Chapter Three

Secrets

"If you want to say something, you should come out and say it."

This was fucking ridiculous.

Narrowing his eyes at the woman in front of him, Dabi said, "So you're the cat?" It wasn't what he wanted to say, but he'd get to that in a minute. She was all piss but no vinegar, arms crossed, and every tight muscle screamed she didn't want to be there, but she didn't leave.

"Oh yeah, you haven't officially met yet, have you?" Yuki chirped from beyond the cracked door. It was an old office or something nestled in the corner of the room. She and Twice had been in there for twenty minutes as he took her measurements and Shigaraki explained what the fuck was going on. "Dabi, meet Nakamoto Isane. Isane, meet Dabi!"

"Don't call me Isane," she practically spit. Like a viper ready to strike.

The entire League was crammed into that space. It looked like an old waiting room with a counter along one wall, but no furniture had been left behind, so he couldn't say for certain. Toga had hopped up on the counter that jutted out from one wall and ran the length of it, and Spinner leaned against the wall next to her, hands in his pockets. Kurogiri hovered near the exit, watching everything as he usually did. Compress had somehow found the only chair left in the decrepit building and was currently seated by a window, Magne leaned against the wall between two windows next to him.

It was like a fucking welcome party, and the official initiation was Twice taking their measurements, and he was sure Toga would try to convince them to give up their blood. What a place to meet at. The walls were bare, floors dusty, and windows cracked. A few panes of glass were gone completely, which meant the humidity from the constant drizzle outside choked the room and made the air thick. A rusted door near where Compress sat led out to an equally rusted fire escape. It was a long-forgotten space; perfect for the League's uses.

Dabi turned back to Shigaraki, who leaned against the counter behind where he stood. "This is fucking ridiculous," he said aloud.

"It's perfectly reasonable," Shigaraki replied evenly. He'd filled Dabi in already: the two newcomers had paid off the League's debt and were now building an actual base of all things. And of course, he'd pushed back. He knew them, or knew Yuki at least. Sure, they had resources, obviously, but they had completely cut him out of the loop when the process stopped working for them. On the one hand, he had to commend their persistence, and on the other, he didn't trust it. It was dangerous. And beyond that, who had five million-fucking-yen just lying around to pay off stranger's debts? Truthfully, he didn't know how much the debt had actually been worth, but he couldn't see it being a low figure. Giran always provided quality goods, and quality cost money.

"And once you're done with this, she's going to join your recruiting efforts," Shigaraki finished. Dabi didn't need to ask who he was referring to.

Oh, fuck that. "Look, Leader. I've been doing just fine by myself." He couldn't be strapped with her.

"Are you talking about the zero number of people you brought back?" Magne asked, a tease in her words.

Dabi opened his mouth to reply, but Yuki's voice cut over him. "It's because of your charming personality, isn't it?" She had stepped out of the room, Twice following behind her, eyes downcast away from her. And Dabi immediately understood why. She was clothed, at least mostly. Her button-up blouse was open to reveal her torso and black lingerie underneath. She'd glanced up to deliver that little line, and then busied herself with buttoning the blouse again. The attention had turned toward her, and once everyone took in her appearance, they looked away again. Spinner crossed his arms uncomfortably.

"It's because I haven't found anyone that fits, yet." He said, eyes remaining on her face so he could catch her gaze once she looked up again. And she did. Her lips quirked up, in an appreciative smile, as she finished buttoning her blouse without looking away again.

"It's because you burn all of them," Toga began, but before Dabi could round on her, Twice spoke:

"I've been in contact with someone who I think would fit!"

"Great, Twice," Shigaraki said. "Set it up." More quietly, he said to Dabi, "See? It's not hard." Dabi simmered, turning back toward him. Shigaraki had that stupid hand covering his face; he couldn't even see the man's eyes.

"Besides," Dabi said, enunciating. "I'm not going to fucking babysit-"

"Hey! I resent that!"

Dabi turned slowly back to her, eyes narrowing. Could he finish a fucking sentence today before someone cut him off? "Oh, don't get your panties in a twist, sweetheart. I work alone."

Yuki finished tucking the blouse into her skirt and moved to the counter next to Toga where her bag sat. From there, she withdrew a pair of earrings and looped them through her ears. "You assume I'm wearing any," she replied casually, as if discussing the weather. "Besides, I can take care of myself."

Another wave of male discomfort passed through the room. Magne chuckled. "Oh, relax," Yuki replied, and motioned toward Twice. "He measured me through my skirt. I'm not that loose."

Next to him, Nakamoto sighed, hand traveling to rub her forehead in exasperation. "Could've fooled me," Dabi said.

Yuki pulled a necklace from her purse next, then slipped on the black stilettos that waited for her. From her purse, she removed a pair of square-rimmed glasses and placed them on her nose.

"Now, are we ready?" she asked as she gripped her purse and turned back to Dabi. With the stilettos, she was almost his height. Almost.

"She goes with you," Shigaraki repeated himself, not even bothering to lower his voice this time. "And you can keep an eye on her."

So that's what this was about. She might be the new financier, but Shigaraki didn't trust her, either. Good. At least that meant they were on the same page.

Dabi glanced at Shigaraki before following her down the darkened hallway to the elevator. As they left the rest of the League behind, he vaguely heard Nakamoto exclaim, "Like hell I'm letting you measure me!" They could deal with that pit-viper, themselves, though.

He followed behind Yuki, or whomever the fuck the woman was. Her black mask was long-gone, but she'd put on another mask. From the way she walked, to the way she carried herself, to even the way she had spoken back there was different from the two times he'd met her previously.

The elevator doors opened for them as soon as she pressed the button to call the elevator, and they entered the mirrored carriage in silence. Yuki leaned against one of the walls, and Dabi stood across from her, hands in his pockets. Without her black mask in the way, he could now see her face, including the little white scar that grazed her left cheek.

The elevator doors shut behind them, and the carriage began its descent.

He wasn't about to consider why the elevator was still working, but the light in the elevator provided him the opportunity to study her, and in turn, she did the same. She'd pulled her hair up, leaving a few tendrils along the left side of her face. Her blouse was open just enough to see her cleavage, and the pencil skirt ended just above her knee - allowing plenty of skin to show. Even with all the changes to her appearance and the glasses, her eyes behind the glasses were still the same. Aquamarine and hard, and something time-worn stared back at him.

"So how are we getting to this bank? You forget I'm a wanted criminal?" His tone was light, but his words were serious. It didn't matter who she thought she was, or what control she thought she had. If he walked out onto any street in full view of cameras or authority, they'd attempt to arrest him on the spot.

"We're going to drive, of course." Even her vocabulary was different. She wasn't wearing a physical mask, but an invisible one. The elevator dinged as the doors slid open, revealing a parking garage. Yuki pushed off the wall and exited.

The garage was completely empty except for a tan sedan several feet away with blacked-out windows. "Is this secretive enough for you?" she asked, unlocking the doors with her key fob and getting inside. Dabi appraised the vehicle. It was a Mercedes, and looked a few years old, too. It was tan but had a metallic sheen to it. It was eye-catching but understated.

It was the exact opposite of her personality.

He got in, the door shutting behind him, and immediately he had to adjust the seat; his legs were far too cramped, and his head was skimming the ceiling of the car. Once that was taken care of, he could sit back and enjoy the ride. The windows, for how dark they were outside, he could see out of them perfectly.

She must have noticed him reveling in the windows because she said, "I invested in the company years ago; it was the exact technology I needed. I have to maintain my secret somehow, don't I?"

If there was one thing Dabi had mastered in his twenty-four years of life, it was picking up on the unsaid clues. They drove across town in silence. She didn't try to start a conversation with him, and he was content to observe and see how long the silence would stretch. Would she feel a need to fill it with meaningless words and noise? But she never did.

She drove with a steady hand and even temper; it was like she'd become a completely different person.

They drove for thirty minutes, clear across town, into one of the nicer areas of town, but she still parked the car in an alley, away from prying eyes. Once the car was in park, she removed her seatbelt and reached across him to the glove box.

Glancing up at him as her hand dug in the compartment, her gaze met his as he watched her. He was incredibly aware of how close she came to skimming the top of his knees. A coy smile curled her lips as she softly said, "You like that?" Her smile was teasing.

He smirked. Two could play that game. "In your dreams." He could see right through her; she was trying to get under his skin.

Grabbing what she needed, she shut the glove box with a snap and straightened. The little case she held was silver, and when she opened it, he could see what looked like two flesh-colored earbuds inside. Yuki handed one to him, and he took it, brow raised quizzically.

Watching her put hers in her left ear, she pressed a button, and even Dabi could hear the quiet beep that emitted from her ear. She pulled down her visor and opened the mirror so she could adjust the hair that curled around her left ear.

He placed his own in his right ear and activated it, the beep much more piercing in his ear than when he'd heard hers.

"You can't come with me," she said. He heard her next to him, and in his ear, her voice overlapping with itself. "But I figured you would still like to know what I say and what happens so you can report back to Shigaraki, right?" Her smile was too sweet, as she shoved the visor back up and grabbed her purse and an umbrella from the back seat. He didn't move to reply but watched her carefully. "This should only take about fifteen minutes. Twenty if they want to talk."

"You're just going to leave me here," Dabi asked incredulously. Surely she wasn't dumb enough to trust him to leave him in her car.

She wasn't bothered with this idea at all. "Well, if you try to follow me, they'll arrest you before you even step foot in the lobby. But it's your choice." She shrugged, and when he didn't move, she exited the car. Once the door was shut behind her, Yuki opened her black umbrella and adjusted her skirt in the reflective window. It was still raining, even on this part of town.

He expected her to walk away, but instead she leaned down, looking into the car's window. The way her gaze didn't quite meet his told him that she couldn't actually see him. "Lock the door, will you?" her voice came through perfectly in his ear, and not a trace of sound slipped into the cab from the world outside, even though she stood just on the other side. With that, she turned, walking away.

Nothing came through the earbud for several minutes. Dabi pulled out his phone first, but once he was sure that no one had texted him - like Shigaraki telling him this was all a joke and he'd fallen for it - Dabi turned his attention to the car.

Opening the glove box, Dabi pulled out the contents: the car's user manual, a pad of paper and pen, an extra black mask, and two protein bars. Nothing of value, but Dabi still recognized the paper as the same paper she'd used to write her note to him. Ultimately, there was nothing of value in there.

The center console was much of the same. A first aid kit, auxiliary chord, phone charger, a couple of IDs, and some CDs. Three, to be exact.

The CDs were unmarked, but had dates written on the tops. It didn't seem to be her handwriting on two of them, and on the third he couldn't be sure. This handwriting was sloppy. From what he remembered, hers had been neat and clean.

"It's good to see you, too," Yuki's voice suddenly pierced through Dabi's mind, making him startle and fumble the CDs. "Thank you."

More silence.

Glancing out the windows, he didn't see her around or approaching, so she must have reached the bank. Briefly, he contemplated sticking the CDs into the CD player before remembering that the car was off, and Yuki had taken the keys with her, anyway. Maybe it was for the best. Shigaraki had told him to keep an eye on her. Or at least an ear.

Begrudgingly, Dabi placed the contents back in the center console where he'd found them as Yuki said, "Yes, I'm here to see Mr. Takanaka."

About a minute more of silence. "Good to see you, Mr. Takanaka."

"Miss Sato, it's been awhile." The baritone voice piqued Dabi's interest. He hadn't heard any other voices until then. Had they been speaking too quietly, or just not in range of the receiver? "I understand you'd like to make a withdrawal?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"You remember our safety protocols?"

"I do," Yuki replied. It was like she'd become a different person, again. She was compliant and soft-spoken, but firm.

Takanaka went through his questions with her: full name, current address, birthday, account number, then finally asking her to take his hand and swear no one was forcing her to make the withdrawal. Probably a lie-detector quirk.

"And the purpose of the funds? For the record, of course."

Up until then, it had been a fairly boring conversation, although Dabi had learned that her birthday was in March, making her only a few months younger than he was.

She didn't even pause. "I'm looking to build a new house. Would you like the future address?"

"That won't be necessary but thank you. And how much did you need?"

"One billion yen, please." Whatever figure he was expecting her to say was not that. "And can you also give me my current balance?"

Dabi nearly shit himself with the amount that was given next, leaving his mind reeling and missing half of the conversation until he heard, "As a reminder, if you need more than this amount you will need trustee approval. Confirm you would like proceed?"

It had been a very long time since he'd heard money spoken about in figures as large as those sums, and she was calm about it. She didn't sound nervous and didn't stammer her replies. This was second nature to her.

"Confirmed."

The car door shut behind her with a snap, and Yuki tossed her purse and umbrella into the backseat before pulling out her earbud. She placed it in the little silver box before turning to Dabi, hand out, palm up, and waiting for the other earbud. He didn't move to take it out.

"Who the fuck are you, Sato Miyoko?"

A laugh bubbled past her lips. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You just withdrew one billion yen in cash. And you still have, what was it? Another two billion?"

"-Two-point-three billion-"

"You're what, twenty-four? And a villain? Something's not adding up." He glowered at her, turned enough in his seat so he could face her head-on for the most part. He could feel the heat of his flames rising up, just below his skin. It was an emotional response; all power-types had them, and it was something he was very familiar with. Clamping down on the distrust he felt, Dabi focused on the woman in front of him, instead. She had turned to face him, too, and was already pulling off her glasses, and with them, her invisible mask.

"You just met us," he continued. "You don't withdraw that much on a whim."

"It's not a whim," she replied, matching his cool tone of voice. "I've been watching the League for a while, and especially after the summer camp. Taking that kid from my alma mater was bold. And you don't just take in common thugs, either. You have a goal in mind and a way to get there. I want to invest in something like that."

Dabi sat for a moment, absorbing her words. She'd gone to UA, then, which meant that at some point, she'd wanted to be a hero.

But now here she was, sitting next to him in a car, newfound member of the most notorious and dangerous group of villains in Japan. "Who the fuck are you, Sato?"

She bristled. "Don't call me by that name." Her voice pitched low. A warning; a threat. Dabi nearly laughed. Like she was much of a threat.

He smirked. "Ooh," he crowed. "I think I hit a nerve."

She was quick to dismiss it. "It doesn't matter."

He pressed the issue. "I think it does."

"Eh?" She whipped back toward him, eyes flashing, and suddenly Yuki was back. "And how about you, Dabi? Cremation? You're obviously hiding, too. What's that story?" She nodded at his body, and he wasn't stupid. The burned skin, scarred so bad and held together by staples. Flesh that would never fully heal, but also a disguise, hiding the person he used to be and creating his identity.

Once again, he felt his flames rise, though this time he didn't keep the ire from his gaze. "It doesn't matter."

Miyoko forgotten, Yuki smirked, a dry chuckle escaping. "Exactly."

Isane

"Is she always like that?" the unfamiliar voice asked as the rusted door squeaked on its hinges. Isane didn't bother turning to the person who had joined her on the fire escape stairs.

"More or less," Isane replied, moving her hands from picking at the red ribbon tied around her right wrist to tucking her hands close to her body as she crossed her arms. In reality, Yuki was varying degrees of "like that", but especially so when she had to put on her Miyoko identity. It was like she forgot how she was supposed to act. How she was supposed to fit back into the mold that society had told her she should be.

Her clothing choices helped with that, of course. It helped her fold back into the person who had grown up in the semi-spotlight, and it helped keep her secret safe. The invisible mask she wore when she became Miyoko had been carefully chosen. It was a crafted look, each part thoroughly thought out and perfectly placed. It was an invisible mask; a lie meant to convince the person looking that she wasn't who they thought she looked like, or to distract them completely - plant enough of a seed of doubt in their minds that they thought nothing of it, and then scolded themselves for thinking anything other than the truth that they saw in front of them. The black-rimmed glasses, her hair up rather than down, the blouse opened just enough that they could have their distractions and not linger too long on the truth. Even the scar that caressed her cheek had its role to play. The final piece of a convincing puzzle because Yuki had never showed she had a scar.

With these pieces, it was obvious: Sato Miyoko couldn't be the villain, Yuki. Or at least, that's the lie Yuki had fed to the world over the years. Automated posts on Miyoko's social media helped hold up that lie, too.

"Are you really not going to let Twice measure you?" Isane turned to look behind her, to see who had joined her on the fire escape. It was Magne, she was sure. Strong build and red hair. Isane was positive that the girl, Toga, had used she/her pronouns for Magne earlier, though.

Isane didn't reply to the question. "I don't want to be rude," she began, eyes downcast. She'd only broached this subject with a few people and would still stumble through it like an awkward baby deer. "Did I hear that girl refer to you using 'she/her' earlier?"

"Yes," a soft smile cracked through Magne's lips, like she was amused with something.

"Do you prefer those pronouns, then?"

"Yeah," she said. Isane nodded. That was good to know. Something sparkled in Magne's gaze behind her sunglasses. "So are you not going to let Twice measure you?" she asked again.

As soon as Yuki and Dabi had left, Twice had turned to her, left behind in a room surrounded by strangers. Twice had explained before Dabi had ever gotten there that his quirk was to be able to make doubles of things, and he needed their measurements and exactly how their quirks worked to be able to copy them. Yuki had volunteered immediately. Mostly because she had an appointment to keep, but also because she was just better about making new friends.

The fact that Twice needed to know exactly how her quirk worked to be able to replicate it had her head spinning. No one could know; it was her weapon to utilize. Not even Yuki knew the truth.

"Like hell I'm letting you measure me!" She'd exclaimed as Twice approached.

He'd immediately stopped his advance, then, hands up in surrender, and she'd pushed her rising concern aside, focusing on asserting a calm dominance. She wouldn't tell him about her quirk, but how was she going to get out of this situation, otherwise? "Who says I want you to be able to make a copy of me? I don't trust you yet." The one with the hands all over his body - Shigaraki - watched her carefully, and she couldn't blame him. She was aware of how paranoid she was acting. Taking a breath, Isane said, "I need a minute." Before anyone could say anything else, she'd slipped out the door and onto the fire escape, away from the strangers.

Yuki had been eager to join up with a new group after the mess with Death Quake, but Isane had yet to feel that longing to try to belong to another group so soon again. Death Quake had been the leader of their last group, the one that Yuki had convinced her to join. She had had a knack for figuring out secrets, and as soon as she figured out Isane's true quirk, Death Quake had used the knowledge to control her and advance her own interests at the expense of Isane's name. There was a reason why Isane was known as "Reaper" and wanted under the same name.

When Isane didn't say anything, Magne continued, sitting down behind Isane, a few steps above her. "It's smart of you not to trust us, but if we're going to be a team you have to trust us to a point." Isane still didn't say anything, and Magne continued, "How long did it take for you to trust Yuki?" It was obvious she wasn't going to drop this so easily.

Isane turned, scooting her butt back until she was leaning against the metal rods of the fire escape. It was easier to face Magne this way. "Yuki was different," Isane relented.

"Then who says we can't be different?"

Isane didn't reply but started picking at the ribbon on her wrist again. It was off color; dirty with age and worn. Finally, Magne gave up, or changed direction. "What are those?" She gestured to the kanzashi in Isane's hair, and Isane brushed her fingers against them gently, heart panging with the memory. It was obvious what they were. They were also a reminder of the person who gave them to her, not that she'd ever give up that information so easily, either. But before Isane could respond, Magne continued. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem like the type to accessorize."

Isane glanced away, her hand returning to her lap. She had a point. And Isane had a choice.

After a moment of deliberation, she said, "They're my kanzashi. I have poison in them - or rather, a type of poison. They'll bring a man to his knees. More often than not I use them to protect Yuki from things she doesn't see coming. I drop her and I'm able to protect her back. The effects wear off within a few minutes." She shrugged. They could be used to protect or for an opening to kill.

"It seems like you're close."

Isane nodded. Yuki was a live wire, but she had had her back from the moment they met. "She's the closest thing I have to a sister."

Magne nodded to the door, behind which the rest of the League was gathered. "These guys… they're a little rough around the edges, but among our kind, who isn't? If you let them, though, they'll have your back."

The choice was obvious. If she stayed out here, line drawn in the sand, she would be asserting her position. Or, if Isane joined Magne and the rest inside, she could begin to build new relationships.

"The last time I trusted a group," Isane began, the words finding their way out on their own. Magne was easy to talk to, a much as Isane allowed herself to open up. "It didn't turn out with a happy ending." Isane could clearly see Death Quake's smirking face in her mind's eye. But she was dead, along with the other nine members of the so-called "family." It had been the only way out for them. As much as Death Quake tried to manipulate them by calling their group a family, it hadn't been. She'd had a family, once. A true family, but she'd managed to lose that, too.

"People like us rarely get happy endings," Magne said, standing up and offering a hand to Isane. "But we can build castles out of the sticks we're given."

Isane grasped her hand and let Magne help her to her feet. They'd only been outside for a few minutes, but Isane's clothes were already damp from the drizzle. She followed Magne back inside, rusty hinges squeaking as the door swung open for them. "Look who's back!" Magne announced, and several heads snapped up. Isane approached Twice, who looked apprehensive, as much as he could with a mask covering his face.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said, resigning herself to giving him what he needed. Or most of it anyway. "What do you need from me?"

His face broke into a grin beneath his mask. Isane would explain Ink Flow to him. Ink Flow was what she was registered to have at the quirk registration office, after all. If Twice didn't know all of the details then he wouldn't be able to use all of the details, and her true quirk would remain a secret.

NOTES: I did NOT think this chapter was going to get finished this weekend, but this last scene with Magne wouldn't leave me alone once I outlined it, so here you go! Also, big thank you to Star Charter for helping me with how Isane should ask about Magne's pronouns.

Thanks for reading, and please leave some love if you enjoyed it.

I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the My Hero Academia universe created by Kohei Horikoshi. I only own my own characters and plot. No money is made off of this story.