Monday

Kota stared at the large gates in front of the Shie Hassaikai hideout. They looked just as tall and menacing as the last time, brown paint, wire, electricity running through to keep out trespassers. It matched the other business buildings in the area, leaving people passing by unsuspecting of the evil inside.

"Hello?" Kota buzzed in. "I think I missed the bus again."

The screen on the tan keypad, flashed to static, then a shadowy figure appeared. "Are you wearing your mask?" The voice, even distorted, was unmistakably Overhaul.

"Yes." Kota tapped on the bird beak over his nose and mouth. He looked up at the camera zooming in on his face. "I have about ten minutes before school starts so if you can drive me?"

Beep.

Kota took a nervous step forward as the gates opened up.

"Come in."

Kota half-ran, half-walked across the courtyard. He didn't want the cameras to pull out guns or something. He stopped at the front door and Kai answered with Eri at his side.

"Sou." Eri greeted him.

"Good morning." Kota said. "I hope I'm not disrupting your online school stuff."

"No." Eri shook her head. "I can get started on my work any time. I was—"

"Come inside if you're gonna come inside." Kai interrupted. His expression grim and his tone slightly annoyed. "We're not gonna talk out here, letting in all those germs."

"Isn't it weird, your house is like an office?" Kota stepped inside. The building layout wasn't anything like one he'd seen before.

"No." Eri looked at Kai as if awaiting instructions.

Kai closed the door and locked it tight. He scratched at a few acne bumps on his skin as if the fresh air had given him an allergic reaction. He wasn't wearing his green jacket, just a dress shirt, slacks, and a tie. No mask.

Kota pulled off his mask. His eyes watered—bleach. The smell filled the whole building. It wrapped around the halls and doorways, to cradle to sleep the after whiff of blood. Why did the house smell like blood?

"Go finish breakfast and bring Kota with you." Kai walked away. "I'm going to get my keys."

"Yes, sir." Eri said. She followed behind him for a little bit, before stopping near a threshold.

Kota noticed the little blotches of red on her bandages.

"Sou, you coming?" Eri tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Uh…" Kota felt Kai's eyes on him. "Y-yeah." He stumbled towards Eri. For some reason he could hear her words echoing in his ears, "My family is like yours. They kill people." He met her eyes, waves of sadness and false hope.

"I'm eating cereal." Eri led Kota into what looked like a normal break room. There was a fridge, a countertop, cabinets, and a table with three seats in the middle.

"Your house is really weird." Kota said.

"You already said that." Eri took a seat at the table. "And I said that it's not." She munched on cereal.

"This place is laid out like an office."

"That's what it's supposed to look like."

"It's so dumb!"

"Just because you don't understand something doesn't make it dumb." Eri swallowed. "Sometimes things are more than just looks." She rested her spoon against the bowl. "Are ya gonna sit down?"

"Sit?" Kota shook his head. "You're dripping blood everywhere."

"Hmm?" Eri lifted an arm. "Oh it's the thin bandages. I can ask my dad to rewrap them."

Kota inched closer, trying to see her tightly wrapped arms. "Is it because you were messing with them? You did it back in the car too."

"It's just a bad habit." Eri lowered her arms and sat on both her hands. She leaned closer to the table. "Villains shouldn't worry over a little blood."

"I guess." Kota said. He shoved his hands in his pocket and wrinkled his brow. "You're sitting on your hands so how are you gonna eat?"

"Like in the cartoons." Eri lapped up the milk with her tongue.

"That's not how it's done." Kota took a seat beside her and sat on his hands. "It's like this." he used his chin to lower one side of the bowl and slurped up the milk.

"You're making a mess." Eri pulled off a few paper towels. Her voice sounded lighter as she was slightly amused.

Kota looked up, expecting to see a smile on Eri's face. There was none. Eri's expression was empty.

"And you have a milk mustache." Eri handed him the paper towels. The bowl of cereal sloshed back on the table as she pulled it closer towards her. "Such a sloppy eater. If we were playing tea party you'd be kicked out."

"I wouldn't get kicked out because I wouldn't play a lame game like tea party!"

"With eating skills like that you wouldn't be invited."

"My eating skills are..." Kota wiped his mouth. He thought of the fancy word Dabi used before, "Decent." He smiled smugly. That would show her.

"Good is better than decent." Eri blinked.

"You...you know what decent means?" Kota crushed the paper towel, bunching it up smaller and smaller.

"It's one of my vocab words." Eri picked up a paper from the table. "See?"

"Eh?" Kota pointed at the words written on the paper. "It says decent, dent, destroy, de...de...de…"

"Describe." Eri sounded the word out for him. She directed his finger to the word. "When I saw you on tv, you sounded smart and cool. It's sad that you don't know basic grammar."

"I do!" Kota shouted. He lowered his voice as Eri jerked back. "I mean, I'm working on it. Daddy and I are working on it."

"Oh." Eri seemed to be visibly shaken. She put the paper back on the table and bit her lip.

"I didn't mean to yell." Kota felt real stupid all of a sudden. "I'm trying to learn, so it just bothers me...when...when I think someone is calling me dumb."

"You're not dumb. You're just sad." Eri restated.

"That's still a mean thing to say." Kota said.

"Sorry." Eri said.

"Eri, what did I tell you about apologizing for things?" Kai entered the room. He leaned against the countertop.

"I'm not allowed to say sorry for things that are true." Eri lowered her head.

"Exactly." Kai tapped on the counter, the marble top seemed to mold and shape. "Foolishness should be reddiculded without concession." He held up his fist, and opened up his palm to reveal the keys. "That's why you attend school, to crush foolish actions before they're taken without a plan."

Tuesday

"Good morning." Kota buzzed in. The bird overhead chirped playfully, the cars zoomed passing by, and the sun was hidden behind the clouds.

"Missed the bus two days in a row?" Kai asked.

"I forgot to set my alarm." Kota nodded at the cameras. He showed off his backpack. "But I'm ready to go."

The gates opened and Kota walked to the front door. Kai was waiting with Eri at the threshold.

"Sou, I got a new gift yesterday." Eri raised a jump rope in the air. "I bet I can jump longer without getting tripped up."

"Eri, he has to get to school." Kai pushed her hand back down. He looked Kota up and down almost as if misjudging his perception. "But interesting enough, I never heard a school bus pass by all morning."

Kota kicked his foot against the floor mat.

"For someone who attends school you do know where the proper bus stop is, correct?" Kai raised a brow and locked the front door.

"I just wait wherever my daddy drops me off." Kota pulled off his mask. He hung it up on the coat rack, beside a gray jacket and a pair of pink shoes. There were five masks hanging up, two jackets-the green one had to be Kai's. Why were there five masks? Extras?

"Your father, I would like to meet him someday." Kai said. "The least he can do is show his face, when I'm driving his brat to school."

"I'm not a brat." Kota mumbled under his breath and clenched his fist. He really wanted to punch Kai in the balls. It was tempting, especially as Kai tapped on Eri and whispered something in her ear.

Kota didn't like it when Kai touched her. He didn't like it when Kai spoke to her. He didn't like it when Kai controlled her.

"Yes, sir." Eri fixed her rope. She rocked it back and forth, then began jumping down the hall.

Kota followed behind her. Eri jumped rope all the way down to the break room.

"He's going to get the car keys." Eri jumped faster. "So we can play while he's searching."

"He sucks." Kota took a seat at the table. He rested his face in his palm and knitted his eyebrows together. "I hope he trips on air."

"I almost did that jumping rope yesterday." Eri jumped with timed precision, her long hair rising and falling. "I tried to do the crossover."

"You can do that?"

"I think I mastered it." Eri's arms formed an X shape across her chest then the rope swung over head and feet. "See."

"So cool! You did it so fast!" Kota jumped out of his seat. "And you just got the rope yesterday?" He paused, taking note of how close he was to Eri and the volume of his voice. "It's cool."

"Really?" Eri stopped jumping and handed Kota the rope. "I can teach you."

"Uh…" Kota pulled off his backpack. He placed it against the table.

"Hold it like this." Eri put the hand grips in Kota's palm.

"I know how to jump rope." Kota snatched the rope away and got into position. "I'm just not very fast." He started jumping, the plastic grip sliding in his palms. His palms...they were already sweaty from his nerves and with Eri watching his every move... His heart picked up speed.

"That's because you're not spinning it fast."

"I can't."

"It's easy just tighten your hands and roll your wrist."

"How can you say that?" Kota found his eyes wandering to her wrapped up arms. "Your arms are weaker than mine."

"Nu-uh. I had my bandages doubled wrapped." Eri showed off her fresh bandages. "Extra, extra, today."

Kota scrunched up his nose. How could that be? The air still smelled like blood. It was an unmistakable stench, one that filled his nostrils and made his head spin.

"No it's-!" Kota felt his grip loosen up as water blasted from his palm. "Duck!"

Eri stood still as a statue as the rope went flying out of Kota's hands. It hit the cabinets then slid down to rest halfway off the counter. "How'd you do that?"

"My quirk." Kota felt his face heat up. He stared at the floor. "I can shoot water from my palm. It's hard to control, when...well, it happens by accident. But I'm getting better at using it at will."

"Your quirk." Eri looked at him strangely. She touched her horn. "Like mine?"

"Probably not, unless you can shoot water out of it."

Eri shook her head.

"What can you do?"

Eri picked up the jump rope. She went quiet and started jumping again.

"Ya not gonna tell me?"

"Maybe when you can properly jump rope."

"I can jump rope!" Kota held his hand out. "Didn't you just see me?"

"Slowly doesn't count." Eri spun the rope faster.

"No fair! I've only done it alone all this time. How was I supposed to know the rules?"

"Don't be mad, Kota." Eri said. "This is the first time for me playing jump rope with someone too. Most of the time, I pretend with my teddy bears."

"I'm not mad." Kota said. "I shout sometimes when I get...mmm, ya know."

"Your dad doesn't get mad when you shout?" Eri stopped jumping.

"No. My dad and I yell all the time, we shout and scream when practicing with my quirk." Kota nodded. "When you're playing with someone it's even more fun!"

"I don't know if I believe that's true." Eri held out the rope to let Kota take a turn. "But you're fun to play with Kota."

"Everyone ready?" Kai called from down the hall.

Kota quickly pushed the rope back over to Eri. Eri tucked the rope to her side as Kai walked in.

"Yes, sir." Eri said.

"Good girl." Kai sprayed disinfectant in the air. "I hope you both behaved." He shook the spray can.

Kota didn't think people were supposed to just spray that like air freshener. It didn't seem right.

"Less movement makes everything less filthy and makes you more safe." Kai aimed the disinfectant at the ceiling. "One of the biggest mistakes people make when they walk into a room is that they don't look up."

Eri nodded, twisting up the rope around her hand.

"They keep their head down and look side to side, but never up." Kai stopped and looked out a window. "Dirty fool." He narrowed his eyes at a Pro-hero running by on the sidewalk.

"Look up?" Kota lifted his head. He noticed the cracks along the ceiling and a little gap between the wall.

"They'll never know what secrets are just below their feet and if the key is right above their head." Kai turned slightly, his shadow casting over Eri. "So sad."

Wednesday

"Three days in a row?" Kai opened the door. Eri gave Kota a friendly wave.

"I slept through my alarm this time." Kota stepped inside and pulled off his mask. "You left the front gate open."

"That's because we were expecting someone." Kai gazed out into the courtyard. He seemed to be checking up and down the empty street. "But tardiness is inexcusable." He hit a button on the wall and the gates slammed shut.

"You're locking them out?" Kota asked.

"Sou...don't. It's not important." Eri hushed him.

Kota looked at her. She had a new outfit today. It looked better than her plain tan dress. She was wearing an oversized blue shirt with leggings.

Kai checked himself in a mirror near the coat rack. He fixed his tie, tightening it around his neck. His head tilted to the side as his lips tugged towards hell. "Eri."

"Yes, sir?" Eri clasped her hands together.

"You're excused for the day. I have to worry about our little break through."

"Is...is it bunny boy?"

"Don't worry your pretty little mind over it." Kai turned away from the mirror. "It's not good for your health." He put on his mask and green jacket. "I'll be back." He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"Where is he going, he closed the gates?" Kota shook his head. "This whole place is really strange. And you...you let him talk to you any kind of way. Why do you let that happen?"

"The less I say, the less people get hurt." Eri closed her eyes as if relieved she saved a few lives. She hummed a tune that Kota didn't recognize, it sounded almost hopeful. "The more I can avoid him, the better. Today is a good day...I can stay in my special place after we take you to school."

"Eh? You have a special place in this weird house?"

"Do you not have your own bedroom, Kota?"

"This place looks like an office! Do you have a bedroom?"

"I live here. Why wouldn't I?"

Kota shrugged. It was an undeclared taunt: prove it.

Eri walked down the hall. Her hand brushed against a vase resting on a table. "Close your eyes."

"No." Kota said.

"Fine. It will only make the trick less magical." Eri lifted the vase and pressed a switch.

Kota felt the room start to rumble, as the wall slowly shifted to reveal an underground passageway. "What the?!" He took a few steps back.

"Hurry!" Eri walked through. "We have to be quick so we don't bump into my dad."

"Overhaul? I thought he went outside?" Kota checked the passage once more to ensure it wasn't an illusion. He hesitantly stepped behind Eri, using her as a shield in case anything went wrong.

"Outside under the large rock is another entrance to the hideout. There's a bunch of ways to get down here all over this place." Eri peeked around a corner. She checked both ways, before taking off running. "Come on lets go!"

"Wait! Don't leave me...this is the perfect place for a jump scare!" Kota stumbled a bit to catch up with her.

The long corridors reeked of blood and sweat. There were twists and turns, each one looking the same as the last as if a giant inescapable maze. Not a wall didn't look the same as the other, the doors brown and doubled, without numbers or signs.

"Are you sure we're not lost?" Kota asked.

"I just had us go the long way to be safe." Eri pushed one of the large brown doors to the side. "This is my special place." She stepped inside the room.

There was a bed next to a window covered by dark pink curtains, pink dressers, a large doll house, giant teddy bears in the corners, and a heart shaped vent on the ceiling.

"Why is your room so pink?" Kota looked around at the green and yellow flowers painted over the pink walls. "Doesn't this give you a headache?"

"It's not all pink. There are the flowers and glitter." Eri began arranging some of the dolls on the shelf.

"Glitter?" Kota pressed a hand to the wall. The wall felt cold, rough...bumpy? He traced over the bumps. Each one was like a rustic red, splattered around in a weird pattern that was almost traceable back to a single location. "This is glitter?"

"Yeah." Eri said.

"Looks like dried blood." Kota scraped his nail against the bump. If it didn't peel off, it was definitely blood. He'd seen enough murder scenes to know that-

"Does it matter?" Eri faced him, a doll in one hand and a hair brush in the other. "They both make the room look cute, right?"

"What?" Kota croaked. It felt like he lost his voice, his eyes wandered around getting lost in a wave of pink.

"Blood clashes with magenta."

"Mag—what?"

"A mix of pink and purple. My wall color is magenta." Eri waved her doll in the air. "And her skirt is Fushia. You can really see the difference side by side."

"They all look pink to me." Kota crossed his arms. "Do you have any cool toys?" He walked over to her toy box.

"My favorite doll was a gift. It's—"

"I said, cool. Dolls aren't cool. Where's the jump rope?"

"Playing dolls is like playing pretend."

Kota kneeled down and started digging through her toy box. Purses—lame, doll clothes—gross, princess crowns—too much cringe! He pushed her things to the side. "I have way cooler stuff. I have Legos and coloring books."

"This whole thing you're doing is like one big game of pretend. It's nice pretending to be your friend, Kota."

Pretending? Kota turned around to see Eri hugging her doll close to her chest. She was pretending? He felt sick to his stomach all of a sudden.

"Don't say that!" Kota shouted. "We're friends for real! Friends visit each other and hang out, like they do on those tv shows."

"We are?" Eri shyly tucked her head down.

"Duh! Kids like us with villain parents, we're going to grow up and be cool! And when I make my goal a reality, you'll be my right hand woman!" Kota held out his pinky. "I swear it.

"Thanks." Eri locked pinkies with him. Her hand was warm and rough. "I hope I live long enough to see it happen. But even if I died tomorrow, it doesn't seem too bad now. Not after meeting you, Kota."

"Don't say stupid things like that! You're not going to die!" Kota shook his head. "If anything, you're the first person in my life to ever make it in time."

The sound of footsteps passed outside the door.

"We have to go." Eri dropped the doll on the floor. Her face seemed to lose all color as she kicked a few toys out the way. "We have to get back before anyone finds we're missing."

Thursday

Kota buzzed in twice before he got a response. He walked through the courtyard to the main entrance. The doors opened up to reveal Kai standing alone at the doorway.

"I know you've been missing the bus to see Eri. She isn't feeling well today." Kai pulled off his gloves from over his hands. There were weird blots of red that stained the nice white cloth. "I'm afraid she won't be joining us on your ride to school."

"Huh?" Kota felt his face heat up. "That's not it at all." He stepped inside the office-like building. The sight was familiar to him now, a plastic plant, a long corridor, a table decorated with flowers and a vase.

He followed Kai over to the break room. It was noticeably empty, no cereal boxes or jump rope on the floor. Eri really wasn't here.

"Ah, young love. I'll do you a favor." Kai tossed the gloves in the trash. "Eri isn't who or what you think she is." His voice seemed to grow more grim. "She's cursed."

Kota shook his head. No. Please, no. He tightened his hold on his backpack straps. "I...don't know what you're talking about. I just...want to get to class."

"You don't have to play dumb any longer." Kai pulled fresh white gloves from his pocket. He pulled them over each hand, delicately as if performing a life saving surgery. "I know she showed you the underground passage yesterday."

Kota felt his breath hitch. He took a seat at the table and focused on the wood pattern.

"I don't know if she's stupid or she trust you. Or maybe it's the latter and you're stupid for trying to get close to her and you're desperately hanging on to her every word." Kai wiggled his fingers, then clenched and unclenched his fist. "Hmp. You've got guts kid."

"I'll say it again." Kota hoped his voice didn't crack. "I don't know what you're talking about. Can you just find the ke—"

"The keys?" Kai gestured to a counter. "The car keys were always right there. I would just leave to see what you were gonna do."

Kota could feel Kai's yellow eyes staring daggers at him. Don't look up. Don't break. He clicked his tongue. "Hah, that's stupid."

"No." Kai stepped closer to him. He ran a single finger over the marble countertop, then rubbed it against his thumb as if checking for any dust. "Eri has never been so vocal or outgoing about someone. I wanted to learn what type of person you are."

"I'm just a kid who wants to go to school."

The light bulb above them stopped flickering as a sudden pop rang through the air.

Kota jumped out the chair as fear shot through him.

"Running will only make it worse." Kai seemed to be moving in the darkness. It was hard to tell which direction. "If you want conviction, answers lay in the underground passageway."

Was this a trap? Kota took a step forward, moving slowly towards the light. "If you're not going to take me to…" He stepped into the hallway. His eyes watering as they adjusted to the light pouring in from the window. Outside, he could barely make out a few figures, they were both dressed in white wearing wearing bird masks. They seemed to be taking out a large trash bag dripping with blood.

"I made an agreement, didn't I?"

Kota spun around to see Kai dangling the car keys above his head.

"I'll drive you to school." Kai said. "Because you're not a bad kid." He strolled to the door. "Bad cursed children deserve to be hurt. Wouldn't you agree? Bad people have to die."

Kota kept his head low. He had nothing more to say… good and bad was just a matter of opinion. Life was all opinion based aside from facts, which could be ignored.

"So be sure to tell, Shigaraki, how I spared your life. That is if you go crying back to him after all this." Kai said.

"You've been pushing those peas around on your plate for ten minutes." Dabi motioned to Kota. "If you don't want them, toss' em in the trash."

"Hmp." Kota dragged his fork across his plate. "They taste yucky." He grabbed a napkin to wipe his palms, the paper soaked and stuck.

"What about the mash potatoes?"

"I don't want it." Kota pushed his plate away and placed his head down on the table. "I'm tired." He started working on peeling the wet napkin off.

"Heh, villainy is too hard for ya?"

Kota peeked up at him. He thought about Kai's words, "If you go crying back to him after all this." There was no way he would snitch and go cry. That was what Kai wanted to get the upper hand and hold Eri hostage. He wouldn't let him get away with that!

"You haven't said anything about Eri all day. You usually yap away about her." Dabi said "You didn't even act the same in training."

"I'm tired." Kota picked the rest of the napkin away. He put it on his picked over plate. "Plus, I don't have to talk about Eri all the time."

"She's important to your mission." Dabi tapped a pen against the table.

"I know! I know, okay! I'm working on it!" Kota felt more water gush from his hands. Darn it! Kai had gotten him all rattled up. He couldn't focus and control… He grit his teeth. "Are you working on getting rid of that monster?"

"I've decided to play it safe and take countermeasures." Dabi moved his pen and lifted up a sheet of paper.

I know who you are, Keigo Takami.

~Room 419

"This is the same exact note, you just added two words." Kota said.

"I wrote Hawks' real name." Dabi folded up the paper. "I'm going to slip this under that winged bastard's door."

"What if he opens the door, while you're standing there?"

"That's where you come in little one," Dabi grinned. "Backup in case anything goes wrong."

"If anything goes wrong…" Kota lifted his head and inhaled sharply. He rubbed his palms against his pants to try and dry them.

"Alright, real shit." Dabi tucked the note in his jacket pocket. "No more faking or dodging it." He stood up. "Did he hurt you?"

"Who?"

"Kai."

"N-no." Kota felt more water gush from his hands. What was he supposed to say? What could he say? He didn't wanna wimp out.

"What's with the hesitation, little one? You know I like straight forward answers."

"I...I don't know if I wanna go back."

"So you're ready to give your intel to the boss?"

"Intel?"

"Information. You didn't forget the point of the mission, did you?"

Kota leaned back in his chair. "I know what to do." He watched Dabi rinse his plate in the sink. "It's just…" He didn't know the word for it. Scary? He didn't want to sound weak. If he was weak Dabi would criticize him for it. He needed to do this to prove himself. Make himself a valuable asset to the family. So that...that… "I can do it."

"You don't have to go back if you don't want." Dabi said.

That was right, Kota had a choice in all this. He could decide if he wanted to stay or go. Eri didn't. She didn't get to choose a single thing that happened to her.

"I'm doing it." Kota said. "One last time, it will be in and out."

"After you do that, we'll stop to destroy Hawks, then tell Boss the good news." Dabi smirked. "It will all work out okay."

Kota really hoped so.