Before we begin, the final entry for the art contest: RuneLore drew the statue with Ashido's graffiti message! If you don't know RuneLore, they specialize in posting podfics over on AO3. Ignite is on their to-do list! And now it turns out they're also a great artist. As always, the drawing is over on my Tumblr! With that, the art contest is closed to submissions. Winner will be chosen next time!
Chapter 103
.::Communication is Key::.
So in semi-good news for Hizashi, he now had confirmation Kirishima was actually alive and well. Everyone had told him as much, but actually seeing it for himself was a relief. The kid had shown up for guard duty in the morning sporting a knit hat with bright red hair instead of his original black. He seemed to be rather sheepish and nervous about Hizashi's presence, shooting him disbelieving looks now and then as if he didn't quite believe he was there. (Which, yeah, Hizashi felt the same.)
Unfortunately, Hizashi was still a prisoner, and still had no working hearing aids. So he couldn't question the kid like he wanted.
He heaved a dramatic sigh as he stared at the ceiling, thoroughly bored. Technically, he could talk, but the echo effect made his own voice grate on his ears if he spoke too long or got a little too loud, so he kept it to a minimum. Meanwhile, the kids had taken to communicating with him through writing, which would have been fine if they didn't only use notebooks and the room wasn't so dark.
It strained his eyes to read more than basic sentences written in large writing, so long conversations were out. His request to use cell phones or any other device with a backlit screen were meanwhile met with deaf ears (no pun intended), probably due to those usually having internet connections. Also, they refused to untie his hands so he could write. So, yeah. It sucked.
At least they didn't feel a need to cube him anymore. Still wasn't much of an improvement, though.
At this point Hizashi had to wonder if anyone even knew he was in Odawara. He had been very stupid not to tell anyone about the trip, but in his defense, he'd done that a couple times with no problems. His luck just finally ran out. Given it was now, what, day four/five of captivity? Did he count Thursday, when he got caught? Either way, he knew it was now Monday, and at this point it didn't seem like help was on the way anytime soon.
The kids must have done something with his phone, otherwise they would've tracked the signal here by now. Maybe that was why Kirishima had been absent: he'd gone on an impromptu road trip to get rid of the phone, and then laid low for a couple days before coming back just to be safe. He'd try to ask, but the kid seemed to be pretty invested in the game of cards he was playing with one of the other guards.
Also, talking would just draw the bird's attention.
Hizashi rolled his head to the side to glare at the feathery black fiend, currently curled up fast asleep. It was rare to get a reprieve from the staring contest, so he didn't feel inclined to wake it anytime soon. Bored as he was, that mocking glare just boiled his blood, as if it felt better than him. He'd take boredom over that.
Another sigh. This seemed to draw the others' attention, and Kirishima hesitated before crawling over. He used the notebook to write down a quick message, making sure his writing was large. 'Are you okay?'
"Yeah, I'm fine," Hizashi replied, trying to keep his voice low. It was hard to judge and regulate his volume without his hearing aids, and he'd rather not risk hurting them. "Just wondering how long I'll be stuck here." The kid grimaced, which was pretty much all the answer he needed. Still, Hizashi probed a little more anyway, asking, "Do you at least have a solid estimate?" A shake of the head. Great.
The guard he'd been playing cards with came over, and Hizashi recognized her to be Akai. She murmured something to Kirishima, speaking low and her words further obscured by the stupid echo. Kirishima nodded and wrote down in the notebook again.
'Hopefully before the end of the week? If everything goes well. Sorry.'
End of the week, huh? Okay, so today was Monday, and weeks ended on Friday or Saturday, depending on how you looked at it. So... potentially five more days of being stuck in a cement room, bored out of his mind. Great.
Still, that message also confirmed that something was going on behind the scenes. Something probably involving the Villain Alliance, since all signs pointed to these kids being actively manipulated by them. So getting out of here might not be the best thing. Dammit, he really hoped Shouta was okay...
Movement drew his attention, and he turned his head to see a couple kids appear through the curtain. Hizashi scowled when he saw Mime step through, having long since associated him with cube prisons. He was followed by another masked individual who Hizashi needed a moment to place as Kaitou. Been a while since he saw him.
Kirishima perked up and jogged over, excitedly chattering with the new arrivals. They exchanged a few words before he went to rejoin Akai while they walked over to Hizashi. He eyed them warily as Kaitou picked up the notebook Kirishima had used, scribbling a message and showing the page to him.
'This has no internet, so don't get your hopes up.'
What had no internet—oh. Hizashi sat upright when Mime pulled out a handheld PDA from his pocket. A handheld PDA with a backlit screen. He pressed a button and soon enough large text appeared on the screen.
'This thing has a voice to text feature, so we can talk.'
"Well that's convenient," Hizashi remarked, watching his own words also appear on the screen. So once the button was turned on, it automatically transcribed all conversation. Handy. "Where'd you find that thing?"
"We bought it off someone online second-hand," Kaitou explained with a lofty shrug, more text appearing to relay his words. He even held up a hand so Hizashi could know it was him talking since the mask covered his mouth. "We decided that the notebooks are too inconvenient since we can't really get good lighting here, and depriving you of communication isn't exactly humane."
"You owe us for this by the way," Mime said. "And I mean money. We're kinda limited on funds."
"I kinda gathered that from all the konbini food and snacks," Hizashi muttered wryly. Since Mime's mask had a hole cut out for his mouth, he got a good look at the kid's grimace as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I swear that's not all we have, and we have actual food. We just, uh..."
Meanwhile...
"Naota, we got that stuff for you," Ojiro groaned, face buried in his hands. "Please don't just give it all away..."
"But Present Mic already ate what I gave him last time!" the small cat-eared boy whined, mismatched eyes pleading as he transferred his snack stash into a box. "Ibara-nee says we should help people who are less fortunate! And I want him to have all the candy and chips and snacks he wants! He's a hero, Mashi-nii! A hero!"
...There was no winning. Ojiro just let his shoulders sag in defeat as Naota tried to squish down the box's contents to make more room for bulk bags of fun-sized candy.
Back to the tunnel...
"Yeah, just, expect those care packages to be a normal thing," Mime sighed. "And please keep eating them, we need the empty wrappers and bags as proof."
"Why does it feel like you're being threatened to give those to me against your wills?"
"Not threatened," Kaitou murmured. "Not unless you count crying as a threat..." The comment had a small rumble of agreements and nods from the other kids.
...Yeah, Hizashi was still very confused and worried for these kids. At least it didn't seem like they were in danger from whoever was sending this food to him...? Between this and the comments last time about not making someone cry, it sounded more like they were being guilt-tripped. Hard.
Well in any event, they now had this device to translate their words into text, which meant he could now actually ask his questions and get better answers. "Anyway, what are you guys planning?" he questioned seriously. "You can't just keep me here forever, and Kirishima said I'd be out of here by the end of the week if everything goes well. What does that mean? Is it related to why he was gone?"
The last one had the now-redhead snapping a startled look his way, nearly dropping his cards. "We're not answering that," Kaitou said, crossing his arms.
"Uh, didn't Ashido say she explained some of the situation though?" Text appeared from some person Hizashi didn't see speak, making him perk up. Did they mean that weird story about being from some alternate universe?
"She tried, but he didn't believe her."
Of course he didn't, it was ridiculous! Hizashi wouldn't say that and alienate them any further though. Clearly, his obvious doubt back then had pushed them away; he still needed to get information though. So he made up his mind, calling on all his skills as a performer and taking a breath. "Hey now, I've had a couple days to think it over since then, and I think I was a bit hasty," he said. "It's just a lot to take in at once, you know? But if you guys want to talk about it, I'm all ears!" He flashed a big grin at the end.
...Wow, even with masks he could feel their skeptical and disbelieving stares. "He's faking it," Akai declared flatly with folded arms, the others nodding in agreement. Dang it. His smile fell immediately, replaced by an annoyed pout. Well, he tried.
Kirishima looked conflicted though, which might be his saving grace. "I know he doesn't believe us, but does that really mean we can't tell him anything?" he asked. "I mean, it's not like I was doing anything that secret. And I think hiding everything will just make things worse?"
Kirishima was officially Hizashi's favorite, and not just because he didn't wear a creepy cult mask. The other kids were now looking at each other, still seeming a bit conflicted, until finally Kaitou waved a hand. "Fine, I guess you have a point. Just don't say too much." Kirishima perked up, as did Hizashi, and the teen nodded as he turned to him.
"I was helping look for this guy with a multiverse Quirk to see if he can help."
Hizashi sat a bit straighter at that. Okay, not what he expected. "Wait, you guys know someone who has a multiverse Quirk?"
"Uh, not exactly," the kid hedged. "Only one person's actually met him, or well, two I guess, since we know his brother...?" Okay, this was starting to feel shady again. "We don't even know if he's in this world, so we decided to search places that are different from Ashido's world to see if he's hanging out at any of them, since his brother says he does that."
Yep, right back to suspicious and worrisome. They were looking for a guy who only two people had seen—one who claimed to be the guy's brother—and using likely fictional information to determine travel destinations. It would be so easy to use those planted memories to lure the kids into a trap, if they weren't already entangled in some dark web.
"...And he looks more suspicious," Akai groaned, shoulders slumping with dismay. "Dang it."
"Sorry," Kirishima muttered with a grimace.
"It's fine," Mime said. "It was worth a shot. Should I just cube him for now?"
Hizashi jolted in alarm. "No!" All of them winced as his voice echoed off the walls, more than one set of hands flying to cover ears as he cringed. Fortunately he hadn't used his Quirk, but he'd gotten a lot louder than he'd intended. He felt incredibly sheepish as they all turned to him, clearly exuding an air of "what the heck?" even with the masks. Kirishima was the only one whose face he could see, and he looked both chastising and betrayed.
"...Okay, just go ahead," Hizashi sighed in defeat. "I totally deserve it."
And so he got trapped in a cube again, resigning himself to his well-deserved fate. He was still worried for the kids' safety, but he absolutely deserved it this time.
"So you're staying there another day?" Mina whined.
"Yeah, we're just worried about Deku," Uraraka replied. "He doesn't want to leave after sensei got hurt, but he still needs to find this notebook. So I'm going to look for it for him." The reply had Mina groaning and her shoulders slumping in dismay.
"I get he needs help, but it's still so boring without you!" Things were a little better now with Kiri back, but he'd volunteered to spend the day on guard duty. And even then, it wasn't quite the same as having someone from her world around. "Do you really think this notebook will be worth it?"
"It will." Uraraka's voice rang with certainty. "If I don't find it today, we'll still come back tomorrow though."
"Okay," Mina sighed. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then, I guess."
"Yeah. Anyways, I'm almost there so I have to go. Talk to you later, Ashido!"
"Later, Ocha-chan." The call ended and Mina sighed as her shoulders slumped in disappointment, causing the cans in the shopping bag to shift and clink together. She had gone to the konbini to buy some snacks and drinks to celebrate Todoroki and Uraraka's return, but now Uraraka was calling to say they'd be late. They'd mentioned something about looking for a notebook yesterday when explaining about the attack on Aizawa, but hadn't explained why it was important. Something about it being too risky to explain in the group chat?
Whatever the reason, the end result was the same. Uraraka and Todoroki were staying in Nabu an extra day, Kaminari and Jirou had final exams today and tomorrow, and Midoriya was still stuck at the Alliance base. Even after making contact with her friends, Mina was basically alone again, which sucked.
Why was she always the odd one out here? She felt like she'd spent more time alone than anyone else, bar Midoriya. Kaminari and Jirou even woke up together! Well, not literally together, that would've been weird and awkward, but they were at least in contact from the start. And while Todoroki had also been alone at the start, after Mina reunited with him he'd always been with someone from their world.
She heaved another sigh as she reached Kuroe's house and went to the kitchen, dropping the bag on the counter before sitting at the table and letting her head slump against it. Given Kuroe happened to also be sitting at the table working on his laptop, he had a front-row seat to her dramatics. He paused his typing to just stare at her for a moment, weighing his options.
"Okay, I'll give," he said. "What's eating at you?"
"Everything," she groaned dramatically. "I'm sick of being alone and not being able to do anything to help!"
"...Okay then," Kuroe said after a moment. "I still have no idea what's going on, but didn't Kirishima come back yesterday from... wherever?"
"Yeah, but it's not the same," she sighed, peeling her face off the table but keeping her chin there as she pouted. "He's cool and all, but it's different from Uraraka and Todoroki and the others. And he's busy today anyway."
"Right... And what about the runaways? You've been spending a lot of time with them."
"They're busy getting ready for the move." With the escape closer than ever, the runaways wanted to get out of Odawara before it happened. After all, right now the general plan seemed to be to immediately take Aizawa to Present Mic, so they could then all go to the Pro Heroes. Once the escape was done they'd have no reason to put it off anymore, especially with Mail (and hopefully his siblings, too) willing to back them up on the whole multiverse thing.
Of course, that would also give Mic the chance to tell everyone about the runaway network. Even after they ultimately convinced him that they weren't crazy or brainwashed, he'd still be kinda obligated to report a bunch of teens and kids living on the streets. Leaving runaways alone just wasn't the hero way. Last she'd heard they'd already picked a new place, and had sent a crew to finish prepping it for the move.
Kuroe just stared at her. "...Okay, so the move is news to me," he said. "And I think I definitely need to call Rogue about that... Dammit, gotta figure out logistics on my end too..."
Mina frowned as he muttered to himself, fully lifting her head from the table. For once, she felt pretty sure she hadn't messed up and revealed some big secret. While she knew the runaways didn't fully trust him, they hadn't seemed particularly inclined to hide the move from him. She'd even heard Monoma and Rogue talking about whether Kuroe could potentially arrange transportation for part of it.
...Wait. She pulled out her burner phone and texted 'Gallery Video & Audio,' the contact used for Rogue. 'Hey, who was supposed to tell Kuroe about the move?'
Surprisingly, he responded pretty fast. And very briefly. '...fuck'
"I think they forgot to have someone tell you," Mina announced, recognizing the textual nuance of someone who realized they'd screwed up bad.
"You don't say," Kuroe drawled sarcastically while she typed out a response.
'Well I just told him, so?'
'Thanks. I'll send someone to fill him in on the finer details later.' Yep, they definitely forgot.
"Well, I don't know where they're going, but they already picked a place and are gonna try to move by the end of the week," she said. "Rogue says he'll send someone to give you more details soon."
That didn't seem to lift Kuroe's mood, heaving a deep, weary sigh as he pushed his laptop back so he could slowly lay down his head. "Why can't my life ever be simple," he grumbled, voice muffled by the table. "Stupid kids don't even know how much effort goes into..." The rest was too quiet and muffled for her to hear.
Well, at least Mina had helped with something. Who knew how long it'd take to realize they hadn't actually told him about the move? He sighed again as he lifted his head, staring at her with a weariness that could put Aizawa to shame. "Do you at least know why they're suddenly moving?"
"I don't think I'm allowed to tell you." And he probably didn't want to know they'd technically kidnapped a Pro Hero. Or, maybe he did, since the whole reason Mic even came here was because he was investigating the connection to An-chan. And Mic obviously now knew she and Kirishima were staying with Kuroe, so he probably suspected some sort of connection...
...Oh dang, they really did need to brief him on the Mic-napping, didn't they? If only because he'd probably get questioned about that. She made a mental note to bring that up with everyone later. She would not be the one to deal with that. "At least you know now?" she said with a shrug, and then slumped in her chair as she added, "I still wish I could do something more to help though."
"With the move?" Kuroe asked, and she shook her head.
"No, this other thing." Namely, the escape. She still felt like she was the only one not making any progress or help towards the big escape. Even the runaways seemed to be more productive than her now that Kendo and Spinner were involved! Last she'd seen them, they'd been talking with Rogue about the best sort of vehicle for the getaway. Meanwhile, Kaminari managed to make some real progress by getting that key from Yaomomo—
She suddenly jumped to her feet, realization dawning on her. "The key! Kami and Jirou are too busy with exams to take it! So I can do it instead!" She could go to Hosu, grab the key, and take it to Nabu to get passed on to Midoriya! She was literally the only person who was actually free to do it, since Uraraka and Todoroki were busy doing whatever over there.
As soon as she had that thought she felt herself deflate though, remembering just why she was the only one who was totally free. "Oh right, I stand out too much, don't I..." For once, she HATED her pink skin. As great as it looked, it made her too recognizable. Even with a wig, Mic had still managed to recognize her.
Kuroe eyed her as she started to sulk, and then finally sighed as he got up. "Know what? Screw it, I've got nothing better to do right now until I hear about whatever the hell is going on. Come on." He headed out of the kitchen and for the stairs, prompting Mina to follow him curiously. He led the way to his bedroom, disappearing inside his closet for a moment before exiting with a box.
She perked up as he carried it to another door, using his foot to nudge it open and reveal an en-suite bathroom. "Come on, in here. This might get messy." She didn't need to be told twice, scurrying in after him. He'd already set the box down on the counter by the sink and opened it, pulling out multiple layers of makeup kits.
"I didn't know you were into makeup," she commented.
"I'm not," he replied. "But I have a friend who got pretty into disguises, and she taught me some stuff." Even as he spoke he held up some weird, rubber-y thing that looked kinda... scaly and ridge-y? They were a beige color that felt oddly creepy to her, and surrounded by a clear membrane of sorts inside a ring made of the same material.
"What is that?"
"It's a silicone facial prosthetic used to mimic scales." Mina snapped to attention at that, eyes growing wide. Now that he mentioned it, the beige color was similar to most people's skin tones, and the rubbery texture kinda resembled skin too. No wonder it felt weirdly creepy and unsettling to her! "This one goes on your cheeks and under your eyes, so it won't get in the way of that wig you got."
"Kuroe-san, I love you," Mina declared very seriously.
"You're too young for me," he deadpanned. "Now sit on the toilet so I can put this on you. I've got some other stuff too to help throw people off." Mina squealed as she bounced over to the toilet to sit down, Kuroe following at a more sedate pace.
She had a mission now, and she couldn't wait!
Around an hour later, a photo appeared in the group chat of Ashido wearing a similar punk-themed outfit to the day she'd met Mic. Unlike then though, she now had patches of scales around her eyes and on a flat ridge that extended down to her nose, as well as a very pointed chin.
1-A_Dancing_Queen: How do I look?
deku_breaks_bones: Oh my gosh, that's incredible! I didn't recognize you at first!
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Thanks! I'm gonna break into Chargebolt's place and get that key for you!
deku_breaks_bones: Wait what?
deku_breaks_bones: Do you really need to break into his place?
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Well they're busy taking exams today, and I kinda want to try to get this to you by the end of the day?
1-A_Dancing_Queen: And I got his address when we all met up in case there was an emergency
1-A_Dancing_Queen: So yeah
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Don't really want to wait for them to get home from school
deku_breaks_bones: ...yeah okay, that's fair
halfnhalfpeppermint: It's probably not illegal when you have permission.
halfnhalfpeppermint: And I think you have implied permission in this case?
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Probably! I can't see them saying no!
1-A_Dancing_Queen: So Chargebolt, tell me where it is when you see this! I'm off to the train now!
powerofmusic: Huh.
powerofmusic: Didn't expect to see Dancing Queen planning to break into his place when I checked my phone at lunch
powerofmusic: Go for it. Key's on top of the mail on the kitchen counter, can't miss it.
powerofmusic: Also, do you really think you can break into his place?
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Yeah, Lee and Mail taught me how to pick locks this weekend!
powerofmusic: what
deku_breaks_bones: O_O;;
1-A_Dancing_Queen: I was really bored and lonely
1-A_Chargebolt: Uh guys, there's a spare key under the big rock by the apartment's front entrance
1-A_Chargebolt: It looks kinda like a Kouda's head, can't miss it
1-A_Chargebolt: no need to break in
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Aww ;_;
1-A_Dancing_Queen: I wanted to test my skills
powerofmusic: Wait what? Since when has that been there!?
powerofmusic: The key I mean, not the rock
1-A_Chargebolt: Since always I think?
1-A_Chargebolt: Only remembered it now
powerofmusic: damn
powerofmusic: these residual subconscious memories are weird
deku_breaks_bones: Know what? I'm just gonna check on sensei again.
1-A_Chargebolt: Say hi to him for us!
1-A_Chargebolt: Wait, he wouldn't know us
1-A_Chargebolt: Never mind
halfnhalfpeppermint: Huh.
halfnhalfpeppermint: I think Space should be back by whenever you get here, but if not I'll meet you there.
powerofmusic: Wait, where is she right now?
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Oh, when I called her earlier she said she was looking for a notebook?
halfnhalfpeppermint: She is. She went back alone.
powerofmusic: Wait. What?
powerofmusic: Know what, never mind. Don't wanna know
powerofmusic: Gotta focus on exams
1-A_Chargebolt: Help ;_;
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Can't, too busy NOT breaking into your place because you had a secret spare key
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Someday I'll put these new lock-picking skills to good use.
halfnhalfpeppermint: I wonder if Lee knows how to pick locks back at home
1-A_Dancing_Queen: Definitely gotta ask now
And we're back! Sorry for the extra day's delay. Yesterday I suddenly realized it was 3:30 PM and I hadn't edited the chapter, so I decided to wait a day. Thank you for your patience! Also, facial costume prosthetics are FASCINATING. I spent probably a good half-hour just looking at this one etsy shop when writing this chapter. xD
Question for next time: What other disguise tactics can you think of for someone like Ashido?