The Emperor's Dragon II

The Calm Before

The instant they got back to Tsuke's, Goumanya felt Nobasu wrap his fingers around his arm and draw him away.

"What the fuck, dude?" He hissed. He probably meant to be quiet, but the statement drew the attention of everyone. They went about their business as if nothing was wrong, but Goumanya knew what it felt like to be watched by people who weren't making it obvious.

"What?" he looked at Nobasu. What was the guy on about?

"I didn't need help," he growled.

Oh... the lock. The job Nobasu had invited him on with Kobun was an armored car heist. Nobasu's part of the job was to open the lock using his stretchy fingers. Goumanya hadn't seen Nobasu do anything like that, but he figured the teen probably could. But- "You were taking too long," he replied.

Brown eyes glared at him. It had no impact. Goumanya had been stared at by others, who were much better at it every day of his previously quirkless life. Even the quirkless elders could do better.

"I was still within the time Kobun allowed," Nobasu insisted.

"Yeah, well, I was quicker."

Nobasu just didn't have the force of presence required to really glare well. He was only 16 but Goumanya didn't think he'd ever have the force of presence. Kobun had more presence but even he was a follower.

Nobasu spluttered at his reply but didn't deny it.

"He was quicker, pencil neck," Kobun said.

"I was within the time you said I had," the long-fingered teen whined.

"It wasn't open," Kobun retorted.

"It was gonna be," Nobasu insisted, except he didn't sound quite as sure of that as Goumanya thought he wanted too.

Kobun heard it as well. "When I need a door opened subtlety, I'll call you," the large man said.

Goumanya didn't laugh at the idea of Kobun needing subtlety. The man oozed masculinity.

"Well, why didn't you just rip the door off?"

Goumanya could admit to being curious about that as well. Once the lock was broken, Kobun had no trouble wrenching the doors off.

Kobun rolled his eyes and Nobasu and Goumanya got the impression that if Nobasu had been in reach, Kobun would have backhanded him, Tsuke's rules be darned. The broker didn't like them fighting. "You didn't even notice the bars, did you?" he growled. "Reinforced, steel titanium... Yeah, no thanks. I ain't All Might."

Goumanya didn't know what that was, but he did recall Kobun flicking the door to open before he pulled them off. He realised he was probably lucky he'd managed to break the lock if it was that tough.

"I would have got it open," Nobasu insisted.

"Get over it," someone said as Kobun turned to Goumanya.

"You got some skills man," he complimented him. "I didn't think you did, given how wussy you've been."

Goumanya recognised a challenge when he heard it. "Haven't needed to use them until now," he shrugged. Ain't no way he was answering with the truth that he was still learning to use his quirk.

"Yeah," Nobasu agreed and Goumanya felt a cold premonition at the teen's tone. "Couldn't use them until now," the long-fingered teen snarked.

The comment was just unusual enough to attract Kobun's attention. The muscle man gave Nobasu a look.

The teen grinned triumphantly at him, daring him to say or do something to contradict him. "It ain't his quirk," Nobasu announced. "It's Bakugou's."

For a moment there was confusion and Goumanya thought people would just laugh it off but then he saw slow comprehension begin to dawn on a few faces.