"Didn't expect to see you in person."
"I just wanted to see you with my very own eyes is all."
"That's it? This better not be a trap. I have powerful backers and deep connections if you were to try anything."
"You should know that's not my style at all."
"Don't try to play dumb with me. I know you. Doing things like that and saying things like this is exactly your style."
"Touché. It seems you are well informed."
"Need to be in my field. Let's just cut to the chase. What do you want?"
"Why else would anyone approach you? The usual."
"It's gonna cost you."
"You said you know me. Money is not an issue at all."
"I want triple."
"Double."
"Triple."
"Triple. But you have to throw in something extra. Something confirmable."
"Fine. Do you have the money on you right now?"
"I don't even know how much they are paying you right now. How would I have the money on me?"
"Just answer the question."
"Yes. I have the money. But first, the info?"
The voice grunted. "They have a kid. Someone who slipped through the cracks and wants revenge. They want to use him as another spy. Don't fall for it."
"A spy you say. Do you have a name or description of the boy?"
"It's gonna cost you."
"I believe that should be included in the triple, should it not? And besides, how can I know if your intel is true?"
"You should know how I work. My intel is never wrong. Can't be known as unreliable in this kind of business."
"Very well. I will keep an eye out on suspicious kids of vague backgrounds. What about your other assignment?"
"It's going as you paid for. It needs time."
"I expect good things from you. You should know this is a rather urgent matter."
"Tsk. Don't rush me."
"Very well, do your thing. I'll leave the money here for you as I take my leave. Have a good day."
"Sure."
"And then, Sora gave me a little kitty keychain! It's soooooooo cute! Here, look!"
Today was a special day. Tomo had managed to race out of class as soon as it ended to run to his little sister's school to pick her up and walk her back home. Miyu's birthday was a special time for their family and the one they spent the most effort in making memorable. As such, Tomo and Miyu made a stop at the ice cream store before making their way back to UA.
"Very cute, Miyu," Tomo replied as he inspected the keychain his sister handed to him.
"I think he likes me…" she suddenly added.
"I hope you're talking about this cat," Tomo said sternly, despite already knowing who she was referring to. "You're too young to be thinking about boys like that."
"Nuh uh! Toru used to ask me about boys all the time. Since you're here instead of her, you're the replacement!"
"I refuse to be a part of this," Tomo interrupted. "I don't want to think about you and boys right now. Come on, we can't spend too much time outside the campus or else someone will come looking for us."
Miyu dragged her feet along slowly with a sigh. "Can… can we stay out for a bit longer…?"
"Miyu," Tomo began softly. He knew where she was coming from. Because of their family situation, their mobility was rather restricted during the daytime. The target on their backs was too high to risk staying out for too long. "You know the rules. If we're not back within thirty minutes, UA will come searching for us. We were allowed an hour today instead of thirty minutes because of the special occasion, but we shouldn't test their patience and keep them waiting."
"But!" Miyu tried. "Just a little bit longer! Please!"
Tomo sighed. "We can walk slowly, but we should still be moving." Tomo's suspicions were rising. His sister seemed very insistent on being outside longer than allowed, and he figured it wasn't because she didn't want to go home. Her eyes continuously wandered to their environment as if she were waiting for something. Or, searching for someone. He had a good guess as to who she was waiting for. He didn't have the heart to tell her that they were already being monitored by a hero and that the chance of Toru coming to meet them was nonexistent.
Eventually, their allotted time for their ice cream break was over and the pair made it back towards their new family home within the UA campus. Tomo felt his heart beating in his chest as he approached his home. The last time he had spoken to his mother, they had a nasty argument and they had yet to apologize to each other. Since then, he did his best to avoid seeing her, citing his school and hero work as excuses to stay away. It was a terrible excuse that made Tomo feel like he was being a terrible son, but the shame was too much for him to meet her eyes. Tonight was going to be another night that he would return home without his twin, and Tomo couldn't bear the look in his mother's eyes every time she saw him. He could immediately tell she would think of Toru upon seeing his face. Nonetheless, he steeled his nerves. Today was about Miyu and there was no way he would ruin this day for her.
"SURPRISE!"
The siblings' eyes widened. UA's policy since the betrayal had been focused on tight security with no outsiders allowed unless they had important business or with certain exceptions. Miyu's birthday did not fall under either category, so none of her school friends had been allowed to celebrate with her in their home, and the curfew imposed on them meant they planned to spend the day with just them and their mother. While they expected their home to be decorated for Miyu's birthday, neither of them expected the entirety of class 1-A to also be waiting inside and ready for the party.
"Welcome home!" greeted their mother, Fuyuko, with a giant smile on her face.
Tomo didn't miss the fact that she warmly smiled at him as well as she spoke. He smiled in return.
"You must be Miyu! I've heard so much about you! I'm Mina Ashido. You can just call me Mina!"
"I'm Ochaco Uraraka! You're such a cutie! It's nice to meet you!"
"I'm Izuku Midoriya!"
The stream of introductions poured out of his classmates as they greeted Miyu. Miyu, to her credit, tried her very best to greet them back, but the sheer number of names seemingly overwhelmed her as her face flushed from all the attention.
"Everyone! Please give Miyu some space as she acclimates herself to the situation! We need to set an example as UA students on how to properly run a party, and overwhelming our guest of honor is not the way to proceed" commanded Iida in his usual manner. He then turned to Tomo. "Hagakure, please take this time to relax yourself and enjoy a night with your friends as well. Don't worry about handling the logistics of this party. Leave it to us."
"What?" Tomo asked. "It's my sister's birthday. I should be the one hosting you guys, not the other way around."
Kirishima wrapped an arm around Tomo's shoulder. "Relax bro. You deserve a break too. We saw how hard you've been working these past few months. You earned a night off."
"Besides," Jiro added. "You missed out on the school festival so think of this as your own way to wind down."
"You've flipped your sleeping schedule, right?" inquired Tokoyami. "I recall hearing you mentioning that so you can stay up with the rest of us tonight."
"Yeah, come on dude," added Kaminari. "We can't have you looking so stressed all the time. Just let go for tonight."
"You guys…" Tomo began, voice choked with emotion. It was as they were speaking to him that Tomo felt his body slowly begin to release all the pent up stress he had been holding in the past few weeks and months. He had been tirelessly working towards bettering himself so that he wouldn't fail again. His classmates were right; he needed a night off.
And so, the rest of the evening was lively. Music, food, and games were all enjoyed by the Hagakure family and 1-A students. Everyone celebrated Miyu's birthday with a large cake and spent the night relaxing without worrying about the stress of everyones' lives. Miyu got a birthday present from each of Tomo's classmates, each of which she thanked with a wide smile on her face, as she spoiled herself with her cake and favorite snacks.
Tomo himself enjoyed the evening with his friends and tried to forget about his problems as best as he could, but the significance of the day always lingered in the back of his mind.
"How are you doing?" Fuyuko greeted softly.
Tomo turned to her with a half shrug. He had taken a moment for himself to get some fresh air and stood out on their balcony and stared at the city beneath UA. "Everything's great. The party is fun and I'm glad Miyu gets to enjoy the day with everyone but…"
"That's not what I asked. I asked how you are doing."
"I'm fine, Mom. Really."
"Tomo…"
"Mom, I don't want to argue again tonight."
"That isn't why I came here sweetie. It's just… you know what today is. I wanted to make sure you're doing alright"
"Yeah, I know…" Tomo croaked out. While today was Miyu's birthday, it was also the day of his father's death. Toru not being here as well only added to the somberness he was feeling.
Fuyuko pulled Tomo into a side hug. "I'm sorry for yelling at you back then. I know you're going through a lot and we all process things in our own way. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."
Tomo leaned into her. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I was the one who got mad over nothing in the first place. And then I ran away from the house with lame excuses and wasn't here to support you while Toru was gone… That's not the kind of hero I want to be, so I'm sorry for not being here."
"I know. It's okay."
Tomo shook his head. "That's the thing. It's not okay. It shouldn't be okay. I'm the one who was with Toru when it happened. I shouldn't have let her slip from me. I'm the one who should bring her back. I'm the one who keeps failing to bring her back. It's just so…"
"I know, sweetie. And I still say, it's okay."
Tomo shut his eyes tightly. "Do you think she's out there? Right now? Looking up at the same sky that we are? Do you think she remembers that it's Miyu's birthday today? Do you think she wants to be here? Does she even care?"
"I'm sure she knows," Fuyuko replied softly. "I don't know what's going on in her mind anymore, I'll admit, but one thing that I do know is that she desperately regrets not being able to be here with us tonight. Just like I also know we will get her back soon. Call it a mother's intuition."
"I'll do my best, Mom."
"I know you will, Tomo. I know you will."
While that night, Toru herself never appeared, a mysterious and innocent-looking package did arrive in the mail addressed to Miyu. After its content was thoroughly searched and traced, the dead-end trail of its origin meant they could do nothing but accept the package, or throw it out. UA decided to overlook the mysterious origins of the package for once and let Miyu keep the cat plushie that may or may not have been a present from someone. Attached to it was a note. "To my little angel. I'll see you soon."
"Hey."
Toru watched as Transfusion walked in through the front door and greeted the rest of them. The newest member of their team was always quiet, so a greeting from him was strange.
"Hey," she replied while keeping her eye on him suspiciously.
"Where's Dabi?"
"Around here somewhere. Why? Do you need him?"
"I do."
"I'll get him," Toru replied.
"I heard him. What is it?" Dabi called out as he walked into the room.
"I've been bought out," Transfusion stated bluntly.
"Bought out?" Toru asked.
Transfusion nodded. "Principal Nezu met up with me. Offered me triple what you guys are paying me to switch sides. I accepted."
Dabi's flames burst to life. "And you're telling us this, why?"
Transfusion seemed unfazed by the threat. "Because I'm a man of honor. I feel like it's only right for me to inform you of this so that you can give me a better counter offer."
"And what if I decide to burn you into ashes right here and now?" Dabi challenged, flames growing.
"You can try," Transfusion replied coolly. "But you know about my organization, right? Killing me doesn't matter. I don't matter. Those of us in the shadows don't matter. Take one of us down and the gap will always get filled. You knew this when you brought me on. If you take me out here, you'll be violating our contract and my organization will seek retribution, and believe me, they will always win."
"This is why I didn't want to bring these guys on," Dabi muttered to himself. He put his flames out. "Fine, whatever. You got offered triple? You know we can't match that, so why are you wasting your time here?"
Transfusion smiled. "Because I have an offer for you myself. If you recall, I was there in your little reconnaissance mission with the Meta Liberation Army along with Shinechaser, Twice, and Toga. I know what you're up against."
"Yeah, big deal. So?" Dabi asked. "We know we can crush them easily."
"So why haven't you?" Transfusion asked with a knowing smirk. "I know the answer. You're unsure. I saw their numbers and I know your numbers. Despite your destructive powers, the odds aren't in your favor. And, to top it all off, your boss isn't here so you guys don't want to make a big move without his approval."
"We just don't want Tomura to miss out on the fun is why," Toga said from a corner of the room. "I know he wouldn't want to miss out on this."
"Regardless," Transfusion continued, ignoring her. "The Meta Liberation Army has Giran captured. Well, it so happens that Giran is a part of the same organization as me; it was him who recommended me to Tomura Shigaraki in the first place. As I just explained, if this Meta Liberation Army wants to take out Giran, the rest of us in the shadows will be obligated to seek retribution. You guys want to get him back too, correct? It just so happens that our goals are aligned at the moment. So, here's my offer. You pay me double and get Giran back and crush this Meta Liberation group, and I'll tell Nezu that I refuse his offer. Sounds good?"
"That's too easy of a deal. Why are you really making this offer?" Dabi asked skeptically.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I find myself agreeing with Dabi," Toru added. "I thought you always went where the money went. If Nezu is offering you more, why gimp yourself on the money? As you said, if Giran were to die, someone else would just avenge him. It doesn't have to be you specifically to get him back."
"Come on, I'm not that heartless," Transfusion replied indignantly. "It's true that none of us matter, but that doesn't mean I would throw Giran to the wolves for no reason if I could help it. And while it is true that I go where the money is, and I don't have a horse in this race between you and the heroes, I do find myself rooting for the underdogs. I don't trust the heroes all that well, and Nezu even more in particular, but I know what I'm getting into when I negotiate with you guys. So while it's true that the rat is offering me more money, I find your mission a more interesting investment. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?"
"You stay out here. The rest of you, with me," Dabi ordered as he walked towards their meeting room. The rest of the League followed him.
"Thoughts? I know I call myself the boss here while the real boss is gone, but this isn't something we should do without consideration."
"I like the deal." Twice replied first. "Giran's my friend and we don't leave our friends behind."
"I agree. If we can't save one of our own, then what's the point?" Mr. Compress added.
"But Giran isn't one of our own. It's as Transfusion said: his allegiance isn't to us first; it's to his organization," Spinner countered.
"About that. We should find out more about this organization he talks about. I don't like how powerful he's making it seem," Dabi muttered.
"Well. I don't trust him all too well," Toru began. "If he's dealing with Nezu, we need to be careful. Nezu is known for his intelligence and he wouldn't leave such a connection like this with Transfusion to chance. He must have backups or this could just be a big trap."
"We should just kill him," Toga said off-handedly. "I can pose as him for a while until Tomura comes back complete and then we wouldn't have to care about the consequences. We'll be unstoppable."
"What about you, brat? What do you think?" Dabi asked towards the youngest member of the group. All eyes turned towards Minato, who had been quietly standing off to the side.
"Me?" the boy said shakily. "I don't know…"
"Nevermind, why did I bother," Dabi interrupted.
"Hold on, let him speak. He's one of us as much as the rest of you," Toru defended.
Minato seemed to shrink even more into himself.
"It's alright. We won't hurt you for speaking your mind. If you're gonna be one of us, you should have a say in what we do as well," Toru said nicely.
"If this Giran guy is as important to you guys as you say he is, we shouldn't leave him behind. No one should be left behind. We should save him," Minato answered slowly.
Dabi grunted. "Fine. I agree. Leaving Giran behind does rub me the wrong way so we'll play along and see what happens. I want all of you to keep an eye on Transfusion. Shinechaser does have a good point. He could still be working with Nezu, but we don't have much of a choice in this I guess."
"You sure we can't just kill him?" Toga asked. "We can just imprison him and his Quirk means his blood supply regenerates quickly so I would have a steady supply of it to continue posing as him. It's a good plan."
"Transfusion is suspicious, I agree, but he isn't our enemy," Dabi replied. "Not yet, at least. A healing Quirk is rare and valuable and we should do our best to keep him on our side. He's willing to work with us despite being offered triple, so we should at least entertain him and work with him for now."
"And besides," Spinner added. "He's willing to help us take out the Meta Liberation Army. Having a healer on our side will help a great deal against their numbers. I'm sure the boss would also appreciate this obstacle being gone when he comes back so that we can focus on the bigger picture."
"Agreed."
"Alright, get ready everyone," Dabi commanded. "I want all of you to get prepared to crush the Meta Liberation Army. After that, it'll be the heroes."
A/N: Thanks for reading.
