Daily Meme
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Shigaraki stepped closer. "You don't fit, like you said. Heroism is just a dogma you were born into. A system that only values what's useful to it. Strength, popularity, the right image. If you don't have those, you're nothing. You're a tool until you break. A stepping stone for the next big name."
I shrugged. "Sounds like you got benched early."
He ignored that. "They make promises they can't keep. Tell you to be good, to trust them. But the second you're inconvenient, they drop you. Society doesn't want fairness. It wants a script. A show. And the second you stop playing along, you're discarded."
I sighed. "And this is the part where I'm supposed to go, 'Oh no, you're right, my whole life was a lie'? Come on, dude. Try harder."
Magne crossed her arms. "Mock all you want. You think the world doesn't see you as a problem?"
"I mean, yeah, obviously. But I don't cry about it in a basement."
Spinner scoffed. "And that's why you're an idiot. They'll never let you be more than a wildcard. A freak act they can control."
I smiled at Toga. "Hey, he used my hero name in a sentence. Cool, not?"
She clapped her hands together. "Right?! It's like, fate or something! Maybe this is a sign we should be closer~"
"Or maybe it's a sign you should take a long walk off a short cliff," I shot back.
Shigaraki exhaled loudly, like he was being personally victimized. "You're exactly what I expected. A stray, pretending you belong. You act like you're one of them, but deep down, you know you're not. That's why you fight so hard. You think if you struggle enough, they'll finally accept you."
"Cool speech. Now try saying that again without sounding like an abandoned child on an internet forum."
Spinner's grip tightened around his sword. "You laugh now, but you'll see it soon. Heroes don't save people—they save themselves."
"Yeah, because I definitely see Endeavor waking up every day thinking, 'Damn, I should really cover for Ryuu Midoriya, that jackass.'" I tilted my head. "You guys keep saying the same thing over and over like I'm gonna suddenly go, 'Oh my god, you're right! Society is broken! Time to commit arson and cry about it!' Not happening."
Shigaraki tapped his fingers against the table. "It's not about you switching sides."
"Good, because I like being able to shower."
Toga gasped. "Are you saying I smell?! That's so mean! You should let me stab you as an apology."
"Only if I get to return the favor."
She giggled. "Kinky~"
Mr. Compress sighed. "This is going nowhere."
Shigaraki stood up. "You can joke all you want. Won't change the truth."
"Cool. Here's the truth—you're full of shit. You think I don't know how this works? People like me aren't supposed to exist. You're acting like you're giving me a revelation, but I figured that out the second I realized I had to punch harder than everyone else just to stay in the game."
Shigaraki watched me, waiting.
I continued. "But here's the thing—you're not some great savior, and this isn't some revolution. You're just a bunch of losers who got pissed off that life didn't hand you what you wanted, so now you're lashing out. If you were actually trying to fix anything, you wouldn't be kidnapping kids and making edgy speeches in basements. But sure, keep telling yourself that blowing shit up is some deep, meaningful rebellion."
Magne scoffed. "You think heroes are any better?"
I looked at her like she was the dumbest motherfucker alive. "Dude, hell nah. You all heard my speech to Cum Stain and still decided to lap up his crusty ideology? Heroes are just people. They fall, they fuck up, they lie, steal, cheat, kill. Some even r*pe. That doesn't mean you wake up one day and decide, 'Ah yes, genocide is the only option!' Not that it isn't an option, but it's mostly just difficult. And insane. But mainly difficult."
Toga looked delighted. "Ooooh, so you admit it's an option!~"
I pointed at her. "That's what you took from that?"
Magne shook her head. "You're twisting things."
"No, I'm using my brain," I shot back. "Try it sometime. You say society is broken? No shit. But you motherfuckers are out here playing dollar store revolutionaries like that's fixing anything. Setting buildings on fire is just terrorism with extra steps. You're not changing the system. You're just throwing a tantrum and calling it a movement."
Spinner sneered. "And you think you're better? You work for them."
"I work for myself, dumbass. If U.A. kicked me out tomorrow, I would still be out here cracking villain skulls for fun. Don't mix me up with whatever 'tragic system betrayal' fantasy you guys got going on."
Shigaraki exhaled loud as hell, scratching at his neck like my existence personally offended him. "You don't get it."
"Clearly," I said. "Because every time I try to figure out what the fuck your plan is, it sounds like edgy teenagers ranting in a Discord server."
Dabi chuckled. "Man, he's got you there."
Shigaraki shot him a glare. Dabi just grinned.
Magne crossed her arms. "You're arrogant."
I snorted. "And you're an unpaid intern for the worst cult in Japan."
Toga giggled. "Aww, we're a cult now? Cute!"
Shigaraki slammed his hand on the table. "Enough."
I clapped my hands. "Thank god, I was getting bored."
He turned to Kurogiri. "Put him somewhere he can't run."
Kurogiri nodded, and the mist swallowed me before I could say anything else.
The next few hours were spent in some shitty side room with nothing but a chair, a locked door, and an overwhelming amount of bad interior design.
The system popped up.
[NEW OBJECTIVE: ESCAPE WITHOUT GETTING STABBED BY TOGA. REWARD: NOT GETTING STABBED.]
"Real helpful," I muttered.
[ALTERNATIVE REWARD: +2 DEXTERITY IF YOU DODGE LIKE A PRO.]
I groaned. "Why do I talk to you?"
The system didn't answer. Smug bastard.
I heard footsteps. Not Toga. Spinner? Maybe Shigaraki himself? Nah, too light.
Then she appeared. My nose damn near exploded.
"T-T-Toru?" I whispered, staring at my very naked classmate.
She slapped her hands over my eyes. "Close your eyes."
I did.
Her voice stayed low. "Don't talk. I'm getting you out."
"Yeah, but—"
"Shut up."
I bit my tongue. Hands still covering my face, she started messing with the ropes. They were tight as hell, probably some villain-grade steel wire. She worked fast, moving carefully, barely making a sound.
I whispered, "You better not be using your teeth. That's gross."
She flicked my forehead. "You wanna get out or not?"
Fair point.
A few seconds later, the restraints loosened. I stretched my fingers, rolling my wrists as she grabbed my arm, guiding me up.
"Everyone's waiting outside," she muttered. "We didn't know if you were really here, so… had to send me in first."
Since they couldn't be sure I was here, they had to send someone with a stealth Quirk. That meant Toru, which also meant she had to bite the bullet on the whole "Ryuu might see her naked" thing. She was blushing hard enough that I could feel the heat off her.
I didn't open my eyes, not sure if my heart could take it either. "What now? I can't fight with my eyes closed."
She bit her lip—or I think she did. "I can't fight with clothes on either."
I crouched down. "Get on my back. If you're on my back, I won't see you. I'll use force to get out of here."
She shook her head fast, and judging by the way the air shifted, she was moving her hands too. "I'm naked. No. No way. I can't hold onto you like this."
"Would you rather stay here?"
She hesitated.
I moved to the door, pressing my ear against it. Faint movement outside. Not a lot. Not enough to be the entire League, but enough to be a problem if we dragged this out. I heard Toga's voice, "Hmm… it feels like there's someone else in here~ I smell blood!"
I froze. Then slowly turned my head toward where I thought Toru was, my eyes still closed
"…You leaking?"
She smacked the back of my head. "No!"
"Just checking. Didn't wanna get us caught over a biological betrayal." I turned back. "We don't have time for this. Either climb on, or I am carrying you princess-style through enemy territory."
She muttered something under her breath, then grabbed my shoulders. "Don't say anything."
I grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up. Her grip was tight, arms locking around my neck like she was bracing for impact.
"This is still weird," she whispered.
"Nah, I'll just marry you. Fixes everything."
She slapped the back of my head. "Don't say that when I'm literally naked on your back."
I ignored the very real, very soft reminders of that fact pressing against me and popped the lock. "Alright, time to leave before someone notices your naked ass broke in here."
Another slap.
"Ouch."
--
Mirko Sent Message:
Oi.
You.
Yeah, you—scrollin' like a damn coward with commitment issues.
I bust my ass every chapter.
Ryuu drops trauma, chaos, fight scenes, and thirst traps so good they should be illegal.
And you just what? Read it all with your face in a snack bag and didn't even vote?
Tch.
That's weak. Real weak.
You think Power Stones are just for simps?
Hell no.
They're for people with guts. People who ride or die.
Not readers who ghost the moment things get real.
So here's what's gonna happen:
You're gonna click that Power Stone button.
Or I'm gonna track you down,
kick your door in,
and make you vote with a roundhouse to your conscience.
Support him, or stay soft.
Choice is yours, Lurker.
Also... Second most voted name in previous vote was Mirko. So here is some Eye Candy. You can vote again in the comments. Write the name you want to see more, others can vote.
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