I ran and ran and ran.....until I found an abandoned building.

The abandoned building was cold, damp, and smelled like rot and mildew, but it was a haven nonetheless. I pressed myself against the cracked wall, my injured shoulder throbbing as I strained to keep quiet. My breathing was shallow, controlled. I had to make sure no sound escaped me—not even the faintest shuffle of my shoes.

The heroes were out there, their voices clear as day to me despite the silence I lived in.

"Nothing here. Spread out!"

I could see the words floating faintly in the air like they always did, stark against the shadows.

Another chimed in, probably Hawks judging by the breezy phrasing. 

"Come on, kid. We're not here to hurt you. Let's just talk, yeah?"

Talk, my ass. 

I scoffed internally. 

You mean, "let us drag you into the system, make you sit in some office while they decide what box to shove you into." 

No thanks.

I shifted further into the darkness, ignoring the sharp pain in my shoulder. My eyes scanned the gaps in the broken windows. Light from the heroes' flashlights swept through the ruins, slicing through the dust-filled air. I crouched lower, my body melding into the shadows like I'd done countless times before.

This wasn't new to me. Hiding, staying out of sight,—it was practically a survival instinct by now. I wasn't powerless. Far from it. I was a vigilante. I'd figured out how to carve out a place for myself in a world that constantly tried to push me out.

Even if that meant I had to stay alone.

"He's gotta be nearby. That blood trail doesn't just vanish."

I swallowed hard, my hand pressing against my shoulder where the bleeding had slowed but not stopped. Damn it. I should've been more careful, but what was I supposed to do? They'd shot me.

The words of another hero appeared, likely Eraserhead. 

"Stay alert. He's smart—smarter than most. Don't underestimate him."

Well, at least someone gets it. 

I smirked bitterly to myself. They thought I was just a scared kid running blindly. I wasn't. I knew what I was doing. I'd been doing it for years now.

The truth was, I didn't need anyone. 

Not heroes, not cops, not anyone. 

They'd all failed me before, time and time again... no one came until now and now... I am basically a criminal for hacking to get help to survive! 

When I was quirkless and desperate, they ignored me. When I asked for help, they turned the other way. Now, even with this so-called quirk that only made me "quirkless-adjacent," I didn't expect them to understand.

I wasn't useless. 

I wasn't powerless. 

I was resourceful. 

Sure, I wasn't the best at combat yet—fine, I was terrible at it—but stealth and hacking? That was my thing. I could outwit these guys any day.

From my hiding spot, I could make out the words of Endeavor barking orders, his deep, commanding tone practically vibrating through the building. 

"We're not leaving without him. Check every corner. He's injured—he can't have gone far."

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling up alongside the pain in my shoulder. I didn't ask for this. I didn't want their pity, their concern, or their misplaced attempts to "save" me. They didn't get it. They never would.

You think I'm just some scared, lost kid? 

Guess again.

I shifted again, creeping further into the ruins. The building was barely standing, its floors warped and its walls crumbling, but I knew how to navigate places like this. I'd lived in spaces like this.

Their flashlights flickered closer. I held my breath, my muscles tense as I pressed myself tighter into the corner.

"We'll find you,....You don't have to do this alone, you know. We're here to help."

Help? 

Really? 

Where was your help when I needed it?

 Where were you when I was a kid begging for someone to notice me? 

I shook my head, biting back the bitterness.

I didn't trust them. Not now, not ever. Heroes had their own agenda, just like everyone else. Maybe some of them meant well—maybe Hawks really did want to help—but I couldn't take that chance. I couldn't afford to rely on people who might let me down again.

I wasn't about to let anyone drag me back into a system that didn't want me. I was too old for their pity, too jaded for their promises. I'd find my own way, just like I always had.

I peeked through a crack in the wall, watching as the search continued. Flashlights swept over the rubble, voices called out orders, and boots crunched against the debris.

I'd have to move soon. They were getting closer, and I couldn't risk being caught. Not here. Not now.

Not useless. 

Not powerless. 

Not giving up.

They'd have to do a lot better than this if they wanted to catch me.