Chapter 16

Katsuki didn't know what he was doing anymore. His guilt was eating him up inside and he could hardly get some sleep. Every night Izuku would haunt his dreams. It was the same thing over and over again. He could not stop thinking about what he had done. He was the cause of it all. Izuku would not forgive him. He wouldn't even talk to him. It hurt. It hurt so much, but he will never admit that. Even to his mother. He couldn't admit it openly. It made him feel weak. It made him feel so much worse. Some hero he was.

He really didn't know what to do anymore. His so called friends don't even notice how much he's hurting on the inside. They continued to joke and laugh about Izuku. The boy changed. He wasn't the same. Katsuki could hardly stand to look at him. He needed to find himself again. He hung out with his friends. Laughed and joked, but it was never genuine.

He let things get to his head. He turned into the scum he was supposed to protect others from. Him. Katsuki Bakugo. He was a terrible person.

That one thought ran through his mind as he glared at the silent girl he had roughly shoved into the wall. Why? Why was he doing this? He told himself he would stop. He would stop all the bullying. It had already lead one person to suicide. He didn't need it happening again . He felt crushed even as he glared at the girl. She had done nothing wrong. She never did anything wrong. He hardly knew her. She was just there and she was different so he tormented her. She didn't seem impressed with him like everyone else. It made him angry before. He was furious. He had thought she was looking down on hin. How could she not find him impressive? She didn't care about anything. The air around her told him that. It infuriated him.

He stared into her ice blue eyes, explosions in his palms. He had already injured her. She had a burn mark on her exposed arm now. It was bleeding, she didn't seem to care. Another thing that always angered him about her. No matter what he did to her, it would never seem to bother her one bit. There was always emptiness in those eyes. It angered him.

Why was he doing this to her? He asked himself this again. Because he was angry. He was angry about everything. He was angry angry with himself. It was hard. The guilt he felt was crushing him. He was just so angry now. He needed to take it out on something. Someone. She just happened to walk by him. She didn't even look at him.

He didn't have to. He shouldn't have. It's not right to take his anger out on some innocent bystander.

But here he was.

He growled and raised his hand to deal another blow, but nothing happened. He was frozen to the spot. He was confused an try as he might he could not move. He met those eyes again . Emptiness. Something told him that she was responsible. While her eyes displayed no emotions, the scowl on her face did. He was suddenly yanked through the air. He could not feel the ground. He tried to move again, but he failed. It was suddenly hard to breathe. It felt as if someone was strangling him. He was afraid, the grip on his neck got tighter. He tried to move again . It felt as if he was being held back by thin strings. The more he moved the more it dug into his flesh until it cut him. He let out a pained grunt when he felt his skin being cut the more he moved. He stopped moving, not wanting anymore cuts to litter his body.

Kuriko stared at him as if she wasn't strangeling him while tearing his flesh apart. She wasn't in the mood. She was already angry about being placed in the hero course, she did not need to take abuse from a guilty fool who needed to vent. Not today. Katsuki picked the wrong day to be angry. He picked the wrong day to lay eyes on Kuriko. He picked the worse possible day and he would be lucky to make it out alive. Kuriko had thought of killing him multiple times. Now that she had him struggling in the air the urge was strong. She clenched her fist, watching as Katsuki was forced to bend to her will. There was a snap and an ear piercing scream. Blood pooled under him. Kuriko didn't care that she just broke his arm. She didn't care that his leg was on the verge of suffering the same fate. She didn't care that the boy could not breathe.

She would be more then happy to put him out his misery.

But someone had to stop her. Someone had to have walked down this hallway. She glared at the person that was so unlucky. It was some random kid. He looked scared out of his mind at the sight.

He shouted

She glared and sent her shadows towards him.

She had spent more than a year at this school. She knew that streak of good behaviors was now broken.

The hell if she cared.

~~~~~~~

Kuriko pulled her hood over her head in annoyance. She was seated in the principal's office with her grandmother. Nozomi couldn't make it so here Nagisa was. Kuriko was trying and failing to ignore the emotions of her headmaster. She disliked the man. He was like everyone else. He put up the nice facade but he wanted her gone more than anyone. He never had an excuse to expell her until that very moment. He wore a grim expression but the man was very happy. She scowled. She was not looking at any of the adults in the room. She was trying to tune out the conversation and the urge to retreat to her ever comforting darkness.

"Mrs. Sano, your grand daughter has severely injured one of our top students and emotionally traumatized another" the man said sounding grave. "This is a very serious offence and she can and will get into big trouble"

"I'm aware" Nagisa glanced at the annoyed Kuriko. She didn't seem sorry and was most likely not apologetic about what she had done.

"I expected such a thing to happen, what with the type of quirk she has, but I di-" he was cut off by a deceptively calm Nagisa.

"The type of quirk she has? Care to enlighten me on this? "

"If you must know Mrs. Sano, the child's quirk is nothing short of that of a delinquent. Such behaviors is expected of someone with such a... Such a villainous quirk"

The air in the room changed immediately. Nagisa glanced at Kuriko, noting the dark tendrils wrapping around her arms. She frowned and placed a hand on her head, stopping her from doing what she had in mind. She didn't like this man any more than she did, but she could not let her harm him. She was already in big trouble.

"I don't appreciate you judging my grand daughter based on her quirk"

"I'm just stating facts" The man said with a dark look in his eyes. "Those with quirks similar to hers are always lead down the path of darkness because they cannot resist the urges of their quirk. Of course there are ways to try to help her when she eventually becomes a villai-"

Nagisa abruptly stood, glaring at the man.

"My grand daughter will not become a villain solely because of her quirk. The Reason people like her go down that road in the first place is because scum like you give them no other choice. It is your prejudice that costs you your own life" she had to stop herself from growling . She took hold of Kuriko and made to leave. "You don't have to worry about this villain anymore. She won't be stepping foot in this school ever again"

~~~~~~~

The drive to her house was silent. Nagisa kept glancing at Kuriko, worry in her eyes. She knew what she did was wrong , but knew she was no villain. Kuriko wasnt a bad child, just wrongly judged and misunderstood. How could the man say something like that? Judging her based on her quirk. Who does he think he is? He has no right to talk about her like that.

"Hey" Nagisa ran her fingers through messy hair . She smiled when Kuriko looked at her. "Let's go out for ice cream and forget about the unpleasant incidents that took place"

Kuriko nodded, but did not seem relieved. She still seemed upset about everything that had taken place. She could push everything to the back of her head, but they would have to deal with everything at some point. She put a boy in the hospital and traumatized another. That spelled serious trouble. It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. It's too much trouble in her opinion. She didn't want to deal with it, which was childish. She was a child though

She stared out the window, watching the buildings pass by. They all expected that from her. They all knew she would d such a thing. It was set in stone, wasn't it? It's because of her quirk. Based on the quirk one is given their future is already decided. That's the world. Nothing changed . She never believed in change so it was no surprise at all. This is how the world operated for years. It's not changing so easily. Why does she keep thinking about the same thing over and over? It was confusing sometimes. Existing in this world was hard. Life was hard. Could it not be easier? Most likely not. But even so, she still wished for an easier life. Why did the world have to make things so complicated and hard? What about her? What about all the others? What about those who don't fit everyone's view of normal. Why can't they be their own normal? Just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad.

Sometimes she really found herself rethinking everything. She found herself wondering how things would be if she had killed herself when she had the chance . She had many chances but for some reason she never took them. She didn't know why. Ie would be better for all the people she knew if she didn't exist.

She's sure that's exactly what Izuku was thinking. He thought his mother would have an easier life without him. She can't blame him for thinking such a thing. She thought it too. More often than her mother would like. Ever since she entered her life she has caused her so much pain. That is why she just wants to do anything to make her happy.

She bit her lip as she thought of that. She would do anything for her. Even if it's hard. Even if it makes her furious. Even if it breaks all the promises she made to herself. Even if it hurt herself. She would do anything in her power to keep Nozomi happy. If UA is what brings her happiness she would go. She just wished she wasn't forced into the hero course.

She was hardly aware of the car being pulled to a stop. She didn't move. She only eyed the ice cream shop and watched her grandmother enter. The woman looked far younger than she actually was. She could pass for someone in their twenties. In actuality she was in her fifties. How she retained such a young look was something Kuriko didn't care about. The woman was as kind as her daughter but very stern. She is part owner of the Sano company. Of course her partner is her husband. She wasn't sure what it is that they did together. Again she didn't care enough to wonder. There are certain things Kuriko could care less about.

She turned in her seat. She retrieved her book. It was a new one about quirks. In all honesty she was questioning the use of quirks. She has gotten used to her own. She uses it often. She can be alone when she does, so she doesn't mind it. Quirks were useful. People came to rely on them and and is what formed the broken society today. Most quirkless born commit suicide at a very young age. There were news report of children putting an end to their life. They were as young as four years sometimes. That shows how their society is built. Those suicidal were never saved. Heroes knew nothing about that. They did nothing about it. The number of quirkless suicidal only grew over the years. Izuku was one of many.

Quirkless are hated by all for no reason. You can't hate someone because they didn't get some super power. Twenty percent of the population don't, it's just an odd normality. Why must people be so cruel. Quirkless kids aren't even loved by their own parents sometimes . Despicable. They would abandon their children simply because they develop no quirk.

She hated her world.

She thinks about these things over and over. Everyday. She repeats the same thoughts everytime. Why? Because she always sees the same thing. Everyday. Every passing minute she sees the prejudice. The results of it all. The destruction. The darkness it fosters within individuals. The hatred. The pain. The death. She sees it all. She feels it all. It's hard enough dealing with her own troubles. Her own emotions. Being aware of other's suffering makes things harder than they already were. It makes her despise heroes even more. It makes her wish society would crumble.

And it will, at some point.

All Might has created villains set on destroying him. The minute they succeed everything will fall. And she will watch it all happen. She will watch it all unravel. See where it goes. Just break it all.

Something cold was held against her cheek. She didn't even flinch at the cold. She accepted her cup of ice cream with a nod of thanks and stared ahead. Her book was soon discarded. She didn't even look at it. She saw no need for it anymore.

"I know you're not very happy with your placement at UA, but I promise things aren't as bad as they seem"

She looked at her skeptically. She has seem how bad things are.

"OK, that's a lie, but what I'm trying to say is that UA may not be all that bad. You could see things differently. Make friends. You can't be judged everywhere "

Lies. Judgemet is everywhere. It cannot be escaped. Friends are worthless. And seeing things differently seemed doubtful.

"Your start at UA is a few months away and certain things need to be taken care of. It's best to start early, so I'm going to need you to sketch up a hero costume" Nagisa was watching her as she said that. There was a reason she brought this up while the kid had her ice cream. The treat does make her hapoy and talking about her not so happy subjects at the same time lessens her anger.

Kuriko nodded begrudgingly. She didn't see the use of costumes. More specifically costumes with mask. Why was the mask needed? During the sports festival their faces and names are revealed to the public. That is so stupid. Aren't they supposed to protect their identity so they can be safe? The sports festival betrays the entire idea.

She a hero?

Perish the thought