After almost two months, the next chapter's here! As I said, all you readers didn't have to worry about another year-long hiatus for this chapter, and hopefully, I'll have the following chapter posted in even less time. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy!
Shigeo did not have the strength to look back as he sent one final psychic push at all of his classmates. It was painful enough to leave all of them already, but looking at their horrified faces would've probably made him lose his composure.
On the other side of the portal, Kageyama entered a warehouse filled with several construction materials and large metal boxes. All of the villains that he'd seen during the attack were present, barring the villain that Izuku had already defeated.
"Kurogiri, where're the others?" asked Dabi.
From out of thin air, the same black portal appeared, taking on a humanoid form with an elegant suit and a metal brace which hung around his collarbone. So the warp villain really was a person and not some sort of spirit as Mob had once believed him to be. He took note of his hunched position and ragged breaths: it appeared as though he'd been injured.
"I'm afraid I couldn't find Muscular, Moonflish or Mustard. They must've defeated by some of the other students during the attack. While I was transporting Magne and Spinner, one of the heroes took me by surprise and injured me. It'll take me at least one day to recover from the injuries."
"I didn't expect our heavy hitters to be defeated..." muttered Dabi, "Well, if the police don't get there in-time, they could make their way back here. It's about twenty miles from the training camp, and we chose it precisely as a worst-case scenario if any of us got defeated and didn't make it to the rendezvous point on-time. If they can't make it, then it's too bad."
"I've already sent the Chainsaw Nomu back to the hideout, as I ran into him going to the rendezvous point before I rescued Magne and Spinner," added Kurogiri, "Though I wasn't able to locate the other Nomu that had been brought to the mission." Kurogiri decided not to mention the fact that Ragdoll had been knocked out and abducted by the League of Villains, for it was an additional part of the mission bestowed to him by All For One. He had found her along with the Chainsaw Nomu, who had returned to reclaim her once the signal had been received. If Kageyama were to learn about this, it would only make things more difficult for them.
"The other Nomu was taken out, courtesy of our new friend here." Dabi gave the esper a stern gaze, while Mob was doing his best to control his racing heart. "While you're here, don't get any funny ideas. Twice can still make some more copies of the Nomu, and looking at you now, I'd say they managed to bust you up pretty good. Got it?"
Shigeo nodded. "I don't intend to run away. I came for a reason, and I'll see it through." The pyrokinetic villain let out a soft chuckle of astonishment and amusement .
"Well, glad you're making this easier for us. But still, we can't just take your word for it." Dabi quickly took a pair of cuffs that were laying on the ground and placed them around the esper's arms. "Those're specially made handcuffs, even you'd have a tough time breaking out of them." Shigeo took little notice of this and continued to look at the other villains present.
"Since we'll be staying here the night, might as well unpack. Everyone, keep watch of Kageyama, especially you, Twice." With the mission having succeeded, the villains decided to move about in the warehouse, beginning to adjust themselves. But before any of them could get far, they were halted by Kageyama's voice being directed at Compress.
"When I gave myself up, I realized you could've tried to trick me and my friends by using those decoys and take Bakugo and Tokoyami, too. But... you didn't. You set them free just like I asked. So... thank you." It had been something that Mob had wanted to say before, but now that things had calmed down, he felt he needed to say this to the masked villain.
Of the many things that they might've been expecting from Kageyama, gratitude was certainly not on the list, especially for the two villains who hadn't been there to see Kageyama willingly surrender himself. Compress had some difficulty registering the esper's words, but after a few seconds of staying frozen in place, he collected himself.
"My my, I've never heard of a hostage with manners. I can't say I don't appreciate the sentiment. Just don't do anything rash while you're here, and I'm sure you'll get along fine with all of us."
Kageyama nodded and quietly walked to the edge of the wall, sliding his back against the hard surface and sitting in silence. Several feet away, Spinner and Magne whispered to one another.
"He's not quite what I was expecting," Magne said, "From what I got, it almost sounds like he came here by choice."
"Yea, that's how Kageyama seemed to put it," Spinner replied, "But why? Why would he be so cooperative with us?"
"Beats me."
While the villains continued to ruminate over Kageyama's behavior, the esper himself was ruminating over everything that had just happened. Hopefully, none of the other classmates had been grievously injured during the attack. They were lucky that none of them had run into the villain Izuku had fought, Muscular. If that villain was as powerful as Izuku claimed him to be, then many of the students would have been killed. However, Mob had heard the warp villain just say that there'd been a Chainsaw Nomu which the villains had brought with them, and he hadn't run into that Nomu during the attack. So did that Nomu manage to target any of the students? Mob could only hope that they'd all managed to avoid being targeted by the creature.
Then there was the poisonous gas. He'd been so focused on locating his remaining friends in the woods that neither he or Deku had paid attention to what had happened to the poison gas. From what he heard, it seemed likely that one of the villains who hadn't returned with them was the one who'd created that poison gas in the first place. Kendo and Tetsutetsu were probably the ones who'd defeated that villain, since he was the first target the two had mentioned. He also assumed that the flames had been taken care of by Kota, and that none of the flames had actually managed to harm his students. He hated the fact that he was forced to place his hope on guesses and that he couldn't confirm himself that all the classmates were safe.
At least he'd managed to get Bakugo and Tokoyami freed and stop the attack on the camp. And it was thanks to Izuku's plan that Dark Shadow had been brought under control by the light from Bakugo and Todoroki's Quirks. He remembered the look of horror on all of his friend's faces as he left them to go with the villains.
Recalling their heartbroken expressions made his own heart ache. They all must've felt so utterly helpless to watch him leave while he used his powers to keep them restrained. He knew he did what he had to do for his class, but that still didn't make it hurt any less. How would the rest of the class react when they learned that he'd gone with the villains? How would Yaoyorozu react? Thinking of her was what hit him hardest. The last time he'd seen her, Mob had told her to leave so he could handle the Nomu. And when she worried that he wouldn't be able to fight them himself, Mob had PROMISED her that he wouldn't be going anywhere. Mob broke that promise. He lied to her. When she would hear the news, he could only imagine how sad she'd feel over his absence. Shigeo had to apologize to her once he returned to U.A. High. That was the promise he'd made to his classmates just before he left, and that was a promise he would NOT break, no matter what.
"Hey." Cutting the esper from his thoughts was the young high school girl he'd seen before. He didn't really pay any attention to her, but as she approached him, Mob began to break out in a cold sweat. Her eyes were reading him as though he were some sort of fascinating toy she wanted to play with. She walked with a sense of giddiness, as if she was ecstatic he'd been kidnapped. She mimicked the esper's previous action and slid her back down the wall, sitting right beside Mob while he shivered in his place.
"My name's Toga."
He wasn't sure how to engage in conversation with someone like her, so he started with something basic. "H-H-Hello. I'm Shigeo Kageyama."
"I heard Izuku call you Shige. I like that name: it sounds cuter, and it sounds like a name your really close friends call you, just like Tsu." So that meant she must've encountered Tsu. He remembered she appeared alongside Uraraka just before he left. She began admiring the traces of blood that were still running down the esper's forehead as she took a knife she'd used against Tsu from her pocket. "But you'd be so much cuter if you just bled a little more..."
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"W-wait, I don't get." Shigeo shifted slightly away from the villain. "So you want to be my friend?"
"That's right," she replied, her face beaming.
"Then why do you want to hurt me?" He noticed the blood on her knife, and used what he'd heard so far to make an assumption, "You hurt my friends Tsu and Uraraka too, didn't you?"
"I only wanted to show how much I loved them both by making them bleed." The teenager couldn't understand this girl's thought-process. Where did she come to think like this?
"I wanna learn everything about you, especially after what I saw just now."
The female villain continued expressing her thoughts. "It was a pretty brave thing of you to give yourself up, Shige. I really didn't expect that you'd keep your friends frozen with your Quirk, or that you'd actually come out and say they couldn't save your other two friends. Not something I'd expect a hero to say."
"Yea, I guess that's not something you'd hear a hero say to his friends... but it was the truth, and I did what I had to do to keep them safe." As the two began engaging in conversation, he suddenly felt his nerves beginning to calm.
"So you're ready to be tough on your friends to keep them safe, huh? And now that you've come with us, what do you plan to do?"
"I just... want to talk to all of you, to stop all this violence and make sure no one else gets hurt anymore."
"Oh, really? And what do you plan to do with me? Did you plan to talk to me, too?" Shigeo could see that the young girl's tone had become slightly more serious, as if this was a question that seriously mattered to her. So he decided to be honest about his intentions.
"Well, I'd planned to talk with Tomura and all the big villains here, so I guess... yea, I want to talk to you too, and understand how you can think cutting people with your knife is friendship."
The esper was taken by surprise when her face glowed with bubbling enthusiasm, her body reacting with even more giddiness than before. "Oh my god, this is perfect! It's like we're already becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, Shige! Well, for me, it all started when-"
"Hey Toga!" From the nearby corner, Dabi had noticed the female villain engaging in casual conversation with the esper and decided to put an end to it. "This isn't the time to be getting all buddy-buddy with Kageyama! Tomura ordered us not to try and talk with him until we he was there, and since that means keeping all your traps shut, it's an order I'm fine with enforcing. So keep guard over him like you're supposed to."
Mob felt unnerved when he saw the giddiness and exuberance Toga displayed before get almost immediately replaced with a cold, angered expression, her aura oozing with hostility. "Oh, so you're trying to ruin a perfectly good moment between us, is that it?" The young girl got up from her spot and held out her knife to Dabi's throat. "You want to see how well that works for you?"
Dabi was unfazed by Toga's threat and decided to meet her threat by igniting the right side of his body. "You think that puny knife of yours scares me? I can melt that knife and your hand along with it."
The other villains present attempted to break up the fight, but as it happened, someone had already thought of that. Both Dabi and Toga felt their bodies get restrained and noticed their bodies surrounded by some sort of energy.
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The villains turned their heads to see that it was none other than Mob who was keeping them restrained. He used his power to move the two a few feet away from each other, then walked in between both of them.
"There's no need to fight over this." After having seen so many of his friends get hurt or lose control of themselves, the last thing he wanted to see right now was more pointless violence and bloodshed. "Look, Toga, when we get back to your base, we'll finish our talk. Just please... put the knife away."
Toga's eyes were beginning to shine, not with the crazed, ecstatic glare that she'd given him before, but that of sincerity and confusion. "You mean... you don't want to see me hurt?"
The esper heaved a heavy sigh. "I've seen enough people getting hurt today." The esper looked into the eyes of both Dabi and Toga. Seeing that their fierce temper had managed to simmer down, the esper released both villains from his paralysis and marched back to his spot where he took his previous slumped position.
Having watched this scene unfold, the other members of the League of Villains were having a hard time registering what they'd just seen.
"What the hell," muttered Magne, "The hostage is the one breaking up the fight."
"Who is this kid?" asked Spinner.
Toga continued to stare at Mob for a few seconds, her eyes still sparkling and her cheeks lightly burning. After seeing such a display of compassion, Toga decided to follow the esper's example and sat alone near some steel girders.
While the villains pondered what they'd just witnessed, Mob continued to bask in silence. Now that he was with the League of Villains, he'd have to wait until tomorrow until he finally met up with Tomura Shigaraki, and likely All For One as well. Mob knew that this mission was vital and equally dangerous: All Might had warned him of how powerful and devious All For One was. If he'd been the one guiding Tomura down this path of villainy, the one who was secretly leading the League of Villains, that meant he'd have to be on his guard. But what could he say to him? How could he convince someone like All For One to stop his villainy? Would it be the same as with Toichiro Suzuki? Would he have to kill him the same way he'd tried to kill Suzuki when left with no other option?
A wave of drowsiness suddenly began to hit him. Mob should've expected as much: he'd already gone past his limit when he healed Izuku's grievous injuries. He would just have to think of a plan until morning, and hope that everything would turn out ok for him and the rest of his class.
In the hidden bar of the building, Tomura Shigaraki was impatiently tapping his finger, waiting for the Vanguard Action Squad's return. He'd been expecting a call on the com by now or for Kurogiri to teleport here with an update, but so far the villain had received nothing of the sort. Did that mean that the Vanguard Action Squad had failed? Were they all defeated by the students and heroes, or possibly by Kageyama himself? He knew that Kageyama was strong, but he'd hoped that the Nomu he'd sent would be enough to rough him up and detain him before he could get pissed and unleash his hidden power. So what happened to the team?
"Hey Shigaraki, this is Dabi. Come in." As if on-cue, the comm system suddenly transmitted Dabi's voice. Tomura eagerly grabbed the set to hear the news.
"Hey Dabi, so what happened? How'd the mission go?"
"We managed to get the target. Moonfish, Mustard, and Muscular never made it to the checkpoint, so it looks like they must've been beaten by some of the students. The Nomu we sent to target Kageyama was defeated too, but fortunately we still managed to force his hand and get him to come with us."
"So you succeeded in the mission: good work."
"Right now, Kurogiri's recovering from a hit he took from the Pussycats, said he won't be able to teleport until sometime tomorrow. We're laying low at a warehouse a few miles away from the camp, and wait to see if any of the others manage to escape and return to the warehouse. I'll let you know once Kurogiri's ready to bring us back to the base."
"Understood. I'll wait until then." Tomura ended the call, turning to face the monitor that was a few feet away. "Looks like the mission was a success, master. Kageyama's in the palm of our hands."
From behind the screen, All For One reacted with a calm but cautious demeanor. "Yes, you managed to obtain the target, and with the news of such a powerful U.A. student kidnapped, it will only serve to further sow discord within hero society and shake the public's faith."
"Yep, perceptive as always, Master."
"However, remember the conversation we had before: if I feel that Kageyama is too dangerous or threatens to damage the stability of the League of Villains, I will deal with him myself."
"I remember, master..." The villain's mind went back to several nights before, where Tomura had revealed his plan to All For One.
"You said you want to do what with Kageyama?"
The ancient evil was trying to pick apart the reasoning for his pupil's plan as Tomura had begun to explain the plan for the operation. "You heard me, master. Since you were able to find the location of where the students were training, I thought it was only appropriate to take advantage of the opportunity. We can attack the camp and take Kageyama as a hostage so we can bring him here."
"But that is where your plan is confusing me. You want to bring Kageyama here because you believe you can make him join the League of Villains?"
"You hit the nail right on the head, master."
"Tomura, I have given you the tools and the power you need to take the mantle of leadership, and I have tried to let you do as you wish, but this I cannot understand. Why do you believe that someone like Kageyama would be a fitting member of your ranks? From what I've seen and heard from him thus far, there is nothing within him that could be nurtured to be a villain. There must be other more suitable candidates in-mind."
"But that's where you're wrong, master." All For One couldn't see where his disciple was getting at, but decided to give him the chance to explain yourself. "Because that boy DOES what have it takes to be a villain. He told me at the mall: he was spit on by this society. He was ignored, tossed aside, and abused just like I was. He even said he killed people by choking the life out of them."
"What?" The Symbol of Evil had gotten used to understanding people's behaviors after several decades working in the shadows, but he never got the impression someone like Kageyama would harbor such rage. "Are you sure of this?"
"I believe him. Master, think of what it would mean for us if this kid joined us. U.A. High School's reputation would be completely ruined, All Might wouldn't have his personal battery keeping him at full strength anymore, and we'd have one of the most powerful Quirk users in the world on our side. I get why you might be suspicious, but I've got high hopes for this kid. Just let me try to talk to him and then you'll see that he could be an unbelievable asset to the League of Villains."
The monitor remained silent, Tomura was growing anxious that his master would object to his plan and encourage finding another target, but he didn't. "Very well. I will not interfere with your objective and let you do as you please. You'll need a way to track and locate Kageyama in the woods. I recommend using a Nomu for the operation. The doctor and I can retrofit one of the new Nomu for this mission."
"That would be a big help."
"However, you must know that I still carry some reservations. Kageyama is still a powerful student and an incredible threat to the League of Villains. If I believe it is necessary, I will bring him to my location and eliminate him myself if the situation calls for it. I will still permit you to convince him, and I will be listening through this monitor, but know that I may act accordingly in order to preserve what you have begun to create. And don't allow Kageyama to talk to any of the other members of your party until he comes here. Is that agreeable?"
Tomura could understand his master's rationale, and not willing to so rudely deny his master after having agreed to help him, abided to his request. "Alright, master."
"So for now, the first stage of your plan has been completed. Now we will wait and see how the rest of your plan unfolds, and whether Kageyama will be as receptive to joining us as you believe he is." The villain cut off the power for the monitor, and contemplated the recent turn of events in silence.
Despite a few hitches, Tomura's team had managed to succeed and retrieve Kageyama. But All For One was still very unsure of how this would go about. He had serious doubts over whether Kageyama was as susceptible to darkness as Tomura claimed him to be, or whether anything Kageyama said to him was actually true. Kageyama clearly had some sort of ability to sway the hearts of the people he talked to. It could be that he was secretly a master manipulator, one who put up the facade of being a shy, unassuming simpleton but hid a deviously competent, suave talker.
All For One could not allow Kageyama to interfere with his plans. This was a pivotal moment in Tomura's development, a time where his conviction, his skills, and his foundation were being developed. If Kageyama managed to break that foundation, then all the work he put into making Tomura his successor would be for naught. So he would wait to see for himself what kind of person Kageyama was, the man behind the mask, and see whether he was indeed the key to bringing the League of Villains to victory, or the crack which would fissure and destroy the very foundation of Tomura and the League.
In the wake of the Vanguard Action Squad's attack on the training camp, the students of the hero course were left reeling. Shortly after Mob had been kidnapped, Vlad King called emergency services to put out the fires caused by Dabi. Of the 40 students that had been sent to the camp, 15 were unconscious and in serious condition due to Mustard's gas, 10 others were injured, and 13 had managed to walk out unharmed. Physically, at least. Pixie-Bob had been seriously injured by Magne, and Ragdoll had been taken captive after having lost a great deal of blood.
The news of Mob's capture by the League of Villains had spread through Japan like wildfire. Many people had seen the unbelievable power that Shigeo possessed and could tell from his behavior at the Sports Festival that he was a kind child at heart, so the thought of such a promising U.A. student being kidnapped was quite a blow for them. For U.A. High School, however, the blow was much greater and far more devastating.
The day after Mob had been kidnapped, the school had been swarmed with news outlets, all of them pressed at the borders of the school and demanding answers to the attack at the training camp and Shigeo Kageyama's kidnapping. Within the school, several of the teachers had gathered together to lament what had occurred to their student body.
"That training camp was meant to prepare students to handle villain attacks. The irony is shameful." In the office, Principal Nezu solemnly spoke of the events that had transpired just the day before. "We knew the League would resurface, but we lacked a fundamental understanding of their plans, and they've already started their war."
"Could we have really prevented any of this?" Midnight asked, "They're moving pieces we didn't even know they possessed. Besides, All Might put an end to most organized crime. We've definitely gotten rusty."
Present Mic was in agreement with his colleague's statement. "We've definitely got complacent in peaceful times without realizing it. I guess all of us thought that we'd be riding the sweet life for good."
As the teachers were making these comments, the number one hero sat silently in his seat. When he'd heard that Kageyama had been captured, it had been as though someone had hit him in the face with an iron. Never could he have imagined that Shigeo could be kidnapped, and now he was very likely in the heart of the League of Villains, likely surrounded by some of the most dangerous criminals the country had to offer. It was perhaps one of the biggest disgraces that All Might had ever been through, to allow this to happen to the esper.
"I'll never forgive myself for such cowardly ignorance," a somber All Might muttered, "To think that I'd be at home, enjoying a relaxing night while my students were in mortal danger. Because of that, one of those students is now a captive of the League of Villains..."
The only other teacher at the meeting, Snipe, noted their mistakes. "We should never have had the Sports Festival after the U.S.J. attack. We wanted to show the world we were still strong. To have a student kidnapped is our greatest failure as teachers."
"There's still something I'm trying to wrap my head around... Why did the villains target Kageyama?" The female teacher decided to bring up one of the points that had been bothering her and some of the other teachers in the room. "Kageyama's an extremely powerful student with many versatile abilities that would make it incredibly difficult to apprehend him, meaning they took a big risk choosing him as the target. And now that they have him, what do they intend to do with him? If they wanted to kill him, why didn't they try to take him out at the camp?"
"So they think they can get him to come over to their side?" Snipe said.
"But what would make them believe that Kageyama, of all people, would want to join the League of Villains?" Midnight questioned, "Do they know something we don't?"
All Might had been pondering this question as well. He had no idea what Shigaraki intended to do with Kageyama or why he didn't kill him then and there. But what worried him more wasn't what Shigaraki planned to do with Kageyama... it was All For One. All Might knew that this ancient evil had returned, and he was certain that he was behind the League of Villains. This meant it was entirely possible that the plan to kidnap Mob was not Shigaraki, but All For One's plan. Did he intend to steal Kageyama's Quirk? If that was truly his intention, it would only put Mob's life in greater danger, for the minute he realized that Kageyama didn't have a Quirk to steal, he'd try to dispose of the esper.
"You know, you bring up something interesting, about the villains knowing something we don't..." Present Mic's voice became lower and more grave, "Only the teachers and the Pussycats would know where the training camp would be, which means someone had to have leaked that information. We can't deny it: there's a traitor at this school."
"Enough, Mic!" Midnight interjected.
"What's the problem? We've gotta find out who the leak is!"
"Have you got any proof that you're not the traitor?" Hearing this from Snipe caused Present Mic to calm down. "Can we know that everyone in this room is an ally? If we start doubting ourselves, then we'll tear ourselves apart from the inside. Accusing a traitor isn't something we should take lightly."
"Indeed, though I can't give any proof that I'm innocent. At the very least, I trust everyone that's currently in this room. For the moment, what we must do as a school is guarantee the safety of the student body. Which is why I suggest implementing an idea I've had for a while now-"
"A PHONE CALL IS HERE! A PHONE CALL IS HERE!" Echoing throughout the room was All Might's personalized ringtone. "Sorry, I have to take this."
The Symbol of Peace exited the room while the teachers looked in annoyance over the ridiculousness of his ringtone. As All Might stood outside the room, his body trembled with self-loathing. It had been his responsibility to take care of Shigeo and help him when no one else could, and he had failed, putting Mob directly in the jaws of some of the most dangerous criminals in Japan. How could he call himself a hero or a guardian?
"Tsukauchi? What do you need from me?" the hero answered as he put the phone to his ear.
On the other line, All Might's friend was standing with Eraserhead and Vlad King. "All Might, we've finished taking comprehensive statements from Mr. Aizawa and Vlad King, and I think we've figured out where the League of Villains is hiding."
"Are you serious?" the stunned hero exclaimed.
"Yep. About two weeks ago, I sent an officer around to gather information. A bystander pointed out that he'd seen a guy with a patchwork face entering an abandoned building. He spoke with the owner of the building, and found out there's some kind of hidden bar there. At first it didn't seem like this was related to the attack on the camp, but remember the description of that villain from the attack? He had a patchwork face. Given the profile of this crime, we'll move as soon as we get the green-light. It's top secret, so I'm only telling you. We plan to get several pro-heroes here to help with the operation. All Might, we need your power."
As the Symbol of Peace heard this news, his spirit was invigorated as his body bulked up with energy. "Tsukauchi, you're a wonderful friend. And I know just what I'll say when I find them. I am here... to make you pay for what you've done!"
For the students who had been knocked unconscious by the poison gas or had retained serious injuries from the villain attack, they were sent to a hospital near the training camp. A majority of the students consisted of those from Class B, but only three students from Class A had been hospitalized. Jirou and Hagakure were the only two students who'd been knocked out by the poison gas, and Yaoyorozu had taken a rather serious blow to the head. She'd been going with Awase from Class B to help the rest of the students who'd been knocked out by the gas, when they were suddenly attacked by another Nomu with a Quirk that allowed him to morph his arms and hands into different tools.
Fortunately for the two of them, the Nomu had left them before it could kill the two students, so the teenagers lived to fight another day. Now, Yaoyorozu was lying unconscious in a hospital bed, her head wrapped up in bandages and doctors in the hospital room.
About a day after the Vanguard Action Squad's attack on the camp, the young girll had finally regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was greeted with the sight of the doctors standing a few feet away from her, observing the notes they'd taken on her status. The doctors quickly noticed Yaoyorozu waking up and approached her with smiles on their faces.
"You're awake. What a relief," one of the doctors said.
"Where am I?"
"You're at a hospital a few miles away from the camp where you were training. You took a pretty serious hit to the head, but thankfully you won't be dealing with any permanent damage."
Yaoyorozu took a few more seconds to clear her head, but as soon as she did, her heart started racing as her pupils dilated.
"How are the rest of my classmates? Do you know if they're ok? What about Shigeo Kageyama? Is he alright?" When the Chainsaw Nomu had ceased its attack on her and Awase, she had feared the worst: that the villains had succeeded in their objective and captured Mob. It was a possibility she'd been unwilling to entertain, but as a precaution, she had Awase use his welding Quirk to weld a tracking device onto the Nomu's body before it could leave. Yaoyorozu was sure it wasn't necessary, for she knew that Mob would be ok. He was a dependable, strong friend and he'd promised her he wouldn't be going anywhere. There was no way the villains would've been strong enough to actually capture him. She was sure that the doctors would tell him that he'd been waiting in the lobby to see her. But the doctors stood in silence, for they gave no such answer.
"Most of your classmates are alright," the other doctor noted, "Some sustained minor injuries that didn't require hospitalization. Two of them are still unconscious from the poison gas that spread over the camp. However, Shigeo Kageyama..."
"I'm afraid Shigeo Kageyama was taken by the League of Villains." It was as if all her blood had run cold. Despite her best efforts, despite his incredible strength, the League of Villains got what they'd come for and captured Kageyama. One of her closest friends was in the hands of the dangerous band of criminals who'd terrorized their class and cast a shadow over the entire country. It was her worst nightmare.
The doctors could see that this news had served as a large blow for the young girl, and waited several seconds for her to absorb this. After a few moments of this silence, a police officer entered the room after he'd seen Yaoyorozu wake up from the corner of his eye in the hallway.
"Momo Yaoyorozu's awake?" the officer said.
"Yes, she just regained consciousness a few moments ago," the doctor replied.
As she noticed the police officer, her first instinct was to do whatever she could to help get Kageyama back from the villains. "Officer, I have extremely vital information that could help the police and the heroes locate Kageyama and the League of Villains."
The doctors and the officer expressed shock, though the officer was first to give a response. "Very well. All Might and some other detectives are in the hospital, so I'll let them know." The officer quickly scurried through the hospital to inform the number one hero, who had come to the hospital to check up on his students. After about two minutes of waiting in silence, All Might and Detective Tsukauchi came through the door.
"Young Yaoyorozu, what a relief to see you've awakened," the hero said, "This officer told us that you had some important information regarding the investigation to rescue Kageyama?"
"Yes." The teenager's hand began to glow, and in her palm, she formed a device. "With the assistance from Awase from Class B, I managed to attach a tracking device to one of the villains. This is the creation that will receive that signal. I hope it helps your search." As All Might held the receiver in his hand, he couldn't help admiring Yaoyorozu's quick thinking.
"Previously, Aizawa said you lacked the self-confidence and judgement needed to make quick decisions. Well look how much you've grown. You have our thanks, Yaoyorozu."
Despite All Might's words of praise, the teenager still felt overrun with the sense of pain and guilt. "I wish I could help you more than this. With Kageyama in mortal danger, I..." Her body began to lightly tremble as her eyes began to water. All Might could see the pain she was in and compassionately placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I know that Kageyama is a dear friend to you, Yaoyorozu. That painful feeling is proof you're worthy of being a hero and his companion. Please don't worry, you can leave the rest to us. We'll bring young Kageyama back home safe, I swear to you."
Hearing this assurance from the Symbol of Peace himself managed to assuage some of the sense of helplessness and grief over this predicament. Unknown to anyone there, however, two of her classmates were eavesdropping in on this conversation: Todoroki and Kirishima. They'd been coming to visit Yaoyorozu and the others in the hospital when they noticed All Might and some police officers walking briskly through the hallway in the direction where Yaoyorozu was staying. They'd decided to see what he wanted with Yaoyorozu and happened to listen in on this conversation. With that information, the two of them were now thinking of a plan they could enact on their own...
Yaoyorozu wasn't the only classmate drowning in sorrow over what had happened. After he'd seen Kageyama walk into the portal, Izuku Midoriya had fallen onto the ground in utter defeat, overwhelmed by the sense of pain and uselessness. In spite of his best efforts, Deku had failed to stop the League of Villains from capturing his best friend.
He didn't really say anything when the firefighters and police arrived to the camp. His voice had vanished, his spirit faded. In his eyes, it was Midoriya who was to blame for this entire incident. If he had only been more forceful, insisted that Mob return to camp and preserve his power, even done as Mob had been prepared to do to Deku and knock him out, then none of this would be happening. All of their classmates would be safe, and the League of Villains would've been forced to retreat. Mob had once again acted as an amazing friend, one that Deku didn't deserve.
The police had taken the time to send each of the students to their homes to make sure that they returned safely and no villains would get the jump on them. Deku had remained silent throughout the entire ride. When they made it to his apartment complex, he found his mother waiting outside, her face tense with anxiety. As soon as the camp had been attacked, the police had taken the initiative to contact the parents of all those who were at the camp to let them know before they saw it on the news.
Upon exiting the car, Inko rushed toward her son, fresh tears in her eyes. "Oh, my baby! I don't know if my heart can take another scare like this."
"It's alright, mom." The teenager noted the fear and heartbreak in her mother's voice, her face stained with tears. It only made him realize how much greater her devastation would've been had she seen his condition after the battle with Muscular. Both of his arms broken, his right arm severely damaged from using 100% of One For All twice? That would've undoubtedly left permanent damage on his right arm. And yet he was spared of any consequences for his reckless actions, and his mother was spared of further grief, because Shigeo used up all his energy to fix him. Another debt that Deku owed Shige.
"Thank you for bringing him home, officer," Inko said.
"Not a problem. You folks stay safe." The officer respectfully bowed before driving back onto the street. The mother and son made their way up to the apartment, Inko tightly clutching her son's hand. But as they entered the apartment, Inko could see the look of sadness on her son's face. As Deku took a seat on their couch, Inko sat right beside him, keeping her hand clutched to his.
"I know you must be really hurt over having your friend kidnapped, Izuku." When the police had contacted all of the families, they had also informed them about the student who'd been taken by the League of Villains.
Hearing her mention this out-loud only brought tears to his eyes. "It's all my fault. Kageyama had to give himself up to the villains because of me."
The mother held her son in her arms as he began to weep. "If only I'd been stronger, I could've stopped him. I could've saved him and the rest of our classmates, and none of this would've ever happened."
"Izuku, you shouldn't blame yourself for this. I know you must've done everything in your power to keep all of your friends safe. Besides, we all saw how strong Kageyama was. I'm positive that he'll be able to take care of himself long enough for the heroes and the police to rescue him."
He could give no response to this encouragement, continuing his weeping for several minutes. Eventually, the teenager decided to drag his feet towards his room without a word. Inko knew that Izuku needed his time alone for the rest of the night.
Sleep did not come easily for Deku, for his mind was riddled with the guilt and fear over his best friend's predicament and what the villains could be doing to him. He only managed to obtain a few hours of sleep that night, but the next morning, he looked on his phone to see that the attack on the training camp was on every news outlet in the country. Everyone was panicking over the kidnapping of Shigeo Kageyama, the young boy with tremendous power that stood above everyone else at U.A. High. Imagining such a promising hero-in-training with the awkward yet lovable demeanor he displayed at the Sports Festival was something many citizens could not take, and so they voiced their concerns on the Internet and on the streets.
Izuku refused to spend the day at home: he immediately headed out to the hospital to visit his classmates. As he prepared to head out, he saw the messages on a thread created for the members of the Body Improvement Club. All the members had decided to meet in one of the far corridors of the hospital at around 2:00 in the afternoon, and messaged this info to any member of Class 1-A who didn't happen to be part of the club.
The young teenager walked slowly to the hospital, still reeling from the events of the previous night. He could only imagine how the rest of his class must've been feeling about this. They must've been feeling the same swirling emotions in their hearts as Deku.
Sure enough, upon going through the hospital doors and going to the corridor specified in the message, he was greeted with the sight of all the members of Class 1-A, with many of their faces etched with expressions of sadness. In the corner of the group, Bakugo's fists were stuffed in his pockets, his eyes burning with a mix of frustration and some of the same sadness echoed in the eyes of the others. Many of his classmates were equally disheartened, their eyes staring at the ground.
"Midoriya, you're here," Todoroki said, "That's good."
"Did everyone from Class A come?" Deku asked.
"Well, Jirou and Hagakure are still unconscious due to the villain's poisonous gas," Iida replied, "Yaoyorozu just woke up today after taking a big hit to the head."
As Deku observed the rest of his classmates, he noticed there were two members of Class B. "Tetsutetsu and Kendo? What're you two doing here?"
Kendo replied with a quiet voice. "Well, we saw that all you guys were meeting up in the message thread for the Body Improvement Club, so we figured that we'd join you guys considering that our captain was..." Her already soft voice completely petered out, for she didn't want to spell out the painful reality.
Todoroki, on the other hand, decided to be blunt and finish where Kendo started. "Because Kageyama was kidnapped." As expected, a fresh wave of pain spread through the students.
"We know, Todoroki," Ashido said, chastising Todoroki for spelling this out.
"Even after we all saw it happen, it's hard for me to accept it," Uraraka muttered, "To think that Kageyama, of all people, would be taken, and we had to watch as he left."
The despair continued to further ruminate among the class. Each of them carried their own weight of sadness and guilt, the guilt of having watched Kageyama willingly leave before their eyes.
Tetsutetsu was the first to voice his frustration. "I never should've left him to fight those Nomu alone. If I'd just helped him, then maybe I could've stopped this."
"This isn't your fault, Tetsutetsu. If you and Kendo hadn't gone after the villain making that poisonous gas, then a lot of the students of your class could've been killed by it," Tsu replied.
"But still... what do we do now?" he asked.
"Well I'll tell you what we're not gonna do: stand here with our thumbs up our asses." Finally deciding to speak up was none other than Bakugo. "Let's actually go and do something about this."
In the group of students, Kirishima all-too-eagerly agreed with Bakugo's assertion. "Damn right. Instead of sitting here wishing for him to be alright, let's go get him ourselves." Kirishima momentarily turned his eyes toward Todoroki.
"Me and Todoroki came here a couple of hours before the rest of you, and while we were here, we saw Yaoyorozu talking to All Might and some police officer. Apparently, Yaoyorozu managed to put a tracker on one of the Nomu that attacked the camp before it left, and she can make a receiver to locate that signal and find out where the villains are hiding."
Iida didn't like where Kirishima was going with this. "This means you're going to have Yaoyorozu make another receiver for you, doesn't it?"
"What if it does?" Todoroki replied.
The class rep remembered back in Hosu City when Manual had scolded him for acting recklessly and going after the Hero Killer by himself. Now his classmates wanted to repeat the same reckless behavior? "We should listen to what All Might said! We need to leave this to the professionals! It isn't the right time for us to get involved, idiots!"
"Maybe, but all I know is that at camp, I couldn't do anything! I heard my friend was targeted, and I just stood by, helpless! So if I stand by and do nothing now, how am I supposed to call myself a hero or a man!"
"Hey, calm down, Kirishima, we're in a hospital," Kaminari said.
"Yea, let's cool it and talk it over," Ashido added, "So let me get this straight: you're gonna have Momo make another receiver for you, use it to track down the bad guys, then rescue Kageyama all by yourselves?"
"Yea," Kirishima added.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Bakugo said.
"The villains who attacked the camp intended to kill some of us, but they took Kageyama alive. What we don't know is how long they'll keep him that way," Todoroki continued.
Once again, Iida felt the embers of frustration burning into a maelstorm inside of him. "Have the three of you lost your minds?"
"Calm down, Iida." From within the group, Shoji attempted to simmer the rising tempers. "I get how Kirishima feels about not being able to do anything, and I understand how Todoroki and Bakugo would feel about having to watch Kageyama taken. I had to watch him leave, too, and it hurts. But we can't let our emotions get the better of us at a time like this."
"Yea. Besides, if I'm being honest, doe he really even need our help?" Among the members of Class 1-A, Kaminari brought up this valid point. "We all saw what he could do at the Sports Festival. He took Bakugo's Howitzer Impact without even flinching. Not to mention all the dirt monsters he took down by himself at the training camp. With all that power, wouldn't it be easy for Kageyama to just escape by himself?"
"No, it's not gonna be that easy." Todoroki remembered everything that happened before Kageyama had left and everything that the villains had said. "They came to the camp with a powerful Nomu that supposedly put Kageyama on the ropes, and one of the villains can make copies of that Nomu. So it wouldn't be so easy for Kageyama to just get up and leave. And with how scared he is, he probably won't make a move."
Shoji also recalled the esper's words as he gave himself over to the villains. "I still can't believe he'd openly express his fear to the villains and show his cards like that. I'm not sure what he was thinking telling us all how afraid he was..."
"Wait, he really said that?" asked Kaminari. Shoji nodded in confirmation. "Well, if you were there, what else did he say? What do you all think he plans to do, anyway?"
"He said he'd confront the leader of the League of Villains, the one who was pulling the strings, to see if he could put an end to the fighting so no one else would get hurt. But I'm not sure how he plans to go about that."
"I think I've got an idea..." The female student from Class 1-B went back to the conversation she and the other girls had about Kageyama during the training camp. "Girls, you all remember what Yaoyorozu and Jirou said about Kageyama a few nights ago, right?" The girls from Class 1-A nodded their heads.
"They said when Shigaraki and Kageyama met at the mall, Kageyama told Shigaraki he'd be ready to talk whenever he wanted. I think that's what this whole thing's about. I think... Kageyama might try to talk to Shigaraki and the League of Villains to get them to stop attacking U.A. High."
For the members of Class 1-A unfamiliar with this information, they all expressed their shock and disbelief at Kendo's theory. "Are you serious? Kageyama's really gonna try to talk the villains down?" Sero said, "That's crazy! There's no way that could actually work, right?"
Iida, Todoroki, Midoriya and Tokoyami exchanged looks with one another, for they had all seen themselves that supposed impossibility occur when Mob had convinced Stain to surrender himself to the authorities. Similarly, some of the girls from Class 1-A were having the same thoughts.
"I mean, I don't think it's the craziest thing," Tsu muttered, "Kageyama has a way to reach inside of people and make them be there best selves. I mean, look how much of an impact he's had on all of us. Ever since we met him, I think we've all been inspired to be better people. It's why a lot of us joined the Body Improvement Club, even from Class B."
"But we're talking about villains here, dangerous criminals. That's a whole different ballpark," replied Sero.
"Yea, I know, ribbit..."The students present shifted in their places. None of them were sure how to process everything that was being told. For the ones who were unaware of the mall incident, they were registering the idea that Mob would actually want to talk to villains. For the ones who'd been in the alley that night then they fought Stain, each of them were ruminating on the possibility that Mob could talk the villains down. If he could speak to someone as psychotic and determined as Stain, could Mob due to same for the members of the League of Villains?
While some of them were entertaining the possibility, there was one among them who fiercely rejected the possibility. Izuku was the only person there who knew the person Mob was referring to as the one pulling the strings. If he was right, and Mob would try to talk to All For One the same way he talked to Stain, then it would only end up putting his life at risk. All For One, of all people, was a devil which All Might had been forced to knock off his throne in order to bring peace to Japan.
"Mob won't be able to get through to their boss," Deku said, voicing his internal thoughts, "That man can't be reasoned with. Right now, Shige's alone and afraid, trying to finish an impossible mission. He can't deal with the League of Villains by himself. We need to go save him before they try to kill him."
"Deku, I get why you want to save him, but I think Iida's right." Uraraka hesitantly objected to her close friend's idea. "And think about what Kageyama would want. He gave himself up and pushed us all away with his powers because he wanted to protect us. The last thing he would want is for any of us to risk our lives trying to rescue him ourselves."
"Yea, and it doesn't matter how noble your intentions are. If you go out there trying to find bad guys, knowing you're breaking the rules, you're acting like villains, not heroes." The thought of being compared to villains did not sit right with the students, and a wave of silence instantly spread throughout the group, lasting several seconds before someone decided to break it.
"Come on, let's all just chill out," Kaminari said, "Look, why don't we all visit Jirou and Hagakure? Kendo and Tetsutetsu, you can join us if you want."
"Yea, I'd be fine with that," said Kendo.
"Good idea, Kaminari," added Sero.
The group of students all began to make their way through the hallway to see their unconscious comrades. As the students began walking, Bakugo subtly dragged Kirishima to the back of the group, where Deku was also situated.
"Ok, Kirishima, when do we go?" Bakugo whispered. The red-haired teenager couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's straight-forward attitude. Even after everything their classmates had said, his mind hadn't changed a bit.
"Todoroki and I talked to Yaoyorozu just a little while after All Might and the police officer had left. We're planning on leaving tonight, as soon as possible. Midoriya, you got that? We'll meet in front of the hospital after dark." Midoriya and Bakugo silently acknowledged their friend's instructions with a nod. But several feet in front of them, Iida picked up on the quiet conversation and felt another tremble throughout his body. They were still dead-set in their ways...
The sun had already set over the country of Japan. All over the nation, citizens were growing more worried over the fate of the young prodigy from U.A. High.
At the hospital, the four friends of that prodigy, Todoroki, Kirishima, Bakugo, and Midoriya were all waiting outside just as they'd planned. Both Kirishima and Todoroki had already gone to Yaoyorozu to tell her about their plan, and they were currently waiting to see whether she'd show up or not.
"Come on. What's taking her so long," an irritated Bakugo said.
"Cool it, Bakugo. No matter how much we might want to go after Kageyama, it's her decision to make," Todoroki replied.
"Look!" Deku turned the attention of his friends to the doors of the hospital, where sure enough, Yaoyorozu had just walked through. As their classmate approached, they took note of a bright fire in her eyes, something that they did not usually see in the calm, composed vice rep that they knew.
"So how about it?" Bakugo said, "You comin with us or not?"
"I think-"
"Hold on." Hiding from behind a wall, the class rep decided to show himself now that the members of his class had gathered for this mission.
"Iida... what're you doing here?" Deku questioned.
"You... why did it have to be you two of all people? The ones who stopped me when I acted recklessly, who received amnesty with me after Hosu? Why're you trying to make the same stupid mistakes I made? Didn't you learn?" Though Deku and Todoroki understood what their friend was referring to, the other U.A. students had no knowledge about what the class rep was referring to.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bakugo approached Iida to question his words, but Todoroki stopped him before he could go any farther.
"We're all still just students, and U.A.'s in a bad enough position as it is. Anything we do will reflect on our school. Don't you get that?"
"Iida, we have to!" Deku objected, trying to reason with their class rep, "I know you don't like us breaking rules, but-" The teenager's sentence was cut off by a rapid punch to the face, an unexpected action for the leader of their class. He was always the one emphasizing structure and orderly behavior, chastising the violent tendencies of Bakugo while encouraging the teamwork of the Body Improvement Club. So for Iida to now come and use violence as a means of communication must have meant he was truly brimming with anger.
"I'm frustrated, too! And concerned, obviously! You don't think I'm just as worried about Kageyama as the rest of you? You don't think I want to help him after everything he's done for me and my family? But I can't! This isn't our role right now! Haven't any of you stopped to think about where I'm coming from?" The spectacled teenager clasped Izuku by his shoulders. "Or are you saying, you don't care how I feel?"
To this, Izuku took a moment to pause before responding. "Of course I do." Meanwhile, the other shocked students decided to clear some things up about their plan.
"Iida, you've got it wrong," started Todoroki, "We don't expect to face them head-on and win. We'll get him back without fighting."
"Yea, we'll be stealthy. I'm talking covert ops here. We can rescue him without breaking the rules. Bakugo, you can manage to do this without getting into a fight, right?"
"What, you think I can't be stealthy?" Bakugo retorted, "I'll show you I can go undercover better than any of you losers."
The red-haired student beamed. "That's what I like to hear!"
"I can't just sit still." The fire within the green-haired teenager's belly began to churn as it always did when he became emboldened with passion. "If there's even the smallest chance, then I have to reach out and do something. Because all I can think about is saving him!" As he spoke, the words that All Might had spoken to him when he first revealed his secret came back to him. A hero's journey began when their bodies moved before they had a chance to think, and that's what they needed to do here.
Iida could see that determination in Izuku's eyes. When he had that look in his eyes, there was no stopping him. It became clear to the class rep that nothing he could say would be enough to get any of them to call this off.
"We'll never agree... so I'm going with you!" All of the students gasped in surprise. It was a rather rapid change of pace from the class rep to go from objecting to the mission to knowingly accompanying them in the mission. Bakugo was the quickest to respond to this assertion.
"Fine, but you better not slow any of us down, and don't think of trying to get in our way. Now come on, moonlight's wasting!"
"Right." Deku firmly agreed with Bakugo's reasoning, and the group of six teenagers began to make their way toward their mission. But just when they'd thought everything had been settled, they would soon learn that there was a member of the class who wanted to be their seventh member.
"Hold on!" All of the students turned and were surprised to see that Tokoyami was sprinting out of the hospital.
"Tokoyami? What're you doing here? I thought you'd already gone home like the rest of our class," said Todoroki.
"I overheard you and Midoriya talking. I know that you're all going to rescue Kageyama. So I decided to quietly wait so I could tell you all that I'm going to join you!"
Another wave of gasps came from the students. Tokoyami wasn't one to let his emotions get the better of him, and he'd always seemed like the person who'd keep in line and follow the rules. So what would compel him to do something as reckless as this?
Sensing the confusion from his classmates, Tokoyami decided to explain himself. "Kageyama's done too much for me. The two of us fought side-by-side during the U.S.J. attack. We did our internship at the same agency. Despite knowing he was the more talented intern, he went out of his way to make sure I got the most out of the experience, going so far as to tell Hawks to give me more attention.
"At the camp, when he saw that Dark Shadow had gone out of control, he tried to help me tame Dark Shadow..." The avian student's body trembled at the memory of Kageyama being attacked by Dark Shadow, "And he only ended up getting himself injured in the process. It was because of me that we got separated. If I'd just had more control over my power, I wouldn't have gotten myself captured, and Kageyama would never have been forced to give himself up to protect me. Even when he was in the jaws of danger, Kageyama went out of his way to give me words of comfort and assurance..."
Tokoyami's hands clenched into fists. "For me to stand idly by while he is in the heart of the enemy, alone and afraid, would be a disservice to everything that Kageyama has done for me."
Listening to their classmate's heartfelt words, Midoriya, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu couldn't help but smile. They all knew exactly what Tokoyami was talking about, for Kageyama had always gone out of his way for them just as he'd done for Tokoyami. It was his kindness and generosity which had served to encourage them and give them strength, and it was precisely why they all needed to return that kindness by helping him now.
"Right. I totally get you, Tokoyami," Deku said, "So let's go save him." The avian student reciprocated Izuku's smile with his own. With that, the Kageyama rescue team had officially been completed, and the seven members quickly began their trek to save their classmate from the clutches of evil.
In the warehouse, things remained uneventful. Since Kageyama had passed out cold from exhaustion, each of the members of the League of Villains took turns watching him, while the others stayed on-guard, waiting in case any of their three comrades would come and rendezvous at the warehouse as instructed. In the corner, Kurogiri lied down as he recovered from his injuries, wanting to recover as quickly as possible, for he knew the authorities would be relentlessly searching for Kageyama.
While Mob had fallen asleep, Toga had been tempted to drain some blood from the unconscious teenager, though she had been stopped by Compress.
"Stealing his blood while he's asleep is hardly a respectable thing to do," Compress said, "We want the lad to join our cause and show him that he can trust us. Besides, he broke up a fight between you and Dabi when he could've let you squabble and injure yourselves. So show the young boy some manners."
This speech and having remembered Mob's previous act of kindness was enough to keep Toga's blades away from the esper, while the rest of the villains continued to wait for them to leave.
It was 5:30 in the afternoon. The sun had begun to set, and many of the villains there were growing impatient at the extended time it was taking for them to wait. Since they'd been forced to stay so long, many of them were eating some bento boxes they'd brought in case of an emergency. As they ate their late-afternoon lunch, the villains were baffled at the esper continuing to lie asleep on the floor.
"It's been more than 16 hours, and Kageyama still hasn't woken up?" Magne remarked, "It looks as though his battle with the Nomu must've really worn him out."
"No kidding," Twice replied, "The guy's taken a real doozy. How much longer is he gonna stay dozed off? Just wake him up already! Nah, let him have his beauty sleep!"
Twice's shouting managed to stir the esper awake from his prolonged rest. Mob's eyes fluttered open, and he saw the villains all lounging around the warehouse, each of them with a plate of food in their hand. Where was he? Mob's memories were a bit jumbled, but the vents of the night before came back to him. The camp had been attacked by the League of Villains, and Mob had given himself up in order to protect his classmates and stop the League of Villain's attacks once and for all.
"How long have I been asleep?" Mob asked.
"You've been out for quite a bit, little man." The villain with the black and gray bodysuit bodysuit was the first to reply. "It's about 5:30 right now. We've been waiting for you to wake up and for our main man, Kurogiri, to heal himself so he can take us all back to the base."
Upon seeing that the esper had awoken, Toga immediately jumped with joy and tried to approach him, but was stopped by Twice. "Cool it, Toga! The guy's just woken up, and he prolly doesn't need any crazy attention. Let the calm, normal guy talk to him."
"Normal? That's rich," mocked Dabi. But Twice hadn't heard him, and walked up to the psychic teenager with a bento box and some utensils.
"Here's a plate of food for ya. We used Dabi as our personal microwave, so it's nice and hot. Nah, it's way too cold!" Twice set the bento box in front of the teenager, but realized it'd be hard for him to eat with his hands tied up. However, this was hardly an issue for an esper like Mob. Using his telekinesis, Shigeo opened the box and proceeded to eat the teriyaki chicken inside while using his psychic power as imaginary utensils.
"Damn, what a cool way to eat!" Instead of returning to his comrades, Twice decided to accompany the young teenager and eat his food alongside the esper.
"You enjoy the teriyaki chicken?" Twice said. Mob nodded in agreement. "Nice. Can't come with us on an empty stomach, after all. You'll get nothing and like it!" Shigeo was perplexed: like Toga, this man was acting in a bizarre way he'd never encountered before. It was like he was constantly contradicting himself, like there were two people inside of him fighting for control. What had happened to make him so unstable and unsure of himself?
Twice was also pondering everything he'd seen from the esper thus far. Like the other villains, he'd been shocked at how cooperative he was being, and he'd even gone so far as to break up a fight between Dabi and Toga. He couldn't see what compelled him to treat people like them with such respect. And yet, he couldn't help but respect the lengths he had been willing to go to protect his comrades. To see that someone could walk up to villains like them while shaking in their boots, and still have the courage to give himself up, even someone like Twice found such resolve admirable.
"Sorry if you got roughed up during the camp," Twice said, "The Nomu must've been one tough customer for you. At least he didn't bang you up too bad. That Nomu should've at least been given enough of a brain to bring you with us without totally wrecking your body."
"Oh... Thank you." This was the only reply Mob could think of, for he was still confused on what the villain was trying to do here. The villain could see Mob's confusion and decided to break the ice, get Kageyama to calm down and lower his guard so he could see that sticking with the League wasn't so bad.
"You know, I heard what you said before you gave yourself up, and you shouldn't be so scared. We're not gonna do anything crazy to you. We just wanted to show you how great it'd be being a part of our team. I'm sure a nice guy like yourself wouldn't be so opposed.
"Even if some of the guys here, ahem Dabi, gave you the wrong impression, we're not all jerks like him."
Mob saw the way this man was attempting to ease his mind and give him supportive words. Even though he was a villain, he didn't give off the aura of a truly malevolent man. It was something similar to what he'd encountered back home.
"You know, you kind of remind me of a friend I had back home."
"Really? And was this friend of yours a handsome devil like me?"
"His name was Serizawa. He had a rough life which led him to join some bad people, but he was never really one of those bad people at heart. You kind of remind me of him, which is why... I don't think you really want to hurt anyone either."
Twice's mind and body proceeded to react completely out of sync, his body shooting up and performing erratic movements while his mind was processing what Mob had just said. "What's with you, man? You think your crazy tricks can work on me? Thanks, man! Appreciate the compliment!" Twice frantically shook his head, determined to return to his senses.
"Don't think you can go messing with my head, dude!" With a defiant edge in his step, Twice returned to seat himself next to the other villains, who were all quizzically looking at their comrade and wondering what could've happened to rile him up so badly. What the hell was Kageyama doing to them?
Mob could see the responses he was eliciting from the villains. Right now didn't appear to be the time to talk to any of them. He had to wait until he had them all gathered together, so he could get to know all of them and talk to them all at once. That was the only way his plan could possibly work. Likewise, none of the villains decided to approach the esper after seeing Twice blow up, feeling it was best to keep their distance until they got to Tomura. Since he was the one who wanted to kidnap Kageyama, he'd probably have a better idea of what to do or what to say to him.
About two more hours of silence had passed. The sun had already set, and the darkness of the previous night had returned. The air continued to be filled with an unspoken tension, and Mob felt uncomfortable being stared down by the villains in silence. How much longer until they made it to the hideout.
"It's done." As a flooding relief to everyone in the warehouse, Kurogiri had finally stood up. "My injuries have now fully recovered."
"About time." Dabi turned on the communication system to deliver the message to Tomura. "Kurogiri's finally back to full-strength. We're heading to the hideout now."
The warp villain opened three portals for the villains to go through. Dabi motioned for the esper to enter first. Mob took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever was about to come on the other side. He had to be calm and ready to talk. This was what he'd come here for, and he couldn't blow it now.
Determination coursing through his veins, the teenager made his way through the portal and to the other side. Entering the new location, Mob was greeted with the sight of a bar, and sitting alone at this bar was Tomura Shigaraki, his face and shoulders covered with the disembodied hands he'd seen at the Sports Festival.
"Shigeo Kageyama! I'm so glad you're here! How about the two of us have a nice, long talk, huh?"
Now things are beginning to heat up! Mob finally meets face-to-face with Tomura Shigaraki and the rest of the League of Villains. How're things going to play out? How will All For One react to Kageyama's presence and words? What's gonna happen to the Kageyama Retrieval Squad? You'll have to read Chapter 38 to find out! Until next time!
On another note, I see that alot of people are comparing Mob to Jesus and saying he's like a messiah, and it's even listed on the TV Tropes page. That was never my intention, and I never really wanted to paint Mob as a messiah or godly being of any kind. The whole point of Mob Psycho is to show that Mob is just a regular person with the same human weaknesses as everyone else. He could be corrupted by many events or outside forces: his time in Mogami's world showed that. He's only who he is because people helped him. He developed his pacifistic philosophy because of Reigen: he strengthened his spirit because of the Body Improvement Club, and he was stopped from murdering his bullies and becoming a villain because of Dimple. And you saw the way he reacted when he saw his family burned alive: would a messiah unleash such burning anger which would've leveled the entire city and kill everyone in it? Even Mob has limits and things he probably wouldn't forgive, and not everyone can be changed by him. For instance, there's no way that Mob could've gotten through to Muscular or used Talk-No-Jutsu on him. So I'd like for everyone to stop making that comparison, cuz I feel it simplifies things. Personally, I believe that there are a few people in this world who could potentially be as kind and forgiving as Mob: they just haven't had the chance to show it, or we just ignore them.
Here's a link for the 100 Percent Hero Discord server if anyone wants to join: /X4mExAyY9n
