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Chapter Text

They looked on in shock at the principal, who had slammed his own son into a glass wall, shattering it, and leaving the younger Asano unconscious on the floor.

"Starting tomorrow, he will join you in 3E."

Karma doesn't think that Asano will be recovered by tomorrow, but clearly he is wrong, as the next day, Asano is the first one in class, next to Ritsu, on her right. Karma is next to him, on his right. He is also early, which is unusualy for him. He's usually late, but, well, he was curious. And...concerned. "Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?" He doesn't bother to hide his concern, because he was fucking thrown through a glass wall.
"I didn't go to a hospital."
"Shouldn't you have had?"
"It wasn't as bad as it looked."

Karma doesn't push it. The rest of the class arrive, avoiding Asano. Understandable. On one hand, Asano was an ass to them. Granted, they weren't nice to him either, except maybe Isogai, but still. Asano started it. He thinks, anyway. Then Korosensei arrived. Karma watches Asano, but there's no surprise in Asano's expression. No raised eyebrows. No widened eyes. "You don't seem surprised." Korosensei voiced aloud."
"I already knew what you looked like."
"Did they show you a picture?"
"I saw through Ritsu."
"You hacked Ritsu?" Karma asked.
"Hacked Ritsu? I was the one whop built her in the first place."
"What?!" Was the general reply from the class. Even Irina looked surprised. But Karasuma didn't. Hmm.

"Why did you build her?" Karma asks, once the class had calmed down.

Asano stood up. "I'm sure no one's surprised, but the Principal hits me. Hurts me. Makes me bleed. All that jazz. So, I thought I'd try and get out. I collected and stored evidence. I was just about to take him to court when..." He walks over to Karasuma. "A government agent asks me not to, to wait just a year. Because they needed him to save the world. I got curious. So, I built Ritsu." Then he walked up to Korosensei. "I wanted you gone. So I could take my beloved father to court sooner. Did you really think I let you win any of those games we played? If there was a deal that would make it easier for you to kill Korosensei, I didn't mind loosing. I knew you'd use the deal at the pole-toppling tornament to try and kill him, so I let you win. Is 5 against 15 really a fair match? Do you really think that I'm such a control freak that I wouldn't let the transfer students do anything without orders? I'm honestly surprised you didn't catch on. Anyways..." He goes to the door. He's leaving. "I'll see you all later. Bye!"

The silence is deafening. The teachers are talking to each other, and Irina takes over the lesson. Korosensei went to the staff room and Karasuma went to find Asano. Irina does her best to distract them, and the mood is certainly lighter by the end of her lesson.

-

Karasuma finds Asano sitting on the edge of the cliff, which is...concerning. "I'm not going to jump off, don't worry. Not that Korosensei would let me kill myself."
"...Right."
"Why are you here? To cheer me up?"
"No, I don't think I'd be good at that..." There's a moment of silence. "No one is going to force you to come to class. If you're having a bad day, or don't want to be in Korosensei's class, you don't have to. Just...are you planning on showing up to any classes?"
"I'll go to yours and Irina's classes, I just can't stand to be in the same room as him. I don't care how nice or well intentioned he is, he's going to blow up the planet."
"Fair enough."
"Are you going back now?"
"If you want to. I'd like to keep an eye on you, so you don't...do anything."
"I already said that I'm not suicidal. I'm too narcistic for that. And Korosensei is keeping an eye on us from over there." He gestures to the yellow octopus, who waves at them.
"Do you mind if I stay with you anyway?"
"Knock yourself out."

Chapter Text

Asano comes back for PE. They're in the changing rooms when it happens. Asano could have worn a vest beneath his shirt, but he was so tired. Too tired. And, he would be lying if he said that he didn't want to see there reaction to him. Karma was getting changed peacefully when curiosity and concern got the better of him. He just needed to see if Asano had any scars from when the principal tossed him through a glass wall. So he looked. A part of him wished he didn't. There were old and new scars all across his back. There in a place where Asano couldn't have done it himself. Someone else had to have do it. There were bruises and burns and scars and too much. It was too much. He's not the only one staring. They all turn away when Asano turns around and leaves, the first one changed. Karma punches the wall so hard it shakes. "Karma." Nagisa warns him. "You okay?" No answer. "Karma."

"I'm okay." Karma breathes.

They're paired up for PE. Sparring. Karma is paired with Asano. Because of course he is. "Don't you dare hold back. Don't pity me." Asano warns him.
"I won't."
Despite that, Karma is hesitant to throw Asano onto his back. He aims punches at him and tries to swipe his feet out from under him, but can't bring it in himself to push him onto his back. He just can't. "If Takaoka or Shiro attacks, they won't be holding back." Asano quips.
Karma doesn't bother asking how he knows their names. So, he does his best to not hold back.

-

Karma is struggling to get out of a headlock Asano put him in with his arms when Karasuma says that training is over for the day. Asano pushes Karma up and gets up himself. They get changed. Karma sneaks another glance at Asano's back, but he has a feeling that Asano knows that he's watching.

-

It's after school in the main campuses hallway when Karma sees him. Him, being the principal. He's smiling, talking to another teacher, as if he weren't a child-abusing blackmailing bitch. Karma seethes, but has the decency to wait until after the teacher left to run and tackle the surprised-looking bastard. "What are you doing?" The principal snaps as Karma throws them both to the floor. The principal gets up first, because of course he does. Karma gets up, and tries to punch the principal in his face. He says tried, because the principal grabs his wrist in a tight, threatening hold. Then Gakushuu turns the corner. Shit. He looks at them. They look back. He walks up to Karma, removes the principal's hand from Karma's wrist, and replaces it with his own. Then they walk away, together.

"Don't ever try to hurt the principal again." Asano orders him.
"He-"
"I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve it, but you absolutely cannot hurt him. In a fight, he would beat you. Every time."
"Okay."
"Good."

-

"Korosenei." Karma calls.
"Yes, Akabane?"
"Did you really not realise that the principal was an abuser?" There's anger in his voice.
"I understand if you are angry, but is it really me that you are angry at?"
Karma snaps his jaw shut. He'd not angry at Korosensei. He's not even angry at the principal. He hates him, but he's not angry at him. At least not right now. He's angry at himself. For not noticing. For attacking the principal. What if the principal takes his anger out on Gakushuu? All he's done is make it worse for him. He walks away.

"Akabane." Korosensei calls, but he keeps on walking.

Chapter Text

Asano would like to say that he's finally settled down into 3E. Obviously he talks to Ritsu a lot. He built her, and an AI with her own personality is a wonder to talk to. He has a healthy rivalry with Akabane, and they talk about academics and even play chess online. He surprisingly gets on with Teraseka and his group. Itona is also interesting, having experienced the tentacles. He even stays in Korosensei's classes now. So, it's no wonder when Teraseka comes up to him after class. "So, who's side you on?"
"What?"
"Akabane and Nagisa. Are you team kill or save? I know you originally wanted to kill Korosensei regardless of the money. Is that still your plan?"
"I'll have a think about it."
"Akabane and Nagisa are their own powerhouses, but whichever side you join, that'll be the winning side."
"Are you trying to bribe me with flattery?"
Teraseka shrugs. "Just making an observation."

-

On the day of the battle, Asano is late to class. He figured he could get away with it. And to be honest, he still wasn't sure what side to join. Teraseka was right. Nagsia, Akabane and himself were the strongest in class, even if it wasn't physical strength in Nagisa's case. Whichever side he joined would likely win. The choice was his. So did he want to kill or save Korosensei? At the beginning, he wanted to kill Korosensei. But other the weeks, he realised that Korosensei wasn't malicious. It was a genuine coincidence that he planned to escape the principle when Korosensei made the deal. Could he last in the principle's house until graduation? He has no doubt the Korosensei would offer to help him. SO should he himself try and save Korosensei first?

Kill or save.

Save or kill.

He'd just made up his mind when a sadistic looking man stepped out from behind a team.

-

"Guess Asano didn't want to join the fight." Teraseka mused after Nagisa had won.
"I don't blame him. He's got enough violence in his life." Isogai reasoned.
"Still, should we, I don't know...look for him?" Teraseka asked.
"That we should." Korosensei nodded.

-

Karasuma had had a long day, and the last thing he needed was the return of Takaoka. "Get away from him." He warned. He was barely metres apart from the younger Asano. The rest of 3E looked tense. "I think he should decide for himself, don't you think?" Takaoka turned to Asano. "Aren't you sick of 3E belittling you? Teasing you, looking down on you? Don't you want revenge? Don't you want power? Come join me, I'll give you what you want." Karasuma clenched his fists, because Asano was slowly edging towards Takaoka. He's got a baton on his side. If he tried to hurt Asano...no. Korosensei would protect him. Why wasn't he stopping him now? Was he seeing if Asano really wanted revenge?

"Revenge..." Asano muttered.

Asano is less than a metre in front of Takaoka, and he's going to take the deal. He'd going to join him. He wants revenge. Karasuma doesn't want this to happen...

-

Quicker than Karasuma's eyes could see, Asano grabbed the baton and hit Takaoka around the head with it. "Idiot." He spat. Asano turned to 3E, to make a quip or something to defuse the situation (he's good at dissolving tension, he had to be) when he saw everyone's faces.

"Did you actually think I was going to join him?" Silence. "Is that what you think of me?

"You're a very good actor." Karasuma complimented, trying to say the right thing. But it isn't. Asano nodded. He should have expected this. He walks away. No one follows him.

Not even Korosensei.

And to think he was going to join team save.

-

"Shouldn't we go after him?" Karma asks after a while.

"I think it's best he be left alone for a while." Korosensei hummed.

He thought wrong.

-

Asano was deep in the 3E forest when it happened.

A blindfold around his eyes, a cloth to his mouth, and he can't even fightback as unconsciousness fell upon him, and the kidnapper picked him up and ran.

Chapter Text

"Asano hasn't been in for a few days." Karma commented.
"After what happened can you blame him?" Rio countered.
"Still. Maybe we should go look for him?"
"Where do you think he'd be? I'd hate for him to be at his family home."
"Yeah..."

Class was just about to start when Ritsu started glitching.
"Ritsu?" Korosensei asked.
The picture changed, instead of Ritsu, it was a picture of a dark room. Instead of Ritsu, it was a picture of Asano, unconscious. He didn't seem to be injured, but unconscious, lying on the floor.
"Hello, 3E." A voice sounded, but they couldn't see who was speaking. Yet the voice felt familiar. By the way Itona tensed, Karma could guess who it was.
"Shiro." Itona seethed.
"I'm sure you want your precious student back. So, come to the location Ritsu is about to send you, and you can have him back!"
Then Ritsu shut down.

"It's a trap." Irina sighed.
"Obviously."
"But if we don't go, he'll kill Asano."
"We don't know that for sure."
"Are you willing to risk it?"
"...No."

"Do all of us have to go?"
"I don't think so." Korosensei mused. "Who here wants to go?"

Karma immediately put his hand up, which inspired Rio, Nagisa, and Kayano to put their hands up. Then Itona and Teraseka. Then Chiba and Hayami. Then Okuda and Isogai. And finally Takebayashi. That surprised Karma. Takebayashi wasn't the definition of brave. He supposed he felt bad about smashing a trophy to get back to 3E. Karma doesn't know if the principal punished Asano for that. He doesn't want to know.

A notification popped up on his phone. The location. "Let's go." Korosensei clapped his hands (tentacles?) together.
"Respectfully, never do that again. That sounded horrible." Rio said.
"My apologies. Still, we should leave now if we want to-"

The door burst open.
"Where the fuck is my son?"
Karma was out of his seat in seconds.

-

"Karma, please stop trying to attack the principal." Karasuma sighed.
"Okay, I'll stop." Karma put his hands up. "Just saying it's weird how he only just now is suddenly concerned for his son."
"Karma."
"Sorry. So what's the plan?"
"We're going."
"Good."
"The Principal is too."
"Ah."
"I'll keep him out of eyeshot."
"Thank you."

-

The location took them to an abandoned warehouse. Figures. "I see you are here." A voice sounded. They turned around.
"Shiro." Korosensei greeted. "You said we could come to collect him. Where is he?"
"Somewhere here. Don't worry. I'm not going to keep his from you. This place has many hallways that lead to a main room. That's where he is. Chop chop. Let's go."
"We should all stick together."
"I'd rather you split up and find your own way." Shiro said.
"I believe you are all capable of handling yourself. We will go in groups. Group one is Karma, Rio, Kayano, Isogai and Nagisa, and Karasuma. Group two is Itona, Teraseka, Chiba, Hayami, and Okuda, and Irina. Group three is Takebayashi, the principal, and myself. Is that okay?"
It was.

They each began making there way through the hallways. If they kept going straight, they'd find him. Maybe. Hopefully. If this wasn't a trap. If this-

They'd found him.

-

Korosensei, the principal, and Tabayashi were making their way just fine before a metal wall dropped down. "Are you okay?" Korosensei asked from the other side of the door.
"We're fine." the principal assured him. Maybe he was, but Takebayashi felt a lot safer when he had a mach 20 monster guarding his back. Then he noticed a purple and orange glow.
"What's that?" He asked. It looked like fire, if fire could be a liquid. Then it jumped at them.

-

The Principal was sure he was dreaming. That had to be the answer, because otherwise there was no way his son at four years old was in front of him. He was crying. He rushed forward. "Gakushuu?"
"Dad." The younger, much younger Asano was crying. Then the principal saw his real son. Unconscious. He had to get to him. He turned to get to him.
"Don't leave me!" His son cried. It was fake. This was a trap. He had to get to his real son.

But he couldn't leave him.

-

The principal hit his son. "Stop." Tabeyashiki yelled. The principle didn't listen. This was a trap. A trap. Trap. He didn't realise breaking the trophy would have such disastrous consequences.

-

"Asano!" Karma yelled. The boy didn't move. He ran to him.
"Karma! It's a trap!" Karasuma yelled. But it was too late.

-

Asano opened his eyes. They were a glowing purple. Tentacles sprouted from his neck. Oh shit.

Chapter Text

What do you want?

The tentacles asked him. Well, it was a tricky question, really. He had a feeling that asking to not have the tentacles would not go down well. Power was an obvious choice. With enough power, he could finally prove himself to the principal, or kill him, he supposed. He opens his eyes. He's lying down on a meta table. Akabane is looking at him, a horrified expression on his face. What? Does he expect him to kill everyone now that he's got the power to do so? Anger streaks through him, and purple tentacles sprout from his neck. They're almost translucent, and wrap around himself and Akabane in a cocoon of sorts. He's powerful enough to kill him, if he wanted to. Does he want to?

-

Takebayashi is in a nightmare. He doesn't want to see this. Doesn't want to see the principal beating his son because he fucked up. He needs to get out. How does he get out? He has an idea. He knows how to get out. There's a heavy metal door. He doesn't know if it's part of the dream world or the real world. What kind of drugs is he on? He goes through the door. The hallucinations are still there. There goes that idea. But he's got one more. Ironic, really. He put his left arm half way through the door.

He slams it shut. He screams. He sits up. But he doesn't remember laying down. His arm is broken, but the hallucinations are gone. As much as he hates him, he has to ask. "Are you okay?" He asks the principal. No response. The principle is crouched on the ground. Takebayashi kicks him in the chest till he falls over. Deserved. The principal wakes up from the dream world. He looks at Takebayashi's arm. He says nothing.

"Let's go find Asano." Takebayashi says. The principal nods.

-

They're all here now. A spectacle. "Where's Karma?" Takebayashi shouts.
"In that." Rio gestures to the sphere of purple tentacles. They're barely see through, but she thinks she can see Karma and Asano standing opposite each other. Then the tentacles darken and she can no longer see them. Rio glances at Takebayashi's arm. She says nothing. The sphere expands. Karasuma experimentally throws a chair at it. It's flung back like it was in a tornado. They can do nothing but wait. The principal looks at where his son would be standing if he could see them, and wonders if it's too late. The message of the tentacles is clear. Destroy.

-

He could kill Karma, if he wanted to. Karma knows this too. Before this, they were evenly matched. But with the tentacles, it would be too easy. He could kill him, but does he want to kill him? He sort of wants to kill him, but he sort of wants to kiss him. Karma knows this too, or maybe he doesn't.

He remembers a PE lesson. Karasuma was showing him how to shoot a gun. He fires the gun. It grazes the outside of the target.

"Most people don't even hit the target on the first time." Karasuma tells him.
"Fake ass bitch!" Karma calls out to him. Asano shrugs and fires the gun again. Bullseye.
"Where di you learn to shoot a gun?" Karasuma asks.
"Where did you?" Asano challenges. Karma looks at him. He looks back.

Karma leans in, closes his eyes, and Asano meets to kiss him.

-

Abruptly, the purple tentacles turn orange, and yellow, and they glow. One latches out and hits Takebayashi, but it doesn't hurt. "My arm is fixed." He says, surprised.

The message isn't to destroy. Not anymore.

It's to heal.

-

Asano pulls back from Karma, even though he doesn't really want to. But there are important matters to attend to. He has a feeling his eyes are glowing. He can control the tentacles. They dissipate into thin air. Shiro lunges with a sword to kill Karma. Asano steps in the way and throws Shiro back. Korosensei is here now. Shiro knows this. He leaves.

"If you hadn't gone with Shiro, none of this would've happened." The principal remarks.
"I was kidnapped." Asano says dryly.

"Gakushuu." Karma says.
"Karma." Gakushuu mirrors.
"Let's go home."

Home. He likes the sound of that.