Blossoms of the Dark

CXLI Selene: Omen

When my eyes open, I stare up at a familiar wood ceiling.

I'm in my bedroom at the bar.

As comforting as the sight is, I wish physically I was just as comfortable.

My joints flare and muscles ache. I feel like I have been twisted and contorted into a ball of yarn and unraveled again. Which is true. I did not use my quirk at all, but Mr. Compress bound me into one of his marbles. One of the replicas Twice made of Dabi found me in the dormitory, and he notified Mr. Compress. Whatever has ensued since then, I have no idea.

Groggily, I lift myself up. I still feel so feverish. Nausea accompanies the feeling. Fluffy pillows cushion my head and back, and a blanket warms my feet. There is water and painkiller tablets on the nightstand, which I take gratefully. My movement alerts Toga, who I did not notice earlier but was sharpening her knives in a corner seat.

"Oh, you're awake! Finally. I was getting bored. Thought I could cut you up a little to get your blood circulating," she squeals as she bounces out of her seat.

"That actually would have helped," I groan. "But I'm also on my period, so I'd rather not lose more blood than necessary. I'm sure you understand."

"That's right! You did smell of blood when you got here, but I couldn't see any wounds on you. So much happened. We caught that guy, Bakugou Katsuki or whatever his name is, and I made friends. All of us made friends."

"Please elaborate." And so she tells me all that occurred. The arrest of the three villains I disliked, the disappearance of the noumu, and the escape of the rest of the Vanguard Action Squad. The students from both classes put up quite the fight. Tokoyami-san had briefly been trapped into a marble but managed to escape. However, the mission was a success. The Vanguard achieved their goal and received the action they craved. Shigaraki will have recruits he can rely on. Toga tells me that Bakugou-san is being kept in restraints in the bar area, interrogated and persuaded by the League. For a moment, a wave of pity washes over me. His encounter with the Sludge Monster and his behavior at the Sports Festival rings like bells in my head, but the next moment, I suppress it. You knew from the start, Selene. Do not lose focus.

Someone calls from downstairs, and Toga pouts. "Talk to ya later, Selene!" she waves before leaving. I cannot help but smile a goodbye in return.

I flop back down on the mattress, desperate for some sleep. But just then, a voice echoes. And it is not from downstairs. "Good morning, Selene. How are you feeling now?" the voice calls out.

I whip my head toward the origin of the sound. It's coming from a monitor with a blank screen. All for One. But why is the monitor in my bedroom? "Good evening to you, too. How long have I been unconscious?"

"Just the entire night," he responds.

The entire night! I nearly tumble out of the bed. My fever must have been really severe for me to rest for so long. Perhaps that's why even after having hours of rest, I still feel so sore. "I should ... I should go downstairs. Check on everyone." I start to lift the covers, but All for One stops me.

"Selene, stay for a while," he orders. "Everything is fine, and there is something I have to discuss with you. In private." This will take time. Puzzled, I do as he says. Just as I pull the covers up, he asks out of the blue, "What do you know about All Might?" My confusion and suspicion only rise. Still, I tell him all that I know. Things that even he already knows because I have said them before: All Might's diminished strength, his bravado, his camaraderie with Midoriya-san. "And what do you know of his quirk?" All for One inquires when I finish.

I answer, "Very little. Impressive strength, speed, durability, and agility. There is no name for his quirk."

"There is a name," he counters. "One for All. A quirk designed to combat me."