Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who came to the livestream to see Dave freak out! Hazing him was so fun and the chat was just wild. It was actually amazing and we made him so happy and confused the ever living fuck out of him. So much milk, CEO of click, Chad, and of course, only Sox. AND ALL STAR HOW ICONIC I CANT EVEN I CANNOT WHEN HE PULLED THE GUITAR OUT AND HIS DOG ALRIGHT ALRIGHT THE REAL ONES KNOW

Butter. I can't believe it's not her. 

If you're a member of the click cult/dairy cult please drop a comment we're all friends now thank you I don't make the rules.

strong bone from milk no butter no butter

Third person pov

The raw fear that raced through Harper when she realized just what was happening was unlike anything she'd ever felt. A heavy dread that made her feel sick to her stomach settled over her like a heavy fog, and the shock from how unexpected it was threatened to paralyze her. Stretching forward towards the middle of the trail where her aunt should've been at the checkpoint with Tiger and Pixie-bob, Harper was horrified to find that they were far from alone. Unwanted company had appeared from seemingly nowhere, and somehow, Harper hadn't picked up on it. Not even slightly. 

Villains. There were villains up ahead. Neither of them were ones she particularly recognized, but they were there and they definitely weren't good. Pixie-bob was on the ground and without a doubt unconscious, which sent Harper's mind through a loop that made her head pound even more. Harper hardly noticed the pain. She was too preoccupied with the sudden intake of information. Normally, she would've been calm. Told Bakugo and decided how to act next. But there was only one thought in her mind at this moment. Only one person.

"Bakugo." Harper felt like crying. There was something unseen wrapping around her throat and making it hard to breathe. She was panicking. Panicking wasn't something she'd truly done in a long time. Not to this extent. But it was warranted, she thought. The threat put before them was genuine and real, and she had personal attachments warping her ability to put on a calm exterior. "We need to go find my cousin Kota. Now."

Bakugo stared at her, trying to figure out what was wrong by her expression alone. She still had a grip on his arm, and she wasn't letting go. Not because she didn't want to, but because she felt frozen. Like her world had just shattered. Her heart had never beat this fast before. Was her aunt going to be okay? What about Pixie-bob? Where were her other classmates, and was Kirishima okay? What about Aizawa? And then there was her little cousin-- her baby cousin. He was so small, and he'd been through so, so much. And she just knew he'd run off to their hideout. It was one Harper and her brother used to hang out at secretly, and Harper had passed the knowledge on to their younger cousin as soon as she thought he was old enough.

"What the hell is going on?" Bakugo asked, voice lowered. He grabbed her arm too, forcing her to look into his eyes and grounding her. Harper stared at him like she was a deer caught in headlights. They had to move. They had to go, now. She had to get a hold of herself. "Something's happening. The fuck did she just pick up on? And why's she need to go find that little kid so suddenly?" 

"Everyone!" Mandalay's voice cut through their minds before Harper could even begin to muster up a reply. Harper blinked, shaking her head a bit. She had to snap out of this and get her motherfucking ducks in a motherfucking row. Now wasn't the time for a breakdown. "Two villains attacked us. It's possible there are more coming. Everyone return to camp immediately. We're regrouping. Do not engage with any enemies." 

Bakugo froze too. Harper sucked in as much air as she could, closing her eyes for a moment. She had to calm down. Things would be fine, but she had to go find Kota now. She was the only one who knew where he was-- barring Izuku, who might've brought him dinner once. She didn't know where the green haired boy was though, or if he'd be going to get her cousin. She couldn't count on a possibility. She had to go get him, with or without Bakugo's help. Harper refused to lose anyone else at this point. Especially not her little cousin.  

"I-I.. I am the only one who knows where Kota is." Harper said shakily. She swallowed thickly, letting go of Bakugo and forcing herself to become more centered. They'd be fine. They'd all be fine, but only if she got her shit together and got her ass in gear. Her quirk was versatile and would allow them to avoid conflict on their way to get Kota, and Bakugo's quirk was explosive and dangerous enough to fight off anyone who they may run across. She had to do this. She could freak the fuck out later. "Bakugo, we have to go get him. I-I can't--"

"Hey, hey, calm the fuck down. We can go get his ass, but only if you chill the hell out." Bakugo said, still not letting go of her. He glanced from side to side, pulling her back closer to the trees so they weren't standing out in the middle of the walkway. Harper took yet another deep breath because it's all she really knew how to do at this point. He was right. She had to get her head on straight and get going. This wasn't going to work otherwise. She just-- villains were attacking the camp. There were villains, and her cousin was in danger. "This isn't like her. She's usually so level-headed. It's got to be her cousin screwing with her. Has she lost someone before? Those brats parents were killed by a villain, right? So her aunt and uncle?" 

"Alright, okay." Harper took a deep breath, ignoring the pang his thoughts brought. The deaths of her aunt and uncle still weighed heavy in her heart, but that was yet another thing she really couldn't dwell on right now. "He isn't... He's not super far from here, but we need to move fast. My quirk-- I can detect any villains so that we can avoid them. We don't need that shit interrupting us on our way there." 

Harper watched Bakugo's jaw clench. The blonde very obviously wanted to engage the enemy and blast them six ways to Sunday, but he also knew he really wasn't supposed to. Harper shook her head and began walking, muttering to herself as she went. Bakugo tromped along with her. There wasn't any time to waste. She had no idea if Kota was safe right now or not. His hideout had such a good vantage point over the camp, so it wasn't completely far-fetched to think that maybe a villain had crawled their way up there. This attack seemed too coordinated and thought-out. She'd actually be shocked if no one thought to perch themselves up there. It pissed her off how likely it was he was in danger. 

"...Alright, fine. Let's go get the little shit and head back to camp." Bakugo nodded, letting out a huff of air. He let go of Harper's arm finally, falling closer into step next to her. Harper gave a grim nod as he scowled. "I won't let shit happen to her or her fucking cousin. Not on my life." 

Harper felt her heart rate settle at that. More deep breaths were taken, and she squared herself away as best she could. Mentally, she noted where they were, where they were going, and how long it would take to get there at this pace. Her quirk, previously so worn out, seemed more willing and malleable now. As though her moment of panic and adrenaline had been just what it needed to wake back up. Harper was glad. Despite how much her head still hurt, she forced her ability out anyway. It stretched, shooting out fast and strong like a bullet. She let it spread out, fanning out like a puddle of spilled water. They could do this. They'd be fine.

"Alright." Harper breathed. "We need to veer left. Unless we want to run into a psychopathic cannibal." 

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

Harper Rye's criminal record was odd in the fact that it had been truly swept under the rug. It was not in any digital file and could not be easily accessed. The whole event she was involved in was so horrible and gruesome that it was insisted it never make the news. The sickness of the entire thing had been vile, and no one could quite blame her for killing someone who was defenseless. Not after all he'd done and all she'd been through. Though she easily could've said it was self defense, as she was a little girl at the time, she didn't. She said firmly that she'd done what she'd done, and that she wouldn't take it back. 

And again, no one could blame her. They didn't want this to ruin her life, as she had many wonderful years ahead of her. Harper Rye probably needed therapy at the time, but any attempt to get her help after the incident was met by kicking and screaming to a near feral extent. Or so the file stated. This was all quite intriguing to Nezu. Harper Rye was so calm and collected. Her getting angry in such a manner didn't seem possible. Though, he did suppose she was a child at the time. She'd clearly mellowed out over the years. Admirable. Very admirable. 

The file was thick and not ever spoken of by the officers who'd been there that day. The only people who knew of it were the people who'd been directly involved, which were very few. There were so many children involved, and so many of them had died. The fact that a pair of kids had gotten to the root of things before the police could was quite frankly embarrassing. So, they decided it was best not to speak of it ever again. The bloodshed was enough to make anyone sick, and the gruesomeness of the event wasn't something anyone would want to remember. 

"What to do with this." Nezu hummed. He thought about talking to Harper Rye about it, but he doubted that would do much but enrage her. This wasn't the sort of thing anyone would want brought up again-- especially someone who'd managed to so successfully recover and move on. Miss Rye was a lot stronger than Nezu had realized. To have grown up rational and sane with minimal issues after something like this? It was astonishing, really. A true miracle. 

This file could ruin her chances at being a hero. And god dammit was she going to be a good one. She was everything a hero needed to be. She would be perfect! One of the best, if not the very best. He had so much riding on her. So much hope and belief in all she would become. He pushed her more and more, much to her annoyance, but she took the load every time and got it done. Some might see her as lazy on surface level, but he'd never seen someone work so hard. She was a determined young woman, and one of the few humans he'd come to respect. 

Nezu hummed once again, glancing at the candle sitting at the corner of his desk. It smelt like lavender-- one of his favorite scents. The small flame flickered at him almost tauntingly. Very few knew this file existed, and those who did were sworn to secrecy and dared not speak of it. Even when he, Nezu, principle of UA and certified super genius had come hunting for it, they still were resistant and fought against him. They clearly had high hopes for Harper Rye as well. They didn't want this getting out either. 

Nezu's lips curled into a smile. With one paw, he brought up his cup of tea to sip. With the other, his picked up the file and held it over the flame.

Watching it catch light was mesmerizing. Enough to make him laugh, really. He watched the fire grow across it, dropping it in the empty trashcan by his desk as soon as the heat got too close. He continued to sip at his own tea as it burned, watching it blacken and turn to ash. He smiled, basking in the heat emanating from it. Yes, he believed. Harper Rye really would be a great hero. 

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

Their whole 'walking carefully through the woods' thing didn't last long. One moment Harper and Bakugo were being careful. Watching their steps and trying not to make too much noise-- especially considering the fact that they'd just inched their way around a literal cannibal who Harper was pretty sure was in a straight-jacket. She couldn't see him, no, but she got the sense that his arms were restrained and his eyes were covered at least partially. It was nerve-wracking trying to avoid him. His thoughts were disjointed, jabbering, and clearly delusional. There was a lot of stopping and starting involved and even Bakugo was sweating by the time Harper deemed them in the clear to start moving a bit faster. 

Their brisk tromp didn't last long. Harper's quirk detected something-- or someone, rather-- creeping up the side of the small mountain Kota was on. The boy had noticed something going on down at the camp and was standing terrified as he tried to figure out what to do. Harper could feel that he was too afraid to run, but that he wanted to go back to camp and knew he should. He was obviously out of Mandalay's range and hadn't heard the message about the attack. Not by much, but he was.  

And then Harper felt him-- the man coming up the mountain. Their mind was dark and sticky and made her face twist into a grimace at first. That was before it settled in that this individual was coming up on her little cousin. Then, the horror set in and Harper was sprinting like her life depended on it. Bakugo shouted after her but picked up the pace as well, racing after her as she jumped over bushes and fought her was through the shrubbery, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might beat its way out of her chest. God fucking dammit. Could she ever catch a break? Could Kota? He was just-- he was so little! Why did he have to deal with so much shit? Why did any of them?!

"A little warning next time, Depresso!" Bakugo shouted as he fell in behind her. "Jesus fucking Christ. I didn't even know she could move that damn fast. Something must be happening with her cousin or some shit. How'd her quirk even work? Does it detect shit? I thought it just detected movements or some bullshit like that, but she called that other bitch out as a cannibal. Whatever. Like I care. At least I'll get to pound a villain's face in. They won't know what hit them." 

"Shut the fuck up, Bakugo!" Harper shouted back, breathing hard. She was too tired and too out of shape for this, but that wasn't going to stop her. She focused her quirk solely on her cousin, listening in to his thoughts and the thoughts of the villain. Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck! They had to get there. Harper would kill herself if anything happened to her cousin. She couldn't lose Kota too. Not after her aunt and uncle, and not after her brother. But they were still so far away, and the villain was there now. 

"Kota. Kota!" Mandalay's voice pierced through Harper's head. Her aunt was trying to reach out to him. Behind her, Bakugo almost tripped at Mandalay's sudden intrusion. "I hope you can hear my voice. Hurry up and come back to camp! I'm sorry, I can't come to you! I don't know where you're always running off to. Forgive me. Just get back home, fast!" 

Harper felt tears sting her eyes. There was a man up there with Kota. Without a doubt a villain. And what could she do about that right now? She could try pushing and pulling, but she wouldn't make it in time. Not with how fucking slow she was, and how high up he was. 

"Who's this brat?" The thoughts of the villain got louder the closer they got. Harper forced herself to go faster. "Looks familiar, actually. Cute hat. He looks terrified. Wonder what his screams will sound like when I kill him." 

"Mom, dad." Kota's thoughts were louder than the villains, overlapping over his. They were full of terror. The fear was palpable. She'd never wanted her cousin to experience emotion like this. She had hoped he'd never have to. "He's... He's the one who killed my mom and dad!" 

Harper felt herself stop breathing. Her mind fell to a halt. She almost stopped running, but didn't. She went on autopilot, her brain muddled. Was he... Was he implying that Muscular was up there? The villain, Muscular, who'd been arrested? Had he... had they broken him out of jail in order to bring him along? But he was locked up at Tartarus-- the same place Stain was! There was no way to get him out of there! Not with how high security it was! It surely would've been reported, right? Unless the prison hid it to avoid inciting panic... fuck. No, no, no! Fuck! 

"Bakugo, go." Harper demanded, her voice hoarse with anger and fear. She glanced back at him, well aware that she was crying. She felt pathetically useless. It was times like these she truly hated her quirk. Times where she wished she could shoot fire like Dabi, or produce strong tape like Sero. Bakugo looked startled to see her so shaken, and so enraged. The anger in her eyes was unlike anything he'd ever seen. She wasn't just pissed. She was beyond that. "He's just up on the mountain ahead. You have to go. I'll meet you there." 

"Harper--" Bakugo was cut off. 

"Katsuki, go!" Harper demanded in a hard tone that left no room for argument. "Now!" 

Harper didn't have time to brace herself before Bakugo was blasting off, sending her stumbling a bit. She regained her balance and kept running, watching as he flew overhead with a shout. This was insane. This was all just fucking crazy and she didn't know what to do. She was regretting not letting Dabi and Kurogiri come along now. She wondered if she could pull on Kurogiri to get him here. They were still attached but--- dammit, she had to keep moving. She had to get there. Harper couldn't keep relying on others and hoping. It was just her right now. Her and Bakugo. 

She started up the steep incline, her shoes slipping in the loose dirt. Her fingers protested as she harshly grappled, but she didn't care. She didn't have time to go all the way around the back and up the narrow trail that would take her up. She had to get up there. Bakugo was blasting up there as Bakugo began to strike. From the corner of her eye, Harper caught a glimpse of something bright and green. Her head snapped in that direction, her eyes tracking Izuku as he flew through the air and right towards where her cousin was standing. She held her breath, her heart racing and hoping.

Right as Muscular's fist came down, an explosion rattled the air. At the same time, Izuku's arms wrapped around Kota, sending the pair of them hurtling out of the way. And though it wasn't much, it was enough for Harper to get a breath of fresh air. They were there. They'd gotten him. And even though they weren't out of the woods yet, they were here. Bakugo and Midoriya wouldn't let anything happen to Kota. Harper wouldn't let anything happen to Kota.

Clenching her teeth, determination set in. She dug her hands in deeper and pushed herself up harder. And steadily, she began to climb.