CoTE X MHA Fanfiction : Life Behind Masks

V2 Chapter 9 : Showdown between Masterpieces

1

"You mustn't be naive and show mercy to others, Kiyotaka," the man in front of me said.

Due to the difference in our height, I had to tilt my head up in order to see his face. The man had similar features to myself, though the years were obvious in the small wrinkles around his eyes and forehead.

"Your job is to surpass All Might, the number one hero, and dominate the world. To make sure you'll achieve that goal, you must cut down the unnecessary— things that are useless for that goal. And that includes people."

All Might... Hero? In mythology and legends, a hero is a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods. A hero could also be a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.

Are such people common in the outside world? I doubt it. If they do exist, then this place shouldn't exist. But, I'm here aren't I? Therefore...

"Your actions just now were unwarranted and unneeded," the man's voice broke through my thoughts. "There is no need for mercy or pity in this world. It is a sign of weakness. You cannot reign supreme in the world when you are weak. Therefore, you must cease your actions from now onwards."

"What actions?" I asked. My monotonous voice carried through the halls outside. "I did not do anything wrong."

"I know you've been lowering your performance so the others can stay," he said. "It may not be against the rules, however, it tampers with research data as well as your growth. You'll stop, or I'll have no choice but to punish you."

Punishment... Me? No. That cannot be. Not me.

"What kind of punishment?" Despite my thoughts, I asked.

"The kind that everyone here is most fearful of. You've been observing everyone for a long, long time, so you should know."

It doesn't matter to them that I'm number one here. If I don't obey, I'll be punished regardless of my results. To them... I'm just another specimen in hundreds or even thousands of specimens. Even if I were disposed of, there will always be another one to replace me, even if they do not perform as well, there will come a time when one will.So if I lower my scores further... No. If I lower my scores again, I'll be disposed of. Because they have no need for a specimen that cannot produce untampered research data, nor do they have any need for a specimen that won't do as they're told.

"I understand," I replied, lowering my chin back to my normal height.

The man pivoted to the two instructors by my side.

"Take him back to the test. Make sure he doesn't tamper with his results again," the man ordered. His authoritative voice resounded clearly in the room.

"Yes sir." The instructors nodded and bowed, seeing off the man. Then, they turned to me and escorted me back to the classroom. "You remember what the Professor said, right?"

I nodded then took up my pen and began to rewrite my answers on the tests. Seeing that, the instructors exited the room and went back to the room next door to observe us through the many cameras mounted on the walls.

I set my pen down after a few minutes, confident that I scored a perfect score. It was simply impossible to not to.

That day, another one of us was erased. A young girl with long blonde hair and purple eyes named Yuki, scored below the threshold. Two instructors came in to inform her of her failure and remove her. I watched as she desperately clung onto me begging for me to help, but I tore Yuki off myself before handing her to the instructors. Her screams and cries as she was being carried away echoed loudly in the facility, causing some of the other children to flinch.