🖤💙𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕💙🖤

Consequences

POV TOMURA

The days go by slowly. All For One says we'll have another meeting soon, though I know it's just an excuse for him to beat the living shit out of me again. While we did find the information we were looking for, thanks to Himiko, I failed to lead us. I was too caught up (literally and figuratively) with Eraserhead. Upon seeing him, my loyalty to my master faltered. A million thoughts ran through my mind, all of which made AFO furious.

I almost didn't care. Almost, because I know the consequences will be dire if I betray my master. He'll kill me. He'll kill Dabi and Himiko and Twice and Hawks. (Not that I really care about that damn bird, but I know Dabi does.) I don't want to watch another family crumble before my eyes.

It seems like I killed one abusive father of mine just for another one to appear.

AFO jabs me in my mind, which is a weird power of his. Because the doctor has been tinkering on our strange connection, AFO has been getting a stronger hold over me. It isn't just his voice I hear. Our breathing is synced. Our hearts beat at the same time. When he feels pain, I feel pain. Or, he can bring pain upon me simply when he wills it. I haven't learned that trick yet, but even if I had, I don't think I'd be fierce enough to use it.

The consequences. I'm terrified of the consequences.

"Tomura," calls Compress from the bar counter. I groan, shifting on the couch. My neck still aches from the encounter with Eraserhead a few days ago. I've been dissociating on the couch ever since. "Come here, please."

I sit up groggily, scratching at my neck and eyes and arms. I don't stop scratching, even as I sit beside Spinner at the bar counter, who gives me a dirty look. I just ignore him.

Compress scans me, though I don't know what he's looking for. A few beats later, he removes his mask, startling almost everyone. Not me. I'm too exhausted. "Tomura," he says. "Your connection with AFO has strengthened greatly."

He says it like it's obvious, like anybody would be able to tell, yet he's still decently surprised. I answer with a shrug, not bothering to offer up much else.

Compress nods. "Good. That way, we won't have to make the trip to AFO's area to plan. He can hear us perfectly fine."

Himiko grinned. She, along with everyone else, hates visiting AFO. Though we'd never dare say it out loud. "Where's Mamagiri?" Himiko chirped.

"He's with AFO," Spinner says. "Said he had some important one-on-one conversation to have." Even the bug-eating lizard-fucker looked nervous.

"He'll be fine," I mutter, tapping my fingers on the counter one at a time. "He can handle his own."

The league shares a nod, though there's a cloud hanging over our heads. Nobody could really, truly handle their own against All For One. Not only is he extremely powerful, but he also has a knack for manipulating people. It's a bad hobby, and we often find ourselves as his victims, twisting and turning under AFO's poisonous words to fit whatever image he wanted to see.

As the days go by, I begin to hate my master more and more.

He jabs me, and I jerk forward, feeling an ache on my lower back. It felt like he whacked me with a wooden stick. Himiko gives me a concerned look, but I wave it away. "Let's get started. Himiko, review what information you collected from the UA infiltration."

Himiko beams. She loves being put in the spotlight. "Okay! We're in good shape, boys! UA and the heroes know little to nothing about the nomus and how to defeat them. The little rat's notes said they're relying heavily on Ochako's teacher's quirk to fight them."