Burnin' Desire.

"Around ten of them, yeah."

{Ten? That's a lot…}

"There's not much I can do anymore," Felix mumbled, struggling to use the phone Mei crafted for him. "I've already managed to cut their workforce in half. It's hard enough as it is…"

{Oh, don't misunderstand. I'm grateful. Really.~ The thing you do for us will be rewarded in time, you can be sure.}

"Which means…?"

{You already know about our supposed marriage, isn't it? Like I said before, I'm serious about this.~}

"Yeah…"

Felix sighed and looked up at the clock. He had been waiting for a while. Even if distant, his enhanced hearing let him clearly perceive the sound of water coming out of a shower head and splashing around.

—How long this bitch's shower gonna last...?

Still, he was here. Relaxed enough to slump on the sofa, yet… stressed enough to listen for the slightest unusual noise. He had too much on his mind.

The Hero Public Safety Commission shenanigans. Hawks threat. Himiko's menhera behavior (cannot be fixed). Mt. Lady bullshit. The program to boost pro-heroes. Being a double agent. His medical training with Recovery Girl to become a physiotherapist and chiropractor at U.A… Caring for Rumi and Kaoruko…

{—Are you still listening to me, dear?}

"Nah…"

{As honest as ever.}

"…The heroes I work with told me the fighters of the Underground Maskerade are flesh-modified people." He sighed, lying down on the sofa. "I've made them believe it's all your husband's doing, but…"

{But they still suspect dear Camie and I?}

"Well, yeah. They still don't fully believe me, so yeah. They doubt me, but I'm working on it." Hearing the shower noises come to an end, his eyes widened. "Listen… I'm gonna need you to pull your thumb out of your ass."

{How poetic.~} Daphne giggled before becoming more serious. {Of course. What do you need me to do?}

"Who knows… You're the one who wants to cripple your husband, not me."

{Hm…}

"From where I stand, my hands are tied most of the time. The only reason I can call you right now is because I'm in someone's flat where nobody else is authorized to enter… So… Just don't make waves…"

{Alright then. I'll create false evidence. It should be easy enough. Giran can also help me, I suppose… You should also meet the man. He has more than one trick up his sleeve when it comes to contributing to twisted schemes.}

"—! I'm ending the call."

{Alri—}

He threw his strange phone into his work satchel and stretched on the sofa, waiting for the person he heard coming out of the bathroom to show up.

Hearing her footsteps, he turned toward the noise and looked straight at the person staring at him with an aggravated air. In her full hero costume, but with her hair still a bit wet, Mt. Lady clucked her tongue.

"Why the fuck are you lying down on the sofa with your shoes on, asshole?"

"I felt like soiling your flat."

"Oh, yeah, yeah…" She grunted, clenching her fist. "Your parents sure loved you, huh? I wouldn't be surprised if your father were a drunken, sorry excuse of a human being who delighted himself by hitting you with empty beer bottles."

"Oddly specific. Speaking from experience?"

Slapping his feet away from the sofa's armrest, she rubbed her forehead. She was obviously and painfully fighting against the urge to flame him even more, but for one reason or another, today, she was against it.

"Anyway, we're going. Pack your things."

"Yes, Ma'am."

A few bodyguards were waiting for her outside. Felix recognized one of them—one of the guys who came with Recovery Girl the first time he met her. Given what happened back then—his colleague collapsing from sleepiness due to meta-melatonin—this guy probably was on his guard.

Anyway, he did just like Mt. Lady, ignored them, and entered her car. Closing the door, she looked in the rearview mirror, watching as the four bodyguards returned to their vehicles, ready to tail her.

Even when they started heading to their following location, they were always close to her, never losing sight of her car.

"Fucking hell…"

"…Why are you bitching now?"

"Shut up, asshole."

"Yeah?" Looking at the guys following them, he chuckled, knowing what to say to piss her off. "I guess having people protecting your sorry ass 24/7 is a perk of being the Commission's President's daughter."

"A perk…?"

"You don't have to worry about your safety."

"My safety…? I don't need any of Mom's dogs. I can defend myself, moron... I could literally crush you like an ant."

"Oh, yeah. I see. What a strong and independent woman."

"Keep your sarcastic tone and shove it deep inside your ass. Of course, I'm independent, you fucking piss bowl."

"Independent, right? You're living day by day thanks to your mother's money, right?"

"—! Aren't you living thanks to the money given to you by the Commission and myself!? And so, by extension, thank to my mother!?"

"Oh my, we're like two peas in a pod."

"…You're so fucking annoying."

"And yet you asked for my help."

"No need to remind me that I've hit rock bottom." She grumbled, pressing the accelerator pedal, hurtling down the road. "Money, money, money… God, I hate money… For my mom, it's always about money. All bankers are the same… Always thinking she can gatekeep my life… Choosing my flat, my car, my agency, my friends… A goddamn birdcage…"

"So sad. I don't know how I could continue living peacefully knowing I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth—"

"SHUT UP! Fuck off, dickhead! Wha—?! AAH—! SHIT!"

Braking at the last second as the light turned red, she almost ran into another car.

"…"

"Don't SAY anything!"

"…You're asking from me a tremendous display of self-control."

"I almost caused an accident because of you!"

"Almost."

"DON'T BRUSH IT OFF!"

"Geez. Take your meds, girl. You're hysterical today."

"…"

"Why the long face?"

"Not hitting your pathetic face is asking from me a tremendous display of self-control. That's why."

"Hahaha!~"

"..."

Heaving the most profound sigh Felix had ever heard, Mt. Lady put her hand in front of her face for a second before hitting the steering wheel with all her might, causing it to honk. She lowered her head over it, letting her hair fall before her face, hiding whatever expression she had.

Seeing her like that made him smile—a sympathetic, nostalgic smile. In a way, seeing her struggling with this sort of thing reminded him of his former self.

"Why are you ruffling my hair, dumbass?!"

"I've got some juicy information, wanna hear?"

"…Whatever …Go ahead." She mumbled, restarting the car's engine, which had stalled after the sudden brake. "I'm all ears."

"Just as you thought, Haruo Utsushimi is a renowned black-market surgeon. There's no doubt about that. I've got some photos of a document. I've sent everything to Kamui Wood." He assured while getting a look at her body. "Haruo wants me to use my quirk on other people."

"Other people? You mean…?"

"Yeah. I thought he was bullshitting, but… the first guinea pigs would be his daughter and wife. It seems like he wants to… recraft them. As far as I can tell, it's some kind of family feud. He despises them."

"…Why would he do that, though?"

"Sounds like his wife and daughter have stunted his career and destroyed his former marriage."

"…"

"You don't look too surprised."

"Not really, no. That's what I expected."

"…Now, for his true goals, I dunno." Felix clarified, ready to start weaving his web of lies. "His wife is mostly at home, and his daughter studies at Shiketsu High School. So... I guess the wisest action would be tailing his daughter. She probably hangs out with some unsavory people, like older guys. Her dad wants to marry her to make business easier, so maybe cuffing these old farts would get you some juicy inform—"

"What about the mother?"

"Well, I don't think she knows much, but you can assign a couple of officers to follow her every move, but I don't think you'll get anything out of it. She's as dumb as a post."

"…Alright. Thank you for your work."

"Is that a rare token of appreciation?"

"Shut up."

"Killjoy."

After finishing the commute in a few minutes, she parked her car behind her hero agency, took her wallet out of the glove box, and handed Felix the money she owed him. It was enough to cover around a third of what he needed for his upcoming plan. The rest of the money will come from U.A and the Commission itself. Ironic.

As they both entered her agency, she sighed, seemingly wanting to say something more to him but refraining from it.

"By the way, did you manage to find an explanation for Kamui Wood to believe you? You know, about our little-"

"Aaah! Not now! Shut up! I don't wanna talk about that!"

"Haha!"

Seeing her sidekick walking toward her, she wiped away her frown and smiled at them, waving her hand. Giving her colleagues expression, what they were about to say wasn't good news.

"Mt. Lady, I… I tried to keep them here, but they already left."

"No way…"

"They told me they had important things to do and wouldn't wait more for you to arrive."

"But I'm only twenty minutes late!"

"Well…"

"This is stupid… Why, why, why…" Clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, she closed her eyelids, sighing to expel the need to start screaming. "Is Kamui Wood here…? So he can photoshoot me in their stead? That way, all my make-up, clothes I brought up, and the hairdresser I booked would actually serve a fucking purpose."

"W-Well… Like the past ten days, he didn't come here…"

Still with her eyelids closed, her breathing became more erratic as her size started fluctuating, scaring her sidekick and making them run away. She punched the wall next to her, cracking it a bit and also making her knuckles pop.

She turned toward Felix with the worst fake smile he had ever seen and pressed her hands together as if praying.

"Please… No… Since no one wants to do it, you will photoshoot me now."

"Nah."

"WHAT?!"

"I have to meet up with Endeavor's sidekick later." He sighed and shrugged. "I only accompanied you to give you the info and get my money."

"You little—"

"Going into the flat of a cunt like you was already an eyesore as it is. You only allowed me in because you needed to chat away the shenanigans going against your mom, whom you're using to achieve your dumbass goals, right? There's no other reason why you would have gone against your bodyguard's advice by letting me in."

"FUCK Y—"

"No, no. You should stop thinking you're the navel of the world. I've got better things to do than babysit a womanchild with mommy issues."

Alright. She was about to blow a gasket.

An angry sneer twitched her lips, and her right eye jumped. She was quaking from head to toe—

"YOU ASSAULTED ME, YOU FUCKING MONGREL!"

"And you blackmailed me."

"YOU MADE ME EMBARASSE MYSELF! Back then, I had to find an excuse and explain to everyone why my crotch was drenched!" 

"You literally asked it."

"It was because of YOUR QUIRK! YOUR OWN POWER!"

"And because of your influential power, I'm forced to work against my will to destroy someone else family."

"YOU FORCED YOURSELF UPON ME AND KISSED ME!"

"You seem awfully fixed about that part—"

"AAAH!" Throwing a magazine at his face—the one she would have appeared in if she hadn't arrived late—she then clenched her fists, fighting the urge to scream again, and took a deep breath. "If… If you photoshoot me, I'll drive you to Endeavor agency. You'll be there on time."

"You're so bipolar…" Felix grumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Alright, get a move on then. I've already done that stuff with my previous girlfriend. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Previous girlfriend…? My ass, no one can love you for who you are… even your mo—"

"Shut up, or I'm leaving."

"Whatever… Come with me."

Following in her footsteps, they went inside a decently sized studio packed with photographers' gear: a camera with two different lenses, a tripod, filters, a few different backdrops, a flash, studio lights, a single reflector, and a few props.

He heard that Mt. Lady was a well-known model who worked for several brands, like Ryukyu. These two were caught between heroism and stardom. The mildest scandal would be like an earthquake.

—I'm not a fan of blackmail, but if I'm ever in real trouble…

While she was getting her hair done, he read an interview of her in one of the magazines lying on the table. She knows how to please people with words, speak Japanese, English, and Chinese, sing, play the piano, and draw. She also designed her own hero costume.

Overall, she's a marketing expert.

"I'm ready." She said, handing him the camera while her hairdresser left. "Get moving. You don't want to be late for your meeting at Endeavor's agency, right?"

"Right."

"…So, you know how to use a camera?"

"…"

"What?"

"What planet do you think I'm from?"

"Uranus. 'Cause you're full of shit."

"…I'm supposed to be the one making dumb jokes."

"Come on," She scoffed, rolling her eyes with a grin. "Chop chop! Get to work."

After flaming each other one last time, they both started placing candies-like props here and there to create a bubbly background and used a pastel mauve backdrop. He picked one of the bean bags that looked like a marshmallow and gave it to her with a magazine showing her what poses she might want to try.

"Wanna start with what?" She asked.

"Don't care. Strike a pause in your hero costume. You can change your clothes later."

"Alright."

"Mhm, yes. That's it," Felix muttered, his eyes squinting through the camera's viewfinder. "Just a bit to the left… and tilt your chin up."

Surprisingly enough, Mt. Lady followed the instructions without complaining. Her hero outfit was sleek enough to emphasize her voluptuous curves. It was basically like a second skin. The shapes of her nipples were clearly visible if you focused just for a second on them. Same for the very faint slit between her legs.

Felix had to follow her pace, but taking some pictures seemed like a lovely holiday compared to everything else he had to worry about.

She struck a few more poses in her costume, but without waiting for Felix, she started changing into a different outfit while he was still there. She had her back exposed to him, so he could see the side of her tits and the string she wore under her costume.

She seemed to have prepared this outfit for today—a long, tight-skinned red slit dress while she wore red high-heels. 

"Goddamn."

"Stop drooling."

"Stop bitching."

Felix stepped in and adjusted the studio light so it only casts a warm glow. He only did this once back then, but it wasn't that hard anyway. He gestured for her to sit her ass down on the bean bag, the dress' fabric whispering as it brushed against it.

With a flick of her hair, she slumped down, trying to get into a sexy yet comfortable position, one leg bent and the other extended, the high slit of her dress revealing a glimpse of her inner thigh.

Felix's eyes lit up behind the camera for a second. He can't really get hard from that, but she was sexy for sure.

The dress's neckline plunged low, too, so it showcased her breasts, which threatened to spill out with every movement.

She leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, and offered a sultry smile.

Taking a picture of her was something else.

Then, she positioned herself on it with one leg tucked under her and the other hanging off the side, the dress's slit exposing the length of her toned leg. Her hands played with the neckline, teasing the fabric.

"Alright, one last picture in this goddamn dress before I rip it off."

"Why?"

"Because I feel like a whore."

"Well—"

"Shush."

"Eh."

She stepped onto the pedestal that had been set up earlier. Just a round platform. She leaned back, her arms extended behind her, supporting herself on the pedestal's edge. Her dress's fabric stretched taut across her chest, threatening to give way to her fat tits.

"It's almost spilling out, you know."

"Take the fucking picture before I throw the pedestal at your stupid face."

"Geez. You're no fun."

The camera clicked rhythmically for a while. Different outfits, different poses. It was a bit strange doing this with someone who seemingly hated him, but at least here, he could take a breather.

Some of the pictures he took were clearly amateur-like, but most were actually good enough—not that she would ever say that to him.

He had some questions about the interview she originally had today, but he wasn't in the mood to talk much. Since his system rebooted, he had, from time to time, some severe migraine. And now was one of these times.

Taking a pill and getting back in the car didn't change anything.

"Your bodyguards are still following us."

"I'm aware…"

"You can't even tell them to fuck off?"

"They won't listen."

"Because of your mom, I guess? But what if they spied on you during the photoshoot?"

"Don't be ridiculous…"

"I mean, who knows?"

"Aren't you supposed to have a headache?"

"Yeah?"

"Talking worsens the pain, so shut up."

"Bitch."

"Dog."

Looking both at the road, not knowing what to say to each other anymore, they just enjoyed the silence.

She finally dropped him in front of a colossal agency: Endeavor's agency. This was more of a skyscraper than an agency, though. It was basically a whole building for a single hero's team.

Stepping outside the car, he waved Mt. Lady goodbye, who ignored him and drove away, followed by her bodyguard's car.

"What a fucking bitch…"

Sighing, he moved toward the building and entered its premises. The ground floor was coated in flames that skimmed the walls but didn't seem to burn anything.

As he was heading to the reception desk, a hand stopped him from doing so.

"Uh…?"

"Sorry, pal, sorry." A woman with blazing hair chuckled, removing her hand from his shoulder. "Didn't wanna startle ya. Just, you know, there's no need for you to go there. You're Felix Tremblay, aren't ya?"

"Yeah, you know me…?"

"Nah, nah. Just caught a glimpse of your mug in one of the boss's binders the other day. You've struck a deal with the boss, yah? That's why I'm here."

"So, you're…"

"I'm Burnin', Endeavor's sidekick. Ya got me on the phone the other day." She assured before stepping to the left to point to her colleague. "Oh, and by the way, this is Kido. Another sidekick. Glad to have you on the team, bucko!"