—Ugh, Shoto's dad really made a fool of himself in spectacular fashion— Mei commented with a grimace, caught between feeling sorry for Shoto and pure disdain for the man.
Resting playfully in her lap, Dark Shadow nodded in agreement while Tokoyami crossed his arms, pretending to be deep in meditation.
The shorter boy opened one eye and looked at the kunoichi with slight confusion. —I know you don't like honorifics or being called by your last name, but have you already reached that level of familiarity with Todoroki-san?— he inquired with genuine curiosity.
—If you want me to call you Fumikage, you only have to ask— Mei said with a playful smirk, setting her phone aside to look out the train window. —And Shoto has helped me out with a few pyrotechnic matters, so you could say we've become close.
—...I see— Tokoyami nodded, returning to his meditation. Mei rolled her eyes, finding it truly difficult to keep a conversation going with the boy.
Even Dark Shadow looked at its... Owner? User? Whatever Tokoyami was to the Quirk, it looked at him with disappointment and annoyance.
Mei decided she wouldn't push him, opting to let the ice break whenever it was meant to break. She simply went back to scrolling through her phone, checking her chat with Tetsumaru every two minutes.
The bastard had the nerve to rail her all night long as a goodbye, only to vanish in the morning without leaving so much as a note or a —have a safe trip— message.
Obviously, Aizawa had abducted him to do God knows what in God knows where. At times, Mei wondered if she should be more worried about their Sensei than the overdeveloped harlots at UA.
She promised herself she'd make him pay as soon as he got back.
Ten more minutes of travel were enough for her and Tokoyami to reach the Tokyo train station, where they grabbed a quick breakfast from the street stalls before taking a taxi to the HPSC building. All paid for with her own money, obviously.
The cheapskates hadn't even financed the trip, which spoke volumes about their hospitality.
Mei figured it was a petty little act of revenge, either from that old hag for being denied access to her secrets and skills, or from Hawks for nearly leaving him sterile the night they met.
********************************
Hawks didn't agree with the idea at all. It wasn't ethical, even by the Commission standards he was familiar with.
He remained stoic regardless. Impassive, stern, and silent—obedient. He had fulfilled his task and now awaited the next phase with discomfort, yet resolve.
—You look constipated. Trouble in the sewer?
The President herself had entrusted him with this mission, which she secured by calling in several favors from people in key positions. It was the least she could do, given Endeavor's embarrassing incident with the Yakuza.
What, in the heat of the moment, was intended to be a complete turnaround for the Hero's reputation, ended up becoming the talk of the town and a juicy piece of rotten meat for the media vultures.
An unfortunate camera angle, a dismissive and unprofessional expression, and rough treatment of the wrong individuals at the wrong time—and everything spiraled out of control.
—It must be hard, shitting and fucking with the same hole. When you wipe, do you end up getting turned on too?
The cameras and reporters had arrived after the police, having been tipped off somehow that the incident was linked to the League. That clearly caught their attention.
The problem was that those damn cameras filmed the agents entering and leaving the warehouse, the officers surrounding the Shie Hassaikai with weapons drawn, and Endeavor in a terrible mood, openly threatening the Yakuza.
What did the public—unaware of the true nature of the men on screen—actually witness?
They saw law enforcement mistreating citizens who had been attacked by criminals. Citizens who, in the absence of Heroes, had stood up to the League themselves to protect their lives and property.
So the rumors began, fueled by misconceptions that were nonetheless reasonably believable. A different story started telling itself—one where Endeavor, frustrated by his failure to claim any credit, took out his anger on innocent men who had simply defended themselves.
And neither the Hero, the officers, nor the Yakuza themselves had to say a single word to the reporters for the shit to hit the fan the way it did.
—And do you actually lay eggs?
—Shut up!— Hawks snapped at the spoiled brat disrupting his thoughts. —Sit down, stay quiet, and wait in silence!— he growled with an intimidating aura, slamming his hands onto the table to emphasize his point.
Toga Himiko was unfazed by the display, smiling foolishly with her hands pressed against her cheeks.
—So you don't lay eggs then! That must be what makes you so frustrated~, knowing you won't be able to bring new life into this beautiful world— she continued rambling nonsense, completely ignoring the Hero's outburst.
Before Hawks could bark out another threat, his comms signaled the arrival of his guests. He took a deep breath and composed himself, stepping out of the office in silence.
Toga watched him the entire time, curious about what would happen next. She toyed with the amusing thought of jumping onto Hawks' back to bite his neck or jamming her fingers into the Pigeon Man's eyes, but her survival instinct warned her it was better to stay seated and wait.
Despite having his back turned, Hawks never stopped paying attention to the young criminal. One wrong move and she would end up stabbed, at the very least.
As he stepped out of the office, Terumi Mei and Tokoyami Fumikage were already rounding the hallway corner, guided to his location by one of the receptionists.
—Welcome— he greeted them with a nod. —Go inside and wait here. I'll be back in a while— he informed them curtly, walking away from both teenagers.
Whatever was about to happen was out of his hands now.
************************************
—What's up— Mei greeted casually, baffling both Tokoyami and Toga. The kunoichi sat down on the other side of the table, pulling out her phone to do God knows what while the Villain and the Hero-in-training were left momentarily speechless.
Tokoyami didn't even enter the office. He remained at the doorway, paralyzed and confused, glaring at the girl who had kidnapped and tortured one of his classmates. He didn't know how to react.
—Uh... M-Mei, do you realize...?— the boy stammered, failing to find the words to describe the absurd situation.
Toga Himiko seemed to recover first, grinning broadly at the new guests. "Great! I'm glad to have some real company around here. The adults in this place are terrible conversationalists," the blonde hinted with a giggle.
Tokoyami clenched his fists, disgusted by the girl's playful tone. Dark Shadow stirred and nearly lunged at Toga.
—Why are you here?— he asked coldly, glancing sideways at Mei, who seemed to be ignoring the enemy's presence.
For her part, Toga snorted, amused by the boy's hostility. —How am I supposed to know? Nobody tells me anything; they just ask questions. It gets tedious, between you and me.
—You're crazy, kid. Nobody's going to tell you anything because you lost the right to know a long time ago— Mei shrugged, putting her phone away once more to give Toga her full attention.
—Pfft! Me!?— Toga scoffed, pointing accusingly at Mei. —Says the little princess who appeared on national television tearing the eye out of a corpse. Maybe You are the one who should lose some rights.
—Oh-ho? Says the brat who joined a group of human disasters that murders and kidnaps students?— Mei countered with a slight smirk.
—I'm the brat? Have you looked in a mirror lately?— Himiko rolled her eyes.
—I don't need to; I already know I'm gorgeous— Mei boasted smugly.
Tokoyami sighed quietly to the side, letting some of the built-up tension escape. —Ahem, this is getting us nowhere. Just answer the question. Why are you here?— he addressed Toga, less aggressive than before but just as stern.
The blonde stuck her tongue out at Mei before turning back to the only boy in the room with a mysterious smile. —I'm not lying when I tell you I really don't know. They're constantly moving me from cells to offices, to interrogation rooms and things like that.
—Have they taken you to the white padded room yet?— Mei inquired mockingly.
Himiko frowned, starting to grow tired of the jokes about her sanity.
—What about you two? It's not usual for them to send brats to interrogate me— she asked Tokoyami, completely ignoring the kunoichi.
—I came to receive guidance from my mentor— Tokoyami admitted. —And frankly, I don't know why she is here— he pointed to his classmate, who was beginning to get bored with the wait.
—Let's just say I'm here for guidance too, though I don't know if I'm going with Hawks or someone else— she replied laconically.
—Ugh, how boring... Who'd want guidance from that Pigeon Man? Did you guys know birds only have one hole!? Imagine having to shit and fu... Oh— Himiko suddenly covered her mouth, looking awkwardly at Tokoyami.
Mei was less discrete and burst out laughing. Himiko couldn't help herself and succumbed to laughter too. The only one who remained in stoic silence was, obviously, Tokoyami, who could even feel his own Quirk laughing at him.
As the scene unfolded, Hawks and the President watched the interaction from elsewhere with expressionless faces.
—...Despite everything, it's not a bad start— the woman remarked in a flat tone.
—It's too early to claim victory. Personally, I don't see Toga Himiko's rehabilitation as an easy task in the short term. And according to public opinion, we're running out of time— Hawks noted with a sigh.
Due to legal and age-related issues, the situation with Himiko was complicated. Aside from constant interrogations, the girl had been subjected to psychological evaluations, and her family history had been scrutinized from top to bottom.
Throwing her into Tartarus wasn't plausible. In fact, sending her to a prison was more difficult than a reformatory or a mental asylum. But none of that would truly be significant.
Himiko's value lay in her information about the League of Villains. The Commission was desperate for any shred of intelligence, specifically so their next Number 1 could improve his image.
The President decided that the HPSC would work alongside Nighteye, not only because the Yakuza matter couldn't be left as it was, but because it was highly likely that the League and the Shie Hassaikai would clash again.
And when it happened, Endeavor would have to be there to take center stage one way or another—and in the process, Himiko would also be there to see her old comrades' reactions, as well as her own.
In the best-case scenario, a conflict breaks out and the Villains try to kill her. That would be the ideal setup to get the little brat to finally talk.
And if even that failed, they would have no choice but to get the information out of the girl at any cost.