"H... How did you guess?!"

Mameko froze - she had disclosed way too much! She should've been on her guard - she knew the League of Villains and the U.A. High were on bad terms.

"So, you're attesting to it." Dabi shut the book in his hand and put it in the breast-pocket of his coat. "Meeting a U.A. student in these forgotten alleys... Fate can be a funny thing, don't you agree?"

Mameko shuddered, beholding the young man's benevolent smile had turned vicious in an instant. 

"W... What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure... Those bastards from the organization aren't here, so I guess I'll just pretend I haven't guessed anything. After all, you're just an exchange student, right? Would be a pity to burn you to bits just because you're studying in that school for a single semester."

He resumed his pace. Mameko watched him in a daze, unable to move - was he serious? Was he truly going to let it slide?

"Aren't you coming?" Dabi glanced back at her, "I mean what I say. I'll get you out of here... unless, of course, you want to wait and die in villains' hands when they show up."

Momo gulped at such a cold remark of his and quickly ran up to his side. They continued walking through the darkness.

"If you really mean it... thank you."

"Don't take it as kindness or anything." Dabi shrugged. "I'm doing this because you're Crimson Bombarder's daughter. I wouldn't want that old man to grieve too much. I respect him a lot."

"Yeah..." Mameko blushed. "You truly are a chivalrous villain, Dabi."

Dabi cast a faint glance at her grateful smile. 

"Anyway, if you're Crimson Bombarder's daughter, and you share his convictions, as you've said, then how come you're studying in a hero academy?"

"Hehe, everybody asks me that, wherever I go!" Mameko laughed. "Yeah, I get it - it's way too unnatural. But you know, I have the visions that made me choose this path. I run into many obstacles, of course - as I'm a villain's daughter, people don't trust me. Villains consider me an outsider because I aspire to become a hero, and heroes consider me an outsider because my father is a villain and I agree with his ideals. But, in truth, I am in the same league as both of them - I want to make this world a better place.

"I've suffered from false heroes like a lot of people did. You guys too, despise them a lot, don't you?" She looked up at him, with sorrow twinkling in her eyes. "That's one of your organization's main objectives - to annihilate the false heroes. In that term, I do understand you guys. Because of the false heroes that didn't fight villains as was due, I lost my mother... That was the very reason why Crimson Bombarder rampaged in Tartarus eight years ago_"

"Oh, yeah, I know that event. I've always wondered why he snapped all of a sudden."

"He did it for his family." Mameko cast her eyes down, with tears appearing in them. "He considered All Might a worthy hero, so he knew that if ever All Might defeated him, that would be the end of his villainous career. However, when he found out that his beloved wife was killed by villains in his country, his daughter's life was threatened, and the heroes didn't move a finger, he decided that he should act as fast as he could, even if it might kill him. 

"He escaped Tartarus. It was the only occasion when someone had actually broken out of that prison. When he arrived in Georgia and blew up the entire terroristic organization that was to blame for my mother's death, the entire world governments agreed to lift his punishment somewhat - a man who had single-handedly annihilated an entire gang of terrorists that the world couldn't take care of for fifty years. Of course, the Georgian government didn't want to agree to it, but since they were bound to the other governments by diplomatic ties, they decided to cooperate. My father is now under strict surveillance in Tobirishi State Prison, but there are days when they allow me to see him. During those days, he supervises my training. 

"How could I, after those terrible events, allow myself to idly lie around? My quirk is a heritage given down by my parents, so I am destined to use it for the common good. I shall use it to end the era of false heroes in my country and, if possible, in the entire world. When there is one true hero who is strong enough to decrease the morale of any villain, then there is no more need for sloppy heroes. The demand for professionalism rises. Money and fame can no longer be enough of a motivation to keep the hero fledgelings going. Only youngsters with true heroic motives will succeed to graduate from the academies. False heroes will no longer exist. Villains will be too scared to commit evil deeds. That is what I aim at: to be a fist of justice, just like my father. But, unlike him, I shall operate not as an enemy to heroes and villains, but as an enemy to their cockiness. 

"Don't get me wrong, though - if those cocky false heroes still rise and I see there's no other way, I shall not hesitate to turn into a villain and annihilate all of them. However, I want to see how I can fix it in a kinder way, first. I don't want to sink into villainy right at the start, like my father. Of course, the path I've taken is harder, but neither I am a loser!"

Dabi watched her eyes scintillate with boldness and determination. He shrugged:

"Mighty words from a midget who's been chased by some losers and begged a villain to save her from those sloppy pro-heroes."

Mameko turned red all over her face:

"Hey! I'm still too young! I'm studying in a hero academy exactly due to that - I want to get stronger! Don't you dare look down on me just because_" She halted, beholding his cold gaze which she was still quite afraid of, "Just because I've still a long way to go... Ugh, you're right, at times I do think I suck." She hung her head. "But I want to follow this path I've chosen. I believe it to be the right one. Even if my quirk is hard to control, I want to master it and achieve my goals. I... Yeah, maybe I'm indeed too much of an idealist - a hopeless writer."

"Heh! I didn't think I'd say this to any hero, but... seeing a helpless loser like you, I kind of get that strange urge to cheer for you."

Mameko's cheeks flushed red - did he mean it? Those turquoise eyes shone so sincerely! He did... but as a very sarcastic compliment. She chuckled:

"I knew it - you really are handsome when you smile."

Dabi widened his eyes for an instant, but then regained his calm attitude.

"That was a bad joke."

"No, I'm honest. You are handsome."

Dabi hastened his pace. Mameko smiled - he was a shy type, just as she thought.

"By the way, Dabi..."

"What?"

"Can I have your phone number?"

Dabi halted. Blue fire current formed on his fist:

"One more joke like that and you'll burn to ashes."

"No, no, you got me wrong!" Mameko shook her hands in fright. "It's just... After this long talk of ours, I figured I'd want to base my character 'Blue Flame' on you a bit more. Of course, just a humble request. If you don't want to, it's all your choice... Ugh, I really am sorry, I didn't want it to come out like that. You're right - I'll zip it. Sorry."

They resumed their pace. Mameko indeed didn't give a voice anymore, knowing she had messed up. Even just basically communicating with people, she had a lot of problems. Was it because she'd always been an only child, or because her personality was way too torn due to her complicated visions? - She didn't know, but the outcome was difficult regardless.

"There, you're out."

She halted - Dabi had stopped before a lighter alley. However, it wasn't the main road.

"Huh?"

"Right next to the corner is the main road." Dabi pointed her to the left of the alley, where indeed cars and buses honked and bustled. "There's a train station nearby and it'll take you directly to the U.A. quarters. I won't come farther since I've got no business there."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Mameko brightened - he had truly kept his promise. "Thank you for everything, Dabi! And... I'm really sorry_"

"Yeah, I don't really give a damn. Run along now."

"I'm truly glad I've met you." Mameko smiled. "Knowing there are chivalrous villains like you in the world, makes me believe my father's legacy hasn't died out yet."

"It was truly an unusual encounter." Dabi shrugged. "Goodbye, midget. It was fun meeting you."

"Hehe!" Mameko brightened, hearing that he too had had some fun. "Goodbye, Dabi!"

She waved a hand at him and ran out of the alley onto the main road, to take a train and get back to her school grounds. Once she was out of sight, Dabi turned back into the dark alleys. At a certain point, he halted and looked into the shattered glass, touching his burn-marks. 

"A villain's daughter aiming to be a hero, huh? My total opposite... Fate sure is a creepy thing."

"You really are handsome when you smile."

The words rang in his ears like a soft echo. She did mean it honestly - he knew from the very start. But his smile... Looking at it through this shattered glass, amidst all those burn-marks, his smile rendered him not handsome but hideous. 

"Yeah, she has some serious issues."

He walked on, chuckling to himself in the darkness. Issues or not, receiving that kind of compliment out of the blue was nothing but amiable to his darkened heart.