Hello! Another two weeks and another update! Sorry for the cliffhanger last time, I couldn't resist! Kicking off where we stopped last time, enjoy!

Note: Keep in mind from here on there are potentially going to be spoilers for beyond the anime. Not sure if/when they might appear, but you HAVE been warned.

"Mizz Aizawa, I presume?"

I grip the noodles tighter. The Plague Mask guy's eyes narrow as he waits for my reply, his head tilting to match my own. His mask catches the store's fluorescent lights, and his purple feathers shift with his movement. Now that I see him more clearly, he does look like he's aiming for a 'look'. Like a Hero, or a Villain. He knows me, knows my name. Considering my media coverage in the past few weeks and months, that's not all that shocking, but his tone makes me shiver. There's a sense of presumption. Like he's familiar with me, but I don't know his face or voice at all.

I take a breath. "Who's asking?"

His eyes crinkle at the edges, and he leans forward, gloved hand resting atop the shelves. "A friend of a friend."

Every red flag possible is flapping in my mind. Get out. Run. Warn Sho and Bakugo that some weird shit is about to go down. But I can't do anything. Not anymore. My body is rigid. Arms and legs barely able to twitch, heart starting to race. Someone has hold of me with a quirk. Shit. A man stands in the corner, by the booze shelves, wearing a mask as well. He waves. Shit. What is this? Is this plague mask guy with the League? Some new lackey of Shigaraki? Where's my phone? Can I reach it?

"W-What... do you… Want?" I force the words out, jaw not keen on moving at all thanks to that guy's quirk. If they want information, this isn't the best approach. So maybe they want something else entirely. I try to feel for my phone with my quirk, but I don't have the tactile control down yet. All I do is bruise my leg. Fuck.

The plague mask guy raises a packet of cookies in his hand. I raise a brow. Cookies? The packet explodes. Dust falls over the shelves, the packet reduced to nothing. But then it reforms. He does this a couple times over. He then straightens up and places the packet down.

"You understand my quirk is rather destructive?"

I nod as much as I can.

"Good. Then just know, I could do that to every building, car and person on this street. And I do not need to put them back together again."

Again, I nod.

"Good. Now then, if you do not play nicely with us, I will unleash my quirk. Got it, Hero?"

I nod, eyes feeling warm as I consider all the civilians. That would be so many dead. Beyond that, across the street Sho and Bakugo are innocently shopping, waiting for me to join them. They'd have no time to react. They'd be obliterated. My nightmares have given me enough imaginings of that being done via Shigaraki's quirk, so it's not hard to apply this guy's power to that image. Shit. No one in the shop is reacting either, like nothing is wrong. Are they all working for this Villain? Even the cashier looks calm. Fuck. What is this? How big has the League got?

Someone comes up behind me and lifts my jumper. What the hel–! They remove my back brace, and then they slip my phone and keys from my pocket.

"Can't have any details being missed." Plague Mask then looks over his shoulder. "Toga?"

From the back of the store comes a familiar face. Oh shit. The freaky blonde girl from Summer Camp. My brace and phone are handed to Plague Mask and he hands them to her. Shit, this is connected to the League. But what does he mean 'details'? Why do they need my stuff?

Toga approaches and shoves a needle into my arm, draining about a cup of my blood. I waver, but remain upright. I am not taking this lying down from her. Not again. I try to reach with my power, but the quirk on me is making it hard to do anything but concentrate on keeping breathing. My lungs want to seize up as much as the rest of me.

Toga grins and takes the noodles from my shaking hand. "You're gonna have so much fun with Mr Overhaul! And so am I with all your friends." She laughs and then looks at 'Overhaul' (I presume that's Plague Mask's name). "You're gonna send me more of her blood for later right? I got barely enough for a few hours here. Sure I can't take more?"

A few hours of what?

What the fuck are they planning?

Overhaul sighs. "You said you could manage till the end of the day on that amount. Do so. We will give you stock soon."

And she leaves, drinking half the blood. Her image wobbles, slipping into something else, something I only see in the mirror. Into me. I feel cold. Seeing myself walk around in front of me is a little unnerving, to say the least. She grins with my lips, my teeth, and then she slips the back brace, keys and phone into a pocket–presumably needing to wait till she can actually access my clothes before she puts it on. And she saunters out into the street, likely heading across the road for Sho and Bakugo. No. No! They'll have no idea. I want to scream, but my body won't respond beyond a strangled whimper.

Overhaul waggles a finger at me. "Want to endanger the whole street? It's your choice, Miss Aizawa. Comply, or they're all dead."

"Fuck. You."

"They warned me you weren't very polite." He glances over my shoulder. "All right, do it."

The lights go out.

Everything is gone. It's entirely dark, I can't even see my hand, or the barest hint of light from outside. But it's daytime. What the fuck is going on? Why turn it dark? I'm paralysed, I can't do anythi–the rigid feeling leaves my body. I slump against the shelves, or rather bump right into them.

"Stay calm, remember, you're the only reason I'm not tearing apart the whole street." His smooth voice is closer now, whispering into my ear. Hot breath wafts against my skin.

Normally I'd have thrown up a shield, ducked out of the way, something, but I can't see. There's no way of aiming. No way of focusing. Fuck this is so disorientating. I can barely tell what's around me, other than this shithead standing too close to me, smelling like cleaning chemicals.

I swallow hard. "Who are y–"

"Not important. One of my associates has blinded you, so be a good girl and we might let you see again. Eventually."

Every inch of me is screaming at me to use my power, to do something, but this is a busy civilian street. I saw his power. He could well use it at a bigger scale, very easily. I can't risk a gamble on him having lied. Shit, what's that Toga girl going to do to Sho and Bakugo? Is she just going to buy these shitheads time? Or is she going to go and hurt them immediately? She mentioned needing more blood. Long term then. Okay, so Sho and Bakugo should be safe I guess. Maybe. Fuck. What do I do?

"You're going to come with us, without a fuss. Don't make me hurt the civilians, or indeed your little boyfriends across the street."

Shit. They know I'm not here alone. Of course they do, that's why Toga took the blood and noodles. Stop being an idiot. Think dammit. Think through the panic.

I grit my teeth. "Did Shigaraki send you?"

Overhaul chuckles, pulling my arm behind my back. "I do not work for that child, but you are definitely going to come in handy when dealing with him later. First though… You're going to help me with my work. That Endurance should be most helpful."

I start to shiver. What the hell does that mean?

I'm flung back into someone else's arms. "Get her to the car and start taking the blood for Toga."

"Why not give it to the psycho right away?" I snarl, feebly wriggling.

A gloved finger presses my chin upwards. "Because I intend to keep those League fools on a very tight leash. So you can imagine from that, how I intend to treat you."

Fuck.

I'm thrown around like a rag doll and then there's leather seats under me. I'm shoved into a footwell and a pin goes into my arm, a draining sensation soon following. I lay my head against the rough carpet floor of the car. Shit. I'm going to die, aren't I? And my family, my friends, they won't even know. For how long? Toga needs my blood to hold my facade. So they can't kill me too quickly. But they can do plenty of other things. She can manage till the end of today on a single cup. If they drain me dry, that could be days, weeks? Shit. Tears roll down and I count my heartbeats, simply to focus on the fact they're still there. I have to keep them there, keep going, keep surviving so I can get home.

You can get through this, Alex. It's just another shithead. Just another problem to solve.

Don't let them win.

You can't let them win.

SHO POV

Alex must be stuck in a queue. I get everything she mentioned wanting and accept the soda from Bakugo as he hands it out from the fridges. Funny that he remembered her preference when he seems so focused on himself most of the time. Perhaps Alex is right, maybe Bakugo is kinder than he first appears. I should give him more credit. No doubt she'd be glad to see us form some kind of friendship. Maybe we already have. I'm bad at these things.

"Hey boys!" She appears finally, waving noodles at us as she skips over and bounces on the balls of her feet.

She's in a good mood–hopefully because things went so well with my mother. It can't have gone better, they seemed to really get along. I admit I was nervous, but she did amazing, as expected. Plus my own nerves were only due to hers. I suppose that's normal though. Still, I'm glad I took the chance, having been undecided due to my previous worries over Alex being able to handle it. She outdid my expectations, as usual. Perhaps I should give her more credit as well.

I raise my basket. "Are you needing anything else? I got everything you mentioned earlier."

She winks. "That'll do perfectly. We heading back to dorms after this?"

Bakugo huffs. "Thought we were gettin' milkshakes? You kept banging on about it at training yesterday. Something about double-chocolate and oreo?"

"Oh, right!" She claps and tilts her head. "I'm gonna change it to strawberry and oreo instead?"

"Like I care what you drink."

I raise a brow. "You hate strawberry."

She waves a hand. "Trying new things Todoroki!"

I can't remember the last time she called me that. It sounds so odd now.

Bakugo looks between us. "You two had a fight I dunno about?"

She frowns and shakes her head, looking through her phone and then off to the side, cogs seemingly turning as she does so. She seems distracted. I'm about to hand Bakugo my basket and money, to ask him to sort that whilst I see if Alex is all right, when she throws her arms up and laughs.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm a bit tetchy, back is like super sore!" She shrugs and lowers her arms. "Sorry, Sho."

I smile. "You don't need to hide that stuff, you know that. C'mon, we'll get this stuff, go get milkshakes and sit somewhere so you can rest."

She falls into step with me, taking my arm and squeezing. I shouldn't be reading into things too much, she's got a lot going on in her mind. No wonder she's getting distracted. We get the shopping, head to the milkshake place and get our drinks. I order a double-chocolate and oreo in case her sudden want to try strawberry backfires. But she loves it, drinking happily as we sit in the afternoon light. Her eyes keep scanning the area though, and I wonder if she's worried about the League. We're not far from the school, and this is an area that's been approved by the faculty.

I nudge her leg with mine. "Hey, we're okay."

"Huh?"

"There's several Hero agencies nearby. We're well covered."

She finishes her drink. "I'm fine!"

I nod and go back to my drink. There's no reason to read into it too much. Sure, that word had kind of become tainted in the past, 'fine', but she has been doing better about using it. Then again, she's also had issues with masking problems only very recently. Maybe I should read into it. Ignoring things is what led to her recent issues anyway, right? I never know the line between being caring and prying.

Bakugo chucks his empty drink in the nearby bin, lounging on his bench. "Still usin' that shitty word, huh?"

She tilts her head, grinning. "Whaddya mean?"

"Fine." He raises a brow. "Y'kept using it when things were clearly not fine, right? It's why your Dad goes all freaky whenever it's said."

She rolls her eyes. "It's just a word, guys!"

"Yeah but–"

"Am I being studied or something, lay off!"

"Hey you're the one who went and fucked her back by being all dismissive and shit." He scowls. "We're concerned, fuckin' deal with it."

Her eyes flash with anger for a moment, and I wonder if Bakugo is about to be thrown in the nearby hedge, but then she takes a deep breath, rolls her eyes again and hugs her knees to her chest.

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing."

I finish my drink. "Maybe we should head back to the dorms. You've had a long day, Alex."

"It's just my back. Don't mean to be a total bitch, super sorry!" She smiles broadly again and it starts to make my neck itch. She's forcing those smiles so hard, I keep expecting to hear her cheekbone go 'crunch'.

We return to the dorms in a taxi. Bakugo storms off ahead with all the bags, having plenty to do apparently. But really I'm glad of the chance to talk to her alone, and a small part of me wonders if he knows that. She's about to head inside when I take her hand and head for the garden area.

She sighs. "Sho, I really wanna go chill in my room."

"I know, of course. I just wanted to talk to you first, is that… is that okay?" I hesitate as she actually glares for a moment, but then it clears and she smiles again, looking like two hooks are pulling at the sides of her mouth. What is going on? Is she in that much pain?

"Sure! What's up?"

She doesn't seem to be in the mood to talk, so I'll keep it brief. Maybe I should talk to her Father? No, she wouldn't like being discussed behind her back. No, I can just be patient. Like I said, it's been a long day. She could just be tired and trying to keep it together after meeting my mother. That's all.

I take her hands and kiss the back of them. "I just wanted to double check you were all right. But you just need some rest? It was a big day."

"You're way too worried." She laughs, not squeezing my hands or anything, just letting them sit there. She rocks back on her heels, slightly pulling her hands. I let them go free. "Just tired, just a bit sore, all good. Gonna go to my room for the rest of the day I think, got tonnes of studying to do and stuff!"

I frown. "Alex, you're way ahead–"

"Sho I just wanna be alone, okay? My head's killin' me." She shrugs. "I'll come get food later, just wanna lay down. See ya!"

And she runs off.

My hands drop to my sides and I wander the garden a bit, mind running a million miles an hour, despite me trying to put on the brakes. Meeting my mother could well have simply reminded her of her parents, and everything we don't know about them yet. Right. Nothing to worry about. She's not trying to pull away or dump me. It's fine. I shake my head, starting to hate that word more and more.

"She bein' a dumbass still?" Bakugo asks, slouched against the wall by the glass doors into the kitchen. I head over and shrug. He nods towards the inside. "Saw her bolt up to her room, didn't even say hi or take off her shoes."

"She's acting odd, yes, but I think she's just–"

"Tired. Yeah." He nods. "She's been better recently, right?"

"A lot, yeah. Openly admitting to pain is a big step forward."

He clicks his tongue. "Could just be a bad patch. Don't wanna fuckin' creep on her but yeah… Don't want that back shit getting as bad again either."

I nod. "Agreed."

It's good to know Bakugo is paying attention. I can trust his instinct better than my own sometimes, and in no small part due to the fact that if someone like Bakugo has noticed things are awry, it's got to be bad. He takes a special interest in a few people. But having him looking out for Alex helps avoid me thinking myself into corners.

I kick a pebble aside. "I wonder if we pushed too hard in training yesterday."

"Nah." He shakes his head. "She'd have said."

"You think?"

He nods. "I reckon she's on her best behaviour right now so she can patrol with her Dad once she's feeling better. No point freakin' out over one weird afternoon. See how she is later, tomorrow even."

We head inside and I'm a little calmer. Bakugo definitely deserves more credit.

I'm sure I'm worrying over nothing.

ALEX POV

When I wake after passing out in the car, my arm aches and my head is pounding. Doesn't seem like I'm in the car anymore either. It's still totally dark. Am I underground? No, I'm just blinded by that quirk, right? Maybe. I blink slowly, waiting for my eyes to adjust to any source of light. But there's nothing. How long was I asleep? Has Toga done something to Sho and Bakugo? What about her being in the dorms? Shit. I have to get out of here. I have to get home and warn them.

"Hey boss, she's awake. Can we–"

"Get on with it, but don't kill her." The bored voice of Overhaul sighs somewhere nearby, but it sounds like it might be through a door.

So they can see me clearly. Right. I'm still blind then.

Boots approach, scuffing on a hard floor. Maybe it's concrete, that would explain why it's so cold. I run my fingers over it. Yeah, definitely concrete. So we're somewhere unfinished, industrial, or underground. Doesn't exactly narrow things, but it gives me something to do beyond panic. I don't feel hungry yet, so it can't have been more than a few hours since they took me. Fuck… I was really looking forward to that double chocolate and oreo milkshake… but it seems silly to miss that at this moment.

Boots stop by my head. "It's definitely her, right?"

"Yeah. She got them weird white streaks in her hair now, but that's the same kid."

What the hell are these guys talking about? How do they know me?

A hand grips my collar and hauls me partially off the ground, another hand grabbing my hair and tugging my head back. Ow.

"You remember us, girly?"

"I literally can't see you. I don't recall the voice or the BO though, no."

A punch to the stomach and I'm thrown to the ground. I vomit, having not expected the hit so suddenly. I brace as best I can before I'm kicked in the ribs, sent sprawling till I hit a wall.

"You and that Eraserhead shit, you made a lotta trouble for us back in the day. How long ago was that now? Five. six years?"

I curl in on myself. Oh, shit.

The voice continues. "Think it might've been me to finally get ya with a bullet though. Right in the gut too. Remember?" He hauls me from the wall by my hair, tossing me down and pressing his boot down over my old bullet scarring. He keeps going till I yelp, clawing at his boot to remove it. "Your Daddy got in the way of me freein' ma cousin Frank. Remember us now?"

"Ringing a vague bell." I cough, glad to have heard Overhaul mention that they can't kill me. It helps keep terror at bay. The Yakuza thugs have finally caught up; in the last place I expected, working with the League. I really can't catch a break with outrunning my past, can I?

A couple more kicks and then one of them grips my jaw. If he even tries to stick something down my throat, I'm fucking biting it off.

"What ya gonna do now that Daddy ain't here to help?"

I spit and get flung against the wall, bones cracking off the concrete, back twinging as I crumple in a heap. Air refuses to stay in my lungs. Shit. Just in and out. Breathe. Keep breathing. Do not let them win. Keep breathing. Keep living.

I try a shield, but it's shaky and as soon as they hit it, backlash runs along my skin. Fuck. I need my vision.

I gasp. "I had nothing to do with your fucking cousin! I just stopped you shooting a pro doing his job."

"Not how we see it, girly."

I cough. "Beating up a sixteen year old girl really makes you feel like a big man, huh?"

"Lotta talk for a rat on her knees."

I hear him grunt with the swing and I dodge. He kicks the wall and howls, hopping back a few paces. The other's quicker though, pushing me to the ground face first, my neck crushed between his hand and the concrete. Light flashes in my vision, but it has nothing to do with sight. I gasp and claw back at the wrist, my cheek aching as it's shoved harder against the flooring.

"You Heroes are all the same. We're gonna show ya though. You'll see… Heh, or maybe not I guess."

"Fuck… Off." I hiss, choking and then gasping as my neck is released. "Why the fuck is the Yakuza working with the League anyway? Thought you guys had honou–"

A knife is at my neck.

Suddenly I don't feel so sassy.

Warmth trickles along my skin, pain pinching where the blade's already made a small cut.

"Listen here, rat." Teeth click by my ear. "We're using them, nothing else. Got it? We don't associate with scum. Overhaul's in charge. Remember that." The knife retracts.

One more punch to the ribs for good measure and I'm left to crumble against the floor, their boots leaving, slamming the door behind. I pant and do my best not to give into tears. Don't give them that satisfaction, Alex. Not if you can help it. At least I'd learned something. The Overhaul guy must be a boss within the Yakuza–his own disdain for Shigaraki matching the thugs. They are at least connected to the League, but it doesn't seem like a great relationship. He called Shigaraki a child, and wants Toga on a leash. Fine. I can work with that. Anything can help, any information might help get me out of here. Wherever here is. Or it might help in the aftermath. If I get to see it – no pun intended.

When I can finally take a full breath, the door squeaks open and two sets of steps enter. I want to scramble back, to try another shield, to curl in on myself and at least protect my head. But I don't. I stay still and refuse to show them my fear. Where had they gone? To get steel-toed shoes?

Steps stop by my head and a waft of air tends to indicate someone has knelt nearby. "I see they enjoyed their little slice of revenge." Overhaul prods my shoulder. "I won't pretend to understand their past with you, but now that it's done with, we'll move you to where you'll be sleeping most of the time." He sighs and moves away. "Bring her Chronos."

I'm dragged by my arm, half walking, half stumbling, only led by that iron grip that's immediately bruising. They don't intend to kill me, but have zero issue hurting me. Not unexpected, but good to know where I stand.

A door opens ahead.

Overhaul hums. "Good afternoon Eri, I've brought you a friend. Don't play with her too roughly, all right? And don't go killing her either, okay? I have work to do with her. Understand?"

Eri? What the hell is this now?

Don't play too roughly and don't kill me? What the hell are they putting me in the same room as?

I don't mean to, but my body is moving on instinct. My feet drag, trying to pull away. What the fuck are they trying to do to me? Why? If they don't work with Shigaraki, or don't want to, why am I even here? None of this makes sense.

"Now, now, play nicely." Chronos throws me into a room and I hit a couple boxes on my way across the floor, skidding to a halt as I hit against something wooden. "I'll have someone bring dinner in a couple hours. Have fun girls."

They leave.

Girls. Eri was a girl. Okay, that's information. But a girl what? It could be an animal from what they said, how they spoke to her. I reach and run my hand along whatever I bumped into. It's a small table of some kind. No. It has a drawer and a small cupboard. A bedside table? I hear breathing; light and hurried. Fearful. Like whoever, or whatever, is in this room is just as scared as I am. That helps, unless it's a trick.

A lock clicks into place. Steps fade.

I stay very still, trying to get my heart to calm down. The breathing continues across the way, followed by a few shuffles and then sniffs.

I bite my lip. "Hello? Is someone there?"

Another sniff and shuffling.

I try to feel around myself. A soft rug is to my right, and on my left there seems to be a bed. I think it's a bed anyway. A soft toy is what I find next and I hear a small whimper from where the sniffs came before. I raise my hand away from the toy. The whimper stops.

I stay on my knees, eyes still closed. "S-Sorry, is this your toy? I can't see right now so… so I uh… Sorry." I finish dumbly, sinking back and gritting my teeth as the want to cry swells inside of me.

I don't understand what's happening. This isn't like anything that's come before. I'm not fighting anyone. I don't know who I'm against. I don't know why. None of this makes any sense. Frustration, exhaustion, pain, fear, they weigh in my head and heart like dumbbells. I put my hands in my hair. How do I find a solution to this? I can't even find a single thread of logic. Dammit Dad, help me. How do I handle any of this?

I start to cry despite my best efforts.

Shuffling approaches. I should stop and find my composure, I should hold my nerve and keep this Eri away from me. Soft rugs and toys don't mean anything, it could be some deranged monster. I have no idea. But I can't stop, the sobs rip out of me, convulsing my whole body. I'm terrified. I want to go home, to find Dad and hide in his scarf.

Shuffling gets closer again. "Are you… Are you okay?"

A small, soft voice asks, the shuffling still happening like they can't stay still or don't want to. It sounds like a small girl. A young girl. But it could be a trick. It could be a means of lulling me into a false sense of security or… No, why would they? They've already beaten me and threatened me. Why fool me now? I'm not sure logic is going to be of much help here.

"I'm… N-No, not really. I can't see, so sorry if I stare weirdly or anything." I wipe my useless eyes and hold a hand out slowly, hearing a small gasp and retreating steps. They don't go far though. I keep my hand where it is. "I'm Alex. Are you… Eri?"

"Yes. Why're you holding out your hand?"

"Wanted to shake yours, it's a way of saying… hello." I wince as I sit up better. I smile, despite the tears still running down my cheeks. "It's okay if you don't want t–"

She takes my hand, her tiny hand is so cold. I shake gently and she quickly takes her hand back once I loosen my light grip.

I sit back again and put my arm round my middle. Did they break something? Fuck this hurts.

Eri steps closer, there's a tugging sound and a blanket falls into my lap.

She sniffs. "You're shivering."

I hug into the blanket. "Thanks so much, this is lovely."

"I have plenty. You c-can keep it."

I smile, not really knowing how to talk to kids, but I'll try. "What colour is it?"

"Pink."

"Lovely. Is that your favourite colour?"

Shuffling. "I… I dunno."

I nod. "Fair enough, my favourite is a greeny-blue. But I love pink, I have a friend with pink hair and skin, she's beautiful. Thank you, Eri, you're very kind."

"I uh… That's not what they say."

"They?" I swallow hard, the shivering a little less now that I'm warming up. "Who Overhaul?"

A sniff. "Why're you here?"

"I don't know. I really don't. Sorry, that'll sound like a lie." I cough and wince as my body objects to the movement.

"No I… I believe you. You don't look like you're lying. Your cheek is bleeding."

I wipe it with my sleeve. "Why're you here, Eri?"

Shuffling and then she's gotten onto the bed, judging by the way the mattress creaks next to me. "They need to keep me away from people. They say I'm cursed."

I frown and look towards her voice, closing my eyes again when I realise how silly that is. I can't see. Don't scare the kid with your blank stare.

I clear my throat. "I doubt that's true, Eri."

"Why?"

"Because you've been so kind to me already, and I know for a fact they aren't very nice. So I'll bet they're liars."

"I dunno about that…"

I smile. "It's all right. You don't have to say anything you don't want to. Thank you for talking to me though, it's nice to not be alone."

"Y-Yeah… It's nice." She sniffs again. "But I don't want you to get hurt because you're talking to me. They do that. Hurt people for being near me."

I shake my head. "They're going to hurt me either way, so I'd like to talk to you while I can. If that's okay?"

"S-Sure… You're nice. Like that boy."

I lean my head on the mattress, fatigue pulling on my mind. "What boy?"

"I dunno his name." She shimmies closer. "Your hair is pretty. It looks like a Zebra."

"You can play with it if you like."

She gasps and comes even closer, small fingers starting to braid my hair. I smile, it's soothing. "Can you describe the boy to me, Eri?"

Who else have they brought down here? Maybe I can give a description to Dad if I ever get out of here, see if it matches missing posters. Or is that me just being foolish? No. Look ahead. Keep focusing on what could be. The future is not demolished, I might see seventeen. If they've been taking other kids, they might still be alive. Maybe other Endurance quirks?

Eri sighs. "I was silly and I tried to run away… I got onto a street and bumped into this boy, th-there were two of them actually. But the first had big green eyes and his hair was all crazy, and green too."

I grip the blanket tighter. "Did he have freckles?"

"Yeah I think so… why?"

"Just a guess. W-What was the other boy like?"

"He was taller. He had blonde hair. All spiky. They were nice, I… I had to let go of them though, they would have gotten hurt because of me if I hadn't come back."

Eri had nearly got away. She had bumped right into Izuku and Mirio's patrol. Damn it. But then again, maybe if they know about her and want to find her, they might find me as well? Shit. Okay. Don't get carried away. But where is Knight Eye's agency, it can't be far if they were on patrol, and Eri can't have run far either… My brain isn't working. It's something. But not something I know what to do with.

"That's nice that they were kind to you. I'm sorry you had to let go though. I'm s-sorry you had to come back here."

She keeps playing with my hair. "It's okay. They were okay and now… now I get to meet you. So it's not so bad… Right?"

I keep the tears back as best I can. "That's very sweet of you. Very sweet. When was this, by the way? When did you see the boys?"

"This afternoon. A couple hours ago, I guess."

So close. Dammit. So fucking close. It wouldn't have helped me, but this is no place for a little kid. Not one so sweet as Eri seems.

The hours roll by, and dinner is shoved into the room. I tried to go get mine, but Eri brought it to me, handing me the fork as well. Such kindness. I eat slowly, stomach not happy with me, but I know I have to eat. I will need every bit of strength I can find for this. Whatever this is. So despite the pain, and the way it makes me want to throw up, I choke it down. I will beat this.

After dinner we tell stories, swapping every few sentences. Hers are mainly about walking down corridors and running around. She mentions blue skies and pigeons a lot too. She wants out. She knows what 'out' means. I don't know if that's kinder or not.

As I hear her yawn, the door opens and steps approach.

Overhaul clicks his fingers. "Time for bed, Eri. Time to get to work, Alex."

I grit my teeth. "Sleep well, Eri. We'll c-continue storytime tomorrow, okay?"

"O-Okay." She whimpers, voice muffled by her blanket.

Stay hidden Eri, stay as far away as you can. I don't know what they've been doing to you, but when you let me braid your hair a little after dinner, I felt the bandages on your arms. They're hurting you. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I will get you out of here. You precious girl.

I'm dragged away, shoes dragging along the ground, squeaking when we go through another set of doors. Tiling. And the smell of disinfectant. Just like a hospital. It's cold and noise echoes all around, bouncing off cold hard surfaces. I'm thrown onto a metal table, nearly sliding off the other side before I manage to right myself.

"Get undressed, and once you're done, get into this." Something that feels like my hero costume, the same material, lands in my lap. But it's cold, and more like plastic. I wait to hear a screen being pulled across, but nothing happens.

I grit my teeth and stay still.

Overhaul sighs. "Hurry up. There's nothing lewd in this, you're a lab rat here, not a girl."

A rat all over again.

He steps closer, gripping my chin tight, forcing me to look up, I feel the soft heat from a lamp high above. "Do it, or I'll go get Eri and carry on with my work with her early. Do you wish to hear that? She tends to squeal."

Ah. So that's it. They wanted me to like her, they wanted me to bond with her. Dammit, I can't deny that's clever. But I also don't think Eri's in on it. She is genuinely afraid. Or she's very good at raising her own heartbeat.

I start to peel off my clothing, concentrating on my own movements and trying not to think about how many peering eyes there are. You're just a rat. No one's looking at you like that. No one. I pull the plastic-like material over my body, it's open at the back and only has strap-like sleeves and short trouser bits. They need access to my skin clearly. Fine. I can brace myself a little.

I stand tall and clench my hands. "N-Now what?"

A buzzing starts, like the electric shaver Dad uses for his beard and my undercut. It gets closer and someone forces me to my knees. Ow. My head is pushed forward, and the buzzing runs up the back of my head. They're… They're shaving my head. Why? I brace against the floor to stop them catching my skin if I lose balance.

I grit my teeth harder. "What the hell is all this about Overhaul?"

"Picked up my name. Hm. Clever kid. You're going to help me and my work. And in turn, buy me a little more time with the League children. I'm afraid you're nothing but a pawn."

"Thought I was a rat." I snarl. "You're mixing your metaphors."

The buzzing pauses and a hand lands on my shoulder, a dragging sensation covering my body. My arms tremble, struggling to hold me up. I feel weaker. Smaller. What the hell? Next comes a sharp pain stabbing into my shoulder, a pressure building there as something is injected.

Warmth appears beside my ear, breath soon following. "I wonder how long that smart mouth will last. Let's find out… Shall we? Get her in the tank."

I want to run, to get up and flee, but my strength is gone. My heartbeat slows, my hands slip against the floor and I slump, landing in a pile of my own shaved hair, breathing deepening as if I'm falling asleep. I'm not going to want to wake up, am I?

"You're going to help me a lot Alex Aizawa. But I rather think, before long, you'll wish you had never been taken from the streets…"

I'm dragged along the floor and laid on my back. Someone is forcing my mouth open, a plastic tube sits at my lips.

"You'll wish your Father left you in the alleys to rot, so that you might fade into nothing. You'll wish you were nowhere near UA and all those shining lights. You'll wish you were never infected by the word hero."

A tube is forced down my throat. I convulse feebly.

"You'll wish you'd never even heard the word hero. But you'll help me cure it. That, or die trying."

Don't… let them… win.

Dun dun duuuun! See you in two weeks for another installment! Plenty more to come ^-^ thanks for reading, following, faving and reviewing! Shoutouts below if you have! Cya Soon!

SHOUTOUTS

The TardisIsTheFourthHallow: I'm glad you enjoyed the cliffhanger haha, I don't wanna make them a habit but that one was too fun to not do. I love writing Sho and Bakugo together now, the bond there is growing for sure. Sorry about the lack of Dadzawa this time as well, don't worry, plenty of him incoming, I promise! Thanks for reviewing!

Zikashigaku: Chisaki did indeed take her, sozzles haha. But the bois don't mind... the bois don't know... I really liked writing the texts to be honest, it was a fun moment of considering their relationship as Dad and Daughter. The sass rebounds! I love their trio yeah, they're a really fun dynamic to explore. And yeah, I wanted to give Bakugo time to grow, but also show progress as he does! I am only two volumes ahead of the anime tbh, but the trajectory of his character was made clear anyway. Plus, mainly, I am considering my own trajectory as its slightly quicker than canon due to Alex's influence. But that just happens if another character is introduced! Thanks for reading and reviewing again, so glad you're still enjoying!