In the Shadow of Revenge

Chapter 11

When Mei lay awake that night, all she could think about was that day, and the kiss. The way Tenya's lips had felt when pressed against hers. The way every thought and doubt had flown from her head as if they never existed. It had felt more powerful than any Quirk, and Mei couldn't stop herself from smiling behind her pillow despite all that had occurred. She had never thought, had never even dreamed of telling someone what she really felt before, and now it felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest, like maybe she'd be able to create for herself and not for the ghosts inside her. For the first time in what felt like forever she was starting to feel hope and it made her feel as though anything was possible, at least for that night.

—

Mei startled awake in the middle of the night, hair flying across her face. The walls shook with screams, screams filled with pain and breathy whimpers, screams that stopped her heart. Breathless, she ran down the hallway, barefoot, heart racing. Only to crash into someone, standing there, in the middle of the hall.

"Todoroki?"

He was just standing there, hair messy, the white mixing in with the red. His different colored eyes seemed glazed over, haunted, as he listened to the screams coming down the hall. His hands were trembling too, Mei noticed.

"Todoroki" Mei turned to face him, trying to remain as calm as possible, "what happened, can you tell me?"

His eyes seemed to look right through her, "My mom, she, she won't stop screaming, he's going to hurt her again..." He muttered rapidly, voice breathy with fear.

Mei felt sick, she'd had some indication of what Endeavor may have been like behind closed doors with that fiery temper of his, but now, now the burn on Todoroki's face seemed so much more menacing where it stood out an angry red amidst pale skin.

Mei reached out and took Todoroki's hand in hers,

Your mom's safe, he's not going to hurt her anymore," and God, Mei hoped that was true, "that's not what the screaming is, ok? Tenya probably just had a bad dream, and I'm going to go check on him, everything's ok" Mei tried to reassure, even though her own voice shook as the screaming continued, and it was a wonder no one else was out of their rooms yet.

Todoroki didn't seem to be hearing her.

"Hey, can you go upstairs and find Midoriya for me?, it's important." Mei had seen how the two looked at each other, and she assumed that if there was anyone who could help Todoroki, it would be Midoriya.

"H-He can make the screaming stop?"

"Yeah," Mei replied softly, "he'll make it stop," If only it were that easy.

After she managed to get Todoroki to go up the stairs, Mei walked over to Tenya's door and jerked it open to find, Kaminari.

"Hatsume, oh, thank God!, I was going to come get you, I pushed the call button, " Kaminari panted, his cheeks flushed.

"Wh-what happened?"

"I'm not sure,he won't calm down, there's just, there's so much blood.."

At that, Mei roughly shoved past Kaminari. He was right, blood was everywhere staining the sheets in a pool of red that reminded her of Tenya's eyes. And the screaming, oh God, the screaming, as Tenya thrashed about deliriously in the bed. His eyes were open, but glazed over, fever-bright against flushed cheeks. Whatever he was seeing at that moment, it wasn't her. She couldn't think, had to fit the urge to press her hands against her ears, he had to stop screaming, she needed him to stop screaming. She couldn't think, she couldn't think.