𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 (𝐃𝐚𝐛𝐢 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

1

*Quick notes before getting started*

First things first, this fic will eventually involve the use of Dabi's real name, so if you don't know what that is, and you don't want to get it spoiled for you, I'd recommend not reading this until at least reading up to chapter 290 of the MHA manga.

Also, this fic has little to nothing to do with the actual plotline of MHA. None of the UA students will be mentioned unless it is very briefly, the main characters that you'll recognize will be the heroes and villains that take part in this. Pretty much none of the cannon storylines are involved.

This fic will also involve smut, like a pretty decent amount of it. It is also heavily plot-based, so those of you who don't like smut are welcome to read, but take this as your warning because most of the smut will not have any warnings beforehand unless it is a scene involving potentially triggering topics.

Since I'm in my senior year and currently working on college apps, I'm gonna try and have a new chapter up either every week or every other week, depending on what I have going on. Trying to upload every other day while writing Any Last Words was stressful and I completely gave up on that at the end lmao.

For those of you here from my last fic, welcome, and I promise that this one won't have as much soul-crushing angst. Everyone who's new here, welcome, and I hope all of you enjoy it!

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You'd stayed late again.

It hadn't been intentional, it never was, but as you'd furiously scribbled away at the papers placed on the small desk in the far corner you used, you'd failed to notice the trickle of workers through the exit, causing the first floor to be nearly devoid of all people, and how the sun had long past begun its descent.

There was still at least another hour's work to be done, but it would have to wait until Monday. You didn't want to risk getting locked inside again. You'd been stuck inside the dark building for hours, the doors locked from the outside and you hadn't been provided with a key like all of the other employees had. The man who'd locked up had claimed not to notice your presence, but you'd seen the way he'd regarded you, the contempt in his eyes that mirrored everyone else's who you worked with. He'd done it on purpose, and you knew that someone else would do it again if you gave them the chance.

You began to gather your things after somewhat organizing the cluttered assortment sitting atop your desk.  Your back ached from hours of hunching over and the beginning of a headache had begun to form behind your eyes. It would be a relief to leave this place, to get a break from the judgemental stares coming from the pricks who sat near you and to be around the one person who didn't treat you like some sort of freak.

The thought made you chuckle to yourself. People were walking around with scaly skin and tails, yet you were considered the freak.

By the time you stood and grabbed your bag, there were only two other people left on the second floor. You waved goodbye to them, but they gave no acknowledgment to you, as usual. 

It was funny, by not responding, they thought that it would hurt your feelings, allow them to show their superiority over you. In reality, it was one of your favorite parts of the day, because you knew that once those elevator doors shut in front of you, the two of them would make some sort of remark about you, likely something along the lines of 'still don't understand why someone like her is allowed to work here.'

You'd leave the building knowing that you were in the forefront of their minds. By purposefully ignoring you, they were giving you power over them, however little it may be. 

It was a good feeling, one that motivated you to get through the tedious tasks you were given throughout your workday. 

The walk to your apartment was a relatively short one, but you still kept a tight grip around the small tube of mace attached to your keychain. It was a habit drilled into you by your mother since you'd turned old enough to walk home from school. Even after years of training and self-defense lessons, you could still hear her words in your mind and kept it close. If anything, it at least gave you a bit of comfort.

You gave a nod of greeting to the woman who lives in the apartment beside yours as you passed each other on the staircase. The elevator had been closed for repairs since yesterday and you could already tell that the people who lived on the higher floors were becoming annoyed, yourself included. Stairs, especially after a long day at work, sucked.

After what seemed like forever, you finally made it to your apartment on the sixth floor. You pushed your key into the lock but found that the door was already open. 

"Ami!" You shouted, removing your shoes after shutting the door behind you. "What did I tell you about leaving the door unlocked?"

Your roommate's bright purple hair caught your eye as she popped up from where she'd been lying on the couch, a sheepish green spread over her lips. "Oops."

"Are you not the one that's always lecturing me about safety?" You walked to the couch and pushed her legs to the side, claiming a spot. 

Ami rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, you and I have slightly different circumstances going on."

She was right, annoyingly so. Comments like that from her didn't bother you though, unlike everyone else she didn't talk about it like it was some weird, freaky thing. She said it as a matter-of-fact, no judgment, just observation. 

"Your mom called, by the way." She said.

You let out a breath of annoyance, but she held up her hand. "Don't worry, I talked to her. Told her you were hard at work and probably wouldn't be available for a couple of days. She was so happy to hear that it almost made me feel bad for lying. But, I figured it wouldn't be any better to tell her what you actually plan on doing this weekend."

It was a relief that you wouldn't have to worry about talking to your mom. Ever since you'd scored the job at the hero commission she'd done nothing but ask about your work. You knew it was because she thought the job would somehow push you closer to the impossible goal that she'd set for you before you'd been born, but you wished she would ask about other aspects of your life too.

"Thanks, I appreciate it, I don't think I could've handled talking to her after the already-long week I've had," you said. "I am so ready to drown my stress in booze."

Standing up from the couch and stretching your arms over your head, you began walking to your room. "I was thinking we'd leave in like an hour, does that sound good?"

"Oh, shit," Ami reached out and grabbed your hand to stop you. The rough callouses covering her skin rubbed against your own. "I forgot to tell you I can't go out tonight."

"What? Why not?"

"I have some work stuff that came up." She gave an apologetic look.

"Again?" Ami had been out almost every night for the past two weeks, and she never came back until morning. All you knew was that she worked an underground investigator job, and when you'd asked for more details she hadn't given them. Somehow, she managed to avoid your questions.

"Sorry, babes. But this job is gonna be over soon, why don't you just hang here tonight and I promise we'll go next weekend?"

"Hang here? I'm not staying home just because you're being boring," you stated. "As I said before, I've had a shit week, I'd like to get drunk and find someone to distract me for a while."

She dropped your hand. "I get it, but you've seen what's been going on, right? That last murder was way too close for comfort. You shouldn't be going out on your own."

You had seen the coverage regarding the recent murders. All of the people had been found with horrific injuries, injuries that almost looked like they'd been tortured before being released into death, but all of them had taken place outside of the city, and the police were saying that there was a good possibility that they may just be the work of an animal.

"No wild animal is going to run into the heart of Musutafu and go on a killing spree."

Ami looked away, the movement causing the light to illuminate the pale scar across her cheek. Seeing it always ignited a sense of guilt in you, no matter how many times she reassured you that it hadn't been your fault. "It's not an animal, don't let yourself become one of the idiots in this city who blindly believe whatever the police say. I know you work for the commission, but even so, you of all people should know that the people enforcing the laws aren't trustworthy."

Something was off about her tonight. Recently, you'd chalked up her change in demeanor to the result of working so much, but right now something gleamed in her eyes, something you would have thought to be fear, had you not known her so well. 

Ami didn't get afraid, not when the two of you had been sitting in front of those police officers, telling them the details of what had happened, not when she'd almost lit the kitchen on fire while trying to cook a frozen pizza, not even when there's been a knife held to her throat in the back alley behind the bar the two of you used to frequent. 

You stepped closer and took her hand once again. "You're right, I know, and I appreciate that you're worried about my safety, but I can handle myself. And unless there's something you aren't telling me..." you raised your eyebrows, giving her a chance to respond, but she just shook her head.

"No, you know how I get. I'm sorry."

"Great, then I'm going out." You twirled back in the direction of your room, "why don't you come and help me pick out an outfit?"

"Like you need my help," she scoffed but stood from where she sat. "You look hot in anything."

"True," you said with a grin.

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You showered first, rinsing off the stress of the day along with the grimy feeling that seemed to cling to you after spending time near the commissioners. Ami had left your room after the two of you had decided on an outfit, and you took the next set of minutes to put on a fresh face of makeup and style your hair in a way that suited the look you were going for. 

You looked to the pearl necklace that sat on the counter in front of you, debating whether or not you should put it on in an attempt to add a bit of classiness over the scandalous outfit hugging against your body, but you decided against it. There was no point in trying to look classy if you had no intentions of acting in such a way.

Your ears perked at the sound of Ami opening the door to the apartment, and your curiosity grew as the visitor began to speak. It was a man's voice, and Ami rarely had men over, she held no interest in them, meaning that this must have been a different kind of visitor than what she normally had.

Their conversation faltered when you stepped outside of your room, and you blinked in surprise when taking in the sight of Ami's guest. He was tall, his dark hair pulled back into a bun, only not all of the strands had been long enough so they hung loosely around his face. The dark shirt was tightly fit against his upper body, enough so that you could see the outline of his muscles.

You looked up and noticed that he was staring at you too, heat surrounding his gaze as he slowly looked you up and down. "Damn, Ami, why haven't you introduced us to her? If I'd known your roommate looked like this I would've come over here a lot sooner, and the others would feel the same."

You raised your eyebrows, impressed by his boldness. "I think that's exactly why she doesn't do it. We can't have a hoard of gaggling men in our apartment at all times, can we?"

Ami rolled her eyes as the man let out a husky chuckle. "She was just leaving, and we have work to do, remember?"

"Work can wait a few minutes." He stared at you shamelessly, not even bothering to make eye contact.

"Only a few minutes?" You asked, walking past the both of them and turning into the kitchen. "Maybe if it was another night, but after the day I've had I need someone with a little more stamina." The cabinet door creaked as you opened it, and you added it to the list of things that needed to be fixed as you grabbed the bottle of vodka from inside.

"I'm Kazuki, by the way." The man leaned against the doorway and eyed the bottle in your hands. "Looks like your night is gonna be a lot more fun than mine."

"What could be more fun than hanging out with me?" Ami asked, walking up behind him.

You took notice of her outfit, a dark suit that at first glance could be mistaken for business attire, but you saw the small bits of fabric that hung slightly different than the rest, the bumps along her thighs concealing her collection of knives.

It was a different look for her, much different than the usual workout attire she wore around the apartment, or the small dresses she often adorned on the nights the two of you went out together. You found your eyes lingered in certain places for longer than they should have.

"Hanging out with your friend here," Kazuki responded.

The corners of your lips tilted upward as you turned your attention back to the bottle you held. You poured the alcohol into one of the glasses sitting beside the sink. His eyes widened a bit as you took the shot, and then another. "Maybe some other time."

It was a ten-minute walk to the club you wanted to check out, and in the shoes you wore, it would likely take twenty. It probably would've been easier to call a taxi, but the weather had just started to cool, and you enjoyed walking the bustling sidewalks at night. 

You passed between the two of them, saying goodbye to Kazuki, whose eyes continued to linger. Ami stopped you before you stepped into the hallway. "Be careful, ok? Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah, yeah," you shut the door behind you, pausing when hearing her say something that sounded a lot like 'I love you.' 

You shook your head and continued down the carpeted hall. The two of you didn't say stuff like that. Neither of you was into any of the sappy crap that some other friends were, emotions, in general, weren't things that you did well with.

The walk down the stairs was tedious, you must have taken five minutes to make it down a single floor while trying not to twist your ankles in the shoes you wore. God, how long was that elevator going to be under repair? There was only one in the entire building, and you pitied those who lived on any of the floors above the tenth.

The darkened streets outside were crowded with people. Residents trying to make their way home, tourists walking around with excited expressions, and their phones pointed to the shining buildings towering above them. You soaked in the feel of the cool breeze against your skin, the sensations of the city that seemed to come only on nights like these. Nights where you were free to do as you pleased without worrying about whatever shit people had to say.

You managed to make it to the Blue River nightclub without any difficulty, it had taken some extra time to manage with the shoes, but you'd expected that. It was still somewhat early in the night, but the building was already filled with people eager to take advantage of all the club had to offer, and you were more than ready to join them.

After getting inside, you claimed a spot at the bar and gestured for one of the bartenders. The shots you'd taken at the apartment hadn't quite given you the edge you needed to begin the night, so you ordered two more drinks. 

The woman serving you prepared the drinks with such grace you found yourself wondering if she had some sort of quirk that aided her. She studied you a moment after placing them in your hands. "I haven't seen you here before."

"Yeah, this is my first time." You took a sip of the drink and smiled gratefully at the woman for making it strong. "Not sure why I haven't been coming here, it's pretty amazing."

She returned the smile, "well, since you're new, I'm obligated to give you one of our welcoming gifts. On the house." The bartender reached into her pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag that held tiny slips of paper inside. She pulled out one of the slips and pressed her thumb against your lower lip, motioning for you to open your mouth. A thrill went through your body at the sensuality of the gesture, and you obliged, keeping eye contact with the woman as she pressed the slip of paper against your tongue. 

"Enjoy," she said with a wink.

After finishing your drinks, you made your way to the crowd of people and immersed yourself within the pulsing thrum of the music. Pure ecstasy coursed through your veins and you became so enthralled that you took no notice of the strangers dancing beside you. Somehow, glitter began raining from the sky and you reached your arms, allowing it to cover your skin.

Time passed, but you took no notice. You must have danced with at least ten people within the first couple of hours. Your feet had gone numb, your voice grew hoarse from shouting along with the music, and yet you'd never felt better. This was the feeling you'd been chasing for years now. This sense of freedom, of pure euphoria, was why you could manage to sit through hours of being glared at and spat on, why you listened to your mothers' disappointment and ignored the resentment that continued to grow inside her after your father's absence. This is what life could feel like.

You drank and you danced, leaving your worries and stress behind. At one point, you remembered smoke coming from your lips after accepting a device handed to you by the woman you'd been dancing with. You reveled in the lust-filled stares coming from the people surrounding you as your pulse thrummed in time with the music. Men and women came and went, offering you sinful promises with the way that they moved against you, but none of them seemed to have quite what you were looking for, and they would move along when realizing you weren't going to be going home with them.

You were pulled from your trance, only a little, when your phone began to buzz. It was surprising to see how many hours had passed, but you accepted Ami's call. "Heyy." Your voice sounded far away like it was someone else speaking.

"Oh, I can already tell that you're fucked up."

"Well, you ditched me for work, so I had to get fucked up enough for the both of us."

She sighed, "yeah, sorry for ditching. I'm done with work now though, but I'm too tired to go out. How about I come and pick you up in a little bit so you don't have to walk home or spend money on a taxi?"

"I don't think I wanna leave," you said. "I'm just gonna live here and quit my job. The commissioners are assholes, our apartment is small, and I don't want to walk up those goddamned stairs again. So, I'll just stay here."

"Right," she laughed. "I'll be there in thirty minutes."

She hung up before you could protest, but all thoughts of the conversation left your mind as you felt a pair of rough hands snake around your waist. "You're a pretty one, aren't you?"

This voice was different than the ones you'd been hearing throughout the night. It was a low, husky voice that sent chills down your spine. You couldn't see his face, but he had a smoky smell that clouded over the mix of perfumes and booze wafting over the crowd. You tilted your head back, trying to see who he was, and your gaze was met by a pair of stunningly bright blue eyes.

"You know," he said, running one of his hands down your arm. "Every guy in here wants to fuck you, I've seen them all watching."

"They must have good taste," you responded breathlessly, still trying to get a view of the face that came with such an attractive voice. 

Your vision was blurry, and the flashing lights did nothing to help, if he hadn't been holding your waist so tightly you might have fallen from how dizzy you were becoming. It was difficult to make out the entirety of the man's face, but you noticed how the darkness of his hair contrasted with the light. The skin on his hands was rough, but the touch of his fingers was soft.  Looking closer at him, you noticed the discoloration of his skin.

Now, this was what you'd been looking for, someone mysterious, someone who could spark your interest without having to do much more than speaking. 

"You said every man," you tilted your head, "does that include you?"

"Hmm," he brought his other hand back to your waist, slowly drawing up until he reached the curves of your chest. "Hard to say, I'm not really into party girls."

Well, that hadn't been the answer you were expecting. "Is that so? Why are you here then?"

"I just came to..." his head dipped and his lips pressed close to the skin of your neck, "observe. I'd like to know what I'm dealing with before I agree."

His words didn't make much sense to you, maybe it was your substance-muddled brain. "Agree to what?"

He didn't answer, instead, his hands continued to roam your body. Heat flooded your skin and a soft sigh escaped your lips as you felt the brush of his fingers against your inner thighs. 

"I guess it'll be worth my time." He said softly to himself.

God, you were confused, but it was difficult to focus on anything other than the rush of sensations curling their way up your body. You'd have him here, in front of everyone, you didn't care. You just wanted more.

"To better answer your question, I do want to fuck you, but unlike these other worthless men, I'd like to do it when you're sober. When I can make sure you remember every second of it."

His words made you shudder in anticipation, your excitement growing as his fingers traveled up further.

But it seemed he didn't care about your obvious want for him, his fingers left your skin and you felt his smirk against your neck. "You've got plenty of other suitors here, why don't you go play around with one of them for now, princess?"

Your mood shifted. Cocky asshole. He was enjoying the little power trip, making you want him just for him to pull away and act like he'd been disinterested the entire time. He'd come up to you, what, two minutes ago? It was laughable that he thought you would melt for him without doing anything to earn it, even though you'd been close to doing so. He'd chosen the wrong person. "Maybe I will."

You turned to this mindset, ignoring the other voice that desperately wanted to pull him back against you, to beg him to continue whatever magical movements he'd began. Were you so touch starved that you were seriously considering acting that way for a total stranger?

When you looked behind yourself to make another remark, he was gone. You searched across the crowd, looking for the dark-spiky hair that you swore had been standing only a few inches from you a few seconds ago. 

But he was gone, and you were left staring down at yourself wondering if you'd hallucinated the whole interaction. With how horribly messed up you were right now, it wouldn't be too unrealistic of a thought.

You squinted, the flashing lights suddenly becoming much too bright for your eyes to handle. The beat of the music went deeper, shaking you down to your bones. And had the floor been spinning the whole time?

Maybe Ami was right, it might be best for you to head out. You were crashing, and you were crashing hard. With shaky hands, you took out your phone and pressed what you hoped was her contact. You couldn't read anything through the brightness of the screen. 

You made your way out of the club, bumping against tables and tripping over many people's feet as the phone dialed, and you waited for her to pick up. The cold air didn't feel so nice now. The force of it threatened to knock you over and when you looked down at your skin it looked like bits of ice were beginning to creep over it.

Ami wasn't answering, you tried calling her five other times before giving up. Maybe, she'd fallen asleep. Whatever it was, you knew you needed to get home. You hated to spend the rest of your cash on a taxi ride, but what other options were there?

At two in the morning on a Saturday, there weren't many taxis available, but you finally managed to catch one as they were driving by. Granted, she probably would've driven past you had you not jumped into the road while frantically waving your hands over your head, but the thought of turning into a human icicle had caused some panic to set in.

You didn't care about the dirty looks given to you by the driver as she drove through the now empty streets back to your apartment building. You'd tried texting Ami several different times throughout the car ride, but you were still met with no response.

After handing the woman the last bit of cash you had with you, you stepped onto the sidewalk and grimaced when you stood up. Shit, your feet hurt.

The taxi drove off and you took your shoes off of your feet, trying to mentally prepare yourself for the number of stairs that you were about to have to walk up.

The building was quiet, likely, everyone had gone to sleep by now. You slowly made your way to your floor, gripping the chipped, black-painted handrails tightly and taking a short break after every ten steps you took. When you finally made it to the sixth floor and began nearing your apartment, an odor struck your nose, causing you to gag. 

Jesus, what were people cooking up here? It was disgusting.

Ohh, you'd gone too hard. The smell only made your dizziness get worse, and when you finally made it to your door you were close to throwing up. 

You shut your eyes, willing the world to stop spinning for only a moment. You just needed to unlock the door and get inside, after that, you were free to puke or pass out as much as you liked you just needed to get inside and away from this god-awful stench.

You pulled your keys from your purse and reached to unlock the door, but you slipped and accidentally pressed down on the handle, causing the door to swing open.

Wow, and Ami had been the one telling you to be safe. "Yo!" You shouted in a slurred voice. "What did I say about leaving the door unlocked?" You stepped inside, more than ready to lay down on the couch and sleep for days, but something caused you to slip, and you landed on the hard, white tile with an umph.

But the tile was no longer white, you realized, looking down. It was red, dark red, the color spread across the ground and up the walls, it was everywhere. The smell was overpowering, the coppery tang of blood and something foreign.

You blinked furiously, this was another hallucination. Whatever that bartender had given you was bad news. You were never accepting drugs from a stranger again, scratch that, you were never going to do anything again. This terrifying sight spread in front of you was more than enough of a reason to stay sober for the rest of your life. 

With what strength you had left, you pushed yourself up and rubbed your eyes, makeup mixing with your blood-coated fingertips.

Why was the blood still there? Why was the smell not going away?

"Ami?" You called softly. She could help you, maybe throw you in a cold shower or make you some nasty drink that would get rid of whatever shit was still in your system.

You stumbled further inside, "Ami?"

There was no response, and the blood was still there. It stained your clothes and your hands, and the smell of it invaded your senses. This was happening too fast, it was too real, this was...

You felt your entire body tense, and you screamed as the sight of your living room was revealed. What was left of the furniture had been smashed to bits, and what was left of your friend, along with the man she'd brought here earlier, had been strewn across the ground. Different pieces in nearly every corner.

"Ami?" Your voice came out as a small croak. This couldn't be her, this couldn't be real. This was a dream, a really horrible, fucked up nightmare. You stared... and stared. 

The apartment moved along with every breath you took, shrinking and expanding. The air slowly slipping from your lungs as the sight of your best friend's body lying in pieces across your living room registered in your mind.

The rug had been torn, picture frames lie broken on the ground, it had been a good fight, but Ami had lost. She'd lost, which meant that whoever did this could still be here. 

It was real, the finality of the thought hit you like a truck and you stumbled backward, falling against an unfamiliar figure. Your heart threatened to pound out of your chest, and a bead of sweat fell from your forehead as the pressure of something sharp pressed against the bare skin of your throat. "Good, I've been waiting for you."

You didn't recognize the voice, but you knew for certain that whoever it belonged to was the one responsible for this. 

"Just tell me where it is, and I won't hurt you." 

"What?" You were trying to think of a way out of this, one that preferably didn't end with your throat being cut open.

"Don't play dumb with me, bitch. Tell me where it is and I'll leave you alone. I think you can see exactly what will happen if you don't." A gloved hand gestured to the brutal, bloody scene splayed across the room in front of you.

"Ok," you nodded frantically, the movement causing your vision to tilt. "You're right, I'll tell you where it is." 

The pressure against your throat lessened, and you took the opportunity to throw your elbow back against the person's face and bolt toward the door and into the hallway. You were confident in your strength, but if someone as skilled as Ami hadn't been able to beat them...

Your body slammed into the opposite wall, but you pushed off of it and made a beeline for the stairs, your vision beginning to spot. Their footsteps were loud behind you, steadily gaining. You ran as fast as you could down the stairs and felt the leathery glove brush against your arm. You were halfway down the last flight, but they were going to catch you before you could make it outside. 

Maybe it was the adrenaline, the drugs, or the pure instinct of survival that caused you to make the decision to jump. You pushed with all of your strength and flew through the air, crashing through the glass doors leading to the outside of your apartment. Your body slid across the pavement, but you pushed yourself up and kept running.

You could no longer tell if the blood on your body belonged to you, or the two that you'd left behind in your apartment. You knew you should be feeling all kinds of immeasurable pain right now, but there was nothing, all logical thoughts were floating out of your reach, you just needed to keep going.

Your breath tore through your lungs as you turned into the alley, you stopped with your back against the brick wall, waiting for your pursuer to come closer. When they finally did, you jumped out and tackled them, wrapping one arm around their waist and using the other to grip the side of their head and slam it into the ground. "Who are you?!"

They struggled against your grip and you punched them across their masked face, using the form that you'd practiced in every defense class you'd taken. You reached back to do it again, to deliver a blow to render them unconscious, but the world began to tilt, and your fist missed its mark.

You tried to will the drugs from your system, tried to focus your vision on the person lying beneath you. You needed to get a clear picture of what they looked like, needed to be able to ID them so that the police would know who to look for. So that everyone would know that this person was a murderer, a cold-blooded murderer.

The attacker took advantage of your hazy state, and you realized a moment too late that you'd forgotten the simple fact that had been drilled into your head for the entire twenty-two years of your life.

This person had a quirk, and you didn't.

Within an instant, a sharp, fiery pain laced through your arm, and blood began to pool underneath you. The attacker was no longer pinned down, but standing over you. Their hands were no longer gloved. Sharp talons protruded from their nailbeds, dripping with a strangely colored substance. You no longer needed to wonder what type of weapon could have torn your friend to pieces like that. "Seems you and your friends are the same. I'll give you one more chance before I kill you. Where is it?"

Their talons had been coated with something because you felt as though your entire arm was melting off like it had been dipped into a vat of acid. You couldn't answer his question, couldn't do anything without igniting the pain even further. 

You tried to cry for help, tried to push yourself away from the person standing over you, preparing to end your life just as he'd done to the girl you'd spent most of your adult life with. The girl who'd treated you like a normal person, who held no judgment for the fact that you didn't possess an uncanny ability like eighty percent of the world's population did.

A bright light flashed in front of your eyes, radiating an intense heat that caused your attacker to shout. You covered your eyes with your good hand. The drugs, still lingering in your system, or maybe it was whatever poison you'd come in contact with, threatened to pull you away, the pain clouded all of your senses and you didn't notice you'd fallen until after your head hit the ground. 

You struggled to stay awake, squinting against the light even as you kept your eyes covered. You tried to figure out its source, and a flash of red appeared in the corner of your vision.  Something soft brushed against your arm, and although the gesture was meant to be comforting, you screamed out in agony. 

The person crouched next to you spoke as the light diminished, but he didn't seem to be speaking to you. His tone was cool, and there was something oddly familiar about it. "What are you doing here?"

"Apologies," someone else responded from a few feet away. "I figured you'd be happy that I just saved an innocent girl's life, a girl who works for the hero commission too. In fact, you really should be thanking me, hero."

Hero? Was the person who'd saved you with the bright light a civilian, maybe? You could have sworn you recognized the low voice, but there was no space for your brain to try and comprehend where you may have heard it.

"Don't get too full of yourself, she's just a secretary, and get out of here. I have medics on the way, along with the police. You'll cause more trouble if they see you here."

Their voices became distorted, and the alley walls rippled. You tried to focus on what they were saying, tried to figure out what the hell was going on, and why any of this was happening, but as the blood continued to pool around your body, your reality began to slip away.

And there was nothing you could do as your mind became enveloped by the haze, and your world slipped into darkness.