Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You cost a pretty penny.” the woman with her red glasses said to you as she grabbed your elbow, steering you out of the van. “I hope you’re worth it.”

“If I’m not,” you asked, emboldened by the fact that there was no escape for you, except perhaps death.
“Then will you send me away?”

“Oh, you’re cute.” the woman snorted, steering you into the house. You wondered if this was a house of ill repute, or one of the high class Hero Entertainment Houses. It all meant the same thing, you thought bitterly. Quirkless Omega enslaved for their ‘safety’.

An Omega could be bought from one of these places. Typically, they were rented for a few hours. Or for the night. Heroes who had families and wanted to be able to indulge in some proclivities that were not fit for polite eyes.

Worthy eyes, you thought darkly. Quirked individuals, regardless of their secondary gender. People who had privilege you never would know. People who had a freedom that you so often knew was just beyond your fingertips always slightly out of reach.

You weren’t able to crane your neck enough to look around the house, take in the decor. There was one room with a closed door that held a murmur of voices, punctuated here and there by laughter. You couldn’t tell if it was fake or not.

“You haven’t even gone through a training house yet.” the woman kept muttering. “I should have saved my money.”

You wished she had. But you knew better than to push the envelope that much. She dragged you to a doorway, which revealed a back flight of stairs. You nearly tripped as you were tugged along. There was another door and a landing, but she passed this by to take you to what you were pretty sure had once been an attic.

“And here is where you’ll be staying.” she announced. The roof slanted down low. There was a line of metal beds with thin mattresses and footlockers at the ends. There was a no frills blanket and pillow at each one. Some of the beds obviously had owners, with a small stuffed animal on the bed, or various items on the footlockers.

“Oh,” you swallowed hard. You hadn’t been permitted to take many items with you when you left. A few changes of clothes, a comfort item, no jewelry. No shoes. Personal hygiene items. No pencils no notebooks, no stamps, no envelopes. No cell phones, no headphones, no laptops.

“You do not belong to your family anymore.” her voice wasn’t harsh, or exasperated. If you strained you could hear the faintest hint of something like pity.
“You belong here. And, if you are very lucky, you may belong to a Hero Alpha.”

“As his whore.” you spat. She paused, drew herself up tall.

“We are not whores.” she said firmly. “We are entertainers. And our first goal is to alleviate the stress and misery that comes with being a hero.” you opened your mouth, but the look on her face made you close it. She walked you to the bed at the end of the row, closest to the window. You set your small bag down while she opened the foot locker. Empty, you thought, just like the rest of your life.
“You can unpack. One of the other Omegas will be up here soon enough, and they’ll show you the ropes.”

“Okay,” you wanted to fire back a sassy remark. But, to your own dismay, the fire was seeping out of you. She walked with elegant steps, grace in every motion, as she headed for the door. And you were alone in the attic.

It wasn’t dirty. It was clean, painted a plain white. The floor had been recently mopped, and the smell of cleaner was evident. The window even had a lovely filmy little curtain around it. You sank down onto the bed.

You weren’t going to cry, you told yourself. You didn’t need to. There was nothing to cry about. Your parents would figure something out, you were sure of it. Someone who come and reclaim you, repay the money that had been paid for you.

It hadn’t been uncommon for quirkless Omegas to be used in this way. They were often adopted into wealthy households, married off, or something. After all, a quirkless Omega was a perfect canvas.

You hadn’t wanted any of this. You were amongst the last generation that had been allowed to get a traditional education. You curled onto the bed, pulling your knees up. You whimpered, trying your best to choke back tears. You had excelled. You had been told that once you went to college, so little would be impossible for you.

You weren’t naive. You knew you could never be a hero. You didn’t know that would mean that your life would be reduced to this. You remembered the way your mother clutched you to her when the television had played the news. The Prime Minister signing the law. You felt your heart sinking as you turned your face to look up at her.

“What am I going to do?” you whispered.

“Sweetheart, I don’t know.” she responded in an equally quiet voice.

This was never what you could have imagined. You were certain that things would change immediately. There had been protests. Riots. People had been injured, and a few were even killed. And certainly that should have been enough. But it was not.

“Oh, you must be the new girl!” a bright voice said. You looked up to see a young man with bright blond hair and a streak in it. He grinned at you.
“I was wondering when they’d fill the bed. Are you settling in okay? Boss Lady sent me up here to try and help–.”

You stared at him with big eyes. Seeing his easy smile made something inside of you break. You burst into tears, pulling your arms over your head. There was a pause and a sympathetic sound. He walked towards you, slowly, and knelt down next to the bed.

“I know,” he put a hand on your back. “I know,”

“I came as–what’s wrong?” a feminine voice said.

“The new girl came.” the boy was rubbing your back in small circles. “And, you know it’s never really fun.”

“Oooh,” a sympathetic sound. “I have some tea. Let me go to the kitchen and get her a mug. It’s the chamomile, it’s calming.”

“I don’t want tea, I’m sorry.” you managed to sob out. “I wanna go home. I wanna go home!”

“Shh, shh,” the boy squirmed a little. “You can’t be too loud. There are clients. There are always clients.” he brushed your hair out of your face. “‘Chako?”

“I’m going. I’ll bring one of the pills.”

“No pills,” you shook your head. “No, no.”

“It’ll just settle you down.” he soothed. The girl was nearly flying out of the room. She wasn’t gone long, and you wondered where she had gone. She was back in a moment, and you saw how lovely her cheeks were, lovely blush, big innocent eyes. She was beautiful, you thought.

“Here, honey,” she held out a tablet. You shook your head, shaking.

“You really don’t want to have someone help you.” she said, glancing towards the door fearfully. The boy gripped your chin, turning your face towards him. You clamped your mouth shut, but he was stronger than you. The pill was forced in, warm tea, in your mouth. You swallowed desperately.

“Please,” you whimpered.

“Just lay down, lay down. Tomorrow will be much better.” he promised.

“It will get better.” the girl said. “It will. But you have to settle right now.”

Chapter Text

When you woke in the morning, someone had taken off your shoes and pulled the blanket over you. You sat up, rubbing at your eyes. You looked around. There were people in the other beds. Next to you was the blond boy, mouth open, soft snores buzzing past his lips.

You pushed back the blankets, crept towards the window. The sky was beginning to turn the color of a bruise. This could not be your life, you thought. You were not born to be–whatever this was. If you said it out loud, if you even thought about it too hard, it would be too real. And you didn’t want that.

“Good to see you are an early riser.” a voice made you jump. You spun to see the woman who had taken you in yesterday.
“I heard Denki had to give you something to settle you down. It’s not uncommon, but I really do want you to get you to a point where you’re settled without meds. The Omegas who need to have medications don’t last long here.”

“I didn’t want to take the meds.”

“No, I wouldn’t assume you did. Put on some clothes you don’t mind getting messy go to the bathroom, make sure your hands and face are washed. I’ll do inspection as soon as you’re done.”

Inspection? You weren’t a child. You trailed after her out the door and down a few steps to a door you hadn’t seen yesterday. Inside was a small bathroom. A simple little bathroom, with a toilet, a double sink, and a shower tub combo. You hurried through a morning routine, surprised to see a cup and toothbrush with your name on it.

The fact that they had anticipated you, expected you, prepared for you made your skin crawl. Still, you brushed, combed your fingers through your hair, and stepped out. The woman was standing there, arms crossed.

“Show me your hands.” she demanded. You did so, and she examined both hands, and checked your nails. She grabbed your chin and tilted your face from one side to the
other.
“We’ll work on your hair after I have you checked over. You need a whole profile done. The best colors, the best skin care regime, the best hair care regime. For now here.” she handed you a plain white cloth. “Tie this over your hair.”

“What are you doing with me?” you finally managed.

“You’re not suited to go and sit in the drawing room. I have no idea if you’re talented enough to be our bookkeeper, or to help our chef, or even be our greeter. Until I’ve sorted any of those things out, you’re going to be our maid.”

“I–I graduated with honors.” you stammered.

“Yeah?” she snorted. “You and half the Omegas I have here. It isn’t as hard as you think to fake documents.”

“Why would anyone do that?”

“Because you are in one of the best entertainment houses in the country.” she straightened her shoulders, her chest puffing up with pride. “We provide entertainment to all of the Top Ten. We have the best ratings, the best services, and our Omegas are the best kept. So even if I decide that you are never going to entertain, you are representing the Midnight Society, and you will behave that way.”

You didn’t speak as you followed her down the stairs, through those halls again to a kitchen. The kitchen, at least, was big and warm and bright. There was a smell of baked goods, and bacon sizzling, and eggs cooking.

“Ah! My new helper?” a giant of a man turned, with a huge smile. He popped a mini muffin into his mouth as he spoke.

“We’ll see how she works out.” the woman shrugged. The man nodded and looked at you.

“Well, my name is Taishiro. Can you please get the plates out of the dishwasher and set them up?” he gestured to the long, stainless steel counter. The kitchen was basically industrial, for all that it was so warm and inviting. You saw the cupboard, glass doors, with the plates. You took them and began to lay them out.

“How many?”

“Today? Fifteen.”

“Today?”

“The number changes, depending on overnight company, if any Omegas are out with someone special.” he winked. Your skin crawled. No one here wanted to be with anyone ‘special’, you were sure. Now wasn’t the time to say anything. Be patient, you told yourself. Be smart! You needed to figure everything out to figure out the weakest link in the chain. And then you could make your move.

What that move was going to be, you couldn’t be sure. You didn’t know yet. But it would be something. You told yourself that. When the plates were laid, you listened to Taishiro tell you where the napkins were, the silverware. He told you to go and begin to lay the table to breakfast.

The dining room was–a dining room. There were floor length windows, letting in the sunbeams. The room was tidy, decorated sedately in yellow and white. You laid the silverware and napkins, grabbed the cart that Taishiro was loading to push in the plates and begin to set them. You went back for glasses and pitchers full of orange juice and milk. Taishiro said he had already started the coffee maker, and everyone who wanted one would make their own mug, so you were off the hook there.

Just as you were finished the Omegas began to come down. There was the blond from the night before, still rubbing his eyes, but looking put together. The girl with the short hair and the pink cheeks. Everyone seemed to know just where to sit.

You were interested in the fact that everyone was sitting with impeccable posture. And table manners! There was light conversation, but no one was gobbling, everyone was using the silverware, thanking you when you walked around with a pitcher of water.

“We have assignments for today?” the dark haired lady with the glasses asked as she came in. The Omegas all nodded.
“Then we should get to it. You,” she pointed to you. “Clear the table and help Taishiro.”

Well, it sounded better than any kind of assignment she could give you. You took the cart and filled it with dirty dishes to bring back. Taishiro smiled at you from his seat on a stool at the counter.

“Look how well you’re doing!” he praised. You looked him straight in the eye and burst into tears.

Chapter Text

“Oh, oh, oh.” he hurried to you, using his apron to wipe at your tears. “Don’t cry.”

“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.” you admitted. “I don’t want to do well here. I don’t want to be here!”

“Hush,” he said intensely, looking at the door with no small measure of anxiety. “You really don’t want anyone to hear you say that.”

“Why not?” you asked.

“Because as much as you don’t want to be here, I promise you that there are places much, much worse for an Omega.”

“I don’t want to be there either. Why can’t we go back to the way things were before all of this?”

“Maybe someday.” he gave you a sad look. He steered you to a stool and sat you down, bringing you a cup of tea. Why did everyone think that someone upset needed tea, you thought? Why would anyone want tea at a moment like this?

“I need to leave.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not? The door is there, isn’t it?” you pointed. Taishiro cringed.

“Yes, but–they will find you.”

“How?” you demanded. He shook his head, and you felt frustration growing inside of you. He only gestured to your tea. You stared at it, remembering how the night before the boy and girl upstairs had given you something to calm you. How could you trust anything that any of these people handed to you?

“Sit and relax.” he finally said, moving to load the industrial sized dishwasher. You didn’t drink the tea, but cradled it in your hands, staring down at the surface of it. How could someone who seemed so kind on the outside be part of something like this? And how would anyone find you if you had escaped?

“Ah, there you are.” the woman walked into the kitchen as you were staring at the tea as though it could give you all the answers to the universe.
“Will you stand up and move your hair out of the way of the back of your neck?”

“Nemuri…” Taishiro began.

“Aht,” she held up her hand. “I didn’t ask you for your opinion, so I don’t want to hear it.”

“Why?” you demanded.

“You are going to learn, my dear, that your time here is going to be much better if you don’t question things and go along with what you’ve been told.” you glanced and saw she had something in her hand. It might have been a piercing gun from one of the cheap jewelry stores that you could find in any mall. But you didn’t believe that it was.

“No,” you said firmly.

“Yes.” she snapped. “I will force you if I must, but no one is going to enjoy it.” you stared at her. How had your life come to this? You had done so well in school. You had a future, you thought to yourself, and it didn’t involve being here! While you were in shock, the woman spun you around and shoved your hair to the side herself.

“Please don’t.” your voice went soft, a final whisper. You felt her hesitate. It was in the air all around her. For one moment, hope sparked. Maybe all you had to do this whole time was ask. Thoughts of your mother and father flowed into your mind. Home. Being back out.

“I’m sorry.” and you could hear the sincerity in her voice. “You will understand in time this is being done to keep you safe. The chip lets me know where you are.”

“You’re tracking me!?”

“Hey,” Taishiro said softly. You glanced at him wondering if he was going to help you. You felt betrayed when he reached for your hand, giving it a squeeze. And then the gun went off and you felt the white hot pain of something implanting into your neck.

“All done.” Nemuri murmured. Taishiro sighed and pulled you into him, grabbing a kitchen towel to press to the place on your neck that was bleeding.

“See? Not so bad.” he told you soothingly. You wanted to shove away from him, but he was so much bigger than you, so much stronger.

“She can stay with you until lunch? I’ll have Denki take her up to bed, and we’ll seve her meals on trays today.”

“Of course,” he said quietly.

***

You were numb the rest of the day, sitting on the stool. You kept touching the bump on your neck. You had never even gotten a tattoo before. You felt marked, you felt dirty,
you felt wrong. You focused on trying to breathe until the blond boy from last night came in.

“Hey there!” he grinned until he saw your face. “You got chipped, huh? Well, that’s a good thing! It means Nemuri wants to keep you.”

“There was a question of that?”

“Well yeah,” he shrugged. “If you’re not a good fit here, she’d send you somewhere that you could be.” you didn’t want to ask too many questions about that. He put an arm around your waist and walked you to the stairs. The two of you were quiet as you headed up, something you were sure was a rarity for the boy.

He deposited you back on the bed, and even pulled the blanket up around you. You gave the saddest whimper that had ever left your mouth. He put a hand on your back, and the two of you were in the quiet for a few minutes, feeling the weight of all that had been done to you, and to Denki, too.

To all of you.

“Listen,” he said in a low voice. “This is our life now. And there are places that are much worse than this.” it hung between the two of you.
“So you can decide to do the best you can, or you can be miserable forever. I wouldn’t blame you for being miserable. You wouldn’t be the first.”

“No one can be happy here.”

“Not happy the way you remember, but maybe something close to it. Your life is never going to be what you remember it being.”

“I’m so mad.” you whispered.

“You should be. We all are. But that anger… it doesn’t matter. You’re still here.” he was right. It hurt, but he was right.
“Just rest.” he told you before he left.

Chapter Text

The next few days, you were in the kitchen. You loaded the dishwasher, wiped down the appliances, loaded the tray for the meals. You thought that if the world stayed like this, maybe you could acclimate. Maybe you could learn to tolerate it. You didn’t have to like it, you told yourself. You only had to survive it.

For how long, a voice said in your head. How long can you survive it? Is there an end goal here? You told yourself it didn’t matter. You couldn’t think like that. You were going to have to take it one day at a time. One endless day after the other.

The days seemed to blend. You plated meals, you washed dishes. You felt at least a little bit safer having the boy and girl with you. Denki and Ochaco. You knew they weren’t really in a better position than you, but they were friendly.

In the evenings, you were sent to bed early. Almost every other omega came to bed much later, when the sun was threatening to come up. And so breakfast was later than you thought. While you were on cleaning duty, most of them went back to bed for awhile.

After a few days, the woman with the red glasses came to you.

“When was the last time you saw an Omega specialist?”

“Um, right after I presented.” you blinked, holding a broom in both hands. You had been sent to sweep the front hall. It was swept and mopped every day, you couldn’t imagine why it was so important.
“And they got me on suppressants and birth control, and they said until I was mated and ready, I didn’t need to see them again.” was this too much information? It felt like you were giving too much information.

“Hm,” she looked thoughtful. A cold sweat formed at the back of your neck. You didn’t like feeling the weight of her eyes on you. You wanted to find Denki and Ochaco, you wanted to ask them what all of this could mean.
“It was in your file. You were noted to be healthy at the time, your levels were correct for a freshly presented Omega. It’s a myth that you don’t need to be monitored, though. That’s what increases feral outbreaks.”

“Oh,” was she waiting for a response? Why was she talking like she was a school teacher giving a lecture? Your eyes darted around, hoping that someone, anyone, was going to walk by and save you from this interaction.

“I have one for you, in the exam room. Come on.” she turned on her heel and walked off. There had been a time in your life when you admired women like her, you thought. Women who kept their backs straight, their shoulders back. Women who walked like they commanded attention and the room.

Before the new laws had come down, you hadn’t thought much about whether or not Omegas walked like that. You didn’t even pay attention to whether or not someone was an Omega. It was on the same level as noting the color of someone’s eyes, or whether or not they had freckles.

Why did everything have to change? Who had come into power to make these things change? It didn’t seem possible that all your rights could be stripped away so easily, didn’t seem possible that it was legal for you to be sold. How had your parents been okay with that? How much had they sold you for?

“Come,” the woman looked over her shoulder and snapped her fingers. You didn’t realize that you had been standing there still. And clearly she was used to people listening to her without question or second thought.

You put the broom against the wall and ran after her, embarrassed about the way that you seemed to be trotting to keep up with her, a child who had been distracted by something shiny. You swallowed hard.

“Why do I need to see the specialist?” you asked quietly.

“Because I can’t offer you to my clients until I get a clean bill of health.” she said as simply as someone commenting on the weather.

“Clients?”

“Darling,” she looked at you with a frown. “Where do you think you are?”

“I don’t know. I’m here to be a maid?”

“For now, but you’re pretty enough and untouched that I can get my money back on you. If you’ve been on suppressants, you haven’t had a heat, right? Not since presenting?” you nodded slowly. A smile spread across her face, and even though it made her look beautiful, it didn’t make you feel comforted.
“Then you need to see the specialist. There are plenty of alphas that would pay a lot of money to be able to spend a heat with you if you haven’t spent it with anyone else. Make me enough money and you’ll see it reflected.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The new whores never do.” she said airily. Whore? Money? She grabbed your wrist then when it was obvious that you had no intention of moving. You tripped along behind her until she stopped at a door, tapping sharply at it.

“Come in,” a voice said. You stepped in to see a kind looking old woman, a beta. You swallowed hard as the woman closed the door.
“There there child.” she said softly. “Sit on the exam table for me.”

“Please,” you blurted out. “I don’t want to be here.”

“No one ever does.” she gave you a soft look and went to the small burner she had, the little tea kettle. She poured you a fresh cup and offered it.
“Midnight doesn’t need to know how long these exams take, and I know well enough to know when someone needs a little extra time.”

“I’m not a whore.”

“You are now. Because you are a quirkless Omega, and you have been purchased by an Omega pleasure house. Your destiny was to be here or be bought by a private family for their purposes.”

“I–I never–.” you couldn’t think what to say. The woman gestured to the cup, and you took a few sips, comforted by the hot liquid as it trained down your throat. She was quiet for a bit, satisfied to see you drink.

“Listen to me.” she reached for one of your hands. “This is probably the best place you could have ended up. But Midnight will not stand for any kind of foolishness.” she wanted. “You’re going to have to obey and do your best. Otherwise she’ll see you as a bad investment, and you don’t want to know what happens to those Omegas.”

“Has it happened before?” you asked, fearful of the answer but unable to avoid the question. The woman nodded gravely.

“I’m Chiyo, I’m the Omega specialist that comes here. Now let me examine you. I promise, this won’t hurt even a little bit.”

You felt wooden as you took off your shirt and leggings. You laid back on the table like she bid you. You were still and silent as she listened to your heart and lungs, as she felt your belly. She gestured for you to spread your legs, and you found you weren’t able.

“Please, darling.” she whispered. “I have to do this. You’ll stay on birth control, but not the suppressants. And every Alpha that comes in here is tested, they’re clean.”

Cold comfort, you thought. But your legs parted, and she coaxed you to move until your heels were at your bottom. It was a quick exam and you were grateful for that, at
the very least. You didn’t realize you were crying until you felt the dampness on your cheeks.

“Take heart, child.” Chiyo said softly. “Just as quickly as things became the way they are, they can go back.”

What did that mean? You didn’t feel like answering as she pointed to your clothes, went to sit at the little table and make some notes in a chart. You wondered when you could expect the next heat, how bad it was going to be, and what Midnight meant by someone paying for it.

***

“You didn’t tell me.” you said early that morning when Denki and Ochaco came up. You hadn’t been able to sleep, listening to the ruckus that was downstairs. You had thought it was a bar, maybe, and your roommates were wait staff, or entertainers.

“No,” Ochaco agreed in a quiet voice, coming to sit on the edge of your bed.

“It never seemed right.” Denki sat on the other side of your bed. You sniffled, wiping at your nose. Ochaco caught your chin with her hand, pointing your face towards her. You stared at her, feeling the anger you had towards the two of them oozing out.

It was an act of protection from people who needed protesting themselves.

“I know.” you said softly. The three of you sat in the predawn darkness that seemed to swallow the world. You wished it would swallow you whole. You wished the night would wind around you, smother you until there was only a sea of silence for you to spend the rest of your life, or not life in.

“Did you meet Chiyo?” Denki asked carefully. You nodded twice. “Then you’ll be down during the nights with us. Stick with us, kiddo. We’ll show you the ropes.”

This seemed to be enough for the two of them, you thought. This seemed to make them think that they were going to be able to keep you safe. Or at least, you thought, safe enough. Maybe, if all of this was like the stories you used to read and the movies you used to watch, maybe that was all they could give you.

It was very hard to give to someone else when you yourself had so little, and not just in terms of material things. Maybe there was safety in numbers, and maybe having someone watch out for you was the greatest gift that could be given.

You watched as Ochaco and Denki climbed into their cots. You pulled up your own thin blanket and closed your eyes hoping that whatever happened tomorrow was going to be less awful than today.

Chapter Text

Birth control was passed out every morning after breakfast. Everyone had a specific dose. You swallowed yours, knowing that no matter what else might or might not happen, you did not want a baby. After breakfast, Midnight pulled you into a room. There were racks and racks of clothes. All kinds of clothes, you marveled. SIlks, satins, cottons, linens. There were negligees, long nighties, gowns, linger, outfits that you might have bought ordinarily.

“These don’t belong to you.” she said in a tone that was not unkind, but did not leave room for foolishness. “They belong to the house, so keep that in mind. Keep them nice, turn them in for laundry.”

“What happens if I rip something?”

“It comes out of your fee.”

“My fee?” she was pulling garments off the racks, holding them up against you. Some she hung back up, and others she threw into a chair. She didn’t look you in the face as she kept going.

“Every person that you entertain pays a fee. Most of that goes to me, to pay back what I invested in you. Getting the specialist in here. What you eat. The clothes you wear. Heating. Cooling. Water. Everything costs something.” you felt dizzy suddenly.
“But a small portion of that does go into an account for you. The government has decided that all omegas are entitled to some money of their own.”

Relief spread through you. Money was all you needed. You nodded as Midnight gestured to the pile of clothing and then to what was clearly a small dressing room. It wasn’t comfortable, and your whole body burned when you stepped out and showed her.

She had so much to say. About you, your body, the outfits. This made you look too slutty, this didn’t flatter your body shape. The top of this was great, the bottom was not. You wanted to scream at her, you wanted to let your tongue be sharp and say something unkind towards her.

But you weren’t sure what disciplinary actions would come down on you if you did. You didn’t have enough information to make a plan. Your mind was still swirling with information. How much would you get in your account? How could you access it?

Now didn’t seem the time to ask about it. Midnight was muttering to herself and grabbing a few more things off the racks. When she was satisfied, she put her hands on her hips and smiled at you. In another life, in another situation, that smile would have been kind. You could have seen yourself enjoying spending time with her.

She seemed the type of person who wanted to make others feel beautiful. She seemed the type to take you shopping and help you find the perfect outfit. Could have been for a date, could have been for an interview, or maybe even the revenge type outing that happened when you had just been dumped and said you wanted to show the world how much better off you were.

Most people, you thought, were doing it to demonstrate to themselves that they were better off. The world didn’t notice, and wouldn’t care if it had. The world thought everyone was insignificant, and you only had the importance that you held for yourself.

You wondered if you had ever been important to yourself. The thought gave an uncomfortable sensation in your brain, a little ping that made you cringe. Midnight didn’t notice, and even though that gave you some relief, it hurt, too.

No one noticed you, it felt like.

“Tonight,” Midnight said as she walked with sure steps out of the dressing room. “You are going to come with your friends. And you will entertain. I’m going to pair you with Denki, he’ll make sure that you get introduced to the right people.”

“Right people?” you repeated, feeling stupid.

“Every alpha has different tastes. As you stay here, you’ll learn. It’s something that comes organically, I can’t explain it. But you’ll see. Denki is very good at figuring out what people like. He’s the best for you.” she nodded, like she was reassuring herself.

***

“Look up, babe.” Denki said as he sat in front of you on your bed. You looked towards the ceiling, trying hard not to blink as he put eyeliner on your waterline. Ochaco tossed over an unused lipstick, the perfect shade of pink for you.

“I’ll pay you back for it.” you said instantly.

“It’s gonna be awhile before you can do that. Unless you’re really lucky.” she laughed softly. Denki was done, turning to paw through his make up bag giving you the chance to look at the girl, confused.
“You have to pay back your purchase price first. And omegas are getting more and more expensive, especially untouched ones.”

“Oh,” a pit was growing back in your stomach.

“But don’t worry, we’ll take you out when you get your card.”

“Card?”

“Mmm,” Denki tapped a blush brush against the little compact that held the product. He carefully began to brush and blend it on your cheeks.
“We get cards attached to our accounts. Midnight gets a report every month about the balance and passes it along to us.”

That wasn’t going to work the way that you were hoping. Once again, that lack of information was making it too hard to form a plan. You tried to mask your frustration, focusing instead on the light of Denki’s eyes as he wrecked on your make up.

“But sometimes we get tips.” Ochaco said. “And we keep them. The alphas like to make sure that it’s ours.”

“Yeah, some houses make you turn in your tips. Not Midnight, though.” Denki was zipping up his bag. You grabbed the hanger spread across your bed, holding the outfit that Midnight had told you to wear.

Tips, you thought. You were going to have to figure out how to get these tips. That could be step one, at the very least. Having any kind of plan gave you at least a little bit of calm. After all, you could keep working on something when you had a foundation. So, you reminded yourself, tips. Do whatever it takes to get the tips.

“Well, girls, shall we? It’s about that time.” Denki said. You didn’t want to. You wanted to roll your eyes and decline. You wanted to scream. You wanted to jump out the window. Instead, you just gave a little nod.

Chapter Text

“Stay quiet.” Ochaco said, fixing your hair a little. “Midnight will make the appropriate introductions.”

There were so many people in the room, you marveled. No one was scenting in particular, there were colognes and blockers, neutralizers. Pills and patches, potions and lotions, balms and botanicals. But your nose seemed to be sensitive, which you thought you could attribute to your own anxiety. A mechanism of your body for you to try and keep yourself safe. That made the most sense to you.

The smell of Alpha was in the room, though. A dark undertone, something that made your hair stand on end, something that gave you goosebumps. You crossed your arms, rubbing your bare upper arms.

“Aht aht,” Midnight clicked her tongue, grabbing your arms and putting them down at your sides. “We need to show off your assets.”

“Assets?” you repeated. She looked pointedly towards your chest and giggled. There was something unsettling about seeing such a shrewd woman giggling, her fingertips pressed to her mouth. It felt so wrong, you wanted to cringe away.

Like someone wearing a mask, one of those masquerade ones that kept their mouths expressionless. Those always made you feel uncomfortable, they always made you want to rip them away. You stood, frozen in the room.

There was elegant furniture, with silk and velvet cushions. They looked like relics from some gilded age, long forgotten. The type of furniture you might find in your grandmother’s attic and hope was real and not a reproduction.

But what shocked you more was the way that these Alphas were sat. They threw their legs over the arms of the chairs. They lounged, legs spread wide, arms over the back. There were feet on the delicate looking tables with the finely carved legs. And there were the other Omegas, hovering around them, flitting about like hummingbirds. And you only stood.

You wanted to leave, you thought. You wanted to leave immediately. You wanted to run back to the attic room, curl yourself into the bed with the windows open. You wanted to inhale fresh air until this smell of Alpha was out of your nose and body. You wanted to be alone, or surrounded by other Omegas until you could feel safe again.

Or as safe as was possible here, in this situation, with these people.

“And who is this?” a curious voice asked. You startled and looked, seeing crimson wings that you had noticed so often splashed across the news and on websites. You shrank away a little bit. Hawks smelled like fresh cold air, you thought, the fresh cold air on late summer mornings when the nip of autumn was threatening.

You might have loved it in another life. In another circumstance. Your hands shook as you stepped away, backing into the wall. You were between a tapestry, depicting a gentle garden scene, and a painting depicting one as well.

“Oh, I see she caught your eye!” Midnight was there in a moment. How did she manage, you marveled. She had been going between the small groupings of people. There were Alphas around the seats, some of them with an Omega perched on their laps. Omegas you had only seen once or twice. She seemed to be part of four conversations at once without ever missing a beat.

It would have been impressive if this hadn’t been where you had seen it.

“You know every newbie catches my eye.” he laughed, sipping from his bottle of beer. “Say, cutie this is empty, do you think you could help me out?” he offered the empty bottle to you. Your mouth worked, though no sounds came out. Midnight nodded and handed it to you, shooing you towards a corner where you saw someone else standing behind a wet bar. He caught your eye and nodded, reaching for a bottle. You continued to glance over your shoulder. Midnight and Hawks were standing where you had been, chatting intensely. His eyes, his golden colored eyes, kept darting over to you.

This was not the attention you wanted. You needed to know what they were saying, you thought. You needed to have that knowledge. But the bartender was moving slowly, carefully using a bottle opener to open the drink.

No one had to hurry but you, you thought. No one cared about any of this but you. You couldn’t scream, couldn’t shout, couldn’t tap your foot even. There was nothing you could do but sit in your own inability to do a damn thing. You had never before felt so lost, so helpless. You had never before felt like you were just a little bit worthless.

Stay quiet, Ochaco told you. Midnight would talk to whomever needed to be spoken to. Why would anyone need to speak about you? What questions could they have or information could they possibly need?

“Here,” the bartender said softly. You grabbed the bottle, as quickly as you could without snatching, and hurried back. Your knees trembled, and your ankles nearly turned in the ridiculous high shoes you were wearing. You winced and tried to keep a straight face.

“Thanks, cutie,” Hawks winked. It was easy to see why he was so popular. He was handsome, he was charming, he was Alpha. And you were a quirkless Omega.
“I’ll be seeing you.” he sauntered away, laughing and joining another group. If you looked, you knew that all of these Alphas were pro heroes.

Why would someone like that be here you thought. Surely they could get any Omega they wanted? Or any Alpha, depending on their tastes. You weren’t there to judge. Why would they need to come here?

“What were you talking about?” you asked, knowing without being told that this was not your place to ask. Midnight smiled and put her hand to your cheek. She looked happy, and that didn’t make you feel comfortable at all.

“Don’t worry, darling. Everything will be clear to you soon enough. Go and stand and look pretty.” she gestured, and you slipped away, trying to blend into the wall. You kept your own vision down, although you could feel the weight of eyes on you, and you swore that everyone Midnight was talking to was having a conversation about you.

Paranoia was not a good look, you reminded yourself.

Although you weren’t sure what else to think.

Chapter Text

The night wore on, and you were finally allowed to go back upstairs to bed. You were barely awake as Denki helped you out of your dress .Your feet were swollen and your back ached. You had tried so hard to keep standing up straight, since anytime you slumped, Midnight would find her war over to you to pinch your ass until you stood up.

You were sure you had bruises there now.

You were woken for breakfast and then shuffled back to bed. You couldn’t help but notice that cramping was growing in your belly. You were feeling warm, the tingling under your skin that let you know your biology was about to remind you of its existence.

“Fuck,” you whined as you sat up. Ochako gave you a sympathetic look and leaned over, the back of her hand to your forehead.
“Can we tell Midnight that I need some suppressants?”

“No,” she said slowly, shaking her head. “No one here is on suppressants.”

“But–.”

“Lay down,” she pushed at your shoulders. “You’ll need it.”

You wanted to know what she meant, but preheat exhaustion, along with all the stress and constant paranoia were wearing you down. You couldn’t stay awake, and slept in that little bed. Even though there were fifty thousand reasons that you should have been too keyed up to sleep, it was maybe the best sleep you’d had since you’d gotten there.

But that evening, Denki was next to you. He sat on the edge of your bed, stroking your face until you woke. You looked at him with heavy eyes, gasping. The sheets were sticking to you, and your pajamas felt damp.

“Let’s get ready.” he said softly.

“What? For what? What’s happening?”

“Shh, Midnight needs you. I know you don’t feel well, and you’re not going to feel better for awhile. I’m sorry, honey.” he looked sad, but you didn’t have a chance to ask. You were hauled out of bed and ushered to a bathroom.

In another life, you would have been upset about him seeing you naked. But right now, your body was burning, and you had that ache inside of you. You whined as Denki grabbed some neutralizing soap and began to scrub you. He hummed to you, whispered sweet reassurances as he moved the wash cloth down your body.

“I know, sweetheart. I know. I can’t make it all better, I would if I could. I promise.” he had a towel around you and hurried you back to the room. Ochako was there with a blow dryer. You did get some calm as her hands smoothed over your hair, and she rubbed the back of your neck.

You were expecting another fancy dress. Instead, Denki held open a cotton skirt with an elastic band that only went mid thigh. A crop top was added, covering your nipples but leaving the rest of your skin exposed.

Along with your scent. You knew it was pouring out of you, your own unique scent mixed in with the desperation of your beginning heat. Denki had you by the elbow as he walked you down. You leaned hard into him, resting your head on his shoulder.

“You’re going to be fine.” he whispered.

“Are we seeing the doctor?” that would make sense, you thought. Of course you were bathed before seeing the doctor. Likely the clothes were for a quick exam without having to dress and undress. Perhaps the doctor was busy? That would make sense, too. You perked up a little bit.

“There you are!” Midnight met Denki at the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, you must be feeling terrible, darling.”

“Are we seeing the doctor?”

“No,” she shook her head. You stared at her as you were ushered into another room. This wasn’t the same as last night, with the chairs covered in Alphas. When you looked around this room, with the rows of folding chairs and the thick scent of desire, you nearly swooned.

Every Alpha was wearing a muzzle.

“I brought her!” Midnight sang out, pulling you towards an elevated platform. “You all saw her last night. Now yes, I agree, she might be a little rough around the edges. She wasn’t bred for this, she’s new to the programming with the new laws.” she warned.

“Pl-please,” you stammered. Midnight moved like she had been oiled. A cuff was attached around your ankle, and another around your wrist. You gasped and yanked on it. An alpha in the front made a cooing sound.

“Don’t fight it, sweetling.” he called.

“You can all smell her.” Midnight continued. “You can smell that she’s untouched. Alphas! You are witnessing her first unsuppressed heat in years.”

“Make it stop!” your body was burning and your skin was crawling. You moaned, spreading your legs wide and wriggling your hips. There was nothing to give you friction, nothing that would give you even an ounce of relief.
“It hurts so bad.”

Alpha growls exploded through the room. You stared through a dizzying gaze, taking in the muzzles that were clamped to every face. You could see the gleam of teeth through them, you could taste the sheer want in the air.

It was suffocating you. It was coming around to surround you. It blanketed you, brushing against your skin like humid summer air. You howled, your head falling back. Slick was beginning to ooze from your pussy, leaving shining trails down your thighs.

“She is eager,” Midnight noted. “And she seems to be easy to train. Eager to please, as most Omega are.” she flapped her hand and giggled. There were a few chuckles scattered throughout. Your eyes picked through the crowd. Wasn’t anyone going to do anything? Didn’t anyone want to help you? Didn’t anyone care about you at all?

You sank to your knees, pressing your chin to the platform. Your ass was up high, your skirt riding up. The smell of your slick was potent, and the alphas in the front were close to drooling through their muzzles.

“Shall we begin the bidding? Is there interest?”

“Yes!” came the resounding shout.

“Very good!” she clapped her hands. “We’ll start low… 50.”

Fifty? Fifty what? You couldn’t focus at the surge of words and shouts.

“Sixty!” a voice shouted.

“A hundred and twenty!”

“Two hundred,” a calm voice. Your eyes lifted to see a man with dark hair, most of his face covered by a scarf, though you could see the muzzle going towards the back of his head to clasp.
“Three,” there was Hawks, from last night, his eyes fastened to you.

“I would remind you.” Midnight said smoothly. “That this bidding does not assure you a place as her sponsor. This is simply for the privilege of sharing her heat.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?” Hawks smiled, although there wasn’t a lot of warmth in his eyes.
“Five.”

The room went silent. No one was happy, exactly, but no one was responding to what Hawks had said. You laid on the platform, breathing hard, your heart pounding so hard in your chest you were shocked it didn’t leap right out.

“Five.” Midnight said. There were no more words and she nodded. She clapped her hands again and went over to Hawks, carrying a small box. In it was a single white rose, perfectly bloomed.
“Your prize, sir.”

“Another for my collection.” he joked. But his eyes stayed on you.

Were you crying out of desperation or because of your heat?

Chapter Text

“He’ll be here tomorrow.” someone was assuring you, a cold wet cloth wiping across your face. You were not in the room you had been sleeping in. This one was bigger, but sterile feeling. You were laying on a super soft mattress, surrounded by neutral smelling bedding. The curtains were drawn, keeping the bright light from your eyes and giving you a headache.
“You’ll feel so much better after that.”

“Pl-please,” you stammered, reaching out weakly to grab someone’s wrist. You cracked your eyes open and forced yourself to focus, seeing Midnight there. She gave you an understanding coo, swiping the cold towel under your chin.
“Give me something for this pain.”

“I can’t, darling.” she did sound regretful. “But you’ll feel better tomorrow. Hawks will be here.”

“Why?” you asked, trying to sit up. Midnight put an arm under your shoulder, helping you sit up. She brought a glass of ice water to your lips, watched you sip and try and to quell the fire that was in your throat.

“You were there. You saw the bidding.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I forget,” she sighed. “You omegas don’t get told everything.” she ran her hand down her face. “He bought your heat.”

“You can’t do that.” you tried to toss yourself away from her. “That’s trafficking, that’s illegal.”

“Not for an omega.” she looked at you with something so akin to pity, you almost gagged. How had the laws changed so much? How was it that the rest of the world would be okay with you being treated this way?
“But the money you earned? It’s nearly taken you out of my debt.”

“Debt?”

“Shhh,” she soothed. “I’m not meant to, but I can’t stand cruelty. Open your mouth, darling.” you did so, body quivering. She slipped in a thick pill, helped you sip more water. “For your pain.”

If only a pill could have stopped the pain that was brewing inside of you, the pain that made you feel like the whole world was ending inside of you.

You slept again, a deep dreamless sleep, thanks to the pill you’d been given. When you stirred again, you were being wiped off with a warm, soapy cloth. Ochako smiled when she saw you open up your eyes.

“You smell amazing.” she sighed. “You’re lucky Hawks is only interested in one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“We call him a card snatcher.” you stared, confused. “It means he likes taking virginity. He likes having an omega’s virginity. He’s bought a few that way.” she shrugged.

“I don’t want to.”

“You will. He is a really great alpha.” she sat back on her heels. “And you’ll feel better once you’re bred, you know you will.”

You knew that it would satisfy that part of your biology that was screaming. But it wouldn’t settle your soul. Ochako stood up, carrying the bowl of water with her.

“You don’t need to dress up. And Hawks always tips very well. And even if he won’t be your patron, he does bring gifts to those omegas he takes a shine to.” as though any gifts would make up for the fact that you were trapped here, and fucking people you had no say in.
“He’ll be around soon.”

Your body ached and burned. You whined, writhing on the bed, wrapping your arms around yourself. Ochako hurried out, leaving you alone in the white room with the plain furniture. You wondered why everything else was so elaborate, and this room was so different.

You moaned, trying to find a comfortable position. And even though you hated it, even though you wanted more than anything to stop yourself, you were whining. You were giving omega trills, primal sounds that begged for someone to come and breed you.

“Hello little one,” Hawks said as he opened the door. You wanted to scream and shout, you wanted to tell him to get the hell away from you. Instead, to your shame, you reached out your hand, a bid for him to come closer.
“I heard you were down bad.”

Hawks came close to the bed. He knelt down, eye to eye with you. Those golden eyes that had charmed so many held something a little darker this time. He smirked as he leaned in, pressing his nose to your scent glands.

“This is the way I love an omega. Needy and desperate, wet and messy, aching for me.” you were dripping slick onto the bed. You would have been embarrassed if you could have brought yourself to care. But your body was demanding something else right now.

Hawks brushed his hand through your hair. Your body immediately relaxed, and you stopped with the fussing sounds. You watched him with desperate eyes as he stood slowly, peeling off the simple t shirt and sweat pants he was wearing. You watched the way his wings stretched and fluttered ever so slightly.

Hawks was a handsome man. That could not be denied. And you could not deny the stirring between your legs. You gasped as he reached for your hips, arranging you gently. He kept your head down, your ass up high. The perfect traditional presentation pose.

You craned your neck over your shoulder, watching in wonder as Hawks put on a muzzle. He could speak, he could breathe, but he could not bite you. Relief washed over you. There were fewer fates crueler than an omega who was bitten by an alpha during an assault. It would bind them together, and the omegas body would make demands the omegas soul did not want the chase.

Hawks looked you over, eyes taking inventory of ever curve of your body, every freckle or mole on your skin. He gave a satisfied sigh, like a man who had just finished a particularly large and delicious meal. His hands cupped your ass cheeks, parting them to take in a look at your glistening hole.

“You’re ready for me.”

“No! Wait!” you squeaked, your body going tight. “I’m–you’re–it’ll hurt! It’ll be too big!”

“No, no no,” he soothed, rubbing your side. “Your body was made for this. You’re in heat. It won’t hurt.”

You gave a distressed little sound, and suddenly the room was filled with a calming scent. Hawks was focusing on settling you as he knelt behind you. He gripped your hips with such intensity, you knew you’d have bruises tomorrow.

If you even bothered to open your eyes tomorrow.

“That’s it, just relax. I’m gonna make you feel so much better.” the prospect of feeling better did appeal to you. Hawks didn’t waste time. You felt the pressure of his cock against you, then suddenly, with one startling, breathtaking pain, he was inside you.

It did hurt. It burned and ached, made you squirm and struggle against him. One of Hawks’ arms looped around your waist, pulling you to him. Crimson feathers were in front of your face, and for a moment you were lost in the beauty of them.

And then your heat took over. The pain was replaced by pleasure, and a desperate need. The sensation of want washed over you. You groaned, your spine arching as you tried to push back against him.

“There it is, now she wants more. Don’t worry, little one, I have everything you need.” his hand snaked between your legs, finding your desperate clit and giving it harsh rubs.

Hawks touched you in ways that no one had before. Not even yourself. How could someone who had never seen your body know it so well? How could someone who had never laid eyes on you before find these delicate places on your skin that ached to be touched and understood?

“Please,” you whined.

“I’m getting you there.” Hawks laughed softly. “So eager, just the way I like them. I like making an omega realize how badly they need this. I like making them understand that this is what they were made for. Making alpha happy.”

He bent to nuzzle at the back of your neck. The metal parts of his muzzle were cold, making you shiver. He was pounding into you, and you were rising up to meet him with every thrust. More, more, more. That was all that mattered.

Hawks gave your clit a little smack. You screamed, cumming without warning. Hawks shouted joyfully, going even harder. The whole world was a blur of crimson wings and the sensation of heat breaking inside of you.

***

“And this is yours.” Hawks said two days later. You sat up in the bed, blinking at him slowly. Your body ached. Your skin was sticky. You burned between your legs. Hawks was dressing casually as anything. He pulled off the muzzle and gave you a wink, reaching into the sweatpants for a roll of bills.

He peeled off some of them, set them on the dresser.

“Thank you.” why were you thanking him? He had not done you a service. You rubbed your forehead, trying to get your bearings. At least you could be happy that you weren’t bitten. How was Hawks walking straight? He looked so casual, so normal.

How many times had he done this before?

“I’ll see you around.” he gave you a grin. “I had a wonderful time.”

A wonderful time? He strolled out of the room before you could even think properly. You scrambled off the bed and rushed to the money, scooping it into your hands. You stared down at the bills, crisp and clean.

One step at a time, you thought to yourself. Even if this was the first step.