Something Wicked This Way Comes

Prologue

   On this particular Tuesday afternoon, the sun is shining.  The buildings are ablaze beneath its intense scrutiny, seeking to shed light upon the receding darkness.  Except, a light rain is also pouring; soaking into the earth and bringing about a certain gloomy phenomenon on such an unusual day.

   The sky is weeping.

   On a well-maintained field there stand two figures, facing each other.  One looks to be a young woman– once ripe with the hope of new beginnings, perhaps, but now she is holding herself as if the weight of the world slows her down.  The man standing across from her is a familiar figure to her: her mentor, her second father... her friend.

   Once upon a time, maybe.

   "Oh, young fox," the nickname sets off a tick in the woman's fingers.  What once was a treasured endearment is now a painful reminder– and it seems to fit her now more than ever, she supposes.  "What happened?"  A sigh, as deep and as tired as time itself.

   "My eyes were opened to the injustice of the hierarchy in the world."  The reply is simple, and the man frowns in response.  "The accident that made the public think I was a Villain made me realize how twisted their view of a Hero really is.  My own family didn't believe my word over a Pro Hero's.  My birth family, anyway."

   "What do you mean?"  Confusion, a heartbeat of silence amidst the drizzling rain.

   "I mean to say, that the stranger that approached me a few days after that incident welcomed me into my real family.  They may have been a group of misfits," the woman places a hand on her chest, "just thrown together by what seemed to be a common goal," the hand tightens to a fist, "but that was what made them special.  They understood and respected their different views of a true Hero, and the negative impact of those who were unworthy on the public."  She sighs as she lowers her fist, a tear building at the edge of her left eye. "They welcomed me as if I was their own sister, and protected me when we were in battle.  They brought me popcorn and set up a movie when I was sad, and we had a designated person to cook breakfast on Sunday mornings."  A choked laugh escapes her throat, and her mentor frowns.  "These people– the people the world consider to be Villains–" she spits the word venomously, as if it is poison on her tongue, "–were trying to make the world realize that they were the Heroes."

   "But they weren't."  Her mentor argues, gesturing with one huge, tanned hand.  "They killed innocent people–"

   "The Heroes they killed," she intones, raising her voice, "are the ones who have been corrupted!  They were the ones leading the civilians on with blind hope that they were safe!  What would have happened to Japan had they not been killed?!"

   "We would have figured out a way to root out any corruption using the proper way to find a solution."

   Silence.  Then, a weak cough.

   "I haven't forgotten everything you've taught me, you know."  The young woman smiles at the man, who's expression remains hardened.

   "You were once my brightest student, Lily."

   "And now what?  I'm your biggest disappointment?"

   The statement remains unanswered.  The young woman standing in front of All Might was once the most intuitive student of her generation.  Quick on her feet, intelligent, strong– she was everything All Might hoped to have as a successor, once.  She wanted to be a Hero long ago, too.

   And now, the only thing the young woman wants is to see the world burn.