Blossoms of the Dark

LIII Selene: Pride

When I arrive at the manor, the Pro-Hero is already waiting for me in the bedroom ...

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At midnight sharp, a portal opens in my bathroom. I push the Pro-Hero's body away from mine and grab my night robe. After another moment's thought, I change into my clothes from last night, bandages, gloves, choker, and knives included. I even curl my hair into those devil horns. I walk into the portal. It makes me feel disoriented. I stumble out and clutch my cane for balance. Shigaraki is sitting on a barstool, leaning against the counter, and Kurogiri is polishing wine glasses behind the counter. They're wearing the same clothes from last night. Shigaraki's face is hidden behind his plaster hand. It almost feels like déjà vu. Remembering last night, I look at the monitor and account for All-for-One.

Kurogiri and Shigaraki greet me in their own ways. There's Kurogiri's respectful "Good evening, Selene," and then there's Shigaraki's rude "Alright, kid. You know the deal. Whaddya learn today?"

Just as well. "Good evening to you too, Kurogiri." I only nod my head toward Shigaraki, and that sours his mood further, much to my pleasure.

I climb onto a bar stool, cross my legs, rest my elbows against the counter, link fingers, and rest my head upon them. "May I have some water, please?" Shigaraki grumbles even more, and though it's barely noticeable, it seems that Kurogiri is smiling behind his purple wisps. Kurogiri hands me a glass full of water, and I take my sweet time drinking it. Out of the corner of my eye, I can practically see how close Shigaraki is to grabbing that glass from my hand and disintegrating it in his. Just before he forsakes all patience, I set the glass down on the table and turn to face him.

"Today there was a crowd of reporters outside the school, demanding an interview with All Might or anyone learning under All Might. Eventually, there were so many, they broke past the school's barriers into school grounds. There was quite the stampede. The U.A. faculty was able to get the reporters to leave, but they didn't know how they entered in the first place. That is, until, they found a four-layer thick gate crumbled to pieces. No further evidence was left behind. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Shigaraki?" I raise my eyebrow as I say his name. Using my amplification ability, I had raised my hearing to be able to Principal Nezu speak from the gate all the way to the classroom. A crumbled object sounded too familiar to me. Especially, after I had absorbed a decay quirk last night.

"Why are you asking when you already know the answer?" he responded.

"I was simply checking whether you would deny it. I already knew you were responsible for destroying that gate."

"So did you learn anything besides that I was at your school and I crumbled the gate to allow the reporters in?" He is very irritated now.

"Principal Nezu thinks that no reporter caused that. He thinks it's a declaration of war, so he's keeping it under wraps for now."

Shigaraki laughs at that. "Our little stunt worked, Kurogiri. Did you hear that, Sensei? U.A. is perceiving a threat, and they don't want to tell their weakling students about it."

All-for-One chuckles as well. "Yes. Well done, Shigaraki. We can use the fact that U.A. is hiding such information from their students to our advantage." All-for-One's next statement is directed at me. "Selene, are there any upcoming events where All Might is expected to attend?"

Events ... I think about the slip of paper I saw escape from Aizawa-sensei's sleeping bag when I stayed back in class. It mentioned that two weeks from now, Class 1-A would head to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint for rescue training. Sensei, Pro-Hero Thirteen, and All Might were all expected to supervise. "There is one. Two weeks from now. Sometime mid-afternoon, all of Class 1-A will go to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint to receive rescue training practice. Three heroes are expected to supervise the class: Eraserhead, Thirteen, and All Might. But it's so soon, and I only learned this information today. If you plan to attack then, you will be unprepared."