Midoriya
I'm more than confused.
Shigaraki seemed different today, more resigned, almost… nicer somehow.
He saved me when that building was going down, I didn't sense any hesitation. I suppose he could've just saved me to preserve information… or power, but the way he noticed my boredom, and got me a puzzle cube to solve- he's been watching me closely.
Along with the bags… two bags filled with things to earn my trust, one last night and one today. The first with the writing supplies and food, and the second with a variety of applesauce packets, yogurt sticks, and a new mini fridge in the corner, nothing fancy, just a small metal box that gets cool on the inside. The rubix cube was unsolved when it was given to me, I'm planning on messing around with it a bit after I take a shower.
There was a flashlight in the drawer of one of the cabinets in the bathroom. I stare into the mirror, searching my face for anything I can recognize, but I can't smile. I try, I try to force one, but nothing happens, it's almost as helpless as my voice-
I pick up the flashlight and trace the on button with my finger, I want to look, I feel the scarring in the back of my throat. The ripples of rougher, tighter skin against tender bruising on whatever skin is healing on its own.
Click.
The light turns on and I tilt it into my open mouth.
It's worse than It feels… it doesn't look scary, just… torn. When I get out of here I'm going to need a real doctor to take a look- or a hundred looks. There could still be the possibility that a professional could fix my voice, or at least help the scarring to smooth out a bit. I can't help but wonder if I was wrong about this whole situation, the way I looked at it before, I was just a hostage, nothing else; but now I see just how much information they're talking about.
I'm more useful alive than dead, in the same way I'm more useful as an ally than an enemy. It's very possible that I'm only being treated so nicely because they need my notes, in that case then it's my best bargaining chip, though for my one, they have dozens: my freedom, my mothers safety, my life-
I slip out of my clothes and into the shower, which looks recently installed, but used at least a few times. I hesitate before using the shampoo and conditioner, but there's nothing else, and I can't just use nothing, so I use it. There's a soap container as well, so I use that too. The water doesn't get very warm, but it still feels good to wash off the dust and grime from Slough's sludge.
When I'm done, I dry off and look in the mirror again, I still don't see myself… just a husk. How long has it been since I last spoke a full word? When I first got here? No- when slough was fighting Bakugo? I guess so… I told Kacchan to run, to save himself. Why doesn't he ever listen? Not even when it's as important as his life.
It has to have been over 24 hours since this whole ordeal started. My mom is probably so scared for me, I sure know I am.
I feel my neck again, moving the collar of the new shirt I'm wearing down so I can see the reddened skin. I breathe out, contracting the different parts of my throat one by one, hoping that maybe I just forgot which one made the sound. There's a point where instead of just irritating my muscles, I feel a piercing pain and I finally hear a crackle, just a break in the static. I can't hold it- can't form it into a word, but I can keep trying. It was at least something.
The drawers all have stuff in them, so when I went through, I picked out a brush to use. I raked it through my untamily hair, pulling out several snarls. The time difference between Japan and Ireland is eight hours, with us being ahead, so if it was about mid day in Ireland, it would be close to 8:00pm.
I wonder what the kids at school think… I bet I'm on the news.
I bundle up my dirtied clothes and place everything directly back where I found them, then I open the door slowly, peeking around the corner, when I go up to the door of my room, I notice Shigaraki wasn't lying, there really isn't a lock, not even on the knob. I twist it and step in, stopping in my tracks at the sight- the bed has dark green sheets and a comforter, two pillows, and a container of bottled waters.
What is all this?
I set the clothes next to the bag on the floor and put my notebook on top of the bed, I've been dying to try out my quirk again, I have a pretty good idea on how much power I output, if I barely tap into it, I won't do anything drastic, but I can practice.
I do have tougher things to worry about right now though… like fixing the corner of the blanket- it's not folded right.
Could all this be what Shigaraki mentioned when he said he had something for me? If so, it only proves my point- he's trying to tell me that we are allies… would that mean that my room is really only a part of where I'm allowed to go? It'd be better to stay in here for now, at least until I'm sure, this kindness is fragile- all it takes is one word- or action and it could be back to the chair- or worse.
I take a moment to put all of the applesauce and yogurt in the minifridge, along with two of the waters, and drink one of the six right away. The cool liquid feels brilliant against my torn throat, even though it's only cold where there aren't any scars…
The scars do look like they match exactly how it felt when I got the injury; there's still the possibility that the league of Villains is responsible for some of the damage, but… I don't know.
Wait- I turn my head up and face the clock that definitely wasn't there earlier. I have a clock- and it's 12:54pm. But that wouldn't make sense- it was mid day in Ireland less than an hour ago. If this clock is right, then it would have been one in the morning in Ireland-
So either they're trying to manipulate my sense of time or we weren't in Ireland earlier… I bite the inside of my lip, am I wrong about the time difference? No… I know I'm right about that. But there's still nothing I can do about it yet… so instead I pace for a while, thinking until I can't anymore- which is when I sit on the bed.
I mess with the Rubix cube, trying to solve the face of the white side, making sure the top row underneath is also being solved at the same time. Then I twist it so I have at least four pieces on five of the sides.
Either way- they're lying to me. And they expect that I won't be able to tell the difference. Little do they know, I've spent my whole life dissecting the world of heroes and villains. I know how to analyze, how to see patterns where others see chaos.
Finding the truth is something I excel at, and this won't be any different.