"Okay, so what you're telling me that my daughter is going to be suspended for defending herself and her brother from a group of bullies to whom have gotten away with bullying my children for,"

I look over at the proud little girl with a tissue up her nose to stop her nosebleed, "4 months."

Hikaru nods beside her where he had sat timidly, "Four months, you hear that? I reported to their teacher about it on multiple occasions too and now," I look at them and gesture for them to cover their ears and they do. "I don't care if their families make monthly donations to this establishment, you will suspend the bullies, ALL of them."

"Madam I can't do that."

I lean across the desk, tilting my head so my hair hides my face from my children, "What an unfortunate situation we've found ourselves in, one moment." I slip my phone out of my pocket and sent a simple message before sitting back. "I'd answer that."

"Wha-" The phone on his desk starts to ring and he answers it as I turn to check the scrapes my children had obtained. "Sir? But, I . . . No, sir, I- I would never."

He looks to me, wide-eyed and pale as he shakily hangs up the phone, "What's wrong?"

He grits his teeth, "I will call in the other students from the nurse's office now."

"Splendid."

I remain as the children and their parents enter the room and I hold my head high as I soothe their heads.

Hikari still got suspended, but just for two days versus the week the other children received and upon their return, they would have to attend a class on why bullying is bad.

Was that underhanded of me? Yes.

Did I think it was necessary? Yes, I did.

I'm not above scaring a kid into being nice, especially one who picks on my babies.

"Who wants ice cream?" I ask with a smile and they beam up at me.

I take them to the small shop in town and allow them to get any size and toppings.

I didn't have much of an appetite lately, so I just watch them enjoying their meals. I had a big party to plan on top of it all, they were going to be 5 after all. . .

5 years ago, I never would have seen this as my life, but then again, 5 years ago I was ready to die to save so many lives. . . I was ready to die to save just one.

Would I trade this life for the one I had even six years ago?

I wipe away the ice cream on their cheeks and they smile brightly at me.

No, nothing could make me trade this life for my old one and in these past two years, I learned to be a better, happier mother for them.

I feel a small hand touch mine and look down at Hikaru, he stares at me with wide eyes. "Can we visit Memaw?" My heart tightens and I nod.

"Shall we grab her a snack?"

"Yeah!" They cheer happily.

7 years ago

Valentines was off to an amazing start, the girls wanted to hang out early for a nice meal and afterward since I had so little I couldn't live without I moved those on my own. It was the furniture I had left and I would have just hired some movers to take the important things to my new place, but somebody. . . Somebody showed up with two others and just hauled all my furniture out of my place.

And now.

Now I'm behind the wheel of his baby and I was mortified. . . All I wanted was to move my things why had things turned out like this?!

'Okay, I got this, just gotta back it up.'

Murmuring to myself I drop his truck into reverse and my whole heart was in my throat. We had just finished unpacking the last of my boxes when tossed me the keys and asked if I'd park his truck back into the spot next to his bike.

I take it slow, hands gripping the wheel as I make my way slowly around the parking lot and I stop a ways from the open spot, "I've got this, I passed my driving test, so reversing this behemoth will be okay," I look over my shoulder as I start to reverse, "Yeah, okay."

It was a smooth transition to angle it perfectly and I feel a bubble of confidence as I avoid hitting his bike altogether when my hand slips and panic slams my foot harder on the break when the truck jets backward and I scream.

"THAT'S NOT THE BREAK!"

I slam down on the brake pedal just as I hit something. My eyes slowly look over the steering wheel as Kirishima and Kaminari stare at me in horror, all of us pale as death. I shakily park it and climb down, hesitantly peering around the corner and my heart drops from my throat into my belly.

Yes, that is a giant dent, "Holy shit."

"What?"

I look over at Katsuki and the words sink in. My hands shoot over my mouth as I look away from him, my face warms, "I'm so sorry."

Oh how deadly that silence felt as I slowly look up him, shocked to find a crooked smile on his face, "What a potty mouth."

My cheeks flare twice as hot at him mocking me and using my own words against me.

"Don't be so hard of her, it was an accident!" Kirishima calls as he jogs over to us.

Kaminari joins him, "Yeah, Bakugou, give her a break, the dent can be fixed."

"Oh, shut up will ya! I wasn't yelling at her, it's just a damn truck."

They stare at him as he stomps away from them, "You scratched his truck last week and he about blasted you to the moon." Kirishima says to Kaminari who nods.

"Where was that leniency when I was in danger of the walking time bomb?"

They look at me where I stood still flustered by that smile on his face, "So-chan, any idea why he didn't implode?"

I stare at their smiles, knowing full well they had been suspecting the relationship between Katsuki and me, "Because I can't pay him back for the damages if I'm floating in space from him blasting me into the stratosphere."

They make a face as I start to softly push them across the way, my heart hammering still at the sight of that smile he chose, it was always a promise of danger.

Help?

.

.

.

"What is all this?!" Mina asks as she steps around the corner and I look up at her beyond the messy kitchen.

"Oh, I didn't hear the bell," I lower the volume on my phone and dust my hands off on my apron, "Excuse the mess, I'm baking a cake."

She sets her bag down and pulls out her cell, "Is it for Bakugou's birthday?"

"Yep, I don't think I can do better than his Christmas gift, so I figured I'd make a cake."

"I'm jealous! Make me one too!"

I giggle and raise my eyebrows, "You certain? I've never baked sweets before, and I think they're more temperamental than normal meals."

She shrugs and looks at the cat tower, "Little Sora's over?"

She glides over to the kitten who had grown so much bigger. I was so glad when Katsuki told me she was okay after ending up at the vet's back around Christmas time when I too had ended up ill.

"Oh, Katsuki says no scarfs near her."

Mina touches her scarf and her eyes widen, "I almost forgot!"

We hang out for a while as I make small test cupcakes, as I try to balance out the flavors I wanted. When I found the perfect one, I stick it to the fridge and sort the ones I liked and toss the ones that flopped.

Mina enjoyed tasting all of them and we spend our watching shows and talking over their surprise party they were planning, though I was bummed I would miss it.

"You certain you can't make it?"

I hand her the small box of leftover cupcakes and nod, "I'm scheduled to be out of town tomorrow and I probably won't get back till late the next night or into the following day, so I wanted to make it now"

"Bummer!"

I see her out and return to the counter to make the batter for his cake. Setting it in the oven I set the timer and drop down onto the couch to wait. I turn a cushion and lay down against it as I flip through the channels as I search for something to watch.

I look up at the timer and nod as I stop on a ghost hunting show and smile, shows like this always make me think of Katsuki. . .

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

Eyes widen as I shoot up and look back to see smoke rising from the oven, "SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA!"

I quickly shut off the oven and fan out the smoke, turning off the alarms before turning on all my fans and opening all the windows and doors.

"What the hell?!"

I look over in shock at Katsuki who stands there just as shocked, "Ah! A wild Katsuki has appeared. Hehe. . ."

I fan the smoke away with an embarrassed laugh.

He bops my head as he passes me to grab one of the thin blankets off the couch and helps me, "Should you really be laughing right now?"

"Noooo."

Once it's all clear and my place no longer looks like a cloud of smoke, I stare at the burnt cake and my bottom lip quivers.

I ruined his cake. . .

A single hand pulls me against his chest as he looks away from me, a subtle ruby shade on his cheeks as I bury my face against him, "It's just a cake."

I feel his shoulders shaking and my brow furrows as I look up at him, hand pressed to his mouth, "It's not funny!"

I swat his chest and puff my cheeks.

"Oy! Calm down, brat. It kinda is funny, so bite me."

"Fine!"

I glare up at him and he stares at me now crimson all over, "It's not an invitation, let go of me."

I shake my head and his arm moves with me.

"You're such a pain."

He leans down and blows against my ear and I jump, release his arm and slam into the counter, "Don't do that, you know how I feel about that."

I cover my ears and glare at him, "You started it."

I look away from him knowing he's, possibly, right.

Instead of confronting him and that smug smirk I toss the failed cake and check if I have more ingredients.

He rests his chin atop my head as I stand from the fridge, "What are you doing?"

I poke his nose, pouting as I stare at the recipe on the fridge, "I have to make a new one."

"It's just a cake."

Stepping out from beneath his chin and look up at him, "No, it's not. It was my gift to you since I can't be with you on your birthday."

He rolls his eyes and drags me to the couch, making me sit before dropping down in front of me, "I don't need some cake, I still have all these."

Like magic, he produces a small object I recall gifting him, "I almost regret giving you that."

"Sounds like a personal problem," He flips through the small papers held together by a single ring running through a punched hole, "I'll cash this one in."

I accept the small ticket and read it, 'Shoulder Massage'

He made as much use of that "coupon" book as he could on his free days we had lined up.

I work the knots and tense muscles free, humming to myself since I rather enjoyed this. It was peaceful.

His head tilts to and fro and I work my way up to his head. The more I massage his scalp and work my fingers through his spikey strands, I finally get to hear the soft snoring he makes when he's just drifted off.

I didn't feel as bad now about my nodding off and burning his cake.

As I spot his eyes open and shock flashes through his eyes before he sits up straighter and rolls his shoulder and neck.

"Hey, since you started using the absorbers, how have your shoulder been? They feel less tense than before."

She drops his head back and stares up at me so I trace his face softly with the tips of my fingers, "They're useful, the design keeps it from hindering my movements, but takes some of the kickback so I have no complaints."

I giggle and joke, "You better not, it was my design."

"I do what I want."

I stare down at him and kiss his forehead, things like this still made him blush but it had softened and he didn't get agitated at being embarrassed as he usually did, "Wanna stay over?"

He gives me a thinking face, "Sora would be lonely without me."

I drop my forehead against his dramatically, "Lost to my own cat."

"Meow!" We both look down to his lap where Sora now sits staring at us with big eyes as she purrs happily.

We both laugh and pet her.

Sometime that night after he drags me from my desk and into bed to sleep.

I wake in the dead of the night and stare at a surprisingly awake Katsuki.

"You okay?"

He stares at me for a long time before pulling me close and burying his face in the nook of my neck, "You're my best friend. . ."

I giggle and slide an arm around him, gently gliding my hand across his back, "Who said I wasn't?"

A sudden feeling sends me into laughter before he lifts his head so our noses touch and smirks at me, "Smartass," He gently rubs his nose against mine, "Let's go back to sleep."
"I like the sound of that."

Fully equipped I wait in the back of the room as they go over the objective of the assignment for the stealth teams and I glance over at the gentleman who leans against the wall beside me after the briefing ends and gives me a hearty "dad" smile.

"Yamazaki Souma, correct?"

"Who's asking?"

He hands me a card and I read it over before looking up at him, "You're Bossman?"

He nods, "I take it you remember the first card."

I nod back, "Yeah, still considering your agency if I leave my current town."

I push off the wall and join my group, activating the reflective layer of my suit.

"I'm flattered, it seems today I can get a look at the notorious Nobody in action."

"I doubt that."

We take our points and I scan the vent system before dropping in. Silence was key as I slither through the goggles hiding my eyes marking all the lackeys I pass before I arrive at the information room. Gently I pop the grid and lower myself in behind the man working the computer before striking him hard and catching his head before it hit the keyboard.

I roll him out of the way and pull a compact portable hard drive from my suit and get to transferring all the data we need while Team B keeps the computers defense systems from waking as I do this and Team A was removing the outer defenses in our attempt to do this with as less combat as possible.

Sorry Team C.

The data finishes and I tuck the drive away as the door starts to beep, a person lighting up on the goggles. I grab the guy and lay him against the keyboard and slip back into the vent. I lay there and listen as the person enters the room and I watch them walk over and sigh.

"Not again, dude wake up." I shout a message to Team B and watch the computer crash before slipping out. I was halfway out when the building shakes and warning flash across my sight, each person inside turning red.

I go to climb upward when all the access points seal and you could hear the combat commence outside first before Team C spills into the building.

I open two smoke bombs and all the rooms connected to this vent shaft show sudden blue targets and I drop down into one of the rooms I only had two collars on me and so I find something the tie them all together.

I nab a keycard off one of them and wait as a group runs past and I slip out into the corridor. I pull up the blueprint and follow a path to the closest exit.

The walls shook as I exit and radio in for an extraction, "They sealed the vents, I'm on the east side of the building, light up the beacon."

"Roger that."

My goggles located it immediately and as I climb up the hill an explosion sends two large foes at me and we tumble down. I catch myself in the fall and land on my feet as I look up to spot. . .

The birthday boy.

Katsuki was fighting the villains and underlings and I quickly dive behind a wall and call up Kirishima. The phone rings and rings before he picks up.

"Souma?"

"Hey, wasn't Katsuki supposed to be, oh I don't know, home today and tomorrow?"

"They called him in a few hours ago," another onslaught of explosions goes off behind me, "Was that him? That sounded like him"

"Yeah, that's him. I'll call you later, I'm still on the job."

He says bye as I hang up and the maker my goggles set of Katsuki showed him moving away from my location.

As I climb back up the hill, I locate Katsuki as he slams down the final villain near him and as if he had eyes in the back of his head that fiery gaze locks onto me before he stops a new onslaught of attacks.

I rush to the evac point and receive the small beacon as I look around for the team who was supposed to be here waiting.

"Nobody to base, where is the evac team?"

"They're there, I can see them on my monitor now, you're with them, aren't you?"

I scan the area around me before tapping the side of my goggles and they switch to night vision and I just jump back in time as a motorbike slams into the ground where I stood and barely manage to look up before a heavy object throws me down.

I locate the villain as they land beside the bike, I look down at what hit me and grimace as her name displays across my goggles.

I get up and lay her down gently as I can before glaring at the villain, "Let me guess, you were running away from this fight and found her instead."

He crosses his arms, smugly smiling, "It was so quick she didn't even realize she was dead."

I take my stance, eyes narrowed, "Coward, too afraid to fight a little girl."

He rushes me and I manage to turn and catch his side, striking hard enough to send him away from me. He catches himself and I find myself in combat.

"What are you doing?!"

I dodge his attack and catch him, throwing him into a tree, "Zelpy was murdered, I am in combat with the villain now."

I activate the pads of my gloves as he gets to his feet and I rush him, hands clasped tightly sending him into screams and he shakes violently till he is unconscious. I clasp one of my collars on him when I just catch sight of a blade before I yank away and am sent stumbling backward behind a tree and I catch the goggles as they fall from my face.

The cut bleeds down and I glare at the new group beyond the blood.

"We're sending another hero now."

"Send Team C, I think our evacuation spot was the same as the enemies."

The onslaught begins, sleep gas, stun gloves, and a good about of what my uncle taught me were all that kept them from pinning me in one spot as I could still barely see beyond the blood in my eye.

It was bad, I could handle the weaker quirks easily, but the heavy hitters were holding their own.

I run up one of the larger men, clasping the second collar on him and kick off as he is hit with his companions' quirks and he topples down on two of his men who tried to grab me from behind.

As I land, I feel a large hand claps my forearm and I am airborne instantly before I slam against a tree and I gasp as the loss of air before I am thrown across the clearing.

I slam into the bike and flip over it.

Despite being dazed I shove myself onto my hands and knees before a swift kick sends me rolling, my mind is blank, I can't think of a way out. He was just brutally whaling into me at this point. He uses his foot and rolls me onto my back.

I stare at up at him as he reaches down and lifts me by my neck and I watch him smile and I can't help it as I start to laugh.

"What the hell is so funny? You're going to die."

"I just remembered a song."

He pulls me close to him, "And what song is that?"

My gloves start to warm up, eyes drifting over his should, "Knock knock, you about to get shell shocked."

I slam my palms against his chest, the current stunning him as I hit the floor, and a blast sends him across the clearing.

Katsuki lands and behind him the others start to appear in droves. They break apart to get the conscious villains and fight though who resist.

I lay there, my body realizing the extent of my wounds, "Body Scan."

"Scanning. . . Complete. Your major injuries are: Four fractured ribs and fractures attained in the right Radius and Ulna. Your minor wounds are: A cut attained beneath your right eyebrow and varying bruises. Estimated healing time: Seven months."

"Just great."

I sit up despite the pain and struggle to my feet. I look around at them all as a hand catches my shoulder, I lower my head, the hood of my cloak shades my eyes from him, and I look at Katsuki's hand.

"Who are you?"

"Nobody."

His grip tightens, "You think now is the time for games?!"

I look beyond him and jump into him sending us both to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I look down at him beneath me and his eyes widen, "Wait. . ."

He reaches up to my mask and finds he cannot remove it, "No one but I can remove it."

My vision blurs and my arms give out, sending me into darkness.

The hooded stranger slams me to the floor, "What the hell are you doing?!" I look up at them and I'm startled by their eyes, I knew those eyes, "Wait. . ."

I reach up and try removing her mask, but it won't budge.

"No one, but I can remove it." The distorted voice says before eyes blur and shut as she falls against me.

"We got the rest of the villains tied up."

I lift her as best I can before my hand hits something. I lean her as I look down at a dagger lodged in her side.

"Good," I radio the base, "We need medical assistance asap."

I pull her hood back and those pale stands frame her face. I finally got the answer I was after. I remove her gloves and press her fingers against her mask and like that it expands and the straps behind her head release.

I give it a lift and large hands stop me, "I wouldn't do that, not here."

I look up at the elder man who looks around at the others, "Who the hell are you?"

He reaches down and secures her mask back in place, "If I'm lucky, her new boss. So do not speak her name or tell a soul, anonymity means more to her than you know."

I keep my eyes on him till the medics arrive and they take her as I am told to stay and help round up the rest of the lackeys from the building.

It took longer to gather and transport them than it had to take them out.

By the time I reach the main camp and get her location she was in transit to a hospital nearby. Within the hour I am stuck waiting outside of a surgery room that red light irritating me as I pace.

"Calm down, dearie."

I look up at the familiar elder woman who walks out of doors before me, "How is she?"

Recovery Girl stops and smiles, "Miss Yamazaki is going to be okay, they're finishing up in there now," She looks at me from head to toe and sighs, "Didn't even change before coming here, she won't be happy about the attention that'll bring."

I drop into a seat finally, "She'll deal."

I feel her small hand tap my leg and I look down at her, "Have some candy, she'll be out soon." I accept the candy before she wanders down the hall.

I stare down at the candy in my hand before murmuring, "Thanks for coming."

They get her into a room, and I sit beside her as she stares at her hands with such intensity, "So, Nobody? Why do you address yourself with the name the civilians call you?"

"It's my hero name, I picked it."

"Why Nobody?"

She sheepishly smiles, "Truth?" I nod and she sighs, "When I picked the name, I was nobody. Walking a line between visible but unseen. I took this negative view of myself that I had all my life and used it to do what I did best."

"That was?"

"Moving amongst the shadows of those who shine too bright, my own game of misdirection."

We both go quiet, a silence neither of us knew how to confront.

I took a crack at the silence, "Why didn't you tell me?"

She smiles, "You never asked, besides I thought it was fun, being there but not being seen."

I shake my head, "You're too much," I look at her bandages, "That was dangerous, what you did tonight."

Small fingers hover over her side, "I didn't realize it would hit between the armor plates with such force, but if I hadn't done it, you'd be in this bed instead."

That small hand extends to me and I stare at it before she opens and closes it a few times till I sigh and take her hand in my own.

"I would have been fine."

"Perhaps, but I couldn't stop my body if I wanted to," She rubs circles gently with her thumb on my hand, "I didn't want you getting hurt." She purses her lips before scooting over as best as she could and past the bed, "Get up here."

"Why? So you can fall asleep on my arm again and when it's numb from blood loss you plan to touch it." Mischievous grin forms on her face before she nods, "No, I'm going to go change and I'll be back with food. Try and sleep."

I ruffle her hair as she pouts, and I leave. As I exit the room a few nurses scatter down the hall and I head past them and toward the elevators so I can leave.

Souma has to be more careful if she doesn't want the others knowing yet, I already have a hard enough time not touching her around the gang, but no, she gives me those big eyes and damn pout. Tsk, she's going to be the death of me. . .

But I do enjoy these little moments.