The ride back was a lot quieter now that they had an unfamiliar face with them, sat in the back trembling to himself as they drove through house after house.

Dabi didn't exactly know what type of questions he could and should ask regarding the drug and the laboratory, much more content at the idea of you doing that job for him. His offering of help was just his existence and bringing him to you, so he sat back pretty satisfied at a job well done.

The only sounds that the car had now was the occasional yelp of the fidgety scientist due to Shigaraki's reckless driving, a few thuds and a simple glance to the rearview mirror making the phoenix fight to hold back a snicker. God, he would never regret taking this job. Sometimes it gave him a chance to show up and be a badass, and other times it was way too damn easy. He was starting to wonder if he even deserve whatever payment he got.

"Where. . . where are we going?" A meek voice asks from the back, shaking hands holding onto the closed folder that he had no doubt probably read. "Definitely not to your boss," Shigaraki had responded like a prick, for some reason finding what little happiness in the way the light in his green eyes dimmed. "Oh," was all he could say, not sure whether to take that seriously or just shut up and let whatever plan the two men had, happen.

With a final turn, there stood the guardhouse in all it's glory. The same man was still on the shift, although the driver couldn't help but notice the panicked look on his face as they approached accompanied by rapid mumbling to the radio. He expected Dabi to notice this as well, before remembering that the idiot couldn't see a spider right in front of him on a ceiling fan overhanging on his bed and cursing as he relays this information.

"Hey, you, what's your name?" The phoenix had asked with a cool hum, holding eye contact through the small mirror showing his trembling look. "U-Uh, Elijah. Elijah Willows," He nods, turning to the front as he finally sees the guard coming into view, "Well then, Elijah, you mind ducking? This guard ever sees you, you'll be dragged straight to your boss and we won't be able to do anything." His tone was calm and out of sync with the bad news he had just announced, the scientist frozen in place as he rolls his eyes, "Clock's ticking,"

He did as told, falling to hide under the seats he had just previously sat on.

Slowing down the vehicle as to avoid flying past the small speed hump, Shigaraki sporting a rare smile that was clearly only for show. "See? In and out. Have a good evening, sir," The guard nods back, trying to keep on a calm look, "You too. Have a-" His radio crackles to life, a frantic voice calling out. "Fire! There's-there's a fire down here! Block. . . fuck, what was," The voice fades out as they ask a question, before shouting it out in continuation, "Block twenty-four, lot twelve! Oh God, it's rising, it's spreading it-get out of there!" The line cuts off, an awkward silence hanging in the air as the guard flashes a small hesitant smile, "Uhh, you can. . . pardon me, for a second," Shigaraki watches with narrow eyes as he consults the large open book, his grip on the steering wheel tightening with an obvious change of tone.

This guy was going to figure some shit out, and he'd be damned if he wasn't ready to speed off by then.

The guard's eyes study up row after row of the addresses, the beating on his chest getting faster and faster as he got to the one he needed.

Beside Richard Montgomery's name, was the registered address of Block Twenty-Four, Lot Twelve.

He looks in slowly forming horror, the sounds of the radio coming back to life only making it worse. "Oh God, call the cops. Call the cops there's-there's a body here! It's a burning body!" With the pieces clicking together and the realization a lot worse than he had initially thought, he speaks into the device with a shaking voice, "I. . . I got them right here."

Making eye contact with him, Shigaraki clicks his tongue, "I got the fuckers who did it right here."

Without hesitation he steps on the gas, a small jump on the backside of the van as it rammed past the speed hump. Before he knew it another gun was pulled out and aimed at their vehicle, a bullet forming a crack on one of the windows, the sounds of it masking the terrified shrieks from the kidnapped-was this considered a kidnapping?-man.

"Isn't this fucking fun!?" Shigaraki loudly calls out in sarcasm, his hands barely on the wheel as he turned sharp corners and snaked through traffic. Jesus it was like eleven pm, get off the damn streets!

"We got a bogey," Dabi announces like he was of any help, pointing to the glaringly obvious sounds and sights of various cop cars and their signature red and blue. Funny how they got here quickly, did the guard rat them out the moment they talked?

"Hey, you have the gun?" The phoenix asks, earning an offended scoff from the driver. "Do I have the-yes I have the gun, but there's no way in hell I'm giving it to you!" He groans, mumbling something along the lines of complaining how he was seriously doing this right now?! "Like what, you somehow have a better chance of hitting a cop with you driving the damn car?"

"Oh and if I give you the gun, what are you gonna do, hit them in the arm?!" Oh great, that's what that was about. Of-fucking-course it was about the Yaoyorozu situation!

"You're still salty about that?"

"We lost a client!"

"I literally already repaid it!"

"TRUCK!" The voice from behind had both men shutting up, Shigaraki barely swerving out of the way as the sirens from behind get gradually louder in chase. "God, other than having the power of two human eyes what else can you do?" The question was sarcastic, but Elijah answered either way. No doubt from the fear of what might happen if he didn't, "I was on one of the underground factions, I-I was responsible in keeping track of what was good enough to keep in the ingredients list of Trigger!! I swear I didn't know!!"

. . .

"Well hold that thought," Dabi snickered, shaking his head at the absolute panic that sounded from his voice. Well that was good, he remembered that term from your discussions with the chemist, so more reasons to believe he was from the project. Nice, now to actually make sure he didn't die on the way back to Manhattan.

"We can go by foot," Shigaraki growls upon putting some reasonable distance to lose them. No doubt it was with help from the ruckus that truck must've made, the phoenix shrugging as this rusty old bucket with wheels was probably now on top of many hunts. "They don't know what we look like, right?"

"If you used your damn mask, the guard wouldn't!" He snaps, forgetting that, he too, was a dumbass who also didn't put on a mask.

Ahem. Anyway.

Eventually he pulls into a deserted street, a clear contrast to the rest of the place in terms of overall energy. Not much cars passed, people weren't walking by, and it was overall quiet save for some of the noise that bled through from the road next to it. "What's the plan here?" Dabi gets ignored, before they pull right next to an alleyway. Whoop whoop, still haven't gotten a complete count of the amount of times they've come across and hid in one now.

With a quick inventory check as Shigaraki barks at Dabi to pocket all the fake IDs, they jump out of the vehicle and hide in the next alley over. Genius, a fake set-up. But Dabi refuses to be outsmarted by a crust ass bitch, so he too contributes to this by sliding open a manhole.

He lets it slide open just a peak, before jumping up the emergency stairway and catching up with the two.

"What the hell was that?" Self-appointed leader asks, watching intently as the phoenix puts in extra care making sure that the stairs are well accounted for and kept in their usual place before they had disturbed it. "A distraction, duh." He rolls his eyes, but Dabi easily ignores him as they start walking.

"Uhh, how are we going to-to go back to Man. . ." He shrinks under Shigaraki's gaze, the man towering over him by at least five inches or so, his voice lowering all to a whisper, "Manhattan. . . on. . . foot. . ?"

Dabi stares at him with an all too, somewhat bothered and bored look. But he shrugs, turning to his colleague. "Maybe we can hitch a ride. I'd rather get chased to the Subway by cops than walk the entirety of the Brooklyn Bridge on foot." Their leader sends back a glare, a quiet sign of competition, "Yeah, and I assume you've started carrying around a Metro Card thanks to your girlfriend?"

Dabi scoffs, the two once again completely forgetting of the existence of the scientist quietly cowering behind, following their tails like a lost puppy. "As if you ever used one."

. . .

. . .

. . .

In the end Dabi had hoped he had chosen his words a lot more carefully, because they did end up getting chased to the wrong car.

"We can just hitch a ride back," Dabi had shrugged, leaning back on the cold metal pole instead of sitting down like a normal person. "It's not like Harlem's that far of a place from the apartment."

"Still would've been better if this was a one-way thing," Shigaraki had scoffed, already bothered by whatever shit he had accidentally sat on this time. Elijah remained quiet, clutching onto his file for dear life a couple of seats away. The car they were in was empty save for a. . . homeless man, would be a nice way to put it, sitting somewhere down the many chairs.

Dabi looked on with a bored look, barely breaking a sweat-literally-as he holds onto the pole instead, taking out his phone and glancing at the clock that read a few minutes after midnight. He unlocks it with a swipe-what even was the point of pass codes if he'd be the only person allowed to use his phone-opening the messaging app and reading what he had missed while he was being chased by authorities. Which wasn't much, just a few from you telling him you had hitched a ride back home and wishing him well.

The date on his phone read the tenth of December, sighing as another year had gone by. God, and to think that at the start of it he was just lounging around the apartment like a sulking mess. The rare times where he did leave and actually greeted the sun being on whatever mission Shigaraki decided to drag them out for that day. He never expected that by the last months of the year he'd be living his life dragged into a mess involving drug making and a lab who's existence he's only managed to confirm that night. Yesterday night, whatever, but it was pretty recent.

He never acted like that situation bothered him, but thinking of it now had his heart racing in a way he didn't like. His panics were slow and unnoticeable, so he looked just like any other time as he started to think about what might happen came the time the drug in your veins started up.

He doesn't remember much, but from what he concluded, that thing's remaining quiet and lowkey in your system. That was a worse type of enemy, because nobody knew what and when to anticipate it's effects on you.

. . .

He sighs, running a hand through his hair and finally slumping to a seat. This was no doubt going to be a lot to go through, and he was running low on sleep. The day might've ended, but that meant another one was starting and the phoenix wasn't even given a chance to breathe through it as more set of problems appeared like an infested growth in his brain. What if this scientist wasn't able to help? What if Kurogiri didn't believe the picture they sent of the fake corpse, and would demand to know where the scientist was?

Hell, if they were trying to keep this a secret, where would they even keep Elijah? Would that boss of his be satisfied? Would this fake death and picture be enough proof for them to just leave the money and go? Goddammit, and not even one in the morning.

He was going to need a lot of drinks after this.

• • •

The rest of the day was once again just another blur. Work, talk to people, repeat. By the end of it you went home, went to sleep, woke up a few hours later when you should arguably be sleeping for longer hours, and went to work.

You didn't expect much to happen today, in all honesty. You didn't want it to, you were perfectly content with just another typical day in your life. You even went out for lunch with Jirou and Momo again, but even that felt out of place.

Shoving what remained of the bandages into the trash bin beside the toilet, (you didn't have a personal toilet of your own in your office, because that was unnecessary when you can literally just use the one provided for everyone else) you pushed open the door and washed your hands.

Many of your wounds were already starting to heal, so it wasn't all that necessary to keep the bandages on. Also because you were starting to forget what it felt like to wear a bra without the damn things in the way, and because changing them on a daily basis was a pain in the ass.

And also because it made you feel like you were wearing a suit of armor. Which might be an ideal for some guy in Medieval Europe, but not for a woman like you living in modern New York.

Adding a quick touch up to your face to make sure you didn't look like a mess surviving the last stretch of today-it was Thursday, which meant you could go home a whopping four hours earlier, fuck yeah!-you picked up your phone and headed back out to the main of the building. But immediately as you did it buzzed, a message lighting up the screen in greeting.

babe
tried to give it a few days to let you deal with other shit first
but this is important and im running out of ideas where to hide him

Him? Who's him?

its not important
i mean it is but not right now
im swinging by ten

No no, I'll be free by six or so.
But why? What's this guy have to do with anything?

There was a brief pause in his typing, making you raise a brow. God, what was it this time?

its easier to explain in person

. . .

Well seeing as you couldn't get more than that you decided to call it a day and leave it. You would've gladly told him that you were free to go right now, but you realized soon enough that you were going to have to catch up on some actual work if you wanted to keep your business afloat. Your staff could only do so much, but without the owner and the actual person running things, some things aren't going to go as well as it can.

So you got to work.

The last remaining hours didn't go as smoothly as you had hoped it to be, getting distracted by your own thoughts of wanting to get things over and done with quickly in an attempt to make the clock move faster. But of course in the end it only made the bastard pull tricks and move slower, the process of going through thirty minutes of work in fact only taking up five. It was a mess really, and you blundered a lot, but nothing you couldn't handle. You just didn't like the fact that you felt like you were in highschool again, your butt practically hot-glued to the seat being forced to live through boring lectures you forgot about the year after. Hell, the day after.

You weren't naming any specific subjects, or teachers who made them feel worse than they actually were, but holy shit.

"You good there, boss?" Kevin laughed upon putting away the mop, dusting off his-probably still clean-hands as he approached your form hunched over one of the dresses in the back. It's been a while since you've done some hands on work for a special order on an outfit, but the familiar feelings of pins and needles being held delicately between pinched fingers and lips helped you feel somewhat right at home. "Of course I am. What's wrong? Need any help?"

"No, just coming here to offer a drink," He laughed, a bottle of water being held over your head like some sort of piñata. "Devan suggested to bring it to you, said you were going to forget. Looks like he was right."

"Gee thanks," You sounded sarcastic, but you saved it with a laugh. "No really, thanks. Anyway you got plans this weekend? Heard Millie stuttering a lot more earlier, I'm gonna immediately assume it's your fault." His laugh was booming, but you couldn't ignore the red on his cheeks. "Yeah. . . got a little ahead of myself and asked her out. She said yes, though!"

"Hell yeah!" You congratulated him with a supportive pat on the shoulder, before downing the rest of the liquid on your parched throat. It wouldn't be long until six, you could handle some small talk.

"What about you? Got plans with a certain someone?" Immediately you regret ever taking that option, staring at him with a not-so amused look while he continued to wiggle his eyebrows like a child. Before you could deny it, a scream from the shop had you quirking a brow, before Sims kicks open the door with a maniacally large grin on her face. "Y/N!! YOU GOT A DATE," She laughed like someone straight out of a mental asylum, sighing in defeat and holding up a finger to Kevin that, yeah you get it, you lost.

"You owe me a dollar."

"But we never bet on anything?"

"I bet with Sims. But since everyone knew he was going to come back, it's all a bet against you. But since I'm the one who suggested it, we felt nice enough to just make you pay me." You heaved out a heavy sigh, but couldn't stop the undeniable grin as you grabbed one from your back pocket.

note ; okay so hi ill be taking like a 3 day break to get both this story, and my life sorted out lmfao
LIKE ITS BEEN 50 CHAPTERS TAKE A DAMN BREAK
HOPE Y'ALL DOING WELL SEE Y'ALL SOON WHOOOOOOP
also i already got a head start on the smut muehehehebezadvjumzw k bYEEE