Chapter 18- All I Need Is Just a Pen

Katsuki did not know how to feel about the new guy that suddenly showed up after the Final Exams. Soar or whatever his name was. He nicknamed him Spiky, for obvious reasons. He could never remember specific, word for word stuff, like names. He had to put serious effort to remembering it if he did not put it into his own words.

One thing that was obvious though: people kept on forgetting about him. Strange, for such a bright personality and bubbily attitude to life, similar to Pinky. But for some reason, he kind of… slipped out of people's minds. Katsuki did not like it. Did not like things he could not explain.

He could not explain why Spiky was kidnapped, after all.

He was weak, almost as weak as Deku. Deku at least had some smarts, but they both shared that stupid mentality of doing impossible things. At least, that is the feeling Katsuki got.

Yet things did not add up with him. Stuff like where he came from, of the teacher's attitude of him.

Why was Katsuki thinking so much about that stupid extra again?

Oh right. Spiky woke up. And he was trying to distract himself from Hand Guy's rants.

(And the fear because wow, that guy did not give a fuck)

Katsuki tuned back in to the scene in front of him. Where Seeker was looming over Spiky with that frightening aura.

"Urgh… where am I?" Spiky grumbled as he shook his head.

"Just our base. Away from all your friends." Seeker said calmly and coldly.

Spiky jumped up with wide eyes, properly taking in the view around him. His hand shot out to the side as he completed a quick scan of the room. His eyes rested on Katsuki and strangely, he relaxed, pretending nothing had happened.

What?

"Oh yeah, we did bring one of those freaks here too. I know how you love company Sora, after all."

"You don't have to do this! Come on, we've had this discussion. Just because you are with the darkness doesn't mean you have to be with the bad guys!" Spiky vainly tried to reason.

"Shut up." Katsuki was mildly in awe at this villain but also mildly terrified. And that was saying something.

But Spiky was not even flinching. "You know I'm right. I'm… just trying to help you. We don't have to be friends or any-"

"Ooh. Can we be friends?! You're soooo cute!" Toga interrupted whatever was going on between the two.

"U-um, maybe?"

The helmeted villain huffed and slunk to a booth, still nearby to Spiky though. Katsuki was the only one that noticed the clasped fist and the badly contained anger that exuded off his body language. He was familiar with the feeling.

"Crazy, really? You interrupted Seeker." Staples tutted from the bar. Seeker… that's a name I can remember.

"Sorry, sorry! But I just couldn't hold it in anymore!"

"I wonder, how long would it take for our plans to be ruined by one of our own again?" Lizard guy mused.

"I bet 50 yen on it taking until this evening." Lips brought out some money.

"You're totally right! No, no, no, it wouldn't be until tomorrow." Opposite joined in.

Mist Guy tried. "Now now children, betting is wrong. Especially in front of guests."

"Lemme in on that, I want money. 100 yen for two hours time." Hand Guy rasped, turning his back to the two students.

Katsuki and Spiky watched with bewildered expressions as the room devolved into chaos. Each wanted to participate in the bet, each certain that they were right. Staples and Crazy both wanted to place the same bet at the same time, and instead of being courteous and sharing- or even played a round of rock paper scissors- started to brawl, with the tell-tale sign of smoke filling the air. Obviously. They were young responsible adults. When that chaos was unleashed, Mist Guy gave up on trying to deescalate the situation and just started to warp expensive bottles away to who knows where. Soon, Hand Guy joined in, as well as Opposite, somehow. Who knew at that point why people were fighting.

As Staples was thrown onto the table with the betting money, Lizard quickly lifted the majority of the money up. Lips flinched as Staples dealt a nasty blow to Crazy's lip, a bruise already peeking through. Staples easily tripped Crazy up then and twisted so he could stand and be at the advantage. However, Hand Guy and Opposite had stopped their own spar momentarily and ganged up on Staples.

Someone shouted amidst the chaos, "THIS IS WORSE THAN WHEN SHIGGY LEFT FOR THE MALL!" Whatever that meant.

Katsuki lived for the chaos, and would have greatly enjoyed getting into that mess. However, he was currently kidnapped. Spiky silently sneaked over to Katsuki and tried to pry the hand restraints with his own bare hands. He clawed at it for purchase while Katsuki tried to wiggle his hands about to loosen the restraints. But it was no use- it was locked shut. Only someone with a strength enhancer quirk could hope to-

The two froze in place as Seeker casually walked over to the two of them. Spiky narrowed his eyes and moved in front of Katsuki as if to protect him. As if he needed some weak ass anime boy to save him.

Seeker shoved Spiky out of the way, enough to hurt considerably but not enough for Spiky to fall over and make a racket. Seeker strode over and leaned over to start running his hands over Katsuki's restraints. Katsuki huffed, face sour, but he still reluctantly moved his arms. Seeker must have made purchase on an edge of the restraints, and he started to breathe slightly heavier as the metal began to creak.

He has a strength enhancing quirk then… no matter! I still would kill him no problem!

"Hey, lemme help." Sora bounced back, speaking in a low tone.

"I'm- urgh- just fine." Seeker responded, gritting his teeth.

Spiky did not take no for an answer, apparently. Stupid. He joined in with the efforts, and surprisingly, the runt made the difference. The restraints popped open, with the extras panting heavily.

"I hate this." Both simultaneously said, making Spiky blink in surprise and Seeker growl angrily.

Katsuki rubbed his wrists slightly to get circulation back into them while keeping watch at the frankly extreme tantrum going on. It had escalated further, somehow, and bunny ears had appeared? Well, whatever, the idiots were busy for a while. He glanced at the room, trying to figure out how he and Spiky could escape; the windows were too high up to jump out of feasibly, and the door was out of bounds because of the fight being too close. Meaning in the time being, he could get answers.

"Not that I'm thankful or any of that nonsense, but why did you extra help me?" Katsuki for once made sure he did not yell too loud.

"Honestly? Don't care aboutcha, kid. But even a hero brat like you deserves to move every once in a while." Seeker gave the vibe he rolled his eyes at that.

Spiky's eyes lit up with hope. "Does that mean-"

"Don't start. You're coming with me, since obviously business can't continue here. Katsuki. Stay. Here. Or else I will start caring about you."

"Don't you dare say my first name villain!"

Seeker casually ignored him and created a portal, similar to Mist Guy's quirk. Katsuki stored his confusion away to deal for another restless night and launched himself after the villain. After all, he was a way to escape.

(It was not because Katsuki found him cool. No.)

Spiky was dragged easily through the portal, a little too easily, perhaps. Malnutrition? But just as Katsuki was about to enter the dark swirling mass, Spiky looked at him with eyes full of expression. Begging him not to follow.

It made him hesitate for one second. In front of him stood Deku, with that stupid face full of concern for him, of all people. When he was the weakling, a stepping stone in his path to greatness as the number one hero.

In one blink, Deku morphed back into Sora. And in one second, the portal leaving Katsuki behind with a bunch of kids playing supervillains- and who were feared across all of Japan.

At a hospital several blocks away, all of Class 1A who was capable of being in the same room was. Midoriya sat up in a hospital bed, arms and head bandaged. Around was upset classmates discussing what happened.

"So you're saying that Yaoyorozu could make another signal device for us…?" Iida asked cautiously. "No. We can't, it's just like All Might said. We ought to leave this to the pros! It's not our place to interfere!"

Kirishima yelled back. "You think I don't know that?! I couldn't do anything when I heard about them. I didn't do anything! Couldn't do anything! I can't live with myself if I don't act now! I wouldn't even be a man, never mind a hero!"

"We're in a hospital, man. We're all upset too." Kaminari added.

"Iida's correct, ribbit." Tsu pointed out.

"I know he's right! You all are, but… Hey Midoriya! He's not beyond our reach just yet!" Kirishima reached over to the nervous student.

The room was cloaked in silence until the half hot half cold boy spoke up. "The villains did say we were on their hit list, but then they took Bakugo and Sora alive. Still, we can't be sure they won't kill them, especially since we don't know a lot about Sora. Kirishima and I will go."

"You… you have to be joking! Have you learned nothing!" Iida screamed.

"Hang on. Calm down," Shoji put an arm out to stop Iida from walking any closer. "I get it. Kirishima's pain over not being able to do anything, and Todoroki's regrets over having Bakugo and Sora snatched before his eyes. I regret it all too. Still… this is no time to let our emotions to get the better of us."

"Let's just leave it to All Might. Besides, we're not allowed to fight anymore. We did all we could." Aoyama said without his usual sparkle.

"We're all still in shock over the kidnapping, so we have to think about this calmly. It doesn't matter how righteous our feelings are. If we start another fight- if we break the law- then we're no better than the villains." Tsu looked down in sadness.

Everyone took a minute to absorb that information with faces filled with sorrow and frustration. Luckily, a doctor came in to break the tense atmosphere so then the rest of Class A could leave and check up on the other students who were still injured.

Kirishima lingered for a second longer. "I talked to Yaoyorozu yesterday. If we're going, it has to be tonight. I'm not sure if you can even move in your condition, but you're still welcome to join us. Because I'm betting this is hurting you more than the rest of us. We'll be waiting outside."

Sora sighed in relief when Bakugo did not follow through the Corridor of Darkness. Sora had thankfully been wearing his adventuring jacket and had some protection from the darkness, but Bakugo had none. Does not mean the trip was comfortable, though. Darkness always seemed to crawl into his skin, and make his heart beat slightly faster.

Bakugo staying behind also meant that he would not get hurt. And, if it came down to it, Sora could use his keyblade. He was really hoping that he did not have to resort to fighting though.

Vanitas had taken him to an area filled with tall buildings, similar to the ones that Sora could barely see outside the windows at the bar- office buildings, he thought the people here called them. At least, they were in the area after they had left a dark alleyway. People wandered about, leisurely, as they carried small backpacks or large plastic bags. Although it had seemed to be early morning back in the bar, it was night outside, which was bizarre. Maybe there was an artificial light that shone opposite the bar that confused Sora? He was knocked out for a while after Xigbar did… something. He was pretty sure that he had some sort of fight with him, or- wait, that was wrong, it was…

Sora's brain hurt when he tried to remember what happened with Xigbar. He vaguely realised he had stopped walking when his hand went up to his skull.

Computer. Screens. Cloak.

Water… no, more slimy. Solid sides. Box? Has window looking out. Dark.

"Beserker?"

Trapped. Need to get out. Can't move.

"What's happening to you?!"

Need to get out. NEED TO GET OUT!

"…Sora?"

DARKNESS AWAITS THIS WORLD.

THIS IS THE FATE THAT CAN NOT BE ESCAPED. FOR IT IS DESTINY.

WITH LIGHT, SHADOW MUST BEGET. THIS IS THE WAY.

THERE IS AN IMBALANCE, AND THIS WORLD IS THE FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM.

DO NOT FIGHT CHANGE. OR CHANGE WILL FIGHT YOU.

SLEEP WELL CHILD, AND SLEEP LONG. PEACE WILL AWAIT YOU SHORTLY.

She was getting tired. She had been surveying them for a while now, and nothing interesting had been happening. The League of Villains had done nothing of particular interest since they had started to mess about like the kids she used to train years ago.

But the Master had chosen her for this role, and stressed the importance of relaying back information. So she would not complain.

She hopped the rooftops silently as she moved to the warehouse where all the Nomu creatures were kept. Creepy, disgusting creatures but she could not interfere with them. She could only move positions every hour to keep watch and gather information.

Her eyes glinted when movement caught her eyes down below. In the tight alleyway beside the warehouse stood kids, dressed up in peculiar, bright outfits, shuffling along with serious expressions.

She glanced back at the board showing a press conference starting to finish up, the media having the chance to pounce like the vultures they were. She glanced back at the children, who she recognised only by name.

It seemed the night was going to be interesting. Well, at least the Master would be entertained with her report.

Xerayn's Notes 18:

These scenes took a while because I wanted to get them exactly right. They are very important after all.

Also? Vanitas redemption tag is finally coming into play. The first arc is nearly done and I'm practically vibrating in excitement. Have fun speculating what's going to happen :)

Don't know if I have put it here, but I have a tumblr! Name's Xerayn on it. I also have a discord for this fic too. I would love it if you guys chat to me on either site