It had been hours. It had taken a while to process information on everyone's end. Shigaraki felt as if he had been lied to by his own thought processes growing up. He had fostered a deep hatred for heros after they had failed to help him when he needed it most as a child. But over the years he had failed to realize that everyone--and all through he hated to admit it, everyone included heros--is human. 

Humans experience painful things. And after hearing Shinso's story of being bullied and abused throughout his life simply due to a quirk people coined villainous, Shigaraki felt like he had a slight connection to the boy. 

They had both had similar problems, the circumstances were the only thing that differed. Shinso still had one loving family member that never gave up on him, his father. 

However Midoriya had been failed by everyone. Including his mother. He was quirkless, seen as a sin of society. And society tended to play the exorcist and force "karma" upon the teen. The greenette had admitted to some violence the bullies used on him as a child. 

Locking him in the janitor's closet, burning his clothes, stealing his lunch, sometimes becoming physically violent. The teachers had turned a blind eye. His best friend's had dropped him, leaving his small, young, frail body alone in the middle of sharks who kept circling their prey. He was even scared of his mother. She had never outright done anything to abuse him or anything, no Inko was an amazing mother. Izuku loved her dearly. However it stung when the young greenette realized his own mother didn't believe he could be a hero without a quirk. It was a final slap to the face. 

So much so that he never went to her and spoke about the bullying. He had turned in upon himself and his extroverted childhood personality decayed into a watchful introvert. He had turned his eyes off of analyzing heros and instead kept a close eye on his surroundings--the people in his surroundings--fearing someone would attempt to hurt him more. That year, he had left all notebooks, all personality traits of the original, pre-diagnosed child, behind. 

Midoriya had been thoroughly abandoned to the point of turning to self harm as a coping mechanism. And it was worse because no one had stopped him. Ever. 

After making it into UA, he had felt fulfilled enough to stop of his own accord. And he had taken drastic means to cover up the scars. One of which being an elixir that came from a nice woman online, who's quirk helped aid suicide survivors and previous self harm victims temporarily cover up their scars from the eyes of any and every onlooker. Midoriya had gotten it secretly, and since then he was able to train without worrying about his past coping mechanism or his questioning, concerned peers. 

Shigaraki felt guilty because he at least grew up with Sensei, who had attempted to slowly manipulate the blue haired kid's mindset, but was overall a very supportive figure. He also had Kurogiri to help him when he felt like clawing his throat to shreds was appealing. 

Midoriya had suffered on his own for years. And Shigaraki felt a profound emotion when he looked at the teen in a new light. 

Both of the teens looked like broken clay pots. They had experienced such tragedies, yet still glued their rough edges back together with golden hues. 

And they still wanted to be heros. 

Yet no hero saved them either. 

Afterall, heros couldn't save everyone. 

Especially heros with licenses. 

These two people on either side of him were not merely heros in training, they were just kids. 

Kids who had been bashed in by society and survived. 

Kids who were much like himself. 

And much different at the same time. 

…………………………………

They had tried repeatedly to find an exit, though to no avail. The rubble wouldn't move, every possible exit, hole, or crevice was sealed off and therefore impossible to use. 

Shinso felt claustrophobic in the building's confines. He missed his dad. He missed seeing the heros. But he was glad he wasn't alone In this scary situation. 

Shigaraki felt…odd. He didn't know how to articulate his emotions in a format that would make sense to himself or others. But he did feel a sense of betrayal. From himself as well as his Sensei. He felt as if he had actually opened his eyes after years of being comatose.

Midoriya felt tired. But he didn't necessarily miss UA or anyone specific at the moment. As horrible as it sounds, he had finally felt the pressure of being the "perfect successor" melt away. All Might never directly put pressure on him, however the idea that Midoriya was supposed to single handedly pass the legacy of the Hero Of Peace…. It was hard for a teenager. He felt that even though Shigaraki had tried to kill him and his friends, the young adult understood how Shinso and him felt. They were far from perfect. They had every reason to become villains. 

Heck, they were just a slight mindset change away from becoming villains themselves. 

No one could blame them.

"Someone will come along and save us." Midoriya muttered, trying to alleviate the downcast mood. 

"Who? Your silly heros?" Shigaraki spit out before thinking, venom lacing his voice. Although he felt slightly bad about snapping at the teenager who was in the same situation as him. He turned to angle his face, looking out if the corner of his eye to spot Midoriya's reaction. He still couldn't figure out Midoriya, he didn't know the depths of the greenette's past. 

Shinso, a few seconds late, slapped Shigaraki's arm for his rude behavior. Yet Midoriya simply offered a watery smile. 

"At least he is trying to be optimistic." The sleepy teen hissed. 

It was quiet once more. 

…………………………………….

"Does the air seem to be feeling thicker?" Shinso asked, looking to the other two for an answer. 

Shigaraki grumbled, nodding. It did seem to take more effort to get air inside his lungs. The darkness was still opaque, yet Shigaraki didn't want to use his lighter just to make a small, insignificant flame. 

By now the room was getting colder. The three boys had somehow ended up closer together in a sad attempt at staying warm together. 

"Y-yeah." Midoriya stuttered. The poor teen was shaking, and when he began hugging Shigaraki's arm for comfort, the villain noticed that the kid was ice cold. 

Not wanting to bring it up, Shigaraki pulled his arm away minutes later and wrapped it around the teen's shoulder instead. Midoriya was shocked but quickly moved closer. Shigaraki was warmer, and Midoriya wanted to be comforted. 

Shigaraki hated to admit it, but he had started to feel as if these hero brats were like little siblings. Sighing begrudgingly, he pulled Shinso closer to him as well. He would allow them to seek refuge in his embrace until they were warm again. For one time only.

It was a few seconds of despondent silence before Shinso spoke up. "What does…that mean?" 

"We might be running out of oxygen." Shigaraki said monotonously. There was no use of feathering his words when they were within the grips of a life or death situation. Not to mention, Shigaraki didn't think anyone would be able to save them. 

Shinso shuddered at the thought. "Let's hope not." 

………………………………….

"Tenko I-I'm hungry." Midoriya whispered from his spot next to the villain. They had been here for what felt like a day. They had tried to search for any food or water that could have miraculously appeared but to no avail. 

Instead they had hoped to sleep off their thirst and hunger. Fatigue was eating through their muscles and organs.

"I know, I know. We all are, 'Ku." He positioned his arm to run through the teens massive curls. A few hours ago, Tenko and Hitoshi had found a small cloth and ripped it in half, effectively wrapping the ends around two of Shigaraki's destructive fingers per hand. Since the beginning, the three had gotten closer. Afterall, they had learned a lot about each other within the confines of their predicaments.

Shigaraki's stomach growled painfully as well, but he pretended to ignore it. 

Hitoshi laid his head in the young adult's lap, using him as a pillow. They were sleepy, hungry, thirsty, and the air was feeling thicker. 

Shigaraki, for the first time in forever, wished a hero would save them.

……………………………………….

They had been in silence for far too long. Their throats felt as if they would decay from lack of water. Their stomachs growled for food that wouldn't come. 

The small gap of rubble they sat within sometimes shifted and threatened to cave. They feared its collapse. 

The air they once used to breathe unconsciously while going about their everyday lives was now limited and waning. 

They were cold, shivering bodies who only found warmth in sharing each others heat. They felt too stiff to move. They felt weak with lack of sustenance. 

They hated the silence. 

"I wish…we had met…as children." Midoriya breathed deeply, seeking a full amount of air for his lungs but funding none. His breaths are shallow and slow. His voice cracked as it strained to talk, yet it held so much raw emotion.

Shinso agreed, smiling softly at the idea. 

But Shigaraki was confused. Why would the little hero want to meet as children? 

Almost as if he read the villain's mind, Midoriya continued to explain his thought process through the fog of his internal drowsiness. 

"If we met…as children…then we could ha…have been happier…we could have…been friends longer…we…could have…been…equals…heros." His voice got softer, albeit thick with exhaustion. 

Shigaraki felt a deep sense of dread. He knew what was coming. As a villain he had seen the exhaustion of final moments more times that he felt he wanted to admit. But somehow knowing it was 'Ku felt different. 

The greenette was more often beaten for a gene that didn't contain a quirk than he was loved. He wasn't given a choice between hero or villain, he was simply just deemed worthless. He was not able to turn to anyone, he dealt with his emotions and rotting happiness by himself. He survived by himself. He had a hope to be a hero, to be saved by a hero. But his genuine kindness would be his downfall. 

"I'm sor-ry…we were…forced…to be…enemies…" Midoriya was turning limp slowly, his lungs slowing down pitifully. "I wish…things were…different…." There was a slight pause. "You're...both so...'mazing
...Tenko...'nd Toshi...." Midoriya was struggling to stay awake. He could feel his eyes rolling to the back of his head. 

"Hey, hey," Shigaraki whispers, finally letting his emotions show through. He felt as if he was losing someone he had known for a long time. "It's okay 'Ku, you can take a nap and rest…." A lump formed in his throat. This situation was harder than he had first imagined. He thought he was desensitized to death, yet learning about people who grew up into similar scenarios as him…he felt a sense of kinship--a sense of brotherhood. "I'll see you...when you wa--wake up...and I'll make sure you're safe..." He takes his right hand and slowly moves so Midoriya is laying his head on the villain's lap. After he is situated, Shigaraki runs his fingers gently through the teen's hair. 

Shinso, who had been listening intently the whole time, begins to sob. He curls further into Shigaraki's side. He doesn't fully comprehend what is happening, but the feeling of foreboding envelopes him in a crippling sadness. 

………………………………………….

Shinso and Shigaraki were exhausted. Beyond exhausted. 

But Shigaraki felt like an older brother, and wanted to hold out on his exhaustion until Shinso was ready. 

Midoriya had not woken up from his nap. And Shigaraki did not dare tell Shinso what that meant. It would be cruel to show this child, who he views as a younger brother, the cruelties of life when heros don't show up. 

Shigaraki rubbed Shinso's thin arm in an attempt to soothe the tired teenager. 

"Hopefully the heros…come soon." Shinso whispered. He still held a small sliver of hope in his heart that heros would prevail. He missed his family--his dad. He missed UA and spending time with Midoriya and his class and 1A and Aizawa. He wanted to hug his father, because no matter what, his father always fostered his unrelenting desire to become a hero. 

A hug would be nice. 

But he knew they were far away, so he turned to the only other people he currently has. Shigaraki and Midoriya.

Shigaraki, sensing Shinso's inner turmoil, pulls the teen close and into a firm side-hug. 

"You can rest, Hito...I got you," Shigaraki whispers. 

It took a bit, but slowly Shinso began to relax. "I wish…we got to know you sooner." He whispered back. "You're really cool." A soft smile graces his lips as he begins to go limp, his body finally giving into dehydration and utter exhaustion. 

………………………………………..

Shigaraki felt lucid, like he was in a dream. 

The room was beginning to spin, the darkness began to get thicker. The air was so thin that he couldn't breath well at all. 

Neither Midoriya nor Shinso had woken up. And Shigaraki doubted they ever would. He let a tear run down his face as he looked at the still bodies of two Heroes in Training. Two children who turned to become heros even though no one saved them before. 

Two children who had genuinely wanted to help save others like them. Others like Shigaraki. 

He felt connected to the two innocent kids. He felt exhausted and alone now that they were sleeping peacefully. Their chests were still, and they seemed at ease, unworried about their body's current whereabouts and danger. 

Unaware of being trapped under a body of rubble. 

Shigaraki felt despondent. He knew the hero's wouldn't save them. He knew they couldn't save them. 

"Your heroes…have failed you…" He mumbled, closing his eyes and tuning out the spinning world around him.