NeonHorizon: Just a little bit of background for anyone that doesn't read my other stories. Kohaku is actually a vigilante from one of my Shigaraki stories.
"So what's the story?" Misora's voice penetrated the silence and stirred Sayuri out of her thoughts. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm here if you need someone to listen."
Sayuri had been hovering around Dabi since she hauled him into the bedroom. He was unconscious; lying limp on the bed and still burning to the touch. "Do you have something for fevers? I think he might be sick."
She was only a little worried about this being a fever; she knew his quirk well enough to know how it made him heat up. He just needed time to cool down. What did worry her was the thought of being found. She knew how much danger she was putting Misora and her daughter in, but they had nowhere else to go. With Dabi in the state he was in, they had no choice.
"Let's see." The other woman led the way to the bathroom and frowned as she rummaged in the cabinet. "I don't think I do. I can run to the store-"
"No. Yawarakai-san, it's alright." The last thing she wanted was to send this kind woman outside where she might be attacked. Sayuri glanced toward the bathroom window. It was small and they were on the first floor, but she was still on high alert.
Misora frowned and rested a hand on her shoulder, making her jolt. "Naosu-sensei, you're safe here. Between me and Okabe, we've got enough power to keep Emi's father away from you."
"You don't…understand." All of the stress and fear she had been trying to push down burst to the surface in the form of tears. "You don't understand. It's dangerous for us to be here. You don't know what he did to us. Yawarakai-san, as soon as Dabi wakes up, we'll have to leave. I can't put you and your daughter in this kind of danger."
She went to the other room and looked down at Eri. The little girl was sitting with Misora's daughter. Talking about their favorite colors and their favorite foods. Seeing her do something so normal, looking so happy she might smile, Sayuri felt a tightening sensation in her chest.
I wish I could give you this kind of life, Eri. I wish we could just be safe and you could go to school and have friends. But we can't have that. Not with them still looking for us. She knelt down next to Eri and wrapped her arms around her.
Eri was silent for a moment, but when she felt Sayuri shaking, she tried to look up at her with wide, red eyes. Confused and a little scared. "…wh-what is it…?"
It felt like needles were digging into Sayuri's heart. "It's okay. We're going to be okay. Can you do me a big favor, though? I need you to stay here with Yawarakai-san and Michiko-chan, okay? And stay near Dabi."
"Wait, you…you're leaving?" Eri clutched at her hoodie, trembling as well now.
Sayuri smoothed the girl's pale, wavy hair away from her face and attempted a smile, but it was weak. "Just for a little while. It's going to be okay, though. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Where are you going?" The question came from Misora as she approached, wearing a deep frown. "Naosu-"
"I just need to do something. It won't take long." She turned her attention back to Eri. "I know you'll be good for Yawarakai-san." The young woman pulled the child in for another hug and kissed the top of her head. "It's going to be okay. I'll make everything okay."
Going down to the coffee shop, she pulled up the hood on her sweatshirt and tucked her hair into it. Sayuri looked toward the front of the shop, seeing that there was a decent amount of people walking past. It was after noon by this point so she figured that she might be able to blend in with everyone else as she searched for a possible new hiding place.
Her gaze momentarily settled on a strange, dark, shadowy-looking gentleman that was standing across the street. He was looking at the coffee shop, but did not seem to be looking for her. What's he looking at? It's like he's looking for someone, but not me. Yawarakai-san? Does she…? Oh! She suddenly recognized the man as Misora's boyfriend; remembering the pictures Misora's daughter had drawn.
"Hey, wait up." The voice came from behind the counter and the teal-haired girl tossed her apron to the side. She grabbed a black coat from the hooks behind the counter and approached as she dug a pink and black striped scarf from her pocket. "Sorry, sorry. You're going out? I'll go with you."
"What? No; it's okay. I don't want to-" Sayuri raised an eyebrow as this strange girl settled the scarf around her neck and arranged it to hide the lower half of her face, a grin spreading across her face. "It's dangerous."
"Yeah…and? I can't let the boss's friend go off and get hurt. Besides, I was feeling kind of anxious anyway. I want to shake things up." The girl gave a half-bow. "Okabe Kohaku. At your service."
"Naosu Sayuri. You're really sure about this?"
"Yeah. I mean…I kind of have to tell him we're closing up for the day anyway." Kohaku nodded toward the shadowy man now approaching the door.
Shift P.O.V
He remembered dozing off on the floor, leaning against Sayuri. Dabi tried to remember if he had woken up long enough to bring himself into this bedroom and collapse onto the bed, but he was sure he had stayed asleep after dozing off. The last thing that was vividly in his head was the intense heat that had spread through him before he passed out.
Pushing himself to sit up, he looked around the unfamiliar bedroom. The pictures of the blue-haired woman and her daughter made him cringe a little. Dabi stood in the doorway and looked at the main room, where Eri was sitting with the blue-haired woman and the other little girl. "Where's Sayuri?"
Eri stood and hurried over to him, cautiously putting her arms around him. "You're…you're okay?"
He blinked down at her and smirked. "Yeah. I'm fine, kid. Where's Sayuri?" he asked, resting a hand on the top of her head.
"She said she was going to be back soon. But she's been gone for a while," the child answered, looking up at him with wide red eyes. "I'm…I'm scared for her."
His smirk fell and Dabi lifted the child onto his hip. The thought of Sayuri going off on her own gave him a sinking feeling. That idiot. She's a healer. What does she think she's gonna be able to do by herself?
"Naosu didn't say where she was going," the woman explained, frowning. She seemed genuinely worried. "My employee went with her, though, so she should be okay. I wish she would've just stayed here. I told her it was okay for you to stay for a while, but-" Her nose wrinkled when he got closer to the couch, where she was sitting. "What's that smell? It smells like burned meat and hair."
Dabi's eyes narrowed and he set Eri down. "I'm gonna look for her. Watch the kid. Anything happens to her and I'll make you regret it." He went out the door before she could argue, rubbing the back of his neck as he started down the stairs.
Better not have gone to that house, Sayuri. You know better, right? He strode across the dark coffee shop and let himself out, slipping in among the ordinary people on the sidewalk. It was impossible to deny he was worried about her; Sayuri was basically all he had. He had to try to cover up that worry to keep himself from heating up like an oven and burning away all of the people around him.
Where'd you go? It's…kind of like a bad game of hide and seek. Like when we were dumb little kids. He smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets. Maybe when I find you, I'll have to have a little fun. Been a while since I punished you, right? Could probably use a distraction anyway.
Shift P.O.V
"So what's he look like? The kid's dad. She's probably got his eyes, right?"
"No. She didn't really get any of his looks." Sayuri bit the inside of her cheek, standing on the corner next to Kohaku and trying to think of how to explain. She wanted to keep up the charade that she was Eri's real mom. "He has short brown hair and his eyes are kind of a gold color. And he always wears a black medical mask."
A chill ran down her spine and the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. She pressed a hand to the back of her neck, beneath her hood, and bit into the inside of her cheek again. This feels…familiar. No. No way. How? It has to be my imagination. Right?
Lifting her gaze, Sayuri's soft lilac eyes met the cold gray eyes of a man across the street. A mirthless smile settled on his face as he saw her eyes widen. Her hair and the lower half of her face were covered. She was sure the disguise was enough, but he had found her so quickly.
"K-Kurono," she muttered, taking a step back.
"Did you say something?" Kohaku saw her tensing and reached over to grab her hand. "You saw something, huh? No worries, no worries. I've got you. Just put your head down, okay? The creep with white hair, right? We'll lose him. This way."
Sayuri did as she said, but even as they moved down the street, she felt Kurono's eyes on her. He was following their movements with the intensity of a predator. I only have a healing quirk. The most I could do is hurt myself and force the injury onto him. But what would I be able to do? I don't have anything on me.
Kohaku's shoulders were grabbed by a pair of hands and she was yanked sideways into an alley, but her grip on Sayuri's hand remained tight. She dragged the pale-hair woman in with her and Sayuri saw the man that was holding onto Kohaku. Without thinking twice, she drew her arm back and slammed her fist into the man's face. There was a sick crunching of cartilage as his nose broke.
With him momentarily stunned, she started to run down the alley with Kohaku close behind. "That wasn't him," she said over her shoulder. "That guy. He probably works for him so be alert-"
"What kind of guy did you get involved with?! Look, I'm going to the front. Stay behind me!" The teal-haired girl ran ahead of her, but kept a pace that Sayuri could match. "If it comes to it, I'll pull aggro and you hang back. I don't know what kind of quirk you've got, but I've been doing this kind of thing for a few years now!"
"You what?!" Sayuri heard footsteps quickly approaching her from behind and hooked an arm with Kohaku's. "Back there!"
"Got 'em!" Kohaku twisted sharply and leapt up, slamming her hand against the man's sternum. His body started to convulse and his knees buckled, sending him sprawling on the concrete. "This one?"
"No. That's…someone else. Damn it. He's messing with us." Sayuri kept her back to Kohaku so they could watch both ends of the alley. Where is he? I can't let him try to take me! I have to find a safe place for Eri! Damn it!
"Thought you were smarter than this, Sayuri." The voice came from above them and sent a prickling sensation along her spine. Kurono smirked down at the two women from a second floor window, holding a dart gun in his hand. "Tell your friend this place is full of people. She might not want to use that vibration quirk too much; might make the place collapse."
The girl beside Sayuri scowled. "Nice toy. I think the game store sells replicas just like that."
"Not a replica. This is the real thing. You want me to prove it?" Kurono aimed the dart gun at her, his expression impassive. Looking at her like she was an ant he was about to crush under his shoe. "Where's the kid, Sayuri?"
"I'm not telling you! I took her somewhere safe! Somewhere that he can't hurt her anymore!" She curled her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms. The gun was now pointed at her as he maintained direct eye contact with her.
"You shouldn't take something that isn't yours. You really pissed him off." A slight curve to his lips and a quiet click from the gun. "Kai gets pretty scary when you get him riled up. I've only seen him get like this a few times. Didn't end well for the guy on the receiving end."
Silence fell on the alley as Kohaku looked at the building, studying the integrity of the structure from the outside. Kurono kept his stare on Sayuri as she began to sweat. Dread was bubbling up and she felt weak, helpless. Like when she was locked away in that house, having to live with knowing that Chisaki was carving into Eri's flesh day after day while she was unable to stop him.
"Maybe I could cut you a deal. You come with me and bring the kid, I'll convince him to let you stay alive. You're going to owe me, but at least you won't be dead. You don't want to abandon her. That's why you made this mess." His words almost made it sound like he cared, but the cold look on his face and the way his eyes narrowed on her made it clear. He was in this for himself and no one else.
"Hey, hey. Guess what. I'm not going to let some ranged shooter piece of shit take the kid back to that abusive asshole!" Kohaku's hand pressed against the side of the building and a tremor ran through the wall, shooting up to the window Kurono was leaning out of. "Come on down and face me like a man!"
He obliged; jumping down and landing on his feet without showing signs of taking damage. Now he was on equal ground with the two, still armed with his dart gun. Facing Sayuri and a girl with a vibration quirk who looked like she wanted to paint the ground with his blood. Kurono smirked and knew who to shoot first.
