(same trigger warnings throughout the story C:)
"Wakey, wakey little Bird~!"
Huh? What? No… leave me alone.
I was far too tired for whatever this person wanted from me. They could wait until I was good and ready to listen to what they wanted. That didn't seem like their agenda though as soon I smelt something so disgusting I thought I might vomit in my half-woken state then and there. I choked on the aroma and shot up from whatever surface I had been laying on. The only problem? Something held my arms down to prevent me from being able to catch myself afterward. Well, I wouldn't say the only problem. It took a moment, but I realized that something filled my mouth as well.
"Hey~! She's awake! Oh, Nicky never do something so dumb like that again! If you want to show off your blood, you should just ask me to do it next time, kay~? I know how to do it to keep you from bleeding out like you almost did!"
Another layer of restriction surrounded me as my eyes finally adjusted from the sudden awakening. It was Toga that was holding me in her arms, like a genuinely worried friend. I think that maybe she does see me in that light too, but with her, I can't really be sure.
Forgetting that I had some sort of gag in my mouth I looked around me with a noise of question. The rest of the villains, well some of them at least, were all chilled out around me either looking disinterested or overly. I noticed that it was a young boy that was next nearest to me, holding up an uncorked glass vial of something I couldn't quite discern. I also didn't recognize him from the anime, but I assumed he was just another child that held Stain's ideals since he looked to be feeling bored rather than scared.
"You very clearly tried to off yourself with your own quirk. I would kill you myself if I didn't need you for my plan. I don't like when people try to take away my things."
The raspy, chilling voice of Shigaraki was heard over the incessant scratching of his anxiety tic. Through the small gathering, I could see him in his usual spot near Kurogiri. From the way he went at himself, I could tell I really pissed him off. Good.
"So I took the liberty of taking yours away. From now on, your villain costume consists of a straight jacket. Perfectly crafted for someone of your poor mental state, you match that freak over there now."
Casting my eyes over to the person I already knew he was talking about, if you could call him one, was muttering repeatedly about 'flesh' and being overall just a terrifying individual.
"I've also taken precautions to ensure you don't try anything stupid like that again. Hope that gear is comfortable. It's not coming off for anything until I have you exactly where I want you."
I lowered my head in defeat and fell into Toga's comforting hug. Even if it was from one of the very villains keeping me hostage, she seemed the least likely to wish harm on me. Well, mental at least. I tried to ignore the fact that the straightjacket I was in was a one-piece suit like Moonfish's. I didn't want to think about who changed me or how much they saw.
"So Boss, how many more people are we waiting on? What time should we expect to show up to the rendezvous?"
The most normal-looking of the group, the magnetizer if I remember correctly, tapped their fingers around the rim of the glass. If I also remember correctly, they were one of the few confirmed trans characters. Guess I should refer to her as 'she'. Despite being a horrendous criminal, people have basic human rights, and it would go against my own values to call her otherwise. Man, I hate my own humanity.
"Not long now. Just a few more people. You'll all be meeting at the top of the outlook, just above the U.A. quirk training camp. You will attack the third night in your designated areas."
The boy turned to look at Shigaraki, resealing and pocketing the vial in doing so.
"Dabi and I fill the forest with our quirks, Muscular, Moonfish, and Compress look for the kid-"
"That would be Mr. Compress to you! Titles are made for a reason. I'm not just any boring old chap, you know! I'm the greatest performer and thief!"
A few people rolled their eyes, with the exception of Twice's alter voicing the desire to have a 'Sir' before their villain name to make it flashier.
"Sure. Magne and Spinner go after the Pussycats. Dabi and Twice distract Eraserhead and Vlad Kind. The Nomu goes nuts, Toga gets the blood samples, and we use Songbird to add even more chaos, as backup, or as hostage negotiation. Did I get it all?"
Toga pouts and sticks her tongue up at the boy.
"I told you to call me Himiko!"
Her expression morphed quickly enough back to delight though as she shook me back and forth by the shoulders.
"Ohhh! This is going to be so much fun!"
"Yes... well... make sure you keep your mission in mind. Take this stuff seriously for once. We're trying to change the world here!"
The two began to bicker back and forth and I decided to just rest some more with the anemia and fatigue I still felt from failing to save the others from my weaponization. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to betray them during the chaos. How much should I even be involving myself? If only I could erase my memory, I wouldn't be as much a liability. If I tell the heroes everything, then what's going to happen to the timeline? Could I save Eri early? I don't remember where she's being kept. I don't even remember what the building looks like.
For now, at least, I think I'll keep from telling them anything, but do my best to aid them in little ways with my quirk or hints. Hopefully, at some point, it will get me killed.
"Hrmmgh. I do not like this. It's so not cute!"
I watched Toga mess and shift her gear around uncomfortably and envied her. At least she can move her arms and gets to wear her soft clothes underneath.
"They were engineered for the Black Market from what I hear. You should be worried that they work, not that they look pretty."
He has a point. Though, since that's where they got my muzzle and straight jacket from it's safe to say in my opinion that they're quality. I've tested them enough times before getting here. Worth the bruises and chafing if it meant I even had the slimmest chance of escape.
"Euughh! I'm just saying they could be a little more stylish is that too much to ask?!"
"Hi, darlings~. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Get to work. Get to work."
God, I hate that guy! He's so creepy! Definitely one of the best character designs, but man does it look worse realistically. I refuse to call this 'real life' until I know for a fact I can't get back to my old world.
After a small wait, Spinner showed up and Dabi voiced the fact.
"That makes seven of us. And one tool."
Prick.
"I don't care! Just let me loose! I'm too pumped up to stand by."
This was my other least favorite. He was arrogant and looked just as ugly as Moonfish when his quirk was activated.
"Shut your mouth, you crazy bastard. We wait. We're still expecting three more people to join our little party. The League of Villains made a mistake going after them with a bunch of random thugs at the U.S.J. Better to use a small group of elites."
Sometimes quantity outlasts quality, Dabi. It makes sense to switch tactics though from I guess the losing side's perspective. Their flaw here in this battle is going to be their individual pride. Specifically with Muscular and Mustard just based on what I remember. A few others fail too though, and hopefully, I can be of some help with that. Or maybe even just get myself killed by one of the teachers or kids.
I wouldn't wish that blood to be on any of the kid's hands except it's wholly for the greater good.
"The first thing we have to do to them is to take away their sense of peace and show them that their lives rest in our hands. Sound like someone, Songbird?"
I flinched at his calling of my new villain name. I want to keep their attention off me as much as possible, but this guy seems to love to just pick on me at all times of the day! Has he not destroyed my ego enough? I already know I'm less than worthless. A liability.
"Shigaraki wanted me to give you a message. If you attempt any of what you tried earlier or even look at one of those heroes wrong, you'll be sorry."
Damn. I don't even want to think of what he might do, but I won't give up even if he threatens me! He can't kill me because he needs me. He can only injure me so much before he risks my life. He already desires the death of everyone here except Bakugo and Tokoyami later after Moonfish is defeated by Dark Shadow. The worst he could do is probably break my bones. A horrible, awful pain, but not something that will get another person killed other than me.
I'll pretend to assist them in the beginning, just as Mr. Compress would have suggested Bakugo do, later back at the hideout, and then I'll pull a fast one and sing something to escape and help out the others.
In response, I lower my head in feigned compliance. Don't worry, Dabi. I'll get you arrested and reform the shit outta you, Toga, and Mustard if it's the last thing I do. Maybe I can even save my comfort character, Twice, from his fate spoiled to me by the internet.
The test of courage begins and Mustard and Dabi take off to opposite sides of the forest. Toga and Muscular took off as well, but not before Toga made sure to tell the others to keep me safe. I appreciated this despite the order conflicting with my own self-interest. Moonfish was a bit slower but left all the same in his creepy shamble.
"Are you ready, girlie? Let's go kick some ass!"
I followed behind Magne and Spinner as they were tasked with watching over me and releasing my mask in the event they needed some extra backup with the warning that they were allowed to break my legs if I tried any funny business. Lucky for me, I knew these were some of the weaker villains in the group.
I felt bad that I was unable to do anything about saving Pixie-Bob from her head-smashing though. Hopefully, I had healing abilities I could use if I chose the right song.
"No way… why are there villains attacking the camp?!"
Ah, Mineta. I always liked you least. I won't feel bad about any pummeling you receive. I know he'll be fine in the end anyway. He is nearly indestructible from what I remember. Annoyingly so.
"Pixie-Bob!"
Okay, ouch? Hearing my second favorite character sound so concerned for the Pro Hero hurt my heart in more ways than one.
"This is bad."
The menacing Tiger was who scared me most of the whole group. The small green-haired demi-god? Nah. The other Pussycat? She too was way less threatening despite her glare. The costume doesn't help.
"Oh no, where's Koda?"
I internally winced at the all levels of fucked-up this kid was about to be in, but it was necessary for character growth right? Right? Crap. I don't know where to involve myself and where to leave it be. Gah! This is so frustrating!
"How are you this evening, U.A. High School? We are part of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains!"
Facepalm.
"The League of Villains? What are those guys doing here?"
Ah, Ojiro, one of my other favorite students. Very cool. Sad to see any of this happen to all of these kids.
"I could crush this kitty's head so easily. How about it dears, should I?"
I wouldn't lie, I was absolutely concerned about the huge magnet already being held to the girl's head. Blood was trickling down from some kind of cut made, and I wanted nothing more than to heal her here and now.
"You get away from her!"
Yeah! Tell 'em, Tiger! Wait… I'm technically one of them in this position. Eh.
"Now, now. Hold on Big Sis Magne. You too Tiger, calm down. When deciding if someone should live or die, we must be careful that we're abiding by Stain's principles."
I really hate these people. Sure, hero society is corrupt, but that's what peaceful protest is for. Not these extremist tactics.
"Stain?"
Yes, Deku, that's what he said. Is it really so hard to grasp? You were just attacked by a group of Stain supporters at your school! Internal sigh.
"So you're the ones he ended up inspiring!"
"At your service! That's us! And you Foureyes, I believe I recognize you. You're one of the self-righteous brats that attacked Stain in Hosu city! Let me introduce myself."
I watched him pull out his strange sword-sword and balked at how large it really was taken out. Stop brain. None of that. It looked every bit as ridiculous as it did dangerous.
"Call me Spinner! I'm here to make Stain's dreams a reality!"
Yes, wooow, very not self-righteous sounding right there. Great job, Spinner. You're a natural at hypocrisy.
"I don't care who you are. You're criminals! The woman lying there is named Pixie-Bob. She's a Pro Hero that's saved countless lives! She's giving her all for these young heroes. Pushing them to reach their full potential! She's looking for a mate, but she's otherwise content. What gives you the right to cut such a happy life short?!"
I nodded along to Tiger's words, thankfully seemingly unknowingly to the two in front of me. The face of rage had me freezing in place, though. I had to stop myself from running here and now, otherwise I would be caught immediately. I need to wait until they're mostly taken out.
"Did anyone ever tell you it's not a hero's job to be 'happy'?!"
Spinner started his mad dash across the field towards the heroes and I high-key hoped he would trip on a rock before he made contact. I completely forgot how this fight turned out as it's been so long since I actually watched the anime.
"Tiger! I've talked to everyone! Trust the safety of the other students to Ragdoll! You and I will stay here! We'll hold them back! You return to camp. Class rep, you're in charge on the way there. Don't engage anyone!"
Gahh! I love her! She's so awesome! I totally forgot her name but she's so great in person!
"Leave it to me. Let's go! Midoriya!"
"Go on ahead without me. Mandalay!"
Oh, that's her name!
"Kota, I know where he is!"
Yep, and you're going to receive the ass-beating of a lifetime. You win in the end, but at what cost? Pain. Pain is the answer. But also growth. Sorry, kid.
Not long after, he took off and I did a silent internal cheer for him. Also not long after, the two villains and heroes engaged each other in combat and I waited for the moment to signal one of them to take off my mouth gag.
"Hey! Back off! Let me equip my item."
It was hard to keep up with their movements, but it was also kind of fun to watch in all honesty. Maybe it was more about my being impressed than enjoyment, but I wanted to watch the heroes kick these guys' butts for keeping me hostage and abusing me as they have.
"You're not- a real hero! You brought this on yourself, girl!"
"Jeeze, you're persistent!"
It was so neat to watch Mandalay float out of the way of the attack. The way physics work here is so unnatural. It's almost like gravity here is lighter than it is on Earth. The amount of times I've been flown into a wall where I should have just gone a foot or so is much higher than zero.
"As are you, but it's time to knock you off your false throne."
"Smash!"
Ahahaha! I would be laughing so loud right now if it weren't for this gag!
"Mandalay! Kota! He's safe!"
"You found him?"
Oooh, that slide looks so painful the way he is now. I forgot just how bad he got hurt. It looks completely different when it's anime.
"And I've got a message from Mr. Aizawa. We need you to use Telepath!"
This is my chance!
"Tell everyone in Class A and Class B that Eraser Head has granted them permission to engage in combat with the villains!"
Holy crap. I have so many chills from that. The raw desperate energy to convey a message to turn the tides. I give myself one pass to fangirl about this. Freaking great!
"Get back to camp right now! Those injuries aren't normal."
Damn straight.
"I'm sorry. I can't! You need to send one more thing. The villains. I know one reason they're here. They're after Kacchan! Please, you have to let the others know!"
"Kacchan? Who's that?"
Lmao.
"No! Wait! Stop!"
The cool-ass green electricity that kid gave off when he ran. It was awesome. Thankfully Spinner threw a knife in front of Magne to stop her from stopping his Sonic dash. Gotta go fast!
"Don't, Big Sis Mag."
"Eugh! What the hell was that for, Spinner? He was on the priority kill list!"
I chose now to run to Magne in an attempt to help out the heroes under the guise of wanting to help out the villain duo. My efforts came to fruition when Magne turned me around and began to undo the clasps.
"Shigaraki's the one who wants him dead."
"Uh, yeah, and he's the reason we're here. How's that, babe? Ready to help us out?"
I wiped my drooling mouth on the fabric of my shoulder and nodded my head silently, still pretending to be aiding them. Magne attached the gag contraption to her waist belt and turned back to Spinner with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.
"But that boy is someone Stain wished to save. Which means he was deemed worthy of being called a true hero. If Stain spared him, then-"
Wham! Bam! Kick and punch!
"About time I got a solid hit in."
Seconds after their downing of them, the heroes used their bodies to restrain both Magne and Spinner.
"Damn it, Spinner, this is your fault! Now! Songbird!"
Mandalay looked over at me while pinning Spinner. I hated the intense look she gave me, but hopefully, I could change her mind with a quick song. I cleared my throat and thought about what I could use.
Man! It's like when someone asks for your favorite song and you forget everyone you've ever heard! Gahhh! Okay, maybe this one?
In an attempt to remember how the song went, I start humming what I think is the opening until the lyrics fall right into place.
"Legends never die. When the world is calling you, can you hear them screaming out your name?"
Everyone goes silent as my voice rings out softly, hoping that my intent is stronger than just the lyrics alone. I really couldn't remember any songs about healing specifically.
"Legends never die, they become a part of you. Every time you bleed for reaching greatness, relentless you survive."
Much to my relief, the two Pussycats started to glow a gold color. Not entirely sure what was going on, everyone looked on and waited with questioning gazes and noises. My confidence grew at seeing results and my voice swelled.
"They never lose hope, when everything's cold, and the fighting's near. It's deep in their bones, they'll run into smoke when the fire is fierce. Oh, pick yourself up 'cause-"
"No! Songbird! Wrong people! Wrong song! Their wounds are healing, not ours!"
"I think that might be her point, Magne. She's betrayed us! I knew this would happen!"
I smirked and belted out the lyrics, aiming to maybe hit as many of the students that were near as possible. My best guess is that I either have a radius based on sound or skill. Me shouting is as good as I'm going to get in the event of catching some of the other kids or teachers.
"Legends never die!"
I saw the glow become even brighter and nearly all of the injuries on both Pussycats. Even better, the one still lying on the ground, Pixie-Bob, started glowing as well. I could have cried tears of joy if it weren't for the purple and black swirling portal I heard open at the edge of the clearing just behind me.
Oh, crap! No, no, no, no! Not now! Not today!
"Yes, let's move the three of you… someplace more fitting."
"Haheheh… I'm so thankful to the media for all the free publicity lately. Right? Isn't it nice? Katsuki Bakugo."
I was sat on the floor in my usual spot, albeit with quite a few more injuries to myself than I'd had before we'd left. Just like he'd promised, I would regret going against them. I paid for it with a severely broken arm and fingers. I won't go into specifics, but wenches are meant for industrial building, not bones.
I'd been gagged once more and denied that slop they called food that they forced through a gap in the mask when they wanted to feed me. I was to be denied any form of sustenance for three days. Any attempt to help me or share with me any shred of kindness would be punished accordingly.
One thing kept me from feeling like a complete failure, and that was showing the two Pro Heroes that I was a hostage like Bakugo here and that I was able to leave Pixie-Bob in far better condition than she would have been. She still had to be hospitalized for a concussion, but the news reported that she was recovering well.
Ragdoll was still in bad condition, but All For One allowed me to heal her after he took her quirk for himself. A surprisingly kind gesture considering who he is, but I wouldn't let it get to my head that he was a good guy in any sense of the word.
It sucked to not be able to directly tell Bakugo that I was sorry for his being kidnapped, or that I wasn't with these guys. Making sure to look down and away anytime that he made eye contact with me hopefully helped him make that connection. That and the way that nobody else was allowed to show me kindness.
"Bakugo, just look at all the nice friends you can make here. Everyone here shares the same ideals as you, why don't you join us? You'd be a great asset to helping us reach our goals."
"Can it! I don't want 'nuthin to do with you lame-asses! Especially if that is how you treat your friends."
He made a point to eye me once more and I repeated the apologetic action, actually wincing rather than faking. There was no way that arm would be usable ever again. It was a mystery as to how it hadn't fallen off yet. Toga sure had a fun time with that one.
I crawled closer to the corner when Shigaraki lackadaisically made his way over to me with open arms.
"Oh, this one? She's a bit too reckless with her quirk. We keep her this way to keep her safe! See?"
He reached down to pat my head, making sure to keep his finger away from my head. I instantly attempted to move my head up into the last finger, but I only managed to get a few hairs to disintegrate rather than my whole head as I wanted.
"No! You idiot! Stop doing that!"
I received a true smack to the head from Magne.
"Would you stop trying to kill yourself, deary? It's very unbecoming of a lady."
I collapsed against the floor in an effort to appear docile. I hated being hit. I hated what they did to my arm. I hated that they hurt people for fun. I hate them all.
"Oi. Real great rag-tag group you got here. I sure would love to join a group of suicidal villains."
Shigaraki returned to his seat and smirked, though that smirk was betrayed to me by his scratching.
"You'll join us. It might just take a bit of persuading and time."