[The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.]
It was cold.
Whatever he was laying on, it was freezing cold. It seeped through his sweater vest and kissed his back with its frosty touch. He could feel a weak shudder wrack through his body as his mind swirled from his drifting consciousness. The sound of two people talking filtered poorly into his ears, their voices so muffled that it sounded like murmurs.
His lashes twitched from the bright light that seemed to be hanging directly above him, judging by the way he could practically see the blood vessels of his eyelids. Any attempt to turn his body away proved futile when he felt restraints smothering his movements and firmly keeping him in place.
The unintelligible chatter between the people suddenly quieted and [Name] finally opened his eyes. He had to squint and turn his head to the side so he could see better, but after the fog in his vision cleared up, he almost instantly regretted it. Memories of the events leading up to him being strapped down onto a table trickled into his drowsy mind and frigid panic squeezed his nerves. His senses returned to him in a blur, yet he was still discombobulated.
There were two men standing near the cold, metal table he was securely restrained to. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see either of their faces. But he didn't need to see them to know that they were watching him.
"I recommend doing it now, sir."
[Name] began to cry, his 10-year-old body too weak to break free from the leather straps pinning him down. He so terribly wished that his aunt Mey would come bursting into the room to rescue him from these strangers. The fear welling in his chest intensified as the bigger of the two men began to walk towards him, his futile struggling continuing with growing desperation.
His fear roused his Quirk and six hands made of shadows squeezed out from between his back and the table. They moved sharply and thrashed in the air for a moment before hovering protectively over [Name], claws pointing threateningly at the man.
"Get away from me!" He sobbed, voice wavering into a shout.
The bulky stranger hadn't even stopped walking, completely dismissing the hostile Quirk aimed at him in warning.
"I expected Jun to have raised his son to be respectful," The man's calm voice drawled. "It's alright, I can fix that."
In one swift motion, all six Shadow Arms were grabbed and subdued in one of his hands. [Name] gaped in terror, his breath stuck in his throat as the man came to stand right beside him. Wide, teary [EyeColor(s)] eyes could only watch as the man brought his other hand up and reached for his face.
Almost immediately after his hand connected, pain coursed through [Name]'s head and spread to the rest of his body. He began to scream in agony and thrashed around wildly against his restraints despite knowing that there was no way out. It felt like his head was being split into two and the urge to dig his fingers into his hair manifested, his hands flexing uselessly as an alternative. Tears perpetually fell from his tightly shut eyes and he choked on his own sobs when he felt his body starting to unnaturally mutate. He could feel every bone that shifted, as well as the way that his skin began to stretch. His screams went ignored and he tried to jerk his head away from the man's grasp, although he failed.
"I'll mold you into the perfect tool."
[Name] awoke with a start, his blanket pooling around his waist as he sat up in his bed. His chest heaved with every shaky breath he took, fingers starting to have pins and needles from the way he was hyperventilating. He couldn't hear his own breathing from over the loud, rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat going crazy in his ears. Trembling hands reached up, although he noticeably froze as he stared at them in front of his face. The panicked [blonde, raven, etc.] quickly dropped his hands back to the bed and fisted the sheets to the point where his knuckles started to go white. He could feel his body heat radiating off of him, as well as the way his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. The same went for his shirt, which he promptly pulled over his head and threw to the other side of his room.
The 16-year-old boy hunched forward and took a moment to try to quell the raging fear coursing through his limbs like a fire. It was when a tear fell onto his wrist did he finally notice that he was weeping.
Also unbeknownst to him, his Quirk had activated as a reaction to his emotions and six Shadow Arms hovered behind him. It was when his adrenaline started to go down did he see them moving from the corner of his eyes, to which he retracted them into his back. As he sat on his bed in the ungodly hours of the morning, trying to regulate his terror-stricken state so he wouldn't pass out from lightheadedness, he couldn't help but wonder what his father were to say to him if he could see him.
"You're weak."
[Name] wasn't able to get back to sleep after that, despite the fact that he wasn't supposed to be up for another three hours. At least he was able to sleep for most of the night before he had that nightmare. That was more or less the only good thing about his current situation. That, and the lack of another presence while he waited for sunrise. He really didn't think that he would be able to tolerate any of Kurai Tamashii's shenanigans at the moment.
Of course [Name] had to have that recurring nightmare on the night before the U.A. entrance exam. He could only hope that he wouldn't shut down in the middle of anything because of his sleep being cut short.
An hour before he was scheduled to wake up, the teenager decided to get a headstart on getting ready for the day. Sitting around in his room and continuing the book that he had been reading was impractical; he couldn't absorb any of what he was reading no matter how many times he reread the lines.
With a tired sigh, [Name] left his room with his school uniform in hand and a towel slung over his shoulder. He quietly walked across the hall and into the bathroom so as to not disturb his aunt's sleep. While he was setting his things down, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and paused momentarily. [HairColor(s)] hair was every which way with a few strands sticking to his face, very light and tiny scars littered his torso from an incident he had as a child, and tired [EyeColor(s)] and pitch-black eyes stared back at him.
He looked like a mess.
The cold water hitting his heated skin was just what he needed to wash away the bitter taste of his nightmare. [Name] didn't take very long in the shower nor when he brushed his teeth, so he was surprised to see his aunt out and about in the kitchen when he stepped out of the bathroom.
"You're up early," her gentle voice observed as she seasoned some whisked eggs. [Name]'s brows raised slightly,
"I could say the same to you."
Mey spared a brief glance towards her nephew and immediately caught on that something was amiss with him. He looked more worn out than usual and the dark rings around his eyes seemed to have deepened. She paused in her cooking and set the bowl of eggs on the counter, her hands wringing on the apron she wore as she approached him.
When she was close enough, her teal-blue eyes scrutinized his face as if that would reveal to her the [blonde, raven, etc.]'s troubles. Her brows pinched together in visible concern, "Oh, honey. Are you alright?"
"I..." The 16-year-old trailed off for a second, mismatched eyes drifting to the side ephemerally. "I had that nightmare again."
Mey pursed her lips together as understanding dawned on her features. She carefully reached up to the damp towel on his head and started to dab some damp sections of his hair. [Name] stood still and allowed the brunette to dry his hair and tidy the collar of his school uniform. He watched as her movements slowed and could practically see the cogs turning in her head. Mey sighed and gently caressed his face in her hands to look him in the eyes, "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll always be here to listen, alright? You're the strongest person I know and nothing will ever change that."
[Name] nodded as well as he could with the hands on the sides of his face and shut his eyes when she lowered his head to place a kiss against his forehead, a few damp locks of hair managing to get in the way as well. Mey retracted her hands after tousling the towel on the teenager's head, a soft smile on her face as she returned to her cooking.
"I'll have breakfast ready in a few, so you go ahead and finish getting ready. I'll call you once it's done."
With that, [Name] left the kitchen and went to finish drying his hair. He returned to his room to ensure that he had everything that he needed in his book bag and unplugged his phone from its charger. As he sent a quick message to his friend, he didn't seem to notice the new presence that joined him.
'So, today's finally the day, huh?' The [blonde, raven, etc.]-haired boy's heart practically jumped out of his chest at the sudden voice that echoed in his head. He sighed sharply through his teeth as laughter rang throughout his mind, the phone in his hand dropping onto the bed he sat on.
'Someone's jumpy. Are you that nervous about that lame entrance exam? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fail miserably.'
You'd think that after five irritating years, [Name] would get used to the other consciousness residing with his own in his head. He eventually learned to live with this new life, but at times, he really wished he could reach into his headspace and pry Kurai Tamashii out of him like a piece of gum in his hair. And because he had that same nightmare that would haunt him occasionally, [Name] was too flustered to remember the sentient being stuck to him.
The only real peace he'd ever get was when Kurai Tamashii, or Rai for short, would nap.
'Don't even think about interfering with my exams.'
'Wha-?! Me? I would never!' God, he could practically hear Rai's shit-eating grin.
'You're the most annoying thing I've ever had the displeasure of meeting.'
Mey's voice calling for him would end up being [Name]'s saving grace from being alone with... that. He waited for her to sit down first and they took a moment to say their thanks before finally picking up their chopsticks. The two ate in comfortable silence, with only the light taps of their chopsticks grazing their dishes to occasionally fill the air.
"You should leave soon, it's better to get there early. And don't worry about the dishes, I'll take care of them." Mey said once they finished eating. [Name] hesitated but obliged and went to fetch his things from his room. While he was there, he put away the discarded shirt from earlier that morning and retrieved the eyepatch that he had on his bedside table, using it to hide the unnaturally dark sclera and iris of his right eye. When he came back out, the brown-haired woman was busy organizing a bento box for him.
The phone in his pocket vibrated and he promptly checked it to see that he had gotten a reply.
——— Freckles ———
Let me know when you're ready to leave.
Delivered
Read
I'm ready now! I'll meet you in the hall ^^
[AllMightThumbsUp.png]
Received
Read
[Name] pocketed his phone and started for the front door to put his shoes on. He heard Mey's footsteps following behind him and she waited for him to stand up again before showing him the items in her hands.
"Sweetie, it's still cold outside. Don't forget your coat and scarf." A vine with a reddish hue sprouted from the floor underneath her feet and took the bento from her hands so she could help her nephew. The woman adjusted the blue tie around his neck and wrapped a gray scarf around his neck after he put his coat on. Mey then took a second to tug a little at the scarf to ensure that it was snug, stepping back once she was satisfied.
The brunette took the bento box from the awaiting vine and handed it to [Name], "Here's some lunch I packed for you. There's two fruit sandos I put in there. Be sure to give one to Rai; I promised him that I would make him some."
'Ah?! This human is a godsend, I swear.'
'If you interfere with my exams, I'll eat your portion.'
'Wha-?! Way to play dirty! Fine, fine...'
"Thank you, mā- āyí." She quirked an eyebrow and smiled brightly, but otherwise didn't point out his slip up.
"Give me a moment, I want to take a picture of you to frame." Mey pulled her phone out and aimed the camera at the [dark/light]-haired boy. His gaze darted to the side in sudden embarrassment and he tried to smile a little, but it was incredibly faint. His aunt didn't seem to mind at all and quickly took the photo so as to not keep him back any longer.
"Do your best! I'll support you no matter what, don't forget that." She reached up to embrace him in a tight hug and pressed a kiss against his cheek. [Name] returned the embrace and nodded before they pulled back. He opened the front door to leave and heard her call out to him, "Be safe!"
"I will," he replied. The [blonde, raven, etc.] left the apartment and took a few seconds to carefully store his bento into his bag. Once he was certain that it wouldn't be crushed or moved around, he continued on his way to his friend's apartment door.
'I hope you realize that you won't be able to hide me from the little fanboy for much longer. Hiding me from your old classmates is one thing, but if you get into the hero course, then I'll have to come out eventually.'
'...' [Name] chose not to respond and instead set his attention on locating the green-haired boy waiting for him. All of a sudden, he sensed a wave of anxiety coming from somewhere nearby and instantly knew that Midoriya was just up ahead. He turned a corner and saw said teen already walking in his direction, worried round eyes flickering up to meet [EyeColor(s)].
"O-Oh, there you are!" The shorter boy joined [Name] at his side and they started to walk to the elevator together. He tugged at the straps of his book bag out of nerves, which the other discerned at it being stress over the entrance exam. "Mom says 'hi', by the way."
Despite living in the same apartment complex, they went to different middle schools. That didn't stop them from hanging out every once and a while, though, especially since Inko and Mey were friends. As Midoriya nervously rambled about the latest villain attack that he had seen, [Name] found himself hoping that the train wouldn't be too crowded.
●○●
'Train stations are the worst.' The worn out [blonde, raven, etc.] thought to himself as he and Midoriya stepped onto the renowned U.A. High School campus. He surveyed the enormous building and the three equally enormous doors that students were filtering in through based on their years. The anxiety bubbling inside of Midoriya practically wafted off of him, which was actually accurate considering how [Name] could literally see a dark mist coming from him (he had his Quirk to thank for that).
The freckled boy's frantic mumbling was dismissed since [Name] had already grown used to it, despite only knowing him for about a few months. The calmer of the two students couldn't help but wonder about the written exam they were going to take, although that train of thought screeched to a halt when he sensed a rise of negativity emanating from behind them.
A single [EyeColor(s)] eye glanced back to see a clearly agitated spiky blonde-haired teenager coming their way. Piercing crimson eyes clashed with [Name]'s own, scrutinization crossing pinched features as they briefly sized him up. The peeved student then redirected his attention to Midoriya with a sneer, "Out of my way."
'I want to break him.'
Midoriya's muttering abruptly stopped at the voice, both he and the quiet [blonde, raven, etc.] at his side pausing in their strides. [Name] observed the unknown boy who his friend addressed with a surprised "Kacchan!"
Ah, he recognized that name.
Midoriya had mentioned this so-called "Kacchan" a few times before. From those stories alone, [Name] developed a negative impression for the ill-tempered brat. He didn't understand why someone as meek and kind as Midoriya would ever continue to associate himself with someone so...
"Don't stand in front of me. I'll kill you."
... shitty.
They were childhood friends, but "Kacchan" was such an insufferable, stuck-up egoist that [Name] didn't understand why his freckled friend still held him in high regards.
"G-Good morning!" Midoriya stepped aside and visibly panicked as he waved his hands around frantically. "L-Lets's do our best in the exam..."
"Kacchan" bumped shoulders with [Name], who had refused to budge, and proceeded to walk past them without faltering in his footsteps. A lone [EyeColor(s)] eye glared sharply at him as he went into the building, a sour taste already filling his mouth at the thought of the ash-blonde. From beside him, Midoriya breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't like him," [Name] stated bitterly.
'Wow! What a personality. So, he's also trying to get into the hero course?'
The freckled boy next to him mustered up a weak smile and laughed nervously. Midoriya seemed to inwardly reassure himself about something as he took a shaky step forward. [Name]'s attention diverted from "Kacchan's" retreating figure to his now-falling friend. Reflexes kicked in and a Shadow Arm shot out from his back to swiftly catch the teen before he could kiss the ground (and his teeth) goodbye.
"Gah-!"
Midoriya hung mid-air with only the inky limb to hold him up from his midsection. Wide green eyes gawked at the ground that was only a couple of feet away from his face. Just as a precaution, [Name] had also reached out to grab the handle of the greenette's book bag.
"Ah!" Both boys turned their heads to see a short, brown-haired girl staring at them with an expression of surprise. [Name] helped Midoriya stand upright and dismissed the Shadow Arm once he was sure that the other had regained his footing.
'Eh? Where did she come from?'
"Wow, you have fast reflexes!" The girl praised with a kind smile. "I was gonna help your friend out, but you beat me to it, haha."
The stoic [blonde, raven, etc.] quietly studied her for a few seconds, but to her it felt like an eternity. She was getting little to no response from either of them: the plain-looking boy with the freckles was blushing a bright red, which he was trying to hide (and failing) by wrapping his arms awkwardly around his head, and the taller boy with the eyepatch was intimidating her with that unreadable stare of his. It really didn't help that his resting face appeared to be... how could she put it... unapproachable.
The brunette shifted under his scrutinizing gaze and could feel herself breathe easier once he looked away with a hum of acknowledgement. [Name] nudged an embarrassed Midoriya forward to continue walking to their respective exam rooms, the latter still flushed a deep shade of red as he silently obliged.
"U-Uhm...! Good luck, you two! I hope we all pass!" The girl nervously called after them.
[Name] gave no response, which she wasn't bothered by since she had already expected it. She seemed nice enough, and that interaction with her definitely helped wash away the bitterness that that "Kacchan" brat left.
And she was cute, he supposed.
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Hello!! Aaa I'm so nervous and excited to return to this fan fic (*/ω＼*)
You have no idea how badly I started to miss this story- actually, you might since a LOT of you have told me that you were sad to see me go when I had first announced the discontinuation (both on Wattpad and on Quotev). I'm super surprised about that!! I didn't expect so many of you to get invested with this silly angsty story that I decided to write when I was 14.
I'm 19 now, so I've grown a lot as a person and an author. TYSMMM for the support throughout the years!! <3333 I hope to do this story justice now that I have a better grasp of what I'm doing lol
I still struggle to come to terms with the fact that you guys actually enjoy(ed) my writing. Like... wow. A bunch of people on the internet like something that I made. And!!! If it hadn't been for this fan fic, I wouldn't have met one of the best friends I've ever had. I don't know what my life would be like without you, my liege.
ANYWAYS, TADAIMAAAA o(*￣︶￣*)o💙💙💙