Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“I’m back everyone!” Twice returned to his new home. Well, secondary home. The bar. He was overly happy with everything that has happened that morning. One of the best days of his life. He even forgot to put on the precious mask he was so happy. Although, he couldn't say the same about the others in the bar. “What’s up with you all? It’s like a funeral in here. Totally rad. Party on my dudes!” 

The bar usually wasn’t always lively. Mainly, when other patrons were around to cry away their troubles or doing dirty dealings. So, the atmosphere was always a little dark, but things were different when the usual team was there. They were like an odd family of weirdos. Or just a bunch of close weirdos. Close enough to say anything to each other. Then half the time the others would care enough to listen. Or do whatever to kill their boredom. May that be sharing a drink or literally trying to stab each other. It’s always a lot of fun. Just like home. A place to belong. But now. 

Twice stared confusedly at the sorry sight before him. The bar was mostly empty and extremely quiet which added to the gloomy atmosphere. Toga, who usually bundle of energy, was slumped on the bar counter. Her eyes were half open while her lips held an unusual frown. Aimlessly, she traced her fingers around the rim of a half-filled glass. Another member that usually hated not being a part of the group was off alone in a corner. Their mutant member Spinner laid back looking at nothing. There was a massive toy sword behind him. He too wore a frown too. The older members of the group, Mr Compress and Magne stood aside. Both looked on with worry for their eyes their younger members. It looked like they wanted to speak to them but none of them could find the words. The atmosphere was all too awkward to ask anything. The only one that looked normal was Kurogiri. He was minding his own business wiping down some glasses like a good bartender. 

After some seconds past since, since no one else had said a word, Mr Compress greeted their returning member. “Welcome back, Twice. Not sure what’s going on with them. They all came back like this.” 

That’s when Magne noticed the unusual absence of Twice’s mask. “What happened to your mask? You never take that thing off. Finally convinced it needs a wash.” 

“No!” Twice paused while his eyes quickly shifted to the mask in his hand. He sniffed it and inhaled its unexplainable odours. Maybe it did need a wash. He can kind of smell last week’s breakfast rotting on it. “Yeah! Anyway.” He then retold his happy day. How a cat stole his mask and chased it around the city. Then he met this Japanese guy that kind of looked like a girl with a parasol and flower coat. There was also a skeleton man with a lion mane. They joined him on an adventure to find his precious mask and defeat the horrid Mr kitty. It was an epic tale of daring, adventure, and ice cream. It was really good ice cream. “Then the Japanese guy smacked me in the face, and I feel better now,” he said with absolute seriousness. 

The other members looked at him as if he was crazy. Which he was. But that story was a whole other level from his usual insanity.       

The insanity wasn't over yet as Twice remembered he forgot one other important detail: “oh and he was eaten by a talking fox. Or did he turn into a talking fox? One of the other. But it ends with a talking fox. They were so cool. I hope I never meet those freaks again.” 

“That’s nice,” Toga managed to make a respond while the others tried to make heads or tails of Twice’s story. Which was fact and which was fake? They may never know. The girl however remained absent-minded while he stroked the rim of her cup. 

Worried, Twice popped his head next to her with a puppy dog eye expression: “What’s wrong, my blood-sucking angel? You look so glum right now I could punch you.” 

Sighing, Toga recalled her hand back to her chest. Shen then used both her arms as a pillow and laid her head sombrely between them. “It’s nothing it’s just…” she thought back on that morning. It was fun she had playing with those little heroes. They treated her like just another kid. Like them. They played and laughed. For once in a very long time, Toga felt normal. Like it was ok to be out in the sunlight. She was normal. Even after she showed her quirk to them, they didn’t resent her. Yelling her she wasn’t normal. They just laughed it off and continued to play with her. Why couldn’t everyone be like that? Why can’t they just accept that she likes a little blood? If they knew she was a villain maybe, then they would have acted differently. Then again, she only was a villain because that’s what they use to say about her. She’s a freak. A monster. A villain. Eventually, she became what they wanted just so they’d shut up. If the people around her at the time were more like those two heroes maybe things would be different. “Have you guys ever wanted to go back? Like before being well what we are now. Or wish something happened to…change things. Like meet someone and they make things better. Or something.” 

Mague scoffed at the idea. As one of the oldest there, she knew better than to have such thoughts. “Honey, I don’t know what you’re on right now, but you need to face it. There’s no going back for people like us. Not like anyone would accept us anyway. Besides, it’s fun being bad.” Her mocking laughter faded as she crossed her arms. She thought back to everything and had too much pride to say she was wrong. “I don’t regret anything.” 

“Not accept us huh?” Spinner spoke as he decided to join the conversation. He thought back to his own life. Being the only mutant in his neighbourhood. How the other kids mocked him for his lizard-like appearance. How the other kids would leave him out of playground games. Outcasted him simply for his looks. He didn’t belong because he was different, so he become alone. His motivation to do anything became nothing. He slowly allowed himself to slip. Not like anyone wanted him anyway. “Maybe you’re right.” He then slipped to the plastic sword in his hands. He won it together with those guys. Mutants just like him. One of them even called him cute. If there were other mutants with him growing up maybe, he wouldn’t have been so out of place. Even if it was just one other person, they could at least have each other. He couldn’t stop thinking of those other kids and so many what-ifs. They were just so welcoming. It was the first time in a long time that he felt he belonged. “But…they were nice.” 

The door to the bar ran open and in walked in a missing member. “Yo,” Dabi greeted lazily. He was instantly hit by the unusual gloomy atmosphere of the bar. “Did someone die?” 

“AGAHHHHHH!” Shirked a voice from the upper room. 

Smash! 

Crash! 

Stomp! 

“Stupid! Fucking! Shit!” All that racket was enough of an answer. 

“…I’m going to take that as a yes.” 

Dust caked the floor. You’d think this room was abandoned for centuries but no. The dust layers were the remains of what inhabited that room. A cluster of clothes, a desk, shelves upon shelves of game titles, the bed, everything. Turned to dust in a fit of rage. The only thing left was a single TV screen. 

Standing in the ruins of his own creation was Tomura. He was still wearing the exact same outfit he came in. His signature hands weren’t clasped on his face yet. He didn’t care. He was too angry to care. Was it even anger he was feeling? The word seemed too simple for these raging emotions spiralling in his body. It enveloped him. Controlling each of his actions like he had no true will of his own. It was a sickening feeling. It felt heavy on his chest. Like it was hard to breathe. He wanted out. Every last bit of it. That’s why his room was in such a state.

It was all that green hero’s fault. His rejection caused the young villain to act this way. He hated every second of it. Why did he even reject him? Didn’t he choose the right quest line? Was there a miss-step in his answers? Was it his friendship bar not full enough? Surely it was. It had to have been. Otherwise, why would he care? Why would the stupid green, little hero tried to reach him? Hold him. Didn’t he do enough to win his affections? None of this made sense and it hurt. It hurts so much his head was pounding. 

He doesn’t even remember how he came back here. All his mind was filled with was Izuku’s rejection. His words constantly hammering in his mind. Making it throb. He couldn’t think straight. All he heard was his words repeating over and over again. 

“I don't want to fight you either…but I won't join you. I will become a hero. No matter what."  

“Izuku!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. His fingers clawed his skull. 

Then the only remaining object in the room came alive with static. A familiar dark shadow appeared behind the static lines. “Another temper tantrum, Tomura? There is no need. What has happened to cause such a scene?” 

Tomura said nothing as his head turned to the screen. His eyes were unhinged while shaking with a wide eye expression. He doesn’t want to hear a lecture right now. What he wants…he doesn’t even know anymore. 

The subject on the screen hummed curiously, “did that young hero you were interested in rejected you?” Form the way the child-like teen twitched it was clear they were right on the money. The figure chuckled with a refined mocking tone. “There is no need for threat, my boy. You should have already known. That child is clearly sick with hero syndrome. There was no saving him. You’re free to be angry. Hate him even. Let those emotions fester. They’ll make you strong. So do not worry. You’ll make him see his foolishness one day.” 

Tomura's eyes twitched along with his fingers. He didn’t want that. He was sure of it. There was something about those words that clawed at his skin. It was…so annoying. Lacking any self-restraint, the young villain lunged for T.V. Clearly, the person behind it was not expecting that as he let out a shocked noise. There as a command to wait but he didn’t. All five fingers touched the screen and all that was left was dust. 

“I hate him,” Tomura said to himself. His body locked mid-motion as his hand was still extended out to the non-existent TV. “I hate him?” He said more questionably. His boy slowly lost strength as his knees buckled out. Letting him fall to the floor with puffs of dust half buried his legs. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around himself. There was a faint warmth between them. One he could never forget. “I…can’t hate him,” he admitted to himself. Longing to be in that warmth again. He couldn’t bring himself to hate the hero. No matter how angry he was or whatever emotion he was feeling. 

The high of his rage faded. All the strength he once had to decimate his room was gone. All that was left was a limp shell. Empty. Hollow. There was nothing. Only this feeling. What was this feeling? 

“That would be melancholy,” an irritably familiar voice called out. 

Suddenly, the room tinted a shade of red. It was familiar. All that was missing was the rain which he didn’t need. Nor did he need the owner of this red world. He glared at the sandaled feet standing in front of him. Tomura didn’t bother to look up. It was obvious he would see that sly smug face. Mocking him with their eyes.

“Look at you,” the servamp grumbled as he crouched down to the young villain’s level. Unforgivably, he clamped his hand on the child’s face. Squeezing it in place, he allowed his claw-like nails to dig into the boy’s cheeks. “I got a call that you did something terrible. According to my subclasses, you made my eve cry and left him.” It was an odd and blood-boiling phone call for him. Sakuya and Lilac were on the job when they spot their young eve in a little clearing. He was with someone they didn’t reorganise. When the exchange ended with the young eve in tears, they thought it best to tell their servamp. When he heard the description of the perpetrator, he knew just who to find. It wasn’t that hard really. The boy had a very distinct scent of ash and death. With crazed eyes, the servamp leaned into the boy’s face. He smiled with warning, “how dare you, Tomura Shigaraki.” 

Tomura said nothing. He could bare feel the pressure and pain the servamp was giving him. The hollow feeling made him numb. He just wanted to stay there and do nothing. 

Kurama grew impatience. He shook the young villain roughly just to get a reaction but nothing. He could see it in their eyes. They were completely engulfed with melancholy. Although, the reactions to such an emotion can be varied. Some try to hide it and pretend everything was ok. This was his eve’s typically reaction. Sometimes it’s mixed in with rage. A couple of his subclasses come to mind. Then some shut down. Completely give in to the 200 tonnes feeling. Allowing the world to take them however they please. He was seeing that now within this child. “How should I punish you for such a detestable crime. You know it I could crush your little head right now.” 

“Do it,” Tomura spat half-heartedly. “I don’t care.” 

The answer made the servamp huff. “My, you have it quite bad. I suppose the feeling was mutual.” He dropped the boy’s face and they stared at the red-tinted floor. Kurama stroked his chin, wondering aloud. “What do? What to do? My eve would cry more if he knew anything bad were to happen to you. Still, I can’t let you off the hook. Maybe I should take one of your hands away. Or slap you a bit with my sword.” 

“Do whatever the fuck you want!” The villain screamed. In utter surrender, he flopped on his back extending his limps outwards like a starfish. He didn’t care what the servamp would do to him. So long as he’s gone right after so he can wallow in this so-called melancholy. He just wanted to be alone with his own thoughts and feelings. Like a crashing from a sugar high. In both cases, you feel terrible by the end of it. 

The servamp hummed. “Whatever I want?” He parroted.  

“Yeah, whatever. I don’t care!” 

A fox-like smirk curled along Kurama’s lips. “Ok. Then let’s go on a tip.” 

“…What?” 

Without any further warning, the servamp grabbed the boy by the hood of his hoodie and dragged him like a sack of potatoes. Tomura looked visibly confused. Just what was the servamp thinking. Or doing for that matter. Not like the boy had a choice. He already said he could do whatever with him. 

The evening sun was setting. Its remaining rays discoloured the landscape. Little beams decorated with bright and bold colours like paint thrown on a wall. A bright green climbing bar looked like it can reach the sky when you were young. A shiny red slide you’d once loved to go down on again and again. A yellow swing to play with a friend as you laugh together while riding up and down. Some animals on springs where you’d imagine chasing the other even if you’re stuck in one place. A purple box of sand where you can sculpt the land in your own imagination with mountains and castles. A swing set was covered in shadows from the surrounding foliage. A perfect place to sit and allow yourself to fly. 

Tomura stared out at the place. It was empty of course since it was so late in the day. The cold evening wind brushed past, and he still couldn’t help but be confused. “Where the hell have you taken me?” 

“Playground,” Kurama stated simply as if it was obvious. All the while walking to the shadowy swing set. 

“Yeah, it can fucking see that. What I mean was why.” 

“Then you should have been more precise,” the servamp half teased. He sat comfortably on one of the swings and gestured to its empty neighbour. Sighing, Tomura took the hint and sat beside the servamp. It’s not like he could fight back was more or less kidnapped to be here. Pleased with the villain’s compliance, Kurama began to gently swing himself. He stared up at the treetops. How the leaves rustled allowing rays of sunlight to go past even if it was a little bit. There were a lot of memories surrounding this place. He would sit on this exact same swing usually in his fox form. All the while listening to his eve happily chatting away to him on the neighbouring swing. Many things happened in this park. Both good and bad. “You know my eve is very odd. Despite any hardships that happened to him he continued life with the brightest, cute smile on his face. It’s quite an addicting sight. He told you he was bullied before, right?” 

Tomura nodded not sure where this conversation was going. 

“Would you believe me if I told you he still considers that bully as a friend? Even after he told him to kill himself.” 

“Is he an idiot?” The child said with the utmost blunt confusion. That hero kid really is one of the biggest idiots he had ever met. 

“I ask myself that all the time. My eve is very foolish,” the servamp laughed and remembered. All the little things that foolish child did. He continually followed and tried to befriend the aggressive child that clearly didn’t want him around. Protecting another child from their rath even if it meant hurting themselves. Just like how he rescued a small fox that really didn’t need rescuing. Yet the child did it and took the fox home. His mother although apprehensive at first was won over by the child’s kid begging eyes. Both took care of the fox as if they were their own. Always protecting him from every little thing. Form a flowerpot that was going to fall on the fox. To fight bigger kids that wanted to take the fox away. Of course, he had to return the favour to his cute little so to be eve. Kurama smiled at the memories. “But you can’t help but be charmed by that foolishness. You understand don’t you.” 

Tomura thought back to his own memories. How the hero stubbornly came back to him despite wanting nothing to do with them. He was a suborn kid, but that stubbornness was what charmed him in a way. How the hero never gave up trying to talk to him. Reach him. To the point, he’d have one-sided conversations. 

He never admitted but he listened to most of them. The green child’s voice became less and less annoying with the more he talked. It was kind of cute how sometimes he stuttered. Goes off on random tangents, so far off his original subject. Like how he lectured about the history of his love of katsudon. It was so ridiculous, but he wanted a bowl of katsudon after. Would the dish make him smile as much as the hero? It got to be more fun when he started talking back. The cold silence of before filled with chattering warm.

If you ignored the bigger picture, it was like talking to a good friend. The type of friend you want to keep in your life for as long as possible. “I guess,” the villain child whispered with the faintest smile on his cracked lips. That smile soon turned into a pout “I still don’t get why you brought me here.” 

Without saying a word, the world was suddenly tinted red. The villain child looked around curiously. It was the first time he noticed that it wasn’t raining. It was little the world just had a simple red flitter on. Confusing to say the least. His attention was soon swiped away as he saw a familiar face walk along the playground path. His small, littler of curls bounced as they hurriedly tried to catch up to a group of unfamiliar children. 

“Wait for me guys,” the small child yelled as he lagged behind the other children 

“Is that?” Tomura didn’t need to say more. He knew the answer already. It was too obvious not to be him. They had to same freckles around their much rounder face. The same curled locks. And the same bright round eyes. They were only smaller and much skinnier. 

“You’re so lame, Deku. Is being quirkless make you slow too,” mocked one of the children 

“He was really cute back then don’t you think,” Kurama said with a loving smile. “My eve used to play in this park often. In fact, this is where we first met.” 

As they went along until a newer character walked in. A tiny little fox's eyes fogged while it dragged its legs to move aimlessly. The fox was soon surrounded by the other children. They looked ready to attack but the little Izuku stopped them. 

"Kacchan, no!" The child was pushed aside, but that didn’t stop him. He pounced on the little fox and used his own fragile body as a shield. He allowed himself to get hit again and again. Never once letting go of his position despite the tears at the corner of his eyes. 

Something primal awoken in Tomura. With gritted teeth, he pounced off of the swing and lunged forward. Purely attacking with instincts rather than logic. His hands opened wild in a claw-like form before slapping them towards the attacking children's faces. They never touched anything. Only phase through them since they weren’t real. It was then he realised this was all an illusion. A memory that couldn’t be changed. He had no choice but to watch the little hero get beaten until the other brats were satisfied. 

Eventually, they got bored. They walked away but not without tossing some final insults. It was a real shame the villain child couldn’t touch those brats. Even only a little bit. Just to make them itch and squirm. His attention was then taken back to the child. They got up and made sure the fox was ok. It was odd. What about him? Was he ok. He had just gotten beaten and yet he was still smiling. Like what happened to him didn’t matter. Tomura unintentionally touched the illusion of ghostly curls. Imagining how soft they would be on his fingertips. Even back at this age, this child was still a cute idiot. 

"That's good." Little Izuku chimed. Unsteadily, the boy got onto his feet and brushed off the dirt. "I better go now. Goodbye." He said to the fox. Despite that, the fox trotted behind him. Following him with curious eyes. The child quickly took notice. "You want to come with me?" They asked, and the fox gave the child a nod. This made the child very happy. Soon after the child scooped him up in his tiny arms. "Ok. I hope my mom will let me keep you." 

It was a cute scene to witness after watching the little hero get beat up. All the anger, Tomura had faded as his hands relaxed. He soon felt a presence walk up next to him. 

“My time with my eve has been very fulfilling. After years of trying to figure out what to do with my existence, I found a new purpose in him,” Kurama said with a smile while he watched the child walk away with him in their little arms. 

“I still don’t get why you’re showing me any of this.” 

Kurama’s smile dulled. “Tell me, did you really believe my eve would you join you?” He asked. His red eyes rounded in the child villain's direction. They carefully wanted their expression. Reading them for lies, feelings, anything really. “Be honest with me.” 

“No. I knew he’d say no.” Tomura admitted to himself. He knew the very second those words left his mouth he made a pointless request. Even if he filled Izuku’s friendship bar to max. Did all his side quests to complete. Had the luckiest RNG by his side. Izuku would say no. He wasn't an NPC. He was a player character that aligned himself with the other team. No amount of questing could change that. He was a hero and once you chose a class type you can't change out of that so easily. Not like the hero child would change. He was too stubborn for that. Too pure to ever be a villain. “No matter how much I want him in it. There was no way he’d come into my world.” 

“Then I ask you this. Why don’t you join him?” 

The sudden suggestion made Tomura’s heart jump. “You’re insane,” he screamed. It took all the restraint he had in him not to grab the servamp turning him to ash. He would expect those words from Izuku. Not him. “What makes you think I’d even agree to that? I am a villain. Always have been. I hate this world. I hate this society. I hate how people walk mindlessly around with smiles on their faces while there are people like me that don’t get that luxury. They don’t even want me around. They rejected me! Why would I want to join that? There’s nothing for me.” 

Kurama played with his hair in thought while the young villain ranted about the world. While most were true, he was forgetting someone important. “There’s Izuku,” he reminded. His eyes slid back to the villain. His harsh words were cut short by the sound of his eve’s name. “I’m sure he wants you.” 

Tomura’s face softened it did not falter completely. Only stuttered. “Just…just because one person wants me doesn’t mean anything. That’s not a good enough reason to even try.” 

“It was good enough for me.” 

An unnatural chill brushed past them. That line. That single line. It made many things click into place in Tomura's head. The way the servamp was so aggressive towards him. How he could kill him. How he claimed wanted to. The dark aura that trailed behind him. Like a harbinger of death. The way worded his sentences. As if he had done villainous things in the past. The past. As in not anymore. “You were a villain.” 

A wickedly wide grin curled along, the servamp’s lips. “Villain is such an uninteresting term. Too widely used nowadays for the littlest of things. Although, I suppose I did fall in that category.” They chuckled. It sounded so cheerful it completely countered the heavy atmosphere. The young villain wasn’t sure why but knowing such information and being too close to them was unnerving. Especially when they looked at him with such crazed red eyes. “I was a very nasty villain,” he admitted almost proudly while stepping close to the child. They took a couple of steps back in return. So, Kurama did the same. The mini chase between the two ended with Tomura’s back against a tree. The much taller servamp loom over him with a menacing grin. “Do you honestly think you’re the rottenest thing in this world. Child, I have time on my side. I’ve done many things. Both good and bad. All to fill this boredom. It’s hard being an immortal. Even when you want to die you can’t. You have to do something to pass the time.” 

Shivering, in the servamp’s suffocating aura, the young villain managed to stutter: “What have you done?” 

“Everything and anything,” Kurama answered so gleefully it was chilling. “I’ve lied, I’ve manipulated, I’ve cannibalised.  Even though I’m not exactly human. Their blood is quite tasty though.” 

That line made Tomura’s own blood run colder. The fact the servamp showed off his sharp fangs didn’t help ease the atmosphere. The way he licked them. It was predatory and there was only one living thing nearby to be considered pray. Instinctively, he covered his neck with one hand leaving his middle finger up to prevent contact. 

Kurama found the action amusing. He continued his list of sins: “I've cheated. I’ve stolen priceless artefacts. I’ve destroyed monuments. I’ve drowned towns with blood. Painted their walls with pure crimson. I’ve done it all. Nearly, very sin imaginable. Yet,” the pure smiling face of his eve entered his mind. “None of that compares to the satisfaction I get from being with my eve.” If you told him 10 years ago the stocky boy, he followed would one day would be his eve, the servamp would laugh. The child was so pathetically weak that he couldn’t help but lead a little hand. Tucking him into bed, making sure he eats his vegetables, chasing away bullies. If he could continue to see that child smile daily, then it was worth the effort. His melancholy feeling was mixed with something new. Content. Peace. Wholeness. He found that with his eve. “I’ve wondered for so long with this emptiness.”        

Vivid memories entered his mind. After his sensei died, he didn’t know what to do. Where to go. He was alone. He had too much time to do whatever he wanted. However, he didn’t know what he wanted. So, he wondered. One objective fuelled him. Find the identity of the black lion that killed his sensei and know why. During his search, he did whatever suited him at the time. Killing bandits that attacked him on the open road of old-timely Japan. Giving medicine he happened to have on hand to humans that needed them. Getting stolen goods back to local villages. Mercilessly, took back what he saw was his. It was an odd way to live but that’s how it was. He did good deeds. He did bad deeds. Anything to occupy his time. To fill the emptiness in his heart. He didn't know how long he travelled. Only the more he did the more he learned. 

Be careful with humans. They are dangerous creatures. One moment they’ll act like a friend. The next they’ll stab you in the back. This was a hard lesson to learn when his path eventually crossed with them. C3. They claimed they wanted to help. To create a world where vampires and humans could coexist. It wasn’t such a bad thought. It would be nice not to walk so aimlessly. They even promised to help him find his sensei’s kill. All he needed to do was help them. The proposition was too good to pass up. That was the problem. It was too good. A very well-crafted lie. 

“I thought I found a place where I was wanted. Until I discovered the truth. I couldn’t trust humans. No matter what. So, I decided to help set the world on fire and play the villain they wanted. It was fun. To hear their screams. Be a force of karma towards those who have wronged both myself and subclasses.” An image of his eldest brother and their eve came to mind. 

He doesn’t know when but at that point he realised that being a villain wasn’t fun anymore. Was it when they defeated him in battle? Did his elder brother’s words affect him? Or did it start sooner. Like when he realised one of his subclasses was getting too close to his brother's eve. Maybe it was sooner than that. Or was it later like the day he met his eve? “That high faded. I didn’t know what to do again. Until I met my eve. I’ve never felt more fulfilled. Perhaps because I'm finally doing what I was created for. To be a servamp of an eve.” He faced the young villain again this time with a gentle smile. It was so peaceful. Then they extended a hand. “If someone like me can go back to the light. Why not you?” 

The question called out to, Tomura's soul. A tingle tugged it with a single tread of hope. That hope was nothing compared to the chains of anger, hate and despair that coiled themselves on him for years. “Does Izuku even know what you did?” 

Slowly with a downward expression, Kurama dropped his extended hand. “No.” 

“Then there’s your answer. Of course, he could accept you. He doesn’t know. It’s easier that way.” 

“That's a little contradictory doesn’t you think?” The servamp retorted with a frown brown. “My eve knew about you. Yet he still went out of his way to befriend you.” 

The villain said nothing and turned his head away. Maybe if he doesn’t look at him, he won’t be able to hear his nonsense. 

“Tenko,” Kurama said sternly. He watched the young child’s body closely. How it closed itself and refused to look at him. He expected rejection but not this visceral. Something was weighing on the boy’s mind to make him hesitant. “Is there something binding you to villainy? Is that way you’re so reluctant to give yourself a chance?” 

That name again. The servamp called him that before but no one should know that name. It died so long ago. “How do you even know that name.” He then remembered Izuku said it as well. That was how he introduced him to his friends. It was odd. How could they have known. 

“We did some digging.” The servamp admitted. “A little boy went missing while the dust remains of his family were found. Quite the tragic tale.” 

“So, he tried to befriend me out of pity.” 

“Now you’re just making excuses for yourself.” Kurama growled. This back and forth was getting tiresome. “Even before that he wanted to reach you. The day you attacked. That want only grew the more he spent time with you.” He clasped his hands on the child’s shoulders forcing their red eyes to meet. Kurama could see it. In the sea of rage in the boy’s glaze here was fear as well as hope. “My eve wants you. Is that so hard to accept?” 

Violently, Tomura shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense. None of you makes any sense,” he said in a whimpering tone. His head was pounding. His blood pressure rose to dangerous levels. Everything the servamp said was confusing. His eve was confusing. It made him feel things he didn’t know what to make of. It was all a jumbled mess that looked nothing like what he understood. 

“If any of what you’re saying is true then where were you? Where were any of you when I was alone!” Imagines of the dreaded past flooded his mind. How he wandered the street alone and dazed. People would look at him in disgust and walk away like he didn’t exist. So many people passed him. Not a single one came to his aid. “None of you came. No one ever came!” 

He remembered trying to find food through garbage. When his body became too weak, he collapsed in an alleyway. Waiting. Hoping someone would find him as his boy wasted way in the dark. Someone did find him. They were the only ones to ever extended a hand to him. “The only one who do was sensei. He was the only one who ever cared about me!” 

There was a pause. 

“Sensei,” the servamp allowed the familiar word to roll off his tongue. The child said the word so preciously like a treasure. He too treasured that word. However, there was a difference. He knew the backstory of this sensei. He had countless chats with a certain smiley hero. About their late senseis. It wasn’t exactly the same as this boy and his sensei. “Are you speaking of All For One?”         

The widening of the child’s eyes was enough of an indication. The servamp hit the nail on the head. He was about it pound down on many more. 

A smirk formed in his eyes. This story gotten a little more amusing. “I hate to break it to you, but I doubt that man ever truly cared about you. At least not in the same way my eve does.” He began to explain while circling the young villain. Like a shark ready to bite. It didn’t matter if the words hurt. All that did was to make the child understand. “I’ve encountered many different types of humans in my lifetime. Enough to see a pattern. I know his type. It’s a very dangerous and heartless type. Like those C3 humans.”  

Yes them. Those disgusting humans. His past with them better matched Tomura with his sensei. He could easily see it now. A young child with nowhere to go accepted the first bit of kindness given to him. What they need to learn kindness comes with a price. Especially with those types of humans. “They don’t do anything out of the kindness of their heart. There’s always a catch that has to benefit them.” 

Tomura's body twitched. His eyes followed the prowling servamp. “You’re wrong.” He had to be. He just had to be. 

“Tell me, Tenko. Has that man asked you to do anything strange?” 

“No, he only ever told me to do want I wanted. He was like a parent to me. He thought me everything I know.” 

“I see. And what exactly did he teach you?” 

“He taught me….” Tomura's mind suddenly when blank. He tried to remember anything. The lessons his sensei told him. Nothing much came to mind except for one thing. Hate. He always told him it was ok to hate. To act on his desires. No matter how violent or gruesome. Those aren’t really lessons. They were just him saying he could do want he wanted. He couldn’t say that, and that couldn’t be the only thing he learned from his sensei. He was his sensei. He raised him…kind of. Looking back the man was barely around. Replaced by a TV screen over the years. “He taught me...” 

To the servamp, the child’s lack of words and bewilderment on their face was more than enough proof he needed to confirm his suspicions. It was very amusing. 

“Hahhahahahaha!” He laughed allowing it to echo through the playground. This situation was all too funny. “Oh my. I’ve stumbled upon quite the tragic tale. Poor little Tenko lost in this world found solace in a man called All For One. He thought he was finally saved but instead he was only groomed to be a monster. To be hated and shunned by society.” Yet he knows this plot digs deeper than that. If All For One was anything like the original C3 members that took him. They always want more. May it be power, or in this young villain’s case bitter revenge. “Was that all that dastardly villain had planned? Just make another monster in his command. No, the story grew deeper. Much, much deeper. This was more than just building a warrior. This was to claim a vendetta. Against All Might and his predecessors.” 

“All Might?” Tomura hissed at the god forsaken name. “What does he have anything to do with me?” 

“And his predecessors,” Kurama corrected. “One of which was Nana Shimura. The woman who trained him to be the hero he is today. Your grandmother.” 

 A lump formed in Tomura's throat at that name. It has been a very long time since he last heard it. It came with some foggy old memories he has long since forgotten. Soon the rage of hatred kicked in. “Even if what you’re saying is true none of it matters.” The memories started to flow. They were all foggy, but he could see eyes glaring down at him. Those eyes. He didn’t like them at all. He vaguely remembered words too. Someone of being abandoned. That’s right he was abandoned. They all were. 

“She too abandoned me. She abandoned her whole family. It’s because of her.” The memories continued to flow. He saw a man, a woman, an elderly couple and a little girl. Then there was nothing. Only dust. “It’s her fault everything happened. She’s the one to blame.” 

“It's hash to speak of the dead that way.” Kurama scolded softly. As far he knew that woman was a rare type of human. One that deserved a little more respect “Have you ever wondered why she did what she did?” 

“Because she hated me.” 

“Not quite. The opposite actually,” he corrected yet again with a grin. “I’ve met humans like her before. I understand them a little less. She didn’t abandon you out of hate, but out of love.” He knew this because Toshinori was not someone who lies. Not after speaking about someone so fondly. The love in his eyes whenever he talked about that woman. Then the hate that burned whenever he thought of the man who wrongfully took her. “A very nasty villain was after her and would do anything to hurt her. It was a free game. Including her precious family. To protect them, she left. Good thing too since she died not long after by the hand of that very villain.” He placed his lip by the villain’s ear and whispered the name. “All For One.”      

Tomura's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He pushed the servamp away. Rejecting him and everything he said. 

Yet the servamp kept pushing. He plunged the knife of reality deeper and deeper into the child’s heart relentlessly. “If you want to blame anyone for your misery blame him.” 

“No. Sensei isn’t to blame. Everyone else is!” The figures grew clearer. The elderly couple, the little girl, the woman, the man. He knew them. He knew all of them very well. “Grandmother, grandfather, sister, mother...Father…they’ve all to blame. They did nothing. Society did nothing. All Might did nothing. All of them are to blame. I hate them. I hate them all!” He yelled while he tried to reason with himself. It was an overload of information that didn’t fit what he believed. He needed to correct the information. Make it fit. Then the pounding in his head would stop along with the pain in his heart. “It’s just a coincidence. That’s right all of that is a coincidence. Sensei took me in because he cared. He’s the only one that ever cared.” 

“Confident?” Kurama chuckled. “It’s a mighty big coincidence. Finding the grandchild of his late enemy after he was broken beyond belief. When there are countless broken children for him to take in. Why did he choose you? The perfect piece of clay to manipulate however he desired. Say for example a specialised weapon to use against his current foe. All Might.” 

“Y-y-y-you’re lying. All of this is a lie!” It doesn’t make sense, yet it did at the same time. The fact even a smidge of it made sense drove his head mad. It raced with unwanted thoughts. A lie. That was the only way this would make sense. It had to be all a lie. A way to get him to doubt his sensei. He could never do that…yet it all fits. The motivation. The timing. It fits all too perfectly. It was terrifying. 

The conflicted expression the child was giving was truly an interesting one. They were his cracked face shifted from one emotion to the next. The way his hand twitched and struck the air around him and his eyes. The fear and realisation mixed in. The boy’s mind was open to the truth. What an unfortunately smart child. “You know I'm not lying. Even if you want to say and believe I am. You’re starting to understand. Your brain is putting the pieces that only you know together. But I can see the picture. Even if you won’t tell me those pieces.” Time to hit that final nail into the child’s heart and crush the image of his perfect sensei. “You’re being used, Tenko Shimura.” 

“No!” The child screamed and clawed at the side of his temples. These thoughts. These possibilities. He didn’t want them. They were wrong. They had to be. Sensei cared. He was the only one to ever care. He loved him. Right? Right? 

Carefully, Kurama’ stoked the child's head. The chaos storming inside it must be painful. “It’s ok. I know it can be a hard pill to swallow. Trust me. I understand you feel betrayed right now.” 

He recalled the day he found the truth as well. That the people he trusted in C3 were the very ones that originally ordered the hit on his sensei. That realisation was an agonising stab in the heart. “It’s a painful feeling. You put so much trust into them only to realise it was a mistake.” He trusted them with everything. He allowed them to do many questionable things to his body. Even if it hurt. He was immortal anyway. He couldn’t die. So, what was the harm with conducting a couple… hundreds of experiments. All for the sake of understanding vampires. That way they can better plan on how they could coexist. What a beautiful lie. “They tell you you’re amazing. Encourage that you’re doing the right thing. You trust them because they care. Make you feel wanted. Like you belong with them. In the end they didn’t want you because they loved or even cared about you. They only kept you because you were useful.” 

In his high emotional frustration, Tomura slapped the servamap’s arm away, “at least he was better than them.” He screamed. The burnt memories of the past were getting clearer. More than just faded images. He can hear the voices. Can feel the pain. “They caused me more misery before sensei took me.” That’s right, he remembered now. His family life. It was a cruel one. 

He remembered he had a sister. She was a little older than him and was kind but abandoned him. When she got in trouble, she threw him to the wolves. Making him pay for her mistake with his body. 

“I hate them.” 

He had a mother. Her parents used to live with them too. Their kindness was also fake. They never saved him when he was in pain. 

“I hate all of them” 

The cause of the pain was his father. He would constantly scold him. Hit him. Belittle him. He was the worst of them all. 

“I’m glad I killed them that day,” he yelled with a happy, psychotic grin on his face. “I was never happier! Then when I saw them, all tuned to dust by my hands!” Despite what he wanted to believe. That didn’t stop the tears falling down his dried cheeks. 

Kurama noticed this and asked, “are you so sure about that?” 

Of course, he was sure. He had to be sure. It was the only reason he could justify his anger. The hatred his sensei instructed him to grow for all these years…hatred. It was his sensei that told him that he hated them. He told him it was ok to hate. He encouraged it in fact. Every time he gave into hatred. Using his quirk for unsavoury means his sensei rewarded him. Is that strange. It can’t be right. He was just doing a good job and he should be rewarded for that effort. There’s nothing wrong with that. Right? He did hate them. All of them. Right?  

Carefully, Kurama hooked his arms around the very confused villain. The child was shaking. His eyes twitched while his mind raced with unknown thoughts. The confusion must have been painful. The squeals and groans of melancholy words escaped his open mouth. The servamp’s arms curled around the child that was plagued with melancholy. If his sensei truly cared, he wouldn’t have allowed this child to become the way he was. Scrappy, scarred, in so much agony. He gently stroked the child’s brittle locks. Nothing about him seemed well taken care of. More so the opposite. A child that fended for himself and did what he could to gain the affection of the only adult figure that came to him. The only way to gain that smidge of affection was to be the perfect villain puppet. 

“Tenko,” he whispered into the child’s ear. “Listen to me carefully. I want you to remember that day. When you killed your family. I wanted you to remember all the events leading up to it. And all the emotions you had. Then I want you to answer my question. Did you really hate them?” One of his hands snaked their way to the boy’s chest. He whispered under his breath a type of enchantment that sounded like gibberish. Suddenly, a small handheld metal box emerged from the boy’s chest. Each corner was connected with chains that lead back to their body. The box had an intricate design with swirls and straight edges. One other prominent feature was a glowing keyhole. “Keep listening to my voice.” He gently encouraged while caressing the box in one hand. “Remember. Do not be afraid of your memories. Just remember and feel. Ignore the anger implanted in you by another. I want your feelings. Your thoughts. No one else's.” 

He wasn’t sure why, but Tomura felt compelled to follow the servamp’s orders. He felt his mind dragged back. All the way back. When the name Tenko Shimura meant something to him. It was strange. The fog of the memories back then faded. He could see it all so clearly. His old home. His old family. His old dream. Yes, back then he admired heroes. It was so long ago he completely forgotten. 

However, his father hated heroes and wanted nothing to do with them. So, he was punished for his dream. He hated his father. That much he was sure of. Hated him but…he knows why he hated heroes. It was because his grandmother was one of them and then left him at a young age. She didn’t mean to. She said so herself in a letter. That letter. He found it once but couldn't fully read it. The only words he remembered recognising were: ‘I'm sorry’, ‘please take care’, and ‘mommy love’s you’. Alongside it was a picture of his grandmother in full costume hugging her smiling son. 

Why was his hatred…fading. It was still there. Burning on the forefront but it wasn’t as strong. It was a confusing feeling, yet it was a relieving one. 

Back then he had a sister. She was a very loving sister that wanted to support his dreams. But she betrayed him and got him in trouble with their father because of that letter and picture. She left him to be punished. He hated her for that but then the good memories came. The two of them playing together. Laughing. His hate dimmed because of that. She even tried to apologise until… 

Then there was his mother. She was the most loving. The kindest in the family. When she could, she'd protect him from his father. Yet she still stayed with him. She still went along with his wishes and silly rules along with her parents. That’s why he hated her. In the end, she did nothing for him…no. In the end. At the very end. Before everything turned to dust. His mother. She was the only one that…reached out. Even if that meant her death. The woman’s smiling face was engraved in his mind as she died while holding him. 

It made him feel… it made him feel… 

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” 

The horrific screech could make ears bleed and your heartbreak. It was all around them. Its haunting sound reached the heavens. Kurama had to plug his ears with both hands just to make it stop. But he could see and hear it. The servamp could do nothing but watch. The box sunk into the child's chest as his wailing screams continued. He held the sides of his head to try and contain the pain. All these sudden new memories, feelings and their revelation. Of their meaning, it was too much for the child to bear. Everything he’s done. Everything he believed. It was all a lie.  

In the end, he was just a child unknowingly following orders for affection. Something he rarely got outside of material objects. Video games, toys, clothes, shoes, and a bed. Those were his rewards. Not a pat on the back, a hug, an affectionate kiss on the head or cheek, not even simple words of praise. Those little things a young child would crave. Did he even want to do the things he has done? 

“Damn it!” Tomura raised his hand to the sky and brought it down without mercy. The ground around him faded for dust. Everything that it touched went with it. The swings, the slide, the sandbox, everything. The entire park was gone. All that was left was a crater of dust. Laying at the centre, crying, holing himself, was Tomura. He was completely lost. The loose chains around him cracked further. 

Luckily, before the destructive hit, Kurama flew away on a couple of his blades. Looking down at the devastation he couldn’t help but feel a little bad. He was the one who coaxed out those unwanted memories. Using an old spell his sensei taught him. It was a miracle it worked well. Maybe a little too well. He only hoped remembering would help him realise the truth of his predicament. Then he’d be more willing to come to his eve’s side. He neglected to consider how emotional the child was. Despite being much older than his eve he was still mentally very much a young child. Cautiously, he floated closer to the child, “Tenko…” he couldn’t say another word as this wooziness took over. 

The servamp’s vision blurred. The blades that kept him up disappeared, they flittered away like petals in the wind. Eventually, he fell into the crater. The dust puffed up like a wave splash that dropped back down on top of him. Why does his body feel so weak? An incredibly important fact dawned on him. The distant limit. An eve and servamp are not allowed to go past it for prolonged gaps of time. The servamp hasn’t seen his eve since early that morning after they said goodbye to do their own little outing. It never really happens. He’d been too cautious to allow it to happen. Until now. Damn it! He screamed through his gritted teeth. Yet he had one other thing to worry about. His head jerked up to the crying child.

From his blurry vision, he saw Tomura running away. He didn’t know where he was going. It was just further away from him. He reached out but grabbed nothing but air. The child’s name caught in his throat. He should have run after the boy, he knew that. His eve would have wanted that. However, it’s because of that very same eve, he couldn’t. He’s been away from him far too long. Any longer would be dangerous. If he had to choose between that boy and his eve the answer was obvious. 

Hurriedly, as he could with stiff arms, he fished out his phone. He dialled the only person he could trust and understand the importance of this request. “Sakuya. Yeah, it’s me. Hope you don’t mind helping me out. It’s important. I’ve been separated from my eve. No Izuku is fine I’m to blame for this. I need to find him, but my body is a little weak at the moment. I can only imagine what he’s doing. Yeah, I'll text you, my location.” He quickly typed the address along with the note: ‘I’m inside the crater’. They’ll understand when they’ll get here. He had fate in his subclasses. All he had to do was wait. 

Then something cold dropped on his cheek. A little raindrop. And another one. And another one. Looks like a downpour was soon coming. Hopefully, he doesn't drown in this hole. He glanced around at the damage. That child's quirk was incredibly destructive. Perfect for a weapon. How despicable. It was one thing to turn a creature like him into a weapon for someone else's benefit. It’s another to use an innocent child who didn’t know better. That All For One human even manipulated the situation to make it easier for the child to become what they desired. Truly are disgusting.

He knew he couldn’t leave that child alone, but he had no strength to chase after him. That was when it hit him. He didn’t need to be the one to go after him. Luckily, he knew just how to call. 

“Izuku are you ok?” 

His two close friends asked as they placed themselves on either side of the boy. He disappeared a while ago and they were trying to find him ever since. When they did, he was crying his eyes out. As good friends should they comforted him with hugs and words of encouragement. From his sobs, they could hear his teary explanation of how he got into a fight with the friend he was so worried about. It was heart-breaking to hear. Uraraka wanted to punch that guy if they ever saw him again. 

Meanwhile, Iida exclaimed how unheroic that was, but he never said he won’t stop her. When the tears stopped, he tried to stand up but when he did his body was wobbling. Like a new-born deer, he couldn’t stand up straight. 

Weakly, Izuku giggled at their concern, “I'm fine guys.” He sounded convincing as he looked. Weak. 

“You look so pale,” Uraraka commented while taking a good look at his face. Despite the red puffiness of his eyes, his entire complication was ghost white 

“You’re barely walking strength,” Iida complained with her as his smaller friend wobbled with a misstep. 

“I told you I'm…” Izuku could say nothing else. He didn’t have the power to. Maybe it was because of all his endless crying, but he felt so dizzy. Like the word was spinning around him. Round and round in a distorted fashion. His legs lost the strength to hold himself. He just felt so tired all of a sudden. Soon, he fell into his fiend awhile arms. Maybe some sleep would make him feel better. 

“Izuku!”

Tomura ran. He didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know how long he ran so far. He didn’t care. Nothing mattered. He just wanted to feel something else. Anything but the mess of emotions running through his heart. The rain was only a mild distraction. It's cold tears only annoyed him while they drenched his clothes to a dark hue. They became heavy. Much harder to keep running. But it wasn’t enough because he can still feel them. His conscience ran ramped like the sea in a storm. Unforgiving. It couldn’t be controlled. It won’t be controlled. 

Make it stop. 

Make it stop! 

Make it stop! 

He did the only thing he knew. He started scratching his neck. That used to make him feel better. The pain from the marks on his neck. How his warm blood comforted him. That will make him feel better. His numbed nails inched towards his neck. He was about to dig in, but a voice stopped him. 

Don’t scratch yourself too much. You’ll hurt yourself.

No 

I’m sorry brother. I should have stood up with you.

No more 

Tenko it will be ok. We're here for you.

"Shut up!” 

The teen collapsed. He doesn’t know where he was. Just another garbage-filled alleyway. Just like back then. Dark shadows hit his existence while he weakly crawled to a corner. He hung his knees lightly while pressing his face between his legs. The feelings won’t stop. Nor did the memories. The happy times. The sad times. All of them made him, him. Every hash word. Every loving world. Every hug. Every slap. He had them all. They were all so clear. Many memories made him angry. Many of them make him sad. Some made him happy. To have them all at once was headache-inducing. 

The day the incident happened became crystal clear. What was once a fuzzy distance memory was now a picture-perfect image. Packed with all his emotions. How sad he was for being punished. How he just wanted someone to hold him. Tell him he was ok. 

Then his dog died, and fear flooded his senses. He saw his sister and wanted her help, but she disappeared. He saw his mother and how she fearless held him in her arms with care. The final act of love of a mother. He saw his father how be brandish a weapon ready to strike him. He remembered his feeling clearly now. For his sister, he felt sadness and fear while she disappeared into nothing. For his mother, he felt love and confrontation for only a brief second before she too disappeared. For his father, he remembered hate and rage as well as a sickening joy of seeing him gone with his own hands. That feeling didn’t last long. None of them did. The fear, the confrontation, the joy. It all boiled to one thing. 

Guilt 

That overwhelming sense of guilt as well as nothingness. He felt almost nothing for his father. A little more for his grandparents. However, for his mother who wanted to comfort him, he felt something more. For his sister that wanted to apologise, he felt something there too. He didn’t want that to happen. He didn’t mean for it to happen. He didn’t mean for his father to disappear either. He just wanted to hit him. Just once like the many times, he hit him. He just wanted…he just wanted… 

“I just wanted someone. Anyone,” Tomura whispered sadly to himself. 

In the end when the dust settled there was no one. They all disappeared. He was alone. 

This is what he deserved. After everything he’s done. He deserved to be alone. Disappear like the rest of his family. He was just a stupid villain anyway. Why should anyone care about him? 

“Are you ok, young man?” Called out a kind voice. 

For a moment, Tomura couldn’t feel the raindrop harshly pounding his head like mini bullets. His blurred, darkened vision slowly made one peculiar shape. A hand was reaching out to him. It was long and bony. There was skin attached to the hand, but you can see all the ridges of the bone it was thinly covered with shrivelled skin. His eyes lazily wandered up the hand. There he saw two glowing blue eyes staring at him. Unlike the many glares of disgust that he witnessed they were filled with something only a few gave him. Kindness and concern. The more he looked at them the more they looked like his eyes. That stupid green hero's. “Who are you?” 

The stranger smiled warmly, “my name is Toshinori Yagi” he replied. “Don’t worry, I’m here now.” 

Tamura’s version faded to black.