Chapter Text
It had been a surprisingly quiet and peaceful day. Peaceful and quiet days were a rarity for Tengai ever since he had joined the Shie Hassaikai. Rappa had an uncanny ability to banish peace and quiet in the blink of an eye, and Muscular was somehow even worse. Tengai had learned to cling to the small moments of peace and quiet that he got, using them to meditate and generally try to recover his sanity and patience.
But this moment of peace and quiet had been going on for a suspiciously long time. As much as he enjoyed these moments, he knew all too well that if anything around the Shie Hassaikai compound was quiet for this long, then something was probably wrong.
Tengai sighed quietly as he got to his feet. He was probably going to regret interrupting his own silence later if he were to find that everything was perfectly fine and that he had just grown paranoid (but after Rappa and Muscular, who could blame him for getting a little paranoid?), but it was probably worth checking on the others to at least make sure that they were all still alive-
The door to his room burst open (it seemed that no one in the Shie Hassaikai really believed in knocking) and Setsuno quite literally almost fell straight through the doorway. Nemoto was with him, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and pulling him back upright before he could fall too far. The two of them had started spending quite a bit of time together, Tengai had noticed.
"Hey, man. We've been looking for you for ages." Setsuno said.
"Why did it take you so long? The only place I ever go in my free time is here." Tengai said. Setsuno paused for a moment.
"...Yeah, that's a good point, I dunno why we didn't check here first."
"Did you need something?" Tengai asked. Setsuno usually looked a little frantic and panicked, but Nemoto was usually a little more composed. Seeing the weariness in his expression told Tengai that this peace and quiet might have had a more concerning source after all.
"There's been a...situation." Nemoto said. He seemed as if he were choosing his words carefully. "We need you to come with us."
"A situation? I'd prefer that you gave me more details." Tengai said.
"Well, I wouldn't say that either of us have, like, a super great idea of what's going on." Setsuno said sheepishly. "Chrono has all the details and stuff, and he's better at explaining what's going on. But, like, he's also getting more and more likely to shoot someone in the head every time he has to explain this to someone..."
Whatever was happening, it had clearly gotten out of hand very quickly. Tengai sighed again. "Is the boss alright?"
"...Weeelll..." Setsuno said, looking to Nemoto for help. But that response told Tengai everything he needed to know.
"Take me to him." he said, trying his best to calm the mounting worry that was rising inside of him. If something was wrong with Overhaul, then he would do everything in his power to ensure that everything was fixed. Without Overhaul, he would have nothing. He had dedicated everything to Overhaul, he had sworn absolute loyalty despite various...breaches of that as of late. But he was still loyal. He still believed in Overhaul's goals. He still wanted to help make them a reality. Now, it was the only thing he wanted in life.
He wanted to at least begin to try and pay back the kindness that Overhaul had shown him. Overhaul had saved him, and although some would call his boss a monster (and they did have reason to), Overhaul had shown mercy and acceptance to a much larger monster. He had shown mercy and acceptance to Tengai when Tengai hadn't been able to show it to himself.
Tengai had always been the bigger monster, and yet, Overhaul had never hesitated when it came to saving him.
Hekiji was raised as if the commune was the only piece of the world that ever existed. He had been aware of the outside world, he saw strangers and visitors arrive from it, but it had never quite felt real to him. The commune was the only world he'd ever known. He was born and raised there, taught their rules and beliefs, and never once did he question if there was more. Why would he? They had everything that they needed. There were other people out there, but they alone were enlightened, and they alone would be able to ascend even further. They were separate from the rest of the world by the merits of their beliefs. They were chosen, special, the small group of people out of the masses that knew the true nature of life.
Hekiji used to love the sound of that. Any child wanted to be part of the people that were special and good. He was happy to have been born as a part of it. He was happy at the thought of being better than others, although he would never express it. That would be a sin. He, like all the others, avoided sin whenever he could. But there were a lot of sins to watch out for, and he was hardly perfect. But if he worked hard, maybe one day he could be. He had a chance to ascend if he put the work in. And that was what he wanted more than anything. It wasn't like he knew anything else.
He wasn't the only child growing up. He would play with the others, but he would later learn that they didn't act like normal children did. They were told to be quieter, more peaceful. To only speak when spoken to or to stay out of sight when they weren't wanted.
It was a quiet life. A minimalistic life. And that was the way that it was supposed to be.
Despite their obvious superiority, those at the commune were taught to value life above all else. Life was precious. Violence was to be used sparingly. Hard work and peace were two of the most important things in life. But there was one more very important rule that stood out.
Nothing was to be questioned.
Hekiji had no problem with this last rule all throughout most of his childhood. He was always the most devout of his age group. He put his every waking moment towards following the path of the ascended and enlightened. He was constantly told by the adults around him that he was a role model, an inspiration, and that surely if he kept up his hard work and didn't stray from the path, he would surely be rewarded. The way they spoke about it made it extremely clear that these rewards were something that Hekiji should want above all else. With everyone around him acting as if this was what he should want more than anything else in the world, he believed it. He had no reason to doubt them.
He had no parents to guide him. Children born in the commune were never told who their parents were. They were raised by the collective group as a whole, for relying on a single person would be selfish. It would prevent the parents from pursuing enlightenment. Later, this would be one of the most shocking things about the world that Hekiji would discover. That in the outside world, people knew who they had come from, they were raised by a specific person or set of people more often than not.
He knew nothing about the world. He was nothing more than a blind sheep with his own wool pulled over his eyes.
There was a strict hierarchy to the commune. There were plenty of ceremonies and rituals, vastly important ones, but they were available only to the highest ranked at the commune. The most enlightened among them. Like everything else, Hekiji didn't question this. He went his entire life never questioning a single thing. And when he finally did start to see the truth, he stumbled upon it by complete accident.
He had just turned nineteen when he started to learn the realities of his life. Hekiji had spent nineteen years trying to be as perfect as possible. He worked tirelessly to keep his sins at a minimum. If he were to stumble, he would repent for hours. His entire life had been put towards following the path. There was nothing else that mattered.
But he still made mistakes.
Hekiji had drifted off during a meditation session. He had actually fallen asleep while he was supposed to be chasing enlightenment and ascension! How shameful was that?! When he opened his eyes, it was night out. He had wasted a whole day in aimless sleep. A whole day! Hekiji had never been so furious with himself. To make matters worse, that night there was to be another important ceremony, only for the most enlightened. Everyone else was supposed to be in their homes long before the sun went down, and yet here he was. Shameful. Utterly shameful.
Hekiji had gotten to his feet, desperate to make his way back to his home as quickly and quietly as possible. He had already sinned so much just from falling asleep and being out past dark. Trying to hide his sins would just add more weight, but he didn't want to be caught. He had been doing so well lately. So many of the elders had praised him. Selfishly, he didn't want to lose that. The opinions of the elders were priceless and were to be cherished and valued above the words of anyone else. And to Hekiji, they were.
Or at least they would be until that night.
He had made it about halfway home when he heard the screams. They were terrible, terrible screams. Horrible, gut-wrenching screams that only came from the most agonizing of pains. His first instinct was to rush to help, but not out of selflessness or charity. Assisting someone in need and alleviating their pain would begin to erase his sins, a way for him to atone. That was what was at the forefront of his mind. Not kindness, not empathy. Just selfish concern for his own morality. And in the end, that was all the commune was. A bunch of selfish fools pretending to be selfless.
He knew he should turn back as soon as he realized where the screams were coming from. But that in itself would be another sin, wouldn't it? Ignoring the cries of someone in need? Hekiji had found himself at a loss for what to do. The path forward was never clear no matter how hard he tried.
He had paused then, his mind reeling as he tried to decide what to do. And then, another terrible scream snapped him out of his stupor. Regardless of selfishness or selflessness, for a human to make a sound like that, they had to be in unimaginable pain. He continued his efforts to find the source.
He hadn't been prepared for what he would find. It wasn't uncommon for guests to appear in the village. People would get lost in the mountains and stay the night before moving on the next day. Or, at least, that was what Hekiji thought happened.
The most recent pair of guests, a man and a woman not much older than Hekiji himself, were supposed to be staying the night, and were to leave the next morning. But as soon as Hekiji found the source of the screams, it became all too clear that they wouldn't be leaving in the morning. The pair would never be going anywhere ever again.
The most vibrant expressions of life could be shown through agony. That was something that Hekiji had learned from a young age. It was rare to see those displays, as violence was frowned upon. But what Hekiji laid his eyes upon that night was an utter inverse of everything he had been taught to believe. Every elder member of the commune was there, standing over the bodies of the travelers, inflicting the most absolute of torments upon their flesh and spirits. Hekiji had never seen such agony before. To watch people who he had trusted and loved do something so evil to another person...
He had fallen to the side, emptying the contents of his stomach as quietly as he could to avoid being seen. It was utterly horrific, but he couldn't look away. He was transfixed by it. He would hate himself for that reaction for years to come.
The screams eventually stopped, but it didn't end there. The elders scavenged the bodies like vultures, keeping some parts and discarding others. What had once been two innocent people were reduced to piles of meat. Lifeless objects. Two lives that would have continued for decades to come were snuffed out in the blink of an eye at the whims of the elders. And for what reason?! It didn't make sense, none of it made sense. They weren't supposed to be gods! It wasn't their role to decide who lived and died!
Hekiji had been about to make his escape when one of the elders spotted him. He had assumed his life was over as soon as he heard the elder call out his name. Surely, he would be the next one upon the smooth, bloodstained slabs the guests had been laid out on. He had never been so afraid as he followed the elder's calm request for him to come out and speak to them. He thought that this was where his life ended.
And in that moment, he would have been alright with it. Everything he had believed was nothing more than an elaborate lie. He was living a life of falsehoods, and for what? For what reason was he alive?
But his life was not to end that night. The elders offered him a place among them, praising his devoutness, telling him that he was ready to join them. They told him that it would all make sense as soon as he were among their ranks. He would be the youngest to ever ascend so early. He would have power over the rest of the commune. Just like that, Hekiji was offered everything he had ever wanted.
If he hadn't already been sick, he would have been when he was offered the position. He didn't want it anymore. The thought of participating in such a thing...watching had been bad enough but participating?! Maybe even being the one to carve up a victim?! But what was he to do? If he said no, then it would most definitely be his turn to die next.
So, he put on a smile. He accepted. He thanked the elders from the bottom of his heart, expressed how honored he was. They all walked away that night and returned to their beds with smiles on their faces.
As soon as Hekiji was alone, he curled up on his bed and cried for hours.
In a strange, twisted way, the commune had provided Hekiji with everything he needed to defy them, and eventually, destroy them from the inside out. He'd had years to practice containing his emotions, projecting an outward face of the utmost calm. He could take his terror and loathing and cram it deep down inside him, as if he were using his quirk to box it all in. A calm exterior was his shield, one that was even more useful than his quirk at times.
Quirks in the commune were seen as divine gifts to be used towards keeping the peace. If the owner of a quirk chose to, they could use their gift to continue down a path of enlightenment and ascension. In the inner circle, Hekiji's quirk was used to make things go smoother.
It was only a matter of days before Hekiji returned to the horrible, bloodstained slabs. This time he was there as a participant, not a viewer, and the elders already had a role for him. He used his quirk to seal them in, trapping the new victims in their new tombs. The sounds of the screams could be muted. By all accounts, Hekiji's presence made things even easier for the elders.
He hated every second of it. He clung to his shield of calm desperately, managing to hide his disgust and horror. It was even worse the second time. He could see every detail right in front of him. But it wasn't the agony and eventual deaths inflicted on the victims that turned his stomach the most. It was the unbridled glee, pleasure and enjoyment on the faces of his now fellow elders.
These people were evil. The thought struck Hekiji like a dagger to his stomach. The people that he trusted, loved and respected were utterly evil. They had beliefs of demons in the commune, but at that moment Hekiji was certain that the demons were not only active in the commune, but they were part of the commune themselves. They were evil. They would not stop this violence. They would not stop playing god with the lives of innocents. They could never be reasoned with, not about this.
After that first night as one of them during the ritual, Hekiji knew what he needed to do.
He began to make a plan.
By all accounts, he played his role perfectly. No one suspected a thing. He outwardly embraced his new role, becoming highly respected himself. He was living the life he had always wanted when he was younger, but the realities of what it costed to be here, that was not a price that Hekiji would ever be willing to pay. Upon being given the title of one of the purest, he had become one of the most tainted sinners in the commune. Maybe in the entire world.
His role in the ceremonies became more active. Sometimes, he'd desecrate the bodies after, preserving the organs that the elders saw value in and burning the rest. Sometimes, he'd even carve the flesh of those still living, extracting their screams as he did his best to appear as if he enjoyed it. But on the inside, he was screaming. He wanted to take the knife and slash his own throat, let his own blood be shed. It was what he deserved. But he couldn't do that. Not yet. If he were to die now, it would still continue. He had to put a stop to it before he could die.
He couldn't die yet, but he did punish himself. Sometimes at night, when the memories of the screams wouldn't let him sleep, Hekiji would carve at his own flesh, trying to make himself suffer the same torment he inflicted. He was guilty. He was a monster. He himself was just as evil as the rest. And he was going to grow worse. He was going to sin more.
Hekiji bided his time. He carefully screened every member of the commune as best he could. He tried to distinguish those who knew from those who didn't. If there were others like him who knew the truth and hated it. He collected information, being as detailed and thorough as he could. He had to separate the innocent from the guilty for what was going to happen next.
He took too long. A total of fourteen lives were taken in the months that Hekiji spent preparing for his greatest sin. He wished he could speed up, but he couldn't risk it. Fourteen more souls were lost due to his own hesitance. It only made him more of a monster.
The commune was completely off the grid. They grew their own food, had no technology, raised their own animals, and lived completely separate from the rest of the world. Hekiji had learned plenty of these skills throughout his life. He had spent a large amount of time working with the herbs used to treat injuries and illnesses, thinking that one day he might like to become a healer for the commune. It was those skills that made his greatest sin possible. He was going to use them, just as he had hoped he would when he first learned them. But they were going to be put towards an entirely different purpose.
Hekiji knew the different herbs that grew around the commune. He knew which were safe, which would make you ill, which would make you feel better, and above all else, which would kill you.
The commune had many names, most of them centering around a certain plant that grew in abundance. It was fitting that this would be the plant Hekiji used for his sin. He spent several nights gathering the large amount of Nightshade that he would need. It was a slow process; the commune was large, and he had to be slow and quiet as he collected it. But he was close to the end now. He had worked up the courage, and soon, he had collected all of the materials that he would need. Now, all he had to do was just work up a little more courage. Just enough to rip the wool from his eyes and end the travesty he had been living through once and for all. One final sin to prevent dozens more. It was still evil, yes, but it was necessary.
Hekiji knew he had no other choice.
As a member of the inner circle, Hekiji now had the power to call for feasts and celebrations, and the perfect excuse fell right into his lap. The birthday of their high elder was approaching, so it was easy for Hekiji to propose a feast to celebrate it. He put himself in charge of the preparations, giving off the illusion that he was selflessly slaving away in the kitchen, preparing as much of the food as possible by himself to show his devotion and admiration to their leader. The act gained him even more praise, but that praise had stopped meaning anything a long, long time ago now.
He organized the seating arrangements in a way that looked normal, but in reality, he organized them based on who was innocent and who was guilty. He made it clear that switching seats was against the rules. He had lied more and more since the night he joined the inner circle, and it came naturally to him now. It was so easy to convince others to do whatever he wanted if he made it sound as if it would keep them on the path to enlightenment and ascension. This only begged the question of how many of the things he had done throughout his life were made up on the whims of a different elder.
He spent hours into preparing. He carefully dosed only certain foods and drinks with the nightshade, doing all he could to mask the flavor. His muscles were shaking with exhaustion as he personally carried the platters of food out, making sure that the guilty and innocent received the meals that were prepared for them. He had carried out plenty of test runs, using innocent creatures to learn the correct dosage for what he wanted to do. There were so many variables Hekiji had to keep in mind, from dosage to how long it would take for the poison to start to work. His months on in the inner circle had been spent on his greatest sin. He had needed every second of preparation time to ensure that it would work. He only wished that those lives hadn't been taken in the meantime. Their blood was still on his hands, no matter what his intentions were.
That final night was spent in joyous celebration. No one suspected a thing. Hekiji clung tighter to his shield of calm than ever before. He laughed and talked and praised their leader. He danced, and gave off the appearance of enjoying himself.
But he never ate or drank a single thing. He was sitting at the table with the rest of the inner circle, the evilest of all. To eat something from this table would be to end his own life. He still couldn't. Not yet. He had to see it through.
The night ended peacefully, with everyone returning to their homes satisfied and content with the meal and the company. In the months leading up to this night of sin, Hekiji had stopped his crying. He no longer had the energy to put towards it, or maybe he had just become numb. Either way, he stayed awake that entire night, meditating. He was terrified and repulsed, but he didn't shed a single tear.
No one involved deserved any tears. Not the guilty, and certainly not him.
By the time the sun rose, the poison had taken effect. Over half of the commune's population perished during the night. When the dust settled, there was only one member of the inner circle left. Hekiji himself.
His sin was complete. He had been successful. The guilty had their lives stolen away, just as they had stolen the lives of others. And Hekiji had rose above them all as the greatest monster the commune had ever had.
The innocent that remained were terrified. They had lost friends and loved ones, they had no understanding of what had happened, why it had happened, or what had been going on behind their backs for so long. Hekiji grappled with whether or not to tell them. In the end, he told them. They were all good people, it was relieving to see that he had not condemned them all. They were surprisingly understanding, the vast majority embracing Hekiji as their new leader, looking to him to begin to rebuild.
But Hekiji couldn't do it. He couldn't stand to face them. They were innocent, but he was not. The night after he told them, he intended to finish things. He intended to cut his throat and ensure that every monster was dead.
But he was a coward. He was afraid. He couldn't do it.
The next morning, he gave those who remained a choice. He would elect a new leader, but he himself would leave and never return. He was not worthy to stand among those who were truly innocent, and too selfish to die. He knew nothing about the outside world, none of them did, but he no longer belonged to the world he had known.
He elected a leader and left within the same hour. No one else left with him.
As he gazed upon his bloodstained home for the last time, Hekiji made a promise to himself to never harm another person ever again. If he was going to live, then he was going to do so in a way that never harmed another person. He would never again be an attacker.
He would only be a defender.
The outside world was nothing like Hekiji could have ever imagined. Money, cars, technology itself, all of it was unknown to him. He never stood a chance of properly integrating. The people there were just as cold and cruel as the elders had been. That let Hekiji know that he was in the right place. This was where he belonged, with other people like him.
He lived on the streets, having no money or formal documents to his name. He was well-educated, but not in a way that would allow him to get a job or further his education. He had nothing at all. He was well-equipped to deal with this. He had been a minimalist his entire life. Slowly but surely, he learned the new rules of the new world he now lived in. He was out of place, he would probably always be out of place, but he could survive.
He was attacked often, but he never fought back. Having a literal shield in a world like this was something that kept him alive for sure. He never once raised a hand to fight back. He only defended.
He hated his quirk after what he had used it for back at the commune. A part of Hekiji began to hate all quirks. For so many to use these gifts for violence, it was unspeakable. Even so called "heroes" only saw value through violence and pain. Quirks weren't gifts at all. They were curses. Curses that led to so much more pain and suffering.
Four years passed. He lived a solitary life, quietly moving from place to place, desperately seeking some form of new enlightenment. He converted to Buddhism, a religion similar enough to his former one with beliefs and tenants that were far more desirable to him. He missed having people around him, he missed those he had left behind. Hekiji had never been a person that was especially good at being alone. But he taught himself. He had to learn. Even if he hated it, a monster like him deserved to be alone for the rest of his life.
Hekiji was no hero. He could never be a hero after the things he had done. He despised the idea of modern-day heroes as well. They were all so selfish and shallow. They weren't really interested in helping. Hekiji could see right through them. He was not a hero and would never be one, but that didn't stop him from protecting people when he could.
If he saw a fight where someone innocent was being attacked, he would step in, shielding them until the assault was over. He began to gain a small reputation for himself as a protector, someone who could offer a bit of peace and shelter. Hekiji liked this shift in his life. At least this way, he could do a little good. At least this way, he could put a little good back into the world before he left it.
He was still too cowardly to take his own life, but every day, he drew a bit closer to it. It was not an honorable way to die by any means, but he was not an honorable man no matter what he tried to do with what was left of his bloodstained life. A monster among monsters deserved no honor.
There were plenty of other monsters around him. Hekiji found himself in an area that was rife with organized crime. It was a kind of crime that was on the decline thanks to heroes, but there were still places that were ruled by it. Hekiji felt more at home with them around. He had been a part of some sort of organized crime. He was similar enough to them to warrant being here. It was a perfect place for banishment. Sometimes people sought him out, he was used to that. But none of them ever stayed. They were all far too interested in their own wellbeing. That was alright. Hekiji deserved to be alone. It was only natural that none of them stayed.
Until one did.
Hekiji had been meditating when he heard the soft footsteps approaching him. "I hope I'm not interrupting you." A smooth voice said.
"You aren't." Hekiji said, opening his eyes. For a while, he would only meditate with his shield up, not wanting to leave himself exposed. But for the past year or so, he had stopped. "Are you looking for protection?"
The man in front of him was certainly yakuza. He was well dressed and had a certain air of authority around him. He wore pristine, white gloves and an elaborate mask that resembled a bird. His golden eyes were alive with a burning intensity that Hekiji could feel within his very soul.
"I'm looking for you." the man said. His voice was casual and relaxed. Good, he didn't seem to be looking for a fight. Just Hekiji.
"People tend to do that from time to time." Hekiji said, uncrossing his legs as he got to his feet. "Some of them want a place to sleep for the night, or some food, or a shield around them as they travel somewhere dangerous."
"And you provide it to them. How very generous." the man said. "You always do, despite having so little for yourself."
"I'm more than happy to offer it to others." Hekiji replied. This man probably wanted a shield. He was too well-dressed and clean to be looking for food or shelter. "What is it you are looking for?" Hekiji studied him a little more closely before asking.
"I wanted a chance to speak with you." the man said. "You've made quite a reputation for yourself. The peacekeeping Street Monk who is willing to lend aid to anyone who asks it of him. You're known to break up fights. There aren't many people like you around here. Not a hero, not a villain, not a normal civilian by any means. You're very interesting."
"I don't enjoy speaking about myself."
"That's a shame, because that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." the man said. "I'm curious about you. I'd like to get to know you more. I believe that we can help each other, but only if I get a better understanding of who you might be."
"I'm uninterested in any offers." Hekiji said. "I am happy to provide my assistance if it is what you require, but I'm not in the business of making deals."
"I'm not trying to make a deal with you." the man said. "I'm offering you a job."
That was unexpected. "What kind of job?"
"One working alongside me to cure the sickening world we all live in."
"I know who you are." Hekiji said. "Only one man could walk these streets so confidently, speaking of curing the world. I'm honored that such a figure as yourself would visit me, Overhaul."
"When I first started approaching people, they had no idea who I was." Overhaul said. "Times have changed. That gives me hope for the future."
"Regardless of your goals, I don't believe that I will be able to help you." Hekiji said. "I do not align myself with organized crime or the yakuza. I know the kind of actions you are prone to taking. I will have no part of it."
"I had a feeling that would be your answer." Overhaul said. "And for what it's worth, I admire your resolve. But isn't it always the case that the blood of some must be shed to help the many? And it's not as if my organization goes out of their way to cause harm. In fact, I often restore those we encounter to full health."
"You do that to avoid the law, not out of compassion." Hekiji said. He heard Overhaul chuckle.
"You're right, but I do genuinely wish to help the world. While you may disagree with my methods, I think you'd love the results. You use your quirk to protect and defend others, but you despise it. You despise quirks as a whole. You see them for the disease that they are."
"Violence breeds violence." Hekiji replied. "I was once taught that quirks are a gift. That they are to be used only to protect and preserve life. Not to inflict harm and end them. I was taught nothing but lies."
"You seem like you have a very interesting story." Overhaul said. "One I'd love to hear, even if you don't have much interest in talking about yourself. You're a unique man with a unique worldview. You deserve more than a life of seclusion on the streets."
"I assure you, I do not." Hekiji said. "I'm sure there are many who would call you a monster for the things you have done. Your crimes pale in comparison to mine."
"How very arrogant of you." Overhaul laughed. "Your guilt is your burden. Now I'm starting to understand. But a man like you wouldn't commit evil for evil's sake. I'm sure what you did was necessary. Am I wrong?"
"No. You are correct." Hekiji said. "What I did was evil in the name of stopping more evil. But that does not change what I have done."
"Of course, it doesn't. But you understand the thing we're pushed to do in order for the good of the future. You understand the gravity of bloodying your own hands for the benefit of others." Overhaul said. "You call yourself evil. I don't think you are. You're not evil or a monster. You're just a man caught up in the struggles of the world, doing his best to be moral. I need you to listen to my words. You are not evil. You are not a monster. You may not believe me, but it's true. I've walked among monsters my entire life. You're not one of them. You're a man caught in the balance. Of course, you struggle. Of course, you make mistakes. But above all else, you hold your morals close. You don't relent. I don't think you know just how rare of a person you are."
They were words that Hekiji had been waiting to hear for years. Words that he had assumed that he would never hear, both because they were surely false, and even if they were true, he did not deserve to hear them. His guilt was crushing him, even if he knew he would always stand by what he had done. It had been necessary. But he was tired, so very tired of always trying to keep himself to what was right. He just wanted to be good.
Or at the very least, he just didn't want to be evil.
"You're a personification of balance." Overhaul continued. "A shield. You've conformed to order your whole life. You deserve to let go. You deserve to find a different path. One that will make you happier. I think I can help you."
"I've heard that said to me before." Hekiji said bitterly.
"I'm not offering you salvation. I'm offering you a chance. You can take it or leave it. Decline my offer, and I'll walk away. We'll never see each other again, and we'll continue our lives. But if you join me, I can offer you a chance at redemption. Help me cure the world. Our hands are already soaked in blood. We're in a position that allows us to continue where others can't. I have a perfect position for you to fulfill. I'm sure it will be endlessly frustrating to you. You might hate every second. But I promise you that every second that goes into it will push the Shie Hassaikai closer to a cure." Overhaul said. "All I can offer you is a chance. It's up to you if you take it."
"What kind of position?" Hekiji asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"I recently acquired a new asset. The very definition of a spear. Unfortunately, he's unbalanced, chaotic, hungry for violence and bloodshed. He's out of control. He needs a counterweight. And I think you do too. You're perfect opposites, yet you complete each other like a puzzle. I have no doubt that you'll loathe each other. But you'll also force each other into a different way of life. He's too far on one side; you're too far on the other. Sometimes we need extremes to make change. I'm sure you know that all too well."
Hekiji was shocked to find that he was seriously considering the offer. "When would my employment begin?"
"Right now." Hekiji could tell that Overhaul was smiling by the curve of his eyes. "Come with me. Be the shield I need. Give yourself a chance at something different. And if you don't want to stay, you're free to leave at any time."
"Any time?"
"Yes." Overhaul said. "It doesn't matter if you work for me for three days or three years. If you decide you want to walk, you are free to do so. I won't keep you against your will. I need people who believe in a cure as much as I do. Forced loyalty just won't cut it."
"Understandable, given your aspirations." Hekiji had never been in a situation where he could choose who he was loyal to. He had always been trapped at the whims of people, religion, morals, or even himself. Overhaul had been honest with him about what he was offering. A choice.
"What do you think?" Overhaul said.
Hekiji took a deep breath. "My name is Hekiji Tengai. I would be honored to join your organization."
Overhaul smiled. "And I'm honored to welcome you to the Shie Hassaikai."
Overhaul wasn't kidding. Hekiji's life became very aggravating and stressful. And that aggravation and stress had a name: Kendo Rappa. Rappa was everything Hekiji wasn't. They were polar opposites with opposite mindsets. They were constantly butting heads, constantly arguing. There was never a moment of peace for either of them when they were in the same room.
But as much as it pained him to admit it, Hekiji realized that Overhaul was right. Through trying to keep Rappa under control, Hekiji had to cut loose a little himself. He had become more confident, more outgoing. And maybe Rappa had become a little tamer. They despised each other, but as much as they hated each other, they helped each other as well.
Hekiji never though he'd see the day where Rappa actually left. He knew Rappa had no love for Overhaul, but he never thought that he would actually walk. Hekiji had assumed that everything would feel better after Rappa was gone.
But he was wrong.
Horrifyingly, he missed Rappa. It didn't help that Muscular was a dozen times worse. Hekiji had a distaste for change, and losing his closest partner had been a large one. It was getting harder to hold up his mask of calm. Everything was getting so uncertain.
And now, it seemed that a moment of reckoning had finally arrived. The girl's disappearance would need to be dealt with. But he was pleasantly surprised. His fellow bullets, and even Overhaul's most trusted had come to a similar viewpoint as himself.
It seemed that they were all going to do what was necessary for the greater good. Together, united, for the first time in what felt like the history of Overhaul's reign in the Shie Hassaikai.
It had been painful, watching his boss's decline. Overhaul's morals slipped further and further. He crossed line after line. Hekiji knew that he was partially at fault for continuing to follow him. He had accepted that. But now, although it was potentially too late, he finally had allies to make a stand against the man they all revered so much.
Was it twisted? Poetic? The fact that they were now struggling to save the man that had saved them was certainly ironic. But Hekiji had a feeling that he knew how this was going to go.
They couldn't offer him perfection or salvation. No matter what they did, they couldn't make all of the evil and the bloodshed go away. They would all be monsters together no matter what. There would be no changing that as long as any of them might live.
But they could return the favor. They could offer Overhaul a choice. A chance to do things differently. Overhaul had set out what he hoped to do. He had gathered a group of people whose loyalty was given freely. Hekiji knew that none of them would ever truly abandon their boss. How could they?
Overhaul had fully pulled the wool from over Hekiji's eyes. He had freed him, given him a second chance at life. He had given him a choice.
And no matter what choice Overhaul might make, no matter how far against Hekiji's own morals Overhaul might go, he would remain at his boss's side. There was some honor among monsters, after all.