To Be A Hero

by jessylane318

The world of the quirkless isn't fair. They're discriminated against, denied rights, & often poverty-stricken. Hoki Rin was born in this world, but unlike her brothers, she has a quirk, and it's terrifying. An exploration of how a teenager, when given love, attention, and respect, can rise above the neglect and abuse of their past. Dark beginnings, Happy ending. Dad!Aizawa. Dad!Mic

100. Chapter 100

I start my new medicine the next day.

A small bluish pill that seems so inconsequential.

I swallow it down quickly, lips curling at the bitter taste. It makes me instantly nauseous, settling in my stomach queasily as the memories of my actions yesterday churn around it.

"Damn it, I'm mad!" I snap, pinning him with my glare. "Can you not fucking see that? Leave. Me. Alone! If I wanted to fucking talk to you, I'd say something. I don't like you."

"I- I know, but… but you're u-upset."

It makes me… weak.

After only an hour, my head spins and my muscles quiver.

I lay on the rug in the living room and read, burying my face in a book until either the thoughts or side effects disappear. It's warm. With a blanket wrapped around my shoulders and the edges tucked under my feet. It's warm and comfortable, and despite that, my mind still reels. Lost in Kouda's fear, Kyoka's disapproval, Sensei's scowl. I try to push them away.

Miska, curled on the cat tower, releases a steady stream of snores, the only real noise as I turn the page.

I guess that's why I'm surprised when Sensei sits beside me. His long-form stretches out, his arms propping him as he reclines at an angle.

I frown and blink.

You're grounded for the rest of the week. What you did was foolish and mean. You have a phone for a reason.

He stares back with half-lidded eyes.

"Sensei?" I ask, eyebrows furrowing. "What are you doing?"

He shrugs, which is weird half-laying down.

I huff.

Seriously?

"Sensei," I try again, shifting to look at him more fully.

"I'm sitting here."

"Yeah, but why?"

"Because."

He doesn't elaborate.

I sigh.

"That's not a real answer."

"What are you reading?" he asks instead, slipping fully to his back. He crosses his arms against his chest, eyes slipping shut. He tilts his head back, and I glimpse the longer, uneven hairs on the underside of his chin.

"The Dancing Girl," I answer, lowering the book. "Cementoss-sensei had us read it in class. I was rereading it again though. It's… sad. A Japanese man goes overseas to study in Germany. He falls in love with a dancer there, but then he leaves. The lady… I feel bad for her."

He makes a small noise as he nods.

"Ah… I remember it."

I blink, glancing questioningly towards his face.

"You do?"

He lets out a warm breath of amusement as he turns his head and spares me a look.

"And what is that supposed to mean? Yes, I remember it. Unfortunately. It was boring, the main character got on my nerves. Indecisive. I bothered with it enough to pass. Hizashi liked it though. Made a big deal about it for weeks, something about how it was some deep allegory for his life and being stuck between two worlds…"

I smile.

He raises an eyebrow mockingly.

"What?"

"You- Did- You made bad grades?"

"I made passing grades," Sensei corrects with amusement.

"But you're a teacher," I point out quietly.

"And?" he huffs, smirking. The look flickers away moments later, his expression quickly fading into something more distant. "I was more interested in being strong and stopping villains. I wanted to keep others from getting hurt… Heh, I had absolutely no interest in being a teacher."

I make a small noise, understanding the unspoken words.

I wanted to keep others from getting hurt…

Shirakumo.

He shrugs, seeming to physically push away the thoughts, and examines my face.

"How are you feeling? Is the nausea still an issue?"

I shake my head but quickly stop when it begins to spin. Sinking into my blankets, I pull them a little tighter.

"No."

"Dizzy?"

"Only sometimes, like now, if I move too fast. I'm mostly just sleepy, but not the empty kind. More didn't sleep well last night. Does that make sense?"

He smiles, expression softening, and hums.

"You should probably take some dried ginger tomorrow just in case. It's in the drawer next to the sink. You can keep a few in your jacket pocket. I've gone ahead and spoken with your teachers so they're aware of the side effects, if you think you're going to be sick, I expect you to get up and leave. But otherwise, you'll just have to push through."

"Yes, sir."

Closing back his eyes, he just… lays there.

I wait, expecting more.

It doesn't come.

He's such a cat.

I can't help but smile, rolling over into him, book forgotten on the floor. I rest my head on his chest and curl into a lump by his hip, the small rise of his breath noisy in my ear. His hand slides easily against my head, rubbing down my arm and back.

Hesitantly, I glance towards his face.

"Sensei?"

He hums, one eye cracking open to look at me.

I blush shyly and burrow a little closer.

"Thank you."

He huffs and closes back his eye.

.

.

.

Classes are hard.

The nausea isn't bad curled in the apartment, but confined to an uncomfortable desk and forced to listen to teachers drone on and lecture incessantly, it grows exponentially worse. I gag multiple times in class, struggle to keep up with notes, and at one point, just put my head down and try to listen.

It doesn't get any better either.

After a week, all of my confidence in math is shot, my English makes no sense, and even literature, my best class, feels more like a chore than normal. Studying takes twice as long as it used to and, exhausted, I end up with twice as many mistakes.

And I still don't have a work-study.

Curling with a blanket on the lobby couch, I watch moodily as the others mill about. Ojiro, Mina, and Toru playing with the new kid and his rabbit. Momo, on another couch, reads with Kyoka beside her, humming as she browses through sheet music. Todoroki, off for today, sits beside me quietly, arm raised as he flips through channels.

"Our classmates said you were trying to find your brother."

It's so awkward, I can't help but raise an eyebrow.

I turn a little and pull the blanket tighter.

He needs a Shinsou.

"Yeah," I grumble, curious where he's going with it. "So?"

"You have three," he says, and I blink.

And this is why you need transitions.

"I don't know what you're asking," I admit, glancing towards his scarred face. My gaze catches on his multicolored eyes. They're really pretty, especially the blue one. "Is this your way of telling me not to or asking why?"

He makes a puzzled face, squinting back at me.

"No. Which brother?" he says.

"Oh," I flush. "Uh… Kaito."

"The one that tried to kill you?"

I nod, chest tightening, and struggle not to frown.

He changes the channel.

When nothing comes a moment later, I purse my lips.

Was that it?

"You're not… mad?"

Why is he so weird?

Nobody else just accepted anything that calmly.

He blinks, turns his head, and frowns.

"No, he's your brother. I would want to find mine if it were Natsu," he shrugs and changes the channel again. Some sort of reality show with the host laughing excessively. "What are you going to do?"

Something…

Something about the way he says that makes me still.

What are you going to do?

What can I do?

"I… I don't know," I mutter, letting go of the blanket to pull at my fingers. I twist at them, popping a knuckle, and frown at the ground. "I don't know what happened."

He nods, not looking, and pauses on a commercial. It's of that fiery hero, the one who'd taken number one spot, the one with the particularly mean face.

I wonder if his face gets hot under all those flames.

"But it has to do with a hero?"

I purse my lips.

"Yeah. The Owl has my brother's case file," I tell him flatly. I breathe deeply and sigh. "I just want to understand."

"Then get it."

I scowl.

He made it sound so easy.

"They're not going to just hand it over," I argue. "They wouldn't, not to some random person off the streets. They won't care that I'm his sister."

He just blinks, confused.

"But he's quirkless," Todoroki says, changing the channel again, lips thin as he takes in some other ad. "So they usually store their files separately anyways. They're not online or anything, but if you want to look through them, they're usually open to the public. Endeavor has a small room of them."

I still, something like hope flickering in my chest.

Endeavor has a small room of them.

"Wait- What?"

My mind blanks. I reach for the other boy's arm. He… He stares back surprised. I don't let go.

"Hoki-"

"What?" I repeat, fingers tightening, as a dozen emotions suddenly twist through my chest. They feel like a sledgehammer, beating heavily to my heartbeat, like nausea in my throat. It's the most strongly I've felt all week. "They're kept separate? What? Why? Are you sure?"

The others around us stir.

I don't glance their way, eyes locked on the dual-colored eyes.

"I'm sure."

I let him go immediately. My hands quivering as I stand.

I sway on my feet.

"Rin-chan," Momo says, dropping her book as she frowns worriedly. "Are you okay?

No.

Todoroki reaches out, steadying me, brows knit.

I think…

I think I feel… faint.

My stomach churns. My head spins. I clutch my stomach uncomfortably.

They store them separately.

They're available to the public.

Sensei had known and-

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

.

.

.

I want to leave.

I want to crawl into my bed.

I sink to the bathroom floor.

I vomit up my breakfast and just sit there quietly. Head in hand, acid dripping from my lips, the tile beneath me cold as my breath rattles between my teeth.

He knew.

He knew and didn't say…

I don't know if I want to cry or scream.

Everything feels like a mess. A terrible, horrible mess and I want nothing more than to call Sensei up and demand answers.

But I don't.

Would he even give me them anyway?

I didn't know.

I didn't know, and that bothers me.

"Think rationally," I whisper, eyes slipping closed as I try to think. Tulutho and Sensei, that's what they were always saying. Identify the issue. Find the solution. "You… You know where it is, you know that it's public. Just… Just go get it and come back-"

But what about security? I'm not supposed to leave.

"I'll… I'll ask," I mumble, thinking out loud. "I'll ask to go to the mall. I can- I can ask the others as well. Sneak away when they aren't looking and be back in a few hours. The last mall trip took all day, and they won't even miss me, and-"

And that was a horrible idea.

If Sensei caught me, he'd… he'd…

I'd be writing essays forever.

I curl up, my skin sticking to the tile beneath me as I try to think of something else. Anything.

But I can't. The answers are right there. My fingers twitch across my phone, pulling up Hitoshi's name instinctively. I don't call, too aware he's doing rounds with Snipe. He'd been quietly excited about it all week.

I wish he were here.

Yamada-sensei was at the radio station, and I didn't want to call Sensei…

I study Aunt Nemuri's name quietly. Then click away, pulling up Kagura's.

She answers on the second ring.

"Hellspawn!"

I relax slightly at her enthusiasm.

"Nee-chan. What are you doing?"

"Oh you know, just chillin'," she laughs, the sound of glass clinking in the background. "You're timing's much better, by the way. Had you called this evening, I probably wouldn't answer. Mashi-kun is coming over."

I pause.

Mashi-kun?

"Your… uh, boyfriend?" I ask cautiously.

She snorts.

"Cute. No. You've never met him… actually, you probably won't. Ever. He's an asshole."

"Then why is he coming over?" I ask frowning.

"Because I'm lonely and I want dick," she says so casually, I can't help but blink. If she were here, I know she'd be shrugging. I flush. "So what did you want? Not that I'm not enjoying your company, but I figured you probably had a reason for calling."

I grimace, shifting on the tiles.

"Oh, I… I had a question."

"Okay, well, out with it!" the other girl says, sounding strangely excited. "Is it about dating? Sex? Hellspawn, you know you've only got to ask, and I can give you advice on all the best condoms."

Condoms-

I rub my face and groan.

"Nee-chan," I try again. "No. It's… It's about my brother."

"Oh," she grunts. "That's such a buzzkill. Really Rin-chan, do you ever just have fun? You know, that thing where you laugh?"

My eye twitches.

"Yes. I rode a bike with Hitoshi-kun last weekend-"

"Hitoshi-kun?" she drawls. "Oh? Tell me more!"

"Nee-chan," I groan before deciding to just ask my question. "How can I get a file from the Owl's quirkless archives?"

"Oh that's easy, tell me which one you want, and I'll go get it. The quirkless files are open to the public, and damn am I glad mine aren't. It's bad enough I have to add it to any job applications... But- Hey… is this about your brother or that bastard from the Last One?"

I look at the tile and consider my answer.

"My… brother," I lie.

She hums.

"Alright," she says after a moment. "I'll head out in like half an hour. Want me to text you when I get there?"

"Yes please."

"No prob, later brat."

She hangs up and I stare at the phone, not really sure I can believe it was that easy.

All I did was ask.

"You don't have to wait for me to offer, Rin. You can ask. You need to ask."

I sit back and wipe my face.

.

.

.

The wait for Kagura to call me back is long.

Agonizingly long.

I pace my room, pace the living room, and then pace the lobby after Momo's worried call. She doesn't look particularly assured when I begin making circles by the glass doors.

My classmates, as if summoned by my frustrations, of course, choose that time to congregate.

"Hey Rin-chan," Kaminari mutters around a mouthful of sandwich. "Can you, I dunno, chill. You're making me nervous. Is Sensei hurt or something?"

"No."

"Ohhh, we're back to the one-liners," Sero laughs, and I'm reluctantly amused when he grins around his own sandwich. "I thought that medicine was supposed to help with this. You look twitchy."

"I- It is helping," I grumble, fiddling with my phone as I glance at it again. "I haven't glowed or smoked all week."

"Smoked," Kaminari giggles.

He's so weird.

"What are you waiting on?" Kyoka asks not looking up. She'd relocated maybe twenty minutes ago to one of the couches where she'd taken strumming an invisible guitar. I don't know why she didn't just go get hers. She had like six of them.

Maybe it was too noisy…

They were certainly loud…

And nosy.

"A phone call."

"Oh? From who?" Toru giggles, her fingers running through rabbit fur. Mina, still beside her, giggles as well. "I thought Shinsou-kun was busy this weekend."

"He is." Why did they always say his name in that tone? Nobody ever asked things like that when they talked to Kirishima or Iida. "And no, it's Nee-chan. She went to get Kaito's file, and I'm waiting for her call."

"Oh, the girl from the mall?" Mina asks wide-eyed. "She seemed pretty cool!"

"And hot," Kaminari adds. "Heh, smokin…"

I nod, glancing towards my phone again.

"So how'd she get it?" Toru asks curiously. "I thought nobody had any good ideas."

I open my mouth to answer but stop when my phone finally rings.

Nee-chan.

It's a video call.

I swipe immediately.

"Nee-chan!" I exclaim as a purple-haired girl grins back, a dimly lit library behind her. I'm surprised to notice two new piercings on her eyebrow and what looks like a tattoo peeking out on her neck. "I thought you were gonna text!"

"Well-"

She's cut off by my easily excitable classmates. I flush when Mina, Sero, and Kaminari all suddenly squish into my video, the pink girl wrapping her arms easily about my neck.

"I wanna say hi! Hi Nee-chan! Hi!"

"What-"

"Hey, hey!"

"Dude scooch!"

"Hi," Kagura snorts, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow rising as she smirks. "Hellspawn, I'm impressed. You're hanging out with friends."

"There's more of us," Mina giggles, leaning over my shoulder to pretend whisper. "You just can't see 'em. Right, Rin-chan?"

"Uh, yeah," I mumble. They're so weird. "Nee-chan, did you find it?"

"Ah, no, sorry Hellspawn, there's a lot of quirkless Hoki's running around. What was the first name again?"

"Quirkless," Sero says, raising an eyebrow. "Your brother's quirkless?"

I studiously ignore him.

"Kaito," I answer, squirming to try and shrug Mina off.

"Ah, no. No Kaito in here. Hm, but let's see, we've got an Akio, Eita, Goku, Haru, Kyo, Namiko, Ryu-"

"Ryu?" I snap, spine straightening. "Written as a Dragon?"

"One of those loser brothers?" she asks with a glance towards the camera.

I swallow.

"Uh, yeah," I manage. Mina, as if sensing my discomfort, pulls away, though I can see her wide-eyed in the reflection. Her hand lingers against my shoulder.

"I'll send you some pics then. Just give me a minute. What about these others though? Anyone else you know?"

"Sora?" I ask hopefully.

"Hmm, I don't, oh, yeah it's here too. Pretty thick too, huh. Wonder what he did? Alright, well, hey there's only like three left. Let's see, Takuya, Yamato, and Yokuto. Any of them-"

"Yokuto," I repeat, chest constricting.

"You're out of brothers, so… uh, Uncle? Cousin?"

"D-Dad," I manage.

"Oh. Well shit. Alright Hellspawn, I got 'em. I'm gonna hang up and snaps some pics. Let me get this done real quick before that asshole secretary starts breathin' down my neck. Okay? I'll text 'em to you when I'm done."

I frown.

"Nee-chan-"

She doesn't wait and hangs up. I stare at the phone quietly, heart thundering in my ears.

No Kaito.

But… Why?

"Dude, did she just say Asp, the guy that nearly killed you, and like half our class in the woods, was quirkless?" Kaminari blurts.

I blink.

"I… Yes?"

"That's insane," Sero says, no longer grinning as he shuffles towards the table. "So wait, those other people, how many brothers do you have?"

"Three."

"And they're all quirkless?" Momo asks, quickly joining Sero at the table. "And your Dad?"

I nod, eyebrows furrowing.

Why were they so stuck on this?

"My entire family was," I answer flatly. "Why are you making such a big deal about it?"

"Because that's so rare!" Toru says, pulling Kouda with her to the table. "Like, I think I knew a kid with a quirkless grandma, but someone our age? And you had a whole family full? That's insane!"

I make a face, before looking down at my hands.

Kaito's file wasn't there.

Why?

Kagura had said he had it. Sensei had blatantly confirmed it, refusing to let me work under him. They even had a section for the quirkless.

So why wasn't he there?

"Rin-chan," interrupts a voice. I glance over to see Kyoka frowning as she takes the seat at the table and gestures to the seat across. I shuffle over, glancing towards her pile of sheet music shuffled in a neat stack. "You said your Dad was in there. That made him a criminal, right? Is that why you ended up in the foster system? Did he hurt you?"

I blink.

"What? No. He-"

I stop as my phone flickers to life, dinging an obnoxious number of times as picture after picture goes through.

"We're gonna need a printer," Mina says with a laugh. "Anybody got one they wanna bring down? That's a lot of pictures!"

"I don't mind," Kouda says softly, his large eyes wide as he rises quickly. "I-I'll go get it."

He all but runs from the room.

"Printer?" I repeat, lost. "What-"

"Do you think we'll need folders too?" Momo asks, biting her lip. "I mean, we should probably organize everything like we do for our case studies, right?"

"Definitely!" Toru agrees.

Like case studies?

"You should get pens and paper then," Todoroki says, wandering over from the couch with a blank face.

"Oh! That's true, I've got extra too! I'll go grab them," Momo says with a nod.

I stare as the others break into excited chatter.

What are they-

"Rin-chan," Kyoka interrupts again, reaching out to tap my hand. "You look lost."

"I… What- What are you doing?"

"Well that's obvious, we're helping you. Duh," Kaminari says, reaching out to swipe my phone.

"Helping," I repeat. "Why?"

"Cause we're friends," Sero replies raising an eyebrow. "I thought we went over this last weekend."

"We did," Mina huffs, pursing her lips. "Though you could have mentioned your brother was quirkless then. Would have saved us some time. Hey, speaking of which, how did you-"

"I got it!" squeaks Kouda, racing back, wires wound around his shoulder and arms. Toru quickly rises to help him. "T-Thanks!"

"No prob!"

"Yayorozu-chan has the stationary," Todoroki adds, nodding towards the stairwell.

I twist, surprised to find her carrying two large boxes of it. Folders, highlighters, a few books, and reams of paper. One sheet flutters behind her on the stairwell.

This… This is chaos.

"Jeez, don't trip," Kyoka huffs, rising to help. She quickly grabs a box, smirking as they set it on the desk. The others swarm it like a hive of bees, pulling out random items as Kaminari sticks the printer plug in his mouth.

There's something seriously wrong with him.

With my phone in hand, he fiddles with wires, loads the paper, and starts printing out pictures. Eyes squeezing shut as he grins.

"Heh, you make a decent outlet," Sero teases. "You wanna charge my phone next too?"

"Shut up," he grumbles around the cord.

"You should print out duplicates," Toru suggests as she starts punching holes in the recently printed. Kouda's printer is fast. "Rin-chan, do you have any more info to add? You know, important stuff like how Asp is quirkless."

I swallow.

"I… I have notecards," I mumble.

"Well, c'mon! What are you waiting for? An invitation? Go get 'em!" the invisible girl laughs with a wave of her arm.

I rise unsteadily, head-spinning in the chaos.

They were… They were really going to help?

"O-Okay."

My eyes water as I nod.

I walk to my room distractedly. The others are so noisy, I can hear them well past the front door. Miska glances over curiously.

"I… Notecards," I remind myself distantly. I breathe deeply and get them. It's a large pile more with questions than any real answers.

I…

I stare at them.

Reluctant.

Part of me doesn't want to share. Doesn't want to give them that same leverage Niko had. If they saw the videos, if they knew I should be in those case files too… would that change anything?

That, and I didn't want them to know. Didn't want them to know how we starved, that I stole for food, that Mama pinched, didn't want to label it as… as whatever it was.

I blink down at the cards.

"I will help you," Sensei says, hand still outstretched and open. "I will do everything in my power to help you, but you have to want this. You have to work for it. Healing isn't a magic pill or a quirk. It's a choice, and one only you can make. Stop fighting me and let me help you. I promise you, if you will trust me, I will not abandon you."

I breathe deeply and look down.

Do you trust them?

I… I didn't know.

But they were trying.

They were trying for me.

That had to count for something, didn't it?

I return to the lobby, cards still in hand, and stare for a moment at the chaos. Bakugou, apparently drawn by their noise, had come down to investigate and was scoffing at Kaminari still controlling the printer. Sero, Toru, and Mina were attempted to make binders of information, and Todoroki, who had fixed himself some cold soba, was watching quietly beside Momo as she gave orders. Only Kouda and Jirou were actually reading, both looking particularly focused as they scanned some papers.

I step closer.

"Rin-chan!" Momo says, waving me over immediately.

My feet move automatically.

Bakugou turns, narrowed eyes, towards me.

"Oi, is all of your shitty ass family fucked up?"

"Bakugou!" Mina growls. "Don't say-"

"Yes," I answer honestly, dropping the cards full of questions in front of him.

He snorts and picks them up, flipping through randomly. He stops on one and scowls. He doesn't even look as he drops them immediately back on the table.

Why are you with the League of Villains?

"I'm out," he says sharply, teeth grinding together as he turns. "You losers have fun. This is idiotic. The pro's are already working on it."

Momo scowls, reaches for the cards, and makes a face.

"Just because others are-"

"Yeah, don't care," he interrupts, waving her off as he walks off. "Fucking nerds."

I watch him go, not missing the way his fists curl or his shoulders shake.

"We just need to see the fucker, I ain't gonna burn down the damn forest. Hoki, break this ice wall down. We're going to beat this mother fucker's ass!"

"Do you think he's okay?" I ask worriedly.

Kaminari raises an eyebrow, printer plug pushed to the side of his mouth.

"Uh, yeah. He's just being Bakugou. Ignore him."

"Wow, Rin-chan! This is a lot of information!" Momo says, looking through things. "You were really thorough with your questions! Why'd you put them all on notecards though?"

"Sensei suggested it," I answer distractedly, still staring after the blonde. "He said to try and connect them…"

"Oh! That's a great idea!" the dark-haired girl exclaims. "Oh, there's so much… I know! I'll make one of those corkboards, like in the movies."

It takes a moment for that to sink in.

Like the movies?

I do a doubletake and look at her strangely.

She wrinkles her nose, concentrates, and a large, tan board materializes from the open skin on her leg. She makes a rolling stand for it separately before digging out a set of tacks from her box. She grins triumphantly as she turns back to the board.

She's really getting into this…

Toru snickers, almost as if reading my thoughts, and shoves a binder under my nose.

"Your Dad," she says.

My chest constricts painfully.

I flip it open quietly.

His mug shot stares up from the picture. The entire right side of his face swollen with thick scratches on his forehead and hair shaved low. He squints at the picture, and my eyes water.

My fingers roam across the smooth paper.

Daddy.

It's… Daddy.

"You're crying," Todoroki says, his voice closer than I expect.

I can't look away.

"I… haven't seen him since I was ten," I whisper, the picture blurring below. My lip trembles as liquid drips down my cheeks. "The hero broke his jaw and took him away."

"Oh."

I smile, rubbing my face with the back of my arm. I pull the file, still open, close to my chest and glance towards the dual-haired boy.

"Thank you."

He doesn't seem to know what to do when I reach over and hug him, burying my face in his shoulder as something light and buoyant bubbles in my chest.

"Thank you," I whisper again. "Thank you."

"Ahh," he says awkwardly, patting my back like Sensei used to when we first started living together. "I didn't do anything..."

I pull away and stare back down.

Daddy stares back.

Daddy.

That my Dad.

"Rin-chan, am I reading this right?" Momo asks, voice tight. "You- You wrote your Mom letters, and she- she didn't write back?"

"Yeah," I answer distractedly, wondering if I can put it in a frame. Would that be weird? I don't really think I care if it is. It's Daddy. "I wrote everyone. Kaito was the only one that responded. He stopped when I told him I was going to be a hero. He told me to fuck off."

"That's fucked up," Kaminari growls around the plug.

"You were all removed for neglect?" Kyoka asks softly.

I do glance up then.

"No," I correct, eyebrows furrowing. "Mama didn't neglect us. Daddy went to jail. He had a hard time keeping a job already, and when they arrested him Mama couldn't make enough. She sold all our stuff, but we ran out of stuff."

Kyoka frowns.

"Your brothers couldn't just get a job?" Mina asks, expression strangely somber. "Or get help? Don't they have people to help with things like that?"

"They weren't old enough," I answer, pulling at my fingers. "Ryu and Kaito were in middle school, and Sora and I were both still in elementary. And… And even if they were, I don't think anyone would hire them. They- Ryu and Sora were always getting in fights."

"I-I-I'm sure she tried," Kouda interjects quietly. I glance at him surprised. "M-My Mom is a vet and g-g-getting support is hard if you don't meet all the right criteria. My Mom applies for g-g-grants all the time, but she rarely gets them. She says there's not a lot of money and a lot of people need help."

"Plus there's quirkless discrimination," Kyoka says, frowning at one of the pages. "This says Rin's brother, uh, Sora, was arrested at like twelve for petty theft. He was sentenced to a year in JV. And that's strange because normally, first offenses are just suspensions. But it says here he's still under probation."

"Quirkless discrimination? That's really a thing?" Toru asks, sounding surprised. "Why?"

"Maybe people feel inferior knowing someone without a quirk can do a job as well as they can?" Sero asks.

I frown.

"That's stupid," I grumble.

"Yeah," Kaminari says, looking at the board Momo had started pinning everything to. "But, uh, guys. Like I feel like we're learning a lot, but this isn't really answering questions about Asp—or Kaito, I dunno, which are we calling him?"

"Kaito," Momo declares, determined. "It'll be better to think of him like a person and not a villain. That way we can figure out what he wants!"

"That's easy," I grumble.

She blinks and glances my way.

"It is?"

"He told me," I admit sourly, staring at the young picture of him they had printed and tacked on the board.

"I'm going to make you pay, hero," he whispers. His hand moves, slipping beneath my head to cradle my skull, twisting my head to look at him. "I'm going to make you watch as I destroy everything you've ever loved."

"He said he was going to make me watch as he destroyed everything I ever loved."

The room quiets at that, and I realize uncomfortably, I have their attention again.

I twitch, wishing I didn't.

"He told you that?" Toru says, sounding furious. "What a dick."

I blink in surprise.

"Wha-"

"You said he was following you," Todoroki interrupts, mismatched eyes narrowed.

"She did?" Kaminari asks.

"In the woods," he reminds me. As if I need it. I grimace.

"Friends, Rin-chan? I thought I killed them all!"

"How many times have you two seen each other?" Kyoka asks, eyes narrowed.

"I don't know," I mumble, fidgeting where I stand. "At… At the USJ-"

Sero and Kaminari both make a face.

"Yeah, he cracked your ribs before you went all shadow master on Shiguraki," the blonde grunts. He shudders. "That was terrifying."

Mina elbows him sharply.

"Dude!"

"And?" Kyoka presses.

"At the internship."

Momo wrings her hands, expression twisting into concern.

"Wait, what? While working with Present Mic?" Toru asks, her voice higher than normal.

"Yeah," I nod, breathing deeply as I reach forward for a seat. I look down at my father's face, puffy and bloated. "He knew my address cause I wrote him. He… He sent Yamada-sensei a bomb. Someone released a Nomu, so Aizawa-sensei was dealing with that, and…"

I cut off as I remember the horror of the scene.

Niko's on the floor nearest him, her trunk cut off in a gruesome display of raw flesh, her mouth gagged, and face covered in bruises. Nausea climbs in my stomach. Even bloodied and dismembered, she snarls at Asp, leaning protectively over two smaller figures behind her.

I close my eyes.

"He drugged me," I whisper quietly. "He stuck a needle in my neck, and it took away my quirk. Then… Then he dragged me back to the Last One."

"T-The Last One?" stutters Kouda.

I nod, feeling my stomach churn.

I open my mouth to scream.

He slaps my face, cutting it off. I choke, smoke in my throat, blood in my mouth.

"My group home. He… He killed our caretaker, Yui-san, carved an infinity sign into her head, and chopped off- She- She cut off Niko's trunk. It… It was gone and the girl b-b-beside me was dead. And- And he put a gas- a gas mask on me. I- He- He wanted me to watch as they- as they died."

I curl forward and-

And the smell of soap and exhaust fills my nose.

"What are you all doing?" Iida asks, immediately taking a seat beside me. "Hoki-chan? You look upset! Is everything alright?"

I scoot my chair until it touches and slide immediately into his space.

He stutters and I focus on his warmth.

The strength of his posture, the odd safety of his arm as it automatically moves across my shoulder. I bury my face in his shoulder.

"That's sick," Sero says, leaning back in his chair, and I glance over surprised he look a little green. "Damn Rin-chan. Why do you even want to find this guy?"

"Find who?" Iida asks, his other hand chopping forward. "And where did you get all these files from? Is this Asp-"

"Yes, Kaito," Momo corrects, but she sounds overwhelmed as well. "We… I'm- I apologize Rin-chan, but how- how did you escape? You didn't- You didn't watch them all…"

"No. Hitoshi-kun rescued me," I answer.

Several ahs, echo the room.

"Well… shit."

"No wonder you two are so close," Momo agrees, smiling wanly. She still looks sick as she glances down at her hands. "That- That was when Aizawa-sensei adopted you then?"

I nod.

It doesn't feel like enough, I stare at the picture in my hands.

Sensei… He's done everything for me.

I rub my thumb across my father's swollen jaw.

I wonder what Daddy would think of him.

.

.

.

It takes about two hours before the others manage to squeeze every answer they can out of the reports, the internet, and me. I'm strangely surprised by the amount of information they glean from it all—so much more than I would have alone.

They ended up printing a map and filling it with pins for every location Kaito was reported at in the news. There are… there's a lot. His crimes fill the page, ranging from theft to kidnapping to murder with absolutely no pattern or order to them. Momo maps them all, scattering the random pins around with no real consistency.

At Iida's suggestion, we make a timeline as well. They have me explain when I got my quirk, talk about anything that would have set him off, and I reluctantly admit to Mama's death. They add it on, along with the name of his foster home when my brother would have approximately brought him home, and the Yakuza connection (though that's labeled with a question mark still).

Neither of my other brothers has any kind of connection to the Yakuza in their files and remembering Sensei's words, I share that he'd been running off before.

Kyoka suggests looking into other people at the foster home.

I consider calling Kagura-nee-chan back immediately but, ultimately, decide not to.

She had a…

Actually, I don't want to think about anything she was doing tonight.

Later. I'll ask her later.

Instead, at Kyoka's insistence, we put the cork board with all of the files in my empty dorm room. That way we could all access it easily, and so it wouldn't be cluttering up the lobby where random people (like Monoma, ugh) could come in and see.

Feeling lighter than ever, I put away Daddy's picture. Folded carefully and hidden in the crevice between my mattress and the bed frame.

Then, in the silence, I try to study.

It… It's not really successful.

My mind keeps wandering, constantly to my classmates, to my brothers, to Mama and Kaito.

Giving up, I push in my chair and slump over towards my bed, curling on top of the covers. Relaxed and comfortable, I daydream.

What would it be like if I found Ryu or Sora or even Kaito again? What if we solved the case? What if Kaito came here?

Would I fight him?

Would I cry?

I close my eyes and imagine it, dream up all the ways I'd kick his ass for being so stupid. I'd wrap him in shadows, shove his face in the dirt, and dig my knee into his back until he told me exactly what happened. I'd grab his hair and shove him into a wall, break all of his stupid machines until he explained himself. I'd make him sit, make him listen.

Why did you do it?

What's wrong with you?

I dream of finding Ryu and Sora too.

I'd beat their ass too. I'd shove Sora down like he used to push me, show him I wasn't that idiot little girl that just stood there and watched.

Why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you respond to me? Why can't you idiots act like a real family?

And I guess I fall asleep thinking, because I wake up to a hand smoothing back my hair, and the bed dipping by my hip. Opening my eyes, I blink up at Sensei, his eyes half-lidded and dark bruises lingering beneath them. He quirks his lips and pulls back.

"Rin, how long have you been sleeping?" he asks, exasperated.

Sleep still fogging my brain, I ignore the question and yawn. I stretch out until my arms shake, my feet curl, and my shirt rides up my stomach.

Sensei raises an eyebrow when I make a noise.

Then, reaching forward tickles my exposed side.

I jump and curl on reflex.

"Sensei!" I squeak. "That- What was that for?"

He laughs. Reaching up, I shove a pillow between us and hug it like a shield in front of my body.

As if that would stop him.

"You were taking too long," he smirks, one eyebrow raised. "I asked you a question."

I make a face.

"Rude!"

He reaches forward and snatches the pillow.

"What did you say?" he teases.

"I wasn't sleeping!" I laugh, reaching back for it. "I was daydreaming!"

"You were snoring," he huffs, letting me grab the pillow from his hands. I glower, though it's probably ruined by the smile.

"I don't snore," I huff, sitting up and dragging the pillow to my chest. I cross my legs and wiggle back so I can lean against the wall. I go to say more but end up yawning. Stiffly, I bury my face in the pillow as my jaw creaks, before muttering out a tired. "Scuse me."

Sensei hums.

"And what have you been doing all day besides dreaming?" he asks tilting his head to the side.

I blink before noticing his uniform.

I wonder why he hasn't changed yet?

Did he come to see me first?

"Stuff," I answer vaguely, rubbing at my eyes. Then, without really thinking, I reach out and finger the edge of his capture weapon. "Can I wear it?"

"No."

I giggle even as he raises an eyebrow.

"What about your goggles?"

"No," he repeats just as flatly, his hand reaching out and musing my hair. "You have your own clothes. Leave mine alone."

"But Sensei!" I laugh, ducking away and tilting over. I flop sideways onto the bed and grin up. "Yours are cooler. I wanna use a capture weapon!"

"You have enough weapons," he huffs leaning back on the bed. "Now what have you actually been doing all day? Did you finish all of your homework?"

"I… no," I admit with a blush. "But I have all day tomorrow! And I did sort of finish the English yesterday…"

"Uh-huh," Sensei says raising an eyebrow. "You have a math test Wednesday and an Art quiz Tuesday."

"I know," I groan, sticking out my tongue. "I'll do it tomorrow."

"You'll do it tonight," he corrects, cracking his neck and rising tiredly. "Don't procrastinate, it's a bad habit. I'll look over your English after dinner."

"Ugh," I grumble at his back, wrinkling my nose. "You're such a buzzkill."

He pauses and sends me a narrow-eyed look.

I flush.

"Sorry," I swallow, quickly pulling myself from the bed. "I'll… uh, go start dinner."

"Good call," he says dryly.

.

.

.

Dinner is chicken and vegetables. As usual, it's the same chopped-up type of chicken and the usual frozen bag of vegetables.

"Sensei, the grocery store has other types of food," I complain as I push around the same, seasoned food we've eaten for months. "They have fish and pork and beef and tofu-"

"Obviously, Rin," he deadpans before taking a bite of his food. "If you want something different, ask."

"Alright. Can we, I dunno, like eat something different? Daily?" I ask, making his bored expression right back.

He raises an eyebrow.

"Tone."

"Yes, sir," I snap in agreement, spine straightening as I salute him with a smirk. His eye twitches as he takes another bite. "Permission to speak, sir?"

"Do you need to run laps?" he asks, sourly.

"Oh! We could spar!" I suggest hopefully.

He snorts, shaking his head.

"Sure," he says, and I grin in triumph. He sips from his glass and smirks. "As soon as you finish your homework."

I slump.

"Sensei…"

"Next time don't procrastinate," he says annoyingly smug. "And you'll need to make a grocery list if you want other food. We'll finish what's in the fridge and I can go shopping Tuesday after my rounds."

I pause, eyebrows furrowing.

"You do hero rounds on Tuesday?" I ask, confused.

He gives me a weird look.

"Yes, Rin."

"But it's a school night," I argue, brows furrowing. I make a face and look at him expectantly, waiting for the punchline to the joke that just doesn't come.

He was doing hero work at night?

"I'm aware," he says dryly.

I frown, arms crossing.

"But… why?" I ask, narrowed eyes. "Do you have any more this week?"

He sets down his utensils and frowns back.

"Rin-"

Whatever he intends to say, however, is cut off.

"Fat Gum calling. Fat Gum calling."

I blink at the very strange ringtone.

"Fat… Gum?" I repeat, wrinkling my nose. "What kind of name-"

"I need to take this," he says, ignoring me as he stands. In seconds, he snaps from guardian to hero, his phone against his ear as his baritone voice rings out across the room. "Eraserhead talking."

I pull out my phone and pull up a search.

Fat Gum.

The hero that appears is large. Incredibly large, wearing a strange yellow hoodie with no neck and mask across his eyes and black pants. His description, the BMI hero Fatgum, ranks him at 58 on the hero charts and-

And-

And he's 250 centimeters.

My jaw drops.

That's… That's bigger than All Might!

I stare at my phone in shock.

"Damn!"

Sensei, still across the table, snaps his head towards me and glares.

"Rin," he growls.

I twist the phone and point, wide-eyed.

"B-But look! Sensei, he's huge!" I gasp, not understanding how he can even be this calm. He must be massive! "He's- He's bigger than All Might! Look!"

He makes a face.

"Rin- Hold on Fatgum, Rin don't-"

He pauses at whatever the hero says and twitches.

I quickly rise, clambering around the table curiously.

"-you and Joke? How old is she? I bet she's adorable! Does she have your quirk? And dude, you didn't even mention her-"

I don't know whether to scowl or blush.

Sensei glares.

"She's fifteen," he grumbles, jaw clenching. "And about to be grounded. Go sit down."

I scoff.

"For what? Being too close?" I ask snidely.

"Fifteen?" the man on the other side of the phone squawks. "Aren't you like thirty? Eraser, what the hell? You had her at fifteen-"

We both twitch.

"He's an idiot," I decide, face burning. The idea of Sensei having a kid at fifteen… That was almost worse than suggesting that, that… clown was my mother.

Sensei, pink-cheeked, obviously agrees.

"Rin, go sit down," he huffs, pointing towards my seat. I move reluctantly, even as he steps away, and returns to his conversation. "Fatgum, why are you calling?"

"Oh… yeah, about that… eh, well, I needed to let you know they're bringing both boys to the hospital. We had a moment, and well, Red Riot's seems overall okay, a little roughed up but nothing major-"

Whatever else he has to say is lost as Sensei walks towards his room.

I slump in my seat and glare at the food.

Who was Red Riot anyways?

---

A/N: First, let me say thank you! I can't believe this story is 100 chapters when I never even intended on publishing it in the first place. With that said, I appreciate all of your kind words and reviews. Thank you for sticking around, we're approximately 75% done. :)