I flung open the nearest door and began my mission. It opened to the children's ward, and it was pure chaos. There were civilians running from crazed patients and Crimson Eclipse members. Through the mess, I spotted a familiar strawberry head. He was trying to calm the children down.
"H-hey now, there's no need to hurt each other! We're all friends he--yeouch!"
I watched as a baby bit down on his shoulder. He tried getting her off when a flurry of children tackled him to the ground. I know he could fend them off but since they were toddlers, he probably didn't want to injure them. Still, the drug does seem to enhance strength and defense; I think a little shove won't hurt.
"Strawberry Shades!" I called, running up.
Grabbing a toddler that was on him, I pulled her off. I began to fling more kids off while trying to keep them from jumping on me. Luckily these kids haven't reached the age of Quirk manifestation so they didn't get the effect of forced Quirk activation. They definitely received the other effect, though; they were strong!
"Strawberry Shades! You need to kick them!" I said, flinging one off of me.
"Wh-what?! Are you telling me to punt a baby? Have you gone mad?!" he exclaimed.
A group of them clung onto me, and I began to get smoldered by squishy toddlers. I told him that the drug enhanced their bodies and they'd be fine. With a hesitant "If you say so", he started kicking and chucking babies off of him. I watched as their little bodies soared in the air and crashed on the floor, unscathed. I did feel bad that they inhaled the orange gas against their will and we were throwing them, but I also snorted at the absurd scene.
He was able to clear them out. He scurried over to me, wearing pout. "I cannot believe that I just did that! Strawberry Shades is not a baby kicker..." he grumbled.
Swerving my way around rampaging kids, we tried to find a way out of the children's ward. I relayed the information to Strawberry Shades. He told me that there might be a way to start a fire. As we turned the corner that opened up to another waiting foyer, I saw a single lone boy standing there. He looked no older than 4. Before I could step in, Strawberry Shades pulled be behind the wall.
"Right there! We can use that boy to start a fire." He explained that he seemed to be the only child that activated his Quirk. Luckily, his Quirk was fire-based so we can use his Quirk to start one. I reminded him that we were in the children's floor, and I'd rather not start a fire around drugged-out toddlers. He told me he'll make a seed and catch it on fire.
"It'll be like a torch, you see. Once it's set, I'll subdue the boy and you leave to start a fire elsewhere. If you exit the foyer, it'll lead to some stairs and a medical supply room. That'll be the perfect place!"
He told me that he'll try to get the boy on the ground, and I use the flames on his feet to set the seed on fire. With that, our plan went into action.
When we stepped into the open, the boy took notice of us and he looked very angry. Immediately, flames ignited from his bare feet and before I could realize, he was right in front of me. I didn't have time to dodge and ended up getting tackled. The boy barred his teeth at me, his eyes gone completely white. He swung to hit me. I redirected it on cue. Clutching his shirt, I tried to shove him off. Strawberry Shades came to my aid and grabbed the boy. In response, flames bursted from the boy's feet. The flames tickled the vigilante, making him yelp in response. Even so, he pushed through and pulled him off. He kept his hold on him while the boy wiggled to escape. Opening a palm, a football sized seed popped out and I caught it.
"Rin, I got him! Now use this his feet to—yeouch!—light the seed on fire!"
I tried to do so, but the kid kept kicking. The longer we held onto him, the more angry he got. Through a stroke of luck, his foot slammed at the perfect time and hit the seed. Soon thereafter, a fire started.
"Um, I got it! I'm gonna go now," I announced, making my exit. I turned back at him. "You'll be fine, right?"
He gave me a reassuring grin. "Of course! I have it under all contro—hot!"
He got kicked by the boy's flaming foot again, this time burning his cape. I'm sure he'd be fine which is why I left him to deal with the kid.
As I scurried downstairs, I was surprised to find it empty. There was nobody around. Not that I'm complaining; it'll make this fire-starting situation easier for me. There were a bunch of random doors though, which I had to peek inside to find the medical supply closet. After a few doors, I felt the fire traveling closer to my fingertips as it scorched the seed. The smoke was beginning to sizzle my eyes too.
I finally found the medical supplies after opening and shutting 4 doors and quickly grabbed as much rubbing alcohol that I could hold. Running back out, I emptied every single bottle on the carpet and the walls, the smell burning my nose hairs. Then distancing myself so I wouldn't get burnt to a crisp, I threw the seed on the alcohol puddle. A fire broke out as expected, and it began to spread thanks to the alcohol. Now all I have to do is wait for the sprinklers to activate, and get out of here before it gets worse.
Reaching into my pocket, I was about to put the radio back on and inform Mitsume when I fell forward and slammed my stomach on the floor, dropping it. I peeked over my shoulder to see Furutani, whose foot stood on my shadow. I couldn't see her eyes through the tangled mess of bangs, but I knew she was staring at me. A hot feeling flared up in my chest seeing the shadowy villain. I had the sudden urge to charge at her with everything I got.
Thump... Thump... Thump...
"What...do you think you're doing..?" she rasped. She slid her foot back, making me inch towards her. Meanwhile, I tried to break free.
"Trying to stop your plan." I replied. "I knew you weren't against attacking innocent people but attacking a hospital? Drugging patients? And kids? That's just messed up."
She ignored me and dragged me to her. Now I was directly underneath, and I was able to see a single, weary eyeball under all her hair. "Crimson Eclipse's been experimenting with a drug...one that can cause its user...to lose their senses, to attack anything that moves. It is very dangerous so that's why...they decided to test its prototype here. It's all so they...can make the Leftovers, the weak ones, useful...so they say..."
I hardened my gaze and told her that I didn't get why she was acting like she wasn't like them. That's when she told me that she wasn't. I scoffed at her comment, and she shook her head.
"Don't you see? Everyone...grunts, admins, Kiyoshi...they all wear red because they believe in Crimson Eclipse's philosophy. I don't."
"Ok? Why are you with them then?" I questioned.
"Someone that I... They said they could..." She stopped. All she did was stare at me with her single eyeball. After some silence, she spoke. "When it happens, nobody won't be able to do anything. There'll be no heroes, no rescue...and when Crimson Eclipse have what they need...they won't be stopped."
"I'm over with these cryptic speeches. Just leave me alone!"
Pulling out the pen, it turned into a boomerang and I chucked it at her face. It hit her straight on and electrocuted her for extra damage. I kicked her shins as hard as I could, making her trip. That gave me the chance to scurry away. Catching the boomerang that flew back, I was about to flee when I stopped.
She's right there and distracted. All it takes is one more hit, one shove, and she's in the flames. I shook my head, knowing that I couldn't do that. But still... I could hardly stop myself from shaking whenever I saw Crimson Eclipse, especially her. Something in me wanted to hurt her.
I turned back to her and charged. I swung at her and she rolled away. Using my foot, I stepped on cloak and backhand slapped her. I was about to hit her with my other hand when she grabbed my shadow, making me fly feet-up. My back slammed onto the floor. I also ended up dropping the boomerang. I scrambled to grab it when she kicked it away.
"You came back. You could've escaped, but you came back... Could it be...you're out for revenge for what happened to your brother?"
The air started to grow hot, and it wasn't only because of the fire. Leaping up from the ground, I shoved her back. She stumbled backwards, her body brushing against the flames. She quickly jumped a safe distance away.
"I see. He must've been very precious to you..." she rasped. "Your brother is strong. He managed to escape me at the Hero Festival... I also heard he was about to hold up...against Ruby... Even at the base...he never stopped fighting. It's all because he wanted to get to you."
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Shut up!" I exclaimed.
Picking up my boomerang, I flung it at her and missed. It flew back to me, landing in front of me feet. I scooped it into my hands and charged at her. She flung a knife at me and on cue, redirected back at her. She threw another one and did the exact same thing. I was about to attack again when she quickly leaped away from me.
"This isn't over yet," I said to her in a low voice.
Furutani sighed tiredly like she was watching a toddler throw a tantrum. "Your brother...he really loved you. That's why you shouldn't--"
"Bullet Onslaught!"
Strawberry Shades suddenly jumped from the floor above, shooting a flurry of seeds at Furutani. Forming a large seed, he used it to soften his landing by landing on top of it. Following after him was Static, Masterbaiter, and Corvade. The other two vigilantes joined Strawberry Shades in his fight, while Corvade marched over to me wearing a furious look.
"Why didn't you follow my order? I told you to get out of here," she said, her words sharper than a blade.
I didn't even bother acknowledging her. My focus was still on Furutani, who was trying to fend off three people. She was holding up okay but with the flames growing stronger, it was limiting movement. Not to mention, the smoke was really beginning to build. However, this was the perfect chance to get her.
I squeezed the boomerang and sprinted. I practically pushed through Masterbaiter and socked Furutani in the face. Activating the electrical shock, I did it again.
"Nice moves, Rin! When'd you learn that?" Static piped. She went to attack when I redirected her arm away. Strawberry Shades and Masterbaiter tried to too, but their attacks never hit her.
A wave of vigor overcame me. My heart began to beat faster as I continued to hack and slash at Furutani. The wall of fire around me grew blurry and all I saw was Furutani. The smoke was burning my eyes and it was getting harder to breathe, but I never wanted to stop even if it hurt. Soon, I couldn't hear the vigilantes behind me anymore as they tried to stop me.
Thump, thump, thump.
"Rin, stop!"
I was ready to hit her again when my hand swipes away. Before I could continue, fishing line wrapped around my wrist. It got hit by a boomerang, causing mine to clatter on the floor. Strawberry Shades grabbed me from behind and pulled me off. I demanded he let me go, but those muscles weren't for show; he had a monster grip on me. Static ran up and placed her hands on my arms and legs. My body went limp.
Corvade sauntered over, giving me a sharp glare while she passed by. When she stopped in front of Furutani, the woman spoke.
"Before you kill me...I have some words to relay..." Furutani began.
I had a feeling she wasn't talking about Corvade. Furutani let out a cough, a bit of blood trickling down the corner of her chapped lips. "Crimson Eclipse...is initiating an assault on Musutafu City within the next two days. They plan...on dropping the drug in the center of the city."
"Really? Why should we believe you, villain?" Strawberry Shades remarked.
"It's up to you to believe me or not... All that matters is that I completed my orders from Kiyoshi..." She turned her head towards me. "Do you like the ocean, Rin?"
"What kind of random question is that?" I bitterly replied.
"I do. I enjoy listening to rippling waves...and watching things float on its vast blueness..." She let out a long sigh. "Water...is a natural remedy. A sip of its blue can cleanse the body...calm a mind... It's not wonder it's so sought out, so vital..."
On cue, the sprinklers turned on, staining us in bright blue serum. The split distraction allowed her to grab the shadow of a nearby stretcher and roll it into Corvade. Leaping on her toes, she fled. Corvade, Masterbaiter, and Static sprinted after her, ordering Strawberry Shades to stay with me. I helplessly watched as I let another villain slip from my fingertips. Although the fire was doused, the one in me only grew hotter.
»»————- ————-««
The patients that were drugged were cured when the sprinklers went off. Some Crimson Eclipse members were arrested, but Furutani got away. While heroes and police stormed the building, we were able to escape the authorities. Corvade brought us to some hidden alleyway that definitely looked like a perfect place to get mugged. It was dark, gray, and narrow. Trash littered the surrounding area, and graffiti were painted on the walls. From the corner of my eye, I swore I saw two rats fighting over a moldy slice of pizza.
Mitsume was waiting for us in the alley. Corvade took the chance to ask him how he knew there was a serum and how he got it. In response, he put on a wide grin and said, "A little black bird told me there was something interesting at the Musutafu Science Lab, so I decided to check it out."
"So, you stole it?" Masterbaiter flatly remarked.
"I don't like the word stole. It makes me sound like a thief."
"Thieves steal, genius!"
Before Corvade could question further, he turned to me with a smile. "You did a pretty good job at starting the fire, Rin. You're a natural!" he said. He folded his arms, lowering his head slightly. "Still, is the vibes kinda stuffy out here or is it just me? Why does everybody seem so glum, hm~?"
I felt the others look at me. I ignored them. I had a lot on my mind and was practically ready to explode. The only thing stopping me was the ensuring rodent battle. The fat one was winning.
After a moment of silence, I heard heels approaching me. Stopping a few feet away, Corvade spoke. "Your actions are inexcusable. You have no business getting involved in this. I don't need you playing pretend hero and getting yourself killed."
Pretend hero? I felt my chest heat up.
"W-well, if I may say, Corvade..." Strawberry Shades meekly spoke. "It was thanks to Rin that the patients were cured of their rage."
"Some people I saved said that Rin helped them escape from the gas. They said if it weren't for her, they would've been toast. Y'know, she's better at this than you think," Static piped.
Hearing them say those things about me made me feel a sense of reassurance. However, the feeling didn't last long when Corvade coldly retorted.
"That doesn't matter. There's only a certain distance natural talent will take you. If you don't have the power to compensate for that shortcoming, then don't even think about running into trouble."
I gazed up at her. She had a frightening gleam in her eyes that made my heart pound. I swallowed dryly.
"Crimson Eclipse is not your average street gang. They're a villainous organization whose goals are far beyond your regular thug," she began in a low voice. "Since your kidnapping, their attacks has only grown more aggressive. If what Furutani told is true, there's a full-blown assault that's going to occur in two days. We and the authorities have no idea what they're after and that only makes them more of a threat."
I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore. Squeezing my hand into a ball, I blurted, "Isn't that why we should stop Crimson Eclipse? We should stop them because they're so dangerous."
Corvade's eyes hardened in response. "That also means that you're in more danger. We got lucky that we were able to rescue you, but if it were to happen again--"
"I know I was lucky! But I'm willing to risk my luck running out if it means putting an end to them, because I don't want--" Hiro's face flashed in my head, pinching my heart. "--another innocent person to get hurt! I can't stand by and do nothing when I know what they're capable of. It's not right, so that's why I want to stop them!"
"Stop them? Or kill them? Don't you think that I forgot that outburst you had earlier. You let rage consume you which is what you absolutely must not do when you're up against a villain!"
I scoffed. "No. I was trying to help!"
"Don't you lie. Everyone here knows you ignored them when they told you to stop. Hell, we had to physically restrain you from hurting her further!"
"Does it matter though? She's a villain. She can hold up against her own. It's not like she's gonna return to Kiyoshi in crutches," I bitterly murmured.
Without warning, Corvade's boomerang came flying at me. My instincts kicked in and I redirected it. Not even a second after, it flew back at lightning speed and smacked me in the head. It returned to her hands. I clutched the back of my head, remembering what went down on that night. My face flushing, I asked her why she did that. She demanded to tell her what happened.
"I thought we already did this," I reminded through my teeth.
"I'm aware, but it seems like you didn't learn your lesson." Corvade gave me a stern look. "I need you to use your Quirk when I tell you to. Understand?"
She threw it again. I managed to redirect it once more. She shook her head and told me she didn't tell me to do that. She did it again but this time, she ordered me to use it. As I watched the weapon barrel at my face, I prepared myself for the right moment. I thought I had it, but it ended up smacking me.
"I told you to use it," she said, catching the boomerang. "What happened?"
"I tried to use my Quirk but--"
"No buts. Your Quirk could decide whether you live or die during battle. Now, again!"
She continued to attack with her boomerang. Sometimes I was able to redirect it but that wasn't enough for her. After a few more times, I was beginning to grow annoyed with this. The further we went on, the closer I was to exploding.
"Could you quit already?" I finally said, on my last straw. I was getting closer to picking up that moldy slice of pizza those rats were fighting over and chucking it at the wall.
"You want me to quit? The battle isn't going to end by asking. It ends when you or your opponent is unable to fight!" She began to walk into me, backing me into the wall. "Do you know why I'm doing this?"
"I don't know? To get me angry to prove your stupid point?"
My back hit the wall. She stopped. "It's to prove that you aren't ready to go up against Crimson Eclipse."
I told her I was going to help anyway. Corvade's gaze dug into my skin, peeling it to uncover the sinking feeling inside. Then crudely taping it together, she spoke, "You're ready to kill any villain on sight and can't even use your Quirk consistently. How do you plan on helping? You can't do it; it's impossible. You'll just get in the way."
Hearing her say that made everything boil over. I took a step to her with a fiery glare. "I think I proved myself earlier already, that's what Strawberry Shades and Static said! Isn't that right, guys?"
I looked at the vigilantes. Mitsume pretended he didn't notice. Static was playing with her hair. Masterbaiter just stood there with his arms folded, and Strawberry Shades's shoulders were slumped, peering at his feet. Seeing their deflated reactions made my heart drop.
"You shouldn't go up against them. It's too much," Masterbaiter flatly spoke.
Static, for once in her life, agreed with him. She silently nodded. I looked at Mitsume. He continued to ignore me. Then I looked at Strawberry Shades. His lips formed into a thin straight line, a guilty expression crossing his face.
"Y-you don't agree with her, do you?" I stuttered, already knowing the answer.
He breathed out a sad sigh. "Rin... I..."
My body temperature rose, and it started to get really hot now. "I thought you guys were on my side... I thought you guys said I was capable!"
Static took a step forward. "We weren't lying about what we said but--"
"But what? I'm just gonna get in the way? I'm not strong enough?"
"No, that's not it! You might get yourself hurt!" Strawberry Shades interjected. "Rin, your emotions are in a very vulnerable state right now. You're in no condition to fight Crimson Eclipse. If you were to fight Crimson Eclipse or Kiyoshi, who knows how they'd manipulate your grief?"
"I'm not sad, okay?!" I exclaimed, pushing past Corvade's shoulder. "I'm angry! I'm angry that for nearly my entire life, I've been a victim! I've been deadweight to anyone who tried to protect me! I was too weak to do anything! But now, I can finally do something. I can finally fight back! And you know what? Maybe Corvade's right, I do want to kill them. I want to end Kiyoshi and his stupid Quirk elitist club!"
"Killing them isn't gonna bring Hiro back!" Masterbaiter snapped.
"I know that! Hiro's never coming back! But how else am I supposed to apologize to him?"
Static walked up to me with her hands curled into a ball. Her expression and her voice softened. "Rin, you don't need to apologize. You don't need to apologize for anything."
I turned to her, the veins pulsating in my temple. Everything was so hot that I felt my eyes burning with tears. "You don't understand! You weren't even there! I saw who killed Hiro! I-I-I saw how he died, okay? He died because I refused to use my Quirk!"
A nervous laugh escaped Mitsume's lips. He suggested we talk about something else, but I shook my head defiantly.
"No, I don't wanna talk about something else. I wanna talk about how nobody here wants my help in taking down Crimson Eclipse and Kiyoshi!"
"That's enough!" Corvade barked, grabbing my arm. She turned around with a firm gaze in her eyes. "I told you already, you're not fighting Crimson Eclipse!"
My heart was beating so fast that it began to hurt. Sweat stained my face, making my vision grow blurry. I pushed her hand off of me, shooting her a dirty look. "Why should I listen to you? You left me and didn't come back and when you did, you didn't give a crap about me. Now you wanna act like my mom?"
Corvade stiffened in response. The vigilantes peered at her curiously. They must not know we're related; she must've hid it from them too. I dug my nails into my palms so hard that I was sure it was gonna bleed.
"Just let me fight Crimson Eclipse too. And then after that, you can leave! You can go away and pretend that this never happened, that you never met me, that I never existed."
Anger flared up in her eyes. But I also saw something else too, something more tender. "You need to quit it! Don't you see that you going with us puts you in danger?!"
"I don't even care anymore! I don't care if I get hurt! I'm nothing without him anyway! All I care about is taking down Kiyoshi!" I shouted, stepping up to her.
"That's exactly why you cannot go! You don't give a damn about your life! And I'm not allowing any more of my family to die because of my ignorance!"
Strawberry Shades quickly got in between us and tried diffusing the situation, but the two of us were too furious for it to work. Raising my hands, I was about to shove her when Masterbaiter pulled me away. I demanded he let go, and he told me he wouldn't until I calmed down. After some fruitless struggling, I stopped. Everyone fell silent. All I could hear was my labored breathing and the squeaking of the alley rats. I stared at Corvade, whose head hung low.
"You asked about your father. He's dead. He's dead because I was careless," she quietly said. The firm look in her eyes crumbled, revealing the nakedness of her fragility. She sauntered by me. "You are not coming with us to fight Crimson Eclipse. My word is final."
I wanted to speak, to yell at her and protest, but the words got twisted in my tongue. The only response I could muster was silence. Pulling out her grappling hook, she shot it at the nearby building and flew away. Masterbaiter finally loosened his grip and I slid out. The blood rushed to my cheeks while my eyes moistened. I bit my lip, frustratingly. I heard Strawberry Shades walk to my side and stop.
"Rin... It pains me seeing you like this. I know you're hurting a lot. You're my precious friend. I cherish our friendship and the exciting moments we spend together," he softly spoke. "Earlier you said you were nothing without Hiro. That is not true. Please don't demean yourself like that. You're amazing in so many ways."
No, I'm not. Quit lying to me.
Masterbaiter sighed deeply. "I admit, I always found your eerie, collective dead eyes under intense circumstances to be respectable. Not a lot of people or heroes can respond as quickly as you can."
"Hm, I gotta agree! You look and act pretty normal, but you sure are unique! Uniquely outstanding," Mitsume added, skipping over.
Static nodded wearing an encouraging grin. "Remember the time at the beach? You saved us from being electrocuted by using your Quirk!"
"And the sing-off?" Strawberry Shades chimed. "You must remember the sing-off, for sure! You absolutely demolished the host!"
Mitsume chuckled. "It was fun playing Uno with you and Mr. Gin's wifey at Gin Co! You even nose-dived out the building after pushing her and her fat baby outta the way! Like, who does that? That's wild, haha~!"
"How about the Hero Festival?" Strawberry Shades said. "You helped me take out those villains. Corvade told me you dragged me to safety during the middle of battle. Don't you remember?"
Memories of the Hero Festival replayed in my head. I recalled the crushing relief I felt when I saw him save Midoriya from the snake villain. The image of the reassuring grin he gave me with the worn-out face he wore when battling the Crimson Eclipse villainess flashed in my mind. And then, his shaking outstretched hand reaching to me before collapsing.
It's my fault everything happened. None of those things wouldn't have happened, nobody wouldn't have to get hurt if I just stayed out of trouble.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Strawberry Shades giving me a gentle yet deflated smile. "I find it funny that you claim to dislike conflict, yet I see you run into it purposefully. That right there shows how much you care for others. But we ask that this time, just once, you sit it out."
He slipped away from me. Masterbaiter gave me a firm nod, and Mitsume waved. Static told me to stay safe. Then, the vigilantes left me alone with a sinking feeling in my heart.