Chapter 13

                                    

                                          
"Listen, before you start assuming things, we're not the bad guys. Hell, as much as I hate to say it, Togata was against this whole ordeal. He just came because he realized I was actually getting myself into this mess." Bakugo started, distracting himself by starting to make tea. As impolite as he was, he knew the person sitting behind him at the table was going to be in charge of his future, and he had to be careful and try to be as respectful as he could. 
                          
Or he could poison the tea. For some reason, that didn't feel half as bad as it should've.
                          
"How did this all start, Bakugo?" Tsukauchi asked from behind him, voice almost threatening. 
                          
"It was that hostage situation...What, two days ago? That was actually their way of trying to communicate with us." 
                          
"Who are you referring to?" 
                          
"The League of Villains." Tsukauchi took out his phone and started typing. Realizing he didn't put his phone on silent and Bakugo could hear, he quickly turned the sound off, but Bakugo already knew what he was doing. He let him take his notes, or at least that's what he hoped he was doing, as he waited for the next question. 
                          
"What did they want from you?" 
                          
"They asked for help. Information, power, basically something that could help them stop All for One." There was a small pause. The kettle began to whistle, and the sound made the room even more ghastly.
                          
"Why would they ask for help? You do realize that this sounds like nonsense?" 
                          
"That's what I told them. They told us that we—Todoroki and Togata were there during the conversation—should meet them in a certain location where they would give us the details. Togata was completely against it, and he warned me that I would betray everyone by agreeing. Todoroki didn't say anything, but he probably didn't agree back then either." 
                          
"And you agreed." 
                          
"I agreed." The kettle stopped whistling, and Bakugo pulled the teabag out and took two cups, despite knowing all too well he wasn't going to drink any of the tea. 
                          
"Why did you agree? What good did it do to you to make contact with the League and help them?" Tsukauchi frowned at him, pursing his lips. "Don't you hate them for all the trouble they'd caused? Especially Izuku Midoriya, considering your pasts?" Bakugo did his best not to react, and luckily, his expression remained cold and unreadable. However, Bakugo also wouldn't be surprised if Tsukauchi would be using his quirk on him right now, especially for the current question. 
                          
"It's complicated." That was the best response he could muster that wasn't a lie and yet was vague enough to be the truth. Tsukauchi obviously wasn't pleased.
                          
"Then try to explain in a way I can understand. This is important." There was a pause. Bakugo wasn't good with words in the first place, but this was utter torture for him. However, with a sigh, he sat down at the table and tried to muster everything he could in a way Tsukauchi would understand without giving everything he felt away. 
                          
"I hate Midoriya for what he did. I hate the League for what they did. But it's not about helping them. I would rather die than do that." Bakugo frowned. Was that honest? Probably. And yet, he was also hesitating, because that wasn't all the truth, and he knew that. He knew that Tsukauchi probably knew too. "It's about All for One. If what they said was true, everyone is in danger, and that's not something you just ignore." 
                          
Tsukauchi nodded, but not in empathy, but rather in cold understanding. There was no support in that action, and Bakugo decided to keep it at that. The rest were details, he tried to tell himself. And besides, he wasn't lying, so it couldn't be that bad.