Mystery from Another World

Part 130: (blank-Karen)

"How did you know Shine and I were quirkless?" Wally asked.

The ninja looked at the floor. "I have no interest in talking to you about that."

"What do you have an interest in, then? Staying alive, I hope," Wally said, "I don't know how long I can protect your life from those criminals if you don't give us something. I can try, but it's not a good situation right now."

"The only thing we should be discussing is whether you will join our righteous cause," the ninja said.

Wally sighed. "Look...uh, what's your name?"

She stared at him stonily.

"Okay...I'm gonna call you...Karen. Can I call you Karen?" Wally said.

"I could not possibly care less what you call me," the ninja said.

"All right then, Karen... Your cause to eradicate quirks? Why would you want Shine and me for that?"

"I don't know all the highest reasons, but one clear enough one is that you both have some kind of power-- it's not genetic," Karen said coolly, "That would be of great use to us."

Oh...duh...of course that's why a cult would want them.

Ick.

"Talk about a Simon the Magician situation," Wally said.

[Story in Acts, if you want to look it up. Guy wanted to buy the power of God.]

Karen looked at him blankly.

"Well...another reason is, from all our sources, we think that you might have a reason to sympathize with us. You work at UA, correct? But you can't move about freely."

"Who told you all that?" Wally said.

"I can't say... I do not even know," Karen said.

"And...do you know everything about us?"

"I can't say how much the higher ups know, but I know only about as much as I just said."

"But you're so sure we'd want to join you."

"You must feel oppressed at UA. That school is dreadful, teaching irresponsible uses of those accursed quirks, telling people to be proud of their monstrous deformities. How could you, someone without a quirk, not feel out of place in this world?"

"Isn't that the truth..." Wally sighed. He had to admit it.

Karen nodded. "So you should join us. We'll topple and cleanse this society. Remove the scourge of quirks from it."

"Karen, even if I could ignore for a sec that your methods are really inhuman...and creepy," Wally said casually but also seriously, "I don't think there's any way you'll de-quirk millions or even billions of people in this planet. You're group is too small. And it's just not possible."

"It will be possible, once we take over the government, the Medical system...all of it," Karen said.

"You think you could?"

"More people in both those areas sympathize with us than you might think, Mr. West. Science itself is pointing to quirks being a disease, just as we have always said. It's only a matter of time. People would beg us to do what we do if they knew the facts."

"I admit you've got a better handle on it than anyone else so far," Wally said, "but it doesn't matter about the science, if you're going to do things like murder, kidnap, mutilate, and violate people. Ends don't justify means. You can't seriously think I'd want to be part of that. I save people."