Rule #19: To deceive someone, you must know your opponent. You must plan out your words. The power of language is a necessity to skillfully deliver the poison

The second hand-off of the night took place beneath a mysterious and dimly-lit overpass that clickity-clacked every now & then with each pass of the train. It was much quieter than the wooded lay-by had been. This time around, Toru was far more subdued mostly due to her entire body feeling like one giant bruise—a gift from Leech and his associate that she received upon waking to find Miwa gone with her hand in his disappearance. Although, she was at least thankful that whatever drug she had been given was starting to wear off leaving her groggy but sparking at the fingertips—not that she wasn't going to let her captors know that.

After the incident with the first hand-off, Leech had rebound Toru's feet—extra tight this time—and replaced the gag back in her mouth, so as to assure she wouldn't be able cry for help or run off like Miwa had. Once waking to two enraged men earlier int he evening, she could only assume that Miwa had managed to succeed in his escape. She could only hope that the boy had gotten help and not befallen a worse end in those darkened woods. Unfortunately, stuck rolling around in the trunk as she was, Toru had been unable to discern who this 'Leech' character was as he sat slumped in the driver's seat mumbling to himself about this and that.

Her brain itched in that way that it did when she was staring something in the face, but her mind was a complete blank slate. She knew this Leech person—knew them intimately because certain actions—certain habits—of his were familiar. Like the way he cocked his head when he studied her, as if doing so would allow those beady little eyes to help see her better. Or how he gestured wildly with his arms as he talked like a preacher giving a sermon.

On the upside, another perk to this new meeting place was that she was now able to better see what was going on outside the slip of window above her. The outside environment was far better lit than the wooded lay-by had been and in any other given circumstance, this would have been a heaven-sent but deep in her gut, Toru knew that if her captors were meeting in a place like this, then things would not go well for her. Since they had planned to meet in such an open and well-lit place where identifying their features would make things a helluva lot easier, then they planned for her not to see the light of day again. And that seriously put a damper on whatever dredges of hope she had managed to scrounge up on the car ride over.

The rumbling engine of a second vehicle and the slamming of car doors brought Toru out of her thoughts as she hauled herself upright with a low groan and scrunched her nose up in disgust at the trail of drool trickling down her chin around the gag tucked between her teeth. "…Do you have the rest of the payment, Setsuno?" Leech intoned as he popped the trunk open before turning to the newcomer before him.

Peering around Leech, Toru was able to see that this Setsuno figure bore blonde locks that flopped out from the top of his head and he wore the same plague doctor mask as the others, telling her that they had at least some sort of working relationship. Much like Leech and the other man, Setsuno wore ordinary clothes—a tie, shirt and pants—nothing that would've stood out in a crowd (except for the leather bird mask, of course).

"Here" Setsuno grunted, pulling out a yellow envelope that he slapped against Leech's chest none-too-gently before he sauntered over to where Toru lay.

Already pressed up against the headboard of the backseats, Toru tried to shrink away as much as possible from the greasy man who made her hair stand on edge. "UA, huh? She's valuable" Setsuno commented as though one would the weather. Her skin crawled as his gaze roved over her rumpled school uniform. "Pity ya can't see the rest of 'er"

"Here" Leech handed Setsuno one of the handheld UV lights that had been sitting idly at Toru's feet after he had finished counting the bills.

"Well, now, that's much better" Setsuno added after flicking the light on and shining it over Toru like a spotlight that brought her outline into visibility. "Pretty and with very little damage"

"D'ya think the boss'll be happy with this one?" Leech asked, only turning slightly so he could keep Toru in his sights, least she make a run for it like Miwa had done. Toru froze like a deer in headlights as the streetlamp beyond the pair illuminated just enough of Leech's features for her to see. Now she knew why she knew Leech—pink fuzz sprouted from atop his head above the bird mask, dark beady eyes that sneered down at her like she was a bag of trash and grinning mouths that pushed against the fabric of his hoodie like an excitable puppy. Oishii.

…W-what? Toru's brain sputtered to a stop, body growing rigid and eyes bulging wide at who she saw. It was a hard thing to swallow: the betrayal, the hurt, but mostly the lies. This was a boy who had laughed with her, who she spent many an hour being physically close to her as they danced and so on. At first she had thought them friends—or classmates—close acquaintances at the very least, who had been forced to dance together to work off their respective 'punishments' and all that. But then there had been that…that incident involving Yoshiwara—and she had questioned it at first. Even asked an upperclassmen about it, but ultimately just brushed it off. Why did I brush it off?! Why didn't I push it?! Good Lord! Koro-Sensei must be turning over in his grave right now! I'M GONNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!

And now here he was, Leech—Oishii or whatever he called himself now—carting her around like she was the prized pig at a farmer's market; one that was getting ready for the slaughterhouse. Wide eyes took in the pinkette as shock filled her to the very brim, leaving her gaping like a dying fish as white noise flittered between this breath and the next. Her body lay unmoving in the trunk even as Setsuno swept her up into his arms with a quiet grunt before transferring her into his car.

Despite this, her eyes never left the pair of young men before her. It was like watching some kind real life soap opera with Leech looking like a shonen protagonist doing his best to please his idol as he stared at the one-eyed blonde with such reverence it was almost blinding. Beady eyes gazed at the blonde like a child searching for approval and praise that it almost pulled at her heartstrings. Almost.

"You just worry about how you damaged the goods and the botched delivery" Setsuno remarked snappishly making Oishii's shoulders hunch upwards in visible dismay and upset. In any other situation, Toru may have even felt compelled to comfort him, if not for the awkwardness between the two; but not tonight.

Tonight, she put aside her feelings to instead, read between the lines where she saw the casualness at which this transaction had been complete. It seemed practised, regular, like they had done this many times before; like kidnapping random kids from the street was just another fact of life. There was of course, another option (one that leant itself to the need for approval form his superiors) which had Oishii somehow (and she so hoped that this was the case because then he could be reached—could be saved) trauma-bonding with his captors to the point that he had become their little lap dog.

"W-why—" Toru croaked, having finally worked the gag free. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth and perspiration beaded on her brow even as she asked the question "Why're you doing this, Oishii?"

"What?" Setsuno's eyes snapped towards the nervous teen before her who was shifting in place at the mention of his name. "D'ya know this one?"

"Wha—N-no" Oishii stammered in denial. "Of course not!"

"Then how do you explain this, then? Dammit, brat! What have we told you about connections?!"

"Ah! I swear! I don't know who she is! She's just some brat I grabbed from school!" Oishii retorted as he flinched from the whack to the back of the head courtesy of Setsuno's sharp hand.

"…Ah, it's too late for this" Setsuno eventually relented after staring him down for a beat or two before he spun on his heel and made his way over to the driver's side. "Just shut the boot before you go"

"Yessir" Oishii nodded demurely before turning on her with a flip of a switch. "You better not fuck this up for me, ya hear? Not when I'm so close"

"Oishii, why? Why're you doing this?" Toru pleaded. "You're better than this! Please! Just tell me why?!"

"What?" He leant in close as his hands gripped tight to the trunk lid, dark eyes glinting beneath the street lamp as he stared at her huddled mouse-like form below him. "Did you really think the world was all spandex and glitter?" And with that the trunk slammed closed, encasing her in the darkness she had grown accustomed to throughout the night, leaving her alone with her thoughts once more.


Toru could boast assassin training and her limited Yoshiwara experience all she wanted, but actually being strapped to a surgical table with leather restraints locking her limbs into place with her blood trawling through a long twisting tube was not something she could have ever been prepared for. The gag had remained in her mouth throughout this, leaving a thick trail of drool to dribble down her chin and coagulate around her neck and shirt like some kind of moist paste. Even her brave-face failed her now. She had no doubt that this experience would feature in her nightmares from now on.

The cylindrical prisons holding children within colourful solutions around the laboratory would definitely feature. Each subject lay suspended in a sticky substance the colour of sakuras that bubbled around them like thick mucus and many tubes entangled their limbs and face, allowing them to breathe but not move from their constraints. It was highly unnerving to watch several pairs of resigned unblinking eyes staring back at her from beneath heavy lids.

Above her struggling limbs stood a gaggle of nightmarish doctors who moved about in blue scrubs that rustled with each movement, a sound which clapped like thunder in the quiet room. A ridge of UV lights had been placed above her like a violet sun, making it easier for the villains to operate; thankfully all they had done to her so far was take blood. It confounded her just how much they took, almost to the point where she felt like a vampire was sucking her up through a crazy straw. Whatever the need, with each pint drained her struggles grew less and less until she was all but collapsed against the metal table.

At one point, one of the many masked doctors had dropped syringe of some kind with a muttered curse and a whack to the head when it smashed against the ground at their feet after bouncing from the table edge and slipping through their fumbling fingers. In any case, the piece of glass that Toru had managed to snatch before it clattered to the floor bore some sort of engraving which she continuously ran her fingers over as subtly as possible so as not to arouse suspicion. She had meant to use it as a weapon or to cut through her restraints but the leather turned out to be far too thick for the small shard and so it had remained tucked inside weeping fingers.


Time seemed to pass in blur as she slipped in and out of consciousness; voices fogged together in a slurry like a cacophony of sounds that became white noise to which the doctors danced to. A masked bird had appeared in her peripherals at one point, someone who had all present snapping to attention, although she didn't know who. In another, a greasy face was tucked in so close to her own that she could still feel the warmth of their breath through the surgical mask that they wore. Toru flinched back, hitting her head against the table beneath her which had a hiss of pain at the motion.

When she next woke, everything heavy and panic gripping tightly to her heart, it was to the sight of a syringe filled with the same sakura substance as the other residents of this strange place, poised in the air above her. It was enough to renew her attempts to struggle free, even with drip-drip-drip of her trickling blood sounding deafening in her ear. All around her, curses and commands flew like the buzzing of flies as they tried to pin her to the table.

"Oi! Oi! Hold her down! Hold her down!"

"I'm trying!" It was then that she held no more qualms about hiding her Quirk to these people; instead utilising the very lights they had been using to see and letting the familiar power envelop her. Ultraviolet light swelled within her chest, filling her with a warmth that both comforted and overwhelmed her.

With a hitched breath, it flowed through her veins, flowing back and forth like the tides, and almost as if in tune with the waves, all the electrical devices around the room sparked and flickered. Her body took on a violent violet glow, making her appear more like humanoid-shaped radiation than anything else as she lit up the room, causing many eyes to burn from their sockets as her own clenched shut in her struggle. It was unworldly, eerie and downright nightmarish.

"Ow!"

"What is it?"

"Bitch burnt me!"

"That's not possible!"

"The Quirk drug shouldn't have worn off yet!"

"When did she get another dose?!"

"DO IT NOW! DO IT NOW!"

"AH! MY EYES!"

"I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T SEE!"

"ARGH! IT BURNS!"

The rough hands that were once laid upon her jumped off at the sudden heat applied to them and were soon replaced with gentler, calloused hands as her Quirk ebbed back again, disappearing into the depths of her body from whence the desperate and instinctual action of survival had surfaced, leaving her drained on the surgical table with burnt straps still clutching to her skin. Thumps echoed around the room as the remaining doctors within the room collapsed clutching their burnt out eye sockets, leaving the others to climb over their colleagues in their attempt to escape.

Of course, this plan was successfully foiled with the eventual arrival of the Pros.

"Looks like you had fun, Kit!" Alpha chuckled, using gallows humour as a means to catch her attention as he and the others picked their way through the scorched bodies.

"Ah-fa?" Toru garbled around the gag in her mouth as her head lolled towards the heroic feline in question and a wave of relief washed over her.

"PRISM!" Minho suddenly inserted himself into the conversation as his noodle-like arms scooped her up off of the table with gentle hands and pulled her close. "Thank God for Find My Phone!" He wept, tears falling against her cheek as she was repositioned into something more comfortable.

"Don't you mean Ritsu?" Shindo appeared at his shoulder and carefully pulled the gag from her mouth with concern pooling in his eyes. It was enough to make her weep; this nightmare was finally over!