In a flash, Katsuki awoke from the numb darkness.
He blinked, dizzy, and confused. One moment he was splitting off from that stupid fucking protection detail, and the next he was here.
It was only supposed to take a second. When he noticed where they were, Katsuki veered off toward the nametag station. Just to check, he told himself. That was where she said she was in trouble.
Then, he saw it. Her phone, broken and laying abandoned on the ground. It was enough of a distraction, apparently, as everything went black, Saito's ridiculous looking phone the last thing he saw.
Until now.
Deku, Icy-Hot, Tentacles, and Tokoyami were all there in front of him, beaten even worse than before, with Tentacles and Deku sporting burns.
They were all staring at him, matching expressions of horror on their faces.
And if the hand wrapped around his neck from behind was anything to go by, it was probably because they lost.
The Villains had him.
(But at least it was just him.)
"Checkmate." A husky voice chuckled.
Katsuki's skin tingled, as he started being pulled back through what looked like a portal from that warpy bastard.
"Kachan, no!" Deku cried out, running toward him.
Katsuki's breath hitched.
The idiot's arms were broken at his sides, completely useless to anyone. If he tried fighting, he would only wind up hurt worse, or dead.
Katsuki was almost through the portal, just his face left sticking out, allowing him to watch Deku leap forward.
"Kachan!"
Voice tight, Katsuki spat out the only thing he could think of.
"Stay back, Deku."
His vision grew distorted, tinging purple and swirling, but before he was fully gone, Katsuki heard Tentacles roar after them.
"Hitomi!"
What?
The clearing in the forest was gone, and Katsuki was left standing in some dimly lit, derelict bar.
And standing to his right, was a man dressed like some kind of magician—
With Saito slung limply over his shoulder, her right leg dangling, and mangled.
"You—" Katsuki started to move before thinking, hands igniting.
But something pinched at the side of his neck, a warm tingling spreading there, before his whole body was numbed, and he dropped to the floor, paralyzed.
Katsuki growled furiously, his heart racing with panic. He glared up at the scarred bastard standing above him, who held a now empty syringe. Then, his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
And he re-entered the dark.
…
Nori had almost forgotten what it was like to have paparazzi crowding around the Saito estate, not having seen it since the buzz of his parents' deaths calmed down.
He definitely didn't miss it.
"This is ridiculous. Vultures." Yu snarled, wearing one of his jackets with the hood pulled up over her head, just in case a picture of her got snapped through the window.
Nori blinked blankly down at his black coffee. Giving no reaction when Ayami placed a hand on his back.
Naomi Saito always told her kids to listen to their gut. And look what ignoring his had led to.
Hitomi was gone. Taken, for who-know-what purpose, by the same people who almost killed her the first time.
"Someone's at the gate." Yu quietly pointed out.
They had turned off the buzzer after the paparazzi wouldn't stop ringing it, but the light by the monitor showcasing outside, blinked red.
Nori intended to ignore it, until Yu clarified.
"I think it's a kid from UA. One that was in the sports festival." She relayed to him, staring at the surveillance feed.
Nori already had an idea of who it was, and stood to answer the door before Ayami could.
The second he stepped outside, the flashes from the cameras doubled, and the crowd all called out, trying to talk over the others, shoving microphones toward him through the tall iron fence.
And standing in the middle of it all, totally ignoring everyone hounding him for information, was Hitoshi Shinsou.
Nori stopped in front of the gate, studying the boy.
His eyes were even more tired than usual, his hair messier too. He was pale, and clammy. The poor kid looked sick with worry.
And something inside Nori identified with that.
Unlocking the gate, Nori ushered Shinsou through, after rolling up his sleeves.
"I think you all know what my Quirk is?" He stated roughly, managing to be heard over the commotion.
At that, many of the closest reporters and photographers backed away, giving Shinsou the chance to slip by.
With a slam, the gate was locked again, and Nori nodded for the boy to follow him inside.
"There's a pot of coffee on. If you drink that."
"Yeah, I do." Shinsou confirmed lowly, clumsily kicking off his shoes upon entering.
Nori watched him sadly, sighing through his nose.
"There a specific reason you're here?"
The boy faltered, staring down at the floor.
"I… I figured you'd be the first to know."
If they found her. If they had her safe and sound. If… if she was gone—
"Right." Nori whispered.
"Is it, you know, okay? Me being here?" Shinsou worriedly asked, poorly hiding his trembling hands in his pockets.
Nori considered the question, then nodded once.
"Yeah. Feel free to stick around. God knows Hitomi would bite my head off if I sent you away."
Shinsou cracked a weak smile at that.
"Nah, she wouldn't hurt a fly."
Wouldn't, being the key word. Because Hitomi Saito was fully capable of doing some major damage to those who deserved it.
At least, that was the argument everyone standing in the Saitos' kitchen reassured themselves with.
…
"It's perfectly obvious to me that there's some sort of problem with UA's current management. If I had a child who wanted to become a Hero, there's no way I'd enroll them in a school that'll—"
The small television was powered down, cutting off the news anchor's criticism of UA.
Shigaraki chuckled, sitting at the bar counter, remote in hand.
"I'm so grateful to the media for all the free publicity lately." He turned away from the screen, looking to where Bakugou was. "Right? Isn't it nice? Katsuki Bakugou?"
Bakugou sat strapped to a metal chair, his hands fully encased in bulky cuffs, keeping him from using his Quirk.
As for Hitomi…
She whimpered unintentionally, sweat beading her pale face. Bolted to the brick wall was a standing mount for her, designed like a vertical gurney. Everything from her wrists to her neck was tied down with leather straps, keeping her in place. A large muzzle-like device was locked around the bottom half of her face, muffling her cries.
Because her right shin was still untreated, steadily trickling blood from the broken skin, where splintered bone peeked out.
All the adrenaline she had before was gone, leaving her exhausted and horribly aware of the agony.
Another wave rolled up her leg, making her clench her eyes shut and grunt thickly.
Hitomi absently noticed how Bakugou was staring at the carnage, his usually unfazed attitude replaced by something she hated to smell on him.
Fear.
"Aren't you idiots going to do something about that?" He questioned roughly, putting on a quivering smirk. "Or did you really just kidnap her to watch her die?"
It was asked sarcastically, but Hitomi could pick up on the scent of his uncertainty and mounting panic.
She couldn't tell him they wanted her alive for something, voice shackled by the muzzle.
"Twice, wrap it up." Shigaraki ordered after a long pause.
"You got it! Do it yourself!" A man in a full-body leotard gave a thumbs-up, popping behind the bar and rummaging around— presumably for bandages.
"Aw, but she's so pretty like this!" The blonde school-girl protested, hugging a jar already full of Hitomi's blood.
"And she'll die if we leave it, you little psycho." The scarred man drawled.
The man called Twice approached her, a roll of cotton bandages in hand.
"I'll be gentle. This is gonna hurt!"
Hitomi squinted at him through the already terrible pain, wishing she could retort that it did hurt.
But nothing could've prepared her for when he pushed the bone back in without warning.
Her vision faded into white, she threw her head back— slamming it against the wall, and screamed. So raw and primal, she sounded like a dying animal.
"Hey!" Bakugou roared, but to her, it sounded like it was coming from the end of a tunnel.
Then, the pain ebbed, giving her a chance to breathe. Panting through her nose, Hitomi felt trails of tears rolling down her ashen cheeks, dropping from her nose. Her neck was too weak to keep her head up, so it hung heavily.
"All better! You need a hospital." Twice shot to his feet, his gloved hands now bloodied.
She was so tired. Sleep sounded like heaven, even though in the back of her head, something told her she needed to stay awake.
Something that sounded suspiciously like Momo.
"They can patch her up after they collect her. She's not our problem." Shigaraki said dismissively.
Who was "they"?
Shigaraki turned in his barstool, leveling Bakugou with a stare behind the severed hand masking his face.
Then, he said something that completely threw Hitomi off.
"I'll ask you one more time, Katsuki Bakugou. Aspiring Hero. Will you join the League of Villains?"
The pinkette blinked, forgetting about the state her leg was in, and gaped behind her muzzle. She had only been conscious for a short time, mostly missing everything prior to this. So hearing his— apparently repeated proposition, stunned her.
Because the idea was just—
"Go throw yourself into traffic." Bakugou gave them a feral smirk, leaning forward in his chair.
But the leader wasn't deterred. Only sighing as if minorly inconvenienced.
"Haven't you noticed? The way you've been ostracized by society." He held up a photo of Bakugou at the sports festival, when he was chained up for the award ceremony. "You've seen it, I'm sure. The way your Quirk sets a precedent of fear in those around you. You want fame, and glory? Well, we can give that to you in spades. And all you have to do, is join us—"
Hitomi couldn't take it anymore.
…
"Pfft!"
The heavy tension in the room trembled, as each inhabitant, Villain or captive, slowly turned to look at her.
Saito's shoulders were shaking, but not from fright anymore. No, her face was now noticeably scrunched in an unmistakable expression.
Katsuki felt a knot twist in his stomach. His internalized panic swirling and growing worse with every muffled snort falling from Saito's muzzled mouth.
Without preamble, the man in full spandex— Twice, walked over, twisting something on the side of the muzzle, and ripped the piece of bulky metal away. With it gone they could all hear the laughter, an unhinged cadence audible.
"What's so funny?" Shigaraki asked, his dry raspy voice cracking with anger.
Saito continued to giggle in a hysterical tone, head dipped to face the floor. Just when the Villain in hands snarled and stepped closer, Saito was able to rein herself in.
"You gotta be kidding! You idiots picked the wrong guy!" She cackled, laughter picking up again.
Even the one psycho-blood-girl seemed taken aback by this, some of them trading glances. The general unspoken idea hanging in the air was that she must have snapped.
But Katsuki wasn't willing to assume something that extreme just yet.
Especially not when Saito finally lifted her head
Fuchsia irises flamed into a vibrant fire, turning scarlet as they narrowed viciously on the Villains. Her lips pulled back in a tight, canine baring grin, her gums slightly visible. It resembled nothing of her smiles Katsuki had grown accustomed to, this one was cold and furious.
"Some threat you all are. Did you even do any research before your little escapade to our camp?" Saito dared to lean forward, eyes pinned solely on Shigaraki, that smirk never faltering.
Katsuki felt a crushing urge to snap at her to shut up. But when his mouth opened, nothing came out. Sweat beaded his forehead as he watched her bait the person holding her life on a fraying string.
Shigaraki's shoulders rose and fell stiffly, hatred rolling off of him in waves. "What are you talking about?" He hissed, hands twitching with the want to wrap around her thin neck.
Somehow, her grin grew wider. And what she said next stunned Katsuki in a way that wasn't likely to ever be forgotten.
"He can be mean, sure. But you missed something huge." Her ears were flat against her head, her tail tucked between her legs, and yet somehow, she showed no sign of her terror on her face. "Katsuki Bakugou is going to become the most amazing Hero the world has ever seen! And no one, especially not you league of asshats is going to change that!"
Her words echoed off of the dingy brick walls of the bar, hanging over all of them as silence fell over the room.
All Katsuki could do was stare, eyes wide and locked on the girl who may have just gotten herself killed, just to stand up for him to a group of Villains. And for once in his life, he didn't feel that bitter resentment he always did when someone tried to help him. Now, he just felt terrified. He wasn't used to feeling that way solely for someone else. But how could he not? When he was chained up and unable to help her if they chose to end her life.
The thought of having to sit and watch helplessly as the hand wearing fucker touched her, causing her body to decay away, made Katsuki sick. Weak. You're weak and useless. You can't save her. The words snapped in his head like a whip, making him have to swallow the bitter bile on the back of his tongue. Even Deku could fight his way out of this with that damned Quirk he got. But Katsuki couldn't do anything. "The most amazing Hero the world's ever seen"? What a joke.
Saito slowly leaned back, swallowing and now shaking. She was afraid. Probably more than she had ever been before in her life. But she didn't try to take back anything she said, squaring her quaking shoulders.
Shigaraki breathed heavily, and reached a hand up to scratch at his neck. After a few seconds of that, he lowered his hand and looked to the scarred man.
"Dabi—"
Saito's face paled to an ashen white.
A lead weight dropped into the bottom of Katsuki's stomach.
This had to be it. They were going to kill her. Burn her alive with that guy's blue fire. Ditch the plan they had for her, just for the momentary satisfaction of her death.
"Hey!" Finally, Katsuki snapped, his voice coming out more desperate than he would have liked, but there was only so much he could mask. "What's the big idea, huh? Thought you were supposed to be giving me your stupid fucking monologue!"
Saito was breathing shallowly through her mouth, head drooping as she stared vacantly at the floor. Whatever fury acting as a driving force behind her words was faded, leaving behind a horrified teenage girl, severely regretting what she had just done.
Katsuki wouldn't be surprised if she was going into shock. In fact, it was surprising that she hadn't done that already.
Shigaraki studied the blonde behind the hand on his face, his own hand twitching back up to his red neck.
Then, over his shoulder, he aimed the remote at the television, and flipped it back on.
…
"—Let's return to a short clip from the UA High School press conference that just wrapped up."
Hitomi peered up weakly through her bangs, some of the tension in her body fading away when she saw the man on screen.
Mr. Aizawa stood along a panel with Principal Nezu and Vlad King, wearing a suit, with his hair tied back.
Looking so much like he did from her dream. Her memory.
"We are here to apologize. A recent incident allowed harm to come to twenty-seven first-year Heroes. And we staff were ill prepared. We take responsibility for any trauma caused by our negligence. It's our duty to train Heroes," he, along with the other two Heroes, bowed, "but also to protect Heroes in training."
Hitomi felt like crying. Not from pain or fear, but because of how unfair it was to blame Mr. Aizawa for anything that had happened. She wanted to curl into a ball and hide away in her room, bawling until she ran dry.
But instead she was chained up in a Villain's hideout, sporting her first ever broken bone, and serious blood loss.
"I'll take the first question." A reporter off screen spoke up. "Since the beginning of the year, UA students have had five encounters with Villains. This time there were students who were gravely injured. How did you explain this to their families? And what are some of the specific steps you're taking to ensure their safety in the future?"
Hitomi glared at the television, fuming at the way the media was trying to string their teachers up like they were the bad guys.
"We will increase patrols around the school grounds," Principal Nezu started, "and review security measures within the school. The safety of UA's students is our main priority, make no mistake about it." His usual smile and jovial tone were replaced by a frown and sober voice.
Then, the screen went black again.
"Isn't that strange?" Shigaraki sarcastically asked. "The Heroes are becoming the bad guys. Seems like they're not dealing with this very well at all." He shook his head in mock sympathy. "So much criticism. But everyone makes a mistake or two, right? It's not like they're supposed to be perfect. Modern-day Heroes sure have it rough. Don't you think, Bakugou?"
Hitomi opened her mouth, only to freeze when Bakugou shot her a very stern look.
Don't you fucking dare. It practically screamed.
"Once a Hero receives payment to protect people, they aren't a real Hero anymore." The man who resembled a lizard chimed in. "That's what Stain's actions taught us."
"A Hero in this current system only cares about money and glory. And since society buys in to those idiotic rules, anyone deemed a loser is shoved aside." Shigaraki said, making it hard to tell if he really bought into what he was spewing, or was just trying to get something to stick. "So, we want to pose some questions. What is a Hero? What is justice? Is this society truly fair? Soon, everyone will be asking. That's when we'll know we've won. And you like winning, don't you?"
Bakugou glared venomously at him, which made it surprising when Shigaraki gave his next order.
"Dabi, let him go."
The scarred man, Dabi, looked at him skeptically. "You know he'll just fight."
Shigaraki shrugged. "It's fine. We're recruiting him, so we should treat him as an equal. Besides, he's smart enough to know he can't take us all, right. Not without putting the girl at risk. After all, UA students are so clever."
Dabi didn't move, glancing at the man in spandex. "Hey Twice, you do it."
"Sure thing! No way."
"Do it."
Twice slumped, walking over to the blonde. "Oh man…"
"I do apologize for such forceful methods. But please understand we aren't some kind of unruly mob committing crimes without a third act in mind." The man who threw the tree at her— and broke her leg, added from the corner of the room. "We didn't kidnap you by accident."
While Twice worked on undoing the cuffs, Bakugou peered up over his head, locking eyes with Hitomi.
Her lips pursed. Don't try anything stupid. You'll get yourself killed!
He narrowed his gaze. I'm not an idiot!
She huffed inaudibly. But you are cocky!
He clicked his tongue. And you're the one bleeding out.
Darn, he had a point.
Shigaraki stood. "Even though our backgrounds are different, everyone here has suffered. Because of people. Rules. And Heroes who try to hold us back."
The cuffs fell, and Bakugou casually rubbed his raw wrists.
"I'm sure you're the same—"
Bakugou kicked Twice in the face, sending him flying back. And with a yell, he sent an explosion right in Shigaraki's.
"Shigaraki!" Twice shouted from the side.
Hitomi coughed, trying to see through the smoke that now clouded the room. She jumped when Bakugou slipped through it, skidding to a halt in front of her.
Wordlessly, he grappled with her restraints, wrapping his hands around the leather straps and using small-scale blasts to burn them away. First the ones around her wrists, then her waist, then her neck.
Hitomi cried out when she dropped down to the floor, doing her best to keep her right foot in the air, holding onto Bakugou for balance.
The smoke started to clear, and he silently ushered her to stand behind him.
"I'm done listening to your endless talking. Can you not get to the point, or do you just like your own voice? Basically, what you're saying is you wanna cause some trouble, and you want me to join you. Well screw you." A furious smirk pulled on his lips. "I like to win. I wanna win just like All Might. No matter what you have to offer me, that will never change. Do you understand?!"
Hitomi held tightly to the back of his shirt, frantically trying to come up with some way she could help fight. With her leg broken, and the muzzle still around her neck, it was impossible to use her Quirk. And she lost her staff at the I-Expo, so she was weaponless.
She was effectively useless to him. And she hated it.
At some point, the TV had been turned on again, showing the same press conference was still going.
"—So you've found a bright spot in this tragedy?" The same reporter from earlier said mockingly.
"We're relieved that an entire class of burgeoning Heroes still has a future." Principal Nezu rebuffed.
"Can you say the same thing for the abducted children? Katsuki Bakugou, for instance? He enrolled at your school with excellent marks, and went on to win the sports festival. Before that, he survived the attack of a powerful sludge Villain who eventually had to be taken down by All Might. The boy's obviously strong and heroic. On the other hand, the violence he displayed in the finals and his attitude at the awards ceremony both showed that he cannot control his temper. What if this is the real reason the Villains kidnapped him? What if they're brainwashing Bakugou right now, pulling him toward the path of evil? How can you sit there and tell us he still has a future?"
Hitomi growled, hoping Mr. Aizawa would put the reporter in his place, as the Hero stood.
Then, he bowed.
"As Katsuki Bakugou's teacher, I take full responsibility for not taming his violent behavior. However, his actions at the sports festival were born of his deep-seated convictions. He's trying harder than anyone in his pursuit to become the top Hero. And if the Villains think they have a chance with him, then they are grossly mistaken. I can guarantee you that much."
"That doesn't amount to real evidence, though." The reporter retorted. "I didn't ask you how you feel. I asked you if you had concrete information. And as for Hitomi Saito, it's common knowledge that both her parents were exemplary Heroes, who put away hundreds of criminals and Villains while working together. Aren't you the least bit concerned that the League's intentions with her are to enact some form of revenge? She could be getting tortured as we speak."
Hitomi winced, that… that was a fair assessment.
"We're doing our best with the intel we currently have available. I have no doubt the police will break this case very soon. We won't rest until our missing students are returned to UA, unharmed."
Bakugou spat a vindicated laugh. "Hah! Did you hear the teachers? They get me more than I thought. I'll never join your league of asshats!" He widened his stance, palms up and out. "We may not be at camp, but I'm still allowed to fight!"
"He must've figured out he's important to us." The Villain wearing sunglasses surmised. "What a clever boy."
"No, he's a fool." Dabi said dryly.
The school-girl clapped her hands. "Let me stab him! I wanna make them match!"
"A clever performer would've acted like we were winning him over. Now that he's broken character, he's finished." The magician shrugged, unbothered.
No, not Bakugou. Not once in the past three months that she'd known him, had Hitomi ever witnessed him lie. Nor had he faked anything for the sake of himself or others. That just wasn't his style. And it was actually something Hitomi really admired about him.
"I only do whatever I want to, and I won't even pretend otherwise." Bakugou said, confirming what she was thinking. "And I'm tired of being surrounded by a bunch of lame-ass wannabes!"
Shigaraki continued to stare at the severed hand that fell from his face after Bakugou's attack, his left hand twitching in preparation for something.
"Father…" he rasped darkly.
The warp Villain, Kurogiri, stood straighter, reaching out. "No, Tomura Shigaraki! Be calm!" He moved to stop the leader.
Hitomi felt Bakugou's back tense through his shirt.
But Shigaraki was only raising his hand to motion for his lackeys to halt. "Don't lay a finger on him. Any of you." Leaning down, he picked up the hand, keeping his last two fingers pointed up to avoid using his Quirk on it. "This "Hero"…" he put the hand back on his face. "Is still a valuable piece. I wish you would've listened to what I had to say. I thought you and I could come to an understanding."
"What, you think we're the same? Not a chance!"
The Villains really couldn't have picked a worse person to try to convert.
"Then I have no choice. The Heroes said they'd continue their investigation of our group, so we don't have time to stand here and talk." Shigaraki turned to the television, the channel changed to a still screen that just read sound only. "Master. Lend me your power."
Master? Wait, so Shigaraki wasn't the leader of the League?
Bakugou latched onto the information as well.
"A master? I thought you were the boss around here. But you're a Sidekick."
"Kurogiri, Compress. It's time to put them back to sleep. Dabi, call our clients and ask what's taking so long for them to come pick up the package."
The magician, Compress, sighed. "I can't believe he's such a bad audience member. It's almost impressive."
He sauntered closer, lifting his hand— most likely to use his Quirk on them again.
Hitomi weighed her options, wondering just how badly it would hurt if she put any pressure on her right leg.
Then, three knocks came from the back door.
"Hello? I got a pizza delivery here."
Heart skipping a beat, Hitomi tugged Bakugou back, pulling him to stand to her right. Because—
The wall to their left blew apart, crumbling away with an iconic cry.
"Smash!"
—Because there was no scent of pizza. Just the metal and gunpowder of standard issue police ammunition.
The Villains panicked upon All Might's arrival.
"Kurogiri! Gate!" Shigaraki hastily ordered.
But before he could, Kamui Woods leapt onto the scene.
"Pre-emptive Binding—" his roots shot out, wrapping around each Villain and restraining them. "Lacquered Chain Prison!"
"Heh, that's it?" Dabi muttered snidely, blue flames flicking to life.
A blur of yellow zipped into the bar, and knocked ruthlessly into Dabi's head, rendering the man unconscious.
"Don't do anything foolish." The blur— an elderly Hero, chided. "It's in your best interest to cooperate with us."
"Just what I'd expect from a competent new Hero." All Might gave Kamui Woods a thumbs-up. Then a nod to the elderly Hero. "And a veteran Pro who moves faster than the eye can see!" His blazing blue irises shined threateningly, pinned on Shigaraki. "You can't run anymore, League of Villains! Understand? Because we are here now!"
Hitomi actually began to smile, turning her head and looking at Bakugou.
The blonde was staring at All Might with a tight expression, his lips quivering faintly.
"Right after the press conference?" Compress sputtered." They had this ruse planned the whole time!"
"Tree man! You're hugging me too tight! Harder!"
"One tends to neglect defense when they're on the offense." The Hero, Edgeshot, turned himself flat, slipping through the back door. "But we didn't come alone. Take a look." When he opened it, there stood dozens of police officers, decked out in full combat gear.
Hitomi's eyes watered— this time positively, when she saw the Kanagawa PD logo on the vests. Her father's side of the family— the Saitos, practically ran the police in Kanagawa, to see them made her feel safe, even while still standing in the Villains' bar,
"You're surrounded by police forces from Musutafu, Yokohama, and Kanagawa. Not to mention powerful Heroes like Endeavor."
All Might turned to Hitomi and Bakugou, smiling in reassurance.
"Ah, you must've been scared. But you both stayed strong." His smile went strained when he looked down, catching sight of her leg. "I'm sorry, you're safe now."
"Tch! What?! I wasn't scared! Not even close!" Bakugou protested, scowling like usual again.
It was relieving to see, oddly enough.
"After I went through all the trouble of preparing this, the final boss goes and shows up on my doorstep…" Shigaraki growled, before shouting out. "Kurogiri! Warp over as many as you can!"
All Might smirked. "The Nomu, right?"
There was a pause, where nothing happened.
"What are you waiting for, damnit?"
"I'm sorry, Tomura Shigaraki. The Nomus were supposed to be in a fixed location but… they're gone!"
"It seems you have a lot to learn, Shigaraki." All Might commented, walking over and carefully wrenching off the lock on Hitomi's muzzle. "You're still green. Your little League underestimated all of us. The soul of Young Bakugou. The resilience of Young Saito. The police's diligent investigations. And, our righteous fury."
The muzzle fell to the floor, clattering noisily. Hitomi rubbed her neck, breathing easier with the weight of it gone.
"Enough is enough. Your game has come to an end, Tomura Shigaraki!"
The lizard-like Villain yelped from the floor. "All Might, please! You're the only Hero Stain respected! You are worthy!"
"You think it's over?" Shigaraki still persisted. "Don't be stupid. I"ve only just begun to play." He started to stand, forcing himself up despite the roots trying to hold him down. "Justice… Peace… You created a garbage society by lifting up such ridiculous ideals. That's why I targeted you, All Might. It's why I started gathering people to my cause. You think this is the end? Then you've lost. Kurogiri—"
Edgeshot pierced the warp Villain's skin, making him slump onto the bar counter.
"Ah! What just happened?!" The sunglasses wearing Villain screamed. "I couldn't see anything! Did they kill him?"
"I played around with his insides and made him fall unconscious." Edgeshot casually said, his body twisting like red string in the air, his head popping up from the end. "Ninpo: Thousand Sheet Pierce. He was such a nuisance. He had to sleep."
"Weren't you listening earlier?" The veteran Hero asked. "You'll all be better off if you take us seriously. Kenji Hikiishi." He looked to the sunglass-Villain. "Atsuhiro Sako." Compress. "Shuishi Iguchi." The lizard-Villain. "Himiko Toga." The school-girl. "Jin Bubaigawara." Twice. "Though they had little time and information, the police worked through the night to discover your true identities. Do you understand? There's nowhere left for any of you to run. So, Shigaraki. One question. Where is your boss hiding?"
A tense silence fell over the room, before Shigaraki croaked hatefully.
"No. This is not over. Just you wait. The game is still mine."
"You'll tell us where he is, right now." All Might demanded.
"No. Go away. Disappear!"
Hitomi's fur stood, a cold feeling of dread hitting her.
"Shigaraki!"
"This is your fault! I hate you!" Shigaraki roared, and behind him on either side, strange floating splashes of metallic liquid formed, and slowly crawling out from within, were—
"Nomu!" Kamui Woods gasped. "How'd they get here?!"
More and more pools of silver appeared in the air, each one producing a Nomu.
"Damnit, Edgeshot! Stop Kurogiri!"
"He's still out! This isn't his doing!"
Hitomi instinctively stepped back, crying out and nearly falling to her knees when she put her right foot down.
"Hey—" Bakugou reached out his left hand to her. But…
The silver liquid spewed out from his mouth, cutting off his voice.
Hitomi stared in horror, shooting her right hand out. "Ka—"
A horrible taste coated her tongue, more of the mysterious substance falling from hers. She felt like she couldn't breathe, as it slowly enveloped her whole body.
It was unclear who grabbed on first, but both Hitomi and Bakugou latched on to the other's bicep. The liquid pulled them into it, dragging them apart. Their hands slid down to their elbows, then forearms, then wrists. Finally, their hands locked together desperately. But despite their iron-strong grip, they were inevitably yanked into the separate silver portals.
…
"Damnit!"
A male voice coughed, one Momo recognized as Bakugou's. If he was here, then—
"Agh!" Hitomi croaked, hacking and grunting in what sounded like pain.
She was right there. Hitomi was right there behind them. Just on the other side of the concrete wall shielding her group.
"My apologies." The man— the monster that blew away Best Jeanist and the other Heroes, amicably said.
It made Momo sick, the thought of him addressing Hitomi in any way.
"Huh?" Bakugou panted, before the sound of running water filled the air.
One after another, new voices gagged and sputtered, all unfamiliar.
"That was so gross!" A girl whined.
"This black stuff reeks! I love it!" A man said, changing intonations between conflicting statements.
"Master…" Someone with a raspy tone called.
"So, you've failed once more, Tomura." The apparent Master spoke silkily. "But you must not be discouraged. You'll try again. That's why I brought your associates back with you. Even this boy, and the bargaining chip, because you judged that both he and outside forces were important pieces on your game board."
Momo couldn't feel her hands or feet, terror numbing them.
What did he mean "bargaining chip"? And outside forces? Who wanted Hitomi badly enough to hire the League of Villains? And why?
"Start over as many times as it takes. I am here to provide you with help. All of this is for you."
Midoriya took a step, and Iida immediately latched onto him and Todoroki, holding them in place. Momo did the same with Kirishima. As dearly as she wanted to run out there and grab Hitomi, it wasn't a feasible option. They would just blow their position, and get themselves killed.
I have to focus. We have to get away. But how?
"Ah, there you are." The leader said, making them all go cold.
He noticed. They were spotted. They were going to die. Hitomi was going to—
A collision, and backdraft forceful enough to whip around audibly came from behind the wall they used as shelter. An enraged declaration shouting over it all.
"I'll have you return my students, All For One!"
…
"I'll have you return my students, All For One!"
Hitomi shielded her face, squinting through the gusts of wind to stare as the man— All For One, easily held back All Might's attack.
"Have you come to kill me a second time, All Might?" All For One taunted.
An explosion of air shattered the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust, powerful enough to send everyone in the clearing flying back.
Hitomi cried out, her body airborne for a moment, before she came painfully crashing back down.
"It took you long enough to find us." All For One jeered through the chaos. "It's only five kilometers from the bar to here, and yet it was at least thirty seconds after I sent the Nomus that you arrived. You've gotten weaker, All Might."
Hitomi winced, slowly pushing her upper half off of the ground. She pulled her legs closer, but stopped when she realized she couldn't feel anything below her right knee. She stared down at the messy bandages wrapped around her shin, that did nothing for the bone that was protruding again.
"You're one to talk." All Might retorted, standing tall when the dust cleared. "It's hard to ignore that fancy life-support mask you've got on. Aren't you overexerting yourself?"
With visibility back, Hitomi frantically looked around, spotting Bakugou on the ground about twenty feet away. Biting down on her bottom lip, she tried to psyche herself up for what she had to do. Keeping to the ground, she army-crawled toward him with her arms and left leg, forced to let her right drag behind— which could not be good for the severe injury.
All Might hopped in place, casually warming up. "I won't repeat the mistake I made five years ago. You hear me? I will take Young Bakugou and Young Saito back. And I will make certain you're locked up for the rest of your sad life. Right along with your despicable League of Villains!" He shot through the air, arm reeled back to deliver a smash.
All For One raised his own, his arms swelling and crackling with red sparks. "Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. This will be hard for us both." Then, he caught All Might's fist, halting him middair, and sent him sailing back, crashing violently into a nearby building, bringing the whole thing down on him.
Hitomi gawked in terror, momentarily left unable to move.
"Hm, Air Cannon, plus Spring-like Limbs. Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three. What a delightful combination. Maybe a few more enhancers next time."
What was he talking about?
"All Might!" Bakugou called out in concern, staggering to his feet.
Hitomi growled to herself, getting on her hands and knees now, gritting her teeth and crawling forward.
"Don't you worry. It'll take more than that to kill him." All For One told Bakugou, then addressed Shigaraki. "Get off the battlefield Tomura. And take the children with you."
The Villain's fingers turned red and black, expanding and branching out toward Kurogiri's limp body. Then they stabbed into his torso, making the warp Villain convulse minutely.
"Kurogiri, warp them away!"
"Be careful!" The sunglass-Villain cried. "One of the Heroes messed with him and he's unconscious! I'm not sure what's going on, but if you can teleport, why don't you get us out of here?"
"My warp power is still new, Magne. There is much I need to learn about it. It's distance is limited, and while he can teleport to spectrum coordinates, I only transport people to and from my own location. Or, with focus, to or from someone I am very familiar with. That is all. It's easier to have Kurogiri do it."
All while he explained himself, Hitomi slowly inched closer to her friend, praying he wouldn't notice, or even care.
Finally, carmine eyes spotted her, wide and fearful. He looked so vulnerable, and it ached in a strange way.
Hitomi's expression steeled, and she worked faster to reach him.
Bakugou stiffened, giving her a sharp shake of his head.
She could understand why. As the closer she got to Bakugou, the closer she got to Shigaraki and his band of criminals.
"Forcible Quirk Activation." All For One bellowed, a portal immediately forming from Kurogiri's body. "Leave this place."
"What about you?" Shigaraki asked his master, but was interrupted before being answered.
All Might roared, launching through the sky back to the scene.
All For One levitated himself, calling down to Shigaraki.
"You're not thinking, Tomura. There remains much room for you to grow."
"You're mine!" All Might raged, throwing another punch that was blocked again.
While the two men fought in the air, the League surrounded Hitomi and Bakugou, circling them.
Hitomi finally planted her left foot, standing unsteadily, back-to-back with Bakugou.
"Heh, this is gonna be fun." He quipped tensely with a huff.
"We got a plan?" Hitomi peered back at him, preparing herself for the ramifications of using her Quirk.
"None at all."
Hitomi shrugged, trying to keep the atmosphere light. "Ah, well, we've done better with less."
(Which was a blatant lie.)
"Kids, don't!" All Might warned, before getting pulled back into his fight.
Twice shot out a whip of measuring tape, barely missing Bakugou's cheek, who was forced to jump away to dodge.
Hitomi sucked in a sharp breath, tensing as the school-girl, Toga, charged at her, swinging her knife around wildly.
Aunt Rumi taught her that when unarmed in a knife-fight, you needed to keep good balance so you could pivot aside at a moment's notice.
And her right leg made that not an option. So…
She leaned back, the blade whizzing by her neck by an inch. Canines baring, Hitomi held her breath and activated her Quirk.
Her vision warped, and vertigo washed over her. But most noticeably, was that she was still the same size.
Her body wouldn't do it. It was refusing to let her transform.
Toga took advantage of her confused and distracted state.
"Agh!"
Pain bloomed across the right side of Hitomi's face, and she could feel the warm slickness of blood soon running down her neck. She stumbled back, accidentally putting her right foot down.
"Saito!"
She absently heard Bakugou's shout as she hit the ground, landing roughly on her back. Eyes narrowed from the nearly overwhelming amount of pain across her body, Hitomi snarled at Toga, who jumped down and straddled her waist.
"Aw, look at that! Your eyes are all red! Like your blood!" She raised her knife high, clasped with both hands, and thrusted it back down.
Hitomi panicked, just managing to grab Toga's wrists, halting the knife centimeters from her face.
"I thought… you needed me… alive!" Hitomi grunted out, struggling to keep the metal tip from getting any closer.
Either the girl was absurdly strong, or Hitomi was direly low on blood. Probably the latter.
Then, Toga's head was snapped to the side, mercilessly kicked by Bakugou who blasted himself over.
The blonde girl went flying, tumbling to the ground with her knife clattering from her hand.
Hitomi panted, not wasting any time, and hoisted herself up. Everything swam unpleasantly, the world teetering. She didn't even realize she was careening back, until Bakugou latched onto her arm, righting her harshly.
She wasn't blind to the way he was staring at the right side of her face, but it wasn't something she wanted— or could afford to —focus on. Not when the Villains were closing in around them.
"I-I can't use my Quirk." She croaked, eyes welling, much to her shame. "My body won't let me."
Bakugou growled, glaring venomously around at their enemies. "Figured as much."
Hitomi clenched her fists, finding morbid comfort in the dull sting of her nails pinching her skin. "What do we—"
A nearby wall broke apart, revealing Midoriya and Iida holding up Kirishima. Not a second later, a ramp of ice formed in front of them, which Iida skated up in a blur with his Quirk. They reached the end of it, and sailed through the sky, what looked like eighty feet up.
Hitomi and Bakugou— and even the League, all stared.
Kirishima looked down at them, and reached out his left hand.
"Come on!"
Hitomi felt an arm wrap around her middle, and throw her up onto a shoulder. She only had enough time to notice the scent of burnt caramel, before she saw the ground shoot away.
She yelped, closing her eyes and hugging tightly to Bakugou as well as she could at her angle, trying to ignore the fact they were high enough to die, in the event that Bakugou suddenly stopped and they fell.
Their momentum changed, and no more blasts came from Bakugou's palms. His left arm came up and locked firmly over the small of her back to keep her in place.
Hitomi hesitantly cracked an eye open.
"You idiots!" Bakugou shouted, but there was nothing akin to anger in his voice.
Reassured by his hold that she wouldn't fall off, Hitomi turned her head and gaped at their rescuers.
"Bakugou!" Iida called. "On my mark, you give us a giant—"
"Don't tell me what to do, damn you!"
"It's not the time to fight, you guys!" Kirishima chastised.
Bakugou snarled wordlessly, and loosened his grip on her.
"Hang on!"
With that as her only warning, Hitomi squeaked when he let go, scrambling to knot her hands into the back of his shirt.
"Titan Cliff!" A female voice boomed.
Looking ahead, Hitomi gasped at the sight of Mount Lady, who blocked Compress— how was he on their tail?! —unfortunately with her face.
"The rescue's priority. Get home, you dumb kids…" She groaned, and fell on her side with a deafening boom.
Sounded like something Nori would say…
Thirty feet, twenty, fifteen, ten—
Bakugou blasted the ground, while Midoriya used his Quirk in his legs to brace the landing
They skidded across the debris littered ground, until finally coming to a stop.
They all panted, stunned for various reasons. Like the fact that had actually worked, and the fact they had come to a battlefield just to save Hitomi and Bakugou.
She laughed softly, looking tiredly ahead.
They were alive. Because their friends had risked life and limb saving them.
"You all… should call me… Hitomi, from now on."
Bakugou scoffed, dropping her. But Hitomi appreciated that he did so slowly enough for her to plant her left leg down.
"Holy crap, S— Hitomi, your leg!" Eijirou grimaced, hurrying to her side, and throwing her right arm over his shoulders.
"You're really pale." Izuku said quietly, throat bobbing with a swallow, his eyes lingering on her right cheek before turning to Bakugou. "Kachan, are you—"
"I'm fine, shitty nerd!"
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Tenya urged, leading the way through the rubble.
The devastation was expansive, stretching on for the whole block. There was no telling how many people could've…
"H-hey, it'll be okay." Eijirou stammered, spotting the tears running down her face.
Hitomi pursed her lips. She didn't have the energy to argue.
Leaving the area of destruction, they were joining the masses of a crowd when Izuku's phone rang, which he quickly answered.
"Hey, Todoroki!"
He was here too?
"Midoriya, are you five safe?" His voice crackled through the speaker.
"Yeah, what about you guys? No one saw you?"
Who was with Shouto?
"I don't think so. We're on the street, blending in with the crowd now. Some Pros are here helping people evacuate."
"Good." Izuku looked around, taking stock of where they were. "We're stopped in front of the station. Luckily we missed that last shockwave. Our rescue totally worked! But—"
"A rescue?! That's not what happened back there. You idiots just happened to be my best escape route!"
"You're welcome!" Eijirou beamed, unbothered by the brush-off.
Hitomi cracked a weak smile. "Well, you guys definitely rescued me." She looked at the blonde. "That includes you, Katsuki."
Katsuki twitched, scowling at her sharply, only to falter at the sight of her face.
Her pulse jumped. Her right cheek throbbing in time with it. How bad was it, to have him make that kind of face?
"Tch, we both had to get out of there, so All Might could destroy that guy." He explained gruffly.
Two helicopters flew by overhead, news channel logos on their sides.
The giant monitor on the front of the station changed, showing footage of All Might and All For One.
"The scene below's straight out of a nightmare. Half of Kamino Ward was demolished in a single, horrifying instant." A male news anchor spoke over it. "All Might is currently fighting the Villain, who appears to have caused the blast. I can't believe it. How is one person so powerful? He's destroying the city and is more than holding his own against the Symbol of Peace!"
Hitomi covered her mouth with a trembling hand, unable to take her eyes off of the screen.
All For One aimed his arm at All Might, shooting off a blast of wind so powerful it shook the ground all the way over to the station. When the view cleared, it revealed All For One, and…
What?
Hitomi stood frozen, head pounding, and racing a mile-a-minute, trying to figure out an explanation for what she was seeing.
It was that man. The sickly one she ran into before internships, that rainy morning.
There was no way… he was—
"He looks like a skeleton." Someone from the crowd commented.
"What's wrong with him?" Another asked.
"Is— is everyone else seeing this?" The news anchor sputtered. "It looks like All Might's been shrunk somehow!"
Hitomi blinked, and it was like her frantic thoughts and worries all stopped, and her mind calmly handed her one simple fact to latch onto.
Her hand lowered, dropping and clenching into a fist at her side.
The man standing there, bloody, battered, emaciated, was the same one as before.
This was still All Might.
"Beat this guy…" Katsuki whispered at her side, as if unable to bring his voice any louder.
"No way. What next?"
"Is he gonna lose?"
They all looked around at the murmuring crowd, listening to their chatter.
"He's always been able to win before. So he can do it again, right?"
"Yeah! Even if he looks totally different he's still the same All Might!"
"Come on, All Might, you can do it!"
"Beat this sucker!"
"Show 'im what you can do!"
Hitomi shook, face scrunching as she was wracked with sobs. Because this… this was—
"Win this!" Izuku shouted gutturally, tears falling from his eyes.
"Beat him!" Katsuki roared desperately.
"Keep fighting!" Hitomi cried, calling out as loud as she could.
This was all the echoes of generations raised in the shining safety of the man on screen. The pleas of millions, for him to make it out alive.
This was a Hero who needed saving. And for the first time in history, everyone else had the power to help do just that.
"Come on, All Might!"
Golden sparks encapsulated All Might's right arm, which grew back to the size it was before. And across the Hero's sunken, pale face, stretched a wide grin.
All For One floated up, mimicking the Hero by expanding his own arm to match.
Then, flames erupted from the corner of the screen. First Endeavor and Edgeshot revealed themselves, before Kamui Woods, Tiger, and the veteran Pro arrived, hauling Best Jeanist, Mount Lady, Ragdoll, and a civilian woman away so All Might wouldn't have to worry about saving them, and beating the Villain at the same time.
"The fight isn't over yet!" The news anchor declared with unwavering faith. "All Might's still standing! And so long as he is, he stands as our pillar of hope!"
All For One blew away the Heroes, just leaving him and All Might. His right arm sparked red again, and began to bulge and distort grotesquely, until the limb was the same size as his whole body.
The Villain went for the attack, and All Might pulled back his fist to do the same. Their knuckles met at a stalemate, pure energy reverberating between them. Sadly, All For One seemed to have the advantage, pushing All Might back.
But, their Hero proved stronger.
All Might's right leg buffed up, digging into the ground and halting him in his tracks. Then, his right arm deflated, as he transferred the power to his left.
His bloodied fist struck home, hitting All For One in his scarred face.
Not giving the Villain enough time to charge up another strike, All Might switched back to his right arm, which was demolished.
The strange angles it bent, and the purple bruising across the skin, it all looked a lot like—
"United…!"
Blood gushed from All Might's mouth.
"States of…!"
The ground upended around them, shattered by his lunge at the Villain.
"Smash!"
The screen washed with static, obscuring the view of what exactly was happening. But everyone could feel it, through the foundation of the city, and up through their very bones. When the camera feed filtered back in, no one dared to breathe, until the dust cleared.
Standing over the beaten Villain, was the living, breathing, All Might. His left arm raised triumphantly to the sky.
"A-All Might wins!" The news anchor announced thickly.
The crowd's cheers were so loud and overwhelming, it drowned out Hitomi's unrestrained cries.
Eijirou was practically holding up all of her weight by now, her unharmed leg too weak to keep standing. Her whole body quaked, and her vision blurred through tears. It was all a culmination of her terror, pain, exhaustion, confusion, and now…
Her astronomical relief.
"The Villain's not moving! He's knocked out! All Might stands victorious! He's saved us yet again!"
With a puff of steam, he grew to normal. Standing tall and unshakable.
"All Might! All Might! All Might! All Might!"
Everyone around them all pumped their left fists in the air.
"Whoa, Hitomi." Eijirou cautioned, hooking her right arm high when she lurched forward.
But she just didn't have the strength. The sun was rising, the Villain was defeated, All Might was alive, and she was running on half the blood she was supposed to.
Hitomi figured that, now that it was all over, she could take a quick rest.
"Hey! Stay awake— Midoriya!"
Her left arm was grabbed onto, thrown over another person.
Vanilla and lavender. Izuku.
"We need to get her to a hospital, quickly!" Tenya stressed somewhere from behind.
"Yaoyorozu can make us bandages, right?" Eijirou asked tightly.
Momo came? Momo came.
"We don't know where they are!"
"You idiots didn't bring any medical supplies?! The fuck—"
"We didn't think they'd hurt either of you! Not after all the trouble of taking you uninjured from the camp!"
"News flash dipshit, her leg was broken during the attack on camp!"
Hitomi whined, her ears flattening.
"Kachan, you're hurting her ears."
"Shut up, nerd!" Katsuki hissed, significantly quieter.
"Wha— Guys! The news!"
Half-lidded fuchsia eyes were forced upward, watching the monitor with what little energy she had left.
"Now…" Facing to the side, All Might pointed back at the camera, finishing his haunting whisper.
"Now, it's your turn."
"That's our Hero!" A woman praised.
"He couldn't be more amazing!" Said another bystander.
The salt of tears and heartbreak washed over Izuku's normally gentle scent. With a faint undercurrent of… she didn't know what.
While the rest of the crowd roared their admiration for All Might, Hitomi had front row seats to watch Izuku cry. The only one out of over a hundred, to take the message poorly.
Maybe… maybe not poorly. Maybe he was the only one to actually understand it.
Hitomi had that confusing idea pop to mind, right before everything faded away.
And unlike the last few times, she welcomed it gladly.
…
"Then what do you remember?"
Katsuki swallowed, glaring to the side. The paper cup in his right hand crinkled.
"A group caught wind of our plan to pick you up, and they offered something valuable in return for the girl."
"Then… they mentioned something about a group, or something, making some kind of deal? For… her."
There was a lot Saito missed while unconscious. Like how…
"She was easy enough to get ahold of. Thanks to convenience we were able to snag her. We wouldn't have taken the deal if we weren't already after you."
…How it was his fault she was even taken.
Detective Tsukauchi nodded slowly, jotting everything down.
"Saito, you mean?"
Katsuki glared harder. The paper cup flattened.
"Yeah. They made it sound like she was merchandise."
The detective sighed heavily. "This deal could be any number of things. Quirk Trafficking. Revenge by someone her parents locked away. Even something as mundane as an obsessed stalker."
Something bitter burned the back of Katsuki's tongue.
The two looked up as the door opened, revealing a plain looking woman dressed in scrubs, holding a first-aid kit.
"Someone informed me that a Katsuki Bakugou was hurt."
Katsuki blinked, subconsciously going over everything again in a flash behind his eyelids.
"You heard wrong." He grumbled, decidedly knowing the Villains hadn't ever managed to land any hits.
On him. His mind very unhelpfully added.
The nurse arched a thin brow, and for a second Katsuki was reminded of his mother.
Jesus, the words she was going to have for him once he got home—
"Then what's that?"
Katsuki slowly followed her pointed gaze, his eyes landing on his clenched left hand, resting on his lap.
Blood steadily trickled out from between his fingers.
How did he not notice? And what cut him?
The nurse took advantage of his bewilderment, and came forward. Kneeling down by his chair, she fearlessly grabbed his wrist, pulled his hand closer, and forced it open.
Barely running on any sleep over the past couple of long days, Katsuki didn't think to fight her, watching with some level of blank detachment. Until he saw the origin of the blood.
Four deep, and long cuts gauged through his hand, starting close to the inside of his wrist, and reaching up to the top of his palm.
They looked like animal scratches. As if razor sharp claws cut through his skin like warm butter.
"What did that?" Detective Tsukauchi questioned.
Katsuki sat stumped, until it came back to him in another flash.
Their hands slid down to their elbows, then forearms, then wrists. Finally, their hands locked together desperately. But despite their iron-strong grip, they were inevitably yanked into the separate silver portals.
He squinted at the wound, studying it closely, and came to a very dumbfounding conclusion.
When human, Saito's nails were dull, and short. Saito was in human form when she gave him the scratches.
But nothing less than her Akita Inu claws could've done this.