I haven't uploaded in a while and I seriously am not uploading frequently nowadays which I apologize for.
I've been rewriting this chapter for weeks and it has turned out to be the longest chapter I've written yet with a word count of over 9000.
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Nora POV
The music from the party hall had become much louder as I proceeded back towards the gym. I let out a tired sigh as I walked in, brushing past the many people still partying without a care in the world. I was too deflated to walk like a broad and strong tree trunk to look more confident.
The first thought which reached my mind was Mina. She was around the left side corner of the party hall the last time I saw her. I think she had left with someone to go to the cafeteria section of the party hall as there were better food and beverages over there.
I internally groaned in realization that I was at the wrong hall but I didn't turn around and head back to the exit. My thoughts confused me. I wanted to be with someone so bad so that I could get my mind off things but at the same time, I didn't want anyone near me. I didn't want to clear my mind off of everything.
I brushed past more people, no longer feeling the stares of everyone on me. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't appear to be noticeable right now. Like a lion blending into nature right before attacking its prey. That was a good thing though.
I'm sorry... Shoto.
It's never your fault. Everything is always my fault. You always have to go through pain because of me being around you. I'm like a curse to your existence. A menace who shouldn't even be here.
I stopped walking, tilting my head to the side when I noticed two people talking to each other a few meters away from me. A small smile forms on my face at the sight of my friend.
Sometimes I wonder... If I hadn't accepted that mission... would Shoto and I be happily in love right now.
"All Might...?" Katsuki-kun says in a low voice, looking towards the ground.
He didn't seem to have noticed me yet. All Might smiled down at Katsuki, raising a questioning eyebrow towards him. Katsuki finally lifted his head, looking at All Might in the eyes with a look of reason.
"What exactly is your relationship with Deku?"
All Might stared at Katsuki for a few seconds. The longer he looked down at Katuski-kun, the more serious Katsuki's expression became. Something obviously irked Katsuki about how long All Might was taking to answer his question.
"One of a student and a teacher." All Might answered and almost immediately earned a scoff from Katsuki.
"Yeah. I'd figured you'd say that." Katsuki grumbled, snatching the glass of juice All Might was presumably offering him before I had entered the scene.
All Might looked at Katuski in confusion as he started to march away before turning around and leaving. Katsuki was headed in my direction and didn't seem to have noticed me yet.
Until he did.
Our eyes locked for a long second and I felt my breath get stuck in my throat as Katskui stared at me quietly. I didn't look away from him, because if I did, he'd think something was wrong. Katsuki slowly raised an eyebrow at me, eyeing me up and down.
You're not smiling anymore.
A smile slowly formed on my face and I waved to Katsuki-kun. He didn't completely let go of his questioning gaze when he saw me smile but rested his expression and shook his head lightly.
We both had a lot going on in our heads but no one to talk to about it.
So that's what we did.
Five minutes later, Katsuki and I were sitting at a quiet table at the far end of the party hall. A glass of grape juice in both our hands and we both looked like we were trying our best not to sulk.
"This party sucks." I say in an attempt to be the first one to break the tense silence.
Katsuki took another lazy sip of his grape juice and just hummed in agreement. I stared at him blankly for a few seconds before softly shaking my head and looking away. If he doesn't want to talk then I have absolutely no problem in keeping my mouth shut and having a quiet sulking time.
"Wise Idiot... You're wise, right?"
"Depends on the weather."
"Then what do you have to say about the relationship between Midoriya and All Might."
I stared at the drink sitting in front of me on the table for a few seconds. My eyes trailing down at the same pace as the drop of water that trailed down the glass because of the condensation caused by the cold juice and the heat of the party hall.
Ironic of how a glass of juice made me realize he was over here in this party hall.
"Seems like a favorite child type of relationship to me." I muttered out, not taking a sip of the juice. "All Might likes Midoriya because they have similar quirks."
"Exactly... they have similar quirks... and now All Might's is gone." Katsuki suddenly said at a more energetic volume than before. He turned to look towards me with his hands pointed out to the table as if he showed an important point. "Then there was that one villain who could steal quirks. You know that guy, right?"
"Yeah. He was pretty tall."
"That's not my point... Do you not see a connection?"
"All Might's tall as well but then Midoriya's short. Plus Midoriya's got green hair. I mean... there's no way All Might's Midoriya's birth father."
"You're an idiot."
I gave Kasuki a dirty look from the corner of my eyes. He didn't seem to have noticed or probably chose to ignore it as he looked away from me with a look of no hope.
I'm not done completing my investigation on All Might's relationship with All For One. So I can not provide Katuski with any of my true thoughts regarding this situation. Besides there's a high chance that MIdoriya's power may have something to do with defeating All For One. Defeating that man is a major purpose of my mission.
I can't drag Katuski in this anymore.
The same way I dragged Shoto into a path of danger without him even realizing how dangerous my presence with him was.
Don't cry. You can't show any signs of weakness yet. You have to act unbothered.
"Azumi-kun..."
I raised an eyebrow towards Midoriya and Katsuki looked at him from the corner of his eyes as Midoriya approached our table. Midoriya scratched the back of his neck, a look of concern slowly crawling up his face.
"Where's Todoroki?" He asked, making my heart get caught in my throat in panic. "I saw him walk out of the hall with you early but you're the only one who has returned."
I kept a poker face as I continued to stare at Midoriya in silence. I pursed my lips in fake thought before shrugging my shoulders carelessly.
"He's probably in the cafeteria. Or he headed back to his room." I say, finally taking a sip of the juice. "Why do you ask?"
I arched an inquiring eyebrow towards Midoriya and he just stared at me. He was silent for such a long time that I almost believed he had lost his speech. He yet observed me as though I were a totally different person who had come as a Nora Azumi imposter.
After a while he finally spoke.
"Aren't you... worried about his whereabouts?" He asked, biting the insides of his jaw in slight confusion.
"That's not exactly the answer to my question." I muttered, slumping deeper into my chair as I kept my eyes locked on the glass of juice. I cleared my throat speaking more clearly this time as I was sure he hadn't heard what I had muttered. "Why would I be worried about his whereabouts? You're asking like I'm his girlfriend."
That's because you broke his heart. Completely.
Midoriya's face turned bright red at my statement, and he took a step back, taking another frantic scratch on the back of his neck.
"Well, I didn't mean it quite like that. Given that Todoroki would have informed me if you were dating him, it is clear that you are not. Although it may sound strange, he is one of my closest friends and he never keeps anything from me. For instance, he informed me about what you said to him at that cafe on the first day of school, as well as what occurred by the river near his home. But you don't need to know that! Haha! By the way, the cafe by the school is actually quite decent. I'm not sure why I'm talking about it; maybe I'm just getting nervous. However, I've heard that they sell expired coffee; I informed Todoroki of this as well, and as a result, he stopped going over there. And also blah blah blah blah. "
Katsuki and I let out an annoyed sigh at the same time and seemingly stopped listening to Midoriya babble at the same time as well. I stared at Midoriya blankly, not paying attention to his words as he made awkward actions with his hands and reminded me of Iida.
Just as Midoriya was saying the last bits of his nonsense talk, he took a few more steps back, shaking his hands in front of him as if apologizing. Then, he took a bow of apology in front of me and quickly stood back straight, face bright red in even more embarrassment. Just as I thought he was about to finally leave, he spoke one last thing.
"Also Azumi-kun... to answer the question you asked first..." He muttered, his bright red face finally calming down and muscles relaxing. "I asked you because I thought you knew or would at least be worried about him enough to help me find him."
With that Midoirya was gone in the blink of an eye.
I stared at the place Midoriya once stood in silence before letting out another sigh and turning my gaze back towards my glass of juice, which I had barely drank.
The boy next to me, however, didn't turn his head to glance back at his drink as I felt Katsuki's lingering, uncomfortable gaze on me for a long time.
"Spit it out." I grumbled after a while, finally sitting straighter on my seat and looking towards Katsuki.
"What happened to you?" Katuski asked without missing a beat and once again made me slightly panic.
Not as much as with Midoriya though, because Midroiya doesn't exactly know me. As much as this whole thing with Shoto is a personal matter between me and Shoto alone... Katsuki's one of the only people who knows my whole life story from beginning to end. No secrets kept.
Still. That doesn't mean he gets to no more.
Because even if that makes me feel a little bit comfortable... I want to remain a mystery in this mysterious world.
"Like I'd tell you that" I say in a low voice, not bothering to lie to him but at the same time not telling him the truth.
Katsuki hummed at my words, staring at his glass of juice with the same blankness as I was staring at mine. I looked away from my drink, my eyes trailing to the exit of the party hall where many people either entered or exited.
I kept my eyes on the people coming and going. The various types of people keep me entertained. There were teenage girls in dresses holding their small purses in their hands as they were going to the washroom to touch up their makeup. Then there were groups of friends leaving this party hall to go to the other one with more refreshments. Happy people. Dancing people. Tired people. People fixing their outfit. A person wearing full black. People chatting with each other.
They all seemed lost in their own tiny worlds. No one seemed to care about anyone else at this point. Everyone was just here for their own benefit.
"You would if you considered me your friend." Katsuki muttered boredly. It gave me little relief that he wasn't pushing this onto me and forcing me to open up to him. Just a little reminder that he was here if I needed anything.
I didn't realize how much of a reminder like that I needed today until he gave it to me.
I chuckled lightly at Katsuki's words, turning back to look at him sulking at his drink. Normally, I would have made a snarky comment about him finally accepting that I was his friend, but my dull mood had held me back. Maybe I had to write it down somewhere so I could tease him about it later.
"Sometimes things are better for the friendship when they're kept a secret, Katsuki-kun." I say, softly smiling towards him. Hearing my words, Katsuki-kun removed his gaze from his drink and looked me in the eye.
We both stared at each other for a moment, before I turned my gaze somewhere else. I let out a sigh, placing both hands on the table and standing up. I could still feel Katsuki's gaze on me.
I can't even look at the people I care for without feeling like I committed a grave act.
"I'll be right in a few minutes." I say, pointing towards the exit. "Don't choke on your drink or something when I'm gone."
"I'm not the one who eats like a pig whenever I see food!"
"Ehh. Also, I'm pretty sure they didn't cook the drinks, let alone burn them at this party. Pretty sure if your drink smells weird, it wouldn't be the drink, but the person serving the drink. But what does that matter to you, your drink seems fine."
Katsuki's face formed into utter confusion at my words and I let out a small chuckle. Obviously, I hadn't expected him to understand what I said, because it wouldn't make sense to him.
I turned on my heels before he could ask me what I meant and blended with the crowd. Once again trying to stay unnoticed, I made my way through people, not walking like I was some fashion show diva.
I didn't look at anyone's faces as I kept my gaze fixed on the entrance. There was nothing more I wanted right now than to get out of this party. But as many people who know about my life could predict, my life is never a straight line. It's more like a zigzag curvy line which has no beginning, no end and multiple loops. Because right when I was about 15 meters from the exit, I noticed a person standing a few meters away from it.
Well, I wouldn't have noticed him if Hawks wasn't waving to me like an idiot.
"Hey, lil' cub!" Hawks said, his voice beginning to be more audible now that I was closer to him. "I thought lions had good hearing sense, but I guess you don't. I've been calling your name before but you didn't seem to have heard."
I guess he also didn't think lions have bad eyesight but I'll make him believe so while walking past him like I didn't hear or see him. Classic way to escape things.
"I know you can hear me so stop acting like you don't. Anyways, this party's pretty killer, are you leaving already? I wanted to interview you so that you could be my intern- HEY! WATCH OUT-"
But like I said before, the line of my life is like a kid scribbling on paper with many different colors of broken crayons.
My nervousness and annoyance must have tangled up and become a big mess inside me as my right food tangled with my left, causing me to trip on my own foot.
My entire life flashed before my eyes as the drink I was carrying flew out of my hands and soared through the air (I don't remember taking the stupid juice with me).
It was like being in a dramatic movie, with the glass flying forward. As it flew out of the glass and launched itself into the air, the juice inside the glass appeared to have an advantage in the race. The glass dramatically hit the ground, but the juice didn't.
Because the juice landed on someone.
And that someone was Endeavor.
I was about to fall face first into the shattered glass on the floor when I felt something grab the back of my dress and pull me up until I was standing straight. I immediately turned around, noticing Hawks standing behind me, apparently he used a feather to save my face.
"Are you alright?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and softly smiling at me.
If you were wondering, no it wasn't a 'poor girl is hurt, my smile will reassure her' type of soft smile... but rather a 'this cub needs training or else she might die in the real world.' type of smile.
I gave Hawks a grateful look while trying not to hiss at him before turning my head back forward and noticing something I was desperately trying not to notice.
Hawks and I exchanged silent stares with Endeavor as he examined his suit. His red suit, which appeared to be made of silk and other expensive textiles I had no idea about, was stained with purple liquid. As he examined his discolored suit, he took a long and deep breath.
I could hear Hawks snort behind me as I kept a shocked eye on Endeavor. Not many had noticed the commotion as the music was apparently louder than the sound of glass falling.
Before Endeavor could say anything, I dramatically gasped and put a hand on my mouth.
"OH MY GOSH! Endeavor.... Your suit...! ...It's.... Ruined!"
Endeavor grumbled at me, I could see his almost unnoticeable eye roll as he looked somewhere else, trying to ignore his horrible look right now.
"I'm sorry. It was a completely, totally innocent accident." I continued, pointing towards the glass. "That suit looks too expensive to do laundry. I'll just buy you another one."
A small smile formed on my face as I looked back towards Endeavor in the eyes. "After all, a suit like that would be the bare minimum for someone like me."
I expected Endeavor to get irritated with that sentence. Mostly for him to put up a fight with me about how the number one hero doesn't need someone paying for their suit. But instead he let out a sigh. Expect the unexpected, they say.
"Where's my son?" Endeavor asked, causing me to raise my eyebrows at his sudden change in topic.
Probably hidden in some corner of this school, wishing death upon me.
"Which one?"
I stared at Endeavor with an innocent smile as he looked at me with a blank expression. After a few tense seconds, he grumbled under his breath.
"I only have a single child who goes to UA." He said, looking at me as if all common sense had absconded my brain.
I only chuckle in respone, shaking my head lightly at him as if he was the stupid one. Letting out a sigh, I pointed towards the ground and turned to face Hawks... who was lost in his own world, staring off towards some kid eating chicken in the corner.
"Do you mind getting me another drink?" I say, making Hawks turn towards me questioningly at that statement. It had only cleared my doubt that even if he was looking at someone else, he was still listening to our conversation. Bet it didn't take long for him to figure out we don't like each other.
"Did you just ask the number 2 hero to get you a glass of juice?" Hawks says, staring at me like I had just committed a grave crime.
"Well, you're the reason I got distracted and tripped though..."
"Is there better 'drinks' at the cafeteria?"
"Yeah?"
"Is there chicken? ...Yakitori?"
"Most likely."
"Well then, I'll get you a drink from the cafeteria lil' cub. There's no need to worry about that!" Hawks beamed and I tried not to roll my eyes. He just wanted to go there for the food.
Before I could reply, Hawks were out of sight. I could imagine him zooming through loads of kids, trying not to injure them, as he probably already arrived at the cafeteria by now.
He won't come back as fast as he left, knowing that he loves chicken.
I chuckled to myself, before turning back to face Endeavor. He still had his eyes planted on me, unmoving, as if he was observing my every move.
"So... what were you saying... you only had one son who went to UA...?" I muttered, tilting my head to the side. "Ahh yeah. Shoto... I don't know where he is."
"That's all I was asking for. Didn't need to waste my time. " Endeavor grumbled, rolling his eyes at me sassily (which for some reason reminded me of Shoto) and starting to walk past me to ask someone else.
"Sorry about that Endeavor..." I smiled, scratching the back of my head. "I thought you were talking about the other one. He would have been here as a pro hero too... if he were alive."
As expected, Endeavor didn't falter in tracks as he continued walking past me like he heard nothing. Although, his face scrunched up for a barely noticeable second with an expression full of pain.
I always like to keep the last word. It gives some sort of feeling of power. Although this time Endeavor had walked past me and I was slightly satisfied that I had the last word... the number 1 hero wasn't exactly done.
"Your attitude reminds me of my younger self. Careful there, kid... One bad decision and you might never be able to go back."
I stared at Endeavor from the corner of my eyes as he went deeper into the crowd. He stood out from most people. His tall figure wasn't hard to not notice. Not only that, but many people made space for the number 1 hero. It wasn't awe... but more of a fear thing.
One bad decision....
I don't regret what I did at all.
Lying to Shoto Todoroki that I don't like him isn't a regret. If I could go back in time, I'd do it again. And if I could... then I would have stopped myself from coming to UA in the first place.
It's called Epiphany,... the sudden realization of something.
My life has never been so good. Whenever something good was happening, something bad quickly followed. It's happened too many times to count... so what made me think that my 5 minutes of happiness wouldn't lead to suffering later on. For both of us.
I'm glad Shoto has left the party, because if he didn't... he would have looked unaffected by what I told him.
I bit the insides of my cheeks, clenching and unclenching my hands before once again proceeding towards the exit. I had told Hawks to get me a drink, but the truth was that I wasn't thirsty.
Right before leaving the hall, my gaze landed on two people sitting on a table in the far end of the hall. I squinted my eyes for a second to get a better look, before stepping out of the party.
Mr. Aizawa.... Talking to Hinode.
I kept my gaze on the ground as I subconsciously walked towards one of the more emptier hallways. The image of Hindoe smiling at an annoyed Eraserhead playing through my mind like a video on repeat.
So Hinode's at this party as well. And judging by Mr. Aizawa's face, he wasn't expecting him to be here. I could tell that this party was annoying Mr. Aizawa and Hinode was just a cherry on top.
They were both talking about something which also didn't please Mr. Aizawa as much. Assuming that topic isn't about the mission because this is a public area.. What would they be talking about
The real question is... why is Hinode over here?
Before I could come up with an answer in my head, I felt a hand wrap around my mouth. My eyes widened in surprise and fingers immediately gripped that hand which covered my mouth.
There wasn't anyone around me and the person who had held my mouth shut. I had walked into one of the emptier sides of the school. No one was around here because everyone was at the party.
"If you scream or fight back, you're the only one who will suffer." Dabi said, gripping my mouth tighter until I finally let go of his hands and stopped digging my claws into him. "I'll be able to escape easily but I'll be sure to let everyone know who you truly are before I do so."
Do you really know who I truly am, Dabi.
A eased slightly in Dabi's grip, waiting not- so patiently for him to completely let me go now. After a few seconds, Dabi continued to keep his grip on me, before finally letting go.
But the moment he let go, I felt my body moving faster than my mind as I quickly grabbed a dagger and put it dangerously close to his neck.
"There are hundreds of heroes over here. How would you escape easily?"
Dabi looked at the dagger I had pointing at his neck. Slowly, he leaned down a little so that he was at a better height for me. I tried not to curse under my breath at his unaffectedness.
"The same way I managed to go into that stupid party and go unnoticed by everyone."
I noticed you though.
Though I was distracted trying to get Shoto's eyes of that girl who was flirting with him about half an hour ago, I still noticed the burnt smell that came out of the drink the waiter had served me.
I'm not sure what exactly happened, if Dabi was the waiter who served the juice, or if he had hung around the kitchen before and his strong scent go stuck into the refreshments... but I do know that because of my scent abilities as a lion, I was able to realize he was over here.
BUt it took too long to click in my head.
The moment when the epiphany hit me, we were in the middle of a huge crowd, hugging like an old couple. Shoto was holding onto me as I realized that this shouldn't be happening. What I did know at that moment was that Dabi wasn't... or couldn't watch us right now because of the many people in the party. I was sure though, that he saw Shoto leading me to the dance floor. So, I had to make sure he didn't notice me as I left the dance floor and the party with Shoto.
I panicked... I didn't know what to do. The only possible solution that came in my mind at that moment was to break Shoto's heart. If I didn't, then Dabi would believe that Shoto had a strong place in my heart. Dabi could have easily taken advantage of that. Instead, if I had pretended that Shoto was just one of my past times.... He wouldn't use him against me.
I'm sorry. I should have been more careful. I should have stuck to the first plan before the party and ignored Shoto completely.
Everyone suffers because of me.
"So you've studied all possible secret paths before coming here." I say, narrowing my eyes at Dabi. He smirked cockily, lightly putting a finger on the dagger I had close to his neck and moving it away. "Why are you over here?"
"I have a better question." Dabi says, about to take hold of the dagger, but before he could hold it, I moved it away from him. "Where's Shoto Todoroki?"
"I don't know."
"Stop lying. I saw the way you two were looking at each other. " Dabi nonchalantly spoke. "And yeah.. I may look like a heartless cruel villain- I mean I am one... But I know love when I see it."
I stared at Dabi blankly for a few seconds as he smugly smiled at me. After a few tense moments, I let out a laugh and took a step back from him.
"Gross. There's a difference between lOvE and general attraction." I laughed, waving him off with my hand like he was stupid. "I mean he's from the Todoroki family, of course he's hot."
"Then you should find me hot as well?"
I stopped laughing and turned my face blank once more. I raised an eyebrow at Dabi as I slowly turned my face towards him... before erupting into laughter again.
"Did you just compare yourself to the Todoroki family? Gosh Dabi, when was the last time you looked in the mirror?" I say in between laughs. I could notice a small smile of challenge from on Dabi's face.
"I'll make you look just like me and then we'll talk, princess." Dabi smiled and I could see his hand slowly start to smoke up from his sides.
Good. That diverted the topic from Shoto.
"At least I'd look better than you if I was all burnt up." I say, still keeping a smile on my face but my eyes on Dabi's smoking hand.
"Get out of your dreams. You look like a cat wearing heavy makeup right now. What the heck are you going to do when I ruin your face even more. Makes me want to have mercy on you and not do anything at all because you're already ugly."
That's when I snapped.
"HEY! What'd you just call my face!!!"
"A cat with heavy and horrible makeup"
"I'm warning you dabi! Shut up or I'll seriously kill you right now!"
"I'd like to see you try and get at least one hit on me."
"I'll seriously do it!"
"You're shaking in your heels. Just stop."
"UGH! Just tell me why you're here?!" I yelled, clenching my fist tightly in an attempt not to punch Dabi in the face.
"The answer's pretty obvious." Dabi spoke, letting his smoking hand die down and a smug and nonchalant expression to once again form on his face. "I came to watch you."
I lowered my heart rate and calmed my angry face down as I turned to look at Dabi. I narrowed my eyes at him, raising an eyebrow.
I knew it. He won't let me do this mission in peace as long as he's part of the league of villains.
This man would do anything to make sure that the league of villains doesn't fall down. It is obvious that he's not doing it because he cares about the members, but rather because the league will help him achieve what he can't by himself.
If I just knew what he needs to achieve.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm now an official member of the league as well?" I asked. This time I wasn't yelling at him. My voice was calm and general. "Why am I the one you never trust?"
Dabi lightly chuckled at my question. He slowly bent forward so that he was at the same height as me.
"Because you're the closest in the LOV to the Todorokis." Dabi says in a low voice, making the hairs in the back of my neck stand up in warning of something dangerous. "And I hate the Todorokis."
That much was easy to figure out.
"I'm just his classmate." I say, looking at Dabi in the eyes and watching a wicked smile once again grow on his face.
"Then stay like that."
Yeah I know. That's why Shoto wouldn't talk to me any more. Because I made sure he knew that my relationship with him is only one of acquaintances or classmates. Nothing more. Nothing Less.
"And if I don't?"
Dabi only laughed at my question, not giving an answer as he once again stood straighter. He looked taller than me, like someone who had a lot of power, and I was just a small twig in his way.
"Answer the question Dabi." I say, keeping my eyes on him as he shook his head lightly at me.
Because I know... and he knows that I know what he'd do if he figured out I was something more to Shoto. If Shoto was something more to me.
He'd kill both of us. And Shigaraki wouldn't bother.
"Forget that princess." Dabi says, changing the topic from Shoto. "What is the purpose of this party? I don't think it's a good idea to host a party after a boy got kidnapped not more than 2 months ago."
"They're celebrating Bakugou's rescue, not the other way around. The third years are also celebrating their last year at this school. It's just a normal party." I muttered, scratching the back of my neck and deliberately leaving out the part where most people in first year got their hero licenses.
I have to give the league of villains information about stuff happening in school. Normal things which a student like me can figure out. IAccording to Mr. Aizawa, I have to do my best to act like I don't have the skills to find out what's going on behind the scenes with the school heads. Although, if I was serious, figuring out what's going on behind the scenes would be a piece of cake for me.
Anyways, the first years already advancing far in the heroing field isn't something I should point out to Dabi. The more the league thinks that the UA students are useless, the more advantage we have in taking down the league.
Dabi wasn't particularly paying attention to what I was saying. I watched him in silence as he rummaged through his pockets, taking out a packet of cigarettes. My eyes practically popped out of my sockets when he started to take a cigarette out of the packets.
"What are you doing?!" I hissed, smacking his hand down before he could take one.
"Smoking." Dabi spoke nonchalantly, not seeming affected by me smacking his hand away from him. He once again proceeded to take out a cigarette.
"Dabi. This is a school. If anyone smells that and finds you here, you'll get both of us killed!"
"Don't worry. Everyone here's dumb."
"You count in 'everyone' as well, ya know."
I wasn't the one who said the last sentence.
I took a deep breath and turned to see who had spoken behind Dabi. There was no need to, because recognising that voice took less than a half-second.
A figure appeared, vermillion wings sprouting from his body, his arms crossed, smirking at me and Dabi.
Ahh great!
Dabi didn't fully turn around, or didn't feel the need to as he looked at Hawks from behind his shoulders. He chuckled lightly, slightly shaking his head.
"Don't compare me to a bunch of blind ass heroes, Hero." Dabi says, once again proceeding to take out a cigarette like nothing had happened. I quickly snatched the packet from his hands before he could do anything.
Yeah. I know. Too late, right?
But I wasn't about to dig a deeper whole for myself because Dabi wanted to smoke.
"I was looking for Nora because you asked me to get you a drink. Who would have thought that I would find the infamous UA traitor instead. Haha I didn't even try!"
I was to busy staring at Hawks like I had been caught doing murder- which would have been a better situation then this- to realize Dabi was glaring at me for stealing his cigarettes. After a small while of me not responding to Dabi's glare, Dabi turned around and finally properly looked at Hawks.
"Good job. Do you want an award?" He carelessly spoke, not seeming affected at all by the fact that we both are about to probably die. He then turned to me, trying to snatch the packet back, but wasn't able to as I easily dodged his hand."Give it back now."
Ignoring the fact that Dabi sounded like a 5 year old child trying to get his cigarettes back, I kept the packet away from Dabi, not letting him mess up my life more than it already is.
"Do you not have any patience?!!" I hissed as Dabi finally got a hold of my hand.
"No. I don't have any patience with you."
Before I could come back with a snarky response, Dabi quickly snapped his eyes back to Hawks. But it was too late for me to comprehend what was going on as I felt Dabi suddenly light up his hand with fire.
A gust of wind arrived before Dabi lit his flames, and I sensed Dabi's flames about to go in the opposite direction of what he had intended. (My face). My pupils dilated, and I quickly covered my face to protect myself from the flames. But I didn't feel any of the fire hit my face as I was thrown back. I fell a few meters away from Dabi, my butt hitting the ground painful.
It took me exactly three seconds to comprehend the floating feather on my throat, sharp and ready to kill if I moved even an inch forward.
What the fuck just happened?
I steered my confused gaze from the feather to Dabi. Hawks stood half a meter in front of him, holding out another sharp feather dangerously close to Dabi's neck.
Oh. Things just got serious.
"I'll burn that up to ashes before you could do anything." Dabi nonchalantly spoke as I panickedly looked between the feather and Hawks.
If Hawks arrest Dabi then I wouldn't be arrested. The hero commision wouldn't let me go to jail... but the whole league will find out about my real identity and the whole mission will fail.
I can not afford to fail.
"Ya' sure 'bout that? I'm known as the man who's too fast." Hawks smirked, looking towards me as I slowly ran a cold hand through my hair.
Hawks and I locked eyes for a split second. He had a smug smile of victory on his face, but his eyes betrayed his smile. His eyes were narrowed down and eyebrows slightly inwards as he kept his gaze on me.
It didn't take me long to figure out that he was pissed. Like really pissed... at me.
"I'd suggest that both of you cooperate and listen to me, or else it won't look so pretty when I call the other heroes for back up."
I got distracted by Dabi's cigarettes. My main focus was to make sure no one was listening to our conversation by keeping my senses up. I was supposed to constantly smell if there were any people near us, just like I was making sure the same was happening for my conversation with Shoto.
How could I fail to smell a chicken?
I swallowed a breath, calming my panicking heart. It took less than a second to get my blood rate back in control. I let out an annoyed sigh instead, brushing my hair off of my shoulders.
Hawks feathers have the ability to detect heart rate. I can not let him know that I am scared.
"What do you want?" Dabi was quick to speak. He didn't seem nervous at all, but rather curious. It made me wonder... does the fact that villains are not scared of his presence make Hawks nervous himself. "If you haven't called the heroes yet, you obviously want something. So spit it out."
If it did or did not scare Hawks, it didn't matter. Because Hawks was good at hiding it.
"You'll have to promise me that I get what I want first."
"Don't waste my time and just spit it out."
I narrowed my eyes on Hawks. He wanted something from the league? That wasn't something I was expecting.
My mind wasn't running properly but I knew for a fact that if Hawks wanted something from the league, it couldn't be a good sign.
So... what exactly does he want?
"That's more like it! There's not much I want though, just let me join." Hawks said cheerfully, removing the feather from in front of both our faces.
...
......
.........
"What?" This time I was the one to speak first. I could feel my hazy mind filled with ten thousand other problems explode inside of me.
Dabi didn't seem as surprised as I did, or maybe he did and I just couldn't tell. He kept a straight face, looking at Hawks in silence as Hawks looked at me and nodded proudly.
"No." Dabi immediately but nonchalantly said, causing Hawks to run his gaze from me back to Dabi.
Hawks stared at Dabi silently, with an unreadable expression on his face. He took a step back to make room as Dabi started to walk away from him. The bird's eyes landed on me once again for a brief second.
"Why do you want to join the league of villains? How am I supposed to know this isn't a trap you heroes are making?" Dabi spoke , lazily striding down the hall until he was standing directly behind me. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
I could feel Dabi's uneasing presence behind me as he looked at Hawks with a feral grin.
"Did you think I'm stupid enough to believe that the number 2 hero actually wants to be a villain?"
The hall went silent again as both me and Dabi patiently waited for Hawk's answer. Dabi was giving Hawks time to rethink this and the longer he took, the more sure Dabi would be that this was Hawks tricks. However, he didn't take much long to come up with a response as Hawk's unreadable expression immediately turned into a pout.
"Come on man! I'm sick of all this hero stuff. I want to be a free bird, not get binded by the chains of being the Number 2." He complained, putting his feather back on his back. "I can spy for you or something. Just help me get free."
"We already got a spy." Dabi spoke, kicking me in the back.with his dirty boots. I let out a hiss, dusting the back of my dress in case there were any marks created on it.
"There is only a limited amount of information an ordinary teenager can provide you."
Dabi took in Hawks words, narrowing his eyes at him.
It's all starting to make sense now.
Hinode's presence at this party which barely has anything to do with him, he was here for Hawks.
Of course Hawks don't want to betray heroes. I can tell by the way he's speaking so confidently, he sounds like someone completely different from the Hawks I know. The number two hero wants to be a free bird and working for villains wouldn't help him accomplish that. Hiding from society wouldn't let him 'fly freely'.
Only people with secrets are able to act so nonchalantly and convincingly in this situation... and only people with secrets are able to understand...
But Dabi has secrets too.
Whatever it is, I don't like it. This mission was assigned to me and I am the one who should be getting information from the league of villains and providing it to the hero commission. Not Hawks.
If they're bringing another spy into this... that means I'm failing.
I can not afford to fail.
"You're an idiot to think I'd believe a pathetic excuse as yours." Dabi says, shaking his head at Hawks lightly in disbelief. "Come on. Just call the other heroes already and put up a fight. My hands are aching for some blood."
Hawks let out a disappointed sigh, leaning his back against the wall as he kept his eyes on Dabi and me.
"I'll do anything. No questions asked."
"Then kill her."
I stared at Hawks lost in my own thoughts with my chin boredly resting on my fist. Hawks' gaze slowly went to mine, a small smile of dumbfoundedness present on his face.
Haha. Surely this 'her' isn't me.
"Alright! I take back the no questions asked part." Hawks beamed, raising up both his hands in defense. "If I kill the girl or something, wouldn't this environment not be as appropriate to move a dead body???"
"Don't worry about the aftermath. She's already a spy in the association. If you want to take her place you'll have to remove her."
"Alright! I'll do it. Nothing personal so don't hold grudges, okay?" Hawks cheerfully said, sharpening the feather which was already in his hands.
I sat straighter in confusion, but before I could ask any questions, a strong gust of wind came my way. I barely got a glimpse of the winged man as he automatically appeared in front of me.
I could feel a slight cut in my throat but it felt more like someone had tickled me. I blinked twice, looking ahead as I felt Hawk's feather slit through my throat.
"Stop."
The feather on my throat felt sharp for less then a second, but immediately felt lighter less than an inch before the vital parts of my throat had been reached. His feather was still on my neck and my face was still with a smile because I hadn't finished reacting to Dabi telling Hawks to kill me let alone the part where Hawks actually attempted too.
The atmosphere once again went silent as Hawks looked towards Dabi in confusion, the feather still on my neck. Only this time, it wasn't as sharp as before. I felt a small amount of blood flow down the side of my neck.
The one to break the silence was my loud laughs.
"Damn," I chuckled, stretching my hands up and leaning back till my back hit the floor. "I thought I was gonna die!"
"How disappointing, I was silently hoping I spoke too late." Dabi sighed, turning his attention back to Hawks. "You..."
Hawks grinned at Dabi, posing in front of him.
"I still don't trust you."
The smile on Hawks face disappeared and a slightly annoyed frown came in place of it.
"Why not dude. I was about to kill someone for you." Hawks once again pouted, pointing towards me with his feathers.
"You asked a question, that's why." Dabi simply said. "Although, if you had asked me why I was killing our little princess and not moved right away to kill her, the heroes would have been here, taking away both of your dead bodies."
"Bro..." Hawks says, looking disappointed at the fact that he wasn't let into Japan's most dangerous villain group so easily.
"You didn't really think it'd be so easy, did you?" Dabi says, making Hawks' pout drop and an unreadable expression form on his face.
I raised an eyebrow, looking between the two grown men as they steadily kept an eye at each other. They were both trying to figure out what the other was thinking, that was clear.
I could tell by Dabi's look that he knew Hawks wasn't someone he'd believe in. He was obviously trying to figure out what Hawks exactly wanted... and Hawks, he was trying to figure out if Dabi believed him or not.
Even though I'm the main infiltration of the league of villains, if Hinode wants Hawks to join as well, there must be a reason.
"Get my trust first." I spoke as I continued to lay down on the ground. I could feel the blood on my neck start to flow down a little more rapidly. Both men's faces snapped towards me at my words.
"Why would I ask someone I don't trust to earn my trust by earning the trust of someone I don't trust?" Dabi spoke, making me smile slightly at his play of words.
"A little narcissistic, Dabi." I spoke, putting a hand on the cut on my neck. "I'd like to remind you that you're not the leader of the league of villains, Shigaraki is."
A chuckle escaped my mouth.
"Shiggy won't be so pleased that you don't trust someone he recruited himself."
I could feel Hawks eyes on me as I smiled to myself. Dabi on the other hand had a sour and annoyed look on his face.
That's right, Hawks. I was able to make the league of villains recruit me without asking to be recruited... Could you ever do that?
"Fine. Do whatever you want." Dabi grumbled, walking towards me- or rather stomping like an angry toddler. "Don't blame me if Shigaraki finds you dead in a ditch."
I smiled at Dabi as he kneeled down beside me, taking his packet of cigarettes. I hadn't even noticed they were beside me. Dabi didn't look at me as he stood back straight. He put both his hands in his pockets and walked away from us.
I kept my eyes on the back of Dabi as he took a right turn down the hallway and left us without any farewell. I could still smell his scent near us but I didn't know if he was actually still here or it was just his after scent.
"You just made him not trust the both of us." Hawks suddenly said, making me sure that Dabi was far enough away from us.
"I know." I smiled, sitting up once again and dusting the back of my dress. "But if I hadn't done that you wouldn't have had a chance to get in here at all."
"I knew what I was doing."
I ignored the way Hawks sounded like a completely different person right now. I didn't look at him but I could tell his gaze on me was cold.
"That's cute."
"What are you still doing at UA?" Hawks immediately asked, ignoring or not hearing my sarcastic words.
"You know, the usual... Making the most of life." I smiled, finally looking at Hawks. At this rate, with the amount of times I've smiled, I think my cheeks are going to be hurting.
"You promised."
The hallway went unusually silent as I stared down at the ground. Hawks' gaze wasn't as cold anymore, maybe I was imagining him looking scary. Rather, he had more like a sad type of aura coming out of him.
"I've broken many of those." I say in a low voice, seeing the memories of Shoto's almost teary face playing behind my head.
Hawks let out a small sigh, crouching down in front of me as I kept my gaze on the floor.
I promised him I'd leave UA before the hero commission had a chance to offer me this mission. I promised him I wouldn't risk my life for the hero commission.
Hawks knew that if I did... the result would be how I've become today.
Will it get worse?
"You idiot." He muttered, pulling out a small box of first aid from his pocket. He looked down at me with disappointment, but all I could feel was pity. He was pitying me.
"Why'd you accept it then?" I asked, finally looking at Hawks as he took out a bandage from the box.
"Because I'm older than you, and I know how to do these kinds of stuff." Hawks replied. "You almost killed yourself, lil cub... and if it were another hero who had happened to overhear your conversation, then you'd have screwed your mission."
"No... Why are you helping me with this mission?"
Hawks sighed, wiping the blood flowing down my neck with a cotton ball. I was surprised the whole floor wasn't filled with blood but then I remembered that it was only a small cut.
"From what I was told, someone from the league would help me, gain their trust. I didn't know that that person would be so little." He chuckled, patting my head and making me hiss at him.
"I'm not supposed to help you, you're supposed to help me." I said and Hawks immediately laughed at my words, only making me annoyed more. "I don't even need your help."
"Don't be ridiculous, of course you need my help. You're infiltrating one of the most dangerous villains and you're only 16." Hawks spoke, shakign his head lightly at me like I was a little kid.
I glared at him, crossing my arms as he started to wrap my neck with a bandage.
"What do you mean I'm only 16? I can do whatever I want without anyone's help."
"No you can't."
"Yes, I can."
"No, you can't."
"Yes, I can."
"No-"
"I CAN."
Hawks didn't stop bandaging my neck, but I knew for sure I had surprised him with my sudden yell of anger. I couldn't help myself, I needed to prove it to him. I needed to prove that I was strong.
"Something as stupid as age doesn't impact me now." I say, keeping my eyes on Hawks. "Not anymore..."
Why would it? Having to go through so much at such a young age... I've lived with so many problems and have gotten through so much without anyone's help.
"So don't say something as stupid as gaining the trust of a couple of villains is too much for me."
I expected Hawks to stay silent at my words, but he didn't. Letting out a small chuckle, Hawks shook his head.
"It's not the fact that this mission is something small compared to everything you've been through, Nora." He says, taking something out of his first aid box. "When you create a large but unstable caste out of building blocks... it can only take one small block for the whole castle to fall."
I knew what he meant by that... but I didn't believe him. A small fire burned inside me.
"You remind me of my younger self...I used to believe that age was just a number and I could do anything." Hawks says, continuing to rummage with the box of medical supplies. I was starting to believe he didn't even know what he was looking for in there. "That mindset led me to come to the top 10 at only the age of 18. I was powerful... Nothing scared me anymore... Everyone thought I was amazing and carefree. "
He finally stopped rummaging through the first aid box. Hawk's kept his eyes on the floor, not looking at me.
"But now I wonder... was it all worth it. Was it worth it to prove myself to the world? To be so fast... Did I really want this?"
When he had said those words, I immediately knew it wasn't Hawks who was talking.
It was the person he used to be before he joined the hero commission.