Chapter 24: Dazed (Part 2)
Shigaraki is here. Panic seized me as try to break free of his grip, but he only tightened it further, crushing me.
Please...Please...PLEASE, I can't take it anymore. Just kill me already.
But he seemed to have other sinister plans. He began dragging me along with him. Where? I don't know. I resigned myself, my body and mind numb with exhaustion. I felt a bizarre combination of sensations - freezing, burning, and complete numbness, all at once. It was as if I had somehow slipped out of my own body, becoming a mere spectator to the torment being inflicted upon me.
It feels like watching Todoroki-kun using his Quirk to mercilessly test its limits on my helpless form. He sets my body ablaze, the scorching flames licking at my skin, and then just as quickly encases me in a prison of ice, the frigid cold seeping into my very bones. He repeats this cycle over and over. Each time, I simply lay there, coughing and sputtering when the smoke overwhelms me.
Then, just when I think I can't endure any more, Todoroki lifts me up, only to let me fall back down. But instead of hitting the ground, I kept falling, descending into a dark volcano. How do I know, it is a volcano? Is it because of the smell? Or because of the endless pit? All I know is that I am alone, surrounded by the oppressive darkness, terrified of what might be waiting for me at the bottom.
Molten lava? Freezing water? Uneven terrain? Or something even more sinister?
Does it even matter?
My body kept twisting and turning - reminding me of the pain - as I hurtled towards an unknown fate. I heard an echo of a guttural scream. But as the ringing in my ears subsided, I realized I was the only one making a sound. Alone in this dark, foreboding place, my cries of anguish fell on deaf ears.
I never found out what really was at the bottom because I saw a tiny green pinprick in the distance and I started walking? floating? flying? moving in that direction. Slowly the darkness receded, the light began to grow, illuminating the path ahead, giving way to a lush, verdant landscape bathed in a soothing blue sky.
And then, a familiar voice cut through the silence - Kacchan's! Relief flooded through me, and I surged forward, desperate to find him and escape this nightmarish realm. As I drew closer, I noticed a young blond child standing in the distance, his back turned to me. Rather than approach him right away, I focused on searching the area instead. I have to find Kacchan. I am sure he is here somewhere, I heard him.
When I failed to find Kacchan, I decided to ask for help from the kid. As I got closer, I noticed he was looking down at something, or someone. Creeping around to get a better view, I was shocked to see a small girl, crimson red hair, cowering on the ground in front of him. She looked absolutely terrified, tears streaming down her face, clutching what appeared to be an All Might-themed pen.
To my horror, I then realized that the boy looming over her was none other than Kacchan - or at least, someone who looked just like him, though he seemed much younger than the Kacchan I knew. What? How? Why?
Without warning, Kacchan snatched the pen from the girl's trembling hands and began to bully her mercilessly. I tried to intervene, to talk some sense into him, but my words fell on deaf ears. It was as if I am a little more than a ghost, my attempts to push him back proving futile as my hands passed through him like smoke.
Just then, a blur of green rushed towards us, and barreled right into the young Kacchan, tumbling a few feet away before coming to a stop. This is not going to end up good. The young girl seized the opportunity to flee and the three kids tower over the greenette.
Wait, when did the other 2 kids get here? With a jolt, I realize that the young boy, sitting on the ground, hands outstretched as if to shield someone, was me. I try to keep my voice confident but it cracks when I ask them why are they doing this. Instead of answering, they just keep on laughing.
"Why...why won't you stop laughing?"
"Because you are a quirkless Deku, that's why dumb ass. Why are you here? Playing hero are we?"
"I just wanted to help that girl. I thought I was strong enough." he scoffs.
"Don't make me laugh. You and strong? Never. You are just a pebble on the side of my road to become the next symbol of peace. "
I am stunned. Is that what he thinks?
"Do you think that was something a Hero would do? picking on the weak and vulnerable?" he shrugs.
"That's what heroes do. They fight."
I shook my head vehemently. "No, you're wrong"
His scowl deepened, eyes narrowing with a burning, hateful rage as he glared at me. "Looks like someone needs to teach you some manners" he spat, before turning to his cronies. "Come on, extras. Let's show Deku here what happens when you cross me."
Before I could even react, an explosion blinded me momentarily and then, pain erupted in my abdomen. Someone hit me. I doubled over as agony struck like lightning. I wasn't given time to recover as they were all on me, kicking and punching relentlessly. The blows to my gut were absolutely breathtaking, knocking the wind right out of me. I pleaded with them to stop, but my cries for mercy fell on deaf ears as the pain seared through my body. "Stop, please!" I begged, sobbing, gasping for air.
"Aaargh...It hurts...I can't breathe!"
I felt completely powerless to defend myself. All I could do was curl up and try to shield myself as the onslaught continued, the agony radiating through every inch of my battered form. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, Kacchan abruptly stopped. I opened my eyes to see him standing beside me, his hands folded on his chest. But something was different - he looked so much younger, as if we had been transported back in time to our childhood.
"Oi, stupid," he taunted, "I won. Now, get up." his voice lacking its usual venom. I blinked in confusion, looking around, I recognized this place - it was where we used to play, back when we were kids. What am I doing here? Oh yes. I tripped and scrapped my knee. I could feel the big fat tears running down my cheeks. It shouldn't hurt this much. Why is it hurting this much? It's just a scratch and little bit of bleeding. But I can't control myself as a sob threaten to escape my lips.
"I'm not stupid, Suki!" I cry out, my voice laced with frustration. Anger is better than the anguish inside me. "I'll beat ya the next race...You just wait!" As I look down, I see my knee has become a bloodied mess, the pain throbbing with each heartbeat, its not just a scratch anymore. I don't want to be here, don't want to deal with Kacchan right now. All I want is my mother's warm, comforting embrace, to feel her gentle touch soothe away the hurt.
Even as I sit there, begging him to leave me alone, clutching my injured knee, somewhere in the distance, I hear a faint, soothing sound that fills me with a sense of comfort. The voice seemed to be calling to me from far away, a beacon trying to guide me to safety. But each time I reach for it, the voice slips through my fingers, leaving me to flounder alone in this turbulent sea of emotions. The harder I try, the deeper I sink, drowning in a sea of confusion and pain.
I'm losing my grip, my strength, my very sense of self - everything is becoming a blur, when something yanks me violently back to the surface and I gasp for air.
"HEY, you damn NERD! Just keep your mouth shut. I don't wanna hear another word. GOT IT?"
There's Kacchan, sitting next to me - not the younger version I saw before, but an older one. Yet I can't tell if this Kacchan is real or just another figment of my fragmented, dream-addled mind. Reality has become so elusive, every version of him appears equally vivid and tangible. As he pours water over me, I feel myself slipping back under, like I'm drowning all over again.
The scene shifts once more, and now I'm standing on the beach with All Might. Time seems to stretch on endlessly here, and no matter how much I try to talk to him, he never responds. It's as if he's a mere mirage, an illusion that will disappear if I reach out to touch him. Just when the loneliness becomes too much to bear, I find myself back home with my parents.
I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. My father turns to me, his eyes filled with warmth and concern, and I know I can finally open up to him about everything I've been through. The words start tumbling out, a torrent of emotions and experiences that I've been holding back for so long. I tell him about how I was once quirkless, shunned and looked down upon by my peers, and how I struggled to find my place in a world that seemed to value power above all else. But then, I recount the day when everything changed - the day I finally bloomed, when I was given a chance to prove myself.
My father listens intently, nodding along as I describe the strict and demanding teachers who have pushed me to my limits, challenging me to become the hero I was always meant to be. I hold nothing back, pouring out every detail, every triumph and every setback, until I reach the moment that changed my life forever - the day I was chosen by the legendary All Might to inherit his incredible power.
As I speak, I can see the pride and wonder in my father's eyes, and I feel a deep sense of relief knowing that I can confide in him without fear of judgment. But just as I begin to bask in this newfound understanding, the peace is shattered. A monstrous Nomu suddenly appears, grabbing me by the legs and suspending me upside down. The blood rushes to my head, and the nausea becomes almost unbearable.
I try to remain brave, but my voice cracks as I challenge Shigaraki, who threatens to harm my parents. The Nomu drops me, and I hit the ground with a sickening thud, my body wracked with agony, whiting out my vision. I can't help but let out a whimper as the pain consumes me, my back arching as my fingers desperately claw at my ribs in a futile attempt to ease the burning sensation. The floor is moving, feels like I am slipping -
The world around me becomes a disorientated blur, each blink bringing a new, chaotic scene. I'm utterly exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and I just want this nightmare to end. I give up trying to communicate. I long for the dark abyss now. I have neither strength nor interest to listen or to talk to anyone. The dark was so much better than all this chaos.
The pain is finally starting to subside, the sharpness calming down the smallest bit, the littlest cooling of a fire, and I can feel myself sinking into the welcoming embrace of the dark abyss. All I crave is rest, a chance to escape the chaos that has consumed me. As I surrender to the darkness, a sense of relief washes over me, and I finally find the peace I so desperately needed.
Rest.
Finally.