A "Shocking" Revelation

How do you possibly deal with the knowledge that your parents died for nothing? That your suffering had no reason aside from a man's boredom? Of course, it was to be expected that she would be agitated, but never did she imagine it would be so strong, so intense. All she could think about were the words spoken by that man, how he seemed to had taken delight in tormenting her with his taunts. To think that the villain known as Thunder Shock had killed her father for no reason at all other than to deal with his boredom? It was truly infuriating. She had left the hidden area where Thunder Shock's prison was located at and felt her hands balled up into fists, trembling lightly in anger as she tried to push away the thoughts haunting her mind. He killed them because he was bored, he didn't even remember the names or faces of the ones he had killed and yet. He still had the guts to taunt her like that, to tell her that should she be serious about her hatred for the man, that he would allow her the first strike.

It also didn't help that the guards clearly took delight in her suffering. She could see it in their expressions, those smug smirks that clearly held little effort to conceal the wicked thoughts in their mind. Now she thought about it more clearly, perhaps that was the reason they had allowed her access in the first place? After all, it was unusual for a teenager to be given permission to see a wanted criminal like Thunder Shock, especially without any official procedure. It was also quite clear that there was a rift between the people who approved of those with quirks, and those without them, and as such it wouldn't be an understatement to say that a certain faction would surely take delight in the idea of a Quirker like her to suffer, especially if they themselves were able to keep their hands clean from the matter. No, the more she thought about it the more it all seemed quite intentional that they permitted her to see him: Those guards wanted her to suffer, especially when their grinning faces still haunted her mind.

Balling up her first Elise could barely containt he seething rage within her small body, unsure of what to think or feel about this matter. It was all so unfair! And even more, why were they keeping a dangerous wanted criminal like Thunder Shock in confinement within the military encampment? Weren't there better locations to keep that man at until the time of his trial? Then again, who knew what the government might had been thinking, she would had been lying if she understood the reason they even permitted a man like him to receive a fair trial. What about all the people that had died by Thunder Shock's hands? Did they receive a trial? Surely not, she imagined only suffering and agony awaited that villain's victims, at the very least till they died. It was for that reason Elise knew all too well that a trial would never bring comfort to those who were left behind. No, she still remembered the sight of her mother trapped within her comatose, deep within a slumber from which she likely would never wake up from. She had been powerless, incapable of saving her mother, and for the first time ever she couldn't help but doubt the usefulness of her Quirk. People often praised it as a wonder medicine, but what use was a wonder medicine when it wasn't enough to save someone when it was truly needed? All she could do was violently shake her head to vanquish the gloomy thoughts...

The idiot, if she was given the first strike he would surely regret it, she'd make certain of that. However, a sudden tap on her shoulder made her turn around yelling in anger. "If you're here to laugh in my face then begone already! your pet already did his work!" Yet as she finally realized who it was the scowl on her face briefly made way as she muttered softly. "Aki..." It was Akio, the one who had tried so hard to protect her during the Music Night, one of the people at U.A that she happily called a friend, and now he had to see her like this. Her expression softened in a look of sorrow as she averted her gaze away from him. "I'm sorry... I didn't realize it was you..." Her tone was apologetic and heavy with sorrow, a hand raised to her face as she attempted to conceal her expression. God why did he have to stop her at this time? If only she could have been by herself and let those emotions get buried deep within her. However, in the end, it seemed that wasn't an option, for Akio soon expressed his desire to get her something to drink and hopefully calm down a little. It was a foolish notion, in the end how did one even calm down properly from some something like this?

As she followed the giant of a lad toward a small catering area she watched him with a blank stare as he returned at her side a small distance away from the tables, taking a seat on a small bench they had placed there. "..." A tense silence lingered in the air momentarily as she looked down at the water inside the plastic cup, the surface of it surprisingly clear and pure, unlike her heart currently. "I... just met the man who murdered my parents." She took a sip from her drink and sighed deeply, clearly frustrated as she continued. "Thunder Shock is currently being confined in this encampment, and do you know what he said when I asked why he attacked the hospital? He was bored!" She yelled the last part in anger as she shook her head violently. "To think my parents died simply cause that bastard was 'bored'..."

Silently the girl took a sip from the beverage. It was apple juice, a sweet beverage that the burgundy-haired lass had always been fond of. There was no doubt that Akio had heard about the girl's preferred drink from a certain iron-blooded girl, or perhaps he had actually paid some attention whenever she ordered a drink, because if there was one thing that Elise often was associated with then it was apples, no doubt the result of her fondness for them. whether it was apple juice or just a regular apple, she was always quite fond of anything involving apples, but then why... She took another sip from the beverage that Akio had been so kind as to gather for her when she found herself merely staring down into the liquid after taking another sip. For some reason, the flavor felt missing, and she doubted it was because she didn't feel thirsty or the juice was foul or anything, far from it. Perhaps it was simply a case of her mind being too shrouded in a haze of malevolent thoughts that she couldn't think about how delicious it might be. When she heard Akio express his sympathy for her suffering the burgundy-haired lass raised her head toward him, her eyes lacking that usual spark of joy and liveliness that could be found inside them. It was such an odd feeling, almost difficult to describe but simply said she felt a familiar coldness loom over her. In any other situation, she would have been grateful, would have felt a bit better but right now? "I don't even know what I want to hear or think Aki..." Elise admitted with a soft sigh.

Feeling truly haunted by the vile thoughts that occupied her mind the Von Eisenberg raised her free hand to her face as if she tried to conceal her scowl behind it. Why was it so difficult to feel emotions like this? She never expected she could feel something so negative like hatred and spite, but right now there was no doubt in her mind that her heart was being haunted by a specter of vengeance. Even if a part of her knew it was not the right thing, even if she didn't want to feel those feelings at all, she still felt it was impossible to ignore those dark thoughts. What would it had been like if Thunder Shock had escaped? Would she be able to hunt him down and get her revenge? But then what? Would it bring back her father? Would it wake up her mother? The answer to that was clearly: No, it didn't matter if she sought her revenge. It wouldn't do anything aside from appeasing her hatred and ensure that nobody else would suffer the same fate as her father had done.

It had been such a foolish decision, in the end, how could she have possibly expected that Thunder Shock might have had a reason for killing her father? Was there even any possible reason that could justify such a tragic thing? Obviously, there wasn't any reason that could justify him taking away her beloved father. A part of her had known there would likely had been no reason at all that could explain her suffering. However, perhaps all that time she had clung to a fool's hope, a prayer that those people had not perished without a reason. Still, it seemed that Thunder Shock didn't even permit them the chance to have a reason to have died for. "I hoped that there might have been a reason... a reason why Thunder Shock had chosen the hospital as his target for that cowardly attack." But to then learn that there was no reason at all beyond the man's desire to get rid of his boredom in the most brutal way possible? Now that was truly enough to make her seethe in rage.

How could someone even be capable of having such a corrupted and vile psyche? To not hold a shred of remorse for all those innocent people he had killed... Was it even possible to call a man like Thunder Shock 'human'? She was afraid the answer to that was clearly one of doubt, at this point she didn't even know if that person was anything but a demon in diguise...

"I never thought I could hate a person, but right now? Right now my heart is on the verge of being consumed by that dark flame that stirs within me." A deep sigh escaped her lips. She knew all too well that hatred and a desire for revenge were not feelings a hero should have, but then what did that make her? Was she about to lose herself to this hatred and forget what it meant to be a hero? In fact, what did 'being a hero' even mean for a starter? So much doubt and confusion plagued her mind. "What even is a hero, when we allow a man like that to get a proper trial?" She couldn't help but lament the fact that right now Thunder Shock was still alive, comfortable within his cell while her father was dead and her mother still trapped within a comatose. "How do I even deal with this, knowing a man killed my beloved parents simply because he was bored? How does the law believe that their actions will lessen the suffering of the victims and those who lost their loved ones?"

She shook her head violently as she finished her drink and squeezed the plastic together, her hand balled up into a small fist. "And worst of all? I know all too well that I can't do a thing about it, as much as I wish to kill him, I'm still too weak to do it. I wonder how Touma ever dealt with that..." Was it something her sensei ever experienced? A desire to kill someone because of the things they did? Surely someone like Touma had suffered a similar experience before, so how did he deal with it? Surely he wasn't the type to let a crime like this go by unpunished? So many questions plagued her.

She did recall the story that Akio had told her before, about how his elder brother had been murdered before, for no other reason than to satisfy one's boredom, and perhaps it was for that reason Elise felt it was okay to talk to him about this. In the end, Akio had experienced her suffering in a similar manner before, so she felt he would understand her pain and suffering to a certain degree. "I still held hope, that there might have been a more complicated reason behind it, that my father died for some reason, I know no reason could justify this loss of mine, but to hear that he was murdered simply because Thunder Shock and his goons were bored?" She felt her fingers squeeze the plastic cup a bit stronger as she shook her head lightly in response, raising her voice in frustration. "I KNOW!" indeed, to hear him say that by taking matters into her own hands and extract judgment upon Thunder Shock herself, would have no longer make her a hero, but a murderer was frustrating to hear, to say the least. "I know... that it's not the right thing to do, I know it's not what my parents would want either, but Akio..." She turned to look at him, tears in her eyes as she asked him the question that haunted her for so long.

"What do you think this does to the survivors? How do we come to terms with the fact our loved ones are gone? Do you think we will be satisfied to hear he is getting a proper trial, a 'possible' punishment which can't be enough for the evil he committed? And then what? Letting him live is going to just bring more people like me! People who will be left behind like this..." She tried her best to suppress the soft sob she felt emerge as she continued to speak. "My father, I wasn't permitted to see his corpse. It seems the thugs who attacked him were so violent that the state of his body would traumatize me. They want me to remember him as the wonderful papa he had always been to me, not the broken husk Thunder Shock's minions turned him into."

In fact, they still had to give a proper burial ceremony, which troubled her even more. "I... didn't even get the chance to say goodbye yet, Touma- I mean the Principal Kobayashi-sensei told me a ceremony will be held in respect to my request to cremate my father's remains. It horrifies me to attend such a ceremony while such feelings plague me." She averted her gaze for a moment and whispered weekly. "And my mother still remains trapped within her comatose, the doctors think there is some sort of damage that is keeping her from waking up, but they can't find out what is wrong."

A painful sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back into the bench and asked with a weak smile. "How do I even tell Tetsuko this? That this suffering was all inflicted out of a man's boredom? How would she feel if she heard that I want to kill someone? It hurts Akio... I want to be that bright and cheerful girl she grew up to love, but it's as if the world is trying to taint the person she fell in love with."

After a moment she couldn't help but chuckle softly. "You're strong, you know? You lost your brother the same way I lost my parents and you're still able to walk the path of heroism with such conviction and determination. How in the world can you do it, to want to be a hero and yet not hate villains, to not want to see them wiped from existence?" She closed her eyes as she thought back about those feelings. Hatred and a desire for revenge were feelings not suited for a hero, a hero was supposed to be a beacon of hope, a light to inspire and encourage others, so for a moment Elise couldn't help but wonder that important question: Did she really have it in her to be such a selfless paragon of heroism?

"In a way, I can't help but wonder about the sacrifices heroes have to make. If we aren't allowed to feel those things, those very human feelings, then does that mean we have to abandon a part of what makes us human? Does it mean that we have to be a hero before we consider ourselves a human second?" It was a confusing question, a philosophical one that might be hard for a person like her or Akio to answer. "Did you know Akio, I recently transferred into the hero-course, I'm a part of 1-B" she was sure the news would get a reaction from him, but nonetheless she waited a moment to get to the actual point of the subject.

"My new homeroom teacher told me something very curious, albeit something interesting that is making me think a lot now: We aren't the superheroes from stories. We aren't the heroes given a magical gift that is meant to save the world. We are simply people who have a unique power, a Quirk, but we are still simply humans. So, I can't help but wonder: How much are we going to be sacrificing to become heroes? Am I going to have to endure this suffering, to let others experience the same thing I did simply because the 'laws' dictate that a villain deserves a proper trial? It horrifies me Akio, is this what true heroism is about? To not let villains face a reckoning when they commit evil?"

She leaned a bit forwards, peering into the squeezed cup as she mused softly. "No wonder Thunder Shock isn't afraid of heroes, in fact, are we truly heroes at that point? I don't know Akio... What is true heroism? At what point do we pull the line on when a villain deserves mercy or not?"

Of course, it was a troubling subject for the girl to converse about, after all, how does one possibly obtain the means to continue smiling and remain the cheerful and bubbly girl who always approached life with a smile when she had heard such news? The answer was tragically enough: that there was no such thing. She was not a trained soldier who was taught to consider losing someone a simple static, a casualty of war. Simply said it was impossible for her to not feel negative emotions and think darker thoughts after all the things she had experienced. Her father had died, and her mother was in a comatose with no signs of improvement all because a villain--- no a bloody maniacal murderer was simply bored. "Of course there is no satisfaction in hearing he receives a proper trial. What about the people who died because of his actions? Did they get a chance before they were killed in cold blood?" No, she knew that there was no lawyer who could possibly save Thunder Shock, there was no way that villainous monster would escape with anything less than being sent to the gallows.

Although Akio tried to reassuringly wrap her arm around her, Elise had to admit she felt cold, a familiar coldness that was only banished in the wake of Tetsuko's desperate efforts to reach out to her after the loss of her parents. But this time the coldness felt stronger, and it wasn't exactly a storm, it was something more oppressive and it felt almost akin to it tugging at the bag at her mind. For a moment Elise remained silent, her head lowered as she listened to Akio's kind words.

"..." A momentary pause lingered in the air before Elise stretched her arms slightly upwards into the air and mused softly. "So ya talked to Tetsu recently hmm?" The girl mused softly, clearly interested in where this conversation was going before she shook her head lightly. "I can't let her understand such a thing Akio, nor walk this path. The Elise she fell in love with is the girl who wants to help people, the one who is a cheerful and bubbly girl who simply wants to get along with everyone."

Indeed, the Elise she wanted was that one, a selfish but gentle princess who always enjoyed being spoiled by her loyal knight. She didn't need a lover who only cared about feelings like revenge and hatred. "I dunno Akio..." the girl mused softly as she lowered her gaze for a moment and inhaled deeply thinking about her next choice of words. "Sometimes I can't help but wonder: Wouldn't it be great if he died an incredibly painful death? The type that reminds him of the agony those who suffered by his hand felt."

She paused for a moment, her expression difficult to read by how she had her head lowered, but for some reason, her tone sounded softer, softer yet colder than the usual warm cheerfulness she displayed. "So a part of me does hope he will escape someday so that I can be the one to pull the trigger. Did you know there are so many places to target that could make him suffer a slow but painful death?"

Indeed, with her medical knowledge, she certainly knew a few points where a bullet could cause some horrible agonizing pain that would lead him to die unless some crazy guardian angel watched his rear and saved him with some unholy surgeon skills. "He will surely regret promising me that first strike..." Indeed, a sniper like her only needed one shot to kill anyway."

Slowly rising off her seat from the bench she took a few steps forwards and spun around, looking at Akio with a calm smile upon her lips. "See, I'm sure as long as villains exist that risk remains, which means that as long as we remain humans, we risk falling in a manner like this. One could say the love for those we hold dear is part of the reason we're so vulnerable, but I'd rather be corrupted than to cease loving Tetsuko, how about you Akio? Would you be willing to kill to protect Miku? Then again, it's an unfair question for me to ask, you still got other people to care for, while I only have Tetsuko left."

She tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion at the tall teenager's statement, a soft hum escaping her lips. "But what is the right thing? Isn't that entirely based on personal opinion?" Indeed, doing the right thing was all based on a perspective, whether it was personal or the one society had. "Hmm? yeah, I joined the hero course recently, Tetsu and Miku are indeed both in this class." A little nod of acknowledgment followed. Still, what he said after all about the way of treating villains she nodded her head in agreement. "In my opinion, the laws are too gentle for people like Thunder Shock, they deserve to suffer for the crimes they committed." But there was still one thing she needed to address, stepping up to him she raised a hand, attempting to lightly press a finger onto his lips as she exclaimed with a smile. "Don't tell anyone about this meeting or our conversation Akio, I'd rather keep Tetsuko and the others from worrying too much about me."

Indeed, she had already seen her beloved girlfriend suffer enough, this would be her own burden to carry.

She turned her back toward him, a hand raised with a light wave of a parting gesture. "Talk to ya later~" Who knew what would happen, but little did one possibly predict just how much of an impact the meeting with Thunder Shock had upon the burgundy-haired lass her mind. Too much had been lost, too much had been sacrificed without a reason, and it was clear Elise's heart demanded retribution, a sacrifice that could only be repaid with the blood of a certain man as a price.

Tetsuko... It was always quite an interesting experience, that a single person could cause so much effect upon her. The mere act of thinking or talking about Tetsuko could fill her with such emotions of an indescribable intensity. It truly was not an understatement to call the iron-blooded lass her muse, after all, Elise found the greatest joys in life at the side of her beloved childhood friend. But perhaps it was because of how strong their bond was that Elise's feelings toward her were so intense, that she was so easily worried about the wellbeing of her beloved knight, that she wanted to be the best princess that the iron-blooded lass could ever desire or wish for. "You have a point there..." Elise lamented softly, for a moment stopping in her tracks to close her eyes and think about the girl. It was true, the aforementioned iron-blooded knight was stubborn and protective like that, no matter what she would say or do, she would insist on walking at her side and carrying that burden alongside her.

"I wonder if I can be that selfish..." the girl whispered softly as she thought about it: Could she truly carry those emotions in secrecy, the doubt and hatred the burgundy-haired lass felt nowadays or rather: did she truly want that? She had already shown Tetsuko quite a few ugly sides of her before, so why would she hide this one? Wouldn't she feel more sad without the warmth of her sunshine? She already dreaded the thought of not being in Tetsuko's arms, and as such she came to the conclusion that indeed: Even if she was fighting for the sake of vengeance, Tetsuko Shindou was an essential presence she would need to persist and succeed, because even if she was fighting to get revenge on all the horrible things Thunder Shock did, she still would need the iron-blooded lass into her life, because no matter how much one tried to twist it, no matter how much the hardships of reality and the cruelty of others might corrupt her: Tetsuko was, and would always remain Elise's reason for living.

"I guess perhaps I shall be the spoiled little princess she adores so much." Indeed, but that would be a matter to discuss at a later time with Tetsuko herself, for now, there was still the matter of the conversation with Akio himself. "It's hard to say Akio, even if revenge won't bring back our beloved ones..." She knew that all too well, as someone training into the medical field Elise knew all too well that once a person died, it was over. It didn't matter how much one desired to see their loved one again, no matter what Quirk they might even possess, to see someone return from beyond the grave was a matter only seen in fiction, a particular thing known as fairy tales. "Sometimes we feel compelled to seek it out. Some might do it to get a sense of satisfaction, but I?" She raised a hand to her chest, taking in a deep breath. "I seek closure Akio, by killing Thunder Shock I will finally be able to believe that my father will rest in peace, that he knows there won't be anyone else like him in the future, at least not at the hands of a demon like that vile villain." The girl muttered softly, but was that truly the case?

Was she merely desiring to kill Thunder Shock to obtain a closure on that painful experience? Was she truly simply seeking out justice? Then why did she feel such intense hatred toward that man? Could she truly, in all earnest say that she would be able to kill him without personal feelings involved in the act? Of course not, she was a simple girl who was scarily skilled with guns, far from the traditional 'assassin' that would be capable of doing such a thing. A gentle sigh escaped her lips, a little shake of her head as she attempted to push aside the thoughts once more.

"I actually wondered about that Akio..." What type of thoughts coursed through Darkshine's mind when she fought Thunder Shock? Was she standing defiantly against him with the intention of capturing him? "Considering she likely fought with the intention of capturing him, it's likely she avoided making a lethal attack. And this is where we differ my good friend Akio~" the girl hummed softly, her tone softening again in a colder tone. "Darkshine was a hero trying to capture a villain, I can promise you if I faced Thunder Shock I would pull the trigger with the intention to kill him. I don't want to see anyone else follow the same fate my father endured."

And there was another thing that needed addressing for sure. "Did you know Akio, that a gun can make for a fantastic Quirk? A strong enough weapon with the right ammunition can be just as useful as a Quirk, perhaps even more so due to its versatility." She still remembered the principal's opinion on that.

"I'm glad to hear that you're at least honest, if you wouldn't be willing to kill to save Miku, then I'd question your resolve to protect those you love." Indeed, she would be willing to go far to protect those dear to her, but for Tetsuko she doubted she would have any limitation to ensure the girl's safety. After all, when you only got one more person in the world you truly can't lose no matter what, choices are easily made.

"My legal guardian?" She turned toward Akio for a moment, seemingly a bit surprised at his question before she continued. "It's Touma..." she shook her head lightly and quickly corrected herself. "I mean Kobayashi-sensei, I was actually about to visit him later today to talk about stuff, you have any business with our principal?" she asked for a moment, seemingly ready to leave. It seemed today had indeed been an eventful day, and little did she know the end was still not in sight!