"Are you sure you don't need anything, Miss?"

"I'm fine," you muttered.

"If you experience difficulty breathing-"

"I said I'm fine! You should be looking for the bastard who did this and quit fussing over me."

You shut the motel door behind you, leaving your new bodyguard to do his job.

This was your temporary home now, thanks to some prick setting fire to Monarch's greenhouse. It was far from school, and anywhere you would normally appear; Midnight hoped this would keep you safe from reporters for the moment.

It all felt like a long, bad dream...

Panic controlled every frantic move as you forced yourself through the burning foliage. The smoke increased as the emergency sprinklers worked tirelessly to put out the flames.

You could hear Monarch's associates scrambling about the building but it was impossible to see. Every breath weighed on your lungs and you swore you coughed up ash. The small butterflies fleeing from their homes got caught in the heat, burning and dying like tiny pieces of paper.

"Monarch!" your body trembled. Maybe he wasn't even back yet? He could still be working elsewhere. He only came home to drop off food - right?

You heard crashing of glass next, followed by authoritative voices. It sounded like help arrived sooner than you had even hoped. You attempted to make your way towards the commotion, but it was a maze. It was unclear which path of smoke lead to a flaming death or rescue.

Not enough oxygen was getting into your lungs. Your chest burned from the heat but also begging to be fed clean air.

So, you made a mad dash towards the safest looking path, but you kicked something hard and almost tripped over the body of one of the polka-dotted crew members.

"Hey!" you bent down, "Are you okay?"

No response. He was out - hopefully not dead. You didn't have super strength but you lifted the man over your shoulder. Thank goodness he was a skinny fellow. With the added weight and oxygen becoming slimmer, you weren't going to get very far.

If pros or firemen, whoever had come in earlier, broke their way through. That might be your best bet as well. You could still see the nearest wall that could easily be broken with one of the decorative garden stones.

Just before you got to your destination, your leg gave out.

"AH!" you felt the jolting pain traveling up your shin. You hadn't even had a day to rest from your training earlier. Whatever was wrong with your leg had intensified. You had to set the man down and hobble the rest of the way towards the glass wall.

You could see lights outside from sirens, but that was about it. The smoke was causing your eyes to water. How much more of this could you handle before you passed out?

You lifted one of the rocks from a garden patch, even though it felt like fresh lava, and hurled it at the glass.

Endeavor was the one to actually spot you crawling through the opening first. He, along with a few cops, retrieved you and the man you rescued. It took no effort for Endeavor, with his massive body, to carry you both to an ambulance.

They checked you for burns and monitored your breathing, asking questions that you couldn't concentrate on. It seemed ironic that Todoroki's dad was present on the scene, but it also made sense? Why not send an actual fireman into the fire?

"Sir?" you grabbed onto Endeavor's forearm. He glared down at you with his flaming brow, but didn't protest.

You removed the ventilator from your mouth, letting out a few, baby coughs, "Was Monarch inside?"

"They are tending to him in the next van over," he said, "The sooner you let go, the sooner I can get back to saving everyone else."

"Sorry," you recoiled. It still hurt to inhale, but you wanted to check on Monarch. Luckily, Endeavor didn't sound concerned, but it was hard to tell with his cool demeanor.

"You should sit - miss?!" someone from the ambulance called to you, but you ignored them.

In the next van, as Endeavor said, was your tightly-clad, glamorous godfather. Except, he was lying down, half of his shirt had been burned off and his skin was sickly pink and glossy. His long hair was singed and noticeably shorter. The worst to see was the blistering by his neck, and his beautiful wings now looking like melted plastic.

"Monarch?" you whimpered, "Is he going to be okay!"

"Miss, you need to step back," a woman adding an IV into his arm said.

"Please," you begged, "Tell me what happened."

"Can we remove the girl, please?"

Someone gently pulled you back, but they wouldn't get away with it. You turned and grabbed the arm holding you, twisted it behind their back, and forced them against the ambulance door.

"Tell me he's okay, dammit!" you felt the anger in your voice.

"Okay..." the nurse put her hands up warily, "I-It looked like he got the brunt of the fire, a blast, maybe? We don't know. We're doing our best to keep him healthy."

"Who did this?" you growled, adding pressure to the poor man's arm.

"We don't know!" she insisted.

"That's not good enough!" your fingers were digging into the man's skin now. He was just some random man in white, probably another nurse.

But you couldn't. You could feel yourself slipping, losing control. This wasn't good. Everyone looked afraid of you...

From the corner of your eye, you spotted long, dark purple - almost black - hair bouncing towards you. The red mask around her eyes gave her away. Just seeing your aunt calmed your manic episode. Shame flooded your heart as you released the nurse you had pinned.

"... You're crazy!" he said, glowering at you, "And you're training to be a hero?"

You couldn't argue with him, so you just starred at your feet.

"They should lock you up before you hurt someone!"

Midnight stepped in, "That is enough!"

"Keep defending her, it'll only cost us our lives one day," he spat.

Midnight continued to deflect his remarks and outbursts. But you felt the truth in his words. Especially when you glanced back up at the unconscious Monarch.

You crashed onto your bed. It felt like a rock compared to the one you had at Monarch's, and it smelled like an old folk's home. This had to be one of the worst days of your life... how had it not ended yet?

For the next couple of DAYS, you really were alone, with only your bodyguard, Lenny, to hang out with. Still no update on who or what started the fire. In the meantime, you continued your schoolwork online as scheduled - no hero training, however.

If anyone saw how you behaved back there... You dreaded the looks in your friend's eyes. Especially Aizawa's disappointment.

A knock came to your door that evening. Midnight came in with some food - her normal routine lately. It felt a little like a prison, except you had all the television privileges you desired. She sat on the bed next to you and handed you a warm meat bun.

"Thanks..." you said.

"Of course," she winked. You two hadn't talked much since the night of the fire - just her checking up on you, but you could sense she had a different agenda tonight.

"What happened back there, sweetie?" Midnight asked, "You know I don't believe a damn word that man said, but what made you so angry?"

Your eyes were glued to your meat bun, "Um. I don't really know. I just saw Monarch lying there - looking all... you know."

"But he's going to be okay," she said warmly, "He called didn't he?"

"Yeah..."

"And you saved someone! According to Endeavor, you kept your cool - up until the ambulance incident, of course."

"I just... If it had been any other day maybe I wouldn't have. I just snapped."

Midnight nodded, "Well, I'm glad neither of the nurses reported anything. I understand the pressure you were feeling that day... I felt it too. But you're going to need to learn how to control it next time."

"What if I can't!" your volume caught her off guard.

"(Y/N)..."

"What if he's right? And next time I actually hurt someone?" you asked, "I'm terrified - I can't ever just -LET GO! If I do... I don't even want to know."

"We've talked about this," Midnight soothed, "You're no more dangerous than any of us. It's all about choices. That is what separates us from evil. And you are NOT evil."

Midnight grabbed your face and kissed your cheeks. Her silliness made you feel ridiculous for getting upset in the first place. You smiled, just a little.

"There's my girl," she said, "I can stay if you'd like? I don't want you feeling lonely."

"It's okay... you have important things to do. Besides, I have... Lenny."

You both snickered. Midnight agreed to stay through an entire chick flick and finish off the meat buns she brought. You were relieved she wasn't too upset with you, any other parent would've grounded their kid.

Although, you were already as grounded as it gets.

"Oh," Midnight paused before leaving the motel, "This is for you. My little hero."

She handed you an envelope signed by a name you didn't recognize. Once you opened it, however, it became clear. The elaborate logo of Monarch's agency at the top said it all.

It was a short but sweet letter from the man you saved. The words "thank you" made your chest hurt, but not in a bad way...

Admits the drama, and behaving like an ass, you actually did something good.

Click. Click. Click.

He'd gone through every photo, multiple times now, humming his favorite tune, enjoying every minute. The look of fury on your face as you attacked that nurse, and those fiery eyes of yours...

"Delicious..."

He sat in the dark, to better see his camera reel. Normally, the man was a purist, but he had to stick with digital while he was incognito. Soon, very soon, he could have you in his red room. All to himself.

Finally, he set the camera down and sighed with delight. You were so exotic, like a mythical creature come to life. He wanted, needed, to have you. Touch you. Mold you. Make you into his perfect... masterpiece.

Even if that wasn't necessarily what he and Shigaraki agreed to.

He continued to hum, while he picked up his favorite knife, twirling in between his fingers. Muffled cries could be heard in the corner of the room.

"Please, shut up, I'm trying to concentrate," the man groaned, "What am I to do with you... you're not nearly as beautiful. This will be a botched photoshoot..."

He turned on his standing studio lights, highlighting his latest model, tied and gagged against the wall. She wasn't much to look at... nothing exceptional or different to work with.

Luckily, he was quite crafty.

He adjusted his props for the set, moving a large bouquet of roses onto a table. Their red petals pleased him, but he needed to try something different - something bold!

He held one of the roses up to his nose and inhaled the sweet scent, before crushing the bloom in his hand.

"Nothing like the corruption of innocence to spark the fire of creation... don't you think, dear?" he chuckled.

😂👍