The whole town smelled like fish.
(Y/n)'s nose crinkled at the pungent scent and tried to hold her breath as much as possible as while walking down the streets. The houses here were well built and sturdy, and many were even raised off of the ground slightly. As (Y/n) walked, her sandals kept flicking up sand and bits of water that lay in puddles on the cobbled pavement.
Bakugou and Kirishima didn't seem bothered about the smell. In fact, they looked hungry, and Kirishima's gaze kept flickering over to the vendors selling different varieties of fish and crustaceans. Bakugou seemed calmer here, his posture was relaxed and he walked with a slight bounce in his step. It was almost like he was a different person, if anything he seemed more powerful in his familiar surroundings.
(Y/n) frowned and looked at the back of Bakugou's head, slightly annoyed that he had kept the fact that he was a prince secret from her. Though she wasn't going to ridicule him for it; Bakugou wasn't the only one keeping secrets.
Her hands wrapped around her waist as she noticed some of the mages staring at her nastily, a sneer on their lips. Ochako had never treated her this badly, even when they first met. It was as if the aura of her magic disgusted them, like they were smelling something rotten. She wished she could hide it, or that it wasn't there in the first place.
Kirishima's excited gaze turned to her, oblivious to her obvious discomfort. "Sorry about the guards, they don't particularly like newcomers. Especially humans- I mean people from Elmont."
"I understand their concern." She mumbled quietly, giving him an uncomfortable smile as she hid the fact that her being from Elmont wasn't the only reason they were angry. She turned to Bakugou and inhaled deeply, "So, you're a prince."
Bakugou swallowed and looked away, trying not to show emotion on his face, "Are you angry I didn't say anything?" He asked, trying to sound blunt, but his voice wavered slightly as he spoke.
(Y/n) sighed and shook her head, "I'm a little upset that you didn't tell me, but I'm not angry. If you don't feel comfortable telling me something, I won't get mad about it. I'm just happy I know now."
"It's not like I care if you're angry or not!" Bakugou quickly barked out, "It just makes things more difficult if you are! But you're angry not so..." He stuttered out quickly, glancing anywhere but where (Y/n) was standing. "Just shut up and let's get a move on!" His shoulders hunched and he picked up his pace slightly, hiding his face from both (Y/n) and Kirishima's view.
Kirishima broke out into a fit of laughter as he watched his friend storm off into the crowd, muttering to (Y/n) under his breath. "I think you broke him." He snickered with a wide grin plastered on his face that showed off his large, razor sharp teeth.
"Did I say something wrong?" (Y/n) asked in worry, her (e/c) eyes widening in panic.
"The opposite," Kirishima rubbed the back on his neck, trying to calm down his giggles, "I think you flustered him. I've never seen him react like that before."
(Y/n) smiled slightly at the thought, her hands lowering from her waist. "Why would I fluster him?" She let out a small snicker as she stared in the direction the blonde had wandered off in. His spiky hair could be seen mingling in with the people around him.
"You should feel lucky, not many are able to cause him to react like that." Kirishima nudged (Y/n)'s shoulder and skipped off to where Bakugou was slowly disappearing into the crowd. "Try and keep up, don't want you getting lost now, do we?"
(Y/n) quickly rushed towards Kirishima, trying to mimic his fast pace. "So where are your friends?"
"If they're here, which I hope they are," He mumbled out the second part, "They should be by the docks. Their ship is pretty hard to miss."
"So they're sailors?"
"They prefer the term pirates, but they're not bad people. They only go after people who do wrong, like cargo vessels harbouring slaves or stolen goods. Most of their crew are ex-slaves they saved from the ships they raided." Kirishima gleamed, the grin on his face indicated how proud he was of his friends. "I was actually one of those people they saved, back when Bakugou was sailing with them. That's how we met." His face became wistful as he relived the memory. "We were pretty young back then, I was only just learning how to properly shift into my dragon from when I got snagged by hunters. That's how I got this!" He grinned, boastfully pointing the scar above his right eye.
"You were captured?" (Y/n)'s eyes went round and she stared at the red-haired boy in horror. Kirishima let out a small huff and rolled his eyes like it was no big deal. He crossed his arms behind his head as he continued walking down the streets.
The water on the ground had begun to rise slightly, now lapping at the edge of (Y/n)'s feet. She cringed and flicked the water off her sandal, only to place it back down and become soaked again. Silently, she apologised to Kendo for ruining her beautiful shoes. A cold shiver ran down her arms as a cold gust of wind blew in from the sea. Kirishima bit his lip as he stared at the cold girl, feeling a little sheepish.
"We should get you some new clothes before we set sail. I wonder if Mina has any in your size, if not we're going to have to buy some." He pondered to himself, placing his thumb and forefinger on his chin in thought.
"Mina?" (Y/n) questioned, tilting her head slightly. Kirishima's head snapped up quickly and he put a smile back on his face.
"She's one of the pirates we're looking for, the captain of the ship. Mina is a part dragon and part nymph, so you'll know exactly who she is when you meet her!"
(Y/n) had heard about nymphs in the books she had read back at home. They could take on the appearance of any creature they desired, including humans, so nobody knew what they really looked like.
"What about your other friends?"
"Well, there's three of them, Mina, Sero, and Denki," Kirishima explained, watching Bakugou push through people in front of them who responded by cowering away or aggressively bowing their heads. "Sero is a human who used to train with ex-assassins, so he's pretty agile and good with a sword, Denki, however, is an elemental mage-"
"Really?" (Y/n) interrupted him, excitement filling her eyes, "What kind?"
Kirishima smiled at her child-like burst of energy, "A lightning mage, and he's wicked strong when they can actually catch a storm!" He threw his arms out to exaggerate, subconsciously distracting (Y/n) from the dirty looks she was still receiving, "I bet you and him would get along well, he's a pretty fun guy, though he can be a bit of a flirt when it comes to women. But hes not as fun and manly as me though!" Kirishima punched his fists together and gave (Y/n) the best grin he could muster.
"What are you guys blabbering about?" Bakugou's grumpy voice interrupted the conversation and he stared at them with an annoyed look. His arms were crossed over his chest, accentuating his large muscles.
"We were just-" (Y/n) began when Bakugou cut her off.
"Rhetorical question, I don't care." He was blunt and to the point, as he looked down at her with his glowing red eyes, "They're here, I can see their ship." Bakugou turned to look at Kirishima, a hint of jealously in his gaze that was quickly washed away as soon as he turned back to motion towards the docks. There were many boats, ranging in all shapes and sizes; tiny fishing boats to large cargo ships. There were vendors lining the docks, men hauling barrels, and people pulling in large nets filled to the brim with fish and other sea creatures.
Children ran up and down the streets as they played, splashing water everywhere as their small feet hit the ground. (Y/n) smiled at the sight, they didn't have many children back in Bleakbury. Most couldn't handle the cold, so people with children lived up near the capitol where it was slightly warmer: where there wasn't a constant winter. (Y/n) had moved to the small village when she was fourteen, and she still wasn't completely used to the temperature, but she wouldn't have traded Bleakbury for the world. And yet, here she was.
Kirishima jogged up to the front of the docks as he tried to scout out his friends' ship, smiling when he noticed the familiar purplish-pink flag flickering in the wind. He jumped up and down on the spot anxiously, excited to meet with them again. He looked at Bakugou expectantly, his grinning from ear to ear. As soon as Bakugou nodded his head, Kirishima shot off in the direction of the large vessel, leaving (Y/n) behind to walk with him.
Bakugou glanced at her, his eyes scanning her up and down. Just like Kirishima, (Y/n)'s face had an eager look on it and she swallowed nervously in anticipation.
Bakugou let out a deep sigh, "Don't go getting attached to anyone on the ship, it's unlikely we'll be seeing them after we reach my homeland." (Y/n) rolled her eyes, giving him a cheeky smile.
"Is that the real reason, or do you just not want me talking to anyone else because you'll get jealous?"
Bakugou's eyes twitched and he snarled at her, "Of course not! I don't care who you talk to! Shut up, you damn nerd!" His face was dusted with a pink hue as he frantically tried to hide his embarrassment.
"You're so easy to make mad." (Y/n) chuckled as she watched him, amused. Bakugou's eyes narrowed, his pupils seeming to dilate slightly. She shook her head slightly and looked towards the ship, "It's cute."
He paused, watching her for a moment. His eyes softened for a brief second and a smile flickered at the edge of his lip. But it was soon replaced with a look of sudden realisation and anger, "Hey! I'm not freaking cute, you idiot!"
They reached the ship quickly. (Y/n) could hear Kirishima's voice as he loudly greeted his friends up on the deck. She strained her head to catch a glimpse over the bow of the ship, but she couldn't see a thing because it was so high up.
A man barged past her, roughly pushing her to the side. (Y/n) stumbled backwards into Bakugou. He latched his arms under hers before she could fall to the ground and growled at the man, who stood at the edge of the ramp leading up to the deck of the ship. In his arms, he held a large barrel full of what only could have been ale, whiskey or some kind of booze.
"Watch where you're going, asshole!" Bakugou raised his voice, his nose scrunching as his top lip curled.
The man turned to stare at him, raising a tattooed brow at them both, "You talkin' to me, brat?" His voice was deep and intimidating, and he was far larger than the spiky-haired blonde, but that didn't stop Bakugou from tossing (Y/n) back to her feet and sizing him up.
Bakugou's red eyes blazed as he shoved his face up towards the heavily tattooed man. "I said, watch where you're going! Are you deaf or just stupid?"
The man's face turned crimson as he dropped the barrel and grabbed Bakugou by the collar of his cloak, pulling him closer as a deep purple vein bulged out of his forehead. "Why you little-!"
"-Bakugou, is that you?" A yellow mop of hair flung over the side of the ship before quickly disappearing. Not a moment later Bakugou was tackled to the floor by a boy his age. He wore a white tunic, covered by an open, black coat with yellow accents. His hair was a striking blonde, with a black jagged pattern across the fringe.
"I knew it was you! I can recognise that menacing aura from miles away!" He gleemed, rubbing the top of Bakugou's head with his fist.
"Get off Dunceface!"
(Y/n) stared at them in confusion as Bakugou struggled to get away from the newcomer, "Is this one of your friends?"
The boy turned his head to face (Y/n), a sly look coming across his face as he released Bakugou. "Kirishima's told me you brought company, but he never mentioned how cute they were." He finished with a quick wink that made (Y/n) blush uncomfortably. A quick fist to his cheek from Bakugou sent the boy flying to the side and onto the wet cobblestone, "Ow, my beautiful face!"
"Already met Kaminari I see." Kirishima grinned bounded down the wooden ramp. Behind him, a pink-skinned girl wearing a large, feather-decorated hat followed.
(Y/n) stared at the Kaminari, who was rolling on the floor clutching his bruising cheek and whimpering like a puppy, "Pleasure to meet you?" She raised an eyebrow uncertainly.
"(Y/n), meet Mina Ashido, the captain of this ship." Kirishima introduced, dramatically motioning to the pink girl behind him.
Ashido grinned toothily, her black and yellow eyes closing slightly, "So this is (Y/n)." Her tone was warm and inviting, "It's nice to meet another girl! It's kinda hard being the only female on a ship full of guys!" Her coat was long and reached just below her knees and, around her waist, she wore a blue-ish green and purple sash. She placed a hand on her hip and examined (Y/n) from head-to-toe, frowning at her choice of outfit, "You must be freezing in that!" She quickly turned her dark eyes to Bakugou and looked at him in disappointment, "Have I taught you nothing when it comes to women?"
"Fuck you, Raccoon Eyes! I know how to handle girls!" Bakugou's eyes narrowed at her.
"Clearly." Ashido mumbled sarcastically under her breath, moving her attention back to (Y/n), "If you're travelling with us, we're going to have to get you out of those clothes and into something more suitable." (Y/n)'s mind flashed back to the clothing incident in the cave and she curled into herself slightly.
"Okay." (Y/n) squeaked, suddenly feeling shy in this eccentric woman's presence. This 'Mina' wasn't at all what she was expecting, though she didn't really know what to expect in the first place.
Bakugou grabbed Kaminari by the back of his neck like a dog and lifted him to his feet with ease. The front and side of his hair dripped with water droplets that he quickly shook off with a flick of his head.
Ashido placed her arm over (Y/n)'s shoulder and led her up the ramp and onto the deck of the ship. "Come on, let's get you a new getup and then I'll introduce you to the rest of the crew! May as well get comfortable, Kirishima said we'll be travelling together for a while! It's going to be good to have you on board, I'll be making a fine pirate outta you, girl!"
(Y/n) grinned, hope building up in the pits of her stomach. For once she beginning to feel like she belonged, even if it was just for a little while.
-
Shigaraki smiled, tapping his foot against the ground while Dabi paced in front of him. Himiko was waving her feet back and forth as she sat on a large rock. She stretched her hand out in boredom and examined her nails, frowning when she noticed a small chip in the side of one and quickly nibbling at it.
Dabi growled, pulling at his black hair, "You let them go!"
"Yes, I suppose I did." Shigaraki reached his hand up and scratched at his neck. His whole body itched in anticipation of what was to come.
"Well, how the hell are we going to capture the boy now?!" Dabi clenched his fists as blue fire swirled around him.
A hand rested on the scarred man's shoulder and the blaze of flames died down quickly. "That's enough, Dabi. I'm sure there was a reason behind Tomura doing this." Kurogiri stated, though his last comment sounded more like a question.
Shigaraki didn't respond immediately, only bounced his leg more aggressively as his grin grew wider, "We won't have to worry about that Katsuki boy for now. By the looks of it, she hasn't told him that she's a witch yet which stands in our. As soon as that boy finds out, he'll be handing her over to us on a silver platter."
"Those mages are powerful enough to sense her magic. Surely they would have exposed her already?" Kurogiri stared in the direction of the town, watching the magic barrier shimmer high in the sky.
"And what about Shoto Todoroki?" Dabi interrupted once again, his blue eyes narrowed on Shigaraki's hunched form.
"Those brats escaping was your fault, not mine."
Himiko pouted sadly, "I was looking forward to playing with my darling Izuku again. Last time was so fun."
"You'll get your chance, Toga. Be patient." Kurogiri told girl sternly, his yellow eyes flickering in the purple mist that surrounded his face. "How do we know that the witch won't attack us when we next meet."
"She won't risk the karma. Not without a coven that is."
"And what about when we finally manage to capture her?" Dabi shoved his hands in his cloak's pockets, leaning his head back slightly. "How will we get her onto our side?"
Shigaraki grabbed (Y/n)'s satchel from his waist and opened it, pulling out the large, leatherback book and running his hands over the spine. "She'll be harmless without her grimoire. With no coven to teach her more powerful spells, or protection magic, she won't cast anything unless prompted. And even then, with the spells she already knows, she won't be able to do much damage without causing herself some serious pain." He explained. His lips quirked into a crooked smirk and his fingers tightened against the cover of the book. Around him the plant life began to wither and decay, turning brown and dying as his magic seeped out in a circle of dark magic, "And besides, I'm sure she's just dying to pay her dear old brother a visit."