Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 35: A Tour Through Hell

Dabi gave his meeting with Shine more thought than she would have expected him to. He was furious about it, and he told himself he loathed her and her partner, and they should just piss off and leave him alone.

That didn't help. He still thought about it.

Dabi was not mentally stable enough to really reflect well on her reasoning, but the idea that he couldn't dismiss was that it was just as shallow to reject hero society for the reasons he did than to accept it. Being less superficial and more "real" than the pros was the one thing he prided himself on. 

Likstar didn't know what it was like, he thought. Not to be one of them. One of the misused, outcasts, turned into a monster by others. And all the people who suffered for it... It drove him crazy. It drove them all crazy. She had no right to say they were the same as those fake Heroes. 

He determined to tell her this the next time she showed up, if she showed up (he didn't really doubt it), but something threw a wrench in that plan.

It was the next day, Saturday, so he didn't really expect the strange woman to pop up. And Hawks was supposed to meet him to swap info. Hawks was getting impatient... but Dabi had no intention of really helping him. How long before he should just burn that bridge, he wondered?

[This is not meant to resemble canon. It's my take on it. Please no comments about inaccuracy.]

Hawks had just arrived at the designated place, with a time and place written on paper, when the worst thing possible happened: There was a flash of light.

"S---!" Dabi whirled around.

"Wow, it's not pitch black for once...." Likstar's voice trailed off as she noticed Hawks, who was staring in astonishment.

"Uh... wow..." Shine said.

"Who's this?" Hawks said, "Is this one of your league? I don't recognize her."

He seemed interested. No doubt he wanted to meet a league member still. Dabi debated just playing along, but Likstar ruined it by laughing.

"I'm not in the LOV... Who are you?" Then she clapped her hands. "Wait, I know, you were on TV with Endeavor. You have an actually easy name to remember... Hawks. That's what it was.... I know a Hawk in another place, actually, but you look nothing alike. I hope you don't have his temper. Never liked him, myself."

Hawks was sufficiently puzzled by this. "Uh... so, you're a villain?" He eyed her normal attire. Then again, Dabi's wasn't much of a costume either.

"Nope," Shine said, looking at Dabi expectantly, "Well, why are you here with him?"

"This is Dabi. He's a villain," Hawks said, "Ma'am, this situation is volatile. I suggest you get out of here. I can help you."

Dabi wanted to laugh. He thought Shine needed help? Oh, this was rich. "Yeah, better run, little woman, I might set you on fire," he leered.

Shine gave him a weird look. "Why would you do that? Oh, right, last time you tried... but come on, you missed on purpose."

"It was a warning shot." Dabi was put out she wasn't playing along. Was she trying to blow her own cover?-- Well, no skin off his nose, but if Hawks told someone he was working with a non-villain, that could be bad. "Why don't you get out of here before it's for real?"

"How do you know each other?" Hawks was genuinely stumped.

Shine looked at him humorously. "I think the better question is why the second top hero is here, with a villain, in an abandoned building. I could have just come in by accident, but you two are clearly meeting. Dabi, I'm surprised. You never mentioned I wasn't the only one you did this with."