Black filled my conscious vision, the world behind my eyelids. Letting out a small breath, I analysed the world beyond my still closed eyes. I could feel bandages pulled tight against my skin, a soft bed beneath my still body. I could feel bandages against my face, flashes of the fight returning to me as I focused on the injury that became a result of the attack.
I realised I had gotten a large cut across my nose, remembering the blood that had dribbled into my mouth. It was going to scar, I knew that.
I couldn't feel my injuries, but I knew they would have me on a ton of meds so I put away the numbness. I could feel that I had bandages covering majority of my body, the bandages only getting thicker as I recognised a cast over the left arm that I had broken. The bandages on my face covered the entire left side as well as over my nose. This was going to be unconventional.
I decided that I should finally open my eyes.
As my heavy eyelids fluttered open, I had to squint as light filtered through, pupils contracting. That was when I noticed other presences in the room.
To my left, looking through the slit in the bandages, I could recognise Shinso only from his violet hair. I couldn't move my neck or head. From the other corner of my eye, I could see our teacher, Aizawa, the mummy version.
I wasn't too different from Aizawa's mummified form. One exception was that bandages only covered one half of my face. Aizawa has casts on both of his arms and I could faintly recognise a cast on Shinso's leg.
I grimaced softly, realising I couldn't protect my friend, even if I took most of the hits. I was reckless and it got all of us seriously injured.
"Finally awake problem child?" Came the gravelly voice of my mentor. I winced.
"Y-yeah..."
"That was a stupid stunt you pulled..."
I wilted under his words.
"But you protected the class and no one died, so that's something. Shinso tells me the villain seemed to approve of your goal? What was that about?"
"I... I'm not sure..."
After the small spark at the approval in his words, I began to ponder what Shinso had told him.
Soon enough my spiel of my goal as a hero came back to me.
"Oh... did he tell you what Shigaraki said?"
"Something along the lines that the villain asked him to protect you because he wants you to achieve your dream, said he wasn't going to kill you because he liked you."
Wow... that's... I've been acknowledged by a villain, one that wanted to kill All Might.
"I... he said something that made me angry so I told him my dream as a hero, to prove that names don't define the person as well as our goal with Project Utopia."
"I think you have a possible clan mate."
"Wow..."
"You're going to do a lot of people a lot of good, including people who have become villains."
"Yeah..."
We sat in a comfortable, contemplative silence, but it was soon broken by a soft groan. Shinso was waking up. From what Aizawa has said, Shinso had woken up previously.
It was only now that I noticed that no voices were crowding my mind. Why?... I wasn't wearing a soul catcher, there was no skin for it to touch...
I...
Were the voices related to my mental state? I know they went away with positive emotions. I was less positive, more neutral, at peace.
I...
Someone was supporting me, someone had left me alive so I could continue my dream. A villain was rooting for me.
Someone had proved that I wasn't villainous, that I wasn't a monster, that I could achieve my dream, that I wasn't useless.
No words followed the revelation, no inner-turmoil. At least not for now.
I was getting better.
I wanted the silence, the peace, to last.
My attention returned to the now awake Shinso to my left.
"Hey."
"Hey." He replied, voice cracking with little use.
"So Shigaraki asked you to protect me?"
"Yeah, that's what I remember before passing out." He said, voice quiet as if he was in another realm, mind swamped by the brutal memory of the fight.
I snorted. "Have fun with that. I'm a handful."
Aizawa just sighed at the truth in my words while Shinso chuckled, a small smile making its way onto my own face.
"Means I get to keep a closer eye on you."
My smile didn't falter but blush painted my face when I read his implications. He wanted to hang out with me more? Spend more time with me?
What if I want more?
I was still straightening out my feelings (not that I'd ever been straight) and I still wasn't sure but I liked being with him. And so I was going to do something for myself for once.
"Sure, you could have just straight up asked."
It was Shinso's turn to blush.
"Jeez problem children."
I just giggled.
———————
"You guys! What the hell did you do that for!?"
Monoma's voice broke through the contemplative silence we had created, just thinking. Under the anger we could tell he was concerned, the link between guild mates shining through under the emotional turmoil.
He was really worried.
"Hey, all of the lost gods are here, that's cool." I said, trying to dodge Monoma's wrath.
It didn't work.
"What were you two thinking!? I get Aizawa but you two!? You shouldn't be so willing to throw your lives away!"
"I'm not sure the villain would've killed us, actually." Shinso put in.
"Huh?" Kuroiro said from behind the dramatic blonde.
"The villain wants to keep Midoriya alive, said he won't kill him because he likes him, because he likes his dream, the guild's goal. He wants us to be heroes. It's odd, but interesting. We have a villain rooting for us and a possible clan recruit."
The other two were gaping like goldfish. I snickered, the sound barely audible.
"This... you two are too chaotic for your own good. Class 1-A is too chaotic for their own good. I'll be happy when you two transfer."
I grimaced. "So will the class." I muttered.
"Huh?" Kuroiro asked, catching my quiet statement.
"They think we're transferring out of the school because this guy decided not to say we were simply transferring classes, my schools." I said, pointing to Aizawa. "I'll be glad to get rid of them as well, except for a few of them." I explained. The other two grimaced while Kuroiro's face lit up, oddly.
The wide eyes soon turned into a mischievous smirk. I knew that look. He's plotting something.
"Kuroiro? What are you thinking?"
"What if we pulled something with the other class, a prank, a plot. What if we hid you two from them, make them think you left, powerful assets to the class now no longer in 1-A, but pull you out and show you off at the sports festival, crush them."
I thought about it but I could already tell I was going through with the idea.
"We'd have to convince 1-B, though I'm sure they'd agree, and not make them look villainous, but powerful enough for heroics." Monoma added.
We could feel Aizawa's grin from under the bandages.
"I know it's my class, but they need some respect kicked into them. Have fun."
The grins on each of my guild mates' faces were starting to creep me out.
———————
"Hey Kurogiri?"
"Yes Shigaraki Tomura?"
"What do you think would've changed if you had a place in society, where no one judged your name, an accepting society away from everyone else. A place to provide everyone with the home they may not have because of one stupid name you have no control over."
"I do not believe that I am the right person to answer this, but I believe life would be better. You'd be free to do as you please-"
"I already do as I please."
"Well, you'd have love and acceptance which is more than any villain receives. I believe the world would be a better place with such a society."
Shigaraki looked down at the article about the kid who ran to save his classmate who had been captured by a slime villain, a villain kid and the King. They labeled him so harshly so easily, that Shigaraki can't help but feel proud that this little hero was going to make the world a better place.
"What brought on this question?" Kurogiri asked.
Shigaraki met the other's glowing golden eyes.
"Just a little hero."
A/N: this is fun.
I hope you like the new chapter.
Comment, no hate, thank you
- Shadow-san out