Great...

"Great," I muttered as I looked around at the remaining villains. "We can do this, there aren't many left."

.

As the remaining villains were beginning to regain their courage, I was ready to put them down for good. However, as they were about to charge the two of us, they stopped and started to run.

Both Yagi and I were confused as to why until we heard the sounds of police cars. But something was up, it took a good thirty seconds for us to hear the sirens after they started to run away. Either they had someone who was on overwatch for the police, or this was planned by people in the shadows.

Looking at how well they were organized, my caps were on someone hiding in the shadows. Well-coordinated and access to our timetable screams that.

.

"Well, this was something," Yagi stated as we waited for the police.

"You good to jump?" I asked him.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Something tells me that the police will be here for us, not them," I stated as I pointed to the fallen villains and Legion.

.

Yagi, understanding that nothing was alright, buffed up and grabbed me. With a single jump, he carried me off the streets and onto the buildings nearby. Once we were there, I had him let me go and get down. I then crawled to the edge of the building, pulled a pair of binoculars out, and looked towards the oncoming police officers. I swore when I saw that the one leading them was an officer who was in the pockets of the HPSC.

.

"What do you see?" Yagi asked as he crawled up next to me.

"See the one with grey hair and barking orders?" I asked him as I passed him the binoculars.

"Yeah, I see him," Yagi said after a few moments.

"He's in the pockets of the HPSC," I told him as they started to move into the crime scene. "He's been in their pockets for a while now and since there has been no evidence against him, he hasn't been caught."

"So, what are we looking at then?" Yagi asked as he passed the binoculars back to me.

"A pain in the ass that won't go away."

.

Yagi and I whipped around and saw Aizawa standing there with his arms crossed. Both Yagi and I breathed a sigh of relief seeing as it wasn't someone else. But I had to handle it to him, I didn't expect Aizawa to sneak up on me. Good on him.

.

"Oh, Aizawa, thank Kami it's just you," Yagi exclaimed.

"You're getting better at sneaking around," I commented as I turned back to the crime scene.

"What was the call about?" He asked as he snuck to the edge of the building next to us.

.

I just passed him the binoculars so he could see for himself. After taking them, he looked at the scene briefly before sighing. He handed me back the binoculars before turning and walking away.

.

"I'll deal with him, you two just get back to UA," Aizawa sighed before he started to climb down the building using his scarf.

.

Both Yagi and I agreed with the idea and made our way back towards the back of the building. After we climbed the fire escape down, the two of us took the back alleys. We had to cut through them for about a mile as we didn't want to be caught in the police's search. As we evaded the search, my mind was running rampant with possibilities of who could be behind the attack.

The HPSC was at the top of my list as they could have access to the street cameras that could track us. And it wouldn't have been the first time that they used villains to get the job done before.

The next one was the LOV. They could easily have a mole in the HPSC and easily hack into the street cameras. They were my number two for that reason.

The third, and most worrying ones, were the Legion. While most would think them nothing more than barbarians, they were capable of complex thoughts and plans. If they weren't, well they wouldn't have been able almost to take the Hoover Damn in the Mojave before.

.

Before I realized it, Yagi and I were near UA. My mind was still busy with possible theories of who was behind this. I sighed when we got into sight range of UA's massive walls, grabbing Yagi's attention.

.

"What's wrong?" Yagi asked, "Still can't get over possibly being a father?"

"Yes, and no," I answered. "With the way everything is happening, I feel like I'm in someone's sick and twisted plan. And I hate it."

"I know that feeling," Yagi said.

"And as for being an actual father, I'm not sure what to think," I told him. "I've raised kids before but they were never my flesh and blood. Just orphans that were, well, let's just say they had bad situations."

"I can't even imagine what it was like for them," Yagi said.

"And now, with everything happening, I feel like I'm not enough," I said, "I wish the rest of my family was here."

"What were they like?" Yagi asked.

.

I smiled, mentally thanking Yagi. As I went to speak about them, I felt someone bump into me. When I felt a hand where it shouldn't be, I reacted and grabbed the offending hand. With a quick twist, I had the would-be thief in an armbar. It was a kid about ten to twelve years old with dirty, black hair. His clothing was worse for wear and he was dirty.

.

"You're ballsy, kid. I'll give you that," I said as Yagi watched the whole thing happen.

"Bastard, let me go!" The kid shouted at me in English as he struggled.

"English, huh?" I replied back in English. "Well kid, what's the big idea trying to pickpocket me?"

"Grr, let me go!" The kid growled and spoke this time in Spanish.

"Spanish?" I questioned, this kid was getting weird. "Anything else?"

.

"Six, can I ask what he's saying now?" Yagi asked as the kid and I were going through multiple languages.

"Same thing as he was saying before," I told him as I finally had enough and knocked the kid out.

"Was that really necessary?" Yagi asked as I threw the kid over my shoulder.

"Yes, yes it was," I answered him.

"What was so important that you grabbed the kid when he tried to pickpocket you?" Yagi asked as we resumed walking.

"Simple, he didn't go for my wallet, which I don't use, but my knife I keep hidden in my clothes. That tipped me off that he wasn't an ordinary pickpocket," I explained. "Plus the way he moved told me that he was aiming for it."

"I'm not even surprised that you have a concealed knife on you," Yagi sighed, "But, to purposefully go for a weapon of all things, that worries me."

"Do I need to even say it?" I asked him.

"No, you do not," Yagi sighed again. "You've seen this kind of thing in the Mojave, yes, I get it."

"Anyway, there was something else I noticed about this kid," I said as we got to UA's gate.

"What was that?" Yagi asked as we entered our IDs.

"He has a Legion brand."

.

Once we got inside, Yagi made his way to Nezu while I took the kid to Recovery Girl. Let's just say the sight of me carrying a kid like a sack of maze caught a bit more than a few looks. Not to mention, she didn't like how I treated the kid either. It didn't help that when she went to examine the kid, he turned out to be a she. So I was unceremoniously thrown out of the nurse's office.

For a granny, she had one hell of an arm on her.

Seeing as I had nothing to do until the girl woke up, I headed off to a nearby bathroom to change out of this monkey suit. I miss my armor.

After I was done, I left and headed back to the nurse's office. Along the way, I met with Midnight who was wondering why I was hanging out around the nurse's office. When I told her about my encounter with the girl, she was surprised. Especially when I told her that she could speak several languages. Though her comment about me speaking several different languages of bullshit did make me annoyed.

Soon enough, Recovery Girl came out and let us know that we could enter now. Inside, we were met with the girl covered in bandages as she sat on the edge of the bed. I could tell from the look in her eyes she was looking for a way to escape.

.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," I commented which got me smacked by both females standing next to me.

"Asshole," The girl said in clear Japanese, surprising Recovery Girl and Midnight.

"Let's get down to business," I told her as I sat down on the bed next to her. "Do you know why you're here?"

"I got caught," She stated.

"Going for a weapon rather than my wallet," I clarified for the two women.

"Are you sure, hun?" Midnight asked.

"She had her hand firmly around the handle of the knife," I told them as I stared the girl down. "Anyway, I won't ask why you went for a weapon rather than my wallet. But there is one thing I do want to know," I told her as I leaned in towards her. "Where did you get that mark?" I asked as I pointed to her shoulder where her Legion brand was clear as day.

.

The girl said nothing, so I knew that it had to be recent as I watched her grip her shoulder. That and the brand had yet to fully scar. The look of pure hatred at the brand she had for it was more than noticeable for the two women and me.

.

"I take it you know what that mark means?" I asked to which she nodded. "Then you know what would happen if those people who did that find you. So it's best you talk before they do."

.

Then suddenly I was smacked upside my helmet by Midnight. I didn't need to look at her to know that she was mad at the way I phrased it. But I could tell from the girl's eyes, she wanted revenge. And would stop at nothing to get it.

.

"Look," I spoke calmly and removed my helmet, "I know what you're going through. The burning desire for revenge and the willingness to shake hands with the devil to make it happen. I've done some things that I'm not proud of, just to get it," I told her as I raked a hand through my hair.

"Like what?" The girl spat at me, thinking I was just saying things to get her to talk.

"Like dooming an entire room of people just to kill one man," I calmly told her. "Killing off an entire tribe of people just for revenge."

.

The look she gave me was one of recognition. She could tell from my eyes that I was speaking from the heart.

.

"What's your name?" I gently asked.

"I don't have one," She spoke in a weak voice, "They said slaves didn't need one, so they beat it out of me."

.

Midnight went to speak but I held up a hand to stop her. The girl needed this. It was the first step in recovering.

.

"...beth..." She whispered.

"Come on, louder." I nudged her.

"...Elizabeth..." She whispered again.

"Again," I told her.

"Elizabeth." She finally spoke.

"Again!" This time I demanded it of her.

"Elizabeth!" She shouted.

"AGAIN!" I shouted to which she screamed.

"MY NAME IS ELIZABETH!"

"Good!" I said as I stood up and donned my helmet. "For now, rest. You've earned it."

"Thank you," She smiled, then her stomach growled.

"Get some rest, I'll go and grab you some grub," I told her as I walked out.