Eraserhead and Scribe III

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Scribe was released from the hospital the next morning. Aizawa insisted they return to the bookstore where she could get some more rest, and she acquiesced only because she knew it would be easier to get him to let her do research there. And to convince him to tell her what Kohei and the others had found out.

Once she was settled on the couch with an afghan around her, he sat at her feet and read the crime reports Mic had sent aloud to her. Shigaraki's quirk made more than a few appearances, as did Dabi's. But they were in small robberies involving drugs in port cities of the United States. Nothing that either man would ever bother with, certainly not that far from Japan. In fact, the only thing that made the crimes remarkable at all was the use of their quirks for murder. A few other small crimes that could be attributed to other well-known villains with unique quirks also were deemed suspect. One of the villains in question was actually in prison at the time of one of the robberies.

Scribe sipped the herbal tea Aizawa had prepared for her. "So he's a copycat? Like Monoma? Except he can copy other people's appearances and quirks."

"Not just that, though. Remember Dabi? It was like he created him out of...nothing."

She shuddered a little. "Yeah, I remember. It's almost like if Twice and Toga's quirks were combined...with Monoma's. But...he did it alone. The copycat."

"When did you realize he wasn't Shigaraki?"

"Well, none of it made sense, did it?" She shrugged, blowing on the hot tea. "He...Shigaraki had just tossed me out of his head. He wasn't going to be there...but that wasn't all." She looked down.

"You said you couldn't feel his thoughts."

"I couldn't feel him. I can usually feel people around me. Not read their thoughts, but almost like, even if my eyes were closed, I would know who was in a room near me and where they were. If it's someone like you or Toshinori—maybe even Mic—I would even have an idea of your mood. With this guy...it was just darkness." She shivered again and pulled the afghan closer. remembering. "Even Shigaraki isn't that dark."

"Not for you, anyway." Aizawa set the papers aside and massaged the bridge of his nose. He looked weary and she regretted pushing him to jump right into the investigation. And yet, she did feel a sense of urgency, and part of that was due to his imminent need to return for Eri's sake. She wanted to have this all wrapped up by then. So she could go with him.

He glanced at her. I'm not planning to leave you here alone.

You may have to. Eri will need you to be there when she returns to UA.

And I need you with me. He took her hands. He could have killed you. Whoever he is, I believe that is his ultimate goal.

She sighed and nodded. I only wish I knew who he was. She closed her eyes and they sat in silence for a moment. She felt as if she was forgetting something. It bothered her, so she replayed the fight. Something about the man with Shigaraki's quirk. And his face. Until I asked him who he was.

For just a moment something had changed then. Her eyes fluttered open as she remembered. For a moment he'd flickered. He wasn't Shigaraki in that split second when he realized she no longer believed him. And suddenly at least part of what had been happening made a bizarre sort of sense.

"I think you're right. But he doesn't want to just kill me. He wants to humiliate and hurt me in the process. That's why he chose Shigaraki. He could have killed me as anyone. He wanted me to think Shigaraki was the one who killed me. Because he believed it would hurt me."

"Okay, I get all that." Aizawa nodded. "But why? Who would do that?"

"Someone with a grudge against me?" She shrugged and then gasped, her eyes widening. "Oh my God. Or someone with a grudge against Tomura."

***

It made sense in a very rational way. If someone wanted to kill Scribe, how would killing her as Tomura Shigaraki make it any worse for her? However, if Shigaraki found out Scribe believed in her last moments that he had killed her... Aizawa actually felt an instant of pity for the man. Who would hate him that much? It had to be someone who knew him. Someone who'd worked with him.

Someone who'd been betrayed by him.

Aizawa winced. "I'm afraid you're right."

"Why afraid?" She frowned and then realization dawned on her. "Oh. You're afraid I'll need to contact Shigaraki again." She looked at her hands. "I'm not even sure he'll let me again." She looked up at him. "I think he contacted me after the fight. He...said I'd never been who he wanted me to be."

"Do you disagree?" He raised his eyebrows.

She snorted. "Of course not. I mean, how could he want me to be who I am? Your wife? A hero? A teacher at UA?" She shook her head. "I never totally understood the feelings he had for me anyway."

"Hmm." He reached for her hand, studying it thoughtfully, reflecting that at least in this, he could understand Shigaraki. "How did you know his quirk couldn't hurt you?"

"I think I've always known. In the woods the day he and Dabi and Compress attacked us. When I thought you were—" She broke off and her fingers closed on his. She took a deep breath. "I remember thinking he couldn't hurt me. I remember the look of amazement on his face when I jumped at him. I must have looked crazed. I didn't even know what I was going to do, but I did know he couldn't hurt me." She paused. "I've often wondered if I did do something that day. If somehow I rewrote his quirk and a part of him with it, so that he couldn't hurt me."

"Or so he wouldn't want to?" He held her hand in both of his so she wouldn't think he was accusing her of anything.

She shot him a sharp look, but then she shrugged. I suppose it's possible. I don't like to think I could...can...manipulate emotions that way, but if I could affect his quirk, it's possible. Although, if I did, it doesn't explain the Shigaraki impostor, does it?

How do you mean? He tilted his head, looking at her curiously.

He couldn't hurt me, either. And he truly thought he could. And he isn't Shigaraki, so there are no emotions to stand in his way.

So it's the quirk, not the man, that can't harm you. He nodded. Strangely that makes me feel better.

Me too. She sighed. Although I suppose it's possible I did both. Stopped the quirk and made the man care about me.

"Either way, I'd prefer you got some rest, my love. If we're going to follow up any leads Mic or All Might manage to scare up for us, you need your strength." Aizawa brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her. "And we need to follow up on any leads as quickly as possible."

She yawned and lay back on the sofa. "I guess you're right. We need to figure this out fast." She smiled. "I want to meet Eri."

Aizawa sat with her for a few more minutes and then stood when he heard her breathing deepen. He took his phone and sat at the counter in the kitchen, checking his email and messages for any word from All Might, Mic, Kohei...anyone. And he wished, not for the first time, that he could be the one to make contact with Shigaraki. Even now, he didn't like the idea of the connection between his wife and the ever more dangerous villain.

But it might be necessary. He sighed a little. Would Shigaraki ever hurt her? Even if his quirk couldn't, the man could. He remembered the Shigaraki clone's fist colliding with Scribe's face, the way her head snapped back on her neck, the frozen moment before he leapt forward to catch her, to somehow prevent any further damage... There are plenty of ways to hurt someone.

He shook off the worry and tapped a quick message to Kohei. Maybe he could help them to not have to touch base with Shigaraki. He glanced at Scribe, remembered her words. I want to meet Eri.

Aizawa wanted that too.