It was a regular day in Yokohama for the Armed Detective Agency and the Mafia. It had been a month since the defeat of the Decay of Angels and all was going well. Their respective members were going about their usual business when suddenly, they all began to glow a bright golden colour simultaneously. They were unable to activate their abilities in time as the light completely engulfed them. When the light faded, they appeared to be in a large room with chairs and a very large flat screen TV on the wall that the chairs were facing. They each looked around the room and were surprised to see all the different people. The people in the room consisted of the armed detective agency, the mafia members, the former guild members Lucy and Poe and finally Ango and Katai.

"Uhm...... what are we doing here?" Atsushi asked nervously.

"I don't think any of us have the answer to that Atsushi-kun..." Tanizaki replied to him.

A voice then rang out.

"Hello everyone! And welcome to my reaction room!"

All individuals in the room turned towards the voice and found a young girl, who appeared to be in her mid teens. She had dark skin, black curly hair and bright golden eyes. She wore black skinny jeans, a pastel coloured, long sleeved crop top and brown knee high boots. She also looked to be about five feet tall. All of them stared at her with varying looks.

"Who are you?" asked Fukuzawa.

"My name is Zoe! I am 14 years old and I've brought you all here to react to different fun things! I have no intention of hurting you or anything so you can rest easy. Also, don't worry, time is frozen in the outside world once you guys are in here so you're not missing out on anything! I just think you guys need to have some fun and relax," the girl, now known as Zoe, replied.

"You guys can go ahead and take a seat. If you want food just ask for it and it will appear okay?" she told them quickly.

They all scrambled to get to seats. On the right side of the room sat Atsushi with Kyouka and Dazai on his either side and Kenji next to Kyouka. The Tanizaki siblings, Haruno and Kunikida sat behind them and Poe, Ranpo, Yosano and Lucy sat in front of them. On the left side of the room, Akutagawa sat with Gin and Chuuya on his either side. Higuchi, Tachihara and Hirotsu sat behind them and Kouyou, Q and Elise sat in front of them. Fukuzawa, Mori, Ango and Katai sat in the centre of the room.

They began to talk among themselves before Zoe came back and explained what they'd be reacting to first.

"First, we'll be reacting to one of my favourite fanfics where Akutagawa and Atsushi get transported to a different dimension by an ability users. Be prepared for lots of shin soukoku fluff you guys," Zoe explained to them with a large grin on her face.

Atsushi and Akutagawa stared her with wide eyes, cheeks flared red. excitement seemed to flood the room. Zoe sat next to Elise before the lights in the room dimmed and the TV turned on.

~

"Tell me, detective. Do you believe that we're the only beings in the universe?" The man shouted, swiftly dodging Rashomon's tendrils.

Atsushi would pause to think, maybe have a mini existential crisis while he's at it, if it weren't for the fact that the guy who had asked the question was the criminal they were after.

It was a good question, really, but he was kind of occupied with ensuring they could apprehend the guy while making out of the current situation alive. The dude was really trying his best to knock them out, throwing whatever he could get his hands on in the abandoned building they were currently in.

It was kind of impressive, if Atsushi was being honest with himself.

"What an interesting question," Mori spoke.

"Atsushi! You should focus more on your mission!" Kunikida scolded.

"Kunikida-kun don't be such a spoil sport~ If he didn't act like this he wouldn't be Atsushi! Stop trying to taint him with your workaholic attitude!" Dazai responded in a teasing voice.

He only got a 'tch!' in response.

"Run faster, jinko," Akutagawa commanded, breaking him out of his thoughts.

(Easy for him to say, considering the fact that he was currently using Atsushi's half-tiger form as his personal Uber.)

"Such sass Atsushi-kun~! You're taking too much after Chuuya!" Dazai teased.

"Shut up you damn mackerel!" was the shout he received in response from the other side of the room, as well as a long sigh from Atsushi.

The younger rolled his eyes, but complied nonetheless, focusing all of his attention on speeding up while avoiding all the projectiles their criminal was currently hurling. He narrowly missed the moldy takeaway food that was thrown, but in dodging that, he failed to notice the activation of the criminal's Ability.

In retrospect, he probably should have paid more attention to what the guy was saying because the next thing he knew, a goddamn television was thrown their way and the world turned pitch black.

-

When Atsushi awoke, the first thing he registered was the feeling of something warm and solid underneath him. It wasn't uncomfortable but it wasn't exactly pleasant either. Nevertheless, he was tired and he desperately needed some rest so maybe it would be alright if he just...

"Don't you dare fall asleep on me."

His eyes shot open.

In record speed, Atsushi immediately rolled off onto the very solid (but considerably colder) ground. He could see Akutagawa slowly sitting up through his peripheral vision, possibly plotting his demise. The way his eyebrows furrowed and his left eye twitched probably didn't mean good news.

Laughter rang out through the room.

"Are you sure there are eyebrows there for him to raise?" Tachihara asked, coming very close to certain death as said mafioso was sitting behind him.

A rashomon tendril grazed his cheek, causing him to shriek in fright.

"Tachihara..." a voice soaked in anger called to him.

He slowly moved his gaze to Akutagawa, who clearly would have murdered him already if looks could kill. Gin, Chuuya and Higuchi were trying to muffle their laughter, though Dazai and Elise did no such thing, laughing out loud to their hearts' content. The others in the room were clearly struggling to hold onto their own laughter as well.

They then heard a loud sigh, coming from Hirotsu who was clearly used to their chaotic shenanigans.

"Now now, calm down boys, no fighting," he told them, voice laced in exasperation.

Akutagawa sent one more glare at Tachihara before settling down, letting the redhead breath a bit easier.

He couldn't care less though, not when he finally registered his surroundings and realised that he was no longer inside the abandoned building the chase led them to.

No, he was outside in an area that looked nothing like downtown Yokohama.

"What happened?" He asked, chancing a glance towards Akutagawa.

Except... Akutagawa didn't really look like Akutagawa. In a way.

"I could ask the same of you."

Akutagawa(?) had longer bangs that covered his forehead, though his signature hairstyle was still prevalent. His face looked similar but there was something off about it. Something Atsushi couldn't quite piece together. Something that was so obvious, he completely missed it. His eyes still had that same hardened look, and his lips were still pulled into his signature frown so really, what was different?

"You look... wrong."

To that, Akutagawa let out a scoff which was quite understandable. It wasn't the most eloquent of sentences, nor was it flattering in the slightest. He... could have probably worded that better.

Maybe Dazai was right. Atsushi really needed to work on his people skills.

"You definitely do, you're still really awkward even after all this time Atsushi!" Tanizaki said.

"I guess..." Atsushi responded, sweat running down the side of his face nervously.

"You look younger. I'm assuming that I do too, based on your reaction. This might have something to do with the criminal's Ability," Akutagawa said as he stood up, brushing off the non-existent dust on his clothes that looked a bit too big on him.

So that was it. Now that he mentioned it, he could see it. The way the man's jaw was less defined, his facial structures less prominent. It... kind of made sense... Except for the fact that the criminal's Ability had something to do with transporting people to different universes, similar to what Poe could do with his Ability. Not this... reverse aging thing Fitzgerald recently took an interest in.

Why would they be younger in an alternate universe?

"Could this be similar to the Page where some sort of logic is required to maintain the coherence of the plot?" Atsushi wondered aloud, eyes still fixed on the mafioso in front of him.

Said man frowned as he considered the possibility, tilting his head slightly sideways in a manner Atsushi had no business finding adorable, considering they were slightly civil on their best days and contemplating murder on their worst.

(Well, at least they were contemplating it nowadays. Back in those times, there was no thinking. Just doing.

Anyway.)

Atsushi's face flushed a bright red and Akutagawa began coughing to try and hide the small blush on his face.

Dazai gazed at Atsushi with a smirk and Kouyou smiled softly behind the sleeve of her kimono.

Realising his alarming thoughts, Atsushi decided to take a moment to properly observe his surroundings, eyes taking in the sight of tall buildings, some nature, and an abundance of weird-looking beings.... that could be human. Potentially.

They looked human and they acted human... with the exception of a few mutations here and there. The ones that didn't have any obvious mutation exhibited some sort of Ability. It seemed as if the population of Ability users had suddenly multiplied ten-fold, if these mutations could be considered a side-effect of these Abilities. It was unheard of, but they were in an alternate universe after all.

That didn't explain the people walking around in costumes, though. They looked like they walked straight out of those American comic books about heroes and villains.

It seemed as if Akutagawa took note of the weird circumstances too, judging by the way he looked around threateningly as if daring anyone to come close.

"The best course of action is to figure out what kind of universe we're in, if this Ability works the same way as the Guild member's does. From there, we could figure out how to solve the question that is fundamental to this universe."

Their first step was to check whether they still had their Abilities. They could have ended up in an alternate universe where they were the ones without Abilities and almost everyone else had them. An exact opposite of their reality. However, as Rashomon made itself known and as Byakko manifested a tail, they immediately ruled that possibility out.

The next step was to get some sort of information regarding the place they were in. Considering the fact that Akutagawa's brand of investigation usually included a lot of blood, pain and tears that weren't his, Atsushi offered to approach the friendliest looking person there was.

Laughter rang out at that.

"As expected of Akutagawa," Chuuya laughed out.

Gin shook her head fondly at the mention of her brother's regular actions.

If the boy could stop mumbling and actually acknowledge his presence, that is.

"Excuse me?" Atsushi asked after a few more minutes of listening to the boy muttering about sludge, All Might(?) and Kacchan(?).... whatever they were.

The green haired boy immediately stopped talking before apologising profusely, ready to go on a whole rant of how he shouldn't have rambled on when Atsushi placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"It's alright. Just... if you don't mind me asking, what's this place called? And what's today's date?"

The boy immediately stopped talking and regarded him suspiciously, eyes narrowing a bit but answering the question nonetheless.

"We're in Musutafu, Japan and today's the 31st of March."

Atsushi lived in Japan all his life and not once had he heard of Musutafu. Either the boy was pulling his leg, or they ended up in a universe that had a Musutafu . He had no choice but to take it at face value, for now.

"Right... Say, what year is it?"

Now it wasn't the most subtle of ways to gather information and he could literally feel Akutagawa glaring daggers into the back of his head but he was tired, hungry and most importantly, sleep deprived. All he wanted to do was go home and rest but judging by the way the boy was scrutinising him, he didn't see that happening anytime soon.

"2020."

Alright, so maybe Atsushi was mistaken. Maybe the boy wasn't glaring at him but he just... squinted his eyes because he couldn't see and left his glasses at home or something.

He let out a smile, thanking the boy for his time and made his way towards his case partner. They didn't have any major leads but at least they were still in Japan and still in the present. They could work with that.

Well, that was the plan until his senses started tingling and he immediately jumped to the left, narrowly avoiding the green-looking projectile that had suddenly made itself known.

Atsushi looked down at the groaning boy, shocked and a bit betrayed as he recognised him as the boy from earlier. He looked up from him exasperatedly, accidentally making eye contact with Akutagawa who looked... amused? He was covering his mouth with his hand and his eyes had a bit of a mischievous look to them but... it must have been a trick of the light.

Yeah, that was probably it.

"Yup. Totally a trick of the light," Tanizaki and Tachihara said at the same time.

Even Mori and Fukuzawa chuckled lightly at that.

Atsushi huffed quietly, the blush on his face still being there after so long.

Forcing himself to focus on the issue at hand, he approached the boy and crouched down.

"Why?"

The boy slowly sat up, sheepish. Gone were the traces of his adrenaline-filled tackle.

"I lied. It's not the 31st of March and it's not 2020 but you still believed me. You're not from here, are you?"

Atsushi could feel his jaw drop as shock and embarrassment settled in. He had only spoken to one person and immediately their cover was blown. Hell, he had even gone out of his way to choose the least hostile-looking one, and yet.

"And if we aren't, what are you going to do about it?" Akutagawa asked, inching closer.

The boy paused to think, though it looked as if his decision had already been made.

"Well, as long as you aren't here to cause trouble, I won't do anything. Besides, you looked like you needed the help."

And with that, they gained a new acquaintance in the boy known as Midoriya Izuku.

-

Midoriya was a very chatty boy.

Atsushi had only asked him what the real year was, and he had somehow been briefed on 200 years of history, sociology, ethics and culture in the span of a few hours.

They had actually sat down in a park somewhere while he explained what Quirks were, how it came to be and the hero society, among other things.

Apparently, they weren't exactly sure how quirks came to be, but 80% of the world population had them. Therefore, the quirkless were now the minority, the ones shunned by society. It was weird to hear how different society was, in the way that the roles were now reversed, but also similar, in the way that they still shunned those who were different.

It was disappointing, to say the least.

Atsushi listened as Midoriya talked about UA, his dream school where they properly train kids to become heroes someday.

(Essentially, it was like raising child soldiers, wasn't it?)

"Sounds like the Port Mafia," Akutagawa commented, only to be elbowed by a bewildered Atsushi.

Akutagawa grumbled but didn't elaborate further when Midoriya asked what he meant, much to his relief. There was no need to tell the boy that the way his dream school worked was similar to how a criminal organisation operated though in opposing spectrums. He looked like he could use some good news, honestly.

The boy was enthusiastic when talking about quirks, even showing them his charred notebook that contained his analyses. It was amazing for someone his age, comprehensive and coherent. It covered all of the bases and then some. There was information on the strengths, weaknesses, improvements and possible alternate applications. Honestly, it would've been deadly if it fell into the wrong hands. If Mori ever found out about him, he would probably go out of his way to recruit the kid.

(Which... was a disturbing thought to have. He was glad that Mori was a whole universe away.)

"Hey! That's so mean!" Mori yelled out in a whiny voice.

Elise laughed loudly at his plight while Fukuzawa and Kouyou chuckled softly. The other's seemed to agree with the statement.

"It serves you right for being so creepy Rintaro!" she shouted to him sassily.

But... there was something in the boy's tone when he talked about quirks in the context of heroics. It was less enthusiastic, and he sounded a bit.... broken, even. Almost as if it was a sensitive topic for him.

"Do you think I can be a hero without a quirk?" Midoriya quietly asked after a period of silence, eyes downcast in a manner that was completely opposite to how he was just a few moments earlier.

Atsushi took a moment to think.

He had only known Midoriya for a few hours yet he's sure that the boy was one of the sincerest people he's ever met. His passion and determination to save others shone through in the stories he told, and although passion wasn't enough, Midoriya was more than just that.

He was intelligent and quick-witted, with how he'd trick Atsushi to confirm his suspicions, and how he could analyse quirks and fighting styles at the speed of light. The notebooks he showed them was proof that he was a great strategist and his quick thinking would definitely give him an advantage in fights despite his quirklessness.

Besides, quirks weren't everything. Yes, it would be disadvantageous if almost the whole population had quirks, but if there was one thing that the Shibusawa incident had taught him, it was that Abilities (and quirks) weren't invincible.

It was a no brainer, really.

"Of course you can," Atsushi said warmly at the same time Akutagawa had spat out an "Obviously," much to their surprise.

Atsushi whipped his head towards Akutagawa as Midoriya looked at him with tears in his eyes, the combined attention making the frowning man blush and look away.

"What? He's a carbon copy of you, you self-sacrificing fool. Of course he would make a great hero. You light-dwellers disgust me."

Akutagawa was pointedly looking at the ground, face growing redder by the second. For some reason, Atsushi couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight, heart pounding a mile a minute as he registered what the man had said about him.

Akutagawa had thought that Atsushi was a great hero. A hero . Someone like him, who had only brought misfortune as long as he was alive, who fought desperately to save others so that he could have an excuse for his existence. Someone who was trying his best to be more than just what the Headmaster said he was.

He was a hero. A great one.

"Thank you," Atsushi whispered, smiling softly.

The man shifted his gaze from the ground towards Atsushi, shocked.

"Whatever," He replied, although it was nowhere near hostile.

All of the room's participants smiled softly at the scene.

Their interaction was cut short when the sound of Midoriya's cries reached their ears, thanking them profusely for believing in him when no one else did.

The mafioso shifted uncomfortably while the weretiger laughed-good naturedly in return, bringing Midoriya into a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes, waiting for his sobs to settle down into sniffles. Atsushi didn't mind that his shirt was soaked with tears and possibly snot. The boy looked like he really needed it.

"No one's ever told me that," He confessed.

Atsushi hummed while stroking the boy's hair, listening as the boy opened up about his past encounters. How people had laughed at him, ridiculed him, bullied him just for stating his desire to become a hero.

It was ridiculous how much society placed values on quirks. It was only one facet of being a hero, in Atsushi's humble opinion. What mattered more were their intentions, their determination and dedication to help people, their empathy, compassion. After that, it would be their ability to fight and solve problems on the spot. A good fighter isn't determined by their weapons or quirks, it's determined by how well one can assess the situation and react accordingly, depending on what they had at hand with them at the moment.

The most valuable member in the Agency was Ranpo, who didn't have an Ability. Without him, the Agency would cease to exist. To think that so much value was put on quirks, something that should be considered as a tool at best... It was ridiculous.

"Damn right!" Yosano yelled enthusiastically.

Kouyou chuckled at the woman's antics as everyone let out sounds of agreement.

"Someone... told me that the fastest way for me to become a hero was to take a swan dive off the roof and hope that I would be born with a quirk in my next life," Midoriya mumbled, though they both heard what he said loud and clear.

Hot, white anger surged through his body at the thought of someone implying the boy was better off dead. That it was useless for him to even try just because he lacked a quirk. Someone so pure and dedicated and kind.

"People need to be told they're worthy of being alive by someone else or they can't go on. You are worthy , Midoriya."

Atsushi stared at Akutagawa in shock, touched and surprised at the fact that he remembered what he'd told him on that ship many months ago. That he'd find some value in it, and impart it onto other people. That he deemed it worth sharing.

The man ignored him, pointedly looking at Midoriya who looked like he was about to go for another crying session when his phone rang. He hurriedly wiped away his tears and cleared his throat before answering the call.

Atsushi walked over to Akutagawa to give the boy some privacy, though the man was adamantly not looking at him. He was no longer blushing but the tips of his ears were still looking a bit red. He decided to not comment on it, though. It looked like he could use some reprise from all the "embarrassing" things he did today.

"It looks like we'll be here for awhile. Do you think time works differently?" Atsushi opted for instead, pretending to not see the sigh of relief the other let out.

"Possibly. It's better to keep track of the days we're stuck here and compare it to how much time passed in our world once we get back. It could be valuable intel for when we pursue him again."

Atsushi paused, marvelling at how different Akutagawa used to be in the past when they first started working as partners. The man used to keep all his plans and strategies to himself, expecting Atsushi to figure things out on his own. It took a few months (maybe even years) of bickering, haggling and perhaps a few rounds of fighting before Akutagawa was willing to let him in on things. Now here they were, brainstorming ways to improve their mission once they managed to get out. Hell, Akutagawa had even referred to them as a team.

He was brought back to reality once he realised the dangerous path his thoughts were heading. He couldn't afford that, not when they were still stranded in an unknown place with nothing on them.

"If only we had a way to tell the time."

As if the Universe had heard their prayers, two phones materialised out of thin air, before gently landing on the ground.

Atsushi could do nothing but stare at the sheer ridiculousness of it all, wondering if he had hallucinated the whole experience. Rashomon picked the phones up, while Akutagawa examined them.

"Well that was awkwardly random," Gin stated.

"True like, why would the phones just appear? Does it have something to do with the universe they're i or the ability user himself," Higuchi gave her own opinion afterwards.

Ranpo smiled a little at their questions.

"It's probably both. Likely due to the effects of the ability and the fact that they're now in this new universe. Since they haven't previously existed in this universe, this could also signify that they've probably become the protagonists of this universe. Midoriya is likely important too." 

The others hummed in thought.

They seemed to be corporeal and they lit up once they were switched on, so that could only mean one thing.

The Universe could grant them things if they asked for it.

But why?

"It may be due to the same logic rule that made us look younger. Maybe it's needed for the plot to progress further or to maintain the rationality of the setting. It would be abnormal if two teenagers didn't have anything, as if they've never existed priorly," Akutagawa theorised.

(It made sense, but that would imply that their existence in this universe was significant enough for something illogical to completely hinder any development. Didn't that make them the main characters of some sort? If that was the case, they would be dragged into every important event. That could only mean that whatever that's happened to them was crucial to the plot so...)

"Midoriya's important," Atsushi concluded aloud, the same time the boy came up to them to announce his departure.

The snort Akutagawa let out when Midoriya tackled Atsushi into a hug was something he would think about for months to come.

The others nodded in understanding as Ranpo smirked knowingly.

-

After exchanging contact information and saying their tearful goodbyes, Atsushi and Akutagawa were left at the park, testing out their theory.

"It would be great if we could have a change of clothes."

Seconds passed. Nothing appeared.

"Food and drinks?"

Silence.

"Come on, bare necessities are essential to our survival. The plot can't possibly progress if we're dead, can it?" Atsushi complained, not surprised to see nothing changing.

Akutagawa, on the other hand, was contemplating in silence, contributing absolutely nothing. Atsushi was about to give him a piece of his mind when the man glared at him. He backed off, resigned to cursing him out internally.

A few more minutes passed before Akutagawa made his first attempt

"A house to live in, as two homeless teenagers would raise some flags and attract the heroes' attention."

What seemed to be house keys materialised before landing next to Akutagawa. He turned towards Atsushi and smirked, before picking them up and examining it closely. The weretiger could only huff in response, more overcome by the feeling of relief at having a place to stay for the time being.

Luckily for them, an address was attached to the keys. Without wasting any more time, they made their way to their temporary accommodation.

"This looks decent enough," Akutagawa commented as they entered their spacious apartment unit which had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room.

It was the biggest living space Atsushi had ever lived in.

"I have my own room?!" Atsushi exclaimed, running over to the bed that was in the middle of one of the rooms.

Akutagawa didn't dignify him with a response but Atsushi couldn't care less. It was simply too good to be true.

"How are they treating you at the Agency?" Was what Atsushi thought he heard but any concern coming from Akutagawa was most likely a figment of his imagination.

The room's participants almost felt like slapping they're foreheads in frustration. Tachihara and Junichiro actually did.

"Atsushi how can you be so oblivious!?" they shouted in they're heads.

"Oni-san you aren't slick at all," Gin told him, voice full of disappointment yet amusement at the same time.

You could hear Ango snort and Katai giggle in the background. Dazai just straight up laughed out, while Higuchi shook her head.

They spent the remainder of the time cleaning themselves up and changing into a fresh set of clothes (which they then discovered had indeed materialised, just not at the park). Atsushi wanted nothing more than to just climb under his covers and sleep, but the rumbling noise his stomach made demanded that he at least fed himself before doing so.

He trudged to the kitchen, hoping to see something edible but stopped short at the sight of Akutagawa not in his Port Mafia uniform. It was too surreal. He had half a mind to turn back and just sleep everything away, hoping that he would wake up back in their own universe. However, it seemed as if this universe enjoyed messing with him because at that moment, his stomach rumbled louder than ever, startling the mafioso who was enjoying a cup of tea.

"Foolish jinko," He muttered but said nothing else.

Knowing it would raise some questions if he turned tail now, he forced himself to walk towards the unfamiliar sight, adamant on keeping his eyes from lingering too long.

He rummaged the cupboard, delighted to find a pack of instant rice and some leftover tea sachets Akutagawa hadn't used. He could probably whip out a sad version of chazuke without all the salmon and seaweed which actually gives chazuke that flavour he loves but he'll just have to deal with it for now.

"Atsushi!!!" Yosano scolded.

"You can't just live off of chazuke!! How many times have I told you that!"

Atsushi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry..?"

Kyouka sighed tiredly. "Don't worry Yosano-san, I try my best not to make chazuke when it's my turn to cook."

Yosano huffed. "Alright Kyouka dear."

Kouyou shook her head once again at the agency's mom and the two non-blood related siblings' antics.

It's a different story once he goes grocery shopping though.

"Do we have money?" Atsushi asked as he closed the cupboard, still not looking at the older.

"Yes. It's in that safe over there," Akutagawa replied, calmly sipping his tea.

To that, Atsushi let out a relieved smile. At least in this universe, he wouldn't have to live off of discounts and vouchers. He could probably afford to splurge every once in a while and finally try out that fancy looking ice cream Naomi mentioned that one time.

"Why do you keep doing that?" The mafioso questioned, interrupting Atsushi's thoughts of going grocery shopping without being constrained by a budget.

Atsushi looked at him, confused.

Was it really so wrong of him to stir his chazuke? Was it offensive in a way?

"Doing what?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Smiling."

Oh.

He stopped stirring his chazuke in shock and decided to give it some thought.

He... smiled a lot so it shouldn't really come as a surprise but that... didn't really happen much around Akutagawa, now that he thought of it. Granted, they only met when they had missions and that wasn't really something to smile about. Now that they were in situations that weren't life or death, he could afford a smile or two. Even if he was in the presence of his work partner that used to dream of killing him.

Besides, they were kind of friends now, maybe. Sort of.

"I just... felt like it," Was what Atsushi chose to go with, bringing over his bowl to the dining table and seating opposite Akutagawa.

The meal continued in silence as Akutagawa scrolled away on his phone and Atsushi wolfed down his dinner. It wasn't really awkward per se, but it did feel weird to be sharing a meal with Akutagawa of all people. It wasn't bad, it was just... different. Hell, if he was being honest with himself the silence was kind of comforting, somehow.

(Which was weird. Why would he find comfort in Akutagawa?)

Deciding to unpack that on a different day, he finished his food and went straight to the sink to wash it. As soon as he dried the bowl and cup he used, he placed them back and stood awkwardly by the table.

"So... I'm going to go... sleep..." He finished lamely.

The mafioso looked up from his phone in confusion.

"Alright?" He stated, though it sounded more like a question.

To be honest, Atsushi had no idea where he was going with that either or what prompted him into thinking of doing that.

"Right. So. Uh. Good night," He choked out, immediately exiting the kitchen and speed walking to his room.

Had he stayed a little while longer, he would have heard the soft "Good night," that was muttered.

"You two are so obliviously awkward it's almost tiring to watch," was the simultaneous though running through everyone's heads at that point.

-

"We need to go to UA," Atsushi concluded after dinner the next day.

Akutagawa looked up from his phone.

"For a visit?" He asked, shoving his phone into his pocket.

Atsushi noted that he was still out of his Port Mafia uniform, his long, black coat nowhere to be seen. Instead, he donned the same loose hoodie and sweatpants he wore yesterday.

Not that it mattered when they were discussing their next course of action. He shook his head before continuing.

"No, as a student. Why else would we look younger than we actually are, and why we bumped into Midoriya who wanted to go to UA? The plot must have wanted us to be there for some reason."

He spent a good deal of his afternoon going over the events of yesterday, analysing every single interaction they had. Midoriya and UA seemed to be a common recurring theme, hence the conclusion.

The mafioso contemplated his answer.

"You'd have to do it alone. I'm no hero material."

Atsushi stared at him.

"Don't be ridiculous. You've saved countless lives whether you wanted to or not — and I'm not going to do this alone!"

Akutagawa glared at him, opening his mouth to rebut but Atsushi continued, undeterred.

"You're not exactly innocent, but neither am I. Neither is Dazai, nor Kyouka. We've all killed people before. Nothing can change that. What we can do instead, is to save twice as many lives to atone."

Atsushi made his way to the safe to get some money for groceries, ignoring the imaginary daggers that were sent his way.

"If it makes you feel better, think of it as an infiltration mission of sorts. We're not there to be actual heroes-in-training. We're just there for... intel gathering," He said as he locked the safe and stood up, pocketing the money into a wallet he found lying on his bedside table.

Akutagawa merely grumbled in response, though he didn't disagree. Atsushi took it as a good sign.

"Now, I'm off to buy some groceries. Would you like anything?" He asked as he slipped on a pair of sneakers (his very own pair!).

When he received no reply in return, he took the keys and left the house.

The trip to the grocery store was relatively mundane, compared to every other thing that's happened in that particular universe.

He grabbed whatever food that looked easy to prepare and stocked up on some tea, something he noticed Akutagawa consuming a lot. He picked up some eggs, bread and milk, just in case they wanted a non-instant alternative. He also scoured the desserts section for a treat or two, only to find a tub of fig ice cream left. Thinking that it wouldn't hurt to try a new flavour out, he added it into his basket and made his way to the cashier.

Gin and Higuchi smirked slightly at the mention of Akutagawa's favourite fruit.

While waiting in line, he texted Midoriya, asking about the things they'd need to prepare for to get into UA and getting a dozen replies in the next 2 minutes. Atsushi decided that he probably wouldn't be able to comprehend everything in the short time it took for him to reach the cashier. So, they'd agreed to go over the details at Midoriya's place

He texted Akutagawa of his plans on the way back, fully expecting him to tell Atsushi to do all the work. He couldn't really fault the guy, though. Being a hero-in-training, even if it's just for show, would go against everything he's ever done as a mafioso. He's known Akutagawa for a while, and not once had he lied.

He may be a mass murderer but he wasn't a hypocrite.

Though, Atsushi wouldn't really say he was being hypocritical. They've been working together for the past few months and there's still some Light left in the mafioso no matter how dim it was.

(Maybe one day, when he and Gin weren't bound to the Port Mafia, maybe then...)

He got so lost in his train of thoughts, he didn't realise the figure that had abruptly stopped in front of him, causing him to bump into said person. He was about to apologise when the stranger scoffed and turned around.

"Watch where you're going, dickhead," The blonde spat, red eyes promising murder.

See, if Atsushi was a lesser man, he probably would've sputtered out an apology of sorts. Maybe feel a bit of fear at the uncalled hostility. However, he had stared pre-truce Akutagawa in the eyes and lived. This was nothing.

Atsushi himself let out a laugh at this, followed by everyone else. Even Akutagawa let out a soft chuckle, lips turning up slightly.

"Never heard a more true statement," Chuuya said, inbetween laughs.

Gin was in hysterics next to her brother. "You were pretty scary Ryuu."

"Yeah... okay."

He ignored the offended huff that followed and side-stepped the stranger. He couldn't really afford to stall, considering he had a tub of ice cream in his hands and he spent too much on it to let it go to waste via the weather. So he left.

Or at least, tried to.

The stranger moved to grab his arm but even without Atsushi's enhanced senses, he could see it coming a mile away. He was personally trained by Kunikida, after all.

He jumped back in an instant, using the momentum to fuel his sprint. He didn't look back but he could tell by the mini-explosions and expletives that the boy was pissed.

Deciding this would count as his light exercise for the day because God forbid he skipped out on any fitness activities unless he wanted Kunikida to go full on rage mode, he slowed down to a jog all the way until he reached their apartment.

He felt his phone vibrate once or twice, indicating that he received a message from Midoriya or Akutagawa. Personally, he would bet on it being the former but with how unpredictable things in his life were, he wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.

Once he stepped into the lift of his apartment, he took his phone out of his pocket. He did receive a text from Midoriya but he had also received a text from Akutagawa, saying that he'd be down to go together so they could figure things out.

(Okay, so he didn't exactly worded it out that way, but the sentiment still holds.)

It was weird but he wasn't going to refuse his help. Akutagawa's the only other person in the universe who knew exactly what was going on. If they were going to cheat the system and beat the Ability, they needed a solid strategy.

Filled with newfound determination, Atsushi marched to their apartment unit vigorously.

He had a good feeling about this. Not only did he have Midoriya's intelligence by his side, he also had Akutagawa's cooperation. He felt invincible, as if he could tackle any challenges the universe presented to him. Once he packed away his groceries and made his way to the boy's house, that is.

He was feeling optimistic.

-

So they're not going to make it out of this alive.

"It can't be that bad," Midoroya offered, patting a groaning Atsushi and glancing towards Akutagawa every now and then.

"The physical portion of the exam is definitely doable. It's the written part," Akutagawa offered.

A written examination. For one of the hardest schools to get into. Right.

"Midoriya. My orphanage only taught me how to read and write. Maybe some basic maths... but I've never gone beyond division and multiplication," Atsushi lamented, laying his head on Midoriya's table dejectedly.

Midoriya looked slightly alarmed, glancing towards Akutagawa silently pleading.

"I lived in the slums for most of my childhood until adolescence. I, too, only know how to read and write."

It was silent for a few minutes, save for Midoriya's rapid fire mumbling. From what Atsushi could gather, the boy seemed to be planning a study plan of sorts. He respected his determination, but there was simply no way they would be able to cover at least five years of education content in less than a year. He didn't think his brain would be capable of such a daunting task.

"Alright, so you just need to do really well in a section or two and pass the bare minimum for the rest. We can give up on Maths and Science, but you'd have to do well for Literature and History. Do you think you'll be able to handle that?"

Atsushi paused his internal screaming.

When it was worded that way, maybe his brain cells had a chance. He was good at literature, he spent most of his free time at the orphanage reading every single book in the library. As for History, if he treated it as something fictional, maybe he could trick himself into enjoying the whole thing.

Maths and Science however...

"Literature and History shouldn't be that big of a deal, hopefully. I'm still... not entirely sure that I'd be able to pass the other two," Atsushi answered glumly, mind thinking of ways he could get into UA without being a student.

Akutagawa hummed in response, agreeing.

"If only there's a way for us to pass the written portion of the exams," He said after a while.

Atsushi held his breath. Could this possibly work?

After a few more minutes of awkward silence, he concluded that it was either a bust or that something miraculous would happen on the day of the exam.

He hoped it was the latter but knowing his luck, it would most probably be the former.

"I have a proposition. I could tutor you guys. It would be revision for me as well so I wouldn't mind. I'd just like to ask a favour from you in return," Midoriya suggested.

Atsushi traded looks with Akutagawa, hopeful.

"What is it?" Akutagawa asked, arms crossed but interested nonetheless.

"Could you teach me how to fight? I'm currently working out with my mentor to train my endurance and strength but when it comes to fighting, I'm clueless."

"What makes you think we can fight?" Atsushi enquired.

"Our first encounter. You could tell I was about to tackle you even without looking and jumped away without breaking a sweat. That level of situational awareness is either harnessed by a lot of fighting experience or is a direct result of your quirk or a combination of both. As for Akutagawa-san, he grew up in the slums and he's alive until today. Obviously he would know how to at least defend himself. Besides, his control of his quirk seems so natural, as if it's second nature."

They exchanged looks once again.

Midoriya was a smart boy, he seemed like he would be able to break down concepts and explain it in a manner that would be understandable even for them. Maybe it wasn't a lost cause after all?

"You have a deal."

~

"And that's the end of the first episode, or chapter I should say," Zoe told them as the lights brightened and the screen turned on.

"That was pretty lit, not gonna lie," Tachihara stated

"Yes. It was pretty entertaining to see things from Atsushi's point of view," Ango called out.

"You guys wanna head to the next chapter one time?" Zoe asked.

"YES!" was the simultaneous shout she received.

"ALRIGHT THEN LET'S GOOO!!!!" she shouted enthusiastically in reply.

***

Alright that's the first chapter. It's trash, I know but I hope you like it!! Into Your World is written by leedonghyucks (on Ao3). All credit for that fic goes to them. I also do not own any artwork or videos used in this fic.