Still stuck in the hug, you really couldn't help but think of how soft your bed must feel.

     This entire day was basically you just dealing with things, yet it felt so stretched out and unnecessarily long that you didn't doubt the possibility of just passing out right now.

     Smells of sharp strawberry and. . . something else hit your nose the tighter the short woman held onto you and Layla, feeling said chemist shifting uncomfortably. "What. . ." You cleared your throat, patting her back in response to try and make it look somewhat natural. As natural as it could look with her holding onto the both of you like a lifeline for the past few minutes straight now. "What do you uh, mean by that?"

     She pulls back eventually, still holding a small smile but holding eye contact had you noticing the tremble in her unnaturally bright green gaze, "These things are savages," She masked it as though just telling a joke and catching up, her words not matching the forced laughs, "If that is Elijah, please please get him out. All of you. . ! Don't let them see you with them. . !" She then pulls back, not even realizing she had been shaking your hand until she actually let go.

     "It was a pleasure meeting you," She nods, her voice rising to it's normal volume. "I hope we can—"

     "Dr. Harrison!"

     The petite woman inhales a sharp breath, body trembling as she snaps herself straight. "Mr. Whitlock!" She laughs with just as much enthusiasm, turning to look at the approaching figure.

     Your back was feeling awfully out in the open, one glance behind seeing that you were missing quite a few members.

     All that remained were the scowling face of Shigaraki and bored one from the phoenix standing where Compress had once been. With Taneo and Elijah hopefully somewhere else and out of this. . . man's, sight, you could at least hope that this would somehow be able to slide. Speaking of man, Mr. Whitlock approached your group with a big smile on his face.

     "Hello! I was starting to wonder where you all went," He laughed, on other circumstances you might've probably said that he had a nice voice. But, he was currently the enemy and you were trying to go home. "Hey, sorry for not sticking around much," Layla took it upon herself to respond, whatever worry she was feeling no doubt invisible. "But I have to help these guys go home, we had everything settled."

     "Oh no of course, I won't hold you any. . ." His voice trail off as he catches glimpse of growing red on her stomach, the hand holding onto it tightening upon realizing he had saw it. "Dear, you're bleeding!"

     "Oh, this?" She starts laughing, a little forced and a lot awkward. "It's uh, it's uhm. . . yeah a little accident, happened. I'm fine! I can handle a little bit of blood loss."

     "No you definitely cannot," He says, shaking his head as one hand rests on the other woman's shoulder. Dr. Harrison inhales another sharp breath, but if he noticed he made no reactions to it. "Dr. Harrison, do you know where they might keep any first aid kits?" The woman stumbled for an answer, stuttering one out in return of this being a whole facility for doctors and therefore mentioning the existence of a clinic. "Oh! Of course, of course, how silly of me," He laughs again, nodding as he turns to Layla once again.

     "Of course, my friend can take me there," She harshly grips your forearm, making a face at that but playing it off with a smile of your own. God this was getting painful to live through. Literally. And metaphorically, when will this end.

     "I'm sure you both must be busy, we won't bother any more," Blue starts to tug your hand, as if telling you to start talking before she embarrasses herself further. "It was nice meeting you two though! Thank you again for saving us back at the gate," You lightly kicked Dabi to start moving, moving to go wherever as the assistant laughs, a raised brow in display. "It was no problem. And this won't be either," He places his hand on the chemist's shoulder now, the expression on his face not one you could trust any longer than you needed to. "Come, let me help. Where is the clinic?"

     "Oh no no no," Blue laughs again, starting to see a pattern in everyone's habits at laughing when things got awkward. "I insist, really, you mustn't."

     "Nonsense! Come, we can go ask someone." Before you knew it she was loosing her grip on your arm as she gets dragged off, eyes widening while you tried to stop them, or at least follow. "Hey—"

     The little ding cut through everyone's conversations, or the lack of it, heads turning in unison to the elevator that was still behind you.

     Slowly it slid open to reveal two staggering figures, a scowl making themselves known the better look you got.

     They looked unfamiliar to you, of course, having been stuck in the closet trying to move a shelf when they announced their presence. But the cracking skin and black inky substance bubbling underneath was more than enough of a hint for you. "Hi." The girl—if you could even call her that still—said in that familiar distorted voice before shooting out the infamous tendril.

     "And that's my cue." With a kick and the smoking hints of Dabi's use of flame the two figures were forced back into the elevator, a hand reaching over and pressing the close button. Shigaraki curses as the silver haired male forces himself through, being met with the same action and slamming against the back wall with a thud. It dented the reflective metal, flinching even more. Yes, even more than when the black stick barely missing the tip of your nose.

     As it closes and the shrieks inside get more and more demonic in nature, a yelp and a grunt of pain makes you turn with a panic towards Layla. Where she stood the chemist had a knife pressed against her throat, the lightest trickle of blood as Whitlock smiled sickly sweet. "A shame I had to break my cover so quickly, though I take it you've noticed that long ago?"

     . . .

     Well. . . this was fucking fun.

• • •

     Walking off while the woman hugged the living life out of you and the chemist was surprisingly an idea of Shigaraki.

     Realizing that it wasn't safe to keep the two any longer, it didn't take much of a brain to know that they'd be safe somewhere else. So Compress took that opportunity to sneak Taneo and Elijah away, whistling quietly to himself and nodding nonchalantly to anyone who might've given them attention.

     Which was quite a number, as they didn't exactly look like they belonged there.

     Now it was just a matter of remembering where the exit was, and the man was of the lucky few who was born with a sense of direction. "Will they be okay?" Elijah asks in a hushed whisper, the journalist trudging  along beside him. He had a calm and collected look on his face, but it was quite obvious that the white walls were starting to trigger something in the man. "Duh." Was all the answer he would be getting, it seems.

     They walked for a few more minutes, some booming voice echoing in the speakers scattered across the halls they explored. He couldn't give two shits about what it announced, a lot more interested in the lifeless photos of people he didn't recognize scarcely spaced out in the dead white walls. They all looked to be someone important to this. . . institution building thing, which made it a lot easier to quietly. wordlessly mock them.

     But soon enough he found himself and the two others in a never ending path, never having seen an opening or the backdoor. Just hall. . . after hall. . . after hall.

     He clicks his tongue in annoyance, curly hair whipping as he looked left to right. "Great. . ." He mumbles, taking a guess before turning to his left.

     The two behind him quietly follow, not much of a complaint or suggestion in their minds. They had as much of a bad chance at escaping as he did, so they might as well just agree on one way of doing so.

     Well it seems that tophat had a somewhat better chance than the rest of them, as on one side of the wall of this particular walkway had a map of the building.

     From where he stood he could tell that it highlighted the various fire exits, but it showed the routes for anything else, so it was a good enough chance for everyone. It would've been smooth sailing from there had it not been for the water dispenser right beside it, and the well-dressed man quietly holding a cup.

     A quiet eye contact was established, Compress having recognized the mismatched eyes and part fiery red hair as a Todoroki.

     It was obvious, from the mentioned features and expensive suit that hugged the young man's build. Although, in this environment, he looked a lot lost more than anything. The subtle awkward shaking of his hand, his eyebrows knit together in a frown he couldn't shake off. It amused the curly-haired man, but he didn't have time to dilly dally and observe him, no matter how much fun he might think of getting from that experience.

     With a suave only he could pull off, he went and planted himself right next to the heir, mentally taking note of the colorful lines that were on the map stapled to the wall in front of him.

     Todoroki only side-stepped to let him, quietly taking a sip of his water as grey and blue eyes glanced past him.

     From the blood covered scientist to an obvious foreigner that seemed to be awfully scared of the building's fluorescent lights. It wasn't his place to ask or comment on it, but he sure as hell was intrigued.

     As Compress finished up with deciding a route—having realized they missed the place they entered from about two turns ago—he sends a quiet nod to Todoroki before turning. The two men followed suit, but before he could stop it, he had already opened his mouth.

     "What. . . happened to you?"

     The three men pause, some much more of a flinch than the other.

     The question hung in the air like a bitter medicine's aftertaste in a sick mouth, no one daring to move as though that would solve whatever problem there would be arising.

     Compress even thought of speaking Japanese and pretending he didn't speak English, but with a name like 'Todoroki' it was pretty obvious that the chances of that ever working were literally none. "A woman gave. . . gave birth on, on the subway," Elijah quickly stutters out, mumbling something else about being a doctor and having helped the delivery.

     The two-toned man nods, seemingly satisfied with that answer as he continues drinking from the little plastic cup he still had in his hold.

     . . .

     Well. . . that was that it seems.

     The three continue on walking, turning back and retracing their steps to go back to where the map had said it led.

     Shoto watched with his curiosity piqued, the three in no way familiar faces but something in him wanted to follow. It was no doubt the boredom from being dragged into this event, or quite possibly the spite towards his father for having to attend it in the first place. It was some showcase of something for a sponsor and. . . something else. He never did pay much attention to his father's briefings, finding that the less he knew of what was happening, the more ways he could find to spite and anger him. 

     . . .

     The want for revenge can really change a man.

     As soon as the three turned the corner he already set off after them, his years of having to sneak around his oversized house paying off as the short heels he had on barely made noise against the bright tiles.

     Mismatched hair whipped as he looked around like a wanted man in the city, eyes darting everywhere and anywhere that he can look. The three were a few ways off, giving him enough distance to remain unnoticed but keep an eye or two on them.

     He quickens his pace as they turn another corner, just the slightly audible sounds coming from his feet. Thank God for this awful gathering, the various voices that he could still hear was for sure more than enough to cover up the annoying clacking of his shoes.

     But as he followed the last stretch to catch up to the three men. . . he was thrown off-balance before he could recognize half of what was happening.

     The body that collided with his was heavy, groaning as they rolled on the floor in a heap. Sprawled over him was the barely conscious form of the man he had seen earlier as the assistant, blood dripping down his nose and scorch marks on his clothes. He looked pissed, a knife tightly held in one hand as the other struggled to push himself up. "What a brute. . ."

     Shoto was dazed, blinking in surprise as he failed to notice the worried looks of a familiar face and fighting that continued.

     You stood over the man with a horrified look, the unconscious Layla leaning heavily onto you as Dabi and Shigaraki continued to torment Whitlock and his mistake of turning against you so quickly. You didn't exactly pay much attention, much more worried at the fact that you weren't out of here yet and that the chemist was slowly dying in your hold.

     With a curse you pushed past everyone, finding the backdoor that you had entered from despite the commotion.

     Taneo was somehow quick to lend some help, taking the girl's other arm as you sighed in relief from the release of weight. Quickly asking Elijah to take your place, you slipped her limp arm around his neck as you went to the rich boy who was still lying on the ground.

     In all honesty, you weren't even sure what happened.

     As Whitlock taunted you all, he made the mistake of lifting his hand away from Blue's neck and waving his knife around to make a point. Without missing the opportunity the chemist swung her head back as far as she could before colliding it with his, the force enough to knock her out but also stagger the assistant.

     Then it just started.

     The two tallest in your little group took on the role of bodyguard and dealt with him, quickly taking it upon yourself to carry Layla off. Dr. Harrison was nowhere to be found at this point, but you didn't want to stick around long enough for anyone else to find the little dispute so you went ahead and left.

     The two men jogged to catch up after that, and you gained proper distance before the psychopath got the jump on Shigaraki.

     It took a few more punches before Dabi had enough and tossed the man off, inadvertently hitting Todoroki and knocking him down.

     Which led to your situation right now.

     "Oh my God are you okay?!" The man below you was quietly staring at the ceiling, having given up on life as he remained sprawled on the—hopefully clean—floors like a lost kitten. If you weren't on a race against time you would've thought that he looked cute, but you sadly were, so you had to quickly push that thought aside and instead help him up.

     Stumbling like he had two left feet he almost fell once again as a shriek came from Whitlock, something about not letting the two get away. You scoffed at that, a snarky response biting your throat before you got thrown off again as Todoroki pushes you aside.

     For a guy who hardly dodged a man getting thrown at him he had surprisingly quick reflexes, a loud curse coming from you as your dreaded enemy of black spikes make themselves known once again. "Why aren't you two dead yet?!" You managed to shriek before thanking Shoto and dragging him to the exit, the sounds of fighting no longer an interest to you if it meant getting the fuck out.

     "Get them!" Whitlock managed to bark out his last order before falling unconscious, a few more hits to the head of course being enough to kill a man. But he had enough adrenaline in him to stay alive, it seems.

     The two puppets were barely holding onto their little disguises, parts of where flesh should've been crumbling to the floor in heavy heaps. Upon craning your head you could see that they had led a trail, some twisted version of cookie crumbs left in their wake as they engaged in battle.

     But now with complete disregard to their well-being and appearance, they had gained some sort of upper hand. Losing more and more of their form meant that they could sludge around in a fat black mass, looking like day old gum you could usually find under a desk or two. Inhuman speech slurred as more and more of their little tendrils poked at your. . . friends?? Were Shigaraki and Compress considered your friends? They had to be, right? You've spent at least enough time to form some sort of relationship with them.

     But you couldn't watch more of the fight as the cold night air hit your face, flecks of snow landing cold kisses on your reddening cheeks. Goodness, you'd hardly stepped a foot out! This whole side effect of 'hyper sensitivy' and whatnot was really starting to get on your nerves. Was it too much to ask to go about your life a day without having to worry about getting a nosebleed just because your body refused to function properly in the presence of cold, dry air? You just wanted to live long enough to get a senior citizen discount at least once, dammit!

     . . .

     Or so you thought to yourself, your mind somehow going from observing a fight to complaining about the weather and then being old. You hoped this was also some weird symptom of the drug and not some sort of sign of a mental illness. God knows you already had too many of that.

     Looking around the parking lot, you were surprised that the young heir still went with you, a look of excitement somehow managing to stay on his face despite all that had happened.

     "What's. . . what are those things?" His voice was a little too calm compared to the first time you had encountered them, laughing awkwardly as you looked around for the missing three. "Hah, so uh, funny story," You squinted the best you could, before brightening at the sight of them somewhere to the shed to your left, Elijah kneeling beside the chemist and a first aid kit he had somehow managed to snag. "I actually have no idea."

     You walked to go join them, Todoroki following closely behind. "None of us do."

     "Oh." He mumbles, deciding that asking any further might not be the best option. You didn't know, he didn't know—he'd just be stuck in an endless loop of confusion. "I knew they were suspicious."

     You raised a brow, looking at him as you gathered around the three. Taneo was sitting on Blue's other side while Elijah tended to her. "Oh? You mean Whitlock?" He nods, only now noticing the cup he was still holding. Although now it was crushed and barely held form, let alone any water. "Yeah, what are you doing here anyway? Are you somehow connected to this new partnership thing?" You held back a snort, having realized that that was long ruined now with the head doctor being a clear puppet and the man behind the strings lifeless in some random hallway.

     He shakes his head, "Just here for a sponsor. Enji says that if this institution was interesting enough he'd offer funding." You didn't even have to ask why he had referred to his father with his first name, looking into his eyes, with the one on his left looking a little too familiar.

     . . .

     . . .

     . . .

     Of course, a big part of you already knew that he and Dabi were related. That little heart-to-heart. . . talk, thing in the park with Shoto told you enough about it. But. . . you were more so worried if the phoenix himself knew.

     And if Enji was here. . .

     You shook your head. You didn't have to think about that, it wasn't important. You had other things to worry about.

note ; ehehehehehehsbwhdhebjsns so fun story, our wifi dipped while i was writing lmfao
ALSO I KNOW THIS IS UNRELATED BUT I JUST JOINED A GENSHIN IMPACT FANART CONTEST AND I JUST WANTED TO YELL ABOUT THAT OKAY BAYIEEEEEE STAY SAFE YALL STAY INSIDE DONT TALK TO PEOPLE ~ ♥♥