"So…explain what happened. I thought you were capable of taking care of things for a few hours, but I guess I was wrong. Where's the new recruit?"
Kugutsu struggled to contain her excitement at seeing her idol take this leadership role. Hearing him talk that way and regard the other villains with such a harshness made her little heart soar. She curled her hands into fists beside her, battling the almost overwhelming fan girl squeal that wanted to escape her lips.
"I thought you put her in charge of the kid." Dabi nodded toward Kugutsu from across the room, smirking when he saw her ears flatten in irritation. "Isn't she supposed to be your right hand or something?"
"I never said that, did I? Besides, why would she be in charge of him when she just woke up? She probably can't even use her quirk right now," Shigaraki argued. He itched at his neck, his lips twisted into an unpleasant grimace.
"So the kitty's basically useless?"
Before Kugutsu could snap at Dabi, she found Twice both defending her and scolding her for overusing her quirk. This seemed to be everyone's cue to chime in with their own opinions about who should take the blame here. She bit her lip, hating herself for going overboard when she ran that errand for Giran. I didn't even get the files. What if that crispy creep is right? What if I am useless? I can't even help Shigaraki now because I'm still regaining my strength!
"Everyone shut up. Whatever you're saying doesn't matter now. We can't let the kid run off and tell those heroes where we are. Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to divide you into teams and I want everyone to search for him. We'll meet at a designated spot at midnight and if we haven't found him, I'll have to find a new base for us. So don't half-ass this."
Toga raised a hand, as if it were a class. "Can't we pick our own teams?"
"I said I'm picking the teams. Why? Do you have an idea?" Shigaraki challenged her in a grumble.
"No, but I want-"
"I'm splitting everyone up the way I think is best. Do you think you can do better?" He directed his glare her way now, becoming visibly tense.
Kugutsu wanted to back him up, but stopped herself. She bristled at someone questioning him. Stay calm. Be professional. But…seriously?! What the hell is her problem? What? Does she want to pair up with Shigaraki? Is she planning to get all lovey-dovey with my-?!
"What're you doing?" The question came from her crush as he turned to look at her. Most of the others were staring at her, too. Not that anyone could blame them for staring.
In her burst of panic and frustration, Kugutsu had started to aggressively ruffle her hair with both hands without even realizing it. Untangling her fingers from her hair, she shoved her hands into her pockets and put on a neutral expression. "Sorry."
"Uh…are you okay, Yami?" Spinner tilted his head curiously.
"We should start searching before we lose too much daylight. Everyone be careful not to be seen," Kurogiri spoke up, redirecting everyone's attention.
Shigaraki, back on track now, nodded toward the door. "Get going. I told you who you're paired up with and where you're going. Make sure you bring him back alive. I don't want you to bring me body parts." This, of course, was directed mostly at Kugutsu and Toga.
I wasn't paying attention. Who did I get paired up with? How did I miss what he was saying?! Ugh! I'm already letting him down again! Damn it! She gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself from ruffling her hair again. Kugutsu looked to the other villains, who were already leaving the room in pairs. Shigaraki was the first through the door. Who did he pair me up with?
She felt like she was being watched and turned to glare at Dabi. He gave her a smug half-grin in response that made her blood boil. Kugutsu bristled, her ears flattened in outrage, and she stood tensely. "What're you looking at, crispy creep?"
The taller villain approached and leaned down so he was almost at eye level with her. "What're you meowing about, kitty?"
"Back off." She felt a growl forming at the back of her throat as a hand settled on the top of her head and ruffled her hair. "I will fucking kill you, you charred piece of trash! Back the fuck up before I put a shadow spike through your face! I doubt those staples will keep you held together!"
His thumb and first two fingers gripped onto one of her ears and pinched, making the girl hiss. "Your ears are your weak points, right?"
"Shut your creepy half and half mouth before I break out all of your teeth, one by one! And let go of me!"
"Don't touch Yami. I thought I said for everyone to start searching. So why are you messing around? I'm your leader, aren't I? So why don't you trying showing some more respect and stop playing with her? You're supposed to come with us and you're just wasting our time at this point."
Hearing Shigaraki's voice in the doorway, Kugutsu was empowered enough to form a few shadow spikes from the shadows below her. They were tall spikes and pressed tightly at the sides of Dabi's arm to trap it in place while she slipped away from him. "Sorry."
The blue-haired villain grumbled quietly and turned away, moving out into the hallway again. "Let's go. Now we're the last group leaving."
I thought we were going in pairs. Wait…I'm in Shigaraki's group? Kugutsu lowered her head, allowing herself a grin as she followed him. Her racing fan girl heart was set on impressing him this time. If she could find Bakugou before the other groups, or even just provide adequate support to Shigaraki when he caught Bakugou, she would happy.
"Tone it back a little. You're gonna get drool on his hoodie," a voice taunted right behind her.
"The way you're talking, it almost sounds like you're jealous." Kugutsu turned around, walking backwards and making intense eye contact. The sharp turquoise eyes of her enemy narrowed in response to the glare of her catlike yellow eyes. "If I think, for even a second, that you're going to try to take him from me…I'm going to tear out all of your staples with a rusty spoon and disembowel you. When I'm done with you, you'll just be a pile of gooey innards and overcooked flesh. So you'd better watch it or else-!"
"Seriously?" He smirked down at her, picking up his pace so he was matching her and looming over the girl. "I wanna see you try to-"
Three fingers gripped Kugutsu's hood and yanked her backwards before Dabi could get too close. Both of the villains stopped walking, which was for the best since they were at the top of the stairs now. Shigaraki glared over Kugutsu's shoulder at Dabi and narrowed his eyes. "Don't touch."
The charred villain raised an eyebrow and his smirk grew. "You two…are pretty lame."
Once outside, the three took to the back alleys since Dabi's appearance would definitely draw attention on the sidewalk. Kugutsu walked a short distance behind Shigaraki and Dabi was further behind her. Walking in a weird, spaced out row like villainous ducklings.
It took only a few minutes of this before their leader got irritated and turned to glare at them over his shoulder. Kugutsu jogged to come up beside him, eager to help if he needed something. Instead, he then lowered his head and started chewing at his lower lip.
"Um…so why is he with us?" she forced herself to ask. She was hesitant to question her crush's strategy, but she had to wonder why he put that trash panda on their team.
For a moment, it seemed like Shigaraki would refuse to explain himself. His lower lip was actually bleeding a little from the chapped skin and from chewing on it. Lowering his head a little more, he licked the blood away and scowled. "You're both destructive so I want to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't draw attention to yourselves or do something else that's stupid."
Whatever Kugutsu had hoped to hear, this was not it. He doesn't trust us? Damn it! It's my own fault! After that stupid stunt that I pulled before! Of course he thinks I'm incompetent! Of course he'd put me on the same level as that overcooked muffin!
"You want to be with me, anyway. Don't you?"
"Ah…th-that's right," she admitted. She bowed her head, unable to keep herself from smiling a little. "Shigaraki, I want to prove to you that I can be helpful so-"
"How's your stamina?"
Kugutsu brightened more and her ears perked forward. "I'm feeling a lot better. I used my quirk a little earlier so if I have to use it again, I think I'll be okay. I mean, it should hold out for a while if I have to do something."
He lifted a hand, picking away a bit of dead skin from his lower lip before licking away more blood. "When we find him…I want you to make a cage out of shadows. You can do that, can't you?" He saw her nod eagerly. "So I want you to show me. Make a cage around that freak behind us."
"R-right! I can do it!" She turned to glare at Dabi over her shoulder. The idea of using her quirk on him again made her heart feel like it was filling with bubbles. Especially when she thought about doing this to show off for Shigaraki.
They had stopped a short ways from the opening of the alley and now she crouched down as if to tug one of her socks up. A hand pressed at the shadows on the ground and sent them weaving and racing at Dabi before he could back away. Black bars of shadow lifted from the ground and flowed, weaving into a rounded cage-like shape that trapped the villain.
At her side, Shigaraki watched with interest and seemed satisfied. Sadly, Dabi was less than surprised. Blue flames quickly engulfed the shadows and burned them away into nothingness as a smirk took form on her enemy's face. "What was that about? Are you challenging me again?"
The girl subconsciously lifted a hand to the burn on her cheek and she smirked back. "What're you going to do about it, patchy?"
"I killed you before."
"Yeah and I killed you before!"
"Twice isn't making more doubles so you can forget your stupid little fight. I was testing Yami's skills," Shigaraki interrupted before they could attempt to kill each other. He started walking ahead of them again, expecting them to follow him without any further questions.
Kugutsu followed at a slight distance again, embarrassed that she lost her composure in front of him. She knew how lame she probably sounded, shouting at Dabi like a bratty little kid. Why can't I just stay calm when I'm around him?! I just…get so excited around Shigaraki that I lose control! Why am I so lame?!
"Surprised you didn't wear yourself out." Dabi came up beside her, not looking at the girl, but still wearing a smug sort of expression.
"Shut your wh*re mouth, trash panda."
"Ouch. That almost stung."
She was about to snap at him, but stopped herself when she looked at Shigaraki. Her crush was walking ahead of them, slouching and murmuring something to himself as he glanced up toward the darkening sky. Even when he's annoyed, he looks so cool. I can't even focus on insulting this piece of trash next to me when I'm this distracted.
The villain next to her followed her line of sight and raised an eyebrow. He leaned down a little, the amusement in his eyes just a little too malevolent. "Hey. When you do it, do you guys go from behind like cats or-?"
"I will fucking tear off your…and make you fucking eat it…you sick piece of shit! I'll crush your skull under my boot! I'll tear off your lower jaw and shove it-! Just shut that disgusting mouth before I seal it up with super glue while you're asleep, crispy creep!"
Shigaraki looked over his shoulder after hearing his fan girl shout and found her in an actual, physical altercation with Dabi. He watched for a while as the girl yanked at Dabi's hair, her other hand sinking her nails into the pale skin of his right cheek bone and tearing sideways toward his nose. The scarred villain was holding her left wrist with his right hand, trying to keep her from pulling his hair out, and his other hand was holding her shoulder as if he was afraid she would try to lean in and bite his face.
He stood there for a moment, observing the bizarre fight and half-hoping his fan would actually manage to do some damage. The moment was, thankfully, disturbed by Kugutsu's phone ringing. The girl kicked Dabi away from her and answered it, only to frown and then try to hand it to Shigaraki.
"What? I don't want your phone. Who is it?" he demanded.
"It's Giran."
"Just put him on speaker."
The second that she did, she felt her heart drop into her stomach. The hideout in Kamino ward had been raided. Not only that, but Giran said that All for One was currently fighting All Might. She looked at Shigaraki's face and felt like her heart was breaking in half. "We…we need to get to a TV! I'm sure it's fine!"
