Missed you too
Can you see it? The aftermath of Sandatsu's attack on Shiketsu High was chaotic, with the media, parents, and the general public demanding answers. The school grounds, once a place of safety and learning, had become a scene of horror and mourning. The event was set up in a large conference room at the police headquarters, where officials from various groups had gathered to address the incident.
The surprise of the event, however, came with the appearance of two representatives from the Hero Public Safety Commission. One was a tall mutant with reptilian features, and the other was a composed, serious-looking bald man in a sharp suit. Despite the harsh and relentless questions from the press, they remained unfazed.
The mutant representative took the podium first, his voice steady and authoritative. "We understand the gravity of the situation and the pain it has caused. The Hero Public Safety Commission takes full responsibility for the lack of effective leadership that contributed to this tragedy."
A murmur ran through the crowd. The media had expected the usual finger-pointing and evasion, not an outright acceptance of blame.
"We lost several key leaders in Kyoto due to the actions of Sandatsu," the mutant continued. "This loss crippled our chain of command and hindered our ability to respond effectively. We recognize that this failure led to the tragic events at Shiketsu High."
The other representative, the bald one, stepped forward. "Given these circumstances, we are committed to enacting significant changes to prevent such failures in the future. We will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and grant more authority and freedom to our pro heroes. This will enable them to act more swiftly and decisively in times of crisis."
The press fired a barrage of questions, but the representatives handled them with composed professionalism. They detailed plans to streamline the hierarchical structure of the pro hero system, ensuring that heroes on the ground had more direct control and fewer administrative hurdles.
"As we move forward," the representative in the suit concluded, "our primary goal is to restore the public's trust and ensure the safety and security of all citizens. We will work tirelessly to prevent another tragedy like this from ever occurring again."
"How do you plan to address the safety concerns of parents who are pulling their children out of Shiketsu High?" one reporter shouted, her voice cutting through the noise.
"We understand the concerns of the parents. The safety of the students is our top priority. We are implementing immediate security enhancements at Shiketsu High and other institutions. These measures include advanced surveillance systems, increased hero presence, and rapid response protocols. We are committed to making our schools the safest places for our children."
Another reporter, a young man with bright green skin and a notepad in hand, asked, "You mentioned the loss of leadership in Kyoto. How will you ensure that such a gap in leadership won't happen again?"
The representative in the suit took this question. "We are reinforcing not just Kyoto, but the entire hero system. We are restructuring our hierarchy to ensure that leadership is decentralized and more resilient. Additionally, we are working closely with the World Heroes Association to bolster our ranks and enhance our operational capabilities."
A murmur of approval and concern rippled through the audience. The same reporter followed up, "Can you elaborate on the cooperation with the World Heroes Association?"
"Certainly," the suited representative replied. "The commission is already working alongside the World Heroes Association to address the situation. We have launched a new initiative to aid the rebuilding efforts across Europe and Japan, utilizing cutting-edge technology and revising the permits and authorizations needed for quirk usage in construction and recovery. This will streamline the process and accelerate the restoration of affected areas."
Another reporter raised his hand and asked, "What about the reinforcement of hero ranks? Are you bringing in more heroes?"
"Yes," the mutant representative confirmed. "We are bringing in more heroes, both domestic and foreign. This will strengthen our defenses and ensure we are prepared for any future threats. We are also focusing on improving the training and readiness of our current heroes, providing them with the resources they need to effectively combat high-level threats like Sandatsu Owari."
A reporter from the back, with a skeptical tone, inquired, "What assurances can you give to the public that these measures will be effective? How can we trust that the system won't fail again?"
The representatives exchanged a glance before the suited one responded, "We understand the skepticism and the loss of trust. Our actions will speak louder than words. The immediate implementation of these measures, the cooperation with international hero organizations, and the restructuring of our internal systems are all steps we are taking to ensure that we do not fail again. We are committed to transparency and accountability, and we will provide regular updates on our progress."
You know there's something there
Mio Katsuragi lounged on her bed, a light frown marring her otherwise delicate expression as she watched the press conference unfold on her television.
"If Sandatsu Owari wants to take on the world, then he must be prepared for the world to strike back."
She listened to the Hero Public Safety Commission representatives with half-hearted interest, their promises of restructuring and reinforcement falling flat in her ears.
She clicked the remote, turning off the TV with an annoyed huff. "Idiots," she muttered under her breath. "As if."
Mio shifted her attention to the small drive in her hands, its smooth surface reflecting the dim light of her room. She recognized it as one of the drives produced by her quirk. The problem was, she didn't remember where or when she had created this particular drive.
She wasn't naive. She knew exactly what the drive probably contained: the memories of her time with Sandatsu Owari. The fact that she had found it hidden among her collection of trading cards, something she kept secret from everyone, only confirmed her suspicions.
"Fuck it," she muttered, her voice tinged with a mixture of resignation and determination. Without another moment's hesitation, she pressed the drive against the side of her head. It merged into her seamlessly, her quirk integrating the data with her consciousness.
A rush of images and sensations flooded her mind. The missing pieces of her past clicked into place, revealing the full extent of her involvement with Sandatsu. The fragmented scenes she had watched earlier now made sense, forming a coherent narrative that left her feeling both empowered and disgusted.
Mio's eyes snapped open, her pupils dilating as the last of the memories settled. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "So that's how it is," she whispered, a bitter smile curling her lips. Of course she had her suspicions, but this confirmed it. She had been a collaborator, her actions driven by a twisted sense of greed, loyalty, fear and... something else.
Driven by an instinct she couldn't quite explain, Mio began searching her room with renewed purpose. She knew there was something she had hidden away, something important. Her hands moved methodically, rifling through drawers and behind bookshelves until she found it: a small black pill with a blue streak.
She held the pill up to the light. "You idiot," she mumbled, directing her anger at the memory of Sandatsu.
Mio took the pill, her fingers trembling slightly as she swallowed it. It tasted good, to the point that it could even be additcive, contrasting with the bitterness she felt inside.
Listen to the silence
Satoru Tani sat hunched over in his small, cluttered room, the glow of his computer screen casting a pale light over his anxious features. His swirly blue eyes darted around nervously. He couldn’t believe Sandatsu Owari had dropped by again. He cursed himself for not having the foresight to hide or even move before the villain arrived.
The infamous villain lounged casually on Satoru’s bed. He looked over at Satoru, his expression inscrutable. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice calm but with an underlying edge that made Satoru’s stomach churn.
Satoru’s mind raced. He couldn't show his fear, couldn’t reveal how much Sandatsu’s presence terrified him. The nerves caused him to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. "Y-you forgot to say Uno," he stuttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sandatsu raised an eyebrow, then let out a low chuckle. "Ah, my bad, I completely forgot." He calmly picked up four more cards from the pile, his demeanor unbothered. Satoru let out a small sigh of relief, but his heart continued to pound.
Just then, the third member of their game made her move. The construct summoned by Sandatsu, a tall and strong-looking bunny girl with pure white fur and a blue streak in her hair mirroring her master’s, placed a +4 card on the pile. She stared at Satoru intensely, her gaze unwavering.
Satoru’s hands shook as he picked up four cards from the pile, his mind screaming in frustration and fear. Why me? Why is this my life now? He thought to himself, feeling the weight of his circumstances pressing down on him.
Just then, Sandatsu stood up abruptly, stretching as if he'd just finished a leisurely meal. "Well, Satoru, this was fun, but I've got something to do now," he said nonchalantly. With a wave of his hand, a swirling portal appeared, and without another word, he stepped through it, leaving as suddenly as he had arrived.
Satoru sighed deeply, relief washing over him. Finally, he thought, he's gone. But his relief was short-lived. He glanced up and saw the White Rabbit still standing there, her intense gaze fixed on him. She held the Uno cards in her hands, shuffling them with an almost mechanical precision.
"Uh, there's only two of us," Satoru said nervously, his voice shaky. "You can't seriously want to play Uno now, right?"
The White Rabbit continued to shuffle the cards, her expression unchanging. Satoru's heart sank as he realized she wasn't going to let this go. Internally, he screamed.
That thing is there
Sandatsu appeared in Mio’s room through a portal, his presence as unsettling as ever. Mio sat on a chair, arms crossed, glaring at him.
"Well, look who finally decided to show up," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "Took you long enough, you fucking asshole."
Sandatsu ignored her insults, his demeanor calm and casual. "Took you long enough to contact me," he said, his tone almost bored. "I thought you were smart enough to do it sooner."
Mio was briefly speechless, her anger boiling over. "I already told you not to leave me in the dark like that, you absolute retard! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Sandatsu merely shrugged, unfazed by her outburst. "Missed you too. Do you have your stuff ready?" he asked.
Still fuming, Mio nodded. "Yeah, I do." She pointed to her luggage, piled neatly in the corner of the room. With a wave of his hand, Sandatsu made her belongings vanish.
Mio stood up, still glaring at Sandatsu. "You better make this up for me," she muttered angrily as she walked towards him.
Sandatsu opened another portal, and without another word, they both stepped through, disappearing into the swirling vortex.
The thing beyond the glass
The portal led Mio and Sandatsu to his hideout. It was adorned with various trinkets, trophies, and makeshift decorations that gave it a surprisingly homey feel despite its occupants' villainous nature. As they stepped into the main chamber, Mio was greeted by quite a scene.
Karma stood in the middle of the room, her voice ringing out. "Jump to the left!" she shouted.
Only Feral jumped to the left, immediately realizing her mistake. "Ah, fuck!" she groaned.
Drekus laughed heartily, pointing at Feral. "Ha! Big sis Feral messed up! Karma didn't say 'Karma says'!"
Karma laughed as Drekus picked up a chair and, without an ounce of restraint, smashed it over Feral's head. The chair shattered into pieces, eliciting laughter from everyone present.
Mio sighed. The Wild Hunt, some of the most feared villains in the world today, were acting like a bunch of idiots. Of course, it's not like she expected anything else, but seeing them goofing off like this still annoyed her. Her irritation grew when she noticed that Sandatsu was gone, leaving her alone with the villains.
The first person to greet her was Ivan Turp, who was sitting elegantly on a worn-out couch, sipping tea from a delicate porcelain cup. "Ah, Katsuragi-san," Ivan greeted her with a slight bow of his head, his tone dripping with false politeness. Or perhaps not. Maybe he was genuinely happy to see her. "How delightful to see you again. I trust your stay away from the group was uneventful?"
Before she could respond, a high-pitched, almost hysterical voice rang out from down the hall. "Katsuragi-samaaaa!" Ookami Shizuka came running towards Mio, arms open wide, tears streaming down her face.
Mio sighed, sidestepping just as Shizuka reached her, causing the overzealous woman to fall headfirst onto the floor. Unfazed, Shizuka immediately started groveling at Mio's feet, mumbling to herself about how much she had missed her.
"Katsuragi-sama, I thought you would never return! My life is meaningless without your presence," Shizuka wailed, clutching at Mio's ankles.
Mio looked down at her with a mixture of annoyance and pity.
The two brutes among the siblings noticed her arrival and Drekus immediately moved to greet her. "Hey, Little Empress!" he called out, waving enthusiastically. "Drekus happy to see you!"
Feral followed, giving Mio a thumbs up. "Yo, Little Empress! How's it going?"
Mio rolled her eyes. "I swear, every time I come here, you idiots are more ridiculous than before."
Mio crossed her arms. She wasn't as nervous around these guys as she had been some time ago.
Feral, rubbing her head where the chair had hit, grinned at her. "Hey, even villains need to blow off some steam."
Mio glanced around, still trying to process the bizarre scene she had walked into. She decided to ignore Feral and Drekus's antics and look for Sandatsu, who had disappeared as soon as they arrived.
Karma slung an arm around Mio's shoulders, grinning widely. "The Little Empress in the flesh! They have told me a lot about you, but honestly I had my doubts after seeing you in the news surrounded by heroes and acting like a victim."
Mio stared at the reptile girl as she stepped away from her. "Is that so?"
Karma didn't step closer, instead just walking alongside Mio and offering her hand to her with a friendly smile. "I'm Karma, by the way."
Mio eyed Karma warily but shook her hand. "Mio Katsuragi. I know about you."
"Oh, you're gonna make me blush."
"Pretty much every hero knows about you. I guess that asshole does have a bad habit of picking stray psychotic villains from the street."
Karma laughed, a warm and genuine sound that contrasted sharply with the harshness of the hideout. "Oh, no, nothing like that. I'm still with the Night Parade. I just get along with those two back there pretty well, so I drop by often."
"Is that so..." Mio said, trying to igore the chameleon girl. She was reminded of the Gala, and how tense everything felt there. Seeing villains genuinely getting along was weird. "Still, nice to meet someone here who's somewhat normal..." She mumbled.
"The Night Parade and the Wild Hunt are on good terms, so it works out." As they walked deeper into the hideout, Karma began to explain the current state of things. "The situation is pretty interesting right now. Midas is delighted by your leader. I mean, the guy made quite an impression with the gifts he brought."
"Gifts?" Mio asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, you know, like Majestic's eye and arm. Not exactly your usual housewarming presents, but the boss liked them." Karma replied with a smirk. Mio saw through her memories while the thief explained things. Both groups had joined forces. The Wild Hunt, under Sandatsu's orders, had been forcefully assimilating minor villain and criminal operations. Since the Night Parade established an alliance with them instead of being subdued by force, they have been benefitting from Sandatsu's conquest of the underworld scene.
Sandatsu even managed to find Marshal again, and was working towards gaining his trust, or at least collaboration. Seems he was right about him surviving their encounter in Europe.
Things had never looked so good for the side of evil.
A portal abruptly opened right in front of Mio. She stumbled forward, accidentally stepping into it, and before she could react, the portal vanished, leaving Karma staring at the empty space where Mio had been.
A moment later, a smaller portal appeared, and Sandatsu's face peeked through. "Sorry, Karma. You and Mio can talk later. I need her for something now." He disappeared again, leaving Karma shaking her head in exasperation.