The rain hammered against the windows of my office, mirroring the storm raging inside me. I stared out at the cityscape, the neon lights blurring into streaks of angry color. It had been so long since I'd allowed myself to remember. But Shinso, with his quiet intensity and unwavering loyalty, had pulled it out of me. Now, the memories clawed at my throat, demanding to be heard, to be acknowledged.
I took a shaky breath, the scent of expensive whiskey doing little to soothe the turmoil within. "It started when I was fifteen," I began, my voice a low rasp.
The world dissolved, replaced by the grimy alleyways of my childhood, the air thick with the stench of discarded dreams and desperation. My mother… the fear in her eyes, the forced smiles she wore as she sent me off to school. I knew she was struggling, working double shifts, barely making ends meet. I knew something was wrong, but she always waved away my concerns.
Then, the day she disappeared. The police investigation yielded nothing. Just another nameless missing person in a city overflowing with them. That's when it happened.
(Flashback)
The alley was a canvas of shadows, the flickering streetlight painting distorted shapes on the damp brick walls. Grief was a heavy cloak suffocating me. I walked with my head down, a discarded textbook clutched in my hand. I didn't even see Bakugo and his cronies until it was too late.
"Well, well, well, look who it is," Bakugo sneered, his crimson eyes burning with familiar malice. "Deku. Still moping around?"
He snatched the textbook from my grasp, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. The air crackled as his Quirk ignited, a miniature explosion consuming the pages in a burst of heat and light. He tossed the burning remains into a nearby puddle, the water hissing in protest.
The goons he hung around with piled on me after, their fists like blunt instruments against my already aching body. I curled into myself, trying to protect my head, my only defense being a whimper. It felt as if the beating was never going to end.
"Pathetic Deku," Bakugo spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "You'll never be anything. Not even worth a damn." He paused, his smirk widening. "Guess what, loser? I got accepted into UA! I'm going to be a hero! What are you going to be? A stain on the bottom of my shoe?"
They left me there, a broken heap in the alley, the rain washing the blood and tears from my face. UA. Bakugo, a hero. The words echoed in my mind, twisting into a bitter knot of hatred.
I stayed in the ally even after, just trying to calm myself down. It was quiet and relaxing, which was something I needed. That's when the villains showed up. Lowlife thugs, reeking of cheap alcohol and desperation. They beat me senseless, relishing in the power they held over a defenseless kid.
Then, a hero arrived. I couldn't place him; probably a rookie, eager to prove himself. He dispatched the thugs with practiced ease, a savior in shining armor. Or so I thought.
"T-thank you, sir," I stammered, bowing slightly in gratitude.
His smile was unsettling, too wide, too eager. "You're welcome, kid. But maybe you can thank me a little more."
He stepped closer, and a chill ran down my spine. I knew about men like him, about the things they did. My mother had warned me. Ever since she knew that I was quirkless she wanted me to be covered at all times. A helpless, powerless target.
I tried to push him away, but he used his Quirk. A wave of paralyzing fear washed over me, locking my muscles, stealing my voice. All I could do was sob, silent tears tracing paths down my mud-streaked cheeks.
He was going to... he was going to take everything.
But then, a blinding light. A roar. A figure descended from the sky like a vengeful angel. It was Stars and Stripes.
She moved with a speed and ferocity I'd never witnessed. The hero, the supposed protector, was nothing against her raw power. She left him crumpled on the ground, a broken mess of limbs and regret.
Later, I would learn that his Quirk was Paranoia. He amplified fear, the closer he got, the more debilitating the terror became. It was the worst. He could've ruined me.
I ran home that night, leaving the city the very next day. I met Stars and Stripes in a coffee shop in America, weeks later. I tried to pretend I was fine, but she saw through my mask. She saw the trauma, the broken trust, the simmering rage in my eyes.
She offered to take me under her wing. To train me. Even after I told her I was Quirkless. She didn't care.
"Power isn't just about Quirks, kid," she said, her voice rough but kind. "It's about will, about strategy, about the fire in your heart."
And she ignited that fire. She taught me everything. Hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, strategy, psychology. She showed me how to use my mind, my body, to be more than a Quirkless kid. More than a victim.
She shaped me into something… else. Something powerful. Something dangerous.
That day changed my life. I have no regrets, and neither does she.
(End of Flashback)
I stopped talking, the silence in the office deafening. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, the city lights shimmering like tears.
Shinso was staring at me, his violet eyes wide with shock and something else… something akin to… tenderness?
He didn't say anything, just wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. It was the first time I'd seen him with such raw emotion on his face. It felt so good, so grounding, to be held by someone I trusted, someone who understood the darkness I carried.
"Thanks for listening," I mumbled, my voice muffled against his shoulder.
"Thanks for opening up," he replied, his voice equally soft.
We stood there for a long minute, just breathing each other in. The tension in the room was palpable, a silent electricity crackling between us. We drew closer, the space between us shrinking until our lips met.
The kiss was tentative at first, a hesitant exploration. But then, it deepened, becoming something more urgent and desperate. Years of pain, of loneliness, of suppressed emotions poured into that kiss. It was a connection, a lifeline in the storm.
It was a mistake. Or maybe it was the most honest thing I'd ever done.
That kiss changed everything.
Now the problem is, what am I going to do next?