Hello everyone! This is the first fanfiction that I've written for a newer anime, and the second fanfiction I've posted here. So I hope you enjoy this and please leave a review!
~Snowy Princess
Disclaimer: I do not own MHA or any of its characters. The only character I own is Sophia and Mr. Tarin.
Chapter 1: The Mission
Izuku Midoriya was sitting in his dorm room reading his notes when someone knocked on the door. Without waiting for his response, Bakugo threw the door open, scowling.
"Come on, nerd," he said, "Mr. Aizawa and the Principal want to see us."
"This late at night?" Midoriya asked, looking confused.
Bakugo shrugged, unusual of him to not be yelling at such a stupid question. Instead, he walked down the hall and waited before yelling "LET'S GO!"
"C-coming!" Midoriya stuttered, scrambling to pull on his jacket.
The halls of the dormitory were quiet as the duo made their way downstairs. Everyone else must have been asleep because there was no one else in the common room. The two made their way quietly through the common room toward the entrance. Just beyond the doors stood Mr. Aizawa and Todoroki standing silently. Shoto wore his usual blank expression.
"Good," Mr. Aizawa said. "You're both here. Follow me."
"What's this about, Mr. Aizawa?" Shoto asked as he fell in with Bakugo and Midoriya.
"I'll explain as soon as we get to the Principal's office," Mr. Aizawa responded.
"What did you do this time, Ka-chan?" Midoriya asked quietly.
"I'll murder you, Deku!" Bakugo yelled, clenching his fists.
"Be quiet, you two," Mr. Aizawa snapped.
Bakugo looked like he had more to say, but Shoto nudged him and shook his head. Whatever was going was serious. Bakugo folded his arms and huffed with frustration. It only took a few minutes to reach the Principal's office, but it felt like forever in the cool, night air. Inside the Principal's office, All Might stood beside Principal Nezu, discussing something in hushed voices. Beside them, looking thoroughly bored, stood Endeavor.
"Father!" Shoto said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"To give permission," Endeavor sighed, shaking his head.
"Permission?" Shoto asked, looking even more confused.
"Ah, you're here!" Principal Nezu squeaked. "Now we can get started. I apologize for calling the three of you here so late, but this is rather urgent."
Midoriya, Bakugo, and Shoto glanced at each other, now thoroughly confused. Why on earth would they be called to the Principal's Office so late at night?
"I suppose I should start with why you're here," the Principal continued, turning his monitor around to reveal a picture of a young woman.
"Who is she?" Bakugo asked, still looking peeved.
The young woman on the screen had soft blue eyes and snow-white hair that fell to the middle of her back in loose, delicate curls that were tipped with an icy blue color. She was dressed in a plain white kimono and stood beside what appeared to be two bodyguards. Her eyes looked sad, as though she longed for something. But what stood out most about her were the huge, pearlescent white wings that protruded from her back.
"This is Sophia Castello," the Principal continued. "As you my have guessed by her name, she was born in the U.S. However, shortly after moving here, her parents were killed in a car accident. She was taken in by the local shrine."
"I don't see a problem with that," Bakugo muttered under his breath.
"There must be a problem, otherwise we wouldn't be here," Shoto sighed.
"Exactly," Mr. Aizawa said. "So shut up and listen."
"No need to be harsh, Eraser," All Might sighed. "It's only natural to be curious since we've called them here so late."
All Might turned toward the trio, frowning slightly.
"The problem began when her quirk manifested," he continued. "They call it 'Angel' because it seems to have a number of wide ranging affects. As far as we know, the major power of her quirk allows her to heal others without any side effect to the one being healed. And her healing isn't limited to just physical wounds. She can also heal illnesses. This has led to the shrine using her, and given the secluded nature of the village in which she lives, the villagers have begun worshipping her. Day in and day out, she's forced to heal anyone and everyone who asks- for a fee."
"But that's not the most troubling part," the Principal interjected. "Recently, rumors have begun to spread, claiming that her blood has special properties."
"Her blood...?" Midoriya asked, covering his mouth and looking ill.
"That's right," the Principal said, tapping the monitor with his paw. "There's seems to be some truth to this rumor. If you look carefully at her photo, you can see what looks to be an IV port poking out of the collar of her kimono."
Everyone leaned in to get a closer look at the photo. Sure enough, just bare visible, there was the head of a small tube peeking ever so slightly over the edge of her collar.
"That's so cruel..." Midoriya said. "Are you going to send Pro heroes to rescue her?"
"No," All Might said. "Well, actually we were, but an unexpected opportunity presented itself to us. You see, she's about to turn 16, and the head priest is looking to arrange a marriage in hopes of creating children with an identical or merged quirk."
"B-but I thought quirk marriages were illegal," Midoriya stammered, glancing at Shoto, who had become very pale.
"They're frowned upon," Mr. Aizawa said, "but not illegal."
"I still don't understand what this has to do with us," Bakugo snapped.
"I received a letter a few days ago," Endeavor said, breaking his silence. "They want Shoto to meet Sophia and see if she will agree to marry him."
"MARRY HIM?!" Midoriya and Bakugo shouted in shock. Shoto was looking paler by the minute.
"Father, you can't be serious!" He said with wide eyes. "I'm not going to do what you did to Mom!"
Endeavor bowed his head, hiding his hurt expression. "Of course not, Shoto. But I need you to put up appearances."
"This is the only way to get her out of the shrine without causing a scene," All Might said. "Shoto is going to be presented as a suitor to Sophia. According to the letter, Sophia will be allowed to be escorted from the shrine for a date with Shoto, each having two bodyguards. That's where Bakugo and Midoriya come in. You two will pose as Todoroki's bodyguards."
All three of them wanted to protest, but Mr. Aizawa silenced them with a wave of his hand. It was getting late, and all he wanted to do was go to bed.
"We'll fill you in on the details of the mission," he said, stifling a yawn. "But then you need to rest. We leave in two days."
The sun was bright and the air was crisp when Saturday morning rolled around. Midoriya and Bakugo dressed in the uniforms Mr. Aizawa had given them and went to front entrance of the school. Just beyond the gate was a sleek, black limousine with a chauffeur standing by the driverside door. Dressed in a dark blue suit with a gray scarf was Shoto. He stood with his arms crossed as his father gave him hushed instructions, but it was clear Shoto wasn't listening. He still looked as pale as he had the day he found out he was being set up as a fake suitor for an arranged marriage. Endeavor looked up as Bakugo and Midoriya approached and beckoned them toward the limo. Without a word, the four of them climbed into the car and headed out.
"So where exactly is this shrine?" Midoriya asked, looking up at Endeavor.
"Hassaki Village," Endeavor replied. "It's about 3 hours away, so get some rest. You're going to need your energy when it's time to start the mission."
Shoto stayed silent the entire drive, keeping his gaze fixed outside the window. He looked tense the entire time, even when they pulled up to the shrine. The shrine itself was unremarkable; it looked like any other Shinto shrine. Priests and priestesses strolled about the grounds, performing various prayers and helping worshippers find their way. At the front of the shrine, thin white curtains drifted in the autumn breeze and hid the room beyond them. As the group approached, a priest in dark clothing stepped out from behind the curtains, sending away a woman and child.
"Can I help you?" the priest asked, smiling wryly.
Endeavor stepped in front of the group, arms folded. "We have an appointment with the head priest."
"E-Endeavor, sir!" the priest stuttered. "I understand. Please wait here."
"Sure is a jittery guy..." Midoriya said quietly as the priest disappeared through the curtains again.
After a few minutes, the priest returned, bowing deeply. "They're ready for you."
The priest held aside the curtains, motioning for them to come in before leading them to a set of stairs at the back of the shrine. Voices could be heard, but it was too quiet to understand what was being said. At the top of the stairs stood a set of sliding double doors embellished with gold paint. The priest slid the doors open to reveal a room with a low table lined with cushions. At the head of the table sat two people. One was a man dressed in the white and gold robes of a high priest. The other was a young lady dressed in a pale pink sweater dress and black leggings with her hair partially pulled back in a braid. She kept her head down as the high priest stood.
"Welcome," the high priest said, spreading his arms wide in a grand manner. "I am Sosuke Tarin. And the young woman beside me is my ward, Sophia Castello. Say hello, Sophia."
Sophia looked up for the first time, her expression somewhere between sad and indifferent. "Hello..."
"We're so pleased that you could visit," Mr. Tarin said. "Right, Sophia?"
Sophia flinched ever so slightly before bowing deeply. "Of course."
"I'm Enji Todoroki," Endeavor said, kneeling on one of the cushions across from Mr. Tarin. "And this is my youngest son, Shoto."
Shoto bowed politely before sitting. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Ah, yes!" Mr. Tarin exclaimed excitedly. "Sophia is very eager to get to know you. Please feel free to take some time to get to know each other! You're free to go on a date as long as it's on the shrine's grounds."
Shoto glanced at his father. "I was under the impression we were allowed to leave the shrine."
"As was I," Endeavor said, folding his arms in displeasure. "I don't believe that was part of the agreement. The two kids should be allowed to get to know each other somewhere else. I do believe both parties have extremely capable bodyguards."
"It's for Sophia's own safety," Mr. Tarin insisted. "She can't be allowed to the grounds."
Sophia looked down again, knowing this was going to happen.
"Then I'm afraid this meeting is over," Endeavor said plainly. "Let's go, Shoto."
They stood to leave, but Mr. Tarin stopped them.
"Please, wait!" He said, standing suddenly. "I...I suppose it would be fine if they stayed to the village."
"I will personally watch over them," Endeavor said, bowing his head to him slightly. He smiled at his son. "From a distance, of course."
"As Shoto's bodyguards," Midoriya said, smiling brightly, "we'll make sure they're safe."
"I'll murder anyone who tries to disturb them," Bakugo snarled with a grin.
The group got ready to head out to the village, two bodyguards standing beside Sophia and Shoto as they left the shrine. By this time, the sky had become overcast and gray. Initially, they had planned to stroll along the beach of a nearby lake, but with the turn of the weather, they chose to go to a small cafe in the center of town. They were given a private dining room overlooking a small garden and pond.
Shoto sat down across from Sophia, gazing at her quietly. She looked back at him, blushing ever so slightly before looking away without a word. A few moments later, a waitress brought in a tea kettle and a couple of menus.
"What can I get for you?" the woman said with a smile.
"Soba, please," Shoto said, handing his menu back to the waitress. "And Yakitori for my two bodyguards."
Midoriya eyes lit up. He and Bakugo hadn't eaten since breakfast.
"And for you, Miss?" the waitress asked kindly.
"Oh, um..." Sophia paused as she glanced at the menu. She wasn't really hungry; she just wanted to get this over with. "Beef curry, please."
Sophia passed the menu back to the waitress before turning her gaze back to the garden. Back at the shrine, she'd often spend what little free time she had in the garden. It was the only place she truly felt at peace. She sighed. Her world was so small.
"Say something," Midoriya whispered, nudging Shoto's arm. He looked back at him and nodding.
"So," Shoto said, clearing his throught, "you seem fond of the garden. Do you like flowers?"
"Yes, I do," Sophia said, glancing back at him but not really meeting his gaze. "Though autumn isn't the best season for flowers."
"My mother loves flowers as well," Shoto said. "We have a huge garden at home. You'll love it."
"I'm sure I will," Sophia sighed, looking away again.
Silence fell over the room again. Even Bakugo had his face in his hands. That wasn't the best thing to say to a girl who's been sheltered her whole life. Shortly the waitress returned with the food, quietly setting the food on the table. Everyone ate in silence, but Shoto noticed a grimace on Sophia's face as she took a bite of curry.
"Do you not like curry?" Shoto asked, setting his chopsticks aside.
"Not particularly," Sophia said, trying her best to hide her disgust. "But I have a strict diet."
"A strict diet? For what?" Shoto asked, noticing for the first time just how pale Sophia was.
"She's anemic," one of her bodyguards offered. "She suffers from an iron deficiency. Most of her meals have red meat to help offset it."
"I see," Shoto said, sipping his tea. He studied Sophia carefully. She didn't look anemic, but something was definitely off.
Shoto's thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash in the doorway. Shattered glass scattered across the floor from broken dishes. The waitress had tripped over her feet, dropping her entire tray of dishes. Blood pooled around her arm as she cried, shards of glass sticking out of her wrists. Sophia stood suddenly and ran to her side, but her bodyguards stopped her.
"You know the rules," they said to her, holding her back.
"But..." Sophia started to protest.
"I-I can't...can't pay..." the waitress sobbed softly, trembling as she lay there.
"But she's going to bleed out!" Midoriya protested, stepping forward. "Heroes help people no matter what!"
"She's not a hero," one of the bodyguards snapped. "She's only permitted to use her quirk for paying customers."
Tears welled up in Sophia's eyes. It was always like this. Only those who could afford to pay the fee got help; those who didn't care how much it suffering it caused Sophia.
"Then I'll pay," Shoto said. "Let her help. Unless you'd like to answer to my father."
The bodyguards glanced at each other nervously before releasing Sophia. She knelt by the waitress and removed the glass from the woman's wrists. Gently, she placed her hands over the open wound. Shoto and the others watch in awe as Sophia's body began to glow with warm, golden light. The deep gashes on the waitress's arms slowly stitched themselves shut. After only a few seconds, the gashes were gone and not even a scar remained.
"Th-thank you!" the woman cried, bowing deeply to both Sophia and Shoto. "Thank you, both of you!"
Shortly afterwards, the owner of the cafe came to speak with them. He insisted that lunch be on the house, and offered them free meals any time they were in town. After the owner left, the bodyguards suggested a walk through the local park as it was close to the shrine. Shoto agreed and the group made their way to the park. On the way, Shoto noticed that Sophia was trembling slightly as she walked and out of breath.
"Are you okay?" he asked, leading her to bench for her to rest on.
"Y-yes," she stammered, holding her wrists and trying to hide the pain. "This is normal."
"Please," he said, holding out his hand, "let me see?"
He gently took her wrist, turning it over before carefully sliding the sleeve up slightly. Underneath the cloth, her wrist was red and inflamed. Sophia winced as Shoto gently brushed his fingers over the inflamed skin; it was hot to the touch. Without a word, Shoto used his quirk to create a thin coating of ice over the affected area. Sophia looked up at him with genuine surprise. No one had ever shown her such kindness.
"What is it?" Shoto asked as Sophia stared at him.
While they spoke, a message came over the ear piece in Bakugo and Midoriya's ears.
"Is everyone ready?" Endeavor's voice asked. "It's almost time."
"Everything is set," Bakugo muttered quietly.
"Then get ready."
Suddenly, chaos erupted and store front windows shattered as a stream of people in dark cloaks and hats raided the stores. In truth, these weren't actually villains. Endeavor had enlisted the help of Ectoplasm to create clones that he disguised as a distraction. Several of the clones faced the park, staring in Sophia's direction. Her bodyguards, Bakugo, and Midoriya immediately jumped into action, playing their roles perfectly.
"Get the girl!" the clones shouted, charging the group in a mad dash.
"Protect Lady Sophia!" the bodyguards shouted, drawing their guns and fired bullets that seemed to home in on their targets.
"I'll lead her to safety," Shoto said, grabbing Sophia by the hand. "Come on!"
"W-wait!" Sophia gasped as Shoto pulled her into a run.
Shoto said nothing, but he glanced back at her with a half-smile. She blinked, now completely confused. Sophia had expected that some villain would come for her eventually, based on the small bits and pieces of news she overheard from her bodyguards. Mr. Tarin made sure Sophia was kept in the dark about the going's on in the world, but he couldn't keep everything from her.
"P-please," Sophia gasped after several minutes of running. "I-I can't keep this up!"
They slowed down and ducked behind an alley where they could rest. Sophia slumped against the wall, panting heavily and clutching the side of her neck. Without even asking, Shoto pulled off her scarf. What he saw, shocked and horrified him. Protruding from Sophia's jugular was an IV catheter.
"So the rumors are true," he said as Sophia snatched her scarf back. "They are taking your blood."
"I-I told you, I'm anemic," she replied, trying to hide the tears threatening to fall as she wrapped the scarf around her neck again.
"Sophia," he said, gazing at her. "What they're doing to you is wrong. You can put a strong face for the world all you want, but you'll never hide the pain reflected in your eyes."
Just then a black car pulled up at the other end of the alley. Shoto turned to her and held out his hand.
"You have a choice," he said. "You can leave this place and live the life you want."
"I..." Sophia looked at him anxiously, but her thoughts were cut short by a familiar voice.
"Don't you dare, Sophia!" Mr. Tarin snarled. "You owe me. Without me, you would have died in the streets!"
"She doesn't owe you anything," Endeavor said, stepping out of the car. "She has a right to live her own life."
Sophia gazed back and forth between the two parties, shaking and shivering. She was so tired. Tired of hurting all the time. Tired of being used for her quirk, even when she was nearing her limit. All she wanted was a chance to live her own life. A chance to help who she wanted, when she wanted.
"I-I'm not staying here," Sophia said, her voice trembling. "I'm not your money bag."
"Then I will make you stay!" Mr. Tarin shouted.
The shadows beneath everyone's feet began to twist and bend into shadow cords that shot toward Sophia with blinding speed. She let out a startled scream as they wrapped themselves around her wrists, pulling her toward the ground. But a bright flash of light destroyed the shadows in an instant, releasing her as she fell to the asphalt. Shoto caught her and pushed her into the car, diving in beside her as Endeavor jumped in the driver's seat.
"Wh-what about your bodyguards?" Sophia asked, cowering in her seat as the car screeched away.
"Don't worry," Shoto said, shooting blasts of fire out of the window to keep the shadows from catching the car. "They're meeting us elsewhere."
The screeching car sent pedestrians scrambling for cover as it jetted through the streets, quickly putting distance between the small group and the shrine. Tense minutes passed as they took winding routes and backtracked several times in case someone with a searching quirk was around. Finally, the small village faded into the distance, the sun setting as they pulled over at a scenic overlook. Bakugo and Midoriya were already there, covered in bruised and scratches from their own fight.
"Damn," Bakugo cursed, nursing a particularly nasty bruise on his shoulder. "Ectoplasm didn't need to be so damned rough."
"He had to, Ka-chan," Midoriya said, holding his arm which was a nasty shade of purple and red. "It had to look real."
"Shut up, you damned nerd!" Bakugo snapped. "You were the one that went overboard and broke your damned arm."
"Didn't the doctors warn you about overusing your arms?" Shoto said, as he got out of the car.
"I didn't have a choice," Midoriya muttered. "Bystanders were nearly crushed."
Sophia slowly climbed out of the car with Endeavor's help, looking at the three friends talking. She was silent as she came over to them, barely able to look at them. Years of abuse had made her wary of anyone and everyone, even if they were heroes.
"Are you all right?" Shoto asked as she came over.
"Y-yes," she stuttered, looking up bashfully. "Th-thank you...for freeing me."
"It's our job," Endeavor said, putting his arm on her shoulder. "No one should have to suffer as you have."
She looked away again, but not before seeing Midoriya's arm. Without a word, she walked over to him and took his arm gently in her hands. Midoriya winced and gave her a confused looked as she inspected the damage.
"I can fix this," she said softly. "I-If you'll let me. I'd like...to repay you. You got hurt for my sake..."
"O-oh um..." Midoriya stammered, looking a bit flustered. "If you want..."
"Wait!" Shoto said, but it was too late.
Sophia began to glow with the same warm light as she had back in the cafe when she healed the waitress. Midoriya's pained look faded to one of relief as his bones and ligaments healed. Finally, the light faded as Sophia let go of his arm. Midoriya bent and flexed his arm, moving it every way possible.
"It's completely healed..." Midoriya said in surprise. "Thank you!"
Before Sophia could respond, sharp pain lanced up her arm. She yelped and clutched her arm, trembling as the pain intensified. The pain was so severe, her vision began to blur, causing her to become unsteady on her feet. She could hear worried voices talking to her as someone caught her as she collapsed. The last thing she saw were four sets of worried eyes as she fainted.
This first chapter ended up being longer than I intended...But what did you think? Please leave a review and let me know! I'm also open to ideas so feel free to post those as well! Thanks! I'll get Chapter 2 up as soon as I can.
~Snowy