Soga Kugizaki.

Koichi led me to a backalley cafe.

"Come on in. He works here." He said.

He entered the cafe called out.

"Hey! Soga! Someone's here looking for you!"

"He'll be out in a minute. Just wait here." He said with that annoying half lidded smile of his. His lips curved inward into his half moon shaped mouth and almost disappeared as if by magic.

It was one of those things that had bugged me since my first day. The people and their faces, actions etc. They all looked so odd? Creepy? Like experiencing this uncanny valley effect without it being unnatural. Like people's lips disappearing when they smile, the near perfect curves on Himiko's body, the freckles on Deku's face coloring a deep rounded black, almost eerily distinct. It was almost as if the world itself was struggling to conform to anime logic but failing miserably at it. It was one of those deeply disconcerting things about this world that I had been subconciously ignoring my whole life.

Like how Deku could survive Bakugo's explosions with just a cracked rib and shallow bruising. Or how a lot of quirks ignored the laws of physics and conservation of energy and mass. And no, Momo's excuses about using body fat and lipids just didn't cut it. Where did that lost matter come from? Where did it go? It was one of those unsolved mysteries I wanted to solve before leaving this shithole.

" ...ey. Hey! Kid! You there?"

Huh?!

A voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Soga. Yes. The reformed villain and part time bad boy of the vigilante storyline.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. Got lost in thought. I'm Haru."

"Soga. What do ya want Haru?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"About that. Can we talk outside? Somewhere a bit more private?" I gestured at the customers.

"Sure." He said.

"Boss. I'm taking a break! Be back in a minute."

He turned around and shouted.

"Follow me."

As we left the cafe, Soga gave me a sideways look, pointing behind a nearby building.

"Bring your friends too. They have something to do with it don't they?" He said.

I waved at the two to come over as Soga led us to a secluded corner alley.

"So.." he said, lighting up a cigarette, "How can I help you? And give me one good reason why I shouldn't report little miss vampire over there to the police right now."

I steeled my resolve and looked him in the eyes.

"Because you know what it's like to be treated like a villain."

When he was first introduced, Soga was a bully and a would be rapist. He even tried to molest the female lead of the story, pop*step, before Koichi and Knuckleduster saved her.

Then as the story progressed, he changed for the better under Knuckleduster's tutelage and became a bonafide noir detective badass. This was the guy who would be the lynchpin in my plan to turn Himiko into a valuable asset.

Soga let out a puff of smoke, looked at Himiko, then back at me.

"Haah! Shit." He mumbled.

"Fine. Tell me about it." He said and sat down on a nearby trash can.

"Well, do you know about quirk-behaviour association theory?"

"Not particularly?"

"It basically says that certain quirks cause inclinations in people that support the use of said quirk. Like someone with a water quirk being drawn to swimming of gardening. Or someone with an explosion quirk having a temper problem."

Deku nodded understandingly behind me.

"Uh huh?" Soga intoned.

"So what happens when someone's quirk is not the most pleasant to use? When the effects are scary or morally questionable? What do you think happens to them?" I asked.

"They are ostracized?" He suggested.

"Some yes. But more than that, their quirks are suppressed. They are convinced by their quirk counselor to hide it. To never use it. Some are even declared outright evil! Just for being born with a certain quirk!"

"So?"

"So, that doesn't change the fact that these people still have those quirks and the urges that come with having those quirks. And when they repress those urges, for years on end..."

"They burst." He completed my sentence.

"Yup. They lose control of themselves. And hurt people. They don't want to do it. But they can't control themself."

"I see. So what do you need?" He asked looking at Himiko with sympathy.

"A place to stay. For a couple of weeks. Maybe a month tops. Just until I can make a case for her innocence."

He thought for a moment, staring into the far distance.

Then he spoke up.

"Meet me after my shift. About 7 pm. At this address." He wrote out an address on his order pad.

"Thanks." I replied.

That evening, we got Himiko settled into an abandoned storm shelter at the edge of Naruhata.

"This is Tokage." Soga pointed at a lizardman lounging about on the shelter sofa.

"There's also Moyuru. He's taking a bath right now. They live here sometimes. Get along. No fighting or I throw you out. Get that?"

Himiko nodded as she ran over to the sleeping area.

"Yuppie!" She said, bouncing onto a dismatled bunk bed at one corner of the room.

"Who's the cutie? Your girlfriend? A bit young in the tooth ain't she?" Asked Tokage.

"Just a guest. She'll be living here for a while. Get used to her." Soga shot down his tease with his cold comeback.

"Aw man. You're no fun." Tokage replied.

"Ignore him." Soga told me and Deku.

"Now, how are you going to get that innocence proven?"

"You know that trigger going around here recently?" I said.

"No." He snapped.

"Come on, just listen to my idea.."

"NO." He said, louder and sterner this time.

"There's nothing good to be gained from going down that route."

"I'm not talking about taking trigger." I riterated, "I'm saying that we should take a recent instant villains blood, about a syringe worth and keep it in Himiko. Then we can make the argument that she was under a villains influence. Easy peasy lemon squezy. No one needs to take trigger. And her quirk is literally related to blood so she won't be hurt by the drug. It's a win win scenario. Just think about it for a moment, will you?" I insisted.

He looked at me with suspicion.

"And what makes you so sure about it?" He asked.

"Nothing. But it's better than arguing a half baked theory as a defense in court. After all, people in power don't like to accept their mistakes n'all. And it's a hell of a lot better than letting her rot in prison for the rest of her life. Have you heard of that phrase? Prison begets more prison." I said.

"And if it doesn't work? Will you help her escape again? Or will you take responsibility for her imprisonment?"

"It won't come to that. I'll make sure of it." I said, a smile creeping onto my lips.

"And how exactly will you do that?"

"Hehehe. Just wait and watch." I replied.

"No. Tell me. Now." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder and gripping it tight. His knuckle spikes extended into my face, threatening to poke my eyes out.

"Yayayayyi fine. Fine. Here's the plan....."

After hearing my plan, Soga looked at me with disgust and begrudging respect.

"Maybe. Just maybe, it'll work." Deku muttered on the side.

"You know you'd make a great politician. You're just as slimy as them." Soga remarked.

"I believe in getting results, regardless of the methods." I said.

"Just one more thing." Soga said, "Why are you going so far for this girl? From what you told me, she's just a random person you know nothing about?"

"Do I need a reason to save someone?" I countered. A look of righteousness spread on my face. I had practiced the look for hours and I was goddamn proud of it. I was almost certain I could fool even Nighteye with it.

Soga looked a bit shaken by the statement, but he settled into his usual frown within seconds.

"Good." Was all he said.

I nodded reassuringly.

"We'll be back next Saturday. Can you get the stuff ready by then?"

"Yeah. I should have most of it ready. The question is, will you be?"

"Why don't you leave that to me now?" I replied.

Soon after, we boarded the Shinkansen back to Hamamatsu. Tomorrow was a school day and we had barely rested the past two days.

As soon as we boarded the train, the both fell sound asleep.