Mute

11 | Villain

I winced as the rain pelted my umbrella, holding it over my brothers head as I held him tightly. He was shaking, which was understandable, especially because the villain was just down the street.

Our recent trauma was not helping. Akito's head was buried in my shoulder, and I was kneeling. The villain was using the rain, making it turn to sharp shards and stabbing everything in its path, hence why we were in the alley. I prayed the car we were behind would help hide us.

"Why can't they leave us alone?" He whimpered.

I blinked. It couldn't be, no one could hear anything over all this noise and rain. I shifted, handing Akito the umbrella and motioning for him to stay before I crept to the edge of the car and peeked around the edge. My eyes widened in astonishment. A bunch of heroes were fighting the villain, even Todoroki and the others. I flinched as one of the heroes was sent flying, noticing after a second they were losing.

I hurried back to Akito, already soaking wet. He was crying more, "what? Is he coming?" He wiped his eyes and I smiled comfortingly.

"Its okay." I told him steadily, consciously using my quirk to soothe him. "The heroes are helping right now. Here, we're going to go through that door across the street and you're going to hide inside where it's safe alright?"

He nodded, my quirk convincing him. I spoke quietly under my breath as we secretly crossed the street, the door unlocking as we reached it. I relaxed slightly and slipped inside, hiding Akito under a desk.

"Don't come out until I come get you alright?"

"Alright."

I crept back outside, the heroes were still losing. I pulled my hood over my face, effectively hiding myself despite the rain and sleet doing its best. I inhaled deeply, shaking slightly.

"The waves roar, but you can't drown out my voice." I started softly, my voice easily cutting through the wind and rain. I didn't need to look to know everyone heard me, though I was directing my quirk at the villain. I could tell by the way the sleet wasn't hitting me quite as hard.

"You can't handle anymore, see you have a choice." I clutched the locket around my neck, raising my voice and pitch so it was more easily heard, the power in it steadily rising as I began backing into the ocean. "Down to the depths of the churning sea, or up the sky's where you can be free. She sits on a rock. Not an inch to be moved."

By now the rain was normal, the typical rain we had here, not the sleet and sharpened tips the villain had been adding. I was walking hip deep in the water, the waves parting before they touched me, letting me through without struggle. The villain already ankle deep in the water had to fight the waves as he struggled towards me though, pulled by the music. I could see the heroes on the shore, watching with curious eyes, they looked to be arguing. The main heroes at least.

"Her gaze you have locked, but your hearts yet to be soothed. Her call beckons." I held the locket tighter as the water climbed up my torso. "And you know you've lost." I looked up, well aware the heroes couldn't see my face through the rain, but that the villain could. We locked gazes and I continued my song.

"The rocks are your reckoning, your life is the cost."

At my words the heroes surged forward, fighting the water as it pushed them back.

"See this is what happens when you mess with Death, This is your fate if you listen to the devilish sirens song."

My song ended as I began swimming backwards, the villain following. I spun and dove down, angling down at an angle so I didn't go straight down. A quick glance showed the villain following, completely enraptured.

I didn't actually want him to die, I wasn't cruel, but, I did want the heroes and my brother safe. So I'd let him stay underwater until he fell unconscious. That's what my songs did, when you went under you wouldn't die, my song protected them, it simply made you fall unconscious when you normally would die.

As soon as he fell unconscious I began swimming towards the surface, dragging him with me. I was lucky though, and he wasn't too heavy in the water.

I gasped in air as I broke through the surface. My quirk gave me the amazing ability to hold my breath underwater for a long time, but it wasn't limitless. I scanned the area, swimming on my back to shore, doing my best not to let the villain sink.

"Hey! They're right here!"

I ducked underwater as the voice sounded nearby, holding the villain aloft while I hid underwater, holding my hood in place under the water. I watched several forms swim closer, letting myself sink as they neared. I spun underwater and began swimming quickly.

Unfortunately, a layer of the water in front of my face froze, and my heart sank as I realized who was probably trying to capture me. Luckily I knew the water wouldn't let something like that last while it wasn't winter, so I kept swimming, curling into a ball as the ice shattered around me. I dove straight down, well aware he'd have to surface soon.

When I eventually reached land again the heroes were all on the shore, putting the villain in a car to be taken away. The students were all in the water, probably still searching for me.

I hugged myself as I slipped into the building. "Akito?"

"Emiko!" I was tackled by a small form, and I relaxed as I knelt to hug him, my hair hanging around us in wet strings. "I was so scared when you didn't come back. I want to go home."

I nodded, smoothing his hair and taking the umbrella from him. I held his hand and we crept out of the building, slipping away unnoticed and going home.