Warming up to a stray criminal

Chapter 1

It's a cold evening in Kamino as you walk your way home from (school/work).

Normally you'd take public transport, but your route is down today due to maintenance. It's faster to walk than to take another train, so you walk. It's not so dark out yet, she sun is only just going down. The sky is still tinted orange and the streetlights are on, giving your world a bright orange and yellow hue. It's a pretty sight that only lasts a couple minutes, so you're glad you can enjoy it while it's vibrant. Maybe it's not so bad that you had to walk home tonight.

As the sun disappears further below the skyline, the skies darken and the streetlights seem brighter.

When orange interrupts your view again, it's less pleasant. Road work, the whole street is torn apart. It seems like a hero faught a villain here, some type that can mess up stone and asfalt.

In order to get home now, you'll have to venture through some pretty shady alleyways and abbandoned streets.

You sigh. Your evening walk has just become a lot less pretty.

You make your way through one dark alleyway after another, quickly growing less at ease with the world around you. The sky is darkening and there's a noticeable lack of streetlights here. Anything could be lurking here, hiding in the shadows. It's too dark to notice the layers of ashes beneath your feet as you walk, but the scent of something burnt hits your nose. You're not sure what it is, it's definitely not just a cigarette or food. It's disgusting, a mix of toxic fumes from burnt clothes and flesh.

Putting a hand over your nose and mouth to try and filter the air a little bit, you squint your eyes against the darkness.

You hear voices. You freeze. Are they directed at you?

No. Thankfully, they seem to be directed at each other. You only now notice how tense you are, gripping the fabric of your coat tightly. Should you turn back, or try to walk around them? Turning back won't get you any closer to home, and there's no way around them since the street is still torn open. You take a deep breath and start walking again, through the darkness and ashes, and see two figures in the shadows. They don't seem to have noticed you, too focused on each other. That's perfectly fine.

You keep walking, staying close to the side of the alley in order to not walk into them, when you hear their conversation go sideways.

"We're not looking for a new leader, forget it. You'll work under Shigaraki's orders if you want in at all." One of them grumbles calmly.

"How well has that been going for you so far?! From what I know, the only successful attack so far has been the one he was NOT in charge of, the one you ran! So why not? I can take you to new heights! I've been planning this for weeks, I know exactly how to transform your league to something greater, under my rule we can-"

As the man speaks with much enthusiasm, Dabi sighs and rolls his eyes.

You catch the look on his face and frown. A patchwork face, covered in dark scars and kept together by staples. You figure it hurts, and it disturbs you enough to stop walking. You feel uneasy, as if something is about to go very wrong.

"That's enough out of you. We're not looking for a leader, that's final." The scarred one speaks as if he's tired, whether he's tired of the conversation or tired in general is beyond your knowledge.

"But I could transform you into so much m-" the smaller man stops speaking as the scarred one raises his hand and opens it in his direction.

"We're done here." The scarred man purrs.

You manage to catch the other man's eyes widen in the darkness, before it's not so dark anymore.

The alleyway lights up instantly as bright blue flames explode from the scarred man's hand and spread through the alleyway. The reach of his flames is insane and more powerful than any flame quirk you've ever seen on TV, more powerful and wild even than Endeavor himself. You're mesmerized with the power for exactly one second, as the next second your attention is grabbed by the horrible screaming of the smaller man. You pale and cover your mouth with your other hand as well in horror, as the man is cremated alive. He's not just on fire like in action movies, he's melting and crumbling faster than you can comprehend. You stand there frozen, gaping behind your hands as this stranger is murdered before your eyes.