Beta'd by kylekatarn77 and Poliamida

54. Misplaced Trust

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't after you.

-Joseph Heller, Catch 22

"He's back! Togata's back!" Hagakure's voice shouted in the hallway, and Izuku bolted upright out of his bed. The police had come by the night before, placing Class 1A under house arrest for the time being. He raced down the stairs along with the rest of his floor, leaving behind his arm in his haste.

He pounded down the stairs to find Togata standing in the living room, Hari's arms wrapped around him as she cried. "We were so worried about you! Are you OK?"

"I"m fine, honest!" Togata laughed, awkwardly patting Hari on the back. "I wasn't ever in any real danger! Everything's perfectly fine!"

Hari took a deep breath and let him go, stepping back and folding her arms over her chest. "Next time, don't go alone!"

"I wasn't alone though!" Togata protested. "I was with Endeavor. And...and I think if any of you had been there, you would have been arrested too."

Shoto hurried up, looking worried. "My father?"

Togata sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. He's still in jail. They let me out when Sir Nighteye came to get me. I'm suspended from hero activity for now, but it will be alright. Endeavor's tough! He won't let them get to him!"

"But, Hanabata admitted he was a part of the MLA!" Hagakure protested. "How can they let him go but lock Endeavor up? He's grumpy and all but he's a real hero!"

"Being a member of the MLA isn't a crime. According to a court ruling that happened mere hours before the mission. A ruling that was kept secret," Shinso said, his voice dull. "They beat us."

"That's bullshit!" Bakugo snarled. "Those people are monsters! We all saw what they did!"

"Yeah, Katskui's right!" Uraraka declared, her hands balled into fists. "How could anyone think anything else?"

"Because the MLA has people in places of power," Shinso said, his tone full of bitterness. "Think about it. Chikazoku? A CEO of a major company. Hanabata? A high placed government official. They had enough pull to get a secret court ruling passed and to have the Number 1 Hero arrested. They set a trap with bait, and we fell for it."

"You think that Chikazawa's laptop was a plant?" Sato asked, looking worried. "Like, they planned for us to find it?"

"No," Shinso said with a sigh. "But they realized that once we had access to that information we'd try to roll up their organization. So Hanabata agreed to the meeting, knowing Endeavor was going to try to arrest him. Then he baited Togata into roughing him up. They played us for fools."

"So we go in and smash them!" Bakugo shouted.

Uraraka put a hand on his shoulder. "We can't, we're only provisionally licensed heroes. If we just burst in and start cracking heads we'll only make things worse. Besides, we don't know if Hanabata is even their leader or if this goes even further."

"Dammit!" Bakugo roared, then he sagged. "But you're right. I feel so weak and useless…"

"It's my fault," Togata said, tears coming into his eyes. "I got so angry when he said Gran Torino died for nothing. And somehow he knew about One For All!"

"That's not the first time you've said that," Izuku said, rubbing his chin. "You mentioned it before."

"What?" Togata gasped, his eyes going wide. "What? I never-"

"Yeah, you did say something about One For All," Jiro said slowly. "I just can't remember-"

"'I am the man who stands, One For All, against you,'' Kaminari said excitedly. "At Kamino! That's what you said to All For One!"

"Yeah, that's right," Kirishima agreed. "Denki's right. You do talk about that a lot. What is it?"

Togata took half a step back, looking panicked. "I-"

"Wait, didn't All For One call you the 'heir' or something?" Ashido asked. "Like 'ooo the heir has arrived!' I remember not understanding what that meant."

"One for All and All for One, I remember that from somewhere," Iida said, rubbing his chin. "I can't remember where though."

"'Un pour tous et tous pour un,'" Aoyama recited. "Eet eez from Les Trois Mousquetaires, by Alexandre Dumas. A gréat novel of mon 'omeland! Zey are rélated, non?"

"Haha! Oh yes, I loved that book!" Togata laughed, but it was high pitched and nervous. "It was a pun, you see? I make lots of those!"

"Guys, back off!" Hari said, stepping forward to put herself between Togata and the others. "He's a nervous wreck still! Geeze, you kids are grilling him like he's still in the lock up! Just relax, ok? I'm sure everything will be fine." Hari's voice started to raise in pitch, and her body started to tremble violently, her pupils dilating. "Endeavor will get out of this. The MLA isn't...it can't win, they can't...oh God, what if they come for me? We have to get you kids somewhere safe! They could be anywhere, I can't-"

Mei rushed forward to grab her sister as Hari collapsed, sobbing hysterically. Izuku hurried forward as well, putting his hand on Mei as she looked paniced herself.

"It is OK! We will make lots of babies and make everythings safe! Mines! I can make mines, and security lasers and-"

"Fear not, for I am here."

All eyes turned to Togata, as he set a reassuring hand on Hari's shoulder. She looked up at him, her eyes full of tears, her cheeks reddened and her hair in disarray. She clung to Mei, both of the sisters on the verge of panic.

"I am All Might's heir," Togata said firmly, and in that moment, somehow, he was. His jovial presence was a pillar of strength, bringing calm and order. He seemed to consider something, then looked around, his voice growing louder. "We are all All Might's heirs! We are the Pillars of Peace! The ones chosen by All Might to build a safer world. Yes, we suffered a defeat today. But we are not beaten! We shall face this trial, with a smile on our face! We will ensure a peaceful tomorrow, no matter what comes our way!"

Izuku found himself nodding along with the others. No one cheered or shouted, the mood was still grim, but the air of desperation seemed to be lifting.

"Can you keep us safe? Really?" Hari pleaded, looking up as she clung to Mei.

"I can," Togata said, extending a hand to Hari. He gently lifted her up. "Don't worry. Everything is going to be alright." He looked around, suddenly seeming a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry if I woke everyone up! I just wanted to let you all know I'm OK."

It was somewhere after midnight, but well before dawn still. A few people yawned, thanked Togata, and headed back to bed.

"Izuku? Can we work on our babies?" Mei asked him quietly.

Despite his own weariness, Izuku nodded, and they headed together off to the workshop.

"That little girl really did reduce our baby to it's base parts," Mei said for perhaps the fourth or fifth time when they arrived. "We have to rebuild the whole thing from the ground up! At least she didn't ruin your arm too."

"Yeah, her power is very strange," Izuku agreed. "And powerful. I hope Chisaki can keep her safe."

"Yes. And beat up those stupid MLA guys before they hurt Hari," Mei stated as she set to work.

Izuku frowned, considering that as they worked. "He said...he said he'd like to meet you. And that quirk suppressing drug he mentioned...what if we could use it to counter the MLA somehow? Like put it into a missile that we could use like Mr. Aizawa's quirk? That could have...I could have used it to save Bakugo."

Mei paused, frowning at Izuku. "A quirk suppressing drug? Yes...that would be very useful! We could make a lot of cute babies with that! We should meet this person."

"I don't know how," Izuku sighed. "We're basically under house arrest until the situation with Endeavor is resolved, and it's not like your sister would let us out of here to go visit a yakuza boss."

"What if we were going on a date?" Mei pondered. "If Hari thought we were going on a date, she'd probably let us go. Mr. Aizawa did say we were allowed to go out for recreation as long as we stayed close to the school."

"You think we should lie to Hari?" Izuku asked, feeling a bit guilty at even the thought of such a thing.

"No, we will go on a date, we will just tell Chisaki to meet us there," Mei explained. "If he is making super cute babies I want to learn more about them!"

Frowning, Izuku rubbed his chin. "He did say he could help against the MLA, and we really need to find a way to get Endeavor out...OK. I'll send him a text message in a few hours, once the sun comes up."

As it happened, Chisaki was delighted to meet with Izuku and Mei later that day, suggesting a local cafe where they could sit down and talk. He mentioned that Eri wasn't feeling well after her incident the day before, and couldn't join them. That didn't seem to bother Mei overmuch, who had little patience for young children at the best of times.

"A lunch date?" Hari asked, rubbing her eyes. She'd slept on the couch for the rest of the night. Togata was snoring on one himself, apparently having stayed over. A few people were dozing in the living room, while others were quietly eating breakfast.

"Yes, this time I hope there will be no people with cameras," Mei stated firmly.

"Maybe leave your flamethrower behind then," Hari yawned, stretching. She frowned, reconsidering her words. "Actually on second thought, take it with you. And make Izuku take his combat arm. Who knows what the MLA will be up to with Endeavor behind bars. Sure you don't want a few of your friends to go with you?"

"This is a private date," Mei said seriously. "I do not wish to kiss any of my other friends."

Hari snorted at that. "Yeah, yeah, fine. Just let me know where you're going and text me when you get there. And don't stay out too long! I don't want you two getting in trouble."

"Ok," Mei agreed eagerly. She glanced at Togata sideways. "Are you and Togata friends now? You have said you are lonely and complained you need a boy-"

Hari leapt up, reaching over the back of the couch to put a finger to Mei's lips. "Not another word," she hissed. "Christ Mei, he's still in school and I work here! Do you have any idea how much trouble I could get into if people thought we were dating?"

"Not as much as we are probably already in," Mei said, her voice slightly muffled.

Hari slumped back onto the couch, moaning slightly. "Ugh. You're probably right. Look, Togata just stayed to talk last night. He's going through the same crap the rest of you kids are. And, well, if I was a bit scared, he is a pretty strong hero. Can't hurt to have a few more of you around."

"Ok! We will be in the workshop until lunch, we have to rebuild the Power Suit and it will take a few days," Mei stated.

"At least we still have the Ultra Armor," Izuku pointed out as they grabbed a couple of instant ramen bowls to take back to their work station. "I can still use that if there's an emergency."

"Yes, but it does not feel right to not have both of our babies built!" Mei said, hugging herself and looking worried. "What if you have to fight in a building again? What if the MLA comes here? You could keep the Power Suit in your room, or in my room and you could stay with me to keep me and Hari safe and-"

Izuku gently came up behind Mei, wrapping her in his arms. "It's OK. We'll get through this. Maybe Chisaki can help us somehow, give us information on how the MLA is distributing drugs. He could testify on Endeavor's behalf."

"We have to stop them, Izuku. Hari is really scared," Mei whispered, clutching on to his arms. "Everyone is so scared. I don't know what to do. Maybe I should make that minefield."

"Let's save that for an emergency. I don't think Mr. Aizawa or Mr. Majima would be very happy if we turned the campus into a warzone," Izuku chuckled.

Late in the morning, Izuku and Mei went back to the dorms to freshen up. Izuku didn't think he needed to dress up that much, so he wore a nice long sleeve shirt with a clean pair of pants and a belt. He did strap on his combat arm, however. While Hari might be paranoid, he was going to meet a Yakuza boss and it wouldn't be wise to go in unprepared.

Downstairs, Hari was still dressed in her sweats, dark circles under her eyes as she inspected Mei, who was wearing her family's polo shirt under a light jacket. "Did you remember to bring your grenades? What about a taser? I have some pepper spray too if you need it," Hari fussed as she straightened Mei's jacket.

"Izuku has capture foam in his arm, that should be enough," Mei answered.

"Got a full canister loaded, along with my combat knife and laser attachment," Izuku agreed.

Hari nodded, biting her lip nervously. "Ok, well, you two be safe. And no going past first base, Mei! I found that diagram and you are absolutely not allowed to use it!"

"I still want to know what a retrograde wheelbarrow is," Mei muttered.

That made both Izuku and Hari flush. "I, um, I'll make sure she gets home safe," Izuku promised.

"I know, I know, you're a hero and Mei's a big girl. I just worry, alright? I'll let Aizawa know you two went out for lunch and I'll text if anything comes up. Have fun, you two," Hari said, waving as they departed.

The cafe where they were to meet Chisaki was only a short train ride away. They found the Eight Precepts easily enough; it was tucked away in an older part of the city, and decorated like a old buddhist temple. At the door, a blonde man dressed in a traditional monk's robe bowed to them. "Welcome, Mr. Midoriya, Miss Hatsume. I am Hekei Tengei, I shall be your waiter today. Please, right this way. Mr. Chisaki is waiting for you."

Izuku nodded, feeling a bit flustered. He was still getting used to people knowing his name and who he was just by looking at him. Fame was a funny thing, and Izuku hoped he would find a way to have some anonymity in the years to come. Mei just accepted that people knew who she was; her notoriety came from both her talkativeness during interviews and a growing number of online video compilations of supposedly funny things she said on TV. Izuku found those insulting, Mei found them hilarious.

Chisaki was dressed rather more formally, making Izuku feel rather underdressed. He had on a business suit and tie, along with his customary gloves and medical mask. He stood as they approached, bowing slightly. "So good of you to join me today. Please, have a seat. Lunch is on me."

"Izuku and I are really rich now, we can afford to buy lunch," Mei declared.

Izuku coughed. "Um, Mei, that's not really polite to tell people."

"Why? I don't want him to think he has to buy food because this is an expensive place," Mei said, sitting down and grabbing a menu.

"I see the rumors about you are true," Chisaki observed. "You are a most unique young woman. And both of you are wonderfully quirkless."

That comment made Mei freeze, gripping her menu with both hands so tightly that it crumpled.

"That's...a sensitive subject," Izuku said quietly, his metal arm clenching into a fist.

"I mean no offense," Chasaki said smoothly as Mei slowly set her ruined menu down. "I think the world would be a much better place without quirks. You know of Eri's condition, but think of the MLA and crime in general. Would not the world be a safer place if criminals did not possess such dangerous quirks? In the Before Times, crime rates were low, comparable even to All Might during his prime."

"Quirks are good! All of my friends but Izuku have quirks and they use them to help people," Mei huffed.

"Yes, I agree the MLA is wrong, and quirks do need to be controlled, but that's the world we live in; one filled with quirks. There's nothing wrong with quirks, just what people do with them," Izuku said, taking Mei's hand in his and squeezing.

"Perhaps," Chisaki agreed. "But let us order lunch. The soba is quite good."

They made their orders to the waiter, and Izuku took a moment to look around the restaurant. There were only a few people there, quietly dining at their own tables. One pair of men in business suits stood out to Izuku, as one was a tiny dwarf, and the other a hulking, muscular man with sunken knuckles. Had he been a hero at one point? Uraraka and Sato's hands looked like that these days, even with healing from Recovery Girl.

"What about the babies you are making?" Mei suddenly demanded.

Chisaki started, nearly spilling his cup of tea on himself. "Oh, right. That's your term for inventions, is it not?"

"Yes! Izuku told me you had a way to shut down quirks like Mr. Izawa can! That would be very helpful in fighting the MLA or other bad guys!" Mei said eagerly.

"I have a method, but it is laborious and time consuming. I confess, I asked you here to inquire about your own ways of removing a quirk," Chisaki explained. "And the MLA has been...interfering… in my experimentation."

Izuku frowned. "Our own ways? We just build devices that counter quirks. Like the anti-acid foam we used at the Sports Festival against our classmate Ashido."

"Or the flamethrower against Iceman!" Mei added. "It is very cute."

"Hmmm," Chisaki said, fiddling with his mask. He'd taken it off to drink and eat, but kept it looped about one ear. It was odd, but Izuku was too polite to remark on that. "But then, how did you remove your own quirk?"

Mei froze, her eyes going very wide. She looked to Izuku, panic stricken, and he put one arm around her while setting his metal hand on the table. "Just what do you mean?" he growled.

"It's obvious, even if no one else seems to have noticed," Chisaki said, replacing his mask and now fiddling with his gloves. He never seemed to be able to totally sit still, always touching, tugging, or rubbing something. "Mei Hatsume was born with a quirk. The records my informants have retrieved are clear. For some reason, she seems to have removed it. I presumed it was because you shared my views: that quirks are dangerous, aberrant things that must be controlled."

"Izuku didn't like it," Mei whispered. "I don't have it any more."

"What?" a stab of grief so sharp it cut like a dagger pierced Izuku's heart. "Mei, no! I loved your quirk, it was wonderful! I-"

"But you said you loved me without my quirk," Mei croaked, tears filling her eyes.

"I do! But I loved you when you had it. If you could get your quirk back, I would celebrate, Mei! But we know that's impossible…" Izuku caught himself, looking up at Chisaki, who was now scowling, tugging hard on his gloves.

"So you don't hate quirks then? Despite the pain they've caused you? I thought you were trying to prove that we would all be better off with no quirks," Chisaki growled.

"Of course not! How would you even go about removing quirks?" Izuku demanded. "You could try the drugs the MLA distributes, those seem to damage and remove quirks."

"You could, but those are...flawed. I have a better way," Chisaki said. He snapped his fingers, and one of the patrons from the bar stood, bringing over a box.

The bottom fell out of Izuku's stomach as he looked around, suddenly aware of a few things. First, was that they had found no drugs at Feel Good. And the second was that the MLA had no reason to distribute drugs that could damage quirks. Chisaki, however, seemed to. And the yakuza were famous for their connection to the production and distribution of drugs.

From the box, Chisaki removed a small brass cylinder.

"A bullet?" Mei said, scowling. "I don't like those. They are not very cute. They're just for killing people."

"Ah, but not these," Chisaki said, holding the bullet up to the light. Izuku saw that it ended in a needle point, and was more of a dart than a traditional bullet.

Izuku swallowed, and his mind began to race. What Chisaki had here was illegal, and very dangerous. If he was showing Izuku and Mei this, it meant that he had no intention of letting them go afterwards. He was trying to lure them in, to convince them to join his side. Izuku would never do that, but he realized now that this restaurant had to be full of yakuza. If he fought here, now, against Chisaki's quirk and all these thugs, he might win. But he could also get Mei seriously injured, or worse. There had to be another way out.

"What's it do?" Mei asked, reaching over and taking the bullet from Chisaki.

Chisaki was eyeing Izuku suspiciously, so he forced himself to look interested. "Can this bullet remove a quirk, or suppress it? That would be very handy in a fight, a good non-lethal option. If we'd had these against Geten or All For One, it could have made things much easier."

That seemed to make Chisaki relax slightly, and he stopped tugging on the fingers of his gloves. "Yes. That's one possible application. But I have run into...production issues. I had hoped to gain your expertise to assist me."

"How would you make something like this?" Mei said, scratching at her head. "I've studied quirks a little bit, but you'd have to find a way to disrupt the QR.16 gene. The only way I've found to do that is by using Mr. Aizawa's quirk, but I haven't figured out how to duplicate it yet. You'd need a sample of his quirk, maybe even tissue samples to make it work."

Those words sent a chill down Izuku's spine. "Eri," he said, adding to his growing sense of horror. "You're using Eri's quirk somehow."

That seemed to impress Chisaki. "Indeed. Her quirk reverses time. At first, it was just biological matter, but with practice she's learned to do inorganic substances as well. Her control is...erratic. But, by studying it, we've learned how to apply it in various ways. Including the manufacture of these bullets."

The wounds on Eri. The way she'd spoken of quirks. This man, the one Izuku had thought he could trust...he was a monster. He had to make this right. Somehow. "So you want us to help you with these bullets?" Izuku asked, trying to stall for time. "Create a way to erase quirks from villains?"

"As a start," Chisaki said, folding his hands before his face. "Tell me, what have quirks done for the world? They have given rise to individuals like All For One. Tyrants, who rule over the world thanks to their power. It has created the madmen in the MLA, who wish for quirks to run wild. Have you heard of the Quirk Singularity Theory?"

"That?" Mei asked. "That is a stupid theory. Quirks do not work that way. They are like human DNA, they recombine and mutate, but there is a limit to what they can do."

"What of All For One?" Chisaki countered. "He harvested quirks, recombined them. Had you not stopped him, one day he could have destroyed humanity. We must be set free from the tyranny of quirks, to when we were human, not men playing god. Quirks must be eradicated."

Mei went pale, and looked to Izuku. He could see her fear and worry. She was starting to think that perhaps he hated quirks as much as Chisaki. He had to put an end to this.

"Could you excuse us for a moment?" Isuku said, taking Mei's hand. "We need to talk privately. What you're suggesting...it's intriguing. I was bullied my whole life for not having a quirk, so I'm sympathetic. But I think Mei and I need to talk alone."

For what felt like an eternity, Chisaki did not speak, his eyes flicking back and forth between Izuku and Mei. Around them, chairs creaked, and Izuku could feel the eyes of the room upon them. He heard the sounds of knuckles cracking, and for a terrible second, he thought Chisaki would order them taken or killed.

But then the yakuza boss' eyes crinkled in a smile. "Of course. I understand you two have much to discuss. I'll be over at the bar."

Chisaki stood and walked away from the table, and Izuku sensed those around them relaxing. Izuku took a deep breath, then leaned in close to Mei. "Don't panic, Mei. Smile and nod, OK?"

A crooked smile fixed itself on Mei's face, and she nodded, but Izuku could feel her hand trembling in his. "Izuku?" her voice was soft and breathy, and he could see panic forming in her eyes.

"Mei, I want you to know, I've always loved you. Quirk and all. When you lost it, it was one of the most painful things I'd ever experienced. Maybe worse than losing my own arm. It was...it was a part of you."

"Izuku, what are-"

"Mei, I need you to listen. We are in terrible, terrible danger. What Chisaki has shown us, told us...it's enough to lock him up forever. And...and he's performing human experimentation on Eri."

There was a sharp gasp from Mei, and Izuku tightened his grip on her hand. "Smile. Don't panic." Mei nodded, blinking rapidly. "I have to go with Chisaki. He's not going to let us walk away from this."

"Izuku, no! You-"

"Shhh." Izuku pressed his forehead to Mei's, reaching up to smooth away a strand of messy hair from her face. "It's alright. I'm going to go with Chisaki, because you're going to save me, right?"

"What? No, Izuku, you're the hero, I just...I'm not…" Mei whimpered, apparently unable to continue.

"You go back to UA. Tell our friends what's happened. Find Officer Wairo. He's connected to Chisaki somehow, maybe he'll know where Chisaki will take me."

"I can track your arm!" Mei hissed, grabbing Izuku's hand in both of hers. "I put a special baby in it!"

"Perfect. But I have to go fix my mistake, Mei."

"What? You didn't-"

"They warned us, Mei. Iida, Hari, even Endeavor told me to follow protocol. And I didn't listen. But it's OK. Because you'll save me, right?"

Mei nodded frantically.

"Ok. Just wait. I'm going to talk to Chisaki, then you're going to walk out of here, all right?"

Slowly, Izuku stood, feeling the eyes of every man in the restaurant on him. He carefully stepped over to where Chisaki was sitting, an untouched glass of saki at his elbow. The bartender gave Izuku a gap toothed grin; he was missing teeth, and his nose had been broken more than once. A yakuza thug.

"I think I understand what you're doing," Izuku said quietly. "You're using Eri's DNA to manufacture these bullets, and probably the tainted Trigger variant as well, aren't you?"

Chisaki scratched at his mask, then turned slightly to face Izuku. "I am. With them, I shall remake the world, and restore it and humanity to their former status."

"I see. I understand. Mei...she'll need some convincing. I'm going to send her back to our lab, to get our own work on quirks. She's managed to isolate the QR.16 gene, and identified what a normal DNA sequence looks in a base human, like...like me."

"That would be useful," Chisaki agreed. He scratched at his neck, frowning. "I can't just let her go alone, though. This is a dangerous part of town. She could get hurt."

Izuku's heart thundered in his chest, but he nodded. "Alright. They can help bring things back. I'll let Mei know. Don't worry, she won't try to run off without me."

"Oh, I know. And you'd never put her in a situation where she could be hurt, would you, Midoriya?" Chisaki asked, his tone soft and polite. But the implication was clear.

Izuku shook his head, and went over to Mei. Two thugs stood at Chisaki's gesture, flanking him. "Mei, you're going to go back and get our babies from the workshop. These...gentlemen, will go with you."

Mei looked around, clearly half a step from total panic. Izuku leaned in as if to kiss her, then whispered, "Did you bring your babies? The ones you showed to Mr. Azara?"

"Of course," Mei whispered back. "They're for bad guys."

"Well. When you're far enough away, these are bad guys. Use them, and get out of here. OK? Remember, I'm counting on you to save me."

With a final nod, Mei grabbed her purse, then scurried out of the restaurant, the two goons hurrying behind her. Izuku turned to Chisaki and made himself smile. "Well, shall we?"

"Indeed." Chisaki stood, and with him the rest of the men in the restaurant. "Bring the car around, Nemoto."

They had just stepped outside when there was a distant explosion, then screaming. Chisaki snarled, and jerked a hand forward. "Find out what that was!"

Two of the yakuza, one a giant with arms like tree trunks, the other the waiter, ran off. Izuku stood, sweat trickling down his back as Chisaki began to pace back and forth like a caged beast. The thugs returned a few minutes later, carrying with them the two men that had gone with Mei, both covered with burns.

"That bitch! She dropped some sort of stun grenade, then hit us with a flamethrower," the less maimed of the men coughed. "Sorry, boss, we tried to stop her but-"

The man fell silent as Chisaki slowly removed his gloves. "You failed me. You failed our purpose. You know what the price of failure is."

The two men began to sob and gibber as they were pressed down to the sidewalk, right up until Chisaki's hand reached out, his fingers touching their foreheads. The two men screamed as their bodies were remade, warping and combining with the pavement. Blood, bile, and other bodily fluids leaked out of the horrifying amaginations, but Chisaki stepped back before it could touch him. Someone handed him a bottle of hand sanitiser, and he began to wash his hands.

Chisaki rounded on Izuku, fury burning in his eyes. The veneer of calm civility had vanished, leaving behind the enraged monster beneath. Even then, his fury was a cold, calculating thing. "What did you do?"

"I sent her to safety," Izuku answered serenely, a sense of relief flooding through him. "You said it yourself, remember? I'd never put Mei in a situation where she could be hurt."

Chisaki's hand shot out, grabbing Izuku's arm. He tried to jerk back, tried to activate his laser module, but it simply vanished to smoke, then fell to the ground, broken into pieces.

"You tried to play me," Chisaki hissed. "That was a mistake. You WILL help me remake the world, willingly or not." He stepped back, taking a handkerchief from one of his men and wiping his hands again before putting the gloves back on. "Take him! The girl will come for him. We just have to convince her the only way to get him back is to cooperate."

A hood was shoved roughly over Izuku's head, and he smelled a sharp, acrid chemical stench. He gagged and tried to hold his breath, but instead he found himself growing dizzy. As consciousness faded, he felt at peace.

This time, Mei was safe.