems slightly more at ease. Ironically, it seems the competition has actually lessened tensions, not by much, but still lessened somewhat.

“Hey… Aren’t you going to try anything?” Uraraka asks and it only takes a moment for Dazai to realise that she is speaking to him.

Dazai spares her a glance and shrugs, he really can’t be bothered eating anything right now but since Uraraka’s called attention to it he’ll have to now. Of course, he could use some misdirection and make the 1A kids forget about it but Chuuya is unlikely to let it go now.

“You f*ckin’ got a problem with my cooking?” Bakugou growls.

Not what Dazai was going to say, but he’ll roll with it, “Hmm, maybe~”

Bakugou’s face twitches, beside him Kirishima laughs and slings an arm around his shoulders, “Relax Bakubro!” He turns to Dazai, “Although, maybe he’s just nervous that you poisoned it or something!”

Dazai perks up at that, while he knows for a fact Bakugou hasn’t poisoned anything (nothing he could get would work on Dazai anyway), this is a golden opportunity to cause some problem. Chuuya gives him a warning look, Dazai ignores it.

In one swift movement Dazai shoots a hand out to grab a utensil to scoop up some of Bakugou’s dish. Before anyone can stop him, Dazai stuffs the food in his mouth.

Chuuya sighs, the rest of the class look at him in confusion. Dazai hums a little as he chews, he won’t admit it but Bakugou is good at cooking. Another thing he won’t admit is that Chuuya is also a good cook, but if he would admit those things then he would say that Chuuya is the better cook for real.

After finishing the food Dazai slumps down a little, “No poison, how disappointing…”

A few of the 1A kids look somewhat uncomfortable at that, Chuuya looks fed-up, Dazai knows he just looks disappointed but of course, on the inside, he feels very amused.

-

Kaminari flops down onto his bed, smile still on his face from that whole ordeal. He never thought watching people cook could be so fun, sure he’d seen the shows like Flamin’ Kitchen- but like, that show is so not real. The head chef literally sets dishes on fire if he doesn’t like them, that doesn’t happen in regular cooking.

Watching Bakugou and Chuuya get all worked up over cooking was just something else, even the way they moved around the kitchen was hilarious. Both so tense you’d think they were in an actual fight, oh and the moment with the salt! Kaminari actually doesn’t think he’s seen a worse expression on Bakugou’s face before, not even during the USJ incident!

He’s also secretly happy that Chuuya is a good cook, a large amount of 1A just suck at cooking. That sounds kinda rude, which is why he never says it aloud, but it’s true! Yaoyorozu and Todoroki have never had to cook before, damn rich people, Sato’s only good for desserts and don’t even get him started on Mina. Kaminari isn’t that good a cook either, he can admit, but at least he doesn’t somehow burn through pans. That takes a special type of bad cook. Anyway, there are only a few actually good cooks in class, so having one more means the chance of getting good food for dinner increases. A thought comes to mind, would Chuuya agree to cook for the class? He does for Dazai, but then again those two are pretty close.

Kaminari ponders this as he unlocks his phone and goes about checking notifications. Usually he’s more on top of this stuff, but today’s been busy so he’s got a few things to check. Mindlessly he hops from app to app and responds to what he feels like; his mother asking if things are ok, his sister demanding pictures of Dazai and Chuuya (he is not going to ask why thank you), a bunch of spam emails, and a couple post notifications from a few of his online friends.

Kaminari doesn’t go around bragging about being a 1A student online, getting hounded by the media once was enough for him, if that happened online too he would lose it. A consequence of that is that his online friends have no clue who exactly they’re talking about when they bring up UA or 1A. It can be pretty funny actually, during the sports festival his friends had done a running commentary- some of the things that were said he immediately went and told his classmates.

Still happy from the cooking contest, Kaminari waits as his phone loads up the posts made by his friends.



they call me ManAnt
@orc_filth
you guys think if I kill my annoying neighbour ua will get me out of jail? 🥺🥺

pb noodles <3
@cd_arts
@orc_filth I think they will bestie!!

f*ck you sqh
@BINGLUOHE
@orc_filth @cd_arts the whole USJ thing was bad enough, why the hell would they put murderers in with an literal traumatised children?

they call me ManAnt
@orc_filth
@BINGLUOHE so real!! imagine what they’re doing to those poor kids jeez



Kaminari’s mind freezes to a stop at that. His previous thoughts of how he could pester Chuuya into cooking for the class vanish within seconds.



pb noodles <3
@cd_arts
@BINGLUOHE @orc_filth UA will only admit to the mistake after a 1A kid gets killed by those two… sad world we live in

f*ck you sqh
@BINGLUOHE
@SurprisedPikachu How we feeling?

they call me ManAnt
@orc_filth
@BINGLUOHE oh my god yes. @SurprisedPikachu you defended ua a lot back when the usj happened, thoughts?

…

‘Thoughts?’ They want to know his thoughts on this? Kaminari resists the urge to scream at that, they don’t know who he is, they don’t know that he is one of those ‘poor kids’. Besides, they make good points. Dazai and Chuuya are literal murderers, they have probably killed way more than just one person. From the way those two fight they’ve probably attacked a whole bunch of people, Kaminari can’t blame his friends for thinking like that.

No matter if Chuuya is a really good cook, or if Dazai’s super skilled at video games and even offered to teach him. The fact that Chuuya stood up to Mineta shouldn’t mean anything really, anyone would do it so who cares.

Those two are scary guys. Villains. He needs to remember that.

Yea, villains. Not people he can just be friends with. It doesn’t matter how fun they are to be around, they are bad people and that’s that.

(That should be that, anyway, but Kaminari isn’t so convinced. He remembers back when Aizawa-sensei first told the class about Yokohama and that some Pros were heading out there, back then Kaminari was still terrified of the pair and couldn’t stop thinking about that video. He remembers what Aizawa-sensei had said, that the reason those two were so scary were because they acted like teenagers. Unlike, say, Shigaraki who had a spot on villain persona and kept it up at all times, Dazai and Chuuya had only seemed ‘evil’ during the actual… Well, murder. Other than that they actually acted their age.

Which is why a certain post actually pissed him off a little, ‘murderers in with literal traumatised children?’ Technically that’s all true, but like, Chuuya and Dazai are children too? They act way older sometimes, but it’s so obvious in the way they interact with each other. That might sound stupid, but hear him out. Kaminari has two younger twin sisters, they like to act all grown up and responsible all the time. It’s so annoying because then his parents will be like ‘oh Denki, why can’t you be like your sisters?’ and then he has to fight back saying ‘well actually they are little terrors but you don’t see that’- anyway, he’s getting off topic. Point is, when those two get a moment to goof off and act their age they do it exactly how Dazai and Chuuya do. Gone is the united front that gets school projects done a month before the due date and in its place is a pair of girls that make stupid bets and even stupider dares.

The fact that his sisters know how to act mature doesn’t mean they aren’t children, because the second they get the chance they become the most insufferable tweens ever. So, can’t the same be said about Dazai and Chuuya? They act all scary and tough but when they let that drop and act like teenagers- boy do they act like teenagers. The arguing and shoving, the threats and insults, the nicknames! It’s all so childish that the thought that all those two boil down to is a pair of murderers is beyond stupid.

But thinking like that feels…. wrong. When have people ever sympathised with villains? When has thinking of the villain as anything other than that helped anyone?)

His phone vibrating pulls him from his thoughts, for a second he’s scared it’ll be another post about Dazai and Chuuya. It’s not though, just a couple messages from his group chat with his sisters. That lifts his spirits a little, it’s been a while since he got to speak to them both at the same time so-

Dumb: stop thinking so hard we can feel it from here

Dumber: Have u been cursed or smth? This isnt like u

Never mind, he never wants to speak to these two again.

-

Aizawa absolutely is the type of man to say ‘I told you so’, he has many many times and he knows he will continue to say it. In some situations though, he can’t be bothered mustering up the effort to say it, even if the phrase is only four words. A great example is back when the dorms were first implemented, some of the kids had decided to pull an all nighter to celebrate moving in together. Aizawa warned them they would regret it, the kids did not listen, and so the next day when they could hardly keep their eyes open Aizawa didn’t even bother saying the words. He just looked at them with slightly raised eyebrows, that caused the lot of them to turn away and groan.

Another good example is the exact situation he is in right now, as Nedzu gleefully looks through the notes and footage from the cops vs robbers fight from yesterday Aizawa spares a look over at All Might across from him. All Might, in his powered down form, gives him a tired look, one that says ‘I hope for our sake you’re wrong.’

“Well,” Nedzu claps his paws together, “Those two really are something! 1A truly has a lot to learn, I think it would be best for these training exercises to continue.”

Aizawa looks at All Might, All Might looks back at him.

“I’m sure the kids could learn a lot but…” Midnight twirls a strand of hair around her finger, “Didn’t you say the cops vs robber fight would be the last one?”

Nedzu smiles a little, “I wish to see them fight together! It’s unfortunate that in this fight they largely worked separately, it is my hope that if these fights continue they will eventually work together! Besides, all this fighting is helping 1A improve I’m sure!”

And there it is, exactly what Aizawa knew Nedzu would say.

“All this about helping 1A to improve, what about 1B?” Vlad King huffs, which also isn’t that much of a surprise. It’s normal for there to be a little competition between the hero course classes, which naturally seeps into the teachers in charge of them too. Before, when the advantages of having Dazai and Nakahara in class weren’t so obvious, Vlad King had been all too willing to let Aizawa handle them. Which, really, those two were never going to go to a different class given that Aizawa is the only one who can erase Nakahara’s Ability in an emergency. Part of Aizawa wants to roll his eyes at Vlad King, if he wants 1B to have the same opportunities he should also have to deal with the chaos that those two (mainly Dazai) bring wherever they go. He doesn’t do that though, instead he slumps further into his capture scarf while wishing he was asleep.

Nedzu nods, “Of course of course! I’m sure we can arrange a few training sessions with 1B.”

For a few minutes Aizawa is mercifully allowed to ignore all conversation and hide in his capture scarf. But, as always, good things must come to an end.

“One last thing,” Nedzu starts in a tone far more serious than his previous statements. Aizawa tips his head up to get a better view of Nedzu as he speaks, “Despite my best efforts, it seems I cannot delay this any longer.”

A few of the others look at each other with confusion, some in worry. Aizawa refuses to jump to conclusions just yet, knowing Nedzu this could be anything.

“In a few days time the HPSC has scheduled a meeting between themselves and Dazai and Nakahara, no UA staff are to be present.”

Now that wakes Aizawa up.

Chapter 17: 15 - Training time!

Chapter Text

The problem, Dazai finds, with randomly assigning groups is that it rarely ever plays to anyone’s skills. Sure, sometimes you might get lucky and people that work well together might end up in the same group, hell, you might even discover a whole new pairing with previously unseen potential. When possible Dazai prefers to hand select groups, at least then if it all turns to chaos then it will be the most optimised chaos.

Dazai slumps down in his chair a little and risks a glance over at Chuuya’s little ‘research group’. Their teacher for this lesson, some pro he hasn’t bothered to remember the name of, had decided that looking answers up to questions is absolutely a group activity and refused to listen to any arguments saying otherwise. That ended up with Chuuya being paired up with Bakugou and Mineta, which really is the worst combination possible. Mineta is so clearly terrified of the both of them, which means he’s too busy almost crying to actually do any research. Bakugou is flipping through textbooks with such speed that Dazai is surprised none of the pages have ripped off yet, every time he finds an answer his flipping stops for a moment and his grin gets wider. It’s obvious he’s trying to ‘win’ at finding the answers and from the looks of it Chuuya might just be playing along. Anyone else would think that Chuuya is just quietly doing the work, but Dazai knows the slug much better than most.

Dazai’s own group isn’t much better to be honest, in fact it may even be worse. Somehow he’s ended up with two of the more forgettable members of 1A and the sparkly guy that sits behind him. Despite calling them forgettable Dazai has made an effort to remember everyone’s names, faces, and Quirks in 1A just in case he needs the information later on.

First in this rag tag group is Koda Koji who can talk to animals, his Quirk isn’t the worst out there but just rather easy to beat, after all if there are no animals around left alive who will he talk to? Although, Dazai isn’t so sure the guy even talks in the first place. So far, despite being a good half hour into this research task, he has not said a single word. Sometimes it looks like he wants to say something, but he always ends up staying silent. Either he struggles with speaking to others, or he’s just scared to say anything with Dazai sitting so close… Hmm, he’ll have to keep an eye on this kid to see which one it is.

Next is Sato Rikido, strength Quirk based on how much sugar he intakes. His personality does seem a little plain at times, but he certainty does have that ‘heroic spirit’ that seems to be a requirement to get into UA. Then again, that tiny pervert made it in and he seems the type to run away crying at an ant- maybe it isn’t a requirement after all.

The most interesting of the lot is naturally Aoyama Yuuga. There are a few reasons Dazai likes this kid the most out of the group, firstly, his reactions are just fantastic. Always so over the top and dramatic, somehow always including a reference to sparkles, randomly swapping to French halfway through a sentence- what isn’t there to like? If Dazai started acting like this he actually thinks Chuuya would kill him, which makes it even more important he spends more time around this kid to properly learn how to be like him. There’s also another thing about the kid that catches Dazai’s eye, something that he’ll have to test out over the next few days. If he’s right about this little hunch, well, that would be valuable intel indeed.

Sato sighs and sets his textbook down, “I can’t find the answer to question ten in here.”

Dazai flicks his eyes over to the question sheet, before this he hadn’t bothered to put much effort into this research task. He probably should have helped a little, if only to improve opinions about him, but oh well, better late than never.

Question 10: What item is illegal to put through a mailbox?

Well, that’s an odd question. Dazai understands that heroes in training need to learn the law to properly enforce it and stop villains, that much is a given, but really who cares about mailboxes? Surely UA should be teaching them more important laws, or at the very least teach them the important stuff first and leave these types of laws for later?

Aoyama physically wilts, “We simply must find the answer, another failing grade will dampen my sparkle…”

When he says something like that, who is Dazai to argue? Leaning back in his chair a little, Dazai says, “It’s ice cream.”

All three of them look at him in a mix of shock and confusion, if he were betting then Dazai would say that they’re currently thinking ‘Woah, he’s actually going to help’ and ‘That can’t be right.’ It is right though, which Dazai says as much.

Sato gives him a dubious look, “And you’re sure about that?”

Dazai nods, “I need to know what the laws are first before I can break them all, that’s one of my life goals you know.”

Sato does write Dazai’s answer down, which he’s happy about because he knows it’s right, but looks uncomfortable while doing it. Hmm, maybe that last comment wasn’t a good idea after all. Oh well, he’ll work on getting this odd little trio to like him more another time. Maybe they’ll end up in the same research group again, wouldn’t that be fun?

-

“You’re not very good at making new friends are you Chibi~”

Chuuya throws a half-hearted punch in Dazai’s direction, mainly because if he hits the bastard like he wants then Aizawa would come over and scold him.

Dazai pouts, “What was that for?”

Stepping to the side, Chuuya easily dodges as Dazai attacks back, “You’re annoying, that’s why.”

“Well,” Dazai starts, “Maybe if you made some other frie-”

A sense of satisfaction fills him as Dazai yelps and falls to the ground when Chuuya throws out a much stronger punch. Dazai shoots him an offended look, Chuuya rolls his eyes in response, “This is your fault, so you should be taking the brunt of responsibility.”

Chuuya takes a quick look around the training hall while Dazai whines on the ground. Much like the last time they were here everyone in 1A has been split off into groups to practise with their Quirks. A good few kids seem to just be messing around, something he doubts they’d be doing if they had noticed Aizawa lurking in the shadows right beside them. If Chuuya had to guess then he'd say the pro plans to sit there quietly and add to their punishment until someone notices him, that certainly seems like his style anyway.

“But Chuuuyya,” his eyes flick back to Dazai who is still lounging on the floor, “I have such an unlikeable personality, you’ll have a much easier time making friends than I would!”

Chuuya snorts, “You got that right.”

Dazai, finally, pulls himself up. Then, in true Dazai fashion, leans his entire body weight onto Chuuya’s back, “How about this Chibi, let’s divide and conquer! You take your little gravity friend, how's that?”

Uraraka is on the other side of the hall working with a few of the girls, she seems to be trying to master jumping from one floating object to another. So far, from what Chuuya’s observed, she’s fallen more times than she’s succeeded. Well, it couldn’t hurt to go over and give some pointers but first…. Chuuya angles his head to face Dazai, “And who will you be taking?”

Dazai gives his best ‘I’ll only cause a little bit of trouble’ smirk before answering, “No need to worry about that!”

Chuuya thinks he does, in fact, need to worry about that given Dazai might go and get himself killed. While he would love for the idiot to suffer the consequences of his actions, Chuuya simply cannot allow him to die by anyone else’s hand, that will be Chuuya’s reward for dealing with him for years thank you very much.

Chuuya sighs, shrugs Dazai off his back, and leaves without saying anything more. A few kids look over to him as he walks across the hall but most keep focused on what they’re doing, a couple of those kids that look over are from the group messing around. It seems that taking their attention away from each other allowed at least one of them to gain spacial awareness, if the shout of ‘A-Aizawa-sensei!’ is anything to go by. Speaking of, even as he begins scolding the 1A kids, Chuuya can feel Aizawa’s eyes on his back tracking him. In Chuuya’s opinion, he should be keeping an eye on the real troublemaker (Dazai) but whatever.

It doesn’t take long to arrive in the corner of the hall Uraraka and her friends are working in, instead of just walking up to them Chuuya decides to observe a little. Somehow none of them notice him, which raises the question of how do these kids have such little awareness?

With a critical eye Chuuya watches as the group continues working. Uraraka is still jumping between different floating platforms with varying levels of success, she seems a lot more confident when jumping but not so much when she lands. It probably doesn’t help that her Quirk doesn’t keep the platforms level, each time she lands the things wobble just enough to make her trip over her own feet. Chuuya, naturally, does not experience this when he uses his own Ability but he does have a few ideas to help her improve.

Mina and Jirou seem to be working together to destroy a rather thick slab of concrete, the combination of acid and sound waves are doing a decent job at eating away at it. Chuuya’s never handled acid or sound waves before, or at least not in a way that would be helpful right now, but he’s sure he could come up with some advice to give them. If worse comes to worse he can give them a couple pointers for hand to hand combat, from what he’s seen 1A are severely lacking in that skill so he’s sure they’ll appreciate it.

When Mina, finally, notices him she gasps, “W-When did you get here?”

The other two girls turn in shock along with a few other nearby students, well that confirms that 1A sucks at paying attention to their surroundings. Chuuya shrugs, “Couple of minutes ago.”

Jirou sends her friends a confused glance before looking at him, “Uh, why?”

Now, Chuuya could explain that he saw Uraraka struggling and thought he would help, or he could say that Dazai annoyed him too much so he left the idiot. He doesn’t do either, instead he turns to Uraraka, “You’re struggling right?”

Caught off guard all the girl can do is nod. Chuuya hums, “Well, use your Quirk on me.” Normally, he wouldn’t let anyone get close enough to use their Quirk or Ability on him, minus Dazai of course, due to it being too much of a risk. Of course, there are people he trusts wouldn't hurt him, but outside of that group anyone could be waiting for the chance to get close enough to hurt him. He’s taking the risk now though, mainly because he doubts Uraraka would strike first like that. Well, she might if the situation was different, but right now he’s not actively being a threat.

He waits a moment for her to answer but gets nothing, “I have a few suggestions in mind, but I need to know how your Quirk actually works to make ‘em any good.”

Understanding dawns in Uraraka, “Ah, alright!” She quickly manoeuvres herself back to the ground and makes her way over to Chuuya. After a moment of thinking, or perhaps hesitation, she leans down and taps her fingertips against both of his ankles. The effect is… Strange. Almost immediately, Chuuya’s feet rise up from the ground and leave him hovering, while that isn’t a new experience for him it certainly is different. Now, he understands why Uraraka was struggling to keep her balance so much. Upon the Tainted Sorrow affects his whole body which makes for stable and uniform movement, in contrast Uraraka’s Quirk is only affecting his ankles.

“I was actually wondering this, but how different is your Ability compared to Uraraka’s Quirk?” Mina asks with genuine curiosity. Chuuya watches in amusem*nt when a little distance away Midoriya’s head twitches in their direction.

“For floating like this? Well, the best way to imagine it would be to think of a swimming pool,” Chuuya starts as he begins moving a little to get used to it, “Upon the Tainted Sorrow is like standing on a big raft, there’s a lot of room to move and you don’t really need to worry about falling. This Quirk feels more like standing on a kick board, you’re still floating but it’s way less stable.” If Uraraka used her Quirk on more of her body then she’d probably have an easier time, Chuuya isn’t sure she’s able to do that though.

The three girls around him nod in understanding, Uraraka in particular. “Then… Do you still think you can help?” She asks in a hopeful tone.

Chuuya makes a show of rolling his shoulders, he’s a bit wary of doing this and falling straight on his face since Dazai would never let him live it down. It’ll be harder to manoeuvre given the differences between his Ability and her Quirk but…

He wills himself forward, pleased to find it isn’t too different than when using his Ability. He’s slower than normal, but that’s to be expected, even still he quickly jumps and lands in the centre of one of the floating platforms. Chuuya allows himself a moment before leaping over to the next one, beneath his feet the platform wobbles but he stays steady.

“H-how did you do that so quickly?” Mina gasps, Chuuya almost laughs at her over-dramatic behaviour.

Chuuya looks over at Uraraka, “Did you see what I did different?”

Uraraka thinks for a moment, Chuuya simply stays silent to allow her a moment to think it through. To other people it may not have been much of a difference, but any gravity manipulator should have been able to notice and know the importance behind it. Well, any gravity manipulator that uses their power often for this stuff, from what he’s seen so far Uraraka is inexperienced.

While he’s looking in her direction, which just so happens to allow him to see another group of 1A kids some distance away, he notices them up to something…. He can’t quite tell what that something is, but he swears he just heard Dazai laugh so whatever it is can’t be good. From the looks of it the group is composed of Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, and that arm guy, whose name might be Shouji? Chuuya hasn’t spoken to him really, so he can’t be sure of that.

After a minute passes Uraraka sighs, “I know it was something to do with the landing but I didn’t see it…” She sounds disappointed with herself which causes her classmates to shoot her concerned looks.

“I’ll do it again but slower, so pay attention,” Chuuya says. It’ll be harder going slower due to the loss of momentum but it shouldn’t be too bad. He hears some yelling, along with the sound of Dazai laughing once again, he decides to ignore it. Whatever that idiot is up to isn’t his problem right now.

This time when he readies himself and leaps across to the other platform and back he can feel Uraraka’s intense focus on him, part of him feels a little flustered about it. When was the last time he displayed a skill like this and had such an attentive audience? Probably when he was doing something with Dazai if he’s being honest, but that fishy idiot doesn’t count.

Once Chuuya has steadily landed and turned his attention to the three girls, Uraraka nods, “I saw it this time!”

Chuuya smiles and jumps down from the platform, “Think you can do it yourself then?”

Mina whips her head from one gravity manipulator to the other, “Wait wait wait! I didn’t see it!” She exclaims before Uraraka can get an answer in.

“I think,” Jirou starts, “the trick is to crouch a little as you land, right?”

Mina still looks confused, so Chuuya decides to elaborate a little for her sake, “It’s all gotta do with your centre of gravity-”

For a second Mina still looks confused, she must have thought it through though as a moment later her face changes to one of dread. “Don’t bring physics into this! I totally suck with that subject….”

Chuuya is a little caught off guard by that actually, “You do know gravity is physics right?” He really, really hopes she does.

Mina flushes, “Of course I know that!” She hesitates a moment and when she speaks again her voice trails off a little, “I just didn’t realise you guys needed to know that stuff…”

Alright, that makes sense. “Technically I don’t need to be good at physics to use my Ability, it just makes things a lot easier,” Chuuya explains.

Uraraka nods in agreement, “It was only recently that I realised how much getting good at physics would help. I haven’t even touched the advanced content yet but I already feel like I understand my Quirk better.”

Both Mina and Jirou nod understandingly, in contrast Chuuya looks at her with a questioning expression, “Only recently?” Even back before he had joined the Sheep, back when he was freshly out of that lab and wandering around Yokohama trying to make sense of things he had, on some level, understood what physics was and how it could help him get better with his Ability. Of course, back then he had no clue it was called physics and was widely taught in schools around the world, instead, he had just noticed common trends when he did certain things and dove into exploring how that all worked.

“Oh, well,” Uraraka begins, “I don’t know how it is in Yokohama, but here we aren’t allowed to use our Quirks unless we have a special licence or we’re in a training setting, like a hero school for example. I just never thought about improving my Quirk control before UA.”

Jirou is the next to speak, “How is it in Yokohama anyway, I imagine they must have some laws about Abilities right?”

Chuuya nods, “Yea, there are it’s just… Well, hardly anyone pays them any attention at this point.” Compared to what else goes on in the Port Mafia, breaking a few laws about Ability use is the least of anyone’s worries.

Maybe he shouldn’t have said that actually, given the way the mood seems to drop a little at that. The 1A kids are definitely warming up to both him and Dazai, which is good for that idiot’s plan, but it seems that every step forward is accompanied by two steps back the second the kids remember why exactly they’re at UA. From now on he’ll have to avoid speaking about anything related to the Port Mafia and maybe Yokohama in general too but that might be harder.

Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere doesn’t last for long when shouts and groans echo around the training hall. Chuuya doesn’t need to look to know Dazai is at fault, he does anyway though if only to access the damage. Lo and behold, Yaoyorozu, Shouji, and Kaminari are sprawled across the ground with electricity dancing around them, Dazai stands in the centre of this mess with a sly grin on his face. When he notices Chuuya watching he waves and then, in true Dazai fashion, simply steps over the groaning Kaminari and walks away- most likely going to find some other kids to terrorise.

Chuuya sighs heavily and then physically turns around so he doesn’t have to deal with whatever Dazai is up to now, teachers should be responsible for their students right? Yea, so Aizawa can deal with this while Chuuya actually has a little bit of fun teaching Uraraka.

His reaction gets a few laughs from the girls around him. After she finishes laughing Jirou asks, “How are you two even friends?”

“Trust me, we’re not,” Chuuya huffs.

“What? But you two are so close!” Mina exclaims, beside her both Jirou and Uraraka nod along.

“I spoke to him once and haven’t been able to get rid of the f*cker since, he’s more like a parasite than a friend,” Chuuya explains which once again gets a few laughs. They think he’s joking, but Dazai really is like a parasite sometimes. Chuuya shakes his head a little to clear his thoughts, “Well, that’s enough about that idiot, let’s get back to what we were doing.”

Uraraka smiles once more before adopting a more serious expression, “Right! With your help I’m sure I’ll be able to master this trick!” Chuuya smiles back in return and watches as Uraraka activates her Quirk and begins preparing herself to make another attempt. Back in the cops vs robbers fight Uraraka had taken his advice and managed to pull off that wall kick rather quickly, so he’s sure it won’t take her long to get the hang of it. Maybe after she’s more stable doing basic jumps between the platforms he can teach her a few tricks, mostly ones just for show though, after all, he can’t let her get too good. While both he and Dazai could beat her with or without their Abilities, it might come back to bite him if he teaches her too much.

“Hey,” Mina says, interrupting his thoughts, “You think you could show us some tricks too?”

Chuuya takes in Mina’s hopeful expression along with Jirou’s not so subtle interest in the topic, “Not for your Quirks no, but I could show you a few hand to hand combat moves?” Again, he won’t show them anything too detailed but the basics like how to throw a punch and how to block should be fine.

Jirou smirks, “I don’t suppose you have some tips for dealing with creeps like Mineta?”

Ah, yes, now that’s something he can do. “I sure do, courtesy of my mentor back home.”

Uraraka, who had seemingly delayed beginning her training to listen to their conversation, chimes in, “Your mentor? You mentioned her before I think... She wouldn’t be mad at you for sharing her techniques?”

Chuuya shakes his head, “Nah, back when I first met her Ane-san made it damn clear what would happen if I wasn’t respectful to women. If I didn’t teach you this stuff she’d probably come to UA herself to set me straight.” Which is absolutely the truth, Ane-san had made it clear from the beginning that she expected him to be a gentleman regardless of if he was in the Mafia or not. While he had managed to scare Mineta away from harassing the girls for now, he gets the feeling that won’t last, especially once he and Dazai get back to Yokohama. Showing them a few moves he’s seen Ane-san use is the least he can do really.

That earns a few laughs, along with a couple looks of admiration. “She sounds awesome,” Mina smiles excitedly, “Alright, teach me everything so I can be a badass like her!”

-

Midoriya is trying his best not to get distracted, he really needs all the practice he can get with his Quirk so training time is valuable but… But he can’t help but keep looking over at Dazai and Chuuya! Getting to see those two in action is always so interesting and distracting, it was honestly so hard not to start rambling about Abilities during the cops and robbers fight when he had, at multiple different times, got a close up view of Chuuya using his Ability. Every time he felt his mind starting to wonder he had to mentally slap himself to focus again. Now though, there are no consequences if he lets his attention wander and starts to theorise about Abilities. Well, there might be if Aizawa-sensei catches him, but Midoriya is banking on him being too busy watching other students to notice.

Chuuya isn’t using his Ability right now, which makes sense given the Ability erasing bands he always has on. Part of Midoriya thinks that’s unfair, but that part of him is just desperate to find out exactly how his Ability works. It’s such a cool Ability when he thinks about it from an analytical standpoint, completely changing the gravity on any object he touches, including himself, is just insane. It’s even more insane when Midoriya thinks about how much control Chuuya must have to be able to even use his Ability, surely if he wasn’t careful he would just go smashing through a wall if he tried to walk up it?

A few minutes ago Midoriya had watched as Chuuya easily jumped from floating platform to floating platform, he moved with such a fluidity that just screamed experience and total mastery- which would make sense if he hadn’t been under Uraraka’s Quirk’s control. Just moments before Chuuya had gone over there Midoriya had watched as Uraraka struggled to stick the landing, he knows for a fact that Uraraka’s Quirk works differently than Chuuya’s Ability due to eavesdropping on their conversation, so how was he able to so easily adapt and succeed? Is being able to easily move around mid-air a side effect of his Ability? Or maybe he’s just so used to it that the difference provided by Uraraka’s Quirk isn’t an obstacle. It could also be the case that he’s just got a really good understanding of physics and is able to easily figure out what he needs to do to pull a move off, which if that is the case that creates more questions of if that is a learnt skill or something that came along with his Ability. For people with Quirks, their bodies naturally change to accommodate them with the exception of the mind. Sure some Quirks are mental based and likely boost the user’s memory and critical thinking skills but none have given the user an innate understanding of something like this, not that Midoriya knows of anyway- but of course that doesn’t apply to Abilities. Everything Midoriya knows about Quirks is useless when thinking about Abilities.

For a few minutes he had just stared in Chuuya’s direction hoping he would be able to figure out the answers to his questions. It hadn’t worked though, so he had decided to shelve those ideas for now and swap his attention to somewhere, or someone, else.

Midoriya now watches with an attentive eye as Dazai nods along to whatever Kaminari is saying. That little group is just too far away for Midoriya to be able to hear anything, which is a shame, but he’s able to make an educated guess as to what is happening. Yaoyorozu is currently crouched over making what looks to be a large blanket, Shouji already has one wrapped around his arms, Kaminari doesn’t have one though which makes Midoriya think that the blankets must be insulated to protect the wearer against electricity. That group must be planning to have Kaminari let off some electricity while Shouji and Yaoyorozu try and withstand it, or maybe they’ll be trying to get close to Kaminari, maybe even try and fight him. Midoriya isn’t sure how good of an idea it is, but he’s in no position to go over and interrupt.

“What are you looking at?”

Midoriya jumps at the voice, Todoroki’s voice he realises after a moment. With a sheepish smile he turns to his classmate, “Oh well, I was just watching Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, and Shouji. I think they’re about to do something that will-”

Midoriya notices sparks of electricity in the corner of his eye and turns to fully watch the scene. It starts off well enough with Yaoyorozu and Shouji easily advancing through the field of electricity, but then Kaminari lets off what must be just a little too much electricity. In a matter of moments both Yaoyorozu and Shouji shout, in shock or pain, and drop to the ground, Kaminari follows soon after with a vacant expression on his face. Midoriya would be more worried about the trio if he could not see them rolling around and groaning, they mustn't be too hurt then.

Todoroki makes some sort of sound from beside him but Midoriya is in no position to properly focus on him. Just a moment ago, when Kaminari let off that too big attack, Midoriya saw as it hit Dazai- or well, as it didn’t hit him. As soon as the electricity got close the blue light from Dazai’s Ability appeared and protected him from ending up on the floor groaning, even now as the last few sparks of electricity bounce around Midoriya can see as his Ability quietly activates. Dazai waves at someone, probably Chuuya, but Midoriya pays it no mind. Instead he keeps his eyes on the string of kanji floating around Dazai’s feet, it’s faint but if he squints then he can just make it out. That’s another thing he’s desperate to know about, why does kanji appear when an Ability is activated? And also, what’s with the names? No Longer Human and Upon the Tainted Sorrow. Dazai had previously said that they don’t name their Abilities, which now makes sense knowing about the kanji, but also how is that possible? Why does it happen? The names must mean something right? It just- It just makes no sense and Midoriya is itching to ask questions.

Dazai steps over Kaminari, who is still drooling away on the floor, and begins walking away… Actually, he begins walking in Midoriya’s direction. Oh man, did he notice him staring? Is Dazai going to yell at him or something? Well, actually, Dazai doesn’t seem the type to yell but still.

As Dazai saunters closer Midoriya can feel Todoroki stiffen from beside him and immediately feels guilty. Todoroki is still upset about what Dazai said during their fight, he should be focusing on that and supporting his friend and not geeking out over Abilities.

Dazai gets closer and Midoriya prepares himself to tell him to go somewhere else when, without any warning, Todoroki turns and walks away. He supposes he shouldn’t be so surprised, but still, he expected more of a confrontation.

“No, wait!” Dazai exclaims. Todoroki pauses for a moment, like he’s contemplating hearing Dazai out, before glancing over his shoulder. Seeing that this is likely the most he’ll get, Dazai quickly says, “I didn’t know you’d be so upset over what I said, so I’d like to apologise.”

Well, that’s surprising. Midoriya didn’t think Dazai was the apologising type, then again, what does he actually know about the guy? Dazai and Chuuya haven’t been here that long, and yet he feels he knows Chuuya far better than Dazai. Not that he knows Chuuya all that much, but still, what he does know is leagues more than what he knows of Dazai. Oh, maybe that’s a side effect of his Ability? Being so mysterious does create an inhuman vibe sometimes, so maybe…

Midoriya snaps his wandering mind back to attention just as Todoroki turns to him, “I’ll see you later Midoriya.” With that he continues walking away, not a word said in regards to Dazai’s apology.

He half expects Dazai to try and run after him, but instead he just shrugs, “Oh well, can’t win them all.”

He feels conflicted for a second on if he should follow Todoroki himself, but ultimately decides to stay where he is. It does feel like a somewhat selfish decision, given how badly he wants to question Dazai, but he reasons with himself that if Todoroki wanted him to follow then he wouldn’t have said goodbye to him.

“So, Midori-kun, you were looking at me?” Dazai asks, much to Midoriya’s horror. He had been hoping Dazai hadn’t noticed. What would be the best way to answer though? He could just lie and say he happened to be looking in that direction, or that he was curious what was happening with Kaminari’s group but he gets the feeling Dazai will see straight through that. Maybe it would be best to be honest? If he is then Dazai might even answer some of his questions, which would be amazing. Or maybe he should lie after all, then Dazai will leave and Midoriya can focus on training like he should be doing. Oh, but if he-

“Midori-kun?”

Midoriya snaps out of his spiral of thoughts, right, he needs to answer now. Sheepishly, he nods, “Sorry, I was just curious about your Ability...”

“Well, No longer Human is the best Ability out there, so I suppose I can forgive you,” Dazai says nonchalantly, unaware of the storm of thoughts that sets off in Midoriya’s mind. He can’t tell if Dazai is lying about having the best Ability or not and it’s seriously getting to him. Sure, being able to nullify Abilities is a strong power, but there must be other Abilities that are better right? For example Chuuya’s Upon the Tainted Sorrow, ah, but then again what does it matter about other Abilities if Dazai can just nullify them away? Actually, are there any limits to his nullifying powers? Is he able to nullify mutant Abilities, if those even exist?

Well, there’s only one way to find out. Stealing his nerves Midoriya takes a deep breath, “I was wondering if I could ask some questions actually, a-about Abilities that is.”

For a second Dazai doesn’t say anything, which does cause Midoriya some anxiety. His brain wants to run at double speed to try and figure out what to say in case he’s made Dazai mad or something but he resists the urge. Dazai seems to contemplate before answering, “Hmmm, alright but you have to answer my questions on Quirks in return!”

“Deal,” Midoriya says before he can even comprehend it.

Dazai grins, “Midori-kun, you always make the best deals, you know that?”

Midoriya feels an odd sense of pride at that, something he’s not sure is all that appropriate. Well, he can think about that another time, right now he has to focus and make sure he asks the most important questions. Which are… All of them? Damn, why did he never think about which ones he wants an answer to most before this? Once he gets back to the dorms he will be ordering all his questions to avoid this ever happening again.

“So, Midori-kun,” Dazai says, taking the choice away from him, “How do Quirk genetics work?”

“Quirk genetics?”

Dazai nods, “Yep! I know a few things, of course, but I was just curious about the exacts… For example, what happens if two people have completely opposite Quirks and they have kids?”

Thankfully, Midoriya has always had an interest in that topic so he’s easily able to come up with an answer, “Oh well, the most common outcome would be to just get one of your parents' Quirks. The second most common would be to get some sort of mix between the two Quirks and the most rare outcome would be getting both.” The real rarest outcome would be getting no Quirk but Midoriya doubts Dazai wants to hear about that.

“Someone could have two Quirks?” Dazai looks thoughtful at this.

“Well technically it would only be one Quirk, but yes,” Midoriya hesitates before continuing, “Todoroki’s Quirk is like that.”

Dazai nods but doesn’t say anything further. Midoriya waits a moment before deciding it’s time for him to ask a question, it may not be the most important question he could ask but it’s something he’s been wondering about. “Do you know anything about how Abilities are named?”

Dazai raises an eyebrow, or more accurately the only eyebrow visible, “We don’t pick the names.”

Midoriya nods, “Ah, yes, I remember you saying that! I was just curious because the names are oddly specific and must have some sort of meaning, if you get what I mean…” He hopes there is a meaning anyway.

“Well, the meanings are up to interpretation,” Dazai thinks for a moment, “For example, what do you think the Ability Love Disappears Tonight does?”

Love Disappears Tonight? Based on the name Midoriya assumes that it involves something being taken away or ‘disappearing’. The inclusion of the word ‘love’ makes him think it has to do with emotions, so making emotions disappear?

Midoriya says as much to Dazai and is disheartened when he shakes his head, “Close but not quite!” Dazai waves his hand behind him in the direction of Chuuya, “A few months ago Chuuya was sent to find this Ability user, Misaki something, and got a little too close during the fight, he ended up getting hit with Love Disappears Tonight. For the next week until we found her again he kept forgetting everything that happened the day before.”

Midoriya takes in that information and makes sure to commit it to memory. “So the Ability gave him amnesia?”

Dazai nods, “Yep, now, your interpretation of the name wasn’t entirely wrong given that Chuuya would forget what emotions he felt the day before, but it wasn’t entirely right either.”

“So,” Midoriya starts already knowing he’s pushing it, asking another question, “What about No Longer Human? What do you think that name means?”

Dazai is silent for a moment, then, “ Well, if Abilities and Quirks are what makes up a person, what makes up their identity, then getting rid of it would make them no longer themselves or even inhuman, right?”

Midoriya feels conflicted by that. He, partly, understands what Dazai means but there surely has to be more to it… The idea that someone can’t be considered human if they no longer have their Quirk or Ability just doesn’t sit right with him.

There isn’t time to think about that though as Dazai doesn’t take too long to ask his question, “So, other than genetics, is there any other way to pass along a Quirk?”

Midoriya feels his heart skip a beat at that, that question is far too close to the secret of One for All. He wills himself to calm down because there is no way in hell that Dazai has figured him out no matter how smart he is. In a tone that he hopes sounds relaxed, Midoriya answers, “No, the only way is genetics.”

For a second he swears Dazai looks at him in a way that says ‘I see through that lie’ but the next moment it’s gone. Midoriya resists the urge to nervously laugh, which will only give Dazai reason to be suspicious. Although, this line of questioning has sparked an idea in his head, “Can you pass Abilities along?”

Dazai shrugs, “It’s happened a few times in the past but it’s a rare situation.”

Midoriya feels like he’s going to have twice the amount of questions by the end of this, the idea that Abilities can be passed along opens up so many different ideas. Dazai said it’s rare, but how rare? Is there some sort of requirement or limitation, for example only being able to pass an Ability along to a family member? What would happen if someone passed an Ability along to someone who already had one, would they get two or would one take dominance over the other? How would Quirks come into play, could someone with a Quirk also get an Ability? Midoriya, desperate for more information, quickly asks, “Could you tell me about the past times it’s happened?”

There has to be a common link between the cases where it’s happened, but what is it?

“I would, but it’s my turn to ask a question Midori-kun,” Dazai replies, “I want to know about how the body adapts for a Quirk.”

He’s slightly disappointed that he’ll have to wait to hear more but that was the deal they made. “Um, I’m not sure how to explain it… The body just, adapts?” Midoriya cringes at his terrible explanation.

Dazai sighs, “Obviously, but to what extent? Do people get injured by using their own Quirk often, or have their bodies developed an immunity to it?”

It’s a reasonable question, a reasonable question that gives Midoriya a lot of anxiety all of a sudden. The question Dazai asked earlier about passing along Quirks along with this… Has he figured out that Midoriya’s Quirk hasn’t always been his? The rational part of his brain tries to calm himself down, Midoriya hasn’t broken a single bone while Dazai and Chuuya have been at UA- which means there is no way that Dazai could have realised anything amiss. Although, if he had watched the Sports Festi- No, Midoriya cuts his thoughts off there. He needs to answer now before Dazai gets suspicious, “In most cases they’ll be immune, but there might be side effects to their Quirks that might hurt them.”

Dazai nods in understanding and, thankfully, doesn’t seem to pick up on Midoriya’s panic. After giving himself a moment to calm down Midoriya feels a little excitement at knowing it’s his turn to ask a question.

“So, about people passing Abilities alo-” Midoriya starts but is quickly cut off when explosions echo around the training hall. In one swift movement, Dazai darts forward and twists around Midoriya.

Bakugou, now in the spot where Dazai just was, growls, “Don’t run, bastard, I want a rematch!” Midoriya feels a spark of annoyance at his appearance, couldn’t he have waited a few minutes more or just, you know, not done this at all? Midoriya is trying to gather important information here!

Dazai, still using Midoriya as a human shield, huffs, “It’s rude to interrupt a conversation you know. Besides, if you can’t even beat Chuuya in a cooking contest, what hope do you have of beating me?”

“I won that contest!!”

“Oh yea? How come everyone praised Chuuya’s food more then?”

That seems to piss Bakugou off more, which, in turn, causes Midoriya to get anxious. He knows the anger isn’t aimed at him, but still, he spent so many years being the target of said anger that it’s hard to brush it off.

Dazai shifts behind him, likely about to say something to further annoy Bakugou, when, for just a moment, they make contact. Midoriya stiffens as he feels One for All being ripped away from him, the power he worked so hard to gain just gone in a moment. He’s being irrational, he knows, and yet he can’t stop the spike of fear that runs up his spine at once again being Quirkless. Yaoyorozu had once asked him after his one on one with Dazai what his Ability felt like, back then he had said he felt Quirkless with no hope of getting it back… His classmates didn’t understand the truth behind that statement. They didn’t understand that he knew what it was like to be Quirkless, and this is it. This feeling of missing something so so important, of missing something that almost seems vital to life…

“ Well, if Abilities and Quirks are what makes up a person, what makes up their identity, then getting rid of it would make them no longer themselves or even inhuman, right?”

Midoriya now finds himself agreeing with Dazai just a little bit more.

Just as quick as it happens, that sensation ends. One for All comes crashing back to him, something that causes Midoriya to sigh in relief.

Dazai, now standing further away from him, shrugs a little, “Oops.”

Midoriya turns to him with the intent of saying something, he isn’t sure what yet, but quickly loses that opportunity. Bakugou takes a step towards Dazai, “Oi, use your sh*tty Ability on me!”

Shocked, Midoriya can only stutter out, “K-Kacchan? Why would you wan-”

Bakugou glares him into shutting up, “Don’t call me that Deku!” He jerks his head in Dazai direction, “That bastard only won last time because I was caught off guard, if I get used to it then I’ll definitely beat him next time!”

While that does make a lot of sense, Midoriya really can’t imagine willingly having his Quirk nullified. Even just that second he spent in contact with Dazai was terrible, experiencing that for longer periods of time and more often sounds like a nightmare. Realistically, he knows it would get better the more he got used to the feeling but still…

“And why would I get rid of my advantage like that?”

For a second Midoriya thinks Bakugou might just leap forward and grab Dazai anyway, but fortunately, that doesn’t happen. Instead, someone, Aizawa-sensei, claps to get everyone’s attention on him.

“Dazai, Nakahara, and Yaoyorozu are free to leave,” Aizawa-sensei says simply.

Midoriya reckons it’s the end of the lesson, so how come only three people are allowed to leave?

Aizawa-sensei, seeing the looks of confusion around the hall, grins, “I said there would be punishment for the team that lost, did you think I forgot?”

Ah.

Dazai chuckles, “Have fun Midori-kun!”

Midoriya mentally prepares himself for whatever Aizawa-sensei has prepared for them, if the smirk on his face is anything to go off then Midoriya guesses it’s going to make most of the class miserable by the end.

Bakugou looks mad at his chance to rematch Dazai, or his chance to build up a resolve against No Longer Human, being cut short. He turns and stomps away and if Midoriya had to guess, then he’d say that Bakugou plans to ‘win’ whatever they’ll be doing next to make up for it.

Most of the class has started moving to gather around Aizawa-sensei by now, so Midoriya begins walking over there himself. While doing that he can’t help but take one last glance over to Dazai, who is now walking side-by-side with Chuuya. One of his arms is slung over Chuuya’s shoulders, something that by now isn’t a surprise. Those two always stand and sit close to each other, most of the time with some part of their bodies touching. It looks so natural for them that Midoriya has no doubt that the two of them have been like that for a while.

Chuuya leans slightly into Dazai and Midoriya is struck with a sudden realisation, if they have been like this long before coming to UA then that means Chuuya must have constantly been having his Ability nullified. Midoriya can’t help but wonder how he would be able to put up with that, living in a dangerous place like Yokohama would surely mean he would feel anxious not being able to use his Ability. Maybe he’s used to it after so long? Or maybe he puts up with it because he and Dazai are close? Or maybe…

“Midoriya.”

Snapping his head back over to Aizawa-sensei, Midoriya sheepishly nods, “Sorry sensei!” He gained a lot of information about Abilities today that he’ll have to mentally sort through later, analysing Dazai and Chuuya’s relationship will have to be a task for another day.

-

“What are you doing?”

-

Over the years that UA has existed many things have changed but there is one thing that, no matter how many years pass, never seems to go away. That would be the rivalry between the A and B heroics classes, whether it be academically or physically those two classes are always at each other’s throats trying to ‘win’. In some cases even after students have graduated and joined the world of Pro Heroes they still cling onto those rivalries, in Aizawa’s opinion, the whole thing is stupid. There isn’t a way to stop teenagers from being competitive though, so Aizawa has to begrudgingly put up with it.

This year’s 1A and 1B are no different.

There is another thing that has always remained true, something that only staff of UA are aware of. It is something that really shouldn’t happen given they are Pro Heroes and, more importantly, adults but, as many before him, Aizawa finds it hard to resist this one ‘tradition’ of sorts. He still stands by the fact the rivalry between heroics classes is stupid but…

“Soooo, which class is stronger anyway?”

“1A.”

“1B.”

Vlad King shoots him a glare, Aizawa easily ignores him.

The other truth, the ‘tradition’ of sorts is simple; while the kids of the A and B heroics classes have their rivalry, so do the homeroom teachers of those classes.

Dazai, who once again is lounging on Nakahara without a care in the world, smirks, “Sensei, I didn’t know you’re the competitive type.”

Aizawa resists the urge to roll his eyes, “I’m not.” Which is true, the only time Aizawa had ever made an effort to win something was back when he needed to win the Sports Festival to get into the heroics course. Since then Aizawa has worked hard but ‘winning’ has never been a priority. As long as the goal, whatever that may be, has been accomplished and he worked hard then it hardly matters where he places. The only reason Aizawa entertains the staff rivalry is because Vlad King insists his class is better, which Aizawa knows for a fact to be false. The 1B kids are strong and smart, they’ll all make great Pros one day but Aizawa can’t bring himself to say his class is worse.

Dazai doesn’t look convinced, “Sure Sensei, whatever you say.”

Nakahara rolls his shoulders back, or at least he tries to with Dazai still leaning on him, Aizawa wonders if the kid ever gets back pain due to Dazai. “When are these kids getting here anyway?”

Vlad King glances at him with a look of suspicion and caution, “Any moment now.” Aizawa understands why he’s on guard, he was the same when Dazai and Nakahara first got to 1A. Of course, he still makes sure to keep an eye on those two and not let himself get too complacent but when over half the time they’re just bickering and being childish he has learnt not to waste energy being on guard all the time.

Now that he's thinking about it actually, he should probably say something to Dazai before the matches start. It’s his duty as a teacher to make sure all students, regardless of class, are safe at all times… It may also have something to do with the fact that Vlad King would forever hound him if a 1B kid was hurt too badly. Never mind the fact that he’s just as responsible for Dazai and Nakahara as Aizawa is.

“Dazai,” he waits until the boy turns to look at him, “No messing around, got it?”

Dazai pouts, “You have such a low opinion of me Sensei.”

Vlad King looks between the two of them before huffing, Aizawa ignores him once again. Unfortunately, Dazai does not, “So Vlad King, or should we call you Sensei too? Anyway, I bet you think 1B will do better against us, right?”

“Call me Vlad King and yes, I do,” he answers simply.

Dazai smirks and Aizawa, despite not having known the kid for long, immediately knows it means trouble. Now that Dazai knows what Vlad King expects, he’s probably even figured out about the rivalry between classes, he’s sure to do something to cause chaos.

Before Aizawa can call the kid out on it, because that’s part of his job while watching over those two, the students of 1B start trailing into the room. They all seem a little nervous and apprehensive, which is understandable. At the front of the group walks the class president, Kendo, and the vice-president, Shoda. They too seem a little nervous about what is about to happen and yet they walk on despite that, the rest of the class seem to be inspired by the two of them. Aizawa can see why they were picked for the positions of president and vice-president.

Once all the kids have come to a stop in, Vlad King introduces the lesson, “You all already know what’s happening today, so let’s get right to it.”

In a normal lesson this might be where Aizawa would chime in to explain something, but he’s not here to teach 1B. Instead his job is to be on hand in case Nakahara tries anything with his Ability, so he stays quiet.

Vlad King gestures to the large screen behind him, “You’ll be fighting in teams of four against those two, if you get captured then you’re out. If you all get captured then your team fails, you can also fail if time runs out and you have more people captured than the other team.”

The 1B kids all seem to understand well enough, so hopefully they’ll be able to start soon. The sooner they start the sooner it will end and Aizawa will be able to go take a nap.

“Here are the teams in the order you’ll be fighting,” Vlad presses a button and the screen behind him flicks to a list of students in five groups. Aizawa glances back to see what the teams are, he may not be too familiar with the 1B kids but he does know all of their Quirks, by the looks of it the teams might actually give Dazai and Nakahara a challenge. Hopefully not more of a challenge than 1A did, otherwise Vlad King will never let him live it down.

Team A: Tsunotori, Tetsutetsu, Honenuki, Kaibara

Team B: Shishida, Shiozaki, Rin, Tsuburaba

Team C: Tokage, Kamikiri, Bondo, Awase

Team D: Yanagi, Kodai, Monoma, Shoda

Team E: Kendo, Komori, f*ckidashi, Kuroiro

The 1B kids start looking at each other and grinning, likely already thinking up plans on how to win. One kid in particular seems to gain some confidence from seeing the team ups as he laughs loudly then, with a somewhat shaky finger, he points at Dazai and Nakahara, “You two have no chance against the superior class of 1B!”

For a second everything is quiet, a few 1B kids look at Dazai and Nakahara anxiously like they expect the pair to pounce on Monoma for saying that. Vlad King looks ready to step in and protect his students but Aizawa gets the feeling that won’t be needed.

Dazai once again smiles in a way that promises trouble, “If you say so~” He then, finally, stops leaning on Nakahara. Instead he turns and takes a step closer to Aizawa, “Sensei…”

Aizawa sighs already knowing exactly where he’s going with this. Before pulling the paintball gun out of his pocket Aizawa turns to address the class, “This is a fake weapon but you’ll treat it as a real one for training.” He takes the gun out and watches as some of 1B tense up despite the warning, Aizawa turns his attention to Dazai, “Don’t do anything inappropriate or you won’t be getting this back for a long time.”

Dazai seems to think about that for a moment before speaking, “Does shooting myself in the head count as inappropriate?”

Before anyone else can say anything Nakahara reaches over and smacks Dazai hard, “Idiot! I’ve told you not to say sh*t like that.”

Dazai pouts, “But Chuuuyya, it was a real question!”

“A real stupid question more like,” Nakahara says while rolling his eyes.

Aizawa keeps his eyes on those two as Vlad King tries to move past Dazai’s question, he might be explaining something further about the matches about to happen but Aizawa pays it no mind. Nedzu had made it clear that after the incident with Bakugou all teachers were to take Dazai’s suicidal comments seriously, no matter how comical he might try to make them. Aizawa has tried to keep a close eye on the kid in case he tries anything but he suspects that might be a pointless task. Dazai is smart, if he did something he would most definitely keep it as secret as he could from everyone else. Well, maybe not everyone.

Nakahara sighs as Dazai pokes him, much like how one pokes a sleeping bear. Despite their near constant arguments it’s clear that those two care for each other, if Dazai were to try something then Aizawa suspects Nakahara would be the first to find out. Of course, Aizawa will need to mention that comment Dazai just made to Nedzu and still make an effort to keep an eye on the kid but he thinks that, for now at least, Nakahara seems to have a handle on the situation. It might be for the best to let Nakahara take the lead on dealing with Dazai’s suicidal tendencies for now anyway, the kid clearly has experience with it and Dazai is leagues more comfortable with him then with any of the Pros at UA.

Aizawa can only hope that the kid won’t need to be in the position of keeping Dazai from making a serious attempt or helping him heal after one any time soon.

Chapter 18: 16 - SKK vs 1B

Chapter Text

Team A: Tsunotori, Tetsutetsu, Honenuki, Kaibara

Hopping up onto a nearby ledge Dazai sighs loudly and is promptly ignored by Chuuya, expected but still rude.

Honestly, Dazai isn’t sure what to make of these fights with 1B. Don’t get him wrong, he and Chuuya will absolutely win all of the fights and he will get some enjoyment out of it all but it’s just… Stupid. When creating his plan to get into UA he knew they would end up stuck with one of the hero classes, that much was a given. Bringing two known murderers into UA is a risky move, even with the pros around Nedzu would want the reassurance of knowing that the kids spending the most time around them would be able to protect themselves should anything happen.

Dazai had made plans for what to do should they end up with a different hero class than 1A, that meant he did spend some time researching all the other hero classes and their Quirks. He had expected to end up fighting the hero class kids at some point, either in a training fight set up by UA or when he and Chuuya eventually make their escape.

What he didn’t expect was Nedzu parading him and Chuuya around UA for free training fights. If he remembers correctly, and he most certainly does, then they only agreed to help out 1A.

The way he sees it, there are two reasons why Nedzu would make them fight 1B despite it not being part of the original deal. The first reason is simple, Nedzu wants to make the most of having two skilled fighters at UA. It makes sense, no matter how good at acting the pros are they will never be able to truly replicate the mindset and fighting style of a villain. Two actual villains, or criminals as Dazai would prefer to be called, on sight will give the hero kids more real world experience than fighting the pros would.

The second reason is similar in nature, Nedzu wants to see him and Chuuya fight. Dazai has no doubt that the training grounds are covered in cameras, in fact he can see a few right now, so it only makes sense for Nedzu to be reviewing the footage of their fights to analyse them or something similar. Maybe he’s trying to find weaknesses or maybe he’s using the footage to come up with counter attacks for all their moves, he might even be watching to see how they work together in a fight so he can use that against them. So far he and Chuuya haven’t really worked together all too much in fights, oh, maybe he set this fight up with 1B in hopes they would?

Dazai resists the urge to grin a little, no matter how hard that mouse bear looks he will never be able to figure everything out. If he really is as smart as they say then he might be able to come up with a plan to successfully take one of them down but there would be no chance if the two of them are together- which they are, all the time. Actually, Dazai knows the pros would need one hell of a miracle to take Chuuya down in a real fight. Even holding himself back the Slug can easily wipe out a whole class of hero hopefuls, that’s not even to mention Corruption. Nedzu might have figured out by now that Chuuya is holding himself back but Corruption is something he won’t have even the faintest of ideas about. Ah, what Dazai wouldn’t give to see Nedzu’s face the first time he lays eyes on the beauty that is Corruption.

Chuuya, who previously was busying himself stretching, looks at him in suspicion, “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”

Dazai adopts his most innocent expression, “I have no clue what you mean Chuuya.”

“Sure,” Chuuya scoffs before turning his attention to the training grounds around them. A large industrial area full of twisting pipes, large buildings, and tricky narrow spaces- which is to say, the perfect place for someone like Chuuya to fight. Dazai can almost see it now, his loyal dog jumping from pipe to pipe in ease. Sure, it would be better if there were more projectiles laid around but Chuuya can always make those himself from pipes and walls.

The fight should be starting soon so really he and Chuuya ought to be coming up with plans. As if reading his mind Chuuya looks back to Dazai, “How are we playing this?”

Dazai hums a little as he thinks. There are five matches so, in theory, they would draw or even lose one to keep things interesting. It would be funny to see how mad Bakugou would get if he heard a group from 1B did what he couldn’t. Then again, 1B’s teacher Vlad King seemed so sure his class would win and Dazai would hate to prove him right.

Alright then, so they’ll win these matches. Dazai thinks back to his earlier thoughts about Nedzu, maybe he should just give the mouse bear what he wants. He and Chuuya can work together, show off a little bit, and then hopefully Nedzu won’t send them off to fight the other hero classes in UA. They’ll have to hold back a bit though, lest Nedzu gets an idea of how strong they truly are.

Mind made up Dazai hops down from his perch and turns to Chuuya, “Say Chibi, how about we show them a little bit of what we can do together?” He would have said to show off what Soukoku is made of but if his theory is right and Nedzu is watching through those cameras then he would rather not have him hear that. Soukoku is an infamous name in the Yokohama underground, he wouldn’t be surprised to hear people outside of Yokohama know of them- especially Nedzu. If Nedzu finds out that they're Soukoku then Dazai imagines they’ll be arrested on the spot, which would make their mission so much more annoying.

“You sure that’s a smart idea?” Chuuya asks somewhat dubiously.

Dazai nods, “Just don’t overdo it, alright? No one needs a show off.”

Chuuya rolls his eyes, he’s probably about to make some comment about Dazai being the one to go overboard more often. Fortunately, Dazai doesn’t need to hear it as the loud abrasive sound of metal hitting metal suddenly rings out. A second later the ground begins to rumble and Dazai watches in slight disbelief as a large metal tower begins to fall. He really hadn’t expected 1B to start out so boldly.

“Crab dinner?”

Dazai glances over at Chuuya before sighing, “Fine fine but next time I pick the plan!”

-

Chuuya moves with an easy confidence towards the source of the noise and destruction. The closer he gets the more the ground shakes, if Chuuya wasn’t able to stabilise himself with his Ability then he would probably be disorientated as hell right now. Is that what 1B is aiming for?

Unfortunately, not many 1B kids made it to the one vs one fights during the Sports Festival which means he has little idea what exactly he’s about to go up against. He would have asked Dazai but that idiot had disappeared off into the maze of metal pipes and buildings soon after agreeing to a plan, then again he doubts Dazai would have told him anyway.

He’s pretty sure Tetsutetsu has a Quirk similar to Kirishima’s and the horns on Tsunotori probably mean something but beyond that he has no idea. He is thankful though that Vlad King had taken the time to actually introduce his class by name, if Chuuya had to fight them while saying sh*t like silver guy and horn girl then he’d hate this whole thing ten times more. He had enough of doing that during the period where 1A had yet to introduce themselves.

The sound of metal on metal suspiciously stops the second Chuuya arrives at a rather large clearing, he gets the hunch there might be some sort of trap around here. The question now is if he should walk into said trap or find a way around it, he can’t see any 1B kids around but it surely shouldn’t take too long to find them if he tried. Then again if he does fall for the trap he may gain some information about someone’s Quirk, plus it is likely the 1B kids will come out of hiding once they think Chuuya is trapped.

Mind made up, Chuuya begins walking into the clearing, he makes it about half way before something weird happens. What should be stable, cold metal sinks beneath his foot like quicksand. In a matter of moments his legs have been consumed up to the knees, for a brief moment he feels a surge of panic and goes to activate his Ability. He manages to stop himself though, mainly because he isn’t sure if struggling will make things worse, plus the whole point of getting himself trapped was to lure the 1B kids out.

For now he’ll have to let himself slowly sink, if needs be he should be able to pull himself out using Upon the Tainted Sorrow, if not then he’s sure Dazai will be able to nullify the metal back to normal. Although, that does raise the question of if his legs will be trapped in the metal once it becomes solid again.

“I told you it’d work out!”

Chuuya snaps his head in the direction of the voice, Tetsutetsu and Honenuki. He can’t see the other two anywhere, so whatever is going on with the floor must be due to Honenuki. It’s most likely the kid turned the floor into quicksand by touching it, so for now he’ll have to make sure the kid doesn’t touch him. The chances that he can turn a person into quicksand are low but Chuuya would rather be safe than sorry.

Honenuki nods before turning to Chuuya, “Vlad King told us all about you, I know you’re the stronger fighter but you can only be as strong as the floor you stand on.” Honenuki looks around for a moment, perhaps trying to find Dazai, before continuing, “You’re more difficult to deal with, so we’ll be leaving you trapped for a while.”

Chuuya can’t help but respect the kid for his confidence there, not to mention that his plan is actually half decent. Chuuya guesses that they plan to go find their teammates after this and take down Dazai as a group of four, not a bad plan indeed. Unfortunately for them, there are a few major gaps in that plan. Leaving Chuuya alone is an idiot’s move, they should have at least one student keeping watch to prevent escape.

Not to mention how ironic it is to say ‘you’re only as strong as the floor you stand on’ to the guy who can literally fly. Chuuya gets the feeling these kids either haven’t properly factored in Upon the Tainted Sorrow or have just underestimated it, he isn’t sure which is worse.

Tetsutetsu with his shiny metal skin grins and begins walking away, “Alright, now we just gotta find the other guy!”

Another reason their plan won’t work is because of Dazai, more accurately because of the fact they have yet to notice him creeping up behind Honenuki. When he wants to, that idiot can walk without making a single sound, something that has led to Chuuya getting scared half to death before.

Honenuki probably made the entire ground around here into quicksand in preparation for Chuuya’s arrival, he clearly isn’t expecting anyone to brazenly walk across the quicksand area to get to him. Chuuya briefly wonders how much Vlad King actually told his students about the two of them, he feels like knowing that No Longer Human would allow Dazai to walk across the ground like it had never been changed would be a rather simple thing to think of.

Chuuya keeps his attention solely on Honenuki, easily ignoring the familiar light of No Longer Human that gets closer and closer until…

The second Dazai’s hand makes contact with Honenuki Chuuya uses his Ability to launch himself upwards, he would rather not find out what would happen if his legs were still underground and Honenuki’s Quirk got nullified.

Chuuya watches as Honenuki begins to turn his head in shock to Dazai, that’s when he strikes. Adjusting his weight Chuuya easily drops back down to the now solid ground, in one swift move he swipes a leg out to trip Honenuki over. Clearly not expecting the attack the kid crumples to the ground.

He won’t be down for too long though, so Chuuya will need to ‘knock’ him out. Once again the rule of no actual harm coming to the students was put in place, so for now he’ll have to deal with pretending to do the job.

Tetsutetsu yells in shock from behind him but Chuuya trusts Dazai will deal with him, as predicted the sound of a gunshot soon rings out.

Honenuki still needs to be dealt with so Chuuya throws a punch at his face only stopping at the last second. The kid makes a confused sound, to which Chuuya explains, “I’m not allowed to actually knock you out, so just pretend I did.”

It would be annoying if the kid just got up and continued fighting, if that did happen and neither of the teachers overseeing this fight said anything then Chuuya would be pissed. If any of these kids managed to ‘knock’ Chuuya out, which won’t happen, he would have the courtesy to play along.

-

Kaibara, who had insisted on staying close to the trap just in case, looks out at the current situation and resists the urge to sigh. He knew they should have set up some sort of sneak attack, but no, Tetsutetsu just had to start destroying things. The moment he had done that all stealth they could have used had gone out the window. Honenuki had been confident they could use all the noise to their favour but now look at him, Kaibara isn’t an expert but that certainly looks like a disadvantageous position!

Oh well, he might be able to turn things around with a new plan. “Alright,” He starts while turning to his classmates Pony, “Getting Honenuki back is going to be difficult but if we get Tetsutetsu and then-”

Pony nods her head enthusiastically, “Yes, I know what to do!”

Kaibara gets the chilling feeling she does not, in fact, get what to do. He’s about to question that and maybe explain his plan more when Pony simply turns and runs off into the clearing, as in the clearing where the fight is taking place.

This time he doesn’t bother holding back his sigh.

-

Chuuya is very familiar with all the sounds Dazai makes in a fight, partly because they’re in fights together so much but also because Dazai likes to communicate information and ideas with tiny gestures- which, unfortunately, Chuuya has to learn. He knows the difference between a ‘ugh I have to do work’ sigh and a ‘wipe them all out Chuuya’ sigh, he knows what an actual cough sounds like and what a ‘this guy is so stupid’ cough sounds like. Other people might think he’s insane for thinking that Dazai sneezing means they have five minutes until the building blows up and honestly the Chuuya from a few years ago would have agreed, now though he just accepts that this is his life.

That’s all to say when Dazai takes a sharp intake of breath, one that is slightly shocked, Chuuya knows to dodge left. He does just that and moments later a flying horn wizzes past where his head would have been before swinging around and going straight for Dazai. That fishy idiot makes no move to dodge so the horn hooks onto his coat and drags him off, the sight reminds Chuuya of a kitten being dragged away by the scruff of its neck.

An accented voice accompanies more horns as they fly out towards Chuuya, “I must separate you two!”

Now that he's aware of the other 1B kids being present it’s easy to jump up and put some distance between himself and them. One kid, Kaibara he thinks, rushes forward with his two arms rotating like drills- Chuuya ignores the urge to think how odd that is, he has a fight to win.

Just as Kaibara gets close Chuuya notices movement from behind him, annoyance fills him as he notices Honenuki trying to get up. Easily dodging Kaibara’s spinning fist, what he assumes is a fist anyway, he calls out, “Oi, mud kid! I knocked you out so stay out!”

Honenuki looks over to him, “But-”

Chuuya aims a kick at Kaibara’s stomach which sends the kid tumbling away, “No buts dammit!”

Before Honenuki can try to argue more another horn swoops in and begins to drag him away. “I will save you!” Tsunotori pauses for a moment before looking over to Tetsutetsu, she seems confused for a moment before asking, “Do you need saving?”

Tetsutetsu nods enthusiastically, “Yea! I totally got shot in the leg see! Can’t walk on that.” Chuuya glances over and there is, in fact, a splotch of paint on Tetsutetsu’s leg. Well, at least the kid is playing along with the whole fake injury thing unlike a certain someone.

Tsunotori does not seem phased by this and instead smiles, “Ok! I will save you all!”

More horns fly out that hook around her teammates, in a matter of moments all four of them have made a speedy retreat back into the maze of twisting pipes and large buildings. Chuuya could chase after them, using his Ability he would be able to catch up to them in no time really, but if he did that Dazai might complain about being left behind…

Speaking of that idiot, Chuuya glances over to where the horn had dragged him earlier. On the very edge of the clearing lies Dazai motionless, the horn seems to have pinned his coat to the ground. Someone else might worry about his lack of reaction, Chuuya knows better, “You planning on getting up any time soon?”

Dazai doesn’t respond, Chuuya sighs and begins making his way over to his partner. He really should be able to get out of this himself given how he can get out of any pair of handcuffs no matter the situation. Hell, he could ever just take his coat off and stand up.

Once close enough Chuuya finds Dazai just laying there while staring off into space, “Oi, Mackerel.”

Dazai’s eyes trail over to him, for a second he still doesn’t say anything. Then he blinks and Chuuya watches as his face changes from emotionless to overly dramatic, “Ah, has Prince Charming come to save me?”

“As if,” Chuuya scoffs and yet he still leans down and rips the now motionless horn from the ground.

-

Kaibara takes back his previous sigh directed at Pony, despite not being what he had planned at all she had done really well. Not only had she successfully gotten Honenuki and Tetsutetsu out but she had also been able to put a decent amount of distance between them and the other team.

They might be down a teammate now but that’s fine, Kaibara is sure he’ll be able to figure something out before those two show up again. They might be able to pull off a stealth attack but it would be risky, splitting up again likely wouldn’t end well now they have an odd number. Ok, so a three on two fight, that’s doable.

“Alright you two,” he looks over at Pony and Tetsutetsu, “I have a plan that might just work.”

Pony nods, “Yes, tell me!”

Kaibara is about to do just that, except all of a sudden he finds himself laid on the ground with a very sharp and familiar object pinning him down. He looks up to Pony in shock and confusion because why the hell is one of her horns pinning him down?!

Tetsutetsu jumps up from his spot on the floor, although he very obviously is balancing on one foot, while Pony gasps, “No, that wasn’t me!!”

It wasn’t? Then how…

The realisation comes just a second too late, Kaibara watches helpless from the ground as a bandaged hand grasps Tetsutetsu from behind, then a blue light appears, and finally Tetsutetsu’s steel turns back to flesh just as Dazai brings his gun up and pretends to hit him in the head with the end. “Annnd you’re out!” Dazai announces.

Tetsutetsu glances back at him before sighing, “Yea true.” With that he flops to the ground like he truly had been hit. Say what you want about him but at least Tetsutetsu knows how to play along.

Pony, thankfully, doesn’t wait around before acting. Horns shoot out from her head to scoop up Tetsutetsu, Honenuki, and herself before flying as high upwards as she can go. Kaibara understands why she didn’t bother trying to save him, after all, if Nakaraha has control over the horn pinning him down then he might just take over any other horns sent this way.

Speaking of the devil, Nakahara appears with his head tilted upwards, “She’s just sat up there… You think she wants to force a draw?” Kaibara thinks the same, while Pony is great at what she does there is no way she could beat both of those two on her own. Hiding up in the sky is the best way to ensure that their team doesn’t lose this fight.

Dazai hums, “Probably, but you can deal with that right?”

Nakahara rolls his eyes as a red glow envelops his body, a second later and he is floating without a care in the world. Kaibara grimaces, it seems there isn’t a way for them to win after all.

-

Team B: Shishida, Shiozaki, Rin, Tsuburaba

Chuuya sighs, annoyance quickly building with every second Dazai wastes. That fish had insisted on picking the plan this round, which was all fine and well until they actually went in for the attack on the 1B kids. The beast man Shishida wasn’t much trouble but then his teammates Tsuburaba turned up and now here Chuuya is, trapped in a cube made out of solid air.

The only plus side to all this is the fact the cube blocks out any sound, which means Chuuya doesn’t have to hear whatever teasing Dazai is spouting off right now. That idiot is refusing to nullify the cube and let Chuuya out, instead for the past three minutes he’s been talking about something. Chuuya made it a point to look away from him when it became clear Dazai wasn’t letting him out of the cube just yet, whatever he was saying will just have to go unknown.

Finally, the solid air around him disappears as the familiar light of No Longer Human illuminates the area. Chuuya gives his partner an unimpressed look, in turn Dazai grins, “So Chibi, you heard all that right?”

Chuuya scoffs, “As if, why the hell would I stare at your fishy face trying to decipher whatever you were on about?”

Dazai sighs very fakely, “Oh well, I suppose it can’t be helped. Now, carry out the plan well little doggy~”

“Shut up!” Chuuya exclaims as he begins stomping off in the direction the 1B kids had run, “What plan are you on about anyway?”

“The plan I just told you about of course! Not my fault if you didn’t pay attention~” Dazai grins as he speaks, which only causes Chuuya more annoyance. That bastard won’t bother repeating his plan so Chuuya doesn’t bother asking, instead he gives Dazai a nasty glare before continuing on to find the 1B kids. Whatever, he’ll figure out what Dazai wants when the actual fight begins.

-

Chuuya can’t help but grin a little, he would never tell Dazai this but he really does love the move they’re about to pull off. There’s just something about it, the fact that Dazai takes the lead and puts those top notch acting skills to use, the fact Chuuya gets to jump in like a badass before beating people up, the fact that their opponent never sees it coming- he isn’t sure which aspect makes him love it.

The 1B kids are immediately on guard the moment Dazai strolls into view with both arms held high, unbeknownst to them Chuuya is tucked close behind him. Dazai sighs dramatically before any of the 1B kids can attack, “That Chibi yelled at me, so I’m swapping teams!”

Chuuya can’t see them but he just knows the 1B kids must have been thrown for a loop at that. Dazai lets the confused silence hang for a moment more, then Chuuya can feel it as his partner begins to bend slightly at the waist, almost as if second nature Chuuya places a hand on Dazai’s shoulder and launches himself over. There are a few vines coming from that Shiozaki girl which Chuuya makes sure to kick as hard as possible on his way back down to the ground.

In their defence, it doesn’t take long after that for the 1B kids to jump into action. Chuuya spies Tsuburaba take a deep inhale of breath and waits until the last moment to yank himself away from the air cube just as it forms.

After successfully dodging that Chuuya changes trajectory and aims a kick towards another 1B kid called Rin. The kid throws an arm up, Chuuya watches as his flesh turns into a much harder looking set of scales. Unfortunately for him, the momentum gathered by Chuuya already means he is powerless to prevent himself from being knocked over.

Chuuya aims a kick in the general direction of the kid’s face, close enough that he’ll be out but not close enough that any harm will actually come to him.

There’s a shocked yell from behind him, which when he glances over turns out to be the work of Dazai. There his partner stands with a handful of vines and a grin on his face, across from him Shiozaki has her hands clasped together as if in prayer.

“You have taken my vines from this world, this is a sin that cannot go unpunished!” Shiozaki declares, ah, Chuuya understands now. Dazai has hold of some of her hair vines so, if he had to guess, she likely can’t use those ones anymore.

Shiozaki’s vines begin growing in length and move to surround Dazai, interestingly the girl herself starts to move away from the scene, almost like she’s getting ready to make a run for it.

Chuuya hears a growl from behind him, without looking Chuuya simply jumps out of the way. Unintentionally, he’s ended up far from Dazai- something he now doubts is a coincidence.

If only to prove that theory moments later a large box of solid air forms around Chuuya, it’s large enough he has space to move around sure, but when two of the 1B kids are making a run for it with Rin over their shoulders that hardly helps.

Tsuburaba is still loitering near the edge of the cube of air, he’s likely supposed to stay here and keep Dazai from getting Chuuya out too quick.

Speaking of, it seems that idiot has only now managed to get out from all those vines. He says something, probably taunting Tsuburaba or insulting Chuuya, before turning and running towards the edge of the air cube.

Chuuya gets a strange sense of deja vu as he watches Tsuburaba create another air cube the moment Dazai nullifies the first one. Dazai’s eyes find his and Chuuya sighs upon realising what that idiot was on about earlier, that little plan he refused to tell Chuuya once he could actually hear suddenly becomes very obvious.

Chuuya, in a mirror of the first time they pulled off this move, activates Upon the Tainted Sorrow and plants his feet in the ground. It won’t quite be like the time they fought Rimbaud but as long as Chuuya stays put then it doesn’t matter how many air cubes Tsuburaba puts up, all Dazai needs to do is come to him.

Which he does in the most annoying way possible, which is to say the idiot waits until he is close enough before just jumping like he expects Chuuya to catch him no matter what.

Chuuya does catch him, but that’s neither here nor there.

Tsuburaba looks taken aback, which may be due to Dazai jumping at Chuuya and not the fact his air cubes have been rendered useless.

An idea pops into Chuuya’s mind, one that will not only take down their opponent but also give Dazai a little payback. With a smirk Chuuya closes the distance between him and Dazai, and Tsuburaba. Once at a close enough distance he, with no hesitation, flings his partner right at Tsuburaba.

Both Dazai and Tsuburaba make similar sounds of shock and confusion as the pair collide. Chuuya knows the Mackerel will complain about that for the rest of time but man, that sure did feel good to do.

-

Team C: Tokage, Kamikiri, Bondo, Awase

Aizawa watches with amusem*nt as Vlad King tensely calls out the beginning of the next match. His fellow Pro certainly doesn’t look happy about this turn of events, something Aizawa knows all too well. He too had once thought his students could put up a decent fight against Dazai and Nakahara only to be shown wrong, that understanding doesn’t make him spare Vlad King any smugness.

If anyone were to ask, Aizawa would make it clear he is not getting enjoyment from seeing the 1B kids lose but rather at the knowledge that Vlad King will have to tell their coworkers how the matches went. Vlad King had spent the morning subtly bragging about his students and how they would succeed where 1A couldn’t, Aizawa knows a few Pros that won’t let the man live that down after finding out what really happened.

Vlad King shoots him a look, “There are still three matches left.”

“There are,” Aizawa easily agrees. He does not say that he severely doubts 1B could win any of them but Vlad King seems to hear it anyway. With a huff he turns his attention back to the screens as his students begin moving.

Aizawa too lets his attention trail back to the screens, he chooses to focus on Dazai and Nakahara. On the surface they seem to just be standing in place chatting, something Aizawa often tells his students off for doing. He knows whatever they’re talking about must be relevant though considering they have done the same thing for the past two matches and won. They must be discussing plans then.

Tokage, a girl from 1B who got in on recommendation, begins splitting her body into small parts using her Quirk. Her parts split off into two groups and begin wizzing across the training grounds, if Aizawa had to guess then he would say her plan is to try and split Dazai and Nakahara up.

Given the information she has at hand it isn’t an unreasonable plan, in the past two fights Dazai and Nakahara have worked as a pair, to assume they would be weaker apart makes sense.

Which, as a side note, Aizawa knows for a fact Nedzu is having the time of his life watching through the cameras right now. The principal has never said that he has a live stream of all of UA’s camera’s but Aizawa knows he does, that’s a Nedzu thing to do after all.

Nedzu has been wanting to see Dazai and Nakahara fight together since they joined UA, that’s one of the reasons he kept organising more training sessions between class 1A and those two. Although, now Aizawa gets the feeling the mouse bear had an ulterior motive after all.

At first Aizawa had thought that once Nedzu had gotten the footage he wanted his class would no longer have to fight the two boys, now though he gets the feeling the training fights will not stop. Not necessarily because Nedzu will push it but because his class is starting to enjoy those fights and see them as learning opportunities rather than a one sided beat down. Aizawa is proud of this class for that but he can’t help but feel like he has walked right into Nedzu’s trap.

Anyway, back to the current fight. While a good idea Tokage and her team will not succeed if they follow this plan, Dazai and Nakahara are strong opponents apart and even stronger when together.

Aizawa’s attention snaps back to the fight just as the familiar sound of a gunshot rings out. Dazai, with his arm aimed high, shoots once again. The paintball bullet smashes into one of Tokage’s body parts with just enough force to send it tumbling to the ground.

A few of the 1B kids seem taken aback by this, Aizawa however is used to this sort of thing by now. Dazai is a real menace with a gun.

A few minutes later and all the floating body parts have been shot down. On the cameras Aizawa can see Tokage look taken aback for a moment before turning to her classmates to rework a plan. She has a good set of Quirks to work with here, if she was up against anyone else then Aizawa would have more confidence she could take them down. As it stands though, Dazai and Nakahara are just too high a level for first years. Briefly, Aizawa wonders if Nedzu plans to make the third years fight those two to see who wins- for Aiazwa’s sanity he hopes not.

Aizawa can’t help but make one remark to Vlad King though, he makes sure his voice is low enough that no 1B kids can overhear, “Well, you still have two more matches.”

Vlad King simply glares at him.

-

Team D: Yanagi, Kodai, Monoma, Shoda

Dazai sighs, partly out of boredom, at the current situation. That loudmouth 1B kid let it slip that there’s a girl with telekinesis on his team, which naturally piqued Chuuya’s interest enough for him to bench Dazai for most of the fight. Well actually, the girl hadn’t gotten Chuuya’s attention that much but Dazai was tired of running around so he might have manipulated Chuuya just a little.

What’s a little manipulation between partners anyway?

Maybe he should have tagged along with Chuuya after all, sitting on some random pipe waiting for the Slug to return isn’t as nice a break as he thought it would be. Instead of waiting around for the 1B kids to come to him, Chuuya had instead gone to them, which is well and fine except Dazai is now deprived of any entertainment- which was definitely an intentional move. Well, Dazai can only hope his partner drags the fight back to him before things get good. After all, there is someone in particular he’s looking forward to seeing in action. The other 1B kids have interesting Quirks sure, but in the end they all pale in comparison to the strength of Upon the Tainted Sorrow- all but one that is.

Monoma Neito with the Quirk Copy. As the name suggests that Quirk allows him to copy the Quirk of anyone else he touches, a very useful Quirk indeed. Dazai had taken notice of it way back when he and Chuuya were watching the UA Sports Festival together, if he remembers correctly Monoma used Bakugou’s own Quirk to set explosions off in his face. That had been funny back then and even more so now he actually knows Bakugou, ah, what Dazai wouldn’t give to see that again but in person.

As funny as that had been, what really caught his attention was the possibilities created by Monoma’s Quirk. Mainly, would he be able to copy Abilities? Before coming here he would have assumed no, despite the similarities Quirks and Abilities are very different after all. Now that he knows it’s a possibility, due to the fact that Erasure and No Longer Human work on both Quirks and Abilities, the next question would logically be how good would his control be- although Dazai is rather certain it would depend on the Ability. Odasaku’s Flawless would be easy to use theoretically as it doesn’t require too much active control, in contrast Chuuya’s Upon the Tainted Sorrow would be a nightmare for Monoma to try to use. That’s what Dazai assumes anyway, he hopes to find out some answers today though.

Of course, there’s also the matter of a certain other power that Chibi has. It really would be troublesome if Monoma was able to copy that, the kid would probably die instantly if he managed to activate Corruption. That’s very unlikely though given that Corruption isn’t an Ability but Dazai will keep an eye on the kid, just in case. Well he would if that damn Slug was fighting anywhere near him.

Dazai is rather certain in his theory that the Ability affects how much control the kid has, which means even if he can copy Upon the Tainted Sorrow he likely won’t make it far. Dazai loathes to admit it but that Slug really does have to have a decent amount of intelligence to control his Ability like he does, while the kid’s Quirk is useful there is no chance Monoma has the brains for it. Dazai has noticed that aside from Nedzu the people from outside Yokohama tend to be quite dim witted, a rather amusing fact really.

For example, if Midoriya was to step foot in Yokohama his little secret would be found out by multiple people far quicker than the kid would like. If Dazai managed to figure it out then Mori definitely would, that detective he keeps hearing about likely wouldn’t be far behind- and that’s just the ones who would figure it out within a day or less. Dazai supposes that it’s fortunate Midoriya will never enter Yokohama then.

Admittedly, when Dazai first saw Midoriya in the Sports Festival he hadn’t thought much of the kid. In fact, if he remembers correctly he and Chuuya spent a solid five minutes making fun of him, then an extra five minutes when the cavalry battle was announced and Midoriya looked dead inside at his point total.

It was only during the 1 vs 1 matches that Midoriya caught his interest for a better reason, that reason naturally being his Quirk. What sort of strength Quirk is so powerful that the user breaks his own bones?

One interesting difference between Abilities and Quirks has to be how the body adapts for them. Today’s Quirks are a result of years and years and years of Quirked individuals having children, that’s years and years and years for their genetics to start changing to better accommodate the powers they have. The most obvious examples of this would be mutant Quirks, but more subtle ones would be Yaoyorozu and Bakugou. Dazai would put money on it that Yaoyorozu’s body retains fat easier and that Bakugou sweats more than the average person. Small things like that just improve the, well, user experience when it comes to using Quirks. In other words, their Quirks have become intertwined with their DNA and heavily rely on adaptations to work well.

Now, Abilities, not being genetic, are not quite the same. In some instances the body may be more resistant to certain things, for example Chuuya never gets motion sick, but those tend to be things that develop after using your Ability for a while, not something that happens from birth. If someone had the Ability version of Bakugou’s Quirk then they would likely sweat just like a regular person would, perhaps their explosions would be stronger though.

Now, Dazai is not a scientist so he can’t say for certain, but if he had to guess why Quirks have more negative drawbacks then Abilities do then he would pin it on the very reason why they work well- DNA. Abilities are not intertwined with DNA like Quirks, so it’s reasonable to assume they can’t have a major effect on the body.

Quirks are so well ingrained in DNA that if they are pushed too far or used incorrectly the consequences of that will spread throughout the body, although it seems the backlash tends to stay within a related area to the Quirk. For example, Aizawa had complained of dry eye a few morality and ethics classes ago, Dazai can only assume that is the drawback of using it too much as his Quirk relies on his eyes.

But, from what Dazai has observed, as long as you don’t overdo it then the body is perfectly equipped to handle whatever Quirk you have.

In contrast, Abilities are not connected so heavily so backlash doesn’t really occur. Sure, you might get sick after using your Ability too much but that’s about it. Because Abilities aren’t genetic there’s no way for the backlash to come back to you.

That all boils down to a very simple idea, unless you’re intentionally pushing far past your limits then your body should be equipped to handle whatever Quirk or Ability you may have.

So, why does Dazai care about Midoriya and his Quirk? Well, simple, he follows none of the rules previously discussed. The end result of how both Quirks and Abilities work is that negative backlash on the user is kept to a minimum, and yet here Midoriya is breaking bones like twigs! No matter how powerful his supposed strength Quirk is his body should have adapted to handle it, at the very least it should be able to handle smaller uses like a finger flick.

No, that’s not quite right. During the Sports Festival he was breaking them all over the place but between then and now he did something, likely got some half decent training, that allows him to actually use his Quirk without such a huge backlash.

Someone else might just assume Midoriya got unlucky when it came to genetics, maybe he got the strength Quirk from one parent and the weak body from the other. Dazai isn’t someone else though, he noticed how sketchy Midoriya acted when he asked about passing Quirks along. He also knows a little something about All for One supposedly being All Might’s enemy since the dawn of Quirks, implying that either All Might is immortal- unlikely- or his power is transferable. All Might who had coincidently joined UA’s teaching staff this year just as Midoriya joined for his first year.

When you put it like that it hardly takes a genius to see the connection.

Fortunately for both Midoriya and All Might, Dazai has no interest in spilling their little secret. He’ll have to tell Chuuya eventually, if the Slug doesn’t figure it out himself, and of course Mori will want to know but other than those two Dazai doesn’t see the need to tell anyone. After all, once he and Chuuya are back in Yokohama it will hardly matter who has what Quirk and why.

Speaking of, Mori will likely also want information on anyone else Dazai thinks may pose a threat. The biggest ones currently would be Monoma, Shinsou, and possibly Aizawa but maybe he won’t tell Mori any of that, the old man should do some work on his own sometimes and not send teenagers to do it instead.

Even while distracted by his thoughts Dazai does notice when an object comes flying in his rough direction, fortunately he doesn’t need to bother moving as the thing collides with one of the large metal pipes beside him. Whoever launched that thing truly has terrible aim.

Dazai waits for a second attack but finds nothing coming his way. Instead, he spies a familiar head of hair dashing in between the various pipes and buildings some distance away. From his vantage point Dazai can see as Chuuya leaps around with two 1B kids trailing behind and- ah, some distance away he can just about make out that Monoma kid. He’s probably trying to keep his distance so that Chuuya forgets about him, that’ll make getting closer enough to copy his Ability easier. Dazai can’t see the fourth 1B kid anywhere, Chuuya must have gotten her out already.

A chunk of metal goes flying towards Chuuya, must be the work of that telekinesis girl, before he deflects the object and it smashes into a nearby wall. That piece that almost hit Dazai earlier must have been an attack Chuuya either dodged or re-directed then, he most definitely will be complaining to Chuuya for almost hitting him later. Nevermind the fact it didn’t get that close and Dazai would have been able to dodge it if it had.

Hmm, well, Dazai supposes he can forgive his dog for this since he did bring the fight to Dazai as he wanted. Now Dazai can sit back, relax, and enjoy watching Chuuya beat up some children.

Or at least, that’s what he wanted to do. Despite having many opportunities to do something, Chibi just keeps dragging this fight out. Rather than attacking he just keeps dodging and running around, which yes, Dazai recognises he does the same thing but that’s different! Chuuya is supposed to be the bull headed one that never steps down from a fight, not the one who dances around attacks without doing anything in return.

Movement catches his eye and a grin soon forms on Dazai’s face, whatever that Chibi was hoping to achieve by avoiding attacking will soon be ruined. Unless his goal was to drag Monoma out of the shadows, in which case his plan seems to be unfortunately working.

Despite his loud, abrasive personality Monoma seems far too talented at sneaking around unnoticed, in a matter of moments he has managed to scale a rather large pipe and position himself to be just out of sight from Chuuya. Dazai can see what he hopes will happen, if his teammates continue to push Chuuya back then he’ll have to pass by that pipe to get away- which will give Monoma a chance to copy Upon the Tainted Sorrow.

As predicted, a minute later another chunk of metal flies towards Chuuya. He dodges by jumping backwards with his Ability and just so happens to fly past that very pipe Monoma is hiding behind. A hand quickly reaches out and, dammit, Chuuya’s body is in the way so Dazai has no idea if Monoma managed to make contact or not.

He quickly finds out though when Chuuya once again leaps away, Monoma jumps out from his own hiding spot and grins, “You think yourself so much better than class 1B because of that Ability, well, let’s see just how well you’d do without it’s advantage!”

Now, there are two, no three, reasons why what Monoma just said is incorrect. First has to do with how he said it, Dazai recognises that tone, Monoma is sincerely trying to taunt Chuuya in the way Dazai does. He’s nowhere near as good as Dazai though, so that won’t work on someone who has to put up with him on a day to day basis. The second reason is that Chuuya is better than 1B with or without his Ability, that’s just a fact. And finally, Monoma says all this because he assumes Chuuya won’t know how to fight someone that can use the exact same power as him. Sadly for Monoma, Chuuya already has experience in that department due to one Paul Verlaine.

Monoma, with a grin that most certainly won’t last, raises a hand in what must be a dramatic flare before his body begins glowing in that oh so familiar red light. Dazai can’t make it out from here, but he’s sure the typical kanji will be floating around the kid somewhere signifying that he really is using an Ability.

There’s no sign of Arahabaki lurking around though, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

Everything seems to pause for a moment as Monoma looks at Chuuya and laughs arrogantly, “Let’s do this, unless you’re scared?” He raises a foot and makes the move to step forward… Only for the ground beneath him to crumple, leaving him in a mini-crater.

Monoma looks shocked, which only works to prove Dazai’s earlier theory. He likely wanted to add some extra gravity to his step, things would be more dramatic that way, but heavily overshot it.

Huffing, Monoma bends his legs a bit like he’s planning on jumping up and out of the mini-crater. Dazai grins with anticipation, he knows exactly where this is going.

Monoma jumps up to the surface and then just keeps going, without intending to, he is now floating in the middle of the air at eye level with Dazai- who had intentionally chosen a rather high pipe as a vantage point so he could see more. Honestly, Dazai is surprised the kid was able to stop himself from just flying up into space.

Dazai holds back the urge to laugh, if only to avoid Monoma discovering his spot.

The 1B kids remaining on the ground look up in shock and concern, Chuuya meanwhile sighs before jumping up to Monoma’s level. In one clean move Chuuya grabs Monoma and deposits him next to Dazai before turning back to the other 1B kids, and it seems he’s finally going to start attacking back.

Dazai grins before placing a hand on Monoma’s back, nullifying his Quirk gets rid of the possibility of the pros finding out more than they should about Upon the Tainted Sorrow. For good measure Dazai then shoots the kid with a paintball to the chest, just in case he tries to fight back or something.

“Chibi will get mad if I don’t bring you to the jail right away, let’s be quick so I can come back and watch him win, alright?”

Monoma sighs sharply but nonetheless stands up and begins walking to the jail with Dazai, it takes more time than he would have liked to get there due to all the climbing they had to do. Neither of them speak, which somewhat surprises Dazai. He had thought Monoma would still be going on about being better than 1A or whatever, and yet here he is walking along in silence. Maybe he’s in a grumpy mood since he lost, he does seem the type.

Once they arrive at the jail, which already contains a 1B kid, that changes. Monoma sighs as he passes him and walks into the jail, “I really can’t believe any human could control that Ability.”

It’s an off-handed comment really, and yet Dazai can’t help the anger and annoyance that fills him upon hearing it. If Chuuya had heard it then he would get upset, which Dazai won’t stand for- especially when his partner is by far the most human anyone could possibly be.

Maybe he’s over-reacting. Upon the Tainted Sorrow is a hard Ability to control after all, it makes sense Monoma would be so self centred to think that if he can’t control it then no one should be able to. He was just expressing his frustration or something… Upon review Dazai decides he isn’t over-reacting at all.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?” Monoma’s hands fly up to cover his now paint splattered forehead.

Dazai puts on his best apologetic face, “Oops, my finger slipped.” Now to get back to Chibi and watch him wipe the floor with the remnants of the 1B team.

-

Team E: Kendo, Komori, f*ckidashi, Kuroiro

For the first time Dazai finds himself truly regretting coming to UA. Of all the possible plans he just had to choose this one, they could have infiltrated the LoV or became some vigilante knock-offs- hell, they could have just found the LoV’s base and stormed the place. But no, Dazai just had to choose the plan that sounded the most fun while also getting him and Chuuya away from the Port Mafia for as long as possible, he should have known it sounded too good to be true.

From behind him Kendo groans a little, Dazai debates the merits of ‘accidently’ knocking her head into a wall. Surely Aizawa wouldn’t get mad if he made it look like an accident? This whole situation is her fault anyway so surely everyone would understand if she got a little more injured than her classmates…

Dazai had expected this fight to go like the other four, which is to say he expected it to be an easy win. While the kids of 1B might have lasted longer overall than the 1A kids overall they are far too weak to be challenging him and Chuuya, a few of them made half decent plans to make up for this lack in strength but in the end those plans couldn’t hold up.

The class president, Kendo, seems to be just a step above her peers though.

Kuroiro was the first 1B kid they encountered, his Quirk allows him to hide away in shadows- something that would actually pose Chibi a challenge. Of course, should Dazai get close enough then he could easily drag the guy out of hiding, so, rather smartly, Kuroiro made sure to stay far away from Dazai’s reach.

How is Dazai now separated from Chuuya and dragging an unconscious Kendo around? Well, it all comes down to a certain hat. Chuuya is always so on guard about keeping his hat where it should be at all times, during fights he tends to use his Ability for the sole purpose of keeping it on his head. Actually, Dazai has even seen Chibi use his deadly Ability just because it was a windy day.

But for all of Chuuya’s worries about losing his hat during a fight it had never actually happened, not until now that is.

In a truly inspiring move Kuroiro had pretended to attack only to snatch away Chuuya’s hat at the last moment. With a grin the kid had then immediately dashed off, the whole time Chuuya’s hat was dangling along like a toy meant to be chased.

And chase he did. Chuuya hadn’t bothered to listen to Dazai’s warning before sprinting down the hall after Kuroiro and his hat.

Dazai must applaud Kendo for doing what her classmate Tokage couldn’t. Her plan successfully avoided both Abilities coming into play, if Kuroiro had tried to just drag Chuuya away then he would have increased his weight and made it impossible and if the kid had gotten close to Dazai at all then his Quirk would have been nullified. Going for Chuuya’s hat was a wildcard move, possibly the only type of move that could have worked in that situation. Sometimes, when all you fight are opponents that are far stronger and far more intelligent, beginners are able to get one over on you because their inexperience is unpredictable. The same thing applies to chess actually, not that Dazai has ever lost that way.

After Chuuya had rushed off to save his hat Dazia had been left by himself, he could have ran after his partner but he hardly had the effort for it.

That’s when Kendo found him.

Again, a rather smart plan all things considered. The other members on her team all have Quirks that could potentially cause Chuuya problems, Chuuya can’t manipulate the gravity on shadows nor can he withstand airborne mushroom spores. If Dazai was around then he would easily nullify those Quirks and give the advantage to Chuuya, so obviously they had to be split up.

Kendo had likely left dealing with Chuuya up to her classmates while she fought Dazai in a one on one.

The fight itself hadn’t been that hard, but it certainly dragged out. Kendo’s large hands allowed her to block paintballs that otherwise would have hit vital spots, whatever martial arts training she must have had certainly came in handy too. Dazai typically likes to keep his distance in a fight and leave anything close combat to someone else, Kendo though made sure to keep the distance minimal when she could.

Unfortunately for her, Dazai’s training in close combat far surpasses hers even if he never uses it. Actually taking her down wasn’t easy but it certainly wasn’t hard, the hard part came after that.

Just as Dazai was about to ‘finish’ her off, which is to say pretend to do that, Kendo had launched herself at Dazai with all her body weight. That had ended with the pair of them on the ground where Kendo promptly hit her head and knocked herself unconscious. During that whole fiasco she had managed to tightly wrap her hand around Dazai’s arm, a grip that did not let up despite Dazai’s best attempts.

Sighing, he shifts his grip so the girl will stay steadily on his back and not get a concussion from falling off, if she doesn’t already have one, he really can’t be bothered getting a scolding from Nedzu or Aizawa if she got hurt despite how tempting the idea is.

Overall, her plan was very clever. From separating Chuuya from him using his hat to forcing Dazai to drag her body around, thus slowing him down and giving her classmates more time to take down Chuuya. She reminds him of Yaoyorozu in a way, except Kendo has confidence in her plans despite how unconventional they might be. Dazai briefly wonders if the two of them know each other.

His arms are starting to hurt from holding Kendo up for so long, he really needs to find Chuuya soon so they can finish this fight.

-

Chuuya has decided right here and now that he is not a fan of mushrooms. Before he didn’t really have strong feelings either way, but now he hates them.

The reason is due to 1B’s very own Komori and her mushroom spore summoning Quirk.

Chuuya can admit it was a foolish move to chase after Kuroiro, he should have at least waited for Dazai so they could chase the guy together but no, he went off on his own. He had thought it would be fine though, all the other 1B kids had been easy enough to beat so what’s three more?

Turns out those three more would cause him a lot of trouble.

Kuroiro who can hide in the shadows, aka where Chuuya can’t get him. f*ckudashi who creates huge words out of thin air, which, sure, Chuuya can use his Ability on but they are annoying to keep dodging. Finally, Komori the mushroom girl, someone who is very quickly rising on his dislike list.

She had very happily declared that the mushrooms she created, which were all around the damn place, had poison that spread through the air. This poison, she had said, would make him violently sick rather than kill him- which is still a rather sh*tty thing to have happen.

In order to avoid the mushrooms Chuuya had to keep himself high up in the sky, which left him open to attacks by f*ckidashi. He did try and go down there to take the kid down but the sheer amount of mushrooms in that area had put him off the idea.

On the ground he spies Komori happily spraying her mushrooms with water, Chuuya sighs. If this was a real fight he would just hold his breath and dive in there, surely if he takes care of Komori or f*ckidashi quick enough then it wouldn’t matter about the mushrooms. This isn’t a real fight though, so he can’t use his Ability on Komori or f*ckidashi without blowing his cover.

“Oh, Kendo!”

Chuuya brings his attention back to Komori as she turns and waves at her classmate Kendo. Given the layout of the area Chuuya doubts she can clearly see Kendo despite the relatively short distance between them, Chuuya though is able to clearly see from his bird's eye view.

He can just about make out the dark figure of Dazai hunched behind Kendo, ok… So either he took her hostage and is forcing her to hide him, or somehow she’s unconscious… God, Dazai better not have been the one to knock her out. So far UA have been treating them well but all that could change if that idiot harms one of the students.

Komori, clearly not realising Dazai is behind this, continues, “My beautiful mushrooms are doing their job great! Now all we have to do is-”

As swift as he can be while lugging around someone else, Dazai rushes forward towards Komori. The girl takes a step back in confusion but only seems to notice Dazai when it’s too late, leaning Kendo to one side he reaches his arm out and makes contact with Komori. In a matter of seconds No Longer Human activates and the mushrooms blanketing the area disappear.

Chuuya grins and drops down to the ground, just in case f*ckidashi tries to block him with some words Chuuya makes sure to quickly launch himself towards Komori, Kendo, and Dazai.

Both of Dazai’s hands are full, one holding Kendo up and the other keeping Komori from using her Quirk, so Chuuya takes it upon himself to ‘knock’ the mushroom girl out. Despite the fact he literally couldn’t have done it Dazai begins to whine, “I did all the work and yet you steal the final move! So rude Chibi!”

“Whatever, Mackerel,” Chuuya rolls his eyes before remembering something he wanted to bring up, “You didn’t knock that girl out, right?”

Dazai pouts and shakes his head, “Of course not, she did this to herself! Can’t believe you wouldn’t trust me Chuuya.” Despite apparently being offended Dazai wastes no time Kendo forward into Chuuya’s arms, “Make her let go Chibi!”

Chuuya looks and finds that Kendo’s hand tightly gripped onto Dazai’s arm, well that explains why the idiot carried her around rather than leaving her on the floor. With one forceful yank he manages to successfully dislodge Kendo’s hand, Chuuya shifts her to a better position to carry before speaking, “I’ll take her and Komori to the jail, you deal with the other two.”

Dazai nods, “Okay~”

Chapter 19: 17 - Lots of bonding time!!

Chapter Text

“Ah, Shouto, good morning.”

Todoroki smiles softly as he closes the door behind him, “Good morning mother.”

His mother smiles at him from her spot by the window, the sunlight streaming in gives her a warm glow. Todoroki only started visiting his mother a few months ago and yet the sight is already familiar in a way that settles the countless worries in his mind. He’s grateful that UA is lenient with these visits, as long as his grades stay up then he’s allowed to visit her before school starts or during lunch, not just on the weekend.

In truth, his relationship with his mother is still far from perfect. Some days when he visits things still feel a tad too awkward, some days he can see her face painted with guilt anytime she looks at him, some days he can’t bring himself to look her way.

Fortunately, those days seem to be getting less common as he continues to visit.

Today his mother has a set of paints and a small canvas out, his heart warms a little when he notices the second canvas sitting in front of his usual chair.

Without saying anything further Todoroki takes his place across from his mother and picks up a brush. He isn’t sure what to paint, perhaps a portrait of his mother? Then again he isn’t sure he could manage that, for all his talents drawing realistically isn’t one of them.

The view from his mother’s window might be a better choice, although he’ll have to miss out the various people walking around outside to make it any good.

Todoroki glances up just as his mother smiles again, “Have you decided on what to paint?” She asks.

“Yes.”

“That’s good,” She picks up one of her many paint brushes and, a moment later, the sound of a brush against canvas fills the room. This too has become a familiar sound, something he solely associates with his mother.

Todoroki picks up his own brush and dips it in the blue paint, he’s grateful the sky is nice and clear today- it’s easier to paint that way.

For a few minutes there is nothing but the soft sound of brushes against canvas, Todoroki doesn’t mind the silence. When he first started visiting it had been a bit awkward, neither of them had really any idea of what to say, after so many years apart just jumping back into casual conversation wasn’t possible. Even now, after the pair of them have gotten more used to it, they tend to fall into silence more often than not. It’s nice though, just getting to be here with his mother is nice, the comfortable silence with her is far better than the tense arguments with his father anyway.

“How is school going?” His mother asks between brush strokes.

Todoroki contemplates his answer, his mother would not push him if he responded with something simple and short. Then again, perhaps it would be nice to get his thoughts out and hear what advice his mother may have to give him.

“I am unsure how to feel about my new classmates, Dazai and Nakahara,” Todoroki says. In truth he feels less conflicted about Nakahara than he does Dazai, he at least seems rather straightforward.

His mother frowns slightly, “Those boys from Yokohama?” He nods, which prompts her to speak again, “What’s making you unsure?”

“At first I did not like nor trust them due to what they did to Mt. Lady, and then during a spar Dazai intentionally provoked me by commenting on my Quirk, I thought disliking them both would be the obvious thing to do,” Todoroki pauses to clean his brush before dipping it in a new colour, “As time goes on, however, I feel they are becoming more likeable… They feel more like my classmates than Villains.”

Todoroki thinks for a moment before speaking more, “They are at UA in order to turn over a new leaf, I’m aware I should be kind and support them but I don’t know if I can let go of my reservations to do so.”

His mother hums, “Has Dazai apologised for provoking you?”

“In a way,” it had not slipped Todoroki’s notice that when Dazai said he wanted to apologise that was all he did, ‘I want to apologise’ is not the same as saying ‘I’m sorry’. Then again, Todoroki hadn’t lingered to hear what else he had to say, if he had then perhaps Dazai would have given a proper apology for his words.

His mother sets her brush down and gives him her full attention, “Of course, if they continue to be aggressive or rude then stand up for yourself but… I think you should give the two of them a chance, being taken to a new place filled with strangers can be scary at times, for children that had suffered like they have I’m not surprised Dazai was the first to be hostile.”

Todoroki politely ignores the way his mother’s voice wobbled when talking about coming to a new place and being scared. He can only imagine how she must have felt after his father sent her away, being in a new place all alone, knowing that her children were left alone with the man who hurt her, it must have been terrible. Now that years have past his mother seems quite at home here, but of course that doesn’t mean she always was.

Is that how Dazai and Nakahara felt when they arrived at UA? In a new place surrounded by strangers, surrounded by what they must have seen as the enemy, both injured after their fight with the Pro Heroes. Had Dazai tried to get under his skin during that first fight as a way to test the waters, as a way to see who would get mad and possibly be a threat?

If that is the case, then do the pair of them feel safer as time goes on?

Todoroki feels the answer is yes, after all they do seem far more relaxed and kind these days. Although, there is something stopping him from being so confident.

Perhaps the two of them have gotten used to being at UA, perhaps they have begun to trust that no one in 1A will hurt them, but even if that is the case Todoroki does not think they truly trust anyone.

Why else would they be stuck to each other’s sides constantly? Why else would Nakahara keep himself in Dazai’s blindspot, why else would he place himself between Dazai and the rest of 1A? Why else would Todoroki feel the calculating eye of both of them whenever he got within striking distance?

Todoroki cleans his brush once again and begins working on the lush expanse of trees and grass visible from his mother’s window.

Now that he thinks about it he can see a rather large issue with UA’s methods of dealing with those two. In each practical heroics class so far there has been nothing to help unite Dazai and Nakahara with class 1A, only exercises to pit them against the class. Two large scale fights, and another with class 1B, along with the many times Dazai and Nakahara worked as a pair away from everyone else. Of course, there have been times where things were different, for example Yaoyorozu being on their team during the cops and robbers fight and when Nakahara went to help Uraraka with her Quirk. Still, more often than not those two are being positioned as the enemy, which means 1A is also being positioned as their enemy.

There are smaller things too that Todoroki has noticed, things he’s sure both Dazai and Nakahara have also noticed. Sometimes his classmates seem to cringe away from the pair, almost like they have suddenly remembered who exactly they are talking to. Sometimes he has heard them talking about Dazai and Nakahara behind their backs, while never outright insulting they certainly aren’t singing their praises.

Sometimes when conversation breaks out during class Todoroki notices how people rarely speak to either of them unless they start it.

It’s to be expected that 1A wouldn’t trust them all that much given the reason they’re at UA but still, the whole point of them being at UA is to change them for the better. If Todoroki had to describe it then he would say there is a wall still set between Dazai and Nakahara and the rest of class 1A, neither side fully trusts the other and so the wall does not come down.

Todoroki doesn’t quite forgive Dazai for the comment regarding his Quirk, mainly due to the fact he has never properly apologised, but he feels he can overlook that for now. Once he gets back to UA he’ll have to inform his friends about his thoughts regarding that ‘wall’, showing Dazai and Nakahara that class 1A is trustworthy may be difficult but he has trust in his classmates. Especially in Midoriya who managed to break down Todoroki’s own walls separating him from the class.

His mother quietly laughs which brings Todoroki’s attention back to his painting. It seems that with his mind elsewhere his hand had taken the liberty to turn his trees into undefined green smudges, he sighs.

“It’s alright Shouto,” his mother comforts with an amused glint in her eyes, “We can say it’s abstract.”

-

“Hey, little listener, how are we feeling today?”

Chuuya huffs as he drops down onto his chair, across from him Yamada smiles. One good thing about this whole therapy thing is the fact he really lucked out with who he got, at first he was apprehensive given Yamada’s… Well, everything, but he no longer feels like that anymore. Yamada is always quick to back off when Chuuya doesn’t want to answer a question and keeps telling him he’s free to take breaks whenever he wants, compare that to Dazai and Nedzu’s little mind games and it’s really clear who got the better deal.

Somehow Yamada is able to convey this through his smile, it’s bright, welcoming, and reassuring all in one. Chuuya always feels more relaxed when he’s in these sessions with Yamada, although he never lets his guard down completely. Despite how nice he is Chuuya doesn’t quite trust him, can’t trust him really. At the end of this mission they’ll be proper enemies again, hell, Yamada might even be sent out to try and re-capture Chuuya.

Chuuya shrugs, “I’m fine.” Ignoring how much he wishes he was back home right now then yea, he’s fine.

“Heard you went up against the 1B kids yesterday,” Yamada leans in with a grin, “Don’t tell him this, but Erasurehead looked pretty proud when he told me about it.” He whispers that last part but of course with it being him the volume is still much louder than what anyone else would consider a whisper. Chuuya can’t tell if he’s doing it on purpose or not.

Chuuya also doesn’t know if he’s telling the truth about that, Aizawa did seem in a better mood after the fights had ended but he had just assumed it was because 1B hadn’t done any better than 1A had. The idea that Aizawa is specifically proud of them doing well and not just because 1b got beat is… Weird. Sure he’s gotten praise from Ane-san and even the Boss for doing well on missions before but that’s different, that’s Ane-san and the Boss. Aizawa is the pro hero Eraserhead that probably shouldn’t be so happy over two known criminals beating around a bunch of children.

Now that he’s thinking about it, when he and Dazai got back to the dorms after the 1A kids had all been quite happy at the news too. Although he’s pretty certain that was because they were happy to hear 1B lose, especially when they heard how quickly Monoma had gone down. Chuuya had actually been somewhat looking forward to fighting the kid, if he was able to copy Upon the Tainted Sorrow then they might have been able to have a decent fight. That didn’t happen though, turns out his Ability is too complex to just pick up like that.

Nodding with slight disbelief, Chuuya responds, “Right… The fights weren’t that hard, mostly just annoying.” Which is the truth, a few of the fights would have been tricky had Dazai not been there but he was so things went fine.

“With an Ability like yours I’m not surprised,” Yamada says. Chuuya hums a little, not quite sure what to say back.

Yamada lets the silence sit for a second before speaking, “Alright! What shall we talk about today?” When Chuuya just shrugs he continues, “Hmm, well, anything been on your mind lately?”

“I guess… I’ve been missing Yokohama.” Understatement of the year honestly. Chuuya has only ever known Yokohama, even though he knows he’ll be heading back eventually it’s still weird to be away from the city like this. That’s his home, all his memories take place in Yokohama, all his friends and those he considers family are in Yokohama. A few times the Boss had sent him on missions abroad but those never lasted longer than a week, this current mission has no deadline though. He can’t just sit there and think ‘Well, I’ll be back in Yokohama in five days’ because he might end up stuck here for months on end.

Yamada nods, “I’m not surprised, I bet it’s all types of weird being so far from home.” Chuuya doesn’t say anything in response, mainly because he can’t be bothered pointing out the fact it’s the fault of pro heroes like Yamada that he’s here. No wait, it’s Dazai’s fault for coming up with such a stupid plan. Damn, how could he forget who the true culprit is?

Yamada must interpret his silence as something other than what it is as he gives Chuuya an understanding look, “How about this, you can talk and I’ll just listen.”

Chuuya shoots him a confused glance, “What?”

Yamada makes a show of closing his notebook and tucking both it and his pen away, only after doing that does he lean back in his chair and smile encouragingly, “Legally, I’m not allowed to share anything about these sessions to anyone unless I believe you or someone else is in danger. So tell me all about Yokohama, tell me about what you miss. I won’t ask any questions, I’ll just be a listening ear, yea?”

Chuuya hesitates, he really shouldn’t be sharing any information about Yokohama at all. In the grand scheme of things he really doubts something like patient confidentiality would stop Yamada from sharing information that could possibly get the pros into Yokohama, then again it’s not like Chuuya knows that much about how to break in anyway. There are the tunnels of course, but those are made of metal that stops both Abilities and Quirks. They’re probably rigged too, he wouldn’t be surprised if there were explosives or something set to stop anyone opening them without permission. As long as he’s careful with what he says then it shouldn’t really be a problem… Alright, maybe he’s biassed and the idea of talking about the city he loves so much is very appealing but whatever. It’ll be fine, he might even be able to get some pity points or whatever.

“... There’s this one building,” One of the Port Mafia’s five towers, “the doors to the top are insanely secure,” because Dazai tried to jump off one too many times, “so basically no one goes up there. Sometimes I use my Ability to go up there, it’s really quiet and you can see the whole city, it’s even better at sunrise or sunset.” Chuuya can imagine it now, rays of orange and yellow shining across Yokohama, the sound of birds, a light breeze there to ruffle his hair. Just thinking about it makes him feel calmer.

Yamada smiles encouragingly, after a moment of hesitation Chuuya continues, “And- and the arcade me and Dazai go to. It has a bunch of retro games, even if the place is a little run down compared to the newer arcades I love going there.” He shifts in his seat a little as more words come to mind, “Me and Dazai are top of the leaderboards on, like, all of the games. No one knows it’s us though, so we go there and listen to everyone talk about us like we’re some sort of legends.” One time he and Dazai played a quick round of some shooting game and ended up getting new highscores, a few minutes after they left the machine some kid came along and noticed the scores had changed. The kid had very quickly, and loudly, announced that which caused most of the arcade goers to start interrogating each other to see who the famous ‘TinySlug’ and ‘DumbMackerel’ were.

Another memory comes to mind at that, “The food there is terrible though, I think it’s genuinely a health hazard. Everyone that goes there knows that so we all use it as punishment for losing games and bets, I’ve never seen anyone make it past like three bites of anything.” A few times Dazai had used that food to torture people for information, funnily enough it had always worked.

Without realising Chuuya begins to smile as he continues, “Oh, right by the docks there’s a teahouse I go to with my mentor sometimes, it’s on top of a hill so you can see across the water when you sit outside. I swear the staff that work there have a tea that pairs perfectly with any food, if I didn’t know any better I’d say one of them has an Ability that does just that.”

Yamada laughs at that, “I feel like there’s a story there.”

“After the sixth time I got suspicious alright? I had to test it,” Chuuya remembers how ridiculous that day had been and laughs, “Dazai offered to help but we ended up making such a mess, my mentor made us work there for like a month in apology to the workers. It didn’t take long to figure out that the workers are just that good at their jobs.” Of course, they were both still expected to do any Port Mafia missions assigned to them while working there. It was absolutely exhausting at times because of that but Chuuya also really, really enjoyed it.

“Well,” Yamada starts, “I’m sure it has nothing on Yokohama but the view from UA’s rooftop is fantastic. It’s open to students too….” He trails off with an encouraging grin on his face.

Chuuya snaps back from his nostalgia with a confused sound, “You saying I could go up there?” He doesn’t want to get his hopes up but the idea of getting some alone time on top of a building like he usually does is very appealing. He might not get to be truly alone if Dazai decides to tag along but that’s fine, as long as the idiot stays quiet then Chuuya wouldn’t mind him being there.

Yamada looks happy, excited almost, “Hell yea little listener! Just let a teacher know about it and I’m sure you’ll be good to go.” It’s a little weird to see Yamada so happy for him, even more so when the man continues, “Now, I don’t know about any arcades but there is a cafe just down the road from UA, the students all love the drinks there. Going there now probably isn’t the best idea given your infamy but we could always order something here, actually, I might have a menu here somewhere…” Yamada begins rooting around the draws in his desk, completely oblivious to the stunned expression on Chuuya’s face.

“What?”

Yamada glances over before continuing to dig around for the menu, “A cafe! I think it’s called Blue Lotus or something like th-”

Chuuya cuts him off, not caring how rude it might be, “No, I heard what you said I just… I just don’t get why you’re telling me this.”

Yamada seems confused for a second before his expression softens, he finally stops looking for that menu, “I want you to feel safe and comfortable here, that’s why I’m telling you this. If ordering some tea or going on the roof will make you feel more at home then I’m all for it.”

Huh. “Safe and comfortable?” Chuuya asks, just to be sure. When Yamada nods earnestly Chuuya eyes him with suspicion, “Have you forgotten the whole reason why I’m here?” He must have.

Yamada winces, “Of course not, but you’re here to get better and change your ways, right? If you’re happy and comfortable then there’s a larger chance of that sticking.”

Chuuya raises an eyebrow at that, sure, when the Boss wants someone to swap alliances for him then he does tend to butter them up a bit but that’s usually only for people who haven’t killed people important to the Port Mafia. For people who have, they get thrown in a cell with Dazai until they promise to be loyal. Chuuya doesn’t know quite what goes on in those cells but he does know his partner so it can’t be anything ‘safe and comfortable’.

Dazai and Chuuya killed a pro hero, on livestream no less, if that had happened to a Port Mafia member then they certainly wouldn’t be getting tea ordered in. When he got to UA he was expecting the angry, distrusting glares, he expected to hear people insult him both to his face and in whispers as he passed by. He, admittedly, was not expecting this. He had thought that, at most, the students and teachers would just sort of… Get used to them? They wouldn’t trust or like either of them but would just stop caring about them being around so much.

Although, maybe he should have expected something like this given Dazai’s insistence to create as much pity as possible.

Yamada must see some of his confusion and possibly even distrust as he continues, “Things must be different in the Port Mafia, but UA is a hero school remember? We strive to help those who need it and be heroic in every action we take.”

Chuuya nods, it makes sense that UA would be tamer in comparison to the Port Mafia, that doesn’t change how weird it feels though. He really had thought the pros would hate them more and for longer, and yet now when he thinks about it that doesn’t seem to be the case. Well, not for the ones they interact with often. Aizawa sends them less suspicious glances as of late… Wait, does that mean what Yamada said about Aizawa being proud had some truth to it?

Thankfully Yamada doesn’t push any further. Instead he returns to digging through his draws until a triumph grins spreads across his face, “Ah ha! Got it!”

Yamada leans forward and passes the menu over to Chuuya, he looks down at the blue swoopy words written across the top and decides to just go along with it. He’s still a little confused by the whole thing but he’s not about to turn down the chance to get some good tea, the sh*t in the dorms is just terrible.

-

Yaoyorozu smiles as her classmates begin filing into the common area, she really loves doing these homework sessions with everyone. At first it had started as a way to prepare for tests but now with everyone living in the dorms it’s far easier to get together for simpler things like homework. Her favourite part of these sessions is when her classmates bring her homework they had handed in and got a good grade on, that always makes her happy to see. It makes her feel her efforts were not wasted.

“Yaomomo!” Mina wails as she drops to the floor by Yaoyorozu’s feet, “I totally need your help!!”

Yaoyorozu can’t help but laugh at that, “Well, that’s what I’m here for.”

Mina gives her a hopeful look as she pulls out some homework, “I have no clue what these questions mean!”

Yaoyorozu takes the paper from her and begins reading, ah, she understands the problem. This specific homework was set by Midnight, however, you would only be able to complete it if you did the required reading as all the questions were written in references. A sneaky trick to see which students did or did not bother with the reading. “You have to read pages twelve to eighteen in the textbook for the questions to make sense,” Yaoyorozu easily explains.

Mina gains a look of understanding, “Ohhh, alright!”

Tsu sits down next to her, “I did the reading but that last question keeps tripping me up.”

Yaoyorozu nods in understanding, “That is a tricky one, would you like some help?”

Before she can answer both Kaminari and Kirishima dramatically drop onto one of the sofas, Kaminari clutches his face in mock pain, “Arghhhh, that assignment Aizawa-sensei set is way too cruel! Are we sure he isn’t a Villain in disguise?”

That earns a few scattered laughs, Yaoyorozu included. Aizawa-sensei does like to set harder homework to really make them think and do some research, what Kaminari perhaps doesn’t know is that if he just went and spoke to Aizawa-sensei he would be glad to point him in the direction of resources with the answers. It had happened to Yaoyorozu once, no matter how hard she looked she just couldn’t find anything pertaining to a certain question, Aizawa-sensei had been very understanding and told her exactly where to find the information she needed.

Kaminari isn’t the type to ask teachers for help outside of lessons though so she is not surprised he’s unaware of that fact. She’s tried to tell her classmates about it a few times, but she has no clue if anyone else has actually tried asking Aizawa-sensei yet. Well, it’s no matter. She’s here to help when they need it.

Surprisingly, the next to speak isn’t one of her classmates but is instead Dazai, “Tell me about it.” He sighs from where he is sprawled across Chuuya, who like always looks resigned to his fate.

Kaminari drops his hands from his face, “You guys get homework too?”

Chuuya nods and leans down, as best he can with Dazai in the way, to grab a bag set just by his chair. He opens the bag and pulls out a large pile of papers, “Most of it is the same as yours, ‘cept for the morality and ethics stuff.”

Yaoyorozu’s interest piques at that, now she’s thinking about it, it would make sense to give those two homework that covers different things. While they are both incredibly smart there must be some sort of learning curve coming from Yokohama, especially given the life they were living before coming to UA. “May I see it?” she asks, if only to state her curiosity.

Chuuya shrugs and begins pulling a few sheets of paper out of the pile, “It’s just like the introduction stuff to the topic, but sure.” He hands the sheets to the nearest person so they can pass them along.

Tsu looks up from her work, “Shouldn’t you be past that by now? Ribbit.”

Chuuya sighs, “Yea, we should. Someone,” he shoots a glare in Dazai’s direction, “keeps writing the wrong answers though so we can’t get new stuff yet.”

The papers make their way into Yaoyorozu’s hands, she nods absentmindedly as she looks down and begins to read.

Q: You hear on the news a notorious Villain is on the loose in your area, they have a Quirk that allows them to change their voice at will. Some time later you hear your neighbours calling for help, how do you handle the situation?

A: throw eggs out the window at them, if it’s raining then I would dump a bag of flour!! They should know not to make loud noise when I could be sleeping ( ｡ •`ᴖ´• ｡)

Q: On your way home from work you come across a young child crying on the side of the road. The child explains that they are lost and need help getting home, what do you do?

A: if they have a good quirk then they’ll be joining my gang :D i’m sure they wouldn’t mind~

Q: One evening you are outside and see a group of Villains harassing a civilian. You are aware a Pro Hero patrols the area often, you are also aware of the police station a few roads over. What do you do?

A: beat the villains up myself (ง •̀_•́)ง !! why should I trust a pro to get the job done when I can do it myself!!

Q: While doing your weekly shop a Villain enters the store and begins robbing the place, they demand all workers and customers get on the floor and hand over their purses. The Villain has not yet seen you, what do you do?

A: take advantage of the chaos to take as much food as I can!

Yaoyorozu looks up intending to ask a question, a few actually, when Chuuya beats her to it. With another sigh he explains, “Those questions just want us to say we’d call a pro or something, I know that and so does Dazai. And yet that idiot refuses to just write it so we can get it done with.”

Dazai sticks his tongue out but otherwise stays silent.

A few classmates who had shuffled around so they could see the papers seem to cringe away, perhaps at the nature of the answers. Mina, who had shifted so she could read the papers too, laughs a little, “Well, at least the answers are kinda funny.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Chuuya scolds.

Yaoyorozu smiles at that before handing the papers along so they can be returned to Chuuya. From what she saw all of the questions are quite simple, the type you ask young children to make sure they grow up with the right morals. When she looks at it like that then she understands why Chuuya and Dazai got assigned to them, in a way UA is trying to rebuild their morals from the ground up.

Chuuya had said both he and Dazai know what the right answers would be so Yaoyorozu knows there isn’t a need to offer her help, still, she finds herself wanting to anyway. Perhaps part of her wants to repay them for giving her the chance to work on her confidence during the cops vs robbers fight. Well, it can’t hurt to ask, “Is there any homework you do need help with?”

Chuuya seems to think for a moment before shaking his head, “Nothing we can’t figure out on our own.” Yaoyorozu notices that isn’t exactly a no but doesn’t push it, if they have any troubles then they can come to her on their own accord.

The conversation comes to a natural end which allows Yaoyorozu to turn her attention to the homework her classmates need help with, as the minutes go by more and more of her class appears with work in hand.

While the main purpose of these homework sessions is to help those who don’t understand a lot of the class tend to come to them just so they can hang out while working. Not only does this create a nice atmosphere but it also takes some pressure off Yaoyorozu when more than one person needs help. Midoriya and Iida are two students that almost always make an appearance at these sessions just for the sole purpose of being there to help out if needed.

Another thing she likes about these sessions is how they never work in silence, there’s always at least one person talking about the work, or making jokes, or offering to go get everyone some drinks or snacks. When she was younger Yaoyorozu would do her homework the same day as she got it, usually quietly and by herself. Now that she knows what it feels like to be surrounded by her classmates while working she really can’t imagine going back to how she used to do it.

Being so absorbed in helping her friends she completely misses the fact that Chuuya and Dazai aren’t actively contributing to the chatty atmosphere.

Time passes like that for a while, during that time a lot of progress is made in tackling all the homework that needs finishing. It’s only as they are reaching the hour and a half mark that Yaoyorozu notices her classmates starting to get distracted. At first it’s just Kaminari zapping his pencil rather than finishing his equations, then it’s Uraraka looking around the room more than at her work, then it’s Jirou subtly moving her earphone jack towards her phone.

Yaoyorozu sighs, she really doesn’t understand why they don’t just ask for a break. “How about we take a break for ten minutes?”

Certain members of her class seem to light up at that, which naturally causes others to laugh.

Yaoyorozu leans down to pick her drink up from the low table in front of her when Mina catches her eye, Mina raises her eyebrows and jerks her head in the direction of Dazai and Chuuya. For a moment Yaoyorozu isn’t sure what she means but then the realisation hits her.

Earlier today, just as lunch had started, Todoroki had pulled Yaoyorozu aside to ask a favour, in plain terms he had asked for her and the other girls to ask Chuuya and or Dazai to hang out later. When she had asked why he had simply said it was important to build good relationships with them both.

Yaoyorozu was a bit confused at the time but agreed with the sentiment, the other girls had to too when she brought it up with them.

Yaoyorozu nods in a way she hopes conveys ‘You go ahead and ask’, thankfully it seems Mina understands her.

“Soooo,” Mina starts, “Chuuya… You got anything planned for later?”

Chuuya eyes her suspiciously, “Why?”

Mina, clearly not expected to be asked that just yet, falters. In the time it takes for her to come up with an answer Chuuya only seems to get more and more suspicious. This isn’t good, if he thinks that something’s going on then he’ll be less likely to agree.

Uraraka, perhaps also seeing this, rushes to speak. “Well, we were wondering if you wanted to come hang out with us for a bit,” Uraraka quickly asks, “Us girls are having a sleepover tonight and Mineta always tries to break in, so we were thinking you could like…. Stand guard for a bit?”

Chuuya doesn’t respond which prompts Mina to jump in, “Mineta doesn’t try anything after lights out so you don’t have to stay the whole time! Just until then!”

Dazai laughs, although it sounds somewhat out of place, “Chuuya’s just so popular, hmm?” Something about how he spoke rubs Yaoyorozu the wrong way but she can’t quite place it, by all means he sounds just as teasing and mischievous as always and yet…

Well, there’s no use dwelling on it now. Especially not since Chuuya sighs at his partner’s antics before turning to Mina, “I taught you guys how to handle him though.”

Mina sighs dramatically, “Well, yea, but it’s different!”

Chuuya gives her a look that clearly says he doesn’t believe her. He glances over at Dazai, who doesn’t say anything, before sighing, “Yea alright, I’ll stay for a bit.”

Mina quite literally jumps for joy at that. Yaoyorozu bites back a laugh, she can understand why her friend is so excited.

“But,” Chuuya starts, effectively cutting off Mina’s celebrations, “Only if you finish the homework you need to do.”

Yaoyorozu doesn’t bother stopping her laughter this time, she only feels a little bad at the way Mina droops back to the ground and picks up her homework. She really does look miserable, then again Yaoyorozu is sure she would be ten times as miserable if Midnight scolded her for not doing her homework.

-

Chuuya wasn’t really sure what to expect when Uraraka and Mina invited him to their sleepover. He’d had sleepovers before but those were… different. Even without the knowledge of what a ‘normal’ sleepover entailed he was sure the girls wouldn’t be spending the night going over plans to wipe out various gangs, what he did on sleepovers with Dazai, or huddling together for warmth because the abandoned house they were in was drafty as f*ck, something he did on sleepovers with the Sheep. Sure, he’d seen a couple films featuring sleepovers but he really doubted they showed a real portrayal, films tend to just go with stereotypes and call it a day. Case in point, the many many films set in Yokohama that show it as some apocalypse world.

That’s all to say he entered Yaoyorozu’s room, where the sleepover was set to take place, with almost no expectations.

The girls had all gone ahead of him so they were already sitting around the room, despite being invited they all seemed a little awkward for a few moments after he entered. Chuuya doesn’t feel offended, “So, what exactly happens now?”

Mina is quick to answer, “You haven’t been to a sleepover before?”

“I have, but this is a different situation,” Chuuya explains.

“Well,” Mina starts with a grin, “I’ll have to teach you all about how UA does a sleepover! Or well, how us 1A girls do it! Naturally we do the standard stuff like doing our nails and hair but there’s another, much more important, thing we have to do first!”

Just as Mina finishes explaining Jirou stands and makes her way over to Yaoyorozu’s desk, once there she picks up a small radio that had previously been tucked against the wall. She grins as she turns it on, “This is Present Mic’s radio station, there’s a UA tradition of students calling in just to ask stupid questions, tell jokes, or complain about schoolwork.”

Chuuya listens as the radio crackles to life, after a few moments of Jirou fiddling with it the static is replaced with an upbeat pop song. “He has a radio station?” Chuuya asks, although now that he’s thinking about it he’s not that surprised. Whenever there’s a moment of silence during his therapy sessions Yamada is always quick to start humming or tapping out a beat on his desk, add in the fact his Quirk involves his voice and it’s pretty obvious the man has a taste for music. Chuuya had actually been meaning to ask Yamada about which songs he likes best for a while now but he always ends up forgetting.

If it turns out Yamada has a decent taste in music then Chuuya might just see if his radio station is available in Yokohama.

Uraraka is the one who answers him, “Yep! It’s called ‘Put Your Hands Up!’, it’s really popular.”

Jirou sits back down, “Present Mic should be taking calls soon.”

As if on cue the music playing through the radio quietens down as a very familiar voice begins speaking, “You know what time it is listeners! Let’s get to taking some calls!”

Before Chuuya can even realise it Hagakure, Uraraka, and Jirou have whipped their phones out and already started calling in to the station. Their faces are tense yet determined, if Chuuya didn’t know any better he would guess they were off to battle not calling a radio station.

For a few tense seconds only the sound of three phones ringing can be heard, then-

“You’ve reached Put Your Hands Up! with Present Mic, what’s your name, listener?”

There’s a slight echo due to having the phone and radio on at the same time but none of the girls seem to care about that. Instead they grin and pass the phone over to Mina.

“How do you make a joke about the sea?”

Over the phone there's a pause before Present Mic responds, “Is-”

Before he can finish Mina leans in and nearly yells, “It’s not as shrimp-le as you think!” Her laughs echo through the radio before the phone is quickly hung up.

Chuuya grins despite himself, it was a terrible joke and yet he can’t help it. Over the radio Present Mic audibly sighs before making a comment about regretting being a teacher, Chuuya can hear the amusem*nt in his voice that contradicts that statement.

Hagakure giggles one last time before turning to face Chuuya, that’s what he assumes she does anyway, “We’re gonna call in again later too, if you have any good jokes make sure to tell us before then!”

Chuuya nods but is otherwise not given the chance to respond when Mina begins rummaging through the bag she had brought. Using both hands she pulls out various combs, clips, and pins with a grin, “Alright, tonight’s theme isssss traditional!”

Before Chuuya can get too confused Yaoyorozu turns to explain, “Pro Heroes often need to go undercover, to get better at disguising ourselves we like to set a theme and change ourselves to fit it.” As she speaks she begins untying her hair, the other girls around her with long hair begin to do the same.

“Since I’m already a master of stealth I get to judge who does the best,” Hagakure explains before Chuuya even has the time to wonder how she would get disguised.

Chuuya nods and watches as the girls begin applying makeup and tying their hair up in different styles. The sight reminds him of Ane-san, which certainly doesn’t help with the homesickness he was talking about with Yamada. Admittedly, he did end up enjoying the tea Yamada ordered and he’s made plans to go check out the school roof in the next few days but that hardly fixes his desire to go home. UA is a nice place and the people are alright but nothing will ever be able to top Yokohama, he really hopes this mission finishes up quickly so he doesn’t have to stay here for longer than necessary.

Maybe it’s the fact he’s thinking of home, thinking of Ane-san, that pushes him to volunteer himself when Yaoyorozu sighs and nearly gives up on the hair style she was trying. He’s seen Ane-san do her hair more times than he can count, he’s helped a few times too when she also had to get her makeup done at the same time.

It is a bit funny how shocked Mina gets when he completes the style with minimal struggle.

“How- Wait, was it your mentor who taught you that?”

Chuuya nods, “Yep.” With Yaoyorozu’s hair safely pinned up he moves to retake his spot by the door.

“Ok, I just have to ask,” Mina starts, “What does your mentor look like? She sounds so cool and I bet she looks it too!” Uraraka and Jirou, the other two he taught Ane-san’s moves to, nod in agreement.

Chuuya thinks for a moment about what exactly he should say, he’s already mentioned a few things about Ane-san but he’s been careful not to mention anything that might help the Pros take her down. He knows better than to go blabbing about an Ability that’s not his own, he also knows not to say anything that might reveal exactly how high up in rank Ane-san is. Talking about her appearance is risky, if the Pros ever manage to get into Yokohama then they’ll be able to identify her quickly. Then again he’s certain Golden Demon would be able to take down any Pro that tried anything anyway, well, except Aizawa but a gun would be enough to take him down.

Telling them about Ane-san might be a good bonding opportunity though, so he’ll have to just keep his descriptions vague. He’ll only talk about things that could easily be changed should the need arise. “Well, she has long hair… Always wears kimonos which match her makeup…” Chuuya belatedly realises it’s rather hard to talk about someone while not actually saying anything important.

“Her hair is like mine then, that explains how you were able to do this style” Yaoyorozu says.

Chuuya scrunches his face in a way that says ‘not really’, “In length, yea, not in colour though.” He’s seen Ane-san wear a wig or two when completing undercover missions, mentioning her hair colour won’t be a risk.

Jirou raises her eyebrows, which may just be because of the light makeup she is applying, “I was totally imagining her with black hair, what colour is it then?”

Before he can answer Mina jumps in, “Wait, let me guess, her hair matches yours right?”

Chuuya eyes her suspiciously, just how did she know that? “Why would you think that?”

“Because you call her ‘Ane-san’! Siblings have the same hair colours most of the time.” Mina grins as she speaks, Chuuya’s suspicion must have told her that her guess was completely right.

“We’re not actually related,” Chuuya starts, “besides, not all siblings have matching hair colours.”

Tsuyu, who had yet to speak all that much, chimes in, “My youngest sister has blue hair, ribbit.” She looks over to Chuuya and seems to be thinking for a moment until she says, “I always like to say what I’m thinking, so, do you have any siblings?”

Ah, the blunt type. Honestly, Chuuya can respect her for that. He much prefers someone who just says what they think than someone who dances around the point, that’s why Dazai’s way of ‘subtle manipulation’ pisses him off sometimes. Chuuya feels like he should be honest back, “A brother, and no his hair doesn’t match mine.”

Mina seems to wilt at the proof her theory about siblings and hair is very much incorrect. Well she seems to, after a moment she looks back up with a spark of hope in her eyes, “Is he your brother in the same way your mentor is ‘Ane-san’?”

Ah, he sees where she’s going with this. If Verlaine is just another mentor and not blood related then she could argue her hair colour theory still works, at least for Yokohama people anyway. Unfortunately for her it’s not so easy to define their relationship, “... Not technically,” Chuuya admits. They aren’t blood related but their unique shared circ*mstances certainly count for something.

While Mina seems let down by that answer, Uraraka simply nods, “What’s he like?” She reaches across the floor to grab some of the nail polish Mina had brought along.

“He’s… caring, in his own way,” Chuuya grins a little, “Both him and Ane-san don’t like Dazai much, which means I always hear double of the same complaints against him.” It’s actually hilarious to hear them both say the exact same things when complaining about Dazai. The first time it happened Chuuya was convinced the two of them planned it.

That gets a few laughs, especially from Hagakure who then asks, “I don’t get how you two are still friends.”

“We’re partners not friends, that’s different,” Chuuya says simply.

Mina raises an eyebrow, “Like… romantic partners?” The expression on her face is mostly teasing, although part of it looks like she is genuinely interested.

Chuuya scrunches his face up at that, he ignores the way his heart beats a tad faster at the idea, “Absolutely not, why would I ever want to go out with that fish?” He’ll admit the idea does sound somewhat appealing but then he remembers just what Dazai’s personality is like. Chuuya gets sick of dealing with him enough as it is, if they got together then it would probably be ten times worse.

Across the room Uraraka begins waving one hand in an attempt to get her nail polish to dry faster, while doing so she asks, “So, what’s the difference between being friends and being partners?”

That catches Chuuya somewhat off guard because, frankly, he had never put much thought behind it. Chuuya has had friends before so he knows that what he and Dazai have isn’t friendship, or at least it isn’t in the way Chuuya is familiar with. Despite knowing that he never bothered actually thinking about what the differences are.

Chuuya leans back a bit as he tries to sort through his thoughts, “I guess it’s like… I trust my friends, course I do, but with Dazai it’s more… Intense I guess? I don’t need to hesitate to trust him with my life because I just know he’s gonna be there y’know?” Despite asking a question Chuuya continues without giving the girls a chance to respond, “It’s sort of like he can read my mind sometimes too, which is really freaky. That’s why we work so well together, we know exactly how the other person thinks so we never need to talk about plans. Even though he’s so f*cking annoying I know he has my best interest at heart, that’s why I can forgive him when his plans get f*cked up and I get hurt or something.”

Tsuyu tilts her head, “That happens?”

Chuuya grins, “Even he’s not smart enough to get everything right.” He can admit that he does get pissed off at Dazai during situations like that, especially when he intentionally puts Chuuya in harm’s way for an advantage that they never get, but it’s easy enough to read that bastard and see he didn’t mean for that to happen. Usually, he gets his revenge and then calls it even.

Mina hums in a way that clearly shows she doesn’t believe him, “Sounds to me like you’re just really good friends, I trust my besties like that too.”

Chuuya resists the urge to tell her he doubts that. The 1A kids have faced some life threatening trouble before and he’s sure that some strong bonds were forged, but those bonds don’t have anything on what he and Dazai have. With how many fights the two of them get in, with how many times Chuuya literally puts his life in his partner’s palms when using Corruption, there is no way their bond is beaten by anything.

Mina must see his disagreement on his face though as she speaks again, “Explain in a better way! I’m really curious about what you mean!”

Chuuya rolls his eyes at that, if he could explain it so easily then he would have already, “Look, I’ve had friends before, I know what it’s like to have them. Dazai’s different, I don’t know what else to say.”

Mina sighs, “Ok, fine, but next time you’ll have to give us more than that.” Chuuya nods in agreement, if only to get her to stop pestering him about it.

All this talk of Dazai has made him aware of how long it’s been since he got here, that idiot is probably sitting waiting for Chuuya to come back instead of trying to get some sleep. Not that Chuuya could criticise him given he would do the same thing, in fact he has done the same thing before.

Mina tries to convince him to stay longer when he begins to leave, unfortunately for her promises of annoying Present Mic and judging everyone’s makeup skills isn’t as convincing as she may think.

-

When the door shuts and Chuuya has left, Mina whips her head around to face her classmates, “You guys know what I’m thinking?”

They all share a look at that, one that clearly says they do know what she’s thinking and do not approve of it. Uraraka sighs, “Yea, I’m just not sure meddling will end well…”

“It’ll be fine!” Mina exclaims, “You heard what he said, a relationship that is ‘different’ and ‘more intense’ than friendship- he’s so totally in love! And I bet Dazai is too! We just need to get them together, if we do that then they’ll be too happy to get mad at us for meddling!” Mina knows she’ll be trying to get those together regardless, if her friends want to help or not will not change that!

For a second there is silence, then Hagakure jumps up from her seat, “I agree with Mina! We just have to help them out!”

Mina grins at Hagakure, “I knew you’d have my back!” The other girls laugh at that, which is a great sign. Mina reckons they’ll all be on her side by the end of the night, now all she has to do is start planning exactly how she’ll get those two together.

-

Dazai sighs and somehow sinks lower into the mattress below him. He’s tired but sleep isn’t coming to him, which quite frankly isn’t a surprise. Even on the best of days it can be a struggle to get his mind to shut up long enough for him to sleep, given the fact he’s in what’s basically enemy territory with no Chuuya by his side it only makes sense for him to be still laid awake.

The bed is cold, which is annoying.

He should be glad Chuuya is out forging bonds with 1A, it was Dazai’s plan to do that after all, but a large part of him isn’t. When he thinks about it Dazai actually hasn’t done all that much compared to Chuuya, which makes sense given Chuuya is the dog in this relationship, but still. Chuuya is out there, making new friends, gaining the trust of the pro heroes, achieving the mission goals without any help from Dazai. It almost makes one wonder why Dazai is even on this mission when Chuuya could do it all himself.

Dazai tries not to sigh again because honestly, he’s getting sick of doing it.

Chapter 20: 18 - HPSC interview

Chapter Text

Yamada has never been one to hide how he’s feeling, which is why he doesn’t bother to stop his anxious foot tapping. Within the Pro Hero community it’s well known that the HPSC is, well, underhanded at times. There are stories of certain HPSC affiliated Heroes getting away with more than the average Pro could and of HPSC agents constantly swooping in at the last moment to take over cases. With no real proof there isn’t much anyone can do, especially not with how ingrained the HPSC is with Hero operations these days. They do a lot of good, both for Pros and for civilians, so more often than not it’s easier to just ignore the suspicious things they do.

“Are you sure we can’t go in there?” Yamada asks for what feels like the hundredth time.

Nedzu, patient as ever, shakes his head, “I’m afraid not.”

Yamada sighs and turns his attention to the two women standing further down the hall, agents Kusumi Koharu and Akagi Harue. Yamada has never dealt with either of them personally but he did do some research on them, as much research as he could given the HPSC’s tendency to keep all agent’s files hidden.

Both agents are decently high level within the HPSC, likely nothing irreplaceable though, and have a long list of successful cases under their belts. With the Quirks Flawed and Poisonous Flowers respectively he can see why they were recruited.

Legally, they aren’t allowed to use their Quirks during interviews but you never know what may happen. There have been cases before where police officers or HPSC agents have ‘accidentally’ activated their Quirks when they felt threatened by suspects, if that were to happen to Nakahara and Dazai things would likely turn disastrous. Those two have been compliant so far with everything, more compliant than Yamada had expected actually, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. In fact, Yamada is sure that both Nakahara and Dazai would not hesitate to attack back if the HPSC agents did anything. That’s not to mention how much damage those two might sustain if attacked, if they get injured then all the trust they’ve built with UA so far might come crashing down.

To avoid such an outcome Nedzu had negotiated for Kusumi to be with Dazai and Akagi with Nakahara, while poisonous flowers could do damage to Nakahara he could always be healed up by Recovery Girl. Kusumi’s Quirk, a mental based one, is more unique though, it could inflict damage that couldn’t be fixed by Recovery Girl. Dazai will be able to nullify it though, so hopefully things will go well.

Yamada really hopes Nedzu is able to pull some strings and ensure there aren’t any more interviews after this one, he doesn’t think he could handle the anxiety of this more than once.

He knows that both Nakahara and Dazai are strong, he knows they’ve probably been through worse than an interview with a slightly corrupt agency but he can’t help it, the idea of sending them both in there alone makes him all kinds of anxious. What if one of the agents says something that sets one of them off? Could the HPSC use that as ammunition to take them away from UA? What if they say something that causes the two of them to lose trust in UA, it’s true they haven’t made much progress in getting Nakahara and Dazai to open up and change but still, these interviews could ruin the trust they’ve started building.

His fears only seem to grow once Shouta arrives with Dazai and Nakahara trailing behind him. Nakahara is on Dazai’s right like normal, what isn’t normal is the hand grabbing Dazai’s arm. Dazai himself seems to be staring off into space. Neither of them are teasing each other or complaining which sets off the alarms in Yamada’s head. Are they worried about the interviews? If they are then is there any time to pull them aside and offer reassurances- Could Yamada even offer convincing ones when he is also worried?

Kusumi and Akagi waste no time in walking closer once both boys arrive, thus removing the possibility of offering the boys assurances. Akagi offers a smile, one that Yamada feels isn’t completely genuine, “Hello you two, my name is Akagi Harue and that’s Kusumi Koharu, we both work for the HPSC.”

Nakahara very clearly takes a moment to eye them both up, “Yea, hi.” He’s very clearly on the defensive, which Yamada doesn’t blame him for at all.

“The quicker we get this started the quicker you two can get back to whatever UA has you doing,” Akagi explains, Yamada privately feels that was an intentional dig at how UA is handling the two of them. Akagi continues, “Nakahara, you’re with me.”

For a moment Nakahara doesn’t move and Yamada thinks he might refuse and cause a scene, thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Nakahara sighs and glances back at Dazai before moving, “See ya.”

Dazai nods but otherwise doesn’t respond.

“Let’s get this over with,” Kusumi coldly says before turning and walking to the room where she’ll be conducting her interview. Dazai follows her without comment.

Both doors shut and Yamada feels himself staring at them, his previous anxiety still running around under his skin. “I have a bad feeling about this,” He admits.

Aizawa sighs, “Don’t we all.”

-

Chuuya isn’t sure what he’s expecting from this little interview. The last interview he had, the one with those detectives and Nedzu, had been on the short side due to the deal Dazai had struck. There isn’t a deal like that now though, for all he knows he might be stuck in this room all day.

He really hopes that isn’t the case, he has better things to do with his time. Not to mention that Dazai’s been acting off these past couple days, letting that idiot leave his side for too long will only end in disaster. Either Dazai will take the opportunity to jump out a window or something or he’ll pick a victim to turn all that negativity towards. Both options wouldn’t end well, so Chuuya would prefer being where he could keep an eye on him.

The woman across from him smiles in a sickeningly sweet way, does she really think that would make Chuuya trust her more? “I’m recording this interview, so do please introduce yourself. My name is Akagi Harue representing the HPSC.”

“Nakahara Chuuya.”

Akagi nods, that smile still in place as she begins thumbing through the papers set before her. “I was given some questions to ask you but they seem rather boring, fortunately, I have a few more interesting ones in mind.”

Chuuya is uncomfortably reminded of Dazai, great, is she going to act like he does? God, he hopes not.

“How did you join the Port Mafia?”

Chuuya doesn’t bother answering that.

Akagi taps her fingers on the paper in front of her, “It says here in your file that you told detective Tsukauchi that you joined about a year ago of your own free will, I feel like there’s more to it than that though.”

Internally Chuuya sighs in annoyance, if the information is in his file then why bother asking? The question itself is annoying too, there is more to the story behind him joining the Port Mafia but he certainly isn’t going to be telling her that. “I met Dazai and he convinced me.” Convinced is a rather light word for what actually happened.

Akagi raises an eyebrow, “Oh? He must have been rather good at it then, it’s not everyday you can convince someone to join the mafia.”

Chuuya shrugs. Dazai is a pretty good negotiator and manipulator, convincing someone to join the Port Mafia is childsplay for someone like him.

Akagi flexes one of her arms out, she moves it in a way like she’s accommodating something wrapped around it, there isn’t anything there though. Chuuya idly wonders if that’s due to her Quirk, whatever that might be, “And what were you doing before joining the Port Mafia?”

If someone else, like Aizawa or Yamada, was the one asking him these questions then he wouldn’t think too much about it. He’d be a bit suspicious but he knows those two are trying to become his and Dazai’s friends or whatever, Akagi though he does not trust what so over. She is literally here to get information about him and give it to the HPSC, whatever he says is going to end up on permanent record or something.

Chuuya eyes her with caution, she’s after something asking these questions, “... I lived on the streets.”

“I see, it must have been quite the change when you joined the Port Mafia then. I don’t suppose you ever felt, oh I don’t know, regret about joining?” Akagi speaks in a casual tone, like she couldn’t care less if Chuuya answered or not.

Chuuya feels a spark of understanding, ah, so that’s her play. Asking how he got into the Mafia, via Dazai, and then asking if he feels any regret is an attempt to link the two things. She wants him to resent Dazai for convincing him to join, she probably wants to see how easy it would be to get him to turn on Dazai, maybe even lay the groundwork for that. Chuuya thinks about shooting that down right here and now but, well, he’s getting bored already so why not have some fun?

Chuuya leans back in his seat but keeps his eyes locked on her, “Sometimes I guess, the benefits are good though.” There, that’ll make it sound like the only reason he’s still in the Port Mafia is for the benefits. If the HPSC thinks he can be won over with material objects then they’ll be more likely to make a move/offer for him to join. Taking the HPSC down isn’t part of the mission objectives but it couldn’t hurt, right?

Akagi lifts an eyebrow at that, “Oh? What might these benefits be exactly?”

Chuuya pretends to think for a moment, “I get a lot of stuff for free while also being paid a tonne, makes saving up real easy.” Which is the truth, there are a lot of ‘business associates’ of the Port Mafia that are all too happy to give things away to high ranking members. Add in his good pay rate and Chuuya hardly wants for anything, a sharp contrast to his life before the Port Mafia.

“How wonderful- Oh, apologies!” Akagi shakes her wrist just as a flower begins blooming on it, “I’m not supposed to use my Quirk in here but creating these flowers is an unconscious action for me, I’m sure you understand.” The flower begins to shrivel up just as fast as it had bloomed, before it dies though Chuuya makes sure to get a good look at it. He’s not sure what the name of it is but he has seen Dazai try and eat one before, it’s probably poisonous or something in that case. He’ll have to ask Dazai about it later.

Chuuya nods slightly as he shifts in his seat, one on hand he wants to drag this interview out for as long as possible so he can get more information about the HPSC. On the other hand this chair is so unbearably uncomfortable.

Once the flower falls from her wrist Akagi makes quick work of sweeping it off the desk, she then begins to shuffle the papers as if she’s looking for something in specific. Chuuya watches this in silence, he hopes Dazai’s interview is going well.

-

Chuuya sighs and flops down onto the much more comfortable sofa, finally he’s free of that interview. There aren’t too many people in the common area right now, Bakugou’s group is sitting in the corner doing… homework? Chuuya isn’t sure. A few of the girls are spread around too, Chuuya thinks he saw Iida and Todoroki heading into the kitchen just as he arrived too.

“You had that interview today, right? How did it go?” Uraraka asks.

“So boring.”

That gets a few laughs from the kids spread across the common area, Chuuya wasn’t trying to be funny though. The novelty of pretending he could be poached from the Port Mafia had worn off quickly, after that he had realised that Akagi going off script meant there would be more questions for him to answer. Answering both Akagi’s questions and the ones written on the papers had taken way longer than Chuuya had expected, which in turn made him more annoyed the longer he had to do it.

He’s done with it now though, so all he has to do is wait for Dazai to finish up so they can discuss what happened. Chuuya reckons he could easily infiltrate the HPSC and take them down from within, that would mean leaving Dazai to fend for himself at UA though.

“Hey, Chuuya,” Mina waits until his eyes are on her before continuing, “I have a question for you!”

Internally Chuuya groans, hasn’t he answered enough questions today? Externally he just sighs, “What is it?”

If Mina notices his attitude she doesn’t say anything, “Well, Bakugou wants to spend more time with you so-”

Across the room Bakugou glares, “Don’t f*cking say it like that! Icyhot was the one who brought it up, dammit!”

Mina rolls her eyes, “You came up with the idea-”

“‘Cause I wanted to know who would win-”

“No need to get so defensive-”

“I’m not getting defensive-”

Chuuya clears his throat loudly, which is thankfully enough to get both Mina and Bakugou to stop arguing. “Are you gonna explain any further or no?”

Bakugou sends one last glare at Mina before turning his gaze onto Chuuya, “We do movie nights, I want to know how much of a wimp you are when it comes to horror.”

“Why would I be afraid of horror films?” Chuuya has lived through horror films before, watching one doesn’t sound like a challenge.

Kaminari holds up his homework almost like he’s using it as a shield, “I mean…. Bakugou gets scared at horror films so…”

Bakugou whips his head around to face him, unsurprisingly the flimsy piece of paper does nothing to protect him, “That was one time! One time! Besides, that film was f*cking freaky and you know it.”

A flash of movement in the corner of his eye drags his attention away from Bakugou and Kaminari, said flash of movement turns out to be Dazai slinking along the wall in the direction of his room. His interview must have only just finished then, Chuuya can’t help but wonder what exactly made it so long. Had Kusumi added in some extra questions too?

Fortunately, the 1A kids seem preoccupied enough that Chuuya is able to slip away and intercept Dazai. Dazai gives him a look, one that tells him that whatever that interviewer said hadn’t done any favours for his bad mood. Chuuya raises an eyebrow, “What'd she say to you?”

Maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say as Dazai only looks more annoyed, “Nothing. Go have fun with your new friends.”

Chuuya falters at that, he had thought Dazai was pissed off at the HPSC lady, not him. Also, it was literally Dazai’s plan to get all buddy buddy with the 1A kids, he can’t be getting mad now Chuuya’s actually done it. “Is that what this is about?” Chuuya asks, “You’re mad because I was sitting with the 1A kids?” Chuuya doesn’t think that is the case but with Dazai’s it’s hard to tell.

What the hell was he supposed to do if not sit with them anyway? In no world would he just sit bored and alone in his room waiting for Dazai to come back, he has more self respect than that. Not to mention that, again, Dazai was the one who told him to get friendly with the class in the first place.

“I’m not mad at all, I don’t care what you do.” Dazai says sharply, which is the biggest lie he’s ever heard. He’s clearly been set off by something, which sure it might not have been Chuuya but that doesn’t mean he’s all good and fine.

Chuuya scoffs, “Oh yea? Because you look pretty mad to me.”

Once again it seems Chuuya chose the wrong thing to say as the expression on Dazai’s face only gets darker, “Well maybe you need to get your eyes checked then.”

Chuuya intentionally stops himself from raising to the bait. Alright, at first he thought Dazai was just annoyed and maybe a little mad, but now he sees this is more serious than that. The biggest piece of evidence for that is the fact Dazai is clearly trying to piss him off right now, it’s a classic Dazai move to try and take the attention away from whatever he’s feeling. Most of the time it works, Dazai knows him so well it only takes a few carefully chosen words to get right under Chuuya’s skin.

Chuuya’s been working on putting up with him and not getting pissed so quickly though, so he might just be able to navigate this without disaster. It would be preferable if he could, the 1A kids are already starting to look in their direction and things aren’t even that bad yet. Chuuya can’t be bothered dealing with the fallout if it escalated. “Seriously Dazai what is wrong wi-”

“I said nothing. So leave it.” And just like that Dazai’s demeanour changes from ‘I’m annoyed, leave me alone’ to ‘If you continue pushing you’ll regret it.’ The expression on his face is cold and challenging, ‘Will you be smart and leave me alone?’ it says.

Chuuya should back off, especially since a few 1A kids are hesitantly standing as if they aren’t sure about getting involved. Things would only get more troublesome if they did involve themselves, at least Chuuya can hold his own against Dazai like this.

Dazai must take his lack of an answer as some sort of agreement, with one last cold look he shoulders past Chuuya. It doesn’t exactly hurt but it is just hard enough to get on his nerves, whatever, he’ll tell Dazai off about it later once he’s calmed down. Right now Chuuya should probably go distract the 1A kids lest they try and ask any questions or, God forbid, go try to speak to Dazai themselves.

Unfortunately, just as Dazai brushes past he just has to get the last word, “What an obedient little dog.”

Chuuya feels his anger spark up at that. Dazai didn’t say it but he knows exactly what that f*cker is implying, how couldn’t he when Dazai brings it up so often during serious arguments. ‘What an obedient dog you are, you just do whatever anyone asks without thinking, first the Sheep now Mori- will you ever be able to think on your own?’

Chuuya’s mouth moves before his brain, “f*ck did you just call me?”

Dazai turns to him, his eye is coldly amused. Well sh*t, no avoiding this now. “Oh,” Dazai says insincerely, “is the little doggy upset?”

Someone, he doesn’t know who, grabs onto his arm in an attempt to gently pull him away. Chuuya should let them, he should step back and cool off, he shouldn’t give Dazai the satisfaction of a reaction.

He jerks his arm out of their grasp, there’s a little commotion when he does, maybe he accidently knocked them over or something. Chuuya can’t find it in himself to care at the moment, not with how hard he’s focusing on restraining his anger. He doesn’t want to blow up at Dazai, not when it’ll only end with that bastard getting smug and taunting him further.

Dazai leans in, his face apathetic at first glance but clearly laced with malice upon closer inspection, “Careful Chuuya, wouldn’t want your dear friends to get hurt.”

The problem with knowing Dazai so well is that they don’t need words to communicate sometimes. The problem is that Chuuya is alone in understanding just what that little jab actually means, the problem is that when his temper finally snaps out of control and he takes a threatening step forward everyone rushes to stop him. They rush to stop him and not Dazai with his casual cruelty.

Chuuya jerks as hard arms wrap around him, there’s yelling and panicked footsteps but he ignores it all. He makes eye contact with Dazai who grins before slipping away down the hallway, Chuuya’s anger does not subside at his disappearance. In fact, it only seems to get worse.

Why the hell does he get to walk away like nothing happened while Chuuya is still prying those f*cking arms away from him, seriously why won’t they let up?! Dazai’s the aggressor here, he should be the one dealing with this dammit!

An overwhelming part of him wants to stew in his anger for longer, he wants to shake off whoever is holding him and chase Dazai down. He’s so close to giving in to that urge, so so close, but then he notices the ever present buzz in his head is louder than normal and knows he has to calm the f*ck down. Corruption won’t activate unless he wants it to but he doesn’t want to risk it, especially not since he’s surrounded by a bunch of hero kids and his only off switch is pissed off at him. Dazai won’t let him die, probably, but he might leave it longer than usual before nullifying him.

The people around him are speaking in hurried tones, they’re panicking and confused. Chuuya does his best to swallow his temper down so he can actually listen to what they’re saying.

“What the hell just happened?” Someone, Kaminari maybe, exclaims.

“Don’t look at me!”

Uraraka, he thinks, speaks up, “Should someone go speak with Dazai?” Chuuya is suddenly hit with the vision of Dazai verbally tearing apart Uraraka, yea no, not happening.

Chuuya attempts to move away from whoever is holding him but the arms only tighten, “You gotta calm down first bro!”

Ah, so it’s Kirishima holding him back. Chuuya shouldn’t be so surprised actually, his Quirk is perfect for withstanding whatever scratches or punches that would have come from Chuuya struggling to get away.

“I am calm,” Chuuya says, which clearly surprises the kids around him. In truth he’s still quite pissed off, it’s just that his head has cleared enough for him to know going after Dazai right now would be the worst possible move. What Chuuya needs to do right now is put some distance between himself and Dazai, maybe go outside and kick a tree or something.

Kirishima hesitates, clearly hearing the anger still in Chuuya’s voice, but eventually does relent and release him. Chuuya takes a single deep breath before turning and promptly walking right to the front door of the dorms, when he gets outside he’s pleased to feel a slight breeze.

God, what he wouldn’t give to be on top of a Port Mafia tower right now.

For a good few minutes he focuses intently on the breeze, if he thinks about what Dazai said right now he’ll only get mad all over again. Chuuya closes his eyes and pretends, just for a moment, that he is back home. He pretends that after he’s finished cooling off he’ll go complain to Ane-san and laugh at whatever creative insults she has to say, he pretends that he can go grab some paperwork and dump it on Dazai’s desk as revenge. Maybe he could even drag Dazai to the arcade and force him to play that one dancing game, the one based on pony princesses or whatever. He’d have to make sure to bring his phone, like hell would he pass up the chance to record it.

“Hey Chuuya, you ok?”

Chuuya sighs and shoos away his daydreams, he turns and finds Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Midoriya with matching expressions of concern.

At some point Chuuya had sat down against the side of the building, he gestures for them to join him, “Yea… I’m fine.”

None of them seem convinced, which is fair. Still, they all sit down without pushing further.

For a few moments no one speaks, which gives Chuuya time to appreciate the breeze more. He much prefers the breeze on Yokohama’s beaches but this isn’t so bad.

“Does… Does that happen often?” Midoriya asks cautiously, Chuuya shoots him a glance which causes him to stutter, “S-sorry! You don’t have to answer that…”

Chuuya waves his hand in his direction, “Don’t worry about it and yea, we argue sometimes.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Yaoyorozu says with some uncertainty, “But that felt far more… Intense than a normal argument.”

Uraraka nods, “I know you said you two are like a more intense version of friends but I didn’t expect this. Shouldn’t you argue less if you’re so close?” Yaoyorozu nods, in contrast Midoriya looks quite confused. Right, he wasn’t at the sleepover last night.

Chuuya finds his lost expression amusing so he doesn’t bother to explain, “It’s because we know each other so well that things turn out like that.” They know each other a little too well maybe.

“Oh I get it! Like how it’s worse if a friend insults you than a stranger,” Uraraka looks at him for confirmation and smiles when he nods. That’s not quite the right metaphor but it works, if Chuuya had to come up with one he’d say it’s more like when the person who knows you better than anyone else decides to use that knowledge against you. Almost like when your own brain attacks itself by thinking of things that could only cause harm.

Chuuya sighs and rests his head against the wall behind him, this really is the worst time for this to happen. Dazai’s been acting off these past few days, acting off in a way that means he needs close supervision lest he try something. If that damn interview with the HPSC didn’t happen then Chuuya would have just kept an eye on him and, hopefully, things would have blown over after a few days. Dazai would sort through whatever was making him feel sh*tty, if there was anything to begin with, and be back to his usual self.

Chuuya isn’t in the right mind to go watch over Dazai right now, not when any little insult might set him off again. If he goes over there then Dazai will piss him off again, which will cause Chuuya to lash out at Dazai, which will just create a vicious cycle. Usually in this situation he’d go tell Hirotsu or the Boss and they would watch Dazai, that obviously isn’t an option here. None of the 1A kids would be able to deal with Dazai right now, maybe Aizawa would but Chuuya frankly doesn’t want to get him involved. Who knows what UA might do if they think Dazai is a threat.

He’s going to have to go check up on Dazai at some point. The question is how long can he sit out here before has to do that?

For a moment Chuuya is tempted to wait out here until he’s properly calmed down and then go looking for Dazai, the logical part of his brain knows that would be stupid. He needs to go sooner rather than later, even if all he does is poke his head into Dazai’s room and make sure he’s still breathing.

“I need to go check on Dazai.” Despite that Chuuya doesn’t make any move to get up, just a minute more and he’ll get up.

All three of the kids around him look at him in shock. Yaoyorozu scrunches her face up in confusion, “Why? He was just so rude to you.”

Uraraka nods, “Yea he should be coming here with apologies.”

Chuuya scoffs at the idea, Dazai apologising? He really can’t imagine it. “Apologies? Ha, that’s not his style.”

Midoriya looks at him with an expression of confusion and something else, Chuuya can’t quite place what it is, “So you’re just going to forget what happened?”

“Not a chance.”

That earns him three even more confused looks. Chuuya sighs before explaining, “Dazai rarely actually says sorry but he’ll do things, like let me get revenge on him or do my share of paperwork for a few days. Maybe if I’m lucky he’ll lay off about my height for a while.”

The breeze he had just been enjoying begins to turn cold, guess that means he really should be going inside now.

None of the 1A kids seem comforted by his explanation so he continues, “I can read that idiot better than anyone else, I know when he feels bad about saying sh*t or not. Besides, this situation is more than just he felt like being mean. That doesn’t excuse what he said but I can’t ignore that.”

“It is?” Midoriya asks.

Chuuya nods, he ignores the shiver that runs through him when the breeze gets colder, “You should know by now nothing to do with Dazai isn’t complicated.”

-

If asked, Todoroki wouldn’t be able to explain why he did what he did. No, that’s not quite right. He knew why he did it, he just would prefer not to say it aloud.

The way Dazai had acted, his sudden defensiveness, the way he spat out insults before sulking off to hide away alone. In some way it reminded him of his own brother Natsuo, it reminded him of watching his brother yell at his father and being brushed off, it reminded him of hearing his brother get upset through the wall but never being allowed to go see him.

He saw that in Dazai, he saw that in how he stalked off and shut himself in the bathroom without a word. He remembered his mother’s words and his own thoughts regarding getting Dazai and Nakahara to trust 1A more and decided he wanted to help. Perhaps part of him, the part that saw Natsuo in him, wanted to make up for the times he could not help his brother.

Midoriya, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu had taken the initiative to go check on Chuuya but no one had made any move to check on Dazai. Perhaps they thought Dazai was the aggressor and thus did not need checking up on. Todoroki thought there must be more to it, something must have happened to pit Dazai against the one he seems to trust more than anyone else.

At first, he had planned to simply wait outside the bathroom until Dazai came out. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say when that happened but he had figured, perhaps foolishly, that he would figure it out as he went.

Minutes passed by without any sign of Dazai, the sound of taps running began, Todoroki paid it no mind.

The taps didn’t stop. They ran and ran and ran, the longer they went on the more Todoroki felt put off by the sound. A feeling of dread grew in his chest, he tried to ignore it.

Nakahara hadn’t come back inside yet. The taps were still running. Dazai isn’t making any sounds.

His feeling of dread did not go away.

In the moment he wasn’t sure what compelled him to move, perhaps his heroic spirit pushed him into action, perhaps it was the selfish need to know what was happening behind a closed door. Perhaps the words his mother had said to him yesterday morning were still echoing around his head. Perhaps he knew, if only subconsciously, that something was terribly wrong.

It hardly took any effort to manipulate his ice to unlock the door, in contrast it took far much more effort to push open the door.

A blurry figure tucked unresponsive under a tub full of water, the taps continued to run and run and run. Water overflows from the side of the tub, not because of any movement, but rather due to the sheer volume of it.

Todoroki did not know how to help but he did know someone that would, he pushed aside his temptations to move closer knowing it would likely only cause more damage. Louder than he had ever been before he turned and yelled, “Nakahara!!”

-

Chuuya jolts at the sound of his name being yelled, the sound breaks the calm atmosphere that had been built up.

For a second Chuuya wonders who could be yelling for him and why, for a second he wonders before he gets a chill down his spine. There’s only one reason why someone would yell for him like that, only one reason that voice would sound somewhat panicked.

Chuuya doesn’t spare the kids around him a glance as he jumps up and rushes towards the door, if his Ability wasn’t blocked he'd be able to get there quicker, he’d be able to get to Dazai quicker.

He ignores the confused looks he gets when he runs through the common room, instead he focuses on Todoroki who looks straight at him. Todoroki who is standing by the bathroom, the bathroom with an overflowing bathtub and no Dazai in sight. Dammit, he should have gotten up and checked on him sooner. Chuuya feels his anger disappear as panic and adrenaline fills him.

Chuuya skids to a stop at the edge of the bathtub, overflowing water begins to soak into his socks but he pays that no mind. In one swift movement his arms sink into the water and wrap around Dazai, ready to scoop him up and out of the water. Chuuya’s front gets drenched when he pulls Dazai up, not that it matters once he notices Dazai isn’t breathing.

Dammit, how long had he been under?

Chuuya tries not to jostle him too much but it’s near impossible to avoid it as he pulls Dazai over the edge of the tub and onto the ground. Chuuya feels adrenaline rushing through him as he assesses the situation, first he’ll have to make sure Dazai’s airway is open before trying CPR.

“Can I-”

“f*ck off,” Chuuya’s tone is clipped and harsh, the sort of tone he uses often in the Port Mafia but never at UA. He doesn’t have it in him to care about keeping up pretences right now, if revealing all his secrets right now would help him get Dazai breathing again then he’d do it.

Chuuya has had to perform CPR a few times, that means he doesn’t hesitate to tip Dazai’s head back and pull his mouth open. He takes a deep breath, as deep as he possibly can, before leaning down, placing his lips around Dazai’s mouth, and blowing all that air into him. He does that another four times before moving on to chest compressions, after his first time doing CPR Chuuya had made sure to learn the exact number of breaths and compressions he should do.

Not for the first time Chuuya finds himself appreciative for his arm strength, doing chest compressions to the right depth quickly becomes tiring.

The sharp intake of breath snaps Chuuya’s attention back to the doorway, annoyance bubbles below his skin because he told that Todoroki kid to f*ck off and-

Aizawa, clearly taken aback and yet with a face set in determination, stands stone still in the doorway. For a moment no one says anything, the adrenaline coursing through Chuuya’s body demands he gets on the offensive right now. It demands that he jump up and protect his idiot of a partner from being hurt any further. He can’t do that though, not since Dazai hasn’t started breathing again yet. Continuing with chest compressions needs to be his top priority right now.

A yell from the next room, a 1A kid probably, snaps the tension between the two. Aizawa takes a step forward, he wants to help. Chuuya knows he isn’t a threat, knows that he’s likely trained in first aid and can help and yet…

“Don’t you dare take another step.”

Aizawa doesn’t move forward again, but he doesn’t move back either. “Kid,” he starts, “he needs medical attention, Iida has gone for Recovery Girl. Until then let me h-”

“Not happening,” Chuuya cuts him off, he wishes he could be giving Dazai his full attention right now but he needs Aizawa to back off first.

“You know you can trust me kid.”

Chuuya scowls at that, there’s a huge difference between trusting Aizawa not to attack him in his sleep and trusting him enough to get close to Dazai right now. Logically he knows Aizawa isn’t going to pull a knife and finish the job if he gets closer but Chuuya can’t trust he will actually help Dazai. This isn’t like how it is in Yokohama, he can’t trust without hesitation that Hirotsu or Mori or even Ane-san will be able to help Dazai because they’ve done this before and have yet to fail. He can’t put his trust in someone else when he knows how to do CPR and knows he can bring Dazai back, letting more people get involved will only decrease the chances of success. If by the time Recovery Girl has arrived he hasn’t managed to get Dazai breathing again then he’ll step aside and let her help, he knows that his knowledge and experience is nothing on that of a professional. He won’t like it but he isn’t stupid enough to reject a trained doctor’s help.

There is another reason Chuuya cannot let him get any closer to Dazai though.

“But Dazai doesn’t, so f*ck off.”

Despite the urgency of the situation it hadn’t escaped Chuuya’s notice that Dazai’s bandages are looser than normal. It may have just been a combination of the water and Chuuya pulling him out, it may also have been Dazai going at his arms before trying to drown himself. Chuuya isn’t sure why but that’s a later problem, right now all he knows is that it’s far too easy to catch a peek under Dazai’s bandages, it’s far too easy for his bandages to slip off. Chuuya knows what those bandages hide, he also knows Dazai would never want a bunch of pro heroes to see under them. If Aizawa gets closer and tries to help then he’ll see, he’ll see and then tell principal Nedzu and then Dazai will have to deal with that. Chuuya won’t let that happen.

Aizawa holds his gaze for a moment, likely debating his options. Push further and see how far Chuuya will go to keep him out, or back off and hope Dazai ends up alright. In the end he seems to decide on a mixture of the two options, without moving even an inch closer Aizawa lowers himself to the ground in the doorway.

“I won’t leave you both here,” Aizawa starts, “But I won’t come any closer. Do you know what to do?”

Chuuya resists the urge to roll his eyes, it should be clear by now that he does. Chuuya does not verbally answer, instead he takes another deep breath before leaning back down and delivering the air to Dazai. He does that again before switching back to chest compressions, his arms are already sore as hell but he pays it no mind.

This continues for a few more minutes, Chuuya tries not to get desperate when Dazai shows no sign of breathing. If he gets desperate then he might f*ck up the rythm of the chest compressions, he can’t afford for that to happen. Chuuya very deliberately pushes aside any thoughts of what might happen if Dazai doesn’t start breathing soon, he ignores what might happen if both him and Recovery Girl fail to save him. There’s no point thinking about what won’t happen, it’ll only serve to freak him out and make him panic.

Despite his best efforts to push those thoughts aside, a few slip through the longer it takes for Dazai to come back. Thoughts of how the hell he’ll finish this mission on his own, how he’ll have to tell the Boss he failed in keeping Dazai alive, how he’ll have to tell Akutagawa and Dazai’s friend Oda. Thoughts of who will cover his back in fights now, of who will go to the arcade with him, of who would know him better than anyone else, or who-

A sharp, shaky breath violently snaps Chuuya’s attention to Dazai’s head. His face his scrunched up but he’s breathing, he’s f*cking breathing.

Chuuya feels relief flood him as Dazai begins sputtering and coughing below him, alright, the hard part is done now. Chuuya shifts Dazai so he’s laid on his side, not quite the recovery position but good enough for now, if Dazai needs to cough out any water or anything then he won’t choke on it.

“Good job,” Aizawa pulls Chuuya’s attention up and away from Dazai, “Can I come closer now?”

Chuuya hesitates because he probably should let him come check Dazai over, that would be the smart thing to do, but a large part of him doesn’t want to let it happen. Dazai’s vulnerable right now, it only makes sense that he’d want to keep any potential threats at a distance. That’s what he tells himself anyway.

Still, Chuuya is not an idiot. With swift movements Chuuya reaches down and tugs on Dazai’s bandages with just enough force to keep them from slipping off, this way no one will be able to peek under them. Thankfully, the bandage around his head is mostly in place, if that had come off then it would be a pain to fix it with Dazai out like this.

Once finished Chuuya looks up and nods at Aizawa, before the man can move though the sound of speedy footsteps and yelling ring out, “Aizawa-sensei! I have brought Recover Girl as you asked!”

Iida comes into view, just for a moment before Aizawa stands up and blocks the doorway. It seems Iida, in an effort to save time, had just picked Recovery Girl up before running back to the dorms. Chuuya’s sure Dazai would get a kick out of that if the circ*mstances were different.

Speaking of, below him Dazai coughs once again before groaning. Chuuya places a hand on his back, just so Dazai knows he’s still here and, hopefully, gets some comfort out of it. From the looks of it he’s barely conscious, he’s likely coming in and out of lucidity.

“I need to examine him, is that alright?”

Chuuya glances up, Iida has vanished but Aizawa is still standing at the door. Between him and Aizawa is Recovery Girl, she gives him an understanding but firm look. She’s trying to be considerate but also knows the faster she checks Dazai out the better, Chuuya understands this so he nods and shuffles back a bit. He’s still within arms reach of his partner but he hopes the extra room will help Recovery Girl.

Chuuya can’t relax yet, he won’t until Dazai is back to his annoying self, but he does feel as his panic and adrenaline slowly seeps away.

-

Aizawa holds it together until Recovery Girl gives him the ok to leave, only then does he step outside her office and allow his composure to break.

Aizawa has been a Pro Hero, and underground one at that, for many years now. He’s seen all manners of things, bloody murders, bodies missing parts, children with the conviction to hurt and kill. He’s seen countless horrors that still come back to haunt him to this day. When you look at it like that Dazai’s attempt to kill himself hardly makes the top twenty of the worst things he’s seen, there wasn’t any blood or guts and in the end his attempt failed. In a purely clinical, detached view it wasn’t that bad.

Aizawa isn’t ashamed to admit he is not clinical or detached. He tries to live logically, which may be confused for clinical and detached, but no matter how many times he says he doesn’t care it won’t change the fact he does care, he cares a whole lot about those important to him actually. Once, just after they had graduated UA, Hizashi had landed in the hospital for a week. He had said it wasn’t anything to worry about, the doctors just wanted to keep an eye on him just in case things got worse. Aizawa knew that and yet he still went and took down three gangs as a way to redirect his anxious energy.

If he didn’t care he wouldn’t have put his life on the line to protect 1A when the USJ was attacked.

He cares about his friends and family, he also cares about his students, which means he cares about Dazai and Nakahara. Those two are more trouble than anything but he still can’t help but care for them. Maybe he’s getting soft but those moments where they act their age are endearing to Aizawa, seeing them argue and tease each other makes him want to keep them safe just like he would with 1A.

It had taken all his restraint not to move from that doorway. Seeing one of his students, because for better or for worse Dazai is his student, still and unbreathing on the ground activated a unique fight or flight within him. He wanted to rush in and help, he wanted to do whatever he could to get Dazai back to his usual self. Nakahara hadn’t wanted that though and he made it very clear.

Nakahara had raised a good point, Dazai doesn’t trust him. Aizawa doubts Nakahara does either if he’s honest.

He isn’t offended, in fact, he agrees with them. Why should they trust him? Aizawa was aware of Dazai’s suicidal tendencies, most of the staff at UA are, but what had he done other than send him off in Nedzu’s direction? While it’s true Nedzu is his therapist while he’s at UA that doesn’t mean Aizawa can’t also be there for him, that doesn’t mean he should have left the problem alone. It’s not like he didn’t have the opportunity to speak with Dazai about it, infact Aizawa is probably the Pro those two see most often.

Instead of doing something, instead of breaching the topic himself Aizawa had left it to other people. When had he become so lazy? Why was he leaving it to Nedzu when he was capable of helping, why did he expect-

Why did he expect Nakahara, a child just like Dazai, to do the hard work?

Aizawa’s hands tighten into fists as he remembers just how foolish he was. Sure, Dazai might feel more comfortable with Nakahara but that hardly means Aizawa should just throw in the towel. He should have started doing things to help Dazai get more comfortable, to gain his trust so the responsibility isn’t solely on Nakahara’s shoulders. He didn’t do that though and so the universe has to show him how much of an idiot he was.

God, just thinking about the look Nakahara gave him back there makes everything worse. Aizawa knew, without a doubt, if he had tried to get closer Nakahara would have attacked him. His expression was completely serious and focused, a sharp contrast to the childish expressions and jokes Aizawa was used to.

Part of him wonders if that expression is how he normally looks back in Yokohama. Is that how he looks when he’s set out on missions no teenager should be?

That serious expression lessened somewhat once Dazai was breathing again but never fully disappeared. When Recovery Girl had suggested they move Dazai to her office Nakahara had quietly, but in a way that allowed no arguments, picked Dazai up and started walking. Once in the office, Recovery Girl said Dazai would need changing into some dry clothes, which fortunately she had, along with dry bandages. Nakahara had taken the offered clothes and bandages and quietly closed the curtain around Dazai’s bed before, presumably, doing the job himself. Gone was any of the teasing or dramatics Aizawa had gotten used to.

There had been some panic in that look and yet Nakahara didn’t once falter with CPR, his moves were perfectly precise. Once again Aizawa finds himself comparing that fact to 1A, a few kids might know CPR but he doubts they would ever be able to do it as well as Nakahara had. Nakahara is experienced with it, that much is clear, the real question is why? How many times has Dazai tried to drown himself before? What about other people, had Nakahara been responsible for bringing other people back to life? Has he ever failed?

Aizawa remembers every single person he failed to rescue, is it the same for Nakahara?

Aizawa allows himself a minute more of beating himself up, after it finishes he straightens up and begins walking away from Recovery Girl’s office. Nedzu will already know what happened but Aizawa still needs to report it, he’ll have to keep Hizashi in the loop too so he can be there for Nakahara. 1A will need speaking to as well, a decent amount of them were in the common area when Todoroki had called for help. Aizawa had sent them to their rooms almost immediately but that doesn’t mean they hadn’t seen or heard anything, those who did will likely be shaken. Most importantly, Aizawa needs to come back and apologise to Dazai and Nakahara the first moment he can. He needs to make sure those two know that from now he’ll do better, from now on he’ll be there for both of them.

-

“You can stop pretending now.”

If it were anyone else then Chuuya would expect them to react to that statement, maybe stiffen up or take a sharp intake of breath. Dazai isn’t anyone else though, so Chuuya knows to expect he won’t give any sign of actually being awake. Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that Chuuya knows he is. It’s been a good few hours since Dazai tried to drown himself, a good few hours that Chuuya has been sitting waiting for him to wake up. Recovery Girl and Aizawa had both said to alert them once he did wake up, Chuuya hadn’t bothered agreeing to that since he knew it would be a lie.

Dazai won’t say anything yet, that’s just how he is. If it were up to him then Chuuya knows he simply wouldn’t say anything, not until he’s feeling better at least. He’d wait a day or two, long enough that he’s able to pull up some mask or another to hide how he’s truly feeling, and then make a joke of the whole thing. He’d tease Chuuya for caring, probably say something to piss him off.

Chuuya knows this because this is far from the first time he’s had to drag Dazai back from the brink of death.

“Not got anything to say to me?”

Dazai continues to ignore him.

Whenever Chuuya catches him during a serious attempt he always makes sure to stick around until Dazai wakes up again, call him paranoid but hearing the news from someone else just doesn’t reassure him the same way. He needs to see it with his own eyes that Dazai is still kicking, he needs to see for himself that his partner hasn’t left him yet.

Chuuya sighs, getting Dazai to talk is going to be hard. There have been a good few times that Chuuya has stuck by Dazai’s side while he recovers from whatever injuries he managed to inflict on himself, it doesn’t happen too often though due to Mori-san’s habit of whisking Dazai away after a serious attempt. Chuuya has tried to get Dazai to talk and explain himself before, he has tried to extend an olive branch so he can better understand his partner but it has never worked out. Dazai, who is usually all too willingly to chatter about suicide methods, absolutely clams up in those situations.

An idea pops to mind as he remembers his latest session with Yamada, the man had said something like ‘You can talk, I’ll just listen’. If Chuuya just talks and there isn’t any pressure to respond then maybe Dazai will be more receptive. That could work, although part of him cringes back at the idea that those therapy sessions are actually teaching him something.

“I’m going to sit on the bed next to you, that alright?” He waits a few moments and watches Dazai closely for any sign of rejection. He doesn’t see any so he tentatively gets up and sits himself down next to Dazai, he makes sure they aren’t touching though. Sometimes Dazai seems to crave physical touch, other times he only gets worse with it. He’ll leave the choice up to Dazai. “I’m gonna run through what I think the problem is, if you don’t wanna respond that’s fine. Just listen, alright?”

Again, no response.

“I noticed you started getting all stuck in your own head during the fights with 1B,” Chuuya starts, “the day after you were slightly worse and then this morning I could tell something was up. Usually, there would still be a day or so before you tried anything, which makes me think that HPSC agent said something.”

It’s quiet, almost unnoticeable, but Chuuya hears as Dazai sighs. In annoyance maybe, but it’s still a reaction, something that proves that Dazai is actually listening to him.

“Course, no one can out manipulate you. Whatever she said must have been something you were already thinking about, then you came back to the dorms and lashed out seeing me with the 1A kids, wanna know what I think?” Predictably Dazai doesn’t answer, Chuuya continues, “Whatever you’ve been thinking has to do with me, right?” The woman who had interviewed Chuuya had said a few things that were meant to drive a wedge between him and Dazai; he wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing had been said to Dazai.

Still no answer but that’s fine, all he wants is for Dazai to listen to what he has to say. If he doesn’t take it to heart then that’s another thing, just having his attention right now is enough.

Chuuya resists the urge to sigh lest Dazai think he’s annoyed at him or anything, “Well, whatever that agent said was bullsh*t.”

He’s confident that’s the case, so he continues without hesitation, “If she said something about me leaving you, or you not being a right fit for my partner then that’s nonsense. No one could do what you do any better, not me, not the Boss, not anyone. And…” Chuuya trails off, uncertain if what he wants to say next is actually appropriate. The problem with being a teenager trying to comfort another teenager after a failed suicide attempt is that you hardly know what the right thing to say is. The fact it’s Dazai of all people he’s trying to encourage to continue living makes things even harder. God, he should have started looking into psychology or something months ago.

“And?” Dazai asks unexpectedly.

Ah, f*ck, he’ll have to say it now. “... And you’re my partner dammit, I need you.” Which is, unfortunately, very true. “You’ve saved my ass more times than I can count, be it with your crazy plans or with your Ability. I never have to worry when you’re with me, ‘cause I know you’ll have my back no matter what. I don’t trust many people like that y’know, and…” Once again Chuuya finds himself trailing off, but this time he knows he wants to say what he has in mind even if it’ll be hard to say. “And being around you makes me feel human, so yea, call me selfish but I don’t want you dying on me.”

Dazai doesn’t respond so Chuuya allows himself to fall into silence. He’s hoping Dazai is just thinking over what he said and is not upset or anything with him, that would make an already sh*tty day worse. Even if what he said wasn’t the most ideal thing to say to someone post suicide attempt he hopes the core message of it gets into Dazai’s head, that message being that at least one person would care if he died. The idea that no one cares about him might not even be the reason Dazai made an attempt, Chuuya wouldn’t know, but he hopes it helps nonetheless.

The not quite awkward but not comfortable silence continues and so Chuuya’s thoughts drift. He’ll have to do damage control at some point, make sure everyone who saw Dazai knows he won’t stand for any gossip. In all fairness he doubts anyone would talk, Aizawa and Recovery Girl are teachers with enough common sense not to talk to students about this and the only 1A kid who actually saw anything was Todoroki. As much as he may still hate Dazai, Chuuya is sure that Todoroki isn’t the gossip kind.

He’ll still make an effort to speak to Todoroki and maybe class 1A as a whole. If a single one of them dares to talk sh*t about Dazai for this he’ll be practically forced to ruin their cover. It shouldn’t be too hard to get these damn cuffs off, after that he can show them the true power of gravity. Failing that he’ll just beat them with his fists, simple.

A slight shuffle from beside him brings his attention back to his partner just in time to hear him softly say, “... Chuuya needs me huh…”

“f*ckin’ course I do, Soukoku is two people remember?”

There’s movement by his side which causes Chuuya to allow himself to look down at his partner. Dazai has turned his head just enough to lock eyes with him, he doesn’t look back to his usual self yet, which isn’t surprising, but Chuuya likes to think he’s feeling even the tiniest bit better. He hopes so anyway.

He thinks Dazai might be trying to read him, trying to see if Chuuya was honest with what he said. He hopes that whatever Dazai finds tells his Mackerel just how much he cares about him.

He must have seen something good as Dazai’s searching gaze lessens somewhat, “Chuuya’s being honest?”

Chuuya huffs, “If I didn’t need you why the hell would I be in a f*cking hero school right now?”

Dazai nods slightly before turning back to his previous position, this time the atmosphere doesn’t feel quite as cold and tense.

After a moment of silence Dazai shuffles back, just enough that his back makes contact with the side of Chuuya’s leg. Chuuya doesn’t say anything, instead he just leans in and gets comfortable.

Tomorrow is going to be annoying and tiring to deal with, Chuuya can only imagine how many questions the teachers alone will have. Recovery Girl will want to give Dazai another check over, which Chuuya will have to try and convince him to let happen. He and Dazai will have to have a proper conversation tomorrow about everything, from the HPSC interview to the argument to the attempt.

For now though, Chuuya just relaxes with the knowledge his partner is still with him. Together, as Soukoku, they’ll get through whatever is thrown at them tomorrow.

Chapter 21: 19 - Recovery

Chapter Text

“Ah- Let’s head up there together, shall we?”

Koharu nods, although internally she feels irritation building. Perhaps this is a secondary Quirk of Harue’s, the power to constantly be where she isn’t wanted.

“Oh come one, don’t look at me like that!” Harue shuffles closer, clearly looking for some sort of reaction. Koharu keeps her eyes trained on the door of the lift as it slowly begins ascending the many floors of the HPSC headquarters. The higher ups have called a meeting, one to discuss the outcomes of the interviews and plan for the future, Koharu can only hope Harue actually bothered to do her report this time.

Koharu cannot comprehend how Harue is still kept on as an agent with how inefficient and incompetent she is.

Harue leans back, seemingly realising Koharu won’t be entertaining her nonsense today. If that is her thought process, then she would be correct. A meeting with the higher ups means that Koharu must be flawless, she must be the perfect agent that they could never dream of firing. The perfect agent does not fall to stupid comments from Harue.

“I heard that kid’s Ability is nullification, which means all that research you did was useless in the end~”

The perfect agent should not fall to stupid comments from Harue, Koharu has exactly thirteen floors to be an imperfect agent before they reach the higher ups. No, make that ten floors to be imperfect, being fully composed before arriving is the most ideal course of action.

“No, it wasn’t,” Koharu replies flatly. While it was certainly annoying to deal with, it's not like Koharu was left useless without her Quirk, in fact, she had long since learnt the benefits of not relying on her Quirk so much. Her Quirk, Flawed, allows her to see the insecurities, worries, or anything ‘flawed’ of anyone she looks at- herself included. Over time she has learnt the art of reading people and taking note of the small things that give away their worries and insecurities, such as reactions to certain topics and attempting to hide parts of themself. Her Quirk makes it easier but Koharu is competent enough to do her job, and do it well, without it.

The boy, Dazai, had admittedly been a challenge. For a while it had seemed like he was but a blank slate, someone so clinical and emotionless that it almost reminded Koharu of herself. That didn’t last though, no, all it had taken was a brief mention of his partner, that Nakahara boy, and that facade came crumbling down. Well, perhaps that isn’t the correct way to describe what happened. To Koharu his answers and reactions from that point on had been an easy weak point to attack, it had been all too obvious to prod and poke and get the reactions she wanted. Other people likely wouldn’t have noticed the change in the boy’s demeanour for it was subtle.

In the end Koharu had left the interview satisfied, not only had she gained some information about Yokohama and the Port Mafia, although vague, she had also pushed along their plan quite nicely.

Now the only question that remains is if Harue was competent enough to do her part.

As if reading her mind Harue choses then to speak, “Well, I suppose it wasn’t all useless in the end. That Nakahara kid seemed receptive all things considered.” Harue waves around a folder, one that Koharu hopes includes a neat and finished report of the entire interview.

Koharu can feel as her phone buzzes in her pocket, with exactly five floors left until they reach the higher ups she decides to check it. Even without looking she knows exactly what the notification will be, exactly who the notification will be from. Before heading into meetings Koharu ensures her phone is set to block any notifications, she had made that a habit after seeing a fellow agent get yelled at for his phone ringing during a meeting.

Koharu learns from mistakes, be it her own or someone else’s.

There is only one person whose messages get through that block, a person who knows to only message her during a meeting if it is truly life or death.

K. Akuma : im gonna be presumptuous and get some fresh salmon for later… that meeting of yours better go well.

Koharu does not smile, not when Harue could see it and pester her, but she does feel her mood improve after reading the message. Fresh salmon for special occasions and accomplishments is a tradition she started some years ago, if this meeting goes well then Koharu will likely receive an advancement on her pay. If it doesn’t go well then she could be fired, which would not be a salmon worthy occasion.

Akuma has always loved fresh salmon, Koharu will have to ensure this meeting goes well then.

“Oooo, I didn’t think you had any friends! Who might this be?” Harue leans over to get a better view of Koharu’s phone, in response Koharu simply shuts her phone off and tucks it away. Koharu knows how easy it is to twist information to manipulate someone, as such she makes sure to keep her work life away from her private life.

Three floors left.

Koharu takes a breath and feels herself slot into the perfect agent she has to be. The interview with Dazai went well, this meeting shall go well too. She will prove to the higher ups she is capable of handling these two Yokohaman boys.

-

Yamada isn’t an overly anxious person. He gets worried, especially when his friends go out on patrol in dangerous areas, but he has never been one to get worked up when there isn’t a reason to be.

That being said, getting called to an early morning meeting with the Principal isn’t something he can just brush off. It certainly doesn’t help that the location of said meeting is Nedzu’s office and not the meeting room, that must mean only a select few members of staff will be present. Or maybe it’s just going to be Nedzu and Yamada, in which case he would get far more anxious.

As always, before Yamada even raises a hand to knock, Nedzu's door swings open. The Principal is sitting at his desk, a polite smile on his face, “Do come in, Yamada.”

Yamada walks in, shutting the door on his way, and takes one of the seats in front of Nedzu’s desk. “Can I ask what this is about?”

“I will explain once Aizawa arrives,” Nedzu responds, which does work to calm Yamada’s nerves. Despite his attitude, and appearance, Shouta is one of the best teachers at UA. His methods may be unorthodox but there is a reason why classes taught by Shouta succeed the most after graduation.

While his nerves may have calmed somewhat, Yamada can’t help but be curious as to what this meeting will be about.

Behind him the door swings open, unphased Shouta walks. Well, Yamada says unphased but there is clearly something wrong with his friend. He seems more tired than usual, did something happen? Is that why Yamada was called here today?

“Principal,” Shouta greets, although noticeably tense. Yamada feels his own nerves grow in response, he tries to get them under control as Shouta sits down next to him. There’s no point in overthinking and scaring himself, he knows this, and yet he can’t help but allow the worst case scenarios to fill his mind. Shouta himself seems fine, so if something has happened then it couldn’t have been to him. Did a 1A student get hurt? Or the family of one of the kids? Although, if that were the case why would Yamada be present? He isn’t particularly close with anyone in 1A, well, except for Nakahara-

Nakahara. Dazai. The interviews.

Yamada feels his foot begin to bounce from sheer anxiety.

“Thank you for joining me on such short notice,” Nedzu starts, his serious tone doing nothing to calm Yamada’s nerves, “Aizawa is already aware of what happened, so I will explain for your benefit Yamada.”

Yamada barely feels himself nodding.

“Last night, after returning from his interview with the HPSC agent Kusumi Koharu, Dazai instigated an argument between himself and Nakahara. Once left alone to ‘cool off’, Dazai attempted to drown himself in the first floor bathroom.”

Ironically, Yamada feels as if ice water has been poured down his shirt.

Nedzu continues, “Nakahara quickly arrived at the scene and performed CPR, ultimately managing to get Dazai breathing again. Currently they are both in Recovery Girl’s office resting.”

Yamada finds himself thinking back to yesterday morning, he thinks back to how he waited so anxiously for those interviews to start. Back then he had a feeling something was going to go wrong, was that just him being overly anxious or was it a gut feeling he should have listened to? Being a Pro has taught him to trust in gut feelings, even if sometimes they don’t make any sense. So why hadn't he taken his own worries more seriously back then?

There has never been a point in creating ‘what if’ scenarios after something happened, a fact Yamada learned quickly being a Pro Hero, and he won’t start now. No, right now he has to push back that underlying feeling of guilt and ‘could I have done something more?’ so he can properly focus on what is happening now.

Right now he needs to get a better understanding of what happened, how Dazai and Nakahara were affected, and what he needs to do from now on.

(Yamada’s mind flicks back to his last session with Nakahara, it reminds him how the kid had spoken about his home in such an adoring way. It reminds him of Nakahara’s face showing fond amusem*nt when recounting the stories about the arcade and the tea house.)

While he can’t be sure it was entirely the fault of that HPSC agent that Dazai tried to kill himself, he’s sure that, at the very least, she made things worse. That should be enough to make sure she never steps foot on UA grounds again, let alone have a private interview with Dazai again. Yamada will make sure of it.

He takes a steading breath, just to make sure his Quirk doesn’t act up, before speaking, “What exactly happened in those interviews?”

Nedzu shakes his head, “Foolishly, I believed the HPSC smart enough not to try anything on UA grounds. While I’m sure they were recording the interviews I doubt we would be able to get access to it, for now all we can do is wait for Dazai and Nakahara to tell us.”

“When they’re ready,” Shouta adds, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Of course,” Nedzu easily agrees, “In the meantime we can attempt to… Theorise what was said, I myself have thought of a few potential reasons.” Nedzu brings attention to the sheets of paper sat on his desk before continuing, “While agent Kusumi’s Quirk was rendered useless due to No Longer Human, that does not mean she was unable to have an effect on Dazai. I suspect she has a talent in reading people and picking up on their ‘weaknesses’ even without her Quirk.”

That makes sense, although there is one thing bugging Yamada about that. “Dazai’s skilled at that too, if I remember right. Surely he would see through her and not…”

Nedzu gives him what Yamada has dubbed the ‘teacher look’. That is to say, the look where he thinks you’re smart enough to realise something but just need to think about it for a moment more. Yamada does just that, mentally he goes over all the information he has in an attempt to figure out what Nedzu wants him to see.

Yamada doesn’t know Dazai all that well personally, although he does know a lot about the kid via Nakahara, so he can’t be completely sure in his assessment of the kid’s personality. That being said, from what he has heard and seen Dazai should be resistant to manipulation. He’s a smart kid, one that knows just how to pick at something to get a reaction. Being able to do all that means he should also be good at recognising and avoiding it.

His fears only seem to grow once Shouta arrives with Dazai and Nakahara trailing behind him. Nakahara is on Dazai’s right like normal, what isn’t normal is the hand grabbing Dazai’s arm. Dazai himself seems to be staring off into space. Neither of them are teasing each other or complaining which sets off the alarms in Yamada’s head.

Yamada’s mouth moves before he can think about it, “Dazai was already in a bad place when he went in for the interview.”

Nedzu nods, a pleased look in his eye at Yamada figuring it out, “One of my theories is that Dazai was already teetering on the suicidal side of things that morning, whatever agent Kusumi said was the driving force that pushed him over.”

That… makes sense. Although it certainly doesn’t help the guilt Yamada is trying to push back. Nakahara had clearly known something was up with Dazai that morning, yet he didn’t try to say anything, didn’t try to get support from the three adults around him. Part of Yamada feels bitter that Nakahara hadn’t trusted him, the other part of him pushes that even deeper than the guilt. He won’t blame the kid for not trusting him.

“What other theories do you have?” Shouta asks a moment later.

“A less likely theory is that the HPSC found information on Dazai, or possibly Nakahara, and threatened Dazai with it,” Nedzu pauses to flick through his papers, “I was unable to find any information on those two, so I do doubt the HPSC was able to. It is, nevertheless, a possibility.”

Nedzu continues, “Another theory would be the possibility of this being some ploy by the Port Mafia. Thus far, the only activity we have observed of them is a slightly increased crime rate around the Yokohama border. Although that could well be due to the live steam and not the Port Mafia.”

Shouta leans back in his chair, clearly unhappy at the thought of the Port Mafia getting involved, “The Port Mafia would know how to get to Dazai better, they might have been hoping he’d take himself out if they pushed enough.”

sh*t, Yamada hadn’t even thought of this being the doing of the Port Mafia.

“We don’t know how far the Port Mafia has reach, it might be in the realm of possibility that they have someone, or a number of people, in the HPSC. Although,” Nedzu seems to consider his next words carefully, “That does bring up an interesting question indeed.”

Fortunately, Nedzu doesn’t wait for someone to prompt him to elaborate. “When I arranged for Nakahara and Dazai to join us at UA I had expected for the Port Mafia to cause some trouble, either in an attempt to get them back or to ‘silence’ them. However, aside from the previously mentioned crime increase, there seemingly hasn’t been any movement from them.”

“That… doesn’t sound good,” Yamada replies lamely.

Nedzu nods like he said something intelligent anyway, “Indeed. Now, there are some potential reasons why this may be the case. As I have said before, perhaps Dazai and Nakahara aren’t important, perhaps they don’t know any sensitive information, in that case the Port Mafia’s silence would be them just cutting their losses.”

“Or maybe the Port Mafia is waiting for the perfect opportunity to try and take them both back, if they rushed into it and failed then UA would, naturally, raise our defences. It only makes sense for them to be cautious if that were the case.”

Shouta narrows his eyes, “There’s something else you’re not saying.”

Nedzu gets that proud glint in his eye once again before nodding, “I have approximately thirty theories about the Port Mafia’s lack of involvement and roughly the same about what happened in those interviews. There are a few that seem more plausible that others, some that seem to fit yet I have no evidence to prove them.”

“Not having evidence hasn’t stopped you from talking theories in the past,” Shouta, blunt as ever, says. Yamada, who was raised to have good manners, almost wants to cringe away. Then again, after spending so many years with Shouta he’s mostly used to it.

Nedzu laughs, although not as enthusiastically as he usually would, “That is true! However, some of my theories may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Until I have more certainty on them I will have to refrain from sharing, lest my theories impact your attitudes towards Dazai and Nakahara.”

Shouta looks pissed off at that, which Yamada understands. He knows it’s nothing personal but it still stings a bit for Nedzu to say that, Yamada is a professional, he wouldn’t let half-baked theories cloud his view like that. Shouta even moreso, it wouldn’t fit with his ‘living life logically’ philosophy to do something like that.

Despite agreeing with him, Yamada places a hand on Shouta’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. Getting into arguments right now will help no one, instead they should focus on planning what needs to happen next. Turning to Nedzu, Yamada does just that, “We can’t let the HPSC have any private interviews from now on.”

“I have a few plans to ensure that it won’t happen again, although those will have to wait until Dazai and Nakahara are ready to speak to us,” Nedzu explains.

Shouta seems to calm further at the assurance Nakahara and Dazai won’t be pushed for information, Yamada allows his hand to linger for a second more before moving it away. He turns to Nedzu, “You said they’re both in Recovery Girl’s office, right? I imagine she’ll want to keep them for a few days, what will we say to class 1A and the other teachers?”

“For now we need to focus on Dazai’s recovery and checking to see how Nakahara is fairing mentally. I will meet with the other teachers, the ones that need to know, and inform them of what happened while keeping the details, such as my theories, to a minimum. Aizawa can inform class 1A when he deems it appropriate.” Nedzu answers.

“I need to speak with the kids that were downstairs, especially Todoroki. I’ll tell the rest of the class tomorrow in homeroom,” Shouta responds, he seems tired. Yamada can’t help but wonder how much sleep he actually got last night, by the looks of him it couldn’t have been that much.

“Very well,” Nedzu nods, “Yamada, do feel free to visit Nakahara and Dazai over the next few days. Now, are there any other questions?”

Yamada shakes his head, Shouta follows suit a moment later.

After brief goodbyes and promises to keep each other updated are exchanged, Yamada finds himself in the hallway with Shouta. Yamada can’t tell if he looks any better or worse after the meeting.

“Shouta?”

For a second he doesn’t reply, then, with a sigh, Shouta slumps up against the wall behind him, “Hizashi he… Nakahara…” Shouta pauses a moment before trying again, “Nakahara acted all serious and unaffected but… But he was scared, I know it. He was so scared his best friend would die and I did nothing, I haven’t done anything to help them both since they got here.”

Yamada’s nose scrunches up at that, his first instinct being to object to the notion that Shouta hasn’t done anything to help. A part of him puts a stop to that though, instead it pulls at him to pay closer attention to Shouta’s choice of words. Yamada thinks about it and realises.

“Shouta,” he starts, once again he places a hand on Shouta’s shoulder, “This situation is different, right? Dazai is fine and he will be fine, I promise.” It’s a stupid promise to make, every Pro worth their salt knows promising the survival of people is a risky move, after all, there’s no one on the planet who can reverse death.

“I know,” Shouta raises a hand to rub at his eyes, “I just don’t want him going through that, either of them.”

Yamada nods, “I know.” He lets the silence sit for a moment, despite his objections Shouta really cares so much about the people around him.

“Hey,” Yamada starts, still upset at Shouta for blaming himself, “If it’ll help you can tell me what happened. Might help you process everything.”

Shouta drops the hand from his face, “Yea, alright. The staff room should be empty this early, right?”

-

(His door closes, Nedzu sighs once it has. The papers on his desk are littered with new notes and theories.

Two boys from Yokohama, stronger and smarter than a majority of the Pros active these days. One boy with a code stamped on his neck, the other covered in bandages. A duo that claims they only met each other a year ago, and yet clearly trust each other like they have been acquainted for lifetimes.

Nedzu has no access to any information about those boys, his theories, bountiful as they are, lack anything to back them up. He can’t, in good faith, pick a theory to pursue when they all have the same chance of being the truth.

It’s been a long time since Nedzu was this challenged.)

-

Bakugou isn’t a f*cking idiot, ok? People always seem to be shocked when they find out he’s actually a good student, likely because they assume someone can’t be strong and smart. But he is smart, if he wants to be the number one Pro Hero someday he needs to have the brains to back up his Quirk.

No one has said sh*t yet, not Icyhot, Specs, or Aizawa, but that doesn’t mean Bakugou is oblivious to what happened yesterday. A kid with known suicidal tendencies causes an argument, locks himself away in a bathroom and then need immediate medical attention? Hah, even the idiots that insist on hanging out with Bakugou could piece together those clues.

Actually, there’s no doubt they have figured it out considering how they’re acting. Those idiots, along with the others that happened to be around when it happened, have been acting tense and sad all day.

Like he said, there’s been no announcement yet so most of the class is still in the dark. He can see the curious and worried glances being constantly sent his way though, they know something is up. It doesn’t help that Specs just f*cking had to make an announcement that ‘something serious’ had occurred and to ‘give everyone space’. What a joke, at that point he might as well have just said what happened.

That tense, worried, and curious atmosphere had followed the class all day now resulting in almost silent lunch tables. Deku and his little group of followers had decided to sit right by Bakugou’s table, likely because they all hesitated to enter the lunch hall like it was some crime. Bakugou didn’t want to wait for those idiots to get it together so he had just pushed past and went on like usual, unfortunately it seems that Deku and the other extras had decided he was some sort of leader to follow. On a normal day Bakugou would relish in that, today though he finds it so f*cking annoying.

To make matters worse, the rest of the student body seem determined to only talk about class 1A and those two Yokohama f*cks. It’s all ‘Oh, that’s the class with the murderers!’ ‘I feel so bad!’ ‘Class 1A has it so rough this year!’, like those irrelevant extras would know anything.

Not to mention how everytime an insult is said the idiots around him seem to physically wilt, which pisses Bakugou off into glaring at whoever was stupid enough not to keep their voice down. Or, you know, not f*cking gossip around the subjects of said gossip.

In Bakugou’s opinion, getting those two put in their class was a stroke of luck. Two highly trained fighters, masters of their Abilities, of weapons, and their bodies, for Heroes in training there isn’t anything better.

Bakugou lost in his first fight with Bandages, his fight with Shorty had been a stalemate and the rematch with Bandages was interrupted by Deku and his schemes. It does piss him off to keep losing like that, but at the same time losing is a chance to learn and get better. He knows now, up close and personal, how those two fight. He knows what their Abilities do, which means he can think of different applications for them to be better prepared for next time.

Just by being around those two on a daily basis Bakugou feels himself improving and learning. Dealing with other people has never been his strong suit, especially the whiny ones that can’t do anything for themselves. Bandages acts like that, what with how he lounges around and pretends to be so weak and unassuming. He whines and gets other people to do his bidding, something that previously would have pissed Bakugou off to no end.

He absolutely still finds Bandages annoying as f*ck, but now he’s taking a different approach. Being able to read that f*cker, and read him well, will only help Bakugou in the long run. He doubts he’ll ever meet anyone else as difficult as Bandages, which means once Bakugou beats him he’ll have a clearer path to being number one.

Shorty is a lot easier to read, he’s loyal and defensive of Bandages. Strong too, the type of guy who doesn’t back down from a fight. He isn’t an idiot but the way he acts isn’t on the same level as Bandages. He’s honest, in both words and actions.

Personally, Bakugou doesn’t think either of them actually trust anyone at UA. If he were to go one step further, he’d say those two are acting far too nice considering the situation. Maybe they are just two f*cked up kids like everyone else thinks, or maybe there’s something deeper going on.

Bakugou is brought out of his thoughts by awkward laughing by Raccoon Eyes, someone probably tried to make a joke to lighten the mood. Obviously their attempt failed.

The idiots around him fall into silence once again, a quick glance confirms that Deku’s table is much the same. Bakugou feels his annoyance tick up at that, isn’t Deku’s whole thing analysis? That nerd has no reason to be looking so worried over Bandages of all people.

Dunce face opens his mouth, likely to try another sh*tty joke, which is when Bakugou decides he has had enough. He doesn’t slam his chopsticks down, but it certainly is loud enough to get the attention of both his and Deku’s table.

“Stop looking like it’s the end of the f*cking world,” Bakugou says, trying to maintain a tone that says ‘don’t you dare argue with me’.

Pink Cheeks, who has gained major confidence after the internships, looks him definitely in the eye, “We’re just worried, ok? With what happened yesterday it’s only natural.”

Raccoon Eyes nods, “Yea, plus Aizawa-sensei hasn’t told us if he’s alright yet or not so…”

sh*tty Hair rubs his neck as he chimes in, “Yea, and with how everyone is talking about them… It just feels so unmanly.”

Bakugou rolls his eyes at that, “First of all, none of you gave a sh*t what was said about them a day ago, why bother starting now? And do you really think things would be so quiet if Bandages kicked the bucket?” A few people look away at that, which almost causes Bakugou to roll his eyes again.

Specs looks like he’s about to reprimand Bakugou, which he almost looks forward to for the simple reason of getting to argue back, but is cut when sh*tty Hair speaks up, “What do you mean?”

Picking his chopsticks up, Bakugou explains, “Think of how those two act together.”

For a second it seems no one has picked up on what he means when f*cking Icyhot, of all people, nods, “I understand.” And it really f*cking does look like he gets it. In what world does Icyhot figure sh*t like this out before literally anyone else? (Minus Bakugou of course.)

It only takes a second longer for understanding to dawn on Deku’s dumb face, “Oh, I get what you mean Kacchan.”

Bakugou bites back the urge to yell at that idiot not to call him Kacchan.

The other extras turn to look at Deku as he explains, “Chuuya and Dazai are really close, if anything happened to one of them then the other would likely never deal with it quietly like this.”

“Well, that makes sense but we can still be worried, right?” Pink Cheeks asks. A few of Deku’s followers nod at that, which clearly encourages her to continue, “Maybe we could go visit Dazai? Just to see if he’s ok and all,” Pink Cheeks trails off a little at the end, clearly uncertain.

Bakugou clicks his tongue, “Don’t be stupid, pink cheeks.” A few people look at him in shock, maybe even a little bit of anger. He can feel the outrage of Deku’s little friends from across both tables, really, how stupid are they?

Before anyone can get on his back Bakugou further explains, “You really think that, one, Shorty would let us get that close or, two, Bandages would even want us there? Be f*cking real.”

For a second it seems Pink Cheeks wants to argue before she physically deflates, “Y-yea, I guess you’re right.”

Frog Face places a hand on Pink Cheeks arm, “Maybe we can ask Aizawa-sensei how he is after school? Ribbit.”

Pink Cheeks cheers up at that, along with other members of her group and Bakugou’s idiots. When they start to plan out what to say and if they should ask for a gift to be passed along Bakugou tunes out.

He’s glad Bandages didn’t die yesterday, mainly because he wants a fair f*cking fight against the two of them. You can’t fight a dead man and one that’s grieving won’t be at the top of their game. There’s no point in a fight like that.

-

Chuuya sighs, knowing before he’s even turned around exactly what type of expression Dazai will pull. Well, more like what Dazai will be thinking when he gets sight of what exactly Chuuya is wearing.

Yesterday, when Recovery Girl had offered them both a change of clothes, Chuuya had elected to just change Dazai into something dry and not bother with himself. He would much rather be in his own clothes, even if wet, than whatever Recovery Girl was able to find. The wet clothes weren’t the problem in the end, no, it was how they dried afterward. For some reason his clothes insisted on being slightly damp and never actually drying, this then led to a weird smell.

So here Chuuya is changing into the spare clothes Recovery Girl had supplied. There's the darkened silhouette of some hero on the shirt, he thinks so anyway- it’s not like Chuuya can recognise whoever it is. There’s some text on the shirt too, probably some sort of motto if he had to guess.

Chuuya turns around and, lo and behold, there Dazai’s single unbandaged eye is peeking at him. The rest of Dazai is tucked away under a rather thick blanket, something Chuuya had insisted on because Dazai is a terror when sick. If Dazai catches a cold on top of everything else that has happened then Chuuya might just have to call Mori-san to pick them up.

“It’s the only shirt she had, alright?” Chuuya defends, although it’s not like Dazai had been any luckier. The shirt he’s currently wearing is covered in about five different heroes all doing different gimmicks, some of them are random enough that Chuuya has to guess they relate to some established joke. The most noticeable ones are the bird and bunny duo fighting in various ridiculous poses and the blond guy with, what Chuuya can only guess, is a moustache made of denim.

Dazai looks at him for a moment and then, naturally, picks up on exactly what Chuuya was thinking just moments ago, “Chuuya doesn’t recognise who that is?” His voice is on the quiet side, but it’s leagues better than him not talking at all. If teasing Chuuya is something that will get Dazai feeling better then he’ll put up with it, for now at least.

“Should I?” In Chuuya’s defence, the last 24 hours have been stressful enough for him to forget all the random hero trivia he knows.

Dazai’s face, what’s visible of it anyway, doesn’t change and yet Chuuya gets the distinct feeling the bastard is amused. Great, whoever this pro is must be incredibly obvious, someone who is popular or someone Chuuya has already met.

Chuuya glances down and tries to figure it out before Dazai tells him. It can’t be Aizawa or Yamada, neither of them have the build for it, plus he hasn’t heard either of them say the motto once. Aizawa doesn’t really have a motto but Yamada’s is most definitely something to do with ‘little listener’, or maybe that’s just a nickname for kids and his actual motto is just ‘listener’. Chuuya can imagine him yelling something like ‘Listen up!’ before blasting the eardrums of some random villain. Aizawa doesn’t seem like the type to have a motto, but maybe something like ‘Get erased’ or something?... No, that’s stupid. Thank god he didn’t say that aloud.

Chuuya knows he’s heard the motto on his shirt before, he just can’t quite place who said it.

The name of the pro is on the tip of his tongue, it really is.

“All Might.”

Chuuya sighs in defeat, yep, it would be All Might wouldn’t it? The build of the figure on his shirt is dramatically big, which matches All Might to a T, not to mention the fact that yea, he has heard that motto before. Any time anything goes wrong, no matter how big or small, some kid is ready to yell it out. If someone needs encouragement or comfort then boom, Plus Ultra.

Although, you can’t blame him for momentarily forgetting about the man. Since that first battle in Yokohama he hasn’t actually done all that much, he just kind of lingers at the sidelines. Not to mention that the figure on his shirt isn’t in colour, how is Chuuya supposed to recognise him without his bright yellow hair? (Chuuya ignores the part of him that says he would be able to recognise Yamada’s silhouette without colour.)

“Yea, well, I’m not a fanboy so,” Chuuya rolls his eyes in a show of attitude, although they can both tell it’s fake.

Now with dry clothes Chuuya once again takes up his position by Dazai’s bed, this time he stays in his chair and not on the bed. The bed would be more comfortable, sure, but the part of him that gets all tense when Dazai is vulnerable wants him to be ready to jump up and start a fight if needed. Logically, Chuuya knows the biggest danger to Dazai is himself, that won’t stop him from being cautious.

Dazai is still staring at him, that one eye so piercing that Chuuya gets the feeling Dazai must be trying to read his mind or something.

Chuuya focuses his mind on just one thought: What happened in that interview?

Dazai glances away, which is either one hell of a coincidence or proof he has some sort of second Ability. Chuuya honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter.

Even though Chuuya didn’t actually ask what happened he feels that Dazai’s glance away is indicative of what would happen if he did. Right now things are still sort of tense in a way, Dazai isn’t outright ignoring him but there is a clear atmosphere of ‘don’t ask’ surrounding him.

Something happened in that interview and Chuuya needs to know what. Chuuya will admit that most of the reason behind him wanting to know is so he knows how much to beat up that HPSC agent if they ever cross paths again, whatever she said had gotten to Dazai in some way and Chuuya needs to get revenge for that.

Another reason he’d like to know is so he can figure out what to tell the teachers here at UA. Chuuya isn’t stupid, while so far no one has come in to speak to Dazai he just knows that won’t last. At some point someone, be it Aizawa or maybe even Nedzu, will come to speak with Dazai.

The problem with that is Dazai would never talk to them about this. Hell, he might not even tell Chuuya what happened, if the pros try to push then Dazai might end up just shutting everyone out and pretending nothing happened. More accurately he would just pretend it was all some sort of joke until everyone moved on.

So, the only solution is for Chuuya to become a sort of middleman. He learns what he can from Dazai and then tells the pros some of it, just enough to keep them from pestering Dazai and making things worse.

The problem, as already stated, is that Dazai clearly isn’t in a talking mood and honestly, neither is Chuuya. A part of him is still pissed off at Dazai for that argument yesterday, he knows Dazai wasn’t in his right mind but that doesn’t excuse it. For now he’ll let things go, there are bigger problems to worry about, but he will get some sort of apology later.

Chuuya’s eyes trail over to the tray of bowls left on Dazai’s bedside table. Recovery Girl had brought them some food, both last night and this morning, since they couldn’t leave to get any themselves. Well, Chuuya would in theory but like hell is he leaving Dazai’s side yet.

Dazai hadn’t eaten that much, which wasn’t at all surprising. Usually, Chuuya would try to get him to eat a bit more but he knows he shouldn’t push his luck right now. Instead, Chuuya had gone ahead and eaten about half of what Dazai left to avoid any questions by Recovery Girl. Should he have done that? Probably not but it’s too late to change anything.

Both times Recovery Girl had entered, Dazai pretended to be asleep, which only proves his earlier theory that Dazai has no plans to talk to any of the pros.

As if on cue a knock rings out through the room, before Chuuya can even ask who is at the door Dazai has already closed his eye and slowed his breathing. It’s almost impressive how in only a matter of seconds Dazai can go from looking perfectly awake and aware to in a deep sleep.

Chuuya sighs, hopefully it’s just Recovery Girl bringing them some lunch. “Yea?”

The door swings open and Aizawa walks in, not who he was hoping for but not the worst outcome.

Aizawa glances at Dazai before noticeably speaking quieter than he usually would, “How is he?”

Chuuya shrugs. Recovery Girl had been confident Dazai would be fine, she just wanted to keep him in the infirmary for a few days to make sure he stayed that way. So physically yea, he’s fine but mentally? That’s a clear no.

Aizawa seemingly takes his shrug as a proper answer and sits himself down in one of the chairs across the room.

Great, he’s about to ask about why Dazai tried to kill himself now. That’s what this has to be, right? He’ll probably want to know about any past attempts too, which Chuuya really does not want to be talking about right now. What if he asks why Dazai is-

“I’m sorry.”

-suicidal, how would Chuuya even answer that? How could he…

“Huh?” If Dazai wasn’t pretending to be asleep then he would probably be laughing at Chuuya’s dumbfounded reaction right now.

To his credit, Aizawa doesn’t falter at Chuuya’s reaction. “It was due to my own inaction that you had to go through that yesterday, for that I’m sorry.” Aizawa bows his head slightly as he speaks, which only serves to add to Chuuya’s confusion.

Aizawa apologising is weird enough, especially since he had no hand in what happened, but also what he’s apologising for throws Chuuya off. Aizawa is acting like seeing Dazai nearly die is some sort of hugely traumatic event, which sure it was unpleasant but with how often Dazai has tried to kill himself he’s mostly used to it. Not to mention that it is nowhere near the worst thing that Chuuya has seen, not even top five. He shrugs, “I’m used to it. Besides, Dazai would never let you close enough to deal with that stuff, so it’s whatever.”

That doesn’t seem to have the effect Chuuya was aiming for. Aizawa raises his head, his face hard, “You’re a kid Nakahara, you shouldn’t be used to keeping your friend from killing himself.”

Chuuya wants to interject there with how he really isn’t a kid but Aizawa shows no signs of stopping long enough for that to happen. “Despite knowing Dazai was a risk to himself I didn’t do anything to help, instead I thought it would be better, easier maybe, to leave it to you. I see now that was ignorant of me.”

Aizawa stops speaking for a moment but Chuuya does not take the opportunity to speak. This is the first time someone has apologised for leaving Dazai to him… Chuuya isn’t sure what to make of it. Back home it’s sort of a given, ‘Oh, Dazai is being difficult? Well pass him over to the one guy who can put up with him.’

After a few more seconds of silence, Aizawa continues, “From now on I won’t be asking for any information on Yokohama or the Port Mafia.”

That catches Chuuya off guard, isn’t that the main reason Nedzu let them stay at UA? Sure he can go on about rehabilitation and whatnot but it’s easy to see what the Pros really want to gain from this, a chance to get insider information. “And why would you do that?

“Because you don’t trust me, neither does Dazai. I realised yesterday that I haven’t been putting in enough effort to help you both, I’ve been acting passively when I should have been actively working to earn your trust,” Aizawa continues to speak, acting like what he’s saying makes completely perfect sense, “So, from now on, I don’t care what Nedzu or the HPSC say. Making sure you two have someone you can rely on, someone who is in your corner, will be my priority.”

Alright, Chuuya will have to re-adjust how he’s looking at this mission. Before he was going at it with the standard infiltration mindset, although slightly altered to work with Dazai’s plans. Back home infiltration missions tend to be an exercise in showing just enough trust but not too much, getting on people’s good sides while making sure to keep enough distance to avoid being hurt. If Aizawa is serious about this new goal of his, which he may well be lying, then he’ll likely continue to ‘actively work’ until he deems the level of trust significant. Chuuya, and Dazai too, will have to play along and pretend to trust him more then.

Aizawa is still looking at him, clearly waiting for an answer.

Chuuya glances down at Dazai, he’s still the perfect picture of being deeply asleep. Chuuya sighs and turns his attention back to Aizawa, “Dazai trusts about two, maybe three people. You really think you can get into the corner of someone like that?” In truth, Chuuya has no clue how many people Dazai trusts- if any. A safe bet would be himself and those two he always goes to the bar with.

Aizawa doesn’t seem affected by this, “I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.”

Chuuya holds his gaze for a moment, trying to see if the man is lying or not. Dazai has always been better at reading people. Aizawa’s face is set so seriously that Chuuya can’t help but believe he’s being honest, “Fine, do whatever you want.”

Aizawa nods and almost seems relieved by it, yet his serious expression does not leave him, “Nakahara, letting those two HPSC agents speak to you alone was a mistake, one I’ll make sure doesn’t happen again.”

Chuuya wasn’t going to let it happen again either.

Aizawa continues, “Knowing what was said in both yours and Dazai’s interviews will help us to prevent it from happening again.”

Ah, here it is. He already knew this was going to happen at some point, although he was hoping he’d have more time to get some information out of Dazai before it did.

“That being said, no one is going to ask what happened.”

It’s not like Chuuya to be caught off guard like this twice in one sitting, is he still out of it from yesterday? “What?”

“Nedzu agreed with me that we should wait until you’re ready to tell us, so that’s what we’ll do. When you want to talk, come to us and we’ll listen.”

“And if that never happens?” Chuuya asks in a disbelieving tone. In truth Chuuya has no problems talking about his own interview, the agent had asked some weird questions but nothing set him off like it had for Dazai. If Aizawa, Yamada, or even Nedzu asked he wouldn’t be phased talking about it. That being said, part of him wants to see if Aizawa will stay true to his word and not ask. Actually, that brings up an interesting thought. If Chuuya tells Yamada about it then will Aizawa just go ask him?

Aizawa shrugs, “Then we’ll never know.”

Frankly, Chuuya isn’t sure how much he trusts that. Putting aside the whole ‘gather information on Yokohama and the Port Mafia’ thing, it only makes sense for teachers to ask for information like that. Chuuya has seen the TV shows based in schools, the teachers are always going on about safeguarding and whatnot. It’s like Aizawa said, knowing what happened in the interviews can help prevent it happening again in the future.

Aizawa seems like a good teacher, or at least good compared to the shows Chuuya has seen, so there must be some other reason why he isn’t asking for the information. What sort of reason would outweigh the potential safety of both himself and Dazai?

… Ah, that whole ‘actively work’ to gain trust thing. “This is your first act of trying to make us trust you, huh?”

“It is.” Aizawa answers without shame of being caught. He glances over at Dazai, Chuuya ignores the urge to jump up and get his attention away from his still recovering partner, before standing up. “I’ll leave you for now but I will be back, I want to apologise to Dazai too.”

Chuuya nods while keeping a watchful eye on the man as he walks across the room. Only once Aizawa has left the room does he turn his attention back to Dazai, once again finding himself being stared down by a single brown eye.

Dazai doesn’t say anything, which could mean nothing or it could mean a bad thing. Or a good thing, honestly, it could mean anything. There is a chance Dazai might be thinking up some way to tease Chuuya, likely over the fact he got shocked by Aizawa twice in one conversation. If that is the case then it would be for the best if Chuuya spoke first and directed the conversation away from that.

“You think he’s being genuine?”

Dazai tilts his head slightly, as much as he can since he’s still laid on his side, “Aizawa is straightforward like Chuuya is, I think he would just stay quiet over lying.”

Chuuya nods, from what he knows about Aizawa that does seem in character. The only question now is what their next steps should be, dynamics have been changed in the aftermath of Dazai’s attempt. The 1A kids will probably feel pity for Dazai, maybe Chuuya too, and be more trusting from now on and, if Aizawa is anything to go off, the same might be true for the Pros. It’s advantageous for them, sure, but Dazai might be seeing something he isn’t. (He might also be uncomfortable with so many people pitying him, not that he’d ever say that aloud.)

Dazai isn’t in any place to be making plans though, so Chuuya will leave off on asking about that until he’s back to his normal self.

Chapter 22: 20 - Discussion (fight scene when?😔)

Chapter Text

“Aizawa-sensei!”

Midoriya, ever the extrovert, is the one to call out to Aizawa-sensei in the end.

The remainder of lunch and practical heroics had gone by in the blink of an eye, something Todoroki was sure his classmates appreciated. Of course, that’s assuming they, too, felt time slip by instead of drag.

Once practical heroics ended, Todoroki and the others, who were aware of just what happened yesterday, finished changing faster than ever in an attempt to catch Aizawa-sensei before he left to do… Whatever he does in the afternoons.

Todoroki, despite wanting to speak to Aizawa-sensei quite urgently, made sure to linger at the back of the group. He knows Aizawa-sensei is a good man, nothing like his own father, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. Letting Midoriya and the others take the lead will give Todoroki some time to assess and decide if he wants to speak with Aizawa-sensei after all.

Todoroki has decided he wants to help Dazai and Nakahara. If Aizawa-sensei is still biassed due to the live stream, then he’ll have to find some other way to help them.

Aizawa-sensei pauses mid-step before turning, “Ah, good. I was hoping to talk to you all.”

That could be a good sign, or it could be very bad. It’s hard to tell so far.

Uraraka clasps her hands together, a nervous habit Todoroki picked up on some time ago, “Sensei… How is Dazai doing?”

Aizawa-sensei gives Uraraka his full attention. “He’s fine. Recovery girl just wants to make sure there aren’t any lasting effects.” He turns to look around the group. “How are you all doing?”

No one answers that for a few moments, perhaps uncertain on how to verbalise their emotions. Aizawa-sensei doesn’t try to rush them, which Todoroki appreciates.

Eventually, Kirishima rubbed his neck awkwardly, “To be honest, Sensei, we could be better…”

“I understand, even if you didn’t quite see what happened,” Todoroki doesn’t miss how Aizawa-sensei glances right at him, “It can be traumatising knowing something like that happened. I recommend paying a visit to Hound Dog to talk things over, even if you think you haven’t been greatly affected.”

Aizawa-sensei pauses for a moment before continuing, “I do want to say now that none of you should feel guilty, alright? You didn’t know what was going to happen, and you did the right thing calling for help when you realised.”

“Thanks, Sensei,” Kirishima nods while he speaks. A moment later, he continues, “Actually, we were wondering if you could pass something along to Dazai and Chuuya?”

Aizawa-sensei seems to consider this for a second before agreeing, “As long as it’s appropriate.”

Yaoyorozu steps forward, a book clutched in her hands. “We figured they might be getting bored in Recovery Girl’s office, so I made this. It’s a customised crossword book.” She passes the book over to Aizawa-sensei; the man nods and gives it a brief glance. Todoroki hopes Nakahara and Dazai enjoy the book. Yaoyorozu and a few others had worked hard to put it together so last minute.

Uraraka holds out a container for Aizawa-sensei to take, “Oh, and we spoke to Lunch Rush; he gave us extra cookies to pass along to them.”

Next is Kaminari, who holds out a small handheld gaming system decorated with lightning bolts, “I don’t know if Dazai’s phone made it out of that al… I want to give him my handheld, at least for now. That way, his shooter skills don’t get rusty.”

“I’m sure they’ll both appreciate these,” Aizawa takes each gift and carefully tucks them under his arm. Only once they are secure does he continue, “Todoroki, I need to speak to you in private if that’s alright.”

Todoroki nods, once at Aizawa-sensei and then again at his classmates. A few seem like they want to say something, perhaps to ask if Todoroki wants them to stay, but they stay silent.

Only after his classmates have left earshot does Todoroki speak up, “Sensei?”

Just like before, Aizawa-sensei places his full attention on Todoroki as he speaks, “You were the one who discovered Dazai that day; how are you holding up?”

Usually, Todoroki would take the time to think through his words so he could say exactly what he meant. He doesn’t need to do that this time, though, mainly because he’s been thinking it through for the past few days. He had started just after the visit to his mother, after Dazai’s attempt, his thoughts only became more intense.

“I feel conflicted,” Todoroki begins, “I noticed a few days ago that we, as a class, weren’t treating Dazai and Nakahara as we perhaps should be. I was going to bring it up to everyone, but things kept getting in the way. I understand that even if I had brought it up, it is likely nothing would have changed. Still, I can’t help but feel I messed up in that sense.”

Aizawa-sensei levels him with a serious look, “Kid, you were the only one who followed Dazai after that argument. It was because of you keeping an eye on the situation that things turned out as well as they did; don’t feel guilty over that. Besides, there’s no time limit on when you can bring those ideas up. You can speak to the class after school, and if you want to talk to me, I’m always listening.”

Well, there is no time like the present. “Sensei, during practical heroics, can we have more exercises where Dazai and Nakahara are on our side?”

Aizawa-sensei nods, “Of course, any other ideas?”

Todoroki thinks for a moment, “Not yet, but I will come to you if I have any.”

“And you’ll go speak with Hound Dog about all this?”

Todoroki nods. He’ll have to ask Midoriya if he knows how to get in contact with Hound Dog.

Aizawa-sensei smiles slightly, “Good, now get going.”

-

When Aizawa goes to drop off the gifts from 1A, he finds things haven’t changed all that much since he was last here. Nakahara is still sitting by Dazai’s bedside, and Dazai is still tucked away under the blankets asleep. Aizawa briefly wonders if the kid has even woken up at all yet.

Aizawa feels a pang of worry at that; he should bring it up to Recovery Girl before he leaves.

Nakahara seems somewhat grateful, if a little confused, for the gifts, which Aizawa is sure will please the 1A kids to hear. Hopefully, once Dazai wakes up, he’ll get some enjoyment out of them, too.

-

Chuuya hadn’t been expecting Aizawa, or anyone for that matter, to bring any gifts along. Get-well cards and teddy bears aren’t the usual reactions to one of Dazai’s attempts, after all, although Chuuya supposes he can give it to 1A for picking more personalised gifts.

The crossword book must have been put together by Yaoyorozu, or at the very least made by her if the little logo in the corner is anything to go by. (Does Yaoyorozu stamp her name onto everything she makes? It would make sense; Chuuya doubts she would want anyone stealing her creations.) Chuuya can admit he finds the drawings and crossword themes amusing, mainly because it’s so obvious that Yaoyorozu, or whoever made them, had tried so hard to make it relevant to him and Dazai.

Unfortunately for them, neither Chuuya nor Dazai has been very forthcoming about what they like. Some of the crosswords have clear inspirations, such as the crab themed one, while others tend to be more of a reach.

Not that Chuuya minds; in fact, he’s enjoying filling the book out. There’s only so long he can look at pointless sh*t on his phone or try and prod a conversation out of Dazai; having something else to do is refreshing.

Dazai seemed rather pleased to get his hands on something to do, something that didn’t require speaking to anyone. For the past few hours he’d been lying facing away from Chuuya playing some sort of shooter game on the handheld Aizawa brought. The little device looked oddly familiar when Chuuya had managed a glimpse of it, his only guess is it must belong to one of the 1A kids. Kaminari perhaps.

The cookies were a nice touch, tasty, too.

The sounds of Dazai’s game cut off abruptly, although the room doesn’t stay silent for long. “Hey, Chuuya?” Dazai’s tone sounds much closer to his usual self, although it still sounds just a little bit too flat. It’s like Dazai doesn’t have the energy to use any sort of teasing tone.

“Hm?” Chuuya responds with only half his attention; the crossword puzzle he’s currently working on is one of the harder ones. So far, he’s managed about half of it without asking Dazai for help, and he hopes to get it all done by himself. The theme is one of those loosely associated ones, which is to say, it’s spaced themed. Chuuya can see how the 1A kids got to that theme, Upon the Tainted Sorrow, gravity, space.

Beside him, Dazai shuffles backwards a little. He’s now fully touching Chuuya’s side. “What you said the other day… Was it really the truth?”

Chuuya, admittedly, still isn’t paying much attention to his partner. He probably should be, all things considered, but he’s so close to figuring out twelve down. “Yea, course,” Chuuya answers. He doesn’t make it a habit to lie to people, especially to those like Dazai that see through everything.

“I…” Dazai starts but quickly trails off. The uncertain tone in his voice flags Chuuya’s attention; he glances over at Dazai just in time to see him turn over, snatch the crossword book and pen from Chuuya’s hands, and then bury himself under the blankets.

“Hey! I wasn’t done with that!” Chuuya protests, although he keeps his voice low in case there is some Pro or another outside the door. Chuuya tries tugging on the blankets so he can get under there and get his crossword book back, but nothing happens. It seems Dazai has created an impenetrable wrap around himself.

Chuuya finds himself huffing, although it’s mostly performative. An interesting fact about Dazai is that he has mastered the art of talking without actually saying anything; some days, he can just go on and on and on, and not a single thing he says is worth the attention. He’s good at doing stuff like that. It makes sense then that Dazai sucks at talking about serious or emotional things; well, that’s not quite right. Dazai sucks at talking about serious things about himself, specifically his ever so mysterious past before the Port Mafia and his suicidal tendencies.

Dazai was trying to say something earlier, so he either took the book as a distraction or to write whatever he wanted to say down. Chuuya is personally leaning towards it being so he can write something down. If he wanted a distraction then he could have just grabbed the handheld Aizawa had brought them and challenged Chuuya to a game.

Low and behold, five minutes later, the crossword book slides out from under the blankets. Chuuya rolls his eyes when he notices that the crossword he was actively working on has been fully finished. That’s such a Dazai thing to do.

Chuuya doesn’t call him out on it though. Instead he just glances over to the formerly blank page next to the crossword he was working on to see what Dazai had written down.

Chuuya could easily do this mission all by himself; it would hardly matter if I was alive here or not. Chuuya has bonded with the hero kids and is smart strong enough to beat the villains without me. But Chibi would get mad if I hurt myself here, so I really trie didn’t.

That agent thought something similar. She asked questions about the Port Mafia and Mt.Lady, and somehow she made everything about Chuuya. “A useful Ability.” “It seems he does all the work.” “Nakahara is far more versatile.” She was very certain Chuuya would leave me and join the HPSC. She said I was “inferior” and so the HPSC won’t “waste time” with me. I understa

Chuuya’s loyalty is his best quality, but I still got upset when was bothered when the 1A kids were acting so close to him.

Dazai still hasn’t emerged from his blanket casing, which gives Chuuya time to get his emotions under control before facing him. f*ck, he’s so mad. He was expecting something like this, but that doesn’t soften the blow any.

A large part of him feels offended that the HPSC assumes he would just turn his back on Dazai, the Port Mafia, and his home. What could they even be thinking of offering him to make that worth it? Money? Hah, please. No amount could make Chuuya turn tail like that. No, if Chuuya was going to leave the Port Mafia, it would be on his own terms and, most likely, with Dazai in tow.

A larger part of him feels so much anger on Dazai’s behalf. Who is this woman to say that Dazai is inferior? That’s the stupidest thing Chuuya has ever f*cking heard. Dazai “The Demon Prodigy” Osamu being inferior? The same guy who could probably take down the Port Mafia in a week if he wanted to? f*ck off.

Yea, Chuuya does the heavy lifting, but that doesn’t mean Dazai is just sitting around doing nothing. Even when it looks like that idiot is being lazy, Chuuya can guarantee there is more to it, be it keeping an eye on variables that might ruin the mission or coming up with twenty-odd backup plans. Dazai’s brain never truly rests, or at least it seems that way to Chuuya.

Chuuya takes a steadying breath; he wants nothing more than to get the hell out of here and go pay a visit to the HPSC. Usually, he wouldn’t be so offended by this sort of thing, but considering this time it ended with Dazai trying to kill himself, he thinks his reaction is justified.

(He knows that it was just one hell of a coincidence; the fact that Dazai happened to be off his game when these interviews happened meant that he was more susceptible to what he usually would brush off. That doesn’t stop him from blaming the HPSC agent.)

Chuuya goes to speak, not quite sure what to say but with the intent of comforting Dazai when he stops himself. No, that won’t get the reaction he would hope for. Like he said before, Dazai’s speciality is avoiding conversations he doesn’t want to be a part of. The fact he even wrote this down for Chuuya instead of blowing him off is significant, although perhaps he realised he’d have to tell someone eventually. Better Chuuya than some pro hero, right?

Anyway, Chuuya can’t address things head-on. While there is the possibility that Dazai will respond… Well, not positively, but not negatively, Chuuya doesn’t want to risk it. What if Dazai has somehow forgotten about his aversion to talking about his emotions and will be reminded about it the moment Chuuya tries to be direct with him?

Chuuya needs to approach this in a way that won’t scare Dazai off… The best way to do that would be to follow Dazai’s lead.

A moment later, Chuuya slides the crossword book back under the covers, this time with a new addition to the pages.

You said I’m your dog for life, right? I could never leave, even if I wanted to.

Now, you up for some planning? I have a few ideas…

-

If the atmosphere in class was bad yesterday, it’s about ten times worse now that everyone is aware of what happened.

During homeroom, Aizawa-sensei had given a brief explanation of what happened, along with a few other things, but Uraraka honestly wasn’t listening.

Aizawa-sensei said yesterday that no one should feel guilty over what happened, and Uraraka logically knows that he’s right. She didn’t know what was going to happen, and there wasn’t anything she could have done in that situation. Once Uraraka was aware of what was happening, Chuuya and Aizawa-sensei were already there helping. If she tried to get involved she would only surely get in the way.

She wouldn’t know how to help, which is the thing that she is actually hung up on.

Uraraka wants to be a rescue Hero, and her Quirk is great for it; that’s something she’s known for years. Collapsed buildings will be a breeze to move; she’ll also be able to remove people from car crashes without jostling them too much, which she knows is vital for preventing any injuries from getting worse.

But what about someone who is choking? Someone who is bleeding out? A drowning victim? Her Quirk wouldn’t be able to help there, she’d need to know traditional first aid.

That’s why, when class 1A arrives at practical heroics class that afternoon, she changes faster than ever before. Uraraka isn’t sure what All Might has planned for today’s lesson, but maybe if she can speak to him before class begins, then he’ll agree to her idea.

A few of the girls shoot her confused looks when she rushes out of the changing room but Uraraka pays it no mind.

Fortunately, it looks like getting changed so quickly paid off.

All Might, with his ever-present grin on face, nods in her direction. “Ah, young Uraraka! You certainly finished changing fast!”

Uraraka nods as she continues walking further into the room, “I have a request for today’s lesson if that’s allowed.” Honestly, she still sometimes gets intimidated by talking to All Might; he is the number one Pro Hero, after all. Usually, she might stutter or hesitate a bit but not this time. This time she cares more about learning what she needs to.

“Of course!”

Uraraka lets out a relieved sigh before speaking, “I want to learn CPR and maybe some other first aid stuff?”

For a second, Uraraka worries All Might will reject the idea, which would hurt, but she’d understand. If need be, she can always go speak with Recovery Girl to learn that stuff.

All Might’s smile seems to soften a bit, “That’s a great idea! I’m sure your classmates will appreciate this.”

Uraraka can’t help but feel beyond happy at that. Learning CPR will be the next step towards her dream of being a Pro Hero. After this lesson, she’ll be able to help more people, Dazai and Chuuya included.

-

The dorms are quiet that afternoon when 1A returns from classes, the typical friendly chatter lost in favour of sad and tense glances. Usually, once arriving back at the dorms, everyone would split off to do their own things. A decent amount of people would sit around in the common area or the kitchen; some would go back to their rooms while others went to get more training in. For the first time since- Ha, since the live killing of Mt. Lady, the entirety of class 1A are sitting around the common area. Say what you want about Dazai and Nakahara but, they certainly know how to get people together.

Shinsou is very glad none of his classmates have a mind reading Quirk. If anyone heard how he uses humour to cope then it probably wouldn’t end well for him.

The silence is almost unnerving. Shinsou, never one for conversation, would usually be beyond appreciative of it. A chance to sit in the common area and just relax, no yelling or obnoxious chatter to be found, would be amazing on any other day.

But, like many of his classmates, Shinsou is too deep in internal conflict to enjoy the lack of conversation.

On the one hand, two kids from Yokohama who killed a Pro and were also a dick about Shinsou’s Quirk; he hasn’t forgotten about that; on the other hand, a suicidal kid and his friend that had to be the one to do CPR.

Two kids that seemingly have no remorse for any of the crimes they have committed, but also two kids that might have been manipulated into the Mafia at a young age.

Shinsou has spent a majority of his life being pushed aside and alienated for his Quirk, for being ‘Villainous’ despite having never committed a crime before. He understands what it’s like for people to look at him and never see anything past what they want to see.

In that regard, he can’t help but feel bad when his mind constantly reminds him, ‘Hey, these guys killed a Pro and don’t regret it’ any time Shinsou starts to feel pity for them. Which, if Shinsou was just feeling bad for them because of some petty reason, he wouldn’t really care much about it. Sort of like, ‘Yea, they might be homesick, but that’s not my problem.’

Shinsou can now see the error in that way of thinking, even if he still catches himself going down that route.

Around him, the class still sits in tense silence, something that doesn’t help keep Shinsou from getting too in his head.

But, like he said, those two killed someone and don’t regret it. Shinsou was an outcast because of what he might do and what others thought he would do, but it’s different for Nakahara and Dazai. They have actually committed those crimes; the stigma around them is completely deserved.

It doesn’t help that his first interaction with the pair was so terrible; Shinsou has never taken nicely to people who ignore him due to his Quirk.

He really should look past that terrible first impression… Although, it’s not like Dazai or Nakahara have been all that nice to him. After that first night when Dazai just straight ignored him, Shinsou made it a point to avoid talking to those two. While he would have loved to prove that he wouldn’t just use his Quirk without warning, it had been easier, in the end, to just not bother. He had thought, ‘Well, they likely won’t believe me anyway’ and left it at that.

Which is probably still the truth. Honestly, not much has changed when it comes to the relationship between Dazai, Nakahara, and Shinsou. They don’t want to talk to him, he doesn’t want to talk to them, if it’s mutual then it’ll be fine if he continues to mind his own business, right?

Shinsou resists the urge to sigh; even without saying it aloud, he knows that’s stupid. A Pro Hero shouldn’t give up so easily, not when it comes to gaining someone’s trust. That’s what Aizawa-sensei would say anyway.

If Shinsou can get past his reservations about those two, if he’s able to build some trust even, then things would be way better for everyone involved. Dazai and Nakahara won’t ignore him because of his Quirk, which, in turn, will prevent Shinsou from getting annoyed at them.

Without warning, Hagakure breaks the silence that had settled over the class for so long. She sighs, “What are we meant to do now?”

“What?”

Hagakure huffs, “You know what I mean.” For a second, it seems like she won’t say anything more; after what might have been a deep breath, she continues, “Dazai… Dazai tried to kill himself. We can’t just pretend nothing happened, right?”

Yaoyorozu nods, “She’s right, we should—should… Do something.” It’s clear that despite putting on her best ‘vice president’ voice Yaoyorozu is just as clueless as to what should happen next as the rest of them.

Shinsou isn’t all that surprised when Bakugou loudly scoffs. Out of everyone in class 1A, he is the one who hesitates the least. “Why waste the effort?”

Maybe he should hesitate more if that’s what he comes up with.

Predictably, no one seems happy with Bakugou’s question.

“That’s not cool!”

“Don’t be like that!”

“Bakugou! You can’t jus-”

Bakugou rolls his eyes, “Oh, come off it! It’s like I said yesterday at lunch, neither of those f*ckers trust anyone here; there isn’t anything you can do.” Despite his rough tone, Bakugou does have a point; trying to push into Dazai’s business right now probably wouldn’t end well, even if it was out of worry.

The sleeves on Hagakure’s shirt move around wildly, and Shinsou guesses she must be waving her arms around. “But we have to do something!”

Kaminari nods, “Yea! Besides, we may not have been super friendly to them, but we haven’t been rude!”

“Chuuya seemed pretty open when we had that sleepover, ribbit.” Tsu turns to a couple of the girls, “And he helped you guys with your Quirks, right?”

The girls nod, which causes a domino of agreement throughout the class.

Once again, Bakugou rolls his eyes, “Yea, because being friendly equals trusting someone.”

Shinsou mentally prepares himself to yell simply because the class has once again descended into verbal chaos due to Bakugou. Shinsou actually agrees with what he’s saying, though, so he’d like to get the rest of the class to quiet down a bit for a proper discussion.

In the end, Shinsou doesn’t need to speak up after all. Despite not raising his voice at all, the moment Todoroki speaks, the class falls into silence (Shinsou is almost a little jealous; if he tried that, his voice would simply be swallowed by the noise), “He’s right.”

Everyone seems caught off guard by that, minus Bakugou, who puffs his chest out and smirks, “Damn f*cking right.”

Todoroki pays him no mind, “I intended to bring this up to you all sooner, but it seems I allowed myself to delay for too long. I realised recently that there is still a ‘wall,’ so to speak, between us and them, a mentality where we are enemies to one another.”

Some people seem to be taking their time to understand what Todoroki just said, while others jump at the chance to defend themself. Mina, in particular huffs, “I don’t see them as enemies!”

Shinsou sees this as the perfect opportunity to chime in with his earlier ideas, “But you don’t see them as allies either.” The class seems to pause at that, with the exception of the more observant students. Shinsou continues, “I bet most of you are still hung up on Mt. Lady’s death; you resent them for it.”

Ojirou crosses his arms, “Well, it’s not like we can just forget about something like that.”

“Obviously not, but at the same time, it certainly isn’t helping to break this ‘wall,’ as Todoroki put it.” Shinsou moves his fingers in the air, quote way around the word ‘wall’. As someone who had once joined 1A and said, ‘I’m not here to make friends,’ Shinsou understands what he means about that wall.

Even though Shinsou worked hard to get transferred into 1A at the sports festival, it still felt weird being in a new class all of a sudden. For a day or so, it had felt like he was an outsider. It was only due to Midoriya that he managed to feel more comfortable with the class.

A memory pops into Shinsou’s mind, one that prompts him to continue speaking, “On their first night here, they both ignored me due to my Quirk. I told them I only use it on Villains and Dazai said something like ‘We are Villains according to your standards, why should we trust you?”

“They aren’t Villains!” Kaminari is quick to defend before pausing, “... Are they?”

That seems to add a whole new level of conflict to this mess; Shinsou almost feels bad for bringing it up.

“Well, they don’t really act like Villains, right?” Uraraka asks, clearly uncertain.

Ojirou shrugs, “They certainly don’t act like Heroes; I mean, just look at Nakahara’s temper.”

Good point, but also…

“Bakugou’s is worse,” Jirou chimes in. “Plus, neither Chuuya nor Dazai have threatened to kill any of us.”

Bakugou starts yelling, but Shinsou ignores him. Instead, he focuses on keeping his mouth shut. He doesn’t think saying, ‘No, Dazai has just threatened his own life’ would be appropriate.

“Jirou makes a good point,” Midoriya starts, only to be cut off by Bakugou.

“The hell does that mean, Deku!?”

Midoriya flinches back and rapidly shakes his head. “Nothing bad, Kacchan! I just meant that despite your temper, we all know you’re going to be a great Pro, so it’s kinda unfair if we use that to judge Chuuya…”

Bakugou still doesn’t look all that pleased, but fortunately, he doesn’t continue yelling.

“Not that I don’t agree with you,” Kirishima starts. “But like, we can’t just ignore that they have been mean and stuff.”

Shinsou groans slightly, which, due to how quiet the room is, gains more attention than he thought it would. Well, he may as well use this, “Those two are neither good nor bad; to me, it seems like they’re a mix of the two.”

“Well, sure, but what do we do?” Mina sounds frustrated, which is understandable. This whole situation is way above what they should be dealing with- which, now that Shinsou thinks about it is a recurring theme for class 1A.

Unfortunately, Shinsou is not the one she should be asking. He shrugs, “Don’t look at me.” Midoriya is way better at this type of thing.

Mina seems at a loss for words at that, and Shinsou resists the urge to shrug again.

Iida, with his robotic arm movements, drags both Shinsou and Mina’s attention over to him. “Even if what Bakugou and Shinsou said is true,” Shinsou ignores Bakugou's attempt at interrupting. “I still can’t help but feel conflicted… We were all right there, including Nakahara. If Dazai was feeling like this, then he should have told someone.”

Shinsou feels a bit dumbfounded at that. Did Iida miss the bit where Bakugou said Dazai clearly doesn’t trust anyone in 1A? And also what Shinsou said about them not trusting 1A? Also, being completely real, someone who is suicidal isn’t going to alert everyone when they try to off themself. That sort of defeats the purpose.

Midoriya nods in an awkward way, he must be thinking something similar to Shinsou. “Well, he did get into that argument with Chuuya. I doubt he wanted to talk to him much, and besides, it’s not like we…” When Midoriya trails off it doesn’t sound like he’s at a loss for words, rather it sounds like he realised something in the middle of speaking. His expression only backs that up.

When Midoriya doesn’t speak for a good few seconds, it becomes a cause for concern. Beside him, Uraraka nudges him, “Deku?”

Midoriya looks at her, then to the rest of the class, “We wouldn’t have believed him.”

Which, wow, isn’t that an accusation? Not that Shinsou disagrees—he wants to hear Midoriya out first before making any decision, but saying that while the wound is still raw likely isn’t the best idea.

Around him, the class breaks into rushed objections.

“Of course, we would have!”

“Suicide isn’t something to joke about!”

Midoriya waves his hands and quickly nods, clearly realising he should have explained more, “That’s just it! Suicide isn’t something to joke about, but Dazai does! He makes jokes about killing himself so no one reacts when he says ‘I want to die’ and really means it!” The class quiets down at that, which allows Midoriya to continue without any interruptions, “A-and, remember when he first made a joke like that… We felt awkward and even doubted if he was being serious.”

Shinsou does remember that; he also remembers the subsequent suicide jokes that got similar reactions. There’s something familiar about what Midoriya just said, though… Ah, “The boy who cried wolf.”

“Exactly.” Midoriya responds, his tone serious, “It’s kind of smart, in a morbid way.”

“Ok, but that still brings us back to my question from before. What do we do now?” Hagakure asks.

Todoroki looks at her, “We need to break the ‘wall.’’ Todoroki is sporting his usual look of indifference, or well, it looks that way to Shinsou. In truth, he can’t really read Todoroki well enough to see the differences in his expressions.

Kaminari looks over to him, “How do we do that?”

Todoroki wastes no time in responding, which makes Shinsou think he really has been thinking about this for a few days, “Include them in more group activities during down time, be on their side during practical heroics class, and get to know them better without ulterior motives.”

Yaoyorozu gasps in realisation, “Oh! Is that why you asked that we invite Chuuya to the sleepover?”

Todoroki nods, “Mn.”

Huh, it seems Todoroki has been working away at his plan even if he didn’t properly bring it up to anyone.

There is a slight lull in conversation, one that Shinsou intends to take advantage of. “We need to get past the resentment of Mt. Lady’s death. Those two are here for rehabilitation; that can’t happen if we never give them a proper chance to change.”

A few people look sceptical at that, to which Shinsou continues, “I’m not saying to forget it happened or whatever… Just try and stop thinking of them as murderers first and foremost. If they commit another crime we can be suspicious then, but for now we need to give them the benefit of the doubt. ”

Thankfully, Midoriya nods, “I agree, oh, and from now on, we should take Dazai more seriously when he makes suicide jokes. We’ll prove to him and Chuuya that we can be trusted!”

Quite a few kids nod at that, a few pumping their fists with determined faces. Slowly, people start chatting more like they usually would be. The major difference is that currently, they’re talking about different ways they can include Dazai and Nakahara and not random memes they’ve seen on the internet.

It’s almost funny how, despite being the reason behind this conversation being productive, Bakugou is the first to groan and leave, “God, you’re giving me a f*cking headache.”

-

Harue has never been one to sit still in one place. When she was a child, before the incident occurred, her favourite place was the garden owned by her parents. Such a large, open space allowed her to move and explore to her heart's content. The bushes of flowers and large trees provided shade during the hotter months, along with giving her places to hide when playing games. Sometimes, in her dreams, she finds herself going back to that garden to run and play once more.

It’s ironic, then, that her favourite place in that mystical garden was a hollowed-out tree trunk, the tight enclosed space contrasted her desires to run free. Although, if Harue thought about it deeper she could likely put together the reason why.

A young girl the same age as her, with red hair, cat ears, and tail, and a love for small places.

Harue does not like to think about it deeper; she does not like to get trapped in the confusion and grief of those days.

When she turned eighteen, she was once again granted that freedom, but this time beyond the garden. She was free to roam anywhere she wanted, and yet she spent years lingering in her hometown.

In the end, it was thanks to her mentor that Harue left that place, thanks to her mentor that, she got a job working for the HPSC.

Sometimes, Harue feels stifled by the HPSC; the rules and regulations make her feel trapped. Other times, Harue relishes in the freedom she has here. The HPSC pays for her to travel for missions, she’s allowed to use her Quirk whenever she wants, and no one ever tells her she must stay confined to one place.

Oh, and of course, Koharu.

On good days, Koharu reminds her of the freedom she now has. Even before the incident, someone like her wouldn’t be allowed to be Harue’s friend, not that Koharu is her friend, of course. They’re partners work colleagues—another reminder of her freedom in having a job.

On bad days, Koharu reminds her of those lonely, lonely years she spent inside.

(Sometimes, Harue still seeks Koharu out on the bad days. As much as her chest tightens and her head spins on those days she can’t help it. Koharu’s coldness is just as painful as it is comforting.)

Currently, Harue is in f*ckuoka, delivering sensitive information to Hawks. Harue suspects the information isn’t all that important; if it was, then Hawks would go to headquarters himself to get it. No, Harue believes this is simply a task to keep her busy until the next mission.

That fact doesn’t upset her, not when the alternative is sitting around and waiting like Koharu must be.