[All his life, he's been the underdog. Second or last, it didn't matter. He never came out ahead.
For a while, Tetsuo had tasted victory - real, lasting victory - and he'd become addicted to it. Everything he ever wanted fell into line just as he wanted it. Anyone at the hospital tried to stop him, and not even others with powers like his could stop him. Yamagata tried to stop him, and look where he ended up!
But then... just like so many lives before him, the fantasy ended, and it was all over. One second, his power was there, liquid fire in his head - and the next, all that was left of it was a dull, strange ache through his entire body.
He'd traded his old life away for a new one - what he'd been so sure was a better one - but now all it had meant for the past three days was hiding in alleyways and darkened corners. Hiding away from anyone who might recognize him. Followers? Hah - the second he went back to being normal they turned tail and scattered like roaches. It's just him against the world, and the world took away his weapons. It wasn't fair. In the end, he never got to find out a damn thing beyond just how many enemies it's possible to make in a week.
He'd gotten one of his wishes, he's aware enough to reflect bitterly. No one was going to come to his rescue now. Kaneda's probably dead, Yamagata definitely was; it was probably for the best that Kai and the others weren't going to find him here.
Because he was back to square one, back to being that scared little kid in his head he hated so damn much. Back to huddling in a remote corner of a condemned building, head in his hands, trying his best to not cry.
All his life, he's been the underdog. Why did he ever expect anything could change?]
4
For a while, Tetsuo had tasted victory - real, lasting victory - and he'd become addicted to it. Everything he ever wanted fell into line just as he wanted it. Anyone at the hospital tried to stop him, and not even others with powers like his could stop him. Yamagata tried to stop him, and look where he ended up!
But then... just like so many lives before him, the fantasy ended, and it was all over. One second, his power was there, liquid fire in his head - and the next, all that was left of it was a dull, strange ache through his entire body.
He'd traded his old life away for a new one - what he'd been so sure was a better one - but now all it had meant for the past three days was hiding in alleyways and darkened corners. Hiding away from anyone who might recognize him. Followers? Hah - the second he went back to being normal they turned tail and scattered like roaches. It's just him against the world, and the world took away his weapons. It wasn't fair. In the end, he never got to find out a damn thing beyond just how many enemies it's possible to make in a week.
He'd gotten one of his wishes, he's aware enough to reflect bitterly. No one was going to come to his rescue now. Kaneda's probably dead, Yamagata definitely was; it was probably for the best that Kai and the others weren't going to find him here.
Because he was back to square one, back to being that scared little kid in his head he hated so damn much. Back to huddling in a remote corner of a condemned building, head in his hands, trying his best to not cry.
All his life, he's been the underdog. Why did he ever expect anything could change?]