The headset fits snug around his ears, not like the underground hero's goggle straps that chafes the skin. As much as he hates sitting on the sidelines, he has to admit that the alternative is better in this case. Eraserhead listens through the wire that Himiko Toga is wearing beneath her clothes as she saunters into a blackmarket for weapons. She goes unsuspected of anything and he doesn't have to lift a finger. The known criminal blends into her environment, stopping by a few knife stands to seem natural. But she and the underground hero both know that the Meta Liberation Army will be using gear much deadlier than blades. He listens closely as she finally tries the first of many posts selling firearms.
The blonde villainous approaches a cephalopodic man. The fellow criminal's head resembles the mantle of an octopus, tentacles with suction cups hanging down from his face. A red hood that matches the villain's papillae covered skin covers his eyes. Himiko tries to make their gazes meet despite the covering. "A harpoon gun? Something pointy like a knife that can be shot. Tempting!", she pretends to be interested in one of the weapons being sold to further reign in the seller's attention.
"Six thousand", the vendor does reply but still doesn't bother to lift his gaze. The price is also double the cost of what a legal sale would cost. Not cheap. Himiko's expression must convey her thoughts because the villain adds, "Not negotiable. Take it or leave it."
Himiko holds up her index finger, wagging it back and forth while tutting. "I didn't say I was gonna buy it. I said it was TEMPTING to buy", she flashes her pointed canines with a wide grin.
But the arms dealer doesn't smile back. "Then don't waste my time", he waves a hand to shoo her away like some pesky brat he doesn't want distracting him.
"Don't be like that", Himiko tries not to sound like she's whining too much to avoid that brat label but still doesn't give up. She casually browses the broader selection of weapons. "I'm sure there's something here you can convince me to bring home", her eyes roam the crates containing explosives.
"Most people already know what they're looking for", but the gun merchant isn't convinced by her act just yet. Beneath the hood that shields his eyes, he watches Himiko with a critical gaze.
Himiko pretends she doesn't notice the judgemental stare. "What about the ones who don't?", she keeps hoping that her nonchalant attitude will sway him.
"They don't exist", but the salesman doesn't fold easily.
Suddenly, Himiko's own earpiece buzzes to life. Hers is much smaller, meant to go unnoticed. Made more for espionage than comfort. "Steer him on topic", Eraserhead tries helping her direct her conversation in the right direction.
Himiko covers her mouth with the crook of her arm, pretending to sneeze. "I'm getting there", she uses that brief moment to whisper her response to the underground hero. When she lowers her arm and redirects her attention to the villain, she asks, "Do you sell in stock to anyone?"
THAT gets the arms dealer to look up at her. "Only when there's a large group", he glances around as though searching for someone standing behind her. When confirming that she's by herself, he asks, "You representing someone, girly?"
"Now's your chance", Eraserhead's voice buzzes in her ear again.
"Unless one of my associates already came by", Himiko shrugs to act as though it's not such a big deal. Now that she's got his attention, she switches tactics to seem disinterested. "I'm with the Meta Liberation Army", and hopes her lie works.
"Can't say they have", the weapon seller strokes one of his tentacles like it's part of a beard. Hook, line, and sinker. The anthropomorphic octopus has been caught. Too bad not dealing with the Meta Liberation Army means he's useless to them. Still, the arms dealer tries to be polite now in order to win her over, "Perhaps I should have introduced myself sooner. I'm Innsmouth. How can I be of service to you?"
"On second thought, I'm gonna try looking around some more", Himiko backs away into the crowd of other criminals mingling the market. Innsmouth doesn't even get the chance to stop her before she slips into the sea of villains.
"Smooth", Eraserhead didn't have to see her vanishing act to know she abruptly ended the conversation with Innsmouth. His tone is a balance between being impressed and disapproval of her actions.
"It was a dead end. I wasn't gonna stand around wasting time", Himiko mutters under her breath so nobody but he can hear her. She weaves in and out between other people roaming the area.
"You can't go checking every stand either. Not only is there too many, but that'd be bound to raise suspicion", the underground chastising her earns an eye roll from the blonde. It's not like he can see her do it.
"I'm not hearing any better ideas", Himiko grumbles. Under ordinary circumstances if he were in front of her, he probably wouldn't be able to hear the comment, but the commlink is close enough to her mouth to pick up her voice.
Eraserhead hums as he considers the truth behind her remark. It takes him but a moment to make a suggestion. "We could take turns. Going in shifts might work", he considers swapping between the two of them to avoid getting caught.
"Or..", but Himiko has paused in the middle of the market with something else on her mind. "Hey, that's the tenth time I saw a gun stand with one of those cases", she notices that there's a common container with each vendor.
Which also catches Eraserhead's interest. "Must be a third party seller. I doubt everyone there stole from the same place", he hopes it's a lead and asks, "Does the box say anything?"
Himiko tries to get closer to read the kanji without squinting. "Detnerat?", the logo and text belongs to a company. A familiar one. The same enterprise selling books that promote the Meta Liberation Army's cause.
"They never needed illegal weapons.. They had them in stock already..", Eraserhead realizes the business must have warehouses full of firearms. "They're arming their troops already", he's already hurrying to meet Himiko at their rendezvous point
"For what?", the blonde begins moving at a brisker pace to get there as well. She glances at each vendor as she passes them. The stands are crowded. She already knows the answer. It's to build an army.
And at the forefront of that army, Aogiri gathers for another meeting. Hawks strolls into the room to find everyone else waiting for him. All eyes land on him when he comes through the door. He can even feel Noro's stare through the villain's creepy mask.
"Am I interrupting something?", Hawks tries to break the tension with a forced smile.
"Not at all", he's only partially relieved when Curious is the only one to return the gesture. "How goes moonlighting as a hero?", her own day job interviewing people gets the better of her.
"Business as usual", Hawks thinks back to his quick meeting with Nighteye and the others before shrugging off the question and trying to throw it back at them, "What about you all? Any off hours?"
"I play online Go sometimes", Eto is the only one to indulge the hero. She earns a few looks, some of them glares. "What?", she shrinks in on herself until all that's left is embarrassment.
"Never a break here", Geten responds coldly to the question. "And the same should go for you if you're devoted to our cause", he's still clearly not warmed up to the turncoat hero just yet.
"Hey, I've got a public opinion to maintain. Cut me some slack", Hawks holds his hands up in a placating manner while trying to defend himself for being tardy. He can only hope that they aren't suspicious of him, his paranoia getting the better of him.
"Typical 'hero' for ya..", Dabi mumbles under his breath as he crosses his arms. He still advocates for Stain's cause more than the Meta Liberation Army's.
But the Tokyo Ghoul puts a stop to the discussion, standing up. "Hawks is right. His reputation is important to us. It'd be foolhardy to throw it all away", the hero is relieved that their leader speaks in his defense.
"I agree. As much as I hate to admit it", Hawks is even more surprised when Tatara also backs him up. Though the Aogiri subordinate could just be going along with what the ghoul is saying.
"Forget it. We shouldn't waste time on this crap", Geten growls as he waves a hand to push the matter aside. He's agitated more than usual, already fed up with the group's conversation.
"Jack Frost here has a point", and Dabi doesn't help to quell that anger. The nickname earns a glare from Geten. "Can you tell us why you called this meeting already?", but Dabi doesn't seem to notice or care.
"Sorry that it's on such short notice", the ghoul nods in understanding of everybody's frustration though. Hawks shudders when the ghoul's gaze meets his. "But I'm left no choice other than to take such precautions", especially when he hears the next sentence out of the Aogiri leader's mouth.
"And here I thought we were beginning to bond", Hawks sighs as he realizes it's going to be a lot harder than he initially imagined to gather information for a counter attack.
"Oo! Oo! We can always do trust fall exercises!", Eto hops up with a raised hand as she tries to make a suggestion.
Though Dabi is quick to oppose the idea, "I am NOT trusting any of you whack jobs to catch me."
"Takes one to know one", Geten glances at the fire user with disdain in his eyes. Dabi returns the glare and holds it a while longer.
"That's enough, you two", Tatara stands up to maintain order. He matches the ghoul's aura, even his white hair a similarity of its own to the Aogiri leader.
Once the group is quieted down, their boss clears his throat and begins again. "As I was saying..", they flinch when they hear his own agitation leaking through. "In preparation for the upcoming war, we have ourselves a side mission", but Hawks is put even more on edge. The sudden announcement of a detour worries the hero. Especially when what looks like a warpgate opens up. "If you'd follow me..", the ghoul confirms the portal is indeed a means of transportation by stepping into it.
"I love surprises! How fun!", Eto charges after him without a hint of hesitation. Though the others are just as apprehensive as the hero. Wishing to win them over, Hawks follows after Eto, hoping that proves SOMETHING to the group of villains.
"I hate surprises..", Dabi grumbles in complaint. Though his protest falls on deaf ears, the others already following Hawks' lead. Dabi disappointedly goes with them.
"Greetings everyone", he's shocked to see a familiar face on the other side. A wisp of purple smoke, the culprit for the warpgate. A fellow former member of the League Of Villains that Dabi had believed to be dead.
But what's far more disturbing, is the scenery of where they've all been relocated. Shifting of tides so dark that they lost their blue tint rise over a dropoff, the black waters beckoning whoever dives in to drown. Spears of rain stab the earth, pricking the group like quill needles. Mud and muck clings to their feet as they sink into the ground, a wet burial in process while they're still alive. Trees have lost all their green, withered down to brittle bark and pointed branches. All of Aogiri turn towards their leader for answers.
"Most people would expect someone to break OUT of this place.. Well, Aogiri, we'll be breaking IN..", the Tokyo Ghoul only prompts them to continue looking around. The environment is merely but a threshold to an even worse place. Walls that may as well be made of brimstone reach over the suffocating slashes of the sea's liquid talons. Barbed wire runs over the top of the barrier, the wall's own set of claws.
"Oh, it's you again!", Eto seems to be the only one unbothered by the view. She instead fixates on the warper.
"What the hell is Kurogiri doing here?", for which Dabi is grateful since he's able to momentarily forget about where he's been dropped off. Only momentarily though. His eyes are drawn back to the colossal castle buried in the depths of the ocean, "What even is this place.. ?"
"I'm sure you're used to the flames", the Tokyo Ghoul chuckles as though he just made a joke. He trudges through the mud and towards the cliff that stretches out towards the structure ahead. "The deepest region of hell is where we're headed", and he announces their destination.
Only Hawks is able to recognize it, his dread at their sudden dropoff enhanced tenfold. "Tartarus..", he exhales as though he'd been holding his breath under the monsoon all this time.