Chapter Text
“Today you’ll be working on agility and speed. A good hero is a versatile one. This training ground mimics a city; some of you will be assigned as heroes, others as villains. Your objective is to capture and evade but hand-to-hand combat is allowed. Any quirk usage should be limited and only used when no damage to the surrounding environment is guaranteed. As a hero, you need to be aware of your surroundings and minimise any damage, as well as be prepared to be flung into an unfamiliar environment. The city will, however, be collapsing around you as damage inside a city is almost always unavoidable, even if you are not the cause of it.”
As Aizawa droned on about the day's training exercise, Denki felt a surge of excitement. His tasks in the League of Villains had started to ramp up both in importance and in danger. With every new successful task, he was rewarded with a bit more trust or, at the very least, tolerance. Junko and Kirito had only given him a nod of acknowledgement in his latest rapport, but Denki had decided to interpret it as a good sign. He was at least making progress. Now, however, he had a new challenge ahead of him. His latest errand had been to create an alliance of sorts with two other gangs the League deemed useful. He’d managed to track them down with the minimal information he was given, but it had taken him days. After that, he’d thought the hard part was behind him but no. They had been mistrustful and refused his attempts at negotiating. Denki had thought he was pretty decent at smooth talking but obviously not. He’d had to fight or flee more than once before asking Spinner for help. Humiliating.
All to say that he had been forced to rely on old skills that he had trained hard to forget, or at least overcome. He had never been a very heavy hitter. Even as a street kid, he’d normally relied on agility and speed. Nowadays, he tries to fight more, taking inspiration from his classmates, especially Ojiro. He had wanted to differentiate himself from his past, new starts and all that, so he’d never really tapped into the skills he’d used in his street days. He wanted to have a completely different style to make sure no one could connect him to Lightningbolt. Call him paranoid, but he did not want to risk his newfound life, thank you very much. This new gig, however, was very different from being a hero. He was fighting less and sneaking around more. His new fighting style just wasn't an option if he wanted to get information. Perhaps it was time to embrace his old style of evading rather than hit even in UA. He’d managed to survive this long, but the danger had ramped up, and he had noticed that he was rusty, especially as Hawks had managed to capture him rather recently. It worried him. While he knew Hawks was a very skilled hero, the anxiety and fear of being revealed as Lightningbolt sat heavily in his chest. He had even begun to think of a different disguise and name for himself to further differentiate himself from the old street days.
He had no more time to think, however, as Aizawa signalled for them all to scatter. Denki realised that he had been assigned as a villain and silently laughed at the irony of it all. He moved into the mock-up city, fingers twitching and electricity humming in his veins as he waited for the starting bell to sound.
As soon as it began, the ‘heroes’ gave chase while the ‘villains’ ran. There was a thrum in his veins, an adrenaline that he hadn’t felt in years. As he ran, with debris and sounds of destruction happening around him, he could feel the familiar thrill of a good hunt. The feeling had made itself more and more at home with every new mission he’d done for the League. He dodged and ran as he saw Tsu come his way. Looking for a quick escape, he saw a narrow alleyway. It was risky, but Denki was confident that he could make it work. Feeling a grin make its way up his lips, he skidded down the alleyway and disappeared, Tsu hot on his heels.
Aizawa was carefully observing his students as they ran around trying to evade and catch each other, all while avoiding being crushed by buildings. Some were cursing, some were crying, others laughing (Bakugo), but they were all doing rather well. Most of them kept to the (mostly) open streets or parkouring over the buildings. Keeping themselves in a semi-familiar and open environment so as not to waste time making decisions over which way to go or getting stuck in a dead end. It was a good strategy, especially as the territory was still unfamiliar to them. While staying out in the open made them more visible, it also gave them room to move in. It was an especially good move as most resorted to fighting to avoid capture. He noted with interest the few who avoided confrontations and felt confident enough to use the narrow alleys the training ground provided. Hagakure moved through them slowly, but with a confidence very few had, probably because her quirk made her close to impossible to spot, and she knew it. For her, it was a good tactic as she was arguably more vulnerable out in the open. Bakugo had decided to use the rooftops and fight his classmates head-on at first. But, Bakugo being Bakugo, had clearly wanted to challenge himself and had soon taken to running through the narrow alleyways and tight spaces instead. For him, that definitely was a challenge as he wasn’t able to use his quirk if he didn’t want to damage the structures around him. He was struggling a bit, especially when Midoriya started chasing him, but he was also doing a pretty good job, all things considered. Tokoyami also used the alleyways for the shade they provided and made quick and effective escapes using dark shadow. Resourceful.
Kaminari had surprised him. The boy had stuck to the open roads at first like most of his classmates. After a while though, something had shifted in his gaze. There was something predatory about him. Aizawa watched with interest as Kaminari baited Jirou into giving chase. The boy swiftly navigated the dark and small spaces even better than Tokoyami and Hagakure. He didn’t even seem to really need to think of his route as he expertly ran between the buildings and parkoured over bins and debris. He had long since lost Jirou and was now expertly dodging Midoriya's attempts to capture him. It was as impressive as it was unexpected. Kaminari was moving in a way he’d never done in class before. Sure they boy had always used speed and agility as his primary way to fight, but his moves had always been a bit clumsy, as if they didn’t come completely naturally, almost like he was holding back. It wasn't very obvious, and only Aizawa's years of observation had made it possible to spot. He hadn't realised how unnatural the style had been. He wondered why that was. He was also curious where the sudden and rather unusual confidence to bait his classmates into trying to capture him came from. Kaminari was one of the students who usually avoided confrontations in exercises such as these. It was more of a Bakugo adjacent strategy. Had he grown more self-assured in the short time he’d been working for the hero commission?
As Aizawa was mulling this over, Denki was having the time of his life. With the knowledge of no real danger if caught in the back of his skull, he was fully enjoying the thrill of the hunt. He’d forgotten how good it felt. To skid and jump and climb as he navigated the passageways like a maze. Despite being the one running away, Denki himself felt like the predator. He remembered feeling invincible when he was younger. Running from police and angry sellers alike. He’d kinda enjoyed it too when he was at the top of his game. He remembered feeling like he was the one in charge, leading those chasing him wherever he pleased. Now, baiting his classmates just to run circles around them all while taunting them gave him the same thrill. At some point, he’d run into Bakugo. He wasn’t a hero, but he was also one of the few who had tethered himself to mostly run between the buildings just as Denki had. They’d looked at each other and some of that hunger must have shown because the other had scrutinised him for only a second before the glint of a challenge had appeared in his eyes. Denki had gladly accepted with a smirk and off they went. It was exhilarating and Denki was having. So.Much.Fun. Adrenaline was pumping in his blood as he jumped and ducked. He glanced over at Bakugo and saw the matching grin on his friend. He let out a sharp laugh. His classmates forgotten, it was all about each other now.
”Sure you can keep up Kaachan?”
”Watch it Dunce face! Why don’t you come here so I can blast your head off!”
Denki laughed before eyeing a building. He shot Bakugo a smirk and changed course, using the escape ladders, debris and balconies to heave himself upward.
”Baking down already? Don’t tell me you're scared of a little light!”
”I’ll show you something scary!”
Bakugo, no surprise, quickly caught up to Denki and surpassed him, taunting him all the while. Eventually, they reached the top and started up the race again, all while avoiding their classmates now that they were out in the open. Denki fell back on muscle memory and pure instinct as he executed evading manoeuvres and blocks, while simultaneously trying to trip up Bakugo.
“You’ve been holding back on me!”
”I don’t know what you're talking about Kaachan! Maybe you’re just getting sloppy!”
”WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU DAMN EXTRA!!”
Denki laughed as he used Ojiro's incoming attack to launch himself off the building and down into the alleyways, Sero hot on his trail.
”You move like a grandma! Even a toddler could outrun you!” He taunted cheerfully.
”Not cool dude! Not cool.” Sero groaned but there was no malice in his words. He was swinging from building to building with his tape, moves clumsy and unpracticed. Denki recognised the inspiration and huffed a laugh.
”You sure you want to test out new moves here? You might just end up getting hurt that way you know!”
”Is that worry I hear? No need to concern yourself with that, I’ll have you in cuffs in no time!”
Denki rolled his eyes and put up a middle finger as he turned a corner and ducked as a part of a building fell behind him, effectively blocking Sero's path.
“Where is that bravado now bitch!!!” He laughed as he continued to run searching for his next target.
When the bell rang, signalling the end of the training, all but four villains remained uncaptured. Hagakure, Tokoyami, Mineta, Bakugo and Kaminari. Hagakure had remained unseen the entire lesson, and Tokoyami had used the shadows to camouflage himself, also remaining pretty unseen the entire time. Mineta had used his small stature to hide and evade the others in places they simply couldn’t reach or think to search in, while Bakugo had fistfought anyone who dared come close enough to him. Kaminari, meanwhile, had somehow turned the chase around. He who was supposed to be chased had somehow started chasing his classmates. Seeking them out and baiting them into running after him, all while running circles around them and taunting them. It had been fascinating for Aizawa to watch, especially as Kaminari had seemed to somehow improve in both agility and fighting ability. He wanted to question it but decided against it, trusting that Kaminari would come to him if he needed help.
“Wow Kaminari, who would have thought you’d be one of the last ones left!” Mina bounced up to him excitedly.
”Yeah dude! Your moves were super manly! I’ve never seen you fight like that!” Krisihisma patted his back, thinking back on when Kaminari had evaded him by simply using his own energy against him.
”Ah, it was nothing really, I just saw some sick moves on YouTube and decided to try them!”
”And you gave me shit for trying new things!”
”Hey, only playing the role my guy!”
”You’ve held back on me you damn Sparkplug!”
”Not way Bakubro, I wouldn’t dream of it.”
”DON’T PATRONISE ME YOU SHIT!”
His friends laughed as Bakugo raged and spat while Denki evaded him. They continued all the way to the locker room where IIda quickly reprimanded them for shouting and causing a ruckus. As Bakugo switched targets, Denki used the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Tokoyami, praising his good strategy and asking for tips, which Tokoyami was happy, if a bit embarrassed, to give before asking for advice in turn.
”I don’t know, I just, let instinct take over you know? Like, I was one with the dark or whatever.”
”While I admire the strategy and can relate to the feeling of letting darkness consume you, I advise against letting it spread too much within you.” Denki held back a laugh and only grinned before asking if he had any good poetry to share.
When he finally made his way back to the dorm, he was exhausted but knew the day wasn’t over quite yet. He had made plans with Yamomo to exchange notes. She would help him with Civics while he helped her in English. He was more than aware that the girl could figure out whatever she had trouble with herself, but was glad that she let him feel less like a leech when asking for her help. It made the tutoring seem more like an exchange of knowledge and less like pity. Denki had all but given up on his grades. Even with tutoring and his friends' help he was still failing. He didn’t know what to do anymore but have a mental breakdown (which he did not have time for). His friends, and especially Yamomo, continued to cheer him on and encourage him but Denki was tired. He had told them multiple times to give up on him, but they continued despite that. It warmed him as much as it pained him. It didn’t help that Aizawa had been eying him in class either. He continued to try despite it all but his main focus was on his mission.
It was slow going but he’d been reading the books Aizawa had lent him, and he found that much more interesting than math. An underground hero, according to the books where all about operating in the shadows, never being spotted by the public or the cameras. This was all done to conceal the individual's identity as they were often tasked with infiltrations and gathering intel. Underground heroes, compared to daylight heroes, could use more underhanded methods in their work as they didn’t need to concern themselves with public opinion. Denki skipped the chapters about what an underground hero did and the do’s and don’ts of their work in relation to the law in favour of the chapters about infiltration and going undercover. He knew his best qualities were his speed and stealth. The years as Lightningbolt had made him good at hiding from both people and the cameras. He was also good at running and jumping around. His weakest area was arguably his acting and manipulation, which seemed to be crucial in gaining trust and information. He was charismatic, sure, but that could only get you so far. His particular brand of charisma seemed to only work on people that where not villains and drug lords, a problem for this gig. He needed to become more flexible in his approaches. The book suggested putting on different personas depending on who the person he was dealing with needed him to be. He wasn't really sure how to go about it though as the book didn’t really say how to do it (or Denki was just too dumb to see it). He should probably ask Aizawa for help but Denki somehow found it hard to picture him as someone good at putting on a mask. No, Denki had someone else in mind for that.
As he stood on a rooftop, hood down and head tilted back, he reflected on the short time he’d spent with the League of Villains. Twice, Spinner and Toga were the ones he interacted with the most and who had warmed up to him the fastest. Toga, because she was just a little bit nuts, but mostly because she wanted to hear all about Midorya and Ururaka. Her obsession with them was disturbing but if Denki just ignored all the red flags, he could almost pretend he was just listening to a friend in love. Almost. She seemed to be happy with that at least. Twice was a different kind of crazy, but he was the one who appreciated Denki's specific brand of humour the most. They had bonded quite nicely just by Denki showing a baseline of kindness and consideration for the guy. Sad, really. Spinner had been a complete coincidence and was the one who trusted Denki the least out of the three. Denki had somehow managed to win him over by talking about some of the kids at the orphanage he’d lived in. Apparently, hearing his care for his little siblings gained him trust. Denki suspected it had something to do with the large number of mutants the orphanages consisted of.
Shigaraki, Kurogiri and Dabi were the three people in the League he feared the most. He barely interacted with Shigaraki, both out of choice and because the guy didn’t give him the time of day. Kurogiri was a mystery, and Denki didn’t feel the need to talk to him just yet. He also secretly wondered if the guy was even human. Dabi didn’t like him, might not even tolerate him. That much was obvious. Denki wasn’t sure if it was because he was associated with UA and heroes in general or because he was associated with Hawks specifically. The two of them were in this weird sort of deadly dance of give and take, trust and mistrust and Denki did not want to get involved. He likened their relationship to a toxic mating dance in his notes. Had this been a book, their relationship would be toxic enemies to lovers. Anyway, Dabit didn’t like him and made it very obvious whenever Denki was in the base or just near him. He could feel those cold blue eyes following his every move. It unnerved him to no end.
His thoughts were interrupted by a slow and quiet flapping of wings. He wouldn’t have noticed if he weren’t specifically listening for them or if he hadn’t become so accustomed to the sound.
” You're late.”
”Or you’re just early.” Hawks snarked back before ruffling his hair. “What’s up, Little Lightning? What’s the report?”
Denki heaved a sigh as he sat down by the ledge. “I’ve managed to get Toga, Twice and Spinner to warm up to me. I don’t think they fully trust me yet, but they are not hostile at least. I haven’t been able to talk with the others much, but I’m working on observing how best to approach them. Shigaraki is a creep and I want nothing to do with him just yet, and your lover hates me.” He smirked at Hawks' affronted look.
”Lover?”
”You can’t hide it from me dude, I’m a romance expert!” He smirked. “Though I got to say. Your’s is definitely a toxic one. But hey,” He shrugged with a grin, “who am I to judge? Who doesn’t love a good ol’ enemies-to-lovers?”
”Watch it Lightningbolt. A good push and you're as good as mush on the pavement.”
”Dude, not cool. Just because you suck at keeping the tension at bay doesn't mean you can take it out on me!” Denki shrieked as Hawks gave him a light shove anyway and glared as the older laughed.
”What happened to my cute little junior? You used to be so obedient and shy, always doing what I said and giving me those wide puppy eyes.” Hawks said, wiping away an imaginary tear.
”Stop lying.” Denki deadpanned.
“So cold.” Hawks laughed. “Good job, Little Lightning. Anything else?”
Denki tried not to glow at the praise. “Well, I’ve been promoted from a lowly thief to their personal errand boy. I’ve managed to track down two gangs that the League wants to create some sort of allyship with, though I have no idea why.”
”Did anything stand out about them?”
”Nothing in particular?” Denki tried to think back.
His very little intel on both gangs told him that they mainly dealt in drugs and the occasional hitman stint. Nothing extraordinary, and Denki hadn’t managed to find out what drugs the gangs dealt with, though he did know one thing.
”They had one client in common that they apparently ran tests for or something. No idea who though.” Hawks seemed to mull it over before giving a nod.
”I see, good job. That could be important information down the line.”
”What about you? Anything I should know?” Or can know?
“Hmmm, nope!” Hawks smiled, but it was one of those fake ones he was so fond of. “Everything is going according to plan on my end.”
Denki raised an eyebrow but let it go. Weasling out information from Hawks was like telling Bakugo to stop screaming, utterly impossible. But that reminded him.
”Oh, I also got a favour to ask.” The older hero gave him a curious look. “Aizawa-sensei have helped me research about underground hero work, and there was this chapter about infiltration that I thought you could help me with.”
”Oh? What makes you think I would be a better teacher than Eraser kid?”
Denki smirked up at him lazily. “Well, the chapter was about manipulation. Specifically, with the help of acting. I know you are good at presenting whatever side of yourself that you think will give you the results you want, and don’t you dare try to deny it!” He glared as the older hero opened his mouth to protest. “I’m dumb but not that dumb Hawks. Your masks are seamless, and I want to know how you do it. I’m getting progressively more missions dealing with people, and it’s getting very hard to win them over you know.” He frowned. “I also need to get better at gathering my own intel. The big boss doesn’t give me much to work with, and no one else in the underground seems to trust me that much yet.”
Denki watched as Hawks processed his words, contemplating his answer as his hand stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“No.”
”No?”
”Yes, no.”
”Why not!”
”Why should I?” Denki looked at him incredulously.
”Why- Dude, I just told you why! It will help me do my job and it will keep me from dying!”
”Yes, but what do I get out of this?” Hawks looked at him, and Denki had to suppress a flinch at his frosty demeanour.
”I-you-“ He was at a loss for words. This was not a situation he’d prepared for. Why did he assume the older hero would want to help him? How embarrassing. Of course someone as important as Hawks wouldn’t want to help a failure such as Denki. Sure, he’d made some progress but he was much too slow, and nothing actually noteworthy or important had been revealed to him yet. Or maybe it had and Denki had just been to stupied to notice?
Denki wanted to die but a scoff made him pause. Hawks was looking at him, still with those cold eyes but they were mocking now as well. Challenging. Denki's eyes widened. Of course, god he was so stupied Hawks was a master in acting. Of course this was some sort of lesson. The stupid bird could have warned him at least. Denki gave a silent scoff before his thoughts shifted to planning. Who was Hawks as a person? What would make the other change his mind if this were real? Hawks was the number two hero; he was sarcastic and protective as well as cunning and fake. Nothing he said or how he presented himself was to be trusted, so no help there. Denki glanced at him. Right now, he wanted to hear a reason why taking Denki under his wing (pun fully intended) would be beneficial to him. The question was what he could offer that would entice the other. Realistically, it wasn't much, but a part of making deals was to embellish the truth to seem more glamorous than it was, right?
“Say, isn’t there a thorn in your side right at this moment?” Falling back on something familiar, Denki tried hard to sweeten his voice into something resembling what Hawks did with Dabi. “Someone that makes your life, your work just that much more difficult, hmm?” He purred and fought a grin at the minute widening of Hawks' eyes before they settled in mild disinterest.
”Oh? And what, prey tell, little hero, would you do if there were?” Denki took mental note of the cadence Hawks' voice took. Of the dip and rise it had when he spoke, the choice of words and the body language he used and tried his hardest to mimic it.
”Why I would fix it of course! That is,” He smiled, all teeth as he leaned into Hawk's personal space, using his shorter stature to his advantage. “If you wouldn’t mind me interfering in your, personal, business.”
Hawks shifted his position, tilting his head just so and relaxing his posture. Hand on hip and body leaning slightly forward. His eyes were half lidded, but his grin was sharp and dangerous. Denki quickly tilted his head as well, trying to emulate the older hero's gaze.
”Fix it you say? How can you guarantee your service, Lightningbolt? I’m afraid my business is a very sensitive thing.” His voice was sweet and his breath hot against Denki’s ear.
“No need for concern, my methods always guarantee success and I will forever keep your secrets.” Denki tried to keep his voice steady but just as sweet and flirty. He watched intently as the other shifted demeanour once again.
Now, instead of open and inviting, his posture was stiffer, more professional. His eyes were detached but not overly cold. They were calculating but held no danger. “While your words sound good, your offer has no appeal to me as I don’t have any issues.” As he spoke, his voice changed to match his posture. Professional and detached instead of sultry and persuasive.
Denki nearly got whiplash from the quick change in demeanour and had to take a few seconds to change gear. Blinking away his own sultry and flirtatious mask to instead shift into mimicking the one Hawks presented.
I-“ He coughed as he tried to think of the way Iida and sometimes Yamomo talked during presentations and debates. “I understand your concern, sir. However, from my careful observations these past few day-uh, weeks, I have seen that Dabi has continually questioned your actions as well as treated you with suspicion.” It was a lot harder for him to sound clinical and professional. Denki struggled to filter his words into something appropriate and to keep the mask of neutrality and disinterest. He wondered how Hawks could shift into it so seamlessly.
”I see. Then how do you propose to fix this presumed issue?” Hawks once again made small shifts in his demeanour. His face became even more impassive, and his posture even more proper. Denki recognised the critique and stiffened slightly before remembering to loosen his shoulders so he didn’t look like a scared animal. He tried to think of the most boring math lecture in the world as he spoke.
”I will talk with Dabi and put in a good word for you. If that ends up as a failure, then I will redirect his attention elsewhere.”
”Oh? Are you close to Dabi?”
”Very.” The lie came out quickly, and Denki immediately started to sweat as he avoided eye contact before remembering who he was supposed to play.
Hawks scrutinised him before he gave a nod, and his posture shifted once again. His shoulders loosened, and his eyes gained their warmth once again. The exercise was done.
”Well done Little Lightning, we have a deal!” Denki gave a sigh of relief and shook Hawks hand.
”Your biggest weakness is your eyes. They’re too loud and betray your thoughts.” Denki frowned as he turned the words around in his head.
”How am I supposed to fix that?”
“Practice, have you ever done theatre or any type of acting?”
Denki scoffed. “When would I have had time for that?”
”Just asking, no need to be snappy!” Hawks held up his hands in surrender and grinned before settling down to think once again.
”My suggestion is to practice in the mirror. You read a lot, yeah? Act out different scenes and observe yourself. Try to make yourself feel the emotions of the scene. Pay attention to the small details. How your eyes widen slightly when in shock. How the brow furrows and the slight clench of the jaw when angry, or how your nose might crinkle when happy.” Denki nodded as he tried to memorise every word.
”You're pretty decent otherwise, but I would also suggest trying to mimic the people around you. You can flirt, but you're worse at being professional. See how the people around you act and make their personality yours. It will help you become more versatile.”
“Won’t that make them suspicious? I mean, the ones I hang around the most are my classmates and they already know me…” Denki trailed off at Hawks sharp grin.
”Then you'd better make sure you do it so seamlessly that they won’t even notice.” Denki groaned. Easier said than done.
”Whatever.”
”If it’s easier, try to change yourself into someone else when talking to them to get a certain result instead.”
”What do you mean?”
”You said you need to learn how to manipulate a situation to get what you want. What better way to practice than on your very own classmates? They know you and won’t have a hard time saying no or seeing through you. If you find what makes them more pliant, agreeable or what loosens their lips and softens them, then you can manipulate them into getting the reaction or information you want. If you manage to fool them, then you’ll do fine with strangers.”
”What!? That’s like, super uncool dude! I can’t do that to my friends!”
”Don’t you want to learn?”
“Yes but-“
”Remember what you signed up for.” Denki shivered at the tone.
”Yes but…They’re my friends. I don’t want to manipulate them. It feels wrong.”
”You make it sound as if you're forced to manipulate them into doing something bad.” Hawks scoffed. “It can be something simple like getting someone to agree to come hang out at a cafe when they might not want to, or give you a bite of their food or something." Denki lowered his gaze and bit his lip. “Don’t worry Little Lightning. You don’t need to play bad guy with them.” For now went unsaid and Denki gulped and nodded.
”Your second weakness is your lies. You have some very obvious tells.”
”I do?”
”You avoid eye contact, your body language becomes stiff and fleeing, you bite your lip, and you sweat bullets.”
Okay, ouch, that hurt, Denki thought. How was he supposed to fix or even practice that? ”Man, you're a brutal dude!” He whined.
Hawks huffed out a laugh and Denki smiled a bit before asking. ”So, how am I supposed to fix that?”
”Well, the easiest thing would be to practice, but I have a feeling you won’t be doing much of that.” Denki glared at the mere suggestion of practising on his friends. ” I suppose you’ll just have to try and think about it whenever you do lie then.”
”That’s terrible advice!”
Hawks only shrugged in a clear what can you do gesture.
”Ugh, I’m so like, totally doomed!” He raised his hands in frustration and groaned.
Hawks observed him for a moment before huffing, ruffling his hair, and laughing.
”Don’t think too hard about it, Little Lightning, it will be bad for your complexion~” Denki tried to punch him, but the bewinged hero was already off. “Don’t forget our deal, I want Dabit out of my wings the next time we meet!”
”WHAT?! That wasn’t supposed to mean anything!”
”No? We shook hands and everything!”
”WHA- That’s not fair!” Denki screeched.
”Third lesson of the night! Always honour the deals you make, otherwise word will get around that you're unreliable!” And with that, Hawks was off, leaving Denki alone on the rooftop.
He sighed looking at the city below. The lights of the buildings made the stars impossible to see and the clouds blocked the moon. He let his feet swing and hair swirl in the wind. Great, how was he supposed to win Dabi over? The guy didn’t even seem to like the other villains in the League. Besides, Denki shivered at the thought of his blue fire; he was scary. He pushed the thought away, deciding that it was a problem for future Denki. Instead, his thoughts strayed to another problem he had to deal with. His persona. Right now, he was Lightningbolt, the old streetrat that disappeared for years before reappearing in cahoots with the League of Villains. Word hadn’t gotten around about his reappearance in the general public, but at the black market? Yeah, no, he was big news there. He didn’t want to turn Lightningbolt into a monster. Sure, he had broken laws and stolen things, but he was a starving kid back then. Not a villain. He didn’t want to sully the memory of that, even if it wasn’t a past he liked to remember or even acknowledge. The added pressure of knowing that if he were caught and unmasked, he would be left with no support. If word got out that he used to be a criminal before this stint as a double spy, he wasn’t sure the hero commission would protect him. He didn’t like that uncertainty; he needed a new persona. Someone who could dirty their hands and be like Hawks. Someone fake and shifty. Cunning in ways Lightningbolt the streetrat or Chargebolt the hero, or even Kaminari Denki, could never, should never, be.
That meant a new outfit and a new name. At first, he’d entertained commissioning an outfit just like he’d done with his hero one, but that one was discarded faster than lightning. He wondered who else but him could be so stupid as to even entertain the idea. His next thought was to buy an outfit, but he felt nervous about the thought of someone having a record of him buying a look he would do crimes in. No, that might just incriminate him more than if he remained as Lightningbolt. He could make his own, but that was too much effort and probably wouldn’t turn out well anyway. Denki still wanted to look cool. Look good, do crimes, right? That meant his last option was to steal something. The question was when and where. He mulled it over even the next day in class and the day after that. If he were to steal something, he needed to know the exact thing and exactly where it was.
He made a quick sketch of what he wanted, so he had some sort of idea what to look for. It needed to be so different from what he usually wore that no one would even consider making the connection back to him. So what did Denki like? What clothes did he have? He wasn't actually that picky, usually happy with whatever he could thrift. But he had to admit that he liked to look trendy. It was a guilty pleasure to get the newest outfit, the newest style. A luxury he rarely had even now. So nothing trendy then, what else? He liked street style, colour and things that made him look cool. Busy and loud designs were also good. So something simple and with limited colours. That would also be good for stealth, he reflected. With that in mind, he requested permission to venture out that weekend. Usually, he would drag his friends out with him, but this time, he wasn't out to have fun.
Guilt swirled in his stomach as he browsed shop after shop, shifting through racks and analysing different materials to see if they would hold up. He had a few pieces that he thought could work, but nothing felt quite right. He was close to giving up when something caught his eye. It was a smaller shop, one of those that screamed money, and everyone wondered how they stayed in business. He looked around before venturing in. Greeting the shopkeeper and trying hard to convey that he did not need any help, he quickly cast his gaze around to see if anything seemed right. His eyes immediately strayed to a shirt in the back. It looked to be some sort of kimono-inspired design at first, but styled as an overcoat. To conceal his interest and take advantage of the shopkeeper answering the phone, he slowly made his way towards it, sifting through the racks and occasionally staying a bit longer on random clothes to not raise suspicion. When he finally got close enough to inspect the outfit, he picked a shirt, a haori or something inspired by it at least nearby. Close enough for him to steal quick glances at his desired item from the corner of his eye.
It was mostly black, perfect for venturing out in the dark, but with some yellow strewn in there as well. It looked nice, and Denki felt he needed some sort of colour or else he’d just look like Aizawa. No offence to him, but Denki wasn’t too sure his hero outfit was the coolest one out there. He threw a quick glance at the price tag. Expensive, but the most expensive things were durable, right? He hoped so. Denki really, really wanted it. Eyeing the outfit, he was happy to see that it was roughly his size. Damn, what luck, huh? He didn’t even feel too bad about stealing the thing. He never liked small shops that only catered to the rich anyway. He exited the shop satisfied and thinking about what could complement the outfit. Taking out his sketchbook, he quickly made a replica of it with notes about colours and patterns, as well as which shop and where it was in the store, so he`d remember it later.
Soon enough, he'd found all that he needed. He was just about to call it a day when something caught his eye. It looked like a hybrid between a cape and a scarf. It was dual coloured. One side was yellow while the other was black. It was impractical and so not needed, but Denki wanted it. What was one more theft right? Besides, it fit him. Dual colored, double spy. Oh yeah, he was going back for it, alright.