Chapter Twenty-Three

As I walked out of the warehouse, I thought about one of my favorite video games: Heroes Never Die. A hero shooter that's about heroes trying to stop a war: it was based on that Overwatch group that tried to help in The Great War. I hope you know what that is. Nearly everyone knows what that is. But the game itself is pretty niche. People don't like media that don't have their favorite heroes from this world. They're so many weird things here, that people don't feel like they have to make crap up.

Regardless, in that game, it's the same thing in this world. You take out the healers first. You can't always do that, and sometimes, the DPSes and the Tanks play so badly that the healer can't even heal them. So it makes the job easier. But if the opposing team works together, you usually go for the healers. So they can't support their teammates. It makes the job so much easier. When you're trying to win the game. Now, why the hell am I telling you this?

Because It might be what I have to do to Skitter.

I don't know how her powers work, but it's likely not a coincidence her bugs went crazy when I insulted the brat. It's not a coincidence that there was blood on the floor of Skitter's room far away from the brat. She wouldn't have had to take off the silk if she hit him in the face.

She's hiding something…If she's grown a soft spot for the brat, then we can't count on her. We need her out of here.

And from I know of Coil, that being he's paranoid, and homicidal, he'll have no problem with getting rid of her. Just gotta call him.

When I pulled out my phone, though, I got called by an unknown number. Who was this?

I answered it. "Who is this?"

"Hello, Shigaraki."

I recognized the voice. "Tattletale? How did you get my phone number?"

"You have to ask?"

"You couldn't get it from just from super detective reasoning."

"Well, I had a little help from Kurogiri." She admitted.

I sighed. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk. About that strategy you got."

A coincidence? Am I being paranoid? Or is it not by chance that she called me right after I talked with Skitter? Does this brat think she can really outsmart me? Or am I overthinking this?

Only one way to find out. "I'd have to call Kurogiri."

"Ok, do that. And be in my base in about…ten seconds?"

"I'd have to talk to him for a second."

"Ok, thirty seconds to a minute."

"Don't dictate my time," I ordered her. "I'll be there when I want to come there."

"Ok." She hung up without so much of a goodbye. She's such a child.

While I scratched, I called Kurogiri. "Kurogiri?"

"Hello, Shigaraki," He said. "Is there something you wish to ask of me?"

"You didn't tell Tattletale what my phone number was, did you?"

"I didn't. She figured it out from my body language."

I half groaned, half sighed. I seem to do that often today. "Fine. you know the coordinates to Tattletale's base?"

"Yes."

"Teleport me there."

"Is there a reason?"

"I might have to silence a Tattletale.

Five seconds later

I walked through Kurogiri's portal and walked into Tattletale's base. It was a large structure, with a front desk in it. I looked back at the portal to see it disappear, and saw a glass door behind it, that showed several tents and people. She was in charge of a shelter?

I guess all these bases were shelters, technically.

I walked up to the front desk to a blonde girl with freckles.

"Ummm, excuse me." She awkwardly shuffled her feet. "But…we aren't accepting treat or treaters." She seemed legitimately confused.

"I'm here for your boss." I said.

"Oh, ok. Follow me."

Follow me? She can't just call her? Fine, it doesn't matter. I'll get to her, anyway.

She led through a door and we walked for a tad bit. I kept my mouth shut. I'm not making small talk with a coward. She led me to another door. Opening it revealed a small room, and it was hot with the running computers that were crammed into it. Eight sheep were seated at different points in the room, each with their own computer. The walls were scattered with photos, maps, printouts and post-its Black tape joined these elements together in a bizarre configuration that looked like someone trying to piece together a conspiracy theory. All of our enemies were up on the wall: The Merchants, Fenrir's Chosen, the Pure, the Protectorate, New Wave and the Wards. There were pages relating to something Lisa was calling Case 53. Dragon was up there, as was Scion. The Slaughterhouse Nine were on a bulletin board, but Hatchet Face's picture was crossed out in red marker.

"Your boss let's you see this?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well…wait…what?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Her body language and voice changed in a second, and she pulled out a purple mask and put it on her face.

She's Tattletale.

"I see, cute," I said, rubbing my shoulders against my neck to hide that I was itchy. Probably wouldn't work, though. "You changed everything about yourself to hide yourself."

Tattletale smiled. "Yep, first rule of supers, hide your secret identity. Also, don't try to hide that you're itching, it's not going to work."

Knew it.

"Boys, you're gonna have to leave."

The men nodded and walked out of the room. Saying excuse me as they walked past me. Why do they bother being polite? So stupid, I oughta kill them.

But I won't. As a favor to her.

"Letting your men out while I have murder impulses?"

"I don't fear you, Shigaraki."

So she was underestimating me? Good. Have to use that.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"The strategy. I have several notes I never got to tell you about. Did you tell Skitter?"

Talking about Skitter, eh? Well, that's suspicious. Then again, she could just be asking. No way to know for sure yet.

Can't let her know I suspect her. "Yes, I did."

Tattletale pursed her lips. "You know I'm smarter than that, right?"

"What?"

"You may have gotten lucky and outsmarted me before. But what you don't understand is not everything is a battle of wits. You don't have to outsmart me now. Just because you suspect me…of something."

Shit. She figured it out that quick? Did I underestimate her too? Doesn't matter, I have to play things more carefully.

"Fine, I didn't tell her."

"Why not?"

"I was going to tell her right after I checked up on the brat," Didn't want to tell her that, but if I didn't, or I hesitated for too long, she would know something is up. So I decided against it. "But then…" I sighed. It would make it more believable. I wouldn't say this casually. "She pissed me off, so I left."

"I noticed some slight hesitation before you said what you did." Tattletale said. "Why? What did he do?"

Now she sounded confused. But she did so before, as well. I wasn't going to fall for it just yet. Should I just tell the truth?

Let's see what happens if I don't. "None of your goddamn business."

Tattletale eyes widened. "It was that bad?" she said with a chuckle.

"It wasn't what he-" I stopped myself. What the hell was I saying?

"What? Then why…Actually, doesn't matter. Let's get started on the strategy. Do you want me to take charge or do you want to do that? Don't know why I'm asking. You're probably used to being in charge."

"You're a fucking idiot."

Tattletale glared at me. "What?"

"You think I would fall for that? You weren't just curious about what I was doing with Izuku Midoriya; you were getting information for Skitter. To see if I figured out her little secret. You wouldn't stop asking about it unless you figured it out. Even if she didn't ask, you could still tell her and conspire against me. I won't let that happen."

"Shut your fucking mouth."

"It must hurt, knowing the one thing you take pride in, the one thing you're damn good at, there's someone better than you at it. Twice as good as you at it," I leaned in. "But what I bet is even worse…is knowing that you'll never have all the pieces and you'll never have all the information, just like with your sibling. You'll never be able to save them. You probably beat yourself up, thinking of ways you could've saved them. That's why you're obsessed with finding information. It's your own personal redemption for failing your sibling. But you'll never find enough information, because it'll never be enough. No matter what you do, the information will never fill that hole inside."

She looked terrified. Mouth agape and eyes wide. Final word.

I whispered in her ear. "At the end of the day, you're still the same scared little girl who could stop a suicide. Do you really think you can do it for anyone else?"

That was a gamble. A wager. I didn't know if they killed themself. I didn't know if she treid to do it with anyone else. And if she did, she might've have succeeded. Time will tell if it worked.

Tears filled her eyes.

Bingo.

She ran out of the room crying, this is what I like about this blackmail business. I don't have to treat teammates with respect. I don't have to treat them with care…

And if I wanted too, I could have them destroy themself.

That's one problem out of the way, too bad she won't be there to fight against the heroes. Guess I'll be alone figuring out their weakness.

I called Kurogiri.

"Hello, Shigaraki." He said. "Done with Tattletale?"

"Actually, it wasn't even major." I smirked. "Portal me next to Coil's base, I'm feeling good today."

Five minutes later.

I walked up to Coil's room. It was being guarded by the man with the cut ear, and a man that had cat ears. I resisted the urge to laugh.

"I'm here for Coil."

They looked at each other. Then the man with cat ears talked. "Alright, man, actually it's good you're here. He wanted to talk to you. I believe he was about to call you."

Really? What could he want?

They opened the door for me and I walked into his room. "Hello, Coil."

Coil sat at his desk, his computer facing away from me. His eyes looked big. "Hello, Shigaraki."

I sat down at his chair. "I have something to tell you."

"Another order?"

I smirked. "Now, why would you assume that?"

"It's just obvious. Why else would you come here?"

I grinned. "I suppose it is. But trust me, this is in your best interest."

"Can you give a reason why I should listen?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Are the pictures not enough?"

"Yes, those are good reasons to listen." Coil put his right hand on his computer. "Let me give you a better reason why I shouldn't." He turned on the computer, and I saw nothing, but that didn't matter what mattered is what I heard.

"Hello, Shigaraki." Sensei said.

"What? What the hell is this?"

"Coil and I have made a deal." He said. "He gives me support of his Thinker powers. And I give him vials from Caudron."

Cauldron? What the hell was cauldron?

"What!? But I'm blackmailing him! If he's working with you, he'll be above me!"

"That's right," Coil said. As smug as he could.

I grit my teeth. "Why are you doing this!?"

"A girl came to me and told me about Coil. After what she proposed, and after I talked to him, it seems like a pretty good deal."

Tattletale.

How? When? When did she figure it out? How could Coil charm Master? Have I been played like a fool?

Doesn't matter. "You can't take this from me!" I said.

"He gave me a good deal, Shigaraki." He repeated. I hated when people repeated themselves. "You shouldn't have blackmailed him in the first place. Doing generous things are more likely to get you loyal supporters."

"I don't want loyal supporters! I want minions who will do anything I say!"

"They're the same thing, Shigaraki." Sensei said.

"I didn't have a response to that. I couldn't tell him I didn't want to put in the work, sowhat the hell could I-

"Shigaraki." Kurogiri said behind me.

I turned to him. "What do you want?"

"I'm at Skitter's base. You must come, they're here."

Oh-no…Not now!

"Fine," I walked to Kurogiri's portal. "This isn't over."

"What happening?" Coil asked.

"Bad news, you better get ready." I turned to him. "Things are about to get loud.