I don't own One Punch Man, nor do I own My Hero Academia. Each Franchise i owned by their respective owner..
ENJOY!
A day later, Hosu..
Each step became heavier and heavier, his emotional weight weighing him down. Genos held onto the headless body of the mysterious being he butchered, before disintegrating it instantly with a single blast of melting flame from his palm.
It's been days since Yagi last saw him, and he hasn't made up his mind yet. He clenched his fists, a decent amount of steam went afloat from his chest, raising the temperature of his artificial body.
Anger was all he felt. Anger towards the mad cyborg, and in turn, towards the one who was behind it all.
Metal Knight. A hero. The one who's supposed to protect everyone. The Hero Commission is partially responsible for this too due to their tendencies to see potential in the wrong people.
His eyes then set on the distant police light, coming right into his direction. He made a quick move, before enveloping himself in a cloak, propelling himself away from the scene with the jet in his legs.
As he landed on an alleyway, his enhanced hearing picked up a faint, quaint noise of someone screaming.
It sent all of his system into an alarmed state.
He raised his brows, before approaching the source where the scream came from...
A household. He decided to take a peek from the rooftop, using his visor to carefully zoom in into the view, seeing through the walls using his 'transparent vision'.
His eyes went wide when he saw someone through the thick walls of the house...
"Toshinori's mother?" His visor gave him all the information that he needed.
He can hear the agonising scream from afar once again. Genos's instincts took over, as he swiftly leaped from the rooftop using his jets, landing in front of the house with a loud 'THUD!'.
Genos pushed his foot forward, kicking the door away, not caring if he was being impolite. He was just making sure that he didn't hear wrong.
As he strode through the living room of the house, he heard that scream again, entering his hearing system like a wrecking ball.
He rushed forward to the room where the scream came, before blasting it away with his palm.
The sight before him urged him to release his fury towards the unknown woman standing over the...
The...
The body of Aiko Yagi, laying on her own pool of blood.
Earlier..
Unbearable pain found itself travelling throughout every inch of the woman's frail body, a chasm of endless agony awaits her.
Aiko clenched her fists, glancing at the blue haired woman in front of her, who couldn't stop trying to hurt her.
"Why.." She said in a shaky voice, "Why are you doing this?"
"Blame your little boy." Psykos said as her body was enveloped in a green energy, "He was the one who decided to play hero."
And to let out a little steam. She was still distraught of that little vision she received yesterday.
"This is..such a childish, outlandish mindset that you have." Aiko replied, "You want to kill me out of your temper tantrums about how my son wants to be a hero?"
"Is that so bad?" Psykos laughed maniacally, "It was not a tantrum, more like a..a desire to break him, who is now referred to as a symbol by some of the people in this country. If hope crumbles, chaos will ensue."
"You want to cause..needless chaos?" Aiko asked, her chained arms tensed.
"It isn't needless if it's needed and purposeful." Psykos replied.
"...what?"
"Actually, why am I even telling you anything?" Psykos asked, ridiculed, "You're going to die soon anyway."
"You can let me help you, you know.." Aiko gave her a genuine, sincere smile, "My boy always say..that people like you have a certain circumstances that forced you to become.. this."
Psykos's aura seemed to turn into blue momentarily, before turning into green once again. "No." She said with a deep tone, "Nothing happened."
Aiko frowned, "You know that's not true. I don't believe you."
She then approached her, who shuddered at the sight of the villain's unnerving grin.
Aiko braced herself for the pain, closing her eyes as she did.
Maybe letting her do whatever she wants for now will give her the chance to talk to her.
...
Nothing came.
As she opened her eyes, light began to enter her pupils, revealing that the woman in question was frozen in place, the aura of her quirk switching between the colour blue and green.
When a few moments passed, Psykos walked backwards in reluctancy, holding her forehead, "No, no, no..."
"Hey?" Aiko called out in concern.
Psykos ignored her, as she pushed her fist into the front, cracking the concrete wall. "NO!" She yelled, "I can't.."
Why not?! We were close to adding to her suffering more!
"I..I just can't.." Psykos said in distress, her writhing hands clinging onto the nearest wall, her thumping heart caused her to be not be focused on the real world.
Have you lost your mind? Weren't you eager to hurt her earlier? What changed your mind?
Psykos didn't answer, "Please, no, I can't do this." The quirk began roaring out of her body, green energy causing her skins to throb in pain.
Your morality still holds you back, what remains of your humanity holds you back. This is why it sickens me. You need to let it go.
"Leave me alone.." Psykos said to herself, falling into the corner, "Leave me alone."
Aiko watched the scene unfold before her, before suddenly coming into a realisation..
"Saiko.." Aiko called out, her fear turned into concern, "It's going to be okay. Release my chains, and I'll find help. I'll help you."
Psykos looked at the woman with a thoughtful look, "Help me...?"
Aiko nodded softly, "I promise."
"Help...me..." Psykos slowly approached her, with tears streaming down her face, "S- someone's...living under my roof..."
Her writhing hands slowly raised, balling into a fist, "Influencing me.."
"Using me.." She looked at both of her palms, "Altering my..my..." She coughed a saliva out, courtesy of the quirk inside her.
You don't know what you're saying. This is only for your own good!
"For y- years..." Her face darkened, her lips hesitantly turned into a frown, "My life..my family..taken away before me..."
I MADE YOUR LIFE!
"P- please..." Psykos fell to her knees, practically bowing before Aiko, "I..I need..."
You don't need her help! She'll betray you like everyone else in your life did before! You only need me! ME!
"H- help me, p- please.." Psykos's voice broke down, sobbing intensely, biting the dirt below her in distress.
Aiko's heart were shattered at the sight. She felt her bind released slowly, as she fell into the ground and breathed in relief.
She noticed that the woman was still sobbing into the floor.
She approached her, wrapping her arms around the villain, "You...you were hurt before, weren't you?"
Psykos didn't respond, only continued to sob into the dirt.
"I'll help you. I know a person." Aiko smiled to herself, "He'll help you. He'll definitely help you."
No...
Psykos raised her head, looking at her with a glee of hopeful look. Maybe Yagi would help her. Maybe she doesn't need to hate him. Maybe-
You disappoint me, Saiko.
Psykos jolted her eyes up as she felt her quirk levitating her in the air. Fear began to overtake her.
All these years, I held back on you, I let you grow..but I was wrong. You haven't grown. You're still the same, scared little child who's too attached to this cesspool of a planet.
Psykos felt her body crumbling, much to the other woman's panic, "Saiko?!" She screamed, before pulling her phone behind her back, trying to contact both 110 and 119, sending a signal for help to them.
She screamed, and screamed, until her lungs couldn't take it anymore. The quirk was fighting for control.
Aiko's phone was plunged away from her grasp, shattering it against the wall instantaneously.
You may mostly have control over this body, but I have my ways. From now on..I'll take care of everything for you. You just need to sit back...and learn.
Psykos widened her eyes in shock. No. She won't let it. She won't let it!!
Stop fighting back. You know it's futile. Resisting me will only cause harm to the both of us. Let. Me. In. Control.
"NO! LEAVE ME-" Psykos lifted her hands, summoning blue energy to her hands, before slamming it into the ground, causing a shockwave to travel throughout the room, and, unbeknownst to her, the shockwave sent Aiko propelling against the wall.
"BE!" Psykos finished, her booming voice caused the room to crack.
The right side of Aiko's body were unfortunately shredded by a piece of sharp glass. The wound was deep, as blood profusely streamed down from her stomach.
Psykos's posture trembled, as her shaking hands were lifted to her head level. She stared at it with profound contempt.
Her eyes shifted to the injured woman before her. Panic began to overwhelm her, as she quickly rushed to the woman's side. Would there be hope for the recovery for this woman?
And..
Why was she helping the woman she intended to hurt in the first place?
Didn't she hate Yagi?
The quirk inside her went silent, as if knowing that everything was going according to it's plan.
She shuddered at the thought.
She bended her knee to her level. She struggled to apologise. How could she? The deed has already been done. It might be too late for her to undo it. Nothing can be undone.
"Hey.." Aiko said with a smile, "You know.." She coughed, "Y- you can tell me anything, right?"
Psykos held her tears back. Help. That's what she have always wanted for years. Help, acceptance, understanding...a friend, someone who could accept her and see her for who she is. Someone who wouldn't abandon her even after knowing the truth. The dark, unnerving truth.
"I know you're not a horrible person." Aiko said again, "But the circumstances..your quirk..." She clutched to her wounds, "I..I don't think I'm going to make it.."
Psykos gave her a concerned look, before standing, "I can help."
"No. You need to..you need to find.." She coughed again, "You need to find Yagi..he can help you..he can...I trust him to do the right thing..."
Life began to fade from her very being, as her eyes closed.
But, as she was about to rush the woman to the nearest hospital, a sudden wave of flame blasted the door away, incinerating it in an instant.
Came out of the smoke a mysterious newcomer, wearing a white tanktop over his artificial hands, his orange pupils scanning the environment around the room.
As he set his sight on Psykos, rage began to fill him, "What did you do to her?"
"I.." Psykos lifted her hands up, "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't. I don't know what's going on..with me." Psykos said, her voice filled with sorrow, "I didn't..I never intended.." Her troubled voice was reluctant to say the truth. She intended for this. She yearned for this. She wanted the mother to death. She HATED Yagi.
"I need.." Psykos began to walk forward, her hopeful eyes glinted like it once did, "I need help-"
"Senritsu Saiko." Genos recited the information given to him through his visor, "A criminal that invaded the UA Highschool grounds and killed over several pro-heroes. Codename, 'Psykos'. Went missing for six years."
Wait, Senritsu?
There goes that semblance of hope she had.
Genos gave her his usual condescending look that were used against what he deems as evil, "I'm surprised that an infamous villain like you decided to reveal yourself in a regular household such as this one. You even.." He shifted his eyes to the corpse, "You even killed her. For reasons that I cannot hypothesize at the moment."
He lifted his palm to the front, steam emanating out of the circular path of the blast at the center, "You have one moment to explain your actions before I eliminate you."
Psykos's composure trembled, as she took a step backwards.
There goes it all. Her hope crumbled. People still see her as a monster. She returned to reality once again, the real truth, that she would never change. She would still be the monster she always was.
She closed her eyes, before turning away, green aura enveloping her. A cackle escaped from her lips, "I don't need to explain anything to you."
"Excuse me?" Genos asked, his brows raised.
"Just get out of my way." She said, her tone low, as she levitated into the air.
Genos fired a wave of flame towards the woman, who turned her body around, containing the blast with her quirk, before spreading it across the household with a twist of her fingers.
Genos quickly moved, before creating a fireproof clothing from his back, enveloping both him and Aiko's body, protecting them both from the fire.
As the fire dispersed, Genos retracted the fireproof clothing back inside him, before scanning the room around him.
Everything was crumbling. He needed to get out of here, fast.
He then grabbed Aiko, before rushing outside, avoiding the fire that threatened to burn them both.
As he reached the front gate of the house, he gently placed the corpse on the ground.
Genos looked at the body with remorse. Yagi..he will not take this news lightly.
He..
He doesn't know if he has to tell him or not.
But he knew he had to tell him.
He made his decision, as he used his body's system to call Yagi.
...
Yagi felt like all the emotional burdens that he has been carrying slowly lifted as his body shifted closer to Tatsumaki.
The warmth it provided was enough for Yagi to relieve himself from his stress.
Watching over the setting sun over the horizon, shining above the river below it, Tatsumaki leaned her head against the boy's shoulder, "You sure people won't see us here?"
"Eh, they won't." Yagi said as he readjusted himself on the bench, "Besides, I can just tell them to bugger off if they do anyway."
"I think I'm being an influence to you, and not the good kind." Tatsumaki frowned.
"Hey, you're the one who told me to handle situations similar to yesterday like that. Don't go around contradicting yourself now." Yagi laughed in amusement.
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes, before deciding to go on a completely different topic, "I've always wanted to ask you this but..you never told me how your mother was like."
Yagi smiled fondly at the question, before replying, "My mom? Oh, she's a..delightful woman, a hard working one, perhaps the strongest person I've ever met. She's like, my equivalent of Batman's Alfred, or Spider-Man's Aunt May." He chuckled, before continuing, "So, like, a moral compass. I always go to her when I have troubles, just..not this one though. I don't want to sound like a murderer in front of her. Maybe I'll tell her when the time is right."
"Is she nice?" Tatsumaki asked again.
"She's more than just a nice person." Yagi replied, "She's the best mother I could ever ask for. I love her so much. Part of the reason why I decided to live alone and find a job was...her. I didn't want to rely on her and burden her anymore. But she was insistent. We had a little bit of clash before I left, then she decided it was for the best if I decide for myself. From that day on, she occasionally sends me a few yen whenever I struggle financially."
Tatsumaki then said in slight envy, "You two seems to have a working relationship with each other. I'm jealous."
Yagi then asked, "You know..I could always search for your mom. I'm already searching for a mom, so...the more, the merrier."
"My mom?" Tatsumaki asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah. I feel like she was being blackmailed, like Kotarou's mother did. She sent you away for a reason." Yagi said again.
Tatsumaki sighed, "Finding her isn't simple. She doesn't want to be found. I can't even sense her anymore, not ever since she sent me away."
"Hmm. So you both have the same quirk?" Yagi asked again.
"Yeah, me, my mom, and Fubuki, we all have the same quirk, with a little bit of difference sprinkled at the top. I can sense people, whether it's their emotional state, or physical state. Fubuki can enter someone's mental state, and...mom's the same as Fubuki." Tatsumaki explained again, "But I know there's more to it than that."
"There's more?"
"..." Tatsumaki didn't respond for a while.
"Is this..a sensitive topic for you?" Yagi asked in concern.
"Not really, just..I don't know how to explain this without making it seem like my mom is a crazy person." Tatsumaki looked down, "Before she sent me away, right before she sent me away, for the past couple of days, I occasionally find her...talking to herself."
Yagi widened his eyes at that, "T- talking to herself?"
"Yup. I used to believe that she formed some kind of mental illness, and perhaps maybe that's why dad left us so early." Tatsumaki looked at the sky, "But, you know, maybe there's more to it than that. I just don't know what it is. Not yet anyway. Maybe I'll find out soon."
Yagi looked at her, about to tell her something, "You know, I might have-"
The phone buzzed, interrupting the conversation, "Sorry to cut this short, I'll come back to you."
Tatsumaki nodded in understanding, as Yagi stood, walking into the streets, answering the phone.
"Genos?" Yagi said to the phone. But then, Tatsumaki saw it. The expression of horror on his face.
And, with a flash, Yagi was gone from his spot, alarming Tatsumaki, "Toshinori?!" She called out to the empty spot where Yagi used to be, a gust of wind flying over to the river's direction.
...
Yagi was dashing wildly towards the other city in blind panic. His mother..she was..she was...
As he halted himself in front of his mother's new house, he saw the motionless body of his mother laying in front of the scorched household, with Genos standing over her body.
Yagi quickly rushed to her, his heart throbbing, the intense and the adrenaline filling him.
He quickly kneeled, resting the woman's head on his right knee, "Mom? Mom?!"
He shifted his eyes to the cyborg, "What happened?!"
Genos was startled by his outrage, but then again, it was understandable. "An infamous villain from the past, namely 'Psykos', went to your mother's household to kill her for some unexplained...reasons."
Yagi clenched his fists, feeling anger and sorrow, anger towards himself, and the overwhelming grief inside his swelling heart.
He screamed to the top of his lungs. The shattering, deafening shriek was enough to send a shockwave throughout the sky, splitting the clouds in two.
Tears began to form out of his eyes, before returning his gaze to his mother, "I'm sorry.."
"I'm sorry.." He buried his face to his mother's shoulder, repeating the apology like a mantra.
"Toshinori.." Genos's face showed remorse, "I'm sorry about this."
Yagi slowly removed his face from her shoulder, "No. Don't apologise. It's not..your fault." He wiped his tears, "It's mine. It's always been mine."
Genos was about to say something to rebuke that statement, but he didn't find the right words to deliver. Leaving him to grieve was the best option. He wished he could do more. He wished he could help, like Yagi had helped him from the start of their friendship.
Genos then remembered the sudden information that his visor gave him about the real identity of the one who killed Aiko, before saying, "Yagi, I-"
Genos was interrupted when he noticed a sound of multiple sirens coming their way. Genos turned his back, "Shit. I have to go, before the cops catch a glimpse of me. I'll talk to you later."
"It's alright. You can go." Yagi said in a raspy voice, "J- just be careful, alright? I can't..I can't lose any more of you."
Genos's heart was shattered at hearing that statement, before looking at him profoundly, "I'll try. I promise."
Yagi nodded, "Good."
Genos then propelled himself into the air using his leg jets.
Yagi then shifted his eyes to his mom, who laid still, unresponsive to every touch of his skin. He felt his heart just shattered into a million pieces, with nothing that could piece it back together again.
Suddenly, a piece of half burnt paper floated from the air.
It landed on Aiko's bloodied chest.
Yagi inspected the paper more, and caught a glimpse of a sketch.
A sketch of him, his mom, and his dad being together near a bench, with a symbol of a heart at the center.
At the top right, written the words: 'I love you, Yagi Toshinori, always.'
His heart swelled even more, as he kissed his mother's forehead, while even more tears flooded both of his cheeks.
"I love you too, I love you too, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.." Yagi repeated it over and over again, closing his eyes.
A feeling of gloominess reeled him over, as he carried his mother's corpse with his heart aching with every step, with every movement, he couldn't stop the guilt from overtaking him.
As the cops cars with an ambulance following them stopped at the front, the officers went out of their cars, keeping themselves wary of the boy.
They noticed that he was the winner of the UA Sports Festival, before putting down their guns promptly, confirming the identity of the boy before them.
"Easy there, boy." One of the officers said, "We can handle your mom from here. We can provide a murtuary for her corpse to stay in."
Yagi nodded slowly, as he placed the corpse in front of them.
"Does she have any other relatives that we can call?" One of the officers asked.
"No. She's an only child." Yagi shook his head, "Her parents are dead, so there's really not anyone besides me."
"Okay. Look, kid, we'll help you the best we can. You know about the 'villain casualty protocol', right?" The officer asked again, as Yagi nodded.
"Okay, I'll call you over once we get this sorted out with, including her funeral arrangement. May I have your number?" The officer asked again, as Yagi complied to his request.
As he wrote them his number, the officer smiled, "Okay. So, in a few days, I'll call you over once we get this sorted out with. You can come to the Center Hospital. You don't need to spend a single yen for the funeral arrangements, we got it all covered, understand?"
Yagi nodded.
"Good. Now you can go home. I'm sorry about your mother by the way." The officer said in remorse.
Yagi didn't respond for a bit, before saying, "Keep her body safe. It's the least you guys could do for her." He finished, his tone low, before walking away, his head hung down.
The officer stared at the retreating figure of the boy, before whispering to himself, "Poor kid."
...
Tatsumaki sensed it. Yagi was in trouble once again. His mental state...it was worse than before.
What happened?
Did someone die?
What-?
Suddenly, a gust of wind passed her by, revealing a frame of a blond haired boy standing in front of the bench with his heads hanging low.
"Toshinori?" Tatsumaki called out, causing Yagi to look back, wiping his tears, forcing himself to smile, "Heyya. Sorry for bailing out suddenly. Had to take care of some stuff. I'm here now."
Tatsumaki looked at him, before approaching him with a gentle gesture, "Toshinori..what happened?"
"Nothing, just uh..you know, Genos almost got himself into trouble. A little rascal, isn't he?" Yagi's voice sounded raspy, as he smiled, "Anyway, want to uh.." His voice was reluctant, "Wanna-"
{Cyberpunk 2077 OST - New Dawn Fades, 00:00 - 01:20 on loop}
Suddenly, he was enveloped in a warm, tight hug. Tatsumaki was softly caressing his back with her fingers, "I can feel your sadness from here, you know? You can tell me."
Yagi tried his best not to frown, to hold his tears back, "I- It's nothing, really." He said in a slightly trembling voice, "It's-"
"Toshinori, I love you, you know that, right? " Tatsumaki interrupted again, "I can't watch someone I love crying like this. Please, tell me."
Yagi tried his best, his fucking best, to not breakdown in front of her. But maybe he subconsciously came here to..get some comfort? Some warmth?
Suddenly, he buried his face deep into her clothings, sobbing as he did. Tatsumaki embraced him even tighter, rubbing a circle on his back.
Tatsumaki used her quirk to comfort him, but it didn't worked like before. It only slightly soothed him.
"I'm such a..such a worthless.." Yagi's muffled voice came to her ear like a heart piercing arrow. She rubbed his back, trying to sooth his sadness.
"I'm..so...worthless..so useless..." Yagi choked on his own words, "Useless..stupid...stupid.." His sobs intensified even more.
Tatsumaki decided to let him ramble on his own sadness for a while.
Tatsumaki gently pulled the boy back into the bench, as she let him rest on her shoulders, "It's okay, Toshi...let it all out."
An hour later, it felt like it's been a few minutes already. Yagi was still resting his head against Tatsumaki's shoulder.
After a long moment of silence, Yagi decided to break it, "I don't even know if being a hero is worth it anymore to me.."
Tatsumaki looked over her shoulder, before saying, "It's your choice really. You're not obliged to be a hero."
Yagi removed his head from her shoulder, "I can't force myself to care anymore."
"Understandable." Tatsumaki said, "But at the very least..you still get to be a decent guy. A decent guy is just as good as being a hero."
Yagi bitterly laughed, "Decent? I'm fucking atrocious!" He screamed, "If I hadn't left..."
Tatsumaki looked over to her boyfriend, before asking, "I haven't asked but what happened..?"
"Some fucking villain decided it was a good day to kill my mom." Yagi clenched his fists, "Called themselves 'Psykos', whatever the hell that means.."
Tatsumaki rubbed his back, "I'm sorry."
Yagi stood up abruptly, before turning his gaze to meet hers, "Gotta run for a bit. Catch you later, okay?"
"Are you sure you're okay now?" Tatsumaki asked in concern.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything stupid. And even if I did, you can always sense me, right?" Yagi said with a saddened look.
Tatsumaki contemplated for a second, but decided not to keep him. Maybe he needed some alone time, "Okay. Just...just remember..I love you, okay? I'm still here if you need someone to talk to. I'll always be here."
Yagi's eyes softened, "I know you will."
And that's a part of the problem.
"I'll go and catch some fresh air. It won't be for long. Pinky promise." Yagi said.
Yagi then walked away, "I'll see you around, Tats."
Tatsumaki stood, watching as Yagi's retreating form became more and more obscure, before disappearing completely.
THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY'S CHAPTER! Stay tuned for the next!
TO BE CONTINUED!