Brooklyn was. . . definitely a place Dabi couldn't get used to in the few minutes they've set foot. Err, car wheel.

     It was the same as Manhattan in terms of the buildings and people, but the feel of it was off from what the phoenix had been used to. Weird, he never really used to care about that.

     "The vibe of this place is all wrong," He suddenly announced, earning a weirded-off look from Shigaraki who—smartly—chose to ignore him.

     They weaved through street after street, the concept of time blurring into a giant mess that was reminiscent of that of a messy blob of mixed and gunk paint. It swirled in Dabi's head, losing track of his surroundings as they drove through similar buildings—just one right after the other.

     He was beginning to think he had lost consciousness all together somewhere along the line, looking out a window to gaze at the poison that was the city night life, then back to his phone the next to see the clock strike nine. He raised a brow, almost thinking he had just imagined it. But it seems that he didn't, turning to see the clock on the beaten up car read the exact same. "How long has it been?"

     Shigaraki raises a brow at the sudden question, eyes still fixated on the road but now in deep thought. "I don't know," He almost scoffed out, somehow getting offended that Dabi had thought to ask about it.

     But the two males didn't have to think about it any further, arriving at a road leading straight up to a guardhouse in the distance. The driver sighs, trying to pat around for something but frowning deeper as he remembers where it was. "Get the. . . the thing, there," He points to the compartment in front of the phoenix, raising a brow as he clicks it to let it pop open. Inside was a bunch of crumpled paper and webs forming at the corners, but amongst the mess was a small mountain of fake IDs. He assumed they were fake IDs, because he never remembered having one legally issued by the government.

     He picks up the ones on top, that of him and Shigaraki. Goodness, if it weren't for the names he would've assumed that they were actually real. "Montgomery?" He laughs in disbelief, growing all the more as the man beside him doesn't respond. "Do I seriously look like a Montgomery to you?"

     "Piss off, it was the only prick in this neighborhood that Kurogiri knew wouldn't raise suspicion with a new face." He doesn't have time to question that further as they arrive at it, the guard on the night shift raising an arm to slow down the vehicle. In all honesty Dabi would've thought he'd just drive straight through.

     "Residents or visitors?"

     "Visitors," Shigaraki announces without much of a change to his usual demeanor, the burly guard raising a brow at the two. One had weird blue hair with suspiciously chapped lips and one had stitches on his face, both in a van that didn't look like it belonged to them. "If that even counts. Montgomery recently moved out, we're just here to pick some things up. The idiot's left behind some pretty important stuff." Dabi didn't even have a chance to defend himself as he was left to quietly scoff, glaring at the thumb shamelessly jabbed towards his direction.

     "I'm gonna need to see some ID," He shrugs, specially-gloved hand reaching out to grab the two cards straight out of Dabi's who still held a look of offence. "Name?"

     "Richard Montgomery and Travis O'Hare," The phoenix quietly snickered at the fake names, earning a side glare that the guard only furrowed his brows even more at. "Alright. . ." Guess you could say that this guard had his guard up, whispering something into the radio pinned to his chest before turning to a large book inside the main of the small shed. "Give me a second, gentleman." The driver shrugs, leaning back on the leather seats that honestly looked better than the ones Dabi was stuck with.

     "Remind me again why we're here for real?" He casually asks with a look that didn't match his words, years of training in the magical art of deceit making it an old habit for the man. "Chasing a scientist, some. . . sources say he's here."

     "Don't remember that in the file," He sends his usual charming foxlike smile to the guard, who only—nervously—smiled back as he flipped through page after page. "Well I learned of it while you were busy having a wet dream subconsciously jerking off to your girlfriend."

     "You can't prove that."

     "And you can't either." 

     Eventually the guard returns, a look of confusion and suspicion all very evident on his face. "Alright, guess that checks out. Seems they haven't removed your name off of the residents list yet, sir Montgomery." He was hesitant in handing the IDs back, earning a laid back smile from both the men. "Have a good evening, sirs."

     "You too," Dabi sends a wink, earning a weirded out look in return. "What?" the phoenix teased, "Can't a guy be friendly?"

     "Not when you look like you got my gram-gram's handiwork on your face," The guard eagerly responds, the smirk on his face faltering as Shigaraki bursts out laughing. "Oh my God, that's a new one. I like 'ya, this motherfucker's ugly as hell. Good night to you too, sir!" He cackles as he got the car moving, a small smile still on the raven-haired man but a tick going off on his forehead, barely noticeable. "Yeah, good evening, this guy's one to talk when he looks like a dehydrated grapefruit." He lands a friendly, heavy slap on his friend's shoulder, a sickly sweet smile on his face as they went off.

     "Fucking ow," Shigaraki hisses through gritted teeth, grip on the steering wheel tightening as the busted up vehicle got out of sight from the scoffing guard. "I'll rip your damn teeth out."

     "I'll burn your future children."

     A silent truce formed as they went through the place; a quiet, middle to high class neighborhood that Dabi whistled at from time to time. The houses looked quite nice unbelievably enough, some enthusiasts getting an early start on the Christmas decorations as he hadn't even noticed the snow around the place earlier. "How the hell are we supposed to find him here?" Shigaraki shrugs, "I don't know."

     "What do you mean you don't know?"

     "I mean I don't know," He glares at him, before sighing and a small chuckle exits his lips, "God, stop pretending like you haven't done this before. Alright, when Toga was on the run where did she hide?"

     "You do know that I'll be telling her that you actually said her name, right?"

     "Just answer the question, arts and crafts." He rolls his blue eyes, almost glowing against the dark night sky, "She hid in a trailer, I think? I don't know, why would I care anyway?" He sighs in exasperation, a fist punching an arm that didn't have enough time to dodge it, "She hid in somewhere abandoned, in plain sight. Now where do you think we're going to be going?"

     "An empty house? I don't fucking know," Another hit, but this time he was smart enough to move away. "Actually no, you're right. Yeah, yeah an empty house. It's here by the way." He scoffs loudly in exaggeration, looking off to see the house in question. Outside was a sign that said 'Sold', slapped right on top of a 'Now For Sale' crudely as they pull up the dark driveway. It was a lone house at the end of the street they were in, both houses perpendicular to it already turned off, the only signs of human life being a silhouette of someone watching TV as shown through the closed curtains. "Isn't this trespassing?"

     "Oh yeah, definitely something we haven't done before." The engine dies, keys being pocketed as Shigaraki kicks open the door. "Now hurry up, idiot might've heard us. I'll get the backdoor," He doesn't ask anything else, just watches as he disappears into some overgrown foliage at the sides of the residence. He hears some cursing, no doubt pricking himself along the way as he couldn't help but let a ghost of a snicker escape his lips.

     He stares at the overgrown, not much of a thought crossing his mind other than that of a want to get the job done quickly.

     Walking through grass, snow and mud, he couldnt help but scoff like an obnoxious rich man staring at the poor, almost tripping a lot and even, probably, definitely stepping on a snail somewhere along the way.

     He wasn't at all surprised when the door didn't open, sighing deeply as he takes a few steps back. There was a window on the top, and it looked easy enough to open. Maybe a few tugs could get it off the hinges without much of a sound, and—

     The door clicking open had him staring at the unamused face of Shigaraki.

     Without another word, he follows inside.

     The hall was a small one, with an empty bookshelf on either side of him. An abandoned vase stayed on one, while a dirty carpet stayed in front of him. One side was rolled and bundled up, like someone had just recently ran through it in a bit of a panic. It made him raise a brow, the possibility of this being just another goose chase straight out of the window now, furrowing his brows and cautiously eyeing everywhere else. The open area right in front was empty, but small rectangular areas had thicker layers of dust compared to the rest of the floor. Couches, maybe?

     Shigaraki gestures upstairs with a quick tilt to his head, quietly nodding in response as Dabi explores the rest of the ground floor.

     The kitchen at the back of what he assumed was the living room had an L shaped counter, an island in the middle with a lone chipping mug left to be forgotten on top of it. The cabinets were empty, as he could see, many of them left open as drawer doors creaked in the cold wind through the windows. Most were closed, only one left cracked open a peak. Weird, he would assume that a house sold would be a lot more well-kept and tidy. Even locked shut down to the tiniest of entrances.

     Finding nothing he gets bored pretty quickly, the rest of the empty house the same as any other. Some frames left hanging, an abandoned notebook or two—nothing out of the ordinary that would deem itself worthy of a proper investigation.

     That seemed to be the case, until he came across the stairway beneath the ones Shigaraki had climbed. A barely noticeable door was there, contemplating whether or not to call out to his partner to tell him what he had found.

     . . .

     Nah.

     He kicks open the door with ease, swinging open with a loud creak as it led down a dusty and dark descent.

     He opens it with just about enough caution to not let anything catch him off-guard, his gaze lazily moving up the lone bulb suspended off the ceiling. He reaches for it, finger touching on the surface of it.

     Still hot.

     He scoffs at the lack of a better effort. Is this guy even trying? You'd think that if he was on the run from a whole facility of scientists and no doubt some capable hackers he'd at least be more cautious.

     He walks down the stairs, making an effort to stomp his boots with each step. If he was going to make it easy he might as well get the most fun out of it, right?

     The wallpaper down chipped and fell in chunks, many strips hanging onto the rest of the group with nothing but a will to live and a prayer. While others had completely given up, rolled up in a bunch at each corresponding step. God, either this place wasn't as sophisticated as he had thought, or the maniacs who used to live here just didn't care enough to retouch on some of the places that wasn't above ground.

     He reaches the basement quickly enough, eyes shitty but quick enough to adjust thanks to the lone window somewhere to his left. Moonlight pooled, revealing a busted washing machine and a basket left to rot. There was a divider somewhere in front of him, the space behind it unseen to him.

     The perfect place to hide.

     He looks around a bit more—even finding an old dumbwaiter somewhere along the walls. How old was this house?—before shrugging and walking to the displaced wall. It was obviously wooden, painted gray to match the dead and unfeeling color of the cement all around him. With a single kick he'd no doubt be able to get rid of it quickly, breathing out as he only realized the small smoke exiting his nostrils as he did so.

     Either he was now a dragon or it was cold enough to do that.

     God wouldn't that be something. Coming home one day to find out that you had suddenly changed from a flaming bird to a giant flying liza—

     He doesn't even flinch as a gunshot resounds, the bullet missing him by a finger's width and hitting some of the wood in the stairs behind him. He runs to the source with his body on the low, hearing the undeniable sounds of a cry and some shuffling. Another resounds, this time grazing the old cloth of his coat before he manages to get a jump on his perpetrator. He didn't exactly expect anything, whether it was someone trained and armed or even just a helpless child facing him. He just didn't expect it to be easy enough to find the familiar face of a man who's ID they had enlarged and printed, shaking and crying from fear as he shakes his head at Dabi as his form of a quiet plead for mercy.

     "Please," The man below him choked out, a shaky breath escaping him as the grip on his shoulder tightened. "Please. . . don't. . ! I, I don't want to go back! Not after I saw the truth—please!" Dabi rolls his eyes, his palm pressing harder against the bone of his shoulder, earning a scream of pain, "Should've worked on your aim then, bud."  

     Rapid footsteps followed from upstairs, before Shigaraki's form on high alert arrives just moments later. "What the fuck was that about?!" The phoenix gestures to the now discarded gun, tossed from the impact from when he pounced on the panicking scientist. "Found the guy though. Short mission, good mission, but I got a meeting with a hot chick in less than an hour and I'd rather not be late." Shigaraki holds back a comment in the regards of being late, huffing as he walked over to the guy. Short in stature, decent build, but obviously lacking the confidence of using whatever strength he had in those muscles of his.

     "Get off the guy, I'd rather we don't have to hide a body tonight," The man looks in even more panic, eyes wide as he shook his head. "Please don't kill me!"

     "He literally just said he wouldn't," Quipped Dabi with an annoyed look, but it falls on deaf ears as he get rudely shoved off. The scientist was left to cowering away as quickly as the weight on him disappeared, eyeing his gun before quietly whining when Shigaraki picked it up. The man in question eyes it judgementally, scoffing as he removes his gloves and grips it tightly.

     Almost like a sand structure with no support of water it crumbled with the wind, watching in awestruck horror as the dust drops in a heap on the floor.

     "You're one of them. . ." They both raise a brow, to which the scientist shakes his head. "No, no. . . no you're. . . if they sent you to get me they. . ." He trembles, his whole body basically vibrating as he pushes himself back, "No, don't. It's not safe! They'll. . ." He falls silent, still a mess of nerves and panic as he huddles close to himself in a corner. He seems to be reliving a memory, hand clawing on his knee as some sort of coping mechanism. "The fuck does that mean?" Shigaraki scoffs, to Dabi but the scientist answered for him.

     "They'll take you. And-and experiment on you! Please, don't, if you want to live!" Before Shigaraki could bite back a sarcastic remark, Dabi cut him off with a click of his tongue just as he got on to being his sad-boy emo self, "So you are from that lab after all." The phoenix scoffed inwardly in disbelief, having two things go his way tonight now. Was he having a good day or was this just an apology for something worse that was yet to come?

     "I'm gonna need him. Hand fetish, go tell Kurogiri we killed him or something." Now it was his turn to scoff, though this time a lot more audible. "Like hell I will. What are you even going to do with this crybaby?" He vaguely points to the scientist, who was rocking himself back and forth while mumbling something incoherent. "It's important, alright? It's—"

     "If this is about your girlfriend again I swear to God," He quietly threatened, earning an annoyed look in response, but Dabi held his tongue back, "Yeah, it is, and it's a matter of life and death. It said to either bring him back or not at all, right? So unless you're suddenly worried about lying and cheating your way for a paycheck, you don't really have anything to lose now do you?"

     The two both held a glare, neither one backing down as a somewhat test for their honor. Dabi because he knew that he was right and this guy might just be answer to your problems, and Shigaraki because it'd have to be a cold day in hell for him to ever admit that Dabi's plans were ever a good idea.

     . . .

     But it seems that Satan's celebration for Christmas came early this year.

     "Fine. But you know Kurogiri's going to want answers." This made the phoenix chuckle, laugh even, at the dumb implications. "Please, like I haven't already thought of that." He gestures to his now-ungloved hand as he lit the top of his pinky, the small blue flame cackling in contrast to the rest of the dark. "Time to make a corpse."
    

note ; deadass tho, our wifi is so SHIT that it ruined the format of the last chapter, so sorry for that lmfao
THANKS FOR READING MUEHEHEHEJDNSNXNS

note, hours later ; HI HELLO GUESS WHO'S WIFI LITERALLY DIED
. . .
YEAH I'M STILL PISSED
HOPE Y'ALL ENJOYED LMFAOOAJXNSNX