Blossoms of the Dark

LXIII Selene: Cut

I open my eyes blearily.

I see a white ceiling illuminated by lights.

I smell the chemicals of sterilization.

I feel the bedsheets resting on my figure.

I hear the sounds of machines beeping.

I sigh loudly.

I'm in the school infirmary. Again. Todoroki-kun is right. I need a hospital bed reserved just for me because I'm beginning to spend more and more time here than in the classroom. I might as well attend my classes from here. How do I attend school virtually? Someone give me the registration form.

I raise myself into a sitting position with an audible crack from my elbow and knee joints. I glance down at myself, and thankfully I'm still in my hero costume. Had the medics removed it, they would have seen my knives and the poison on them. How would I have explained that? That was a recent development, something that I had not sent to the designing company.

I look to my right, where my mask is resting on top of the bed stand. Then to my left, where through the window I see the sun is setting.

I don't realize I'm not alone, until Recovery Girl approaches me.

"You had another episode. Fainted on the battlefield. The ambulance brought you here," she explains. She checks my vitals and hands me a glass of water.

As I sip, I ask her, "What happened? There was an attack. Villains broke into the U.S.J. and Aizawa-sensei went to fight them. Number Thirteen tried to evacuate the class but got hurt. I remember being sucked into a warp gate. Then I fell from the sky and landed hard on the ground. Everything after that is black."

"Oh, sweetie. You don't know? Your classmates were separated from each other. They were all spread out over the simulation joint. And they were ambushed by villains. They fought valiantly, just like true U.A. students. Eraserhead and Number Thirteen were severely injured trying to fend off those villains. All Might arrived and sent them scurrying with their tails between their legs. You know our hero. He isn't Japan's Number One hero for no reason. He defeated that monster.

"One of your classmates, Iida Tenya, came back with Principal Nezu and lots of other Pro-Heroes in tow. We won. Midnight was the one who found you. You were lying in open field, unconscious and vulnerable. I'm glad you didn't get hurt any further."

It doesn't escape my notice that she said nothing about Gunshot mercilessly shooting Shigaraki, the noumu, or the damage that All Might endured. I take another sip. "Is that so? Is everyone else alright?"

"Yep. Except for Midoriya, your classmates left the battle with minor cuts and bruises. Midoriya broke his arms and had to be brought here." I look around. Only Recovery Girl and I are in the infirmary. Seeing my eyes gazing around, she answers my unspoken question. "He arrived before you. I fixed him up and got him going." She gives me a painkiller and a bowl of cut mango. Not just any mango, the sweet, golden mango. "Stay here for another hour. If nothing happens, you're good to go." She leaves, and I take the painkiller.

I lie back and close my eyes. After the disaster today has been, that long nap and Black Forest cake are out of the question. And I have to see that bastard Pro-Hero's face again. But at least I won't be punished for coming late tonight. I have to be in "perfect shape" for when he rapes me.

Having thought enough about what awaits in the next few hours, I think about Shigaraki. Despite the fact that earlier I was trying to suppress my emotions by convincing myself business was simply business, I am genuinely worried about him. Shigaraki's arms and legs were shot at again and again by Gunshot. He pulled himself through Kurogiri's warp gate, and both of them escaped. Is he alright? Better yet, is he alive? Were they able to find a doctor? A doctor who would keep his mouth shut with enough money? Or is he still bleeding to death?