Second Chance -Shinkami book 2-

13. Escape

"Hito, I have an idea," Kaminari whispered to Shinso, making the alpha lean down so he could whisper his idea in his ear.

Shinso gave him a look silently wondering if his boyfriend was crazy or just grasping at straws.

"Just keep her distracted," he muttered under his breath.

Shinso nodded, this was the only plan they had so it was all or nothing. "How did you even get our memories?" Shinso shouted at Takahashi trying his best to find the direction her words had come from.

"How? Didn't I explain? Maybe your not so bright Shinso." She honestly sounded happy to explain. "Mind Game's lets me enter your minds. I've spent my time with your class gathering your memories. It was easier with the omega's, they were quick to trust me." Her sickening laugh continued. "The fun is with the alphas. I don't know why but they're always harder to gain trust from."

The way she spoke made Shinso wonder how many times she had played this 'game' with people.

"Maybe it's because I'm an alpha they feel threatened, maybe it's because I'm new and they feel like they have to protect the omega's in the class, or maybe it's simply because they can sense my quirk when I try to poke around in their minds, I just don't know."

"Why'd you take our memories though? You could have just looked at them and left," Shinso said hopping Kaminari was almost done. He didn't know how long he could distract Takahashi without her thinking something was up.

"It's not an exact science you know," she said sounding a little hurt. "Sometimes I accidentally erase the memories I'm looking at, and most of the time I need to erase their recollection of the conversation I was having while I looked at their memories," she said as though it was obvious. "Sometimes it leads to multiple memories being lost, but it's almost always the ones attached to the most emotions since they're the juiciest, they're the ones I want to see."

"Why don't you just keep out of our heads?"

"Says the other person with a mental quirk," she said. "Don't you ever just want to mind wash someone? It's fun, it gives you control you know?"

"No, I don't know," Shinso said getting annoyed. Takahashi was one of the reasons people with mind quirks had trouble becoming heroes.

"Now why don't you stop stalling? K? I know what you're doing," Takahashi said.

Kaminari didn't seem shocked. He did, however, look extremely tired. "It's not like we need to stall any longer anyways," Kaminari said with a smirk growing on his face.

"And why's that? You've done nothing to get to me," the alpha said sounding like she was smirking as well.

Kaminari glanced up at Shinso. The omega looked confident. Suddenly all the mirrors fell, shattering on the ground and lights flickered overhead. "You call me stupid but you seem to forget that I was able to get into UA, I took the same entrance exam as everyone else and got into the best class," Kaminari said pulling Shinso forward, stepping over the broken glass that scattered the floor. "Your mistake was telling us where we were."

Takahashi laughed. "You think this is threatening? Oh no, you broke all my mirrors," she said in a fake scared voice. "Your stupid for thinking I'm scared."

"And you're stupid for underestimating us," Shinso told her.

"After all, I've figured out where you are," Kaminari said.

"Oh have you?" She laughed. "I doubt that."

It was Kaminari's turn to laugh now. "Your right there," he said pointing in front of him to a very small clearing where no glass was on the ground. "So tell me again that I'm stupid," Kaminari said stepping closer and pulling Takahashi out of her safe zone. She was now visible to both of them, sitting back on the ground confused. "I dare you."

"Now how about we end this game of yours and you let us go," Shinso said crouching in front of her. "We've won."

Takahashi had one of her sickening smiles before bursting out into laughter. She was hysterical, flailing on the ground and gasping for air.

Shinso and Kaminari shared a look. There was definitely a screw or two loose in her head.

"This is- the best game- I've had- in so- long!" She said between laughs and gasps for air.

The next thing they knew they were back in the common room, Takahashi still laughing hysterically and gaining the attention of their other classmates.

Shinso and Kaminari scrambled away from the insane alpha.

"What's so funny?" Mina asked taking a step forward to try and approach Takahashi.

"No, don't," Kaminari said pulling her back. "Someone get a teacher," he said looking back at his classmates.

Though confused as to why, Iida ran off to find a teacher.

Takahashi was still laughing to the point of tears. Gasping and blabbering about the 'game' she just played.

"What happened?" Several of their classmates asked when they noticed Shinso and Kaminari staring at her with unease, they were also holding each other like their lives depended on it.

Neither Kaminari nor Shinso wanted to explain what they just went through. It had only been about 20 minutes but it had felt like an eternity, maybe time moved differently in their heads. "Just don't go near her," Shinso said pulling back one of his classmates as they were about to go near Takahashi to see if she was ok.

The movie was still playing in the background as a teacher came into the common. Aizawa looked annoyed and also very confused when he saw Takahashi.

"What happened?" He asked. "Why am I needed?"

Kaminari and Shinso shared another look before looking back at the other alpha. "Can you restrain her? Then we can explain," Shinso asked his dad.

Still confused, but seeing the urgency in Shinso's face he did so. Thankfully he had his capture weapon with him like he usually does.

"Don't touch her," Kaminari added. "She has a second quirk we didn't know about."

Aizawa nodded and restrained her. She was still giggling and muttered about how that was the best game she's ever played.

"Everyone who wasn't involved go to your rooms," their teacher said. The others hesitantly left but did as they were told. "Now you two, what's going on?" Aizawa asked again when the common room was cleared.

It was hard to explain. They tried keeping the things Takahashi had said and shown to the bare minimum and just saying "she was showing us our worse memories" and not going into detail.

"I see," Aizawa muttered when they finished. "How did you get out? Did she just let you go?"

"I figured that since we were being trapped in our minds I could also control it to an extent," Kaminari explained. "And with what she was saying and showing us I figured we were in my mind and not Hito's. The things she showed about me were more vivid." He rubbed his arm uncomfortably. "Though I guess I could have been wrong and I just remembered them clearer..."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Aizawa asked looking between the two. "And are you both ok? Going through that alone must have been hard."

Kaminari shrugged still scratching at his arm nervously. Shinso also shrugged. The adrenaline as still pumping through their bodies, not letting their nerves get to them yet. "From what she said I think she's done that before," he said. "And we're just a little shaken up, that's all, we don't have any injuries from in there," Shinso said looking at his knuckles. They weren't bloody like they were in his head, so none of those injuries replicated in the real world.

Aizawa studied them for a moment longer. He thought they were just in shock. They hadn't realized how messed up that encounter had made them yet. "Ok, but if you need anything, contact me, even just to talk," Aizawa said. His eyes lingered on Shinso a little longer telling him he wanted to talk more later before taking Takahashi, telling them to get sleep and leaving.

(Posted April 2, 2021)