"Hah?" The teen's scarlet eyes darted to her, confusion written across his face. "Who's this broad?"
It was then Ayumu realized the entire bar had turned toward her. Red, gold, masked, blue, all eyes were on her and she shrank in on herself. It had been more than a week since she'd seen anyone other than Dabi and Shigaraki (not counting the glimpses of Kurogiri and the doctor and whatever that creature had been).
Shigaraki's one visible eye narrowed at her. "Any reason you brought her out here, Dabi?"
The cremation villain shrugged. "She's been such a good little captive lately; I thought she deserved a treat."
"Wait. This is her?" Another blonde teenager traipsed to Ayumu, her skirt flouncing giddily. "This is your giiiiirllllfriend, Dabi? Oh, she's so pretty! I love your hair!"
"Back off, Toga," Dabi warned.
Toga, the supposed murderous nutjob, was around the same age as the boy tied down. She tugged at a wet lock of hair, twirling it around her forefinger. "How did you meet? What's your name? I'm Himiko, and I've been dying to meet you. Can I have some of your blood?" A knife appeared in her empty hand.
Dabi stepped in front of Ayumu, pushing her behind him. "Toga."
"You're no fun," the teen pouted. "Can I at least talk to her?"
"Her name is Ayumu, you knife happy freak, now chill the fuck out." When Toga eased away, he slung an arm around her waist. Ayumu attempted to shuck it, still glaring at him. "Don't be difficult, dollface."
"You kidnapped a child , and I'm the one being difficult?" She scoffed.
"Shut up." Shigaraki's growl bit at her words. "Take her back, Dabi. This won't help with him."
"I told you he's not gonna turn," Dabi retorted.
The boy's eyes darted between the two villains, then back to her, comprehension dawning as he took in her stiff posture. "Hey, you need help, lady?"
All eyes snapped toward him.
"I'll help get you outta here, don't worry."
Ayumu snorted and really, truly tried not to double over laughing. But here was this teenage boy tied to a chair, making a fuss, and telling her he'd free her. "Sure, kid," she said once she'd gotten control of her laughter. "UA student, right? Fuck, y'all are fucking— what are you trying to do?"
"Get. Her. Out." Shigaraki's voice was dangerous as it slithered across the room.
Dabi shrugged. "You can get better acquainted with the gang later, doll. C'mon." And she was being yanked back through the door to the hideout proper. The screams of the kid started up again; though based on how loud he'd been when talking to her before, maybe that was just him.
"So?" she prodded, shrugging off Dabi's hand. Or trying to; it slid down to her opposite hip instead.
"So, what?"
Ayumu scoffed. "Why did you abduct the kid?"
"Boss thinks we can turn 'im," came the nonchalant response. He guided her back to his room, sitting her down on his bed. "He's wrong though. Kid has hero wannabe written aaalll over him." Dabi's hot hands tickled up her stomach to tickle at the undersides of her breasts.
She leaned back, remembering the resolve radiating from the teen when he'd said he would rescue her. "Why him?"
"He was first at the sports fest, and they had to Hannibal Lecter him to give him the medal." He massaged the soft flesh, thumbs rubbing circles over her nipples. "That doesn't mean he'll turn though; the guy was yelling about fair play and shit before they gagged him."
She chuckled as her eyes fluttered shut. Cool air soon hit her chest, then the wet heat of a mouth. "Shouldn't you be out there?"
He sucked as he pulled away so that his mouth popped wetly off her tit. "But you look good enough to eat."
"Hungry, daddy?"
He groaned.
"Do you want Shigaraki to pitch a fit?" she needled.
"Fuck. Fine." Dabi stood and readjusted himself, glaring at her in the meantime. "You just stay right there and keep looking like a snack for me, babygirl. I'll be back soon." He licked his lips, shook his head, then stomped out like a petulant child.
Ayumu chuckled and fell back on the bed, legs still hanging off the side. How long would Tomura keep trying to turn the kid before he accepted it was hopeless? And what would happen to him then? She highly doubted he'd get the same deal as her. Then again… she shuddered. Nope, she would not venture there.
Maybe he could be slave labor like Kurogiri. If you could call the shadowy man that. Surely Tomura's sensei would have an idea of how to use the kid.
To lure out the heroes. Maybe All Might himself.
That seemed likely; Ayumu had learned soon after her kidnapping that Shigaraki was obsessed with the number one hero. He had attempted to get at him before, but failed for whatever reasons; Tomura actually blamed one of the UA students, if she remembered his rantings correctly.
Being held hostage wasn't the worst, especially if the kid was actually released. Tomur wouldn't care about him the moment All Might appeared, so it was a possibility.
There was also the possibility of Ayumu helping him if he was kept around for long enough people relaxed their guard.
That's fucking likely , she mocked herself. There was no way she'd be allowed near the teen without anyone else keeping a hawk's eye on her. And she'd be murdered if she tried.
This was a mess. A mess and a half.
Well, there was one benefit; Ayumu wasn't shackled. She knew the only ways in and out were through a bar packed with villains, but it was still nice to have her limbs all to herself. She reached down and rubbed at her ankle appreciatively.
She could go to the toilet if she needed it. On her own. When was the last time she'd been able to do that?
No, Ayumu frowned. It was a little over a week, she thought. It hadn't been that long at all, but so much of it was spent locked away and left to her own musings. That had a way of stretching and molding time into amorphous periods between interactions. It didn't help that they fed her at random intervals. They both kept unstable schedules as well.
Ayumu reached for her pencil and sketchbook; this was something to mark time, tangible evidence of her hours spent. She flipped it open to the portrait of Dabi, her eyes drinking in the shapes of him. There in lines and palest shading only so far. She found him attractive as he was, but without the scars he'd be a straight-up pretty boy. That porcelain skin on sharp features, eyes that practically glowed. His hair, she suspected, was dyed. The black had been fresh and dark when they'd met, but a sliver of root had revealed itself to her, and it was a softer black now.
He'd look like an ice prince, she thought. Ironic given his fire Quirk, but still somehow appropriate.
She took the pencil to the page to start lining where his staples would go. The Touya with smooth features and pale hair was not someone she knew. She was drawing Dabi.
She was engrossed with the details when the explosion rocked the building. Ayumu sat stockstill and listened, but couldn't hear from the back room. She was tentative as she edged toward the door, almost crying when she found it unlocked. From the hall she could hear the sounds of a battle. What the fuck was going on?
Ayumu held her sketchbook to her chest as though to protect it from whatever
Danger was emanating from the bar. But still she moved forward, slinking like a cat that didn't want to be seen. She would not risk making anyone aware of her presence.
There was a phrase she'd heard once from a friend who had been U.S. military, and she'd taken it to heart. "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast." The premise that you would perform more efficiently at a careful pace than haphazardly. It was smarter than she'd have thought the American military could be.
The door swung and she locked gazes with someone— a hero, she thought. But she couldn't even fully register him; a disgusting black ooze foamed out of her and over her and she was going to suffocate. This was it. They'd realized she was out of Dabi's room and now they were killing her. The world was already black…
… She dry heaved over the dirty concrete, collapsing to her knees as she wretched.
"Whoa, there, dollface." Dabi rubbed soothingly at her back, coaxing her to unfurl. Ayumu looked up at him with red eyes and mouth agape.
"What—"
"Shigaraki's sensei relocated us so he could fight the battle back there." His tone warned her not to question him, so she nodded. When she'd gathered herself enough, he pulled her up by a forearm, steadying her against him.
They were in a warehouse, the members of the League all gathered around. Toga was lacking her previous enthusiasm, and Tomura was completely unapproachable.
She held herself against Dabi, suddenly overwhelmed by all the people she did not know. Masked men, a muscular woman, a lizard Quirked man with a sword. It was all too much, and she looked up pleadingly at Dabi.
"I want to sit down."
He nodded and led her to a bunch of abandoned pallets. "Guess I'll have to raincheck that meal," he laughed.
"Yeah."