874Sorry for disappearing for so long! Looking back I was honestly a bit burnt out on MHA, so between that, deep-diving into the One Piece fandom and the rescue arc needing to be planned/handled carefully, the hiatus went longer than I expected. I also wanted to try to get my buffer up since the rescue arc is so particular. The buffer is... not up. I have PART of 130 written, so uh, yeah.
But it's been long enough and I've figured out the general order of how to do everything, so at long last, here's Chapter 129!
Chapter 129
.::Casing for the Big Sting::.
The bar was full of quiet chatter as usual when the door opened. A few glanced at it briefly, their gazes becoming keener at the unfamiliar face that entered. New faces were rare in a bar frequented exclusively by villains, after all, and naturally suspicious. The man himself didn't look too out of place though, between the long dark coat and the ugly purple scars coloring his jaw and beneath his eyes.
He strode to the counter with a casual gait, hands shoved in his pockets and expression relaxed despite being surrounded by potential enemies. Kurogiri watched his approach keenly even as he cleaned a glass, the man slipping into an empty stool at the counter. By now most of the bar had turned their attention to the newcomer, even as they continued speaking at a lower volume.
"May I help you?" Kurogiri asked, not one to beat around the bush with strangers.
"I'm here for a 'bloody angel on the rocks,'" the newcomer said.
If the request confused Kurogiri, his misty face didn't show it. "I see. We are out of ingredients for that particular drink, so I hope you do not mind another."
"Fine by me. Just give me something else then, I guess. Maybe a star cocktail?"
"Very well." At once the undercurrent of tension in the air vanished, everyone returning to their previous conversations. Kurogiri meanwhile turned to the shelf to pluck a bottle of apple brandy, vermouth and bitters, pouring them into a mixing glass filled with several ice cubes. As he stirred the drink he commented, "I have not had someone request a star cocktail after a bloody angel before."
"Well, I can't really drink something made up, right?" Dabi snarked. "What would even go into something called a bloody angel, anyway? Tomato juice?"
"From our conversation when we settled upon that name, likely that or blood orange juice. However, that is not quite the point I was making." Kurogiri poured the completed drink into a cocktail glass and pushed it forwards, the chilled glass growing foggy around the orange liquid. "The second requested drink is code for the one who told the person about our establishment."
"Oh, no, I know exactly what that refers to," the scarred man said with a smirk as he accepted the glass. "I like to go by Dabi. But chances are you've heard of me from that woman as 'Totoro.'"
Kurogiri blinked placidly at the introduction. "Ah, yes, she has mentioned you a... few times. Usually while drunk and rather... displeased."
Dabi snorted as he took a sip. "Well, to be fair, she did think I was dead for a while for reasons beyond my control."
"I refer to after she confirmed you were alive, and when you decided to disappear a second time. And then a third." Dabi just rolled his eyes, biting back his usual snarky comments as he sipped from the sweet martini. "If I may be so forward, what brings you here? Her commentary led me to believe you're not the type to visit this sort of establishment, at least without her."
"Boredom, I guess, and a little curiosity. Won't lie, I'm kinda surprised this is an actual bar. And stylish, too," he said lightly as he glanced at the floors, which had a black with a white zigzag pattern as opposed to the usual wood grain. Paired with the red and blue walls, it created a distinct atmosphere that felt a step above the usual moody ambiance he found in bars. "She said it was, but I'd expected it to be a bit more bare-bones and disorganized since it's part of a villain hideout. No offense."
"None taken. I take pride in my work here, and the profits do give us welcome extra funding. Though I take it that you're not...?"
He trailed off, but Dabi picked up his meaning. "Nah, haven't fully committed to the 'dark side' or anything yet. Like I said, mostly here out of boredom and curiosity after hearing about this place. That, and I wanted to get out of the damn cold and wind for a bit." He chuckled lowly while pulling out a pack of cigarettes, asking, "Do you got any problems with people smoking in here?"
"Besides the obligatory objections for your health, no."
The remark merited a snort from the burnt man, a small flame flickering on his finger to light the end of a stick. "This is for my health, actually. Let's just say my Quirk has some special needs even with the... solution she gave me."
As they spoke no one noticed a sliver of black extend from Dabi's pants to touch the floor, slipping into the black and moving around the counter.
"So, let's get talking strategy," Spinner said, rubbing his hands together. "How are we going to do this?"
"First off, we already decided we're breaking into four teams," Dabi began. "Team one is distraction, team two is in charge of extraction. I don't think I need to elaborate what each one does, but if it's not obvious, team one makes shit go down so team two can sneak in and get everyone out. You, Froggy, are on team three, playing escort for team two after the escape so they can safely reach the getaway vehicles driven by team four."
"I'm on escort duty too," Ojiro piped up. "I wanted to go in as part of the rescue team, but..."
"Looking Glass and I can only use her Quirk on people we touch with our hands," Monoma picked up with a shrug. "There are four people in need of rescue, so we can't take in any more people than absolutely necessary."
"I still want to help there too," Todoroki murmured, which went ignored just like his previous protests to that effect.
"Eraserhead has a broken leg though, right?" Tsuyu asked, a finger on her chin. "Can any of you carry him, kero?"
"Yes, well... that's where things get tricky," Monoma allowed with a slight grimace. "It's more his build than his weight that's the issue. Based on what we know, Hitoshi is the tallest person in this operation, and, well..."
"It's still gonna be really awkward carrying a full-grown man," Kaminari finished flatly.
"Which is where I come in," Dabi said. "I'm on the extraction team too, along with potentially Floaty. Ideally it'll just be me since I can carry him and play defense if shit goes sideways."
The frog girl tilted her head at the information. "But even if it's just you, that will leave five people, kero, meaning one person will have to be visible."
"Which will be me. Because one, like I just said, I can play defense if shit goes sideways." He let blue flame flicker atop his palm for emphasis. "And two... Well, we've got—"
He was cut off by shuffling from the front of the warehouse, and they turned to see Jirou crawling through the hole in the door they used as an entrance. "Okay, there better be another way to get in," she grumbled as she stood up, moving so Kuroiro and Hagakure could crawl through after her.
"I have searched, but alas, that seems to be the only entry point that would not compromise this building's insulation," Tokoyami said.
"Does that mean the only other options would need us to break windows or doors then?"
"Yes."
"Darn."
"Anyways, we're here now!" Hagakure said cheerfully. "Gentle, Crawler, Occhan and Kendo are all going to get the van."
"Good timing, we were just going over the plan," Dabi said. "Specifically, the part we're doing tonight."
Hagakure lit up at that. "YES! This is OUR specialty!"
"Do you mean theft?" Tsuyu asked curiously, and the phantom thief girl laughed.
"Exactly!"
"I guess a rescue operation is kinda like a heist," Kaminari said thoughtfully.
"Not just kinda, but exactly like heists!" Hagakure cheered with a clap. "Down to me and Shikkun's specialty: scouting the location in advance!"
Shihai kept his cool as his head poked out of the floor, hood pulled over his distinct white hair and collar over his mouth to leave him little more than a black blob. The hall directly behind the bar was empty at the moment, which was good since the only black on the flooring was a floor mat right by the door. The building's nature as a former hospital was obvious, the floors a sterile-looking light green tile and the walls a slightly dirty white.
Traversing solely through black wouldn't be an option here, but it rarely was. He emerged fully and began walking down the hall in a random direction, his steps light and soundless even as he kept his gait casual. Shihai had done solo infiltrations before, and in this circumstance he knew acting like he belonged was his best bet if he ran into anyone.
Not that he planned to.
As he neared a corner he could hear voices from ahead, and casually pulled a thin black scarf from his pocket to toss to the floor. He didn't break stride as he stepped onto it and merged into the darkness, sinking into the small square of fabric. The voices grew louder and clearer as they presumably turned the corner, one calling, "Oi, what's that on the floor?"
"Looks like a scarf?"
"Ugh, seriously? What is with people and leaving their stuff in the halls?"
"I wouldn't touch that. Never know what kind of shit that can do. Could be boobytrapped for all we know."
"Don't need to remind me. Wouldn't put it past some of the psychos around here to leave something that'd explode as a prank..." Their voices grew more distant as they moved on, and after several seconds Shihai emerged and picked up the scarf as he quickly rounded the corner. This stretch of hall was just as empty as the last, and he continued his search in silence.
Already he was mentally mapping the place, having developed a knack for it thanks to his Quirk. Spatial awareness mattered a lot when you merged with your surroundings, and since joining with Gentle Criminal he'd specifically trained that skill for heists. Aiba had managed to find a floorplan of the building to further help with his task, with a printout currently stashed in his pocket.
His eyes soon lit upon a door the floorplan had clearly marked as a bathroom, and he quickly slipped inside to check the paper. Most of it was unlabeled save for room designations and bathrooms, limiting its usefulness. They'd narrowed down some of the likely locations for prisoners though, so his priority would be to check those.
The sounds of approaching voices had him stilling, holding his breath. "Can't I please go see Mido-chan?" a girl asked, almost whined. "He's gotta be so lonely and bored!"
"I already said no," a different, raspier voice replied, sounding faintly irritated. "I told you, you're a bad influence when he's like this. You can see him after the episode ends."
"But Toooomuuuu—"
"No buts, Toga! Hah, seriously, why do you even want to play with him so much?"
"Tomu, you're not supposed to scratch your neck."
"Sh-shut up!"
"And I want to play with him because I'm worried! He's gotta be lonely since you won't let Jackie or Tsuki-chan visit, right? And you didn't even go have dinner with him tonight! Has he even seen anyone today?"
"Of course, I gave him breakfast."
"And then left right away!"
"Tch, I couldn't help it, we had work stuff today..." The voice faded as they moved away, likely turning the corner and leaving the hall, but Shihai didn't dare move for a full minute. That man had to be Shigaraki, the leader of the Villain Alliance and the man who could disintegrate anything touched. In that light, Shihai suspected hiding in the bathroom was much safer than leaving the scarf on the floor. The man might not be so willing to ignore it if he was irritated.
With that in mind, he waited for a second and then a third minute to pass before finally emerging, heading the direction their voices had come from. It would be safer to avoid them, and they came from one of the areas they'd marked anyway. As he turned another corner he spied a long streak of black smeared on the wall, making him smirk before merging with it. Whether the results of some bored villain or a prank gone wrong didn't matter. He zipped through the halls to continue his search.
"So Kuroiro just walks around to scope the place while Dabi hangs out in the bar talking about Aiko," Jirou mused after the explanation finished. "Huh. That's pretty bold."
"Sometimes you gotta take risks," Dabi said with a loose shrug. "And besides, me being friends with Aiko gives me a cover to walk around the base so I can be there when the extraction happens."
"What if she shows up though?" Kaminari piped up. "Won't that, like, cause problems or something?"
"Denki, don't say that!" Ashido hissed before Dabi could reply. "You'll just jinx us again!"
"Stuff always goes wrong with us," Jirou said blandly. "Seriously, when was the last time anything we tried went right?"
"Yeah, but you don't need to jinx us and make it worse!"
"This really isn't helping my confidence in you people," Ojiro murmured.
"Honestly, even if she does show up it'll be fine," Dabi said dismissively before the conversation could derail further. "She's mentioned the bar to me a couple times, I can just say I wanted to take a break from looking for Shouto and get sloshed. Not that I expect her to show up though, I texted her earlier and she's got some other stuff going on tonight."
"I feel like you saying that just makes it even more likely," Ashido grumbled as she sagged almost comically.
"Well, if she does, I still know how to handle her. So don't worry about her, and leave scoping out the place to me and void-boy over there."
"Don't call me that," Kuroiro grumbled, his irritated scowl almost glowing against his face.
"How long will that take?" Asui asked, and the void-like boy's mouth closed as he thought it over.
"Since La Brava already got the floorplan, not too long. I just need to find everyone's locations and confirm the best exit points. Maybe an hour? Two at the most?"
"This facility is far smaller than most of our targets," Tokoyami added. "We're used to infiltrating skyscrapers and office buildings with advanced security systems. The presence of villains will make this more dangerous than most, but this is almost childishly simple compared to some of our previous heists."
Kuroiro and Hagakure both nodded in agreement, their confidence easing everyone's nerves. "So I guess that means everyone else will just have to wait until you're done with that, then?" Monoma asked.
"Not exactly," Kuroiro said. "Scoping the interior is only half of the scouting process."
"We have to figure out where to go after leaving the building!" Hagakure continued, clapping her hands with a giant grin. "And that's where me and Occhan will come in!"
"This is so weird," Ochako whispered to Tooru, keeping her voice low.
"Is it really? This is, like, super basic surveillance stuff! We do this during training exercises at school all the time!"
"I meant the invisible part."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess that's weird if you're not used to it." Tooru gave a soft, sheepish-sounding huff that bordered on a laugh, a puff of breath appearing in the cool winter air. The only visible sign of their presence.
They currently stood on a rooftop not too far away from the Villain Alliance's base, just scoping out the general area for escape routes and activity. Tooru had her hand wrapped around Ochako's arm to keep them both invisible and they tried to keep quiet, and it still felt bizarre. Every time she looked down her brain would expect to see her body, and then mildly glitch and panic when she instead saw nothing. She found it better to focus on their surroundings, since that was the whole reason they were here.
The area was rundown and largely empty, most people getting off the streets especially as night had started to fall. Even during the day, there probably wouldn't be much traffic though; the area just had that shady vibe that kept people away. Ochako had passed through this part of town before, during her initial search for Deku, and had written it off at the time. Now that she was looking at the base, she was surprised to realize she'd actually passed it back then.
Well, it was for the best she hadn't found it. As everyone repeatedly reminded her.
"As far as bases go, this one feels underwhelming," a voice remarked dryly behind her, reminding her that they weren't alone. Despite initial plans to just have her and Tooru scope the area, Monoma and Ojiro had successfully argued to be allowed to join the scouting expedition. They would both be there for the escape, so it would go smoother if they knew the layout of the area in advance.
Ochako couldn't see them—Monoma had naturally copied Tooru's Quirk—but his tone didn't sound too impressed. "I know they can't stand out, but I expected more."
"You guys operate out of tunnels, abandoned restaurants and karaoke bars, and other abandoned places," she pointed out flatly. "An abandoned hospital's not that weird."
"I don't think it's weird," Ojiro said, "but it's still hard to believe such a massive organization operates out of there." And that it apparently has a bar despite being supposedly abandoned." They'd seen three people enter the base since they reached the roof (not including Dabi), and it had only been ten minutes.
"Well, they have to keep it subtle or police will find them," Tooru said. "Unless they have some legitimate business they can use as a front, this place is a pretty good choice. Isolated area but not too isolated, low traffic..."
"Okay, that sounds like you have way too much experience with this stuff," Ojiro piped up flatly. "There's only what, four or five of you?"
"Yeah, but uh, my life in this world is really weird," Tooru whispered almost sheepishly, which just raised more questions like it usually did. Ochako didn't get a chance to ask before Tooru's voice audibly perked up as she quickly continued, "Anyway, let's just focus on scouting! So, the getaway car will be waiting that way!"
"Uh, Tooru, we can't see where you're pointing," Ochako said after a moment.
"Oops, sorry! Forgot! Look towards the building with the gazebo-thing on the roof." It didn't take too long to find the building in question; it was about two blocks away and looked just as abandoned as the rest of the area. A large wooden roof-like structure had been set up on the roof at some point, but had clearly been neglected with how it seemed crumbled. "They should be parking like, a block past there. So, we need to figure out at least three routes to get there from the base!"
"Three?" Monoma repeated.
"Yeah! We need multiple options in case something goes wrong! And also, we don't know which exit we'll be using yet, so we gotta consider that too."
Once again, Ochako was struck by the sheer experience Tooru's counterpart had in this stuff as the other girl explained. She spoke so plainly and confidently, like she'd truly done it dozens of times before; this went beyond memories seeping through her subconscious like the other jumpers. It felt almost, almost like another person, and made Ochako wonder about how much her own counterpart differed from herself.
Dwelling on that wouldn't do any good, so she quickly banished the thought. "Should we split up then?" Monoma asked. "There's four of us anyway."
"Ooh, true!" Tooru agreed eagerly. "We can cover more ground twice as fast!"
"Sounds good to me," Ochako said. "Then I'll go with Monoma, and Ojiro can go with Tooru!"
There was a beat of silence. "I'm sorry, what?" Ojiro asked. "Why are we splitting up that way?"
"Because everything we've heard the past two days makes me think you guys will just try to sneak into the Alliance base if we leave you alone," she replied flatly. "So if we split up, it's got to be with one of us."
"Hey," Ojiro growled. "Do you really think we'll—"
"Fine," Monoma interrupted, and Ochako could almost picture the look of shock Ojiro must sport despite having never seen such an expression on his face. And as if also sensing it, Monoma added pointedly, "The sooner we finish scouting, the sooner we can rescue Hitoshi."
Ojiro fell pointedly silent, while Ochako felt relieved that Monoma seemed willing to cooperate. That had been the single reason the duo had to argue to join the scouting trip; no one trusted them to be truly patient with Shinsou so close by. "Let's get down and then we can split up," she said.
"Oh, hold on, there's more people coming!" Tooru whispered, and they all fell silent as they turned to see more people had appeared at the end of the street. A duo this time, one in a long coat and a hat pulled over their head, and the other noticeably large and bulky under their poncho-style coat with the hood pulled up.
The four teens held their breath as the pair walked briskly towards the hospital, bypassing the door to the bar and circling the building's corner out of their sight. They stayed close to it though, making it clear the building was their destination. "Looks like there's another entrance over there," Ojiro murmured. "Think those guys are part of the Alliance?"
"Would make sense to have some other entrance besides the bar," Monoma huffed softly. "We'll have to keep that one in mind too." Ochako nodded in silent agreement, before remembering they couldn't see her. At which point she groaned softly.
"Occhan?" Tooru asked.
"It's nothing." She really couldn't get used to the invisibility. "Let's just hurry—wait, is that a pizza delivery person?" All of them turned sharply to see another figure, this one on a scooter with a black bag and jacket bearing a pizza-shaped logo.
"Did they seriously order pizza?" Ojiro asked incredulously as they watched it pull around the corner of the hospital like the other duo.
"This is so weird," Ochako said, and the others could only nod in agreement. Not that she could see it.
"Okay, so what about the rest of us?" Spinner asked once Monoma finished arguing his case on why he and Ojiro should join the expedition. A debate which had lasted until the rest of the group arrived with the van, and then lasted another ten minutes until he won. "Do we just sit around waiting?"
"I guess so," Kendo said with a shrug. "There's not much for us to do."
"Yes, patience is an important skill for phantom thieves," Gentle Criminal said with a sage nod, sipping from a teacup. Where the teacup came from, no one really knew nor cared enough to ask. "Especially in early preparation stages leading up to the heist, it is important to take our time to ensure success. We can only wait here elegantly for the others to complete their tasks."
"This isn't really a heist though," Jirou muttered.
"It's close enough!" Hagakure said brightly.
"It... kinda is," Uraraka said sheepishly. "It's got all the same steps for preparation at least, or it sounds like it?"
"This is actually really exciting!" Ashido added, eyes sparkling gleefully. "I feel like we're in an action movie!"
"We're hero students, that basically sums up our lives."
"Nah, I'm with Mina on this one!" Kaminari flashed a bright grin. "This is like one of those crime thriller movies about those super-elaborate heists in them!"
"...There is something seriously wrong that we're excited to do something like this," Jirou sighed, but her voice had a note of acceptance.
"So we're just waiting here?" Crawler asked before the conversation could derail further. "I mean, I'm cool with waiting, but... This place is kinda cold. And creepy without proper lighting." There was a pause as everyone took that in and glanced around. The warehouse was pretty chilly, even with a fire from Todoroki's Quirk to generate some warmth. It was also dim, and growing dimmer as sunset approached.
There was a long moment of silence. "Maybe we can all go out somewhere for dinner at least?" Kendo finally suggested, which led to a chorus of general agreements.
"That's fine by me," Todoroki said with a shrug. "Can we get soba?"
"Oh yeah, I haven't had soba in ages!" Ashido exclaimed, before abruptly drooping as she groaned, "But wait. I kinda stand out, and am also kinda missing."
"Yeah, we've got a few people who stand out," Jirou agreed, eying Spinner and Tokoyami as she said that. "No offense to you guys."
"Yeah, no, I get it," Spinner sighed. "We really don't want to draw attention now."
"That won't be a problem!" Gentle Criminal declared, pulling out a phone. "As it just so happens, I have the perfect venue for a private meal."
"I can't believe we got us a whole private floor," Mina said with a heavenly sigh as she cut into her chicken. "And this food is great too!"
"Thank you, my dear!" Gentle Criminal replied with a magnanimous smile as he sipped his tea. "I shall be sure to pass on your compliments!" Mina made a muffled sound of contentment, her mouth already full as she voraciously dug into her meal. True to his word, the phantom thief had managed to secure the second floor of a rather nice restaurant so they wouldn't have to worry about being seen or recognized. Everyone had scattered across the various tables to enjoy the meals, a pleasant atmosphere descending upon the room.
Mostly, anyway. "Anyone else weirded out by the workers wearing sunglasses and face masks?" Denki whispered as a server left after depositing a tray of bread in front of him. So far since coming to the second floor, the workers all wore sunglasses and black fabric masks, along with black bandanas over their heads. They never said a word beyond asking for orders, which added to their imposing presences.
"This place is totally a front for villains, isn't it," Crawler sighed, even as he ate his own meal with an air of resignation.
"Yep," Kendo, Spinner and Asui chorused flatly.
"Technically, this restaurant is a perfectly legitimate business," Tokoyami said, totally nonplussed as he ate his rice. "It just happens to have some... unsavory connections, hence their secrecy and caution."
"What he means is, there is no illegal activity performed here," Gentle cut in. "At worst, the second floor is used for more clandestine meetings. This is actually quite nostalgic," he added with a faint smile as he set his teacup down. "This is where we met with Karasu to help formalize our working relationship."
"If there's no crimes here, that's good enough for me!" Mina cheered, and turned her attention to Shouto who sat across from her. "Hey, Shouto, is the soba as good as the chicken?"
Shouto blinked placidly at the question, slurping up some noodles before answering. "I haven't had the chicken, but this is some of the best soba I've ever had," he declared. "I'll need to see if this restaurant exists in our world."
Mina made an enthusiastic sound of agreement, while Kyouka glanced out the window at the street below. Darkness had nearly completely fallen thanks to this night being cloudier than most, but it was still just as lively as ever. Plenty of people were roaming the streets, heading to nearby restaurants and bars to unwind after work. It seemed the restaurant was in a pretty popular and trendy area.
With their luck and the way this world was, there would probably be a villain attack.
"Is everything alright, kero?" Tsuyu asked across from her, and Kyouka huffed a small sigh before turning away from the window with a shrug.
"Probably. Just paranoid as usual, I guess."
"Paranoia saves lives in this world," Tsuyu said almost automatically, which had Kyouka blinking in surprise. "Sorry, habit, kero. Any specific reason you're paranoid?"
"Nah, just how our luck usually runs, I guess."
Tsuyu seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. "That's fair, kero. Stuff does seem to go wrong a lot lately. Like with Present Mic-san, or Crawler-san showing up, kero."
Kyouka huffed and smirked slightly. "Yeah. I hope nothing will go wrong with the rescue, but... Actually, strike that," she amended. "I'm not getting my hopes up for that, it's pretty much guaranteed something will happen. So I just want everyone to at least come out of this alright."
"I hope so too," Tsuyu agreed, offering a familiar and reassuring smile that had Kyouka relaxing a bit. She might not be their Tsuyu, but she still had the same steady and comforting presence. Some things really didn't change, it seemed. Even with the fact Kyouka knew things would go wrong, just having Tsuyu there helped when the shouts of alarm sounded from outside to confirm her paranoia was justified.
The others quickly got up to hurry over while the two girls snapped their heads towards the window. In the span of their conversation a new figure had appeared in the center of the busy street, the pedestrians below backing away from it. Steam emanated around their feet, the figure standing perfectly motionless with head drooped forward yet managing to produce an air of uneasiness that reached even up there.
"Okay, I'm guessing that guy just appeared out of no where if they're reacting like that," Kendo said.
"He wasn't there a minute ago, kero," Tsuyu confirmed.
"Yeesh, that's one freaky looking guy," Crawler muttered.
"Oh come on, just because someone looks different doesn't mean they're bad!" Spinner huffed, to which the elder vigilante held up his hands in mock-surrender.
"I know, but usually they're not shirtless in winter. And don't have some part of their Quirk visibly active like with that steam." He scratched his head as he glanced back and muttered, "Actually, I'm kinda getting some 'instant villain' vibes from this..."
While they mused about the figure the four jumpers just stared out the window in shock, barely believing their eyes. "Guys, please tell me that's not what I think it is," Mina all but whimpered.
"I can't, because I think it is," Kyouka replied thickly, her gaze riveted on the figure's clearly exposed brain. And Shouto's voice sounded beside her and served as a death knell as he confirmed their fears.
"That's a noumu."