Third person pov

The energy that coursed through him was nearly electric, ripping through his veins in an exhilarating rush that left him feeling oddly winded. His eyes began to burn as though he'd looked at the sun without his sunglasses on, and the small box they were in slowly began to illuminate. Toshinori's wide, blue eyes stared into his, which had evidently become a pair of golden flashlights. Pretty fucking baller if you asked him. Chad inhaled deep, taking in a fair amount of the stale air around them. He hoped neither of them farted. That would suck ass.

This whole quirk thing was a whole lot different than he'd thought it would be. It didn't burst inside of him like he thought it would. It spread out in an even coat, almost hugging him in some weird, different kind of way. He sorta dug it. Was this what everyone felt when they activated their quirk? It felt like an extension of himself, even though he'd just now gotten it. Well, not just-just now, but like, earlier. 

"Bro." Chad shook his head a bit, his dirtied hair bouncing. All Might opened up his mouth to say something, but closed it in his shock. It then occurred to Chad that he had eaten a quirk, and this wasn't a prank Izuku had pulled. Bitch ass little piece of traitorous broccoli, that one. Ten-outta-ten would not recommend. "This feels wacked. What do I do? Just kick this thing? Or do I like, have to channel it or something?" 

Toshinori really couldn't believe his eyes. Well, he could. But he also couldn't. Of course he'd been pretty sure Chad had One For All. He'd literally eaten a hair given by a rather regretful Young Midoriya, after all. All signs pointed to him now being the wielder of it. That being said... he'd activated it so fast. And now it was here, and so just... real. He could feel it humming in the air so clearly and so presently. It felt powerful-- more powerful than usual, anyway. The potency it held as it sung through the air between them filled Toshinori's only remaining lung with a breath of fresh air. A wash of hope flowed into him, and he smiled. 

He wondered if Chad knew. Naturally he probably didn't, but Toshinori couldn't see how you could possibly miss something like this. One For All felt quite different here. Content, maybe? The erratic nature it usually held wasn't present. It had settled, nestling itself into Chad and bonding to him rather fast and rather surely. This, All Might thought, was a feeling he hadn't experienced since he first got One For All. Only this feeling was much, much stronger than it had been when Toshinori had experienced it. His doubts about Chad having this quirk washed away. He'd been afraid, before. He couldn't find it in himself to be now.

"I..." Toshinori shook his head a bit, trying to shake off the nostalgia that came running to meet him. Chad blinked at him expectantly. The light cut off every time he did, momentarily bathing the box they were stuck within in darkness. For some reason it made Toshinori want to laugh. There was absolutely nothing funny about the situation they were in, but a bubble of humor rose from his stomach and popped in his chest unbidden. He couldn't help but chuckle just a bit. "I suppose so, young man. One For All seems to have taken to you very well. Better than I could've hoped, actually."

"Baller." Chad had no idea what that meant. Honestly, this whole quirk thing really didn't feel as foreign as he thought it would! He'd have thought his body would've rejected the power, seeing as he'd been a quirkless gangster his whole ass life with only the power of firearms and very sharp knives on his side. This wasn't the case, however. The quirk felt almost natural. Shit flowed through him like a river. But like, a really smooth river that had like, no turbulence whatsoever. Cruising. It was sorta the shit, to be frank. "So I'm just gonna..."

His eyes began to glow a bit brighter. Chad wasn't sure why his eyes were glowing, or how he wasn't blinded by it. All Might started laughing when Chad blinked, which made him think maybe the ex-pro was losing it in here. All the more reason to get them the hell out, he guessed. He didn't need a nut-job on his hands. Though, that was a total vibe. Chad wouldn't completely disregard it. In fact, laughter was sort of a power move. They were being fucking kidnapped and carted off to god knows where, and mans was laughin' his ass off while Chad tried to figure out how to supercharge his only good foot. It was actually... well, it was hilarious.

Toshinori couldn't stop laughing. He didn't know why. He was absolutely losing it. And it only got worse when Chad started to laugh too. Out of nowhere, he just started to cackle in the most ridiculous manner imaginable. It only made Toshinori laugh harder. Harder and fuller than he had in a long, long time. It was the sort of laughter that made him gasp for air, and made his chest hurt. He could only hope it wouldn't lead to a heart attack. Knowing his luck these days, it would. Despite that looming threat, he couldn't stop. There was nothing to laugh at, but now Chad was laughing too, and he couldn't stop.

Once Chad started laughing, he could see why All Might was doing it too. This shit was fucking hilarious! Chad had eaten a quirk given to him by a fifteen year old child with green hair who'd shot another kid, they'd gotten a rocket launcher shot at them, they'd crashed, they'd been kidnapped by the literal fucking mafia, and now they were in a metal box having a heart-to-heart! Him! Chad, the nobody Uber Eats driver, and All Might, the iconic symbol of peace. Anyone would be laughing in their position, kidnapped or not! 

Pins and needles shot down Chad's leg without warning, making him laugh harder. Sporadically, he pulled his foot back and then slammed it forward. The metal front of their container flew off with a shriek, ripping off the rest of the box and flying. It revealed to them that they were quite obviously strapped to the back of a larger truck. The massive chunk of metal flew off and through the windshield of the Yakuza vehicle tailing them, sending it skidding into the siding that lined whatever bridge they were crossing. Definitely some sorta highway. One that went over the ocean. They weren't in Musutafu anymore, were they? 

"It worked! You did it!" Toshinori called out gleefully as the realization of what Chad had just done set in. His took a deep breath, sating his laughter and trying to pull himself together. Now wasn't the time to lose what little he had left of his sanity, now was it? "Now we just need to figure out how to--"

"Bro! We should just jump off the side of this shit!" Chad came to the astute conclusion rather fast, turning to All Might with glowing eyes and a brilliant grin. His expression screamed 'I cracked the code', though the older of the two was sure he hadn't. Toshinori actually blanked out for a moment as Chad's words processed. Jump off the side of what? The box? The whole truck? The bridge? 

"I'm not sure either of us are fit to be jumping off the side of anything, Young Chad!" Toshinori called over the rush of traffic. The truck hadn't seemed to notice it's lack of a car tailing it, which was a good thing. It was only a matter of time before they realized what happened, however. They had to act: and they had to do it now. "Between your ankle and my leg, I'm not sure we'd make it terribly far!" 

Chad guessed he had a point. So be it-- he wouldn't let this minor setback rain on his parade. For every problem, there had to be some sort of solution. Right? Right. That sounded smart as hell. He'd stick with that for now. If they lacked the ability to jump off anything, that left only one other option in his mind. Well, maybe two. Either he shanked the tire and made the truck crash, which could easily send them over the side of the bridge if he didn't do it right. Going over the side had been his original plan anyway, but he supposed All Might's opinion wasn't total bogus. His ankle was broker than a high school stoner. So if crashing the truck wasn't something they could do, that left only one other thing.

"Bro, stay here and be lookout or something." Chad cracked his neck. He rolled his shoulders and cracked those too. Toshinori blinked at him. "I'm gonna go highjack the truck."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The "woman" was indeed Tsukauchi in a dress, and it took ages to get Vlad to bring him down. 

Tsukauchi was pale, shaking, and quite clearly traumatized when they finally got him back on solid ground. Dabi had been forced to hold him up, as he couldn't stand on his own anymore. The scarred man's panic when they called Rei in for emotional support had been hilarious. Shoto had taken a photo of the current situation rather languidly and told him not to worry. They all already knew, and had known for a while now. The eyes and blue fire were a dead giveaway. Lillian had witnessed Dabi's soul leave his body that day, she was sure. 

"Start from the beginning and tell us what happened." Nezu insisted calmly, his paws folded politely over one another. Dabi was leant up against the back wall, staring at the detective with his lips pressed together and his eyes narrowed. Aizawa was also in the room, sitting in an arm chair. He was leaned forward in a considering manner, his hands clasped together and his brows furrowed. Chad and All Might had been with the detective, after all. And then Tsukauchi shows up here alone-- bloody, crossdressing, and clearly panicked. 

"I..." Tsukauchi blinked slowly. Concussion? They'd already called for Recovery Girl, but she'd gone home for the day and it would take her a while to get here. Maybe the woman would finally consider staying on campus after this. Tsukauchi shook his head. He'd made it. He was alive. It would all be pointless now if he didn't tell them what had happened. "Chad and All Might, they-- They were taken."

Tsukauchi felt a weight fly off his chest with those words. It truly felt like he'd accomplished something. They knew now. They knew Toshinori and Chad had been taken hostage, and they could send out ever team in the history of teams to find them. Heroes, police, SWAT. He didn't care-- so long as they used every resource available. These people weren't to be messed with. Tsukauchi was lucky he got out alive, and he was lucky UA's electronic security was biometric based. He'd have been incinerated before he could get over the fence otherwise. 

"They were what?" Dabi immediately hissed out, pushing off the wall and moving to approach. Aizawa shot him a look that stopped him, but just barely. Dabi could feel steam blow from his nostrils as Tsukauchi shifted in his seat. They'd been taken? As in, abducted? He hadn't even thought that was possible for Chad. They had to have used All Might as leverage somehow. The retired pro was extremely weak right now, after all. Chad would never let anyone he knew to be good get harmed. He'd stand down immediately and without question. That's the only possible way they could've gotten their hands on him. "Was it the Yakuza?" 

Tsukauchi turned to look at him, a surprised look on his face. Dabi scoffed, turning away. Fuck. Of course it was the Yakuza. They'd been after Chad since the moment the blonde swiped Eri off that sidewalk. He'd done well fending them off and evading them. He was strong, and smart too. He'd kept them off his back and kept Eri safe. But this visit to Izuku had been out of script, and he hadn't been given much information. Not enough to make any solid plans. So, they'd gotten him. He probably hadn't thought they'd come after him whilst Eri wasn't there. She was their end goal. 

"Yeah, it was." Tsukauchi rubbed the back of his neck. He'd changed into some sweatpants they had on hand, and a baggy white shirt that was far too big for him. He looked tired. Dabi didn't give a shit. He could feel his panic swelling. Now that they had Chad, they'd be coming for Eri. He wasn't there to protect her anymore. Dabi was sure that's what the Yakuza had been aiming for overall. Was Chad dead? Had they gotten rid of him right off the bat, or were they keeping him alive? And if so, where were they taking him? 

"This is a complicated situation, then." Aizawa sat up a little straighter, glancing between Tsukauchi and Dabi both. "The Yakuza have just recently become more active. If they've gotten Chad, then there's no telling where they'd taken him. Our information on him is far too limited."

"Yes, yes. The Yakuza are quite evasive." Nezu agreed, sipping at his tea. He hummed for a moment, a small smile on his face. "I think I know who we have to call. Aizawa, you've met Sir Nighteye, have you not? I feel we've gone long enough without contacting him." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lillian and her friends didn't sleep that night. Neito came over, and they all locked themselves in Shoto and Hitoshi's  shared room with the blinds drawn and the doors firmly closed. Even Kaminari came to join them. They were hesitant to explain to him what was happening, but they did in the end. Bakugo did most of it. During his internship with Chad, he'd learned a lot about the Yakuza, how they operated, and where they operated from. He was gruff in his way of telling them, but he got the message across. Eri nodded along, sitting in Vlad's lap and looking a little afraid.

"The licensing exam is coming up." Lillian rubbed her hands together, her nerves incessantly digging at her. She hadn't felt this much anxiety from something that wasn't Kamino in a while now. After moving in with Hitoshi all those months ago, she'd gotten a lot better mental health wise. Pertaining to things in general, she meant. Trauma didn't much count. Now, though, she couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. "They... Th-They got Chad, didn't they? Do you think they'll kill him?"

Bakugo considered it. He was sitting next to her on Shoto's bed, criss-crossed and hunched over. Everyone quietly looked to him. There was a thick hum of anticipation in the air as he really rolled it over in his head. He went over what he knew, and what he'd heard during his internship. Chad had said a lot of offhanded things most would brush off, but the man was too critical not to think of every possible thing. He came off as an idiot. Someone who totally lacked braincells and was just, overall, stupid. Even immature, maybe. Katsuki had quickly learned just how wrong that happened to be, and just how misleading the blond man was.

"...Nah." Bakugo squared his jaw, shaking his head a bit. A collective breath of air was let out. "Chad knows shit that they probably want to know. They also think he's got a quirk, and I'm pretty sure they want him just as much as they want Eri these days." 

"And they want Eri because of her quirk, too?" Kaminari asked hesitantly. He was sitting between Shoto and Neito. Sparks danced between his fingers; it was a clear indicator that he was just as unsure as they all were. Shoto patted him on the back awkwardly when Neito gave him a expectant look. The half-and-half teen had a small frown on his face. Other than that, a slight furrow in his brows was the only indicator that he was concerned. 

"I can reverse things. I... I haven't used my quirk since Chad got me. I can't control it." Eri spoke up from her place in Vlad's lap. She avoided eye contact with them all. Her voice was smaller than they'd ever heard it, and she seemed to shrink in on herself just a bit. Chad supplied her with a lot of confidence. Anyone with the minimum of one eye and a quarter brain could tell how much she looked up to him and trusted in him. Without him here, she had to be on edge. "They want my quirk to... to make a drug. To take away people's quirks permanently and temporarily." 

"Trigger." Bakugo agreed. He glanced to Lillian. She looked grim. She'd heard her dad mention the name, but only in passing. "Shit's been on the streets a while. Chad told me Aizawa's run into the fuckery, but that the heroes Fatgum and Nighteye encounter it most. Whoever the fuck Nighteye is-- he's especially trying to put a stop to it. Chad has never contacted him before. Something about a stick being up his ass. That, and I don't think he wants Eri involved in that shit. She'd have to answer a shit ton of questions, and could get taken away. She wouldn't be as safe in my opinion, but the fuck do I know, yeah?" 

They all nodded quietly. Eri looked away a bit. Chad had asked her once if they could go to Nighteye. He said that he wouldn't push and that he was only going to ask once. He calmly explained who the hero was and what he did, and what going to him could result in. Eri had thought it over for the day before saying no. It was her fault he wasn't involved. The thought of being separated from Chad was terrifying. Chad was strong and cared about her. Eri didn't want to be in the care of anyone else but him. She didn't regret it, but she had to wonder if they could've caught Chisaki by now if not for her answer.

"I've heard of him. He's an underground type. He used to be All Might's sidekick, didn't he?" Hitoshi looked around the room for confirmation. It would've been before All Might was injured. They'd have been young, so he wasn't sure anyone remembered. The aura in this room was fucking insane, and beyond suffocating to boot. 

"Y-Yeah. Mirio is interning with him. And... And Amajiki is interning with Fatgum." Lillian noted with a nod of her head. Lillian bit her lip. This trigger thing was a huge deal. If they developed it and spread it out-- it could easily reach the League of Villains. They could take quirks away from whomever they pleased, whenever they pleased. It was terrifying. Chad had been fighting this alone this whole time? It was no wonder he always changed his car's color and his license plates! His twisty, long ways home didn't seem so weird now. 

"The third years you're in English with?" Hitoshi questioned. Neito had been oddly quiet this entire time, and he seemed to be thinking about something. Bakugo grunted a bit, glancing at Lillian. She gave another nod. She wasn't entirely close to them, but they were the only people in that class she could possibly consider to be friends. With Chad having been kidnapped, she was certain this had gone too far. She bit the inside of her cheek lightly

"This is a fucking shit show, and we can't do shit about it." Bakugo griped. Lillian snorted a bit at him as he scoffed. "At least I could blow the fucks up during the internship. Now we can't do jack! It's fucking ridiculous! We've faced more than most sidekicks will in their lifetime." 

"I wish we could go help him." Shoto agreed, frowning. Chad was the one who'd helped him move to Hitoshi's and out of an abusive situation. He owed him a lot more than words could ever say. "Chad's done a lot for all of us. He deserves some help."

Lillian nodded in agreement, the cogs in her mind whirring in an attempt to come up with some sort of solution. The dampening thought of 'Izuku would know what to do' came to mind, but she shoved it aside and tried to ignore how her eyes stung. Shoto looked downtrodden too, glancing off to the side and clenching his teeth. Kaminari seemed concerned for him, glancing his way with a slight frown. Eri was quiet too, seemed like she might be crying into Vlad's chest. The Nomu was reserved, quietly patting the girl and never taking his eyes off of her. Neito cleared his throat.

"Alright, this is the shit we're going to do." Neito spoke with authority. "We know Aizawa has dealt with trigger and probably will now more than ever because of Chad. We know Fatgum and Nighteye do too. The licensing exam is the day after tomorrow. Hitoshi is already interning with Aizawa if he passes. Hawks is also bound to get involved too and probably isn't going to be happy his brother was snatched like a fucking wig, so if we can all get on with at least one of those heroes..." 

"Shut the fuck up. That's fucking genius, you undead bitch." Bakugo came to the realization, looking to Lillian with a wild grin. "You can get my ass on with Nighteye or Fatgum because of those weird-ass English kids!" 

"And I can get Kaminari on with Hawks." Shoto agreed. Kaminari nodded intently, looking excited by what was happening. He'd never really had many friends in middle school. Not ones like this, anyway. Just ones that were there because his quirk made him go dumb. These guys were legit, and cool. He finally felt like he maybe mattered here, and like he was doing something. 

"Aizawa can take Neito. I've got the hand circumstance. He has the heart one." Hitoshi agreed. They all looked to Lillian.

"I-I can get on with Nighteye, maybe... He'd be a good match for my quirk. Mirio has mentioned him a few times..." Lillian acknowledged, nodding. She bit the inside of her cheek. Her heart pounded at the thought of more internships, and the thought of a heroes license. It was all coming full circle so terribly fast. She barely had time to stop and catch her breath. "Even if Chad does make it back before then, I... I think we should do it. For Eri, and for Chad." 

"Alright, then it's settled." Neito nodded. He looked between them all, grinning. "Now all that's left is to pass the licensing exam." 

Lillian felt her fists clench and her teeth clack together nervously. Yeah, easier said than done.