Lightning Serenade

Chapter 100: Casino I

A/N: OCs in this chapter:

Nato Hachisho – PR manager for HPSC

Takaga Mayori – HPSC agent

Kobaru Maediri – Quirk: Seek, former patient on the Adult Unit at Fields who interacted with Neito and Hitoshi, habitual troublemaker for casinos due to the nature of how her quirk can be used

Omoto Sezuno Isozan – Quirk: Full Throttle

Omoto Sezuno Uretori (aka Phantasm) – Quirk: Hallucinogenic Gas

"All I'm saying," Denki continued to complain, rambling in circles as Dabi groaned, dragging a hand down his face, mindful of the staples, "is that you said that you didn't have a magic healing lady to kiss your boo-boos away, yes? But that was a lie, Touya!"

"It wasn't a lie if we don't have regular access to her!" Dabi argued back for what felt like the millionth time. "You hero students could just pop in whenever you wanted. It would have been really suspicious if she just vanished regularly after we were seen being injured somewhere publicly and then we were magically very much fine the next time we were seen again, wouldn't it, Denki?!"

"And you didn't want to know anyone on our side," Shigaraki added.

Denki turned on his heel to face Shigaraki, his eye roll turning into an intense glare. "Whose side are you on anyway?!"

"Uh... Mine, obviously," Shigaraki answered. He could only hold the straight face for a few seconds before laughing, the others joining in. Shigaraki's laughter was contagious, even more so after those few weeks of immense melancholy where nothing could lift his mood. His happiness was never taken for granted.

"You're oddly quiet," Denki whispered, sliding up next to Isozan.

Isozan sent him a what he hoped was a reassuring smile. By Denki's recoil, it was probably more like a terrified grimace.

"It's just—" Isozan rushed to explain, hushing his voice to match Denki's, grateful that he was mindful enough to keep this little insecurity between the two of them, "I really fucked up with you. I lucked out when your soulmates and the League just took your word when you vouched for me, but I can't expect that to work for everyone."

"Why not?" Denki asked, voice sounding completely genuine.

Isozan looked over, and Denki's face looked genuine, too, like he didn't understand Isozan's thought process.

"Hey," Denki said, changing tactics. "Uretori's not the only one in your corner anymore, yeah? You have me, my soulmates, and the League now, too. They aren't just bystanders in this, content to stand by and watch now that I've said you're cool with me. They're fully on board. You know this, right?"

"In theory, I do," Isozan admitted. "In practice..."

"It'll take some practice?" Denki guessed.

Isozan smiled, and was more confident that it actually looked like a smile this time by Denki's returned grin and wink (and sparking finger guns).

"I really should have known, I think," Denki continued, his voice picking up to include the others once again. "When I was... recovered from you guys, Recovery Girl seemed a little surprised that I didn't have as many injuries as I should have, but maybe not as surprised as she should have been."

"Oh, she probably was surprised," Shigaraki said. "Just because we had people on the inside doesn't mean they actually liked us. You were one that we didn't have on the inside and actually did like us."

"We talked about how ironic it was all the time," Dabi added. "Then we got Hawks who seemed to actually enjoy our company, but he was a plant by the Commission. Everything was just so messed up all the time. Nothing was like how it was supposed to be."