Made to Destroy | BNHA x OP!Reader

[01] The Outside World

I don't know where I'm going.

You've been walking for a while now, with no real destination in mind. Truthfully, you're not searching for anyplace in particular. You just figure that anywhere will be better than being stuck with that crazy old man.

So, you walk. The building you've just come out of is rather secluded, tucked away behind a canopy of trees. There's no one else as far as the eye can see, so you make the journey in total silence, instead focusing on the sweet-tasting air, and the little birds that flit from branch to branch.

The minutes trickle on, turning to hours, and you find yourself weighed down by a heavy feeling that must be fatigue.

But it's okay. Because it seems like you've just reached the city.

Here, you are no longer alone. It's crowded and busy, and there are tons of people roaming about. You can't help but blink in awe. Up until now, the only person you've met was Dr. Garaki. You never imagined that there would be so many others besides him.

Curious, you take a step forward.

Only to be immediately pulled back.

"Be careful!" a woman cries out, and something speeds past you at that very moment, just narrowly missing your body. You frown and look back at the woman in confusion. For some reason, she's gasping for breath and her shoulders are trembling. "You almost walked right in front of that car," she says shakily. "Seriously, you need to look both ways before crossing. The pedestrian light wasn't even on."

You're not really sure what she's talking about, but you nod nonetheless.

"Okay," you reply. "Thank you."

She lets go of your arm, then looks you over for quite a long time. Something about your appearance must not sit right with her, because her brow is now furrowed.

"Is everything okay-"

"Hey, what's the hold up?" someone else interjects. It's a man, and he loops his arm around the woman's. "Come on, I'm in a hurry here. I need to get back to work soon."

"Oh. This girl was about to wander out into the street, so I got worried about her," she explains.

"Yeah? Well, she's fine now, so let's go. Like I said, I don't have time for this."

The woman is jerked along without another word, but you can see her glancing back over her shoulder every few moments, a look of concern plastered across her face.

Eventually, she disappears through the crowd, so you shrug and carry on walking.

A lot of people seem to be giving you funny looks. You don't notice them at first, but eventually, you realize that you're drawing a lot of attention to yourself. You're not really sure why, though.

More importantly, so much of this is new to you. Not only are there tons of people, but there are countless buildings, in all colors and sizes, as well as other strange things you've never seen before. The world outside appears to be vibrant and bright, already a massive improvement to the dingy lab you awoke in.

You keep walking. Some people look like they want to call out to you, or at the very least, they're thinking about it, but ultimately, they reconsider and let you carry on your way.

Everyone disregards the fact that you're a child all on your own and assumes that someone else will come to your rescue eventually. That's the reasoning they use to spare themselves the hassle and wipe their hands of any responsibility.

And then, someone does come to your rescue.

"Hello there, little girl. Are you by yourself?"

It's a tall man with a warm, inviting smile. He fixes you in a tender gaze, and unlike everyone else, he takes the time to find out how you're doing.