A/N: The transition symbol without the line in the exchange between Dabi and Melina indicates a shift in viewpoint but a continuation of the scene. The block of italics is to separate Melina's flashback, her memory, from what is going on the present. The other separations as per usual indicate a passage of a longer amount of time, many days or several hours in addition the shift in viewpoint. I hope that makes sense. Thank you for reading!

Dabi opened her hotel room door using the pass key he had stolen from the room service attendant on his first visit. He had kept it for this purpose. After leaving Toga at the emergency room, he came straight to the hotel.

All of the lights were on. There were several empty plates and a half empty bottle of wine sitting on the table. There was a second wine glass, unused, beside the bottle as if she was expecting his arrival. An open book lay on the coffee table. The bed was empty but the duvet and sheets had been turned down by the maid. The mint on the pillow lay untouched. She was not in the bathroom but the shower stall was wet, the mirror still a little fogged up, indicating she had showered recently.

"Where the fuck is she?," he asked himself.

Going back to the kitchenette, he poured himself a glass of wine. After taking a sip, it was then he noticed the flickering lights of candles, hundreds of them, on the balcony. She stood at the railing, sipping her wine, and taking in the view of the city. Her hair was still damp and hung in loosely curled tendrils down her back. Wearing a short teal colored chemise, she looked like a picture of innocence and seduction all at once.

"Up here, in the dark, you can only see the lights, the beauty, of the city. You can't see the problems, the destruction, the danger," she said, tipping her glass up at her lips.

"What did you do to her?" Dabi demanded.

"Don't worry. She'll be fine," Melina assured him.

For a moment he was taken aback. He had expected her to deny she had attacked Toga. He expected tears, begging, some kind of emotional manipulation as she pleaded the case for her innocence.

"Toga experienced an exaggerated allergic reaction to the bee venom due to the concentration of the chemicals in conjuncture with the large dose," she explained without being asked. "In the future, I recommend she carry around an epi-pen to stave off anaphylactic shock. Her next bee sting could be deadly."

"Melina, what the fuck were you thinking?" he questioned her, moving to stand beside her.

"Worried?" She held her wine glass by the stem, swirling the red wine inside.

Of course, you idiot. What part of I like you do you not understand?, he wanted to retort but kept his mouth shut. Apparently she took his reticence as a cue to continue speaking.

"I was thinking I needed to teach that little girl a lesson. I'm a grown ass woman not interested in a battle with children. That includes Shigaraki too," she added derisively, finishing off the rest of her wine.

"Do you realize what you've done?"

Dabi studied her face when she turned toward him. He held her gaze. Her eyes virtually glowed in the muted candlelight making them appear to be two pools of molten gold in her head. Just like the heated liquid metal they resembled, they exuded a menacing heat, warning him of hidden danger and the possibility of getting burned. He raised his hand, a blue flame igniting and dancing across his palm. Her eyes never left his to look at the fire he held in his hand.

"What have I done, Dabi?" Melina asked him, her voice low, calm - unconcerned. "Are you threatening me now, too?"

"You've basically declared war. You put a target on your own back." He flinched when she laughed - a loud, sinister guffaw like a witch's cackle.

"Please," she murmured. "He wants my quirk too much to kill me. If I'm dead, the quirk is gone. Is there something else that brings you here? You ready for another go already? I'm kinda not in the mood tonight."

"No, Melina, I'm not," he said, seizing her by the wrist as she tried to walk past him. "What's happened to you?"

"What do you think, asshole?" she hissed, twisting her wrist and wrenching herself free from his hold. "Did you think coming back into my life would be so easy? Yes, we might have had sex but that doesn't mean everything is all hunky-dory!"

Dabi followed her into the room where she stopped at the table to pour herself the remainder of the bottle of wine. When she sat down on the couch, he stayed standing.

"I was violated. Everything in my entire home was wrecked. An extremely precious memento that can never be replaced was obliterated," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "She stole something from me that I can never get back."

"What's that? Besides your damn poetry book, what else did she take from you?"

Melina scoffed, sneering contemptuously at him. She imbibed a large gulp of her wine. Then her eyes latched onto his so he could absorb the full gravity of her words.

"She stole my sense of safety. She reminded me that I'm vulnerable, that everything that means anything can be stolen from me in a heartbeat. I don't like that feeling. I don't like being afraid. I don't like losing what's precious to me. Did you expect me to allow her to get away with making me feel those things? Isn't it only right that I make her pay?!"

Dabi had nothing to say. There was nothing he could say. He understood exactly what she was feeling actually. He too had suffered having that sense of security being ripped away from him. The people who were supposed to love him the most had turned on him, hurting him more than he could have ever have imagined. Rejected, he was left alone to flounder, to find his own way in the world.

"I have something for you," he announced, sitting down beside her.

Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out the book he had hidden there. He had been on his way to see her before the incident with Toga to give her the surprise. He had a very special present for her. This was supposed to be a good evening with her, a romantic evening. Whether they had sex or not was inconsequential, that was not his goal coming here. But he hoped his surprise would make her happy.

Although her outward appearance had softened with the new hair style and make up along with the color of her new clothing, she had hardened into a block of ice. It was if a part of her died that night, changing her forever. Somehow he doubted that was the first time her life had drastically changed in one night. Once again, she had been forced to adjust, to adapt to dire circumstances. Maybe this would help bring a part of her back.

"Here." He held out the book with the sky blue cover on it to her.

"What's that?" she snorted caustically. "I told you nothing can re - "

"It's not a replacement. I found all the pieces. I did my best to repair it. I know it will never be the same, but..." He fumbled for the words and missed. Shoving the book at her, he grunted,"Here. Just take the damn thing."

\..'../

Melina stared at the little book covered in powder blue leather. Could it be...could it really be her poetry book and not a clever copy? Her fingers trembled as she reached for the book. She almost dropped it, but he held on to it, taking her hand to press the book into it.

Opening the front cover, she saw the title page had been painstakingly pieced back together. The tiny squares of paper, a few of which were missing in random parts of the page, had been fitted together like a puzzle, taped over then covered in glue. Her grandmother's inscription was there. Only part of the L was missing in fall in the 'Fall in love every chance you get' making it look like an i. Fail in love? Well, she was all over that one.

She flipped through the book seeing all of the pages had been repaired to the best of his ability with tape and decoupage glue. She recognized the pages she had gripped in her hand by the wrinkles which he had attempted to iron out before gluing them to the spine. Tears formed in her eyes. The anger that had frosted her heart melted just a little with each tear that slid down her cheeks. Closing the book, she placed her hand on the top of it.

"I am sorry, Melina. If I had known, I would have stopped her," he said, laying his hand over hers that rested on top of the book.

"I know," she whispered.

"Shigaraki is still going to be coming after you, you know," he warned her, drawing her into his chest when he embraced her.

"Yeah, I know." She lay her head on his chest. "You should be careful being around me since I'm wearing a target on my back."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," he assured her, stroking her damp hair.

"Dabi? Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

~\..'../~

When threatened with a lawsuit, the owner of the apartment building made some drastic changes to the half assed security measures. The glass walls at the entrance of the -building were covered with decorative metal shutters. The glass doors were replaced with shatter proof plexi-glass. A key card and numerical combination were required to enter the front doors. There was also a security guard posted at a desk in front of the elevator. The stairwells required a slide from the key card used to enter the front.

Each apartment door had the same dual locks, the key card and numerical code for the keypad, along with an alarm system. Burglar bars could not be installed because they were a fire hazard and would prevent tenants from using the fire escape to flee in case of the front door being blocked. Burglar bars would turn the apartment into a coffin in case of fire.

Melina appreciated the man's willingness to comply with fire codes after her ordeal with fire. She knew these excessive measures would not stop everyone, but it would at least slow them down. She doubted anyone would bother breaking into her apartment again anyway. There were so many other places they could accost her. And they would be coming for her.

Her apartment had received a total renovation. Not a trace of the old was left behind. All of the tile and carpet had been replaced with dark brown hardwood waxed to a mirror finish. The tile back-splash behind the stove was now shiny hammered copper squares. Her furniture was rustic, heavy oak wood like her family had in their country home.

She liked the bed at the hotel so much she bought a similar one except the wood was painted white. The birdcage chair had been switched out for a round, fuzzy cushioned chair in an eye popping shade of magenta. The gray tile in the bath were colors reminiscent of the sea; shades of blue, green, and white.

Slowly but surely, every part of her life was returning to a degree of normalcy. However, she knew another part of her life never would be normal. Although finding some sense of comfort in her new routine, she remained vigilant, always aware of her surroundings, because an attack could come from any where at any time. They were just waiting for her to let down her guard.

Since Toga's release from the hospital, Dabi had not come around much. He explained that it would draw unnecessary attention to her and Toga might have another jealous fit. Besides, Shigaraki wasn't going to let her go that easily. But she could protect herself - be her own hero.

Although it was around midnight, Melina was on her rooftop tending to her bees. They were inactive at night which made harvesting so much each easier. She didn't sleep much anymore anyway.

Strings of lights crisscrossing the area around her hives and flowers, enabled her to see in the dark. There were lights in the greenhouse and processing shed as well. The only thing that left her a little antsy was how the excess amount of light in certain areas created plenty of shadows in the corners of the rooftop in which someone could hide.

Inside the processing shed, she scraped the beeswax and honey from the frame using a plain old paint scraper she had bought specifically for the procedure. She dumped everything into the metal colander sitting on top of the big plastic bowl. The honey would separate from the beeswax in about two days allowing her to process the two products separately.

The bees taught her a lot of things, patience being her greatest lesson. Controlling her fear was another valuable lesson. Both of those came in handy in the present circumstances. Humming to herself as she worked, Melina thought back to the events that occurred after her grandmother's funeral.

People she had never seen before showed up at the graveside service. Even more strangers who seemed to know her grandmother quite well, but were unknown to herself and her parents came to their house afterward to offer condolences. When the whispered utterances of 'I'm sorry,' the endless parade of comfort casseroles, and the constant onslaught of sympathy bouquets became too much, she ran.

Melina ran from the house, across the field, seeking shelter among the apiaries. Hiding in the middle of a large group of boxes on a grassy hill, she lay on her back in the soft, tall grass sprinkled with wildflowers. Blue sky stretched endlessly from horizon to horizon, not even a wisp of a cloud to blot out the cerulean blue of the flawless summer sky. The blinding sun had created multi faceted rainbows in the prism of her tears. She closed her eyes to block out the sun and sky which clashed with her dark, gloomy mood.

Her body shuddered as she sobbed. There tears just wouldn't stop. The droning hum of the bees soothed her ragged nerves. The first bee landed on her hand, then another lit on her cheek. Soon she was covered, their little bee bodies forming a living, writhing blanket over her, comforting her with their warmth and softness. Without meaning to, she began drifting off to sleep. Unfortunately, she experienced the sensation of falling that occasionally comes with falling asleep.

When her body jerked, the movement startled the bees. Feeling threatened, they do what bees do and stung her. The pain came in waves as subsequent groups pierced her with their stingers, releasing their venom into her body. A pulsing ache emitted from each sting, joining the discomfort from the next, adding to, multiplying the pain. The pain created concentric circles that joined and overlapped like when raindrops hit the surface of a pond, amplifying the pain into sheer agony. Her skin stretched taut from the swelling, making her wonder if it would burst to relieve the pressure. Her airway tightened, restricting the airflow, making it difficult to breathe. Growing dizzy, she finally fainted from a mixture of pain and lack of oxygen.

Melina had no idea how much later she awakened but the stars twinkled in the sky above her. There was no moon to detract from the sparkling stars. As she lay there wondering what had happened, she realized she was no longer in pain, either physically or emotionally. Tears no longer seared the backs of her eyes, begging to be released. There was no longer a gaping invisible void in her chest. She felt nothing. Her body felt comfortably numb. No pain. No swelling. It would take her a few years to understand the changes that had taken place inside of her, to find a way to cope and use the ability that had come to her by way of the bees.

Melina replaced the frames scraped free of wax and honey back into the wooden box hive. The bees would repair and refill them like they always do. Steady and slow, dependable. Grabbing the huge bowl that required both arms to carry, she headed down to her apartment, nudging open the propped doors with her foot.

Leaving the bowl on her kitchen counter, she ran back to pick up the wooden wedges so the doors would be secure. Her arms and chest were sticky from the honey. Definitely time for a shower.

When she emerged, wrapped in a towel, there was a familiar face staring at her from the fire escape on the other side of the window in her bedroom. She jumped but managed not to scream. Old habits die hard apparently. Even though he waited for her to come to him, he still had the talent of catching her off guard.

People had asked questions when all of the new security measure were instituted. How could they not? If she had screamed, she would have set off her neighbors who were on high alert after news of her 'break in' got around the building. Paranoia spread worse than the flu.

Melina went to the window, flipping open the locks at the top then pulling in the pins at the bottom to lift it. She backed away so he could slide in through the open window.

"You could use the front door you know? I could buzz you in, tell the security guard to let you pass," she said, closing the window after he unfolded his long arms and legs into her room.

"Sorry, I can't. My face is a little too memorable. Besides, do you think Mr. Security Guard would be comfortable allowing someone who looks like me into the building?" he asked, staring down at her pointedly.

"Dabi," she sighed, her face crumpling into sadness. He was right.

"Hey," he murmured, pulling her into his arms to hold her tight. "I'm used to it."

"I've missed you," she said, enclosing his slim waist with her arms.

"Yeah, same here. I've come to warn you," he added. "They're plotting something."

Melina felt like he had thrown ice water on her, killing all the warmth inside of her.

"Shigaraki was ranting about how much he needs your quirk. I don't know when or where or -"

"Could you be more vague?" she questioned him, employing sarcasm to the best of her ability. "This could be a trap. They could have just allowed you to accidentally overhear partial information on purpose. Are you sure you weren't followed?"

"I'm sure. Listen, you should get out of town for a while. Why don't you leave the country?" he suggested.

"No. I won't. I won't run. I won't leave," she flatly refused. "Besides, that would make you look suspicious. Don't you think?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about it. Protect me if you must, but I can be my own hero."

~\..'../~

Dabi was sitting in his usual spot at the bar when the stranger entered.

Another one? The person received the typical greeting. Everyone ceased all talking and drinking, all eyes on him. The last time a stranger showed up, it didn't end well. Actually, it hasn't ended yet.

The suspicious character was dressed in a baggy smoke grey leather suit that looked like the fireproof jumpsuits worn by race car drivers. A matching hood attached to the suit covered the head. Boots reminiscent of motorcyclist's boots shielded the legs up to the knees. A blank white mask with round holes for the eyes covered his face. Lenses like those of a camera appeared to be behind the eye-holes.

The unusual visitor calmly reached into the pouch attached to his hip, pulling out a round object. After pressing a button on top, the ball clicked and separated in the middle revealing a blinking yellow light. The object emitted a high pitched whine. The mystery man threw the ball toward the bar, straight at Shigaraki, who ducked and hid under the overhang of the counter. The small grenade exploded in mid-air emitting a blinding light and deafening bang.

The man clad in grey pulled what appeared to metal batons from the holders on his sides, holding one in each hand, extending them with a flick of his wrists.

Although stunned and half blind, Twice hurled a shot glass in the general direction of the interloper's head. Using one of the batons like a bat, the man hit it away, knocking it into one of the liquor bottles behind the bar. The bottle and the shot glass shattered in a cacophony of breaking glass.

Magne ran at the man in grey, receiving a hit to knee to bring her down for the short assailant to be able to smash the other baton into her temple. When she bent over onto all fours, the man climbed onto her back, leaping off to hit Twice who was coming in for an attack next.

Twice received a hit to the stomach with the baton in their left hand. The baton wielder held the second metal baton near Twice's chest close to his heart. A blue arc of electricity leapt out. The wasn't just a baton; it was a retractable cattle prod. Twice shuddered and dropped to the floor.

Right on Twice's heels and ready to attack, Dabi seized the assailant by the throat, pushing him backwards. The man dropped the weapons, but he did not try to attack Dabi with his fists. The man was small, almost frail, but Dabi continued pushing him back despite the soles of the boots grabbing at the carpet. At last, the tread of the motorcycle boots caught on the carpet and wouldn't let go, tripping them.

The man started falling, his arms wrapping around Dabi's waist to drag them both to the floor. He probably planned to roll him over using momentum from the fall then jump and run.

"Kurogiri! Give me a portal!" Dabi yelled.

Kurogiri opened one up behind the mystery man and both men fell into the black hole. They were transported to the roof of a manufacturing plant down the block.

Dabi found himself standing on the edge of the roof. His fingers still held the man by his scrawny neck with his heavy booted feet dangling in the air over the side of the of the building. The portal user had damn near done him in as well.

The smoke stacks around them belched out thick billows of white steam that surrounded them like clouds. The man he held by the neck struggled, pulling at Dabi's constricting fingers clumsily with his gloved hands. The helpless man kicked and fought to no avail.

"Not so tough now, are you? What do you want?!" Dabi yelled.

"I want you to leave Melina alone. All of you," the man said, his voice modulated and given a computerized sound by a gizmo in the mask.

"Who are you?" he demanded, shaking the man.

The man grasped Dabi's arm, hanging on for dear life. What had began as a suicide mission had changed because it seemed like the man no longer was willing to die.

Dabi's hand tightened around the man's throat threatening to crush his larynx. Reaching out, he tried to push back the hood but his hand was slapped away.

Other than pushing away his hand, the man was not fighting Dabi. He was breathing hard, his entire body quavering from the effort.

Dabi grabbed the mask across the front, attempting to remove it. He moved it up and down, side to side, but it refused to budge. As he contended with the mask, the man kicked out, hitting him in the chest. His heart felt like it burst in his chest from the force of the heavy booted kick. Without intending to, his fingers flexed, releasing the man.

"Goddamit!" Dabi yelled in rage, looking over the side of the building.

The man fell into a pile of trash bags below. He quickly scuttled off of them and ran down the alley unharmed.

"Son of a bitch!" Dabi shouted in annoyance, smashing his fist into the brick wall to his left. He let the mystery man get away. Shigaraki would not be happy.

~\..'../~

Melina stirred honey into a cup of steaming hot tea. Her throat hurt this morning. She could barely talk. After all, Dabi had attempted to strangle her. He didn't know it was her. He could never know it was her. He wouldn't understand her actions anyway.

She refused to sit around on her ass waiting, wondering, living in fear and dread when the villains would attack her. So for once in her life, she went on the offensive, striking out first.

To prevent any of them, especially Dabi, from recognizing her, Melina had worn the boxy, loose fitting costume her father had made for himself years ago. He had made the suit to protect himself since he did not possess a quirk. The suit was fireproof and bulletproof. The lenses in the mask allowed for the wearer to see in all conditions: light, dark, fog, as well as sensing heat signatures. She couldn't help but wonder if her father was paranoid or just liked to be prepared. Too bad he hadn't been wearing it when he needed it most.

She was grateful for it because it had saved her tonight. The suit had been one of the many interesting items she found in the safe deposit box that was opened after her parents' deaths.

The fire protection of the suit would have come in handy should Dabi have chosen to subdue her by using his fire quirk. The thought of being incinerated alive did not set well with her. She was almost burned alive once and that was bad enough. She assumed he hadn't used his power in the bar because he didn't want to burn down their haven. On the roof he had been too intent in getting the mask off to light her up there.

Sitting down on her soft, brown leather couch, Melina curled her legs under her to sip her tea. She had bought herself a television which decided to turn on. Since she could not hide from the world, she decided she might as well stay informed as to what was going on in it.

A newscast was on. The two anchors at the desk were talking amongst themselves about the man who would become the number one hero after the fall of the symbol of peace, All Might. All Might had gone out in a blaze of glory, bringing down the number one villain, One For All - for the second time in his career. One For All was secured in a maximum security prison, and All Might had retired. His replacement: Endeavor.

Melina stared at the flame quirk user on her television screen. Their was something so familiar about him, although she had never seen him before. The flames exuding from around his eyes almost covered up his crimson red hair. Flames also comprised a fiery mustache and beard on his face.

That's funny, she thought to herself. The placement of his flaming facial 'hair' matched the scars on Dabi's face as if he had tried to project flames in the same way. And those eyes...

Endeavor's eyes were a lovely shade of turquoise she recognized, having looked into a pair of eyes strongly resembling those. However, instead of harboring bored tolerance of life in general, Endeavor's eyes held a sharp edge of anger, a hint of savagery, that led her to believe he would do anything that benefited himself regardless of the detriment against a fellow hero or an opposing villain much less innocent bystanders who got in his way. For him to be a hero, she did not get a good or comforting vibe from him. Nothing about him gave her the impression she would be safe or protected by this man.

Flipping through the files in her mind, Melina tried to remember the names of the heroes she had rummaged through while investigating the villains. Enji Todoroki. TODOROKI! Well, fuck. He must be Shoto's father.