A Dance to Death

Friends and foes

I slowly ate as I blocked out the screams of my mother. I already knew what she was saying.
"You're eating too much, Ushy! Get less food! I'm going to start giving you small portions because of how chubby you're getting!"
It was known all too well. In her eyes, every physical appearance of mine needed to be fixed.
Yuudai ate her small portion next to me. I looked over at her.
"What are you eating, little moon?"
"I'm eating rice and soba!" She happily replies.
"It's the only thing she's getting so she doesn't end up as chunky as you," My mother bluntly interrupted.
I slammed my hands down on the table.
"Do you have to say that? What good does saying that do for me, or for you?" I yelled, completely enraged by my mother's remarks.
My mother had a shocked look on her face for a moment, and then she ripped my bowl out of my hand.
"You don't get food tonight! Go to your room now!"
"I'd rather be in my room than with you!"
I ran up to my room, laying down on my bed.
I can't wait until the day I can eat without feeling guilty for it.

"Pey, you should eat more food," Toga says to me, shoving her face with the meal.
I give her a gross look.
"First of all, you know I have to be careful of what I eat. Second of all, please close your mouth when you chew."
"You could eat a little more, doll," Dabi adds, offering me more slices of beef.
I stare at my almost empty plate, despite me not even eating a bite of food.
I love food, but I'm not in the mood for eating.
I sigh, taking the slices of beef that was offered to me.
"Remember, even if your quirk is hard to use with weight, that doesn't mean you can't eat more. Food gives you energy, which you do need. Don't deprive yourself of it," Odessa states, softly smiling at me.
"I agree with Odessa," Pandora adds, "You need food no matter what you grew up thinking. You're extremely skinny, Pey, a little bit of food isn't going to hurt."
"Yeah! We don't want you accidentally passing out when we're in the middle of a fight! You do that too much," Twice adds.
I smile at them.
"Give me more rice please."
Dabi giggled, passing over the rice bowl to me, and giving me a kiss on the head.
"Eat up, pretty girl."

I sat on my bed as Dabi got changed into different, more comfortable clothes.
"Why do you guys always want me to eat more?" I asked, fidgeting with my fingers.
"We already explained it to you, doll."
"I know, but I still don't understand why you guys care so much."
"Well, unfortunately, we are a big mentally unstable family. We have to look out for each other, even if we don't really care for each other that much. It's us versus society."
I kiss his cheek.
"You sound like you're warming up to everyone."
"I'm not warming up to everyone. I'm only warming up to a few."
I chuckled, taking his hand.
"That's better than nothing."
I rest my head on his shoulder as he wraps his free arm around my waist. We slowly sway in the quiet, softly lit bedroom.
"I love you," I whisper.
"I love you, too," He whispers back, kissing the top of my head.

Hawks was walking through the hide out.
I can't believe we're allowing heroes to be a part of this. Any of them could be a spy.
I felt a soft slap on my arm. I snapped out of my trance, looking up at the tall, dark haired man.
"You're staring at him a little too hard."
"Toy-" I stopped myself, taking a deep breath before speaking again, "Dabi, I don't trust him. To be honest I don't trust any of the heroes here."
"You don't give any other hero the death stare."
"There's an uneasy vibe about him. I can feel his corrupt heroic nature; I can basically taste it. I don't like it. I don't like him."
"Maybe you're jealous."
I scoffed.
"How can I be jealous of him?"
"Didn't you and 2K have a situationship?"
"Well, yeah, but I don't like her like that anymore."
He chuckled.
"I know, I was just playing around with you."
I sighed, forcing a smile on my face.

It was a bright fall day. Kimiko and I were going for a joyride in my new, black van. At the time, I just turned sixteen about three months prior, and had my license for about two months, but Kimiko's fifteenth birthday was just around the corner. She didn't really enjoy her birthdays, so I took her out for a joyride. Joyrides helped us calm down, get away from our families, and basically get away from our responsibilities.
"Have you checked up on your mom, Miko?"
"Hell no! She can rot in that psych ward for all I care."
"That doesn't sound like you, Miko."
"People like her don't deserve to have kids, nor be allowed to walk freely on the streets. She had no reason to be hurting me, or dad. Dad is much happier now that she's gone, and so am I."
"Miko, don't you want to be a hero?"
"Yeah."
"Heroes are nice to everyone, even the bad people. She has a heart, even if it doesn't seem like she does."
"Are you speaking from experience?"
"Maybe."
I parked on a trail in the woods. I looked over at the young, blonde girl.
"Miko, you have to realize that family is weird. Some people like you, some don't and you'll never know why. My mother and step father clearly don't love me, but I have my sister. I had my dad. All I can do is hope my mom and step father love me."
"My mom and I hate each other. My dad holds onto hope, but mom doesn't. I want to be a hero that takes away oppressors, and lifts up the oppressed. My mom is an oppressor."
I held her chin with my thumb and index finger.
"You're a true hero, Miko."
I put her soft, red lips on mine. Her skin was cold from her quirk, and so were her lips. I felt her kiss me back, gripping onto my black and deep blue hair with her long ocean blue nails. I slowly pulled away from the kiss, staring at her lucent crimson eyes.
"My lipstick is all over your lips, Ushy."
"Let's see where else it can get, hm?"
She giggled, moving over to the driver's seat.
"Careful of the steering wheel, Miko."
"Maybe if you moved your seat back a little, I'd be able to fit."
She sat on my lap as I moved my right hand on her waist. My left hand moved my seat back, giving her some room. I kissed her soft, red lips again, gripping onto her waist. Her arms pulled my head closer to her. Our breaths were scattered as we made out.

I watch Hawks like he is my prey.
He probably thinks he can just swoop in and fool everyone? I'm not stupid. Miko deserves better than him.
"Pey, you're staring again!" Pandora scolds me.
"I know, but I also know he's planning something. He's dangerous, and he shouldn't be here!"
Pandora sighs, rubbing my back.
"If you're jealous he's dating 2K, just say it."
"I'm not jealous!"
"You are."
"He's a foe, he is playing with us and no one believes me! I don't think this because I was with 2K, I think this because he's a bad person!"
Odessa fixed her curly ginger hair.
"I also get bad vibes from him."
"See? I'm not jealous!"
Pandora giggles, walking away.

Hawks had done the extreme to earn Dabi's trust. One of the main things he did was kill Best Jeanist. Dabi told me about it one day.
"I even double checked it to make sure it was real, and it was."
"I don't understand his motive. Why does he want our trust so much? Why would he hide this from 2K? This doesn't add up."
"It doesn't have to add up, Pey. He wants our trust, and we won't act unless he does something that betrays our trust."

Hawks had been having little private teaching sessions with Twice. I just so happen to walk past one of these many lessons. I opened the door, death staring Hawks, and walking over to Twice.
"Hey, Jin!"
"Hey, Pey! Are you here to listen?"
"Sure."
"It was really nice of you to stop by. Go away! No, don't go away!"
I chuckled.

Twice, or Jin, kind of reminded me of a brother. A really mentally unstable brother. He was sweet, caring, and took care of his friends. Yet, he had a lot of regrets.
Every older sibling has regrets. I know that for a fact.

"Ushy..."
A faint male voice surrounds me. The world is a mix of a dark purple, dark blue, and black. There was only one light that slightly illuminated over me.
"Get out of my head already!"
"No, Ushy. You're fighting with yourself. You know you have to choose who you want to be."
"No! I'm fine. I'm not crazy, I'm just special. I know what I'm doing."
"Do you, or are you just living in denial?"
"What?"
"You're living in Yuudai's shadow despite being a villain. You aren't making a difference. You need to show the world what you can do. Show them you are free, that you are doing this for yourself."
"You're always in my head..."
"You need me until you realize what you are."
"I'm Pey, not Ushy."
"You act more like Ushy, when will you embrace Pey?"
The shadows of the League stand in a straight line on my right, and on my left is everyone I left when I ran away.
"Choose."
"No."
My eyes quickly open as I gasp for air.