Burnt to Ashes - Kenichi Todoroki

As the Feathers Decay

Aaron's POV:

It's Aaron, once again.

I went to Zay's school, aka the same school Kenichi, Shinju, Ryker, and Kingo went to. But Zay isn't Zay's real name, his hair isn't his same hair, and Zay hasn't been in school for weeks.

Zay's real name is Zixin. Zixin Liu.

He came here to Canada from China, and his last name translates 'to kill' in English. That's all I really knew about him at the beginning. But the truth is, I have two quirks.

One is my ability to turn my limbs into characteristics of birds.

But the other, my biological dad's quirk, is the ability to read minds and relive memories within them.

And that power is one that I cannot control.

All my life I had to deal with not being able to control such a quirk, and I had to relive everyone's past dramas. And while in The Bloody Mambas, though it helped me connect with each member more, all of them had some trauma.

And it's the reason why I love and respect Kenichi so much; because of what he went through.

I realized Fox had been through some shit with his appearance. Shinju's family was shit, so was Hifumi's and Ryker's. Akihito was struggling from not getting enough love from his parents. Kingo didn't go through much, but the fact that he didn't is the reason he's the way he is now. Kenichi had killed a kid and watched his mother die before his own eyes.

But what did Zixin, 'Zay', go through?

He had been used as a tool his entire life.

I don't know how much deeper I can go in describing what his life was like. What I did know is that as I felt sympathy for him, the moment he stabbed me in the stomach, the sympathy was ripped away. Because of him, I would never be able to see Kenichi again, or support his gang and destroy villains like I joined the gang to do in the first place.

But I guess that isn't very useful. Let me share something that would be more helpful.

I recall a conversation I had with him after school. When I first figured him out..

————

I walked out the doors of the school, eyes locked on Kenichi and his shaggy gray hair. He was standing next to Shinju, his Vice Captain. I wonder what they talk about when they're alone.. I know they're close.

"Out of my way." A kid pushed past me. I looked up to say something, and saw a black and red haired kid. He glared back at me, his ruby eyes piercing into my heart, like the sharp gemstone itself. I quickly recognized him as Zixin from my ELA and Biology class.

He turned back and kept walking.

"AARON!" I could recognize that voice from anywhere; Kingo Hano.

I could feel him sprinting toward me, so I shot out hawk wings from my back and flew up. I stared down at him, but realized everyone was looking at me. I slowly floated down, my face flushed.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Kingo put his hand on my shoulder and sunk his nails into my skin. When he lifted them, my shoulder was bleeding at his nail marks. He didn't say another word, just walking away and joining a few of his friends. I watched the blood flow down my shoulder and pool up in the fabric of my shoulder less top.

It was.. satisfying.

Pushing away all my other thoughts, I put my AirPods in and started walking home. I played the usual song, my favorite song; Bullet, by Hollywood Undead.

My legs are dangling off the edge

The bottom of the bottle is my only friend

I think I'll slit my wrists again and I'm

Gone,

gone,

gone

gone...

I looked up from my phone and saw a shadow fly by me. I looked over to see the very own person who bumped into me; Zixin. He was meeting with a bunch of people.

I put my quirk to use and used my owl vision and hearing to spy on them.

"Zay, you've joined The Bloody Mambas, right? Y'know the leader goes to our school?" One kid said.

Zixin nodded his head. He goes by Zay now? Must be a nickname that his friends call him; or are these his friends...

"I know all about that villain hunter gang, and I'm taking it down from the inside." Zay proposed. "Kenichi is one of the most extra and unrealistic gang leaders out there. Killing all villains.. what a child's dream."

I clenched my fist. How dare he insult Kenichi. I need some kind of distraction.

As Zay was rambling on, I found an alleyway. I changed my vocal cords to one of a White Bellbird and yelled Zay's name as loud as I could. Still using my owl-like hearing, I could hear the group stay quiet.

"I'm going to see who that is." I heard Zay mutter.

I noted every footstep Zay took toward me. When he looked around the alleyway corner and spotted me, he had taken exactly 29 steps.

"You." Zay growled.

"Kenichi has accomplished a hell lot more than you, so don't go around insulting him freely." I spat at him. Zay kept calm, but pierced through my with his eyes like he did before.

"You're on of his suck-up captains, I recognize you." Zay walked towards me and grabbed my collar. Though he was a good couple inches shorter, he intimidated me just as much as Kenichi did. "Tell a single soul about anything I'm talking about, birdy, and I'll..."

He let me go and turned around. He obviously couldn't think of an empty threat to spew out. But I noticed that he had on a jacket that he didn't have on before.. I read the Kanji written on it.

ゴールドバイパー

The Gold Vipers

"You have a gang of your own." I called him out. Zay turned back around and made eye contact with me again.

"What do you have to say about what I do?" Zay questioned. "I never swore my loyalty to that punk. If he's going to kill all villains, which is impossible, then he'd have to kill me. And I'm not a force to be messed with."

"You talk big." I spat out. He immediately pinned me down, forcing me to hit my head on the ground. When I regained my senses, I had realized one thing; I was pinned down with scorpion tails.

"I talk big because I am big."

And that was the last time I saw Zay before he killed me.

But if I could say one more thing to Kenichi, if I could tell him one more thing.. I would tell him that Zay's gang, The Gold Vipers, may tear The Bloody Mambas to pieces.

And Kenichi, I'll be rooting for you every step of the way.