I Never Said I Was Good

Tomura to the Rescue

My eyes flickered between all of the recruits who I still didn't know, but none of them gave any sign of backing off or leaving me alone. Their gazes lingered on my restless body, and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop them if they decided to hurt me. After all, they're all villains who met the impossible standards of Shigaraki, and I was just a teenager who happened to get into a hero school because the test was well-suited to my quirk. 

There was nothing I could do to waver their deadset determination, so I stared back at them as intently as they did at me. Scar-face. Toga. Lizard-man. Lady in the back. Deadpool. Fancy mask person. Muscle man. Creepy teeth. A middle-schooler. I did a double-take. I knew that plain black school uniform that was on the boy. That was the very same uniform that I saw in the halls for years before I was accepted into UA. This boy was from the same place I was, went to the same middle school as me, and ended up in the same dingy basement as I was in. Maybe he knew me from school, and maybe I know him. But if he had any hint of recognition or any sign of knowing me, his green gas mask hid all evidence of it from me and from every other villain in this room. 

Should I say something? Toga was also in a school uniform, but this was an unfamiliar high school one that I wouldn't be able to place. If these kids who are possibly my age are here, then why am I here? Surely they could be just as useful to infiltrate UA and learn about all of its secrets. Their quirks are probably also better suited to go undercover as a hero-in-training at the number one school in Japan. So why am I here? 

"Hey," one of the new members finally said something, wrenching my attention away from the children who were my age. It was Scar-face. Somehow his neutral expression was just as intimidating as the sadistic look on Shigaraki's face whenever he saw me being the slightest bit disobedient. This wouldn't end well. "How did you get so injured?"

"I was- Wait. What?" I stared blankly at him. How did I get injured? Really? He doesn't want to hurt me or find out information that I don't have through torture? He's just concerned? 

His neutral expression quickly shifted to one of--was that concern?--before he narrowed his eyes at me. "I don't like repeating myself. How did you get hurt this badly?" 

My expression must have been dumbfounded with all of the looks they were shooting my way. Annoyance. Concern. Disbelief. Curiosity. I needed to say something. "UA."  

"WHAT," Scar-face loudly exclaimed. "The hero school beat you up this bad and didn't do a thing to help you? What kind of school is that place?!" 

Toga giggled into her hand. "It's one that only cares about money and its reputation. Just like a certain pro hero who treated you exactly the same way." 

"Toga-"

"Touya-"

"I'll kill you." 

I should have stayed quiet. Yes, I got hurt at UA. But I also fell out of a tree in my abandoned house because I couldn't walk in through the front door without looking suspicious. Now all there is infighting and riled up tensions because I decided to say a single word without thinking it through. 

Scar-face reached his hand out, blue flames emitting from his skin while Toga just stood there with a large smile on her face. "What would Mr. Stain-y think of this?" 

"Who cares what Stain thinks of this? His ideals say nothing of how we should treat each other. Anyone who supports the hero system and its corrupt ways is someone who is against us." The flames on his skin disappeared, but he still didn't look like he was going to back down from this argument. 

"Enough," a gruff voice interrupted the two new recruits from killing each other. "Stain may be the reason you chose to come here, but that's in the past. You're with the League now and this fighting will get us nowhere." 

"But did you hear what the hero school did to her!" Scar-face crudely gestured to where I sat on the musty couch. "They 'trained' her to exhaustion and didn't even help her heal! No hospital, no pro hero Recovery Girl, no first aid at all! How can you just stand there while someone you  recruited is beaten to submission by the so-called good guys?" 

In a manner of seconds, Shigaraki was standing in between me and the new recruits who were very angry at the mere idea of UA existing. His hand was inches away from Scar-face, and the sadistic look of intimidation was resting on his face, partially hidden by the hand of his father. "She has been here longer than you, so you don't get to treat her like a child. She has seniority over all of the Vanguard Action Squad. If she gives an order, you will listen. That girl is not weak, and she can take whatever UA can throw at her. If we attack now then we just give away our motives and our plans." 

"There is nothing more I'd like to do than avenge her, but we can't yet. She needs to recover, so she can go back and be a spy for us." Shigaraki took a step back from the group who I think was the Vanguard Action Squad. "Leave her alone. If you're going to fight, do it somewhere else." 

That was all it took. The one-minute speech from Shigaraki had all of the new people disperse and walk far away from my line of sight. They all left the room. Leaving me alone with Shigaraki. The Shigaraki who just admitted he wanted to avenge me for my injuries. The Shigaraki that brought me here and gave me a chance. The Shigaraki who could have killed me numerous times, but decided I was worth sparing. That Shigaraki. 

I was doomed. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my stomach was doing summersaults. Every inch of me was tingling from just looking at him, yet I was more comfortable with just sitting by him than being with anyone from my class at UA. What was happening to me? This couldn't possibly normal. All I could do was succumb to his mercy and his desire.