Sister Mine

by AshleyH713

Hawks' greatest mistake was always letting his sister down, so much so that you wouldn't know she ever existed. Hikari Takami on the other hand, only has one goal in mind, to burn down the commission. But when old flames start to get in the way of Hikari's goals, Hawks soon realizes that the person he was send to take down, is his own sister. Hawks sister fanfic. Dabi X OC

39. A Villain's Perspective

As the morning rays shone across Dabi's face, the villain grumbled before roughly shoving a nearby pillow over his head. His head pounded with hateful distain and with every breath, causing the man to roll onto his back with a pained groan.

Yet that's when the man seemed to bring himself back to reality, not recognizing the smell and immediately sitting up, something he regretted as soon as he did it. Fuck, my head. I guess I really was pretty far gone last night.

Blinking at his surroundings, Dabi then began to make sense of the situation, recognizing the old rusted space with ease, carefully eyeing a stack of black jackets and pants in the corner. Ah crap, he knew this place anywhere, this was Hikari's.

The villain felt his head sting once more, groaning at the bright lights before turning his head around only to find that the blonde haired girl was nowhere to be seen. His memory from last night was pretty blurry also, Dabi only recalling bits of pieces and not how he got there in the first place.

Looking down, the man then realized that he was indeed shirtless, the purple scars of his skin ever apparent as the villain frowned. Wait, where is my shirt? That bird didn't rob me, did she?

Yet that's when he looked to his left only to find his usual black villain jacket and white shirt folded on the small table next to the bed, along with a bottle of water and two plastic wrapped flavors of bread.

Groaning as he leaned forward, Dabi then reached forward towards the objects when a small card fell onto the desk, the villain narrowing his eyes before recognizing Hikari's large bubble lettered writing.

---

How's that hangover? Bet it's nasty.

Since you were pretty passed out I took the chance to wash your clothes since we both know you haven't done that in a while.

Good luck on your recovery.

---

Running a singular finger over the handwritten letter, the man then looked back at the gifts before throwing the card back on the table. She was still such an idiot, taking care of him like this. He didn't ask for that.

Wasn't she still pissed at him? What changed then?

Yet that's when everything seemed to click inside Dabi's brain, the man's memories rushing back to him in a single instant. All the things he thought, all the things he said, all the things he did last night, they all flooded back, causing him to lose every bit of color in his face. You didn't, please tell me you didn't Dabi..you didn't just…fuck..I'm screwed.…

What was wrong with him, acting like such a goddamn idiot, being so open like that?! It was like everything he had ever worked for suddenly disappeared last night, letting his weak heart take over as he begged Hikari not to leave him. How pathetic.

Even after he tried so hard to keep his distance, even if he purposely sabotaged their relationship to make the blow easier, even if he claimed in his mind that she was nothing, none of that meant anything anymore now that he caved like a little bitch.

Now that she knew how he felt, it was impossible to detach himself.

He would end up hurting her even more in the end now, that was certain.

For as foolish as his actual feelings were, Dabi knew that in the back of his mind none of that mattered, not when he had a job to do, a plan to finish that was already so far out of his control that it was impossible to stop.

Putting his head in his hands, Dabi rubbed his stitched fingers across his ever tired eyes before groaning to himself with seven years of riddled guilt and shame. It was too late to stop though, not when he was so close to getting what he wanted, to what he worked for.

Why are you doing this to me, Hikari? You weren't supposed to be anything, you were only supposed to be his sister. But now look at what you've done? You ruined everything.

No it wasn't her. Somewhere deep down he knew that.

It was him who had ruined everything.

---

Ignoring the various voices echoing around him, Endeavor threw open the doors to his agency before stomping inside with a heavy frown. His sidekicks seemed to realize this immediately, their mutters and whispers filling the space as their self proclaimed boss moved past them one by one.

Yet the number one hardly paid any mind to them, Endeavor only focused on his own battling emotions as he thought about the strange events that had occurred in the past couple days.

And almost all of them revolved around the blonde sidekick that he was working with.

You see, ever since her strange outburst at his house, the man couldn't help but rack his brain about the girl, only knowing her from being Hawks' new sidekicks and nothing more. But for some reason, it seemed like she had some kind of hatred towards him.

Sure, that wasn't the most uncommon thing in the world, knowing that the public didn't exactly favor him but with the girl, it seemed to be something far deeper than just surface level distaste.

No, somehow he knew that what that girl had was personal hatred.

Groaning to himself, the man then paused when one of his higher rank sidekicks, Burnin, approached him, file waving wildly in her hand. "Hey boss, I got that information you wanted. You know, the one you called me about."

Almost immediately, the flame hero seemed to perk up, eyeing the file with interest. He knew exactly what was in it after all, information about that familiar girl named Takami Hikari, the one that his dead son had asked him to look into.

In fact, the first thing he did after that disastrous family dinner was tell his sidekicks to look into the name, knowing that there was something to it. There had to be, especially for Touya to be so interested in.

Lifting his hand out, Endeavor then snatched the file from his sidekick, replying with serious intent. "What did you find?"

Burnin only narrowed her eyes though, watching as her boss read the contents of the file carefully. "It seems that girl did show up on the records. In fact, you were the one that saved her from her villain father. Small world, right?"

This caused Endeavor's eyes to grow wide, the man stopping at a photo of a blonde haired little girl, maybe seven in age, as he clung behind her matching haired brother. Wait, that's how he knew her, because his agency saved her?

The idea was strange, Endeavor not recalling the details fully. "I did?"

Nodding back, the woman only replied plainly. "Yeah, about twelve years ago. Their father ran the infamous Takami group. It says that our agency took custody of the girl and her brother before placing them in an orphanage in Kyushu."

And as the information entered the air, Endeavor's face couldn't help but ring with realization. That did sound familiar, in fact the hero vaguely remembered putting together a file for the serial murderer that was Takami, but he never correlated the kids until now.

That's right, that villain had kids, two of them. He had forgotten until now.

In fact, Endeavor had completely stopped thinking about those children the moment he dropped them off at that orphanage. They weren't this family after all, so why would he ever remember two unnamed villain kids? He had enough to worry about as it was.

Narrowing his eyes at the blurry picture, the hero frowned. "Where are they now?"

The sidekick then leaned over before pointing to a specific photo of the orphanage in the corner of the file. "See, that's the thing boss. I talked to the place and they said that the youngest Takami disappeared when she was around thirteen years old and her brother's records are confidential to the country of Japan. No one knows what happened."

The words seemed to catch Endeavor by surprise, his eyes turning upwards before replaying it in his mind. Wait, did she just say both of those kids had unknown locations? But what about the orphanage, wasn't it their job to keep them safe? Why had they just silently allowed them to go missing?

Something about it didn't make sense, causing the hero to rack his brain with explanation. "Well that's suspicious."

Nodding, the sidekick frowned. "I think so too, but I haven't been able to find anything about either kids past that point, almost like they don't exist. Do you want me to contact the commission and see if they have anything?"

And as much as he wanted to, Endeavor shook his head in response, knowing nothing good would come out of asking those people. Even if he was curious, he knew it would be a dead end somehow. "No, it would be pointless anyways. That woman wouldn't give out any information even if she had it. Trusting those dogs of the state would be foolish in its own right. Just keep digging."

Bowing once, Burnin then gave a small smile before turning away in order to get to work. "Yes boss. I'll let you know if I find anything else."

Once she was gone, Endeavor felt his shoulders sag under the pressure, staring at the child's picture with a frown. How did Touya know about this girl, why was her file in his belongings? None of it made sense.

There had to be something he was missing here, he just knew it.

Maybe Hawks' sidekick had something to do with it? He never did get her name from the hero, maybe she was this Takami Hikari person from the file?

But he had no evidence, nothing to suggest it was true. No, the only thing he had was a rebellious and frivolous girl that didn't listen to anything he said. That didn't explain her distaste of him either, considering he saved her all those years ago.

But as much as he was desperate for answers, Endeavor also knew that now wasn't the time for this. They had a war coming in less than two weeks, and that was already terrifying in itself. That's what he needed to focus on first.

Nodding his head in confirmation, the hero finally stopped in front of his office, pushing open the doors silently. Yes, now it was time to get to work. No more frivolous thinking.

Although that's when the man immediately froze in the doorway.

Blinking in utter disbelief, Endeavor gazed from the covered walls of his office, lined with various photos, locations and red writing, almost like a crime TV show. In fact, there wasn't even any space to open the door fully as every corner had various pictures and a connecting red string that covered the entire room.

It looked like a psychotic person broke in and plastered their crazy ramblings all over the place. What the hell?

Yet the culprit was soon relieved, eyes then focused on Hawks' crazy sidekick while she waited for him, her back turned as she circled another pierce of red thread across a random picture to her left.

Sensing his presence through the feathers in her pocket, Hikari then turned around to the confused man before clapping her hands once. "It's about time. I thought old people were supposed to wake up early."

The hero couldn't help but blink in disbelief though, staring between the covered walls before his entire body seemingly burst into flames, obviously unhappy with the scene. "You..what are you doing?! Why are you in my office?! Who even let you in?!"

Although as he was debating on who to fire, the girl only shrugged, waving off his question as if it wasn't important. "Who? Oh, no one did. I picked your lock. Anyways, back to what I was saying…"

Yet Endeavor was far too furious to hear anything from her, the man stumbling into space as he processed her words. She said them so normally, and yet the context was anything but that. "Are you saying you broke in?!"

For Hikari though, the accusation wasn't anything crazy, the girl rolling her eyes before purposely turning her back to him in order to go back to her large information board. "Yes, keep up. I know you're old but we don't have time for your senile behavior. As you can see, I've been doing all the work here."

Endeavor began to feel his patience snap at that, his voice carrying into a shout at the psychotic girl. "You can't just break into my hero agency!"

The blonde haired girl didn't seem to be bothered though, her lips curling into a sly smirk before glancing at the enraged man with a playful shrug. "But I already did."

Rolling his eyes, the man groaned. "That's not the point. You do understand that's a crime, right?"

He hoped that would bring a sense of clarity to the girl, that she'd realize that crime and apologize for her action and behavior. .

Although his words seemed to cause the opposite effect for the girl, Hikari gave a low condescending chuckle before shaking her head. If only he knew "Always focusing on the details. As you can see, I've been doing you a favor."

Slapping her hand on the wall next to her, Hikari then carefully steered the conversation away from her villain traits in order not to get caught. Sure a little breaking and entering was normal to her but she supposed it wasn't actually hero like.

Although it wasn't like she actually cared either.

Endeavor seemed to feel the whiplash of the conversation immediately, the change in topic causing the hero to glance towards the large detailed wall behind her. "You can't just…wait, how long have you even been here?"

In fact, the very thought caused the man to switch gears completely. Sure, he was pissed about her reckless behavior but this information board was so insane that Endeavor was certain it took a couple hours at least. It literally had everything to do with the liberation.

Hikari seemed to notice the pause as well, the girl reaching down before adding a picture of Dabi onto the board under a section that said League of Villains. "All night."

Widening his eyes at the information, Endeavor couldn't help but be stunned. She was here all night? Had the girl even slept? But why didn't she have anything better to do than break into his agency and think about the liberation?

Yet that's when the girl seemed to correct herself, pointing behind her towards a group of photos on the back wall. "Well, not exactly. I've been gathering intel all night but I haven't been here. You know, digging in the underworld, seeing who's on the liberation's side and who isn't, trying to find out who to watch out for and who's a wildcard. I don't like surprises so we gotta know what to expect."

Sure, she was being vague, the girl not sharing how she basically started a myriad of fights in order to get that kind of information. Breaking a few bones was nothing if it meant getting rid of that pointed nosed freak faster.

Plus, it did offer her a bit of distraction from the things in her mind.

All of them basically being Dabi, and his strange confessions last night.

Endeavor couldn't help but be surprised as well, turning to find at least seven different gangs listed on the wall. She really went out and did all that by herself? Did this girl have a death wish? "Why?"

And although Hikari did most of it for a distraction, the girl also knew that getting rid of the liberation meant getting rid of some of her lies between Dabi and her. Sure, she still betrayed him for the sake of her brother, but that was another topic for another day.

Because for some reason, she felt bad about not telling the villain about her new double agent life, about her working with that man he hated more than anything. That's why she wanted it to be over quickly, that way it would avoid a complete and utter shit show.

Nah, Hikari knew that before she could figure out where the two of them stood, she needed to get the liberation out the way first.

That, and of course not wanting to be Re-Destro's lapdog forever.

Although the girl didn't tell the hero any of that, her own personal feelings covered by a sigh as he turned to face Endeavor. "Cause, the faster I can get rid of you, the better, and the only way to do that is to take down the liberation."

Endeavor couldn't help but blink in surprise at that, her hatred towards him clearly evident. Was she really doing all this so quickly just to get away from him? Well, that worked for him. He didn't really like the girl either.

Yet as surprised as he was, one look at the clock next to him caused the man to frown. "As much as I agree, I don't have time for you today, so take down your psychotic wall and get out of my office before I call security."

Letting her mouth fall open with disbelief, the girl couldn't help but freeze at that. After all the work she put in, he was just going to kick her out still?! What an asshole, he didn't understand who he was dealing with. "Whoa whoa, hold on there. I've been holding this case together right now. I don't see you trying to do anything."

And that was true, in fact Hikari hadn't seen anything from Endeavor's side of the information, causing her to believe that he was just dragging his feet as all heroes did. All that information and it was really going to shit, wasn't it?

Endeavor only frowned though, not liking what she was suggesting in the slightest before stomping up to the girl with clear authority. "If you must know, I'm attending a meeting in a few hours to discuss the case and gain support, not that it's any of your bussiness. You said you were an informant, remember? Informants don't get involved."

The words felt bitter on her tongue, causing the girl to immediately scoff. There was no way she was gonna directly help Endeavor on this case, that would be stupid. No, she was only giving him information, that's all.

What he did with that information didn't involve her.

Sure, she may have gotten carried away with the amount of information she had given him but was it so bad to not want to fuck up this entire case, especially when she had so much riding on it? "I'm not getting involved, stupid. I was just bored last night, that's all. You can take or leave it, I don't care. The last thing I'd ever wanna do is help you anyways."

Endeavor seemed to agree with that, crossing his arms with a huff. "Great, cause I don't need help from a useless child."

Hikari felt her lips curl in distaste at that. She always hated that term, and it felt even worse coming from the man that ruined Touya's life. "Man, I really hate your guts. You know, everything I said last time was real. I really do think you're the worst person alive. In fact, if you got run over by a bus I wouldn't blink an eye."

Sensing the passionate anger in her eyes, Endeavor couldn't help but match it, knowing that the two of them as partners was probably the worst thing that could've ever happened to them.

"Believe me, my feelings for you aren't very found either."

Yet before they could say anything more, the door to his office swung open as a green haired kid poked his head inside, the boy's voice laced with a thousand nerves. "Ummm Endeavor, sorry to interrupt. I was just wondering when we were gonna start?"

Turning towards the boy, Hikari then eyed the kid with unsaid confusion, pointing towards him plainly with a tilt of her head. "Who's the broccoli?"

The green haired kid didn't know how to take that though, his face brightening with pure embarrassment at the new nickname. "B-Broccoli?! I..umm…"

Endeavor seemed to save him though, cutting the boy off completely in order to turn away from her. This is what he wanted to avoid today. "Enough of this. I have better things to do than argue with you. My work study students are here."

Hikari couldn't help but widen her eyes at that though, immediately turning on her heels in order to stare at the boy with confusion. Did he just say what she thought he did? No, impossible. Endeavor wasn't a mentor.

"Hold on, work study? You mean you're teaching this kid?"

The boy didn't seem to sense the tension in the room though, immediately raced forward before falling into an aggressive bow, his nerves still on full display. "A-Ah yes! That's right. The name is Midoriya Izuku, but you can call me Deku if you want! I'm training at the Endeavor agency from U.A. It's nice to meet you…"

Staring at the boy with blank shock, Hikari felt her lips turn up with cynical amusement before turning towards Endeavor with a knowing look. "Huh, a hero kid. Interesting. So, how many times have you hit him?"

And watching all the color drain from Endeavor's face was something Hikari took great pride in, the bird hearing Deku gasp in surprise and shock for her question. "W-What?"

The girl wasn't done though, her smile faltering ever so slightly before lifting her hand out in question. "Ah sorry, he seemed surprised so it's probably the other one then. How many times have you neglected him?"

Once again, Endeavor seemed at a loss for words at her cruel statement, the hero wondering how this girl knew about his past family dynamic, about his abuse to his children. It's like she was mocking him, throwing it in his face.

But before he could answer, another voice appeared in the space, this one far more rough and furious as a blonde haired boy shouted out. "Oi Deku, what's taking so long?! I thought you were gonna get Endeavor. Damn hero, can't even be on time at his own agency."

Putting his hands up in defense, Deku seemed to jump before smiling nervously at the blonde haired kid. "Oh! Sorry Kacchan. Uhh Well you see, he's busy talking and I…"

Yet the kid only grumbled back, his black boots stomping with every step. "That's not an excuse! He was supposed to be ready ten minutes ago!"

The newcomer certainly interested Hikari though, the girl crossing her arms with amusement before narrowing her eyes at the loud blonde boy in question "First a broccoli and now an angry porcupine? Man, this day keeps on getting more and more interesting.."

Bakugo felt his brow tick in annoyance at that, turning towards the strange blonde haired stranger before shouting in her direction roughly. "What did you just call me, extra?! I'm not a damn porcupine!"

Before he could finish, another person entered the office, except this time Hikari knew exactly who it was, his two tone hair sticking out more than anything. "Bakugo, you're being too loud."

And it seemed Todoroki also seemed to recognize the girl, the boy stopping the doorway as he narrowed his eyes in curiosity. How strange, he thought he'd never see her again, especially how they left it. "It's you again."

Deku felt his mind turn in curiosity at that, not knowing who this girl was at all. Perhaps she was a friend of his? "Wait, you know her Todoroki?"

Nodding once, the boy answered plainly. "She was at my home the other day. I think she said she was Hawks' sidekick. I didn't get her name though."

At her brother's hero name, Hikari felt herself cringe. Great job, kid. I didn't want anyone to know about that other than Endeavor. The last thing I need is to be associated as a dumb sidekick. It's gonna ruin my reputation.

Yet, at the information, Deku felt himself immediately grow excited, his fanboy nature akwaking all at once as he immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out his signature notebook. No way. He didn't have anything in his journal about her yet!

Pulling out a pen from the other pocket, the green haired boy beamed, hopping forward with stars in his eyes as he excitedly gushed. "Whoa, no way! A sidekick to the number two' hero?! That's so cool! What quirk do you have, and what's your name if you don't mind me asking?"

Not ready for that level of excitement, Hikari immediately felt uncomfortable, taking a step back in order to protect herself from the boy. Asking about her quirk like that, what was she even supposed to say?

Hi, yes broccoli boy, my quirk is very simple. You see it used to be fierce wings like my brother but then the commission tried to murder me when I was thirteen, taking all my feathers away. Now I can just sharpen them to cut through bone and use them to terrify and haunt my enemy for their entire lives. That's all.

Yeahhhh, that wasn't gonna work.

So instead, the girl did what she always did best. She lied, smooth and concise, avoiding the question about her name as well. "Sorry, kid. I'm quirkless."

The look of surprise and disappointment in Deku's eyes were so evident that Hikari couldn't help but frown, knowing that wasn't what he was expecting in the slightest. Sorry kid, it's better if you don't know. I'm doing you a favor.

Picking up the pieces of his own shock, the green haired boy seemed to notice her discomfort then, trying his best to lightly brush off her answer. "Oh, that's okay. You know, I didn't have a quirk either, so I know what it's like. I think it's really cool that you are still a sidekick though."

Although Bakugo didn't seem to share the same ideals, his lips twisting into a cruel chuckle at the very idea. "Ha! Quirkless? What a pathetic loser. Some sidekick she is. At least I know I can kick your ass easily."

Deku felt his heart sink at that, already opening his mouth to try and defend the girl only for Hikari herself to do so for him, the girl sharing a giggle of her own at the comment.

Then she slowly narrowed her amber eyes before strolling up the blonde haired kid with a cynical smirk, causing the air around Bakugo to turn far more dark the closer she got.

And when she was right in front of him, Hikari simply got into his face, popping his personal space bubble only to speak with absolute spine chilling intent. "Oh? Do you really think so? Wanna bet on that, porcupine? Cause I guarantee I can have you on the floor in the next five seconds. Don't test me."

Her words came off in a hiss, the low and serious tone catching Bakugo off guard as the girl's eyes played with a very obvious message, almost coaxing him as if to say Come on, try me. You know you want to.

So much so that Bakugo felt his palms ignite with heavy sparks a moment later, the need to beat this girl the only thing in his mind. No, he wasn't gonna let this no named extra intimate him like this. "Don't fuck with me!"

Already seeing what was about to happen, Deku gasped in horror. "Kacchan, don't!"

Yet the boy was too fast, already throwing a hand upwards to teach her a lesson before Hikari only giggled under her breath once more, finding his decision overly humorous.

Swinging his sparking fists towards her, the boy was surprised when Hikari dodged a second later, just barely missing the hit before lifting her leg up and kicking Bakugo square in the stomach, her heeled boots purposely pointed down to cause more pain.

The boy groaned yet still didn't wanna give up, his hands glowing even more furious before Hikari smirked at the emotion, using it to her advantage before forcibly grabbing onto his arm and pulling it forward as she slipped her leg under his a second later.

Not expecting anyone to go near his quirk, Bakugo felt himself falter, giving Hikari the opening to shift her left leg outwards as the boy became unbalanced, falling to the ground as the girl placed her foot on his back to stop him from squirming.

Deku couldn't help but gasp at the display. "Whoa, she's so fast!"

Even Todoroki seemed impressed as well, the boy eyeing her extremely calculated moments every step of the way. She may have been quirkless, but she certainly wasn't unskilled, that was for sure. "Taking down Bakugo in a matter of seconds, she really is quite the pro."

Leaning closer to the struggling student, Hikari then lowered her eyes, showing the same sort of mocking tone that Bakugo did to her previously. "You were saying, kid?"

The boy felt his entire body grow livid at that, wiggling under her shoe as he shouted a string of curse words, knowing he had lost miserably to a quirkless girl. "Get off of me, you extra! This isn't over!"

Although before Hikari could throw in another insult, Endeavor seemingly snapped her out of her own psychotic daze, his voice rough and uninterested. "Stop harassing my students. If we want to make the meeting then we need to leave now."

Deku couldn't help but blink in surprise at that. "Meeting, what meeting?"

Hikari knew exactly what he was talking about though, the girl using the opportunity to finally let Bakugo go as he crawled away from her with an angry growl. "The liberation one, right? Great, I'm coming."

Ticking his brow in annoyance, Endeavor frowned in response, obviously not happy with her decision. "I never said you were invited."

The girl was quick to respond though, gesturing to the various information she had gathered last night, refusing for it to go to waste. Yeah, trust wasn't really her thing to begin with, so having to trust Endeavor of all people, was basically impossible.

"And I never said I cared about your opinion. Like I said, I don't trust you in this case Endeavor. With so much riding on its success I wanna make sure you don't fuck everything up for us."

Leaning forward in challenge, the hero only narrowed his eyes though, standing his ground in order to intimate her. "And what if I just call security and they kick you out instead?"

Yet Hikari didn't falter in the slightest, crossing her arms over her chest as she refused to break Endeavor's serious stare, countering with an offer of her own. "Then you can kiss all the information goodbye. Gonna be really tough winning that war if you don't have an informant, doncha think?"

Seeing him falter slightly at her words, Hikari's lips curved into a cruel smirk, still refusing to break eye contact as she delivered the final bow. "Face it Endeavor, I've been working my way into what I want for years. You don't stand a chance of winning this one. Whether you like it or not, you want my information, and I want that meeting. So, what's it gonna be?"

And whether Endeavor hated it or not, he knew she was right. Without her information this war was basically impossible to beat, which meant that this crazy girl's manipulation was far too good for her own good. He was basically backed into a corner, and it seemed like she knew it.

Out of everyone, why did he have to be stuck with her? Endeavor thought Hawks was bad but this girl, no she was a million times worse, almost like she wasn't actually a hero at all.

Knowing he had to say something, the hero's stare started to wither away before the man purposely turned away from her so she couldn't get the satisfaction of her winning. "You're insufferable."

The words only brought joy to the blonde haired menace though, her lips curving even wider before closing her eyes and relishing the moment of his defeat. Ah yes, it felt good.

Then she happily strolled past him, but not before slapping the hero on the shoulder with a cocky reply. "I'll take that as a compliment, old man."

Enjoying his annoyed glare, Hikari then turned towards the kids in front of her before giving a sly smirk and shoving her hands in her pockets. "Meet ya outside. Oh and angry porcupine, you can challenge me to a rematch whenever you'd like, just as long as you don't mind losing."

The girl then threw up a wink only to watch Bakugo's blood boil. Why did it sound like she was making fun of him? That bitch, she really was making fun of him, wasn't she?! "Oi, you get back here, you bastard. I'm gonna make you regret that!"

Hikari didn't seem bothered though, ignoring the child's tantrum as she was used to Dabi's all the time. Nah, his shouts and screams were quite normal to her so the girl didn't bat an eye, simply only laughed at his anger before leaving completely. "Cute that you think that."

And once she was once, everyone couldn't help but feel rather exhausted from the interaction, Deku gazing towards the door with a nervous laugh. Hawks' sidekick really wasn't what he expected at all. "She sure is interesting."

Todoroki on the other hand, only reflected on the interaction itself, comparing it to the first time he met her at his house. If anything, Hawks' new sidekick was certainly different. In fact, between her outbursts at dinner and now, the boy couldn't help but turn towards his father to find him utterly annoyed at what just occurred.

That girl really hated his old man, didn't she? So much so that she always seemed to yell at him or make fun of him for everything. Todoroki had never seen that before, never seeing his father be called out for his behavior by anyone other than his family.

Well that was rather new in its own right.

And for that reason, the boy couldn't help but close his eyes in confirmation before voicing his opinion of the new strange sidekick in three simple words of admiration.

"I like her."

---

As Hikari walked a couple steps behind the group in order to get to the meeting, her eyes couldn't help but shift to the passersby, hoping no one would recognize her and ultimately call her out for hanging out with the number one hero.

Cause that would look bad for her villain reputation for sure.

Yet she was seemingly taken out of her own thoughts when the green haired kid from earlier slowed down so he couldn't catch up to her. "Hey, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, asking about your quirk like that. I guess I just get carried away sometimes."

Narrowing her eyes, Hikari then thought back to his spastic attitude before giving an exhausted sigh. "I can see that."

Deku rubbed the back of his neck in anxiety and her plain answer, wondering how to talk to such an intimidating girl. He wasn't great with girls in the first place, never mind Hikari, who gave off a standoff-ish attitude.

So instead he talked about something rather easy to him, the words rolling off his tongue with a sheepish smile. "Ah, yeah. I just really admire heroes and everything. I find everything they do to be really amazing. That's why I'm doing this in the first place, so I can be like them."

Although Hikari's face was less than impressed, the girl only glancing towards the kid before feeling her heart twist inside her chest and dreading her next question. "How old are you, kid?"

She vaguely recalled asking Alpha the same thing three years ago and even still, the way she said it was just the same, curious and a bit sad. Hikari couldn't help it though, feeling anxious for the implications of whatever response he was gonna give.

Deku seemed surprised as well, the boy jumping a bit before pointing a finger towards himself a moment later. "Oh, me? I'm sixteen."

And all at once, the green haired kid watched as Hikari's eyes saddened in response, a thousand unknown feelings passing through her before she bitterly shook her head with a scoff. "Sixteen? That's so young."

Closing her eyes in emotional pain, she then recalled where she was at the age of sixteen, abused and used for Riku's own sick pleasures. Even though it was so long ago, the memories still made her sick. She couldn't even imagine this kid going through the same.

But he was, wasn't he? Maybe not in the same way that Hikari had lived through it but she was sure that this kid had probably seen and been a part of some pretty fucked up things. That's what heroes were after all. Didn't matter the age, the job was always dangerous.

Those sick heroes, making a child go through so much.

Adults becoming heroes, she didn't care about, but a child? He didn't need to be tortured so early.

Realizing that the air had turned dark, Deku quickly picked out a card from his back pocket before showing the girl with a nervous smile. "I know it may seem like that, but I already got my provisional license so technically I'm a real hero now! I can go on missions and everything."

Hikari still couldn't shake the bitterness out of her mouth though. "That doesn't bother you?"

Deku seemed caught off guard by her malice filled tone. "What do you mean?"

Laughing bitterly at his stupidity, the girl then turned towards the kid, hoping her cruel words would make him rethink his ideals. "You're sixteen and you're already risking your life. Hell, you're still just a kid, not even done with your childhood and you have to worry about so much, carry so much. I bet you already think about your own death, right?"

The words caught the hero off guard, each of them entering his mind ever so slightly. She was right to an extent sure, he had faced villains and so many traumatic situations already but the kid knew he didn't regret it. Not when he was finally being what he always dreamed about.

And of course he didn't wanna die but Deku knew that if that meant helping someone else, then he wouldn't mind it as much. Then he'd at least be remembered for doing the best he could. "I'm happy to carry it. If I can be of service.."

Hikari didn't seem to enjoy his martyr talk though, the girl's eyes growing even more serious before her amber gaze cut through him like fragile glass. "Is that how you really think or is that what they brainwashed you into believing?"

Stopping in his tracks, the boy couldn't help but blink in confusion at that. "Huh?"

Yet the girl was happy to explain, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips before she could even process it. "My god, don't you get it? You're wasting your life, kid. You're wasting so many years just by chasing a dream that will only lead to your death. Don't do that. Hell, when I was your age I would've killed to have the chances you do. Quit while you have the chance, trust me."

And that was true, in fact if Hikari actually had the option then she would have never been thrown into this life. And now here Deku was, with a choice and he was still choosing to destroy himself for people that didn't give a damn. It made her so fucking angry.

Angry at the system for making a sixteen year old kid be okay with dying, angry at the boy for actually believing their self righteous bullshit in order to make everything seem okay, and angry at herself for actually caring about what happens to this naive green haired hero.

She couldn't help it, but hearing it straight from his mouth, all the girl could think about was herself and Touya, about how hard they tried to fit into a society that never cared, that never gave them a place to belong, how they threw them out like nothing.

And call her stupid but she didn't want the same thing to happen to Deku, to this stupid kid that believed in the stories and fantasies that everyone around them had told.

Because Hikari knew it would end it two ways, either he'd be cast out, rejected or killed in the field and no one would care, or he'd change into the same money hungry, self righteous pricks that only cared for themselves. There was no alternative.

And call her weak but the girl didn't want either of those for this kid, not when he hadn't even begun his life yet, not when he still had the potential to change his fate.

Deku didn't seem to feel the same though, knowing his own desires and dreams were way stronger than her warnings. Sure, he didn't have the childhood that normal kids had, but he was making a change, and that was enough for him.

So for the first time, Hikari then watched as Deku's face grew stone cold and serious, his words just as passionate as he felt. "No, I'm not gonna quit, I'm not gonna give up. All I've ever wanted to do is to help people, and now that I can, I won't stop until everyone is saved."

His naive response couldn't help but make the girl frown though, recalling a memory where she used to say such things. Doesn't he know it wouldn't last? "You're delusional. Saving everyone, what a childish dream. News flash, the real world isn't like that."

Yet Deku wasn't about to give up, his hands balling at his sides before replying without a single falter to her previous comment. "Then I'll make it like that. I'll change the world so that everyone can be saved with a smile."

And as much as she wanted to make fun of him for his blind thinking, the girl couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia from his words. Maybe this kid really was serious? He certainly sounded passionate enough.

Yes, it was foolish to believe such black and white ideals but while rather impossible, the girl couldn't help but dream about his words actually coming true. That certainly would be nice, seeing villains and heroes smile together in a perfect society.

Seeing Dabi and her finally be able to put the past behind them and move on, seeing her brother break away from the commission that destroyed her life. Yeah, how nice that would be.

Because of that, Hikari couldn't help but shake her head in exasperation, a sad smile on her lips as she hoped Deku's simple vision could come true. "You're a real idiot, kid. You know that? Admiral, but still an idiot."

Lowering her eyes in distant memory, Deku then watched as Hikari uttered something else from under her lips, something that he wasn't sure she had meant to say out loud.

"Maybe if all heroes were like you, then people like me wouldn't be here."

But even so, it was small and whispered, the boy feeling so many layers of sadness from it for some reason. People like her? What did that even mean? "Huh?"

Yet before he couldn't respond, Endeavor's rough voice cut through the space, the man obviously very annoyed at the fact that they had stopped. "We're here, hurry up before I leave you."

And whether he liked it or not, Deku knew the conversation would have to wait. No, now it was time to be serious and do what he just promised to Hikari, save as many people as he could.

"Ah, yes sir! Coming!"

---

As they entered the large conference room, Hikari narrowed her eyes before placing the hood of her jacket over her in order to conceal her identity. Sure, she was technically Hawks' sidekick but the last thing she wanted was for some hero or even worse, a commission member to recognize her villain persona.

Nah, call it paranoia but the girl couldn't trust anyone in this room, especially since they were heroes. That's why when Endeavor and the U.A kids sat towards the front of the room, Hikari slipped right behind Todoroki, purposely choosing a spot that blocked her from most of the people around her. Can never be too careful after all, she learned that the hard way.

Scanning the heroes around the space, Hikari was able to point out over a dozen of them, most of them being well known names in the Japanese billboard charts, and definitely not to be underestimated.

Yet much to her advantage, the girl didn't notice any commission members, which made her throat exhale softly in order to release a breath she was holding. At least she didn't have to worry about that, now it was just every other hero in Japan.

Leaning towards the disguised villain, Deku seemed to be eyeing the people as well, his voice just barely above a whisper. "I wonder what Endeavor's gonna say."

Hikari only rolled her eyes though, crossing her arms over her chest as she slowly watched the number one hero approach the center of the room. Why did she want to be here again? Ah, right because of her stupid brother. "Don't know, don't care."

The boy couldn't help but be taken back, Todoroki also hearing her response with a curious glance as the number one hero finally stopped, his voice strong and serious. "Let's begin already. I brought you here for one purpose and one purpose only, to take down a very dangerous group known as the meta liberation army. I have reason to believe from an informant that they plan a war on all hero society in less than three weeks."

There were various gaps overheard at the information, Hikari still choosing to remain hidden as the flame hero continued his orders."You will be split into divisions, all of them already chosen by me and plan a counter attack towards the already established army that already ranges in the hundreds."

The girl couldn't help but twitch her brow at the way he worded that last sentence, knowing that she was the one that collected most of the intel on the liberation. He was just taking credit for her side of the case, wasn't he? What an asshole.

Slapping a stack of papers on the desk, Endeavor didn't seem to care about that little detail though, obviously trying to get over this speech as fast as possible. "That is all. Pick up your information packets and be prepared to pull your weight."

Then just as quickly as he appeared, the hero started to leave, seeing nothing wrong with his plain and short speech. He had gotten the point across after all. What else was there?

Yet before he even got back to his seat, another voice caused him to freeze, Rock Lock slamming his fists on the table with a heavy scoff. "Hold on a second, you can't just expect us all to agree with this. We are not your slaves Endeavor. You never even asked us if we wanted to participate."

Raising his eye in question, the hero only sighed though, wondering where his outrage was coming from. Now was not the time to be nice, it was the time to act. "Asking is foolish when there is a job to be done. That is what you signed up for as heroes, and as number one I.."

Rock Lock only cut the man off though, his words making the entire room stand still all at once. "But you're not number one, not to me. I never decided that. That title still belongs to All Might."

Hearing his rival's name out loud, Endeavor felt his chest rise with fury. Back when he was number two the man always competed with his perfect competition. But now that it was over, the flame hero thought all of that would be over.

And here it was again, just as furious and heart breaking as always.

Because of that, Endeavor's voice responded faster than usual. "All Might is retired. He is gone. It doesn't matter what you would like to believe, that title is mine."

Although that's when another hero rose from their seat, Best Jenist shaking his head with disapproval for the man's actions. "Sorry, but a lot of people still don't feel that way. In fact your popularity in the polls is the lowest of any hero on the chart right now. Yes, you may be named number one but I know many others would beg to differ."

That seemed to cause a chain of events, yet another hero raising slowly as Edge Shot seemed to share in the disappointment from their supposed new symbol of peace. "I agree, I was willing to hear you out but if you are just gonna keep making demands and being rude then I can assure you, my agency will not help you."

Everything then started to fall apart as hero after hero seemed to share their feelings about Endeavor, all of them either disappointed or angry at his demeanor all together. It seemed like no one in this room seemed to support him as more and more people interjected.

Endeavor himself was at a loss for words at this, not expecting such a big backlash. Sure, he knew his public opinion was bad but he had no idea that the top heroes of the billboard chart also disagreed with his standing as number one.

In fact, the only person he had talked to since the event was Hawks, and that bird always seemed supportive of the change. For that reason the flame hero always thought that was the overall opinion. Apparently not.

Perhaps he should've paid more attention to them after all.

Being more and more apparent of the hatred in the room, Fat Gum lowered his eyes in sadness and guilt for his next words, obviously bothered by having to be so negative. "I second that. Sorry Endeavor but All Might wouldn't treat us like this."

Slamming his hands on the table, Rock Lock then turned to the other unhappy heroes with a frown, already determined to make a point. "Who else feels this way? I mean come on, let's be serious. Raise your hand if you want to help him."

All at once, Endeavor then watched as everyone seemed to avert their eyes from him, not a single hand raised in the air as he took in a heavy moment of silence.

Wow. They all really hated him, didn't they?

Lowering his eyes in sadness, the hero felt his chest twist with emotional pain, knowing that this case was ruined all because of his horrible track record and attitude. He felt ashamed and guilty, Endeavor still not apologizing but yet showcasing the regret on this face.

"I see how it is."

First his family, then the public, and now the entire hero society hated him. How ironic.

Deku felt this heart sink in response, not knowing how to fix the situation at hand. It certainly seemed like everyone already rejected the man. That's not what he wanted, especially from Todoroki's father.

And then, something else came up in this mind, the boy muttering to himself as anxiety filled his chest all at once. "Oh no, without anyone on our side we will never win against the liberation. What do we do?"

Just then, he heard Hikari's voice mutter something back a moment, all three of the U.A. kids only catching a couple words in the sentence."Heroes..idiots..."

Twisting his head in confusion, Deku replied. "Huh?"

Yet that's when the girl scoffed loudly, her body quickly rising from the hiding spot in order to slam her hands on the table in the midst of the chaos. "Heroes, you're all fucking idiots."

No one seemed to pay any attention to her though, the girl stewing in her own thoughts as people still argued around her.

He had one job, Endeavor had one damn job and he was fucking it all up.

Sure, any other day the girl would've been excited to hear everyone shit on Endeavor but they were all ignoring the real point he was trying to make, the real reason that they were there.

The liberation was laying in wait and these so-called heroes were just arguing about petty buillshit, acting like children and refusing to help because of some feud with the number one hero? Didn't they realize that wasn't going to solve anything, that people's lives were on the line here?! Obviously not.

No, they were only wrapped up in their own foolish problems, and Hikari was sick of it.

Closing her eyes in defeat, the girl then felt her own shoulders tense up at her own decisions. Yeah, she already knew the heroes wouldn't listen, so maybe they needed someone else to understand

Maybe they needed a villain's perspective.

So for that reason, Hikari felt herself groan before jumping onto the chair in front of her in order to stand on top of the table and earn all the eyes of the room. So much for wanting to remain hidden. Now there was no going back.

"Do you hear yourself talk? Some heroes you are, letting a stupid petty opinion dictate people's actual lives. What's wrong with all of you? You're supposed to be saviors, you're supposed to be role models and here you are, acting like a bunch of overgrown children."

And almost all at once, everyone arguing seemed to cease, every single hero taking in the words with utter surprise and confusion. It wasn't everyday that some no named stranger challenged their way of thinking after all.

Hikari didn't seem bothered by the dumb founded expressions though, pointing her fingers to every single hero in the room so they new she was talking about them. "Yeah, that's right. You shit on Endeavor so easily but he's not the only disgusting hero in this room. No, believe or not, that title belongs to every single one of you.."

That struck a chord with the audience though, Rock Lock narrowing his eyes with acquisition for her crazy stunt. There was no way he wanted to be in the same category as the rude and pushy Endeavor. "Hey, what are you talking about?! We save people, we uphold the standards to make the world a better place. Who do you even think you are?"

Giving a low dark chuckle, Hikari only saw humor in his words though, knowing that this guy was so blind to what was really happening out in the world. What did she expect though, he was a hero, just like her spineless idiot brother.

It always seemed to be easy to ignore the problems after all, and heroes were no exception, hiding behind the good in order to erase the people they unknowingly destroyed. How utterly pathetic, and they call her a villain? Yeah right.

The girl then replied, her voice filled with so much malice and disgust that she couldn't help but scoff loudly at the perfect world he was suggesting, the one that was all lies. "Yeah sure, you promise to save and yet aren't really there when it matters. You worry about titles and fame rather than the people living on the streets. You fight villains and lock them away not knowing that you were the reason they changed in the first place."

Hikari pictured a young Touya then, his father pushing him to destroy himself just to be accepted into the impossible world that others had created. If only they knew that half of the villains they hated were once people like them, people that were broken by that idealistic way of thinking.

And it seemed this idea was new to everyone in the room, the female villain happy to shed her perspective vocally for once. "You save them, get the credit and then expect them to fend for themselves. You self righteous bastards, pretending like you're doing the right thing all the time. Have you even checked on the people you saved, or do you just forget about them, make them another number under your belt, drop them at an orphanage and expect them to be okay? Give me a break, that's not saving, that's just another level of cruelty."

Slipping in a bit of her own experience, Hikari then turned to Endeavor silently, knowing he wouldn't understand the connection between her words and the exchange. That's right old man, you're just as responsible as anyone else here. Don't forget that.

Yet the moment he heard those words, the man himself couldn't help but widen his eyes with familiar deja vu. She just mentioned an orphanage, that was rather random for what she was trying to get across, wasn't it? Almost like that experience was somewhat personal, like she understood it firsthand.

Just then, Endeavor flashed back to just earlier, recalling what his sidekick said about the whereabouts of the mysterious girl he saved all those years ago. He vaguely recalled dropping that girl off with her brother and never seeing them again, never checking in on them just like this girl claimed.

But that was weird, how did she know about that?

Wait. Burnin said that Takami Hikari disappeared from an orphanage when she was thirteen, didn't she? That her location was unknown. When he first heard it, the man thought it didn't make any sense. You don't just disappear off the face of the earth after all. There usually was some kind of record. But that wasn't the case for Takami.

And here was Hawks' sidekick, explaining the situation perfectly, her eyes locked on the number one hero as she finished her sentence. That look, it seemed personal.

The way her eyes glittered with unkempt hatred, the way her lips curled down at the very idea, it seemed like this girl knew exactly what it was like to be dropped off and left behind.

Finding his way into his pocket, Endeavor then took out the small photo from earlier only to see it in an entirely new light, staring from the little girl in the image to Hawks' sidekick just a few feet away before gasping.

Suddenly, a sudden realization slammed into the man, his mind connecting all the lingering pieces together at once. The reason why this girl hated him, the reason she was so mad about him not looking into Takami's file, the reason she was staring at him right now after saying those words, it could only mean one thing.

Hawks' sidekick was Takami Hikari, wasn't she?

She was the girl he saved all those years ago, she was the one he dropped into that orphanage with her brother in Kyushu, she was the one he never checked on after that day. She had to be, it made so much sense.

And as a thousand feelings flooded his brain, Endeavor felt his throat start to close around the realization. That's why she hated him so much, why she tried to poison him and why she always seemed to look so angry around him. It was because he left her as a child. That had to be what it was.

And that day at his house, the reason she lashed out at him was because Hikari knew that he never looked into her case file. But why was that even there in the first place, why did Touya have a file on her? That part still didn't make sense.

Wait, did the two of them know each other?

Although, while Endeavor's heart was in chaos, Hikari's was furious, shaking her head with so much bitter contempt to what she was witnessing. "So many people get disappointed by you every day and yet you stand here and still have the audacity to say this kind of bullshit?"

Lifting her hands out, the girl then lifted her hood off of her head before choosing to stare at each and every hero in the eyes, her amber gaze shining with so much passion. "We are talking about a literal war here, people are gonna die if you don't get your own heads out of your asses. So who gives a fuck if you don't like Endeavor? How about you stop being a disappointment and actually be there for the very few people that still believe in you!"

Hikari then huffed out a breath, her shoulders lifting down from the amount of true feelings in her speech as she scanned the ever silent room. She had been wanting to say that to these stuck up pricks for a while now, and the moment honestly felt kind of unreal.

Watching ever so slightly, all the heroes seemed to look between themselves before Edge Shot stood from his seat, speaking out for everyone in the room. "How do you know all of this? You speak like it's a fact but you have no proof that's how anyone feels."

The words lingered in the air, causing Hikari to bitterly chuckle at how utterly bullshit they were. Did they just accuse her of making all that up? Wow, they really were delusional weren't they? How lucky, to live in such a small world.

Knowing that simple words wouldn't change anything, Hikari then closed her eyes before giving a spiteful sigh and reaching up to unzip her black jacket.

God, she hated it but the girl wanted to prove them wrong, she wanted them to see just how fucked up everything was. And the only way to do that was to show them first hand.

Pulling the zipper apart, the villain then muttered back. "You want proof? Fine, here's your proof."

Then all at once, Hikari slipped the fabric off of her body, her bare shoulders shivering at the cold before she collectively heard a rage of gasps and whispers across the room.

Not understanding what everyone was talking about, the U.A. kids twisted their eyes in confusion, only for Hikari to slightly shift as their gaze widened with pure horror when they saw what the others were looking at.

Her scars.

The scars from Riku, the scars from his tortuous training, the scars that Hikari always hated, she closed her eyes as a sharp sliver of fear ran through her. But even still, she didn't move, she didn't run. No, the girl knew that these heroes needed to see their mistakes firsthand.

Giving a shaky breath, Hikari then focused her own eyes to open only to lock on the horrified looks of everyone around them, seeing their delusions shattered in a single second. "I am one of the people you didn't save, and believe me, I know that feeling of disappointment better than anyone else."

Hard realization seemed to cross everyone's features at that, their faces twisting with discomfort, pain and physical sickness at the truth of the situation as all of them thought the same thing.

If they failed her, how many other people have they failed?

Although the one that was the most distraught was Endeavor, the reveal causing a new layer of self hatred to appear all at once. That's why she hated him, that's why this girl was so angry towards him, because he could've stopped her scars, and didn't. No, he just walked away.

He never paid any mind to her, not even once. What had this girl even gone through? What happened after he dropped her and her brother off at that orphanage? He didn't know, and frankly that terrified him.

A hushed silence entered the space after that, no one daring to speak as they rethought Hikari's words once more, all of them suddenly taking on a newfound meaning.

Then, Fat Gum stood from his seat, disappointment and shame laced in his own voice. "The girl is right, what are we doing? People are counting on us to protect them."

Nodding his head, Best Jeanist joined him a moment later, regret on his brow for his previous actions and words. "Yes, it doesn't matter who leads it. A war is a war, and we should be ready."

Edge Shot seemed to agree as well, the man turning towards the number one hero before bowing his head ever so slightly in defeat. "I will lend my agency to your cause, Endeavor. For Japan, and everyone who believes in us."

Even Rock Lock sighed as well, the man crossing his arms over his chest with a small huff. "Whatever, but this doesn't mean I approve of you as number one."

And just like that, every single hero in that room began to do the same, all of them voicing their support for Endeavor and the cause at hand, almost like there was a sort of newfound understanding between them.

The display was surprising to say the least, Deku's lips curving in happiness at their declarations. Just a couple minutes ago it seemed impossible and yet here everyone was, agreeing to support Endeavor together.

Watching as Hikari slowly slipped her black jacket over her shoulders silently, the green haired boy couldn't help but stare at the girl with admiration. At first he didn't know what to make of Hawks' sidekick but now he could see that she really was something special.

"Whoa, Hawk's sidekick really is amazing. She changed everyone's minds.."

Even Bakugo seemed to be impressed, the boy leaning back in his chair with a watchful eye to the scene around him. Not bad for an extra. "Tck, the brats got spunk. I'll give them that."

Slowly getting down off the table, Hikari then turned around only to find Endeavor staring at her with an unreadable expression, causing the girl to frown. Why the hell was he looking at her like that? It was weird.

Crossing her arms over her chest, the bird felt her lips frown even more, scoffing as she headed towards the door of the meeting room and setting the record straight. "I didn't do it for you, I did it for the case."

Yet whether she meant to or not, Endeavor knew that without her the other heroes would have never listened. Even though she hated him, even though she was forcibly on this team because of Hawks, the fact still remained...

A villain just helped the number one hero.

---

After she entered the hallway, Hikari's brain seemingly seemed to connect what she had done just moments prior, the girl feeling her entire body sag as she leaned against the nearest wall. What the hell was that? You were supposed to be hidden. Why did you speak out like that and defend Endeavor? That wasn't the plan.

Shaking her head, the girl then groaned to herself, airing her frustrations out vocally. It's not like she wanted to help that idiot man, she just couldn't sit here and listen to those heroes ignore the real problems anymore, not when so many had suffered for their mistakes.

Not when her and Touya suffered first hand.

Although it didn't matter what her intentions were, the fact was that Hikari did help Endeavor gain support, she helped the number one hero in her own way, and that certainly left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Villains didn't help heroes, that's not how it worked.

Just then, Hikari was taken out of her own misery when someone stomped towards her with hidden intent, the man's voice strangely loud in the secluded hallway. "You, what are you doing here, and with the number one hero?! How dare you support him. I thought you were on our side."

Opening her eyes in annoyance, Hikari then lifted her head only to find a familiar hero to her left. Oh yeah, she forgot he was here. Orothos, the number twenty fourth hero in the billboard charts, and also a previous victim of Valkyrie three years ago.

For as squeaky clean as his reputation was, the hero liked to enjoy his time in the underworld, his favorite activity being attending illegal quirk auctions and selling the kids for extra money. Apparently hero work didn't pay the bills all the time, especially when you are in the lower ranks.

In fact, the first time she met him was the night she saved Alpha.

Although for how disgusting he was, after their little run in, Orthoses record became clean, the fear of being found out and destroyed stopping him from doing such things again. That's how Valkyrie worked after all, scaring their victims into silence.

Yet because of that, she was sure the man was pissed at the villain, for having to be on a string for so long. That's why this little run in was rather unpleasant, taking this newfound situation to say what's on his mind.

Hikari only frowned though, not enjoying the new freedom. "I'm not on anyone's side, and I would be careful with the way you speak to me."

Orothos only seemed to laugh though, registering the tired look in her eyes before taking a challenging step forward. "No, I can see it. You're going soft, and defending Endeavor will be the biggest mistake of your life, I promise you. Just wait till your little gang hears about this. I'm sure they would love to hear about sweet little Val, becoming a hero."

His words made her twist in disgust at the meaning. Soft? No, there was no fucking way she was going soft for these little heroes and defending Endeavor sort of just happened. She didn't care about that loser.

Hearing his threats made the girl glare, her own steps coming closer before the two were mere inches away from each other. This guy was getting a little too comfortable because of her fuck up.

She then allowed her words to come off slow, her eyes playing with a thousand known warnings. "You watch your tongue. Don't forget, I can destroy your little hero's career in ten seconds. No one knows, right? About how you used to take part in quirk auctions three years ago? I could let that slip so easily."

And usually that would make any of her victims falter, but not Orothos. No, this hero knew the position they were in, he knew it painfully well. "Yeah? But I think you've forgotten that you're powerless right now. Attacking me here, showing your disgusting little quirk, that will have you put away for years. Me on the other hand, attacking you will just look like self defense from a homeless bum."

Hikari's necklace couldn't help buzzing with discomfort at the realization. Shit, he was right. There were dozens of heros in that other room, and if anyone saw her quirk or heard a fight it would be all over. She would be in a commission jail for sure.

Knowing he had won, the hero then began to activate his quirk as three years of forced silence caused the man to laugh wildly. "Now I'll be the one that will make your life a living hell!"

Orothos then lifted his hand out in order to use his quirk on the villain, his fingers tripping with acid as the liquid flew straight towards Hikari without a second thought, causing the girl to frown. Shit, I gotta just sit here and take it, don't I? Well this is gonna hurt.

Resisting the urge to use her feathers, instead Hikari only lifted her hands in a feeble defense before shutting her eyes and wanting for the sting. How stupid, he was going to pay for this later.

Yet before the acid made contact with the girl, another body seemingly moved in front of the two of them, his bare arm catching the burning liquid before gritting his teeth in pain.

Widening her eyes at the presence, Hikari then turned her head only to find a familiar shade of red and white in her vision, the girl gasping in horror at the boy in front of her. "S-Shoto?! What are you doing?"

Touya's brother didn't falter though, not acknowledging the burn in order to glare at the hero in front of him, his voice painfully slow and serious. "I think it's time you leave."

Already knowing who the boy was, Orothos only twisted his eyes in confusion, wondering why this kid was protecting a villain like that? Didn't he know how disgusting she was? He was doing the world a favor by getting rid of her.

Still not deactivating his quirk, the hero lifted his arms in defense. "Back off Todoroki, you don't understand who she is. She's..!"

Yet the boy only cut him off, venom in his tone. "Leave."

And for a moment, the hero debated taking on this kid also. Although, that's when he saw the door open to the meeting room a couple feet away. Shit, everyone will be here soon and he didn't want to risk Val spilling his villain secrets. This would have to wait.

Shaking his head, Orothos finally powered down his quirk before taking a step back in defeat before speaking to Hikari with threatening intent. "Whatever, this isn't over. Watch your back."

Then, he walked away, beaten but certainly not defeated in the slightest. Well, that wasn't good. Now he was going to go off and tell everyone that Val was soft and working with Endeavor. Ugh, that seemed like trouble already.

Yet, the girl only thought of that for a minute before immediately turning back to Touya's brother and seeing his burned, red and irritated skin, causing Hikari to grab onto the surface with concern. "Kid, are you crazy?! Why did you do that?"

Todoroki didn't seem as frightened though, only staring as the girl ran a finger across the burn once. "He was going to hurt you."

Rolling her eyes, Hikari only groaned though, knowing he wasn't understanding the point. She was gonna take that hit. Why had he stepped in like that? "Well duh, but that's no reason to jump in the middle of it. Look at your arm."

The boy then did as he was told, gazing towards the skin silently before another slew of voices entered the space, Deku racing up with concern at the sight. "Todoroki?! Are you okay? What happened?"

Although once again, Todoroki only said the obvious, his eyes dropping ever so slightly in memory. Of course he wasn't going to let Hawks' sidekick be bullied like that. Besides, that conversation before, it seemed really serious.

"Someone was attacking her. I just did what was natural."

Just then, Endeavor appeared a moment later, his eyes gazing at his son's injury with a frown before half heartedly answering back a moment later. "You'll have to get that look at. Come on, it's time to head back to the agency anyways. You can fix it there."

Hikari couldn't help but question his behavior, never knowing the man to be so mellow and distracted. What was with him? Why did he look so distraught for some reason?

Todoroki seemed to agree with the suggestion though and as soon as four of them moved back towards the agency silently, Hikari was still wondering just what was wrong with Endeavor.

And why did he seem so sad when he looked at her now?

Shaking her head in confusion, Hikari then waited until the others were far enough away before pulling out her phone and calling Alpha, his voice answered back after just one ring. "Yes, boss?"

The girl then narrowed her eyes before recalling the hero that spoke out of line just moments prior, her voice cruel and plain. "Gather up everything I have about Orthos and reveal it to the public."

Hanging up the object the moment later, Hikari then closed her eyes with annoyance before sighing to herself. At least that bastard is under control. Serves him right for trying to threaten her and hurt Touya's brother.

Now at least his hero career would be over.

That was something at least.

---

When everyone returned to the agency, Hikari wordlessly told the youngest Todoroki to follow her into Endeavor's office, the girl turning the light on before he started to question her intentions. "What are we doing here?"

The girl only sighed though, ignoring his comment for only a moment as she focused her sights on the large cabinet behind his desk before opening it and finding what she was looking for. It's a good thing she raided his office this morning.

Hearing a slight rustle, the boy then looked up to find Hawks' sidekick carrying a first aid kit of some sort, the girl slowly moving over to one of the chairs before patting the other one once. "Come on. I don't have all day."

All at once, Todoroki felt his eyes travel to the burned, red skin around his arm before lifting a hand to cover it. Was she offering to help him with his injury? Well that was surprising, considering the girl always came off rather harsh. "You don't have to."

Hikari only groaned though, her eyes casting away ever so slightly before the boy saw guilt across the surface as her voice mumbled back. "Well, it's my fault it happened in the first place so.."

And no, before you question it, Hikari was not going soft. That's not what she wanted to think anyways. Sure, if it was anyone else she wouldn't have even bothered to help, but this wasn't just anyone. This was Touya's brother.

That, along with the fact that he got hurt because of her brought an awkward sense of discomfort in her throat. Dabi may have hated him for existing but he still was in fact a Todoroki, and just a kid. For that reason, she didn't' want to see him hurt, wearing the same scars that his older brother did.

As Todoroki finally sat down across from her, Hikari immediately got to work, using her muscle memory to grab a set of bandages and a bottle of liquid from the kit. Then, she wordlessy began to treat his burn, the boy surprised at how precise she was at the action.

Almost like she had done it a million times before.

Watching as she did so, Todoroki couldn't help but swirl with a million questions, incredibly curious about the girl in front of him and yet having no answers. So instead, he decided to seek them out, starting with the simplest question he had. "You are very good at that."

Hikari's lips curved into an amused smirk at that, recalling the amount of times she would help Touya change his bandages over the years. "Yeah, well I got a lot of practice."

Her response was strange to say the least, her words extremely cryptic to the boy for some reason. What did that mean? Did she get injured a lot over the years or did that mean she helped someone that did? He didn't understand.

The small silence returned after that, allowing Todoroki to go into another memory, recalling her bold speech at the hero meeting a couple of hours ago. Back there, he could see it in her eyes, she looked so serious, so passionate about what she was saying. Almost like she felt them with her entire soul.

Turning his eyes back to her, he watched her careful fingers gently wrap the bandages around his arm before the boy felt the words spill from his lips unknowingly. "Your scars.."

Immediately seeing her shoulders tense at the words, the boy felt his eyes falter, knowing he had made her uncomfortable as he tried to explain. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just, I know what it's like.."

Hikari remained silent at that, her hands continuing to grab his arm as the boy clarified even more, pointing to the scar across his left eye. "My mother gave this to me because I looked too much like my father. She poured boiling water over me as a child."

Pausing once again at the information, it was obvious to tell Hikari didn't know that, her eyes widening ever so slightly because of it. Sure, Dabi probably would've said that it served him right, getting hurt like that. But the girl, well she couldn't help but be saddened by it.

By another Todoroki having permanent scars.

Hikari couldn't help but scoff at that idea. "And you're still hanging around him?"

Realizing she meant his father, the boy continued. "I do not forgive my father for what happened to my mother or my entire family. Although, he says that he wishes to atone for the rest of his life, so I will allow him that."

And although his words were sweet, Hikari couldn't agree, knowing the pain and torture that Endeavor had put Touya through. He deserved to rot in hell for a million years because of that, and she wasn't going to let him get away so easily. No, she refused.

For that reason, the words she spoke next were automatic, spilling from her lips with a small bitter scoff. "Just like you Todoroki's, huh? Always getting hurt defending him."

She then watched as Todoroki gave an unreadable expression to her words, the girl turning her brow in confusion. Why did he look at me like that? Did she have something on her face?

Yet what she didn't know was that those little words seemed to confirm something to the boy, something he had been curious about ever since he met her at his house. "I have something I've been meaning to ask you…"

Not understanding, the youngest Todoroki then looked down at the ground for a moment before locking eyes with Hawks' sidekick with desperation. "Did you know my brother?"

Widening her eyes against their will, Hikari once again stopped what she was doing in order for a wave of panic to overtake her. Did this kid just say what she thought he did? No, that was impossible. What did he know?

"What are you talking about, kid? That was the first time I met Natsuo."

Todoroki didn't let up though, the boy leaning forward to the panicked girl before narrowing his eyes in knowing thought."No, not him. I'm talking about my other brother, Touya. The way you spoke about him at dinner, it felt personal. Like you two were friends."

Feeling all the color drain from her cheeks, Hikari couldn't help but shake her head in anxiety. Curse her stupid rage filled outburst. Now Shoto was sticking his nose in things that didn't belong. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut?

Although the boy sensed her hesitation, not giving her any space to breathe as he replied back with an even more desperate question. "You knew him, didn't you? Tell me, what was he like?"

Leaving her speechless, Hikari felt herself try to back away from his intense stare. It's not like she could admit anything, not without spilling information that could be dangerous for her. The last thing she wanted was for him or Endeavor to know Touya and her were friends.

Because if they did, then that meant that information from her real life would be out in the public, just ready for the commission or any other villain to grab. No, she couldn't do it.

Todoroki also seemed to sense her discomfort though, the boy's eyes crumbling immediately. "Sorry, I didn't mean to overstep. It's just, when I was a child I was kept separate from my other siblings. I didn't know Touya, and when he died it felt wrong to mourn him, not when I never knew who he was.."

His story was sad, so much so that Hikari felt a wave of guilt wash over her because of them. She never knew that his life was just as fucked up as Touya's was. Having to mourn a brother you didn't know? Now that was awful.

Yet as guilty as she was, Hikari knew she couldn't give him anything. Hell, in reality Dabi wanted to kill Shoto. Maybe it was better if he never knew how his oldest brother really was, how he hated more than anything.

Yes, maybe it was better for Shoto to assume something different.

Pushing his eyes back towards the ground, the boy then frowned, his voice small and fragile. "I guess I just wanted to know what he was like.."

And as much as she wanted to, Hikari remained silent, her entire atmosphere filled with discomfort before mentally and physically backing away. "We should head back downstairs."

Hearing the rejection caused the boy to close his eyes, the hurt clear across his face before understanding her answer and rising from the seat. He didn't want to force her after all, and maybe he was just being desperate. Perhaps she really didn't know Touya. "I understand."

Hikari then watched as he slowly walked towards the door, his shoulders slumped and head down in unsaid sadness, causing her heart to twist unnaturally inside her chest. Don't look so sad, kid. You're making me feel guilty.

Although just before he reached the door, he heard the girl's voice call back to him.

"Hikari."

Todoroki felt his steps freeze at the word, turning to find Hikari's down casted eyes, her fingers playing with the strings of her black hoodie silently. "Huh?"

Sighing at his clueless nature, the girl frowned before turning her amber gaze back to Touya's brother. "My name. It's Hikari. But don't go tellin everyone, okay?"

Then before he could question it, the girl grumbled to herself before quickly moving in front of Todoroki in order to open the door herself, obviously trying to leave as fast as possible.

Yet before she stepped out of the room, the girl paused once more before speaking with her back turned to the boy, her voice painfully quiet.

Maybe she couldn't give him everything he wanted about his brother, but she could give him this.

"And if I did know your brother, I would say that he was truly something special."

Then, she walked out the door, causing Todoroki's eyes to widen his realization at what she just wordlessly admitted. He was right, she did know his brother.

And that was enough for him.

---

This is such a big chapter omg. We got some serious character development for Hikari here. Helping Endeavor? Crazy. Perhaps there is something else besides a villain in there for her. We will have to see though.

I had so much fun with Hikari meeting the boys, essically with Todoroki. I think Hikari has a soft spot for him. And before you ask, not it's not romantic. More of like a brother sister sort of deal cause she's twenty and that would be gross. Nah, this birdie only has eyes for Dabi.

Also oh no, Endeavor knows that Hikari is the kid he saved all those years ago. Still doesn't know she's the girl Touya brought or Val though. Right now he only has the Takami name.

Next Chapter: We go back to the liberation. Another character makes a return.