Touya's POV
We left quickly with only a set goal in mind, we had to find the base and gather absolutely everything we could for the heroes.
I was as cool as possible, glare icy and calm, while the two next to me had tensed up to the point of near suffering. Their lips pressed together, they panicked with every step they took but never wavered against the cement beneath us. They never stopped or even considered going back, they were each other's strength, and despite everything at stake, as long as they were together they'd be ok.
I wish I had that, but my fear of getting anyone else involved with this refuses for me to even ask or mention it, especially to anyone like Shouto, Izuku, Tomura or the like. I'd literally rather die.
But, even it I have no one to ground me, I'd never leave these two behind, how could I? Years of running from my own family's problem, leaving without a trace from the league, I could never let myself do it again, no matter how dangerous the mission.
And honestly? to hell with anyone who thinks I'd completely leave these two alone on a mission so deadly. I'm aware how capable they are, unbroken wills and a deadly determination, with great strength to top it off... but even then... I guess it'll take more than above-average strength to take down the Hassaikai... even if they're all backups, or aren't as thoroughly strong or well-trained as the previous bullets,
Overhaul now knew what death felt like.
He felt the despair. He was force-fed each of our own vengeances, from the sickly-sweet flavor of Toga's, the charred resentment of me, Jin and Sako's sourness so permeating it was no longer a flavor, only pure pain. The bland mush of Shuichi's emptiness, and the overwhelming scent of rot that Tomura radiated. His was the pungent scent of rotting steak left out overnight, alone and blackened. Blood coagulated angrily into a geltin, disdain progressed into an unadulterated want... no... a need to maim. To cut off chunks of pride and skin, shear away bones of accomplishment, prod and dissect the veins of thoughtless victory. Ingest it as your prey, and never let the flavor leave.
Walking ahead of the two with a fake air of confidence gives me the best position possible to see what they look like;
A wreck.
At first glance, they look normal. Exceedingly normal. So regular it was robotic, and that's exactly what's wrong. Their eyes held so many flowing emotions at once that there was no chance of discerning even a single one, the excess of feeling creating odd normalcy where, even in the pivotal point of chaos, it looked blank. The eye of a hurricane, the vastness of a crashing ocean, genocide and war. An abnormal that you become so used to, it is your normal.
Their tightened lips, tensed shoulders, heavy limbs..
They weren't ready.
How could anyone ever be?
"We'll get back, and a midnight run to Taco Bell is on me." I give them my most sincere grin, and it works. While not exploding with joy, they have something to look foward to beforehand at least.
"If we successfully all the info we can on the Hassaikai, could I get the large order of cinnabon bites?" Kaminari looks at me with too much smugness to be legal.
"God, do you think I'm made of money?... but I guess if you do a good job." I reluctantly say and ruffle his hair.
He was shaking.
"Then can I get a frozen baja blast?" Sero's eyebrows wiggled and I let out the most exasperated sigh I could.
"I SUPPOSE YOU COULD,,, you children are gonna run my wallet dry." I pinch his cheeks like I'm some sort of overbearing aunt visiting for Christmas.
He was broken into a cold sweat.
These poor kids.
I can still tell what they're thinking, too. The guilt written on their faces screamed volumes towards me. They felt bad for leaving, for sneaking out and knowing people will worry once they notice, if our friends find out that we were all on a life-threatening mission, even thinking of getting other people involved, no matter how good their quirks would be for the job, made us all sick to our stomachs. We took on this responsibility for seemingly no reason, we might as well be the stupidest bitches alive.
And goddammit do we own it.
"Denki, you said this was the place right?"
"...what place this is an empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere."
And I was right. We were sat at a bench across the street of said lot to keep from looking suspicious, only occasionally glancing kver our shoulders to get a look at the presumably inconspicuous parking lot.
Sero just shrugs at me, not really knowing either. But Kaminari provided quick reassurance.
"Yes. I'm sure of it. You do realize where we are right?"
Sero and I took a look around the lot. The gravel was pitch black, lines of each parking space a pure white, separating stone ledges free of any chips or plants growing inside of them, and no building this could really belong to in sight.
This was a new lot.
"Uhhh... it looks familiar, I guess?" Sero shrugs while looking around.
"One of the old Shie Hassaikai buildings were torn down here and replaced not too long ago. The weird thing is... the company that did it wasn't registered as any professional construction business... local heroes did some digging, and it turns out that the people who did it were close friends with the Hassaikai." You could hear the gears in Sero's brain click together after Kaminari was finished explaining.
"You think they covered a new base here?"
"Yes. 100%. I can feel the electrical waves flowing from under the ground of all the appliances in the building working."
"All right, we believe you. So what do we do?" I said and both Sero and I stared at him expectantly, he looked almost flustered under the pressure.
"Uhhh... Sero, how much control do you have over your tape?"
"I mean.. I can bend it to my will if that's what you're asking"
"Perfect... I think there's an elevator that leads down to the building itself, I'll be sticking these," he takes out two metal rods. "into the ground and see if I can find their largest power source and maybe shut it down. Touya, as the one with the the overall strongest quirk here, I'm gonna have you look out for the both of us in case anyone catches us and tries to put a stop to it, Sero you're gonna control your tape to cover every security camera in the area," he passes him a paper, "I tried to write them down here for you, but it's probably pretty unclear."
"Got it"
"I'm surprised at just how much thought you put into this, I know you're good at battle strategy but damn."
"Well.. I know how villains can make your life a living hell, and I think I owe it to our classmates to make sure that they'll be ok. We barely got out of it last time." Immediately the mood darkened, Kami looked visibly guilty, while Sero was mildly uncomfortable, but I could tell there was an intense sadness in there. I know what they're talking about. It eats me up inside every day, knowing how badly I hurt everyone here. Everytime I look at Ojirou or Shinsou or Bakugou I immediately get choked up.
"Sero, maybe you should get started." I have to break the silence with my quieted voice, and he nods almost unnoticeably, scanning the paper Kami gave him carefully. Multiple strands of tape slide out of his arms slowly and dive down close to the ground to not be seen, he circles them around the area, they look like snakes hunting for prey. Behind each camera, they slither up threateningly, and eventually pounce. Unlike the rest of his movements, it was quick and sharp, the tape directly covering each of it's lenses, then wrapping around the entire thing in thick, bandage-like layers. Eventually giving us the freedom to move in closer.
"All right, move in." And so we ran across the streets, Kaminari taking out the two iron rods and sticking them into the ground with vehement anger. Sero checked each of the cameras to see if the tape would hold up, and I protected all of us.
I don't feel any eyes on us, only the slight vibration of Kaminari's electricity running through the ground.
I don't feel anything aside from fear.
The street was dark and barren, not a single person on the sidewalk and no cars, the light of shops only kept it just illuminated enough for us to see, and it was downcasted on us in a judging glare. The lights knew what we were doing, they knew and they judged us. They judged our motives, whatever they may be, they burned into the spirit and left a branding.
The world knows what you're doing.
I lit a small ball of fire in one of my hands to combat the scorching rays. How convenient it is that the one thing that'll bring me comfort right now, is the very thing that'll hurt me if I keep it up for too long. I could start back at square one, disfigured and disgusting, covered in a literal shell of my past self. The self of trauma and pain and regrets, the self I'm not even sure I've repented for. Classes A and B love me... I think they do, at least. I'm pretty sure. Shouto loves me... Natsuo and Fuyumu... even mom. She texted me for the first time not too long ago, and I wouldn't trade her words for the world.
I watched the blue light of my fire gradually spread around the gravel lot, basking Kami and Sero into a fittingly melancholic blue light that refects our situation all too well. Were we sad? Maybe. Sad that it had to come to this. Sad that the hatred in this world spreads even to the innocent kids who want to save it.
They shouldn't have to do this.
They're kids trying to make a difference.
And they might pay for it in their own blood.
Kaminari's face twisted the harder he concentrated, Sero's look of paranoia was unbefitting of himself, making sure every camera in such a wide radius stayed covered and silent was a nerve-wrecking job to him.
And I was there.
Holding a torch.
One that would eventually kill me.
"Guys! There's an elevator! It's coming up!"
Kaminari jumped up and stepped back almost excitedly as the ground shook violently beneath ys, every nerve in my body shooting with vague and empty pain as I watched in horror what could only be a portal of hell emerge from the ground beneath us and appear as a silver box covered in streaks of dirt and faint blood.
Frozen, I felt only anxiety in place. I was no longer a person, only a vessel of ever-lasting pain and the fear of failure that could cost the death of my family.
It could be the end of us all.
We could all die here.
We'll probably die here.
We're gonna die.
The look on Kaminari and Sero's faces were like hardened veterans, the trauma and fear in their eyes struck through me like harpoons. They stared at me with terrifying expectancy, and then I knew no wasn't an answer. No matter how badly I wanted to give it, my body would never let me. I walked past them with barely shaking legs towards the silver trap that spewed golden light between it's cracks, and pressing the button, I could only glance back to them.
"Let's go."
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(A/N: You thought it was over :) haha)