The doors slid open to Geus's private room. He closed his homework and tossed it to the side. There was still about another hour till he had to leave for school, so whoever would enter was new. A light ding from the elevator and the doors opened. Lt. Bailey and several other policemen walked out from the cramped space. Worry quickly overtook all other emotion. Geus got up from his chair and backed away into the corner.
"Calm down." Lt. Bailey waved his hand to the ground. "You're fine. We aren't here for anything like that."
"What's going on then? I haven't done anything wrong. Then what?"
"The board hoped that the school would be more patient with current events. But that didn't sit through. Your hero internship was supposed to wait for another day for everyone to run through everyone. Luckily for us, you chose a hero we already talked to.
The doors peeped open again with only a single man this time. He wore a black body suit under wood shaped armor pieces. His arms, feet, face, and waist was covered in medium brown wood. Geus had no idea who this man was.
" Ah," Bailey turned around and extended his arm out for a handshake. "Thank you for showing up Kamui Woods."
"It's not a problem. He's a boy I think holds lots of talent. He's worth the time." The new hero shook Bailey's hand and stepped ahead of rest of the men. "Geus, I'm Kamui Woods. The hero of the agency you selected."
"Yeah." Geus relaxed his tensed up body. The name fit the hero, just like how Midnight said it should. The mask that covered his face was a strong sign that he did not at all hold similar skills to his own. "Are you here to personally reject me?"
"No. Not at all, with your special case, I was told to come to you directly. We need to work out the minor details to your internship with me."
"I was wondering what was going to happen. I didn't think that it was even going to happen for me."
"There just has to be a few things laid out. With your new mask, we have no idea how well it works out in the field. The safety of the public is of most concern if any outside threats come. Not even a pro hero can watch you at all times when danger comes."
"You're joking right?" Geus stopped Bailey. His eye twitched. "After all this, the villain attack, the sports festival, you still don't trust me? Even after my face got ripped off you still don't think I can't control my power? Even the police are still in those useless rubber! I can melt that in one swoop if I wanted to!"
Kamui woods extended his quirk from his wooden glove and used it to wrap around Geus's body. He lifted it up and pinned him against the wall. Geus didn't fear this scene, he knew nothing about this man but still had the idea he could beat him. Wood would be easy to melt away with the quirk on his own. Geus knew though that would prove only they were right.
"What? Think I'm out of control, I'm better than that."
"You're still a convicted murderer." Bailey's words froze Geus. In his own mind, he knew what he said was too far for the child. The look in Geus was the same he saw many times before in other teenagers at the facility. It was the sight that they gave up because of their old actions. "No matter how well you've improved, you are still under the governmental system. Until they say otherwise, appropriate action must be done. So no matter what you must follow under strict command."
"And I'm the best one for the job," Kamui added. "Any light-hearted actions while on hero work is strictly forbidden. Everything we do is for the wellness of the country and the world. I will not tolerate any childish behavior or any mistakes."
"Ever since I fought against villains I swore I would not hurt anyone with the power side of my quirk unless it's absolutely necessary. Even with my face ripped in pieces I knew that! I shouldn't even be in this predicament! I'm innocent."
Something pressed against Geus's mind. His final words finally hit him. It didn't matter what he did forward if nothing came back from this then everything returned to normal. The school would be gone, Beka would be gone, freedom would be gone. Jiro, would be gone.
Once Kamui noticed that Geus calmed down he released him. Geus's face was still dead and deep within his own mind. He continued to look into space and reached for his mask. He reached down by his nose and pulled the mask off. Kamui went right back into defense. Both his hands extended out and pinned him back with the use of his quirk. The two guards next to Bailey yanked their masks over their faces and point their own guns at him.
"Geus, the mask goes back on now! I can get that thing sewn back on with one call." Bailey threatened. He walked up to the fallen mask and grabbed it. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" His voice continued to rise.
"I'm going to show you." Geus opened his mouth and flowed the gas out. In only four seconds it covered the wood Kamui used and disintegrated it. Geus turned to the wall. He ran his finger down the rubber. "I allowed this to be up here, it really does nothing." Geus opened his mouth more and flowed the gas against the wall. Just like the wood, the rubber melted away. "I wanted to show you that I wouldn't hurt you in my time here." Geus turned back around. "So tell the damn board! That for eight months, I sat here and held back everything!" Tears filled up in his eyes. His fist smashed against the back concrete wall. "You want to stop me then this stops me! As soon as you get the footage recovered from that damaged hard drive then you'll see I was the only one almost killed!"
Geus's breath was heavy, little puffs of gas puffed out of his mouth. Everybody was frozen, almost like nobody knew what to do now. Bailey grabbed the barrel of one of the policemen's gun and pushed it down. He turned tougher and dominate. He maneuvered around the room. Bailey's arm hovered in front of Geus's mouth. The sleeve on his arm was rolled up.
"Use your quirk." Bailey's words were calm, an opposite from earlier.
"Then what? Get all of this taken away?"
"Just do it."
Geus lightly used his quirk against Bailey's arm. To no surprise, the arm melted down. Only, a thin tan layer grew above the damage. It appeared to have oiled up and shedded off his arm.
"I am also a natural defense against you. My quirk takes the damaged area and converts it into more skin then sheds it like a snake. It's called Skinification. If it was faster then it would be bad." Bailey finished off with a hard backhand against Geus's exposed face. "You never saw under that mask, have you? Think you're stronger because of it?"
"I don't know why don't look there." Geus broke out into a full cry. His fists clenched and pinned them to his side. "I can't."
"You can't because you're scared there's doubt." Kamui stepped in. "I've seen it in many sidekicks that fall from troubled pasts. From my experience, you aren't sure if you are innocent. Under that mask holds everything that was you."
"Shut up! You know nothing." Geus pressed against the wall and dragged his body to the ground. "I did everything I could to get out. If this doesn't work then I'm done. I can't get out."
Bailey sighed and knelt down to Geus's level. "I know. The absolute brutality of that room would keep you in here. Or, the court knows you feel real remorse and in five years you can try for parole. Then the third option, the tapes prove your innocence and you're released." A response didn't come, but another sigh did. "You're going to wear an ankle monitor that tracks your every position. While out you're limited to your phase two quirk. During the night you will be placed inside a monitored room. The mask stays on at all times. Contact with civilians will be restricted, the chances of information being released will be restricted. That's the top shred of this list." Bailey unzipped his rubber suit and placed a stack of stapled papers on the ground. The first words read for the agreement to the internship. "Not to mention every squad car that passes by also has their eyes on you and constantly reporting in." Bailey tossed Geus's mask in the air and caught it. He straightened it and lined it up with the electromagnetic connections. A little pish forward snapped the two ends together. "I don't tell the board everything, they think you still have your old style mask on."
Geus's tears slowed down to a stop with only the sniffles remain. "Do you think I did it?" His cracked voice asked between the heavy inhales.
Bailey ran his hand through the stubble of his hair. The smirk on his face said everything was alright. The look in the rest of his face said he didn't know. His mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. He licked his lips and opened them again.
"I can't say that." Bailey finally said after a small break. "You just got to keep improving and showing that you're a better person."
"Why isn't Beka here?"
"She doesn't need to know what's going on right now. She's hired by the government and only comes when we think she's needed."
Geus's head went up and tapped against the back wall. "And my freakout says I'm fine? Heh, what a joke." He knew well enough that Beka wouldn't be able to clear his mind. All he really wanted was someone he didn't see as a threat. If Bakugo was invited to come in and scream killer things would've been enough for him.
"We can get all this rubber off of you since cameras here picked that up clearly. And at the same time, they are going to see how mentally unstable you are."
"After all this, I'll still take you on as my own." Kamui sounded like he almost regretted his decision. "I can't fully help you with your quirk, but I can teach you a few things about this life. A mental breakdown isn't going to get you very far in heroism. And you need it."
The elevator doors opened up again. Over Bailey's head, Geus could see the person inside. It was a man he's never seen before. He stood just an inch below the doors to the elevator, his hair was slicked back with a thick amount of gel. The blue suit he wore looked like something from the early sixties and was freshly pressed and wrinkle-free. It was obvious this man cared about his looks, shoe's shiny, nice suit, perfect hair, and cologne that filled the room. His steps forward in the room was calculated. Each step forward was the same distance from the last. He followed in a straight heel-toe heel-toe walk.
As soon as Bailey turned and recognized the man he jumped up into proper straight fashion. Both arms behind his hand and held together, back straight, chest puffed, face straight.
"I apologize, sir, I wasn't under the attention that you would be joining us." Bailey's voice was stern, no sign of weakness but are bold. "I would've produced a proper procedure if that was the case."
The man dropped his stiff arm on Bailey's head. He showed no signs and Bailey tried his best to hold still. His fingers crushed into Bailey's skull. The tips of his fingers were crusted black. Something Geus didn't realize was even there. He only noticed one imperfection on the man, the top lip on the left side was missing and scarred over.
"Proper etiquette should be performed with and without knowledge of my presence." The man's voice did not match his build, it was soft like an old uncle. If nobody saw his body people would think he's a therapist after a full day's work. "I expect my prison to be in perfect harmony every day. And down here is not perfect harmony." His fingers turned back to his tan skin color and he released Bailey's head. "Torn walls, police with their firearms drawn, a hero in our mitts and his heroness was melted away. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw that budget cuts were expected next quarter." The huge sized man straightened his collar, he fixed his leg's position and knelt down to Geus. His back shoe was laid out to not create creases along with his pants and blazer. "675,000¥ is what costed this room to be constructed. Power boxes and transmitters had to be installed, four months of forty hour constructions, testing, installation, I could continue on another five pages of what had to be done. And you think it's alright to destroy that work?"
Geus was scared of the man that looked directly in his face. He did not fear any piece of Geus, his silence hurt more than Geus's quirk could ever do. No words could come out of his mouth, not even the movement of his jaw found movement.
"The fact I was not aware of this change is disgusting." He snatched Geus's under chin and neck. His fingers felt like cold metal. "You're going into surgery for the mask to be stitched back on. If that school thinks for a second that they are in charge of a second is a joke. I do not approve of this, I will never approve of this." His fingers scraped against the mask and pried it off. His hand was black again, with the added strength he was able to crush the chunk of metal with no effort. "I gave you so much leeway I even thought you were innocent." His laugh afterward sent down a frozen chill. "But now I see a boy filled with regret of double murder." He straightened back up, he gave himself a moment and straightened out any wrinkle on his suit. He cleared his throat. "Now, I see that even monsters deserve a voice. Until you fully recover from surgery, the internship is postponed. And in that time your therapist is also gone, the walls will be stripped to the concrete with a fresh coat of white paint. Bookshelves removed, the chair, desk, dresser, everything bed will be gone. Anything you need for classes will be given to you on a need to need basis." He shrugged his shoulders. "This is what happens from time to time. Prisoners have to know where they belong. Court cases, new evidence, second thoughts, come into play when they are activated. Until that they are just thoughts. And unthoughtful thoughts are whispers. I don't like whispers."
The man swooped his leg over the other and twisted around. He walked back to the elevator. He twisted back around the same way. He didn't look away as he clicked the button inside. A power move that set inside everybody, Kamui Woods included.
"I hope this introduction was clear enough. My name is Iroh, I hope this set your place correctly. L.t. Bailey, decommission all the rubber suits since apparently, they were a scam in the budget." He moved his hand from the elevator door and allowed them to close.
The room was still silent from the pure shock from his entrance. Only the heavy breaths of Geus was audible. In a little three minute talk, every word Bailey said was shattered and all hopes of freedom smashed. Compared to Bailey, his words still showed signs that things could change for the better. Iroh said everything was wrong and his words alone decided the fate of everyone was in. All evidence toward Geus could see to his release. But a single sentence from him would reverse that situation.
The large swallow of Bailey's throat overtook Geus. "That everybody was our Warden. And the head of the Community Board for Geus."
Kamui was almost at a lost of words. He knew what he wanted to say but couldn't find the correct way to say it. "Either way, my agency is still open for whenever the internship happens. Don't hesitate to call the office. Geus, until our next meeting." Kamui slapped the sides of his thighs and proceeded to the elevator.
Bailey turned to Geus, he was helpless and empty. No movement in his body. They laid their weak and vulnerable. His face was empty as well. Any hope that he might've had crumpled into despair.
"It's going to be alright."
