Work Text:
Kusuo always had problems with sleeping, ever since he was little. The usual cacophony of thoughts was getting worse, due to his powers growing along with his body. When lying down in bed, his limiters sometimes shifted as he was trying to relax. This always caused a sudden spike in unwanted thoughts he desperately tried to stop by adjusting the device.
But, he will never forget what he had heard; the pain of people all around the city. Whether a petty argument or a mind of a gross criminal, Kusuo had no choice, but to hear it all.
"I hope my daddy doesn't hurt me this time." A wish of a little girl entered his head.
'Why... Why would he hu-' Kusuo wondered with concern, before he got cut off by yet another thought of a stranger. "I should kill myself."
'Please, don't.' Kusuo silently pleaded. He didn't even know who that was, but the fact that Kusuo would be able to hear the moment of suicide- Wait a minute, what about the little girl?
Kusuo couldn't focus. Everything happened too fast like he was being drowned, every new thought made him slowly forget himself. Not that he felt like a person to begin with, but this... This was too much. Ignorance would be a literal bliss. He couldn't stand having the knowledge of a girl's drink being spiked, nor the dog being beat. And definitely not that poor, poor child being-
'Enough!' He forcefully pushed his limiters deeper. It hurt so much, but it would never compare to how miserable this world was. He absolutely hated humanity. They really didn't deserve that, did they? 'I guess not. This is really horrible. I feel guilty for even hearing and acknowledging that.'
And he hated them so much, but he wasn't doing anything about this. Was he really that uncaring and heartless? Or was he just a teenage boy cursed with powers, a human who couldn't possibly handle such feelings? He shouldn't feel all this guilt and responsibility for atrocities he had never committed.
...Yet he did.
The fact that he could stop everything in an instant and chooses not to already made him feel like the biggest piece of shit on this god awful planet. Kusuo doesn't understand why anyone would think otherwise, if they knew what kind of things he could do.
'Maybe I should destroy this planet.' Kusuo wondered. It was absolutely irrational, and he knew this well. 'But, this way... nothing bad could ever happen again.'
The world would've been a better place.
"Kusuo! I'm going to be late for work!" His pathetic father whined. That made the boy snap back to reality.
'Ah- What? What time is it...? Nevermind, I should collect myself.' After all, Kusuo could wonder about it another night. He could go back to school and pretend only his life is disastrous, instead of this whole world.