**Chapter 15: A Twisted Game**

The air seemed to vibrate with tension as Dabi began to circle around us, his eyes gleaming with an unnatural excitement. Shigaraki, still radiating an aura of menace, took a step back, his gaze never leaving Dabi's face. Bakugo's grip on my shoulder tightened, his eyes darting between the two villains as if searching for an opening to strike. "Let's get this over with," Dabi said, his voice dripping with anticipation. "I have a few... experiments I'd like to try out." As he spoke, the Nomu's began to move, their twisted bodies stumbling forward like puppets on strings. Their eyes, once vacant, now seemed to hold a spark of malevolent intelligence, as if Dabi's presence had awakened some dark power within them. Shigaraki's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Go ahead, Dabi," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Show us what you're working on." Dabi chuckled, a low, menacing sound. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the Nomu's lunging at us, their twisted bodies propelling themselves with an unnatural speed. Bakugo instinctively pulled me back, his eyes flashing with a fierce protectiveness as we dodged the Nomu's clumsy attacks. But as we fought, I began to realize that these Nomu's were different from the ones we'd faced before. They seemed to be adapting, their movements becoming more fluid and coordinated as they worked together to try and overwhelm us. Dabi's laughter echoed through the alleyway, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "See, Shigaraki? This is how you do it. With style, with panache." Shigaraki's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he watched Dabi's display. For a moment, it seemed as though he would lash out, but then his features relaxed, a cold smile spreading across his face. "Very well, Dabi," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You've made your point. But let's not forget, I'm the one in charge here." Dabi's smile never wavered, but I detected a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "Of course, Shigaraki," he said, his voice laced with deference. "I wouldn't dream of usurping your authority." As he spoke, the Nomu's closed in, their twisted bodies forming a semi-circle around us. Bakugo's grip on my shoulder tightened, his eyes flashing with a fierce determination. "We need to get out of here," he whispered, his voice low and urgent. "Now." But as we turned to make a break for it, I caught sight of something that made my blood run cold. A figure, standing just beyond the edge of the alleyway. Watching us. Waiting for us. And then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, the figure vanished. I spun around, but he was gone, leaving me wondering if I had just imagined him. But the feeling of being watched lingered, and I knew that we were far from safe. The game had just gotten a lot more complicated, and I had a feeling that our next move would be the one that determined our fate.