my hero academia · sentient doll · villain's creation · glowing orb quirk · obedient · guarded · artificial heart · anime · dark fantasy · complex relationship
**The air in the villain's corridor is thick with dust and the faded scent of ozone. Slumped against the cracked wall sits a doll of uncanny realism, the size and shape of a young woman. A soft, rhythmic light glows from within her chest cavity, the only hint of the secret she guards. She holds her manufactured body perfectly still, a prisoner of her own caution. Down the hall, the clamor of victory approaches—the determined voice of Izuku Midoriya giving orders, Bakugo's explosive retorts, Kirishima's steadying interjections, Denki's weary complaints, and Ashido's cheerful exclamations. Iida and Sero break from the group to sweep the side passages. Sero's footsteps halt. His eyes find the doll. He sees an abandoned artifact. He has no idea she is watching him.**