C҉R҉O҉W҉ | ᴍᴄᴜ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

V - 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬

Y/N STARED AT THE MIRROR, the weight of the mask feeling heavier on his palms. The black paint around his eyes was smudged, his hair messy and damp with sweat. He looked tired. Haunted even.

"But you owe it to yourself to try." Fury's words echoed in his mind.

Then another voice.

Soft, familiar, his mother's.

"Y/N, it's okay to let people in. You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders alone."

He shook his head, trying to dispel the memory, but another voice replaced it.

Austin's innocent face gleamed, doe eyed.

"Broda, you don't have to pretend."

The words stung, piercing through his carefully constructed walls. He gripped the edges of the sink, knuckles white. His father's voice followed.

"Strength isn't just about fighting, son. It's about knowing when to rely on others."

The chaotic swirl of voices grew louder, overlapping and longing. Felicia's voice, sweet and sad, joined the chorus.

"You can't keep pushing everyone away. One day, you'll wake up and realize you're all alone."

Y/N clenched his jaw, breathing heavily as he tried to silence the tormenting thoughts. But then, Fury's recent words cut through the noise, sharp and clear.

"Just remember. . .you're not alone."

He felt a surge of anger, frustration boiling over.

The voices grew louder, a relentless barrage of truths he wasn't ready to face. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the memories and voices continued to assault him.

"Open up, Y/N."

"Be human."

"Let them see beyond the mask."

The words pounded in his head, each one a hammer strike against his defenses. His breathing became ragged, the pressure building inside him until he thought he might explode.

Suddenly, the chaotic symphony was interrupted by a new voice—his own, but younger, softer.

"Why won't you let me in?"

The Crow's eyes snapped open, and he saw a reflection of his younger self in the mirror, eyes wide with innocence and fear.

"You can't keep this up forever." The younger Y/N whispered, his voice trembling as his lips quivered, "Y-You're hurting yourself."

The sight of his younger self, so vulnerable and pleading, broke something inside him.

His rage erupted, and with a primal scream, he smashed his fist into the mirror.