Hello and welcome to this week's newest chapter, everyone! Well, I'm sure you've come to figure just what portion of the arc this chapter is going to entail. Knowing how popular the character of Himiko Toga is in the MHA fanbase; I wanted to really try my hand at building onto her backstory in a way that really fits the tragic nature of her character, while also organically fitting in with the original elements this particular story adds on. Of course, as the readers, you'll all objectively be the judges of whether I succeeded in that task or not.

I'd like to once more extend my gratitude to all of you for your continued patronage and readership; alongside all the efforts and support of my beta readers, consultants and friends, Mizu, Jonny and Carlos; as well as the current roster of contributing artists on DA that have so far helped to bring this story to life. Hopefully that number can start growing sooner rather than later: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, effasempai, Eliza-Frost, Vanera-Taro and Yumake.

My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them.

Chapter 122

Blood and Love

(Кровь И Любовь)

Circumstances for the League of Villains had been so difficult for so long, none of them could even recall the last time they'd had things easy. But even those times felt like paradise compared to where they now found themselves: presented a lose-lose ultimatum by a whole other enemy organization, with their invaluable information and supply broker being held hostage, and their position on the verge of being given to the authorities at any given moment if they didn't accept the offer.

"So he wants us in Aichi Prefecture in an hour? That must mean he knows we're able to teleport with the Doctor's help, right? And he's watching us from space, tracking our every move? Not a ton of people have their own private spy satellites. If it's true, then we're in big trouble! Sadly, we haven't broken down our household gorilla yet. Whatever shall we do?"

Melodramatic or not, Mr. Compress' summary was painfully accurate, but not enough to keep Twice from immediately exclaiming with all the anger his body could physically hold: "IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION?! THIS AIN'T UP FOR DEBATE! WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THAT INTESTINE-LIKE SCARF AND THOSE TINTED SUNNIES! NOBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD'S GOT GROSS TASTE LIKE THAT! GIRAN-SAN GAVE ME A PLACE TO BELONG! WE GOTTA GO SAVE HIM NOW!"

For once, Himiko wasn't exuding nearly the same kind of manic energy as Twice; instead holding her arms up with her fingers in the shape of a cross, like she was trying to ward it off. "That Re-Destro guy's words are all we have to go on, though. For all we know, he might've killed him already. Is that possible at all, Sensei?"

Alas, to her dread and Twice's subsequent encouragement; Vukodlak once more shook his head. "If there's one thing I've actually learned from my years in this work; it's how to pick up a lie; whether in person or on the phone. Dabi-san could even confirm that for you from our last meeting with his new recruit, if he'd bothered to be here on time…and I can tell you now that this Re-Destro character, he wasn't lying; either about Giran-san being alive…or how they can get through any of my infiltration tricks. But as for how long Giran-san will still be alive, who can guess?"

Twice practically jumped in the air, he was so enthused. "SEE?! EVEN HE THINKS SO! IF THERE'S EVEN A CHANCE HE'S ALIVE, WE HAVE TO JUMP ON IT!"

By now, Mr. Compress had to physically grab Twice to try and calm him down. "Please, calm down! You're suggesting we just leap headlong into incredible danger! Getting so attached to people, getting so buddy-buddy with others; it's a really troublesome habit of yours."

"Attachment or not, I agree with Twice-san." Vukodlak stated with no room for interpretation; getting a grateful look out of Twice, and incredulous looks from everyone else. "Right now, we're very short on allies who can actively help us, and that's one resource we desperately need in order to survive, no matter how powerful we may be right now."

"SEE?! VUKODLAK-SAN GETS IT! WE'RE ALL STRAYS! STRAYS GOTTA STICK TOGETHER-!"

FWIP!

With a sudden swiftness, Tomura suddenly ripped Twice's mask right off; leaving the unshaven, blonde-haired man with a straight stitched scar running down the middle of his forehead writhing on the ground, clutching at his face in pure agony while howling "NOO! I'M GONNA SPLIT APART! NOT GOOD! NOT GOOD!"

And all the while, Tomura ignored his cries, as he just had a confident grin back on his face. "I have a plan." Without further ado, he proceeded to click at the earpiece hidden under his icy blue-tinted white hair. "Hey, Doctor, did you catch all of that?"

Soon, everyone could hear their enigmatic Doctor's voice speaking loud and clear on their earpieces as well: "Listening to Villain Radio is my new favorite hobby, so yes. So, the Meta Liberation Army has risen from the dead, eh? What a surprise! The waves you all are making in the underworld keep dredging these ancient people up! I wonder how long it will take before your actions abroad could resurrect even some of the old foreign Villain presences as well."

But nobody else was in nearly as giddy a mood, as Mr. Compress quickly made clear: "This is no time for musings, Doctor! Could you perhaps send us a High-End Nomu to help us with the Army; like the one Dabi-san and Vukodlak-san sent after Endeavor?"

"Not happening." The Doctor answered with the bluntness of a brick. "My other little ones aren't at the testing stage just yet! Perhaps if Dabi or Vukodlak had retrieved Hood's body, it would be different. Alas, without All For One around, producing more of them is no small feat!"

Mr. Compress looked like he was about to start tearing his hair out through his top hat, while Himiko was pouting and Vukodlak was driving his claws against his arms in silent frustration. But, of all people, it was Tomura who actually looked not the least bit perturbed. "That's fine. I wasn't about to rely on those things, anyway. I just have a couple questions before we get to the real point of my call. Compress-san; you've been the time keeper all this time. How long until that big oaf wakes up next?"

Mr. Compress quickly checked his watch. "If left undisturbed, two hours and thirty-five minutes."

"Good. And Doctor, do you know where Dabi-san is right now?"

"At the moment…on the border between Mie and Shiga Prefectures. He was a ways away at the time, but it looks like he's been taking his sweet time heading back to your position after your call."

Vukodlak gave a confirming nod; his brow furrowed with thought: "Makes sense. He said he had arranged a special meeting with our potential recruit for a final loyalty test somewhere in Osaka. Good thing I ensured a security failsafe for us if that doesn't come through."

Tomura's confident grin now turned into a chillingly emboldened sneer. "Great. How convenient for us. Warp us over, then, Doctor."

Finally, Spinner gave the most energetic reaction he'd had all evening: "Wait, we're seriously going to take their bait?! Without knowing squat about what we're up against?! They could send anyone to meet us, or even more likely take us out! Vukodlak-san didn't give any reaction to say the man was lying about anything he said! He really must have over 110,000 followers out there; how else would he be able to have someone sneak all the way into Russia just to leave that mocking little Easter egg for us, and then make it all the way back here without being caught? Hell, if Deika City is really their central hub, then it would be way too easy for Heroes or the authorities to find them and take them down if they were all in one place; so there's no doubt he's got that kind of manpower spread out all over the place! Without Gigantomachia fully on our side, we're in way over our heads with this one!"

Nobody else among them could rightfully disagree with Spinner's very reasonable concerns, but Tomura didn't look the least bit discouraged, as though he'd stumbled upon the perfect plan: "You're worrying too much. After more than a month, not only have I clearly become stronger, but I've also come to a realization: the big guy isn't invincible, he simply has way too much HP for me to take down to zero on my own."

All at once, the very same light of innovation that had ignited over Tomura's head; now ignited over everyone else, as Spinner stated with awe: "I get it…if he's specifically honed in on you, Shigaraki-san; then wherever you go, he'll instinctively follow."

With the biggest grin of satisfaction that his teammates were getting on the same level as him; Tomura brought his palms together for emphasis: "That's right. If we can't send Vukodlak-san, Toga-san or Twice-san in to slit their throats when they're waiting foolishly for us; then we'll instead just send Gigantomachia right into the fray! And a fight against that many revolutionaries is sure to wear that giant meathead down for me to lay down the finishing blow!"

The volume with which the Doctor suddenly answered into their earpieces was borderline deafening: "HOW UNDERHANDED! AND WHAT IF THAT CEO WAS INDEED BLUFFING, AND SIMPLY HAS A MASTERFUL ALL-AROUND POKER FACE?!"

Vukodlak's own immediate response was as serious as the grave; his fanged mouth forming into a deeply aggravated sneer: "Don't ask such questions as though I'm just blowing smoke, Doctor. I can tell a liar better than anyone, and that man wasn't lying. But if he were to try something as foolish as killing Giran-san in a panic if he thinks we're getting too close, then he'll just be sealing his fate at our hands. In fact, if you ask me, I think we should make a point of killing him, regardless. He and his Army made the mistake of going after one of our allies, and if we want the League to remain the uncontested dominant force of Villainy in this country, and eventually the whole world, then just like with the Hassaikai; we need to make a point of cutting the head off this particular dragon for all to see; dissuade anyone else from trying something so foolish ever again."

Vukodlak could feel a chill of something resembling pride fill his chest, when he saw the approving grin Tomura and Himiko were both giving him; the leader chuckling bone dry to himself: "Cutting the head off in front of all his subjects lucky enough to still be breathing…I like the sound of that. One way or another, the fool dies, plain and simple."

With that, he finally proceeded to hand the hysterical Twice his mask back; which he hurriedly stretched back over his own head, breathing a sigh of the greatest relief, while Vukodlak and Himiko both smiled with anticipation, and Spinner muttered breathlessly in doubtless confirmation: "So we're really going all in on this, then."

"That's what I said. Those fools won't know what hit them."

Deika City, Aichi Prefecture, almost an hour later…

Having heard everything that Tomura was planning, it took no convincing for the Doctor to finally have them warped to the same general area where Dabi had last been seen, which was thankfully no more than a hop, skip and a jump away from Deika City. Upon reuniting with their stitch-faced loner ally, it took little time for them to explain to him everything that had just happened; thankfully wrapping it all up just in time to reach the outskirts of the forest overlooking the city itself in a perfect view; something that Vukodlak was very quick to take advantage of, as he observed every inch of the city below with his enhanced eyesight and inescapable ears.

It was a decently-sized city; certainly right in the middle between being just an expansive small town, and a bustling metropolis. A majority of it was made up of smaller-level buildings; the only truly standout feature of it was a large tower set right dead center in the middle of it all.

And all the while as Vukodlak scanned the entire area, Himiko was rocking back and forth where she stood with unbearably impatient anticipation: "Well? Well, Sensei? Are you able to make out anything or see anyone? Are there tons of them down there?"

Vukodlak was keeping his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat as his chilling silver eyes darted from one direction to the next like a machine. "I can definitely hear a lot of heartbeats down there…really heavy ones, too. I'd almost think that Re-Destro called all his revolutionaries out here just for us.

"The layout of this city is definitely very advantageous for them, though. I don't see any power stations nearby I could sabotage to put them in the dark or subject them to complete communication silence, and there aren't nearly enough bridges or tunnels to sever or collapse to effectively keep any of their reinforcements from intercepting us too quickly. I don't even see any standout geological or infrastructural features we could take advantage of to cut off sections of the city like we did in Saransk."

Himiko just had the biggest, admiring grin on her face as she listened to Vukodlak talk on and on with his observations: "You sound so professional and cool when you're like this, Sensei! You, like, totally think of everything all the time, huh?"

"If that were true, then he would've found a way we could level the literal playing field, Toga! We've got this completely in the bag!" Twice chimed in; not even trying to hide the envy in his voice.

At the same time, Mr. Compress was changing another glance at his watch. "One hour and forty minutes until our oversized friend wakes up again. Making the Army clash with Machia will require us to have to fight them as well. This is going to be far from easy, I daresay."

The apprehension on Dabi's face was far removed from concern, and instead reflected total apathy, even despite everything he'd been informed of on the way here: "Geez, why did you guys all have to rope me into this? I've got a crucial call I'm waiting on for our sakes, y'know?"

Twice's sudden reaction of swinging his measuring tape at Dabi's head was so telegraphed; the cold-blooded Pyro Villain easily leaned his whole body back to avoid getting hit by it; while his comrade angrily exclaimed: "GIRAN-SAN BROUGHT YOU INTO THE FOLD TOO, YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!"

"Like I care." Dabi muttered in immediate response; only managing to further Twice's rage for his own amusement.

"Hey! Someone's coming!" Himiko's sudden exclamation was filled with caution; instantly ending her comrades' squabble, as the whole group quickly got on the defensive upon spotting the distant and rapidly approaching sight of a plume of dust heading their way; all of them ready to charge and meet this first attacker head-on.

But the plume of dust suddenly dissipated, as a single person came to a squeaking halt upon the ground several feet before them: a strongly-built man with a large square chin, dressed in a purple-and-black body suit with a black cowl, black boots, green gloves and a green cape. "NOT ANOTHER STEP! I WAS ORDERED TO GUIDE YOU INTO TOWN!"

With everyone's senses of alert already so high; Spinner's exclamation of: "A Hero?! I don't recognize this one," had Vukodlak's own fighting instincts burn white hot; with Himiko even likewise exclaiming: "Spinner was right to tell us not to come here! That Re-Destro jerk set the trap already! They've got all the Heroes just waiting to jump on us from the get-go!"

Upon the sight of Vukodlak's body beginning to distort and grow white hairs all around it as his fangs began to grow; the lone Hero held up an objecting hand: "I CAN ASSURE YOU THIS IS NOT THE CASE! I WAS ONLY SENT BY RE-DESTRO TO GUIDE YOU INTO TOWN PROPER! YOU WON'T BE ATTACKED, I PROMISE YOU!"

Himiko, Twice and Dabi had all still been ready to attack with everything they had…until Himiko saw that her Sensei's physical language had gone completely still; all hostility in his silver eyes now replaced with genuine surprise. This all managed to click in her head at once, as she asked: "Is he actually telling the truth, Sensei?"

Any sign of Vukodlak's body beginning to transform quickly reverted, leaving him in his fully human form again as he stared the Hero down apprehensively. "He is…at least for now."

This was all she needed to hear to tuck her knife and syringe away, which from there was enough to get Twice to put away his measuring tape, and Dabi begrudgingly extinguishing his flames.

With any signs of a fight thankfully having been diffused, the Hero beckoned the League forward: "IF YOU WANT A FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE LIBERATION ARMY'S GRAND COMMANDER, THEN YOU'D BEST COME WITH ME, OKAY?!"

With no other viable options, the Villains proceeded to do just that. It wasn't long after that they now found themselves well into the confines of one of the many suburban areas of Deika City; all of them carefully scanning their surroundings; Mr. Compress noting with unease: "There's not a soul around anywhere."

"Don't be so sure. Take note of the street lights and rooftops at practically every corner." Vukodlak warned; Himiko noticing how his ears were continuously just barely twitching; the best sign for her not to completely lower her guard. These Army folks had clearly underestimated just how sharp her Sensei's ears were, if they thought they'd be able to get the drop on them at all. And on top of that, just like he'd suggested, the street lights, traffic lights and nearly every rooftop corner had a security camera placed upon it; every single one visibly following their every movement.

At the same time, Tomura was silently watching the alleyways, storm drains and rooftops; soon enough spotting a few people in similarly Heroic-looking costumes watching their every move as they followed their guide. All of these hints together likewise made a foggy picture clear as day: "I get it now. So…this whole city, huh?"

The Hero guiding them as he easily slid across the ground like it was butter, didn't grant them the courtesy of eye contact, but was at least polite enough to answer his enemy's question: "THIS PLACE ISN'T USUALLY MY TURF, BUT TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL EXCEPTION! EVERYONE IN THE LIBERATION ARMY HAS BEEN CALLED OUT HERE TODAY FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL OCCASION!"

Vukodlak dug his feet in, coming to a complete stop, thus spurring the rest of his comrades to stop in kind, as his silver eyes were razor sharp. "More people are coming."

And with a hearty clap of hands; those new people's presence became immediately apparent; as the League now found themselves being joined by a middle-aged, sharp-dressed man with sunglasses and black hair with a single protruding lock, and a similarly fashionably-dressed young adult woman with blue skin, light-purple hair, and black eyes with green irises. Upon their arrival, the Hero guiding the League suddenly took a gracious bow and hurriedly slid back down the road, far away from the group.

"What sharp ears you have, Vukodlak-san! It's just as your gracious guide said: here in Deika City, 90-percent of the population; Heroes included; are Liberation warriors lying in wait. This is a truly LIBERATED district, and that's not even considering all the warriors we've been nurturing and helping to grow and spread our influence all across this country, having come to personally greet you all alongside us! Now then, allow us to thank you for taking the time to make this trip, and personally welcome you! Make no mistake, this is a day of celebration, and you are our most honored guests! So then…shall we start the festivities?"

Vukodlak's sense of caution never died down, even after having detected no falsehood in their Hero guide's words. If anything; just the idea that they even had officially recognized Heroes to deal with that were fully indoctrinated into the Army's ways of thinking and acting, had his caution go up that much further. Hearing all the different heartbeats around them every step that they took further into this city had his skin crawling…but now hearing all those heartbeats spike the moment this strange new man spoke these words, had the Russian Villain once again focusing his arms into action, getting ready to send high-flying Air Shields every which way he could.

And such action was none too soon, as the sharp-dressed man spread his arms, and as if on command, nearly two dozen people suddenly came leaping from practically out of the wood work; all making a beeline straight for the League en masse. "THIS IS THE META LIBERATION ARMY'S REVIVAL CELEBRATION!"

THW-THWOOM!

Vukodlak immediately kicked himself up into a flipping leap, motioning his hands to create a multitude of Air Shields, before just as quickly propelling them in every direction around himself and his comrades with Muscle Augmentation-assisted punches and kicks; plowing into several of these attacking revolutionaries like a speeding truck, punching holes into several walls all around them already.

But Dabi, Spinner, Twice and Mr. Compress were no slower on the draw; as they too were already on the move, trying to both defend themselves and remove their attackers swiftly. In the middle of it all, as soon as the fighting had kicked off, Mr. Compress begrudgingly noted: "I recognize that man! He's Hanabata Koku; the leader of the Hearts & Minds political party! He's easily the kind of person who could have over 110,000 followers! It could be that Re-Destro intentionally low-balled his numbers to try and make us lower our guard!"

But as Twice hurriedly threw and whipped his measuring tape every direction he could without getting in the way of his comrades' own attacks; he had no patience for discussing anything else: "WHO CARES HOW MANY THERE ARE?! WE'RE HERE , LIKE YOU SAID, SO WHERE'S GIRAN-SAN?!"

Koku Hanabata didn't look the least bit worried that the League was already fighting back; keeping the same self-assured grin on his face as he jerked a thumb back to the tallest tower in the city behind him. "Your broker? He's just waiting over there with our Grand Commander."

A multitude of high-speed rocks came flying for Twice's head, but he barely managed to duck and weave out of the way, all while still having the attention to even listen. "B-BUT WE WERE PROMISED WE'D GET HIM BACK IF WE CAME HERE! WHAT AN OBVIOUS LIE!"

All the while, Tomura's eyes had likewise fallen squarely upon the tower, while still managing to dodge all the attacks being thrown his way; and just as swiftly clawing his hands and their Decay straight through every soldier stupid enough to try taking him on directly. "These two are probably just mini-bosses trying to force us into a gauntlet! Off to the tower, then!"

"Oh, this is what we're good at!" Himiko exclaimed with ecstatic energy as she hurriedly weaved and sliced her way through a couple soldiers too close to avoid her knife; practically gliding on her skipping feet as she tried to keep pace with Tomura, with the others beginning to follow his lead.

BOOM!

But out of nowhere, the ground beneath her feet erupted in a powerful fireball, sending her tumbling hard across the ground a good dozen or so feet away from the shocked and worried Vukodlak and Twice. "HANG ON, TOGA! WE'RE-!"

But before either of them could start to move in on Himiko's position; their bodies both instantly vanished, and they found themselves in a position where no matter how much they tried to run, they couldn't get any closer.

What they didn't realize then, but what their comrades would have if they had looked; was that in the process of their trying to run to Himiko, they had positioned themselves in front of a window pane, wherein another soldier himself was actually waiting within the reflection of, and the moment his hands reached out to his sides and touched their reflections, he'd ended up sucking Vukodlak and Twice both into the reflection with him.

The two Villains now found themselves completely trapped within this two-dimensional plain; a plain their new enemy had complete mastery over, as he immediately proceeded to grab and throw his two opponents hard and fast from one reflective surface inside this building to another at breakneck speed; before ultimately managing to maneuver them into the reflection of another window on a higher floor, facing away from where Himiko had been tossed; and then immediately proceeding to throw the three of them into the reflection of another window in the building opposite; systematically working them further and further away from where their teammates could help to somehow get them out.

Back where she had been thrown, Himiko was gasping for breath while fighting through the burning pain in her legs; listening to the calm heartbeat and matching approaching footsteps ahead of her. Looking up, she could see it was the blue-skinned woman from earlier; wearing a condescendingly approachable grin on her face, while keeping her fingers together in the shape of frame; a frame focused solely on Himiko herself. "The girl wanted in connection with a string of bloodletting murders. If it isn't the infamous Toga Himiko herself? 'How did this high-schooler turn to madness? In this shocking exclusive interview, hear her story in her own words!' How's that for a headline?"

The speed with which Himiko hopped back onto her hurting feet; her knife and syringe all at the ready, was nearly inhuman, as she stared her adversary down with an animalistic intensity. "That sucks!"

From the top of the tower that loomed from the dead center of Deika City; Re-Destro stood like an observant, all-seeing ruler; the most self-assured smile on his pointed face as he observed the distant unfolding of his soldiers' battle against the newly arrived League of Villains.

With his instructions being absolute and thoroughly planned out, he knew that no amount of ruckus or chaos the battle would risk unleashing would be interrupted by the authorities. As far as they or any other outsiders to this city would be concerned, there would be nothing amiss at all, as all of the Liberated Heroes from this city already had all roads either leading into Deika City at all, completely sealed off under the guise of construction work, or simply a small-time emergency their partners were taking care of.

"Deika is a great little town nestled securely in the mountains with few routes leading in or out. Far removed from the hustle and bustle, it's a tranquil place surrounded by nature; the perfect sort of town for us to lie low in." Re-Destro explained with considerable confidence, while the battered, bloodied and mutilated Giran sat tied to his chair mere feet away; his head hanging so listlessly, one would've been forgiven for thinking he was already dead.

But Re-Destro was a very meticulous, thorough, and careful man; and over the course of the week, he'd made sure that any damage inflicted to his valuable guest wouldn't run the risk of going too far. And because all the factors he had taken into consideration when putting this plan together were currently playing out so well, it was impossible for him not to gloat somehow.

But the sound of Giran chuckling to himself through his pain was something that the Grand Commander of the Meta Liberation Army was not counting on; removing the calm grin on his face in record time before the man had even begun to speak with considerable strain: "Too bad you made two mistakes. First, no one down there's gonna treat me like some damsel in distress; not even the League. Second, if they unleash those bio-engineered Nomu, your peaceful little town is toast."

Taking a deep breath out of exasperation in the face of such a desperate bluff, Re-Destro simply lifted a hand with three extended fingers. "They will not unleash any Nomu for three reasons, which is one more than what you have.

"One: Although Nomu practically became synonymous with attacks carried out by the League of Villains, they've all but faded into nothing more than a rumor since that day in Kamino Ward. This, despite the League's continued antics; especially that gutsy string of attacks they pulled all the way in western Russia, so far from home. Not a single Nomu appeared at any point during that time.

"Two: Counter to Point One, a high-powered Nomu did show up in Kyushu. However, take note of the weaker white Nomus that the black one spat out. Though clearly remodeled by mad science, their strength was nothing to write home about.

"And Three: Dabi said he was there to 'collect' the black Nomu. That tells me that without the powerful black one, they have no additional Nomu to deploy. To summarize, these Nomu creatures were clearly provided as backup soldiers by the League's patron, All For One, and the League is limited in how freely it can use them at this time. Without the Nomu, the League of Villains is nothing more than a gang of hoodlums."

Re-Destro couldn't help but smile again when he didn't hear Giran chuckling again in such a cocky manner. But behind his back, the underworld broker refused to let even his most mocking sneer disappear: "That arrogance is gonna knock you right on your ass before you know it, y'know. The League has gotten a hell of a lot stronger than they were before taking on Russia and the Hassaikai back-to-back. You really think your glorified buncha weekend warriors is gonna be able to hold a candle to what that lot has been molded through?"

This time, Re-Destro granted his hostage the courtesy of a sidelong glance's worth of eye contact. "Oh, I have no doubt about that at all…which is why the Army has likewise been using its time wisely, crafting and honing its every individual member's Abilities so that they can all stand on equal footing with the League at their strongest. The confirmed rumors of that foreign member of yours, Vukodlak, somehow managing to possess multiple such Abilities at once, has been an especially pressing factor we've taken into consideration. That's why we've made it a point of taking him out of the equation first and foremost."

With Vukodlak and Twice having been so suddenly and summarily removed from the primary field of battle; the majority of the close-quarters fighting was now fallen unto Tomura, Dabi, Mr. Compress and Spinner; all of whom were being given no such thing as breathing room to try and collect their bearings and make way for the tower. But with the exception of Tomura and Dabi; the latter two, with their fighting skills primarily focused on surprise and melee respectively; were finding themselves struggling far more.

"Every one of these guys is seriously a handful!" Spinner exclaimed to any of his comrades who would listen, once he'd been forced to double back and leave one of his sword behind in the teeth of an especially large warrior, before he'd run the risk of getting trapped or killed.

And as this fighting all continued to unfold, the blue-skinned woman who had closed in on Himiko like an apex predator; now joined on all sides by nearly two dozen more warriors encircling Himiko herself as she shakily stood on her own two feet; was smiling in the utmost satisfaction at seeing how well her fellows were holding up. "Our dormant Liberation warriors have spent their days training; forging their bodies and minds; all to better live as the people they really are. So it's really irritating to have you guys all just waltz on in with no greater cause or ideology than to simply hog all the headlines."

Finally, her black-green eyes focused on Himiko once more; her tone taking on a condescending friendliness: "Are you not keen on being interviewed, Toga Himiko? I'm afraid that's too bad. I haven't backed down from a good story like this since my very first year in the biz. So I hope you understand, Toga Himiko, that I'm about to strip you bare in the purest sense of the word.

"I couldn't care less about the League itself, but you…you're a different case. A girl gone mad! That story would make for an amazing article. Why, I haven't felt my blood pump this much since the days back when I was on the beat full-time!"

SHHK!

In the midst of her own gloating, the woman known to the public as Chitose Kizuki, heard the sound of steel meeting flesh; her head snapping at attention to see one of the warriors right next to her had just gotten what looked like a switchblade thrown deep into his shoulder with a lightning-fast surgical precision. Upon looking back, she could see many of the other warriors placed down the road were all rushing to her position, with Himiko nowhere in sight.

'She's gone! I see…so this is why she's never been caught so far. Now, where'd she-?'

But before this thought even finished crossing her mind; Chitose could suddenly feel the brightness of the sun overhead just barely dim. Everything from there seemed to unfold in slow-motion, for as she turned her head to see what as obstructing the light, she was met with the sight of a nearly rabid-looking Himiko flying through the air right for her; a syringe n one hand, and another knife in the other, ready to drive either one or both into her straight down to the handles with no mercy.

WRRAAM!

And with just as much speed and accuracy, all of the warriors rushing to Chitose's side all met Himiko with a similarly merciless barrage of their own Quirks; knocking the young Villain off course, and slamming straight through the front wall of a nearby bar; barely managing to use her reflexes to catch herself and land sliding upon her own two feet.

And no sooner than her life had been effectively saved, did Chitose come rushing onward to Himiko with an almost childlike glee. 'She doesn't remotely hesitate when it comes to cold-blooded murder! How? Why? I NEED TO KNOW!' "WHAT SORT OF LIFE HAVE YOU LIVED?!"

The moment she stepped in front of the hole Himiko had left in the wall, she could quickly see how her vicious yellow eyes were burning right into her, and she was about to come charging out for the kill. "Oh, by the way, watch your step in there! Our warriors show no mercy!"

B-B-BOOM!

In a flash, the entire interior of the bar erupted in a series of small-sized but clearly strong enough explosions, as Himiko's charge was stopped dead in its tracks; thus providing the opportunity for several more of Chitose's accompanying warriors to come rushing her from all sides; all while Chitose herself was still wearing that condescending grin: "If you want to live to see tomorrow, then give me my interview."

The smoke overwhelmed her sense of smell and burned her eyes and throat; and the deafening noise of those explosions had her head ringing…but even with all of that, Himiko could still make out the number of different racing heartbeats closing on her and from where…and as such proceeded to reach up to her shoulders, spring herself up off the ground and throw her arms out to her sides; throwing a multitude of other syringes connect by hoses to the device on her back, straight into every one of them with a ninja-like efficiency. "SUCK!"

"Now, my on-the-go Suck-Suck mask…!" Himiko spoke primarily to herself as she hurriedly donned the hose-connected mask hidden under her large collar; as the syringes were already beginning to suck the blood of her enemies; only instead of feeding into the empty tanks lining her back, instead began to run directly into her mouth.

But even the sight of Himiko so masterfully countering such overwhelming odds wasn't enough to dissuade Chitose's overall assault. If anything, it only served to embolden her even further: "Syringes! I see! So you can suck blood and use your Meta Ability, Transform! Fascinating! Plus, with multiple donors, it's hard to tell who to watch out for! As for the way you move your body, your being just another mad slasher doesn't explain these highly tuned survival skills! That Vukodlak character couldn't have possibly been the one to teach you all of this, for how long you've been on the loose! How much of it is just your pure survival instincts?! HOW DID YOU TURN OUT THIS WAY?! I NEED DETAILS!"

BOOM!

In the one moment Himiko never would have expected it; more explosions suddenly erupted from all over the inside of her body; sending her into agonized spasms as she threw up blood from her mouth, both her own and those of her victims. The sensation couldn't have been properly described with words, it was so painful. And what was more, those same explosions even channeled down the tubes running from her back into the bodies of the arriors themselves…except that when those explosions ensued within them, none of them looked remotely surprised.

Seeing Himiko collapse to the ground a burnt and bloody mess, Chitose exclaimed with unbound enthusiasm and anticipation as she continued her approach: "WERE YOU HOPING TO TRANSFORM INTO ONE OF US AND SOMEHOW SLIP AWAY AMID THE CROWD?! THAT WON'T WORK! I'M HERE TO GET SOME ANSWERS, SO I'M PLENTY PREPARED TO COUNTER ALL YOUR FANCY TRICKS!

"OUR WARRIORS DON'T BALK AT THE PROSPECT OF BECOMING BOMBS, SO WHILE THEY USE THEIR META ABILITIES TO PUT YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE ON THE ROPES, WHY DON'T WE GET STARTED WITH SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION?!"

BOOM!

No sooner than Himiko had managed to get on her feet again, did another explosion erupt point-blank in her face, sending her tumbling and crashing out the front of the building again; every bounce she made being met by one explosion after another, knocking her for a loop over and over again; all while Chitose was continuing on with her interviewing diatribe, and her mob continued laying the pressure on Himiko with every passing second:

"First daughter of the Toga family, born on August 7th, currently 17 years old! Ran away from home just after her middle school graduation! Did you catch the news that day when the media rushed to your parents, looking for answers?! Or when they interviewed your classmates?! They all said the same thing: that you were always a cheerful, reasonable, well-mannered girl! So they all naturally wondered 'why?!' Why did you do what you did?! Why did you abandon any hope for a normal life?! I'd like to hear your version, if you don't mind! Your story, your heart is going to shake things up for everyone! And it will all be for the Meta Liberation Army's sake! Why did you succumb to madness?! TELL ME!"

Finally, the explosions came to a stop, and as the thick smoke cleared; Himiko was still somehow managing to stay on her own two feet; although her legs were visibly shaking from the strain. It was hardly surprising, either; as she was almost covered from head to toe in burn marks and her own blood; looking hell at the very least.

But even despite her extensive injuries; Himiko actually didn't have any semblance of anger, hatred or fear on her face. Even the murderous animalistic intent that had once been in her eyes was gone. There was almost a…genuinely serene expression instead, which very heavily struck Chitose's curious inclination, as she thought to herself with irresistible intrigue: 'What a face! Just like…that of a doll.'

Himiko continued to stare down Chitose and the rest of her warriors with an almost dreamlike emptiness in her eyes, as her body continued to sway in place like it was taking all her remaining strength to stay standing. But despite all this, her words were absolutely lucid and spoken with an unmistakable air of purpose and intent:

"You Liberation Army people are just trying to make the world a wonderful place, just like me, just like the rest of the League…for that; I know I should like you all. In fact, I want to like you all."

Chitose could suddenly feel her heart begin to race, and her skin begin to tingle, when she saw Himiko's narrowing eyes lock specifically onto her; her once subtle fanged smile slowly but surely spreading into an almost inhumanly wide grin of truly demented joy. "You know…sometimes, when I listen to my Sensei talk about his ideal image of the wonderful world we're trying to make, and I think about it too much, I can't help but think some of it sounds even vaguely Hero-like…maybe that's because he used to be a Hero once.

"But even despite that; I still love him…and nobody hurts the people I love and makes them bleed but me…so I won't forgive any of you for that; for what you did to him and Jin. And you…"

With this, as she continued heaving for breath, Himiko slowly raised her syringe and knife specifically at Chitose; making her now the sole object of her focus, as she honed in on her black-green eyes; her psychotic grin now actually managing to strike a single deeply hidden cord of genuine fear within her. "You know; your eyes…they remind me of one of my precious best friend's, MiMi-chan, except that she's far cuter. You don't deserve that distinction, nuh-uh.

"You keep asking about me giving up a normal life…hehehe…a normal life? What's that? For me, THIS IS MY NORMAL!"

Such a simple statement being spoken with such heartfelt honesty had brought all movement around Himiko to a dead halt; many of her attackers now looking upon her as though she'd just spoken in tongues.

But not Chitose, though. Her minor moment of fear had long since gone by now. No, for her, this was a statement more profound than any she could have come up with herself to describe the young Villain before her. This was better than she ever could have hoped for. "This is your 'normal'? Fascinating! So this is you without a mask. My intuition is truly still as sharp as ever! As I thought, you're the manifestation of the darkness in this super-powered society!"

KOFF! HACK! KOFF! WEEZ!

Himiko suddenly broke into a painful-sounding coughing fit, collapsing to the ground no sooner than she had finally managed to stand herself straight up. In a heartbeat, Chitose was striding to her and kneeling at her side; an image that almost would have resembled a show of genuine pity, especially as she actually lifted up the Villain's head, patting her hair like a mother to her child, looking at the almost absent-minded smile still on her blood-covered face. "Your body is ravaged, inside and out. How sad. A miserable girl who, with her Meta Ability suppressed, has driven herself to the brink of death. Do you know what's really to blame, Toga Himiko?

"Quirk Counseling, where they attempt to hammer out any bumps in your understanding of the world and program to fit you neatly into society's little boxes. It's a far-from-perfect process, of course. The counseling ends up emphasizing the inherent differences among us all, and that's one bug they've yet to work out of the programming. It's a most unforgivable oversight on their part for people like you. After all, if there's one thing that we all desire above all else, it's to have an unbreakable connection with others; a desire I know you understand better than most."

"Mama, Papa! Little birdie! So cute!"

It was true. For as long as Himiko Toga could remember, she had found something to love in things that bled more than anything else. Of course her heart would be sent aflutter at the sight of cute things and cute people, but to see them shed blood made her entire body quiver like nothing else ever could. It was a phenomenon with her that nobody could ever possibly understand. But out of anyone, even a girl as young as her would naturally assume, perhaps even hope, that her own parents would be willing to accept and love her for everything she was, no questions asked. That was how life was supposed to be for everyone, after all.

But the day she had found a fatally injured bird in her family's backyard when she was barely in elementary school, and presented it to her mother and father like any child would a butterfly or a cute little animal that was alive and well; all she had received in return was shock, horror and disgust.

"STOP THAT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! AND STOP MAKING THAT CREEPY SMILE! YOU LOOK LIKE SOME SORT OF DEVIANT!"

"You drink blood to transform. You were born with that Meta Ability, and you've always had a strong fascination with blood. But the true tragedy here came from a perfectly ordinary feeling: admiration! Blood and admiration! Those two elements combined into something that society was never going to accept! So you pushed it all down and created a mask for yourself to wear within society!"

Even as Himiko continued to think back to those so-distant days of her past, she could still hear Chitose's know-it-all speech loud and clear, and what made it so much more insufferable, was because she was once again proving herself to be right.

Ever since that day, the unbreakable connection Himiko felt with her family had been forever frayed; and with each passing year, as her desires grew in strength and her subsequent disconnection from what society deemed acceptable only worsened; so too did her parents' unmistakable fear and disgust over her…and thus that connection only continued to weaken thread-by-thread.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE NORMAL?! ACT LIKE A NORMAL LITTLE GIRL!"

But as powerful as her desire to show her love for others through her consumption of their blood was, her desire to have that loving connection with family and friends had been stronger…at least, back then. It had hurt, as though she was trying to surgically remove something crucial from herself, but she had once made the effort to try and present herself like the so-called 'normal little girl' her parents wanted. For a little while through her middle school years…it had worked. She had managed to craft the perfect mask for herself, and had been able to make friends quite easily…but no matter what, no matter how many different smiles she wore, or how many laughs she gave alongside them, it never felt truly…real. It was ultimately nothing more than a façade just short of being convincing for herself as it was for everyone else.

And it all ended up crashing down on the day she'd first met him: the boy in her school with the frizzy black hair and freckles; who had sent her heart racing like nobody and nothing else had before…to the point that it ended up increasing her desire to express her love through her truest nature beyond the point that any semblance of self-restraint could hope to contain.

Everything had vanished in a blinding field of red that day when she'd finally gotten that boy alone. Thinking back, she wouldn't even have been able to recall what she'd even said to him at first, if anything at all. All she could remember was the utter euphoria her body was engulfed in when it was all over; a sensation she had been forcing herself to continue on without for far too long. It was a pleasure, a sense of true connection to someone that had stolen her heart…that nobody else would ever be able to understand.

And she knew that far too well after the fact, for when she'd run off after it had all happened, after she had left that boy who looked so much like Izuku Midoriya behind in a pool of his own blood; she never went back home. She'd relegated herself to the so-called shadows of society, where she felt truly at peace, at ease with her true self. Nobody would ever find her in that world, and she would still be able to keep her ears open as to all the goings-on of the world.

And she'd gotten her fill of that and then some, once the police and the media had arrived and interviewed every person remotely connected to the incident. That was how she finally got to hear with a resounding finality, just what every one of her schoolmates and so-called friends truly thought underneath the little plastic masks they themselves wore in order to fit in: "She was always such a nice, sociable girl! I just can't wrap my head around this! I saw the whole thing! She had a straw stuck into his neck…sucking up his blood! It was like she was in a trance…making this creepy, disgusting face!"

But even that couldn't compare to the twisting sensation she could even now recall feeling in the pit of her chest when the interviews had ultimately come to her parents, who had shown no hesitation at all in expressing their feelings on the whole incident: "We take full responsibility, and we only wish we could make up for it somehow! Despite our efforts, she turned out bad…that…that demon child!"

"SHUT UP!"

Himiko's outcry was just as sudden as her movement, as she quickly swung her left arm and the knife within it like a striking cobra, straight for Chitose's neck. But even when she had let herself get so calm this close to the young Villain; the adult Army warrior's own reflexes were just as sharp, as she already had her right arm lifted; allowing for the small bracelet around her wrist to suddenly start unfolding and expanding around her whole hand like the most elaborate form of reverse origami, until it stood encased around her hand like a giant square metal stamping plate.

A stamping plate through which she immediately released yet another of her explosions straight into Himiko's face at point-blank range; leaving the young girl with her face burnt and smoking as she reeled back from the concussive force and collapsed right back onto the ground; Chitose once more kneeling at her side while resting her barely conscious head upon her lap; all her fellow warriors looming over this tragic scene from all sides. "Keep in mind, what you consider normal isn't at odds with the Liberation Army's goals. In fact, you're living proof that our cause is righteous. You'll make the ideal sacrifice. Let's turn your death into a legendary tragedy, shall we? As a martyr, your tale will be a modern day parable for the ages! If I'm getting the details wrong, please tell me. I would love to hear it directly from you. Otherwise, this interview can't be completed."

"NO!"

THWIP!

In a flash of light, Chitose barely reared her head back in time to avoid this desperate swipe of Himiko's knife slicing through her throat; instead just barely managing to knick just above her left brow. It was hardly ideal, but it was all the young Villainous girl needed to launch herself into a desperate inhuman sprint through every warrior standing in her way; the last actions of one who knew she was going to die. This was all Chitose could come to the conclusion of once she saw for herself.

"There's no escape, I'm afraid. You people came to us, remember?"

Even with her face in such burning pain as it was, Himiko could still distinctly feel her skin crawl and her blood burn with aggravation when she could hear Chitose's mocking words at her back. With her body in the shape it was in, she knew that continuing to fight the way she had been simply wasn't a viable option anymore. And so, with a pained breath sucked in through her teeth, she hurriedly reached to her sides, unlocking two capsules of the small metallic cases she'd been keeping fastened to her waist for easy reach, pulling out two tiny blood vials and hurriedly opening them with each of her thumbs; wielding them akimbo-style as she continued to run for all she was worth.

'Stupid woman! I'm not miserable at all!'

Even as she thought this with all the certainty in the world, Himiko couldn't allow herself to stay distracted long, as more and more of these troublesome warriors were continuing to rush her from all sides, striking everywhere she went, thus forcing her to put her impressive reflexes and speed to the ultimate test. 'Jin's Quirk got a little stronger full-time after all the times we used those fancy Quirk-enhancing bracelets back in Russia! I know I got to use them quite a bit back then, too! Could that mean my Quirk got stronger, too? I mean, it hasn't felt any different than it did before! Oh, I knew I should've asked him if his felt any different first!

'Whenever I used them, I was actually able to use the Quirk of the person whose blood I drank! If my Quirk did get permanently stronger because of it…could I actually be able to do that again whenever I want? Would it even just be limited to one person's blood at a time?! I don't have much of these two samples left…but If I don't change things up, I'm going to die here…so better to find out now than later!'

With that, she proceeded to squeeze a single squirt of blood from the two vials in her hands into her open mouth simultaneously, swallowing with building anticipation; just as she could feel the slimy fluid produced by her Quirk begin to engulf her head as she ran.

And within seconds, Chitose and her warriors were looking upon the desperately fleeing form of Himiko Toga; her head evenly split between taking the form of Ochako Uraraka on her right side, and Mina Ashido on her left; both faces reflecting the same animalistic desperation behind her attempt at escape; her mind still racing.

'When I'm happy, I smile. And just like how everyone else kisses the people they love; when I love someone, I suck up their blood. No, I'm not miserable. Not me.'

While everyone else was unrelenting in their pursuit; this sudden change as a result of Himiko's desperate actions had Chitose herself feeling as though she were on Cloud Nine. "A TRANSFORMATION! OF COURSE! FROM BLOOD YOU SAVED! OH MY…I'M ON THE VERGE OF TEARS OVER HERE! BUT I KNOW THAT YOU CAN ONLY TRANSFORM ON THE OUTSIDE! THOSE MUST BE THE FORMS OF SOME OF YOUR SO-CALLED FRIENDS, RIGHT?! IT'S ALL YOU CAN DO TO MAKE SURE YOU DIE WITH A PRETTY FACE, BUT YOU COULDN'T CHOOSE ONE FRIEND OVER ANOTHER! OH, IT'S SO SURPRISINGLY WHOLESOME FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU!"

As Himiko dug her feet in to bring herself to a skidding stop; her heart pounded heavily as she thought further back. 'I only had a tiny bit of blood left from back then. From both of them: Ochako and Mina; those girls that Izuku and Kolya-kun trust so much. They really do trust you both…must be so nice. I wanna get closer to the ones I love like that, too!'

Looking back, Himiko found Chitose just about to pounce upon her; her blue face the very picture of a manic delight unlike her own, as she was about to bring that square stamping plate around her hand crashing down upon her head with no mercy. "CARE TO GIVE ME A FINAL STATEMENT, TOGA HIMIKO?!"

'I wanna be just like you…' "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Himiko's desperate plea echoed like the wail of a banshee through the air as Chitose brought the near-literal hammer down upon this confrontation once and for all…only to feel a sharp burning sensation overtake her right hand; looking with momentary shock at the sight of her weapon melting down into nothing before her very eyes…before then just as quickly realizing her body was suddenly floating higher and higher into the air, completely weightless; all while Himiko remained where she sat with both her hands extended her way.

Chitose couldn't even hear the numerous surprised calls of her warriors from down below; all of them similarly dumbstruck at what they were witnessing unfold right now; a fatal mistake for them all, as Himiko didn't hesitate to suddenly launch into a veritable blur of pure adrenaline-fueled speed.

Her aggressive rush was fueled by the slippery slide of the Acid emanating from her left foot, all while she was rapidly slapping all five fingers of her right hand onto every warrior she could reach out and touch, and using her left hand to throw a deluge of powerful Acid into everyone else; the ensuing screams of shock those ones left behind ringing like music in her ears, even as her voice could only speak in absent-minded realization: "I'm using…Ocha-chan and MiMi-chan's Quirks…"

But it was as though Himiko's body was running solely on autopilot, as her mind was far too deep within the fogs of distant memory. 'Day after day, the police and Heroes came after me. So without even trying, I became sensitive to how other people behave…and I learned that the world treats high school girls just a little bit kinder. I don't know when exactly I'd felt it would be worth it to try and play that charade again after finally letting loose like I did, or how I'd even gotten to where I was when I tried…but I just knew I'd be able to somehow find someone I could love nearly so much before too long, no matter what path I chose; someone who would love me for exactly what I am.'

Just because Himiko had become an experienced survivor out on her own by the time she had been recruited into the League, didn't mean she'd always been that way. Those first couple of days after what she'd done to her schoolmate had been especially unforgiving. The need for food and shelter, on top of the need to keep herself hidden from the searching eyes of the police and Heroes had proven to be an especially daunting task for her to try and fulfill in her initial blind rush.

So much so, that after the first several days, she'd completely lost track of where she even was, before having to resign herself to trying to stay the night in a small dingy alleyway. For a little bit, she'd even begun to wonder if this was how she would have to live in order to truly live freely like she wanted. Somewhere in there; the tiniest voice of doubt had even begun to make her wonder if this was what would become of her if she did continue trying to live the way she wanted to. Had this been the universe's way of saying that all those reprimands her parents had given her to just be normal, were in fact correct?

She had no way of knowing; but after hearing how they'd spoken about her, their own child, on national television; the idea of even acknowledging anything they said to be correct was more than physically sickening. But she had no other alternative ideas as to what she was supposed to do if she wanted to avoid living the rest of her life like this; an animal on the run with not even a roof to keep over her head, or food to put in her belly.

But that was when they had found her; not police, not Heroes, not even an especially aware and dutiful civil citizen doing their due diligence of informing the authorities if they'd found her.

"Åh herregud, titta på henne, den stackars lilla saken. Hon ser ut som om hon inte har ätit, tvättat eller sovit på dagar. Vad gör hon här ute, lever så här? (Oh my goodness, look at her, the poor little thing. She looks like she hasn't eaten, washed or slept in days. What is she doing out here, living like this?)"

A family; a happy-looking family, in fact. A jovial-looking middle-aged father with graying brown hair, an aged but pretty-looking mother with shimmering blonde hair, and an almost pristine-looking young son between them, undoubtedly right around her age; short but still very pretty golden hair of his own, and with the biggest and bluest eyes she'd ever seen. They were clearly a family of foreigners, but from where, she couldn't guess nor bring herself to care. All she could focus on was just how pretty, how cute their son was as he looked her in the eye out of genuine concern, much like his parents.

Had they heard the news and seen her pictures on TV, and were simply confirming who she was before calling the authorities, or did they simply think she was some poor unfortunate street girl without a place to call home? That question had rung deafeningly in Himiko's head at first, as when they'd first come to approach her; her first instinct had been to reach for the first thing she could use as a weapon to defend herself.

But even then, they didn't flee in fear or look upon her with disgust. If anything, simply judging by the way their body language remained so calm and inviting as they spoke amongst themselves in their language she couldn't understand; they only seemed to feel that much sorrier for her. And that was what ultimately drove them to extend open arms to her, before the mother ultimately took her into the one thing Himiko had never expected to experience from anyone: an embrace, complete with even laying her pretty coat over her shoulders to keep her warm.

Such kindness, such hospitality…such love; it didn't feel real, even as they welcomed the speechless Himiko to accompany them to their nearby home. But by the time she'd finally swallowed her hesitation and set foot into their house, and felt the incredible comforting warmth wash over her, it felt like she was living in an incredible dream; so much so that she didn't even realize she'd started shedding tears of too many emotions to name.

In little to no time at all, as the parents of this loving foreign family continued to clothe, wash, feed and ultimately tend to her basest needs; Himiko had come to know more about them than she ever had expected then. They were a family that had immigrated to Japan for some kind of business-related purposes, all the way from some northern country in Europe; Sweden, if she remembered correctly. She'd never had much luck in Geography in middle school, after all. Their Japanese had needed work, but she was still able to pick up on their names: the father Per, the mother Astrid…and their son, Anders. That one she had especially dedicated to memory the entire time; as every time she saw his porcelain doll-like face looking her in the eye, it just made her whole body heat up from within.

'I don't even know how much time I spent with those people then. A couple days? A couple weeks? How had they gone so long without once hearing about me or what I did? None of that mattered to me. They never asked me too much about myself, and I'd given them a fake name, just to be safe. I'd gotten rid of any form of ID I had back then, so they had no means of running my name by the police, and risk bringing them and the Heroes down on me. They easily could've gone to them and reported finding a homeless girl for social services to look into…but perhaps their better nature made them realize I was a runaway, and therefore had good reason not to go back home.

'They just saw me as a cute, precious little thing to take care of and cherish…and for a while, I actually felt like this was a new chance for me. As long as I could have this connection to someone…especially him…I felt like I could actually be happy, be able to love someone and be loved back. I could swear I saw Anders-kun's adorable face turn red more than once when he looked at me. That alone was enough to get my heart simply rushing…but one day, when he was cutting fruit for me…oh, the blood that came from his finger then…I just knew then that it was meant to be, no matter how much I kept trying to tell myself not to do anything too hasty. I'd let myself believe that I'd gotten this second chance by trying to stuff my real desires back inside, and I would try to keep doing so, no matter what…but why…why did they just have to be so kind to me in all those ways?'

Her time with that family had been a true test to Himiko's willpower in her pursuit of the happy life of love she wanted; even more so than her thirst for true freedom. She was so convinced that both couldn't be obtained together then, because of who she was, and she wanted to be able to have love above all else. It was so clear that Anders liked her just as much as she liked him, and that thought had made her so happy; happier than she ever thought she'd be able to feel again.

Then came the evening that Per and Astrid had come home, bringing with them a gift that made Himiko so incredibly happy; an unmistakable sign that they had come to see her as a miraculous addition to their family in so little time, in their boundless generosity: a rescued little puppy who likewise had been left sheltered with no family to call its own. What girl wouldn't have felt an incredible sense of love for all those around her at being given such treatment for no deed of her own, but for simply being here? None that she could think of.

And she was more than happy to convey that incredible love to this little bundle that had been given to her to take care of and look after, later that very same night. The rushing of her heart and the warmth of her blood in her veins had simply made her desire to give and share in that love simply too powerful to resist…and the good thing about dogs is that they don't fight back if they detect no malice from someone, like this one didn't detect from her, for there was never malice in her truest actions.

But for Himiko, the best thing about these moments of blind love of hers, was that she was able to come back to reality and take in what was left for what it was…at least back then. Hence why she knew exactly what to do to cover her tracks the best she could, clean up the blood, and tuck away the knife she'd taken from the drawer that night. After all, who would be attentive enough to keep exact count of the drawer knives, as opposed to the ones in the cutting block?

That next morning, there of course had been plenty of tears to be shed from all in the house. It was no less genuine for her; she wouldn't be able to express that truest love for the little thing anymore, after all.

Knowing that the door to the family's garage had a faulty lock, it was easy for her to set up the scene to make it look like some random group of hoodlums had snuck into the garage last night, the dog had gone downstairs and opened the actual door to see who it was, and had ultimately suffered the price. The neighborhood street light cameras were even positioned well enough to make it seem like such thugs could have easily snuck in without being spotted. As far as Himiko was concerned, it was the perfect cover-up for her.

But what she hadn't counted on was just how on edge this incident would leave her so-called adopted family. Up until now, neither Per or Astrid had bothered to watch the news at night. But knowing that such a heinous and random act of violence had been committed on their own property had changed that, as this time they'd wanted to make sure the news reported the incident, in the hopes some law-abiding citizen in the neighborhood would see such suspicious individuals and have them arrested.

And in the process, they had ended up coming across a follow-up news report on none other than Himiko herself; reported as the violent middle school slasher who had disappeared and had yet to be caught.

'Who would've thought that in my one time, in however long it had been, of simply wanting to show my true love to something; that it ended up ruining my second chance? Even when I saw the looks on their faces, I was sure they would understand if I simply told them how I truly felt. After all, Anders-kun was usually asleep by then. I could just tell them the truth, and I could love my new family like everyone else loved theirs.'

And those three words were all Himiko ever had to say when she'd finally showed herself to them; hearing the news report on the TV from just around the corner; heard how the warmth and kindness in their language had suddenly vanished. But even then, she didn't dare let herself lose hope. After all, the love she felt for that puppy that night when she'd sucked its blood was unlike any love she'd felt before, ever since that boy in her middle school. If anyone deserved to feel her love to that degree, it was the people who had so kindly taken her in.

The desperate cries and screams for help never reached her ears. All Himiko could hear as she drank her fill was the pounding of all their hearts together; the warmth of their familial love rushing down her throat, nearly bathing her within it.

And that warm and loving sensation overwhelmed all of Himiko's senses, even when she heard the one remaining horrified scream from just behind her back…just before a frantic Anders had thrown himself on top of her the moment she'd turned back to face him.

But even as Himiko's euphoria of love was still filling all of her senses, to the point she couldn't even feel the frail but desperate blows of his fists repeatedly hammering at her face; it was the sensation of his tears raining down on her face, and the sound of his frantic cries as he tried to fight her, that ultimately broke through the haze; his words coming in loud and clear, language barrier or not: "Varför skulle du göra det här?! Jag hatar dig! (Why would you do this?! I hate you!)"

But even his own expressed hate did nothing to extinguish Himiko's own feelings of love. If anything, to see her blood and that of his parents upon Anders as he tried to fight her, only sent her heart racing that much more. And just like his parents, her repeated confessions of love were spoken truly from the bottom of her heart with every moment that she cut and bit into him, relishing in the trance-like ecstasy of sucking up the blood of someone who had her heart in its entirety.

And with every moment she drank of the three of them down there on that living room floor, Himiko Toga's mind was agonizingly split between the love rushing through her heart as she took their very essence into herself…and the agony of reflection upon what it was she'd actually done, and how she would now never be able to share that love, that connection with them ever again; these people that had so selflessly taken her in.

But these were the moments she knew left her feeling the most alive, the most at ease with herself and her place in the world. So why did the people she love have to die for her to feel this happy…and why did her happiness also make her feel so sad? Why did nobody understand that this was simply how she was, who she was? How was any of that fair for her? Why did she have to wear a painful mask just to fit in by everybody else's standards? Why did the pleasure of feeling true love for someone also hurt her so much?

These were the questions that echoed endlessly in Himiko's head as she drank of her beloved second family that night. And nobody who would have seen her in that moment would have understood the soul-splitting conflict raging in her heart.

Her fanged bloody smile as she breathed for air reflected the utmost happiness…while her piercing yellow eyes couldn't stop shedding a continuous flow of the most anguished tears she had ever shed in her life.

She ended up leaving and never coming back after that night. The sorrow she'd felt then had given her a newfound sense of clarity. She thought she'd be able to live the life filled with love that she always wanted by trying to play by everyone else's rules…but the inner peace and satisfaction she felt with herself when drinking the blood of those she loved was so much greater a sensation.

'That was when the most frustrating question that had plagued me my entire life, had finally given me its answer. I wasn't wrong for wanting to live my life the way I wanted; the way I knew would give me love and freedom in abundance. Society was wrong for trying to make me fit into a box I was never meant to fit into. But nobody out there who lived by society's rules would ever be able to understand me; that much was clear. So the only option that was left in order for me to achieve the fulfilling life of endless freedom and true love that I wanted and deserved, was to simply destroy that whole play set of stupid holes that people were forced into. Without those restrictions, nobody would have to pretend anymore…especially not me.'

With all of those memories playing repeatedly in the back of her mind as she stood victorious over her burning and floating opponents; that middle school boy's curly hair repeatedly flashing between black and green; and Anders' beautiful delicate face flashing between blue and green eyes and blonde and brown hair; Himiko looked up from her deadly and capable multi-Quirk wielding hands, all the way up to the astonished Chitose well over thirty feet in the air and helpless, joined by all the other warriors that had been unfortunate enough to get touched by her right hand.

As she looked directly into Himiko's eyes, even as they were hidden under the differing eyes of her two split disguises; Chitose's natural sense of self-preservation was overpowered by her natural curiosity: "But how?! Her Quirk profile clearly stated that the transformation is only external! Unless…she just powered up her Meta Ability! Fear of death actually allowed her to grow so exponentially; to not only adopt the Ability of one person's blood, but even more!"

KOFF! KOFF!

With another violent and bloody coughing fit, Himiko's two disguises finally began to melt away; her face now being split into thirds; with the upper right half of her head still being Ochako, the upper left half still being Mina, and the whole lower half of her head once more revealing her psychopathic wide fanged grin.

Remembering how she'd seen Ochako use her Quirk in action before; Himiko could only hope that the adoption of her ingested blood's Quirks equally expanded to all of her body, as she poised all ten of her fingers before each other, ready to bring them together, while looking upon the still sizzling and corrosive liquid she'd left all over the ground below. If Chitose and any of her warriors would be lucky enough to survive the fall, the Acid she left behind would definitely finish the job.

And so, looking up to meet Chitose's wide-eyed face for the last time, she finally gave the woman the answer she'd so long been looking for from her: "Nuh-uh. I just want to live, love, and die my way. My normal way. I wanna be even more like the people I love!"

TOUCH!

And in that moment that Himiko brought her fingers together; Chitose couldn't even feel the gravity suddenly return to her body. As she plummeted those multiple stories to the merciless and Acid-coated ground below, the only thing she could feel was how much her heart swelled from the sincerity in her closing words: "What a lovely quote…for this killer story!"

SP-SP-SP-SP-SPLAT!

And in a literal human rainstorm followed by a percussive rhythm of flesh and bone smashing into the ground and subsequently being burned away by Acid; Himiko Toga stood victorious over all of her enemies, just as the last of her two combined disguises finally finished melting away; leaving her smiling, breathless, and covered in blood and bruises of all colors.

But even as she basked in all the pretty different shades of red of all these splattered people's blood; Himiko knew deep down that she couldn't afford to sit idly. More warriors were bound to have seen this lot rise up into the air only to come smashing down. And on top of that, Vukodlak and Twice had both gotten snatched away because of her, and there was no telling what kind of situation they'd found themselves in by now.

And so, fighting her way through the pain of all her injuries, Himiko took off as fast as her body could allow; gasping for breath with every step. "Hehe…I'm a mess…really, really hurt…just like Izuku…just like Kolya-kun…these idiots…it's better not to kill 'em…best leave 'em for the big lug to take care of…but…I have no choice…right? Because…we need to protect…whatever we love; right, Sensei? Jin? And whatever we hate…deserves to be destroyed…right, Tomura?"

There it is! I hope this all entertained and moved you in some way. It was a very exciting experience finally writing with this much focus on Himiko for once, really trying to build on her backstory in a way that made sense and really spoke to just how unfairly society treated her with its expectations far more than once.

If you liked what you read here, I'd really appreciate it if you could maybe leave a review with your thoughts and feelings on this chapter.

With the weather starting to warm up as summer approaches more and more, I hope you all are getting ready to have fun. Either way, I will see you all with the next chapter on 04/22!