Real Reality (Yandere!Hero x Reader)

XXII

The last two weeks had been horrible. Your school announced that every student was to stay home after a series of villain attacks all over the city. And now, you had just finished packing your things to go off and live with your uncle. He had insisted on you staying close to him, so he could keep a good eye on you since people had already started harassing you outside of your apartment. With your bag slung over your shoulder, you were currently waiting for Uncle Henry to knock on your door.

You shivered as you heard screaming outside; they repeated the same words over and over again — (Y/n) (L/n), was what they shouted like a mantra. Even though your windows were hidden behind the curtains, you could still somehow imagine their angry, scared and even hateful faces. You hadn't even dared to leave your home after you barely escaped an angry mob of people at the grocery store.

Starved of social contact, you felt as if you had reached rock bottom of your life. Even though Degree and Myth stopped by when they could, they were oftentimes busy with fighting crime. Other friends weren't allowed to visit you since they weren't allowed to leave their houses, too. It hurt to think about the intricate details of Syren's plan. How could she be so cunning?

"(Y/n), dear?" a worried voice echoed from the other side of your apartment door. You were snapped out of your thoughts and scrambled to your feet, turning the knob to push the sturdy door open. Uncle Henry looked at you with such pity that you avoided his gaze. He felt sick to his stomach at the sight in front of him, as though as if he had failed his duty as your uncle. "I'm... well, I hope you're ready to go."

"Yes, I am," you muttered meekly, closing the door behind you gently. He sighed, angry at himself for not knowing what to say. "Can we go now?" you asked, already having descended a few steps of the staircase. Uncle Henry snapped out of his daze, the feeling of the silken mask against his hands making him bring it up to his chest. It was one of the last remaining things his sister had left behind for him. Along with the hourglass necklace in his hand, he felt the need to give you comfort in such hard times.

"Wait," he mumbled, stepping closer to you, "there's still something that I need to give to you. It belonged to your mother."

He extended his hand, opening his hand to reveal a white mask laying in his palm. You cocked your head to the side, feeling the energy radiating off of it. Next to it laid your necklace, making a calm wave wash over your body. He silently took your hand and gently lowered both objects into your palm.

"Thank you for keeping my necklace safe." You smiled as you eyed the pendant hesitantly, afraid of what would happen if Syren were to steal it this time. But the mysterious mask was left untouched, your (E/c) eyes simply boring into it. "But what is that mask? Who did it belong to?"

"(Y/n), it belonged to your mother," he explained in a quiet whisper, his eyes trained on the piece of silk now in your possession. You nervously touched it, marvelling at the sheer craftsmanship of the accessory to keep one's identity hidden. "Moreover, it belonged to the villainess Aeva — your mother. I want you to have it. I thought you needed something to make you remember that you're strong — like your mother."

"Thank you, Uncle Henry," you cried out as you hugged him tightly, searching for the warmth you had missed so long. He smiled and wrapped his arms around you. Maybe he hadn't failed his duty as an uncle; maybe he still had a chance. "I-I'll keep this close to me. I'm already feeling better."

"To hear that makes me happy." He hesitantly let go of you as the sound of car-honking filled your ears. You sighed and walked down the last flight of stairs next to your uncle. You took a deep breath, feeling newly found power surging through your body. Yet, you had the bad feeling that this wouldn't be enough.

Outside, a large crowd of people was pushed back by your uncle's bodyguards. You gulped as you followed Uncle Henry to the sleek black car he often liked to use. The people roared, some were cursing at you or begging you to save them. They wanted you to sacrifice yourself to Syren, but you couldn't let that happen. No matter how selfish that sounded, you were aware of Halo City's doom if she got her hand on you. One way or another, if you didn't start to really find out what to do, she'd destroy this city — like last time.

"(Y/n), get inside, quick!" Uncle Henry shouted as he opened the car door for you. You nodded, climbing inside as fast as you could. After the door fell close, you could still hear their voices faintly. The thick walls of the car still couldn't completely drown out their horrible words. Your uncle got inside as well, seating himself next to you.

The driver started the vehicle, the motor vibrating before the wheels started to roll. You leant your head against the cold window and let your thoughts drift away. You knew that even though Uncle Henry tried his best, he couldn't save you from all of this forever.

"Uncle," you whispered, making him hum as he urged you to go on, "tell me... what do you know about Syren? How did she come to be this cruel person?"

"Well, (Y/n)..." He sighed as he ran his hand through his greying hair. "She went through what you're going through right now... it changed her for the worse. It made a good heart turn into a spiteful and hateful one."

"So, everyone hated her in this city?" you asked with a raised eyebrow. "How?"

"She was once a hero... it's already been such a long time. Everyone loved her. She was one of the best in this city... that was until she made a huge mistake." Uncle Henry looked broken for a moment, his blue eyes turning guilty. "I-I wish I could have done something for her. But no one could forget what she had done, or rather what she had failed to do..."

"What did she—" You didn't get to finish your sentence. The driver turned around to face you two, panic written all over his face.

"People are blocking the street and we're surrounded... what should we do, Mr. Smith?" the driver asked as your uncle rubbed his temples. With an exhausted sigh escaping his lips, he looked out of one of the toned windows.

"Don't worry, they should dispel after a little while," Uncle Henry exclaimed with a calm expression on his face. "We have time... all the time in the world, for now."

But that was where he was wrong. Time was running out and the moment you dreadfully feared came closer with every passing second.

》When time is running out, the probability of you doing something you'll later regret rises.

For days now, you were living in your uncle's office building. It consisted of a tall skyscraper with his luxurious commodities on the top floor. Even though every luxury you could have ever wanted was provided here, you couldn't help but feel bored to death every day. You felt utterly useless, like a bird trapped in a golden cage. You knew that this was for your own safety, but living in seclusion was taking a toll on your sanity.

You hummed a sweet tune to yourself, sitting at one of the large windows. The sun was slowly setting, colouring the sky in deep hues of oranges and yellows. Your eyes were trained on the empty streets of the city. People were scared since attacks and other criminal activities had become even more frequent. No one really left their home anymore, leaving the formerly busy city in a state of somnolence.

The horizon called out to you, beckoning you as it whispered sweet words of freedom to you. Fantasies played in your head like movies. You thought about running far away from here and escaping this dilemma once and for all, but you knew you couldn't. If you ran, then you'd simply be returned to this prison since going out of bounds on the map would respawn you back at your previous location.

There was no escape.