You were dead. Ambrose had mutilated your body beyond repair, so naturally, you couldn't have possibly survived.
That was why, when you opened your eyes and found Chisaki staring down at you, your immediate reaction was to frown.
"Kai? Why are you here? Did you die too?"
Chisaki was clearly unwilling to humor you, because he quickly let out a sigh. "You're not dead, idiot. I restored your body back to the way it was before."
You had no idea what he was talking about, but when you sat up and took stock of the situation, you realized that he was right. There was no trace of the pain from earlier, and you didn't have any visible injuries either. Far from it, in fact. Your body felt the best it had in a long while.
"I-I'm perfectly fine," you blinked, patting your stomach in disbelief. Sure enough, you no longer had a gaping hole that exposed your organs, and it begged the question—how in the world did he save you when you were on the brink of death?
"It's my Quirk," Chisaki explained, as if reading your mind. "I can dissasemble things, but it also allows me to reassemble them. This applies to people's bodies as well. I'm capable of fixing virtually any injury or illness."
"Holy balls," you couldn't help but gape. "That's incredible! I had no idea you were so strong!"
Chisaki didn't often let flattery go to his head, but he looked awfully pleased to hear you praise him so earnestly.
"Don't get me wrong," he frowned. "I didn't do this out of the goodness of my heart. But you're Quirkless, and in a world teeming with filth, I felt like it was only right to preserve the few untainted people we have left. Even if you are a bit slow in the head."
You decided to gloss over the insult and focus on the fact that you were actually alive right now. All because you'd been honest with him and told him you didn't have a Quirk. To think that something you'd mentioned so carelessly would end up saving your life at some point. Fate really did work in funny ways.
Even if his reasons for saving you were a bit difficult to understand, the fact of the matter was that he did save you, and for that, you were immeasurably grateful.
"Thank you so, so much," you mumbled, bowing your head. You weren't usually one to act so meek, but what he'd just done was no small feat. For better or worse, you owed him now. Even more than you owed Izuku.
Chisaki just stared at you. "Hm. I certainly didn't do this to be thanked, but I suppose you at least know to give credit where it is due."
"Can you please take off your mask?" you asked. "I hope I'm not being rude, but I really want to see the face of the person who saved me. You obviously don't have to, but I was just thinking it'd be nice..."
He could easily refuse if he wanted to. After all, you owed him, not the other way around. He wasn't obligated to do anything on your behalf, and it already looked like he was inclined to tell you to piss off.
But after a few moments of silent deliberation, he decided to honor your request.
"Oh, wow," you said, blinking repeatedly. "Kai, you're so much more handsome than I expected!"
Chisaki obviously wasn't willing to admit it, but your reactions were awfully cute. He'd made the right choice in saving you, after all.
"I'll have you know that I never remove my mask in front of anyone else, except Pops," he stated. "You should feel very honored. I'm being especially kind to you."
"You sure are," you beamed, happily nodding your head. "You literally saved my life! I doubt I'll ever be able to repay you. This is the most I can do for now."
Before Chisaki had any time to try and decipher what you meant, you'd already leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
His reaction was immediate, and he recoiled so violently that it was as if you'd slapped him or something.
"What the hell?" he gritted out. "You can't just do that out of nowhere!"
"Oops. I just wanted to show you how grateful I am, that's all." You slumped your shoulders in disappointment. "I'm sorry if I made you upset."
For a man as averse to touch as Chisaki, a kiss may as well have been the equivalent of shooting him with a grenade launcher. Under normal circumstances, he would've been disgusted beyond belief.
Then again, this situation wasn't exactly normal, and besides, you didn't even have a Quirk.
You weren't sick like everyone else.
So, instead of killing you—which he would have done to anyone else who dared to kiss him—he actually found his cheeks heating up quite a bit. It was nothing but an innocent gesture on your part, not at all intended to be romantic, but despite what your intentions were, it was too late.
Chisaki's interest had already been piqued.
"It's... fine," he eventually muttered, lightly patting his cheek to ascertain that he wasn't dreaming. He still didn't have any hives, even after that. "But you should know that I'm not all that fond of touch, so be more mindful in the future."
You nodded enthusiastically. "Okie-dokie! I promise it won't happen again."
For some reason, Chisaki was a bit disappointed by your answer.
"I didn't say you couldn't do it ever again..."
"What was that?" you blinked.
"Nothing," he hissed. "Shut up. You're starting to get on my nerves."
"Oh. Uh, sorry."
It was hard to get a good read on this guy. For the most part, he was calm and composed, but there were moments where he would randomly snap at you. Then again, the first time you'd met, it was right after he'd beat a bunch of guys up. He was still the member of a Yakuza group, even if they weren't treated the same way as the vast majority of criminals.
He obviously wasn't perfect, but he was the man who'd saved your life. Beggars couldn't be choosers, as the saying went.
"So," Chisaki said, furrowing his brows all of a sudden. "Just what in the world did you do to land yourself in such a state? Did you come across a villain or something?"
Honestly, you didn't even consider lying to him. After what had just happened, you wanted to tell someone about it and get it off your chest.
"Not really a villain," you frowned, then paused to scratch your head. "Well... I guess he kind of is a villain, now that I think about it. He's a massive piece of shit no matter how you slice it. My brother, I mean. He's the one that tried to kill me."
For obvious reasons, Chisaki was visibly shocked.
"Your own brother did that to you?" he gaped. "I've heard of despicable families in the past, but still... how utterly disappointing. Family is meant to take care of you, not make your life infinitely more difficult. But I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised." He pressed his lips together, and he seemed a bit sad all of a sudden. "I was an orphan myself, actually. My biological family abandoned me and left me to rot away in some filthy place filled with countless other unfortunate children. In the end, blood ties aren't necessarily what dictate unconditional love. I was lucky enough to have been taken in by Pops. He gave me a home and took care of me."
"Is he your adoptive father?" you asked.
"Yes. Well, more specifically, he's the leader of the Yakuza group I belong to. But he looked after me as if I was his own. I suppose this explanation ended up dragging on quite a bit," he sighed, rather embarrassed, "but my point was that the people you're related to aren't necessarily deserving of your love or respect. And if your brother was cruel enough to try and kill you, then as far as I'm concerned, he isn't really your brother."
Right. What Chisaki was saying made sense. Sure, you'd grown up alongside your parents and your siblings nearly all your life, but had they ever shown you they actually cared? You'd always just assumed that your family was normal, that you were strong enough to be perfectly fine without all that mushy emotional stuff. But after coming to this world and seeing the relationship Izuku had with Inko, you realized just how utterly wrong you were.
You and Ambrose may have been related by blood, but not once had he acted like a real older brother.
Perhaps this realization should have empowered you, and you yearned to disown your entire family and forget like they'd ever existed.
But you were only a teenager, and now that all the shock had cleared and you were alive and well, it felt as though the world came crashing down upon you.
If Chisaki hadn't shown up in time, you would have died, and that realization overwhelmed you in no time flat.
All of a sudden, you were crying.
"What's going on?" Chisaki frowned. He wasn't very empathetic to begin with, so when the tears started rolling down your cheeks, all he knew to do was stiffen up. "Hey," he said, shrinking away a bit. "Stop... stop that. You're fine. I already saved your life. There's no reason to cry."
There was no way you could stop, not when you'd barely escaped the most traumatic event of your life. You were doing your best to get a grip on yourself, but your sobs just grew more frantic by the second. Even though Chisaki had healed your body, it wasn't as though your memories had been erased. You remembered all of it in harrowing detail. The sensation of your skull being bashed against the ground, the way that Ambrose had squeezed you until your organs had nearly ruptured, and last but certainly not least, the feeling of being impaled right through the stomach.
You were strong. You tried to keep telling yourself that. But there was only so much a person could bear.
"You're okay," Chisaki said, and he grabbed hold of you by the shoulders, shaking you slightly. The suddenness of his touch was enough to make you lucid for a few moments. Tears blurred your vision, but the longer you stared into his sharp golden eyes, the more you could feel yourself returning to reality.
"I-I'm okay," you mumbled, sniffling a few times.
Chisaki nodded. "Yes. I didn't see your brother when I showed up, so he must have already left. But he obviously thinks you're dead. I doubt he imagined someone with a Quirk like mine would come to your rescue. He thinks you're dead, which means he won't hurt you again. So, stop crying already. It's unpleasant."
You nodded hastily and wiped some of your tears away, and much to your surprise, Chisaki pulled you in and wrapped you in a loose hug. He was gritting his teeth the whole time. Clearly, this was a struggle for him, but you were amazed that he was even bothering to comfort you at all, based on how he'd just told you he didn't like to be touched.
You were in the arms of a criminal, but despite that, you felt safe.
"Alright, that's enough," Chisaki soon said, pushing you away. He seemed to have reached his limit, but you weren't about to complain. He was nice. Well, kind of. You were still in the process of figuring him out, but saving someone's life was a good thing to do, that much was for sure.
Of course, you didn't think to ask him what he would've done if you did have a Quirk, and Chisaki was glad you didn't pose the question. Otherwise, he would've had to lie.
"Thanks again, Kai." You patted your cheeks and sniffled one last time. Your face was probably all flushed from crying, and your eyes were starting to swell up a bit, but it would pass. "I'm sure hearing me thank you over and over again doesn't do much, but I really want you to know how much I appreciate this. I'll never forget what you did for me."
Chisaki narrowed his eyes. "Your brother. What does he look like?"
"Huh? Oh, well... I guess he kind of looks like me," you shrugged. "People always used to say we have a lot of features in common. He's taller than me, and a few years older too. But I think you could definitely spot the resemblance. Why do you ask?"
"Just in case we ever cross paths. So that I can kill him," Chisaki said simply.
"Um, there's really no need to go that far," you insisted.
Besides, I doubt either one of us will ever see him again. He clearly had the means of getting to this world and finding me, so I think he probably knows how to find his way back. He was talking about claiming the throne, after all. He has no reason to stick around.
You obviously despised Ambrose for what he'd done to you, but if you resorted to murder, just like he had, then you were really no better. You weren't sure if you would ever see him again—or the rest of your family, for that matter—but you decided that if you did, you would make sure your family found out about what he'd done. He would be sentenced to rot away in prison for the rest of his life. Perhaps even execution, if your parents ordered it.
No matter what, you refused to become a murderer. You wanted to be the furthest thing possible from him.
"I'll be alright. Like you said, he already thinks I'm dead, so I think I'll be safe," you smiled. "But thank you for worrying about me."
"I never said I was worried," Chisaki scowled.
"Well, thank you anyways. I should probably get going now. I still need to buy groceries."
"You're still going to do that?"
"I have to. There are people waiting for me at home, and I promised I'd come back with dessert."
Chisaki glanced around. "Aren't you worried that your brother may still be lurking in the area? He thinks you're dead right now, but if he spots you again, I doubt he'd hesitate to attack you once more. You don't have a Quirk, so you have no means of protecting yourself. Perhaps I should escort you part of the way."
"I'm okay," you reassured. "I'm good at being sneaky. He won't find me a second time."
Even though Chisaki had done a lot for you, it felt wrong to lead him back to Izuku's home. You were still trying to be mindful not to trust too blindly in complete strangers. Plus, he was a Yakuza. If Izuku or Inko ever found out who you were hanging out with, they'd probably die of a heart attack.
"Very well. Even if you're an idiot with little to no self-preservation, I suppose this incident probably taught you to be more cautious." Chisaki adjusted his tie, then put his mask back on. "Go along, then. And in case you've forgotten, the name of my organization is the Shie Hassaikai. You're welcome to stop by and visit whenever you like. Just tell security that you know me personally, and they'll let you in. Depending on how I feel, I might be able to help you out with whatever's troubling you."
He proceeded to toss a business card into your hands. It provided you with an address, most likely wherever the group's headquarters was located, and a phone number as well.
"I don't give out my personal number so easily," Chisaki said. "But you should be able to reach the office using that number. Still, I would much prefer you stopped by in person. There are only so many things that can be said over the phone, after all. You never know who's listening."
"Can't I just whisper so that nobody else will hear me?"
"What?" He stared at you for a few moments, then let out a heavy sigh. "No, you stupid brat. I'm talking about the phone lines. People could tap in and listen to our conversation."
"Oh. Okay."
Honestly, you still didn't really understand, but whatever. The point was, better to meet in person than talk over the phone. Duly noted.
You flashed him a toothy grin. "Man, I can't believe I made connections with a Yakuza! It's actually pretty cool."
"Well, don't go around bragging about it," Chisaki chuckled. "You'll draw all sorts of unwanted attention to yourself. Then again, you don't look like the type to care what others say about you."
"That's very true. Anyways, I'm gonna go for real now." You smiled at him one last time. He was your savior, after all. You doubted he could ever do anything so horrible that you would end up resenting him.
Right?
"Bye-bye, Kai. You're the best!"
You waved him off, then continued on your quest to buy groceries. Chisaki didn't follow you this time, but he made sure to watch your figure retreat into the distance, until it was nothing more than a little speck. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but that whole interaction had actually been... rather fun.
Chisaki never thought he'd care about anyone apart from Pops, yet here he was.
*****
"I'm back! Sorry I took so long. There were just too many options to pick from, hehe."
After Ambrose had bludgeoned you and left you on the cold pavement to die, you never thought you'd get to see Izuku or Inko ever again. It hadn't even been that long—an hour or so at most—but it felt like an eternity had passed.
Inko frowned. "We were getting worried, you know? You didn't answer the phone until we'd already called a bunch of times."
"Sorry," you apologized hastily. "I was preoccupied with, uh..."
Getting my ass beat by my brother.
"Talking to the store employees," you decided upon, smiling awkwardly. "I asked for their expert opinion, and they helped me choose all the best stuff."
You had no intention of telling either of them about Ambrose. What exactly would you even say? That your brother from a different world had showed up with a vengeful plan to kill you so that he could inherit the throne? That he almost had killed you, but you'd been rescued just in time by a Yakuza who seemed to have a soft spot for you?
No, all of that would just freak them out beyond measure. Ambrose thought you were dead, so he was going to head back to your old world, and he would never come after you ever again. There was no point in making them panic for no reason.
Because you'd almost died, you were more appreciative of the simple things in life than ever before. Even just sitting around the dinner table and digging into the desserts you'd picked out felt like a blessing from above. You would never take any of it for granted ever again. Life was a gift.
And unlike Ambrose, you were never going to rob someone else of their life either. You were better than him. Appearance aside, the two of you couldn't be any more different.
You were doing your best to push it to the back of your mind, but apart from the trauma you'd just suffered, a part of you was also terrified that you might one day turn out to be a monster, just like him.
"Oh, my," Inko gasped after flicking the TV on. "This is just awful. Have you two heard about this? They're saying several people were killed in the area recently. Please, please be careful, children. I know you're both training to become heroes, but the world is a dangerous place."
You stared at the TV screen with a blank expression. All of the victims had been forcibly drained of their blood, and they all had discernible puncture wounds somewhere on their body—most commonly the neck. Izuku and Inko weren't really watching anymore, so they hadn't picked up on the details, but you couldn't bring yourself to look away.
Those are the people Ambrose killed. In just a few days... he murdered so many of them.
"[Name]?" Izuku frowned. He turned towards the TV and immediately grimaced. "Oh... l-let's not listen to that depressing stuff while we're eating. Fighting villains and keeping people safe is the whole reason we're trying to become heroes, right? I'm sure one of the pros will find the villain that did this soon enough. All Might could even be the one to take care of it."
He grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, then offered you a reassuring smile. You felt guilty that your own brother had committed such heinous acts, but there was nothing you could do to reverse the past. Still, you were alive, and you were alive for a reason. You were going to make use of your life and help those in need.
"Izuku," you sighed. "All I'm saying is, you're so lucky that you're an only child."
"Eh?"