Flea

Chapter Thirty Seven

Maeve could see the sky, the stars. She thought. Everything was a haze, it was like she had a film over her mind and body, a pleasant... Nothingness. Yet the fog in her head was so heavy as well. When she felt herself being dragged, she just giggled slightly, marvelling at how the pavement felt against her back. 

For some reason, it was the laughing that caused her mind to do a groggy double take. Maeve never giggled. She chuckled, cackled, wheezed, barked, hooted. But a giggle never passed over her lips. Strange. The girl still wasn't sure what to do with that information. 

Her mind started slowly grinding back, running its own tests to check nothing had been damaged. She recited a full soliloquy word for word from King Lear in her head, completed a few (relatively) basic chemistry structures, multiplication. 

Where were you last?  

She couldn't remember. She couldn't... 

It hurt. Between.   

A pang of fear cut through the haze. Best not to think about that.

 Maeve blinked and her eyes gradually adjusted, coming back into focus. Who was dragging her? All for One. Where were they? In what looked like the rubble of his warehouse. Maeve didn't know how long she'd been out. The last thing she remembered was waking up from sleeping in a cell before being given food and water. A bitter taste in the water betrayed that it was drugged. The girl hadn't consumed fluid in the better part of a day, but still refused. Dr Ujiko merely threatened to put her on a drip, so Maeve reluctantly swallowed the concoction. 

"Eww, are these things really alive? Is it strange for it to be this easy?" A booming voice sounded from behind a wall. Maeve flinched, and All for One glanced down at her. He didn't say anything, just tightened his grip around her arm and brought a finger to his mask for silence. That was Mount Lady's voice, which meant... She allowed a tiny spark of hope to bloom in her chest. 

"Guess I should've gone with All Might's team, Jeanist," the woman sighed, and Maeve's heart did a backflip. Jean was here. She didn't know whether to be ecstatic or terrified for him. They didn't know All for One's presence even though she'd sent that call... 

"You must learn the difference between difficulty and importance, novice," a cutting voice replied. Maeve could cry. 

"Riot squad, bring in the iron maidens, and do it quickly," he continued. Tiger's voice sounded over the top.

"Come on, Ragdoll! Talk to me."

"Your teammate? Looks like she's breathing, so that's a relief." Was that Gang Orca? His voice was very distinctive. Maeve's stomach turned over. She didn't fangirl much, but if she was going to over anyone it was him. The hero was legendary. 

"What did they do to you? Ragdoll??" Tiger asked, tone becoming increasingly panicked. 

All for One hesitated. He glanced between Maeve and the heroes and made a decision. Bending down, the crime lord picked her up gently and began quietly walking into the darkness. Away from any chance of rescue. Maeve still couldn't properly control her body, but she began to squirm slightly, twisting her head in the crook of his elbow. 

"Help m-"  she croaked softly before All for One clamped a hand over her mouth. He froze, listening. Surely the heroes couldn't have noticed over their own conversations and the cries of the Nomu.

"Wait. I heard something," Gang Orca rumbled, his voice coming towards them. Maeve's heart pounded with new adrenaline. All for One tensed, his arms tightening around her. She didn't know what to do. Let him take her and escape, or betray their position and watch helplessly as he slaughtered them all?