Chapter 43
.::Cats and Birds::.
Hitoshi would be lying if he claimed he'd never felt more uncomfortable than he did right now, but in the moment he found it pretty hard to believe that.
That evening had started normal enough. After dinner (which was always a stressful affair for him), Midoriya came by with Bakugou to talk strategy. Just to be safe they'd loaded up Mario Kart and took turns playing it while discussing their plans. Since they only had two controllers Hitoshi ended up letting them play for the most part, seeing as the damn muzzle kept him from communicating while holding the controller. It kind of spoiled the mood for him, reminding him even more of his predicament.
Still, playing it turned to be a good idea in the end because during the third round Shigaraki fucking Tomura had suddenly entered the room. Apparently he'd gotten curious about them playing Mario Kart so much and wanted to check it out. And then the villain had joined them, even going out of his way to retrieve two more controllers so all four of them could play.
Which brought them to the present.
"Tch, stupid banana peels," Shigaraki grumbled, glaring at the TV screen with a look of intense concentration as his racer swerved around a peel. Hitoshi felt his heart pounding as his own racer trailed not far behind, shooting Midoriya a look of 'why the actual fuck would you use that!?' behind the villain's back. Did he really want to risk pissing Shigaraki off!? To his credit the green-haired boy looked sheepish at the look, and mouthed a silent "sorry" but it did little to assuage Hitoshi's frayed nerves.
Never had Hitoshi felt so tense playing a game. Not because he wanted to win, but because he really didn't want to piss off the villain by doing so. He had no idea what could trigger Shigaraki, and judging by how rigid Bakugou looked he felt the same. Their competitive streak had taken a backseat, each now more focused on not pissing off Shigaraki.
The only one who looked remotely comfortable was Midoriya, and even then he still shot them guilty looks since he'd been the one who (very enthusiastically) agreed to Shigaraki joining them. Those guilty looks did little to assuage Hitoshi's bad mood.
To be fair, Hitoshi knew that Midoriya had no reason to protest. As far as Shigaraki was concerned they were brothers and had a really good bond, and Midoriya needed to keep up that image no matter how he might feel. The green-haired boy had plastered on a big smile as he exclaimed how fun it would be to play with "Tomu-nii and my friends" at the offer, and then briefly hyperventilated after Shigaraki left to retrieve the controllers.
Honestly, it was a miracle Shigaraki hadn't picked up on anyone else's tension. Sitting so close to the man brought back memories of that first day when Hitoshi woke up here, of the panic at realizing he couldn't move his jaw. His grip tightened on the controller as he shoved away the memory, trying to ignore the now-familiar feeling of metal against his face.
The race ended with Midoriya snagging first place. Even he looked shocked by this development, considering he tended to finish closer to last. "How?" he whispered, sounding genuinely confounded. Shigaraki just snorted, lips pulling into an ugly scowl as he started to reach for his neck with his good hand before stopping himself.
"It's because those two are holding back," he grumbled, and Hitoshi tensed. Shit, he did notice, and it clearly pissed him off. He held his breath, but Shigaraki didn't bother even looking at him as he spoke. "Screw it, let's play a different game."
"We only have Mario Kart in here though," Midoriya said feebly, and Shigaraki got up with a grunt.
"Then I'll get some others. Wait here." He didn't wait for a response before leaving, and as soon as the door closed all three teens slumped in their seats.
"Shit, being so close to that fucker is hell for my nerves," Bakugou grumbled, and Hitoshi had to agree.
"I'm so sorry guys," Midoriya said, but they knew he couldn't do anything. None of them had predicted Shigaraki would want to play with them, but then again, the villain probably wanted to bond with Midoriya some more. They should have realized it was a possibility and planned for it.
Had he not been so on edge, Hitoshi might have suggested using this to their advantage and try to get on the villain's good side. Getting his trust would only help them in the long run. As it stood though, he was busy enough just trying not to have a panic attack. He hated this mess, he just wanted to go home and never worry about this ever again.
The door opened and the villain returned with more games. "Alright, I got Meteor Mine, Lunaris Dream, Peek-a-Boo and Neko Café Manager. Which one do you want to play?" The selection got some odd looks from the teens. Hitoshi had heard of them, and they didn't seem like Shigaraki's taste at all. Meteor Mine was about mining in space, Lunaris Dream was some sort of multiplayer puzzle platform game, Peek-a-Boo had you playing as ghosts spooking people, and Neko Café Manager was, well, managing a café manned by cats.
The others seemed to agree, and Midoriya voiced the question on everyone's minds. "Why those?"
"Because your party is too wimpy to actually try in PVP, and these games have us work together," Shigaraki replied testily, and ah. He'd been annoyed by them holding back, so he found a compromise that would let them play without playing against each other. Hitoshi felt a bit sheepish, but honestly relieved. Working together would be much better for his nerves.
A few rounds of Neko Café Manager later, he retracted his thought.
"Deku, hurry up and fill that coffee already!" Bakugou yelled in frustration.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Midoriya responded, and then yelped, "Tomura, the cake!"
"Shit!" Shigaraki hissed, his avatar rushing back to the oven where the cake burned. Meanwhile Hitoshi just focused intently on prepping all the cookie ingredients currently on the counter before whisking it away to another counter to shove in another oven and send it out. He had to maneuver around Bakugou's character on the return, the blond cursing as they spent precious seconds getting around each other.
Tension had risen in the room once more for entirely different reasons now, everyone focused on trying to keep up with the demand. The game had them not only preparing food but also tending to customers before they got annoyed and left, making for a hectic pace. When the time ran out all of them quietly sighed and let themselves relax. For a game about running a café staffed by cute cats, it turned out to be more difficult than Hitoshi had expected.
That just made the three stars that appeared on the screen all the more satisfying.
"Damn right we got three stars," Bakugou said with a vicious grin. "We're fucking awesome!"
"Let's see if we can keep up the streak for next round," Shigaraki said, and all of them nodded and picked up their controllers as he selected the next level. Midoriya hummed when the preview image showed the inside of a boat on water with colorful lanterns lining the tables.
"Oh, looks like we're on a boat this time!" he said. "That's neat!"
Hitoshi swore he felt a sudden pang of dread at those words, a cold chill of foreboding prickling down his spine as the level loaded. It only grew as the water grew darker and less calm, all of them growing more serious and focused as they noted the change.
Soon enough that dread proved well-founded, as a sudden flash of lightning had rain pouring over the level. "Is the furniture SLIDING!?" Midoriya yelped. Hitoshi made a muffled sound of annoyance as the trashcan in the kitchen started sliding away, forcing him to chase after it to dump a plate. It seemed everything but the kitchen counters, dining tables and occupied chairs were liable to move.
"DAMMIT, THE CUSTOMERS ARE LEAVING FASTER!" Bakugou yelled as one of the customers got up and left, the timers above their heads running down quicker than before. He cursed even more when in the few seconds he spent moving around an empty chair that slid away from its table, the oven he'd been rushing towards started burning.
The chaotic scramble only grew from there, more and more ovens catching fire as they scrambled to navigate around the shifting furniture and talk to customers before the rain made them leave. Halfway through the level the storm died down and the kitchen and dining area no longer had shifting furniture, which was probably the only reason they didn't all succumb to the stress. The customers' timers didn't return to normal though, keeping the sense of urgency present.
When the round finally ended they all slumped in their seats with exhausted groans. Then they all glared and shouted when only two stars showed up on the screen.
"Oh, come on!" Shigaraki growled. "We totally should've had three stars!"
"We did let a lot of stuff burn," Midoriya pointed out meekly. "And also missed a few orders after the storm started..." Shigaraki scowled and grumbled under his breath.
"We're doing a redo," he ordered, and they all nodded, sitting up straighter and focusing on the screen with renewed determination. This time they managed to navigate the level better since they knew what to expect, and the three stars at the end gave them all a surge of satisfaction. From that point on, keeping those three stars proved harder and harder though, and they had to replay some levels a few times to finally get it.
Eventually, during their fourth time replaying a level that involved dodging lava (don't ask) the door suddenly opened, startling them all. "Dammit!" Shigaraki hissed as a pot caught on fire, while Hitoshi twisted to see... was that guy made of mist?
"I apologize for the interruption, but it is almost curfew," the stranger intoned flatly. "It is time for Bakugou to return to his room." Shigaraki growled in irritation, while Midoriya just looked surprised.
"Already?" he asked, and frowned as he glanced back at the screen. "I guess we all lost track of time from playing, it's not like there's a clock in here, so..." He trailed off as they watched the timer run out on the level.
"Shit," Shigaraki muttered as a single star appeared, but Hitoshi barely paid any attention. He was more focused on the furry black bundle in the misty guy's arms, slowly reaching for his phone and opening the text-to-speech app.
"Is that a cat?" the electronic voice asked, getting everyone's attention. Midoriya perked up as he belatedly noticed the bundle of fur held by the newcomer.
"It is," Mist Guy confirmed, and gave what Hitoshi thought was a pointed look at Shigaraki.
"Oh, right," he muttered, reaching for his neck with his good hand before flinching and quickly lowering it. "Forgot about that."
"Forgot about what?" Midoriya asked, and the villain grunted as he got up, walking over to stand by the other man.
"Kurogiri says that humans aren't actually pets and that might be 'traumatic,'" he rolled his eyes, "so he suggested we get you a cat." He gestured to the feline who poked its head up with a soft mew, and Hitoshi was officially in love.
"Oh, I... see?" Midoriya sounded faintly confused, but then quickly offered the mist guy—Kurogiri, and how did Hitoshi not figure that out?—a smile as he walked over to take the cat. "Thanks, Kurogiri." He returned to the bed and sat next to Hitoshi, allowing him to see the cat up close. It looked a little older than a newborn kitten but not quite full grown yet, mostly black with some white on the toes almost like little socks and bright blue eyes.
Yep, Hitoshi loved this cat.
He reached out to scratch its chin, the feline accepting the touch easily. Even Blasty seemed to like the cat too; at the very least, he wasn't scowling at it. He had a weirdly soft frown, if you could call it that, as he half-glared at the cat. "What should we name it?" Midoriya asked.
"Her name is Sushi," Kurogiri interjected, and they all paused.
"What kind of name is Sushi?" Bakugou questioned incredulously. Kurogiri didn't bother responding to the question.
"Since Shigaraki forgot to tell you," he said instead, shooting another pointed look at the villain, "we'll delay curfew another few minutes so you can get acquainted with Sushi."
"Hah, the games were more interesting," Shigaraki muttered dismissively. "You guys aren't bad, for casuals." Midoriya had to all but throw Sushi into Hitoshi's lap so he could grab Bakugou before the blond could launch at him. Luckily the villain either didn't notice the attempted attack or didn't care, not bothering to look back as he headed to the door. "Later." Hitoshi nodded absently, attention focused on the purring feline in his lap, while Midoriya watched for a moment before releasing his grip on Bakugou's arms and standing up.
"Hey, Tomura-nii?" he called hesitantly, and the villain paused, turning to eye him questioningly. Hitoshi would have frozen under that stare, finding the man's gaze unnerving even if he wasn't actively glaring or trying to be menacing. Midoriya had none of that fear though, just calmly meeting the older male's gaze as he asked, "Um, c-can Hijack maybe be allowed to leave his room?"
Hitoshi was so busy petting Sushi and marveling at Midoriya's ability to maintain his cool that it took a second for the question to register, and once it did he did an actual double-take. His head swiveled to look back at the villain, freezing when he found narrow red eyes focused at him. He felt like a deer in the headlights, only able to stare back wide-eyed until Shigaraki finally turned back to Midoriya.
"Why?" he asked shortly, and Midoriya started to fidget nervously.
"W-well, it's just, we're just getting along really well now, right? We're really becoming friends. But, this room is so—so small. And, and it's not fair that he's stuck in here while Kacchan and I can walk around whenever we want. So I thought maybe he could be allowed to walk around too, y'know. And I don't expect you to agree to let us wander around unsupervised!" he added hastily. "I figure we could have the same rules as Kacchan, and... leave the muzzle," he finished lamely.
The last part made Hitoshi almost wince, all-too-aware of the metal pressing against his face. Even so he still turned back to Shigaraki though, waiting for his response eagerly. The villain continued to eye Izuku silently, his expression impossible to read, but finally, after what felt like hours, he nodded.
"Fine," he said simply, and Hitoshi felt his breath leave all at once.
What? Did he just... agree?
"He can't leave without an adult though," Shigaraki continued gruffly. "And no, Toga does not count. He's got the same curfew as the explosive brat, but you can't let him anywhere near your phone or laptop. Got it?"
"Got it!" Midoriya agreed with a bob of his head, a bright smile breaking across his face. "Thank you so much, Tomu-nii!" Shigaraki just grunted as he turned and left, not bothering to say good bye to Hitoshi or Bakugou. The misty guy moved aside to let him out and followed him, leaving the other two teens to linger a few moments more in privacy along with Sushi.
Once they left Midoriya let his smile fall and his shoulders slumped tiredly. "Sorry you both had to deal with that," he apologized quietly. "I know you guys don't want to spend any time around him..." That was the understatement of the century, but Hitoshi just settled for a half-hearted shrug.
"It's fine, not like you could tell him to buzz off," Bakugou muttered, and paused before adding, "That was... fun." He looked like he had to force himself to admit the words, his face screwing up in irritation at it. Had Hitoshi not been muzzled, he probably would have made some smart-ass comment like, "Aw, so you do like us."
As it stood though, he still felt mildly shocked by how the evening had actually ended. He just stared at Midoriya, wishing he could say something but not knowing what. The green-haired boy met his gaze and smiled feebly. "Uh, well, at least we got him to agree to letting you out, right?"
Even if he hadn't been muzzled Hitoshi doubted he'd know what to say, for now he could only nod in agreement. He could leave. Starting tomorrow, he could finally leave this room, finally explore the base. He wasn't free, he couldn't go outside and he'd have to be shadowed by villains, and he still had the damn muzzle, but—
He was one step closer to freedom.
Sushi released a plaintive meow, reminding them she existed. Hitoshi resumed scratching behind her ears, getting a content purr in response. Contentment flowed through him at the cat's pleasure, feeling some of the tension fade from his shoulders. For his part Midoriya smiled, looking a little relieved and happy as he watched them.
"And now we got a cat," he added, and there was a brief pause as the gravity of the situation settled over them. They now had a cat. Another living being completely dependent on them for survival in this hellhole full of villains and other evil people.
"...We're gonna have to smuggle it out too, aren't we?" Bakugou asked flatly.
"Yep," Midoriya said with a sigh. "At least it'll be easier than breaking out Eraserhead... We can probably just carry Sushi inside a bag or something."
"Are we gonna keep calling it that stupid name?"
"I mean, I don't have any better ideas. Hijack?" Midoriya glanced at him but Hitoshi just shrugged, attention fully focused on Sushi again. He had spent years wanting to name a cat and had a full list of options, but now that he actually had one he was totally content to just go with whatever.
That, and he'd rather not upset Kurogiri. The man seemed calm, he'd rather not risk finding out what he was like if he had a temper.
"...Tch, whatever," Bakugou scoffed. "I don't care anyway. Keep the dumb name or whatever. But just a heads up, that Magician Reject is probably going to insist on giving us a tour again. Just be ready for it." Hitoshi perked to attention and nodded more seriously now. He didn't know which villain was the "Magician Reject" but he remembered they specifically mentioned some guy named "Mr. Compress" had led the tour so he assumed that was him.
It occurred to him that despite Midoriya filling them in on the Alliance's members and their Quirks, he still had no idea what each one looked like. He hadn't seen any villains besides Shigaraki, Toga and a handful of thugs whom he'd rather not think about. Everyone in this place was an unfamiliar stranger—no, more than that, they were all threats.
As of tomorrow, he'd be walking straight into enemy territory. He had no idea how they would react to a vigilante walking around, even if he had another villain shadowing him. The thought filled him with a pang of dread, but at the same time he'd be able to leave this fucking cell. That alone was enough to make him overcome his anxiety.
Still, the realization was sobering, and he pulled Sushi a little closer while Midoriya began mumbling to himself. "Well, this is a big step at least. I guess the next step will be to convince them to let you guys visit Eraserhead with me...? They might be against it since they still don't trust either of you much, but at the same time Eraserhead obviously can't do anything, so they might let it slide... And if you guys are part of my 'party' it'd only make sense I'd want to let you see my... my pet, I guess, even if I hate using that term..."
Hitoshi lost track of the quiet rambling, attention instead drawn to Bakugou who quietly growled in irritation. "We'll figure out more details later," he muttered lowly, and Hitoshi nodded back before the blond turned to Midoriya. "Oi, Deku! Save the mumbling for later! We need to go before the misty fucker gets tired of waiting and barges back in!"
His sharp rebuke served to snap Midoriya out of his trance-like state, startling back into reality as he glanced at the door. "O-oh, right... Yeah, you're right. Kurogiri's probably waiting for us to take you back to your cell. I guess we'll see you tomorrow, Hijack," he added, turning back to Hitoshi. "Oh, do you want us to leave Sushi?"
Hitoshi didn't feel like picking up a whiteboard or using the phone to respond, so he silently settled for a nod, waving with the hand not currently stroking Sushi. Midoriya gave him a meek, half-hearted smile as he returned it with a nod of his own, letting it fade as he headed to the door while quietly muttering to himself once more. Hitoshi didn't bother trying to listen this time, instead turning to Bakugou who had looked his way while following the green-haired boy.
"See you tomorrow," he said with a nod, and Hitoshi nodded back. It was a brisk sort of farewell, but coming from the temperamental blond it was pretty nice considering he didn't use any nicknames this time. The door closed behind them and Hitoshi heard the familiar click of the lock, at which point he flopped onto his back with a sigh.
...He hated this.
He hated being stuck here.
He hated having no say in his future, no choice in his meals or where he could go or what he could do. He hated having only a couple of random books and a pilfered Switch to keep himself occupied, hated that this room had become his entire world, that he couldn't do anything but sit around and wait for Midoriya to finally visit. He hated that he couldn't get himself out of this situation, that it had taken Midoriya to finally get him out of this tiny cell, and that he still needed to wait for Midoriya to save him.
The only remotely decent thing to come out of this mess was that he now had a cat, but even that was a small consolation. The cat belonged to Midoriya, not him, and even if it did belong to him it could be used against him. Not by Midoriya—he'd been around the other boy long enough to realize he didn't have a single malicious bone in his body—but these people were called the Villain Alliance for a reason.
Hitoshi wouldn't go as far to say he wanted to go home, only because he hadn't had a place he could call "home" in years. He'd been living on the streets constantly on the move since middle school, never staying in one place for long enough to get comfortable.
But he had some cities he liked, some that had become familiar even as he kept moving from building to building. Cities where he had earned trust from strangers as he saved them time and time again, where he'd found people he could trust. People he'd come to view as friends, as family, who had proven themselves trustworthy time and time again, and supported his drive to do good even if he couldn't go to school to become a Pro Hero anymore.
He wanted to get out, find them, and then get the hell away from here. He would happily give up his life as a vigilante if it meant never having to wear this damn muzzle ever again.
He never should have come back to Nabu.
Right now, Dabi felt grateful he could not will fire into existence just by looking at things. He felt grateful because if he could, his phone would be nothing but a pile of ash, and probably take his hand with it considering the device was currently in his palm.
Once again, Shouto rejected his call.
Dabi had mostly stopped trying to call the damn brat because at this point he didn't expect it to change, but it still pissed him off. He was this close to sending a text message demanding he say something to at least confirm he was alive, but leaving a written trail like that would be too risky. Call him paranoid, but he'd learned that paranoia saved lives in this messed-up world.
On top of that, he now had a second brat to worry about. The girl he'd met on Friday had finally texted him to let him know she'd made it to Nabu safely. And he was damn glad about it. He'd been about to make some calls to get someone to make sure she hadn't gotten herself killed when the text arrived, sparing him from a guaranteed headache. He'd prefer to have heard her, but he doubted villains would bother texting a random number claiming to be her.
(Also, he'd finally realized he did know the name Midoriya Izuku. It had been years since he'd heard it, but if that girl said she was now staying with his sister... She was safe. Kinda. Probably.)
(...Eh, as long as she didn't stray into a lab or try to hurt the other kid, Aiko wouldn't kill her and that was good enough.)
So now, that left just one issue: Shouto.
His lips curled into a scowl at the thought. He knew the kid wouldn't answer his phone any time soon, and he still had no leads on where to find the damn brat. At this point, Dabi had to admit defeat. Searching for him on his own wasn't working, it was time to call in help. Dabi had three people he absolutely trusted, and all of whom he'd rather not call for varying reasons.
If he had any choice, he'd just avoid them entirely, but he'd exhausted all other options. He'd already taken the plunge and called one, which was why he currently sat on a box on the rooftop of a warehouse on an old wharf at ten at night. Believe him, he didn't want to be sitting next to the ocean was it was below freezing; the cold breeze coming over the water only made him even more irritated.
As he glowered at his phone he heard the familiar beat of wings behind him. He didn't bother turning around, just pocketed his phone with an annoyed grumble. "You're late," he said testily in lieu of a greeting.
"Sorry, it's hard for me to move around without someone noticing me," came the smooth reply behind him. "I can't exactly take off my wings or put on a disguise or anything." Dabi turned to glare at the bastard, conveying his irritation and apathy.
Hawks definitely stood out even outside his costume thanks to his bright red wings. At the moment he wore mostly casual clothes, hands shoved in his pockets as he strolled over to sit on another box net to him. If Dabi's glare bothered him he didn't let it show, just nodding at him with a lazy-looking smile. "Sorry it took so long to meet up, you know how busy it gets."
"Yeah, yeah," Dabi muttered, rolling his eyes as he turned back to face the ocean. He had actually called the blond on Sunday, but thanks to his busy schedule it had been a pain in the ass to actually get time to meet. Dabi might have all the free time in the world, but Hawks's hero work gave him the opposite problem. "Guessing things're finally picking up for you then, huh."
"A bit," Hawks chuckled, his smile taking on a wry edge. "The time off's been nice, but won't lie, it's been pretty rough sometimes. Letting Endeavor's youngest son disappear under your watch tends to tank people's trust in you. I do not appreciate all the extra scrutiny."
Dabi just grunted, unsympathetic . "You didn't have to go along with it," he pointed out mildly.
"Yeah, well, it worked out in the end," Hawks responded with an easy shrug. "Thanks to the reputation hit it'll make it easier for me to convince the Alliance I'm legit about wanting to join—which, by the way, I'm still waiting on that contact info from you," he added with a sly glance. When Dabi just rolled his eyes he shrugged and continued, "And besides, you're not a bad guy. The kid's safe and sound, and that's all that matters."
"...Yeah, about that," Dabi said, and Hawks froze, slowly turning to stare at him.
"...Dabi. What happened."
"Honestly, I have no fucking idea," he groaned, face twisting into a scowl as he glared at the ocean. "One morning I wake up, and the kid just ices me over and runs. Haven't heard a word from him since." Hawks just continued to stare, head slowly tilting to the side.
"And why would he do that? Did you guys have a fight or something?"
"I don't know!" Dabi nearly threw up up his arms in exasperation. "I wasn't even awake for a full minute. I said literally two words, just a basic 'good morning' and then bam. Trapped in a miniature glacier and the brat's already making a beeline for the door." He shook his head, turning to face Hawks with a heavy frown. "And that was three weeks ago." The hero's eyes widened, recognizing the urgency of the situation.
To his credit Hawks recovered from his shock quickly, sliding into a more professional demeanor fitting of a Pro Hero. "Are you sure he hasn't been kidnapped or influenced by a villain?"
"Two things. One, he still has his phone. He won't answer it," Dabi added through gritted teeth, "but sometimes it's on, and sometimes I just go straight to voice mail. Sometimes he even rejects the call. Kidnappers would just ditch it entirely, so I'm betting it's him being an idiot. And two, he can make a fucking glacier by stomping his foot." He stated it in the most deadpan tone possible for emphasis. "Can you really see anyone kidnapping him?"
"...Okay, point," Hawks conceded with a nod. "It would be pretty hard to restrain him without him making a scene. My wings still feel cold sometimes when I think about the escape," he muttered under his breath with a small grimace. Given Dabi's scars still felt sore sometimes after the rudest wakeup call in history, he could relate. Another reason to smack his bratty brother for being an idiot when he finally found him.
"Besides, if he did get captured by a villain, word would've spread through the underworld by now," he continued casually. "And that contact of mine you oh so desperately want to meet would call me the second they heard about him. Actually, strike that," he corrected himself. "They'd call me asking if I wanted them to slaughter everyone responsible, and if I wanted to come along."
"...Okay, I am starting to feel very concerned about this contact," Hawks said after a few moments, and in other circumstances Dabi might have laughed. As it stood he just chuckled and shook his head with an almost vicious smirk.
"Trust me, you don't know the half of it. I have no idea what kind of childhood they had, but whatever happened left them screwed up in the weirdest ways possible. Wouldn't call them a psychopath or flat-out evil, but they're definitely missing a screw when it comes to basic morality, and it's only gotten worse. The only reason I keep in touch with them is because we knew each other way back before everything went to shit and I know they like me. They're definitely someone you'd prefer as an ally than an enemy."
There was a reason Dabi had decided to call Hawks for help instead of the other two. Though he knew they would only want to help and protect Shouto, he knew from experience that some people took more extreme measures than others. While he would definitely want to hurt anyone who dared lay a hand on his baby brother, he'd also prefer to avoid traumatizing him with the knowledge that a bunch of people died gruesome and excruciatingly painful deaths for doing so.
And while only one of those two people would actually go on a bloody rampage, they were close enough that she'd inevitably hear about it anyway.
(Seriously, he pitied ANYONE who got on Aiko's bad side.)
For now he just shoved the thought away. "Look, either way it doesn't matter. Shouto's out there, and there's definitely something going on because there's no reason for him to attack me like that. And I'm not saying that to try to deflect guilt or responsibility or anything like that," he added with a pointed look. "I've been wracking my brain for the past three weeks trying to figure out what the hell could have set him off, and I've got nothing. I have no idea what the hell set him off or why he's avoiding me now."
Hawks listened with a grim look, his eyes narrow and calculating as he shook his head. "No, I get it, something's definitely weird here. I may not know your guys' dynamic that well, but to run off completely alone and not contact you for three weeks—he knows how dangerous that is, even if you guys were fighting. So you don't have to convince me of anything. I'll be pretty busy, but I can at least keep an ear out for rumors about him inside the Pro community. See if I can divert them if I can."
"That's exactly what I hoped for," Dabi said with a sigh, feeling some of the weight lift from his shoulders. He already had a line to the underworld, but having someone to help with the hero side would be even better. If the Pros found Shouto, no way they'd let him escape again.
"The timing is weird though," Hawks mused to himself, and the remark made Dabi pause, his eyes narrowing.
"What're you talking about?" he asked, and Hawks hummed as he pulled out his phone.
"Over the last couple of weeks some kids have run away. I know that's getting more and more common, but today two of them ran away while under hero watch. There was a big distraction and everything, and they don't know why. It's getting folks worked up." As he spoke he passed the phone to Dabi, the screen displaying two teenagers: a girl with pink skin and hair, and a plainer looking boy with black hair and red eyes.
"They look like they're Shouto's age," he commented idly. He didn't feel any real emotion towards them, he'd never seen either of them before.
"It gets weirder," Hawks said, making Dabi glance at him curiously. "I'm pretty tight with another hero at the agency that was supposed to be watching them, and he told me the girl was apparently in contact with another girl who ran away last week. Similar story: zero motive we can figure out, no warning signs that she might want to leave, clearly premeditated with all the effort... There's been a pretty frantic hunt since her family's pretty rich, we're worried villains might hold her for ransom. If you swipe left there should be a picture of her."
Dabi nodded absently as he slid his finger across the screen, only to freeze when a very familiar face stared up at him. Brat number two looked almost unrecognizable with her natural brown hair and lack of disguise, but those eyes and blush marks made it impossible to mistake her for someone else.
His lips curled back in a frown, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, there's something up alright," he muttered under his breath. Call him paranoid, but he felt like there might be something bigger going on than either of them realized.
Enter: Hawks! Everyone's been wondering about him, and here he is! Also, I was going to keep Dabi's contact vague, but screw it. I'm just confirming it now: Dabi and Aiko know each other.
For those wondering, Neko Café Manager is a parody of Overcooked 2. I originally had that, but then I realized that after 200 years there will be other games, so you get this instead! (The level here is based on one of the sky levels.) Sushi the cat was a very last-minute addition. It started as a joke on Discord that I'd add a dog just to prove I wouldn't kill it off, but in MHA cats feel much more fitting. Then when I needed a name, I realized... Sushi.
This brings up an important question: there is a certain MAJOR spoiler involving Kurogiri's past that I want to address in this story. Manga readers and Vigilantes fans know what I'm talking about, and chances are if you follow a certain ship you've already heard about this due to all the fan fics and fan art involving it.
But for anime-only fans, would you be okay with me spoiling this MAJOR detail about Kurogiri's past?