Chapter 49
Bam!
Shishido snarls, just daring the member of the Creature Rejection Clan to get up and continue the fight. When the man doesn't move from his slumped position against the wall, the hero nods, straightening up. He's not completely satisfied, but it will have to do.
The hero looks around the typical building office he stands in; the room is gutted with his claw marks scratching the walls and furniture. Four more CRC members lay unconscious, strewn haphazardly throughout the room.
It may not seem like much, but every step forward was still a step. Especially when it came to these guys.
"Shishido! You done?! Get down here, we got a live one!"
Giving it an extra few seconds before leaving to make sure no one got up, the lion hero jogs out of the room and vaults over the railing, falling three stories to the lobby on the ground floor, cracking the floor beneath his feet.
"Uh…" Native sweatdrops, his arms crossed. "No one would've blamed you for taking the stairs…"
"Nah, he did his job." Mr. Brave plants his foot on the chest of the struggling tied-up CRC member beneath him, stopping his squirming. The villain had had his skeleton mask removed, revealing, what else, a normal looking man underneath.
A man who hasn't taken his eyes off Shishido's claws since he had jumped down.
"See?" Mr. Brave asks happily. "What'd I tell ya? Guy is scared shitless." He gives Shishido a so-so motion with his hand. "The jump was impressive, but the landing was a bit sloppy. Seven out of ten."
"Grrrrrrr."
"Eight out of ten."
Native snorts, shaking his head and putting a hand to his ear. "X-Less, Eel Boy, we clear on the rest of the building?"
"I'm not finding anything; I think we're good."
"Same here, headed back down."
Native nods. "Okay, that makes us, Orca, Gentle, and Crust's team done." He switches channels. "Miruko, this is Native, how-"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"She won't let us help!"
Turning off his radio and sighing, Native turns to the others. "Yeah, I think her team's fine. The others should be checking in a few, but no reason to believe they'll have much trouble either."
"Alright." Mr. Brave gives the villain on the ground a little kick. "Hey, you hear that? Wanna know what we did tonight? We hit half a dozen of your bases in a single night. Sounds to me like your organization's days are numbered."
The hero only receives a glare in return, so Shishido, to help speed things along, growls under his breath, flexing his claws.
The man's eyes snap to him. Mr. Brave uses the mini distraction to kneel down next to him. "Listen, buddy. I don't know how long I can hold back my friend there. So, why don't you just go ahead and tell us where the rest of your pals are hiding, huh?"
When the man's eyes find the hero again, gone is any nervousness, leaving only something deranged. The CRC member slams the back of his head on the ground, laughing hysterically, almost unhinged.
Mr. Brave tries to grab a hold of his head. "Woah, there! Don't hurt-"
"We shall never be destroyed!" The man yells, his voice hysterical. "Your society will fall! And we…" He bites down, something in his mouth cracking. The three heroes gasp as foam begins to fill his mouth. "Shall rise from its ashes!"
The heroes rush in but it's too late, the man is already dead. Mr. Brave exhales. "Well, shit. Cyanide."
Over an hour after letting the police have their run of the place, and giving their statement, the five heroes find themselves accosted by reporters outside the office building. Cameras flash and microphones are shoved in their faces. So many speak at once, it's hard to decipher where each voice is coming from.
"Mr. Brave! Kono Mi, Abafar news, can you confirm it was the CRC whose base you raided tonight?" "Eel Boy! Ishii Masayuki, Akiva Publishing, can you give us a percentage of how much of the CRC has been dealt with?" "Native! Chitose Kizuki, Shoowaysha Publishing, what is your stance on the growing push to let average citizens use their quirks to defend themselves against an expanding CRC?" "X-Less! Tano Akio, Balnab news, can you give us a breakdown of how your team tracked down this branch of the CRC?"
Seeing as he hadn't heard his name called, and not really needing an excuse to get away from the press, Shishido leaps halfway up a nearby building, latching onto the wall, before jumping onto the roof of the adjacent structure.
The number fourteen hero runs across rooftops, hopping from building to building, his senses staying alert as he makes his way back to his agency. It's still dark, but he can just make out the first rays of sunlight starting to peak over a distant horizon. Not bad for an early morning's work.
Shishido hears a beep behind him as he lands on his next rooftop. Suddenly, over a dozen crossbows emerge from underneath the ground, firing arrows at him. The lion hero jumps in the air to avoid them, but is surprised when, instead of sailing harmlessly underneath him, the arrows track and follow him into the sky.
His claws emerge from his hands with a shing, and Shishido swipes at the arrows furiously. He manages to destroy most of them but still gasps in pain when one pierces his leg, and another, his arm. Shishido lands back on the ground, panting. Blood leaks from his wounds.
"Lions were always said to be apex predators. The 'Kings of the Jungle,' if you will," a voice says behind him in a Russian accent.
Shishido turns around to see a muscular man standing behind him. How he could have ever snuck up on him, the hero doesn't know. The man wears brown cargo pants, silver gauntlets with some sort of tech inside them on his wrists, black fingerless gloves on his hands, and a large fur coat over his shoulders that was open in the middle, exposing his abs.
The Russian reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a collapsible spear that he extends to its full length. Laser-tipped blades activate on each side of it.
"I was hoping you would provide a better hunt."
Okay, does she have everything? Her costume is on? Check. Her white cape? Check. Kurogiri cleaned the blood off…yes! Her domino mask? There it is!
"Kid."
She's prepared for this. Hirona did the most extensive research she could do for a day. She watched movies. Inspirational or motivational speeches, villain meetings, leaders, she watched anything that could prepare her for today.
"Kid."
Or should Hirona have watched television shows instead? She did end up staying up all night so maybe it would have been better to watch a show where she could properly take in a villain's character progression? But then again, watching movies gave her several different perspectives she could build off of-
"Hirona."
All for One's protege jumps, being pulled from her spiraling thoughts to look up at a slightly amused Lady Nagant, tapping her fingers against her arm. "Welcome back. You're overthinking again."
"…What makes you say that?"
"Answer me this then." Nagant leans against the back of the bar, careful not to put her back on any bottles. Something Kurorgiri is immensely thankful for. "Did you, or did you not, stay up all night watching movies?"
"I don't see what that has to do with any of this."
"Again, did you stay up all night after I specifically told you to get some rest?"
Hirona scoffs. "You never said that."
"She did." Kurogiri replaces some of his cheaper alcohol on display with the more expensive kind he keeps in the back. "Just before midnight, while you were taking notes on the president's speech in the film, Independence Day, Lady Nagant reminded you to sleep soon so that your mind would be rested for our visitors today."
Nagant smirks, folding her arms in front of her. "Thank you, Kurogiri."
Groaning, Hirona slumps into the bar chair. "Fine. Maybe you did say that. And maybe I stayed up a bit later than I should have. But I got some sleep, okay? Now can you get off my back about this?"
"She did not sleep."
"Kurogiri!" Hirona shouts, scandalized. It's Nagant's turn to snort.
"You are already well aware I do not require sleep," Kurogiri states matter-of-factly. "Which made it easy to observe you sitting in front of the TV all night."
Nagant leans forward on the bar, resting her arms against it. "What I'm hearing is that someone deliberately disobeyed me."
"Woah, woah. Woah!" Hirona waves her hands in front of her, standing back up. "We are getting way off track here. Or did you two forget that you work for me?"
Both Nagant and Kurogiri raise their eyebrows, a shadowy one for the Nomu anyway. "I serve our master," Kurogiri clarifies, putting the cheap alcohol away via portal. "And carry out his will. Which, at this time, is to keep you alive."
"Well, gee. All for One didn't have to get all sentimental when ordering you to do that," Hirona replies sarcastically.
"Is that all I am to you? A hired gun?" Nagant questions seriously, looking the young girl in the eye.
"W-wait! No! Of course not! That's not what I meant! I-it's more like- you see-"
Nagant's composure breaks, the former hero cracking a smile and laughing at Hirona's bewildered face. "H-hey!" The younger villain shouts. "That wasn't cool!"
"Oh, I'm not sorry," Nagant chuckles, holding a hand to her mouth. "I missed the girl who would become a stuttering mess around me when we first met. What happened to her?"
"She found out you can be a real bit-"
"What was that?"
"N-nothing!" Hirona laughs nervously, scratching the back of her head. "And I guess training day in and day out can really help with someone's nervousness? Plus, I found out that if I focus more on trying to impress you, it helps." The nervous laughter comes back.
"Kid," Nagant responds flatly. "If helping me fight off an army of monsters didn't impress me, then you might as well call me, All for One."
Hirona gets caught somewhere between a gasp and laugh, too startled to do either as she looks at Nagant in shock, checking the TV on the wall to make sure the red light isn't on. "I- you- you can't just say that!"
"Why not?" Nagant shrugs causally.
"Because he- you know! Because of what he can do! What he will do! And what about Kurogiri?!" Hirona thrusts her hands in a desperate motion to the bartender, who has gone back to his usual task of cleaning a glass.
"What about him?" The sniper glances at Kurogiri. "You gonna tell your master what we're saying?"
"Only if he asks specifically. Reporting on your daily conversations is not one of my duties."
"See." Nagant seems satisfied, so Hirona relaxes a little. "Besides, it's something you needed to hear anyway."
"What do you mean?"
Reaching under the bar and pulling out a glass with a carton, Nagant gives her a 'really?' look. "Do I gotta spell it out for you? At this point, if he isn't satisfied with anything you've done, then he never will be."
Hirona waves her off. "You're over-exaggerating. I mean, yeah, nothing has worked so far. But that's because I haven't done the right thing yet."
Nagant's look changes to exasperated as she puts the glass down and pours the contents of the carton into it. "C'mon, kid. You can't be that deep in the rabbit hole. You gotta see that everything you're doing here is for something you'll never get."
"What are you, my therapist now?" Leaning back on her seat, Hirona blows some of her hair out her face, crossing her legs. "Fine, what do I want?"
"For daddy to be proud of you."
Hirona's face immediately flushes, her expression dropping, and heart quickening. "N-no! That's not it at all! Don't think you got me all figured out, just like that!"
Nagant shakes her head, putting the carton away. "First, you wear your emotions on your sleeve, even though you try not to. Second, it's my job to figure out what people are thinking." She taps her elbow. "If I can figure out what they're thinking, then I can know what they're gonna do next. And if I know what they do next, then I know where to place my shot."
"Fine, you're some psychic sniper, whatever." Nagant snickers at Hirona's remark. "But that's not the only reason I'm doing this. And wait- All for One isn't my dad either!"
"If you say so." Nagant is unfazed by the glare she's given. "Then explain to me in your own words why you're doing this."
Hirona's face hardens, thinking back to the USJ. "To show I'm better than Tenko. To prove I could be everything 'Tomura Shigaraki' would've been."
"Right, to prove to who?"
Hirona opens her mouth to respond but nothing comes out. She had been led into a trap and had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. And the worst part was that Nagant was right.
When she stays silent, Nagant adds, "Huh, no mention of your brother killing you?"
"Pfff, no," Hirona derides. "I'm not an idiot. I know his quirk awakened and what he did was an accident. I still think I have every right to be mad at him about that, by the way!" The black-haired girl calms herself a bit. "But no, that really doesn't have anything to do with this. It's just something easy to throw in his face. To make him hurt."
She shifts on her feet, her shoulders raising a little. "Because maybe then, he might feel a little of what I've felt. He'd feel sad, regretful, and maybe a little angry. That's what I felt when every mistake I made was compared to him. How he would've done it better. How he could've kept going when I couldn't. Reminding him he killed me and of the name, Shimura, was supposed to make him feel like me. Not good enough."
The room is silent after that for a good minute, with Hirona letting out a quivering breath, not realizing her hands were shaking. Nagant chews on her words in that time, her purple eyes not leaving a small blemish in the wood of the bar.
After a little more time, Nagant straightens, placing a straw in the glass of the drink she was preparing. "So, say you beat your brother in a fight or whatever you have to do. Do you honestly think he'll see you as good enough then?"
"He will." Hirona keeps her head down, eyes on her lap. "He has to."
"And if he doesn't?"
All the younger villain can do is give a weak shrug, not looking up. Another few seconds pass in silence before Hirona asks, "Why are we even talking about this?"
"Simple." Nagant loudly slides the drink over to her. "The people visiting today are going to want to know why they should follow you. Like I said, they're here for you. Not for All for One, you. And they're going to want a reason to stay that's better than, 'to make your master happy.' Got that?"
Hirona nods, sniffling and turning away so she could wipe her eyes in somewhat privacy. "Yeah." She looks up, eyes narrowing, head tilting, at the drink Nagant had served her. "Strawberry milk?"
"I know you like it."
"I'm not a child." Despite her statement, Hirona slowly reaches over, eyes darting back and forth between Nagant, and the drink, before finally reaching out and snatching the milk. She takes a nice, long sip, the mood lightening a bit.
They're interrupted by a hard knock at the door. "Ah, that would be the first of our guests, I presume." Kurogiri opens the door and lets four people into the room.
Giran leads the group, a cigarette in his mouth as always. Behind him is a tall black-haired man covered in scars held together by staples, and a girl that was maybe only a year younger than Hirona, with dirty blonde hair held together in two messy buns. And lastly, a man in a large yellow trench coat, wearing a black and white mask and top hat, holding a rolled-up umbrella.
"Yo," Giran waves to them. "As promised, I got three to start. And a fourth that should be here any minute. The rest will be here later. Let me introduce them. This girl here is Himiko Toga-"
"Hi!" Hirona has to back up as, in the blink of an eye, Toga is in her face. "You can call me, Himiko! I can already tell we're gonna be great friends! Is it true you worked with Stainy? What was he like? How about when he cut somebody? Was it quick or did he draaag it out nice and slow? I bet he really dug the blade in, twisting it so it could-"
The top hat man rests a hand on Himiko's shoulder, thankfully stopping her avalanche of words, and giving Hirona a second to catch up. "I apologize for my friend here. She really is a delightful person, if not a bit excitable, shall we say."
"Um…right." Hirona swallows. "But she's okay, yeah? Like, you know, in the head?…"
"She is adept at holding conversation."
"…That's reassuring."
"Bah! How rude of me!" The man backs up, pulling Himiko with him. "We've engaged in small talk, but I have yet to introduce myself!" He takes off his hat and puts it to his chest, bowing. "Mr. Compress, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
He stands straight and lifts his arm. "My card." He flicks his wrist, and a business card appears in his hand, which he hands to Hirona. "My skill set includes magic tricks, a gift in theatrics, thievery, escape artistry, and a flair of showmanship I believe your organization could benefit from."
"Also, the people he's fighting always have the worst luck!" Himiko adds, smiling, the fangs in her mouth very visible.
"Yes," Compress laughs softly, patting her head. "I suppose that too."
Hirona takes a moment to soak it all in. "Okay, yeah. Wow." These two were a lot to take in at face value, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. "Master thief and…" She looks to Himiko. "What was your-"
"Knives!" The teen suddenly produces several blades from her person, Hirona unable to tell where they came from.
"…Knives. Okay, why not? Don't see why this couldn't work." While Himiko cheers, Hirona looks past them to the scarred man.
Giran thumbs at him from his place against a wall. "This guy's not well known. No flashy crimes or anything like that. But he does stick to the Hero Killer's code."
The man walks up to her, hands in his pockets. Hirona tells herself to keep her head held high. "I'll be honest, I'm not so sure about this place. Especially if you so willingly let someone in like this pale crazy girl."
"Hey!! I'm not pale!! Why don't you!-"
"Himiko, no!"
Ignoring the other two, Nagant leans across the bar. "That's fair," She says to the man. "Because we're not sure about you either. How about we start with a name."
"Dabi. That's all you get for now."
Himiko suddenly stops struggling with Mr. Compress. "Oh! The other person is here!"
When nothing happens for a few seconds, Hirona gives her a confused look. "What are you talking-"
A banging on the door cuts her off. Ignoring how weird that was, Hirona nods to Kurogiri, who opens the door, letting another man in.
"Ah, here's our fourth!" Giran holds his arms out wide.
The man walks into the bar, making no secret he was studying everyone in it. He appears on the younger side, wearing jeans, a shirt, and a brown jacket with two orange circles on each arm, his black hair cut into a wild mohawk.
"Weird," He comments on them all. "But I've seen weirder." The man strolls to the bar, taking a leisurely seat in one of the chairs. He's of mixed heritage. Hirona can tell he's part Japanese but she isn't sure what the other part is.
"Let's get this out of the way." The man with the mohawk leans against the bar from his seat, facing them all. "I don't care what we do. I have no limits, no boundaries, and no moral qualms. There is no god hanging above my head, and only corpses below me. You all help me get to my bastard of a father, and I'll stick around."
Dabi tilts his head. Nagant and Hirona eye each other before the former speaks. "That's quite the speech. But why don't we try again with your name? And who your dad is."
"Name's Daken. And as for my old man," Three bone claws jut out of his hand, two from his knuckles, and one from the underside of his wrist, that he promptly uses to easily stab through the bar. "Take a wild fucking guess."
Shishido hits the ground, his body aching in pain. He's bruised and cut all over his body, too much of his blood leaking onto the building rooftop. The battle had been fierce, but immediately, the hero had felt himself starting to slow, his muscles becoming heavier with every passing second.
He attempts to lift himself to his hands and knees, but it quickly becomes too much, the hero falling back down. An electrical hum fills his ears, the laser tip of his opponent's spear coming into his vision. The lasers are blood red, his mind notes.
"If you are wondering why your body betrays you, that was my doing," the Russian tells him, standing above the fallen hero in triumph. "Poison-tipped arrows, meant to slow you down. But not kill you, do not worry." Shishido grits his teeth, not willing to give the villain the satisfaction of hearing him groan in pain as he's flipped onto his back. "That honor still belongs to me."
A large boot is planted firmly on Shishido's chest, the tip of the spear lowering to his neck. "I am Kraven the Hunter, perhaps you've heard of me? Master tracker, expert marksman, and weapons specialist?"
Shishido listens to the comm piece in his ear, making sure it was still beeping and pinging his location to the others. Yeah, he had heard of Kraven. On top of everything, the man was said to possess superhuman attributes. He needed assistance.
When the hero doesn't answer, Kraven scratches his neck. "No? Disappointing. Months ago, the God Butcher was defeated here. What do you know of the one who bested him?"
Despite how hard it is to breathe, Shishido still manages to bare his teeth, sneering at the Russian man. "You…you won't get anything out of me. Oth- other heroes will be here soon to take you down."
The villain smirks. "I am well aware of the lion's fondness to hunt in packs. Rest assured, I took precautions against an ambush. No one will be able to slip through the traps I've-"
Kraven stops, lifting his head to sniff the air. His eyes narrow. Shishido can hear nothing but the whistling of the wind. What is he-
The Russian spins, raising his spear, and taking his foot off Shishido. The lion hero doesn't know what's happening until, at the edge of the rooftop they're on, a figure lands silently. It's still mostly dark, so Shishido can't distinguish any features with his eyes, but his senses can. The newcomer is dangerous.
"This is certainly a surprise," Kraven remarks, his voice growing louder in anticipation. "For you to survive my traps…well, I'll say it's rare for prey worthy of a hunt to come to me."
The newcomer says nothing, choosing to activate a photogenic energy sword from behind them instead. The weapon hums crisply as it appears. The Russian spins his spear in his hand. "Very well."
He lets out a battle yell, and jumps at the newcomer, spear raised over his head. Kraven brings the spear down, but the new person blocks it, their weapons making a horrible scratching noise as they slide off one another.
The fur-coated villain goes for three quick strikes, one at his opponent's head and two at his sides, but the new villain blocks them with ease. Going low, the spear is blocked, but the Russian seemed to have anticipated this. He kicks the other villain in the knee before back-kicking his spear behind him, bringing it spinning back up front in a fierce reverse-swipe.
The other villain ducks just in time, swiping the spear away with his sword. The two engage in a few more strikes, before it's the newcomer who tries to go low. When Kraven blocks, he's taken off-guard when the new villain perfectly mimics the back kick he had just done, using his sword to nearly decapitate him.
The Russian jumps back, eyeing the man with more suspicion than before. The sun begins to rise in the sky, shining the morning light over the combatants. The newcomer wears sleek blue and orange armor plating, with a skull mask under a white hood that conceals their identity. A white cape billows in the chill air behind them.
"I learned that attack hundreds of years ago from the mightiest warrior of an African tribe," Kraven states. "Who taught you to use it?"
The newcomer chuckles before answering in a deep voice.
"You did."
Hirona would be the first to tell you that she's not the most familiar with social settings. All for One didn't exactly let her out to play with other kids her age growing up. But using her limited skills in the area, she'd say things were going…fine. Maybe not good, but not bad either.
A few other prospective members had since entered the bar. Someone named Magne is leaning against a wall, a giant wrapped magnet next to them. A masked guy in a black and gray jumpsuit named Twice speaks with an animated Himiko.
A guy named Spinner talks quietly with Mr. Compress in the corner. His name being something about spinning the future? Hirona doesn't remember, and doesn't really care to right now. Both of them, like most of the others, were fans of Stain. Not that she needed to be told that when it came to Spinner.
It had been decided they'd wait until everyone was there before she told them more about the League. Reasoning that made sense and was totally not a cover to let her stew in her thoughts about what she and Nagant had talked about.
If not All for One's approval, what did she want?
But that would have to wait a moment for Hirona to finish her argument with a middle school aged boy with light brown hair, wearing a black gakuran uniform and backpack.
"Did you even do any research at all?!" The boy who had introduced himself as 'Mustard' yells. "Oh, let me guess. You heard some dumb, popular celebrity say it, and went along with it like all the other sheep."
"I did do my research, but just watching the movie tells you all you need to know!" Hirona counters, glaring down at the kid. "When the guy dies and whispers 'Rosebud,' there was no one in the room to hear him! Therefore, the entire plot of Citizen Kane makes no sense because it couldn't have happened!"
"Did you actually watch the movie?!" Mustard meets her glare with one of his own. "The butler clearly says later in the movie that he was in the room and heard him say it!"
"That's bullshit and you know it!" Hirona accuses. "If he was meant to be there, we as the audience would've seen him, but we didn't! That was added in later to cover up their huge mistake!"
"Did you even consider that the shots we get of Kane are from the perspective of the butler?!"
Nagant and Kurogiri watch the argument in silence from behind the bar. "Oh my god…" The Nomu whispers in horror.
"There's two of them…" Nagant completes.
"How does a pipsqueak like you even get into old movies?" Hirona challenges.
"Ha!" Mustard plops his bag on a bar stool, reaching inside. "Only from the greatest villain to ever live!" He takes a heavy book out and drops it onto the table. On the cover, there is a picture of one of the strangest looking villains Hirona had ever seen. And what was he wearing on his head?!
"Mysterio!" Mustard proudly declares. "Musician, special effects expert, chemist, film enthusiast, and criminal mastermind!!"
The boy exhales, placing a hand on the book and running it over the picture. "My quirk lets me emit a gas that causes people to hallucinate. Not exactly the best thing for making friends…or being allowed in most public places…"
Mustard shakes himself out of his brief stupor, pulling other bits of tech out of his backpack. "But with my parents pretty much locking me in the basement, that gave me plenty of time to myself! To study and tinker. I got holographic projectors, and nozzles to make my gas' effects more potent. And this is one of a bunch of drones I have."
"Your parents locked you in a basement, huh?" Spinner walks up. "Yeah, mine did something similar."
"Mine abandoned me!" Himiko jumps up and down in the air, hand raised. Compress and Dabi nod along.
"I haven't seen my parents in so long, I don't even remember what they look like!" Twice laughs, rubbing the back of his head, before his voice suddenly drops. " Did they even exist in the first place?! Do I?!"
"Guess we all have at least one thing in common." Mustard pushes the tech to Hirona, who picks up the small drone to examine it. "I immersed myself with decades of film special effects like Mysterio did," he says. "And I have a ton of ideas of things I can do."
His happy face falls into a frown. "And I need to find Izuku Midoriya. Ever since the Sports Festival, everyone thinks he's the best illusionist?! Please."
The teen picks up his gas nozzle, rolling it around in his hands. "His stupid hero morals stop him from truly being the best. He could've emotionally destroyed most of his opponents. Make them see their dead relatives, or shout all their insecurities back at them, but that wouldn't have been the noble thing to do. Pathetic. I'm gonna find him and prove who's really the better illusionist."
Dabi raises an eyebrow. Himiko and Compress glance at each other. Daken doesn't look like he could care less. And Spinner seems to admire his conviction.
Hirona hums, handing back the drone gently to Mustard. "I think you're gonna do fine here. Even if you're gonna have to learn when you're wrong about movies."
"I am not wrong! Play it! Play the movie right now and I'll prove it!"
"I don't own it!"
"That makes sense considering how much you don't know about it!"
"I-" Hirona angrily groans before spinning on her feet and marching upstairs. In less than a minute she's back. Her cape and domino mask are gone, black sweatpants and a gray hoodie cover up the rest of her costume.
"I must protest-" Kurogiri starts.
"We still got time until the others show up, relax." She pulls the hood over her head and covers half her face with a medical mask. "Gonna go pick up the movie from the video store at the mall and be right back. I'll text you if I need a pickup."
"This is unexpected."
Shishido does his best to move his body as Kraven speaks, but it feels as if his muscles are locked in place.
"You know who I am." The Newcomer's words are a statement, not a question.
The Russian nods. "Predators must always be aware of others slinking in the shadows to take advantage of their kill. I would be long dead if I didn't keep myself well-informed. Your reputation precedes you, Taskmaster."
"Heh, as I hope it would." Taskmaster looks the Russian up and down. "And I feel I have a fifty-fifty shot at this, but I'm gonna go ahead and say you're not Tarzan. Which would make you Sergei Kravinoff."
"It's Kraven. And you know of me as well."
"I make it a point to keep tabs on potential targets."
Kraven makes the connection immediately. "Potential? So, I am not the one you are after."
"No." Taskmaster's head drifts to the fallen hero. "He is." The mercenary walks around the rooftop, keeping Kraven in his line of sight as he stands beside Shishido. "It seems our friend here has been poking his mane in places it doesn't belong."
The sword drifts dangerously close to Shishido's face. "I have a job to finish, which means he," Taskmaster taps the hero with his foot, "is coming with me. I advise you to step away. I'd rather not kill you unless I was being paid."
Kraven scoffs. "You think I will fight for him? This…kitty…isn't worth the space in my trophy room. Once he answers my questions about the God Butcher, you can have him."
"From him? Based on what I know, he's as clueless about it as you are. But that does give me an idea." Taskmaster reaches into his belt and pulls out his phone, sending a quick text.
Not even five seconds pass before it vibrates. "Oh, good. There's a finder's fee." He puts the phone away. "I'm meeting with someone I know later today about this little team they're forming. You want info on Gorr, that's the place to go."
"And you will take me to this place?"
"I will if I want my fee."
The Hunter studies the other man. "I must say. You are nothing like the Taskmaster I met some two hundred years ago. For starters, you talk a lot more."
"Antonia Dreykov was a disgrace to the name Taskmaster, and should not be spoken of," the real Taskmaster warns. "Oh, how I wish to have been born in that time to make up for her, but alas, I was not. But back to the hero."
The older man only thinks on it for a few more seconds. "Very well." Kraven collapses his spear, returning it to his jacket. "I find the terms acceptable. You can have that one."
He waves haphazardly at Shishido, who gives them both his best snarl. "You'll never get away with this, villains!!"
Taskmaster sighs, returning his sword to his belt. "Really? That's the best you can do? So cliche."
Kraven laughs heartily. "Indeed! Perhaps this is when you begin to explain your evil plan to him?"
"No matter where you take me, my fellow heroes will not rest until I am returned safely!" Shishido bellows confidently. "Make this easy and turn yourselves in."
"Two for two. I admire the commitment. There's just one problem with your plan." Shishido's eyes widen when Taskmaster unholsters a gun from his side. "They don't want you alive."
Birds scatter into the wind as a gunshot rings through the air.
'That little shit thinks he knows movies better than me?! We'll just see about that.'
Was it stupid to risk her freedom over an argument about movies to go to a retro video store at the mall? Probably. Hirona's not too worried. A quick text to Kurogiri with her pinned location and she can get out of anything.
She stands at the back wall of the store, her dark brown eyes scanning over the rows of films, no one giving her a second look through her simple disguise.
There were a million other ways Hirona could have done this. She could've looked up the movie on any of the four dozen popular streaming services, she could've pirated it, hell, maybe just looked for an answer on a search engine.
This is stupid. So stupid. All for One would probably be furious if he found out.
Why does that make her want to do this more?
She stops at the horror section, hand running over the covers, enjoying the feel of touch on physical media. Hirona sighs. Movie monsters had it so easy. They didn't have to worry about leading others or what their motivations for doing what they did was. They could just kill and kill until they were stopped. And people-
"Oh, do you like scary movies?"
Hirona's hand is in her sweater instantly, finger hovering above her phone. She peers next to her, wondering who would just strike up a conversation with a stranger-
It's Nejire Hado.
It's.
Nejire.
Hado.
The blue-haired girl smiles brightly at her, tilting her head a little to the side.
She asks the universe the following question in the calmest manner possible.
'What are the fucking odds?!!!'
Someone out there has it out for her and when she finds them, they're getting suffocated.
'You know…maybe this isn't such a bad thing-'
Shut up, brain.
Okay, okay. Think this through. Since Hirona wasn't currently being blasted through a wall, it's safe to say Hado doesn't recognize her. All she needs to do is find an excuse, any excuse, and she can get out of-
"I was never really a fan," Hado continues, apparently unbothered by the lack of an answer she got. "The music is always so creepy, and why do they all like to have their bad guys jumping out of nowhere all the time?! It scares me so bad and they get me every time!!"
Alright, she's done talking. Time for that excuse.
"Well, not all horror movies are like that."
'That's not what I was supposed to say!!!'
Before Hirona can take back what she said, Hado puts a finger on her cheek. "They're not?"
"No, the ones that rely on jump scares are usually the bad ones anyway."
'Why am I still talking?!!'
Hirona grabs a movie off a shelf and presents it to Hado. "See, there are some like this one. They rely on atmosphere and slowly building up the suspense and tension. You're on edge the whole time, it's pretty great."
"But…but that's even worse!!" Hado whines dramatically. "At least with the jump scares, I'm only scared for like a second and then it's over! These other ones would have me scared for the whole movie!!"
Hirona can't stop herself from snickering as the other teen pouts. "That's kinda the point…"
'Why am I still here?!!'
"But being scared is so scary!" Hado expertly points out. "I always liked movies where everyone is friends with one another, has fun, and gets to be happy! I mean, sure, there might be some sad moments here and there, but as long as it ends happy! And most scary movies don't end like that!"
"I guess I can't disagree there…" Hirona puts the movie back. Now is the time to escape!
"What movie were you looking for?"
"Citizen Kane."
'WHYYYYYYYYY'
"Okay! I'll help you look!!"
Going against her better judgment, Hirona agrees, each girl taking a different side of the movie wall. It's silent for maybe thirty seconds before Hado speaks up again. "I also don't usually like scary movies because the bad guys die a lot too."
"You don't like it when the bad guys die?" Hirona asks, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Nope!" Hado responds. "It's like I told you! I like movies where everyone is friends at the end! And that includes the good and bad guys."
Hirona's hand stops at the current row of movies she's searching; she doesn't dare look the other girl's way. "But what if the good guys can't make friends with the bad guy?"
It was Hado's turn to stop, but she happily resumes moments later. "I guess there are some bad guys you can't be friends with. Like, did you see those monsters at Hosu? I don't think any of them would've hung out at the mall with me if I asked." Hirona tries her best to contain her snort.
"But that's not all bad guys!" Hado presses on. "I don't think that's even most of them! Maybe some of them won't be your friend, but you won't know until you try!"
Hirona finds her inner voice silent, fully engrossed in the conversation. She doesn't even mind that the movies aren't in alphabetical order anymore. "So, what kind of bad guys won't be your friend?"
"Um…" Hado stops to think, tugging at her lip a little, one of her feet tapping rapidly below her. She lifts her head to look back at the shelf and snaps her fingers. "Oh, I know! Like those bad guys in movies who only want to 'destroy the world.' I don't think you could make friends with them. You know, I never really got that? Like, what happens if they actually destroy the world? Then they have nowhere to live!"
"Assuming they're alive…"
"O-oh, yeah!" Hado's cheeks go a little red in embarrassment. "That too!"
Hirona laughs a little, continuing her search. Another minute passes, before she ends up being the one to break the silence. "So, you don't like the bad guys that want to destroy the world?"
"No," Hado giggles, getting up on her tip-toes to check a higher shelf. "They're so boring! I like the bad guys I can kind of root for! That way, I can spend the whole movie cheering for everyone! Maybe, the good and bad guys could even help each other!"
"How's that?"
Hado shrugs, lowering herself back down. "Maybe the good guy could show them they can do the things they want from the other side."
Hirona grips one of the shelves tightly for a moment, before letting go. "And what if the bad guy doesn't even know what they want to do?"
Humming, Hado slaps her thighs a few times, her face scrunching up in thought. "I think the good guy would ask what matters most to them."
Hirona ponders that. What did matter most to her? Before, it was beating Tenko to prove to All for One that she was the superior sibling. But if what Nagant said was true…and nothing she did would ever make him happy…
She thinks back to why Nagant joined her in the first place. Why had she again? Hirona hadn't had a clear vision of what she wanted yet…that's right. She said that she was reminded of herself when looking at Hirona.
At the time, she had taken it as a compliment. Maybe she had the same drive as her? But looking back, while Hirona hopes that's still true, that may not have been the only thing they had in common if what the sniper told her about her time at the HPSC was true.
Both of them were raised by uncaring entities who only wanted to use them as weapons. Thinking about it, had not the whole League said something about being raised by assholes?
It clicks.
Hirona knows what she wants. She clenches her fist. She doesn't want anyone to grow up like her. Like Nagant. Like Mustard, Himiko, or any of them. She doesn't want anyone to feel like her, to go to the lengths she was ready to go to just to finally hear the man who raised her say he was proud. That maybe he actually cared for her all this time.
Any stupid society that allows what happened to them, or worse, benefits from it, deserves what's coming to them. They're gonna tear it down, tear it all down. Starting with the HPSC.
But that just leaves one thing…Tenko. If she doesn't care about making All for One proud, then why should she go after him? Inside, Hirona can still feel that anger toward him but for what, she has no idea.
Even with more to think about, she feels better, and the resolve built in her. Hirona finds her voice again. "Hey, I don't think they have it. I'm just gonna-"
"Oh, here it is!" She has to do a double take when Hado plucks the movie she wanted off the shelf right in front of her. "Good timing, right? Or I guess this is all kind of good timing, isn't it? If we didn't both happen to be here, we couldn't have talked and you would've never found your movie!"
"Uh, yeah…"
The pair walk to the front, and Hirona reaches into her pocket to pull out some coins, but before she can, Hado pays for the movie. They exit the store, the blue-haired girl holding the bag with the movie. "Thanks," Hirona says. "You didn't have to do that."
"Sure I did!" Hado laughs, holding the bag out. "I owed you anyway."
"Oh? Why is that?" Hirona chuckles a bit, taking the bag.
"For teleporting me to the hospital." The villain nearly drops the bag, comically dropping it a few times before finally getting a good hold of it. When she looks up in shock, Hado is giving her a soft smile. "It was good seeing you."
The hero student skips away, leaving a stunned Hirona behind.
It seems like they're all staying. For now at least. All for One's apprentice doesn't understand how, and she's not sure she ever will, but after telling them all some of her thoughts from the mall, everyone had agreed to join and was now hanging out in the bar.
Himiko is busy hugging Twice tightly around the neck. "Awww I like this one! Compress, let's keep him!"
"He is a person, Himiko…"
Twice puts up a shaky thumbs up. "I'm fine here, thanks. I haven't felt this wanted in years!!"
"Party pooper!" Himiko sticks her tongue out at Compress. "Okay, we don't keep him, we just take him with us no matter where we go!"
There's a sigh. "That's called kidnapping…"
"Speaking of kidnapping!" Compress tries to grab her, but Himiko slips away, dashing to the other end of the bar and trapping Mustard in another tight hug as she dragged him to Compress and Twice. "Let's bring this one along too!"
"Unhand me!"
"This place is awesome!" Twice shouts. "You're all so much fun, I haven't heard a peep from the voices in my head for a while! We never left you and we never will!"
Daken whistles from his spot at the bar. "Shit, man. Is there anyone as fucked in the head as this guy?"
Izuku sneezes.
The son of Wolverine shakes his head, turning around to face the bar properly, thinking about what to get for his next drink.
Dabi sits next to him, neither saying a word to the other as they study the alcohol displayed in front of them. After over two minutes, Daken speaks. "You got scarred and stapled yourself back together?"
"Yeah."
"Nice."
The pair sit in silence for another couple of minutes, until Dabi says something. "You wanna kill your dad?"
"Yeah."
"Nice."
Dabi holds up two fingers to Kurogiri to get them started on drinking.
Hirona stands with Nagant, watching the villains interact with each other. The both of them are ready to intervene just in case something happens but so far, they've had peace.
"No, no you misunderstand," Kraven waves his hand in front of Spinner to stop his protests. "You see, it wouldn't start immediately. I am a fair sport. I would give you a one day head start before I began hunting you."
Relative peace anyway.
"Good to know you're good for your money," Taskmaster says, leaning next to Nagant.
"So, this was your mercenary friend you were talking about?" Hirona confirms.
"Yeah, kid. Taskmaster can copy any fighting style he sees. And he's not a bad shot, I guess."
"You guess?" The man eyes Nagant through his mask. "As I recall, it was these shooting skills that helped you keep your skin when shit went sideways in Genosha."
Nagant hums. "I guess that's true. But remind me, who was there orchestrating a coup that caused everything to go to shit in the first place?"
"Just be happy my ride never showed and that I needed yours."
"After all this time, you still won't thank me?"
"You first."
"Touché." The trio stand in silence for another minute, before Nagant looks quizzically at Kraven and Spinner. "Your hunter friend there, he's not actually going to hunt Spinner, is he?"
They could feel Taskmaster raising an eyebrow under his mask. "Did you need him?"
"We need everyone we can get."
There's a beat before Taskmaster straightens. "Very well. Call this a gesture of good faith." The mercenary goes over to talk to Kraven, leaving Hirona and Nagant alone.
The teen glances around the room nervously, eyeing darting to the TV and an out of earshot Kurorgiri before she whispers, "Hey. You meant what you said about most of these people being here for me?"
"Yeah?"
"And the others are here for you I guess…"
"Seems that way."
Hirona nods, glancing around the room again, before taking a deep breath, feeling her earlier resolve come back to her. She turns to look Nagant in the eye. "So, if all these people are here for me and you…then how much do we really need All for One?"
Lady Nagant smirks.