Illusion

USJ

Chapter 5

Bellflower; Meaning: Unwavering Love

Running had become normal. Run, run, run, run, all I ever did, all I ever trained. Running more and more each day, day in, day out. I ran more and more to the point where my lungs could take anything. And my quirk already gave me an advantage. The muscles, after years of work, on my legs became thick and powerful, taking much stress.

My legs are powerhouses, my lungs strong enough to take any feat.

I always run in the same room. The little white room with cabinets on one wall, and my exercise equipment on the other. The cabinets had all the things I had ever needed; clothes, bandages, everything. The exercise equipment - at this point - is something I use every day. There's a treadmill, a bike, and a bar. The treadmill is marked and greying, most likely from how much I've used it. The bike is well used, although I only ever rode it when I was more tired than usual and had fallen off the treadmill. I use the bar when I train some of my other body parts. I do pull-ups, or hang upside down from the bar to work on my abs. Sometimes I would visit another room to work with weights.

My eyes flicker open as my door is banged on loudly, signaling the arrival of breakfast. I push the covers off my tired, aching legs, sitting up with weak abs.

Yesterday was a bar day.

I stand up and stretch out, taking in the same surroundings I fell asleep to; My twin, metal framed bed with a simple mattress and white sheets along with a thin tan blanket. Some of my blanket spills over onto the plain shitty carpeting and I toss it back up and onto my bed. The maids will straighten it out.

They always come when I'm gone and I'm not really bothered by the fact they've gone through all my stuff. I have nothing to hide anyways.

The rest of the room is pretty much nothing to look at, besides my small, quite simple, night-table.

And my desk. My desk - which is really just a coffee table so I can sit on the floor next to it - has all my math, reading, science, and geography books, ones I have to finish by certain times.

I've already done all my work, though.

Sometimes it gets pretty boring in here. All alone...

But along with my school books, I also have a nice book to read. It's nice, but a bit boring. Maybe I can finish it soon to trade it out.

My desk is also where I eat, which just happens to be what I have to do right now.

I turn towards my door and see my tray of food, slipped under the door. On the plate is a pile of a few scrambled eggs, an apple, a sliced up, raw, bell pepper, and some ham and cheese between 2 slices of french bread. I smile lightly, as this is the breakfast I like.

In a place like this, you'd expect the breakfasts to be moldy bread and eggs a week past spoiled, but it's quite different.

There's no point in so much exercise if you're really only hurting yourself. He wants me the strongest protege, not six feet under from starvation.

Sometimes it's so much food I feel like I might end up throwing up.

But at this point, my body is used to eating a huge breakfast and then burning it all afterward.

I pick up my tray, knocking on the door once to signal the guards that I'm awake, before heading over to my coffee table.

I sit as if its just a normal morning, but all back at home. I'm pretty much transported back home, bright, yet soft, morning lights shimmering across the living and dining rooms, and I'm filled with the overwhelming feeling of home. I can smell the wonderful breakfasts we used to have.

But when I open my eyes I'm met with the dark, gloomy, room that I call home now.

It's sad.

I want light again.

The rest of my breakfast is eaten in silence, and I pretend Seiko is right next to me and Mom is right in front of me. I pretend that this is mom's food.

My food is finished quickly. Not a single scrap left behind.

I knock on the door again and it opens quickly, my two guards awaiting me. I leave my breakfast plates there. The maids pick them up.

Holding my arms out behind my back, my hands are cuffed together and I'm brought down the hall to my exercise room.

Taking a breath, I stretch and zone out until it's all over.

It hurts less if you think about anything but the wound.

It's been however long, and I've zoned through the past few hours I've been here. But something weird is happening. My trainer is talking to someone, and something is happening.

I have no idea what's going on.

Then I'm taken, hands cuffed together, down halls I don't know.

We're moving fast. In a rush. As if things need to happen instantly.

That means he wants to see me.

Fuck.

I try and study the halls to distract myself from my impending doom.

There are doors, made up of expensive mahogany. Sometimes steel. Just like my door.

We turn right, then left, then right again, and it all falls into a jumble because my heart is speeding up and I can't handle it and I don't want to see him I don't want to be reminde-

Then we reach a door at the end of one of the seemingly millions of halls.

I'm turned by one of the guards, and the handcuffs are taken off me swiftly, and I straighten out my arms instantly, hands to my sides. There's a good chance that he's right behind this door.

I stand up straight and tall, and I stop my shaking.

He shouldn't have the satisfaction to see me scared.

Then another escort that pretty much appeared out of thin air is opening the door and I'm being pushed in.

I gain my footing quickly and easily, acting as if I was walking this fast, all down the halls on my own.

There he was. Slicked back brown hair and sunglasses hiding chocolate brown eyes. He wears them when he doesn't want to look at me.

"We're going to try some new training, Etso."

I stand perfectly still and keep silent.

He tilts his head to a door on the side of his wall. "Go in there. Don't pull anything or there will be consequences." He says in the deep tone he has, a small threat in the seams of his words.

I walk, confident and poised towards the door, not daring to look over to him where he was most likely staring.

I put my hand on the shining gold doorknob and open it smoothly, stepping in without a second thought.

In the room, there is nothing besides a bed.

And a woman.

My fingers slide onto the doorknob and shut the door behind us.

The woman is only wearing a pair of skin-tight black shorts that seemed to shine in the overhead light, along with a black crop top, showing off her thin, slightly toned, stomach.

She had stark red hair and popping red lips, along with big green eyes. She smiles down to me sweetly, and at this point, after seeing so many fake smiles, it's obvious that it's a genuine smile.

But there's a hint of sadness. Why?

"Hello Etso, sweetheart."

I stand and stare at her still. My mother would call me that sometimes.

"I'm going to show you something that Mr. Illusionist's friend, Magnitus, suggested I teach you," she speaks softly and lightly, almost confused on how to react to me. "We're going to head through this door, sweetheart."

She moves to the side and there's a door.

"But first, put this on."

She hands me the same shorts she must be wearing and a crop top. I shiver.

I pull off my sweaty exercise clothes and leave them on the floor, trading them out for the tight shorts and shirt. My toes curl into the floor as I stare into the carpet. I want to disappear.

All the signals in my brain, everything, is absolutely screaming at me. Begging, screaming everything. Telling me that is this is horrible and I need to run, run, with my running speed maybe I can esca-

"C'mon, let's go."

She turns and puts her hand on my shoulder moving me to stand right next to her, a touch, light and motherly, right in front of the door. She then grabs my arm tight, like when we went to the carnival with Mom, so she wouldn't lose us in all the people.

"Welcome to the ThunderHall."

My legs pound against the pavement.

I speed all the way down the stairs. They shouldn't have even seen me.

Next to me tall buildings grow high above me, all trying to simulate a city-scape.

I loop around one of the walls next to the stairs and deactivate my quirk, moving into a jog against a wall near the largest building. Then there's a large explosion from inside the building and I move my arms over my head to shield myself from a rain of glass. It has to be Bakugou.

Jogging around the building, I find the entrance, quietly opening the door and closing it behind me. There are most likely Villains here.

Tiptoeing across the room, I navigate around old scattered furniture. There's a set of stairs at the corner of the room.

I take the stairs two at a time until I make it up to the last stair. Nobody is standing in the area in front of the stairs, where I could be easily seen. I press against the wall that would be hidden to anyone in the room and look over the corner. There's nobody here. I walk up the final stair and cross the room, which seems like a replica of the first floor.

After six flights of stairs and rooms of scattered furniture, I finally find someone.

Stepping up to the second to last stair of the 8th floor, I find three men in the room.

One is going up the next set of stairs in large strides, and the other two are tapping their feet and staring after him.

I kneel down on the stairs and face forward again.

I exhale silently and move toward a couch placed down on the floor randomly. I lean against it and look over the side. The two men still stare towards the stairs, their backs facing me. I look at the furniture scattered around the room. There's a broken table on its side. One leg lays discarded on the floor next to it. Perfect.

Moving towards the table silently, I hope they won't turn around.

If they do, guess I can just improvise.

I make it to the table unseen and grab the wooden table leg. Looking over the side of the table, I notice they are rather close to me.

I've learned to silence my steps and breath by now. They have no idea I'm even here.

Then I activate my quirk. Time begins to move slower and I stand up. I dart around the table and move to the front of the men. I swing my table leg at one of the men's jaws.

His eyes get wide before fluttering shut, all in slow motion.

The other man blinks in surprise and is about to move back, but I'm already moving, hitting him in the jaw as well.

Both men are on the ground, as I look around the room to see anything I could use to keep a hold of these guys after they wake up. There's a rope on the floor. I snatch the rope and tie the men together, looping the rope over and over, using my foot as leverage to tie a perfectly tight knot.

"If you ever need it, little one, tie up the heroes as tight as you can, do anything. It could save your life for when I'm not there."

I grasp my table leg a bit tighter and move to the stairs where the third man went. An explosion sounds and I can hear some people talking the next floor up. It must be Bakugou and whoever was transported with him.

Seiko, oh please let it be Seiko.

I walk up the stairs quickly and peek over the turn. The man, who looks like some type of lizard, is stalking what looks like Kirishima and Bakugou quietly.

This is my chance to run after the lizard-man.

Not Seiko...

I charge, table leg at the ready. Kirishima and Bakugou look over and I slam the table leg into the lizard. The force of the hit sends the lizard into the wall and unconscious.

"Dang! Etso you're so manly! Were you downstairs?" Kirishima exclaims, holding up a hardened fist.

"I got out of it - The portal thing. I'm speeding around and helping anyone out." Looking for Seiko.

I swing the table leg around in my hand.

"We were doing just fucking fine." Bakugou pitches in, and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"Alright then. Two guys are tied up downstairs just so you know. Well, I'm gonna head to the next area, have fun and don't die."

I speed away, taking steps at a rapid rate; the look on Bakugou's face makes me think I'd have to deal with him more than villains if I stayed.

I speed to the landslide zone, where I see a massive wave of ice and crystals fly in the air. I squint and pass by, but Todoroki looks like he's doing fine, all of the villains frozen as he walks around.

Seiko is not there…

Todoroki can handle himself, and his quirk is suitable for mass amounts of people.

I continue forward, up towards the mountain zone. I puff out some air and keep running. I look over to the center plaza, checking up on Aizawa.

Aizawa spins around the plaza, knocking over villain after villain. It looks like watching a recording, like the time that I watched a piece of myself fighting - and while I don't have the perfect form - Aizawa's moves still remind me of training.

But I trust him. I leave him to his fight. I trust orders.

I trust orders.

Then why do you never obey them?

I trust orders that come from those I trust.

I make it to the outskirts of the zone, where dirt and rocks scattered around, ones that create the large mountains. I follow a path between the hills at a hurried pace. I hide behind a large rock when I hear voices calling out.

I look over the edge of the rock to find a clearing. There is a multitude of villains surrounding the center, where I can see Jiro, Momo, and Kaminari.

The three of them frantically stand back to back.

Momo catches my glance, eyes locking to mine. I draw a finger to my mouth. I see a villain with a staff. I point to the weapon and emphasize with my hands. She looks away and nods to me.

I turn back, staring ahead of me. When I look at Momo again she's holding a staff my size.

I get ready for battle, table leg still in my hand.

I stand and run, my feet slamming into the ground with a powerful running start. I approach a villain from behind. I swing my table leg, as hard as I can, at the villains neck.

In just the right spot.

It knocks him unconscious immediately.

All eyes turn to me.

Some villains charge.

A large man throws a sloppy right hook and I dodge instantly, swiftly moving to the side. I swing back to face forward, my leg sticking out as I slam my leg into his knee, sending him sprawling to the ground, and I hit him in the temple with my heel.

Another man charges me from my left. He looks as if he's activating his quirk, fingertips lighting on fire. He swipes, fire streaking the air and I duck. I smack him in the hand with the table leg and snap my knee up into his crotch.

I activate my quirk and speed over to Momo.

She hands me the staff.

A good thing that one of the weapons I know so well is so universal.

"Thanks," I say, feeling the smooth wood.

"No problem." Momo smiles, then her face contorts into fear and surprise. "Behind-!"

I jab the staff behind me and it hits home. "I'm gonna go, protect yourselves." I turn away.

The pack of villains stalks the four of us. "What are ya, a trained protege or some shit? They said you'd be fuckin' helpless."

I clear my throat. "You aren't wrong. I am pretty badass if I do say so myself." I brush some dust off my costume, acting like I could fight the entire world at once.

You're doing well. Being cocky will intimidate your opponent when they realize you have a bite to match your bark.

"Prepare." I get in a battle stance. "To lose."

The villains run towards me. I swing the staff in a powerful stroke. It smacks a smaller villain hard in the stomach, force of the sudden stop traveling up my arms as I swing around to hit him again. A larger man charges at me and I swing right back around again and hit him in the back of the knees before hitting him, with enough force to make him fall to the ground.

I twist around, throwing punches and kicks at villain after villain.

"ETSO!" A large blanket erupts from Momo as Jiro calls towards me. I see Kaminari's skin buzz with electricity.

I activate my quirk and everything slows. I run as fast as I can, a spurt of pure speed, and I slide under the falling blanket and deactivate my quirk, vision slowing down and going back to normal. I hear an electric fizz slightly over the sound of blood pounding in my ears.

Momo and Jiro's voices are like murmurs from above the surface; as if I'm caught underwater.

I feel a hand press against my shoulder. "Hey Etso, let's go check out the center plaza.

It'll be easier to find him when you're in the middle.

"Okay."

Mom brushed her hand through my hair, soft skin and nails itching at my scalp. I curl into my blankets, writhing in pain.

"Your legs hurt."

I nod.

"So growing pains." Mom runs a warm hand over my lower legs. "C'mere Seiko."

I look up as Mom beckons to me from her kneeling state, holding her arms out.

I crawl over and she takes me by my shoulders. She stands up and I latch my arms around her neck and legs around her hips. I lay my head into her neck and sigh into her warmth.

She supports me well, rubbing my back as she opens the door to the bedroom Etso and I share.

"Growing pains are normal, babe, means your getting bigger." I keep my head down and listen idly.

"That also means your quirk will be coming soon." Wait WHAT!

I lift my head up looking at her with wide eyes. Because there's no way.

"Yeah, and you'll be so strong, probably get a quirk like your dad's."

"What about you, mamma?" I ask. I bet Mom's quirk is so cool. Just like Mom.

"Once again hun, I told you, it's complicated."

I frown at Mom's tone. She's sad. "Why are you sad?"

"Oh uh, nothing hun, I'm just hoping that your quirk won't be hindered by me."

"What does hindered mean?"

"It, it's hard to explain, hun, but it's like being slowed down."

"Okay, Mamma."

We make it down the stairs, heading to the main room.

"SEI-CHAN ARE YOU OKAY?!"

"Etso! Stop yelling, Seiko is just fine. It's just growing pains, means his quirk is coming."

Mom puts me down and I sit down into the soft carpet.

She then walks over to Etso and kneels in front of her, Etso's face lighting up with a bright, pretty smile as she bounces on her toes.

"Means it will be happening to you soon." She taps - 'boops' in Etso's terms - Etso's nose before retreating to the kitchen.

"Who wants tea or hot chocolate in celebration?"

"ME!" Etso and I yell in unison, running into the kitchen together, growing pains long forgotten.

Mom smiles and pours water into the kettle.

"I'll have mint tea, honey. And what exactly are we celebrating?" I hear the door close and Etso and I snap our heads to the front door.

"HI DAD!"

"Kids! Stop yelling. Hi Honey, right now we're celebrating growing pains," Mom smiles at Dad as he puts his bag down and jacket on the hanger.

"I'll have mint tea too, Mamma," Etso pitches in from beside me, childlike voice booming sweetly.

"I want hot chocolate!" I burst out. Hot chocolate is the best.

"Don't worry Seiko, you're not alone, I'm having hot chocolate too," Mom says as she opens the cupboard.

Soon the drinks are ready, Dad having to practically peel Etso and me from Mom's legs.

Mom clacks down the tray, 2 two teas for Etso and dad, and 2 two hot chocolates for Mom and me.

Upon Etso's request, we later play Menko, a card game that she always wins.

Mom and Dad play along happily, Mom and Dad dropping out for a while to make dinner.

I love Mom and Dad. No doubt about it.

A vase of bellflowers sits idly in the kitchen.

After Midoriya, Tsuyu, Mineta and I manage to stop the villains after us, we peek over some bushes to see the center plaza. I reach up and brush my hair out of my eyes, red grey strands growing long

Aizawa is flying through the air, facing villain after villain, using his scarves and a multitude of tactics, punching and kicking.

As Aizawa reaches the ground after grabbing a few villains from the air, the man with blue, mop-like hair and hands covering his body charges at our valiant teacher. The mans tall, but he slouches heavily. He's dressed in loose black clothes. The hands are pale.

Aizawa flings a scarf towards the man, to which he catches it. They run towards each other, the scarves still stiff, yet flowing, in the air. It appears they're speaking, but I can't figure out what they're saying over the sounds of falling water and battle throughout the whole area.

They clash, Aizawa elbowing the hand man in the stomach, while the hand man catches the elbow. They stay there for a moment, each shaking with force.

Our teacher is so strong.

Aizawa's hair falls down.

Aizawa punches the man and jumps back. You can see it on his arm, now. Skin crumbling. What the hell!?

The man says something else. Then the large bird-like thing is stepping up towards Aizawa, who's spinning around and knocking out villains.

It grabs Aizawa, blood spatters. It lets out a foul noise.

It smashes down its hands, crushing Aizawa's arms with sickening cracks.

The video played fuzzily on the tv. The girl curling in on herself. She spasms out and stretches in pure pain. I can't tell if her scream is gravelly or if it's just the recording. No... It's not the recording. It's real.

I rub at my temples. Who was that person in that recording?

It doesn't matter.

A soft, small hand reaches out to me. She's just outside, black hair swinging to the side, the same sad smile on her face. "I've got your dinner, Sei,"

"Thanks, K-"

The memory cuts off sharply. Usually, the memories fade away.

"Thanks, K-"

My head is beginning to hurt, a knife slowly digging into my head. Who the hell am I talking to?

"Thanks, Ka-"

It takes all of my being not to scream. It hurts so fucking badly, a knife twisting, twisting, twisting.

I look back into the battlefield. I have to pay attention

Oh, I wish I wasn't looking at the battlefield. Aizawa's too strong for this. He just took down so many people. There's no way.

The thing slams Aizawa's head down with a scream.

I close my eyes shut, briefly, in horror.

I reopen my eyes and the warp gate appears behind the blue-haired man, and they discuss. The screams are too hard to hear over.

Oh my god, there's blood everywhere.

"Let's damage the pride of the Symbol Of Peace."

Then the villain's running towards us. Oh my god I'm gonna die.

His hand reaches out towards Tsuyu. And he touches her face. All five fingers…

But nothing happens.

With an irritable sigh, the man stands straight "Tch." frustration glimmering in the only eye you could see between the fingers of the hand stuck on his face "Eraserhead."

The Nomu thing moves, moving Aizawa up before slamming him back down. What would Etso do?

Punch the bitch.

Channeling the warmth of my quirk up my arm, I punch, the wind blowing my hair back as the man falls to the ground.

"Shigaraki!"

The man, Shigaraki, stands up, rolling his shoulders. But then Midoriya is up in the air, yelling as pure sound from his quirk shakes my ears.

He punches, hard and fast, towards Shigaraki again.

The Nomu lifts Aizawa again. And smashes him right back down. The ground crumbles and blood spatters.

I see Izuku jumping up towards the Nomu, energy sparking.

Shigaraki reaches towards Tsuyu, who is stumbling away from Shigaraki's hands. Midoriya is going to be crushed. His punch did nothing.

And then I'm running, Nomu's hand is in the air, about to crush Midoriya.

I reach him, grabbing his arms over his UA gym shirt, and shove him forward. He stumbles back and falls.

For a moment, nothing happens. A moment of silence. I look to Midoriya, wondering if nothing is happening in his world too.

He looks completely terrified, eyes wide as he stares above me. Why is he so scared? What's above me?

I look up, tracing Midoriya's line of sight.

The Nomu. It stares at me with a wretched smile and beady eyes. But the hand that was about to crush Midoriya. It's still up, and ready to strike.

Oh.

It's hands, with talons, come down on me, sharp and fast, and I have barely enough time to put my hands over my neck and look back down.

And I'm on the ground, slamming down in a painful fall. I crush my eyes closed. Will the hand come down again?

Everything hurts, everything hurts, everything hurts, everything hurtshurts h urts.

I feel a brush of wind, a pounding force. Then my vision goes black and I slip away.

Next time,

White Clover