TW: Assault
Aki's POV
When I woke up, I wasn't sure if I wanted to open my eyes. I instantly felt a wave of pain coming from my arms and ending in my head. I felt cold. So so cold. I shivered.
As I moved a little onto my left side, I heard chains rattle, and I recognized the well-known weight coming from my handcuffs. I wish I was dead.
I opened my eyes.
The cold light coming from the aisle dazzled me. I started to tear up, but before tears could fall, I blinked them away.
I sat up and looked around. Everything was still in place. I sat on my mattress, leaning onto the grayish stone wall to help me with my balance.
I really felt like I haven't slept in days, even though I had just woken up. I removed my light blonde hair from my face behind my ear. I then looked at my hand: bruised, pale and unfamiliar.
I know that it is my hand, but it all just didn't feel right.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of fast steps coming towards me. I flinched and made myself as small as possible, even though the inside of my cell was very well-viewable.
I heard two voices. One shouted at the other and they came closer and closer.
„I'll go to the league of villains when the sun sets. I want you to tell the plan to Katsukame and Ironaka. Have you understood, Nemoto?"
„May I ask what exactly your plan is, Overhaul?"
„I'm going to offer them a deal, and then I'll take control of the league of villains!", he begins to laugh and they stop right in front of Eri and my cell.
„Let Cronostasis know that it's his time to take care of the brats. Oh and don't forget to pack the bullets."
„Yes sir."
Overhaul walks away. But Cronostasis stays in-front of Eri's cell.
What exactly is Overhaul planning? Will he run more blood tests? Will we ever escape?
>>We aren't supposed to question that.<<
Right. Right.
I just have to survive a little while longer to help Eri.
One day we'll escape. I am not allowed to think about what'll happen. Then I'll just worry and that won't help anyone.
>>You're right. Heads up. You have to live.<<
My thoughts were interrupted again. A tall man in a black coat stands in front of my cell. So this is Nemoto.
He wears a black bird mask covering his whole face. On top of his head, he has a dark blue hat covering his hair. He has bright white boots and the only thing about him that isn't covered are his hands. He raises his right arm and points his finger at me.
„You, 01, stand up."
>>Every time someone stands before our cell, we have to stand up and show them our bare hands.<<
I hesitate.
>>You stupid! He'll kill us.<<
„Oh, won't you stand up, you useless doll? I can make you if you want!", he shouted at me.
I stood up, almost losing my balance.
>>Your hands<<
I raised my hands, the back of my hands facing the ceiling. He then showed me to turn them around. I followed his demands.
„Good girl." he said, and I felt my stomach hurt. I feel so useless and dumb being called these names.
Sadly, I have to leave you all too soon. I got to help Overhaul with his plans. But don't worry, puppy, I'll come back later for you.", he looked disgustingly at my body and I heard him grin. My body was covered in cuts and bruises. Somewhere new and some so old that I couldn't remember how I got them. The only thing covering my body was a plain, short-sleeved dress. It was somewhat dirty and you could see some fringes. I had some bandages around my legs and right arm, but they were loose and dirty as well.
„Will you be a good girl till I'm back?"
I shivered.
„Answer me, you dumb slut!", he banged against my bars and I flinched.
>>Answer him, or he'll kill us.<<
„Yes.", my voice was thin and shaking.
„It's sir, you dumb peace of shit!", he banged against the bars again.
„Yes, sir.", I said while holding back my tears.
He then walked away and I was left with fear and disgust.
.
Some time later that day, the so-called Cronostasis came to our cells. I quickly stood up and showed him my hands. He opened my cell and unlocked my handcuffs.
He is pretty tall and has a white coat on. The cape from his coat is over his head. His black birdmask, covering his mouth and eyes, makes it impossible for me to find out his emotions.
We walk to Eri's cell, which is right next to mine. This is the first time I could see her cell; at least I can't remember seeing it before.
Her room looked „cozier" if you could describe it like that. She had a real bed, not just a mattress laying on the floor like mine. There were plushies placed on top and there was a wardrobe in dark brown on the right side of the room.
She sits in a red armchair, and her big red eyes look at us. She instantly stands up and walks some steps towards us. In comparison to me, she only wears one handcuff on her right wrist.
She shows her bare hands and then turns them around. After that, Cronostasis unlocks the door and then her handcuff. After that, he takes her and my hand and begins to walk.
I try to cheer Eri up with a smile, but nothing works. She just looks at the floor.
We stopped at a door with a key card, but this time there were no guards waiting outside. Cronostasis let go of my hand and grabbed into his coat, searching for the keycard. He unlocks the door and we walk inside.
It was the same room as before.
With the examination table in the middle.
My heart stopped for a second.
„Come on, Eri. Onto the table.", he said rather calmly.
Eri did as she was told. He then takes her blood and looks at me.
„And now you, 01, use your quirk.", he remands.
I shivered. How?
„I- I cant. Sir, I can't.", I said while shaking. I was scared of his reaction, that followed soon after.
I got slapped and fell to the floor.
„Don't lie to me; yesterday you could.", he said angrily.
>>You're useless<<
I know.
„I don't know how. I'm sorry. I'm-"
He kicked me in the stomach.
And in my head, on the back.
I felt so much pain at once
until I blacked out.
.
When I woke up, I was back in my cell. I had many bruises and a hard headache. As I sat up, I groaned in pain.
„Aki?", a little voice from the other room caught my ear. Or did I just imagine it?
„Aki, are you awake?", it was Eri's voice. She seemed to worry about me.
„Eri?", I asked rather quietly.
„I'm so glad you are awake again! I was worried that after you helped me, I would never see you again!", she shouted.
„What do you mean? What has happened?"
She hesitated and then said, „Don't you remember?"
I tried to remember what had happened, but my latest memories were from when I got kicked in the stomach and fainted.
„How did I help you? I only remember fainting in the examination room..."
„Alright, then let me explain", she said: „After Cronostasis made you fall asleep, he got called by Overhaul. He quickly brought us, with help from someone else, back to our cells and then disappeared. "
Oh, what's the matter with that? Did something happen? But before I could ask her, she spoke further.
„Something happened at the meeting that they had. I'm not sure about it, but they talked about the League of Villains and that he doesn't like the leader. "
I nodded, even though she couldn't see me.
„And as they left, I got my chance to escape. Everyone was away; I don't know where they have gone. "
„Wait what? You escaped? But you are still here!", I was so confused.
„They didn't handcuff me. They were in such a hurry, I think they forgot."
„But what's with the door?"
„Thats the point. Soon after that, you woke up. But you weren't yourself."
„What do you mean?"
>>Your sister<<
What? I don't have a sister.
„You weren't as friendly, but you helped me escape. Somehow you froze my door lock, and then you broke it open. You told me to escape. I was so scared and didn't want to leave you here, but you said that you'd come too when the time was ready, and so I ran."
I couldn't believe what she had said. Had a quirk? But that doesn't sound like the quirk I am supposed to have to heal Eri's wounds. What the hell?
„But why are you still here?"
„I didn't know where to go, but luckily everyone has left the quater. I found a way to escape, and it was so so peaceful. The sunlight was so beautiful. It must have been around 1 to 3 p.m."
She saw the sunlight. What a nice dream.
„What happened then?", I asked.
"I wandered through the streets on my way to find a police station. I mean, I didn't know where to go. But on my way, Nemoto found me. He quickly took out his phone. I bet he had called Overhaul. I was running, but then Overhaul appeared right behind me. I ran out of a small street onto the main street, and there I bumped into a hero by accident!", she shouted very excited.
"A Hero! Wow."
>>Overhaul says that heroes are bad.<<
Heroes are bad? Are they evil?
She spoke further: "His name is Deku. He had greenish hair and a green suit. I held onto him, trying to get away from Overhaul, but he came out of the lane and talked to Deku. There was another hero as well, but I don't know his name. Overhaul talked to the hero's, and then he went back from where I had run. Before he would harm the hero's, I ran back to him. I felt like crying. I almost escaped, but I was too scared that the hero's would get killed."
>>Eri is our friend. We have to help her.<<
She sounded really sad. She feels guilty for worrying the hero's
"Eri you did such a great job. No one got harmed, and I truly believe that the heroes will find us. After all, such a cute little girl like you will probably stay in their minds for a while. Maybe they can find out where we are."
"You're right! Maybe they will!", she shouts excited.
Today is a good day.
.
A little while later, a man came to our cells. It was Cronostasis. He talked to Eri and told her that now he was the one to take care of her. He opened her cell and brought her away. On their way, he asked her if she would like to have any toys or plushies to play with. What a strange conversation.
Now I was alone. Purely alone.
>>You are not alone.<<
I truly feel alone.
Soon I fell asleep and the next day arrived.
Everything was like always. Someone brought me food to my cell. I waited for someone to escort me from my cell to the examination room and then I was brought back. I didn't see Eri at all and I was worried that she might got killed.
I was so lonely. Everyone just barely talked to me and if they did, then they just made hurtful comments about me.
I overheard a conversation from Cronostasis talking to Overhaul. They talked about Eri. It seemed like she was moved into a real bedroom to make her feel more comfortable. He said that Eri doesn't play with the toys that Cronostasis buys her. He sounded frustrated.
Everything seemed off.
Why would they suddenly care for her?
>>Manipulation.<<
This thought seems to fit.
Days passed. Every day, the cycle repeated itself
until the day I got hope
caused by an alarm.
Red lights flickered around the hallways and a noisy beeping sound came from the loudspeakers, supported by a robotic voice that said repeatedly:
„Heros are on the territory. All villains get ready to attack."
Word count: 2110