Stray

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 - 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙

Playlist of the day:

Enjoy =]
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"Shitt.." A male voice from behind a blue curtain on the other side of the office groaned. The wolf froze just as they reached the doorframe, ears lowering and shifting to catch the noise of the man shifting around. The two adults carefully watched the vigilante stop dead in their tracks, but Stray dismissed the feelings of their watchful eyes, their heart sinking down to their feet.
   The feeling of the room completely changed as Stray turned and immediately rushed to the curtain despite Eraserhead and Recovery girl urging them to stop. But their voices only faded into the background.
  Stray threw back the curtain, everyone went silent besides the creaking metal of the curtain sliding back and forth. The vigilante looked over the blonde thin man now sitting up in a patient bed. All might's powerless form that Stray hardly recognized from a memory buried deep within their mind.
   Eraserhead stepped behind the teen and grabbed their shoulder, "Stray." He began, but Stray shook him off, their eyes still not leaving All might.

  The buried memory flashed behind their eyes and for just a moment the heroes all watched Stray look like the most tired teenager that they'd ever seen. As if the world had completely drained them of everything they had.

  But they closed their eyes for just a moment and upon opening them, rehardened their expression. Laying furious, burning eyes on All might. "I already knew" They muttered finally in reply to Eraserhead, the filtration of the mask activating the moment they spoke.
  The pure anger in the voice of the wolf seemed to take All might aback and he looked at them confused. That was the final straw for the vigilant.
  "Fuck y-ou" Stray tore the mask from their face, filter lifting to display their real voice which wavered with emotion.
  It took all the self control in their body not to rush forward and tear the life from his bones when All Might's lips pursed to a straight line. His eyes gaining a sick sense of pity.

He knew, he remembered. He did.
Eraserhead and Recovery girl both saw it too, even if they lacked the context, they saw the pity and that was enough.
  All might could picture Stray before they were Stray. Before their quirk had become their outlawed alias. A small, rounded child who's voice shook just the same.
Stray was rougher now, scars and sharp edges to every mannerism.
  But All Might could remember how the edges of their voice pitched up the louder their voice got. A tattered little child wandering the streets years ago that All might had brushed off for the sake of his time running out. As he walked away, he'd heard their young voice call out to him, and in his idiocy, he had pretended he didn't.
  But now they stood at the foot of his patient bed, pulling their blackened mask back across their face.
  "I'm sorry, Stray." Was all he said. But it elicited no reply.
  The teen simply turned and walked past Eraserhead and Recovery girl, continuing out of the room.

[⚠️ Another trigger warning for an active panic attack ⚠️]

  Stray had so much more to say, but recognized they wouldn't be able to. Chest heaving as their breathing turned ragged and uneven, the wolf rushed through the halls until they found a bathroom and entered.
  As soon as the lights flickered on and the door clicked shut behind then. Stray fell to their knees against the cold tile wall. A heavy choked sob clawed its way out of their lungs as they once again ripped the mask off and threw it across the bathroom at the opposite wall.
   Once again that gut-wrenching feeling returned, and their heart became too heavy for their chest. It clawed and ripped its way out through their throat, more gasps and choked sobbing filled the bathroom.
  Stray threw their hands around their torso which ached even worse than their lungs from the shaking. Tears eventually made their way to their eyes to streak down their face.
  So many memories that Stray had hoped and prayed that they'd never have to face again were now hitting them like a brick wall, making this empty bathroom seem even more like a prison cell. Blank walls pounding and closing in around then. Everything was dizzy and static and suddenly all Stray could manage to do was clench their eyes shut and let waves of hyperventilation wash over them.
  Stray didn't hear as Eraserhead knocked, this time hardly waiting at all before coming in and crouching beside the aggressively distraught teen.
Only seeing his dark shoes through blurry vision when they opened their eyes. Their breathing stilled as the overwhelming amount of thoughts that drowned them isolated into a single panic of: he knows I'm a wreck.
The teen rushed to wipe their face with their arms and hands, sniffling to regain their breath. Their exhales shuddered almost as much as their anxious shoulders did. But Eraserhead calmly stood and retrieved the wolf's mask from across the room, bringing it back to the space beside Stray.

[End of warning ⚠️]

  As the cold tile and the bright bathroom light faded back into focus for them, Stray looked defensively at the hero as if waiting for him to scrutinize their behavior. But he set the mask down without a further word and sat in front of them. Neither of them said a thing for the entire time they sat. Stray's eyes dried and their heaving chest became completely regulated, fists unfurling and allowing their nails to stop digging into their fleshy palms.
  The hero's pocket buzzed and he reached to pull out his phone, glancing at the screen. Stray took a moment before grabbing their mask and pulling it over their face and staring forward at Eraserhead's phone. He noticed and held it forward, a message from present mic displayed across the screen.
  Reporters who heard about the new 'addition to UA' had somehow found their way onto campus and were harassing anyone who crossed their path for more information.
Stray couldn't help but roll their eyes, and seemingly neither could Eraserhead. He tucked the phone away and stood up, offering his hand down to the teen. But they quickly slapped his hand away and pushed themself to their feet. No matter what he had witnessed, this guaranteed nothing and meant even less.
  The hero took the hint and backed up, giving a questioning look to the villain. Stray knew that everyone in Masutafu would be expecting top notch media content and constant updates on this. So, they wouldn't give into that. Still, they couldn't help but wanting to come along to watch the heroes chase the news crews off campus.
  Stray shook their head and Eraserhead nodded in acknowledgment. Once again moving to open the door and allowing them to slip out into the hallway.