August 28th, 2011
"You're gonna have to go in there and face her eventually, Accelerator," said Midoriya as the two young men sat in the waiting room at the nearby hospital.
Although her injuries were painful, they weren't as severe as they had anticipated. The only issue was Sumire not being conscious yet. Recovery Girl was prepared to use her Quirk to speed up the healing of her broken skin, but Sumire had to be awake and repressing her Quirk to be able to do so. Instead, she had moved on to treat Todoroki's arm, which had healed itself well after her treatment. You'd have to look very carefully to see the faint white scars that resembled the pattern of a shattered pane of glass. Of course, he had needed rest after the treatment, so he was sleeping comfortably in the next bed over from Sumire.
"What makes you think I won't?"
"You've been keeping your distance ever since last night. If something is bothering you, we can talk about it. But only if you really want to, of course!" The green-haired kid was just as awkward now as he was when he first introduced himself. But that awkwardness made him feel less threatening than the other Quirk users around.
"You're imagining things, kid. I'm just giving them enough space for the hospital people to do their jobs. Keep assuming I'm scared and you'll be occupying the next empty bed."
Midoriya shook his head no. "You can threaten me if you want, but I think you're nervous about facing her because of how you feel about her. I've seen the way you look at each other, and it's something... nice and comforting. Maybe it's love, but even if it isn't, you shouldn't be afraid to let her know what she means to you."
"It's got nothing to do with that! I just... This is the second time I haven't been able to protect her from harm. I wasn't strong enough to save her five years ago, and even though I've grown my power significantly since then, it still just isn't enough. I'm useless to her; she doesn't need me here."
"I think you're wrong, Accelerator. The fact that you're here now shows an enormous amount of strength on your part. Maybe you didn't have a direct hand in getting her away from the villains this time, but you still had a part in ensuring that she got out of there alive and well. You gave them the opportunity to get away from Shigaraki, as well as provided cover and bought time until Mr. Aizawa could arrive. You weren't useless, Accelerator. Far from it, and I'm sure she knows that."
Accelerator just stared at the floor in front of him. He wanted to believe that he made a difference this time.
The waiting room door opened and Recovery Girl stepped through, looking at the two boys. "She's awake now, and she's asking for you, kiddo. You can follow me back now."
Midoriya gave Accelerator a friendly pat on the shoulder. "You should go to her, sounds like she does need you after all," he said with a smile.
He stood up and took a moment to stretch his legs before turning back to Midoriya, "Thanks, kid."
Sumire was leaning up on the bed, she still looked exhausted, and her expression held some pain as well. However, once she saw Accelerator enter the room, her smile appeared, although it did little to mask how she truly felt. "Hey there, I was wondering where you had gone."
"I'm here. I was just talking with that Midoriya kid. You look tired; maybe you should get more sleep."
"I would, but the aching from the wounds is making sleep difficult. I think I've gotten enough energy back to make Recovery Girl's treatment work though. I just wanted to see you before we got started. I... wanted to thank you for all you did yesterday to save me."
Accelerator wasn't expecting to hear her thank him for what little he did during yesterdays rescue. He looked towards the other hospital bed and saw that Todoroki was awake as well, staring off in the opposite direction of Sumire. "There's no need to thank me, Sumire. Besides, I wasn't the only one there," he said as he nodded his head towards Todoroki.
"Ah, that's true. I need to thank you as well Todoroki. I'm just sorry you got hurt because of me."
Hearing his name brought him out of his daydreaming gaze, he looked at her and smiled. "It was nothing, Sumire. Don't feel sad about it, and I'm already healed, so it's not something to dwell on, okay?"
It had been so long since she had seen Todoroki smile. When had the last time been? During one of the walks around the school perhaps. But this smile seemed different; there was some sadness behind it. Sumire could feel there was something between the two guys, some tension that she couldn't place. It was different from the tense moments they'd had when they were arguing and fighting. It still felt uncomfortable, and after debating on how to handle it, she decided just to ask outright. "What's going on, guys? Why do I feel there's something you two aren't telling me?"
Her directness surprised the two of them. Looking at each other, neither one could find the words they wanted to say. Accelerator managed to speak first, "We talked while we were searching for you yesterday, and we wondered what you intend to do now. As far as where you wanted to go, that is. Had you given any thought to whether you wanted to return to Academy City... with me? Or if you'd rather stay here at the school?"
"I don't think it's as simple as choosing one place over the other. Academy City only showed me sadness and pain, but it also gave me you, Accelerator. I found out recently that this town was my original home. My parents were from here, and I'd like to be able to learn more about them. I also made new friends and made some happy memories here as well," she said as she looked towards Todoroki. "Another thing to think of is whether or not I'll still be targeted by the same people that kidnapped me from the start. I'm not sure how large their group was, but if they still intend to use me as a weapon against the Science side, it would be dangerous for me to live in Academy City. The same could be said for staying here as well, with Shigaraki taking an interest in me."
Accelerator nodded in agreement, "The way things are between Science and Magic now, it wouldn't be surprising for them to try again if it meant giving them an advantage over Espers."
"She shouldn't go back to that city. You'd just be making it easier for them to find her," said Todoroki as he looked away from the two of them. He knew it was bothering Accelerator, especially after the talk they had yesterday.
"I... I know. It will be for the best if you don't come back to Academy City with me, Sumire. You have a chance to live a much happier life here, and you should do all you can to make that happen. I'll be back later, just get some rest." Accelerator left the room before either one of them could object.
He had rushed out of the room so quickly; he hadn't noticed that Touma had been standing near the door.
"Hey... Hey Accelerator! Damnit, stop and listen to what I have to say!" Touma caught up with him and stood in his way.
"You really don't want to start something with me right now, Level Zero. Get out of my way. Don't make me destroy half this hospital to rid myself of your presence."
Touma shook his head and refused to move. "No, not after what I just heard in there. If you feel the need to tear something apart, then we should take this outside." He stepped to the side and allowed Accelerator to pass, but followed him closely until they were both a decent distance away from the hospital.
"Okay, what little bit of wisdom do you plan to bestow upon me after eavesdropping on our conversation?"
Touma looked at Accelerator with a serious expression. "I think you're full of shit! And I wasn't eavesdropping; I was waiting to visit with them and say my goodbyes before I go back to Academy City. It's none of my business, but after seeing the way things have been since we got here, I can't leave without saying this to you. Why can't you just admit that you care about that girl? I remember how you looked when you found out she was still alive. And now I just heard you say that you're going to give up and go back home without her? You had the perfect opportunity to let her know exactly how you felt and you just let it pass! Why would you do that after all you've been through for her?"
Accelerator yelled back in anger, "Because once I do, I can never take it back! Once I tell her how I feel, she'll want to know more. And eventually, she's going to realize that I pushed myself to attain all this power because of what she believed. She considered me broken, so I thought I'd prove her wrong. And it took me to places far darker than the SAI ever did. I've done some twisted and cruel shit. You should know that better than most. If she were to make that connection, she'd be... She'd blame herself, and I don't want that situation ever to happen because it's not her fault. And you know... She was right from the start. I was broken. Still am, although one day it'd be nice to be able to look at her and honestly feel worthy of her. But as it is now, I'm just not that person yet."
"You're saying "if I love her, I have to let her go," right? That's only going to hurt the both of you more! She's been doing the best she can for herself, to try to be happy. And whether you admit it or not, YOU are a part of that happiness. Even though you fear her reaction to your past, would you really be willing to take her happiness away? I thought you were stronger than that, I really did. I know that you've done horrible things and I still have a hard time looking at you without picturing all the Sisters that you killed."
"That's what I'm trying to say, asshole! Considering all the wrong I've done, to have anyone else judge me wouldn't wound me in the slightest. But if it's her seeing me for who I was... I admit that I'm not nearly strong enough to handle that kind of rejection. So you tell me Mister Hero, which would be better? Do I bare myself completely, all flaws unveiled, in full view of the one person whose opinion truly matters to me? Or do I keep it hidden and continue living with the pain of missing her? Which would be a more cruel punishment for my sins?"
Touma reflected for a few moments before speaking again. "It's not my place to decide how you should be punished for the wrongs you've done. And if it's redemption you want that's also not my concern. But there's a young woman in there that would be crushed if you disappeared from her life again. If you want to leave and keep your secrets, then fine. But don't say you're doing it for her sake. Besides, what's stopping you from just staying here with her anyway?"
"I didn't say that I'd never come back. That would be cruel, I know. Like I said before, I'm broken, but I want to become the person that she deserves. I can't make that kind of change here. If I stay, it'll only be a superficial change, only skin deep. No, for me to redeem myself, I need to go back and fix all that I've destroyed. I won't have Sumire put her life on hold for me while I do that either. If that means that she moves on and finds happiness with someone else, then I can accept that. Even if it's with that overhyped ice machine. At least I'd know that he'd cherish and protect her." He paused for a moment, "but don't ever let him know I said that."
Touma had a short laugh at that last comment. He hadn't realized how deep Accelerator's feelings went with Sumire. "You don't have to worry about me saying anything. I still think you're making things harder for yourself, but I suppose the only one that can really judge that is you. If you feel that you can handle that kind of burden, then all I can say is good luck to you. Just try not to make her cry."
"I can't promise that right now. But if the future leads to us finding each other again, I'll make sure she never sheds another tear of sadness. I've had enough of this emotional talk, especially with a loser like you. Don't think of this as a truce either. If I see you again in the City, I'll grind you into the pavement."
"Yeah, sure thing."
...
Accelerator returned a few hours later to the hospital room. Todoroki had fallen asleep, but Sumire was awake. She smiled at his return, although he could tell she had been upset about his sudden departure.
"Sumire, I just wanted you to know that I'm okay with going back to Academy City alone. At least I know where you are now, and that you're safe."
"But... couldn't you just stay here? What could be keeping you there?" Sumire had started to tear up, but he reached for a tissue and wiped her eyes dry.
"Don't cry; I wouldn't mind staying here. It would be a great place for a fresh start. But I have a lot of sins that I have to atone for there. I can't run from them and expect to be accepted here. To put it plainly, I need to go back and fix the things that I've broken."
Sumire couldn't obey his request not to cry after he referred to her belief about breaking and fixing. She smiled through the tears though. "I understand, Seiji. Just... don't take too long. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"I won't let it take any longer than necessary, Sumire. But don't stop living your life because I'm not in it, that wouldn't be fair to you. Just... whatever you do, make sure you're happy."
...
Touma had caught the first bus out of town. He suspected that Index had left a mess for him to clean up at his teacher's apartment and wanted to get back before she could get into any more trouble. Sumire was still resting in the hospital, but Todoroki had been cleared to go home. He met Accelerator at the bus station to see him off.
"You didn't have to come down here. I'm capable of catching a bus home without help," said Accelerator.
"I know, but my curiosity got the better of me. After everything we talked about while we were searching for her, why would you leave now? You know how I feel about her, don't you think you're making a mistake?"
The young Esper stared out at the bus terminals, "You wanted us to let Sumire decide who should have her heart, right? I'm not prepared to have her make that choice yet. If she chose me now, she'd be picking the Accelerator she knew five years ago without knowing who I became while she was gone. And that's not fair, to her or you. I'm going back to change things in that fucking city so that when the time comes for her to decide who her heart desires, it'll be a fair and even choice between us."
Todoroki nodded, "That seems fair, but don't think that I'll make it easy for you just to show back up and sweep her off her feet."
"I don't expect you to, just keep your eye on her and make sure she stays safe. I know I can trust you to do that."
"Of course. Until next time, take care of yourself." Todoroki extended his hand, which Accelerator met and shook immediately.
"Same to you. Maybe we'll have a rematch the next time we meet. It's hard to find a decent rival these days..."
A small teaser for the next continuation of No Direct Contact
Midoriya decided to stop in and check on Sumire after he heard Accelerator had left. He found her awake but looking somewhat down.
"Uh, hi Sumire. How are you doing? I heard you managed to get your injuries treated by Recovery Girl, so that's good!"
She gave a small smile and agreed. "Midoriya, I've been thinking about something, and I'd like to hear your opinion on it."
"Sure, what's up?"
"Do you think it's possible for someone to get rid of their Quirk?"
Midoriya was caught off guard by her question, "What?!"
I have to say I struggled with this last chapter over the past week, which is why it's a couple days late being published. I didn't want to admit that this part of the story was ending! I hope you all have enjoyed this crossover between the worlds of A Certain Magical Index and My Hero Academia. This chapter ended up being a little longer than usual, but I really wanted to make it known just how Accelerator feels and his reasoning for what he decides to do. It may seem like he has a different reason for each person he speaks with (Midoriya, Touma, and finally Todoroki) but each reason is true. He's a guarded person, and he only felt comfortable sharing the truths that he wanted each person to know about him.
As you see with the small teaser above, I do intend to continue this story, although to what extent I'm not sure of right now. I don't intend to wait very long, but I also have plans to write an original story for NanoWrimo, so that may take time away from working on this story. Please let me know what you thought of the ending or any other details you'd like to talk about, I love this story and would love to discuss it with you readers! Fav/Follow/Review and thank you so much for reading. See you when the next chapter drops!