Shadows in the Moonlight

Still a bit cautious, I make sure to never let my guard down during all this. I still don't trust her fully, she is a villain after all. After getting up and wiping the dust from my outfit, I slowly start to head out the room. Toga follows closely nearby, and we head out the room, and she runs down the stairs safely somehow. When I came up, those things looked like they were going to break at any moment, but I guess I judged wrong. I'm still not on the stairs, but she stops midway on them then turns her head towards mine.

"Come on…I'm starving, can't you walk just any faster?"

Annoyed, I reply with a mocking tone.

"Don't you have any patience? And those stairs are creaking, they could crack and you'd fall through them if you keep running at your pace."

She smirks, and lets out a small but audible laugh.

"Oh really? It's fine…I used to run up these all the time as a kid, see?"

I guess it is her childhood home, but I don't think she understands the concept of wear and tear over time. I don't get a chance to respond when she starts jumping on the step she's on.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"See! It's completely saf-"

She doesn't get to finish her sentence, as the step under her breaks, its flimsy timber not being able to withstand the full force of a person's weight. She lets out a yelp, but using blackwhip, I manage to grab her before she falls, and she dangles under the steps.

"What did I tell you?"

Even more annoyed then before, I set her down onto the floor below us. I use float to drop down quickly as well, and I'm met with the sight of her nervously laughing.

"H-heh, I mean…

I don't want to hear 'I told you so', alright?"

Are all girls like this? Probably not, the ones I know are pretty chill. She's like a child, how has it only been approximately 15 minutes and I'm somehow already annoyed with her?

"Can you stop screwing around?

Don't you have an injury?"

She sighs, but nods reluctantly.

"Yeah yeah, it doesn't hurt anymore though.

Don't worry, I'm fine now. Main problem is that I'm completely starving."

I respond with my own sigh, one of relief. At least she's doing better. I wave my hand in a motion that tells her to follow and she nods yet again.

We both head out the door of the building, the hinges almost seeming to want to break apart as I push the door. As I step outside into the front yard, its grass overgrown and covering the bottoms of the walls. As I walk down the path leading out of the house, the cracked concrete seems to be partially hidden beneath encroaching moss and fallen leaves. After I leave through it's rusty iron gates, I take a look back on the house. Behind all that graffiti of murder threats, and dilapidated walls, it seemed to be a nice place to live when it was still alive. Now, time has taken its toll on it and all that's left is a broken husk of its former glory.

"What are you staring at?"

Toga places her head on my shoulder randomly, and her hand as well as she stares at the house like me. She turns her head towards mine.

"Come on, we should leave that thing behind."

"Yeah, I know…"

She scoffs.

"Why are you acting like you're attached to the building? It's my house, remember?"

"Actually, I shouldn't be butting into other people's business, you're right.

And also…why did you just randomly put your head on me?"

After hearing this, she retracts her head and goes back to standing next to me.

"What? I was just trying to see what you were looking at."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to…"

I stop myself, and just decide it's not worth it to continue. The real question is whether she's doing this to get into my head, trying to act friendly to backstab me the second I let my guard down. Even if I'm just going along to this because I'm just bored, it doesn't mean I'm not taking any of this seriously. If she tries something, she'll pay. But for now, may as well just…go with the flow.

"By the way, there is a problem…"

"Eh? What problem? I'm starving, don't tell me you don't actually have food…"

"Nah, it's just that…I'm kind of tired? So normally I'd just fly there, right now I don't think I have the energy."

She tilts her head to the side, and scans me up and down.

"Wait…you can fly?

Wow, you're better than I imagined…"

I let out a slight bit of laughter, it is humorous that the league still doesn't know my multiple quirks even if All for One is on their side. Maybe he just never told them.

"Yeah, but you good with walking for a bit? It's not actually too far from here."

"Hmph, how weak do you think I am?

I might be injured, but I can walk just fine, thank you very much."

I just roll my eyes as she pouts, she actually acts so much like a child. But still, this childish persona of hers seems to actually radiate an aura of innocence. Still not any malice.

"I never called you weak!"

"Well you might as well have with that stupid question…"

My annoyed tone still remains, this girl is difficult to deal with on multiple levels.

"Do you want food or not?

If you keep up this attitude, you're not getting any."

She pouts, and crosses her arms.

"Fine, only because I'm hungry."

She lets them back down to her sides.

"I'll listen to you…just this once."

I shake my head. Maybe I should've just left and sat on my building again, with her around I don't think I'll get any peace and quiet. Which in itself may be sort of a good thing? I have been seriously bored, imagine sitting on a building for 12 hours a day! The only time you get out, is just to sucker punch a poor villain into the cosmos…

"Alright, follow me then…"

I start to head down the road, Toga following close by behind me. The buildings surrounding the street seem to be crumbling, broken windows and collapsed roofs lining their structure. Along the sides of the roads, streetlights stand somehow still being able to function. Some of them flicker sporadically, casting eerie shadows on the broken pavement while others stay lit the entire time. But under the moonlight, it seems calm and relaxing. Not solitude, but it's a sense of satisfaction that fills my body. It's a sense that gets rid of all your worries, because it's only you here, no jobs you need to carry out, no people you need to save, no friends to be worried about. Just you, under the moonlight.

"You're such a bore, do something!"

A disgruntled voice emerges from behind me, and I turn back to see Toga following me with an angry looking expression. Oh yeah, I forgot about her. Guess it's not just me then…there goes my little moment.

"What do you want me to do then?"

"I don't know, but don't just space out!

Geez, do you always do this when you have a girl keeping you company?"

I let out a bit of laughter at her statement, it's not like I've ever had a girl keep me company. Deciding to humour her, I reply with a teasing tone.

"Yes, what's wrong with that?"

Her face seems to get angrier, and she rushes to my side.

"It's boring as hell, that's what!

Talk to me or something, I'm right here you know?"

"Can't you just enjoy the scenery, and the peace?"

She replies, slightly less angrily but still annoyed nonetheless.

"No, borrring! It's all just destroyed buildings, what 'scenery' even is there?"

Well, I'm guessing some people can't appreciate the beauty of this situation. Being in an abandoned city sounds unsettling at first, but if you really think about it, other than the superstition of ghosts…there's no one besides you here. It's a world where you can be free, free from everything you hate in life. A world where no happiness can exist, but no sadness either. Just a sense of satisfaction, and relaxation.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand.

What do you want to do then? To make this journey less boring?"

She puts her hand to her chin and looks down, representing a thinking motion.

"Hmm…

Well, why don't we ask questions about each other?"

"Do you want to get to know me better, or are you trying to dig for information?"

She tilts her head to one side, stares at me then shakes her head.

"No, don't worry.

I won't ask for your little superhero secrets…"

Confused, I wonder what she's trying to get at. Maybe she is just trying to get to know me, but for what reason? Just boredom probably.

"Fine then, ask away."

She puts her hand back to her chin, and thinks before snapping her fingers and looking back up.

"What's your ideal type?"

Out of all the questions I was expecting, maybe 'what quirks do you have?' or 'who do you care about most', not this… Well, I did agree to her and this doesn't necessarily seem to be a harmful question.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Come on, don't chicken out on our deal now.

Besides…it's something all girls ask. You'd know if you spent any time with them."

I sigh, I guess I may as well entertain her for the time being.

"Well, I…"

Before I can speak, I stop myself. I just realised; I have no clue how to answer this. I don't have a type, at least I don't think so anyways. Weird.

"I guess someone that just genuinely loves me, no matter who they are."

She somehow seems even more annoyed than before.

"Ugh…boring answer, just what I expected from a little do-gooder like you…"

We keep walking down the road, abandoned vehicles, their tires deflated and bodies rusted line the street beside us. Shattered glass and trash litters the sidewalks, and it's difficult trying to walk without getting any under your shoes. Graffiti tags and faded posters cling to the remaining walls, and one catches my eye.

An All Might image, drawn in graffiti covered one of the building walls beside us, and I stop to take a gaze at it. His eyes are replaced with red crosses, and the phrase 'I am not here' is present above it. All Might really did hold this country together, and I don't think I can replace him, no matter how hard I try.

"Hmm…?"

Toga stops as well, and looks at the graffiti.

"You know, for what it's worth from a villain like me, I liked All Might."

Weird words coming from a member of the league of villains, but weirdly understandable.

"But, to be honest, you're way cooler."

I turn to her, and I'm met with that smile once again.

"How does All Might have anything to do with me?"

She snickers, and looks me dead in the eyes.

"You have his quirks, do you not?"