Why haven't you said anything? I've been waiting and waiting and waiting, but you're not saying anything. Are you mad at me? Do you think I was being too pushy? I was just telling you how I feel! I just didn't like them hanging all over you like that! They were trying to make you go with them! I just wanted them to know…that you're mine, doll. And that they can't have you.

Frowning. Tilting his head as he typed another message to Amaya while his other hand gripped the handle of his knife. Toying with it, tapping his fingertips along the handle as he tried to calm himself down. The adrenaline that came rushing through his veins as he narrowed his eyes on the screen. Sent messages that showed as delivered, but were left unread.

I trust you. You know that, don't you? I didn't follow you, even though I wanted to. Believe me! I really, really wanted to go with you, but I respected your wishes. So it's really hard for me to do this. I can't do anything except for wait for you to answer. And you're not! But you're not ignoring me, are you? Is your phone turned off? Is that why?

"Deku~" Toga wrapped her arms around him from behind and tried to look at his screen from over his shoulder. "Come on! Let's go do something fun!"

"I'm busy." He kept his eyes on the screen as he tried to shake her off of him. "Leave me alone."

"Don't be so boring. Come on-!" She fell silent when he turned on her with the tip of his blade just an inch from her nose. Her grin fading to a pout as she crossed her arms. "You're no fun anymore, Deku. You're cute when you're jealous, but this is just-"

"He's fixating," Shigaraki spoke from down the counter. "Isn't that right? You're obsessing over our new member. What is it? You think she's going to turn against us?"

Deku managed to push Toga away from him, looking at Shigaraki with defiance. "She's not going to do that." His eyes dropped to the screen again as his hand tightened around his phone. "She knows how important this is."

A creak as the blue-haired villain got up from his seat and approached the other two. A fingertip pressing at the phone screen to push it down. Red eyes staring back into Deku's green ones as his leader's chapped lips curved into a smirk. "If she needs to be "educated", you should just leave that to me. Or maybe Toga or Dabi. You don't have what it takes to break her, do you?"

The blade sank into the countertop and he glared at the older villain. "She doesn't need broken. You don't know her. You don't know what she's like. She's going to do whatever I want her to. So you don't need to get involved, Shigaraki. I have this under control."

Shigaraki was silent for a moment. A fingernail scraping along his neck as he scratched at it. "If you had this under control, our new member would be here right now. And I doubt you would look so scared. Your little obsession is getting in the way of what's really important. You're letting it stop you from seeing what needs to be done. If we want to get her on our side, we need a little something special to keep her loyal to us."

A lump formed in his throat. Refusing to back down, Deku leaned toward him and gripped the handle of his knife harder. "What are you saying?"

"It's called "insurance". A leash and collar that I can tighten around her neck any time she might seem like she's drifting away."

"She isn't yours! Shigaraki-!"

Toga's giggle interrupted him as she bounced in place. "Ooooh! You're adorable when you lose your cool, Deku! I'm falling in love all over again!"

"What did you do to her?!"

"There it is." Shigaraki's lips spread wider in a grin. "You see it, don't you? Your own personal feelings have been clouding your judgement. Look at how angry you are. You don't even know what I did yet."

"Just tell me! Where is she? You know where she is, don't you? That's why she hasn't been answering me! All this time, you were sitting there and-!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The blue-haired villain spread his arms out at his sides, still grinning viciously. Not an ounce of remorse. "I haven't even touched her. I don't know where she is. But I know where Dabi is. You were so wrapped up in what your precious "doll" was doing that you didn't even notice he was missing."

No! No, no, no! Doll, I shouldn't have left you alone! I should've stayed with you and now-! No! You're strong! Stronger than Dabi! Doll, you're amazing! I've watched you fight. I've watched all of your fights that were ever caught on tape. So I know you can handle yourself. I believe in you. I know you can do this, but…don't betray me, doll. You wouldn't, right? You love me. So you wouldn't let him kill you, would you?

"She just needs to crack a little. If she shatters like your last little pet, we'll have to throw her away. You don't want to do that again, do you? If you get involved now, who knows what might happen? He might break her apart."

Frowning, but taking a step back. Conceding as his stomach clenched with something he had not felt in a while. Fear. Cold, deep, true fear. Not for his own well-being, but for hers. Deku left the bar to go to his room and let himself fall onto his bed. Pushing back his sleeve and staring at the blood red ribbon tied around his wrist.

Shift P.O.V

"This is where he lived when we were kids." Bakugou's narrowed red eyes focused on the nameplate beside the door. The tenseness leaving his shoulders as what almost seemed like defeat washed over him. "Looks like she moved."

Amaya stared at the nameplate and tried to remember what name Kurogiri had called Deku by. Definitely not the name of the current resident of this apartment. A tightening in her chest as failure set in. "Yes. It seems like it," she quietly agreed.

I was so sure. His mother has to know something that could help bring him back, but…she isn't here. What if she's not even alive anymore? What can I do now? I can't ask Bakugou for help anymore. This is something I have to do myself. The police or heroes would get Deku away from the League, but…he would be arrested and I'd never see him again. I just want him to be free!

A loud, exaggerated sigh beside her as Bakugou ran a hand through his spiky, ash blond hair. "Damn it! Pisses me off!"

"You've been nothing but mean to him. Why-?"

"Shut the hell up, Ribbon! That old lady was the only other person who could've known-!" His words falling to a low growl as his hands curled into fists. "Whatever! I'm gonna find out where she went and I'll figure out where that damn Deku is! Tomorrow, got it?! We're gonna go find her tomorrow and I'll get answers!"

She watched him storm off. Starting to walk behind him and pausing to look over her shoulder at the door. A prickly feeling, an itchy sort of sensation along her spine started once she was on the sidewalk. Rubbing the back of her neck did nothing to alleviate the feeling.

Tomorrow. But I already told Deku I would see him tomorrow. I promised him. She paused at the street corner, watching traffic pass her and waiting for the signal to change. Amaya remembered the look on his face. So excited, so happy. Just thinking about how he had looked at her was enough to make it feel like her heart was melting in her chest.

She was turning her phone back on as she neared her house. Seeing a few missed messages from Deku. She was typing a reply with one hand, unlocking her door with the other. The phone fell from her hand to the floor as she stepped inside and spotted what was waiting for her.

"Took you a while to get home. Don't tell me you're two-timing him." The villain smirked at her from where he stood in the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Dark, sooty handprints on the framed family photos that hung on the wall and ashes on the floor leading to him like a path.

Amaya's heart dropped into her stomach and she took a step back. The door had already closed behind her, but she knew she could run if she was quick. However, that would leave him alone in her house. This villain that was so well-known for burning everything in his path.

"I didn't see the appeal before, but you look pretty cute when you're scared," he taunted. Taking a few steps toward her down the hall, dragging his fingertips along the wall and leaving waving, ashy lines in their wake. "Kurokawa Amaya. Class 3-A. I thought you were supposed to be a hero in training. One villain shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"

He's…testing me. Her pulse was racing as she met his gaze and she took a few steps forward. "But…why would I fight a villain if I want to join the League?" she questioned, tilting her head. "I thought I was accepted."

Dabi's smirk grew. Vivid blue eyes stayed locked onto her as she drifted into the kitchen. "Cute. You think it's one of those after school clubs that just lets anybody in, right? Leader doesn't want weaklings and he doesn't want someone that's gonna turn on us."

Is he here to kill me? It would make sense. Shigaraki may have decided she was not worth the risk. He may have sent this villain to kill her so she was never able to spill what she had seen or heard. Breaking out in a cold sweat, she kept her eyes on Dabi as she stopped between the table and the sink.

So amused. He stood watching her in silence for a while. "Nothing to say?"

"If Shigaraki wants me dead, what is there to say? Nothing I could say will win you over or change his mind," she stated.

"Smart girl. But you've got the wrong idea. I'm not gonna kill you today; I'm just here to do what that weak Deku couldn't get himself to do."

Her blood felt like it was turning to ice in her veins. "What?"

"That kid was supposed to tie to you the League. Break you apart a little so you'd be loyal to us. But since he couldn't do it, I get to have some fun. Lucky me, right?" His smirk began to shift into a grin that sent chills down her spine. He lifted a hand, flexing his fingers and igniting blue flames that twisted and turned. "Put up a good fight and maybe I won't break any of your bones, but I can't make any promises."

Fire rushed at her and Amaya used her quirk. The water in the flower vase on the table rose into the air between her and his flames to try to extinguish them before they reached her. At the same time, her left hand darted behind her to turn on the sink. Both hands used the running water as a whip; extending out to lash at Dabi and turning to ice along the edges to cut at his skin and clothes. She heard a satisfying hiss escape him as she opened a cut below his eye and she started toward him.

The water was used to form a protective ring around her that hung in the air as her quirk guided the flow from the sink to fill the air with mist. The abrupt change in the air made it harder to breathe at first, but Amaya knew it was needed; the wetter the air, the less powerful his flames. They needed dry air to thrive and she had to make the environment less than ideal for him.

Through the mist, Dabi's grin returned. "I see what you're doing. Probably would've worked on someone weaker, but my flames are hotter."

Wincing as blue flames spread between the villain and Amaya. The heat was intense and immediately made her start to sweat. A dry heat that overpowered her mist, melted her ice. She saw his grin through the crackling flames just as she thought of her cat Mochi.

"Stop it! Please stop it! My house-!"

"If I burn it to the ground, what're you gonna do about it? Are you gonna cry to those fake heroes? Or are you gonna try to kill me?" he taunted.

"Please! Please stop! Please! I'm…I'm begging…please!" Tears rolling down her face as she thought of losing her cat. Of her parents losing the home they had worked so hard to afford.

The flames increased and started creeping toward the kitchen. She was forced to run from the room as it was engulfed in blue fire. Her eyes wide, stumbling backwards against the wall as her lungs felt like they were burning as well. So sure this would be her end; burned to cinders in the wreckage of her home without even saying good bye to Deku or her parents.

As she slid to the floor, the flames stopped spreading. Dabi approached her side and crouched down, grabbing a handful of her hair. "Might wanna put those out while you still can. You're lucky I'm giving you the chance."

Amaya used her quirk to direct the water from the still running sink. Extinguishing the flames, but seeing that the kitchen was in ruins. Shaking. Fearful as she felt him tug at her dark hair. "Please just leave."

"You're gonna come with me. Or we can hang here until your parents get home. But you don't want me to meet your parents. I don't play nice like Deku does."