The Light of Dim Stars (Yamata, Android)

Orochi stared at the stars from the dormitory’s living room, right before an open window. They shone brighter from her home’s garden, and when she was back with the gang.

For some reason, the sunsets felt livid, and the stars glimmered like diamonds when they were together. From three years ago to now, she didn’t forget those memories.

She had lots of things to go over after they failed to bring Sandatsu down. Footage circulated on the internet; the Reaper’s invincibility has been brought down by Chihiro.

Orochi only assisted and held him long enough to have a fair shot at ending him; without her friends, she wouldn't be able to do it.

Now, back to a place that should feel “safe,” Orochi felt nothing but longing. She longed to be with her gang, with her family. She had friends in Shiketsu, but her longing was only sated by a few of them. Sally, Yui, Hiro, Chris.

Shiketsu no longer felt like a home, and now new faces became old. The distance made them grow apart; Orochi doubted her reason for fighting now.

She saw the ugly face of heroics. Sandatsu made sure to mop it over their faces when Majestic used them as bait to tire Sandatsu out. She didn’t know how long she had before her family started their thing, or better yet, the Atsushi elders.

She was their PR chicken of the golden eggs. Awakened, fought the Reaper, and survived. Scrutiny. Extreme Scrutiny. Orochi felt the eyes on her back, the constant gaze of watchers beyond her view.

It was her paranoia, or maybe her extended field of view made her act that way. She didn’t know. All she knew was that a leash was growing tighter on her neck each day. Those dormitories felt rushed; she hated it. She lived in a mansion with heroes and tight security.

Now, she was there. Exposed for all to see, the association, whoever could have enough sway to get information from the school’s hands.

It made her skin crawl in agony.

‘I am fighting for the wrong reasons.’ The hydras already spoke their minds days ago. They made their intent and message clear.

Orochi felt someone approaching her from behind. The hydras moved to stare at her. Their vision was far from perfect. They saw a shape of mostly blue, then the image traveled to Orochi’s brain, which reconfigured the information and made sense of it.

Tame was there. Her roommate. Orochi had nothing against Tame, but she would have preferred someone she could talk about her plights with more openly.

“...” Tame stopped by Orochi’s side. “The curfew will happen in a few minutes. We should go to our room.” Orochi scoffed.

“I’m not in the mood to go back to our room. I just want to see the stars… just a little more.” Tame closed her eyes and sighed as she came to Orochi’s side.

“You were on the internet, you know? People are talking about you. Some boards on Quirkchan even started to theorize ways to take you down. Everyone is worried about you.” Orochi's gaze was focused on the stars.

“I know. I don’t care. This is what I signed for, I think. I'm not sure anymore.”

The stars were bright, weren’t they?

“Why is that so? You were so… bright in the past. Your desire to become a hero was inspiring.”

The desperation to be something she was not.

“Yeah, I can see that. Things happened, and I had to rethink some things. I don’t think that fighting for it, for them, makes sense anymore. The image I had, and how it is… are not the same.”

Disillusioned.

“Why… what caused that feeling in you, Atsushi-san?”

Orochi smacked her lips.

“... I hate the system that gave birth to me and people like Feral. That allowed Reaper to be born. The complacency.” Orochi reached a hand to the stars. Tame stood silent.

“I may not want to go on massacres or hurt innocent people, but I do want to fight. I want to make villains pay for hurting us… No, this is wrong. I want a convenient target, someone I can hate and then lash out against. Feel good about having something to protect.”

It was hypocritical of her to hide her violent urges behind the veil of pride and ideals. She knew it was not what motivated her any longer, but a part of it, maybe her past ideals, still shone in her heart of hearts.

‘This is concerning.’ Tame knew something changed in Orochi after her “awakening,” something considered to be a pseudo-scientific event and not accepted by many specialists as a thing, but where she was, talking with someone who underwent an awakening and felt so different because of it.

“That’s not all; even if it would be simpler if it were. I want to make a difference where it matters. Not to be just… an idol for people to follow. They have Saurus; they have my dad. Those who want can follow in their footsteps.”

Saurus did a good job of bettering the image society had of mutants, but it was not enough. Sure, people like Feral were broken and unrepairable now, but what if there was a point in time that was not the case?

What if someone could teach them? Better their lives before they went down that path?

Tame couldn’t say she completely disagreed with Orochi’s sentiment to do better, but she failed to see how it connected to her words and her feelings of uncertainty towards heroics. She felt as if a crucial piece of this puzzle was missing.

“For those who are lost but can’t find their light, I want to help them. The mutants and the outcasts that feel like they have no choice but to become villains and indulge their darkest desires. I can’t do it alone, but I have friends, people, who can pull it off, or at least help in doing it.”

They were a gang of outcasts. What better place to rope outcasts into? “Between Legion, Wild Hunt, and villains, I feel lost. So many people say they want the best for us; many want to spread chaos. Who benefits from their actions when it is said and done?”

Orochi let out a dry and sag laugh. “Why doesn't the Legion focus on just helping people instead of doing terrorist attacks? Why they just… don’t make centers, rehab places, I don’t fucking know, anything to better the life of people?”

The middle hydra wrapped itself around Orochi’s torso. “Heroics won’t cut it either. It is all for showbiz, fame, and having a better image. I can count on one hand who amongst the top 10 would stick with the downtrodden and help them, even if they have dangerous and unstable quirks.”

The bite in her words became venomous; it overflowed with anger. “I lived my entire life with the fear of being a monster, chained up and not able to have a normal childhood, and yet, nothing changed after I grew.” She was still chained. She was unable to be normal in the eyes of society at large. One mishap, and she would end like Popsy if she ever became a hero.

“I don’t feel I can make the changes I want to see being a hero, not as how the current hero society operates.” So shady, full of corporate madness, and with parts so rotten it could infect vile blight in anyone who touched it.

Tame sighed. “I don’t think I can help you, Orochi-san. I think only you can help yourself at your crossroads. If you want to follow such a path, I don’t think you can stay in Shiketsu any longer.” Tame was direct and to the point.

It wouldn’t help their situation and the topic at hand if she beat around the bush. “You should fight for what you believe in.” Tame’s lips trembled. In a way, Orochi was acting like Sally. She was suffocated by the school and hero work.

“Remember, even if you do follow a path outside Shiketsu, some of us will stick around and help you, even if we shouldn’t. We have faith in your judgment.” Tame tapped Orochi on the shoulder as she turned away.

“If you ever need help in understanding your quirk, or try to find someone able to see through your… enhanced perspective, you can call me. I will make something work. The time is almost up, so I will be going to our room now, Orochi. The door will be unlocked.”

Orochi’s gaze continued on the stars, which suddenly flashed brighter than they were a few minutes ago.