Assassins Can Be Heroes Too || Todoroki Shoto

|98| Vulnerable

"I... I understand that you want to talk to me..."

Amajiki scowled, standing near the door and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but there, sighing and turning to lean against the wall with a sullen expression. Nejire stood over her, her usual child-like expression adorning her face, with Mirio wearing a solemn expression, much unlike his grinning self.

"But was it really necessary to tie me to a chair?"

"Yes," the pair in front of her chorused, Amajiki scowling and muttering an incoherable sentence under his breath.

Well, it was more Karma's idea...

She sighed, adjusting herself in her seat, feeling the rope rub against her wrists.

"Well... you sure did a jackshit job at it," she sighed, ripping out of her binds and flashing them an amused smile, "I could teach you how to tie rope up better if you want..."

All three sighed, an uncomfortable silence falling over them.

Her eyes downcast, she sighed.

"I assume the servants already told you everything, huh?"

"Depends on what you classify as 'everything'," Mirio stated lowly, his gaze at the ground, "they told us about your Quirk and your status as Crimson Death, that was about it."

"That's... only part of it," she muttered, her head low as she sighed, motioning to the bean bags on the floor, "you might want to sit down for this."

The trio shared a hesitant glance, Amajiki sighing as he felt himself be yanked over and pulled to the bean bag. They stared up at her, the female sweat-dropping at their somewhat eager - yet simultaneously fearful - glances.

"As the youngest child of the Hassake family, a family which has been known for producing multiple generations of assassins, it was naturally expected for Ace and I to become assassins as well," the female began, her voice low as the third-years listened intensely, "however... Ace felt as if the standards were too high, and that going down the path of assassination would be something he'd regret later, so he packed his things and left."

"That's..." Mirio's eyes softened, gazing down as the female continued.

"Most of the servants in the Hasaske family are found by either Ace or myself, normally without our parents' approval; the only 'servant' that hasn't been hired by either of us is Karasuma, only because he's been working with my mother's family for a long time. They've said nothing against it so far... and they've tolerated them for a long time, but... then I got my Quirk..."

They didn't like where this was going.

"After I got my Quirk - fittingly named 'Assassin' - they immediately started training me to the point where I'd collapse every day due to the harsh strain on my body and the multiple migraines I received. The training... was hell, to say the least. At some points, they would starve me in efforts to 'get me to try harder', with the food as a reward-"

"What are you, some sort of dog?" Mirio whispered, his voice hoarse.

"They ended up pulling me out of elementary school because of how unstable my Quirk was at the time, and to invest in training my Quirk in the long run."

"If I'm being honest... I don't know where the name 'Poison Dart' came from," she rubbed the back of her neck, frowning, "I guess the media just came up with it, seeing as I apparently give off the aura of a snake and that... I used to rely on my darts-" she summoned the said item and aimed it at a spot on the wall, narrowly missing a stuffed bear on the dresser.

"Rising to become Japan's second-highest ranked Villain - under One For All - was something I never really thought about. I couldn't care less about rankings - especially Villain rankings - seeing as we're only ranked based on our 'kill count' and other Villainous activities... but one thing led to another, and I rose to Japan's worst Villain... something which I don't exactly like boasting about, for obvious reasons."

The room was quiet.

"But... if you're an... an assassin..." Nejire muttered, her voice quieter than usual, "Japan's currently highest-ranked Villain..." she raised her head, fear shining in her eyes, "why... are you in U.A.?"

"Why, huh?" her voice trailed off, "to be honest... I'm not sure..."

The silence in the room didn't do much to raise her spirits.

"I guess... I was stupid enough to believe it?" her voice was low, Amajiki frowning slightly as he heard her voice crack - or was he imagining it?

"Believe... what?" Mirio questioned slowly.

"That... assassins really could be Heroes too," she muttered, her fringe covering her eyes.

"That's... that's not what we said at all," Nejire's face fell, Mirio frowning.

"I don't know anymore," she muttered, falling back on the bed and gritting her teeth, "was... was coming here really the right choice?"

"Rie..."

Amajiki eyed the bear on the dresser.

Its fur was black, a small frown knitted onto its snout as its white eyes blankly stared at the opposite wall. It wore yellow sneakers with white socks, a black shirt and a black jacket with white wrist lines, a fur-like hoodie covering it.

"Well, at least we can pass this project!" Mirio exclaimed suddenly, startling the other three.

"The... the p-project?" stammered Rie.

"Interrogation time!" he beamed.

"W-wait, Mirio-"

"Tell us more about your Quirk!"