Chapter Text
Convenience store trips are always fun.
It didn't matter if the shadow of the sun had cast leaving the stars to glisten. Denki and his rowdy group of friends, with faces that feel fuzzier in his memories then they should be, would flood the store at the dead of night and scrape together all the money they'd won from various stupid bets that week.
Oddly enough, he can't decipher whether or not he had seen those friends ―with names that took a second thought for Denki to remember― just yesterday or several months ago. It's like he had fallen into a deep sleep and dreamed of another life where months or maybe even years have passed by and waking up to reality felt unfamiliar.
A sullen look had been etched into his expression without even realizing, until his face muscles were tight and achy. His usual chipper demeanor had washed away the farther he wondered away from the hospital and the deeper he'd crawled into the city.
There wasn't a day that Musutafu wasn't bustling with life but now it was nothing short of abandoned. You could imagine Denki's initial shock when he saw the desolate streets devoid of human life.
At first glance, it looked like the city was put on pause. Traffic blocked the roads with vehicles left open and exposed, some car keys remained plugged in and coffee drinks dated from over a month ago sat in the cup holders.
Trash littered the streets, unfinished rice cakes were splattered and rotted on the ground, Denki would've thought humans had vanished if he didn't just meet some at the hospital.
It felt like an apocalypse of some sort and yet not a single threat opposed him. Which was boring because Denki had always wonder how zombies with quirks would be.
Yet, standing in front of the convenience store with slugged shoulders and a hand clasped at his ribs in his lonely presence felt like he'd broken some sort of law.
It wasn't the shattered windows that indicated the place was broken into one-too-many times that gave him that impression, it was simply the fact that he would be venturing into this place alone that felt like a crime.
Convienence stores were made for companionship, the thought of whether or not he would think the same when he was forty had entertained him from time to time, but he didn't want to abandon this stupid rule so easily.
He thought about his junior high friends. Not because he was worried about them, whether or not they died in whatever chaotic event took place to chase people out of this city didn't concern him, he'd simply missed there presence.
Or more like the idea of it. Maybe that was a little messed up.
Shoving the stupid policy he and his friends had conjured in their first year of middle school, he brushed away the larger shards of glass with his hospital slippers before stepped in and quickly maneuvered to the food section.
Most of the food on the shelves had been wiped out leaving him with the limited option of canned tuna, spoiled goods, or the foods in the freezer that had long defrosted and likely gone bad.
Denki grimaced to himself and began to rip open the only edible, yet far less favored, option out of the three. He peeled back the lid with evidence but the hungry ache in his stomach prompted him to start digging in with his hands.
The liquid hadn't been drained so the fish tasted slimy, only a notch better than sardines if you asked Denki, yet he forced it down.
Maybe leaving the hospital wasn't the best idea after all..
The can clattered against the ground when he finishes. He sheds the hospital gown he'd woken up in just yesterday and uses the paper-thin material to wipe his hands off before ditching that as well.
Left in his underwear, he stalks over the isle filled with accompanies and tore open the small packages of cheap shirts usually used for tie-dye or a replacement shirt when old men spill alcohol or vomit on there selves after drinking.
There didn't have any long sleeve options, but neither did the gown, so Denki accepted his fate to the freezing winter's wrath and dresses himself. The pants he found were just as simple with cheap material but he made it work, snatching a hat and scarf that didn't match at all.
The outfit was silly but it's all that he could manage for now. The shopping district was in the completely opposite direction of his apartment, but if he's lucky he might be able to pass by a clothing store by chance.
Denki stole an old water from the depths of the freezer and steeled it under his arm before leaving. All he had to do was make it to his apartment before he began to snow, if that ends up happened, he'll need to take shelter somewhere.
He steeled himself with that simple goal, ignoring the way his knees threatened to buckle and his hands quivered. If he let he loses his balance again, Denki's not sure he'll be able to get up.
With that in mind, Denki wipes the sweat off of forehead, takes a swig of water and sets out.
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Thirteen hours.
It takes thirteen hours of restless searching before everyone drops from exhaustion, with one final conclusion play on each and every one of the young heroes minds.
"Fucking dunce escaped." Katsuki panted, holding onto his sides as he lays on the garden bench. The rest of them loiter around, accepting something that felt impossible.
Shoto doesn't know how the electricity manipulator had pulled it off. The entire perimeter was blocked off by government personnel and heroes.
Even if he had managed to slip by them, the chance of bypassing their electronic security was slim to none. The government had taken extreme measures to use advanced technology into ensuring villains wouldn't be able to slip into civilian zones such as the hospital or shelters.
"You think he could've done something to all that fancy technology with his quirk?" Mina throws out the idea out there, but they all know very well Denki wasn't capable of managing that.
"Dunce face? The idiot who can't even use his quirk without loosing brain cells?" Katsuki scoffed.
"Kinda harsh Bakugou. I think you're just mad because he scored one on you." Hanta observed as he eyed Katsuki's abdomen, igniting a scowl-accompanied-glare from the crimson eyed subject.
"Fuck outta here, tape for brains!" Katsuki belts. Eijirou quickly slaps his hand over the explosive student's mouth before they caught more stares from patients in the courtyard.
"Bakugou's not entirely wrong. Denki struggles to use his quirk with precision, to block out frequencies from technology like this would have to take months if not years of practice. It's better to assume he'd snuck out through the main entrance posing as the civilians that are being transported to a shelter." Kyoka steps in, making the most logical argument Shoto's heard this far.
"Which means he should already be at one of the evacuation shelters, right?" Shoto pitched in.
Kyoka nods, a hum trails after.
"But our evacuation staff and the heroes at Yuuei should've already been notified about his disappearance. If he's there, wouldn't they have found him by now?" Momo suggests. That too is plausible, assuming he didn't sneak in.
However, with the large influx of civilians coming in everyday he could've easily been missed. On another note, he could've been transported to a different evacuation center as well.
"We should account for both possibilities that he's either escaped into the city, slipped into the evacuation center, or even if he's still hiding somewhere in the hospital." Shoto conceded.
"Furthermore, it'll be best to form different plans for each outcome."
Momo hummed for a moment, taking it into serious consideration. "That's true.. but if he's fled into the city, how are we supposed to track him down?" She asked.
"There's no way that little shit could've gotten far into the city. He'd either freeze to death or succumb to his existing injuries." Katsuki through out there, a good argument.
Yet Denki was able to defy Shoto's expectations once before and completely disappear, he'd like to avoid underestimating him again.
"That will be kept in mind. Until then, where's the first place you guys would go if you were him?"
"Um.." Mina hummed for a few moments. "Well, I guess it'd have to be home. Especially with the way the city looks right now I'd be too creeped out to go anywhere else." A few other students hummed, agreeing with her.
Personally, Shoto wouldn't be in favor of going home, but his case was difference then most people so it should be safe to rely on their opinions.
"Alright. I'll head to his apartment first thing tomorrow morning. Aizawa-sensei will likely want to investigate the route he takes, in case he failed to make it home for whatever reason. You guys focus on the shelters for the meantime, and if nothing comes up we'll reopen our investigation for the hospital and consider new possibilities."
Shoto devised a simple plan. There were a few shared looks, some hesitant and questions, but seeing as there were no objections they nodded in union.
The rest of today will be used as a break. After all, a handful of them were still injured. Including Shoto himself.
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Denki wakes up to the feeling of pins and needles.
He couldn't remember if he had fallen asleep or had tread along the thickening snow until he was forced to drop. His memory has been failing a lot lately, he's not surprised though, it's not the first time his body has sabotaged him.
Before coming to, the sky was a dark gray, but now there was no sky at all. It was hard to tell because the room was dark and stuffy.
The bite of the cold isn't as strong here, it still wasn't the most insulated area, but the plug-in heater beside him and the layers of towels carefully draped over his body.
Not blankets, but towels. Despite the scent of mildew they carried, Denki snuggled into them anyways.
Unfortunately, as much of an asshole he can be, he wouldn't complain about the poor hospitality in his condition. He should be thankful someone made the effort but he still yearned for a proper meal.
The depths of human greed ― Denki really is a shitty person.
His nerves defrosted little by little but he still shivered, vibrating in place every few seconds. He felt to tired to get up, and he didn't want to loose the warm spot he spent however long cultivating, so he stayed put as he let his eyes wander instead.
There were shelves from what he can see. He seemed to be in the middle of an isle, not much room to stretch his limbs if he tried.
He could've been in some kind of store but the lack of natural lighting made him consider if it was storage unit. With a shaky breath, one he took trying not to clatter his teeth, he slowly rolled onto his back to face the ceiling.
He's so fucking hungry.
His fridge better have something good in it when he gets home― on second thought he'd prefer something quick and easy from his pantry.
Denki wonders if his bread was still good. He doesn't know the last time he visited his apartment, it's all a blur to him. He's had to have been bed bound for a week at the very least, at least that's what it felt like.
He would suck if he comes home to moldy food.
Creak
Denki's eyes snap towards somewhere in his peripheral vision. The quiet creek followed one after the other like someone lightly crept down the stairs.
His breath hitched. His body refused to move.
He's in danger, that's what his pounding heart tells him, so he gathers up the strength to sit up, his arms trembling acting as pillars for his upper body.
By the time he had taken him to do that, a small presence stood in front of him.
A threat..? Maybe, but a kid. One with long hair that sheathed its body like a natural blanket. Vermilion eyes bright enough to be seen in the pitch black.
Denki moved back as far as his body would take him until he felt a shelf rattle behind him. The rattle seemed to break the small girl out of her trance, contorting her face into something that resembled fear and hostility.
He didn't speak. Neither did she.
As the seconds passed by, her defensive resolve seemed to harden and she took a couple steps back. Then, she had placed down a steaming cup in her hands Denki had failed to notice until now and carefully scooted it towards him with her feet.
Her feet were disgusting. The socks she wore were thin and torn up, like she had be walking on assphaut for days without shoes.
The bottom of her socks were black and dirty and her pinky toe had gotten free on one of them.
Denki felt disgust before he did pity, hesitant to take the cup she had carefully scooted towards him. He doesn't know whether her caution was derived for her protection or an act not to startle him.
Whatever the case, Denki focused on the cup before him.
It looked like water. Clear, although there was a mysterious spec here and there, and his parched throat prompted him to take a slow careful sip.
The water tasted like it had come from the tap but it was slightly warmer then usual. As he gulped it down, he felt something crunchy and small graze past his tongue. He stopped, swished the water around for a second, and grinded his teeth on something that felt like sand.
"What is this?" Denki finally asked.
The girl stiffened hearing him speak. After recollecting herself, she answered in a meek voice. "Snow."
One word but it told him enough. She'd melted snow.
He scrunched his nose, forcing the last bit down his throat and ignoring the grainy taste in his mouth.
At least it had been boiled.. or heated up at the very least. It shouldn't be too lethal to consume and that was enough for him.
For a kid, on the other hand, drinking something like this without properly filtering and boiling it at first could easily lead to sickness.
He set the cup aside and stole another glance at the girl. He can't say for sure that she was a hundred-percent healthy. Just looking at her sanitary conditions, she's bound to fall sick sooner or later.
Unless she had built immunity to these kinds of things. Denki frowned at that.
"Did you do this?" he asked, hinting towards the towels and heater. He didn't soften up his tone for her, after all he was still a little suspicious.
She nodded slowly.
Denki could see her hands squeeze her gown. Actually― it wasn't an ordinary gown. It looks like a hospital gown. The same thing he had been wearing up until a few hours ago, albeit different patterns, or had he spent more time unconscious here than he thought?
Over that she had a thin mustard-yellow jacket that seemed to be chosen more for comfort then the usual colorful scheme most children like.
He couldn't help but raise a brow at her attire, it didn't take long for her to catch on. Seeing his probing eyes, she suddenly turned on her heel and took off, fleeing up the stairs.
Denki blinked, lagging behind for a few seconds before shirting the heater in his direction and resting besides the shelf. After a few minutes of no return, he figured the girl had no intention of coming back and steadily positioned himself for a nap.
When he came to for a second time, there had been a captivating aroma in the air.
He felt his head gradually shift towards the direction before he opened his eyes. The heater still warmed his skin, the towels he lazily thrown around himself, enough to indicate he hadn't been dreaming before.
His blearily looked around, squeezing eyes closed and open a few times before her could see properly, only to notice an unexpected presence.
The girl was back, at the same distance as before, except this time she was sitting criss-cross quietly sipping on canned soup.
She had a single towel on her lap for herself to rely on for warmth with the heater still pointed at him. She didn't seem to notice him until he shifted to get comfortable, stretching his sore neck.
He's never slept so wrong before.
She tensed up for a moment but she didn't flee. At least, not yet.
Her knees folded into her chest and Denki looked away before he made her anymore uncomfortable. Opting to look at the ceiling and think about his aching stomach instead.
They sat like that for a while, the silence wasn't comfortable but talking was more uncomfortable, they'd seem more content in ignoring each other's presence for the time being, that's the conclusion he arrived at anyway.
Plastic scrapped at tin, an occasional slurp, an even more occasional rumble he tried to stifle. Not out of courtesy, he just didn't want the girl to feel intimidated by his presence and drive herself off into the cold again.
Especially since she's only wearing that. With this kind of snow storm, it would only take a few hours until she succumbed to hypothermia and died. This heater and towels are probably the only thing keeping her alive at the moment.
However, seeing the current state of the city, it didn't look like the power had been turned on. He doesn't know if it's a regional power outage but this building seemed to have power if that heater was plugged in somewhere.
Not many establishments have built in generators nowadays, unless there were larger organizations or for homes.
The sound of tin sliding across the concrete broke him out of his thoughts. The girl had slid her can of soup over to him, the plastic spoon still inside, with about a third of the soup remaining.
It smelled good― his stomach ached.
Denki bent down and sniffed it before shaking the thought and sliding the can back to her.
"Can't. I'm allergic." he lied.
The girl had furrowed her brows, not to express her discontent, but a look of confusion.
"Allur-gec?" She echoed back with funky pronunciation. It was like she could only say one-word sentences.
"It's like.. poison to me, y'know? Can't have it." He explained, which wasn't entirely a lie, though it might've been more dramatic of an analogy.
The girl seemed to pale, taking the soup back into her hands. Looking at it wearily.
"S– sorry," she squeaked out, her throat shaking. Denki just waved his hand, which elicited a flinch from her.
"It's.. okay." He said steadily, trying not to read too far into things.
They had settled into silence again but this time there was no spoon scraping tin. Instead, the girl sat there quietly, eyeing the can with fear and suspicion.
" 'ts the matter with you?" Denki asked, quirking a brow at her.
She didn't have any initial response but moments after her eyes begin to well up with tears threatening to escape as she desperately fought them back. Then those glassy crimson eyes looked at his and her lips quivered when she talk.
"Am.. am I gonna die?" She asked, her voice shaking uncontrollably. Ah shit, look at what he done.
"What? no?" He hopes not, if she did turn out to be allergic it wouldn't weigh on his conscience but it would certainly be something he wouldn't be able to forget for a long time. But her parents should've already taught her these kinds of things.
"But it's poison?" She had managed through her warbles.
"Well, yeah but, only for me. Its, like, not even deadly or anythin' either, just a stomach ached? Nothin' to cry about." He stammered a little bit, elevating himself slightly from where he laid out of panic.
"Really..?" She looked at him like she couldn't trust him completely. Before he could give her an answer, or even a nod, she spoke again with a simple. "Oh."
She sucked up her sniffle, not bothering to clean her tears or snot before she raised another spoonful. With a mouthful of soup, she muttered another quiet apology.
Hours had passed before he felt his body return to it's usual temperature. With how much he had been sleeping, his biological clock was too untrustworthy to try and pin the time of day.
The girl had disappeared upstairs for a few hours while he just started to move and stretch around.
By the time she had come back, she looked like she had just woke up or faced the snow storm itself. The former was more plausible with her messy hair and disorientated look. She had come back down only to snuggle with the down and be in the general vicinity of the heater Denki had been hogging all this time.
It was only a theory but he believed she left somewhere upstairs to go sleep.
Denki didn't think he looked like much of a threat but because of his age and size difference, his intimidation was warranted, that or she was just naturally weary.
Even more so now that he wasn't just a frozen vegetable anymore.
The only reason he hadn't gotten back up on his feet and left was because the snow storm was still hitting the city heavily. If he were to go out there, he'd just end up in the same condition he came here with or even worse.
Now that he had a temporary place to hide out in, one that he had practically robbed this little girl of, he didn't need to beeline it to his apartment.
There's still a chance that those people from the hospital were pursuing him.
He knew they were looking for him around the hospital. He heard their calls echoing down the halls as he hid a random room made for staff.
Worst case scenario is that they predicted his destination and are waiting at his apartment for him, but the longer he waits here, the less likely they are to stay if that's true.
It's risky but he's willing to bet on it.
For now, he needs to focus on recovery. His body is no where near in perfect condition, if he needs to flee again, he wouldn't have the strength to.
He just can't get behind what these people want with him. They were acting all buddy-buddy with him in that room, and desperately searched the hospital after he ran, he doubts it's because he killed that one girl.
Which means he doesn't really know the issue and why he's involved with these people but the bad feeling in his gut tells him to evade them at all costs, so he does just that.
It's illogical and stupid but his gut has saved him more times then he can count. He'd rather not risk doubting it and regretting it later.
A small thump breaks his train of thought.
Denki lets his neck falls to the side to the the girl sprawled on the floor― sleeping.
As much as she resisted it.
He turned the heater to face the girl and shed himself of the towels, quietly exposing himself to the cold air and lazily resting another towel on the girl.
She was knocked out, sleeping too deeply to notice him walking around. With that in mind, he stretched his arms with a few cracks riveting throughout his body, ascending the staircase.
Leaving the stuffy smell of the basement was refreshing. It was ten times colder up here but he was able to put it past himself.
Turns out the establishment they resided in was a laundry mat. It was one of the few stores that had all its windows and doors in tact, probably because people had no reason to rob a laundry mat.
It's a mystery why there were so many stores broken into. The city may have appeared to be abandoned but the reasoning behind it is beyond him.
Shrugging it off, Denki set out to collect some supplies. Since he can't get home just yet he minus well stock up on supplies to fund the time he's spending here.
He doubts that the kid knows what she's doing― but she's done a pretty good job at it so far.
But don't get him wrong, he's not doing this to help her, he's just helping himself.
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Denki returns, tote bag in hand full of any drink that hasn't expired and several packaged sticky rice.
There wasn't an abundance of clothing stores nearby, leaving him to the gloves, scarves and beanies that were in season. It was enough to keep their extremities warm, which is more effective than you might think.
He slugs his way into the basement, still kicking snow off his shoes as he abandons the bag near the staircase. He had already had his fill of sticky rice at the store.
He filled his mouth the moment he can in contact with him, relieving his aching stomach that plagued him for the last two, maybe even three days.
He dragged himself over to the towels that marked his spot by the shelves and plotted down.
The girl, who had been laying down wide awake until he came, looked at him with big eyes. Denki starred back, sharing an awkward moment of eye contact before laying down shifting his gaze onto the ceiling.
"Bag's all yours, kid," Denki huffed out before clamping his hands between his underarms as an attempt to warm them up. He misses laying on a soft bed instead of concrete.
He would've used the towels as a pillow but he refused to make bare contact with the cold and dirty concrete flooring. On the brighter side, the storm looks like it had been clearing up. He should be free to go to his apartment by this afternoon.
She got up, maybe with the intent to flee again, but instead she wandered towards the tote bag and rummaged through the items he'd collected in awe.
He heard the crunch of plastic before she came running in his directs, halting and holding out the pack of sticky rice. Her face said it all.
Denki just nodded and something akin to a smile, small and delicate, blossomed on her face. A fragile smile that could be shattered at any moment.
His didn't let his eyes linger before turning his back to her.
Then, the sound of metal against concrete followed the warmth that hit his back, this time she turned the heater towards his shivering body, a small token of gratitude.
Denki dozes off a few times making the afternoon come relatively fast. At some point, the howling winds cease and all that's left are the thick blankets of snow as proof of the existence of the storm.
He gathered a few of his things. Taking the beanie and scarf he bought earlier, and leaving the rest for the girl. She, who had been warming her hands near the heater, swiftly picked up on his actions.
"Are you leaving?" She asks in her usual quiet voice.
"Mh, going to my apartment." He answers, curt and direct. He isn't facing her to see what kind of expression she is making, and maybe that's on purpose.
"You're staying here?" Denki asks. He doesn't know why but curiosity poked at him. With that hospital gown, he doesn't get why she isn't at a hospital, but even if that's where she needed to be he couldn't be the one to take her.
There was another fleeting thought― was she sick like him?
He looked over his shoulder after she had gone quiet. She was looking at the heater and towels, her face swelling with determination and, if he's not mistaken, fear.
That was his mistake ― looking at her.
His chest felt a little weak, breathing a little heavier, mind a little less busy. He just spoke, without realizing the weight of his words, a carelessness he demonstrated daily.
"Do you wanna come with me?" he offered. It slipped out, without a thought.
Her vermilion eyes snapped up at his. Seeing the decision weight back and forth like a see-saw in her mind, he added on an incentive as if he wasn't already setting himself up for failure but taking her in.
"It's warm and safe."
Her throat bobbed with a heavy swallow before running to grab one of the towels off the floor and holding it over her like a coat before steadily walking towards him.
A sign of alliance.
"What's your name, mister?" She'd finally asked and the formality 'mister' had made him want to laugh but he refrained with grin.
"Denki." He omitted his last name, as always, there wasn't a use for it.
"Eri." She said after.
With that, Denki and Eri set off.