Chapter 11

                                    

                                          
Toga screamed. 
                          
It wasn't loud, but it was like a lasting ringing in my ears. If I have ears. I don't know what this is anymore. 
                          
I feel trapped. Reasonable, considering I am. But even worse, I feel strong. I feel powerful. I feel the energy surging through my veins, but they're not my veins anymore. 
                          
It hurts. It hurts because that same power is what is grabbing Toga right this second, snapping her away. It hurts because this is the power that makes Twice yell so quietly, so distantly, making another ringing form inside my mind. It hurts, because it's the same power that has Kurogiri standing powerlessly, and then falling limblessly on the floor, and how or why, I can't imagine. 
                          
I don't know how I did that, but I did. He did, somehow. I never knew I could do this, I never wanted to do this either. As fascinating as this is, as great as it would've been to write this all down, analyze it as my past self would've done
                          
There's no past self to me now. There's no present for me now either. 
                          
All I can do is watch. 
                          
I pray he can feel the same pain I'm feeling.
                          
Except, I don't know if I'm feeling anything. Because all I feel is pain. And power. But nothing else. 
                          
And that hurts even more.
                          
***
                          
Bakugo was there too late. Again. He'd never been late to save someone, and who cares if it's a villain or not. He'd never had anyone he couldn't save. And yet, today seemed to be a day of exceptions—not only could he not capture the villain, even if he was All for One of all people, but he was also too late to save whoever had screamed in terror. 
                          
When he arrived at the scene, all he saw was a hysterical masked villain whom he'd recognized as Twice, and a mist surrounding a collapsed figure whom he'd recognized as Kurogiri. There weren't any signs of blood, but neither was there a single trace of whoever had screamed. 
                          
He couldn't even curse at the realization that occurred to him. 
                          
Did All for One manage to come back all the way over here, and capture someone while we were running after him? Had we chased after him in the wrong direction?
                          
The thought made him sick. He'd been so misguided, so fooled. And yet, it wasn't his pride that ached most. Even though the woman who had yelled was, judging from the situation, most likely a villain, he hadn't managed to save her. 
                          
Win to save, save to win. He failed at both. He failed at being a hero.
                          
***
                          
Things have turned upside down in a matter of minutes. Villains are in fear, heroes are desperate, and yet, there were still people idly walking through the park, office workers coming from work, children playing on the playground. Most heroes patrolling the area don't even notice him, they don't feel fear. 
                          
It was almost exciting. The tension, the wait, the seconds ticking on a bomb's countdown. 
                          
He smiled. It went unnoticed. How absent-minded, inattentive. How blind.
                          
All for One turned towards an alley, right in front of the heroes as if to spite them. The two paid him no mind, stopping to let him pass and only glancing at the slightly rude behavior before continuing to walk on, chatting with each other without a care in the world. 
                          
All for One sat down and leaned against the alley wall, relaxing against it, slumping. He'd gotten everything taken care of, and Toga was still unconscious where he'd placed her beforehand.