STAINED

Book 2 - Chapter 59 - The Order

I was sat outside the warehouse on the small make shift deck, my legs hanging over the edge with my head buried in my hands. Shoto sat beside me but was smart enough not to say anything. Endeavour, Idina and Yuzuki however were inside making calls and going over details before 'The Order' arrived.
They said The Order was formed after One For All was defeated and was a secret collection of heroes that swore loyalty to each other and to the greater good. Aizawa was a member, and apparently Idina had stepped in his place. Once The Order arrived we would then work on the next steps.

I knew I needed to stay focused on the mission, but I needed a moment to think. Learning Idina had been at arms length the entire time had hurt a lot. And though Shoto hadn't admitted it yet I knew he felt the same.

The sound of tyres rolling against gravel had my head pricking up. An elegant blue car had just parked and I swallowed the feeling of betrayal when I realised who it belonged to. Shoto rose to a stand gingerly, almost as if sensing my apprehension.

"I'll let them know someone's arrived." He murmured quietly and slipped back inside.

I watched through narrowed eyes as my mentor, Best Jeanist approached. The moment he saw me his eyes widened in surprise.

"Bakugo. What are you doing here? You shouldn't be out here..." he glanced around confused at my presence. I huffed a humourless laugh.

"Oh I'm supposed to be here. And so are you I assume. You're part of The Order I take it?" I dropped my gaze back down to my hands, unable to look at him, my shoulders hunching involuntarily. I didn't hear him approach, not until he had lowered himself to a seat beside me, denim clad legs hanging over the deck's edge just like mine. I could feel him watching me, but I didn't have the energy to meet his stare.

"I take it you know." It wasn't a question, and I knew exactly what he was referring to. And still, I refused to look up and meet his gaze.

"I'm curious..." I murmured quietly as I turned over my fingers. "When you took me in after I finished UA, and you watched me breakdown time and time again, did you know?" There was no malice, no anger, no harshness to my tone. It was a just quiet question, one I felt I already knew the answer to.

Jeanist however didn't answer, and I wasn't quite ready to risk a glance at him. But his silence told me everything.

"What about when you offered to let me use your systems to try find her. Did you know then?" I clenched my jaw, the anger slowly seeping back through. "Did you know where she was when I was staying back late, sometimes not even going home at all so I could spend my free time searching for any clue of where she might be? When you watched me falling to pieces... when you let me call you my mentor... did you know?" I lifted my head then, my now tired, red eyes locking with his. He said nothing, and yet he didn't have to. The agony on his face told me everything. It screamed at me. Told me exactly what I knew to be true. He had known the entire time, and yet he had the nerve to console me, to tell me that I would heal. But I didn't heal. I just learned to repress my feelings... to go numb...

I let out a small, false laugh and shook my head.

"You preach of honour... but there's no honour in that. You're a fraud." I forced myself to stand to walk away and Jeanist raised himself to follow.

"Baku-"

But before he could finish Shoto appeared and blocked his path.

"With all due respect Jeanist, I think it's best you let him be." Shoto tipped his chin up in challenge, eyes set and fists clenched.
Jeanist said nothing just nodded reluctantly, his expression torn, but he let me walk back inside the building without following me. I didn't expect Shoto to stand up for me like that, but I had to admit I was grateful for it. I had burned through my energy arguing with Idina, I didn't have it in me to take on my mentor as well.