UNMASKED (mha)

29

T/W: once again, this chapter contains content that some readers might find disturbing.

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The woman hummed and her pale fingers trailed down the spine of the dead cat.
"Tell me, Aiko Zhu..."
She whispered, Aiko's heart pounded.

"How would you like to die?"
___

Aiko stared at her and she stared back with a sweet smile. She then bent towards her lap and scooped up the bloody creature that was sitting in it. She held it to her chest like one might hold a young baby, cradling it in her arms.
She stood up, still holding that poor kitty.
She walked towards Aiko, who took a step back in response.

She flicked her hand forward, trying to send a blast of air to the woman she now deemed as a threat.
But it didn't work.
Her eyes widened as she realized THAT is what was missing. That is what felt off.

She was quirkless.

The woman walked towards her, humming softly. Looking down at the cat with a look that reminded Aiko of mothers seeing their newborns for the first time.
Love.
Her long lips still held a tender smile, her eyebrows were raised just slightly in a kind way as she stared down at the animal she had killed.

"Isn't it pretty?"
She asked Aiko, she was now only a few feet away. "The way it kinda sparkles?"

Aiko gulped down a gag.
"What do you want?"
She finally asked.

"Me?"
The girl looked up with wide eyes.
Aiko nodded with a frown. Who else would she be talking to?

She flattered her eyelashes at Aiko.
"I'm afraid what I want doesn't matter."
She said sadly, with her bottom lip turning up in a pout.

"It's what the world needs, that's what Stain said. He said that fake heroes deserve to be killed, to be rid of society so we could have a new world."
The woman monologed, she held up the cat. Outstretching her arms and holding it under the shoulders out in front of her. Making its headless neck obvious.

Aiko glanced backwards, she hadn't heard a noise come from Beatrice since they stepped into the Alley. She was still standing there at the beginning of the Alley, her back in the sun. Causing her to cast a long shadow.
She looked frozen, except for her shaking hands.

She was paralyzed with fear.

Aiko looked back at the woman again.
"What does that have to do with me?"
She asked, the girl giggled.

"Money... money money!~"
She sang.
"Fame... fame fame!~
You want, the world, to know, your name~"

Aiko gulped.
"You want to kill me, in the name of Stains ideologies."
She whispered.

"Yes, yes that's right! Stain~ I really did like that video. I watched it over a hundred times, he was so right. Don't you think?"
She looked at Aiko.

Who obviously shook her head.
"H-he was right in saying that some heroes were corrupt. But that doesn't mean you should kill them."
She said, trying to keep her voice steady. This woman was absolutely batshit crazy.

"Hm... then how else are we supposed to clean up alllll the blood?"
The woman asked, singing the word "all" and smiling at Aiko.
"You know I like you!"

She suddenly dropped the cat and danced forward, towards Aiko. She braced herself for an attack but it didn't come.
The woman stopped, her face only a few inches away from Aiko's.
"But you're what stain warned us about."
She whispered, Aiko closed her eyes. She felt the woman kindly stroke her hair.
"You're fine now, but you'll grow up to be a selfish greedy little hero. Fame can get to your head you know."