Untrusted Love (Little Nightmares x MHA)

Chapter 30

(Mono's POV)

Mono could barely breathe, his chest heaved with each breath. He felt sick and cold but he was so close. So close to getting them all out of here. Fighting the feelings of nausea and fatigue, he continued to crawl towards the TV. He was only a couple of metres away now. Mono could just faintly hear the sounds of fighting and he wondered how the girls were handling it. He knew Six could handle herself if he wasn't around but she was never injured that bad when she was. And what about RG? She had taken on two monsters. A metre left to go, he was summoning all his power to stay awake, remember his training and to keep moving forwards.

"Just die already!" The angry voice of Six rang in his ears and made him slightly curious as to what was going on behind him. He slowly turned in time to see Six get kicked backwards with a loud crack. Mono wanted to call out to her or go over to protect her but he would never make it. It would've also taken forever to get back to where he was currently. He reached out his arm to touch the screen. It didn't turn on like TVs usually did when he was around them. A loud and pain filled scream was the last thing Mono heard before the screen suddenly buzzed to life, it's familiar headache-inducing whirs drowning out everything else. Diverting all his strength to his quirk, Mono finally touched the screen. He felt himself get violently sucked in instead of the usual unfamiliar multidirectional pull he was used to.

Everything was blurry and fuzzy. Sounds and shapes moved around him but all he could feel was eyes looking at him. He wasn't alone here. Mono rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision but it didn't work. A faint voice was calling to him. Mono looked around for it only to make out a silhouette of a man. He looked almost like Aizawa but with less hair and way skinnier.

"Mono". He finally made out that it was the man and he was calling his name.

"Mono" he called again.

"Who are you?" Mono replied, finding his voice. The words echoed around him and left a ringing in his ears.

"Mono, we don't have much time," the voice warned. "I brought you here" the man continued after Mono didn't respond.

"Why?" Mono asked, wincing at how the headache grew with each word. The man must have noticed.

"You'll get used to that". He hesitated before continuing. "Listen, I'm you. Or as you know me, 'The Thin Man'" the voice said seriously. Mono gasped.

"The Thin Man?" He repeated. He saw the man nod. "B-but..how? How is that possible?" He stuttered in shock.

"I, and many other versions of you, were stuck in a loop of hell by the Signal Tower. When I went through my loop, I fought the Tower and escaped to this place" the man gestured to their surroundings. Mono took in the empty landscapes filled with hundreds of TVs that showed static.

"In order to stop the loops, I spent years trying to save us. Each time I failed, I reset my loop in order to keep you safe from the same fate. Years of the same life over and over and over again until I found this place," he said, agony evident in his voice. When he finished talking a TV screen showed UA high. Mono stared in yearning.

"A school of heros; it was perfect. So I waited for the right moment in both places to send you and Six there" he explained. The TV buzzed and switched to show Six and Mono in the apartment just as the door broke down.

"So, why are RG and Seven here too?" Mono questioned.

"In one of my earlier resets, I followed my Six through the TVs as she had escaped the tower. She made it to the Maw and she and Seven crossed paths. I grew fond of him as he was one of the few kids there that still had his humanity. I couldn't leave him behind.

"As for RG, Six never forgave herself for what happened. I managed to find the Nest and then, RG. I rest the loop again and let it finish, keeping her soul with me. At the end of the loop, I found her body and reunited them. Her soul kept the memory of dying which is why she does remember but after being dead for so long, she forgot most of her other memories" the other Mono explained. A look of guilt filled his pitch black eyes and he turned back to the younger version of himself.

"I didn't know any of this would have happened" he exclaimed, almost frustrated but mostly panicked. In the glow of the TV light, Mono made out his own features. He was older than Aizawa, his brown frizzy hair was thinner and flattened by a hat. He was wearing a white button-down shirt with black suit pants. The Thin Man sighed, sad and defeated yet deep in thought.

"Wait, I can still fix this," the older Mono suddenly spoke, having come to a conclusion. The young boy watched as he floated over and took him by his hand. "You won't remember any of this but I think if I share some of my power with you, we can do it". A dark blue and black static erupted from the Thin Man's hand and went to Mono's. It latched onto his small hands as an immense sense of power flowed into his body, ready to explode at a moment's notice.

"W-what is that?" He stammered, wincing at the feeling of restlessness that consumed him.

"It will guide you. I know you can do it, Mono. You've made it this far" the man smiled sadly but with pride in his sunken eyes. The TVs around them flicked to show moments of the four's adventures. When they first got to UA, eating breakfast with Eri and Aizawa, going swimming, training with pro heros, the cafe with Mirio and finally the markets. Mono felt tears prick his eyes and turned back to himself, longing to go back.

"Now go, your friends need you" he said as a strong pulse yanked Mono backwards.

———

This chapter is long and short at the same time. Just a heads up, the next couple of chapters may be a little janky so apologies. 

Also if anything doesn't make any sense, just ask and I'll try my best to explain it