PUPPET // KATSUKI BAKUGO [1]

Chapter 67 // Priorities

You pushed open the door to the League's hideout with an aggravated huff and immediately began to look around for the leader of the group. However, the only one to be found was Spinner.

"Where's your boss?" you asked, closing the door rather roughly.

Spinner looked at you silently before pointing toward a nearby door. You focused on listening, and you could hear quiet but angry voices behind it.

You pulled out the vials of blood you had gathered and tossed them to Spinner, saying, "give 'em to Toga," before heading toward the closed door.

"You call yourself a leader? You can't even make a sensible decision. What good did you think sending her off like that would do?"

"We don't do good. I wasn't trying to play tea party. I was trying to give them a scare, and that's what she did."

"Now the whole world knows who she is. That break-in is going to be on the news."

"Good. Let people know that we have a hero student working for us. That'll get 'em riled up."

'Hero student?' you thought to yourself. Why was Shigaraki referring to you as a hero student?

You grabbed the door handle firmly and pushed open the door, which silenced Chisaki and Shigaraki's argument.

"Hero student?" you questioned.

"Good, you're back," Shigaraki stated with an evil grin, clearing trying to stray away from the topic he and Chisaki had been arguing about.

"You'll be in the ground if you don't start explaining," you stated, looking at Chisaki, "both of you."

"I believe that's your job," Shigaraki stated while glancing over at Chisaki before beginning to head for the door.

You caught the villain leader's arm as he walked past you. Your grip tightened enough to cause pain, and Shigaraki let out a small wince.

"Those people at that school talked to me as if they knew who I was," you began, "kept calling me [L/N], [Y/N] [L/N] to be specific. Why?"

"I think that's for your...creator to explain," Shigaraki hissed out as he ripped his arm out of your grasp and left the room. You turned toward Chisaki, who was staring at your with no remorse or no fear.

"All you need to know are the things I tell you," Chisaki began, "so don't go searching for information you don't want to here."

"If you created me, why does everyone else out there know who I am?" you asked. "Why does everyone address me as if they know me? Why do they call me a different name?"

"Lies," Chisaki stated. "It's all the world is made up of, but I would never lie to you."

"You're lying to me right now," you said.

"I'm not lying. I'm withholding the truth. There's a difference," Chisaki replied, which only  angered you more. "You only need to know what I tell you. If it is not said by me, do not believe it."

Deep within yourself, you felt an urge to resist, but you just weren't strong enough, and all you could do was nod in agreement.

"Good," Chisaki began. "Now let's head back. We've got some things to...prepare for."

You opened your mouth to reply, but no words came out. You watch, conflicted, as Chisaki left the room without giving you an answer as to who you were or what your purpose was.

¥¥¥

"The invasion of the Shie Hassaikai will begin soon," Nighteye announced to the dozens of heroes and selective hero students that were gathered around. "We now know exactly where they are, and we know Overhaul has Eri, a young captive girl he claims to be the father of, and [Y/N] [L/N], a hero student of U.A who went missing a couple weeks ago. It has been confirmed that [L/N] has been brainwashed and experimented on. We know she now has two quirks in addition to her original quirk, Puppet. She may have more, so be careful if you run into her."

"What're her new powers?" a pro hero asked from somewhere in the room.

"From what we've seen, she has the ability to inflict any action or feeling upon any person or being by making eye contact and saying a word pertaining to said action or feeling," Nighteye explained. "Her control over you breaks after a few seconds of broken eye contact. The second ability to some sort of exertion of toxic gas. It's what she used against her classmates when she broke into U.A. It caused them to faint, and they remained unconscious for exactly an hour. We have reason to be Overhaul harvested the invisibility of her original quirk because no one could actually see the gas being released. They could only feel the effects of it. Considering this, she may be able to release other gases that have different effects, so keep that in mind."

"What's the goal with her?" Fatgum asked. "We're taking down Overhaul and saving Eri, but what do we do with [L/N]? We know she's brainwashed. She doesn't recognize us, so she'll fight us. Are we supposed to take her out or bring her in?"

"It's possible with some hard work we can bring her back," Nighteye replied, "mentally. The goal with [L/N] is to save her. If that means roughing her up a bit to get her to comply, so be it, but on no terms are we killing her. She is not held responsible for anything she's done during the time she's been with Overhaul, meaning she will receive no punishment such as jail time for her crimes. Overhaul has been behind it all."

"Not to be a party pooper," Ryuku began, "but how are we supposed to get [L/N]? She's been programmed by Overhaul to fight. Her stats have clearly been amped up, and she could have dozens of other powers we don't know of.  She took down the pro hero teachers at U.A with ease. Who's to say any of us will succeed in taking her down once we arrive?"

"And how are you so sure we'll be able to salvage what's left of her brain?" LockLock asked. "She's seems pretty far gone."

"She's there."

The sound of Katsuki Bakugo's voice silenced the crowd, and all eyes fell on him. The boy stood with his head held high and arms crossed.

"When she cut my cheek," Bakugo began, "she hesitated. The look on her face changed for a second. It may have been for a second, but I saw it. She hesitated."

"That means she fighting it," Deku stated. "Her body may be following Overhaul's orders, but that's because it's the body he created. [L/N] is still in there. She's aware, and she's fighting it. She's just not strong enough on her own."

"She needs our help," Kirishima agreed. "In my opinion, if Bakugo was the one she hesitated with, he should be the one to find her. It's our best chance at getting her out of there smoothly."

"He cannot go alone. It's too dangerous," Nighteye shook his head.

"I'm not," Bakugo said, glancing over his shoulder when the doors to the room opened, and Hitoshi Shinso walked in.

"Shinso," Aizawa stated while reeling back slightly. Then, he whipped his head toward Bakugo. "He's not a hero student. He doesn't have a license. He can't fight," the hero said.

"He won't," Bakugo replied. "Him and [L/N] have been best friends since they were little kids. If it comes to a point where I can't get to her, we'll need him. He's not going to fight. He's just going to talk, and if you seriously think I'd bring along someone in a damn mission like this and not take the time to protect them, you're not my teacher."

"He's right," Ryuku stated with a sigh. "We may be heroes, but we can't communicate with someone we don't know. You can't walk up to a stranger on the street and have a conversation with them like you've been buddies for years. They'd get scared, have their guard up. If we're gonna bring the real [L/N] back to the surface, she needs to face those she's most familiar with."

"Then it's settled," Nighteye said. "We will break off into teams, and Bakugo and Shinso will be one with the supervision of Eraserhead. Their team will search for [L/N], and the rest of the teams will split up and focus on finding Overhaul and Eri. This mission will not stop until Eri and [L/N] are rescued, and Overhaul is captured."

Bakugo looked at Shinso, who was standing beside him and looking as anxious as ever. Bakugo would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, but he wasn't going to show it.

He was scared of what could happen, but he was as determined as ever to save you. They could break his bones, drain him of every ounce of blood in his body, but he wouldn't go down without saving you. You were his top priority. You have been since the moment he met you at that stupid festival.

[EDITED]