Chapter Text
“Hobbies?”
“Yeah!” Midoriya says, smiling brightly and pulling a notebook out of nowhere. He opens it to an empty page and scribbles out a title. He turns it around to proudly show it off to Jyugo.
‘All About Jyugo (My Reforming Partner :D)’ How dumb.
“I thought it could be a good way to get to know each other ‘cause we’ll be talking a lot. You agree, right Todoroki?” He turns to look back at the other student, who gives a curt nod.
“Yes.” Jyugo gets the sense that Todoroki is not a big talker.
“So what sort of hobbies do you have, Jyugo?” Midoriya says, pencil hovering over the page, poised to write down whatever Jyugo says.
“Hobbies… When it comes to hobbies, I suppose the only thing I can say is… breaking out of prison?”
Midoriya freezes mid-scribble, then gently sets down his pencil. He looks like he’s barely resisting from making a comment he might regret.
“Jyugo, I don’t think that’s quite what Midoriya meant. What about some sort of… legal hobby?” Todoroki says, looking over at Midoriya desperately trying to pull himself together.
“Yeah. For instance, In my free time, I like to study the quirks of pro-heroes and analyze how they fight.”
“Isn’t that something you should be doing in school instead? Well, I’ve never been to school myself, so maybe that isn’t how it works after all,” Jyugo says, considering Midoriya’s answer.
“You’ve never been to scho- whatever. Todoroki, what kind of hobbies do you have? Maybe that’ll be a better example for Jyugo.”
“Hmm… Something I like to do…” Todoroki considers, clearly thinking very hard. Wouldn’t it be funny if all three of them didn’t have proper hobbies? “Ah! I’ve got it!”
“Yeah?”
“I like to eat cold soba.” Rock, is that you?!? No, it’s still peppermint head.
“Todoroki, I think we need to reconsider our plan for getting to know Jyugo,” Midoriya says with a defeated sigh. Looks like Jyugo was right about the ‘no proper hobbies’ thing. Well, he did have one idea.
“A hobby… That’s just something I have fun doing, right?”
“Yeah! Did you think of something?” Midoriya yells enthusiastically.
“I like to hang out with my friends, Nico, Rock, and Uno.”
“Oh, that’s perfect! Hanging out with friends is a very good activity. What do you guys like to do together?”
“We like to talk together, mess with the prison guards, and… escape.”
“Todoroki, I think I’ve noticed that we’re going nowhere fast.”
“You want to do what?”
“I said we should play a game! All the inmates and students together. That way, we can all get to know each other better!”
“Who says I want to play your fucking game shitty Deku?”
“Because I’m nearly certain that the only thing you’ve learned about your inmate is that he likes to eat.” Smoke blew out of Bakugou’s ears, and his hands started exploding as he glared daggers at Midoriya.
“You don’t know that!”
“Kirishima told me while you weren’t looking.”
“Shitty hair, I’m going to kill you!” Bakugou screamed, but Izuku was sure that he didn’t mean it. Probably.
“Wait! You’re supposed to set a good example for the inmates,” he called when it turned out Bakugou actually did mean it. The murder was postponed, and the game was nearly unanimously agreed to, even by the inmates.
“ I love games!” The one who Izuku learned was called Nico said. “How do we play?”
“Everyone sits in a circle except for one person. They stand in the center and say a trait that someone sitting in the circle might have. Everyone with that trait stands up and has to sit somewhere else in the circle. It’s a bit similar to musical chairs in that you have to find a sat quickly. The person who ends up stuck in the center with no spots left has to call out the next trait. It’s a good way to find out stuff about each other, right?”
“I don’t really get it but let’s get started!” Nico sure had a lot of enthusiasm, huh?
“Ok, then everyone get in a circle, and I’ll start,” Izuku said. “Get up if you have siblings.”
A few students from Class 1A moved around, and Tsuyu was left in the middle.
“Get up if you’ve ever had a pet.”
“Get up if you have a routine for your hair.”
“Get up if you like to play games.”
“Get up if you’ve seen any episode of S***** M***.” Does he know that there’s no need to censor in fanfiction?
“Get up if you can cook.”
“Get up if you’re a green-haired bitch.” Tsuyu, Izuku, and Nico all moved for that one. Nico was left in the middle. Izuku noticed that Jyugo was the only one who hadn’t moved for any of the traits. It was sort of worrying. Did he just not want to play?
“Get up if your a loser good-for-nothing who can only escape from jail.” That was sort of mean. To Izuku’s surprise, Jyugo actually got up. Nico stole the spot in seconds, and finally, Jyugo was left in the middle.
“There’s no need to be so direct, Nico,” he said, but he didn’t seem mad at all. Just, slightly put off, offended maybe. “Get up….. if a well-known individual gave you a quirk you weren’t born with but everyone believes you were, that you now could not live without, even though it caused you trouble at first.” Izuku froze. That was incredibly specific. Izuku already knew that Jyugo was a criminal, but how much did he know? Was he working with-
Before Izuku can do anything, Nico sighs from the spot in the circle he stole from Jyugo.
“That’s not how you play~ You’re supposed to say a trait that someone else in the circle might have, not something that only applies to you!” What?
“You have a quirk you weren’t born with?” Uraraka asks.
“Yeah. A very powerful villain gave it to me. At least, I think he was powerful. All Might himself was chasing him after all.” What?? Did he mean All for One gave him a quirk? “D’you guys wanna see?” At this, Jyugo gave a mischievous grin and left the circle running. Chaos broke loose.
“Rock, Nico, Uno, initiate plan 20-ZX!”
“What?”
“Distraction!”
The other three inmates start running too, mostly at Hajime the prison guard, who’s trying to get to Jyugo. Bakugou tries chasing Jyugo, but is blocked by Rock, who throws him across the room in an incredible showing of strength. In the confusion, Izuku only finds Jyugo again when he sees him running through a previously not visible doorway that was now somehow open. Izuku breaks away from the chaos to chase after him. He feels Hajime close behind him, but he uses One For All to run faster. He needs to talk to Jyugo without any interruptions.
Within 30 minutes, Jyugo had once again caused a terrible first impression upon those in power. His record was going strong!
And within 30 seconds after getting through the hidden doorway he was utterly lost in the prison. He didn’t even know which way was left anymore! The hallways of the prison all looked the same, and since none of the cells had any inmates in them yet, there were absolutely no points of reference to direct him in any particular direction. It wasn’t so bad being lost though. In previous prisons, the walls, cells, floors, and ceilings had all been one shade of grey, but the cells here actually had color! It kinda reminded Jyugo of an old childhood memory that he can’t quite grasp. A place he left behind long ago and an old, hidden part of himself.
At least he was alone now. He felt most at peace wandering around halls where he wasn’t supposed to be. It felt almost freeing, though that was a funny word to use in this scenario. Maybe it was just the fact that he could exercise his only talent and no one could stop him, despite the many many guards, wardens, and various heroes that had tried. Time and time again, Jyugo would end up wandering the halls of some unknown prison completely alone, for a short period at least.
“Found you.” Well, that was too short-lived.
It was the broccoli problem-student, Midoriya. He was standing in front of Jyugo, green electricity flickering off him, probably a remaining effect of a quirk. He was sweating slightly and catching his breath. It’s a wonder he caught up to Jyugo at all, considering all the secret shortcuts Jyugo had gone through and closed behind him as he escaped. How did this kid even find him?
“We have something to talk about-” Midoryia began, taking a serious tone. Jyugo had heard this tone many times before, and he was not looking forward to the next two minutes.
“I’m sorry. I’ll go back now. Please don’t beat me up. I’m very weak,” Jyugo said, holding his arms up to block his face. Surprisingly, no attacks came.
“Wait- no. I want to talk about what you just said before you left,” Midoriya said, and he actually sounded genuine. Maybe he was a pacifist- wait no he was a hero student that's impossible.
He wanted to talk about what Jyugo said before he left. What was that again? Oh yeah, the quirk thing.
“Oh that. You don’t have to believe me. I know it sounds far-fetched, and like I’m trying to blame all my problems on some mysterious villain.” Jyugo vividly remembered the dozens of times he had tried, tried to tell someone that it wasn’t his quirk, that what happened that day wasn’t his fault, but to no avail. To this day, the only people to believe him were Nico, Rock, and Uno.
“No, I believe you because” Midoriya breathed in heavily, emotional turmoil showing across his features. “because I know who gave you that quirk.” What?
“You know the man with no face?” Jyugo exclaimed, getting as close to Midoriya’s as he could, trying to see a lie in those big green eyes. After all this time, there was finally someone else.
Midoriya backed up, pushing Jyugo back before he continued.
“Umm, yeah I think so.” Midoriya stuttered out, looking away.
“Tell me about him, please!” Jyugo had nearly started to believe people when they said that he had just made the man with no face up as an excuse. But this kid knew him. Maybe with this, Jyugo could prove his innocence.
“I… I can’t. First off, you’re a criminal, how could I trust you? Second, he had to have a reason to give you a quirk- what quirk did he give you anyway?”
“I’m not some villain if that’s what you’re asking. They wouldn’t have put me in this silly little program if I was. It’s not even a violent quirk. Wanna see? I know my- ahem- earlier demonstration wasn’t the best.” Midoriya nodded. Jyugo knew that Midoriya is probably taking a risk by agreeing, so he decided to put on a show for him.
Jyugo walked up to one of the empty cells.
“Try to open this door for me. It’s locked, right?” Midoriya pulled on the bars, finding that, yes, the cell was locked.
“Now watch carefully. I promise there are no sneaky tricks involved.”
Jyugo carefully placed his hand on the door. The moment all five of his fingers touch it, it snapped open, like it was never locked in the first place.
Midoriya’s mouth hung open as the cell door swung.
“That’s how you escape so easily!?” He exclaimed, pulling out his notebook and scrambling to find his pen.
“Yep,” Jyugo said, and maybe he was being a showoff, but when you only have one skill, is it really a crime to use it? In Jyugo’s case, yes. But whatever. “The quirk is called ‘Open Sesame’.”
“It seems useful… I wonder why he would give it to you… Did he ask you to open something for him? What was his plan?”
“If you want to know that, just ask All Might. You’re probably buddy-buddy with him, right? You seem like the type. Ask him about the incident at the zoo seven years ago. Ask him about the nine-year-old who was given indefinite time in juvie as a result. See what the big guy tells you then. I’m done talking about this.” At that moment, a tall figure comes running up behind Midoriya.
“Hajime! Fancy seeing you here!” Hajime gives an unimpressed glare in response. He grabs Jyugo by the collar and starts dragging him back in the direction of the cell. Jyugo looks back at Midoriya, who is currently probably processing what Jyugo just said. He’s pulled out his notebook again and was scribbling away like his life depends on it.
“You don’t know the half of it,” he mutters under his breath.
“Hm?” Hajime asks.
“Nothing.”