Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Summary: They had been forgotten by the world, so now it was their turn to remind them of the sins they'd committed.

Pairing: Dabi/Kagome

Suggested Listening: Ghosts of War by Think Up Anger

Rogue

It was the feeling of the wind rushing by her that she loved the most. It wasn't the night sky or the silence of the roads. It was the sheer sensation of freedom she felt when an icy blast of air ran through her. The dull roar of the motorcycle had become a soothing melody in her ears. With the wind as her guide and the road beneath her tires, she couldn't imagine anything more relaxing.

Kagome gently leaned into a smooth turn. She'd driven this part of town more times than she could count. It was packed with seedy bars, dimly lit convenience stores and old warehouses that were used to store illegal drugs for smuggling.

It was dangerous but it was home.

There would be no one to recognize her here. No one to judge her. No one to know the sort of life she lived.

Azure eyes narrowed at the white strips of paint that flashed by beneath her bike.

She couldn't picture anything more freeing than this.

Kagome gave the bike one last rev of the engine. The machine roared life.

"Home at last."

"The Night Rider struck again!" A middle aged man with a thick belly and coke bottle glasses spoke up excitedly. He cocked his head over his shoulder towards the male next to him. "They said that he busted up a human trafficking ring last night. Apparently the cops had been after this group for a while but couldn't get the warrant to search the place. He ended up saving something like ten women. They were all kidnapped within the last week so they're in good health."

"Did they say where it was at?" The stranger peered over his companion's shoulder. He was thin and had a gaunt face—however the two bore the same pointed nose, hazel eyes and slightly pinched brows.

Kagome listened as they whispered amongst themselves excitedly. Maybe they were brothers?

"Shinjuku. The cops think that he's got a house in that area but it probably isn't his main home." The man with the glasses shoved his phone in the other's hands. "Take a look. He struck there three times in the last month. First it was a simple burglary, then he stopped an assault on an office worker and finally last night where he dropped this trafficking ring into the police's lap."

His partner's lips thinned, "Sounds like a wanna be hero to me."

"You'd think that but the police stated that they believe this to have been an antagonistic act towards authorities. They said that this guy is only doing these things to prove how useless those sad sacks of shit are in Shinjuku."

"Don't call them sad sacks of shit, Haru. The heroes fought hard to earn that title. You should show them a little respect." The man snorted through his nose, "This Night Rider just wants to cling onto their coattails and take the glory for himself."

Haru, she now knew his name, spoke once more, "You would say that Yuji." The scorn in his tone was palpable. "You've been stuck in that ivory tower for so long that you've forgotten what it's like for normal people like us."

Kagome could only listen as the man went off on what she presumed to be his sibling.

"It's so easy for you to pass judgment onto others because you've never known what it's like to struggle." Haru snatched his phone back from him. He slid it into his pocket with a short huff. "You had the world handed to you because of your quirk. I didn't inherit any sort of ability from our parents so you have no idea what it's been like. You haven't had to deal with half of the shit I have."

Yuji tilted his chin towards the air, "So you celebrate a quirkless vigilante that only causes problems for the authorities because of your poor life experiences?" The young man's gaze turned sharp, "I shouldn't have to say how awful of an idea that is, Haru."

She felt herself bristle at his words.

Vigilante.

That was the label the media had thrown at her. It was meant to be a slur—a vague insult to the notion that she didn't carry the "correct" paperwork to deliver justice. To her it was all just bullshit. There wasn't anything significant that separated her from the rest of the heroes. The only difference now was that she had an ax to grind with the fools that climbed atop their golden pedestals and squawked at the nobodies below their feet.

"Exactly what I was saying," Haru shot back vehemently. "You don't give a damn about anything other than yourself. You have your job, your family, all the praise in the world and our parents' blessing. You'll never understand what it's like to be judged for something you can't change."

Kagome waited as the train slowed to a stop.

"The Night Rider might just be a reckless vigilante to you, but to people like me he represents something more. He became something the heroes fear even without a quirk. He gets into so many fights but he comes out unscathed every time. You can't imagine what that's like to see someone who's quirkless like me grow into something more."

The doors slid open as people began to file through the threshold.

Her grip tightened.

"Did you know? A recent study showed that heroes take ten minutes longer to respond to incidences in quirkless suburbs than regular ones. That time gets pushed out to half an hour or more in highly populated areas," Haru stepped off the train onto the platform. "Even in the face of death our lives are viewed as lesser. The Night Rider just evened the score is all. Remember that."

The doors closed.

She watched as Yuji observed his brother's form growing smaller and smaller through the distance that separated him from the train they stood upon.

"Evened the score, huh?" Yuji's tone grew soft. "If everyone thought like that then the whole world would be consumed by resentment."

Her fingers flexed.

So be it.

She'd already embraced that feeling long ago.

Her gaze narrowed at the city flashing across the screen above her head.

It was time to change things up anyways.

Dabi tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Please, don't do this! I have a family to feed!" The man behind the counter pleaded desperately. His features had gone a sickly shade of white while his wife cowered in an office behind him. She kept her arms coiled tightly around their son in a protective cocoon.

"So do I, now put the money in the fucking bag!" A man clad in a black ski mask hissed through gritted teeth. "I don't have time for this shit!"

He'd seen this all before. Some punk gets desperate for money, hits up a convenience store and makes away with petty cash to feed their drug addiction. Quirk boosting drugs were the most popular on the market as of late but that didn't seem to be the case with this one.

"Hurry the fuck up!"

The man's eyes bulged and his mouth twitched oddly with every word he spat.

Dabi kept silent as he watched the interaction play out. This would only end in one of two ways. The family would get shot and the burglar would make off with most of the cash. He was probably high enough to grab as much as he could but was liable to forget several bills in his haste. The second option would be the clerk giving him everything in the drawer and the burglar running to safety long before any cops or heroes could show up.

It was a seedy neighborhood rife with petty crime. Thefts like this were common. Murders and assaults even more so.

The people who lived here were mostly quirkless. It'd been considered a "reintegration project" initially designed to give those without quirks a chance at finding a stable career. Most jobs required the use of a quirk without ever directly listing it to avoid legal repercussions. So little projects like this began cropping up after a recession thirty years ago.

It was a philanthropic adventure that'd swiftly tipped on its side. To villains, the city had just clustered the weakest members of their society in one place—leaving them vulnerable to attack.

Dabi blinked at the crack of a gunshot. The woman's piercing scream echoed in his ears.

His eyes refocused on the situation in front of him. The clerk braced his arms over his face as he hunched down to protect himself. Behind him, a bullet had pierced through the wall to the other side of the office.

A warning shot.

"Get my fucking money!"

That time the man complied. He emptied out the drawer as his body became wracked with sobs.

The burglar waited until the last bit of cash from the drawer was thrown into his burlap sack. He tied it off before rushing past him. The door flung open with a loud slam as he ran out of the tiny shop.

Dabi strolled towards the counter.

"Sir, please, help us." The desperation in his voice did little to deter him.

Dabi withdrew his hand. He dropped a few items and a bill onto the counter.

"I'll need cash back."

Kagome peered around her. Was this really Hosu city? It didn't look like much.

The town had its usual buildings, high-rise towers and well groomed pathways for tourists to meander. Everything seemed to be cut and pasted together like some sort of twisted idea of perfection. The same design, the same flowers on every block and the same kind of car passed her more than three times on the street by now.

Her lips twitched.

No wonder he decided to pay this place a visit. Its homogenous nature was enough to make the hair on the back of her neck rise.

This was exactly the sort of town she hated the most.

Azure eyes thinned at the thick crowds that brushed past her.

He had to be near here somewhere. He told her that he'd be striking out soon enough. Truthfully he didn't need her help at all but it was nice that he invited her along all the same. It was probably his way of checking on her after everything that'd gone down.

The young woman sighed to herself.

"Looks like I gotta find him the old fashioned way." No one responded to her words. No one even seemed to have heard them.

That was fine.

It was easier looking on her own anyways.

She made her way down the back alleys. Kagome kept her hands tucked into her pockets as she walked.

He likely wouldn't commence his attack until later tonight. He preferred to operate at night. It provided more cover and made it easier to slip away unnoticed. That was the first thing he taught her five years ago when he took her in.

The night was theirs to own.

Heroes feared the darkness for what evils might lurk within.

Azure eyes narrowed on a faint silhouette that darkened the path before her.

Ah, there he was.

Kagome felt her lips curve upwards, "Been a while."

Scarlet eyes shifted towards her. She heard the faint sound of a blade being sheathed.

"You're late," He hissed the words through gritted teeth.

The young woman rolled her shoulders, "Got held up at the station. Anyways, what were you saying before?" Her smile dropped as quickly as it'd formed. "It's not like you to extend an invitation like this."

The man rose to his full height, "I met with the League of Villains." His tongue protruded from the corner of his mouth. It was a bad habit she'd noticed about him. He always seemed to do it when he was focused on something. Namely killing.

"Shigaraki is a spoiled child of a man but he has some potential." He continued with his explanation.

"So you're saying that you want me to join his little League and guide him?" Kagome quirked a brow at that. She wasn't a damn babysitter. Even if he had taken her in, there were some things she wouldn't do.

He snorted, "Not in the least. I want you to keep an eye on him. If he strays, kill him."

It was a mission.

She cocked her head to the side curiously, "He must've pissed you off pretty bad if you're calling me here for that." Kagome shrugged her shoulders, "Alright then. I can't really turn you down. If that's what you want then I'll take care of it. You just focus on what you came here to do."

The man's lips curled up in a vicious grin.

"I'll leave it to you." His palm shot towards the hilt of his blade. In an instant he was gone—diving back into the shadows of Hosu city.

Kagome closed her eyes.

Keep an eye on Shigaraki, huh? Now that was an interesting request.

Dabi focused his attention on the screen perched atop an elevated shelf. People around him bustled about. The stench of cigarettes, alcohol and body odor filled his nose.

"The Hero Killer was recently spotted in Hosu city. The pro hero, Ingenium, confronted him however he's since been hospitalized. He's reported to be in stable condition. Stain remains on the loose." A smartly dressed reporter commented smoothly.

He scratched at the skin beneath his eye.

"Look at this guy!" A man with a bald cap, bulging muscles and cheap tribal tattoos encircling his arms gestures towards the television. "He's kicking those heroes' asses and putting fear back into them! Serves those bastards right for constantly snubbing their noses at us!"

"Katsurou, you're drunk." His female companion braced her arms around his middle and back to steady him. "Come on let's get you home." She struggled to pull him to his feet.

Katsurou gestured around wildly, "But you know it's true!" His words became slurred. "Stain's got this shit right! Remind those bastards who it is they really work for!"

He ignored them. His eyes remained focused on the screen.

Stain's ideology was beginning to catch on like wildfire. The man was smart. He let most of the two-bit heroes he encountered live so that they could spread the word of his presence. Those who fought him and lived would inevitably go on to tell the story—thus cementing Stain's status in the hearts of citizens everywhere. He was something to be revered and feared. He was a reminder to the heroes that they would be held accountable for their actions.

Death was merely his tool for control.

He listened as the woman managed to pull Katsurou towards the exit.

"This world is changing!" He cried out as they reached the door. "They'll regret the day they ever looked down on us!"

He wasn't wrong.

The heroes would regret their failures. The reintegration projects were only the start. Soon the suburbs would follow suit. Stain's ideology was breeding a new class of civilians. One that did not heed any law besides Stain's guiding principles.

He was among that new class.

His eyes flicked to the screen as Stain's image shifted to that of the Night Rider.

Clearly, they were too.

Dabi pushed his empty glass towards the waitress.

"Get me another shot."

Kagome could only watch in horror as her mentor was led away like a dog on a leash. She'd kept to the back alleys for a good part of the week. She'd decided to remain in Hosu until Stain's goal was accomplished. After booking a hotel under a false name, she hadn't really thought about what to do to pass the time. However on the fourth night explosions and strange creatures suddenly appeared. She'd know that this hadn't been his work. There was no way. So she'd decided to head back towards Stain.

He would've been the only person who'd have a clue as to what was going on. If there was an enemy in their midst then he'd need her support. However by the time she'd arrived, he'd been subdued by a trio of teenagers.

Kagome could only watch as the man was led into the iron maiden. Unlike regular criminals, those on the top wanted list were taken to Tartarus via a vehicle the police dubbed the 'iron maiden'. Its shell was made of iron like its name suggested and its back end was a completely enclosed space that was barely big enough for a single person to stand in. The exact material inside was unknown but it was presumed to have properties that could either prevent the use of quirks or lessen their effects.

The doors squealed shut. A tiny glass window provided the only way she could look upon him now. His bandages had fallen off. Bruises and scratch marks marred his features and he bore the edge of his exhaustion upon his brow.

She'd never seen him like this before.

He'd always been so strong. She couldn't ever imagine him losing to anyone.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"We should check the area for any bystanders. They could've been injured in the chaos." An elderly man dressed in a yellow cape spoke up. He was a hero who's name she couldn't place.

Kagome turned on the ball of her heel.

She had to leave. She couldn't let herself get caught. Things could get messy if she were to be found and questioned by the heroes.

The young woman slid back into the shadows of the alleyway.

She would fulfill the mission Stain had entrusted her with. After that she would need to find a successor.

Azure eyes hardened.

She would not entrust something so important to a spoiled child.

Not ever.

"Come on sweetheart, it'll just be for a little while." The smooth tone of a man cooed. The stench of booze hung around the air heavily.

Dabi cast a short glance over his shoulder.

He vaguely recognized the group. Their names were lost on him but he'd seen them hanging around the complex of his apartment before. The first man that spoke was tall and lanky. Thick scars littered the side of his neck as he braced on arm on the wall behind his target. The two men beside him were his frequent followers. Dabi never saw one without the others in tow.

"Beat it Takeo. I'm not in the mood for your shit." The woman spat out sharply. She was a short fry by comparison. Hardly coming up to his shoulders where she stood. He'd seen her around the building as well. They never talked but he knew that she lived in the unit above his own. The girl was quiet, lived alone and had built a reputation of having a short temper.

Of course he'd never seen it first hand himself. He only heard the old hens living in the space next to his gossiping about her.

"Aw come on baby, I know you need this too." Takeo moved to grab at her waist.

The young woman buried her elbow into his abdomen in an instant. As soon as she drew back, she kicked her leg up and hit him in the jaw with her knee.

Dabi felt his lips curve into a smirk. Takeo crumpled to the ground in a heap of groaning flesh.

The kid wasn't too bad.

She had a lot more strength in her body than her image indicated.

"You two idiots want to join in on this?" She pivoted towards his friends. The pair glanced at each other then the man sprawled on the floor. They raised their hands slowly before they backed out of the way.

Dabi strolled past the scene casually.

Fights like this weren't unusual. There was always a brawl breaking out once every few hours. There were no heroes, no police, not even the semblance of an authority figure to fight the elevated crime rates within the reintegration projects. What was once a benevolent program meant to serve the interest of the weakest in their society, instead became a public relations nightmare. People were forced to cluster together in subpar living conditions. Jobs were scarce and the few that did exist were often robbed at gunpoint. However the one upside was the dirt cheap rent. In order to survive people were forced to turn to crime to make ends meet.

He doubted even heroes like All Might would ever step foot in such a place.

The overwhelming stench of despair and failure would be too much for a fraud like him to bear.

Symbol of Peace

What a joke. The man couldn't even stop a small neighborhood of quirkless fools from killing each other. What good was a symbol that wouldn't even acknowledge this shameful existence?

Dabi stepped into the elevator. It was old and smelled like human piss most of the time. The damn think would shutter every time it was used. The lights often flickered and it was a normal occurrence to get stuck within it. Unfortunately the build was never maintained so the stairs couldn't even be used. They were made of thin metal and several steps had already been broken off between the second and third landings—making it impossible to traverse.

The woman from before slipped into the elevator beside him.

He hit the button for the third floor. She followed suit, striking the forth. They waited in silence as the doors began to shutter and close. The elevator began its torturously long ascent. The walls creaked and groaned as the lights flickered.

The silence was overwhelming. He wasn't the sort that needed to fill the void of an awkward situation with light conversation. Still there was a tension thickening the air between them. His fingers twitched.

He hated this damn elevator.

Dabi didn't have to wait long before it stopped. The doors squealed as they opened once more. He stepped out into the corridor. He shot a short glance over his shoulder before the elevator shuttered.

The woman's eyes were focused on him. There was a light of curiosity in her gaze but she spoke nothing before the doors closed—separating them once more.

He scratched at his chin thoughtfully.

"Interesting."

Kagome fell onto her bed in a heap. She buried her face in her pillow. Her limbs were sore and she could hardly lift her head, let alone move by this point.

She'd managed to slip back to Hosu Station after Stain was arrested unnoticed. She'd hopped the first Shikansen out towards Shinjuku. It'd taken a few hours given the extensive amount of damage done to Hosu, but she'd finally gotten home three hours after she'd left Hosu.

Her eyes slid towards the softly playing television in the far corner of her room. Stain's mugshot was plastered across the screen. It wouldn't be long now before those he inspired would come crawling out of the woodwork. It'd take a miracle to find a suitable successor among the filth that would come out of this chaos. Even more concerning was the connection being tied between him and the League of Villains. If Shigaraki was anything like Stain described then he would take full advantage of that connection for his own benefit.

Her brows furrowed.

She wouldn't allow him to steal that title. Not if she could find someone else more suited to bear the name of Stain's successor.

"I'll make sure your will gets passed on. You don't have to worry," Kagome rolled to her side to face the screen. "It's the least I can do."

Her eyes slid closed.

She wouldn't fail.

"You want to become a hero?" Her mother's voice questioned with tiny laugh. "What caused this change? I thought you wanted to become a doctor?"

Kagome clenched her hands together tightly, "It's because I want to make a difference. Even if it's hopeless, I don't want to give up." Azure eyes flicked to life, "Shinjuku needs someone. At least this neighborhood does."

She felt her mother's arms wrap around her in a warm embrace.

"You needn't push yourself. You don't have to follow the same path as your father." She felt her arms tightened ever so slightly.

The young woman glanced down at the tiled ground beneath her feet.

The words she wanted to speak got stuck in her throat.

It wasn't his fault.

None of this had ever been his fault.

Her mother smoothed a palm over her hair affectionately, "Carve your own future. Don't let anyone get in your way."

Kagome felt her heart twist within her chest.

Her future.

She wouldn't let anyone take that from her.

Not like they did to her father.

Not ever.

Dabi woke with a start.

The walls rattled violently. The sound of screaming filled his ears.

He sucked a breath through his nose. He'd gotten used to this too. While an elderly woman lived in the unit to his immediate left, on the other side was a young couple hardly out of their teens. The two could barely pull their asses together and when they fought it was enough to startle him out of a dead sleep. Noise complaints were only handled in one of two ways. Either they were ignored and people minded their own damn business or a fist fight would break out. Usually he didn't give half a shit what other people did but today he was running low on patience.

He sat up.

His eyes thinned as something hit the wall. A shoe?

Curling his fist, he hit back at it—being careful enough to not punch a hole through the paper thin sheetrock.

"Cut the fuckin' shit!" Dabi growled loud enough for them to hear him.

The screaming quieted then a fist hit back on the other side of the wall.

A violent rush of anger filled him.

Oh hell no.

It was a good thing the cops didn't come out here because tonight they would have two less neighbors to deal with.

His fingers flexed as his lips curved upwards in a vicious smirk.

He was going to enjoy this.

Kagome shot up. The first thing she noticed was just how bright everything was. Her room was practically lit up. Azure eyes shifted towards the window.

Golden rays of sunlight bled through the tiny cracks of her blinds.

A chilled feeling ran through her.

Shit, she'd overslept!

The young woman gracelessly fell out of bed. The covers tangled around her feet, forcing her to hop on one foot towards the bathroom.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Kagome cursed under her breath. This could not be happening!

Today was not the day for her to be late.

She stumbled through her daily routine, ensuring to kick the covers off of her before she stepped foot in the shower. The last thing she needed was to have to do laundry on top of everything else. By the time she finished, it was near midmorning. The sun was already high up in the sky and she could only tumble towards her nightstand.

Kagome unlocked her phone. She scanned the recent calls and dialed back the last number. It rang once then twice before a man on the other end of the line answer.

"I take it that you saw my message?" His smooth tone was all she needed to calm down. He wasn't upset, so that was good.

Kagome gave a noise of agreement, "Yeah. I'll go see your guy. Where do you want to meet up?" Her fingers flexed as she spoke. To fulfill Stain's wish, she would have to see Shigaraki for herself. She would judge him without her mentor's interference. If he was as hopeless as he made it seem then she would kill him herself. Quirkless or not, she could still fight.

She could still kill.

"Why not the Station in Kamino Ward? I've got two others I need to bring over. So we'll meet as a group there at noon." The man's voice took on a teasing tone. "Try not to be late this time."

Her lips dipped at that, "I won't. See you then, Giran."

With that she hung up.

Giran had been her contact for the last five years. Stain had introduced them shortly after he'd taken her in. Their relationship was strictly business related, but she did give the man some measure of respect. He knew his stuff more than most. Much of the information she learned about the underworld had come from him. Where Stain taught her how to fight effectively and predict her opponent's moves, Giran had shown her how to make money in this new world. As someone who had no special ability of her own, Giran's lessons had saved her more times than she cared to admit to.

Kagome tucked her phone into her pocket. She slid her arms through the sleeves of her jacket.

"Time to go."

Tonight she would see what kind of person Shigaraki was firsthand. Everything that came after that would depend on him.

Azure eyes hardened.

"Let's see what kind of man you really are."

A/n: So this one just sort of hit me in a spur of the moment sort of way. I actually want this to be a short series (likely five chapters or less), so I'll try to keep things streamlined as best as I can here without going off too far. Overall I ended up super happy with the details I managed to get into this first introduction. There's still a lot of world building that I want to add in for both Kagome and Dabi (particularly why Dabi chose to move into a reintegration project and how he came to be as he is now). I'd recently rewatched season four of bnha and one thing that stuck out to me was Sir Nighteye's reaction to learning about All Might passing One for All onto Midoriya. The first time I watched it I'd just assumed that it was because Sir had already handpicked Mirio but on the second run, I realized that he mentions he sought out a successor for One for All after All Might told him that. It made me think about the sort of beliefs people, heroes in particular, hold towards those who are quirkless. If someone like Sir Nighteye deemed Midoriya as "unworthy" because he did not possess a power then how are quirkless viewed as a whole? Bakugou had been a massive bully towards Midoriya in the introduction (and through a good part of the series thus far). However we don't get to see too many other people that are quirkless thus far. By this point in time they're roughly twenty percent of the population making them a minority. How would people like that survive? How would they be able to work? How do they survive in a society that could kill them in an instant? These were some of the questions I wanted to bring up. That and I wanted to paint a bit of a foil between the lives people live. I'm actually really happy with it thus far but there's still a lot I need to cover. So I'll play around with this a bit and delve deeper into what it means to be quirkless in a society that values power above all else. As with before, thank you guys so much for all the support you've shown me. You've all been the absolute best!