Sukuna appeared in front of his home. The home once filled with joy and laughter from a family, now dark and empty, like no one lived in there in the first place.
He didn't know why he came back, but maybe it was a good thing he did. He won't be seeing this place for a while after all. Holding up a small wooden frame containing his family photo near the television, Sukuna silently gazed at it, specifically at his grinning parents.
"..." No words were spoken as he placed it back down, before slowly heading upstairs. He hesitated as he found his hand on the doorknob to his parents' bedroom. He sighed after a while, before he entered.
Each step felt wrong, like this wasn't his place anymore. Inside, the closet was untouched, the bed was made, and Jin and Kaori's personal items were exactly where they should be. Sukuna sat on the edge of the bed, hands resting on his knees, his head lowered slightly.
And for a moment, he was just a kid again. It frustrated him for some reason. Because some irrational part buried deep within him, still expected to hear the front door open, a voice calling out to him.
"Damn it..." His fingers tightened slightly against his knees. He looked up, a firmness replacing everything that he just went through.
He left the house a minute later, closing all the lights and locking the door, before he disappeared in a sudden blur.
...
Todo who was standing on the roof of a multi-storey building, silently stared at his phone, specifically at the text Sukuna had sent out of absolutely nowhere.
'It's time.' Were the only words that consisted of the text, but there was a odd severity to it, like something big was going to happen. Just then, Todo felt an ominous pressure right behind him, like he was going to die at any moment.
Turning around, he saw Sukuna walking towards him, leaving behind a random crack on the concrete floor. Unknowingly to Todo, the teen had just consumed his 12th finger, the eleventh he had already ate after he received the bad news about his parents from Todo.
"You... Look different, brother... " Todo muttered, a hint of disbelief in his tone, his eyes having widened a little at the sight.
Sukuna walked past him, standing on the very edge of the building, not the slightest bit afraid of falling, looking down at the city that refused to sleep. From up here, everything looked small.
"Really?... " Sukuna finally replied, his back facing Todo.
"You look just like the pro hero Kenjaku... " Sukuna let out a breath at the compliment, taking out his phone as he ran his hand through his hair, staring at the reflection om the black screen.
His markings were active, his two pair of crimson eyes were bright as always. But instead of his vibrant pink hair, it was now jet black, hastily dyed in a random toilet he found at a park.
"Good... That's what I was going for... " He muttered. Carrying a piece of his mother visibly would serve as a reminder for him, for why he left everything behind.
For a moment he stood there, until he suddenly stepped away from the edge, walking towards Todo with his hands in his pockets again.
"Brother, there's a hostage situation not far from here." Todo brought up, holding up his phone, the screen showing a certain app, a live conversation between officers blasting out from the phone's speaker.
Sukuna hummed, glancing at the phone, with it showing the live location of said situation. He finally looked at Todo, determination in his eyes.
"Let's go... "
...
"The hell..." An officer muttered in disbelief, staring at the scene before him. He, along with the rest of the officers responding to the scene all had the same expressions of disbelief as they stared, unsure if they should lower their pistols.
The hostage situation had looked like it was taking a turn for the worst, when the hostage, in a tight chokehold by the captor, suddenly disappeared, having been replaced by a rock that fell on the ground.
It was the next second that they saw a blur rush past the hostage taker, having clotheslined the villain, with him sent slamming into the wall. The blur disappeared the second later.
Unsure what just happened, they then noticed the hostage was safely behind all of them, breathless as she slumped down on the ground.
"Detective!" An officer greeted Tsukauchi, who was accompanied by a negotiator, both rushing towards him.
"Huh?... " Tsukauchi was weirded out, why were all the officers so relaxed? What of the hostage?
"You guys are late. She's safe and sound. " The officer motioned his head towards the hostage, who was being checked over by the responding paramedics.
"Who—"
"No idea. All we saw was a black blur. " The detective was cut off, the officer already knowing what he was about to say. Tsukauchi was speechless. They had a new vigilante on their hands now?
"What in the world is happening... "
...
Momo, always the disciplined one, woke up first out of everyone. She stepped out of the lift and made a beeline straight to the kitchen, but it was then where she noticed something out of the ordinary. Envelopes, neatly placed on the coffee table near the television.
She found herself standing before them, staring at them for a second, reading the names written across the envelopes, a name for each of them. Her brow furrowed, strangely, Sukuna's name wasn't there.
Something was obviously wrong. She forced her hands to be steady as she slowly opened the envelope. She unfolded the piece of paper inside and immediately recognized Sukuna's tidy handwriting.
'Momo.
By the time you read this, I'll already be long gone. I know you're probably trying to figure out what happened before you even finish this. I know you hate missing information, so I'll try making things simple for you.
Something happened, and I can't stay here pretending everything's fine while I know it isn't. And If I had told you properly, you'd come up with ten better ways to handle it. You always do.
So that's exactly why I didn't. If I had given you time, you would've convinced me to stay... and I might have listened. Or worse, you'd help me, and I can't let that happen.
I know what you're thinking right now. That this is reckless, that I'm acting alone when I shouldn't, that there are systems in place for this. You'd be right of course.
But I still can't stay. I just don't trust that the system will be fast enough. I'm not asking you to understand this. I don't think I would either if I were in your position. But I am asking you to do something for me.
Can you keep an eye on everyone? That sounds stupid, I know. You're not responsible for all of us, but you're the only one I can think of who actually keeps things from falling apart when it matters. You were always the better one at holding people together after all.
And about Mina, just don't let her blame herself for this, okay? None of this is on her. Take care of her, and don't let her do anything stupid because of me.(Actually, scratch that. You probably won't be able to stop her. Just make sure she doesn't get hurt.)
I didn't tell her anything, I just couldn't. I wouldn't have left if I did. I'll come back, but I don't know when. I don't even know how long this will take. But I'm not planning on disappearing for good, even if it ends up looking like that for a while.
Sorry again, I'll come back when I can. But for now... I'll leave the rest to you.
-Sukuna'
After reading the letter, Momo lowered it a little as she sat still on the couch. How long had he been planning this? Her eyes drifted across the room as she thought back to last night. That's when it hit her.
'I should've realized something...' He was clearly memorizing the moment. Her fingers tightened slightly around the letter.
"You dumbass..." She whispered, letting out a word she'd never used before. Clearly she'd been hanging around with Bakugo a bit too much.
'He knew he was doing something stupid but still went along with it anyway?' The part that frustrate her was that he did it correctly enough to avoid interference.
"And don't just assign me roles like I'm going to accept them." She huffed. He assumed that she'll just adapt and move on, he clearly underestimated her. He thought leaving would protect them. But all he really did was give her a problem to solve.
She stood up and headed to the lift, before arriving in front of Iida's room and knocking on the door.
"Iida." There was no answer, so she knocked again.
"Iida. Wake up. This is urgent." She heard a thud, the sound of someone scrambling upright. The door opened shortly after, revealing Iida with his hair slightly disheveled and his glasses slightly crooked.
"Yaoyorozu? Is something—"
"Sukuna is gone." Iida froze at her words, wondering if he heard her correctly. Momo didn't repeat herself.
"Wh-what? "
"Get dressed. We need everyone in the common room now."
...
"...mina!.... Mina!!... MINA!! "
"I'm up! I'm up!!" Mina jolted up, sitting up immediately. Her eyes immediately laid on Uraraka who looked a little too panicked for the hour
"Come with us now! " Uraraka commanded, with no room for defiance, now dragging the confused Mina. Where was Sukuna? That was the first thing on Mina's mind, noticing the pink haired boy's absence.
The pink teen was dragged straight to the living room of the dorm, where she saw all of her classmates gathering around the coffee table. They all had a mix of anger and disbelief as they each held onto a letter, some crumpled in their hands already as they kept rereading it.
"Guys? What's all this about?" Mina questioned, obviously not liking this one bit. They all glanced at her, and the atmosphere worsened. Mina laughed nervously.
"Guys... Is this a prank or something? Why aren't you in your uniforms?" She asked as Momo handed her an envelope with the pink teen's name on it.
"Yaomomo?" Mina called out, as Momo sat back down, staring at her sadly. Mina, a little frustrated, tore open the letter. She immediately recognized Sukuna's handwriting and began to read.
'Mina,
If you're reading this, I'm already gone. I know you're going to be mad, probably more than mad, and I get it, I didn't exactly make this easy for you.
I didn't tell you because I knew you'd try to follow me, or stop me. Or both. And I wouldn't have been able to leave if you were standing in front of me. That's the truth.
There's something I need to deal with. It's something I can't ignore even if I want to. I tried to find a way to make it someone else's problem, but it isn't. Not this time. So I'm going alone.
I'm not saying that because I think it's heroic. Obviously it's not. It's just what I can manage right now without everything breaking apart. You're going to hear a lot of things in the next few days. People will try to explain it, or guess it, or make it sound smaller than it is.
Don't believe them if it feels wrong. You're better at reading people than you think. And I need you to know something properly, not in passing...
I love you.
This is not me saying it to try to make things easier. I seriously mean it, and that's part of why I'm doing this. Because if I stay, I'll drag you into something you don't deserve, and if I take you with me, I lose the only part of my life that still feels normal.
I don't know if it makes sense, it barely makes sense to me. I just know I can't risk you getting hurt because of me.
You'll probably hate this letter and that's okay. Hate me if you need to. Just don't follow me. Stay with them. Stay with Momo and the others. They'll need you more than I do right now.
And I'll come back when I can.
I'm sorry I didn't stay.
-Sukuna'
"No...No no no.... " She reread it again and again, as if the repetition would turn it into something else.
"This is a joke..." Her voice cracked, as she lost the will to stand, her strength leaving her body. Momo was there, catching her before the pink girl could fall properly.
"Mina, breathe." She muttered as she held Mina steady. Mina couldn't breathe. It was too much all at once. The words looped in her head until it stopped being words and became noise.
"I hate you! " She screamed out painfully, her tears flowing uncontrollably as the rest of the girls came to console her. Some of the boys looked away, the scene was too unbearable for them.
She clenched the piece of paper tightly. It looked like it was about to tear in half at any moment. "You don't get to say that and just leave!"
"Mina—"
"I was RIGHT THERE!" Jirou who tried calling out to her, flinched as Mina looked straight at her with a pained expression. "He was literally right beside me last night! And... And.... He just left me a letter?!" The letter shook in her hand as she glared at the letter.
"COME BACK AND SAY IT TO MY FACE COWARD!" If it could, the whole dorm was flinching from the sheer rage Mina's voice contained. The startled girls wanted to calm her down, but they were too scared to do so.
"YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE THAT FOR ME!" She shouted, voice cracking at the edges as there was a subtle thin hiss sounding across the floorboards. Then another.
Everyone felt it. A faint, sharp chemical tang had began to spread. Mina's hands shook violently as she tried to breathe, but it all came out uneve, and with every shaky exhale, a small burst of acid mist leaked outward from her body.
"Everyone back!!!" Momo shouted in a panic, realizing what was happening to Mina. Jirou and Uraraka who were comforting the pink teen, stepped back immediately. The class watched on, mostly confused at Momo's sudden outburst.
Mina didn't realize what was happening to her own body. She was still crying, still stuck on the same words in the letter, her mind flashing back to Sukuna's confession last night.
'I love you.' The floor beneath her hand sizzled faintly. Mina widened her eyes, realizing what her body was doing.
"Sh-shit! I-i didn't mean to..." Her voice trembled harder, but the more she panicked, the more unstable it becams.
"Mina, calm down... Focus on me... " Momo slowly stepped forward. Mina shook her head.
"I-i can't! He... He just... " Her Quirk spiked again as a strange mist was expelled from her body. By now, everyone was stepping further back from her, unsure what would happen.
"Look at me." Momo's voice sharpened as shs continuously stepped forward. "You're not alone in this." Mina looked down, as her shaking slowed just slightly, the acidic mist gradually fading as she regained control over her Quirk.
"You said you found her sleeping at Sukuna's room right? " Jirou whispered to Uraraka who nodded while clenching her nose with her fingers.
"Did they?..." Jirou didn't dare to finish the sentence.
"I don't think so... She wasn't naked when I found her... " Uraraka muttered, unsure of it herself as Momo slowly got closer, staying beside her while gently patting her back.
Class 1-A was scattered in uneven clusters. Some sitting, some standing, all trying to process the emotional mess Mina just left behind. The air felt too tight. Nobody was sure what the 'new normal' was supposed to look like.
Mina is still on the floor, quieter now but still not okay. Uraraka and Tsuyu stayed close, both had a hand gently on her back. Jirou sat nearby, watching them, while Momo was now standing a few steps away, something on her mind.
"This is messed up... " Kirishima whispered. He, like everyone else had a letter written to him. It was strangely heartfelt, coming from someone like Sukuna. He'd shed a tear were it not for the fact that the whole class was around him.
Izuku paced slightly. "He planned it… the letters… the timing… he must've left early morning.. no, late in the night... so we wouldn't notice... " Bakugo wanted to shut him up, but he couldn't bring himself to do so, not with whatever had just occurred.
"We need to inform the faculty immediately. This is a serious breach of protocol... " Iida muttered, trying to rebuild structure, but even he sounded off. A sudden slick snapped everyone out of their thoughts.
They looked up at denki, who was holding the television remote. He didn't look confident about it. Actually, he looked like he knew this might be a terrible idea.
"This place feels like a funeral... " He gave an unsure grin, scratching the back of his neck. No one responded, so he pressed the button anyway. A random news program flickered on.
"Wow, that is loud... " Denki winced a little, lowering the volume. Kirishima sighed.
"Thanks I guess... " He muttered. Denki shrugged.
"Well... Don't expect any miracles... " The TV hummed along in the background. Weather. Traffic. Something about a local sale.Momo's eyes flickered to the screen for half a second before returning to thought. Mina didn't look up, but her breathing steadied a little.
The screen glitched slightly. The music had cut, the tone shifting immediately. The following words snapped everyone out of their musings.
"We interrupt this program for breaking news."
Most of them who weren't paying attention looked up at the screen. The screen changed to shaky live footage from a news helicopter. There were numerous police cars and armored vans, flashing lights that were painting everything red and blue, and a yellow barricade made from tape stretched tight across a city street.
The camera zoomed in slightly, showing a bank with glass doors shattered. There were officers crouching behind vehicles, weapons ready but unmoving.
"We're coming to you live from the scene of an ongoing bank robbery. This is a live situation developing just minutes ago, multiple suspects involved in an armed robbery have exited the building. They appear to be in a standoff with local law enforcement, claiming that the rest of their men have taken hostages inside the building Negotiations seem to be underway." The reporter's voice was tense, no one could look away from the television at this point.
From behind the group of three masked robbers, the entrance to the bank silently opened. The police noticed almost instantly, their eyes widening as they stared at the figure walking out slowly. Even the negotiator stopped at her words, not believing her eyes.
"Uh guys... Isn't that... " Denki's eyes were widening by the second. He recognized the person that just walked out. The hair color was different than what he was used to seeing. The outfit, too was a new sight.
It was a black haori with a white kimono and black undershirt underneath tied together with a black belt, white pants, and black sandal.
Though there was no mistaking the eyes and markings.
Mina stared, and stared. Finally, she let out a small whisper, almost not believing her eyes.
"Sukuna..."
There he was, dragging a bloodied masked man with just his left hand. It was just like a horror movie, with how the robbers didn't clock in his presence. Until one of the robbers paused and turned his head around after noticing something was up with the police.
But as he turned, he was met with a backfist straight to his face. The bang sounded like a bomb as the masked robber was sent flying to the side, slamming straight through the front windshield of a police car.
"HEY! WHO THE HELL—" The rest of the gunmen turned instinctively. One of them opening fire at Sukuna who stared at the incoming bullets. In a blur, his right hand moved before returning to its original position near his waist.
" Huh... " The man who shot the bullets was confused. Why wasn't the man before him laying on the ground dead at this point. His eyes widened in horor as Sukuna held up the same hand, before opening his palm, letting the bullets drop onto the ground.
"URK!" The same man made a weird gasp when blood splurted out of his mouth as soon as Sukuna punched him in his stomach. The same punch sent him flying through a brick wall, his body flying out the other side of a building.
He swiftly turned to the last gunman before him. The man immediately raised his gun, but his hands were empty. Suddenly, the same gun slammed into his chest, sending his body back into the bank he had just robbed.
Sukuna dropped the machinegun in his right hand. People might not have noticed, but he had defeated all of them with just his right hand. He dropped the body he was dragging with his left, before staring straight at the policemen, who were unsure what to do at the sight of him.
Numerous cameras all zoomed at his face as silence dominated the field. Even the reporter wasn't sure what to speak of this moment. The black haired teen, his signature markings never leaving his face, then looked at one of the cameras, the same camera that broadcasted the program Class 1-A was watching.
Mina's breath froze, as now it looked like Sukuna was now staring straight a her. Those bright crimson eyes and that small smirk of his had never left. And that black hair, it looked good. Too good...
Then, he disappeared from the scene, not even a blur was caught. The reporter finally spoke, as Class 1-A broke out into a frenzy, all loudly discussing what just happened.
"The hell?! That was clearly him!" Bakugo shouted, pointing at the camera. As chaos erupted around her, Mina's eyes stay glued to the screen.
Her grip on the letter loosened just a little.
"Idiot..." She whispered. "Stupid... Stupid... Idiot..." She whispered continuously, her voice soft and aching, her emotions completely tangled.
"I love you too damnit..."
End of Volume 1
To be continued on Volume 2...
(I'm sorry for taking so long. Life just hits you sometimes. I should've notified you guys. I am not sure when the next chapter will come out. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.)