"(Y/N)'s late." The crowd inside Gang Orca's agency was growing increasingly uneasy at the tardiness of their companion. Usually, the UA student was punctual and enthusiastic -- they treated each and every second of training and working with pro heroes with the utmost respect and honor. So of course, there was a reason to be worried when they were late. Two hours late.

"They couldn't have gotten lost or anything, right?" someone murmured, careful not to make too much noise while speaking, "They would've called us." While the group of sidekicks were busily mumbling amongst themselves, Gang Orca was pacing around the room, absolutely stricken with fear and worry. His mind looked through all the plausible reasons for this situation, and he tried to comfort himself as best as he could, but none of the causes for (Y/N)'s lateness seemed to be good. At least his colleagues were being mindful of his current state -- giving him pats on the shoulder and not talking too loud -- at least that was something he could find peace in.

After a few moments had passed, the pro hero finally reached a consensus on where exactly the student had gone. It wasn't that they wandered off somewhere odd and never bothered it come back, nor was it that they'd accidentally slept in

"(Y/N) was kidnapped," Gang Orca stated solemnly, "By who, I don't know, so we need to find that out." The rows of people before him just stared at their boss, unsure of what to do. One brave soul was courageous enough to ask a risky question:

"Do you think this situation is connected to the League of Villains?" Gang Orca sucked in a breath, letting his shoulders rise, then fall heavily. Immediately, the person who had piped up pressed his lips tightly together, not afraid of what response might have come next from his employer, but because he was suddenly regretting his words. Nobody wanted to talk about the nightmares that would come if the League was involved in a situation like this again -- Gang Orca, especially.

He felt dizzy, but not in a nauseous way, oddly enough. It was more like the possibility of the League being intertwined with this was choking him with an unbearably tight noose that was guilt. Of all people, he didn't want (Y/N) to suffer the same way they did all those months before. Gang Orca couldn't even imagine what it must have felt like, to have been abducted and scarred at such a young age by the biggest threat in all of Japan. In his wildest dreams, he couldn't have concocted a scene that even came close to the horror that occurred. The mere thought of the nightmares his underling had to endure again made his breath quicken and his saliva thicken in absolute dread. Perhaps the threat would be even larger, this time around.

In the midst of his thoughts, the pro hero realized that everyone in the room was staring at him, all with varying expressions of worriedness and trepidation plastered onto their features. It seemed as if they were awaiting a response to the question that had been asked before.

"I'm afraid..." Gang Orca paused, digging his nails into his palm. Afraid? That was a word he hadn't heard from his own mouth in a long time.

Am I scared?

Perhaps there was this element of fright present in the hero's heart, but it was so diluted with an overwhelming sense of denial that it became ignorable. He wasn't an ascetic, nor was he so proud that he didn't register fear to be a part of his personal dictionary. No; Gang Orca had an especially keen awareness of the fact that he was constantly terrified of the peril that laid ahead.

But he just pushed it aside because there were more important priorities in his line of work. Just as how he faked this demanding tyrant figure with the students only days before, Gang Orca was an expert in maintaining a facade.

And right now, the pro hero wasn't ready to stop pretending.

So he kept lying.

"... that you might be right." It took all of his willpower to not sputter out like an old car engine while saying those five words. As much as it pained him to keep shunning the fact that his fear was ever-growing and rapidly increasing, he felt as if he had to, not only because he was a hero, but because there was another emotion taking over his senses -- a crushingly strong one, at that.

Penitence.

How could he have let them be taken away like that?

Maybe if he'd vied for their safety just a bit better, this wouldn't have happened. But that would mean undermining his student's abilities, and he didn't doubt for a second that the League would be even more cautious in their proceedings if he ramped up the security. Maybe it was wrong to feel like everything was his fault, and that he couldn't have prevented anything, but Gang Orca couldn't help but just feel worried for the junior hero.

The pro hero sighed, rubbing his temples as the whole room descended into a brief period of silence, awaiting his next set of commands. This was a time to be active and precise, not to mope and weep like cowards. Gang Orca stood up and clapped his hands together a few times, startling the sidekicks in the room, but ultimately drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright!" he barked, eyes suddenly set ablaze with strict determination, "We're all already aware that (Y/N) is in danger. So, the best way to approach this is with a plan." The pro hero pointed to groups scattered across the room, assigning each of them to a specific task.

"Team A, notify the police of a student's disappearance and do a search of the downtown area -- report any suspicious figures or vehicles. Teams B, C, D, E, and F, please sweep your respective blocks of the city and report any clues or findings. As for Team S, you're doing a selective search of the smaller area you patrolled earlier. Please be on the lookout for certain clues and ask around. As for me, I'll be notifying UA of their missing kid and getting together as many people as I can to help."

As the pro hero clapped his hands together again, everyone sprung into action, all already over the sad spell they'd been placed under before.

"Move out!"