Quirks and magic

Chapter 25: Apprentice No More, Part 1

A/N: You know what I like most about writing this fanfiction? It's the unconventional routes I take and the twists from canon that I feel make the story truly stand out. Unconventional pairings are another thing I enjoy about fanfictions in general, too. I like to see writers purposely deviate from canon and flesh out and mold relationships that could've been, and as far as I'm concerned, the more obscure or uncommon the pairing the better! And when it's done superbly, well, that just makes the reading experience all the more worthwhile. CharlesWatch220 and their story Jack and Her Green Muse is the perfect example of such a story, a well-crafted read that develops what I consider to be one of the most difficult MHA pairings to write about in a believable way. It's an excellent read, I highly recommend it. Sorry if this seems out of the blue for any of you; they gave me a friendly shout-out, so I felt compelled to return the favor. An early Christmas gift to a fellow writer, if you will.

Any who, on with the chapter!

"...Come again, Brigand?" Tomura seethed into the cellular burn phone in his hand, gripped with four fingers as the villain's thumb twitched dangerously above the device, just itching to initiate some disintegration and decay. "Maybe I didn't hear you properly, but it sounded to me like you were reneging on our deal."

"You asked for the Diacatholicon, and I delivered," Brigand's nasally voice crackled through the phone. "The visual aid you gave me indicated a single orb, so that's what you got. You never mentioned there'd be more than one, on a gold chain no less! As far as I'm concerned, you asked and paid for a single one of those orbs."

Tomura's thumb brushed against the phone for but an instant, the device's chassis instantly cracking from his decaying Quirk. "So let me get this straight, Brigand: you're refusing to hand over the rest of the Diacatholicon unless we fork over more money to you? Is that it?"

"You catch on quick, kid," Brigand snorted. "Fork over double what you've paid so far and the other orbs will be yours! Oh, and you can toss in a smidge more for the gold chain, if you'd like. Can't say if you're a jewelry fan or not, but I figured you might be with all those creepy ass hands you wear—"

"Just wait until I get my hands on you..." Tomura hissed, his voice laced with venomous hatred. "We'll see how much banter those lips of yours can shoot off after I've turned them into dust!"

"But you won't get your hands on me, now will you?" Brigand responded, clearly not intimidated by Tomura's anger. "You only found me the first time because I let you. I always let my prospective employers seek me out, not the other way around. And how do you think you'll find me? By tracking me? Through a burn phone? Get real. My satchel is one-way, too, pal."

"You're dead, Brigand," Tomura growled. "Do you hear me? You've got one life left, so enjoy it before I personally deliver you your Game Over."

"...Look, I can see you need some time to think on my offer," Brigand said nonchalantly. "How about this: I'll hold onto this burn phone for another hour, and you can call me back after you've taken however long you need to calm down. And if you wait too long...? Well, I've got other buyers lined up to step in. Ciao."

"...Wait! Brigand!" Tomura yelled into the phone, but to no avail—the man had already hung up. The bar was silent besides Tomura's ragged breath and Kurogiri's methodical rummaging and cleaning before the fledgling villain let out a horrid yell of frustration, clenching the phone in his hand until its ashen particles spilled through his fingers and onto the bar top. Kurogiri mindlessly ran a wet cloth over the counter, wiping the pile of dust away with ease, as if he'd performed this action many times before. "I will grind that man into compost!"

"That would be rather lovely," Kurogiri added. "I was thinking a bit of greenery was just what this bar needed!"

"Your anger is understandable, Tomura," The voice of All For One sounded through the blank monitor in the bar. "But allow yourself to grow and learn from this experience. This encounter with Brigand has no doubt taught you to be extremely specific and cautious when requesting the services of third-party mercenaries. Remember: you are paying for their services before their loyalty. It is in their best interests to twist and smear agreements with employers whenever possible. We are no different, either."