At his words, the body disappears, along with the blood coating the alleyway. The knife clatters to the ground, no longer in use.

Your eyes widen as you look up, anger filling your veins like blood. It courses through you, heart pounding and hands shaking.

Kurai stands unaffected, not even flinching as he stares at where he made his brother die.

Shinimi was only an illusion, cast by none other than the Agitator himself.

❧

Midoriya doesn't hesitate to attack, unleashing the power of his quirk upon Shinimi's brother. That fact must've left his mind, though, because he doesn't seem to hold back even though he's related to your friend.

The building Kurai is standing on is blown to bits in seconds, and in that moment you remember how powerful the former hero is. Kurai is gone in the blink of an eye, though, no longer watching from the now destroyed rooftop.

Debris falls from the sky, and you hide yourself in the corner of the alley, knowing you're of no use to Midoriya now. All you can do is heal him if he's hurt and cheer him on in the process.

"Shit!" He curses, spinning around and looking for the boy, "How'd he move so fast?"

"That was probably an illusion, too," you tell him, "of himself, I mean. Always keep his quirk in mind, okay? Stay safe. Kick ass."

He smiles, clenching his fist. "Stay safe, kick ass. Got it."

You give him a fist bump then rush back to your hiding place, in between two dumpsters that are unfortunately full. The stink makes you wrench forward for a moment, but you forget the smell when you spot Kurai rushing towards Midoriya.

"Watch out!" You cry, watching as the green-haired man unleashes another blow.

Your heart fears for him; a pounding sour feeling, filling your chest, suffocating you. 

But you trust him.

He'll be safe.

Kurai seems to be invincible, dodging every attack like he's a ghost, an illusion with nothing to hit. Your eyes are so focused on the fight you almost don't notice someone calling your name.

Is that . . . ?

Did he come to save you? To say goodbye? Are you finally going crazy, or are you going to join him in death?

It's your brother, Hiroto, calling your name like you're the only person he can see. There's a huge smile on his face, and his dark hair is a matted mess. Dirt coats his skin, so much that you almost don't recognize him.

But you'd know your brother anywhere.

You stand, slowly, with hesitation, disbelief replacing the fear inside of you. 

Is it him? Or is this another trick of your soul, bringing back things you've desperately tried to forget?

There's no way Kurai would know Hiroto. He wouldn't know your brother's daring eyes and cheeky smile. He wouldn't know his stance; the way he leans slightly to the left because of his leg that he hurt in fifth grade. He wouldn't know the small mole on your brother's neck, shaped vaguely like a heart.

He wouldn't know Hiroto like you do.

You run to your brother, arms open wide, a smile on your face. You forget the fighting the moment you reach him, the moment his body meets yours.

He's warm. He's alive.

You meet his cries with your own, tears running down your face as you hold onto him. You can't lose him again. You promise yourself you won't. You'll never let go of him again.

"I love you."

Your throat is dry, so your voice is quiet, but you can tell he heard you by the smile on his lips.

But then you look closer at his eyes. His eyes, once full of life and rebellion, darker than the sea.

They're gray now; a lifeless, cold gray.

You push him away, stumbling backward in the process and falling to the ground. 

"H-Hiroto?" You stutter, looking up at him as his smile turns devilish.

"You're quiet easy to fool," he says, Kurai's voice leaving his lips. 

Your heart pounds. Your head throbs. Your hands shake.

No. He was right there. 

He was right there. You were holding him. You had him right in your grasp, only for him to be pulled away in an instant with a single glance.

He's gone.

Your brother's dead.

But he was right there.

A yell rips from your throat, and you lunge at Hiroto, nothing to defend yourself but your boiling anger. 

That familiar feeling of betrayal, of loss, of that same helpless, hopeless throbbing you've felt for so long. 

You've never been able to do anything before. 

Things have been taken from you without hesitation.

Hiroto was right there.

❧