The agony of shifting consciousness invades me once again, like a hammer pounding my head relentlessly for hours. Hiding beneath the sheets of my bed, I grit my teeth to dull the pain.
The darkness of the night clouds my blurred vision. At my side lies Todoroki, sleeping peacefully. In front of me, in two separate beds, are Midoriya and Iida, also resting. The pain slowly fades; the cold of the late hours touches my artificial skin, giving me a sensation similar to those sleepless nights before facing an exam.
But that part of me must be separated from what I am now. Anyway...
It's done. My plan is finally in motion, and you're probably wondering what the hell I'm planning by freeing one of the most dangerous criminals in this world so blatantly. I think it's time to be honest.
Since I arrived in this world, many things have been hidden—mainly because they felt so distant that all I sought was to grow stronger day by day. But if there's one thing I learned after meeting The Wanderer, it's that I must begin acting as part of this world, not as a glorified spectator. And part of that begins at the root.
It's obvious that in this world there are outcasts. Come on, the protagonist of this story is one of them—a boy without a quirk. Those without powers are worth little in such a diverse society. However, if there's something worse than a simple quirkless human, it's a heteromorph, a mutant, something that stands out at a glance unlike quirklessness.
They will be the base of my operation. The Chameleon, the boy I called today, is the example of this. He doesn't belong to the original line. He exists in the world, but if not for me, right now he would probably be in prison. My path forges new people, new stories, and that's what I seek first and foremost.
I am here for two central reasons. The first, and more banal, is money. Half of what I gain—for now, it's little, but that will change. The second is the change at the end, and the salvation of those dragged down by misfortune.
And that's complicated, because sure, I could simply show up where they're supposed to meet their end and save them. But that's anti-climactic and boring. It makes no sense to interrupt so abruptly a sealed fate. No—Michel Bianco might have considered that, but I am not him.
Please. I have the knowledge of everything that is to come. Why would I stop at merely avoiding when I can prevent?
To gather the failures of both heroes and villains and create an organization, an amalgam that will act as a shield against inevitable fate: The Inhumans, a refuge for the rejected of this world—just as I once was.
And I know, I suck at naming things, but the name is simple and it stands out, which in my opinion is enough. How this organization will operate is a different topic. For now, Karma has been instructed to hide Stain far from this city, in a place even I don't know. Precautions must be taken—I can't leave everything adrift. Besides, the League of Villains is about to have its first meeting, and I need to sort my thoughts.
Slowly I rise from the bed, my feet touching the cold, rough hospital floor. I sit at the edge for a few seconds before taking the first step toward the window. The city hums quietly; cars and the bustle of people seem absent today, which is normal. A few lights on here and there—so similar to where I come from.
And yet, I am not the same. It's time to face it. I have acted like an idiot at times. To be honest, looking back, I am ashamed of my actions. But maybe that's what motivates me to change today. I am no longer Michael Bianco, the pathetic student who couldn't find a job and risked being disinherited. I am Akuma Matsumoto, a student aspiring to be a hero, a boy facing criticism for having a quirk unpleasant to the eye, intelligent and capable, calm and powerful. Yes, that's who I am.
I know I contradict myself. Not long ago, I said I wanted attention, but I was speaking in arrogance, something I intend to leave behind. And although my goal hasn't changed, since I still seek to be someone visible, what will change are my methods. That pride that afflicted me is over.
And that's normal—it's evolution. How could I progress if I always thought the same? I'd reach fifty and still be a child. In the end, my today will contradict my yesterday, and even tomorrow I'll do it again.
In the end, to define oneself is to limit oneself. Therefore, being undefinable is the most human thing there is.
That's why I extend my hand toward the window and open it. The air strikes me, my hair sways slowly, dancing like waves as the breeze caresses my cheeks. At the same time, I take out a container full of water that emerges from my chest, small and compact. These are my "tears," which I've used to simulate my crying. They're no longer necessary—I don't need to cry anymore. I intend to live my life with positivity from now on. So with that, the container falls out the window, shattering on the ground with a sharp sound.
Before closing the window, I pull out the second object that reminds me of my past: a pack of cigarettes. Michael was always addicted to these things. But I am not him. I don't depend on that trash to function, and the thought that I almost grew fond of them again sickens me.
So I crush the pack in my hand, watching its contents crumble in silence before tossing it away and closing the window. Finally—finally I am free of all my chains.
"Akuma...?"
I turn to see Midoriya, who was rising from his bed while rubbing his eyelid with his hand. I sigh and answer with a smile.
"Sorry, I wanted to look at the city for a bit. Did I wake you?"
"Yeah... are you okay? I guess you are—you look brand new. You really scared me when I saw you fall with Stain!"
"Ah, it was awesome. Can you believe he found a katana hidden in someone's house?! I didn't even see when he got it, but it made me want to run away. The guy is impressive."
We both laughed. For the first time, a genuine feeling of friendship struck my chest. For the next hour, we explained how each fight had gone.
"And I'm honestly surprised to see you without a single broken arm."
"Oh! I learned to control my quirk better. Even I'm surprised by my own speed—I'm getting closer to you every time."
"What are you saying? That's what I should be saying. Do you know how hard it is for me to keep up with you three? If I fought you, I'd drain my reserves in an instant."
After a while longer, we decided to leave the conversation for another day, and so each one of us lay down in our beds. Closing my eyes, I forced myself into unconsciousness until the sun rose.
In the morning, I first faced Iida, with whom I hadn't had the chance to talk earlier.
"Seriously, I'm telling you it's fine, Iida. I already told you I wanted to be here."
"Even so! You got hurt because of me and risked your internship! How can I ignore that?!"
"I did it because I wanted to, Iida. It's what friends do, isn't it?"
I could see Midoriya and Todoroki smiling behind me as Iida raised his head from his bow. I only scratched my head as Midoriya commented:
"It's still impressive that you held out so much against Stain. Even the three of us had trouble."
"I'm his worst enemy. His quirk only works with blood and, well... I don't have any."
"Even so, we should've stopped him before you arrived. He was a slippery guy. Honestly, I've never faced someone as terrifying and capable as him."
Todoroki spoke calmly, arms crossed, leaning on his bed while meditating. At that same moment, Midoriya received a call, and two heroes entered the room.
"AKUMA?!"
In front of me stood Kamui Woods, and I had never seen him so agitated. Yes, I may have changed emotionally, but I still have to face the consequences of my mistakes.
I could only close my eyes as I was dragged out of the room by my mentor. The lecture lasted so long I lost track of it.
"First you disobey orders on your first field training, and then you lie?! You faced a VERY dangerous opponent! Do you realize that?! What did you think was going to happen?!"
Finally, I was released from the hero's grasp. The nurses even had to hold him back so I could be discharged from the hospital. In my hands was the briefcase containing my suit. Tomorrow I'll have to give notice to avoid them making another helmet.
By the time I left the hospital, everyone else had gone. I, however, walked down the main street at a calm pace, enjoying the peaceful day. To my surprise, right in front of me was my mother. She looked just as surprised to see me out of the hospital.
She wore her usual office suit, coffee in hand, and prominent eye bags. She hesitated to look at me; I didn't know how to react at first, looking away as well. But it didn't take long for me to shake my head and approach. A small smile formed on my lips as I said:
"Want to grab something to eat?"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Stain observed as his captor, a man with serious eyes and long hair, held his head in pain for a few seconds before regaining his composure.
Stain didn't know where he was. He was sure this place wasn't a traditional prison, but he was tied to a chair hand and foot. Behind him was a bed, and a stove beside a wooden table.
After a few seconds, his silent captor spoke for the first time, his eyes softening as he moved around the room.
"Ah, sorry, I had other matters to attend to."
"Other matters? Who are you? You don't seem like the same person."
"Well, you're surprisingly rational when you're not in a frenzy. Yes, I'm not the same. If I want to earn your trust, I suppose I should reveal my secrets. My name is Akuma Matsumoto. I can switch bodies with the guy who was watching you—Seiichi Amano. Looks like my partner put too much effort into keeping you from escaping."
Stain remained silent. If the boy in front of him was that student he had fought, that meant he had rescued him. And not only that—this student had revealed to him the secret behind All Might and his inevitable fall.
"Why... why did you rescue me? Who told you to do this?!"
"Whoa, calm down for a bit and listen, okay? I have my reasons, and one of them interests you a lot. You see..."
"I understand your interest in changing society. If we continue like this, decline is inevitable. With stronger quirks and less heroism, it's only a matter of time before we're in trouble. However, your philosophy is frail and lacks a future. Sure, you eliminate all heroes who don't represent the values you impose. Do you know what comes next? The end of heroes. Because the beauty lies in contrast. A world without evil or bad heroes cannot have, consequently, good heroes—because there's nothing to set them apart. Do you understand?"
"Stain, I propose a solution with real change. You and I can be the founders of a promising future. Izuku Midoriya, the boy you faced—you recognized him as a pure hero. He is our hope. Not just that, but also a just society where we are all equals. That's what I intend to build. All Might is the foundation—we will build upon his legacy. Isn't that the best way to honor his noble work?"
Stain remained silent, looking aside as from my back a tendril struck the ropes binding the hero killer.
"What I'm offering is not empty words, but action. Still, I don't expect you to believe me. You're free to stay in this hideout. Don't worry—only you and Karma know where it is. You have every hero in the country looking for you, so I recommend staying here until things calm down. I hope to return and find your positive answer. Until then, killer."
Stain watched as the young man's body twisted, revealing once again the silent companion who had brought him here. He simply left without a word, leaving the lone vigilante behind.
"Tch."
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My mom and I end up eating in a nearby restaurant, it was still pretty early in the morning so we talking about school just as she was called in for work, she apologized and left, which gave me time to make a quick change with Seiichi, but more importantly, now than I'm back in my body and in the restaurant I'm watching the news
Just as I predicted, the news mentions the Hero Killer but doesn't say which prison he was sent to. They're covering it up, which is perfect, because this way the case doesn't become as public as it should. Excellent. With this, all that's left is to wait for that guy's decision. I hope I didn't choose the wrong words.
In my original body, things are simpler, though I noticed a mole appeared below my left eye that I can't remove. I don't know where it came from, but I won't complain—it looks good on me.
In any case, tomorrow I have something to do after class, and I don't know how to feel about it.
I read the message over and over again, but I still don't understand how we got here.
Hatsume Mei
> Let's go to the café near the station, I'm not asking xp