"So you just kidnapped her from her house?"
"Well, I technically didn't kidnap her, I just… took her."
"Kyle…."
"Ouuu, I think she's waking up!" An excited voice came.
Akiko woke up due to the voices she could hear all around her.
The pain that had long become a part of her was still there, it felt like nails were being drilled into her head every second.
But she had bigger things to worry about. Her vision blurred as she tried to blink away the sleepiness.
'What happened?'
The last thing she remembered was breaking her mirror, and then a voive…
"?!"
Akiko jolted when she realised what happened. 'I… was kidnapped?'
Panic began to flood her heart.
She had not been kidnapped by any regular person, it was the Midnight Vigilante of all people.
A man who had, just this week been branded a high value, extremely dangerous criminal!
'I need to get out of—'
"How are you doing?" Himiko appeared right next to her, a wide smile on her face.
"Eeek!"
Akiko's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She placed her above her chest to calm herself, breathing slowly.
"Himiko?" She muttered out.
The woman in front of him was one of Kyle's friends, and she would often visit Kikimaru cafe to help him out from time to time.
"Wait!" Her eyes widened and she grabbed Himiko's shoulder. "Don't tell me they got you too?!"
"Huh, what are you talking about?" Himiko asked, but Akiko was too busy panicking to hear her.
'Is the kidnapper going after Kikimaru cafe workers?' She mused.
Sakura then strolled towards them like they were at a family meeting. "Oh, Akiko, you're finally awake! I was so worried."
Akiko's heart dropped.
"Don't tell me you were all kidnapped?! Why is this happening today of all days?"
Strangely, even as Akiko was on the verge of having a panic attack, Himiko and Sakura looked calm.
Sakura smiled nervously. "About that… It was actually Kyle who brought you here. And we weren't really kidnapped."
Akiko blinked. "What?"
She took a few seconds to process what Sakura said, then jumped to her feet.
"Wait, does that mean that he is—"
"Yes, I am the midnight vigilantee."
Akiko turned in the direction of the voice and saw Kyle sitting on a gaming chair, rocking back and forth, popcorn in hand as he watched her.
He smiled. "I guess you would love an explanation right about now?"
Too shocked to even speak, Akiko simply nodded slowly as Kyle began to speak.
What Kyle told her was a lot to take in…
In summary, he had formed a secret organisation, recruited members, committed jail-worthy criminal infractions, and to crown it all, pissed off the hero public safety commission.
Somehow, as strange as it sounded, the villain she had only heard of in the news was right in front of her, and he was none other than her boss.
"Wait, if you're not a villain, why did you attack the commission? Aren't you supposed to work with them?"
Kyle frowned and spoke in a flat tone. "The Commission was conducting human experimentation.
As if she hadn't received enough revelations for one night…
"I became suspicious after our visit regarding your case, and I confirmed it to be true when I investigated their base."
"Investigated?" Akiko's mouth hung open. "You blew it up, and that was after flooding the building."
Cough!
Akiko looked to the side where a petite girl was observing them from the couch.
She looked away immediately their eyes met.
'I think I've seen her before…'
"I didn't blow up the building, that was their doing." Kyle muttered angrily while munching on popcorn. "And those bastards are pinning it on me.
Akiko glanced at Sakura and she nodded to confirm it.
"Wow…" Akiko exclaimed, taking a small step forward as she looked around. "I would have never guessed…"
The ceiling was made up of strange metal plates that lined the entirety of it, and the walls were most likely sound proof.
"So… this is inside Kikimaru cafe?"
Kyle nodded. "It's a secret room that can only be accessed from the top floor."
She walked closer to one of the walls, a small smile on her face. But when she saw her reflection, and the green streaks that had lined it, her mood fell.
"I appreciate you telling me all this, but why now? Is it because you know I'm going to die soon?"
She gritted her teeth, her eyes turning moised.
"No. And you won't be dying anytime soon." Kyle said definitively.
"I have found a solution to your illness."
For a second, Akiko dared to hope.
Apparently, Kyle was secretly Batman. Who was to say what other tricks he would pull today?
But another part of her, the Akiko that had spent the last decade of her life searching for a solution, screamed out to her.
It was not the first time she had tried some mystical drug, or drank strange concoctions to fix her problem.
None of them ever worked…
And so Akiko gave up entirely on ever getting well.
"My quirk overworks my organs till the point they die of old age." Akiko's voice was somber and she was staring at the floor as she spoke.
"There is no drug that can reverse this. There is no treatment I haven't tried… Don't waste your time on me."
She raised her gaze and smiled sadly.
"Thank you for showing me this place… it feels good to know you trust me enough to see it."
"Akiko…" Sakura called out. "You should let him try at least."
Akiko shook her head and smiled. "There is no—"
"What if you were immortal?" Kyle cut her off, causing her to freeze in her steps.
"I-immortal? What are you talking about?"
Never in her life had she heard someone recommend such an absurd thing, and yet, Kyle had piqued her interest.
He walked close enough that they were a few inches away from each other, then smiled.
"The truth is, I am actually a vampire, we all are…"
Silence…
"Heh. Hahahaha…" Akiko chuckled nervously and took a step back.
Her gaze moved from Himiko, to Sakura, and to the girl on the couch and then stopped on Eliron.
"You can't be serious?!"
The next ten minutes was spent with Kyle explaining everything to the best of her understanding, as well as suggesting a possible fix to her quirk problem.
"As a vampire, you will be able to constantly regenerate."
"Your organs will be as good as new, meaning you will be able to use your quirk without worrying about internal injuries."
"I had this idea some time ago, but I decided to check if the Commission really has a cure first, just in case you would rather not be a vampire."
"So, what do you say?"
Without hesitation, Akiko grabbed her collar and yanked her shirt open, revealing her pale neck.
Her expression was serious as she watched him. "Please, turn me."
Once again, she had decided to hope.