𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝙈𝙔 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙊 𝘼𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙄𝘼

30

"Toga Himiko...?"

The girl was ecstatic that Arisa remembered her and her cheeks burned red, "Oh, you remember me!"

"What's with the ruckus, Toga — oh, you're awake."

Arisa weakly looked up to see Bakugou now free of his bindings and was standing defensively before the villain, Shigaraki.

"You really are something. The drug's supposed to keep you down for a few more hours."

The girl's mind was fuzzy enough for her senses to go dull. She couldn't even hear anyone's thoughts. Arisa pulled back, not wanting to be touched by Toga who pouted at this and jumped up, moving back when Arisa asked, "Why did you bring me here? What do you want with me?"

The villain chuckled, "It's not me that wants you."

"Then who?"

Arisa had a bad feeling.

"Oh, someone you know very well —"

There was a knock from the door to her right and all heads turned, gazes wary and questioning.

"Kamino Pizza Delivery."

CRASH!

It was fast.

All Might crashed through the side of the building, creating a violent gust of wind that blew strands of her hair into her eyes and mouth. In minutes, the villains around her were apprehended by wood, curtesy of Kamui Woods. Arisa kept her eyes shut, trying to prevent debris from getting into her eyes and ducked her head out of instinct in response to the sudden chaos.

"Oi, can you move?"

Arisa looked up to see Bakugou, although afraid, stood before her seemingly protectively, his back facing the girl. Arisa quickly responded, her pronunciation still slow and muffled from the drugs, "Uh, no. I can't."

"Shit. We'll be okay. All Might's here, isn't he?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, feeling the now dried trails of tears on her cheeks. Arisa was filled with confusion — what was she supposed to do now that she knew the truth? Were they all hiding something from her? How about her parents? Did they have a reason for doing what they did? Was she supposed to suddenly stop hating them? Was she supposed to understand? Did this make everything what they have done to her, okay?

"Hey," the boy mumbled, "I learned something from Shigaraki. So, I wanna ask you if it's true."

"What is it, Bakugou?"

"Tell me, are you a Sukehiro?"

Arisa, despite being barely awake, suddenly froze and looked up but the boy wasn't looking at her.

He spoke again, "I saw the mark on your arm."

Arisa watched as the villains freaked over the fact that All Might himself was present. Arisa looked towards her hands, ones that she still couldn't feel nor move and finally responded with a question, "What if I am?"

"Then I need to hear an explanation. I can't blindly befriend a killer."

A killer.

Right. Even now, even as she was on her journey to become a hero, her past would never fade and the blood on her hands would continue to burn bright.

Was this really the right path for her? Could she still be saved? Could she still redeem herself?

"We'll talk after this is over," she quietly uttered, her heart oddly aching.

She was an idiot. Becoming a hero after killing so many people? Who was she kidding?

"Young Bakugo, young Hayashi, you did well. You must have been afraid," All Might approached the two with a grin but she only stared at her lap, the white cloth lying lifelessly over it. Bakugou however, reacted violently as per usual, "I — I wasn't scared. I was fucking calm, damn it!"