Twenty-eight.
Twenty-eight people were murdered on the night that Katsuki Bakugou had gone missing. Twenty-eight people were mourned by an entire country. Twenty-eight families will never be the same again. Twenty-eight days have passed.
Not a single one of those people have received justice.
Not a single person knows where Katsuki Bakugou or Hitoshi Shinsou is.
Not even one Izuku Midoriya.
Denki hasn't seen his freckled friend this angry in several years, an inevitable path of destruction in his wake with every brooding thought that crosses his already clouded judgement. He's volatile and impulsive; Denki had figured that this would happen the very moment that their plans had gone tits up on the night of the massacre. He was quite prepared to deal with Izuku's moodiness---had even prepared for the very real possibility that Izuku would take out his frustrations on some unsuspecting underling and sentence them to an untimely execution.
He was not, however, prepared to deal with Izuku preparing to wage an all-out war against the entirety of the Shie Hassaikai.
Denki can list at least a dozen reasons as to why that's a terrible idea right off of the top of his head.
The first being that no one will win that war. They'll all perish. And as loyal as Denki has been to the league---to Izuku?
His loyalty to his Shouto is much stronger.
He understands why Izuku is angry. The Hassaikai broke a very clear deal---a deal that was signed by both parties to be followed down to the fucking tee. It's reasonable to be angry with them.
However, Denki did warn him that it was a bad idea to have put so much trust into those muscle-bound morons to begin with and Izuku insisted that he could handle the affairs without Kaminari's advice.
It's only because of Izuku's arrogance that they failed.
Izuku's mostly pissed off because he doesn't have anyone to blame for this nightmare besides himself. He can't blame Hitoshi. Hitoshi had done his job and then some. Izuku would inevitably owe him for that.
His father must be rolling in his grave at how quickly Izuku has managed to turn his legacy into a shitshow. He'll fix it, he swears. That's what he's said to Denki. At this point, however, he isn't even sure anymore.
"They're calling it the 'Somnambul Massacre'. Can you believe that fucking nonsense?" The freckled man snorts, though his fingers still tap anxiously at the arm of his chair. He's been restless for quite a few days now and while Denki can understand why, it worries him that Izuku may actually snap and lose his shit at any given moment.
"They always have to give that sorta shit a name. People die every fuckin' day, this shit was nothing short of a normality. Besides, only one or two casualties were regular civilians. The others were either one of ours or one of...his." Denki doesn't want to say his name lest he serve to further agitate his friend. "It's annoying to think they're gonna make a bitch like Midnight out to be a fuckin' community leader. She sold prostitutes and drugs, for fuck's sake."
Izuku sighs sharply, hand carding through the mess of curls on his head. "Yeah but she made us a lot of fuckin' money. That one---the one that's held up with Sho right now---he was set to make us a pretty fuckin' penny."
"You know Katsuki cares about that one."
"Fuck, yeah, I know. I'm not planning on selling him anymore. We have to set up shop elsewhere, make new connections. I'm sure we can find better numbers."
Denki smiles at that. "You gonna quit messin' around and admit that you're totally in love with Katsuki?"
"You're out of your mind."
"Am I? Dude, you literally just passed on a quarter of a million dollars just so Katsuki would have a nice toy to play with."
"Katsuki's like my baby brother. He's the only family I've really got these days. I want to make sure he's being taken care of."
"Mm. So you don't mind that Hitoshi's probably boning him right now?"
Izuku pauses, head whipping around to give Denki a sharp and narrow gaze.
"No, I don't. If that's what Kacchan wants."
"...so you'd be totally cool with me getting a taste of that too?"
"You're trying to piss me off, aren't you?"
"If I say no, will you shoot me?"
"Without hesitation."
"Then absolutely."
There's a slight pause, Denki pulling an innocent smile that has Izuku's annoyance dwindling away as if it was never there to begin with. He snorts out a laugh and shakes his head fondly, resting his head in his palm. "You're such a fucking asshole." He chuckles and Denki shrugs, leaning onto Izuku's shoulder with a friendly familiarity. "I just wanted to see you smile, dude. Calm down and relax a little. So we lost a couple hundred thousand in merch, we've got plenty to make up for it. Don't worry about setting up shop somewhere else; I made a call."
"To?"
"Medusa, man, who else?"
That seems to quell Izuku's nerves a bit more and he relaxes into his seat. "Medusa. Shit, she's just as big as Midnight was—if not with a little more fuckin' class. Call Sato and Shoji, send a team out to secure it. If any of the Hassaikai show up, blow their fuckin' heads off on sight."
"Done and done, boss."
"Endeavor been snooping around you and Sho's place lately?"
"No more than usual. It's fine. We're at an understanding that if he tries to take Shouto, he will die."
Denki isn't going to negotiate that. If Shouto cares about his father even a little, he'll make sure that he stays away and keeps his threats to himself. He's allowed him to get away with his disrespectful actions for far too long. If it wasn't for Shouto begging for mercy on his father's behalf, Enji and the entirety of the Endeavor Syndicate would be dead.
"Good. By now, he's been completely backed into a corner. He doesn't want a war with the League; not when we have both of his sons. His only option is to give up his territory or we take it. We'll even do him the courtesy of calling it a partnership and not a coup. Set up a meeting with him; have Tomura handle it."
Denki wants to say that this idea is another horrible one but he assumes that Izuku has a reason for sending their most volatile guy to handle the job. Denki has never known for Tomura to be good at anything that wasn't leading his faction into a full on battle royale but there have been times where he has been rather persuasive with potential business partners. He managed to get the Hassaikai on board with only one casualty, after all.
Except that turned out to be a fucking bust.
"Roger, boss. Can't wait to get that shit over with so my baby and I can go ahead and get married already." Denki sighs, wanting nothing more than start his life together with Shouto. He's promised his love a ring for years now but certain things must be done and in order before that becomes possible. If they secure his father's territory and join both factions together then the League will become unstoppable which means that he and Shouto would be set for life.
Then he could finally give his baby the life that he deserves.
He plans to sit Shouto down some day and tell him what it is that he does---the kind of lifestyle that he really lives. He'll understand. Denki has no doubt about it that he'll still love him. That he'll still accept him and want to be with him. Shouto wouldn't ever betray him.
Speaking of.
"Hey, Izuku."
"Hm?"
"Something's been bothering me since that night. About the way that whole deal went sour, y'know?"
"Mm. I know."
"Alright. What are we gonna do about it?"
"...We'll handle it. Just not here."
Too many ears. It's exactly why neither of them have said it aloud. The last thing they want to do is alert whoever this traitor is to their plans and suspicions.
"Alright. I'm gonna go make those calls. Maybe stop and get some lunch. You want anything?"
"Pad thai."
"Say less."
He gets the feeling they're being watched right now, but Izuku is more than capable of his own protection.
Whoever has the balls to test that theory had better have one hell of a prayer.
#
Hitoshi smiles as he watches Katsuki do a bit of a twirl for him in the outfit that he's tried on. Those jeans fit like a second skin, riding high on his waist and accentuating those curves.
He's not mad at that at all.
He's wearing a cute little pink crop top that says 'Fuck You, Pay Me' on it in dainty white font. Katsuki seems to be waiting for Hitoshi's opinion but the older man is much too busy admiring just how absolutely gorgeous he looks.
But Hitoshi manages to feel that way about every outfit Katsuki has tried on today.
"Baby."
"Hm?"
"I asked you how it looks. Does it look stupid; is that why you're making that face like a stunned fish?"
Hitoshi snorts with a fond shake of his head. "No, Kitty. You look... absolutely fuckin' delicious—wow." He says, biting into his lip as he rakes his eyes over Katsuki's form once more. "I can't wait til this shit is over so I can love on you like I want to."
Katsuki blooms bright red, allowing Hitoshi to pull him close by his hips and look up into his eyes. "We don't have to wait." He says suggestively, a flirty smirk playing at his lips. Hitoshi rolls his eyes, patting Katsuki on his backside. "Yes, Katsuki, we do." He counters and Katsuki huffs out a pout. "Toshi---"
"I told you, I'm not gonna let our first time together be some quicky in the car or a hotel or a in fuckin' retail store fitting room. I'm gonna treat you better than that." He says firmly. "Now, if you're just that horny then Daddy will buy you some toys and we'll play. Trust me, baby, you're not gonna be disappointed at all. You want that?"
"...is that my only option?"
"That or abstinence. Up to you, baby boy."
"Fine, let's go buy the damn toys. And that gun is poking my thigh, it hurts." He relents, mumbling the last bit to where only Hitoshi could hear. The mercenary chuckles and tightly gropes at Katsuki's backside. "Oh, that's not my gun, babe." He says with a wink as he stands, leaving Katsuki gaping at him in a mixture of arousal and disbelief.
"Seriously?!"
"Take the tags off of those so I can pay for them, I want you to wear that outfit for me today."
"Don't ignore me, asshole!"
Katsuki does as he's told even as he chases after Hitoshi, jumping onto his back as the man continues to ignore him. Hitoshi simply hauls him over his shoulder and repositions Katsuki to hold him up at his waist, one arm underneath his bottom to keep him held up and the other carrying their bags as Katsuki fails to stifle a startled yelp and a giggle.
"You make me feel so big and strong just by being a cute little twink."
"Call me a twink again and I'll bite you."
"You know I'm into that, Kitty."
"Shut up, jerk." Katsuki laughs, hopping down from Hitoshi's arms as they approach the counter to allow his boyfriend to pay for his things.
From the corner of his eye, he notices an oddly intimidating older man eyeing them from across the room.
It sends a cold feeling right to his gut.
His fingers clutch into the fabric of Hitoshi's coat, eyes wide and frantic when he looks up at Hitoshi again.
"Toshi---"
"I see him, baby. Stay calm, follow my lead. Yeah?"
Katsuki swallows roughly and nods his affirmation, keeping close to Hitoshi's side as he counts out his cash to hand to the clerk without ever looking away. He smiles and thanks her as she hands him a receipt, arm around Katsuki's waist to guide him in the opposite direction.
And just like he assumed, the stranger follows.
"I recognize him. He's only dangerous if he gets close enough to touch you but we're faster than him and if he manages to get too close, I'm gonna blow his fuckin' head off. Keep walking, head for the car and walk in front of me."
"O-Okay..."
"We're okay, honey, don't be scared. He's just tryna intimidate us."
"Well, I gotta say that I'm really fuckin' intimidated."
Guy's got a massive scar across his face and he's wearing a fucking eye patch for fuck's sake. He's twice Hitoshi's size at most but the mercenary seems quite confident that he can drop him with no issues at all.
By the time they make it out to the lot, the guy's hot on their trail.
"You know you can't run from us forever, Kid." His gruff voice spits out and Hitoshi scoffs out a laugh.
"Baby. Down."
He doesn't have to tell Katsuki twice; the blonde hits the ground and rolls behind a nearby vehicle just in time to hear the tell-tale sound of what he assumes to be a solid blow to the man's shaved head with the butt of Hitoshi's gun. He grunts in pain, the sound of his solid body hitting the ground enough to make Katsuki flinch.
"Funny you think I'd be running from you or your little pussy posse. I ain't fuckin' afraid of Chisaki and I sure as fuck," He punctuates it with a harsh kick to the ribs. "Ain't afraid of you, bitch." He says, squatting down over him and feigning a sigh of disappointment. "I'm insulted that he'd send you to come after me, water boy. You're not even a real part of the team. A stand-in. An extra. Tell him he's gonna have to stack his cookies a little a higher than that if he wants to get me shakin' in my boots." He says, clapping him against his cheek with pity right before he stands.
"Kitten. Let's go, baby."
Katsuki quickly stands up from where he's crouched and obediently goes to follow behind Hitoshi---not before delivering a kick of his own to the assailant's side and reveling in the choked groan he let's out.
"And that's for being a fucking creep, asshole!"
This is gonna become a regular Monday afternoon for them, it would seem.