Chapter 10

"So, what's the plan?"

Shouto breathed out a soft breath and slowly poked his head around the corner of the alleyway, his eyes honing in on the police van parked on the side of the road. There were two police officers standing outside with guns drawn while the third sat in the driver's seat, looking at his communicator.

He leaned back against the wall and took out the cheap walkie-talkie that Izuku had given him earlier that day.

"All right. I'm in position," Shouto said.

The walkie-talkie crackled. "Good. Go ahead and move in. Kacchan and I will provide back up."

"On it," Shouto said, stuffing the thing back into his pocket. He took a deep breath and then left the alleyway, heading straight towards the police.

"Our plan is to infiltrate the prison using disguises. We can get in and free our friends," Izuku explained, the other three sitting at the table watching him.

"Disguises?" Bakugou asked.

"Yeah. We'll use police uniforms."

"You mean we should attack police officers?" Hagakure asked, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"We'll do what we have to," Izuku said.

Shouto paused. "But doesn't the prison have devices that detect quirks?"

A wispy breath of frost escaped Shouto's mouth as he stepped closer, ice summoning on his right side. He extended his right arm forward and launched a path of ice towards the van, freezing its tires to the ground. The two officers standing outside of the van scrambled to find the source.

"Hey, what the hell?!" one of the officers yelled.

"Over there! A quirk user!"

Shouto raised up an ice wall to stop the darts and bullets that fired from their weapons and then summoned his fire to hurl at them.

"We need backup!" an officer called to his comrade sitting in the van.

"Got it!" he called, and his hand reached towards the radio. He picked it up and was about to call. "This is squad 42 on the east side, we are—"

Suddenly, the front of the van exploded, cutting off the radio and destroying all power to the dashboard.

The officer glanced up from the steering wheel, a little bruised and disoriented, and glanced through the cracked windshield.

Red eyes stared back.

"He's right," Bakugou said reluctantly, his arms folded across his chest. "They have scanners all over the place. If they detect that one of their police officers is actually a quirk user, then the plan goes to hell."

The room fell into another tense silence.

Shouto glanced around the room, feeling the hope dropping before his very eyes, when his gaze landed on the broken shackles on the floor. He blinked at them for a moment, and then he looked to Hagakure.

"We don't all need disguises," Shouto said softly, gaining the other three's attentions.

Bakugou's brow rose. "What are you talking about?"

Izuku also leaned forward, his face curious.

"Izuku is quirkless, right? What if he's the police officer," Shouto paused to point to the shackles on the ground, "and I'll be his prisoner?"

Izuku looked slightly horrified. "Wait a minute! You can't possibly—"

"Are you suggesting you turn yourself in?!" Bakugou growled.

Shouto nodded. "Yes," he said. He glanced to Hagakure. "But only as a distraction."

"Drop the radio, you bastard!" Bakugou yelled as he stood on the hood of the police van.

The officer gasped and reached for his gun, but Bakugou was quicker, reaching inside the broken windshield and grabbing him by the collar. He yanked him out and gave him a swift punch to the face before hurling him to the ground outside of the van.

Meanwhile, Shouto had the other two officers frozen to the ground, their rifles scattered about. The officers were tugging at their frozen legs, trying to break free of the ice.

"Damn it! You quirk using bastards will pay!" one officer spat, reaching for the small handgun on his side.

Shouto warmed up his left side, ready to strike, but before he could summon his fire, Izuku sprinted onto the scene and leapt into the air, his knee contacting the officer's jaw. The officer grunted and then slumped over, passed out cold with his feet still stuck to the pavement. Izuku quickly did the same maneuver to the other officer, causing him to slump to the ground.

Shouto cooled down his left side and approached Izuku, who was kneeling down next to an officer, already taking off his helmet.

"It's a good thing these officers have full helmets that cover the face," Shouto mentioned as Izuku inspected the helmet.

"It should definitely work," Izuku responded.

"Oi, idiots," Bakugou said, traipsing back over to their sides. He lifted up two cuffs, the quirk-canceling vials already smashed on the inside panels. "I have the shackles. Can we go now?"

Izuku glanced up at Shouto and gave a single head nod.

"Let's do this."

"Izuku should pose as the officer taking me to prison," Shouto said. "I'll be the one you take in. I'm the distraction."

"Uh-uh, no way!" Bakugou growled, slapping his hands on the table. "You're not getting off this easily!"

"What are you talking about, Kacchan?" Izuku asked.

"No way is this Clone gonna go in and get all the action! I'm going, too!" Bakugou yelled.

Izuku blinked at him. "You want to go back?"

"Of course not! But you idiots need me!" Bakugou said. "I'm the only one who knows the layout of the prison. I was the one there for months, anyway."

Shouto folded his arms across his chest. "He has a point."

Izuku looked uneasy. "I don't know…"

"You don't get a say," Bakugou said, sitting back in his seat. "I'm one of your stupid prisoners, too. You can't tell me no."

Izuku and Shouto exchanged a glance, Izuku nodding silently. "Fine. You'll both be prisoners."

"What about me?" Hagakure asked, pointing to herself.

Shouto glanced to Izuku and Bakugou. "You said there are alarms in the prison, right?"

Izuku nodded. "Yes, but why does…" He stopped, blinking rapidly as clarity shined in his eyes. "You want Hagakure to disable the alarms."

Shouto nodded.

"W-What? You really think I can do that?" Hagakure asked.

"You're the most capable," Izuku said, folding his arms across his chest. "If you could get into the control room and take out the alarms, then we should be able to get everyone out without the prison guards noticing."

Izuku clasped the shackles over Shouto's wrists and secured them tightly. Shouto winced a bit when the small, empty needles pierced his skin, and Izuku gave him a sympathetic frown.

"Sorry. But they have to look like they're working," Izuku said.

Shouto nodded. "I know. This is nothing."

"Tch. Try having to wear these shitty things for nine months," Bakugou spat. "Pain in the ass…"

"Can we focus here?" Izuku said, kneeling down to the remaining pieces of the police uniform. "We've got to get going."

Shouto watched as Izuku put on the helmet, the entire thing covering his head and masking his identity in an instant. He grabbed the officer's security badge and shoved it in his breast pocket and then picked up the weapons that rested on the ground.

"Okay, we've got all we need here," Izuku said. He turned his head off to the side. "Hagakure, are you ready?"

"Yes," came Hagakure's voice, startling Shouto a bit. He hadn't realized she was standing right next to him. She was completely invisible from head to toe, not a single article of clothing.

"Good," Izuku said. He turned to Shouto and Bakugou. "You guys remember the plan once we're inside?"

"What about the cells?" Bakugou asked.

"The cells?" Hagakure asked.

"Yeah. They can only be opened by a keycard or something. Normally it was a higher officer," Bakugou said. "And there are officers patrolling the halls at all times."

"With me disguised as an officer, I should be able to convince the others to leave the hallway," Izuku said. He rubbed his chin. "And I should be able to snag a keycard somehow..."

"I might be able to grab one for you," Hagakure said.

Izuku nodded. "That'll be your first mission, then."

Hagakure nodded. "Right."

"And while we're waiting for Hagakure to disable the alarms, we'll help everyone else get their shackles off," Shouto said. "The officers should have keys to unlock them."

"They do. They always carry 'em, the bastards," Bakugou growled, folding his arms across his chest.

"But…" Hagakure started. "The prisoners… They will still have the quirk-canceling serum in their system, though, won't they?" Hagakure asked nervously.

"Yes, but we'll make sure Bakugou and I have clean shackles," Shouto said.

Izuku folded his arms across his chest loosely. "If we can get Hagakure to disable the alarms, get in, and open the cells, then…"

He paused, putting a hand to his chin, mumbling to himself as he worked out the plan in his mind. Once he seemed to come to a conclusion, he stopped, his face opening up in realization.

"This… could really work," Izuku said breathlessly.

Shouto stood up from the table and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Izuku glanced up at him with shimmering eyes, the green swirling with that same fire he witnessed earlier. It was perfect.

"We're going to get them back," Shouto said.

Izuku barely hesitated.

"I know."

"Yes, we got it," Bakugou said, rolling his eyes. "Can we just get on with it? The sooner we go, the sooner we can get those idiots back."

"Right," Izuku said. He glanced to Shouto, the flame still burning. It made Shouto's chest burn just as brightly. "You ready?"

Shouto pulled his shackled wrists closer to his body.

"Let's do it."

Izuku made a show of drawing his weapon and aiming it at Todoroki's and Kacchan's backs as they walked towards the prison entrance.

He could feel his heart rattling inside his chest and his fingers shook slightly, but he kept his thoughts on the faces of his friends. Of Uraraka and Iida, and Tsuyu and Kirishima, and the several others that had been snatched out of their home. Of their bright faces smiling back at him. Of their faces coated with salty tears.

It was all too painful to think about. Izuku's chest was burning with hatred and anger.

"Once the alarms are disabled and I have the master keycard, I'll free you guys, and then you can search the cells for the others," Izuku whispered through his helmet.

"Right," Bakugou said. "Just don't let us rot in there, Deku."

Izuku's brows upturned sadly. "I won't. Never again, Kacchan."

Kacchan only gave him a sideways glance before facing forward, not uttering another word. Todoroki was as stoic as ever, walking straight-backed towards the prison with his face set as stone.

Izuku felt a tug on his sleeve, and he peered out of the corner of his eye. The invisible space next to him was breathing softly, but he could hear the rattling from each breath.

"Once we get inside, it'll be easier, Hagakure," Izuku whispered.

He heard a soft sigh and a quiet hum from her direction in response. Her trembling calmed but his shirtsleeve stayed pinched in between her fingers.

They approached the entrance and entered when Izuku flashed the stolen badge to the security guard, his rifle on his hip. When they reached the front gate, the guards ordered them to wait as they fired up the scanners.

"Scanners?" Hagakure whispered.

"For quirks," Kacchan said.

Hagakure let out a small, panicked gasp. "W-Will they detect mine?"

Izuku swallowed and remained quiet, the thought bouncing around in his head. He didn't have an answer for her.

The guard motioned for them to move forward through the scanner that surrounded the border of the massive doorway.

Izuku swallowed and nudged Todoroki forward, making Kacchan walk, as well. Hagakure was tugged along as Izuku took a step. The four of them walked through the scanner, Izuku holding his breath.

"Wait a minute," the guard at the desk spoke. "It's detecting three quirks."

Izuku could feel his heart smacking against his ribs. It was beginning to make him feel nauseous.

"This thing's detected multiple quirks before, though," another guard said, leaning against the wall.

The guard at the computer screens eyed the group carefully, his eyes narrowing at them. He tapped a few buttons on the screen in front of him.

"Have 'em walk through the scanners again," he said.

Izuku felt a bead of sweat glide down his neck. If they were caught now, then they would all be trapped in this prison—Izuku included. There would be no way to help their friends out of his hellish nightmare.

Before Izuku could panic, however, he felt Hagakure's grip on his sleeve leave him. He inhaled sharply, eyes darting back and forth in search of any form of movement. But he saw none.

"C'mon, we haven't got all day!" another armed guard said.

"A-Ah, right!" Izuku said, barely managing to keep his voice calm.

He pulled Kacchan and Todoroki backwards by their shirts, making it a bit rough to look realistic, and then they stood on the other side of the scanners.

"Deku…" Kacchan murmured.

Izuku tightened his grip on Kacchan's shirt, hoping the signal would come across, and then he shoved him forward, making the blonde growl. Todoroki stumbled along with him when Izuku pushed him, but quickly righted himself and continued walking.

They all held their breath as they passed through the scanners again, Izuku's eyes locked onto the guard at the computer. The man stared at the screen and, after a moment, nodded.

"All right. Just two," he said. "Must've been some dust in the air or something."

Izuku's shoulders sagged as he released a quiet breath. He closed his eyes for a moment and prayed that Hagakure was nearby. She wasn't someone who would run away and abandon her friends, but he would understand if she was scared enough to flee.

"Proceed forward," the guard said.

Izuku nodded once and pushed them again, guiding them towards another open room. He felt another pinch at his sleeve, and he almost jumped, but he realized it was at the same place as before.

He let out another sigh.

Hagakure. She must've run in front of the scanners before they were asked to walk through again.

Izuku closed his eyes, silently thanking her for sticking to the plan.

When they walked into what looked like a holding room, a guard approached them with a tablet in his hand.

"Have they been imprisoned before?" a guard asked Izuku.

Izuku nearly bit his tongue as he scrambled for an answer. "I'm not sure," were his words.

The guard looked confused. "You didn't test to see if their identities were on record?"

Izuku swallowed. "They ambushed my squad and knocked them out. I didn't have time or the extra hands."

The guard nodded. "Good work bringing them in by yourself. We'll do a test here."

From his tablet, the guard pulled out a small needle and walked towards Kacchan. With the gentleness of an angry wasp, the guard jabbed the needle into Kacchan's bicep. He winced, his arms going taut and his hands tightening into fists. He looked ready to swing and Izuku was surprised he controlled himself.

"Ah. Bakugou Katsuki," the guard said. He looked at him with a smug smile. "Welcome back."

"Tch," Kacchan scoffed, turning his head. Izuku could practically see the rage in his eyes.

The guard yanked out the needle and then went on to do the same to Todoroki. He barely flinched as the needle entered his skin, but the wince on his face was apparent.

"What the…" the guard said, reading the tablet. He glanced up at Todoroki with wide eyes. "This can't be right."

Izuku leaned to the side to catch a glimpse of the tablet, and his heart nearly stopped in his chest.

On the screen was a picture of Todoroki. His Todoroki.

And underneath his picture was one word.

Deceased.

"What's going on?" Another guard approached them and looked at the screen. "What the hell? This prick is still alive? Impossible."

"I know. Something isn't right. This has to be false," the first guard responded.

"Right. Hold on, let me ask."

The second guard walked away and pulled out a communicator. Izuku tried to listen to his words but he was too far away. Kacchan started to fidget, his hands still curled in fists.

"Stand still, quirk user," the guard said in a low voice.

"Why don't you come here and say that?" Kacchan said under his breath.

"What was that?"

Izuku nudged Kacchan with the end of his gun. "Quiet."

"Tch," Kacchan scoffed, and he stood still.

They waited for a few more painstaking moments before the other guard returned, muttering out a soft, "Yes, my lord," into the communicator before hanging up. He glanced at Todoroki.

"Take this one to Interrogation Room 2," the guard commanded.

"Yes, sir."

Izuku's heart leapt into his throat, eyes wide as he watched the guard grab Todoroki by the collar and yank him to the side. He took an unconscious step forward, his hand about to reach out towards him.

"A-Ah, wait—"

Todoroki shot him a look, his head shaking once, slightly.

Izuku stopped.

There was something about the look in Todoroki's eyes that made him freeze in his tracks. It wasn't threatening, but more of encouraging.

Keep going, Todoroki's eyes told him.

Izuku couldn't do anything but watch helplessly as Todoroki was dragged towards the nearby elevator. Another guard joined him and restrained him, taking out a needle.

"Just to be on the safe side," the guard muttered, and he shoved the needle into Todoroki's neck. He grunted in pain and almost fell to his knees, but the guards kept him on his feet. Within seconds, Todoroki's head rolled forward and he was out.

"Todoroki," Izuku whispered.

"Deku, I swear…" Kacchan mumbled, snapping Izuku out of his worry.

The elevator doors opened and the guards hauled a limp Todoroki on, and the doors shut behind them.

Izuku's mind was racing, rethinking the plan over and over in his mind. Could they still proceed? Could they still get everyone out?

"Okay, you can take this one to cell block 5 through here," the other guard said. "There will be a guard waiting for you there."

Izuku jumped, his mind going blank. He turned around and grabbed Kacchan, taking him through the double doors on the other side of the room. There were guards scattered throughout the halls, but Izuku pushed Kacchan on until they reached a hall where no one was around. He leaned against the wall and sighed, his heart thumping away.

"Hagakure, you with me?" Izuku said in a small voice.

He felt a squeeze on his arm. "Yes."

Izuku nodded once, his neck slick with sweat.

"What the hell do we do now?" Kacchan asked.

Izuku took a deep breath, glancing down the halls. He still felt Hagakure on his arm and he glanced in her direction.

"We keep going," Izuku said.

"Huh?! Without the Clone?" Kacchan asked.

Izuku nodded. "We're going to have to." He glanced to Hagakure and gently placed his hand over hers. "You remember where I said the control room was, right?"

Hagakure hummed. "Yes. 8th floor."

"Good," Izuku said with a nod. "There might be a master keycard in there, too."

"Got it," Hagakure said.

"Be careful."

"I will."

And with those parting words, the weight on his arm left him, and Hagakure was gone.

Izuku took a minute to catch his breath. He turned to Kacchan and pulled out the keys to the shackles, placing them in Kacchan's pocket.

"If you see any of our friends, go ahead and start freeing them," Izuku said. "But don't use your quirk, no matter how tempting it might be."

Kacchan gave an agitated nod. Izuku could tell he was ready to burst with anger. He was showing a lot of restraint for once.

"All right. Let's get you to the cell before they get suspicious."

They continued their walk down the hallway towards cellblock 5, right on the first floor. They passed by several cells full of people, all of them wearing uncomfortable shackles on their wrists. Some of them even looked infected, the skin around them red and swollen.

It made Izuku feel sick to his stomach.

After they turned the corner, they came upon the correct cell. A prison guard was standing in front of the cell, rifle in hand.

"Ah, there you are. Thought I needed to send out a search party," the guard joked.

Izuku chuckled nervously and Kacchan sighed and rolled his eyes. The prison guard turned towards the wall and took out a flat keycard, swiping it along the pad on the wall. The bar door unlocked and the guard moved to open it.

Ah, Izuku thought. So he has a keycard. But he wasn't sure if it was a master key. Lower level prison guards wouldn't usually hold that much power. Only a warden could, or the head of security.

Which would be in the control room.

"Bakugou?!"

Both Izuku and Kacchan turned towards the cell, eyes widening in surprise when they saw Kirishima inside, eyes full of tears.

"Kirishima…" Kacchan whispered.

"Ah, looks like you have a familiar face to rot with," the guard said, grabbing Kacchan by the shoulder and shoving him through the doorway, Kacchan barely able to keep himself upright. Kirishima caught him, though, and Kacchan growled at the guard.

The guard closed up the door and swiped the card again, locking the doors tightly.

"There we go. Thank you for the deposit," the guard said to Izuku. "You can be on your way."

Izuku's breath hitched as the guard started to walk away. "Uh, well, I mean, I c-could guard this hallway for you, if you want!"

The guard turned back towards him and barked out a laugh. "Funny. You and me both would get in so much trouble if a police officer was caught doing a prison guard's job."

Izuku's eyes widened, his gaze briefly glancing down to his uniform and then giving the guard a once-over.

Damn, Izuku thought. The uniforms were too different!

"See ya around," the guard said, walking back down the hall to his post.

Izuku stood still, his eyes flitting back and forth from the cell to down the hall where more guards stood.

He swallowed thickly.

What… What now?

She always won hide and seek.

When she was little, Hagakure and her friends would sometimes play hide and seek after kindergarten. It was always an easy victory for Hagakure, for all she had to do was undress and stay absolutely silent.

There was one time that she decided to be bold. She undressed and followed the seeker around the playground, daring for him to abruptly stop and spin around so he could bump into her. But he never did. And when he did stop suddenly, Hagakure would stop, as well, learning to control her breaths so they could be as quiet as possible.

After multiple complaints, the kindergarten teacher banned hide and seek on the playground.

But now…

Hagakure was thankful for that early training.

Hagakure's footsteps were light as she tiptoed out of the elevator on the 8th floor. She sighed softly, a hand coming to her chest as guards emptied the elevator with her. She practically held her breath the entire ride.

Once the guards were gone, she took a deep breath and relaxed, thankful she wasn't caught. Now, all she had to do was get to the control room.

The control room was near the center of the 8th floor, she remembered Midoriya telling her.

So she started walking. Her steps were quiet and carefully calculated. She avoided every guard by plastering herself up against the opposite wall.

This is just like hide and seek, Hagakure told herself as she turned the corner. No difference.

She finally came upon the control room, the door cracked open slightly. With another slow, quiet breath, she pushed the door open, ready to tackle the alarm system.

When she saw what was on the other side of the door, she froze.

The room had three guards inside.

And one of them was the head of security, his master keycard hanging on his hip.

If she was careful enough, she could simply walk over and grab it from his hip without him noticing. It would be easy, simple. All she would have to do is sneak over.

It was just like hide and seek.

Just like hide and seek.

Except, if these seekers ran into her…

She would be killed.

"Hey, you bastard! Wake up!"

A swift punch to Shouto's jaw woke him up in an instant. He tried to run or to attack whatever was hitting him, but his body couldn't move.

He glanced around and found that his body was tied to a chair, his arms in shackles behind his back. And these weren't the shackles he arrived in.

Damn it, Shouto thought as he tried to summon his ice. It was just as he thought.

He was rendered quirkless.

"So you're finally awake."

Shouto glanced up at his attacker, jaw throbbing, and glared. His vision was a little blurred from the drugs and the punch, but he could make out two bodies standing in front of him. They were definitely wearing some type of prison guard uniform, but they looked to be a little less heavy-duty.

"We've been trying to wake you up for the last five minutes!" one guard spat. "Now then, explain who the hell you are. Now!"

The man threw another punch at Shouto's face, causing his head to whip to the side. He grunted a little at the throbbing in his mouth and he spit blood on the floor, turning back to look at the guards.

"He must be a spy," the guard said when Shouto said nothing. "Just look at him! This whole thing is suspicious!"

"We need to get the information out of him before Mr. Mori gets here," the other guard said. "If we can identify who he really is, then we'll be one step ahead for when he arrives."

Mr. Mori? Shouto thought. He wracked his brain, wondering where he had heard that name before.

"All right, start talking."

Another punch, this time to his gut. He doubled over and coughed, gagging.

"Why don't you tell us who you really are?" the guard asked.

Shouto continued to cough, ignoring his question. He knew from growing up that keeping quiet was sometimes the better option.

The other guard grabbed something from the nearby table. It was a long, thin piece of metal that ended in a sharp point. He got behind Shouto's chair and grabbed one of his fingers, shoving the metal underneath his fingernail.

Shouto breathed out slowly at the pain as his nail began to separate from his skin.

Ah, Shouto thought. They're not guards.

They were experts in torture.

"Now then. Tell us your true identity," the guard said from behind.

Shouto swallowed, the taste of iron on his tongue. If he were to tell them who he really was, then it was possible that their plan could be ruined. He couldn't risk Izuku and the others getting caught.

So he clamped his mouth shut and bit the insides of his cheek, his eyes squeezing shut when the nail finally did break from his finger.

"Won't even talk for this?" the guard said.

"Seems like this isn't enough," the other spoke. He turned to the table next to him and grabbed a knife, observing it carefully. "This could do."

Shouto stayed as still as possible, even when the man took the top half of his hero costume and used the knife to slice it open, leaving his torso exposed. He grit his teeth when the tip of the blade touched his collarbone and started to drag across his skin.

Think back to your training, Shouto told himself as he closed his eyes. Think back to all the times Endeavor made you endure the pain.

Flames, cuts, bruises, scars…

While it was cruel and incredibly abusive, it still prepared him for moments like this. Moments where he would have to endure pain.

The blade left his skin, making Shouto's lip twitch. He opened his eyes to stare up at the guards, feeling the rivulets of blood trickling down his chest.

"Ah, he's tough," the guard said, peering at the blood on the blade.

The other guard grabbed Shouto by his tattered collar, yanking him to the side. The restraints tugged on his body and made him wince, but he still glared up at the man.

"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way!" the guard yelled as he reared back his fist.

Shouto shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, bracing for impact. He just had to endure this until his friends could get out safely. Then he could come up with a plan for his own escape.

Before the blow could come, however, the door slid open.

"Ah, I see you've already started."

Shouto opened his eyes and glanced towards the door.

A man had walked in that Shouto didn't recognize. He looked normal enough—black hair, nice suit. He would even consider his smile friendly if it weren't for the strange twitch in his brow.

"Ah, Mr. President!" one of the guards exclaimed.

Shouto felt his heart leap.

Mr. President?

This man… President Mori…

He's behind all of this?