Tetsuro's plan wasn't really a plan. Our job as heroes was to keep our eyes peeled while he and his force did the digging. We shared the photos with every agency in our jurisdiction with the hopes that someone would see something. Super helpful. But while we were looking, Tetsuro's team and affiliates would continue their research. Currently, they were dissecting what little remained of the chemical from the drinking fountain. There were some similarities between Agent A and Agent B, but several differences too, further confirming my theory of experimentation. But what was he trying to create? What was his goal?
More time went by with nothing. I could appreciate this guy's ability to stay underground without so much as a whisper of his existence but come on. He had to come up for air eventually, right?
It was hard to feel like this whole investigation wasn't a waste of time. It felt like we were right back where we were, chasing our tails. Other than the security photos and scraps of leftover chemical agents, we turned up nothing. Sure, we found tons of people who matched the basic description of the villain we were dealing with, but nothing ever came of it. Dead ends all over the place. It was like playing chess, but you couldn't see any of your opponent's pieces. You were just hoping that whatever move you made got you closer to their king.
At first, I questioned why they ever included Le Million on the case. What could he do? He had two eyes and two ears like the rest of us. It's not like he could bring in any more information than I could. But then I started to wonder if they brought him on purely for his optimism.
"We're bound to turn something up!" he would say. "I can feel it! We're getting closer to the answer! With every day that passes, our odds of finding something increase!"
Disgusting. Optimism alone was annoying, but optimism with nothing to back it up was worse. Deku was optimistic but he was also reasonable. Mostly...
Shit. Don't do this to yourself, Katsuki. Don't think about it.
I angrily snatched a bottle of sauce off the supermarket shelf. What was wrong with me? For years I've been able to remove myself from that nightmare. Why was I suddenly having a hard time keeping it together?
In my frustration, I forcefully threw the bottle of sauce into my basket, causing it to break. I swore a little too loudly to the point that a mother gasped and rushed her kid out of the aisle I was in. Damn extras.
I put my basket on the ground and started looking for a worker who could help me clean up my mess. After walking down a few aisles, I gave up looking and grabbed a package of paper towels to do it myself. I'd just pay for them before I left. But as I passed by the cashier up front on my way back to the splattered sauce, I saw something that made my heart stop.
A shock of messy, green hair.
When my brain finally comprehended what I saw, I whipped around to face the check-out line, but that all too familiar shade of green had disappeared. Without thinking, I sprinted towards the door, desperately trying to see it again. My eyes darted around the busy crowd of people in front of me, but I came up empty.
It wasn't until the store clerk shouted behind me that I realized how much of an idiot I was.
"Sir!" he yelled, nervously, "you have to pay for that!"
"Yeah, yeah," I shot back. The man flinched at the venom in my voice, despite it not being meant for him. I turned back towards the store and made eye contact with the worker, whose eyes widened in recognition.
"Ground Zero! Sir! I-I didn't realize- I sincerely apologize-" he stuttered out, bowing repeatedly in remorse.
"Don't worry about it," I growled, walking past him.
I am seriously losing it, I thought. Deku had been dead for over a decade. What possessed me to think that it was his mop of hair that I saw? And even if it was, why would I run after him? He would be the last person I would want to talk to after so long! What was wrong with me??
After tearing open the package of paper towels, I started cleaning up my mess. I didn't even pay attention to whether I got it all or not. My mind felt so scattered. I just wanted to go back to the bare apartment that I called home. I abandoned my grocery shopping, deciding I'd just come again tomorrow, put my head down, and started walking.
YOU ARE READING
Wasted Quirk
Fanfiction"He did it. He actually did it." Katsuki Bakugo is haunted by the suicide of his childhood friend, or rather the guilt of knowing he was the one who pushed him to it. How does he cope now that he's the most promising up-and-coming hero? And what hap...
