"Boss."
"Hm?"
"You sure it was a good idea to send him to UA?"
"Doubting my plans?"
"He's no spy. Never has been." Tri-angle reasoned. "He's going to rat us out."
She played hurt, placing her hand on her chest. "He wouldn't."
"Boss…"
"Don't worry," She smiled. "He can't give me up. Without me he can't live, and he knows it."
.
.
Rescue training.
Ken hid a scoff with his hand when Aizawa-sensei pulled out the card with as much gusto the eternally tired man could muster. Rescue work was something he was never meant for. Especially something he had never thought about.
It was something we– I never did… It wasn't what we sought to do. Those in peril should be strong enough to save themselves.
The rest of the class practically glowed in excitement. After a quick change – especially fast for Ken – into their costumes they were guided into a bus that set off towards wherever it was they would be training. Ken let his mind function on autopilot with conversation that he wasn't interested nor wanted to take part in, replying with the usual 'interesting!' 'me too!' or 'yeah, you're right.'
His mind wandered to a simpler time. The energy of the class did get to him – he had to admit. A time where he could really laugh and mean it. Not have to deceive everyone around him, where he could truly speak his mind and not fear retribution.
But it was because he was weak that he was here.
It felt as if something had crawled up into his throat and died, stubborn and painful, unwilling to move. Drown it all out. Just focus. You know they will come – that's when you will need to watch them. All of them.
The students, the heroes, the principal– find out what he wants and what his plans are.
Then I'm out of this place.
They came to a stop before a large structure with a dome over the top. Ken was impressed, he had to admit. They got a quick introduction of USJ and what they were going to learn from the rescue hero Thirteen to which he only pretended to pay attention to. Ken was wondering whether or not he should grab Katsudon at lunch again until it happened.
In the empty space in the middle of USJ, the space turned black and distorted into something bigger and bigger.
Ken knew what it was – who it was.
"Huddle up and don't move!"
Out from the portal came a light blue puff of hair, a dry face hidden by an odd hand attached to it.
"Huh?"
Shigaraki Tomura!
"Thirteen! Protect the students!"
"What the heck's that?!"
"More battle robots? Like during the entrance exam?"
"Don't move! Those are villains!"
So early?! Ken fought hard to suppress the blood thirsty smile threatening to split his face. Instead he scanned the faces of his classmates. Anyone?!
Eraserhead was already up ahead of the group fighting the petty villains that walked out of the portal. Ken moved his eyes to Kurogiri and Shigaraki, watching their movements closely. Ken couldn't fight back – not yet. He couldn't expose himself.
What's their plan here? Are they here for All Might? Or Eraserhead? His quirk is… valuable.
Ken pulled his costume's mask over his mouth and nose and pulled the hood over his hair. Better safe than sorry. "Greetings. We are the League of Villains." Love their introductions don't they? "Forgive our audacity , but… Today, we've come here to UA highschool, this bastion of heroism… To end the life of All Might, the Symbol of Peace."
All Might's running late. What will they do now? Kill us all? Hold us hostage? Torture?
Bakugo and Kirishima jumped forwards at the warp villain, dust plumes blowing up behind the duo. They attacked together, quick and without hesitation – their forms stiff with fear but also determination.
UA, guess they wouldn't accept just anyone.
"BEGONE!"
The black mist swarmed 1-A, everybody raising their arms up and readying their quirks in panic.
"WRITHE IN TORMENT, UNTIL YOU BREATHE YOUR LAST!"
Ken took in a deep breath, preparing himself for wherever he would find himself. He had heard stories of the warp villain dropping his victims from the sky, dumping them into a pit of flames, a meat grinder – what would await him?
He hadn't expected to find himself in the Landslide Zone, as Thirteen had put it. Petty villains surrounded him, their eyes eating up his form and stance. He did the same.
"One?! Just one?! I thought we were gonna have more fun!" A blockheaded villain called out, his large blocky teeth making obnoxious clunking sounds whenever he shut his mouth.
"At least we're getting paid." Another had spikes donning the sides of his head and his shoulders. The rest of his body was hidden behind a long trench coat.
"That's right! Enough to pay off my gambling debt!" This one had a large spherical head with little facial features.
"Keep dreaming." Spikey replied.
The rest were all notably plain, wielding knives and bats, clearly simple thugs at the most. Ken's eyes darted around him.
"Oy. He's not even looking at us."
I am alone.
"The little bastard! I'll show you what a real villain looks like!"
Can't kill.
"O–oy, why's he smiling?"
Something took hold of him, deep and powerful. It was like ecstasy, like a forbidden feeling he always came back to. It rolled around his body like it was always meant to be there.
"He's just got a death wish."
Ken cracked his neck, letting out a long and cutting sigh. "Bring it on." His features darkened.
"That he does." Spikey dashed straight towards him with his spiked shoulder. Ken knew he wouldn't be able to stop it head-on, so he kicked off the ground with a flip and found himself just above the horns of the villain. He reached out with his hands and gripped the appendages, and pulled his knee forwards.
The villain was fast to react, and the horns detached before Ken could drive his knee into the man's skull as he put together a hasty uppercut at the boy above him.
It grazed off Ken's shin, but bought enough time for the spikey villain to back off as Ken landed on his feet.
"That's gonna take a while to grow back–"
Ken cut off his monologue with a mad sprint.
"Not on my watch!" The circular villain's spherical hands shout out towards him, leaving his tubular arms.
Fast. Ken had to break his momentum by digging his heels into the ground, slipping underneath one fist and pushing off his foot to dodge the other aimed for his gut. In the same movement he grabbed at his belt for his smoke grenades and threw them at the foot of the spiked villain.
"What the?!–"
The cubed villain felt a bead of sweat travel his blocky head. "You guys! Yeah you useless bastards! Get in there!" He screamed in the general direction of the thugs behind him as he pointed at the plume of black smoke.
Ken moved through the smoke with pinpoint accuracy as he dodged the flying spherical hands that cut through the smoke – but back to where he assumed was the circular villain.
He raised a hand to his goggles and clicked a button on the side, switching to infrared. The world lit up in an instant, and Ken grinned at the bodies presented before him.
Ken's hand went flying and met the gut of one of the petty villains, a satisfying gasp rewarding his use of force. Another came from behind him, his fingernails sharp and deadly. Without thinking he shot out a heeled foot at the man's crotch. Ken ignored the high pitched whine in favor of blocking a bat aimed for the back of his head with his arm.
Ken pivoted on his foot and used the same arm to grab the bat and shove it back to the man's face with a deep and gritty crunch following, alerting his success.
The circular villain shot his hands out once more into the smoke, this time knives grabbed in each hand.
Ken grinned and faced the hands head on. On instinct he pulled his hand upwards, feeling the same ripple of energy run along the muscles of his arm. As if from nowhere the villain's hand had been severed in two, separating knuckles from the base of his hand through his fingers.
In the distance he heard the circular villain cry in pain.
Ken sidestepped the other fist, and shot out his free hand to grab it, and in the same motion used the momentum to redirect it towards the spikey villain charging through the smoke at him once more.
The knife cut through the villain's upper arm but didn't stop him and a wave of heat stopped him from getting out of the way, instead taking the full brunt of the blow.
What?!
Ken was nimble enough to not get impaled by the spiked shoulder, but the air was knocked out of him as he flew backwards out of the black cloud.
"Grab him!"
He felt blocky fingers grab him by the shoulders.
"Gotcha!" Magma bubbled in the cubed villain's mouth.
He didn't think much when a droplet touched the back of his costume, he only moved.
Ken shoved his heel into the man's foot as his head rocked back into the man's chin and broke free of his grasp, but not before his back lit up in pain.
He rolled backwards on the floor, sending his back flaring up while also dodging the remaining hand of the spherical villain.
"You bastard!"
Rusty aren't I?
"I'M GONNA GUT YOU!" The ball-headed villain screeched, his eyes bulging and mouth frothing. "YOU BASTARD!"
Ken grinned beneath the mask, and shot forwards like a bullet towards the villain. The villain fought even with his useless hand in a desperate bid to save himself, Ken was too fast and his comrades too slow. Ken brought the man's guard up with a feinted hook and kicked the villain's crotch with all his momentum. A sickening crunch echoed outwards to all in the fight.
He didn't waste the shock freezing their movements, and threw out his remaining smokes.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The cubed villain spewed out an ocean of magma from his mouth, raining molten hell down on the black smoke. The sudden brightness from the inside of his goggles blinded him as he moved out of his preferred fighting ground. Some villains were too slow to react, their clothes lighting on fire and their skin melting as droplets pelted them.
An ugly chorus of scream followed, and the familiar scent of burning flesh and boiling blood invaded his nose. He froze.
"What are you doing you idiot!?" The spiked villain shouted.
"I'M TRYING TO KILL THE FUCKER!" The cubed villain was glowing, his body a pale red as steam came off of him. Ken realized he was tired as the villain tried to hide his ragged and dry breaths.
"You're gonna kill ME!–"
"Hah." Ken couldn't help it. "Haha…"
"Is he– is he laughing?"
"No. No, I got him for sure."
It's been so long. Too long. How could I forget this feeling? This rush!
Ken struggled to stifle the torrent of emotion, his spiraling thoughts.
Before him lay the burning screaming bodies of humans. And he felt pleasure?
It looks like you were wrong.
"Haaahh…" It was like a sea of some dark, impure feeling tainted him all over, inside and out. "Ahh…"
Let go.
It felt as if he was sinking into a deep and calming pool. The endless struggle to stay afloat proved too much for his feeble mind. It was too much.
Don't kill them!–
"YAAAAAGHH!"
.
.
Izuku felt his entire hand pulse with pain any movement he made as he swam through the water. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle, but it sure as hell hurt. In fact it almost helped him keep his mind clear. Clear enough to realize that they had to fight or they would die.
But… when that smell hit them…
"Euggh! What is that?! It smells horri– yaagh." Mineta gagged, covering his mouth with his hands quickly before he heaved bile into the water.
Tsuyu pinched her nostrils shut but even then couldn't help but express her disgust. "Something's burning."
Izuku had half a mind to dunk his head into the water so he didn't have to smell it. It was like the stench had tainted the back of his throat even when he blocked his nose. There was something in it that almost reminded him of Kacchan setting someone's clothes on fire…
It can't be?!
Izuku trailed the cloud of smoke that wasn't too far. "It's coming from the Landslide zone! It might be one of our classmates in trouble!"
"We– we can't go there! What if it's some super strong villain that's– that's already beat them!" Mineta argued, his eyes bulging out of their sockets.
"They might need our help. We can't just leave them behind!" Izuku spat back.
"We're here to be heroes." Tsuyu's eyes were hardened. "Let's act like them."
Mineta let out one final wheeze of protest before he realized the other two had already walked off towards the horrid smell. "D–don't leave me behind!" He scrambled after them, his tiny legs kicking against the water as fast as possible.
Izuku reached the edge of the water, his eyes washing over where the Central Plaza should be. Aizawa-sensei is drawing most of them away. We can't let the opportunity go to waste! Tsuyu looked around the perimeter before nodding at him to follow. They quickly ran across the empty middle and reached the foot of an artificial hill composed of a totalled building and sand.
Almost immediately the trio struggled to take in a breath. Mainly because the putrid smell had only gotten worse. But there were no sounds of fighting–
"We have to make sure they're alright." Tsuyu realized the same, and the two shared a nod as Mineta only whined to say that there was no reason for them to check up on them if there was no fighting.
Tsuyu was the first over the hill. Izuku was right behind when he caught the look on her face. It was devoid of any of that steely eyed determination. Izuku recognized the look on her face, it was the same look he'd seen on the faces of people caught in a villain fight before All Might had shown up to save them.
He rushed up right next to her to see what was wrong–
"K–Kitajima?"
It was without a doubt him. The blue hair poking out the edges of his hood, the familiar bloodied sharp heels, the same pale hands dyed with blood.
Bodies surrounded him, some burning and some burnt. Some were still wiggling around in a desperate bid to stay alive. The smell was worse. The worst he'd ever smelled.
Izuku felt his heart drop and he took a deep breath even though it killed him to do so, "KITAJIMA!"
As if broken out of a trance, the boy flinched at the loud scream. He slowly turned his head towards Izuku, before turning it right back towards the bodies beneath him. Kitajima shook his head before ripping his goggles and facemask off.
Mineta fell to his knees beside Izuku.
"Some of them are still alive–"
"Kitajima… did you… did you kill them?" Tsuyu croaked out, her voice unsteady.
"I didn't kill anyone. It was one of the villains with a fire quirk– ahh, molten breath." Kitajima replied, his voice even and calm. He rubbed the back of his head with his bloodstained hand and winced. "Hit me too." He walked over a charred body, casually stepping over it as if it was nothing but a bump in the road. "Not too bad – I think."
Kitajima was indeed right. Part of his back was exposed and looked raw.
How is he calm?
"Let's go and meet up with the others, yeah?"
Izuku could vaguely hear Mineta puke through the static that numbed his mind.
Izuku's eyes kept darting back and forth from Kitajima's hands and to the severed hands on the ground – to the fingers that looked cleanly cut.
"Did you– did you use your–"
"Is Mineta alright? Is he hurt?" Kitajima walked past another body, and Izuku could spot a tiny hole shaped opening in the man's shoe. "Midoriya? Asui?"
"Midoriya…" Tsuyu looked at him, her eyes wide and her figure quaking. Izuku only realized he was too when he looked down at his hands. "We have to go–" She abruptly turned around before the wave of nausea took over her senses and stomach.
"Asui!" Kitajima sped up his pace, marching up the hill.
Izuku couldn't help but take a step backwards. If Kitajima noticed, he didn't let it break his stride. "What's wrong with them? Did they get hit by a quirk?–"
"How can you…" Izuku swallowed the rising bile, and gagged at the taste.
"You grab Mineta, I'll get Asui. We have to get out of here if they're hurt." He walked past Midoriya and towards Tsuyu. He reeked of soot and flesh.
Kitajima reached out to her with his hand. She didn't take it. "Yuka, we have to go."
Izuku's head snapped to Kitajima. And only then did he see his eyes. They looked dulled, empty, like something had robbed them of their color. Like he wasn't here.
Tsuyu looked back at Kitajima with her bright green eyes, picking up on the name that wasn't hers. "Yuka?..."
Izuku caught it. The shock that ran across his features and how his features all twisted and turned. "The smell. It's horrible." Then it was back to the same old. "But we can't let it stop us."
It's not real–
"We have to get out of here. There might be more villains around." Kitajima looked and sounded concerned. He really did.
Is it all just an act? First it was with Urarska and Iida, and now it happened again! Is anything he says true?
"Let's move guys." Kitajima turned away from the unresponsive Tsuyu and towards Izuku, his hand still extended. "We can't waste time."
Izuku turned away from it and moved to the diminutive little grape in shock. Kitajima wiped his hand, but the stains didn't leave.
Izuku couldn't comfort him, not one bit. He didn't know what to say – so he just dragged the boy up to his feet and slapped his cheeks in an effort to get him to listen. "Mineta! Listen to me! We are going to leave now! We're getting out!"
"H–he– t-they're burning! They're d-dead!"
Izuku grit his teeth, both sadness, anger and nausea welling up in his throat.
Kitajima's mouth fluttered open, as if wanting to say something, but it snapped shut soon after. Tsuyu quickly regained herself, but it looked less like she was determined and more desperate to get out. "Kitajima is right," She wiped her mouth. "We have to go. We can't waste time. The longer we wait the more time we give the villains to gather and attack us again."
"Aizawa-sensei is attracting most of the villains in the joint, we have to help him before he wears himself out!" Izuku pointed towards the central plaza.
"Don't be stupid. You can't fight." Kitajima cut in sharply. "You'll be a liability if you use your quirk."
The words stung.
"We just have to focus on getting out."
"Y–yeah we have to leave! I didn't sign up for this!" Izuku knew what Mineta meant, but they were still here to be heroes. And Aizawa-sensei needed help.
"I can't just ignore someone in trouble!" Izuku argued. "I can't!"
Kitajima glared at him, his blue eyes burning with cold indifference. "Go on then, get yourself killed. See how much help you can give when you're dead."
The comment shocked the other three into silence, especially with the backdrop of the burning battlefield right behind.
Izuku couldn't help but interpret the words as Kitajima wanting him to die.
"A hero doesn't back away from a fight." Izuku felt his body thrum with determination. "Not when it means someone can be saved!"
Kitajima clenched his jaw, but quickly relaxed as if Izuku was right all along. "Yeah, you're right."
What?
"No! We can't!" Mineta yelled, his eyes wet with tears. "We'll die! Kitajima! Tsuyu! You can't–"
Kitajima sighed, "Lead the way, Midoriya." Though Kitajima looked as if he had given in to Izuku's heroic nature. There was a glint in Kitajima's eyes one Midoriya didn't catch – hungry yet patient.
Something he would soon wish to have seen earlier.
.
.
Eh?
Izuku was flying through the air.
What?
But he didn't remember moving his legs.
Why am I…
It was like the world was moving in slow motion. The five fingers of the villain crept closer and closer to his face, blanketing his field of view.
Through the gaps in the villain's hand, he did see one person. One who didn't look scared, or worried. No, almost victorious.
Kitajima was smiling.
"Midoriya–" Tsuyu's voice cracked, she was behind him.
Izuku felt hollow. All he saw in his mind was Aizawa-sensei's elbow slowly disintegrating, skin cracking into red flesh.
Was the same thing going to happen to him? Was he going to die? Would it hurt? He didn't want to die. He just got a quirk – he could be a hero. He can't fail All Might–
Then the fingers touched him. Dry and crusty things, harsh with callouses that brought terror, long nails that dug into his head–
And nothing happened.
"Eraserhead… You really are pretty cool."
One For All surged like lightning in his veins. His body felt electrified with pure energy.
Izuku punched–
"Nice one Nomu."
–An immovable wall.
A mass of purple flesh stood before him and the villain. Izuku yelped when it grabbed his arm, his heart dropping as his eyes darted around for help.
Kitajima.
Kitajima.
The blue haired hero in training didn't move. Didn't use his quirk. Didn't express anything.
He just waited.
Tsuyu shot out her tongue, wrapping it around Izuku in the midst of his panic.
He didn't expect to be tugged towards her. The villain's hand was still holding on to him–
"Said you were a liability."
A spurt of blood landed on Izuku's face.
The severed hand's iron grip loosened.
"You…" The 'Nomu' turned its gaze towards the newcomer. "You hurt it?"
Kitajima didn't bother replying to the blue haired villain.
"Kill him."
Grotesque, fleshy sounds followed the regrowing purple limb. The Nomu disappeared in the blink of an eye–
"KITAJIMA!" Izuku screamed, pulling at Tsuyu's tongue.
Izuku was fast enough to see the Nomu's leg fly off and Kitajima's arm high up in the air.
The loss of balance caused the large villain to topple over right next to his opponent.
Kitajima was panting, his form slumped.
The Nomu shot out its arm catching Kitajima's ankle, and squeezed.
"Aaargh!" The same hand was already severed by the time Kitajima screamed and backed off.
"What?" Itch itch itch. "You aren't supposed to do that. You're just an NPC." Itch itch itch.
The Nomu leaped with its good arm and leg, its maw wide open, ready to bite Kitajima in half.
He swung his uninjured foot upwards, and Izuku saw that it was bare.
The Nomu's entire mouth split apart.
The cut went as deep as the Nomu's eyes, and dyed its vision red.
Kitajima jumped off his hurt ankle and out of the Nomu's path. He stumbled and struggled to stand still.
"Nomu! You're supposed to be able to kill All Might! Shitty glitch!" ITCH ITCH ITCH.
The Nomu replied with a gargled screech as his face knitted itself back together along with its arm and leg. Its dull and animal eyes were full of rage as they set sight back onto its prey.
Izuku couldn't do nothing. One For All surged across his body, green lightning crackled across his skin.
"Get away from him!" Izuku snarled out. Tsuyu's tongue let go of him.
"I'll kill you!" The villain turned to Izuku, his face twisted into palpable rage, even hidden behind hands.
Izuku felt the ligaments in his legs tear apart and his bones rattle. I won't let you die! He shot towards Kitajima like a bullet, snatching the boy far away before the Nomu shoulder checked him into a pile of blood and shattered bones.
They both crashed into the coarse ground – Izuku taking the brunt of the force Kitajima felt weak in Izuku's grip.
"You– you broke my ribs you idiot." Kitajima groaned in pain.
It was that or no ribs at all! Izuku bit back the retort.
"Let go of me."
"I– I can't–" Izuku cried out, his vision going white for a second. His legs throbbed with unimaginable pain.
"I was fine without your help!" Kitajima looked murderous. "You fucking broke my ribs and— aaagh!" Kitajima kneed Izuku off of him, letting him fall unceremoniously onto the ground beside him.
Izuku felt his heart ache as much as his body. "Why– I just helped–"
"Should've–" Kitajima bit down so hard Izuku saw his tongue get caught between his teeth. "Just stay down."
Izuku tried getting up, using his two good– wait what? He looked down to the arm he punched with. It didn't break? But before he could start muttering he caught Kitajima forcing himself up as he kicked off his remaining heel.
"Wha– what are you doing?! You c-can't get up!" It felt hypocritical to say when he just tried to stand up with two broken legs – but he had to say it.
The pain was evident on the other boy's face, his brows scrunched together in focus, his face wet with sweat, his mouth stuck into a painful grimace.
"And let myself die?"
Izuku couldn't formulate a reply, instead he watched as Kitajima slowly but surely got to his knees, then to his feet – all the while biting back painfully obvious groans.
"K–Kitajima!"
"Shut up!" He looked at Izuku with feral eyes. "This is your fault you useless bastard!"
It was so out of character the words didn't register until Kitajima quickly looked away.
Useless deku!
Izuku looked at the other boy's wounds, his hurt ribs, his risk to save Izuku, just a useless and worthless deku. "I'm– I'm not u–useless."
"I told you," Kitajima responded without looking at Izuku – like even the sight of him would make him hurl. "You're a liability."
He felt the tears coming, and he couldn't stop them. He tried to stifle the sob that was wrenched out of his throat, but to no avail.
Now I'm just crying!
Stupid deku!
Stupid tears!
Izuku wiped away the tears but more just kept coming. What kind of a hero started crying in the middle of a fight? A worthless one.
The Nomu got closer and closer–
SLAM
"FEAR NOT. I… AM HERE."
.
.
'"Ken."
"What?"
"Hold still."
He felt a hand fist his hair.
"What're you doin?"
"Since you always nag about how long your hair is."
SNIP SNIP, went her scissors.
"Can you even cut hair?"
"A thanks would be appreciated – and yes! How do you think I keep my hair short?"
"Hope it gets cut in battle?" He felt her smack his shoulder and he chuckled.
"It's not that bad!"
"No, it's not."'
Ken shot up like a jackknife, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Then his ribs started to ache. But the surface below him wasn't hard, and he felt warm. Which probably meant he was in Recovery Girl's office…
He looked around at the dull bland pastel colors and it affirmed his belief. Ken groaned and rubbed his eyes in an effort to rid himself of the sedatives in his bloodstream.
Midnight did that bit – if he recalled correctly. Ken didn't like her.
Then the door slid open.
"Kitajima, you're awake." Came the stern yet soft of Recovery Girl.
"I don't like being sedated." The words spilled from his mouth before he could stop himself.
Though he didn't find himself regretting it, or snapping at himself. He just said it.
"We had no other choice. You weren't complying. You had three fractured ribs, Kitajima."
The potted plant's green near the window reminded him of how he had gotten the injuries. Recovery Girl mistook the look for him worrying about Midoriya.
"Midoriya is all right."
I didn't ask.
Ken didn't understand how he felt yet. He remembered, bits and pieces slowly coming together… but it didn't feel real. "When can I leave?"
The old and diminutive lady sighed. "You're free to leave, but don't overexert yourself. Unless you want to find yourself back in here again. And you'll have to talk to the police to give them an accounting of what happened. We heard from Asui and the other two, but they need one from you."
"Okay."
"Oh, I forgot to mention."
"What?"
"Some of your friends were here, they wanted to see you. They were worried."
Recovery Girl contemplated his silence.
"You didn't tell anyone you were injured until Midoriya pointed it out. And even then you said it was nothing."
"It wasn't–"
"Don't be a fool. What would you have done if one of your ribs pierced your lung?"
Ken remained silent. His mind felt somewhat muddled and staticky. Like not everything was just there yet.
She sighed again, "Are you alright?"
"Yes."
Recovery Girl frowned at the quick and simple answers, "You can talk to us if you need any help. Hound Dog – the school's counselor – will be ready for any of your classmates to go over what happened, you included–"
"Is it mandatory?"
Her frown deepened, "No."
"Okay… Can I go now?"
"Yes, you can."
Ken ripped the sheets off of him with a little too much haste – in hindsight. And he gasped as his feet met the cold floor. Ken's right ankle was back to normal. Once again he found himself floored at Recovery Girl's quirk.
So useful…
His folded clothes and a pair of shoes were on the table right next to him. Ken saw Recovery Girl leave the room to give him some privacy. He appreciated it.
Then he didn't.
Something was nagging him in the back of his head. Like an itch, an itch that would take a knife to relieve. Ken looked down at the frilly hospital gown that loosely fitted his slender limbs.
They changed him out of his clothes.
It flicked a switch in his mind.
It was like he'd been dunked into an ice bath.
They saw.
Kitajima crossed his arms over himself. His breath turned erratic. He couldn't feel his arms around him.
I can't breathe–
He choked and coughed on a glob of saliva running down the wrong pipe.
They saw all of me. They forced me to sleep.
Ken was shaking, his teeth chattering against each other uncontrollably.
They touched me. I wasn't awake–
He was drowning.
His fingernails dug into his shoulders. Into the same spot where large spots of discolored skin were etched into him. Long razor like fingers dragging and drawing blood.
The more he struggled the more they hurt.
When he'd given up they traveled down to his waist. Long and sharp.
Ken whimpered, his throat tight and his sobs choked. "Uggh…" He moaned, ugly and pitiful.
He was alone.