Violet POV:

11:34pm.

BREAKING NEWS: THE NUMBER ONE HERO OF JAPAN IS OFFICIALLY COUNTED AS MISSING

BREAKING NEWS: WHERE IS ENDEAVOR? SOURCES SAY HE'S ALREADY DEAD

BREAKING NEWS: NO SYMBOL OF PEACE?

BREAKING NEWS: WHO WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO KIDNAP THE NUMBER ONE HERO-

"Okayokayokay. Thank you. We get it." I groaned shakily under my breath as I heard the news stations on the televisions in the hallway, feeling my feet picking up their pace with every step.

It had been approximately five minutes since I'd left the company of Tsuyo and Midas-but, with the new timeline of Endeavor's execution taking place at sunrise, every second feels like another hour ticking off my life-Endeavor's, too, obviously....

Am I scared for the man? Well, yes! Of course. But, quite honestly, I'm more scared about trying to get Endeavor out of the mansion within the 6-no, the next 5 1/2 hours, because, I'm sorry-have you met me?! I can't do that. I don't have a diabolical bone in my body to come up with something so risky.

But, I know who does.

And that's exactly where I'm going right now.

Yep! That's right. You guessed it. My plan at the moment is to have Dabi help me free Endeavor from his execution.

Have I reached an all time low with options? Absolutely! I'd appreciate if you didn't bring it up.

Ugh. An Endeavor gem statue wouldn't look so bad. Right?!

No! Stop that! Rude. You got Mr. Todoroki in this mansion. You can get him out of it, too.

It's just gonna take a little determination.....and a little sinister, feral, murderer mind. Sounds easy enough.

Although, I must admit that the uncharacteristic bustling of the hallways had me uneasy. I haven't seen Midas' mansion so busy since his little weekend of parties. Call me crazy, but to see people carrying podiums and scary looking restraint chains, for what I can only assume, are for Endeavor's execution-to-be...

Well, it's a little intimidating. So much excitement at night means people probably aren't going to bed soon. And how can I sneak Endeavor out of here with so many eyes.

Not to mention the cameras covering the entire mansion. And his broken leg-

"Ohhh..." I whined softly, scooting past a giant human statue being carried in by three people.

Since when are butterfly wings on a person considered ugly, Midas? Ugh.

Regardless, I did my best to ignore the busy bodies traveling back and forth in the hallways, not once stopping my walk as I neared the perimeter of the area and turned the corner towards my room. Dabi and I's room.

From what I've seen of his attitude so far, Dabi hates Endeavor more than the rest of the heroes. Cant totally pin point why, but I know he won't be swayed to help me so easily. Great. Just another thing that's going to take up time-convincing him. Oof.

But, that didn't stop me from throwing open the door to our room anyways, muttering profanities to myself before finding Dabi's frame out on the balcony immediately.

Perfect. He's outside on the balcony. There aren't any cameras on the exteriors of the mansion. Our conversation will be safe.

Good, too! Because I'm about to burst-and not in the good way!

I let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that familiar lanky frame of his, making quick strides across the room before sliding open the door to the balcony abruptly.

Dabi jumped a bit in surprise at my unexpected entrance, taking a hit of his cigarette and stepping back a few feet as he saw me barrel out into the space.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." I breathed out to him with a grimace, quickly closing the door to the balcony so our conversation would stay private.

Dabi seemed unfazed by my manic behavior, so sadly used to it by now, as he watched me through half lidded eyes.

"Why? Look in a mirror again?" He drawled out casually, causing me to immediately look at him with a glare for the dumb joke.

"Ohhhh, you know what...." I blurted out sourly, about to start nagging him, before I trailed off.

The glare slowly wiped off my face as a new idea suddenly popped into my head to set the scene, realizing I've never tried a certain tactic on Dabi before....

The tactic of buttering him up!

Deciding to try the new approach, I quickly shook away the annoyance and cleared my throat much too aggressively, immediately blowing a raspberry from my lips as I hunched over in exaggerated laughter.

Gotta sell it!

Dabi froze in confusion as he turned his gaze away from the balcony view, raising a brow of stupidity for my Oscar worthy laugh to his dumb joke.

He scrunched up his nose as if he were disgusted when I awkwardly reached out and gave his shoulder a friendly slap to emphasize his joke....turning his look of disbelief back on my cackling face as I spoke-or, rather....rambled.

"Hooooo!! Oh my gawddd!! Wow. You are so funny!! Has anyone ever told you? Who gave you the right to be so funny! Is that a crime? It must be. No wonder you're a villain. It's cause you're a clown-ehhhh, not clown. Uhhh, comedian! Yeah, that's it! Mr. Comedian Man. That's you!" I babbled out with an anxious laugh, talking faster and longer, the more Dabi looked at me with growing annoyance.

Nailed it.

The space went silent for a moment with purposeful awkward silence from Dabi, making me realize he was intentionally trying to make this uncomfortable now.

"Huh. That was gross. Never do it again." He mumbled uninterestedly, taking another drag of his cigarette as he looked back towards the balcony view.

Hmmmm. He's still not soft enough. Let's try again.

"Wellll-I'm only saying the truth! Gotta keep my....man happy, you know!!?" I grinned, awkwardly reaching out and touching his face before retracting when it felt too out of place.

Dabi remained silent for a few moments, taking his time in finishing off the last of his cigarette, before speaking boredly.

"What do you want?" He asked blandly, causing my heart to jump in nerves.

Caught!

It's too early to tell him what I want! I haven't built up the moment enough!

"Oh? Me?" I asked suspiciously, fiddling with the hem of my shirt nervously. "Umm. What makes you think I want something? Maybe I just came out here to spend time with you!"

Dabi put out his cigarette on the nice, jeweled finish railing of the balcony, ensuring it left a permanent splotch mark, before flicking the contents over the fence with a smirk.

That's littering!-

"If you're gonna lie, do it to someone who doesn't see through your bullshit," he started out casually, lazily stretching his arms over his head as he turned to me. "besides, I know you want something. Other than the shitty babbling spewing out of your mouth, you got the look."

"What look?" I asked, furrowing my brows in annoyance when he lightly flicked my forehead.

Dabi shrugged his shoulders as he bore his gaze down at me now, tilting his head to the side expectingly.

"The look that says you're about to annoy me." He murmured lowly, trying and failing to sound intimidating as he studied my features warmly.

I felt myself starting to sweat at what I knew I wanted to ask, immediately chickening out of the situation when his eyes pierced into mine with firm question.

"Oh. Who? Me?-" I attempted to deny, before Dabi had enough with my roundabouts.

I was forced to stop as he reached his hand out and firmly gripped my cheeks between his fingers, squeezing with enough force to make my lips naturally pout out and shut up.

"Alright, you little brat. Enough with the bullshit. Spit it out," Dabi started out, slowly leaning closer to me as his lips curled up into a smirk. "Unless you'd rather I give you something to swallow."

My panicking took a temporary break as my anxious eyes immediately dropped into an annoyed glare at Dabi's words, hearing him chuckle when he saw me looking sassy now.

"Do you ever think about anything else?" I asked a bit rhetorically, groaning lightly as Dabi squeezed my cheeks more firmly to make my lips pout out more.

"Mmm. Murder." He drawled out smugly, dragging those half lidded, glowing eyes to my pouted lips before pulling my face closer to his own.

Okay. Murder. I can work with that!

I hummed softly as I let Dabi bring me closer, purposely trailing my eyes down to his lips as I tried another new tactic now.

The tactic of seduction! Lets see if those manhuas Akio gave me last week have taught me anything.

"Ohhhkayyyy. Say lesssss." I hissed out much too low to be considered seductive, causing Dabi to furrow his brows in confusion.

"The fuck's wrong with you? Swallow another bug?" He muttered nonchalantly, causing me to scoff and glare at him for trying to kill the mood.

"What?!-I-nooo-" I grumbled in exasperation, trying to get back on track with the seduction. "Anyways-you think murder is, uhhh, sexy. Right?"

Dabi looked at me a bit suspiciously. Yet, his lips curled up with hints of amusement as he seemed interested to see where I was taking this.

Ohhhh, he won't be interested for long.

"Sure. Nothing like blowing someone's head off to get off, I guess." He stated purposely blunt, smirking smugly when he saw me grimace in disgust.

Yet, I stayed in character!

"Uh-f-fair enough. Hmm, and what about...causing trouble? You.....find that..hot, don't you?" I asked a little bit quieter, doing my best to keep my voice suave and smooth to butter him up.

I sound like I'm on five different drugs. But, that's okay.

It seemed to be doing the trick for Dabi, anyways, as he chuckled lowly, taking his bottom lip between his teeth as he saw me watching.

"Oh? Now, you're speaking my language, little sapphire." He murmured, keeping my cheeks in his grip as he pulled me closer.

Of course his version of dirty talk involves murder.

"Mhm, Mhm. You're just...Mr. Trouble-Andddd....what about....especially causing trouble for...Midas?" I whispered in an attempt to sound mischievous, feeling the outlines of our lips touching now with each movement.

"Uh-huh." He uttered dazedly, slowly tilting his head now as he prepared to close the remaining distance.

Before I panicked and jumped the gun!

"Coolio, so you'll help me set Endeavor free!" I wheezed out non-seductively, barely pressing my lips against Dabi's before he froze.

Yikes. Probably could have dropped that bomb a little better. My real quirk is cockblocking, I think.

Quite honestly, I should have tried to butter him up a little more. But, all I can see in my vision is a very angry Endeavor, glaring at me with a ticking time bomb resting on his beefy double Ds-and that image is enough to make anyone pee themselves!

Dabi's half lidded, closing eyes of bliss immediately opened all the way at my words, before his pierced nose scrunched up with disgust and a feral sneer.

"Well, well. Look who's a little snake now, huh?" He muttered dryly, rolling his eyes for my antics.

"Learned from the best?" I said hopefully, words coming out muffled as Dabi gave my cheeks another squeeze in his grip.

Within a second, he'd lightly shoved my face away from him now, causing me to barely stumble backwards before I looked at him with a small grin.

"Okayyy. I'm reading your energy...and I feel like......you're definitely saying yesss-" I sang out positively, causing Dabi to look at me with challenge and a tilt of the head.

"Oh yeah? Bet your life on that?" He smirked ferally, holding up his hand and letting blue flames consume it.

His threat-like all his other ones towards me, came out empty as I slowly sauntered my way over to him, gently grabbing his wrist when he was close enough.

"Look, it's just gonna be a quick little mission. In, out, and then wooo, that's the end of it. Nothing like a good arson case to get the blood flowing, right, Mr. Trouble?" I explained nonchalantly, attempting to pull him towards me.

Yet, he sensed I was trying to butter him up again, meeting my gaze knowingly as he plucked his arm out of my grasp with sass and attempted to walk back inside.

Purposefully, as he knows there's cameras in there that will prevent me from talking about this any longer.

"And what makes you think, in that tiny little brain of yours-" he started out, dragged backwards by me to ensure he stayed outside.

"Well, technically my brain is actually larger than normal size. My MRI scan last year can attest to that-" I uttered in a rush, groaning as Dabi yanked his arm out of my grip once more.

"-that I'd even consider going along with such a dumb fucking idea?" He finished effortlessly, easily ignoring my in-between babbles as he tried to walk back inside once more.

Going for a new tactic, I quickly walked in front of his stroll, attempting to stand like an unbreakable wall in front of him.

"Uhhh, because you reallyyy like your girlfriend and wanna help her out?" I asked hopefully, groaning at Dabi's petty actions of going around me.

I quickly side stepped with him, placing my hands on his chest to keep him outside, as I braced my feet to bolt in the ground.

"You're not my girlfriend. You're my whore." He snickered obnoxiously, gripping my arms and continuing to walk forward, even though I was in front of him.

My jaw dropped in offense for the words, causing Dabi to chuckle at the reaction he got out of me.

"How dare you?!-and no! You're my whore!!" I bit back in annoyance, starting to unwillingly slide backwards across the floor as Dabi walked forward.

"Figured you'd say that. I know you too damn well." He smiled genuinely, barely fazed when I began pressing back on his chest to keep him outside.

"You wanted me to call you a whore?!" I asked in shock, gritting my teeth as I finally began slowing Dabi down with my resistance.

"I want you to say I'm yours," he blurted out without thinking, quickly adding on to his sentence when he sensed it was too soft. "-and a whore."

One minute, he says we aren't exclusive. The next minute he wants me to say he's mine.

"I don't understand you." I said in exasperation, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Clearly not if you're asking me to set that Fire Fuck free-now, get off me. You're like a damn bug." He mumbled in losing patience, barely trying to shake me off as he kept walking.

I simply pressed back harder on Dabi's chest, gritting my teeth in exertion as I directed my weight forward.

"The king of Missing The Point-" I grunted, pushing back on him with all my strength now.

And he knew it-which is why he suddenly stopped giving the weight of his own resistance, stepping back a few feet so I'd fall forward.

I gasped as I stumbled forward from the force of my own weight, having nothing but air to push back against as I went tumbling into Dabi.

The stitched man smirked as I crashed into him, steadying me as he placed both hands on my waist and squeezed tightly.

He yanked me close once I was in his grasp, snaking his hands around my back when we were chest to chest.

I looked up at him in question as I placed my hands on his chest to steady myself, seeing him slowly leaning down towards me with a smug smirk.

The air between us went silent for a moment in anticipation as Dabi leaned down towards my face-killing the mood as he went past my lips and to my ear.

"No." He stated in a gloat, lightly shoving me away as he slowly walked towards the door once more.

Ugh. What a brat.

I quickly spun around on my heel to face him, sweeping the messy hairs out of my eyes as I went after him again.

Don't panic!

"O-Okay-no worries! I expected that. But-" I tried.

"Well, then. Expect it again." He called over his shoulder, not even looking back at me as he spoke. "I'm not doing it."

The clock is ticking.

"Why??" I pouted in frustration, running a frantic hand through my hair as the only plan I had was now failing.

"Cause." Dabi said vaguely, stepping past the threshold of the door and into the room.

Damn it. The cameras.

He looked back at me with a knowing smirk now, trailing his eyes up to the ceiling cameras in silence, before walking inside fully.

"Ohhh. You little bitch." I seethed out lowly, stomping my way to the door stubbornly and throwing it open.

"I'll give you twenty yen, if you do it." I said vaguely, watching Dabi saunter pointlessly around the room.

"Do what? I don't remember anymore. You'll have to tell me again." He said purposely, causing me to groan at how difficult he was being.

"Please!!" I grumbled in frustration, watching him look back at me with a smirk.

"Like the begging. But, no." He said dismissively, picking up some random magazine before tossing it on the floor to make a pointless mess.

"A new pack of cigarettes." I tried again, trailing behind Dabi to pick up the magazine so Midas' rooms would stay tidy.

"Nuh-uh." He mumbled, knocking a pillow off the bed with no purpose.

"More black nail polish??" I asked in growing panic, quickly picking up the pillow and putting it neatly back on the bed.

"Overrated." He drawled out dryly, taking the bottom of his dirty shoe and swiping it across the baseboard of the wall.

I glared at the purposeful action I couldn't clean up, ignoring it for the time being as I continued following him like a damn puppy.

"Free back rub?" I tried once more.

"Eh. Getting warmer, but still no."

"Free....uhhhhh...." I trailed off when I was about to say something a little too frisky, causing Dabi to laugh lowly as he clearly picked up on it, too.

"Heh. Careful there, little sapphire. No take backs." He said smoothly, raising his brows with challenge before I couldn't take anymore of his annoying games.

Snapping my patience, I made quick, heavy strides across the room, easily gripping his wrist before dragging him harshly towards the bathroom with me.

No cameras in here.

"Damn." Dabi chuckled obnoxiously, having absolutely no problem with my manhandling as he forcibly stumbled backwards into the bathroom. "Committed to the no-take-backs thing, I guess. You really are a-"

"Shut up!" I hissed out in annoyance, kicking the door closed to give us some privacy. "Come on, Dabi! I'm really in a situation here. I thought you said we were a package deal."

Sensing I wasn't planning to give this up, Dabi finally began dropping his mischievous antics now, letting a hint of his true irritation show when the smug look wiped off his face.

"Not when it comes to that piece of shit, we're not. I've wanted to kill that fucker for too long. I already told you nothing was gonna get in the way of that, even you. Don't act like I didn't tell you that." He stated lowly, voice serious and cold as I was clearly playing with fire on this touchy subject.

But, I don't care. I need to set Endeavor free, and I need Dabi's help in doing so. I can't trust anyone else.

"Well...." I trailed off, reflecting back on everything that has happened these past few days.

Dabi's not wrong. He did tell me the truth, when he said he wasn't gonna let anyone get in his way.

....but....if I remember correctly....he said he wasn't gonna let anyone get in his way of killing Endeavor.

And, there's the loophole I needed. The loophole that gives Dabi a motive to do anything. So long as it benefits himself, he'll help.

"Okay-fair point," I acknowledged calmly, crossing my arms as I prepared to prove him wrong. "You did say that, and you wanna be the one to kill Endeavor. Cool. Not a great hobby to strive for, but fine, fine. To each their own. Except, you're not gonna be the one killing him. Midas is."

Dabi's stubborn eyes barely showed a crack of immediate realization at my words, quickly reverting into blankness so I couldn't read his face.

But, even so....the fact that he didn't respond so quickly means he definitely didn't think about that point until now. Not that I blame him. Things have been incredibly fast paced these last few days. They haven't really given Dabi and I a chance to sit and think.

I took his silence as my opportunity to seal the deal, biting my lip to hold in my smirk of victory as I folded my hands behind my back and slowly began to pace the gigantic, posh bathroom.

"You're not gonna have anything to do with it, Dabi. He's never gonna know it was you. Your face isn't gonna be the last one he sees. There's not gonna be any dramatic dancing or diabolical monologue. Blah, blah, blah-All you did was help Midas be the one to deliver the final blow from the background. Hmph. Doesn't sound like very tasty revenge, if you ask me." I alluded mysteriously, barely glancing back towards Dabi's direction as I strolled the perimeter of the room.

Dabi stared at the ground blankly, balling his fists together in silent frustration as the reality of what he did set in for him. He didn't kill Endeavor the way he wanted to. He simply handed him over to another villain, so they could do so.

For once, it seems that I was the one playing the stitched man like a fiddle, using whatever inner demons he's got lying inside him to manipulate his decisions.

It sounds a little evil, when you think about it. Not something I would have even thought of doing a few months ago.

But, I've changed. I've grown.

And, quite honestly....I don't feel any remorse for this.

"So....really," I said a bit smugly, looking to the jeweled encrusted ceilings as I continued to stroll the room. "this benefits you as well, when you think about it, Dabi. Gives you a chance to start it over and kill Endeavor yourself. That's what you want, right?"

The air was filled with silence as Dabi thought about my proposition, letting out a small, breathy laugh as he realized I'd just played him.

"Nice save." He drawled out casually, eyes flashing with something unreadable when he saw my dark smirk.

Something alarmed. Something confused and uneasy.

He quickly snatched my wrist when I came close enough, roughly shoving me up against the wall and leaning down towards my face.

"But, I don't like the attitude." He said surprisingly soft, looking into my eyes with hints of concern.

And then, before I could stop, or even think about it...

"I didn't ask what you liked. Did I?" I asked condescendingly, barely recognizing such a cold sound of my voice.

It was something that caught, both Dabi and I off guard. Something that was so out of character for me, that it knocked me back into reality, and immediately made me feel guilty for saying such a thing.

Because, even though Dabi and I mess around a lot....we both still recognize the fragile people that lie underneath one another. We trust each other to be caring to that person. And I wasn't just now.

"S..Sorry." I muttered honestly, rubbing my temples tiredly as I tried to clear my agitation. "Ive been....I've kinda been having a hard time since the Endeavor capture. With my emotions and everything. They're all over the place, and I can't seem to put them back."

Dabi loosened his hold on me when he sensed my stress, assessing my features intensely as he backed up to give me space.

"Ever since you had those shitty jewels." He said with immediate confirmation, seeming as if this is something he's been thinking about on his own.

I looked at him in slight question for such a quick answer, causing him to scoff and read my thoughts.

"You'd be dumb if you think I didn't notice it, too. You're acting weird." He said bluntly, causing me to grimace in guilt as I realized he was right.

But, as guilty as I felt, his mention of the jewels also bloomed a new thought in my head...one that made me uneasy at having to address my next thoughts.

"Well, regardless. We'll need those jewels again, in order to complete this mission properly." I muttered quietly, remembering how amped and fearless I was when we captured Endeavor.

So powerful. So sure of myself and confident-

"The hell with that. You've had enough." Dabi muttered lowly, leaning back against the wall with a dry look plastered on his face.

I felt myself becoming agitated once more at his disagreement, feeling my blood pressure starting to rise from the demands that ride on tonight.

"You don't understand. I can't be successful without those jewels. I can't risk not getting Endeavor out of here alive." I persisted, causing Dabi to cross his arms and look at me sternly.

"Those fucking jewels are making you nuts. Shit's the last thing you need." He stated without remorse, seeming as if he was starting to become just as annoyed as I was.

But, my heart rate slowly began to pick up in frustration, my palms sweating as I tried to keep my cool.

"Well-I won't be using them that much. Just now, so I can be powerful. No big deal-" I said dryly, unable to finish as Dabi cut me off.

"You're not using them at all." He nagged out obnoxiously, unintentionally making my blood boil.

"Yes I am-" I said through grit teeth, yet Dabi gave no fucks.

"No you're not-" he ordered, before I spoke without thinking.

"I need them!!!" I blurted out desperately, causing both of our eyes to go wide.

Because I sounded so desperate. So reliant. Like a drug addict, willing to get their fix any way they can.

It....made me sound so dependent on them. On Midas.

Clearly, Dabi realized this too as his gaze narrowed in frustration, jaw tensing as he pushed himself off the wall.

"What the hell are you fucking saying? Do you hear yourself?" He seethed out lowly, causing me to put my head in my hands as I knew he was right.

Yes, I know what I'm saying. And I feel sorry and scared that a part of me is starting to believe it.

"I....okay....I don't....I don't need them. It's just-they would help very much in getting Endeavor out of here alive." I explained weakly, feeling my mind playing tricks on me with my next immediate thoughts.

And they would make you feel so strong. So powerful and perfect.

"No. You're letting him get to you." Dabi said through grit teeth, starting to become more angry than I expected him to.

"N..No, I'm not. It's just a little enhancer to get the job done-"

"'Enhancer' my ass. Those jewels change you-And I told you you're not allowed to change." He blurted out in growing frustration, basically sounding like a child who wasn't getting his way.

"Okay, first, you can't just decide I'm not allowed to change. You're not the boss of me. Second, I'm technically more 'me' than ever on those jewels. They don't enhance my physical ability. They only enhance what thoughts are already inside my mind." I justified, letting out a sigh of frustration at Dabi's unchanging scowl of stubbornness.

There's no time for this. And it's obvious he's not gonna give this up.

"Look," I followed up quickly before he could draw this out longer. "It's not going to be a regular thing. I just need the jewels for tonight. To get us through the mission. I...I won't be using them again after that, okay? I promise this will be the last time."

I meant those words with every fiber of my being. Ignoring the twinge of hesitation and deflation I felt upon saying them.

Because, deep down....I wanted to continue using them.

But, Dabi is right-kinda. I wouldn't say the jewels are making me crazy. But, they are opening up emotions that I've kept locked inside for a long time. Emotions I want to stay buried inside my soul, not resurface the way they're starting to.

And, as I said, Dabi and I are growing to trust each other quite a bit. Which is why all he could do was let out a sigh of agitated defeat, rubbing his face with his hands as he was the one who began to pace the room now.

I watched him in silence for a moment, surprised that he seemed so visibly concerned about these jewels' effect on me-not able to reflect upon it for more than a few moments when he turned back to me dryly.

"Let's make it quick then. Don't even know how you plan to get up there with all those fucking cameras." he finalized bitterly, seeming as if he was onboard with the plan now-or, as onboard as he'll get.

It made my blank face immediately light up with warmth as a wide smile of gratitude spread across my face, causing me to waste no more time as I pulled out my phone.

"Well. With the help of a friend, of course." I grinned, dialing the trusted number into my phone.

*****

12:45am.

"Phew. Thanks a lot for the lift, Kurogiri." I whispered softly as Dabi and I walked out of the purple portal, to the left side of the mansion.

The side with no cameras of course!

"Please be careful. I will be around, so when you need me to portal you out, just say the word." Kurogiri said with concern, causing me to smile as I dragged Dabi's slow moving body fully out of the portal.

"Will do. Oh! And say hello to Akio for me." I departed kindly, hanging up my phone quickly to get things moving.

"Alright, James Bond. What's your plan here, exactly? Nothing smart, I bet." Dabi said at full volume, rolling his eyes at my exaggerated, cautious walk down the empty hallway.

I flinched at his loud voice, quickly standing up straight and turning to face him in annoyance as I saw he was lounging with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Dabi. Could you please say that louder? I don't think they heard you-all the way in America!!!!" I hissed out, making such an effort to whisper that my voice came out with a wheeze.

Dabi simply shrugged and brushed past me at a normal walk, not even looking behind him as he spoke at full volume once more.

"That's not surprising. They're all a bunch of slackers over there, anyways." He drawled out with a snicker, causing me to groan and trudge after him down the hallway.

"Okay, look-let's not having any setbacks in teamwork, alright? We've been doing sooo well with the character development. Let's just...do what we did to get Endeavor into this mansion, in order to get him out. Make sense?" I asked patiently, grabbing onto Dabi's arm to slow down his careless paced walk.

Only his mood had changed a bit since our little spat in the bathroom. Now he seemed less cooperative, and more like he'd shut down for the night. Like he was ignoring me, and had retreated back into his own head.

"Probably-if I'd been listening." He said bitterly, causing me to sigh stressfully at how this mission was starting.

Okay. Clearly he's still mad about me using the jewels. I get that.

But, the last thing we need is a giant fight in the middle of such a risky mission.

"Why don't we start with you putting your face mask on?" I asked him, gesturing to the cloth material he was holding in his hand.

Dabi and I had changed before beginning our big mission for the night. We'd opted to go all black once more-only, rather than be totally obvious and wear the uniform of Midas, we went less fancy with black sweatshirts, baseball caps, and face masks. I know. Not the best disguise. I'm just out of time and options to think of anything better.

Only, I will say. I do have some sort of a plan. We aren't going into this totally blind.

"What's the point in wearing a stupid mask, if they're gonna see our quirks anyways?" Dabi drawled out naggingly, smirking at my eye twitch of annoyance as he lazily put his face mask on.

Of course, it's a plan I already explained to Dabi in the bathroom. But, being the problematic person he is, he apparently wasn't listening. Or he's just trying to annoy me. Probably both!

"Well-as I've already explained to you prior, I plan to have Kurogiri transport us to the roof once we retrieve the amplifying jewel. That's where the power generator to the entire mansion lies. You'll use your fire to cut the power, meaning there won't be any cameras to catch our identities while we complete the mission-not for a few minutes, anyways. I'm sure they will get them back on quickly, so we'll need to work fast from that point forward." I explained quietly, feeling a pit of nerves settling heavy in my stomach at the chaos Dabi and I are about to cause.

I'm terrified. I'm stressed. I'm incompetent. This is why I need the jewels. I can't function properly without them-I mean-just for this mission, I can't...

Dabi and I walked slowly down the empty hallway, with him barely being cautious at the corner turns, not seeming to care if he got caught.

Typical.

"Well at the rate it's going now, we'll have that fire fuck out in seconds. Seriously, where the hell is everyone?" Dabi muttered dryly, seeming disappointed there were no people in the hallway to start a fight with.

Wow, wow, wowww. He's such a bad listener.

"Once again, as I already explained prior, Midas is in his lab for the rest of the night-soundproof, for our luck, working on the enhanced jewel to use for Endeavor's execution. Tsuyo, Kaito, and all the others are downstairs, preparing the stage for Midas' big reveal. He...likes to make a strong first impression, you know." I chuckled, finding a bit of amusement for Midas' grand way of doing things.

Dabi didn't laugh though, sneering in disgust at the mere mention of the jewel man as we turned the last corner of the hallway and reached the familiar door to Midas' resting quarters.

I was just in this room an hour ago. But, suddenly I feel incredibly nervous and forbidden to go in here.

Probably because I'm not supposed to be in here without permission! Yep, that definitely has something to do with it.

Swallowing nervously, I slowed my walk with a bit of hesitation....rubbing the back of my neck as I finished explaining the plan.

My nerves are slowly starting to get the better of me. I need those jewels.

"A-And then....once the cameras are down, and we retrieve Endeavor from the basement....we'll simply call Kurogiri and transport The Number One out of the mansion. Then....that's the end of it. Wooo. Sounds relatively easy, right?" I mumbled a little more uneasy, stopping in front of the red door at the end of the hallway.

Dabi stopped his walk as well, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms as he waited for me to open the door first.

"Yeah. You sound real convinced about the idea, yourself." Dabi said bitterly, nodding his head towards the door with impatience.

Yet, I didn't even move....feeling myself a bit paralyzed with fear, before Dabi spoke up once more.

"Well? The fuck are you waiting for now? Gentlemen first." He snickered smugly, referring to me as the 'gentleman.'

And honestly his stupid joke was enough to calm me down, causing my lips to scrunch up in annoyance as the tension had been fizzled down into nothing now.

"If I'm the man, then what does that make you, idiot?" I asked lightly, casually walking up to the door before carefully creaking it open.

Dabi's smirk wiped off his face slightly at the realization, causing him to scoff in annoyance as he followed me inside the dark room.

"Shut your mouth." He muttered, nudging me in the back slightly as I walked too slow.

I gasped slightly at his small shove, stumbling forward into the pitch black room without warning.

"Don't push me!" I hissed quietly, as I put my hands out in front of me blindly. "I can't see!"

"Then maybe you should turn on the fucking light, dumbass." I heard Dabi grovel in the dark, hearing him slam the door closed behind us.

Wow. If we were in a horror movie right now, Dabi and I would definitely be the ones dying first.

"I haven't had time to find the light switch, because you pushed me!" I bit back, moonwalking backwards into him to trek towards the light.

"I pushed you because you won't turn on the fucking light-" Dabi started off obnoxiously, before I reached out in the dark and shoved my entire hand over his face.

"Ohhh, you're hopeless-and technically, that doesn't even make sense!" I wheezed out, shoving him out of the way and stumbling blindly into the wall to find the light.

"Technically, you're a fucking idiot." Dabi muttered dismissively, starting to stumble around the pitch black room way too loud as he tried to find a place to stand.

"No. You." I growled out, running my hand along the wall before I finally felt the switch.

"No you." Dabi taunted, saying nothing more when the light finally came on into the room.

My back and arms remained sprawled out on the wall as I got my bearings of the softly lit room now, finding Dabi's irritated, passive aggressive eyes quickly.

Neither of us said a word once the light had been on, but it was obvious this mission was not starting out smoothly.

And while I'm normally a person who's too afraid to confront my problems, I feel comfortable getting everything out in the open with Dabi.

"Okay," I started off firmly, watching the stitched man roll his eyes at the simple sound of my voice. "Clearly, there's still some tension between us about the jewels-"

"There's no tension. You're just wasting my time with this." Dabi snapped lowly, causing my irritation to spark back up at his rudeness.

"Well, if I'm wasting your time so much, then why don't you just go?!" I blurted without truth, feeling my heart jump when Dabi smirked knowingly at my words.

"Alright. Bye." He said bluntly, starting to walk towards the door as my face went ghostly white.

Immediately changing my tone, and having no shame swallowing my pride, I quickly grabbed Dabi's wrist to stop him from leaving...surprised that he stopped when I wanted him to.

"H-Heh-woaaah, woah, woah there. You...speedster, you..." I chuckled nervously, watching the corners of his lips turn up victoriously at my worry.

Jerk. He probably had no intention of leaving. He just wanted me to beg.

And I will, so he wins!

"Alright. Hold on. Please..." I murmured softly, looking up at Dabi with genuine apology.

My look made him melt, even if he wouldn't admit it...easily allowing me to pull him towards me as he said nothing.

"Look, Dabi. I cant do this without you. It's like you said. We're a package-" I started off, causing Dabi's cold attitude to melt away as he groaned softly.

"Never said that." He murmured a little embarrassed, causing me to chuckle at his flusteredness.

"You definitely did-but besides the point. I really need your help. I understand your concerns about the jewels. I really do. But, we're here, and if we're gonna be successful in this mission, then we need to work together like we've been doing. We're so strong when we work together. So much more, compared to when we work apart." I said genuinely, giving him a small smile as I swayed our intertwined hands back and forth.

Finally, that stubborn facade seemed to be cracking as Dabi's hard features softened at my words, his eyes rolling in only light annoyance now as I continued.

"Please. Just give me tonight. Give me all your effort and teamwork, and I promise I will make it up to you." I said, shaking my head in begrudging amusement when his eyes turned devious.

"Oh yeah? And how do you plan to make it up to me?" He grinned, pulling me forward now into his arms.

If only there were time for that! But, I don't put it past him to try and sneak in a bone in Midas' resting quarters of all places. Very edgy, indeed!

"Would it be enough for now to say, you won't be disappointed?" I grinned hopefully, feeling my palms starting to nervous sweat in Dabi's grip as time continued to tick.

Sensing my mind was obviously somewhere else, Dabi decided to finally get with the program and help out, releasing my hand from his grip.

"No, it's not. You'll have to make it up to me big time, little sapphire." He stated casually, no longer sounding so irritated as he went to go keep watch at the door.

I let out a sigh of relief now that I had my partner back, letting Dabi take guard at the door as I turned on my heel to begin searching through the room.

"Fair enough. Dinner and a movie, maybe?" I asked distractedly, briskly walking around Midas' giant room to try and find the jewels.

I remember he said the new batch of amplifying jewels were to be brought to this room 'at once' an hour ago. They've gotta be here somewhere.

"Ew. Sounds like a date." Dabi commented with a hint of tease, barely creaking the door open and peeking through the crack to spot any unwanted visitors.

I chuckled softly at his words, starting to rummage around on Midas' desk of papers to try and spot an orange jewel somewhere.

Nope. Not here.

"Oof. Nothing more thrilling than a man who plays hard to get, huh?" I confirmed nonchalant, quickly walking over to Midas' chair to see if the jewels were around there.

Dabi chuckled lowly at my words, keeping his eyes on the door as he spoke.

"Please. You love me." He confirmed so effortlessly, causing me to practically drop the papers in my hand at such a bold statement.

It's something he's said multiple times now. And each time, it gives me the same reaction. Panic.

I don't know why.

So, similar to all the other times, I ignored Dabi's words, ignoring the nausea I felt in my stomach and the sting in my chest as I rummaged through Midas' items.

"S..See anything out there?" I asked raspily, purposely changing the subject as I crouched down to check the desk drawers now.

Dabi didn't seem to pick up on my uncomfortability, too concerned with watching the door as he spoke.

"Shitty interior decorating." Dabi commented mockingly, making me snicker and roll my eyes as I kept searching through the drawers.

I was quick to make my way to the very bottom drawer of the desk, attempting to pull it open...

....before I realized it was locked.

Oh?

Crouching lower, I practically pressed my eye up to the key hole, forming a small crystal lock pick from my palms, and hoping for the best.

I know the basics, but I've never been too great at picking locks. It's so rebellious!

Only, I couldn't deny the wave of satisfaction I felt when I heard the click of the lock open, chuckling softly as I carefully opened the secret drawer.

What a rush!

"They've gotta be in here." I said to myself softly, not incorrect in my assumption as a plethora of glowing, stunning, sunset orange jewels glimmered in my eyes the moment the drawer had opened.

Oh my god. So beautiful.

Contrary to the neat person Midas is, the jewels had been carelessly dumped in this drawer-as if he'd been in too much of a hurry to place them properly-or count them for that matter.

Of course he's in a hurry, he's trying to finish up that big, enhanced jewel. If he hasn't set them up in their proper place yet, it means he hasn't had the time to count them either.

That's great for me.

I felt a surge of crazed adrenaline run through my veins before I even had the jewel in my hands, slightly afraid of how excited I was to grab one.

And the moment I actually grabbed the jewel, my happiness immediately amplified for having the little gem in my possession, causing me to sigh in relief and hug it to my chest as if I'd been missing it for so long.

So happy.

Trying to control my emotions until I could fully activate the jewel, I quickly put it in the pocket of my jacket, about to close the drawer once more.

....before the other items of the secret drawer got the better of me.

Maybe it's because I've found myself getting to know Midas better. Or, maybe it was my sheer curiosity. But, I couldn't help the furrow of my brows as I carefully reached for a piece of cloth peeking out the side of the drawer.....plucking it from its spot in the drawer.

It's a glove. But, not a combat glove like the ones he wears now. No, this is a professional glove. Very fancy and dressy. Made of silk.

Wonder what it's for.

Continuing my risky rummage, I dug a little deeper in the drawer and found a picture.

A drawing. A crayon drawing. A child's drawing.

I looked at it with focus, mind coming up blank on its contents before losing interest and continuing to search.

Carefully moving some of the jewels around to get a better look, I spotted something at the very bottom of the drawer. A piece of paper that fit the entire length of it perfectly. As if it was made to be buried here for eternity.

I gently grabbed one of the edges of perforated, yellowing paper....slowly peeling it out of its spot and into the open.

At first, I thought it may have been a letter. But, upon holding it up straight, I realized...

...it was sheet music. Handwritten sheet music. For the piano.

My brows raised in surprise as I scanned the contents that looked to be a piano song, slowly trailing my eyes up to the top before finding the title.

The title that made me gasp...

For Hanako, With Love.

"Hanako..." I whispered softly, immediately reflecting back on the conversation I had with Midas an hour ago.

"A chance to save all the Touyas and Hanakos of the world."

Midas said Hanako was just a random name for his example.

That is obviously not the case, from this piece.

Who....is Hanako-

"Oi. You find them yet, or what?" Dabi's voice interrupted me calmly, causing my body to flinch at being brought back to reality.

"O-Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I did. Why?" I asked a bit dazedly, carefully putting Midas' personal belongings back exactly where I found them.

Dabi shrugged unbothered as he slowly and quietly closed the door, turning back to me with crossed arms.

"Cause someone's coming." He said boredly, causing my heart to jump in pure panic as I put the last contents in the drawer and shot up to standing.

"What!!?? Who???" I hissed out, quickly pulling my phone out of my pocket to call Kurogiri.

Only an amplified wave of pure fear washed over me before I could dial the number, causing me to suffocate for a breath and clutch my chest as my heart picked up to a lethal speed.

Uhhh crap?

What's going on?

I quickly yanked the jewel out of my pocket and shakily put it on the ground, out of my possession...letting out a sigh of relief as my heart rate began to slow down now.

Wow. That was a little too strong. It wasn't that strong last time.

"You good?" Dabi uttered a little softer, starting to walk towards me as he saw me going pale and shaking.

But, there's no time to talk about it.

"Yeah. No-I'm fine. Just...nerves." I dismissed breathily, quickly dialing Kurogiri's number through shaky hands.

"Who was coming towards the door?" I asked Dabi again once he'd reached me, finding comfort in the way he snaked his hand to my shoulder.

"The masked mute." He commented as I spoke with Kurogiri, causing me to groan mid-sentence.

Great. Tsuyo.

Although, it seemed that Midas' assistant was too late for once as a purple portal quickly began forming in the center of the room, causing me to sigh in relief as I picked up the jewel once more.

And, once I picked up the jewel, I felt my relief amplify, letting my stiffened shoulders fall with ease as I dragged Dabi towards the portal with me.

Thank goodness for Kurogiri!

"No worries. They're too late, anyways." I giggled a bit happily, walking through the portal with Dabi before I felt on top of the world.

Literally and figuratively! Because now, we're on the roof!

It really is so convenient having those purple portals to take you everywhere. Definitely cuts back on the drama!

Nice. The first part of the mission, getting the jewel, was a success. Now, all that's left is Endeavor.

Ehh, can we call that the easy part?

"Phew, alright! What a rush!" I called out in relief, being a little less concerned about getting caught with such amplified relaxation.

Dabi simply grunted uneventfully as he trailed his gaze around the roof for the power generator, easily spotting it in the corner.

"Well. There it is. Should I get things started, or what?" He asked boredly, causing my nerves to spike.

"Huh? No, not yet-" I called out anxiously, inhaling sharply as the emotion was instantly amplified.

Painfully amplified.

This didn't happen yesterday. Why is it happening now?

Yesterday, I only felt positive. Powerful. Happy...

Maybe I just need to fully activate it-

"Oi. It's already 1:30 in the morning. If we don't do this now, it's gonna be a bust-" Dabi nagged impatiently, before I frantically nodded in agreement.

"No, no, no. You're right. You are. Just....let me....activate this..." I breathed out nervously, pulling the shiny orange jewel out of my pocket before crouching down on the roof.

Dabi seemed intrigued with the process now, looking up towards the milky moon for a moment before lazily sauntering my way.

"Do you even know how to?" He asked lazily, meeting my spot before crouching down with me.

"S-Sure..." I said unsurely, holding the glowing orange jewel between us as I tried to reflect back on what Midas told me about the jewels.

"The jewels activate on emotion. Whatever emotion you're feeling, amplify it."

"Midas said....it activates on emotions..." I explained, feeling my mind betraying me at my next thoughts.

He also said there are only a few people who have the clearance to activate it. That makes you special-

"...so....I just need to....focus on my emotions. Bask in them.......drown in them, I guess. Then, it should work." I finished, pursing my lips with a bit of nerves for the situation.

Sure, I liked the way the jewels made me feel last time. But, last time I was also supervised by Midas. This time, I'm using his own jewels against him.

Dabi shrugged in understanding as he looked to the glowing jewel boredly, turning his sapphire eyes up at me now.

"Alright. Well....what are you gonna think about?" He asked me, features looking dry as he still didn't seem to support this idea.

I reflected on his question for a moment, realizing I wasn't quite sure what I was going to think about, in order to make the jewels activate.

From what Midas said, it only activates on very strong emotions.

How did he get me to activate them last time?

You know how.

You just don't want to say it-

No. It's not that. You just don't want to rethink it.

Because the moment Touya's name even popped into my mind, I felt a physical stirring weight in my chest, as I understood that these thoughts would cause the jewel to activate again.

Because Touya was the only person in this world who made me feel so much. So strongly.

"I'm....going to think about something that hurts me." I said to Dabi somberly, causing his eyes to pierce into mine with an unreadable look.

"Why?" He said immediately, voice soft and filled with more emotion than I've heard all day.

It's as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking about. And I've never heard Dabi sound guilty before. I don't even know if he possesses such an emotion after everything he's done in his life. But, if he were to ever feel guilty about anything, I bet that's what it would sound like.

I closed my eyes now, allowing the memory of Touya's face to form behind my closed lids.

It already hurts. It's already unbearable and torturing.

"Because pain...is the strongest emotion I have." I said honestly, words coming out more genuine than I meant them to as I began feeling the effects of the jewel coming to life.

Touya's smile.

Touya's laugh.

Touya's voice-

"It shouldn't be that way." Dabi said emotionlessly, cutting through my memories of Touya's voice with his own.

For some reason, hearing Dabi's voice in that moment only amplified my emotions more, allowing the jewel to slowly start working more potently as his voice pierced my soul.

Because I know my subconscious knows something I can't admit. Something painful and heartbreaking that I can't process. I don't want to think about what it is, because I physically can't.

"N-No, it should. God, it definitely should. I should feel all the pain, Dabi. That is my punishment for not being able to save him. I want the punishment. I need it to cope. To live with myself." I said shakily, feeling a pressure of emotion rising in my chest as the jewel began to glow brighter.

I kept my eyes closed, imagining Touya gently touch my wrist as I felt Dabi grip my wrist tightly.

"How many times do I have to tell you it's not your fault. Why are you doing this? Why can't you just forget about it and move on, Violet? Why?" He said a little raspy, squeezing my wrist tighter to try and make me look at him.

Maybe it's the residual effects from the jewels reaching his own head, but his voice is gradually starting to sound more emotional.

But...

It's not my fault?

Really? It's not my fault?

How can he even say that, when...

"Violet!! Help me, Violet!!! It hurts!!" Touya shrieked as the smell of burning skin seared my nostrils, causing me to feel as if I'd just died and gone to hell from the fear.

A small whimper escaped me now as the repressed thoughts in my brain slowly began to crack and unravel-slowly starting to fill in the blacked out memories I've blocked from my mind.

He...

There was smoke everywhere. All around him.

"I remember that.....H-He....he suffered. Oh god.....he suffered so much..." I breathed out fearfully, keeping my eyes squeezed shut as I felt the amplifying effects starting to course through my veins.

"Not because of you. Look at me. It wasn't because of-" Dabi stated a bit breathlessly, clearly starting to feel the residual effects from the jewel a bit more intensely as I felt him grab my face.

But, I felt them harder.

"I'm trying, Touya!!! I'm stuck!! Touya!!!" I sobbed out in a scream, unable to do anything other than reach out for my love as I watched him collapse to his knees and suffocate on his screams.

I can't see his face in that moment. My brain won't allow me to remember the sight. I just know he was suffering.

I remember hearing him cry. Hearing him begging for help, then begging for me to kill him when the pain became too much. The image of his fingernails digging into his melting skin to try and get the pain off still haunts me.

"Please. Let me save you. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." I uttered out loud, keeping my eyes closed as I felt myself begin to hyperventilate.

But, it didn't matter because the jewel had done its job finally powering up in my system the way I needed it to as I saw Touya in my black vision.

"Violet." Touya said calmly, meeting my gaze with his sapphire eyes.

"Violet-"

"Violet." Dabi said calmly, causing my eyes to snap open and meet his sapphire eyes.

Just looking at him was enough to send the remainder of the amplifier jewel into my system, making my veins fill with an overdose of pain and suffering, mourning and anger, frustrating and isolation, and just about every other emotion you could possibly think of-allowing me to clear away every thought of fear and overthink as I was suddenly ready to take on this mission.

Ready to let off some steam. Ready to take on the world.

It hurts. It hurts so bad. It hurts so bad, that it makes me want to take out my pain on everyone else and show them how it feels to suffer.

And I feel a bit giddy at being able to do that now.

I met Dabi's gaze, seeing my eyes glowing orange in the reflection of his own orbs as I cracked a feral smirk and spoke unrecognizable.

"Cut the power lines, Dabi. It's time for the real fun to begin."

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Thank you guys for reading and commenting! You reached 160 votes much quicker than I thought, and that gives me so much motivation. Please keep voting for more double updates like this <3

Next Chapter Title: Calm Before The Tsunami.