(Y/n)'s POV
"I certainly hope you're not here to convince me that you weren't partaking in illegal activity again, ribbit," a girl looking to be about my age said, sitting in a chair facing away from the entrance we were standing in. Her long, dark green hair reflected the light from the dozens of candles decorating the room. A pair of rusty goggles sat atop her head and didn't move as she swiveled a teacup around on her table.
"Tsuyu, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Katsuki asked, still not entering her home but standing in the doorway.
"Tsuyu? Sorry, I'm afraid you have the wrong house. If you're looking for 'Froppy', then you've come to the right place," the alleged, "Froppy", corrected, pushing her teacup and saucer away from herself. She turned and revealed a girl who looked much younger than I expected. Her skin was perfectly clear and her prominent bottom lashes gave her a soft and adorable look, but I knew better than to make assumptions based on appearance.
"Froppy? You've abandoned your Japanese name?" Katsuki asked, stepping into the house further.
"Let's just say that there's a lot of people who know Asui Tsuyu and aren't very happy with her. A name like that stands out in this region of the world," Froppy explained, standing up and taking putting her cup in the nearby sink. "Come in, all of you. I get the feeling this is more than just a catch-up."
We all entered the quaint room, Mina and Jirou sitting at the table with Froppy and the rest of us standing around the them. I noticed that Froppy had many frog-like characteristics, which was likely why she was such a powerful force on the waters. Her home was very bare and lacked decoration, almost as if she hadn't been living here long or was planning to move.
"I'm sure you've heard about my crew and I by now, Froppy," Katsuki phrased as a statement, although it was evident that he meant it as a question.
"Ah yes, the Bakuhatsu crew. Quite a name you chose there, Captain. Anyways, yes you've caused quite the uproar among the sea-traveling communities. I believe I've heard of most of the people here, but I don't recognize the girl with the (h/c) hair."
"That's (L/n) (Y/n)," Katsuki introduced me.
"(L/n)? As in (L/n) Lisander?" Froppy let out a quick gasp at the mention of my surname. Why does every seem to know my father so well?!
"Yes, that's my father," I explained, curious as to where this was going.
"Bakugo, what in the world are you doing with that man's daughter?! You didn't kidnap her, did you? I'm sorry but I'm not getting involved if you were dumb enough to pull a stunt like that," Froppy shook her head in disappointment.
"Well, that doesn't have as simple of an answer as you might think. I met her sister after Lisander sold her as a slave to the League. Valentina, now known as the Sea Queen, warned me about Lisander and told me about (Y/n). Technically... yes I did kidnap her..." Katsuki trailed off and Froppy smacks her hand against her forehead.
"Yes, he did kidnap me, but... but it was because my father was planning having me killed the next day, so... yeah..." I murmured through my defense for Katsuki.
"Okay, so why are you here? Are you looking for a place to hide?" Froppy asked, wanting to get straight to the point.
"No, we've dealt with Lisander before and we'll deal with him again if we have to. We're here because we've had many altercations with the League," Katsuki clarified.
"Those scalawags? Well, I never got the chance to make their lives miserable before, so what can I do for you?" Froppy asked, surprisingly already on board. I had come to realize that people were more willing to get involved with pirate affairs than ones with my father because they didn't have to worry about legalities. Pirates weren't going to turn to the law because they would end up getting executed in the process.
"We've been informed that you might have some information on something they're working on, possibly related to child labor?" Jirou explained. Froppy stood up and looked out her windows before coming back over to us.
"Come with me," she waved us on and we followed her down a dark hallway. At the end of the hallway there was a green rug. Froppy pulled the rug aside the remove a circular, wooden lid of some sort with an iron handle. The life open on a hinge and revealed a metal later going down through a vertical tunnel. She climbed down into the abyss below and we hesitantly followed. She splashed into some shallow water of what appeared to be a large pipe.
"Where are we? I didn't even know things like this existed!" Kaminari yelled through a whisper.
"I have some connections, anyways this will lead to where I'm keeping my information. Just continue to follow me," Froppy instructed. We sloshed through the murky water as Froppy travelled with ease. Katsuki was on the verge of having a hissy-fit, so I elbowed him in the side to remind his to stay quiet.
At the end of the tunnel was a massive steel door with a wheel attached that looked like the one used for steering the ship. To the side of the door were several levers. Froppy began pulling some down and some up in a specific order, then she moved back over to the door and turned the wheel clockwise. The door then cracked open and she leaned into it in order to open it all the way. As the door opened, a massive room covered in maps, sketches, and books was revealed. Everyone was stunned at the sight of the secret room.
"Ever since I talked to you about revolting-- back when you were on the League-- I decided to keep tabs on Tomura. I couldn't believe that he had been flying under the radar for so long, and that's when I discovered these wrecks," Froppy pointed at a map on the wall with red marks dotting the east coast of Central America. "After doing some research on each of the ship's remains, I discovered that the majority were ships sent out to bring Tomura down. I couldn't believe how lucky my team was to get away alive, but I still can't forgive myself for not bringing him to justice when I had him within reach. Anyways, since then I've been trying to find away to bring him to his knees for good. That's when I discovered the footprint he left in the slave market. Recently, there has been a rise in the sale of children. I spoke to many despicable people just to find out who was paying the highest prices. In three separate locations, I was told about a pale man in a cloak that would come and buy the most remarkable child on the market for the highest price. Two of the locations were relatively close to here, but the third was all the way out near Scandinavia. A girl with unique hair and a powerful electricity quirk was bought in Scandinavia, a boy with an ocean auditory quirk was bought in Florida, and-- most recently-- a girl with a shadow quirk was bought in Brazil. All of these children were bought by a man that fit the description for Tomura and each seller said he was accompanied by an unforgettable man with purple fog for a face."
"Kurogiri," Kirishima growled.
"Exactly. I don't know what he's doing buying kids with these unique quirks... you'd think he would have learned his lesson after dealing with you, Bakugo." Froppy sighed, opening up a sketch book. Inside were sketches of the children based on descriptions she had received. I felt my heart sink when a little girl with lavender hair appeared on the page.
"Tomura hates kids, and I know that for a fact. Do you know how long ago the oldest purchase was?" Bakugo asked, cringing at the wording of his own question.
"The purple-haired girl was bought just over a year ago, but the rest were within the year. If he had acquired these kids over an extensive period of time, I would be less suspicious, but I think he's found a way to exploit them perfectly," Froppy explained, leaving the book open on the girl with the shadow quirk and walking over to some old records of ships that had gone missing whilst pursuing Tomura. I sauntered over to the book and examined the sketch of the girl. The drawing pictured what looked to be a young child in a black cloak. Her skin was the color of dark chocolate and her hair seemed to be jet black, but most of her features were covered by the hood of the cloak. I looked to the side of the drawing and read the notes Froppy had taken down.
Izara Abebe-- Brazil
-Ethiopian decent
-Female
-8 to 10 years old
-Dark skin and hair
-Eye color: Unknown
-Height: Unknown
-Quirk: No clear description; Seller said they bought her from someone who claimed she could travel in shadows
-Outstanding or Unique Qualities: Unknown
"Froppy?" I asked, getting Froppy's attention along with the rest of the crew. "Why is there so little information about this Izara girl?"
"I spoke to each seller weeks to months after they sold each kid, so the descriptions aren't perfect. I was lucky that because each kid had a remarkable quirk the sellers remembered them fairly well. Kurogiri's unforgettable presence helped too. I managed to get quite a bit of information about Mateo, the boy, and Dahlia, the other girl, but the seller couldn't seem to remember anything distinct about Izara. He said that she wore a black cloak and they often thought they misplaced her because she just seemed to blend into her surroundings so well. I also can't guarantee that Tomura still has all of these kids--"
"He has Dahlia," Katsuki interrupted. "I didn't want to get involved with him if he didn't pursue us, but I can't sit here and do nothing.
"Well, I wasn't about to let you," I laughed, resting my elbow on his shoulder that I could easily reach now that he was leaning onto the table in front of him.
"So let me get this straight, you've managed to escape from both the League and Lisander... and you're going to willingly throw yourself back into the mess in order to save a few kids you don't even know?" Froppy asked, her eyebrows pinching together.
"Honestly, with both (L/n) and Bakugo, I expect crazier schemes than this on the daily," Kirishima chuckled.
"Well I hope you have room for one more because I'm not letting the opportunity to bring Tomura down slide past me again," Froppy smiled, causing her tongue to flop out happily.
"How are we going to find them though?" Jirou asked, bringing us all back to our senses.
"Let's see, my dad paid them to kill me and then hired them again to find me. After finally catching me, an old traitor from the League 'kidnapped' me for the second time, preventing my father from gaining complete power... I'm sure he already has them on our trail. All we have to do is wait," I joked at first been then shifted back into a serious demeanor. Katsuki sighed at the mention of what my father had tried to do to me already. I was genuinely glad that Katsuki wasn't being overprotective and putting my safety over the lives of the kids under Tomura's control. I think he learned from my sister's attempts that hiding me away wasn't the best choice.
"My home up there isn't made for many guests, but you all are welcome to stay if you'd like," Froppy graciously welcomed us.
"I actually think it's best if we stay on the ships for now, that way we have the proper facility and weaponry to fight if we're attacked. Let's head back to where the Bakuhatsu and Justicia are hidden. Froppy, I personally think it would be best if you stayed on the Bakuhatsu for now, but I understand if you feel more comfortable staying here," Katsuki offered.
"I'd actually like to see what kind of ship you've got yourself, so I suppose I'll accept your offer," she smiled, leading us out of her secret base. We made our way back to the Bakuhatsu and Justicia, Uraraka aggressively waving at us whilst floating above the ships.
Dahlia's POV
"Guess who got drunk again and entrusted me with his keys?" Mateo sung and twirled the ring of keys on his finger. I jumped up, overjoyed to see him, and moved away from the dead lizard.
"Mateo! It's good to see you! Do you know if we're getting close to them?" I asked. When other people, like Tomura and Kurogiri, checked in on me they didn't actually converse with me, they just asked me how my progress was. Most recently, they brought in a bird-like creature about my height to try and control. I found it quite easy to control, but it took up more energy than the little lizard. Tomura, however, was pleased with my ability to control the creature and left without telling me anything or leaving the thing behind.
"Yeah, they seem to be hiding out near a place called 'Aruba'. We should be there within the next few days. Are you still on board with our plan?" Mateo asked, lowering his voice.
"Yes, I am. I know exactly what to do," I nodded in affirmation. Mateo was usually very careful when he visited me, but I noticed that he left the door open. Shifting my attention from him to the doorway, I caught a glimpse of a small, dark figure pass by quickly.
"Mateo... are you sure no one followed you?" I asked, moving towards the door. Mateo scrunched his face in confusion before turning towards the doorway with me. I looked outside, but saw no one. "Huh... I guess I was just paranoid. I thought I saw something flash by."
"Well, I really should have shut the door. I can't believe I was so careless," Mateo admitted and put a hand on the door to shut it. As he did, a small hand fell atop his and we both gasped.
"Wait! Please! I really need to talk to you two!" A tiny, bell-like voice pleaded. We looked down to see a small girl in a black cloak.
"You really shouldn't be here, kid. Why don't you run along before we all get in trouble?" Mateo asked, looking around to see if we were causing a scene.
"No one notices me, so I can't bring you trouble. Please, just let me in for just a moment!" The little girl begged. Mateo looked back at me and I motioned for her to come in. This time, Mateo made sure to shut the door.
"I'm sorry, but I've been following you every time you've come here," the girl admitted to Mateo. "My name is Izara Abebe and the captain told me that I was to keep an eye on you because he didn't trust you."
"So you're a spy?!" I gasped, losing every ounce of hope I had for freedom.
"Technically, yes, but I'm not here to rat you out! I promise! Captain can't even see me half the time, so reporting to him is a bother. I know you guys are planning a small mutiny, and I think I can help. My quirk allows me to go completely unnoticed by everyone around me. I can travel quickly and silently in the dark and in the shadows. Please, I don't want to be here. I want to be free too," Izara explained. I could tell by Mateo's expression that he was just as skeptical as I was.
"Are we really supposed to believe that you're not lying?" Mateo scoffed.
"I know that I must be a difficult person to trust, but hear me out! Why would I tell you I was a spy if I was actually trying to double-cross you? It doesn't mater at this point anyways because I know your plan. I doubt you'll kill me, so you don't really have any other option accept to trust me. Just know this: I know where Dahlia's mother is being held and I know for a fact I can get her out," Izara continued. When she mentioned freeing my mother I felt adrenaline begin to rush through my body.
"How old are you, kid?" Mateo asked, in a much nicer tone than when Izara first introduced herself.
"I am eight."
"You know a lot for an eight-year-old."
"I've seen a lot for an eight-year-old, too."
"Well, you're right, we don't have much choice other than to trust you. Welcome to the team, kid. You better not betray us because we're a force to be reckoned with just like you." Mateo smiled and shook the little girl's hand. Our team just got a little bit stronger.
A.N.
I actually significantly cut this chapter, so there will likely be another one coming out very soon!