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Asleep In The Keep-Chapter 34

DPxMHA crossover Fic

Chapter 34: Pain and the Comfort That Comes With It

Summary: Deku takes Danny home and shows him his room. Turns out they have a lot in common.

TW: Abuse, child neglect, daddy issues, bullying, talks of suicide, toxic/abusive relationships, glorifying abuse (“I deserved it”), implied transphobia/homophobia, and other such related trauma. I think this is the most hurt/comfort chapter I’ve written.

Word Count: 8659

Danny was the last one to get in the car. Deku’s mom sat up front with the cat cop while Deku sat in the back with him. Before he was fully in the car, Danny stared up at the sky. Several hours had passed since he’d been outside, and the sky greeted him with the dark blue of the night. They were too deep in town for the stars to be out, but Danny could feel them there anyway, watching him as if he was one of their own.

“Are you coming?” Deku asked from the car.

Danny snapped out of it and got in. The cat didn’t wait for him to buckle before he took off.

“Hey, thanks for that tip about the detective,” Danny whispered to Deku.

On the ride to the station, Deku told him about Detective Tsukauchi and his quirk. Deku was just yapping and didn’t know that Danny would actually use that info. Honestly, Danny should start paying closer attention to Deku and his notebooks. They are exactly what he needed when he fought those heroes, although now he didn’t really need them. His fight with Endeavor was illuminating, to say the least. Danny knew he was strong in his own world, but wasn’t positive that would translate here. Turns out it did. Tenfold. 

Danny loved it. He no longer had to worry about getting struck down by a hero. He could fly the streets at night fully seen without worry. Plus, that would be quite a show for his fans. Danny’s ego swelled at the thought. He had to give the people what they wanted. He just had to figure out something big for them…

Danny thought back to the #2 hero. There was still a chance that there was a large gap in power between the #1 and #2 hero, but that mystery was solved tonight. Danny had seen All Might with his two eyes. Whatever strength he might have had disappeared over the years (unless he had the most insane sleeper build). Danny was pretty confident about his chances now.

Something nagged at him. Tonight, he had gotten his most intense ghost sense in this world. It was still nowhere near the level of a normal ghost in Amity, but it was more intense than anything he felt here. He was sure he saw a ghost walk toward him in that alley.

He looked skeletal, like he had been a ghost for a long time and had been wandering. He also had a strange rainbow aura around him. It was bright and warm, but there was darkness that gripped the edges and swarmed like bugs. It was like the man was a zombie, bits of his form decaying but still together. His stomach was gone leaving only his spine and ribs. Danny didn't know what came over him, he just had this urge to lead the shade into the afterlife. A thing like that shouldn’t be in the world of the living. Not because they are malicious, but because at any moment, their tether could snap and they would become lost. 

The shade held onto the living too tightly. That must’ve been what kept him there for so long. Danny felt their hands touch. He had been unable to feel anything solid before then, simply sensations and the illusion of touch. It was time to go, until Deku interrupted them. 

Turns out it was no shade but the #1 hero himself. Danny saw how he truly was as soon as he let go. Even in flesh and bone, he wasn’t far off from being a skeleton. That man must’ve been on the boundary of death for a long time to give off that level of ghostliness. 

Only the elderly, terminally ill or very young children had that same aura. Freshly pulled up, and ready to be put back. Due to quirks, that was all muted. It was like death was everywhere but people had grown too used to it. 

That rainbow he saw must’ve been a separate entity, or rather entities since Danny heard small voices like static speaking to him. It was too soft for Danny to hear, so he wasn’t able to hear what they were saying. The man wasn’t possessed, or if he was it had been a long time. There were parts of him that were fused to the shades.

The man was ready to go with him though before Deku called out. Danny doesn’t know what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been interrupted. If Danny had to guess, if he did pull the ghosts out, the man’s soul would go too, leaving his body a husk. The body would live, but it would be empty. They were too intertwined to be separate again. 

Was Danny truly capable of such a thing? He had no idea how that happened. It was just an urge and suddenly it was like he was possessing himself like… Well, that didn’t matter now. The man was alright and Danny didn’t have any more blood on his hands. 

Even as Danny was leaving, he felt whatever was in the man call out to him. 

Now the feeling wasn’t able to leave him. He had felt that before, however vague, when he sparred with Deku. Danny didn’t know what that meant. It could be their quirks were connected with ghosts somehow. Danny hadn’t felt that anywhere else, or at least to that extent. 

They could’ve been related somehow. All Might did act pretty friendly to the kid and was relieved that he was alright. It was also All Might’s final wish that ‘young Midoriya’ be protected (Danny didn’t piece together that Deku was Midoriya until he heard All Might call him that). He might’ve been an uncle from how he interacted with Deku’s mom. The two were friendly, but not close. Deku’s mom didn’t even utter a word to him. Perhaps they were married some time ago or even a one night stand. He’d have to ask Deku later.

Deku and Danny didn’t talk much in the car ride home. Deku just sat there with a nervous but excited energy watching Danny then out the window. He was vibrating in his seat. He probably had so many questions he wanted to ask Danny. Danny sighed. He really had no idea how to answer the boy or what he wanted to hear. 

Deku’s place wasn’t too far away so the drive ended quickly. Danny still wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or not, but he just couldn’t say no to those eyes. Deku jumped out of the car and went over to Danny’s side. He swung open the door to make sure Danny was still there. He was absolutely beaming. 

Danny got out of the car as Deku’s mom thanked the cat cop. Danny followed Deku to the door as the eager boy unlocked it. He kicked his shoes off while Danny did it more calmly and set his bag on the floor.

“Izuku,” his mom scolded, “pick up your shoes.”

“Sorry mom…” Deku looked sheepish and put his shoes neatly away.

His mom smiled as he did so. “How about we have katsudon tonight?”

Deku beamed again. He looked at his mom with such a heartfelt expression and wet eyes. Deku seemed so happy that it was hard to remember that his life was threatened just a few hours before. He hid it well enough but now Danny could see that what he thought was pure nervous excitement was just masking how stressed he was. Like a chihuahua that people think shake cause it’s cold but actually has an anxiety disorder. 

“Is that alright with you, Tommy?” Deku now looked at Danny with a more cautious look on his face.

Danny smiled and nodded. It no longer mattered what he ate anymore since he couldn’t taste anything. He’s not even able to smell (except he was able to vaguely sense emotions instead). They could literally be having shit sandwiches and it wouldn’t make a difference to him. Well, it would, but if that was Deku’s favorite food, he would. 

While on the topic of food, Danny thought back to those cute little bunny cookies that Deku’s mom had made him. It was tragic that he couldn’t taste them, but as the saying goes, it's the thought that counts. 

“By the way ma’am,” Danny started, “me and my brother absolutely devoured those cookies you gave him. I had to fight him off for some.”

“Oh thank you!” She blushed at the praise, “you know, I made them for Izuku as a treat for getting out of the hospital so fast.” 

Danny looked over to Deku again with his best disappointed and judgmental face like Jazz used to do. He squirmed under his gaze. 

“You can call me Mrs. Midoriya if you like. Izuku has told me so much about you and your brother. It's one of the only things he talks about now. We would love to have him over as well.”

“Uhh well,” Danny scratched his neck, “he’s busy tonight. Deku knows how he is. There one minute and gone the next! We’re the same person and I can barely keep track of him. Another time maybe.” 

“That would be wonderful.” She responded. “Before I make the food, do you have any allergies I should be made aware of?”

 “I have a stomach of iron. You could feed me rat poison and I’d complement the punch!” Danny joked. It was true though. The only thing that would be truly poisonous to him are blood blossoms. 

Mrs. Midoriya and Deku both looked at each other briefly with a confused smile they tried to hide under small laughs. Deku and his mom were a lot alike it seemed. 

“Alright, you boys have fun now.” Mrs. Midoriya shooed them away. 

“Do you want to see my room?” Deku turned to Danny excitedly.

“Sure.” Danny shrugged. 

He already saw it when he dropped off Deku that one time, but he didn’t know that. The boy also looked really excited. That was probably his den of fan gear and collectibles. Danny had been here before with Tucker. He smiled at the memory. That was before ghost stuff took a hold of Danny like it had done in the year later. Back then they were really just kids enjoying life, or whatever approximation of it. 

The room didn’t look any different from when Danny saw it last. The only change was the bed being messier and homework on the desk. The walls were covered in posters and Deku had a few figures on every shelf. He even had All Might sheets and curtains. Maybe they weren’t related after all. It would be weird to sleep on your uncle. 

The room screamed All Might fan, but at the same time wasn’t as intense as some other rooms he’d seen (Tucker case and point. He had everything from Star Trek gear, Legos, One Piece figures and more. It got to the point even his floor was covered with fan memorabilia).

Danny walked over to the desk and picked up a chibi figure. The paint job was uneven and the proportions weren’t right. Danny investigated the other figures and they were of similar quality. The only one that wasn’t was in a protective case at the top of the book shelf.

“Do you like it?” Deku looked at the figure. “Mom saved for months to be able to get it for my birthday. They only made 1000 internationally and 300 in Japan!”

Deku looked proud of the figure. Danny felt slightly guilty. His parents would buy him stuff all the time as a kid if it meant he played somewhere else. Most of those were Legos because they took so long or other construction toys. His favorite one was a simple model rocket he and his mom made. At the time, they were being sponsored by the government but after they made the portal they sold their stuff online (Danny was pretty sure Vlad bought it all). It wasn’t as steady as the sponsorship, so that meant no more Lego sets. Danny was fine with it. By that time he didn’t need toys anymore. He just needed his parents. 

“Are you okay?” Deku's hands hovered awkwardly as he debated touching Danny. 

“I’m fine.” Danny blinked his eyes. “I just thought that was sweet.”

Deku didn’t know what to do so walked over to his desk to show off more of his figures. He held up one that honestly looked the worst out of all of them. The paint job looked like it was done by a 4 yr old.

“Me and my old best friend Kachan made this when we were young.” Deku stared at the figure nostalgically. 

Danny immediately felt guilty. 

“We each painted one and he bragged about how his looked better.” Deku chuckled. “Everything had to be a competition with him. When he saw that I was sad about mine, he took it and gave me his.”

Deku turned the figure over and there was small chicken scratch written by a kid, ‘Bakugo Katsuki,’ along with a small drawing of fire or something.

“I don’t think he even has his anymore.” Deku put the figure back down and sat on the bed behind him. Danny sat next to him but still gave him enough space. 

“I don’t even know if he still likes me. We were best friends until he got his quirk and I didn’t-” Deku looked at Danny, “I was a late bloomer.” He clarified. “He would tease me with his other friends, and at first I thought it was the normal teasing like he does to everyone, but then it just happened to only me. I just don’t get it.”

Deku played with the scars on his knuckles lost in thought. He clearly needed to talk about this and so Danny didn’t interrupt him. His hand lingered over Deku like he did Danny. Danny put his hand on Deku’s shoulder.

“I think he’s just really lost right now,” Deku continued, “No one else but me could tell that he was always trying too hard. If someone said something about him or he didn’t have the best grades, he would lash out at everything. One time he told me he hated me, but I think he was too weak to say that to himself. That was okay. If hating me made him forget he hated himself, I could do that. I’m gonna keep trying to be his friend no matter what.”

Danny hugged Deku. He didn’t know what else to do but that. He may have joked with his friends that he hated them (like when Tucker stole all the food or Sam beat him in DOOM) but it was said jokingly. They all said it to the other and knew no one ever meant it. This though, this was deliberate and cruel. Danny knew they were both just kids, but that didn’t undo the hurt he caused. 

 “You know that’s not okay? Friends don’t treat you like that.” Danny looked in Deku’s eyes trying to get him to understand. 

“I know, but he didn’t really hurt me.” Deku shrugged, “The only thing that really hit deep was when he told me to jump off a building.” He had an empty look in his eyes as he spoke. “He would’ve joined me if I did.” 

That didn’t make it better in Danny’s eyes. He just hugged the boy tighter, maybe more to comfort himself than Deku. He was too kind. He couldn’t see how he was being treated by his ‘friend’. Danny felt mad. He actually wanted to hunt down this kid and throw him off a building like he told Deku to do. There were too many hurt people hurting others that it just created a cycle of pain. 

“Do you want me to kill that guy for you?” Danny said in a joking manner trying to hide how he actually felt. Deku laughed and wiped some tears away (it was funny how he thought Danny was joking). He playfully pushed Danny away like Danny did to Jazz when he was younger. 

“No.” Deku pulled away from the hug but still leaned against Danny. “I don’t blame him. I never did. I actually want to be more like him.” Deku’s voice got lighter and nostalgic again. “I admired him. Still do, actually. He was my hero.” His eyes were bright and full of stars like they did when he was talking about All Might. “You know, Kacchan was the one to come up with my hero name, ‘Deku.’”

Danny had to stop his mouth from opening. This whole time he thought Deku was his name. If it wasn’t that, what was it? Certainly not Midoriya, cause that seemed like a last name since his mom went by that too.

“Do you want me to stop calling you that?” Danny asked softly. If the name had a sad memory associated with it, he didn’t want to keep reminding him. He also hoped that he would learn Deku’s actual name.

“No,” Deku breathed. “It used to be an insult but now I take pride in it. It means I’ll never give up. Just like I’ll never give up on trying to be his friend or a hero.”

Danny nodded, but he couldn’t swallow all the sadness he felt in the boy's stead. Danny knew what he felt like to be bullied by someone who was once your friend. 

Dash and him had known each other for all their lives. Danny was considered a ‘Tomboy’ and so got alone with all the future boy A-listers. Birthday parties, games, and trips, there was never the time the two were a part. 

It changed in middle school. They had simply drifted apart like so many others. While they weren’t best friends, they hung out with each other once a week. When Danny got closer to Tucker and Sam moved to town, the rift widened. It all came to a head when Danny came out. Aside from Danny’s friends and family, Dash was the first person to congratulate him for finding who he was with a promise to hangout again. The next day, Dash was black and blue and didn’t look at Danny. He stopped talking to Danny completely and started to act more and more aggressive towards him. Danny knew how Dash's father was and (like Deku) didn’t blame him. That stopped with the first punch.

While Danny could take it where others couldn’t, Dash didn’t know that. Dash meant every hit and mean act he ever inflicted on Danny. Dash may have hated himself for what he was, but Danny wouldn’t forgive Dash for taking it out on him. 

Danny had been silent long enough. He could feel Deku fidget with every second he took to respond. 

“I think that’s very admirable.”

It really was. It took a strong person to turn an insult into a badge of honor. 

“The name Phantom has a similar story. Our parents had a weird thing about ghosts. They would say ‘ ghost’ or ‘ phantom’ or ‘ specter,’ like slurs. When that’s what Tucker became, there was no choice but Phantom. It began a new identity for him, especially over the years.” 

“...what are your real names?” Deku asked. He sounded unsure and quiet. He knew the importance of what he said and how it sounded, yet he still asked. He was endlessly naive but cared just as much.

“It’s…” Danny felt his throat close. It hurt to say it in front of another person. He was still feeling raw from everything that happened. He was so far removed from his human life that he didn’t feel like he had the right to say it. 

“...I don’t know.” Danny admitted. 

His eyes went unfocused as he just started at a spot on the floor. He felt his features furled but he didn’t feel anything other than the tightness. His feelings would short-circuiting with someone so close. Even with these feelings, Danny focused on keeping his form intact. He didn’t want to do anything to push him away (not even the real him).

Deku had just told him so much. Danny knew he wouldn’t be judged but it felt unsafe to say it. This is how the other ghosts must’ve felt. Trapped inside their own name and lack of identity because of it. 

Danny just sat there, too overwhelmed to feel anything. Deku must’ve felt bold in the silence or at least very curious.

“Do you still miss your dad?”

Danny’s head lifted up at hearing that. He felt more lost than before. He barely thought about his dad since he got here, or his mom. No, that’s not true. He did, just not in the way he wanted to. He wanted to miss his dad and his dumb jokes and constant need for fudge, but that’s not what he thought of when he remembered him. Danny only remembers all the things he did wrong and now can’t fix. In a way, Danny is dead because of him. He finally understood Vlad’s feelings of resentment towards him.

“Sometimes, although I try not to think about it.” That was easier to say.

“Didn’t he hurt you though?” Did Danny just have a sign on his head that said ‘abused’? Even Ma said something similar.

“Who told you that?” Danny finally looked at the boy. 

He looked nervous under his gaze then looked away. ‘He was such a dork,’ Danny thought. Deku was a lot like Elle in the way that they both said the wrong thing. Except where she was blatant and stared back at you, Deku showed remorse and shied away.

“Uh, well,” Deku looked more nervous. 

“What?” Danny wanted to roll his eyes. This is where the kid gets all shy?

“Well you said that your dad is scarier than whatever Shigaraki can do...” Deku trailed off. Danny expected him to say something else but he was done. 

“Oh. Right.” Danny didn’t realize how that sounded when he said it. 

“Yeah..” Deku sighed.

“Yeah…” Danny sighed back.

He didn’t know if this was something he should be talking about with Deku. Danny had been able to handle it so far alone, he didn’t need to tell anyone (let alone a child) what he’s been through. A part of Danny still ached to say it though, maybe talking about it out loud would relieve the weight in his gut when he thought about home. 

“You know, I don't really remember my dad.” Deku started. He stared at his hands as he talked. “I just remember big arms picking me up and his smile. Sometimes though, he would take me to this bar. I can’t really remember it but he went there all the time. He would get me a Shirley Temple.” Deku laughed but his face grew soft. “Mom said he’s in America on a business trip. It’s been over 10 years now. He stopped sending us cards 5 years ago. Mom tries to hide it, but she still cries about it. Sometimes I hear her, like on my birthday. That's why she tries so hard. He still sends money over but nothing else.

Danny breathed in, closing his eyes. There was so much to say but things better not be said.

“My dad,” Danny paused, “he wasn’t around much either. Well he was, but he was always working on his little projects and machines. When he was around, he… well he wasn't the nicest. I maybe deserved it though. I don’t know. I would always sneak out and disobey him. He was just really worried about me. I kept a lot from him. And when he did hurt me, he didn’t know any better. He was just doing what he thought was right.”

Danny had regretted a lot about his life before. If he had told his parents, would they have accepted him? While they hunted him as Phantom, there were still moments they saw him beyond ‘ghost scum.’ He had dreams where they all worked together to fight the ghosts and he could finally be a kid with a family again. 

There was also the chance they would refuse to see Danny and only Phantom. Danny couldn’t go back to their little boy, no matter how much he wanted to. Still, the uncertainty was enough to make his head spin. Having your parents be a part of your rogue gallery was an interesting experience. A lot of emotions to shove into a box.

“That doesn’t make it okay.”

Danny nodded his head dismissively. The boy was using his own words against him.

“I know, but I can't help but love him.”

“Would you ever wanna see him again?” Deku's voice was soft and he wasn’t looking at him, indeed at a thread that came out from his blanket. 

“…I don’t know.” 

Danny really didn’t. He was so consumed with the idea of getting home that he didn’t know what would happen if he did. He hopes that his parents would welcome him as Phantom with open arms. It was equally likely that they would accuse him of stealing ‘their boy’.

“As I got older, when I looked at him I could only see all the bad things he said or did. I loved my dad most when he wasn’t around. I don’t know what I would do or say if I saw him again.”

“Is that why you ran away?”

“I didn’t run away,” Danny defended. 

He would never run away from Amity. They needed him. ‘If they need you, why aren’t you there?’ stabbed into Danny’s head. He finally found the portal, he should be there now trying to get it open. What was he waiting for?

Danny tasted the words in his mouth before he spoke them, “Or at least I didn’t mean to. Maybe someday I will go back, but I don't know if I’d fit in anymore…” 

Danny didn’t know if he wanted to fit in anymore.

“I understand that.” Deku said sagely. 

Danny stopped himself from saying anything. Deku was so young it was hard to imagine he had also felt that way. That was the bitter older teen in him talking. Truthfully, Danny wanted to believe that the boy didn’t know what that was like. If he did, that would mean he had been through what Danny had. Deku was too young for that (they both were).

There was a moment of quiet between them waiting for the other to talk. Danny was fine with it. He wanted to sit in this for a little bit longer. He hadn’t said that much to anyone in a while, not even Sam or Tucker. It was different with Jazz since they were in the same sinking boat. Living in that house changed her into something resembling Danny while their parents stayed unaffected thanks to their suits. He didn’t appreciate her until it was too late. 

He wanted to see his sister again, most out of everyone. She had left for college by Danny’s junior year, and while he resented her at first for leaving him, he understood it. She couldn’t stand being in that house longer than she needed too. Of course she still visited and talked to Danny everyday, but she was always looking over shoulder, so to speak. They both took the first lesson their parents taught to heart. How to survive. Despite that, Danny had failed twice.

Danny whipped his eyes with his elbow. He really didn’t want to cry right now, not in front of Deku. He had to keep it in for when he was alone. Until then, he should try to think about happy things, like his family on the roof looking at the stars. Those are the good days that he should hold onto, not the pain later on. 

“Well what was your mom like?” Deku said. Maybe he wanted a way or of the quiet or to know more about Danny. Still, he didn’t have to go digging through his guts like this. 

“Crazy.” Danny laughed. He meant it too. “She was strong too. She could pick me up like a bag of grapes. My mom had a black belt in everything! I swear! She’s who taught me how to fight.”

Deku laughed. It was nice to see. If Danny could, he would make it so the boy could laugh and smile all the time. 

“She was smart too, like evil mastermind smart. A few times I was sure she was gonna take over the world with her inventions. She was lethal. Honestly, she scared me a lot more than my dad. When she looked at me, it was like she could see through me. Her instincts were never wrong. There was one time we were lost in the woods being hunted, and she did everything she could to save us. I hated it at the time, but that was one of my favorite moments with her.” Danny smiled. “She may not have been the best mom, but when she tired she was the greatest.”

Danny had to focus on the good. Both his parents cared for him, in their own way. He wanted to remember that right now, not the might’ve beens’ or probablys’. At least in front of Deku (he already unloaded so much on him without really meaning too). Danny could unravel and wallow on his own time later.

“Why were you being hunted in the woods?” Deku sat up to face Danny. He had a confused look on his face like so many times before.

“That’s too much to explain right now.” Danny shook his head sagely. 

“Hmm,” the boy said as a response. It was clear that he wanted to ask more so Danny decided to distract him.

“How about you show me your journals?” 

🥦~

Tommy listened to Izuku talk for over an hour simply on the topic of his notebooks. That wasn’t enough time since Izuku had filled out 12 so far and was working on number 13. If he could, he would strap Tommy down (clockwork orange style) and read each page to him. Of course he couldn’t do that, so they just sat on the floor against his bed flipping through the pages.

Tommy was paying attention, more than he had before. The other times, like in the museum or to the beach, Tommy just nodded his head and made some comments like ‘that's so cool’ or ‘oh yeah?’. This time though (and in the alley), Tommy was asking questions like how much defense that quirk had or any weaknesses. While those weren’t weird questions, Izuku had to admit that there was a motive behind it. He brushed it off though since he got to gush about quirks. It was a win win. 

“Does Phantom have a section?” Tommy asked after Izuku showed him Endeavor’s page. 

Of course Phantom had a section. Izuku had been working on it since the hospital in Hosu. The question is should Izuku show him? Tommy basically was Phantom. When he went home (or wherever he stays) he would tell his brother about it. That would be so embarrassing. Izuku barely knows anything about Phantom or his quirk. A lot of the information in this was probably wrong. He also had his own theories about the brothers' upbringing. The topic of fathers was too fresh for Izuku to give Tommy a list of ways he was abused.  

“Uhh…yeah…” Izuku muttered.

“Can I see it?” Tommy asked. He was looking at Izuku funny.

“No…” Izuku whined, “or at least not yet. I have to work on it more.” If he gave it to him later, he would have more time to work out his theories and give him a copy that didn’t include his dad. Yeah, that would be better. “Maybe tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow sounds good. I’ve got the next few days off and so I’m free.” Tommy leaned back on the bed.

“Is Tucker free?” Izuku asked softly. He tried to seem casual but Tommy saw right through him and smiled.

“He is, as long as nothing comes up.” Tommy commented.

“So,” Izuku started nervously, “would it be okay if we all hang out?”

Tommy’s face looked blank save for a forced smile, “what?”

“Well, I haven’t seen him in a while…” Izuku trailed off. Tommy’s reaction was a bit weird.

“You don’t just wanna hang out with him?” Tommy sat up and studied Izuku. He seemed like he was mulling something over. 

“I thought it would be fun if we all hung out?” Izuku wasn’t sure now.

“I’m not sure I can do that…” Tommy trailed off with that look on his face.

“You just said you were free?” Izuku tilted his head. Were they fighting or something?

“No, it’s not that…” Tommy scratched his neck and groaned. “It’s just…”

“It’s okay,” Izuku said sadly. He had no idea why Tommy was acting like this. Izuku looked at the floor, “I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do…”

“Fine.”

“What?” Izuku looked back up at Tommy. He started to smile, but stopped himself. “Didn’t you just say-”

“I know.” Tommy bobbed his head back and forth, “but you seem so sad so now I gotta.” Tommy whispered something under his breath but Izuku was able to catch it, “I can figure it out…”

He really had no idea what that meant, but he was excited nevertheless! He hugged Tommy. 

Tommy patted his head and hugged him back. “Yeah yeah… would noon work? I got some stuff I have to handle.”

“Perfect! That gives me enough time to get my notebook done!” 

“I’m glad you're happy.” Tommy smiled fondly at him and messed with his hair. 

A gentle knocking came from his room's doorway. Izuku caught his mom smiling like she just walked in on kittens. 

“Hey boys,” his mom said sweetly, “dinner is ready.”

“Thanks, we’ll be right there.” 

Izuku started moving the notebooks away, they had become scattered while he was showing them to Tommy. Tommy, being half a foot taller than him, was able to easily walk over them while Izuku couldn’t walk over without stepping on them. Tommy held out his hand to Izuku and helped him jump over the mess. He felt like a toddler whose parents swang him between them. 

When they were outside the door, Tommy looked at him playfully. 

“Race you to the bottom!” and he took off.

Izuku sputtered for a second and chased after him. Izuku was able to pass in on the stairs, but then Tommy jumped over the banister and rolled onto the floor. Izuku made it down just a few moments after.

“Beat you,” Danny laughed. 

“I didn’t know we were allowed to do that, otherwise I would've.” Izuku complained playfully.

“Aren’t you training to be a hero? If you're gonna fight, fight dirty. Villains won’t be following ‘the rules,’ there are no rules in fighting.”

“What about the use of exclusive force?” 

“Well obviously don’t do that,” Tommy came up to Izuku and flicked his forehead, “common sense. But if one of the big time villains shows up like a wrinkle man, you better put everything in it.” 

‘Like Tommy’s dad,’ but Izuku didn’t say that. One for Tommy’s sake and two because his mom didn’t know. He just told her that Tommy’s dad wasn’t a good person. 

“Or call me. I’ll fucking kill them.” Tommy had an intensity when he said that that made Izuku believe he wasn’t joking. 

“What a happy conversation.” His mom walked in from the kitchen. “Let's save that talk for after dinner.” 

Tommy followed her into the dinning area. His mom, the thoughtful host she was. Set the food on the table with their bowls and cups. Usually, Izuku would help set out the food, but his mom probably wanted to give him some time alone with his friend. He smiled at her in thanks as they all sat down. 

“So do we have to do anything before we eat the food?” Tommy whispered at Izuku. It was at times like this that Izuku remembered that he grew up under a rock. 

“Just say thank you for the food.” Izuku whispered back. His mom laughed at hearing them.

“Right.” Tommy sat up, “thank you for the food, Mrs. Midoriya.”   

“You’re welcome, Tommy.” Mrs. Midoriya paused, “what's your family name?” 

“Uhh,” Tommy started before Izuku interrupted.

“He’s fine with just being called Tommy, mom.” Izuku covered. 

He didn’t want to make Tommy any more stressed like before. Honestly, he shared way more than Izuku thought he would. For now, he was satisfied with asking questions. For now, Izuku will wait until tomorrow to ask his brother. There, he could get into the technicalities of his quirk, Izuku’s true passion. He figures it is an easier conversation than childhood trauma and daddy issues. 

Izuku tried to take a bite, but it was too hot and burned his tongue. Tommy though didn’t seem to be having the same issue as he chewed his food. He looked weird, his cheeks big and his jaw moving in an extracted fashion, like a kid pretending to eat. 

“Isn’t that hot?” His mom asked as she lowered her chopsticks. She had been blowing on her food before she noticed. 

Danny set his next bite down. He held his chopsticks awkwardly, but it didn’t matter since he managed to eat the food fine. 

“It’s just so good that I couldn’t help but dig in.” Tommy laughed and scratched his neck. 

“Thank you, but be careful not to choke.” His mom went back to blowing her own food. 

The table was silent as everyone ate their food. Tommy started to blow on his food even after everyone else had stopped, and he ate slower. The ridiculous chewing didn’t stop, and Izuku had to look away to keep from laughing. 

“So, Tommy,” His mom set her chopsticks down and looked across the table at him, “Izuku here tells me that you’re quirkless.”

Izuku was drinking water at the moment and spit it out when she said that. What a blunt question! To Tommy’s credit, he didn’t seem that phased by it.

“That’s right, ma’am,” Tommy set his chopsticks down as well but that was because his bowl was empty rather than him trying not to be rude. 

“I feel ashamed that a part of me is glad. Izuku hasn’t met anyone his age without a quirk before. It’s mostly the older generation without one these days.”

Tommy looked at him in confusion. Izuku turned away red faced. He looked like he swallowed something sour. He didn’t tell Tommy that he used to be quirkless. Izuku didn’t blame his mom for saying that. After he met Tommy, he went straight home and told him mom. He was so excited (despite the circumstances) and told her how easily Tommy said that. It was as if he wasn’t made to feel ashamed for being that way like Izuku had. His mom was also still getting used to him having a quirk, so it was natural for her to comment on it. 

“Why would you care that I’m quirkless?” Izuku felt his hot gaze on him. He really couldn’t explain it without revealing to him and his mom his secret. 

“Didn’t he tell you?” His mom said, apparently not seeing how Izuku was reacting.

“Tell me what?”

“That until this year, Izuku didn’t have a quirk.”

“Yep!” Izuku stood up, “I’m just a really late bloomer!” Izuku laughed like a maniac, not dissimilar to principal Nezu during the practical. He sat down after seeing the looks he got. Tommy coughed, trying to stop from laughing. 

“Right… Well, he used to wish for a quirk everyday until he got one. You should’ve seen him, it was like he was praying to All Might.” his mom laughed at his misery.  

“It wasn’t that bad…” Izuku muttered (it totally was, but Tommy didn’t have to know that).

“I can see that! His room is covered in All Might merch. Even before I saw that, I knew he was a fanboy.” 

This was torture. Pure torture. His mom and new friend were now ganging up on him. He knows it was his idea to bring Tommy over, but now he wanted to go back. Geez, this was too much. 

“Please stop…” Izuku groaned with his head on the table. He feels like a little kid whining.

“It’s okay, Deku. We were only teasing.” Tommy grinned as he spoke with his hands. “Besides, we didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

Izuku laid his head back on the table and groaned loudly. 

“We’ll stop if it bothers you that much.” Tommy comforted.

Izuku slowly raised his head up, “no, it’s fine. It’s just embarrassing.” 

“Aww, poor baby,” Tommy cooed as if he were talking to a pet. He poked Izuku and he squatted his hands away. 

“Oh Tommy, your bowl is empty. Would you like any more?” His mom spoke over the table.

“That’s okay,” Tommy inspected his bowl, “I’m stuffed.”

“Come on, you're skin and bone.” His mom was close enough to grab his bowl and was about to fill it with more rice when he stopped her. 

“No, really I'm good,” Tommy put his hand over the pot.

“How about you take it home to your brother?” she tried instead. 

 “I’m not sure that would work…” Tommy grimaced. 

“Why not? Does he not like Katsudon?” 

“Not its that.” Tommy corrected at the risk of offending her, “I just don’t wanna take food from you.”

“It's fine,” she moved his hand away and was about to fill it again. “We have more. Just take some.”

“We just don't have anywhere to put it.” Tommy tried one last time. 

“What do you mean?” his mom’s voice was full of worry.

“Well, there’s no microwave for one, and two we don’t have a fringe, either.” he looked sheepish. 

“Oh you poor souls,” she touched his face as if to check his health, “no wonder you’re so skinny… You should still take some for your brother then. He might not have had dinner yet.”

“Sure. fine. Deal.” Tommy relented and waved her off. 

“Good.” she stood up with his bowl, “I’ll go pack this up for him then. Izuku do you want anymore?”

“I’m full, thank you.” Izuku nodded.  His mom seemed satisfied with herself as she walked off. 

“I’m going to go help her put the stuff away.” Izuku also got up.

“I can help too,” Tommy made to get up, but Izuku pushed him down gently. 

“No, you sit. You're a guest after all.” 

Tommy frowned but didn’t move. Izuku patted his hair (which felt weird, like spiderwebs and dust). Tommy looked up at him in horror and offense. Clearly, Izuku had broken a sacred friendship code of some kind (although Tommy does that to him all the time). 

Izuku gathered the rest of the dishes and went into the kitchen with his mom. Her and Tommy’s bowls had already been washed, and lay drying on the rack to the side of the sink. She now investigated a pair of chopsticks. It was a part of the wooden set that Izuku was pretty sure was older than him. If they were expensive, Izuku didn’t know. What once was a burnt red color, had faded into brown with every use and the design on the end, which might’ve been bulls, had rubbed off. 

Izuku set the dishes on a clear space and walked over to his mom. He leaned over her trying to see what she was looking at. She jumped when she saw him and made a funny noise. 

“Izuku, you scared me,” His mom held a hand to her chest.

“Sorry mom,” Izuku peered down at her. It was hard to believe how much he’s grown in just a year (that’s puberty for you). “What are you looking at?”

“Oh this?” She held up the chopsticks so he could see. 

Alongside the wood where one would put their fingers on, had been worn down to the width of a toothpick and had green wood rot. This had spread to almost half the chopstick. 

“Weird…” Izuku mumbled. “It is really old. Maybe it was just it’s time?”  

“I swear that they were fine when I set them down…” She snapped out of it and held the chopsticks tightly to her chest. “I must be needing glasses. That’s what I get for trying to use wooden ones all this time.” 

Rather than throwing them away, she slipped them in her pocket. She forced a smile on her face and looked out at Tommy in the dining room. He had gotten up to get the bag at the door, and was now sitting at the table messing with something. He somehow knew they were looking at him, and turned around to wave. They waved back.

“How’s your friend doing? Are you sure he’s full? He looks sickly. He needs all the healthy food he can get.” 

“He said he was full. Tommy also just looks like that, so does his brother…” 

Izuku guesses he never noticed how bad it was before, chalking it up to genetics rather than abuse. Despite being quirkless, Tommy still had slight mutations (Izuku did too), like his sharp teeth and ears. He also had patches of blue hidden under his turtleneck. His greenish complexion didn’t stand out to Izuku until his mom mentioned it now. 

“Hmm,” Izuku hummed, “you’re right…” 

“Of course I’m right, my baby.” His mom pinched his cheek and said in baby talk, “a mom always knows.”

Izuku didn’t think the brothers had a mom anymore. Tommy talked about her in past tense and acted differently than he did when he was talking about his dad. How long ago did she die? They must’ve been so young (they were still young). Izuku doesn’t know what he would do without his mom…

“Oh, Izuku,” his mom wiped his tears with her finger as she held his cheek, “are you alright?”

“I’m sorry, mom.” Izuku pulled his mom into a hug, his cheek on her head. He had been so mean to his mom recently. She worried about him so much and yet he kept throwing his life on the line. They both knew there was nothing she could stay that would get him to stop, not until he lost his arm or was in the dirt, and even then he’d find a way to be a hero. He felt his mom start to cry under him, and she soaked his shirt in her tears again. He just held her tighter. For right now, he wasn’t going anywhere.

His mom didn’t let go for another minute. When she did, she looked up at him, tears still in her eyes.

“I love you, Izuku.”

“I love you too, mom.” He gave her one last hug and let go.

They started putting the food away like they had first intended. His mom was off to the side packing it into lunch boxes. “For tomorrow,” she said. She must’ve heard them earlier. 

Izuku smiled and thanked her. It took only a few minutes for them to be done in the kitchen and they came back out into the dining room.

“Are you guys okay?” Tommy looked at them concerned. “I heard crying.”

“That was just a family tradition,” his mom joked. She set one of the boxes in front of Tommy, “for your brother.”

“Thanks,” Tommy put it to the side. 

“What are you working on?” Izuku sat beside him in his original seat. 

“I’m setting up my phone,” Tommy showed it off. It was a blue flip phone with a key chain of the Phantoms. Izuku looked at him funny, but he had to admit, if he had merch of himself he would buy it too.

“Why is it in English?” 

“Cause I speak English?” Tommy looked at him as if it were obvious. 

“You can?” Izuku himself was only able to speak the basics (but thanks to Present Mic was rapidly improving). “You should say something.”

“Umm Ok, hello,” Tommy laughed.

“That was still Japanese.”  

“Oh…” Tommy’s features furled but he quickly wiped it off. “Right, duh. Well, I guess I can read English.” 

“That’s cool,” Izuku didn’t know what else to say. He looked at Tommy’s shopping bag. That wouldn’t get him very far. “Would you like one of my old backpacks?” 

Tommy looked at his own bag, debating it. “You know what, sure. That would be great. Thank you.” 

Izuku smiled, “let me go grab it then.” and he was off to his room.

Izuku, being the fanboy he was, had a bunch of spare All Might backpacks in his closet. He rummaged through to find the best one to suit Tommy. He elected for one from All Might’s ‘Bronze age’ as the colors would go well with Tommy.  

When Izuku came down, Tommy and his mom were talking. They stopped as soon as he came down so he couldn’t hear. Izuku hid the bag behind his bag so that way Tommy would be fully surprised. He smiled as he watched Izuku get closer, but his mouth twitched when he saw it was All Might.

“Oh, wow!” Tommy said, a part of it sounded fake. He took it from Izuku, “I love it.”

“Do you?” Izuku was starting to feel self conscious.

“I do- aw,” he looked at Izuku’s face and laughed, “come here.” he hugged him and Izuku felt better. “I guess I was just surprised that it was All Might, even though I should’ve known. You’re such a dork!” And Tommy messed with Izuku’s hair again.

“I’m glad then,” Izuku beamed. 

Tommy started to put his stuff into the bag, putting the food on top. He put it on, adjusting the straps to be comfortable, then spun around.

“How do I look? I think it really completes the outfit,” Tommy laughed again. 

“Izuku has amazing taste,” his mom clapped. 

“He sure does,” Tommy teased. Izuku felt his face getting red. 

“Well,” Tommy continued, “this feels like goodbye so I’m gonna go. Thanks for having me, Mrs. Midoriya.” He shook her hand.

“Thank you for staying. But please, call me Auntie.” His mom must’ve liked him a lot. “And remember your promise.”

“I will,” Tommy saluted and turned to Izuku. 

This felt too soon. He hadn’t even shown Tommy all of his room yet.

“What’s wrong, dork?” Tommy had a soft smile on his face. 

“Do you have to go?” Izuku pleaded.

“Yes, I have to go. Hey, I’ll see you tomorrow, and Tucker. It will be here before you know it.” 

Izuku knew that, but he felt like he was a kid saying goodbye to his dad again. Izuku hugged him one last time while Tommy ruffled his hair. 

“Can I have your number before you go?” Izuku picked at his nails as he asked. 

“Of course, bud,” Tommy took out his phone from his pocket, and showed the number to Izuku. Izuku typed it in and texted Tommy so they both have each other's number.

Tommy walked to the door and everyone followed. He put on his shoes and hugged them one last time.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise.” Tommy said as Izuku hugged his chest. 

Izuku slowly let go and watched Tommy leave out the door. Both Izuku and his mom stood in the doorway watching him and he disappeared in the night. As soon as they shut the door, a ping came from Izuku’s phone. It was a waving emoji and one with its tongue out. 

Izuku would try hard not to miss him (he just hated goodbyes). He will see him tomorrow.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

I have brought offerings for you :] @asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog

Thank you for writing one of my fav dp/mha fics

(Spoilers ahead)

Midoriya and Danny:

I only noticed after finishing the line art that I changed the brush I was using halfway through lol, they have similar names (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠)

(I can't make things better for you, author, but I hope I can make you laugh. Take care, hugs from Brazil)

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

I was laughing at this so hard but now I’m crying reading the end! 😭

Thank you so much! This is exactly what I needed. The art is fantastic and hilarious! Aizawa holding Danny as he claws him is definitely my favorite! (That’s legit what happened!! 😂)! They’re all so funny!

Hold my appointments, I will be staring at this for the next several days, thank you. And truly thank you so much for the message at the end. I feel so sappy for saying this cause I don’t know you, but I feel like I do. With every comment I learn about you and now this.

You have gone above and beyond for me with the only intention of making me feel better. Thank you 🥹💚

Edit: I JUST NOTICED THE COOKIES ARE ON THE TABLE!!!!

I have brought offerings for you :] @asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog

Thank you for writing one of my fav dp/mha fics

(Spoilers ahead)

Midoriya and Danny:

I only noticed after finishing the line art that I changed the brush I was using halfway through lol, they have similar names (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠)

(I can't make things better for you, author, but I hope I can make you laugh. Take care, hugs from Brazil)

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Asleep In The Keep-Chapter 33

DPxMHA crossover Fic

Chapter 33: Interview

Summary: Toshinori finally has that talk with Mirai that he had been avoiding for years. On the other side of town, Phantom waits in an alley.

Word Count: 3487

“You can’t keep doing this,” Sir Nighteye, no, Mirai, pleaded. 

Toshinori always knew the man was stressed, but after seeing him last week, it went far beyond that. While he wasn’t always the biggest, he at least had a small amount of fat on him that was needed for a hero. In the years since Toshinori had last seen him, Mirai had run himself thin. He must have been skipping meals along with sleep. Toshinori had also smelled smoke on him at the meeting. His bad habit had gotten worse.

“If you keep going at this rate, you’ll die. I saw it.” Mirai finished. 

Toshinori wanted to say the same thing to him. 

“Then why are you worrying?” Toshinori placed his hands down on the table. “Your visions have never failed before, even when you tried to stop it. I’ve known for a long time of my fate.”

“That's not the point. I don’t know when it will happen, just that it will. If you keep this pace up, it could be sooner rather than later.” 

“Excuse me gentlemen.” A waitress bowed. “Here’s your Okonomiyaki and Eel liver soup.” She set the plates down gently, watching Mirai from the corner of her eye. She clearly recognized him and didn’t want to disappoint.

Mirai nodded at her and she walked away. They were at a fancy place, courtesy of Mirai. It was the type of place with a dress code and policy on how to take pictures or answer calls. Mirai lent Toshinori one of his suits to get in. It was a yellow one with thin strips that fit him just right. Mirai must’ve been wanting to do this for a while. Toshinori would’ve been fine at any cafe or even the beach. It wasn’t where they talked that was important, it was what was said. 

Toshinori rolled up his sleeves, ready to eat. Soup was just what he needed for his stomach.  

“You need to retire.” Mirai interrupted him mid bite. 

Toshinori coughed up blood, surprised by how direct the order was. He whipped it off with a handkerchief he kept on him. 

Mitai continued, “You can barely last a few hours using your quirk. You spend most of that time teaching anyway. There’s far more useful things you can be doing than that. You can use that time for yourself, god knows you haven’t since you became a hero.”

Once again Toshinori could say the same thing about Mirai.

“You’ve done so much for the world already. It’s time to let the world take care of you. You should rest now.”

“It’s not about that.” Toshinori put his dirty handkerchief back into his pocket, “I need to make sure the new generation can handle things when I’m gone.” Toshinori took a deep breath in. “You know who is back. Or maybe he never left. The League, the Nomus…It has him written all over it. There is also the other thing.” 

Mirai’s face stayed neutral except for the clenched jaw. “Are you talking about Phantom?” He let out in a harsh whisper. 

“Indeed.” Toshinori nodded. “He was always looking for the perfect quirk. Maybe he decided to make one.”

“All the more reason to contain the boy. We must not let his father get him back.” 

It was clear Mirai’s opinion had not changed since the meeting. Toshinori could hardly blame him. He too had complicated emotions on the support. He knew Nezu’s plans for the boy, and while it left a bad feeling in his stomach, Toshinori couldn’t judge him. Grooming a child with the intent to take down a major force. Toshinori was doing the same thing with young Midoriya. 

“No.” Toshinori stated. “I have decided with principal Nezu on this matter.”

Mirai didn’t look surprised, just tired. “I know you have already made up your mind, but I still beg you to reconsider. You don’t know what the boy will become. He could destroy you and UA.”

“If that were to happen, then we will ally with the Hero Commission and work to take down Phantom. Until that happens, we will do what we can for the boy.”

Mirai had a scowl on his face, but said nothing else. The two heroes silently ate their food. Toshinori was never one to handle long awkward pauses so he opened his mouth.

“Shigaraki is Nana’s grandson.” Toshinori let that hang in the air. 

“I suppose that's what got him in you know who’s sights.” Mirai shook his head.

“He’s like Phantom. Just another one of the villains victims”

“Yes, but their status doesn’t excuse the actions they took. Shigaraki still is the leader of the League while Phantom attacked those heroes and Endeavor.” 

“Hmm,” Toshinori hummed. “But perhaps there is still time for Phantom.”

“You’ve been talking with principal Nezu too much,” Mirai took a sip from his tea. 

Toshinori stared at him waiting for a response. The younger hero put his cup down and looked at this senior over his glasses, analyzing. He shut them and sighed.

“If Phantom does attend the school, you will bring him to me first. I will look into his future to see if he betrays us. If I see no such thing, I will not stop you from your delusional decision. 

Toshinori smiled, it was a soft old smile that told the tale of his sad life. The younger hero nodded at him and took another bite of his food. Toshinori followed his stead and the two ate in a comfortable silence. 

After most of their food was done, Toshinori spoke out again.

“Like the villain we face, I too have found a successor to replace me.” Toshinori patted his mouth with a napkin waiting for his former sidekick's reaction. 

“You can’t mean that green haired kid?” There was a hint of disdain in Mirai’s voice. 

“His name is Midoriya, and he has the heart and spirit of a hero.” Toshinori praised. 

Midoriya had come a long way from that scrawny kid who could only write or dream about heroes rather than becoming one. The way he was progressing, he would be able to achieve what Toshinori hadn’t in a manner of years. 

“I saw him at the school festival. He may have the spirit to be a hero, but you need more than that.” 

“Then why not intern him?” Toshinori suggested. 

Mirai rolled his eyes and cut into his food. “I already found a more suitable candidate for you. One that doesn’t break an arm after throwing a punch.”

“He will need a new one now that Gran Torino can’t take him. Out of everyone, you would be the most equipped to take care of him.”

Mirai hummed, “I will consider it, but the boy would have to prove himself to me.”

“I would expect nothing else from you. I’m sure he will meet your standards.”

Quick buzzing came from Toshinori’s pants pocket. He picked it up to see it was the detective on the phone. The place Mirai had brought him didn’t allow phone calls unless taken on the floor below so as not to disturb the other guests. Even the bathroom wasn’t a vital option here. 

“Hello Detective Tsukauchi,” he answered in a low whisper, “I can’t talk right now because-”

 “I have a lead on Phantom here.” Detective Tsukauchi said quickly and quietly as well. 

“What?” Toshinori covered the phone speaker so Mirai wouldn’t be able to hear. 

He trusted him, but this was too soon. The same waitress as before started walking over to them. Toshinori frantically stood up but in his haste he knocked the chair a little causing his glass to tip over. He pushed his chair back and tried to quickly take the suit jacket off. The arm holes were too big for him so it was easier than getting out of the table. The waitress had caught up to him.

“Excuse me sir, do you need help with anything?” which was customer service for ‘what the fuck are you doing’. 

“No Ma’am, I just need to leave to take this call.” Toshinori tossed the jacket at Mirai. It crashed onto his face like a newspaper in the wind. Toshinori smiled at the waitress awkwardly and started walking quickly to get out of the restaurant.

“Where are you going?” Mirai yelled after him in a stern voice. He no longer had the jacket on his face. 

“I have to take this,” Toshinori called behind him. “I am no longer here!”

🥇

Over the phone, Detective Tsukauchi began explaining how there was an incident at the mall involving Shigaraki and young Midoriya. Apparently, young Midoriya was at the mall with his friends when he got separated and the villain found him. The villain threatened him and had almost all his fingers around his neck. Detective Tsukauchi didn’t know how far the villain would take it. Fortunately, a teen interrupted them and scared Shigaraki off. He stayed with Midoriya until Tsukauchi could arrive. The teen matched the reports of the boy from the alley. Besides that, he had a weird air around him. They took him to the department to interrogate him under the guise of the mall incident. 

His answers were very suspicious and confirmed to the detective that the two were connected, maybe even being a possible brother like the rumors said. Toshinori felt guilty upon hearing his theory and internally chastised himself for keeping Tsukauchi out of the loop. He would have to explain it when he got there. 

It took Toshinori around 15 minutes to get to the department. He parked behind the building and made his way to the alley by the back. As he approached, he saw a lone teen leaning on the wall outside the door. He looked over to Toshinori, his eyes glowing.

Toshinori slowed down to a stop. The teen pushed himself off and walked toward him. Now that he was closer, Toshinori could see his features. He had white hair and green eyes, similar to how All For Once once looked. His skin however was a corpse blue like how Toshinori imagined Yoichi, his younger brother. 

This was what Toshinori was so afraid of. That he would fail and more and more people would become All For One’s victim like the other holders before him. Yoichi was barely 10 years older than young Midoriya when he died. Now there he was, standing in front of Toshinori, ready to take him to the other holders before him. 

There was still so much Toshinori had to do. He needed to make sure Midoriya was able to become a better hero than he was. He had to make sure he was safe and didn’t succumb to the same fate as the others. Toshinori always knew he would die before Midoriya was ready, but not this soon.

Yoichi was finally in front of him. His eyes were kind and held no judgment. They looked so much older than he should’ve been. The ghost held out his hand and something made Toshinori reach out and take it. His mouth opened but he couldn’t even get out a ‘why’ before Yoichi silenced him.

“Shush,” his voice echoed around them. “You don’t have to fight any longer.” Yoichi set his other hand on top of Toshinori’s. “You can rest now.”

Oh, and he was tired. He was so very tired. He had been doing this for so long. Yoichi’s voice was like a lullaby and Toshinori couldn’t fight anymore. He was about to die. He knew he should be scared, but instead he only felt peace. 

“Is Nana there?” Toshinori let out in a whisper. 

Yoichi smiled, “She is.”

Toshinori considered one last thing.

“Will you keep them safe? It’s not their time yet.”

“Of course.” The figure began glowing and Toshinori felt something within him stir. He closed his eyes, ready to accept fate.

“All Might?” Toshinori heard Midoriya call out and he opened his eyes. 

The spirit or whatever it was let go and backed away, losing the glow from before. The light from the door lit up the alley, illuminating the ghost’s features. It was no ghost after all, just a teenage boy. 

“Oh, hey Deku!” The teen greeted. “Glad to see you made it out.”

Toshinori was still reeling. He looked down at his hands, which were steady before with the teen’s, were now shaking like he was in the cold. His whole body felt a chill that he couldn’t rub out and hurt his bones. 

“Sorry about that,” the teen said to Toshinori in a whisper only he could hear, or maybe he didn’t even speak at all, “I thought you were a ghost.”

Toshinori spoke for the first time in the alley. “I did too.”

Detective Tsukauchi stood behind Midoriya by the doorway, silently watching. Toshinori finally pieced it together. He looked back at the teen, at Phantom. Why was Tsukauchi standing there instead of doing something? What was he waiting for?

Phantom went to the entrance of the alley where Midoriya was. He looked back at Toshinori, electric eyes searching him for something. He smiled and turned away leaving Toshinori raw. What had he seen in him?  

Phantom went up to Midoriya and patted him on the head. The boy laughed and smiled at Phantom like a childhood friend. How long had young Midoriya known Phantom? Did he know that he was Phantom? A queasy feeling welled up in Toshinori at seeing the two interact. Toshinori had heard what Phantom did to Endeavor and the other heroes. Now, he was laughing with Midoriya and listened to him talk. A hammer can not hold a butterfly without squashing it. But here Phantom was being gentle. 

Toshinori followed them into the dim light. He stood beside Tsukauchi, still watching the two. 

“Interesting, huh?” Tsukauchi said quietly. Toshinori could only nod. 

“Shouldn’t we do something? What if he hurts young Midoriya?” 

“He won’t.” Toshinori sounded so sure. 

“How do you know?” Toshinori was still feeling the effects of the encounter. 

“Look.” Tsukauchi gestured towards the kids with his head. 

Young Midoriya was showing Phantom his new notebook, and was clearly very excited. Phantom towered over the boy, but it seemed more protective than predatory. He smiled down at him and seemed to ask questions, which only sparked more excitement from Midoriya. 

The sight did ease Toshinori somewhat, but he still wasn’t certain.

“When I was interrogating him, whenever Midoriya was brought up, he would get really protective of him. The way he was talking, I thought I was even a danger to him.”

Toshinori didn’t know what to say so instead he just hummed. Being protective can be both a good and bad thing. It’s true that young Midoriya needed all the protection he could get with how the villains were after him. Toshinori knew how if Midoriya didn’t have his quirk, he would lock the boy away so he couldn’t get hurt. And that was the problem. How deep did Phantom want to protect Midoriya, and how far would it go?

“Phantom sure is something…” Toshinori breathed out. 

“Phantom?” Tsukauchi asked.

Toshinori froze. He had almost forgotten to tell him about that. He was about to open his mouth when Tsukauchi stopped him.

“No.” His friend put his hand on his shoulder. “Just promise to keep me in the loop next time.”

Toshinori nodded. After a final laugh, Midoriya looked over at Toshinori. His eyes were big and green. His eyes looked a lot like Phantom’s at that moment. He blinked and it disappeared. Midoriya looked slightly sad, the events of the day caughting up to him. Toshinori and Midoriya both started to walk to the other, and they met halfway. 

“Midoriya, what a relief.” Toshinori greeted. “I’m so glad you're okay. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you and the others.”

Toshinori patted the boy’s head like a proud father. Midoriya looked up at him and he smiled.

“It’s fine.” His voice was quiet but there was a clear tone of relief in his voice as well. “Tommy was able to protect me.” 

“Tommy?” Toshinori questioned. He wasn’t aware of any classmate with that name. 

“Met Grundy Tommy.” Tsukauchi pointed to Phantom. 

Toshinori couldn’t help but stare at the teen again. He looked awkward despite having extraordinary power, and he slouched to seem shorter than he was. With him looking like this, Phantom looked like any other teenager. Still, there was a weird energy coming from him. Not dangerous, just odd. It made Toshinori’s hair bristle. Young Midoriya must not have been able to feel it, or he had simply gotten used to it.

“Ah, I see.” Toshinori sputtered. “Pleasure to meet you, Grundy. I am Toshinori Yagi.”

“You too, but you can just call me Tommy.” Phantom waved off. 

Toshinori nodded and was about to say something when a shrill panic voice came from behind him.

“Izuku?!” Mrs. Midoriya ran into the alley escorted by Sansa. 

“Mom?” Midoriya stepped closer slowly, then ran into his worried mother’s arms. 

“My baby!” She sobbed into her son’s shoulder. “I can’t do this anymore. I don’t think my heart can handle another scare.”

She cried desperately as she held onto her son, scared he might run off and get killed. Toshinori felt guilty. It was him who had given young Midoriya his quirk and thus sent him on the dangerous path of being a hero. 

Midoriya’s eyes started to tear up as well as he hugged his weeping mom. He held her tighter and rubbed her back, trying to calm the both of them down. 

“I'm sorry. Every things fine. I'm okay, mom.” He said, trying to convince her. “ There's no need to cry. The heroes and the police have been taking really good care of me and Tommy all night.” 

“Tommy?” Mrs. Midoriya pulled her face from her son’s chest. She looked past him at Phantom looking more awkward than before behind him. He waved. “oh…”

“Sansa,” Tsukauchi ordered, “make sure they get home safe.”

“Sir!” The cat responded. 

“Goodbye, young Midoriya.” Toshinori waved, “Get home safe.”

“See you, Deku.” Phantom also waved goodbye.

“Wait, what?” Midoriya whipped his eyes. “Aren’t you gonna come with us?”

“What?” Phantom looked confused. 

“Well, where else would you go?” Midoriya said in response. 

“My house?” Phantom protested.

Toshinori thought he was homeless. The way Midoriya was looking at him he had the same thought. He bit his bottom lip and frowned.

“Noneness,” Mrs. Midoriya said as she to wiped her eyes, “I’m sure your parents won’t mind you staying over for dinner.”

“Mom, remember what I said about his dad…” Midoriya whispered. 

It was clear Phantom heard him since his lip twitched. This surprised Toshinori. He was under the impression that Midoriya wasn’t aware of Phantom’s background. 

“Oh right, sorry dear.” Mrs. Midoriya whispered back and covered her mouth with her palm. 

Phantom laughed awkwardly looking to the side. “Uhh, well, I really gotta go…”

“Please Tommy?” Midoriya looked up at Phantom with his big green eyes. Phantom looked like he was actually in pain as he twisted his face and grunted.

“Geez fine! Just stop looking at me with those big ol’ eyes!” Phantom tried to look made but he had a small smile on his face. 

Toshinori couldn’t believe that the son of All For One was such a softie! Tonight was a night of first and surprises. 

The Midoriyas smiled at Phantom as he followed behind them to leave.

“Good bye All Might!” Midoriya called.

Phantom whipped his head around to look at Toshinori. He looked him up and down, judging. He made a weird confused face before turning around again. Toshinori got chills thinking what it could mean. 

What had the teen seen in him everytime he watched him? Before, Toshinori was looked at without judgment, was that what was following him now? Phantom was like his father in many ways. Just how far did those traits carry? 

Principal Nezu had to be right about him, otherwise, a lot of people are going to get hurt.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Asleep In The Keep-Chapter 32

DPxMHA crossover Fic

Chapter 32: Interview

Summary: The aftermath of Shigaraki

Word Count: 5038

Danny immediately rushed to Deku’s side. The boy inhaled deeply for air after being strangled. Danny turned towards the man, but Deku pulled his arm back. He shook his head. That didn’t stop Danny from glaring at the man. Danny wished he had a brain aneurysm and died right there.  

The guy looked like a turnup that got a face carved in. Sam had told him before they immigrated from Ireland, people would carve turnips for Halloween. When they came to America, only pumpkins were available, and they became the new Jack-O-lantern. It fit the guy.  

“Call the…” Deku choked, “that was…” 

“Hey, there,” Danny soothed, “calm down and breathe,” Danny made a show of breathing in deeply to get Deku to follow his lead like Ma did with him. “In… and out, good job.” 

Once Deku was able to breathe normally, he frantically demanded, “Call the heroes! That was Shiguraki!”  

Danny ignored that he didn’t know who that was or even what number to call and grabbed his phone. He hit the power button repeatedly, but it didn’t turn on. Was it already broken? No wait, he hasn’t set it up yet.  

“It won’t turn on!” Danny said to Deku, trying to sound surprised. Deku just handed him his phone instead while he was recovering. Danny just stared at the screen not sure what to type in. “What's the number again?” 

“Really?” Deku was able to breathe out. 

“I never had to use it,” Danny said as an explanation.  

“It’s a song, if you want a hero, dial zero-zero-zero,” Deku gave him an almost sad look, like he missed something big in his childhood rather than a stupid jingle.  

“Right…” Danny typed out the number and hit call. It buzzed for a few seconds before someone answered.  

“This is detective Tsukauchi speaking, what is your emergency?” A man’s voice picked up. Danny thought it odd that it went to a detective and not a dispatcher or operator.  

“There’s been an attack, I’m at the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall and-” 

“Can you repeat that? I’m getting nothing but static on this end.” The detective said.  

Danny froze. There he was again, forgetting he was a ghost. The voice from the other end kept talking and asking if anyone was there.  

“Tommy, what's wrong?” Deku had fully recovered and was looking at Danny with concern. It should’ve been the other way around since the boy was just attacked.  

Danny didn’t know what to say so instead just handed the phone to Deku. He took it but watched Danny carefully.  

“This is Midoriya Izuku,” he coughed, “Shigaraki Tomura was just at Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall and attacked me. He didn’t hurt anyone else, I don’t think, but he left when he was confronted by one of my friends.” 

“Midoriya? Hold on, I’ll send someone over to you soon. Is Shigaraki still in the mall?” 

“No, as I said he left when he was confronted.” Deku reconfirmed.  

“And how was he confronted? Did your friend attack him?” 

“No, he just came up to us and Shigaraki left.” 

It was protocol to keep the person on the line until back-up arrives to make sure the person was safe. Danny didn’t know what he could do to help so instead he just sat there with him on the line. 

“Is your friend with you now? Can you put him on the line?” The detective asked.  

“Yes, and he was the one who originally called but you couldn’t hear him.”  

“Does he have a quirk that interferes with technology or radio waves?” 

“No, he’s quirkless.” Deku clarified. Hearing him say that stung. He almost forgot he said that. While it was technically true, Danny still felt bad for misleading him like that.  

“...I see” was the man’s only response. The detective didn’t make Danny say anything. 

Danny waited with Deku as the heroes arrived on scene. It was no one he recognized, so that was good. The mall was closed due to a villain sighting, but it was never told what one so people wouldn’t panic. The heroes escorted people out and then surveyed the area to make sure Shigaraki or any other villain weren’t there. Within that time, Danny and Deku weren’t able to leave so passed the time by talking. 

“So, who is Shigaraki?” Danny asked. 

Deku looked surprised, “I thought you would know him. He’s from the League of Villains.” 

Danny shrugged. He only paid attention to the news when it was about him.  

“Tommy…” Deku looked nervous again although he tried to hide it, “Shigaraki said something…about your brother?” 

For some reason, Danny didn’t expect that. Phantom was relatively well-known here (he did have a fan club, after all). This league may want to add their rat to the race to catch him, so to speak. Danny rolled his eyes. Honestly, he had enough with people chasing after him. Fortunately, during his last encounter, Danny learned that people of this world were, hmm, weaker than he thought? Or at least weren’t equipped to deal with something like him. If this league were anything like the commission, he would be just fine. 

When it was clear Danny didn’t have anything to add, Deku continued, “Shigaraki said he’ll kill Ph- Tucker if he ever gets close to the league.”  

Danny hummed, “Wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to kill us, and it won’t be the last. My dad is scarier than whatever Shigaraki can do.” At least his dad could catch a ghost, sometimes. 

Deku turned white and his eyes widened more, “Tommy, I’m serious. You have to warn Tucker! Shigaraki is dangerous. His quirk won’t just kill you, but slowly decay your body. You’ll be aware of every second.” 

Danny’s body has already long since rotted by this point. He wondered if Shigaraki’s quirk would have any effect on him. Maybe it would turn him into a puddle of goo.  

“This isn’t the first time I had an interaction with him.” Deku continued again, “Last month, he attacked my class at the USJ with the League. We would be dead if it weren’t for All Might.” 

“Trust me, Tucker already knows about him...” Something clicked in Danny’s head, “And wait, what did you say? This isn’t the first time he attacked you?! Were you hurt? Did he kill anyone?”  

Danny grabbed onto the boy’s body and started checking him for injuries like a motherly cat checking her young. The only ones there were the bruises from Shigaraki. Danny's core lurched at seeing that. He was too late to save him this time, but next time he will (he had to). The first time they met, Danny did notice he had a lot of scars, were those from Shigaraki? Danny stopped when it was obvious that the boy wouldn’t suddenly die from a wound left ignored.  

“I did break my arm, but that was my own fault, not his. My body can’t handle my quirk well, so every time I use it, I break a bone,” Deku waved him off as if that wasn’t equally concerning.  

“What?” Danny rubbed his temples. And he thought he was bad. “What about the spar? The one with Tucker? I thought he let you use your quirk?”  

“He did, but that was only at 5%. If I use any more than that I get hurt.”  

Danny smacked him upside the head, “then why do you keep using it?” 

Deku looked up at Danny, shocked, and rubbed his head. He must not have any siblings, he thought to himself. 

“I have to if I want to be a hero.” The boy looked determined, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, “I’m getting better at it, I just have to train more. I’ve gotten this far.” 

Deku must not have had a quirk before if 5% was far to him. “You know, Tucker or I could help train you? He didn’t know how to use his quirk at first either and got hurt a lot. And me, I may not have a quirk, but I can teach you how to fight without one.” 

Deku beamed and started to shake his hands excitedly. He got close to his face again like at the beach. Danny leaned back and pushed his head away. Deku looked embarrassed, but he couldn’t stop smiling. “Would that really be okay? I know you have a job and Tucker does…” Deku looked around and whispered, “stuff. And I don’t want you to feel like you have to cause I suck at my quirk.” 

“Trust me kid, it will be fine. And I want to. Who knows, if it works maybe you won’t have to break your bones anymore. Wait, is that why you couldn’t walk in the alley?” 

“No, I was still paralyzed from Stain’s quirk.” Deku clarified. “And thank you. That really means a lot to me.” 

“No problem, dude!” Danny slapped him on the back. “Tucker had fun last time, and I know I can use the stress relief,” Danny punched his fists together and joked. The heroes were better suited for that. The boy wouldn’t be able to handle it if Danny went all out.  

Deku looked at Danny as if lost in thought. 

“What?” 

“You and Tucker are a lot alike,” He replied.  

“More than you know…” Danny laughed.  

As people were still being escorted out, a group of kids suddenly swarmed around them. It was the same group Danny had seen earlier.  

There were nine of them in total. Girls made up about half of the group and Danny recognized them from the café. He recognized two of the boys from when he saved them as Phantom (one from Stain and the other a random bad guy). That left only three he didn’t recognize. Two of them looked very strange; one had six arms and the other had a bird's head. Danny got a weird vibe from the bird kid. The bad of his throat tightened when he saw him. He probably had a more ghostly quirk like the glowy girl.  

Most of the kids ignored Danny except for the girl who slightly glowed from the café. She watched him curiously with her head tilted. No one seemed to notice as they were fussing over Deku. 

“What happened?” That was one of the teens Danny saved from Stain. He had blue hair and a very rigid way of talking and moving. He looked more like a salaryman than a kid.  

“We heard it was a villain?” said one of the girls. She had cords connecting to her earlobes that Danny first thought were earrings. She fiddled with them as she spoke.  

“Are you alright, Deku?” asked a girl with rosy cheeks.  

“Hey, stand back,” Their guard-cat-cop-man instructed. He was supposed to protect them if a villain tried something. Danny rolled his eyes. If that really were to happen, he would be more useful than everyone else here combined.  

“It’s alright officer Tamakawa, they’re my friends,” Deku explained. The man eased off but watched them out of the corner of his eye. “It was Shigaraki,” Deku answered darkly. All the kids’ faces looked scared.  

“No way, he was here?” said a boy with a lightning strip in his hair. He was one of the kids Danny saved as Phantom. The teen looked around as if the villain might be hiding around a corner.  

Danny tightened his fist. That man was more pathetic than Stain in Danny’s opinion. While Stain had only attacked a small group of kids, Shigaraki took on a whole classroom and left them all traumatized. Next time, Danny wouldn’t let Deku stop him from going after the guy.  

“He was.” Deku answered even though it was rhetorical. “He asked me about Stain and Phantom. He seemed stressed for some reason but in the next breath he was laughing. I think he’s planning something, but I don’t know what.” Deku rambled as he explained.  

“Whatever it is, the heroes will stop him!” Rosie Cheeks said with determination.  

“Indeed. Evildoers stand no chance against the mighty!” the salaryman responded.  

“He ran when he saw All Might, remember?” The alien looking girl said. She looked a little like Danny but pinker.  

“Yeah. who knows, maybe Phantom might even show up and defeat him!” said the boy with the stripe in his hair. He blushed slightly at the mention of Phantom. He must be a fanboy too, Danny thought.  

Deku looked at Danny and he shrugged.  

“You’re right guys,” Deku cheered up, “I just hope he doesn’t try anything.” 

“Who’s your friend?” The glowing girl interrupted and changed the mood.  

“This is Tommy,” Deku gestured at him to his friends, “he was the one who saved me from Shigaraki.” 

Danny waved at the group of teens who now sized him up. None of them looked ready to fight him, which was a good thing. The salaryman had kept the same unreadable expression throughout the whole conversation. Everyone else had a more neutral expression or were smiling nervously. The strangest looks were from bird boy and glowy girl. Perhaps they felt the same way about Danny as he did them.  

“Hi,” Danny finally said, “You guys are all friends of Deku, yeah? That's cool. I heard a lot about the school and stuff. So, you guys are training to be heroes?” 

Danny’s stomach lurked at the mention of heroes. These kids in front of him were far away from that future. It was sorta like watching the ROTC kids walk down the halls.  

“Yes, we are.” Salaryman stated. His expression changed to whatever it was before to one of pride. “We are going to the prestigious school of UA.” 

“Did you see us at the sports festival? We were totally awesome!” Alien girl jumped up and high-fived Stripe.  

“Can’t say that I did,” Danny shrugged. He had no idea why people would watch a high school field day. Must be a lot of weirdos out there.  

“Oh.” she deflated.  

“Tommy was, uhh, homeschooled, so he doesn’t know about how cool UA is.” Deku looked nervously at Danny. Danny had no idea why he would cover like that, but he appreciated it. 

“You at least gotta know about heroes then?” Stripe asked, “what's your favorite? I gotta say mine right now are the Phantoms!” 

“The Phantoms aren’t heroes, they’re vigilantes.” A strict looking girl with a ponytail corrected. 

“I think they count!” Deku declared. He had that intense look on his face every time he talked about heroes. The rest of his classmates looked at him curiously. Deku looked up at Danny, a bit sad. “I mean, they try just as hard as every other hero, what's it matter if they don’t have a license?” 

“Yeah, you're right!” shouted a teen with red spikey hair, “I think they’re totally manly for that!” 

“What’s it matter?” Ponytail looked shocked. “There are laws for a reason! Quirk licenses are what separates heroes and villains!” 

“That’s totally bogus though,” Danny interrupted, “If that’s the case, would you call a kid that can’t control their quirk a villain? What about if their power is more emotion based or they can’t help it? It’s not all black and white. There’s so many situations where people could use a quirk and not be a villain. I get the need to have a license, quirks can be dangerous, and you have to understand the responsibility of using one, but you shouldn’t ascribe morality to it.”   

Danny had been reading about quirks a lot since he got here. He didn’t totally understand it, but saying someone was a villain simply for using their quirk in public was insane. The laws behind it were pretty unfair too. If you save someone with your quirk, you could get arrested. What if you had a healing quirk and your friend was bleeding out? Would you sacrifice her life so you don’t go to jail or pay a fine? That was the topic of one such case that Danny read about from a few years ago. Despite many people being on the kids' side, he was still charged with being a vigilante. It was waived a few months later due to a petition, but that was still the standard. It simply wasn’t fair.  

The teens stared at Danny. He probably sounded like Sam just then. Whenever she pointed out the same holes in laws back home, everyone looked at her as if she said we should kill babies. Fortunately, their reactions weren’t that angry, but it still made Danny want to swallow his tongue.  

“You know…” Bird boy started. “I hadn’t thought about it like that, exactly. When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to go to any sleepovers, and if I did, I had to sleep in a separate room. At first, I thought it was unfair but then it just became normal.”  

“But…” Ponytail looked taken aback by this, “laws are there for a reason. It’s unfair what you went through, and it shouldn’t have happened, but we have to keep everybody safe. If everyone was able to use their quirks, that means more people will get hurt as a result.” 

“But what about the people who are getting hurt now because of that rule?” Danny tried to reason, “I bet there are tons of misunderstandings where a person is being called a villain because of a mistake?” That has certainly happened to Danny. “That could ruin their whole lives.”   

“There was always that fear in my head that Dark Shadow would act out and hurt my friends and people would think I was a villain.” Bird boy added.  

“People with emitter quirks don’t have to worry as much about that. If someone like me got into a fight and hurt someone, others would think it was because of their quirk not their strength alone. They’ll get charged with a bigger crime because they supposedly used their quirk to hurt someone.” Tentacles said. He had remained quiet up until now and had a mysterious vibe about him. That could just be the mask.  

“But my parents said…” Ponytail started again. Her hand was close to her chest, and she held tightly to the girl beside her with the other. She couldn’t finish and just went quiet.  

“Hey,” Danny spoke gently, “I didn’t mean to be mean or anything, but laws aren’t always fair to everyone.”  

“It’s okay, I just…never had to think about that I suppose. I have a lot to think about,” Ponytail held her head in one of her hands. The others looked concerned for her but one of them rolled their eyes.  

“We’re evacuating the area, you shouldn’t be here,” another officer walked up to the group. He was human looking but had wild colored hair.  

Deku’s classmates followed the officer out but a few hesitated. Bird Boy, glowy girl and Ponytail lingered back and watched Danny. He smiled at them, but it didn’t ease their staring. The officer yelled to get their attention and they were dragged off. He looked at Danny and Deku too, expectantly.  

“They are to remain here until questioning,” officer Tamakawa explained, and the other cop walked away with the other students. 

“Is she okay?” Deku said, clearly referring to Ponytail.  

“She will.” Danny responded. “She just realized that the world isn’t as nice as she believed.” 

When you’ve been told the sky is red all your life it can be hard to accept differently. If the sky isn’t red, what else is wrong? It’s like the matrix or something. Anyway, once you learn what life is like for all and not just for yourself, that's when you can start deciding what type of person you want to be. Some, like Sam, fight the injustice while others are content with the system (even if it’s directly hurting them). As Danny said, it's like the matrix.  

It took another 30 minutes for the whole mall to be evacuated. Both boys were led out by some detectives, the cat-man and the one from the phone. Danny looked back at the mall. All the lights had been turned off and the shops closed with gates in front of them. If he yelled, it would be able to reach the other side of the building. It looked more like the set of a zombie movie than a place where just a few hours before people laughed and ate in.  

Danny was the last one out the door. 

~🕵~ 

Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi and Officer Tamakawa drove the boys to the police station. One was clearly UA’s first year student Midoriya Izuku. Toshinori asked Naomasa to take care of the boy whenever he could. He had been doing his best, but the kid had a habit of getting into trouble.  

The other boy, however, was unable to be identified. He told the detectives his name was ‘Grundy Thomas,’ and indeed there was even a record of someone with that name, but nothing was in it, not even a picture. The name was clearly a fake, and not even a good one.  

The teens were separated; Midoriya with officer Tamakawa and Grundy with Naomasa.  

Grundy watched him from behind the one-sided mirror, his eyes following his every move. He shouldn’t have been able to see Naomasa, but a lot didn’t make sense about the boy. When Midoriya’s phone first called him, static so loud it made his ears ring, crawled out the speaker. When he asked the noise a question, a gravelly voice responded. It was as distorted as the rest of the audio, but it was proof something was there. It was that same sound that resonated out of all their walkie-talkies or other communicators 50ft around the boy.  

Midoriya said that Grundy didn’t have a quirk, but it was clear he was deceived. That was the first thing that jumped out as odd about the boy. Why lie about being quirkless? The second was the boy’s appearance. It matched the description head-to-toe of the suspicious boy the night of Phantom’s attack. Naomasa had given the report to Eraserhead, but had heard nothing back. It was typical of UA to keep secrets.  

Grundy’s eyes darted to the ceiling at some unheard sound. Naomasa was sure he saw the boy’s ears twitch. His eyes settled back to Naomasa. He was statuesque, like a gargoyle guarding something. Although Naomasa was in another room, he could feel a strange energy coming from the boy. It was exactly how the report described it.  

‘How are you related to Phantom…’ Naomasa wondered.  

Staring wasn’t going to answer any of his questions. Naomasa opened the large door to the interrogation room. Glowing eyes followed him to the seat across the table.  

“Hello, I’m Detective Tsukauchi,” Naomasa introduced. “And your name is Grundy Thomas, correct?” Naomasa wasn’t there when the suspect first gave his name (distracted calling Toshinori), so he didn’t know if he was lying or not.  

“That’s what they call me,” the boy responded flippantly. He was telling the truth, but his answer still led much to the imagination.  

Grundy had chosen a western name. Why choose a name that would stick out so much if you wanted to go unnoticed? Grundy might have western roots (he did look the part after all). It could also be that he simply liked western names (a trait common with youths) and so chose it for that reason, but that wasn’t likely.  

“I haven’t done anything, have I?” Grundy asked sarcastically. He seemed almost defiant in a way. He sat up straight, looked Naomasa in the eyes, like he had done this before and knew what to do. His facial features didn’t show it, but Grundy hid back anger.  

“Of course not,” Naomasa said, “we just want to hear what happened from you. After that, you’ll be free to go.” 

“Hmm,” Grundy narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything. Clearly, he was skeptical.  

There was a pitcher of water and two cups in front of Grundy that was untouched. Naomasa filled them up.  

“Water?” he asked, placing the cup in front of Grundy. 

“Is it poisonous?” Grundy smiled as he raised it to his lips and drank. 

“It is,” Naomasa joked. He had run-ins with kids like this before, so he was unfazed. Grundy stopped mid drink and looked at him. He smiled and finished the cup, slamming it onto the table in a challenge. Naomasa filled it up in response.  

“So, Grundy-” Naomasa started but was interrupted.  

“You can just call me Tommy,” Tommy corrected.  

“Of course. Now that we have that established, what is your quirk?” 

“Why do you need to know my quirk? Didn’t Deku already tell you?” Tommy sat up and looked curiously at Naomasa.  

“I just want to hear how you describe it.”  

Tommy shrugged, “That’s easy then, I don’t have one.” 

Tommy was telling the truth. Now it was Naomasa’s turn to be curious.  

“Hmm.” Naomasa sighed.  

“What?” Tommy asked. 

“Nothing, you just don’t see many people without a quirk these days.” 

“Yeah well, I guess I’m just special.” Tommy leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.  

“I guess you are…” Naomasa replied.  

“Are you going to ask your questions, or what?”  

“I just need to get some more information from you, if that’s alright?” 

“Knock yourself out,” Tommy waved him off.  

“Right,” Naomasa nodded, “Are you going to school at all?” 

“No, I work at a café.”  

True. And that led Naomasa back to his previous question. Why would Tommy make all these decisions that make him stick out so much? It could be that by having a job he seemed more normal than a kid walking around all the time. Tommy might also just really need the money. 

“And what is the name of the café?” 

“It’s…” Tommy trailed off. “You know what, I don’t actually know.” 

Tommy was still telling the truth.  

“How long have you worked there?” It was strange not to know the name of where you worked. 

“Like a week,” he answered dismissively.  

“And what about your parents?” Naomasa decided to move on. 

Tommy’s eyes widened and they shot to the exit. His carefree attitude changed to one on guard.  

“Doesn’t matter,” he barked out, “they’re not here.” 

That statement could mean a lot of things. They were dead or simply somewhere else. Whatever it was it clearly left an emotional wound.  

“Are you done now?” Tommy crossed his arms and stared Naomasa down. 

“Of course,” He wouldn’t be able to get anything else out of the boy. “Would you be able to tell me what happened today?” 

Turns out Tommy was out shopping when he spotted the altercation between Midoriya and Shigaraki. He de-escalated by simply stepping in and Shigaraki left. He called Naomasa as Midoriya was recovering but ‘the phone was being weird,’ as he put it, so it only got static. Midoriya took over and the rest Naomasa knew. The story fit perfectly with what Midoriya told them, which was to be expected but still nice that it happened.  

“Did you hear anything Shigaraki was saying?” Naomasa asked. 

“No. I just saw he had his hand around Deku then stopped him.” 

“And you did that just by walking up to him?”  

“Yes.” Tommy groaned and leaned his head back. 

“Did you threaten him or do anything else?” Naomasa already knew that he didn’t, but he wanted to catch him in a lie.  

“No, I just said hi to Deku and he ran off. I already said that.” Tommy was getting increasingly annoyed.  

“What would you have done if he didn’t ‘run off’?” 

“I don’t know, probably fight him?” He leaned back up and rolled his eyes.  

“Is that because you think you can beat him?” 

Tommy paused. He sat up again and leaned closer to Naomasa. When he spoke again, his voice was softer and level. 

“You asked me what I would do, not what I thought.” He was avoiding the question.  

“Do you think you can beat him?” Naomasa pressed.  

Tommy smiled, “No. I’m quirkless, remember?”  

He was lying. Naomasa gulped. It seemed impossible. The ability gap between just an average villain and a quirkless teen was massive, let alone a villain as dangerous as Shigaraki. But Tommy wasn’t an average quirkless teen. Something set him apart from the others. That something had to do with Phantom.  

“What’s your opinion on the Phantoms?” Naomasa made his tone neutral, watching for any ticks in the boy's behavior. His lip twitched.  

“What do they have to do with this?” Tommy looked amused.  

“The villain who attacked Midoriya seemed fixated on that topic.” rather than the assault itself, that was the thing Midoriya looked truly stressed about. Despite still being in school, it was just like a hero to be worried about others rather than themself.  

“Why do you need to know my opinion then?”  

“Just humor me.” 

Tommy rolled his eyes again, “whatever…”  

He zoned out for a second, bobbing his head back and forth, thinking of what to say. His eyes lit up and a smile crossed his face.  

“They’re a menace if you ask me.” Tommy finally said.  

He was telling the truth.   

“They go around saving people without any regard for the hero laws like some vigilante.” He grabbed the cup and waved it around like a prop. “Don’t get me started on what they did to the heroes! Those poor guys barely stood a chance! I mean,” he put on a fake face of concern, but his eyes revealed how he really felt, “did you hear about what they did to Endeavor? I bet they scared him more than any villain could.” 

Naomasa was caught off guard.  

“Endeavor?”  

“Yeah, the #2 hero? The angry fire guy?” Tommy looked at him as if Naomasa didn’t know who that was. 

“That wasn’t in any papers.”  

Tommy froze, his previous playful energy gone in an instant. The lights of the room went dim and the mirror started to fog over from the sudden chill in the air.  

“I think we’re done here.” Tommy said. His eyes were the brightest thing in the room. 

“Indeed. I got all I needed.” 

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Asleep In The Keep-Chapter 31

DPxMHA crossover Fic

Chapter 31: Lets Go To The Mall!!!

Summary:

Word Count: 5613

Danny hadn’t seen Ma since that night, not in the store or by the alley. He kept catching himself watching the cafe door for him to come through, or looking for him in every crowd or group of people he walked by. Danny no longer knew what he wanted from the man. He kept switching between regret and then anger. 

The hero may have lied to him, but what if he meant what he said about wanting Danny to be safe? Danny also punched him pretty hard, maybe enough to break his nose. Did the old man really deserve that? At the same, Danny wished he hit him harder. This whole situation reminded him so much of Vlad. Both men had tricked Danny into trusting them. There was a reason he didn’t trust adults. Everybody lies. Danny himself was such a hypocrite. He lied as easily as he breathed in life. His existence is basically a big lie. He was even still lying to himself. 

It would’ve been better if Ma had just tried to capture Danny or fight him that night. At least Danny would know he was a bad guy and not waste his energy worrying about it. 

Danny couldn’t wrap his head around it either. Why would this random man care so much? There was also the fact that Ma was a hero, the people who kept trying to capture him or ancients know what. So why did Ma risk getting hurt for Danny? Because he wanted to know him? Ma didn’t know Danny, not one bit, he only saw what he wanted to see. If Ma had truly known Danny, he wouldn't be trying to help him. 

Danny was a monster. It was a simple fact that he had been trying to avoid, but that didn’t make it any less true. The fight from last week only proved it to him. It wasn’t how brutally he fought but that he enjoyed it and wanted more. He even hurt someone innocent (although Danny was still trying to decide how innocent Ma truly was). 

Danny saw a flash of Ma’s tired eyes. Despite being hit by Danny, he didn’t look at him like a monster but like a scared kid. He even forced himself to smile, however painful that was. It seemed genuine. Jazz looked at him the same way and it made Danny hurt inside. 

That is what hurt Danny the most. Not the betrayal, but that he might’ve thrown away the only chance he had at a family again. He wasn’t angry at Ma. He was angry at himself. 

The truth was, Danny wanted to go with Ma, but his head was screaming at him and threw out any excuse it could. Bad things always happened when he let someone in, either to himself or them. That was why he burned the card. It took him a week to understand that. Now that he did, he wished he could go back. It was easier to be mad for no reason than scared. Danny was the worst kind of person. He knew that only bad things would come, but he still wanted to see Ma again and apologize. He was so selfish. 

A part of Danny wanted Ma to disregard his boundaries and come into the cafe anyway. However, he knows that if Ma did that, Danny would be even angry at him even if that's what he wanted. He wasn’t ready yet. Still, Danny watched the door day after day for Ma to walk in, but he never did. 

Before Danny knew it, it had been a week. 

Mr. Tanaka, Danny’s boss, finally paid him. Danny had been working 12 hours everyday without any breaks, so it made sense that his pay would be a lot. However, when his boss handed him a wad of cash, it felt like Danny had sold an organ rather than worked a few shifts. 

“Are you sure that's the right amount?” Danny was flipping through the stack and saw several ichiman-en shihei bills. 

“What, do you want more?” Mr. Tanaka reached into his back pocket to give more to Danny but Danny stopped him and bowed.

“This is enough, thank you,” Danny’s bow was still awkward but Mr. Tanaka didn’t say anything. Danny stood up and smiled, pushing his previous thoughts away. He was finally gonna be able to buy some new clothes or maybe even a phone. 

His last hero sweatshirt had been burned up during his fight with Endeavor, and so he didn’t have anything to wear. It wasn’t a big deal since Danny didn’t have to have a disguise since he could just turn himself invisible, or even go out in the first place. He had no need for food or water, or anything else that he had to go out for. But Danny liked doing those things, being seen and walking in crowds of people. It made him feel real, if only a little. He would take that feeling everywhere he could get. 

Mr. Tanaka had been very kind to him and gave him a sweatshirt with the cafe’s logo and name on it. Danny felt like a walking advertisement everytime he went out, but at least he could now. 

Mr. Tanaka smiled back at him and put his wallet away. Danny didn’t ask why he was being paid in cash rather than a check. A flashback to the first time they met gave him his answer, so he shut his mouth before it could even get to his lips. Despite how kind Mr. Tanaka appeared, he was still very suspicious. 

With his new earrings, Danny decided to go to the mall. He had seen it a few times when he flew around the city, but never bothered to go in. Window shopping required money and Danny had already stolen enough stuff. With that in mind, Danny made the short trek to the mall. 

It was large, far larger than the one in Amity. The food court alone would’ve been able to fit a good chunk of it in there. In another life, Danny would have loved to sit there and eat with his friends, but that was long gone. It was strange, but Danny had slowly started to get used to his new reality. 

He no longer gagged when his body did something strange because now it was supposed to. He was a ghost now, and that meant being strange. There were times where Danny would catch himself thinking he was human, when he almost forgot that he was truly dead now. He would snap out of it in an instant. That is a fact that will never change. Spectra was right, he was a ghost trying to fit in with humans. He no longer felt shame in it. It was just what he was now. No more. No less. 

Danny even got used to heroes being after him (they simply replaced the GIW in his mind), but they hadn’t attacked him since Endeavor. It was crazy to think that he really was the #2 hero with how easily he went down. Either there was a huge gap in abilities between the #1 hero, or everyone else here was as weak as that. 

Danny continued walking around the mall. He didn’t have a destination in mind, just a list of what he needed, so he let himself wander around. Danny was barely able to keep count of the days, so he had no idea what month it was, but he heard that it was just about time for summer break. Tons of kids from all ages were spread across the mall. Most were teenagers but there were plenty of younger kids with their families. Danny sat on a bench and watched them. He tried to be less of a creep by pretending to look at the wall instead. There was a large group of teenagers that looked to be on the hunt or something, but Danny didn’t know what. It was probably a new video game or something like that. He recognized the girls from the coffee shop, and two of the boys. One was with Deku when Danny defeated Stain and the other was someone else he saved. The rest were unfamiliar to him.

They were just normal kids doing normal kid stuff. Danny got bored after a while and decided to walk around. A lot of the shops were foreign to him (excepted since he was in another dimension and country) but he did recognize Amazon and Hot Topic, which was strange. As he was walking something caught his eye. 

Across the way was a merch stand with a very familiar image. There were hoodies, gloves, boots and other shoes, keychains and plushies, all with his face on it. Well, the best they could do for his face. On one of the key chains were 5 hims all posing together. Each one had slightly different facial features. Going from right to left, the first one had a longer face with a carefree expression, the next had a more cockier look and bigger ears. Then the third one had smaller features and looked more shy and was pressed between all the other members. The forth one had a cold expression with hair covering half his face. The final one looked out of place and a creepy expression, his dead eyes staring into the face of the holder. His face was gaunt and hollow looking. 

A part of Danny shivered at seeing it. That’s what he feared he truly was. More monster than human. 

“Are you a fan?” A seal head popped out from behind the kiosk. She looked like a leopard steal and was a little shorter than Danny. 

Danny laughed, “I guess I am.”

Honestly he was surprised this was even here. He knew that people thought he was a group rather than one person, but he didn’t expect people to react like this. However odd it was, he couldn’t contain his smile. Fortunately he had a mask on so no one would notice if his mouth was too big or his teeth were too sharp. 

“Well you’re in luck! We have a bunch of Phantom merch, from the more generic stuff to stuff for each member!”

“Is that what the keychain is?” Danny picked it up and studied it closer. 

“Yep! Since we know that Phantom is made up of brothers, us fans decided to give them each names based on their personalities and powers.” She grabbed a keychain and pointed to each member, “This first one is called Specter, he has a flight quirk and is the de-facto leader of the group since he’s spotted the most. Then there’s Poltergeist who shoots blasts, Wisp who can turn invisible, Permafrost with ice. Oh, and the last one is called Plasm who can turn into goo and stuff. We just found out about him recently since he was the one who was cornered by Mt. Lady and the other heroes.” 

Danny just stared at her with his mouth open. And he thought Paulina was bad… Danny never really paid attention to how often he used certain quirks, but apparently it was enough to base personalities on. Despite how creepy it was, Danny couldn’t stop his smile and was giddy with excitement. 

“How do you even know all that stuff?” Danny set the key chain down and started to look closer at the other merch. Sure enough, there were other little trinkets for each member. 

“There’s a fan page. People post their experiences with them along with fan art or other content. Over time, it just became a bigger thing and now there’s even merch.” She picked up a few prints near her, “These are the ones I did.”

Danny took them from her and looked at them. The art style was really cute, more comic book than the other art which took on a more anime-like appearance. A few of them pictured the group standing together, but most of them were of Plasm and Permafrost alone. Danny found it comforting that she drew Plasm smiling or with flowers rather than how other people drew him, which was more creepy looking or depressed. 

“Why do you like them so much? I mean, yeah, they saved people, but what's the appeal? Don’t you think they’re…” Danny paused thinking of all the words people have called him over the years, “spooky?”

“I don’t think so! I think they seem really nice. I mean, they’re risking a lot by being vigilantes, but that's just because they really wanna help people.” She paused, “and there's the fact that they have a more mutated appearance…”

Danny cocked his head, “why is that so special?”

While he didn’t exactly have the best perception of how he looked, he thought it would’ve made people turn away or just label him a villain or a monster like the commission did. The seal though, she made it sound more like it was a quality rather than a flaw. A weird feeling settled into Danny's stomach. 

“I can’t speak for all mutant types, but for me, well, you don’t really see a lot of mutant heroes, and if you do they’re either marketed as cute or as scary. The ones that aren’t marketed like that aren’t even thought of. My uncle is a pro and while that’s really cool, there’s a longing in me to see more.” 

“The Phantoms are just themselves. They don’t have an agency so there’s no one telling them how to act or what to wear to reach more audiences. Plasm in particular. People think he’s creepy but I think he’s pretty cool. He doesn't have as stylish a quirk as his brothers, but he still does what he can to help people.”

If Danny was alive he would have stopped breathing. He had never had anyone talk about him like that. Dash and Paulina were arguably his biggest fans, but Paulina just liked him cause she thought he was hot, Dash too but he also thought he was cool. No one ever related to him, or if they did they never said it. A strange feeling fluttered in his core and he had to blink a few times to clear his eyes. 

“My name’s Tommy, what’s yours?” Danny reached out a gloved hand. 

“Saoirse,” She held out a strangely human hand.

“Nice to meet you, Saoirse.”

Danny bought a few of her prints and the keychain. She also gave him a card with some of the fan sites on them. Danny would have to look them up next time he went to the library. He stared at the drawing of Plasm smiling with stars around him. He hopes he could be like how Saoirse saw him someday. 

If people saw his flaws and accepted him, why couldn’t he? It was much easier said than done. Other people would only know him as what he pretended to be. Danny knew what he truly was. Still, it was a nice thought. Even people in Amity didn’t look at him so kindly, or at least not the majority. Well, that was the case here too, but Danny was being a bit of an optimist. 

After that he continued shopping. He still needed clothes and a phone. The phone was the most essential in this new world. Fortunately there was an electronics shop close by the stand. Most of the models were outside Danny’s price range so he had to settle for a flip phone instead. He got a blue one and connected the keychain he got to the bottom. He had to pay for minutes, but it was surprisingly cheap, nowhere near what his parents complained about when he was younger. This flip phone thing wasn’t such a bad deal, he could even download some games. Danny would have to set it up later though so it would be compatible with his ectoplasm. A thought sprang into his head. He could take a picture of himself. 

The last time he tried, he ended up a crying mess. It was just another symbol of what he lost. Back in Amity, every phone or camera was able to take pictures of ghosts, also, due to his halfa status, he never had to mourn the loss. He didn’t even think that it would be anything to miss. 

When Jazz started to help, she took tons of pictures of the ghosts. While Tucker did that before, they were taken sneakily so he wouldn’t get hurt. With Jazz though, she was so obvious (really, one of the worst ghost hunters ever). The first time she took a picture of Skulker, Danny thought the ghost would forget Danny and go after her. That did end up happening but instead of attacking her, he stopped and asked to see it. Danny was stuck in a trap so wasn’t able to do anything but watch. Jazz handed it over and he smiled. He asked if he could have it when she printed it out, to which she said yes. He left after that and went to the zone of his own free will. The next time a ghost attacked, they asked about getting their picture taken, and it became a normal thing after that. 

Ghosts would come out just to get their picture taken or ask to borrow the camera. Ember and Kitty especially since they went on so many girl trips. Tucker suggested that they start charging for it, but Danny felt bad. Instead, Danny made a few polaroid cameras that were available in the Realms. It was a honor system since if a ghost broke it or had it too long, all the others would hunt them down and take it from them forcibly. One time, the warden tried to confiscate it since it was against his rules. Danny didn’t see him months after that. The camera didn’t stop Tucker from taking trips into the zone to be a photographer. 

Danny snapped out of his memories. He was so concentrated on everything bad in Amity Park that he almost forgot the good times. He thinks he still has some of those photos on the flashdrive in his pocket. It also had old schematics of his parents and Danny’s own inventions. All he needed was a computer that could handle ectoplasm. Danny had nothing but time and the idea of taking pictures would tide him over until then. 

Next were the clothes, which were easy enough. Danny didn’t need anything fancy, just a pair of pants and some shirts. He had to shop lightly since he didn’t have a permanent place anymore. Since the commission knew how to track him, Danny has been hopping from place to place every few nights. It wasn’t too bad, more annoying than anything else. 

A thought invaded Danny’s brain about Ma’s place and his husband. Did they have family dinners every night? Did they have any kids? Ma seemed like he’d be a good dad. Danny couldn’t let himself think about that too hard, afraid of spiraling again. He got used to how it was. He might not have anything, but had freedom and that's all that mattered to him. Freedom, and a new pair of pants. 

Danny changed into his new outfit. It was a simple pair of jeans, a band T and a red and white sweatshirt. It was comforting to wear something he was used to. He didn’t have to worry about his hazmat suit since it was as part of him as his hair. Danny just absorbed it like he would do with any stray ectoplasm. He also decided to get some new shoes since he didn’t want to be wearing boots all the time. He picked out a pair of green converse. They were a shade off from ectoplasm, but Danny liked them all the same. He would have to keep an eye out for a marker to draw some ghosts on them too. It was by this point that Danny wanted to take a break. He didn’t get tired or anything, but he was starting to get a bit bored and he wanted to sit for a minute. Up ahead was a fountain that a few people were seated at. One such pair was a man in a black hoodie with his arm around someone. Danny couldn’t see what since there was a plant blocking them from view, but something about the man seemed off. A feeling of deep hate washed over Danny and choked him. Danny slowly got closer to see that the man had his arms wrapped around Deku.

~🫶~

Tomura walked aimlessly in the mall waiting for something to happen. Was he waiting for a hero to show up? A new game to go on sale? He wouldn’t know until it happened. 

It started to become monotonous after a while. He didn’t want to, but his mind began to wander. It went all sorts of places, to the new recruits, to his master, but then it stopped at Phantom and Stain. The whole world had forgotten the League within an hour after their attack on Hosu. At least in the case of Stain, Tomura had the pleasure of seeing the idiot get beat by a kid, and they even got some new recruits out of it. Phantom was a bigger annoyance. Tomura knew that it was just one brat, anyone with half a brain could see that. People could only have one quirk, so it’s impossible for Phantom to be one person, at least that's what they think. Those idiots believe anything that the commission told them. Their ignorance would be their downfall. Who knows, maybe the vigilante they value so much would turn on them like a dog. 

Tomura hated to think how Phantom got so many powers but like all things the thought wouldn’t leave him alone. After Hosu, his master had demanded that Tomura and the league try to capture him. He asked if Phantom would become a new Nomu, a fitting end in Tomura’s eyes, but he was also fine with just turning him into dust. All For One didn’t say anything just hummed. 

He hated it, but a memory he suppressed revealed itself. One night years ago, Tomura heard the Doctor and Kurogiri talking. Supposedly, All For One had a son he left behind when All Might defeated him. It wasn’t his first child either. Every few generations, All For One would have a child to try to reproduce his quirk, or at least one useful to him. To Tomura’s knowledge, no child has ever been able to inherit his quirk and all were thrown away in time. Still his master’s motives were clear. He was trying to create a new heir, someone to replace Tomura. As if he’d ever let that happen! He’d kill every child in Japan before he gets thrown away like that! 

Tomura scratched his neck anxiously. There were certainly a few similarities between All For One and Phantom. The white hair, green eyes and quirks being the most striking. But their personalities were completely different. If Phantom was truly his son, he would not be a vigilante and see All For One’s glory instead of being an ungrateful brat. Phantom took after All For One’s brother rather than his master. Yeah, so there was no way Phantom was that child. He was just a cheater.  

Tomura passed by a cart that sold Phantom merch. This is what brought him here in the first place. Tomura should just knock the stand over and kill everyone around. He looked at it in disgust. There were little plushies that stared into his soul with dead eyes. It had no other facial features aside from this but Tomura swore the thing was mocking him. 

“Give me one,” Tomura pointed to the thing and pulled out his wallet to pay the seal. He was looking forward to destroying it. Maybe he could buy more and make the others watch, “actually give me three.”

“Great! We also have an online page where you can order them.” She handed him a business card with the site on it along with the bag. Tomura took it and sneered at her. Her smile only faltered for a second before he walked away. 

Tomura took out one of the plushies and stared at it. He didn’t have to worry about his quirk since he was wearing his gloves. The thing was obviously home made but was still good quality. Someone clearly poured their heart into making these. A smile spread across his face at the thought of destroying it. It was just the kind of stress relief he needed. 

Tomura was strangely feeling better. He did what he came here to do (but with less murder) so he decided it was time to go back. He walked to the entrance with a satisfied smile. It grew when he saw no other than that brat from UA, alone. Tomura took off his gloves. 

“Oh, it’s someone from UA, nice.” Tomura easily slid next to him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. A harmless gesture from the outside but it worked to restrain him from running.  “I want an autograph. You were the one who got beat to hell at the sports festival, right?”  

“Uh, yeah.” Midoriya was clearly uncomfortable and was looking around for someone to help. 

Tomura held him tighter, “Aren’t you one of the students who ran into Stain at the Hosu incident, too? You’re practically famous!” Tomura had put on a sickeningly sweet voice to not scare the brat right away. No, he wanted to make him put it together. 

“You sure do know a lot,” Midoriya wasn’t looking at him and clearly didn’t understand the danger he was in. It made Tomura giddy. He could end this kid’s life right now and he would have no idea why. 

“What can I say, I’m just a big fan of yours. I can’t believe I’m running into you again.” 

Midoriya gasped. Now he got it. Tomura was starting to think he was an idiot. 

“It makes me think that this might not be such a coincidence. No, no. This feels like destiny,” Tomura wrapped his hand around his neck, lifting one finger up so the fun wouldn’t be spoiled so quickly. 

Midoriya shivered in his grasp and started to slowly look up at him, his mouth open in shock and fear. His eyes radiated terror and understanding like a sheep about to be slaughtered. 

“Oh right. From your point of view we haven’t met since the attack on UA. Why don’t we spend some time catching up? Midoriya Izuku.” 

“Tomura Shigaraki.” Midoriya said his name through clenched teeth. It was the only thing he could do to stop them from shaking. 

Tomura led him to a sitting area with his hand still around his throat. He wanted the boy to explain something to him, cause Tomura really didn’t get it. 

Everywhere around them people were smiling, even though somewhere else people were getting killed. It was fine as long as it wasn’t them, right? And that could never happen because they trusted that everyone else had the same morals as them. At any point, one of them could unleash their quirk and kill tens before a hero would arrive, and he explained as much to the brat. Tomura didn’t really get heroes or the Hero Killer. In the end, they were all doing the same thing, but why was what they’re doing wrong? 

“When it comes down to it, I hate basically everything,” Tomura vented to Midoriya as if they were friends. “Phantom and the Hero Killer are really pissing me off. The attack on UA, the Hosu incident, they upstaged everything I did and are all people are talking about. I really don’t get it.”

“Are they really a part of the league?” The brat had the nerve to interrupt him while he was ranting. 

“People seem to think so. With Stain, he essentially is with how the media is talking about it but not Phantom. I have no idea where he came from but he’ll never join the League or even get close to it. I’ll kill him if he ever does.” Midoriya looked up at him scared, more scared than when Tomura first grabbed him. What's the deal? Did he know Phantom or something? Tomura smiled.

“Is,” Midoriya gulped, “Is Phantom really-!”

“All For One’s son?” Fortunately, Midoriya caught him in a sharing mood so his blood didn’t immediately boil upon hearing that. His grip did tighten though, “I really don’t know… I never even heard about him until Hosu, but master did have his secrets. It wouldn’t surprise me if the brat really was his bastard.” Tomura was surprised at how honest he was, but it wasn’t many times that he got to have a captive audience like this.  

Midoriya looked solemnly at the floor deep in thought. Why did he care so much? It wasn’t like it affected him who’s bastard was his master’s like it did Tomura. God, the brat made him sick. 

“Hey, Phantom saved you from one of my Nomus, right? And from the Hero Killer? Since you know him so well, what do you think the difference is between us? He destroys things he hates like I do. He did almost kill the Nomu, after all.”

“What’s the difference?” Midoriya had anger in his eyes, clearly Tomura struck a nerve. “He’s way different than you! For one, his first instinct isn’t to kill, he actually saves people! He even carried me when I was unable to walk when he didn’t have to.” 

“You’re wrong, I do save people. I’m trying to make a new world here for everyone thrown out by society.” Tomura defended. They both saved people, just in different ways. 

“Phantom is an outcast too. The heroes are after him just like you, but he still sticks to his goals instead of running at the first opportunity. When he was out matched by heroes, he fought back unlike you at the USJ, and you had people on your side. While I don’t agree with him there, I’m sure he had a good reason while you have no justification! He fights with all he has and still smiles. Phantom inspires people, same as All Might!” 

All Might… of course. 

“Ahh, that's like a weight off my chest.” Tomura breathed out, “I see it now… all the dots connected. Why he makes me so angry, why you irritate me so much. Everything makes sense. It's him, the problem is All Might! Yeah, yeah. That’s it. That’s the most rational explanation!” 

Tomura felt his mouth widen into a smile of pure joy. He hadn’t felt that in a while. It was as if all his problems were fixed by a single sentence. He saw the future ahead of him clear as day. He felt Midoriya squirm to look up at him and freeze. 

Tomura laughed, “I didn’t see it, even though it was right in front of me the whole time. What was I worrying about so much? It's simple. He’s why these morons are able to smile thoughtlessly!” 

He grabbed Midoriya's throat tighter in his excitement like he was a stuffed toy. Maybe if he squeezed harder his eyes would pop out. 

“They feel so safe because that garbage pro is smiling thoughtlessly too, as if there's no one in the whole world who he can’t save. Oh, I'm glad we had this chat. I feel better. I can’t thank you enough Midoriya. I  don’t need to change my ways after all.” 

His grip on the brats neck didn’t loosen and his face was turning red. Midoriya tried reaching up to grab his hand, but they were too heavy for him. 

“Whoops, don't struggle, now. Unless you want to die. You want all these people here to crumble as well?”  

Tomura continued laughing to himself. All he had to do was kill All Might! Once he destroyed the symbol of peace, no one would be able to smile like that. After he was done with him, he would go after Phantom and Midoriya, or maybe before. He wasn’t picky. Hey, with Midoriya here, he could use him as a trap for Phantom! The brat did seem close with him after all. And when Phantom comes to save him, he could kill them both! Two birds with one stone.  

“Hey, Deku! Crazy seeing you here. Who’s your friend?” A pale teen interrupted them. 

He was too old to be one of the brat’s classmates, maybe an upperclassmen? There was something weird with his vibe. The way he looked at Tomura was too calculating for his liking. He wore a smiling face but his eyes screamed murder and harm. They sized each other up before Tomura let go.

“Oh, you were here with a friend? I didn’t know. Sorry about that.” Tomura whispered a threat to Midoriya before he left. 

The teen rushed to Midoriya’s side as soon as he let go, but his eyes didn’t leave Tomura. He didn’t like that kid. If he was from UA, he could be a problem. He should add him to the list of people to kill. Tomura will have to ask his mole if he knows anything about him. The last thing he reported is that class 1-A was gonna go to a training camp over summer break, but he didn’t know where. It didn’t matter. They would find out soon enough. 

Tomura smiled. He was looking forward to it.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Here’s my default vision of Danny in fics (with my lackluster art skills)

I did this on paper then scanned it with my phone so the quality might not be the best

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Asleep In The Keep-Chapter 30

DPxMHA crossover Fic

Chapter 30: Pt 3: What They’re Going to Do

Summary: The public reacts to the violent vigilante group and their attack on a beloved Hero

Word Count: 1365

BREAKING NEWS: Vigilante group ‘Phantom’ attacks and injures pro hero. The Hero Commission is now labeling the group as villains and are investigating links to the League of Villains. 

Early morning July 11th, the pro heroes Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms, were confronted by the vigilante group, Phantom. The heroes valiantly fought the vigilantes, and even took down two members. However, due to the environment, they weren’t able to use their quirks to the fullest and so Phantom was able to get away. Only Death Arms was injured in this attack. 

This changes Phantom’s status from mere vigilantes to villains. The Hero Commission is still investigating possible ties to the League of Villains and Stain. They are instructing civilians to report any sightings of Phantom to a hotline dedicated to finding them and clear the area. The number is 555-666-777

____

In a public forum online:

Knight34knight43: NO!!!!

GenshinreferenceUwU @Knight34knight43: Haha! Told u! 

Knight34knight43 @GenshinreferenceUwU: u did not! 

GenshinreferenceUwU @Knight34knight43: Pretty sure I did

Knight34knight43 @GenshinreferenceUwU: Whatever…

Nighteyemorelikeayeayeaye: That blows man I really liked them :(

Ghostwatermelon:> @Nighteyemorelikeayeayeaye: Im stronger than u I still like them

FeralGangOrca @Nighteyemorelikeayeayeaye: They could never make me hate u Phantom!

Mirkosthighs: Was Mt. Lady hurt?! 

FeralGangOrca @Mirkosthighs: No only death arms

Mirkosthighs @FeralGangOrca: Oh who cares then

FriedHawkWings @Mirkosthighs: Wow

L3G3GG: Do u think they were defending themselves?

Mirkosthighs @L3G3GG: No way! She wouldn’t hurt a fly!

FriedHawkWings @Mirkosthighs: We r talking about mt lady right?

Leaguereference @L3G3GG: I mean maybe I'd bye it if it were endeavor but mt lady?

Endeavorsgymshorts @ Leaguereference : That’s cold man

Leaguereference @ Endeavorsgymshorts: What! U no I’m wright! 

FriedHawkWings @Leaguereference: fsr i thought it was endeavor?

Mirkosthighs @FriedHawkWings: No he was doing another interview for stain

Knight34knight43 @Mirkosthighs: Did they ask about Phantom at all? I know they were in hosu at the same timw

“Mirkosthighs” REPOSTED A LINK:

Juko News: Endeavor recounts his battle with terrifying villain, The Hero Killer: Stain. “My condolences for the families affected by Stain,” says Endeavor about Stain's rampage.

FriedHawkWings: Wow there really milking it out

Endeavorsgymshorts: He would not fucking say that

FeralGangOrca @ Endeavorsgymshorts : They probably couched him lol

Ghostwatermelon:>: Ridiculous! Utterly Ridiculous! They prob made cause a group of kids beat a pro

FeralGangOrca @Ghostwatermelon:>: It’s not like they can’t still be a hero. Wasn’t there that one villain a few years ago who took the lincess exam and became a pro?

Nighteyemorelikeayeayeaye @FeralGangOrca: I know what ur talking about. I forgot the name tho

Ghostwatermelon:> @FeralGangOrca: Theres still hope!

GenshinreferenceUwU @Ghostwatermelon:>: But what if they r w/LOV? 

Ghostwatermelon:> @GenshinreferenceUwU: Then theyd prob b able to hurt more then 1 hero lol

GenshinreferenceUwU @Ghostwatermelon:>: ig

Knight34knight43 @GenshinreferenceUwU: I’m still holding out hope. I rlly wanna see those kids becom heroes :(

Ghostwatermelon:> @Knight34knight43: Thatd b so sweat

Endeavorsgymshorts @Knight34knight43: They could be a lil group with action figures and special editions, they could do like a family show or talk about being pro with ur bros

Ghostwatermelon:> @ Endeavorsgymshorts: Omg stop thats so cute

Mirkosthighs @ Endeavorsgymshorts : I would buy all there merch

#6bmybbygrl @Mirkosthighs: I actually saw some the other day at the mall!

“#6bmybbygrl” MADE A NEW POST:

Photo: Image description of a cart with Phantom merch. The merch is hoodies similar to the upper half of their hero costume, gloves, boots, and homemade keychains of Phantom members posing together. There is also a Phantom plushie that has no facial features except green eyes and blue skin with its hood pulled up and white hair peeking out. 

Mirkosthighs @#6bmybbygrl: Awwww i want one!

#6bmybbygrl @Mirkosthighs: It was next to a stain cart tho…

Mirkosthighs @#6bmybbygrl: oh…

~🫶~

“Damn it!” Tomura yelled as he slammed the laptop closed. There was a small cracking noise and he was pretty sure he broke it. He didn’t care though, it was cheap anyway. He wasn’t allowed an expensive computer due to his temper. This was his 4th one this month. Tomura picked it up and threw it at the wall, its parts making a satisfying noise on impact.

“Stupid Phantom!” He screamed. His nails dug into his neck and he scratched and scratched.

“God, how pathetic,” groaned Dabi a few seats away from him. He was sitting at the bar drinking a clear liquid with a blue flame. 

He was one of the new recruits that was forced onto the League. Tomura didn’t like him one bit. He had bad manners and smelled bad too. He had done nothing but complain since he got here. He looked at everything like it was beneath him or was trash, even though he looked like a wet cigarette himself. 

“I don’t know, I think they’re pretty cool!” Toga, another new recruit, was sitting on the couch upside down playing with her knife. “Are they really a part of the League? When are they coming over? I wanna play with them!” She giggled. 

Of course she was a fan girl. She was obsessed with Stain when she first came in, but the few hours since then she seemed to have refocused her attention onto Phantom. The whole world was doing that. Each passing day, more and more is online about this mysterious Phantom. He wouldn’t be so mysterious if he was dead. The Hosu incident happened 2 weeks ago but it was as if it never happened. Everyone was gushing over Stain and Phantom. 

“I doubt it,” Dabi sat back in his chair, looking annoyed, “If they were, they would’ve come back here after they beat those heroes. Damn, I wish they would go after Endeavor next. If anything, I want him to boast on live television that he beat up a kid for the sake of justice.”

God, everything he said he sounded like he was whining. If Tomura didn’t know his age, he would think Dabi was some moody teenager going through an emo phase. That’s such an NPC character design. 

“I’m sick of hearing about Phantom! That’s all everyone talks about is Phantom! Phantom! Phantom!” Tomura banged the bar with his fist. 

“Let's go hunt them down then!” Toga got up from her position, her face red from all the blood flow returning. “Come on, it will be fun! We can chase after each one and drag them back to the league before they even knew what happened! They can’t be that strong! They only took down one hero when there was five of them!” 

Tomura glared at her. If her personality wasn’t enough, what she said reminded him of All For One’s orders. As if he let that brat anywhere near the League. 

“No chance in hell!” Tomura yelled back. 

“Aww…” Toga pouted.

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Dabi got up and walked next to Toga. “If we drag them back here, I bet we could make them join our cause. I mean, some poor kids who only wanted to become a hero gets outcasted and attacked by the very people they look up to? I think that’s a story we all can relate to.” 

Toga nodded aggressively and stared at Tomura. She tried to look cute as if that would be able to change his mind. It made him sick. 

“You can do what you want, I’m going out,” Tomura pushed past them and grabbed his sweat-jacket. 

“You’re no fun,” Toga stuck out her tongue at him. Tomura wanted to pull it out of her mouth. 

“Are you sure that is wise, Shigaraki?” Kurogiri appeared behind the bar as if he’d been there the whole time. 

He was probably with All For One or that doctor. Tomura knew he was reporting his behavior to them when he thought he wasn’t looking. He hated them. All For One had been grooming him for all these years but he still didn’t think Tomura could be left unsupervised. He wasn’t a baby anymore, he didn’t need to be monitored like this. 

“Go screw yourself,” he walked out the door waving his middle finger as a goodbye. 

He just needed to blow off steam. His mind wandered off to Phantom and the stupid merch at the mall. A sickly smile spread to his face. He knew just the place.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Danny looking at a picture of shigiraki: yeah he looks like he plays league

Midoriya nodding: yeah the league are really scary looking. One time he smiled at me and I almost cried

Danny: no I meant he looks like he plays league. Like league of legends?

Midoriya: oh…

Danny still looking at the picture: average discord mod

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

I love when people read my fic and are like “wow I can’t wait for this to happen!” And I’m like “yep it’s gonna be cool!” Even tho I had no plans until that moment for that to happen.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Asleep In The Keep-Chapter 29

DPxMHA crossover Fic

Chapter 29: Pt 2: What They’re Planning

Summary: UA has a much needed meeting about Phantom

TW: smoking and addiction

Word Count: 6399

Equal parts dread and relief washed over Shouta at having been kicked off the case. Now he was no longer excepted to hunt the boy like an animal, but at the same time it meant he no longer had access to information that could hurt him. He had no idea what the Commission was capable of and Phantom would be the victim.  

Shouta stood on the steps of the Commission, lost. He had failed him for the second time that day. Shouta licked his gums, his body craving nicotine. Instead he pulled out a slice of cinnamon gum and began grinding it in between his teeth rather than chewing it. He could really use some coffee right about now…

He couldn’t go back to the coffee shop. Not only was it closed but Phantom’s words rang in his ear. ‘I just need some time.’ Shouta felt strange for thinking this, but the boy looked so pathetic and small in that moment. He didn’t know anyone could look so much like a child while covered in somebody else’s blood. 

Shouta had only seen some of the fight. He was wandering the area in case Phantom decided to go back. There was a weird air in the alley that could not so easily be forgotten. It felt a lot like Phantom. Endeavor beat him to it. Shouta was only a block away when he got the distress signal and was the first on the scene. At first, he could do nothing but stare at the creature on top of Endeavor before he realized it was Phantom. He had never seen him like this and didn’t even know it was possible. Phantom’s voice whispered in his ear, ‘You don’t know me.’

He was right. Shouta didn’t know him, and maybe he never will, but he wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to. It was an easy decision stepping in, even knowing he’ll probably be hurt. Even if Phantom doesn’t forgive him, the kid needs to know that someone was willing to try and not everyone will hurt him. It was worth the black eyes. 

Shouta breathed deeply in, his ribs protesting slightly. He kept it in until he felt his lungs burn and his heart start racing. He exhaled slowly, drawing it out till there was nothing left in him. It felt nice. 

He sent a quick text to principal Nezu explaining he was kicked. Nezu sent another one back immediately asking him to return to the school for a meeting, as if Shouta hadn’t been to enough of those recently. 

Shouta felt a presence behind him and turned around to see Sir Nighteye. The man wasn’t looking at him, pretending to be lost in the night sky. Shouta looked up too, spotting a northern star that was as bright as when Phantom was the center of a storm. ‘How did he feel about the stars,’ he wondered. 

“Evening, Sir Nighteye,” Shouta finally acknowledged. 

“Evening,” he greeted in turn. 

The man was long in all senses of the word. He towered over Shouta by 5in and his arms looked like a broken manakin’s being held together by the sleeve. Phantom had a similar frame, although not as tall. Perhaps he hasn’t stopped growing yet and would still gain those few inches. 

He couldn’t stop thinking of Phantom. He hadn’t seemed that injured from the fight, but he could have internal injuries. Honestly, Shouta didn’t know how he was able to stand let alone actually win against Endeavor. He wasn’t known for going easy on whatever stood in his way, even if they were children. Shouta had hoped that by giving Phantom the folder he could see how big of a threat he was and only use the information for when he can’t run. Oh how wrong he was. 

Shouta should’ve expected it. You tell kids not to fight someone and then they go hunt that person down. Shouta should do the opposite, maybe then his kids would listen to him. 

Sir Nighteye pulled out a cigarette and lighter from his inner suit pocket. The lighter was yellow with All Might’s smiling face on it. Shouta didn’t know that the hero even allowed anything that promoted unsafe habits to use his face in Japan, but knowing Sir Nighteye, he probably got it from the states. Sir Nighteye lit the cigarette without fanfare and deeply inhaled, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. He exhaled and the smoke blew in Shouta’s face, his lungs feeling the slight burn. 

Shouta’s thumb and index finger twitched. Sir Nighteye looked down at him and offered him a cigarette, which Shouta took. Habit took over and he placed it in between his teeth. Sir Nighteye held up the lighter and Shouta leaned into it until it lit up the stick. He inhaled deeply, the taste combining with the gum making it even more pungent. It was like burning a foul incense. 

“I thought you quit smoking?” it was said as casually as the weather. 

“I did,” Shouta took another drag. It had been a while and Shouta resisted the urge to cough. “Hizashi doesn’t like it. He said it’s like kissing a fireplace.”

Sir Nighteye laughed but it was empty and had a bitter tinge in it. He had no one who did the same for him. His sidekicks of course protested, but there was only so much they could do. He had no one to come home to or support him to stop.

“You should consider the same. Those things will kill you.”

“Not before a villain will,” He took another drag and looked up at the sky, his eyes lost in memory. 

“Did you see it?” Shouta put the cigarette down and looked at Sir Nighteye. 

He didn’t say anything but the answer was clear. A somber silence went between them. They both understood the danger of being a hero. That was why Shouta started teaching in the first place. He had to prepare the next generation for when that happened, because it will. Shouta knew at some point either his kids would be burying him or he would have to bury one of them. Not many heroes made it to retirement, and those who did were the type Stain was hunting. Smoking was a way to take the edge off, but it also saved you a spot in the grave. 

“You’re going to UA after this, right?” Sir Nighteye asked. 

Shouta side-eyed him. It was possible he had used his quirk on him without his notice. 

“I am.” He answered flatly. 

“I expected as much,” Sir Nighteye watched for his reaction, “I bet you have a lot of school work to do,” he exhaled smoke in his face. 

Shouta nodded. He was speaking in code. It wasn’t safe to talk about Phantom in public, especially on the steps of the commission no less. 

“Allow me to join you,” He walked ahead of Shouta and pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket. He hit the button and a yellow car beeped not too far away, “I was headed there already.”

Shouta rolled his eyes but didn’t protest. He smashed his cigarette into the concrete railing that led to the Commission and discarded the rest into a nearby garbage bin. Sir Nighteye did the same, then opened the passenger door for Shouta. They both got in and the silence continued. 

Shouta had only had brief interactions with the fellow hero, but never alone. They had always been a part of some type of task force, not entirely dissimilar to the one with Phantom. They were civil and even worked well together, but only in a professional capacity. On the inside, Shouta had doubts about Sir Nighteyes motives. He had information that no one else was able to access. It was indispensable while working towards the same goal, but Shouta dreaded what would happen if they were on opposite sides. 

Now they were alone together, probably thinking the same thing about the other. 

Sir Nighteye turned on the radio and Shouta heard his husband's voice ringing out, announcing the next song. It was Saturday, so it was very likely that was his actual voice and not a recording. Being a hero and a teacher didn’t leave a lot of time for radio, so Hizashi would do pre-recordings a few times a week and leave the rest to his sidekicks. Shouta was honestly very proud of him. Shouta had struggled with juggling teaching, hero work and sleep. He didn’t know how Hizashi had time for all that plus his show. That’s what passion got you. 

Hizashi made a stupid joke, and while Shouta smiled, he was surprised to see the other hero’s mouth twitch. 

“Careful, he’s taken,” Shouta teased, but it sounded more like a threat. 

“I’m well aware,” Sir Nighteye affirmed, “I just enjoy his comedy, is all. I think it’s important to laugh or find joy when you can.”

“If you like comedy so much, you should find company with Ms. Joke. You could distract her from flirting with me. She thinks it’s funny considering my status,” Shouta rolled his eyes. 

The hero let out a small ‘hmm,’ sound, “I’ve only had the pleasure of meeting her a few times, but she was entertaining. Perhaps I’ll take you up on that. If anything she’d be a good ally.”

Shouta wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, but either way it wasn’t his business. The rest of the car ride was in silence, the only voice being Hizashi’s every so often. That just left Shouta’s mind to wander. He was skeptical of Sir Nighteye’s intentions at UA. While he was All Might’s sidekick, the two hadn’t spoken to the other in years. It seemed unlikely the hero was solely hoping to reconnect. 

He was probably after information regarding Phantom. Shouta would do the same in his shoes. To Sir Nighteye, or anyone else for that matter, Phantom was only a threat. None of them saw him as the child he actually was. Shouta may not know the kid as deeply as he would like, but he knew a scared child when he saw one. Now he can only hope people will see the same.

They arrived to UA not long after. The school was quiet, which was to be expected since most of the kids were off at internships until Monday, and the teachers that lingered in the halls were busy preparing for the midterms. Shouta had neglected his own class’ midterms, being too busy chasing Phantom. That along with the recent League attacks, principal Nezu had taken over planning for the practical. 

The feeling of being watched stabbed into Shouta every step of the way. Sir Nighteye had not stopped following him since entering the school. Shouta watched him out of the corner of his eye before he decided to confront him.

“What business do you have at UA?”

“The same as you, I imagine,” Sir Nighteye responded. 

“I’m positive you don’t have homework to grade,” Shouta responded coyly. 

“I have as much as you,” Sir Nighteye gave him a look. It was clear he knew why Shouta was really here.

Shouta decided to ignore him, letting what happens, happen. He trusted principal Nezu enough to decide what to do with the hero. They finally made it to principal Nezu’s office, Shouta eyeing the hero once more before opening the door. 

Principal Nezu wasn’t the only one inside. Around the large table, sat other teachers. It was only a handful, consisting of Recovery girl, Snipe, Ectoplasm, All Might and Nemuri. The former two weren’t in their hero costumes and looked the most stressed out of all of them. Nemuri, who was usually picture perfect, had her hair in a messy bun and bags under her eyes, probably having been pulled from grading papers. All Might looked like a wet dog, so the same as normal. Shouta thinks it’s impossible for All Might not to look stressed. 

The hero beside him inhaled deeply at spotting his former mentor in such a state and a similar reaction went through All Might. The older hero stood up and approached them. He looked awkward and stiff, like a child whose mother sent him to order their food for the first time. Sir Nighteye looked similar, but had broken into a cold sweat at the heroes approaching. When he finally caught up, the two just stared at each other, their mouths open with words they were too afraid to say. It was a little awkward so Shouta moved away, not wanting to invade their privacy. 

“Principal Nezu, what is the meaning of this?” Shouta had the impression meetings discussing Phantom would be secret. 

“Ah, Mr. Aizawa,” principal Nezu greeted, “and it seems you brought a guest?” Principal Nezu looked over at Sir Nighteye before his gaze drifted back to Shouta. Shouta didn’t get the chance to respond before principal Nezu cut him off, “No matter. The more the merrier!” He laughed. 

Everyone at the table looked uncomfortable. It was bad enough to be discussing such a delicate topic, but to have an outsider's eyes on them made it more violating.  

“Now we’re only waiting for one more person…” 

Shouta looked around the room wondering who could be missing. The door opened behind him and he saw the flushed face of his husband. He had clearly run from the studio and he still had a pair of headphones on. Shouta smiled at seeing him before he realized how he had looked himself.

Hizashi’s eyes widened at seeing Shouta, more specifically the brace around his nose and black eyes. He had told him that he had a small altercation but not that he was hurt or by who. He was going to, but he was under observation by the Commission. Shouta tried to look away, to hide his face, but Hizashi rushed over to him and held him. He gently placed his hands on Shouta’s face, careful not to touch any of the bandages. Shouta looked up at him, an uneasy almost shameful feeling welling up inside him. He didn’t regret stepping in, but seeing his husband’s scared face made him want to go back. 

“You can’t keep doing this Sho…” Hizashi whispered breathlessly, placing his forehead to his. 

Shouta took his hands and led them further away from the heroes. The other heroes were purposely ignoring them except Nemuri, who watched with a smile that rivaled a cat’s. 

“I’m fine, Hizashi.” Shouta tried to soothe. He had put his husband through so much the last few weeks with both the USJ attack and now this. Before, it was rare for Shouta to get hurt, his enemies not even being able to see him coming. “It’s nothing Recovery Girl can’t fix.”

“That’s not the point,” Hizashi looked down at their hands, “How long are you gonna keep doing this? This isn’t just about Phantom, but you. You can’t keep burning both ends. That’s how you make mistakes and a random villain can get the jump on you like this.” He sighed and raised Shouta’s hand to hold his face. He had such big puppy dog eyes, it was hard not to feel bad. 

“You’ve been hunting this Phantom kid nonstop for the last two weeks. You haven’t been this obsessed over in a case in a while. I don’t want to see you like that again.”

“I haven’t been hunting him down,” Shouta defended, “I just need to help him before the Commission gets him.” There was a difference. 

Hizashi looked sad again, and kissed Shouta’s hand. Shouta had put him through so much. It had been days since they’ve even talked to each other for more than a few minutes. He was just so focused on Phantom that he had neglected everything else in his life. 

“We should talk about this later,” Shouta pulled away and Hizashi looked more hurt. “I’m taking a break from finding Phantom, so you don’t have to worry so much anymore.”

Hizashi gave him a small smile but it was clearly forced. Deep down he knew it wasn’t for him, but because something else must have happened. He leaned closer to Shouta and gently kissed him. When Hizashi loved something, he loved something passionately and deeply, people were no different. They became a part of him as much as he did them. Sometimes, Shouta didn’t think he deserved it.

Hizashi pulled away from Shouta slowly, his eyes still sad, “Have you been smoking, again?” 

A look of disappointment graced his face but it was clear concern was the dominant emotion. Shouta looked away again as an admission of guilt. Hizashi breathed in deeply. 

“It’s okay,” he moved Shouta’s face to his again, “we’ll talk later. I’ll have you for the rest of the weekend.” He winked flirtatiously, but it was a mask to hide what he truly felt. They still had a meeting to get through. 

They walked back to the table with the rest of the heroes and sat next to each other, holding hands under the table. Sir Nighteye and All Might were also sitting close and seemed to be whispering something, or more of Sir Nighteye was whispering while All Might quietly listened. He was probably getting lectured about his health. 

“And with that, we can proceed,” principal Nezu announced. 

The heroes all sat up straighter and looked to Nezu. Despite having a chair that made him the same height as the others, he stood on the table like a centerpiece. 

“As some of you may know, Mr. Aizawa has been tasked with investigating Phantom since the Stain incident.”

All the heroes looked at him. Hizashi and All Might were already aware, so their faces betrayed nothing. Sir Nighteye on the other hand looked enraged. 

“This whole time!” He stood up. He looked surprised at his own outburst for a second before sitting back down. “Excuse me,” he fixed his glasses, “That should’ve been expected. It is a public secret of the rivalry between UA and the Commission.”

“Of course,” principal Nezu took over the meeting again, “We don’t believe that the Commission would be well suited for someone as special as Phantom. Besides that, we can’t let a child that clearly wants to be a hero go un-mentored, now can we?” 

“You cannot be serious…” Sir Nighteye sighed, “and I thought the Commission was delusional.”

“Not at all. We believe he would be a valuable addition to UA. Mr. Aizawa,” He looked towards the hero again, “Would you mind sharing what you’ve found?”

Shouta stood up and swallowed a lump in his throat, “Yes. As principal Nezu said, I have been investigating Phantom since his first sighting. Thanks in large part to the students being at internships, I have been able to dedicate all my time to this task. As I’m sure principal Nezu made you all aware, Phantom is not a vigilante group but rather one person with multiple quirks. The reason behind this remains unconfirmed,” Shouta looked over at principal Nezu before continuing, “The process has been slow since Phantom has been able to move much more quickly, thanks to one of his quirks, to get any solid leads other than witness statements. However, I’ve noticed he has stayed around the same area since he came to Musutafu.”

“The Hero Commission was able to confirm as much,” Sir Nighteye interrupted. 

“If you allow Mr. Aizawa to speak, I’m sure he would have gotten to that.” Principal Nezu chastised with a smile. Sir Nighteye frowned but didn’t say anything. 

“Yes, I was getting to that. A few nights ago, Phantom had an… altercation with the heroes Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms. The latter is in critical condition with both his arms broken and burned by Phantom.” Gasps were spread throughout the room. They all had heard rumors through the Hero network, but hearing it made it more real.  

“I arrived on scene after Phantom had already left, but was able to collect a few samples and even got a report from an informant. It detailed his quirk and general appearance.”

“Did you get any results from the samples?” Sir Nighteye asked.

“I believe I can answer this one,” principal Nezu said in a sing-song tone. He pulled a remote out of his pocket and a holo-projection lit up in the middle of a table. “Rattus norvegicus, better known as a common brown rat.”

“A rat?” Hizashi spoke for the first time this meeting. 

“Yes, a rat.” Principal Nezu confirmed. No one commented on the elephant in the room. 

“So did he kill this rat?” Sir Nighteye asked. 

“Why would Phantom kill a rat?” Nemuri asked next. 

“It was already dead when Phantom melted it.” Principal Nezu clarified. 

“Wait, he melted it?!” Nemuri shouted, surprised. Even Shouta was surprised by that. 

“I think I need to establish a few things,” Shouta spoke up, “The sample I pulled was from a crater in the ground separate from the fight. In the report it said that he was looking at something on the ground before the heroes attacked him.”

“Ah, you figured that whatever it was had to be important to Phantom in some way.” Sir Nighteye connected. 

“Indeed. Turns out it was just a rat.” Shouta shrugged. 

“Not so fast,” principal Nezu interrupted again, “If it was indeed just a rat, why would Phantom melt it? There would be no reason to. I believe that the rat had some kind of emotional effect on Phantom, and that was why.”

“What kind of emotional effect could a dead rat have?” Shouta questioned. 

“Maybe he saw himself in the rat?” Hizashi commented. No one said anything. 

“Regardless,” principal Nezu continued, “we were also able to collect a sample from the rat that was similar to Ectoplasm’s plasm, as it were. I was hoping you would be able to give us some insight into this, along with some of Phantom’s other quirks.”

Principal Nezu switched slides again to one with a complete list of Phantom’s suspected quirks. Most of them were from the Stain and hero report along with Shouta’s own investigation. There were about 8 total and only had a few lines detailing their uses or perceived limits: ice/cold manipulation, flight, limited invisibility & intangibility, and limited electricity. There was an entire paragraph about Phantom’s body itself and how they believe it to be made of ectoplasm, similar to Ectoplasm’s clones or a villain All Might had fought last year. It hid the fact he was able to manipulate his appearance. The list wasn’t perfect and there was always the chance some was missing. The slides neglected any information about All For One, as some of the people in the room weren’t aware of his existence. The list still was definitely concerning. Most of the Nomu’s they’d encountered till now only had 4 before they started to break down and turn unstable. 

Hizashi whistled and the other heroes had more visual reactions at reading the list. Nemuri had almost spit out her tea and other heroes' eyes looked like they would pop out of her head. 

“Hmm,” Ectoplasm thought for a minute, “I can understand why you decided to show me this. While most on the list are feats my clones are not able to do, they do share qualities. Like ice and electricity for example. Ectoplasm naturally has a low temperature, and on a good day, I’ve measured mine to be around 0C°. It is also a fairly good conductor as well. These traits are nowhere near powerful enough to be labeled as separate quirks, but I can see how his body might have adapted to handle those two quirks.” 

So All For One didn’t choose these quirks randomly, but rather because he knew about the properties of ectoplasm already. Shouta believed that Ectoplasm’s quirk was unique, or at least very rare. How could All For One know that much about it in the first place? There were also the warehouses and underground bunkers to consider. The Nomu’s were floating in a green liquid that now under new context seems to have been ectoplasm. Principal Nezu hadn’t given him the results of the tests and for some reason seemed to be hiding it. There were so many questions that buzzed in Shouta’s mind. First being how much did principal Nezu truly know about Phantom and All For One, and second, how did All For One get so much ectoplasm?

“Anything to comment, Mr. Aizawa?” Principal Nezu asked from across the table.

“No,” Shouta shot down, “Only thinking.”

“As for melting a rat,” Ectoplasm paused to think, “Ectoplasm is a very acidic material. When I first started out, I had to go through a multitude of costumes until I found one that didn’t break down after a few uses. The one I currently use is made up of my cells, the same as Mirio Togata’s costume. It’s not hard to imagine it being able to break down a rat or other organic material.” 

“Ah! Thank you for the insight, Ectoplasm,” principal Nezu praised, “Now let's hear more from Mr. Aizawa.”

“Right,” Shouta thought for a moment to remember where he left off, “After the hero altercation, I was called into the Commission to join a task force against Phantom along with Sir Nighteye,” he nodded at the hero, “their representative informed us that we would be tracking Phantom using a device that they developed. Apparently, they were able to track down a type of radiation specific to him. The method isn’t perfect since the same radiation spikes around large clusters of mutant holders or in places where quirks are used a lot. They even listed UA as an example.”

“That just means we can hide him here better,” principal Nezu countered. 

“That’s what I thought of when I heard it, too.” Shouta agreed. “My only worry is the effect of the radiation. It can cause increased appetite, emotional dysregulation and a short burst of quirk power.”

“So puberty, basically?” Hizashi joked. 

“I’m sure it will be no issue since they said UA had similar readings as Phantom. If it does turn out to be a problem, we can look into containing it somehow.” Principal Nezu reasoned. 

“My god,” Sir Nighteye whispered sharply, “You really are delusional! This isn’t a class pet that you put newspaper down for. This is an unpredictable, possibly unstable overpowered teenager that has a history of attacking heroes. Just look at what he did to Eraserhead!” He gestured at the hero across from him. 

The room went silent once more. Hizashi squeezed his hand but looked at him in hurt betrayal.

“Sho,” he said softly, “what does he mean by that?”

Shouta breathed in deeply to prepare himself, “A few hours ago, Phantom attacked Endeavor.” He let the words sink into the air. 

“PRINCIPAL NEZU, IS THIS TRUE?!” All Might briefly transformed then reverted back in an instant, blood coming out of his mouth. He looked like he would fall over. Sir Nighteye helped steady him and they both sat back down. 

“I was vaguely aware of the situation but was not able to get a full report on it yet.” He confirmed. 

A somber mood settled into the room. Something uneasy wafted in from those words at the implications. The other heroes realized what they were up against. Shouta wanted to stand up and defend Phantom. They had no idea what actually happened or what Phantom was like, but he was in a difficult position. 

“I was able to break up the fight between him and Phantom, but in doing so got caught in the crossfire,” Shouta explained. He tried to sound as matter of fact as he could.

“I was there, too,” Snipe stood up. He took off his hat as if he were paying respects at a funeral. “I got there after he had already struck Eraserhead. The boy didn’t make any other moves, but I did have to fire a few warning shots.”

“You scared him off is what you did!” Shouta couldn’t help himself. He had failed that boy over and over again, he couldn’t fail him again. 

“Sho,” Hizashi tried to soothe him but Shouta didn’t listen. 

“None of you saw him. He was clearly disoriented and wasn’t acting like himself,”

“And you know him so well?” Sir Nighteye asked, suspicion laced his voice like poison. 

Shouta bit his lip, thinking what to say, “Before I was recruited into the task force I had… 

brief run-ins with him and had gotten to know his character.”

“You what?!” Sir Nighteye exploded. He slammed both his hands on the table shaking everyone’s drinks, “Why didn’t you tell the Commission? We could’ve avoided this whole ordeal in the first place and be done with him!”

“And let the Commission do god knows what to an innocent kid?” Shouta returned the same energy. Hizashi grabbed his arm to get him to sit back down but Shouta didn’t back down. 

“He is not innocent!” Sir Nighteye rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Need I remind you how many heroes he attacked? You are a part of that number now, I cannot understand why you’re trying to protect him!” 

“He was just scared!” Shouta bit back, “We have been hunting him since Hosu. He doesn’t know who we are or what our intentions are. He was defending himself!”

“And that gives him the right to just beat up whoever he wants? What if he does the same to another hero who can’t handle it! Or god forbid a civilian!”

“Phantom wouldn’t do that! In all his vigilante reports, he never used excessive force against the Villains! Just enough to knock them out.”

“Just like Endeavor?!”

“Endeavors was probably hitting just as hard. You wouldn’t be saying the same thing about him if Phantom was the one on the ground.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t,” he had a frantic look on his face, “Because Endeavor is a hero and Phantom is a villain. Endeavor has the right to do whatever it takes to take him down. Simple as that.” Sir Nighteye said it with finality. 

“He doesn’t,” Shouta seethed, “Phantom is just a scared confused kid with too much power. He needs someone to help him, someone to show him that not everyone will hurt him! Not some hero on a power trip with no restraint!” Shouta barked out.

“And that’s what we are trying to do at UA,” principal Nezu interrupted, seeing no end to the argument. Both heroes slowly sat back down, but were glaring daggers at each other. 

“Principal Nezu,” Sir Nighteye spoke up again, “I cannot in good conscience help you with whatever you are planning, but if you do manage to succeed,” he sighed, “Give me a call. I will lend you use of my quirk and see the ramifications of such a decision.” He looked tired. 

“Consider it done,” principal Nezu laughed. “Anyone have any questions?”

All Might raised his hand and stood up, “What if we are able to capture Phantom?”

“Then we will treat him like any other student,” Principal Nezu answered.

“Yes, but what about,” All Might’s voice went quiet, “The League?”

He was referring to All For One, but nobody could know that. How would the villain react if he found out that UA had his supposed son? What lengths would he go through to make sure he gets him back?

“I am planning on implementing a dorm system at the school to make sure our staff and students are safe from all outside threats. It will be designed specifically to keep them out and ensure the safety of our students.”

“Will that be enough?” Nemuri asked. 

“It will have to.”

“I have just one more question,” All Might stood up, “Why are we doing this? Why go through all this trouble for a kid who might be the end of us?

“Because that is the best outcome for Phantom, and for us. Would you rather the Commission hold him? The League? We have no idea what their plans are for that boy, but it’s obvious neither should be trusted. Here, we can at least provide him support and guide him to a better tomorrow. It’s clear the boy needs help and some sort of counseling. He is just another victim in this like any of our other students. Principal Nezu smiled, “you said it yourself, All Might, ‘because saving someone is the always the right thing to do.’”

All Might sat back down, defeated by his own words. 

“If that’s all?” Principal Nezu looked around the room but no other hero moved to ask anything. “Now that you know the stakes, we can discuss how to proceed. If Endeavor taught us anything it’s that we have to be more careful in how we approach Phantom. If you see him, act friendly but not overwhelmingly so. He cannot see you or UA as a threat, so no more ‘warning shots,’ hmm?” he looked to Snipe, “Phantom is not someone who you can force into doing something he doesn’t want to. Right now, Mr. Aizawa has the best chance at recruiting Phantom, so it’s best to keep your distance and support him if you can.” 

With that, the meeting was over, but it didn’t feel like they accomplished anything. Sir Nighteye was the first to exit the room, not even looking back at All Might. Nemuri went along with the other teachers when it was clear nothing more was to be said. They all still had preparations to make. 

Recovery Girl walked over to Shouta and Hizashi, who still clung to him like a lifeline. Shouta really didn’t deserve him. He owed him a long talk and explanations. Right now though, he would just take pleasure in his company.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” Recovery Girl asked. She had a look of concern on her that said it went beyond his physical injuries. 

“I’m alright,” Shouta said, “just tired and sore.”

“Your injuries probably aren’t helping, huh?” she cocked her head, “Well I can help with the soreness but I’m afraid I’ll only make you more tired.”

“Thank you, Recovery Girl,” Shouta bowed and leaned down so she could kiss his forehead. 

A rush of air filled his lungs and Shouta was able to breathe clearly again through his nose. Not only that, but some of the muscle and leg pain from the last few days went away. She was truly the gem of the school. 

She smiled, happy to be able to help him if only a little, “You better get some rest now,” she warned.

“Trust me,” Hizashi stared him down, “He will. He has a few weeks to make up for.”

Recovery Girl laughed at the threat and waddled away. Shouta and Hizashi both stood up, ready to make the short journey back home and just rest together. Shouta needed to buy Hizashi CDs and whatever takeout he wanted for the next month for putting up with him. 

His mind idly went back to Phantom. Shouta still worried about him but he would make due on his promise to give the boy time. Phantom had his number and address after all. He will come to him when he’s ready and not because he’s forced to. This would be alright.

~🥇~

Only principal Nezu and Toshinori were left in the room. So much has happened in the last hour that Toshinori was still trying to screw his head back on. Not only had he been reunited with his former sidekick (an event he’d thought he’d never live to see), but he had learned so much about Phantom than he had ever hoped before.

Guilt weld up inside him when he thought of the young boy. He was another one of All For One’s victims but at the same time it was hard to look past the family resemblance. Toshinori had to remember that the first user was All For One’s own brother and was just as much a victim as the boy. Still, it was hard to separate the two of them. Phantom attacking Endeavor just complicated matters. 

Before, he could almost imagine the boy as a little kid in the corner of a cell, scared of every outside noise and face. But now? Now Toshinori knew that wasn’t the case. Everytime he thinks of Phantom he sees the cell’s bars pulled and blasted apart like a violent criminal escaping. Adding in his unstable nature, he was a bomb about to explode. 

Toshinori was worried for Aizawa as well. While they weren’t overly friendly, they were still colleagues (he even tried to get closer to the hero but with little success). The hero had gotten too attached over someone who could so easily hurt him. Phantom had already hurt him, but he was still so intent on saving him. It went beyond what a normal teacher would do for a child, let alone a child who wasn’t even his student. Aizawa wasn’t a normal teacher though. When he saw a kid, he accepted that kid as his responsibility and would do anything it took to save them, even at the cost of his life. It was such an obvious cry for help and projection of his own failures. 

Toshinori had heard Aizawa lost a friend when he was barely older than young Midoriya. That’s why Aizawa had to try so hard for his students, even at the cost of everything. 

“What are you really planning with Phantom?” Toshinori asked principal Nezu. He was almost scared to say it. 

He couldn’t help but question the principal’s motives. He kept too many secrets hidden, even with people who were concerned or who needed to know. Perhaps it came from the paranoia and fear that he’ll end up on the dissection table again. 

Nezu had his back to him and was organizing papers on his desk. He turned around and still held onto that smile that had only ever dropped a few times, but his eyes were completely blank and had a manic edge to them. Toshinori had seen that look many times and it never failed to unnerve him. 

“What am I planning?” Principal Nezu said in a sing-song voice, “I’m going to have him take down the Commission, of course!”

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Chapter 28: Part 1: What They Don't Know

Summary: The Commission react to the Danny & Endeavor fight

Word Count: 3039

“What was that?!” Ms. Makoto yelled across the table at Eraserhead. She really had lost all decorum. 

Keigo couldn’t blame her exactly. A lot of pressure was placed on her since it was her job to actually deal with Phantom. Not only that but with the heroes being attacked last night and now this, the commission were doing everything they could from getting the story out. How would the public react if not one, not two, not even three but four pro heroes got taken down, one of them being the #2 hero no less. They may have the luxury of hiding behind Phantom being a group, but how long will that last? So many N.D.As had been signed already. Panic will spread one way or another, right now it was all about controlling when.

“Can you be more specific?” Eraserhead dodged the question. He didn’t even look phased. Phantom put him in quite the state. With one hit he easily shattered Eraserhead’s nose and left him with two black eyes. Good thing he has that old lady to run back to.

“You know what I mean,” Ms. Makoto tried to sound more authoritative than she actually was, “What were you and Phantom talking about.”

“I was asking him to surrender.” He answered simply. 

Keigo hadn’t arrived on scene until both Endeavor and Eraserhead were loaded onto a stretcher. It was a bittersweet feeling to see your childhood idol being so thoroughly beaten. Keigo had gotten used to most feelings so he was able to push it back. 

He only got a brief explanation on what happened along with the others, baring a few details of course. He was also told that all the surveillance tapes in the area got corrupted, not that the Commission would let him see them if they weren’t. They were strangely secretive about Phantom, more so than any of Keigo’s previous targets. In was in part to the tapes that they even had to do this meeting. As it was now, they had no idea what happened between Eraserhead and Phantom aside from the reports. Having said that, doing it like this solved nothing and only caused more problems. 

“Why didn’t you use your quirk on him?” Ms. Makoto grit out between clenched teeth. It was a valid and most obvious question. Keigo stopped playing with one of his feathers and leaned closer in his chair. 

“He punched me in the face,” Eraserhead squinted at her as if to make it clearer, “I couldn’t see him.”

Keigo knew that was bull shit. He had seen the reports about the USJ incident not to mention had studied Eraserhead’s quirk extensively. He had erased quirks with far more damage to his eyes. 

“Why didn’t you attack him then?” The other obvious question. Judging from what he’s been told, Eraserhead put up no resistance to the vigilante, instead allowing himself to be hit. Keigo didn’t think he planned to fight, he didn’t even have his scarf with him. The hero looked almost naked without it. 

“I thought I’d be able to reason with him. He was surrounded. I didn’t know that he could fly.” Eraserhead reasoned. Nothing he said could be proven false and he knew it. 

“Didn’t you read the reports?” Ms. Makoto was on her last nerve. 

“What reports?” For a second there Eraserhead looked smug. 

“The one with Stain!” She blurted out. All too quickly she covered her mouth and turned to the other occupants of the room. They were the same heroes as the ones before when Endeavor made his little exit. Despite them being recruited to hunt down Phantom, the Stain as well as last night's full report were sealed to them. 

“Why would Phantom be in the Stain report?” Eraserhead asked, “I thought Endeavor took him down.” 

He knew, of course he knew. It was his three students that were attacked by Stain after all. 

“Uh yes. He did.” Ms. Makoto tried to fix her hair, “Of course he did. I just mean that it overlapped with the Nomu incident, that's all.”

“I don’t recall flight being mentioned in those reports,” Eraserhead said casually, “I’d have to look those over again, I apologize.” 

He had her and she knew it. Keigo smiled and Ms. Makoto’s head shot towards him. They held each other's gazes until he let go. It wasn’t worth it. 

A calm expression crossed her face and she sighed dramatically, “No that won’t be needed anymore. You are removed from the case, hereby immediately.”

All the other heroes looked around at each other confused. Even Keigo wasn’t prepared for that. Sir Nighteye stood up.

“Ms. Makoto, surely you don’t mean that,” he gestured at Eraserhead, “He is a vital piece in capturing Phantom, what with how many quirks there are. It would be foolish to let him go.” 

“Quirks?” He turned her gaze to him, “What do you mean ‘quirks?’”

“Doesn’t each member of Phantom have a powerful quirk? What else would I mean?”

Keigo couldn’t hide his smile from slipping once more. Ms. Makoto didn’t even challenge him on it. She just looked stressed now. Looks like someone was gonna get a stern talking to later.

“Yes, you’re right,” she tried to laugh it off but nobody bought it, “What else would I mean.” 

She fell into her chair and drank from the bottle on her desk. A tense air filled the tiny room as each hero watched her. Mirko glared at her angrily, one of her feet thumping the ground. Clearly, she did not like having information withheld from her.

“I understand your concerns, Sir Nighteye, but rest assured we’ll be able to capture Phantom just fine. We can’t afford to have that kind of hesitation when dealing with this menace. I’m afraid Eraserhead is still off the team.” She turned to him, “Eraserhead, make sure to leave your tracker at the door and we’ll have security escort you out.”

“I can find my way out,” Eraserhead protested. He bowed and placed the device on the table, walking calmly out. 

“You cannot be serious!” Sir Nighteye shouted, “Do you not understand how large of a threat Phantom is? He-” Sir Nighteye coughed, “They just took out Endeavor! Do you really think a team as small as this is able to handle that?!”

Keigo’s mouth ticked. Did he know too? How and for how long? Had he seen something with Phantom? No, he had to have come into contact with him for his quirk to work and he would’ve said something. Wouldn’t he? Sir Nighteye was All Might’s sidekick, perhaps he got the information from UA, but there was no way to confirm that. Keigo hated how UA interfered with the investigation. They hadn’t even made any obvious moves their people were everywhere. Eraserhead had shown more loyalty to the Commission in the past, but it was clear that was false. He didn’t even know why Ms. Makoto would let him on the case in the first place.  

“I assure you, I understand the threat perfectly. That's why I chose you all. I think that you all pose the best threat to Phantom working together.”

“Not with a third of our team gone.” Sir Nighteye bit back.

“If you don’t like it, you can leave.” Ms. Makoto challenged. She did not understand what she just did.

“Very well,” Sir Nighteye fixed his tie and Ms. Makoto smiled, “I will.”

“What?!” She stood up quickly, flinging her chair back. 

“No need to call security, I won’t be a fuss,” Sir Nighteye placed his tracker on the table and walked out briskly, clearly chasing down Eraserhead. 

Awkward silence filled the room once more. All that was left were the three heroes and Ms. Makoto’s assistant in the room. Mirko looked on the brink of attacking the lady that was meant to guide them while Ragdoll just looked concerned. 

“This is a bit too much for me,” Ragdoll blurted out. She still had her smile on, it was just more nervous than the eternal toy one. “If we maybe had more members or given more information, maybe we could do it, but as it is now…?”

She bowed and placed her tracker on the table as well, quickly leaving the room. Keigo couldn’t help it as he burst out laughing. Oh they didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell now.

“What the hell is this?!” Mirkio couldn’t stand it any longer and stood up slamming her hand on the table. Ms. Makoto slouched back into her chair. 

“That is the trash taking itself out, I suppose,” She waved her off.

“Oh no! You do NOT get to take that attitude with me, lady! Those are heroes you just insulted!” Mirkio looked around the room, a confused and disgusted look on her face, “Why is nobody reacting? We just lost our best chance at taking down Phantom and you look like you’re at lunch.” She started pointedly at Keigo. 

“We can get other members, that was never the issue,” Ms. Makoto waved her off.

“Then please,” Mirkio said sickly sweet, “What is the issue?”

“Information.” She stated simply. Mirkio sat back down and glared at her.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that,” the sarcasm was clear in her voice.

Ms. Makoto sighed once more, “We were waiting for more data and results before we told you all, but I suppose now is really no time to be secretive about it.”

Another wave of tense air spread through the room. Was she really gonna tell Mirkio? Honestly, Keigo was surprised they didn’t tell anyone at the last meeting, but that was the Commission for you. Everything had to be a secret, if they tell you one thing there’s gonna be way more they’re hiding. 

“This goes beyond a simple vigilante case, what I’m about to tell you could affect everything we know about quirks,” she let her words hang in the air and marinate. 

Keigo put his feather down. He was well aware of Phantom true numbers possible ties to the league, but that was it. He had heard rumors, of course. It was his job to hear rumors. Nothing concrete, just the vague whispers of a powerful villain and his spawn. A kid with a rotten dad and a powerful quirk wanting to be a hero. It would be more tragic if it wasn’t so predictable. No matter how much he investigated or poked they wouldn’t give him the information. Who could it be to keep it all hush-hush? 

“Miriko,” Mirkio’s head snapped to Ms. Makoto, “If you want out now, do it. Past this point it’s no longer a matter of losing your license if you leave, but relocation.”

 Keigo didn’t mention how she didn’t say his name. Mirkio sat and thought for a moment, her head clearly balancing the risks and the rewards. Information was powerful and if they went against Phantom they would need all the power they can get. 

A stressed expression took over her features, “What if we don’t end up catching Phantom? What if we end up like Endeavor or the other heroes?”

“If that is to happen, the Commission will take responsibility. You will bear no consequences. We understand your concerns, this is more about not wanting the information to get out.”

Another thoughtful expression crossed her face before she finally answered, “Alright, fine. I’ll do it,” She looked like she swallowed something sour. 

“I knew you were a good choice,” Ms. Makoto smiled and Keigo felt the need to barf. 

Ms. Makoto looked over at her assistant and she nodded in turn, handing her another folder. Ms. Makoto slid it across the table to Miriko and she cautiously opened it. She started reading it when her eyes widened, setting the folder down and looked at the others in the room in shock and horror.

“It’s only one kid?” She asked, her voice quiet. 

“Indeed,” Ms. Makoto began setting up the projector from last time.

“But that would mean…” Miriko trailed off, “How?”

That was the question on Keigo’s mind since he found out as well. He had his own theories of course. Phantom revealed himself the same night as the Nomu’s, it wasn't hard to make a connection between the two. The only difference between them was that Phantom appeared more stable and was able to talk, at least for now. 

“That is information even myself is not competely privy to.” of course she didn’t know. 

Ms. Makoto pulled some images on the screen. All of them were composite sketches of Phantom, but each one had varying facial features. The only constant detail was the color of eyes and his white hair. 

“As you can see we don’t even know what he looks like,” she pointed to the pictures, “we think he has a quirk that affects people's perception of him or that is the result of another quirk he has.”

“How many quirks does he have?” Miriko asked, confusion in her tone at trying to process the information. 

“We don’t know,” she turned to the next slide with information about Phantom’s theorized quirks, “This is what we’ve seen but it could be more. Endeavor hasn’t been able to report anything new for obvious reasons.”

“And the Commission still believes we can stop,” Miriko gestures at the projection, “This?!”

“Not without support,” Ms. Makoto turned to her assistant who was holding a metal briefcase. Keigo recognised the shape of it. There was a weapon in there. 

Now he was invested. He fully sat up in his chair, discarding the feather to join the others. 

“As I mentioned last time, the ice Phantom left behind as well as the radiation matched something in our archives,” she went to the next slide which showed an atomic model of something. It was labeled ‘ecto-ranium.’

“We believe this is how we can take down Phantom. His ice was not able to be chipped at or melted by normal means, but when our scientists used picks coated with ecto-ranium it was like normal ice,”

This Keigo did not know. He wondered if this had any similarities with Ectoplasm's quirk since they both were of similar material. He had heard that the hero’s clones were resistant and even corrosive to some types of metal, similar to what happened with Phantom and Stain’s sword. How effective would this ecto-ranium be against someone like him?

“Since that discovery, the scientists have been working on other ways to harness this material to take down Phantom,” She opened the briefcase. 

In it looked to be an ordinary gun, if a bit small. It was a silver color and faintly glowed, beside it were 3 bright green bullets. 

“This is one of the results,” Ms. Makoto put on a pair of latex gloves and held up one of the bullets. “This is no mere bullet, but rather a tranquilizer. It is designed to interrupt the flow of Phantom’s ectoplasm quirk that his body is made up of.”

“Made of- wha?” Miriko looked puzzled but suddenly a flash of anger went across her face, “No way, we can’t do that, that will kill him!” she shouted.

Even Keigo had a twisting feeling in his stomach. His feathers started bristling despite him not meaning in. He had to keep it in. Phantom wasn’t a person, he wasn’t even a kid, he was a target. And unless Keigo wanted to take his place, he had to do as he was ordered, no matter how he felt. 

“It’s entirely non lethal. Each bullet only holds enough to stun him and inhibit him using that quirk, in all forms. That should make him easier to handle and then capture. Think of it as a tourniquet to stop bleeding. The effects will only be temporary.”

“Still, you can’t be serious!” Mirkio jumped up from her seat again, “He’s just a kid, you’re talking about taking him out as if he were a wild animal!” she looked over at Keigo, “you have to see how fucked up this is?!” 

Keigo sighed, “All I see is a villain that needs to be taken down. He’s already proven to be a threat,” he looked at her in the eyes trying to look somber, “just look at what he did to Endeavor? To Eraserhead? He didn’t even attack him and Phantom just punched him. He’s too unpredictable to let him free…”

A horrified expression took over his fellow hero’s face and she back away, “No,” she shook her head, “this is wrong, this is-”

“What we have to do.” Keigo finished.

“Did you forget the terms, Miriko?” Ms. Makoto spoke up and Miriko’s head snapped to hers, “If you don’t agree, you will have to be relocated.”

“I thought you said that the Commission will understand if we can’t do it?” She looked frantic. 

“No, that is for if you fail to capture Phantom or are hurt in the process. The Commission holds no reservations about keeping you quiet if you leave now.”

“So I really have no choice?” Miriko laughed and it sounded small and pathetic. She fell back into her chair. 

“I’m afraid not,” Ms. Makoto shook her head. 

Miriko held her face in her hands, forcing herself to come to terms with what she must do. “I can’t believe this…”

Keigo had his own reservations. He knew what had to be done though and what that meant for Phantom. He was serious when he said he thought Phantom should become a hero. Not only was his display of quirks powerful, but the Commission could have concocted a sob story about how he always wanted to be a hero and the like. It wouldn’t be hard to take his ‘brothers’ out of the equation either. They would’ve created the perfect hero, a face loved by the people and a dagger to use in their pocket. It was the best outcome for the boy since Keigo knew that UA wouldn’t be able to handle him. He’d be under the Commission's thumb but at least he wouldn’t be rotting in a cell somewhere or worse. 

But now with Endeavor? Well, there’s no use having a puppet you can’t control.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Memes for "Asleep In The Keep" part 3!

Memes: Stain Video, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Spoilers for chapters 20-27

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Chapter 27: I’m Undefeatable! I’m Thriving!

Summary: Danny is a magnet for trouble, but unfortunately for trouble, he needs to blow off some steam.

Word count: 6419

The night air had always healed something in Danny. Being close to the stars, no matter how visible they were, was comforting to him. When he was younger he wanted to get lost in the stars, to reach his fingers out and touch the galaxy. Now that Danny can, he wishes he was back in his room still dreaming about it instead. 

Still, when people fail you, the stars are always there.

He flew around without any purpose, letting the clouds run through his fingertips. He was weightless and had no more burdens. He was his own person up here and no one could take that away unless they shot him down. This is how things should be.

He didn’t know what to do now. Apparently, this ‘commission,’ whatever they were, knew where he stayed so he couldn’t go back. He didn’t need to sleep but it was nice having a place that he could pretend was his. Fortunately, he didn’t leave much behind except for the rabbit cookies (may they rest in peace). 

In another world, it could’ve been nice staying with Ma. Maybe. He had really wanted to trust him, but how could he after he lied to him, that he pretended to accept Danny? After he tore apart the cafe, there was no judgment or disgust in Ma's eyes, only concern. It hurt knowing that was fake. It was Vlad all over again. Danny was so hungry for a mentor that he let himself get manipulated. Nothing has changed since then. Danny didn’t want to get hurt anymore.

God he was so stupid! Adults are always like that. They don’t care unless it benefits them. Danny didn’t even feel sad, he just felt angry. The man acted like he knew Danny– knew what he’s been through. For a second Danny almost believed him. They had the same eyes. But now? Now Danny knows he’s alone. Maybe this was always meant to be. 

Ghosts have a loneliness about them. It made sense. If they were ever happy or at peace they would be able to move on. Danny didn’t like to think about the world Dan created, but he remembers that the Lunch Lady and the Box Ghost weren’t there. He has a theory that they passed away, their remaining ectoplasm swirling together to create Lunch Box. She still existed in time somewhere, being raised by the yetis in the Far Frozen. He knows her parents visit her, even if they weren’t the same ones she was formed from. They were all still around to his knowledge. They may love each other, but even love can’t fully heal you, it just helps you pick up some pieces. Someday he hopes all three of them will be able to move on together. Maybe that already happened. 

Time existed all together in the Ghost Zone. Maybe he should start calling it by its true name; the Infinite Realms. The more he learned about it, the more ghosts seemed like such a small part. There were so many worlds within worlds and you never knew where a portal could take you. It could be to a time lost long ago or a future not yet imagined. Danny has had his fill of those worlds, fighting Vlad and hoping timelines to do it. He just wants one of them to lead him back home, whatever it may look like now. 

And there was that feeling again, the smallness of himself in comparison to all of reality. It would all be okay because he didn’t matter. He had completed his purpose in life by defeating the Ghost King. Now he was free to do whatever he wanted. He had all of infinity to feel bad for himself or eventually even happy. If that's true, there was no reason for him to hold back from his feelings. He could feel whatever he wanted, however violently he wanted, and know that it will eventually be in the past. 

But that didn’t help at all. He could overthink and try to rationalize it, but it didn’t stop the hurt Danny had now. The truth is he wanted to hold onto it, he wanted it to curl inside him and make him feel alive again. He was so sick of this intangible in-between that he had made himself act out. 

He had no idea what he was even doing. Getting a job? Making connections? Look how that turned out. Those will never bring back his old self again, no matter how much he wanted it to. Danny had thought that he had accepted that he was dead, but turns out he was just avoiding it. Was that what the other ghosts were doing? Kitty and Johnny always had a habit of pulling others into their relationship drama. Maybe that was their way of being real, of pretending they had friends they could vent to rather than the obvious truth. It’s not very common that two souls are bonded like theirs, but even that isn’t enough to make you feel alive again. Ember was probably the best example of this. Her whole obsession was for people to simply remember her, no matter what it took. At first Danny thought she was just a big headed ex pop-star, but now he sees what it truly was. 

There will be a time in history when your name is spoken for the last time. When that happens you truly are dead. 

Having someone, a living someone, say your name was like proof of your existence. It said someone loved me enough to give it to me and used to call me that everyday. As a ghost, that's as close as you can get to someone touching you and you feeling it. It had been so long since Danny even heard his name that he didn’t know if he could recognize it if called. Being called Danny would be like being called back home. But he was Phantom now, now and until forever. As much as ghosts wanted to be called by their name, they never shared it with anyone. Even Ember’s name was an epithet. As great as it was to be called by your name, it was only the high before the numbness set in. 

Danny wants to be a human again so badly. He wants to have people call his name with no hesitation and look at him with care and glee. He wants to be caught falling asleep during class and his name getting yelled out in front of everyone. He wants his sister and friends to ask him if he’s okay while using his name. They say that everyone uses your name but you, but that wasn’t true anymore. His name would only be used by him in the dark cold corners of solitude. 

“Danny…” He whispered, but the air blew it away as he flew. He had to make sure he could even pronounce it still.

Danny settled on a ledge somewhere. The sun had completely set by now but people still walked below him carrying on with their lives. Danny let himself become real again and let go of his invisibility and intangibility. He wanted to be seen, he wanted to be touched. Instead, he only felt the coldness of himself, and even then he had to concentrate to feel it. 

He had flown off most of his anger and pain, but he could still feel it in his core. He left it there to smooth and polish like a pearl. Danny reached under his hazmat suit where he stored the folder and card. He looked at the card first, the only name on it being ‘Eraserhead’. That was probably Ma's hero name. Danny had no clue what that meant. Maybe he could put his forehead down to paper and use it as an eraser. Maybe it was supposed to be a threat saying that he’ll ‘erase’ people with his power. 

Neither of those things fit him but Danny though the former was the funniest. A small smile stretched the corners of his mouth despite himself. He forced them back down. 

The only other things written on that was an address and a phone number. The number was of no use to him since his phone was on his corpse. Danny stared at the address. He had gotten used to some of the street names by now and he thinks he’s even flown by there before. 

Danny had nowhere to go now. It was like those nights he didn’t want to go home, but didn’t want to bother Sam or Tucker either. He no longer needed a place, the only reason he stayed at the shack was to play house. 

Danny looked at the card again, a bitter feeling twisting inside him. He held it over the ledge and slowly burned it with his ectoplasm. The green flame traveled up the card, curling the paper under the heat and turning it to ash. It crumpled between his two fingers and blew away like his name on the air. He didn’t need anything now.

He should do the same to the folder, but curiosity got the better of him. Danny started to flick through the pages. The hero was big, possibly rivaling his own dad. His costume looked cool, but with his face he looked more like a villain. Bearded flames hid half his face from view and he had a very sour impression as if challenging the photographer. In a way he looked like Dan.

Danny glared at the profile, already deciding his distaste. Ma also left some personality notes on the man which did not help further his appeal. Hot headed and arrogant with enough ambition to make up for it. He had held the number 2 spot for the last 20 years. He was fixed at that spot even as the #1 was seen less and less. #1 must’ve been powerful. 

In a brief paragraph it mentioned Endeavor's family. His wife had been in a psych ward for the last few years leaving their 3 kids alone with that man. There used to be 4, but the eldest died before she was admitted. There wasn’t a lot of information on the kids themselves except the youngest. It just stated that he was in school to become a hero.

‘Wonder if he knows Deku,’ Danny idly thought. He skimmed a few pages looking at his gear and quirk. His quirk, while not that interesting in the grand scheme of things, was very versatile. In one of the notes he apparently used it to melt the side of a building and run on the walls. That was an image. 

He was a fast and heavy hitter and used his strength to overwhelm whatever was standing in his way. Danny’s met a few ghosts like that and he was sure some of them would describe him the same way. 

He got bored of the file not long after and was pent up again. Danny crumpled it up and burned it too, tossing it over the side before it became ash. Displayed on the building across from his was a bright advertisement of a hero selling shampoo. All around him were heroes, and yet Danny rather be as far away as possible. This world kind of sucked. 

His mind went back to Ma and the commission. Anger and frustration started coiling in his core again and it was electrified when he thought back to the other heroes in the alley. Flying wouldn’t cool him off again, it barely had last time he was just avoiding the problem. And what was the problem? That answer was simple. 

Danny was the problem. He had been the problem. In a world of heroes, he was the only freak among them. Even in his own world he was a freak, even before he died. Everywhere he went it was like people had an instinct to hate him. 

No, that wasn’t completely true. There had been a few who accepted him for what he was. Jazz, Sam and Tucker had always been there for him. He should’ve been there for them more, it was just at the time he thought he had until forever to do so. Now it was all gone. 

He missed them. He needed them. He was so lonely in this world. Deku was nice, but there was only so much he could tell him. Not only that but he doesn’t want to drag him into Danny’s problems. He knew that if he went back to the boy’s house, both him and his mother would open their arms to him and let him stay. He couldn’t do that to them though, not soon after would he be hunted down and hurt them in the process. 

If he had gone with Ma, he might have had a fighting chance. But how could he trust him? Even worse, how could Danny trust himself? Even as the man was twisting the knife, Danny wanted to accept his offer. 

Danny could only think about home, like a bull seeing red. He needed to get back there. It was the only place he felt safe. He flew back to the portal like a jet. He didn’t care who was there, he would fight them off. He just wanted to go home. 

Danny landed on one of the buildings over the alley. Even from here he could taste the ectoplasm in the air. His core humming and harmonizing with it, making him almost dizzy. An orange light illuminated the alley below and Danny recognized the figure. Rage surged through him and Danny grabbed the edging. 

Below him was Endeavor. 

How dare any hero, let alone the #2 hero be anywhere near his portal. Hadn’t they hunted him enough today? The hero just stood there, not knowing his very presence was an insult to the ground on which he stood. Danny gripped the side harder, causing rubble to fall down. 

The hero looked up and made eye contact with Danny, a brief look of fear took over his features before anger and determination washed it off. Danny wouldn’t have a repeat of last time.

Danny pounced before the other got the chance. 

🔥~

Endeavor was enraged. How dare those punks at the commission tell him what to do. Phantom was a villain. Endeavor took care of villains. It was just one measly kid, not the gang that the public thought him to be. Endeavor had probably fought villains far stronger than Phantom, and was out numbered too. It was nothing he wasn’t able to handle. 

Makoto and her assistant tried to take the tracker from him and remove him from the case. It was easy to call their bluff. He threatened to crush the device right in front of them. He wouldn’t let something as useless as that get in the way of him and Phantom. Makoto tried to stare him down but failed just as she had the other times. She let him through. She had no real control of him, just another office lackey barking up a tree. 

Endeavor first went straight to the shack. Supposedly, Phantom had been living here since Hosu, but all traces were scrubbed clean. Hosu. Just thinking about it made Endeavor’s blood boil. 

Hosu had been a complete failure. Endeavor may have gotten the credit for taking down Stain, but it twisted a knife in his pride knowing the truth. He had gone to Hosu to bring that villain to justice, but had that ribbed away from him, let alone by a child no less. It was salt in the wound. Not to mention that he was the only thing Shoto talked about after the incident. That and that Midoriya boy. 

There was something else there that Endeavor couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge and that was fear. It wasn’t towards Phantom’s skill in of itself, but rather his aura when he took down the Nomu. It kept Endeavor rooted to the spot in a way nothing else had before. It was like death itself.

No, worse than that. It was everything he hated. He saw all his shortcomings wrapped into one being. His lack of power, his inability to save Shoto, his failure as a hero. In the monster's white hair he even saw Toya. 

That was why he had to capture Phantom. His resolve wavered that day but it wouldn’t now. He had to prove to himself that he would be unrelenting.

In the meeting, they had mentioned the possibility that Phantom had been looking for something. Endeavor thinks he’s figured out where it was. The what was of no importance to him, not unless it could help Endeavor defeat him. When the heroes encountered Phantom last night, he was doing something in the alley. They had no way of telling what, but there had to be a reason he lingered and fought so hard when all the other times he ran away. 

After he was done with the shack, he went there to investigate. The alley was just as shrubbed as the shack, but there lingered a strange sensation in the air where it wasn’t present before. Endeavor put on a protective mask that he got from one of his other suits to keep out the radiation. He wasn’t planning on staying long. He suspected Phantom might be around the air, protecting whatever it was he was hiding, but the chance of seeing him here was slim. Not even 24 hours ago he had his head blown off right where Endeavor stood. He would stay away for a few days if he knew what's good for him. 

Nothing stood out to Endeavor in that tight space. Whatever Phantom was looking for was well hidden or small. It could be disguised as something as insignificant as a rock. Endeavor knows Phantom didn’t have it, otherwise he would’ve left as soon as the heroes showed up. There was also the possibility that it wasn’t a thing but a code or some other piece of a puzzle. Endeavor checked the graffiti or anything else that could have been such a thing.

He crouched down to inspect the small crater Phantom left before he was attacked by the heroes when he heard something above him. Small pebbles hit his head and when Endeavor looked up all he could see were two green eyes in the darkness. 

That same overwhelming feeling overwhelmed and attacked him. It was like he was being taken back in time to when humans were being hunted by their food. He tried to wipe it off but he could still feel it shake in his bones like a cold wet day. 

Suddenly, the thing leapt from the ledge and was coming right toward Endeavor. All thought left him as he stared into the thing’s hollow green eyes, he couldn’t tear his gaze away. Despite his flames, he couldn’t see the thing’s body, just the green surrounded by a void of inky darkness. Endeavor’s feet were rooted to the spot and he watched in slow motion as the thing lit up its fists in the same green and punched him. Hard. 

Endeavor had no time to react as the force threw him several feet, flinging him to the otherside of the alley. His back hit the wall and he could hear something crack. He wasn’t sure if that was his body or the wall behind him. 

Now, all light was sucked from the alley, the only light being the things eye’s and fists. Even Endeavor’s flames cowered before the threat, although he still felt their heat inside him. He knew those eyes, in a manner of speaking. He had spent hours reading about them in reports, going over every bit of information and detail to find the villains weaknesses. 

So this was Phantom? He had only seen him one time before, but not like this. Back then, he didn’t play this dirty trick. He let himself be seen. A part of Endeavor trembled at the memory looking into the villains eyes. It wasn’t different now except that it was solely concentrated on Endeavor. He felt like an ant under a magnifying glass getting burned. 

Endeavor had to get up. He wouldn’t let this brat best him. Not again. With less ease then he would’ve liked, he stood up, bracing his back to the wall. Endeavor put on his most menacing face and he glared up at Phantom, the villain floating above him like at Hosu. ‘Come down and face me like a man,’ a small part of thought. 

He leaned away from the wall, trusting his feet to support him, and settled into a fighting stance. He rotated his neck, popping a few bones back into place.

“Thanks for revealing yourself,” Endeavor put all of his might into his words, “Saved me the trouble of hunting you down.” He pressed his thumb to the side of one of his nostrils and blew out a wad of blood. He couldn’t even see it land but it made a wet sound on the ground. “Now I can take you out here and now, Phantom.” He said the name like a slur. 

“̶̛͓̂͛I̸̗̪̊̾̕ ̷̧͛̈́w̴̼͆͒̉̔à̷̯͠n̷͓͕̰͕̾͂́̎ţ̸͒́̂ ̶̮̻̿̈́ỳ̵̭̬̬̈͆̈́ŏ̴͎̺͈̏͆u̶̢̦͍̜͂̅ ̷̝̮̘͂̋́t̴̢͇̽̈́o̸͙̘̯̍̽̋͊.̸͓͔̤͉̈́̌̄ ̵̙͇͌̇̅̀Į̴̃̔́ ̷̭͉̈̓́w̶̤͈͉̑͐̓̈́a̶̡̨̲͐n̷͚͗͐̄t̴̂̈́͋̌ͅ ̶̖̟͖̲̓̀ÿ̸͖́o̵̜͉͊͂̑ͅu̴͖͖̟͌͝ ̵̥̗̳͋͂͘͘t̵͎̮̫̃͌̔̕o̵̹̹̺͛̀͝͝ ̸̤̓̅̃̊g̶̨̨̿̀̓͝ͅḙ̵̣̦͕̃ṯ̷̣̒ ̸̥͔̌̌̎a̷̳̜̬̽̔ș̶̡̡̿͆̚͜ ̶̱͊̉͠c̴̩̭̬̜͗͘l̶̢͚̯͌͘ò̸͙s̸̹̺̰̘̅̇̆̚e̴̩͔͉̓ ̶̡̛̯͓͓̅͂́a̴͇̦͖̫̓s̴͎̦͍̖̋͂̑̓ ̶̳͘y̵̡͌̊͘ọ̶̔̔̇ű̵͕̃͒ ̴̳̮̹̈́̈́̓̅c̴̹̼̫̅́͒ȧ̸͍́̋̀n̵͕͚͍͕̐͛͝.̵̯͉͔́͑̀ ̶̯̙̥̼͌̓̋̒I̸͎̯̿ ̵̲͙̞̂̐̄̚w̸̪̯̽a̸͕̓́̈̕ṉ̵̪͊̀̎t̵͎̲͓̀͌̒͂ ̸͈̹̿͑̚y̴̩͐̎͗́o̸̧͖͓͊́̆u̴̡̲͆̏͝ ̶͇̃̇͆̈t̴̪͉̱̒̚o̸̮̥̖͖̿̔͝ ̶͍̻͐t̸̳͓͚̀͐̆̇r̷͓̂ȳ̸̯̲̠.̵͔͎̼͇̓̾”̶̜̼͚͗͌͜

The voice made Endeavor’s ears ring. It was worse than nails on a chalkboard and more distorted than static. It left a dry metallic taste in his mouth like lightning was about to strike.

He had to strike now before the thing moved. He felt his flames burn hotter, but even that wasn’t enough to illuminate the alley. He plunges it in the direction of Phantom’s body with a battle-cry. His fists make contact, but the villain's body feels strange. It was more like punching into wet concrete than solid flesh. He finally saw his flames but they were different. Upon contact, they turned green, matching the same toxic color as the villains eyes and fists. What was he? Such a thing could no longer be called human. 

He tried to find the outline of Phantom’s body, but the longer he stared the more dizzy he felt. Endeavor's eyes started playing tricks on him as the corner of his sight began to swirl and spiral like shapes haunted his periphery. 

An ickiness overtook his body as he stared at the shapes. It was like spiders were crawling under his skin trying to get out. Endeavor tried to move his arm back from Phantom’s body, but something wet gripped him, holding him in. Phantom’s face moved closer to his and Endeavor was stuck looking into the villains eyes unable to look away. They looked like they were smiling. 

Suddenly, Phantom’s body started to move and writhe around Endeavor’s fist, the sensation like if his hand was stuck in a pool of eels. He would’ve screamed or yelled if he had any air left in his throat.  

Endeavor's heart beat heavily in his chest, each thud feeling like an earthquake. Since the activation of his quirk he felt cold for the first time. The sensation passed and Phantom was on the other side of him, that look still in his eyes. He liked to see Endeavor squirm. 

For the first time since the opening attack, Phantom raised one of his arms, the sickly green glowing brighter and in the direction of Endeavor. Endeavor didn’t even have time to inhale before the plasma blast hit him in the chest and sent him rolling again, his body sliding and scraping on the concrete. 

No where in the reports did it mention Phantom having these quirks. Had he been hiding them all this time? Why not use them until now? In a fight, regardless of if you were a hero or villain, you had to use anything at your disposal, no matter how dirty. Of course, heroes were judged on if they used too much force or damaged too much property, but villains weren’t held back by such rules. 

A swell of pride entered Endeavor’s chest. As much as he may have feared Phantom, Phantom was just as scared of him. Even when the other heroes blew off his head he did not use these quirks. Only Endeavor and Endeavor alone was a threat enough for Phantom. 

Confidence swelled in his chest and melted the ice. He stopped shaking and Endeavor finally had control over his limbs. He could win.  

He got up and charged Phantom before he could shoot another blast. His fist hit the villain's strange body and his flames changed color again. Endeavor didn’t stop hitting him, pulling his fist to strike again before it could latch onto him. Phantom’s body shook back and forth with each strike, his eyes getting a blur effect from the movement and speed. Endeavor could even see his past strikes still light up Phantom’s torso due to the friction. 

This was strangely familiar. Despite all his hits, Phantom didn’t seem to be taking any damage. It was like the Nomu’s back in Hosu. Was he really one of them? They had both escaped from the same time and they had learned more about those things since then. He was right, Phantom wasn’t human anymore. 

Still, with those Nomu’s all he had to do was hit them harder! 

“Flashfire Fist Hell Spider!” Endeavor yelled out his attack, this time aiming for Phantom’s head like the heroes before him. Phantom has a regeneration quirk, but what he read is that when hit on the head with extreme force it causes him to become disoriented before he recovers. 

Sure enough, glowing green erupted from where Phantom’s eyes once sat. Endeavor used that to get closer to the villain and he began his barrage once again, pushing Phantom out of the alley. Phantom was strong but everything has it’s limits, Endeavor knew that better than anybody. 

Light returned to the world and it almost blinded Endeavor. He could finally see his own flames again and he basked in the glow and power of them. He looked down at Phantom a few feet away from him, the goo returning back to his head. He didn’t look real and it was hard to believe such a thing could exist. 

Phantom had recovered now but his floating hair covered his face. Endeavor took a moment to study the villain. He was unlike any foe he had fought if by mere virtue of his physicality. Like all the others, Endeavor would take him down. 

Something caught his eye. Instead of the plain black and white hazmat suit, he donned a Fat Gum sweatshirt. The front had been burned to bits, but the design was clearly one and the same. It had to have been the same one that was tied around his waist in the reports. There was also a report of a strange boy in the area wearing the same one, although that had no leads as of yet. It was such an unimportant detail, but yet it sparked more anger in Endeavor. It was like a mockery of them, a trophy of the hero that he had encountered before and so terrified.

Endeavor charged Phantom again with flame at his fingertips, letting out the heat from his last attack. It was a shame no one was around to witness him defeat Phantom, but it was probably safer that way. It was hard to rein in damage when Endeavor burned like this. 

Endeavor smiled. This would be his finishing blow. He aimed it at Phantom and felt it connect. He yelled as he pushed it harder and harder into him. He knew it wouldn’t be enough to kill the villain, but it would certainly knock him out.

Endeavor felt a hand wrap around his, his flames turning green from the touch. Fear once again landed in Endeavor’s bones as his flames burned brighter. He pushed harder but no matter how hot he burned the hand wouldn’t let go. 

A distorted face appeared in the flame and he got closer to Endeavors. It was like a creature coming out of hell with a halo of green flames at his back. A surge of cold overwhelms him and his flames start to lose their intensity. Finally the face is fully shown and Endeavor can see Phantom clearly. 

He was smiling. 

★~

Endeavor’s attacks were forceful and unrelenting. For the first time Danny was able to feel something other than his own chill. He felt warm, and it felt nice. Each hit that Endeavor landed was like a fresh reminder that he was still real. This is what he had been looking for all this time. He wanted more. 

He couldn’t deny the man was powerful too. He clearly earned his spot as the #2 hero. Had Danny been any less of a freak they might have hurt. A thought clouded his mind as the hero punched him again and again. Was this all they had to offer?

Before him was the near pinnacle of their strength in this world, yet it hardly affected Danny. Was he getting punked? Was this really what he was so afraid of when he came into this world? He thought his luck had finally turned but he could not be more mistaken. He was wrong when he called Stain weak. He wasn’t weak. They all were weak. 

The only reason he was afraid of the heroes before was because they reminded him how much of a freak he was and scared him with his own body.

Danny smiled at the hero, a sick feeling of satisfaction twisted in him when he saw how scared he was. Good. That was what Danny had been feeling for so long now. 

He still wanted to get it out. He wanted to get everything out. He knew there was no way in hell that the hero before him could win or even pose much of a threat to him. Still, he wanted to feel what he was able to do. He wanted to see if he could hurt Danny. 

Endeavor stepped back after the last of his flames sizzled out. His face was pale and his eyes had lost their spark. On his face was no longer the confident or angry expression that he wore instead replaced by one of pure regret.

“Come on,” Danny teased, “I thought I told you to try? Is this all you can do?” 

Danny stepped closer to him and the hero backed up again. He felt like a wolf cornering a deer. He closed the distance and grabbed the hero’s fist. He tried to pull it away but Danny wouldn’t let him. He placed the fist on his torso and looked back up at Endeavor, a smile stretching his face.

“Try again,” he whispered. 

Endeavor pulled back and Danny laughed. He hadn’t laughed in so long. He could almost get addicted to it. He watched Endeavor swallow hard and his face change again from that same fear to desperate rage. 

He raised a fist and set it alight. Excitement filled Danny about what was going to happen. He let Endeavor hit him, but returned it with a hit of his own. He was careful not to go too hard on the hero. It must’ve been too much since it knocked the hero back.

“I really thought you would be stronger than this,” Disappointment was clear in his voice. 

Anger filled the hero’s eyes and he aimed another hit at Danny. It was heavier than the last one and Danny let himself feel the full force of it. The feeling of warmth returned to his chest. 

Danny playfully hit back, not enough to knock him over but hard enough to earn a groan from the hero. It reminded him of his spar with Deku, although he thinks the boy might stand a better chance than Endeavor. If anything, Danny could use this as stress relief. 

He let Endeavor hit him over and over again. By this point Danny’s hoodie had been completely burned away. The man started sweating and it was clear that his body was no longer able to handle the heat of his own quirk. Danny just needed to cool him down. He started returning hits again, this time with ice below his fingers. The hero stopped sweating a little but he was starting to pant. 

Danny punched Endeavor’s stomach trying to get him to cough up more of his fire. Instead the only thing that came out was vomit. Danny jumped back, giving the hero room to breathe. 

After a second he stood up, determination on his face. It was clear he hadn’t given up yet. That’s good. Danny wasn’t finished yet. He watched him slowly start to recover and his breathing even out.

“Do you really think I’d let you win?!” He pointed at Danny, “No, no. I may not be as strong as the #1 hero, but even I could beat scum like you! Even if you do defeat me, you can’t go against all of us!”

He reached to his side and pulled out a walkie-talkie. He showed it off like a gun at Danny. 

“It is cold outside!” Endeavor yelled into the communicator. 

Danny rolled his eyes. He heard that phrase before with the other heroes. That means reinforcements would be coming soon. Maybe this could be a lesson to get them to back off. Danny had to end this quickly… 

Everything went black.

★~

When Danny came too, Endeavor was on the ground with Danny on top of him. He hit the hero over and over again, pushing him deeper into the cracked street. Danny couldn’t stop himself and became lost in the rhythm. He wanted him to get back up so he could do it again. 

“Phantom, stop!” Something pulled on his arm. Reflexives took over and Danny twisted around and punched something in the face. He felt bone crack underneath his fist. He realized all too late who it was and pulled his fist away as if it burned him. Horror and regret spread through his body. 

“He’s down... Just stop.” The voice was muffled and tired. 

“Ma?” Danny forced the words out of his throat. They were as thick as bile and he wanted to swallow it back down. He started trembling, realizing what he had just done and what was around him. 

Ma’s eyes widened and a shocked smile spread across his face. “Yeah,” he said, “Ma.”

His senses finally returned and pain like no other shot inside him. He really was a monster. Thoughts crashed and coursed through Danny’s head like a riptide and complicated emotions rose up to the surface. He looked down at the hero before him. He didn’t look like an enemy, he just looked like a man.

“I thought I said not to call me Phantom,” He tried to say it like a joke, something for them to laugh at rather than the tense air between them right now. Instead he sounded like a kid disappointed for the first time. 

The hero was clutching his nose and blood dripped onto the concrete. Danny wanted to look away but some unknown force kept his head in place. He started shaking even harder. He had done that. He looked at Endeavor on the ground, beaten into submission. Was he really capable of this kind of brutality? 

“You know I can't do that,” Ma huffed. He was on one of his knees, but pushed himself up to face Danny. His arms lowered to his sides to show he was empty handed, he didn’t even have the scarf around his neck. A gentle smile spread across his face despite the blood. 

“I can still help you,” Ma said. There was no judgment in his voice. Danny wanted to break down in front of him, but all around them more heroes were showing up. Gazes full of murder all honed in on Danny. He deserved it too. 

“How?” Danny gestured at the crowd around them. He really fucked up this time. Why did he go so overboard? He knew Endeavor wasn’t a threat to him, he just couldn’t stop. He even hurt Ma. The man may have hurt Danny, but he didn’t deserve that. 

Danny looked at his hands, the white gloves stained with red. He wasn’t sure if it was from Ma or the hero beneath him. He just wanted everything to stop. He looked back at Ma. Blood was oozing down his face and he looked unstable. Danny reached out to him when something shot at him. It was an inch from his fingertips. It was a warning shot but rage filled him that they would shoot in the direction of one of their own. Danny looked around for the culprit, his eyes zeroing in on a cowboy in a mask. Danny felt anger rise in his throat again. 

“Come with me,” Ma’s voice brought him back. He tried to keep his tone steady but his eyes betrayed him, showing ill hidden desperation. “I can talk them down. They’re just scared.”

And that was it. Scared. Danny had given them every reason to be afraid. Every time they attacked him, he hit them harder. Didn’t they think he was just scared too? He was just a kid but they looked at him as if he were a monster. 

‘You are a monster,’ a voice sang in his ear, ‘look what you’ve done. You stopped being a kid a long time ago.’

“I can’t.” His voice sounded pathetic and like a child’s, “Just give me some time. I-” Danny paused not knowing what to say. Another shot rang out and missed him. It wasn’t safe here, for him or Ma. So long as he was here they would keep shooting.

“You were right,” Ma breathed out. He looked to be on the edge of consciousness, “I don’t know you, but I would like to. I’m sorry...”

“I just need some time,” Danny looked into Ma’s eyes for what felt like the first and final time. Ma didn’t look surprised and simply nodded, his head tipping back a little before he regained his balance again. Once again Danny tried to reach out but another shot fired. 

“No,” Danny stated, “I’m sorry,” Danny felt the sensation of tears in his eyes and he flew away from Ma and the heroes. 

He was such a coward.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Stray Ghost

Word count: 7255

Chapter 2: Home

Summary:

“Thank you for having me, really. This was nice. I haven’t been able to feel like this in a while.” He smiled at them but it felt like a goodbye.

“Of course! What kind of people would we be if we didn’t feed the random kid that walked into our house chanting prophecies of death!” Hizashi teased.

“The sane kind.” Danny joked back. ★~★

Danny Meets Hizashi

Shouta finally relaxed, letting himself give in to the cozy atmosphere of sleep from the boy and the cat. Just as he had drifted off, the bus slowed to a halt and dinged, signaling their stop. Shouta tapped the boy on the shoulder like before, and gently placed Digiorno in the carrier. His body was loose, and he barely moved. How could Shouta not notice it before?   

“Are we there yet?” Danny asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. His hair was half slicked up and half matted down from the bus seats. He looked like a kitten that had just been groomed by its mother. Shouta ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm it down. It helped somewhat, but it was clear the boy needed a shower.  

“We just have to walk a bit more.” Shouta responded softly. They grabbed their things and left the bus. 

The night air was cold, and a soft drizzle started falling from the sky. Danny pulled up his hood while Shouta just suffered through it. It didn’t take long until they had reached the door of Shouta’s house.  

He fumbled with his keys, the clanging sound accompanying the rain. Shouta had not even inserted it into the lock before the door slammed open, a distraught Hizashi behind it. 

“Where have you been?!” He cried, looking Shouta up and down. His eyes zoomed past him and settled on Danny. “Oh Sho… you didn’t?” His hand covering his mouth. 

“Didn’t what?” Shouta was very used to his husband's dramatics, but this might scare the kid off. He turned back to Danny, who just had a confused look on his face. 

Hizashi moved closer to his face, cupping his hand to Shouta’s ear and whisper-yelled, “Kidnap a child.”  

Danny laughed in the background and then tried to hide it with a cough when both the adults turned to look at him.  

“I didn’t. I fed him so he followed me home.” He responded dryly. Danny laughed again, not taking any offense to it.  

“He tried to outrun me, but I chased him down!” he teased. Hizashi had a hand on his hip and the other on his face. He was the picture of a concerned mother. 

“Well alright, but if the cops come round, I had no part in it!” He joked, walking out of the entryway and leading them into the house. Shouta walked in without hesitation, but Danny lingered by the door, an unsure look on his face despite his previous joking. Shouta nodded his head in the universal signal for ‘follow me’, and the boy did. Shouta was glad he was being more expressive since his minor breakdown earlier.  

“What’s your name, listener?” Hizashi asked Danny, with his signature hero smile. He had his radio show voice on, which was actually ‘please like me and think I’m cool’ voice.  

“Uhh, Danny?” Danny didn’t seem too impressed by it, which most teenagers weren’t.  

“Nice to meet you, Danny! I’m Yamada, but you can call me Hizashi, okay?” He raised his hand up to high five him. 

“Okay. Uhh, nice to meet you, Hizashi.” He was going to scare off the poor kid if he kept going like that.  

“Oh come on, don’t leave me hanging,” Danny high fived him with a ‘wtf’ smile on his face. Most teenagers responded the same way. Hizashi was usually a hit with teens or the opposite. Shouta thinks it’s because they can tell he tries too hard while the others like him because of his hero work.  

“Alright!” he shouted in a rock and roll voice, “You can take your shoes off over there and then there’s tea on the table.” Hizashi pointed to the living room in a pose that would’ve been cooler on a billboard. Danny looked at him strangely but walked off, leaving the two men alone.  

“Are you sure about this, Sho?” His mask dropped and concern fueled his voice, “I mean, you said you weren’t ready for kids.” He looked down and reached for Shouta’s hands, gently clasping it in his. Shouta wrapped them around his husband and kissed his lips. 

“I’m sure.” he said strongly, “And I said I didn’t want to bring any more kids into the world until I knew it’s safe. He’s already here.” They both looked at Danny. He was awkward, not sure how to act in someone else’s home. He had poured himself some tea and was sipping it slowly while looking at the walls, like a kid pretending to appreciate art.  

“I guess you’re right” Hizashi looked back at him, his eyes soft, “and he does seem pretty sweet. What about his parents though? Are they still in the picture at all?” 

“If they are, they won’t be for long.” Hizashi looked taken aback but Shouta continued, “This kid needs someone, and I think we can be that for him.” Hizashi grabbed Shouta’s hand and put it up to his cheek, kissing the palm. He got so touchy when he was worried about something. 

“We’ll talk about it later, alright? Right now, let's make sure Danny settles in.”  

“Thank you.” Shouta pulled Hizashi closer and kissed his head, the man in his arms laughed and pulled away. As much as Shouta tried to hide it, he liked touch too. They smiled at each other and walked to Danny.

He was still standing there but Sushi started to investigate him from her shelf in the wall. He held up his hand to her to smell, careful not to move in case she got scared off. At his feet, Pancake was also smelling him, his tail twisting nervously like a snake. While Sushi eventually approved of Danny, nuzzling his hand, Pancake smelled something he didn’t like, and ran off. Danny frowned and turned his attention to Sushi. 

“He probably smelled Digiorno on you,” Shouta explained, the boy nodding. Most of his attention was on the cat in front of him. Shouta didn’t blame him. Sushi was a very friendly cat and spoiled for attention.  

“The pizza?” Hizashi asked, confused.  

“The cat.” Danny stopped petting Sushi and set the backpack down, facing the window to the men revealing Digiorno.  

“You should know, you picked the name.” Shouta commented. Instead of opening the flap, Danny unzipped the front of the carrier, giving Digiorno easier access to outside. He gingerly sniffed the air and walked out. Sushi jumped down from her perch and tried to smell him, but he stepped back into the carrier, his ears tucked. She stepped closer slowly, purring. Digiorno stopped backing away and had allowed her to come up to him, though he was staying completely still. Sushi started licking his neck and Digiorno relaxed, one ear sticking out, then the other. He started licking her too. This wasn’t how you were usually supposed to introduce cats, but Shouta was sure it was fine considering the circumstances.  

“Oh, so the kid was a distraction. You did bring home a stray!” Hizashi turned and accused Shouta.  

“Guilty.” Shouta deadpanned.  

“I’m missing something.” Danny sat down with the cats and stroked them both with his hands. They purred in comfort.  

“Sho here has a talent for taking in stray cats,” Hizashi pointed at him again, attitude in every word and motion, “Like every month or so, Sho will bring in a stray and trying to find them homes. Half of them are near feral too, can’t tell you how many times I’ve been bitten. But Sho gets this face,” he put on a bitchy face with dead eyes, “and he looks so happy I can’t say no.” Hizashi sighed lovingly.  

“Sho?” Danny asked before his face flashed in realization, “Right. I just got used to ‘Aizawa’...” he trailed off. 

“Aizawa?” Hizashi looked at him, offended, “Really? You bring a kid into our home and make him call you ‘Aizawa’. Wow. That’s cruel even for you.”  

“Relax, at least I didn’t make him call me my hero name.” Shouta countered.  

“What's that?” Danny asked.  

“Eraserhead.” He supplied absentmindedly. Digiorno still wasn’t moving as much, still laying down half out of the carrier.  

“Eraserhead? That's a weird name. I would’ve picked ‘The Mummy’ or ‘Mr. Cat-Man’” Danny laughed at his joke. 

“I actually picked it out when we were in high school,” Hizashi perked up, excited to share his old stories. Shouta was only half paying attention to them, watching Digiorno. Sushi also seemed concerned for the cat, acting as a pillow for him and occasional licks of comfort. They had several cat beds around, that would be comfier for him. They also had a few heating pads too he could place underneath it. 

“Anyway, Nemuri was so mad at us, you should’ve seen her face!” Hizashi was lost in a retelling of a childhood memory. He had a habit of rambling on and on and couldn’t tell when people were only listening to be polite. Danny seemed interested, laughing and nodding his head. 

“Wow. I have no idea who that is, but she sounds fun. You deserved the lecture.” Shouta bet Danny had done similar things in his past. He looks like he has a bit of a mischievous streak in him.  

“She was just mad she didn’t think of it,” Hizashi waved him off, “Where you going, Sho?” 

“I’m going to grab some stuff for Digiorno. Then we should probably get dinner started soon. It’s getting late.” 

“Right. I got so excited I forgot I was hungry.” He laughed. 

“I can help!” Danny stood up, careful not to disturb the cats. 

“No, from that ramen story you told me I don’t trust you in the kitchen. Besides, you need a shower. You smell.” 

“Geez rude. I don’t smell that bad.” Danny shrugged him off. 

“Like sewer water.” Shouta deadpanned. 

“If it was that bad, how did you last all day with me?” Danny smelled his shirt.  

“I have a strong stomach.” In actuality it wasn’t that bad. He was a little ripe, but no worse than any other teen without deodorant. Danny stuck his tongue at him playfully. Shouta rolled his eyes at him but smiled back.  

“Hizashi can show you the shower, and then I’ll get you some clean clothes.” 

“Alright, whatever.” Danny agreed. Hizashi led him to the bathroom and Shouta went to go get the stuff.  

He set up the cat bed with the heater and some food for Digiorno. The food was soft in case his teeth were hurting him too. Shouta felt bad since he didn’t have any pain meds for him, but he hoped this was enough until Ms. Shuzenji arrived. It was her day off and she usually spent time with her family. Her youngest grandson had just turned 6, so she’d probably come after he went to bed around 8pm.  

Shouta grabbed some of the clean clothes he had got Danny. He really hopes they fit, but if not, he could wash his old ones until he returned them. He knocked on the door and entered hearing a small ‘come in’. The shower and toilet were in a separate room from the sink, so Shouta wouldn’t be invading the boy’s privacy. 

“I left some clothes on the counter. Let me know if they fit.” Shouta yelled.  

“Thank you!” Danny called back. He left his other clothes on the counter, so Shouta grabbed those to put in the wash later. He left the new hoodie in the room in case he wanted to wear it still. 

He went back to unpack the rest of the bag into the temporary guest room. They used to use this room for Nemuri and Tensei when they stayed over, and the occasional cat, but now it would be solely Danny’s. He still needed to talk to Hizashi about this, as well as the correct authorities to get the paperwork in order. Then he needed to talk to principal Nezu about Danny possibly being a transfer student to UA. It was clear the boy wanted to help people, and even if he didn’t get placed in his class the school would be a good fit for him.  

Shouta placed all the items on the bed, the clothes folded and the figure on display. He plugged the lava lamp into the wall and put it on the mostly clean desk, the other decoration being some pictures of Shouta and them as teens. He debated putting them away, but a part of him couldn’t do it. Maybe it would help the boy feel less alone in some way. Shouta placed the few rolled up posters on the other side of the desk and examined the room. It looked like it could belong to a teenager, if bare, which was the point. He wanted Danny to feel welcome here or ease any homesickness he might have. Danny didn’t seem like he missed it, more sad by the memories of hurt than out of longing. Still, Shouta wanted to help in any tiny way.  

At the bottom of the bag was Danny’s old sweat jacket. He wasn’t lying when he said the kid smelled, but he had smelled far worse when he was wearing this. Shouta held it up to his nose, it smelled musty and metallic. He went to the sink in the kitchen, Hizashi already there cutting the eel into three. 

“Is something wrong?” Shouta must’ve looked pale as he ran a part of the old jacket under the water. The color washed away, the water turning red under it. Shouta and Hizashi both looked at each other, not sure what to do.  

“Do you think he killed someone?” Hizashi whispered? “Or maybe he stole it off a dead guy?” 

“No,” Shouta thought for a second, “I don’t think that’s it…” 

Danny had tons of scars, some of them still fresh and healing. The Lichtenberg scar came to mind, but there were still a few tender areas. It was a lot of blood though, maybe even a whole liter. Danny, for all his scraps, didn’t seem the worst for wear. It could be from the person (or maybe even people) who hurt him. The Lichtenberg had yet to fade after all. If someone was after Danny, what could possibly be their motives? The boy didn’t seem out of the ordinary, aside from his strength, but that wasn’t too uncommon. Maybe the boy had been forced to fight. That wasn’t uncommon either. Parents would sell their children into these underground rings for the pure convenience of money. Shouta wouldn’t put it past his parents, judging from what he heard about them. The scars could have been from such events, and Shouta knew Danny would’ve fought back. It could’ve also been for the simple pleasure of causing pain, also not uncommon. How else could he have gotten the Lichtenberg scar? If he had fought someone with an electric-type quirk, he would have more burns over his body. Danny could have broken out and had been on the run since. He didn’t seem worried that someone was after him, perhaps already knowing they wouldn’t be able to catch him.  

This was all speculation, he had no idea what happened to the boy until he did a full investigation. There was something else too. The way Danny reacted to the cop from before was suspicious in this new light, as well as him not telling Shouta his quirk. At first, Shouta had just thought the boy was scared to get in trouble for using his quirk, but now, who knew?   

“Eh…Maybe?” Shouta rubbed the bridge of his nose groaning. Hizashi came up behind him, grounding him by wrapping his arms around his waist and setting his head on his shoulder.  

“What are you thinking?” he asked with concern. 

“I don’t know…” He really didn’t, even with his students he didn’t have this problem. “It’s hard to conceive of him killing anyone, but maybe if he was desperate enough?” Shouta turned off the sink, watching the blood go down the drain. 

“Maybe it’s not…hmm.” They’ve seen it enough times to know it was definitely blood. An image flashed into Shouta’s mind. Danny covered head to toe, dipping in blood. A sad and dead look on his face as he stood over the body. Shouta has been there before. He was older than Danny, but even that was too much for him to handle. He couldn’t imagine what the boy felt. Shouta had to snap himself out of it. He didn’t know what happened to the boy. 

He banged his fist on the counter in frustration. Hizashi held his hand trying to soothe him. Shouta squeezed it and turned to face him but couldn’t look him in the eyes.  

“Danny was hurt. He didn’t seem to be in any pain, but I got a glimpse of his arms and they were covered with scars. They were worse than Midoriya’s.” Hizashi’s face paled even more at the implication.  

“I think it’s from whoever did that to him, but I can’t be sure. I’ll have to contact detective Tsukauchi. There’s probably enough on here to collect a sample.” He limply lifted the jacket.  

“But then what?” Hizashi asked. Shouta was too lost in his thoughts to understand what he meant, “The boy. Danny.” He clarified, “what are we gonna do with him?”  

“The same as what we were planning. We can protect him, we need to protect him, God knows no one else has. We can figure it out when we get more information.” He lifted their hands up to his chest and pressed his lips to Hizashi. They may not know what the boy has done or has been through, but he was here now and safe.  

“Am I interrupting something?” They quickly pulled apart. They had been so distracted that they didn’t even hear the water turn off. Hizashi quickly put on a fake smile, but Shouta kept his frown. It was similar enough to his resting face to pass. Danny looked at them, curiously.  

“Okay…” He could sense something was off but didn’t press. Shouta took the opportunity to hide the jacket behind him as he dried his hair with the towel. “Is there anything I could do to help?” Danny asked, “I could chop some vegetables, I’m good with a knife.” 

That, in context of the murder the boy may or may not have committed, was a bit unnerving. Hizashi laughed nervously, “I was just prepping the eel, you like eel?” Danny shrugged, “That’s good enough! Anyway, you could wash the rice if you want, then put it in the cooker.” 

“Cool,” Danny put the towel on his shoulders and rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie, then pulled the undershirt’s sleeves down to hide his scars. His hands opened and closed looking for something to grasp. “How do I do that?” 

“You don’t know how to wash rice?” Shouta asked. This kid really was neglected.  

“I didn’t know you had to.” He shrugged.  

Shouta and Hizashi both looked at each other, Hizashi with a horrified face and Shouta with a frown. 

“Well, now is as good a time to learn as any!” Hizashi clapped his hands, quickly lightening the mood, “It’s super easy, all you have to do is get a big bowl, run it under the sink until it’s level, then swirl it around until the water is cloudy. You just repeat two to five times or until the water is clear!”  

“Sounds easy, yeah. Where are your bowls?” Hizashi grabbed Danny a bowl and stood over his shoulder as he carried out the simple process. He was cooing as if he were a toddler that just took his first steps. Danny, to his credit, put up with it, only occasionally rolling his eyes. 

“Right well, while you two do that, I’m going to put Danny’s clothes in the wash.” He fingered the hoodie still hiding behind him. They both nodded, but Danny watched him out of the corner of his eye as Shouta went to grab the rest of the clothes he abandoned.  

He took the pile upstairs and dropped them into the wash, except for of course the hoodie. Instead, he went into his and Hizashi’s shared office (although it was more of a recording studio since Shouta didn’t use it enough) to hide it and fax detective Tsukauchi. He already needed to do that for the villain attack earlier that day. Shouta didn’t have to worry about privacy since the detective had a personal fax that no one could access for UA. 

He quickly wrote up a report for the villain but struggled with mentioning the boy. There was still so much he didn’t know about Danny, and he could potentially put him in danger by doing this. At the same time- Shouta needed to know what happened. He told himself it was so that he could better help Danny, but a part of him wanted to know how bad it was, or if the boy had actually killed someone. He wouldn’t blame him if he did, just looking at his arms the boy had clearly been through torture. And that's what it was, torture, as plain and horrible as that. Despite that, Danny was still smiling and laughing as if his skin wasn’t branded from the cruelty of people. The kid must’ve been a good actor or a slip away from cracking.  

Shouta already decided the boy would need consoling, maybe even medication if it was bad enough. He was sure that UA would provide the resources for that as they provided them for other students and even himself in the past. If Danny did murder someone, so long as they keep that information contained, he should have no issues at school. Afterall, a few of his would-be classmates had already attempted in the past, so he wouldn’t be sticking out.  

Shouta sighed, remembering the report. He should fax one to principal Nezu as well to gain insight into what to do next. He started typing, keeping the information as impersonal and accurate as possible. In the principal Nezu report, he added a brief summary of Danny’s character and how UA would be a good fit for him. He sent them off, dread in his stomach at the possible outcome. 

He slowly trudged downstairs, his nose filling with the sweet smell of the sauce. Shouta didn’t know how hungry he was until he felt his stomach lurch in a way only food could cure. As he rounded around the corner, he heard the soft sounds of Hizashi instructing Danny. 

“Like this?” Danny was wearing Shouta’s grumpy cat apron while Hizashi donned the matching cheerful one. Danny was standing over the simmering pot of eel, pouring the unagi sauce over one of them slowly.  

“Yeah, but don’t be afraid to pour some more, there’s enough and you won’t ruin it.” Hizashi loved kids, and teaching was an outlet for that. He had been wanting a child of their own for a long time, but Shouta was always scared of messing up, or putting them in danger due to their jobs. There was also the chance that they would die and leave the kid all alone. Looking at the two, he felt bad that he had deprived Hizashi of this for so long, despite his fears.  

“Right…” Danny breathed, focusing on the food deeply to not make a mess. He started to pour a little faster and a huge glob coated the eel, running down into the pot below. He breathed in sharply. 

“That’s okay,” Hizashi soothed, “It adds flavor to the water. That one’s good now, so let's set it aside. Do you want to do the others?” 

“Uhh, sure.” Danny looked uncertain, clearly not used to being in a kitchen and cooking actual food. He set it down and was about to fish for another when Shouta came up behind them.  

“Can I help?” Shouta said. Hizashi screamed in surprise, but Danny had a very different reaction. He didn’t even look at him as he quickly punched Shouta in the gut, causing him to fall over in pain.  

“OH MY GOD!” Danny shouted, panic on his face, “Are you okay?” 

“It’s your fault, you know.” Hizashi berated, “Don’t go sneaking up on people like that.” 

“I Know,” Shouta choked out, “I deserved that”. Really, he didn’t mean to scare them so much and he thought he had made more noise. He would have to do better in the future. Danny bent down to help him up. 

“I am so sorry about that, I just didn’t see you coming and-” 

“Don’t be,” Shouta waved him off, “As Hizashi said, I should know not to sneak up on people like that. It was a good punch too. I can see how you held back that shark villain from before.” 

“I’m sorry,” Hizashi said, his hands waving as if caught off balance, “the what villain?” 

“Oh, uh helped Aiza- I mean Sho, take down a villain today. He wasn’t that strong.” Danny scratched his neck.  

“He was,” Shouta had mostly recovered now and was leaning against the counter, “My quirk didn’t work on him. Danny here took out his legs and I restrained him.” 

Hizashi had an excited look on his face and hugged Danny. Unlike Shouta, he didn’t get punched in the face and simply let out a small ‘oh.’ 

“That’s it,” Hizashi let go and high fived both his hands, holding onto them after, “We’re keeping you!” 

Danny had a confused smile on again. He did not know his fate had been sealed. Actually, his fate had been sealed the moment Shouta saw him in the alley. 

“Okay…” He laughed nervously.  

“Right!” Hizashi clapped his hands, “Now that that’s decided, we should eat. Sho, honey, you can go sit down and recover while we finish, okay?” 

Shouta didn’t protest and went to the table, Hizashi smacking his butt as he walked away. Danny had an overdramatic look of disgust but turned back to pouring the sauce over the eels.  

The tea was still left on the table with a few cups. It was probably lukewarm by now, but Shouta reached for a glass and poured some. He smelled it before taking a sip. It was chamomile, which was always Hizashi’s go to because of his throat. Shouta himself preferred black tea or simply coffee, but chamomile came next since it reminded him of his husband. He poured the other glasses and made sure to place Danny’s dirty one where the boy was likely to sit. 

After another minute, Danny and Hizashi came to the table, no longer wearing the aprons. Danny was holding the bowls and utensils while Hizashi balanced the plate of eels and rice.  

“Really, I could’ve carried that.” Danny set the stuff down at the middle of the table next to the tea.  

“And I said I could handle it. Besides, we don’t want you to do too much work since you just got here.” Hizashi laughed at Danny’s confused face. Shouta grabbed a bowl and chopsticks and set it down in front of him. He did the same for everyone else at the table. Danny mumbled a quick, ‘thanks.’ 

“Thank you for the food, Hizashi and Danny.” Shouta said, “It looks delicious.”  

“Oh, you.” Hizashi blushed and waved him off. He acted like that every time Shouta even said a snippet of something nice to him. Shouta found it endearing since after all they’ve been through together, their feelings for each other never faded.   

“Geez, can we eat now?” Danny interrupted. It seems he had seen plenty of them and their affection for each other and had grown sick of it. Shouta was half tempted to blow a kiss Hizashi’s way to annoy the teen further but decided against it.  

“Of course,” Hizashi laughed, “do you want to get your food first?” 

“Uhh, sure?” Danny reached for the rice and started filling his bowl but kept an eye on the two adults in the room as if waiting for them to say something. When he was done, he placed the bowl back in the middle and grabbed the eel, placing a slice on top. Hizashi grabbed the rice next, then Shouta.  

“Oh, I forgot to grab the leftover sauce. I’ll be right back.” Hizashi was about to stand up, but Shouta stopped him. 

“I can get it. I wanted to grab some fukujinzuke anyway.”  

Shouta returned with the food and sat back down. He sprinkled some fukujinzuke over his rice before adding an eel on top. He took a bite, fully absorbing the flavor combination in his mouth.  

“Can I try some?” Danny looked at him curiously while Hizashi poured some more of the sauce on top of his dish. 

“Sure, although I don’t know if you’ll like it.” Shouta passed the small plate of it to Danny. 

“How would you know what I like or not?” Danny counted. 

“Good point.”  

The teen lifted up his half eaten eel and put the fukujinzuke over the rice, the same as Shouta did. Shouta waited for the boy to take a bite with a soft smile on his face. He did, gently chewing with a thoughtful look on his face. 

“I like the texture,” he chewed some more, “but it's a little vinegary.” Danny swallowed and took another bite, “But I like it.” 

“I’m glad.” Shouta smiled. He went back to eating his own food, and both him and Danny took a drink of their tea in sync. Hizashi laughed at that and laughed a little more when they looked at him with the same expression. 

“What?” Danny asked, his eyes mirroring Shouta’s. 

“Nothing, nothing, just thinking how alike the two of you are.” He laughed again and tried to hide it by taking another bite.  

Shouta liked the boy but felt that he was more similar to Hizashi than him. They both had a positive energy about them that invited people in while Shouta had the opposite. Although, he couldn’t discount how similar they looked, if not for the color of their eyes. It wouldn’t be hard to pass Danny off as his long lost son if he really wanted. A fearful thought passed Shouta’s mind at his class's reaction to Danny if he were to join UA. If anything, the brains and confounding stupidity of Todoroki and Kaminari would have the class believing that they were truly related by the end of the day. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, they had no idea Shouta was even married, let alone to their fellow teacher. The only one who knew besides the staff was Ida, and he had done a good job of keeping that quiet so far.  

“What are you staring at?” Danny asked with sass only a teenager could achieve. 

In his musings, Shouta’s eyes had absently wandered to Danny.  

“Are you in school at all?” 

“No?” Danny set his chopsticks down and focused all his attention on Shouta. His face looked open, but Shouta had observed the boy long enough to know he was wearing a mask. One of his fingers picked at the table cloth.  

“Why’s that?” 

“Take a wild guess.” Danny looked at him, deadpan. Of course, Shouta knew why, but he wanted Danny to explain it in his own words to maybe get an idea of the situation.  

“Did you like school?” He could tell Danny’s guard was starting to go up again, “What was your favorite subject? You told me you liked science at the store.” 

“I guess I do,” he shrugged, looking down, “I mean, my parents were… researchers, so we just grew up having that stuff around. Math, chemistry and biology just came easy to me, so I enjoyed the classes.” 

A small smile started to form on Danny’s face remembering his favorite subjects. He had started to relax again, which was good. Shouta didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable or like he was being grilled.  

“English was my worst subject. I didn’t have a lot of time to read the material or when I did, I just couldn’t focus. Also, my teacher made us write everything by hand, and mine was so bad he thought it was another language!” He laughed, “Oh my god, the highest grade I think I got was like a B? And that was because I was basically locked in the room with him for 3 hours! He had to explain it to me over and over. I tried to leave, but then he guilt tripped me with this picture of his sister or something.” A confused look spread on his face, “Although now that I think about it, I think that was just him in a dress…” 

“Aw, he sounds like a good teacher, if a bit eccentric.” Hizashi piped up in between bites.  

“He was.” Danny nodded, “He was the only teacher who felt like cared. He was the only one who didn’t give up on me…” and this time, Danny didn’t hide the sad expression crossing his face.  

“The others weren’t worth their salt then.” Shouta tried to soothe, still unsure how to properly go about it, “At the school we work at, we make sure to monitor each student and check in with them. If we feel that they’re not getting the right support or resources, we have in-school programs to help, even if it’s just more time on tests and homework.” 

“You don’t make the kids go to counseling, do you?” He had almost a look of disgust on his face as he said it, as if recalling a bad smell or memory. 

“Not the best experience, I take it?” Shouta may not know Danny’s past, but he did know the kid was in desperate need of consoling.  

Danny shrugged again, “You could say that. At my last school, we had this therapist come in and she made everyone miserable. She had this gross way of getting into your head... She also made me do exposure therapy and I wanted to die again after. She was only there for like a week, and man I was glad to open the door for her when she did, in a manner of speaking.”  

Well, that’s a lot to unpack. Exposure therapy should be built up slowly, and she most certainly was not there long enough to do that, or even tell if he needed it in the first place. Plus there was the whole ‘die again’ comment which made Shouta feel dizzy.

“That won’t be an issue at UA. Consoling is available for both the students and teachers, and you can request a different one if you need to.” 

“UA? Is that the name of your school?” 

“You betcha!” Hizashi shouted, “Best hero school in all of Japan!” 

“Wait, it’s for heroes?!” Danny stood up at the table, slamming his hands down.  

Shouta looked over to see Digiorno raise his head, then go back to sleep. He was still really worried about him. Ms. Shuzenji should be here soon, he should probably text her again just to be safe. 

Danny looked over at Shouta intently, “why didn’t you tell me it was for heroes?!” 

“Must have slipped my mind.” Shouta took great pride in working at UA, he had wanted to be a teacher since he was a student there, but at the same time- he wasn’t in the habit of telling people that. “Does being a hero interest you?” 

Danny sat back down and scratched the back of his neck, “you could say something like that…” 

Shouta smiled. For some reason, he had expected Danny to be hesitant about becoming a hero, maybe it was due to his own projections and theories of his past. He should have seen it before when Danny took down that villain. He was just so concentrated on how to make the boy happy and trust him that he didn’t see the obvious passion and skill he had at saving people. He would’ve led with UA sooner if he knew that was the case.  

“Would you want to go to UA?” Shouta tested.  

Danny had a contemplative look as he leaned back in his chair. Shouta looked over at Hizashi, who had an uncertain look on his face. Finally, after a few moments, the boy responded.  

“I honestly don’t know. Maybe?” He looked at them earnestly, “On one hand, it might offer me support on my powers, eh, I mean quirk. But on the other hand, I don’t know how well I’d fit into that environment. And I don’t even mean just socially, my quirk isn’t exactly the most common or, uhh understood.”  

Shouta was under the impression that Danny’s quirk was a simple strength enhancer. He had shown no other signs of it being anything else or even anything connected to it. It could be that he was in a similar position as Midoriya, but that should be impossible. No- it was far more likely it was just connected to a larger quirk. Maybe he absorbed and used energy, similar to Fat Gum’s quirk. Another thing to talk to principal Nezu about.  

“What is your quirk?” Hizashi had no idea how Danny took down the villain, simply that he did. 

“Uhhh,” He looked over at Shouta, “I really don’t know. I haven’t come up with a name for it yet.” 

Another concerning thing. Most quirks, while not completely understood, still have a basic level of understanding. A child may be born with the ability to remove and reattach a limb, but there is a scientific reason behind why that is usually the quirk itself and the power is the symptom. A fine example would be his student Bakugo, whose quirk is actually his sweat, not the explosions themselves. The norm was usually the quirk being named by the child or examiner, then renamed later when they’ve gotten a better understanding of it. For Danny to not have a name means either his quirk never got registered, he recently discovered what it actually is, or he only recently manifested it.  

“Do you have any names picked out?” Hizashi thought naming quirks was like naming babies and should be stylish. He had wanted to name his quirk ‘banshee howler’ but was denied and stuck with ‘voice’. 

“I don’t know, maybe something like ‘Ghost’?” 

What does super strength even have conjecturally to do with ghosts? Hizashi didn’t know what Shouta did, so he wasn’t confused. Instead, he just smiled at Danny. Shouta was about to interrupt when he got a text notification from Ms. Shuzenji. It said she’d be able to make it within the next hour.  

“Sho? What’s wrong?” Hizashi reached for his hand. A sour look must have spread through his face since all were looking at him.  

“Ms. Shuzenji just texted. She said she’d be here soon.” Shouta’s voice sounded defeated.  

“For Digiorno?” Hizashi looked over at Danny, “Yeah, Danny was telling me about him. I hope he’s alright.” 

“He’ll be okay.” Danny said, which surprised Shouta since he was the one who said he was gonna die, “Or I mean- not really? Or at least not what you would call ‘okay’. But I can tell he’s at peace and ready to go.” 

Danny looked over at Digiorno in his little bed. The cat had only eaten a bite of food, and while he was awake, he looked exhausted. Sushi was sitting beside him also, as if protecting him from whatever spirit would claim him. The boy had that same look in his eye in the alley. Shouta still wasn’t sure what it was, but it sent a pain of bittersweetness in his gut.  

Danny looked down at his food, and quickly finished the last few bites. He set the chopsticks down and looked earnestly at Shouta and Hizashi. 

“Thank you for having me, really. This was nice. I haven’t been able to feel like this in a while.” He smiled at them but it felt like a goodbye.  

“Of course! What kind of people would we be if we didn’t feed the random kid that walked into our house chanting prophecies of death!” Hizashi teased. 

“The sane kind.” Danny joked back. He looked sad, but only for a moment. He grabbed his bowl and took it back to the kitchen to wash. Shouta and Hizashi only watched him, waiting for what he was about to do. When he finished, he stepped back into the dining room. His hands were at his sides, and he stood straight. Shouta had never seen him look so small, except for when he was crying. Danny didn’t look at them and he bowed deeply to them both. It was awkward and lasted for too long, the boy clearly not used to it.  

“Thank you again for having me, but I should go now.” They couldn’t see his face from under his hair.  

Shouta was quiet, a cold feeling sinking inside him at the idea of Danny returning to the street. 

“Why?” Hizashi asked, his voice unwavering despite how Shouta knew he felt. 

Danny stood up, “I was only here to help with the cat. Now that actual help is coming, I have no reason to be here.” He said it like it was obvious.  

“Yes you do?” Hizashi put on a mask of confusion, his acting skills coming to the forefront. He clearly had a plan.  

Danny looked taken aback, “No I don’t?” 

“Yes you do,” Hizashi stopped him before he could say anything else. He stood up and gilded towards Danny, “You still have to have dessert, then you have to brush your teeth and get ready for bed.” Danny scowled at being treated like a kid, but Hizashi continued, “You’re gonna need your rest for school tomorrow.” Hizashi looked at Shouta out of the corner of his eye.  

Danny shrugged Hizashi off, stepping back to get some room, “What?” He was looking at Hizashi as if he had grown a second head.  

“I don’t go to school?” He paused, “And I don’t live here?” He slightly yelled the last part. He really didn’t get it.  

“Yes you do.” Hizashi reaffirmed again. 

Shouta got up and stood beside his husband, “Did you really think we’d let you back on the street?”  

“Yeah?” Danny looked more confused, “That’s what a normal person would do?”  

“We meant it when we said we wanted to ‘keep you’, or maybe a better way to phrase it would be we want you to stay here.” Hizashi stepped closer to Danny. When he didn’t move away, he grabbed his hands in his.  

Danny stared at the both of them, an unreadable emotion on his face. He sighed and then finally asked, “Can I leave?” 

“Do you want to?” Shouta asked.  

He stayed quiet and looked down at Hizashi’s hands, but didn’t pull away.  

“Danny, we mean it.” Hizashi squeezed his palms, “We can’t imagine letting you back out into the streets. We can help you.”  

“I-” Danny started, but it was clear no other words could make it out of his mouth. 

“You don’t have to answer now, just think about it tonight, alright?” Shouta stepped closer. He briefly thought about also reaching out for the boy but decided against it. 

After a second of just staring between the two of them, Danny finally said, “Okay,” he squeezed Hizashi’s hands, “I can’t promise that I’ll say yes, but I’ll think about it.” 

That was all Hizashi needed to pull him into a hug. He pulled Shouta in with him and, despite Danny not giving them his answer yet, they felt like a family.

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

I love writing fanfics cause I can just give characters piercings. The narrative failed them but I will not

[asleep-in-the-keep-sideblog]

Aizawa is able to erase quirks by isolating the quirk gene in someone’s dna. This is why he can’t erase mutant quirks because it’s not just their dna that’s affected.

With that in mind, I think that if Aizawa were to try to erase Danny’s quirk as fenton (depending on the origin of quirks) he would be able too since his power comes from the altered ghost dna (as seen in the DP intro). However, if he were to try to erase Danny’s quirk as phantom, he would not be able too since its closer to a mutant quirk.

This all depends on how quirks work in the fic tho. like if ghosts powers=quirk or the like.

That’s how I’ve been thinking about It tho