"Refusal is Not an Option"

Part 278

"I'm sorry but I don't want to help you," I said calmly, trying to keep my tone neutral, but firm in my resolve. Shigaraki's grin faltered for a moment, and he raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by my response. "Oh? And why is that, Vesper-chan?" he asked, his voice dripping with curiosity. I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I just don't see why I should get involved in your plans. You haven't told me anything that makes me think I should help you." Dabi leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "We can make it worth your while, Vesper-chan," he said, his voice low and menacing. "We can offer you a deal that's hard to refuse." I smiled, trying to keep my fear at bay. "I'm not interested," I said, trying to sound confident. Shigaraki's expression turned cold, and he leaned forward, his eyes glinting with intensity. "You're making a big mistake, Vesper-chan," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You see, we don't take kindly to people who refuse to cooperate with us. And we have a... persuasive way of getting what we want." I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized that I was in grave danger. I knew that I had to think fast, and come up with a plan to get out of this situation alive. Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, and a figure strode in. It was one of Shigaraki's underlings, a young man with a nervous look on his face. "Shigaraki, I apologize for interrupting, but we have a problem," he said, his voice trembling. "The Hero Society has detected our presence, and they're on their way here." Shigaraki's expression turned red with rage, and he slammed his fist on the table. "How did they find us?" he shouted. The underling shook his head. "I don't know, but they're closing in on our location. We need to evacuate, now." I took advantage of the distraction to stand up, trying to make a move towards the door. But Shigaraki's eyes locked onto mine, and he smiled, a cold, calculating smile. "You're not going anywhere, Vesper-chan," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You're going to help us, one way or another."