Runaway (DABI X Jadeora)

Chapter 7

I stood before the Sludge's escape, looking down into the sewers with disgust. How like a sludge to feel right at home there. Whatever, though. I suppose you're comfortable where you're comfortable.

I wiped the sweat running down my forehead and shook my hands. I decided to go to the coffee shop to get a Chai tea, start on my homework. I didn't want to go home, because I felt guilty. How on earth was I supposed to become a hero if I kept doing villain work? I felt that I should sever ties with the villain league, but if I did that, I would be considered a traitor of the highest honors. Yippee.

I twirled my spoon around in my tea. It was too hot to drink at the time, so I pulled out my phone and turned it on. It had a long crack in the screen from when I fell and dropped it. I sighed and put my phone down on the table that I was sitting at.

It bothered me that I was keeping such a big secret from the other villains. I hated the fact that being evil was naturally expected of me, and if I could change anything before the entrance exam to U.A., I would. I tried to think of a way to break it to the villains that I didn't have the same worldview as them, but nothing was coming to mind. It was about as hard as coming out of the closet to break it to your family of your sexuality.

Honestly, if I kept it a secret from the rest of the villains and they found out about it, I could be murdered in my sleep. And I didn't really feel like being killed, but oh, how I wished to be a hero.

This predicament could get me into a lot of trouble. I decided to keep my mouth shut about it, and pray that no one would find out. But four years is a long time to keep such a big secret.

I left the coffee shop about ten minutes later, only because I couldn't handle thinking about it anymore. But as soon as I left, I saw a large crowd of people. I trotted down the sidewalk to the crowd and pushed through, only to see-guess who- the sludge villain. He was struggling against something that he had... eaten maybe? It looked like he was trying to keep his lunch down. But then I saw something through his body. I could see bits and pieces of hair. Ash-blonde spiky hair!

Katsuki was being attacked by Sludge, like I had wanted. Only now, I didn't want it. I saw the pain and fear in his eyes, and that's when I ran away from the scene. But I looked back, and Katsuki was looking at me, sweat streaming down his face as he struggled to get away from this thing that was sucking the life out of him. Sludge was taking over his body and I couldn't do anything about it.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see Kurogiri. He used his Warp Gate to transport me back to the bar.

No one was there, it was empty. Dabi wasn't even in his corner. I dropped my backpack into a chair and sat at the bar, waiting for Kurogiri to say something. He walked behind the bar and started wiping down the counters.

"That was interesting." His voice was full of smiles, and even I started to grin.

"Will I get caught for it?" This was something I had been worrying about. Being seen in villain work was no way to get into U.A. and I guess I was paranoid.

"Doubt it. You barely had anything to do with it, so I believe that if you were to get caught, the judge would have no reason to put you behind bars, considering all you really did was request it. And no one except myself, Shig, and Dabi knew about it."

"Sludge did. And considering he's probably going to be arrested, who knows if he'll betray us?" I saw Kurogiri shake his head. "I don't think so, but it's an interesting idea." He poured a glass of water and set it in front of me.

I fiddled with my ring. I decided to ask him another question. "Kuro, what would happen if a villain were to decide to become a hero? Like, if they were in on the villain league and decided to change sides?"

"Well, they would obviously be a traitor. And they would probably inform the authorities of our whereabouts, which would spark a battle, which we do anyway, but the traitor would be the first target."

I shook my head. His words made me feel no better. Of course, I wouldn't reveal the whereabouts of the bar, but I would be targeted in every battle. Dabi knows what I'm going to do, but would he keep to his word and not tell the other villains my secret?

I laid my head on my arms. "This is so confusing." But then I realized it wasn't. It was either I become a hero and do good things, but be the main target for the VL, or I could stay in the shadows, watch the others murder people, maybe murder people myself, and potentially spend the rest of my life in prison. The choice was easy.

I left the bar and went straight home. It was a cool Thursday night and as I walked, I pondered my future. It seemed so sweet. Going to U.A, becoming a hero, helping people. I went to bed that night, happy as a clam. I was going to train hard for the moment when I would ace the entrance exam and claim my victory against Bakugou.