Aizawa's head is throbbing like hell.
Well, obviously it is. This is the earliest he has ever been awake in the morning without staying up all night. Behind the window blinds, sun is barely peeking above the horizon. Very barely, the majority of the sky is still gloomy and sunless, dwarfing the radiant gold skyline.
Any other day, Aizawa would end whatever crazy call that dared to disturb his sleep during this ungodly hour. But, here he is, sagging on the couch with a hand massaging a spot between his eyes and the other propping up his phone to his left ear.
After running All Might's previous explanation through his mind once again, Aizawa exhales loudly. As if it could blow out all the exhaustion, frustration, and indignation from his system.
I sent Arata to I-Island with Todoroki so she could learn to adapt to the general public. It should've been a great medium for her to explore or even try on a couple of supervised challenges. And for her to have a little fun at last. Not a villain invasion and definitely not... this.
Kid has faced too many demons and monsters from the past. She didn't need to face a real one... or be forced to turn into one to survive.
"Aizawa-kun, are you still there?" All Might's deep voice crackles through his phone, almost drowned out by shouts, overlapping instructions, and commands in the background. "I know it's a lot to take in and I'm sorry. I should've stepped in before it escalated that far, but I was restrained by the security devices—"
"What's done is done," Aizawa growls, clenching his phone harder. "Just inform me her condition. Todoroki's as well."
"The medical unit has finished healing Arata-shoujo's wounds. However, she hasn't woken up yet. Looks like the sleeping drug was very potent. Todoroki-shonen didn't sustain any major injury, but he blacked out for a short moment earlier. That boy, he must be very exhausted... He carried her and kept fighting all the way to the 200th floor."
"No permanent damage? What about the other students? You said they also jumped into the fight with the villains."
"Everyone is fine and back in their respective hotel rooms. I think they're more sleepy than anything," All Might reassures. "The nurses told me that Arata-shoujo has made a full recovery. They took care of everything, including closing up her reopened cauterization wound. Don't worry, I-Island's medical treatment is great."
"Too bad it wasn't the case for the security. So much for 'security system on par with Tartarus'." Upon his quip, Aizawa hears All Might chuckle nervously from the other side of the line. "How the hell did a ragtag group of villains manage to infiltrate I-Island?"
"Uh..."
A remote in one hand, Aizawa browses through various channels, looking for a live report for the incident. "Isn't it weird that I can't find any news regarding this incident?"
"It's..."
"The first ever villain attack in the reputable I-Island. What's more, it involves plenty well-known heroes, scientists, and sponsors from all over the world. In normal circumstances, this news would have hogged all TV channels."
"Aizawa-kun, it's... kind of an inside job."
"No wonder it doesn't make it to the news."
"Yeah. I'm not sure I can share the details with you. They intend to flush out the moles, then bury the incident. Keep it from the public eye and the press."
"That's not going to work." Aizawa raises his eyebrows, tapping his fingers on the sofa. "I-Island's grand opening is this evening. Thousands of people will set foot in the island. No way they won't see the damages. Not to mention, the moles can blend in among the crowd and escape easier."
"The grand opening is postponed. All flights have been delayed, there will be no in and no out from the island."
"What?"
"Shortly, they will be holding an investigation to solve this matter. Until then, this island is on a strict lockdown, Aizawa-kun. People are prohibited from going out from their residence until further instruction. All means of communication will also be cut off in a minute."
"That's ridiculous. I can understand the flight delay part, but there would certainly be an uproar if the tourists couldn't be reached by their family members and friends for more than a few hours," Aizawa grunts, irritated. "Look, All Might, personally I'm not going to sit and wait around when that kid and the other students—"
"Wait, wait! Slow down, young man! First, you can leave the investigation part to me. I will accompany each of 1-A students through it. I'm their teacher too, you know. Second, there would be a special communication set up especially for that purpose. They promised me that you and other visitors' family members will be informed of the specifics soon."
"How soon is this 'soon'?"
"Possibly this afternoon or evening, I heard. A villain attack never happened before and everything is a mess, so it's difficult to determine all the details this early. They're trying their best to keep the situation under control, though."
"That'd better be true. Why didn't you say so from the beginning?"
"I was getting to it! Anyway, don't work yourself up too much over this, Aizawa-kun. You know I'll give my best to keep the children safe."
"Yeah, I know." Well, All Might is not the Symbol of Peace for nothing.
"They're going to kill the phone signal any second now. Do you have one last question? Please keep it brief."
For a while, Aizawa merely sighs and ruffles his own hair. Even without closing his eyes, he can vividly recall the picture that he sent to Todoroki yesterday. The one that shows a praying mantis devouring another mantis's head. The one that depicts what All Might described to him at the beginning of their call.
"Arata... She nearly killed the demon villain by ripping his neck." His throat feels very dry, as if it was pleading him not to resume the next words. "We both know that it was a self-defense, but still, it was a bit extreme. People can find fault with it."
Despite the limited options she had. Despite the dire situation she was in. Despite the primal instinct that kicked in to ensure her own survival...
Arata was a victim, but that doesn't erase the fact that she came close to biting the villain's head off. Not all people will be willing to look past it.
"Tell me, All Might, how deep in trouble will she be in for this? As in, legally."
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When her consciousness surfaces again, the first thing that Arata notices is the chilly air lingering around her. Second is the darkness that puts a veil on everything around her. She blinks once. Then, twice. She rubs her puffy eyes with the back of her hand. Still, she can't make out anything specific, it's too dark for her.
Where is this? Am I still in the seed storage? Her mind echoes dizzily as she slowly brings herself to a sitting position. A soft, thick fabric slinks from her shoulders, then drops without a sound on her lap.
Wait, no. It can't be. Was that a blanket just now? Am I on a bed? And my arms... They don't hurt anymore. The other wounds too... It's like they vanished without a trace.
That's strange... Didn't the demon...? And Shoto-san... Wasn't I with him? A weird pang bursts in her chest when she sees nothing but darkness surrounding her. If so, where is he now?
Arata is about to climb down from the bed, she immediately freezes on the spot as a light tug halts one of her ankles from moving.
Was it just my imagination... or am I being shackled?
Her nails are digging into the blanket wrapping her lower body, but she doesn't dare to uncover it. So she tries to move again. And there it is, another tug. Something has been circled around her ankle, ensuring she won't be able to move freely. Something reminiscent of her past.
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"Do you know what is this?" the man patted the iron band confining her ankle. A thick chain was attached to it, and at the other end, a heavy ball made of iron. The ring that surrounded her ankle felt as cold as snow and Arata could only sniffle harder.
"This is ball and chain. From now on, you will be wearing this."
"W— Why?"
"Are you stupid? We can't have you sneaking around and harming other Shirayuki members. Because, unlike a monster like you, humans don't eat fellow humans."
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This exchange... It happened seven years ago. A day after the unfortunate incident that made the teenager who attacked her permanently disfigured.
Arata has left that ball and chain behind when she fled from the Shirayuki a few weeks ago. Then, why? Why is she being restrained again? How did it find its way back to her ankle?
It shouldn't be possible, unless... the chains never came off in the first place... and I've never managed to escape.
Is this place... the Shirayuki's underground? Have I been dreaming all along?
But, then... what about the struggle with the demon villain? What about the idea to go to the top floor and restore the security system? Was it all a dream?
Her head is aching, but it doesn't stop Arata from shaking it as strong as she can, trying to get a grip on her own thoughts.
No, no... That's impossible. It couldn't be a dream! It was so real, I remember it all so clearly... I got hurt badly, didn't I? I even remember how painful his slaps were—
Except, nothing hurts anymore... Even when she runs her own palm on her cheeks and arms, she can't find any swelling on them. All of her bruises, they were magically gone. As if they were never there. As if they were a figment of imagination.
Was it all truly a dream?
Bile rises in her throat along with panic, every intake of breath chokes her lungs. Arata pulls her knees closer to her chest, ignoring the tug that restricts her ankle movement, because the weight crushing her heart is heavier.
"Shoto-san" and "Aizawa-san", did I make them up? Did I start creating imaginary people out of nothing?
Is loneliness catching up to me? After all those years of solitude... Is this my breaking point? Have I become delusional? Am I going crazy... like my mother was?