𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ⟢ 𝘁. 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶/𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶

𝟔: 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝

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the transition back to my lab felt almost surreal. the familiar hum of machinery and the soft glow of monitors provided a semblance of normalcy, but it was a thin veneer over the chaos that had consumed my life. i sat at my desk, a folder filled with dna results lying open before me, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—dread, determination, and an aching need for answers.

just days ago, i had stood in my living room, confronting dabi, the man i had once loved as touya. his threats still echoed in my mind, chilling and relentless. the weight of those words bore down on me as i tried to refocus on my work.

my computer-generated assistant chimed in, its voice calm and mechanical as always. "hawks is in the lobby, awaiting approval to enter, boss."

i took a deep breath, steeling myself. "approve access."

as i waited for hawks to arrive, my eyes drifted back to the folders on my desk. one in particular grabbed my attention: dabi's results. dabi's threat replayed in my mind, his cold, menacing words still fresh.

"i need you to keep your mouth shut. no information about me to anyone, not even hawks or endeavor. understand, princess?"

i knew i had to make a decision, and quickly. my hands trembled slightly as i pulled out the pages containing dabi's dna results and hid them in a drawer, locking it securely.

a moment later, the door opened, and hawks entered, his presence as commanding as ever. he gave me a reassuring smile. "hey there y/n. how are you doing?"

"much better. thanks for coming, and sorry for the delays..." i forced a smile in return. "i suppose the commission is on your ass right now."

"no biggie, they probably think i'm doing these tests in a public lab." hawks took a seat across from me, his expression turning serious. "let's get straight to it. what did you find?"

"these are the results." i handed him the folder, the weight of my deception pressing heavily on my conscience. "most of the samples matched known profiles, but there were a few that stood out."

hawks flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the data intently. "what about the last sample i gave you? the one you said was proving difficult?"

i swallowed hard, my heart pounding. "i couldn't get a definitive result. it was inconclusive. maybe the sample was too degraded, or there was some sort of contamination."

hawks frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. "are you sure? dabi's sample was supposed to be crucial."

"i'm certain." i nodded, maintaining my composure so he wouldn't suspect a thing. "i ran multiple tests, but nothing conclusive came up. i'm sorry."

"alright then. we'll have to work with what we've got for now." hawks sighed, closing the folder and leaning back in his chair. "but if you find anything else, anything at all, you need to tell me."