Trigger Warning:

- electrocution

- inhumane testing

- minimal blood

Historically speaking, electrocution has been a method of torture.

It made mentally ill patients turn insane.

That is, if they survived at all.

In cinema, this same representation was portrayed.

Never would I have thought that it would be the medium to obtain the opposite effect: enhancing the body to store a powerful quirk.

As I stand in Daruma-san's lab, I watch Shigaraki undergo what I would personally describe absolute degradation of the human body but what Daruma-san exclaims is his masterpiece. Do not get me wrong. I have murdered plenty in brutal, bloody ways that if I were a fictional character, the readers would be concerned at how imaginative the author is. But even this spectacle causes my stomach to churn. Yet I cannot look away from the glass barrier separating us and him.

Every few seconds, a current of electricity shoots through Shigaraki's body. He convulses and blood splatters from where the tubes penetrate his skin. Numerous burns riddle his flesh, froth dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and his eyeballs have long since rolled into the back of his head. Sheer willpower is the only thing keeping Shigaraki from giving up. From what I recall from Physics class, if resistance is constant, then voltage and current are proportional. About five milliamperes of current causes a tingling sensation. Six times that, and loss of muscle control is likely. Ten to thirty times the five milliamperes, intense pain and respiratory arrest occur. At one ampere or even ten amperes, death is certain. With such small numbers capable of causing death, I do not want to imagine how high the voltage value must be.

"Tell me again, Doctor," I mutter. "Exactly how are repeated electric shocks supposed to help with our goal?"

"The shocks are just a catalyst to speed up the process. Midoriya has One for All, but he must have trained for a minimum of one year to able to store the capacity the quirk. Shigaraki, on the other hand, does not have that kind of time on his hands. He must be ready to handle the power in a third of that time. If he can survive the shocks, he can possess One for All."

The reasoning makes sense. From the meager number of times I have attempted to use that power, I felt something that felt like electric charge running under my skin. Whenever I have seen Midoriya-san activate the quirk, red lines that remind me of wires appear on his skin. Still, even after a year of training, he did not master it. I recall the first day of school, when Aizawa-sensei asked his students to throw a ball with our respective abilities. Midoriya-san broke his finger. From then on, he developed a habit of shattering his bones and nearly killing himself every time he used it. I take a deep breath when I ponder what will become of Shigaraki when he obtains One for All.

I turn toward Daruma-san, who is busy manipulating the settings inside the electrocution chamber. "Any progress on the quirk bullets?"

He does not respond until he finishes tampering and taking down notes. Facing me, I can see his crestfallen face. "No," he groans. "Inhalers are good and all, but I cannot recreate the formula. A core ingredient was the blood and cells of human tissue. Where do I get the specimen from?"

I recall the girl who Chisaki-sama called his daughter. Eri, I believe her name was. My speculation at the time was that she was crucial to the creation of the darts. Now I only have more proof. But the problem is, the heroes took her away before we could. "I've heard from Aizawa-sensei that Chisaki-sama's daughter's quirk is Rewind. However, she is under his custody, so it will be hard for me to approach her, considering Sensei does not like me. In fact, he is working on teaching her how to control her quirk, which poses another problem. Additionally, there was no video footage of the war of that day, where she possibly might have used Rewind, so I cannot absorb it, either." Like a child, Daruma-san nods with fervor at every statement.

Then, a strange idea forms in my mind. Risky, perhaps even a stretch, but there is no harm in voicing it. I say, "Do you think you can make more copies of the drugs from my body?"

"Please elaborate."

It is dubious, but at least he is willing to hear me out. That is all the motivation I need to formulate my theory. "Usually, my absorbed amplification quirk allowed me to enhance my hearing or other senses for a short duration of time. However, the quirk enhancing content you mixed into my inhaler the day of the Deika City war amplified my abilities beyond fathomable. It was even able to destroy quirk-suppressing shackles. All of that concludes that my body did not reject what was inserted inside me. My body did not attack it like an antigen.

"So I wonder if there are remnants of the cells circulating inside my body. Furthermore, I wonder if there is a chance that my body has been replicating those cells."

Daruma-san strokes his mustache. I take it as a sign that he is contemplating my theory seriously. After a long time, he says, "It is worth a try. You possess regenerating abilities of your own, alongside innumerable other quirks. So if you do possess the DNA that is essential to the drugs, you would pass on a measure of all the other abilities you have absorbed. A dramatic advantage and improvement."

I have to stop him right there. "Let's not forget that though I am a bonanza of quirks, I also possess an autoimmune disease. There is no known cause for juvenile arthritis, but genetics has been speculated to be one of the causes. Also, my own body cannot handle the power inside me. Do not expect that a healthier body will be able to do better."

"We can just selectively locate and transfer the genes! Let me perform some tests!"

Once more, I have to remind him. "No. I do not want tests performed at the moment." The way in which his energetic mood immediately drops reminds me of a child again. Why did I think he resembled a sweet grandpa? "Oh, don't look so morose," I scold. "I have something that will interest you." His face lights up. I roll my eyes at the over-enthusiasm but proceed. "At this point, I am sure you know that our little mission of eradicating the Hanada scions succeeded." He affirms that he does. "Well, Hanada-sama has set some conditions in place for me. One of them being that I must introduce him to a scientist and a businessman. Guess who I have chosen for the scientist role?"

"Me?"

"Yes. You. Will you agree to visit him?"

"Who is the businessman you have in mind?"

"Yotsubashi-san. Re-Destro."

He makes a sound of interest. "When do you want to arrange the meeting?"

"Next week."

That elicits a series of coughs from Daruma-san. "Next week!" he exclaims. "But I have so many things to do. Maybe you have forgotten, Selene, but I run a hospital. There are important surgeries I have to perform!"

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "I understand that. Hanada-sama will, too. In fact, you should show him that you are a busy man. Only then will he take you and me seriously." Releasing my nose, I stare at Daruma-san. I am taller than him, so it makes it easy to place my hands on his shoulders. "At the start of the coming week, I am going to make many calls to you. Arrange for a private number that can pose as your secretary. Whenever I call, I need you to stay on the line for two to three minutes. Spun whatever nonsense you wish. You can tell me the recipe to making a Starbucks frappuccino or recite the abstract of a research article. Just anything to occupy that time. Meanwhile, I am going to make generic statements such as, 'Please,' or 'Just one appointment,' or 'I've been trying to get a hold of you for so long.'

'After about thirteen to fifteen of these calls, I want you to finally accept my offer. I would like for you to do it when Hanada-sama is in my presence. To do that, here is a code phrase you must remember: 'I look forward to a successful venture in science.' At that point, I will pass the phone to Hanada-sama, and you can negotiate a meeting date with him. Make it sound like you are in a hurry, so that you can arrange it quickly and get it out of the way."

Daruma-san claps in delight. "You have it all planned don't you, Selene? Impressive! But will this visit be coordinated with Re-Destro?"

I shake my head. "He will meet with Hanada-sama at another date. I need to show Hanada-sama that I am capable of managing the business empire. And I need to do it soon."

Like Shigaraki, I am also on a time crunch. Four months is the deadline, almost one has passed. With the age limit and marriage condition he has instated in his will, it is nigh impossible for me to support the Paranormal Liberation Army by myself. I must manipulate the four-important-people requirement in my favor.

"Selene, I'll do as you wish. But I have a condition of my own," Daruma-san adds. I look at him, obviously waiting for him to state his oh-so-important term. Behind is goggles, his eyes catch a manic gleam. "Let me test on you. I want to study you for the cells."

I widen my eyes and give him a glare that silently shouts, Are you bloody serious right now? I cannot even keep the shock out of my voice. "I believed that was a given when I explained my scheme to you. You ally with Hanada-sama, you ally with me. I can interact with you more and have a viable excuse for doing so. Seriously, Doctor, you are a brilliant scientist, but how did you run a hospital for so long without understanding this much politics?"

And of course, the sarcasm does not affect him. "All for One funded me," he answers, irritatingly.

Any more of this, and I will become completely fed up. "I am going to go talk with Yotsubashi-san. Do you need anything else from me?"

"Stay for the hot chocolate!"

I begin moving toward the door of his secret office. "I prefer mine sweet. And your staff does not put nearly as many marshmallows as I like."

After departing from Jaku Hospital, I summon a warp gate and go to Gunga Mountain Villa. Where Yotsubashi-san is conducting his operations.

Most of the Paranormal Liberation Army do not recognize me. I had intended from the start that they never did. The existence of a spy is determined by his or her secrecy. If my identity is exposed, my death will become inevitable. So the fewer people that recognize me, the better.

I use that logic to camouflage myself with the grey walls and tiled floor. No one pays much attention to a ghost. That saves plenty of time. I search for one of the meager amount of people who know me to locate Yotsubashi-san.

That is when my gaze lands on Twice. He dashes toward Pro-Hero Hawks, who is accompanied by two others. I eavesdrop on the conversation.

"HELP!" Twice shouts. "What should I say our mission statement is?" he asks Hawks. "Spinner and Compress have been in meetings for days. Giran and Dabi can't be bothered. And Toga's cute as ever, so you gotta help me out!" My pounding heart slows down. I am glad that despite his personality disorder, he has enough sense not to mention my name.

Speaking of personality disorders, he imitates Sanctum - a high-ranking official of the Paranormal Liberation Army - to an astonishingly accurate degree. With arms crossed and facial mask contorted to a strict frown, he drops his voice by many octaves. "Many in this regiment are harboring doubts. You may be a figurehead who was simply handed your position, but we ought to hear the mission statement from your own lips." He instantly switches to his more anxiety-ridden self. "So I was like … ummm … Gotta take a dump!" I choke on the snort that almost escapes my mouth. He pleads with Hawks for assistance.

Hawks chuckles and advises Twice on what to say. "Individual freedom should rein supreme. We're going to destroy the status quo" is the slogan he provides. "Something like that. Also, a word or two about loyalty to Re-Destro." When Twice expresses his increduility at the last part, Hawks explains how it was Re-Destro's bloodline that enabled unity amongst the original members of the Army. It takes very little to convince Twice, so off he prances happily to parrot what Hawks told him.

I should follow him. He likely knows where Yotsubashi-san is. But I cannot help but lingering a moment longer at my hiding place and observe Hawks.

He is smarter than his appearances imply. Laidback, carefree, easy to talk to … hardly anyone would suspect a machinating mind occupied the space in his skull. Yet my intuition tells me to cautious of him. He is dangerous. Number Two Hero. He was combating with Endeavor-san against the noumu on the evening of the rankings' announcement. Since he is a member of the Paranormal Liberation Army, one might assume that he is deceiving the heroes.

Perhaps because I am doing the same, I recognize that there is something peculiar about him. His presence does not sit right with me.

I watch him converse with his two comrades. They walk past me. I stare at his back.

You are a suspicious man, Pro-Hero. I will be watching you.

Finally, I push myself off the wall and begin moving forward. After a few turns, I hear a familiar feminine, maniacal voice from the corner. Toga. Inside a room, she is busy sharpening her knives and talking to Spinner. At the same time, Spinner practices swinging and maneuvering his contraption of many bound swords. To get their attention, I throw my own daggers at them. The two catch them midair.

I drop the invisibility. "Long time, no see," I greet. "Good to know that your proclivities for blood have not watered down."

Spinner frowns and throws the knife back at me. When I catch it between two fingers, he is quick to hide his grin of pride. Toga, however, inspects the blade. I made sure to toss the unpoisoned ones, but I really would like my dagger back. She pricks the point. A bead of blood wells up.

"Do you know where Yotsubashi-san is?" I ask. "There is something I must discuss with him."

"Who?" Spinner asks me.

Do you not even know his real name? "Re-Destro."

Toga pipes in. "Why are you calling that geezer by his actual name? And why the honorifics? We're all equals now."

"Because soon I will be collaborating him not as a spy but as a business partner," I answer. "There is no harm in giving him respect now." When they grumble simultaneously, I repeat my question. "Where is he?"

"Probably holed up in his main office," Spinner ultimately tells me. "Said he had to hire someone with funny punchlines, whatever that means."

I thank them and turn around. As I camouflage myself again, I hear the whoosh of my other blade. Toga asks me why I need to see him so urgently as I stop its trajectory midair.

I cannot resist the urge to laugh. Diabolically. Menacingly.

"To fulfill my promise of bringing down this society of heroes. Just in my style."

As Spinner had told me, Yotsubashi-san is indeed in his office. However, instead of searching for candidates with snark and spite, he is busy watching stand-up comedy on television. Who better than comedians to bring a smile to his face, since he killed his former assistant Miyashita-san? That is his reasoning. I dare not inquire who this Miyashita-san was. There are more important things to do. I tell him much the same of what I told Daruma-san. Even the code phrase I gave him is identical to the one for Daruma-san, except I replace the word 'science' with 'heroism.'

However, because Yotsubashi-san understands the connectivity of business and politics, I reveal more to him than I did to Daruma-san. One of these details being my theory on the quirk bullets. I don't suppose there are drawbacks to it. After the war, I had swore to him to formulate a partnership between the Detnerat Company and the Hanada Group of Companies. That also entailed discussing my shameful past and murders with him, so a mutual bond of trust could be established. When he knows that much about me, what does it hurt to humor him some more? Especially, when he seems enthusiastic about the prospect.

At my request, he prepares some hot chocolate for me per my specifications. When he presents it to me, I notice the tower of marshmallows swimming on the surface of the brown liquid.

"You just became my second favorite person in the world," I praise him, never taking my eyes away from the culinary marvel in front of me.

"Who is your first favorite?" he asks as he manuevers his wheelchair beside the couch I am reclining on.

"My milk thermos," I reply instantly. I toss one of the marshmallows in my mouth. It is the right amount of fluffy and chewy. Wasting no time to make myself comfortable, I remove my shoes and prop my feet on one of the armrests. My head leans against the other.

Meanwhile, Yotsubashi-san chortles at my response. Guffawing, he remarks, "Clever answer! But that is an object.

You are right. My most favorite person is a boy with peppermint hair and heterochromia. But I cannot tell you that in spite of all that I have said. So I respond with, "My dragon cane is also an object, but I love it as though it is my pet. The dragon is also my first favorite."

He chuckles again. I start to stir the marshmallows in the chocolate with the provided spoon. Slowly, they melt, leaving white, foamy trails on the surface. I take a sip. The flavor is absolutely divine.

Just as I am mentally soaring in clouds of marshmallows and swimming in seas of melted chocolate, Yotsubashi-san makes a serious statement with a smile. Though he is still facing the screen, I would be a fool to think he is entertained by the comedian's comeback. He says, "If I were in your caretaker's place, I would not be content with just arranging for an influential scientist and a business magnate. Since the Hanada Group of Companies invests in many industries, he must have tested you for more. Who else did he task you with?"

I stare at him upside down and raise an eyebrow. Finally, someone smart to realize the big game. "A police officer and the son of the Number One Hero."

"Oh?" He shifts to make eye contact, clasps his hands together, rests his chin on them. "Do tell."

I tell him that Hanada-sama suspects me of being the Bone Crusher Killer. He is right, of course, but he has no proof. I had coordinated the assassinations that way. However, I do not want to give him any sort of outlet that may hinder my plans. "The officer I have in mind is the head of the operation of catching the Bone Crusher Killer. Hearing directly from her that I have no involvement should appease any ridiculous and outrageous thoughts he has about me. She will gaslight him better than I can." When I start describing Shouto, I tell him that the reasoning behind that is to secure a passageway into the world of heroes.

His smile drops when I inform that a lot of my time will be spent with Shouto. "You realize that he is a threat, don't you? What if he learns that you are a villain?"

The comedian makes a joke about the double standards of strict families.

"He won't," I vow without hesitation. "Not when I will be diverting attention from my activities to Hanada-sama's crimes. Todoroki-kun has agreed to ally with him under the pretense of gathering evidence to arrest him. As long as I can continue providing him that, everything will be fine."

Yet even I know it is not as simple as that. Danger is present in every direction. Shouto is willingly walking into a forest of traps. And I have to protect him, even if the cost is myself. The closer Shouto comes to learning the truth, the harder it will be for him to flee.

Yotsubashi-san recognizes it, too. He warns me, "You know it is not that easy. Take it from me: keeping up fronts and multiple personas is a tiresome process. It is like a game of chess, where one mistake means you sacrifice your king, minister, and all your pawns. It means defeat. Hence why I resort to comedic entertainment to keep myself emotionally stable. Say, do you think I should hire one of these comedians as my new assistant?"

I drink a large portion of the hot chocolate in one swallow. He is right. Kurogiri and All for One were caught, and they will spend the rest of their lives in Tartarus. If the heroes decide to let me live, that will be my same fate. But it is too optimistic to think they will let me live. Possessing a power similar to All for One, operating as a traitor to the Pro-Heroes, and the countless people I have slain … all that and many more charges will ensure I receive the death penalty, no matter my age.

Meeting Yotsubashi-san's gaze, I keep my voice cold. "Which is precisely why I must do this.

"Chess is more than simply defeat and victory. It is deception. Tricking the opponent, sacrificing a weaker pawn to fool the enemy, shifting attention from the bigger strategy at play. You forget that I am not just Selene, the girl who was sold for her body. I am Lucifer Morningstar, Re-Destro. Games and schemes are the Devil's specialty."

He takes a deep breath. "You certainly have a way with words, Morningstar."

I tease, "Does this mean I can submit my application to be your sassy, sharp-mouthed assistant?" I snort before he can answer me. "It is all right. Just have some punchlines of your own ready when you talk to Hanada-sama. Try coming up with ones about liquor. He'll love that."

He erupts into peals of laughter again. Smirking at his reaction, I listen to the next joke the comedian makes. He talks about how children of strict families practically become ninjas in their homes. So sneaky, so stealthy, and excellent at lying on the spot. I can relate. After all, I hid so many truths just now.

After finishing the stand-up video and drink, I take my leave.

Back at the dormitory, I pamper myself with a long, luxurious bath.

Shouto is out, completing his work-study with Endeavor-san.

I take this time to ponder my next steps.

I should inform Aunt Ahearn soon. The same strategy should work with her. The only issue will be the time zone. Should I use my laptop to call her or my phone? Should I utilize phone call or video call? Hanada-sama keeps a strict watch on my phone, and he does not know I share a pseudo mother-daughter relationship with her. It would not be farfetched to assume he is observing my email account, too. Although I had the foresight to erase history of emails and video calls with Aunt Ahearn, I should not risk it now. I might need Shouto's help. Perhaps I should give her contact information to him, too.

Thinking his name generates a turmoil of emotions inside me.

I touch the spot where he kissed. Just past the corner of my mouth.

I doubt Sasaki-san would discuss the prostitution with Shouto. Not after what he wrote in his letter and his personal involvement in hiding it from the public view. That does not mean Shouto is free from threats. He may be a little clueless to social norms, but his analytical and deductive skills are like no other. I cannot sit idly by as he risks his life to save me. The easiest solution would be to get rid of Hanada-sama. The universe is giving me so many literal signs to eradicate him quickly.

Before we gather enough evidence to incarcerate Hanada-sama, I must kill him.

He blatantly holds all the pawns controlling my movements. I must gather pawns of my own. Discreetly. Quietly.

A powerful businessman, a renowned scientist, a noble police officer, and Shouto.

Deals with the Devil always come with a price.

And Hanada-sama has struck the most dangerous one.

I hope he can pay it.

Note: I have copied some dialogue from one of the English-translated versions of the manga. The link to the chapter is here:

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-258/