Confrontations and Interrogations
"Tensei wait." Aqua got up and watched him walk away. She looked at Terra for a moment before grimacing and running after him.
Tensei was speed walking through the hospital floor, quickly heading over to the elevator to ride down.
She quickly caught up with him, keeping pace as they both entered. The passengers that arrived on the floor got the message when they saw the two barely keeping their voices low but clearly upset.
Once they got in they merely stared at each other in silence. One daring the other to speak first.
It was Tensei to break the silence first.
"How long?" He asked.
"Excuse me?" Aqua looked at him.
"How long have you been fraternizing with that villain? Behind my back!"
"What are you talking about?" She asked. "I'm not-Tensei!" The elevator opened and they both walk out. Both somewhat seething in a way.
"Then what the hell was that?" He asked, heading towards the entrance. People cleared from their path.
"That was me, being happy to see a good friend after so long!" She defended.
"Oh yeah, a good friend. How long is 'so long?'" He questioned.
"Years Tensei. I haven't seen him in years!"
"Am I supposed to believe that?"
She scowled and ran in front of him stopping him in his tracks as he looked down at her.
"Don't you dare assume you know the whole story. Don't you dare do that!" She stepped forward. "You do not get to make your judgments until you have the full story!"
"I think I already have it Aqua. For an unknown amount of time, you've been cheating on me. With a villain no less! You take down the villain who nearly killed you! And you still wanna be with him? Sure looks like it after what I saw!"
"That is far from the truth Tensei!" She shouted. "If you just let me-Hey! Where do you think you're going?" She asked as he walked past her.
"I'm going home." He said. "I am too angry to talk to you about this right now."
"So you're not even going to listen."
"No! Because I cannot trust you, I don't think I can really rely on you at the moment. Look at who you were with!"
"He is my friend!"
"You say that, but do you really mean it?" He asked.
Aqua gave him a look of hurt before scowling and turning her head away. Ice traveled up her arms as she took a deep breath at the moment.
"Get your things out of my room. You can either sleep on the couch or go to your own house until you get over yourself." She said, still looking away.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
There was silence between the two before Tensei turned around and walked away. "Fine."
Aqua watched him walk down the street until she turned around herself and started walking. In her anger, she nearly froze over an alley. She left a trail of ice as she walked back to the hospital.
She had said nothing when she got back to Terra's room. Hizashi was still in there, looking terribly confused. Terra has been allowed one free hand, but a specialized cuff was still clamped onto his wrist. Something about canceling a Quirk.
The moment she walked in, the room got even colder than it usually was.
Hizashi instantly got the message and scooted away from the other chair in the room, watching her sit in it.
Just as Terra opening his mouth to greet her and ask her what happened the blonde motioned at him and shook his head quickly. Prompting him to keep quiet.
After a bit Hizashi gathered up the courage to hand her something. It was simple, just a small pen he forgot was in his pocket.
She took it, and the moment she touched it, it had begun to freeze over.
Terra watch in a mixture of fear and awe as her grip tightened just a bit and suddenly the item was covered in ice. There was a bit of crackling in her hand before she quickly closed her fist around the thing and it shattered.
The piece fell to the ground and she let loose a long sigh.
"You good Blue?" Hizashi asked quietly.
"Better."
"I think I'm gonna stay here, juuuust to make sure you don't kill anyone." He said.
"Alright." She muttered, standing up. After a moment the temperature of the room seemed to normalize. She looked at Terra. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Uh, I'm good. What about you? You seem a bit…"
"Don't worry about it, Terra." She said simply.
He nodded before looking around again. He let out a long sigh before looking at her again. "You look different." He commented.
"It's been a while." She murmured sadly.
"Aqua, how long have I been gone?" He asked, a bit of fear bubbling up. How long had he been that person? That monster?
Mic looked at him with a bit of irritation. He said a week or two. Did he not believe him?
"It's been 10 years Terra."
-LotF-
All Might's day could have gone better, a lot better. But it just happened to one of those days.
He woke up spitting up blood, distressed by a nightmare that never seemed to leave him. One that continued to evolve with every battle he seemed to fight. A new villain, a new weapon for his mind to use against him whilst dreaming.
The one that had been recurring as of late was that man. How close he came to ending Young Midoriya's life. How he had gotten there just in time to save him. It had been a real strain on him to even stun the Nomu long enough to grab it and throw it, then to rush over and land that blow on the villain.
From afar he had seen the boy clash with the white-haired man before being grabbed by the dark creature that hovered over him and beating him down. He had seen how he wielded Guardian's blade, able to exchange blows and get in that hit whenever he could.
What really caught his eye though, was the use of elements just like his sister. He had seen flames trailing after the winds created by the punch he landed. The ice that had begun to coat the creature's arm.
He wanted to talk to Young Midoriya about that, but he wanted him to heal first. Have a bit of time to relax before he would surely put the boy in distress. But he had to do it sooner or later.
The thought of that confrontation took over at least half of his thoughts in the morning as he readied for the day. He had a long day, working on grading papers and training the students. He had actually been able to spar with the boy, giving him a few pointers.
He had actually been a bit eager to take Izuku under his watch for the day. He was able to sense a bit of tension between him and his sister; who seemed to be a mixture of tired and angry. Him being the good mentor he was trying to be, insisted on training the boy. Calling him over when Guardian was listing names of the students she wanted to train with. Though as soon as that class period ended she had left for the day.
Just when he had been ready to return home with some time, maybe enough time to go to the beach and talk to his successor; he got a call from his old friend. Naomasa.
"Toshinori." He was greeted, there was the sound of a door closing.
"Ah, Naomasa. How are you?" The withered man asked, getting into his truck. He started the vehicle before waiting, just wanting the old beaten up truck to cool down a bit.
"It's fine, still looking into that attack. We actually just found out that the villain Guardian had taken down finally regained consciousness." He sighed.
He tensed a bit.
"Yeah? How's that going?" He asked, tapping a finger against the wheel.
"Well, we're finally getting him into the station to be interrogated. We're kind of in a tight spot since Guardian is trying to gain custody of the guy, but right behind her is UA."
"What!" He raised his voice, getting a few looks from confused students passing by the vehicle.
"Yeah. We need a few accounts about this guy. Word from Guardian is that we're in a spot of misunderstanding. I already took her in to get her statement, but I think it might fare a bit better with accounts from others who faced off against him." He sounded tired.
All Might gripped the wheel tightly, glaring straight ahead.
"I take it you'd want me to contact Young Midoriya as well?" He asked.
"Would you mind? I don't think we passed that message along to his sister." He sighed.
"Of course I can. How about you get yourself a cup of coffee. You sound exhausted."
"I would if I could. But we're actually bringing that guy in right now. So yeah."
"What was it you told me again? Pace yourself old friend."
"Oh ha ha." Naomasa laughed. "I said that because you're getting old."
The two shared a small chuckle before settling down.
"Alright, time to get back to work. I'll see you later Toshi."
"See you later." He smiled, hanging up before letting out a sigh.
Why was UA trying to get custody of that man? UA of all entities? Wouldn't he be fine in prison? No, Tartarus?
As far as he was concerned the villain could be locked away from the rest of the world and deemed no longer a threat. UA may be full of capable heroes, but he would never want that risk to be taken. Even if Guardian was there.
She had barely won that fight, granted she had been taking on a horde of strange creatures and a second villain, but still. She wanted to take custody, there was a reason. As much as he'd like to assume she's neutral, he had seen her sitting at his bedside while visiting Shouta one day.
There was a reason, and as much as he'd liked to trust her judgment he wasn't sure of it. She was Young Midoriya's sister, she lives in the same house as his young pupil. And he did not want that man anywhere near his boy. Regardless of being deemed harmless or not under her care.
He growled at the thought, hands gripping the wheel tightly.
In that case, then UA had to gain custody over him. He'd be surrounded by Pros, he would most likely be restricted to certain areas. If anything, he would gladly spend the time of day in his muscle form just to make sure he didn't try anything. He'd want him to try something, anything. But this time he'd be dealing with All Might, one on one with plenty of time to spare.
He let loose a long sigh, letting his grip loosen. He leaned back and shook his head.
He let himself unwind before picking up his phone again and calling Izuku. One ring, two, three.
"Hello?"
"Young Midoriya." He greeted.
"Oh, hey All Might." The boy said he was panting. He was using one of the gyms if he had to guess. He would have to talk to him about resting more often, again. He had been there since the start of the week.
"Where are you?" He asked.
"The gym." He said, pausing after a moment. "Why?"
"I just got a call from an old friend of mine. I'm not sure if you're aware, but that villain from USJ; the one that you had gone against. He's...well it might be better if I tell you in person. I have to head to the station, and they're going to want your side of the story young man."
"H-Huh? Why?"
"I'll explain it when we're face to face. Would you want me to give you a ride to the station? "
"If they want me there...then I guess. Where are you?" He asked.
"In the parking lot." All Might answered.
"You never even left the school?" Izuku said, a bit of mirth in his voice.
"Neither did you Young Midoriya." All Might lightly chided.
"Fair enough." He laughed.
-SotP-
If he had to be honest, there were a number of things he'd rather be doing other than being carted around. Hands cuffed to restrain his movement as if he was a villain.
Oh, wait.
Aqua had explained his situation, trying to keep it simple until everything could get sorted out.
Worst case scenario, he ended up in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Best case scenario, Aqua got custody of him and he was considered to be on probation. A middle scenario? Some place called UA would take him in.
Honestly, he was hoping for the best case scenario in this situation.
Especially given how everyone shot glares in his direction. How they talked down to him, how they freely talked about him despite Terra being right there.
At the moment they were taking him down to a station to interrogate him. Aqua had told him time and time again that he absolutely had to tell the truth. There was no point in lying. There they'd probably have someone with a lie detecting Quirk in the room with him.
And then he had to ask what a Quirk was.
Perhaps in another life, one where that old man who has effectively ruined his life thus far didn't exist, he'd enjoy spending time in this world. It was vibrant, lively, and so massive. There were surely places begging to be explored, something he'd probably never tire of.
But so far, he'd rather be back in the Land of Departure sparring with Aqua or Ven.
Oh god Ven.
Aqua hadn't been able to fill him in on everything. Just how long it's been, a few details of the world, and a few warnings. He had no idea where Ventus was, or how he was.
Surely he was fine though right? If Aqua wasn't actively panicking about him then he had to be okay right?
At this moment he could only hope.
"Pay attention!" He was yelled at as the vehicle was brought to a stop. He was feeling a bit sick. But he wasn't sure if it was because of the car ride or his anxiety.
Until further notice, he decided to chalk it up to both.
He was pulled out and walked into the building. The only time something was said to him it was to either bark an order or saying that he'd better behave himself.
He honestly had no reason to 'misbehave' he knew he was in a tight spot. And acting out, or saying anything would be dangerous to him. At least that was how Aqua described it.
He said nothing as they led him into a room and cuffed him to a table. Telling him that someone will be in there soon enough to talk to him.
That was fine, he just had to deal with this. Get through this, hopefully, get out of this, get back to Aqua, then they could find Ven. No problem right?
He jumped as he heard the door open loudly, being pulled from, his thoughts. He looked behind himself to see a man in a tan overcoat walking inside, one security guard accompanying him.
The man in the trenchcoat sat down in front of him and sighed, taking off his hat and looking to the young man. While the guard stood off to the side of the room, keeping a close on him Terra.
"My name is Detective Naomasa, I'm sure you know why you're here?" He asked, watching him.
"You're here to interrogate me," Terra answered.
The detective nodded and sighed. He placed something on the desk and pressed a button. "Let's try to get through this as quickly as possible hm?"
"Please." Terra sighed.
"Alright. Would you mind stating your name?"
"Terra." He said simply, tapping his finger on the table lightly.
Naomasa waited before raising an eyebrow. "Terra what?"
"Huh?"
"What's your last name?" Naomasa asked.
"A last name...I don't…" He shook his head.
The man gave him a look. "You have no last name?"
"No, where I'm from we don't use last names. We don't really have any." He rubbed the back of his head.
The detective let out a long sigh, taking down a quick note. "Alright then, Terra. About 2 weeks ago you were defeated and apprehended at USJ on the campus of UA. You were an accomplice with other villains who had launched the attack specifically to take out All Might. You aided in that attack, going after specifically Pro hero Guardian and her younger brother, Izuku Midoriya. Do you have anything to say to this?"
Terra stared at him in confusion, trying to process what he just said. "Wait...hold on." He held a hand out.
"You, and that other guy. That Present Mic guy, you keep saying that I did it but…" He shook his head. "I didn't. I don't remember doing any of that." He tried to think back, only getting back bits and pieces. They felt too scattered to make anything of it.
Naomasa narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, you don't remember doing any of that?" He asked.
"I don't remember," Terra stated again. "I have bits and pieces, but not the whole picture."
Naomasa stared at him. "You mind elaborating on that?"
Terra looked down, biting his lip. He couldn't lie, there was no space to.
"I," he put a hand on his chest. "I have bits and pieces of the fight, but not until the last parts of it. I only remember so much. I remember the face of a boy, he was fighting against me. I had a single moment of clarity, like one moment I had control and I was able to stop myself from landing a blow. It was like a breath of fresh air, I was barely able to register what had happened before I was forced into a dark place again, and I lost control. I felt myself slam him into the ground, and I couldn't stop it, even as I tried to get back again…I remember Aqua trying to reach me…"
The detective watched him, looking over his face.
"During the fight, it was reported that at the time you had white hair and yellow eyes. Accompanied by a dark shadow that obeyed your commands." He didn't miss the grimace that crossed his features. "There are two things I'd like to address about this. Your obvious color change," he gestured to him. "And, well that shadow."
"From the statement you've given, it sounds like you were looking in from the shadow's view. Based off of Guardian's statement, from what she had seen it was that creature that had landed those blows."
"I had no choice. I wasn't strong enough." He looked down as he shook his head.
Naomasa frowned. "Now, initially most would think that the white hair and yellow eyes were a product of you activating your Quirk. If you're saying you were the shadow, then you mind telling me who was the one in your body?"
Terra stared at him before looking to the side and biting the inside of his cheek. How much should he say? How much could he say? Assuming Aqua hasn't spilled the beans about there being other worlds...what details would he be able to leave out?
Naomasa sighed at his silence. "Terra, it's best if you give us the whole picture. There's no sense in trying to hide or save your accomplice-"
"He is not my accomplice!" Terra suddenly shouted. Startling the other two in the room. The guard and reached for the weapon at his belt.
After a moment he sighed. "He's not my accomplice if anything...he was my nightmare."
The detective and the guard looked at each other.
Terra already sensed the request. 'Elaborate'.
"I messed up. I messed up real bad. I trusted someone, who I thought had the best intentions. I let myself be manipulated, and I hurt people when I thought I had been helping them. And in the end, everyone paid for my mistake." He looked down, regret etched into his face.
"How so, if you mind me asking?" The detective asked.
"I-I...our master was struck down, one of my best friends is missing...but if anything Aqua paid the most." He shook his head. "She tried to save me once before, but I wasn't able to reach her when she reached out. Neither of us were strong enough back then. After that event, everything had gone dark for me, like I was lost in an endless sea of black."
"10 years?" He asked. "You seem young, maybe about 21 years old. You are telling me that this occurred about 10 years ago when you were barely reaching your teen years? Is that what you're telling me? I find it rather hard to believe that at the time you would have known Guardian at that age, who would have been 18."
"I was still 21 at the time when my body was taken " Terra muttered.
Naomasa frowned for a moment before standing up, as if trying to figure out something while he stared down the young man in front of him. Nothing had gone off in him, no indication of lying. But, there was no way none of that could line up. There couldn't be.
"There is no use in lying." He said, voice calm. "That wouldn't add up, how would you have not aged between then, and now?"
"I'd like to know that too." Terra sighed.
"So you're telling me, that 10 years ago your body was taken and you were, what forced out as that thing? Trapped under the influence of the villain who did that to you. Present day 10 years later, your body hasn't aged at all. And it had taken you this long to finally break free with the help of Guardian?"
Terra took a deep breath and nodded yes.
Naomasa looked a bit uneasy. It sounded like fiction, all of it, but he had no trace of him lying. Nothing had gone off with his Quirk. But with his Quirk cancelling cuffs he shouldn't be able to bypass his abilities in any way!
He shook his head and sat back down.
"We're almost done." He stated after a moment.
"Now, I feel that it's best we know. Do you know the identity of the villain you claim did this?"
-LotF-
All Might sighed as he turned a corner, the station not too far away, his successor was unusually quiet. The boy hadn't said much after All Might explained why he was wanted to put in his own statement of the villain.
He had been stuck in his head, staring out the window. Going through the events in his mind no doubt. But there was something else to his air of quiet, a feeling on tension.
"Young Midoriya." As soon as they hit a red light, All Might gently nudged him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"H-Huh?" He looked over to the man.
"Is everything alright Young Midoriya?" He asked, looking at the boy in concern.
"Y-Yeah. Just thinking." He scratched at his face, putting on a lopsided smile.
"Are you nervous about the statement?"
"No! No, it's not that." He shook his head. "I was just...I mean...that villain. I'm just trying to figure out why Aqua would want to get custody of him." He looked to the side. "He can't be that important to her, can he? I mean, I know what I saw just after I regained consciousness but…" He frowned.
All Might frowned to himself as he listened to the boy ramble on. He was nervous. Nervous about him being near, him possibly trying something again. Even if his sister was there to stop him.
Izuku had continued to ramble on, not even realizing the car was parked or that they had arrived at the station.
The skeletal man watched him go on and on until he let out a sigh a placed a hand stop the boy's head. Stopping him mid-rant.
"How about after we're done here we go grab something sweet?" He smiled, an attempt to put him at ease.
He didn't miss the way Izuku went pink. "Y-You don't have to All Might it's okay! Besides I'm sure you have a lot of other things to do after this I really don't wanna-"
All Might sighed and gave him a tap on his head. Not hard enough to hurt him, but just enough to grab his attention again. "It's fine, really it is. Besides, I think we need to have another talk about you overstraining yourself again." Another, slightly harder tap.
"Ah, yeah." He chuckled nervously before getting out of the vehicle. He waited for a moment as All Might transformed into his muscle form, before getting out of the now cramped truck.
Izuku gasped as he walked around. "All Might, are you sure you should be in your muscle form?" He asked, being nudged to start walking forward.
"It's fine my boy." He spoke in his usual, confident tone. "I have enough energy to get through this, don't you worry."
They had walked into the station, and as soon as people caught sight of the Number 1 Hero they began to stare. Wondering what someone like him was doing at the station, and with a child no less.
As soon as the hero looked over a lot of them averted their eyes. Save for one who was walking towards them.
"All Might." A tired looking man in an overcoat walked over. He actually looked happy to see him.
"Hello Detective, I believe my student and I were called here?" He asked, trying to keep a professional air while strangers were around.
"Yes, I did. This way please." He quickly guided the two down a hall away from the others in the lobby. Towards the interrogation rooms.
There was an air of tension in the hall, mumbles and a few shouts behind the doors where other criminals were being questioned. A few quiet rooms where they were either empty or a civilian was giving their own side of a story involving a crime.
"Just down the hall, the room to the left." Naomasa pointed before looking at his phone. "I have to go deal with something real quick, I won't be long." He quickly hurried off and left the two alone.
"Come on Young Midoriya." The hero sighed. "I'm sure we won't be here long." They continued walking until a door opened, and they shifted to the side to give those exiting room.
Izuku's breath caught in his throat as he saw who it was. Out of the room came the villain from the USJ attack.
He had been looking down until he noticed the people in front of him. He looked up and saw the familiar face of the boy from before. Just like before he had an expression of terror. Except this time he was in control.
The villain opened his mouth to say something until he caught sight of All Might. Bright blue orbs glared at him, clear hostility in them. The smile he had on before had turned into something more of a frown. The large man placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and gently pushed him forward hurrying him past the villain.
Izuku speed-walked to the room, throwing open the door before running in.
All Might had kept an eye on the villain as the officers handling him said a few things to him and shoved him forward. The young man looked over his shoulder, head snapping forward when he realized he was still being glared at.
The hero watched them leave the hall before walking in and closing the door behind him. "Are you okay Young Midoriya?" He asked, walking over to the boy.
"Y-Yeah...yeah I'm okay. Didn't think he'd be here."
"I thought he would have been gone by now as well." He patted his shoulder. "But he's gone now."
Izuku grimaced. "Is he?" He asked, staring forward. "Is he really?"
"I mean...Aqua is trying to take him in. A-And...that's not…she doesn't..." He groaned and began to pull at his hair in frustration.
All Might, though in his gargantuan form, gently grabbed his hands and removed them from his hair. He placed his hands down and looked at his successor.
"Young Midoriya, you're scared of him. Aren't you?" He asked.
His head snapped up. "What! N-No I…" He looked embarrassed at the thought. He was supposed to be a hero, he shouldn't be scared!
"It's alright to be frightened of a villain." All Might spoke softly. "There's no shame in that, none at all. In fact, for a time I was scared of him too. Although perhaps not for the same reason as you."
Izuku bit his lip and quickly wiped at the tears that had begun to build, escalating to furiously rubbing his eyes.
"Young Midoriya."
"I am scared!" He admitted, albeit a bit louder than he meant to be. "B-But I'm also, I'm also angry. And it's stupid, and I know that and it just makes me more upset!"
"Why-"
"I'm angry at Aqua!" He unintentionally raised his voice. "I'm just so...argh!" He looked at his hands and shoved them in his pockets, feeling them burn. He had hoped his hero hadn't seen the flames that burned in his hands.
The elder sighed and looked over the boy nervously. He kept his eyes trained on the ground, biting his lip and trying to blink away his tears.
All Might said nothing as he reached over an arm and placed his hand on the shoulder furthest from him. He gently pulled the boy a bit closer and let him collect himself before the door opened again.
Naomasa walked in, closing the door behind him.
"Alright, I don't want to take up too much of your time so...is everything alright?" He took notice of the two facing away from him.
All Might looked to Izuku, who nodded and wiped away his tears before taking a deep breath.
"I-I'm good." He muttered.
All Might nodded before looking to his friend. "I'll go first."
-SotP-
Aqua hummed to herself as she sifted through a few of her papers. Being a teacher wasn't as easy as she thought it would be.
She had been lounging on the couch, her phone beside her. It had taken all of her willpower not to grab the phone and call her brother. He hadn't come home yet, even though he should have been home at least 2 hours ago.
It was starting to get dark, and if anything that made her even more nervous.
Inko had insisted that he was fine, as she had called him earlier. He said he was fine, and that he might be home a bit late. She noted that he sounded a bit upset, so she hadn't pried too much. She had been set at ease with the knowledge that he was with one of his teachers.
Aqua bit her lip as she shuffled through her papers again. After a moment she set down her paperwork and grabbed her phone, about to call her brother when the front door opened.
She stood up, listening to the clicks before her brother came into view. He was wearing workout clothes, and he looked beyond exhausted.
She crossed her arms and cleared her throat, making his head snap up.
"You're home late." Aqua stated, watching him walk across the room and following him into the kitchen.
Izuku shrugged. "I guess." He mumbled, looking in the microwave to see a plate their mom had saved him.
"You guess?" Aqua raised an eyebrow. "It's dark out there Izuku, what if one of those creatures had come after you?"
"I'm not a helpless kid Aqua." He huffed, grabbing a fork.
She gave him a look, deciding to move onto the next subject before he decided to run away.
"You mind telling me where you were?" She asked.
"At the station." He mumbled, shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.
Aqua nearly choked on her breath. "T-The station? Izuku why on Earth were you over at the-"
"They wanted my statement about that villain from USJ. You know, to help decide who's going to get custody of him. Which I had the pleasure of finding out you're in the running of." He aggressively bit into a piece of bread.
Aqua frowned to herself. She figured they'd want him over there and had been planning to take him tomorrow. But she had at least wanted to talk to him about Terra, just a little bit. Something to help him understand why she would be fighting this hard for him. To explain just a bit of the bigger picture.
"Who took you over to the station?"
"All Might," Izuku answered.
She bristled a bit.
Why on earth would All Might take her brother to the station? What was he thinking? More importantly, why?
"So you've already given your statement?" She asked.
"Yeah." He nodded, quickly finishing up whatever was on his plate. He looked tense as he walked over to the sink and began to wash his dishes.
"Izuku we need to talk." Aqua started, walking over to him.
He grit his teeth. "About?"
She frowned. "A lot."
"What constitutes as a lot?" He asked.
"Izuku, don't be smart with me. This is important."
He shook his head and walked past her quickly, his back still over his shoulder.
She followed him, holding back a noise of irritation. "Izuku." She grabbed his arm, about to speak until he suddenly yanked it out of her grasp and sent a mild shock of electricity at her.
Not skipping a beat, not realizing what he'd done, he started up on his own. "You know I'd like to have a talk too! But you don't see me pestering you and following you around during any free time you have! Maybe, for once, you can take the obvious hint and leave me alone! Because clearly, I am not the most important thing on your list!" He shouted, before turning and slamming the door to his room.
Aqua had been taken aback by his outburst, too shocked to get that angry with him.
She stepped forward and knocked on his door. She hadn't gotten an answer until her third try where he had banged on the door.
A clear 'Leave me alone'.
Inko ended up coming down the hall to ask what happened, half asleep and clearly exhausted.
Aqua did her best to reassure her that it was nothing, just something between her and Izuku they'd sort out later.
They would sort it out later, she'd make sure of it. Even if it took a bit of time. It was unfair to him not to know the whole story, not only as her brother but as a future Keyblade Wielder.
Hopefully, though, he'll be more willing to talk later.
-LotF-
The room had a heavy air to it as the teachers sat around a large table. The principal at the head of the table had his paws folded one over the other.
All Might sat in his seat, barely able to contain his shaking. The woman beside him seemed a bit relieved, not blending in well with the current atmosphere.
"So he's going to be staying here. At UA?" All Might asked, an edge to his voice.
"Yes, he is. As such, I feel that it is best we work out a system of sorts while he's here." Nedzu responded.
"Is there going to be any kind of restrictive equipment on him, at all?" Shouta narrowed his eyes, he was mostly healed, although Recovery Gicancelingm keep a cast on his injured arm.
"Of course he is going to be wearing Quirk cancelling cuffs." Nedzu nodded. "But he will be under constant supervision by Guardian." He gestured to the hero who gave a small wave to the others.
"Even when he is around other students? During training? During classes? Have you even taken into account how the students who were present during the USJ attack, will feel with him around?" All Might spoke up, his tone rather harsh.
A few of the heroes were taken aback by his uncharacteristic reply.
"Don't you think that there should be more than just Quirk cancellation equipment on him?" He stood up. "Who is to say something like that may stop him? Why such light precautions?"
"I'm sure you heard Nedzu earlier." Aqua stood up to at him. "I will be watching him while I am here, he won't be able to do much while I'm around not to mention that he will be unable to use his powers. He is surrounded by heroes who I'm sure will be here at the first sign of trouble he would cause. But that is not going to be needed because he will not cause any trouble."
"I mean no offense Guardian but you seem to be very favorable towards this man." All Might said, leaning forward lightly. "The same man that nearly killed your brother after he jumped in to save you. I'm not sure if you've actually put into account how your brother might feel about this. Have you?" He whispered that last part, but it was loud enough for a few of the heroes just beside the two to hear.
All Might straightened up before checking the time on his phone. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare my lesson for the day." Before anyone could say anything the man walked out of the room briskly, slamming the door behind him.
Mic and Midnight looked at each other before glancing at the slammed door, then to their mutual friend who looked pissed off.
Mic coughed before speaking up. "So uh, where is he gonna stay while you know, we're not here?"
"I was just about to get to that." Nedzu sighed.
-.-
He had been dozing off in his cell, there wasn't a window in his so he was unable to tell what time it was. He could only guess based off of what was happening around him.
There wasn't a lot of chatter from the other prisoners, who he refused to interact with, so he assumed it must have been sometime at night. Though there was talk of food, so maybe it was sometime in the day?
It didn't really matter though, he couldn't sleep anyway.
Whenever he found himself actually slipping into the darkness of sleep he would find himself back in that place. Bound in chains and forced to do the bidding of the man who put him there in the first place.
He would be drowning all over again, clawing at the darkness in order to rise up and take in a breath of fresh air. To defy him in whatever way he could.
Sleep was not something that came to him easily if the bags beneath his eyes were anything to go by. He would sit around in his cell, wandering around in his own thoughts. Once or twice he's tried to summon his Keyblade, despite the supposed canceling effects of his cuffs.
Much to his dismay, it never came to him. It brought him agony, like a vital piece of him, was missing. He could sense it, it was somewhere out there. But it didn't answer to him, and it probably never would again.
"Maybe this is punishment for all that I've done…" He muttered, his eyes downcast. He ran a hand through his messy, uncombed hair and sighed. "I guess I deserve it...after everything I did to Aqua and Ven."
"Even now she's still trying to save me, because of how badly I've failed them."
He hung his head low, going back in his mind. Trying to find a better place, other than the cold, cramped cell. They hadn't even let Aqua see him, taking away the little bit of warmth and light he wanted to keep a hold of.
Just as he found himself drifting off to sleep, mind going back to his home a loud slam jerked him back to the waking world and sent him scrambling to his feet.
At the door to his cell were two armed guards.
"It's been decided where you're going to be staying, it's your lucky day." One of them said as the other walked over and secured him.
"What?"
They said nothing before he was pushed forward and led out of the cell, nothing being said between them as they hurried him out of there. Terra had learned the first time and kept his mouth shut, not trying to engage in any kind of conversation with any guards.
They didn't like him, and they weren't afraid to express that.
He kept his heads down, hearing chatter and a few snaps. Before there was a loud buzz and he was sent walking once again. Before long a door was opened and he was greeted with the warmth of the day and bright sunlight.
He withheld a groan and squinted his eyes, trying to adjust to the bright rays.
He didn't get very long to enjoy the light before he was shoved into a car with an accompanying officer.
They said it was my lucky day, does that mean I'm staying with Aqua? That I'm finally out of there for good?
The thought sent relief through him, taking away some of the tension in his body. He had to fight to keep a smile from reaching his lips, not wanting to come off as suspicious.
He kept quiet as he listened to the officers speak.
"Does UA seriously want to take him in?"
"Apparently. They were also contesting with Guardian to get a hold of him."
"Why on earth were they trying for this? Why would they want one of the same villains that attacked their school, to be held by the school?"
"Show of strength maybe? Trying to prove something by saying USJ didn't affect them? They don't have a villain rehab program do they?"
"No, remember? They once wanted to try that but were denied permission."
"Ah, right."
Terra grimaced at that. UA got custody of him?
Yeah, that was the middle ground but it didn't mean that was what he was hoping for. The same place that he attacked, right. How well would that go down?
Aqua would be there, right? Surely she'd be able to explain some of the situation, maybe saving him from what was surely going to be harsher brutality than he's faced thus far.
"You understand?" One of the officers barked at him.
His head snapped up. "Excuse me?" He asked.
"Tch." The man shook his head. He looked like he wanted to yell at him, but held himself back. He looked out the window and sighed. "And of course there's the welcoming committee." He huffed.
The car slowly came to a stop, much to Terra's relief, and there was more shuffling around. The door opened and he was dragged out back into the light of day. The sun hung high in the sky, clearly noon.
He let his eyes adjust before looking around, spotting a familiar head of blue hair not too far away. In fact, she was walking over to them.
They had him straighten up as she approached.
The two sides stood there, staring at each other until one of them spoke up.
"Guardian."
"Officers."
"You're going to be taking him into UA?"
"I am, and I'm going to be the one watching over him while he is here." She stepped forward. "Now, if you don't mind handing him over."
One of them scoffed and shoved the young man forward, he kept his footing much to the irritation of the officers.
"Thank you officers." Aqua put him in a hold to put the officers somewhat at ease. "Have a nice day."
Aqua marched him into the building, looking ahead and keeping a stern face on as they entered the building.
"Aqua…"
"Shh, hold on a minute." She muttered, keeping her gaze forward.
Aqua led him through the halls, moving as quickly as possible. They walked past closed doors with plaques on them. He was pretty sure a majority of what they passed were closets.
Aqua looked around before rounding a corner and walking into a room a the end of a long hall. She sighed as she opened the door and walked him in, shutting it behind her.
She leaned against the door before letting out a long sigh, and walking over to hug him.
He smiled as he hugged her back to the best of his ability.
"I'm glad you're here." She said, leaning against him.
"I'm glad to be here." He hummed, feeling at ease once again. "It's probably better than, what were the guards saying? Tartarus?"
"It is a lot better." Aqua confirmed. "At least here you'll have a lot more freedom compared to that place." She pulled away and took his cuffs, removing the chain that connected them.
"There, that should be a bit better." She watched him flex his arms, thankful for the freedom. "It took a bit of haggling, but I was able to get the greenlight to have these things off in here at least. But everywhere else you're going to have to be fully cuffed."
"Who did you have to haggle with?" He asked.
"The principal, and a few of my colleagues. But I was able to talk them into putting some kind of trust in you. So you have to be very careful around here Terra, nobody is happy to see you."
He nodded. "Yeah, since I'm the one that-"
"That wasn't you." She cut him off, voice a bit louder than she intended it to be. She was sick of hearing the others put the blame on him, especially since she knew was was truly to blame. "That, wasn't you." She shook her head.
Terra frowned. "That doesn't mean that they still don't blame me. Aqua, they don't know the whole story." He paused for a moment before giving her a look. "Do they?"
"No, they don't. Only one person does, and she sadly doesn't have any power here." she rubbed the back of her head. "But I'll try my best to convince them you're not a threat. It'll take a while, especially with All Might who seems to have a special kind of hatred for you."
Terra looked at her. "All Might...is he.." He put his hand up to emphasize height. "Like, really tall? Blonde, Always looks like he's smiling until he's not?"
"You got it in one." She rubbed her eyes. "He, was heavily against you being here."
"I'm pretty sure if he saw me he'd end me right then and there. Sure looked like he wanted to at the station." He recalled, going over and sitting on the bed. It was a bit more comfortable than he was expecting. "That kid, Izuku right?" He looked to his friend. "He looked utterly terrified when he saw me...Aqua how badly did I…"
She turned away. "He was in pretty bad shape at the end of everything, but he's okay now." She let out a huff. "I still have to talk to him, about...well everything. You, the Keyblade...though what's going to make it hardest is dealing with his new Quirk. Which I have no idea how he got!"
"You sound pretty stressed out."
"I am." She sat next to him. "I really am. There's still a lot to get settled, especially with Tensei."
"That the one who kind of freaked out when he saw us."
She covered her face and nodded. "I am still so angry with him, but I also just want to talk it out. But I don't want to do it while I'm still angry because then I'm going to say things that I regret, I know it."
"Then let yourself cool down." Terra looked at her. "Talk to this Izuku kid and...wait talking about him. When did you get a brother!"
She looked at him before starting to laugh. "That is what you're most concerned about right now?"
He went a little red at her laughter. "Don't dodge the question!"
She continued to giggle, despite the glares she received from him. Only laughing harder as he slowly joined in.
Their laughter was short lived as a beeping went off from her phone. She stopped and looked down, letting out a sigh.
"I've got to go. I'll be right back, go ahead and get used to your room. I have to clear something up, see you in a bit." She gave a small smile before walking out. She could leave him alone, just for a minute, besides he knows better than to try anything.
She cringed to herself as she locked up the room, having to deal with the multitudes of locks they decided to place on the door.
Of course, he was still seen as a dangerous villain, and if she couldn't be around then they had to take every precaution.
She sighed to herself and ran off, of course it would be right at that moment Shouta would want to chew her out for this. There was no doubt she was probably going to get the verbal lashing of the century.
She ran through the halls, sprinting over to one of the teacher lounges. She groaned to herself and steeled her nerves, ready to deal with his anger.
She turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door, peeking in to see if he was there.
Instead of seeing the grumpy face she had been expecting, instead she saw Izuku and Yagi talking to one another.
The elder was ruffling the younger's hair, who looked a bit nervous.
"Young Midoriya, we need to have a talk. And I feel it's better to address this sooner than later."
Izuku's lips drew into a thin line.
"Meet me at Dagobah Beach. Understand me young man?"
Izuku nodded, he looked a bit guilty. "Yes sir." he muttered.
Aqua narrowed her eyes, silently shutting the door before turning around to walk away. The beach? She'd just have to meet them there.
Just as she turned away, she came face to face with the one who called her.
"Aqua!"
"Hey Shouta…"
-SotP-
Izuku gave a shaky sigh as he looked over the clean beach, the waves crashing gently on the sand. The dark sky above them was littered with tiny diamonds, distant stars.
He could see his withered mentor standing near the water, staring off into the distance. The wind blew through his messy yellow hair, sending it further askew.
All Might had wanted to talk to him, but he hadn't given much detail as to what it was in particular But he had a hunch, and he was scared of being right.
Had All Might seen him use magic? Oh god what if he did? Then that would go into a whole discussion about his sister. How he couldn't control his abilities, how he defied her.
Would All Might still want him as his successor?
Probably not.
You don't know that…
He shook his head and lightly slapped his face, steeling his nerves.
"There's no point in putting it off. You should have known that it would have caught up to you at some point." He muttered to himself, making his way down to the beach.
He tried to keep his pace slow, and footsteps quiet as he slowly approached his idol. He stopped walking, looking to his back.
"All Might?" He asked, swallowing hard.
The man didn't speak, didn't even acknowledge him at first. He just stayed quiet, and kept his gaze on the horizon.
It had felt like an eternity before the man spoke, letting Izuku's anxiety build up more, and more. Until-
"Young man, I don't appreciate being lied to." All Might said after a while, keeping his back to the boy.
Izuku gulped. "L-Lied to?"
He nodded. "When I saw you in the Entrance Exam, those flames, I had managed to convince myself that those were from the explosion that ensued after you defeated the zero pointer. I turned away from it."
Izuku gulped, he knew where this was going.
"Then, whenever you seemed to get upset, I noticed you had begun to accumulate burns on your hands whenever you got upset. I thought those were due to some kind of self destructive tendencies."
He rubbed his palms.
"And then USJ happened."
He felt his stomach drop.
"Imagine how I wanted to react when I saw flames trailing after your attacks, when you started to make ice when that beast had a hold of you. It was undeniable."
All Might turned to him, a look of disappointment on his face. "So tell me young Midoriya, are you Quirkless as you say you are?"
Izuku only looked up to his stern blue eyes, biting his lip as he looked down.
"I am…" He murmured.
"Excuse me?"
"I-I am." He said a bit louder, shaking his head before looking up. "A-All Might I didn't lie about not having a Quirk. Honest!"
The man said nothing as he looked down to the stressed boy. An unsaid 'explain'.
"When I was f-four years old, I didn't manifest a Quirk like everyone else did. While everyone else was starting to get their own powers I was left in the dust. We went to the doctor, and...well they found an extra joint in my pinky toe. I-I wasn't ever going to manifest a Quirk."
All Might watched him, looking for any sign of lying.
"My dream of being a hero just started to fall apart. It felt like my world was crumbling…" He let out a shaky sigh. "T-Then Aqua came along."
All Might nodded. "I noticed your abilities were similar to her's."
Izuku gulped. "I-I...I couldn't use her power. Not like her…those powers didn't start manifesting until after...well I'm sure you remember."
All Might tried to look back, not sure what he meant. "No young man, I do not."
Izuku paled a bit, keeping his gaze to the ground. "10 years ago on July 15th, there was a villain attack on the city." He mumbled. "One of those monsters appeared, and went after us. It would have killed me if you hadn't finished it off."
It was All Might's turn to pale, and he gaped at the boy.
"Those abilities didn't start to come forward until after I...used her weapon."
The same weapon no one else could use. If someone else other than her got a hold of it it would disappear from their hands and into hers. He had seen it once, but he had never heard of someone else able to use it.
The fact he had been able to use her weapon, both as a child and as the young man he was now; and his abilities are similar to her's. It could only mean…
"She passed her powers down to you?"
Izuku was quiet for a moment. "I don't...really think so." He looked at his hands. "I can only use that one part of her power, but nothing else. It doesn't really matter, since all it's good for is just making me hurt myself."
All Might was quiet. Izuku seemed to feel such disdain for that power. Yet, with All Might's power he seemed to somehow embrace that, despite with every use he shatters his bones. He was there, to try and help him control One For All, did he have anyone to teach him about the other powers?
"Did she ever ever try to teach you?" He asked.
"She did…" Izuku muttered. "Until it started to hurt me. Then she just up and left...she gave up on me." He shook his head. "And I guess she had a good reason to, what good is a power if it does nothing but hurt you?"
Pot, meet kettle.
"She wasn't going to help me…" He looked bit upset. "And once again my dream was falling apart...and then, well you happened."
He felt sheepish, like he was just making excuses. It certainly seemed that way.
"Why don't you try to control this power?" All Might asked him.
Izuku fought back a scowl. "It's not my power All Might. I-It never was. I could never claim it as my own…I never will."
All Might opened his mouth to speak, but Izuku kept going. "I've rejected her...and her powers. Because I don't need them. And I don't want them, it feels...it's just not mine! It's-"
"Izuku Midoriya!"
The two jumped at the sound of a new voice. Izuku turned around and saw none other than his sister.
"A-Aqua!" He took a step back and she marched over to them, wearing a stern expression.
He started to back up when a wall of ice rose just behind him.
"You're not running away this time Izuku." She said evenly, approaching him. She shot a look at the startled man. "And you're not going anywhere either."
Aqua approached Izuku, glaring down at him.
"Now for you, I have been trying to talk to you for a while now, about a lot." She started.
"Aqua w-what are you doing here?" Izuku stammered.
"Honestly that is a question I'd like to ask you, both of you." She looked between the two. "But we can address that later on." She crossed her arms, looking down at him.
A tense silence hung in the air, pressing in on the cornered boy.
"How long?" She asked, emphasizing each word.
Izuku gulped before he answered. "H-How long what?" He asked, keeping his head down. His eyes darted around, trying to find some way out. His mind screamed at him to run away, to get out of this situation.
"Don't you dare play dumb with me know exactly what I'm talking about."
Izuku gulped and kept his gaze down. "M-My Quirk?"
"How long have you had that Quirk?"
"S-Since...a few months before school started."
"Do not lie to me. Look at me when you're answering Izuku."
He was hesitant to obey her, his face pale as he slowly looked up. She looked angry, crossed with disappointment. He felt himself shudder under her gaze.
"How long, have you had this Quirk?"
He gulped as he answered her. "T-The entrance e-exam."
She let out a sigh before asking her next question.
"Where did you get your Quirk?"
Izuku stiffened, turning his gaze away from her and looking off to the side. He fiddled with his hands, and neither of the two adults failed to notice the frost spreading across his hands. "I-I was a late-"
"Don't try to pull that on me Izuku, you're Quirkless. You know that, and I know that. There is no possible way for you to have manifested a Quirk, unless you got it from somewhere. So I'll ask again, where did you get your Quirk?"
He didn't even glance at All Might before looking back at her. "Aqua...I-I can't tell you that." He answered.
"Izuku-"
"I can't!" He yelled. "It's a secret I promised to keep. So I can't tell you!"
Aqua narrowed her eyes before glancing over at the man who could do nothing but watch at the moment. "Do you know anything about this Yagi?" She asked.
"No young lady, I do not." He shook his head.
"You mind telling me what it is you wanted to talk to my brother about?" She asked. "And don't try to deny anything, I spotted you two in the teacher's lounge."
The two stiffen up at that.
"You spied on us?!" Izuku was quick to retaliate.
"I didn't mean to do that, I thought Shouta had been in the room. But you don't get to try and spin this around on me."
Izuku grit his teeth before shaking his head. "Well what do you want Aqua, I'm telling you everything I really can at the moment!"
Aqua wasn't fazed by his outburst this time. "Are you? Is it that you can't tell me where you got your Quirk, or you just won't? And why on earth would you take one, when you already have a power of your own? You have-"
"Don't say it!" He yelled. "Don't, say it." He looked to his palms, feeling heat build up. Melting the ice into steam. "You do not get to demand that of me! You do not get to hold this stupid power over my head because you know what Aqua, this so called power isn't mine! It never was, it's always been yours!"
"Excuse me?"
Izuku shook his head, gritting his teeth. Before long be found himself pacing with the short distance he had.
"This power." He held up his hands, a few burns starting to form. "Isn't mine, it never was and it never will be!"
Aqua grimaced at his injuries. "It is yours Izuku, and you're only hurting yourself by rejecting it. If you just listen I can help you and-"
"Help me?" He cut her off, a burning feeling rose in his chest. He was angry, and finally, after so long those thoughts and feelings he had been shoving down for so long came boiling over. His frustration taking over.
"Help me! Now, after all these years you want to help me? Well guess what Aqua, you're a few years too late! Why do you care now Aqua, why now of all times? Because now I seem to be worth your time? Because it looks like I actually need you now?" He stomped towards her.
Both could only stare and watch his enraged outburst.
"You know when I actually needed help Aqua? Try when I was 4, maybe 5. That, That is when I needed you the most!" He screamed, tears beginning to well. "But instead you saw that all I could do was hurt myself with your power, and you abandoned me!"
"I did not-"
"You did! I wanted to learn, I did, but you left me! I was pretty much powerless, you left me to the wolves! You wanna know how out of touch with everything you are? Kacchan and I? We are far from friends anymore! He despises me. We were supposed to protect each other, take care of one another. You wanna know what he did? He beat the crap out of me every chance he got, belittling me, burning me, everything! And you seem to be under the impression we're still friends somehow!"
The two looked shocked at the confession about Katsuki.
He furiously wipe away his tears before continuing. "And then, as if to top it all off you wanna know how I know how little you care?" He was right in front of her. "I meant what I said the other day, clearly I am not the most important thing in your life! Because that villain is, you wanna know how I felt when I found out you were trying to get custody of that guy?"
She didn't answer.
"I felt like you betrayed me! Like you don't care, and clearly I'm right. Did you even consider for a second how that would affect me? What about mom? You think just because you were around he wouldn't try anything?"
She looked upset at his accusations. He didn't know the whole story, and if he just gave her a minute…
"You don't care! You never have, you only did when it was at your convenience. You said I could be a hero, you promised to help me. And instead you left me alone! That path, you had laid out for me crumbled and whatever hope you gave me you just took away!"
He looked up at her fiercely. "The one who gave me this Quirk, this power. He gave me hope, he gave me a second chance, and unlike you I know he won't leave me! So why don't you run off with your villain friend, since he seems to be so-"
He was cut off with a harsh slap across the face, making him stumble back.
Aqua looked angry, and hurt. She had reacted without thinking. When she realized what she done, her eyes widened.
"Izuku! I-" She reached a hand forward trying to make sure he was okay, when her hand was slapped away.
He looked up at her, tears streaming down his face as he held his swollen cheek. Ice covered half his face.
"Well...now I guess I know where you stand." He muttered.
"Young Midoriya…" All Might reached out, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
Izuku just shrugged it off, and walked past the two at a brisk pace.
Aqua was about to dash after him when the withered man grabbed her arm and shook his head.
"Leave him be."
Izuku kept his gaze straight ahead, trying to hold back the hiccuping sobs that wanted to escape from him.
I reject you Aqua, and I reject your power...
-LotF-
Hey guys, I'm sorry this took so long! Things have been pretty busy over here, getting cleared for graduation and making sure everything is sorted out.
I kind of had a hard time writing this chapter, I'm not sure why it just felt kind of hard to get through. But I got it done! I was able to get a good portion of this done at school. I ended up bringing my own laptop and ran on a hotspot when I could.
Since summer is coming up I'm hoping to get more done since I'll have more access to my laptop whenever and wherever.
Anyway, that's all I really got for now. Hopefully, I'll be able to update soon.
Have a good day/night, everybody!