Insomnia [Shota Aizawa x Reader] (Rewritten Version)

Chapter 24

"Sensei, how many Nomus are done?"

"They're not as strong as the one from the ambush at U. A. but I've finished verifying the behavior of six."

"Gimme 'em."

Man, Katsumi really hated the kid. He sat across from Kurogiri listening in on the conversation between Shigaraki and Sensei. The "Audio Only" screen in the dimly lit room seemed to only make it darker. His voice had that much of an effect on them.

"Why?"

"Because I can't stand the hero killer. And destroying things I don't like must be alright."

Katsumi huffed and had to step in. "It's true that you were stabbed by him, but that doesn't mean you can go and use those Nomu whenever and wherever you want just because you have a tantrum."

"Katsumi is in charge of the Nomu developments." The screen flashed as Sensei talked. He remained silent for a moment and Katsumi had a moment of relief, thinking that was that and he wouldn't let Shigaraki use the just-finished Nomus. "However, I'll make an exception."

Shigaraki's annoyed expression at Katsumi turned into a sadistic one. Karsumi clenched his teeth angrily.

"I'll give you three. I do hope you make this opportunity a learning experience."

Katsumi really couldn't stand this kid, or Sensei.

He stood, knowing that he'll be needed again at the Nomu warehouse to sort everything out. Which quirks went to which Nomu... three of them were now gone to this kid and his need to be organized was calling him, as well as his need to have a break from the kid.

"He'll learn," Kurogiri said quietly to him as he opened up a gate for the man. "Sensei trusts him. Be patient."

Katsumi grunted, not believing that for a second. He hated these types of people. The leaders of groups. The commanders. The people who think they could control others as if they were puppets and toys. He may be a hypocrite, he knew. But he won't let the power get to him. He refused.

He would die before he let that happen.

He growled his frustrations to himself under his breath, walking out from the gate and arriving at the warehouse with just a few steps.

"How'd it go?" Miki's voice brought him from his angry thoughts. He sat tiredly next to a table scattered with paper, his glasses pushed up and resting on his head.

"Sensei asked for another three Nomu because Shigaraki asked for them," Katsumi scoffed. "I swear, that kid doesn't even know what he's doing."

"The Nomu aren't toys," Miki added, agreeing with him. "But I suppose this mindset is why Sensei chose him."

Katsumi huffed frustratedly. He walked over to the table, looking over at the containers of Nomu that were still in progress. The six that were finished were marked off with green lights. Those would be the ones that could listen commands.

Katsumi let out another frustrated sigh as he realized something. "And he got three! An odd number! This won't be symmetrical anymore!" He pointed out the disturbance in the organization and covered his face with his hands frustratedly. "Fuck it."

Miki chuckled and gave his brother a small smile. "Guess you'll have to deal with that until one more is finished."

Katsumi grumbled under his breath, flopping down on a chair next to Miki. "Sensei really seems to focus on Shigaraki lately. He didn't even bother to let me know earlier about the quirk that extracts quirks, which wouldn't work on [L/N]. Even they, the second person he knows the most, at least to us, is being pushed away too."

"His mind is the most fragile," Miki mused. "[L/N] is too... kind. Didn't they refuse to do a lot of things Sensei asked them to do? Including joining us to work on the Nomu?"

"Yeah. But that was probably only because they didn't know us well enough. I guess they even felt guilty and useless enough to want to give their quirk to us." Katsumi's expression softened. "But they really have helped us a lot before we got involved with Sensei. I just wasn't a good enough... person."

"You were a friend. A short-term friend that was more like an associate, but still." Miki scratched at his cheek, knowing he was guilty as well. "You knew them."

"Not as well as Aiko." Katsumi sighed. "I wish I knew them more."

As if on cue, the brown haired woman came in through a door. She had a small grin on her face, and seeing Katsumi present, it widened. "Hey."

Aiko waved at the two of them as she walked up. She wrapped her arms around Katsumi from behind and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, Ai." Katsumi smiled, forgetting about his worries on the Nomu and Shigaraki for the time being. Aiko doesn't even need to use her quirk on him to make him happy. "What are you so pumped about?"

"Nothing much," she answered. "Just patching old relationships."

"Who?" It would be too much of a coincidence that it would be [L/N], right? Katsumi pushed his hair back and sat forward with newfound energy. He'll have to sort out the quirks of the new Nomu and make sure they don't overlap and cause some problematic mutations.

"[L/N]." Aiko freed her arms from around Katsumi and pulled over another chair. "Sensei did say to leave them alone and out of this, on behalf of Shigaraki. I thought I'd talk with them and catch up on things. I apologized for what we did, too." She lifted her gaze up. "You two should talk with them about that as well, in person."

"We were just talking about them," Miki said. "You were the closest to them out of the three of us."

Katsumi nodded. "I guess we just weren't good at forming bonds with others. Except you and I, but that's an exception."

"Right," Aiko said sarcastically. "And Ethan? I really did regret not convincing you to be a bit patient with him."

The brothers said nothing, knowing she was right. She sighed.

"I'm going shopping with them and eating out at Hosu next week."

"Is this an invitation?" Katsumi asked.

"No, it'll just be the two of us," she said cheerfully.