This is...late, I won't lie, I wasn't able to meet the deadline for it and I can't blame anyone but myself.

Oh boy, this was meant to come out last week, but I did not have the power for, as I've said, over 36 hours from Tuesday evening. Lucky for me, I regularly save my stuff as I write, so my computer's battery got crazy low. At the same time, I worked on what I got done last week; nothing was lost, so I could pick up where I left off without issue. Now, the only thing that's taking time is me finally watching 100 Girlfriends :).

However, there have been some developments. That being said, depending on how things go over the next couple of weeks, I might put some stories on hiatus to work on another one. It won't replace any of them, as almost all of them, including this one, are far from finished. Still, I've been juggling ideas for new stuff for a while now. I'm considering giving one some time in the sun, though, because I've been so busy; that's all they are at present, ideas with some notes saved on my computer.

Now that I've said what I wished, let's get into the chapter.

Chapter 55: Come with Us

As the metallic echo of alarms filled the vast corridors, Pyre was getting annoyed by it all. Of course, it was a well-built base. Its security was undoubtedly the best the commission could get their shady little hands on. Still, as the attacker, it grew tiresome to hear it on repeat. When the lights in the path they were moving down cut, replaced with the red emergency lights he's seen in every action movie, he could say he could do without.

"Nine, how much further do we need to go?" Pyre casually asked, as if he wasn't dancing around the gunfire from the turrets and security that appeared to slow them down. Typically, such wouldn't be an issue for him. Still, he had relinquished his volcanic form to save energy and make this more challenging.

"If they're putting up this desperate a fight, then we can't be far from the objective." Nine, having created an ice wall to protect himself, replied. With a snap of his fingers, he sent down range a seating heat wave, comparable to what it would feel like to be outside in the Okinawan summer sun for hours. The guards, wearing either regular clothing or winter gear, felt it as they started getting sweaty, only to cry out as they dodged a green fire blast that flew right where it had been, Pyre's fireball taking out another 5 turrets.

"Desperate is right, but I wouldn't call this effective. Maybe they just weren't expected to get attacked." As Pyre spoke, he dodged what attacks he could. Still, some were unavoidable as those without weapons started using their quirks, including one with a telekinesis type, which pulled the wretched, jagged, and melting turret from the wall and threw it at him.

Midoriya batted the thing aside, though the heated metal dug deep into his hand and forearm, tearing through muscle and crushing bone. His attempt succeeded, but he paid for it with his hand. However, he hadn't spared a thought over it, as steam started shooting out of the cuts and gashes as the flesh stitched itself back together, bones reforming and setting themselves. Not even 20 seconds later, his hand was as good as new, not even a scratch, much less a scar.

"They're certainly getting creative," Nine called out, equally as unmoved over his teammate's grievous wounds and rapid recovery; he had seen it enough times. That same telekinesis user hadn't stopped, but Nine had waved his hands and created a barrier of hurricane winds, which meant anything thrown at it, if it got through, flew horribly off course.

"Maybe, but sadly, none of them seem to be worth the fight. It's a shame, too. I wanted our first job since you got back to be something." Midoriya sighed, half wanting some powerful heroes to appear, but that would just be counterproductive, wouldn't it?

"We're being paid 50 million yen for this job; I could care less about how entertaining it is." Nine reported, sending another blast of hurricane-like winds against the defenders, forcing them back as some of their robots fell over and needed to be quickly righted.

Pyre stomped his foot, as Nine was always too cool and collected, but he wanted something that would make him smile, but that wasn't a good book or a quiet evening! "But what's the point of doing work if it's boring? You gotta be able to smile too-!"

Pyre coughed up blood and bile as an attack he hadn't noticed hit its mark, a spear made from bone lodged in his chest, right through his esophagus. He stumbled, but much to the horror of the defenders, he didn't drop. Instead, he whipped the blood from his face, grabbed the end of the spear sticking out of his chest, and crushed it in his grip, the rest fading away and leaving behind a gaping hole which, like his hand, started releasing steam as it healed.

He wasn't angry or in pain when he turned to the guards. It was far worse: He was smiling. "Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to interrupt a conversation?" Pyre scolded them like children, fear shooting through them as they could feel the ambient heat rising. "But that's fine. I'll improve you all, so you don't make that same mistake again."

"Fall back!" One of them screamed, but it was too late.

"Boa Flame!" Pyre unleashed his strongest attack, and in such a confined space, there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide as Nine used his quirk to funnel even more oxygen into the flaming serpent as it hissed and coiled as it flew right for them.

Far away from the cause of the disturbance, in a large artificial cavern, organized chaos was the name of the game. The space was rarely used; this would be the first time it would see use, not that most occupants would know of it. They would have exited the facility the same way that they came in, the main entrance, but for whatever reason, they had been that was impossible and instead, had been funneled from their rooms, play areas, or training chambers to this spot where they were a small train was waiting for them.

People in suits or dressed like their care-takers herded the swarm of children between the ages of 6 and 10 onto the train, many of them being confused, scared, and angry, which left things at a crawl as they weren't like other kids-they were special kids, these people from the hero commission told them as such, they were stronger, faster and better than other kids and could one day be the best heroes.

In the center of it all, 7-year-old Ishiken Annie watched all of this, his eyes golden reptilian slits and luminous, his face covered in bright red scales while his snout let out heated breaths. He clutched a small, worn figurine of Hawks, concerned but curious about what was happening now.

He had been napping, having gone through late training the prior night and some this morning, only to be woken not even 20 minutes ago by one of the smiling and yet, not kind people dressed like they were nurses, told to get dressed and to head here with the rest of the kids.

He was confused, but he hadn't been sure of a lot these past few weeks, feeling another feint but definite shake of the ground beneath his bare scaled feet. Something was happening, something big like another one of the kids misbehaving and really going all out in training, but that couldn't be the case, right? They would have stopped them by now like they stopped all the kids who misbehaved.

'So why are we leaving? It is time to go home now?' He wondered as he recalled the day his parents had visitors at that tiny apartment. They didn't look like the people from the government he was used to seeing, the ones that always seemed to smile at him, carried treats, and asked all sorts of questions about whether he was eating right and safely.

No, those ones were wearing suits, like the secret agents in his dad's old books, with sunglasses even when they came inside, but Mom said they could just have sensitive eyes. So when he was asked to play outside while they talked. When he returned, his parents told him he would be staying with the suits for a little bit and to behave for them.

Annei was a good boy and did as they told him, and they seemed nice enough. On the way to the airport, a place he had never been to, they had got him ice cream, a super rare treat, and let him use one of their phones, a fancy one like his teacher has- nothing like the old flip=phones his folks had. It had so many games it blew his mind. After a super fun plane ride, they arrived in Hokkaidi, or was it Hikkoadu? Anyway, they got here, and it was super cold. It wasn't even winter yet!

He asked if he could play in the snow when it came, but they said no. Before he knew it, he was here, and ever since, this complex, super deep underground had all he had seen. He hadn't seen the sun, moon, or the many pretty stars in a long time, outside in the books and on TV, but he wanted to see the real thing.

"You'll see them when you complete your training. Can you do that?" He got that answer once when he asked, and he was a good boy, so he promised he'd do just that! But…but something seemed off about this place.

All the other kids didn't seem really happy, and when it came to playtime, they always just stuck to small friend groups or by themselves and didn't like it when he approached.

It wasn't just them; the entire place wasn't like home, school, or anywhere else he had been to. No laughter, no soft breeze, no warm sun, no smiles or treats-it was all boring 'do this' or 'try that', and everyone had to listen to what they were told. It was all so boring and, at times, scary, but he would hold onto his Hawks figure every night and think, 'I'll be just like him.' Maybe he wasn't a big red bird like Hawks, but he would be a big red dragon, super cool and always ready to save the day super-fast.

It helped when the environment was so….vast and unfeeling. He was still young and inexperienced, so he couldn't really understand just what this place was. In the end, it didn't matter in the moment as the alarms still blared, they were still being told to leave, and no one was telling them why.

It was strange to see so many adults who always seemed so busy or had their heads elsewhere seem so concerned and panicked.

Off to the side, the security chief approached one of the suits. "What's the situation?"

"They've gotten past section D, and we've lost contact with most of our security in section E." The security chief informed them, which caught the supervisor off guard.

"That fast, how couldn't you stop them!" He hissed at the man whose eyes narrowed.

"My forces are doing the best they can with what we've been given. It was not our decision not to have trained heroes or additional forces. This facility's strength was meant to be secrecy, so tell me- how did that fail? Is that under your preview?" He shot back at the man, the accusation unsaid but clear for both.

"Enough!" The facility commander marched up to them, pointing toward the children they were meant to supervise and protect, some of which had turned toward the two arguing men. "This is not the time for senseless arguments. How long can you get us?"

A deep, reverberating crash was their answer as all three turned towards the massive reinforced steel doors that had served as the last barrier between them and what lay beyond. As another crash was more felt than heard, and the children started to panic, the security chief could only give a grave response.

"Not enough."

More impacts, hard and unforgiving, smashed into the door, causing a rising number of dents, which turned into bulges to ripple across its frame. Those marks and damage heated up until the metal started to glow. That heat spread over the surface of the doors as a few security yelled for the others to get back as they fell into position; the train was also ordered to leave despite not being full, which meant many kids found themselves refused access.

As the train started to move, a low, unsettling screech began, echoing through the cavern, sending chills down the spines of the adults and causing many children to start crying. Then, as if summoned by this gathering of raw fear, the impacts ceased for a moment.

Only to be replaced by the screech of tearing metal as two clawed hands, made from stone and magma, burst through the battered barrier and slowly started to pull the door apart, creating an opening. The steel groaned under the relentless pressure and heat but couldn't stand up as the hands pulled the opening wider enough that Pyre could stick his head through.

"Found you," Pyre hissed as he shattered the doors, sending pieces of melted steel flying toward the sides. His transformed form showcased his transformation as it reverted back to normal.

Unlike before, he wasn't smiling.

"Open fire!" The head of security called out, but as his aim, who had already aimed their weapons and quirks went to pull their triggers, Nine made his appearance.

Without warning or remorse, a gust of wind came barrelling in and slammed into all of them, throwing them off their feet and landing hard.

"Unless you all want to add to your time in the hospital," Nine stepped inside, his eyes glowing an ominous red as he created a cyclone around himself. "You'll stop this pointless resistance."

"What do you want?" The facility commander asked, braving the sight of the two despite knowing he couldn't fight them even with a handicap.

"We're looking for someone, but you'll leave with more than we expected." Nine replied, his eyes returning to normal as he looked over the vast room and to the many scared children. Seeing them, what little warmth in his eyes vanished, leaving them as cold as ice and merciless as a hammer to the head.

Pyre might have retrained some warmth in his gaze, but it was a different kind, a dangerous kind that seemed to seek to burn whatever had gained his ire. They had been the last to reach the end of the paths they had seen before, proving that this had to be the most important. However, that mattered little when the others had radioed in and reported what they had found.

Children, so many children.

Nine could admit that he had expected to find more than one once they got the job and were able to read over the details. The commission wasn't some small organization; it had reached all across Japan. Basically, buying some child to turn them into an indentured servant couldn't have been a once-off, and such a facility could never have been built or occupied by just one.

However, he had only expected maybe 20-30 children, having assumed that the commission would have only taken the 'best of the best' for their morally dubious program to create more agents of the state. How wrong he had been. Slice and Koharu had found 30 on their end, and Chimera and Mummy had managed to recover another 40 of theirs. Looking over what they saw and noting the rail line was empty-unlike what the others found, Nine would only assume that the maybe 20 he was seeing were those that couldn't get onto that escape train in time.

"As if," Whatever the facility's commander was about to say was cut off when Pyre crossed the distance between them before he could react and grabbed him by the shoulder. His grip wasn't strong, and if the man wished, he could probably break free with little effort, but that wasn't what kept him from doing so; it was the realization that Pyre could have easily gone for his neck; it was a kill shot if he so chose.

Pyre didn't need to say it for him and the rest of the adults to understand that he was on thin ice, ice with a fire beneath it.

"You're not in a position to argue or bargain. Whatever plans you had had been destroyed. The least you could do is surrender with some dignity and let us do what we came here for, " Nine said, nodding towards Pyre, who frowned back but ultimately returned the gesture before he walked towards the children.

They didn't know who he was, or maybe they did. Regardless, their fearful reaction and move to try and move away from him was telling enough. Pyre didn't enjoy scaring kids like this, but he couldn't fault them when, as far as they knew, he was just another vile villain, here to harm or kill them like what happened on the news and in cartoons.

Stopping, he kneeled and pulled out an old, rough-up-looked Hawks kid's watch. It had been one of the first released, having come around the same time the Winged Hero had made it into the top ten. With how much more Hawks stuff had come out since this would have been something you'll find in a bargain bin at any large chain or even the sort of thing given to charity.

Most of the kids seemed to agree with that or looked confused at seeing it, but one among them perked up. "My watch!" Ishiken cried out as he could recognize that watch anywhere. It was his favorite thing, and he had left it with his uncle after he stopped working, the man promising he could get it fixed.

"Are you Ishiken Annei?" Pyre asked.

"How would you know?" The boy asked as he had never told strangers his name.

Pyre didn't take another step, letting the boy decide if he wished to come to him. Instead, he offered a friendly smile. "Because your uncle's very worried about you and asked that we help look for you. He gave us this, so when we did, you'll know we're telling the truth."

The boy gasped, getting closer to him. "He did?"

"Right you are, Iskiken." Pyre nodded as he handed him the watch and watched as the boy strapped it to his wrist, letting out a gasp and cheer when he saw that it was working once again; his uncle had managed to fix it!

Seeing that lit a soothing flame in Pyre's heart, but their job wasn't over yet. Now, he could have just grabbed him and bolted, even forcing the rest to follow, but that just wasn't how he worked, and he would sooner bathe in ice water for a year than do such a thing. "Listen, do you know who we are?"

"You're…villains?" Iskiken asked, looking nervous to be this close to him, especially when he had no doubt heard all the terrible things villains do, which many did. Midoriya wouldn't pretend otherwise.

"In the eyes of the law and most people, yes, we are. But I promise we didn't come here to hurt any of you. It was just to rescue you like a hero would." Pyre told him, which made some other kids yell out in defiance.

"You're lying!"

"Yeah, villains don't save people; heroes do!"

"And we're gonna be the best heroes and kick people like you in the but!"

Pyre chuckled at their righteous fury, as it was odd seeing it from this side as once upon a time. Raising his hand, he politely apologized to the kids for what seemed insulting.

"Maybe someday, but this isn't the right way. You shouldn't be down in some government hole in the ground. You should be out with friends and family, enjoying the sun, the moon, and all the rest of the things this world has to offer." He told them, all of them, as he gestured towards the grey, lifeless walls of the cavern, lit up by piercing white lights that flickered as damage to power lines hadn't just vanished.

Iskiken frowned, hugging his Hawks doll tighter. Pyre could see that he could understand it, but he wouldn't just agree either, not when it would be such a drastic shift. So, Pyre continued to speak, the adults keeping silent thanks to Nine's glare reminding them how he could slaughter them with but a thought, a twitch of his finger.

"Being here…putting you all here, that's what a villain would do, and it's just not right, no matter how you slice it," Pyre stated, giving no room for doubt or hesitation, some of his previous anger seeping into his words at the fate that this world, and those who lead it, had decided for these children.

"But…"

"Ishiken," Pyre made sure to be as gentle as possible as he stopped the boy, offering him a hand but not moving further. "Would you like to come with us, to be with your uncle and leave this place behind?"

Ishiken remained hesitant, but this time, it wasn't from fear or mistrust as he looked at the offered hand and towards the others behind him.

"What about everyone else?" He asked, and Nine was about to speak up and remind the boy that they already would have issues with the other kids their allies had found.

"No one gets left behind." Pyre beat him to the punch, his words sure as he leaned in a little. "You wanna know a secret? I used to want to be a hero, too?" He might have acted like he was whispering, but most of the kids could still hear him loud and clear.

Because of that, it wasn't just Ishiken who was caught off guard. For a child, the idea that a villain would have ever wanted to be a hero seemed insane. Many probably thought that some people just become villains the same way people become heroes, the same way a deer was prey and lions were predators.

"Really, then why didn't you become one?" Isihiken asked a good question without thinking, smart boy.

"Because…well, it's a little complicated, much too complex for you to understand right now." Pyre laughed it off, finding he didn't feel nearly as broken up about it as he would have thought. "You can understand that I still want to help people and do right in the world….just not like someone cool like Hawks does." He told him.

"So that's something I'll leave up to you all." He turned his gaze to the entire group of children. "I want you all to have as much fun as you can, experience everything this world has to offer, and one day become real heroes and fight bad guys and bad things wherever they may be."

"…Even you?" One asked, probably thinking he would backtrack, tell them they couldn't defeat him, or ask that they don't go after him.

"If it comes down to it, even me." Pyre would have to disappoint them on that. Though, in a way, it would still be doing as he wished. If they realized the truth, they might never come to blows. And if they did and still saw him as evil, then he liked to think it would be because he had lost his way and would need to be stopped.

Getting up, he pointed towards the ceiling and the sky that waited above. "Now then, let's get out of here. It's a little cold outside, but we should be able to see how pretty the moon is."

Having taken the victory, it wasn't too hard to get the kids to follow. Meanwhile, the adults were marched out, disarmed, and informed to follow orders or get disciplined. As they walked through the ruined and scorched halls of the base on their way to meet up with the others, Nine leaned close to Midoriya.

"We still haven't figured out how to transport all of them." He reminded him, as the rest had already voiced similar concerns.

"Call the client. They gave us their contact information and said they'll be willing to help." Pyre replied, figuring that they must have had the means to get them out, especially now that they would probably need to worry about a response getting there even faster, what with that train managing to escape.

"That help might need a few buses and a big boat." Nine remarked but didn't push him on this.

"What about this place?" Pyre changed the topic.

Nine snorted, a dangerous glint forming in his eye. "Once we get everyone out, we torch it."

Pyre smiled. "Now that's an idea I can get behind."

It's a little shorter but seemed like a good place to end things.

The next chapter will be out April 30th

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