Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Incident 1: Itadakimasu  

“And that’s everything you need to know about the base. Any questions?” Heiji asked.  

Yoichi shook his head.  

“Great. Then let’s go get some lunch and then we can discuss what you’ll be doing here,” he said, hoping his awkwardness wasn’t showing.  

What did you say to the guy you almost killed because he was the brother of the guy you were trying to fight before deciding to rescue him instead? They hadn’t even gotten very much time to talk as Yoichi had spent the past 2 weeks in the infirmary, recovering from the effects of being in the vault. He still wasn’t fully healed, but he could take short walks and eat more food, so Heiji decided to show him around.  

The dining room wasn’t much, just like the rest of the base. They had taken over an old warehouse and done their best to remodel it into a rebel base. Of course, they didn’t have very much money, so it wasn’t the greatest remodel, but it worked for them.  

They all got the same basic meal, some rice and soup made with whatever they had on hand. Today they had ramen, which was a bit too many carbs, but it was too late now and the cook who had made the rice already got a scolding from Harpy.  

Mio had finished his work early, so he offered to get them their food and save them a seat. Not that there wouldn’t be a lot of space, as they were joining rather late, but it was the thought that counted.  

“Thanks for getting us the food Commander,” Heiji said, sliding next to him on the bench.  

“No problem,” he said, looking away slightly, “Now eat before your food gets cold.”  

Heiji nodded and moved to put his hand together when he heard a slurping noise and turned to see Yoichi holding the bowl in his hands and slurping the soup out of it. He could do nothing but stare in complete shock.  

Noticing the looks he was being given, Yoichi put the bowl down and gave them a strange look. “What’s wrong?”  

Mio managed to put himself together first. “Um, Yoichi, what are you doing?”  

“Eating. You said to eat before it got cold,” he said defensively.  

Heiji exchanged looks with his second-in-command. Had being locked up in a bank vault for so long caused him to forget manners? Then again, three years wasn’t that long at his age. Was he foreign? Maybe he was only half-Japanese, and they just did things differently where he was from. He figured it was probably that last one.  

“It’s just, you forgot to say ‘itadakimasu’ before you started eating. And we got ramen this time, so you can use your chopsticks,” he explained awkwardly.  

Yoichi turned red as he put his bowl down. “Oh, okay.”  

Keeping an eye on him, he and Mio put their hands together and bowed slightly. “Itadakimasu,” the three of them said in unison.  

Just as he thought, Yoichi only clasped his hands and bowed after seeing them do it, and he stuttered, as if not being used to saying it.  

He thought about asking him about his family, but that could bring up unwanted memories, and he wanted to keep Yoichi’s first lunch out of the infirmary as peaceful as possible. He tried to think of a harmless subject.  

“So, Yoichi, what’s your favorite color?” he asked, silently berating himself for going to first day of school worksheet questions. He seriously couldn’t think of anything better?  

To his credit, he took it seriously, “That’s kind of hard to answer. I like a lot of colors. Maybe light blue?”  

Heiji nodded, “I like blue too.”  

“I like red,” Mio offered.  

From there they engaged in conversation about other harmless topics, although he couldn’t help but notice that while they were halfway done, Yoichi hadn’t touched his food.  

“Are you alright Yoichi? You haven’t eaten anything,” he asked in concern. Maybe he’d made a mistake, and it was too soon for him to be out.  

Yoichi shook his head, looking embarrassed. “Oh, I’m fine, I was just caught up in conversation. I can eat, see,” he said, picking up his chopsticks with a trembling hand.  

Right away he could see something was wrong as he held his chopsticks with his palm instead of his fingers. Then he moved to grab some rice, failing several times, hand shaking all the while. Did he have some sort of nerve damage? Eventually he managed to get a little rice and clumsily maneuvered it into his mouth.  

“There, see? I’m fine,” he said with a nervous smile.  

Heiji didn’t believe him, and judging by the look on Mio’s face, he didn’t believe it either. But they let it go for the time being.  

Incident 2: San  

After an awkward lunch where Yoichi didn’t seem to eat much, he went back to Heiji’s office along with Mio to discuss the role he would be taking on as part of the rebellion.  

“The information you gave us won’t last forever and we know you want to help, so let’s look at the available jobs,” Mio explained, shuffling some papers.  

Yoichi nodded as they talked through the different options. Neither of them wanted Carmine after their heads, so they were trying to give him the easier jobs. Cleaning up gear, washing dishes, helping in the infirmary, and babysitting the kids were all ones they felt confident he could do.  

In the end, it was decided he would be babysitting the kids. There weren’t too many around the base, as most children were transported to one of the rural bases, where the silent civil war they were fighting was a little more than a whisper. Most of the kids were ones who had come with their guardians or were just recently born. There were a few street orphans like little Shinomori and Uraraka but most of the young ones were family of existing members.  

They brought him over to the usual two babysitters, Nishimura Akiko and Komori Takeshi who would show him the ropes and then left to take care of some business, leaving Yoichi on his own.  

“Hello kids, my name is Yoichi,” he greeted with a shy wave of his hand. The kids stared at him blankly.  

He turned to Nishimurasan and Komorisan who looked oddly shocked. He shrugged it off and continued, “I’m going to be helping you along with these two. Erm, any questions?”  

One child raised his hand. “Yes?”  

“Is your last name really Yoichi?” he asked.  

Yoichi frowned, “Uh, no that’s my first name.”  

Nishimurasan cleared her throat, “Well, like many of the people here, Yoichi-san doesn’t like his last name very much, so let’s be respectful of that,” she said.  

He frowned again, confused as to why she got his name wrong. Sure, a lot of people seemed to have names that ended with “san” but his was clearly not one of them. Maybe she was just used to it? He opened his mouth to correct her, but Komorisan got there first.  

“Alright, why don’t we show Yoichi-san the puppets we’ve been making?”  

He momentarily ignored the mispronunciation of his name as he was distracted by the adorable puppets the kids pulled out. Not that the puppets themselves were cute, but it was cute how eager the kids were to show off their crudely made sock puppets. They couldn’t afford very many toys for the kids, so they made their own. He played along with them, and even made his own sock puppet, who he modeled off Captain Hero.  

“Captain Hero?” asked a little blond boy, Hikage, he remembered.  

Yoichi nodded excitedly at the opportunity to talk about his favorite comic. And talk he did. For the next hour Hikage and all the other kids in the room learned about the hero and his epic fight against the Demon King. He didn’t even realize it was time for dinner until Leader came by.  

Apparently, Leader had only showed up to check on Yoichi, but was immediately mobbed by the small children. Even the previously napping babies had woken up, although they were probably just hungry.  

It was kind of cute watching the gruff exterior melt away into something softer as he held one-year-old Tomoe while paying attention to five-year-old Hikage’s explanation on the backstory of his sock puppets. Something about the sight made Yoichi’s heart flutter. He hoped he wasn’t getting sick; he didn’t want to go back to the infirmary.  

Eventually, the other two babysitters clapped their hands for attention and smoothly directed the kids to the dining room. Yoichi was in awe of how easily they did it.  

“How was your first day?” Leader asked coolly.  

Yoichi was a little jealous of his poker face. He wished he didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve so much, but he’d never had a reason to hide his emotions until recently.  

“It went well, but they got my name wrong. Then I felt awkward correcting them and now I’m just Yoichisan to them. I guess it makes it easier for the kids. A lot of names tend to end with ‘san’ for some reason after all,” he finished with a shrug.  

Heiji privately wondered if he was joking. Then he remembered that Yoichi was foreign.  

“They were just saying that out of respect,” he explained, realizing he would need to further elaborate as Yoichi gave him a blank look. “You say ‘san’ at the end of someone’s name to show respect. Usually, it’s done with last names, but it’s understandable for you to use your first name. We’ll need to come up with a fake name for you if you ever go out in public though,” he said, that last part more to himself.  

Yoichi nodded in understanding, cheeks turning red again. Heiji internally sighed. It looks like he would have to talk to Mio for the best way to broach the subject of family. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be easier to teach him if he told them what he already knew.  

Incident 3: Dog  

In a surprisingly nice turn of events, dinner was rice and curry. After two weeks of soup for every meal, it was a welcome surprise. Even if there wasn’t that much.  

Heiji grabbed their food while Yoichi sat down next to Mio who already had his. It wasn’t that different from lunch, except for the fact that the room was full to the point of bursting with people.  

“So, Yoichi, how was babysitting?” Mio asked.  

Heiji tuned out during the answer, having already asked him about it on the way there. Instead, he was thinking about how the man had looked during the beginning of the meal, like a lost sheep, looking to them for guidance. Shouldn’t his parents have taught him the customs of the country he was going to be living in? Did they never have the chance? And what about All For One? To gain so many followers, the man must’ve learned these things. Why didn’t he teach his brother?  

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of trays being put on the table. He looked up to see a few more members sitting at the table and a full dining room, which was especially impressive considering how big it was. Mio had wanted to call it a dining hall, but Heiji found that too pretentious.  

One of the newcomers was Nebula, a talkative man who could go on for hours about the smallest thing. Normally, it annoyed him, but Yoichi was able to participate with no problem on the current topic of rabbits, so he resisted the urge to tell the purple-eyed man to hop along.  

As Yoichi shakily took bites of food during Nebula’s long-winded rants, Heiji noticed something, but Nami got there first.  

“You eat like a dog,” she said, “do you need to go to the infirmary?”  

Yoichi blushed, straightening up from where he previously had his head near his plate.  

“Um, no, I just, um,” he stuttered, shrinking under the eyes pinning him to his seat.  

With a sigh, Mio pushed his plate down and got up, tapping Heiji on the shoulder as he grabbed Yoichi’s arm, leading him away. Recognizing the signal, he pushed his own food away and followed, silently mourning the loss of the curry.  

“What happened to you?” Commander asked bluntly.  

Yoichi tilted his head in confusion. “Um, what do you mean?”  

Did you forget that I was locked up in a bank vault for three years?  

Commander sighed, “You don’t know how to use chopsticks, you have no idea what to say before and after a meal, and I talked to Nishimura-san about your performance before dinner. You didn’t introduce yourself properly either. Being locked up in a bank vault for three years shouldn’t lead to this number of lost manners.”  

Yoichi hesitated. He hadn’t told anyone about his childhood, not wanting to seem like a stupid street rat. Bad enough that they all thought he was helpless after what his brother did to him.  

“We don’t mind if you’re from another country,” Leader said, speaking up for the first time.  

Another country? He leapt at the chance offered to him.  

“Yep. I’m from another country, which is why I don’t know anything. It’s all just super different,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound too desperate.  

“I thought so. Which country are you from?” Leader asked.

“America,” he blurted out. He figured there were more countries, but that was the only one he knew of.  

They both nodded in understanding. Yoichi wasn’t sure what conclusion they reached, but if it kept them from thinking he was stupid, then he didn’t care.  

“Alright, well now that we’ve got that settled, let’s show you to your new room,” Leader said, sounding oddly relieved, “Oh, and I hope you’re an early bird. We’re going to be teaching you everything you need to know.”  

Yoichi smiled in relief. “Thank you, both, so much. And, it won’t be too early, will it?”  

Commander shook his head. “Not at all,” but just as Yoichi’s rising hope was quickly crushed as he continued, “5:30 in the morning is a little late, but we know you’ll need to sleep in.”  

Chapter Text

5:30 AM  

Yoichi lay fast asleep on the futon, curled up into a ball. Something about the position reminded Heiji of a sleeping infant. It was so cute he hesitated to wake him up. Mio, however, had no such reservations. 

The WHOOWHOOWHOOWHOOOWHOOOOOOOOO noise of an airhorn blasted through the room, causing Yoichi to jolt up with a shout. Heiji also jumped, expecting to get a warning before that, as Mio gave them both a shit-eating grin. 

“Rise and shine, it’s 5:31 AM. You’re already late for your first day,” he said, way too smugly. 

Heiji couldn’t help but notice that Yoichi was still in the same clothes he wore yesterday. Looks like Scissors was right about this one.  

“Ignore him, he likes to tease. Anyway, this is for you,” he said, offering Yoichi the basket he was holding. 

He continued to explain as the other man looked through the things. “We realized you didn’t have a lot of clothes, so we got you some more. Also, to help you with your hair-” 

He was cut off by the sudden slam of the door hitting in the wall. Standing there in the doorway, holding a bag of hair supplies, was Scissors, a black-haired man of average height with gold eyes. He used to work at a salon, but was fired after developing his metapower, the ability to grow his nails to any length and shape he desired. It was a stupid reason, but at least the rebellion was now getting some decent haircuts. 

“You boys have had him for long enough, I want some time with my client,” he said, strolling forward and pushed them out of the way to face Yoichi, who still hadn’t gotten out of bed and was staring up at the man with wide eyes. 

“Hello Yoichi-san,” his smug tone settling into something softer as he gave a slight bow, “I’m afraid I can’t give out my name just yet, but you can call me Scissors. I’m here to help you get ready for the day.” 

Yoichi glared, which he probably meant to be scary, but it just made him look like an angry kitten. 

“I know how to put my clothes on,” he snapped. 

Scissors scoffed, “I’m not here to help with that. You’re a grown man. I just meant the awful state of your hair. How long has it been since you washed it?” 

“Um,” he tipped his head to the side, trying to remember. 

Scissors gasped in horror, getting the idea. “Alright, that’s it. We’re going to the showers now. I can see the grease in your hair glinting in the light.” 

He grabbed Yoichi and dragged him away, ignoring the man’s protests. 

Heiji and Mio looked at each other for a moment before mutually deciding it wasn’t worth it and went to their meeting. Scissors would bring him back. 

Meanwhile, Yoichi was dragged to the communal showers and now stood on the rocky floor, arms beginning to grow tired from holding the ridiculous number of bottles in his arms. 

“Um, Scissors, what exactly is going on?” he asked, hoping the undercurrent of “can I please drop these?” was apparent. 

It must have been as the man grabbed all of them but one and placed them on the counter, lessening the weight. 

“Well, Yoichi-san, first you’re going to get in the shower and use that body wash. Then, when you’re done, dry off with the towel I’ll leave by the door and then put on the robe I’ll put next to it. Then come to the sink so I can wash your hair. It’s a lucky thing I was saving these. The 3-in-1 soap that everyone uses is not going to cut it. This is some of the unhealthiest hair to join us. Although, from what I’ve heard, I guess it’s a miracle it isn’t worse,” he said, busying himself with arranging the bottles. 

“Funny that you say that, because I remember once when I was maybe five, my hair was completely matted and caked in dirt. I cried myself to sleep that night and when I woke up, my hair was straight and clean. It never happened again,” Yoichi remarked, stepping into the nearest shower stall, not seeing the look on Scissors' face. 

He turned the knob, jumping back as a cold trickle of water hit him. It reminded him of some of the rainstorms he had been caught in as a child. He turned it up some more, toward the red spot, and was pleasantly surprised by how warm the water turned. So warm, that steam curled upwards. He stood under the shower spray, momentarily transfixed before he remembered the pink bottle in his hands. 

Tenshi No Hane Cucumber and Rose Hydrating Body Wash was written on the label with a picture of cucumber slices and roses with a splash of water over them. 

He pushed the pump, gathering a small pile of the pink... liquid? It wasn’t as thin as water, but it wasn’t very solid either. Jelly? Yeah, jelly seemed like a better word. 

His skin was turning red from the hot water, but he wasn’t being burned, so he left it that way and rubbed the pink jelly all over himself, enjoying the smell. Then the water began to turn cold. He turned the handle up some more, but to his surprise, it was already at the max. 

Oh Kami, I broke their shower.  

He quickly rinsed off and turned off the water. Scissors was sitting on a bench, turned away from him, most likely to give him some privacy, which gave him some hope to fix the situation, only for him to call out, “Yoichi-san, are you decent?” 

“Um, not yet give me another minute.” 

The man shrugged and continued scrolling on his phone as Yoichi internally freaked out. He dried himself off and put the green robe on, trying to think of a way to fix the situation. He’d have to turn the water on, but that would tip Scissors off. He decided to come back after Scissors was done, to fix it himself. 

“I’m ready now.” 

He was guided to a chair put by one of the sinks, but it was backwards for some reason and a leather covering had been put over the rim of the sink. 

“So, Yoichi, have you ever been to a salon?” 

He shook his head, uncertainly sitting down in the chair as Scissors turned on the sink, testing the water temperature. 

“Well, know that this is going to take less time than an actual salon, since I don’t have as many materials and such to work with. Also, it’s preferable that you wash your hair before getting your hair done, but I’m sure you want this over with as quickly as possible. Now lay your head back, yep, just like that.” 

It was an awkward stretch, but Yoichi tried to hold still as warm water spilled over his head, ignoring the ache in his neck as Scissors pumped some yellow jelly in his hand and reached for his scalp. Yoichi tensed as those hands touched him, clenching his fists to fight off the tingly sensation beginning to arise in them. 

“Do you want a haircut?” 

“Huh?” Yoichi asked, barely able to hear him over the running water mixed with the roar of blood in his ears.  

It was making it a little hard to breathe. 

Scissors hummed as he lathered the shampoo through his scalp, “Well you have split ends and those can keep your hair from growing you know.” 

He rinsed the shampoo from Yoichi’s hair, causing him to flinch upwards, away from the hands touching him. 

“Um, are you-” 

Yoichi gasped, trying to take as much air in as possible. He felt as if he had just been released from choking, which made no sense because he hadn’t been choked. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine, my-my neck just hurts is all,” he tried to reassure. 

He didn’t think he succeeded judging by the skeptical look he was being given. 

“You know, proper hair care is important, so how about you wash your hair and I’ll just guide you through it? But let’s take five, just to rest your neck.” 

Yoichi knew exactly what the man was doing. And he was thankful for it. 

About 35 minutes later he had learned a lot about taking care of his hair and enjoyed the fancy vanilla scented conditioner, which was a special type of hair jelly for making hair more manageable apparently. He couldn’t help but feel a little sad that he wouldn’t be able to use the fancy soap after this, but he understood the need for conserving resources. It was still nice to use soap regardless, after so many years of using dirty wet rags to clean himself up. 

Scissors began packing up the bottles as Yoichi gathered up the toiletries he had also been given. 

“Well Yoichi-san, if you ever need help with your hair, just call. It really is beautiful with the proper care put in,” he said, hefting the bag over his shoulder, “Anyway, I’ll be going now as I assume that you must need to get ready. I hear you’re helping the kids with breakfast,” he said with a chuckle. 

I am?  

Yoichi shrugged it off and went back to his room with his own bag in hand. It was just more babysitting. Nothing to worry about. 

7:18 AM  

Chaos. 

Sheer chaos. 

Yoichi stared at the group of children he was supposed to be helping feed, argue and screech at each other. The other two babysitters had been trying to calm them down, but it was futile. Apparently, Fujikawa Akemi (he was trying to remember their full names) had made fun of Uraraka Botan for not having any parents, prompting him to launch his bowl of rice porridge at her face. She fought back so Hikage had stepped in on behalf of his friend, causing her friends to step in and then everyone else joined in the fight. 

The other two adults were at their wits end, trying to separate the screaming bundle of toddlers while also trying to make sure the babies were safe and fed. Yoichi stared at them trying to find a way to help. Think Yoichi think, what would Captain Hero do?  

With that in mind, he stepped on a bench, and froze as everyone stared up at him. Then he saw the food on the ground and in their hair, and everywhere but their stomachs. 

“DON’T YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T EAT YOUR FOOD?” he screeched, “RATS WILL COME AND EAT IT AND YOU WILL STARVE FOR DAYS BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO EAT SO YOU’LL HAVE TO EAT RATS! AND THEY’LL BE ALIVE AND SCRATCHING YOU UNTIL YOU BITE INTO THEM AND FEEL THEIR GUTS IN YOUR MOUTH AND THEY’RE RAW BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO START A FIRE SO THEN YOU GET SICK FROM EATING RAW RAT MEAT!” 

He stepped off the bench, panting as everyone stared at him. Slowly, the kids untangled themselves, and went back to their mostly empty plates of food. 

Komoris-Komori-san patted him on the back, “Nice lie. Way better than the ‘if you don’t eat your fish you’ll flunk out of school’ lie my parents told me.” 

Yoichi tipped his head to the side in confusion. Lie?  

He helped the man clean up some of the food on the floor, when Nishimura-san walked over to him with a smile on her face as she handed him Tomoe. “Wanna hold her?” 

He nodded enthusiastically, only to recoil when he caught a whiff of what smelled like the dumpsters those rat colonies would hide in during the summer. The woman smirked at him and pushed the child in to his arms. 

“Great, just change her diaper first.” 

Chapter Text

Everyone hated meetings. It was universal, and just because Heiji was running it, that did not mean that he was spared from that hatred. 

“For kami's sake Nebula! Just because Yoichi's from America does not mean we can give him a gun,” Heiji scolded. 

“Are you sure it wouldn’t help him feel more at home?” he wheedled, holding out the Glock. 

“Quite.” 

He was almost glad when Takara interrupted with his report. Almost because as annoying as Nebula was, he didn’t put him to sleep. Takara didn’t even have a quirk; he was just really boring. Heiji’s eyes went to the clock on the wall. Another hour and they would break for lunch, and he could go help Yoichi. 

Huh, I wonder how he’s doing.  

11:30 AM  

Yoichi was really starting to get the hang of babysitting in his opinion. He learned how to change a diaper and feed a baby. He helped scold the kids a little more on food waste and told them about how he once got bit by a rat and his brother grabbed it with his mouth to eat it, except Yoichi wanted revenge so he grabbed the other half with his mouth, and they tugged backwards causing the rat to rip in half and spray them with blood, and the guts, which were the most filling part, spilled everywhere and they had to eat dirt covered rat guts. To caution them on throwing food around. 

He still had no idea why the other two adults thought he was lying. 

But they had all moved on past the breakfast incident and Yoichi had been chosen to read aloud. He did great voices thanks to all the practice with his brother. He focused on the smiling faces of the children, pushing away the image of a hollow-eyed child whose bones jutted out of his skin. 

Nishimura-san frowned as she checked the time. “Huh, we’re getting through these quicker than I thought we would. Hey Yoichi-san, can you go to the library and see if they have more books? Or, I think they have some boardgames too. Just ask for anything that can entertain the kids.” 

Yoichi nodded, excited to be entrusted with something, even if it was minor. Komori-san took over and he quickly walked over to the library, mindful of his breathing pace. He really didn’t want to deal with Carmine again. She was kind and good at healing, but she was also a little scary. 

The thing about the library, is that it isn’t really a library, Leader had told him on the tour. It was really just another room, except it had more shelves filled with books and a table with some chairs as the only furniture. So, there was no real way to check out a book, but it was considered extremely rude if you didn’t bring it back within a week. And there was a chance the librarian, who wasn’t really a librarian, would go after you. 

“Hello? Is anyone here,” he called out, getting the attention of the woman at the table. 

She put her paperwork down and walked up to him with a smile on her face, “Oh, the new recruit, huh? I’m Quill,” she greeted with a small bow. 

“Oh, um, I need something to entertain the kids. If that’s not too much trouble.” 

The brown-haired girl clapped her hands excitedly, “Oh sure, there’s a few that they should like. Right this way,” she said, leading him to a wooden bookshelf covered in stickers and random scribbles. 

He found three that looked interesting, despite the lack of heroes, and was on his way back when Quill spoke again. 

“While you’re here, do you want anything for yourself?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she dragged him to a different section of the room. 

These shelves had no scribbles or stickers and the books on them were much thicker. Even the titles and cover art were different. More, darker and violent. He pulled out various ones and examined the cover art, a little disappointed at the lack of heroes. Blood and almost naked humans were what littered these covers. Before he could open with an interesting title, the book was grabbed from his hands. 

Quill gave him an apologetic look as she explained, “Shit! I forgot, but I’m supposed to ask if you’re 18 or older before I lead you to the adult section. A lot of these aren’t really for kids.” 

That last part piqued Yoichi’s interest. Once he began to gather fame, his brother had treated him like a child, claiming that he couldn’t tell him anything because he would “throw a tantrum”. And now that he had thought about it, most of the things he had then were made for children. 

“Yes. I am over 18,” Yoichi said, thankful that he didn’t have to lie this time as he started going through the books. 

He picked them based on cover and title, and ended up with so many that Quill had to give him a bag to carry them in. He was especially excited to have found the book on plumbing issues, which would surely help him fix the shower later tonight. He also grabbed some he had heard about, such as The Devotion of Suspect X , and a few manga that looked much more graphic than what he was used to. 

He internally smirked as he held the books in his hand. Look who’s a child now Big Brother.  

12:30 PM  

By the time Yoichi had returned it was time for lunch. He apologized profusely, but the other two hadn’t been too mad. He gave them the books he grabbed for the kids and made to sit with them, only to be told that Leader and Commander wanted to eat with him in his room and that they’d be bringing him lunch. 

So now he sat on his bed trying to comprehend Brave New Heights after screaming and throwing 69 Hues of Silver to the other side of the room. It was certainly… adult. As he debated how bad it would look for him to return the cursed thing, the door opened, and two spiky-haired men walked in, holding three trays of food between them. 

“Leader, Commander,” he greeted happily, putting the complicated book down and going to meet them. 

He was stopped by Commander, who shouted at him, “Eh, try again,” he said, putting a tray of food down on the nightstand. 

“Huh?” 

Leader put his trays down on the nearby shelf as he explained, “You’re supposed to greet people with a bow. Nothing too big, since we’re in a casual setting. Like this,” he said, demonstrating the same bow that he’d seen others do. 

Yoichi felt a little embarrassed that it somehow never occurred to him to do the same but ignored that in favor of trying to bow. It didn’t look that difficult. 

“No, not like that, you’re supposed to keep your back straight,” Leader corrected gently. 

He tried again. 

“Bend only at the waist,” Commander said. 

He tried a third time. 

“You’re going down too far; you look like you’re apologizing for running over my bike or something.” 

“Also, your back isn’t straight.” 

He let a shriek of frustration and tried a fourth time. Except, in his frustration he went down too far, too quickly and face-planted on the concrete floor. 

The other two rushed to help him, but he waved them off in embarrassment. “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’ve had worse,” he reassured, not noticing their frowns, as he sat down on the bed, holding back tears. 

Commander sat down next to him, handing him some food. “I know just how you feel Yoichi-san, I’m half-American too.” 

“Really?” Yoichi asked. Leader asked it too, but silently, through the movement of his eyebrows. Are you really going to tell him this?  

Commander nodded, “We moved to Japan when I was 14 and I had a lot of trouble acclimating the culture. You’re already doing better than me when it comes to speaking,” he said brightly. 

Yoichi looked up with hope shining in his eyes, “I am?” 

He snorted, “Yep, I had so much trouble with it. Doesn’t help that most people I met wanted to speak to me in English to practice it.” 

Yoichi nodded, guilt weighing heavily on his lungs. Here was Commander, trying to make him feel better by sharing stories about himself, only for him to have nothing to give in return thanks to his lie. It felt wrong, as if he had tricked the man into giving him such personal details. And in a way, he had. 

“And at least your parents had the sense to give you a Japanese name,” Commander continued, recapturing Yoichi’s attention, “Americans, depending on the part you're in, they don’t tend to mind more foreign names, but noooooo, my parents thought we were going to stay in America forever and named me after my mother’s grandfather. 

“I mean, how many Japanese people have you met named fucking-” at that moment, a leaf-blower sounded from outside. 

Yoichi felt a flash of frustration, wanting to know the name of one of the men who rescued him. Luckily, another opportunity was coming. 

“And all throughout high school they made fun of me, they even made a song!” However, just as he took a breath to sing it, the leaf-blower sounded again. 

“Which is why I started introducing myself with my middle name. At least that American tradition came in handy,” he finished proudly. Even his ponytail looked more perky. 

Yoichi stared in disbelief for a moment before getting up. He wasn’t sure what he was getting up for, but it didn’t matter because he’d forgotten about the tray of food on his lap. However, Leader darted forward and managed to grab the tray out of midair and catch all the food with it. 

“Here you go,” he said with a smile, ignoring Commander’s cry of “Show off”. 

“Oh, thank you my hero,” he gasped as he took the tray. 

Leader gave him a confused look, “I just caught your tray of rice and soup.” 

Yoichi gave him a smile so bright it made his cheeks pinken. “But you did it heroically.” 

Chapter Text

3:00 PM  

Yoichi stumbled in the heels he was wearing, hoping he wouldn’t trip and tear the dress. Apparently, tomorrow there would be a small welcome party for some other vigilantes who would be returning from a successful rescue mission. Not that he planned to wear a dress to the party, but the kids had gotten excited at the idea and wanted to try their own version of a dress rehearsal. Which is what led to him being put in what Nishimura-san had called a tea dress. 

It did look fancy enough to wear for a tea party, he supposed. Lilac purple with short sleeves and a poofy, below the knee skirt that had been paired with white tights, the top part being embroidered with flowers. He was terrified of ruining it, but since it was too early for dinner, they were only pretending to eat. Yoichi remembered doing that with his brother when they were younger, to try and stave off hunger when food got scarce. They quickly stopped as it just made them hungrier. 

“This party has to be perfect because my mommy and daddy are coming home,” said a boy with a tail. 

Ojiro Masahiko, he recalled. A well-behaved boy whose parents had joined the rebellion soon after he was born, knowing that their son would be discriminated against. His mother was among the captured rebels and his father had volunteered to join the rescue mission, leaving him alone. The other two babysitters were excited too, as not only did they have friends returning, but the parents returning would give them more time off. 

Yoichi sat down at the coffee table with the other children, avoiding the oddly lumpy couch that had literally been pulled from a dump. He could understand getting furniture from the dump and didn’t mind the smell, but he drew the line at lousy back support. 

“No, Tomo-chan, you have to hold the cup,” Akemi scolded. 

The kid's version of a fancy party was a tea party, so they all held had cups of water in their hands, except for the babies, who got sippy cups and the really little babies got fake cups. Apparently, it was dangerous for small babies to drink water. Tomoe did not get the memo that she was supposed to be drinking and banged her cup on the tray of her highchair, babbling happily. 

Among her were two other children her age, Sayuri and Tatsuya. The other two babies, Itsuki and Asahi, were four months and two months respectively. He adored them, even if he was terrified that he’d accidentally drop them and kill them. They were adorable, when he wasn’t changing their diapers and cleaning their throw up. 

“So, what do we do next?” Yoichi asked, smiling at how serious they were. Not that they shouldn’t be taking this seriously, but it was cute to see the determination on their faces. 

Ashido Ken, a boy with oddly pink skin, spoke up next, “Then we give ‘welcome home’ speeches.” 

“What are those?” asked Shirai Kame, a girl with an odd greenish tint to her skin. 

He scratched his head, looking unsure, “Uh, I think that’s when we say, ‘Welcome home’ and then give a really long thank you.” 

“Oh, okay,” she said before standing up and taking a deep breath, “Welcome home. And thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,” she breathed in, “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank youuuuuuuuuuuuuiuuuu.” 

They all clapped as she sat back down. 

“That was good,” Komori-san said, “but there’s other ways to give that speech too, and I’m sure your parents would like them.” 

“Like what?” Akemi asked. 

Yoichi looked across the table and couldn’t help but notice that Hikage was looking away. 

“Well, maybe you could talk about how much you love your parents and how thankful you are that they’re here,” 

As the man went on, Hikage looked more upset, holding onto Botan, who looked equally upset. Yoichi bit his lip as he hesitated. He had a feeling he knew why they were upset, but he didn’t know what to do about it. Singling them out would look bad, but he didn’t want them to be upset. 

“Oh, I just remembered,” he announced, standing up suddenly and walking over to where the two boys sat, “I need to go do something and need some help. Let’s go you two,” he said quickly, grabbing their arms and rushing away before anyone could stop him. 

He was panting as he reached his room and collapsed on his bed, the two boys following him. 

“Yoichi-san,” Hikage began, “what do you need help with?” 

He smiled sadly at the two as he propped himself up on his elbows, “Actually, I just wanted to get you two out of there. I know it must’ve been upsetting to hear the others talking about their families. I’m an orphan too,” he added, getting the two to look at him in surprise, “I never knew my parents, and I only had one person to look after me. My big brother.” 

“Was he a good brother?” Botan asked. 

Yoichi thought back to the child with hollow eyes and bones jutting out of his skin. He gave him most of the food and dressed him in the best clothes he could find, pulled out of rubble and risked being beaten instead of handing him a garbage bag to wear. The boy who read comics with him and beat anyone who hurt him. 

“Yes. He was.” 

He had been a good brother, Yoichi couldn’t deny that, but then he changed. He gained his fame and decided that he no longer cared about his brother or humanity. Suddenly, all he wanted was power, to rule the world like the demon king. He saw his little brother much in the same way he saw other humans; a possession. 

“Hey Yoichi-san, what’s this?” 

He turned to see Hikage holding the Devotion of Suspect X, which he hadn’t yet read. 

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to try and read that one. It looks a lot easier than Brave New Heights.” 

“Can we read it too?” The blond asked, clutching the book in excitement. 

Yoichi hesitated, remembering that book had been in the adult section, until he remembered his brother and how he had constantly stopped him from doing things. Besides, the book didn’t seem that bad from what he read in the plot summary. It just appeared to be about murder, nothing to keep children away from. 

“Why not? Here, I’ll read it to you,” he said, figuring that he could stop just in case it did start getting too inappropriate. 

He opened the book and began, “'At 7:35 AM Ishigami left his apartment as he did every weekday...’” 

Yoichi embarrassingly stumbled a few times over his words, but was enjoying the book and Hikage did too, though Botan had gotten a little bored and began to look around. He let him, not wanting the boy to awkwardly sit through the tea party. Not to mention what Akemi might do once she felt comfortable no one would notice her. 

As he stumbled over the last few pages of the first chapter all three of them were hooked, despite the slow start. However, just as he was about to start the second chapter, the door opened, and Leader and Commander walked in. 

“Hey Yoichi-san, we wanted to ask-” Leader stopped dead at the door, staring at him with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. 

He tipped his head in confusion. Surely the sight of him reading to children wasn’t that odd. “Wanted to ask me what?” 

Commander cast a knowing glance at his leader as he began to explain, “We were wondering if you wanted to eat dinner with everyone else or if you wanted to stay in your room again. What are you doing?” 

Yoichi got up and gave them a whispered explanation of what happened, gaining a nod of approval. 

“Alright. I assume you’ll be with the kids for dinner tonight, then?” The blue-haired man asked. 

Yoichi looked back at the wide begging eyes of the kids and found himself saying yes. “Anything else?” he asked, looking at Leader, who was still staring. 

He caught on and cleared his throat, finally looking away, “No, I was just surprised. I mean, I didn’t expect to see you wearing a-” 

“Oh, the dress,” Yoichi interrupted, feeling relieved that he wasn’t in any sort of trouble, “this was for the tea party. The kids insisted on dressing fancy, so Nishimura-san let me borrow a dress of hers since I didn’t want to wear the suit,” he explained. 

He was going to wear the suit, until he looked at himself in the mirror. He and his brother were identical twins who didn’t look alike, yet in that moment, seeing himself wearing the suit, he couldn’t see Yoichi. He only saw All For One. 

“Yes, I was just wondering. It didn’t seem like your usual style,” he said, sounding oddly hurried as he grabbed Commander and ran out the door. 

4:30 PM  

Heiji knew that his second-in-command was holding something back. He could sense it, but said nothing, knowing he was only holding off the inevitable. They arrived at the living room, which was mostly used as a playroom for the children. He smiled at the toys scattered around, which probably shouldn’t have been his first reaction, but some part of him was happy to see those toys. It made him happy to know that they could afford a few nice things for the children, if only just. 

“So, Leader,” Mio began. 

Oh Kami, here it comes.  

“Yoichi looked pretty good in that dress huh?” 

He could hear the shit-eating grin being directed to him. 

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything,” Heiji said, hoping to direct them away from the topic. 

No such luck. Mio grabbed what looked like two socks off the floor. It took him a moment to realize that those were some of the sock puppets the kids had made. The puppet on his left hand had white strings for hair while the one on his right hand had red yarn and green and black pieces of felt glued messily on it. 

Mio gave a big grin as he put the puppets side by side and began, in a terrible impression of his voice, “Oh, Yoichi, I think you looked sexy in that dress, but I’m too scared to admit it.” 

“If you don’t stop right now, I will break your hands,” Heiji threatened, realizing what he was doing. 

He moved the Yoichi puppet, “Oh Leader, I secretly think you’re hot too, but I was scared to tell you because you never show any emotion.” 

“I’ll break your arms!” 

He moved the puppets closer together. “Well now that we know we’re in love, we should make out,” said the Yoichi puppet. Then he smushed them together, making disgusting kissing noises. 

Heiji glared, hoping his ears didn’t look as red as they felt. “I will tear your arms off.” 

“I’ll take my chances,” he said before taking the red-haired puppet off and putting the Yoichi puppet close to Heiji’s face. 

“Oh Leader,” he said, in an uncomfortably good impression of Yoichi’s voice, “I may be a sock, but I have needs, and one of those is you. Please-” 

Mio cut himself off, eyes going wide. A feeling of dread settled in Heiji’s stomach as he turned around to see Yoichi with the street orphans at his side. They awkwardly stared at each other before Yoichi grabbed their hands and walked away. 

He turned to look at his now sheepish second-in-command. 

“I’m going to kill you.” 

Chapter Text

10:30 PM  

Yoichi had spent the whole day preparing. After a very awkward dinner, where he tried and failed to use chopsticks, he waited until he figured everyone was asleep, then grabbed the book on plumbing. Making sure that no one was around, he grabbed a toolbox from one of the supply closets and ran into the bathroom. 

Admittedly he had only skimmed the book, but he was an adult now, and the problem didn’t seem that bad. Looking at the shower head he didn’t see anything broken or rusty. He pulled the shower head off, inspecting it closer for any signs of damage that he missed, then turned it on. 

“The pressure is good,” he said to himself, turning it up little by little. Much to his surprise however, the water began to turn hot. 

As he began to internally celebrate the plumbing miracle, a loud shout sounded through the wall, causing him to drop the book in surprise. He scrambled to catch it before it hit the floor, making him drop the shower head, which was still spraying water, as he fumbled with the book. He managed to turn it off and keep the book safe, but not before he got soaked. Hot water was not as pleasant when wearing clothes. 

He grabbed his things and exited the shower, shaking himself off like he’d seen wild dogs do, then ran as fast as he could out of the bathroom, only to almost have a heart attack as he saw a horde of people running past. He quickly hid his things behind his back, but thankfully no one seemed to notice. 

“Are we under attack?” he asked the nearest person. 

She shook her head, “No, they’re here early. Our captured comrades are back,” she exclaimed happily. 

Yoichi’s first instinct was to join them, until he remembered the book and toolbox in his hands. One quick detour to shove them into his room and he was sliding on the floor in his wet socks, bumping into people on his way to the front. 

People were crying and screaming, and for a moment, he thought they were under attack, until he took a closer look and saw them smiling as they cried. You can smile when crying?  

“Mommy, daddy!” 

“Naoki, you’re home!” 

“I thought I’d never see you again.” 

All the running and shouting made Yoichi feel dizzy as he frantically tried to dodge the arms carelessly thrown out and the children running underfoot. There was a lot of family, he noticed, happily reuniting with each other. 

However, just as he turned to go back to his room, a familiar voice shouted out. 

“LISTEN UP!” Leader shouted, continuing as everyone fell silent, “I know it's exciting to have everyone back, but we all need some rest and some of them need medical attention. Please let Carmine and her crew examine them. When cleared, they’ll go back to their rooms,” he said, getting some grumbling, but no one argued. 

Yoichi looked on in awe of how they listened to his authority. They didn’t seem fearful or bow or apologize like people had done with his brother. They grumbled and glared and said rude things, but no one got threatened or hurt over it. It was amazing. 

He caught Leader’s eye and looked away, a blush rising on his face. He still felt awkward about what had happened earlier. He may not have the most experience with social customs, but he was quite sure that waving a sock puppet modeled off him in front of Leader was not normal. Had they been making fun of him? Maybe they were only pretending to be nice and ridiculed him behind his back.  

The very thought made Yoichi feel sick to his stomach, but it made sense. They had no reason to like him as much as they did, and so quickly too. Of course, they were only pretending to like him, they didn’t think of him as a friend. In fact, now that he had thought about it, they had never mentioned anything like friendship. He was just playing into his comic book fantasies, like a child. 

He slowly walked back to his room and flopped into his bed, tears burning their way out of his eyes until he gave in and sobbed into his pillow. 

8:30 AM  

Yoichi was once again woken up by the sound of an air horn blasting. He bolted up to see Leader and Commander standing at the door. 

“Sorry we didn’t wake you up sooner, but we had a lot to do with the rescue team coming in earlier than planned,” Commander apologized. 

Leader wasn’t looking at him. Commander kept talking, but Yoichi wasn’t listening. How was Commander, the one who had made a weirdly good impression of his voice, able to act so normally? There was also a large bruise on his cheek that made Yoichi wince every time he looked at it. 

“So, you up for it?” the blue haired man asked. 

Yoichi nodded, not really paying attention. 

“Great, let’s get going right now. There’s a lot of people you’re going to be meeting. Lead the way,” he said to Leader, clapping him on the back as he grabbed Yoichi’s arm and dragged him off. 

People to meet?  

Yoichi made a mental note to never zone out again. The rescued rebels wanted to meet him, which was fair, but that was a lot of social interaction. By the time they got to the last person, Yoichi was exhausted. He had been informed on the way there that he would get some time off now that there were more people, so at least he could rest. Even so, he had felt terribly embarrassed as he had to jerkily bow and then clumsily explain who he was to every single person. He had to admit, it did feel nice to listen to Leader defend him whenever someone got (rightfully angry) about taking in All For One’s twin. Maybe he didn’t hate him after all. But then, what about the puppet? People were confusing. 

“Yoichi, this is Mangetsu, she’s Shingetsu’s wife,” Leader introduced, done giving his backstory. 

Mangetsu was a woman of average height, with dark brown hair, tanned skin, and silver eyes. Yoichi gave a short bow, and then screamed. Luckily, most people had cleared out to spend time with loved ones, so he didn’t cause a riot or anything. 

“What, what is it?” Leader asked, looking around wildly as Mangetsu backed away in fright. 

“She’s got a parasite in her!” Yoichi screamed, pointing to her seven months pregnant stomach. 

“Do you mean a baby?” Commander asked in confusion. 

Yoichi rolled his eyes. “Everyone knows that babies are formed in rivers. The dead stuff bunches together and is moved by the water to form a baby, that washes up and is carried away by rats to be raised until they’re old enough to be on their own. Only parasites cause swelling,” he explained. 

“Who told you that?” Mangetsu asked. 

“My brother of course,” he answered, frowning at the look the three exchanged. 

“Well, I’ve got to go see Carmine, so good luck,” she said, walking away. 

Heiji and Mio gulped nervously as they realized what they had to do. 

11:00 AM  

They had prolonged the inevitable for as long as possible, letting Yoichi take his time to brush his teeth and shower, then eating breakfast and taking a ridiculous number of detours getting the supplies but soon they were forced to admit it. It was time to teach Yoichi about sex. 

They had set up a blackboard they used for meetings in his room and decided to start with a simple question to see how much he knew. It was clear that his brother had sheltered him, so it was time to see how bad the damage was. 

“Alright Yoichi, what do you know about sex?” Mio asked, taking the lead. 

“What’s sex?” 

Of course. Biting back a sigh, he tried to think of a way to explain. “Well, sex is what you do to make a baby, because babies do not come from rivers,” Mio added, seeing Yoichi open his mouth. 

“Your brother lied to you,” Heiji chimed in. 

“Of course, he lied about this,” Yoichi muttered, giving them his full attention. He wasn’t going to zone out now, and besides, it couldn’t be that bad. 

“Okay, so what happens is two people get naked and they do a sort of special hug-” 

[The author does not want to relive her torturous sex ed lessons, so we’ll just hit the highlights]  

“You mean it’s not called a pee hose?” 

“What’s a vagina?” 

“So, I could pass a random woman on the street, and she could be bleeding out!?” 

“What do you mean pee doesn’t come from the balls?” 

“Oh, that’s what that was.” 

“That was normal?!” 

“What’s gay?” 

“It’s edible?” 

“Why can’t butts make their own lube?” 

“I thought adult toys were the expensive action figures.” 

They ended up having to go a lot more in-depth than planned after finding out Yoichi knew nothing about puberty. Heji had no idea how he managed to say such brazen things, but figured it had something to do with his American upbringing. 

“Um, so yeah, that’s everything you need to know. Any more questions,” Heiji asked, sure his face must be redder than his hair. 

He tipped his head to the side in thought before asking, “Have you two ever had sex?” 

Heiji spluttered as Mio coughed awkwardly. “Uh, that’s not something you should really ask people. Or talk about with others, ever. Unless you have one of those medical problems we talked about, then you should talk to a doctor. But not anything else. It’s very rude.” 

Yoichi blushed, looking away, “Sorry, I was just curious. I’ve never even kissed anyone and was wondering if this is something else, I need to catch up on.” 

Heiji sighed. “Sex isn’t something you do because you feel like you have to. You do it because you want to.” 

He nodded, blushing, “I know, but I do want to. It sounds nice, not that anyone would take me considering who my brother is. Just forget it.” 

Mio just barely managed to keep himself from saying anything. He didn’t want to be rude, and taking the conversation any farther would definitely cross a line. Unfortunately, his leader was much more impulsive. 

“Your brother’s ugliness doesn’t make you any less attractive. You’re kind and sweet, the kids love you, and the strength you must have to be able to stand up to your brother... I think anyone would be lucky to have you,” Heiji said, grabbing Yoichi’s hands. 

“Do you really mean it?” he asked, hope rising in his chest. 

“Of course, I do.” 

Yoichi gulped, his eyes looked so sincere, but if he was telling the truth then, “Why were you two making fun of me?” 

“Huh?” they said at the same time as Yoichi withdrew his hands. 

“Yesterday, with the puppets! You were making fun of me,” he accused, feeling tears well up in his eyes. 

The other two exchanged a look. They didn’t want to betray Yoichi’s trust by lying to him but telling him the truth wouldn’t be ideal either. 

He took their silence as confirmation and began to walk away, keeping his head down to hide the tears running down his cheeks. Heiji saw a tear fall off his chin and hit the floor. 

“Yoichi, stop! We weren’t making fun of you; Mio was teasing me because he knew I thought you looked sexy in that dress,” Heiji shouted, causing Yoichi to stop in his tracks. 

He slowly turned around, cheeks pinkening as Heiji realized what he said. He watched Yoichi open his mouth, preparing for hurtful words that he would fully deserve. 

“Who’s Mio?” 

“...Shit.” 

1:00 PM  

They were eating lunch in Mio’s room for a change. Yoichi still had no idea what Mio’s first name was, but at least the man hadn’t been too mad about Leader letting his middle name slip. The idea of a middle name seemed a bit odd to him, but he didn’t voice that as the other made it seem like an American thing. He was worried for a moment when he truthfully (stupidly) told them he didn’t have a middle name. Thankfully, it was shrugged off as it was normal for people to not have one, even in America. What a strange sounding place. 

They were teaching him how not to eat like a dog, by bringing the small plate up to his face so he didn’t have to bend over. It hadn’t seemed hard, but it was a surprisingly difficult habit to kick. 

“So, Yoichi, is there anything you want to do after this?” Leader asked. 

He still didn’t know the man’s real name, but it was nice to know that he and Mio cared about him. During the explanations and apologies, he had shyly asked if they were friends, and they said yes. It only made him feel more guilty about lying. 

“I’ve got an idea,” Mio said, walking over to a dresser and rustling through it with no further explanation until he found it. 

“Aha! Here it is, a vital part of our American heritage.” 

A gun. A small gun, but a gun, nonetheless. 

“No, no, absolutely not,” Leader protested. 

He was ignored. 

“This is a handgun I’ve been keeping around, just in case, but you can have it. I’m sure your brother never let you shoot a gun, and it is a shame that you had to miss out on such an important part of your heritage. I can teach you though. Don’t worry, it’ll be nice having another half-American to hang out with.” 

Yoichi hesitated as the gun was held out for him to take. Mio’s smile was so bright and filled with excitement, he wanted to keep up the lie and make him happy. But the man had already told him so much, it wasn’t fair to him for him to keep lying. 

“Um, actually, I-” 

The door was slammed open, and Quill burst in, panting against the doorway. “It’s Dazzling.” 

“Damn it,” Leader swore, rubbing his temples as he got up and grabbed his tray of food. He turned to them and sighed, “Sorry guys, but I know what he’s going to want to talk about. Commander, I’ll need you to come with me. You know how he gets.” 

The blue-haired man nodded and turned to Yoichi. “Sorry Yoichi-san. Why don’t you take the gun and head down to the training room? Arrow can start your shooting lessons while we deal with this.” 

The sudden rush of guilt that had forced his hand subsided and he took the gun with a small “okay”. He watched them leave, the gun seeming to almost burn his hands as he held it, heavy in his palms. From what he heard, Leader was rather adept at using guns due to his quirk, though he wasn’t too sure how it worked. 

The lie still burned, but now a small warmth went through him. He knew they were friends, though he felt that something was different with Leader. After all, he didn’t think friends were supposed to find each other sexy. But “friends” was the only word he could use to describe their situation, so he’d leave it be for now. 

Maybe the lie wasn’t too bad if it got him closer to the two. To his friends.  

Bonus: Textbook Pictures Just Aren’t as Interesting  

All For One sat on his throne, fingers thrumming on the armrest as he read the request on the paper. He waved to the (useless) guard at the door, motioning for him to let his audience in. Two people walked in, a man and a woman in their twenties, both fitting society’s standards, except for the woman. 

“I can understand Koyama-san wanting a sick leave, but you, Kawabata-san? You don’t appear to be unwell, and we have excellent medical care available for our loyal members. Surely, you’re not doubting my ability to provide?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, joy spreading though him as the man below him bowed and audibly gulped. 

“N-No! Of course not! I just want to be there for my girlfriend and our child,” he stuttered, clenching his fists. 

It was a lucky thing All For One was talented at keeping a poker face. “Child?” 

“Yes, she’s pregnant,” Kawabata said, confusion leaking into his voice. 

He frowned and checked the paperwork one more time. They didn’t have a child. It was clear that Koyama-san obviously needed medical attention if her swollen stomach had anything to say about it, but there was no mention of a child in their bios. He had assumed that there had been a clerical error when he got paperwork asking for parental leave. 

“You have no child,” he said simply. 

“Not yet, but please Your Highness, I want to know that I’m going to be there when my child is born,” Kawabata begged, falling to his knees. 

Now All For One was extremely confused. Then he realized. Koyama must have jumped in the river while the child was being formed and swallowed it by accident. As her boyfriend, Kawabata wanted to be there until the child was eventually thrown up. 

He leaned back on the throne. “Very well, you may have your leave, both of you. Now go.” 

Kawabata got up, shaking with happiness as Koyama smiled and pulled him out by the hand. “Thank you, thank you,” they cried out as the door shut behind them. 

All For One grinned. They’re lucky I know so much about babies. This could have been much worse.  

Chapter Text

Yoichi got a bit turned around as Leader hadn’t spent too much time showing him the training side of things, but figured he had the right place when he caught sight of targets. He stood in the doorway, clutching the handgun and watching in awe as people perfectly hit targets with bow and arrows, darts, guns, and one person who was using plungers. He wandered in, not really in control of his feet as he tried to take in as much as possible. 

“Yoichi-san, is that you?” 

He jumped at the unfamiliar voice, holding the gun out. The man in front of him put his hands up in the “I come in peace” gesture. He had crimson hair with dark eyes and wore a pair of fingerless leather gloves and had headphones around his neck. 

“Are you Arrow?” he asked, lowering the gun slightly. 

“Yes, I am. I assume you’re here to learn more about that gun in your hands?” 

Yoichi nodded, “Yes, M- Commander sent me here. He’s the one who gave me the gun and sent me here so I can learn how to shoot it.” 

The man looked unsure for a moment before shrugging it off and guiding him to a set of targets. 

“Alright, first, do you know how to use a gun?” 

“Yep, you just aim and shoot like this!” he said excitedly, holding the gun up with one hand and pulling the trigger. 

Nothing happened. 

As the rest of the room sighed in relief, Yoichi decided to examine the gun by holding the barrel up to his eye. 

“Huh I can’t see anything-” 

Arrow gasped in horror and grabbed the gun. “WHAT THE HELL?” 

“What?” 

The redhead took a long look at the man in front of him before sighing. 

“I think there’s a few rules you need to hear about before you shoot.” 

Yoichi learned many more things that day. Guns had safety, one should never hold a gun to their face, and comic books did not teach very accurate weapon facts. The last one was the hardest to swallow. 

“Remember Yoichi-san, both hands on the gun,” Arrow guided. 

After spending an hour and a half making sure he knew the rules of handling a gun, they were working on his posture. Having both hands on the gun didn’t feel as cool, but it was better than having it confiscated. At least he had some cool looking headphones on. They were noise-cancelling to protect his ears. 

“Okay, you are cleared to take a shot.” 

BANG! 

The recoil sent Yoichi stumbling and he fell on his backside. 

“Oh yeah, be ready for the recoil.” 

“Gee thanks for that,” he muttered, getting up to look at how close he had gotten, only to see he had completely missed. 

“Well, it could have been worse,” Arrow tried to comfort. 

“How?” he asked in frustration. 

“You could have tripped and killed someone.” 

Yoichi was about to laugh, only to realize that the man wasn’t joking. He looked at the target again and gulped. 

Meanwhile...  

The thing that everyone had to remind themselves of was that Dazzling, for all his annoyances, cared deeply about the rebellion and often helped with administrative tasks, making him a valued member of New Hope. Unfortunately, he was not the best at showing it. 

“He’s a security risk and a waste of resources,” he hissed as an opening statement. 

“He’s given us valuable information and is wonderful with the children. What makes you think we need to kick him out?” Heiji – no he was Leader now – asked. 

The blond seemed to hesitate before sighing. “Right, I thought the reason why we shouldn’t take in All For One’s brother was obvious, but clearly not. Did you know he came to visit us in our cells?” 

The other two blinked at the sudden change in voice. Before, he had been his usual annoying self, but now he sounded like an old sailor, about to tell the tale of how he met the kraken. 

“The fact that we were questioned wasn’t enough. The only reason no one died is because he wanted to make it slow, by upping the intensity every day. ‘Like a true demon’ he said. It was a lucky thing you launched your rescue when you did. The first few days, the questioning was about normal things. How many people, where are the bases, all of that. Then, he disappeared for a few days and when he came back, something changed. Suddenly, he no longer cared about New Hope. He would only ask one thing: Where is my little brother? We answered that we didn’t know he had one, and that’s when the torture started. Going by that, I don’t think he’ll stop at anything to get his brother back.” 

Leader took a deep breath in, clenching his hands to stop the shaking. He knew that All For One would want his brother back, Yoichi himself had told them of the risks, but hearing it along with Dazzling’s story was something else entirely. Commander put a hand on his shoulder as he turned to face the blond. 

“We are already aware of these risks, but we’ve decided that the benefits far outweigh them.” 

“Benefits? I wasn’t aware you were sleeping with him.” 

It took everything Leader had not to blush or show any reaction. Luckily, Commander was always the more level-headed one. 

“Our sex lives are none of your business, but no, we are not sleeping with him and-” 

“Then why are you with him so much? From what I’ve heard, you three are practically inseparable now,” he exclaimed, frustrated as he slammed his hands down on the table, gritting his teeth. 

This time Leader was the one to speak. “We’ve been with him because Yoichi-san is half-American and needs guidance with a lot of our customs.” 

Dazzling froze and for a moment, the two thought they would finally get some peace. Unfortunately, the fight was just beginning. His next words would change everything. 

5:00 PM  

Yoichi had finally begun to consistently start hitting the target and was no longer (too) affected by the recoil, but he still had a lot to learn. Like accuracy, and precision. 

BANG! 

He hit the outside of the first ring, all the way on the opposite side of his other shot. He was tempted to throw the gun but feared accidentally firing it and killing somebody. Arrow had even told him of a play where something similar happened. 

“I think we should break for dinner. We can come back to this tomorrow.” 

Yoichi was going to argue, until he saw the time. They had been here for four hours, the man must’ve been tired, and his own legs were starting to hurt, not that he would admit it. He nodded and moved to put the gun away, only to realize he had no place to put it. 

Arrow noticed his confusion and explained, “Well, you borrowed that from Commander, so you can give it back to him or put it in the gun safe.” 

He thought about it before deciding to give it back, not wanting Mio to think he stole it. On their way to the dining hall, he couldn’t help but notice people glaring and whispering, looking away when they met his eyes. 

Leader and Mio stepped out from the dining hall, causing Yoichi’s chest to lighten, surely, they would explain, only for him to notice they had the harshest glares of all. 

“Shigaraki Yoichi,” Leader began, his voice sounding like ice, “you are detained for lying about your history with All For One.” 

Chapter Text

5:00 AM  

The room was small, a bed taking up a good portion of it, with a desk taking on another, cluttered with papers and chewed up pens. On plain white sheets sat Kudo Heiji, nursing a coffee he had made before most would be up.  

“I’m surprised you’re not playing Traitor on repeat,” was the first thing to come out of Mio’s mouth as he walked in.  

“My phone died. Like my heart.”  

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you really believe what Dazzling said.”  

Heiji straightened up, a glare on his face, “And should I have any reason to doubt him?” he asked defensively.  

“I’m just saying, All For One can be tricky. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a literal serpent’s tongue. I know Dazzling believed what he said, but there are many different versions of the truth.”  

“Well, we’ll find out today I guess,” Heiji muttered, trying not to feel like a lectured child.  

Some small part of him couldn’t help but hope that Mio was right. The rest of him knew better than that. The other man had been right about All For One being tricky, he always seemed to be one step ahead, and sending his drop-dead gorgeous brother into enemy territory to gather intel was exactly the kind of thing he’d do. It helped that said brother seemed so different, but in the end, he was a liar too.  

The hallways felt darker than usual as the pair made their way to the infirmary. The others had wanted to lock Yoichi up in one of the interrogation rooms like they usually did with spies, but Heiji just couldn’t make himself do it. Those rooms were in the basement, made entirely of cold concrete with no windows, and it reminded him too much of the vault they had rescued Yoichi from. As bad as the man (seemed to be) was, he could never forget the bank vault. Instead, he asked them to put him in the infirmary and keep watch, then claimed work so he wouldn’t have to look at him as they took him away.  

He had to remind himself to breathe several times on his way to the infirmary, his heart alternating between running a marathon and stopping entirely.  

“I’m here to talk to the prisoner,” Heiji Leader stated to the guard at the door.  

“Yoichi-san is still sleeping,” Scissors said, face blank.  

“Too bad,” was all he said as Scissors reluctantly stood aside to let them through.  

He hesitated slightly at the door, then became conscious of everyone standing behind him. They’re counting on me. With one last breath to steady himself, he pushed the door open.  

His treacherous heart finally calmed at the sight of white hair poking out of the blankets. Why was it so easy to fall in love, but so hard to fall out of it?  

Commander sounded the air horn and Yoichi bolted up, staring at them in surprise, then smiled.  

“Oh, you’re finally here.”  

He kept his face blank, allowing a bit of anger to seep through for intimidation. The smile dropped, and so did Heiji’s heart.  

“You’re here to ask me why I lied, right?” he asked, head bowed.  

“Yes and no,” Commander said, “We do need to ask you some questions, but we also want to hear your side of the story. A trusted member of New Hope, one who was rescued, heard All For One say that he was full Japanese. And seeing as how you said you’re his twin, you must be too, correct?”  

Yoichi grabbed his wrist. He had already been told that he was locked up for lying, but he figured that they had already figured it out. They weren’t sure yet, he could keep up his facade. He didn’t have to look like a stupid street rat to them. And yet, his few days of freedom had taught him a lot. On the streets, the ability to lie could mean life or death, being liked was the difference between getting away and getting beat, but in this place, nobody did those things. People shared and laughed and cried and got angry and they loved each other. They didn’t need to worry about anyone in New Hope hurting them, except for him apparently.  

But telling them would surely lead to more anger. They might kick him out, or worse, give him back to his brother. He squeezed his wrist tighter.  

“I, uh, I-I" he felt himself wilting underneath their glares. One part of him desperately wanted to get the lies and guilt over with, while the other wanted to stay hidden beneath the secrets.  

He couldn’t help but think about what his brother would say. Surely, he would come up with a lie good enough to stay. He let go of his wrist, eyes widening with realization.  

“I’m Japanese. Probably, I never knew my parents, but I was born and raised in Japan,” he blurted out, tears welling in his eyes.  

He looked down, letting his bangs cover his face as Leader spoke next, his voice as cold as the winters he spent in alleys.  

“Why did you lie? Are you a spy for your brother?”  

“NO,” he said indignantly, “I would never spy for my brother. I was locked in a bank vault because I didn’t want to work for my brother! Why would I work for the guy who locked me in a BANK VAULT?”  

Leader’s face was still stoic, but his ears flushed. Yoichi’s jaw dropped in disbelief.  

“Did you forget the vault?” he all but shrieked, realizing that yelling at the people who had the power to throw him out was not a good idea.  

“W-Well, the evidence...”  

Even Mio was glaring at this point.  

“Okay,” he sighed, “I may have forgotten to factor that in, but I just couldn’t believe that a good thing was happening. That someone so attractive and kind and caring could exist. My whole life there’s always been a catch, so I had no reason to think this would be an exception. I guess, I was just looking for something to go wrong and prove me right.”  

Yoichi had always been a bit of a bleeding heart, but as much as he wanted to forgive him, some part of him wanted to be angry at him for doing this. Why should you have to suffer when he can’t control his feelings? Tell him Yoichi, tell him what you think of him. He grabbed his wrist.  

“I’m sorry,” Yoichi said, catching their attention, “You’re right, there is a catch. I’m not what you think at all. I’m a stupid, selfish, liar.”  

“Yoichi-”  

“I lied because I was embarrassed. I was born here, and grew up here, but I don’t know anything. I can barely read, I don’t know how to write, I get along well with the kids because I am one! I shouldn’t be here with you, I’m just a burden, but I wanted to stay and get to know you,” he gave a wet chuckle, tears falling down his cheeks as he squeezed his wrist, “I guess I’m not too different from Big Brother after all.”  

He peeked at them through his bangs, expecting to see them glaring, only for them to look... devastated.  

“Yoichi-san,” Mio whispered, “What happened to you?”  

-  

He was born clinging to his brother for survival.  

His brother had been his world, the only one who cared for him and kept him alive.  

Comic books became their only source of education and morals.  

They loved each other, without knowing what love was.  

-  

7:30 AM  

They gave Yoichi some tea to drink after letting him back in his room. He smiled as he drank, still confused as to why they looked so shell-shocked. They had an entire five-minute walk to digest after they finished their questions. And they hadn’t even asked if he was working for his brother anymore, instead focusing on inconsequential things like who took care of him as an infant and if he ever went to a doctor.  

“Does Dr. Garaki count?” he asked.  

“I mean, if he has a medical degree-”  

“I’m not sure. I know he knows how human bodies work because he was always experimenting on them, so probably.”  

“...What?”  

Yoichi took another sip of his mint tea.  

Leader rubbed his temples, “Okay, that’s something we’ll have to deal with later. There are a few other things that are more important. First, I think an apology is owed.”  

Yoichi jumped, “Oh, of course, I-”  

“No, from me,” Leader interrupted with a blush, “I may have explained myself, but I never apologized and that was wrong of me. Yoichi-san, I’m sorry. I overreacted and hurt you because I couldn’t work out my own issues.”  

“I’m sorry too,” Mio added, “I knew something wasn’t right with this, but I didn’t try to defend you. I stayed complacent and hurt you too. I hope you can forgive us,” he said as they both dropped into deep bows.  

Leader looked up, a small smile on his face. “This kind of bow means we’re really sorry and we respect you,” he whispered.  

Yoichi gasped, putting a hand to his mouth. Big Brother had never apologized to him, and when he did, he never meant it. To have his heroes apologize and respect him so much, it meant more to him than he could put into words.  

“Of course, I forgive you. I’m All For One’s twin, something like that would have happened sooner or later. I’m just glad that we’re still friends... right?”  

They straightened up and smiled at him. “Of course, we are,” Leader said, “In fact, I think it’s time you know my real name.”  

“Really?”  

He nodded, “I mean, I already let Mio’s slip, and friends call each other by their names. I trust you. My real name is Kudo -”  

A sudden loud whir made it impossible to hear what he said. Mio looked at the door, “Oh, looks like Harpy got the blender working again.”  

Yoichi’s eye twitched.  

Kudo smiled, “Right, so you can just call me by my first name.”  

“Um, you’re still the leader and all that, so how about I just call you Kudo? And you guys can call me Yoichi,” he offered nervously. There was no way he was going to ask Kudo to repeat himself and risk being seen as uncaring about what they had to say.  

The redhead looked like he was about to argue, but eventually nodded. “Alright, let’s go. I think a few other people have some apologies to make as well and then we have some more lessons.”  

“More etiquette stuff?” he asked with a sigh.  

Mio smiled, “Yes, you still have those to learn, but there’s also writing, math, history, and pretty much everything else since you never went to school.”  

He pouted, “I’d rather train. As scary as the gun was, training was more fun.”  

“Well, think of it as a different kind of training then. It won’t stop it from being boring, but you might be more motivated,” Kudo said in an attempt to cheer him up, taking Yoichi’s hand as he stood.  

He swirled the words around in his head before nodding. “I’ll try. Now let’s go eat breakfast,” he cheered, grabbing their hands and leading them out the door.  

From then on, things changed. Yoichi received a lot of apologies over the next few days, though he had a feeling that some of them still didn’t like him very much, which was fair. He almost cried when Hikage hugged him upon noticing him at breakfast.  

“I knew you weren’t dangerous like they said. I would’ve known if you were, trust me,” he said, pounding his chest for emphasis.  

Yoichi still watched over the children, but he also noted that he was learning at around the same level they were, which had been embarrassing at first, until one day, Hikage asked him for help. He had been nervous, the thought of messing up in front of such a small child mortified him, but to his surprise, he got it all right. He was improving every day, and when he messed up, no one made fun of him. Eventually, he surpassed them, though he still had a lot to learn, and was able to be more of a tutor to Hikage.  

His lessons were generally from Kudo and Mio, though others pitched in to help as well when they got busy, and to his surprise, sometimes they wanted to. He learned that the world was a lot bigger than he’d seen, and that America was just one of many countries.  

“I want to see them. Every single one,” he announced upon learning about them.  

“Sure thing. We should start with America first. Might be nice to visit the homeland,” Mio said with a wink.  

His lie had turned into more of an inside joke between the three of them, and while sometimes he still felt embarrassed about it, it was nice to know that they could laugh about it. Though, life couldn’t all be smiles and laughter.  

Big Brother was still gaining power, his writing had a lot to go before he reached an acceptable level for his age, and there were still the odd feelings he got whenever Kudo approached him, but he no longer lived with the guilt and dread of his lie. He was free from his brother, free from the vault.  

Yoichi smiled into his ramen; his hand no longer as shaky as it once was.