Chapter 66

The stench of burning buildings still clung to my white hair, a grim reminder of the day's chaos. Hawks had practically dragged me into that alley, a surreal tableau of Shigaraki and Dabi making out serving as the backdrop to my overdue arrival. Dabi, ever the volatile one, had been the first to notice me.

"Where the hell were you!? We were worried as hell!" His growl was laced with a concern I hadn't expected.

"Sorry, Dabi… it's a long story. I met this girl in the woods, she was getting hurt by some people and I went to save her, but then I got caught and, well, it was a lot…"

Hawks, Dabi, and even Shigaraki shouted a chorus of "What?!" in unison. I sighed. I'd explain later. Dabi, ever practical, grabbed my arm. "Calm the chaos fast and get home quick."

Diamond and I, along with Hawks, worked swiftly, subduing villains left and right. I told Class 1-A to head back to U.A., while we finished up the mess. Within an hour, or so, everything was mostly back to normal. We called in Class 2-B, and Kytoka Hirau, with her incredible Reverse quirk, managed to fix the major damages.

Later, I met up with Dabi and laid out the whole story: Akira, her captors, the grim end I'd delivered. He was shocked, sure, but not surprised. He knew how I got when I was pushed. He understood the need to survive. He even recounted his first kill, some random guy who picked a fight. He'd burned him to ash. We understood each other, made a certain sense.

But the understanding didn't soothe the unease gnawing at me.

I left Dabi and headed to Kenji's house. Mom was pacing like a caged tiger, Dad trying to calm her down. "Anos, where the hell were you?!" she yelled, tears welling in her eyes. "I was worried sick!"

I sighed, hugging her tight. "I'm fine, Mom… just an inside mission."

"Next time, check in, please! We were worried," she whispered, and went to bed.

I was about to follow her example when Kenji and Dad stopped me. "Anos… what happened? There were no inside missions," Dad said sternly.

Shit. Busted. I groaned. "I went to save a girl. She's fine, but it took longer than needed." Partial truth.

"Why didn't you call for backup?" Kenji asked.

"I didn't have service," I lied.

They exchanged a look, unconvinced. "Next time, just call ahead of time, okay?" Kenji said, before leaving for the night. Dad nodded and followed suit.

I made some tea and sat down to do some research on the mysterious villains. That Rosaline woman... the way she touched me... it was unsettling. Pure evil. I killed her… but was it for my sake, or Akira's?

Am I a bad person?

What is happening to me? I wasn't like this… never. What… why…? My breath quickened. Everything felt wrong, off-kilter. I felt uneasy, panic rising in my chest. I stood up, moving slowly towards my room, my body trembling. I sat in a corner, small sobs escaping my mouth. I never expected to be a wreck afterwards.

Was this how Diamond and other females felt when they had been assaulted? Is this what villains, and innocent people felt when they took lives?

My panic spiraled, consuming me. I couldn't think straight, couldn't find the words. I couldn't hear, couldn't speak. Everything was so… fucking dark.

Minutes blurred, an eternity spent in the suffocating void. Then, I felt someone shaking me. Izuku, his face etched with panic. Diamond, tapping me viciously.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Diamond hugged me, her voice a soothing balm. "Izuku, go to your room. I got it."

She helped me calm down, her presence grounding me. A few moments later, I drifted off to sleep, feeling more relaxed than before.

What the hell is going on?