Toga perked up as she heard the faint squeak of the gate outside.
"They're here! They're here!" she grinned widely, eagerly tapping Twice's arm as he bounced alongside her.
A moment passed before the heavy metal door slowly creaked open, and five people came into view.
"Nice place you got here," Amnestica hummed, glancing around as she stepped into the crumbling factory room. "Can't you at least turn on a light or two?"
"Quiet down," the Manager chided before turning to the man who sat hunched on a dusty stack of wooden pallets. "Nice to see you again, Shigaraki."
"Yea," he breathed dryly. "Is this all of them?"
"It is. League of Villains, these are the other members of Sacrosanct," he introduced, glancing back at the three with an expectant smile.
"Hi, call me Amnestica."
"Horus."
"Traceback. It's nice to meet you."
"And you already know the two of us," the Manager smiled, gesturing to Unknown.
"Welcome!" Twice hollered, throwing his arms in the air as Toga mirrored him, waving cheerfully.
"We're glad to have you on. Sorry to put you to work so soon, but I have a task for you," Shigaraki stated, turning his only visible eye to Unknown. "It's important. Go with Dabi and he'll explain."
"What about us?" Amnestica raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Nothing for now. Just remember, everyone should keep an eye out for potential recruits. We need more members for the next step of our plan, but only worthwhile ones, got it?"
"Of course," the Manager nodded with a pleasant grin.
"Good. You can go now, Dabi," he motioned to the figure standing in the corner.
The silent man kicked off the wall and started towards the door, walking past Sacrosanct without so much as a glance.
"Don't mind him- he's a pain," Shigaraki sighed, looking to Unknown. "Go ahead."
The raven-haired girl glanced at the Manager and received a brief nod of approval before turning to follow after him.
"Hi!" Toga sang as she hopped off the old conveyer belt, bounding towards the remaining four. She grabbed both of Traceback's hands and smiled at her eagerly, "Can I have some of your blood?"
"You can't just ask people for their blood, Toga!" Twice exclaimed frantically.
"So you're Sacrosanct..." Spinner grunted, eyeing them up and down. "I've heard of you, but I didn't expect a bunch of kids. I can't say you look like much."
Compress tutted and wagged a finger disapprovingly. "You jump to conclusions so quickly, Spinner."
"I don't care who you are, but you'd better be useful," Magne sniffed with disinterest, setting down her large magnet with a thud.
"Rest assured we'll pull our weight. In fact," the Manager cracked a friendly smile, "how about a demonstration?"
Spinner smirked at the sound of a challenge and stood from his spot atop the creaky metal railing. His hands eagerly went up to the blades strapped behind his back, however he was quickly stopped by Shigaraki who waved a dismissive hand. His arms fell back to his sides as he turned away with a huff.
"There's no need for that," he breathed dryly, adjusting the hand latched to his face, "Kurogiri is supposed to come back with news soon, so let's save the sparring for later."
Dabi walked in silence down the dim, narrow alleyway, only the rhythmic clicking of soles on concrete filling the air. Unknown followed two steps behind him, matching his languid pace. They twisted through tiny, shadowy paths and slim gaps between buildings for nearly half an hour, not a word exchanged between them. Eventually, they turned to enter a nondescript building that appeared abandoned much like the rest.
They made their way up the dusty staircase in the corner, their footsteps echoing loudly off the metal walls. They continued steadily upwards before their path diverted, splitting off into a level that looked the same as all the others. They wove through the musty corridors, turning left and right as if they were in a maze, before finally stopping in front of a large metal door. Dabi twisted the flat handle, pushing it open and stepping inside, letting it fall behind him. Unknown pressed the side of her hand to the heavy door as she followed him in.
In contrast with the rest of the building up until this point, the room they entered was large and well-kept. The walls were lined with modern tank-like devices, each chamber containing a humanoid creature suspended in viscous liquid. Tubes ran everywhere, large and small, the clear plastic containing unknown fluids from unknown sources, most of which led inside the tanks to connect to the idle, submerged creatures.
Dabi stepped over to the closest task and pressed a series of buttons on a small panel attached to the side. With a high pitched beep, the liquid gurgled and began draining away, gradually falling lower and lower before finally emptying entirely. The glass wall followed soon after, steadily retracting into the base with a mechanical puff.
The dripping wet creature was a repulsive red-gray in tone; it had three disproportionately muscular arms on its back in addition to the two human-like ones at its side. Its legs were impossibly muscular, rippling with unnatural power even as it stood entirely still. Thick nails curled into dangerous talons at the end of each bony hand, giving it an almost bird-like appearance. Most notable of all, however, was its exposed, fleshy pink brain, with a beady, unfocused eye staring out from each side.
"Crush it."
Unknown glanced back at Dabi, raising a questioning brow. His arms were folded in front of him, his demeanor casual as he leaned against the metal wall at his back, striking blue eyes staring expectantly at her.
She didn't like him.
Maybe it was the calculating gleam behind his gaze, as if he was a predator waiting for some chance to strike. Maybe it was his blatant, casual sense of superiority, as if, in his eyes, she was little more than a body occupying space. Maybe it was residual ire from their little battle in Kamino Ward, where he had intentionally egged her on despite already knowing she was on their side. Or maybe it was just his voice. Whatever the reason, she was decidedly less than thrilled with her current situation.
She returned her gaze to the motionless creature, quietly examining it for a moment longer before speaking.
"What is it?"
"Does it matter?" he retorted flatly.
Her eyes shifted back to him, a plainly unamused look on her face. "Now that's no way to speak to an ally, is it?"
"An ally? I'm not so sure about that just yet."
"I didn't ask if you were sure, I asked what this thing is."
"You know, you're kind of boring."
"Your opinion is very important to me."
"I almost thought you were a regular kid back at that camp," he continued seamlessly as if he hadn't heard her tone practically dripping with sarcasm. "Unlike the rest of those freaks back there, you hardly look like much. Even among your little secret society, you're by far the least remarkable. It seems you're as plain as they come."
"Can't say the same for you, stitches."
"A nickname already? How endearing."
"Are you going to tell me what this thing is or are you going to continue critiquing my appearance?"
"Ah, serious, are we? If you must know, these are Nomu: genetically modified fighters designed to be leagues stronger than any human. They might not be there quite yet, but that's what you're here for," he explained, motioning towards the creature that had yet to move a muscle. "We need to make them stronger, improve the amount of sheer force these things can take, and your quirk makes that rather easy to test."
Unknown seemed to consider his words as she glanced back at the idle Nomu, eyes carefully dragging over it once again. She silently approached the towering creature, her shoes clicking rhythmically against the tile floor, before coming to a stop next to it. She raised a hand and brushed her fingers against its artificial, leathery skin. In a split second, the creature splattered to the ground with a wet crunch as a mist of red spurted everywhere.
Everywhere, notably, except for herself.
"Is that it? You have your work cut out for you," she stated blandly, turning her gaze back to Dabi.
Seemingly unfazed, the man wiped the droplets of blood off his hand as he watched the lump of flesh twitch and gurgle while it tried to regenerate. After a minute, however, its movements died down, leaving behind only a slightly larger mass of bone and muscle.
He pressed a few buttons on the control panel behind him, and the liquid in the next chamber began to bubble as it gradually drained.
The glass wall lowered to reveal another Nomu, this one with sickly blue skin and bone-frame wings jutting from its spine. He gestured towards it as he took a few steps back, but before he was in the clear, her fingers met its skin and it too smashed to the floor with a repulsive crunch, covering his entire left side with a fine red splatter.
He instantly narrowed his eyes, his irritable glare snapping to her as she met his gaze without hesitation.
"Oh, I forgot you were there for a second," she tilted her head back at him, not an ounce of apology in her passive stare, "my mistake."
"If you were any less useful, you'd be dead in a second."
"Oh? You think you could pull that off?"
"Would you like to find out?"
"Don't offer what you can't deliver."
Both pairs of eyes narrowed, raging a silent war as if in a clash for superiority, as if it were a battle of nerves, with neither side was willing to back down. She was certain that if the circumstances were just a bit different, they would have long been at each other's throats by now.
A fleshy squishing noise momentarily drew their attention away from trying to glare each other to death and back towards the crushed Nomu. The bloody mound at her feet shifted and swelled noticeably before it, much like the first, eventually fell idle.
"How much pressure did that take?" he asked, making no effort to hide the distaste in his voice.
"A few times more than what's needed for a human."
"How likely is it for someone to produce that much force?"
"More likely than you'd want."
"Care to explain?"
"No."
He shot her a warning glare, and for the first time, her lip ticked up in response. "Most of the higher-ranked heroes with power-boosting quirks would probably be able to."
"But their hits would only affect a small area wherever they aim," he mused as he released a third Nomu. The mechanical whine of the receding tank walls sounded once again. "Use a narrower attack on this one."
"You seem a little too comfortable ordering me around."
"Get used to it, princess."
"A nickname already? How endearing."
"I see you're not too bright, taking other people's words as your own."
"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."
"Like I said, not too bright."
Unknown turned away with a slight shake of her head before her attention landed back on the newest creature. She didn't move this time as a fist-sized hole tore through where its heart should have been, fast enough that it didn't even have a chance to sway from the force. The gaping wound bore plainly for a moment before the muscles and skin around it stretched repulsively, weaving together and rapidly repairing the hole.
"Disgusting…" she muttered.
"Well that's a bit hypocritical," he hummed, glancing down at the two bloody piles of flesh on the ground.
"At least that way they're put out of their misery. Are these things even alive?"
"Oh? Did you suddenly develop morals in the last twenty seconds?"
"I don't like ugly things, and your Nomu are high on that list."
"Your priorities are pretty backwards."
"And you're one to judge?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the self-satisfied grin on his face. "Are we done here?"
"In a hurry, princess?"
"To get away from you, yes."
"Ouch. Aren't I a likeable person?" He placed a hand over his heart in mock offense.
"Look, do you want me to kill this thing or not?"
He leered at her in amusement, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. "No. Keep doing what you just did, and this time aim for its head."
Unknown shifted her irritated gaze back to the idle beast, and just as its bulky form came into view, a hole punched clean through its skull.
"Please get off of me," Traceback sighed like a broken record as Toga mercilessly pestered her, for the hundredth time in the past few hours, for her blood.
"Pleeeaaase?" she begged with wide, pleading eyes, though the excited grin on her face made it rather less convincing. She childishly swung the redhead's arm back and forth, "I might have to turn into you now that we're working together!"
"I've never met someone quite like her…" Amnestica tilted her head curiously as she watched the pair from a distance.
"Yeah, and you should be thankful for it," Spinner grumbled with arms crossed.
"Don't be mean! Toga's a good girl," Magne grinned, bumping Amnestica with her hips. "By the way, when is that Unknown coming back? I wanted to talk to her," she pouted.
"Who knows? She's off somewhere with that guy with all the scars." Amnestica tucked her short blonde locks behind her ear and leaned back, lacing her hands behind her head.
"I hope Dabi isn't being rude. That would make for a poor first impression," Mr. Compress shook his head as he leaned dramatically on his cane.
"That guy's such a pain," Spinner sighed.
"So is she. Maybe they'll cancel each other out," Horus scoffed from a few feet away.
A faint creak from outside caught their attention as they glanced towards the door.
"Speak of the devil," Amnestica smiled lazily.
The door groaned as it opened, and the two people in question stepped inside.
"Whoa! What happened to you?" Twice gasped at the blood spatter coating Dabi's clothes.
The man didn't respond, not sparing him a glance as he silently brushed past the other members, returning straight to the dim corner he had occupied before. Unknown fell out of step with him as soon as they entered the building, instead turning to approach the curious group.
"What's his deal?" Amnestica glanced questioningly at the man who had begun speaking with Shigaraki.
"I wouldn't know," she shrugged.
"How was your first job as a member of the League of Villains?" Twice leaned forward enthusiastically, resting his elbows on the table in front of him, hands tucked under his chin.
"Fine." She took a seat next to Magne who patted her shoulder with a slight smile.
"Don't mind him; he's just like that."
"Not an enthusiastic player at all," Compress clicked his tongue.
"Unknown!" Toga called as she ran over to her, snatching up the girl's hands and clutching them between her own, "Your friends won't let me take any off their blood! And I asked so nicely!"
"...ok."
"You have to help me convince them!"
"Calm down, Toga," Magne coaxed, "it's only their first day."
"Yea! Don't scare them away!" Twice hollered.
"Shut up, you're so loud," Spinner sneered, rubbing the side of his head as he felt a headache start to grow. "It's even worse now that all these newbies are here…"
"You're such a downer, Spinner; just like someone I know," Amnestica turned towards Horus dramatically. He shot her a harsh glare and she stuck her tongue out in retaliation.
"Children…" Compress sighed as the bickering continued despite Twice's best, most animated efforts in convincing everyone to get along.
Dabi glanced back at the group from across the room, his keen eyes landing directly on Unknown. She was quietly observing the commotion as Toga tried yet again to coax Traceback into giving up her blood. To anyone else, she would likely have been next to invisible with her solemn demeanor and plain appearance, especially when surrounded by magicians, lizards, giant magnets, and bloodthirsty schoolgirls. To him, however, it was almost obscene how much she stuck out: remarkable because she was unremarkable. Against all the loud personalities and eye-catching individuals that made up the League of Villains, he could only wonder where she kept her deformities, if not on the outside.
He would soon discover that some predators had good camouflage.
Heavy, pressing silence filled the still air of the common room, weighing dully on class 1-A as they sat scattered around the couches, chairs, and tables of the newly built Heights Alliance. The dreariness blanketed over them just as it had since they moved into the building earlier that day. What few words exchanged between them had all been in hushed voices and wary glances, almost as if they would be punished if caught making a sound.
No one spoke of what happened.
The silence was crudely broken as the soft sound of a door unlocking suddenly assaulted their ears, making a few of them flinch and recoil. The front door squeaked open as Aizawa stepped into the quiet room.
Nineteen pairs of eyes followed him as he approached. He came to a stop by the side wall next to the kitchen before leaning back against it, arms shifting to fold tightly in front of him. A few seconds of heavy silence hung persistently in the air before he spoke.
"I know this is... difficult for everyone. I hoped to give you the necessary time to process these events, but I need to address the topic on everyone's mind." His voice was even and dull as it always was when he taught in class, but this time it wasn't tiredness weighing it down. "Ito Naoko has defected to the League of Villains."
The statement caused a dull pang in everyone's stomach, and their fears were confirmed.
"I'm sure all of you have seen the news by now, but during the rescue operation in Kamino Ward a few days ago, Ito actively fought against our forces in collaboration with the League. She killed a police officer and injured a dozen others during her escape. Her current whereabouts are unknown, and she has been placed on the nation's Most Wanted list alongside the other villains present. We have limited information about her at the moment, but as you might have guessed, Ito Naoko is not her real name. The whereabouts of the real Ito Naoko, whose identity she has been using, is currently being investigated. Police officers and detectives will be coming tomorrow to interview each of you: any information you might have about her could potentially be very helpful, so we're asking for your cooperation. I don't know much more than this at the moment, but I'll answer any questions as best I can."
A bleak silence fell over the students once again as they exchanged wary glances. No one wanted to be the first to speak, as if to keep the reality of the situation at arm's length for as long as possible.
It hurt less that way.
"Is she really part of Sacrosanct? They're real?"
It was Mineta who first broke the tension, voicing one of the many questions clouding their minds. Everyone looked back to their teacher.
"It's not clear yet if those individuals spotted during the raid were members of Sacrosanct, but the police believe it's a credible theory. If it is true, then she's almost certainly involved with them."
"What... um, what kind of quirk was that?" Midoriya asked uncertainly, eyes downcast and focused on his interlocked hands. The image of that policeman's gruesome death had seared itself into his mind; he couldn't seem to get rid of it no matter how he tried.
"We were able to gather some information based on the injuries sustained by a few of the pro-heroes she attacked. Mt. Lady in particular had significant damage to the joints in her legs, especially her knees, as well as some odd bruising patterns on her shoulders. Along with some other intel we could gather, we don't believe her quirk is air manipulation as is registered for the real Ito Naoko. Right now, we think it may be some sort of pressure-based quirk. She might also be able to depressurize as well; that would explain why Endeavor's flames disappeared for a moment before he was rendered unconscious."
Yaoyorozu's lips pressed into a thin line as she hesitantly raised her hand. She didn't want to ask the question that pressed at the forefront of her mind, but she also couldn't bear not knowing.
"...was she... just pretending all along?" Her voice came out soft and fearful. Everyone's eyes lowered a fraction as Aizawa breathed a deep sigh.
"In regards to her quirk and abilities, yes, that much we know. As for everything else... it's difficult to say."
A dreary feeling sat heavy in their stomachs.
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you all this, but she is a very dangerous criminal. All of you are strictly forbidden from pursuing her in any capacity at this point. If you happen to come across her, or any other members of the League, you will report it to the authorities as soon as possible, and you will not approach under any circumstance. Is that clear?" His eyes grazed across the room, and he was met with slow, solemn nods. "Good. It's getting late; you all should go to sleep. If anyone needs to talk, you know where to find me."
With one last glance over the room, Aizawa quietly turned towards the door and stepped out.
The class remained still for a moment.
A minute passed before someone stood up, followed steadily by a few others.
One by one, everyone rose from their places and silently headed towards the opposite door, making their way further into the building. Eventually, they all trickled out of the room, leaving it perfectly silent and empty under the evening light.