The Uncanny Smile
Makoto woke the next morning from his dreamless sleep.
In fact, he had been having this dreamless sleep for a while now actually.
He thought this as he readied himself for school.
Really, the more he sat on it, the more he realized that he really should be paying more attention the next time he does get a dream.
Especially since the things asked of him by his other self tend to be important- scratch that. Are important.
After all, as far as he's concerned, the other him is the reason he's even here.
Which means it's only important to actually remember what's been told to him. And there's really only one easy way how.
He glanced at the clock at the far wall of his room. It seemed he had some time to kill before school starts.
Slightly inspired by Izuku's method, he takes to his spare school supplies to rummage for an empty notebook.
It takes a bit but he eventually found one. Seems like it was his lucky day.
The notebook was dusty and the pages were a little worn. Something plain and easy to look over. In short, it was perfect.
He got a pen and immediately got to work.
He started with a log on when he arrived here and what he experienced. Detailing as much as he could remember from his meetings with his other self. Thinking on it, maybe that's what he should call the guy. "Other"... Well. Maybe not. It sounds a little tacky.
He kept on writing. As he wrote, he started doing something he hadn't noticed until he was done. His entries/logs started formal and precise but as he went on, his writing became a lot more laid back and informal, almost sloppy.
From detailed info to passing thoughts and emotion. It was then he realized, it was turning more into a diary than a report or simple notes.
At this point he was well into his writing that he didn't feel the need to restart. In fact, maybe writing like this would be good for him.
Finally, he finished when he felt he had covered everything important so far. He looked at the progress he'd made and smiled.
He knows that there is a certain risk to writing these very important and very secret, things down. But he can't really think of any other reliable way to keep track of things without running the risk of forgetting something he shouldn't. And writing this on his laptop wouldn't give him any more comfort than what he's doing now.
No. This must be the only way for this. Besides, if he can hide the fact he's technically an alien from another world. Then he can most definitely hide a plain old notebook.
Alien. He chuckled at his comparison.
With a look of content, he shut the book and looked back at the clock.
He's gonna be late. He realized with a gasp.
He rushed out the door, only to give the floor a high five.
With his face.
Only now did he realize too late that his shoes were untied.
He sighed, still on the floor.
Damn luck.
Unfortunately for him, fate wasn't done with him yet.
He arrived at the school grounds some time later.
Another day.
Though it was strange to say the least. He had no idea what had possessed him to be so oblivious to his surroundings.
After all, since when did practically the entire student body start sending him those types of looks?
It was...disconcerting.
Although he's not affected too much. He inwardly winced at the idea that this scrutiny was what Izuku had to deal with his entire life.
Sure he's not all that affected. But years and years of... this?
He can't even imagine the damage it could do to a person. And that's not even counting the bullying and literal physical abuse.
He had first heard of it when Izuku had mentioned it in passing. It shocked him, really it had.
The fact that Izuku had said it so nonchalantly- well, maybe nonchalantly but so... casual. As if such things were nothing of importance.
An idea no doubt enforced by the way that barely anyone bats an eye. Even the teachers.
He suggested it once. Telling the school staff. Izuku then proceeded to say that he'd already tried.
Saying that the school values Bakugo's reputation and his goals to enter the prestigious school of UA. A school for future heroes.
And in extension, those who followed his lead. Though the school never admitted it to him.
Izuku even agreed with them! He's faced with so much, and he's worried about Bakugo and his chances of becoming a hero should his behavior be found out by U.A?!
Makoto wanted nothing more than to storm the office and get this injustice settled. But apparently, Izuku had read the look on his face and proceeded to beg him not to.
So, well...he didn't. He couldn't betray his friend like that.
But all of that...it rattled him. And surprisingly, he felt a twinge of anger.
And that's the thing, isn't it?
He was never really angry. He may voice his annoyance or raise his voice to people at times. But he was never truly angry.
Well, maybe excluding his anger to Monokuma and Junko as well as to those cruel students the other day.
And that still confused him too. Why exactly did he get that angry that day? It sparked an old memory of his sure, but that was so long ago.
"Useless." He thought.
Why had the word affected him so much?
Yes, he had at one point thought very little of himself. But he'd gone past that.
He eventually sought help. Found refuge in family and friends, in all those he cared about.
And in turn, he healed. He grew to find hope in himself and to a brighter world he had yet to truly know. It was a hope he cherished for as long as he has it.
A hope he sought to let others experience as well. To bring them up and find themselves in a better place.
And yet, he felt... anger toward those students that so blatantly belittled Izuku to his face.
Anger to all that wronged his friend who he knew in his heart, never deserved any of it. Not a single second.
And just like that, the pieces finally clicked in place.
He wasn't angry for no good reason. No. Not even for his own past.
There was a reason why he hated Junko. Not only because of what she had done, but because of what she'd taken.
Driving everyone to despair. It was what those horrible people and her have in common, he realized. It was those kinds of people that angered him.
The same people that would bring Izuku down so low. Of course, not to the degree that Junko Enoshima had done. But similar nonetheless.
They're the type of people that take your focus away from all the good in the world. Drain anyone of all their will to try to find that good again. Sometimes even...permanently.
This time, he failed to reign in his emotions. And his face turned a deathly pale.
No, he just can't allow that. For something like that to happen to someone. Not on his watch.
Never.
...
That day, if Izuku ever noticed Makoto acting a lot more protectively, he didn't comment on it.
To Izuku, Makoto sure didn't seem like the type to want to scare people off. But some small part of him felt a strange...lightness?, whenever he noticed Makoto glaring at those who whisper not so subtly about him behind his back.
A lot of the time, it worked. Because they actually did back off.
But at the same time, another small, or perhaps not so small part of him feels a little selfish. Does someone like him deserve that? After all these years, he's come to believe he shouldn't deserve anything worthwhile if he can't deliver anything of the same worth back to the world.
Everyone says it. And everyone wants to keep reminding him. The world itself has set out to repeat this very lesson to him again and again and again.
It must be true, then. How could it not be when everyone believes it. They can't all be wrong, can they?
And yet.
And yet...
He still clung to his dream.
He still wants to help.
To save.
To be a hero. Like All Might.
And he knows, he knows it's just a silly, selfish dream. He can't be selfish. He doesn't deserve to be selfish.
But seeing Makoto, his friend. The friend that so actively tries to help him when no one else seemed to. The friend that stood up for him. Who seemed to actually tolerate him. No empty smiles and fake laughter.
But real, actually real.
Maybe, he can allow himself to be selfish. For just a little while longer.
Maybe.
That night, Makoto was not greeted with the courtesy of a dreamless sleep.
And then, it began.
The first thing he noticed was that he was running, he was running. His heart thumped wildly in his chest. The sweat dripping from his forehead was beginning to sting his eyes. But he can't wipe them away.
No, he has to focus. He can't afford to lose focus. He has to run. He has to get there, to be fast. Or else he'd be too late. Or else he can't save his friends.
But the road ahead of him kept stretching. It stretched with the ease of an elastic rubber band. His destination getting farther and farther.
He can't be late. He can't be late.
But it was already too late. Or was it?
Then everything turned purple.
When he woke he found himself in a dark void.
No, not a void. It was the interior of some unknown place. Dank and disheveled.
He sees the concrete floor, stained with odd reddish-brown streaks of paint everywhere. Or maybe that wasn't paint.
A flash. And then he sees a face. Too blurry to make out any detail but a single bone chilling trait.
A wide, almost toothy smile. Greedy, hungry, powerful. Such were the words that came to his mind.
He knew nothing of this man but at the mere sight he feels this overwhelming primitive instinct to run. It wasn't something formed by logical thought, but something innate. Something he felt intrinsically in him telling him, that the being before him was not a man, but a monster.
And run, he tried. But he couldn't. He was stuck to the ground.
He felt the tips of his fingers tingle with the call of Alteration. The urge to be anywhere but here.
But the man- it's smile only grew wider.
The last thing he felt was a hand on his forehead.
And then, he woke up.
Written: 10/2/2022
Edited: 11/12/2022
Published: 11/12/2022
Notes:
Makoto: Huh, looks like I haven't had a dream for while.
Nightmare: *appears* Oh? You were saying?
Makoto: Wait, no-
...
Hey, it's a me again. Not too much happened this chapt. But we got some insight into Makoto's mindset as well as Izuku's! Oh and that last part too. I might delve into Izuku's pov a little more in the future. Not sure, we'll see!
Huh, I wonder what the dream means. Probably nothing too important.
