Wake up. Go to sleep. Wake up. Go to sleep. Wake up. Sleep. Wake. Sleep. Wake. Sleep. Repeat over and over and over again. Drift in and out from the world around yourself, replace the unconscious with the physical, physical with the unconscious.

The world had stopped making sense long ago, and yet - and yet I've tried to force it to be so. Make friends, family, understand the world around myself and put one foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Move forward, through the abyss.

An abyss that surrounds myself at the moment, threatening to swallow me whole into the depths of my own despair that all we've done has been for naught. Thus, I fight, I fought, I deny it the chance to drag me below.

Even as I try, even as I fight, I still cannot keep the abyss away forever. I falter, I slip, and the abyss drags me into its depths. Thus, I sleep.

[]; Schrodinger!

[Schrodinger]; What?

[]; You're awake! We were worried about you.

[Schrodinger]; No I'm not. I'm asleep right now. Wait I have something to tell you-

[]; What?

[Schrodinger]; It's about Bhartrhari, he's-

[]; I think this should be left for another time, you're exhausted right now, you need sleep. You can tell us later.

[Schrodinger]; No I can't! He's -

[]; You should go back to sleep, Schrodigner. You're tired, aren't you?

Waking up is another matter. Waking up means facing Bhartrhari-no, All for One, means facing the fact that he's exactly the person we've been fighting against. Waking up means accepting that, accepting that all we've done might possibly been for naught.

We haven't been doing anything, haven't we? Oh god- this has all been useless, hasn't it? Hiding things from behind their backs, trying to keep canon as is while we change the background - it doesn't matter now, does it?

Oh god, I'm not dead, am I?

Death - dying, it, that - I don't know if it's good or bad to be dead right now. Death means that I've been used, that we've all been used, just as would be expected of him. If this is death, then it isn't all that bad - I don't feel anything but my thoughts.

Yet, if this is just sleep, just a dream that I've been placed in, then - why am I not dead? Why have I been left alive now that I've essentially restored him to full power, my purpose done? What's the point?

Floating, drowning, moving, whatever this is through the abyss that is my current surroundings leaves me to only pursue further questions that have no answer, face me with the uncertain reality of what is, what could be. I can't see anything.

Breathe in. It doesn't matter. There's nothing I can do about it. What else don't I know?

Breathe in. It shouldn't matter. It's not like I can change what I've done at this point, right? What has gone on that the others haven't said a word about?

Breathe in. It won't matter. What happens now isn't entirely up to my decisions. Will I ever know what is going on?

Breathe in. It hurts. Who else is lying?

It's time to open my eyes.

Breathe out.

Opening my eyes, I wake to the sight of Bhartrhari sitting next to me. Wait, no, that's wrong. All for One. That, that! Staring ahead of myself, gathering something, anything at all!

Breathe out.

"So, what happens now?" I question. Looking back at him, I breathe out through my nose. I guess, in the end, I couldn't really do anything.

"Really, no attempt to tell the others, Schrodinger? Or is it Taylor? You really didn't answer that question." All for One, Bharthari, he responds.

"You might as well call me whatever you please, All for One. Or is it Bhartrhari? Besides, I might as well try to take the diplomatic route, seeing as I'm not dead." Sitting up, I face him.

"Why would I want you dead, Schrodinger? That would be such a… waste of your abilities. Better put to… other things." Smiling, the-man-who-won't-answer-my-damn-questions folds his hands together and places his head upon them. Arse.

"Like what? Working for you? Is that my price for coming to someone I cared for enough to drop everything? For trusting you?" I snarl, my voice raising as I speak.

"Ahh, that would explain a few things." The man mutters, probably thinking that I wouldn't hear it.

"Explain what?" I demand, moving to stand up.

He smirks. "Why you haven't said anything. Why, despite seemingly hating me, you still haven't told the others. You still care about the two of us being friends despite the fact that I'm exactly who you've been working against."

Sitting on the side of the bed, I freeze. "Fine, I do. I still fucking care despite what has just happend. You've played me like the cheap kazoo I am, played the rest of us into trusting you." I laugh, shaking my head. "What was the point? You didn't have to do anything, you didn't have to help - you could have said that you've already established a life here and didn't want to change any of it. So, why?"

His answer throws me out. "Really, a cheap kazoo? You're at least a harmonica, Schrodinger." That doesn't answer jack shit, asshole.

Standing up, I take a step forward before stumbling and placing all my weight on the bed frame. "Really, that's how you respond? Goddamn it, I don't care that you haven't really answered the other questions, I don't fucking care that you've betrayed me, but goddamn it, tell me why you didn't shut us up earlier! Why do, why did you care enough about us to help us in the first place! We both know it took years before we gained any powerful ability beyond what was listed on government papers! Tell me, why?"

He leans forward as if to stand up before leaning back, his smirk disappearing. "You want to know? You really want to know? I was bored. I had just killed what I had thought to be the last wielder of One For All, and All Might hadn't really made any kind of mark yet. I was just doing paperwork and making sure that Japan didn't accidentally kick off WWIII. Then you lot show up, lost, confused, and talking about impossible things that anyone that wasn't another voice in my head would know about. So I decided not to antagonize you at that moment. And then I learned that you all were actually people and you caught my interest even before developing what you all call [Denial]s." He pauses, taking a breath. "Besides, you tell me. Has it really been a bad investment, a bad idea to provide some help, Schrodinger?"

I look off, collapsing back into the bed. "No it hasn't, has it?" Taking a few breaths, I continue speaking. "You gained someone who was willing to help you when you desperately needed it, returning you to full power when you were practically on your deathbed. So, what happens now? You know I can't use Black Box on myself, right?"

"That is correct. As for… what happens next, we do have options, so what do you want out of our arrangement?" That fucking smirk returns and I know that he knows he has the upper hand.

"As much as I would like for us to just forget what has happened here and return to what it was like before I came to Japan, we both know that isn't going to happen. An arrangement at this point really is our only option at this point isn't it if I want to stay alive…" Bringing myself to properly sit up on the bed, I move myself into a cross legged position. "What I want… I would like to keep my freedom… how about that, yeah. I keep my freedom, you get someone who will heal you back to full health when you need it under threat of… fuck! What would you threaten me with? Next time I could just kill you and be done with it!" Curling up, my rambling becomes incoherent. There's nothing he could threaten me with… so why let me leave at all? I know he could just keep me here forever and have me under the damocles that if I messed up, I would be the one who dies. I… what can I offer that he knows I wouldn't risk anything for?

"You desire your freedom. How about this; I give you your freedom to do as you wish under a few… conditions. First would be that you reasonably drop whatever you are doing to heal myself and those under me when I ask of you. Second would be to stay away from political affairs, such as helping heroes, or god forbid telling the government anything about what goes on here or while you are helping any of those gathered under me. Third would be that the others are not informed of anything regarding this deal - to them I shall still simply be Bhartrhari, a helpful friend. This would all be under threat of myself informing the populace of exactly what you and your friends can do; that Sorites is in practice an atomic bomb, that Zeno is a warper with practically no limits as to her range, that Observer can look into the future at will and get accurate results. Unless you would prefer not to take this arrangement?" He… All for One offers out his hand.

Uncurling, I speak. "I… accept your offer." I take his hand, before releasing it.

"Good." He smiles, and stands. "You should go back to sleep now, Schrodinger. You must be tired."

[Sorites]; You alright now, Schrodinger? Anything happen?

[Schrodinger]; Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired that's all.

[Sorites]; You said you had something to say about Bhartrhari?

[Schrodinger]; Just that his appearance surprised me, that's all, he looked remarkably young. It's fine. I'm still tired, so I'm going to sleep for a bit more, that good with you?

[Sorites]; Yeah, you're good. Sleep well.

I lay down to rest and close my eyes.