Chapter 1 - Another Day Another Dead Hero

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The day was just like any other day in the city of Musutafu, Japan. Bright, shiny, and full of heroic hope!....How annoying right? The city was bright, and fun dozens of school kids ran around gawking at heroes, and doing what they always did. It was rather obnoxious that the villains were forced to stay in the shadows like today. It got tiresome to constantly skulk around for fear of being carted off to jail be hero number #44453, and his sidekick punch kick lad. Long were the days where real crime was around now it was just all something out of a comic book. People hoped, dreamed, and desired fame, fortune, and the love of the public but villains saw through all of that disgusting hope. They saw the admiration for what it was: False God worship.

That's why today was going to be a rather eventful Tuesday afternoon as Black Tree had decided to stage not one, or two, but three different bank heists today all at the same time to prove a point that the heroes needed to wake the hell up...it also helped that business has been stagnant thanks to a drug, and racketeering ring behind dismantled by the hero Agent Orange. It was today in this back alley bar in downtown that the members of a subgroup inside of the bowels of Musutafu, Japan that the villains planned their part of the deal.

....


(basement entrance next to bathroom)

Shade Walker sat at one of the bar's tables waiting for the call to move in. They had not been sent out in case the plans had been leaked. Shade Walker was a veteran villain, and renown hero killer. Underneath that long black hooded robe sat a monster of a man. He always wore a striped silver mask with no distinguishing features other than that. It painted the picture of a man without a face. No one really knew who he was outside of his reputation. Some believe he was a former hero to be. Others say he was a slum dog from off the streets. Everyone agreed his quirk was terrifying.

Ghostly Apparition. It was quirk that allowed him to phase in, and out of any physical material allowing him to hard block most heroes. How it worked was up to interpretation as he never shared its full explanation but he went into battle wearing chains he used to break bones, necks, and tangle up enemies. He would often phase through opponents leaving them a helpless mess. He was most renown for once killing a large group of congressional politicians with a IED during an important emergency meeting effective crippling Japan's government for almost a week. He used his power to strike fear into any hero with physical abilities, and heroes dreaded him so much that they say that his mere presence increased the chances of victory by at least 15%. At one point it was said he permanently crippled a top ranking hero.

He was not wearing his infamous chains right now but he ran his hands across the map of the area they were going to be sent to. They were scarred, and ashy looking adding to his ghostly appearance. He grumbled words unbidden to anyone nearby him as he went over his plan.

At the Bar sat Captain East...an ex-hero turned most wanted villain. After murdering his ex-wife, and five of his best friends one night he was picked up by Black Tree after an extensive search for him. The man still wore his hero gear despite his darker occupation. He stunk of booze as his blonde hair, now greasy and disheveled unlike his Adonis looks during his hero days, clung to his face. His hair was short cut, and his skin a tanned white. Long were the days where he proudly declared 'Look towards the East it burns shining red!' now he just sat there waiting for his next assignment. He was at one point the #4 hero in all of Japan, AND the US. He had many admirers, and he had many friends. However what broke him so badly he kept to himself. He was often partnered with Shade Walker in order to keep a close eye on him. His hero gear was standard garb. A white shit emblazoned with an E on the center with bright red. A bright blue cape that was gaudy but fashionable. Red boots, and a utility belt. His gloves were blue as well and were specially made, alongside his boots, to handle his own quirk, Man of Tomorrow which granted him...no real super power per say however all of his physical abilities were unmatched. He could jump up onto the top of a tall skyscraper, punch through steel like paper, and clap hard enough to create small sonic booms. A juggernaut by any other words. But all he was doing now was sitting drinking and spilling even more booze on his clothes now losing their color. He had little interest in anything now of days often giving blank stares he followed orders of the Blackened. That was all he was needed to do.

The person who specialized in transporting the people to places, usually as a getaway driver, sat playing at the arcade machine. He growled in annoyance as the game beat him for the umpteenth time. He looked like a typical street level thug but he could open portals to other areas at will, even multiple ones, though he was no technically affiliated with the group he was well known, and respected in the community for his work ethic even if he was childish, and rude at times. He made sure everyone got where they wanted to go, and only left when things got way to hot for even him. The bartender was a simple henchmen according to Shade Walker nothing more to note of him other than the fact that he looked like a butler.

The upper bar may look normal but underneath was a hidden maze of workshops, and training areas designed, and made by the Blackened's own personal company in order to get everyone in shape. It was a stellar amazing hideout. As the dull sound of jazz played in the background everyone was simply waiting for the phone to ring...

---

Ryuuji had opted to stay outside for the moment.

It wasn't to say that he hated bars. He's hung out there multiple times to pass the time and whatnot. But sometimes, just sometimes, he hated having the smell of alcohol and smoke sticking to his clothing. Today was one of those times. He sat down on the bench, looking around with little interest. The alley was just beside the bench and he could just teleport whenever he wished. Everyone around him was too drunk, too high, or just doesn't care enough to notice him anyway. It was one of the reasons why he loved this place. He was unassuming. No one suspected him of anything. Heroes rarely passed by too. It was perfect. Besides, he could scout the people out too. They were on standby after all, wouldn't want anyone stumbling into the bar and whatnot.

Ryuuji wasn't sure when he got on this gig, and why he did. What had pushed him to do something like this. He would often think about it whenever he was alone. While he didn't want to be a hero, he didn't really know how he got sucked into the world of villains. Yes, his parents were dead, but they taught him well while they were still alive. Yes, he was separated from his sister who later died which fueled his rage and killed, but that was only for them. Perhaps he was only sticking around for the money then? Or perhaps, it was the only thing he knew by this point in time. He was picked up at a very young age, younger than most people who join the Dark Tree.

It sometimes made him think about his time at U.A. and how no one suspected him of anything. He was able to put up a facade for them to believe that he was there to become a hero, but it was a miracle no one thought that maybe he wasn't doing this for good. It was like nobody could even think of the off chance that a person who enrolled there was a spy. Or perhaps they were taken aback by his sob story - his parents died because of a villain and now he 'wanted' to 'save others from the same suffering that he and his sister went through'. They were truly foolish, and now information about their students during his stay there was safely tucked inside Blackened's office - waiting to be used.

After a while of thinking, he stood up and then disappeared into the alleyway. Before anyone could look to see where he was going, a black mist was left in the alley with nothing else around. He has disappeared.

Reappearing inside the hideout, he made a quick scan of the area.

So far, the people inside were the getaway guy, Shade Walker and Captain East - the latter two who usually worked together for some reason or another. Shade Walker was a force to be reckoned with. Not only was his appearance frightening, his quirk did more than just harmlessly pass through things. Ryuuji knew that keeping a distance would be the best bet of actually surviving a fight with him. He was a high ranking villain, and someone to look up to when you're in this kind of business. You learn to fear him too, and to never go to try to get on his bad side. His reputation were among some of the best there was, and his name hasn't been dirtied up by failures yet.

Captain East was an interesting one. Former hero Captain East - and one that never really got out of the uniform; instead, twisting it to form some sort of villainous end result for the former hero. His fall to villainy shook his fans to the core - but he only had himself to blame for allowing himself to get so attached to so many people who were slaughtered in one fell swoop. Ryuuji knew the feeling though, but he was never a hero. It didn't affect him as much. Captain East was an excellent addition to the team, or so he heard. With his unnatural strength, he's able to go toe to toe with so many other heroes. He was the Tank in the team. But the man was a drunkard - wasting away with a bottle on hand as he tries to drink himself out of misery. Pathetic, really, but at least he followed orders.

Then there was that other dude, and he was quite the getaway guy - using portals to teleport them elsewhere. Ryuuji appreciated the man's presence, since it meant that he didn't have to teleport at one point to another repeatedly to save his teammates, unlike what he sometimes did before. He wasn't with the Dark Tree, but he worked for money - and they had plenty of that from what he could see. Ryuuji should have tried to be a merc like him, but this pays good most of the time anyway.

Other members of the team were Dark Druid - Kishimoto. A woman to be feared when she snaps, so he heard. She manipulates plants and uses them to her advantage. He's heard of her case files where she uses her vines to hang people and leave them to their inevitable doom. It was quite the read.

Then the Doctor - Kashikoi. Smart. Small. Terrifying. Surprisingly helpful. Her quirk revolved around her being smart, and her robots proved it. They were, most of the time, helpful to have around and got them out of sticky situations every now and then. But she, herself, was relatively unimpressive when it came to fighting. She was odd, to say the least, but it wasn't entirely annoying for him.

Hell Raiser - Lucifer, a very apt name. He looked like a devil. He acted like a child most of the time, and his quirk seemed hard to control and was based off emotions than will. Sometimes, Ryuuji was just waiting for when he would burn himself up thanks to his attitude, but it hasn't happened yet. Not a native Japanese speaker, so they had to converse in English. It wasn't too much of a bother for him, to be perfectly honest.

And then, Rampage - Kane. Ryuuji can't say much about this abomination. Unlike most of them, he actually thrives in fights - always wanting to kill the opponent before him. He was the perfect guy to send out to eliminate a hero, and it was understandable why he was on this mission as well. Ryuuji has not attempted to socialize with him.

Ryuuji settled into the seats near the jukebox and then stared at the wall without much thought running in his head except thinking about when the call would finally come through.

Chocolate colored eyes stared blankly at the back of Captain East. From how still and quiet she was, one might have thought that somebody had left a life size doll sitting at one of the booths. Snow colored hair, perfect skin, elegant monochrome coloring clothing. Mana may have looked like a doll, but she was anything but inside. A simple black mask sat in front of her on the table, as did a cup that had once contained loose leaf tea, but was now empty. The book she had brought with her tucked away in her bag, as she had already read the entire thing twice.

Mana was bored, and when she got bored, things started to happen. Almost every one of the people she loosely refered to as teammates were the victims of Mana's boredom from time to time. They'd be sitting there, minding their own business, when sudden flowers would be growing harmlessly on their head, or they'd be hanging from the ceiling by their ankles. When Mana got bored, she played with her Quirk.

All but one her teammates had suffered from her boredom before. Kane. Mana liked Kane, more importantly, being on his good side. She liked having a meatshield in battle. So she usually left him alone. Except for that one time she had grown moss on his head to give him some hair. Right now, it was Captain East who she was targeting. Small, purple, flowers were beginning to grow on his gaudy cape, covering the surface of it. The top part of the cape was nearly completely covered, and she was beginning to work her way down. Slowly counting the seconds as they went by. She always like to see how much they were paying attention, and how long it took for them to notice.

But, Captain East was usually too drunk to notice. Maybe she should make it a little more obvious? Blank, chocolate eyes came into focus once more as she purposely broke her concentration. The purple flowers stopped growing and whatever was there stayed there. What would be obvious enough for an idiot like him to notice? Mana's eyes shifted from the back of his cape, to the ground underneath his stool. Rapidly, vines began to grow and wrap around the legs of the stool. With a simple hand motion that was more for flair than anything else, the vines yanked the stool out from under the useless drunkard. A devilish smile curled onto Mana's lips, as she waited to see what would come of this. Whatever it was would be far less boring that it was right now.

Captain East frowned intensely as he had his chair yanked out from underneath him. Usually one to let the others to do as they would he let shenanigans go more often than not. But when they physically tried to mess with him it didn't go over so well. He quite easily managed to stick himself upright before falling. Clenching his fist he went to break the vines but in a blur of pure motion Shade Walker appeared and then proceeded to cut the vines with a knife, and then throw said knife at Mana the knife smacked her with the blunt side and then twirled onto the ground. East stood there fuming as Shade Walker turned to face him, "Sit down you dumb lout I don't need to deal with a broken bar right now." grumbled Shade Walker with a annoyed tone as he turned to Mana and pointed a finger at her, "Next time you do that I'm breaking your leg." he growled before taking his cape and with one swift motion destroying the flora growing on it. Shade Walker shook his head, and then turned to Mana. He walked back towards the tables before staring at her through his mask, "If you want to fuck with someone don't do it in the hideout. Go downstairs, or outside. And next time I won't save you the hospital visit by picking on the world's strongest drunkard. Must I remind you not only is he drunk but he can bend steel rebar with two fingers. Is that really someone you want to make angry?" Shade Walker talked down to Mana as he sat back down. "Ryuuji! Take care of her for me so I don't need to waste any more planning time. I've got plans to make before the calls get rolling in. The second they do we're fighting the cops so be ready that means heroes." Shade Walker said aloud to anyone who cared to actually listen to his advice. He waved a dismissive hand as he kept studying his map, and papers.

"God damn all this secrecy... Making me trudge through shit..." The gravel like voice of Kane grumbled as the mountainous man, if he could even be called a man, lumbered his way through the river of sludge and filth that flowed through city's sewers. He let out a low growl each time one of his lumbering steps made contact with the liquid waste. Unlike many of his comrades Kane did not have the luxury of being able to simply walk amongst a crowd of civilians, his more than recognizable appearance usually caused quite the uproar whenever he showed himself. "This job better be worth it..." Kane griped to himself as he stepped on a rather solid piece of mystery sewage which released a stomach turning crunch as it gave way under behemoth of a man's massive foot.

Despite all of his complaining this was not Kane's first time walking this path. Since his recruitment into Dark Tree he had to get use to hiding himself until the right moment, which was quite a jarring change from his old much louder approach to travel. Kane has had to employ a number of ways to be able to travel in secret; the sewers being one, but the giant had also learned that a number of semi-truck drivers could easily be threatened into hauling him across the city. Likewise Kane had became quite adept of shipping himself in cargo containers to his desired location, it was only a matter of maintaining the patience to stay quite. Luckily for him Dark Tree had a number of individuals that had quirks that could spar Kane from having to employ these methods all the time.

Kane was pulled away from his complaining once he noticed that he had arrived to the bar, well under the bar. He ran one of his meaty hands over the claw marks next to the ladder that stood before him. Kane himself had placed the marks there as a form of identifier for himself, after getting lost in the sewer more times than he would like to admit Kane had to learn to adapt. He wasted no time hauling himself up the ladder, having to resist the urge to blast the manhole cover above him straight into orbit. As he pushed the cover aside and pulled himself onto the surface Kane took in a deep breath of fresh air, well the freshest air one could find in a dirty back alley. He took a moment to stretch his massive frame, knowing quite well that he was about to step into yet another cramp space, as well as to knock the raw sewage from his feet, having learned from experience that Shade Walker doesn't take kindly to having it tracked into the bar. "Let's get things started." Kane said as a wicked grin came across his face.

The sight that he was greeted with as he stepped into the bar was interesting to say the least. Watching Captain East stumble in a bar was not a uncommon sight, Kane had to lug the drunkard around after a night of heavy drinking too many times to count, but this time it wasn't the drink that unsteadied the man, but rather the group's gardener Mana. What would of been a hell of a fight was quickly defused by the bar's owner who reprimanded both parties as if they were children, drawing out quite the roar of laughter from Kane. "Aww come on boss, let 'em blow off some steam! Always good to loosen up before a big game!" He said as he made his way over to the bar, leaning onto it rather than taking a seat. He shot Mana a nod and a smirk of approval before looking to Captain East and Shade Walker. "So anyone want to tell me if my hike through shit river was worth it this time? Who do I get to put through a wall today?"

"Depends...how many *hic*...how many cops do you want to kill today? Or perhaps you just want to go after the heroes they're packing with them? Either way *hic*...it's the same deal you like to do...scum like us only have one use..." grumbled out Captain East as he demanded the bartender give him his next drink. In reply he simply nodded as he adjusted his sunglasses that he wore before pouring East some more bourbon. Shade Walker looked up from his table and then sighed as he saw the big lug of a beast called Kane demand that they have something worthwhile for him. "I'm assigning you to the front lines. You, Mana, and Lucifer likely will be running the front of the building you're being assigned to. The others will help work out the inside. The heists should've started a few moments ago. As such the cops will be there soon enough. Our job as the quirk'd heroes is to destroy the enemy. Until then have a drink, or listen to the music. It won't take too much longer." Shade Walker told Kane as he leaned back against his seat. "I almost feel sorry for those fucks...almost. The cops in this town are shitty anyways." complained the guy at the arcade machine as he smacked the ground after he lost another life.

---

Ryuuji looked up from his phone just in time to see flowers blooming on Captain East's cape. Curious, he continued to watch. The drunkard didn't notice and Ryuuji rolled his eyes. This was Kishimoto, again. She liked doing that when she was bored. He remembered having been subjected to her pranking, many times before, because she was bored. He usually got to perceive what was happening before it got too bad, and just telling her that he noticed and telling her to stop usually made her stop and subject someone else to that. They were amusing, a little annoying, but entirely harmless... most of the time anyway. Considering that he could react quickly to when he is strung up and teleport out of there, he wasn't really all that bothered by it save for the curious glance he sends to her.

But then the flowers stopped blooming and vines started to wrap around the legs of the stool. He stood up, gray eyes keeping eyes on the vines as he slowly walked forward to peek at Kishimoto. The scraping of stool and then a thud made his head snap back to Captain East who was on his feet, leading for Ryuuji to believe that the drunkard hero didn't even fall at all. Though it did make him agitated and Shade Walker pounced up to stop the guy from attacking. A death threat and then went off by himself again. Oh how far you've fallen Captain East. How... very far. Though, he only felt pity for the man - never respect, even when he was a hero.

Shade Walker began reprimanding Kishimoto and then ordered him to take care of the Dark Druid. The bespectacled man looked at the de facto strategist and then sighed. "Yeah yeah..." He muttered lazily and then walked over to the white hared female. He picked up the knife that was thrown at her and then rolled his eyes. "No sense of humor... this is why I hate drunkards." He muttered to her, making sure no one else heard. Just Kishimoto. He appreciated her pranks most of the time, as it makes for some good jokes or some good laughs. Though, sometimes, it ended flat, like this one.

He twirled the knife in his hand, thinking whether or not he should give it back to Shade Walker. It would make a nice addition to his arsenal. Ah, but, he imagined that Shade Walker would kill him if he stole from the guy. He placed the knife on the table and then looked back at the Dark Druid. Before he could say anything more, Kane appeared from the basement and then started asking about who he was going to target this time. As expected, the bloodthirsty man wants to know who he's going to kill this time. "At least someone appreciates a good joke eh?" Ryuuji said out loud. He then looked towards Shade Walker. "And what would I do Shade?" He questioned curiously, wanting to find out what he was going to do before the briefing thing. It would at least give him some extra time to think about what he should do. Plan or no, he liked to think of contingency plans for himself just in case everything goes to hell.

He then sat on the seat in front of Kishimoto - if anything, just to please Shade Walker. "They better hurry up, even I'm getting bored." He was a lazy guy who thrives in doing nothing. But since the job was already given, he was raring to go. He then looked over to the getaway guy who almost felt a tinge of pity for the police. Ryuuji leaned back, that was true. They wouldn't stand a chance - especially against the combined might of Rampage and Captain East - along with Kishimoto.

Ryuuji disappeared for a moment and then came back with a rubik's cube. He began playing around with it before looking back at Kishimoto. "Wanna play it? Alleviate some boredom and replace it with frustration?" He placed the rubik's cube onto the table if she wanted to take it.

Shade Walker turned his head to stare at Ryuuji and he let out a quiet sigh as if this whole situation was a big bother to him but it wasn't overbearing. "As always you will be in charge of getting the boys out of danger in the short run. Once that happens Kazuma will teleport you back here. Before that you will be assisting the grunts with moving the money. We're expecting you to teleport the money away. If you're not up to the task then steal a van, and move it to Kazuma's location." Shade Walker told the villain as he pointed towards the man at the game.

"The people inside should be taken care of however if you see a cop who wasn't downed, or is trying to be a hero feel free to gut them. Dead cops, live cops, its just one less group to bribe at the end of the day." Shade Walker said coldly as he picked up the knife from the table, and put it back underneath his robe. "I understand the nessessity of the whole ordeal they will hurry up don't worry. Would you, a low tier quirk'd loser, or a no quirk hired gun spend more time than needed breaking into a big bank? I don't think so. They needed to crack the alarms, and then they needed to break into the vault itself after dealing with the people inside of it. Dead, or a live it doesn't matter terribly in the end. Heroes will likely be nearby since its central in the city. However that is ALSO our advantage. More civilians around. Captain East will be taking the cover up heist on another major bank to draw away people however its a ghost crew there. While East is capable of murdering any cop, or hero usually this is about sending a message. One big robbery instead of two medium, or small ones." Shade Walker explained to an almost annoying amount of detail as he pointed out different places in the bank. "Take the front door, and hold it and escape through there until you can find Kaz. Escape, and make bank. I'll assure you all that you will receive your cuts if you desire them. If not then we'll pocket it into the company bank. As usual drinks will be on the boss." commented Shade Walker as suddenly the get away guy laughed, "Oh by the way there may be academy trainees out there. New side kicks! You get to crush their little dreams if you fight them! I'm not villain but I know you crazy fucks get off to kicking puppies like academy students. So young...so full of life...only to get it snuffed out because they're literally asking for it. Stupid fucking kids now of days just need to get laid, and get a joint. Makes life a shit ton easier."

Mana's expression didn't change at all when Captain East caught himself, completely unharmed and then proceeded to turn on her vines. She didn't flinch when Shade Walker cut them, or even when he threw the knife at her. She just let out bounce off her harmlessly. She was too useful for them to kill, and she knew that. She didn't even acknowledge the scolding she got, instead her focus had shifted to Kane, who had just walked in and was far more amused by her trick than anyone else. She returned her precious meatshield's nod and smirk of approval with a small smile of her own.

Her face went blank once more as Ryuuji actually came over to her table, following Shade Walker's order to keep an eye on her. She nodded in agreement to his comment about drunkards. Captain East was a pathetic piece of shit, and that's all he'd ever be. The threats of someone so worthless meant as little to her as his life did.

Mana tilted her head to the side curiously as Ruuji disappeared then returned moments later with a familiar, colorful, cube in his hands. He offered it to Mana, setting it on the table in front of her. For a moment all she did was stare. A memory popped into her mind of trying to solve one of these with her brother. They had spent so much time on it without any success. It had gotten to the point where there had given up and instead of actually solving it, they had just pulled off all the stickers and stuck them on so it looked like they had solved it.

Mana felt a tug at her heart that she was oh so familiar with. The uncomfortable mix of grief and anger that always made it's way to the surface when she thought of her brother, of Akito. After that moment of hesitation as the memory hit her, Dark Druid picked up the cube and with the same focus she had shown when messing with Captain East, began to try and solve it. Or at least play with it.

Mana's ears were open to the conversation around her. She was listening to the uselessly long explanation that Shadw Walker gave, though she didn't care. Her hands stopped moving as Kazuma began to speak. Trainees, poor little brainwashed souls that thought being a hero was the only thing they could do with their Quirks. Some of them would be genuinely good people, not in it for the glory and fame, but rather to actually help people. Not like the worthless son of a bitch that had killed Akito.

"Kazuma, shut the fuck up, your stupid is showing again." Mana said suddenly, looking up from the cube as she did. It was practically the only thing she had said all day. The last time she had spoken was hours ago, when she had asked the bartender for tea. With her piece said, Mana's eyes drifted back down to the cube and her hands began to move once more. Her focus drawn back towards the pointless game.

"Oh you need to lighten up Cap, we get the best part of the job. Front and center in the middle of all that sweet mayhem, what could be more fun? It should be just like the old days for you eh? Though I guess you were more use to being on the other side of the bank robberies huh?" Kane said with a nearly ground shaking laugh to the washed up hero. In all honesty Kane had some respect for Captain East, in Kane's book anyone who could take a punch from him and not get turned into a smear on the wall was someone worth his time. As his laughter died down he looked to Shade Walker who told him exactly what he wanted to hear, Kane was being put on the front lines just where he belonged. A evil grin spread across Kane's scaly lips as the thoughts of getting to face off against a few heroes raced through his mind, this was defiantly going to be a good day. When Shade Walker instructed him to get a drink Kane was not going to argue, free drinks always tasted so much better. Reaching one of his scaled clad hands behind the bar he wrapped his claws around a bottle of whiskey and pulled it back to himself. Using his teeth to rip the top off of the bottle he quickly took a swig of its sweet contents. "Aww now that is just what you need to get the taste of sewer air out your moth." Kane said with a deep laugh at his own joke before he looked over to his two comrades who had taken refuge in a booth. It looked like the two had decided to spend their time before the upcoming fun on a kid's toy. "I guess some people get their kicks different ways..." He said with a smirk before he took another swig of his ill-gotten booze, leaning back onto the bar.

"I don't enjoy hurting people...its not my forte. But if people want me to be a villain that's what I'll be...they made that clear along time ago. There's no more room for old fashion heroes. So what's the point in getting along with the shitty glory hounds. At least I have my own freedom." East lamented with a dull tone as he finished a long gulp of her alcohol before deciding he was buzzed enough. "I'd rather live free...than die as a false martyr any day." East admitted to the creature next to him he had no real interest in keeping a conversation going but he hoped that talking wasn't going to be a common thing to kill the boredom. East cracked his neck and rolled his arms around in their sockets.

"Alright plant girl why don't you go nymph yourself to some tree hugging fuck face?" Kazuma shot back as he gave her the middle finger before slamming his hands together and whooping as he cleared the level. His hype was real as he laughed, "Suck it! I got the third high score!" Kazuma roared as he patted himself on the back as Shade Walker looked up to stare at the teleporter with disgust. "I'm half considering beating that score of yours just to shut you the hell up. We're paying you well to do your job so be more professional about it would you?" Shade Walker growled at the hired gun. Kazuma grumbled but acknowledged the veteran villain's request and shut his mouth.

So this was the wrong side of the tracks.

Japan never failed to confuse Ludmilla. Its culture of strange honor, self-effacement, quiet manners, and downright bizarre eccentricities surprised her at every turn. Musutafu, though not one of the country's better-known metropolises, embodied that culture completely. Even here, in the supposed bad side of town, things seemed pretty clean and quiet. Were it not for her mission here today, she wouldn't guessed that this place contained a seedy underbelly of Quirk-using criminals, but it did, and one that apparently wanted her talents to boot. As she walked along the bleak street, one hand in her pocket and the other clamped around the handle of the briefcase that held her tactical gear, she glanced at the old man walking beside her and, for the umpteenth time, felt a surge of amazement at the individual who served as her mentor. 'Remarkable' didn't cut it; his consideration for her was evident in every detail. For instance, even now he sauntered along the sidewalk on her right side, which meant she could glance at him for reassurance -as she now did- without having to turn her head due to her sightless left eye. The words she heard half a year ago still hung on her mind.

”So here you are, Ludmilla,” he'd greeted in perfect Russian, astounding her from the get-go. ”Forgive me for being up-front, but I can see by the guarded look in your eyes that you're someone who has been used. I will be perfectly honest about my intentions, then. Call it honor among thieves, if you will. I am a lieutenant of Dark Tree, a criminal organization active in this city. It's my job to recognize young blood and valuable skills across all of Asia, and wherever possible, bring such people here to join our ranks. However, I have recognized in you something more. Your drive to prove yourself reminds me so very much of my granddaughter Emi, who left for America some time ago. I can tell that you, like her, need someone to look out for you, even if you don't want to admit it. You need not answer now, but if you'd have me, I would be delighted to think of you not just as my pupil, but as my own grandchild.”

Weird, and maybe even a little creepy, but straight from the heart—that was Eishun Ikuo, the man known as Whitesnake. In time, she had come to think of him as a grandfather, and by now she owed him an immeasurable sum of gratitude. This morning, he had offered her not an order, but a choice: go her own way, with the lessons she'd learned and the skills she'd nurtured, or officially join Dark Tree as a new recruit in their hideout just before they embarked on a grand heist. That offering completed the job's transformation from an inescapable fate to a duty she could undertake because she wanted to, and for the sake of that wrinkled old hermit.

And here she stood. Phone in hand, Ludmilla punched in the Japanese characters over the door, and her indispensable translation app told her the name of the place where life would change. Stray Sheep. A bar... When she and Whitesnake drew near, both reached for the handle, but her fingers closed around it first. The old man smiled before settling on a grim expression. “I shall do the talking,” he told her in Russian.

“...Hai, sensei,” Ludmilla replied, her limited Japanese accented heavily enough to seem like a growl. She opened the door for her mentor, and the two went inside.

Though possessed of only one eye, Ludmilla quickly found herself with a lot to look at. She had no doubt that the strangers' eyes would fixate on her bright red hair and eyepatch, so she spared no expense looking them over, her surly expression clear to see. Most interesting was the mutant in the middle of a drink at the bar, whose size and reptilian features might have visibly intimidated a more emotive recruit, but she managed to recognize the man beside him despite his washed-up veil. Captain East. Ludmilla knew a handful of names belonging to this city's criminals, along with the appearances of the most significant was, and even in her short time in Musutafu she knew all about the tragic tale of Captain East. Installed in a booth were two unfamiliar faces, a young man who looked pretty ordinary and a younger woman whose ivory-white hair and blank expression made her stand out like a department-store mannequin. There were two others, neither attention-catching nor forgettable, one behind the bar in a butler's attire and the other situated in front of an arcade cabinet on the far side of the bar. Her gaze finally settled on a wraith in a black robe and silver mask whose reputation preceded him. Shade Walker. The real deal. Putting a hand on her hip, she waited along with Whitesnake for the current exchange to fizzle out, after which the old man began to speak.

“Mr. Shade Walker, good afternoon. I'm glad I could catch you in time. Here is the new recruit you asked for, whose Quirk you felt would compliment this team. I consider her my protege, and I am sure she will serve you well in the heist today. 'Ludmilla' is her name, though she also goes by 'Akane.'”

Recognizing her name, Ludmilla gave a slight nod of her head, a far cry from a bow.

“She does not speak Japanese or English, but can translate whatever she needs from her phone. In the heat of the moment, you'll find that she is very intuitive about what she needs to do.” Switching to Russian, he made an aside to Ludmilla. “Go ahead and use the bathroom to get changed into your suit. If I remember the schedule correctly, there will be action soon.”

After giving a grunt of confirmation, Ludmilla began to move through the bar, still holding her briefcase. One by one she glanced at the other villains as she passed, headed for the bathroom, the Japanese indicator for which she knew from memory.

"You have some nerve dumping the newbies on me. I may be a veteran villain but I'm not an old man. I still got a long way to go before I'm put out to pasture to train the next generation. All the same as long as she understands English I can also talk to her in that language as well." commented Shade Walker with a flat tone as he looked over the new recruit. As she went back into the bathroom he turned back to White Snake. "I'll show her the ropes, and get her set up with a language program when I can. But don't forget this Snake: I don't look out for worthless kids. If she can't hold her own I won't go out of my way to save her if she makes a dumb move. If she proves her worth I will allow her to stay. Remember this organization is like a tree my compatriot. It grows, and limbs can be replaced. The only way this organization dies is with the trunk." Shade Walker said plainly as he looked to the bathroom. "I saw the look in her eyes. She knows East doesn't she? I wonder if she grew up idolizing the old East. The Hero For the People. Who was abandoned by the people....heh....the irony wouldn't even be lost on the Captain himself."

---

Surprised that Kishimoto actually picked up the mind game cube, Ryuuji leaned back to watch with interest in his eyes. It didn't look like she was actually skilled in solving it as she wasn't using any strategies he had seen other people used, but she looked intent on solving it, like how intent she was with messing with Captain East. Interesting. He didn't think that such an object would spark her interest and curiosity, considering how hard to find something like that was. But he knew better than to speak up and coax a conversation out of her, it would only end up with her outright ignoring him or maybe shutting him down.

Ryuuji let out a small yawn. "Money duty again huh? Sounds good to me." It was always nice to get a headstart in seeing how much money they had on their hands. He wasn't foolish enough to take some for himself without permission. If anyone found out, his head would be on a pike or something. They compensated well for everything they do, so there wasn't any reason to betray them. No reason that Ryuuji could see, at the very least. Shade Walker explained everything in excruciatingly long descriptions, but Ryuuji kept them in mind. It sounded easy enough, if he were to be honest. With Kane in front fighting whatever was going to them, along with Lucifer and Kishimoto, it would be a breeze to teleport the money out of there. He looked at Kazuma. "Oi, Kazuma, show me where you're hiding so I won't stumble around in the dark while trying to escape with these guys."

But then Kazuma pointed out that the academy trainees were out by now. He looked at the date and was reminded of that time that he was part of that squadron. He was taken in by a small-name company and there weren't many villainy happening at that time, as the Dark Tree was still in the shadows. His handler, as he called the villain who inserted him in the Dark Tree, told him that he should stop any of the other villains as long as they weren't under Blackened. Ryuuji had actually become a 'Hero' in everyone else's eyes as he was quite looking forward to kicking their asses, but it was only him culling the competition for Blackened. It was quite fun really, to be both praised by heroes and villains.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Kishimoto spoke up, and Kazuma spat back an insult that didn't really sound all that impressive. "Hear that Kane? Whelps to kick around." He said, looking to the bulk of meat that was drinking. Ryuuji looked back upwards. "I don't know how well UA's training their kids nowadays, but if I'm going off what I went through before, those first years should be easy for you to take on." He continued. There was little emotion in his voice, remorse was not one of them. He might have been one of them before, but that was all a guise. It'd be fun seeing what his underclassmen were like. It's been years after all.

Ryuuji closed his eyes for a moment, shoving his hands inside his jacket's pockets but the door opened. He opened his eyes and then turned his head to them and saw a man and a younger woman stroll in. The man went over to Shadow Walker while the woman stayed silent beside him. Ryuuji immediately saw the eye patch - blind? Interesting. As he looked closer at the man, he began to piece together who he was. Whitesnake, a recruiter just like his handler. Oh, well, then this means that she was going to be included in this mission. A new guy at this point? Great. He listened in on the conversation. Ludmilla, Russian? But she goes by Akane as well.

But then the fact that she does not understand both English and Japanese worried him, but it would seem that she could translate from her phone. Shade Walker seemed to accept this fact well. The woman was then dismissed, through the use of another language which he assumed was Russian, and she went to the bathroom - giving everyone a glance. Ryuuji looked her straight in the eye and nodded his head before looking back at Shade Walker and Whitesnake. "I know it isn't my place to say anything right now, but I'll just say this - I can help her learn Japanese if need be. That translator can only get her so far after all." He then leaned back. "I just hope it won't be detrimental when we're trying to communicate on the job." He said dismissively.

At the far end of the bar, leaning against the wall, the huge, flatscreen television flickered to life, seemingly without provocation. Its glow was pale and it cast the whole bar in an unearthly light.

On the other side of the screen, so to speak, stood an eerie, motionless figure. The man was sharply dressed in formal attire, with a wiry frame and a stiff stance, but the most bizarre and alarming feature of his was his head. Perched atop his neck was none other than yet television, this one blank and covered in antiquated dials. With no expression or body language to convey his emotions, he seemed to stare blankly at the assembly of villains for several seconds before his voice finally came, low and droning, through the speakers.

"I have come to understand that my presence was requested. In what way do you wish to use my abilities?" he asked, matter-of-factly.

Ugh. This guy.

"Bah everything doesn't need to be so deep Cap, hero or villain, who gives a shit? Life is a whole lot simpler than people want to admit. We all are born in a world where you have two choices, fight or die, nice and easy right?None of the philosophical or moral shit needs to get in the way." Kane mused to Captain East before taking another deep swig from his bottle, nearly draining it. He offered the man a wicked grin as he watched him loosen up, Kane had been keeping track of the amount of destruction the two of them have been causing as a little game and currently Kane was in the lead and he planned on keeping it that way.

Kane's attention was grabbed by the bickering that seemed to have brew up between Mana and the group's living escape route Kazuma. "Though I would love to see her tear you to shreds Kaz I still need to be able to make a getaway without having to topple a building as a distraction. So take it as some friendly advice, don't piss off the girl that can make a tree kill you with a thought." Kane said as he shot Kazume a glance and a smirk. He honestly liked the kid, he was funny enough and didn't seem as hung up on some sort of moral dilemma like others were, but Kane knew the kid's big mouth would eventually get him a branch shoved up the wrong place one of these days if he wasn't careful.

It wasn't long after that that the door to the bar was opened to reveal a old man and a young woman standing there. Honestly Kane's first instinct was to run over and stomp the two into the ground, namely because he had no clue who they were and the last thing he needed was some civilians getting sight of him out in the open, but luckily he managed to hold himself back do to the older guy seeming to know Shade Walker. Kane couldn't help but laugh, looks like Shade had the honors of putting this young lady through her paces. "Oh come on boss, we all have to cut our teeth somewhere right? What better way to test the new blood than to have her hit the ground running with today's little job? 'sides like you said our profession is pretty good at weeding out people who aren't up to snuff." Kane said with a devilish chuckle before looking over to the old man. He had to admit he was a bit excited to see what damage the little red head could do, he was hoping for another bruiser like himself.

Kishimoto was next to get Kane's attention. The behemoth couldn't help but chuckle at the man's comment on the would be heroes that would be out and about today during the heist. Kane had had his full of slaughtering heroes in training, they were just cannon fodder to him at this point, but still Kane couldn't help but get a tingle of joy every time he watch the spark of hope leave a young heroes heart. "Please Ryuu, those kids are just the warm up. We all know the real show are those heroes that are babysitting 'em. Here's hoping we have some that can give me a work out." Kane said before he finished off his bottle, setting it aside on the bar.

It was as Kane was standing up from his spot on the bar that he noticed the TV suddenly crackled to life, he couldn't help but sneer as the picture of the T.V. headed man came into view. Kane never liked those who couldn't hold their own in a fight so it was no surprise that Panopticon's brand of manipulating from afar left a rather bitter taste in Kane's mouth. "Yeah how about you actually show up rerun?" Kane spat the words from his mouth, them dripping practically with resentment. "And if you aren't just get off the damn T.V. No one wants to watch your boring ass."

East gave a indifferent grunt towards Kane's comments. He really wasn't trying to get into a argument with them. It was not going to end up well if things were going to get political. East had, and has still strong beliefs in what is right, and wrong. Just now he has a definite hate of heroes now. While East disagreed fundamentally with Kane he was too drunk to care to bother even thinking of arguing back. He still looked just as dead inside as he ever had been since the incident that made him this way. When Kazuma spoke up next he laughed, "You shittin' me Kane? Come on now I'm valuable! Not un-expendable but valuable! It'd be a waste to kill me off! Plant girl just has a fern up her ass!" Kazuma said as he whistled, and walked over to the bathroom area. He leaned on the wall next to the door. "But yeah same place as usual. In the alleys. Break away from them, and meet me near the buildings near the park. If you can't shake the cops then I'll come to you. Just make sure things don't get too hot. I'm not one of you guys I don't do fighting." Kazuma said loudly as he clapped his hands together. "World needs less fighters anyway. Too much brawn not enough brain. Not enough finesse but I move people from place to place for a living so what do I know?" Kazuma said sarcastically.

Shade Walker looked at Kane with a blank stare as if he was considering something. But then he spoke up, "Alright then. Why don't YOU take care of her Kane? If you're so up to the task of helping the newbies then you can make sure the cops don't waste her." said Shade Walker with a sardonic tone one could guess he was smiling underneath that mask of his. But who ever knew what was underneath that masked super villain's dark mask. "I do hate cable re-runs...but at least they're of the villainous skind this time around. Bartender would you care to change the channel?" joked Shade Walker as he looked up at the tv. "I got him running cop channels. He's going to make sure they don't do something smart for once."

The day had been beautiful - warm weather, bright, and the epitome of "a good day." Or, at least, Chika assumed it was. She hadn't left the basement of the bar for nearly 2 days, having raided the upper floor for provisions the last time she was outside her room. She had found time for showers, ever since some members commented on the smell she had whenever she came up for supplies - but other than that, occasional bathroom breaks, and the 5 hours of sleep she had a night, she had spent the entire time tinkering with her robots. Dark Tree had been plentiful in the resources they provided her, considering she had only been a member for a few years, but there were still little she had at her disposal. The most precious resource was space - she stored all 5 One-Pointers in her room, and the Viewers were stationed in various points in the basement. Her room, as expected of a mad scientist, was cluttered to the extreme - the floor was covered in thrown tools and parts, and every surface on the wall was covered with papers or blueprints. She was currently on her computer checking the viewers cameras - all were operational. She was worried, considering she hadn't done maintenance in awhile, but they were thankfully alright.

Chika reached for the cup of ramen in front of her, only to be disappointed that it had been empty for the past few hours - she had eaten it and forgotten about it, leaving it empty in front of her. Sighing, she temporarily considered simply ignoring the hunger in her stomach, but she finally motivated herself to go up to the main level and get some food. She had the viewers get her food before, but was yelled at when she accidentally slammed into the wall, putting a large crack in the drywall. Ever since then, she had to get her own food. She was mostly dressed - wearing a simple white shirt, slacks, and her signature lab coat, she only needed to slip on socks and loafers before the outfit was complete. She slowly made her way up the stairs, the light causing her to squint her eyes slightly. A One-pointer followed her, as she couldn't go somewhere without her machines and stay comfortable.

The soft sound of jazz echoed slightly, and Chika could see several of her team mates littered throughout the bar - Shade Walker was at a table, while Captain East was at the bar itself. Neither of them ever really caught Chika's attention, but the man at the Arcade machine was interesting to her - Kazuma was the one who had introduced her to the organization in the first place. He was nothing special, dressed in a tank top and brown pants, and being his usual self - he was always irritated with the small arcade machine in the corner, and she saw him plating the stupid game. Other than him, there was whitesnake - Kazuma had told Chika one time that Whitesnake was the guy that usually recruited people, but Kazuma knew her from one of her interviews and introduced her to the group - even though he wasn't part of Dark Tree, the group was in need of a technology expert, and Kazuma "thought he could make some cash by introducing her." Those four were valuable - they were the ones who contributed greatly to the success of the missions, and she wouldn't have a place to live without them. There were others present as well, however.

The first was Arukomiya-Senpai - he had been here far longer than Chika had, and was easy to work with. His quirk was dangerous in combat, and Chika found him to be a dangerous man. He was significantly slower than her One-Pointers, but his reaction speed and quirk makes him a strong counter against them. Other than combat-related things, he had never denounced her creations, and was easy to work with. He was useful. He was currently sitting at a table near Kishimoto-Senpai.

Next was Kishimoto-Senpai - she had been in the organization longer than Chika as well, but nowhere near as long as Arukomiya-Senpai. She was quiet and calm most of the time, and Chika didn't care about her boredom - she had little knowledge of when people were bored, due to her social problems. Her outbursts were far more problematic - one time, the bitch tried to break one of her viewers that she accidentally left in the bathroom! Still, her quirk was valuable, and Chika could ignore her personality problems pretty easily.

Kane-Senpai had a more monstrous appearance, far more reminiscent of the villains in Anime. The Mad Scientist in Chika appreciated this, and his efficiency and lack of remorse appealed to her greatly as well. Mercy was pointless in their line of work, and efficiency was the pinnacle of perfection. Still, his anger and violence were only useful in combat situations, and his dislike of "Normals" was slightly disconcerting to Chika, only because she lacked the more fantastic abilities of most of her companions. If he were to lash out at her, she doubted she would be able to defend herself, so she kept her distance - her paranoia refused to let her guard down.

Finally, Nijimura-San was also a member of the group - Chika didn't know how long he was a part of the organization, but he interested her somewhat. He was smarter than some of the other members, especially when it came to his knowledge of Psychology and manipulation. His monotone voice reminded her of her own creations, and his general appearance was more machine than her other companions, which pleased her. However, his lack of care towards villainy displeased her Mad Scientist side - evil was supposed to be spread for evil's sake, not for any major goal! Still, she held no hard distaste towards him - he had never tried to bust one of her machines, at least.

Making her way behind the bar, Chika grabbed one of the small cups of Ramen underneath the counter, filling it with water and placing it in the microwave just next to it. She had bought the microwave with her own money, and dissected it numerous times - the only reason she left it up here and not in her room was simply due to a lack of space. While the meal was cooking, she finally noticed the newcomer, who had just closed the door to the bathroom. Shade Walkers comment quickly helped Chika grasp the situation - while she hardly saw the girl walking in the bathroom, she would be a new member of the group.

"I know it isn't my place to say anything right now, but I'll just say this - I can help her learn Japanese if need be. That translator can only get her so far after all. I just hope it won't be detrimental when we're trying to communicate on the job."

Chika Quickly snapped to attention - that girl didn't know Japanese? Why was she part of the group? She must have some kind of importance for Whitesnake to take notice of her... Chika grabbed a water bottle nearby, drinking before commenting on the situation.

"What languages does this girl speak? I know a few, so I might be a better teacher."

Chika currently knew 18 languages, so she was confident that she knew whatever the mystery girl spoke - if she taught the girl, the process would be much quicker than a non-speaker. If she got on the girl's good side, than she would be easier to use - Chika usually stayed away from the action, providing a bird's eye view with her Viewers and informing the others about positions. If she was friends with the mystery woman, she would be more obedient - always a useful quality. Even without that, if the girl could speak properly, the others would probably be pretty appreciative.

Right next to her, the flat screen came to life, causing Chika to jump as her One-Pointer maneuvered itself in front of her. As soon as she saw the person on the screen, she calmed down, instead focusing on how well the One-pointer's AI worked. She never got over how well she did 10 years ago when she created them - with UA's funding, she made some pretty powerful machinery. Kazuma and Kane were arguing, but before she could start listening, Chika's ramen had finished cooking - she opened it, making her way to one of the Booths with her meal.The one pointer stood in the hallway, head slowly turning 360 degrees around, keeping an eye on all the surroundings.

Bolstered by the impassive dignity that only powerful old men could boast, Whitesnake's face remained politely positive while Shade Walker ranted. With no miscommunication on his part, the recruiter knew that the only remaining difficulties found root in the nebulous villain's own pride and distrust, the latter of which Whitesnake knew would be proved unfounded in this case when his protege demonstrated her worth in the upcoming heist. He watched her go, meeting the eye of each ne'er-do-well present as if to ask them whether they had any problems with her. After a couple of moment she'd disappeared onto the ladies' room, leaving behind her mentor, an impression, and a Shade Walker with still more to say. ”Sir, I stand by my earlier statement. You'll find her courage and ability more than satisfactory.” He tilted his head just a touch to signal bemusement at his second statement. ”Ludmilla knows of East, but only recently. She grew up far away, hence the language barrier.”

Through his signature slitted green eyes, Whitesnake gauged the group's general reaction to his charge following her departure. Ryuuji, the dark teleporter, indicated not a problem but a willingness to help the new recruit with language. The brutal bruiser Kane appeared more enthusiastic about Ludmilla joining the group than Shade Walker, which Whitesnake found to be an interesting inversion. In the lull, Panopticon chose to make his appearance—eerie, inhuman, and businesslike as ever, he provoked some degree of discomfort from everyone in the room. He gave no indication that Ludmilla had come and gone at all, though Whitesnake would not have expected one. Also during this interlude, one of the doors in the back of the bar had opened to disgorge a disheveled scientist, who set about making herself a meager meal. Only toward the end of this task did she seem to take note of the newcomer, and Chika made a proposal as well. ”I had not imagined a team of soon-to-be bank robbers would be either so helpful or so linguistic.” Despite his standoffish tone, Whitesnake did not consider the offers a slight against himself as Ludmilla's mentor, and he decided that a little help could not go wrong. ”She reads and writes Russian,” he answered Chika's question.

A moment later, the bathroom door popped open and Ludmilla appeared. She still held her briefcase in hand, but this time it evidently contained her street clothes, because now the young woman wore a padded black-and-gray tactical suit, somewhat tight-fitting but overall highly practical. Her eyepatch had not been changed, but a rigid mask had appeared that covered her entire lower face, meshing well with the bottom of the patch. Altogether, she could be mistaken for a riot cop at first glance, but her ensemble gave her a hint of menace. After a few seconds of looking around, Ludmilla seemed to decide that the group wouldn't be heading out right this moment, so she reached up and pulled down the facemask to hang around her neck. With that done her focus lay on the two people she'd missed before: Panopticon and Chika. For the former she allotted only a wary glance, but the woman received a more thorough look. Clear lack of attention to personal care, glasses, hyper-pale skin, small size, zero musculature...everything about her screamed 'turbo-nerd.' Yet if she was here, she was a force to be reckoned with in some respect. Ludmilla's eye conveyed mixed feelings, and when she turned away to head back toward Whitesnake, she said aloud to him in Russian, ”If this tiny NEET girl is half as smart as she looks, she should know that red hair only looks good natural.” Tossing her briefcase on the floor, she seated herself at the bar, leaning on one elbow. Here, she could see pretty much everything going on inside, but the greater concern was the job that lay just ahead. This would be her moment; the only chance she'd get to show these people she could be a pro villain.

Mana's expression made no changes at Kazuma's pathetic excuse of an insult. In fact, she made no acknowledgement that she had even heard it. She simply continued to mess around with the colorful cube. The only thing that gave away her irritation was a phrase said so quietly that nobody was supposed to hear it. "Do we really need him?" Everyone knew that when Kazuma eventually died, Mana would be the cause. She hated him almost as much as the hero that killed her brother.

Two people entered the bar, causing tension to immediately rise. Mana recognized Whitesnake, but not the girl he was with. She listened in on the conversation for a few moments, only to lose interest. New recruit, and didn't speak neither Japanese or English? Why was she even here then? Ryuuji, being as polite as ever, offered to teach the useless girl Japanese. Mana wondered why, it wasn't worth it when she'd probably die. The only thing interesting about her was her hair, which was a brilliant red color. Yellow and orange flowers would make it look like fire. Mana had her next target for her boredom.

Two more familiar figures made their presences known. The first was Panopticon a figure that Mana usually paid very little mind to. Because she found his presence to be incredibly unsettling. The second was that disgusting, perverted, Chika. Number three on Mana's list of people that she hated. The woman spent all her time locked away messing with her stupid machines. She didn't even bother to use personal hygiene until Shade Walker had basically forced her. That was where the digusting part came in, and the pervert part was even worse. She had this habit of leaving her stupid cameras everywhere, including the bathroom.

Mana was a very private person. She had been changing in the bathroom one day and had spotted the little device. Thankfully she hadn't been fully unclothed, just her top half. But the thought of somebody being able to see her in her most vulnerable state had set her off. Mana had torn apart the camera and then had to spend several minutes composing herself before leaving the bathroom, and dumping the remains of the camera on Shade Walker's table. Chika had the gall to get mad at her for destroying the camera, when she was the one to blame for it.

In her state of not focusing of the colorful cube, she had actually managed to make some decent progress on it. But, like when she had been a child trying to solve it, she was losing interest. She had a much better solution than pulling the stickers off this time. Focusing on each side, tiny flowers began to grow on the cube, each side a different color. Because the cube was so small, as were the flowers, it took only thirty seconds or so for the task to be completed. When she was done, each side was covered in the tiny colorful flowers. A child's solution to something they couldn't solve. With a satisfied expression on her face, she set the cube on the table, presenting her work to Ryuuji.