Who was Dabi? It was a question he ignored many times whenever he was asked by others – or himself. Right now, he was a man who'd just emerged victorious from a battle against the Meta Liberation Army.
He watched in awe as his combatants – the people he was trying to kill – threw their hands in the air at the announcement of Re-destro's surrender and begged for mercy from Dabi and his flames.
He considered burning them all, just for the hell of it. He had no need to remember them, after all. Still, when the life of some pathetic garbage fell into his hands, he had to treasure that moment. That feeling of empowerment invigorated him, putting the widest smile on his face.
"Good fight," He announced to the trembling citizens, "Weak trash." Putting his hands in his pockets, he walked away as though he had just finished with a meal, while ignoring the stinging of his arms as best as he could.
Guys, Mr Compress' voice came in over the communicators, Are you guys all good?
Compress! Twice sounded frantic. What's going on? Toga needs help!
Twice, we won. Where are you? Get Toga to the hospital, we'll all meet there. Shigaraki and Spinner need the hospital too. Dabi? You there? Compress asked.
Dabi tapped his earpiece. Yeah, I'm good. Heading there now. I think I know where Shigaraki is. He should be heading to the Western Deika Hospital. It's the green and pink building.
I see it! I'm bringing Toga there now!
Dabi stopped walking for a moment, took a deep breath and exhaled. God damn, we really did it. The euphoria was mixed with his tiredness.
The weight in his legs grew more apparent as he walked, the adrenaline gradually declining. Fatigue set in, and by the time Dabi met up with the rest at the hospital, he sat down against a wall and closed his eyes.
A few hours later...
Swinging open the door, he found a familiar person narrowing his – no, her eyes at him, with icicles levitating around her. She wasn't wearing the hood of her parka, so her long white hair draped around the fur.
"I didn't know you were a girl," He began.
"The Grand Commander tasked me to deal with you," Apocrypha said, "I have never failed him. I don't plan on doing so."
Dabi groaned internally. "Cool threat. Hey. Wake up. It's over. We won, you lost, and now we're using your money and eating sushi."
Furthering his annoyance, she only smiled, like an insufferable brat. "You're an idiot if you think we've surrendered. We've merely entered a ceasefire. The Festival will continue, and it will start with me delivering your corpse to the Grand Commander."
"Oh for fuck's sake," He whispered to himself, sighing. "Look, I'm tired. I'd think you'd be tired too if you were actually, y'know, human. Let's go and sleep, and one day, I'll burn you alive. Deal?"
"I'm not tired. I'm not you."
Obviously. I'm not the brainwashed girl, Dabi thought, waving his hand as he walked down the hallway in dismissal of her statement. "Trained for years, strength is amazing, Re-destro's the best. I've got more important shit to deal with than you."
"Don't you dare utter his name with your filthy mouth!" She shot back.
Ooh, now she's pissed. Dabi turned around. "Alright, little girl," he said in mock placation, "If your Grand Commander is so great I can't even say his name, tell me why he lost to Shigaraki and I'm not six feet under."
"My job isn't finished. It's as simple as that."
Dabi stared at her. She's gone down the deep end. Don't even bother, I'm too tired for this shit, he told himself, turning away and heading to the nearest room.
Hearing no further statement, he assumed she was done, and opening the door, he took a quick glance to see if she was still there. She was not. Thank god.
He entered the bathroom to see his extremely tired self blearily looking back at him. Placing his hands under the tap, he took a deep breath, and turned it on.
"Gah!" He hissed as the water stung his arms like an acid. Enduring his ritual for a while more, he shut off the tap and dried his hands.
He hated doing this, but realised it was a necessity ever since the day his quirk awakened. Fire and ashes, that was all he remembered, but he shut off the thought as soon as it arose. He had no need to remember them, after all.
Returning back to his room, he crashed onto the first empty bed he saw and allowed his heavy eyes to close.
Everyone gathered around the table for Shigaraki's called meeting, using a meeting room in the hospital.
Shigaraki looked around the meeting. "Toga, Twice, Re-destro…" He muttered, noting down those not present. "Everyone else here?"
After a general nod of assent, he began, "We're going to start doing these daily, at least for the next few days, then these will just be weekly or something. There's only a few things on the agenda. Supplies and the media, as well as clean-up. First off, supplies. Skeptic?"
The CEO spoke with what Dabi perceived was constrained civility. "Medical, food and water relief should be here by the afternoon. The building materials won't be for another day."
"Good, then make sure everyone at low HP is treated first. I'll see if I can get Twice to clone people to help, but I don't wanna make him exert himself. Next, the media, those little bastards. Trumpet."
"I'll make a statement to quell them for now. We're starting the fabrication of the story," The politician answered timidly. Compared to Skeptic, Dabi reckoned, he seemed more intimidated. Makes sense, what's a politician gonna do in a straight fight? He forced down a smile at seeing the quivering expression of Hanabata.
"Sure. Compress, supervise them. I'll leave the media up to you and Trumpet. Let the media in tomorrow. Tell them we're all grieving or some shit like that."
"Gotcha," Compress acknowledged with a tip of his hat. Hanabata slowly raised his hand.
With Shigaraki's nod, Trumpet asked, "What about the memorial for Ms Curious and the fallen?"
"Use the barren part, build over it once the materials arrive. Dabi, cremate the bodies." Shigaraki looked pointedly at him. He waved it off. "Yeah, I got it."
"Ok…" Shigaraki did another sweep of the room. His eyes fixated on Apocrypha, who had been silent throughout the whole meeting.
"You. What's your name again? Apocalypse or something?" He pointed a finger at her.
She bristled at this, responding with a quiet, "Apocrypha."
"You're on cleanup, got it?"
"Yes." Dabi detected an edge to her voice. His eyes trailed towards Shigaraki, looking for any reaction. To his surprise, if he had any reaction, the leader didn't show it.
"That's all for today, then. We'll discuss the festival...stuff, once Re-destro joins us. See ya."
With that, everyone left the room one at a time, while Dabi sat there watching them leave. Apocrypha was the last to do so.
"Don't go to the southern section. I'm clearing that area," He said, looking at his glass of water instead of her, but loud enough for her to hear.
Apocrypha stopped, turning her head to look at him. With a poisonous tone, she said, "I'll do whatever the hell I want. You're no leader, so stop acting like you can control me, you weakling." And left before Dabi could retort, leaving his anger directed at the door she had shut behind her.
He smelt his flesh again and looked down at his arms, which had lit up in fury. Extinguishing the flames with a growl, he started to find that girl more than annoying.
I thought I wouldn't need to kill you, but I guess I have to now, huh? Our battle hasn't ended. Not. At. All.
A ringing distracted him from his thoughts. Taking out his phone, he saw the message.
"I bought your denim jeans." -Blackbird
He grinned. "Same place. 3pm." He sent the message, got up and left, spirits slightly lifted at the imagination of the number three hero's bloody corpse.
25/4/20 Edit: More edits to this chapter since I really didn't like the first draft.
