Mystery from Another World

Part 105: True Colors

[OP: "Copycat"--Billie Eilish]

Camie had been teased and criticized before, but Moto's whole attitude was so much more intense and dark than anything she'd experienced. Her words cut deep because of their cruelty, and that Moto didn't seem to care that they were cruel--even did it on purpose.

Camie was light-hearted enough to shake off most things, but Moto's style shook her up to the core--was so antithetical to Camie's own way that it was like smothering a candle. Like a negative charge to her positive one. Moto had not been especially subtle or clever...and that was calculated to hurt Camie more because blatantness could not be lost on her so easily as subtle disdain.

Camie was almost more shaken that someone would hurt her like that on purpose, for no obvious reason, than by the other accusations...but, by and by, they played inside her head on repeat. Was it true? Was she a liability to her class? To anyone around her?... Certainly it was possible, wasn't it? The police had been suspicious enough, hadn't they? And what of Kali's threat? What did it even mean? Connections? And it almost sounded like she knew the details of the abduction personally, with the forgetting part, too...or was it another cruel jab? Either way, it was freaky. Camie was so rattled, she figured Moto could make good on her threats. That girl was just...evil...

She looked like she could've killed her without a second thought, and Camie had been powerless to defend herself. Maybe she was just that useless in a real dangerous situation. Maybe she wasn't cut out to be a pro.

[Moto vs Camie Art by Julianna Gardner]

* * *

Aizawa got his much needed nap, and when he tugged himself out of his sleeping back and back to check on Eri, he found Wally was peering at her and Miss Joke also.

She and Miss Joke were sketching pictures of faces and then trying to make the faces. Eri kept giggling at Miss Joke's expressions.

"She's really good with kids," Wally said to Aizawa. "No wonder her class likes her so much. I was gonna take over, but she told me it was fine."

"How was lunch?" Aizawa sipped his coffee.

"It was fun. Tashiro is a really funny guy." Wally smiled. "And honestly, he's a welcome break from all the really stressed out pro heroes--uh, no offense."

"None taken..." Aizawa agreed with that.

He smiled vaguely at Miss Joke and Eri. "I guess it's good if Eri gets comfortable with more people outside this school. Someday, she'll hopefully have a world out there without Overhaul in it so she can explore."

"It'll happen. We'll get him, or someone else will, sooner or later," Wally assured him. "I know I did a crappy job protecting her before, but I won't make that mistake again. That kid deserves the best."

"It wasn't your fault before. You still tried to protect her with your life." Aizawa surprisingly let him off the hook. "And Likstar gave it her all, even uniting people who would never normally work together. Much as it pains me to admit it, you two are at least as competent as any other pro hero...maybe more than some of them."