\\ At the LOV's Hideout //
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Tomura Shigaraki. The leader of the League of Villains. All For One's successor. The future Symbol of Fear who planned to bring the world to its knees. . . stood in the middle of the bar anxiously waiting for the perceptive pink haired teen's arrival.
It was a stark contrast to his laid-back attitude he had for most of the night.
For the past five minutes, the villain paced the floor anxiously with his arms crossed. It had been over five minutes since Dabi said they were switching plans again, so he got a little worried that Rini may have caught on. He was still fairly confident they would catch her, but still, going up against an opponent who can predict your moves is worrisome.
Tomura sighed and came to a halt in front of the TV. It was off and would stay off during his recruitment process. As planned, All For One was patiently waiting for the outcome of this mission on his end; only if and when Rini refused his offer would he reveal himself and take it from there.
And deep down, Tomura hoped she wouldn't refuse his offer.
A sudden pang struck his chest at the thought. The random feeling made the young villain slowly uncross his arms and reach a hand over the area. The area where his heart should be.
What the hell?
Tomura furrowed his brows and looked down at his strangely aching chest. The feeling was foreign, but he knew what it was: concern for another's wellbeing. He didn't understand why he suddenly felt that way at the thought of the perceptive teenager. Or rather, he didn't know why he was concerned about the teens wellbeing if she fell into his Sensei's hands. He figured he was just worried this was a trap. That somehow the teen outsmarted him again with her Future Vision and was just leading them on to believe they won. Then when the time was right the Heroes would come crashing through the door.
Yeah, that seemed right. He was just worried she would trick them and win. He wasn't worried about her specifically. . . Right?
"You seem worried, Tomura. What's the matter?" Kurogiri suddenly questioned the young villain.
Kurogiri had been silently waiting for Dabi's signal just like Tomura, until the blue haired man abruptly stood up and started pacing the floor. Kurogiri noticed he neglected the hand of his father on the counter and he never saw him do that before; Tomura always kept the item on him or within his reach. So he knew something was wrong.
"I don't know. . ." Tomura rasped quietly while staring at the TV.
He then realized how weak and un-leader-like that made him sound, so he turned around and looked at the contraption Giran managed to find for them; the chair with heavy duty shackles.
"I was just thinking about our new recruits. Bakugo seems more likely to join our cause after we explain how disgusting Hero Society really is. He'll only be in this chair to make things easier. . ." he played it off.
"And what of miss Rini Otani?" Kurogiri pressed.
Tomura side-eyed the misty man.
That is what I'm worried about. She seems like she'll be an immovable force in comparison to Bakugo. But she has no choice but to join. If she wants to keep her quirk and stay out of that mad doctors lab, she can not refuse my offer, is what he wanted to say.
But instead he looked at the normal chair holding rope and a blindfold meant for her, which was situated next to Bakugo's clunky chair, and said:
"With that quirk of hers, she will probably see what Sensei has in store for her if she refuses. And she seems like a smart girl, so she will accept my offer. Hell, she might even convince Bakugo to join and I won't have to say a word."
"What if she doesn't?" Kurogiri asked the question he didn't want to hear.
"What?"
"What if she doesn't use her quirk and perceives your proposed outcome? What if she doesn't accept your offer right away?"
Tomura stared at the chair that would soon hold the teen, avoiding Kurogiri's gaze. He hid his reaction - his worry - for the perceptive teen. He really didn't want to know what would become of the teen if All For One got his hands on her. He knew his Sensei and the doctor had twisted frankenstein ways and they would not hesitate to cast whatever humanity they had left aside to take advantage of the teens power.
Flashes of the Nomu in suspended animation crossed his mind.
The worrying ache in his chest for the teen suddenly returned and vanished with the disturbing thought.
Why am I worried?
"I'll just have to change her view of Hero Society and convince her they only want her for her quirk to keep people like us - people who don't agree with their ignorant fantasy - in check." He finally answered while piercing his red eyes at the misty man.
Kurogiri didn't say anything in reply. A silence fell over them and they stared at each other.
They both knew she wouldn't join.
But neither wanted to say it out loud.
"We're ready," Dabi's voice suddenly crackled from the walkie-talkie on the counter.
Tomura and Kurogiri broke off their stare-down and looked at the device. The young villain gave Kurogiri a lazy wave and the misty man created a warp window to assist them.
Tomura felt his anxiety slowly rise again. He mentally chastised his heart for beating faster with nervousness and resisted the urge to scratch his neck for the millionth time that night. He grabbed the hand of his Father and secured it on his face.
When Kurogiri made the warp gates, he hoped deep down the teenagers - specifically Rini - would see things from his perspective. See things from the "villains" perspective about how unjust Hero society was and why it needed to be wiped clean.
Suddenly, Tomura watched as multiple warp gates appeared in the bar. He witnessed Twice, Magne, and Compress come through. . . But the teens were no where in sight.
The three villains turned around and looked at their boss. They could see by the impatient demeanor Shigaraki gave off that he was about to question the outcome of their mission. So Mr. Compress stepped forward and held up a calm hand.
"Muscular, Mustard, and Moonfish were captured. But we've captured your two prizes," he said in his suave voice.
"Chill out man, we did our job!" Twice added in a funny voice.
Tomura glared at him and let out a heavy breath. He turned his attention to the last three warp gates lined up in front of him. His anxiety slowly bubbled to the surface again.
Any second now. . . He thought.
Suddenly, Spinner backed out of the third warp gate on the right. He shuffled backward little by little, then as the veil of darkness inched away, the explosive teen appeared, his movements forced by the blade at his throat.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Tomura's face as he watched his new recruit enter the bar.
Bakugo took in his new surroundings. He saw the small bar room bathed in orange lighting and the weird chairs clearly meant for him and his classmate. He didn't want to know what these villains had planned for them, and he was going to fight before they attempted anything.
"Let go of me you damn lizard-!" He growled.
"Shut up and behave!" The villain shot back while readjusting the blade.
Bakugo froze as the icy metal made contact with his throat. He swore under his breath and complied. When Spinner turned them around, he was then face to face with the leader of the League of Villains. His ruby red eyes bore into ones similar to his own. And then he glared.
Tomura returned the glare.
Before any words could be exchanged or a fight could break out, everyone's attention suddenly turned to the warp gate in the center. Toga backed out of the swirling darkness. Little by little the void receded and all eyes were on her. . . Until they weren't.
Instead, all eyes were on the wispy pink head of hair that undeniably belonged to the girl who could change the future.
Rini Otani.
Tomura Shigaraki held his breath.
He swore time halted with her arrival.
He swore the world around him went dead silent.
He swore his incessant heartbeat was the only thing that could be heard.
After all this time - after so many of his plans failing - the sole person responsible was now within his grasp like a stolen game piece. He watched curiously as Toga dragged the perceptive girl into the bar with the blade secured to her throat. And when she spun Rini around and released her, suddenly his lungs could function again.
It's her. She's really here. We won.
Tomura's gaze raked over the perceptive teenager and he noted every detail that pointed to signs of her capture. Her skin had several harsh reddened scratches scattered across her arms, legs, a little one across her cheek, and a tiny slit across her throat. Her silky pink hair had a few twigs stuck in some ruffled strands. And when he finally studied her face and looked into her eyes, the villain froze.
Rini's lavender orbs were swirling with an endless amount of emotion. Hurt, confusion, fear, guilt, and many more feelings reflected in her iridescent irises like millions of purple and pink hues. He had never seen eyes as luminous as hers before. However, although she was looking right at him, she wasn't looking at him. She was lost in her own mind, needlessly fighting with her conscience trying to understand where she went wrong. And Tomura could see it.
The villain instantly felt his anxieties vanish. He no longer felt afraid the Heroes would show up at his doorstep. He could clearly see in her eyes she was genuinely caught off guard by this attack; no amount of emotion as incandescent as that could be faked.
Tomura smiled.
He won.
He caught her.
And if everything goes according to plan, he would have nothing standing in his way anymore.
Suddenly, Dabi entered through the last warp gate and all eyes fell on him. After the warps disappeared, the blue flame user turned around and glanced at everyone in the room before settling his gaze on his boss. He could see the smile peeking under his disembodied hand mask.
That's disturbing, he thought as he walked up to him.
"Two UA Hero students as ordered," he said while shoving his hands into his pockets. He then looked directly at Rini and smirked, "You never even saw us coming. That must really sting knowin you could've prevented all of this from happening. Some Hero your turning out to be."
Rini frowned then averted her gaze to the wooden floor. Tears pricked in the corners of her eyes.
"Shut your face, staples!" Bakugo snapped when he saw the crushed look in her eyes.
Tomura also sent him a hard look, reminding him they were supposed to treat the teens as equals to win them over, but Dabi ignored him.
"Just statin' facts, kid," he shrugged without a single care.
Bakugo scowled at him before looking at Rini. She looked so upset. So weak. So tired. He knew she wouldn't stay standing for long. And he was right.
Rini, still staring at the floor, felt the cruel slap of reality when Dabi said those words. She hated that he was right. This could have all been avoided if she used her quirk. It was all her fault. . . But then she thought about the meeting she had with Nighteye and All Might.
They were the ones that warned her about All For One yet prevented her from helping them catch him. They were the ones who told her not to use her quirk. They were the ones at fault. Not her. But now she and Bakugo are in danger. She was in danger since All For One could appear any second and steal her quirk. And the world was especially in danger because if he succeeded in acquiring her quirk there's no telling what he'd do.
It hit her like a train.
All the adrenaline wore off in an instant and suddenly her body felt way heavier as if gravity increased tenfold. Her head felt like a turbulent ocean and she swayed on her feet.
Bakugo noticed. Tomura noticed. All the villains in the room noticed.
"I think she's going to-" Dabi pointed out.
"Toga catch her!" Tomura ordered.
"Get off me!" Bakugo yelled and moved before anyone else.
The explosive teen broke free, blasted Spinner and Toga, then caught his classmate. One hand cradled her head and the other around her torso. He held her against his chest and slowly lowered themselves to the floor. He didn't care about the League, his entire focus was trained on Rini.
"Oy, Taffyhead! Now is not the time to clock out!" He moved her hair out of her face and lightly smacked her cheek in hopes she wasn't completely unconscious.
But she was out like a light.
"Is she dead?!" Twice blurted.
"No, she fainted," Magne smacked him.
Bakugo looked up and glared at the villains. They had gotten closer, hovering over them like curious vultures. Magne, Twice, and Compress were the closest; Toga and Spinner were behind them recovering from the blasts they received; Dabi and Tomura were smart enough to keep their distance; and Kurogiri observed from his spot behind the bar.
"Stay back!" The teen growled while swiping his hand and letting off a blast.
"AH! That's hot!" Twice bawled and hopped backwards, and the others followed with similar outbursts.
"Rude!"
"What is with this kid!?"
"Ouch!"
"This is my best coat!"
Dabi took a step forward and ignited his hands, ready to take down the teen if he had to, but Tomura stuck his arm out to stop him.
"If you come any closer, if you so much as touch her or me, I swear I'll blast you all to hell." Bakugo glared at each and every member, one by one, before landing his deadly malevolent gaze on Tomura.
The leader of the League of Villains maintained his unwavering gaze on the teen. He watched as Bakugo gently laid Rini down then stood in a protective stance in front of her. He could clearly see the explosive teen was ready and willing to act on his words if any of his members approached, so he intervened.
"Everyone, stand down. They're not going anywhere," he declared to his antsy associates with a passive wave.
All the villains glanced at their boss then followed his command. Dabi on the other hand didn't put out his flames. But when Tomura sent him a sharp look, he rolled his eyes and extinguished his flickering flames then shoved his hands into his pockets.
Tomura felt that now would be a good time to start his manipulative scheme. Unfortunately, the plan was to put the teens in the chairs, but since Rini was unconscious on the floor and Bakugo was protecting her like a vicious watch dog, Tomura figured to leave them for now. Instead, he was going to play the good guy.
"Kurogiri. The First Aid kit," he ordered.
The misty man retrieved the item from under the bar and rested it on the counter. Tomura grabbed it with his pinky up then casually walked over to Bakugo, who was setting off mini explosions. The League members watched dumbfounded as their boss approached the explosive blond.
When Tomura got within arms reach, he stopped and held the item out to Bakugo. The teen glanced between the villain and the item with suspicion. Tomura sighed.
"We obviously got off on the wrong foot. Carry her to the couch and patch up her wounds. I only want to talk. I never planned on harming either of you when you arrived."
Bakugo cocked a brow at his words.
"You kidnapped us to talk? You think I'm gonna believe that bullshit?" He spat while gesturing to the strange chairs right behind him and Rini.
"Yes, I only want to talk. Is that so hard to believe?" Tomura returned.
"Your villains. All you do is lie."
Tomura suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.
"Heroes. Villains. Those are all just titles. Underneath it all we're only people. And yeah we lie, but I'm not lying right now. So stop wasting everyone's time and patch her up," he stated monotonously before abruptly shoving the first aid kit in his chest.
Bakugo hadn't expected that, but he caught the item before it could drop.
Tomura returned to his seat at the bar. He then gestured for the others to relax. Spinner, Magne, and Compress decided to stand casually in the far corner, Toga and Twice sat at the bar, and Dabi leaned against the bar with his elbows propped behind him on the counter.
Bakugo watched them but still kept his guard up. Tomura saw this and sighed.
"I understand your concern. And I won't lie, we kidnapped you two, it's as plain as that. But this was the only way I could reach you without the Heroes getting involved. You see, I have a very important offer for the both of you. . . When she wakes up, we'll discuss this more. In the meantime, treat her wounds then sit and wait. We've got plenty of time," he expressed.
Bakugo stayed put for a few moments longer, simply processing his words, before he returned to Rini's side. He scooped her up carefully and rested her on the couch, glancing at the villains the whole time. Then he kneeled to tend to her, making sure to keep the villains in his periphery. With a focused expression, he laid the case open on the floor and got started by disinfecting her scrapes. She winced in her sleep at the stinging sensation but once he placed the ointment and patches she relaxed. When he finished, he sat on the ground in front of her and kept his watchful eyes on all the villains.
I promise I'll protect you and help get us out of this mess, he promised.
Even though he also felt tired, he found it in himself to stay wide awake by mentally telling his sleep schedule to F off. The teen made a promise and by god he was going to keep it.
Meanwhile the villains eyes were trained on him with just as much focus, waiting to see if he'd try anything. And they would curiously glance at Rini every other moment.
As for Tomura, he ignored Bakugo; the explosive blond wasn't worth his attention at the moment. Instead, the villain kept his blood red eyes trained on Rini. He curiously wondered how her quirk operated. He already figured out she needed to watch the news, but he wanted to know what rules or parameters she needed to meet in order to use it. Clearly fainting wasn't one of them.
Tomura internally sighed.
Until Rini woke up, they were unfortunately at an impasse.
Time was their only obstacle.
But time was running out.
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\\ Back At The Camp //
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When the warp gates vanished, everyone standing in the empty field felt a part of themselves vanish too. They failed to save their classmates. All they did was watch the villains take them. Guilt and remorse were the only feelings burning in their hearts at that moment.
This was especially the case for Midoriya since he was the only one at that camp who knew the daunting truth.
The League of Villains were being supported by All For One.
All For One can steal quirks.
All For One has Rini.
Midoriya let that thought play in his head along with the fact that Bakugo, his friend who he just reconnected with thanks to Rini, was also captured. His forest green eyes stared blankly at the dirt where they once stood. All his adrenaline wore off and he fell to his knees. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. Instead, he numbly looked over at Hitoshi, Aizawa, and the others as they ran up to him.
Nobody said anything, their somber expressions spoke louder than words. Their feet crunching against the gravel was the only thing heard among the crackling flames in the distance. When they finally stopped in front of him and he took in their devastated faces, tears sprung to his eyes and he hung his head.
They have no idea how much danger Rini and Kacchan are in right now. I have to tell them, he thought bitterly.
"Midoriya, are you-?"
"We have to get them back. . ." Izuku cut off Todoroki.
"We will. Just take it easy-" Aizawa, with a complete dead tone and tears pricking the corners of his eyes, tried to calm him down next. But the teen lashed out.
"NO! YOU ALL DON'T UNDERSTAND! WE NEED TO GET THEM BACK NOW! THEY-"
"Calm down, Midoriya! You're not the only one upset! They took my best friend too and I didn't do a single thing to stop them either! So get a grip!" Hitoshi snapped after falling to his knees and shaking him by his bare shoulders.
Midoriya slowly looked up to meet his gaze. He watched as Hitoshi tried and failed to hold back his tears. The green haired teen sympathized with him, but he needed to say what he needed to say. He steeled his nerves and looked Hitoshi dead in the eyes.
"Listen to me. . . That day Rini and I had our meeting with All Might and Sir Nighteye, they told us about a man named All For One. He is really powerful and really dangerous because he can steal quirks. They said he might be working with the League. . . He must be after everything that just happened. . . Which can only mean-"
"He wants to steal her future vision." Todoroki finished in a haunted voice behind them.
Midoriya nodded.
Ochaco, Tsu, Tokoyami, Shoji, and Riku that were silently listening heard what Todoroki said and gasped. They started muttering amongst themselves, saying things like "future vision? Was that what she was going to tell us earlier?" or "they're going to steal her quirk?" They all had their own view of Rini as they recalled every moment with her.
Riku, her middle school classmate, knew her longer than the teens at UA and he never suspected her having a perception quirk, but it made sense the more he thought about it. Ochaco and Shoji shared the same theory, they felt Rini's quirk was something more but they never guessed future vision; they actually thought it was a high intelligence or wisdom quirk since she always seemed mature. Tsu on the other hand had actually suspected a perception quirk from the start; she came close to outing her a few times in class. As for Tokoyami, he recalled the Hosu incident and it made perfect sense to him, it even made sense why Hawks asked questions about her during the rest of his internship. He didn't tell the Pro Hero much, but it was clear in hindsight that Hawks was investigating her quirk.
As they were all absorbing the truth, meanwhile Hitoshi felt all the life drain out of him. He let go of Midoriya and stared down at his hands in his lap, allowing his mind to spiral.
We let them take her. I let them take her. And now she might lose her quirk at the hands of some villain? Why didn't she work with Nighteye to prevent this from happening? They could have worked together and stopped this future from ever happening, so why didn't they? he thought until it clicked.
"Wait. . . Midoriya. . . Did Nighteye or All Might tell her not to use her quirk?"
Midoriya grit his teeth and nodded in guilt.
Hitoshi felt a cold sweat form all over his body.
No, no, no, this can't be real, he thought before slowly looking over at Aizawa to see his reaction. But he was surprised to see the look on his Sensei's face.
Aizawa's remorseful expression had been replaced with a cold and deadly look. The man's face was void of emotion except for his eyes that held rage. And that rage was going to be unleashed on All Might and Nighteye the second he sees them.
"Sensei. . ." Hitoshi timidly spoke. "Why would they-"
"Vlad, give me your phone," Aizawa turned to the other teacher and demanded in the coldest tone.
Vlad, who had been silently standing to the side, handed him his phone. Hitoshi and everyone else watched their teacher in anticipation.
"Mandalay, take the kids back to camp. Vlad, start searching for the others in the forest. I'll catch up to you as soon as I'm done with this call," Aizawa ordered while punching in the memorized number.
The adults glanced at each other and wanted to say something, but they held their tongues. After learning about Rini's quirk, and Midoriya revealing the scary possibility the League only kidnapped her for All For One to steal her quirk, they understood time was of the essence.
"I'll see you back at the camp," Vlad said before running off into the forest.
"Come on, let's go," Mandalay instructed all the teens.
"But what about Rini-chan and Bakugo, ribbit?"
"We can't let them take her quirk!" Riku argued.
"We have to do something-!" Ochaco clutched her chest in guilt.
"Look. We don't know where they are. So all we can do now is get you kids away from that wildfire. Then afterwards we'll work with the police to try and find Otani and Bakugo before. . ."
"Before it's too late," Tokoyami finished the Hero's sentence in a grim tone.
"Yes."
"Do they even have that kind of time?" Shoji spoke up next.
Hitoshi, Midoriya, and Todoroki glanced between each other, then at Mandalay, then at Aizawa. They all had the same thought going through their heads.
Time.
Time was now working against them. Each passing second of them not doing anything meant more time for the villains to do whatever they pleased.
"We can only hope," Mandalay replied.
All the teens hung their heads in dismal melancholy as the Pro Hero forced them to follow her back to camp. Hitoshi and Todoroki helped Midoriya to his feet and Shoji carried him. They stalked off just as Aizawa finally got through on the phone.
"Hello? This is Sir Nighteye, to whom-"
"The League of Villains attacked us here at the camp and they kidnapped Rini and Bakugo. And Midoriya told us about the meeting you had. Now, you are going to tell me why in the hell did you stop Rini from helping you prevent this shit from ever happening?" Aizawa spoke with absolute conviction.
Silence.
Dead silence.
On the other end, Nighteye froze. He was currently at his Agency, ironically going over intel on the League. But Aizawa's call had definitely taken him by surprise.
All the life drained out of him and it felt as though ice cold water replaced the blood in his veins as he slowly processed the other man's words.
Rini was kidnapped.
By the League of Villains.
All For One is behind the League of Villains.
All For One has Rini.
Nighteye dropped the phone.
He stared unblinking at his computer screen. Guilt wrapped around his throat and constricted it like a python. Terror clutched at his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. Fear paralyzed him from the neck down.
Rini, the girl he considered a daughter, his apprentice, his successor, was kidnapped.
She was gone. Taken. Stolen.
And it was
All
His
Fault.
"Oh my god. What have I done?"
On the other end, Aizawa heard the clatter but didn't hear his whispered plea. He removed the phone from his ear and looked down at it, an angry yet remorseful expression etched on his usually stoic face.
"If you can't answer my question now, so be it, but make yourself f-cking useful and call Nezu, All Might, and Tsukauichi to meet at the station and hold an emergency meeting. We need to start searching for them, and I think it's only right you tell them since this is all your fault. This is all on you. If anything happens to my students. . . if anything happens to Rini, it will be your head. Your Foresight won't protect you from me, I can promise you that. . . See you at the station."
With that threatening promise, Aizawa hung up. It was only by the grace of god he held back his anger and took charge in the situation over the phone, but he didn't know if he'd be able to hold himself back once he sees him in person at the station.
Aizawa pocketed Vlad's phone then ran to find the rest of the students. Their lives were more important. He ran with the hope that when they get to the police station later, Nighteye and Tsukauichi would have leads to follow in order to find his students as quickly as possible.
Please hang in there. We're coming for you kids, the fatherly man prayed.
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\\ With Nighteye //
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Before Aizawa hung up, Nighteye listened as his voice echoed at his feet before the line went dead. His office was empty and quiet, so he heard every word. And the threat it carried snapped him out of his temporary paralysis.
The thought of All For One stealing her quirk at any moment spurred him to act. He shook the thought from his mind and picked up the phone. He knew Aizawa told him to call Nezu and the others, but given the dire situation, he figured to go straight to the top first. He would deal with the repercussions when this was all over. And with that, he dialed the one person he never thought he'd have to call.
One ring.
Two rings.
"Yellow, Hawks here. To what do I owe the pleasure, Nighteye?"
Nighteye hesitated when he heard the winged Hero's laid back voice, the situation and his mistake truly sinking in. He fumbled over the words in his head before finally responding.
"The League of Villains attacked UA's summer camp and kidnapped Bakugo Katsuki and Otani Rini. . . All For One made his move and I made a terrible mistake. We need the HPSC's emergency assistance to find them before it's too late. . . We both know why I called you. We both know what's at stake. And hopefully with you and the HPSC's backing we can get them back before it's too late."
Hawks, who was currently out on patrol and standing on the edge of a skyscraper, stared blankly at the city lights stretching into the horizon. He knew what Nighteye meant. He knew. And as he stared at the expansive city before him, the thought of it and everything else turning to ruin because of All For One snapped him out of his carefree attitude.
The Hero spread his wings in an instant and a gusty 'woosh' sounded as a result. His cocky smile disappeared and his golden eyes flashed with resolve.
"I understand. Send everything you have from your investigation over to my side. We'll compare our leads and go from there. Wait for my call later. . . We will get them back."
With that, the winged Hero hung up and took off into the night sky. His fierce wings propelled him straight into the air and made him reach new heights until he disappeared above the clouds. Then with a spin, he leveled out and caught the updraft and speedily flew back to the HPSC headquarters.
The fate of the world is in our hands right now. . . No. The fate of the world is in Rini's hands right now. Hopefully she is doing everything in her power to stall for time. We need every second we can get, he thought while soaring above the clouds.
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\\ At The HPSC //
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At the top floor, a grand office overlooked the entire city. The room was rather plain, only a large mahogany desk sat near the ceiling to floor windows and two plant pots were stationed by the door. The lights were off and the room was shrouded in darkness except for the glow coming from the computer monitor resting on the desk. And sat there behind it burning the candle at both ends was the Madam President of the Hero Commission.
The serious woman scrolled through various files, emails, and reports. She followed up on an email stating all preparations for the rescheduled Family Meet And Greet Heroes Day was completed and ready. Then she studied a report about whispers of a new quirk altering drug before opening up a recent report from Hawks.
It was ironically the delayed report he made on Rini.
____________________
Name: Rini Otani
DOB: Dec 24
Quirk: Anticipation
*Note: Evidence suggests the original quirk registration was tampered and removed from records.
Education: UA Hero Course - First Year Student
Log:
Based on observations during the Hosu incident, Rini Otani appears to possess a variation of a perception quirk. Her decision making and judgement point towards signs of someone with clairvoyance, though due to lack of further evidence it is unclear she possesses the ability to change future events as initially suspected. More evidence should be gathered before making a final ruling to have her brought in for questioning. Additionally, her demeanor around Sir Nighteye suggests they've already developed a close mentor-mentee relationship prior to the incident. Evidence I've gathered supports this notion, however, it is unclear whether he is receiving intel from her to deter incidents as suspected.
Formally, I'd like to request more time to investigate.
Signed,
H
____________________
The report was short and sweet and a big lie. Hawks knew she had a quirk that could alter the future, but he lied to cover her since he knew what the HPSC would do if they knew the truth. And he knew she had some form of agreement with Nighteye to share intel, but he lied about that too.
The Madam President found his report suspicious, but if he didn't have the evidence to challenge the teen and her mentors actions, then he didn't have the evidence. They were playing the long game anyways.
"Hm. . . Perception users are always so tricky to catch. . . But you are no ordinary perception user, are you miss Otani." The serious woman whispered to herself while typing out the authorization for Hawks.
Just as she was about to hit send, she got a notification in the emergency request system and a notification popped up on her phone. She glanced curiously at her computer inbox then at her phone. She went to pick up her phone. . . But then her desk phone started ringing.
The authoritative woman paused and furrowed her brows. She went to reach for that but then her phone started ringing as well.
What the hell is going on? She thought.
The Madam President knew something serious must have happened for her phones to ring off the hook. So with a bit of dread, she decided to pick up her cell phone.
She answered.
Hawks spoke.
She listened.
And after everything was laid out in the open, the Madam President understood true fear for the first time in her life.
"We need to find that girl."
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\\ LOV Hideout //
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Rini stirred in her sleep.
When she fainted, her mind took her right back to the strange pitch black void. She ventured the same glossy black planes of existence with curiosity and caution. She found the same white shimmering strands of stardust falling graciously above her head. She reached up again to at least brush her fingertips against them. . .
And this time, it worked.
With one hand stretching upward to the heavens and the other providing balance as she tip-toed, Rini touched the fringes of time. A smile broke out on her face, followed by an abrupt disbelieving laugh, as a jolt of energy coursed down her fingertips into her arm. The feeling was tingly, euphoric, until a second later it wasn't.
Out of nowhere, a million flashes of memories followed by a haunting orchestra of a million voices flooded her mind. It played like an overwhelming movie montage stuck on fast forward and the voices reverberated all around her like a broken cacophony.
It was all too much.
Rini jerked her hand back and suddenly her connection was lost. The white strands of time receded into the darkness once more and she felt like she was sinking, falling, getting lower and lower.
Then she was hurled back into her reality.
The teen's eyes flew open and she made a soundless gasp. Her heart pounded in both her chest and ears like a thundering Taiko drum. Her body didn't want to move, paralyzed with exhaustion, so she laid there staring at the ceiling trying to catch her breath.
What the hell is happening to me?? She thought.
Suddenly she remembered the dilemma her and Bakugo were in. With all the energy she could muster, she turned her head and let her lavender eyes search the villain's bar for the blond. However, her search came to a quick end when she found him sitting on the ground beside her. He had his arms resting on his knees, wearied head leaning forward, and tired vengeful eyes trained on the villains - who were distracted with their own hushed conversations. Then as if sensing her gaze, he glanced over his shoulder and relief replaced the harsh look in his eyes.
No words were needed for her to understand how glad he was to see she was fine. But then the look morphed into an expression she easily translated to:
What's our plan?
Rini tried very hard not to frown.
In the time that everyone needed her most, she could not provide a future that guaranteed their safety or total success. And now that she was surrounded by dangerous villains, she didn't feel safe to close her eyes and see what lied ahead.
But she was going to risk it anyways.
With a tiny unnoticeable nod, she gave Bakugo a signal. He furrowed his brows ever so slightly before understanding what she was about to do. He tried to warn her that the villains were watching them by quickly glancing at the opposite side of the bar, but she didn't catch it. She closed her eyes again and looked an hour ahead.
For everyone watching on the outside, her eyes were only closed for ten seconds. But in her mind, she received the full time-script of everything that would occur around her. It included Shigaraki's drawn out speech about Heroes and ended with him switching topics of how Hero society was skewed. It seemed the villains speech would have continued longer if she looked longer.
When she opened her eyes, she ignored the pulsing ache in her skull then looked down at the ground. She replayed the moment in her head one more time before slowly sitting up.
Her awakening caught the villains attention, but they didn't say a word to draw attention to themselves. Instead, they silently observed the teens movements.
With feeble arms, she propped herself up, swung her legs over the edge of the couch, and planted her feet on the floor. Her hands rested on either side of her frame, her head lowered and hair cascading over her shoulders. No one could see or read her face.
Bakugo moved along with her; he got to his feet and stood defensively to her right as she sat in the center of the couch. He glanced between her and the villains the entire time she maneuvered, waiting for some form of signal to run or attack, but when she didn't make a move to get up or provide guidance for an escape, his brows pulled down in confusion.
Meanwhile, the League watched curiously and with anticipation as the pink haired teen sat perfectly still on the couch. Then after a moment, their curiosity turned to surprise when the teen let out a sigh and changed her posture. They could see it physically ached her to move, yet she continued.
She moved her legs modestly together, her dainty hands rested palms down on her lap, she squared her shoulders, and when she lifted her head, it revealed her expressionless face except for the challenge in her eyes. The aura that radiated off of her was something they'd never felt before. They suddenly felt uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. Exposed. Vulnerable.
And their great Leader, Tomura Shigaraki, also felt the perceptive girls otherworldly aura.
From the moment she opened her eyes until this point in time, Tomura had observed every tiny behavior and expression she made. So now that she was sitting up and staring directly at him with this looming presence of authority - of power - he knew she must have used her quirk. He remained frozen in his seat, replaying her actions in his head to pinpoint when and how she used it.
In the meantime, nobody dared to say a word. Not even Twice with his usual abrupt ramblings. No. Everyone sat or stood and stared at her with the same question on their minds:
What kind of power is this?
Suddenly, Tomura realized her strange ten-second-long blink must have been it and the brief flash of pain was her drawback. He held onto that limited knowledge, knowing that if he said anything or had the intention of saying anything, he'd lose the upper hand.
Instead, he got to his feet. He crossed the room one slow step at a time until he stood opposite of the teen. Then with a smile, he spoke.
"It's nice to see you finally awake. We were beginning to worry you'd never wake up."
Rini stared at him.
She didn't know she was asleep for hours. Her watch was gone, and there was no telling time in the bar with the absence of a clock and the windows shuttered. And poor Bakugo hadn't slept a wink since the villains rotated shifts to watch them throughout the night.
"Since I didn't get the chance to properly greet you two when you arrived, I'd like to do that now," Tomura brushed off her lack of reply and took one more step forward. But unfortunately that was too close for Bakugo's comfort.
"Oy, back off!" He yelled while making mini explosions.
Tomura stopped and gave the teen a look. He was about to speak but Rini beat him to it.
"Bakugo, it's fine. He won't hurt us. None of them will."
If the bar wasn't already silent then it was now.
Just three short sentences fell from the girls lips yet it elicited total silence.
Her voice was smooth like silk, carrying a gentle yet authoritarian tone. The league members heard her during the attack, but now that they were away from the chaos, its like they were hearing it again for the first time. They shifted in their spots or perked up as a result. And as for Tomura, he had straightened his posture when he registered her melodic voice.
Bakugo looked at his classmate and gave her an "are you serious?" look which earned a small nod in return. He furrowed his brows, still untrusting of the villains, but listened to her anyways. If she saw it, it was the truth. So he calmed down with his fireworks display but continued glaring at the villains defensively.
When the explosive blond settled down, everyone in the room was astonished. They knew how volatile the kid was and yet she calmed him down with a few words and a small nod. They were so stunned by that they missed what it meant. But Tomura didn't.
"You say that like it's a fact. . . So I assume you used your quirk?"
Rini turned her attention on the villain again.
"Yes."
Tomura hummed in return. He wanted to ask more questions about how it worked, but he held back. If he approached her that way it would throw off his manipulation tactic.
"Well then, I assume you know what I want to discuss."
"Yes. . . But I don't understand your argument."
Tomura furrowed his brows at her honest reply. Bakugo gave her a sideways glance. Everyone in the room wore mildly confused expressions as well. And so when Tomura didn't speak up, she did.
"You argue that Heroes and Hero Society as a whole are the ones at fault for the substandard way of life in the social hierarchy when it comes to quirks. And if you were to remove them, it would rectify this inadequacy and improve the quality of life in society. However, I find your argument is askew. Your solution to change the mistreatment to those who possess "villainous" quirks is to eliminate the justice system and throw society into anarchy. You want egalitarianism by inciting violence. And violence will only breed violence. The change you wish to see cannot be attainable this way."
Everyone stared at the teen as if she grew a second head. They were not expecting a speech with mature vocabulary and argumentative points that were suited for a courthouse. Even Bakugo was thrown off; he understood what she said but he was surprised by her articulation. And in the background, Kurogiri glanced between Tomura and the teen.
It's just as we thought, she won't be won over easily. . . But although she said she envisioned this conversation, it seems she hasn't looked far enough to see her fate with All For One. . . Curious. Kurogiri thought to himself.
"That's a lot of big words! What do they mean?" Twice suddenly broke the silence.
"Wow Rini-chan, you sound so smart! But I'm with him, what do you mean?" Toga beamed, before switching to utter confusion.
"You idiots. She basically said our way in changing society is wrong," Spinner voiced with an exasperated voice.
"Oh." They said in unison.
Tomura mentally rolled his eyes at their antics. He replayed Rini's articulated viewpoint in his head and pondered a way to reply.
Meanwhile Dabi, who had his arms crossed and rested against the bar, straightened out and took a step forward. He made fists and held them at his sides. The change in demeanor and movement caused Rini to acknowledge him; she also found his reaction intriguing. It also caught Bakugo's attention.
"You say our solution is askew? That change can't be "attainable" this way? Well let me ask you this, kid."
"Dabi. . ." Tomura warned in a low voice, but it went unheard.
"How many people have you seen come forward and call for change the proper way and succeed? Where are they now? Those who challenged this system and questioned their standards? Their authority?"
Rini furrowed her brows and frowned.
"What do you-?"
"They don't exist anymore. You can thank the Heroes for that."
Rini looked down at the ground and processed his words. Her lavender eyes darting back and forth across the wooden floor as if they held the answers. Then her eyes widened in realization.
As for Bakugo, the teen scoffed at Dabi's wild accusation.
"You think Heroes kill people who disagree with the way things are? Your mental."
"I don't think I know. The Heroes in the spotlight like All Might wouldn't dare kill a person dubbed a villain simply because they spoke out, oh no, they have way too many cameras on them. So they leave that job for the ones running around behind the scenes. The ones like her, who can use their quirks to snuff a light out before it sparks." Dabi then gestured to Rini.
Bakugo's brows raised at his sudden declaration. He glanced at Rini then back at the villain.
"What are you getting at?! She would never-"
"Maybe not now, but in the future she will."
"That's enough Dabi," Tomura stepped in.
Dabi rolled his eyes.
"I'm just telling the kids something they need to hear. Something that school won't teach them. These Heroes parade around here just to keep up appearances and maintain this sham society. They aren't real Heroes."
"That's what Stain tried to teach. And when nobody listened, he took matters into his own hands. The same way we are. Now look at where he's ended up: Tartarus," Spinner chimed in to support Dabi's case.
"Which leads us back to the reason why there is quirk prejudice in society; why there are "hero" and "villain" quirks. Your worth or identity is only measured by your quirk, and Hero society just keeps spinning that wheel. Do you understand us now, my dear?" Compress added.
Rini glanced between them before looking at the ground. And Bakugo scowled at the villains, biting his tongue.
Tomura glanced over his shoulder at his colleagues. He didn't like how they took over the conversation, but it was ultimately working. He could see the cracks begin to form in Rini's facade. Their words were forcing her to consider their cause and who was truly in the right. It was working. . . Or so he thought.
"I understand what you mean regarding quirk prejudice. It is unfortunately rooted in our society due to thoughtless social standards associated with Heroic quirks and Heroes in general. . . But, Stain murdered people - good men and women just trying to do their jobs and keep society safe. He did not have the right to claim their lives. He did not have the right to ruin families or friendships-" her voice cracked with more emotion the more she spoke. But then she lowered her voice to a whisper and briefly closed her eyes stating, "and neither do you."
The memory of Iida's brother resurfaced and she couldn't condone the actions Stain would have committed if not for her interference. Or the League's actions.
Tomura and the others saw this topic was obviously a sore spot. And when they thought about it, they assumed she took their deaths personal given the nature of her quirk.
They didn't know how right they were.
As for Bakugo, he gave his classmate a concerned look. He didn't know about Iida's brother, but he did know about the Hosu incident since he was there along with his other classmates. He could only imagine what she envisioned that bloodthirsty killer committing.
"That's where your wrong, sweetheart. Those Heroes didn't give a rat's ass about keeping society safe. All they cared about was the paycheck they collected at the end of the day. I say they deserved their early trip to the afterlife, and we have every right to send more with them," Dabi shot back at the teen with a devilish smirk.
"Yeah, Mr. Stainy did this world a favor, Rini-chan. They were all a bunch of fakes," Toga added nonchalantly.
"They certainly were," Magne added.
"You can say that again," Twice chimed.
Spinner and Compress simply nodded in agreement.
However, Rini's expression morphed to one of hurt. She genuinely didn't understand how someone could think so lowly of a human life. She glanced at Bakugo, and he gave her a look that read "there's no use trying to reason with them" but she couldn't accept that.
"How can you say that?" She suddenly announced. Her voice was airy yet heavy with emotion.
The villains paused and stared at her. She glanced between them all. Including Tomura, who stood a few feet across from her doing and saying nothing.
"How can any of you act as though their lives meant nothing?" She tried again.
The villains glanced amongst each other, not sure how to react.
"I refuse to believe any of you lack an ounce of remorse. You must have some. You wouldn't be human if you didn't."
When she said that, she looked directly into Tomura's eyes. He didn't move a muscle as tears built in the corners of her eyes.
"You choose to act like villains when society throws their ugliness- their hate - at you for not possessing a quirk with admirable traits. "Villain" is not a thing you are based on your quirk, it's the actions you commit that make you a villain. Your quirk does not define who you are. . . I could be wrong, but I don't think any of you ever received those words in your life. . . And I don't think you all wanted to be villains either."
Her sincerity struck each of them in their chests. They were stunned into silence. All they could do was observe the teen as she continued her speech.
"Society failed you when you needed it most, and I am truly sorry for that. None of you deserved that. And I will never truly understand your pain or your hate towards Heroes the way that you do. . . but please don't take your anger out on the innocent. On the world. There's a better way to change things. . . I can help you. We can work something out together. I'm sure we can make the difference you want to see without violence."
By the end of her speech, Rini unknowingly let a single tear roll down her face. She couldn't control her heartfelt emotions. Seeing years of violence only to wonder why nobody could put their differences aside and solve issues with thoughtful love and consideration would do that to a person.
As for the villains, they were speechless. Never had anyone talked to them with such genuine kindness, compassion- just overall tenderness in all their lives. They let Rini's words replay in their mind, specifically when she said "I don't think you all wanted to be villains either," and they couldn't deny it. When they looked back at their lives, they honestly didn't want to become villains. One day they just were. And the longer they thought about it, the more they started to rethink their life.
But the moment was shortlived when Tomura finally spoke.
"Kurogiri, Compress, put them to sleep."
His words were a surprise to everyone.
The villains felt like they had been snapped out of a trance. They all had their focus on Rini, but they found themselves looking at their boss. It was like a flip switched in their heads when their eyes went from her lavender orbs to the back of Tomura's chilly light blue hair.
Damn, she really almost had us, they all thought.
Rini on the other hand felt like the ground got swept up from under her. She thought they could come to a resolution, but that clearly wasn't going to happen. And not only that, she didn't expect this since she changed the outcome of her vision, so she would have to look again to make sure Bakugo and her would be safe.
As Compress moved forward and Tomura stepped back, she quickly glanced between them and Bakugo. But she was surprised to see he had disappeared. Her eyes widened as she realized the small warp window that floated where her classmate once stood and the gloved hand that receded into its darkness. She whipped her attention onto Mr. Compress, seeing him hold a marble in one hand, but the other hand was gone in another warp window. She reacted too late.
Suddenly she was encased in a marble, the world around her and all her senses now suspended in time.
When Compress and Kurogiri finished the task, they turned to their boss in question. Including the other members.
"Why'd you do that?" Dabi asked the question everyone thought.
Tomura walked past him and sat at the bar.
"I asked you a question, boss," he added, aggravation evident in his tone after being ignored.
Tomura simply rested his elbows on the counter, interlocked his fingers, and rested his chin on his thumbs in response. He didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid.
Afraid because she was right.
But also afraid because she basically said she won't join.
And the thought of turning her over to All For One scared him.
He didn't realize it, but he wanted to save her from his Sensei. And he figured this was the best way to do that; put them to sleep, then try again later.
As he pondered this, the league members stared at their boss, waiting for an answer. The tense silence was unsettling.
"We got off topic."
That was his answer.
"Off topic? I think I remember her saying she'd help us towards the end of her rant," Spinner bud in.
"She said she'd help without violence. Read between the lines. She meant if we let them go she would work out something with the Heroes to make the changes we want to see. Which we all know won't happen," Tomura corrected him.
"You never know. . . Rini-chan has a good way with words. She just might be able to convince them. . . She would've convinced me earlier if you hadn't stepped in," Toga chimed in, but she whispered that last part to herself.
"She certainly does have a way with words. . ." Compress added as he held the marbles gently in his hand - the most gentle he's ever been - studying the teens in their frozen slumbers.
Bakugo laid in a fetal position, and so did Rini, but the difference between them was Rini's long wave of hair. It looked like a silky pink blanket floating and twisting at all the pretty angles in an underwater scene. Compress had never seen anything like it. Suddenly, Magne came next to him to look at the marbles too, catching him off guard.
"This girl can stop wars if she ever got the chance. . . Also, did anyone else get a strange yet good vibe from her? I never felt anything like it," Magne pointed out while studying her in the marble.
Everyone in the bar, besides Dabi, Tomura, and Kurogiri, hummed a yes in reply. The three wouldn't admit it, but they did catch that vibe. It was solace mixed with intimidating power. The only reason why it was intimidating for them was because she forces people to look within, to reflect, and they were all too afraid to face their ugliness.
"It was weird. I felt warm inside," Twice commented while hugging himself.
"Your getting off topic again," Tomura grumbled. "Next time just let me do all the talking. We need her, and Bakugo, in our party. Don't forget why we're doing this. . . Compress, in an hour release Otani alone. We'll talk to them separately this time around."
Compress gave a nod and pocketed the marbled teens.
"Grab some food or something in the meantime," Tomura added with a passive wave.
The others hummed and went about their business. Since Toga was the least conspicuous of the group, and technically invisible with her quirk, she left the bar to grab a bite. Spinner and Compress decided to watch the news, and when they turned on the TV, the others ended up watching as well. Everyone besides Dabi and Tomura. But they listened.
"Shocking news this morning. Two UA Hero Course students Katsuki Bakugo and Rini Otani, along with Pro Hero Ragdoll, were kidnapped by the League of Villains last night. . ." The news woman continued on with the story like background noise.
"You sure these Heroes won't come barging through the door looking for them any moment now?" Dabi leaned against the bar near Tomura and muttered.
"We caught her off guard. So they were caught off guard too. It'd take them a while, if not days, to find us if they don't have any leads on our location," he replied.
"And if they do?"
Tomura glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"With Kurogiri's warpgate, we'll leave and take them with us." He said it like it was obvious.
Dabi didn't bother replying. He hummed and pushed off from the bar, heading toward the couch. He threw himself down haphazardly on it, laying face up and his legs propped on the arm chair. If he was going to wait an hour he was gonna wait with his eyes closed.
Babysitting those brats all night was tiring. . . Wait. . . Why do I smell strawberries? He thought to himself.
He turned his head slightly and inconspicuously sniffed the pillow he was laying on. Then he realized it must have been Rini's shampoo from her hair that got imprinted into the cushion. He didn't want to be a weirdo so he flipped the pillow.
Meanwhile Tomura quirked a brow after witnessing his weird actions and turned back to Kurogiri who had been pretty silent. He felt like the misty man would say something he didn't want to hear. . .
"She didn't use her quirk to look far enough like you hoped, Tomura. Nor did she appear like she wanted to join us. . . In fact, she tried to convince us to join her and forget our mission."
Right on cue, Tomura thought.
"Yes, I caught that."
"If she declines-"
"Yes, I know what I have to do," he raised his voice a bit, thankfully not alerting the others.
Suddenly, he didn't want to be in his presence. He got up and headed out the door, navigating through the building in search of his room.
He knew what he might have to do.
He could only hope Rini would accept his offer so he can save her from that fate.
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