"Hawks."

The winged hero focused on his flight path through the air, dodging buildings and catching a bug or two on his visor. He tapped on his earpiece and spoke loud enough for the recipient to hear over to roaring wind, "Heeellllo."

It was Kamui Woods, one of the many pro heroes sent to raid the League of Villains hideout in Kamino, "We've secured Bakugo and a number of the villains. But the girl is here as well. Wasn't your unit following her and Shigaraki?"

Hawks came to a halt and simply flapped his wings to keep him hovering, "(Y/N)? That's impossible, Woody, I have a sensor on her right now."

"I don't know what to tell you," Woods said, "Looks like (Y/N) to me."

Hawks tapped his chin. He made sure to stick to you like glue - there was no way you were still at the hideout. Even now, he could sense the voices around you, your heart rate...

Your fear.

His eyes darted in the direction he was certain you were in. "Woods, buddy, I think you might have an imposter on your hands. Keep her close until I grab the real (Y/N)."

Hawks soared through the air, zeroing in on your location. The parking garage was in sight and he grinned, ready to finally get you back to Monarch and maybe even say hello. A kiss on the cheek for his good deeds wouldn't hurt either.

But something was wrong. Hawks could sense that you were struggling and trying to scream. Someone else was speaking, and they didn't mean well.

He focused his feather on attacking your assailant, but his heart stopped when he noticed you had gone completely silent. The feather slid its way around your costume searching for a pulse.

Phew.

You were alive, for now, and on the move again. Not on your own. Someone was carrying you, and this time at a speed much faster than any regular person could run.

Hawks frowned. He couldn't hear the sound of wheels or an engine driving off. Someone had to be using a quirk of some kind. You were moving quickly but sporadically - as if someone could teleport but only short distances.

"Hey, hey," Hawks tapped his earpiece again, this time to call his sidekicks, "Look alive. Garage is filled with villains. I'm going after the girl."

"She's not with them?" One of his team members asked.

"Not anymore," Hawks's sharp eyes narrowed.

- - - earlier - - -

A large hand clamped around your mouth and pulled you back, away from the ledge. Grim had you, and now you knew what made him plus-ultra terrifying.

His strength.

It reminded you of All Might's, even. He was only using one hand to hold you but it was enough.

"Sorry," he grunted, "This won't take long."

What was he doing, you thought. Was Shigaraki in on this? Or was he going rogue!

You couldn't move your head an inch. You couldn't breathe. His hand blocked both of your airways. The pressure was building in your skull from being squeezed.

You kicked desperately to make any kind of noise for Tomura and Compress to hear, but you were lifted from the ground. Using both your hands, you dug your nails into his skin - or tried rather - to pry him off you.

If it wasn't obvious, you would've thought this was Kirishima! Grim's skin was impenetrable and felt like dragging your nails against stone.

His energy... was unlike anything you've felt up to this point. The sensation was seemingly endless, like plunging your hand into the universe.

You still attempted to steal energy from him, but just as you sapped any to use, you exhausted yourself. He was too powerful. Or you were just frantic and losing consciousness...

Eventually it happened. You blacked out. Or you were dead - it was unknown to you as the darkness took over.

Grim removed his hand and slung your limp body over his shoulder. This all had been a bigger hassle than he originally planned this ordeal to be, but now he had you.

Or so he thought.

"A thanks seems to be in order."

Grim slowly turned his massive body to spot a slender fellow who appeared from thin air. He wore a navy suit and wrapped a red scarf around his neck. His hands, clad in maroon leather gloves, fiddled with a cruel, shiny dagger.

"Now, she'll be much easier to transport," the stranger's hair was swept down to cover one eye with his bangs.

"She's coming with me, fancy pants," Grim said, "Whoever the hell you are."

The man in navy smiled, "I've always found this to be true; the more people who desire something, the higher it's value. If that's based on facts or actual worth, it doesn't matter. It's simply a trick of the mind. The consumer market is rampant with mindless philistines..."

Grim growled and his eyes shifted to where Shigaraki went off to. He had hoped not to have any interferences. Their voices echoed in the garage, so surely Shigaraki and Compress heard them by now.

Just then, Grim's thoughts were interrupted by a faint clicking sound, followed by a blinding flash.

He couldn't move. His body was frozen in place. Not even his eyes could look back at the mystery man. It was as if time had stopped but only around himself.

Is this his quirk?!

"No hard feelings," the man said, "I'm just a man who knows when he's outmatched."

From his peripherals, Grim watched as he approached. He circled once before slipping his hand around your unconscious body and guiding you from Grim's shoulder and into his arms.

"All is as it should be," he chuckled darkly.

Grim forced a gargling sound from his esophagus but nothing else happened. To make matters worse, Shigaraki had already returned.

Compress leapt like an elegant dancer towards the man in navy and prepared to touch him - a way to activate his quirk and trap him, "I believe that is our captive, sir. Return her immediately!"

"Ah - Mr. Compress! In the flesh," the man beamed. But in a quick flash of light the man was gone.

"Huh!" Compress had to come to a running stop, "A disappearing act?"

🤣🎤

😂

Tomura glowered in the outskirts, seeing you with him. Your beautiful face slept peacefully but you were in the grasps of another monster, "Valentini... I didn't take you for a conman. Now, you get to die."

Valentini reappeared just as quickly as he vanished, this time atop of one of the parked cars, "Shigaraki. I should be offended. But how can I be..." He teleported again to another car, getting further away, "You're not the only person who wants her power. There is another, one far more deserving. One who appreciates my greatest works and understands the art of flesh. One who would see my place in society... once he becomes ruler of the underworld."

Everyone seemed alarmed and confused by his words. Grim, who cared not for Shigaraki or his cause, suddenly became interested at the announcement of this supposed "new contender."

Valentini waved his knife at Shigaraki, proclaiming his farewell, "So sorry. But you've been outbid."

He began his escape by vanishing in quick flashes. Shigaraki ordered Kurogiri to cut him off, but he was too quick for the warp villain.

Once Valentini was out of sight, Grim felt himself being able to move again. The effects seemed to have a time limit - or they were weaker the farther Valentini got.

"Master Shigaraki," Kurogiri appeared before them, "Our location has been compromised."

"What?" Tomura hissed, "How!"

"We must make our escape as well," Compress suggested.

"Not without (Y/N). Valentini needs to die!"

Compress was sweating behind his mask, "We must escape the heroes first, Shigaraki!"

Kurogiri opened a warp gate, "I will follow as far as we can see them."

Tomura felt like he was entering a blind rage. It was as if Valentini knew to expect you all tonight. What right did he have to steal you from him? After all his hard work to acquire you - grooming you to join his band of villains. All out the window!

"Where is Grim?" Compress asked before stepping through the gate.

Tomura reluctantly followed but glanced back at the spot Grim once stood, "Leave him, then! I don't have time to chase everyone around."

Your eyes blinked several times before you could actually see. Never had you experienced a hangover, but you imagined it felt something like this - a splitting headache and the awful sensation of not knowing where you were or what you did last.

Note to self, STOP getting kidnapped...

So, Grim wanted to betray Shigaraki too? What was that about?

You blinked once more and the rest of your senses awoke in unison. Something felt off - aside from the fact that you were knocked unconscious. It was in your very skin. You felt incomplete somehow.

Slowly, you sat up. Inch by inch as to not worsen your headache. You rubbed your sore jaw and noticed then the long sleeve covering you arm.

You didn't have your villain uniform anymore. A silk robe covered your naked body. What was even stranger, and perhaps more disturbing, was how clean you were. Even the scratches and bumps you gained from your night of excitement were bandaged.

Your hair was suspiciously soft as you pulled a strand to your nose to smell, "... Lavender?"

Violated is what you were!

You weren't on a bed really. It was more like a table one sat on when getting surgery. It didn't fit the rest of the room which was elegant and rich in red coloring on the walls and carpet. Picture frames were arranged perfectly, each with an expensive border.

The photos, however, were not as elegant in nature. Each one displayed a corpse, decorated and positioned in horrific ways. Some frames only captured the look of terror in someone's eyes. Some random victim you didn't know, but knew for certain their fate was a gruesome one.

You were shaking, surrounded by death. Even if Shigaraki had the quirk to end life with a single touch, you found yourself wishing you woke up back in his room instead.

Two doors kept you trapped here. But the sound of footsteps came from the one at your right. You sprang from the odd table-bed and ran to the farthest door.

Locked. Of course.

You spotted a house plant in the corner and smiled. The footsteps were getting louder and you could hear someone humming happily to themselves. It sounded like nice dress shoes were hitting wood flooring.

You rushed to the plant and planned to sap it dry of energy. But nothing happened.

Again. Nothing.

Is it a fake?! You felt the bottom for the soil and sure enough - real dirt. It was even still moist from being recently watered.

You gazed down at your hands. Were you broken? Had you somehow unlearned everything?

What else? You hustled over to a dresser that had a lamp and reached under the shade for the lightbulb. "Ow!" You hissed. All it did was feel hot, and you got nothing.

He must have done something to you. You looked for someplace to hide until you could make some kind of plan. The dresser itself had two cabinet doors. You opened them and saw that no shelves occupied the space. There was room for you to fit if you squeezed.

The doorknob turned just as you decided to crawl inside and shut the cabinet.

A man walked in the room, but it wasn't Grim. You watched from the tiny sliver between the cabinet doors. He dressed fancy and looked much to happy to be in a room full of photographed gore.

"Hmm..." he spun on his heels, "Hmm... That's odd. I was sure I locked both doors before leaving."

Your covered your mouth with your hand to quiet your quickening breath. A cold dread settled in your bones and you worried your shaking was making the entire cabinet move.

"I guess I'll have to go find her," the man said aloud. He continued humming as he sauntered out of the room. This time, he left the door wide open.

Oh, gods. It's a trap.

But you had nowhere else to go. Your heart sank when you realized something other than the use of your quirk was missing. You pat the pockets of your robe, but you knew there was no way he was still with you.

Hawks...

You were on your own. Not even Shigaraki could help you. Your eyes brimmed with tears, but with several steady breaths, you summoned the courage to leave the cabinet.

If your quirk was stunted somehow, you were going to have to rely on your other skills - any combat training you remembered. Or be stealthy enough to escape without a fight.

You never felt so bare, and you were already standing in nothing but a robe.

Think of a plan... think of anything, please. You begged your brain to function rather than give in to fear. It was difficult not to make eye contact with any of the photos, but when you gave in, it finally clicked.

The stranger on the streets outside the parking garage. The photographs of dead people.

Grim didn't kidnap you.

"Valentini," you shuddered, and gasped, "... Shinso!"

🤗

🥺💔