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The news never makes Chizome happy, but he keeps up with it anyway. Back when he was legally alive, as the Hero Killer, it helped him pick his new targets and make sure he wasn't too close to being discovered. Now that he has to keep a low profile, it's more of a force of habit than anything.
He doesn't have a TV, and his phone is gas station trash, so he mostly gets his news from storefront televisions and newspapers. Even though it's the slowest way of getting updated, he likes seeing the words written down. Makes it easier for him to find the bias. Sometimes he makes a game of it, underlining all of the words that he knows were chosen specifically to paint a certain picture.
He's walking downtown in the dead of night, eating his late dinner, when he spots a small crowd gathered in the middle of road, right in front of a large TV on a building. Crowds are dangerous for him, and he has half a mind to turn around and head back to where he's squatting for the night, but he pauses. Newsworthy event? Maybe Endeavor finally died. He's wearing the hoodie that the kid got him with the hood pulled up, and a face mask that covers most of his features. He doubts he'll be recognized here, so he joins the crowd and tries to stay inconspicuous.
"-just can't believe UA's on TV," he hears a woman say beside him. "I thought they were untouchable."
"It's a new era," another woman replies. "Nobody's untouchable."
UA? What kind of trouble did they get into this time? That school's really getting itself a reputation. Besides for his general distaste at hero schools - rejecting a student is just asking for them to take their hurt pride and hurt others with it - Chizome has additional bones to pick with UA. He looks up at the screen, squinting at the subtitles, just in time for one of the teachers to step forward.
"I take full responsibility for Bakugou Katsuki's violent behavior," he says, and Chizome almost drops his sandwich. Katsuki? What happened with him? The last time the boy did something newsworthy, it was at the sports festival, and everyone knows how that turned out. I should check on him tonight. Leave a letter in his mailbox telling him to meet up. He would hate for all of his hard work with Katsuki, helping him sort his ideals and become a truer hero, to be fucked up by UA and their golden standard.
The man goes on to talk about Katsuki's strength, and Chizome relaxes a little. So they aren't trying to vilify him. At least, his teacher isn't. He's made the connection by now that the man is Aizawa, one of the few teachers that Katsuki's mentioned before.
Now that he thinks about it, isn't Katsuki supposed to be on some kind of field trip?
Then Aizawa mentions something about villains, and Chizome is back on his guard. Of course it's villains.
"We are not standing idly by," the mouse principal says. Chizome missed the question. "We are currently working investigating along with the police. We will get our student back."
The interview probably continues on from there, but Chizome is already heading off, ducking into an alley and pulling out his phone. He doesn't know many villains, but he knows a villain who does. He hates the fucking guy, and he doesn't know if he'll even pick up the phone, but he has to try.
"Stain, what a shock," Shigaraki says when he picks up the phone. "I thought you were dead." He still has his number from when Shigaraki was trying to recruit him for the League of Villains, though he's never used it before. Usually when the kid wanted to contact him, he just got Kurogiri to find him and bring him over.
"Save the small talk," he says. "Are you watching the news?"
"The news? Yeah, I actually am." Chizome hears him cover the receiver, and muffled yells break out on the other side of the line. One of the many reasons he would never in a million years join the League: the members are intolerable. "Why do you wanna know?"
"I want to get that kid that was kidnapped. You know, the one from UA that they were talking about on the news. I think I can use him better than whichever villains got to him." He doesn't want to tip his hand, so he doesn't mention that this kid in particular is important to him. "You have a weird thing against UA, and I know that you know villains. Any chance you know who has him?"
Shigaraki cackles, and the sound makes his skin crawl. "And why would I tell you? You told me to fuck off and tried to kill me last time we met. You killed one of my Nomu. I'm starting to think you might be working with UA to try and get the kid back. Sold your soul already, Stain?"
Now he's sure of it: Shigaraki knows where he is. "Let's try a new approach: tell me where he is, and I won't report the location of your top secret hideout to the cops."
The cackling stops. "You would turn yourself in for this brat?"
"I'd leave an anonymous tip. They would still find you either way." He grinds his teeth, keeping his voice even. "Are you feeling more receptive to telling me now?"
"You annoy me just as much as always," Shigaraki sighs. "But if you're really going all the way, then I have no choice but to tell you. We have him." Suddenly, Stain can clearly hear the yelling from the background.
"-assholes think you can do whatever you want with me? I'd rather die than join your shitty ass agenda. You better be ready to kill me or I'll kill all of you first!" There's no doubt about it: it's Katsuki. Chizome feels a small pang of pride at the boy's stubbornness. If there's one thing he has an abundance of, it's willpower. Like mentor, like mentee.
Mostly, though, he feels nervous, which is not an emotion he's used to feeling. Not for his own sake, but for the kid's.
"So you're the imbeciles who thought they could use him," he says. "That makes my life much easier. Put him on the phone."
"And why would I do that?" Now Shigaraki's starting to sound whiny. It's hard for Chizome to believe that he's the most capable out of the entire League. How did anyone pick him as leader?
"Because I still have leverage over you." He pauses. "Don't put it on speaker, either. If his hands are bound, have someone hold the phone to his ear."
"If I could kill over the phone, you'd be dead already."
"Same to you. Now I'll wait."
The receiver is covered again, but not tightly enough that he can't hear Shigaraki's bitching. The phone seems to change hands a few times, and the next person to talk into the phone is none other than Katsuki himself.
"Hello?" he says, and while he sounds grumpy, his speech isn't slowed or slurred. So he isn't drugged. That's good.
"Are you on speaker?" Chizome asks immediately.
"No. Lizard Bitch is holding the phone for me." He doesn't know who Lizard Bitch is, but it doesn't matter. Katsuki could also be under threat to lie to him, but Chizome knows he's more stubborn than that. He would take a hit to keep his honesty.
And in any case, depending on how the call goes, it might not make a difference if he's on speaker or not at all.
"How long has it been since they kidnapped you?" he asks. He won't ask him how he's feeling - definitely shitty - or if he's alright - probably not - because he's on borrowed time. He needs to know the essentials.
"I dunno. It's hard to keep track of time. Maybe two days?"
"Are they feeding you? Letting you go to the bathroom?"
"Yeah, all that shit. Their food sucks ass, but it's not poisoned or drugged. Least as far as I can tell." He can hear the shifting of chains in the background.
"How are you restrained?"
Katsuki sighs. "I'm chained up by my hands so I can't use my quirk. They have me in a stupid stone chair that's making my ass stiff, and I'm harnessed in over my chest with leather straps. My legs are chained too." His patience is wearing out, or maybe just his energy. His voice comes weaker through the phone.
"Are you alright?" The question comes out without him thinking, and he grimaces. Of course he's not. It feels like the sort of useless question that heroes ask, the ones who do more showing than acting.
At this, Katsuki pauses. "You mean compared to usually, or in the context of being kidnapped?"
"Whichever. Both." He's starting to get a headache from pacing back and forth.
"I've been better," Katsuki says, but his throat catches. "Fuck. Um. I'm fine. These bastards don't scare me. They're just low rate pissbabies." Chizome can hear his breathing shake. He's lying. He's talking out of his ass. He's probably scared shitless.
"You're probably wondering why I called, so I'll try to keep this brief," Chizome says. "I'm coming to rescue you."
"What? How will you do that?" Katsuki asks.
"I know where their base is. I'll come in, kill them all, then take you out." The plan is a little fuzzy in the details, but there's plenty of time for thinking during his commute. He's killed tons of villains, most of whom were much less irritating than the League, so why should this be any different?
"What if they kill you first?"
"They won't. I've never lost in a fight before, and I won't lose now, especially to a group of low rate pissbabies." That gets him a weak huff of laughter on the other side, but it's gone quickly.
"There are eight of them here. It's too much. Fuck off, Lizard Bitch, I'm still talking. I'll bite your fucking hand off." He takes a deep breath, then releases it. "Don't come. I'm gonna get my own way out of this. And if not, the heroes will come get me. I'm not dying here, and neither are you."
"So I'll get myself killed by coming to rescue you, but somehow you will be able to fight your way out? Don't be ridiculous, Katsuki. You're a child. A powerful child, but a child nonetheless. Let me help you out for once."
He can't understand what his problem is. Most people would immediately take him up on his offer, especially under the stress of being surrounded by villains for two days straight. Hell, he thought that he would be grateful for the opportunity to be saved. For once, he curses the kid's tenacity.
"I know, just- fuck. I'll be fine. I got myself into this by being kidnapped, and I'll get myself out of it."
"Katsuki, you didn't-"
"If you show up, I'm not going with you. That's a promise. So don't bother coming." There's another shuddering breath on the other side, and he hears him say, "Lizard Bitch, I'm done with the phone. You can take it back now."
There's a short pause, and a new voice comes on the line. Probably Lizard Bitch. "Hi, Stain? Can I say what an honor it is to-" Chizome hangs up the line and kicks the side of the building with one of his thick boots. It can't quite protect him from the pain.
Chizome hates himself for it, but he hesitates, deliberates, for two crucial hours. It's his instincts, his training, telling him never to run into a battle where he doesn't think he can win. By the time he reaches the villains' base, swords in hand, the building is nothing more than rubble, and a battle that he can't fight is raging.
He avoids the kid for a week, partially to give him space, but mostly out of shame. He's glad the heroes succeeded in rescuing him - at least they do things right sometimes - but they shouldn't have had to. He should have killed the League, rescued Katsuki, and then given him a lesson on what to do when kidnapped, starting with never refuse help when it's offered.
He didn't want me to come because he didn't want me to be killed. He was acting selflessly. At least, he thought he was. It was a dumbass decision, one rooted in the same ideas that hero society taught its young. A hero is the last defense, the strongest link. A hero fights for everyone, but then who fights for the hero? They do.
It doesn't get much more heroic than that.
Chizome isn't the type to lose his temper, but he feels heat rising in his throat nonetheless.
The note he leaves for Katsuki is short and to the point. It gives a date and time, but is also open to be put off or ignored entirely. People heal at different rates. Chizome can't just expect him to want to meet up a week after his whole world was rearranged.
Nevertheless, the next night, a figure sits beside him on his usual bench, hood pulled up over his head. Even with the makeshift disguise, Chizome can recognize him easily.
"You're lucky I found your letter before the hag did," he rasps before Chizome can say anything. He can't see his expression, since Katsuki is staring at his lap. "She's been checkin' my mail, making sure nobody's gonna kidnap me through an envelope. 'Ts pissing me off."
"And she let you go out tonight?" Chizome asks.
"Nah. Snuck out. She thinks I'm asleep." Neither of them mention the fact that it's 8 at night, and the sun has barely set. Chizome's sure he's been doing a lot of sleeping over the past couple of days.
"Who am I to scold you on breaking rules? Society is founded on rules made by people in power who don't necessarily belong there. It's following these rules blindly that keeps the rigid hierarchy in place. Heroes are losing their natural instinct because they follow a book and can't adapt to new scenarios, which makes them very suitable for some scenarios, but entirely out of place in others. Sometimes I feel like I can't even blame the heroes for being so inadequate sometimes, since it's the system that keeps them locked in. Heroes like All Might are outliers. Most are content sticking to the book and making their profit from it."
He doesn't want to admit it, but it's been too damn long since he's been allowed to monologue, and it feels good to talk. Maybe I should make a podcast. I'll make it anonymous, add a voice filter or something of the sort. No one will be able to trace it to me. They'll assume one of my followers created it.
"Of course," he continues, "you should be prioritizing your safety over meeting with me. I trust that you took the necessary precautions when coming here."
He means it as a question, but Katsuki doesn't say anything to that. On second glance, he doesn't look like he's moved at all in the past minute. When Chizome taps him on the shoulder, he visibly flinches away.
"Did you hear what I said?" he asks, not in an angry way, but just curious. Still, Katsuki sinks into himself further.
"You were talking about society," he says slowly, voice still scratchy. "And, uh, rules. Fuck. I dunno. When you go on and on like that I can't fucking think about anything. It's ridiculous." He hears a couple of pops, and when he looks over, he sees Katsuki's palms sparking, which surprises him. As far as he can remember, he's never lost control of his quirk like that before, at least not in his presence.
I don't think it's my talking that's causing you to not listen, Katsuki, he doesn't say. Instead, he asks, "Are you angry with me?" He's still angry with himself for not coming to save him, especially now that he sees the damage caused by the battle. He doesn't know about his physical wounds, but his mental ones are apparent even in the dark.
"Why would I be pissed at you?" Katsuki asks, momentary annoyance forgotten. "I told you not to come get me, and you didn't. And I got saved in the end. All Might came-" He inhales, loud enough that Chizome can hear, and exhales slowly. "All Might came and rescued me. And people from my class. I can't be pissed at anyone but myself."
Chizome is intrigued about the part regarding students from his class - was Midoriya among them? - but he suppresses his questions and saves them for a better day. "Why would you be angry with yourself? You didn't ask to be kidnapped, and you did everything right. You didn't give in to the villains, no matter the strain they put on you. I doubt many heroes could say they would do the same, especially at your age."
Katsuki finally looks up at him, and his eyes, even in the near dark, are visibly glassy and dark tinged underneath. "You should be pissed at me too," he says, like Chizome hadn't spoken at all. "You love All Might. He's the only hero you respect. And I-" His voice breaks, fully breaks at this point. He coughs, and faces back down again. "I caused him to fall. I'm the reason All Might's retiring. I doomed everyone."
Chizome doesn't know what to say to this, but Katsuki continues in a hurry. "I didn't know if you were gonna kill me or not tonight, so I didn't tell anyone where I was going. I know you respected me or wanted to fix me or some shit for a while, but that was before I ruined everything, so I didn't know what you were thinking. And, and, if you want to fight me now, then come and fight me. I'm not gonna run away like a coward or call the cops. I earned this."
So this is what he's been thinking this whole time.
"Katsuki, what the fuck are you talking about?" Chizome finally asks, hushing the kid. "There are so many things wrong with this that I don't even know where to begin." He sighs, running a hand through his greasy hair. "I'm not going to fight you, first of all. I don't spar, I only kill, and you can see that I've come unarmed. The sole reason for this visit was to see how you're doing. Not to mention that you've done nothing worth killing you for. Even if I did kill for revenge, which I don't on principle, I would target the League of Villains. You're the victim in this, Katsuki, more than the citizens of the city and even All Might."
"But if I wasn't-" Katsuki starts, and Chizome cuts him off again.
"Not yet. It's proper etiquette to let people finish when they're talking."
"Proper etiquette from someone who eats with his hands," Katsuki mumbles - which is a good sign, it shows he still has spirit - but lets him continue.
"Now on the topic of All Might. I have heard the rumors of All Might getting weaker. I never believed them myself, but I heard them nonetheless. You did not make All Might weaker. You did not make All for One strong. You controlled none of the factors in this scenario. This battle seemed like a long time coming. If it hadn't been at that moment, it would have been sometime else."
Katsuki lifts his head like he wants to say something, but doesn't speak. Good. Just a little longer.
"And on top of it all, All Might is still alive. Everyone still loves him. He won the battle, if you've somehow forgotten. And there are plenty of other heroes on the planet, even if I don't agree with many of them. You have doomed no one. You should have no guilt whatsoever weighing on you right now."
He sighs again. "I know you will not absorb most of this right now. That's okay. I know you don't take my opinion in high regard, but I can tell you this right now for sure: you acted with nothing but heroism out there. That is a fact."
A small noise comes from beside him, and he looks in alarm to see Katsuki's back shaking, his face in his hands. Gingerly, Chizome puts his hand on his shoulder, and the boy doesn't move, although his breathing does hitch for a second.
Crying is a healing rain on a dry emotional plain. Where had he read that line before? Some philosopher, some psychologist? Whoever it is, they seem to be right. Chizome doesn't know how long it takes, but he sits with his hand on the boy's shoulder and lets him cry, lets him breathe for as long as it takes for him to heal.