Chapter Two

A/N Disclaimer, I do not own any of the characters of My Hero Academia. Just Nox/Mai See Hasume and Suki.

I step into the crisp night air, my head full of terrible memories of my past. I relive my capture, my parent's death, my curse over and over again as I walk to my hotel, my feet dragging me toward my destination. I have been searching and destroying every CCQE facility for 15 years, but they still prospered. I have had hundreds of people, experimenters, directors, kidnappers thrown into jail, yet, it seems like more only take their place. I fight and fight and fight but it's never-ending, an endless, hopeless cycle where children always end up hurt or worse. I stop in my tracks and look up at the dark sky, trying to find starlight in this too bright city.

I can't dwell on the past. And it seems like maybe I can end this child abuse where it started. Where everything went downhill. Home.

I wave a hand near a wall and a white and blue portal warps up and I walk through it into my hotel room where I had been residing since I got to London three months ago. While following the CCQE through China, Italy, Ghana, Brazil, United States, and England, I have learned to only pack the essentials. I gently set down a sleeping Suki and change from my black and blue skintight hero wear to a more comfortable grey T-Shirt and black yoga pants. I brace myself and take out my headphones and wince as everyone's thoughts washed over me. I sit down on the bed, focusing on my breathing as the thoughts became regular background noise. It was a noise that I've been used to ever since my Quirk manifested. I crack my knuckles, roll my shoulders, now ready to gather my things to move on to Musutafu. As I start to pack, my phone rings again. Nezu.

I decide to answer, "Nox here."

"Nox," I could hear the relief in Nezu's voice, "I am so glad you finally answered the phone; we have an emergency over here that needs your intervention."

The calmness of his voice unsettled me. He's called before, claiming that there was an 'emergency', Nezu wanted to have tea and talk with me about Her. I frowned, "What kind of emergency is this?"

"An emergency that needs your intervention, Nox, I believe I have made myself quite clear. Now can you be here in thirty minutes?"

I sighed, glancing at the time. 2 am. So that puts it about 10ish over in Japan. "Nezu, do you realize what time it is over here?"

He chuckled in my ear, "I am fully aware of what time it is, I weighed that against who you are as a person. You've been a night owl since you studied here and," he paused, I could hear someone talking to him however I couldn't make out what they said, "And I'm willing to bet that you have stayed that way all these years."

"Nezu, can this wait?" I ask, "I am already packing up to go to Musutafu anyway, can't we just put this off for a couple of days? I may be a night owl but I don't want to be up all day and night dealing with whatever 'emergency' you have concocted."

"Mai See Hasume," Nezu's voice darkened with thinly veiled anger, "do you honestly believe that I would interrupt the work that you've been doing? Would I call you, knowing that you are searching for your parent's murderer in order to waste your time? Every single police department and government contacts me before you arrive and after you leave and tell me how many children you've saved, how many criminals you caught. I know how important your time is. What kind of selfish creature do you think I am?"

I wince, not realizing the implications of my words. Nezu is an animal, but he's so brilliant that I often forget that he was a subject of experimentation too. "I apologize Nezu, I didn't mean it that way. I'll be there in a few days."

"But I need you here now. Please, Mai See, please just come, and then you can rest immediately afterward, I swear it."

I put down the phone for a moment so he couldn't hear the huge breath I took. I look over at Suki, who had been watching me the entire time. She slowly blinks her green eyes and gives me the smallest nod of her head. She then walks back to my cloak, her black coat vanishing within the darkness. I bring the phone back up to my ear.

"I'll pack up now and be there in thirty minutes. Will I need to change into my hero wear?"

"Fantastic! No, you don't have to change but meet us in the conference room at UA!" Nezu's voice had a maniacal quality as he hung up on me. I knew it, another tea session.

It took me under ten minutes to pack everything up. I grabbed my two duffel bags and Suki jumped onto my shoulder as I opened up a portal. I walk through and come out squinting in the bright morning of my home, my uncle's home. He took care of me here after my parent's death until I was about 15. I reminded him too much of his sister, my mother, and so he left me to my own devices, paying for the house from where he was stationed in Yamanashi Prefecture. Walking into the house past the living room, I go and drop my stuff off at my old room. I sighed in relief at the coolness of the house and I was pleasantly surprised to find everything so clean and intact. I went to check the cabinets and fridge when I saw the note.

'Mai See, I don't know if and when you will be coming back, but I have been sending a young woman to clean the house three times a week until you return. When you get back, please let me know as soon as you can. -G'

I smile, even now my uncle was still trying to take care of me, after all these years. Startling me out of my thoughts, Suki jumped onto the counter, demanding food. I shake my head and fill her bowls. I guess I'll have to make a shopping list later, after the meeting with Nezu. I grab my phone and headphones as I look at the time and quickly make another portal.

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UA. It's exactly how I remember it, a domineering building, steadfast, fierce and strong. I remember the day that I had been accepted, and how difficult the entrance exams were. Well, how difficult ALL the exams were.

I quickly walk in, glad that I would never have to deal with schoolwork and schooling ever again as I half walk, half jog to the conference room. With my white noise blaring, I never even realized that it wasn't just Nezu in the room. It was my old classmates, now teachers and some pro heroes. Shota Aizawa, Nemuri Kayama, and Hizashi Yamada all sat together, Nemuri and Hizashi smiling at me while Shota played with the edge of his scarf. Endeavor stood by the door, his arms crossing and fire blazing. Best Jeanist sat at the table, looking away from me in disinterest and disdain. And at the front of the room, the Symbol of Peace himself, All Might. He was speaking to Nezu as a projection of a picture of me in my hero gear was shown on the wall.

Nope. I'm not doing this.

I go to turn when the fibers start to tighten around me. The more I struggled, the tighter they got. I glared at Best Jeanist and he sneered his face in disgust. And I knew that I was going to hate today.

"Nox, finally, you've arrived!" Nezu said, blatantly ignoring my entanglement. "Endeavor, please close the door and Best Jeanist, please don't let her go. She'll run as soon as she knows she can't be followed."

The door slammed as I was shoved into a chair and brought to the table. Best Jeanist and Endeavor sat on either side of me, obviously to prevent my escape. My classmates had looks of pity as Nezu walked back to his seat.

"Would you care for a cup of tea, Nox?"

I grind my teeth together, "Are you serious? Why am I here? Why are you such a sadist?"

He giggled and made a cup for himself. He nodded at All Might, "You know why you're here Nox," Nezu said, "It's the same reason All Might is here. We want you here as a teacher."

"I've already rejected your job offer."

Best Jeanist scoffed, "I don't even know why you're considering her, Nezu. We know who she really is and the parents won't sit by while you let a murderer teach their children."

I scowled but nodded, agreeing with him. Endeavor just grunted beside me in agreement. Nezu smiled and grabbed a remote from off the table.

"That's why we're going to go through the pros and cons of hiring Nox."

"Nezu," I warned, "Don't do this, I don't even want the job."

The presentation then started. The first slide was a picture of me in my hero gear. The hood of my black cloak is down, revealing my blue-grey eyes and brown hair. My suit peaked out, a dark blue suit with black outlines. My face was set in a look of determination. My picture then faded to a younger picture of me from before my parents died.

"Nox, true name is Mai See Hasume. Her parents were Eishun and Kiyomi Hasume, their Quirks were telepathy and telekinesis in that order. Their Quirks were combined and manifested in Mai See at the age of four. That's when they were targeted by the CCQE," I glare at the table, trying to keep myself from crying. "The CCQE then took her parents and murdered them," I could still see the blood coming out of the gunshot wounds through their heads. "They then experimented on her for 2 full years. They starve her, beat her and she was the first, and as far as I know, the only successful experiment they had. She gained a new power, but it came at a price. She also gained a new identity and personality residing inside her. Mai See named the new power Nightmare and typically refers to the new Quirk as Her. I'm not quite sure why," Nezu turned from the screen and looked at me expectantly.

I sigh, "She normally lies dormant, especially in the past few years. I use a pronoun so she doesn't try to come to the surface of my mind."

I could hear the surprise within the thoughts of the room, especially within my old classmates. The last time they saw me, I didn't have a shred of control over Her, and I was constantly fighting against Her within my own mind.

Nezu gave me a slight nod and clicked on to the next slide. "This is a list of the powers that Nox has and that Nightmare has." There was a divide between our names. "Nox has telepathy and telekinesis, and both powers together is extremely powerful. Nightmare can create portals and shoot black energy. Mai See, would you like to add anything to this list?"

I scowled at him, "No, I don't want to. I don't want to be here, I don't want the job," I started getting angrier and angrier. "I don't want to be constantly judged for the mistakes I made in the past. I don't want the distrust of parents and students. I don't fucking want to work here!"

Silence. Silence within the room and their minds. I could sense their fear and grudging admiration from the two sitting beside me. I realize that I have stood up while yelling and have managed to phase out of my bindings. I glance down, surprised and see the fibers slowly become the denim clothes that Best Jeanist always wore.

"Phasing is new, and judging by your reaction, it's new to you too."

You're goddamn right it's new, you little rat bastard.

I winced from the backlash of Her thoughts, but I could feel Her surprise as well. We were growing stronger and that terrified me as much as it elated Her.

"Please, Nezu, just leave me be."

As I put my hand on the handle of the door, a booming voice stops me. "What does it matter what people think of you?"

Endeavor's frustration grew once All Might began to speak. "I was the one to defeat you in the end, I was the one to turn you toward the light of true justice." I look at All Might, his huge smile plastered on his face. We both know he didn't win that fight. I ran away once he wounded me. "I will vouch for you, Hasume. We need your hand-to-hand combat skills."

Shota stands up from the quiet corner of my old classmates. "I will vouch for you. We grew up together, we studied together, we fought together. I know you, and I want you to work here." He quickly glanced away from me.

Hizashi shrugged, "I guess I'll vouch for you too; I still owe you one."

"As well as me, Mai See," Nemuri smirked.

"She's a murderer, have we forgotten that?" Endeavor growled, "I refuse to let my son be influenced in her dark ways."

"I have to agree with Endeavor. Her earlier outburst is a testament to the fact that she hasn't changed."

"Mai See," Nezu's voice is gentle, "We are prepared for any backlash from the public, we have statements from all the commissioners you consulted with and we also have statements from the victims and the children's parents that the public will get to listen to. I also have it on record that you have not had a Nightmare incident in eight years, correct?"

I huff in aggravation, "Yeah, that's right, but I'm here on a lead about the CCQE. How am I supposed to follow it if I'm here teaching a bunch of rug rats all day?"

A chuckle came from the UA staff. "Mai See, you don't realize why the CCQE keep avoiding capture, huh? How you don't have the name of the actual person in charge? How they're always two steps ahead of you? They know you're looking for them, so when the fire gets too hot, they leave, protecting themselves from being exposed. If you were working here, they're not going to suspect that you're on their tail." Nezu said, gesturing to the staff.

Damn it, that's a really good point.

"But Nezu," I start.

"Just say yes and we'll work out the details later," Nezu said, however, his thoughts said something else. "With All Might teaching here, we want someone to make our students stronger, just in case something bad happens."

He tilted his head meaningfully, and I felt all my objections fall to the ground. I look at All Might, finally realizing that he was now part of the staff. And Nezu considered his presence here a threat, which I didn't quite understand, but I couldn't call him out.

"Fine, I'll do it."