Atrocious

- Chapter 31 -

Narrator POV

She felt uncomfortable and her skin burned, despite the cold air.
Knowing that the large apartment complex was behind her, several pairs of eyes watching her as she now removed her clothes piece by piece, she did as instructed.
She was no longer wearing her original clothes from that day, but clothes from victims of theft, assault and battery.
She smelled of all these people, but she had long since stopped smelling them herself.
Naked and freezing, she stood in front of Hawks and scrutinized his pain-filled gaze.
When she looked down at herself, she knew why.
Her skin was pale and blotchy, countless blue, green and purple bruises lined her body. Cuts and bruises on her wrists and ankles were also visible.
This was the first time she had seen her body in its entirety and she herself looked down in disgust.
A whistle and cheer went up behind them.
The rogues and guards saw everything.
And they liked what they saw.
Regardless of the damage to their bodies.

Hawks turned and scrutinized them with a serious look. Then he stood behind Anna so that he could fan out his left wing wide enough to cover her body.
"Get in the water," he said and his voice returned to its old, gentle and loving tone.
She obeyed without saying anything and got into the icy cold water.
Hundreds of pinpricks burned into her skin and her heartbeat quickened.
She breathed in and out sharply and slowly sat down in the not very clean water.
Her circulation suddenly kicked into high gear and Anna tried to adjust her breathing to cope with the cold.
Hawks sat down at the edge of the pool, making sure the wing continued to cover most of her naked body.
"Anna-"
"Tell me the truth..." she stammered, avoiding eye contact and trying not to chatter her teeth.
Her nose was turning red and her cheeks had also taken on a rose-colored hue.
Finally again.
He fell silent, reached into the ice-cold water to wet his hands and wiped her back.
"Can you at least tell me why I'm in this fucking cold water?"
"So we can talk undisturbed. And you really smell."
She couldn't help a small, pained laugh and shook her head.
"How long have I been here and where is Vlad?"
"Six weeks."
"What?!?" her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
'6 weeks? 6 weeks of this agony, this unexpected, every day - die or live, die or live?'
The cold was just a dull ache in the background.
Her head was spinning with memories of her brother, Zarya, her father Paul, but also Shota and Vlad.
Of her years at university, her new life at the UA...
6 weeks.
What is going through Jinji's mind? How does he feel? And her mother must be full of worry.
She put her head in her hands and pressed her fingers to her forehead until her fingertips turned white.
'Shit.'
A flash of lightning shot through them and the dirty water had given her the first advantage
benefit - she could think clearly again.
"Is Jinji still at your internship? Did you tell him where I am? How is he?" she asked, a little more stormy and moody now, staring directly into his eyes.
He took his hands off her and took a deep breath.
Then he pushed it out of his nose and chose his next words carefully:
"Listen.
Vlad is still badly injured but alive.
You are trapped here and will remain so for the time being.
There is nothing I can do. I didn't want this. I just didn't want this." He shook his head and raised his head to the sky, "This is much bigger than you think and I'm not who you think I am..."
"A traitor? An asshole? An idiot?...Shall I go on?" she said, starting to wipe off the worst of the dirt on her.
"I'm not one of you. I'm here undercover, working for the government."
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" she laughed, tears streaming down her cheek.
"Anna..." he ran his hand through his hair and looked at her wearily, "...they would have killed you six weeks ago if I hadn't interfered!"
She stopped washing and looked into the murky water.
Somehow she realized that he was right.
"When was Katsuki freed?"
She closed her eyes and waited for his answer. It felt like hours of silence and yet it was only a moment.
"Six weeks ago."
'Fuck.'
"We were just there to blackmail the others?"
"Yes...Eraserhead and the students were confronted and they all stood up to them to free you. Unfortunately, that went wrong and they were able to catch the boy."
She fell silent to listen to him further.
"There was a rescue mission, without my agreement. If they had waited a few hours longer, the boy would have been brought here and they would surely have saved you both as well..."
'So Vlad and I weren't in a temporary camp, but Katsuki was...'
He held out his hand to her and motioned for her to stand up.
"Shigaraki is planning something big. I don't know much, just that people are disappearing," he continued, "And I could prevent you from being next."
Shigaraki had to be the hand puppet. That monster with dead hands.
"And what should we do now? Where is Vlad? Can I see him?"
"I don't know where he is, but I'll find out.
You have to survive, Anna. I'll be leaving the compound again soon...The eyes are everywhere...Among many more heroes, there are traitors working for Shigaraki.
Somehow, I will let the others know that you are here. The next strike against the villains must happen here and I will call in Endeavor..."

He offered his jacket and placed it over her naked and wet body.
"You're coming with me for now - for the show I just put on here, you're being taken to my common room now. Don't worry, I won't do anything and I'll give you the love and affection you deserve."

Anna shivered with cold and followed him. He grabbed her by the arm again, this time roughly and forcefully. Walking was much easier for her after the cold water and she played along with Hawk's game. They walked briskly through the building and Anna couldn't help but catch sight of the scarred face on the second floor. They couldn't interpret his look, but they knew it meant nothing good. He leaned over the parapet and began to grin mischievously. She tried to ignore him, turned her head away and let Hawks pull her along.

'Survival. As if this was that easy.'