NeonHorizon: So...are you reading for Overhaul or Dabi?


"So…now you're ready to listen to me." Cold golden eyes stared down into Sayuri's lilac ones. Studying her. As if he was searching for something she might be hiding from him.

Sayuri could feel her pulse racing like she was prey being stared down by a predator. She wanted to look away from Chisaki. She wanted to look anywhere but into those intense eyes. At the same time, something told her not to. Something struck such intense fear in her heart that she was sure if she looked away from him, he might snap her neck.

The fingertips of his right hand pressed against her cheekbone as his palm settled flat against her skin. Even as hives spread up his exposed forearm. He pushed his discarded glove into his pocket and his left hand lifted so now he held her face in both hands. Stepping closer and not once breaking his stare.

"Now you're ready to listen. Now you're ready to be good," he continued. "You have good instincts. Sayuri. You know it, don't you? Right now, I'm holding your life in my hands."

"Kai." Kurono took a step toward them from the open doorway, but neither of the two looked over at him.

"She knows already. You've always known, haven't you? Sayuri. You're intelligent. More intelligent than you like to let me think. From day one, you've been deceiving me. Letting me think that your head was empty. You just wanted to help. Helpful Sayuri coming every day to tutor the poor little girl with the single dad. Isn't that right? But you knew."

The young woman gritted her teeth as she held his gaze, feeling her fear growing as his tone changed. Just moments ago, in Eri's room, he had sounded apathetic. Like a lion regarding a mouse. Like he honestly could not care less about her. Now it was different. Chisaki spoke to her with a sinister, but knowing, edge to his voice, all with his mouth still hidden behind that mask.

What does he think I know? How much does he think I know? She was trembling. She knew she was trembling and she was trying so hard to stand still. Each time she heard Kurono say "Kai", she could hear it in his voice. There was a warning there directed at her as well as Chisaki. Kurono was trying to warn her not to move and trying to keep Chisaki from doing harm to her.

"You're powerful." Sayuri's voice came out just above a whisper as she slowly blinked up at him. "I'm right, aren't I? I can feel it. I've been able to feel it…since the day I met you. Your quirk-"

"My disease," he interrupted.

"It's powerful," she continued. "You could do a lot of damage, but you'd prefer it if I just cooperate. I'm right…aren't I? What do you need me to do?" Her pulse was pounding loudly in her own ears. Thankfully, Sayuri had enough experience talking to people to know exactly what to say.

I have to let him think I'm on his side. Something in him…snapped today. Did it have something to do with that guy outside? Kurono called him "Rappa". I wasn't supposed to see him, was I? So now Chisaki's panicking. But he's trying to regain control of the situation. I don't know what kind of quirk he has. If I'm not careful…he might kill me.

She slowly lifted a hand, fingers flexing. Sayuri saw his eyes dart down to the movement and she paused briefly before continuing. As lightly as humanly possible, she set her fingertips against the scar on his left wrist from the wound she had taken from him.

"Don't touch me," he snarled, his fingertips pressing tighter against the sides of her face. His eyes narrowed down at her.

Her hand jolted away. "Your scar looked irritated. I was going to take away the redness and puffiness so it wouldn't bother you. I was trying to help you." Sayuri saw Kurono approaching her right side from the edge of her vision. "Just tell me what you need from me. I'll do it."

Kurono quickened his pace when Chisaki's grip tightened and he saw the pale-haired teacher visibly tense against the pain. "Kai," he said for probably the fifth time. "You had a plan."

"I don't like to be played with." He glanced to Kurono as the man reached out toward them both. "And I don't like to be lied to."

"She said that she's going to cooperate. And she meant it. Didn't you, Sayuri? Besides, doesn't this work better? Now there's no room for her to refuse, right?" Kurono's eyes met Sayuri's when she looked over at him and he tried to communicate it to her without outright saying it. If she rejected Chisaki, she would definitely die.

"I won't refuse," she agreed, looking back to Chisaki. Her stomach felt like it was turning as she saw hives forming around the collar of his shirt. "I promise. I won't refuse. Whatever it is, I'll do it. I know how…powerful you are. So I know it's in my best interest to agree." Sayuri forced a smile, but her eyes were starting to tear up.

If this was how he treated her, an outsider, she was afraid of what he might do to Eri. How he might be treating Eri every time Sayuri left after tutoring. I can't abandon her, she thought as her tears began to overflow. Eri. I can't leave her alone with him again. If I die, she'll have no one on her side.

Chisaki's glare hardened as her tears spilled, rolling over his fingers. He pushed his hands forward, threading into her snowy hair. There was a twitch beneath the black fabric of the mask over his nose and mouth. Shifting her hair brought the aroma of her lemon-scented shampoo and the cleaning-fluid like smell seemed to bring him some bizarre form of comfort.

"It's Eri, isn't it? You're keeping yourself alive for her. It's so easy to see through you. What else do you have to live for? No children of your own, no family, a thankless job teaching unappreciative, unwashed little brats. That filth you call your boyfriend…he won't even miss you, will he?"

She felt a tug at her hair and resisted the urge to punch him square in the face. Instead, her hands curled into fists at her sides as she trembled and looked up at him through her tears. "He'll forget about me quickly. I'm forgettable," she agreed without blinking. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that Eri's happy and safe. Whatever it takes."

"Give your phone to Kurono."

Sayuri reached into her pocket as a bitter taste rose to the back of her throat. She held out her phone for the pale-haired man to take and her stomach dropped as it was taken away. Her only lifeline to the outside world. Even if she screamed or tried to run, she had a bad feeling in her gut that her life would be cut short almost immediately.

"Kai, those hives are looking pretty bad," Kurono remarked, tucking Sayuri's phone into his pocket.

The words went ignored as Chisaki stared down her. Studying her again as he seemed to search her eyes for something more. It seemed like he found what he was looking for. His left hand drew out of her hair and his right hand moved to her cheek again. The skin on skin contact seeming to make his hives worse while also making her stomach churn.

"Good," he finally spoke. "You're going to cooperate now. Like a good girl. Aren't you? Because you know, don't you? You know the kind of power I have without me saying; I could destroy you. Every time I touch you, I'm taking your life into my hands. But you've always known that, haven't you? That's why you were always so tense when I got close to you. It's not just your maternal instincts that are good."

Sayuri's instincts were currently screaming at her to run, but she stayed rooted to the spot. "My maternal instincts?"

"That's right." He moved back, fingertips gliding over her tear-stained cheek. "I still haven't told you. You must be curious about your new purpose."

The way he worded it, combined with the way he was looking at her, made goose bumps rise on Sayuri's skin. She again had that urge to attack him. Punch, slap, kick. Anything to give her an edge to let her escape. Now she knew he had malevolent intentions. Now she knew just how dire Eri's situation was.

But I'm outnumbered, she thought as Kurono moved closer. Even if I did attack Chisaki, then Kurono will come after me. He might've helped me a little, but he won't let me hurt his friend. Or boyfriend? Whatever their relationship is.

As Chisaki turned away from them, stalking back toward the house, he lifted his right hand to examine it. "Eri needs a maternal figure. Don't you think so, Sayuri? She needs a…traditional upbringing. And what better maternal figure than someone who has played mother to dozens of children? That's what you do, isn't it? You're mother to every child in your class for eight hours a day. So why not take those hours of expertise and focus your attention on one child?"

"What are you saying? I don't understand." She pushed herself now. Forcing down her fear. Making herself be brave for Eri. As she came up beside him, Sayuri saw that he was staring down at a few stray, pale hairs wrapped around his fingers. Her hair, winding between his digits and catching the sunlight to appear almost silvery against his skin.

His hand curled into a fist and he shifted his gaze to the young woman. "As of today, you don't work for that school. You don't live in that shabby, dirty apartment. As of today, you're going to be Eri's maternal figure. You'll live here unless I decide otherwise. Your purpose is to take care of Eri from this point on."

Sayuri's blood ran cold at his words and she attempted a half-smile, but failed. "But the school is going to notice when I don't show up for work. And my boyfriend-"

Chisaki made a dismissive gesture with his left hand. "Kurono is going to take care of those details. The only thing that you need to worry about is taking care of Eri. Continue teaching her as you were, but now your responsibilities extend to before and after lessons. I know that you're a smart girl, Sayuri. You don't need me to tell you step by step what needs to be done to take care of a child."

"I understand." Sayuri felt a surge of fear when he said her name. When he called her "Naosu", it was far less threatening. She slowed her pace as he went into the house and she looked over her shoulder at Kurono. The pale-haired man was typing something on her phone with a blank expression on his face.

He glanced up before finishing whatever he was writing and shoving her phone into his pocket. Kurono strode toward her at a brisk pace and pressed a hand against her lower back to give her a push toward the door. The man got close to her side before murmuring, "If you know what's good for you, don't test him. Kai won't let you get away with much, got it?"

Dabi's not going to just let this happen, she thought as she walked beside Kurono. He gets upset if I'm just late getting home. If I don't come home tonight, he'll look for me. It doesn't matter what Kurono sent; Dabi and Fuyumi will both know that something's wrong. They'll tell the police and someone will save me and Eri. This can't last for that long…right?

Shift P.O.V

He skimmed the message and raised an eyebrow. A break up, huh? And I've got twenty-four hours to clear out? That's bullshit. Dabi stretched his arms over his head, letting his shoulders pop and releasing a quiet groan of pleasure. He pushed himself to finally get out of bed and looked for some clean clothes.

Stupid, half-assed excuse. If she really has a problem with me, she could at least say it to my face. And who breaks up with someone the day after they almost break the bed? He smirked and left her room; now dressed and going over to throw some food to the rats.

Dabi sat in front of the cage as he typed a response to the suspicious message, listening to the rats nibble at their food. He asked what made her decide to break up and where she was, but he already knew the truth. Looking down at the rats, he frowned and ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Shirayuki, right? Shirayuki and Kamishiro. Those are your names. You know what she's like."

Sayuri said she was going to go to her tutoring session, but Dabi knew she was probably at the Todoroki house. Sitting there with Fuyumi and Natsuo. Whatever made her suddenly think she wanted to break up, she was probably telling them about it. Her friends.

He stepped outside, feeling his anger and jealousy starting to bubble up. She likes hanging out with them so much. I wonder what she'd think if I told her the truth. How would she feel about them if she knew? They're just carrying on like I never existed. If I burned that shit hole to the ground, they'd have to acknowledge me. They'd have to tell her everything and what would she think about them?

Dabi took his time in journeying to the neighborhood where the Todoroki house was located. Checking his phone, waiting for her response. It never came. In his anger, he released a burst of bright blue flames deep within an alley. Watching them engulf an unfortunate idiot that happened to be just a little too close to escape.

Watching the man struggle, listening to him scream, Dabi grinned. A breakup, huh? We'll see about that.