Hello! Happy New Year! On with the show!
NOTE: WE ARE HEADED BEYOND THE ANIME PEOPLE. Potential manga spoilers ahead, not all will follow cannon events, but the risk is there, ye be warned!
SHOUTA POV
How could it be true? It couldn't. And yet it was. Shouta knew what he had seen in that swirling mass of smoke. He closed his eyes tight, but the image was still there; the haunted eyes of his childhood friend Oboro Shirakumo, pleading from beyond the grave. Those eyes. He hadn't seen them in… So many years. But last time he had seen them, they had shone with such promise, a new Hero in the making, a young boy on the brink of his dreams. And yet… And yet. Then they were shadowed by a falling building, crushed beneath rubble. Shouta swallowed hard as Hizashi sped the car up across the bridge leaving Tartarus. Every part of Shouta wanted to deny it, to refuse the reality of what he saw when the smoke had cleared for that instant. Shirakuma. Or what was left of him.
Shouta hung his head forward. Soon they would get back to the dorms. He had to wrap his head around what had been revealed. Not only was the League of Villain's warp guy potentially an intelligent Nomu, but he was also at least partially made from their childhood friend. For so long that face, that smile, those final few moments during that rain-soaked mission, had been all that Shouta had to remember him by. Everything else had paled. It was the most horrible thing; a bright life filled with so much promise, cut down before it even got started. Beyond that, the Villains weren't above using children in their sick work. They used UA like a fine buffet. And that in itself turned his stomach, beyond as much as it had been wrangled inside out already.
"You gonna be alright?" Hizashi asked, clearing his throat afterwards. He hadn't spoken a word since they got back into the car and now the dorms were in sight.
"It'll take time to sink in but… Yeah, I guess so. I'll have to be. All we can do is just… Try to figure out how to avoid anyone else being used in that way."
"Fuckin' sickos…" Hizashi shook his head. "Can't help but think, ya know?"
"Mm?"
"Would they have eventually done that to Alex had she never got away?" Hizashi visibly shuddered and Shouta swallowed hard.
He had been doing his best to not think of that specifically, of the implications of what might have happened to Alex. It made him cold to the core. It might still happen. It might still be their plan.
Hiz sighed. "Sorry man, but I figured you'd already gone down that train of thought."
"I had, and in all honesty… Yes. I think they would have."
"Sh-Shit." Hizashi pulled up outside the dorms, eyes glued to the floor where her bedroom was, mind likely running a mile a minute. Then those bright green eyes landed back on Shouta. "Are you gonna tell her?"
"Yeah." Shouta wished it didn't feel like he was on the brink of vomiting. "For one thing, secrets never end well between us. For another… I want her prepared."
Hiz frowned. "Whaddya mean?"
"I think… I have a theory anyway that…" Shouta wasn't sure why he felt the need to say it. Was he hoping that Hiz would laugh it off somehow? Call him crazy? Maybe. Either way he had to say it. "They might still plan to do that if they ever did get hold of her again."
A choked noise escaped Hizashi.
So much for laughing it off.
Shouta closed his eyes. "I just can't ignore the possibility."
"R-Right. Fuck I ain't gonna sleep for a week."
"Mm." Shouta opened the car door but paused before getting out. "I'm shit at this kinda stuff but… Hiz?"
"Yeah bro?"
"I'm so fucking glad I still have you."
Hizashi gave a choked laugh. "Yeah… Yeah for sure, right back at you man."
It seemed unlikely that the noise in Shouta's head would quieten anytime soon. Sleep would either not arrive at all, or be very unkind when it did. He walked up the path, checking his phone to find no messages from Alex or anyone else. She had probably had a busy day with classes. Or figured he would get in touch when he could. Once he had managed to screw his head back on he would get in contact, he would sit her down and explain. As much as he could at least. So much of it remained utterly confusing to him though.
Inside, he headed for his apartment right away, ignoring any calls for his attention that may or may not have occurred. His head had no more room. For nothing. All he could think about was what had been lost. And potentially what had happened since. His friend. So full of life, so caring and free with his heart had become a puppet. A deranged meat puppet. How aware was Shirakumo in that state? How much was he conscious of? Part of Shouta hoped for no awareness, of total black out, because then at least his friend might know some peace. But at the same time, a shred of awareness would also maybe mean a hope for recovery?
Shouta snorted at himself bitterly as he left the elevator. No. There was no hope of that. Shirakumo was still dead; his corpse was just being used by a bunch of bastards.
The door snapped shut, and he toed off his shoes, only then realising that he hadn't had to unlock the door. Alex was already sitting at the kitchen island. She poured over notes, diligently working away, forging towards her future. At the sound of his approach, she looked up and smiled softly–that tender look had welcomed him home so many times. Long patrols. Brutal work days. All made easier by that simple greeting and tilt of her head. Then her smile faded. He wasn't sure what his expression was, but apparently it worried her. The crease deepend between her brows and she got up, mothering side rearing its head like always. He had lost count of how often she looked after him instead of the other way around. Whether that was him failing as a parent or not, he was glad of it. Glad to know she could still be warm-hearted after everything that had happened. It gave him hope it might never fade. No matter what.
She led him to the sofa and sat beside him. "Dad?"
How could he explain it?
How could he even start to understand it himself?
He swallowed hard, trying to form the first sentence. But it was no good. He clamped his hand over his mouth again when the words churned into something thicker.
She put a hand on his shoulder. "All right, just breathe. I'll get some tea. That okay?"
He nodded, closing his eyes, immediately re-opening them again. Behind his eyelids the images waited. The idea of what had happened to his friend festering there. It starting to merge with how they had found Alex after the Yakuza incident. He wouldn't sleep easily.
She returned in a couple of minutes, sitting beside him and placing a blanket across his shoulders. Careful. Gentle. Like he would break any second. He must have looked pretty bad. It wasn't what he had intended. When they spoke, he had wanted to be back to himself, back to a sense of composure. So he could warn her while comforting her that he would be able to defeat the potential threat. Instead, she now knew exactly how scared he was. It wasn't right. She should have had someone dependable, someone who could take on the world for her. She should–
"So I'm guessing this state you're in is because of what you were away doing all afternoon?"
Her tone was so careful, so warm and simply wanting to fill in the information. No disappointment, no fear of her own. Just concern for him. It did no good to wish he had his nerves back in check, he had to simply be honest with her. To trust that that was what she truly wanted.
"Yeah." He croaked, frowning. "Me and Hiz… We were summoned to Tartarus."
She stiffened, but said nothing. The mere mention of the place put her on edge, all her worst nightmares lingering under that roof. The Nomu from the USJ. All for One. Chisaki. Alive. Waiting. In her head anyway, she refused to believe anyone in there was truly contained. Part of Shouta hated how much she had to live in fear. And the other part was glad. It meant she was always ready.
She squeezed his shoulder. "Yeah… Toshi mentioned that much. Couldn't go into further detail but y-yeah…"
He took her hand in his. "Nothing to do with All for One or Chisaki, I swear. It was… Well it was to do with Kyrogiri, the warp guy?"
She nodded.
And then he summoned the words and told her, as best he could. The details skidded over his tongue, tasting vile as he laid them out for her and filled her in on the new development. And the confirmation that came with that glimpse through the fog. Shirakuma really was trapped in there. A meat puppet. A toy. A nomu.
And then silence retook the room.
She stared at her tea, a small frown appearing as she took in the information. It wasn't that he expected her to know how to proceed from that point, he just figured she could do with time to digest the information. But then she looked up with eyes far too old for her sixteen year old self.
She sniffed. "That's the friend you lost?"
He nodded, heart aching because he knew she would be looking back to that day he fucked up so badly. In his fear of losing her, in his paranoia, when he made Hitoshi force the truth from her. It had all been borne from the fear of repeating the past. Of not being able to be there in time, to help, of losing her like he had lost Shirakumo. Looking back, it was madness. Looking ahead, he wasn't sure the paranoia had been unfounded. The world was determined to tear them apart one way or the other.
She nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I'm so fucking sorry." She pulled him into a tight hug.
For a moment he didn't know how to respond.
How had he been so lucky?
He held onto her tightly, feeling how she ran her hands along his back and pressed a kiss to his dishevelled hair. Like he was the child and she was the parent. And then he wondered how many times she had done this before, back when she was on the streets. When she was left with younger kids to deal with. When kids sometimes simply didn't wake up when it had been too cold, or when they had been hit by a car and couldn't figure out how to fix it, when they're friends were left behind afterwards to mourn.
She drew a long breath that shook a little at the end. "If he managed to reach out at all, I think that means you gave him something to latch onto again. Whatever there is of him left in there."
As much as her eyes seemed too old for her age, her voice in those moments was far worse. Not bitter, no, it was more like she was weary. Familiar pain, struggle and despair. They no longer hit her in the same way, did they? She felt them, yes, but they didn't impact her like a normal teenager. It was something he admired, as much as he loathed.
He leaned back to look up at her. "Why do I feel like you're talking from personal experience?"
Something deep in her gaze tightened; the want to hide, the want to brush it off and pretend it was nothing. But then she blinked and her eyes shone openly with tears. "I can't speak for what the hell they do to Nomu's of course, but I… I know you and the others… I-Izuku and Ura and e-even Sho, you've brought me back from those moments when I wanted to just stop trying to fight it. To stop and just believe the rat, the useless puppet, the… A-Anyway, it's a powerful moment to be reminded that you're more than that. I can guarantee that if you gave your friend even a moment of that, he'll be grateful, very grateful."
It was a sick world they lived in that she knew that feeling. Every day she trained so hard to become the best Hero possible, to protect others, despite how much the world had already bruised her. But could the world be that sick, if it had made her? To take all that pain, that hatred, and turn it into determination of good? All that training. All that hard work. And for what? To try and ensure that no one else had to face the darkness she had. Or to at least reduce the likelihood of it. Alex didn't seem the type to kid herself that she could eradicate all evil or anything – but she could chip away at it.
All he could do was stare. "You're amazing, Alex. You know that?"
"Not my point, Dad." She laughed and shook her head. "I'm talking about you."
"Mm, yeah." He held her close. The warmth of her embrace, her love, her caring heart doing wonders to soothe his pain. "Thanks, kid."
"Anything, Dad. You know that."
"I do, which is why you're amazing."
Eventually he managed to get to sleep.
Turns out, that was probably a mistake.
Walking along a corridor, only lit by flickering bulbs, with damp and mould running along the walls, rusted pipes dripping onto the flooring. Just like Alex had described. The place Shigaraki and her grew up together. Shouta kept walking. He was searching for something. But what? He couldn't remember, but he had to find it, the weight in his chest told him that much. Find it. No, find her. Find her. He stumbled, as soon as he realised he was searching for Alex his heart sped up. Quick. Quick or you'll lose her. Gone. Beyond reach. Too late.
Alex's voice called from the far end of the corridor, confused, dazed, hidden in shadow. "D-Dad?"
She sounded hurt. Weakened by something. He tried to respond but no sound escaped. He tried to speed up, but somehow his steps seemed to get slower–like he had been hit by that clock guy from the Yakuza incident. Too slow. Always too slow.
A small sob escaped her, and then her voice hitched. She was in so much pain.
"DAD!" She screamed, voice cutting away into a pain-filled screech as lights flashed ahead. It showed her for a split second, a warped version of how she had been in the USJ as she ran to him, back arched, Shigaraki's decay eating away at her flesh, her eyes wide and lips split with the howl of agony. And then it was gone. Laughter, a mixture of Shigaraki and Chisaki's voices rumbled along, thundering over the pound of his sluggish feet.
A door slammed shut.
He pounded his fists against it, roaring her name, shoving his shoulder against the wood, demanding entrance. His skin bruised. His bones ached. But it didn't matter, he had to get through. The door gave way suddenly, sending him toppling forward. Slam. He landed in a small room; as damp and rusted as the corridor. A small bulb flickered on above, swinging gently from it's coiled wire. He swallowed hard and blinked in the uneven light. He tried to call for her. No voice. Where was she? It had been this room hadn't it? Or had they run away with her? Where was sh–
And there she was.
Alex.
But not quite. Not anymore.
Her mangled body lay sprawled against the concrete, legs crooked against the ground, more beast like than her real legs; knees going the wrong way, skin dappled by scales. Her hair was half-buzzed, the other half stripped away along with her skin and skull, exposing her brain, thick veins pulsing over it like copper wiring. Her skin was a dull grey with patches of purple sewn into place, her hands like claws, nails snapped and blackened by bruising. As if she had been trying to claw her way out of the room.
Her eyes bulged, vacant and staring up at the bulb, following it, before rolling back and glowing a soft yellow. Like Kurogiri. Her mouth was slack, chapped lips pulled back over lengthened teeth, sharpened, not her own. Her back arched before she sat up, swaying from side to side as her seemingly blind eyes stared in Shouta's direction, pupils returning to that strange glow, burning at him in black slits.
"Why…" She rasped, voice like hers but grated. "Why didn't you…" She coughed, clotted blood running down her chin, splattering against her bony chest, bones jutting out, some even tearing her skin. She shuddered and then bared her teeth, glaring as she struggled to her bloodied feet. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME?!"
"Dad!"
He jolted awake.
Hands shook his shoulders, his bedside light burning bright on the side table, Alex's panicked eyes staring into his own. As soon as he had looked at her she stopped shaking him, but perched on the bed instead and sat still, waiting for him to respond. They breathed. He wasn't sure if it was ten seconds or ten minutes. Ringing in his ears softened, then silenced. The smell of rust faded to the familiar scent of clean sheets and home. Awake. He was awake.
She handed him some water. He took it, but the glass slipped from his shaking hand, her quirk catching both glass and water alike, setting them back onto the table.
His stomach churned, his lungs ached like he couldn't get enough air. Would that happen the next time she was taken? If the League got hold of her again, would they immediately turn her into one of those things? Leave her a broken shell. Her eyes vacant and staring. Her light snuffed out. There would be no coming back from that, no physio to use, no recovery time long enough. Nothing.
"Breathe." She encouraged softly, taking his hand in hers and squeezing. "Just a dream, Dad. You're safe, I swear. Just a dream."
He swallowed hard. Sweat poured off him, his lips cracked and his throat raw from all the yelling probably.
"Dad?" She tried again, looking worried as he continued to fail to respond.
"I… You…" He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear the fog.
She squeezed his hand. "All right, breathe okay? Just focus on that, you gotta take a couple proper breaths for me before we do any kinda talking. Want to try the water again?"
He nodded, and as he took it, he could feel her power was still maintaining a hold.
She stayed still, quiet and watchful. His eyes kept returning to her face, her hair, her mouth, her non-jutting out bones. She was all right, she was all right. Skin a healthy peach, no grey or purple to be seen other than her pinked scars.
For now.
He shuddered and ran a hand through his hair. "Bad dream."
"I figured." She smiled softly. "About your friend?"
"In a way." He cleared his throat. "You were there but… But you weren't…. You were a… A…"
She waited.
He tried again. "You yelled for help but I… I didn't get there in t-time. They'd turned you in… into a… a–"
"Nomu?" She whispered and he nodded slowly, heart clenching as he feared her mentioning a vision of some kind, a potential snapshot of the future. But she just shook her head. "I'm sorry, that must have been awful."
"Not the best." He sipped the water again, his heart starting to slow. "Sorry I woke you."
"Like you always said, no need to apologise for a nightmare." She took the water when he handed it over, and set it on the bedside table. "You gonna be able to sleep?"
"I'll figure it out, kid… You should go get some res–"
She clambered into the bed beside him. "True, I gotta sleep for classes, but why don't I do it here? That way you can try sleeping again, or keep looking over here at the non-nomu me?"
She was so damned kind.
How had he been so lucky?
He huffed a laugh. "I don't want to disturb your sleep, kid."
"Then shut up." She winked and settled against the pillow. "I'll only worry if I go back to my room. Night, old man."
"Night." He dimmed the bedside lamp and kissed her head, settling back against the headboard. He wouldn't try to sleep too soon, but the book he had chosen lay limp in his lap. The minutes ticked by, and her breathing evened out into sleep.
He couldn't let her be taken again. Not now they knew they might still be making Nomu in some hospital somewhere. It would be the ultimate revenge for Shigaraki, wouldn't it? Turning her into his puppet. His mindless, inane puppet with staring eyes and–he stopped himself. No. She wouldn't be taken again. Not while Shouta still drew breath.
ALEX POV
Training continued of course, school work and tests and all manner of mundane normality spiralled around in the days that followed. Dad still wasn't quite back to himself. His eyes were more bruised looking than ever, and his sleep was even worse. I stayed in his apartment, but did my best not to hover. He had to work through this himself. Contending with the fact he had found out his childhood friend's corpse was being used like a deranged puppet was going to take time. I just hoped he had plenty of that to use. But there was no point coddling him. So I focused on my studies and ensured he had nothing extra to worry about.
Momo and I were working on a training regime together. She would make more and more complex items, and I caught and dismantled them. It allowed her to increase the variety of things she could produce, and it allowed me to really strengthen my tactile stamina. I even started sorting the parts into sizes and categories as we continued into our fourth session of this set-up. If someone came at me with a gun I was sorted. One or two tweaks and it was about as useful as a club, and a very small one at that.
Everyone else was coming on leaps and bounds as well of course, but I could tell something else was going on here. The training had definitely shifted towards active combat training with our quirks. And for the past couple of weeks we had been spending a lot more time actively using our quirks than being anywhere near the theory side of things. We were being readied for something. Beyond those signs, I saw the tension between Dad and the other teachers. They brushed it off if asked, but it was there. Hizashi and Nemuri as well, they were quiet if they came round for dinner or vague if I asked any questions about their recent patrols.
Enough was enough.
After school one day, I cornered Nemuri in the teacher's lounge. She was sipping tea and marking papers, when I came and sat next to her and waited for her to put down the current essay. Initially she ignored me, likely assuming I was just joining her for tea. Then she realised I was staring.
Eventually she lowered the paper and adjusted her glasses. "My dear, it's a bit rude to–"
"What's going on, Nem? Spill it."
She blinked.
I would understand that not all details would be allowed, the amount of red tape being used recently was insane. Though likely necessary as well if they still feared a traitor. She was hoping I'd take it back, I'd back-peddle, I'd leave her alone. But I wouldn't. Even if not all the information, I still needed some. There was something coming towards us, all of us, and I needed to understand what kind of threat level we were talking about. USJ? Hosu? Bigger than either of those combined?
"Please." I added, clenching my hands against my lap. I didn't want to be a pain in the ass, but I also didn't want myself and my friends blindsided. Dad wasn't up to the scrutiny right now, and Hizashi had been shaken when I saw him as well. I could only assume they had both been close to their long lost friend. So Nem was the only one I figured I'd get anywhere with.
She sighed and sat back, looking totally exhausted all of a sudden. Like all the pretence had been peeled back, to reveal a very tired and worn Hero beneath. "I'm sorry for the evasiveness my dear, you know how I hate to keep you in the dark."
"It'll be for a good reason, I know, but I need something. There's clearly something going on, and I just want some kind of heads up on what kind of scale we're looking at."
"You're too perceptive for your own good sometimes." She smiled softly and patted my knee. "I suppose I can give you that much information. The powers that be shouldn't object too much."
So whatever it was, there were a lot of people involved, and a lot of senior people involved – be that government or Heroes.
She drew a deep breath. "Very big, Alex. A whole new kind of threat, and one that we'll be having to rope you kids in on."
Despite having guessed as much, a chill sunk into me. "All of us?"
She nodded. "This kind of thing blurs all those lines between student and pro. You have a licence? You're getting involved. I sincerely wish it wasn't so, but… That's the reality of it. We simply need the numbers."
No wonder they all looked so tired and distracted. At some point soon, presumably fairly soon, they were going to have to take their loved ones and students alike, into a full on battle. I leaned against her and she looped her arms around me, holding tight. The main thing was, I now knew I wasn't being paranoid. Something was coming. Something big. And now maybe I could try to mentally prepare myself for that, though of course there would be no way of preparing myself for what might be lost in the process. Friends. Family. The future itself was probably riding on whatever the hell it was looming up ahead of us.
"However, we wouldn't be taking you in with us if we didn't trust in your ability to come out the other side." She breathed, kissing my hair. "You can do this my dear, I know you can. Your whole class can, even that little pervy one. As a team, you'll all shine."
"I… You likely won't be able to confirm or deny but is it the League?"
She pursed her lips and I just hid in the crook of her neck. Either that was a 'yes' or it was a 'it's so much worse'. Be ready. That was the main thing. But beyond my own fears, my own worries over what the hell they might have in store for me and my friends, I began to tremble at the idea of what we might lose. If it was as big as Nem was indicating, that meant a serious risk. People might not be coming home again. We could lose people permanently, just like we did Knight-Eye.
"Thank you for telling me as much as you could." I breathed, and she stroked my hair, holding me tight. Only then did I realise she was shivering as well. I held onto her and hoped it helped her even half as much as her holding me helped my nerves. "I love you so fucking much, Nem."
"Right back at you, sweetheart. But let's not go getting dramatic, all right? We'll pull through, us Heroes have a nasty habit of just keeping on going."
"Mm, you do tend to go on a bit." I laughed and she gave a chuckle. "I… I guess it's not very professional of me but Nem I…"
"Say it my dear, you know there's no judgement in these arms."
I nodded and then leaned back to meet her eyes properly. "I'm scared."
"Good." She tapped the end of my nose, bright eyes sparkling with her wonderful mix of wisdom and mischief. "I'm rather glad that thick skin of yours hasn't turned you numb. We're all afraid in our own ways my darling, but the main thing? Take that fear, turn it back on the bastards and make them know who's boss." She winked and then kissed my head. "Now then, be a dear and bugger off, I have far too much work to do."
I clambered off the sofa, gave her one last hug and made for the door. Whether she was meant to tell me as much as she had, I wasn't entirely sure, but Nem had always been honest with me. Ever since that night I had to hold Dad's wounds closed when he came back to our little apartment, cut to ribbons, Nem had always been upfront with me. Don't sugarcoat it, I'm sweet enough. Don't be silly darling, that's my job. No room for nonsense here, my dear, have you seen how tight this costume is?! She was funny, she was supportive, but she was always honest. And beyond that, she was damned strong. So was Mic. So was Dad. I would simply have to trust in that and come out the other side, ready to accept whatever fallout there was. One way or the other, we had a damn job to do.
Even so, I had to cling to the stairs railing on my way out of the building. My knees felt filled with water.
But like she said, it was good that I could still feel the fear. After everything that had happened, I still cared, I was still invested in surviving. At one point I think that had been in real jeopardy. But they pulled me through, my friends and family didn't let me switch off. And as I stepped out into the chilled evening air, a smile pulled onto my lips. How the hell had I been so lucky?
At least, the second time round.
I kicked a pebble down the path and shoved my hands into my pockets. If the League was involved in this upcoming event, and that seemed highly likely, I had to consider the fact that Dabi might be there. It might be the time I had to finally choose. Could I really kill him though? As a Hero I wasn't supposed to do that, but of course accidents did happen, and if my damned vision was anything to go by, the situation was hardly one of full control. But did I want to avoid it? I kicked the pebble again and nodded to some joggers as they went past. Becoming a killer was hardly high on my to-do list. Murdering people wasn't my goal. But would the act of letting Dabi live be me essentially condemning all his future victims? By not killing one man, was I essentially helping to kill hundreds? My head began to spin at the implications. But then again, I don't suppose it was really my job so consider things at that kind of a distance.
Telekinetic not telepathic, not psychic either.
I drew a long breath and turned onto the path for our dorms. On the day itself, at the time, I would have to make a choice. One way or the other, someone was going to get hurt, and I didn't plan on letting it be me or my family. And Dabi had stopped being a part of that the day he burned me, the day he turned me into one of his pawns, whether he realised he was doing it or not. I hesitated as I reached for the front door. Did he even know how deeply that had hurt me? Did he even care? Or was he seriously relying on our history to override that? I closed my eyes. Of course he was. Beyond his own bubble Dabi only saw those who had hurt him and those who could serve him. I gripped the handle and headed inside. Sorry Dabi, I'm not that little kid anymore. This time, it'll be you that gets burned.
"Hey," Sho waved from the bottom of the stairs. "Heading up?"
I went to his side and hugged his arm tight. "As long as you are, yeah."
"Everything alright? You looked pretty intense when you came in just now."
"Everything is… Yeah, I gotta talk to you about something. Come to my room?"
He searched my expression, but I wasn't giving anything away down here in the open. It wasn't like I planned to pass this information around the whole class, but I needed Sho to be prepared. If this was going to be a showdown with the League, and Dabi was going to be involved, I couldn't let Sho become one of those ill-fated pawns either.
We went to my room, sat on my bed, and I explained as much as Nem had. Of course he listened carefully and allowed me to get it all out, but I could see the cogs turning on the implications of such a large scale mission. Everyone would be involved. Even the likes of Mineta. This wasn't a Work Study, this wasn't some elite team being selected, no. This was a case of needing a huge number of Heroes to take down someyhing major. Possibly more major than anything Hero society had seen before.
After I finished my explanation, he was quiet still, and he took my hands in his. Processing. I let him work it through, and simply ran my thumbs over his knuckles to ensure he knew I was still there. Still present.
After a minute or two he breathed out and leaned down to put his head against our hands. "That is a lot."
"A lot of a lot, I know. I uh… I hope I was right to tell you. It's not exactly free information, so don't go spreading it around."
He snorted. "Yes, because I'm known for being a gossip."
"You know what I mean."
"I do, you're right." He kissed the back of my hands. "I won't say a word to anyone else. Thank you for trusting me with this, and I'll keep the warning about Dabi in mind. Can't say I entirely believe his claimed connection still, but I won't rule it out. And I certainly won't let him use it against me in the moment."
And as his grip on my hands tightened a little, I knew exactly why he could keep that kind of intent. Whatever connection Dabi might have won over with the implication of being Sho's brother was dissolved when the Summer Camp occurred. Stood there, holding me, dragging me through the portal as a hostage to also get Bakugo… Dabi burned many bridges at once. My own connection with him, and Sho's. He fucked up his own plans months ago.
Sho tilted his head. "Do you think you should tell Bakugo? He's not likely to tell anyone else, and he has his own past dealings with the League to contend with."
"That's true…" I bit my lip. "I'll have a think about it, okay?"
He smiled softly. "Yeah, of course."
My phone buzzed with a message from Dad.
Dad: [There's some news about Eri, they're bringing her to my apartment for a quick visit if you want to join.]
Me: {Be right there!}
"Everything okay?" Sho squeezed my other hand.
"Yeah, I think so. I'll uh… I'll be right back. Seems there's something up with Eri."
Sho released my hand immediately. "Anything I can do to help? Do you want some company?"
"Probably best not to, don't want to overwhelm the kid. It'll be fine."
He kissed my cheek and got up from the bed. "All right, I have some studying I should probably get back to anyway."
"Of course. I'll come by your room after if that's okay?"
He raised a brow. "Oh gosh no, can't think of anything worse than my beautiful girlfriend coming to my bedroom at nigh–"
I gave him a peck on the lips. "You're such a fucking sass-pot sometimes."
"You can definitely blame yourself for that, terrible influence that you are." He winked and headed for the door, still smirking as we parted ways and he headed for his room, while I headed upstairs. Cheeky git. But damn I loved him.
It had been a while since I'd seen Eri, between her being monitored and me training there just hadn't been a lot of time. But Dad hadn't sounded too worried over the text, and there hadn't been a lot of urgency in his words either, so hopefully it wasn't anything too bad. I gave a couple knocks on the door before heading inside, finding Eri already there with Dad and the 'big three'. They nodded to me and Eri looked up with those big eyes shining from unshed tears. My heart clenched, but I kept a smile in place as I knelt down to meet her reaching arms. She ran right over to me. No hesitation.
I hugged her close. "Hey there, what're the tears about?"
"My horn feels w-weird."
Dammit.
"Is that so? Well alright, we'll figure it out, Sweetheart." I looked at her properly and noted the slight glow to her horn and the pinked effect around it, it had grown a lot. "You've got us all here to help, remember?"
She nodded and sniffed. "I just don't wanna hurt anyone."
"And we don't want you having to deal with this alone, remember? You're allowed to be helped, we want to help you." I cupped her face and waited for those big eyes to land on me again, fresh tears welling up as her lips wobbled.
"But I'm–"
"You're not cursed."
A few of her tears spilled and she shivered. "How do you know?"
"Because I know you. All it is, is that you have an extraordinary power that we haven't quite managed to figure out yet."
She looked to the side. "Like… Like th-those… Those puzzles we do?"
"The real tricky ones, yeah. But aren't the pictures pretty once we complete them? Once we figure it out?"
She nodded and looked down. "Y-Yeah. You think that's gonna be like me?"
"Your power is amazing, Eri. It's as beautiful as you are." I held her close when she flopped into my arms. "Now then, you wanna show me some of your new art? You said you got new crayons last time we spoke."
"O-Okay."
She scampered off to her bag to collect it, and I went to Dad's side. "Is she headed for another surge?"
"Most likely, but we can't really tell when this one might occur. Last time she was in an immensely stressful situation, literally fighting for her own life as well as trying to help Midoryia. Now? She doesn't have that kind of trigger waiting to spring."
I nodded and then knelt down as Eri returned to show me her work. When she first began to do these drawings she had been reserved about the colours she used; as if she was worried she might be scolded for using too many, or working with the brighter ones. And of course, she had avoided red. Never a red flower, or red lips, she had seen too much red in her young life. But gradually she was warming to it, and occasionally a pink would appear in her drawings. I was no psychologist, but it felt like progress.
"This one is of you and your Hero team!" She beamed, holding it out proudly for me to take.
I couldn't help but smile. She had drawn me stood next to Sho, Bakugo and Izuku, all dressed in our Hero costumes, big smiles on our faces with the Road Line Villain being pushed into a police car in the background. He had big tears springing from his eyes. She can't have known how pathetic he was, but she had captured the likeness all the same. We really looked like a team. My heart clenched. I had to tell Bakugo about the potential threat. I wouldn't say anything to Izuku, he would overthink himself into a pit over this, over-analyse himself into paralysis at the time, but Bakugo would handle the information. He might even really benefit from it. As Sho had said himself, Bakugo had his own dealings with the League. His own traumas. Yeah, I would tell him.
I tapped the end of her nose. "Can I take a photo of it with my phone? I'd love to show Sho, Bakugo and Deku."
She blushed. "O-Okay, you think they'll uh… Like it?"
"Of course they will, they'll be thrilled to have such a talented artist watching them work." I kissed her head. "You're getting better and better, I told you it was all about practice."
She stuck her tongue out and giggled. "I know, I know!"
"All right, hold it up for me."
I gave her the picture and got my phone out, lining up the shot and taking the picture. She grinned at me, and despite the happy moment, the way her horn glinted in the light made me cold all over. Thus far she hadn't hurt herself with her power, but we weren't positive that it didn't have some kind of backlash effect. After all, most quirks did; Mic's throat could get strained easily, Dad's eyes were always dry and sore, my own power could break my bones if I lost focus. Most quirks had a cost, be that physical or otherwise. Eri's power was amazing, and she would be fantastic with it once we cracked how to control it, but before that? I had no idea how it might rebound on her small body. She had already been through so much. Too much. Surely we could save her a little bit of pain?
Please?
And there we have it... The pieces are gathering! Cya in a month folks! Thanks for reading, faving, following and reviewing! Shoutouts below!
SHOUTOUTS:
HarleyKing31: Shigaraki's sister is simply an angle that is available... muhahhaha. I shall reveal nothing! Yeah the connection between Shigaraki and Toshi is something that Alex doesn't really grasp at this point. Not really knowing of other connections it would be a big leap. It's not really an angle I have worked with so far. But who knows, miiight be upcoming! Or i may end up in a whole other direction haha. Shall have to wait and see! Thanks for chiming in again! hope you enjoyed the update.
Zikashigaku: Indeeeeed we are approaching the big ol' boom fest haha. I really enjoyed the Todoroki dinner scene, in the manga and the anime tbh! So I had been looking forward to writing that for a long while. Yeah Dadzawa got put through the ringer this time round, but this time round Alex got to be the parent for a bit, yaaay! Yeah it was a pretty brutal section of the manga and anime, so again, I was rather intrigued to use it here. But I also didn't want to just rehash the Tartarus scene as little to nothing would have been different in my own version, so I skipped to the aftermath instead. Aaaand yeah I couldn't NOT have Mina figure it out and lose her mind a bit. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for still reviewing! Cya next time!
