Her Decay ~Tomura Shigaraki x OC AU~

Chapter 4: Tread Lightly

Illika

Eyes burn into my skin.

Or at least that's what it feels like. Like searing heat pulsating against my skin, burning tiny holes, singeing flesh. Interesting.

"Mmm... Are you sure we can trust her? She might be tricking us - I think she's trustworthy," a man in a mask says, glancing between me and Mr. Compress.

I sit, leaving my hands folded in my lap, projecting a calm demeanor. My expression is even and flat with my concentration focused on what's going on.

"I believe she is," Mr. Compress answers, though I'm not sure if he believes his own words.

Around me, I am surrounded by three new faces. Well, two faces and the new masked man. Mr. Compress has now been joined by a teenage girl with pale blonde hair and a reptilian man with a piece of cloth cut into a mask tied over his eyes and a masked man dressed in black and gray. The four stand, surrounding me as they stare down at me.

The reptilian man leans toward Mr. Compress, pressing. "Are you sure? How can you be certain?"

"Yeah," the masked man interjects. "What if she's some kind of undercover hero? She doesn't seem all that bad!"

"I just wanna know how you found her," the girl says. Out of all of them, she is observing me the hardest. Her slit pupils burn red against my skin. She leans close to me, studying me. I try not to flinch.

"Toga," Mr. Compress says, "it's rude to stare. And there's no need to be so close to her."

The girl - Toga - lets out a huff and pulls away, firmly crossing her arms over her chest. The masked man moves closer to her, and they begin to whisper among themselves. Also, interesting.

"Apologies, Miss Hartz," Mr. Compress continues. "Allow me to introduce you to my colleagues." He motions at the reptilian man, saying, "This gentleman here is Spinner."

Spinner looks at me through narrow eyes. It's clear he doesn't quite trust me, though I can't blame him. To him, I am some girl. Some girl who has randomly sprung up at their base, though that isn't completely my fault. Still, I understand.

"Hello," I say, trying to flash a small smile.

"Hi," Spinner replies, though his gaze is still cold.

Mr. Compress continues, now motioning toward the other masked man. "And this gentleman over here is Twice."

"Hello! How are ya?" Twice sings quickly.

I smile, "Hi, there. I'm well. And you?"

"I'm fantastic! Oh, the stress."

Twice is far different from Spinner. He is coming across as friendly, though there is something slightly off about him. It's almost as if his tone and words swing from one direction to the next, swaying wildly. Still, he has greeted me with the most warmth so far, so I'll take it.

"And lastly, this here is Toga," Mr. Compress adds, gesturing at the girl.

Honestly, I'm almost nervous to glimpse her way again, but I manage, and this time, I am met with a smile. It doesn't quite meet her eyes in the way it bubbles in Twice's tone, but a smile is a smile, I guess.

"Hi," I say. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi," she replies eagerly. Her eyes scan me once again. "Hmm. If Jin trusts you, then I guess I will too."

I flash a smile and glance away. On one hand, I'm appreciative she trusts me, but I'm not entirely sure who Jin is or why she is going off their word. Still, having anyone trust me right now is nice, especially with Spinner's sharp stare.