Chapter set in Teiko's point of view.
I dreamed of the mission. Our first goal was to try to track down the missing women. As far as we knew, Shadowsnail couldn't manifest as a human. He operated in the ghettos, down where even security cameras didn't want to know what was happening in their maze of streets. We had our costumes, street clothes, and a special outfit designed somewhere between the two. In all of my outfits I had pebbles for ammunition. With my terrakinesis, I could use them as bullets without wasting the area around me. If I pulled some from a wet pack and applied a bit of fire, they were excellent miniature explosives.
I thought when I was a kid. Back when I could only control the earth with my feet and fire with my hands. My beloved parents fed me plenty of motivation to change. They put soaked mittens over my fingers and set my favorite toys on fire. Then they stuck me barefoot in the pit and told me to save whatever mattered to me.
They left me like that until they were satisfied with my progress. All of my stuffed animals had incinerated at once. I was so mad, but there was nothing I could do against them. I took all my anger out on Enji. Father told me he was a weakling. I had to make him tough. I went about it the only way I knew how, as per the example set by me. I set a spark in his room and told him to help himself.
We weren't allowed to eat until we proved ourselves, so I learned how to steal. I loved my brother and made sure he was fed. We spent more time fighting them than we did each other. With the common threat of their training looming over us, we occasionally banded together. We promised one another that if we ever had kids of our own, we would never make them fight. By the time we were teenagers, our habits were too slow to change. We accepted that we had too poor of communication skills to 'talk' any other way. So we continued to fight when words weren't enough.
The team consisted of a remarkably young intern called Eraserhead. It was the worst name I'd ever heard. Thankfully for all of us, his quirk was far more impressive. We spent the first week and a half gathering intel. We tracked where Shadowsnail went, warned off women from an accidental approach, and let men pass him. He didn't glance their way, not even when one accidentally walked through him.
"Maybe he has mommy issues," I suggested once we reached the hotel. I was ranked as an apprentice, Eraserhead as the first year high school student that thought he wanted to go to the underground, and the other two were the pros. I didn't mind the fact that I was the only girl, as it would keep Shadowsnail's attention in one place. The more obvious something is, the more easily it could be trapped.
"Who doesn't?" Eraserhead remarked on his short trek to his bed. I'd thought of him as lazy an unmotivated, but guessed his quirk took more from him than the rest of us. We had rented two rooms. This one was slightly more spacious, so it was our meeting hall.
Navy was our leader. He looked entirely average, like any Joe you'd pass on the street. His quirk was a water-shot as strong as a firehose or as weak as a trickle. Grim thought Navy could be a good mentor to me with his elemental abilities. Navy was also the reason I didn't want to wear my outfit. Since the underground heroes weren't in the spotlight as much, discipline was quite lax. He was lecherous, but a decent enough fellow to keep himself in check most of the time.
Our second in command was Rapport. His quirk was sympathy. Where Grim could read and put dark thoughts in others, Rapport could feel everything as those near him did. Their dead, fear, hopes, dreams, and even discomfort. He was a surprisingly heartless being, but I got it. After all day, every day, of feeling things that didn't belong to you, it was easier to be numb. I felt the most uncomfortable around him, as he could see right through me. He knew that I joked to keep everyone at arm's length, but said nothing. I'd learned that nobody liked a bully, but almost everyone could appreciate a good joke.
"Tomorrow we'll hit." Rapport sketched a map of the route on a sketchpad and pulled out colors.
"I want to be blue!" Navy declared. He grinned at me like I was supposed to be impressed. I'd kept myself stoic and detached, but he refused to take the hint.
"Fine," Rapport relented, switching from his black pencil to the color requested. He tapped the page. "Navy will be here. Sandspark goes there," he gestured to the alley directly across from Navy. We were to trap him with our elements. "Eraserhead will be here." Rapport tapped at a corner, which was supposed to represent the top of a building. "He'll do his thing," Eraserhead gave us a thumbs up to show he understood, only to drop his arm quickly back into his sleeping bag, "and we'll have Eraserhead out of Shadowsnail's vision if he sees you, Sandspark."
I nodded once. I felt content, so Rapport didn't question me. Rapport cleaned up and went to his single bed, just as tired as Eraserhead from our long day of nothing but sitting and staring. We all wanted to get the mission completed and get back home.
Navy and I were in the room next door. I'm sure Rapport could feel by hidden dread, but it was time to retire. I learned that just because someone was a hero didn't mean that they were decent human beings. I should have guessed as much from my family, but I'd hoped I was wrong. "Ladies first," the black haired fellow said to me, gesturing for me to enter. I fought against the shudder that crept along my back and opted for silence. I needed something to do, someone to call so I wouldn't have to talk to this creep.
Navy stepped in after me. I could practically feel his lust burning in the air. The simplest solution would have been castration, or beating him to a pulp, but he was one of Grim's favorites. I pulled out my newly acquired phone and dialed the only number I knew. I shoved the speaker against my face. It rang twice before he answered.
"Hello?" Endeavor's voice came through, loud and clear.
"Enji, it's Teiko." I moved to the bathroom for some privacy. I closed and locked the door. I wasn't terrified at what Navy wanted to do, but at what I wanted to do to him. The handle jiggled experimentally.
"You have to come out sometime," Navy's voice purred on the other side. "Quit playing coy."
"Where have you been?" Enji asked at the same time. I focused on that. Fire sizzled in my free hand.
"I decided to become an underground hero," I informed him.
Endeavor snorted. "Did All Might not want to share his spotlight with you?"
"I figured I'd save us both the trouble of me stealing your spotlight, little brother." I could feel him fume on the other end. I quickly continued. "I'm on a mission and don't know when I'll get back to the city, so can you please sell everything for me? However much we get, we'll split it. I don't care what the will says, Mom and Dad have two kids. You're entitled to it."
"I am," he agreed with a sharp snort. I knew I had him hooked. "Fine. I'll do it."
I could tell he was ready to hang up. "Hey, Enji," I said quickly. He put the phone back to his face.
"Yes?"
"You're a better brother than I deserve."
"I know." Then he hung up. My moderate affection had been more than both of us could tolerate.
Speaking with my brother gave me strength. I released the lock and let Navy come in. "Are we to be taking a shower together, little Sparky? I love a girl that's wet."
I kneed him squarely between the legs. If he was insisting he use it, I could always put his manhood out of commission. "I have a light BDSM fetish. I hope that's not a deal breaker," I whispered in his ear. My anger and distain poured freely into every syllable. He dropped to the ground, his mouth open in a silent wheeze. "If that's not hint enough, I enjoy seeing the effects of fire on a dick. Come onto me again and we can experiment." I walked back to my bed, unsatisfied. I wanted nothing more than to do worse – to ruin him so completely that he'd never be physically able to take a woman again. I settled for the hard truth that doing so would make me a villain, and curled up to sleep.
We slept all day, ate some tasteless instant ramen, and went to our spots. Shadowsnail arrived just on time. He floated down the designated alley at the same painfully slow pace. We determined he must have terrible eye sight, for he didn't see me until he was ten feet from me. An excited hiss built in his throat. All at once, he moved like a blur. We had severely underestimated his speed. Eraserhead activated his quirk and our target slowed, but not by much.
I released my fire the same moment as Navy shot his water. The two collided in a boiling hot, steaming mess. Shadowsnail couldn't escape. His black flesh blistered and an unearthly shriek filled the hidden maze of stone. Unfortunately, the young intern blinked because of the steam. Shadowsnail put one hand around my throat, made us both incorporeal, and the world vanished. Something hit my head and I faded.
When I came to, I was uncomfortable. I was in a tub filled with water, my head held up by a strap that pulled at my neck. Every breath was a chore. My hands were tied behind my back and feet held down with a ball and chain that joined my ankles together. I was just grateful to still have my clothes.
"My my. Aren't you a looker!" A voice cooed from above. My eyes darted to find the source of the noise. A forty year old man sat in a chair. He had a thick, sturdy build and more hair than four people combined. When I looked at him, I couldn't help but think of bear. "If you can guess what my quirk is, I'll let you go. I've made this offer to all the others, but none of them had gotten it right."
I defaulted to a joke. "It can't be predictability, that's for sure." I thought this was the shadow that had taken me.
"Wrong!" He declared. "I told my servant to go on his route and bring me women. Do I look like my own servant to you?"
"I humbly apologize," I snorted dryly. He laughed in the background.
"What spirit," he sounded as if he admired me. "You're a fire user in water and still have such arrogance! Your hair...your eyes… Could you be related to Endeavor?" My brother had certainly begun to make a name for himself.
"But sir, I still haven't guessed your quirk." There was no point in losing my cool. I assumed not to expect backup. After I'd kneed him in the balls, I didn't imagine Navy was too inclined to search for me in case of kidnapping. As the group's leader, his word was law.
"Oh fine. It has everything to do with women. That's your last hint."
I put in some genuine effort, but couldn't focus with the damn strap half choking me. I dug my hands into the tub's base and scooted myself upwards to get some slack. "Uh… boob appreciation?"
This time, he laughed until he ran out of air. Tears streamed down his face and he clapped like a maniac. I had a feeling that I was looking at a man who had snapped.
"I have that in droves, but that isn't my quirk." I didn't think he was going to introduce himself, so I decided to call him Bear. "Please tell me if you're related to Endeavor, Beautiful. I need to know so I can get you home."
His words were a sharp contrast to my current state of bondage. "Buy me dinner first. A lady doesn't talk about herself without proper incentive."
He lost his jovial nature at once. He pulled a knife from his belt and pointed it at my throat. "Yes or no?!" Bear shrieked.
"No," I lied smoothly, inwardly terrified. Whatever was happening, there was no need to bring Enji in.
"There," Bear sighed, sliding his blade back into its sheath. "Since you failed, I'll be putting you to the test. I'm looking for a woman who can bear my children. For the longest time, I didn't know if I had a quirk. It was on a particularly lonely and experimental night that I discovered one of the most useless quirks in history. Explosive semen! With your fire capabilities, you just might be the one."
"I'm gay."
He chuckled. "Not tonight, you're not. Don't worry. Sometimes it detonates within minutes, sometimes it takes hours. Maybe your heat will provide a suitable stabilizer."
I felt like I knew why he left my clothes on. Bear was theatric. He wanted to captivate his audience and keep their attention on him. I saw him as a deprived maniac. Once I hadn't classified him as human, I had too little trouble in planning my next moves.
"Then let's give it a try. I can be a bit more enthusiastic if you take these –"
He slapped me before I could finish. "You are a liar!" He sobbed. I found his mood swings more tedious than frightening. He had a knife and explode-a-sperm. Neither were effective as long as I avoided penetration. Before he could draw his hand back, I blew fire from my mouth. The sling on my chin was incinerated. One obstacle down.
His skin blistered and smoked. I heard his terror. I liked his terror. I shuddered. He may be the villain in the room, but I was the monster. Maybe I was as fucked up as my other underground heroes. I stood and wriggled my hands. Only rope held them together. I set them aflame easily enough. "Give me the key, please."
I was amazed when he did. "Don't hurt me again," he wailed, holding the simple iron shape before me. Had he robbed some medieval shop? This guy didn't belong in a prison. He needed a mental institution.
"I won't if you don't. Call your servant and let's get going." He surprised me again by listening and doing just that. I tried not to think that the blubbering bear beside me was responsible for every disappearance and death. The shadow seemed confused at seeing me. "We're just going to go for a walk," I explained to Shadowsnail. I took the key from Bear and drew my bound ankles from the chain. "Can you please take us back to where you got me?" I glanced at Bear. "How long have you had me?"
"A day," he answered, holding firmly to his obedience.
"How many hours?"
"Eight…?" He guessed.
My team would probably be asleep, but the motel wasn't too far of a walk. Both these men were simpletons who probably couldn't comprehend the gravity of the crimes they committed. For some reason, that made me feel even sicker. "Let's get going."
Shadowsnail looked at Bear, affirming one last time that they were going to listen. Bear nodded, and our world turned black. This time, I wasn't struck. I retained consciousness as we slipped back into reality. My stomach clenched and head whirred. I took a single step forward, my balance as disoriented as the rest of me. I put a hand to my head to try to stop the throbbing ache behind my temple. "Right," I muttered. I gestured to the left. "This way."
Our trip home went perfectly. They followed along like pups. Both seemed beside themselves that I told them I had no intention of taking them to jail. They thanked me and blessed the ground I walked on. We went straight to Eraserhead and Rapport's door. I knocked. "Get it," Rapport sleepily called from beyond. I heard Eraserhead groan and drop to the ground. Judging by the scuffle, he was still in his sleeping bag. I chuckled quietly when the well cocooned fellow pushed on the creaky hinges. He stared at me with bloodshot eyes.
"Could you two take care of these fine gentlemen?" I made sure to radiate a sense of urgency and pain to Rapport. The leader caught my drift and nearly flew out of bed. "You're alive?!" I wondered why they weren't out looking for me, but knew I may not want to hear the answer. They had thought me to be dead. There was no trail they could have followed. "Guilty as charged," I declared, emphasizing my exhaustion again.
"Right, we've got this. Go sleep."
I told Bear and Shadowsnail to follow instructions and headed to my room.
Navy jerked upright and stared at the entry. I made my way in and dropped down to my bed. "You're wet," he dumbly declared.
"Yep." I prayed he would leave it alone. I was naïve.
Navy rolled from his bed and came to mine. I'm guessing that the shadows that teleported us had some sort of melatonin in them, for I was fading fast. Navy grabbed my right hand and held it delicately in his grip. "I've been thinking about you," he said sweetly. I felt genuine terror as he looked at me. I began to summon fire to my call. He pinned my elbow against my ribcage and jerked. I felt and heard the snap of my bone. I wanted to scream. My body burned to express its pain, but I was frozen. Tears fell from the corners of my eyes.
"The shadow broke your arm in the fight. If you say anything different, I'll kill you."
There was a villain in the ring of heroes. I faded into an abyss of blackness.
Apparently, Rapport and Eraserhead came in just the nick of time. We reported Navy to Grim as soon as we got back. While Grim didn't believe me, he did believe Eraserhead and Rapport's witness reports. Bear and Shadowsnail were successfully taken into custody. Navy was sentenced to three months of supervision.