"You two have already been introduced to each other, right?"
The absurd words swirled around in Hikari's mind for what seemed like forever, her entire body still frozen solid as her hallowed eyes met the number one hero in a single moment.
No, no there was no way. This had to be a horrible dream or some sick and twisted nightmare. That was the only explanation. She must have heard differently, because there was no way in hell Hawks just said that Endeavor was going to be their partner on this case.
Over her dead body.
And the way that her brother introduced her was so comically ironic in every sense of the word, so much so that Hikari was sure she'd be laughing right now if it wasn't for the comatose state her own mind had put her in.
Moving closer into the space, Endeavor just barely glanced at the girl before scoffing with displeasure, his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance. "You're that sidekick that Hawks brought to lunch before the Nomu attack in Kyushu."
Although that was true, the girl still found herself frozen in place, staring at the man with a blank look of disbelief as Hawks walked over and waved a hand in her face. "Uhh hellooo? Earth to Hikari, ya in there kid?"
The hand caused her to finally blink back to reality, Hikari shaking her head before purposely slapping her brother's hand away from her face with an angry grumble.
Hawks only laughed though, already used to his sister's rough demainer by now and paying no mind. "Whoa, would you look at that. She's so surprised. You certainly made an impression, Endeavor! I can tell."
Feeling her teeth latch together with an overwhelming fury, Hikari then narrowed her eyes before just barely muttering out a cold and venom laced response. "You have no idea."
Endeavor seemed to ignore her words completely though, as if she wasn't worthy enough to be heard and instead chose to move closer to the files on the desk. "This better be good Hawks. I have no time for your jokes."
Whining immediately, the bird felt his wings perk up before replying. "But my jokes are always great!"
Hikari disagreed with the statement though, scoffing under her breath before crossing her arms. Sure, she may have been extremely uncomfortable by the new guest but it was hard to resist an insult. "Says you."
Raising an eye, her brother then turned his head with fake hurt, playing along with her little jab. "Oh hush, everyone loves them. I know you do, Hikari."
Hikari only scoffed though, amusement laced in her response. "I've literally never said that."
Hawks didn't miss a beat though, throwing a wink in her direction before throwing up a goofy set of finger guns. "You don't have to, I can just tell."
Yet, that seemed to be the breaking point for Endeavor, the man groaning at the childish conversation before his loud booming voice broke through. "Enough. Stop fooling around and get to the point or else I'm leaving."
Giving a half-hearted sigh, Hawks finally turned back to the hero before throwing his arms up in defeat, already making his way over to the files on his desk.
Sure, he enjoyed the small exchange with his sister but he supposed it was time to get serious now. "Fine fine, so picky Endeavor. Here let me get the files and we can talk about it."
Giving a satisfied hum of approval, Endeavor remained still only for Hikari to steal another glare at him in secret. What kind of horrible trick even was this? Why was she with this bastard again? She thought Kuyshu would've been the last time.
Shit, Dabi's gonna kill me when he finds out who I gotta work with. But it's not my fault, okay? Hawks just invited him without telling me. He's gotta understand that, right..?
Yet Hikari knew that Dabi wasn't really the biggest poster child for "understanding" in the slightest, already smelling a heavy argument from miles away. Yep, she was screwed, there was no doubt about that one.
Sighing out in anxiety, Hikari then shook her head only for Endeavor's voice to cut though her own thoughts, his tone so accusatory that it caused her to visibly jump. "What are you just standing there for?"
Not being able to process his words because of who they belonged to, Hikari turned to the guy with confusion, her mouth only able to utter a small "H-Huh?"
Endeavor seemed to have no problem repeating himself though, cruelty and distaste in his glare, almost just as scary as it was all those years ago. "You have no purpose here girl. Make yourself useful and go do something else while we discuss the case."
Blinking in surprise, Hikari felt her mouth drop open in disbelief before a heavy wave of fury coursed through her veins. Was he telling her to get lost? That she wasn't good enough for this case?
Well, of course he was, that was just the kind of low life awful behavior she expected from him. Seems nothing had changed from the past after all.
Yet even though she expected it, Hikari still couldn't help but feel utterly pissed at the implications, her head turning to the side in disbelief as she tried to wrap her head around the words. "..............excuse me?"
Feeling her necklace start twitching against the collar of her shirt in anger, the girl forced herself to hold her tongue as Endeavor spoke even more venom without a second thought.
"I saw the display you pulled in Kyushu. You want to be a hero and yet you run away from a fight? That's not the kind of useless and incompetent sidekick I need on this case."
The idea he was suggesting was so laughable that Hikari felt her lips twitch in a smirk. If only he knew what awful things she had done to that Nomu when she was by herself. Then he wouldn't be saying that.
Perhaps he needed a demonstration? Dabi would love that.
Yet before she could continue her villain-ish thoughts, Hawks seemingly stepped in, a nervous and anxious chuckle breaking the heavy atmosphere all at once. "Uhh hold on there man. I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding. Hikari is a very trusted member of the Hawks agency now. I asked her to be here personally."
Endeavor could hardly believe anything the bird was saying though, recalling the past fight where Hikari only ran away from his perspective. "What purpose can she even hold for us?"
Hawks immediately felt his mouth open in reply only for him to shut it a moment later.
Wait, what could he even tell Endeavor? Sure, Hikari wasn't weak by any means but the two reasons she was asked about in this case were because she was a villain and his sister.
And those were two things that he couldn't tell Endeavor.
The first one because he was sure the number one hero would surely throw Hikari in prison and the second one...well....that was simply because of his own guilt and self loathing.
Realizing he was at a loss on what to say, Hawks turned towards his watchful sister before trying to explain to his idol the best way he could. "Ah, well, you see...Hikari has some very special...talents..."
Yet as expected, Endeavor only pressed further, obviously not pleased by the limited information that Hawks was giving him. "Like what? Because from what I've seen, this girl is useless in the field."
Feeling Hawks' throat tighten with distaste, the bird replied without thinking, only focusing on defending his sister's honor instead of how to get out of the conversation. "That's not true! Hikari is very useful. I've seen it myself!"
Although that's when the hero asked a follow up question that caused Hawks to freeze, his tone accusatory and rough."How so?"
And Hawks knew he didn't have an answer for that one, his wings ruffling with anxiety before his lips spoke without permission. Crap, what could he even say for Endeavor to keep Hikari on this case? "Uhhh..."
The man seemed to realize he didn't have an answer though, Endeavor sighing out with exasperation before speaking the facts all at once. "You said it yourself, Hawks. She is only a trainee after all. Hardly even a pro. Your agency is just getting off the ground and the last thing you want is for a newbie hero and a liability to be involved with such a high volume case.."
Yes, he did have a point to an extent, but this wasn't just an ordinary person they were talking about. This was Hikari, and Hawks knew that she was anything but a liability. Hell, that girl could hold her own without him. He'd seen it.
There wasn't anything the bird could say though, his mind in chaos as he tried to come up with a reason, anything that would make Endeavor understand just how wrong he was about this whole situation. "Nah, you got it all wrong Endeavor. Hikari is..uhhh...she is..."
Yet, that's when Hikari spoke again, her voice laced with that same fake sweet deceit that Hawks had come to know. "It's okay, I understand."
Feeling his mind start to whiplash at the change in tones, Hawks couldn't help but turn his head in confusion. "I..huh?"
The girl didn't miss a beat though, Hikari batting her eye with fake innocence as she glanced between Hawks and Endeavor lightly. "I know I'm just starting off, and I would hate to bring you any problems with this case. You two talk about the details without me and I'll go get you two some lunch. How does that sound?"
And sure, normally that would've sounded better for both parties, but Hawks knew better by now. Hikari wasn't acting like herself, she was hiding something, and as a villain he knew that couldn't have been good. "Uhhhh...I don't think..."
His sister only cut him off though, a small wave of a hand taking the space as she spoke over him. It seemed like even she knew he was suspicious as well. "Nonsense. It would be an honor to get lunch for the number two...oops sorry."
At the name, Hiakri then watched as Endeavor's eyes fixed into a glare before the girl played off the "mistake" with a giggle, knowing the comment had gotten under his skin. "I mean, the number one hero. In fact, I'll get started on that right now."
Then before Hawks could reject the offer, his sister had already pushed herself halfway out the door, throwing out a cheesy fake wink before moving out of the office. "See ya."
Hearing the door shut a couple seconds later, Endeavor seemed satisfied with the results of the conversation, playing no mind and moving to focus on the case. "There, even the girl seems to understand her place in this."
Although, the only thing Hawks could feel was dread. He knew his sister, and the look on her face wasn't normal. In fact, he was sure that she was still pissed at Endeavor for rejecting her help on the case.
Feeling a sharp shiver down his spine, Hawks nervously turned back to the door. "Yeah...I would just watch out if I were ya. You don't wanna upset her."
Endeavor only raised an eye though, not understanding what he was trying to say. "What do you mean?"
Yet Hawks knew perfectly well, his gaze moving back to the files at hand before ignoring the bad feeling in his chest. Maybe he was just being paranoid. There was no way Hiakri would try to pull some kind of villain stunt in his agency, right?
"Mmmmm. Let's hope it's nothing.."
--------------
About twenty minutes later, the door opened again to find Hikari holding two plates of food, that same plastic smile still upon her face as she gave a small giggle. "So sorry for interrupting. Here's that lunch I promised."
Then she moved up to her brother before sliding a plate of hamburger steak to his side lightly before turning to the number one hero and doing the same thing, her voice extra sugar coated then normal. "Here you go, Endeavor, I made this one special, just for you."
Looking down at the food, Hawks felt himself give a nervous chuckle, poking the side of the hamburger all at once. Why was he slightly afraid to eat this? "Oh, uhh thanks kid. You really didn't have to though."
Yet Hikari only smiled, glancing towards Endeavor as he picked up his chopsticks all at once. "Of course I did. I got to make myself useful somehow, right? Go and try it, I really hope it's to your liking."
Then she watched with pure visible joy as the number one hero pushed a large bite of hamburger into his mouth before giving a chuckle under her breath, almost like she had won at something. "Well, what do you think?"
Just then, the door busted open a moment later only for two other sidekicks to come in, looking rather frantic for some reason. "Sir! So sorry to interrupt your meeting with the number one hero but we have to warn you."
Feeling his wings lift up automatically, Hawks stood from his chair as the sidekick hurried over to him. "Warn me, about what?"
The woman then gave a nervous glance to the food in front of them before speaking as quickly as possible. "I think someone took a pile of old spoiled hamburger meat from the trash and tried to cook it up. We just wanted to make sure everyone was safe.."
All at once, Endeavor and Hawks looked down at their plates of food before the number one hero stopped chewing immediately as his stomach did an unexpected turn.
No, she didn't. There was no way...
"Did you just say spoiled hamburger meat..?"
Once the words left his mouth, Endeavor felt his stomach swirl with nausea before looking towards Hikari only for her to slap her hand over her mouth in fake surprise before staring into the hero's soul.
Her voice was light, but there was a small sense of cynicism in it as well, her lips turning in a smirk. "Oh my goddess, I'm so sorry! I guess my little incompident brain didn't pick up on that."
Realizing she had just thrown his own words back in his face, Endeavor opened his mouth to yell at her only for the hamburger to make its way back up his throat, the hero quickly covering his mouth before standing up from his seat.
He had called her incomident before, so the fact that she was saying it back to him couldn't have been a coincidence.
Then his face turned a sickly shade of green before racing out of the office at lighting speed as Hawks chased after him with anxiety. "Endeavor!"
Hawks made it to his door before watching his idol run into the closet bathroom, shutting the door as the scene caused the bird to lower his eyes immediately.
Turning back around, the man then turned to find his sister staring back innocently, like she wasn't bothered by what had just happened. He couldn't believe it, Hikari just purposely gave Endeavor food poisoning, didn't she?
Hawks then crossed his arms over his chest before his big brother voice crept in, disapproval in every word. "Hikari...."
Raising an eye, the girl only turned her head to the side innocently. "Hmmm?"
Yet her brother knew better by now, stepping back into the office with a sigh. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
All at once, Hikari then pushed her hand to her chest in fake pain before twisting her eyes in disbelief. "How dare you brother, accusing me of such horrible things. I would never. Do you really think I would willingly give the number one hero food poisoning because of one comment he made?"
Yet Hawks wasn't stupid, knowing just how petty and mean his sister could be half of the time. He learned that much firsthand. "Yes."
Blinking in surprise at his sudden deadpanned response, Hikari seemed to take a moment to process it before twisting her lips into a teasing prideful smirk.
What do you know, he was finally getting her after all. "Ah, good job. You're finally learning. Maybe your bird brain isn't that small after all."
The confirmation of her prank didn't make him happy though, Hawks groaning in frustration before lifting his hands up in the air. This girl, she always took things to the extreme, didn't she? She was insane.
"Hikari, this isn't funny. I thought you liked Endeavor. He saved us as kids, remember? We should be thankful to him for taking us away from dad."
And he would've thought that was enough to make her regret her decisions, to finally realize who she had poisoned. The fact was, without Endeavor around, the two of them would have never escaped their abusive father, they would have never been given the opportunity for a better life.
If anything, she should've been grateful for helping such hopeless kids like themselves. That's why Hawks admired the guy so much after all, because he was the ideal hero in his mind, the one he strived to be someday.
Yet, it seemed like Hikari didn't share the same kind of loving memory, flashing her gaze back to the door before giving an amused scoff. She almost seemed pissed off about the very idea for some reason.
But what reason could there even be for Hikari to hate Endeavor? He had literally saved both of their lives. Hawks wanted to know so desperately, what kinds of feelings lay inside her obviously clouded mind.
Closing her eyes with unsaid emotion and memory, Hikari then forced her gaze back to her brother before rolling her eyes once. "Speak for yourself. He may be your idol but I don't owe him anything."
Confusion laced Hawks' expression before Hikari felt her phone vibrate inside of her pocket, the girl turning on the bright screen only to find a single message from Dabi.
The boss wants those bullets tonight.
How about another job, Valkyrie?
Narrowing her gaze at the message, Hikari quickly weighed the options in her mind before realizing that she either had the choice of staying here with Endeavor or helping Dabi out with whatever job he asked for.
And right now, anything seemed better than having to deal with the number one hero and explaining to her brother just how bad this situation really was right now. Nah, running away sounded like a much better option.
So because of that, Hikari lazily shoved the phone back in her pocket before throwing a hand up to her brother in a cocky little salute. "Well, since this little meeting is canceled now, I don't see any reason to be here anymore. This was fun brother, let's do it again sometime."
Already turning on the heels, she heard Hawks echo immediately, his voice laced with confusion. "Wait, where are you going? We haven't talked about the liberation yet."
Feeling bored with the topic at hand, the girl only rolled her eyes before turning back to her brother in order to answer. "I told you, I could care less about those freaks. Besides, Dabi asked me about a job so it looks like I'll be busy tonight anyways."
His stance couldn't help but grow panicked at that, knowing that his little sister was willingly going to hang out with villains again. The way she acted, it was like just a normal Tuesday night occurrence for her.
And although that may be true, it didn't stop Hawks from becoming terrified. In fact, he wished she never saw those people ever again, never mind her choosing to go back willingly. "You're going back to the league?"
His concern seemed to catch Hikari off guard, her eyes lifting in interest before crossing her arms over her chest. Oh boy, here comes the argument of the day. "What, you gonna play big brother and tell me I can't go?"
Watching his lips twitch with an answer, the girl awaited his response, for him to try and tell her what to do, to try and control a life he had no part in. That's what he usually did, he always wanted her to go back to her goodie two shoes lifestyle and not the one he was disappointed in.
Yet that's when his eyes seemed to soften before letting his shoulders slump in defeat.
His voice was light and fragile, care laced with every word. "No, I know I don't have that power. If you want to go back to the league and Dabi I can't stop you. You are your own person Hikari.
Pausing at his sudden tone, Hikari widened her eyes before processing his change in attitude. He wasn't going to stop her, he wasn't going to tell her to stay with him? It was almost impossible to believe. Hawks always loved to control her life.
So much so, that the girl couldn't help but call her brother out on his weird behavior, taking a step closer with honest confusion. "Wait, you really have no problem with it?"
The words tasted bitter on his tongue, Hawks immediately shaking his head before sighing roughly. He had every problem with her plan, but that wasn't what mattered, he knew that's not what he needed to focus on.
"Of course I have a problem with it. You're my little sister and I don't want you going anywhere near Dabi or the league. But I also know that this is the life you live, this is how you lived for years and I don't want to take anything away from you again."
Feeling her own heart twist inside her chest, Hikari stood there dumbfounded for the second time today, all of the misconceptions and assumptions in her brain not lining up in the slightest. What the hell was wrong with him today, why was he being so understanding to her?
Although now that she thought about it, it wasn't just today. Hawks had been acting strange the past couple days, ever since their little fight. She wondered why that was.
And Hawks could see the wheels turning inside of his sister's brain, the utter confusion on her face at his newly strange words, and it broke his heart, knowing that she couldn't comprehend him ever supporting her.
So much so that the bird decided to change the subject ever so slightly, just so Hikari could think about something else and clear her mind a little. Trusting him still seemed hard for her, didn't it? He couldn't blame her for that one.
"Just while you're out, keep your ears out for anything we can use about the liberation. You're more involved with that kind of thing anyways. If they really are going to contact the league of villains then maybe you'll find something we can use to shut them down."
At the sound of business, Hikari finally seemed to snap awake, her gaze turning to the files on Hawks' desk before frowning. He wanted her to be his little information dog, didn't he? Like hell, she would never do that.
Yet when she opened her mouth, something different came out, almost like her brother's previous conversation had completely taken over her mind.
And for some reason, it made her want to help him, to prove that sack of shit Endeavor wrong by being useful to his stupid little case. "I can't promise you anything. From what I know those freaks have only shown up a handful of times. I'll keep my ears out but even I haven't met them yet. They are hardly worth my time anyways."
The sound of her actually agreeing was something that caught Hawks off guard for a moment, his open dropping open in surprise before his gaze melted into warmth. She was finally ready to meet him halfway, wasn't she?
Feeling his lips turn her into a smile, Hawks then nodded his head before replying. "Thanks Hika-chan."
Although, his words couldn't help but hold more than one meaning. Sure, he was thankful for the fact that Hikari was willing to work with him on this case as a partner but they also meant that he was grateful for his second chance at being her brother.
Sure, they had a long way to go but even though Hikari would never speak of it, it seemed like she was warming up to him ever so slightly, and for that, Hawks couldn't help but be overly thankful.
It seemed even Hiakri knew the weight of his words, her cheeks turning red with slight embarrassment for the emotions before moving her face towards the door with a mutter.
Why did he have to call her that old stupid nickname? "Whatever."
Quickly moving towards the door in order to get away from the lingering hope in her chest, she paused once more when her brother spoke out again, softer than before. "Hey..."
Groaning at another interpretation, Hikari turned around with a huff only to find that her brother had taken a step closer to her. "What do you want now?"
Yet that's when Hawks placed a single hand on top of her head before rubbing the surface slightly, a small smile of concern and brotherly love appearing as he spoke. "Be safe out there, okay? If you need anything, I'm just a call away."
Widening her eyes at the motion, Hikari stood in silence before a heavy wave of nostalgia worked its way into her throat. He had just done the same motion that Keigo had done as kids, the one that would always calm her down, the one that would always reassure her and give her hope.
And the one that Touya did that day on the roof all those years ago unexpectedly.
Even so, the effects still stayed the same, Hikari's shoulders slumping ever so slightly before lowering her own eyes in emotion. It's like Hawks was trying to tell her that she could trust him.
Although the idea itself was utterly ridiculous. Trust a commission member, trust Hawks? Yeah right, she wasn't that stupid. Hikari knew better than that. She would be dead immediately if she let her guard down like that.
For this person may have worn the face of her brother, but Hawks was not him. She couldn't be fooled by lingering nosita, because that would be her downfall, she just knew it.
So instead, Hikari forced the lingering feelings down before quickly stepping away from Hawks' hand in order to move out the door, her voice small and ever telling.
Because even though she meant for it to sound harsh, the tone couldn't help but come out rather sad, like she was devastated that she couldn't believe in something like that. "Like I would need your help."
And just like that, she walked away.
Yeah, there was no way in hell she was going to call him. She could defend herself, she could protect her, just like she had been doing, just like she taught herself for years.
Because calling him meant giving into that hope, the one that she knew would inevitably destroy her in the end.
--------------------------
As Endeavor stumbled out of the bathroom, the man groaned at the lingering nausea before turning and finding a very familiar blonde haired sidekick a couple feet away.
She was learning on the wall across from the door, almost like she was waiting for something or someone.
And when the man entered into the hallway, the girl seemingly lifted her head, a cocky and cynical smirk on her face. "How are you feeling, Endeavor? Seems like you were having a rough time there. Pity."
A large wave of fury seemed to enter his chest at her words, Endeavor taking a threatening step closer in challenge so that he was towing over the girl. "You did this on purpose, didn't you? Do you even know who I am?"
Crossing her own arms over her chest, Hikari only looked up in challenge, disgust in her eyes as she spoke. "Unfortunately, yes. I do know who you are. I know you dislike me, and I also know that I would rather die than have to work with you on this case. But it looks like we both can't get what we want."
Disbelief couldn't help but cross his features at that. Who even was this girl, what the hell was wrong with her? "Do you really think you can poison me and not face any consequences?"
Clicking her teeth together, Hikari sighed in expersation before turning her head in question. "Oof, you see I never said I poisoned you, did I? That's not very nice, putting words in my mouth. Looks like you have no proof either. I mean you said it yourself, I'm just a newbie, a incompident and useless sidekick, right? It could have been an honest mistake."
Sure, she hadn't fully verbally admitted her crimes but Endeavor could easily read between the lines. The reuse of his own words, the explanation she gave, it made things very clear.
She definitely gave him food poisoning on purpose, and she wanted him to know it.
The very idea made the hero see red, his hands balled to his sides as the flames on his costume grew in anger. "If you value your job I'd be careful if I was you."
Although Hikari still didn't seem intimidated in the slightest, the girl giving a halfhearted laugh before waving a finger in his face. "Now who's threatening who? Oof, that's not very hero like of you, number one."
Realizing that she was messing with him, Endeavor growled before his booming voice filled the space. This girl, it's like she wasn't even acting like a hero. Where had Hawks even picked her up? "It's not a threat, it's a fact. You'll be fired for your actions, plain and simple."
Once again, the girl seemed only amused, finding his threats comical before shaking her head and taking his words as idiotic. If only it was that simple, if only she could leave like he implied. Everything would be so much more simple then.
"Oh honey, I couldn't be fired even if I tried, and believe me I've tried. So it looks like we are stuck together, lucky us right?"
Kicking her foot off the wall, Hikari then sidestepped around the furious hero before walking a few steps and turning around ever so slightly, her voice cocky and full of underlying meaning. "I'd stay out of my way if I were you, Endeavor. Who knows what kind of newbie mistake I could make next? I guess only time will time, hmm?"
Realizing she had just threatened him once more, the number one hero felt his blood boil with rage, shouting back at Hikari as she didn't pay him any mind.
No, instead the girl only kept walking, allowing Endeavor to stew in his own anger and dissatisfaction.
The noises caused her lips to turn up in a winning smirk, taking in the misery before chucking under her breath and marking this as only the beginning.
Sure, this situation was less than ideal but if she had to work with Endeavor, then she was determined to make every single second they spend together a living hell for the man.
Just like he deserved.
-------------------
Hikari felt the cold air hit her face as she walked into the abandoned building where she used to sleep before moving into Hawks' apartment, meeting the gazes of the league of villains.
Toga was the first to greet her, the girl practically racing forward for a hug, her arms stretched out wide with utter glee. "Dabi's girlfriend, you're here!"
Although Hikari only groaned before stepping to the side just as Toga jumped up in the air, causing the blood crazed villain to fall flat on her ass and miss the bird completely. "What did I say about touching, you psycho?"
Toga didn't seem to mind though, the girl popping up a moment later with a large goofy grin before rubbing the back of her own neck once. "Oh yeah, sorry!"
Shaking her head in exasperation, Hikari then glanced at the other members before choosing to walk up to Dabi instead, a sassy hand already to her hips. "Damn Dabs, if you really missed me that much then you should've said so."
At the very Hawks' like greeting, Dabi couldn't help but give a halfhearted chuckle before shooting her down immediately. She was spending way too much time with that bird and it was easy to tell.
"Cute, but try again. I don't give a fuck if you're here or not. We just need the extra power tonight that's all. Don't get all cocky now."
His harsh tone didn't really bother her though, the girl choosing to ignore the comment in order to move up to the metal briefcase the two had stolen a couple weeks back. "Why are you even moving these things anyways?"
Toga seemed to answer for her though, hopping up to lean over her shoulder. "Cause the boss wants them in a safe place so that way no one can steal them."
Although that made sense, the idea couldn't help but make Hikari groan. She came all this way to be a bodyguard for a piece of metal? "Mmm sounds boring."
Just then, Twice seemed to pipe in, echoing from across the room in order to be included in the conversation. "Aw don't be like that, we can't do it without you, THEN LEAVE ALREADY."
Being slightly surprised by his change in attitude, Hikari twisted her brow in confusion only for Dabi to lightly slap her upside the head a moment later with a playful tease. "Stop bitching, I did you a favor by getting you away from that bird shit for a little while. If anything, you should be thanking me."
Realizing he was right, the girl paused. That's true, without his text she'd still be having to talk to Endeavor and deal with her brother's curious and suspicious stare for hours on end.
Now that she looked at it, a bodyguard for a briefcase didn't seem all that bad.
Yet, it wasn't like she was going to admit that. Then she'd have to hear about it for days. So instead, Hikari shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly "And stroke your ego even more? Nah, I'll pass."
Both Hikari and Toga giggled at the comment before Hawks' sister made her way over to the case, a hand reaching out to touch the handle in question. "Alright, let's just get this over with then."
Although that's when the door seemingly flew off its hinges before a medium sized ball rolled into the center of the space, causing everyone to look at it in question.
Widening her eyes in surprise, Hikari and Dabi just barely had time to share a glance with each other, the villain taking one step closer to her when the circular ball began to beep.
BOOM
All at once, a loud and powerful explosion tore through the space as Hikari was thrown across the room, rolling a couple times against the hard ground with a heavy thud.
Ringing began to fill her vision and ears as she gave a painful cough at the impact, her body forcing itself to roll over onto her back with a wheeze. "Shit, what the hell..."
The area around her was clouded, thick grey smoke from the explosion taking up her entire vision before she heard another painful cough, except this time it wasn't from her. "F-Fuck.."
Then she felt it, a hand tapping her leg once as the raspy male voice called out with a surprising amount of concern and desperation in his tone. "Shitty bird, you there?"
Feeling a distaste for the nickname, Hikari forced herself to lift a shaking hand out in order to slap him back and to tell him she wasn't dead.
Although when she met skin a moment later, it seemed like she had only tapped the top of his face ungracefully, her palms unknowingly covering his eyes and mouth.. "S-Stop calling me that, you burned bitch."
The very action couldn't help but cause Dabi to chuckle under his breath as his own shaking hand pushed her random hand away from his face. "Yep, she's alive."
Forcing her muscles to stand, Hikari groaned in reply before turning her head to gaze through the thick grey smoke with squinted eyes. "W-What the hell even was that..."
Just then, a set of footsteps made their way into the space, Hikari looking up to find a man with a black mask across his face only a couple feet away. "So sorry for the sudden entrance, but it's nice to finally meet you. The infamous League of Villains, what a group you are."
Twisting her brow in confusion, Hiakri then glanced at Dabi who was also now also struggling to stand before eyeing the group of black masked figures with interest. These guys were interested in the League? Why?
She received her answer a moment later when the leader showed them the silver briefcase in his hands, his fingers touching the handle with mocking victory as he spoke. "Ah well, I'll skip the small talk. For now, I will be taking this. Thank you for your generous contribution to our cause."
Then all the pieces started to click. Whoever these guys were, they wanted those quirk erasing bullets. That's why they had burst in here like this.
Not liking his tone, Hikari felt her lips twist into a frown before a singular red feather zoomed out of her pocket before lodging itself into the leader's hand, the object jamming through the bone as he screamed and dropped the case.
The briefcase clattered onto the ground a moment later as the leader held his hand with hiss as the girl spoke with authority. "What makes you think we will just let you do that?"
Although, the leader only seemed giddy at the very idea of a fight, his eyes turning in interest under the mask as he hummed with delight. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say something like that, young lady."
Snapping his fingers once, about thirty masked figures seemingly surrounded the group, Hikari cursing under her breath as she couldn't help but flash back to her training with Riku. They used to circle her like this also.
Yet, as they took a step closer, the area suddenly filled with blue flames, the action creating a ring of fire around the league and Hikari in order to get some distance from the strangers.
Turning back around, Dabi's hand lifted down before letting a feral smirk enter his lips at the idea of a fight. "Looks like this got a little more interesting, right Princess?"
Toga seemed to answer for her though, the teenager already pulling out a large knife in silent wait. "Come on, we gotta get that case to the boss, and maybe spill some blood in the process."
Already feeling the adrenaline course the back of her throat, Hikari then looked over to the blue wall of flames before stuffing her hands in her pockets in order to feel the surplus of feathers there. "I don't know who these assholes are, but I'm not let them win."
Dabi felt his lips turn up even further at the confirmation, his entire hand smoking with flames before aiming his palms towards the center of the ring of fire. "Let's light those fuckers up, Princess."
Then all at once, the ring started to dissipate as Hikari jumped through the small opening with determined eyes, her gaze fixed on a different masked man that was holding the case a couple feet away.
He threw a punch but Hikari was faster, her head tucking easily before a feather escaped her pocket in order to stab the man in the knee, lodging itself halfway through the bone.
Leaning down in pain, the girl took the opportunity to easily wrestle the case out of his hands only to smirk a moment later and quickly fall to the floor as she shouted. "Dabi!"
All at once, a wave of blue flames appeared over the top of her head, just barely missing the bird before cremating the stranger and covering him in an agonizing helpless inferno.
Hugging the case to her chest, Hikari then rolled away before forcing herself to her feet just in time to see the man that had attacked her collapse dead, his burnt corpse filling her nose all at once. Ugh gross. Still can't get used to that. Although, I can't deny it helps in situations like this.
The girl couldn't help but twist her nose in disgust at the sight before she heard Toga's shouts throughout the space as she fought off her own attackers. "Dabi, Dabi's girlfriend, get out of here! Twice and I will take these guys!"
Piping in a moment later, Twice waved a hand through the chaos, his excitement for the situation a little strange as he happily shouted. "Of course we can! DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO."
Hikari then turned to Dabi only to find the entrance of the building blocked by at least twelve other attackers, all of them waiting for them to make the first move. Getting out of here wasn't going to be that easy after all.
Sighing at the sight, the girl tightened her hold on the briefcase before speaking casually through the chaos. "Welp, looks like it's just us. You think you can pull your own weight Mr. Burnt Bacon?"
At the nickname, Dabi felt his lips give an amused chuckle before his half lidded eyes turned to her. "Only if your shitty wings don't get in my way."
Feeling her right hand raise to her hip, Hikari giggled back before she readied her stance in order to plow through the attackers."Very cute, very cute. I'll remember that one."
Dabi then let his fingers ignite with flames before just barely glancing at the wall of people before him, his voice slightly excited for a challenge. "First we gotta blaze through these shitbags though."
And it seemed like Hikari felt the same, her right hand digging itself into her pockets before narrowing her eyes with confirmation. "I say challenge accepted."
Lifting his stitched arms out, Dabi spoke shortly, his impatience for the fight growing extremely obvious. "Then give me the case and follow me."
Yet Hikari seemed less than pleased at the idea, not wanting to follow her friend like some kind of abandoned puppy. She could obviously protect herself. "That's not fair. Why do I have to follow you?"
Although that's when Dabi took a dangerous step closer, his breath reaching a couple inches from her face as Hikari widened her eyes in the distance and the smoke covered smell. Any closer and they would've been kissing.
Twisting his lips into her playful smirk, the villain then placed his hands onto Hikari's shoulder's before pushing her backwards with little to no force. "Life's not fair Princess, get used to it."
And because she was so flustered, Hikari easily lost her balance, unable to think straight because of the proxiety as her entire face lit up bright red. "H-Huh?"
Then before she could process it, Dabi had already taken the briefcase out of her hands with a winning smirk before making his way towards the entrance without a second thought in order to leave her behind.
Realizing she had been played, Hikari felt her chest ring with embarrassment and fury as she quickly ran in his direction. That little asshole, he did that on purpose. He knew she'd be caught off guard.
"Hey, you little shit, get back here!"
Dabi only chuckled in amusement though, watching as Hikari made her way into the chaos before calling back to her just as the masked strangers started to close in. "Now that you're here, make yourself useful and cover me."
Grumbling at the fact he was enjoying his little trick, the girl shook her head before a handful of feathers escaped her pocket as she shouted angrily. "You're such a pain in my ass!"
Although just as he asked, Hikari then covered for the man, watching as her feathers stabbed all of the attackers near Dabi, allowing him to run to the entrance of the building with ease as she followed behind.
In fact, no one got without a couple feet of the stitched villain as Hikari feathers cut down his enemy's one by one until a large number of them were laying on the ground with a collective groan.
Eyeing her work with pride, Dabi finally turned back to the girl before giving her a knowing look, his half lidded gaze boring into her all at once. "Just how I like it, Princess."
Just then, twenty other men seemed to take the place of their fallen friends before igniting their quirks and taking out various weapons and knives to defend themselves.
What's up with these guys, there were like a million of them!
Even Hikari noticed a small group started to close in on her, leaving both Dabi and Hikari trapped and outnumbered by the large range of people.
They seemed to know it also, an older woman shouting out to them all at once. "You've lost. Our forces outnumber yours by the thousands. Now don't move another step and give us the case."
And although that was true, neither Dabi or HIkari seemed ready to admit defeat, the villain lowering his eyes for a moment before giving a fake sigh. "Alright, If that's what you want."
Then the stitched man vaguely gestured to the ground before lifting a single hand in the air with a sign of surrender, Hikari watching from a couple feet behind as he did so.
And to anyone else this action would've seemed normal, it would've appeared like Dabi had given up the fight at hand and let his enemy win. That's what he wanted them to think anyway.
Hikari on the other hand, saw the hidden messages in that single silent movement.
The way his hands lowered down to the ground like he was trying to draw her attention there, the way he gave up almost immediately, like it was too good to be true, and the way he only lifted a single hand in response, a hand with five fingers fully present.
Five fingers.
He purposely lifted up five fingers, like he was counting down to something.
And the girl knew exactly what that was. He was trying to communicate to her, he was showing their secret code, it was him telling her that he was going to make a dangerous move in exactly five seconds and she better be ready for it.
Glancing towards the floor for a moment, the girl quietly braced herself before watching as Dabi's entire hand turned blue with flames before he pushed the object down to the floor in a single moment before smirking. "Five."
All at once the entire floor erupted in flames, covering the mysterious attackers in an instant as they screamed before Hikari jumped into action, running towards her friend all while the fire followed her.
Narrowing her eyes, the girl then jumped up before landing onto Dabi's hunched back before the villain himself seemingly threw the briefcase into the air in order for Hikari to catch it so that he could use his quirk with both hands instead of one.
Seeing the case fly upwards, Hikari's eyes widened before quickly reaching her hand out and jumping off Dabi's back and into the air a moment later, not paying any mind to the fire a couple inches underneath.
Then as her fingertips touched the cool metal handle, Hikari willed all of the feathers from her previous victims to come back to her in an instant, latching onto her clothes and keeping her hoving in the air as the rest of the space covered itself in the blue light.
Screaming was heard everywhere as anyone within a couple feet of Dabi was burned alive extremely slowly, the villain wearing a feral and excited grin as he watched the carnage unfold.
And just like that, the flames disappeared a moment later, allowing Hikari to lower herself back onto ground as her feathers disappeared inside her pocket only for Dabi to glance towards even more masked strangers a couple feet away.
This would go on forever if they didn't take the chance now.
Shaking her head at the scene, Hiakri frowned at the army that was running up to them. "Damn, they really are like cockroaches, huh? How many of these guys are there?"
Already feeling his arms heat up with overuse from his quirk, Dabi silently hissed at the burning skin. "You really wanna find out?"
Widening her eyes, Hikari just barely missed a wave of ice before turning on her heels in order to leave the fight and gain some distance.
Sure, she loved a good fight but she was a sitting duck if she stood here. "Maybe another time! You take care of them, I'll get a head start!"
Feeling her heart pound inside her chest, Hikari then ran through the abandoned streets as her head began to spin. This was the villain side of town after all, and it wasn't likely that anyone would care to help them in this kind of situation. Lucky for them, they were on their own here.
Hikari pushed the briefcase to her chest before the newly fallen rain blurred her vision with every step and every puddle. Now she was even further away, all she had to do now was hide until the chaos died down and then they could deliever this stupid thing.
Although she spoke too soon, the girl just barely registering someone behind her when a wave of thick and sharp shards of ice barreled into her, knocking Hikari off of her feet with a gasp a moment later.
Rolling onto the ground, she groaned in pain before stumbling to her feet only to find a man with a large hood over his face, blocking the entrance with satisfaction. "You didn't really think you could just leave, did you?"
Hikari spit out a drop of blood in response before gripping the handle of the briefcase in her hand with a smirk. "Yeah, actually. That's exactly what I was planning on. What, ya gonna stop me with your little ice show?"
The hooded man only found her insult funny though, his arms lifting up towards the sky before giving a dark chuckle. "Unfortunately for you, my quirk manipulates all kinds of water, and look at what's all around us right now!!"
And all at once, Hikari processed the words before her smile dropped.
This guy said he could manipulate water, and it was raining.
Rain.
Rain meant water.
Which also meant she was screwed.
Knowing she had connected the dots, the stranger then smiled under his hood before all of the rain droplets around her seemingly gathered by his side before each and every rain drop turned into a lethal sharp dagger, all of them hovering above him.
Oh yeah, she was really screwed.
Hikari quickly looked around, realizing she was all alone before cursing under her breath and tightening her hold on the briefcase.
Well, here goes nothing.
All at once, each dagger of ice barreled towards her, causing Hikari to quickly turn on her heels and run the other direction in order not to be stabbed.
Although it was harder than it looked as the feathers in her pocket sensed a large spike appear to her left only for the girl to quickly duck and just barely miss it as it grazed the top of her head.
More and more sharp daggers appeared from her left and right as Hikari cursed, doing her best to sense the movements and dodge in between before one of the ice spikes seemingly came out of nowhere and slashed the arm holding the briefcase.
Gritting her teeth in pain, blood began to pour down her arm, yet Hikari barely had enough time to react as another dagger cut through the skin on her left leg a moment later.
The girl left her leg cave ever so slightly before forcing it to stay upright, just barely dodging four more daggers as she heard the masked man speak once again. "You just don't die, do you?"
Widening her eyes, Hikari then turned around only to find that the man had propelled himself into the air, his ice platform now forcibly coming towards her in a single moment.
Quickly allowing three feathers out of her pocket, the objects flew up to the iceman before grabbing onto his jacket and pulling him away from the girl just as the platform of ice made contact with the ground. "What the hell!"
And although the attacker was farther away now, it didn't stop the ice from barreling into her, Hikari barely managing to jump out of her way and tumble a couple feet to her left.
Sure, it hurt but it would've been way worse if that guy was on the platform.
Coughing out another spit of blood, Hikari wheezed on her knees in order to recover as she heard the strangers coughing as well from a couple feet away. Seems like he fell pretty hard against the pavement also. "H-How did you..."
The blonde haired villain didn't give him an answer though, Hikari stumbling to her feet before shakily grabbing onto the briefcase that had rolled away from her on impact. "Nice try, but it looks like I'll be taking this after all."
Her words seemed to make the villain absolutely furious, the rain swirling around him before he lifted his hood off in order to reveal all of his anger.
And even Hikari seemed to pause, taking in his features all at once. He was just a boy, a white haired angry looking teenage boy. "No, I don't lose. I'm not losing, not tonight!!"
Seeing his veins start to pop out from his skin, the white haired boy then growled to himself as all the raindrop shuttered underneath him before they poured behind him in a large unknown structure.
And as the structure started to take form, Hikari's eyes couldn't help but widen.
That was because standing behind him in silent wait, was now a giant ice dragon.
Taking a step back in fear at the beast, Hikari felt her hands tighten around the briefcase only for her lips to drop open with surprise and pure shock. Well shit, this is going to hurt like a bitch. Fuck me, am I right?
Since she knew her feathers wouldn't do her any good, Hikari instead lifted up her arms to cover her face, the briefcase blocking the front of her body in any attempt of a defense before seeing the ice covered dragon come towards her at full force.
And she felt the hit immediately, the dragon opening its mouth and swallowing her whole as hundreds of ice crystals pierced her skin and pealted her with an immense amount of force.
So much so that the very action caused her to fly across the alleyway and plow through the nearest wall, leaving a gaping hole in the plaster before her body hit the ground with a resounding crack of something important.
Feeling her head begin to spin, Hikari felt herself gasp for air as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Yeah, she was right, that did hurt like a bitch, and something seemed broken too, lucky her.
Just then, all the air was knocked out of her lungs a second time as the white haired teenager seemingly appeared out of nowhere, grabbing onto her collar and slamming her head back into the ground as hard as he could. "Looks like it's my victory after all. Was my little ice show impressive enough for you?"
Knowing he was using her own insult back at her, the girl groaned, her head spinning as she spit directly in his face, given that it was only a couple feet away. "Impressive to show you need therapy, sure."
As the saliva made contact, the teeanger growled in anger before creating another ice dagger in his hand, except this time it was pressed against her throat. "You aren't good enough for our cause, so I guess that means you'll die here today."
Gulping as the sharp ice made contact with her skin, Hikari felt her feathers twitch in her pockets, as she readied herself to fight back through the hazy vision and the pain that her body was in. She wasn't about to lose like this.
Suddenly, a hand appeared through the smoke, reaching down to grab the teenager by the collar and physically drag him off the girl in question, allowing Hikari to force air into her lungs again with a wheeze.
As a hand wrapped around his throat, the white haired kid then looked up only to find Dabi grinning ferally in his direction, lifting him up so his feet were dangling.
"You just made the stupidest decision of your life, by messing with her."
Then the villain glanced over to Hikari's unmoving body through the rubble, his voice laced with amusement as he called over to her. "You better not be dead, or else I'm gonna make fun of you for letting this ice bitch finish you off."
Although his words were muffled under the sound of Hikari's own pounding heartbeat and the only sound she could muster was a heavy wheeze from her suffocating and exhausted lungs.
And as silence filled the space, Dabi's playful and cocky demeanor dropped ever so slightly, his voice now laced with heavy concern and bit more anxiety then he would've liked. "I mean it Princess, you better still be alive."
Knowing she had to say something, Hikari forced herself to move against her body's wishes, lifting a shaky hand up in order to show her friend that she wasn't in fact dead. "I-I'm fine."
At the confirmation of her being okay, the villain exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding before turning his attention back onto the one that hurt her in the first place. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, I was just about to burn a hole in your little throat."
Feeling his palms heat up, the boy gasped as he began to suffocate and burn at the same time, reaching forward to grab onto Dabi's stitched hands for air as the villain laughed maliciously.
Although that's when he heard Hikari's shrill voice snap him out of his own revenge, her tone suddenly scared for something unknown. "Dabi, look out! Behind you!!"
Widening his eyes, the man took her word before lighting up his palms and blindly turning around only to come face to face with the giant ice dragon that Hikari had faced before, it's mouth open and ready to destroy the stitched villain.
But unlike the bird, Dabi's quirk could be used as a counter, the villain throwing his raging blue fire towards the dragon as it plowed into him.
And although the impact was great, his fire seemed to take away most of the attack, only leaving him to stumble back a couple feet as the sheer mass rammed through him at once. "Is that all you got? That was weak shit compared to me."
Then as if to prove the point, Dabi threw a wave of flames towards the white haired kid, the large range covering the entire area as he cackled with joy.
Widening his eyes, the ice kid reacted on impact, using his ice to propel him into the sky to avoid the blast before trying a new strategy as he eyed his opponent. "I would stop trying those large attacks if I were you. You're already overusing your quirk, aren't you?"
Almost as if he hadn't realized it, Dabi then looked towards his smoking and shaking arms before turning his brow in a challenge. That may have been true but there was no way he was letting this fucker win.
Throwing a large range of fire upwards towards the enemy, the white haired kid threw up a solid ice barrel before racing forward in order to fight the villain head on. "Oh I see, you don't listen very well, do you?"
But before he could reach Dabi, the boy felt himself being pulled away, almost like last time as five red feathers latched onto his jacket all at once. "What the hell, not again..!!"
And then all at once, Hikari was in front of him, the girl blocking her body in order to protect Dabi as she held her side in pain with a grimace. "H-He may be an asshole, but he's right. You're going to damage yourself again."
Reaching her hand down, the girl tried to lay her hand on his burning skin only for Dabi to immediately rip his arm away from her, not wanting her to be burned again like all those years before.
Call it weak, but the villain didn't want to cause that kind of thing again, to repeat history and all the shame that came with it. "What does it matter? My skin is already fucked up, might as well add to the collection and dispose of this brat in the process."
Hikari seemed to understand his thought process very well, not making fun of it, but rather trying again, her eyes locked with even more determination as she forced her hand on his arm.
She watched as Dabi's eyes flashed with panic for the action, listening to the sizzling of her skin as her expression remained unchanged, almost like she was showing him that she wasn't bothered by his imperfections.
Hiding the sting internally, Hikari's next words were calm, forcing Dabi to listen as she spoke. "He's baiting you, he knows about your overuse and he's trying to use it to his advantage to let your guard down. D-Don't let him."
Dabi felt the statement finally process before turning to look at her unchanging expression, knowing that she was hiding the pain from him in order to make him feel at ease. Stupid girl, she always was so stupid, wasn't she?
Feeling his shoulders start to cave in defeat, the man then carefully grabbed onto her wrist before pulling Hikari's hand away from his dangerous skin with a sigh. "I get it, just stop doing stupid shit, will you?"
Hikari's lips then curved into a small smile, knowing he was finally listening to her. "I will when you stop saying stupid shit."
Although that's when she saw a mountain of ice in the corner of her vision, the surface entirely filled with spikes as Hikari's face turned pale. Oh shit, she was so worried for Dabi that she forgot about him.
Realizing that the attack was coming her way, Hikari braced for impact only to feel a hand grip her hips tightly before throwing her to the side and out of the way of the large wall of ice.
Hikari felt her head spin as she stumbled into the nearest wall, trying to make sense of the situation. Wait, wasn't that attack supposed to hit her? It was certainly aimed at her. But if that's the case, then what happened?"
Yet that's when she saw Dabi's body a couple feet away from her.
It was unmoving, laying in a bunch of rubble as the hit seemed to break open another wall, the plaster rained down around him like some kind of psychotic snowfall.
Wait.
No.
No no no no this couldn't be right, there had to be some mistake. Dabi always said he didn't care about her wellbeing, that if she got hurt or died it was her own stupid fault.
But if that was the case, then why did he take her hit, why did he protect her?
That wasn't something Dabi does, that wasn't something Dabi was ever known for, so why? He should've just worried about himself, why didn't he worry about himself?!
Feeling the rain hit her face with heavy shock, Hikari forced herself to turn when she heard his resounding laughter a couple feet away, the white haired teen enjoying the devastation of her face. "I knew it, I knew he wouldn't let you get hurt, not after that little comment before. He was so easy to read, it was almost comical!"
And as her necklace shook underneath her collarbone, Hikari felt her control start to snap as her fingers twitched. "Y-You...you're so fucking dead...you have no idea who you just messed with..."
Although before her hands could even touch her necklace and release her wings, the white haired boy shouted out into the space, his voice clear against the falling rain. "Restrain her, she's going for the necklace!"
Then all at once, a hand latched onto the arm that had reached for her necklace, pulling her back before five other people seemingly appeared in order to restrain her.
Hikari immediately felt sick to her stomach at the touch, her mind forcing her to recall the commission attack along with Riku's training all at once. It was too much, too similar and it made her want to scream. ""H-Huh? What are you doing, get the fuck off of me!!"
Yet the attackers didn't listen, pausing as the leader seemingly appeared around the corner a moment later, his voice formal and just as condescending as before. "Sorry, but we've heard the stories and using your full quirk would give us a heavy disadvantage right now, so we can't have that."
Watching with wild eyes, the mysterious men then dragged Dabi out of the rubble before forcing his face into the pavement roughly, the man groaning out in half consciousness as Hikari glared.
She felt herself gritting her teeth together, the action drawing blood as she watched him manhandle Dabi with a growl in her throat. "Don't touch him, if you hurt him you're gonna regret it for the rest of your life, I can promise you that."
Although the leader only found this rather comical, snapping his fingers before the men holding Hikari slamming her body right next to Dabi's, her face smashing into the pavement as well with a groan.
Strolling up to meet her, the leader then shrugged. "Oh no, I wouldn't dream of hurting a possible new colleague now. That would be bad business practice. We really just came for the case, you're the ones that created the fight."
The leader then leaned down to pick up the briefcase before eyeing the object with pride. "No matter, things progressed as planned. Thank you for the donation. These bullets will be used for a good cause I assure you."
Fighting against the men holding her down, Hikari scoffed before replying. "Donation? They weren't for you, asshat.
Already knowing that, the leader then gave an eerily grin before continuing. "Well, if you want them back then you all just have to do one thing for me. Listen to what I have to say."
Raising her eyes in question, Hikari coughed out a response. "W-What?"
Yet the leader didn't seem to mind, only leaning down to meet Hiakri's eyes as he spoke. "Consider this an invitation. I've seen all of your work as the league of villains and I am very impressed. You all could become a powerful asset to us. That's why I'm giving you an offer. If you want the case back, then join us."
Hikari's head was spinning with a million questions as she tried to make sense of the situation. Why did it sound like these guys were never interested in the case? It's almost like they only wanted it as some kind of blackmail for the league.
"What the hell are you talking about, join you for what? Don't tell me you did all this on purpose just to make some kind of statement?"
At that, the leader only smiled, confirming her suspicion all at once.
Then, the man stood back up before snapping his fingers as most of his men seemed to follow, a crooked grin still plastered on his face. "Try not to keep us waiting too long. The liberation is awaiting your response."
Lifting his hand up, the long nosed man then dropped a singular business card onto the ground before the men holding Hikari seemed to disappear into mist, almost like they didn't exist at all.
And then just like that, they were gone.
Forcing herself to her feet, Hikari coughed in pain at the newfound freedom before allowing her mind to make sense of what just happened. Those guys were part of the liberation? That's the group her brother was researching, wasn't it?
Well, so much for knowing nothing about them. Now she knew too much.
She felt her muscles twitch as she forced herself to sit up only to catch the sight of Dabi a couple feet away, still unconscious from the beating that ice guy had given him.
Feeling her heart stop, Hikari quickly forced her way over to him, her move painful as he crawled up to his face in order to slap it a couple times. "D-Dabi, Dabi come on, now it's my turn to make fun of you if you're dead, please don't be dead, you can't be dead..."
The slap only caused the villain to groan though, the man still clearly very out of it before Hikari found three stab wounds from various ice daggers, one of his chest, one on the left side of his stomach, and one in his right thigh.
And although the ice had melted already because of his quirk, the force of the stabs left his body bleeding and torn, causing Hikari to suck in a scared breath before turning her head to look out at the empty streets.
Shit, shit shit shit she had to get him help, she had to help him before he bled out onto the street like this. Sure, the injuries didn't look all that bad but who knows what else Dabi could be suffering from, who knows how deep those wounds went? What if it was worse than she thought, what if he was dying..?
Biting her lip to stop the overwhelming emotions, Hikari was at a loss. What could she do, it wasn't like the hospital was ever going to welcome villains like them. She had to do something, she couldn't just sit here and be useless!
She felt herself start to breathe heavily at the sign of a panic attack before shoving everything down in order to think logically for Dabi's sake.
That's when she unknowingly reached into her pocket and felt her phone.
Pausing ever so slightly, Hikari pulled out the object before staring at it for a couple minutes as she remembered her brother's word earlier today.
If you need anything, I'm just a call away
No, absolutely not. There was no way in hell she was going to go crying to her big brother, there was no way she was going to show that kind of weakness to him. She already told herself that she could save herself, that she didn't need him.
Although one look at Dabi's unconscious body caused another wave of emotion to course through her chest as she whimpered quietly before the worst scenarios played in her mind.
She couldn't lose him, she just couldn't. He was all she had.
Closing her eyes at a mix of both emotional and physical agony, Hikari then gritted her teeth before pressing her brother's name and forcing the phone to her ear a moment later.
He answered quicker than expected, causing Hikari's heart to stop completely. "Hikari? What's wrong, are you okay?
Just hearing the sound of his concerned voice was enough for Hikari to break entirely, her once calm demeanor now destroyed as she showed her big brother her first moment of weakness in years.
And just like all those years ago, she found herself calling out to him once more.
"K-Keigo, I don't know what to do.."
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Oh man, Hikari called her brother Keigo, which is a big deal considering she hasn't done that honestly since she was pretending to be all fake and stuff. She really is desperate to save Dabi, isn't she?
Lots of content here but it's late (like 3am late oops) so I will cut this author thing short today. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Things are about to get really crazy now that the story is picking up!
Next chapter: Dabi fluff, Hikari fluff and cute things all around as they both take care of each other all while trying to figure out what to do about the liberation.