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Chapter Text

The lithe creature made of inky shadows leapt from broken building to broken building, hiding amongst the stand-alone walls, abandoned vehicles and other various obstacles as he slinked along the streets. He didn't know why he did that, it wasn't necessarily needed of him to do, but it felt better than to be out in the open. He didn't even fly, despite the fact that his batlike wings on his back were more than capable of carrying him, plus some added weight. He just didn't like being seen, even if the calamity ghouls could care less about his existence… they thought he was one of them.

He wasn't. Just because he looked similar, made the same noises and had the same scent, he was anything but a ghoul. Heh, he thought it was rather hilarious that the humans called them ghouls in the first place, since the monsters weren't undead people. Just people that were consumed and corrupted by darkness.

No, it was the very fact that he could think in the first place that proved he wasn't the same. Heck, he could even see bits and pieces of his memory here and there! He remembered what he looked like, relatively how old he was… well, before getting transformed into a monster. He used to have green hair and eyes, freckles on his cheeks, wasn't even that old still , though sometimes he got confused on whether or not he was muscular or scrawny. The images would get muddled up at times.

And even more incredible, he decided, was that he could remember a nickname. He didn't know why he knew it wasn't his real one, but there was… an odd jumble of emotions tied to it, the nickname Deku. It didn't matter, the fact that he had that over nothing at all was amazing… he had an identity and he'd be damned if he didn't keep it. 

Other than that though, not that he was about to complain, of course, there was pretty much nothing else. Sure, there were things he could remember about the world around him, like being able to read (really well, actually), or the difference between a residential area verses a business or recreational area, he even figured out how to manage cooking with his clumsy paws and maw, but he cared more about things that would have been more personal to him. 

Very, very occasionally, he would get these sort of flashes of images from his locked memory, people mostly. Three more often than not, with another figure that was almost as frequent. One he decided was his mom for sure, with the same green hair and eyes as his own. She seemed so sweet and caring, and it always managed to make the beast tear up a little more than normal every time she was the center of focus during the flashes. The second was a skinny man he assumed was his dad, from how the emotions that were tied to the flashes were so fond and endearing, with that crazy golden blonde hair with eyes he could never quite make out in the flashes, except for the blue that shone from them. The third was probably his best friend, Kacchan , with the ashy blonde hair and red eyes that were filled with fiery determination… for what, Deku didn't know. He couldn't remember. 

The fourth figure… now he was the one that confused Deku. He seemed so familiar, almost like Dad, only more shaded and big . Maybe it was their smiles that made them seem similar, other than the similar hair color. And the odder thing was that the big man was everywhere .

Deku discovered this when he'd go out to explore and scavenge. He did every day, always the same goal, but with a different outcome each time: find something new. Usually, it was something for his base; a really plush pillow one day, more seeds to grow another day, an odd trinket the next… he always seemed to be drawn towards more toy like items, particularly hero merchandise. 

He discovered the big man in his flashes was All Might, and judging by how he was just drawn to the hero merch, he put together that apparently All Might was his favorite hero, probably because he was like Dad. So, he collected more and more of the All Might things he found, clicking and trilling in excitement with every find, almost out of instinct. He even found a doll of the hero, which he kept with him at all times in his rucksack, which was slung on his back much like a saddle bag. He lovingly nicknamed it Mini Might.

Today, he had planned to explore a new location, one that was just a few miles further away from his base than the other locations he had grown to know well. It was also farther away from the human settlements he knew about, which meant that there were probably less ghouls around to pester him. It was a big shopping district, which meant supplies. 

'Maybe I will find something sweet… if it's not already spoiled…' Deku deadpanned as he thought to himself. It had been almost a year since he woke up as a beast, so many good products had gone bad, except for certain packaged and canned goods. Though he had to admit, it was a little funny that he bothered searching for and growing food… whatever the hell ghouls were didn't actually need to eat or drink, let alone sleep, but he did it anyway. It made him feel almost… normal. It was nice.

He snuck along the street until he came up to a shop that looked like it would have some pretty decent finds. Once inside, he leaned back and sat on his haunches, shrugging off his drawstring rucksack. His wings had tiny claws on them that functioned similarly as a second pair of hands, so he was easily able to carry the bag as he began to comfortably walk down the aisles. He relaxed, now that he was hidden from view rather well, even though his back was easily seen over the top of the shelves. 

He was absolutely ecstatic when he found a nice array of chocolates, still perfectly okay to eat. He shoved as many as he could in his rucksack, chuckling a bit as Mini Might was nearly buried in the treats. He pulled his little friend out and set him on top of the plundered goods-!!

Deku's hackles raised when he heard the floor squeak just a little bit down the aisle, his head whipping up in the direction of the sound. Someone was there, wearing athletic shoes and breathing foolishly loud. 'A… a human? Out this far…?' Deku wasn't in any way intimidated by the human, since it wasn't like the human could hurt him in the first place, as he discovered a while ago. He snorted and rolled his eyes, going back to looking around for more treats to snatch up. 

He grumbled from agitation when he realized whoever was in the shop was starting to come closer. 'What? Is this person really that dumb? They know I'm a ghoul, right? I'm a danger to them if I "notice" them. They don't even know what my potential powers are.' He sighed as he could clearly make out their footsteps in the aisle right behind his…?

He turned around from utter confusion, his attention piqued by the actions of the stranger. The person had stopped almost directly where he was from behind the other aisle. 'Wh… what are they-!!' He let out a yowl of total surprise when the entire shelf floated and zoomed at him, the bags of chips and snacks getting flung onto him as a result. He heard someone, a girl's voice, shout, "Release!" and suddenly the shelf's full weight crashed down on him. It was nowhere near enough to subdue him though, thankful that apparently he was stronger than the average ghoul… though no ghoul could be killed by an attack like this, maybe just knocked unconscious.

So Deku was easily able to shove the shelf off of him, grimacing at the mess the girl made… but he'd admit, he was definitely impressed with the attack. Had he been a normal ghoul, he would have spent too much time flailing around from shock and barking up a storm, giving her plenty of time to escape and go hide. Kudos on her-!!

He heard her scream from outside right as he slung on his candy and snack filled rucksack. Deku went wide eyed, moving without thinking as he sped down the aisles, rushing outside. 

The brave girl was surrounded by three ghouls, each looking hideous in different ways. One looked like a mutilated dog, another looked like a weird boar and lion hybrid, the other looking reptilian and just gross. They all were looking at her as if they had been starving for months and she was a gourmet meal. The girl was shaking as she was slowly backed up to the outside wall of the store, quietly pleading for them to leave her alone… she was desperate, fear making her lose all hope in that moment-!!

Deku barreled into the three ghouls. He was bigger than they were, but only by a little bit. It was his sheer strength that overwhelmed them, energy flooding his senses as his eyes glowed with fury. He backed up in the girl's direction, his wings spreading out in a defensive, intimidating stance. The three small ghouls recovered to their feet and were about to lunge and attack, but Deku reared back, a roar escaping his throat without giving a second thought. He went back down on all fours, making a massive thud that shook the concrete pavement, his body tense with a feral look in his eyes that challenged the three monsters to just try and hurt the girl. 

The three lesser ghouls howled and yiped with fear, scurrying away with their tails between their legs if they had them. Deku eased up, a slight scoff escaping his throat as he calmed himself down. 'Pathetic…'

"… y-you… saved me…" 

Deku flinched, forgetting for a moment that a human girl was right behind him. He recoiled away from her, realizing that they were almost in touching distance. 

She didn't seem to notice, an amazed look filled with awed disbelief painted on her face, "You… you're a ghoul… why did you…" A small twitch of her lip lead to a thankful smile, the girl tearing up a little bit, "Th-thank you…" 

Deku ducked his head a little lower. He didn't know why, but… her looking at him as if he weren't a monster, despite having just acknowledged that he was also a ghoul… it just unsettled him. She should be afraid! She shouldn't be out here on her own, even if she was brave and strong! Maybe… her kind tone as she thanked him was just too foreign to him after a year of solitude and being indirectly hated by humans. It wasn't right! 

He kept his head ducked low as he began to saunter off, wanting to just go home to his base, where he'd hopefully feel better in its familiarity. Who knew how much trouble having a human around would cause him-! 

"W-wait!!" He heard the girl start to follow after him, only confirming her intentions when she cried out, "Wait for me!" She sped up until she was at his shoulder, though she kept a good space between them. Perhaps she had noticed his hesitancy towards being close. 

But she apparently didn't catch on to him wanting to be left alone. He stopped walking forwards, skidding over to the side from shock. In his confusion, he cried out a pitiful whine, his paw lifting up towards his chest as he looked at the girl with just pure distressed confusion. 

She stopped walking and looked up at him with an expression that threw him for a curve, the girl crossing her arms as she explained herself, "Hey, it's obvious that I'm safer with you! I was separated from my group a few days ago, so you're the first person I've been in contact with since then!" Her bravado all but shattered, a plea escaping her throat, "P-please… I don't want to be alone again." 

'… she's totally taking advantage of the fact that I can understand her, isn't she?' Deku's soft heart won over, the ghoul sighing as he went back down on all fours. He couldn't even be bothered with trying to stay out of the line of sight. As the girl followed him closely at his side, his long tail flickered at the tip from irritation, internally grumbling, 'Good thing I have soup cooking at home…'

'… w-wait… did she just… call me a person ?' He didn't know what to make of the realization, let alone the odd warmth pooling inside of him and fickleness in his chest.

Chapter Text

When Deku woke up the next morning, he didn't expect there to be someone tucked under his wing, using him as a blanket of sorts… 'Despite there being literal mountains of soft, plush things all around us,' Deku grimaced as he remembered the day before. 

Ochaco, as she introduced herself, was… definitely something else. She was just so bubbly , acting as if he were a normal person too from the moment he saved her. Deku would initially get really annoyed with her antics, including how blunt she could be (like her teasing him when she saw that his rucksack was not only filled with candy, but had Mini Might in it), but he could never get mad. It was exhausting, trying to stay peeved with her. 

One of the things that bothered him in just the few short evening hours was the lack of clear communication between them. She loved to talk, and it was an absolute struggle for him, since it made him discover just how much he had to say without any way of doing so that she'd understand. He didn't know why he bothered to try so hard to make sounds and gesture wildly as he failed miserably. Was he just that vocal and didn't know, or remember , it?

And she was touchy-feely . Something that made Deku really uncomfortable, after not being in literal contact for such a long time. A small pat here, a tiny nudge there, that bright smile and hand resting on his wing, always with her pinkie finger up. Why was she so comfortable with him?? It made no sense!! 

So waking up to her tucked to his side was… 

Well… 

She looked peaceful .

… especially with Mini Might squished in her embrace. He felt a growingly familiar twinge of irritation, but sighed loudly as he let it go.

He rested his head back down, caving in to that weird feeling that had begun to arise since he saved her. Which was another thing, why did he do that?? It was so reckless of him!! And by letting her follow him instead of just running off like he wanted to, he was willingly throwing away the calm, quiet life he had established in this small base of his, just begging for trouble with other ghouls because of keeping this human girl around!!

And yet… it just felt like something he needed to do. He didn't want to even think about what could've possibly happened to the admittingly very sweet human had he not been there with her. It was all so confusing to him, the ghoul letting out a huff of agitation with himself-

Ochaco murmured as she started to wake up, groggily glancing up at him as he turned his head to look back at her again, a small, lazy smile growing on her face. "G'mornin'…" She seemed as surprised as he was when she noticed how close she was to him, "Oh… how did this happen…? 'm sorry." She looked genuinely confused, trying to remember how she fell asleep in the first place… she couldn't remember him being close in general. 

Her confusion started to make Deku wonder… if maybe this wasn't her doing… but maybe…! ‘Wait!! I remember now! She was shivering and I- o h . ’ He snorted in bitter defiance the moment he recalled that he was the one to snuggle up to her , standing up abruptly. He stomped over to the big pot he put over the constant low burning fire in the corner of his base, the best way to keep his different soups and stews going. It always tasted amazing, too. 

He may have been purposefully distracting himself from his guest, but he could care less. 

Ochaco shuddered from the sudden loss of warmth, cuddling the small All Might plush close and bundling herself up in some of the many blankets the dragon-looking ghoul had collected, and even washed. He was more put together than most of the other humans she lived with back at the Yuuei Academy, the large campus having been refurbished into a refuge. The end of the world as they knew it had made a lot of people lose their will to continue on.

Not her new dragon friend. No, he was putting together a home for himself. He had a small garden, cooked despite not needing to, collected cute things (she had to stop herself from giggling at all of the All Might and other hero knick knacks the day before, after accidentally hurting his feelings from her reaction to the All Might plushie in his rucksack)… he acted normal . As normal as you could in a world like this. 

She started to get up, stretching as she did so. She looked around and noticed the dragon setting out some bowls again for his amazing soup. "Breakfast time?" She chuckled when he snorted with a single affirmative nod of his head, the beast concentrating on stirring the ladle for the massive pot with both of his paws. She got to her feet and shuffled over, knowing that trying to offer to help wouldn't get through to him… it was kinda cute how he seemed so proud of being able to do something that was clearly a challenge for him. So she patiently waited for him to serve them both. 

"Thank you." She smiled as she was given her portion. She picked up the bowl and blew over the top to help it cool down, trying really hard to not react to the dragon's goofy reaction to her thanks, his wings spreading out a little bit from his sides as he ducked his head down with his ears flattened back. It was so endearing… actually, it was a little heartbreaking, too, now that she thought about it. He probably had been alone since the calamity struck, the sudden emergence of shadowy creatures that took hold of people and … well, she didn't want to lose her appetite. The dragon's cooking was too amazing to waste. 

She had taken a few sips, when it finally dawned on her. "I don't have anything to call you… other than Dragon ."

This made Deku tilt his head, setting down his own bowl. At first, he was confused by the odd nickname she had given him, but thinking about it, he did look like one, with the wings, long neck, tail and snout. Though his slightly catlike ears and lack of horns threw off the look, in his opinion. He snorted from amusement with a slow shake of his head. He couldn't deny the fact that he felt a smile tugging at his maw, his fangs poking out from under his lips. 'What are you doing? Giving a nickname to a monster? You're an odd one, Ochaco.' He suddenly had an idea, and the beast set aside his bowl, sauntering outside. 

Ochaco was confused by his unexpected action, but followed after him, curiosity driving her along. When she saw that he had stopped right outside of the hidden "doorway" to his base, a well-hidden hole that he covered with a thick blanket, she saw he drew in the dirt with his claw, and even though the hand- er, claw-writing was pretty messy, she could see the katakana:

デク

"Deku…?" She looked up at her new friend, "Is that your-!!" She went wide eyed, squawking, "W-wait a minute!! You can read!?!?" 

Deku smugly chirruped at her, his equivalent of chuckling, finding her shocked reaction pretty funny. 'Of course I can, why are you so surprised?' He then nodded with another affirmative snort, pointing first at the two syllable nickname scratched in the dirt, and then at himself. 

Ochaco calmed down, and then nodded with a giddy expression, "Okay, Deku! Heh, I like it! I think it sounds pretty cute! It gives off that 'I can do it' vibe!" She then beamed up at him, "You really can , too! The way you chased off those ghouls the other day with that green lightning all over you? That was awesome! You seem like a total hero with that Quirk!" 

Not only was he thrown off by her calling his nickname cute , warmth spreading to his cheeks, he was downright bewildered. Hero? Quirk? Yes, people had many quirks, so what in the world did she mean? He let out a confused series of whimpers, tilting his head to the side again as he gawked at her. 

Ochaco settled down, catching that he had no idea what she was talking about. She blinked a bit, now feeling how the atmosphere threatened to turn melancholic at any second, "… you know… your powers? Most people have them nowadays, and ghouls seem to retain their abilities they had before turning…" His silence and hopelessly lost expression made her realize, "You don't remember…"

She then shook her head, doing her best to cheer him up, "Well, don't you worry! We'll figure out together what your Quirk is! You clearly have one, and it's really cool looking with all the green energy you give off-!!" She gasped, before practically bouncing on her toes, "Look!! You're doing it again!!" 

Indeed, he was emitting the green energy again. But this time, it was a reaction to how that weird feeling from before came with exponential force. 'T… t-t-together !? She wants to… st-stay!? With me !?' His energy dancing around his shadowy body equated to him blushing profusely. The moment he realized what she was talking about, he freaked out at the bolts of green lightning bouncing around his fuzzy fur, his reaction making the energy immediately cease to show. 'What was that!?!?'

However, before he could freak out more, Ochaco grabbed his paw. He immediately noticed the squishy, pink pads on the tips of her fingers, his attention catching the fact that she yet again kept her pinkie finger up. She smiled with a gentle air, effectively making him calm down with no effort. "Don't be afraid, Deku-kun. You're not alone in this, okay?" She giggled, leading him back inside, "Come on! Don't want our breakfast to cool off too much!" 

She didn't even realize it, did she? '… she isn't even thinking of going back to the other humans… did… did me saving her mean that much to her?' Deku allowed her to lead him back inside, his heart throbbing as he decided to allow her to stay as long as she wanted to… he'd care for her as long as she did… part of him knew that even if she did leave, he'd still look after her.

The two had a great breakfast that morning, Ochaco deciding not to point out the purr like noise coming from Deku the entire time, though a poorly hidden smile did betray her.

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Deku slid up behind a car, scenting the air around them. 'Okay, nothing.' He turned his head and made eye contact with the girl who was hiding behind a tree. With a small snort, he jerked his head up and away, signalling to the best of his ability to come over. 'It's safe… gosh, I hope she gets it.'

She did. Her nerves died down as she released a breath she knew she was holding. It was just so tense . "Thanks, Deku." She jogged over to him, happy she didn't have to try and hide in the shadows the entire time. Knowing there were no threats nearby was alleviating. 

She slowed in pace with the dragon as he began to walk forwards down the open street. There was a comfortable silence between them, but her curiosity gnawed away at her.

Deku wasn't surprised in the slightest when she finally asked, "Where are we going?" He turned his head at her, deadpanned incredibility written all over his face. 'Really? Like I'd be able to say it.' How could she so easily forget that he couldn't speak ?? 

Which was exactly why they were headed where they were going. Soon enough, the library came into view. 

She didn't bother hiding her confusion. "The library? Why are we going there?" She took a moment to ponder, before she brightened up, "Oh! Right, you can read! Do you want to get a new book to entertain yourself? I'll get some too!"

Deku chortled, 'Yeah… that's one of the reasons.' He was on a mission, not something he could easily communicate with her… yet . Once inside, he made a beeline for the section that would have books on languages. It didn't take long to find it, he had been through that section a few times looking for other informational books. 

"What are you looking for?" Ochaco was able to pick up on his sense of urgency, and now she was intrigued. He was up to something and his eagerness was contagious. There was a sparkle in his eyes as he was clearly thinking a mile a minute, scanning the shelves for something specific. It killed her not knowing what was going on in that head of his-! 'Wait… could he be…?'  

A grin stretched itself over her lips. She knew what he was doing. 

And he soon confirmed her understanding, because with a triumphant sound of excitement escaping him, he pulled out some books on both American and Japanese Sign Language with the secondary hand-like claws on his wings. He handed one to Ochaco before he eagerly began pointing it, as if he needed to further get the point across.

Ochaco giggled a little bit under her breath at his antics, "Calm down, I understand." She grabbed hold on his paw, beaming up at her friend, "If we're gonna stick together, we've gotta be able to understand each other. Deku, you're a genius!" With one of the books still in her hand, she pumped it up into the air with fiery determination, "I'm gonna do my best to learn sign language, so I can understand Deku-chan!!" 

She didn't mean to, of course, but she unintentionally broke him, his jaw going slack as he dropped the books he was holding from his paws.

Chapter Text

Waking up side by side had become the norm for the two, especially with the night air feeling chillier than usual… despite Summer being right around the corner.

Neither Deku nor Ochaco seemed to care enough to point it out.

It had been almost three weeks since that first morning together, and already they had a sort of routine: Get up. Have breakfast. Do some stretches. Go out to scavenge. Come home. Repeat. A straightforward rhythm, only straying occasionally from the beat to take care of the hideaway and tend to his growing garden.

She didn't mind the daily missions; if anything, she welcomed the constant up-and-go. However, even though she was eager to help, he quickly realized how much he had underestimated himself. It didn't take long before he not only allowed but urged her to ride his back when going out, since she still had to worry about her stamina limitations, something he initially forgot that he and every other ghoul no longer had. 

Then again, he also stopped underestimating her sheer tenaciousness quite quickly. Moving debris and setting obstacles in place was definitely easier with her aide. He could only make her promise to not stress herself just to "keep up" with him. 

He didn't want her to; she was still a wonderful little human, after all.

Once they went home at the end of each day, they would learn a new series of signs together after enjoying some dinner, and maybe a chocolate or two. It truly amazed him every time just how driven Ochaco was. She strived to learn to the best of her ability; to say she wanted to be able to communicate with him felt like an understatement. He dared to think… it felt more like she needed to.

Her dedication was heart-touching, to say the very least. In no way did it make him feel like he was about to explode every single time it crossed his mind, noooo.

Most of their focus was learning the practical ones that could be used for codes when they were out scavenging, like food, color, size, and level of importance. The other signs that were more personal (and arguably, the same ones that Ochaco put even more effort into learning) were the ones signaling small phrases, like saying praises, thankfulness, if it was time for meals, pleasant adjectives, and so on.

The rest Deku filled in with an increasingly complex array of sounds. Purring, chuffing, squeaking, rumbling… he did his best to develop his "voice", so to say, to better express his emotions and intent, pleased that it immediately helped her with understanding him further.

His only mistake had to have been the quick, light chirrup he made without thinking when he attempted to say her name. He only managed to make a prominent "cha" sound when he first attempted it with his clumsy, beastly growls. He had grappled onto his snout and hid behind his wings in utter humiliation from how he failed to make it sound more like her name, sounding nothing more than like the damned creature he now was.

But, in her usual sunshine fashion, Ochaco instantly clung to it. She perked up in visible awe at his honest attempt, vehemently establishing how much she loved the adorable sound once she managed to pry open his wing cocoon of shame, telling- no, commanding to keep it as it was, much to his initial displeasure.

"It's my sound you made for me! It's special and very cute, so don't you dare change it!"

Well, now he couldn't help but agree with her. He guessed… maybe it was cute… and "cute" fit her like a glove.

Today, their loose routine lead them to adventure rather far this time, now inside the large mall that was only a couple miles away from his- from their base. Deku wanted her to grab some more clothes again, since she was absolutely set on staying with him. He would make sure that she was taking care of herself, and that included having clean clothing. 

His new best friend being able to do something fun was merely a bonus perk. He had nothing to say towards the clothing. Being cute. On her. 

God, she was adorable.

And she knew it. When she came out of the dressing room for the fifth time (this outfit being a fuzzy, pink and white striped sweater, grey denim shorts over black leggings and brown boots with short heels and fuzzy insides), she stuck her tongue out at the dragon. She knew that he liked the outfit, judging by how he was blatantly gawking at her with those glowing, green eyes of his, taking her in' in all her glory. "Heh, how 'bout this one, Deku-chan? Pretty cute, right?" She teased him relentlessly, struggling not to burst out laughing when the beast went wide eyed and started squawking as if on cue. 

Deku growled when he saw her "struggling" to hold back her laughter, groaning as he slumped over to his side and turned away from her as he fumed with his head on the ground. He hated (not really) how she so easily figured out how to make him so ridiculously flustered . Why she constantly did that in the first place, he had no clue. He wasn't that amusing… he couldn't have been! Maybe… ugh!! It was really getting on his nerves. He defiantly held up a paw, making it face her, before bringing it over to his muzzle, swooping it around as he signed in ASL, 'You're beautiful , ' his snort filling in the blank, 'and you already know that.'

"Oh ho ho, so curt." Despite her snark, she stubbornly acknowledged that her already pink cheeks were a few shades darker. "That's… still the sweetest thing someone has said to me in a long time… even with the unnecessary sass ."

He lifted his head with a lethargic click of his jaws and a loud snort, 'Bite me.' He grumbled at her with a dead look in his eyes, before flopping his head back down, letting out a disgruntled huff.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, you big baby." Ochaco chuckled as she picked up the small load of clothing she'd accumulated. "I think I'm done here. I'd rather go somewhere else for comfortable pajamas… I wonder if I should go for fuzzy pants or shorts… maybe both?" She mused out loud, going over to the cashier desk. "Ink tags are always a pain."

Deku grunted as he clambered back up onto all fours, staying close to her regardless of her teasing. 

He didn't care that their day was being spent like this. It felt nice, actually. Sure, he couldn't exactly get anything for himself, and she kept teasing him to high Heaven, but seeing her happy like this… it made him feel a kind of contentment he hadn't ever experienced when he was by himself. 

Maybe… that was another reason why she didn't want to leave, because she too felt something similar. 

But that brought up a now recurring question he had: why else did she not want to go back to the humans? What about her family? He finally gave in to his growing curiosity. However, after sitting up and gekkering to turn her attention away from removing the tags, he decided it was best to avoid sounding so direct towards his concern. Once he made eye contact, he pointed at the pile of clothes, before steepling his paws, followed by wiggling his right paw down in a snaking motion in JSL, 'Did you used to do this with your family?'

It didn't take long for her to figure out what he meant… and her somber expression was worrisome, even more so when she tried to hide it, "Oh! Not really. We didn't have a lot of money to spend when things weren't crazy. That was also why I was out here when this all began, actually!" 

Deku froze, a pained squeak escaping his throat. 'Shit!! D… did I… I didn't mean to make her think of something sad!! Not only was she po- um, in a tight spot- but her parents weren't even with her!?' He started shifting in place, conflicted on whether or not he should leap over the counter to wrap her up in his arms and wings before she could start crying, or just stay rooted in the spot to avoid trespassing against her in her emotional moment. Did he need to be a sturdy, grounding foundation for her? Or melt down in tears alongside her?

She rubbed the back of her head, chuckling as she looked off to the side, "Back then… I was hoping to go to the nearby hero school, Yūei, so that I could make a lot of money in the future. I would be able to help my family out. See," she tapped the hanger she had closest to her and the two of them watched it float up, her wondrous power mesmerizing him every time she used it (especially when he found out that was how she tossed the shelf onto him), "I wanted to be certified, to be able to use my Quirk in public places so that I could help with Daddy's construction company… a-and maybe… so that I could've been a rescue hero. But… the day I was taking my entrance exam… that was the day that everything went to chaos," she looked down, quietly adding, "and to the ghouls… heh. I don't even remember what I last said to my parents; something good, at least. Probably something like, 'Love you. Talk to you soon'-!!" 

When Deku saw the first tear start to trickle down her cheek, he didn't even bother thinking before lunging over and tackling Ochaco in a consoling embrace. It startled the girl at first, but she beamed in melancholic delight at the unexpected, but more than welcomed affection. 

She hugged him back, chuckling as she mumbled, "Thank you, Deku." She herself signed, "Family," before poking his big cheek with a giggle, Deku's green electricity starting to light up his eyes as her meaning revealed itself. "You goofball… now come on. There's no time for crying in the apocalypse." Whether or not it was said more to him or herself, it didn't quite matter. It was the blunt truth of their reality. "Help me carry this? I'm almost done checking for tags." 

He silently nodded, his energy now dancing all over his shadowy body speaking volumes for him enough as it were. He wasn't completely broken by her gesture, but he wouldn't be lying if he said it may have left some fracture lines across his brain, knowing what he apparently meant to her already.

Honestly? He was starting to feel the same.

Deku stayed close to Ochaco's side as they began walking towards the exit of the mall. They had gone to two other shops for her to gather clothing and other personal effects, though she didn't grab a surplus. The extra clothing was just some pairs of cozy pajama pants, shorts (which Deku felt were a bit too short, but she didn't seem to notice his flustered sparks), cotton shirts, and denim jeans. She was pretty practical with her clothing choices, even with the cute things, which only gave Deku more to like about her. 

She tossed a little boxed bar of cold processed soap up in the air repeatedly, casually catching it over and over as they walked. "Ya know… I never really got why in horror movies, specifically in this sort of setting, you never really heard of people complaining about missin' plumbing. I know, technically we still have it. It ain't all shut down, still works n' all that; but it may as well be! It draws in ghouls like crazy. We can't use any faucet unless we're at the very bottom of Yūei's fortress miles underground; can't even use a drinking fountain up above without fifty of 'em come running to the walls!"

'They hear the pipes. Makes sense.' He patted her shoulder with his wing paw, letting out a soft rumble simulating a chuckle as he delighted over her accent peeking through. He understood the stifling struggle of constantly having to be quiet, even if he himself didn't have to worry as much over the repercussions of being heard by his fellow corrupted lurking about. It was unfair, being hunted by creatures with heightened senses and unlimited usage of their Quirks. Even those who didn't have sensitive hearing and smell associated with their powers before, developed them after transforming into ghouls, he himself inclu-

Something jolted down his spine, ripping through his brain. Ringing flooded his ears…

Shhhp shhhp shhhp…

From outside…

His ears responded to the shuffling scrapes against the concrete just outside of the mall, flicking and rotating with the sound as his breathing quickened.

"If I remember correctly, there's a spot in the river we can go to, to wash up! I haven't washed my hair in forever… I definitely wouldn't mind a full jump-in swim to really rinse off, even if it's a bit cold-?" She turned to face him, confused as to why he too stopped walking-!! An assumption hit her like a truck, almost dropping her bags as she squealed, " Oh!! D-Deku-chan, I-I didn't… I didn't mean bathing together! N-no no no no no! I-I'd still be wearing a bathing suit, o-or something! I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortab-!"

He held his big front paw up to her face, signaling with his other to quiet down. He loathed the terror springing to life in her deep, honeyed eyes as she realized what was happening, but he refused to sugarcoat the reality of threat stalking them; even worse, stalking her. Sweeping his wing around Ochaco, they both set down the collected goods as silently as they could manage. He crouched down as she climbed onto his back; they wouldn't tempt fate by having her shoes squeak. His own claws lightly clacking against the tiles were bad enough. 

He slinked over to the nearest shop, his eyes locked on the front glass doors for any visuals. He couldn't quite make out how many ghouls were out there, or if there was somehow only one. He wouldn't get his hopes up; even though the brutes were getting used to the occasional sound of an automated announcement or commercial on the electric billboards, noise still attracted the curiosity of the beasts at the very least, and they traveled in groups (the last human thing about them). He also had to consider that both his and especially Ochaco's scents would bring forth more interest from the ghouls the closer they came. If one of them made a hunting call, 'We'll be seriously in trouble…' 

Ochaco patted his shoulder, unable to tug at the smoke like fur enshrouding him. He didn't want to risk missing any key indicators of the ghouls' numbers and approach, but he also couldn't ignore his human friend; he knew that wouldn't help her stay calm.

When she knew she had the majority of his attention, she signaled to him a single word: "What?"

The single hand sign wailed out every single possible concern she could've possibly had tied to her fear threatening to boil over. What was happening? What was going to happen? What do they do now? What should she do?

'What will I do…' 

Another bolt racked his senses, nearly making him cry out in reflex. 

He didn't even make up his mind when setting her down once behind the glass windows and past the clearance racks of dusty clothing; he couldn't, not with every fiber of his being feeling like he was catching on fire. What was that? What was causing him to feel like he was getting shot internally and repeatedly!? It was terrifying!! Was it a mental attack from a ghoul?? His body started to cry out when once again, the grip of anxiety followed another one of the pangs of energy bashing his mind.

However, nothing he physically felt held a candle to just how profoundly it pained him to see the panic that she too was desperately trying to fight within herself, having no idea as to what he was planning to do (to Hell if he had any clue). He nudged her with his snout over to the clothing racks, urging her to duck beneath the hanging articles as he begged her to trust him.

She immediately tried to grab onto his face, swiping her hand to both spell his name and gesture him back to her when he dodged her desperate tackle, "Deku!! Don't leave!! Don't you leave me!!"

He didn't stop the glum little purr that slipped out, an apologetic smile stretching across his elongated maw. He didn't need to sign, his drawn-in eyebrows and the sheepish tilt of his head was enough, 'I'm sorry… truly, I am.' But once more, he gently pushed her back into the clothing, signing as he stepped away, "I go. You stay." He shook his head slowly with a cautionary coo, "No following…"  

He signed with steepled paws, wiggling one paw down. When the first tear fell from her eye, he whirled around and ran from the pitiful cover that he prayed would be enough to save her in the worst case scenario.

Chapter Text

Another bolt of energy tore through Deku's head and spine. A choked up growl partially slipped out against his better judgment as his agitation swelled in response to the terrible pain that kept coming in jagged waves. Every time, his head forcefully turned to face the front of the mall, not giving him the chance to think about the action. 

'So something is calling me!! How is this- why do I know this!?' There wasn't exactly a voice or anything like that, just a presence randomly punching his brain. His brow twitched as he internally hissed, 'I'm 'bout ready to punch its lights out, whatever it is…'  

He slinked further away from the store where Ochaco stayed hidden, providing her an escape route in case the calamity ghouls came into the building. He could distract them. He would distract them. He bared his fangs when the image of them threatening her popped into mind even past the ringing and burning electricity ripping through him. 

Eerily enough… it wasn't too far off in feeling similar to the Quirk he had grown to know, the teal green lightning itching to be released. He swallowed it back, not wanting to compromise his position with the spectacular light show. However, with each new pang of energy that hit him, the more sparks of electricity sputtered out in response, and the effect seemed to linger more with the increasingly growing pain. 

Creeping up behind one of the overgrown gardens, he peered through the foliage towards the grand, glass doors, searching for the traces of shadows that matched his own. 

Shhhhp. Shhhhp.  

He could hear the talons of one of them drag along, making him shudder as he imagined the possible shape of its paws. He saw the wisps of excess shadow drifting up, tensing as he readied himself for the reveal.

The first ghoul stepped forth, his manus coming into view first on disturbing, long limbs. It walked on the backs of the middle segments of its thick fingers; a perfect gait for it, seeing as how its digits were a cross between beastly claws and sinewy hands with blade-like nails easily over 15 centimeters long and couldn't lead palm down. The face soon followed after its ape-ish arms, saber teeth matching the wicked blades on his hands catching Deku's attention first. It had no nose, a hollow hole uncannily similar to a skull’s being all he could make out, no light coming from it unlike its sunken, glowing, blood red eyes that slowly scoured the area. 

The second ghoul leapt out, its vicious, unhinged speed setting it apart from its temporary ally alone. It was short, puffed up and enveloped by pudgy, flailing lashes of smoky fur, like a maggoty corpse. Sickly, mustard yellow eyes with bloodshot veins stared wide eyed and unmoving, blindly bouncing around without a care as it left scratches and cracks with ease in the concrete where it would land, gurgling screeches and whoops coming from a mouth he couldn't see. It may have not boasted an intimidating figure like the first, but he didn't dare underestimate its ability, seeing the casual destruction it so merrily left behind in its bounding wake.

Deku flexed his paws, tensing his shoulders with a flick of his tail as they loomed ever closer to the grime-smudged, glass doors, their ghastly scents already permeating through the thin gaps and crevices. The long-armed one’s hot, sour breath made his nose crinkle and the hackles along his neck raise even from over the distance between them. The repugnant stench burned enough that he briefly wondered if this was another one of those Quirks Ochaco described; it was something so unnaturally potent for only being from a mindless beast lacking all hygiene. 

He covered his nose with his wingpaw. ‘Ugh… I hope it's just bad breath. I wouldn't… know if…’  

The unpleasant thought may have trailed off, but the dread that sprung to life lingered much like the ghouls themselves: he wouldn't know if the breath was poisoned.

He had, on a few many previous occasions, witnessed firsthand just how resilient ghouls were, seeing as how the envenomed mamushi bites barely itched and that one time another ghoul with an undoubtedly poisonous breath Quirk spewed its toxins at Deku in a massive cloud that killed the plants and bugs around him while he himself only sneezed and gagged at the gross smell. Not even alcohol could beat his metabolism, having tried it out of sheer curiosity.  

You can't poison something that's already…

That being said… now there was the new stress of being put on a timer he had no hope in knowing the duration of. The possibility that he could've already been too late, that the theoretical toxic gasses were reaching Ochaco in her hiding place… it only stoked the billowing bonfire building up inside of him, his Quirk lighting up, electrified as he readied for his ambush, 'I need to take this guy out-'

ــــﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

He let out a pained gasp, the pain shooting him in the back of the head worse than ever before, coming too damn close to sending him straight into unconsciousness-!!

His body… it had no need for him to think, his limbs whipping around and throwing himself out of the way as a CRASH and shattered glass came from overhead, a gurgling shrieking making his ears ring along with the mind numbing jolts that came back to back. 

Even through the mind haze, he could still gawk at the multiple, freely moving, curling jaws opening up like a satanic, tooth covered lily, three serrated, slender tongues flailing from the center of the flaps of slobbering gums, the ghoul's outstretched claws reaching for his own face.

Again, Deku moved without a single thought, leaping out of the way while maintaining his line of sight on the creature, watching the craved beast careen straight into the floor with a sickening crack and unholy squawking. It choked on disgusting, black ooze, spraying it everywhere from its gaping mouth. It flapped around its wings- no, not true wings, not whatever the Hell those amalgamations of charred bones and stringy flesh were, coated in the same icky substance it drooled along the flaps of decaying skin and muscle. It scrambled onto its underdeveloped legs, its three tails slapping at the ground as the weaponized ends tore up the tiles with their jagged ends like some sort of organic flagrum.

Never before had he seen a ghoul this twisted; then again, he himself didn't exactly attract the attention of such monsters. To call this a calamity ghoul would be an understatement anyway… it was moreso a shrieking harbinger of Hell itself-!!

His body reacted along with another shock that ripped through his brain and spine, slashing at the toothy beast when it lunged at him, or rather, threw its body at him with no caution. The ooze splattered on his face, the tang of rusty iron and copper smothering his senses as he recognized it as rotted, fermented blood; he should've realized it by now, the pungent smell was already bullying him along with the bolts torturing his brain before getting his face coated with it. He couldn't gag despite the intense desire to, letting out a disturbed, snarling cry at the ghoul’s proximity and chaotic movements, dodging each and every one of its spines and pikes jutting out of it at various angles, each time guided by the ever familiar jabs of lightning tearing through him. 

The glass doors shattered, but he didn't dare turn his attention away from the ghoul he smacked away with a backhanded swipe of his wing, shielding himself from claws and more black blood in the process-!!

He leapt up into the air and over the baboon-skull faced ghoul that had attempted to charge right into him, his limbs surging with the bolts of static attacks that kept coming- 

‘Why are they broadcasting their every move !?’ Deku could not understand! He couldn't fathom the logic behind telling him their every attack when they clearly wanted him to stand down or die, all to get to their prey- 

Oh, how he HATED referring to his beloved companion like that. The thought mixed with the agitation he had from the bolts, making him roar and bare his fangs; but even so, he still tried to make sense of it all. ‘Even if they're beasts and aren't actually thinking, that doesn't mean they're stupid! Some are terrifying with how smart they are!!’ He dipped down and slapped away the small, wriggling, bug-eyed ghoul with the breadth of his tail, slashing down the side of the saber-toothed baboon with his wingclaw in the same fluid motion. ‘Why can I tell their every move!?’

Another terrible bolt struck him in his spine. He flung himself out of the way of the decomposing reaper; but this time, he clawed along the shoulder of the monster, splattering the dead blood all over the tiles-!!

The energy buzzing through him tried to warn him, he actually appreciated the effort for once, but all it managed to do was initially numb him before the ejected set of jaws that formed from the gash jutted out like a devil-faced eel and latched onto his own neck. 

White noise screamed in his ears, his vision blurred from the onslaught of instant agony, the world spinning as he started to lose his footing. The many teeth on the disgusting, eel-like appendage ripped and tore at his own shadowy flesh, jerking his head as it tried retracting, slowly dragging him closer to its main body. He was merely a fish hooked on a ravenous fishing line, the bolts trying their best to help guide him away from the enemies’ attempts to get more hits in. He couldn't even get a full cry out when he fought against the pull by digging his heels into the floor, cracking the tiles with the force of his claws. He couldn't breathe, his heart hammering away in his chest as panic started flooding his mind.

‘Gotta… get him… off of me…’ He jerked out of the way of the baboon-skull, striking it with his wing-!! ‘Maybe!!’ He hesitated if only for a second, before slashing down on the eel with his wingclaw. He severed it, ripping the rended jaw off his neck, taking in a few shaky gasps of air…

His own coughing startled him, the taste of fresh, warm blood startling him. He drooled in a daze, watching the tiles collect the red saliva he hacked up-

‘… r… red?’

He flung himself out of the way, slipping and falling to his side as he dodged at the beck and call of the energy’s warning. He struggled to get back up, the world stuck in a constant pirouette as his head laid on the ground, the scent of his own blood pooling with the now dried blood of the toothy ghoul’s plastered on his face, not helping his senses in the slightest while also making his fur feel taut against his skin. Tears welled in his eyes, only making the crazed, dancing colors worse to bear. He knew he was somewhat upright for a few moments before he felt his arms collapse under the weight of his own body. 

And again he flung himself. Each time more clumsy than the last, each time the bolts weaker, either from getting used to the pain, or more likely…

‘Am I… am I dying?’ 

He looked up through the kaleidoscope of his vision, now seeing multiple eel jaws soar at him. He knew it wasn't just double vision, seeing as how one latched onto his arm, one to his wing and another to his side right next to his hip when he failed to respond to the whispers of the bolts.

‘I… didn't know I could die… ow… this is really starting to hurt…’

He noticed his Quirk fade, no sparks of teal energy surrounding him. He turned his head to see the baboon-skull stalk closer, mildly curious about not being able to smell its breath. He watched it as it strode closer with those wicked claws dragging along the floor, sunken eyes fixed on him. 

‘Good… ignore Ochaco… stay focused on me. Let her escape. Let her live . I was dead from the start-’

Red. 

Red blood. 

It wasn't… he wasn't…

His eyes widened, daring to look away from his executioner for the briefest of moments, just to look at the red leaking around the many mouths attached to him, gnawing away at his living flesh. 

‘I’m…?’

He started choking again when his heart rate quickened, clarity coming back to his vision as something new began to blossom. He demanded his limbs to move, straining against the gripping eels as he let out a pained, gurgling growl. He wasn't about to give up, not now. 

He needed to return to her. 

He turned his full attention back at the long-clawed sabertooth, glaring him down as he declared, ‘I’m not giving up, you bastard.’ He choked out a roar, screaming through the pain as he struggled to stand, ‘I’m still ali -’

The ghoul was sent careening to the side, its jaw displaced, followed by his head, shoulders, and then entire body following suit as a pillar was sent flying at him like a javelin. 

‘… eh?’

Deku laid there in place, slack jawed and wide eyed, unable to even flinch when the full weight of the concrete and steel slammed into the ground, crushing the legs and lower torso of the now screaming saber-skull baboon ghoul underneath it.

‘That was… a pi… it just… flew…’  

… flew?

He blinked a couple times, his vision still blurred from delirium. But even so, he knew he hadn't been seeing things, the evidence was screeching right before him! ‘But… that would mean…’ He followed the line of trajectory, fearing that his suspicions were true. ‘No… don't tell me…’

Ochaco stood out in the open, still within the motion of having thrown one of the few broken pillars with the aid of her incredible power, heavily breathing from the recoil beginning to eat away at her stamina. There was no second guessing, no traces of hesitation in her stance and expression; she acted without thinking in order to save him. 

‘No…’ He couldn’t feel his hindlegs, dragging himself forward inch by inch with his paws and right wingclaw, his other unresponsive due to the mouth still attached to it. ‘Ochaco, no… go! Run! Hide!’ Something… it almost burned inside of him, mingling and blooming with the anxiety overtaking him as his arms shook under his weight, straining everything to move even just a little. ‘You need to hide!! Why would you-’

“I don't even remember what I last said to my parents…”

His breath hitched. It all crashed down on him, making him slip back onto the floor completely. Of course she’d risk everything to save him. Right now… she was saving her found family. He… he truly meant everything to her in this very moment. 

But couldn't she see that she meant everything to him too?

“Ch… Cha…”

When they locked eyes, he wondered if she could see it. It shouldn't have surprised him when he saw that knowing expression she wore, the apologetic, pained look in her chocolate eyes; it damn right felt blasphemous to have even questioned it in the first place.

When the headless reaper shrieked aloud, time all but froze. Deku broke eye contact with her and watched as the reaper reached around, hearing it slash its own hide on the side faced away from him, the squelching, new wounds inviting more eel mouths to form… targeted in her direction.

He needed to stop it. He needed it to be stopped, at any and all costs, ‘My own… false life… be damned.’

His arms burned. His back, his spine sizzled beneath his skin. He knew he was lifting up off the ground, but somehow… it wasn't from his own paws, nor the great wings on his secondary shoulders pushing off the ground, not even the mouths attached to him were responsible. He flung his forepaws out in front, anchoring himself by his claws, digging into the tile as something… seething began to bubble up like magma, his soul, it felt like, lashing all around him as his vision began to fade from blood loss. 

‘… Hell…’

He felt it, another new tether to the reaper that let out a confused squawk when Deku found himself pulling it, tugging the threads of his soul without the use of his limbs. He couldn't see, but he didn't miss when he roared in his mind as he snarled and chomped down on one of the disgusting mouths that was closest to his face.

‘GO TO HELL!!’  

His grip was on the goopy neck, but also the ghoul's arms, around its waist, constricting its entire body and crushing its many bones, stolen and all. Deku jerked his head upward, decapitating and tearing off the mouth with no heed to the terrible pain coming from his own shoulder. He only roared again, this time out loud as he went for the second, and then the third and last. 

‘STAY AWAY FROM HER!!’  

He didn't let up, even after the terror ceased to make any wails in response to his ripping and tearing, biting off the hydra heads that formed, having dared to point in Ochaco's direction. It wasn't enough. Ghouls could come back. They couldn't die. They were already dead. The one trapped under the pillar. He'd have to… that one needed to be destroyed too… and the infantile one. It scurried off somewhere… it'd have to be stopped as well. The thought of it mindlessly crushing Ochaco or any other human with a single tackle… he heard more bones crack under the pressure of his coils and jaw, the anger threatening to overtake and drag him along with it-

“Deku!!”

He couldn't see her, he couldn't see anything, it was all a blur of spinning colors. ‘Where is she!?’ He dropped whatever was in his mouth, unable to smell or taste anything. The stinging and burning faded, still ebbing in his skin, but it no longer drowned out the world’s sound. Ochaco's sound.

“Deku, it's… i-it's dead.”

He couldn't feel it hardly at all, but he knew he fell over from the sound of his own body colliding with the tiles and strewn about remains of the reaper. He was thankful, though; being grounded once more helped him find her for a brief instant in between the blurring of his eyes. “Ch… Ch-Cha… ah…” He wheezed, coughing as he tried to move , just a little. She was too far, he couldn't see her again. 

“It's dead… you can stop now… it won't hurt you anymore.”

‘It’s not… me I'm worried about…’

She finally came into view again, maybe…  30… 50 centimeters away? She was so close… and yet… ‘Ochaco… why aren't you…?’

“It's okay… you'll be okay… it'll be okay… you're okay…” 

She didn't hide her panicked breathing well, not that he'd tell her since she clearly was trying so hard to comfort him. For what reason, he couldn't place-? When she stepped in what sounded like a thick puddle, he felt like an idiot. ‘… o… oh… right.’ He was surrounded by blood, picturing her beaten up shoes getting soaked and stained red and black. He felt himself reach out in that weird way again, if only to gently push her away from him despite not having the strength or willpower left to do so. ‘You dummy…’

His eyes closed, his lungs aching with each labored breath. He was somewhat remorseful when he felt his face gently curl with a smile despite Ochaco's worrying over him… maybe… in some twisted way, he smiled because he had someone special worrying about him, someone who didn't deserve that kind of love. He didn't deserve the right to be considered her family.

He was, after all, a ghoul. Even a partially alive one, he was still just a monster. Look at what he was capable of. 

And now, because of him, even her shoes were ruined because she didn't hesitate to step in the puddle of his blood and mess he made. 

‘We’ll have… to get you… some new…’