Shigaraki and Scribe

Chapter 24

"How long can you keep this up, do you think?" Tomura asked. "I can feel your power loosening already. Feel that, Compress? Won't be long now..."

"Just shut up already." Scribe could feel that Eraser was close. She hoped he was catching at least some of this. Her performance was on point, the perfect combination of irritation and desperation.

"Take the lady's advice, would you, Shigaraki?" Eraser emerged from the underbrush, taking up a position by Scribe's side. "You okay?"

"I'm—" She let a quaver enter her voice. It wasn't hard, considering how much this next part worried her. "I don't think I can hold them much longer."

"You're fine." He put an arm around her, tossed his scarf into the tree and the next minute they were on one of the branches of the tree about twenty feet up. He scanned the three men on the ground below them.

Scribe did her best not to look up at Spinner, though she knew his camouflage would make him difficult to spot, anyway. She was a little relieved not to have to use her quirk any longer.

"Oh, Eraser!" Tomura's voice mocked them. "How long you think you can stay out of reach up there? Come on down and face us." He circled the tree. "Can't keep us all erased at once, you know."

Scribe could see that Dabi had brought out a fireball to play with. She knew he wouldn't burn the tree with her in it, but Eraser didn't. He shifted his gaze and the fireball went out. She heard Dabi grunt with dissatisfaction.

"Like I said, Eraser." Tomura took another step toward the tree. "Can't keep us all erased. I could just decay the tree. Or Compress here could marbleize the tree with both of you in it. Give us the girl. She's all we want."

"Why would you want her?" Eraser's arm actually tightened around her waist.

"Oh, come on, man. You felt her at the USJ. She stopped me from destroying you. She's so much more than just hero support. Of course I want her." Shigaraki grinned, and Scribe felt as if he were looking directly at her. Of course I want you.

She couldn't reply. Her heart felt as if it might explode out of her chest. The next part was the hardest. Tomura had to escape serious injury and then Kurogiri would be there to take them away... Just as she was thinking it, Eraser released her and swung down. His boot connected with Compress's stomach and the man went down, wheezing. Tomura whirled, just managing to deflect most of Eraser's next bruising blow, still wheeling back when it grazed his chin.

Scribe clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her scream, but then forgot about that when Dabi's fireball slashed through the air, hitting Eraser in the chest. She watched him fall, horrified, then flung herself out of the tree. Tomura just managed to catch her. She looked from him to Dabi and then to Eraser's supine form.

"Jesus, Dabi, you idiot." Tomura looked down at Eraser. "You knew we weren't here to hurt anyone."

"Well, nobody told him that." Dabi snorted. "Besides, you said hands off Scribe and the kids. Never said anything about the pros."

Scribe dropped to her knees beside Eraser. Her hand touched his. She pictured the moment when the fireball hit him. He's dead. But she'd seen that happen to a hero before, too, and he was still with them. It'll take everything I have left. She raised her gaze to Tomura's. But I can fix this.

He looked down at her in surprise. She knew she couldn't wait for him to say yes. If she did, it would be too late. So she let him feel it instead. He knelt beside her, his arm going around her to support her as she sagged against him, unconscious.

***

Shigaraki held her a few seconds after, a stunned feeling of awe in his chest. She can do that, too. And on the heels of that thought, he realized, She did it before. For All Might after he fought my master.

Spinner landed next to them. "We need to get out of here, boss. There are more heroes on the way." He looked at Scribe. "She okay?"

"Yeah...she, um, fixed it." He shot a look at Dabi. "She fixed your mistake and because of that, this won't be about the League murdering a pro, it'll be about how Scribe saved a bunch of kids." He kissed Scribe's forehead and laid her down gently on the ground. "Kurogiri!"

"How'd she 'fix' it?" Dabi frowned.

Kurogiri appeared, a portal open next to him. He frowned at Scribe's unconscious form. "Tomura Shigaraki?"

"She's fine. Going to be unconscious for a while." Shigaraki motioned for Spinner and Compress to go. He stuck an arm out in front of Dabi. His fury made his palms itch. "She rewrote fate itself and saved your patchy hide, idiot. Make sure you remember that next time you see her." He lowered his arm and Dabi followed the other two.

He looked back at Scribe and knew he couldn't leave her there. He knelt beside her, taking her hand in his. God, I want to take you back with me. He stroked her hair back. Of course I want you.

"Tomura Shigaraki?" Kurogiri placed a misty hand on Shigaraki's shoulder.

He sighed, bent over and kissed her again. The whole plan would be for nothing if other pros showed up. He'd either have to take her with him or risk them thinking she'd never been his target. If he left before they got there, Scribe would tell her story when she woke up. And with Eraser unconscious, there'd be no one to refute it.

He stood, nodded to Kurogiri and stepped through the portal.

Spinner, Dabi and Compress waited in the clearing in the forest. Spinner looked relieved when Shigaraki came through the portal and it closed after Kurogiri. "Hey. Everything okay?"

"It will be. Hopefully." Shigaraki didn't look at Dabi. "Let's get back to headquarters."

"Wait a second. What did your girl actually do back there? How'd she fix Eraser?" Dabi moved into Shigaraki's field of vision.

"She didn't actually fix him. But she did rewrite it so you didn't kill him. He's taking a nap now, and I can't swear he'll be good as new when he wakes up, but he'll be alive. And what's even better, I think he'll feel he owes that life to Scribe. Again." Shigaraki shrugged. "So maybe you didn't mess everything up, Patches. But you came damn close. That's your last warning."

The two men faced each other. Shigaraki smelled fire and glanced down at the fireball in Dabi's hand. He grinned. "You think that's the way to go?"

Spinner moved over to stand beside Shigaraki. Kurogiri stepped forward to cover his other side. Compress sighed. "Fellows, I'm tired and bruised from our encounter with our female compadre. Are you going to make me get up?" He waved a hand in the air, producing several marbles. "On second thought, no need. Dabi, back off or we'll find out what these little beauties are hiding. Could be anything from a butterfly to a tank. Just depends on what struck my fancy."

Dabi's gaze didn't waver from Shigaraki's. "You don't need anybody else to kill me."

"No. I don't." Shigaraki agreed. "Doesn't hurt to know whose side everybody's on, though." He cocked an eyebrow. "Does it?"

Dabi raised the hand with the fireball. Kurogiri tensed but Shigaraki didn't flinch. He watched as Dabi closed his fingers over the blue flame, snuffing it out with a slightly sickening smell of burning flesh. Dabi looked at his smoking fingers. "I've done that so many times I don't even feel it anymore." He looked down, then back at Shigaraki. "I figure you're one of the few who might know what that's like. So I'll toe the line from here. Don't worry."

Shigaraki nodded and motioned for Kurogiri to open the portal back to headquarters. His guardian obliged and Dabi slumped through it. The others followed. Shigaraki glanced over his shoulder toward the school. He touched Scribe's unconscious mind. I'll be in touch, pretty.