He was in the middle of a good dream when he was snapped to consciousness. Jin jolted awake at the feeling of something shaking beside him. His immediate thought was that he might be in danger so he pushed himself up on one elbow to look around. The room was dark, but he was still able to settle his eyes on the sleeping woman beside him.

Neneko was curled up on her side next to Jin, facing away from him. She was trembling and a soft whimper came from her. The sound made it feel like his heart was being tightly gripped. The man leaned over, trying to see if she was really asleep or if she was awake and in pain.

Locks of obsidian hair were falling across her pale face, her soft pink lips pursed and tears rolling from the corners of her eyes. Neneko's hands were curled into fists, tucked against her chest. The sight added to the pain spreading through Jin's heart.

He gently reached over and brushed her hair away from her face. "…Neneko…" Sadness clashed with anger as he focused on the scar on her cheek and the one above her eyebrow. He gritted his teeth as he started to feel like he might split.

No! I need to help Neneko! I don't have time for this! What can I even do? She's just having a bad dream! Shaking his head, Jin fought against the splitting feeling until he could no longer stand it.

Settling onto his side, he slid his arms around Neneko and pulled her back against his chest. He frowned and buried his face in her dark hair, taking in the calming aroma of the lavender shampoo she used. His once racing heart was slowly coming down back to a normal pace. His muscles relaxed gradually and he tried to focus his attention on holding her.

Neneko was warm and soft. Her body fit against his almost perfectly and it only further convinced him that they were truly soulmates. Even asleep, even without speaking, she was able to bring him such a reassuring sense of calm. It never ceased to amaze him just how perfect Neneko was for him, how great she made him feel. Like a hero. Like he was important. Like he was completely accepted.

He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep again. She had stopped trembling when he moved closer so he hoped that her nightmare had faded and she was having better dreams now. A few minutes of silence passed before he felt her body shaking as she sobbed in her sleep.

His hold on her tightened and he felt heat rushing to his face as he realized how close they were. "N-Neneko? Neneko…it's okay. I'm here. You're okay."

Her crying grew worse and she lowered her head more, her hands grasping the blankets tightly. "…don't…don't do it…please…no…"

Jin heard her mumbling and it made his blood run cold. What…? He jolted as she thrashed, nearly smacking the back of her head against his face. The man kept a secure hold on her to keep her from thrashing her way onto the floor. What's she dreaming about? She's crying. What can I do? I hate seeing her this way! Just gotta let her cry it out! She'll stop eventually!

"I-I don't…wanna…die…"

Hearing her talk this way, so differently from her usual formal speech pattern, puzzled him for a moment. He had very little time to react to what happened next. Jin had an abrupt gut feeling that he had to cover to his head. He did it, but reluctantly released her so he would be able to. Grabbing the pillow, he pressed his head against the mattress to cover one ear and used the pillow to cover the other.

It muffled sound well enough, but he still knew she was screaming. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes and he had to close them to keep himself from looking at her. She was screaming in cold terror and he wanted nothing more than to just hold her and try to comfort her. He felt heartbroken and helpless.

When her screaming subsided, Jin waited a while before removing the pillow. She was silent now. It was eerie. He moved closer again and saw that her body had gone lax, but she was still breathing. The man fell onto his back and reached over to put an arm around her, dragging her close. Her upper half rested on his chest, her head over his heart. Right now, this was all he could do for her.

Shift P.O.V

Neneko woke with tears dried on her face and a sore throat. She knew she had screamed in her sleep. Of course, it only made sense, given the nightmare she had suffered. A dream of a bare hand reaching toward her and causing her body to blow apart into the air like macabre rose petals. Only to be brought back together and then forced apart again.

Looking to her side, she found Jin's side of the bed empty. Did I…did my quirk…? Her pulse quickened and she bolted out of bed to try to find him.

After hearing that someone had tried to break into their motel room, Neneko had sought better accommodations. They were now staying in a large suite in a somewhat pricey hotel, but she had plenty of savings. This suite had a bedroom, a main room that held typical sitting room things, a large bathroom, and a small kitchen sort of area.

She swiftly opened the bedroom door when she failed to find him in the bedroom and felt her heart leap into her throat when she smelled food. He was…cooking? Neneko walked quietly, but quickly and crossed the main area to the kitchen area. "Jin? Are you…alright?"

He looked at her over his shoulder, pausing in his cooking. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"My quirk…while I slept, I had…rather terrifying dreams and I feared that…perhaps I might have used my quirk…while I was asleep…that you may be affected by my voice…" She absently chewed at a loose thread in the hem of her sleeve and she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Jin. You are being truthful?"

The man nodded and resumed his task of making breakfast. "I…put a pillow over my head. I'm fine," he murmured. "Um…Giran called while you were asleep. We've got a meeting so…we've gotta eat and get going."

Neneko accepted a plate of food from him and smiled shyly. "Thank you. I appreciate this…and it looks delicious." She saw a warm hue rise to his face and leaned up, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.

When they set off for the mahjong bar, Neneko found a way to make it up to him a little. Being outside, without his mask on, Jin found conflicting emotions with everything that came their way. He held her hand in a white-knuckled grip and let her guide him to the bar, keeping his head down to try to alleviate some of the overwhelming feelings clashing within him.

It was fine for Neneko to wear her villain costume in public; it looked enough like a simple, stylish dress that no one looked twice. He had to carry his costume in a bag since it would definitely draw attention to them. We must hurry. At the very least, the hotel I selected is closer to the mahjong bar. Though I dislike being so accessible to those villains.

Jin managed to hold it together long enough for them to enter the bar and quickly excused himself to change. Neneko was now left in the bar with the other members of the League of Villains. Though there were only a few there at this time. Toga, Compress, and Magne. Of course, Kurogiri was behind the counter and Shigaraki was seated across from him.

Attempting to maintain a calm façade, despite her racing heart and mounting anxiety, Neneko stayed near the door. Mystic had been confident and outgoing, but as herself she was timid and unsure. She disliked dealing with group situations, which is why she normally did business one on one. As she looked toward the door Jin had gone through, she found Toga approaching her with a strange smile.

"Hey, Sorrow. You know other languages, right? Compress said you can read and write in German."

"Ah…yes, that is correct. I know multiple languages. Do you have something that you need translated?" Neneko felt a little better with the possibility of being able to work on something calming and familiar. Not to mention that there were so few women in the League of Villains. Strategically speaking, it would be better to have the other two on her side.

"I wanna know how to say "I love you" in a bunch of different languages!"

Neneko's violet eyes widened a bit. "You…are asking for a language lesson, then? I suppose I could teach you a few phrases. It may be difficult, I must warn you. The pronunciation can be somewhat challenging with some of them."

Nodding to herself, she lifted a hand and nervously chewed at the hem of her sleeve. "Toga-chan…such a sweet phrase to choose to learn. It is actually quite admirable. Much better than what others would likely choose."

Toga stared up at her for a moment, being just a bit shorter than Neneko, and she began to grin. A warm blush was rising to her face and she pressed her hands over her cheeks. "Sorrow, that's too cute! You look so nervous! Like you think someone's going to gobble you up! And you're so little you look like you're around my age! Where do you get off being that cute?!"

Cute…? She tilted her head and was about to ask for her to elaborate. Neneko could never see herself as "cute". To her, cuteness in a female would be a round face and large eyes. Things that she did not possess. Her own eyes were rather ordinary in size and her face was slightly narrower; not the cute shapes that Toga's face had. "I suppose…everyone has different tastes."

"Twice is your type, right? You like men with lots of muscle and scars?"

Neneko's cheeks took on a red tint and she lowered her head. "One's outward appearance…only accounts for so much. I do admire his appearance, but…what I most admire about him is his personality. He is kind and brave. Generous. I cannot express in words how much I adore him."

She had lived in seclusion for most of her life. What friends she made in high school quickly abandoned her. Most of her interaction was with her clients and her assistant Kita. It felt strange to talk to someone about her feelings, but it was not entirely unpleasant. Toga seemed genuinely interested in what she was saying.

Though she disliked that Giran had been correct. Neneko was acting like herself instead of Mystic and it seemed like the others were more accepting of her. I doubt that they would be so accepting if I were to raise my voice. Just the idea of using my quirk fills me with dread. I must avoid that at all costs. If they truly accept me as I am, I…would hate to harm them. Especially if they accept Jin.

"Hey, did Twice tell you about Mystic?" Toga finally asked.

Her pulse began to accelerate and Neneko anxiously chewed on her thumbnail. "Mystic…you say? I don't believe I have met them. No one has spoken about them, to my knowledge."

"You're talking about Mystic?" Magne walked over to join the conversation now. "Ooooh! You don't know, do you?"

"Mystic was part of the League, too, but she disappeared! She didn't have a quirk, but she was supposed to be good with knives. But I never got to see her use them. Anyway, she hung out with Dabi and Compress most of the time-"

"Dabi kept making moves on her. She kinda played along, but everyone could see she wasn't really into him," Magne chimed in. "She just disappeared. No one's heard from her and she stopped coming to meetings. The rumor is that Dabi killed her because she kept rejecting him."

They…believe that Dabi killed me? Truly and without question. To believe such a rumor without a shred of evidence…the human mind is astounding. Neneko frowned slightly and lowered her head. "Killing another member of the League…for Dabi to kill Mystic…over something so insignificant…"

"What?! Mystic's dead? No way! You've gotta be kidding!"

Neneko tensed at the sound of Jin's voice behind her. She looked over her shoulder and found him in full costume, holding his head with both hands. Jin…? No. Twice. Yes. His villain self is…different from his normal self.

"No way! No! Mystic can't be dead!" His voice was raising and there was genuine panic in his tone. "Mystic! How can she be dead?! This can't be happening! It's totally believable!"

She felt a tightening in her chest, a stinging in her eyes as the man approached. There was so much pain, so much despair in his voice. Does he…not remember that I am Mystic? That I was Mystic. She turned toward him as he shook his head and his shoulders began to shake. Is he…is Twice…is Jin…crying?

"What're you so upset about, Twice? It's not like you two were close," Magne pointed out.

"I loved her! She was just okay!"

I…cannot understand this. Does he believe I was killed? Does he not realize…does he not remember…? His brain…has separated me from Mystic somehow. He believes we are different people, but that he loved Mystic? Her eyes widened as his arms wrapped tightly around her. "Twice?"

"I can't handle it! Sorrow, cheer me up! I'm fine! I don't need help!" He held her against his chest, lifting her off the floor a few inches as he leaned down to rub his mask-covered cheek against hers.

"Twice…everything is alright." She lifted a hand to caress his other cheek through his mask, a warm hue rising to her face. All I can do is attempt to keep him calm and reassure him. I need to help him through mourning Mystic…even though I am alive. I just cannot allow the others to know that I was Mystic.