Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Suggested Listening: Infected by Sickick

Contradiction

Dabi scanned the jewel shard in his palm. Whoever took the girl was likely holding her in some kind of bunker. A place where they could have total control over who would come into contact with her as well as monitor her movements.

It was possible that they'd be keeping her isolated from current events, however there was only one way to find out.

"Let's make this interesting." Dabi's lips curled back in a vicious smirk. Azure flames collected in the palms of his hands. "The heroes want to protect their reputation. If it gets out that the girl was kidnapped then society will begin to panic."

He stepped towards the empty shrine, "We can't have them covering up their mistakes, can we?" Dabi swept his arm in a horizontal motion. The flames burst outward, engulfing the home in a single attack. "Let's see what happens when society starts to break."

He watched as the shrine burned. Azure fire flickered and grew, enveloping everything around it in its destructive heat.

They would leave no road for her other than the one to their doorstep. Whoever had her right now was bound to make a mistake. The heroes were going to panic and the public was going to demand answers.

All in all, they were in a slightly better position than anyone else to get her back.

"Did you find anything else?" He cocked his head over his shoulder; pinning his colleague with a curious glance.

Compress gave a confident laugh, "I do believe so. I took a moment to search some of her personal belongings and found this." The man pushed a small, black leather-bound journal into his hands. It looked old. Probably twenty years or more given the discoloration of the pages.

"The hell is this, a diary?" Dabi flipped it open. The handwriting was small yet sloppy. He could hardly make out the characters written on the pages.

"This belonged to Shinigami. It was the journal he kept while he lived here at the shrine." Compress fiddled with the brim of his hat. "He kept a thorough record of his life here. I do believe that there might be something in there that we can use."

Dabi paused.

Shinigami's journal?

Now that was something they couldn't pass up. The man had focused his attacks on their outer lying connections but it wouldn't be long before he confronted them directly. The man was oddly overprotective for being removed from his daughter's life for so long.

He tucked both the shard and the journal into his pocket.

"Let's go. The heroes will be here any minute." His eyes shifted towards the wall of azure flames. The shrine was already crumbling beneath the heat. Its wooden structure cracked and split, collapsing upon itself with a wretched groan. He watched as the remains burned to ash.

"Won't be long now before everyone starts talking about her." His eyes narrowed at the image of her home's destruction. "All we have to do is wait for the right opportunity. Then she'll be ours for the taking."

Compress shot him a quick glance, "Ours? Or do you mean yours?" The teasing note in his tone was palpable.

"Does it matter? She'll choose the League once this hits the public eye. She won't have any other choice." He turned on the ball of his heel. "All we've gotta do is be there."

Compress followed behind him.

"You're terrifying."

Dabi felt the corner of his lips quirk upwards at that.

Good.

Chisaki glanced at the charts.

It was just as he expected. Crystallize was holding Black Abyss at bay. Whenever she exhausted Crystallize's power, Black Abyss would surface and cause havoc within her body. Just like with Shinigami in his youth, she was completely unable to control it.

He glanced towards Kurono, "Were you able to draw a sample from her?"

His colleague nodded once, "We managed to get a few. It'll take some time to create an antidote but we're already making progress."

Chisaki gave a noise of affirmation at that.

It was a start. A place where he could comfortably move forward from. Now that they knew for certain what they were working with, they could formulate a plan to improve Kagome's overall capabilities. It'd be near impossible to erase Black Abyss from her body without causing damage to her Crystallize quirk as well. So they would focus on creating a stopgap.

"I'll leave the rest to you," He pushed the results back towards the other male. "There's a few other things I need to check into."

"You're talking about Higurashi?" Kurono paused. "Are you certain it's wise to get so close to her? It could cause a few complications."

Kurono was not the sort of man who would question him or his motives. If he were asking now then it was because he truly felt concerned.

That was the double-edged sword of the method he wished to employ. To convince Kagome, he must first convince his own men.

"You needn't worry," Chisaki strolled towards the door. "We need the girl to trust us. There's only a handful of ways that'll happen."

Which was why he couldn't keep himself separated from her for long. He'd have to go back to her and finish what was started. It wouldn't take long for the girl to break. He'd just have to push her in the right direction.

"Be patient. She'll be choosing us before long. We just have to make her believe that we're her only option."

He pulled the gloves from his hands.

That was right.

He would convince her that he was her only option. That the Shie Hassaikai was where she belonged.

The heroes had abandoned her. Her friends couldn't reach her. The League would never find her. Right now, they were all she had left. To avoid the sorrow of despair and loneliness, she would choose them.

He'd make sure of it.

Stronger!

He had to get stronger!

Bakugou growled beneath his breath. He couldn't stop here. He had to keep fighting!

The teen lifted his palms towards the air. With a mighty cry, he blasted a plume of fire outwards. Scarlet lit up the sky.

More.

He needed more power.

Closing his eyes, the teen sucked a breath through his nose.

There was only way he'd be able to get Kagome back. He would have to make himself stronger than any enemy who'd gotten their hands on her.

That thought caused a sickening feeling to coil through his system.

The risks were so damn high. If the League of Villains hadn't gotten her then who did? Who would've had the power and strength to snatch her right out from her own home without a battle? Who would she have trusted enough to let near her?

She might've been naïve but Kagome wasn't a complete idiot. Once they would've tried to kidnap her, she would've fought with everything she had. She wouldn't have just given up.

"Keep fighting, damn it!" He blasted off another explosion—that time it caused his body to be pushed back by the force. He dug his feet into the ground, holding against the power that expelled from his hands.

The answer was clear.

If he couldn't find her on his own then he'd do the next best thing.

He'd break himself.

Over and over again, he'd push his body beyond its limit. He'd tear apart the very fabric of his being until it couldn't be broken anymore. Then no matter who he'd faced, he'd be able to bring her back to him.

"One more time!"

The muscles in his arms cramped painfully. His palms burned as he fought to keep control. He wouldn't stop. He'd keep going.

Knowing that idiot, Midoriya, he was probably already searching possible suspects. If anyone could find the bastards responsible than it'd be him. As much as he hated to admit it, Bakugou knew that Midoriya was intelligent. His analytical skills were going to be what they needed right now. While he searched for their culprit, Bakugou focused his attention on his own physical strength.

Knowing who'd taken Kagome and actually being able to save her were two separate things. He'd have to improve himself so that he would be the undisputed champion. He would have to surpass even those who'd thought to steal their friend.

So he would keep pushing himself.

He'd keep fighting.

He'd keep breaking.

He'd keep moving forward, until there was nothing left but raw power. He'd keep going until she was safe.

"One more!" Sweat gathered in his hands.

He was done failing her.

When next they saw each other, he would save her.

There was no other option left.

Tsukauchi scratched at the back of his neck.

There was something seriously wrong with this picture. The girl wasn't the sort of person who'd willingly join up with a villain group. Despite all the negative media attention she'd been receiving, reports from her teachers and her classmates had stated that she'd had a very gentle disposition. She hadn't wanted to hurt anyone.

So what'd happened between the attack on the summer camp and the second kidnapping? What'd changed in that time? Had someone just seen her ability from the televised battle between her and the League of Villains and decided that she would be worth the trouble of kidnapping? Or had this simply been a crime of opportunity? His gut twisted at the thought. No, that wasn't right. This had to have been planned.

"There has to be something." He spoke out loud.

This wouldn't be the typical trafficking case. Kagome had been targeted specifically. Most likely the kidnapper was after the use of her quirk. Plus with Shinigami making waves again, any villain would want her on their side to hold a bargaining chip over his head.

"Sir!" The door to his office flung open. "There are reports of the Higure Shrine being set on fire." His subordinate continued, "That's not all. Witnesses stated that they saw a man with a patchwork face leaving the vicinity."

Tsukauchi jumped to his feet, "The League?" A cold feeling settled over him. If they were getting involved then that could only mean one thing.

"They must know that she's missing." Which meant that they would be furious. This was going to turn into a three way battle if the League discovered the identity of her kidnapper first. They weren't just going to give up on her.

The detective threw on his coat. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the picture of the young woman.

There was no way she'd left of her own free will. As a police officer it was his job to make sure she was returned to U.A.'s custody safely.

"Let's go to the shrine. It sounds like the League is issuing their own warning. If we're lucky we can catch a lead on their movements." He tucked his badge and gun into their proper places. "We follow the League and we'll find Kagome."

It was the best he had at the moment.

Where they were limited in resources and intel the League would be able to gather much more information. Their goal for now would be to observe them. Then when it seemed like they were going to make a move, they would grab the girl before Shigaraki could get her. That was their only option.

His eyes hardened.

"Just hang in there a little longer, kid."

Black Abyss.

Chisaki's words swirled around her mind over and over again.

"Are you sure that I even possess it?" She glanced down at her palms. "I mean, I know you're not lying but it just doesn't feel real." Kagome curled her fingers inward.

That couldn't be the case, could it?

Her quirk was Crystallize. That was the only power she'd ever possessed in her entire life. It'd been the only thing she'd ever known. The only source of strength she'd relied on. Her mother never suffered from the crippling fevers however she never strained her quirk to the same degree that she had.

"We cross checked all the results. It's evident that Black Abyss resides within your body. At this stage I don't believe that you can access its power." His golden eyes slid towards hers coolly. A faint shiver ran through her body. There was something about his gaze that left her feeling both cold and heated at the same time. Like a thrill of excitement mingling with a tiny bit of dread. He continued, "Crystallize has always operated as a healing quirk until recently when you developed its raw power. It's due to that healing nature that you're able to move at all."

The man pushed the results into her hands.

She could hardly make sense of the numbers in front of her let alone what they actually meant in regards to her body.

"Currently Crystallize has been holding back Black Abyss. It serves as a barrier keeping it from causing damage to your body like what'd happened to your father in his youth." That got her attention.

"You knew about that?" Kagome's voice was far softer than she expected it would be. It was a bit embarrassing however Chisaki merely nodded once—not missing the query for an instant.

"Since his identity was revealed three years ago, it's been noted that Black Abyss used to have debilitating side effects on your father's body. So much so that he required a brace through his youth to be able to survive without harming himself or others." Chisaki sat closer to her. He folded his forearms over his knees, "In your case you inherited both quirks but Crystallize was stronger in regards to its sheer raw power. Due to that you were able to unlock its full potential and grow it into what it is today. However if you exhaust that power source then Black Abyss will resurface."

"Which will cause the fevers." Kagome finished for him.

That explained a lot more than she cared to admit to.

The fevers, the difficulty she'd had developing her quirk and the feeling of illness that would sometimes overwhelm her if she wasn't careful.

Chisaki had suspected that after just seeing her quirk only once?

Her brows furrowed at the thought.

He was going to be a difficult opponent to overcome. He had his eyes on her twenty-four seven. There would be no escaping him without first earning his trust.

Kagome leaned over. She wrapped her palms around his briefly. A small smile pulled at the corner of her lips as she met his gaze.

"Thank you, Chisaki. Even if it was for your own reason, this has helped a lot." For now she'd do what she could. She wouldn't bank all of her efforts on a single plan. She would have to do something more than simply grabbing Eri and running away. Her smile softened, "I'll do what I can to repay that favor."

Chisaki gripped her hands within his.

One moment she was sitting on the bed but in the next she found herself sprawled across it. A heavy weight settled over her as heated breath warmed the side of her neck.

Her face flushed the moment one of his knees began to push between her own.

Kagome leaned back.

A coil of nervousness made its way through her body. She had no idea what to do! Should she let him continue? It'd definitely amp up his trust in her but did she want him to?

Her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists beneath his grip.

What should she do?

His mouth slanted over her neck. Kagome froze as her body heated all over again. It was so strange just how strongly everything felt to her at the moment. His hands, his body, his mouth. It were as if everything he touched became engulfed in a raging heat—one that she didn't quite understand.

She turned her head to the side instinctively.

His teeth scraped against her flesh sharply. It didn't hurt but it caused her to clench her fists even tighter.

Kagome curled her legs up, bracing her thighs on either side of his hips.

Chisaki drew back.

Golden eyes pierced through her. He was holding himself back. Even now she could see the flash of desire in his gaze. Yet he drew away from her.

"We'll continue this later," Chisaki's voice dropped with the intent of a promise. "For now I have to take care of a few things."

"You'll be back tonight?" Kagome couldn't stop herself from asking even if she wanted to.

An unmistakeable glint of confidence flickered across his features for just a moment.

"I'll be back before you know it." She spied the faint uptick of his lips. "Just don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone."

Had he just teased her?

She sat up, "I make no guarantees!" After all, trouble seemed to follow her wherever she went. The young woman quickly ceased her train of thought before it could spiral.

Kagome lifted her head to meet his eyes directly, "Good luck, Chisaki." She flashed him a brief smile. It was a small gesture, but one she hoped would soften him.

The man peered at her with a contemplative expression. She knew what was coming. The only surprising part was how cautious Chisaki was at the moment.

She took to her feet. Crossing the short space that separated then, Kagome lifted her chin to press her lips against his once more.

It only lasted for a second but she could feel him return it just as tentatively.

She drew back, "Do your best."

The bright spark of determination lit behind his eyes. She knew that look well. She'd seen it in Bakugou more times than she could count, but she'd also seen Dabi give her that same expression the night they met. It was a look cast from an iron will—a promise that their goals would not end in failure. It was a look she could put her faith in.

"I will."

Ash.

Everything had turned to ash.

The shrine, their memories and the hope they once shared in their youth.

Tamaki could only stare on in horror as azure flames billowed in thick pillars around the Higurashi estate.

"This can't be happening." He spoke the words before his mind could fully process what he was seeing. There was no way this was even possible. His heart stopped.

Kagome.

Where was she?!

Tamaki rushed forward through the thick crowd swelling at the base of the stairway. People stared on in a mixture of horror and disgust.

Did she do this?

How horrible.

I knew that girl was rotten!

His eyes squeezed shut. They were wrong! Kagome wasn't the sort of person who'd do something like this. The fire was something else. It was a warning of some sort. Those azure flames could've only been made by Dabi, one of the members from the League of Villains.

"It wasn't her!" He yelled out. "She didn't do this!"

But, where was she?

Dabi wouldn't have burned the shrine with her still inside it. The League needed Kagome alive.

Had they taken her and burned the shrine to assert control? Or was she already gone by the time they'd showed up? There were too many questions and not enough answers. He needed something.

The teen paused.

A memory rushed to the forefront of his mind.

"You know, I had a weird feeling recently." Kagome dipped her feet into the river's cool current beside him. Her eyes reflected against the azure monochrome of the water. "I kept wondering how mom used to be able to find me when I was a little kid. So I did a little experiment."

Tamaki lifted his head, "Experiment? That doesn't sound good." He prodded her shoulder with his index finger. "The last time you did that you nearly burned down the well house."

Her face flushed, "That was different! Besides, this doesn't require any fire!" She shoved a closed fist in his direction. "Look!"

Kagome uncurled her fingers. Within the center of her palm was a simple coral-colored shard.

He peered at it curiously, "Your quirk? What does that have to do with how your mom always found you?" He wasn't understanding where she was going with this.

The young woman gave a quick 'tsk' before shaking her finger at him.

"It's because of this quirk that she was able to find me! Look!" She opened her other palm. Another shard formed over her skin. As she brought her hands together, the two began to pulse and beat in rhythm—much the way a heart would. "See? They react when they're brought together! So long as I have a shard, she could always find me."

"That's pretty cool," Tamaki waited as she passed them over to him. They felt so warm to the touch. It was hard to believe they were just simply jewel fragments. They almost seemed to have a life of their own.

"It's not just cool, Tamaki. It's amazing! See?" She took to her feet, standing in the middle of the shallow river with a wide grin spreading across her lips. "Now I have a way of finding my friends if I ever get lost again! I can't hold shards very long but soon I'll be able to give you one too."

His lips quirked up into a smile, "You're something else."

That was right.

She would've had the strength and foresight to make a shard now. After the League's attack there was no way she wouldn't have been thinking about it. His feet carried him faster than he could think.

Tamaki shot up the staircase.

He didn't care that he was rushing into an inferno. He didn't care that this was likely what Dabi had wanted in the first place. All that mattered was that he located the shard. Kagome would've left it for him. There was no way she wouldn't have.

He had to find it.

Chisaki scratched at the side of his plague mask.

He'd gotten carried away earlier this evening. Initially he wanted to test Kagome. He'd wanted to pry apart her sense of safety and see how it was that she truly felt. If she were merely attempting to earn his trust through physical measures, then she would've broken down. The reality of just how far their so-called relationship could've gone would've crushed her. She was not the sort of person who could take sex so casually.

His eyes shifted towards his palm.

She touched him without hesitation. She allowed him access to her body without fear. There was nervousness but he could not sense the inevitable terror that he expected from her. She'd been willing to submit to him right then.

He flexed his fingers at the thought.

His plan was working more easily than he thought it would. It wouldn't be much longer now before he'd be able to twist her perspective and persuade her to remain with him of her own volition. Even if her friends did find this place and raid their compound, she would feel connected to him. She wouldn't risk leaving him.

That was what he needed the most right now.

Not just her loyalty but her absolute devotion.

The pieces were starting to fall into place as he'd wanted. There was just one exception to the game.

He turned his attention back to the television.

"The Higure shrine was set ablaze earlier this evening. It is believed that the League of Villains were responsible for this act. However as of yet there has been no information regarding Higurashi and whether or not she was inside the home when it was set on fire." The screen panned over the devastation. Azure flames curled around the estate in a wave of violent fury. Cinders fell from the sky as what was left of the shrine crumbled in upon itself.

Chisaki glowered at the screen, "Looks like we've got quite the fight on our hands."

They were starting to make their move. Burning the shrine was more than just an act of vengeance. Now all of the world would learn of Kagome's kidnapping and that the League wasn't involved in this one. A massive search would be launched to find her. They were quite cunning if he did say so himself.

It was time he enacted a few countermeasures.

Most of the heroes would be running in circles as he'd left little evidence during their meetings. However the League and Shinigami himself were going to be the greatest threats. Those forces alone could tear apart the Shie Hassaikai if he didn't obtain Kagome's aid soon.

His fingers flexed at the thought.

"Looks like it's time we put our plan into motion." He gestured towards his companion behind him. "Kurono, let's get her set up with what we discussed earlier."

His eyes narrowed into thin slits.

Now the real battle would begin.

Mirio made his way inside Nighteye's agency.

He'd heard the news this morning. Both about the Higure shrine's burning and Kagome's disappearance. His eyes slid towards his phone. He hadn't heard anything from Tamaki since early last night. His friend had been close to the girl since their youth so he knew that this couldn't have been easy on him.

A nervous feeling coiled in his stomach.

Something wasn't right.

None of this added up.

He stepped inside the conference room where the others were already waiting for him. However there were more people than he'd expected.

"Endeavor?" His brows rose as he took in the other male's towering form.

"Ah, glad you made it in so quickly Mirio." Nighteye stood from his desk. "We were just about to start the briefing. Endeavor, if you would." He glanced at the other hero.

The male snorted, "Fine. Let's make this quick. I've got work to be doing myself." Azure eyes turned towards him. "Less than forty-eight hours ago Higurashi Kagome was taken captive by a villain. We're uncertain who has her but it's evident that they saw the value in her quirk." He gestured towards the image of the burning shrine upon the wall. "We presume that the League of Villains had returned to her home the night she was abducted with the intent of capturing her a second time. However since she was already gone, they decided to decimate the shrine."

"They probably wanted to send a message." Nighteye interjected into the conversation. "It was likely meant to put us on the defensive and serve as a warning to whoever took her."

The cold feeling grew worse.

"So you're saying that we're dealing with multiple enemies." This couldn't be good. Kagome wouldn't be able to handle so many battles on her own. Not to mention they weren't even sure who had her at this point. There was an unending list of monsters that would see the benefit of stealing her.

"Time is not on our side on this one. We'll be battling public opinion as well as the League in order to find her." His golden gaze slid towards an array of profile images on the wall behind him. "There is one thing. We managed to narrow down the list to a manageable number last night. There are only a few organizations with members powerful enough to pull off a kidnapping of this scale."

The first picture was a man dressed in a green overcoat and a startling plague mask.

"The top suspect is a man named Kai Chisaki. His alias is Overhaul. As far as we know he's had no contact with Higurashi or the League but it's possible that he'd had his eye on her from a distance." Nighteye continued to explain. "He's with a branch of the yakuza that calls themselves the Shie Hassaikai. They've been involved in a number of drug distribution networks however they've never done anything that was explicitly illegal as far as we know. Our agency will spearhead the connections he has and whether or not he was the one who took Higurashi."

Endeavor stepped forward, "And I will check into the rest of the list, right?" There was an edge of impatience in his tone. "The girl is strong but she won't be able to hold out forever. The faster we move, the better." He turned on the ball of his heel. "If you don't have anything else to say then I'll be going."

Mirio waited until Endeavor brushed past him.

His brows furrowed.

Kagome was missing.

The League burned the shrine.

Kai Chisaki.

All of the pieces didn't make any sense to him.

What did they all have to do with one another? Where was she right now? Was she hurt? His heart clenched in his chest at the thought. He wasn't as close to Kagome as Tamaki but they'd spent a bit of time training together. She'd always had a passion for helping others. The true reason Aizawa kept her on wasn't because he was afraid of what she'd become. It was because he wanted to foster her growth in his own way. The real issue was the man had often been too sharp in his words. He'd wanted her to become stronger, in the process he forced her onto a path of questioning.

Mirio clenched his teeth.

He'd just sat back and watched it happen too.

He'd known that she was falling into a pit but hadn't been sure of how to stop it.

Some hero he was.

He couldn't even save one girl.

"Mirio," Nighteye dropped a palm onto his shoulder. "I know that this case is personal but you can't allow that to cloud your judgment." The man's grip tightened. "Remember, what can you do right now to help her? What can you do to bring her home?"

His fists dropped at his side.

"You want me to patrol the area and search for clues, right?" His eyes hardened.

Nighteye nodded once, "Yes. You were close with her. That being said you'll have the best understanding of her movements that day. I want you to start searching from the shrine and look into what she did that day. Trace back her movements and see who she could've come into contact with." His teacher's expression hardened, "If Chisaki is involved in this one then we'll have a fight on our hands to get her back. For now, we'll have to have faith in her ability to hold her own. Then, when the time is right, we'll bring her home."

Mirio nodded once, "Right."

There was no other choice.

Kagome was counting on them.

As a hero and her friend, he couldn't let her down.

"Let's do this!"

Tamaki sank onto his knees.

It wasn't there.

He'd search and searched and searched Amid the brightly burning flames and the acrid stench of smoke, he only found ash.

Dust slipped through his fingers.

The shard was gone.

If Kagome had left him one then it'd likely been taken by someone else. He clutched his fingers into a tight fist. Tears welled in his eyes as his heart began to wrench within his chest.

He was such a failure!

He'd been so caught up in his own training that he hadn't even thought about checking on her. If he'd just called or dropped by then maybe she wouldn't have gone missing. If he'd just done something.

Tamaki dropped his head.

Why did this always happen? She'd always been there for him. She'd always been the one to push him forward and give him encouragement. Once, just once, he'd wanted to return the favor. So he'd worked so hard on getting stronger. He pushed himself beyond his limit and nearly broke his body over and over again. That way he could look her in the eyes and say that they were equals. That he wasn't going to squander the gift she'd given him.

"Sir, are you alright?!" An Officer dripped down onto his knees next to him. "You're covered in burns. Come on, let's get you to a hospital."

Tamaki shook his head, "I'm fine. I don't even feel anything." Tears filled his eyes as he glanced down at the dust within his palms. "The only thing she ever gave me and it's gone. I can't find it."

The officer stopped, "She? You mean Higurashi?"

He nodded once, "A long time ago she said that she'd make a shard that could locate her position. I came here because I thought she would've hidden it." His body shuddered as hell continued to speak. "But it wasn't there. Everything just… turned to ash." He opened his palms, allowing the rest of the cinders to fall away.

"What's your name?" The man slung his arms over his shoulder as he lifted him to his feet.

"Amajiki Tamaki." His vision began to darken. "Kagome was… is my friend…"

He could never forget that, or her for that matter.

His body lurched forward as his mind began to slip away.

He had to save her.