[Opening Song: Kyouran Hey Kids! – By: The Oral Cigarettes]
[The First]
"Luz Noceda. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. It's time that we've had a little chat." As those words left The Mysterious Man's mouth, Luz couldn't help but feel more than a little trepid about him. Her inner "stranger danger" alarm blared like a warning siren during an air raid, signalling to her to stay away from this man, as if he were some kind of threat.
Just by looking at him, she knew that was the case. The moment she laid eyes on him was the moment she knew that something was off about him. But there was just something about him that she couldn't shake. Something that she couldn't quite figure out. Something that made her inherently curious about the man, and allowed her to, at least partially, drop her guard around him. As if she knew inherently that he wouldn't lay a finger on her.
Yes, it was obvious that he was dangerous. He was a threat. But she knew, instinctively, he was not a threat to her. And it all came down to how he appeared in front of her. From his relaxed expression to his inviting tone of voice, to the fact that he hadn't moved even an inch from where he sat. And while he had a rather uncomfortable aura around him, to her, he didn't seem that bad.
Besides, there was also the fact that she had been here before. She had been in this exact spot, facing these exact thrones on the exact same platform, standing in the exact same position. The only difference was that now, there sat a man in one of the thrones. The only thing missing was the strange, ominous presence in the void-like room. And, if she had to guess…. "You're that presence from before. The one that shot me out of this place yesterday. You said something to me in Japanese back then. What was it? I couldn't understand you."
The man hummed, his thin-lipped smile widening ever-so-slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Ah, so you didn't forget. I would have assumed you would have. Very well. I told you to wake up, and that your fate awaits you," the man said as Luz raised an eyebrow.
"My fate?"
"Yes, Luz. You're fate," The man continued, before gesturing to the throne next to him, Luz looking over at it with a hint of suspicion. "Which is preciously what I wish to talk to you about. More specifically, the role in which you will serve to play. In order to do that, however, I advise you to take a seat."
Luz's stare lingered on the throne, a combination of emotions running through her all at once, all of which were positive. It was inviting, to say the very least. It also looked insanely comfortable. From the deep red cushions and armrests to the fact that it sat just high enough off the ground that it would make her feel tall, and to the fact that her body ached all over, she could really go for a sitdown right about now.
But, a part of her, the same part of her that was warning her to stay away from the man, told her that sitting next to him would be a bad thing. Her gut instinct, so to speak, and it had yet to be wrong. She looked back to the man, her expression containing a bit of defiance as she spoke. "I prefer to stand."
"Very well," the man said, straightening his posture, seeming entirely nonplussed about the whole ordeal. However, as he straightened his posture and adjusted how he sat, Luz noticed a shift in his body language. A slight one, but one nonetheless. She had learned from a young age that body language was an important thing to decipher during conversations. Years of being bullied and tolerating what was essentially borderline abuse from her classmates forced her to learn such a thing.
The way his body shifted from a calm, relaxed, hardly concerned individual offering up information to someone who was more upfront and business-like caused Luz to feel slightly more tense than when she had first shown up here. Wherever "here" was, exactly. She knew it was a dreamscape seeing as the only times she had been here she had fallen asleep, but that was about it.
A part of her considered that maybe he was the reason why she was being pulled into this place. Or maybe, the last two times, it was a fluke, and this time it was on purpose. Either way, it weirded her out. As the man finished adjusting himself, he spoke. "But first, I'm sure you have questions. Go on, ask away. We have some time to burn. Not a lot, mind you, so do keep that in mind. Keep the questions simple, if you can."
Luz frowned, crossing her arms, speaking the first question that came to her mind. Well, not her first question, but still a rather important question nonetheless. "Who are you?"
"I am your predecessor. You may call me Shigaraki Rikitasu, though do keep it to Shigaraki for now. In my culture, only family and lovers should call one another by their first name, unless that person is a teacher or boss, of which I act as the former to you, hence, I call you Luz instead of Noceda. Makes sense, yes?" the man, Shigaraki, said as Luz uncrossed her arms, confusion littering her expression.
While yes, that did make sense, that wasn't what had her confused. What confused her was the first thing that he had said. "Predecessor? What are you talking about? I've never seen you in any family photos before. And I'm certain I don't have any Japanese blood in me. Mama would've mentioned it in one of her drunk ramblings by now," Luz said, apprehension in her voice as Shigaraki hummed.
"We'll get to that. Now, this is the last question for now, so make it important. I won't accept another question until we next meet that isn't directly related to the conversation at hand," Shigaraki replied, giving her a non-answer, which frankly annoyed her. But, considering the gleam in his eyes was practically telling her to "not ask further" Luz decided to move on to the most pressing question that she had in mind. The one that had been burning in her mind the moment she laid eyes on him.
"What do you want?" Luz asked, an edge to her voice as Shigaraki chuckled, and when he did, she couldn't help but feel a shiver claw down her spine. If she hadn't thought him to be at least somewhat evil before, she definitely did now. His laugh was deep, filled with just a hint of malice that was either intentional or not, and his eyes gleamed in such a way that it gave her a hint of what kind of person the man before her was.
Depraved. That was the best way she could describe that glint in his eyes. He was the type of person who revelled in others' suffering. The kind of person who would go out of their way to cause people harm just for a bit of a laugh. Someone who would kick and stomp on puppies just because they got in his way, or accidentally peed on his shoes or perhaps even just for the fun of it.
And she was in the same room, space, dreamscape—whatever this place was—with him. There was no exit, no form of escape, no nothing that she could do to leave. She had no choice to but wait until she "woke up" or met whatever conditions had to be met to get away from him.
And that was assuming she even could get away from him, especially if that voice that had told her to watch out for the root in the path was most likely his, considering it shared the same cadence, the same accent, and the same baritone tone to it. If it was his, that Implied that he was in her head, and that partially—no, outright terrified her to think that such a man was in her head.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Shigaraki responded. "Well, Luz, you're going to have to be a little more specific with that question. I want a lot of things. None of those things, however, are worth you knowing. So, elaborate a little, will you? After all, such a multi-faceted question will just extend the conversation without a clear point A and point B, you know? And we are on borrowed time. I wouldn't like to waste even a single second," Shigaraki answered as Luz's expression tightened, her frown turning into a thin line as she clenched her teeth together.
She could already tell that talking to this guy was going to get infuriating quickly. It was like talking to a slimy lawyer or a politician. Always being met with half-truths and semi-answers rather than the full truth and complete answers. Leaving just enough information to be able to piece together the puzzle, but strategically leaving out key pieces so that someone couldn't, nor would they be able to, see the complete unfiltered, unedited picture.
"Uh… what do you want with me?" Luz clarified a slight sensation of concern and annoyance in her voice as Shigaraki hummed, steepling his fingers together as his thin-lipped smile turned into a slightly toothy one, sitting up straight as he tilted his head to the side ever-so-slightly.
"Why, isn't it obvious, Luz? I wish to enlighten you about your power. After all, you were on the right track before, so I believe it's about time that I give you the full picture. And seeing as now The Connection has been fully established, should our time cut short, I can always continue this conversation with you at a later date." As he said that, his voice gained a subtle hint of excitement. As if he was proud of something. What that something was, Luz didn't know. But whatever it was, she didn't know what to necessarily think about.
Maybe he was referring to "The Connection" as he had just mentioned. What would be so exciting about whatever this "Connection" was? Maybe it was like a Kurama and Naruto-type thing? But, if that was the case, then why would he be excited? Wouldn't he be annoyed?
Again, it was far too confusing for her to think about, and it gave her a headache trying to piece it all together. As she had noted, she didn't want to really think about it right now to spare herself the migraine for later.
What she did want to think about, or in this case vocalize, was what he had just said. "You know more about my power?" Luz said cautiously, her eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly, signalling distrust, something that he noticed as he smirked.
"Yes, Luz. I know your power very intimately, there's no need to cast suspicion. I'm being completely forthright with you here. Besides…" As he said that, he raised the palm of his hand in her direction, and as he did, her eyes widened. There, in the center of his palm, was a small dime-sized hole. The very same dime-sized hole that was on her palms, "…the power you have in your possession, Luz, was once mine."
Luz's mind ground to a halt. A flurry of questions raced about in her head, her eyes sparkling with wonder the likes of which only rivalled when she found something to hyper-fixate on. Shigaraki, the man in front of her, could give her valuable information about her seemingly useless power. Especially considering that, at least according to him, he used to be the one who owned this power.
Any of his information was invaluable, and her curiosity was killing her. But then, she was brought back down to reality when she remembered everything else she had noticed about him. While his information was useful, there was no way she was going to listen to him. Not at all. No way, nuh uh, not going to happen.
…but even so, it wasn't like she had much of a choice. The best she could do was take what he had to say with a truckload of salt. Given that this man looked to be, at the very least, a bad person given his whole demeanour, she quickly controlled her excitement, dialling it back as she spoke. "We… share a power then?"
Shigaraki rested the hand he was showing her on his left knee, before leaning back into the throne he sat on. "Well, if I was still alive, we'd share a power. But, as it stands, I am dead. I have been dead for a long time. I only truly regained consciousness when you awakened to your power." As he said that, he shifted in his seat. "Though speaking of your power, I must say I am more than a little disappointed that you have yet to use it."
"How can I use something that I don't even know how to use?" Luz asked incredulously, her tone gaining a slightly angered edge to it. Really? Disappointed? Who was he, some random stranger, to be disappointed in her over something she barely even knew a thing about? To that, Shigaraki merely chuckled, almost waving off her annoyance, a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
"Fair enough. Though, I guess I should tell you something about that power of yours, what it means for you, and more importantly, the world around you," as Shigaraki spoke, his voice gained a weight to it. The kind of weight that would be reserved for speaking about a dangerous weapon, like a gun, a bomb, or a knife.
There was a caution to his tone. Not a wariness, but something else. Something she couldn't describe. A warning, almost. Like a police officer talking about gun safety to a child in one of those gun safety classes that they did in high school for the twelfth-graders. It honestly made Luz a little nervous. What was so dangerous about her power?
"What do you mean?" Luz asked as Shigaraki sighed.
"To make a longwinded speech short. Your power, Luz, makes you nothing short of a God. Or, I guess, in your case, a Goddess. The power you have quite literally in the palm of your hands is unlike anything this world will ever see. It is a rare kind of power, one that only those who have the right to own it can manifest. The power you have, Luz, will make you unrivalled, undefeatable, unkillable. Of course, should you use it right. With enough guidance, Luz, you can become a Goddess in human form. A testament to power. You are, for what it's worth, the chosen one."
As those words filled her brain, all Luz could think about was that last part. She was the chosen one? Her? Wimpy, lame, pathetic, Luz Noceda was the chosen one? Was he being serious? Or was he just saying that? His tone of voice said to her that he was being extremely serious. So much so that he almost sounded inhuman for a moment. As if she was speaking to a demon or monster from some other world given human form.
For a moment, she almost bought into what he was saying. But, the more she thought about it, and the more she dug into his words, the way he hyped up her power almost made her not believe him. For starters, if her power would make her unkillable, then how come he was dead? Did he die of natural causes, old age, or was he killed? If he had the same power as her, then shouldn't he be alive right now?
It was contradictory, and she had noticed it almost right away. "If my power makes me unrivalled and all that jazz, then how are you dead? You know, 'cause you had the same power and all?"
That caused Shigaraki to frown. His eyes narrowed, his expression becoming angered. It made Luz flinch, even if it wasn't directed at her specifically. Rather, it seemed to be more directed at himself more than anything. "I made a mistake. A foolish error. I created the power required for me to meet my end. But, that power does not exist here. It exists in another world, and potentially another separate from that one, but that's for a different conversation."
The way he spoke with such finality only served to make Luz a little uncomfortable. And when she was uncomfortable, she was bound to say something stupid. Case in point: "Are you some sort of demon?" Luz blurted out as Shigaraki blinked, his expression becoming one of befuddlement, until finally after a moment of awkward silence, he laughed.
And it wasn't just any kind of laugh. It was a full-on, red-faced, die-laughing kind of laugh. As if what she had just said had been the funniest thing he had ever heard. It caused her to let out a silent, awkward chuckle of her own, scratching the back of her neck in such a way that made it obvious that she was uncomfortable, not that he noticed.
"Oh! Now that is something I've heard plenty of times!" Shigaraki said as he stopped laughing, wiping a tear from his eye, calming himself. "But sadly no. I am… or was, just as human as you are, Luz," he bit his lip for a moment, stopping himself from saying something. Almost as if he was withholding information. He seemed to mull it over before he opened his mouth to continue.
"Should we have been alive at the same time, which the more I think about it could be more possible than I once believed when I first laid eyes upon you, would be the universes in which we inhabit, or in my case, inhabited."
Once again, Luz was riddled with confusion as her mind flooded with questions. What the heck did he mean by "the universes in which we inhabit"? Was he referring to The Multiverse? Before she could ask her question, Shigaraki spoke up. "Tell me, Luz. Have you ever heard of The Multiverse Theory?"
Luz pursed her lips in a frown, squinting ever-so-slightly. Sure, she had heard about the theory, but it was never explained to her. Not that she particularly cared about it, but it used to be a topic she used to think about from time to time. "Uh, kinda?" Luz began, scratching the back of her neck for what felt like the umpteenth time. "I mean, I know of it, and people have talked about it around me, but I don't know all the details…."
"Hmm… interesting," Shigaraki continued, a sly smirk taking up his visage. "What if I told you it does exist? What if I told you I had proof of its existence? And while I can't physically show it to you due to my current state of being, I can eventually show you. If that were to be the case, would you believe me?"
"Probably not," Luz answered abruptly as Shigaraki frowned.
"Would you care to indulge me then, for a moment, so that I may explain to you why I think that The Multiverse exists? This is related, I assure you," Shigaraki said, before glancing around himself, as if he were checking for something. When his eyebrows knit together and a scowl took up his visage, he sighed. "Well, I'll have to make it short. But, if I told you there existed a bridge-like dimension that essentially gave someone a way to leap from one world to another, and that I knew how to get there, would you believe me?"
The more Shigaraki spoke, the more serious his tone became. And while she didn't want to put too much thought into what he was saying, the way he said it, and considering he had been, in his own words, forthright to her the whole time, she didn't see a reason to believe that he was lying. So, with that in mind….
"That'd be really cool!" Luz said excitedly, her eyes twinkling with wonder and amazement. "So, can you like, show me now?" To that, Shigaraki shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I cannot. Not in the situation and location you are in. When you return to Gravesfield, however, there will be a place where you can find what will help me prove to you that what I say is true. At least, I think so anyway. For the time being, however, we'll have to wait. But, essentially, this all comes back to the point I'm going to make. You see, you and I, existed in parallel worlds. And I suspect that my death is what caused the awakening of powers, or as they were referred to in my world, Quirks in your world."
Once again, Luz was left stumped. "Huh?"
"I can understand your confusion. So, allow me to explain," Shigaraki began as he brought up both of his hands, the backs of them facing where Luz was, before sticking up both pointer fingers on both hands. "The finger on the right is my world. The finger on the left is yours," Shigaraki started before he then outstretched both of his thumbs and made them touch. "My thumbs are the aforementioned bridge dimension I spoke of. I discovered it when a close friend of mine captured a very strange, unorthodox creature in the Musutafu Prefecture of my world's Japan, and ran some tests on it. We found that its blood contained some kind of Quirk Factor or something that our medical equipment picked up as a Quirk Factor, that allowed for dimensional travel."
"Quirk Factor?" Luz questioned as Shigaraki cleared his throat.
"Essentially DNA that links one's Quirk, such as yours, to yourself. Science mumbo-jumbo," Shigaraki said as Luz muttered an "oh" under her breath as he continued. "We were able to extract a decent amount of the creature's blood before someone broke into our labs undetected and stole the creature away from us. Though by that point it had been well over a few years and it had grown to quite the size and had quite the temperament. Not helped by the countless amounts of drugs he had used to keep it mindless so it wouldn't lash out and attack. However as I quickly learned when visiting that bridge dimension, what was years for me, was more like days for them. I was only fairly young, only being around 80 years old at the time, but—"
"You call being 80 young?!" Luz exclaimed, earning a chuckle out of Shigaraki.
"Well, considering I was well over 160 when I died, 80 is young in comparison. As to how I was able to achieve such an age, we'll get to that when I explain your power," Shigaraki continued as he cleared his throat once again. "Now, as I was saying, with the blood I had at my disposal, and with the known location of where I could access this world being pinpointed to a rundown, abandoned school building, I used the blood to bridge a connection to that world, which then, in turn, allowed me to have access to your world by extension, despite me not ever going to it."
"What did you do in that world?" Luz asked as Shigaraki shook his head.
"Not important right now. If you want to learn at a later date, I'll oblige you. For now, though, let's stay on topic," Shigaraki said, as a frown took up his visage. "Besides, we're running low on time. So I need to make this quick."
"But, I thought you said we had plenty of time?" Luz said as Shigaraki grunted, crossing his arms.
"We would had someone in the waking world not been trying to wake you up. This place, The Vestiage World, is a dreamscape. The longer you are asleep, the more time we have to converse. But, the moment someone starts to wake you up, a timer is put on us. We now only have five minutes left before your brain realizes something is going on in the waking world, and requires you to be awake."
"Oh…"
"Oh, indeed. So then, because I had died, and because your world was on the verge of something fantastical happening, it would seem as if the universe took it upon itself to grant your world the same gift mine had in store for my universe well over 200 years ago. The gift of Quirks. And your Quirk, Luz, is something that I like to call a "failsafe." And for someone like yourself, it is quite a fitting one. Especially given what I know of you and your struggles. A very apt power if I say so myself."
A part of Luz was beginning to get wary of what Shigaraki was implying. Calling her power a "failsafe" made it sound like her power had some kind of responsibility. And while Luz wasn't exactly one to dislike responsibility, all she wanted to do was live freely. Not be chained down by obligations or be forced to do things that she didn't want to do.
It went entirely against her mentality. It went against everything she stood for as a person. It suddenly made her less excited to know about what her power was. Especially if it came with something as crappy as "responsibility." Although, it wasn't as if she had to hold herself to that responsibility. Besides, if there was anything she learned about in school, it was that you could delay something until the last minute and still come out on top by making the best essay known to man one hour before it was due.
Was it optimal? Probably not. But hey! She hadn't been let down by that strategy yet! And with that in mind, she couldn't help but get excited. Finally, she'd get some clarity about her power, Quirk, or whatever the heck these palm holes were supposed to be! "So, what is it?! What's my power?!" Luz asked, slight impatience in her voice as she spoke.
And then, Shigaraki smiled. It was the kind of smile that only true-blooded villains could have. The wide smile of someone who had been bottling up something nefarious for quite some time. The kind of smile that one would whip out when a well-laid plan was coming together perfectly. A part of Luz immediately felt off when she looked at Shigaraki.
And then, he spoke.
"You see Luz, the power that you possess, the power that was once mine and allowed me to dominate my world single-handedly, and the power that will pave your way to glory is known as All For One. As for what it can do? Well, you were close when you said that you believed your power could copy the Quirks of those whom you came into physical contact with. But you were still wrong. No. All For One allows the user to steal other people's powers, and make them yours. It can also, assuming you have powers already stored within you, give others powers. But then, why on earth would you want to give away something that is meant to be yours? Not unless you were getting something out of it, of course."
And as Shigaraki finished his explantion of what Luz's power was, of what All For One was, she felt a pit in her stomach grow. Her power, the one that awakened upon the death of Shigaraki, was a power that allowed her to steal away someone's gift. Essentially, it allowed her to steal away the very thing that makes someone unique.
"That's…" Luz began, as she looked down at the palms of her hands. Now, the holes in her palms suddenly had a less appealing look to them. Suddenly, the holes in her palms looked like nothing but something to be ashamed of. She was a leech. A parasite. Her power was to take stuff that didn't belong to her. That was… that was… "That's awful! It's wrong! It's horrible! Why the hell would I ever do that to someone!?"
And all Shigaraki could do was laugh. For what reason, she didn't know. After a moment, he spoke. "Oh, how that brings me back. Back to the days when my younger brother was alive. He used to tell me the same thing. But, that's in the past. He's been dead for a long time, and while your little outburst reminded me of him, allow me to let you in on a little secret about Quirks," Shigaraki said, his expression one of nonchalance, before it quickly fell into an emotionless mask. "They're a reflection of the person who awakens them."
"Huh?"
"You heard me. If you really found stealing power from others to be as underhanded and as awful as you proclaim, then would it have not made sense for you to awaken some other kind of power? Yet, you awoke to mine, so what does that say about you?" Shigaraki said as Luz narrowed her eyes at him, a hint of fury dancing behind them.
"Are you trying to get at something here, or are you just trying to piss me off?" Luz spat as Shigaraki smirked.
"I'll let you decide that. After all, we're running out of time. There's only a few more seconds before you wake up. So, I'll leave you with this. When someone is pushed down by society. When someone is hurt and constantly trampled on by the world around them. It only makes sense for that person to desire a fraction of that power that is actively being used to hurt them, even if they themselves must do things that they would otherwise consider immoral."
As soon as those words exited his mouth, the world became a starch white, and the corners of her eyes became filled with a bright, blinding light. The last thought she had when she was forced out of the Vestiage World was one of reflection.
"What did I just get myself into?"
[XXXX]
Two days. It had been two, agonizing, horrible days since the news broke out that Camila learned that her precious daughter was in trouble. In those three days, she had not turned up to work and had emptied every single bottle of alcohol in the house trying, and failing, to drink away all of her problems. And no better did anything else reflect that than the state of the house.
Dirty glasses lined the table and the counters. Empty bottles knocked over with dried-up spills staining parts of the tile floor. For some reason or another, there was a fist-sized hole in the wall, and there was a pile of laundry that had yet to be done. The upstairs was untouched, Camila not even so much as wanting to look in the direction of Luz's room, namely because if she did she'd feel another wave of guilt.
This whole situation had been nothing but awful. She had gotten next to no sleep, and when she woke up, she'd feel like crap due to being extremely hungover. Her phone had blown up with calls and emails, though she had never once bothered to look at them.
Camila wanted nothing to do with the world at the moment. The only thing she wanted to do was sit in and wallow in the fact that her daughter was gone. Disappeared. Vanished with no signs of returning. She hadn't even bothered to turn on the TV to check the news—that was how bad it had gotten.
Maybe it was a bit of an overreaction on her part, but even if that was the case, that wasn't how it felt for her. To Camila, it felt like the whole world had flipped upside down. She should've just kept her home. She should've never signed her up for that camp. If she hadn't done that, none of this would've happened. Luz would be home, safe, and away from whatever hell she got roped into.
And what was worse was that she finally got an idea of what it was that she had said to Luz the day before she was sent off to camp. It was something so awful she dared not repeat it. What was worse was that she had no idea why she had said it. She didn't know the context—not that there was any context to be needed for saying such a horrible thing—and now Luz was gone, disappeared into the wind, taken somewhere most likely horrible.
Scenarios ran through her head, each darker than the last. There was a known child trafficking ring in the southern United States for labour and other horrible things. The mere thought that Luz was wrapped up in such a thing….
There was a sudden knock at her front door, causing the hungover Camila to stir from her spot on the couch. She was dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and a pair of shorts. She looked dishevelled, with bags under her eyes and lines on her forehead from stress. There were even a few grey hairs starting to form. She was in no state to be visited right now, so who could that have been?
Slowly, Camila got up from the couch and walked to the door, groggily wiping at her eyes, dry tear stains on her cheeks. There was another knock at her door, prompting her to mumble "I'm coming" under her breath. When she finally got to the door, she opened it and was greeted by someone whom she hadn't seen in just a little over a month.
He was a little shorter than her, with silver-grey hair, a clean-shaven face, and wrinkled skin. His eyes were a piercing blue, but they contained a softness in them that was typical of him. Rather than having been dressed in what she had typically seen him in, the man was dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt, and a pair of blue pants with black dress shoes. He had a cane in his right hand, signifying that his back pain might have been acting up again. Something that Camila had known about due to how often they used to talk.
And while it had been a while since they had seen each other, she knew exactly who that old man was. She blinked, staring at him with a confused look in her eyes. "Pastor? What are you doing here?"
"Ah, Camila, it's good to finally see you again," Domenico said, looking her up and down, his expression dipping into one of worry. "I see that you are not taking this very well, are you? Not that I blame you, of course," Domenico looked over her shoulder, his frown deepening. "Would you mind if I came inside? There is something I wanted to talk to you about. It's concerning the mess of a situation we're currently finding ourselves in."
"Uh… sure, come on in," Camila said, unlocking the screen door as she stepped away, Domenico walked through the entrance as she took a step back, moving first with his cane then the rest of himself. Once he got into the house, he gently closed the doors behind him, before gesturing her to follow him to the table.
He cleared off the bottles and took a seat for himself, Camila sitting in front of him, her expression sombre, as to be expected. For a moment, they sat in silence, until finally Domenico spoke up. "Whatever it is you're thinking about doing, Camila, I want you to stop."
"I'm not thinking about anything," Camila retorted, a slight edge to her voice as Domenico sighed.
"I know that look in your eye, Camila. Need I remind you when you spoke to me about that particular incident when you were 17? The one where I held a private confessional for you?" Domenico said, causing Camila to flinch. That was a dark time in her life, one she didn't think about too often for very good reason. It was when she first moved to America from The Dominican Republic with her mother.
It was a time when her family had to rely on the Church. A time when they could barely get by and afford food. A time when Camila had lost so much weight that she was borderline anorexic and considering doing the unthinkable. It was also when Domenico took over as the pastor at St. Peters Liturgical Church. When he intervened and donated three month's worth of food collected from the community to their home.
She had owed Domenico more than what she was worth in money for that. He would never accept any payment. After all, as he would put it, "I'm just doing the Lord's work" or something like that. That was the kind of person Domenico was.
"Camila…. It isn't your fault, you know? None of this was your fault," Domenico said as Camila looked away, shame on her face.
"I was the one who put her on that bus… I might as well have pulled the trigger…." Camila replied as Domenico shook his head, sighing.
"No, Camila. You did nothing wrong here. You signed Luz up for that camp thinking it would be safe. There was nothing you could've done to prevent what had happened. Whoever kidnapped Luz and the other children will pay for this. The FBI and the Police are looking into this as we speak. They will capture whoever did this."
"But—"
"But nothing, Camila," Domenico interrupted, frowning. He then placed one hand over one of hers, his frown turning into a smile. "Do you believe in your daughter?"
And wasn't that the question of the year? Honestly, she should have immediately responded with yes. But something in her was stopping her from saying that she did. Maybe it was because she knew how Luz liked to deal with problems, and that was staying silent about them. Not talking about it and bottling up the trouble, just like her father had.
Knowing Luz, and knowing the type of person she was, she was going to do something stupid. She was going to say something or act out in some way, and it would result in her getting hurt or worse. And the thought of that broke Camila's heart.
"I…" Camila faltered, biting her lip. "Of course I do…. I just worry she'll do something and… and…"
"Make the situation worse?" Domenico finished her sentence, his tone inquisitive as Camila flinched. "It's not wrong to think that. Your daughter is quite the troublemaker. But then again, a town needs a troublemaker to have it feel complete. Gravesfield would be a husk without one," a soft chuckle escaped under Domenico's breath as he spoke, Camila glancing back at him, a tired gleam in her eyes.
Camila didn't understand Domenico. He could always see the good in any situation, no matter how horrible had the chance of going. Maybe it was because he was just that carefree? It was strange, but then again, a lot of things were strange. And in such uncertain times, with people changing rapidly at a constant rate, that kind of thing was sorely needed.
"I…" Camila began, closing her eyes tightly… "I know I haven't been to Church lately… and It's because—"
"Your faith is waning, am I correct?" Domenico asked as Camila's expression tightened. It was like he could read her mind, and it was clear that her expression gave it away as he hummed in thought. "Well, if it is, then so be it. Who am I to try and convince you to keep your faith? Waning faith or not, that does not mean I cannot be there for you and your family. What servant of God would I be if I didn't?"
There was comfort in knowing that, and she was glad for it. Glad that at least someone wasn't abandoning her. She tried getting in contact with her ex-sister-in-law but when she answered, she was told to "never call this phone line again" before hanging up. Her mother also wouldn't pick up, no matter how many times she rang.
The last time they spoke, they left on bad terms. She couldn't remember the full conversation, but she did recall there being booze involved. That was a pattern. Her and her dependency on alcohol. It had shattered her relationship with her mother, and was now slowly breaking apart her relationship with her daughter….
And now, she didn't even know if her daughter was still alive….
"Camila," Domenico's voice speaking her name broke her out of her thoughts, concern on his face as she looked up to stare at him, eyes still heavy from a lack of sleep, her head hurting from the searing hungover migraine. "Tomorrow, I would like you to come to Church."
"Pastor, I—"
"Not for the service, Camila, last we talked you had said you wanted to stay away from the Church due to recent events. I am not asking you to come because of that. It's for something else," Domenico interrupted as Camila shifted in her seat, crossing her arms as he continued. "I doubt you've seen the news, but all the media channels have stopped talking about the kidnapping. The only reason why I know that the FBI and the Police are still looking into this is because of our very own police chief Sheriff Johnson."
"You mean the racist, bigoted, white supremacist piece of trash Martin Johnson?" Camila spat venom in her voice as thick as syrup. She loathed that man. Moreso than that nutcase Jacob Hopkins. The damn conspiracy theorist. Both he and Martin shared the same views when it came to race and sexuality and it plagued this town. "Great replacement" this, the "LGBT mind virus", and "Wokeness taking over media" that. It was all lunacy.
It was a mockery of Conservatism. Back in the early 90s and 2000s, she voted for the Republican party due to her views aligning with theirs. And while some policies she wasn't exactly for, others she had been. But now, in the last ten years, ever since Barrack Obama was elected in 2008, it had become strikingly clear that the Republican party had fallen from their previous status as the "Everyman's party" and went to the "Nationalist Party." Hell, some would even say they were a Christian Nationalist Party.
And with Donald Trump currently making a mockery of the presidency…. She honestly didn't know why she had ever voted Republican in the first place. Since 2008 she had started voting Democrat, mostly out of spite for what the Republican Party had become. Though that was a tangent for another time.
The point was, those two nutcases, Martin and Jacob, were utter disgraces to the movement they claimed to be with. They claimed one way, acted another, and made themselves and those that called them friends and family look like utter morons due to sticking by their side. Heedless of the words they spew and the hate that they utter.
Then again, what was she supposed to expect from the two people who regularly attended marches and rallies with Neo-Nazis?
Domenico frowned, stroking his chin as he groaned. "Yes, unfortunately. But, he's at least dedicated to his job. Not to mention his nephew is wrapped up in this as well, so there's no reason to believe that he won't drop it just because of the others. If there's one thing that man cares about, it's his family. Even if he's more than a little bit of a sleazeball."
"We can agree on that," Camila scoffed, before blinking. She had been a little distracted by the mention of Martin that she had completely missed the fact that the news channels weren't covering the kidnappings, which she quickly corrected, "What was that about the news not covering the kidnappings?"
Domenico fidgeted in his seat, clasping his hands together in his lap as he nodded solemnly. "I was wondering when you would pick up on that. But, in short, the news stations are not covering the topic anymore. Someone, or some group, has more than likely paid them off to cease discussion of it. As a matter of fact, articles online are calling it a hoax. And not just fringe political websites, we're talking Fox News, MSNBC, and even CNN."
"But it's not a hoax!" Camila all but roared, shooting up from the table as Domenico scowled, not at her mind you—not at her, he had no reason to—but at the situation at large.
"You of all people would know that. You're a victim in this, as are many other parents. Many other parents I just so happen to be in contact with. I reached out to them, knowing full well that they more than likely needed an outlet to talk to. Most Churches state-wide have closed due to the "outbreak of demonic activity" or what have you, i.e. power awakenings. I'm fairly certain that, aside from my Church, Greg Abbots Mega Church, and The Wittebane Congregational Church Association and all of their various Mega Churchs across the country, every other place is shut down," Domenico began, his jaw set as he glanced around the house.
"You see, Camila. I believe that something is going on here. If it wasn't obvious, someone or some group is trying to sweep this under the rug. If I had to guess, it's someone who would benefit from seeing those children go missing and turn up dead. And if I were to further continue my assumption, I believe this could potentially be the work of The Witch Hunters Association."
Camila blinked, confusion painting her face. "The what?"
"I don't suspect you've heard of them. But, they're a rag-tag group of very wealthy, very elite individuals who are high up in society. The Witch Hunters Association used to exist in the early 1600s, back when all of that fantastical nonsense was believed. In the mid-1770s, when America broke off from The British Empire, they were all enlisted into the war, and then promptly dissolved after America won," Domenico explained, leaning in his chair, Camila listening intently, although she was confused about one tiny, little thing.
"So, what does this have to do with what's going on now?" Camila asked as Domenico hummed.
"And you're right to ask that. And so, I shall answer. Would you believe me if I said that this wasn't the first time that superpowers were beginning to show themselves?" As those words left Domenico's mouth, Camila recoiled in shock.
"Huh?"
"I know, right? I hardly believed it myself. But that's when I met 26-year-old Amy Thatcher. She's the mother of one of the children who had been kidnapped, 12-year-old Arla. And yes, I did the math. It's as bad of a situation as it sounds," Domenico said as Camila shook her head, total bewilderment in her eyes as Domencio continued. "In 2008, when Amy was pregnant with Arla, she awoke one morning with the ability to repair whatever object she had touched. She even showed me proof by repairing the broken organ at the Church."
"B-But how? Why didn't it blow up like it has now?"
"The Witch Hunters Association. They rounded up all of the super-powered kids and killed them before the media could catch on. And besides, it was only a localized awakening in Kentucky, and not anywhere else in America. As for how Amy is still alive, she was only spared because she was pregnant. She had to use her unborn baby as a shield to defend herself. The WHA people took pity on her, expecting her to die in childbirth like most teen parents do. She didn't, and she's the only surviving member of the super-powered kids in her generation," Domenico answered, causing Camila to pale in disgust.
"And… what about the rest of the world?" Camila asked, though having already known the answer given how this conversation was going.
"I don't know. But, if I were to guess? All round-up and killed by the WHA, which, mind you, is a worldwide organization. It is not limited to our country. Not that it truly matters for us, what matters is what's happening here. And I know exactly who founded the WHA. It took some digging, but I was able to figure it out due to his family's history," Domenico said, as he pulled out a folded-up sheet of paper from his pants pocket.
He placed it on the table, unfolding it, before turning it to Camila, which she read out loud. "Witch Hunters Association Founder… Tyler Wittebane?" Camila muttered, looking at the photo of the man in question. Dark brown ear-length hair, Golden yellow eyes, and pale skin. Sunken cheeks and stubble on his chin. "I mean, it's horrible, but, what does this have to do with me? Aside from him obviously being the one who more than likely kidnapped mija."
Domenico took back the piece of paper and put it in his pocket, levelling a glance at Camila, his expression unreadable. "You see, Camila. I plan to take this battle directly to him. My accusations, and my evidence. I have it all gathered and prepared. I'll be delivering it to the court system and filing a collective joint lawsuit. One signed by every single parent who has been affected. I wanted to add your signature to it. What do you say?"
-To Be Continued in – Forming The Team-
[Ending Song: Life – By: Rude-a]
I don't have much to say, other than I hope you enjoyed this. Now, as of right now, we do not know what All For One's real name is, other than it ends in Shigaraki. So, here is the name I have given this version of All For One, Rikitasu. The breakdown of the name means this:
Riki (力輝), separate, Ri (力) in this instance means power, and Ki (輝) in this instance means splendid. Together, they mean Splendid Power.
Tasu (多数), separate, Ta (多) in this instance means many, and Su (数) in this instance means number. Together, they mean multitude.
Put the town names together, and you get Rikitasu (力輝 多数), which roughly translates to Multitude of Splendid Powers. Which, as far as I am concerned, makes sense. Now, combining both names, Rikitasu (given) and Shigaraki (familial) you get Rikitasu Shigaraki (力輝多数 . 死柄木), which means a Multitude of splendid powers of death, which fits All For One's character, considering who All for One is.
Now with that name breakdown finished… what did you guys think of this chapter? I eagerly await your speculation! Till next time, peace!