A Matter of Work

"Ah, what a pain." loudly sighed Lila, absentmindedly watching the landscape unfold behind the train's window. She shivered a bit, clutching her woolen jacket in hope of gaining warmth. Damn air conditioner... She hated it. Even if it was summer, the heat wasn't unbearable at the moment ! It was even pretty cool... And mom that had insisted that she wore something revealing, in case her potential new recruit had a thing for 'hot girls'... Ugh...

Bored by the unchanging sight of– what already ? Ah, yeah, the countryside – she focused on the suitcase at her feet, packed with clothes for the next few days. Of course, the mission she was given wasn't supposed to take that long, but the last time she made the mistake of underevaluating her missions... She didn't want to think about it, actually.

Suddenly, after what seemed an eternity, a feminine voice announced the station she was supposed to stop at, and the train was stopping at the according place. Hoping that the fatigue from the train and the already long hours she had to stay in this form would not wear her quirk down too quickly, Lila got out of the train station and took the way toward the hideout of the villain of the day, Screecher.

The way there was pretty uneventful. It appeared to be a middle class residentiel area, with many small houses. The scent of the nearby, unoccupied sea was so overwhelmingly annoying she would have pinched her nose in disgust is she hadn't known far worse before this. The neighbourhood seemed pretty calm, with many families and children. She couldn't see why the villain mom wanted to work for her would have any business being here. Well, mom's lackeys did say he hadn't been around for a long time, so it was probably just a matter of adapting to the climate before moving.

Finally, she reached the right place. Painted with the same baby blue color, it seemed more damaged than the other houses in line. Wood planks covered the windows, while some of them lied, broken, on the porch, right before the door. So, it was abandonned before, hm. Having heard of the villain's temper and not wanting to piss him off before even metting him properly, she quietly knocked on the door, and waited.

"Only six hours left before I lose my adult form. I hope this will work."

The silence in this tattered baby blue home was shattered for bubbi, as his heart began to pound. He looked into the closet, looking at the French currentcy. "T-They found me?" he asked himself, extremely puzzled as of how they found him so fast. He sighed, then began walking towards the door, asking aloud: "Who's there!?!!" he sounded upset, maybe that could scare off any unwanted visitor.

Lila silently clenched her teeth. Crap, he already seemed annoyed. What had she done wrong ? Was it the knocking ? She couldn't afford another failure ! What was mom going to say ? She was running short on excuses ! *What would mom do when she'd discover that*- Wait. No, it wasn't over yet. It just barely started. What was she getting anxious for ? She had everything in control. Taking a deep breath and washing all emotion out of her tone and face, she spoke.

"I was sent by the villain Achlys to discuss an important matter with you. May I enter ?"

Villian... Achlys..? He thought it over, the names didn't ring any familiar bells. "Come in" He spoke fast, and quiet. He was inside, on the couch, which was just left of the door when someone entered.

After beeing granted permission, Lila stepped in, left her suitcase by the right side of the door and closed the latter behind her, standing still in an almost artistic manner. Stern, she talked once again, in the exact way she pictured herself doing minutes ago, as she revised her script. "You may not know who this Achlys is, nor what she wants with you, which is why I also came here to make some clarifications on the subject."

Clearing her throat, she started her monologue : "Achlys is one of the most well-known and powerful underground villains on the French territory. She possesses many contacts all over France, including myself, acting as a representative of sorts, and nearby 'lackeys',who informed her of your arrival a few days ago. But worry not. As powerful as she is, she does not wish to bring harm on you. Instead, she deemed you worthy of making a great asset. Do you wish to hear further information or are you so far not interested in this proposition ?"

He was solemn, nodding slowly. "Keep talkin'." he told her, in a more mind-annoyance tone.

"Alright." Retrieving her suitcase, she opened it and took out a piece of paper. As she was closing it again, some of her clothes adapted to her normal age fell out, and she quickly put them back inside, hoping Screecher hadn't seen that the size didn't match with her current height and would become suspicious. Another failure wasn't what she needed right now.

She went back to her previous position before the door and, with a clear voice, read the sheet she was holding. "The terms of the contract are as such : in exchange of registering under her ranks and doing small jobs for her from time to time, Achlys promises to grant you shelter, money and protection, as a mother would do. She will pinpoint locations for you to rest at, protect you against heroes and police alike in the case of minor crimes and will reward you with money for your accomplishments. She will not interfere with your everyday life and won't influence your destinations, except in the special case of missions where you will be requested to travel to a specific location. The cost of said travel will be entirely hers."

She stopped for a second, out of breath, before resuming her reading. "All of your crimes will not have to be done under her name, nor will you need to give her every product of the work solely done of your own free will. However, she requests that you give her a report of your deeds at least once per week, and that you'll inform her of any big crime that you plan to accomplish so she could help you plan it every step of the way. You'll be given access to her network of contacts but, in return of being registered on that list, other villains may contact you for information. Finally, the terms of the contract only apply to the French territory. Achlys also knows contacts abroad, but they do no consitute a thick enough network to grant you all of the privileges mentionned previously. Is everything clear so far ?"

"Crystal clear, Missus." Screecher nodded in agreement, he noticed the clothes, but simply put it in the back of his mind. He looked at her attire, impressive, he admitted to himself. *She looks real nice.* he told himself. "But, I will ask. Why me? What's so good about me?" he leaned in, an audible pop coming from within him.

"There's an obvious answer to this question." Lila slightly smirked, amused by the fact that everything was unfolding as planned. Mom really was a tactical genius, it seemed. Even with her current knowledge, the girl couldn't rival her mother's intellect. Not that she planned to, anyways. She went through enough beatings to stop trying that. Even if she still felt sadness when she remembered that she'd never escape, she resigned herself to the fact and kept going. After all, there was no use mourning about what was never a possibilty.

"You see, Achlys heard of your deeds long ago, and you caught her curiosity. You have something that sets you apart from the rest of the villains. It isn't strenght. Anyone can be able to pull out physical or emotional strenght out of themselvs with the proper tools. It isn't your quirk either. There is something that even before quirks came into existence, was prized and only determined by the virtue of birth." she recited with passion, eyes gleaming with some sinister emotion that she couldn't describe herself. It filled her entire body with energy and pride, as she was gifted – and sadly, cursed – with this rare talent by nature itself.

"That is, intelligence. It's what caught her eye. Your mentality. Your will to change the world we live in. And that is why she orchestrated all of this." Letting her grin illuminate her face, she extended a proud hand toward him, blindly beaming as if she was speaking about the key to reach ultimate happiness and freedom. "So, would you like to join her and bring justice upon this world ?"

Screecher thought for a moment, he was impressed with her silver tongue, she knew all of the right things to say, to win him over. He nodded to her, taking her hand, shaking it firmly. "Count me in. But how do I know you're not lying to me? Or you guys are not heroes in disguise?" Screecher asked, calmly.

Lila smiled rather smugly at the question. Again, evident answer. She picked up her suitcase again and, out of an hidden pocket, she took crumpled and stained – dried blood, it was dried blood – bills and held them before her interlocutor's eyes. "Why would a hero come to a peaceful location like here, in his civilian attire, with his face exposed, bills from another country and no weapons ? French heroes have yet to learn that you exist. You see, our country isn't exactly known for its humility. No, we're self-absorbed, arrogant little brats. As long as you're not a direct threat on their territory, they won't even acknowledge your existence."

Putting the cash back where it belonged, she sighed. "Now that this part is clear, I will leave you here for the night, and come back to pick you tomorrow at 7:00 am. We'll then take the train," and as she spoke, she took two train tickets out of her back pocket, "and meet Achlys at our headquarters." She then took the contract, that she had folded while she answer the Screecher's questions, and unfolded it, then took a pen out of another pocket in her jacket. "I'm leaving you the contract so you could read it by yourself and sign it."

The pen cap came off, and she wrote something on the sheet's back, then gave it to the villain. "If you encounter any trouble, contact me with this number. See ya !" she finished with a playful tone, before gathering her stuff and putting her hand on the rusted doorknob, ready to go. But before she did, she remembered something, and stopped in her tracks."Oh, by the way, I completely forgot ! If we're going to work together in the future, you'll need something to call me, 'representative' is a little... long ! Hm, let's see... Ah, right !"

She turned to face him, and right before closing the door behind her, quietly uttered. "You may call me 'Lily'."

And as she walked toward the nearest hotel – whose location had been given to her by the tourism office, on her way to Screecher's current residence – her only thoughts were of guilt and apprehension for what was about to happen. Another person was about to be dragged into this mess, and it was her fault entirely... She could only hope that in all his luck, he had some hidden quirk to read minds and hearts that would let him hear the message she was silently sending.

"In the future, I hope you will forgive him for what's about to happen. May fate protect you from her crushing hands..."

Screecher awoke, an hour before seven, he ate, had a bath (he personally thinks they are better than showers), and cleaned himself up. Sliding into a tank top, a blue pull over hoodie, black sneakers, black pyjama pants, that have a fluff to them, and his pic cap, with a design of the Canadian's maple leaf. He nodded to himself, then waited by the door on the step until seven.

Lila walked to their point of meeting with a hurried pace. Not that she was late, but she found herself so afraid of failing to do as her mother has planned that she did everything at extra speed. She checked and checked over and over if her list of 'to do' things had been completed properly – giving the dollars to an american informant undercover in France, meeting colleagues til late at night (with the additional rush into her room to prevent herself from transforming into a baby before their eyes and the very little sleep she got from recuring nightmares), the usual stuff – and prepared herself and left at ungodly hours in the morning.

The weather was chilling, as one would expect from it at nearly 7 am. She didn't pay it any mind, cuddled in her huge grey hoodie, a size bigger than her own – probably because she could only manage 17 years old today, she was so goddamn tired – and black jeans. There was no use for sexy clothing today, she was just travelling ! But she was sure that her mother would have a word to say about it... Oh, fuck it. She'll change in a bathroom stall after the travel, because there was no way she'd wear something as uncomfortable as a cocktail dress in a fricking train at 7 am ! She repressed the urge to pout, and finally arrived at the house her colleague had taken shelter in, panting, to find him sitting on the staircase before the door, waiting for her.

"Are you ready to go ?" she asked him, between breaths.

Screecher got up, nodded, then proceeded to walk down to her. He was wearing his long hair in a ponytail, the lusterous shine of his hair danced in the sunlight, a small tribal tattoo under his right eye, it was green, a line, and three small loops below it, his brown eyes golden in the sun, and his clothing was more tribal today, rather than modern. Screecher encircled Lila, taking note of all the small insignificant changes within her appearance. He noted she looked... Younger? He thought this could not be right, but in todays day and age, anything is possible, really. He placed a hand upon her side, squeezing Lila gently, then nodded, grinning like he was mad.

"You are younger today. Aren't ya' Missus?" Screecher stated, in a half declaration, half already knowing the answer kind of tone, which had a little bit of bewilderment, surprise, and glee, finding a quirk like this was cool. Especially since he could ask all kinds of questions. Before she could answer, he began walking in the direction of the train station. "We have to be fast, never know if a hero's a-watchin'." he sounded sure that someone was tailing them, he had a pretty good idea of whom it was, as well. But, since he was a gentlemen, didn't want to scare the lady who travlled in his mind, many miles to greet him.

Lila smiled weakly at him, tired out of her mind. Ah, first mistake, again. He noted her appearance. If that wasn't one ugly can of worms to open, heh... She wasn't really making sense anymore, it seemed. Answering him with a short nod, she took his hand by reflex – what a stupid gesture to be taught, seriously – and guided him toward the train station, feeling as if she would get younger and younger and stand into a pile of her own clothing by just looking at him – but she wouldn't, *she wouldn't, she would not*. Her quirk only let her transform back when she reached her limit, and there was no sign of aches to alert her of said limit coming close. She would not.

They waited, side by side, for the right train to stop, and got in quickly. Lila noted he seemed in a hurry to get in the train, and showed him the right seats accordingly. Maybe he was just that impatient to meet mom ? Oh, whatever... She sat next to the window, putting a hand to her forehead as she barely register the headache that slowly took over her senses, and let herself doze off into a half-sleep.

Screecher went up and down the train car, spying out everyone whom was on the train at that moment, once he figured out that it was good enough for him to go back to his seat, he did. He looked at Lila, and saw that she was asleep, he too figured it would be best to sleep, so he shut his eyes, and slowly drifted into slumber.

When Lila woke up, in a pool of her own sweat, she immediatly noticed something was wrong. Her head was throbbing with terrible pain and felt like it was filled with cotton, very heavy and light at the same time. She had trouble moving her limbs freely, as any movement would send waves of pain coursing through her bones and muscles. The sound of the moving train and the chatting of the other passengers were muffled, as if underwater. Oh, she hated this. Looking to her feet, she tried to remember if she packed medecine in her suitcase, but the sluggish way her mind processed things was taking forever, and she got annoyed.

That's when she noticed it. Her pants had fallen on the ground, where already laid her shoes, and her hoodie, if slightly big earlier, was now completely able to cover her lower body, except for tiny baby feet dangling out of it. The neck hole has gotten so big one shoulder was left exposed. Lifting her now small arms, she rolled up her sleeves – seeing as they were now at least thrice her actual arm size – and examined her baby hands, poked her face and briefly looked into the hoodie to check the changes.

Shit. That was one fucking way to screw up completely.

She forgot to take into account her time limit. She *fricking forgot about it*. Seriously ?! She *actually* got so caught up into not making a mistake, and she *did anyways* ? Welp, mom's plan, her cocktail dress and everything else could just be thrown in the toilet by now, seeing as she *just* *royally screwed up, AGAIN*. Ignoring the after effects of de-transforming, she picked up her fallen clothes, opened the suitcase and dug into it til she found the proper attire. It would normally fit, as she seemingly was about three years old, and not an embarrassingly incompetent baby. Things would have been awkward if that happened...

She rushed to the toilets – luck was at least a bit on her side for toilets to be in the train, *phew* – and changed quickly before going back to her seat. Luckily, the commotion didn't seem to wake up her accompanist, and she was able to grab paper and the pen she used the previous day to write him a message. Then, she shook the older party's sleeve to wake him up, making small baby noises in the process.

She hated that, ugh.

Screecher jolted awake, due to his paranoia of being followed. He opened his eyes, looking down at his sleeve. *A child. Just a child. A CHILD?!!!* So many questions began to sring up into his mind, his heart was beating loudly against his chest. His entire face was filled with both horror, and bewilderment. "A LOST BABY!!!" he screamed aloud, looking around the cabin, her things were still there. He stopped, then glanced to the child again... ... ... "A-Are you? Are you Lily?" he leaned forwards, looking her in the eye, at her eye level. It looked pretty weird for him to be bent in that position.

Crap. Crap. Abort the plan ! Abort the plan ! Abort- Wait, no. Lila could do this ! She had to believe in the power of her cute child persona ! Biting down a sigh – she really sighed too much for her own good – she shook her tiny head furiously, and handed him the piece of paper she was holding. "I'm Adonis. Ad for short, like addition !" she blurted, pouring as much innocence in her voice as she could, batting her eyelids like she had just become the purest creature in the world. That was literally the crappiest name she could think of, what the heck. "Big sis Lily told me to give you this." And then, she pointed the message.

In a stylished fashion, she had written as such : "Something came up. I'm unable to lead you to Achlys, but the kid can. Don't underestimate her too much, she's not old but she's a smartie. She won't bother you at all. I left her my suitcase willingly, don't worry about that. Lily~" Then, she climbed into his lap, to crawl back to her seat, and started swinging her little feet in the air. "We're stopping at the next station, big brother."

Before given the chance to respond, the train screeched to a halt, he got up, and then took a hold of her hand. "Follow me now, young one, and don't let go of my hand, I don't need you getting lost. Hear me?" he asked, his voice stern, such as the voice you must use when speaking to a child. He was minorly annoyed, since there was a small audible pop when he noticed the ill stares he was recieving. He couldn't really understand French, but he knows that people mumbling, whilst looking at you, doesn't really add to friendly environment. When they exited the train, he turned to face her. "Which way do we go now, Little Miss Adonis." he chuckled, what a dumb name, he thought to himself.