"He wasn't the one shooting at us," Shinimi mumbles, "he didn't hurt anyone."
"Shinimi," Midoriya says from on top of the woman, "he's with the Agitator. They took your brother."
"My brother went with them willingly. This man didn't do any—"
You sigh, pointing your gun at the man and firing a quick shot. The sound of it rattles your head, but you still watch as more blood soaks the floor.
"Now," Midoriya sighs, looking down at the captive, "are we gonna have to do this the hard way?"
❧
"My name is Nakano," she says, her voice strained from the weight on top of her, "and my partner that you just killed was Akinari."
Nakano's dreadlocks fall over her face as she looks up, staring you down like a lion about to pounce. "And someday you will pay for killing him."
Midoriya pokes the top of her head, unamused. "This is an interrogation, not some showdown. You're outnumbered. We have a few questions for you, Nakano."
You hold the gun up as Midoriya talks with her. Glancing over at Shinimi, you look him up and down. He's shaking.
"Hey, are you hurt?" You say to him, "Sit down. You lost a lot of blood when you were hit, so you don't need to overexert yourself."
He does so, plopping down on the wooden floor, eyes locked onto Akinari's dead body.
"He didn't really do anything. He was just . . . "
You tilt your head. "What do you mean? Are you feeling guilty?"
"He was why I couldn't use my quirk," Shinimi explains, "he had some sort of blocking quirk of his own. I thought . . . I thought it was cool how he could fight without hurting people."
"Hey, don't feel bad," you say, furrowing your brows, "we've killed lots of people before this. Why does this bother you so much?"
"He didn't even fight me when I went to check his pulse."
"What?"
"H-He said," Shinimi whispers, "He said that he was sorry."
You blink. "Shini—"
"Please stop calling me that!"
The teen's sudden outburst makes both Nakano and Midoriya stop and look at you.
"I'm not like you two," Shinimi says, his voice getting louder, "I didn't want to be like this. I didn't want to become a murderer. I only killed because they made me, and a-after the first time . . . I knew I couldn't . . . I couldn't go back to normal. I didn't choose this life! I want to go back home with Kurai! I have to find him!"
Shinimi is curled up in a ball, his face hidden under his shaggy red-hair.
You inhale, looking down at your feet.
"I'm sorry," you mutter, "but we've already killed him. I can't revive him now."
He growls his response, burying his face into his arms. "You killed him. You did it all by yourself."
Midoriya looks at you and you meet his eyes, a question lingering there. He brings his head down slowly, which you take as "let him be. He just needs to think".
And so you don't talk anymore, tightening your grip on the gun.
"Now, Nakano," Midoriya continues, "is that thing on your arm a weapon or your quirk?"
"My quirk," she replies.
"Put it away."
"I can't."
"Very well," he hums, "next question, then. Why didn't you try to kill us?"
She's quiet at his question. You watch with curiosity.
"Come on, now, Nakano. Don't want to end up like your partner. I'm not stupid. I could tell you were holding back."
She answers this time, not even attempting to hide the venom in her voice. "The only reason you and your friends aren't a pile of blood on the sidewalk right now is because you're Deku."
"Yeah?" Midoriya replies, "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm not a monster, and neither was Akinari." Nakano shakes her head. "We'd never kill a hero like you. Especially after the shock of seeing you alive in the first place."
"Because I'm a hero? Most people would take that as more reason to try to kill me. None have succeeded, as you can see."
"I kill the people that come here because they themselves are killers," Nakano says, "I would never kill a hero like you."
"So you're, what? A wannabe karma incarnate?" Midoriya scoffs, "I can tell this isn't an act. So? Are you with the Agitator or not?"
"The Agitator is nothing but a cowardly man who hungers for money and power," Nakano hisses, "and by calling him that, you're giving him exactly what he wants."
"So you're not with him. Why are you here, then?"
"The killers always come here. So that's where I am. To repay them for all the death they've caused."
You groan. "So we've been on a wild-goose chase this whole time?"
"She could be lying," Midoriya tells you.
"I can feel her fear. Her thoughts. She's not lying."
Shinimi's voice is quiet from his place on the floor.
"Let me go, you heard the kid," Nakano says, "I'm not lying."
"How do we know you're not going to attack us?"
"I'm not going to attack you."
You and Midoriya look over at the teenager.
"She's not lying," Shinimi sighs.
Midoriya slowly gets off her, and you lower your gun. She gets up, and that's when you realize how tall and toned she is. The outline of muscles ripple under her dark skin as she stands.
She's super intimidating.
"It is not my place to avenge my partner's death, for now," Nakano sighs, looking at Akinari's bloody body, "you all will be karma's kill."
You stick your gun in your bag, watching closely as Nakano walks over to Shinimi. She takes his hand, helping him up.
"Were you hit by my power?" She asks him, examining the dried blood on his shirt.
He only nods.
"You," she says, letting go of him, "You are a strong one."
That makes Shinimi smile.
❧