Chapter 65: I Am Not the Villain part 1

I was little when it happened. My age not even in the double digits.

Life was simple back then. Probably because I was too small to remember it as anything else, but as far as I was aware we were happy. Me, my parents, and my three older siblings. I had two big brothers and a big sister, who was my favorite.

Which, I should mention, wasn't exactly my big brother's fault. We were being raised in a very masculine-centered household, after all. Even at my young age I was starting to have a harder time expressing my emotions around my family and classmates.

Fuyumi, my big sister, was the exception.

She smiled a lot, that much I remember perfectly. There were also a lot of hugs. And forehead kisses, which I pretended to despise but in secret looked forward too.

I wish I hadn't pretended. Maybe I would've gotten more.

She probably got her sweet nature from our mother, who was also very gentle and soft with her children. When I was very small, many years before the incident, she would come into my room after the maids put me to bed as I was fast asleep. She'd sit at the edge of my mattress and stroke my hair, caressing my cheek with her thumb. Most of the time I just pretended to be asleep.

I wish I'd pretended more.

It's funny, how fast a child can grow up, depending on the circumstances. At the time, there were some kids in my grade who still believed in Santa Claus, while others were already talking about what high school they wanted to go to in 6 or 7 years.

I had been a part of the latter group.

If I'd been in the former… I try not to think about it, but the incident might've broken me beyond repair.

It had been a regular, boring, run-of-the-mill sort of day. A Friday, in the middle of spring. Our gardens were just starting to bloom, and Fuyumi wanted to bake a cake. As I think back on it, I don't quite remember why she wanted to do it in the first place. It wasn't anyone's birthday, and most of our family, myself included, didn't really crave sweets so much. But since it was Fuyumi, and because she had the time, she came up with enough of a reason to bake a cake. Despite the fact that she'd never baked a cake before in her life.

What's more, she wanted to go shopping for the ingredients herself.

"It'll taste even better if I pick them out!" She had insisted, already throwing a pretty sweater over her dress. "And this way if I find cute decorations or something else to add to the cake I can get it all at once!"

Not to anyone's surprise, Fuyumi's wish was granted. She even managed to wrangle our mother into going with her. A spontaneous Mother-Daughter day trip to the store. No one argued.

But we should've.

We should've argued. Pleaded. Demanded. Begged. Anything and everything to make them stay at the house. Locked them in one of the bedrooms, if that's what it took.

But we didn't. And they went, Fuyumi giving me a fleeting kiss to the forehead. I'm pretty sure I saw my mother giving my father's hands a brief squeeze, but I didn't get a good look, so I'm not sure. My big brothers, Yuuichi and Aikio, weren't there at the moment. They both had Friday classes that semester at the nearby college they attended, but would be home after a few hours. Fuyumi and Mother would be back before then.

They didn't come back.

Yuuichi and Aikio's return was the first sign that something wasn't right. Then Fuyumi didn't answer my texts. Or my phone calls.

And then the police showed up at our door.

Now, that moment stands out perfectly clear in my mind, even to this day. The policeman, in his full uniform, staring down at me and quietly requesting my father. I had hesitated to leave the stranger alone, especially after he politely refused my offer to step inside, but eventually I just left the door open and ran to fetch my father.

He had been in the sitting room, quietly watching the fire with his newspaper on his lap. I knew he'd been faking interest in reading it ever since Fuyumi and Mother's absence stretched over two hours. I guess by that point he didn't care if he showed his concern or not.

The moment I told him the police were there, he was out of his seat and running through the house, me hot on his tail. Aikio spotted us through the kitchen doors and called out to Yuuichi, both of them leaving their half-eaten lunches behind to follow us.

My father was panting softly by the time the four of us reached the door. The policeman was still there, spine as stiff as ever. He let out a long breath through his nose when my father questioned his presence.

We weren't given a warning. Or eased into it.

"Ootori-san, I'm sorry to tell you, but your wife and daughter are dead."

After that, the world moved around me in slow motion. I felt the vibrations going through my shoes and up my legs as Yuuichi fell flat on his butt, hands coming up to hide his face as he sobbed. Aikio was shouting something, his face growing red even as he knuckles went white from holding the front door too tight. Father staggered on his feet, slumping sideways so the door frame would take most of his weight.

I'm not sure how long I stood there, but according to Aikio it only took me 10 seconds to burst into tears and run outside. The policeman reached out to grab me, but I was too fast and had caught him off guard. I'm glad.

Because as I ran down the long, winding driveway, out of sight from the front door, screaming for my mother and my big sister, I unleashed my powers for the first time.

Now, if I had gotten my powers at any other time in my life, I would've been thrilled. In a world full of superheros, I had nearly flipped my lid upon learning that my family had the special gene that passed on super powers. Father didn't have any, and neither did Fuyumi, but that didn't matter to me, because I knew I had powers. Even if I couldn't get them out at first.

See, most powers are influenced heavily on emotion or brainpower or some combination of the two, depending on what said powers are. Mother, who could tell when a person was lying or was telling the truth, and whose touch acted as a truth serum, had used an even balance of both. Yuuichi can see into the future, but not for long and not too far if he wanted to avoid a nose bleed or a migraine. He mostly relied on brainpower to activate his powers. Aikio was the other way around, his control over his emotions allowing him to cast a similar control over a small amount of people for a few minutes before releasing them with no memory of the incident.

I, however, seemed to be like my mom.

Right as my powers were unleashed, my screams for my mother and sister had taken a shrill crescendo. I dropped to my knees and slammed my hands on the ground, fingers splayed wide, and immediately a dark essence spider-webbed through the ground, starting from the center of my palms and my fingertips. My tears made it too hard to see what I was doing, and my chest hurt so badly I didn't even care that I was using my powers. I just wanted my mother and sister. I wanted to be with them. I wanted them to hold me in their arms and squeeze me tight until the nightmares went away.

Yuuichi was the one who found me, having used his own powers to find me while Aikio took care of the policeman before he started asking questions. What my brother saw scares him to this day. Not my powers, of course, but what I was about to do with them.

Every shadow within a ten foot radius had answered my call, slipping away from even the tiniest blades of grass and the pebbles scattered across the road to encircle my small body. My own shadow didn't even match up to my hunched over form, being swept away in the tide of darkness now swirling around me. According to Yuuichi, it was the most bizarre sight he'd ever witnessed. You never realize how much you depend on shadows for your perspective, or even your own sanity. And I was able to take them away and use them myself.

But I didn't care about that. I was still calling for my mother. For my big sister.

The shadows swirled even faster, combining until it looked like a bottomless pit was opening up beneath me. Yuuichi finally snapped out of it when he noticed my tears were no longer splashing against the pavement, but were disappearing through the inky blackness. And my hands and knees were starting to sink after them. It was almost my first time "Shadow Travelling", which would've been a disaster if Yuuichi hadn't grabbed me in time.

Or, well, "grabbed" is a gentle word. In reality he practically tackled me to the side, knocking me away from the darkness and causing us to roll across the street in a heap. The sudden hit shocked me enough to actually see what I'd done before I lost all my concentration and the shadows slid back to their rightful place in nature.

Perhaps that's why the sun shone as bright as it did that day. Punishing my disobedience of its natural work by bringing joy to everyone but my family.

But that wasn't the end of the story.

It was a car accident that killed my mother and sister. They were leaving the store, waiting on the sidewalk for the limo to pull up when another car drove straight at them and crushed them where they stood. The video camera showed my mother trying to push Fuyumi out of the way, but it was too late.

The killer was never found.

Which is what started it all.

For the first three days, the police worked with us. They gave us pamphlets for grief counselors, shared updates on evidence, and one nice lady even gave me and my brothers a plate of cookies while we sat in the station.

But then the lab reports came in.

And they included the fact that my mother had powers.

The only people in that whole station who knew were the mortician and the chief, a gruff, lumbering man named Kamitanu Hajime, who invited my father to his office that same day. To inform him in person that they'd be dropping the case.

People with powers live under different jurisdictions than those that don't. And whoever killed my mother could've been a villain targeting her for being a hero. My sister ended up being collateral damage, but the police department couldn't hunt a villain unless they were called in by a hero, to minimize the death toll.

My father didn't take the news well.

It started as a simple hunt for revenge. Using our combination of powers and his own "superpower" of money, we were able to collect all the evidence pertaining to the case before it was destroyed. From there, we took matters into our own hands.

I was 15 when we switched tracks.

Not to say we'd given up, but our moral was almost non-existent at that point. There was no way to find the guy. The plate on the car had been faked, so there wasn't any history from it at all. There were no prints or other kinds of DNA to be found, and the city cameras from that day didn't provide any new leads. And on top of all that, I was still attending high school and my older brothers had their own jobs. We had even less time than we did when we started.

Then... a small break.

A large sum of money. Video enhancements. The barest hint of a logo on the murderer's jacket.

We had a target.

It was our family's main business rival, Tayton Corporation.

Looking back on it, that might've been what drove my father to the edge, where he began the nerve-wracking teetering. To learn that his wife and daughter might've been killed thanks to him and his work, but never got justice for a completely unrelated reason… well, I'm sure that would've messed up anyone.

It began small. Recon missions. Aikio or myself going undercover, looking for employee lists or merchandise sales on the day of the incident and before. But so far? Nada.

On the other hand… as we worked on the cold case, my father started learning some interesting things about the rival company. Such as high employee turnover rates. Bare minimum insurance. High employee injury rates. Other stuff, too, but father didn't like showing them to us. He didn't really show us anything at all. Ever since the incident… he's become very protective, in his own way.

Since that discovery, he became sort of like our control tower. Laying out missions and giving us instructions through earpieces. And so, we worked to take Tayton Corp. down. We couldn't go to the police. We'd learned our lesson, thank you very much. We were also getting our information in not 100% legal ways. Also, Yuuichi, Aikio, and I all had powers. Meaning, we had to protect our identities and separate them from our hero work. Going public was a big no-no for this. We had to be vigilantes. Sounds cool when I say it like that, yes?

But not everyone saw us that way.

Tayton Corporation did a good job covering their tracks. They also had the advantage of going public, talking about the "strange" and "unprecedented" attacks. Thankfully with Yuuichi's foresight, we knew how to cover our tracks and keep them from pointing fingers at the Ootori Group. Even if that did mean a few "attacks" on our own hospitals here and there.

But regardless, before long we were all given… Villain names.

Aikio was the first. He became the "Puppet Master". That had been hard on him. He locked himself in his old bedroom for five hours after that, and when he came back out his eyes were rimmed red and he had long scratch marks all the way down his arms. That was when we decided that no matter when or where we were, we'd never refer to each other as the names the public gave us. Not even if we were fighting.

Yuuichi's name followed. "The Oracle". It wasn't as bad as Aikio's at first, but when a news special went on about how his name had come from the death omens in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, he refused to speak for nearly a week.

And although he never set foot into a fight, even Father was given a name. He was just "Father", because that's all anyone ever heard us say into our headsets. There are many theories about him. A spirit controlling our bodies. Some malevolent god we worshiped. Some controlling alien being. A villain who took the three of us in to use us, making us call him "Father". Very few people thought we were all actually related.

I was the last one. Probably because I made a point to be rarely seen. But that's also what lead to my name.

"Shadow", they call me.

My entire black suit is probably what kept my name from being "Ghost", since they didn't learn about my shadow powers until the week after the name going public. And they only learned about them because I had decided that I didn't care about being seen. I wanted to be seen. I wanted to be seen as what I really was: a hero. But I couldn't.

My powers, which I had at one point in time thought were really cool, scared people. Rational creatures fear the dark. They fear the things that walk in the dark without missing a step. The fear the things that can overthrow the light.

They feared me.

It wasn't until I ran in front of a family of three and the little girl screamed in terror upon seeing me that I finally got with the program. I would never be the hero. Even if somehow all the truth came to light and Tayton Corp. was taken down, I'd never be seen in a positive light. My reputation as a superhero was smeared.

I was scary.

And, when scary things begin to appear at certain places… eventually the real heroes show up.

It took us four months to attract the first hero. "The Prince", or just "Prince". Bright blond hair, glowing purple eyes, a flair for the dramatics, a pure heart, and telekinesis had combined themselves to make the picture perfect hero. Save for his idiotic tendencies.

Oh, sure, he was a good fighter, and he was very nobel. But sometimes he would start a conversation, right in the middle of a fight! Not even the general "I know there's good in you, why are you doing this, blah, blah, blah" talk, but things like the dogs he saw on the way there and questions about life in Japan because he'd just moved there from overseas or how he wished he was called "The King" instead. When we first met, I first thought it was his way of throwing us off our game to gain the upper hand, but soon I couldn't deny the fact that our nemesis was a moron!

A clever moron, but a moron nonetheless!

And, like a bigger moron, I just had to say those words out loud to my family one night.

The following day, we had two more heroes to fight.

A week later, another pair.

Two months after we first ran into Prince and we had a grand total of six heroes against us. Six to three. And the heroes all had incredible powers. The kind of powers that sort of automatically make you the hero if you have them.

"The Iron Wall" was a really tall dude whose main objective seemed to be protection. His skin was impenetrable, as was his uniform. Whether he was actually made of iron or not remains to be seen. But, if that wasn't enough, he could also conjure force fields. Probably two separate powers from his parents that he had the fortune of inheirating. Some people get all the luck. Much like his little companion, the "Lucky Rabbit".

While his size might fool you, the small child was basically the heavy artillery of the group. His hand-to-hand combat was insane, and it took months before anyone could land a single hit on him. And that didn't even factor in his power of super-speed. If it weren't for Yuuichi's powers, the kid would've gotten us arrested long before now. Which makes his bunny super-suit all the more irritating.

However, he was nowhere near as irritating as "Cheshire". Now, even though there's only one name, it actually refers to two people, even though the public doesn't know it. Twin boys with flamboyant red hair and an affinity for tricks and wide, mischievous smiles that loved to throw wrenches into our plans. One time even literally. And, well, considering they share the powers of invisibility and teleportation, the name just makes a lot of sense.

When they first showed up, even after I figured out they were two seperate people, I would often be confused by their status as heroes. Truthfully, for the first couple of months, the boys were more anti-heroes than anything. They seemed to enjoy causing havoc, no matter who the victim was, even among their fellow heroes. I couldn't understand it. But eventually they eased up on Iron Wall and Lucky Rabbit, explaining during one fight that they just liked having fun.

To be fair, it was sort of funny seeing Prince go off on them in the middle of a fight, throwing things at them to dodge. But then, a new hero showed up and Cheshire turned their full attention to him.

"Stormcloud" was named the very night of his debut. Grey aesthetics, grumbling sort of personality, and the ability to control the weather. Oh, and he can fly. There's that, too.

Also, and I found this mildly entertaining, "Stormcloud" was actually a good gender-lacking name for someone who didn't care much about gender. I'd discovered Stormcloud was actually a girl after our first real one-on-one fight, but judging by how she handled the press and her unwillingness to correct them about being a boy, I came to the conclusion that she either didn't care or had no preference. Her brazen attitude and quick tongue actually endeared her to me, somewhat, even though we still fought each other.

And that was it. That's what my life was like every other week. No after club activities for me. Without fail, once all three of us had a free opening in our schedule, Yuuichi would help Aikio and I sneak inside a Tayton Corporation building with Father whispering in our ears. Then some mixture of the six heroes would come and we'd have some sort of a fight before my brothers and I slipped away.

Because we were the villains.

The infiltration had gone without a hitch.

We were on the hunt for video footage today. A few clients from this particular hospital had made a few more trips in than usual, their illnesses acting up. It was our job to find video or any other sort of proof that the doctors weren't helping on purpose, in order to bring in more revenue to the hospital by increasing patient visits. If we could find something like that and put it on the internet, the doctors would be fired, the patients would finally be given the correct care, and Tayton Corp. might be inspected by federal law. Something we really needed.

" Okay boys, keep calm. Follow the plan. "

That was Father's voice in my ear, but none of us responded. We were too close to the hospital's security to risk it. Aikio and I were staring at Yuuichi as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. A few seconds later and he opened them again, nodding towards us. I nodded back and grabbed him and Aikio by their arms.

Then, we Shadow Travelled.

It's hard to explain how I do it. But, you know how when you walk through a dark room and even if you can't see anything you know where the furniture is? That's kinda what it's like for me, except I have that feeling even in places I've never seen before. And I can travel long distances with a single "step". All the shadows of the world are connected, so I can use them as gateways without actually travelling for as long. Which is a good thing, since Shadow Travelling is rather exhausting if I do it for too long or I'm carrying too many people with me.

Regardless, I carefully steer my brothers away from the shadows leading into the security room, and we pop out in the main hallway. Raising a finger to my lips, I point us to the right and we move silently through the hospital. All the patients should be asleep in their rooms three floors below, and the offices around us are empty. Our only problem involves the security guards watching the video monitors for this hallway, but Yuuichi didn't see any complications, so we were golden.

The door to the video room was helpfully labeled, but locked. No trouble there. A small tug on my own powers and I flooded the keyhole with darkness, creating a mimic key that opened the door silently. So silently that the man sitting in his little rolling chair didn't even get the chance to turn around before Aikio's powers overtook him.

Instantly the guy sighed, relaxing his stiff posture against the chair cushion. But only for a second. Yuuichi took the watch as Aikio and I approached the guy who was now working to create a copy of every videotape from the past two weeks ago. I looked around nervously. We've been doing our best to stay off the grid lately, but that had only served to put the public on their toes even more, wondering when we'd "strike" next. But the entire room was encased in darkness and shadows, and I could feel nothing out of place in the room.

"Father," I whispered, "There's no sign of the heroes, but I'm not sure we should push it. I say we get out of here as soon as the CDs are printed off."

" No. " The answer was quick and short, and I didn't dare to argue. Father got like this periodically. Bursts of almost obsessive-like energy and drive, not to mention a new idea to push our agenda along. This always happened after he visits Fuyumi and Mother's graves alone, which he does more often than the rest of us. I suppose it's the guilt he bears. But still, his plans are sometimes... too energetic. And not careful enough.

Because even though I wasn't arguing, hunting down paperwork from the doctor's personal offices was going to be much trickier. Especially-

"We're going to be found in two minutes."

Yuuichi's announcement had a finite ring to it. And why wouldn't it? Aikio and I exchanged a glance while we waited for Father's orders.

" Did you see if we got the papers? "

"...I didn't see that we didn't."

" And the video recordings? "

"We get them."

" Then you have to try. "

I let out a deep sigh, but nod to myself. We did have to try. For Fuyumi. And Mother.

The man finished in less than a minute, and Aikio dropped his powers the second I locked the door behind us. We didn't bother trying to stay quiet as we ran for the offices. We were about be caught anyways, so there was no point.

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. Oh, but why didn't you try to leave the hospital? Isn't that what you were asking your Father? Why didn't you try to change the future Yuuichi saw? I get it. That's what we used to do, too. When we were younger and Yuuichi had just started developing his skills, we tried to change the future. But it doesn't work like that. Yuuichi's visions are air-tight. No muss, no fuss. But he doesn't see the whole picture, so there's no telling what happened to lead up to the image. And if you try to change the future, you just end up there anyways.

For example, when we were younger, he once saw Aikio on the ground with a skinned knee and his bike lying down next to him. Assuming that meant he was going to get hurt riding his bike, Aikio immediately got off and went to head inside when he tripped. He skinned his knee on the sidewalk, right next to his bike.

And then there's now. Yuuichi saw us getting caught. He knew the time but didn't know who caught us or where, even if he had a vague idea, but being "caught" was a definite. We could be caught trying to make our escape. We could be caught wherever I lead us through Shadow Travelling. We could be caught by a doctor or a patient or-

"You boys aren't really good at stealth, are you?"

-or a hero.

I gritted my teeth, biting back the words I wanted to spit at Prince. He annoyed me to no end, especially with his jabs. And he wasn't even trying to be mean, which pissed me off! Ugh, how come he got all the luck! With his telekinesis he could've been a villain, but because he was blond and acted nice, he got to be the hero.

With a short laugh, Prince pushed himself off the wall of the side hallway he'd been waiting in, flicking his bangs to the side along with his...

"Is that a cape?"

"Yup!" The boy laughed and spun around, his white and royal purple cape fluttering around his frame. "Doesn't it look so cool? I was watching old hero clips last week and saw this one hero who had a cape that just... just sort of 'whooshed' behind him when he shot his fireballs out! I figured that it could do the same whenever I threw something! What do you think?"

"This is the dumbest thing you've ever done, which is really saying something."

"Huh? Wah, so mean, Shadow!"

I scoffed, keeping my eyes pinned on Prince. Hopefully, by keeping his attention, it would allow for my brothers to sneak away. For some reason, Prince was obsessed with old heroes and their ways. Probably the reason he insisted we were 'arch-enemies' or something. I disagree. It didn't matter that we fought often in one-on-one battles. I just had the unfortunate luck of fighting Prince first. If it had been Yuuichi or Aikio, they would've been Prince's arch-enemy instead of me. Just the luck of the draw.

Or, well, luck is a bad way of putting it.

Prince let his pout dropping into an actual scowl before giving his left hand a lazy flick. A rumbling boom echoed down the hallway as all the doors shut, nearly taking off Aikio's fingers. Instantly the three of us were on our guard, but Prince crossed his arms again, glaring straight at me.

"What do you mean my cape is dumb?"

My mouth dropped open a bit. No matter how often it happens, I'm still stunned by how ridiculously stupid this guy is. Sometimes I wonder if he'd let all three of us leave without a fight if we just agreed and nodded along with whatever he said, and perhaps if I had more self control I'd be able to try it. But the truth is... I just can't help myself.

"You know what? Fine. But let's get this thing started first." And I pounced.

Prince yelped and threw a door open in my path, like I expected. Slipping through the new shadow from the overhead lights, I disappeared through the door and popped up behind him. Prince spun around, cueing Aikio and Yuuichi to start running in the opposite direction. Prince staggered back, halfway through the process of throwing a decorative plant at me when I tripped him.

Now, some elements of my powers confuse even me at times. I don't quite understand how I am capable of temporarily creating solid objects out of shadow, but somehow its possible for me. Nothing exceedingly large, of course, and nothing with functioning parts like a car or a gun. But a tripping hazard or a blockade? Perfectly acceptable. And what's better is that Prince, for some reason, can't use his telekinesis over my creations.

Which is why he fell over with an undignified thump and a yip of pain. I watched as he proceeded to scramble back onto his feet, raising an eyebrow as his hands and feet became tangled up in his newest costume addition.

Gesturing towards his flailing body with a hand, I announced, "My first criticism is this right here. Capes are impractical nowadays. They have been since the 1960's. It's strictly a fashion statement that does nothing to enhance anyone's powers, and only gives your opponent extra material to hinder you with. And, my second point..."

Prince yelped again as I charged, our hands fisting in each other's uniforms as I shoved him through a dark shadowy corner, the two of us quickly reappearing in the main lobby of the hospital... in the rafters.

I gave the other boy a rather wicked smile before reminding, "You can't even fly. "

And then I shoved him.

I only did it because I knew he'd be fine. I might be a, quote-unquote, villain, but I've never killed anyone and I never planned to. Prince, for all his idiotic tendencies, was pretty decent when it came to self preservation. He could've easily bent one of the metal beams supporting the roof to catch him, or moved the chair cushions into a pile on the floor for a soft landing. It was only a three story drop, after all.

But, as it turned out, Prince didn't need to do any of those things. Because he had backup.

Faster than I could blink, a colorful blur shot through the air, catching some nice hang time in a jump before snatching Prince out of the air. I narrowed my eyes and slipped back into the shadows, popping up on the other side of the rafters to keep an eye on the lobby. I wasn't sure where Yuuichi and Aikio were, but I hoped they were getting the papers. Because I was going to remain here and keep an eye on the heroes. Because if Rabbit was here, then so was Iron Wall. And possibly some of the others...

Prince was thanking Rabbit at the moment, squeezing his hero friend in a tight hug and dramatically recounting the save. I rolled my eyes, then immediately regretting it. Clicking my tongue under my breath, I hastily rubbed at my left eye, where my contact had shifted off center. It was one of the more annoying parts of my powers, putting in contacts so I didn't have to worry about my glasses during a fight. Sure, it probably helped to keep me from being recognized as Kyoya Ootori, but I wasn't too worried about that. My entirely black uniform helped disguise my figure as well as my hair and the lower half of my face. Truth be told, I looked like an upgraded version of the U.S.A.'s idea of ninjas. But my big brothers designed it, so even if I had any complaints I didn't exactly have anyone to tell.

Oh! The Iron Wall! Well, at least I know he's here and not a few floors above, but he's so damn quiet it's hard to make out what they're saying...

Or at least it would be if Prince could keep his trap shut.

"They're here. Father's henchmen."

Excuse me? I do not hench , thank you very much! I had half a mind to jump down on top of Prince's head, just to announce I disapproved of being seen as a supporting cast member. Homosexual or otherwise.

I grimaced at my own train of thought. The internet was a dangerous place when people didn't know you were related to your siblings...

"Yeah, I saw them on the fifth floor, leaving the security camera station. I think they had a CD or something... no, I've got no clue what was on it. Shadow distracted me while the other two got away, then he dropped me from the rafters."

I ducked further into the shadows as their eyes darted upwards before going back down.

"Is the rest of the family coming?"

Rabbit hummed, bouncing in place like he had no choice but to expel energy. "Cheshire-chan and Storm-chan are too busy, Prince-chan. They have that big end-of-the-year project due tomorrow morning."

I blinked, peeking over the lip of the steel beam. This was interesting... did these heroes know each other outside of these fights? It sounds like they were schoolmates, or at least some of them. And Cheshire and Stormcloud were classmates? That was... very interesting. Prince always liked to play pretend with the other heroes, calling them his family, but maybe they actually were all close. It would explain how all six of them managed to get to the fights so quickly. Maybe it was just extra security for them all?

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I almost missed the next part of the conversation.

"-on her way, but I dunno when she'll get here."

She? Who she? If it's not Stormcloud-

" Kyoya? "

I straightened my back on instinct, but was quick to drop back into a crouch. I gave a low hum, indicating I was listening.

" I'm watching through the security cameras. Aikio patched me through once you three were separated. Your brothers are back on the fifth floor and they just got the papers. Go meet up with them and get out. "

I nibbled at my bottom lip, staring down at the three heroes still talking. I wanted to follow Father's orders... but I was also curious about this new heroine they were talking about. I didn't usually get the chance to eavesdrop on these heroes, too preoccupied with fighting in places that didn't offer halfway decent hiding places. And I was already learning new things.

But, Father's orders.

I sighed and turned my head to the side, in the process of telling Father I was on my way, when I was abruptly grabbed.

I didn't even get a chance to react before I was plummeting to the ground, a rope wound around my left arm and waist. I let out a pained grunt as my back hit the floor, leaving me winded. My own name rang out in my ears before I went on autopilot, blocking out everything else around me. Walls of shadow went up around my body, offering brief protection while I writhed against the rope around me. It took a while for my vision to clear, so when I felt something cold and smooth around my arm rather than a coiled strand of rope, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest.

Snake!

I clawed at the thing, and was both disgusted and confused to find that the top layers gave way easily under the pressure of my fingertips. Of course, when my vision finally cleared, I was still confused by what I saw. It wasn't a snake (thank god), but it was green. And... it was a vine? How did-

A sudden shout reminded me that I was in the middle of a fight.

Struggling to my feet, I pulled in the shadows surrounding me, letting them slide under my feet and push me up onto a pedestal. A quick glance showed me Rabbit and the Iron Wall running (at varying speeds) down the hallway. No doubt heading upstairs towards my brothers. Prince was standing by the receptionist desk, but looked more interesting in observing the scene rather than attacking me.

And then there was someone new standing at the front doors.

There was no doubt in my mind that it was the heroine the others had been discussing earlier. She had on a green uniform that left her hands, hair, and the lower half of her face uncovered, and the design had an odd leaf-y look to it. Thankfully without looking primitive or overdone. I didn't have the time for two fashion-failure heroes at once. Of course, what really got my attention were the writhing potted plants resting just behind the girl, her wrists rotating slowly in time with the plant's movements. The girl jutted out her lower lip, her green mask shimmering around her eyes as she tilted her head down.

"Aww... you ripped my vines. On the night of my debut, no less."

"My apologies." I carefully eased myself back down to the floor, the shadows now creating what looked like an ocean wave poised behind me, frozen at the peak of cresting. "If I had known that another melodramatic hero was on their way, I would've made sure to crack my head open on the floor instead. For your convenience."

The pout immediately disappeared in favor of a big grin. "Nice to know our enemies have a sense of humor. Good. More fun that way. Prince? You mind?"

"Oh no, go ahead." Prince smiled and took a few steps to the left, opening the door for the stairs as he went. "It's your first night, so you get dibs. But I expect you to share Shadow-chan with me next time!"

I growled, "Since when was this decided? And don't call me that!"

"Nope~" He replied, popping the 'p', before shutting the door.

I flexed my hands, letting the wave behind me shift around. "You got a name?"

"Not yet. I've heard the news station around here is good at picking them for you."

"You've heard wrong."

The girl tilted her head, and that's when I struck.

Half of the shadows I had collected rushed the heroine, causing her to squeak and lift herself into the air using the nearby potted plants, tendrils wrapped around her waist. Of course, my shadow split into two on the floor before it even reached her, shooting towards the plants and shattering their pots. As I expected, without a solid stance for their roots, the girl wobbled in the air before dropping gracefully to the ground.

She only spared a second to look disoriented before leveling a solid glare at me. I had only seconds to let the shadows overtake me before she threw what looked like uncooked rice at me from a pouch on her waist. Slipping into the shadows, I felt more than saw the seeds immediately sprout into a tangle of wild grass that whipped around like a sea anemone. If I had been any slower, no doubt I would've been tangled up in that mess. But I had been in battle before, and this girl hadn't.

I had the advantage.

The girl stomped her foot before running after Prince. Thankfully, I had a much faster way of getting to the 5th floor.

But Rabbit was, of course, much faster. And, with his head start, my brothers didn't stand much of a chance. I arrived just in time to see Yuuichi take a flying punch to the face, causing him to spin around before falling face first to the floor. I popped out of the shadows just in time to catch him, and my appearance shocked the Rabbit enough for Aikio to work.

Neither Yuuichi's nor Aikio's powers are necessarily good for a fight, but Aikio's were a special case. As people with special abilities, more often than not our bodies are stronger than those of powerless folk. Bone structure, pain tolerance, you name it. But that also meant resistance against other people's powers, too. Just as how Prince can't use his telekinesis on my shadows, Aikio's control doesn't work too well on heroes. If he controls them for too long, there becomes a greater chance of them breaking free of his grip. Thankfully he learned that lesson early on in life when he tried to make Yuuichi and I clean his room for him, instead of figuring it out during a fight.

But, that being said, none of us would be comfortable with Aikio sending innocent people to fight any of these heroes. Least of all Aikio. He may be a little shit at times and a pain in the ass, but he's not a villain. Al three of us have set limits for ourselves. What we will never do, no matter how evil the world thinks we are.

Which is why Aikio focused his powers on the Rabbit. And not on the sleeping patients below us.

The Rabbit stumbled over his own two feet when Aikio's powers reached him. He shook his head, as if he was trying to physically remove Aikio's presence, but instead found his feet moving on their own. He wasn't going at his highest speed, but it was still enough to knock over the Iron Wall when they collided further down the hallway. The moment Aikio dropped his hands, I grabbed his wrist and dropped the three of us through the floor.

We landed on top of Prince, which was a nice bonus in my opinion.

The boy squawked in outrage, flailing his arms around but thankfully not lucid enough to throw things or us around the hallway. After throwing in one decent punch at his jaw for good measure, I grabbed my brothers again and phased us into the next room. It was a patient's room, but it was empty. Thankfully. No beeping monitors. No stench of sickness in the air. The potted plant in the corner of the room lacking any signs of a 'Get Well Soon' card attached to it.

My family may run hospitals, but that doesn't mean I enjoy being in them.

I shook my brother's arms, forcing them to focus after a quick run. Thankfully, Yuuichi hadn't been knocked unconscious by the punch. His cheek would bruise up nicely over the weekend, though.

"Video?"

"Right here." Aikio patted at his left thigh, which made a faint clicking sound as he did so. I was tempted to make a comment about how sweaty the case would be by the time we got home, but decided to wait.

"Papers?"

"No." Yuuichi shook his head and pointed at his slowly swelling cheek. "Ambushed, remember? Lost my grip on them while trying to get out."

"Right. Sorry, Father, but we have to go. There's a new heroine-"

"Aww... you remembered me."

I barely had enough time to wrap my brothers in shadow before I was being scooped by a pair of huge leaves and thrown out the window. I pushed my brothers in their shadowy "cocoons" in front of me, shattered the glass windows before I tumbled out after them. A quick veil spared me from getting cut by the falling glass, but I barely managed to fall through the building's shadow on the ground instead of hitting the frozen ground. Immediately I popped out through a thin opening on the side of a cherry tree a few feet away, rolling along in the grass which is the exact opposite of the place I wanted to be.

Looking around, I spotted Aikio and Yuuichi's temporary cocoons on the grass nearby, and could feel them both pounding on the sides, wanting to be let out. Instead, I pulled them towards them. Hopefully their stomachs wouldn't hate me later.

Just as I had them in my hold, the heroine drifted out the window. The potted plant's leaves gently slid her down the four floors until they gently deposited her on the ground.

I raised myself and my brothers up, just to get out of the grass.

The girl tilted her head at me again, slowly approaching us. Without thinking, I pushed Aikio and Yuuichi through the small platform, quickly directing them as far away as I could. This girl was dangerous. I'd rather get a feel for her fighting style before revealing the other playing cards. We might need an actual strategy for fighting this one.

She stopped a few paces away and straightened her back... but she didn't attack me. She just stared for a bit. And I stared back. Her eyes were brown. Much like her hair. They were dark, too, unless that was because it was nighttime. I gritted my teeth. Aikio and Yuuichi weren't far enough away. I could travel fast in the shadows by myself, but I had to assume that they'd come running right back to the hospital the moment I released them. And I couldn't risk them putting themselves back in danger before I stopped them myself.

"Why are you still here?" The girl took another step forwards, hesitating just short of her shadow touching my little platform. I couldn't help but notice how the grass around me was starting to swish faster than the wind was blowing.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you sent the other two off in your shadows. Why didn't you go with them?" Her eyes narrowed. "Why defend them so fiercely?"

"Why not?"

I don't know why I was entertaining her with a conversation, even if it felt more real than the talks I shared with Prince. But still...

"Why aren't you attacking me right now? You have many options right now. The grass, the tree, your seeds. I'm clearly outmatched."

The girl hummed, "Well... maybe that's why I'm not."

"...What?"

"You're smart. I don't know if that's actually you or Father whispering in your ear, but you are smart. And you care about the other two. I guess... I want to figure you out, Shadow. You're not what Prince or Rabbit or the Iron Wall... or anyone, has told me."

Aikio and Yuuichi finally resurfaced across town, their cocoons falling away as they rested on the side of a road, next to a closed tea shop. Good thing, too. Because I had no idea what to say.

"I... what? "

The girl took a few more steps until we were close enough to touch fingertips if we chose too. My platform shrunk by a few centimeters.

"You didn't attack the patients."

I stared at the girl. And she stared right back at me.

Something soft touched my cheek and I dropped through the shadows at my feet without a second thought. It was only when I resurfaced in front of my brothers, who punched my arms and shook my shoulders and at one point hugged me until I felt my ribs cracking, that I realized what it was that had touched me.

A cherry blossom had come to rest against my collarbone, caught on my uniform's texture.

"Are you sure you don't need help? Will you be able to push-"

"I'm fine. Seriously." I placed a hand on the rim of the cart, shaking it a little. "My roommate is already moved in, so it's not like I won't have any help if I need it."

Aikio's mouth is a straight line as he nods, like his voice hadn't been wobbling for the past ten minutes. Yuuichi is standing behind him, expression not as air tight. Father also nodded, before throwing a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it briefly before pulling back.

I had a pretty good idea of what was going through their heads. I was the first one in our family to actually live in a college dorm room rather than stay at home and commute, but to my great surprise none of them had argued with my decision. Even Father had agreed that it might be a good idea for the three of us to start branching out in our lives. Yuuichi was even looking into renting an apartment a little closer to our family's corporate headquarters, where he worked. I was glad. Fighting and being surrounded by the stigma of being a villain 24/7 was never a good thing for anyone.

"Well…" I took in a deep breath before straightening my back. "I'll see you in a few weeks."

"Don't get into too much trouble." Aikio gave me what he probably thought was a friendly punch to the arm before Yuuichi walked around him and enveloped me in a brief hug. I was so caught off guard I didn't get the opportunity to hug back or make fun of him before he ducked back into the limo.

A few more words passed between us before Father and Aikio followed Yuuichi's example, and then I was left alone, staring after the limo with a cart full of my stuff at my side. After a few more seconds I let out the breath I had been holding in and began pushing my cart into the building.

As I made my way up to the fourth floor, I couldn't help but wonder exactly what, or who, was waiting for me in my new room. Not that I was nervous , per say, just… curious.

I'd already seen the set up during orientation, and the student at the front desk who helped to check me in told me my roommate had already arrived half an hour ago, which meant there would be a couch and a refrigerator in there now, too.

Along with… my roommate.

I didn't know much about my new "best friend" other than the fact that he's a 1st year student like myself, had also requested a room with only one roommate instead of the usual three or four person arrangement, and he had a preference for the larger bedroom. The guy didn't have any photos online, not even a Facebook page, which was surprising given how he'd described himself as a 'bubbly and infectiously happy person, perfect for making strong friendships quickly".

By the time I arrived in front of my new "home" for the upcoming school year, I had come to the decision that I was going to do my best to avoid whatever character I'd been saddled with. And if worse came to worse, I could always try to switch out of the room. How long did I have to wait before I could do that, again?

My phone buzzed in my pocket, granting me another 15 seconds to put off going inside. I half expected a text from Yuuichi or Aikio, even if just to annoy or embarrass me, but no such luck. It was just my alarm, reminding me that I had only a half hour to empty out my cart of stuff and return it to the front desk.

Sucking in a slow breath, I tested the door handle. When it gave, I pushed the door open and shoved my cart and myself inside.

"Hello! Sorry for the intrusion!"

Immediately I heard shuffling and what sounded like something falling to the floor in the bedroom off to my left, followed by a strained but pleasant, "Hello! Welcome! Sorry for the mess!"

And it was a bit of a mess in the sitting room. A comfy looking blue and white striped couch had been shoved in the far corner, but whoever had put it there had shoved the table and its cushions off to the side, so there was only three sitting places instead of four. A deconstructed standard bed frame was scattered across the floor, apparently having fallen down from being leaned against the refrigerator on the other side of the wall.

The window and curtains had been pulled open to help with the stifling hot air inside. I remembered getting an email earlier on that the AC had blown out a few hours ago, and until it was fixed we were advised to put up fans and keep our windows and doors open. I suppose having someone pass out on move in day would set the school year off on a rather sour note…

Carefully kicking my shoes off by the door and maneuvering the cart up onto the floor, I pulled it through the mess and into my new bedroom. Thankfully, other than the opened window, it looked untouched. Ignoring how my shirt was starting to stick to my sweaty skin, I immediately began unloading the cart. My television was at the top and I slowly eased the box onto one of the beds. Maybe I'd later push the two beds together and grab some queen-sized mattress sheets from home, just for some extra comfort. That actually sounds-

"Hey! You're Ootori-san, right?"

I turned around at the sound of my name, getting my first look at my roommate. He was standing in the doorway to my room, holding a hanger with a green sweater dangling off the plastic by one shoulder.

If I had still been holding my television, I would've dropped it.

"My name is Suoh Tamaki! Please take care of me!"

I responded to his bow on instinct, taking the split second he couldn't see my face to externally panic. There was no mistaking that blond hair and those purple eyes.

Holy shit, it's Prince.

Fighting hard to put what I hoped was a friendly smile on my face, I said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Suoh-san. Please take care of me as well."

The boy beamed. "So, you're here for business, right? What's your focus?"

"Management. My father expects either myself or one of my brothers to take over his position as CEO for his company, and out of the three of us I'm the only one truly interested."

"Really! That's cool! That's the same for me! I'm expected to take over for my father's company after college, too!"

"Is that so?" I grunted as I struggled to pull my printer out from the bottom of the cart. And I also didn't want to look Prince in the eye too much. What if he recognized me?

"Oh, hey, let me help with that!"

Hoping my face wasn't growing pale, I shifted sideways to give Tamaki enough room to get a handhold on the printer before we lifted it out.

"Want to put this in the sitting room? I mean… after I clean my stuff out of the way. Sorry about that."

"It's fine, and yeah, I was planning on letting you use the printer, too. It'd be kind of a dick move if I made you go all the way to the library to print your stuff when I have this. Just make sure you shut it down after you use it, okay?"

"O-kay!"

The two of us set the machine down on my bed and Tamaki stretched his back. He opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted.

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return this cart back to the front desk."

"Oh, sure. Don't let me stop you. I still have quite a bit left to unpack as well… See ya in a bit!"

"Right." Keeping my head down, I quickly pulled my shoes back on and yanked the cart out of the room, nearly clipping the doorframe.

All the way down and back from the lobby I kept my eyes trained on the floor, working the problem. If these was one thing I had learned from the fights with the heroes, it's that there's never any time to freeze. If you freeze, you either get hurt or you get caught, and that's not ever an option. You have to immediately start thinking, and figure out a solution. Any solution.

And that's what I needed to do now.

From the looks of it, Prince didn't recognize me, even though I definitely recognized him. Probably because he only had a thin white mask that went over his eyes, I had the exact opposite. My suit even went over my hair, so unless he'd been staring into my eyes a lot during out fights in those dimly lit buildings and was able to notice the edges of the contacts I wore during battle, I don't think he'll be able to recognize me at all like this. That was a definite advantage.

The trick for keeping my cover would be not calling Tamaki's bluff. I'd have to be extra careful to not call Prince by his real name during a fight and to not call Tamaki by his superhero name while at school. That would definitely be a challenge, but I've managed to refrain from doing so with Yuuichi and Aikio, so maybe I have a chance.

By the time I made it back to my room, a more sincere smile had traveled to my face. Because, so long as I could keep my own alias around Prince, this could become the biggest breakthrough in our mission. I was literally working a solo undercover mission. Which does sound a little exciting.

Tamaki called out another greeting when I entered the dorm, but didn't come out of his bedroom a second time. For the following half hour, the two of us stayed in our own rooms and unpacked. Tamaki held his own one-sided conversation with me through the walls, probably irritating our neighbors but oddly enough I found myself able to ignore it. Or, at the very least, I wasn't driven into a murderous rage.

Probably because I'm already used to Tamaki's odd ramblings. After all, even though he doesn't know it, we've been interacting with each other for years, and Tamaki's personality wasn't at all different from Prince's. I know I'm personally more open with my internal thoughts as Shadow, just to keep social media a little further off my tail, but Tamaki doesn't seem to take any of that into consideration. If anything, I'd bet that Tamaki would actually be thrilled if his secret identity was ever discovered. Considering he's spent the past ten minutes talking about which of his shirts best brought out his purple eyes, I'd say he's a very attention-seeking person.

Then again, I think bitterly, If the world discovered Prince's identity, Tamaki would become a celebrity. A constantly targeted celebrity, but at least the public loves him. If they found out who I was…

I shuddered to think.

A flurry of knocks on the door pulled me away from that dark line of thought, and cut off Tamaki's talking with a surprised yelp. I finished hanging up my last shirt and shut the closet door, listening to Tamaki fumble through his own piles of stuff.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Kyoya! I meant to tell you but I forgot! My friends and girlfriend said they'd help me put my loft together! Is that okay? I'll keep them out of your room, but it might get a little crowded, is that okay?"

"Tamaki, it's fine. Just let them in before they break down the door."

I leaned against the doorframe of my bedroom, getting a face full of Tamaki's smile before he kicked a few more boxes out of the way and reached towards the door. In the back of my head, a new list of questions popped up. These friends… did they know about Tamaki being Prince? Had he told them? Would he tell me after a few months? Was he that open with his powers? That would certainly make my job a little easier. But how smart were these friends? How often would they be hanging around our dorm? Would they notice something Tamaki didn't, like how my disappearances from the dorm correlated with "Shadow's" appearances?

I clenched my right hand around my left arm, stilling the incessant tap, tap, tap of my finger as Tamaki pulled open the door.

An almost forgotten piece of information clicked inside my head right before I saw who was on the other side.

"Hey, guys! Come on in!"

My stomach dropped to my toes. I barely refrained from slamming my bedroom door shut and shadow travelling the hell out of there. Because just then I remembered the conversation I'd overheard between Prince and Rabbit just last week. About how all the heroes were friends with each other. Including Prince.

Including Tamaki.

"Ugh, why is this place so hot? "

"Haven't they ever heard of air conditioning?"

Cheshire strolled in first, their red hair spiked up in opposing directions and wearing matching expressions of grumpiness. They kicked off their shoes before hurrying to the couch and collapsing across it. One of them, the one closest to the opened window, let out a pained grunt as he sat down on a pile of notebooks, but made no move to remove them.

"Hey, no need to be so rude! It's not just my room anymore, you know!"

"They do know, Tamaki." Stormcloud walked in next, placing a hand on Tamaki's shoulder to keep her upright as she removed her own sandals. "It's just fun to mess with you."

My mouth had gone dry by that point, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when the Rabbit locked eyes on me the moment he walked through the door.

"Hi! Are you Tama-chan's new roommate?"

"Yup!" Tamaki answered before I could, hugging Stormcloud to his chest as he beamed at me. "This is Ootori Kyoya, everyone! He's here for business management, like I am!"

The rest of the group said their hellos to me, even the Iron Wall as he walked through the door. I barely had enough sense to nod in response. I have no idea how they didn't realize my panic in that moment. My fingers had gone white from how tightly I was holding onto my own arms, and I was all but positive that my face was the same. I was surrounded...

Another voice sounded from just outside the dorm, "Ootori? Like the hospital chain?"

And there she was.

The new heroine.

I watched in disbelief as the girl drifted into the dorm, the flowers on her blouse taunting me with the knowledge of her powers. It felt like the rest of the room suddenly lit up as she entered, her bright grin alighting similar expressions on the other heroes.

It also didn't help my nerves to see her tense up the moment we made eye contact.

I gulped, struggling not to do anything irrational. Like scream. Or dropping through the floor and escaping to Korea. I couldn't freak out. Nothing good would come from it. There... there was no way she could know who I was. No way...

And I was right. Because as soon as I noticed the tension, it was disappearing. The girl's shoulders drooped and she smiled at me.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but thank you for letting us in. Tamaki needs some help putting his loft together, but these guys wanted to help me move in first."

"You're a first year, too?" I am beyond surprised that my voice didn't waver, given all the pressure I was under to sound normal.

"Yup! My major is Accounting, so I'm in the dorms on the other side of campus. Oh, uh, sorry, my name is Fujioka Jin. I went to high school with the rest of these clowns."

"So mean, Jin-nēchan!" That was Cheshire. They both sat up properly on the couch, each raising a hand as they introduced themselves.

"I'm Hitachiin Hikaru."

"And I'm Hitachiin Kaoru. We're third years at Ouran Academy in Bunkyo."

"Same as me." Stormcloud inclined her head in greeting, the most she could do while wrapped up in Tamaki's hug. "My name's Fujioka Haruhi. I'm this moron's girlfriend and I feel sorry for you, but you also get to go to school with my onēchan, so congrats."

Tamaki frowned, but didn't say anything about being called a moron. He was probably used to it. And despite the panic still swirling around my gut, I have to admit that Haruhi's personality was growing on me even further. I even managed to send her a small smirk and a returning nod.

The Rabbit ran across the room and launched himself onto Jin's back, hooking his arms around her neck before announcing, "My name's Haninozuka Mitsukuni, but you can call me Honey! And that's my cousin, Morinozuka Takashi, but he likes being called Mori! We're second years at this university, so if you need help finding someplace just ask! Oh, would you like our phone numbers? Here, tell me your number. I'll text you!"

It was like he was using his powers of speed to talk. Somehow I managed to share my phone number without saying anything else. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the twins also saving my number into their phones. Mori stood beside Tamaki's bedroom door, having only given me a wave and a short "hey" when Honey introduced him. I guess he just doesn't talk in general...

"Perfect! I'll start a new group chat! That way you can get everyone else's numbers!"

"You're all pretty close, huh?"

I wanted to bite off my own tongue.

Thankfully, my ill-advised statement was only met with nods and sheepish smiles. Honey spoke up again, "Well, yeah! Most of us have known each other since preschool! Haru-chan and Jin-chan joined us in high school, but Takashi and I knew Jin-chan even before then, so... we're kinda childhood friends!"

Hikaru snorted, covering his mouth with a hand. "Eh... the Boss moved to Bunkyo during middle school, but he was such a funny-looking kid Kaoru and I took pity on him and allowed him to hang out with us."

"Hey!"

Haruhi just barely managed to keep her boyfriend from tackling her classmates, and the blank look on her face only endeared her to me even more. It's nice to know that you're not the only one capable of being exhausted by too many happy people. Mori-senpai and Kaoru at least seem to have lower energy levels, too. I have the feeling that we're going to be really good friends.

Wait, what am I saying?

Tuning back into the conversation, I watched as the twins continued to needle Tamaki, bringing up how he evidently promised to provide them food and entertainment to repay them for their help. Tamaki's claims against them were brushed off, resulting in a dramatic spiel of how friends were supposed to help for the sake of helping, as opposed to requiring incentives. Meanwhile, Mori and Honey had already gone ahead into Tamaki's bedroom, Mori rummaging around for a tool kit while Honey called out requests for cake afterwards. And Haruhi and Jin just hung back, watching the boys with resigned, if not slightly amused, expressions.

As they slowly began to drift towards Tamaki's bedroom, I brought a hand up over my mouth, and did my best to stifle my laughter.

I couldn't help it. Here I was, starting my new life as a college student, only to find out that my new roommate and all of his friends were the people I spent hours of my time fighting or preparing to fight. And none of them knew who I was. And what was better, was that it hadn't even taken me five seconds to figure it out. All of their personalities as normal people were the same as their superhero identities. How had these idiots managed to remain under the social media radar for so long? How had their old classmates not realized who they really were? How on earth was I this lucky?

"A- hem. "

Or, maybe not completely lucky.

Looking up, my hand falling back to my side, I came face to face with Fujioka Jin. Her earlier smile is gone, leaving behind a pair of crossed arms and the beginnings of a glare. She takes in a slow breath before letting it out in a single huff.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I wouldn't say wrong... just..." Jin glanced over her shoulder, towards the doorway to Tamaki's bedroom. Just beyond it, I can catch glimpses of the others moving around, trying to figure out how to put Tamaki's loft together. From the looks of it, Hikaru or Kaoru has just slid a rather important looking screw into their pocket. Another low laugh escapes my lips, drawing Jin's attention back to me.

"Look, I know that Tamaki can be hard to deal with at first, and if you get irritated with him on a regular basis, I can respect that. Same goes for the others, because to be quite honest we're all rather big handfuls at times. But... you don't know him like we do. Like I do. He took care of Haruhi for a year while I study abroad, and he's a lot smarter than a lot of people give him credit for. So.. since I don't know what you were laughing at just now..."

I gulped as she took two steps forward. My eyes dipped briefly to her green shorts, wondering what photosynthesizing tricks she might have in her pockets.

"...I suppose it's only fitting that I give you a warning." Her brown eyes bore into mine, her sweetness giving way to what can only be described as brine-stone and fire. "If you ever, ever , do anything to hurt, ridicule, or otherwise negatively impact Tamaki, in any way, I will not hesitate to hunt you down and make you pay for it."

And just like that, she turned around and left without another word, immediately being greeted by a frantic sounding Haruhi from the other room.

Well... shit.

Without another moment's hesitation, I took a few steps back and shut my bedroom door, like I'd wanted to do ever since I met my new roommate. Pressing my forehead against the wood and staring downwards, I attempted to sort through my thoughts, which were, understandably, a mess.

I couldn't decide whether I should be panicking over whether Jin was referencing her powers during her little accusation or if I was just overwhelmingly pissed off at her deciding on instinct to name me an asshole like the rest of the goddamn world.

My hands curled into fists as I pressed them gently to the wood beside my head. Breathing heavily through my nose, I shut my eyes and fought against my powers. One of the biggest negatives about powers is learning how to control them when you're overwhelmed.

Yuuichi was either lucky or unlucky enough to not have to worry about it until he was studying for his college entrance exams. Lucky in that he hadn't needed to worry about it before, but at the same time it was a terrible time to start. While studying, he'd often find himself thrown into unwanted visions of the future, which only served to ruin his concentration and heighten his stress. Thankfully, he learned pretty quickly how best to "shut down" the part of his brain that activated his powers.

Aikio and I weren't so lucky, since our powers are either entirely or partially controlled by our emotions. It took Aikio a few years to learn how to not let his frustration overtake his will. He practiced by waiting in lines or in traffic during lunch rushes.

As for me? It only took a frightening close call when a classmate of mine was talking up their uncle and everything he did as a police officer to properly lock my emotions down.

After a few more deep breaths, I pushed myself away from the wood and waved a hand behind me, dispelling the shadows that were starting to encroach upon me. I was their master. Not the other way around.

Straightening my back, I leveled a glare at the closed door before turning around and marching to my bed. And the cell phone that was beside it. Pulling the phone from its charger, I went to open the messenger app when a loud voice called through the door.

"Kyoya? Are you hungry? We're going to roam around town for a place to eat once we finish the loft! Shouldn't take too long!"

Something metallic hit the floor, followed by a soft swear and an apology.

"Um... well? Are you in?"

Tightening my grip on my phone, I thought it over.

"...Sure."

"Awesome!" Tamaki cheered before retreating, probably to tell the others that I was joining them. I faintly heard Honey give a soft, chirpy response to whatever was being said.

I sighed, then dropped the phone onto my bedspread. I still had a lot to do before we all left. I'd just have to tell Father, Yuuichi, and Aikio about my discovery some other time.

Except, I didn't.

During the first week of classes, I had a very viable excuse not too. That first night had ended up being one shenanigan after the next until the early morning hours. I had been so exhausted the following morning that all I could do was repeatedly hit the snooze button until I was almost late to my first class.

From there I got sucked into my classes. Tamaki and Jin both shared one class with me, each, and by some stroke of bad luck the teacher partnered us up for the in class assignments and group projects.

But even outside of class I found myself in the company of one hero or another. Tamaki started eating lunch with me on a regular basis in the cafeteria for our dorm, the two of us walking straight there after our 11 o'clock classes. By the end of the first week, we had been joined on Mondays and Wednesdays by Jin, and Tuesdays and Thursdays by Mori. For dinner, it was usually Tamaki, Jin, and myself along with whatever combination of the other five could make it that evening.

Of course, like I'd originally predicted, I got along best with Kaoru, Haruhi, and Mori. Our personalities were just better fits, and after only a few days I finally admitted to myself that I was starting to enjoy their company. Not to say that I couldn't handle the others. Tamaki, Hikaru, and Honey were all basically big balls of energy, which both intrigued and annoyed me to some extent, but with the help of the other's sense of calm, I learned how best to react and interact with them all.

It took a full two and a half weeks before I finally got a half-decent shot to slip away and have a long talk with my father and brothers. Tamaki and I were trying to study for out first Business Management quiz and he had just gone to the bathroom, looking faintly sick to his stomach. I could tell him that I was going to a study room or he should go for a walk to get some air, then make the call. It was late at night, so it wasn't like someone could overhear me if I played my cards right. And Tamaki seemed so out of it that he'd be easy to trick.

But I didn't.

Instead, when Tamaki came back out I suggested texting Mori or Honey, to see if they could offer some assistance. Which they did, and the next day we treated both upperclassmen to lunch for their help.

At first, I tried to justify that, with the quiz coming up and a few hours of studying still looming before us, I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on anything after that particular conversation with my father, and a new, better opportunity would come soon. So I waited.

And then when another chance came, I decided to wait again.

And again.

Again.

Again...

The seventh time I kept myself from telling my father about the heroes is when I stopped lying to myself. I barely managed to not slam my head against the concrete wall, because despite my best efforts I had undoubtedly become friends with the very same people who attempted to punch me in the face every other week or so.

And I felt like such an idiot for not realizing what was happening sooner.

Whether it was at the library or the park or the book store, I'd find myself smiling along to the stories being tossed around the group. I didn't mind whenever Tamaki dragged me into a stress-relieving game. I started looking forward to movie nights, sometimes hoping that Hikaru would start throwing popcorn around and get everyone involved in a popcorn/pillow war again.

I guess I just didn't realize how deep I was digging my hole until I overheard Tamaki calling me his "Best Friend".

But then there was Jin, who was a whole different element to consider.

Yes, the first week or so was rocky with a capital 'R'. Somehow without letting Tamaki know, and thus letting him down, we circled each other like wild animals. Whenever she tagged along with the group or Tamaki insisted that the three of us have a get-together, I'd watch from the background, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And there was no doubt in my mind that she was watching me, too.

But then... and I'm not completely sure how or when... but somehow in the past month the tension began to fade away. I'd catch Jin smiling in earnest whenever we tag-teamed against Tamaki during game night. Or how she wouldn't refuse the spicy flavor packets when we ordered out, just so she could give them to me and I wouldn't be charged extra by asking for more. And our economics class was definitely far more enjoyable with the lack of competition between us.

So... yes. I'd have to say that I actually do enjoy Persephone's company.

Oh, yeah, "Persephone". That's what the public calls her now. Ever since the footage of our first fight went viral, the name caught on fast. After all, in it she was covered in cherry tree blossoms and had just "narrowly" escaped a close encounter with Shadow who "nearly took her with him into the darkness".

Honestly, though, I could've easily dealt with the public thinking I was sexist for not fighting her in the end. I also could've handled the ridicule of people saying I couldn't beat a girl in a fight, either.

Unfortunately, it wasn't anything like that.

It took a full month after I started classes for Father to come up with another mission that, surprise surprise, ended in a fight with the heroes. It was, arguably, one of the strangest experiences in my life. It was incredibly difficult to go through with any scare tactics I thought of, let alone attempt to hit one of them. I did manage to land one punch to Tamaki's chest, but that was for him leaving his direty laundry int he bathroom more than anything. I also steered clear of Jin during the fight, specifically in an attempt to sedate the rumors flying around us.

It didn't work.

Before I could blink, the internet was full of shippers, claiming that I was avoiding fighting her because I didn't want to hurt her. Because they thought I had a crush on her.

What bullshit.

That was absolute bullshit.

And it cost me six whole days of my brothers teasing me about it, sending me photos of me and Persephone poorly cropped together with terribly drawn hearts floating around us. They only stopped when I went home and threatened to pants them during our next fight in front of the heroes.

Not like I could threaten the online shippers as easily. Fanfiction, fanart, theroists... hell, even some local tabloids were staring to get in on it, slowly driving me insane.

Then again... Jin's really beautiful, whether she's Persephone or not. So it's not like I was insulted or anything by the accusations-

No, wait, stop. I shouldn't be thinking like that. It's bad. Bad in every sense of the word. Any physical attraction I might have for Jin, which would be in my best interest to remain nonexistent, would never go anywhere, at anytime. Because I am a villain, and she's a hero.

Even though... since she doesn't know that I'm a "villain"... I'd be tempted to assume she might have a bit of a "thing" for me. Tamaki certainly seems to think so. He's even offered to-

Nope! I can't afford to think like that! Technically, I shouldn't even be thinking about friendships, much less anything beyond that. It only took one month of knowing them as real people to make it nearly impossible to hurt them in a fight. Anything further would only hurt me in the long run. Physically and emotionally.

I should tell my father about the heroes. Before it gets any worse...

But even as I told myself that, I knew that I wouldn't.

A relieved sigh escaped as I pulled my grades up on my laptop. My midterms had officially passed without a hitch, sending me into summer break with top marks.

My phone buzzed in my pocket with an incoming text. Without even looking, I knew who it was from. But that didn't stop me from smiling at the new message on screen.

Jin: I passed my midterms! Full marks in eco! Hbu?

I hummed before unlocking my phone, quickly typing out a response.

Kyoya: Congratulations. I received full marks, as well.

A few seconds later and my phone buzzed again.

Jin: Yay! Congrats!

I smiled down at my phone for perhaps longer than necessary before realizing what I was doing. The warm, happy feeling in my chest disappeared. Sliding my laptop onto the coffee table and setting my phone on top of it, I fell sideways on the couch.

What was wrong with me? It's been almost three months and I still haven't told Father about the heroes. I still hang out with them. And my crush on Jin is still growing!

How could my life get any worse?

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't realize the shower had stopped running before the bathroom door opened in a cloud of steam, Tamaki waltzing into the main room with a towel around his head and another around his waist. Said second towel which almost slipped completely off his hips before Tamaki spotted me and screamed, frantically clawing at his towel until it was secure in front of his nethers.

"Kyoya! Jesus... I didn't hear you come back! How are you so damn quiet?"

"I wasn't quiet. Your god-awful shower singing blocks out everything else. I'm surprised you haven't gone deaf yet. Or that our neighbors haven't attempted to smother you in your sleep."

Tamaki pulled the towel around his hair off and chucked it in my general direction. "Dick. How was your little party?"

"You can't possibly imagine how happy I am that you chose this towel to throw at me," I announced, kicking said towel off my legs. "And it wasn't a party. It was a small get together to celebrate getting through our midterms."

"It was put on by a frat."

"A business fraternity. "

"That you're pledging into."

"Because I need to build up my networking and interview skills."

"You already have a job lined up for when you graduate!"

"That doesn't mean I won't need to interview others in the future."

"Ugh! I hate it when you act smart!"

"I am smart!"

"Shut up!"

I raised an eyebrow at Tamaki's huge grin. "You're in an oddly good mood for this argument. Is there something on my face?"

"Nope! You just can't bring me down today, Sour Puss! I've got a date!" And with a flamboyant hand flip, he slid into his bedroom and shut the door.

"A date, huh? And does Haruhi know about this date?"

"She practically asked me for it! You know how she refused to visit me all week because I had to study for midterms? Well, she just texted me a few hours ago asking if I was done and wanted to hang out!"

I huffed, but didn't argue against Tamaki's logic. In Haruhi Speak, that was pretty much asking for a date.

"I'm taking her out for dinner and a movie, and it's going to be perfect! Do you know why it'll be perfect?"

"I have a feeling you're going to tell me regardless of my next answer."

The bedroom door creaked as it opened, Tamaki sticking his head out and looking far too mischievous to be any good.

"Because I took the liberty of inviting Jin here while Haruhi and I went out, so you two get to spend some quality time alone for a few hours."

My head snapped upright. In the split second he had before I charged his door, Tamaki hurriedly shut himself in and leaned against it. The doors in our room may not lock, but that doesn't make them immune to brute force.