"They found us. They're going to either bomb us or sneak in."
Reiki face palmed. "Send them a message telling them we're going to open the gates. Quickly. We've had this base for nearly a decade."
"What do you think they want?" Chiyui started to send the passcode. She personally wanted to meet Chisaki for the sole purpose of telling him off. "We hid Eri with Twice and Afuku."
"When we were bringing Eri back from the LOV HQ, it was clear that Shigaraki kidnapped her from my brother's base back in Hosu. If they are searching for Eri, she must have a tracker implant."
Chiyui's eyes widened. "Wait, but they were harvesting Eri's DNA for quirk drugs. If Shigaraki has the bullets, then we are in trouble."
"Unfortunately, you're likely correct. Between Tomura and Kai, Tomura is far more dangerous at this point."
"It's not the time to worry about that you two!" Toga took out her knife when she heard footsteps.
"Sis~" Reiki quickly turned around. "It's been a while~"
Reiki brushed her hair out of her eyes and pulled down her mask. "Hello Kai." Reiki looked behind Chisaki to see the other two villains behind him.
"Ah! You never told me you had a sister Kai-Kai!" Reiki was surprised by a handshake from the tallest villain.
Chiyui stood dumbfounded. "Wh-H-How did you find us?! There had to have been some difficulty finding the correct room!"
"Kai-Kai?" Reiki murmured under her breath. "And he's still alive after calling you that?"
"I've been here before." Chisaki coldly avoided eye contact with Chi, adjusting his cloth mask. "Rei, I see you've copied me." Rei smirked at the bitterness in his voice. Certainly after years of distance, he would give her the warm welcome she'd expect from him.
"Germaphobia runs in the family. You aren't a trendsetter., Kai-Kai" Reiki hadn't seen her brother in years. She still felt a bitterness towards him for abandoning her. She gracefully welcomed the angry look from Kai with a smirk.
"Well, I think we deserve an introduction." Stain uncrossed his arms, scanning the room. "After all, the initial plan was to arrange an alliance."
"Why would you want an alliance with us? We aren't nearly as notorious as any of you guys."
"Members from what used to be Bluelight, and members from the notorious League Of Villains.. I'd say we'd have a good chance of killing Tomura Shigaraki with an alliance between our groups." Stain turned to Chiyui.
"How do you know about Bluelight? The organization was dissolved years ago way before any of you had even started your careers." Reiki turned to Kai. "And you. What's the big deal? Why are you still so angsty even after finding yourself alive? Izuku Midoriya spared your life."
"Heh, that's debatable." replied Stain. "The boy is so clearly into Tomura's orders, and he's smart enough to know how dangerous Chisaki is. I don't believe he spared his life. I believe he had a moment of cockiness that he'll soon regret."
"Well what happened to you after getting defeated by a group of kids?" Toga had gotten over her Stain obsession once he was sent to Tartarus. She no longer respected this person.
Stain looked back at Toga with a look of remembrance in his eyes. "I remember you and that blue-haired wannabe. How's it been now that you've supposedly left the league? Did you finally realize that you'll never belong anywhere? A pathetic schoolgirl with a blood obsession?"
Toga grit her teeth, throwing her knife. It wedged in the wall inches from Stain's bandana. This only made Stain smirk.
"Listen up you little brat. You can't be throwin' knives to people who are on your side." growled Muscular.
"Shut up! You three weirdos aren't on our side! You just want your stupid quirk bullets back and then you'll ditch em'!" Toga pointed at Chisaki, who showed no emotion. "And you just wanted to escape from prison so you can continue working for the league!" Toga pointed to Muscular.
Reiki put her hand over Toga's mouth. "Shut it, will ya? They aren't in it just for the bullets."
Toga pouted. "Well, if the most untrusting, cold person here believes their crap, then I'll go with it too. But if I get valid evidence that we are being played, I'll kill them all."
---
Izuku arrived at Ground Beta. Katsuki was standing in a casual black tank top.
"Hey." said Izuku. "I didn't expect to receive a letter from you, Kacchan."
"Oi enough of the taunting bullcrap. How did you use my quirk during the Class battle? Don't try to dodge the truth again."
"To answer your question, I'm still not sure myself.." Bakugou's eyes narrowed. Izuku wasn't surprised that his esteemed rival could see right through him, even if what he was saying was a half truth.
"Bullcrap. I can see it in your eyes Deku. You know the truth. Don't look down on me again.
Izuku's eyes narrowed instantaneously. Bakugou grit his teeth.
"Bakugou this is not what I want to be doing at night. We have classes tomorrow. You don't want to be put on cleaning duty, do you-" Izuku was cut off.
"Fight me Deku."
Izuku's face appeared concerned, but on the inside, this was the best possible outcome.
----
"Touya!"
Keigo bent down next to Touya's body.
"Keigo.."
"Touya! Can you hear me?"
Touya laughed a bit. "You sound goofy." His eyes closed again." I'm sorry. I said this was the last time you'd ever see me. I said that with different intentions. They are planning something big. I guess you were just destined to be my downfall."
"What the hell do you mean by that Touya?!" Keigo hoisted Touya's limp body over his shoulder. He was still wearing his incognito clothes. Keigo blinked away small tears and continued to carry him back into town.
"I'll save you Touya. Then you can tell me what you mean."
----
"Shoto, can you pass me the Shoyu?" Fuyumi was intensely fixated on her cooking.
"Sure. Here." Shoto handed the nearly-liter-size bottle of soy sauce. Fuyumi was the master chef of the family. Her Shoyu ramen was almost as good as her cold soba.
"Smells nice in here."
"Thanks dad! I'm making mom's favorite!"
This finally got Natsuo's attention. "You remembered? It's been forever."
"Of course I remember! She made it for us before Shoto was born. And then the cold soba obsession came over us. Haha both Shoto and Touya were hooked on the stuff!"
Shoto's face suddenly went blank.
"Shoto?" Shoto didn't respond to his name. He just looked down at the floor.
"Hm." Natsuo pondered. "He's never really reacted to Touya's name that often. Must be because of Father."
"Natsuo. He's right there!"
Enji sighed. "I'm fully aware of my past mistakes Fuyumi. There's no need to dismiss it."
To this, Natsuo scoffed. "What's with the sudden change of heart? What, did it take being in a week long coma to come to your senses? What about Mom! What about Touya?"
"Natsuo!"
Shoto and his father made a moment of eye contact. He felt his breathing start to speed up. His sudden gasp for air alerted Fuyumi. He saw flashbacks of his father's bloody body in the ice.
"Shoto?"
"S-Sorry. I need some fresh air."
Fuyumi at first didn't even notice the smoke coming from the grilled vegetables on the pan next to the noodles.
"Why must we continue to speak of your brother?" murmured Enji. "Lets enjoy dinner."
"You may have moved on father. I will never. That's the difference between us." Natsuo's demeanor shifted to a dark place. "I'm going for a walk."
"No! Natsuo! Dinner is almost ready!" Fuyumi then noticed the small fire beginning at the base of the pot. "Oh no!"
"Fuyumi, get out of my way."
A small girl, hair white like her mother's, was shoved away against the hallway wall.
"But Father, Mom asked me to get you! Dinner is ready.."
Enji Todoroki turned the corner without sparing the girl a single glance. Not even a softness in his eyes.
"Can Shoto come out at least? I haven't seen my baby brother in weeks Father!"
"Fuyumi, enough." Enji Todoroki, the pro-hero, Endeavor, known for his flames...not for being a father. Maybe this was about more than just dinner.
Fuyumi cried. She cried hard. "Dad!"
"I SAID ENOUGH!" Endeavor stuck out his arm, lined with blazing hot flames, smacking her white sleeve with force. "YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A LIABILITY! KNOW YOUR PLACE!"
Maybe if Fuyumi thought it hard enough, she'd be able to see guilt and remorse in his eyes.
"GOD I HATE THIS!" In one swift movement, Fuyumi took the pan off the stove and threw it at the wall. "I HATE THIS! I HATE THIS! I HATE THIS!"
She threw the bottles of shoyu and the small jars of spices. "If only Mother had been strong enough to leave you! Maybe Shoto would've been nicer! Maybe there would be less scars and more happy stories to tell!"
Natsuo stood catatonically behind the dinner table. He could feel his heartbeat steadily increase at the sight of his sister breaking in front of his eyes. But was she breaking? Or was she finally sharing her real feelings?
"Fuyumi..." was all he could muster up.
"Natsuo! I tried so hard! You don't get it because you didn't try at all! I tried so hard to bring this family back together!"
Natsuo knew that. He may have continuously tried to block out that truth, but it was the truth.
"FUYUMI!" started Enji, getting up from his seat. The sudden movement caused the table to shake. Fuyumi covered her face as a hand made its way to her shoulder. A strong hand, one only belonging to her father.
Maybe it was just childhood all over again. A past that no matter how much she wanted to block out, it would always haunt her. No matter how strong she wanted to prove herself to be.
Natsuo saw this in her demeanor. "Dad. Stay back!"
Enji stopped walking and stood still. "Natsuo, move away from your sister."
"Like hell I will."
"Natsuo. I'm not going to strike your sister."
The stovetop was frosted with a layer of ice. Pickled vegetables were scattered along the kitchen countertop. A puddle of shoyu was starting to form on the floor. It was a wreck.
"Looks like we'll have to order in tonight.." Enji plucked a stringy slice of edamame. It was well-cooked, and a heck of a waste to be scattered on the floor like abstract art.
Natsuo let go of Fuyumi. And Enji was telling the truth. The father of the Todoroki siblings gently placed a hand on the back of Fuyumi's nape, rubbing gentle circles. It was technique the caretakers in his agency learned when comforting the children he saved from dangerous households, including the now-number two hero.
---
Keigo trudged through the forest. Touya's weight proved to be a challenge to carry, especially when they were both injured.
He couldn't help but recall Dabi's anger the night he was supposedly arrested. What happened that night anyway? What ever happened with Midoriya and Shoto?
None of that seemed to matter at this moment. Midoriya was beyond helping anyway, but would it be the logical thing to do to send him back to prison?
There was a cough.
"Touya!?" Keigo kneeled down, slowly letting Touya roll off of his back and onto the soft grass. "Touya can you hear me?!"
A second cough.
"Touya we need to summon Kurogiri. It's our only chance of getting you to possible safety! I can't fly you to safety due to my overuse of my quirk."
"K-Keigo. I'm sorry." Touya's voice was only above a whisper.
"Don't be sorry Touya...now's not the time for apologies! But if you can hear me at all, I want to help you."
Touya's eyes slightly narrowed. "Where are we?"
"Still in the forest..We may have to stay for the night." said Hawks, sighing under his breath. It was cold and he wasn't at all prepared for sleeping in the middle of the woods.
But soon enough, it became the only option as the night fell upon the sky.
----
In the backroom, Eri laid asleep with a low-grade fever. Twice had checked her temperature five times in the last three minutes just to make sure she was safe.
"Sweet little Eri, how could they hurt you like this.." Twice tucked the blanket in around the periwinkle-haired girl, still remaining at her side. When he found her in the League's base, she had bandages all over her arms and legs.
Twice overheard from his comrades about the reason why Eri was abused in this horrific way. Her quirk allowed her to rewind living things. She was used as an inhumane experiment used to create quirk-eliminating drugs.
This was enough to bring Twice to an emotional mess. Eri had barely made it out of Chisaki's underground warehouse thanks to Midoriya. If that kid had any heroic justice left in him, Twice hoped he would find his way back.
They were planning to drop off Eri at UA.
But for now, Eri was currently still in the same warehouse as the guy who supposedly killed her repeatedly. What was she going to do when she realized that her abuser was being carelessly welcomed into the warehouse. The guy who supposedly killed her repeatedly?
Was he the only one who knew the full truth of Eri's abuse?
Eri remained asleep.