Kindling

Enji prided himself on his large manor. He had worked hard fighting villains to earn the big bucks and live comfortably. As his wife, then children filtered out of his lives, he found the spacious, empty halls were too much for him alone. He hadn't even reached fifty and thanks to UA's new dorm system, he would be an empty nester. He let his mask of fire fall from his face and stepped into the grand abode. For all their arguing, Teiko kept the place inhabited.

He saw her familiar duffle bag at the foot of the stairs. Disbelief rooted him in place. "And just where do you think you're going?" The fire hero asked. He watched his sister descend the stairs casually, as if it were any other day. He scowled and folded his arms. Shoto entered just after his father. Like Enji, the teenager frowned, but didn't say a word.

Teiko chuckled and hoisted the grounded luggage over her shoulder. "I told you before, you only have me until the kids leave. Fuyumi's a teacher, Natsuo's at college, and Shoto is moving to UA full time. You don't need me anymore." She was surprised at how Shoto refused to look at her, as if she were betraying him.

You don't know the half of it, kid.

"The house is too big for me," Enji muttered.

"Then light some of it on fire, little brother." She reached out her hand for a final shake, but he didn't take it. She offered her palm to Shoto, but he refused as well.

"It's the middle of the night," Shoto glanced over his shoulder into the darkness. "At least wait until morning."

Teiko shook her head. "No way. Now I'll get about fifty fewer people asking me if I'm related to your dad." She set her hand on her little brother's shoulder. "You have my number. Call or text me whenever you need." The motion was replicated to her nephew. "If you ever need anything, girl advice-"

"Stop,"

"Guy advice-"

"Aunt Teiko," Shoto grumbled.

"See ya, Squirt." She ruffled Shoto's hair, then stepped out into the night. Teiko had just enough time go to a salon and get her beautiful red hair cut and dyed, as per Dabi's instructions. By the time the stylist finished with her, Teiko looked like an entirely different person. She tossed her casual clothes in a dumpster and bought a pair of dark blue jeans, an ashen gray shirt, and a leather belt to hold several small pouches. She tucked a few similarly shaded items of clothes and a few objects for her utility belt into the duffle bag, slung it over her shoulder, and went to the meeting point. The only object she kept from her old life was her phone, which she made sure would only open with a fingerprint ID, lock screen, and quirk match. As an extra precaution, she didn't use her real print, but an earth-clad digit in a pattern that was easy enough for her to make, but impossible for a hacker to guess.

The Quirk Gym was once all white and located between the middle of a decent street and abandoned buildings. In the years that passed since the Quirk Gym's closure, the structures stacked beside it looked as substantial as a stack of dominos.

Not only was Dabi at her destination, but figures she only recognized from the news. Kurogiri and Shigaraki, supposedly high ranking members from the League of Villains, if not the supposed top dogs themselves. Shigaraki stepped forward. "So you're the old mentor, huh?" If he looked her over, she couldn't tell, thanks to the hand over his face. "What's your name?"

"I guess I'm Maki, now."

Dabi smirked. His own introduction had been quite similar. In that moment, he decided that he took after his aunt.

Shigaraki hated the parallel personalities between Maki and Dabi. "And what's your real name?" He pressed.

"Petra Dinklesplat," she declared without a thought.

Shigaraki glowered at them both. Despite Dabi's patchwork face, he could see certain similarities between them. "Well, Maki, welcome to your trial period. You'll be—"

She cut him off with a hand in the air. "Not out here, rookie. Get back to your base before you start spewing out your diabolical plans." Even if she didn't approve of whatever was going on, she would be sure to do better than an amateur.

Dabi's grin broadened until it tugged at his staples. Shigaraki remained frozen in pure rage. He couldn't believe the audacity of this woman. "You'd better be worth my time. If you're not-"

"You'll give me an early retirement?" She found that she loved pushing his buttons.

"Then I'll kill you!" Shigaraki hissed venomously. "Kurogiri, take us back!"

Katsuki Bakugo didn't move when they shoved food into his room. He knew that his captors waited for him to snap, but he couldn't find the heart to do it. A part of him had sobered considerably at All Might's untimely, violent, and incredibly horrific death. If All Might lost, then he wasn't the best. His head couldn't seem to shake the nagging thought that plagued his every waking moment. Does that make this faceless twat, this nobody the best? He was infuriated at the very notion, but the proof was so powerful that it brought tears to his eyes. Heroes are supposed to be the best, damn it! For all the passion in his mind, he'd remained rooted in place for hours. Maybe it had been days. In the dimly lit confines of his cell, Bakugo had no way to track time.

It seemed like only a short time after his food had been delivered, but there was a knock at his door. Do those fucking idiots not remember that I'm their hostage? "Go away!" He shouted, his fury ignited that they dared to treat him as if he had a choice.

Much to his surprise, he heard footsteps walk away. It won't be that easy. They'll be back. He knew what they wanted. They saw him as a potential recruit. They'd seen him at the sports festival and thought he was the best. That victory was empty. Anger brought his fist to the concrete floor in a sharp punch. Stupid Icy Hot didn't use his fire. It wasn't a true win! He didn't give it everything he had. Bakugo turned his eyes on the door. In doing so, he noticed he had a cot and sink in his room. There's not even a pillow. What the fuck do they think I'd do if I had a pillow?

"Hey! Get your ass back here, I changed my mind!" He wanted to see if the walker lingered close by. Only silence greeted him. "Hey!" He shouted again. "I said get back here!" Nobody came. The small stirring aroused hunger in his gut and sleepiness in his head. He glared at the tray of food and knocked it over, lest he be tempted to partake in whatever poison they'd given him. Bakugo stormed over to the pathetic bed and lay down. He resolved that he'd sleep lightly. If anyone came to get him, he'd be up in an instant and ready to fight. I won't give in. They're nothing but scum.

He was awakened by a familiar noise. He judged the knocker to be the same as last time, or else they hit with precisely the same strength. Bakugo shot up to his feet and smashed his boots on the remains of his meal. "What?!"

Apparently, that wasn't what the knocker wanted to hear, either. Again, they walked off.

Was it days that they continued? Weeks? All he knew was that he shut his eyes and awakened to the damn same tune. The thumps grated on him. They won't break me, he swore to himself, time and time again. He tried to blast down the door, to heat the lock into submission, or even find a loose rock he could throw at something. His cell seemed like it was impossible to escape from.

One day, when his challenger arrived, he tried a different tactic. Instead of snarling, as if he were a wolf that would bite off their face, he answered in a quieter voice. "Yes?" He waited for the retreat that was bound to come. The doorknob twisted and the teen jumped to his feet. His decision instantly proved to be a mistake. Thanks to his lack of food, he was dizzy and nearly fell. Bakugo's arm stretched out and caught him before he fell. Weak with hunger, he dropped himself back down to the cot.

It was with hate filled, narrowed eyes that the blonde glared at the woman who invaded his space. "What do you want, old lady?" Her brows lifted slightly. The woman had smooth black hair cut level with her chin, bangs that framed her turquoise eyes, and pale features. She was tall for a woman and looked to be in her late forties. Though he knew he'd never seen her before, she felt somewhat familiar.

Maki wasn't surprised that he didn't eat. Any sane person would doubt their kidnappers. "Apparently, I'm your new teacher." She sounded resigned to the fate.

"Eh?" His noise came out as a frustrated grunt. "I don't know you, Dyke. Get out of my room." He thought he saw her grin at the nickname. "Oi! Are you making fun of me?"

"Not at all. You're making fun of me. I'm your one shot out of this place, kid, so pretend like you want to learn."

"Did Marble Man tell you to say that? Like I told him, I won't pretend. I don't do anything half-assed."

Maki looked at the ground. "You won't have an ass, half or otherwise, unless you eat." At that moment, Bakugo registered the open door and how carelessly the woman guarded it. There's got to be a trap out there.

"Yeah, well bring me something good. The last stuff looked like shit."

"The sooner I can train you, the sooner we can go home, Bakugo. Don't act like a diva."

"If you want to help, then let me go home." He countered.

The woman stepped back and swept her arm open. "Door's open."

For a moment, he was tempted. Bakugo shoved his hands into fists and stormed forwards. He poked his head around the corner and looked from the left to the right. Dyke doesn't care, so this is definitely a trap. He only got his shoulders out of the doorway before he felt a thump on his head and the world went black.

When he came to, he was face down on his cot and had his arms tied behind his back. Voices echoed around him. He recognized the dyke's from before.

"He's entirely untrainable. You're essentially asking me to rewire something that has one wire."

Shigaraki answered. "I don't care what you think, Maki, he will be an invaluable asset to the league. All Might was willing to die-"

Maki interjected, "All Might would have died for a little old lady. That's the kind of hero he was."

Why are they talking in my room? Do they think I'm asleep? Their peace of mind infuriated him. Why don't they see me as a threat? Bakugo grunted and turned, but the conversation didn't stop. All around him, golf-ball sized chunks of wet rock loitered in his space. None of them were particularly sharp or large enough to severely damage him. He wondered at their purpose. For now, he settled with gaining information. He had his back to the wall and could see that his door was still open, and that the speakers were just beyond in the hallway.

"He was," Shigaraki giggled. "And now he's gone."

Bakugo began to shift his wrists. The idiots used rope. He made a small blast from his hand. The moment he did, the rock nearest to his palm exploded. Shards darted against him. Some even buried into his flesh at the point blank range. The conversation halted, as Shigaraki and Maki both turned to look at Bakugo. The teen grimaced in silent pain, but wouldn't give them the pleasure of hearing him scream.

"Hey, Facepalm," he growled. "Let me out of here and you'll live just a bit longer." He grinned. "Because you're the first one I'm going to kill."

Shigaraki chortled gleefully. "This is your new teacher, Maki. She'll teach you how to use your brain, Brat. So far, it almost seems like you don't have one."

"You kidnapped a high profile student from the highest profile high school, and you're saying you can somehow teach someone how to use their brain?" In any other context, Bakugo may have laughed, but she sounded like an idiot.

Then again, he was doing the same thing.

"The next one of you to talk back will get my hand around your throat!" Shigaraki screeched.

Bakugo was surprised at the woman's instant reaction. "He's underage and that's not my fetish." Dabi chuckled in the hallway. Shigaraki leapt at Maki with his hand outstretched. All she had to do was use a bit of her fire to coat her body. Suddenly, Shigaraki lost any handhold he might have had. Even if he wanted to decay her, he couldn't without touching the flames and getting burnt.

"Dabi, Bakugo, and I are going to the kitchen. We'll be picking out whatever food you have that Bakugo says is palatable, and we'll train after he's eaten and had his injuries tended to." She took a menacing step forward. Bakugo couldn't help but be reminded of Endeavor as he looked at the fiery mask over her face and the turquoise eyes that peered out from behind it. "You need to touch five fingers to activate your quirk, right? If you boss me around again, you might find yourself one short."

"You wouldn't dare," Shigaraki said in a low, dangerous tone. For several seconds, Maki and Shigaraki stared one another down. She didn't add any more words to her promise. There was no need. The balls on this bitch. Maki was really kidnapped and in his corner, Baukgo felt he might stand a better chance at a successful escape. "Fine. I'll check in tomorrow to see the progress you've made."

Shigaraki removed himself from the room with as much dignity as a kicked puppy. Both Dabi and Bakugo knew she'd won, but nobody else in the league was around. Maki shoved her hair from her eyes and frowned at the teen. "Don't ruin my impression of you, Katsuki. Sure, you're not level headed, but you know how to think." The stones around him shifted and he winced. Maki drew them back to one of the many bags on her utility belt. "Wetted sandstone," she explained, "will explode when introduced to extreme heat. If you suddenly have a rock like that in your field of vision, it means you need to let me do the talking. If you have a cloud around you, then it implies that you should stay still."

"Fuck you, Dyke." Now that there was nothing floating by him, Bakugo used his quirk to explode the bonds around his wrists. He followed suit by freeing his bound ankles. "I'm not eating anything you give me."

"Then cook your own shit," she countered. Maki couldn't help but feel like she was caught in a dead-end pissing match. Dabi grinned as he listened to their exchange. "Dabi, lead the way."

"You're missing out, kid. Maki's a fine cook."

"If she cooked for you, I'm going to pass. I'd rather not look like Frankenstein's monster."

Maki and Dabi chuckled almost in unison. Fucking creepy. He hated how cool they acted, as if nothing he said mattered. In the end, his hunger won out. Bakugo followed his captors to a kitchen quite like what one would expect to find of a low class elementary school. He was surprised to see that the shelves were well stocked. "How do you idiots go shopping? Everyone's looking for you."

Neither of them bothered to answer. "Hey!" He shouted. "I asked you fucks a question!"

"Dabi," Maki said.

"Hmm?"

"The baby's crying."

Bakugo screamed at once, "I am not a baby!"

Dabi caught the game. "Should we take the baby back to its crib? We can't let a fussing child dictate our lives."

"Let's give the baby one more minute. If he quiets, then we can feed him. If not, then he'll have to try to fight his way out with a spinning head and low ring in his ears."

Bakugo released a frustrated 'tch', but didn't try to say anything else. I'll kill every last one of them. He watched Maki take a seat and Dabi lean against the wall. "Eh? What are you doing?"

Dabi gave a lazy grin, but didn't move. "You said you didn't trust us, so cook for yourself."

Maki pulled out her phone and scrolled through her notifications. While some may think her idiotic for giving a kid unlimited access to the many knives in the room, she factored in his natural ability to explode and figured it was a relatively minor risk. Bakugo hesitated, but hunger propelled him forward. He ignored the already open bags and pulled sealed containers forward. He settled for making himself a chicken curry and meat shoved so far back in the fridge that nobody would have thought to poison it. He washed rice, chopped vegetables, and moved about the motions without so much as looking at them.

Maki was glad to see that there were only spam emails and no texts. She felt Dabi's expectant gaze on her. "Relax, twerp. I'm here, aren't I?"

"For now," he agreed easily enough. "If you keep talking that way to Shigaraki, you may not be for long." Bakugo became noticeably quieter in his work so he could eavesdrop.

"Why hasn't anyone killed your mini-boss?"

Dabi chuckled. "He's certainly not the best, but he's the best leader we've got. The rest of us are too unstable or unmotivated to try to take on the role. Plus, Shigaraki has all the resources."

"I want to know how he got support from the hulk that killed All Might."

"Ah, that's All For One. I don't know much about him." He glanced over at Bakugo, who hurriedly looked away and tossed his chopped meat into the pan. Dabi continued. "Are you already planning a hostile takeover?"

"The idea's certainly there," she admitted. "As I'm sure it has been for you."

"Nah, never for me, or really any of us. We're a pack of followers."

Maki frowned. "I never thought you'd become a sheep."

Dabi didn't let her get to him. "I have the face for radio." He said dismissively as he pushed off the wall. "I'm off."

"Don't you tattle on me, kid," she said without a care in the world.

Dabi smirked, but didn't say a word.

Soon, only Bakugo and Maki were left in the cafeteria. Bakugo made the rest of his dinner in silence and ate it from the pan. He made sure to keep Maki in his sights at all times, but she certainly didn't return the courtesy. She had her arms folded and appeared lost in thought.

"Hey," Bakugo said. She was the best thing he'd have to an ally in this place. "Are you really going to try to kill Shiraki?"

"Nah. I'm just seeing where Dabi's loyalty lies. What better test than to make a threat against the guy in charge?" Bakugo accepted the logic, even if it wasn't the avenue he'd take. "His quirk is easy to beat. All you have to do to end him is tear a finger off."

Bakugo wasn't sure if he was horrified or concerned at the woman's cold logic. "Why won't you tell them your real name?"

At this, Maki's brows raised. "Would you?"

Bakugo supposed not.

Maki translates to kindling.