Second Chance -Shinkami book 2-

12. Mind Games Part 2

(WARNING: mention of abuse, mention of abandonment, mention of death and blood)

Tears fell down his face as the surrounding mirrors played the scene over and over again. Young Kaminari losing control of his quirk the second it manifested, his mom begging for him to turn it off, and then the flash of electricity that killed her. Over and over it played. The screams sounding so real in Kaminari's head.

He had never been able to properly forgive himself. It didn't matter if police reports said it was a quirk malfunction and he was never punished. It was his fault and he could never forgive himself for doing such a thing.

"TAKAHASHI STOP," Shinso's voice called to her. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS." He sounded close but Kaminari couldn't pinpoint his position. For a split second, he had thought that Shinso was right beside him, but then the feeling went away.

The screens continued to change, one showing Kaminari killing his mother, another showing his abusive father, and then another showing Shinso, young, alone, left in that alley.

Kaminari had no way out, he had been surrounded by the mirrors the second the lights went out and separated the two. If he had Shinso maybe he could do something, but his quirk wasn't working and he was starting to spiral.

"I know I don't, but it's fun," she said simply.

Kaminari heard someone yell from his left and banged on the mirrors trying to get out. Shinso was hurt, something was wrong and he needed to help.

"You two are so cute," Takahashi laughed. "Both in a different danger and yet all you can think of is finding the other. This is why I love these games, you're all so different."

"Takahashi! Just let us go! We can talk about this!" Kaminari yelled trying to keep his voice steady. Tears still streamed down his face as he tried blocking out the images the mirrors were showing him. He had seen them enough times in his dreams, it was all so vivid. Part of him wondered why the videos of Shinso weren't nearly as clear.

He heard a crashing sound and prayed that Shinso was ok.

"But what's the fun in that? I still have more juicy secrets," she said smiling.

"You both remember that time at the training camp don't you?" She asked.

"What training camp?" Kaminari muttered instinctively. He shook his head as his brain started to feel fuzzy.

"Ah yes, you lost those memories in one of our little chats. I'm talking about the training camp where Shinso cheated on you," Takahashi said simply. "I guess I should restore those memories now shouldn't it, it won't be any fun if you don't know what I'm talking about."

It was all coming back now. He didn't know why those memories had been lost but now they were back. Scenes of Shinso kissing Monoma came up on the mirrors. Anger bubbled up in Kaminari's stomach.

"He tricked me!" Shinso yelled. He was sounding closer and closer but somehow still just as far. "He stole my quirk and tricked me!"

The scene played again. Kaminari looking for his boyfriend, him stumbling across Shinso kissing Monoma, then Kaminari running away before they saw him. It played over and over and over.

Before Kaminari knew it he punched one of the mirrors just to get it to stop playing. It shattered but no path opened up, a brick wall just took its place. He punched another wanting the scene to stop playing.

His knuckles became bloodied the red dripping down on the floor. "Just stop this Takahashi!" Kaminari shouted.

"Hmm, not as much emotion as the other's..." she pondered aloud. "Maybe something else, ya?"

The screens went black, once again leaving them in the dark.

Then they heard voices. "He's just stupid, give him a break," someone whispered.

"He failed the test, how did he even get into this school?"

"I heard his boyfriend cheated on him, honestly who wouldn't, he's just a weak omega."

"I think his quirk made him brain dead," someone else whispered.

"He'll never be a hero if he can only manage one move."

"Do you know what this is Kaminari?" Takahashi asked. "Your classmates, what they really think of you," she said. "I've been in their minds, I've heard their thoughts, I know what they think of you," she said over the sound of another glass mirror breaking. "I find it funny how you actually think they trust you, after all, you lied to them about your second gender for the first... month? Of knowing them?"

"Don't listen to her Denki! She wrong!" Shinso yelled.

"You think you're in a place to talk Mr. villain? That's the nickname they gave you behind your back, I don't think I've heard one good thing about either of you from them, they hate you but are too nice to say it."

"He probably mind-controlled someone to get in here," the voices picked back up.

"He's probably just as stupid as Kaminari, that's why they ended up together."

"He has a villain's quirk."

"He can never be a hero with a quirk like that."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Shinso yelled followed by a loud crash as one set of mirrors near Kaminari shattered. Shinso fell into the omega from the momentum. Both were too preoccupied with being back together to care that they were both bloodied and bruised. Kaminari from punching the mirrors and Shinso from running his body into them.

"It looks like you found each other," she muttered. "Honestly, I'm impressed, that was faster than I thought."

"Are you ok?" They both asked each other at the same time.

"Ya," Kaminari answered.

"As good as I can be," Shinso said.

"How touching, but this only phased one," Takahashi said with a laugh. "This game has only yet to begin," she laughed.

"We're going to find you!" Shinso yelled at her.

"Our friends will come looking and we're going to get out of here!" Kaminari yelled as well.

"Get out of here?" Takahashi asked. "You'll never escape this place. Haven't you noticed? Can't you feel it? Even just a little?"

Kaminari and Shinso shared a look.

"You're in your brain! This is your mind, I'm manipulating it. As far as your friends know you two fell asleep during the movie. They don't know what's going on, and if I play my cards right, which I always do, you two won't even remember after I'm done with you! It will feel like a fever dream, a distant memory that you can't quite put a finger on."

"So that's your quirk, playing with people's minds?" Shinso asked.

"It's called Mind Games," she said. "Everyone resented me when I was growing up for having such a powerful ability. Being able to see other's memories, and make them see what I wanted them to see with just a touch of my hand. I was looked down on, told I couldn't be a hero, just you Shinso."

"Don't compare me to you!" Shinso shouted.

Kaminari's mind raced as he was trying to find a way out. But how? They couldn't use their quirks, and they were in a foreign territory, or was it really that foreign?