"I don't trust him."
I sighed and stared at the pale green hotel room walls, "You don't trust anybody."
Dabi paced back and forth, something he had been doing since I got back. Probably while I was gone too.
"He agreed too easily." He argued.
"What he said made sense to me, Shigaraki would threaten him if he did business with anyone else." I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the plastic bag filled with pills, "I think we do it."
Dabi stopped and took the bag out of my hand, holding them up in the air to examine them with an angry expression.
"What the hell are these?"
"They're the pills that Shigaraki has been after." I replied calmly.
Dabi's face washed over with shock, "He just gave them to you?"
Shaking his head, he shoved them in his hoodie pocket and away from me.
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Why are you treating me like a child? I just went and did that all on my own. I'm not stupid. I can hold on to the pills." I held my hand out.
"And what if theyre poison?"
Putting my hands on my hips I raised my brows, "Okay. Then what are you going to do with them then?"
He looked at me, starting to say something but stopped. Clearly not prepared for that question.
"Those could be really helpful if they're the real thing. And worth a lot." I argued.
Dabi scratched at the top of his head and exhaled heavily, plopping down on to the bed next to me. He threw the bag in my lap.
"I don't want you to use them, just in case."
I leaned my head on his shoulder, knowing he was just being like this because he cared, "I'll only do it if there's an emergency. Like we really could use them in that moment or something. Deal?"
"No deal." He bumped his thigh into mine.
"Well it's the best you're gonna get out of me." I half laughed, putting the pills back in my pocket.
I saw him roll his eyes and sling his arm around my shoulder, "Why are you so stubborn."
"You wouldn't like me if I wasn't."
Before he could reply, I focused back on the mission, "Now the question is how to get all this money." I turned more towards him, "Do you happen to be secretly swimming in cash?"
Dabi chuckled, "That's funny."
I hummed, "Okay well then you're not going to like what my actual plan is then."
He gave me a puzzled look.
"I'm going to call Shoto and ask him to get the police involved and if we can borrow some
money from the police force until this is all over. They do it all the time undercover, use cash from the government."
A displeased look washed over Dabi's face.
"You're getting my brother and the police involved?"
I looked back at him confused, "Yeah? Heroes too. There's no other way to take down Shigaraki without big repercussions from his followers. They have to think it happened from the heroes, not us. I've told you this."
Dabi sighed, "Yeah. I guess. I just don't like it."
I ran my nails down his back, "I know you don't. But it'll get us free."
I pulled out my phone and pulled up Shoto's contact. The instant Dabi saw me do that he began to stand up but I grasped on to the back of his shirt and yanked him back down. He stayed.
"_____? Hello." Shoto answered on the second ring.
"Hi! Shoto!" I greeted happily, feeling Dabi squirm underneath my palm, "Do you have a few minutes?"
"Yeah, at the moment I do."
Dabi's face went into his hands. I knew all of this was weird, uncomfortable, and probably painful for him, but he needed to be around for the plan.
"Okay, I need your help as a hero." I stated firmly.
I explained everything to Shoto. From taking down Shigaraki to Monoma's immunity. How we needed to borrow some serious cash to lure Shigaraki and trap him in this building.
He was quiet the whole time I explained and for awhile after. It made me wonder if it was a bad idea bringing him into it after all.
"Okay." He stated calmly, "Yeah. I can talk to the head of police and hero society and we can make this work. Shigaraki is the most wanted Villain in Japan. I'm sure they'll agree."
I exhaled, feeling relieved, "Thank you."
"You'll need immunity too." Shoto continued, "they will wonder how you got involved, but I think they will be more grateful than anything."
There was a pause, "And keep Touya far away from all of this. He's almost just as high up on the list as Tomura Shigaraki. Keep him hidden."
It was odd hearing those words come from a hero's mouth. To protect a villain. But this was his brother. His brother that he had been holding on to so much guilt for countless years.
I wanted to give him a hug.
But instead I would just do as he said. Keep Dabi safe.
"I will. I'll keep him away from all of this." I replied.
Dabi's head popped up, probably realizing we were talking about him.
"I can probably get you the money by tomorrow, but the actual plan to arrest him will need more planning. Maybe two or three days. I'll let you know tomorrow when I give you the cash."
"Okay. Where do you want to meet?"
Shoto hummed, "There's a small soba restaurant downtown. By the police station. Let's me there at three."
"Okay. I can be there."
"____, what are you going to do once he's caught?"
My fingers ran down Dabi's back again. I admired his broad shoulders slumped over as he listened to our conversation.
"I think we are going to go to the US. Start over. Somewhere he's less wanted."
"I think that's a good idea," Shoto said in an odd tone, "But do you think before that.. I can maybe see Touya one more time?"
My heart was filled with both love and pain for these two men. I knew Dabi didn't hear Shoto's request, but I would make it happen.
"Of course."