A/N: Woah, I can't believe this has taken so long! I'm so sorry, guys. I hope you like it!
Word Count for Chapters 1 pt 1 & 2 & 3: 43,285
One Hour before the Transfer Exam Begins at 4:30 pm.
(All pov's are starting at this point more or less)
As his phone buzzed in his pocket, Shota looked down at the caller ID as it rang. The name that floated across the screen had him frowning as he searched for the one person who would be most affected by the young man on the other end. Lexi Knight was currently talking to the hostess at one of the fancy restaurants she had decided they had to stop by for an early dinner. Kieran looked around the room with interest, but he focused more on the decor than paying him any mind. Aizawa smirked to himself, watching as Lexi curled her fingers into Kieran's shirt and pulled him over to join her in talking to the young girl at the stand. When he realized he could escape for a moment without being noticed, he slipped back out the door. The black-haired hero leaned against the wall next to the large window as he held the phone to his ear, catching the call just before it went to voicemail. "What can I do for you?" he asked, trying to lessen the edge to his voice, but as his gaze strayed back to the young woman inside, he found that he just couldn't do it.
"Ah, Sensei," came the high-pitched whine through the phone as the young man leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. "Is that really any way to speak to your second favorite student?" he questioned with a warm chuckle. As his blue eyes glanced up at the clock nestled above his office door. He paid the computer screens no mind that were in front of him. "Usually, you're in a much better mood Sensei, what's up?" he questioned, well aware he wasn't about to get a real answer out of him.
"It wouldn't by any chance have to do with a certain American, would it?" he wondered jokingly. As the silence stretched just a second too long. He sat up, his fingers curling along the phone. "Is she back?" he questioned his tone, quiet and serious. He wasn't sure how he felt about it now that he had to think about it. It was always a running joke because after so long, he'd just sort of accepted that she'd left them.
Aizawa wasn't sure why he tensed at his tone, his shoulders tight as though the young man on the other end was a threat of some kind, and he wasn't...not in the real sense of the word. He frowned, debating how to answer that question, and settled for something more in the middle. "It remains to be seen for how long, you know how she is," he said as he tapped his finger against his leg as he waited for what was to come next. "I want to see her, Sensei," the words were whispered on the other end, and Aizawa closed his eyes and for a moment covered his eyes with his free hand. Instead of telling him that wasn't a good idea, he decided to change the subject back to something less complicated.
"What did you need, Enoki?" he asked, his voice softening as he remembered the time when he'd been that shy yet driven little boy in his class years ago. He also remembered what it had been like to find him during the High Rise Attack. Emotion threatened to overwhelm him, and he pushed it back. It was only a matter of time before this call would be cut short.
"Right!" he muttered as he cleared his throat, the emotion evident even as he pressed forward. "I was curious if UA might have an opening for another Support Instructor-" he started to explain why he called. The conversation lasted only a few more minutes before Enoki dropped the name of the young man he'd been working with for about three years now. "He doesn't know about this, but I thought it might be a good experience for him to broaden his skill set, " he explained as his fingers drummed against his desk as he waited to see what he'd say.
"I can't promise anything, but I'll pass his name along. Don't get your hopes up," he warned with a heavy sigh. His gaze traveling around their location for a moment, looking for anyone out of the ordinary. No one stood out, and he relaxed against the wall a little more as Enoki chatted with him for a few more minutes.
"Thanks, Aizawa Sensei," Enoki told him as he was getting ready to hang up. "Listen…" he trailed off, hesitating. It was that tone that had his free hand curling into a fist. "Nevermind, I'll let you get back to whatever you're doing. Stay safe," he told him before he hung up before he could respond. Dark hair covered his eyes as he pressed his fingers against his eyes, not sure how he really felt about this news. It let an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach just to know she was actually back in town.
"Hey," her soft tone caused him to glance over to her as she stood just outside the door, holding it open with her foot. "Our table is ready. You good?" she questioned, her blue eyes assessing him as he stood up straighter and her frown only deepened. "Just the school, everything's fine." He said as he walked the last bit of distance between them, his phone sliding in his pocket. He'd tell her soon, just not yet. She gave him a once over before she backed away as he got in her personal space, almost tripping over her own two feet to get some distance between them. Her cheeks heated with color as she mentally kicked herself for reacting like that. Get it together! Your crush on him needed to end years ago. She missed the small smirk that slid along his lips at her reaction. "R-Right. Anyway, Kieran's exam will start soon, so we can't be late. You better know what you want." she told him as she turned away to lead the way to their table where Kieran was waiting for them, arching one eyebrow at the color on her cheeks as she came over.
"What's with-" Kieran started his question and was promptly shut up as Lexi shoved the menu at him. "I highly suggest you don't ask." she told him as she looked at the items on the menu as if her life depended on it.
As Aizawa sank into the seat across from them, she only slouched further in her own. Kieran cast him a glance from over his menu before looking away to hide his chuckle behind a cough. "What training have you had so far?" He asked, his gaze skimming over the menu out of habit. Even as he watched Lexi from the corner of his eye cast him a sharp glance at his question, clearly surprised, he was taking any interest at all. He didn't react as his gaze traveled to Kieran, waiting for his answer.
"Mori-Kun, have you eaten enough?" Came the voice of the older woman sitting across from him as they ate their dinner together. Moritsu looked at her taking note of the amber-colored eyes that were so much like his own; her hair was lovely light red though, and came down to her shoulders and parted more to the right side of her face. As she brushed back her bangs away from her face, the flash of dark color along her eye had him sitting up straighter in his seat. His fingers tightening on his fork as he watched her hair hide it again. Fujin was nothing special. Her abilities allowed plants to grow in size. Still, it was enough to draw the attention of Koshaku when he'd seen her out at the park one day helping some of the flowers grow twenty-two years ago. Sometimes she wondered where her life would be if she had seen Koshaku for the monster that he was when he wasn't playing for the cameras.
He had made her abandon her son Saisho, all because he didn't have a quirk. She had tried to be there for him, to nurture him as she could, but Koshaku and his family had such a warped view of quirks, they were all that mattered to them. Fujin had been raised differently by her parents. They taught her that others were judged for their moral values and how they treated others, something she tried to explain to Moritsu. Still, she worried he blamed her for the direction their lives had taken. She could not stand against her husband when the beatings started, not when he laid his hand on her and not when he laid a hand on their firstborn son. Once Moritsu was born, it was a relief. A small blessing to show that she wasn't the problem that there wasn't something wrong with her. It was selfish to feel that way, but she hadn't been able to help it.
Taking a slow deep breath, he rose from his chair; his hands pressed flat against the table, his appetite soured. "Yes, I have mom," he told her as he cleared his plate from the table and began to head toward the kitchen. He didn't miss the way the smaller framed woman tensed as he passed her. It only made him angrier, not at her, but there were other powers at play here that made life more like a glass cage for her than he could ever hope to fix.
The smile she flashed him was warm and bright as she waited for him to enter the kitchen before she followed after him with her plate. She set the glass down beside his own and began to do the dishes as he looked through the fridge for a water bottle. She glanced at him from over her shoulder and searched for any sounds of his father. When she didn't hear him, she left the water running and curled her arms around Moritsu from behind. "Good luck today. I love you."
Moritsu let his hand rest over her own as he closed his eyes for a moment relishing the physical contact. It didn't often happen, not with his father at home. His mother stayed at home, unable to do anything without his father's approval. She was not a hero but a civilian. Someone to be sheltered and protected and robbed of her freedoms, at least in the eyes of his father. "I love you too, " came his soft confession. He didn't take it personally when she broke away as the shaking started. He watched her retreat to clean the dishes, just before his father's servant came into the room. "Master Moritsu, your father would like to see you in his study before you leave."
"Of course I will be right there," The dark-haired redhead said as he didn't cast his mother another look as he left. He knew what such an action could warrant her. His father's office was on the first floor and down one of the hallways after you entered the front door. He knocked before he entered, only after being awarded permission to do so.
"Moritsu, I know you won't be a disappointment." Koshaku Koibito stated as he sat behind his desk in his office as his second son, Moritsu, stood between the chairs dressed and ready for the UA Transfer Exam. Indeed his only son, if he was honest, his first son had been the ultimate defect, quirkless, and a continued problem within the household. Once, he got rid of Fumeiyo when he turned eighteen. It hadn't been the first time he'd considered his wife's fertility and own breeding pedigree. He steepled his fingers together and waited for his son's response.
"No, Sir." the fifteen-year-old told his father. Usually, Moritsu would have pushed back against his father, but today wasn't going to be that day. He wanted access to the family car and driver so that Koemi could come with him to the Transfer Exam. Only a few select students from the other hero schools were being picked from to see they would get into the Prestigious UA High. "I'll make you proud in the exam and get into UA," he told him, as his fingers curled tighter against his own that we're hidden behind his back. 'Finish up already,' he thought to himself, more than ready to get going.
"I'm sure you will." Koshaku didn't believe that his successor wouldn't make it, not after all the effort he was putting in with his training. Just in case, though, he would drive that incentive a little further. "After all, your failure may result in some ...unfortunate accidents," he told him with a chilling smile. This was the hero's side no one in the media saw, his Jekyll and Hyde facade. The threat of violence was evident and made his stomach knot and twist as dread settled deep inside his only Achilles heel. He breathed through his mouth to keep from spilling the contents of his stomach. He didn't respond; he couldn't trust himself in his reply and only curled his hands tighter together behind his back, his nails digging into his flesh. "You should go before you're late. The driver is waiting for you." his father responded after a delay, waiting to see what he would do and when nothing immediate came to light, he released him.
Moritsu bowed and left the room, knowing it was best if he kept his mouth shut. He could not yet stand against his father, one day, he would be able to do so, but he was aware of his limits. In his haste to leave the room, he wound up forgetting to grab his water on the hall table as he left the house.
The door closed softly behind the second son of Koshaku. His fingers curled into fists at his side. The threat from his dear old dad wasn't surprising. It happened often. He was used to those threats. As long as he did exactly as he wanted, things would be ok at least a little longer. It was when those threats turned to action that things got worse at home. His father never raised a hand to him, not he went after his mom. The secrets were nearly impossible to live with, and his father pushed all his expectations on him. It got results, though, pushed him in his studies and his training. He could be so oppressive. Still, it was the least of his problems.
He didn't know how to handle it sometimes, and the secrets that happened in that household made him so angry, but who would believe him? He was the son of the well known Pro Hero Groliath. His father was the reason his older brother had left. If you could even call it that, he'd been forced out by the man who was supposed to protect them, he didn't, not really, he pitted the boys against each other. It was a bitter pill to swallow for various reasons. If Koshaku had been raised differently, would he see Saisho differently? Could things have been different? It was something Moritsu often dreamed of as a young boy, a happier life. A possibility of a real family. While he didn't see himself as above anyone, the same couldn't be said for everyone else in his family. There were no hearts changed tonight.
He stopped at the passenger's side door and opened it as he slid inside, looking at the man inside. "We're going to pick up Koemi, then head to the school." The older man merely smiled and inclined his head. "As you wish, Moritsu," he said as the armored SUV pulled away from the estate and headed into the Kousaki residence, which was only a few houses down from their own.
Brushing back strands of long white hair, Koemi Kousaki glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The young girl who was staring back at her wasn't smiling, she just wasn't able to muster it. There was so much going through her head as she remembered how her life had changed forever only ten short years ago. The pain of her parent's deaths never went away, even after all this time. Her grandma tried, and she was grateful, but it was hard; she missed them so much. She wanted her mom to talk to and hold her when things got hard. Her dad always answered her questions and played with her. He held her when she'd had a hard day at school.
A villain had targeted Koemi and her family out of the blue one day. And they weren't prepared for it, and they lost their lives trying to protect her. His abilities allowed him to capture them in the earth and crush every bone in their body one by one. She could still remember their screams as they refused to tell him where she was. It was what had woken her up that night when he'd come into their home. He had to make sure there weren't any witnesses.
Slender fingers covered her ears as she sank to the floor of her bathroom, her eyes squeezed shut, but it made the memories worse as she rocked back and forth on the tile floor. Her heart rate increased as she lost herself in the violent memories that were her nightmares, not only when she slept. Her breath was coming out in rapid pants as the panic attack curled around her.
She remembered being swallowed by a purple mass, and then she was in front of a second man in black, most of his face covered by a mask. His voice was another that haunted her in her dreams. "I'm here to help you; I'm always here." He curled his hand around her thin upper arm as pain washed over her smaller frame before she blacked out.
It was sometime later that she woke up with wires connected to her body. Testing to see what parts of her body would move was easy enough. The cables came off quickly enough, and the heart monitor, she watched it beat and rise with her heart rate increase. As her gaze searched for the off switch, she found it, and only as the machine went silent did she pull the tab off her chest. She could hear a low voice in the next room on the phone as she slid from the bed.
Koemi was a smart little girl. What she lacked with a quirk, she made up for with her intellect. Her parents were always so proud of her. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered what happened to them. Her nails dug into her palms, and as she blinked her bright blue eyes, a couple of her tears fell down her cheeks, but she didn't make a sound as she crept to the door after wiping her eyes. Her gaze was on the man who was boasting about how easy it had been to kill her parents with someone on the other line of his cell phone. He was laughing about it!
Anger was the first emotion that filled her. Her small hands balled into a fist as she felt a searing heat engulf her arms and extend out toward her clenched fists. The inhuman cry that left her lips had the dirty blond-haired man turning toward her, his voice filling the space. "Get back in the room, kid," he demanded, advancing toward her, the phone shoved in his pocket. She was a quirkless brat who needed to know her place. As she raised her hands instinctively at him, two blasts of light hit him square in the chest and sent him off his feet into the wall, and then threw it into the next hotel room.
The smoke detector went off, followed by the sprinkler system engaging. Panting for breath, Koemi tried to regulate her breathing. Her energy all but depleted, she forced her body to move, terrified that he would get back up and come after her. She unlocked the hotel room door and took off down the hallway. Finding the stairwell, she ran down them, her panic pushing her past her limits. The street was lined up with fire trucks and police cars. Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa, who'd been off duty, had arrived on the scene, and his dark eyes had swept over the area. As he saw her run past him, he was quick to give chase after her.
He didn't touch her glowing skin as she collapsed in the middle of the street. Carefully he approached her passed out form. He checked for a pulse and ensured she was still breathing; as this was established, he used his radio to call for an ambulance.
She gave her name at the hospital when asked after a brief stint of consciousness before she passed out again. She woke sometime later to her grandma's hand in hers. Murmuring with the doctor as he explained what he could about the changes to her body. How her black hair, which was so much like her own, had changed to white. The powers she had displayed in her sleep were able to be shut down by a nurse who could nullify her. There was no explanation they could provide for her sudden possession of a quirk, but it was something Detective Naomasa felt he might know something. Still, he promised to make some calls as he got Koemi's statement of the events that had transpired outside their residence.
Naomasa suggested that Koemi may be safer with a change of scenery. Yuko Koursaki knew a hint when she saw one. She took the advice of moving with her granddaughter a few days after being discharged from the hospital to a quieter home on the edge of town in a different city.
As she was lost in her memories, they circled back to the beginning when that man had taken her and first given her her powers. It had begun to be more prevalent after the fight with All Might on tv. That had been him, the man from her memories, the reason she had her powers.
'Koemi honey, you need to hurry if you're going to make it on time," Yoko Kousaki called from the bottom of the stairs. Her granddaughter didn't respond, frowning as she was about to go upstairs when the doorbell rang; moving to open it, she gave a soft smile to the young man on the other side. "Mori-kun, it's good to see you, come in, come in," she told him, stepping aside. "Koemi is upstairs. I was just about to check on her," she trailed off, her weathered hand pressing against her cheek as she looked away from him and closed the door.
Moritsu caught the tension in the woman who had become his Grandmother in the time that he had spent with her and her granddaughter. He didn't personally get to see anyone on his mother's side of the family, but his father's side was a constant, and it made things difficult at the house, so he found that he enjoyed being over here as much as he could. He imagined that this unconditional love felt like total acceptance with no double standards, no expectations to be anyone else but who you are. "What's troubling you, Yuko-chan?" he questioned quickly, his hand reaching out to touch her arm gently.
Yuko raised her eyes to look up at him as she reached out to pat him on the head, smiling widely at him. "It's nothing, my child. Run along and check on Koemi for me. She needs to hurry if you're going to make it on time," she told him as she retreated to the kitchen, where she began to pack two bento boxes together.
The crimson-haired youth hit the stairs after leaving his shoes in the hallway. Fingers were curling along the wooden railing as he climbed quickly to the top. As he went down the hall, he paused at the closed door of his best friend's room, wondering if he should enter or not. The soft sounds that he could hear from the other side made his choice for him.
The doorknob was twisted open, his fingers curled around small seeds in his back pocket, his powers ready to activate. As the scene before him registered, he moved forward. His powers dispelling with a flick of his wrist as he kneeled in front of his best friend. His fingers curling along her cheeks and his thumbs wiping at her tears. "Koemi, snap out of it!" he told her roughly, giving her a little shake.
Her blue eyes focused on him, and she curled her fingers along his upper arms. "I'm sorry, " she whispered as she rose to her feet and turned on the water at the sink, and began to wash her face. For a moment, she ignored him, getting her bearings. She had already been dressed for the UA entrance exam in a long-sleeved light blue under armor shirt and a pair of black workout pants, and lightweight blue and white tennis shoes.
"It's ok," he said quietly as he stepped back to lean against the door frame as he watched her finish getting ready. He wasn't sure what to say to her just yet.
"I keep seeing him in my dreams. He's the one who gave me these powers-he's the reason my parents aren't here,"
Frowning at her reflection, she exhaled and began to brush out her long hair. She was focusing on her task at hand. "All Might stopped him. He's been arrested now," he said as he folded his arms over his chest. "I know, but the other man was never caught, the one who killed my parents," Those blue eyes met his in the mirror before she grabbed the hair tie and slipped it on her wrist. Moritsu curled his hands into a fist and said nothing for a moment. He knew there was nothing he could say to make this situation any better.
"It's fine...when I see him again, he won't escape," she vowed as she moved to retrieve her jacket from where it was hanging on the back of her chair. His hand rested on her shoulder as she passed him. "You know I've got your back," he said softly. Her fingers curled briefly along his own before she moved away from him. "I know you will, but let's get going. We better hurry, or we'll be late," she told him as she let her jacket hang off one shoulder as she exited her room after grabbing a small suitcase by her door.
Moritsu followed after her as she hit the stairs, a soft smile falling on his lips as Koemi's grandmother handed them each a bento box on their way. The family unit shared a hug and some private words before they headed out to the car. Settling in the back together, the two best friends kept busy on the ride by eating their bento boxes and discussing their classmates' drama. At the same time, each of them went to different hero schools. The opportunity to both possibly be at the same school was something they weren't about to pass up.
It didn't take them long to find the Auditorium once they arrived at UA. Koemi settled into one of the seats in the back of the room in the middle and took a closer look at the others who were already here. These people would be their competition.
Moritsu glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'll be right back, " he told her, waiting just a moment for her acknowledgment. "Don't take too long," she whispered as she flashed him a wide grin and tried to hide her laughter. It would be just his luck to have to go to the bathroom right before the meeting. If only she knew of the phone call that he couldn't miss. The white-haired girl settled down more in her seat to wait. Her hero suit tucked safely under her chair.
Golden eyes were narrowed and focused on the target 100 yards away. Tora Inazuma inhaled and held his breath before slowly exhaling. Keeping his heartbeat regulated as he gathered his energy at the tip of his index and middle finger on his left hand. As the heat built up, it was how he was able to tell how intense this shot was going to be. He felt the first spark as it zapped along his middle finger as he held his powers back from releasing in a rush like they wanted to. The electric ball at the tip of his index finger was still too large, and he focused on shrinking its size into something smaller, like the size of a gumball.
As he curled his other three fingers back, he raised his hand over his head as though he were about to get ready to pitch a baseball. As he lowered his hand, he followed through with the motion as the small electric ball of energy was shot forward to the target at the other end of his training room in the basement of his mansion.
A loud boom echoed through the room as he had missed the target by a few centimeters as smoke was kicked up from the heavily packed dirt floor. The sound had been the impact of the heavy dirt wall behind the targets. The metal shield-like target would have held up from the high-speed attack but made a resounding twang sound. Frowning, he sighed and raised his hand to rub at his eyes and the blurry image that was at that end of the range away. It's getting worse, he thought as his hands clasped into fists at his side as the sound of footsteps on the stone steps gave him enough warning as to who was coming down in the middle of his training session.
Tora Inazuma schooled his features and tried to prepare himself for what was coming next. His secret was going to come out eventually, but he wasn't ready to admit to that sort of weakness yet. Not with a man such as Osamu as his father.
"Your cousin can do better than you. Are you even trying?!" The question came from his father as he paused on the stones that separated the training area from the rest of the basement's sub levels. The edge of displeasure was easy for those close to Osamu to pick up. The tick of the frown on his lips and the emotion that flared deep within his eyes was another. It wasn't just his eyesight that had taken him out of being a hero, it was one of them, though, and his sight would only continue to deteriorate till eventually, it would fade altogether. The others were injuries that he hadn't fully recovered from even years later. The mobility of his entire left arm and right leg had been affected after it had been crushed in a building collapse six years ago. Osamu was originally known in the hero world as The Electro Strike Hero: Narukami.
Tora turned to regard the man who held the same muscular frame as him as well as the same hair and eye color and wore thin glasses that helped his bad eyesight. State of the art, something he had designed for others with the same vision issues. There were some subtle differences between them too. "She has already advanced further than you, and she's eleven, " Osamu remarked, his fingers tapping against his palm in thought. Was it the destiny of his family to never surpass where they had been? He believed so when you looked at his younger brother to see how successful he was, how successful he still was, how his family was making further strides. It was so frustrating to see everything he wanted slipping through his grasp.
Wisely the teen kept his mouth shut. It was no secret that his father was jealous of his younger brother's easy success in the hero world. They were only two years apart, but the two couldn't be more different. While Takashi Inazuma had more of the physical qualities, charisma, and natural talent. Osamu was gifted in other areas. His intelligence was nearly unmatched, but his vision had been an issue since his early teens, but he'd refused to let that stop him. Truthfully, he'd been able to ignore the vision problem for years until it wasn't something that could be ignored. After his injury following the Musutafu High Rise, where his left arm and right leg were crushed and both later amputated at the hospital, the decision his wife had made for him when he'd been unconscious. He'd been assisting with the villain attack on the upper level, but there had been no time to react. He had survived with grave injuries, ones that limited his abilities, limited the control of his quirk in ways he wasn't able to compensate for. His life had been changed forever.
The 16-year-old growing up had heard of his father's bravery, heard stories from his Uncle and his Mother. Still, his father never talked about that time in his life, not after the accident. Still so angry, so full of hatred, of jealousy that he knew he shouldn't feel, that he wasn't able to move past it. To move past what he needed to get on with his life. To appreciate all that he had going for him. Osamu had turned his knowledge into prosthetic work, partnering with local technology companies and other experts in the field to begin the designs of things more advanced and within price ranges that people could afford. His company known as Inazuma Industries continued to make strides not seen in prosthetic work and technological advances in several of the support gear hero companies. Still, it wasn't enough for him. He wanted to get back into hero work. It had become an obsession. When he couldn't do it, he pushed his son instead.
Perhaps it was Tora's own twisted desire to be noticed. To live his father's dream, that he pushed himself as hard as he did. That he hid something that could be an issue if he let it fester and not just for him. His nails dug into his palms as his eyes traveled to his father's well-detailed metal arm. It was state of the art, able to work with how it was connected to the nerves and muscle. It also connected with a small ai device that sat in one's ear, allowing for voice reading and outside stimuli that helped it gauge what the client was trying to use the device for to help with how much pressure is exerted when attempting to pick something up or hold something. It was still mostly in the testing phases, but the success was so far on the level of what he wanted.
Tora remembered the times before his father's accident where he lost his left arm and his right leg. He remembered when he was little how his father had been on top of the world. The family's hero agency had been passed to him once his father had retired. To think that had been just eight years ago. His dad had everything he wanted: a loving and devoted wife and a son. Osamu and Takashi couldn't have been closer as they managed the agency together.
His family was ripped apart on the day of the High Rise attack six years ago. The news crews were covering the fire and evacuation of citizens when the villain ambushes became known. Many heroes had responded to the scene just before the building had collapsed. The camera crews had captured his father going into one of the upper levels just a few minutes before it collapsed. The breaking news was something all stopped to pay attention to—even elementary schools.
He remembered that day so clearly.
Any child of a hero's worst nightmare is the day your parents might not come home. With wide eyes, the young ten-year-old Tora watched as the building his father had just been seen entering began to collapse in on itself. Even surrounded by his classmates, he couldn't feel more alone at that moment. His heart pounding in his chest, and a mixture of emotions flooded his chest. His first thought was that nothing bad could happen to his dad. As the minutes ticked by and nothing changed, but a few people did emerge from the rubble, and other heroes arrived on the scene, he wasn't sure what to think, how to feel. His teacher had approached him, her fingers resting on his shoulder as she spoke quietly to him, but he didn't process what she said as his eyes were glued to the tv in the room as it played on the news.
About thirty minutes later, his Grandmother and Grandfather picked him up from school and took him home. It took a little time, but Tora asked him about his father, about the accident, and if he would be ok. Raijin wisely didn't outright answer the questions that he didn't know. The old man brushed back his strands of navy blue hair that was streaked with silver. His eyes were black with gold flecks in them. "We will have to wait and see," he told him, his gaze flickering every so often to the news that was on in the living room that could easily be seen from the kitchen thanks to their open floor style. Fingers curling into fists, Tora stayed glued to the couch and the tv waiting for any news at all. His mother, Isuzu Inazuma or Iron Maiden as she was known, had been seen just as the building collapsed; the recovery efforts were still ongoing. His uncle Takashi Inazuma to them, but his hero name was Shindou. There was little that could be done but to shift through the rubble and hope to find survivors.
Anka, his grandmother, had settled next to him, her fingers curling along his own as they both silently watched the tv, waiting for news at all. "It'll be alright Tora, you know your father can handle anything." Even as her words were meant to comfort him, she couldn't say with the utmost certainty that it would be true, but she hoped for all their sakes. Their phones were silent as the recovery went on for hours. He hadn't intended to fall asleep, but he was woken up sometime in the late evening. The call had come from his Uncle, one which his Grandfather had taken. He told them that his father was found alive and had been rushed to the hospital. The family had left quickly.
Tora will never forget arriving at the hospital to see his mother speaking quietly with the doctor who had come out to talk with her. As he explained the risks, he told her that Osuma wasn't conscious that the decision needed to be made about his injury and how to proceed. There was no way to salvage the broken bones. The limbs were already beginning to die as his body worked on healing other injuries. Her light brown eyes had found him with her husband's parents. Her conviction was steeled as she turned to the doctor and told him to do whatever he had to do to save him. With a tear rolling down her cheek, she turned away from them, and that was when he'd ran over to her, his arms curling around her. He didn't say anything even as her arms curled around his smaller frame a little too tightly. "He's going to be ok, Tora," she repeated that phrase for a few moments as though trying to will it to be so.
The waiting room was filled with people whose loved ones were taken here from the High Rise Collapse. Takashi and his grandfather talked quietly to each other. Tora was quietly listening, knowing it was better to stay quiet and not be a bother. He wasn't sure how to handle everything that was happening. He shifted his attention to his mother, who was speaking quietly to a few of the heroes who had shown up, most of them he knew from when he would visit the family's agency.
Fingers curled against his side from his crossed arms, and his nails bit into his palms. His mind racing, as he knew the surgery his father was undergoing was serious. He couldn't help as his mind wandered back to the what-ifs that would happen if his dad wasn't ok. He tried to hold in the emotion that threatened to overtake him. Tora wanted to be strong for his mom, but sometimes it was so hard. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and tried to keep the tears that wanted to well in his eyes at bay. He was so consumed in himself that he didn't realize someone was talking to him.
His head snapped up to look at his mother, who was crouched in front of him. He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes as she smiled softly at him and repeated her question as the words registered this time. Slowly he reached out to take her hand as they were admitted further into the hospital, the rest of their family following quietly behind them.
A nurse directed them to one of the rooms. As she quietly explained, he was beginning to wake up from the surgery and maybe a little disoriented at first. They quietly entered the room as his father was just beginning to wake up. His mother tried to grab his arm to stop him. But he was already bounding for the bed. His hands curling around his father's only remaining hand. "Dad, you're awake!" He exclaimed as his fingers tightened on his own, and tears fell down his cheeks. Glad he was alive, anything else they could get through as a family. He was sure of it!
Osuma was groggy, and his vision was worse. Had he hit his head? He couldn't remember. Frowning, he tried to move his left hand to touch his son's head and wipe away his tears. When nothing happened, and all he could feel was a faint pain. He frowned, his fingers gently squeezing his son's fingers with his own. "Go with Obaachan for a moment." He couldn't explain the feeling of dread that settled in the pit of his stomach, combined with the anesthesia that hadn't completely worn off. He tried to recall the last thing he could remember. Only so much of it made sense, there was a fire in a high rise, and he had responded to the call just as several other heroes had.
As Tora began to walk over to his grandma, it was his father who had reached with his other hand to touch the empty bed where he could still feel his left arm but couldn't move it. As his fingers met nothing. His golden eyes had narrowed as he couldn't explain the anger that flooded his body. "What did you do?!" The accusation was clear as his fingers curled around the bandage at the top of his left shoulder. Isuzu stiffened at his tone, her mouth falling open as though she could defend herself and the decision she made.
"Get him out of here," Raijin said to Anka, stepping forward to forcibly remove Tora from the room. "Tora, you don't need to hear this. It'll be fine. Go play with Baba in the cafeteria." He knew this was about to get ugly, and there was no way to avoid it.
"How could you do this to me?!" His father's shout followed into the hallway and drew the attention of several nurses who were at their stations. "They said this was the only way! You were dying! Is that what you wanted?!" Isuzu demanded, her hands curled so tightly that her quirk had already begun to travel up her clenched hands.
Her light brown eyes were hard, but there was no mistaking the tense expression on her face or the hurt in her eyes as tears filled them, but she refused to let them fall. She was placed in an impossible situation. All she wanted was for him to not leave her or leave their little boy without his father! She knew what this life was like for him! She lived it too! She'd been part of the recovery effort for him and others. They had found children in the rubble, some who hadn't survived having been crushed to death. Kids who wanted to play at being heroes like it was some heroic thing. The body count had been high. It being a Saturday had meant more people were home. There was no way to make this go away. Her hands trembled at her side. Nothing was going to be ok merely because she wanted it to be. Life didn't work like that. This was something they all had to live with, but he was alive...it was all that mattered!
Anka's hands covered his ears as she forced him to come with her down the hallway. This was childish, really, as there was no way to keep him from hearing everything that was currently taking place behind them. Tora didn't even try to stop her as they waited for the elevator outside of the Critical Care Unit. As he absently noticed her long light blue hair braided down her back, giving her a unique look with her silver eyes, even older as she was, she was always pretty, just like his mom. He wasn't sure how to fix this turn of events; he hadn't been expecting that reaction from his dad. His hands curled at his side as he remembered his angry eyes and his mother's broken expression. How had things gotten so bad? It was a question he didn't know the answer to and wasn't ready to face how his life might change forever.
He wiped at the tears that leaked from his eyes as they entered the elevator. His Grandma curled her arms around him. "Shh, little Tiger, everything will be alright." His arms curled around her own as he cried. He knew it wouldn't be alright. Nothing would be the same again.
Takashi tried to step in, but there was nothing he could say to make this better, not really. Still, he had to try before his brother destroyed the good things he had going for him in his life. "Osuma...you have to-"
"Get out! All of you just get out!"
Two nurses had come over at commotion. She knew they were going to have to ask them to leave. They couldn't have this disruption around the other patients and their families. One of the older women poked her head in the room. "I'm sorry, but we have to ask you all to leave. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better time to talk. We will notify you if there are any changes." Her gaze was steady as she and the younger woman behind her cast them all a look, but there was a sadness to it. She had seen this type of reaction before. She'd seen a lot, and it was clear. Still, she had a job to do, and her patients' welfare was a top priority.
Isuzu turned on her heel and left the room. Takashi shot his brother a steely look but left without another word. He caught up with Isuzu as she ducked Into the stairwell. His fingers snagging her arm. "Isuzu, wait!" he told her sharply. He could feel her trembling as she refused to look at him. "I didn't consider how he would feel, you know, he's always felt inferior...I just wanted him to live," she explained as though she had to justify her choices. Her hands curled into fists.
"We found so many who didn't make it in the collapse...I just wanted him to be ok. I thought we could get through anything together." she whispered as she sucked in a breath to force back her tears. She knew she had to be strong for Tora. For them both.
"Osuma!" Raijin called sharply from the doorway where he lingered. "Put yourself in her position; we didn't know if you were still alive. We just wanted you to be ok. Many have died today," with a heavy sign, Raijin ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll be back tomorrow, " he told him as he left the room as well.
Takashi quietly laced his fingers with her own and didn't say anything. There was nothing he could say. He saw his brother's jealousy in the moments when he thought no one was paying attention. He was constantly comparing himself to him, and it just wasn't the right way to be. Everyone was different. He knew he couldn't change his older brother, though. He gently pulled her to him and curled his arms around her, as she cried out all the emotion she'd been holding back. His fingers gently combed through her knee-length black hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered, knowing that there was nothing he could say. He couldn't promise a happy ending.
That was the beginning of the end for his happy little family.
Tora shook his head as he pushed that thought away. He hadn't thought about that night for a long time. There was no need to do so now. It wouldn't do any good; nothing was going to bring his parent's relationship back together. His mom had tried so hard to make it work, but the damage was done. There was too much water under the bridge. She stayed in the relationship for a year and a half before she had to get out. The divorce was ugly. Through it, all Tora saw what loving someone could really do to a person. He saw how much it had destroyed his mother. Even now, she still loved his father. But his father had been too obsessed with trying to get back into the hero world again. He'd also never gotten over all the negative emotions. They just festered and grew as he allowed his own insecurities to breed and control everything he did with his life.
As he got older, from the age of ten, the navy haired boy had begun to push people away as his home life had deteriorated. It wasn't an abusive home, but there was no way to ignore the tension that was so clear between his parents. His mom was hopeful things would turn around with his father, but his father had immersed himself in his work and was trying to get his company off the ground. His father was a ball of fury for the longest time, so angry as his vision kept getting worse and his work had stilted as he'd hit a wall.
Tora kept the world at a distance and began to take out his growing frustrations at home out on the rest of the student body during middle school. He was never violent, but he held himself above everyone and took pleasure in picking people apart for their shortcomings. It was a horrible way to live, to treat others, but he didn't care. Misery loves company, as they say.
The shock that hit him in the arm had his gaze darting back to his dad in disbelief. Osuma Inazuma had not used his abilities since his accident. He claimed that he couldn't control it, and while that had been the case in the first year and a half, it clearly wasn't the case now. Uncrossing his arms Tora regarded his old man for a moment longer in silence as he debated what to say to him. "I got distracted," he admitted begrudgingly as though that would overtake the problem rising in his father's features.
Admitting something like that wouldn't go over well. Lying would be even worse, though. "Distracted?" He sneered, his lips pulled back over his teeth. "Situational awareness is key, Tora! We've been over this before. How many times do I have to remind you?" He asked in disgust as his metal hand curled into a tight fist at his side. Is he ever going to take this seriously?!
"Use your quirk like a low emitter. Anything that passes your electromagnetic field should give you plenty of time to handle it. It's an essential skill for those with our abilities. Even you should be able to manage that," he said as he reached up to rub at his eyes as he pushed his glasses up a bit on his head. As though being around him was exhausting. His father had very little patience for those who weren't on his level.
The younger Inazuma kept his features impassive, but the flicker of movement as his hands longed to clench together, but with another breath, he held it back. This nothing new; you're used to it. Don't be a pussy Tora. Keep it together...just a little longer. "I'll do better, Oto-san." The lie fell easily from his lips, and he smiled slightly, hiding the emotion in his golden gaze as he closed them.
"Your mother told me about your exam at UA. I expect to hear good news. You're representing this family." Osuma stepped back and gestured for him to pass. He wasn't even upset Tora hadn't told him about it. Then again, their relationship was awkward, to put it mildly. After his accident, it was as though his father had become an entirely different person and detached them from his life in more ways than one.
Frowning, Tora moved past him and began to head up the stairway leading to the main level and the floors above it. It was designed so that it was for a multi-family unit. It only housed his father, his parents, Takashi and his wife Hanaye, and their little girl Arisa. His mother had gotten a smaller house soon after she had left. He, of course, stayed here when it was his week with his dad.
"Your mother will be picking you up to drop you off this evening. Get ready to go. She should be here in less than twenty minutes." Osuma headed for his office off to the right from the front door.
Tora merely inclined his head and 'hmm' a response saying nothing really. His hands fisting as he climbed the stairs to the upper levels. His anger was already beginning to boil over, and he walked faster to his room and the bathroom that was connected. His father never called his mother by her name anymore. A sign in and of itself how far he'd fallen, and it was one of the reasons it made him so angry with him.
As he entered through the door of his room, he tossed his shirt on the floor and moved to the bathroom. Where he started the shower before, he lingered in front of the mirror where he, for a moment, judged the young boy staring back at him and looking at every flaw he had. He was never strong enough, he was never fast enough, he was never good enough.
'You're not even trying!'
"Arisa is already proving to be better than you. How can you let this happen?!
His father was so focused on pushing his goals on him that he had long since stopped seeing him as his son, but rather a means to an end. Unless, of course, it benefited him to claim him. 'Don't act like it matters. You've known this for years,' he thought as his fingers curled as he pressed them against the counter.
As his phone's timer went off, he knew his time was short. He'd set those timers as soon as he started his mild work out before his exam. He stripped out of his dark gray sweatpants and his underwear before slipping into the shower. The usual routine followed as he washed his hair and washed off before slipping out in less than five minutes. As he wiped off his body with his towel, he tried to rein in his emotions. He couldn't let his anger rule him, not with his mom coming to pick him up. She was always extra sensitive to his emotions and wouldn't hesitate to jump in to defend him. He knew it would only cause problems for them both, though. His father went to great lengths to avoid her, and at first, he thought it might mean something else, but he couldn't be sure anymore.
He ran his hands through his naturally long spiked hair with a few strands that fell across his eyes. They were damp now and would dry in a few minutes. He practiced some breathing exercises he'd learned in middle school before he brushed his teeth. After that, he slipped into his workout clothes. He could have gone in his suit, but he was told to bring it with him instead. He wore a pair of navy sweatpants and a white tank top with a black dragon on the front. He stepped into his tennis shoes and pocketed his phone as he headed down the stairs to the foyer, his bag slung over his shoulder.
He couldn't say he was that close with his uncle's family, but he felt that was more of his fault for the distance if he was honest about it. Takashi was lively and attentive to his little girl and his wife. Tora was jealous of their happy, comfortable, and loved filled life. His uncle didn't pressure Arisa, but she excelled anyway. Did love do that? Allow you to press past your limits all because someone believed in you? Yes, it did. He'd seen it, and he was envious.
He wanted that life. There was so much he was trying to prove. If he could just make it a little further, maybe his dad would see him for who he was, not who he wanted him to be. Still, he couldn't even say for sure why he was going forward with the exam. He was upholding his expectations more than actually wanting to be anyone special. He wasn't sure what his own motivations were, and if he was honest, he wasn't sure he had any. None that didn't fall in line with what Osuma Inazuma wanted.
He was sure if he found a reason to push himself, his own personal reason for wanting to walk this path thrust upon him would be more dedicated to his training. He just wasn't sure what that was. He saw the ugliness of their world. He saw first hand the devastation, but he was too much of a coward to defy his father and what he wanted him to accomplish.
A text message from his mom had him pulling out his phone to read it. Rolling his eyes at the emoji's she sent with her message of being there. The soft smile that graced his lips, showing that he wasn't as annoyed as he acted. As he reached for the door handle, he paused, waiting for a goodbye that wouldn't come. A simple wish of encouragement wasn't in his future. His grandparents were traveling abroad, and Takashi was working at the agency. His father didn't believe such a thing was needed anymore, but he could remember the days before his father praised him, said he was proud of him, and wished him good luck growing up. The absence of it was a painful reminder, one he pushed away.
Idiot. Could you be more pathetic?
He pulled the door open with more force than he needed to. "Tora!" It was the sound of his name that caused him to pause and twist to see who it was as the young girl gasped for air as she caught up to him, her hands on her knees. Her long dark purple locks were shielding her features. "I a-almost- missed you!" she exclaimed as she rose to her full height, which was still nowhere close to his own. As she tossed back her dark purple hair to reveal dark eyes with golden flecks, a trait from their grandfather.
"I wanted to catch you before you left." her voice had trailed off, though, and her gaze averted to the ground, a telling sign she was nervous about something. Frowning, he reached out to ruffle her hair, being sure to bring some static electricity to shock her and raise some of her dark strands. It was a game between those in their family. "Spit it out, twerp. I gotta go, " he told her in exaggeration. He had some time to kill, but it wasn't much.
"Quit it!" she growled, swatting his hand away with her own, but as her skin made contact with him, the electromagnetic field she emitted caused his hand to rotate up and away. He let the blow take his arm back before he finished the movement to avoid injury to his muscles. The impact hadn't been unexpected, but the power behind her quirk had. He frowned slightly but tried to hide it before she noticed. He hated the jealousy that slithered inside at the display. They spared relatively often, but he knew now that either she'd been holding back last time, or she really was advancing faster than him. "Careful," he warned, his gaze stern. "You might hurt someone next time."
"I know Tora! You don't have to tell me that." came her haughty response before she could control herself. "Uh-erm- I'm sorry! Sort of, but you should be nicer!" she told him as she stuck out her tongue before getting somber again as her fingers twisted together. "I wanted to tell you something…" she trails off again and only made herself more nervous. Spit it out, Arisa! It's a few simple words! "D-Do your b-best t-tonight." she stammered out, her cheeks heating with color as her eyes traveled back to his own for a moment before she looked away from him. She wasn't even sure why it was so awkward to wish him good luck. In reality, she just didn't want to hurt his feelings. She stepped back, and her gaze wandered to the car that was waiting for him. She missed the soft smile that slid along his lips as she nervously waited for him to say something. Wondering if she needed to say something else to him as she tried to think of something to say.
"Thanks Arisa, " he said softly as he placed a heavy hand on her shoulder before he turned away. "I'll let you know how it goes, " he promised as he walked down the steps and headed for the car where his mom was waiting for him. "You better, don't forget!" She called out with a wide grin as she waved to him as he left.
He paused as he opened the door of the car. His gaze resting on his mother, who was typing away on her phone, her fingers flying over the keys. "Who are you talking to?" he questioned as he slid into the passenger seat after setting his bag on the floorboard in the back. He didn't mind the silence as his mother was so focused on what she was doing that for a moment she didn't answer him, but the swift glance of those brown eyes of hers told him that she knew he was there. "Just my boss, he's being a stickler as usual and wants me on rotation tonight," she said with a sigh as she sat back, having sent her long-winded explanation of why it wasn't going to happen and that he needed to find someone else. Her fingers curled on the steering wheel as she put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. She never went inside when she picked him up. It always brought back too many memories.
As her phone buzzed in the cup holder, Tora was faster at picking up the phone and reading the message displayed. He curled his fingers tighter around the phone as he tried to control the anger. "Tora!" she fumed as she glanced at him, the anger on her face clear, but it was the look in her eyes that betrayed the true emotion there. "Mom, why do you work for this sleazebag anyway? You could go anywhere else!" He angrily demanded, his golden eyes hard. Isuzu only grinned wider at his angry expression, clearly amused as she looked back at the road.
"You know how it is," she said with a sigh as though that somehow explained it all away. "Besides, Endeavor isn't that bad." She defended her boss as though that would somehow make it better. "He's a little brash, but he's good at what he does, and he's driven. You could be at that level if you wanted to be," she told him, very blatantly changing the subject.
He grumbled something inaudible under his breath and looked out the window as he crossed his arms over his chest. It just never seemed like a good time to express that he really wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. How he wasn't sure, he wanted to take over the family agency. "I could, but it's too much work, " he countered as he closed his eyes and rubbed at them with his knuckles. The blurriness had faded, but he wasn't sure what to do about it.
If it was anything similar to what his dad had, he knew it could be an issue sooner or later. Eventually, he'd have to mention it. Right now, it was merely distance related to longer than normal distances. "You shouldn't be so lazy, " she teased as she merged onto the speedway heading to the city's center as she increased the speed of her candy apple red sports car. She enjoyed her freedom of going fast. The Pro Hero was also aware that her son had been struggling with his dad for a while and where he wanted to go with his life. He pushed forward because it was expected, but he wasn't challenged. He wasn't driven by something that pushed all heroes to excel. He needed to find his reason for being a hero if it was the path he really wanted to be on.
Isuzu brushed back a strand of long black hair, exposing the piercings along her upper ear. As hard as their lives were, it was worth it. She really enjoyed the choices she'd made. No one chose this life because it was easy, and most didn't choose it for fame. Most did it for the sole reason of wanting to protect and help people. Her fingers curled tighter on the steering wheel as the memories from a few years ago when Tora was younger and the ones where her marriage was still thriving were quick to take over, but she pushed them away.
Tora at his mom's silence, he opened his eyes to look over at her. It was so easy to know when she was thinking about the past. There was no mistaking the sadness that weighed her down even now; all she wanted was for things to be better between them. His nails dug into his palm, and he looked away to hide the anger in his expression. It was so easy to hate the man his father had become and, in some ways, miss who he had been. In some ways, his mother was no better for refusing to let him go or let her guilt go and move on to find her own happiness. It was a conversation he wasn't sure how to bring up with either of them, and yet he couldn't help wishing things were different for them.
He hated the way this tango dance made him feel, watching both sides refuse to bridge the gap they built between each other. Tora blamed mostly his father, but his mother had never let go of the guilt and didn't know how to start over with someone else. Many were interested in her, but she never acknowledged them in that way. He'd seen it growing up, and at first, he'd been in the fantasy of his parents being back together, but they only grew further and further away as the months and years passed. Eventually, he had all but effectively destroyed that dream, knowing it wasn't a reality that was in his future.
His golden eyes didn't stray from the window as he continued the conversation as though he couldn't see the memories she was stuck in. This was pretty constant whenever she picked him up from that house. "It's more like conversing energy, for when something more exciting happens," he told her with a forced chuckle, glad to see that even his mom either didn't pick up on the fake emotion or wasn't sure how to approach it either and let it go.
"Be careful what you wish for." The warning was past her lips before she could hold it back, and her frown deepened as she glanced at him once before looking back at the road as she took one of the off-ramps into the inner city. "Are you ready for tonight?" she questioned tactfully, changing the conversation once again. At least this time, it was a more neutral topic that wasn't anything to do with her. "I'll be fine. I'm doing well in my classes, and my training has been going well despite Dad's high expectations. You know how he is, " he let that hang between them in the silence. He never elaborated on how bad things were, but left to her own devices, she never assumed they were as bad as they could be.
Osuma was never physically abusive, but his swings in his mood were getting worse. He was expecting a perfection that wasn't achievable when someone was just starting out. Not everyone was a prodigy like he had been, like he still was in other areas of the Hero world, while he may never be a hero again. He could still go far, he was advancing the world of robotics and AI interface software, but it wasn't enough. He just refused to accept it, to appreciate all that he has and stop trying to get back a life he would never have again. If only he wasn't so near sighted, he might be able to do more than he'd already managed. It was why to Tora as strong as his father was, he was still in many cases just as weak.
"I remember, " she admitted, her fingers flexing on the steering wheel at the red light. Isuzu's good memories outweighed the bad, but they still haunted her. Made her question her own self-worth and her convictions, and the choices she had made. The fighting, the verbal abuse, being afraid in her own home. She just couldn't do it anymore. She'd kept it hidden from Tora as best she could, but she had her suspensions, he was aware. The dark-haired woman didn't want to know the answers to the questions she wanted to ask and instead stayed silent. If things were bad, she'd know, wouldn't she? No, remember how well you lied to your family and friends. Do you really think your little boy wouldn't do the same?
Sitting up straight, he regarded the school as it came into view. He was surprised that seeing it caused a sort of anticipation he hadn't expected to feel. Shiketsu made him more than ready for the exam, given his training with the school, his class, and his father, and whatever he did on his own. He knew that he couldn't back down. His father would be furious, and he couldn't dishonor his family name by being a coward. He wasn't afraid of failure. It was more along the lines of having to keep pushing forward into something he was sure he would be good at, but he felt like a fraud for having little drive to be a hero.
The last minutes of the ride was done in silence as they both seemed to fill the silence with noise, but no one knew what to talk about. As the car parked, Tora quickly grabbed his bag from the backseat and then leaned into the open passenger. His gaze met that of his mother.
"I love you, and good luck. If this isn't what you want...it's ok to want something else. You just need to let us know."
Tora dropped one hand down and let his fingers curl into a fist, and gave his mother a small smile. "I'll let you know, but this is what I want." He told her, the lie falling easily from his lips. It was far too easy for him to lie about what it was he really wanted. He wasn't even sure himself, but there was no way he could back out now. He'd come too far. He'd spent too much time and effort to choose a different path. This may not be what he wanted, what made him happy. He wasn't even sure what that even was. This was the expected path, the path that he was good at, it didn't mean he had to like it or enjoy it. He was his father's son. He would live his dream since he could no longer live his own.
Isuzu gave him a sad smile; there was no other way to explain that look. "I understand," she said softly, watching for a moment as he turned away from her and walked into the school. She waited for him to step inside before she let the first tear fall from her eyes. Her arms curling around her shaking form as the guilt ate away at her. She was the reason her son felt the need to live his father's dream. Would it have been better to make a different choice? She was never sure how to answer that question.
She held the phone to her ear as it rang a couple times before going to voicemail. He never picked up her calls, and honestly, it was probably for the best. She listened to his voice, it was the same one from before the accident, he couldn't be bothered to change it. She closed her eyes and dug her nails into her arms as his voice echoed through the Bluetooth that picked up in her car as the phone switched over. He sounded so carefree, so happy. Isuzu wallowed in her grief for a few more minutes before she forced herself back under control. She wiped at her eyes as she texted her boss and told him she was heading to the agency to begin her patrol. She hoped it wasn't a quiet night. She needed the distraction.
The walk to the auditorium wasn't nearly as long as he wished it would have been. He opened the door and frowned at the few people there so far. None of them were people he knew, and that was just as well. It meant he didn't have to deal with anyone of any real importance. He settled in one of the chairs that had a row between him without anyone else there. He shoved his bag under his table as he leaned back in his chair. Having placed his wireless earphones in his ears and his phone on the table to allow for the Bluetooth to kick in and played some dark heavy metal that fit his mood just fine. He leaned back in his chair and openly judged those around him. He knew from a few of the looks many had already recognized him. Which was just as well; he was going to take everybody down.
Orinda Lionell wasn't paying attention to her roommates as they began discussing their boyfriends and who happened to get the better birthday present. Her mind was focused on her training from this morning and the words of one of her instructors at Seijin High. Sensei Ryuudon has been quick to block all her attacks effortlessly. "You lack control Lionell, don't let your emotions control you," he scolded, his features set in a grim line. "Don't rise to the bait of your opponent, don't let your own insecurities push you to act prematurely," he warned as he motioned for her to come at him again. This continued for about two hours. She was exempt from her classes for today because of the Transfer Exam at UA. The schools were being surprisingly accommodating, but then again, they were all on the same team at the end of the day. She had managed to fix her form, and some of her moves with her quirk, but that wasn't to say she was perfect yet. There was still much she could improve on, but this was the best she would get so far. She felt that she was in a better place than she'd been before her homeroom teacher had offered to spar with her that morning.
The noise of one of her friend's angered voices cut through her memories. She glanced around regarding the chaos around her that was the cafeteria. It was dinner time at Seijin High. Unlike UA who allowed their students to commute to their location, Seijin had dorm rooms for all their applicants, and it was split up by grade year. Orinda watched her roommates Ariel and Lyra got a little more heated; it had evolved from a teasing disagreement to a full-blown argument. It wasn't violent, but there was definitely a difference of opinions, and the volume of the fight was increasing. She sighed to herself and picked at the rice on her plate, to hide her own feelings, the harder her fingers were curling along her chopsticks, but her anger was increasing the louder they got. Her cat's ears lay flat on her head to try and block out the noise, but it didn't help.
One of the TA's looked at her, but her attention was on calming the tension between those on her floor. Michiru didn't feel like having to replace another table and a set of dishes. "Girls! That's enough, don't make me come over there, or you'll regret it!" she demanded, her hand smacking the table with a loud bang.
One of the older boys Shu, leaned toward her, letting Michiru handle the altercation and the way the two of them talked over each other. "Are you ready for your exam?" he questioned as his dark blue eyes assessed her. He'd been one of the first people to not get offended by her standoffish personality; he was one of the few that hadn't taken her words to heart when she'd told him to "Get lost and to leave her alone!" He'd been persistent in getting to know her, and thus he counted himself as one of her friends.
"I can't wait! This is a huge opportunity! Everyone wants to get into UA!" she boasted excitedly. For those who knew her well, though, they could catch the heavy sarcasm that came with that high-pitched exchange. Shu laughed despite himself as he leaned back, curling his feet along the metal bars on the table to keep himself from falling out of his seat. That was an embarrassment he could do without. "So what's the problem?" he questioned as he tracked the two girls as they get up and begin to hurl insults at each other from over the blonde's shoulder. He really would never understand girls, that was for sure. Michiru was now getting between the two and keeping them from getting into a physical altercation, and those girls were friends, how strange indeed. He didn't envy her, that was for sure. The brown-haired teen knew he might have to help out his fellow Teacher's assistant, aka Student Babysitter but he was waiting until the last minute; he just really didn't want to get involved.
Olinda frowned as she gave him her full attention, her blonde hair pooling over one shoulder and allowing everyone to see the ruby highlights that were streaked naturally through her hair. The ears on her head flickered up before lowering to the side once more, and the tail behind her curled along one of the metal bars under her seat. "Well…" she began as she laid her chopsticks on her plate and slid it away from her as she laced her fingers together, ignoring the cat claws that were currently her fingernails showing her inner dilemma was deeper than she was able to hide.
"Do you think I can do it, pass the exam?" She questioned, her fingers curling slightly together as she waited for his response to her question, her attention on the few students that were milling about behind him, ignoring as they were the escalation of her roommates. His opinion shouldn't matter, but lately, she felt as though her own insecurities and problems with her family were beginning to swallow her up. She shouldn't be looking for acceptance from anyone but herself...and yet she couldn't help but question her own worth from someone else, wondering if she was going in the right direction. If she was enough. Shu had always shot straight with her, didn't sugar coat anything, and was one of the few to put up with her and get past all her walls by sheer will alone.
The soft smile that slid along his lips as he regarded her told a lot, but it was a look that she didn't get to see. He was well aware of how her family didn't treat her right. After her mother's death, her dad, who had been estranged and married to someone else, suddenly had another little girl to take care of. He didn't spend any time with her. She was pushed into a new family, with no time to grieve for her mother. She struggled to fit in with their family; it was so hard, it was so painful, the lone hours of the night crying and wishing for the one person who would never be able to hold her again. Her stepmom couldn't stand the sight of her; Olinda was a reminder of her husband's unfaithfulness and his own weakness for a woman who was nothing. Her father was too weak to stand against his family, and she paid the price. Her siblings treated her terribly. Eventually, Leander did the only thing he could think of to protect her. He sent her to live with his brother and his wife in Japan. It wasn't an easy adjustment for anyone. Middle School was hard for her, but eventually, she enrolled at Seijin High for her first year of High School.
As much as her Aunt and Uncle loved her, there was still so much she had to let go of before she could let anyone into her life to support her, to love her. Shu would never tell her, but he was in contact with her Uncle and her Aunt; it wasn't that he was spying per se, just looking out for her.
It was a harsh life when your family didn't consider you a part of them, but rather the dirty little secret best to be kept out of mind and out of sight. That was something that angered him because it wasn't how a family was supposed to be, and he knew it wasn't something to merely make light of as much as she did; it had to bother her when she allowed herself to think about it. With an upbringing like that, it was no surprise that she had a hard time relating to people and peers her own age, she pushed herself because of her own desires to be better than she was, but she was still chasing an approval she would probably never receive.
He was glad that he'd taken the time to learn her story, becoming one of the positive influences she needed in her life. He was pleased to see that he hadn't been the only one. It was one of the reasons her Sensei went out of his way to give her a better father figure than her current one. There was so much potential in her if only she could see it.
"Of course you can," he told her seriously, a bright smile on his lips. "Ora, you can do anything, you're determined, and you don't give up on your goals. If anyone can do this, it's you,"
The tone of voice and the words out of his mouth were not something she had expected, and her startling emerald green eyes slammed into his own. For a moment, she merely stared, unable to comprehend his words, as they repeated in her head. To have someone else have that much faith in her; it wasn't something she was used to. Her chest hurt with emotion, and she blinked her eyes and averted her gaze as she stood up. Turning around to avoid him being able to see the tears welling in her eyes. Her teeth sank into her lower lip as her hair hid her eyes from the rest of the dorm room. "I'm running late; I'll let you know how it goes," she said quickly before she made for her exit.
Shu didn't rise to try and go after her. He waited until she left the room before going over to begin to give a hand to poor neglected Michiru. "That's enough!" He snarled out as he approached the group. "Shape yourselves up; you are part of Seijin," came the sharp words, which caused the young girls to flinch and take a step back. Michiru just sighed and ran her fingers through her light brown hair. "Think she'll be alright?" she questioned. "Absolutely," came Shu's cheerful response now that everyone was behaving.
The hallways were deserted, thankfully, as she made her way to her room. She didn't want to deal with anyone else right now. Shu had no idea the memories he brought to the surface by telling her what she had so long wished to hear from her own father. He would have no idea the memories that assaulted her. She nearly made her way back to her dorm room blind. Unable to stop one memory from playing behind her mind's eye.
'How could he have changed so much?' the young eight-year-old Orinda thought, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at the man who so clearly hated her, his eyes so cold and murderous. He'd never been like that when he'd visited her and mother before she died. He had always been attentive, so proud of her...what had changed, did he not love her anymore? Did he think her mother's death was her fault? She already blamed herself enough as it was. What had she done wrong?
Her father paid for the funeral, and everyone around ignored her like she was something to be discarded and overlooked. Her hands balled into fists at her side as her mother was lowered into the ground. Taken from her after a villain had attacked their home when she had been at school. If she had been there, she could have done something, anything to save her mom. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she bowed her head to hide her tears, but there was no denying the shaking in her body. It hurt so much to realize everything about their life had been a lie, the only one who loved her, who cared for her, was taken from her, ripped away too soon.
"You are nothing to me. I'm only taking care of you out of love for your mother. It's because she died that I'm now obligated to take you in, be thankful I'm even doing this. I should just get rid of you," he'd told her coldly as he waved his hand to a woman behind him, who came forward to collect her as the funeral drew to a close. "No one wants a defect like you," were his parting words, and little did she realize that his wife and other kids were within earshot. He had to push her away. It was for her protection as he was too much of a coward to disobey his family. Maybe as she got older, she would realize he had only been hating himself and his inability to protect the one woman he loved, how he was a coward too weak to stand up against his family for the child created out of love. A lot of big what-ifs for a man who had so clearly let his family control him. And that was his way of trying to get her to do anything else with her life.
Orinda wiped at her eyes as she headed to her dorm room. 'Get it together,' she thought furiously to herself as she all but broke the doorknob as she twisted it to try and enter into the salvation of her room. Retreating to the bathroom, she shut the door and curled her hands along the edge of the sink as she raised her gaze to stare at her own reflection. "Don't let him control you," she whispered to herself as she took a few deep breaths trying to get herself under control. Nothing was handed to her. She had to grab everything she had in her life with both hands and fight for it. She had to try harder than anyone else. She had to be better than so many people to prove she deserved to be where she stood today and where she would be going. 'They believe in you. It's all that you need,' she thought to herself as she splashed water on her face and quickly brushed her teeth before leaving the small bathroom as she grabbed her duffel bag that held her suit. She cast one final look around the room. Noting the mess from her roommates. 'I'm going to miss them,' she thought sadly as she left the room and headed for the front of the school. She knew she couldn't lose this chance. She would prove to herself that she could be a part of UA...this was her chance to do something for herself. The cab she ordered was waiting for her as she got in and looked out the window in silence as they headed for UA High School.
The drive wasn't long, and she tipped the cabbie before staring at the gates of the school, before gathering her wits and her confidence as she headed for the auditorium. It wasn't hard to find, and she settled into a seat near the left side and in the back row. She couldn't say she recognized everyone but a few people from her school so far, but they weren't close. No matter what the outcome, she had no intentions of failing here.
As her phone buzzed in her bag, she pulled it out to glance at the name that floated across her screen. She was about to ignore the message all together when a different message from Shu came right after. Olinda tried to hide the small smile that slid along her lips as she opened her phone to see the image he had sent her of them all shoved together, making funny faces on the screen. He always knew how to cheer her up. She didn't want her good feeling to fade, so she ignored her father's other message and powered off her phone. As she moved to put her phone away after she'd shut it down, someone bumped her arm, causing her to send the phone to the floor as it skirted under the chair of the intimidating male with dark blue hair and golden eyes. With a hiss, she swiftly shot the offender next to her a glare before turning her attention to him, debating how to handle this.
Tora had not intended to do anything about the phone; if she wanted it so badly, she could do something about it. She could come get it for starters. As their eyes met, he changed his mind and leaned down to pick up the device deciding instead to let off a little steam. As he held it out to her, his fingers tightened around it to keep it from leaving his grasp. "You should take better care of your crap, " he warned condescendingly.
With a scuff, she narrowed her eyes at him and exposed her canines at him, her tail flickering irritably behind her back. As the ears on top of her head folded down. "Trust me, that wasn't intentional." Her fingers curled around the other end of the phone even as they turned into claws as her anger spiked. "Now quit being an ass and give me my phone!" she demanded.
As those golden eyes of his narrowed, but the small smirk that traveled to his lips let her know something was about to be very wrong. As he used a little of his quirk to drain the battery entirely on her phone and the screen went dark on her next tug as he let her have it back.
"What did you do?!" Olinda demanded angrily as she pointed a single sharp nail in his face. Leaning back in his chair, Tora laced his fingers behind his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he responded with the utmost seriousness, even as his eyes danced with mirth.
Fuming, Olinda growled low in her throat as she tucked her phone in her bag and ignored him. 'He'll pay for that!' She thought to herself as her curled fingers rested on her desk. She was going to knock this asshole down a few pegs in the exam. All they had to do now was wait for their time to come.
A/N: Hey guys AJ here. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This is the first part of chapter 1. I had to break it up into three pieces and shift one section of it over to chapter 2, which I'm working on right now.
Please review and let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading!
~AJ Aviary
