Four new chapters for Infinite Evolution:Daniel Park in Marvel & Reincarnated as Ghostface in My Hero Academia. And four new chapters tomorrow for my fanfic Jigsaw in dc comics
The field had gone deathly silent, save for the soft rustling of wind that seemed to echo the rising tension. Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo stood frozen, each one eyeing the figure standing just out of reach. The dark figure, cloaked in shadows, had made its presence known, but offered no answers. Only an ominous silence.
The students didn't know what to make of it, the air thick with uncertainty. They had been prepared for any number of challenges—villains, simulated disasters, physical obstacles—but they hadn't been prepared for this. The *unknown*.
"Show yourself!" Bakugo shouted again, his voice trembling with a mixture of fury and fear. "Quit hiding and face me!"
It was a challenge, but it was more than that. It was an invitation. And yet, the figure didn't move, didn't even flinch. It was as if their commands meant nothing in this new reality, as if they had lost all control over the situation.
Midoriya, ever the leader, tried to take charge. His hand shook as he pointed toward the others, trying to organize a defense, but his words were caught in his throat. "We… we need to stay calm. We need to stay together." His voice cracked, a hollow echo in the empty space between them.
But his words didn't carry the same conviction they once did. There was no certainty in his tone, no unwavering confidence. Deep down, he knew it. This wasn't just another test. This was real. And they were all alone.
Todoroki, standing a few feet away from the others, shifted his gaze between Bakugo and Midoriya, then toward the figure. His usual composure was gone, replaced by something darker—something uncertain. He was spiraling, slowly but surely, as the pressure of his past and his present combined into a crushing weight.
The whispers I had planted in his mind earlier were now taking root. The self-doubt, the fear that his powers were a curse, that his quirk was nothing more than a tool—his internal battle was unfolding before my eyes. It was only a matter of time before he cracked, too.
And that moment was coming faster than they realized.
---
As Midoriya tried to regain control of the situation, he kept glancing toward his teammates, searching for some sign of support. But the cracks were too deep now. His doubts were like chains around his heart, suffocating the very resolve that once made him a beacon for others. He had always believed in his quirk, in his potential to be a hero. But now, that belief was shattered. The weight of his failures, his broken promises to his friends, the constant comparisons to All Might—all of it had been building, and now, it threatened to consume him entirely.
*It's all your fault,* I whispered just loud enough for him to hear. My voice slithered through the shadows, a cold breath against his ear. *You couldn't save them. You can't even save yourself.*
Midoriya's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. His body trembled as if the ground beneath him had been ripped away. The words struck deeper than anything physical could, and I could see the instant the doubt blossomed into full-blown panic.
He staggered back, his knees threatening to give way. "No... No, that's not true..." he muttered to himself, though it was clear he wasn't talking to me. He was trying to convince himself that he still had what it took.
But I knew it was too late. The seed of fear had been planted, and now it would grow into something darker.
---
Bakugo, never one to show weakness, tried to keep his composure. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his teeth ground together as he tried to ignore the tremor in his arms. He refused to acknowledge the fear crawling up his spine, the way his heart raced as he looked between Midoriya and Todoroki.
"Stop wasting time!" he roared, turning to face the others. "Whoever you are, show your damn face already! You think you can scare me?"
His bravado was a thin veneer, barely holding together as his inner turmoil bled through. The anger that always simmered beneath the surface was bubbling over, a desperate attempt to regain control. But the more he shouted, the more that fear—just under the surface—grew.
And I knew how to stoke that fire.
I stepped out of the shadows, slowly, deliberately, my Ghostface mask gleaming under the pale light. There was no need for grandiose theatrics. No need for speeches. The very presence of my mask was enough to break the fragile control Bakugo had over himself.
I took a step forward, my voice a soft hiss that only Bakugo could hear. "You think you're the only one with a legacy to live up to? Your pride is nothing but a crumbling foundation. You'll never be good enough. You'll never be the hero you pretend to be."
Bakugo's eyes flared with rage, but it wasn't the usual fire. It was something darker now, something primal. The explosive temper he relied on was lashing out, but it wasn't enough. My words had struck deeper than any explosion could.
"Shut up!" Bakugo roared, his hands crackling with sparks. But I could see it—the hesitation, the doubt. For the first time, Bakugo wasn't sure if he could win. He wasn't sure if he could *do* it, if he could hold onto the identity he had so fiercely constructed.
---
And then there was Todoroki.
I saw the way his shoulders tensed, his posture shifting, as if the very weight of his past had become too much to bear. He wasn't just fighting against me; he was fighting against himself. The cold part of his quirk—his father's legacy—was the part that had always held him back. The warmth, the fire, the side of him that had once burned brightly with purpose, was now smothered beneath the doubt I had carefully nurtured.
"Give in," I whispered to him, just loud enough for him to hear. *You were never meant to be a hero. You're just a tool, a weapon to be wielded by your father. You don't even know who you are anymore.*
Todoroki's hand twitched, his ice and flame flickering in a way I hadn't seen before—unstable, uncertain. His eyes were haunted, as if the realization of everything I had said had finally broken through his defenses.
He stood on the precipice, and with a single push, I knew he would fall.
---
The air was thick with fear, doubt, and confusion, swirling around the three of them like a storm. The cracks had become chasms, and the bonds that had once held them together were now stretched to the breaking point.
The class had fallen apart, their trust in each other fraying with every word I spoke, every seed of doubt I planted.
And now, all I had to do was watch.
---
**End of Chapter 9.**
**Next Chapter: The Reckoning**