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Touya runs away, leaving that creepy orphanage burning. He heard the fire alarm ringing and people running, so he's confident that the other kids will escape. The fire should keep the adults busy. He knows there is no way for him to get away without a massive distraction, in the state he's in. It's surprising he can walk, after staying in a coma for so long. Let alone run, if that lung wrecking jog can be called running.
The area is deserted, the rare cars parked beside the sidewalk cracked opened and ruined. He thinks he can hide in there if he hears the sound of people pursuing him, because there's no way he can keep running for long. A couple of blocks later, he slows down. It looks like he made it. Now he has to find out where he is, and go home.
He doesn't see the white haired man until he's standing right in front of him. He doesn't follow the movement of his arm until a big hand closes around his neck. His naked feet leave the ground. Touya calls his fire by reflex, and the man swears, but he doesn't let go. Instead, something stretches inside of Touya, something that is always there, warm and temperamental, but never feels that way, like it's not fitting under his skin anymore. The thing stretches and stretches and snaps like a rubberband. Touya's mind shatters.
He wakes up in a cell. There's no other word for those three walls of concrete closed by an iron grid. The bars aren't thick enough to stop his quirk from melting them, theoretically. But the fire doesn't come when Touya calls it. He's feeling awfull. The sensation is so foreign everything else gets put on the back-burner for now. The goosebumps on his arms give him a clue. For the first time in his life, he might be cold.
Touya lets go of the iron bar and sits on the cot. Beside the narrow bed and its bare mattress, the cell holds a toilet and a sink and nothing else. The light is on but the room beyond the grid is dark. Some light dots here and there reveal the outlines of computers. He can see something looking like a huge fish tank in the back. Touya watches the vaguely humanoid shape suspended in the water for a while. It doesn't move so Touya decides that it's not a threat. That's when the thing contradicts him, of course. It convulses in slow, shuddering movements for a couple of seconds, and stills again. Touya hides his face against his knees and sobs.
They leave him alone long enough for boredom to overcome fear. He doesn't sleep, though. The thing in the tank hasn't moved again but he doesn't trust it. Maybe it's waiting for him to fall asleep. Whatever it does, it will have to open the door to get to him. This might be the only chance Touya will get to escape this cell.
By the time the lights get on beyond the grid, he's exhausted. A small old man with thick glasses and a huge mustache approaches his cell, and looks at him with tiny eyes.
- Good morning, Touya, says the man. I'm doctor Garaki. Nice to see you again. Awake, that is.
Touya doesn't answer and watches the plump elderly man warily. He's wearing a labcoat. He looks absolutely non threatening. But better not to trust that. The ordely at the orphanage had a sunflower head, after all. He still tried to stop Touya from running away. The boy didn't check but he's sure he has bruises from the way the man twisted his arm.
- Now that's rude. I put you back together, you know ? But whatever. I'm not expecting gratitude from you kids by now. We will speak about the amount of work it took to heal you another time. Right now, you've overdone it and Sensei is very angry with you.
The boy doesn't answer. Sensei was the voice from the computer. Maybe also the white haired man. Touya fucking hopes he angered the man.
- He took your quirk for now. I might give it back, of course. But you've got a long road of atonement to walk first. He had to harvest all the quirks of the orphanage, you know.
The old man doesn't sound sad at all, so Touya doesn't get the meaning of his words right away.
- What does that mean ?
- It means that he couldn't leave witnesses of the devastation you caused, kid. So he took the quirks and disposed of the children. That's the consequence of your reckless behaviour.
Touya knows manipulation when he sees it. This blatant attempt is clumsy at best. He still feels like puking.
- I ran away from you creeps. What you did to them isn't on me, he says.
- I still expect you to apologise, the old man says gleefully. Otherwise you won't get food.
- What the fuck.
- All you have to do is say that you're sorry. But I'll let you think on it, now. I've got work to do.
The doctor leaves. His words sink at last.
Sensei took Touya's quirk. And he killed all the kids who called Touya Sleepy-head and were so overjoyed to see him awake, just to make a point.
He cries himself to sleep, helpless and shivering.
----
There's only so much Touya can do, except watch the tank and the mishappen thing bottled in there, its brain exposed and lips curled into a pained grimace. When the hunger gets too overwhelming, he apologises to the doctor. He doesn't mean it, of course. But saying the words puts a dent in his armor. The following days are dull and cold. The doctor makes him admit to faults that don't belong to Touya, but he has to own anyway, if he wants to eat. When he acts up too much, other things are taken. Water from the sink. The heating he didn't even realise was there until he woke up with a cold nose and chattering teeth.
The boy sees himself unravel slowly. It doesn't take much. The loss of his quirk and the guilt did most of the job anyway.
- You're starting to smell really bad, the doctor says. How about I cut you a deal ? If you mop the floor of the lab, you'll get clean clothes and a shower.
Touya agrees. Boredom is it's own torture, after all. He doesn't quite know how long he spent in that cell, but he knows the smell of his unwashed body is awful. So he gets up, and meekly accepts the cleaning cart, with its bucket already filled with hot water and detergent. The doctor orders him around, and Touya gets why he had him start at the other end of the lab when he discovers the huge pool of blood on the floor.
- Start with that corner, and finish with this, the doctor says without faltering, like butchering someone in his lab was a common occurrence.
Touyas hand are trembling. He has to empty the bucket several times until the doctor deems the floor clean enough. His dirty clothes are stained with blood. The doctor praises him for his work and leads him to the shower. It doesn't offer any privacy but Touya is beyond caring. He gets out the dirty clothes and under the spray as quick as he can. The water is warm and it hides his tears well enough when it runs on his face.
The doctor give him clean clothes and dinner.
- If you agree to work around the lab, next time I'll give you a blanket. What do you say ?
- Alright.
- That won't do. Don't mutter. What do you say, Touya ?
- I would love to, Doctor. Thank you.
The small man smiles. He looks so unassuming for a complete psychopath. Touya shudders.
- That's good, my boy. Very good. I'm proud of your progress.
Praise from his abuser is poison, but Touya is helpless, and so cold.
----
Cleaning blood is a regular chore. The boy gets used to it after a while. He doesn't get a shower systematically for less messy chores and has to go to bed coated in dust and sweat, so he's grateful for the blood spills sometimes.
Today the doctor gives him a more complicated task. He dumps a huge pile of wires in front of Touya, and he provides him with a voltmeter.
- Old people like me tend to accumulate stuff, you know ? I'm not sure all of these are working. So I need you to test them, and make a pile of junk. The good one go in that box. You need to roll them neatly, like this.
The doctor is very kind and patient when he explains how to do chores. He shows the boy how to use the voltmeter.
It's the best chore he's been given so far. The cables are tangled, some of them are coated with weird goo, but the task keeps him busy. So busy he doesn't notice Sensei approaching until the man's shadows falls on him. Touya freezes like a rabbit.
- The doctor seems to be happy with you, Sensei says in a kind tone.
Touya can say it's fake, but he doesn't look up.
- Keep the good work, kid.
- Will you give me my quirk back if I do ?
Touya wants to slap himself for opening his mouth, but he just can't help it. He sends a wary look at the man. That cold smile makes him wish he hadn't.
- Maybe.
The man leaves to talk to the doctor, and Touya goes back to his task. Focusing is hard, but he can't disappoint the doctor. He still wishes he had not asked. That small flicker of hope is the cruelest thing that happened to him so far.
----
Touya knows he's being broken and conditioned into obedience. He may be able to fight plainly voiced threats. But the doctor talks about the hospital just above. Letting Touya guess on his own that if he managed to run away, the orphanage tragedy would be nothing in comparison to what Sensei would do with the hospital. The doctor is so proud of the pediatric unit. He talks about his little patients and their progress quite often.
Touya wants to hate the doctor, he really does. It works when he says shit like that. But most of the time, the old man is nicer to him than his own parents ever were. He never says that Touya isn't good enough to learn something new, he encourages him to ask questions about his work, he never tells him that he doesn't have time for him. He explains how genetics evolved around quirks, how he's applying this knowledge to create nomus. He unravels secrets, undoes death, and it's all kinds of fascinating.
When he tells Touya that he might be able to create nomus himself one day, if he works hard, the boy is horrified and thrilled at the same time. The legacy he was born to uphold was ripped away from him. This mad scientist career isn't what he wanted, but it's what he's getting anyway. He can't help but apply his obsessive mindset to it.
Of course, being useful will keep him alive, and fed. Being beyond useful might grant him even bigger rewards, who knows ? Maybe he'll get his quirk and freedom back.
In the meantime, until an opportunity arises, he'll make the best of his situation.
-----
The little nomu the doctor calls John-chan follows the young man around like a dog. Touya knows it's been two years since he last saw the sun. But the doctor said they were going out today. He gave Touya regular clothes and a pair of worn snickers. They're a little big on him. He's on the side of too thin. Always a little bit hungry.
He gathers the instruments and the meds the doctor wants to bring to this home visit. Sensei said Tomura was sick. Touya doesn't know who Tomura is, but he makes sure to remember the name, just in case.
Touya closes the doctor's case and picks the nomu up. He scratches the creature's belly. John-chan doesn't purr, but it's eyes roll back in pleasure.
- Kurogiri will transport us, my boy. Put John-chan in its cage.
Touya obeys wordlessly before picking up the doctor's case. He waits in silence beside the old man, who sends a text on his phone. Less than ten seconds after hitting send, a black swirling portal opens. Touya takes an involuntary step back.
- No need to be afraid, my boy. Just walk through. It's like a door. Feels a bit weird but nothing bad.
Touya gathers himself and walks through the portal. It tingles a bit, but he's on the other side in no time. He makes room for the doctor and looks around.
It's a bar. Not especially fancy, not dingy either, clean but plain, like a list of requirements without creativity. The decor lacks art on the brick walls, or flyers lying around on the tables. It looks fake.
A weird man made of black mist stands behind the counter. The only customer is a middle aged man smoking a cigarette. He turns around to look at Touya from head to toe. The young man feels uncomfortable, and the fact it's his first time out of the lab in two years is only marginally at fault.
Touya nods, because he's supposed to be polite and it's the bare minimum. The man smiles widely at him. He's missing a tooth.
The doctor emerges from the portal and wastes no time with pleasantries.
- Thank you Kurogiri. We'll be on our way. Come on, my boy.
Touya follows the doctor up the stairs. The old man stops in front of a closed door and looks up at him.
- You'll have to wait in the bar. Tomura is cranky on a good day, so he's bound to throw a tantrum if I show up with someone he doesn't know. You may get a drink, but don't let Giran talk you into drinking alcohol.
- I get it, Doctor. Thank you.
Touya goes back downstairs. He's not eager to wait in the company of strangers, but he doesn't get to discuss orders. He approaches the bar warily and sits on a stool.
- Do you want a drink ? The mist man asks.
- Do you have tea ?
Touya ignores the other man's snort. He thanks the bartender for the tea - it's a fancy one he didn't expect to find in such a place - and just enjoys it. He doesn't expect more from that outing. It's probably just a test. He could try and run out the door, but the bartender is watching him closely. From his looks, he's the one opening portals. There's probably no way to outrun him. He also doesn't know the other man's quirk, or if the door is even unlocked in the first place.
So he tramples on his desire for freedom. There's a dangerous comfort in knowing it's no use to fight anyway. At least, not like this. The doctor always say that there's no shortcut to the best rewards. So Touya goes through his list of tasks in his head to keep himself busy.
The old man - Giran, as the doctor called him - tries to sweet-talk him, because of course he does.
- You're a cute one, aren't you ? Those looks are wasted on the doctor, let me tell ya. I could find you nice paying jobs, you know ?
Touya doesn't know what kind of jobs the sleazy old guy could find him, since he didn't graduate middle school, so he shruggs.
- No, thank you. I like working with the doctor.
The guy snickers. He sounds drunk, so Touya ignores him. The doctor's appointment lasts a full hour, and he sounds downright exasperated when he calls Touya back to carry his bag. The young man follows him through the portal, and sends a last look at the windows.
The sun shines outside, but not enough to go through the frosted glass.
- That brat is so awfully spoiled, I swear... It makes me appreciate you even more, my boy.
- Thank you, Doctor, says Touya in a low voice. It means a lot.
It's a bit automatic nowadays, and probably doesn't even sound that sincere, but the doctor is pleased, and Touya gets dessert for once.
------
He's allowed to follow the doctor in the upper levers of the hospital, after this visit. He has to wear a face mask, and the doctor shaves his hair. Touya looks at the long strands of white hair falling on the floor and feels nothing. The doctor calls him his assistant, and gives him tags with a fake name. Touya carefully sews the tags on his scrubs. He meekly follows the old man around and he's polite to the people who want to get to know him. He has a fake backstory memorised, and knows what kind of questions he's supposed to ask to entertain them. The doctor seems to have a lot of fun with the deception and he leads Touya to the hospital gardens as a reward for his good behaviour. Touya struggles to keep back tears upon feeling the sun on his face.
Not long after the outing at the bar, Touya wakes up to a commotion in the lab. He can't see what is happening from his cell, so he just listens. He doesn't expect anyone to look for him, so he feels nothing beside a vague curiosity.
Even if he was able to run away, he would have no home to go back to. He knows he's officially deceased. He has no quirk anymore, no value in his father's eyes. He wonders why he wanted to impress that man so badly. He doesn't believe Sensei when he says that the heroes failed him. If they think Touya is dead, they obviously won't look for him. If Sensei wants to use him as bait, he can do this very easily. If he doesn't, it means he probably suspects that nobody wants Touya back. Touya doesn't really care.
He waits for hours. At some point the grid of his cell clicks open, and the doctor asks him through the intercom to get him a bento at the cafeteria, and take one for himself. Touya gets up, picks up the card on the doctor's desk, and goes upstairs.
He's not allowed to wander alone in the hospital usually. But the doctor seems to trust him not to misbehave. Touya is a bit pleased by the show of confidence. The old man didn't ask for a bun with red beans filling but he always takes one, so it's a safe bet to think he's gonna be happy if Touya brings one back (or disappointed if he doesn't).
When he comes back to the lab, the doctor is washing his hands. His labcoat is drenched in blood. He sits at his desk and starts eating anyway.
Touya does too. A full bento is more food than he usually gets so he eats slowly. Maybe he can keep some for later.
- Sensei got injured in a fight against All Might, the doctor says suddenly. It was a close call. His injuries are severe. But it doesn't mean he can't hurt you. You'd better not enter the third pod room, just in case he doesn't recognise you before lashing out. I'd rather keep you safe.
- Thank you Doctor. I won't go in there.
Touya keeps eating. A small forgotten part of him takes the news in gleefully. A even smaller part realises that he could have ran away today. He ignores that small childish voice. There's no place to go anyway.
---
The high end's skin is thick and drawing a blood sample is a pain. Hood hisses his discomfort at him. Touya pets its neck kindly to soothe him and the beast settles. It grumbles Touya's name and paws at him clumsily. The young man guides the nomu into a hug. It's a work in progress.
Touya takes comfort in the contact. Even when given by that terrible mimicry of life he helped sew together. Maybe it's because he took a part in its creation.
- I want the League to test Hood soon, the doctor says when Touya brings him the sample. I think it's time to summon them.
Touya doesn't let the unease show on his face. He's allowed to watch TV nowadays, but as far as revolutions go, the League's fumblings look beyond misguided. He also knows they're pawns for Sensei's games. The doctor monologues about a lot of things, because being around a silent assistant is the perfect opportunity for it. Sometimes the doctor forgets that Touya is a hostage. But the young man gets it. He tends to forget too.
He watches the doctor place a call to Machia and send him after the League. The doctor seems to enjoy playing that part. He's not using his usual mannerisms. Touya guesses he's been waiting for this moment for a long time.
The League looks a little worse for wear. Nobody would look good retching John-chan's traveling fluid, to be honest. Touya watches them attentively. He's gonna sick Hood on them if they threaten the doctor. There's the teenage girl, whose sharp eyes clock on him right away, even though he's standing innocuously in the shadows. A man with a mask that doesn't look very practical. The gecko quirked guy, who looks nervous but interestingly fit (Touya has discovered recently he has a thing for guys with broad shoulders), and the guy with the dissociative personality disorder, who reminds him of a discount hero in his spandex outfit. And then there's Tomura, looking even more like a dried up corpse than usual.
Tomura looks at him too, with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. They've met several times but they've never spent time together without supervision. According to Sensei, Tomura knows that Touya is an asset he can use in a pinch, but he doesn't know the details. It means that Sensei is expecting Tomura to get that information from Touya himself, willingly or not. It's up to Tomura to strike a deal, make an ally out of him, or plainly torture him into submission.
Touya doesn't quite know how far Tomura is ready to go. He will probably answer any question if the red eyed freak threatens him with Decay. It looks like a nasty way to die.
And he doesn't want to get killed by an idiot who only destroys things. Not when he's hooked on the sweet taste of creation.
Weeks later, when his father kills Hood on live TV, Touya cries bitterly. The doctor hugs him and promise him they will make other high ends. They will be stronger, and they won't die, so he doesn't have to be alone.
-----
Tomura's quirk treatment is painful, and he's not handling this well. Touya is the main collateral damage of Sensei's vessel's tantrum. Knowing that Tomura is unwittingly setting himself for a big disappointment is the only thing that keeps Touya from snapping. The doctor scolds the brat for the black eye he gave to his assistant and Touya sneakily lowers his dose of painkillers. The revenge is nice but it doesn't make Tomura more amenable, on the contrary.
Tomura calls Touya names, and tries to pry his secret from him. He cajoles or threatens to do unspeakable things to him, as soon as he's out of his chair, getting wrecked by the process of grafting multiple quirks (Touya didn't know the process was painful. The other patients are still dead at that stage, so they don't complain). Touya doesn't understand what some of the threats entail. It sounds like bodily harm, but why would Touya beg for more ? The doctor explains that Tomura has always wanted to have him, because Touya is such a pretty boy, but he shouldn't let Tomura touch him. The brat doesn't take care of his toys, and the doctor doesn't want them distracted either.
It makes no sense whatsoever. But as long as Tomura doesn't threaten him with Decay, he doesn't feel inclined to tell him anything.
Touya is relieved when they put the brat in the pod, so he can recover from his operations. He has several months of respite, and the high ends will be ready by the time Tomura wakes up. They will protect Touya. The doctor never stopped him from tinkering with their programming, so he made sure of it.
Come to think of it, Tomura also has programming lines that Touya could tinker with. There's no way he really wants that regeneration quirk. It's too much of a cheat code.
----
He's at the hospital cafeteria when the evacuation order comes. Touya freezes, the doctor's card in his hand.
- Forget about payment, says the clerk, we need to go.
Touya pockets the card. He also takes the bentos and the bun the clerk packed for him. The guy likes him well enough, that's probably what prompts him to take charge and urge him to leave. He takes some bentos for himself and rounds the counter. He grips Touya's arm and steers him toward the doors.
- I can't leave the doctor behind !
- Come on, he's heard the evacuation order too ! We'll meet with him later. He's gonna be glad you got his food when we wait on the triage point, you'll see.
Touya doesn't protest any further. The guy is stronger than him and doesn't let go of his arm. He might be able to shake him off, but he can't make a scene. Attracting attention when heroes are everywhere would be beyond stupid.
Heroes coral every valid person in buses so the ambulances can access and evacuate the patients who can't walk. Touya finds himself squished against a window, his bag on his lap, and the clerk is sitting next to him, stopping him from getting out of the bus, and confusing his reluctance to leave the hospital for fear. Though Touya isn't really clear with himself on that part. Both are scary.
The guy puts an arm around his shoulders and smiles.
- It's gonna be alright. I'm not leaving you alone.
Touya nods but says nothing. He's annoyed at the guy - he knows that Touya is quirkless but that doesn't make him a damsel in distress, for fuck's sake.
The bus leaves. Touya doesn't know if the doctor is in a bus himself, or if he stayed behind in the lab, oblivious to the evacuation order. He doesn't know what the heroes want. The idea they might be raiding the lab itself only comes to his mind much later. But there's nothing he can do about it, expect hoping that his nomus won't die, and that the doctor will escape. He expects John-chan to fetch him, but nothing happens.
They drive for an hour at reasonable speed. When the bus stops on a wide parking, police officers close in and start checking identities. They write down the name of every person leaving the bus. People are then directed to a wide military tent with medics and pallets of bottled water. Touya waits for his turn. He doesn't know if his fake identity will fool the cops. He doesn't really care.
All he can think about is the news going on every phone around him, talking about a hero raid and the destruction of the hospital. A huge cloud of dust hovers at the horizon. Did Tomura use his enhanced quirk and leveled the hospital ?
The cop is a nice looking woman who smiles at him.
- Isobe Masamune ? You're Doctor Tsubasa's assistant, right ?
- Yes.
He knows he's sealing his fate, but it's not like he can talk his way out of this, with the tag bearing his fake name on his shirt for everyone to see.
- Alright. Follow me.
Touya obeys. He lets the cops take him to an armored truck. Her grip on his shoulder is firm, and her other hand holds the taser at her belt, like a warning. They take his bag, search his pockets, retrieve the doctor's credit card. They have him sit on the bench and they handcuff him. He looks at them with disinterest. They're in for a surprise if they run his DNA through their database. This will be funny. Maybe. Endeavour is number one nowadays so Touya is not relevant any more, with or without a quirk.
They drive him away without waiting. Touya can't see what's happening outside but the cops are talking about Machia going on a rampage.
The precinct is silent, with everyone on the field. The nice cop is the one who leads him to a cell.
- I can't remove the handcuffs for now, she says. So don't bother asking.
- It's alright Ma'am. I don't mind.
- You're very polite for a criminal.
- I believe I'm still a suspect right now.
She pauses and looks at him more closely, probably realising that something isn't quite right.
- Looks like you don't give a shit, she remarks.
He shruggs. He hasn't been free in years, possibly ever. Changing cages annoys him, but he's not going to make a fuss about it. When the cop closes the door of the cell, he looks around, not minding the way she observes him. The cot looks more comfortable than the one he has at home.
Had. Tomura took care of that.
He settles on it and promptly falls asleep.
-----
- What's your name ?
- Isobe Masamune.
- It's a lie. What's your name ?
Touya smiles. The Detective frowns at him, decidedly not liking his expression. But he can't help it. They fetched the lie detector quirk for him, that's delightful. He's such a celebrity in the underworld that even Touya has heard of him.
- Todoroki Touya.
The cop blinks. He passes a hand on his face and sighs.
- I guess I'm more tired than I thought. Repeat that.
- I'm Todoroki Touya. My father is Endeavour. You know ? Flaming beard, number one hero. I had a quirk accident on Sekoto Peak at age thirteen. Woke up from a coma three years later. A guy calling himself Sensei took my quirk and gave me to the doctor. I've been kept in his lab for eight years.
- You became his assistant, right ?
The Detective looks shaken but recovers quickly.
- I had to earn my keep. Food isn't free.
- What else did you have to earn ?
- Water, showers, sleep. Toilet paper. Clean clothes. Heating. Blankets. Lights out at night...
The cop mutters "true" under his breath. Touya looks at him curiously. He knows that this all started as a hostage situation and never quite stopped being one. He just got used to it. He's sure that the doctor came to like him too. Sort of. He wonders what the cops will charge him with. What his new cage will look like. Is it a crime to get used to abuse ? To yield when you don't have the upper hand ? His father certainly would think so, but he doesn't know what the law says about it.
The cop asks more questions and Touya answers everything honestly, because cooperation has always worked for him so far. Even if some information might incriminate him. The cop doesn't ask how much of the nomu process Touya can handle on his own (all of it). Touya tells him about All For One's plan to use Tomura as a vessel. How the doctor made it work. What's going to happen, when Tomura gets triggered.
He's a bit sorry to dump all this on the poor cop. The guy looks ready to keel over from exhaustion. He looks up from his notes.
- We're going to stop here. This looks like an emergency. I'm gonna come back to you as soon as we have the results of the DNA test. Thank you for your cooperation, Touya.
- You're welcome, Detective.
Touya nods politely. The Detective all but runs away from the interrogation room. Touya is led to his cell again. They give him food. It's more than the amount he's used to, and he has to sleep again after this little feast.
------
The lie detector Detective comes back weeks later. Touya spends his days on the cot, reading books the cop lady lends him. When he told her how happy he was that his cell has a window that allows him to see a patch of sun every day, she made a face. She got a book for him the very next day. Touya is thrilled. The doctor only wanted him to read science stuff. He hasn't been allowed to read a novel since he was a kid. He's so excited. He talks about the books with the cop when she's around. It's nice. He knows he can't stay here forever, though.
He's napping again when the Detective arrives. He doesn't stir and listens to the cop lady give him an account of his behaviour. She tells him that Touya is so cooperative, and so happy with the way he's treated.
The cop calls his name. Touya sits up and follows them to the interrogation room again. He's used to those daily talks. He answers most questions sent his way truthfully and observes their reactions. When he doesn't want to answer, he says that he doesn't know, and they haven't called him out on the lies yet.
- Shigaraki and All For One are deceased, the Detective says. Your information allowed us to avoid a massive bloodshed. So thank you for that.
- Pleasure's all mine.
Touya isn't dumb. If he's reading between the lines, he gets that both of them were coldly executed. He would be sorry for Tomura, because the guy was only a poor fool that Sensei groomed and used, if the creep hadn't hurt him. So he mostly feels relieved. And he's overjoyed the old fucker died, even if it means he won't get his quirk back. Sensei was already in Tartarus though, it was probably easy to get rid of him.
- Who killed Tomura ?
- He got into a fight with Hawks.
- I see. Did Hawks get hurt ?
- He will make a full recovery.
- I'm glad.
Touya smiles. He doesn't know much about the winged hero, but the guy is handsome. He enjoys watching him on TV. His ability to fly is his biggest appeal. That's what freedom must look like, right ?
He also has a nice chest. Unless his modelling pictures are photoshoped. The cop lady says they're not. She lends him magazines sometimes, and they thirst together on Hawk's pictures. It's fun.
- For some reason, Shigaraki wasn't able to use some of his quirks, says the Detective. Witnesses said he was so angry about it, it probably cost him the victory.
Touya keeps smiling. He didn't hear a question here. The cop sends him an appraising look but doesn't insist.
- Your DNA test confirmed your identity. And you're not getting charged with anything, says the Detective.
Touya falters. The idea of getting released is very unappealing right now. Are they just going to let him go ? He imagines himself on the sidewalk in front of the precinct, having to pick a direction.
- You don't seem happy.
- Don't have a place to go.
- What about your family ?
- I'm quirkless.
- How is that relevant ? Touya, answer me.
Touya shuts down. His own reaction doesn't make sense to himself, but reconnecting with his family as a quirkless kidnapping victim sounds worse than going to jail.
----
He's not privy to the talks surrounding his release. He's in his cell for now, with another book. The Detective comes back at some point with a man he presents as a psychiatrist. They ask questions and Touya answers some of them. But he doesn't want to talk about his family's situation. He says it's been eleven years so he's not up to date. The shrink tells him it's not relevant but it really is. Dad became number one. Things might be better or even worse. Endeavour is not into hand-me-down titles. Touya doesn't know if he calmed down about it yet.
Somehow he says enough alarming stuff that they decide to ship him to a place where he can recover, and postpone the meeting with his family. The shrink shows him a brochure and pictures of the place. Touya thinks it's a mental hospital but they kindly avoid the term. He agrees to go there because it looks comfortable. He wonders how he's gonna repay all this. They will probably tell him later, when he's stuck and can't go back on the deal. It makes the most sense.
- I informed your family you were alive but not ready to see them, the Detective says. They will wait until you are.
They send him away. The cop lady hugs him and lets him keep the book he hasn't finished.
----
Touya likes the new place. He doesn't have to do anything to get food or be able to shower. A shrink tells him about his stunted emotional growth and his trauma, and how they're going to work on those issues. Touya doesn't actually get what the guy means, but he goes with the flow.
He gets a little bored sometimes. Come to think of it, he had long working days in the lab, tending to the nomu at all hours, and doing chores for the doctor. Freedom is a bit boring and it makes him anxious. When he talks about it, they provide him with an endless supply of books. He's told they come from his mother. When he accidentally discloses a bit of his biology knowledge to the psychiatrist, the man looks thrilled.
Touya is given quizzes that get progressively harder. He loves that new activity. The psychiatrist tells him he could get a degree in biology. They get him enrolled in online classes to catch up on the missed years of his education. Touya works hard. They didn't talk about rewards yet, but maybe school is the reward, so he's going to take as much as he can before they take it back. He misses the clarity though. Doctor Garaki always stated very clearly what was a reward, what was work, and what was punishment. Nothing here looks like punishment, he can't separate work and reward, and it's all very confusing.
Six months after the begin of his hospital stay, he's reading in the courtyard when a weird shadow falls on him. And then pro hero Hawks is standing in front of him in all his winged glory. The man sends him a blinding smile. Touya tries hard to hide how star-struck he is.
- Hi ! You're Touya, right ? Do you mind talking with me for a while ?
Touya blinks at the use of his given name, but he doesn't truly mind. The hero sits down on the bench beside him and talks to him like they're old pals. It's weird.
- Tsukauchi told me where his intel came from. You're a real hero, you know ? Surviving all those years, gathering information... and escaping in time to change the tide of the war. You're incredible.
- It wasn't intentional. The escaping part.
Touya bites his lip. He shouldn't say this but he doesn't want praise he didn't deserve because it could backfire badly. He tells Hawks about the evacuation order. But all the hero has to say is that he's sorry Touya had to go through this. Touya gets a bit worked up.
- I helped the doctor. I had my part in making Hood. I saw that fight on TV, you were injured. You can't tell me I'm a hero.
Hawk's smile is sad.
- I'm not going to resent you for being coerced into making those nomus. It's not your fault.
- But...
- Allow me to be blunt. You not getting that the things that happened to you were not your fault is the reason you're here.
- But it's a nice place. They feed me for free.
Hawks laughs at that, even though his eyes are still sad.
- Your family pays for your stay. They want you to get better, you know ? They miss you.
Oh. Touya gets it now. His dad sent Hawks to convince Touya to meet with his family and remind him that he owes them. He guesses he has to, now. He usually doesn't get another warning.
----
They don't confront him with his whole family at once, surprisingly. He gets to choose who he feels the most comfortable meeting with, and they go from there, one person at a time.
Choices are a pain. He remembers that he wanted to apologise to his mother, so he starts with her. It's the easiest reunion. She gets that he's a bit broken and accepts it. Natsuo looks angry when they meet, but Touya quickly gets that the anger isn't directed at him (it's still scary, because Natsuo is huge). Fuyumi cries a lot, but she's mostly the same, just older, and the familiarity is comforting, like picking things up exactly where they left them. Shouto is an overgrown teenager, and a perfect stranger, but the way he talks is easy to understand. There's no hidden meaning, no hints at something that Touya is supposed to know already. Shouto is the only one who gets what isolation does to someone.
His father comes last, because Touya is terrified but he knows he has to rip the band-aid. Enji hugs him and cries. It looks like Touya fell in another reality.
-----
- Why am I not allowed to visit doctor Garaki ?
Enji looks angry.
- You're not seing the doctor ever again. He hurt you. Don't you get that ?
- It was a long time ago.
- it doesn't matter !
Touya sends his father a pointed look and raises an eyebrow in a way that will hopefully convey his judgement. The man falters. That's an interesting reaction, that Touya makes sure to write down as soon as he's alone.
He's been meeting with his family regularly, and the psychiatrist helps him put things into perspective. His family doesn't want to hear about him missing the doctor, or asking if he can adopt John-Chan.
Touya has a meltdown over his course on experimental ethics. He feels like a monster. The psychiatrist says this mindset is a progress and doesn't berate him when Touya tells him about cutting dead people open. He just says he did it too during his studies, and it's alright when people agreed to it before they died.
Touya also discovers that the psychiatrist knows everything about his family, since Rei spent years in this hospital. They talk about the neglect, the unfair expectations.
Touya struggles to understand why this kind of abuse doesn't forbid his father from seing him almost daily, while the doctor's abuse is too much for a single visit. It looks like a double standard to be honest.
Hawks comes back, so Touya asks him for his opinion. The winged hero tells him his own father was a dick so he gets where Touya is coming from, and that Enji was a dick too but he wants to atone for his mistakes. This is very convenient now that he's number one. Hawks says that giving him a chance is up to Touya. It's another tough decision to make and it feels unfair.
Touya allows his father to visit because he needs more data. He asks questions to see what makes him tick. He writes down a whole experiment plan and he shows it to the psychiatrist. The man finds the idea tremendously funny. They discuss Touya's trials. The psychiatrist gives context and explains his father's reactions.
Hawks visits regularly. Touya doesn't get what's so interesting about himself but he lets it happen. Sometimes, when he looks at Touya, his pupils change size. He blushes slightly. He doesn't look like his hero persona around him at all. Touya catalogues every behaviour carefully. He's a bit at a loss when it comes to draw a conclusion, so he gathers more data. The hero looks happy when Touya takes his hand, when he asks questions about his job, when he sits closer. When Hawks is not in disguise and his wings are on full display, he tends to raise them, and tries to hide Touya behind them in a possessive display. He doesn't realise what his wings are doing until Touya is smothered under red feathers. Sometimes he frowns at them like they betrayed him.
Hawks fights with Enji sometimes. He tells him he shouldn't lock Touya up any longer. That he won't progress if he's not reinserted into society. The psychiatrist tends to agree with Hawks more and more. Touya is too comfortable in the hospital, they say, but he's clever and adaptable. They're confident he can live outside.
-----
It's another outing with Hawks. The hero calls them dates, but he gets that Touya isn't quite ready for a relationship. He's willing to wait. The relationship talk triggered another line of questioning with the psychiatrist - and a sex ed remedial class. Touya was so embarrassed to realise how clueless he was about this topic. The psychiatrist thinks that Touya shouldn't get involved with anyone until he's feeling confident he can leave them, and be safe on his own. He even talked to Hawks about the risk of codependency and unhealthy attachment. But when they said Touya needed to go home to his family, he had a panic attack. They decided to wait and look for another solution, whatever that means.
Today they're visiting an aquarium. Touya knows a lot about marine biology because the doctor made him study for a project of amphibious nomu. He tells Hawks random things he memorised.
- There's a good biology course in Fukuoka's university, says Hawks.
Touya looks at him. The hero is in disguise and his outfit is so colourful that nobody would believe he's trying to be discreet. He holds himself with confidence. Touya feels safe with him. Hawks gets it. He listens and comforts him, even if Touya is expressing feelings that most people can't stomach. Like missing doctor Garaki or being sad because he won't have John-chan as a pet, because the little nomu is dead.
- If you want to apply there, I'd be happy to share my apartment with you. I'll help you settle. If you want your own place that's alright too. I mean, I'll help you, no strings attached. Whatever you choose to do, and whatever we are for each other.
- I've looked it up, says Touya. They're quite advanced on quirk research. Not as advanced as Doctor Garaki though.
- Does it mean you're not interested ?
- It means they want me, says Touya. They're offering me a scholarship.
He gets distracted by a tiny shark swimming against the glass. It's so cute. When he turns back to Hawks, the hero is making bird's eyes at him, his head tilted to the side. Touya smiles. Hawks bird mannerisms come out when he's puzzled.
- I wrote a comment on one of their research papers, he adds. Some of their conclusions were wrong, and I told them why. It triggered quite a headache, I was told. That's how we got in contact.
- I didn't know.
- Didn't tell you. Nobody is interested in my school stuff. Thought you'd be bored. Do you have a spare room ? I'd rather have an office to work, I can sleep wherever.
- You can have both. My apartment is big enough.
Hawks looks dazed, but he's smiling and blushing a little.
- I don't know how relationships work, Touya says.
- I'm following your lead. It's not like I had a lot of relationships either. My PR hinged on my bachelor status, you know ?
- You're obviously a predator. That's dumb to try to sell you as something else.
- People tend to get afraid of that, you know.
- I know some stuff about predators. I'm not scared.
He takes the hero's hand.
- Come on. I want to see the exposition on deep sea fishes. They're amazing.