Today, the silence was going to be drowned out by the satisfying crunch of bones.
I decided to dive into the extra missions offered by X. Risky, sure, given the increased danger, but the money was good, and frankly, I needed the distraction. After slamming back a protein shake that tasted suspiciously like despair, I geared up and hit the streets.
The work was… therapeutic, in a brutal kind of way. Petty thugs and wannabe villains crumpled under my decay, their aspirations turning to dust along with their bodies. My other quirks, remnants from my past life with All For One, remained dormant. I had regenerate, a grotesque ability to steal and wield the quirks of others, red laser beams, the ability to manipulate radio waves, and a laundry list of others I couldn't even remember. I usually only used decay, regenerate, and radio waves, but even those were sometimes not used. I didn't want to get cocky, but the others were for safe keeping.
I'd been patrolling for a few hours, my mood steadily improving with each shattered kneecap, when I stumbled upon an abandoned warehouse. The place reeked of neglect and desperation. Rusted equipment, piles of discarded junk… nothing useful. Until I saw her.
A girl, no older than maybe six or seven, darted across a corridor, her eyes wide with terror. Bandages crisscrossed her arms and legs, barely visible beneath the ill-fitting medical gown. I moved instinctively, grabbing her gently and pulling her close.
"You okay, kid?" I asked, my voice rougher than I intended.
She burst into tears, clinging to my shirt. "Please… help me… He wants to hurt me…" Her sobs were ragged, each one tearing at something inside me. A feeling I didn't recognize.
I sighed, holding her tighter. "What's your name, kid?"
She whispered, "E-Eri…"
Eri. She had light blue hair, the same shade, strangely, as mine, and wide, blood-red eyes. A small, yellow horn protruded from her forehead, giving her an almost mythical appearance. She looked so fragile, so innocent. A cold fury started to simmer in my gut.
"Wait here, okay?" I told her, leading her to a nearby closet. "Hide. I'll be right back."
I watched as she huddled in the corner, her eyes fixed on me with a desperate plea. Then, I turned and stalked deeper into the warehouse.
The place was crawling with them – lowlifes, barely worthy of being called villains. I made short work of them, breaking bones with clinical efficiency. Each snap and crack was a small release, a tiny dent in the rage that threatened to consume me. I hated these guys. Preying on the weak, hiding in the shadows. I wanted them gone, erased from existence.
Twenty minutes later, the warehouse was a ruin of twisted metal and broken bodies. I finally found him, the leader, I assumed. Overhaul. I'd heard whispers about him in briefings from X. He was even more repulsive in person.
"So, the League's little lapdog finally shows his face," Overhaul sneered, his eyes bloodshot.
"You hurt a child," I growled, my voice laced with venom. "That's all I need to know."
The fight was brutal, a chaotic dance of decay versus disinfection. Overhaul was strong, his quirk manipulative and versatile, but I was fueled by a righteous anger I hadn't known I possessed. He built, I destroyed. He healed, I decayed. The warehouse became our arena, the air thick with dust and the stench of ozone.
For two, maybe three hours, we traded blows, each attack more desperate than the last. He was fast, but I was faster. I dodged his attacks, and some of his managed hit and hurt. Finally, I saw my opportunity. A split second of hesitation, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. I lunged, my hand outstretched.
"Decay," I whispered, and his world turned to ash.
Overhaul crumbled, his body dissolving into nothingness. He didn't even have time to scream.
The fight was over. The silence in the warehouse was deafening. I started to wonder why the heroes never bothered to check this place out. Or maybe they did, and just didn't care. It wouldn't surprise me.
I went back to Eri. She seemed to have fallen asleep in the closet. A small smile tugged at my lips. I picked her up gently, cradling her in my arms. She was light as a feather, fragile.
My apartment was a stark contrast to the filth of the warehouse. A penthouse on the 68th floor of a hundred-story skyscraper, a far cry from the rundown hideouts I was used to. No one from X knew where it was. I liked the privacy.
I cleaned my wounds, and then Eri's more carefully and gently. Her eyes briefly opened, but fell back to sleep. I gave her a warm bath, dressed her in clean clothes, and tucked her into a guest room bed. Her red eyes were almost nonexistent.
I spent the next hour filing reports for X, keeping the details vague. No mention of Eri, no hint of the human experimentation that had been going on in that warehouse. It was my secret for now and I was going to keep it that way. Especially to X.
I got a text from Dabi: "Mission report? You alive?"
I replied with a terse: "Handled. I'm fine."
No need to give him anything else. He'd just pry.
Eri woke up a few hours later, her eyes wide and confused. I must have dozed off while finishing the paperwork.
"Mmm… how are you, Eri?" I asked, my voice still rough with sleep.
She nodded, shrinking back against the headboard. "I-I'm okay…"
She didn't trust me. I understood. She was traumatized.
"Do you have family, Eri?" I asked, trying to tread carefully.
She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I have no one…"
My brows furrowed. The poor thing.
"Do you… want to stay with me…?" The words felt foreign coming out of my mouth.
Her head lifted, a flicker of hope in her eyes. She nodded slowly.
Okay. Good start. Ah, fuck. I have a kid now. Shit. How do I do this? I had no idea. I never took care of anyone before. What was I supposed to teach her? How to decay?
It'll be fine. I got this.
"Okay, uh… let's go shopping," I said, grabbing one of my jackets and draping it around her small shoulders.
The mall was a sensory overload, a riot of colors and sounds. Eri clung to my hand, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and fascination. We picked out clothes, toys, room décor – whatever caught her eye. I even let her pick out the colors for the room. She had a blast. I watched her play with a stuffed bunny, her face lighting up for the first time since I'd met her.
"You can get it," I said, surprising myself with the softness in my voice.
Her eyes widened, a spark of pure joy igniting within them. Afterwards, we went grocery shopping. Turns out, she loved strawberries. She ate a few right there in the store. I chuckled, shaking my head in amusement.
Back at the apartment, I transformed the guest room into a haven for her. Soft blankets, plush toys, and a mountain of stuffed animals. It was now a home for her. A safe place. A place where she would feel loved.
I was proud of myself. This was the first time I had ever done something like this for someone else.
She smiled, clutching her bunny. "Winter," she whispered. "His name is Winter."
I tucked her into bed after another bath, wondering what tomorrow would bring. I took a shower and collapsed onto my bed.
I was a dad in one day. Jesus. Life was about to get a whole lot more complicated. But I was ready. For now… Eri needed to be kept safe and happy.
I needed to look into why the heroes had failed her. Why had no one come to save her? I was going to find out.
I sighed and decided to call someone I hadn't spoken to in years. My father. Also known as All For One. He had been reincarnated like the rest of us. He was the C.E.O. of his very own business and very known for his hotels. He must have truly wanted a change.
The phone rang twice, and he answered. I hadn't spoken to him since our past life, but I had kept tabs on him.