Plague Rat (BNHA)

Chapter Nine

Bella's POV

"I won't let you take my Bella-." I watched in horror as my father's thorn's pierced through his own skull in the force of All Might's blast. It played over and over again on repeat in painfully slow motion. I could see each individual thorn branch pierce him with the sickening squishing sound of tearing flesh, the crunch of bone and the choked sputtering sound that spewed from his lips before he died.

"Hey, Plague Rat. You're going to kill us all at this rate." Dabi's voice penetrated my dream and pulled me back to reality.

I found myself lying flat on my back on the floor of my bedroom. I'd apparently fallen out of my bed at some point as I still had one sheet haphazardly entangled around me while still somewhat draped over the bed. Cold sweat clung to my body causing my thin tank top to mold against my damp torso. There was a sickly toxic black mist hanging in the air around me as I struggled to regulate my breathing.

Wildly I looked about the room to see Dabi standing in the doorway keeping everyone else back so my toxins wouldn't kill anyone. His bright teal eyes appeared to be filled with concern. I waved away my toxins and sat up slowly. My throat felt dry, scratchy and ached as if I'd been screaming for hours. Perhaps I had been.

Dabi stepped into my bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him to block the view of the others. "You okay?" He asked as he knelt beside me and reached out to touch me.

I jolted away from his touch afraid I'd accidentally poison him somehow and tripped over the sheet wrapped around me only succeeding in face planting on the floor. "It's probably not safe to touch me right now." I grumbled as I tried to pick myself up off the floor.

"I'm willing to take the risk." Dabi sighed as he gripped me by the arm and helped me to a sitting position.

"Don't-!" I cut off as I realized he was fine. My body wasn't making him sick even though I felt like I didn't have any semblance of control over my quirk at the moment.

Dabi frowned. "Maybe we should go out today."

"Hand-freak said we shouldn't leave the compound." I reminded him.

Dabi shrugged. "He doesn't have to know."

"A breakout?" I mused.

Dabi helped me to my feet before stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Sure."

"Why?"

"You've been cooped up for too long and might kill us all in your sleep if you don't get some fresh air." Dabi said simply before going to sit at my window, "Hurry up and get dressed."

I stumbled to the closet to find the only three pieces of clean clothing I had, though I didn't really have a lot of clothing to begin with. I hurriedly changed into the skinny jeans the clean tank and threw my jacket with the chains and safety pins over top before securing a pair of goggles atop my head as a makeshift headband to keep my acidic green hair out of my face. I slipped on my shoes and turned with a blush to find Dabi looking in my direction with a faint smile across his lips.

"Did you watch me change?" I blushed.

"If you were worried I'd look, why didn't you go change in the bathroom?" He chuckled, as calm cool and collected as ever. He'd effectively not answered my question only succeeding in making me more flustered.

"You better not have been peeping!" I snapped causing him to smirk.

"Let's go." He pushed open my window and leapt out gracefully landing swiftly in the alley below. I followed suit a little hesitantly and didn't land nearly as gracefully as he had. Dabi reached out to steady me and held back another smirk as I squeaked and swatted his hand away from me.