The heavy metal doors rattled and screeched hideously, opening halfway to allow two imposing figures to pass through.
Men over two meters tall with robust bodies, muscular but not defined, instead swollen with fat. They looked like two food lovers, but without the obesity of Abura.
Stained gray overalls stretched to their limits over their stocky frames, with equally dirty and faded tight-fitting t-shirts, and a multitude of tattoos covering their arms and necks.
They looked at the group with unfriendly expressions, sizing up the strangers for a moment before focusing on the long-lost brother.
—You live— one of them said, his deep, raspy voice sending vibrations through the damp pipes running around the metal doorframe.
—Big Brother Renzo!— Abura greeted. —Did you lose a few kilograms?— he asked with a sly smile.
—And have you finally come out of the closet?— Renzo shot back with a disdainful snort.
Abura's smile only widened further as he posed with his hands on his bulging hips, chest out and chin held high in a show of superiority and victory.
The man called Renzo and the man beside him were slightly stunned, unable to believe Abura's insinuation. But before they could continue the trivial conversation, Shigaraki intervened with his flat and slightly annoyed tone.
—Abura, let's not delay any further— the Villain suggested.
The giants frowned at the interruption, but something imperceptible to Tomura, Dabi, and Twice made them pause for a moment before clearing the way for the group.
The interior of the ship had been completely modified, transformed into a genuine home and a fortress. Only the exterior and the general shape of the structure retained the appearance of a vessel.
Everything else had been reconstructed in an unknown fashion, leveling the floors despite the tilt of the grounded ship, creating enormous hallways to allow the three bulky men to pass through without any difficulty, and filling the corners with automated weapons.
Loaded turrets slid back and forth, evaluating and tracking every individual who entered their detection range. This caught Tomura off guard, as he expected nothing from scum like this.
In fact, a closer inspection made him notice the constant damp and slightly vibrating pipes scattered throughout the place. He had already seen them on the outskirts of the shipyard, penetrating those sinister chemical puddles Abura had warned them about.
That could not mean anything good for the uninvited guests.
Throughout the entire journey, Tomura saw no one else besides the two men, Renzo and the quieter one whose name he didn't know, but who seemed friendly with Abura.
The heavyweight trio chatted animatedly, with Abura proudly talking about his girlfriend and how sexy she was. It was difficult not to wince when remembering the matter.
Finally, the group arrived at a wide chamber with light strips swaying slightly from the ceiling, the chains they were tied to clinking and creaking in their rusty dance.
Metal sheets and mesh decorated the floor in a logical replacement for carpets, which would have been much easier to soil for the dirty men who escorted Tomura and his group.
An imposing metal throne rested atop a platform, where two giant dogs with thick chains around their necks lay at the sides, their ears perking up as soon as the intruders entered.
And a woman with a weathered face and a square jaw, broad arms marked by hard work and scars, and thin grayish hair tied in a simple bun sat on the exaggerated piece of art.
She turned out to be more muscular than round.
—Hi Ma!— Abura greeted in a jovial tone, breaking the serious atmosphere the situation was starting to take on.
The woman rolled her eyes, standing up with a slight grunt and descending the polished steps, approaching Abura and allowing herself to be locked in his embrace.
—My little one... How have you been out there? Have you been eating properly?— she asked while her hands examined the larger man's face, narrowing her eyes as she noticed the half-healed marks from the constant beatings he received on his missions.
Shigaraki Tomura examined the woman who was beginning to interrogate the oily fat man just as a mother would her son. What he saw and the little he knew was contradictory in many ways.
According to Kurogiri and Twice, the Sabi-Haguruma was considered a small and insignificant mercenary group that operated on equally small assignments.
Beatings of mediocre Heroes, intervening in the transfer of inconsequential prisoners to common, low-category prisons, crime scene cleanup, and so on.
Their most daring activities had been attacks and raids on Hero support item factories. They were mid-level scum at best.
But Shigaraki felt he could get much more out of them. He suspected these people chose to appear less capable than they actually were.
And he also suspected the reason.
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—...And is this girlfriend here, with us?— Hibiki asked with a worried look, her tone dripping with both skepticism and pity as she addressed Abura.
—Don't look at me like that, Big Sister!— the larger man complained with a pout that definitely didn't match his stature. —Look, she's real!— he exclaimed eagerly while showing his phone to the woman.
Without evidence, Abura knew his Sister Haguruma Hibiki wouldn't let the matter go and would bombard him with accusations and discrediting insinuations.
He had integrity above all else and would not allow his overbearing sister to humiliate him in front of his new boss and his colleagues from the League.
Hibiki scanned the images with interest, her pupil-less violet eyes reflecting a blonde woman of certain attractiveness gagged and chained, with hickey marks all over her neck and shoulders.
As if to verify the facts, she questioned Twice and Dabi, who confirmed the existence of Abura's girlfriend.
To her regret, the broad-shouldered woman with brown hair had no choice but to grant Abura her blessing and congratulate him on acquiring such a fine female specimen.
That made the man smile triumphantly, gloating with his family about the wonders of love and receiving the warmth characteristic of those who actually cared about his achievements.
From the side, Twice and Dabi maintained awkward smiles while the Haguruma family chatted, oozing fraternity and camaraderie.
Like Tomura, neither of them expected to find this when Abura suggested visiting the mercenary group he called family.
Twice and Kurogiri had researched this unknown group, having only a vague understanding of their skills and their area of influence.
From what they knew, the Haguruma were violent but cunning, never biting off more than they could chew. They attacked in groups, always targeting the weak or unprotected. Their record of fighting high-level Professional Heroes was nonexistent.
The most baffling part, however, lay not in their overall strength, but in their inexplicable methods.
Somehow, these mediocre aspiring Villains always evaded the raids that the police and Heroes conducted in their territory.
There was no record or even rumors of any of their core members ever being caught.
In the same way, they possessed absolute mastery when it came to navigating the labyrinth that was South Deika, which allowed them to weather ambushes from rival groups and even the Yakuza.
It was evident that a sensor-type Quirk was involved, but the problem was that no one had been able to identify the individual responsible.
Kurogiri believed the user of this Quirk was the group's leader and Matriarch, Haguruma Kaji. Others likely believed so as well.
None had been successful in hunting them down, in any case.
Aren't the Boss and Mrs. Kaji taking too long? Twice asked suddenly. Dabi shrugged, hiding the slight grimace that twisted his face from the movement.
These people are clearly very close, Twice. They aren't going to become part of the League suddenly just because one of them already joined us, the pyromaniac replied.
Meanwhile, in a private office on the other side of the ostentatious hall with the metal throne where everyone waited, Shigaraki Tomura and Haguruma Kaji continued their conversation.
The Matriarch of the mercenary group had proven to be rational, calculating, and polite—very polite—which complicated Tomura's plans.
He expected an arrogant, power-hungry person, not a sharp and perceptive mind.
He offered sporadic jobs, testing the waters. She didn't bite and went straight to the point, explaining that she didn't want to turn herself or her children into expendable pawns in Tomura's power game.
He assured her that such a thing was not his goal, that he was looking for reliable allies. She brought up the matter of Toga Himiko, questioning why everyone managed to get out of Yokohama except for her.
—And if you worry so much about your "children"... Why do you allow Abura to follow me even after what happened?— Shigaraki asked in a frigid tone, internally debating whether to take more forceful actions to subdue these guys.
—Because I respect them, Shigaraki Tomura. They can make their own decisions, and I will not interfere in their lives beyond giving them my advice and support— she replied. —I will always support my family.
Tomura was about to sigh and make a move when the woman's words sank into his mind and a strange idea began to take shape.
—And where does your limit of family end, Haguruma Kaji?— he asked.
The two discussed for another hour before emerging from the office with satisfied expressions.
Outside, the rest of Abura's Brothers had already gathered and started a barbecue. Twice and Dabi had also reluctantly joined in, tasting the juicy meat with somber and distant auras.
Haguruma Kaji called for everyone's attention, with Tomura at her side, as if the two were about to make a major announcement to those present.
—My children, the Haguruma Family is officially joining the League of Villains!— the woman said with a smile.
Her children, though slightly bewildered, cheered their Matriarch's decision. She always made the best choices, so if she said this was the path to follow, then they would walk it.
Twice cheered as well, letting himself get swept up in the atmosphere. He didn't notice the strange look Tomura was giving him, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway.
The Matriarch Kaji raised her hands to indicate another bombshell was coming, and everyone fell silent, expectant. The woman's smile shifted from warm to dazzling as she looked at her only daughter, Hibiki.
That night, there was a celebration, abundant food, and plenty of liquor in the Haguruma hideout.