Yuri sighed loudly and leaned back in her seat at her desk. She's been doing a computer search, trying to learn everything she could about the League of Villains and Tomura Shigaraki's rise to the leadership position. She hadn't turned up much information. They were still largely underground and unorganized, and very poorly funded, she was willing to bet. She wasn't sure what to think of him in a leader role, but then again, a lot seemed to have changed.

Tenko Shimura – her kind, gentle, smart friend – was nearly the opposite of what she'd seen of Tomura Shigaraki. Cold, callous, and threatening; she hadn't seen much of her old friend in him. There was a moment though, when she'd softened and apologized, he seemed to have shifted a bit, like he was still there beneath the surface.

There was a knock at her office door and Natsuko walked in. The door was always open, after all. "What's for lunch today?" she asked as she took a seat in one of the chairs across the desk.

"I haven't thought much about it," Yuri said. "I've been doing some research on this League of Villains organization."

"Hmmm," she said. "I haven't heard much so far. I'm sure if they're really serious we'll start seeing them crop up."

"I guess it's just that this will probably be the first big group that's come along since we've gotten up and running."

"We'll see if we're really something," Natsuko said with a shrug. "Only one way to find out for sure if The Lunachicks are ready."

The Lunachicks were a group of female heroes founded and led by Synergis and Lasso Lady. They'd only banded together six months ago, but they were a force to be reckoned with. Yuri didn't hope to put anyone out of business, but she was hoping to show the men the female heroes were just as valuable. Tangoing with the League of Villains was definitely risky but would mean a big payoff for their names.

"Well, I guess there's not much else to do about it now, other than staying battle ready." Yuri opened her desk drawer, pulling out a small coin purse and her cell phone. "Did you have a preference for lunch?"

Tomura turned off the news stations, wringing his hands down his face and scratching at his neck. The hero killer, Stain, was completely dominating the newscasts, making him agitated. Sure, his little project, the League of Villains, was barely more than a simple start up, but when would they start getting the attention and news coverage they deserved? He wanted the public to be aware of them, to be afraid of them. He wanted to destroy their perfect little idea of a safe and quiet world.

"Would you like a drink, Shigaraki?" Kurogiri asked from behind the bar as he polished a wineglass.

Tomura snatched a deck of cards off the counter and began shuffling them between his hands in a fluid motion, delicately avoiding touching all of his fingers at once. "I don't know, I'm just in the worst mood." Truth was, since he'd seen Yuri he had been more wound up and aggravated than he'd been in a long time.

Yes, everything had been going fine until she showed up in the bar the other day. He'd been watching the U.A. Sports Festival, mapping a plan out in his mind, trying his best to lay out what the next step was. He had been cooking up what was coming next when he'd heard glass breaking and a scuffle down stairs, when he went to investigate and found her.

All those high school feelings came back.

A fluttering had started in his chest.

How was he supposed to destroy a world with her in it?

He'd done his absolute best to forget she existed, to imagine she was just a figment of his imagination.

And it had worked for years.

Until then.

What a pleasant surprisseeee. A snake of black smoke slithered through his mind, dripping with malice and darkness. The voice inside his head had perked up when it saw her, imagining the ways she could be used for his goals. How could she be manipulated? How could she be used up and turned out, completely squandered for his cause, then left like a dried out husk once she had been drained of everything useful?

No, he'd responded sternly to the voice. She is not for you.

The smoke had shrugged, if that were possible. She would make a scrumptiousss villain, an asset.

She would never consent to that.

She could be usssed for other thingsss, it had hissed back. Consssent or not.

His vision had gone nearly red as he scratched at his eyes, trying to rid his mind of the thoughts. It was only ever interested in how useful a person could be, whether it was through agreement or force.

"Things are going well with the villains that Giran has helped to secure," Kurogiri said, snapping Tomura from his thoughts.

"The plans for next week are practically finished," Tomura responded as she stacked some cards, forming the base of a card castle.

"If everything goes as planned it will be a major win for the League."

"And a major disappointment for All Might and U.A."

He watched as the cheerleaders warmed up for the pep rally. He always sat in the same place in the bleachers: very top, and to the left. His black hoodie was pulled up over his head. He wasn't watching all of the cheerleaders, but one in particular. He watched as she grabbed her ponytail, splitting it in two and pulling it tight against her head. She did that in class a lot too when her holder would start to slip down.

He'd heard a lot of girls complain about the cheerleader outfits and how they were so contrary to the established dress code, but he didn't care. He liked the way her lean legs looked in the tiny skirt, and how when she did her cheerleading stunts her top would come up just slightly, revealing a thin line of the fair, smooth skin of her stomach.

"Yo, Shimura," a voice called. He turned his head to look at the young man approaching. Jin, his friend for several years, an outsider like him, was walking toward him, his skateboard under his arm. "What's up?"

"Just watching these fools getting ready," Tenko Shimura leaned back against the seat behind him. "Glad to be out of class for this, though."

"For sure," Jin said. He looked down at the gym floor, where Shimura was looking. "You heard about Yuri?"

Shimura didn't answer him.

"I'm guessing that's a yes." Jin plopped down on the bleacher next to him. "She really is the total package. Smart, popular, pretty and nice. And now she's going to be a hero. I guess I can't think of anyone that would be better."

Shimura shrugged.

"I think you should tell her how you feel. You never know what she might say."

"Yea, right. There's no way she would go for a guy like me. She's definitely on to better things. Plus, it would just make things awkward between us. We've been friends for too long."

"Maybe I could just pry a little bit, see what she's thinking."

"Don't." Jin's quirk, mind read, could tell them what someone was thinking, but Shimura was almost afraid of what he might learn. He'd rather just leave things unknown.

"Well, I couldn't today anyway," Jin said, sighing and stretching his arms over his head. "I was listening in to Sayako during the test this morning and I used up all my time." His quirk was useful, but he could only use it for a limited amount of time during a 24-hour period. The individual also had to be thinking exactly what he wanted to know at that moment or he would just get useless information.

Shimura watched Yuri stretch and laugh with the other cheerleaders. He would have liked nothing more than to tell her what he was thinking, but the rejection was too real. They were complete opposites, after all. She was a gorgeous, popular cheerleader, and he was the creepy loner. She had always way been that for him: unattainable. They had known each other for a long time, since they were little kids. Even back then, he knew she was something else; out of his league. They used to play together at the same playground when they were younger. She had been there when he had needed someone the most…

He rose suddenly from his seat in the stands and walked down the stairs as Yuri began to walk off the court. He appeared in front of her quickly, but she didn't even startle.

"Oh, hi, Tenko," she said with a small smile.

"Yuri," he replied. "I heard you were accepted into Hero Academy."

"Yes! I'm very excited. I'll be starting next school year."

"So that's something you really want to do? I mean, become a hero?"

"Well, yea. I've wanted that ever since I was little. Ever since…" She trailed off and studied his face. He knew she was lingering over his scars, the one down his right eye and the left side of his lips.

"You don't have to do it, you know."

"I know, but it's what I want to do. I want to help people." Her face was so earnest, so pure. Her large lavender eyes stared back at him. She always seemed to have an easy smile on her face when they spoke. It was contagious, and he found himself smiling back at her.

A large young man walked up then. He was at least six feet tall, and over 200 pounds. His football jersey was tucked neatly into a pair of khaki pants. The boy put his arm over Yuri's shoulders. The smile disappeared.

"I didn't know they were letting freaks come to the pep rally," the boy said.

"Well, it is a free country," Shimura replied.

"Shut up, Hiroto," Yuri said as she halfheartedly pushed him away from her shoulders.

The boy laughed at her before moving his arm over Shimura's shoulders. He rubbed his knuckles against the top of Shimura's head, messing up his blue hair. "I'm just messing around with the twerp, Yuri. I know you've got a thing for him. I wouldn't hurt him too much." A bright red blush broke out over her cheeks. "But just know, you could never score with a girl like her. Remember that, fucking nerd." Hiroto let go of him abruptly, pushing Shimura into the wall. His face collided with the cinderblock wall, and he turned around with blood running from his mouth, his lip split.

Yuri gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. She stepped closer to him, to get a good look.

"Tenko," she said. "Are you alright?" He brought the sleeve of his hoodie up to his mouth, wiping at the blood.

"I'm fine," he said. "It's nothing."

A whistle blew in the gym, signaling for all the cheerleaders and players to report to their positions for the pep rally.

"Time to get started, Yuri," Hiroto said and grabbed her arm. "See you later, loser." Shimura watched as she was drug away from him, back to rejoin the other cheerleaders, where she belonged. He didn't stay to watch the pep rally, and instead turned and walked out of the gym.

Tenko ran around the track, his sneakers pounding the pavement. He often felt like the only place he belonged was on the racetrack. There, he was the fastest, the best of his class, of all the classes. The music blared in his headphones, effectively drowning out the world around him. It really was just him and the track, and his thoughts. His tongue played over the split in his lip, where Hiroto had pushed him into the wall the day before. He was embarrassed it had happened in front of Yuri. It was no surprise to anyone that he was no match for the huge football player. The guy used his size to bully other people all the time. Tenko clenched and unclenched his fists. No, the only way Tenko could take him down a peg would be to use his quirk, but that would be a turn he couldn't come back from.

As he rounded the track, he could see Hiroto coming down the walkway with two of his friends. He continued running around the track, bringing him closer to the group. The three boys stepped onto the track, blocking his way. Tenko brought his hands up to his earphones, removing them and resting them around his neck.

"What's up, freak?" Hiroto said.

"Get out of my way, Hiroto," Tenko replied.

"You're so disrespectful. I just wanted to come and have a nice chat with you, nothing else."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to never talk to Yuri again."

"Why would I agree to that?"

"Because we are going to beat the shit out of you until you agree." The three of them closed in around him. The two guys with Hiroto picked Tenko up under his arms like he weighed nothing, carrying him off the track and behind the field house. They slammed his back against the side of the house, knocking the wind out of him. Hiroto grabbed his chin, forcing his face up to look at him. "I don't like the way you look at Yuri, you fucking creep. I know you get your jollies from seeing her in her cheerleading skirt."

"We're just friends," Tenko managed to spit out when he'd caught his breath.

"I don't believe you, but I think I know how I can make myself feel better. I want you to think of Yuri, remember how she looked yesterday while you were looking at her. I'm sure you were imagining her naked. And while you're thinking of that, we're going to give you the beat down of your life." Hiroto gave him a quick sucker punch to the gut. Tenko went to his knees. All of them began kicking him then. Tenko had no other choice than to lay on the ground as he received kicks to his back, stomach, and chest. A quick kick to his head had him seeing stars. He knew he would pass out soon.

Yuri came to mind then. The look on her face when she saw the blood drip from his mouth in the gym. A moment a few years previous when they'd sat together on the bullet train, sharing earphones to listen to a funny song. The first memory he had of them playing together at the playground by their house. She'd pushed him down in the sandbox. They'd walked together the first day of primary school…

Him lying in an alleyway by their neighborhood in the darkness, tears streaming down his face, motionless to do anything. He was only five years old. So many adults passing by, none stopping to help.

"Oh, look at that little boy. Should we do something?"

"No, let a hero take care of it."

The pitter patter of her tiny feet running up to him, soothing him.

He prayed she didn't run up to him now.

His vision was going black. Could he be dying? His whole body was a ball of hurt as the three boys continued their assault.

Would that be his legacy? Killed by the football playing boyfriend of the girl he was in love with? Murdered by him and his two athletic goons behind the field house? What would she say? Would she cry at his funeral?

He couldn't make her cry.

He reached out as another of Hiroto's kicks was descending on his head. That would have been the finisher, he was sure. Instead, he grabbed his cleat, planting all five fingers firmly on the fabric. Tenko watched from one eye, his other already swollen shut, as the shoe began to turn to dust, particles floating into the air. The shoe disappeared quickly and the decay spread to Hiroto's exposed foot, the skin flaking away first, giving way to muscle and eventually bone. The disintegration continued further up, to his ankle and calf. Hiroto fell backwards, a scream of fear and pain escaping him.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" He screamed. It was the last words Tenko heard before the world went black.

Tenko sat at the bar, a photograph in his hand. It was a picture of him and Yuri on their first day of high school. They must have been 14 years old. Yuri had a huge grin on her face, her arm slung over his shoulder. He looked calm, his blue hair messy as always on top of his head. An amused smile played on his lips as he looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. His fingers caressed the smooth photo, as did often, careful that all his fingers never came into contact at once. It was a photo that he'd held on to for a ridiculous amount of years, so long the edges had softened and started to curl up. Time wasted pining after a girl he hadn't seen in ages. Until she'd come through the door a few days prior.

We can have her now, the voice inside his thoughts hissed. She can be oursss. She is weak. Let her fall prey to usss. Play the role of Tenko and when the time is right, Tomura will emerge. He shook his head, pushing the creature back into the box inside his mind.

She looked the same, though maybe a little taller and more shapely. His heart had skipped a beat when he saw her in her tight shorts and low cut tank top. Her soft brown hair was pulled up on top of her head, like always. Her lavender eyes had cut through the room, not missing a single detail. She was afraid when she saw the hand over his face. A hand had squeezed his heart then. Her eyes softened when they fell on his face, after he removed the hand.

The door opened and closed and his eyes fell on her again.

"I thought I told you not to come back here," he said, his eyes narrowed. It was dark outside, but every time she came by was a chance she could be spotted. It was bad for him, to have too much activity, and bad for her, should someone see her coming and going too often. "You don't want people to start thinking you've flipped sides, do you?"

She walked over to him. She was wearing dark pants and a blouse now, a light jacket over the top. "Feeling nostalgic?" she asked as she saw the photo in his hands.

Yesss, she's come back to usss, the lid of the box was cracked ever so slightly, the voice approving of her return.

"Just remembering, I guess." He slid the photo into his back pocket. "Not in your hero costume this time?"

"I'm not on hero business," she said. She leaned against the bar. She gave him a sly smile.

"Am I going to have to move the headquarters now? I can't be having heroes knowing where we set up shop."

"I thought this was a bar. You aren't going to make me a drink?"

His eyes narrowed at her. "I'm just not much of a bartender, I guess."

She shook her hair back, exposing her neck and collarbones. His eyes lingered a bit too long as she stepped closer to him. She reached out and touched the side of his face. "Oh, boo. I thought we might have something to loosen you up."

"Loosen me up?"

"Yea, you seemed really tense the other day. Even now, you seem like your body's in knots." She moved behind him, her hand trailing down to his shoulder. He tried to turn on the bar stool he was sitting. She forced him to turn back around. Her hand went to his other shoulder and she began to massage, squeezing the muscles of his neck and shoulders. "Just relax. You're under a lot of stress."

"I don't like for people to be behind me," he said, his hand going up to hers, still trying to turn around.

"Don't you trust me?" she asked.

"I don't trust anyone."

Her hand went under his arm and she pulled him close, his back to her chest. She rested her chin on his shoulder. "You can trust me. We've always been friends, haven't we?" she whispered in his ear and he shivered. "Maybe more?"

She spun him around on the bar stool, turning him to face her. Both of her hands went to his upper thighs, squeezing his legs open. She moved between them. Her hands went up to his chest, and she moved her lips inches from his. "You can touch me. I'm not afraid."

Touch her. Hold her. Grab her. Wrap your hands around that pretty neck.

He tentatively touched her arm. His hand went to her soft neck, careful with his fingers that she may turn to dust. Her skin was warm and smooth, just as he remembered from when he used to steal touches of her, and when he'd grabbed her arm the other day.

"I've always wanted you," she whispered, her eyes half lidded. "Haven't you felt the same way?"

"Y-yes," he stammered. He caressed the skin of her collarbone, reveling in the feeling of her under his fingertips. "Is this a dream?"

Not a dream, take what can be oursss.

"Leave with me. We can start over, somewhere else. We'll leave all this behind us. No one will know who we are."

We won't leave, no. But we can make her stay here with usss forever.

He stared deep into her eyes. It was what he'd wanted to hear for years. He'd imagined what kind of a life they could have, if she would reciprocate his feelings. He'd always been too scared to make the first move when they were younger, thinking there was no way a girl like her could have feelings for a guy like him. After she'd moved to the hero academy and he'd been pulled in a different direction, he really had given up on her. He'd always thought about her and still held her photo close, but he'd resigned to the fact that she was just a ghost. He'd never felt anything like he had for her.

"Please, I know you have a lot to lose here, but they can find someone else. I want you. I need you to be with me."

He cupped the side of her face, his thumb tracing the corner of her mouth, as he'd thought about doing so many times before.

Keep her here. Enslave her. He shivered involuntarily at the thought.

"Please," she said again, her lavender eyes pleading. Yes, the league could find someone else, he thought, and the monster in his mind bristled. He would pack his things immediately, and they could leave without a trace in less than an hour. "Tomura."

He stilled completely then. He felt his posture change, his expression going from calm to hard lines. He moved his hand from her face to her shoulder, studying her closely. Tomura.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

He pushed her back, and she stumbled but caught herself. His hands went to his face, as if he could wipe his disappointment away.

"You almost had me," he said, his breathing coming back to him in waves. The name. He hadn't heard his own name, his first name, in so long. It was like music when it fell from her mouth the other day. Tenko. He committed it to memory, the way she would say it.

"What gave it away?"

"None of your fucking business." He stood and walked toward her. "Get rid of it. Now. Toga."

"Not yet, you'll hit me." She was right. He would probably do more than hit her, honestly, but he couldn't raise a hand toward her looking like Yuri. He grabbed her shoulders tight, squeezing. She smiled at him, her sharp incisors beginning to show.

"I was just trying something new."

"How did you get her blood?"

"I followed her to her apartment the other night. Last night I waited for her outside and when she came by, I just grabbed her." Her face was beginning to change, morphing into someone else. His hand shot out at her, grabbing her throat. His pinky finger lingered above her skin.

"Where is she now?"

"I dunno," she said as the skin began to slide off. He pulled his hand back in disgust. "I didn't get much. I let her go afterward."

"Let her go?"

"Ok, so maybe I ran away. She wanted to fight. I can't keep up with her." Himiko Toga stood nude before him as the Yuri façade fell away.

"Where is her apartment?"