Recovery

The Fight

Kurogiri couldn't help but flinch as keens filled the bar, not quite overridden by the music he played, startling some of the villains that were there for a drink. Stain, who was sitting at bar, looked toward Kurogiri.

"Shigaraki's newest plaything?" Kurogiri snorted.

"Something of the sort." Dabi slid in on a barstool next to the vigilante.

"More like mistake. He meant to grab the broccoli head, but ended up grabbing the one with the brainwashing Quirk. And had to muzzle him." Kurogiri took over.

"And it seems the little one has a bad past with muzzles." Stain snorted.

"You didn't know? In orphanages, they'll lock kids up in strait jackets and in closets if it means they won't use their Quirk." Kurogiri's lantern eyes widened.

"We don't have the muzzle buckled—" Stain cut him off.

"If it's still on his face, it's still a threat. Do you want me just to put the boy out of his misery?" Another villain came up behind Stain, the blond muscle one.

"A boy?" He licked his lips, eyes flashing manically. "I haven't killed in ages, Kurogiri, please let me at this one—" Dabi's eyes flashed.

"No. He's our prisoner." Shigaraki's childish voice spoke up from behind him.

"And why not, Dabi? It's not like we need him. Take off the muzzle, and let the Muscle head have a go at him." At this, the blonde grinned and Dabi winced.

"Shigaraki, he's a child—" Shigaraki scratched at his neck.

"Are you undermining my authority?" Dabi sighed, leaning against the bar and taking a sip of his martini.

"Whatever." He set the glass down as Shigaraki turned to the rest of the bar.

"Who in here watched UA's sports festival?" Nasty jeers and hollers rang around him. He grinned underneath the hand covering his face.

"Well, who wants to see the purple one fight?" And cheers filled the bar, villains raising their glasses in a toast. Dabi looked around and flinched inwardly. Shigaraki turned to him.

"Go put the purple one in the Fight Room." Dabi nodded and slinked away, dread curling under his scarred collarbones. He knew this wasn't going to end well.

——————————————————

Hitoshi blinked as the lock clicked in paused in his humming, his voice hoarse. He recognized the person as Dabi and began to him louder, feeling the sound vibrate down his back and into the pads of his feet. Dabi hesitated, before kneeling next to him.

"Handy-face's organized a fight. So I'm here to take that off you and get you there. Do you understand?" Hitoshi could hear the words, yes, but he couldn't understand. His humming grew louder, if possible, and his rocking just barely got faster. Dabi sighed.

"Kid." Hitoshi let out a high keen in response, almost like a dog, then began to mutter,

"I'll be good, please, I'll be good, I just want to go home, I won't use my Quirk I promise, please." He went back to humming and Dabi just reached in, rebuckling the muzzle, and the boy halted in all of his actions, going still. It was eerily quiet, and the boy was still, so still. Dabi moved to burn the rope away, and got the boy up, where he walked with careful steps behind the scarred man. He carefully led the purple head to the Fight room, where villains surrounded the perimeter. Stain stood by Kurogiri, a surprising sadness in his eyes as he watched Dabi lead the muzzled boy in. Shigaraki stood in the middle of the room with the muscle head.

"Ah, here he is. Dabi, could you take the muzzle fully off the rabid dog?" Every villain saw how the boy violently shook at the derogatory insult. Dabi hesitated only slightly before removing the boys bonds and muzzle completely. There were purple lines where the leather had dug in, and someone the villains flinched at the sight. Once he was freed, the boy was totally different, and Shigaraki scrambled out of the way as Hitoshi launched himself at the muscle head. Dabi watched with eyes wide as he landed on the man with a snarl, not unlike that of a beasts, and started to attack.

Biting, scratching, hissing, punching, all the villains watched on in horror as the boy attacked the man before he could even activate his Quirk. And all to soon, it was over, the man had yelled out, and gone completely still. Hitoshi had stood up silently, and in a bland voice, ordered,

"...break your neck." Shigaraki have a surprised gasp as muscle head turned his head to one side— to far, his mind supplied— and whipped it back the other way, effectively breaking his own neck. Then Hitoshi turned towards the crowd of villains.

"Who's next?" Shigaraki broke from his shock, and hissed at Dabi,

"Muzzle, put the muzzle back on that mutt!!" Hitoshi heard the words and turned towards Shigaraki.

"Excuse me?" Dabi still hesitated and another villain stepped forward, snatching the muzzle from his grasp and quickly getting behind Hitoshi to slip it on. The boy screamed and thrashed, desperately reaching with nails and punches, as the villain re-did the muzzle across first his nose, then buckling it under his jaw. The change was instantaneous, the boy slumped, and began to him again, that cursed tune.

Frére Jacques, Frére Jacques—

Even Shigaraki was slightly disturbed at the happenings. Stain, however, was furious.

"Shigaraki!" The man in question turned to the vigilante.

"Why didn't you say he was used as a fight dog before?" Hitoshi was just humming, and rocking on his heels, Dabi's arms around his slight frame. Kurogiri shooed out the extra villains, then questioned,

"'Fight dog'? I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with the term." Stain snorted.

"Fight dog. He wasn't just in an orphanage, he was used to make money at that orphanage. Matrons will put children in pens with other children or adults and have them fight, like dogs. And with a Quirk like his? I'm betting he racked in a lot of money." Kurogiri shook his head.

"What do you propose we do?" Stain tilted his head.

"The best thing would be to let him go, but that's not possible." Stain went over to Hitoshi, who stopped humming when the man crouched on his left side, recognizing the gesture. Stain had put himself easily in his line of vision and below eye level. Stain looked towards Kurogiri.

"What's the kid's full name?" Kurogiri tilted his gaseous head.

"Shinsou Hitoshi." Stain nodded, then addressed the boy.

"Shinsou-kun? Can you hear me?" Hitoshi nodded, whimpering under his muzzle. Stain continued. "Shinsou, do you want to sleep? It's over. You can sleep?" The boy contemplated the words, before shaking his head, a staggered breath leaving his chest. Realizing his hands were free, he carefully indeed the muzzle where everyone could see, then whispered,

"...insomnia Quirk. On my paternal side." The words were short, clipped. Stain nodded.

"Do you want to go back to the cage? You don't have to fight anymore." Hitoshi's eyes widened.

"...want... Ai-Eraserhead. Want Eraserhead...o-or Present Mic..." he crumbled into tears. "...dad...papa..." Stain sucked in a surprised breath, then turned on Kurogiri and Shigaraki furiously.

"You brought Present Mic and Eraserhead's brat here?"