𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 | 𝐁𝐍𝐇𝐀

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ

"...I can't meet with a liar unharmed"

With his instructions as bad as his patience I ended up finding the bridge. A rather long journey that had been lengthened even more by the crowd that their little show had gathered.

"The number one hero isn't a good test..."

Even so, I guess I had to owe him. I had never met so many celebrities – well, meeting them may not be the right word for the situation, but at least I had been in the first place when the number 1 had crashed against the pavement

"It's unreasonable to expect me to trust the number two hero suddenly..."

Besides the few poor words of instruction, Dabi had added a request. Make yourself discreet. I had to wait until he was alone to make an apparition. It irritated me at first, but seeing that his interlocutor was the number two, it would be smarter to keep a low profile.

There was no way I would get linked to this league. I already had my problems with them, I wasn't going to add the police and the heroes to them. So, hidden between two warehouses, I waited.

"I can't lose the trust people have in me as a hero either. The more I'm trusted, the better the information I'll be able to get. Can't you think in the long term? I'm doing this because I'm thinking about the League, Dabi."

It was those words that caught my attention. B had shared a possible link between the league and the yakuza shortly after the fall of All might but I had not heard of another with heroes, in particular of this caliber.

"Well, anyway, I can't let you see the boss yet."

It was Dabi who left the scene first, abandoning Hawks behind. Which meant I had to leave quickly. I had parked my bike a little further away – to avoid the sound of my engine announcing my presence – so I followed Dabi on foot.

He made me walk like that for a long time. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped.

"You can get out of your hidey-hole."

I didn't move, I even sink deeper into the alley. I didn't want to go near him, let alone talk to him, but I knew my headache wouldn't let go until I got an answer.

"Number two? That's an impressive recruit," I said while extricating myself from the darkness.

Dabi turned in my direction and quickly closed the distance between us. He understood how my alter functioned; he needed constant physical contact to ensure my docility.

However, I needed an answer. So the moment his palm landed on my shoulder, the blade of my knife was positioned under his neck.

"I'm getting tired of your little game," I spat, my jaw tight.

The threat hadn't affected him. That same smile stretched out and he put his hand on mine. It was hot, scorching even.

"Ojou-san, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

My headache echoed in my head, making it impossible for me to think. My frustration had taken over. How could he know so much about this girl?

I pushed the blade a little deeper, a slight cut opening under the pressure "Who are you?"

His smile was gone, as was the heat on my hand. I took the opportunity to push the blade even deeper, an action quickly stopped by the sudden agonizing heat that enveloped my hand.

I felt like my skin was melting under his. Neither of us wanted to give up. Under the clash of our forces, our hands trembled against his neck.

"Answer," I ordered, eyes fixed on that fucking blue my brain couldn't remember. Even though I had spent all afternoon rehashing all the memories of that little girl, I couldn't find any answer to my questions.

How could he know that girl? That boy? How?

I could no longer feel my hand. There was no pain to stop me from finishing him off. Nothing to slow the blade down his flesh.

Nothing, if not for that smile that stretched out his face once again.

"He's alive"

My blade hesitated only for a second, but that was enough for Dabi to push me away. He took a few steps back, his hand now gripping his neck to stop the bleeding.

I remained still before him. My gaze examined his form for a clue, a detail that would revive her old memories.

"You got me good," he snickered when he saw that the blood flow wasn't going to stop. "Damn, that hurts."

His mouth was half-open. He was having trouble breathing. He was also having trouble standing. I could finish him off.

"Answer. Who are you?"

He activated his alter and grabbed his neck. The bleeding decreased but it didn't stop.

"Shit..." Dabi spit before adding "You really wanted me dead"

My fists were clenched. Well, only my left one, the right had lost all sensitivity. I hadn't even noticed that I had dropped the knife until I noticed the bloody blade at my feet.

I stooped to retrieve it but my hand didn't even my demand. A large burn had spread from the beginning of my fingers to my wrist. My right hand had naturally curled up under the pain and had now lost all motility.

"Who is alive?" I asked.

Dabi removed his grasp when he was satisfied with his somewhat treatment. He quickly analyzed my form before answering "You know very well who I'm talking about"

"Answer me, then"

"You think I'm bluffing?"

"No. I don't think so." I breathed. I was sure he wasn't bluffing. He had known these children.

"Haruto..." he coughed before repeating "Haruto is alive"

I felt my heart racing. My headache had stopped drumming my brain, now it was compressing it with all its strength.

"Where is he?" Talking had become difficult with my rasping breathing.

"Somewhere," taunted Dabi.

In an instant, it was now a gun that I plunged into his neck. He cursed at me under the pain.

"I already told you, I didn't come to play. So you better answer quickly."

Dabi didn't even try to push me away with his alter. He knew he was the one with the cards in hand.

"Your little informant didn't find anything on me, did he?" The corner of his lips stretched when he saw the trouble spreading on my face." The three of us are the same."

His smile wouldn't stop. Under the pressure of his amusement, one of the staples gave way and bleeding began at the corner of his lips. It was his turn to press against my weapon.

I felt my body curled up under the pressure. I felt that his being was enveloping me, compressing me between his burning palms. His hand around my neck, he lifted up my face to press his forehead against mine.

"We're the same..." he whispered, his blue probing eyes not detaching from the shaky green in mine.

My left hand clung to his bloody shirt. I was desperately trying to repel him and his words. I wanted to go back, refuse Tori's mission, not meet the Fujis, not cross his blue flames; I wanted to forget everything, start forgetting everything again.

But he left me no choice.

"We're just the cadavers of dead children. Right, Erity?"

•••

Hi! So I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't hesitate to let me know if you think there is some aspect that I should improve. I also started to go for shorter chapters so please give me your opinions on that!