Archive of Our Own

Dabi wakes up… somewhere.

He blinks a couple of times, trying to piece his world back together. Slowly, he sits up. And his senses start coming back, his phone is ringing, which is probably what woke him up. He starts cursing out whoever is calling, no matter who it may be.

The caller id reads ‘Toga <3’ (she added the heart), and Dabi’s annoyance only grows. He considers hanging up and shutting the phone off, but he’s past the point of going back to sleep. The pain has settled in, it won’t leave him for the rest of the day.

“What?” Dabi mutters.

“Were you asleep?” Toga giggles through the speaker.

“What do you want?” Dabi insists.

“You need to come to the doctors office,” Toga says, the childish tone gone from her voice. “He’s waking up.”

He doesn’t say anything back, letting the call die by shutting the phone.

-

The doctors office is neither an office nor is there any doctor, (Dabi highly doubts that Ujiko creep has a medical degree) but it’s easier to say than ‘human experiment laboratory slash torture chamber’. Twice and Toga started calling it that, and even worse Shigaraki, too.

Dabi’s the last to get there, and he’s planning to be the first one to leave. He walks through the plastic tarps that make the door and grimances, the room smells like toxic chemicals, the scent makes the back of his throat burn.

Heads turn at the sound of the tarps moving. He doesn’t return the nods or waves, but he picks up on the rooms atmosphere almost immediately. Toga’s legs swing back and forth from the table she’s sitting on, Twice tugs at the hems of his mask, Compress twirls two marbles around his fingers and Spinner doesn’t turn around to greet him, all his attention focused on the glass in front of them.

Dabi raises an eyebrow at Compress in question, he gets a curt head shake in return. He huffs, finding a wall to lean back into, shoving his hands into his pockets before the nervousness of everyone else starts making him pull at his staples. He thought the waiting was over. He could’ve slept for longer.

A few minutes later the doctor walks in from the offices other entrance, pausing when he realizes they’re all there. Dabi notices the way he sneers at Shigaraki’s strays, but he recovers quickly, sitting down on the office chair Dabi never sees him out off.

The doctor rolls from one desk to the other, stopping a few seconds in each, until he finally settles in front of the computers. The sound of the keyboard is annoying the hell out of him, and so is the whole tension of the room.

“How much longer?” Dabi finally asks.

Shigaraki was supposed to come back two weeks ago, and he was supposed to be gone for only one month. His absence complicates things for him. Dabi’s pretty tired of being the second in command, he would gladly give the position to Spinner, who seems to be dying for it, but granting him his place would please the lizard too much. Maybe Hawks got a point when he calls Dabi petty.

The doctor sighs, annoyed at the interruption of his work. “Just a second,” he replies. His voice only serves irritate Dabi further.

Thankfully, it’s not even a full minute when the glass tank starts to hiss and drain. Everyone walks closer to it and despite himself, Dabi follows.

“I hope he’s wearing underwear,” Twice mutters seriously, almost shattering the building tension.

Almost everyone groans at the comment, Toga only laughs. Twice covers her eyes as the water reaches the middle of the tank. And removes his hand when he realizes it’s safe.

The tanks display flashes and beeps. Dabi’s tired of his life being a cheap sci fi movie. Then the tanks door cracks open, letting the steam out.

Shigaraki’s hand curls around the glass door. Which, of course, shatters.

‘For fuck’s sake,’ Dabi thinks, biting his lip, he cannot laugh. He’s not the guy that laughs.

“Shit!” Shigaraki exclaims, but the glass shards soon turn to dust.

Dabi steps forwards. “Welcome back, boss.”

—

Shigaraki won’t stop shaking.
But he won't take the crappy blankets Twice brought him. He refuses to use them, he should’ve brought him some goddamn clothes instead. He wishes he could stop the tremors, the last thing he needs right now is the badly hidden concern in most of their eyes, except of course in Dabi’s.

He needs something to eat, he wants to return to the coma, he needs a fucking shirt.

He brushes off Twices attempt at covering him up, where the fuck did he even get the blankets. He shakes his head, he can’t seem to think straight. It’s cold but his skin burns at barest touch. Someone might be talking. It starts to sound like Spinner.

“Here,” he’s suddenly in front of him, the way he says it makes him think it’s not the first time he’s said it, Shigaraki tries not to stumble back.

He’s offering him something. A glint of silver, a strip of leather. His prosthetic.

He takes it with his right hand, careful not to repeat the door incident, the doctor hasn’t stopped shooting him dirty looks. It’s not like he has the budget to replace human sized glass tanks nowadays. Shigaraki breathes in, ignoring the nausea and pain in his head it causes. He can’t wait to tear the lab to the ground, it would be a very good test run of his new promised power up.

More slowly than he would like, he adjusts the prosthetic until he can move the missing fingers.

“Get me a damn shirt,” he orders, smacking Twice away again.

He’s aware that someone leaves, his body rebooting piece by piece. He tries to tell if something feels changed, but if the pain he’s in is any different from the pain he has been for most of his life, he can’t tell.

“You look like shit,” Dabi comments and Spinner smacks his arm.

Shigaraki can only glare at him. There’s someone next to him, and he doesn’t have the strength to startle when he realizes it is the doctor. With little to no warning, he drives a needle onto his arm. Shigaraki can’t move away in time.

“Hey,” he mutters weakly, but the small man is gone, back to his desk already. The dickhead is practically dancing.

Compress hands him one of the million of handkerchiefs he seems to pull out from nowhere. Shigaraki presses it against his bleeding arm. The doctor is muttering something to himself. Toga is back with his clothes, finally.

“Everyone out,” the doctor orders. Nobody moves.

“It’s fine,” Shigaraki says. With a bit of hesitation, they all retreat through the door.

“So,” Shigaraki starts, turning towards the doctor. “Did it work?”

“You’re alive aren’t you?” The doctor replies, looking at him almost in awe. “It was all or nothing.”

After that he stops answering all of Shigarakis questions, no matter how many swears he adds to them. He almost bleeds him dry with how many blood samples he takes. The only interesting part of the whole check up is when he makes him touch one of the tables. It doesn’t crack then fall apart, it’s almost like it dissolves.

He’s not dismissed but he’s seen what he wanted. Shigaraki tries to walk towards the door but he ends up stumbling out of the room, ignoring all of the doctors calls. He jumps when he’s past the doorway, and the rest of the eavesdropping league jumps back.

Twice, Toga and Spinner at least try to appear like they weren’t trying to listen in. Compress plays it off the smoothest, Dabi is too shameless to pretend he has any manners.

“So can I go now?” he asks.

“Keep your phone on,” Shigaraki orders as he waves him away, he’s aware that he has just woken up from a nearly two month coma, but he needs more sleep than that to deal with Dabi.

“Sure,” Dabi replies. Shigaraki can already hear his voicemail.

His boots echo down the hallway as Shigaraki sits down on the least ruined couch, sighing.

“You need anything, boss?” Twice asks, then adds, “Can we leave, too?”

“He needs a haircut,” Toga replies for him. She’s got one of Twice’s blankets and she throws it over him. Shigaraki drags it off his face with his pinky. What is it with those two and the blankets, he’s not even shivering anymore. “Your hair’s longer than mine now, Tomura.”

She takes a strand of his hair and brings it up to her head, measuring the white with the blond.

“So shiny. Maybe I should get into a chemical bath.” Toga sits down on the couches armrest, her legs bumping into Shigaraki’s shoulders. Her fingers tangling in his hair, making him shiver. He’s about to tell her to quit it, but he realizes she’s not playing with his hair, she’s braiding it.

“You were gone for so long,” Toga says softly, pouting at him. Shigaraki can’t tell her to leave him alone.

“Sorry for being late,” he replies.

“Are we ready now, then?” Toga asks, excited once more.

“Yes,” Shigaraki declares after an intentional ominous pause “We are.”

--

“You look thoughtful,” Dabi points out. “That’s never good.”

“Can you shut up for like one meeting,” Spinner exclaims, throwing his hands up. “Just a single meeting.”

“Wasn’t talking to you,” Dabi dismisses him. “You know I don’t like coming back and forth, it makes the base easier to find.”

Shigaraki takes his bitching as it comes, letting his head rest on his palm in a show of clear disinterest to Dabi’s complaining. He shoots him a look as if to say ‘are you done?’

Dabi crosses his arms over his chest and leans back into his chair, surrendering.

Shigaraki tries to get his thoughts in order, even after two days awake his mind is still sluggish, he stands up. The table goes quiet, their interest caught. He figures out that the best way to say it is the most truthful one, the league is anything but subtle.

He measures their reactions as he tells them, from incredulous to excited, he observes the anxiety and anticipation, the disbelieving stares and their exchanged glances.

“You want us to do what?” Spinner asks after a few minutes of complete silence.

“I don’t want you to do anything,” Shigaraki replies. “I’m asking if you would help me.”

“Sure,” Twice replies, “Absoluetly fucking not, are you insane? Toga are you also in?”

“Yes!” Toga shireks, and Shigaraki takes an easy guess on what’s made her so willing. “Yes! Tomura I will help you!”

Twice blinks, then rubs a thumb over the scar on his forehead. Apparently convinced.

“Shigaraki…” Spinner starts, then stops.

“I’m not saying it would be easy,” Shigaraki says. “Compress?”

“It would be… a great feat, a trick of that magnitude…” It’s impossible to tell under the mask but Shigaraki can hear the excitement in his voice. He continues to mutter to himself. Shigaraki catches 'impenetrable’ and ‘grand escape’.

Spinner looks at all of them incredulously, frowning with growing concern. His gaze finally lands on Dabi, who hasn’t moved or said anything since Shigaraki stopped speaking. He lifts a hand and pulls at the staples on his jaw.

Shigaraki turns his gaze on him, too, expecting the wave of sarcastic and mocking comments.

Dabi’s blue eyes find his, Shigaraki holds his stare. “Why?” Dabi asks.

“I already killed my father,” Shigaraki explains. “Now I need to kill him.”

Dabi tilts his head to the side, and smiles.

Spinner collapses back in his chair. Defeated. “We’re gonna get killed.”

“No,” Shigaraki corrects. “You take care of the heroes, I’m the only one going for him.”

“You’re crazy.” Twice shakes his head. “The craziest.”

“Is that why the doctor…” Compress asks.

Shigaraki nods sharply. “I’ve reached the last level.” he gently places his index finger on the table in front of them, the wood splinters with a ‘crack’ and an uneven line appears from his finger to the other side. But it doesn’t crumble.

Spinner buries his head in his hands.

“What’s the plan, then.” Compress has taken out one of his many decks of cards, and he’s building a tower with precise movements. Shigaraki knows he will topple it when he finishes explaining, he’s so damn dramatic.

“That’s what I called you for.” Shigaraki gestures to the table. “We all need to figure it out.”

“Are we breaking in?” Toga seems to return to the conversation. “Or sneaking around?”

“We can’t attack it head on.” Dabi shakes his head, his gaze is distant and he’s still fidgeting with the staples. “We would get caught before you even set a hand on the walls.”

“Compress, any ideas?” Shigaraki trusts him to figure out a way to get past a maze of that size.

“A few,” Compress replies, he’s almost giggling.

“I have something,” Dabi says. They all turn to him.

“Are you actually being useful?” Twice asks.

“Huh... apparently,” Dabi replies, sounding as surprised as they all feel.

“What is it then?” Shigaraki interrupts. Dabi smiles once more and Shigaraki fights the urge to sneer in disgust, he’s never smiled that way. It gives him the creeps.

“More like who is it.” Dabi corrects.

--

“You want me to do what?” Hawks exclaims after he finishes choking on his iced coffee.

“I want you to do your job,” Dabi replies patiently. “Wouldn’t it be good for your career or something?”

“It- I mean- My job is with you?” Hawks argues, but it sounds like a question.

“Exactly.” Dabi nods, stealing one of his fires. “So do what I tell you.”

“Are you turning on them?” Hawks asks, all seriousness on his face ill fitted for his young features.

Dabi shoots him the coldest look he can. “Just because I hang out with traitors doesn’t mean I am one.”

Hawks lifts his hands in surrender, handful of fries and all. “Okay, ouch. But my guess isn’t that crazy, you barely even talk to them.”

Dabi considers it, he’s not in the league for the wonderful quality time they spend together in broken down buildings, but he guesses he comes across a little detached. He shrugs, it’s better this way.

“If you’re not betraying Shigaraki then it’s something he asked you to do,” Hawks declares after the silence stretches on.

Dabi looks at him once more, frowning.

“Ha, knew it.” Hawks dips his chicken nuggets on Dabi’s ranch dip, disgusting.

“Isn’t this the opposite of what you guys want?” Hawks asks. “I thought the league was all about freedom.”

“We do what we want,” Dabi echoes Shigaraki’s words, then takes a bite of his ice cream. “And what we want now is to get thrown in Tartarus.”

“Sounds fun.” Hawks shakes his head. “Sure, I can make it happen.”

Dabi nods at him, sealing the deal.

“What happens after?” Hawks asks and the amusement is gone from his voice. “What happens to you?”

“I’ll tell you when I know,” Dabi replies, taking the last of Hawks’ nuggets.

--

Dabi is not exactly against the plan (he’s all for it actually), but he is pretty against the part that comes before. Specifically the convincing-the-bunch-of-fucking-idiots part.

“You all argue like we have another option,” Dabi states, matter of factly.

“It isn’t an option!” Spinner exclaims. “It is the exact opposite of what we want!”

“It is not ideal,” Compress remarks, supporting the lizard. “But Dabi does have a point, we haven't been able to come up with a better strategy.”

“Do you even trust him?” Spinner continues.

“Fuck no, what do you take me as?” Dabi replies. “But he can get us inside in the only way that won’t get us shot.”

“Right, of course, they can’t shoot us if we’re already fucking arrested.” Spinner throws his hands up, wearing Dabi’s patience a little thinner.

“Look,” Dabi snaps, turning to Shigaraki, “take it or leave it.”

Shigaraki seems to consider it. “I can’t just reject the only way you’ve ever been useful, so yeah, let's go with your idea.”

“Thank you,” Dabi replies as sarcastically as possible.

“Sneaky it is then,” Toga declares with an excited smile.

“Great, so we have a way in,” Twice summarizes. “How do we get out?”

Everyone exchanges looks, which eventually land on Compress.

The man seems to bloom under the attention. “Leave that to me.”

--

Shigaraki is violently woken up by a crash coming from apparently everywhere. He’s already leaping down the broken staircase when he hears Toga laughing. And since it’s not her murder laugh, Shigaraki stops in his tracks. Then he carries on, his mentality shifting from defending the base to attacking whoever just woke him up.

“I said to the left!” Twice yells, neck thrown back to look at something far above him.

“There’s no left here?!” An unknown voice responds. “Just a wall, dude!”

“Oh, I meant right,” Twice corrects, then adds. “I said left.”

Shigaraki would’ve preferred that the base was being attacked as he originally thought, but instead he’s greeted by the number two hero flying around his meeting room.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Shigaraki asks with barely contained rage, he can’t tell if it comes from being woken up or from the winged hero’s presence.

“Breaking in the new intern,” Dabi replies, appearing from the doorway.

“Intern?” Hawks asks from where he’s perched in the highest window.

“Finally setting up the TV antenna,” Toga says, answering Shigaraki’s initial question.

“Yeah! We can finally watch something instead of having to listen to Spinners shitty radio.” Twice pulls at one of the multiple cables he’s tangled in and the antenna threatens to fall forwards, Hawks catches it before Shigaraki can react.

“Why are you even setting it up a week before we all die?” Spinner asks.

“Good to see you keeping up the morale as always, lizard.” Dabi smiles warmly at him, which makes Spinner retreat in disgust.

He goes to stand next to Shigaraki, way too close. “He needs to know what we’re doing, if he’s going to help,” Dabi says, softly enough only Shigaraki can hear him. “Get a look at him. Last chance to come up with another idea.”

Shigaraki glances at Dabi. Since when is the guy so cooperative.

“Make him set up the power for the second floor while he’s here,” Shigaraki instructs. Dabi smiles, Shigaraki rolls his eyes, it’s like the guy lives to annoy others, and he can tell Hawks is his new favorite target.

“And see if he can get us a blueprint of the prison,” Shigaraki adds. “If he can’t he’s not worth our trust.”

Whatever trace of warmth there might have been seems to drain out Dabis eyes. “Alright.”

--

“I like Dabi’s hero toy,” Toga comments when they’re both gone. “Can I have one?”

Shigaraki wishes she would just leave, he can finally play up in his room. “You already have two.”

“But they aren’t heroes yet.” Toga pouts. “They’re always at school.”

‘Like you should be,’ Shigaraki thinks, but keeps it to himself.

“Hey, Tomura,” Toga starts again. “It will… be fine, right?”

Shigaraki hesitates, which makes him take a direct him from his current enemy in the game.

“I don’t wanna stay in prison.” Toga sits down next to him, sliding down until she’s nearly on the floor. “I won’t be able to see them anymore.”

“You can stay here,” Shigaraki tells her, “If you want.” They would all prefer it, he knows that.

“But then I won’t see Stainy,” Toga whines, “And I know you guys won’t stop to bring me back his blood.”

“You could ask Spinner,” Shigaraki suggests. “I’m sure he would love to stop by his cell.”

Toga seems to consider it. “He will be too busy protecting you.”

“Then ask Dabi.” Shigaraki is getting tired of this conversation. “He won’t be doing anything, as usual.”

Toga laughs. She finishes sliding down, turning so her back is against Shigaraki’s leg. She tugs at the torn pillow he’s using as a backrest until Shigaraki gives it up.

Shigaraki turns down the volume so she can sleep.

--

“It was a bitch to get this,” Hawks complains. “But here it is.”

Shigaraki takes the blueprint eagerly, spreading it across the (now cracked, thank you very much, dickhead, it's like there’s not enough broken furniture in the base) table. They all stare silently at the monstrous building.

“I wish I could tell what I was looking at,” Twice says, breaking the silence.

“I thought I was the only one,” Spinner adds sheepishly.

“I think,” Dabi tries, “This is the main entrance.”

“That’s so helpful,” Shigaraki replies coldly. Dabi shrugs, uncaring.

They turn to Hawks, whose feathers rise under the stares. “You only asked for the print, I never said I could read it.”

“I would guess it’s purposely confusing,” Compress points out.

“Well thanks, Hawks,” Twice says, clapping the hero in the back. “It was completely useless.”

Hawks seeks Dabis eyes, his gaze reproachful. Dabi bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing at him.

--

“You had me pull favors out of the goddamn air.” Hawks hasn’t stopped ranting, and Dabi wishes he could find it less endearing. “And none of you know how to read a goddamn blueprint.”

“You heard Compress,” Dabi replies, feeling an urge to defend himself and the league. “It’s not a normal fucking blueprint. And I didn’t ask, Shigaraki did.” He takes a bite off his popsicle, making Hawks wince.

He’s still fuming but the fried chicken has calmed him down significantly. He takes another bite out of the leg he’s holding. “-not your fucking intern,” he mutters.

Dabi can’t help but laugh. “I knew that would get to you.”

Hawks glares at him. “Nothing got to me.”

“Sure,” Dabi snarks back. “Not at all.”

Hawks shoves him to the side and Dabi digs his nails into the concrete, this is why he hates hanging out in rooftops with him. At least he always brings junk food.

“I’m glad I’m not going in with you,” Hawks comments. “If you won’t even know where you’ll be going.”

“We’ll just take Shigaraki’s shortcuts.”

“You seem awfully confident in this.” Hawks points out, more serious.

Dabi shakes his head. He won’t ever say it out loud, but he’s not stupid, Shigaraki has the kind of power needed to get them out.

“Just play your part.”

“It’s what I do best.” Hawks smile is a little cold. Dabi raises an eyebrow, maybe he’s been spending too much time with him. He’s been known to be a bad influence.

“I’ll talk with them after this,” Dabi says, “to see if you can go from intern to member.”

“Ha ha,” Hawks replies dryly. But when he smiles at him he does it warmly.

--

Everything is as ready as it could be, which isn’t really saying a lot when it comes to Them.

They see no point in pretending to get rest. They have made a temporary fortress out of the meeting room and for the night the place is untouchable. No hero could ever trespass, no rival could come close.

They eat what they know could be their last meal. Dabi drinks, sharing his poison with Compress and Twice. He tries to bully Shigaraki into it but he’s denied. The leader already drunk on his plan. Toga tries to steal the bottle and she’s met with 5 hands that reach out to stop her.

They go over the plan, shooting questions at each other randomly, measuring what each knows and if it fits with everyone else's course of action.

The night passes and the tension increases, the laughter becomes more scarce. The first to fall is Toga, no one really says anything but within an hour she’s got two blankets and a pillow.

Spinner follows, trying to not show his hesitation when he says his goodnights’.

Compress tries to teach Shigaraki how to play cards well into the night, with little success. He says they’ll keep at it when they get back, he states so confidently, then heads to his room.

Twice barely makes it to couch in the next room, but not before he checks on Toga one last time.

All that’s left is the first and second in command.

“Nervous?” Dabi asks, and he’s blurring around the edges.

“We’re prepared,” Shigaraki answers.

“Ready, then?” Dabi sits down on the chair to Shigaraki’s right, resting his head on his outstretched arm. “What boss is this?” He laughs at the stolen language.

“The final one.” Shigaraki is too fast for him, he takes the bottle before Dabi can react. “Why did you have to get drunk?”

“I’ll burn it out.” Dabi shrugs.

“You better.”

“You almost look excited,” Dabi points out, tilting his head on the table. He reaches out and pushes Shigaraki’s hair out of his eyes.

Shigaraki freezes, then slaps his hand away.

Dabi laughs softly, letting his arm hit the table. He turns his head until it’s buried in the crook of his arm. He’s gone within seconds.

Shigaraki sighs, standing up and leaving him there. (He would find a blanket but it’s not like Dabi needs it). He finds a free spot quickly enough and wills himself to rest.

For the night They are fine.

—

“Is Dabi hungover?” Spinner hisses somewhere in the dark.

“No, I’m not fucking hungover,” Dabi lies, “mind your damn business.”

His head is killing him, this is the last thing he needs right now.

“How much longer?” Toga asks from the back of the line.

“Three minutes,” Spinner replies.

“Let’s hope the intern does his part,” Compress mutters, filling the air with nervous energy.

“If he doesn’t, we’ll just kill him,” Twice suggests.

Dabi makes a face at that, glad that it’s too dark for anyone to see. If anything he should be the one to kill Hawks, he’s earned it.

“How will we kill him if we’re-” Toga starts.

“One minute,” Shigaraki’s voice cuts through the dark.

Dabi feels the rest of them straightening up at the sound. The have fallen silent. He feels the growing anticipation as each second passes.

Shigaraki keeps looking back the way they came from. Dabi casts a look back, too. Then nudges him lightly, questioning.

Shigaraki shrugs. “I just feel like I forgot something.”

“You got all your hands?” Dabi asks.

He gets a blank stare in return. Damn, he was actually asking.

With ten seconds left, Spinner pushes off the manhole cover above them, Dabi shuts his eyes, the light is blinding after so long underground. Nine seconds, Spinner goes first. Eight, Shigaraki. Seven, Dabi.

He doesn’t look back to see if Compress follows. Walking fast to take position at the end of the street. Out of the corner of his eye he can already see people staring at him and glancing at the hole they’re literally crawling out off. It won’t be long until they’re recognized and someone sounds the alarm.

Dabi might as well give them a hand. Time runs out (he hopes, he doesn’t wear a watch, they tend to melt), and he rises hell. The wall of flames goes from one end of the street to the other, cutting off all access from that side. The screaming starts almost immediately. Then the sound of a controlled earthquake as Shigaraki collapses the wall of the bank.

People run around him, away from him and the fire. Dabi walks towards the middle of the street more calmly than he feels. The actual alarms of the bank begin to blare, telling Dabi that the rest are already inside. He focuses on maintaining the fire behind him high.

What feels like minutes later two heroes appear from the opposite side of the street, like Hawks said they would. Dabi doesn’t recognize them but he already knows their quirks, which are not a good match for his own, one has something to do with sound and the other has some kind of tail and weird teeth. Dabi probably should’ve paid more attention to what Hawks told him about them.

Dabi can clearly see the moment he’s recognized. The blood draining from their faces, their rushed steps flattering, hesitation and fear taking over. Dabi feels himself smiling, just to add to the dramatics, Compress would be proud.

He lets the gesture be a warning, giving them a heartbeat to react before sending more flames their way. Shigaraki didn’t specify if he wanted anyone dead. But Hawks asked nicely to keep the murdering low.

The flames spread, trapping the heroes, the few civilians who weren’t fast enough and Dabi in the street. Now the only way in is from above. Dabi forces them to go on the defensive, not that they can attack anyway. He targets the remaining civilians, making the heroes focus on saving them and not on fighting him or stopping whatever’s going on inside the bank.

Not even ten minute later the sound of a helicopter drowns the nonstop shrieks of the people. Dabi risks a glance up, but it’s just a news broadcaster.

He keeps playing around with the heroes for a few more minutes, by that point the whole street is going up in smoke. His arms are beginning to feel too hot. Where the fuck is that bastard? Isn’t he supposed to be fast?

Twice is the first to come out from the half collapsed bank, carrying cartoonish looking bags of cash. He practically skips over towards Dabi. Behind him, Toga sets out running towards one of the heroes, smiling widely. Dabi feels a surge of panicked worry, he throws up another wall in the way of the second hero, cutting him off from Toga.

“Love what you've done with the place,” Twice says.

“The lighting was awful before,” Dabi replies.

“Well, you sure know how to light up a room.”

“Do you two ever stop?” Spinner asks, between coughs. One hand he’s holding more money and on the other he has one of his numerous shitty swords. “Where the hell is the intern?”

Dabi is so happy the intern thing caught on, but he’s growing restless by the second, he manages to shrug noncommittally.

“We’re fucked,” Spinner declares.

Shigaraki and Compress emerge from the smoke. Compress holds yet another bag of money.

“Dabi, you’re the worst recruiter ever,” Shigaraki says.

“Why the fuck is this on me?” Dabi asks, feeling attacked. Police sirens seem to head their way.

A choked scream comes from their left, another hero who won’t make it home today. Toga, dripping red, jogs to catch up to them. Dabi blinks, a flash of red, and she’s gone. He hears her screaming, the fire around them seems to rise as does his panic. To his left, a police officer gives orders he doesn’t care to listen to.

He turns to the rest, just in time to see Compress collapse. Hawks, with one foot on his mask, folds back his wings.

Someone yells Shigaraki’s name. Dabi turns to face him, trapping them in a circle of flame as fast as he can.

“You’re late,” Dabi acusses.

“The hell I am,” Hawks replies sounding out breath. “You bastards were ten minutes early!”

“Spinner!” Dabi exclaims, knowing Hawks yelled loud enough to be heard.

“My bad!” A reply comes from behind.

Hawks looks really tired. Dabi gives him a look to show he shares the sentiment. A gust of wind hits him in the chest, the helicopter catches his attention again. Right, they’re being watched.

Hawks seems to remember at the same time Dabi does. He throws a father that hooks on his arm. Which Dabi ignites. He’s coming with a kick faster than he can react. Dabi drops to the ground with a groan.

He’s already overheating, but he refuses to give such little fight. Hawks backs away from the flames blasted at his face, but he’s relentless. Soft feathers drag him up, head down by his ankles.

“You’re enjoying this too much,” Dabi growls as he stares at Hawks upside down.

Hawks bites his lip. “I really am.”

More feathers around his arms and wrists, one unnecessarily down his shirt. Dabi wants to roast him alive. But he gives up, like he’s supposed to. Fuck, the blood is going into his head. He wishes Hawks would put him down, he doesn’t need to be arrested while nauseous.

He watches as Hawks goes against Spinner and wins. He sees how Twice and Shigaraki get away successfully. Then, his vision fills with black dots. He wills himself to not blackout, don’t fucking pass out, he chokes out a scream,“Hawks!” But like every other time, his body doesn’t listen to him.

--

Dabi wakes up in the back of a police truck. Handcuffed, and face down on the floor. Surprisingly, he’s had rougher mornings.

Compress lies next to him, still unconscious. Toga and Spinner sit on one of the trucks benches, each handcuffed to the metal walls. Two armed guards sit with their backs to the door, Dabi can’t see their faces.

He shoots a look at Spinner, questioning. The lizard nods almost imperceptibly. A good sign, but he cannot will his mind to relax. Toga kicks her legs restlessly, but she’s unharmed. Hawks actually listened for once and captured her first.

Dabi wonders how much time they have before someone realizes this was way too easy.

The truck has no windows, and as soon as Dabi makes an attempt to sit up one of the police officers guarding them presses a gun to the staples on his jaw. Toga and Spinner jolt forward, pulling at their restraints. Dabi lies back down. This is gonna be a long drive.

He’s two more bumps in the road from throwing up when the truck comes to a stop. Dabi runs through the facts he’s memorized. Three control gates before the main entrance, the first one before the bridge. Muffled voices come from outside the vehicle. Then the sound of an electric engine and metal shifting, the first gate opening to let them through.

The motion repeats two more times. The fourth time the truck stops, a radio speaks from one of the guards shoulders. They both get up, training their weapons on the league automatically. The doors open and two more guards drag Compress out, each holds one of his arms, his knees brush against the concrete.

One of the guards reaches out for the chain holding Dabis handcuffs. He pulls him out suddenly, the cuffs digging into his staples until he bleeds. Dabi tries to find his footing, but his ankles are also bound and he’s dropped on the ground before he can even try to stand. He hears Spinner yell something at the guard. Dabi clenches his jaw and finally manages to get up.

They unchain Toga and Spinner from the wall, at least they’re allowed to get down on their own. The doors of the police wagon shut behind them.

Dabi can finally focus on the building in front of him. After one look at the prison he begins to consider the possibility that maybe they’re all fucked.

They walk them to the entrance, dragging Compress behind. The metal doors open and close automatically, sealing them in. The open room has one way windows high on the second floor. Dabi wonders who is watching them. He can’t see any more guards.

They need to hold on until processing, but Toga seems to be getting antsy and Spinner looks as if he’s walking to the electric chair. Compress is still limp in the guards arms. Dabi wishes he really wasn’t hungover.

More fortified doors. This time into a smaller white room, two more guards. But the ones carrying Compress dump him unceremoniously on the floor and go back the way they came from which makes Dabi think there’s only one entrance and exit.

One of the new officers walks over to him, carrying heavy shackles to replace his handcuffs, behind him, a woman holds similar ones for Spinner and a straightjacket too small to be for Compress. It’s now or never.

The man gets close enough to place the metal on him, too close. Dabi lights up like a firework. The guard screams in pain, the fire spreading up his clothes. The other two officers start firing at him and Dabi dodges on blind luck, the chains on his feet making him trip and fall next to Compress, who winks at him, sticking his tongue out.

Two small marbles roll out of his mouth.

--

Compress’ quirk feels fucking weird. Shigaraki starts feeling a shiver run down his spine upon being freed, but it’s quickly interrupted by multiple people shooting at him. Fuck, not again.

Someone is on fire, also. He dodges and reaches out towards the nearest guard, who doesn’t even get the chance to scream. The second closest has her throat slit by the measuring tape of Twices suit. Spinner is yelling at him to let him free and Dabi is muttering a very creative string of curses from the ground.

Shigaraki ignores them both, his attention on the remaining guard, letting the other one burn as he decays the last one.

Even with all the guards incapacitated, the alarms begin to blare. Shigaraki scans the room quickly, three cameras.

He turns around to face the rest. Toga holds her hands up, her eyes cold, someone pissed her off. Shigaraki touches her chain and then Spinners.

“Are you okay?!” Twice frets over them.

“Shigaraki,” Dabi calls.

Oh, right. He kneels down to break his, too.

“Surprisingly I think so far we’re good,” Spinner replies, surprised.

“Holy shit... we’re in,” Twice states once he knows no one is injured.

Dabi sits up slowly. Shigaraki continues kneeling over him. He smells like smoke, and he’s bleeding.

“How much longer can you go on?” Shigaraki asks him quietly between the alarm blares.

Dabi makes a face at him. “Long enough.”

Shigaraki shrugs and they both stand up.

“We came in that way.” Spinner points to the wall behind them.

Shigaraki touches the opposite wall. Which breaks apart to show a hallway. Dabi steps in front of the group when a running guard aims her weapon at them, unleashing flames and forcing the woman to dodge. Shigaraki has four fingers to her face before she can react.

He smiles, threatening. “Do you mind giving us a tour?”

The guard nods very slowly, but Shigaraki keeps half a hand wrapped around her arm as a precaution.

“Hand over your radio,” Spinner orders. Taking it and tinkering with it for a second, now they can hear the prison coordinating their attacks. Someone is ordering to call in some heroes. Shigaraki sighs, he expected that to happen. It would take any hero (except Hawks) little under an hour to get to Tartarus. It’s not a lot of time.

“Kurogiri’s cell,” Shigaraki instructs tightening his grip on the guards arm.

“The nomu?” The woman asks, taken aback.

Shigaraki sees the way the leagues members exchange looks behind him, he forces himself not to react.

“His cell,” he insists.

“I don’t have the clearance,” The woman argues, staring back at him hatefully.

“Do you know the way?” Compress asks.

“Think carefully about the answer,” Dabi adds.

The guard swallows hard. “I do, but I can’t get you into the cell.”

“That’s no problem.” Shigaraki smiles.

--

Twice builds copies as they go. Six of himself and one of each member of the league. A small little army. The copies of the members disappear down the hallways, on their way to create chaos in the prison. Before they go Shigaraki instructs them with destroying as many security cameras as possible.

They’re moving much slower than Shigaraki would like, but the place is built like a maze and their nonstop run-ins with the prisons officers make them fall back too much, no matter how many times Twice’s copies shield them from their guns and how much Dabi keeps them back. He can’t just collapse the walls until they find the two cells, he doesn’t want to bring the building down on them. Plus, their guide pausing repeatedly to unlock doors with long access codes and the fact that her hands are shaking while she keeps crying for her fallen coworkers also slows them down.

“This as far as I can get you,” The guard says once they reach another set of metal doors. The inner ring of the prison.

“Thank you,” One of the Twices tells her. “We’re gonna knock you out now.”

“Not kill her?” Toga asks. The woman begins to trash in Twice’s grip.

Twice hesitates. “She gave us the tour…”

“Just do it already,” Spinner snaps, and the woman crumples to the ground.

“Ah,” Twice mutters. “Someones taken down Compress copy.”

“Ha! I lasted longer this time.” Spinner celebrates.

“Focus,” Shigaraki instructs sharply. Spinner gives him an apologetic smile.

“Do you want me to make any more?” Twice asks.

Shigaraki knows he can make multiple doubles now, but he doesn’t want to push him too much. He shakes his head and turns to face the inner gates once more. He presses both hands against the metal so it breaks down faster. He’s getting anxious. They’re so close.

As soon as the first crack in the door appears a valve hisses, and the hallway begins to fill with gas.

“Fuck!” Spinner swears, tugging up his scarf to cover the bottom of his face. Shigaraki doubts the red cloth will do any good.

“Run for it!” Compress indicates, already ahead.

Shigaraki sprints as he tries to think.

“Dabi!” He calls.

Dab catches his eye as he runs away from the gas. He stumbles as he turns, directing flames at the wall of gas closing in. Miraculously, it ignites, consuming itself up until the flames expand outwards. Shigaraki pulls Toga towards him, crushing her against his chest as he waits for the heat to reach his back.

But it never does. He looks back hesitantly. Dabi, arms outstretched holds the flames in line. They die down just as fast as the gas ignited. And he falls to his knees.

Shigaraki rushes towards him.

“Ugh,” Dabi groans, his face even more blackened. “I should’ve just stayed in the base.”

“You’re doing great, buddy,” Twice offers, “Are you seriously this weak?”

Dabi ignores him, marching ahead. Shigaraki considers stopping him, but he follows in the end.

“Can he really go on?” Spinner falls back to ask Shigaraki. “He’s been burning non stop since we started.”

“I can hear you,” Dabi snaps.

“Dabi’s not the self sacrificing type,” Shigaraki replies. “He’ll stop when he feels like it.”

“I didn’t know you held me in such high esteem.” Dabi has also let Shigaraki catch up to him. He throws a too hot arm around his shoulders, he reeks of burnt flesh. “I’m touched.”

Shigaraki shoves his arm away, careful not to touch the damaged skin.

The hallway seems to go on for a while, and less guards than before try to stop them. Shigaraki guesses they’ve decimated the force of the prisons security, but the heroes are still on the way. It won’t take long until someone fit to deal with them arrives.

They continue to advance past the cells, where the captives are visible on the other side of the one way mirror. Toga peeks into every single one of them, looking for Stain. Spinner hesitates in a few of them, too. Shigaraki wonders if they’ll spot Muscular or Moonfish in one of them.

Not like he would stop for them, good assets, but too impulsive. And to be fair, Dabi was the one that lost them, he should be the one to get them out.

His thoughts come to a stop at the same time they turn the corner. They have reached the end of the hallway. A dead end with only one door in the furthest wall. Knowing what that means, he forgets to check the corners for cameras.

Shigaraki can’t help it. He starts walking faster, fast enough to distance himself from the rest. Which is a mistake.

He hears the mechanism before Spinner’s warning. But it doesn’t make a difference. A fence, wirelike and shining strangely, shoots from one end of the wall to the other.

“Don’t touch it!” Compress yells just as Shigaraki was about to wrap his hand around it.

He freezes in place, and the buzzing reaches his ears. It’s electrified, with a high enough voltage to be heard.

“Go,” Spinner tells him. “Get him out or none of us are leaving.”

Shigaraki knows he’s right. Kurogiri is their only way out, the guards know where they are and they've separated them. It will be a miracle if they even manage to break Kurogiri out. They still have to find All For One’s cell.

Still, Shigaraki hesitates. “Twice, make another copy of me.”

Twice obeys wordlessly. And Shigaraki watches as his double walks over to the fence, reaches out and is immediately shot backwards by the power of the electricity. So much for that idea.

Whatever, he just has to get to Kurogiri. Then this whole thing will be easier.

“I would hurry, if I were you,” Dabi says, casting quick glances at the hallway behind them.

Shigaraki finally heads towards the cell door. Touching it slowly, fearful it will also have a trap. But the metal gives with little fight.

He holds his breath as he steps into the room.

They have him bound to a chair in the middle of the room. Shigaraki suddenly feels ill with anger.

There’s tubes and wires coming from the floor, the walls and the chair. Since Kurogiri hasn’t reacted, and Shigaraki can’t find the yellow shine of his eyes in the mist he assumes he’s drugged out. Fuck.

He finally manages to move. Tearing at the tubes and wires manically. They crumble and beep until the sound dies, too. Then he gets to work on the restraints. Careful not to touch them with five digits.

Part of his hand disappears into the mist. Shigaraki remembers the coldness of it, it feels so familiar.

At the touch, Kurogiri jerks back violently. And Shigaraki, startled, does the same.

“Shigaraki Tomura?” The man asks, his voice shaking.

“Kurogiri? You’re awake,” Shigaraki says, relieved, then continues to pull at the ties.

“Am I?” Kurogiri asks. Shigaraki gives him a look, unsure how to answer that, he still can’t see his eyes, and the mist loses shape randomly. The outline of a man appearing almost completely and dissolving once more.

“Can you see me?” Shigaraki asks back. “What are they giving you?”

“I can see you,” Kurogiri replies, but there’s no light where his eyes used to be. Shigaraki shakes his head, he can deal with that later. “And I’m not sure, I’ve been having… a difficult time lately.”

“It’s over,” Shigaraki declares, just as he undoes the last of the bindings. “Let’s go.”

“Your hair is so long,” Kurogiri points out. Yeah, he’s definitely been drugged.

“C’mon,” Shigaraki insists.

“Where?” Kurogiri finally stands up. And his edged blur once more.

“All For One’s cell,” Shigaraki explains.

“You’ve come to free him,” Kurogiri states, matter of factly.

“Something like that.” Shigaraki pauses. “We’ve come to free you, and kill him.”

The room goes black.

“I cannot let you do that,” Kurogiri says, his voice monotone.

“The fuck are you doing?” Shigaraki asks, surprised. He can hear someone screaming, it sounds like the rest of the league. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Shigaraki Tomura, you’re the master's successor.” His voice is still not his voice.

“What’s wrong with you?” Shigaraki steps back. “Kurogiri.”

“Why are you doing this?” Kurogiri asks from somewhere in the dark. He sounds hesitant and confused, like each word takes a toll on him.

Time for a justification is not something he has at the moment. But Shigaraki tries, he’s not a liar and even if he was, he wouldn’t lie to Kurogiri.

“For what he did,” Shigaraki starts, “to me.”

The pitch darkness seems to fracture, and for a moment spiderwebs of light appear, but the mist shifts once more, drowning out the light.

“You… too?” Kurogiri tilts his head to the side in an exaggerated manner, struggling. Shigaraki’s worry keeps rising. “When I was charged with your care you were barely... a child.”

He doesn’t have an answer to that, he lets the silence reply for him.

“Did he-” Kurogiri seems to struggle, “did he Make you, too?”

Shigaraki brings a hand to his neck, itching and desperate. He forces himself to hook it around the back of his head and leave it there. He thinks about the lab, about the doctor and what he did to him, and about the guards question, ‘the nomu?’

“He did the opposite,” Shigaraki replies. “And I’m guessing he did the same to you.”

“T-they’ve been saying-“ The mist seems to move nonstop, frantic and almost tangible. “I can’t remember…”

“I can,” Shigaraki interrupts. “I have. I remember what everyone did to me.”

“Kurogiri, you said you would help me.” Years ago, in another lifetime, but Shigaraki hasn’t forgotten about it.

“I will,” Kurogiri replies, resolve in his tone. The mist seems to thin. “But I’m afraid I have little say over my actions.”

“Can you get us out?” For now that is the most important thing, even if he feels even more driven to finish the job than ever.

“Yes.” The mist finally retracts. Leaving only the silhouette of a man, it fades in some places and Shigaraki feels his eyes widen when he catches sight of the person underneath here and there. A flash of white hair, a glance of empty eyes.

A wrap opening snaps him out of it, Shigaraki steps through it without hesitation and runs face first into Spinner. On the other side of the fence.

Spinner yelps and Shigaraki swears, clenching his fists on reflex so he won’t accidentally touch anyone. Kurogiri appears behind him, as he always used to.

“The fuck took you so long?” Dabi asks.

Puddles of thick gray substance and guards bodies flood the entire hallway which means Twice has been defending the rest on Shigaraki’s absence.

Toga suddenly appears in front of him, making Shigaraki dodge on instinct, but she isn’t aiming at him. In a second she’s got her arms wrapped on what could be Kurogiri’s neck, clinging to him tightly and screaming greetings into his ear.

Shigaraki takes precious seconds to observe them. Whatever they did to him seems to have stuck. The mist is still thin and revealing. It’s more difficult to place his face since the glow of his eyes hasn’t returned either. Shigaraki believed that without the drugs pumping into his system he would go back to normal, but he hasn't. At least for now, but he seems way more stable than a few minutes ago, even if he’s just been ambushed by a high schooler.

“I’ll explain later,” Shigaraki replies, to answer Dabi’s aggressive question.

Spinner catches his eyes, questioning him with a glance. Shigaraki shrugs at him, he truly doesn’t have the answers.

“Good news,” Twice says. “We know where All For One is being held.”

That catches Shigaraki’s attention.

“One of the guards gave the number of his cell away,” Compress explains, holding up the radio they took from their tour guide. “They’ve sent reinforcements to cellblock 0, they’re panicking.”

“Bad news,” Twice continues. “The copies of these two-” He points at Toga and Dabi “-have been taken down.”

“Worse news” Spinner adds, “We don’t know where that cellblock is.”

“Worst news,” Dabi chimes in. “Some heroes have arrived.”

“Who?” Kurogiri asks, an edge in his voice.

“No idea.” Spinner drags a hand over his eyes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they sent in Endeavor.”

As always, at the mention of the number one Dabi seems to tense up.

“We don’t know that for sure.” Shigaraki quickly interjects. “Maybe they sent the fucking UA brats, they love using them as canon fodder.”

Toga visibly cheers up.

“We got Kurogiri back,” Shigaraki continues. “We have our way out, we push forward until we can’t.” He won’t make them stay, but he can’t just give up when they’ve gotten this far.

“Is there any time left to look for Stain?” Toga asks.

“No,” Five voices reply unanimously.

--

Cellblock 0 is at the center of the prison beacuse of course it fucking is.

Or at least that’s what the last prison officer that they threatened told them. They are running through the hallways, trying to avoid the guards and hoping to stay clear of the heroes. Shigaraki has decided that the building collapsing presents more pros than cons at the moment, so he’s creating their path by hand. Taking down entire hallways and walls. Heading to the heart of the prison.

He doesn’t slow down, and his body doesn’t seem to resent it. Shigaraki is almost grateful for what the doctor did. Almost.

He checks on the league constantly, and everyone (except Dabi who has been wheezing for air after five minutes of running), seems to be holding up better than their last fight. Which isn’t saying much but Shigaraki chooses to see it as progress. At least no one has lost any limbs or body parts. So far.

Suddenly, the hallway ends. They all stumble to a halt, panting. In front of them there’s a one way window. Shigaraki steps forwards, to see what’s on the other side.

There’s no sign, but it’s clear that is cellblock 0. There’s a single cell in the center of the building, with no clear way of getting to it. There’s a single metal door opposite of where they are, and a metal panel peeks from underneath it. It probably extends to the actual cell, but there’s no easy way of activating the weird bridge.

“Kurogiri,” Shigaraki calls. “Get me into that cell.”

Kurogiri seems to hesitate for a moment too long, Shigaraki worries he’ll have another fit. But he opens a wrap, which immediately closes. It takes another three tries, but he nods and Shigaraki walks through.

Tartarus seems to have a determined way of accommodating their prisoners. All For One sits shackled to another chair, with even more wires and tubes than Kurogiri had. Machine guns stare down at him from every corner in the room, Shigaraki waits for a beat for bullets that don’t come. He realizes that the guns are only pointing towards the chair.

The wrap closes behind him and Shigaraki wishes it hadn’t.

“So you’ve come at last.” All For One smiles. Shigaraki begins to feel nauseous.

“Master,” Shigaraki greets, out of habit.

“You sure took your time, Tomura,” All For One says.

“Maybe I overestimated you, master,” Shigaraki replies. “I doubted this prison could hold you.”

“Oh, the heroes are creative when it comes to taking away one’s freedom.” He nods at the guns and at the machines connected to his body. “One wrong thought and…”

So that’s what the guns are for. Shigaraki is secretly relieved, for once, this fucking prison is working for him.

“I was informed that Kurogiri had been arrested, was I lied to?”

“I’ve come for him,” Shigaraki replies.

“Ah, your loyalty has always been one of your best traits.”

Shigaraki doesn’t answer that, afraid to give anything away. He paces around the room, observing the machines and the body in the chair. Shigaraki can’t kill him himself. If he touches him he risks getting his quirk taken.

He kicks the tubes and wires, waiting for a reaction. When the guns don’t move he bundles them all together. And picks them up with four fingers.

“Find the respirator,” All For One orders. “Is the doctor with you?”

“Not at the moment.” Shigaraki closes his fist, turning the cords into dust.

The guns do react this time but Shigaraki leaps towards the wall, bringing the whole cell down in a brush of his hand.

“What are you doing?” All For One asks, a sick and weak sound.

“I’ve come to free you,” Shigaraki replies. “Once and for all.”

All For One freezes, then tears at the oxygen mask on his face. He’s struggling to breathe but he stands up effortlessly, then he rises off the ground. Shigaraki dodges his first attack, which means the man is seriously weakened, otherwise he wouldn’t have missed.

Shigaraki doesn’t know what he expected. But he was hoping for All For One to just die quietly and easily. As fucking if. When he avoids the next one, his foot slips off the edge of the cells floor. That moment of distraction is enough for All For One to get him.

Shigaraki tries to claw at the black tendril around his neck, kicking and writhing as All For One lifts him up from the ground. But another one shoots out of All For One’s arm and pierces through both of his palms. Shigaraki can’t even scream.

“So that’s how it is,” the man says coldly. His expression quickly flatters as he struggles to take another breath. Shigaraki briefly wonders who’ll die first.

“Tomura,” All For One continues, his voice wet and sick but angry. “What a disappointment.”

Shigaraki tries to pull his hands free, but the attempt only serves to make him see white as pain shoots out of his hands.

“You’ve failed me for the last time,” All For One declares. “You truly haven’t changed from the pitiful orphan you once were. Still so impulsive, Tenko.”

Shigaraki watches as All For One’s arm draws back, and he sees his father’s arm. He growls with the effort it takes to move his hand. Then, it disappears. The wrap gate opens and closes in a blink, taking All For One’s limb with it.

The man gasps, probably more surprised than actually hurt. Shigaraki falls to the ground, fighting for air as he tries to stand up.

“Maybe I haven’t changed, master,” Shigaraki says. “But, I’ve made some friends.”

Several other wraps open around them. Shigaraki sticks his hand into one of the portals, knowing that Kurogiri will know what to do. Five fingers press to All For One’s back. Shigaraki watches him die, and he sees the way his father decayed.

—

Dabi is sick of getting shot at.

“Cover Kurogiri!” Spinner orders as he runs around, as if it wasn’t obvious. Sure, it’s easy when he says it, since Dabi is the only one fit for long range defense.

“Surrender at once!” An officer barks from across the hallway. “You have nowhere to go.”

“And you have nowhere to put us!” Twice yells back, gesturing to the torn apart building.

“The heroes are here!” The officer insits. “Come quietly and avoid further violence.”

“Yeah, let’s make this as quick as possible, shall we?” Dabi freezes, then groans, the last thing he needs is another headache.

Hawks soars above them. Landing right in front of the group, wings stretched wide. Offering them cover, but there’s no way he’s helping them in a place with this many witnesses.

Dabi has an idea, a very fucking stupid idea, but it’s the only idea he has at the moment.

He leaps towards Hawks, who blinks and steps back slightly, but since he doesn’t consider Dabi to be an actual threat he doesn’t do it at his normal speed. Dabi has him by his awful aviator jacket, he twists him around forcefully, his wings getting in the way. He brings his left hand up to Hawks’ neck, barely touching his skin.

“Drop your shit,” Dabi growls at the guards and their weapons. “Or I’m frying this chicken.” Someone behind him is laughing, it’s probably Toga.

“The fuck?” Hawks hisses through his teeth, feathers raised but still not using them.

Dabi ignores him, staring down at the guards on the opposite end of the hallway. Apparently every one is too stunned or too stupid to realize that Hawks could totally get free if he wanted because they begin lowering their weapons to the ground and kicking them away.

He risks a glance back. Kurogiri is still focused on whatever’s happening in the cell Shigaraki just destroyed. But their leader is still not back. Dabi steps backwards, closer to the rest, dragging Hawks with him.

“What are you doing?” Spinner asks, panic in his voice.

“Yeah, dude,” Hawks adds, looking up at him. More than anything he looks annoyed.

“What does it look like?” Dabi asks back, equally as irritated. “Now, be a nice hostage and shut up.”

Hawks rolls his eyes at him, but he puts his hands up in mock surrender. All the guards seem to be out of their depth, looking at them or at their discarded weapons in tense silence.

Then, after what seems like hours Kurogiri sighs in relief, and another wrap is opened seconds after. Shigaraki, bloodied and breathless, stumbles through.

He gets a look at their situation and asks “What the fuck?” Before anyone can answer, he shakes his head, resigned, and turns to Kurogiri. “Get us the fuck out of here.”

Dabi stays put as the rest of the league goes through the wrap first, still using Hawks as a very pissed off human shield.

“You so owe me for this,” the human shield mutters.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Dabi replies, mocking. Then, he kicks at the back of his knees, making his leg bend, and shoving him forwards. The last thing he hears is Hawks squawking as he steps back into the portal.

--

“Where the fuck are we?” Shigaraki asks, then he drops to his knees.

Spinner and Twice crowd around him, but he waves a bleeding hand at them.

Dabi can only follow his example, collapsing on the forest floor. The sky tells him it’s sundown. They were inside Tartarus approximately six hours.

“There is a safe house nearby,” Kurogiri explains. “I didn’t know where else to take us.”

“Someone should go check it’s not compromised,” Spinner says.

“How kind of you to volunteer,” Dabi says from the ground.

Spinner grunts in complaint, but he asks Kurogiri which direction to take and sets off towards the east.

“Twice,” Shigaraki calls.

“On it,” Twice replies, then adds, “I already did enough.”

He makes another of him and he catches up to Spinner quickly, guarding his back.

Toga is the next one to sit on the floor, near Shigaraki. She takes one of his hands carefully, examining the damage of whatever cut through his palms. Then she brings it up towards her mouth.

Shigaraki and Dabi both groan at her attempt to lick off the blood. He snatches his hand away. Dabi turns to look at the sky again.

“That was fun,” Toga says, and Dabi can’t tell if she’s kidding.

“It was,” Shigaraki agrees with one of his characteristically unnerving smiles. Dabi shivers at the sight, creep.

“I can’t believe we did it,” Compress says. He seems to have taken the least damage. He stares down at them since he’s too clean to sit on the ground.

“The fuck, man?” Dabi turns his head towards him. “You looked pretty confident you could get us out.”

“I’m a very good actor,” Compress says with a bow. “And half of a grand escape is pretending you know it will work.”

Dabi exchanges looks with Twice. Both of them realizing how close they came to being arrested today.

“You went in on blind faith?” Kurogiri asks, bewildered.

“It’s mostly how we operate nowadays, yes,” Compress replies.

“We’re glad to have you back,” Shigaraki comments, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Kurogiri seems touched, sorta, it’s incredibly hard to tell.

A rustle in the woods makes everyone tense up, but it’s just Spinner and Twice’s copy.

“I think we’re clear,” Spinner announces.

“Five more minutes,” Dabi replies from the floor. He might be starting to lose it. Now that they’re not in mortal danger, his mind is starting to slip, craving rest. At least he’s not hungover anymore.

“I can save us the walk,” Kurogiri points out, opening a wrap.

“Duh,” Toga laughs. “Idiot.”

“Shut up, brat,” Dabi replies, and gets up.

Dabi would call it a safe mansion. The safe house has been long since abandoned and yet it looks so much better than their actual base. The furniture looks functional, the stairs are not falling apart and the windows are not even cracked. Dabi sees the way Compress takes in the place and he fears the man might cry.

“I’ll take a look around,” Kurogiri announces. “Feel free to rest in the meantime.”

“Dibs on the couch,” Twice says, running towards the biggest one.

“Like hell,” Dabi says, shoving Spinner out of the way. He ends up crashing into Twice, but he’s got half of the couch.

Twice moves aside when Toga heads towards them, rendering his dibs even more useless.

Shigaraki takes the single chair. Leaning back as exhaustion takes over. Dabi wonders when he’ll stop bleeding.

Spinner and Compress share the smaller remaining couch, and as they sit down it seems to finally dawn on all of them that they truly fucking did all that.

Dabi knows they’ll be even bigger targets now, but he can’t bring himself to care as Toga kicks up her feet on top of his legs. He’s just tired and glad they made it through another of Shigaraki’s dumbass fucking plans.

Almost involuntarily, he closes his eyes.

—

There was still light when Shigaraki passed out from blood loss.

When he opens his eyes again, the whole safe house is pitch black. Once his eyes adjust, he realizes the rest of the league is fast asleep, in the same position they were before.

The floor close to his chair, there’s a bandage roll and a disinfectant. Shigaraki has a good idea of who left those there. Damn, this safe house has everything.

He wanders around, looking for a bathroom to clean the cuts on his hand.

In the second floor he runs into Kurogiri, keeping watch from one of the wide windows.

“How are you feeling?” Kurogiri asks.

Shigaraki brings his hands up, displaying the bandages.

“What happened to your hand?” He sounds, genuinely upset over Shigaraki’s missing fingers.

“It’s a long story.” Shigaraki shakes his head. “What happened to you?”

Kurogiri seems to understand what he means. “I- It’s a longer story.”

Shigaraki tilts his head. “We’ll have time to catch up.”

Kurogiri hums in agreement. “You’ve come a long way.” Shigaraki blinks.

“You’ve become a great leader. I saw that today.” Kurogiri continues. “I’m very glad you did well without me.”

Shigaraki scoffs. They were broke and homeless without him. But he doesn’t correct him, the man needs a break.

“We’re glad you’re back,” Shigaraki repeats, hating a little bit how his voice wavers, then walks back the way he came from.

He returns to the living room, ready to go back to sleep in the very comfortable chair.

It’s only when he sits down that he notices Dabi’s absence. But he hears the unmistakable heavy steps of his platform boots behind him a few minutes later.

“This place has a functional shower,” he whispers, Shigaraki almost doesn’t recognize the happy tone of his voice. He raises an eyebrow at him. Dabi doesn’t look like he just took a shower, but he’s cleaner and steam rises off the top of his head.

“I could cauterize those for you,” he adds, nodding towards his reddened bandages.

“No, thank you,” Shigaraki replies, sarcastically.

“I totally thought you would bite it.” He sits on the armrest of Shigaraki’s chair, brushing his hair off his neck, examining the bruises. “Looks like you almost did.”

Shigaraki shivers at the touch. “Can’t burn those away.”

Dabi turns his head, considering. Then, he bends down and presses a kiss to Shigaraki’s damaged skin, the staples too cold for comfort.

Shigaraki groans as he slaps his face away, tempted to hit him with five fingers. Dabi laughs quietly.

“Better?”

“Fuck you.” Shigaraki glares.

“Well, you did it.” Dabi hops off the armrest, walking behind him and resting his elbows on the back of the chair. “What’s next, boss?”

“You all helped me,” Shigaraki acknowledges. “If you want something, I’ll help you back.”

Dabi hums. “You didn’t ask for an easy favor.”

“And you’re not an easy person,” Shigaraki replies. “Any requests?”

Dabi smiles above him. Cold and vicious. Fuck, Shigaraki should’ve just gotten him another coat.

“Just one,” Dabi replies.