【𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 • 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐊𝐔 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑】

72| Illusionist

A yell rips from your throat, and you lunge at Hiroto, nothing to defend yourself but your boiling anger.

That familiar feeling of betrayal, of loss, of that same helpless, hopeless throbbing you've felt for so long.

You've never been able to do anything before.

Things have been taken from you without hesitation.

Hiroto was right there.

❧

"Here he is!" You tell Midoriya, jumping at Hiroto, "Kurai is here! He's pretending to be my brother!"

You land on top of him, swinging at his face, and kicking him. You're not much of a fighter, but it's enough to keep him on the ground.

Midoriya glances at you, worry sitting heavy on his features. He can't escape the illusion though, so he can't help you.

"Hold on!" He shouts, dodging a fist, "Just stay there!"

Kurai, still wearing Hiroto's face, doesn't even put up a fight. He just lays there, grinning with a mouth that isn't his. 

You punch him, swinging your clenched fists like crazy, tears running down your face. 

It wasn't supposed to be like this. You were supposed to take him down, but apparently you aren't so much of a threat for him to even fight back. How are you supposed to avenge your brother if you're such a wimp yourself?

You always wanted to be a hero. You could've been a hero for once. But if you couldn't even protect Hiroto, then what's the point?

You stare at his gray eyes, and they only enrage you more.

With a punch to the nose, he starts to bleed, not even flinching. He coughs up a laugh through the crimson running down his face.

"Oh? So that's how you realized. Your brother's eyes." He tilts his head, "I can't duplicate anyone's eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul; I'm an illusionist. I can't re-create souls."

You look back at Midoriya, who's trying to fight the fake Kurai. Anytime he touches the illusion, though, his fist passes through like he's a ghost. 

You can tell he's frustrated.

Your heart aches for him, and the anger rises again like bile in your throat.

With a stolen body, Kurai finally makes a move, reaching for the collar of your shirt. He jerks you down, catching you off guard, whispering with a raspy voice in your ear.

"Have you ever thought about," he smirks, "alternate realities?"

Before you can react, before you can flinch away from him or fight back, he pushes you to the ground, and the world goes black.

There's a pain in your chest, like a needle has pierced your heart. You gasp for air, the air knocked out of you from the force of hitting the ground.

It's dark?

Everything is pitch black.

You stand.

"Midoriya!" You yell into the darkness, "Midoriya, where are you?!"

You know it has to be another illusion. It has to be. 

It has to be.

It has to be.