Part 2: An Easter Uprising
The shopping mall was a sensory overload. Brightly colored displays screamed Easter cheer. Children shrieked with delight as they chased each other through the crowds. Muzak versions of saccharine pop songs filled the air.
The League of Villains, dressed in their usual mismatched attire, stuck out like sore thumbs. Toga, however, embraced the chaos, flitting from display to display, squealing with delight at every giant chocolate bunny and pastel-colored egg.
"Look! Look!" she shrieked, grabbing a handful of plastic Easter grass. "Isn't it glorious?"
Dabi, trailing behind her, scowled. "It's hideous. I'd rather look at burning rubble."
Shigaraki, his face obscured by a scarf and sunglasses, kept a wary eye on the crowds, his fingers twitching nervously. "Just get what you need, Toga, and let's get out of here. This place is crawling with potential witnesses."
Mr. Compress, ever the showman, entertained himself by performing minor acts of misdirection, subtly swiping candy from unattended displays. Spinner, still muttering about Stain, grudgingly helped Toga load a shopping cart with an assortment of Easter paraphernalia. Twice continued his internal struggle. "Get the bunny! It's adorable! Don't get the bunny! We'll get caught!"
Kurogiri, using his Warp Gate Quirk sparingly to avoid detection, teleported larger items to the van parked in a secluded corner of the parking lot. All For One, observing from a distance, ensured that no undue attention was drawn to their activities.
Toga, meanwhile, was in her element. She filled the cart with pastel-colored streamers, inflatable bunnies, plastic eggs, glitter, and an obscene amount of chocolate. She even managed to convince Spinner to acquire a giant, plush Easter bunny, much to his chagrin.
"This is an insult to Stain's memory!" he grumbled, lugging the bunny towards the checkout line.
The cashier, a bored-looking teenager, stared at the League of Villains with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. She fumbled with the scanner, barely making eye contact.
Just as they were about to leave, Toga spotted something that made her eyes light up. A display of miniature chicks, chirping merrily in a brightly lit enclosure.
"Oh, my god! They're so cute! Can we get one? Please? Please, please, please!"
Shigaraki groaned. "Absolutely not! We are not getting a chick! It'll die within a week!"
"But… but…" Toga's lower lip trembled.
"Fine!" Shigaraki snapped, his patience finally snapping. "Get the damn chick! But if it dies, I'm blaming you!"
Toga squealed with delight and carefully selected a fluffy yellow chick, naming it "Bloody" before placing it gently in a cardboard box.
Back at the hideout, the League of Villains reluctantly began to decorate. Toga, fueled by sugar and excitement, directed the operation with manic enthusiasm. Dabi, under duress, begrudgingly strung pastel-colored streamers across the ceiling. Shigaraki, muttering curses under his breath, hung plastic eggs from the lighting fixtures. Mr. Compress added his own theatrical flair, creating elaborate displays with the stolen candy. Spinner, still haunted by Stain's memory, reluctantly placed the giant plush bunny in a corner. Twice decorated one half of the room enthusiastically and the other half with angry scribbles. Kurogiri, resigned to his fate, provided strategic support, using his Warp Gate Quirk to help with the more difficult decorations. All For One, observing from a distance, seemed almost… amused.
And then, they decorated their own rooms. Toga, unsurprisingly, went all-out, transforming her space into a pastel-colored wonderland, complete with glitter, streamers, and (much to Shigaraki's dismay) strategically placed vials of blood. Dabi, in a fit of rebellious defiance, covered his room with burnt Easter eggs and charred bunny decorations. Shigaraki begrudgingly accepted a single plastic egg, which he placed on his bedside table. Mr. Compress, in true showman fashion, crafted a miniature Easter-themed stage for his performances. Spinner, despite his initial reservations, found himself strangely drawn to the giant plush bunny, which he secretly named "Stain Jr." Twice, of course, decorated with a split personality: half of the room a sunny burst of spring colors, and the other a dark, brooding landscape. Kurogiri made an effort but kept his decoration to a single pastel egg on his counter.
The League of Villains, surrounded by the garish symbols of Easter, looked utterly out of place. But perhaps, just perhaps, a tiny spark of something other than villainous intent flickered within them as an unlikely reminder of the holidays. While maybe not heroes, even villains had their unique strange ways of celebrating.