It was getting just a little ridiculous, but only one of the three villains could recognize this fact. Kugutsu sprinted at her prey, shadows enshrouding her and keeping herself hidden as she attacked. Dabi watched as she was either snatched from midair and torn in half or smashed against a tree trunk into a gross puddle. Twice hurried to make another double, who would then begin the process again.

After watching his fellow villain die a seventh time, Dabi decided he had tolerated it long enough. The eighth Kugutsu double was moving to sprint after the shadow quirk student again when Dabi caught her and slung the girl over his shoulder like an otaku with a fresh body pillow for their pillow case love. "That's enough."

"Let me down," she snarled, fingers digging at his back.

He was tempted to let her go die two more times. If not just for the sake of making a joke about cats and nine lives. However, they did have a job to. "Crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

"…don't know what you're talking about…" Her ears flattened in irritation and looked away as Twice followed Dabi.

The dark-haired villain smirked in the darkness. "You already died seven times. You've got two left before Twice stops making more of you. So you're going to make this one count." Twice started to argue, but stopped himself when Dabi turned to look at him. "She gets nine lives. That's more than enough to do some damage if she's smart."

Kugutsu growled and slammed a hand against the middle of his back, touching Twice's shadow. The shadow quivered and then solidified, wavering backwards and then forwards to slam into Dabi's lower back. He was knocked forward and Kugutsu propelled herself forward over his shoulder. She managed to twist and land on her feet, dodging Twice and sprinting off into the dark forest.

She put her hands out to her sides, gathering shadows around her into a big shadowy bird form to cover her and lift her off the ground. Of course, being weaker than actual wings, she was only lifted a short ways off the ground and had to take frequent breaks, but she was determined.

Licking her lips, she felt the happiness bubbling up. The excitement. I'm going to splash baby hero blood all over this forest! I'm going to scar one of these little brats even if it kills me! Her heart beat faster and faster as she neared something intriguing. Something, someone, she recognized immediately.

Kugutsu had managed to keep her facial expression blank since she was recreated by Twice. Now she lost her composure. Her lips curled into a broad, wicked grin. A high-pitched, hysterical laugh escaped her as she let herself drop to the ground. She sprinted through the trees, not taking her eyes off of the prey in the distance. The prey with dark green hair and freckles. The prey that was already clearly wounded and would make the perfect gift for her crush.

She could imagine it already. Dragging Midoriya's bloody, dying body back with her to the bar. Dropping him on the floor and showing Shigaraki what she had brought for him. He would be impressed. He would be proud. Hopefully he would pat the top of her head to show his gratitude because she was starting to really like it whenever he did that.

Shift P.O.V

"I'll do whatever it takes…to prove that I'm real." Kugutsu stared up at Shigaraki, nervousness twisting her stomach and making sweat bead up at her hairline. She was still gripping his wrist, gently. "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it. I'll show you I'm real. I'll prove to you how loyal I am."

"You'd do anything I tell you, wouldn't you? Even if it hurts." He saw her nod and he scowled bitterly. Shigaraki glared down at her for a moment and then leaned back. He felt her hand tighten around his wrist and bit his lower lip, feeling the girl's fingertips press hard against his skin. The expression on her face was far from the usual blank, composed look.

She looked absolutely desperate now. Tearful, terrified. Kugutsu almost looked like she was afraid he would leave her. The look on her face was like that of a child suddenly all alone in a grocery store and unable to find their parent. The girl was clutching to his hand, this horribly dangerous hand, like it was something precious. As if losing her grip on him would break her last thread of sanity.

I'll show him! I'll prove to him that I'm loyal! I won't let him down again! Kugutsu lowered her gaze from his eyes to where she was gripping his wrist. It felt like her chest was being squeezed, her ribs feeling as though they were being pressed inward and piercing her heart.

"Twice said that his doubles can take as much damage as a broken arm before they come apart," she murmured. The female villain shifted her gaze to her own right arm, traveling along from where her hand held Shigaraki's wrist to her elbow. Thinking about it made her stomach turn. She was imagining her arm snapped in half, the elbow bending the wrong way.

Before she could even start to determine how she would break her arm, her idol seemed to have a change of heart. Shigaraki grumbled and walked to retrieve his handheld console. "What good would you be then? You'd be useless." He slid down the wall beside her, settling on the floor. "Stop crying."

Kugutsu blinked, just then realizing that tears were rolling down her face. She grimaced and wiped at her eyes with her mesh sleeve, the hole-filled sleeves not helping even slightly. I can't believe I'm crying in front of him. He probably thinks I'm so lame! I just wanted to impress him! How did this turn into such a mess? I just want him to think I'm cool!

A hand rested on the top of her head and her heart skipped a beat. She felt four fingertips gradually migrate to the same ear he had gripped earlier. The girl tried to ignore the warmth rising to her face and instead picked up her console again. "L-let's get that item for you. We're running out of time."

Shift P.O.V

She really was insane. He watched her from the corner of his eye, trying to guess how exactly she intended to break her arm. Shigaraki knew she was going to do it unless he stopped her. She was his maniacal, bloodthirsty, possibly rabid, fan girl. Her loyalty was so great that she was willing to break her own arm to prove it.

He had never had someone so completely devoted to him before. No one looked at Shigaraki the way that she did. No one had ever clung to his hand the way she had and she held it as if it was something important to her.

His gaze lowered to his hand now as he thought of that moment when she brought it to her neck. If she had managed to get all of his fingers to touch her at once, she would have been dead. Kugutsu would have died right in front of him, crumbling away in decay. She had enough trust in him to bring his hand against her throat and believe that he would keep his fingers from touching her all at once.

Even now, she was frantically clicking buttons on her console as she tried everything possible to get him the item he wanted. He watched her do this and felt his heart doing that thing again. That weird pounding, skipping sort of thing that he hated. Not having felt like this about another person before, he assumed he was probably getting close to having a heart attack or something.

Shigaraki noticed her gradually moving away from him as she focused on her game, turning slightly. His hand drew away from her ear and he scratched at his neck as he scowled. "What're you doing?"

"Ah. Sorry, I-" She released a quiet yelp when a finger hooked into the back of her shirt and yanked her backwards.

He let her fall against him and grumbled, his arms going around to the front of her with his console. Now he could play, but keep her close. Not to mention, it probably made her day to feel like he was actually holding her. Shigaraki chewed on his lower lip as he felt her slowly relax. They had one hour before the others would be back with the new potential member.

When Kugutsu finally succeeded in claiming the legendary item, the villain covered her mouth to muffle a strange squeal of excitement. She started to tremble with excitement and held up her console, as if she thought he was unable to see the screen. "I…I did it! Shigaraki, I-!" She turned toward him and went silent when their eyes met.

His eyes narrowed and he gripped the console, keeping his little finger elevated. They had half an hour until the others would arrive. Half an hour in which he had to make a difficult decision. Letting her get near the new potential member had about an eighty percent chance of bloodshed or even murder. She was out of her mind, after all.

In his moment of distraction, he failed to notice her turning toward him. When Shigaraki lifted his gaze from the console screen, he saw Kugutsu staring at him from just a very short distance away. "What're you staring at? You said you'd get me the item. I'm just trading it over-"

Kugutsu, in a burst of either insane confidence or crazy fan girl love, slid her arms around his neck faster than he could react. She hugged him tightly, her face resting at the area between his neck and shoulder. Her breath felt warm against his skin and the villain tensed. His own breathing hitched as he felt her chest press against his and he gripped the console tighter.

"I…I'm sorry that I let you down before. I wanted to show you how much I can help and I just ended up disappointing you. Please just…don't hate me." It almost sounded like the girl was pleading. Desperate, longing. Things that no one had ever felt toward him before. Things that no sane human being should feel toward Shigaraki.

Being the socially inept gremlin that he was, he had no idea how to react to this show of affection. Clearly she wanted his approval. She wanted reassurance. She probably wanted him to hug her back, but he was Shigaraki Tomura. There was a better chance of All Might frowning than Shigaraki actually hugging back.

"What are you doing?" he grumbled. He wanted to pull away, but at the same time he enjoyed it on some bizarre level. It was like staring directly into the sun; mesmerizing and horribly uncomfortable all at once.

"Ah. Sorry! I shouldn't have-!" Kugutsu moved to lean back, arms lifting and going out to her sides. She found herself unable to lean away though.

His arms closed around her, holding up the console so he could see the screen. The buttons clicked as he traded the special item from her avatar to his, all the while keeping her from moving away from him. "I asked you a question. Who said you had to move? If you're going to give me something like this, you shouldn't take it away before I'm ready."

Shift P.O.V

Wait. Does he like this? Kugutsu's pulse quickened at the realization that he had let her get this close. He could have pushed her away at any second, but he let the incredibly awkward hug happen and now he was telling her he would dictate when it ended.

Her face went red as she felt his arms press tighter against her sides and she was pulled closer. It's almost like he's hugging me. She was unable to stop the grin from spreading across her face. The idea that her crush was hugging her made the girl almost giddy. She felt heat rushing through her at the thought and she slipped her arms around his neck again.

"What kind of fan keeps ignoring a simple question?"

It was then that Kugutsu remembered that Shigaraki had asked her twice now about just what the hell she was doing to him. She tensed for a moment and blinked, her face about two inches from the space between his neck and shoulder. "…it's a hug…" she finally mumbled, painfully embarrassed. "If you don't like it-"

"Why are you hugging me?" He sounded mildly irritated, but mostly confused.

She heard the click of buttons pause behind her back. When a hand reached up to her ear, she tensed at the sudden touch. She bit back a startled yelp and hugged tighter. A fingertip ran along the edge of her pointed feline ear, sending shivers down her spine. "Because I…love you. I wanted to hug you."

To her embarrassment, she began to purr and found herself nuzzling against the side of his neck. Trying to get him to pet more of the top of her head. What the hell am I doing? I'm acting like some kind of needy fan girl! He's probably disgusted! He probably thinks I'm weak and-!

"They're here." There was a subtle excitement to his voice as he spoke. Shigaraki had picked up his phone, apparently having received a message while she was distracted by her blissful fan girl moment. He was released from her hold and stood without a word about the weird, barely romantic, moment they had shared.

Kugutsu tucked her console away in her bag and stood to accompany him. He watched her approach and chewed at his lower lip, looking almost conflicted. Like he was trying to make up his mind about something really important. She tilted her head, curious about what he might be thinking about.

Finally, he seemed to make up his mind. He had picked up "Father" on his way to the door and now he fixed the disembodied hand over his face. Shigaraki turned away from her and opened the door. He gave her a beckoning gesture without a word and started walking.

She felt excitement bubbling up, threatening to make her giggle. Kugutsu hid her grin behind a hand as she followed her object of affection down the hallway. This was an important moment. The first big moment for the League of Villains. And I get to be part of it! I get to walk into this moment with Shigaraki! Today is the best day of my life! Nothing can ruin this for me!