Chapter Text
“It’s impossible Sensei,” The blonde wined, falling back on the grass at the camp.
“No it’s not you just need the right technique," Denki still looked put out the man chuckled, "Let me show you,” Shigaraki walked by ruffling the boy’s hair playfully and taking his quirk in passing. Denki pouted but didn’t stop his teacher as electricity sparked around them, the power transferring, “Holding your fingers like so provides a current for the energy to follow, don’t focus on the target focus on the tip of your fingers and send the current out there, your form will guide it to the target,”
“You make it look easy,” Denki looked sullenly at the ground, picking at the treaded grass there.
“It’s not easy,” Shigaraki corrected, squatting down in front of his student, “You’re controlling an electric current similar to the power of lightning, something no other human has done,”
“Except for you,” Denki smirked, making Shigaraki chuckle.
“Except for me,” He ruffled the boy's hair again, transferring the quirk back, “You have an amazing ability Denki, if it takes you time to master it so be it, at least you’re trying and that's something no one else can do,”
Denki smiled, a smile brighter than the sun, it carried an energy that seemed to come from his superpower itself. Shigaraki helped him up, the boy dusted himself off not doing much for his already grubby clothes. He took form again, trying to shoot electricity out at a focused point. It sparkled all around him again but Shigaraki put a reassuring hand on his shoulder when the current stopped, and he kept at it.
“Sensei~” Mina called, half sliding on her acid to them, “Yuga's not feeling well again,”
“Where is he?” Shigaraki gave a comforting squeeze to Denki’s shoulder before walking further into camp, already having a vague idea.
“In his tent!” Mina yelled Shigaraki left them, hearing heartwarming words of encouragement from her for Denki. He reached the other child's tent unzipping the nylon door with a quick ‘coming in’. Yuga was lying curled up on his sleeping bag, clutching his stomach as a sparkling light spilled out through his fingers onto the makeshift bed. Shigaraki sighed in sympathy, brushing his hand over Yuga’s cheek, gently lifting the quirk from him.
“It’s okay, relax now,” Shigaraki carded his hand through the blonde hair. The child slowly uncurled from the fetal position, “I should have never given you that power,” He said gently, not accusatory it wasn’t Yuga’s fault his body wasn't suited to it, “We can find another one?”
“N-no,” His voice is so shaky and small Shigaraki is tempted just to refuse to give it back, but that is a dangerous temptation given who they are, “This is… fine,”
Shigaraki stayed running a hand through his hair, droning on about some lecture he heard about the invention and history of cheese. It’s just interesting enough to distract while the monotone is soothing enough to send Yuga to sleep. He let his mind drift on how best to help Yuga contain the power, something to hold it in. However they didn't have the resources for such a thing right now.
“Brother?” Shigaraki looked up, “I brought Fumikage, I can also stay if you want?”
“No that’s fine,” He stood quietly, speaking softly he turned to the bird headed boy, “You’re alright to stay with him?”
“I have a book and Shadow’s a cuddler,” He held up a book Shigaraki knew he had read a thousand times over.
“Traitor,” Shadow hissed, moving to curl up next to Yuga anyway. Shigaraki left them knowing he’d have to come wake them both up before dinner as Fumikage would likely drift off too. The book was so familiar to him he had already memorized the parts where the words had been worn out to nothing and he could remember the gaps without skipping a beat.
“What do they need me for?” Shigaraki asked his younger brother as they walked through the camp with surety.
“New intel came in, we think there might be a small experimentation lab in a town the other side of the country,” He recited, dodging out the way as Kyoka chased Hanta past them, the latter using tape to swing himself tree to tree and the former yelling something about an abhorrent taste in music, “There's an opening we can sneak past the defenses when a new shipment comes in, buuutttt…”
“It’s the day of the big mission?” Shigaraki caught tufts of telltale blonde and green hair behind a tent, “Isn’t it?”
“Bingo,” He said it casually but Shigaraki could see just how much it bothered his little brother. It got to them all. Those places mostly had kids, hell most of the kids here had come from places like that if they weren't being sentenced to death immediately or getting beaten.
“Kid’s keep it PG!” Shigaraki warned directing it towards the two hiding behind the tent, they knew full well they had been caught.
“Yes Sensei!” They called back, an embarrassed squeak from Izuku but more mocking from Katsuki.
“And everyone we have available is going to be taken up storming the archives,” Shigaraki sighed, they quite literally could not spare a single person, “We can’t cancel this mission, it could change everything ,”
Who would they be leaving behind? Was there another kid there who would join their little band? One who would call him Sensei like the others do? One he could spend every day reassuring that their quirk was a powerful gift and it was up to them to help the world see that. Who was he leaving to die?
“Wellll…” Shigaraki followed his gaze, Hitoshi was helping Mashiroa stack wood for the fire, Shouto was waiting off the side to light it, “Not everyone,”
“No,” He said firmly, stopping in his tracks, “They’re children,”
“They’re ready!” His brother implored, “They’d jump at this chance,”
“They aren’t ready, they’re strong but that's a long way from being ready,” Shigaraki frowned, Koji was sitting in a tree gently talking to a few birds and a squirrel, “This is a hard life, they’re going to see thing’s they aren’t ready for,”
“They’ve already seen it, they’ve lived it,” They all had scars to prove that, “They want to help, and if you don’t stop being overprotective they’re going to strike out on their own one day and then how will you protect them?”
“I’ve always found the idea of a safe bank vault quite appealing,” His little brother just arched a brow, giving him the ‘you’re unbelievable look’.
“Let them help,” He said it so surely it’s like he couldn’t see a single thing going wrong with the mission. A sharp contrast to Shigaraki who could only see the horrific way’s his kids were going to be tortured and killed while he was on the other side of the country, “They’ll never forgive you if you don’t,”
Maybe that was a thought marginally more terrifying than their deaths.
---
“And you’ve packed your backup weapons?”
“Yes Sensei,” They chorused, each outfitted with a dagger and a handgun in case of emergencies.
“You never know if they managed to develop a power erasing drug yet,” He fussed over the kids, double checking that Yuga’s quirk was stable for the time being before making sure Momo had enough of their rations packed.
“We know Sensei,” Is the practiced reply, his little brother smirked off to the side but Shigaraki stubbornly ignored him.
“In the event you can’t use your powers-”
“Follow Izuku’s lead,” Some are earnestly reciting it, namely Tenya while the rest seem bemused going over this once again, if not frustrated.
“I’m counting on you to get them out if there’s a tight spot,” Shgaraki placed his hands on Izuku’s shoulders. Quirks swirled under his skin tempting him to just give the unprotected boy a quirk for his own peace of mind. But Izuku looked up to some people too much and he refused every time he was offered, like some people , “You’re the smartest of the bunch,”
“Hey!” Katsuki shouted indignantly, palms crackling instinctively to a challenge to his strength. Unfortunately an ingrained behavior due to circumstance.
“Sorry babe, Sensei has spoken,” Izuku pecked his cheek, getting the blonde to simmer down immediately.
“Keep it-”
“PG,” The rest finished, and now his brother did laugh.
“Alright you brats, get going, keep your communicator online the whole time,”
“Yes Sensei,” They started slinging on their bags, gearing up to move. They won't be returning to this camp after all. After the archive raid, they're all going to be on the run for awhile.
“I blame you, you know,” Shigaraki nudged his brother, “They never used to sass me,”
“Yeah they did,” He smirked, the kids chattering excitedly among themselves, “You’re just looking through rose colored glass,”
“Sure I am,” Shigaraki huffed, his kids were innocent angels before his little brother corrupted them.
“Sensei!” Uraraka ran up to hug him, almost bowling him over with the force of it. They still are angels, just a little less innocent, “Be safe,”
“You too,” He ran a hand through her hair, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,”
“Please do,” Shigaraki shot a glare at his brother even while more of his kids came to crowd around for a goodbye.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be? Troops to organize? Battle plans to run?”
“Sure I do,” He shrugged, pulling Izuku into a hug, “Stay safe okay? No broken bones,”
“No broken bones,” Izuku laughed, pulling away from the hug. They gave the rest of their goodbyes, Shigaraki making sure to hug each of his kids, even Katsuki who thrashed in his hold but ultimately gave in. With a chorus of ‘goodbye’s’ and ‘see ya later’ the kids disappeared into the forest, a jumble of excitement as they left their camp for the past few weeks behind.
“You’re worried too huh?” Shigaraki asked as he waved them off.
“Terrified,” His brother said with a smile as Izuku turned and waved one last time, “But they gotta leave the nest sometime,”
“Do they?” Shigaraki grinned walking back to the others preparing for the biggest fight of their lives.
“ Yes ,” He insisted, pushing Shigaraki away playfully, “You’re too overprotective,”
---
“Calling Izuku, Izuku what’s your status?” Shigaraki asked, finally having a moment in the chaos of the raid to check on the kids. They had stayed online as promised but that didn’t mean Shigaraki had time to check in, or ‘micro-manage’ as his little brother deemed it.
“All fine over here Sensei,” Izuku reported, a tension releasing from Shigaraki, “We stormed the top floors without incident, everyone here has been evacuated to the cleared area outside, we’re moving to the lower floors to make sure no one is left behind,”
“Good job,” Shigaraki ducked a stray bullet, another wave of police bursting into the archive room they were defending.
“Yeah, we’re amazing,” Katsuki boasted over the comms. Shigaraki smiled knowing exactly the expression the blonde had.
“Going sub-basement three now,” Momo announced, there was a crashing of the door being broken down and a flurry of footsteps.
“I don’t hear anyone down here,” Kyoka voice can be made out somewhere further up.
“Neither,” Mezo agreed, “But something’s down here,”
“Check it out, be careful,” Shigaraki warned, being careful not to injure the swat team too bad as he took them out, “Move as a unit,”
“On it,” Izuku can be heard the clearest over the comms, “Rikido, Ejiro take up the front, Tsu, Yuga defend our back,”
Shigaraki felt a swell of pride at Izuku’s cool command. While the others were busy training their power, Izuku and his brother had spent time pouring over strategies and contingency plans. Right now his brother was on the other line directing the troops both inside and outside while others poured through the catacombs. Those two were certainly cut from the same cloth, which meant Izuku would handle this mission just fine. There was the sound of a heavy door creaking open and feet shuffling inside.
“What's that?” Rikido’s voice can be heard distantly up the front, coming closer as Izuku walked forward.
“It’s some sort of-RUN!”
“IZUKU!? Izuku what’s happening!?”
“It’s a bomb!”
“The door’s just SHUT!”
“Eijiro?!” Izuku asked, there was a loud crash Shigaraki's heart rate picked up.
“Nothing,”
“Kacchan?” An explosion went off, then another and another and-
“Katsuki stop you’re going to damage the comms connection or detonate it, stay calm everyone,” Hypocritical as someone had to step to pull him out of the way of an oncoming bullet storm, “Koji can you speak to the animals outside to contact the victims?”
“N-no they ca.. Can’t hear me,” Fuck he was crying, the kids were in trouble and he was all the way across the country in the middle of his own mission.
“It’s alright stay calm,” He had to keep repeating it, what else could he do? “Izuku I need you to identify the bomb, would you be able to destroy it? Or get to any wiring?”
There was shuffling for about a minute, Shigaraki kept speaking reassurances to the others. He needed to get his brother on the line, but he was handling the troupes. If he dropped that everyone would die.
“It’s- it’s covered in the same material as the door,” Izuku gulped, if they tried to break through they could detonate it, fuck , “No wiring is exposed,”
“That's good right?!” Toru asked desperately, “The door is super tough so it should shield us from the blast right?! It didn’t break with Katsuki’s explosions!”
“That’s not…” a sob tore Izuku’s throat, that's it he’s going over there and comforting his kids right now, “Sensei… it's nuclear,”
“Nuclear? You’re in a populated area, why would it be Nucl-” Shigaraki froze, no, no no, no, no, no no, No, No, NO!
“Sensei it’s a trap… for you,” There were gasps and Shigaraki couldn’t even tell who started crying, “They didn’t know about the archives… they thought you’d be here,”
“They’d…” His grip tightened on the communicator, he can’t destroy it he has to help his kids, he hit the shelf instead, destroying his cover, “They’d destroy the whole town just to get to me?”
“It’s a good thing you’re not here then huh?” Hanta laughed humorlessly the sound choking off into a sob. Shigaraki didn’t even watch as he randomly threw an attack at the oncoming officers, solely focused on the communicator, just a box, his only line to his kids.
“Hold on, I’m coming for you,” He said resolutely, fuck the raid whatever 'better world' they could build from the information and evidence in these archives. It was pointless if these kids couldn’t live to see it.
“You won't make it Sensei,” Izuku said flatly, a tone so devoid of the cheer and brightness it usually had it chilled Shigaraki to his core, “It’s on a timer, I can’t see it but…. But it’s gonna…. gonna detonate soon,”
“Look for a way out, a vent something Fumikage send Shadow and from the outside-”
“There's nothing!” Izuku screamed the sound of crying being choked off at his outburst, “There's no exit! No strategy! No way out! We can't clear the blast in time anyway! It's hopeless! They made it to kill YOU!” Izuku broke off into a sob, “How are we meant to fight something like that?”
“Listen to me, you kids are so much better than I could ever hope to be,” Others came up to defend him while he was distracted, Shigaraki negated their efforts quirk lashing out to create a cover, “You’re strong and you’re smart and you’re going to take the world by storm as soon as you Get Out ,”
“....”
“... I don’t want to spend my last moments fighting Sensei,” Shouto spoke quietly, but it rang too loud. The sound of battle fell away behind Shigaraki and he could only focus on the communicator. These kids, his kids were just accepting they were going to die today. Today their first solo mission, the one where they were just trying to help a few people in a world that’s so unkind to them. Why. Why did it have to be them? Why were they stuck in this stupid unfair world where they just had to accept they were going to die .
“Sensei?” Ochaco’s hesitant tone broke him out of his rage. His kids were there and they needed him. Whatever rage, whatever spite he felt could be pushed down, it could be pushed down and boil for later, and then, then the world would face his wrath… but his kids didn’t need to.
“Yeah sweetheart, I’m still here,” a tear ran down his cheek, “I’m not going anywhere,”
“Will you tell us a story?” Her voice was wobbly, the way it always was when she smiled through her tears. He could see it so clearly, he could see all of them so clearly and he hated the picture, “The one you always did?”
“Of course sweetheart,” He took a deep breath, they could cry all they wanted but he needed to be the one who was strong, “Put the communicator in the middle, everyone make a circle around it, hold each other’s hands, hug, just…”
Stay Together
“Keep it PG?” Hitoshi rasped, a small wave of giggles followed.
“Yeah,” Shigaraki laughed breathlessly, “That,”
“Alright Sensei,” Eijiro said, “We’re ready,”
Shigaraki took a deep breath, trying to re-picture them in his mind.
“One day, when the shock of superpowers has calmed down, we will be able to live in peace,” Izuku and Katsuki would be sitting far too close together, Izuku was probably sobbing into Katsuki’s chest while the blonde held onto him for dear life. “More people will have powers, it’ll be seen as a gift, not a curse,”
Izuku's hand would be curled in Katsuki’s shirt, the other holding Ochaco’s hand.
“Of course each power presents a new challenge so they’re going to have to update building standards, introduce schooling to help everyone get a grasp on their powers,” Ochaco was likely leaning against Iida, she always could get the other to lighten up even if she probably had tears running into her shaky smile, “It’ll be hard to get the hang of but it’s going to make the world far more exciting,”
Iida would have his arm across Koji’s back, the steady presence of Iida always did calm the other, and Iida would be trying to keep quiet, tears silently streaming down his face.
“The world is going to get so much more colorful, just think of all the possibilities, what we can do now with people like you living their lives without fear,” Koji was probably trembling hugging close to Hitoshi, the two had an aversion to speaking for years thanks to their powers, and in that time it almost seemed like they learned how to communicate almost telepathically. “Humanity is going to skyrocket in potential,”
Mezo would have his arms covering Hitoshi, also comforted by their quiet. It would give Hitoshi the cover to cry something he never liked doing in front of people.
“We’ll be able to explore places unexplored, the deepest parts of the ocean will no longer be a mystery,” Mezo would appear stony faced, not being able to cry in years, but one of his duplicated arms would be held by Yuga in a crushing grip that grounded him. “We could probably populate Antarctica which means we might finally start doing something about climate change,”
Yuga was likely trying to keep his calm facade, in pain from his quirk and crushing Shoji’s hand in his to keep calm under pressure.
“We could create cites in the sky, and land in the ocean,” Fumikage would be sitting stock still next to Yuga, tears running from his eyes and Shadow draped over both of them sobbing. “We could travel into space, going further than we ever thought possible,”
Mina was likely sat next to Fumikage a pink bubbly presence to counteract his dark exterior, both bonded over hardships their appearances made them face.
“Who knows? We might find more people like us out there,” Hanta would be curled up with Mina, maybe the two would be messing around trying to stick each other with tape and harmless acid just to take their minds off things, those two always did get into trouble together. “And if we don't, that’s alright we have the rest of humanity back here down on earth greeting us with open arms,”
Eijiro would be figuratively, or literally taped to Hanta’s side, trying to keep a smile as sobs wracked him.
“And that will be the best part, no scorn just happiness and acceptance,” Shouto was a steely presence next to him, his cool demeanor always a counterpoint to calm Ejiro’s fiery nature. “It will be alright, everyone will see we aren’t a threat, we aren’t monsters,”
Tsu would be sitting close to Shouto, holding his hand, they both did better with subtle comfort, but he should have still hugged them harder last time he saw them.
“We’re people just like everyone else, our powers don’t change that,” Tsu was likely shaking with tears streaming down her face so Momo would hug her, or maybe make a blanket for her and lean against Tsu as she cuddled Kyoka close both crying together, “One day they’ll see that, they’ll… they’ll say sorry,”
Mashiro would lay his tail over Kyoka’s legs, sitting so Rikido could lay his head on his lap, coming down from a sugar high.
“And we won't have to be afraid anymore,” Toru would be hugging Denki, both sobbing as Denki held Katsuki’s hand, completing the circle.
“I always did like that story,” Tsu admitted her voice wobbly, she always had ever since she was little and he first told her.
“It’s not a story,” Shigaraki insisted, they needed to believe it now more than ever.
“Sure it’s not Sensei,” Katsuki scoffed defensively, he was crying too, trying to choke back sobs.
“I’m going to make it a reality, for you,” He said resolutely, anything to get his kids to believe, believe in something that they died trying to work towards a future so bright.
“Promise?” He didn’t know who said it, an explosion somewhere on his side muffling the question. It didn’t matter.
“I Promise,”
“I’m… I’m sorry Sen-sei,” Izuku sobbed, sounding so broken , “We couldn’t save anyone, we didn’t save anyone”
No, no way he was going to let his kids die believing they were failures. They've worked hard all their lives. They have saved people and each other, tagging along on missions and accomplishing more in their lives than most people could achieve in almost a century of living. They deserved to be heroes, even if the world they fought against would label them as villains.
“Good news,” He wiped the tears, “We just got word the people you saved went on ahead, they got out of town and should be out of the blast radius by now, great job everyone, you got them out, you saved them,”
“That- That's a nice story,” Izuku laughed a touch hysterically.
“You’re a bad liar Sensei,” Shouto said deadpan, only the ones who spent every day around him for most of his life could hear the raw emotion behind it.
“I’ll get better,” He was making nonsensical promises now, he knew he was, but it was the only thing he could do .
“It’s ok Sensei,” The beeping picked up, “We’ll be alright,”
The crying got louder, heart wrenching sobs, half screams all sounds these children should never have to make.
“Stay safe,” Were Izuku’s parting words, the beeping was rapid, drowned out by sobs and screams. Shigaraki said his own.
“I love you all,”
The beeping stopped and the line cut. With it the barrier holding back his rage as well. That night not a single person who stood in his way was left alive. Ever again. He had a promise to keep.