Butterfly Soup

Time has passed, the beginning of June has come since the last events. Shigaraki had rarely left the League’s hideout in recent days, only when he was getting really bored. Or when some dirty deeds appeared. The staff was slowly replenished with new villains besides Dabi and Toga, Twice and this strange guy Tornado. The lists now also included: Spinner, Compress, Magne, Muscle, Moonfish, Mustard. The majority came to the League precisely because of Stein’s propaganda and admiration for his ideology. The League of Villains was planning to attack the U.A. training camp after the summer exams. Periodically Shigaraki looked through the news and watched to see if Bakugo or Midoriya would be shown there again. These two also aroused in him manic interest and special hatred. Two schoolboys who yearned to be heroes and admired the one he hated most: Allmight. Tomura met Midoriya just a month ago in a shopping mall and became convinced that this kid was a typical “fruit” raised by the hated hero system. But on the other hand, Izuku helped Shigaraki understand for himself where he should strive next and become even stronger in his hatred of the Allmight and the desire to create a world without him. Bakugo interested Tomura with his victory in the sports festival. It was clear that this guy was no weakling. And, judging by his behavior and statements, he created the impression of a villain rather than a hero. Tomura even had the idea to lure Bakugo to his side. And for this he had to be taken to a bar. In other words, the main task of the Advance Detachment was precisely the abduction of this schoolboy and the humiliation of the heroes for allowing this to happen. Shigaraki hoped that this event would cause a resonance in society and the reputation of the heroes would be severely damaged. And the League of Villains will gain even greater popularity among the masses. There wasn’t much of a plan, but Tomura was counting on the Advance Squad. He really believed that they could pull this off. *** One evening, Shigaraki sat thoughtfully at the bar, periodically glancing at his cell. In recent days, after that meeting with Twice and Tornado, he and Milante had never seen each other, only corresponded in the chat. He never learned anything fundamentally new about her. Mostly they chatted about abstract topics. Tomura was interested in having a dialogue with her. He was an ardent debater and Milante acted as an excellent opponent to let off steam and debate on various sensitive topics. Namely, about the unjust and vile heroic community. Tomura poured out his soul to Milante about his painful issues, she, of course, listened to him and expressed her opinion on this matter. Shigaraki disagreed with many things, but these disputes spurred him on even more, and they could spend hours sorting out “relationships” through correspondence and voice messages. Tomura even liked this interaction between them, with a certain amount of unspoken competition, or something. Like, who will overwhelm whom with arguments. And, frankly speaking, Milante was in this sense a worthy opponent for Shigaraki, which he, of course, appreciated. The unfortunate boss of the League had no comrades or at least suitable interlocutors whom he didn’t consider dirt under his feet. Apart from Kurogiri, All For One and Daruma, he didn’t interact with anyone, and the League members were too busy with themselves and their desires. And especially Tomura didn’t interact in this way with female representatives. So his ever-increasing interest and curiosity quietly replaced his residual dislike for Milante. Somewhere deep inside, Shigaraki even began to sympathize with her (as much as it was even possible on his part). It was fun and interesting to be with her, she didn’t bother he with communication, she wasn’t intrusive. She turned out to have a completely broken sense of humor, sarcastic, ironic, saturated with darkness and madness, which he understood and he damn well liked it. Yes, Milante was mad, just like him. In it’s own way, but it was a unique, authentic madness…zoomie. And she was truly beautiful in it. Shigaraki caught himself thinking that he would like to see her more often. From time to time he even dialed Milante himself, but for some reason she didn’t pick up the cell and only answered in the chat. It was quite strange. Tomura, without even noticing it, began to need her and even, in a sense, miss her. He wanted to hear her voice, see her facial expression and emotions. Feel the aroma of her perfume. So tasty and tempting… From these thoughts, Shigaraki involuntarily sighed loudly throughout the entire bar. - Hey, Shigaraki, — Spinner’s voice brought him out of prostration. — So what are your plans for today? - Hm-m… plans? — Tomura turned to him. — What are plans? - You called us to discuss the upcoming attack on U.A., right? — Spinner stared at him in bewilderment. - Oh… that’s right, — Shigaraki scratched his cheek. — Haven’t we already discussed everything? What else do you not understand? Shuichi was about to answer, but suddenly Tomura’s cell rang. Raising it to his eyes, Shigaraki saw Milante’s number flashed. - Finally, — he broke into a satisfied grin and accepted the call. — What a people! What did you suddenly decide to type yourself, huh? And why the hell didn’t you pick up the phone all this time? - Hello to you too, — a chuckle was heard from the receiver. — I was busy. I’m calling to find out how the planning for the next attack on U.A. is going. - Oh, so you already know, — Shigaraki’s mouth stretched into a maniacal smile. — Will you root for us? Ha-ha, this will be a huge breakthrough for the League! What do you think of my super idea? - I’ll say this: I’m glad that you have like-minded people, — Milante answered after a moment. — This way you will be less bored. And you try so hard. Well done. -… This slight praise made Tomura’s heart beat faster and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. - Huh…well, thank you, — he involuntarily broke into a smile, awkwardly scratching his cheek with finger. — Glad to hear that. This is your first praise addressed to me, it’s even somehow awkward… Just kidding, don’t think too much about yourself, beetle, — he immediately added, assuming an indifferent look. - Heh, please. Listen, if you have time, let’s meet? - Go ahead, — Shigaraki agreed rather quickly, but immediately stopped himself. — I mean… I’m wondering what you want from me this time. You miss me, right? Okay, if you’re so lonely, then I’ll come anyway. Where, when and what time? - Miss you? Who knows. Perhaps yes, — the girl answered mysteriously. — Let’s go to that reservoir today? The atmosphere there is not bad. - I have unpleasant associations with this place, — Tomura rolled his eyes, remembering how he vomited rainbows there. — I’m coming. At what time? — At 11 pm, is that ok? - Hm-m, — Shigaraki raised his head, looking at watch. — I still have a meeting of new recruits, I think I’ll have time. - OK. See you then. Tomura put down the phone and looked at the League members: they also looked at him silently and with unclear meaning on their faces. - So this Milante is really your girl after all? — Dabi winced. — I can’t imagine what she must have in her head and taste to fall for your ugly face. Tornado at this time looked carefully at Shigaraki, watching his reaction. - Who knows, — Tomura grinned, crossing his legs. — My personal affairs don’t concern you guys. So what were we talking about? Their boss seemed to brighten up considerably. The meeting continued under quiet (and not so quiet) whispers the League members among themselves.

***

After the meeting, Shigaraki went straight to the reservoir. He didn’t tell Kurogiri where he was going, deciding to keep his meeting with Milante a secret. Slowly climbing the stairs to the roof, he looked around: Milante was sitting on the very edge of the fence, looking thoughtfully at the sky and listening to music in large white wireless headphones with neko-ears. Tomura removed the hood from his head and shook out hair. He was without “Father” today. “-… I am causing damage, everything went exactly as I planned. I do what I want when I talk (when I talk) I create news. But this is nothing new… Living on the edge of madness is madness…”* — the bass sounded from the headphones. *(K/DA — Baddest) Approaching the girl closer, Shigaraki looked at her with a searching gaze. Looking at the headphones and hearing the song, he chuckled contentedly and meaningfully under his breath. “- Again a track from LoL, ha-ha. I definitely like it. I wonder if she still plays this game or is just a fan of the group?” When he sat down next to her, Milante turned off the music and hung headphones around her neck. - Hey, girl. How is life in general? — Tomura asked, leaning on his knees. - Everything is fine. I see you’re doing well too, — the girl smiled slightly, looking at him. - Something like that. There are even more of us now, — Shigaraki grinned. — Have you changed your mind about joining? There’s a big hard party coming up, and you’re on the invite list. I can even issue a VIP invitation, first row. - No, thank you. Tomura rolled his eyes, exhaling heavily and drawn out. - I don’t understand… what is the real reason for your refusal? — He took a strand of Milante’s hair with two fingers, examining it. — You’re interested in me, aren’t you? And I’m just the boss of the League of Villains. Do you get the connection? - I don’t get it, — the girl chuckled, closing her eyes. — If you are interested in me, this doesn’t mean that I am interested in the League itself and it’s plans. Remember, right? I don’t interfere in anything, I don’t judge anyone (almost) and I don’t approve of anything. I’m just an outside observer. Don’t you like our communication in this form? I think we even managed to find a common language, more or less. - Like? I don’t know, — Shigaraki shook his head. — Well, we seem to communicate normally, if that’s what you’re asking. Everything suits me. - As well as me, — Milante smiled at him. There was silence. Tomura looked at the girl thoughtfully as she turned away and raised head again, admiring the night sky. - Do you always do this? — Shigaraki suddenly asked, pointing his finger up. — Like, look at the sky. What’s interesting there? - Yes, — a mysterious smile flashed on Milante’s lips. — It’s much better there than here. - There? — Tomura pointed his finger at some star. - There too. This is the North Star, it is the brightest and the first to light up in the sky, — Milante explained. - Hm-m…I’ve never been interested in this, — the guy scratched his cheek thoughtfully. — You’re strange. - You told me, — the girl looked at him mockingly. — Actually, you’re right, I’m very strange. - Yeah. Then it should sound doubly offensive, — Tomura chuckled quietly. — I sincerely don’t understand what could be interesting about being stuck like that on these little white dots in the sky. - This makes me feel calmer. All anxieties and worries go away, I just have to look at this endless sky, — Milante stretched out her hand to the sky with a wide smile. — I want to fall UP. Always. Fly as high and higher as possible. To the very stars and beyond. Shigaraki looked at her in slight confusion, not understanding why she looked so joyful, as if she had won the lottery. He looked down and scratched the back of his head, not knowing what to say in response to these words. - …I don’t understand your train of thought.” But people are so predictable, you can always put pressure on them and they’ll break, — said Tomura, looking down from the roof onto the street. — People are such weak creatures. They are so easy to kill. Why are they so pathetic, Milante? What do you think? Especially the heroes. They are much weaker because they have weaknesses in the form of family, friends and reputation. - People are afraid of losing what is dear to them and often seek to protect it at all costs, — answered Milante. — The desire to protect someone — is not weakness. This is a show of strength. When you sincerely want to save someone and help, it means you have enough strength to think not only about yourself. Caring about someone is not a bad thing. Everyone needs someone nearby who can understand and accept you for who you are. With all the vices and virtues. Not all villains are soulless and heartless. And not all heroes are fearless and noble… Everyone has their dark sides and inner demons that they fight every day. Nobody is perfect. And me too. Heroes are the most ordinary people and they are not a priori omnipotent. They cannot save everyone, no matter how much they would like to. There will still be those who will suffer because some hero didn’t come to their aid. It’s impossible to save everyone. -… Shigaraki looked at the girl very carefully and silently for some time, listening to her. - You know, I even like your reasoning, Milante, — he suddenly smiled a little. — It seems you understand me. I’m glad. You understand the heroes are just a bunch of corrupt posers, and nothing more. They act all important on talk shows and make pretentious speeches, their faces are played on TV every single day, and when they are faced with f*cking reality, it turns out that all their fervor and loud words are nothing more than stupid boasting. They are weaklings, these heroes. They can easily be kicked by some Nomu, for example. Once you find out about their weaknesses, the heroes immediately become completely vulnerable. And they are so easy to kill, ha-ha! So it’s great you’re thinking along those lines. It’ll be much easier for you and me to continue to interact. You are actually very interesting. You have already begun to irritate me much less, this is commendable, well done. Keep up the good work, — he nodded approvingly and patted the girl on the head like a child. Milante rolled eyes picturesquely, shaking her head. Shigaraki continued to look at her intently with a strange smile. - Hey, what do you want? — he suddenly looked into her eyes. - In general or at the moment? — Milante tilted her head to the side, examining the guy’s face. - Right now, — Tomura squinted. — Maybe you’re bored and want to have fun? I can come up with something funny, so be it. - I-intrigue. Well, come on, — the girl smiled slyly. Shigaraki thought and froze for a while. - Eureka! — it dawned on him and he snapped fingers. — Let’s go to the slot machines and hang out, huh? It’ll be fun. I want to play Street Fighter. - Eh? And I thought about Dance Dance Revolution, — Milante laughed out loud. — I would like to see how you jerk in a fit to rhythmic music and call it a dance, aha-ha-ha! *(Japanese dance game) - I don’t know how to dance, — Tomura looked at her like she was a fool. — If you want, dance yourself. If you blow it and weep bitterly from defeat, I will gloat with pleasure, — he added venomously. — Let’s go, cactus. Rising to his feet, Shigaraki wandered towards the stairs, Milante snorted and followed him. Having overtaken the guy, she stuck her tongue out at him, made a face, and jumped down the entire flight of stairs, running out into the street. Tomura looked at her and chuckled under his breath. Going downstairs, he looked around: Milante was nowhere to be seen. - Huh? Did she dump me? — Shigaraki scratched his neck in puzzlement. — Suddenly. What is this? - I’m here, — she suddenly pointed fingers at his sides with a malicious giggle. -?! Tomura flinched in surprise. - …Don’t do that again, fool! — he muttered gloomily, looking around. — I thought you had already left safely. - Hey, I didn’t cheat on you, — Milante chuckled and, grabbing his hand, dragged him down the street. — You think badly of me, heh.” Shigaraki rolled his eyes, but for some reason obediently followed her. - You walk too fast, — he remarked displeasedly, barely keeping up with the girl. — Slow down, otherwise I’ll run out of steam. It’s a long way to go… - Why didn’t you say something right away? — Milante suddenly stopped abruptly in the middle of the street and Tomura almost fell on her. — Then we’ll ride with the breeze. Turning around, she narrowed her eyes slyly and suddenly, in one fell swoop, jumped onto the roof past a passing car. - You’ll catch up! — Milante shouted, cupping hands in front of her mouth as the car sped past the surprised Shigaraki. — Just don’t be late! -… Tomura watched the car for a long time and suddenly broke into a crazy grin… With the grace of a cat, he jumped onto the next car and caught up with the girl at the traffic light. - No, you’re really retarded, — Shigaraki jumped onto the roof with a loud laugh. — This is what I understand, a real hard party, aha-ha-ha-ha! Let’s go to this damn shopping center and shake the soul out of these machines! - Yes coconut! — Milante also laughed out loud and extended her clenched fist to him. — Back off, crazy bro. Tomura looked at her carefully for a couple of seconds, then with a satisfied grin he slammed fist against hers. - And now we’re going to have fun, — he said, squatting and grinning ominously with 32 teeth. — This f*cking city belongs to us tonight. Milante calmly copied his pose and sat in the same way, hunched over. Shigaraki looked at her and patted her on the shoulder, showing approval. The girl responded by elbowing him in the side and grinning. The light turned green and the car on the roof of which they were sitting rushed into the city center.

***

- Oh, there are almost no people here anymore. - Only villains hang around here at night. Like us, for example. - I’m not a villain. - Pheh, it’s a pity, you would have made a great Mistress of Evil. Hm-m, maybe you’ll change your mind after all, huh? Come on, the League is waiting for you with open arms. - No, roll your lip up into your collar. Shigaraki shrugged as he walked down the hall of the shopping mall where the slot machines were located. There were really very few people. His gaze suddenly fell on the machine with the “claw”. - Do you want to play this? — he pointed his finger at this, turning to Milante. — I know one trick, how to catch anything without fail. - Oh, I want it, — the girl approached the machine with interest. — Will you show me? Otherwise, I just got used to kicking everything out of there. Tomura looked at her with a poker face and stood next to her. “- It’s not bad with the leg either.” - Hm-m… — he rummaged in pockets. — Are there any coins? I didn’t take anything. - No, everything is on the card, Milante snorted. — I practically don’t use cash. - And what should I do? — Shigaraki scratched his cheek. - I have an idea, — looking around, Milante noticed a couple of schoolchildren playing Mario nearby. — I’ll come right now, wait here. With these words, she moved towards them with a firm gait. Tomura watched her go and put his hands in sweatshirt pocket, walking along the hall, waiting for the girl to return. “- Schoolchildren play machine guns at night? Those are idiots. Are they not afraid of villains?” A few minutes later Milante came back. - Ta-dam! — she shook her hair smugly, holding a handful of coins in hand. — I can get anything from anywhere, ha! - Did you rob them? — Shigaraki looked towards the schoolchildren. — Nice. And you say you’re not a villain. Yes, I see your dark nature from afar, — he added, grinning contentedly and poking her in the side with his elbow. - Not true. They just had extra, — Milante answered calmly, putting money into the machine. — Don’t slander me. - Phew, — Tomura put his hand on her head. — Well, shall we start our game? Which of these do you want to have for yourself? The girl looked carefully at the contents of the machine. - This, — she pointed her finger at some large keychain. - Okay, — Shigaraki grabbed the lever and pressed the button. — Look carefully, I won’t repeat. Any monkey could envy his dexterity of hands: Tomura, with glowing eyes, quickly turned the lever in all directions, periodically clicking the “Start” button. When the “claw” of the machine finally caught and dragged the keychain towards the basket, Shigaraki let out a cry of victory. After exchanging glances with Milante, they simultaneously burst into smiles and high-fived each other. - Impressive, — Milante said, taking her winnings. — Thank you. You are a master. - Well so, — Tomura was already swollen with pride in himself and the girl’s praise. — It’s not for nothing that I’ve been playing video games for so many years. I’m a real pro. - Ehe-he, it’s obvious. Look what we pulled out, — Milante suddenly, with burning eyes, thrust a keychain right under his nose. — This is real beauty! This is a masterpiece… Shigaraki blinked in confusion and looked at the keychain. - Huh? What is this, a cat’s ass with… balls? — his face took on an unclear meaning. - Yeah. Adore. Iit’s beautiful, — the girl giggled, stroking the keychain. — The cats rule, that’s all. -… Tomura, with a face like a squeezed lemon, stared at her and just silently watched as Milante attached the keychain to her smartphone. - Well, let’s move on? — having finished, she looked questioningly at the guy. — Where did you want to go? - There… — Shigaraki trudged forward, exhaling heavily. Milante walked alongside, looking around with interest. - Oh, look, — she suddenly pulled Tomura by the hood, causing the guy to almost suffocate because the collar dug into his neck. — Vending machine with sweets. Shall we go there? Before Shigaraki had time to react or respond, the girl had already found herself at the machine. Rubbing his neck irritably, the guy tsked and walked up to her. - It’s impossible to pull it out here, the candies are laid out in such a way that…- Tomura began, but suddenly stopped. Milante with a poker face deftly stuck her hand into the slot of the machine and, unscrewing the bolts, opened the lid. The dumbfounded Shigaraki’s eyes widened at this scene. - Ah… well, that’s also possible, — he whistled, watching as Milante grabbed and stuffed all the sweets into his pockets. — You’re so thoughtful. And I was about to unfold the machine gun. - Otherwise, — the girl grinned insidiously, already stuffing candies into the pockets of his sweatshirt. — Hold it. - Why should I? — Shigaraki snorted indignantly, moving away. — I won’t be able to keep them there normally, the Decay will accidentally work, take it away. - It won’t work, — Milante looked around. — Let’s go before the cameras spot us… As if to confirm her words, the alarm system immediately beeped loudly throughout the center. Tomura quickly grabbed the girl by the hand and rushed to the exit like a bullet. - Crap! I don’t play Street Fighter, — he muttered through clenched teeth, approaching the doors. — You beetle off all my raspberries…I came here just for this. - Come on, next time we’ll play, — Milante responded indifferently, suddenly grabbing the column with her hand. — Going through the exit is not an option — the police are already running there. Let’s go through the window. Shigaraki only managed to exhale sharply from the sudden stop and hover in the air. Grabbing him by the scruff of the neck, Milante reached the second floor in one leap and, looking down at the approaching police officers, with a grin, kicked out the glass and jumped out of the window with Tomura. - Are you crazy?! — Shigaraki exclaimed as he flew down. — It was possible to go out through the back entrance to the edge! - There’s an ambush too, — the girl calmly pointed her finger around the corner of the center. — You are not prudent, fool. Learn how to do it beautifully. Turning her head towards him, Milante smiled widely. -… Tomura blinked a couple of times. And then he laughed out loud. - Ha-ha-ha! You really are something! — tears of laughter even appeared in his eyes. — It’s crazy how fun it is to be with you, Milante! Ha-ha… Reaching out, he grabbed Milante’s forearm and pulled her towards him. - Tell me you won’t go home and will stay with me until the morning, — a crazy smile appeared on Tomura’s face. — I want this fun to last as long as possible. - I won’t leave. Do you know why? — the girl narrowed her eyes slyly. — Because me too SO much fun now! Aha-ha-ha! She also laughed madly throughout the street. Shigaraki chuckled contentedly and lowered his eyes, looking for somewhere to land. -…Holy shit. Hey, Milante, we have a problem, — he suddenly said with a poker face, pointing his finger down. — They’ve all gathered here and waiting for us. - Let them wait, — Milante sharply pulled Tomura to waist and wrapped her arms around him. — Hold on tight, Flash mode is coming. - Huh…? Shigaraki only managed to blink in amazement. Milante, together with him, before reaching the ground, unexpectedly pushed off from the wall in flight and rushed somewhere upward with lightning speed. The police opened fire on them, screaming. The girl deftly dodged every bullet, calmly reached the roof of a neighboring building. Looking around, she met Tomura’s round eyes and, grunting, rushed forward, flying over the roofs of houses in one fell swoop. Somewhere far behind the fading sirens of police cars sounded.