Feathers and Flame // Dabi x Reader x Hawks

30: Present

Your head throbbed, reeling from the images of your past you'd buried so deep, and from the drug that immobilised you. Bright. It's so bright. You opened your eyes, vision blurred. Nausea swirled in your stomach, burning your throat with the acrid taste of acid. Where am I? You were forcing your heavy-lidded gaze to remain open, vision finally beginning to focus. Your muscles felt like lead as you attempted to move them, finding your limbs bound to what seemed like a chair.

When your eyes finally focused, you settled on the ring of floodlights surrounding you, drowning out any chance of shadow that could spell your escape. Fuck. And there you were, in the center of that ring of lights, bound tightly to a heavy iron chair.

Across from you, on an small table, your two favourite blades sat, taunting you.

"Finally awake?"

The voice floated from your right, and you whipped your head to the source. The leader of your merry-band-of-kidnappers, Hami, leaned against one of the dozen floodlights surrounding you. He pushed off, striding towards you.

"Sleep well?"

You opened your mouth, dry lips cracking. "Like a log."

His eyes glittered with amusement. "Glad to see your spirit is still intact."

Your voice protested as you spoke. "I can't say the same for some of those grunts you sent after me."

He shrugged. "An unfortunate loss."

You laughed, cold and without emotion. "I'll look forward to cutting the rest of you down."

Hami's eyes glided over you, lingering on your face for a moment longer before he spoke. "Do you think you can mask your fear with those empty threats?"

You scoffed, irritation flaring. "You have no idea what I am."

Hami smiled. "Oh, I well believe that. But at your core, you are just human. And every human can be caught and killed. Without your quirk, what are you but just a pathetic little girl?"

Your hands balled into fists, but you loosened them once again, falling back into the character that had kept you alive for all this time. "I have never felt human in my life." You paused, laughing. "Do you know what you are, Hami?"

His mouth quirked into a grin. "Enlighten me."

The gaze you pinned him with was the final remnant of your composure. "You're a ghost of the past still clinging to the shred of power you used to have, unwilling to admit that you are irrelevant in this new world. Power comes from strength, and you can never be the strongest."

His hand moved so fast you barely registered it as the back of his palm collided with your cheek, leaving it stinging in his wake. "There will be nothing left of you but bones, girl. Do you think he would find it poetic if we burned you to ash?"

You spat. "Fuck you."

Hami didn't bother to deign you with another response as he strode away, leaving you in pure and utter silence once more.

You struggled against your bindings for several slow and painful minutes, finally reaching the conclusion that you were indeed trapped. Before, nobody ever saw you coming. You were a shadow for the HPSC, a ghost that didn't exist beyond swift killings. Your targets never knew you to prepare for your quirk, your capabilities. This was different. This was the risk only true heroes incurred.

An icy trickle of fear slid down your spine.

I am not scared. But even within the safety of your mind, you were wavering. I am better than this. You never failed. This was not how you would meet your end. Not in such a pathetic state. If your time came, it would be with a knife in your hand, and you sure as hell wouldn't be going down without a fight.