"Just don't make a mess," Rina muttered as she finally let herself rest, curling up in the chair, her body aching with exhaustion. She could still hear the soft rustle of Dabi shifting on the couch, his movements slow and deliberate.
"Mess?" he scof...
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The walk home from Midnight Ember had never felt longer, though the streets around her remained familiar and mostly quiet. Rina kept her head low, the weight of the night hanging over her like a thick fog. Jiro's offer still lingered in her mind, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she didn't have much of a choice. Midnight Ember was the only place where she felt some semblance of control. Jiro? He was a man who couldn't be trusted, and the thought of working for him made her skin crawl.
She quickened her pace, feeling a chill in the air that made her tug her jacket tighter around her shoulders. Something about the night felt off, as though the city itself was holding its breath.
Her senses were heightened as she walked, her Echo Sense scanning the crowd for anything unusual, but everything seemed normal. That was until she felt it—a presence closing in behind her. She spun around, her pulse quickening, but there was no one there.
A shiver ran down her spine, her instincts telling her something was wrong.
Before she could turn back and resume her walk, a group of figures emerged from the shadows. She recognized them immediately—Jiro's crew. A few of them were wearing their usual grim expressions, while others grinned like they'd just won a prize. The leader, one of Jiro's right-hand men, stepped forward with a smirk on his face.
"Hey, Rina," he said, his voice low and mocking. "You know, you've been real hard to get in touch with. We just wanted to talk."
Before she could react, a sharp pain shot through her side as one of them grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the alley. She barely had time to process what was happening before they overpowered her, dragging her further from the street and into the dimly lit maze of their hideout.
The walls of the hideout were damp and decaying, a stark contrast to the neon lights and chipped tables she was used to at the bar. Rina's mind raced as she struggled against their hold. Jiro must have figured out a way to get her alone. But why now?
The leader's voice pierced her thoughts. "You've been a pain in our ass, you know that? Jiro's got big plans, and you're a key piece to them."
Her heart sank as they threw her into a small, empty room. The cold metal door clanged shut behind her, and she found herself locked in. Her chest tightened as the realization hit—Jiro wasn't just interested in using her. He wanted her under his control, to manipulate her quirk, and keep her quiet while he made his move.
A faint sound of footsteps reached her ears, but it wasn't the crew. She barely had time to react when the walls seemed to tremble. The ground shook beneath her feet, and the faintest hiss of flames tickled the air. She turned toward the noise, her senses suddenly more alert.
Then came the roar—loud, powerful, like an explosion.
The League of Villains.
Rina's heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly what was happening. She didn't need her Echo Sense to tell her that something big was going down.
