Red Ink

Part 35 - Cipher

"I might have to steal some of the supply for myself when we get it. I saw that photo of her in the file, that face it too cute to pass up!" Toga purred, peeking over Dabi's shoulder at the empty vials.

"Not until we have enough," Dabi deadpanned. "Could take weeks. You're not first priority."

She crossed her arms with a huff and strolled back to the arm chair in the corner of the room, draping herself over it in disappointment. "This is why no one likes to work with you. You're such a bore."

Dabi ignored her, opting for pulling out a cigarette to light instead. Dealing with Toga was obnoxious enough on its own— no way in hell was he going to sit through another conversation with her without a nicotine buzz in his veins.

Unfortunately for him, he needed her expertise. Villains with medical understanding were few and far between, and Toga happened to be a professional when it came to blood draws. She knew just how much to take before it became fatal, and for Dabi's plan to work, he was going to need as much blood as possible from Red— without killing her, of course. Toga knew how to do just that.

It was worth it to have her here, but just barely.

"Tell anyone about the file and you're out," Dabi warned with a heavy exhale of smoke. 

Toga rolled her eyes and let her legs swing over the armrest. "It's just a file."

Dabi's annoyance was growing quickly, even after a few hits. This was why he hated working with her. She found every opportunity to poke and prod and get in the way. "The Doves find out I stole that and this entire operation is fucked."

"I thought you were working with the Doves."

"Nobody really works together down here," Dabi smirked. "It's temporary. Just until I get my war."

Toga put her hands behind her head as she lounged and shrugged. "I don't get it. What does that girl have to do with it?"

Skeptic, another team member who had long since lost his patience with Toga, finally chimed in. "Do you ever fucking listen? How many times does he have to explain this to you before you get it?"

"Why is he even here, Dabi?" Toga hissed. "Since when do you bring in his kind?"

Dabi turned to watch the both of them, seemingly unbothered at the petty feud. "Since he can do the job. Last time I checked, you can't broadcast to the Underground, Toga."

Toga crossed her arms again.

"Red's blood has cell reversal properties. We make 'medicine' from it, give it to the Underground, and then we have millions of people desperate for a dose. We tell them the heroes want to take it from them and we've got ourselves a war."

"Why would anyone want to 'reverse their cells'?" She grumbled.

Skeptic sighed at Toga's ignorance. "Almost the entire Underground is full of people who've been ruined by quirks—their own or someone else's. Everyone's always chomping at the bit for a chance at a reversal or a quirk limiter."

Toga didn't seem to be listening closely, too preoccupied with picking at her nails with her blade to look up. "I thought the Crimson Doves just wanted to kill off the, like... poser heroes. Isn't a war kind of dramatic?"

"Trust me, those fuckin' Doves are gonna love this. Turning the world against heroes? That's their whole deal," Dabi said with a lazy grin.

"Then why not involve them with the plan?"

"How many times do I have to listen to Dabi explain this to you?!" Skeptic demanded, this time rising from his chair with angry, twitching fingers. "The Crimson Doves keep those files locked tight. Not even their own can see them. If they find out Dabi took Red's information, this whole thing goes to shit. When are you going to get that into your stupid skull?" He picked up his laptop and stormed out, yelling, "I'm going home, I can't be around this bitch anymore!" over his shoulder as he did so.