Third person pov

They'd lost them. Toshinori couldn't quite believe it. Young Chad had actually managed to lose the Yakuza. His driving skills were truly nothing to gawk at. Though he'd complained the entire time about how they really needed a Subaru if they wanted to efficiently move through the woods, he still seemed to manage just fine. Toshinori could hardly fathom how they didn't crash and total their vehicle. Trees whipped past them, scraping the edges as Chad went at quite frankly insane speeds. A couple of the people tailing them had gotten ballsy and tried to follow them into the brush. They found themselves with a dent in the front of their SUVs not soon after.

Toshinori had been exposed to a variety of different music tastes during his impromptu road trip with Young Chad. He'd never been one to be all into that sort of thing. He didn't listen to tunes in his free time, nor did he keep track of what was in or out. It simply wasn't in his nature, he supposed. Chad was quite the stark contrast to that. Toshinori found himself listening to different genres, ranging from pop, to country, to rock, to grunge. A chaotic soundtrack to go along with their crusade. All Might found himself quite enjoying most of the music Young Chad turned on. Even if they were getting shot at half the time it was playing.

Getting away from the Yakuza was awful. Toshinori was sure they could've done it in a pinch were they both not injured. With each of them down a leg, they were left with no choice but to keep driving and hope for the best. This course of action had clearly worked out for the better. Chad seemed awfully chipper the entire time, and Toshinori had to wonder just how often the young man went through situations just like this. He'd thought about asking, but then Chad had opened the door and used a dirty microfiber wash towel and a straw to take out one of the mafia members who got a little too trigger happy for his liking. They'd made their great escape not long after that.

And now here they were. At a mall drinking boba tea and wandering aimlessly around a Hot Topic. 

"Listen bro, all I'm saying is that my Hot Cash expires tomorrow. I'm not trying to be wasteful." Chad noted as he pushed Toshinori in one of the rentable wheelchairs they had at the front of the mall. He was simultaneously using it as a crutch to keep the weight off his bad foot whilst also carting the previous Number One pro around. Toshinori had tried to talk him out of it, but Chad had ignored him completely. It was pretty obvious the young man exercised selective hearing quite regularly. "Global warming isn't a joke, you know?"

"Is global warming related to this... hot cash of yours?" Toshinori had never really had boba tea before now. It was better than he could recall it being from the few times he had gone out of his way to try it. It was less milky than what he'd had in the past, instead fruity in a refreshing way.

"I mean, I'm sure that shit's related somehow. Like, butterfly effect." Chad decided smartly, eyes scanning the available keychains they had. All Might hadn't recreationally been to a mall in years now, and he could say for certain he hadn't even known Hot Topic even existed. There seemed to be several pop culture references in here. There was lots of hero wear too. Graphic T-shirts alongside dresses, shorts, and even swim suits. It seemed like an outlet his students would like. 

"I see. Is there anything in particular we're on the lookout for?" Toshinori asked mildly. He had tried bringing up the fact that they should really lay low and try to head back towards Musutafu, but that too had been to no avail. Chad had announced that it was 'break time'. All Might really wasn't that familiar with the concept. It felt odd not to be doing something when the situation still seemed so dire. His breaks came when his time ran out previously, but even then he'd find himself doing paperwork and other hero-related activities. Trotting around without a care in the world felt... well, odd, he had to say.

"Bro, no one goes into Hot Topic with something specific in mind unless they saw a TikTok about it or something. Unless they want like, pins or jewelry. I guess some might come for some chimichanga-level graphics to wear. I just know I don't ever come in here unless my inner plate of taquitos had burned recently. You know, like some gunshot stuff." He said offhandedly. Toshinori nodded, not understanding a goddamn word he'd just said. The wheelchair suddenly jolted, nearly ending Toshinori's life. He tried not to choke on the boba stuck in his throat, inhaling hard. Chad gave a gasp. Toshinori pounded a fist against his chest a few times, blinking rapidly. "Holy shit! Look!" 

Toshinori looked. It was a graphic T-shirt that had a picture of his skinnier form on it. He recognizes the image immediately. It's from that fateful day: the day he passed the responsibility of peace onto the next generation. He could still hear the words 'you're next' ricocheting around in his head. The image should've been meaningful. It would've been if not for the fact that instead of pointing at the camera, he had been photoshopped into holding out... a taco. Bloody, beaten, hero costume in tatters, and they edited him holding a taco.

He takes a very long sip of his boba and slowly chews on some of the gelatinous beads, not really sure what's so great about what he's looking at right now. He could even argue that it's the worst thing he's ever seen in his entire life, honestly, but he's not sure he wants to go that far considering his successor shot and killed someone on live television. Did his agency license this merchandise? And if so, is he allowed to ask why? That absolute worst day of his life and he was sure it was for many other people. His meaningful declaration had been turned into... whatever this was. He's not sure. An atrocity at the very least. 

"I'm holding... a taco." Toshinori allows, not sure what else to say. Chad's face appears as he rounds the wheelchair, grinning. He grabs two, turning to him with shining eyes. Toshinori's heart drops.

And that's how All Might finds himself wearing a t-shirt with himself holding a taco on it, Chad bearing a matching one. He still can't get the expression of the cashier out of his mind. He should probably feel ashamed on some level. He can't bring himself to care anymore. It feels like Toshinori has crossed a line recently. A line that leaves him... not really dwelling too long on other people's opinions. He doesn't mind being judged-- don't have any secret he fears being found out at a glance.

It's nice, he decides. 

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

Circles. Led in circles and circles and circles. Overhaul finds his head spinning trying to keep up. He tries to understand how his forces keep getting shot down. Put up against a single man, this should not be as hard as it is. A single, quirkless man. There's an irony in it. There is nothing in him to make stronger, or to take away. It's a new sort of threatening Chisaki has never felt before. He doesn't know how to control it. All he knows is that the world needs a cure, and if he's going to attain that-- grasp it in his gloved hand and never let go-- he needs to get Eri back.

A part of him can't help but admire Chad. No quirk to rely on. Nothing to divide and set him apart. He is what Chisaki envisions for the world. If only Chad could recognize that. Stop meddling and understand that this would help him. No longer would his quirklessness be a slur on people's lips; a sour taste in the back of their throats. There would be no children stuck unable to control their powers, and no heroes using their abilities as an unfair crutch. They would all become commonly unified. Just like Chad, who is living proof just how unneeded all these useless powers are. There is a hierarchy that Chisaki is determined to tumble. It is quite unfortunate that Chad should sit at the top of it so willingly.

He is a fierce protector, Overhaul acknowledges. Of all the things he needs to cleanse, Chad is not one of them. If only he would get out of the way. He doesn't understand how a man can be so strong. He is impressed. Deliriously so. He is entirely surprised the man hasn't discovered their main base of operations; the Shie Hassaikai Compound. They have been blessed so far. He knows Chad will not hesitate to burn them to the ground. He admires him for that. It is a twisted sort of idolization, he finds. He wishes he had a reason to hate the man. As frustrating as he is, Chisaki acknowledges fully that he is clean. He has remained untouched by the plague that has taken over humanity. Any heroic actions he takes, Chisaki knows, are not a sickness or syndrome. It's perfect. 

Eri is different now, he knows. He hadn't been all that concerned with getting her back at first. The situation had been simple back then, when they had much of her DNA and blood stored for future use. A delivery driver saw a child on the street and picked them up in a panic. A simple misunderstanding that would easily be resolved as soon as she was brought to the police. Something they could take their time with. His organization was not so small that they would not have people on the inside, after all. This was something they could cover up with little to no trouble at all. Or it would have been had he actually done what Chisaki had assumed. There were variables that had come into play he had not been aware of before. It was an oversight on his part.

Chad didn't go to the police. He didn't go to the heroes, either. In an unexpected act of vigilantism, Chad Takami took matters into his own hands and decided to deal with it his own way, on his own time, with his own resources. It was... a shock. He was forced to regroup when Chad launched an attack at one of their many locations, injuring several and getting them incapacitated. It was from sheer luck alone that he struck a more minor facility of theirs. One that had the sole purpose of bringing in money-- not information. They weren't able to give the police much. They simply worked there, handling the illegal materials they imported and sold off to black market deals for profit. The police were left in the dark. Chad, apparently, was not.

Chad was a terrifying and impressive force. Were he to join them, they would surely be invincible. Chisaki had been convinced he would at one point. He could see now how foolish he'd been. This was getting serious. Eri was not the scared little girl with a curse he could recall. She seemed to have grown under Chad's influence, the backbone she'd previously lacked growing rather inconveniently. It hadn't been all that long since she'd been with him. The more time passed, the harder it was to get their hands on her. That wouldn't do. It simply wouldn't. They were running out of materials, and had been since she'd been taken. The challenge had been nearly amusing at first. But Overhaul was done playing games. He'd been done the moment intel came back reporting Chad and Eri moving onto UA's campus.

They'd reacted accordingly and gotten Chad when he was out, more open in their attempts. Chisaki would've loved to stay underground a little longer. He lived under the radar, as did the rest of their movement, but it was time for the Yakuza to take back what was theirs and return to their former glory. To do this, they needed the cure-- this world needed the cure. Chad was isolated, visiting a prison of all places with the shell of a symbol and a detective that could tell lies from the truth. He sent full forces after him, injuring him successfully. This new viciousness with which they attacked wasn't for naught. They managed to catch him. Though they had been unable to keep him, it was still a vast improvement. Chad had been coming after them with bared teeth and blazing guns for months on end now. He supposed it was about time they returned in full.

Chisaki was wearily waiting for the perfect time to fully reveal himself. He knew Chad was after him specifically for all that had gone on with Eri. He wished the young man weren't so ignorant. Could he not see this was for the better? As cunning as he was, he could not see the full vision that had laid itself out so clearly in Chisaki's mind. With All Might fallen, it was abundantly clear it was time to let him know. He was king of the underworld now that All For One was gone. Chad needed to know that. Needed to know what was at stake, and that who he was messing with had become a lot more dangerous than before. 

It's why he'd sent men so openly. He hadn't actually expected Chad to make it all the way back here. He'd just wanted his message to be communicated in no uncertain terms, that was all. To Chad, to the police force, to the heroes, and even to the villains. They were here. And if he could just get Eri again, he knew exactly how to put an end to all inequality. To level the playing field. Things will be just the way they used to be before society became overridden with quirks. He will see to that no matter what.

Besides, one thing had been made abundantly clear during his time studying Chad. The man never left openings. He did not give himself the chance to be attacked-- not unless he was protecting someone else. He was undeniably heroic in that way. Self sacrificing and most certainly a fool, but this was something Overhaul knew he could use, so he wouldn't drag it through the mud too much. The more Chad cared, the more vulnerable he'd be. What sort of man would he be if he didn't capitalize on that? Not a very smart one, surely. 

If he can't get close enough to Eri without going through Chad... well, there's a rather interesting rumor going around that Chad is awfully close to a few of UA's hero course students. 

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

"Kaminari, why are you crying?" Hitoshi sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Neito didn't stop in his attempt to litter his violet hair with tiny purple braids, even as the electric blonde sobbed in the doorway to the room Hitoshi and Shoto had combined. The fireplace crackled happily, the flames sparking suspiciously enough that he had to assume they'd forced Bakugo to use some of his sweat as a fire starter. Was Shoto purposely cooling the room so they could light that? Was it for aesthetics?

"There was a face in the wall!" Kaminari waved a hand in the vague direction of the dumpsters. Lillian shared a look with Katsuki briefly, momentarily wondering if she should say something about that or not. Katsuki shook his head. Lillian shrugged. Sometimes, terrorizing Kaminari was okay. He wasn't nearly mentally disturbed enough yet. "A-And then, it was on the floor! And it had beady little rat eyes! And it looked like- like- like TinTin!" 

"Sounds like a personal problem." Shoto murmured as he tried to get himself back up to his previous Flappy Bird score. Sue him. He was still a little salty about the whole phone-frying incident. Kaminari had his full condolences.

Bakugo snorted as Lillian nodded in total understanding. She'd been massaging his forearms and hands for him when Kaminari walked in, which only made him cry harder. Not because he was against it or anything. He just knew it was only a matter of time before Mr. Aizawa walked by and saw, and that only meant he'd be all the more grumpy tomorrow in class. Not that Kaminari could blame him. Imagine having a super cool, pretty daughter, and they settle for trash like Bakugo Katsuki. 

It was sort of depressing. Kaminari would definitely take personal offense if he were in Mr. Aizawa's shoes. Not that he's going to tell them that. He's definitely on better terms with Lillian now, but he doesn't want to do or say anything to trigger Cranberry Sprite retaliation. Mina and Sero had tried showing him pictures of the soda to get him some form of exposure therapy to no avail. The shivers down his spine were still ever present, and the color that would drain from his face was all too obvious.

"Cry me a river, Kaminari. I saw someone get beheaded." Neito waved a hand. Kaminari stared at him with teary eyes. "Not to downplay your own traumatic experiences, but we're both dumb blondes. Same wavelength, same resistance. Get over yourself."

"That's harsh." Lillian said absentmindedly.

"You got kidnapped and shot at and you're fine." Neito said again. He paused. "Excusing the separation anxiety, crying yourself to sleep, and other various responses."

"Humor's elite though." Lillian shrugged. Bakugo melted as her hands worked out a knot in his left palm. "I can finally make jokes about getting kidnapped and shot at without retaliation. How're they going to tell me it's a sensitive topic? I am the sensitive topic."

"Poggers." Hitoshi said. Kaminari was going to go jump off the dorm roof. He was going to do it. Were they not concerned? A face. He had seen a literal face popping out of a wall, and then out of the floor. What was it doing in there? Why was it talking? Hitoshi didn't seem to notice his growing distress. "I got my hand chopped off."

"Wow. I hadn't noticed." Shoto drawled. "At least my boyfriend didn't turn out to be a lying traitor who almost got our class killed on multiple occasions. Oh, wait." 

Lillian eyed him for a moment as Katsuki slouched forward, nearly headbutting her. Had he always been that salty? Was this new? Did it need to be addressed? Actually, don't answer that. There were a lot of things that needed to be addressed, and right now wasn't the time. They were about to start their work studies! Maybe! They would be if Mirio and Amajiki knew what was good for them. She'd made it pretty clear what would happen if they didn't talk to the heroes they interned under. Past Lillian would've been horrified. Present Lillian knew better.

"I mean this from the bottom of my heart, Kaminari." Lillian paused in her massaging so she could look the blonde teen in the eyes. "Cope." 

Shoto looked vaguely impressed for some reason, muttering to himself about putting that one in his notes app. Kaminari stared desolately back at his freckled friend and her menace of a boyfriend who actually wasn't her boyfriend, apparently. Kaminari wished someone would swoop in and snatch Lillian up just so he could see the look on Katsuki's face when he realized what a coward he was for waiting. If anyone was going to do that, it wasn't going to be Denki, that's for sure. Bakugo was scary as all hell, don't get him wrong. Lillian, on the other hand... yeah, a thousand times worse. Maybe they really did deserve each other.

Lillian's phone gave a buzz that drew her attention away from Katsuki. The boy looked disgruntled as she leaned back and swiped it off the floor, brows furrowing. Her fingers flew across the screen for a moment. Katsuki and Hitoshi watched with mild interest. Kaminari was too busy wiping his face and sniveling like the whiny ass baby he was to really notice. He did go plop down next to Shoto, who eyed him suspiciously and moved his phone a bit further from the teen. Kaminari was tempted to spark a little just to see what he'd do. He didn't want to get thrown into the fireplace though, so maybe he'd have to try that when there was more distance.

The girl was quiet for a moment. Katsuki raised a brow.

"Want to fill us in?" 

"Endeavor got prison shanked and now my twitter is blowing up about it, and apparently Chad and All Might were spotted at a mall in matching T-shirts."

"What the actual fuck?"