Chapter 41
Izuku kept Eri tight to his chest as he carried her down the vat. He and Bakugou avoided the smoking form of Chisaki as they landed several feet ahead of him.
"Hey! Not too bad there, leader!" Ryuji greeted them first, smacking Izuku's shoulder proudly. "You looked so badass!"
"A-Ah, thanks. I wasn't really trying to be," Izuku laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Not bad at all, Hero." Makoto smiled, nodding in approval.
"Yeah, you were so cool up there, protecting Eri like that!" Ann pumped her fist.
"It was truly elegant work. I'd wager your attack on Chisaki was worthy of a painting itself." Yusuke praised.
"I'm glad you've put all my hard work to good use. I've trained you well," Morgana puffed his chest out in pride, eliciting a small laugh from Izuku as he-
"HEY! WHY ARE YOU JERKS ACTING LIKE HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO DID SHIT?!" Izuku felt like his right ear nearly blew out from Bakugou's irritable growl, while using his right hand to cover Shadow Eri's ear closest to him.
"Oh right. I guess you did do stuff too…" Ryuji and the others looked at Bakugou somewhat neutrally, eyes trailing to the side.
"Yeah, great job Nitro…"
"You were so cool… sure…"
"Screw all of you!" The other Thieves burst out laughing, Bakugou grinding his teeth together in annoyance.
"We're just messin' with ya." Ryuji hooked an arm over his shoulder. "You were cool as shit up there too! Good job lookin' out for Hero with that new move of yours!"
"Yeah, you were looking like a real Phantom Thief up there! You're really getting used to this team player role, huh?" Ann slapped his back in amusement.
"Wait…" The Thieves quickly brought their celebrations to a halt, all heads snapping around to Chisaki. Despite his voice rising, his body had reverted back to his original state. He was pressing off the ground with trembling arms, his mask halfway on his face as it hung from one ear, revealing most of his face to them. Despite his previously monstrous appearance, he looked surprisingly normal underneath it all.
"Give her back… I need her…"
"Put a sock on it." Bakugou clicked his tongue, everyone moving to surround him. "You've lost already. It's pathetic."
"No… I'm going to build my empire… I have to…" Chisaki raised his arm, his hand shaking as he pointed at Eri and Izuku. The green haired teen turned Eri away from him, cradling the back of her head so that she didn't have to look at him. "It's the only way… the only way to make it up to pops…"
"You mean the same pops you put in a coma?" Ryuji scoffed, kicking the ground in irritation. "Yeah, we know what you did to get him outta the way. Great way to show your 'appreciation'."
"Shut up!" Chisaki cursed, his desperate eyes glaring up at Ryuji. "A brat wouldn't get it… I can heal him… But I can't do that until… I've built my empire."
"Your empire will fall alongside you. All that's left for you is to return to your true self and atone for your sins!" Yusuke returned his glare, disgust covering his face.
"Never… I'll never do that…" Chisaki fell flat on his stomach, unable to move much despite his efforts. "This world is filthy… I have nothing to apologize for…"
"You're a monster who murders when it seems convenient for you. Who tortures a little girl to further his own agenda. You're far more disgusting than the general public." Makoto's red eyes glowered down at him.
"Shut up, brat! You live in your bubble of ignorance! Who are you to-"
"Shut your damn mouth!" Bakugou blasted Chisaki across the jaw with a kick, surprising the others mildly. "Scum like you can keep his shitty ideals to himself."
"Nitro-"
"Shut up. I didn't do it for you," Bakugou huffed, not looking back at Makoto. "I can't stand this asshole being allowed to say anything anymore."
"Stupid brats… you understand nothing…" Chisaki mumbled from the ground, hands clutched over his face.
"This is… new…" Morgana's eyes looked at the others in concern. "The other Palace rulers gave in by this point. But… it seems Chisaki's Shadow isn't budging."
"Shit. And if he doesn't return to himself by the time we leave with Eri…" Ryuji started to pick up on Morgana's point.
"Who knows what will happen to him…" Izuku muttered, sweat trailing down his brow.
"I hadn't even thought of that…" Ann muttered, genuine worry now lacing her voice.
"Hey, asshole! It's over, give it up!" Ryuji stomped on Chisaki's back, grinding his boot between his shoulder blades. "Return to your other self already and confess! Time to beg for forgiveness!"
"I'd rather… die…" Chisaki snarled, his emotionless eyes staring up at Ryuji in defiance. The faux blond flinched, shocked by his persistence. "You brats think… the world… is that easy? That you can just demand what you want? Get real…"
Everyone looked at one another in concern, now wondering what their next move would have to be. If Chisaki's Shadow remained when the Palace collapsed, it could be catastrophic to the real Chisaki. They wanted to bring him down, make him confess. But despite his terrible deeds, they were not planning to kill him.
… But he doesn't have to know that.
"Kacchan…" Izuku called to the explosive blond.
"What?!" Izuku waved him over. With an annoyed huff, he stomped over to him. "What is it?!" Izuku leaned in close, whispering something into his ear. Everyone looked at the two in confusion, watching as Bakugou's expression morphed, first from shock, before twisting into a sinister grin that only he was capable of. "Heh. Alright, leader."
"I'm going to take Eri-chan out of the room. Everyone… follow Nitro's lead." Izuku said, looking at them with his brow furrowed seriously.
"Hero?" Makoto raised a brow from behind her mask. Izuku didn't say anything, turning around and leaving the room with Eri. Once they were out of the room and the door closed behind him, Bakugou began to cackle like a real Villain.
"Alright, all of you. You heard the scumbag earlier, right?" Bakugou stomped past the others, reaching down and grabbing Chisaki by the hair. He dragged him across the ground by it, throwing his back into the vat so that he was sitting up and facing them. "He'd rather die than change, right? Well, guess we're gonna grant that wish!"
"What?!" everyone burst out in shock, looking at one another in confusion.
… What?" Chisaki's eyes lit up in alarm, staring at Bakugou's malicious grin.
"You can't be serious!" Ryuji stepped up next to him. "There's no way that Hero told you to off this guy!"
"It's the only way to protect Eri at this point, right? And if he's not gonna confess, then why would we let him off with his life?" Bakugou dismissed, looked at Ryuji fully, still maintaining his wicked smile. "You all trust in your leader, don't you? It's the only way to handle it."
But as Ryuji was about to retort, Bakugou winked with his right eye. It took him a moment, but it finally clicked for him. Ryuji wiped the shock from his face and put on a more grave, solemn expression.
"...He's right guys. Guess the best way to take care of this is to take this asshole out." Ryuji said, drawing the shotgun from his back.
"Skull, do you even hear yourself?!" Ann asked in utter disbelief.
"No. They're right." Makoto said, having been directly behind Ryuji and Bakugou when their silent signal had passed between them. "We'll have to trust Hero's judgment on the matter, Panther. He hasn't led us astray yet."
"They're right, Panther. It's all for Eri's safety." Morgana tapped her leg, looking up at her with his brow knitted seriously. But as he did so, he passed on a wink to her as well. She blinked, looking up at the others. They all nodded, and it finally processed for her.
"I… I see. You're right. I'll trust Hero's judgment." Ann nodded before looking over at Fox. "You trust Hero too, right?"
"... I do. " Yusuke might not have seen the signal, but he seemed to understand the sentiment being passed around. He slowly shifted his gaze over to Chisaki, holding his katana up and drawing the blade out a short ways. "Then how shall we take care of him?"
"You… You brats don't think I'll buy that, do you?!" Chisaki laughed almost manically, though there was a sliver of doubt in his voice. "I'm a real killer, not like you little shits! You really think I'd buy that any of you have the guts to actually kill me?! Don't make me gag!"
"We saw a taste of what you put Eri through for your fuckin' bullets, asshole." Ryuji's voice hid none of his malice, his brow hardening as he glared into Chisaki's eyes. "You really think any of us got a lick of mercy left for a piece of shit like you?"
"Y-You…" Chisaki's voice trembled, eyes darting between the teens, looking for an ounce of sympathy and hesitation. They might not have been great actors, but in this moment each one of them thought back to Eri's pain. Her screams.
And those thoughts erased any ounce of doubt that might have leaked to the surface.
"You… Don't think I'll just-" Chisaki made a weak attempt to get up, only for Tombstone and Kidd to materialize from their owners, cannons pointed directly at him.
"Just fuckin' try it, scumbag." Bakugou threatened, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "You'll only make it easier for us."
"Might I suggest a second option?" Yusuke stepped ahead of the others, fully drawing his sword. "Much of his power comes from his Quirk itself. But as I understand it, his Quirk is only usable through his hands, correct?"
"I believe you're spot on about that, Fox. What were you thinking?" Makoto curled an eyebrow in interest.
"Well, if he were to be… relieved of his hands, I suppose that would also solve our issues, would it not?" Fox turned a cold gaze Chisaki's way. Everyone followed, and the complete despair that mired the yakuza's face was exactly what they were looking for.
"No… No you can't…" Chisaki muttered, his voice quiet and desperate.
"Ya hear that?! Sounds like we have a winner!" Bakugou cackled, drawing one of his tomahawks off of his belt. "You should be happy, scumbag! You'll get to live! Just hope you don't mind having lumps instead of hands!"
"NO! STAY AWAY!" Chisaki screeched in terror, pressing his back against the wall.
"You should be thrilled, Chisaki. Without your Quirk, you'll be 'cured' like you planned for the world." Morgana smirked, resting his rapier on his shoulder. "Don't you want to be cured?"
"I NEED MY QUIRK! IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN HEAL THE OLD MAN!" Chisaki screamed, visibly shaking as the Thieves surrounded him. They didn't want to take the chance of him turning his Quirk on them, so Tombstone and Kidd quickly grabbed both Chisaki's arms and pinned them against the wall.
"You're the one who did that to him, Chisaki. You have no one to blame for your 'old man's' condition but yourself." Makoto spat in disgust, feeling no remorse for his current despair.
"Hey, Fox face. You take his right hand. I got his left," Bakugou grinned ear to ear, flipping his tomahawks in the air as he approached.
"Very well. I'll do it in one swift swipe so that you won't suffer so much." Yusuke went to the opposite end, katana scratching against the ground and causing sparks.
"P-Please… You can't…" Chisaki's head was on a swivel, his previous bravado completely erased as he shook violently. "PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"
"You already said no, didn't you? That you'd rather die, right?!" Bakugou dismissed his pleas, looking to go for the final push.
"I HAVE TO LIVE! PLEASE, DON'T TAKE MY HANDS! I HAVEN'T APOLOGIZED TO THE OLD MAN! I NEED MY HANDS!" Chisaki was becoming a mess, tears streaming down his face now.
"Then swear it!" Makoto snarled, grabbing his collar and slamming his back into the vat. "Swear you'll return to your real self and confess to your crimes! That you'll BEG for the world's forgiveness, for Eri's forgiveness!"
"I will! I will!" Chisaki choked on his own voice, the tears still flowing like waterfalls down his face. "Please… I'll do it…"
Makoto grit her teeth, slowly releasing his shirt. She looked at Bakugou and Yusuke, nodding for them to back off. They did so, and the Personas released his arms, Chisaki falling down to the ground as he miserably cried.
"Pops… I'm so sorry… Pops…" Chisaki began to mutter. His body began to be wrapped in a familiar light, his body becoming transparent. "I couldn't give you the world you deserved…"
"Make sure you give Eri your apologies too, asshole." Ryuji scoffed. Chisaki didn't answer him, the Shadow soon disappearing before their eyes. With Chisaki gone, returned to his true self, the Thieves let out a collective breath, looking at each other in relief.
"Holy shit, that was intense." Ryuji couldn't help but laugh, running a hand through his hair.
"No kidding. I honestly thought we were going to do it for a second." Ann breathed out anxiously, but let out a shaky giggle. "Still, it worked!"
"Glad to see you all didn't wimp out." Bakugou smirked, placing his tomahawks back on his belt.
"You were certainly the person best suited to take the lead on that, I'll admit that much," Morgana scoffed, crossing his paws over his chest.
"We should give credit to Fox too. That idea about his hands did exactly what we needed," Makoto looked at Yusuke, impressed by his quick thinking. "What made you come up with that?"
"As someone who puts great dependence upon the works of my hands, I was betting on him having a similar reaction as myself should such a threat be given." Yusuke admitted, sheathing his katana. "I am only glad that he submitted to such a threat. As terrible as he was, taking his hands was far more than I wished to do."
"Yeah. Who knows what it would have done to the real world version of Chisaki." Ann nodded before furrowing his brow. "Still… a guy like that deserves to have his hands rendered useless the rest of his life. I'm sure it'd give him plenty of time to think about all the crap he's done."
"Normally I'd be a little freaked out by you sayin' that, but… Don't think I've met someone who deserved it as much as that asshole." Ryuji spat, turning toward the door. "Come on. Hero's waiting for us."
"Speaking of Hero… He's going to owe us a bit for that one." Makoto narrowed her eyes. The others shared a look of agreement. He had, after all, left this all up to them.
They soon set foot outside of the laboratory, Izuku turning with Eri still in hand. "Guys…"
"It's done. He's returned to his true self." Makoto assured him. "Now, we should-"
*RUMBLE*
The Palace suddenly shook around them, causing the Thieves to nearly stagger.
'Crap, the Palace is falling apart!" Morgana said, looking at the others. "We need to get going!"
"Right, to the elevator!" Izuku led the way, stroking Eri's back in comfort. "Don't worry, we'll get out of here safe and sound."
"... Okay…"
"Damn… I hate runnin' outta Palaces…"
The Thieves huffed as they now stood in the alleyway that led to the Seven Precepts' base, all now huffing for air.
"That elevator felt like it could have dropped at any moment… I can't believe we actually got to the top with it." Ann admitted, hunched over on her knees.
"I'd have blown out the top and flown us the rest of the way." Bakugou scoffed, clearly having thought of the possibility already.
"Wait… now that we're out of the Palace, where is-" Yusuke was cut off when he found Izuku standing close by. Eri, to their shock, was still there, though her body looked transparent, with light starting to surround her frail figure.
"Eri-chan…" Izuku muttered, looking down at the Shadow in worry. "Will you.."
"I'll return to me." Eri spoke, her eyes now brimming with a newfound light in them. "And I'll make sure… she's not afraid anymore. That she knows you're out there. Thank you…" She looked around at the rest of the Thieves. And for the first time, as tears slid down her cheeks, she smiled. Smiled so sweetly that the others felt tears start to threaten to spill at the edge of their eyes.
"Thank you all. You're… my heroes."
"Eri-chan…" Izuku muttered, raising a hand to reach out.
She stepped back, shaking her head. "No… the next time you hold me…I want it to be the real me."
Izuku felt his mouth part, but slowly smiled. Even as tears streamed down his face, he nodded. "Okay. It's a promise."
The Shadow gave one last grateful smile before disappearing into thin air, the light dissipating. The others soon surrounded Izuku, Ryuji slapping a hand on his shoulder.
"Well, I'd say that's a job well done for the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji grinned wide.
"For now. We'll have to wait and see how Chisaki reacts first." Morgana reminded him, his tail swaying back and forth.
"What does that mean?" Bakugou narrowed his eyes.
"Well, the change of heart takes some time to fully take effect. The Palace owners seem to go into a sickly state for a bit before making their confessions known." The cat explained to him.
"Tsk. So we gotta wait 'til he coughs it up then?"
"Unfortunately so. Hopefully not too long this time." Makoto nodded in confirmation.
"At least Eri-chan should be okay until then. He'll be too out of it to do anything to her in the meantime." Ann said, relief lacing her voice.
"Yeah… she'll be okay until then." Makoto said, looking at Izuku in assurance.
"Right…" Izuku nodded, trusting her words and smiling at the others. "Great job, everyone. Our mission was a success!"
"Hell yeah it was! We kicked ass! So, now that the mission's over, how're we makin' Izuku pay us back?" Ryuji said, slapping a hand on the team leader's shoulder. Izuku, of course, blinked owlishly in confusion.
"Eh? Pay?"
"Oh yeah! You totally left us to make Chisaki's Shadow return to his original self!" Ann pointed a finger accusingly at him, though there was humor lacing her voice.
"Eh? W-Well, I didn't want to leave Eri-chan alone…" Izuku stuttered a bit under their scrutiny. "A-And I didn't want her to see what Kacchan might do on top of it…"
"Hah~? Now you're gonna pin it on me?!" Bakugou huffed, arms crossed over his chest."Sounds like this nerd owes us food for all our hard work."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Baku-chan. I'd say we're well deserving of a little payment." Makoto smirked, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Eh?!"
"Well, I'm sure it was what had to be done, but… if Izuku looks to pay us back with a meal, I wouldn't be opposed," Yusuke agreed, the prospect of a meal hard to resist.
"Then it's decided! Looks like you can treat us to dinner, Izuku! We really appreciate it," Ann said, her and Ryuji shoulder to shoulder as they grinned at him expectantly.
Izuku looked around at his team in complete shock, speechless as to how they got to this point. Finally he conceded, his shoulders slumping. "Okay… I'll pay for our food."
"Yaay~! That's our leader!" Ryuji and Ann cheered together, walking ahead of the group.
"So, where the hell are we eating then?!" Bakugou snickered as he trailed behind them.
"Oh, maybe this would be a good time for you to meet Boss? You better behave though."
"Eh?! Who the hell is boss?!"
Izuku sighed, looking at Morgana as the cat trailed at his side. "Well, let's take everyone's hungry stomachs as a good sign. I think we're all happy to put that Palace behind us."
Izuku smiled, looking at his team. Despite the near death experiences of the day, they were all in much greater spirits. Much better than the past few days had been. And the same could be said for him. "Yeah. Agreed."
"Oh, you have someone new with you today?"
Bakugou's eyes trailed around the cafe that the group had led him to. He never cared for or frequented any cafes, but the surprisingly comfortable atmosphere was somewhat disarming. A spot far off from the bustling city of Tokyo was somewhat refreshing. Despite Bakugou's own immense volume, he could appreciate the quiet of a little cafe like this.
"Hi, Sakura-san! Sorry to bring everyone last second here without informing you," Izuku bowed politely. "This is a-uh-old friend of mine and Koto-san's, Kacchan-I mean-"
"Katsuki Bakugou. Nice to meet you." Bakugou's tone was quiet as he gave a stiff bow of his head. If there was one thing his mother drilled into his head enough, was to be polite when acting as a guest.
"We recently reunited with Baka-" Bakugou shot her an irritated glare, but Makoto at least cooperated. "Baku-chan and thought we'd bring him here for some of your amazing curry. I hope you don't mind."
"Curry?" Bakugou parroted, brow cocked in confusion. This was a coffee shop, wasn't it? What the hell kinda coffee shop makes curry?
"Ah, I see. Welcome then. Go ahead and take a seat." Sakura, "Boss' they seemed to call him, said, walking behind the counter. "Is everyone getting a plate?"
"If you don't mind! We're all starving and Izuku promised to treat us for this meal!" Bakugou could stop a taunting grin from spreading across his face as Izuku flinched at Ann's words.
"I'll be covering everyone's meal tonight, Sakura-san. Don't worry," Izuku said somewhat meekly. Ryuji tapped Bakugou's shoulder, motioning to one of the booths that he and the others were congregating in.
"Don't worry about that. Just help me set things up and clean and we'll call it even." Sojiro smirked at him, walking over to one of the pots in the back. "What happened, lose a bet or something kid?"
"N-No, just paying everyone back for their help on a project." Izuku's excuse came, Ryuji and the others snickering quietly. Bakugou couldn't help but blink in wonder. Why was he helping behind the bar with this old guy?
"Boss is Midori's current guardian," Makoto drew his attention with her words, seeing the obvious question in his eyes.
"Huh?" He slid into the booth next to Ryuji.
"Hey, new kid." Bakugou quirked a brow at the barista, "Would you like a coffee?"
"Yeah. with cream and sugar," Bakugou's answer made Ryuji' blink.
"Huh? Here I thought you'd act all tough and drink it black."
"Hah? Screw that, coffee tastes like dirt without cream?! tastes a thousand times better when you put those in!" Bakugou spat.
"You're a little more passionate about coffee than I expected." Yusuke's brow raised in surprise.
"How the hell else am I supposed to wake up in the morning and put up with people's shit?" Bakugou scoffed.
"You're already grumpy as is. I can only imagine what you're like when you're sleepy-grumpy." Ann laughed.
"Shut up!" Bakugou snapped, clicking his tongue. His eyes drifted back to Izuku working behind the counter, looking oddly familiar with the kitchen. "Since when can Deku cook?"
"He's learned a lot from his time with Boss. You're in for a shock." Makoto said with some pride.
"Here, for the new kid." Sojiro brought over several plates and cups, the familiar zest of curry wafting through the air. Though Bakugou could pick up a faint smell of some other spices in it. And was that… chocolate? "Try it with your coffee."
Bakugou cocked an eyebrow again, unsure how curry and coffee correlated to one another in any way. But quietly he scooped up a spoonful of the curry and rice, taking his first bite. He couldn't hide his shock from showing. The tangy yet sweet mixture of the curry was unlike any he'd had before. It was delicious.
"... It's good."
"Yay~!" Bakugou hadn't realized how close the others had been watching him, wincing in annoyance as they cheered.
"Even a sourpuss like Bakugou couldn't ignore Boss's curry!" Ryuji high fived with Ann.
"Bite me, fake blondie!" Bakugou snarled.
"Glad you like it. Give your coffee a sip, too." Bakugou looked back at Sojiro, soon obeying his instruction and sipping on his coffee. He wasn't sure what this guy did, but the palette of taste that mixed together once again blew him away.
"... What the hell do you put in this? Coffee and curry shouldn't mix this well together, damn it!" Bakugou exploded in disbelief before going back to sipping on his coffee and scooping up more spoonfuls of curry. The others only gave a brief laugh, but started to dive into their own food.
"Nothing like Boss's curry after a hard day's work," Ann smiled sweetly, holding her cheek.
"Hell yeah, this hits the spot." Ryuji's muffled voice came as he chewed his food.
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Bakugou spat.
"Feel free to join them, kid. You can relax for a bit and help me later." Sojiro walked away from the table, Izuku soon sitting at the head of it.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it, Kacchan. Sakura-san's a great cook." Izuku smiled at Bakugou, the explosive teen huffing as he focused on his food.
"So why the hell are you staying with him?" Bakugou asked, trying to get off topic.
"Ah, when I was… transferred, it was a little further than would have been feasible for me to manage back and forth from home." Bakugou cocked a brow, somewhat curious. "But Sakura-san is an old friend of my mom's. He's taking me in for the duration of my year at Shujin."
"I was expecting more of a troublemaker when he came to stay. Turns out he's more like his mom than I could have guessed." Boss said from the counter. "So, will you kids be going up to his room?"
"Ah, probably not tonight. I think we've all got to head out soon to make sure we get our trains." Makoto reminded them all. "But thanks for letting us eat before heading home, Boss."
"My pleasure. Izuku had to make sure to pay you back, after all." Sojiro chuckled, walking toward the door. "I'm gonna get a pack of cigarettes. Watch the place for me, will you?"
"Yes, Sakura-san!" Izuku agreed, grabbing a rag and wiping down the counter.
Bakugou watched Sakura leave before narrowing his eyes at the others. "What'd he mean by 'go up to his room'?"
"Ah, Izuku lives at the top of this place!" Ryuji said after swallowing his food, wiping his face. "It's actually really cool!"
"Tch. Sounds better than dealing with my damn monster mom," Bakugou clicked his tongue, looking to the side.
"How dare you! Your mother is delightful! At least she was to us," Makoto scolded, causing Bakugou to nearly bust a vein on his head.
"Shut up! You don't live with her!" Bakugou snapped back.
"Yeesh, you don't even get along with your mom? Guess that's not a big surprise," Ann sighed before looking at the others. "Oh yeah, since we have a sec; are we going to figure out a welcome party for Bakugou?"
"Huh?" Bakugou blinked, looking at her in perplexion.
"Oh, yeah. Guess we could figure something out. Then again, who knows if he would even appreciate it." Ryuji held his chin in thought.
"I'm sitting right here, you wanna die?" Bakugou's left eye twitched in irritation.
"Oh, relax. We're just trying to figure out what we're going to do for your welcome party to the Thieves. It's also to celebrate another Palace taken down." Morgana said, popping over the edge of the table, paws leaned forward.
"Might you have an idea? It is partly for you." Yusuke asked, linking his fingers in front of him.
"Like hell I…" Bakugou blinked, a thought suddenly occurring to him.
"Hm? Something actually come to mind?" Makoto tilted her head in question.
"... We'll see." Bakugou stood up from the booth, placing the spoon in the empty plate. "Save it for after we hear that asshole's confessed. Tell Boss thanks. I've got a train to catch."
The others watched him head for the door, looking at each other in mild confusion. "That was kinda weird. What got into him?" Ann asked.
"Who knows. Still, if he's got an idea we might as well wait and see what he says." Ryuji shrugged before looking at his phone. "Oh shit, he's right though! We all got a train to make!"
"I'm bushed…" Izuku collapsed onto his bed face down. It hadn't hit him how tired he was until he was finishing up cleaning down stairs with Sojiro. He nearly collapsed as the day's events hit him like a truck. Thankfully Sojiro picked up on his exhaustion and sent him off to the baths. Izuku nearly fell asleep in the steaming waters. He kept it a brief but clean wash before finally making it to bed. It had never been as comfortable as it was now.
"Yeah, we definitely all made it a lot longer before breaking off. Still, quite the fulfilling day, huh?" Morgana hopped on the bed, curling up next to him. "We brought the Palace down and saved Eri's Shadow. I just wish we could have seen the look on Chisaki's face as his cognition changed. Hopefully we'll get a public view of it when the time comes."
"I don't know… the police will probably try to keep that private…" Izuku mumbled into his pillow as his eyes tried to force him to sleep. "But… more than anything… I hope I get to see Eri-chan again…"
"Yeah. Me too. We deserve to see her smiling." Morgana's mouth curled into feline smile, putting his head down as he and Izuku finally drifted off to-
*Ring Ring*
"Ugh…" Both Izuku and Morgana simultaneously groaned, the green haired teen fishing into his pocket for his phone.
"Who's texting you now…" Morgana whined.
"It's…" Izuku's eyes widened a bit, pressing off his bed. "It's Alibaba."
"Oh." Morgana sat up this time as well, more alert.
Alibaba: It's been some time since our last guys seemed content to chat and eat like everything's normal.
"Of course they knew what we were doing downstairs," Morgana grumbled irritably.
Alibaba: Have you changed the yakuza's heart yet?
"I suppose we might as well tell them." Izuku said, looking at Morgana. The cat nodded in agreement.
Izuku: Yes. We completed our mission today. We're just waiting for the change to take full effect.
Alibaba: Full effect? It doesn't happen instantly?
"Looks like Alibaba doesn't know the full details of the change of heart." Morgana said, some relief in his voice. "They may know a bit of our secret, but not everything."
"They must think it is just a Quirk, then." Izuku nodded, looking back at his phone.
Izuku: No. It takes time for the heart to fully change. We should find out soon, though.
Alibaba: Fine. Just remember, once that change is made public, it'll be my turn to call in that favor.
Izuku: Who are you? Why do you know so much?
Izuku's question, of course, went unanswered. He sighed, putting his phone down. "I guess we're not going to find out much just yet."
"Well, at least we have a little time to relax. They seem to want to make sure that our change of heart happens first." Morgana suggested.
"Yeah… that's good…" Izuku's head dropped into his pillow, no longer able to stay conscious. Morgana let out a yawn, following his lead and drifting off to sleep.
"Alright, so what's the scoop?! What're the Phantom Thieves planning next?"
Izuku had hoped for some time off to relax after finishing Chisaki's Palace. Perhaps use the time to focus on studies or hang out with Ryuji or one of the others. But he supposed a day out with Mishima and Suzui wasn't the usual work that some of his other confidants were. It was nice to talk to them both after quite some time, anyways. So he met them at the usual diner in Shibuya.
"Mishima-kun, we've been over this. He can't just spill his guts that easily." Shiho scolded, crossing her arms over her chest. Izuku was more than pleased to see that she was in good shape. Some of her lost weight over the past few weeks had been regained. She was looking healthy.
"Right, right. Sorry," Mishima apologized, bowing his head. "It just feels like we haven't heard much lately and I'm getting restless!"
"I'll admit, I've been a little worried too…" Shiho narrowed her eyes, looking at Izuku. "Even Ann's been pretty quiet about what's going on."
"I-I'm sorry, this was a really big target we had to deal with. We weren't trying to keep anyone out…" Izuku scratched the back of his head, feeling guilty. "I… I can't say the details yet. This is a really important case. But you'll know soon enough."
"Ugh, that answer again! I get it, but it still sucks to hear!" Mishima whined, stretching his arms forward over the table. "Things on the Phan-site have slowed down a bit since Madarame."
"I'm really sorry… our next big target was difficult in a few ways…" Izuku said, bowing his head in apology.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about Mishima-kun. He's just overthinking about the overall interest and traffic of the Phan-site." Shiho then shot Mishima with a somewhat judgmental look, one he clearly winced at. "Especially when it supposedly helps him talk to girls."
"Huh?" Izuku blinked.
"L-Look it was just some harmless chatter about the Phantom Thieves! I-It wasn't like I was saying I know the Thieves or… ya know-"
"Mishima-kun, the Phan-Site is supposed to spread the word of the Phantom Thieves' message and be a haven for their supporters. Not act as your dating site."
"Suzui-san…" Mishima slumped over in his seat, embarrassment taking over. "You don't have to say all that…"
"After making sure those girls didn't waste your time, I'd say I've earned the right," Shiho smirked, looking back at Izuku. "We're both trying to be useful to the Phantom Thieves, right?"
"O-Of course! I wasn't trying to… I didn't think I was…" Mishima looked guiltily at Izuku, who had watched the scene play out quietly. "I'm sorry, Midoriya. I didn't mean to use the Phan-Site for… that."
Izuku gave a small smile, of course not angry but thankful for Shiho's intervention on the matter. "I-It's okay, Mishima-san. I'm sure you meant well…"
"Even so, I took my eye off the ball for a sec. What's wrong with me?" Mishima sighed, his lips thinning into a line. "I'll make it up to you and Suzui-san, I promise."
"Mishima-san…"
"Oh, Mishima. You're doing just fine as is." Shiho spoke up, offering a small smile. "You just got distracted and… I get it. Hard for you to not jump at the chance to meet some girls." She let out a small giggle as he flustered up. "But still, I'm glad you understand. We'll get back to working hard for Midoriya and everyone's sake."
"Yeah. Yeah, we'll keep running the PR, don't you worry!" Mishima said, her words motivating him. "In fact, I'll do another scan of the site tonight and see if we've got any interesting cases for you guys to take!"
"I'd appreciate that." Izuku smiled, glad to see both in higher spirits now. He spared a look around, a little nervous to say this in a public place but knew no one was paying attention to a couple of kids. "Well, I can't say who or what yet, but… maybe you can put this headline on the Phan-Site."
Shiho and Mishima raised a brow, leaning in curiously.
"Put… the Phantom Thieves have stolen another heart, and to look forward to it." Izuku told them, the pair practically shining with excitement.
"That's good… that's really good!" Mishima grinned, looking at Suzui. "We have to put that up tonight!"
"I'll make sure we put it on the front page for all to see." Shiho smiled, looking back at Izuku. "Thanks for the scoop! It might not be much, but a little teaser like that always gets people excited."
"Glad I could give a little something." Izuku offered with a small chuckle, sitting back in his seat. He was glad to see that the two were getting along, and that their work on the Phan-Site was benefitting both the team as well as the pair. He could feel their bonds strengthen through it…
*CRACK*
Moon Confidant: RANK THREE
"Hey, you never called Kawakami did you?"
Izuku blinked at Morgana's question. He had returned home shortly after parting with Shiho and Mishima, and was currently helping Sojiro clean the kitchen up. Morgana, of course, had the tact to wait until Sojiro was out of the room to pose the question.
"A-Ah, no I haven't…" Izuku admitted, rubbing his neck guiltily. "We got so wrapped up in Chisaki's Palace, I completely forgot."
Though now that he thought about it, Kawakami had shot him some looks during class. She hadn't said anything but there were some small, obvious glares. He figured that it was her telling him to stay quiet, but then again… it might have been because she was waiting on his call. In which case, he did feel even more guilt.
"I guess… we're a little overdue for that." Izuku sighed, pulling out his cell phone. He did wonder if it was actually okay to be calling her from his cell though, his eyes drifting to the yellow phone on the bar. It would be… a lot harder to trace back to me in that case.
"Hey." Izuku jumped as the bell to the front door chimed, looking up to see Sojiro standing in it. "I've got to rush home for some things. You mind locking up?"
"A-Ah not at all! I'll handle it!" Izuku gave a shaky thumbs up.
Sojiro cocked a brow, clearly a little suspicious. "Okay… just make sure you're not up too late." He said before closing the door behind him. Izuku sighed in relief, turning back to the phone.
"You really need to work on hiding your feelings." Morgana chuckled, hopping out of his bag. "Well, I'll let you handle this one. I'm gonna walk around for a bit."
"W-Wait, I'm still a little-"
"You've got this leader!" Morgana quickly abandoned him, trotting up the stairs and likely heading for the window in his room.
Izuku suddenly felt very alone and self-conscious, looking at the yellow turn-dial phone. I-It's okay, Izuku. It's just your homeroom teacher… moonlighting as a shady maid… you deal with much shadier people.
With a few breaths in and out, he picked up the phone and dialed the number she gave.
"Hi~! This is Becky, how can this maid be of service?"
Becky?
"I-It's Midoriya…"
Kawakami went silent for a moment before finally answering.
"Oh, it's you. About time. Here I thought you'd just leave well enough alone," was her tired response, quickly reassuring Izuku that it was indeed his teacher. "Well, I did promise you some answers… and I need money. It'll be 5000 yen. You okay with that?"
"Uh… sure. That's reasonable." Izuku nodded to himself.
"Great. Then I'll be over there soon."
"So this is your room, huh?"
Izuku wished he hadn't brought Kawakami up to his room. How many times would he have to suffer people seeing his memorabilia? All he could do was sit on his couch hunched over, twiddling his fingers.
"Y-Yeah… since I've moved here."
"... Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to judge you over your… aesthetic choice." Kawakami astutely picked up on the reason for his fluster. "In fact, it's… kind of telling. It's also a little confusing…"
"W-What do you mean?" Izuku raised his head, meeting Kawakami's gaze.
"Well, you stood up to Kamoshida when no one else would, despite the fact that you were so quiet…" Izuku raised a brow, shocked to hear she knew that. "Oh, we all heard. Kamoshida talked about how you 'tried to act tough' with him. It was his whole reason for trying to expel you."
"Ah, right…" Izuku trailed off, the memory making him frown.
"And, of course, he ended up being the bad guy in it all. So clearly you were in the right." Kawakami crossed her arms over her chest, her expression thoughtful. "And all the All Might stuff… It's clear what kind of sense of justice you have. Surprised a kid like you didn't try to get into UA."
Izuku winced at that. It had been a while since someone mentioned his desire for that, but it still made him a little sad to think about. "I… was planning to try."
"... Oh, right. Your record… and you're Quirkless…" Izuku felt like he was sinking further into his seat as Kawakami listed both things. "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."
Izuku raised his head to look at Kawakami, seeing genuine guilt in her expression.
"It's okay…" He sighed, sitting back up. "I've accepted it for a while now."
"... Still, I feel like I owe you for all that," Kawakami frowned, touching her chin in thought before her expression brightened. "I know. How about this: every now and then, I'll call you in during your homeroom and let you skip class."
"Huh? Really?" Izuku blinked, shocked to hear her make such an offer. "Y-You don't have to do all-"
"No, I do. Not just because of what I mentioned, but also as a continued motivator to keep… this," She motioned to her maid outfit. "Under wraps. It might help take some stress off you to not have to deal with homeroom, right? Though, if your grades in school start slipping I do retain the right to take away this privilege. Though considering your grades, I don't think that will be much of an issue."
"I…" Izuku honestly wasn't opposed to this offer. Most kids would be over the hill about it and, if he was being honest, there were rare times he had time to himself after school nowadays anyway. An hour or so to do what he wanted instead of being in class was quite helpful.
"Alright… I accept."
"Then it's a deal!"
*CRACK*
Izuku wasn't expecting a simple exchange like that to form a 'contract', but he was quite used to it by now.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Temperance Persona,
I have obtained the winds of Blessing
that shall lead to freedom and new power…
"Ugh, this is what I've come to, huh? Making deals with one of my students..?" Kawakami groaned aloud, shrugging. "Well, nothing to be done about it… By the way, if you ever need help cleaning this place up, uh… feel free to call."
"Really?" Izuku was surprised by the offer.
"Not for free. That would cost money." Kawakami quickly explained, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. "Truth be told… I'm considered over the hill for this kind of job. So I don't get requested that often." She was loath to admit, but at this point there was little use hiding it.
"A-Ah, I see. I'll keep that in mind.." Izuku rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'd really appreciate it. Plus it'd also put me at ease about our deal." Kawakami explained before pressing a hand against her face. "I'm even relying on you for help like this, huh? This is getting bad…"
"Ah, that reminds me, Kawakami-sensei. You still haven't told me about why you're doing this." Izuku reminded her, the teacher tensing up. "I know you need money, but it sounded like there was a reason for it."
"R-Right. W-Well, truth is… my sister's really sick." Kawakami's words were a little too quick for Izuku's liking. It sounded like a fake excuse if he ever heard one. "She doesn't have good insurance, s-so I've been shouldered with taking care of her, you know? So that's why I'll take whatever extra money I can get!"
"... I see." Izuku doubted that he could get more out of Kawakami as things were. She was hiding something else, but perhaps that was something he could figure out at a later date. I'm not sure if I even should, but…Maybe it is something I can help with? Still, he would at least play along with her for now. "I'm sorry about your sister, Kawakami-sensei. If I can afford to call you more in the future, I will."
"Y-You will? I mean, yes that'd be great!" Kawakami smiled, his reassurance seemingly working. "I'll try not to rely too heavily on you, but… any little I can get helps."
"I understand. Then I look forward to the next time I call you, sensei!" Izuku smiled.
"Same here! Next time you'll really get to see 'Becky' in action!" Kawakami made a cute curtsy, holding up a peace sign.
Unfortunately it seemed a little bit… too much for Izuku, unable to react in any way. A short and awkward silence passed by before Kawakami quickly shuffled off. "Okay, bye."
Izuku watched as she left, still a little stunned but soon letting it pass. Not my strangest confidant, but… it's still up there.
"This is the completed form of the draft I was working on before. I would like your opinion on it."
It had been some time since Izuku had last reconvened with Yusuke, just the two of them, so when Yusuke asked to meet up about his art piece discussed some time ago, Izuku was happy to do so. Thankfully this time they would meet in his room as opposed to Mementos.
"I'll do my best!" Izuku nodded, hoping to help Yusuke as much as possible.
"You have my thanks. Now then, behold," Yusuke drew the tarp away from the canvas he had carried into the shop, revealing his painting. Izuku's eyes widened in wonder, the painting both beautiful and somewhat befuddling. "Due to the subject at hand, I have aptly named it 'Desires'. Please, tell me what you think."
Izuku stared at the painting for some time, sweat trailing down his brow. It was a complete mess of black and red, fitting as he had used Mementos as his reference. The center was a black swirl, and the colors muted. He would say it wasn't what he was expecting but "I… I don't know much about art, but… I think it looks great, Yusuke-san."
"Wonderful. Just as I hoped," Yusuke smirked proudly. Still, his eyes looked expectant, eyes drifting between Izuku and the painting. "But as good as that is to hear, there must be more you can say about it?"
"More? Oh, um, I…" Izuku looked back at the painting, lips pursing.
"Something along the lines of a 400 word review would suffice."
"What?!" Izuku's jaw slouched, unsure how he could sum something like that up for him. Art was not his forte.
"It's alright. I won't ask for that at this very moment." Izuku breathed in relief when Yusuke dropped the subject. "Still, this is how I've chosen to depict desire. It is a foul chasm deep within the heart. Our visit to Mementos was quite insightful. It helped shape this painting as well as deepen my understanding of desire and the heart itself in a way that I never thought possible."
"... Wait," Izuku raised a brow, his words processing this. "Do you think this is what all desire looks like?"
"But of course! Desire is what drove men like Madarame to their dark deeds!" Yusuke declared, holding his head high as he regarded the name with disgust. "Chisaki desired to rule the criminal underworld. Madarame desired fame and riches. All their ambitions… derived from this one epicenter. The heart and its festering desire for more."
Izuku watched Yusuke for a moment before looking back at the painting. He knew nothing of the art world. Nor did he really ever try to explore the idea of 'feeling' something from an art piece. But seeing Yusuke's depiction of 'desire'...
It didn't feel right.
"I… I don't agree with that, Yusuke-san."
Izuku wasn't trying to start a fight, even as he was looking at the painter with a soft frown.
"What… What do you mean?"
"It's true that desire was at the center of all their evil deeds. That it drives people to do terrible things," Izuku walked up to the painting, his eyes narrowing as the muted colors seemed to speak to him. Tell him exactly how Yusuke felt. "But someone can desire to do good. To live a peaceful life. Helping others. It's not all darkness at the center, right?"
"But… the good desires of the few do not represent the many," Yusuke denied, his brow hardening as he looked back at his painting. "What this painting represents are those ruled by desire. Their hearts completely lost to it, leaving only an abyss. Is that not what Mementos has shown us?"
"Mementos is… I don't know what Mementos is. Not completely," Izuku admitted, looking away for a moment. "But to me… Mementos is the darkness that everyday people must live with. Not their desires ruling them, but people trying to get by despite the harsh reality hanging over them."
"... It seems we are at an impasse…" Yusuke frowned, closing his eyes in frustration.
Izuku frowned, realizing he might have upset his friend. Only to be thrown off as Yusuke began to laugh.
"But perhaps that is what I need!"
"Excuse me?" Izuku blinked, confused.
"Art is meant to invoke this kind of reaction. A piece left up to interpretation. Something for others to reflect on themselves with," Yusuke declared, smiling as if quite pleased with himself. "This discourse is what I wish to invoke. I am most interested in hearing the thoughts of others and how they might intertwine or contrast the feelings both of us have mentioned."
Izuku was somewhat speechless. Instead of offending Yusuke he apparently gave him an answer he wanted? Sort of?
"I thank you, Izuku. This at least reassures me that it's a matter my piece will inspire conversation over." Yusuke placed a hand on his shoulder, closing his eyes. "I will be presenting this piece to a public exhibition in which people will be able to observe it and many other pieces."
"O-Oh, I see…" Izuku's eyes drifted to the painting again, at least appreciative that the situation sort of resolved itself.
"People will be able to see what I've deemed to be the heart in its rawest form! Izuku, despite our contrast in view of the heart, I wish you to be there when it is presented."
"You do?!" Izuku blinked at him owlishly.
"Indeed! In fact, perhaps it will be through the voices of others that we may determine who is right between us. Whether this abyss is truly the heart in its complete shape or if my own understanding is skewed! Regardless… I feel this will be the spark I need to finally revitalize my artistic spirit!"
Izuku was always impressed with how much Yusuke could throw him off. Not that it was a hard thing to do, but his eccentricity definitely stood out from the rest of the group. Still, he admired his hard work and determination. "I'd be happy to attend with you, Yusuke-san."
"Perfect! May our next outing deliver the truth!" Yusuke smiled, clearly pleased to have Izuku's support in the matter.
*CRACK*
Emperor Confidant: RANK TWO
"Now, if you might be so kind, could you help me carry this back down? It was quite difficult getting here in the first place."
"O-Oh, sure!"
It was a wonder to Izuku how Yusuke had managed to get this piece here on his own. The two awkwardly fiddled with it in the stairway, trying to make sure no damage came to the piece.
"Be very gentle, Izuku! This painting holds the keys to my future as an artist."
"That's a lot of pressure" Izuku squeaked out as he suddenly got far more nervous.
"You two okay?" Sojiro asked from behind them, clearly concerned about both them and his customers.
"Yes, please excuse our intrusion, Boss! We'll be out of your hair shortly," Yusuke tried to reassure from the top of the stairs, holding the back of the canvas.
"If you say so…" Sojiro muttered, trying to focus on the television past them and let them work.
"M-Maybe let's set it down and readjust, Yusuke-san…" Izuku suggested, setting the painting down gently by the edge.
"Yes, we've gotten it down now. I should be able to take hold of it from here." Yusuke slid past the painting to grab it from the center. "Thank you for the help."
"Right, I'll walk with you to the station at least," Izuku offered. He turned to Sojiro, "Sakura-san, I'll be…" He blinked, Sojiro's eyes wide in awe as the half burnt cigarette hung limply from his lips. "Sakura-san?"
"Izuku." He turned to Yusuke, the artist's brow furrowed. He pointed to the television, drawing Izuku's gaze this time as well. And the headline made his heart stop.
Asakusa Yakuza base raided by Nighteye Hero Agency, leader and brass arrested peacefully.
To be continued…
Thank you Chidoriprime for your awesome help and work beta reading the chapter!
Glad to be back with another chapter! Had to wind things down after the mega chapter before this. Glad to also get a couple of neglected confidant links also more action lol
The beginning was a big topic of discussion between me and a couple friends. It was almost a lot darker than what I went with, but felt like a really big leap for what the group would do, so stuck to them scaring Chisaki's shadow instead.
Anyways, that's it for this chapter, I do hope you all enjoyed! Sorry again for the wait, my interests have been all over the place lately and have been getting distracted XD still, I am happy to keep Thieves going strong and hopefully the others will follow suit soon!