SOMEONE Has To Do The Paperwork

17 No Boy Can Diss Me Or My Mother

Diss my mother then your skin start bleed

So don't bother mess with my mommy

This was it. Tonight was the night they were getting Keiko's mother back and while Azami had kept her cool all this time, now that they were on the way to the old warehouse, she started to falter. She hadn't even realized how all of this was gnawing at her nerves until they got here.

The thing was, she really didn't want to be responsible for her friend's mother dying. She also didn't want other people to think they could just push them around like this and do whatever they wanted, because they gave in one time. The entire situation was just horrible and annoying.

But here she was, together with Keiko, Hitoshi and Sero, scaling the building. Or rather being pulled up by Sero and Hitoshi because she had no idea how to actually scale a wall. And it wasn't like she had a cool physical Quirk that was helpful for her in this particular situation.

And this building? It was pretty damn high. Which wasn't really making her anxiety any better at the moment. She just had to trust Hitoshi and Sero and try not to look at the gaping abyss beneath her. This was terrifying. Did heroes do this kind of shit all the time? Maybe the high pay was justified, because if this was Azami's job, she'd definitely want a really damn good salary.

It didn't take too long until they were at the top of the building, all four of them. Yori was waiting downstairs, close by the window to get Keiko's mother to safety while Keiko would escape the same way she got in. Azami really hoped their plan would work, otherwise the conversation when they'd be back at school would be awkward. Especially if anyone died or got hurt.

But maybe it was better not to think about it. As long as Keiko made sure she was more or less alone while getting her mother out, they'd be fine. Everyone was in place, everyone knew what to do. If they acted quickly, Azami didn't know what could go wrong, except... everything.

"Okay, I think we're ready..." Hitoshi commented once they were all up on the roof. They moved over to a small opening in the roof that apparently used to be some sort of overhead window or something. It was perfect for getting Keiko inside the building from up on the rooftop.

"Maybe you're ready, but I sure as hell am not..." Azami muttered. She had no idea how she could keep such a cool head when she was negotiating with actual mafia bosses, but lost it now.

"Well, you're only really here to coordinate everything, it's not like your life is actually on the line. In theory." Hitoshi replied with a raised eyebrow. Keiko was getting ready for her part, strapping two knives to her belt and getting wrapped up in tape and the capture weapon so she could be let down into the building. Azami had know idea how Keiko could agree to do this.

Azami herself was deadly afraid of heights, so all of this made her want to lie down in a fetal position and cry, but that was no option. Not paying the ransom was her idea after all and Keiko had insisted on her coming up to the roof with her. Which was probably some sort of punishment for not just paying up and forgetting about the whole thing. Well, it was working on Azami.

"I know, I know. It's still kind of terrifying." Azami muttered, to which Keiko only scoffed, as she passed her. Azami knew what she was about to say and she already wanted to protest, but she knew she deserved whatever comment Keiko was going to make right now. She really deserved it.

"You're terrified? I don't see you going down there. And I also don't see your mother down there. Get your shit together, Azami." Keiko said, shaking her head in absolute disbelief. Azami took a deep breath.