This chapter does have a bit of violence in a portion toward the end. I did tone it down from my original draft, but I'm still giving a warning anyway.

❯──｢✾｣──❮

A limping leg was not the best thing to have when trying to sneak around, but Briar made do with what she had. And there was only so much one could do with a struggling body that could not keep up with your will. So all the woman did was clench her teeth and make her way down an endless corridor.

Her fingers drummed against her thigh, each one counting every second that had passed. Her gaze stayed firm in front of her, inspecting every little detail that managed to pass through her vision. Nothing dangerous or suspicious crossed her line of sight; however, that did not mean that she should put her guard down. A simple distraction could be fatal.

A part of her wanted to glance over her shoulder as she swallowed the concern down her throat. She knew Akihiko was intelligent and someone whom she could rely on. Those facts alone were why she told him to go the opposite way. But that did not mean she was not worried. He was sixteen and already forced into a more dangerous situation than she would have wanted. Yoshino was supposed to be a town with little to no crime. Too bad that was not the case.

The sound of glass shattering made her head perk up in an instant. Narrowing her eyes, she firmly pressed her back against the wall. Muck stained her hands, and the urge to wipe it off was strong, but she knew that was not what was necessary. A sliver of bright light peeked out from the crack left by a slightly open door beyond her.

Pressing her lips together, the woman crept closer to the door as best as she could with a numbed ankle that felt stiff. Luckily, she still managed to stay as silent as she would have been if she was not injured. At least that proved that experience does come in handy after being a Hero for so long.

Nearing her face toward the crack, she squinted a bit because of the sudden light change. Even staring at Akihiko's crystalline hair for a few days was not enough for her to get used to such brightness. She had been in the darkness too long now. Briar blinked a few times and pressed her lips together. Once her eyesight adjusted, she glanced over what she could see through the thin line.

A shadow flittered through the gap, shifting how the light hit her face. She blinked a few times before her gaze hardened. A makeshift lab was what she chalked the place up to be. Gloved fingers picked up the remnants of what used to be a test tube. The crimson liquid lying inside splattered across the concrete and stained the soles of his bulky black shoes. A slight grumble could be heard from the plague mask but not loud enough for the Hero to distinguish what he was saying.

As Remi slowly cleaned the mess he created, Briar could not help but bite down on her bottom lip. The metallic taste was refreshing, something to rid herself of the guilt knocking against her sternum. All of this, everything single thing happened right underneath her nose, and she could not stop it beforehand. Had she paid a bit more attention, scoured the town and woods a bit deeper, and even conversed more with the citizens, could she have prevented this?

She was supposed to be Hero. A Hero saved others and kept them out of harm's way. But what good was she when she could not even stop horrible things from happening beforehand? Briar knew she could not predict things before they happened. Not without a future sight Quirk, but she could have assembled the puzzle pieces faster. Everything was placed before her, yet she skimmed over such a minuscule detail.

She had known about Remi ever since he was a child. Nearly a decade in this town, but she was blinded by the fact that anything truly horrible could happen here. It would have been perfect if she could have kept everything stagnant, perfectly fine with slight dismay. But perfection was never achievable. One could try and grasp it but could only watch it fade. Peace and tranquility were what she always wanted for those around her.

What a pathetic Hero she was. She was always thinking yet never comprehending the emotions of others. They were never her concern. Underlying emotions caused drive and will amongst others and ones she did not want to understand. Her leap into loneliness veiled her from seeing reality, beauty, and agony experienced by others.

Pressing a hand to her chest, her fingers skimmed over the slick surface of the broken stopwatch lying on her collarbone. Her eyelids fluttered shut for a moment as she quickly glazed over anything that had a metal attachment in the room. The woman's fingers twitched as she found a small plate of silver. The sheet was probably an inch in width but heavy enough to bash someone if swung with enough force. The good thing was not planning to cave someone's skull in but knock them out.

Briar tapped her stopwatch, and the plate began to rise from its position on a counter. Or what she believed was a counter. She obviously could not see much, and using her senses were being used somewhat blindly. Nonetheless, she swept her finger upward to levitate the object. From what she could see, Remi was still knelt on the ground, picking up shards and unable to see what she was doing.

Just stay oblivious, and this entire thing will come to an end. No need for a useless fight, Briar thought to herself as she slowly waved her hand. I don't want to fight. Not like this.

Her hand dipped, and so did her plate. Then, her lips parted in surprise. As if he had known something was tumbling down, the man suddenly threw himself onto the ground. The metal plate slammed against the ground with a loud thud. A sense of shame struck her chest as she realized he could see through the reflections of broken shards. How stupid! Why did she not think about that?

The orange lenses on his mask twinkled in confusion as he drew a low hum. He glanced at the plate, trying to figure out how on earth that plate ended up right there. A few seconds passed, and he could not come up with a logical conclusion. The broken glass was left abandoned on the ground along with the plate, and he instead turned back to the counter to do whatever he was doing before.

The woman touched her forehead with the back of her knuckles, heat pulsating from her skin. Blaming her health for her mistake sounded tempting, but the woman knew better. So much for trying to do it the easy way. The hard way always ended up being the better option. Breathing in deeply, she tried to brush off the unease crawling up her skin.

A simple push of the door caused the hinges to squeak, and light drowned her body, casting a large shadow behind her. If she paid attention, the metal on her outfit shone against her ragged and filthy appearance. Of course, that mattered little, considering everything else that had happened. Nonetheless, she straightened herself and glared at the opposing person, who suddenly swirled around at the noise.

"Briar! How did you-? No, I should have expected this. I could only keep you down there for so long until you found a way out." Remi's hand delicately placed the test tube back onto the rack amongst many empty ones. He shook his head, the mask's beak swaying as he did so. "But I must admit, it was quite entertaining to see you struggle to get out for those few days. I never thought I would see the Steampunk Hero struggle."

The curve of an empty smirk slid across the woman's lips. "Entertaining? I wouldn't find holding captives against their will entertaining. But to each their own, I suppose. Too bad I'm afraid you might be mistaken in this mindset, Remi."

Desperation was a funny thing, really. It could make you do something that you otherwise would not. Give into demands, peer pressure, and anything else that would fall right in. Family was always an excellent example of desperation. So was being selfish. She could go on and on for ages, but she did not have the time to do so. Muddled thoughts were never good when your objective was right before you.

"Wrong? You know nothing, Briar."

"Then enlighten me. Although I doubt I'll find your reasons sound. So excuse me for not being able to comprehend or fathom your thoughts." The Hero replied without skipping a beat. Her hand gripped the fabric of her sleeve as she shook her head. "Forgive me for not seeing how kidnapping people against their will is right."

Laughter filled with disbelief rang against the air as the male's shoulder shook. He spread his arms out in front of him. "I'm trying to cure them!"

"You can't repair neurons, and you cannot fix a gene that wasn't ever there or piece the ones that were supposed to be there. Natsuki and Mikan, it's a shame what happened to them but breaking the law for something impossible is not worth it." The gears on her belt twitched in anticipation as she readied to use them if needed.

"You're always alone, Briar! You don't have to watch your family waste away! You don't have to watch your family be separated just because one can't use her legs! All you do is save people and leave! You may take care of this town, but even after ten years of being here, you're only friend is Reika! You never converse with people, you never learn about personal problems! You're a worthless Hero." Remi's voice was raw and loud. Emotions—anger, sadness, desperation—all of them mixing to create a raspy tone.

Brown eyes narrowed, glaring through the thin lenses of her glasses. "That's the point of a Hero. You show up, solve the problem and leave."

Luce, don't stick around. The longer you stay, the deeper the connection you make. Keep those strings far from you. Allow them to become tangled but never try to unravel them. If you do, you'll get hurt. A Hero cannot be above others, and emotions should not cloud your judgment. Look at what happened to Bianca.

"Call me whatever you want. Say I'm wrong. It doesn't matter to me—your worth lies in the eye of the beholder. Your ideals lie within the perception of what should be right and wrong yet are found within the grey area. From my perspective, it's safe to call you a Villain." The woman's hand extended in front of her, allowing the gears to separate from her belt and twirl in the air. "So don't get angered when I treat you as one."

Her index finger connected with the base of her palm with a loud snap. Rotating like a coin spinning on a table's surface, the metal gears surged forward with the intent of striking. Whizzing swept across the air, followed by harsh thuds. The uneven edges of the gears slammed against the male's shoulder, and the man released a strained wheeze each time they hit. The back of his spine slammed against the rim of the table behind him. Pain flourished, and bruises began to form underneath his clothes.

Gritting his teeth in, Remi could not help but allow his body to fall to the ground. Lifting his gaze, all he could see was Briar's disappointed yet cold gaze as she stood over him like he was nothing. In her raised hand, the gears made of bronze, silver, and gold twinkled as the light bounced off their metallic surfaces. Humiliating.

The man's hand brushed the ground, and a fluorescent green light sprouted from his skin. Curling around his ankles like vibrant vines, trails of pretty white flowers sprouted from the glow. Blossoming petals spread jubilantly, a mystical and ethereal aroma veiling the flowers as a sweet scent fluttered in the air. The illumination eventually faded, healing the aches that once plagued Remi's body.

Kato's Healing Garden, Briar thought to herself. Her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth. If she remembered right, Remi's Progressive Copy could only use two copied Quirks at once. If she was correct then—a harsh, desperate pull tugged at the gears in her grasp. She felt her lips twitch, wanting to pull upward into a grin, but she forced her expression to stay blank. She did not need to worry about Rapid Heal, Manipulation, and Angelic Voice.

Although Kato's Quirk was a bit frustrating to deal with, she could use it for long periods of time because she pulled energy from vegetation, and Yoshino was filled to the brim with cherry blossoms. There were only so many plants littering the makeshift lab around them. Remi would not be able to use Healing Garden for long.

Out of the corner of her eye, the woman could barely make out the trembling of curved metal pieces on the counter. Keeping her gaze on the masked man who was starting to lift himself, she swept her hand in a fast motion, and her palm faced the ground. At the same time, the gears quickly wrangled back into her grasp and collided with the curved metal. Loud, irritating noises flooded the air. A slight push of her finger fully repelled them as they were thrown elsewhere.

Just as she was about to convert the small metal trinkets into sturdy vines that would wrap around Remi's body, the hairs on the back of her neck instantly stood in alarm. A chilling shiver traveled up the base of her spine, and beyond her better judgment, she twisted around. Her eyes widened slightly as the sight of metallic bars came barreling at her. Slamming her teeth against each other, she allowed her body to fall to the ground.

The second her palms hit the ground, the bars whizzed past her head and nicked her cap. The hat tumbled to the ground as the bars collided with the table island between them. Ignoring her fallen hat, Briar quickly but carefully got up to her feet. She hobbled slightly, trying not to place weight on her injured ankle. The crystal given to her earlier weighed heavily in her pocket, reminding her of the numbness that plagued her leg. For a moment, she thought if she should use her limb like normal but dismissed it instantly. She may not feel the pain, but she was not an idiot.

The body had limits. Briar was not ready to figure out how much she could damage her ankle before it became severe. Before it became unusable.

Her hand swept across her body, and the nearby chains settled in the corner of the lab springing up in haste to wrap around the same bars that nearly took her head off. The woman's lips twitched as she quickly gave the chains the command to coil tightly around the opposing metal pieces. Groans bounced off the walls as the bars quivered in defiance.

Briar kept one hand in a clenched fist while the other snapped her fingers. The forgotten metal pieces from earlier soared as she flung them at the man who held his struggling arm up. A dip in the mask's beak meant that he averted his attention. His breath left him as the pieces slammed against his kneecaps and forced him to collapse onto his knees. A strangled gasp escaped him, but his pained noises only lasted so long. The garden enveloping the ground sputtered out another glow as their aroma swirled.

The Hero's jaw tightened, but she hid the frustration on her face. If it were not for her injured ankle or the wound on her head, she would have happily engaged in hand-to-hand combat and used her Quirk as a momentary distraction. Disorient and strike was the way she liked fighting best, given her small stature and weaker than she wanted body.

She flicked her fingers up to order the metal to slam against the ceiling. They connected, emitting a loud thud, and shot down to connect with the man's neck. Puffs of dust fell slowly, coating the area in a haze. Unsurprisingly, her grasp wavered as another mental hand grabbed them to keep them from hitting their mark. On the upside, however, the bars halted their trembling against the chains, and she could quickly place them behind her.

The ceiling was too fragile to break unless she wanted to make the entire room cave in. Since she was not in the mood to bury herself under soil and roots, she dismissed the idea. Evading the racks of metal test tube holders flung at her, she tried her best to keep her balance. As Briar tumbled over her ankle, she hastily attempted to assess the lab. Tiny pricks against her skin signaled how much metal was in the room. Sharp tingles dancing across her fingertips showed her that the iron in her body was steadily decreasing.

Unlike before, the brown-haired woman did not try to hide the dismayed frown. The base of her palms shuddered as she banged them into the edge of a counter. Glass shaped in all forms rattled, irk-filled noises as they clacked. The sound of some shattering from how hard she hit the surface was heard but was ignored. The soles of her boots stomped on the ground, and the chains frantically slammed at the metal plates.

Nothing but horrendous sounds of metal crashing with metal vibrating against her eardrums. The noises swallowed up her heartbeat and the roaring blood in her ears. Vaguely, she could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage like it wanted to escape its bony confinement while sweat trickled down the edges of her face. A pang of pain blossomed in her chest but the crystal gifted to her by her student swept the feeling away.

Iron deficiency was annoying as hell. Under normal circumstances, she would not be dealing with this so quickly. But it was to be expected, given the amount of blood she lost. She would have laughed at her predicament if her inhales and exhales were not so short.

She wanted to curse her genes, which, ironically, was one of the reasons she was in this mess, even if it was not her specifically. For people to be born with such powerful Quirks, how the hell did hers have to have iron, which was a significant component of the hemoglobin, to work? Quirks and bodies were effectively stupid when mashed together, so what was she expecting?

Strands of brown hair trickled her neck as she dipped to avoid another plate thrown at her head. It slammed against the cabinets behind her, utterly destroying the wood and anything inside from the momentum, and not wanting to get hit by any debris, she prepared herself to tuck into a roll. As Briar was about to push off her foot, her leg muscles grew taut, and blunt needles dug into her nerves. Her forearms scrapped against the concrete, and scratches formed underneath her clothing.

Her face scrunched up in pain as agonizing pulses threaded up her pelvis and through every vertebra. The slight tingling sensation in her fingers stretched to the base of her elbow while her hands shivered like she had stuck them into a pile of snow and left them there. Crushing weight alongside agony pressed firmly against her chest, silencing her lungs and forcing her heart to pump rapidly. She could not even find the strength to gasp.

Remnants of what were the cabinets collapsed onto her fallen form. Her fingers racked against the ground, trying to pull herself out of the broken pieces of wood. If she was feeling pain, that meant something had happened to Akihiko. Either he was attacked and had to use mystical properties for something, or he had fallen unconscious. Panic and concern ran rampant in her thoughts as she tried to conjure up every little scenario that could have happened to her intern.

"You're losing your touch, Briar."

Her fingers curled against the ground, and her teeth ground together in frustration. She attempted to pull her legs forward, but her limbs refused to comply. They quivered instead and provided no function whatsoever. Briar nearly pressed her forehead to the ground in agony but forced herself to keep her head steady. Like hell was she giving up. But she did not expect her body to give up on her so quickly once everything flooded back. Human bodies were so unreliable at times when the mind could function perfectly fine.

Through gaps of hair and dust-covered lenses, the Hero hazily watched as obsidian boots crept into her line of sight. Unwillingly, her eyelids fell shut in exhaustion, and she hurriedly forced them to open. When she did, the only thing in her vision was bright orange. Balancing on his toes, Remi gazed at the pitiful Hero in silence. His chest rumbled, followed by laughter as he shook his head.

The man held his hand out before flicking a piece of Briar's hair from her glasses. "A mighty Hero looking so fragile. I can't say the sight isn't beautiful. The unwavering and intelligent Briar at my knees is quite wonderful. I used to look up to you."

"Y-yeah?" Briar stuttered but kept a confident tone. The taste of blood dribbled on her lips as the crimson fluid trickled down her nose. "I-I ne-never... gave y-you a second l-look."

You're lying now, Luce.

"You never paid attention to anyone unless they're in trouble. Everyone knows you, but you know no one. You say the way the whispers shifted from me to you? When that kid arrived proclaiming to be an intern for you? Where is he now? Ran off in fear? Who would want a miserable teacher like you?" Remi's fingers tucked underneath the woman's jawline and tilted her head back so their eyes would meet.

"Mi-misery likes c-c-company."

"You're pathetic."

"Y-you're a Vi-villain."

"I'm trying to save people. If this works, do you know how many people will be cured? No need to worry about watching someone crumble in front of your eyes!" His fingers roughly gripped her chin, pressing against her jawbone in anger. Briar sputtered but did not yield.

"Everyone dies!" She shouted as she pressed her hand against the ground to gain stability. "Everyone suffers! You can't save everyone. You can't save anyone."

The bridge of her nose crashed against the concrete, and a sickening crack vibrated against the air. Scarlet splattered across the ground, submerging shards that once created the woman's glasses. Pain spread across her face, but it was just another feeling plaguing her body. A trembling smile spread across her blood-stained lips as she felt a numbness crawl up her legs.

She spat a mixture of saliva and red fluid. "You're going to want to hit me harder than that."

Her face connected with the ground again, and the shards of her broken glasses scratched at her face. A harsh pull at her hair pulled some strands free as her head was pulled up. Blurred eyesight revealed nothing but a mash of red, orange, and black, but that didn't stop her from snickering. "For someone who wanted to be a future doctor, I thought there was an oath that you shouldn't bring harm to anyone. I believe the same goes for me."

Remi's grip on her hair loosened, but he did not let her go. He was shaken by her words yet could not entirely disregard them as the truth. In all honesty, Briar was glad he was still holding her upright. Because if he allowed her head to fall to the ground again, she would not be able to see the black blur standing behind him. The main thing that stood out to her from the translucent being was the black lenses. Not orange ones.

Lamity, the ghost and not the fake who towered over her, raised a single finger and pointed at the door. He lowered his hand, signaling for Briar to keep the man busy. Or that was what she deduced. No riddles about what to do or what happened left the ghost. Her body may not function as she liked, but her ears were still working. No words were spoken. So now he did not want to talk.

"You talk too much," Remi hissed in a harsh tone. "Never thought you were the chatty type."

"There's a first for everything, at least on my end. You're the one who's going to prison."

"Oh?" The mask's beak dipped as heavy chortles filled the room. If it were not for the mask obscuring his expression, his lips would have been spread out in a devious smile. "How? With that body of yours? You'd like it if I used Healing Garden on you."

"This body of mine has been through far worse. And I wouldn't want to be subjected to a Quirk that was technically stolen. Unless you don't think forcing someone to stay here against their will is a crime." Briar retorted. Black spots were beginning to erode the edges of her vision, and the dribbling of blood down her skin was feeling vague.

"You know nothing."

"I know that once your university hears that you've committed many crimes, you'll be blacklisted from every single one. You are throwing away your life for a fantasy. That's a new one—" a broken wheeze echoed as her cheek slammed against the ground. A shift underneath her skin told her that her cheekbone was either fractured or broken. Better that than her jaw.

Light weight fell back on her scalp as brown strands cascaded back onto her face. The man finally released her grasp on her, but it was only a moment of tranquility. The hardness of a boot slammed into the sides of her ribs. Briar croaked, teeth grounding together but not in pain. It was dulled however her breath still escaped her. And then it happened again, and again, and again.

Time passed by in a blur. Briar eventually lost count of home many times she had been kicked. Or even when it had stopped. Her eyelids grew heavy, fluttering shut every so often as she tried to keep herself awake. She could not allow herself to faint. She could not. But the melodic tune of sleep and exhaustion was so alluring and hypnotizing that she could not help but listen.

Then, she heard it. It was faint, almost inaudible, considering the fact that she was falling unconscious. A dizzying crack, a fracture stemming from somewhere she could not distinguish but one that she recognized well. Although she could not feel it, her lips quivered into a smile. About time.

Flourishing like a freshly bloomed blossom, an elegant light shining a beautiful pink sprouted from underneath. The glow quickly solidified, forming bright petals with jagged tips. Their lustrous petals hastily encased Remi's feet, crawling up his legs like spiders ready to bite down on his skin. A gasp of surprise left the man as he watched the cascading light filter through the inclusions to reveal a mirage of illuminance. Before he could even try to break through the gemstone with Metal Manipulation, the formation of deep azure crystals crackling into existence caught his attention first.

Spears of Tanzania danced around the man skeptically, almost as if they were debating whether or not to sink into him. The slight hum of fracturing crystal was heard, buzzing about in the air, yet the person who controlled them was yet to be seen. Remi's head twisted back and forth, trying to find the person in question, but the brightness of their hair was not seen.

Unease pricked at the masked man's skin as he was slowly growing fearful. Where, where, where? His fingers clenched into a tight fist, controlling bits of metal to crash down on the flower that held him in place. However, before the pieces could even hit the pink gemstone, fragments of zircon were quick to slam into them before they reached their destination. The yellow crystals shattered but only momentarily. They effortlessly clumped back together, each crack sealing itself.

"So it is true. You can only copy a Quirk if you have seen someone use it. Amusing." Delighted laughter bounced against the walls, almost carrying a mocking tone if it did not sound so airy. The voice that spoke did not belong to a single person but echoed out three instead. "How selective."

The ghost of a touch skimmed against Remi's shoulder, and his head jerked to the side. Nothing was present, and nothing was seen—no indication of another presence besides the haunting voice. Slowly, the man found himself staring at the door, the endless abyss of the corridor teasing him as the fear of something jumping of enveloped his mind.

Suddenly, nimble fingers gripped his chin and pulled his head upward. He saw nothing but Tanzania floating innocently. "This situation? A waste of time, really, but I will admit that you're an admiral... coward. Briar's injuries weighed her down alongside hunger, thirst, and whatever else weighed a mortal down. My host's will is strong; however, his mind is quite fragile. As his Quirk, my job is to carry out his wishes. If I had my way, I would have skewered you without a second thought. Unfortunately, my host does not carry the same mindset."

The nonexistent thing slammed its palm against Remi's sternum, knocking the man's lower back against the counter. He groaned at the forced used. For a split second, reality cracked, sewing fractures into itself as the sight of crystallized amethyst eyes leered at the man in amusement before disappearing. It was not slow enough for him to catch a glimpse of the teenager.

"You have lost." Glittering blue spears rained down with the sound of fingers snapping. Gleeful laughter drowned out the frightened screams.

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Author's Note:

I wanted to get this chapter done last week, but life happens. The next chapter should be the final chapter of this book (watch it somehow not be), so expect that sometime next week. I don't have much to say about this chapter other than the fact that Briar is a lonely person despite never wanting to believe it. She has her issues. Also never realized how hard it would be to describe someone when you literally cannot see their face.

Oh, and Akihiko has now adopted the usage of creating flowers out of gemstones. I wonder why.

Character spotlight:

Name: Remi Mikan

Quirk: Progressive Copy

Likes: Biology