Her Decay ~Tomura Shigaraki x OC AU~

Chapter 8: Hot Steel

Illika

Steam fills my lungs.

Hot water beads against my skin, massaging the muscles. It feels good and relaxing, almost lulling in a way. The water hisses, falling from the showerhead as my eyes drift to the ceiling.

I don't know what's above, but I can tell there's something. A panel speckled with tiny holes stretches the length of the walk-in shower stall ceiling. I assume it's some kind of waterfall showerhead, but unfortunately, I don't know how to switch to it or operate it. I was lucky enough to flip on the current showerhead - a simple showerhead made of some kind of metal - though, I saw no mention of another function on the shower's control panel.

High-tech. That's the best way to describe my living quarters. Over the last two weeks, I've explored and tinkered more with my room. Everything from my room's heating and cooling system to the lights to even the shower stall is all operated through touchscreen panels installed in the walls. Most of it has been pretty self-explanatory through icons, but there have been a few symbols that I haven't been able to decode. And beyond that, as a "guest" here, I don't want to risk damaging anything through testing and changing controls that I don't understand.

However, playing with my room's features isn't the only thing that I've been doing for the last two weeks. Over these last fourteen days, I've been working diligently at proving my worth to Dabi and the others. With every "job" they've had, I've accompanied them, and I've used my quirk.

I've had to.

Each time, there have been heroes and police officers that showed up. And while there were scuffles and fights, there have been no major battles and no casualties. Because of my quirk, I was able to erase the memories of heroes and officers so that we could make a clean escape. I've also deleted the memories of any witnesses.

Both Mr. Compress and Toga seem to breathe easier now after seeing me in action. Both have eased up, and Mr. Compress has even taken to removing his exterior mask. Granted, he still wears his under-mask, but I can now see his eyes, which tells me he trusts me enough. As for Toga, she just seems more relaxed and friendly.

As for Dabi and Twice, there has never been a moment where either has shown they distrusted me, especially in Twice's - or as I've learned his legal name to be, Jin - case. He has remained friendly and jovial, always flashing a sense of kindness. However, I have learned that without his mask on, he does... Well, he needs his mask. And in Dabi's case, he said it best himself. If he has any reason to believe I may use my quirk against them, he'll just burn me. At least, that's what he plans should he need to.

But despite all this, there is still one person in this close-knit crew that I can tell does not trust me. Spinner.

Whenever I enter the room or prepare myself to join them for a job, I can see and feel the way he glares at me. I can feel the burn of his stare and smell the smoldering of my skin. He still doesn't trust me. I know he doesn't.

All I can do is shrug off his hatred. Hate me or not, in the end, I'm here for the PLF and their cause. Whether or not someone likes me is no real concern of mine. Not in the midst of this glorious revolution.

I turn, allowing the water to pummel my shoulder, losing myself in my thoughts when I startle.

"Illie?" Toga's voice breaks through the falling water, almost bouncing off the walls, causing me to jolt.

I spin, glancing at the shower's opening. Luckily, she's not standing there, though I feel she's close. Still, it feels too intimate for my liking and a tad uncomfortable. So, I swallow the panic and speak.