Smile for Me

Chapter 43: Tape Ten

Emi POV

He sat her down on the couch next to her. She could tell this was going to be a long talk, but she needed to know.

"Remember how I said you were a Hero? Well, there are also Villains. Powerful Villains that will stop at nothing to get what they want." he explained.

"What do they want?" Emi asked.

"Lots of things. Money, power, influence, personal vendettas, but there are a group of them called The League of Villains. Their goals vary within, but their main objective is to kill All Might; the Number 1 Hero and Symbol of Peace."

She nodded, starting to get it.

"These Villains have tried many different methods to kill him, but none of them have worked...yet." He muttered the last part, but she heard it.

"The League is actually how I got this scar on my face." he pulled part of his hair back to show the scar under his eye. She had been wondering how he got that, but didn't want to ask for fear of it being a touchy subject. Now she knew.

She slowly reached her hand up to run her fingers over the scar. He shivered.

It's probably my fingers. Maybe they're cold?

She didn't think on it further and asked, "What happened?"

"That was the first of their attacks. They infiltrated our highly secure school and isolated my students, myself and another pro and attacked us, thinking All Might would be there. I fought to protect my students." he finished.

He's so dedicated and brave...

"What does all this have to do with me?" she asked, retreating her hand back to her lap.

"Well, The League, like I said, have tried many different things to bring down the Symbol of Peace. Their newest experiment was...you." he looked down, ashamed.

She cocked her head to the side, "Me?"

"They...they tried to brain wash you; make you one of them...and it worked."

Her eyes widened and she put a hand behind her on the couch to steady herself.

"W-why...did no one come looking for me?" she asked, tears welling up in her wide blue eyes.

"We thought you were dead. There was a large scale attack on Shinjuku and in the chaos you were never found. We found your utility belt, your video recorder...and your blood. So you were assumed dead after days of searching. It wasn't until much later that we found out that they had kidnapped you from the wreckage and brought you to their hideout."

"So... was that woman from my dream... me?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

He paused, knowing she wouldn't like the answer.

"Yes. Or rather, it was Madame Maniacal." He replied. "That's what you called yourself as a Villain."

She leaned back against the couch and processed all the information she was given. She.. hurt people? She was supposed to be a Hero and she switched?

She began to shake and Aizawa lifted his hanging head to observe.

"I....I-I was supposed to be a Hero a-and I... I just switched? How?" She trembled.

"We aren't sure yet. We're hoping once you remember more you will be able to tell us." He said, trying to calm her down.

It was clear she wasn't going to say anything for a bit while she processed the information, so Aizawa gave her a moment. He put his hand on her knee in reassurance, not meeting her watering eyes.

Finally, he had an idea and stood up from the couch. He pulled open a shelf door on the stand where the TV was and she saw...a Tape recorder? She had no idea how she knew what it was, or why he had one, but she waited. He pulled out nine tapes and set them up on the TV. However, he didn't hit play; instead he handed her the tape recorder.

"Let's start with this."

He handed her the tape recorder and she looked at him with a confused expression.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked.

"Well...God, how do I say this?" he muttered, choosing his words.

"Before...all of this, you used to make these tapes like a video diary of sorts. You would say how you felt about...certain things and people. I think making one now could help your memories."

"So, you think you won't have to explain if I remember it myself?" she says with ice.

"...Sort of. I really think this could help. Please just try."

She sighs, thinking it over.

It couldn't hurt to try...

"Okay."

She took the tape recorder from Aizawa and walked over into her room. She'd rather do this in private.

Aizawa POV

"Well that was...something." She walked back out.

"Did that action feel familiar?" Aizawa asked.

"Sort of... I'm just full of too many emotions right now. I can't process all this. I... I'd like to take a break." Emi said.

"Understandable. How about you get some rest. We can continue this tomorrow if you're ready." He said empathically.

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

She dragged herself back towards her room and stopped towards the end of the hallway, Aizawa close behind. As he was about to go into his room, she spoke again.

"Shouta?"

Why did his name in her mouth give him shivers? It didn't used to... he should be used to this by now...

He turns to face her and was met with her crystal blue eyes.

"Thank you."

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him with such force that he stepped back a bit to catch himself. He held his arms at her sides, not touching her yet from shock. Then he finally hugged her back. He wasn't used to hugging people, but he supposed he could make an exception, just this once...

Why do I keep saying that for her?

She pulled back and smiled once again.

"Thank you for not giving up on me, even when I snapped at you. I know this must be hard for you too, so thank you."

"It's the least I can do." He said.

She looked confused at his statement, but she looked like she was too tired to ask about it at the moment, and put it off.

She went into her room and shut the door behind her. Aizawa stood in the doorway of his room, not moving, even after she shut her door. He wasn't sure why, but he felt the need to stay with her...to make sure she didn't wake him up again, of coarse.

He went back into his room, put on pajama pants, took off his shirt (despite the cold) and huddled under his covers.

What's happening to me?

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Oooooh! What is happening to Aizawa? 😏😏
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL!!
-Sarah