SideStory #7

"A Promise"

Inko felt her hands tremble. She sat there on the floor begging and crying to forgive her of a mistake that cost her everything. Tears flooded down her eyes as she clasped the hands of the one person that truly loved her. The entire room was silent. The entire unit of the apartment they were in was silent. The entire building in itself…

Was silent.

No voices, no usual chatter, nothing was heard.

A stream of blood dripped down from the nose of the person she held in her arms. A lifeless carcass now that remained. Body paled from the already started necrosis. Eyes still open with an expression of shock. Inko continued to cry still.

She didn't know how long she remained on that cemented floor. She didn't even know how long ago this happened. The only thing that she knew was that here she was, holding the body of her beloved. She cried out in infamy at a person that would never come back.

Her voice echoing amongst the halls that dared not to whisper back to her.

Clutching the hand of the cold corpse, Inko remained still caressing his hair. Caressing his face. She placed a soft and apologizing kiss upon his forehead. Closing his eyes with shaking hands full of guilt. Guilt that was built upon herself for causing all of this.

Guilt that she had a hand in killing him.

Guilt, for killing Hisashi.

She could recall the words he said to her hours before he died. It was meant as a sentence of comfort for her. Even with the tragedy which was her normal life, Inko remained still with hope because of him. Because of him she could smile without worry nor concern of it ever being stopped.

"You don't need to be with me to be happy Inko, sure I am always there for you but you have to find it within yourself to find your purpose in life." he said to her

"But I'm happy with you."

"That doesn't mean you need to stop there. Find your purpose and you'll feel more content and happy with your life."

"You're asking too much from me."

"No I'm not."

Inko remembers laughing as they climbed up the stairs towards her apartment. Up to her father who was home. She was worried and anxious about something. She doesn't remember why but she remembers Hisashi trying to talk with her to cam herself down.

"What about you? What's your purpose?" she remembers asking.

"I already found it."

She remembers smiling back at him as they both laugh. Inko shoves him back playfully for how cheesy he sounded towards her. She reckons that maybe her purpose was him too, maybe her purpose in life was to be with him as well.

How wrong she was…

"I'm sorry…"

Hours pass... the silence still remaining all around her. It takes about thirty minutes until she finally hears someone knocking on the door. She doesn't move an inch. She remains on the floor even when people with flashlights and badges escort her out of the building. Her mind remained in a dazed state. It took two men to pry her off Hisashi's body. It took two again to lift her away from the building and into an ambulance where multiple people began questioning her.

Questions that asked about what happened, how was she, was she injured, as well if she saw anyone in the building other than her that survived. Some even asked if there was anyone in the building at all before it all happened.

Inko could not say.

She didn't dare speak. She was far too traumatized and pained from the experience. Her eyes were wet still from all the crying she made. Her skin sticky from the sweat and tears that wrapped all over her body. She sat there on the ambulance as multiple people came in.

People with badges, uniforms, and suits.

People who wanted to interview her.

It all happened around her as she sat in the ambulance. She could hear it all for some reason. Her senses heightened to such lengths that small conversations can be heard around her. Small vibrations and the feeling of being able to sense everything within the radius of her reach was in her grasp.

A person in a suit came inside the ambulance. He gave her a cup of water.

She took it gingerly without saying a word. He left after that and her mind wandered on sensing the man as her instincts took over a bit. She sensed the man began talking to a few of his colleagues.

The conversation they took about her made her drop her cup.

"No survivors?"

"No one. Everyone is dead, and by analysis major blood vessels in their brain were ruptured."

"Jesus… all of them?"

"Yes, all of them."

"Was this her doing?"

"We can't say for sure… but the records show that the woman was registered with a telekinetic quirk and these wounds are too precise and close to how telekinetic attacks work."

"What do we do if this is really her doing?"

"If she is the convict, we're going to have to take her in and send her for further analysis in our labs."

"Do we need to do that? She doesn't look healthy enough to move."

"Did you see how many people are dead in that building? If she has a volatile quirk we need to follow the proper procedure. Even if it means we need to use deadly force to reign her in."

Inko widened her eyes in fear. Those words…

It grabbed her heart with such torment that her survival senses kicked in. Her adrenaline spiked as she felt the men out there finished with their small talk and were heading her way. Some had guns ready and some were ready to restrain her on spot.

She panicked. She stood up from the ambulance. Then, the driver who was waiting for further orders noticed her. Before he could even react she focused on him and something popped within his head. He fell flat on his seat as blood rushed out his nostrils.

Inko then knew that opening the door of the ambulance will get her caught. She then looked around for anything to escape with. There was nothing.

She then made a plan that required intense amounts of focus and on that day she had no proper knowledge of her quirk yet, but she tried. If she didn't, these men would take her away to God knows where. Inko had to take the risk.

What she did next startled everyone. A large explosion ruptured from the ambulance as the fuel tank was ignited. It blew away everyone around the vehicle. Leading for some to suspect that she was dead. From the explosion alone added another few people that she killed.

Another batch of souls that were lost because of her.

They said she was dead, only for her to break a hole inside the ambulance towards the sewer with her quirk as she nearly passed out from focusing too much of it. She sealed the exit route once the explosion occurred. Effectively nulling the hole that she escaped through by debris.

She ran away into the night inside the sewers. She left behind her life as she ran away. Away from everything. With nothing to look back but blames upon the accident she caused that not only killed her beloved, but also her reputation.

Inko vanished without a trace on that night. Never to appear again until she took the persona of Jade. Lost in life and lost in her way…

She neither found the purpose that she promised to Hisashi nor the strength to look back at her mistakes.

She ran from everything… until she found Izumi.

The purpose that she now held responsible with. For the girl was like her in the situation she was in now, a victim of a crime that they didn't commit by will nor by their own volition. But for Izumi, Inko decided that she wouldn't let the girl go down the path she took. By the girl's life she wouldn't let her become the person she was when she ran away that night.

She vowed to Hisashi that with her renewed purpose, the girl would live a different life. A better life that she could sacrifice her own life to achieve…

20:03 Hours…

"Thanks by the way…" Inko said as she sipped the last of her drink. It wasn't alcohol this time; ever since that day where they took care of Izumi's place in UA, she didn't have the taste to get drunk at all. The drinks she shared with Toshinori today at the same place they met at most nights was her favorite non-alcoholic drink, a strawberry shake. Toshinori ordered the same as well for both of them and they talked away their worries for the night.

This night however, she seemed distant and quiet more than usual.

"For what?" Toshinori asked as he put his drink on the table they took together.

"For everything. I haven't thanked you enough Toshinori, for Izumi's sake and… mine as well." Inko admitted as they looked straight into each other's eyes. For some odd reason to Toshinori, he felt a feeling of comfort while his heart beat up a little faster than normal.

To Inko, she found his blue eyes alluring. The eyes of a foe she once battled with, were now replaced with a distinct kindness that she really liked.

"You're welcome…" he said simply.

"Bet you noticed I haven't been talking lately with these meetings of ours huh?" Inko teased with a playful smirk. Toshinori smirked back as he sighed in relief.

"Was worried you were thinking about something…" he said.

"Thinking about what?"

"Your problems… all of them."

Inko looked away and tapped the edge of her glass. Toshinori found that small detail of her personality as something she does when she's anxious or was worried about something. He placed a comforting hand on top of hers that made Inko quiver a small smile. He was always like this she mused. So kind… so heartfelt and good. So… comforting.

So friendly.

He wasn't as crass, playful, teasing, and funny as Hisashi was but they shared a distinct care for her that she noticed. A distinct kindness that made it seem like all her worries were washed away.

A complete opposite of her personality. Yet the two men seemed to stick and believe her still.

"You know; you don't have to keep it all in to yourself. I'm here to help you. That's the whole reason we even frequent these meet-ups. So that you don't have to shoulder all the burden on your back. I am here for you Inko." He said, with the end of his last sentence in an attempt at humor for his persona as All Might. She giggled a bit at that attempt.

"Is it?" she asks. "Is it the whole reason why we do these meet-ups? There's no other reason whatsoever as to why we're doing this?"

"If you're implying that we do this to hang out then I'm down for it." he said as they both laughed.

Inko liked his sense of humor. Sure it was dry and stupid at times. Cheesy when he does his stupid All Might quotes… but she never found it unbearable to hear.

Hisashi was funnier, she admitted that.

"In all seriousness though… what is the reason why we're doing this Toshi?"

Toshinori stopped for a second when he heard that nickname. Inko didn't even notice that the word slipped out of her tongue. She was waiting instead for his reply.

"I don't really know to be honest. Do you want to have a reason?" he asked. Confused with his own emotions as looking deeply into Inko's green eyes made his heart beat faster than before. He felt a tinge of fear from what was going to happen next.

"I can't say… d-do you enjoy my company?" she shyly asked. A blush forming on her face.

"I-I do." He said, his face heating up.

Inko wondered what she was doing at that very moment. She was comparing Toshinori and Hisashi for a second there… and now, she leaned closer towards him with a blushed face. Their faces inches away from contact.

"Inko… what are you doing?"

Inko leaned closer, not knowing the answer herself. For the longest time no one had ever treated her the same way as Hisashi, and Toshinori seemed to be that person that came to her life again to save her from her own sadness.

Fuck, she didn't even know what she was thinking now to be honest.

They looked deeply into each other's eyes as Inko closed in.

Their lips almost touching. Until…

Hisashi's smile came to her mind, the very last smile that he gave moments before he died. "I already found it." he said to her.

Her eyes widened as reality struck her. She looked at Toshinori who was frozen in his seat. She leaned away as she covered her lips with her hand. She wiped a rogue tear that came out of her eye.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't know what I was doing there." She admitted while looking away.

"Don't worry about it… you didn't mean to harm anybody." He said as he finally unfroze. He gave a reassuring smile to her as he scratched the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. He himself had his emotions in a spur but Inko took focus over his well-being.

Inko finally looked back at him.

"Didn't mean to sour the mood." Inko said.

"You didn't."

She then stood up as she gathered her things. With everything that transpired, she needed to go home and rethink about herself.

"I think we should end the night here… I just need some time to think. I-Is that alright with you?" Inko asked, he merely nodded as he stood up to join her. He wanted to continue talking with her but with what just happened he understood what she was going through.

"At least let me walk you home." He offered.

"That's not a problem for me." Inko replied with a smile as together, they walked in silence.

Even with the emotions between them, it didn't make the walk more awkward as it was. Truthfully enough to both of them…

It seemed like they quite enjoyed this short meet-up.

20:46 Hours…

Inko said her goodbye in an awkward manner as they separated. She hated herself for being so stupid but she threw those thoughts away as she arrived at the apartment. She opened the door with numerous thoughts dangling in her head but as she slowly opened it, she was met with a surprise.

"Mom! You're back!" Izumi cheerfully said as she embraced her.

Inko wondered what was happening and saw that the entire living room as well as the kitchen had been decorated somehow for a celebration that she didn't know. Nemuri stood at the doorway of the kitchen, leaning with a smirk.

"What's going on Izumi?" Inko asked as the girl had a goofy party hat on her head. Crudely made but to Nemuri and Inko it was funny enough. The mystery occasion didn't need to be extravagant.

"You won't believe it! I got in! I passed!" Izumi said in glee.

Inko smiled back and looked at Nemuri who simply shrugged in response.

"That's wonderful! I-I'm glad…" Inko simply said to which Izumi looked confused at. "What's wrong?" Inko asked again.

"Nothing mom… I'm just not used to you saying that. Back then you know… you would've said something different." Izumi admitted as she looked away. Inko nodded slowly with understanding. She then stroked her hand on Izumi's red hair and thought about Hisashi's words to her.

About finding her purpose. Here was her purpose. Izumi was her purpose.

"That doesn't matter anymore Izumi, right now I'm just happy that you've made it this far."

Izumi then smiled back at her with a spirit of thankfulness that she gave to Inko. They separated again as the small party for Izumi's success that night occurred.

And Inko could finally say back to Hisashi, wherever he was that she found her purpose…

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 11

AN: We're still going to explore Inko's past in the future, but this one opens it a lot in terms of what happened, and what drove her to make that decision in taking in Izumi. I hope you guys like it.

Til' Next Chapter... where the first day in UA begins.