Chapter 188 - Grimreaper 2/2
Ochaco gasped.
A person stood on the threshold, his whole body completely bathed in darkness.
Behind him the storm roared.
Wind-driven rain lashed the air. A bolt of lightning leapt from one black cloud to another, crackling furiously before splitting into a multitude of yellowish capillaries that momentarily lit up the sky.
The person took a step inside.
A vertical thunderclap lit the individual obliquely.
His white, gloved hands, reflected in Ochaco's terrified eyes.
She made no sound, no attempt to warn him ; the Nomus were still galloping up the walls, shaking the entire building.
The person raised his head.
One of the velvet gloves dropped between his shoes.
The first Nomu - the black one - pounced on thim, mouth open to decapitate, long clawed legs outstretched to grasp.
The human raised a long, slender arm, bare hand slightly bent, index finger outstretched, as if curiously trying to stroke the creature.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked Tokyo.
A column of fire and smoke rose over the horizon, far beyond the buildings. The clouds turned red, the storm took on the furious hue of blood, and the whole world was momentarily ablaze as if in broad daylight.
The contours of the individual's silhouette turned blood-red, lighting him up as if he were on fire, running up his body from his shoes to his face like an unrelenting fever.
Driven by gravity, the Nomu stepped into the hole of ruby light opened by the door.
His face caught fire as well, the contours of his bloody fangs glowing, the drops of saliva dripping from his lips turning to lava.
The fire gradually spread along his body as he moved into the light.
They reminded Ochaco of a famous biblical painting.
She pressed her blade harder against her throat ; a trickle of blood rolled down her neck.
The nonchalant man blinked slowly.
His eyelashes were ablaze. His eyes were the color of liquid gold.
The tip of the fang grazed the outstretched finger.
The Nomu exploded in a spray of blood.
A spurt splashed diagonally across Ochaco's face, staining her parted lips. A slimy chunk of liver landed on her cheek. It stuck there.
Her knife slipped from her hand.
Her eyes reflected his fiery silhouette.
The two remaining Nomus launched themselves at him from opposite directions.
The man spun on his heels, hands raised in a standing ovation, his long cloak billowing behind him.
The Nomus exploded simultaneously.
Ochaco was drenched in blood and blasted organs.
Still in shock, she could not look away him.
He was spotless ; not a drop of blood had stained his clothes.
Blood dripped from her once-brown hair down her cheeks, so red she looked like she'd painted her face.
Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it could be heard outside her body.
The man looked at her.
He had close-cropped auburn hair and yellow eyes, an appearance of deadly boredom that contrasted with a steely gaze.
Ochaco, sweating, swallowed loudly.
She still hadn't blinked.
He looked away, his gaze now on Neito.
He took two steps in his direction and stopped in front of him.
"That's where you were..."
His voice was deep and gravelly.
It sounded loud in the empty stairwell.
"It took me forever to find you"
The walls were stained with red, blood drops rolling off it as if they were seeping through its pores.
Ochaco straightened slightly.
"Who are you ?" she whispered.
He didn't even bother to look at her.
Glued to the wall, crouched, head bent over his knees, eyes locked with the floor, Neito held his bloody left ear in one hand, gaze glassy.
"Stand up"
With the toe of his shoe the man pushed back one of Neito's knees.
His leg buckled and fell limply to the side, as if it were boneless.
The man pondered the situation for a moment.
Ochaco watched in silence.
The man crouched down and gently pushed Neito's cupped hand to get a better look at what he was hiding.
Neito groaned.
His skin was icy cold.
His ear had been pierced in all directions, the tears creating a misshapen star with long and short arms, the epicenter of which was his perforated eardrum.
The man, face closed, observed the wound quietly.
Neito looked like he was about to faint.
"Who did this to you ?"
Ochaco's blood ran cold.
"Is it one of those things ?"
She cowered and backed further under the stairs.
Her soles squeaked on a puddle of blood.
"Neito, I asked you a question"
Ochaco held her breath.
Neito blinked.
His head jerked to the side, his chin drooping on his shoulder.
Ochaco hoped he would pass out.
A trickle of drool ran from Neito's parted lips down his cheek.
His eyes were two dull slits, devoid of light. He blinked slowly.
Then his chin moved slightly in Ochaco's direction.
The man's gaze followed the movement.
His eyes rested on her.
She thought she was going to piss herself.
"Did she do that to you ?"
His voice was calm, devoid of emotion. He pushed back the strands of hair that fell across Neito's forehead with the same hand he'd used to brush his ear.
His gloved fingers - when had he put them back on? - left a trail of blood on Neito's skin.
The man clicked his tongue in displeasure.
He took off the glove and tossed it to the floor, pulling another - clean - from his coat's pocket.
He put it on and stood up, turning to face Ochaco.
Ochaco's heart thundered in her throat. She felt like she was going to throw up. She tried to sink further under the stairs, her shoes sliding frantically along the floor, her nails scratching the wall behind her.
There was something dangerous in the man's eyes, something terrifying in a way that reminded her of Todoroki.
Neito drooled so much that his left cheek - the cheek pressed against his shoulder - turned wet and shiny.
"I asked a question" The man repeated calmly, "Did you do this to him ?"
He took a step forward. Ochaco tried to retreat further.
The man's expression darkened.
He slowly removed his gloves.
His hands were white and smooth, unblemished.
Ochaco tried to become one with the wall.
He took three steps forward then crouched, his gaze level with hers.
They studied each other for a moment in silence.
Then the man grabbed Ochaco by her hair and pulled her violently from her hiding place.
Ochaco screamed and struggled futilely.
With his left hand, he grabbed Ochaco by the throat and lifted her up.
Ochaco 's hands crept to her throat, tugging at his fingers one by one to make him let go - he was too strong.
Her feet kicked the air as she struggled.
"You're the girl he's supposed to team up with, aren't you ?"
She tried to strike the inside of his elbows - just as she'd been taught - to make him let go.
Ochaco turned red, then purple, veins in her throat throbbing.
The man stared at her with his calm, inexpressive yellow eyes, detached as if he were watching an insect fight its inevitable death.
She activated her Quirk, increasing her weight tenfoldto make him let go ; he pinned her against the wall for support and tightened his grip, squeezing harder.
The more time went by, the more desperate and wild she became, trying to kick him in the face.
He barely recoiled.
"I know you. Neito told me about you"
She scratched at his hands until they bled.
"There's nothing worse than a traitor"
Ochaco exploded in a spray of blood, guts, and intestines
*
A/N : If you want to read ahead of schedule, go check the story's P@treon, Nar_cisseENG
And see you in the next update everyone !