Knock knock knock
Ken felt his heart leap straight into his throat. No one knew where he lived. Except…
"OI BRAT! OPEN THE DOOR!"
Fucking–
"Give me a minute!" He had only his boxers and his white oversized undershirt on.
"Who do you think's paying for the place, huh?! Open the fuck up!"
Ken had no time to put on his only other set of clothing before the door burst open.
"The– the lock–"
Tri-angle swaggered right in as if he owned the place – which he did – and stared at Ken. Ken couldn't ever get a read on him through the signature triangular black mask he wore on his face, though his voice was more than enough. "Report." Pissed and annoyed.
So was he.
Ken felt a migraine coming. He didn't want to deal with anything. He'd come back from UA late because he had to give his statement – thankfully they believed him – and practically ran back to the apartment before he saw anyone who would recognize him.
He couldn't deal with it. Especially with whatever happened at… Ken killed the train of thought.
"Moles?"
"Rat's out."
No one's listening in, then.
"Shigaraki and Kurogiri were there – along with the Nomu they made."
"Hmm. Snag any pics?"
Ken grit his teeth. "I was busy staying alive."
"Unfortunately… Make any friends?" He could hear the grin.
"Fuck off. I didn't find anything new." Ken bit back, his throat suddenly tight.
"You're going to have to, you know."
"I don't."
"Don't be stubborn. Warm up to them, y'know? Get nice and close, maybe in their beds–"
"I said fuck off!"
SMACK
Ken's head jerked backwards, and his jaw lit up with pain. He stumbled and fell on his back. His vision went black for a split second, before he looked back at Tri-angle.
Tri-angle fucking pistol-whipped him. His black, custom made revolver managed to reflect small amounts of light even in his dark apartment.
Before Ken could fully process the information, the man spoke up. "Do whatever it takes. The faster you get this shit done the faster you can come back." He shoved the revolver back into a hidden holster in his coat. "I don't give a fuck if you have to whore yourself out."
Fucking bitch! Fuck you! FUCK YOU!–
Ken fought hard to keep himself from rendering the man into two pieces. He'd be long dead before he'd even get close to moving his arm.
Tri-angle turned his back to Ken without a care in the world, but stopped just by the door. "Oh, and do fix the door, okay? Don't like it when my shit's broken." He rapped his knuckles on the door, then dropped a thin envelope right outside his doorstep.
He left without saying another word.
The apartment was devoid of any furniture for Ken to thrash.
.
.
Izuku's downcast behavior was obvious. He thought going out with his friends would have made him feel a little better – it did, but his words just wouldn't leave his head. Uraraka kept shooting him looks even as she spoke to Ashido and Kirishima.
He tried to keep it hidden, he really did. It just kept nagging him. It was a small group which made it all the worse. It was just him, Uraraka, Ashido, and Kirishima out to catch some food and just hang out together in downtown Musufafu – the others were spending time with their families, and Izuku had already spent a lot of time shedding tears with his mom–
But he couldn't hide his flinch when Kirishima spoke up about him.
"Did any of you guys get to talk to Kitajima? I had to leave 'cause of my parents and he was out cold in RG's office." Kirishima's eyes were locked on Izuku's the longest.
"Didn't Midnight have to use her quirk on him? Y'know, since he kept insisting he was fine." Ashido air quoted the word 'fine.'
"I– I offered to make him weightless so that we could carry him but–"
"He didn't let you touch him." Kirishima finished, his eyes distant. "Wouldn't even let me lend him a shoulder."
"Weren't you with him the whole time, Midoriya?" Ashido peeped up, her eyes expectant.
"I– I…" Could he tell them? Did Kitajima want him to tell anyone? "I c-can't say…"
"Aww come on! Don't be like that!" She groaned.
"Ashido's just worried, right?" Uraraka asked.
She nodded vehemently.
"I"m not s-sure…"
Kitajima hates me enough…
"Tsuyu wouldn't talk about it either! And there's no way I'm asking Mineta – sheesh, he's got issues." Uraraka, pat Ashido's shoulder, whispering some comforts Izuk assumed. Or ways they could strangle the boy.
"By the way did anyone else notice the smell? I think it was coming from the landslide zone." Kirishima questioned.
Izuku froze.
"Yeah I did, but only when I got closer to the central plaza." Uraraka tapped a finger against her chin. "Don't know what it was but it was horrible."
"I overheard something though…" Three sets of eyes turned to Ashido. "The police were talking about villain casualties…"
Izuku visibly winced – this time all three noticed.
"So it's true?! Some of them died?" Ashido instantly capitalized on his reaction. "W-was it Bakugo?"
"No way! I was with him the entire time!" Kirishima quickly defended his bro. "We didn't kill anyone!" He waved his arms around frantically.
"Then who was it? Todoroki? I mean he looks very… cold? Emotionless? But also very hot!"
Uraraka hid a gasp with one hand and used the other to smack Ashido's shoulder. Izuku on the other hand was having a hard time keeping himself from muttering everything he saw out. Izuku wasn't even sure if Kitajima really hadn't… killed anyone. Most of them were… burnt. Villains or not… no one deserved to die like that. Kitajima said it was one of their own who did it… but Kitajima looked so… indifferent. Like it was something he was used to. He walked over a charred body (corpse) without so much as a grimace or even walk around it! It was like he wasn't really there – and then when he called out for a Yuka… Tsuyu heard it clearly too, so he hadn't misheard anything. But who was Yuka? There was no one in his class called Yuka – and he did check – so who was it? It was definitely someone he knew but why would he say her name right after that? He also assumed it was a girl's name because Yuka usually was–
"Midoriya?"
Izuku jumped, startled by the voice.
"You okay bro? You were muttering." There was worry evident in Kirishima's voice, but also an undercurrent of curiosity.
He just said everything out loud didn't he? "Y–yeah I'm fine. No problems here." Izuku laughed awkwardly – and he knew he was a terrible liar when they all looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Did– did you guys k-know there was a local performance going on? I-I haven't been there before – but I heard the bands playing were really good!" So he tried deflecting.
In truth, the poster for the show had shown up several times on lampposts and walls enough for Izuku to jot down the information in his brain. It served as a good distraction.
Ashido however fell hook, line and sinker. "Yeah! I completely forgot to mention that! That was why I tried to bring everyone out here in the first place, to unwind and stuff."
Uraraka and Kirishima nodded understandingly.
"Do you guys want to go there? Think the show might still be going on."
"A concert? Sounds manly as hell!"
"I haven't ever been to one." Uraraka rubbed her neck awkwardly.
"Even better! First experience with a group of friends!"
Izuku had never been to one either. Though the idea suddenly sounded like an incredibly good one. "Y-yeah! Let's go then!"
.
.
By the time the group reached the venue, it was around seven o'clock. Thankfully UA had given them two days off after the attack, so they didn't need to worry much about being late – and the area was relatively safe, so no villain attacks either.
Ashido deposited the money the four had pooled together into the bouncer's waiting hand as they heard the wild drums and synths of the music inside.
Izuku didn't really listen to music at all, so he had no idea what to expect. The most exposure he had to music was Present Mic… Yeah, he wouldn't be telling that to anyone.
The group of four entered the dark venue, and were instantly greeted by loud music and lights that threatened to blind Izuku. But what really captured his attention was the rough, yet familiar sounding voice that forced him to continue forwards before the other trio could catch up to him. Izuku pushed himself through the horde of people, muttering apologies as he did to get closer and closer to get to the voice he heard.
The music was already playing, the crowd was already cheering. Izuku had known they'd come near the end, but it seems the energy had refused to die out. It was sweaty, stinky, and humid, but he didn't find himself caring. After his eyes finally adjusted to the lights, he looked up on stage to check out the band who were playing with an energy that seemed to rival Present Mic's.
Wake up, to keep the speed of sound!
Crack the code that's written by myself!
He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and turned around to see Kirishima. "Don't go off without us man! We might lose you in the crowd!" Kirishima had to practically scream for Izuku to hear anything.
"Sorry! I just wanted to get closer!"
Dirt and dust damage your parts
Time is too short to count aloud
"It's in English!" Ashido commented, peering over Kirishima's shoulder.
"I don't understand anything!" Uraraka replied as Kirshima moved to give them space, a large beaming smile present on her face. "But this is fun!" She was bobbing her head to beat.
Izuku smiled at her antics, a light blush forming on his face as she seemed to fit into the crowd without issue. "The singer's good right?!" He shouted back.
Ashido looked past his green curls to see who Izuku was talking about. "Thick too!"
"What?"
"Nothing!"
Wake up! Like a sleepless owl
Control your mind to alive!
The vocalist once again wrenched away his attention. It was rough and passionate and he was sure he'd never heard the voice but hearing it more just convinced him he had heard it before.
One thing was for sure, their voice was good. On closer inspection, he really couldn't tell who they were. The top half of their face was hidden by a black mask, and the only facial features visible was their mouth and the bottom of their nose. Everything below the chin was covered.
They wore a frilly black turtleneck which was tucked into their rather tight pair of black pants. Izuku couldn't help but feel his stomach drop at the pair of heels.
But… it can't be him, right?
I would look up,
Wake up and run
If you want an end of the dark!
The singer just looked so unrestrained, so passionate. They were twirling and dancing around the stage's floor without care, swinging their free hand around directing the crowd like a conductor, sweat glistened and fell from their face in a show of pure energy and freedom.
It was everything but Kitajima. He felt his shoulders slump, and his stomach unclench. I'm just overthinking.
He looked back to his friends, and Uraraka was copying a person right next to her. Her hair flew around wildly, grazing Ashido as she rocked out, her hand held up in the recognizable symbol of rock. She looked like she was having the time of her life.
Kirishima was equally as enraptured and hyped her up.
I can let loose for a little bit… Izuku smiled. There was nothing but his friends and music here. No villains, and no confusing classmates.
Oh, I'm scary!
So I'm scary!
They all sang along, screaming scary at the top of their lungs.
All that I see
Now I'm scary
All is fantasy!
There was an undeniable freedom to letting loose and screaming and moving the way your body wanted it to. Forgetting everything and just living in the now.
Minute of the end and does it still hurt,
In a rainy day let's fight for counter!
There was nothing for him to worry about here.
On the silent way, when do you get a calling?
Look into the void, it's scary!
The vocalist raised their mic to the crowd and they knew what to do, "OH, I'M SCARY!"
Izuku's voice cracked and sounded ugly, but he didn't care.
The vocalist clutched the mic with both hands, and took in a scratchy breath. "SO I'M SCARY!"
"ALL THAT I SEE!"
Izuku looked closer, his eyes glued to the singer whose voice was so familiar to him. Whose manner was everything but familiar. There was more than just sweat staining their cheeks. Tear tracks ran down each side of their cheeks from out of the mask. They were clear and defined, easy to spot even in all the background noise and lights.
The feelings were primal and hidden deep inside behind layers and layers of ego, brought to reality through a microphone and instruments.
"NOW I'M SCARY!" Their voice cracked as they hunched into themselves, screaming out the last of their air.
Then they abruptly dropped the mic, the sound was ear piercing and loud but the band kept playing, even as their vocalist marched off stage. The crowd simply cheered after them as they left, so Izuku assumed it was normal.
"That was manly as hell!"
"It was amazing!" Uraraka was vibrating with energy. "We should go to these way more often!"
"I know right?! We've gotta bring everyone else next time!"
Izuku couldn't help but agree. They all needed to loosen up a bit.
.
.
Their days off soon came to an end, and it was back to school for 1A.
Classes were tense – not because there was a test or anything, but because they all still felt somewhat endangered on campus. It would take time for their nerves to settle.
Though one in particular seemed worse off than everyone else.
Atleast to Izuku.
Midnight was often a controversial figure for various reasons, many of them pertaining to her costume and frivolous use of sexual appeal to cater to her fans. Izuku didn't particularly care – his hormones often did, but not him – and didn't see that much of an issue with him.
She wasn't a bad teacher at all, it's just that, sometimes she would try and appeal to the guys in the class in certain ways. It worked of course, but other times she would use her whip to catch someone's attention.
Kitajima had been oddly silent – he was silent in general, but he did speak to people – even when people came up to him he seemed resigned to smile and just reply with a quiet yes or no. It was more than just being silent too. Izuku couldn't help but pay attention to him considering he was in the seat right in front of him, but Kitajima was almost not there. The same he had been in USJ.
He was in some sort of daze that lasted all throughout the day, at least until Midnight's class. As per usual, when she thought some were not paying attention, her whip was at the ready.
CRACK
Izuku jumped when Kitajima's chair scraped against the floor and hit his table. The boy was standing, his shoulders moving up and down quickly – as if he was struggling to breath.
Everything had gone silent, the atmosphere tense. All eyes were on him.
"Ahh…"
But he was quick to try and dispel everyone's worry.
"Sorry… I just– saw something scary on my phone." His voice was hoarse.
"Kitajima, I'm going to have to ask you to give your phone to me." Midnight ordered, her arms crossed and her disappointment evident. "You know you can't use it in class. I'll keep it until the end of the day."
"Right." He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. Izuku noticed his nails were digging into his hands. But he walked up to the front of the class before Midnight could come over to him, and handed her his phone. "May I go to the washroom?" His voice was barely audible to Izuku.
"Don't be long~" Midnight cooed.
He was moving before she finished speaking.
Kitajima never had his phone out.
.
.
'CRACK
"Faster!"
A stinging pain laced his backside.
"Just like that! Perfect!"'
'CRACK!
"Faster boy! Faster!"'
"Guggh!" Ken's throat burned with his last meal. "Uguhg!"
"RGH!" Ken slammed his head on the side of the stall.
The instant pain shocked him out of his vision, and he felt himself blank out for a moment, but he quickly gripped the edges of the toilet seat before he fell face first into it.
Ken strained his eyes shut, forcing away tears.
He gagged and it set his throat on fire once more. Ken was sure the vomit went down the wrong pipe. "RRRRGH!" He clenched mouth and teeth shut with a hand, stopping anymore from spilling out.
Thinkgoodthinkgoodthinkgoodthinkgood.
Haircuthaircuthaircuthaircut–
BREATHE!
Lunch Rush's food smelled horrible.
PULL!
Ken tugged at his hair.
FLUSH!
Ken let out a chuckle despite his throat's protests, and watched and listened as a whirlpool of water drained the disgusting and smelly vomit.
Tasted horrible too.
Ken leaned back and set himself against the door. He slowly slid down the door until half of his back was touching the floor. He wiped at his mouth with his surely dirty hand.
Ken whimpered, "Why?... again?..." His voice was weak and pitiful. Everything he wasn't supposed to be.
Like a program, his brain supplied him with what he needed.
Kitajima Ken, student at UA. Kitajima Ken, loud enough to be remembered but quiet enough to go unnoticed. UA. Training to be a hero – underground now. Friends with no one but friendly with everyone– most of them. Just average. USJ was a fluke, and I didn't kill anyone. That's true. If anyone asks me just say I don't want to talk about it. If anyone asks me what I was doing in here for so long just tell them I had to relieve myself.
I can't blow my cover.
Get up, walk to class, pay attention. Try to avoid questions, but if you can't just deflect onto something else. Subtly. Ignore Midoriya. Should have let him die– NO! It would look far too fishy. Asui was there, and so was Mineta. Eraserhead was there. Too many questions. Midoriya leapt in front of Shigaraki to save Asui – he's a hero.
Deceive them all.
Slowly but surely, Ken picked himself up and left the stall. He rinsed his mouth out and washed his face. He spotted the forming bruise on his head, prepared an answer, and marched out like nothing had happened.
He entered the classroom, and knew he couldn't avoid the attention by simply walking straight to his desk. "Uh… Did I miss anything important?" He smiled an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his head.
Iida came in with the save. "Kitajima! I must ask you to please head back to your seat! Class is almost over and I believe we would prefer it if we had no more interruptions!"
"S-sorry…" Midnight seemed to gloss over his presence as she went straight back to teaching her material.
He hated school.
Ken sat right back down, and soon after came the voice of one of his classmates.
"Kitajima?"
He looked over to see Ashido leaning over to whisper at him.
"Are you okay?" She gestured at her head.
Ken nodded and smiled, his voice too sore to reply.
"Really?"
"Yeah." He croaked out.
"Lunch together?"
Ken nodded again.
Ashido beamed a smile at him, before returning to her seat.
I'm in control. His shoulders were tense, but he forced them to relax.. He strained his fingers to remain unclenched. I am in control.
What would she do?
Ken smiled, the corners of his lips raising subtly, as if he had thought up a joke, and spared a look at Ashido, who curiously smiled right back at him.
Those watching felt some of their unease leave, as odd as it was for Ken to be smiling at nothing. It looked as though he was alright. It looked like it really was nothing more than a spook.
He was in control.
USJ will never happen again. No more mistakes.