The Raising of a Monster -- The One-Shots

The Master's Game of Human Chess

Summary:

"So you took an apprentice again," It was spoken not as a question, but a statement.

"Why yes, you are correct. I did take an apprentice in," A sip; slow, careful, deliberate. "But this time, I plan to teach him all three years,"

Nedzu stared into Inky black eyes.

"Why Midoriya?" Shouta spoke, staring with narrowed eyes.

And wasn't that the three million yen question.

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Notes:

Please enjoy the fic.

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“So you took an apprentice again,” It was spoken not as a question, but a statement. Nedzu hummed and fiddled with the boiled cup of tea that settled between his paws. 

“Why yes, you are correct. I did take another apprentice in,” A sip; slow, careful, deliberate. The creature at the desk did not care for time at this moment, so he bathed in the tension that filled the air, listening to the gentle tick, tick, tick of the clock from in the corner. “But this time, I plan to teach him all three years he’s here if I can. Possibly even longer if he’ll allow - though, I have a deep suspicion I won’t be needed for that long,” Another sip, and Nedzu stared into inky black eyes from where he sat, waiting for a response. 

Only silence filled the air of his office though. The late afternoon lazily turning into early evening, the glows of the setting sun painting the room in tones of reds and golds, elongating the shadows that spread from every surface. The two just sat there, surveying the other across the large wooden desk, neither saying a word; Nedzu calmly drinking his tea, the other’s hot coffee still yet untouched. 

Finally though - 

“Why Midoriya?” Shouta asked, eyes narrowing as he folded his arms across his chest. His deep tone was laced in what Nedzu would guess was curiosity and suspicion. 

Ah, yes. The three million yen question, isn’t it now Shouta? Nedzu almost giggled, instead bringing his tea to his snout before placing it delicately on his desk, once more twisting it in his paws a few times before turning to face the teacher. But if you can’t see it now, then I’m not going to spill any secrets - As they say, the game is no fun when everyone knows everyone's cards- 

“Why not Midoriya? He’s an intelligent young man with a very useful quirk- And he’s the only one who's taken down the Zero Pointer in over two decades! So again, why not Midoriya?” He threw up his paws for a dramatic show of exclamation, keeping his tone light and airy. Dark eyes only narrowed more, the glare trying to search his expression for any information, for anything at all (and like he would ever truly see what Nedzu ever thought. He may have been his personal student at one time or another, but even then, Nedzu had only taken him in to create a knight. A boy he saw potential in, one he thought could possibly be like him - only to turn out as a boy barely damaged by society. Still cracked under the pressure, but still within and welcomed where he went. But he couldn’t just stop taking care of his first apprentice, even if he wasn’t damaged, he was still brilliant for his age - something rarely found outside of intelligence based quirks or heavily damaged monsters. So he took him in, kpet him close, and turned him into his knight. A piece on his board who he knew he could trust more than any other, one that could easily understand a portion of what Nedzu was always thinking, plotting. One who would always protect him. And one he would quickly rely on in case something ever happened to himself. But he would never be a monster like Midoriya-) but he guesses they found nothing, because the man clad in black just drooped his shoulders more than usual.