Chapter Text
Today was the big day. The day in which Tenko and his classmates would fight in a tournament, for the chance of attracting the eyes of a professional hero, who might offer them a scholarship to their company. Most students were aiming for a particular scholarship in mind, but Tenko had always been at a loss for who to aim for.
All Might may have taken him in, but Tenko was still wary of the man. To the point that he didn’t live with him, and lived in a nice paid for apartment, with All Might footing the expenses, but happy to do so. Tenko was just happy that All Might would let him buy new video games with his weekly allowance when he got good grades. It gave him something to look forward to, and video games were definitely a weakness of Tenko’s. They made him disconnect from the world, and feel less miserable and alone.
You could be anyone you wanted to be, do whatever you wanted, in a video game. In worlds where quirks didn’t exist. You could explore fantasy lands, climb mountains bigger than skyscrapers, and customise a house that you could never hope to afford in real life. Because Tom Nook was easier to pay off than real life expenses (you couldn’t just sell a bunch of turnips in real life and upgrade your home to a two-story within a week).
There was an impatient knocking at his door, and Tenko sighed as he adjusted his school jumpsuit, as the tournament would be a very physical activity, so students were to wear their gym gear.
He opened the door, and there was Kai Chisaki, looking annoyed, but not at him. Kai had a resting bitch face, but a lot of things did irritate him. Germs and mess, mostly. He even wore a black medical face-mask, wary of catching something. That or he didn’t want to breathe in the same air as everyone else, because Kai was that much of a drama queen who hated mostly everyone and everything, but pretended to be pleasant when he had to.
Somehow this bitch was Tenko’s best friend. His only friend.
“When we graduate I’m going to burn our jumpsuits,” Kai complained, looking at his own. “So unflattering.” And yet he looked great in it, because he looked great in everything. With his pretty eyelashes, gleaming yellow eyes, and styled brown hair.
In comparison, Tenko looked awful in everything. He had so many scars, constantly chapped lips that wouldn’t heal, as it seemed to be a side effect of his quirk. He also had ugly red eyes, and never seemed to know what to do with his hair.
Kai had been the one to dye it sky-blue for him, and he had cut it as well, so that it wouldn’t hide his eyes. Tenko wasn’t sure why he had bothered. A change of hair didn’t make him beautiful.
“Let’s get this shit over with,” Tenko said, following him out, and locking the door behind himself, with gloved hands. Always gloved, asides from the very rare times he was allowed to use his quirk. Because he was a danger to everyone around him. All Might told him he wasn’t, but the school board forbid him from taking the gloves off during school hours unless specified. Because an accident could happen, and he could kill everyone.
Some of his classmates were afraid of him, and others mocked him, not realising how lethal he actually was.
Kai had never mocked him when Kai had transferred into the school. He had found Tenko to be fascinating. So much so, that Kai had punched a bully in the gut when they had called Tenko a slur, and had declared that Tenko was his friend, and anyone who messed with Kai Chisaki’s friend would be a dead man.
Kai had gotten detention for that little stunt, but Tenko had fallen in love, because no one had ever done such a thing for him before. Sure, he had acted as if he hadn’t liked that Kai had used violence, because heroes weren’t meant to do that, but inwardly he hadn’t minded.
Briefly, they had dated. It had never been public, and hadn’t lasted long, but after they had broken up they had remained friends, and were now best friends, rather than bitter exes.
“I just don’t like sex,” Kai had simply said, after he had showered, after they had made love to each other for the last time. “It is too…unsanitary. I don’t think I can do this again.”
“…It’s me, isn’t it?” Because Tenko was disgusting to look at. His personality didn’t do him any favours either.
Kai had sat down on the bed, scrunching up his nose at the sheets. They still needed to be washed, and Kai at least took his mask off when they were being intimate. “It isn’t you, Tenko. Sex just…disgusts me I find. I thought I’d like it, because it’s with you, and it’s what couples tend to do. But I just don’t. It isn’t a you thing, it’s a me thing. With anyone, no matter who they are, I won’t ever like it.”
Tenko wasn’t comforted by any of that. But Kai had looked serious. “So…we should break up?”
“We should,” Kai said easily.
“Ok…”
“But if you think that I’m just going to dump and ditch you, then you’re dead wrong. We’ll be friends, and not friends with benefits, but I suppose I can’t blame you for wanting to kiss my pretty face.”
Tenko had grinned. “You’re such a bitch.”
“Hey, you’re the one who constantly calls me pretty. I’m the prettiest bitch you know.”
Tenko still felt a bit hurt by the break up. It bothered him, and he felt worse about the fact that Kai didn’t seem ruffled by it at all. No attempts to try again or longing stares. He was totally above all of that.
As they walked to school, a blockage of people in mourning stopped them. A memorial had been made in the street, for yet another fallen hero. Kai looked annoyed, as if the death had personally inconvenienced him. If he was ever going to become a hero, then he was going to be a cold superficial one, that was for sure.
“Couldn’t they put it somewhere that doesn’t block the path?” Kai mumbled to Tenko, tutting, looking at the sobbing people with disgust, offended by their red eyes and running noses.
“Kai… They just lost a hero.”
“Oh boohoo, happens all the time. Don’t pretend as if you care.”
“I do care. It’s sad when heroes die. They do so much for us.”
Kai smirked, and there was a malice in his eyes as he looked at Tenko. “You’re just repeating cliché lines from TV. Shouldn’t you say, ‘it’s sad when anyone dies’? I don’t think you care either.”
Tenko scowled at him, as they often argued about this, but kept quiet, knowing he couldn’t form a better comeback. Because there was uncomfortable whispers in his head saying that Kai had a point. He really was repeating things he had heard, but how did he actually feel? He pretended that he didn’t know, ignoring it, as he did with most things that bothered him. It made his neck itch.
*
“…How did he die? Was it that arsonist again?”
“No, he exploded, organs and all!”
“How gory! What an awful way to go!”
“What kind of quirk can do that?”
“Dunno. Hope I never encounter the bastard.”
Kai used a nailfile as they waited for the teacher to arrive, to escort them to the tournament, as Tenko drummed his hands on his desk, nervous, trying to distract himself by listening to the usual chatter of his peers.
A pack of girls walked over to Kai, and placed a bouquet of roses on his desk. “C-Chisaki, I’ve l-liked you for a long time and—”
“Tenko, decay the roses,” Kai said coldly, grabbing the bouquet and plopping it down on Tenko’s desk.
“Y-You! You asshole!” the girl exclaimed, bursting into tears, and then she and her pack raced off, shooting glares at Kai.
Kai rolled his eyes at the dramatics. “You’d think they’d learn the first few times.”
“That was mean, Kai,” Tenko said, looking at the roses. He didn’t dare take his gloves off, because he’d get in trouble. Kai never freaked when they were off, and didn’t see why Tenko obeyed the rules.
“Yeah, well, I’m not feeling up for playing the pleasant act today. Besides, I’m busy,” he said, examining his nails. “They interrupted my work.”
Tenko sighed, and was relieved when the teacher finally showed up. Only to groan when Kai tossed the roses out the window while the teacher hadn’t been looking, just to taunt the girls further.
“I do recall one of them had called you a freak,” Kai said, as the two walked to the grounds of the tournament. “And I tend to hold grudges until those grudges are fulfilled. Now she and I are even.”
“Just please don’t make anyone else cry today. You practically made a middle schooler piss their pants in the hallway.”
“Yeah, well, that grape-looking boy shouldn’t have stood in the way. Pretty sure he was trying to get a peek under a girl’s skirt, so if I gave him a death-threat for not moving,” Kai said easily, as he slipped on his white medical gloves as they walked. “I hope he cries himself to sleep tonight.”
“…You’re going to become one scary hero.”
Kai laughed, and nodded. “Oh, I agree. But imagine the drama? Heroes get popular with scandals. Look how well Midnight is doing. Bullying little incels should be my thing.”
Tenko couldn’t fault him for that.
They made their way to the lockers, and everyone got ready, putting on their gear if they had any, like modifications that would aid in their powers. Tenko and Kai had nothing, asides from what they usually wore. So they sat together on a bench and waited.
“Hey…Tenko,” Kai said, breaking the silence, almost whispering.
Tenko turned his head to him. “Yeah?”
“Good luck out there, alright? We both have to get points, and there’s no teams, so we won’t be together. So individually, let’s kick ass,” Kai said, sounding a little…strained. Probably nervous, even if Kai tended not to get ruffled by anything. “Because if we were to cross each other on the field, then it’d be a showdown, and I’d take you down without hesitation.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, but I will keep out of your way. I don’t want to be around when you really let loose.” Tenko wasn’t overly sure of the specifics of Kai’s quirk, but it seemed as if he could create life at will. Well, something like that. It was complex, and Tenko hadn’t been able to follow Kai’s wordy explanation, which had probably purposefully been confusing.
“It just sucks that you can’t go crazy with decay, or else you’d scare everyone, the wimps.”
“Probably because it can kill people, Kai.”
“So what? I can do that too.”
“But you can control it.”
“Blah blah, just don’t be afraid to hold back.”
When they walked out on the field, Kai waved to the stands, along with many others, but Tenko felt too nervous to, shaking a little, anxious at all the noise of cheering, and of all the eyes and cameras. There was too much going on, and he felt totally out of his element, as if he didn’t belong here.
Who was he kidding? He could never become a hero. Decay was nothing but a misfortunate quirk. It only brought ruin and destruction and death.
They took their spots on the field, and Kai glanced at Tenko during the countdown, then away, eyes searching for something in the crowd.
Then the countdown ended, and chaos broke out.
The point of this activity was to knock out or apprehend as many classmates as possible, with everyone fighting for themselves. So some students ran for cover, and others immediately brawled. Kai had punched a guy in the face (the same guy he had punched in the gut some time ago, because yes that grudge did seem to be ongoing), and had ran off with a hoard of meatheads chasing after him, friends of the bully.
Tenko chose to hide behind some debris on the field, as what else could he really do? He couldn’t use decay on actual students, but was allowed to use it on the field, or on things that students had caused.
He waited it out, right up until he heard screaming, and wails, and felt a shockwave, which shook the ground violently.
Something isn’t right.
“VILLAINS!” someone screamed out, over the uproar of chaotic voices.
“Students, evacuate the field! Leave this to the pro heroes!”
Tenko could smell smoke, and his heart raced as he peeked out from his hiding spot, only to see a blaze of blue, which enclosed half the field in a ring. Tenko was within that ring, with no way out, and he scanned the area, and his blood ran cold to see Kai facing down a guy in black.
Another shockwave hit, and Tenko was quick to regain his balance, and the screams continued. In the stands, it seemed that other villains were fighting off pro heroes, as the students and civilians ran.
But his eyes flickered back to Kai, who stood alone in front of a villain, and despite his fear, Tenko’s legs moved on instinct, and he shot towards the two, hyper-focused on the idea that Kai could die if Tenko didn’t do anything. And Kai was his only friend, and the one person that Tenko could be himself around.
When Tenko got close, Kai turned, and glared at him and hissed out, “Tenko, run, now!”
“Ooh, and who is this?” the villain asked, smiling, but the smile didn’t reach his cold blue eyes, as if he didn’t have a soul within him. His hands were in his pockets, and he looked so casual about the fact that his fellow villains were probably killing people.
Tenko didn’t run, and when he got close enough, Kai yanked him behind himself, bodily blocking him from the villain’s sight, and Tenko blinked at his back, shocked and confused. Because with decay aiding Kai, couldn’t they fight back? Didn’t Kai believe in him? He was the one always telling Tenko to use his quirk more, and using it to help Kai, to protect him, was something a hero would do.
“He’s no one!” Kai spat out. “Just a wimpy loser with a lousy quirk.”
Tenko’s eyes watered at the unexpected insult. Huh?
“Really, now?” the villain asked, not convinced, as he leaned to the side, and met Tenko’s eyes as he peeked past Kai’s back, and Tenko was quick to break the gaze, and go back to hiding. Because those were definitely the eyes of a killer. The eyes of the famed arsonist villain, Dabi. The blue flames made it oh so clear who they were, but Tenko hadn’t wanted to think about it.
“Yes, really!”
Dabi laughed, and that laugh was just as cold and cruel as the rest of him. “You’re the one protecting the ‘wimpy loser’.”
“Because heroes do that sort of thing,” Kai said, forcibly, because he hated saying such cliché things, and yet he was using it in this serious situation. He had practically spat upon saying ‘heroes’.
Tenko chanced another peek, and saw a purple portal open up behind Dabi, and a man in a strange mask and top-hat walked out. “Time to leave, before more heroes show up and ruin our performance,” the man said.
Dabi waved a hand, unconcerned. “Got it.”
The man went back into the portal, and it remained open, and Dabi grinned at Kai (and Tenko too) like a cat who had cornered a mouse. A way too eager, and hungry, cat. The staples in Dabi’s face pulled when he smiled so wide, and it looked so painful, and gruesome, but he didn’t flinch. “The show has only just begun,” he said, as he strode over to Kai, who tensed up. Dabi stopped in front of him, very close, and Tenko hid again, burying his face in Kai’s back, feeling guilty, because he was terrified, and couldn’t seem to move.
“Tenko, run,” Kai urged lowly.
Tenko couldn’t, and Dabi laughed again, shaking his head. “Oh? You’re making him leave so soon? But he looks like fun. Hope you like wild rides, because this one isn’t about to stop!”
Before Tenko could make sense of any of that, Dabi grabbed onto them both, a hand on each, and then flung himself and them backwards, and into the portal.
The dizzying sensation of being transported across space made Tenko black out instantly.
*
“…not a part of this!”
“…getting so worked up over…”
“…if you hurt him then…”
“…funny, because I’ll just cremate…”
“…let him go after…”
“…fine, unless I change my mind…”
“…if you dare do anything weird to him though then I’ll…”
“…scary, but I’m not into sleeping with hostages…”
“…better not be or I’ll do to your manhood what I did to…”
“…and maybe he’ll be returned home untouched, but I’m not the one in charge.”
“So now it’s blackmail? I’m the one who…”
“Well, hard to trust criminals. You don’t trust me either so we’re… So consider this as an incentive to not cross the League.”
“Fine, but just remember that my people hold grudges too. So cross us and you’ll have a war on your hands.”
“Don’t care. It’s up to the boss. This is purely a job for me. Besides, you’re getting awfully worked up over someone who’s apparently so useless… Strange.”
“He’s useful for information. It helps to have connections and to keep them.”
“Oh, I see. So you’re just using this guy?”
“Of course I am. And I want to continue using him instead of putting in the effort to work on getting a new pigeon to trust me. It’s so tedious.”
“Hmm…”
Tenko couldn’t make sense of the voices, and passed out again.
*
When he woke up, he found that he was tied to a chair, with rope around his legs and wrists. Which wouldn’t have been inconvenient, if not for the fact that his gloves were still on. If he moved his hands together, maybe he could slip them off, but the restraints felt a bit tight.
Oh, and fabric was over his mouth. Wonderful.
Not only that, but he was in a dark basement of some kind, with a dim lightbulb hanging above. It was about as cliché as a creepy basement could get. Lovely.
He fidgeted anyway, but couldn’t do much before the door opened, and a guy with blond hair walked in, who looked like his face had been cut into two at some point, then repaired, badly. “Don’t mind me, setting up cameras,” he said, and indeed he set up a bunch. Huh.
Tenko really hoped that he wasn’t about to be a part of torture porn or something like that. Because that’s where he felt like this was going, and was definitely freaking out, so he fidgeted with his hands some more.
Then a…lizard (?) walked in, and helped set up the cameras.
Ok, was Tenko still unconscious?
“You’re gonna be a star,” said the lizard, turning to Tenko. “Our first hostage of the League! Well, I suppose second… We already filmed your friend.”
KAI! Where the fuck is Kai?! They filmed him?! OH GOD IF HE’S DEAD THEN I’M GOING TO KILL THESE FUCKERS!
“Too bad I can’t even stab you, but even if I do it a little… Toga’s gonna be jealous, but if you seem injured then our message will get across easily,” the lizard said, and he pulled a switchblade out of his pocket, and stalked towards Tenko with malicious intent. “Well, a minor scratch won’t do much harm…”
Tenko’s heart beat so fast that he was sure it would explode—but then the lizard froze up when he heard heavy boots tapping on the ground, and the arsonist, Dabi, walked in. Hands in his pockets, and looking as casual as ever, as if torture and hostages was normal for him.
Tenko’s instincts were to flee, when the guy looked at him with those cold, calculating eyes.
And Tenko glared back, because these fuckers had done something to Kai! So even if he was afraid, he’d be as defiant as he could. They wouldn’t get the satisfaction.
Dabi grinned, showing his teeth, and Tenko felt even more intimated, but kept up his glare, picturing Dabi melting where he stood.
“Princess is awake, so let’s start the show,” Dabi said, and Tenko felt relieved when those eyes flickered away to the cameramen. “I should be getting paid overtime, for my reprised role as the grand kidnapper of wannabee superheroes.”
“But you’re a star on the big screen, Dabi!” the blond one praised. “Because you’re overdramatic! A true drama queen!”
Dabi raised an eyebrow at that, but didn’t look ruffled. “Mmhmm. Just get the show going already. I do have a life outside of the League.”
“Don’t we all?” said the lizard.
“Doubtful,” Dabi replied, leering at him. Then he spun, indeed a very dramatic movement, with his black coat fluttering around, and turned to Tenko, walking towards him with his loud boots, which made Tenko flinch with each step. “So, princess, ready for your big debut? You don’t get any speaking lines, so don’t worry. All you gotta do is sob and tremble, ok? Won’t be difficult. You’re shaking already.”
Gonna kill you, fucker. You have no idea how easy it’d be for me. If Kai’s dead then you’ll be dusted!
And yet, Tenko was sure he couldn’t do such a thing. He was a hero in training, not an awful villain like these assholes. Kai would totally want him to avenge him as violently as possible, but Tenko couldn’t kill someone. He could never be that depraved willingly.
He was going to get these villains arrested, if it was the last thing he did. The justice system and heroes could deal with them, and that would be enough. Would it?
Tenko tried to stop shaking, but Dabi continued to stare him down, and he couldn’t help it. It was truly like a powerful predator was before him. One that had and would continue to kill people with his fire quirk. To the point that he had a reputation for it.
At least Tenko managed to keep up his glare, hoping the darkness under his eyes as an insomniac was as unappealing to look at for Dabi as it was for Tenko himself. The scars, too. And the chapped lips. A face that no one could love.
“Dabi, the show’s about to start!” the lizard announced, breaking the tension.
Dabi spun and waited for a cue, and when the lizard gave a thumb’s up, Dabi was all dramatics, truly made for the big screen. “What is up, heroes! So it turns out we didn’t just kidnap one student…but two! I know, I know, I lied in the last broadcast, save your boos for the end of the show! So, ta-dahhh!” And he made room for Tenko to be seen by the cameras, who glared into the lenses, as Dabi moved to stand behind his chair. His spine prickled, not liking that he couldn’t see Dabi. “So, this is Tenko, and isn’t he just a peach, heroes? He tried to save his stupid friend and it landed him here of all places. Too bad, so sad! See how easy it was for us to snatch up some students? Where exactly is all that tax payer money going, if not to bump up security to protect your dear little sons and daughters from awful villains like the League? And your heroes couldn’t even save two students from a handful of villains…and how many heroes attended the tournament again? A lot! Well, work fast, heroes, because Kai and Tenko are going to be roasted literally if you don’t hurry and save them! Oh, the drama! I do hope that the two get a good ending, and I can’t wait to see the results! Well, buh-bye now, heroes! Good luck, and I do hope that you don’t get killed!”
When the cameras were lowered, Tenko continued glowering as Dabi moved back into his sight, and Dabi gestured to the lizard and blond guy. “So? How did it look?”
“Uhh… The hostage looked more pissed than afraid. You really should have let me rough him up beforehand. Like, who is gonna wanna save that ugly mug?” said the lizard.
“Hmm?” Dabi turned back to Tenko. “C’mon, princess, did you seriously flunk your role as the damsel? That isn’t nice.”
Tenko glared at him, still trembling, but he was furious. He didn’t want to become some dumb boy for the heroes to save. He wouldn’t become a martyr, or another statistic. He very much doubted that these villains were just going to let him go, and maybe Kai was actually dead. And Tenko was going to be next.
“If his eyes could boil then you’d be dead, man,” said the blond. “WHAT A FREAK! WHY DOES HIS FACE LOOK LIKE THAT?!”
Dabi shrugged, and turned back to the boys. “Well, whatever. Get the cameras out of here. The boss wants them ready if the heroes do show up to film it all.”
They moved the cameras back out, leaving Tenko alone with Dabi, who shoved his hands back in his pockets, and turned to face Tenko again. Every time Dabi looked at him, Tenko wished that he wouldn’t feel such intense fear. But he was good at reading people, to know who to avoid. And Dabi was one such guy. Levels above those other two, with far too much intelligence in his eyes. His casual and cold demeanour was unsettling, because this was the kind of guy that didn’t bat an eye to murder. Who probably murdered with a smile on his face, without a care in the world.
Tenko could easily tell. So of course he didn’t want to be alone with him, fearing what he’d do. Because at the end of the day, Tenko really was a hostage to a gang of villains. He couldn’t even use his quirk to defend himself, because that’s not what a hero would do. Could murder really be justified in this case? Because there had been many heroes that had told him that he’d never be able to be a big name hero, because he was a liability, a bomb waiting to go off.
Dabi moved towards him, and Tenko couldn’t glare anymore. He was freaking out too much, and hated that Dabi could likely tell. Hated that Dabi’s face was blank, and he couldn’t read him for signs of his intentions. But whatever they were, they probably weren’t good.
Tenko had heard stories about villains. Stories of them doing the most violent things to hostages. Violent, not just in the terms of being hit. A worse kind. A kind that Tenko was deathly afraid of, and he involuntarily shut his eyes when Dabi reached a hand out.
It was going to happen, wasn’t it? The worst kind of violence. A depravity like no other.
But…
Instead, he was…
Pat on the head. Just once, and the touch didn’t linger, then he heard Dabi walk away, and head out of the room. No words, no other actions.
Tenko opened his eyes, confused, but relieved, his heart racing.
He felt like an idiot for getting so paranoid. Always thinking the worst possibility. Kai often said that it was an anxiety thing. People with intense anxiety tended to jump to conclusions out of paranoia, but Kai had also said that it helped to overthink things, to work out escape plans if they were needed.
And Tenko was going to get out of here on his own. Because he managed to slip a glove off by rubbing the two together, applying enough pressure to force one off. And Tenko grinned as he touched his five fingers to the rope binding his wrist, despite the agony of forcing his hand to be in a weird angle. Then he uncovered his mouth, and let out a sigh of relief.
He froze up when he felt the ground shake, and then the sounds of war cries.
The heroes had arrived, so Tenko acted fast. He wasn’t going to be executed in front of the heroes. He’d save his own damn self and prove that his quirk could be used for good. He wouldn’t kill anyone, and he’d save himself.
He picked up the dropped glove once he was free, and slipped it back on his hand.
Time to get out of this shithole.
Tenko sneaked through the dark halls of the large underground basement. It seemed to be a bunker of some kind, and it was shaking a lot, so the fight aboveground was probably fierce. But Tenko didn’t head up, not yet, because he was searching every room he passed, careful not to barge in, always checking his corners and behind him. As if he were playing a horror FPS.
He was trying to find Kai, and desperately hoped that he was ok.
And when he found a room with a chair and ropes in it, Tenko froze up. Because there was blood on the floor. A lot of blood. So much blood that whoever it had come from was probably missing it, and so very injured that they were likely to die. There wasn’t any bodies, or anything else of note. So maybe Kai hadn’t been in here at all—but what if he had?
Or maybe Kai had escaped, having used his quirk. Because he had to keep in mind that Kai didn’t exactly seem to hold the same morals as Tenko. Tenko had once been worried about this, that sometimes Kai seemed way too dismissive about hurting people and death. But for once Tenko was glad, because what if those disturbing morals had led to him being able to escape?
Tenko held onto hope. But fear as well. Because each and every possibility raced around in his head. The downside of paranoia.
He moved on, gritting his teeth. He had spent too much time searching, and he had to go. The heroes probably had Kai, and they’d be reunited soon, and everything could go back to normal.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, he followed the sounds of fighting, and felt heat, so he changed his path away from that heat. There was no doubt what the heat meant—who it meant.
He heard sirens, and ascended up some stairs, and was relieved to see blue and red lights flashing, flickering through the windows of the room he had entered. And the front door was open, and freedom was so close, and he’d see Kai soon.
So he moved, and walked with confidence, out into those lights that made him feel safe, and found himself stepping into a stalemate, with some villains before him, their backs to him, facing down a barricade of police and their cars, with their guns out, aiming at the villains. Tension was high, so Tenko stopped, waiting, relieved.
A red-haired villain held some kind of strange object in their hands, so Tenko decided to simply get rid of it. Whatever it was, it was probably dangerous, so he quietly walked up, took off a glove, and touched his hand to it.
Gasps were let out, and the villain dropped the object, as it withered away. And not only were the villains surprised, but the police too. And everyone drew their attention to Tenko, who slipped back on his glove and tried to look innocent. Though he was aware that he wasn’t good at smiling, so while he did it, he kept it small, and didn’t show any teeth.
“Let’s bounce!” the red-haired villain hissed out to the others, unnerved by Tenko, and Tenko watched as they fled, and felt proud of himself.
He had really done it! He had showed everyone what decay could do! In a good way! He was so relieved, and moved towards the officers, only to pause. Because now their guns were trained on him.
“Don’t move!”
“Put your hands up and keep those gloves on!”
…Huh? He wasn’t sure what was happening. He had helped them and had made the villains leave. See? He could be useful. There was no need to be afraid. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but suddenly he felt like he had.
And he was wearing a UA jumpsuit, and had been on TV, so obviously they knew that Tenko had been a hostage.
He took another step, confused, wanting this all to be over, and to go home already and see Kai and—BANG!!!
An officer had fired, with trembling hands, terrified, perhaps accidentally doing it. But all the same, Tenko felt a screaming heat in his left side.
Oh, he thought, dumbfounded. I’ve been shot.
Baffled, he looked down. His jumpsuit had been torn, and was getting dark real fast. The blue of it looked purple, as red bloomed. And he rested a gloved hand on the area, and turned his gaze back to the police officers.
Their guns were still trained on him, and so many of them looked at him as if he were a villain, too. But couldn’t they see that he wasn’t? He had helped them, so why had they…? He didn’t get it. He wished that Kai would show up, and tell Tenko why it had happened. Kai would know. And Kai would threaten to sue them all, because Kai was rich, and Kai would make everything better.
But Kai never showed up on the scene.
It was just Tenko.
And the officers, who barked orders at him, but Tenko had trouble hearing.
His eyes watered.
He wanted Kai! He wanted Kai to show up and tell him that everything was going to be ok! That all of this was just a big mistake! To hold him, and whisper reassurances, and for them to leave all of this mess behind.
Maybe he’d wake up and discover that it had all been a nightmare, and wake to Kai knocking on the door, impatiently, and greeting him with a coffee, as he sometimes did. And then they’d laugh, and bicker, and people-watch, and would stroll around the mall on a day off, bitching about strangers, and Tenko would do anything to go back to a time like that.
Kai was probably dead.
And Tenko had been shot.
And misfortune followed Tenko. Everything he touched, everyone he got close to would wither away and die. He had killed before, hadn’t he? Yes. Once, there had been a dog…
Ashes fluttered through the air, and Tenko looked down, horrified, to find that he had decayed his gloves. His quirk-cancelling gloves that had been specially made for him, that All Might had gotten him. And somehow they were now gone to the wind, leaving his hands exposed to the world.
The officers barked louder, sirens blared. They were so angry and loud, and Tenko couldn’t take it.
He wanted them to go away the only way he knew how.
He dropped down and slammed his palms to the ground, with force.
And the pavement and earth fell away, engulfing him whole, like a whale swallowing a scared little boy into its gaping abyss of a maw.
*
Tenko had landed, along with debris, in a sewer. He had known that the sewer system of the city was vast, but wasn’t relieved, as he lay sprawled among the debris, in so much pain. A part of him wished that the fall had been endless, that it had killed him.
His half-lidded eyes stayed trained on the hole above, the one he had created, and could barely make out the red and blue flashing lights. Distantly, the officers could be heard.
He sobbed, and let himself stay still and feel pathetic for himself.
Right up until the sensation of the blood rushing out of his wound made him get up. It was uncomfortable, and he had nothing on him to help it. Was the bullet in him? He wasn’t sure. Couldn’t even tell if it had shot past his side, rather than lodge into it. There was too much blood, and he couldn’t examine it here. Because if he were to patch himself up, then it was meant to be in a sanitary and sterile environment. Wasn’t that what Kai always went on about?
Tenko let out a shaky breath, and sobbed some more, but he got up and walked anyway, away from those awful flashing lights. What else could he do? There was nowhere to go but forward and back. So forward it was.
It was cold, so he wrapped his arms around himself, and sobbed louder when his hands accidentally decayed parts of his jumpsuit’s sleeves, because he had always worn gloves and hadn’t had to be conscious of where he placed them, so he dropped his arms, and wandered on, not really able to see much but blurs, with his tears too heavy.
His chest hurt as he kept sobbing, and struggled to breathe, but he forced himself to, and to keep moving. Driven on by nothing but the dwindling hope of reuniting with Kai. As time passed, it was getting harder to believe that he could be alive at all.
Behind him, he heard voices. He moved faster, keeping far ahead of them, so that he couldn’t hear them anymore. The officers had probably followed him down here, perhaps with some heroes. To apprehend Tenko. But it wasn’t safe to go near them anymore. He had no gloves. He’d cause an accident. He’d turn himself in once he covered his hands. It was too dangerous now.
Ahead, there was a flash of light blue.
He stopped, strangling down a scream, managing to keep quiet, save for a choked sound that escaped him.
Footsteps.
Heavy.
The sound of heavy boots.
No, no, no, no, no…
Around the bend, there was someone in black. Hands in their pockets, staples in their face, holding burnt skin together with healthy. And light blue eyes pierced through the darkness, and Tenko was sure that he was going to lose his mind.
He couldn’t move.
He cried. Silently.
And dropped to his knees, not able to hold up his own weight anymore.
He buried his face in his hands, and then pulled at his own hair, then scratched furiously at his skin, because this was where he was going to die. Behind him was death, and ahead of him was another form of it. Death via a misunderstanding, or death via burning alive? He actually got a choice. And his choice was to wait for it. Whatever it was.
He couldn’t do it anymore. Couldn’t keep going. It was all too much.
Kai was dead. He was dead. Had been dead for a while. Why would the villains leave him alive? Because Dabi wouldn’t. It was so obvious. Killing Kai beforehand would be a blow for the heroes. It would mean that the villains had won, even if they ended up apprehended. Through Kai, seeds of doubt would spread through the city, and perhaps the world, because the villains had been right: the heroes couldn’t even protect the next generation.
Kai would hate his death becoming something like that. Would hate strangers mourning him, and fed lies about him, and his true beliefs would die with Tenko.
But meeting Kai in death wouldn’t be so bad.
“…Hmm? And what is a sad little princess doing down here?” asked Dabi, his voice sounding close. Then Dabi muttered quieter, as if talking to himself, “…How did he even get out?”
Tenko didn’t reply. He cried. That’s about all he could do. And he scratched, with his eyes clenched closed. Waiting for the heat.
“Geez, you’re a wreck,” Dabi said, closer. It kind of sounded like he was at Tenko’s level, as if crouching down. “…You do know you’re bleeding, right? A lot.”
Tenko nodded, not sure why he did.
“Cool. No gloves, either? Chisaki never did tell me what you could do. He tried to feed me some bullshit, and I quote, ‘Tenko can punch things, and his punches cause explosions’. See, for whatever reason he kept trying to downplay you, calling you useless and all that. And I think he was protecting you, not that it did much good.” When Dabi had said ‘protecting’, he had said it with disgust. “Doesn’t really matter now.”
So even in the end, Kai had actually done his part of protecting Tenko by not revealing his quirk. Tenko felt relieved, but distraught as well. The tears just wouldn’t stop, and neither would his erratic breaths.
“So is that not a stab wound? I don’t suppose Toga or Spinner would have done one so small, not their style so… Bullet wound?”
Tenko nodded.
“…Cops?”
Tenko hiccupped as he nodded once more, and finally opened his eyes and peered at Dabi, who was indeed crouching, icy blue eyes trained on the wound. There was a distance between them, but Dabi was close enough to see it.
“But why would they even…? The fuck?” Dabi mumbled, thrown for a loop. “Do they shoot first now and ask questions later? I mean, you’re literally a student of the fucking UA. A hero in the making. And in a uniform. Pretty sure the entire city knows that you are, or were a hostage.”
Tenko buried his face in his hands, and dug his nails into his skin.
“…Huh. So it’s like that, is it?”
It was difficult to interpret what Dabi meant, but he sounded mad, and Tenko was afraid. Maybe he was offended by Tenko’s crying, because Tenko definitely must have looked pathetic and pitiful. Everything that a villain hated.
But no fiery heat ever hit him.
“Princess, I’ve decided that you’re a hostage again. C’mon, the rest of the merry crew are up ahead. UA students are priceless, after all, and we could do so much with a hostage.”
Tenko didn’t move. Didn’t do much of anything. Because it was like his brain had short-circuited, and darkness met him, and he was glad for it.