I don't like this.
Buildings are exploding. Everything is on fire. People are screaming and crying. They're trying to run away. People are dying. Why can't I move? They're innocent people. We attacked them unprovoked. Is this what villains do? Do they attack for the sake of hurting people?
Shigaraki's maniacal laughter is ringing through my ears as he yells into the night, "Now this is a good game!"
This is a game? Could all of this be considered a game? No. It's not a game. People are suffering. People are dying! How is this a game? My body is shaking. Why do I feel so strongly? Why am I so angry? I can't watch this.
What would the teachers at UA think if they found out I was partially behind this? What would my classmates think? What would Bubbles think? What would Frosty think? What would Rocky think? They wouldn't forgive me.
"The Nomu make such great playthings," Shigaraki chuckled.
"Are you not going to participate in the fight?" Kurogiri asked him.
"Don't be stupid. I'm still injured. That's why I brought those pets with us. Once this night is over, the world will have forgotten you ever existed! Hero killer..."
The pro heroes are becoming overwhelmed. The people are so afraid. The Nomus have already killed many people from the explosions and collapsing buildings. The people are panicking, which is making them vulnerable to attack. Hosu City is quiet, and not much crime happens in this area. There probably aren't very many heroes around to help.
"My son!" a pitched screech wailed into the cold night air. "My son! Please! Anyone! Rescue my son!"
The mother is on the ground being trampled by the many escapees. A large piece of a broken building is burying her legs — they're probably broken. She's reaching out desperately towards where the people are running from. A Nomu is approaching a very young boy. He's barely a toddler.
He's sobbing, stumbling back as the Nomu gets closer. Where are all the pro heroes? Why isn't anyone helping him? He's going to die. How can Shigaraki still be laughing? He's insane! I can't watch this child die. I can't.
"Shifter, what are you—"
The air moved rapidly around me as I jumped off the water tower and fell towards the roof below. I couldn't stop. I had to move! What can I switch him with? No, I can't just switch him. The Nomu will attack the other people. There's only one way I can do this.
I landed on the ground amid the panic and shoved my way through the crowds. I have to reach him! I can't see him anymore. I can't see him. I should have switched him while I hand the chance. I should have—
I can't breathe.
The child's lifeless body as thrown through the air as it smashes into a brick wall. His mother lets out a distressed wail as sobs begin to overtake her body. The Nomu is attacking other civilians in an instant.
I let the boy die.
He's dead.
The Nomu was suddenly engulfed in flames and the people all let out cries of relief. The Nomu shifted its attention onto the Pro Hero before spreading its wings and lifting to the sky. As the wind picked up from its flying, the fire faded out.
"That must be one of the villains," Endeavor pointed at me. "Are you ready, Shoto?"
Todoroki appeared at his father's side with a nod and the two took up fighting stances. No. I'm not a villain! I was partially behind this attack. I let a child die. How could I not be a villain? But I wanted to help them. I tried to help them. I didn't try. I watched the Nomu kill him.
I rapidly turned around and sprinted into one of the side alleys. I can't let them catch me. I have to get out of their sight. If I can get out of their sight, I can switch away and hide. I can't let them see me use my quirk. They'll know who I am. They'll know it's me.
I took random turns, trying to find somewhere to escape. I glance behind me every little bit, but it appears Endeavor has disappeared. Only Frosty is following me. I don't know this city well enough. I don't know where to go. I don't know where I can hide.
"Get away!"
I know that voice. I skidded to a stop and glanced down the alley where the hero killer I'd met earlier hovered above Nerd Armor. He was going to die. Do I have to watch more people die? Even if he's annoying, he's my classmate. I can't save him. I'm a villain. Villains don't save people. The fire flew past me, forcing Stain to jump away before he took the final blow.
"Midoriya, you need to give more details in times like this," Frosty held up his phone, which had a location marked on a map. "I was almost too late to stop this guy."
Since when did he start using his flames? He scolded Freckles for the cryptic message slightly but kept his focus on Stain as he tried to force the villain away from our classmates. Oh! There was someone else too! Possibly Stain's first victim?
"Everything's okay, the pro heroes will be here any minute!"
The hero killer dodged out of another wave of fire, landing on the ground beside me. He just slightly glanced in my direction before an insane look appeared in his eyes.
"You're that League of Villains girl from before — the one with common sense. Come on, let's take out these fake heroes together!"
Frosty managed to get the pro hero, Nerd Armor and Freckles behind him with his ice. That left me and Stain on the opposite side. I don't want to fight them. I don't want to be the villain. I can't run away. I'm not allowed to run away. I can't switch sides. They won't trust me and father will be angry. I can't tell them who I am. The heroes will never let me see the light of day again.
"Todoroki! You can't let that guy get your blood. I-I think he controls his enemy's actions by swallowing it. That's how he got us!"
Before anything else could be said, Stain threw his knife towards Todroki and his blade into the air. He was too fast. Could they beat him? Todoroki couldn't properly fight and protect everyone. His movements were limited. Stain almost got a lick of his blood, but a burst of fire forced the hero killer away.
"Don't just stand there!" he barked at me.
Attacks flew back and forth, my classmates yelled back and forth as they fought to keep themselves alive. What side am I on? I don't know. I'm not a hero. I can't save people. But I don't want to be a villain. Can a villain become a hero? Can a villain who's caused the death and suffering of others become a hero?
Freckles broke from his paralysis and jumped in front of Todoroki. He grabbed Stain's scarf and dragged him along the side of the building. The two landed a bit past me.
"Midoriya, dodge!"
The freckled hero rolled to the side just as Frosty's ice travelled across the ground. How was he unfrozen? Of course, Midoriya seemed to have a few theories that he raddled off to the group. In the end, the hero killer confirmed their theory. He could paralyze people for an amount of time depending on their blood type.
"If we work together, this fight will be simple," Stain spoke to me.
"I... How can I..."
"They're not true heroes! Their fakes. The answer should be simple."
"This is your fight, not mine."
I turned around and sprinted down the alley. I left them there. I left them there to fight Stain by themselves. I don't know what to do. I don't know who I am - am I a hero or a villain? What makes someone a hero? What makes someone a villain? I don't want to go back to the League of Villains.
What about my father? What would he think if I betrayed the League of Villains if he was supposedly the leader? I heard his voice. I'd know his voice anywhere. It haunts the very existence of my soul.
Still, my allegiance was sworn specifically to my father. I do not take orders from Shigaraki or Kurogiri. They have nothing to do with me. Shigaraki is not my brother. If my father wishes for my skill then he can ask me himself — I will no longer allow myself to be a pawn for the League of Villains.
Shigaraki, as Stain said, has no true purpose. He harms others for the sake of hurting people. I believe that is wrong. Stain, on the other hand, is saving society. He's getting rid of the fake heroes who ruin our world. He's doing exactly what my father trained me for.
"We were wondering where you got off to," Kurogiri's voice came through the purple smoke that appeared in front of me. I skidded to a stop, but a familiar hand reached out to grab me. I found myself back on the water tower as the portal disappeared behind me.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Shigaraki hissed at me. "If you weren't his daughter... I'd kill you!"
"That was reckless and stupid. Perhaps it was a mistake to bring you into such a large assault," Kurogiri commented.
Shigaraki clenched his fists with a growl, "Your father will definitely be hearing about this."
I felt my entire body stiffen. He was going to tell my father? Father would be angry. Father would hurt me. What if he decided to take me back with him? Before all I wanted to do was to go back home. I hated UA. I still hate UA. But do I really? I don't know. I don't know how I feel anymore.
"Hey, what the hell!? This is no fair. Why did he have to go and kill that Nomu? And why is that brat here? I'm so mad I don't even know what to say. This is a mess! Why do things never go the way I want them to?"
I glanced over to Shigaraki, who was scratching at his neck violently. The violence had died down as the pro heroes emerged victoriously. Heroes defeat villains. For once, I was glad to hear that phrase echo through my head.
"Let's go back. We shouldn't stay here any longer."
Something wrapped around my wrist and I was still too stunned about everything that happened to stop it. Once again, I found myself dragged through yet another one of Kurogiri's warp gates. I didn't really know what was going on, but they led me somewhere in the building. I barely paid attention.
"Sleep in here. I'll be talking to master about the shit you pulled today," Shigaraki pushed me inside and the door closed behind me.
I whipped around and went to turn the doorknob, but found the door to be locked. The room didn't have any windows. It was pure darkness. I removed my Sunglasses from over my mask and throw them on the ground.
The mask is pulled over my head and I chuck it across the room. I don't know what I'm supposed to think anymore. How am I supposed to feel? What am I supposed to do? I couldn't do anything. I couldn't save that little boy. I couldn't fight my friends. What would father think?
I laid down on the mattress in the corner of the room and hugged my knees close to my chest. My body was exhausted from today. There had been so much fighting and bloodshed that I wasn't able to keep up with what was going on. At the same time, my thoughts wouldn't let me sleep.
No matter how hard I tried, every time I closed my eyes all I could hear was the bloodcurdling scream of the woman. She'd been trapped under all that rubble and I left her there without doing anything. She could have died before she managed to get out. I completely forgot about her.
I imagined bursting out of the crowd only to watch the dead body of the child go flying into a brick wall. It had fallen into a twisted and unnatural heap. I could hear his cries ring through my ears. I could see the terrified look on his eyes when the Nomu began to approach him.
Were my classmates okay? Freckles, Nerd Armor, and Frosty were left to fight the hero killer when I ran away. Were they safe? What if they were injured badly in the fight? I could have helped them. I could have revealed myself and helped defend them. Instead, I ran away for fear that they'd lock me in a cell.
Perhaps I really was a villain, even if I wanted to help people. Was there really a point in trying to become a hero? No matter what I do, everyone still sees me as a villain anyway. Is it too late? Maybe if I went back to UA and tried harder I could learn.
The heroes would suggest something was up. They wouldn't believe I'd had a sudden change of heart during my internship. What if they asked me questions about my internship? What was I supposed to tell them?
I needed some time to think.