This was absolutely insane.
Niwa couldn't believe she had managed to survive this long and befriend a fucking villain!
Either she would be needing some massive rehab after this or a fucking acting award!
Niwa settled her rapid heart as Toga skipped away happily.
Niwa knew this feeling. It was nostalgic… In the worst of ways. Like walking over ice, consumed by anxiety, never knowing when one step would crack beneath her feet.
Niwa had slipped into this feeling easier than she'd thought possible. Choosing her words with finite delicacy, acting in the manner her biggest threat wished her to, reading every twitch and reaction. It felt like the chains around her body had once again slithered under her skin and restrained everything that made her who she was.
It was disgusting.
She wasn't that person anymore. She thought she had broken free. She thought the chains were shattered. Only now did Niwa realize those feelings had never been broken. She still hadn't escaped.
The room's attention was quickly stolen by the news report on the small tv at the other end of the room and Shigraki Tomura turned the tv volume up in a very normal way. She had no idea why that was so strange to her.
"…U.A High School's formal apology press conference." The announcer's voice rung louder through the tv and Niwa's attention was stolen.
"We deeply apologize for this incident that allowed harm to come to 27 first years of the hero course because of our unpreparedness." Her homeroom teacher spoke clearly, "We apologize for causing unease in society due to our negligence in properly defending ourselves as a place of learning. We are truly sorry." Her teacher, Vlad-Sensei, and the principal all bowed in deep apology on tv.
"I'm from Yomiuri TV." A reporter spoke up from the crowd in the conference, "Since the beginning of the year, U.A High School students have had four encounters with villains. This time, there were even students injured. How do you plan to explain to their families, and what are some specific countermeasures you are taking?"
"We will increase policing in the surrounding area and review the security within the school, ensuring the student's safety with a strong position." The mousy principal spoke, "That is what we told them."
"Regarding the security already-"
Shigaraki turned to look back over his shoulder, "It's so strange…"
As the main villain swiveled in his seat, Niwa watched from behind a curtain of magenta hair.
"Why are the heroes being criticized? The way they were dealing with things was just a little off the mark." Shigaraki's tone dropped, "Is it because it's their job to protect? Everyone makes a mistake or two. Are they supposed to be perfect?"
Niwa's teeth were clenched tight. How dare this bastard shove this in their faces…
"Modern-day heroes are so uptight." Shigaraki continued, "Don't you think, Bakugou?"
Feelings of the past crept through her veins without mercy. The overwhelming desire to kill… She wanted, oh how she wanted, to thoroughly murder this asshole.
"Once heroes receive compensation to protect people, they aren't heroes anymore. This is Stain's teaching." Said the Stain cosplay lizard guy.
"A strange system of transforming peoples into money or glory… The society that sticks tight to those rules… The citizens who blame the losers rather than encourage them…" Shigaraki's facts hit painfully, "Our fight is to question: What is a Hero? What is justice? Is this society truly just? We'll have everyone thinking about it. We're planning on winning… You like winning, too, right?"
Bakugou remained quiet, a silence she wasn't used to from her favorite explosion. It was clear to Niwa that Shigaraki Tomura was a manipulator. A terrifyingly accurate manipulator who used the truth to get into people's heads.
"Dabi, release his restraints," Shigaraki ordered.
Neither student reacted to the words. They needed to bide their time carefully, compliantly, like water.
"Huh?" The black-haired guy, Dabi, turned to Shigaraki, "This guy's gonna fight, you know?"
"It's fine." Shigaraki insisted casually, "We need to treat him like an equal, since we're scouting him. Besides, you can tell if you'll win or not, right, U.A students?"
Heh. Her amusement was bitter.
Looked like they hadn't done enough homework on Bakugou. With Bakugou, it didn't matter what the chances were. In that explosive bastard's brain, the only option was to win. Niwa relaxed a little, testing the tension of her restraints.
"Twice, you do it." Dabi offloaded the job.
"What, me? No way." The half-black half-white bodysuit villain rejected.
"Do it." Dabi sounded completely done with this situation.
"I don't wanna…" Despite his protests, the villain Twice walked forward.
"I do apologize for such forceful methods." Said the villain she had already booted in the face once, "But please do understand that we aren't just a mob trying to commit crimes. We didn't kidnap you by accident."
The clicking and tinking of buckles and metallic keys pumped adrenaline in her blood once again, but this time, Niwa could feel it.
Whatever the hell it was, it was there, within reach. Like a string within her mind, swaying tauntingly back and forth, coaxing her to grasp it. She felt it not only in her shifting vision but in her nerves as well. The moment she grasped that thread of power, Niwa knew.
This was the power of her quirk.
Limit shattering.
A burning itch that promised potential.
Starved.
That's more like it. This is who she was.
The tense pressure of her grit jaw loosened, and she grinned from behind the curtain of her hair.
"Even though our situations differ, everyone here has been restricted and suffered. Because of people… rules… and heroes." Shigaraki approached the now unrestrained Bakugou, "I'm sure you also-"
Bakugou burst from his seat, punched the Twice villain, and popped a small but powerful explosion right in Shigaraki's face.
Niwa had been pushed back by Bakugou's force but wasted no time shattering the bulky cuffs against her knee and quickly snapping off her other restraints.
She remained crouched behind Bakugou as the boy steadied himself on his feet and her eyes scanned over the other villains. All of them looked surprised. Well, except Dabi. He wore the perfect example of 'I told you so' on his face.
"I listened quietly to your endless talking… Idiots can't get to the point, so they're always talking for way too long." Bakugou growled lowly, "Basically, you mean 'We wanna harass people, so please join us,' right? Don't bother."
It was so stupid, and later she might even call herself stupid out loud, but Bakugou's deep, raspy voice had her stomach twisting in weird ways and sent a shiver to her fingertips.
Atta' boy, she couldn't help thinking with pride.
"I want to win like All Might. No matter what anyone says, that will never change!"
The silence of the room as it bided its time in thick tension gave way to the press conference on tv. "-would have infringed on the future."
"Can you say the same for the kidnapped Bakugou?" Asked the news reporter. Niwa disliked how still the room full of villains remained unmoving. "He enrolled at U.A with excellent marks and won the sports festival. In addition, during the incident with the sludge villain in middle school, he resisted the powerful villain alone. He has a history of showing how tough and heroic he can be… On the other hand, the violence he showed in the finals against his opponent – Niwa, who has also been taken – and his attitude at the awards ceremony… Shows that he is not very mentally stable."
This asshole reporter…
"Then the other kidnapped student, Niwa, who has a remarkably similar background and a comparable uncontrollable attitude… What if the villain's kidnapped them because they had their eyes on that? Kidnapping with deceitful words and dyeing them in the path of evil? What evidence do you have for saying their future is hopeful?"
Niwa silently prayed for this reporter to choke on his microphone.
She could see her homeroom teacher stand once again on the screen and the camera focused back on the man who hated the press more than most heroes.
Aizawa-Sensei bowed, "As an educator, I take full responsibility for Bakugou's violent attitude. However, his actions at the sports festival originate in what he considers as ideal strength… He is trying harder than anyone to become the top hero… If the villains saw that and thought they had an opening, then I believe they are being short-sighted."
Several eyes in the room frowned at the tv for a moment before returning to Bakugou who stood with hands ready to blow the place up.
"That's not evidence, though. This isn't a question of how you feel-"
"Niwa was not kidnapped." Aizawa-Sensei silenced the reporter, "My student acted on an opportunity to aid her classmate and showed incredible potential for her future. If that is not evidence enough that my students are devoted to becoming top heroes…"
"S-Still, I am asking whether you have a concrete plan in place."
"We are not just standing around idly. We are currently investigating along with the police. We will definitely get our students back." Principal Nezu affirmed.
Bakugou gave a short single laugh, "You went and said it, Aizawa-Sensei! That's how it is, you damn scum of a league!"
Niwa chuckled breathlessly. What the hell was this Explodo-pants so happy about? Despite her inner musings, Niwa still felt the surge of pride she had as a student of U.A.
They had told them a bunch of information that even the damn police didn't know. That info alone would make them extremely unwilling to let them leave breathing. But they had gone through all that trouble of kidnapping Bakugou, so they wouldn't want to kill him. Niwa couldn't speak for herself on the other hand. If they got the opportunity, Niwa knew she was as good as dead.
"Just so you know, we're still allowed to fight!" Bakugou yelled.
This crazy-ass bastard. He really was planning on getting her murdered. Fuck it, not like they had any other options but to fight.
"You know what your position is, huh? What a smart boy!" Said the sunglasses guy.
"No, he's an idiot." Dabi retorted lazily.
"Then I'll stick you and suck my new friend!" Toga clapped happily.
"Even if he wasn't going to join us, he should've pretended we were winning him over… He's done it now." The mask guy had a point…
"I won't do something I don't want to even if I'm faking it." Bakugou taunted, "And I don't want to be in an annoying place like this for very long."
Shigaraki moved for the first time since Bakugou had popped an explosion in his face and Niwa was instantly hit with a wave of bloodlust that had her hackles rising like a feral cat.
"Don't touch him, any of you." With Shigaraki's words, the bloodlust cooled off as fast as it came and Shigraki picked up the hand-mask-thing before placing it back on his face, "These two… are valuable pieces."
. . .
Holy shit.
Niwas brain stalled.
Pieces? She was included? Had she escaped the instant death flag?
"I wish you would have listened to me a little… I thought we could come to an understanding… Though it sure seems like Niwa understands, why can't you?" Her skin shivered at Shigaraki's words.
"An understanding? No chance." Bakugou's tone was laced with ridicule, "Niwa follows me. She ain't gonna be one of your trashy villains. Neither am I."
"Then I have no choice. The heroes said they're continuing their investigation of us… We don't have time to talk leisurely." Shigaraki turned back to the tv, "Sensei, lend me your power."
Niwa had no idea when the screen had changed but the voice that flowed through the monitor-
"That was a good decision, Shigaraki Tomura."
Riddled her with chills.