MHA: A Cat's Way

Ch 72 Surprise, It's-a Me!

He falls to his knees, staring at the ground as he's overcome by despair. I can't help the grin that works its way onto my face seeing his state. Serves him right. Losing his quirk when he tortured Eri to feed his obsession with erasing them. You would think he would be happier, knowing that he's 'disease free', as he likes to claim quirks are.

"Here, Eri, see? Overhaul won't be able to hurt you anymore. He's going to be put in a place where he won't be able to hurt anybody ever again." I raise an eyebrow as I see Lemillion bring Eri closer to the captured villain, wondering what in the nya he's thinking. I'm not the only one.

"Lemillion, you should not be so careless. Even if he's been restrained, he may still pose a danger." Nighteye berates him, adjusting his glasses while his suspicious eyes remain focused on Himiko, who snorts.

"Yeah, good advice. Not like he's going to be a problem for much longer," she says, hefting the gun to point at the man. All eyes turn to her, even Eraserhead's for a brief second. It's an instinctive reaction trained into the heroes over their long careers, to pay heed to any possible threat, regardless of the fact that they know it's empty. Which is why none of them can react fast enough to stop what's about to happen.

Eri lunges forward, one hand plunging down the neck of her rags and pulling out a knife that's easily the length of her forearm. Definitely something a little girl shouldn't have. And neither is the smug and bloodthirsty smirk on her face as she cuts through Overhaul's throat, causing an arc of blood to spray out and cover her.

Horrified, every hero makes a move to grab her, but it's Eraserhead's instinctive reaction, one that's saved more than just his life on many occasions, that reaches her first.

Eri's body bursts in the exact same fashion as Nemoto's did when Himiko was revealed, and so she is revealed once again, clumps of sludge scattered around. Eyes shoot from one Himiko to the other, each bearing a smug smirk, glorying in the trick they've pulled on all of us. No more so than me.

What the nya!? She can't turn into people that much smaller than her! She's tried it before!

Eraserhead's scarf unwraps from the rapidly bleeding out Overhaul as Lemillion stares in horror and shoots around the new Himiko, who raises her arms and lets it happen. "Thanks for the clothes Eraserhead!"

She smiles at him even while some of the heroes try to stem Overhaul's bleeding and the others surround her and the first Himiko.

"Why would you do that!? He was unarmed! He was detained! You had no reason to kill him!" Lemillion shouts at her while I stare between the identical girls with wide eyes, a buzzing going through my head as I try to process what's happening.

Both Himikos glare at the hero with a ferocity that makes him take a step back. "See, this is what I hate about heroes," Himiko One says.

"They act like there's only one way, their way." Himiko Two finishes.

"Our way is following the law!" Fat Gum shouts as he clenches his fists and takes a threatening step towards Himiko One, who remains unperturbed. "The law is the way we keep people safe! By committing a murder, you've branded yourself a threat to people! You're under arrest!"

Both Himikos shake their heads in disappointment. "So shortsighted. The law doesn't keep people safe. People keep people safe. And there are always people who do both. People who try to keep people safe but hurt even more." Their eyes are boring into me as they speak at the same time, my head throbbing.

""Heroes turn a blind eye to those they hurt in pursuit of their so-called 'justice'. And then the ones who cared for them are left behind to deal with the fact that the ones who hurt them are lauded for their actions. Now, what do you think that can do to a person?""

None of the heroes answer her, I suppress a groan as I rub my paws against my head. I know what she means... It's why I want to kill All Might. Because he's the one who took my mother from me.

And what then? A voice seems to echo in my head with a mocking tone. Do you really think killing him will make everything better? That you'll be better? You know the truth. The sooner you accept it, the less you'll hurt...

I shake my head, my eyes focusing on Lemillion, who's grabbed Himiko One by the front of the cloak with rage filled eyes. "I said; Where. Is. Eri."

She smirks back at him. "Somewhere safe. You didn't really think I'd risk Overhaul hurting her, now did you?"

He grinds his teeth, pulling his arm back. "I said," his fist shoots forward, striking her in the gut. "WHERE IS SHE!?"

I step forward with wide eyes, to do what, I don't know. But before I can she sends a smirk at me, even as she loses color and seemingly falls apart. "Heroes are nothing but bullies..."

Her body turns liquid, and she falls into a puddle of sludge similar to the kind that made up her disguises.

We all turn to the second Himiko, who smirks. "If you want Eri to be under the care of the heroes, then you'll have to negotiate with the Cult of Nya. I think we're all aware of what would happen if the Safety Committee got their hands on her."

Her arm swings, plunging the knife into her shoulder, and with a twist it falls off and hits the floor with a splat. As this Himiko starts to dissolve as well, she meets my trembling eyes with her uncharacteristically serious ones.

"You need to figure out what you really want, Catia. Stopping two blades with one only works for so long."

She turns into a puddle of sludge, her last words lingering in the still air. It's quiet as the heroes look at me. Some with suspicion. Some confused.

One with concern.

"I..." I shake my head as my eyes dart around, dispelling my cat. "I need to sleep."

My mind returns to my body, where I let the blissful nothingness of sleep envelope me. I know I need to consider what happened, where Eri is, but...

I let my mind rest, not finishing the thought.

I don't want to finish it.