Chapter 32

Everything was sore. The curtains in the hospital room were drawn keeping the sunlight out, so it was dark and I was thankful. I hadn't called anyone. I didn't want them to know that I was awake. I wasn't really up for conversation today. I'm sure Recover-Girl had done her best to try and heal me, but I had put too much strain on my body, and she could only heal so much. I would have done it myself but I was too exhausted. All I could do was think about Mirko. If she was okay… if she was even alive. I couldn't get that image out of my head. Her lying there in a puddle of her own blood, half of her limbs missing. I grabbed fistfuls of the sheet. I shouldn't have listened to her. I should have gone back for her. Then none of this would have happened to her. Shigaraki had gotten away in the end. So all of this was for nothing. I had to make this right, I needed to fix it. I ripped the IV out of my arm. I stumbled out of bed, using the wall for support. I slid the door open, wobbling over to the nurse's desk.

"You should not be out of bed," she said frantically.

"Where is Mirko?" I asked, ignoring what she said.

"You need to get back in bed miss. You are in no condition to be walking around like this." she pushed.

"I will take her."

"Aizawa-Sensei," I whispered, trying not to cry.

He came over to me and I held onto his arm for support. He didn't ask me anything and I was glad. If he had I was sure that I would've broken down. He slowly walked me over to her hospital room. The door was shut. I touched the glass, but that was all I did. I was too afraid to open it. He set his hand on my shoulder and opened the door for me. He walked me in closing the door. My eyes were glued to the floor. I couldn't bring myself to look at her.

"This is not your fault Yami."

"It is. She told me not to come back for her, no matter what happened. No matter what I heard. I shouldn't have listened to her. I should have gone back."

"You respected what she wanted, Yami. Things like this happen when you are a hero. People get hurt. That will never be your fault. Do not take on any of that."

I swallowed hard and looked up at her. My breath hitched in my throat. Her amputated limbs were wrapped up. Her leg was elevated in a strap hanging from the ceiling. Her eyes were blacked and she was covered in bruises all over. I took a shaky step forward, reaching out my hand toward her.

"I can fix it. I can fix her."

He grabbed my hands, pulling me away from her. "Stop it!" he sighed. "You are in no shape to use any of your quirks after that day. Both of you are in very bad shape right now. You've been asleep for the past four days and you're still this exhausted. You need to take care of yourself before you take care of anyone else. If Mirko wants your help when she wakes up she will ask for it. If not, you need to let it go. You need to rest, and it is not a request."

He walked me back to my room and tucked me into bed. I could feel him staring at me, but I couldn't look him in the eyes. I wasn't up for talking right now, but I knew he wouldn't leave me alone like this.

I heard him sigh. "Yami, look at me."

I sighed, looking up at him.

"Is that all that's bothering you?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. "I'm fine." I lied.

"Yami, do not lie to me. I can see that you are not fine. I know you."

He was right. He did know me.

I took a deep breath. "He was right in front of me," I whispered. "I couldn't do it. Part of me wanted to… but I couldn't and he knew that. He mocked me for it. If it wasn't for him this wouldn't have happened. Mirko… she wouldn't be like that."

"If it wasn't for All For One."

I said nothing. He was right. Shigaraki was his doing, his creation. Even if he was trying to help us take him down now. It was too late. Things have already been set in motion.

"You are angry with yourself because you could not kill him."

I nodded.

"Us heroes do not kill people, Yami. We capture them."

"Not everyone can be captured and taken to jail. He is a monster. He brought down an entire hospital building. He did not know whether or not there were people inside."

"You managed to get through to All For One."

I threw my hands up in frustration. "That does not count! He is my… you know what he is. That is the only reason. The only reason Shigaraki is doing all of this. The only reason he breathes is for All For One. I took his only reason for living away from him. There is no getting through to him."

"Killing someone will change you Yami, and not for the better. There are other ways, it does not have to be like this."

"No there isn't. He wants to kill all of you because I took All For One away from him. I won't let him do that."

"All of us?"

How was he just sitting there so nonchalantly? As if he wasn't hearing what I am saying.

"Yes. You, everyone at UA-"

"Dabi," he said interrupting.

"Yes. Dabi too."

"Do you know where Dabi is?"

"No," I said truthfully. "Why does that even matter? Did you hear what I just said? He is planning on killing all of you if I don't stop him."

"There is nothing I can do about that right now. So, there is no use in fretting over it. What I am worried about is you. Everything else can wait."

I pulled my knees to my chest.

"Was he there with you? Dabi I mean. During the time that you had disappeared?"

I didn't like that he could do that. See-through me like this. It was as if I couldn't keep any secrets from him.

"Yami. A hero takes down all villains. We do not get to pick and choose. A hero does not kill villains if we can avoid it. We capture them and lock them up."

I balled up my fists and turned away from him.

"Then I guess I am not a hero after all."

"Yami-"

"Just please leave. I'm tired."

He didn't argue, he just left giving me my space. I drew the curtain, laying back down in bed pulling the covers up to my neck. I could feel myself starting to drift off. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off. I didn't even remember hearing the door open.

"I said I wanted to be alone."

I turned around quickly, after not hearing a response.

Kurogiri?