⠀⠀"While under hero protection, I am temporarily her guardian," a familiar voice explained. It was muffled and distant, but there was a pause before they added, "Yes. I am allowed to sign for her. If required."

⠀⠀With another slight lapse, her voice returned with a harsh tone. "No. Do not inform her Grandfather of her location or condition. Why do you think she's under my care?" Venom bled through her words, but then, in an exaggerated voice, she added, "I'm sorry, but no autographs right now."

⠀⠀A door then closed, and the voice muttered something inaudible. A forced exhale then arose as the person walked past me. I wanted to see who they were, but my eyelids were heavy, and everything felt numb. Whoever they were then took a seat, and the dial tone of a phone call began.

⠀⠀"Hey, Nana-sama. I'm calling with an update about Akari," she said. "I met her in line at the airport, and, um, no, I'm not calling on the plane. Her Grandfather was there. Yes, there was an incident." She went quiet for a minute, then suddenly said, "Yes. We're in the hospital, but he didn't touch the kid. Her quirk activated, and she hurt herself. She crushed her phone with some pink rock, and the screen cut her wrist. She passed out from blood loss."

⠀⠀Once more, she went quiet, only to state, "She's going to be okay, Nana. Relax. You're stressing, again." Another pause and an annoyed sigh. "Look, I know. I'm just more worried about her other injuries. She has bruises from head to toe, a black eye, and several fractures. Nothing's broken, but she looked like she went a few dozen rounds with a brick wall."

⠀⠀"You're not wrong," I whispered, thinking of my brutal Sensei. The woman didn't hear me as my voice was horse and mute.

⠀⠀I forcefully peeled my eyes open to finally see who it was. A hospital's ceiling met my gaze, and it took effort to look around. Eventually, I saw Aisha. She sat with her phone in hand and gazed out the window. Her gold eyes glowed, almost like my Grandfather's, and the bags under them had grown.

⠀⠀"What's the deal with her family, anyways?" Aisha asked, and again, she listened to the reply. "How does Akari-kun fit into that? I got some footnotes from Sarahiko, but not much." She then winced at the presumed answer. "Is that why Sorahiko gave her your number? I'm surprised it took so long for her to leave. That last beating must have been the last straw."

⠀⠀She then winced as a voice boomed from her phone. "Yeah, I said beating," she eventually said into her phone. "She has a lot of bruises. Some the Doctor's said are weeks old, and some are fresh. She probably most of them from last night."

⠀⠀Silence took the room, only for Aisha to quickly add, "Hey! Don't go blaming yourself. You didn't know." She finally looked at me, only to smile softly. "Nana-sama, I'll call you back. The kid's awake. I'll keep you posted" She put her phone away, wore a brave face, and moved to my side. "How are you feeling, Akari-san?"

⠀⠀It took effort to answer, but I slowly replied, "Tired."

⠀⠀"You did lose a lot of blood," Aisha explained. "And you were hurt. That didn't help."

⠀⠀"Right. I cut an — artery. Didn't I? I think," I mumbled. "After Grandfather showed up..."

⠀⠀"You did." Aisha's expression seemed to harden.

⠀⠀"Why did he have to — show up?" I groggily questioned.

⠀⠀"I don't-" she began, only to cut herself off.

⠀⠀She let out a long exhale, then examined me up and down. A wide frown stretched across her face, and she visibly clenched her teeth. I tried to read her, but my vision blurred as I tried to focus on her features.

⠀⠀"He — was probably there to scare you," she eventually relented.

⠀⠀"It worked," I complained.

⠀⠀"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being scared," Aisha argued, but her voice shook. "Heros are scared all the time. We're scared when lives are on the line, when others get hurt..." Her voice trailed off, and she winced.

⠀⠀I shook my head and imminently regretted the action. The world spun as I whimpered out, "I know. I know... I'm not mad that I got scared," I explained as I weakly clenched my fists. "I'm mad 'he' got to me."

⠀⠀"Ah... I get it," she affirmed.

⠀⠀She went to say something else, but my voice slowly rose. "How? Did he follow me to the airport when I got my tickets? Did he bug my phone? He — knew I was there. I know he knew..." A harsh then stinging arose from my eyes as I saw salt faintly grow at the edge of my vision.

⠀⠀"I'm sorry, Akari-san, I don't know," Aisha apologized. "I promise we'll find out. Just let it out. Cry if you need to, alright?"

⠀⠀"I can't cry," I countered, and my voice grew weak. "That is just s-salt growing... A chemical reaction to scar tissue on my tear glands."

⠀⠀"Salt, huh?" she mused. "That makes sense... But that sucks, not being able to cry, doesn't it?" I nodded at the question. "What is your quirk, anyways?" she asked, and I knew she was trying to change the subject.

⠀⠀"Salt," I groggily yawned out, answering each of her questions in order. "I grow it from my skin."

⠀⠀She visibly deadpanned. "I realize now just how dumb that question was," she admitted.

⠀⠀"Mhmm," I agreed, then focused on absorbing the salt around my eyes.

⠀⠀She averted her gaze for a long moment, bore stating, "I know it was an accident, Akari-san. I do. I saw what happened..." She took a quick breath and swallowed. "But you're going to be asked a few hard questions soon. So I need you to go back to bed. You need your rest, alright?"

⠀⠀"Alright," I wearily agreed. Yet, as I closed my eyes, I realized the implications. "Wait," I choked, and a burst of adrenaline hit me. "Did they t-think it was intentional?"

⠀⠀Aisha winced at my sudden volume. "The Doctors did ask if it was," she consoled. "The police did too."

⠀⠀"That's dumb," I complained. "That's so dumb! I can't be a hero — if I'm dead! I can't! I don't want to die!" She said nothing at my outburst and instead stood. With slow, methodical steps, she moved around my medical bed.

⠀⠀"I can't go to U.A. if I'm dead! That's where I was going! Away from him, and to my dream! The school of my dream!" I continued to rant in my raged delirium.

⠀⠀"You really want to be a hero, huh?" she finally asked, but while there was hope in her words.

⠀⠀"I am," I croaked.

⠀⠀"Then, let me give you some advice, straight from Recovery Girl herself. Even heroes need their rest. Especially hurt ones." Her hand then reached for an IV bag I hadn't seen until now. As she fiddled with the dripper, she said, "It's time for some sleep, alright?"

⠀⠀Knowing I was to be put under, the rush of energy died as quickly as it came. "Fine," I sluggishly agreed. "But tell the Doctors, I'm not going down — that easily! Sensei couldn't keep me down! 'He' couldn't keep me down! This..." My voice dipped into a drawl, and my words came out as an incoherent mutter. "This won't..." The weight of my eyelids grew, and Aisha's sad smile was the last thing I saw before falling asleep.

⠀⠀"Goodnight, Akari-san. God, do you need it," she distantly stated.


⠀⠀A whole day passed while I was out, and as Monday drew on, I felt better. The sleep helped, but medication and a good meal couldn't be beaten. Yet the slow Autumn day was agonizing. I was restless but somehow struggled to withhold my yawns and keep my eyes open. Even as I held Aisha's phone and examined her hero costume.

⠀⠀Her dress was military-like, knee-high, and as gothic as a magical girl could get. Vibrant gold decorated the black, with accent lines near the dress's hemline and the regal, dark gray tie. The cap she wore matched, but it was short and barely covered her shoulders and elbows. Its inner brim and the inside of her dress were gold.

⠀⠀Like her tie, her boots and eyeliner matched the gray, while her belt stood out. On it hung, of all things, grenades. They each sat in small pockets, were made of black glass with the swirling energy inside each one. The remaining accessories she wore were gold.

⠀⠀Her smile and the energy she carried in the photo contrasted with the woman who sat before me. It stole my breath as I looked between the two. The Aisha who sat before me held her second coffee of the day in one hand, her face in the other, and looked dead to the world.

⠀⠀Finally, as I handed the woman back her phone, only one thought came to mind. "You need a nap."

⠀⠀"Later," she argued with a groggy croak. She then slumped in her chair and let her head hang to one side. "It's been a night... I don't think I could put on my persona, even if I tried."

⠀⠀"I like your costume, though. You look beautiful, and I bet that fade around your eyes makes your eyes pop when they glow," I complimented.

⠀⠀"Thank you," she admitted. "I wanted to use black, but allergise suck... I had to go with graphite instead."

⠀⠀"You're allergic to black eyeliner?" I scoffed.

⠀⠀"Kind of? It has to do with my quirk. My white blood cells are overactive. It causes an immune disorder and sensitive skin," she complained. "Only like two or three colors don't break me into a rash."

⠀⠀"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." I looked at the phone she held, then asked, "What do those grenades do?"

⠀⠀"Blow up." I snorted at the blunt answer, but after Aisha let out her own laugh, she then explained, "they're plasma grenades. My quirk lets me make gold plasma, and I can bottle it up to use for later."

⠀⠀"Gold plasma," I mused, my eyes narrowing. "I know you used your quirk on my arm yesterday... You have to have great control for the heat to not burn me. But what type of plasma is it? Ionization or collisional? Is your quirk affected by or affects magnetic properties, like lightning? Is it active or passive?"

⠀⠀"Um, hold on," Aisha gawked. Her posture was then straight, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. It was easy to tell that her tired mind raced at my questions. "It's — collisional plasma, and yes, magnets affect my quirk, but," she made a confused noise, "how do you know all that?" She moved her hand to reveal a confused expression.

⠀⠀"I... My quirk got me into science. And math. And chemistry, and automotive, and... I like knowing thins," I embarrassingly and quietly explained. "It's how — I figured out how to make different colors of salts."

⠀⠀"Besides just pink salt?" she asked.

⠀⠀"That's himalayan salt," I corrected. "It has more minerals in it, making it pink. White salts are mostly plane sodium chloride with no minerals, or they have magnesium sulfate in them. Copper sulfate is blue, while cobalt nitrate is red..."

⠀⠀"Wow," Aisha silently mouthed. "Wait, doesn't copper sulfate explode?"

⠀⠀"Only when mixed with magnesium, or burn when exposed to hydroxylamine," corrected.

⠀⠀"Huh," Aisha deadpanned. "You know, if you became a hero, you could probably have an assist tool made that uses those two."

⠀⠀Before I could comment on the suggestion, a knock at the door drew her attention. My guard raised as she stood, and I had to resist the urge to grow salt. When Aisha calmly opened the door, revealing a frail older man. My instincts were to jump seeing his white hair, but he looked nothing like my Grandfather.

⠀⠀He wore a tailored maroon suit with black buttons, a striped tie, and round shades. The wrinkles on his face were limited, and though his hair screamed his age, he moved with visible youth.

⠀⠀"Akari-san," Aisha introduced. "This is Kitagawa Kohaku. He's the social worker Nana-sama got assigned to your case. He stopped by while you were asleep."

⠀⠀I gave the man a hard stare, but he offered me a bow. "Shio Akari," he began, "I hope you are doing better. Do you know what I'm here?" He was short and slender, and his voice echoed within itself and rumbled like distant thunder.

⠀⠀The contrast between the way he spoke and his thin, lanky features made me blink. Eventually, my slow but firm answer came, "Legal stuff, Kitagawa-san."

⠀⠀"Correct," he boomed, yet his tone was even. "I am here to represent you on behalf of the Japanese Government. My job is to ensure your safety and that your best interests are sought out. Much like Huerta-san, I am here for you." He emphasized each word slowly and, I assumed, looked me in the eyes past his glasses. "Do you understand?"

⠀⠀"I do," I cautiously nodded.

⠀⠀"Good." He withdrew a laptop from his briefcase and began typing. "First, allow me to explain why I was chosen to help you. It's simple; my quirk. I cannot lie. When I do, I am electrocuted."

⠀⠀"Wait, really?" I sputtered, my guard breaking. "Your querk is self lie-detecting torcher device? How does that work?"

⠀⠀"I wouldn't describe it that way, but It is a complex thing," he admitted. "Perhaps I can explain my quirk to you another time," Kitagawa-san insisted, and part of me felt those words were rehearsed. "It is necessary we must take care of this first."

⠀⠀"Alright," I agreed, and he sat using the Doctor's swivel chair.

⠀⠀"Due to the nature of my quirk, my word is trusted by the Government. Due to that same power, I will also ask you redundant questions. These are to ensure I provide accurate information. Especially information on your behalf. In addition, with your permission, I can also record this conversation. This will act as physical evidence of your word if authorized by the judge. Authorization is almost guaranteed, considering your injuries. Do you understand?"

⠀⠀"I do."

⠀⠀"And are you willing to be recorded?"

⠀⠀"Yes. Absolutely," I agreed quickly, already catching on to the redundant questions. "So long as Aisha-san gets a copy of the recordings."

⠀⠀He tilted his head to the woman and asked, "And your email is?"

⠀⠀With a tired stutter, my guardian reached into her purse. Quickly, she wrote down a long string of characters. "Here," she offered. "It's a long one."

⠀⠀"That is fine, Ma'am," Kitagawa accepted. "Now, I will let you know when I start and stop recording. Huerta Aisha," the gentleman turned to the brunette, "as Shio Akari's temporary guardian, do you also agree to the recordings and use of these recordings in a court of law?"

⠀⠀"I do," she wearily agreed as she struggled to stay awake.

⠀⠀"And do you agree to be a witness to these recordings?" Kitagawa went on.

⠀⠀"I do," she repeated.

⠀⠀"Good. I will begin recording in three, two, one." He clicked a button on his laptop. "Answer my question, yes or no. Are you Shio Akari, Granddaughter of Shio Hideo?"

⠀⠀"I am."

⠀⠀"Do you know why you are in the hospital?"

⠀⠀"I accidentally used my quirk, broke my phone with it, and my broken phone cut an artery," I explained.

⠀⠀"Is that the only injury you have?"

⠀⠀"N-no. I also have a lot of bruising and a few fractured bones."

⠀⠀"Regarding the accident, where you injured yourself. Were you in distress when you used your quirk?"

⠀⠀"Yes, I was," I winced.

⠀⠀"What or who caused you to be in distress?"

⠀⠀"My Grandfather showed up at the airport, taking the same plane I was supposed to," I fretted. "When I was trying to get away from him."

⠀⠀"And why does seeing your Grandfather distress you?" I winced at the question, and as I stayed quiet, Kitagawa repeated. "Shio-san, why does seeing your Grandfather distress you?"

⠀⠀"He screams at me," I finally squeaked. "It makes me question my dreams. And he gets — people to fight me. He calls it training and makes me call them Sensei. In my head, I still think of them as Sensei. I know I shouldn't, but I still do."

⠀⠀"Yes or no, are the other injuries you have from this 'training?'"

⠀⠀"Yeah. They are..."

⠀⠀"Do you have a choice in partaking in this 'training?'"

⠀⠀"I don't. At all," I responded.

⠀⠀"Regarding your Grandfather: when he screams at you, what does he say?" Kitagawa inquired.

⠀⠀"He calls me useless and my quirk useless. He rambles on about everything I do. Nitpicking all the details. He says I don't have manors, and I can't be a hero. It's worse when he's drunk..."

⠀⠀"Yes or no: would you say that your Grandfather is — verbally abusive?" Kitagawa said in a soft voice.

⠀⠀"I would. Yes."

⠀⠀"You said he 'gets people to fight you.' How old are these people?"

⠀⠀"Adults, but I don't know their age," I offered.

⠀⠀"How often does he have other people fight you?"

⠀⠀"Twice a week," I offered. "Tuesdays and Fridays."

⠀⠀"You had a schedule for these fights?" Kitagawa pried.

⠀⠀I nodded. Then realized the recording was only audio. "Yes," I finally stated.

⠀⠀"When these adults fought you, did they attempt to teach you?"

⠀⠀"They did. I've been learning judo for the past few years, and recently, how the grass doesn't make a good sparing mat."

⠀⠀Kitagawa clicked his laptop and relaxed. "I paused the recording," he informed us. "The following questions will be difficult. I am not maliciously asking them. These are questions that may be brought up in the future. Do you understand?"

⠀⠀I winced but nodded, and he took the cue and said, "Good. The recording will continue in three, two, one." He clicked a key, then asked, "Could it be argued that these adults were training you, not fighting you?"

⠀⠀"No. Yes. I don't know," I debated, and my voice cracked between each sentence.

⠀⠀"Would you like to elaborate your answer?"

⠀⠀"They were teaching me, but," my voice cracked, "t-teaching shouldn't involve a beating! I shouldn't need to go to the hospital after a session."

⠀⠀"Prior to your current stay at the hospital, have these fights led to you being hospitalized?"

⠀⠀"Yes," I recalled. "When I was eight." My answer made Aisha flare her nose and grip the arms of her chair tighter. Otherwise, she stayed quiet.

⠀⠀"Were you in a similar, better, or worse condition then than you are now?"

⠀⠀"Worse, I think. My ankles were broken. I couldn't walk, and I couldn't see out of my left eye." My explanation made Aisha wince.

⠀⠀"At the time, was your Grandfather the one that put you in the hospital? Or was it someone who, he would claim, was training you?" Kitagawa mused.

⠀⠀"It was another adult. They were teaching me self-defense," I recounted. "But I wasn't catching on. They didn't like that."

⠀⠀"If needed, could you describe these adults?" he asked.

⠀⠀"I can."

⠀⠀"If needed, could you point out these adults in a lineup?"

⠀⠀"I could," I shakily uttered.

⠀⠀"Regarding the injuries, why did you never go to a hospital before?"

⠀⠀"Because Grandfather would find out. I didn't want him to realize I was gone and getting help until I was out of town," I gruffly said.

⠀⠀He tapped his laptop and stated, "The recording has been paused. You can take a small break. I need to go over your answers and prepare the next questions. This will only take a minute."

⠀⠀I could help but slump in the medical bed, only to glare at the glass of water beside me. "Want me to get that for you?" Aisha offered.

⠀⠀"Yes, please," I grunted.

⠀⠀I then drank greedily from a straw after Aisha moved around the room. She then asked, "How are you holding up?" I groaned between sips, not verbally elaborating past the tired grunts. "At least it'll be over soon, right?" Again, I nodded.

⠀⠀"They've been easy," I muttered. "I'm just — getting mad thinking about everything."

⠀⠀"We can be mad together," she offered. "How about that?"

⠀⠀I snorted at her offer. "I should be in Musutafu right now," I said in an upset tone. "I already have an apartment I was looking at and two part-time job interviews."

⠀⠀"You really thought ahead," Aisha praised. "Either of those jobs involve your quirk?"

⠀⠀"The second one does. It's an expensive barbeque place. I'd wait tables. But the owner said if my quirk was 'all that,' then I could sell salt stones at his restaurant. If I still had my phone," I winced, "I would text them. Letting them know my situation."

⠀⠀"I can get you a replacement tomorrow. No worries." Aisha gave me a wink. "You'll need one anyway. After this," she hummed, only to shake her head, "I have a surprise."

⠀⠀"I'm looking forward to it," I beamed.

⠀⠀"Shio-san," Kitagawa stated, grabbing our attention, "when you are ready, we can continue."

⠀⠀"Ready," I said, and the recording continued.

⠀⠀"What caused your decision to leave your Grandfather's care?"

⠀⠀I instantly hesitated. "Oh," I mouthed. Like I had at the airport, salt began to form on my hands.

⠀⠀"Shio-san, are you alright?" Kitagawa asked.

⠀⠀"He — had my Mama's ashes. Had," I finally breathed out.

⠀⠀"What happened to your Mother's ashes?"

⠀⠀"He smokes. And lied about spilling an ashtray," I began, and Aisha took a sharp breath, and her golden eyes began to glow. I then whimpered with a cracked voice, "It wasn't an ashtray. It was Mama's vase. He didn't tell me. He pored the rest of her out and put the vase back on the shelf."

⠀⠀My voice caught in my throat, and the salt continued to grow. Steam erupted from my hands as the spirals returned. The sodium crept over my bandages and onto the bed. Aisha had pulled her hand away but was unarmed.

⠀⠀"He made me clean her up with the vacuum! A vacuum! And now, now Mama's ashes are in a dump somewhere! I couldn't stay after that... How could I?" I raged. "I couldn't! I had to leave! So I did. And now I'm here."

⠀⠀Kitagawa let a short moment pass before he clicked his laptop. The moment he did, Aisha said, "Holy shit."

⠀⠀"Indeed," Kitagawa agreed as he took off his glasses, revealing silver-like eyes.

⠀⠀"Let it out, Akari-san," Aisha soothed. Yet she didn't move closer as the salt continued to grow. "Let it out."

⠀⠀I breathed heavily for the longest time before catching my breath. It didn't last as I then choked on my spit. At Aisha's hesitance, I drank greedily from my water, and only then did I register the salt.

⠀⠀"Oh. Oh crap, I'm sorry," I apologized. In an instant, the salt vanished as it was dragged back into my body. "I didn't mean-"

⠀⠀"It's alright, Young Shio," the older man interrupted. "In times like this, it's understandable for someone to lose control of their quirk. We don't blame you."

⠀⠀"He's right," Aisha agreed. "If that happened to me, I don't think I could have held it together. Just breath, and let us know when you're ready."

⠀⠀Ignoring my physical pain, I reached for my water glass and tossed aside my straw. As it landed in the trash, I chugged the last of the half-empty glass. As it thumped back down against the table, I announced, "I'm — ready."

⠀⠀"The difficult questions are almost over, Shio-san. But be wary. It's not over yet," Kitagawa stated. I meekly nodded, and he tapped his keys again.

⠀⠀"How long did it take you to leave after your Grandfather had you — clean your Mother's ashes?"

⠀⠀"T-three months," I estimated. Even after the water, my voice still quaked with anger.

⠀⠀"Why did it take so long?"

⠀⠀"I n-needed yen to leave."

⠀⠀"Why did you need yen to leave?"

⠀⠀"I want to move to Musutafu. I want to take U.A.'s hero course."

⠀⠀"What did you do to make yen?"

⠀⠀"I sold my salt to anyone who'd buy," I divulged.

⠀⠀"Salt. That is your quirk, correct?"

⠀⠀"Yes."

⠀⠀"You used your quirk to earn enough yen to escape?"

⠀⠀"Yes..."

⠀⠀"And regarding your quirk, how exactly does it work?"

⠀⠀"I can grow salt from my pores," I began. "They take on their crystal structures when I do, but I can also control the salt with my mind. Basically, shape it into what I want. It's a bit like crystallokinetic or geokinetic. Only with salt. I don't know my limits with it."

⠀⠀"Impressive," Kitagawa nearly sang while he bobbed his head. "Does your quirk have drawbacks?"

⠀⠀"I get dehydrated if I make salt," I offered. "And a headache if I control salt for too long."

⠀⠀"And you sold your salt to escape?"

⠀⠀"I did. I sold statues of heroes and anime characters, shapes that can be used in salt laps, and a pagoda statue. My rules are three-hundred yen per kilogram for any basic shapes. Color-wise: I can make the salt red, pink, orange, white, or gray salts. Multicolored or anything — perverted — costs extra," I answered with a blush.

⠀⠀"How often do you repeat those exact words?"

⠀⠀"A lot. Enough to know what sale's pitch means," I grimaced.

⠀⠀"When you sold your salt, did you ever suffer dehydration or headaches?"

⠀⠀"No. I never make enough salt to cause problems."

⠀⠀"When you passed out at the airport from blood loss, did you know you were dehydrated?"

⠀⠀"No, I didn't," I worriedly answered.

⠀⠀"Can you think of any reason you'd be dehydrated at that time?"

⠀⠀"It was Saturday," I vaguely answered.

⠀⠀"Could you elaborate further?"

⠀⠀"I have 'training' Fridays. It was harder than normal," I said.

⠀⠀"Is that where your injuries occurred?"

⠀⠀"Yeah. The fresh ones, anyways..."

⠀⠀"Regarding your quirk once more, I noticed earlier that when you spoke of your Mother's ashes, salt grew on your palms. Could you explain why?"

⠀⠀I deadpanned at the question, still embarrassed. "When I'm mad," I began. "Really, really mad, salt grows from palms."

⠀⠀"And how exactly did you break your phone?"

⠀⠀"My Grandpa was at the airport. I was trying to get away from him," I recanted. "But there he was. I didn't want to see him again. I didn't want to take the same flight as him and salt the grew. When he said it was a 'coincidence,' I knew he was lying. He doesn't believe in coincidences. He hates them, in fact, but he was there, sporadically of all times. It made me angry, and my quirk activated."

⠀⠀"And you were holding your phone when your quirk activated?"

⠀⠀"I was..."

⠀⠀"And your quirk destroyed your phone. Yes or no?"

⠀⠀"Yes."

⠀⠀"And when your phone was destroyed, did the screen cut into your wrist? Yes or no?"

⠀⠀"Yes."

⠀⠀"And was the injury an accident?"

⠀⠀My brow furrowed at the question, and my voice rose for the first time throughout the interview. "Yes! I don't want to kill myself," I raged, sitting up. "I don't want to die! I can't be a hero if I'm dead!"

⠀⠀Parallel to my outburst, Kitagawa's professional demeanor fades into a wide smile. Only to return as he asks, "Are you afraid of your Grandfather?"

⠀⠀I hesitated, and the fire I held dimmed. "Yeah," I dejectedly admitted, my voice still irate. "I am."

⠀⠀"Shio Akari, do you believe your Grandfather holds your best interests in mind?"

⠀⠀"I know he doesn't," I hissed as I laid back in the bed. "No."

⠀⠀"Did you contact heroes regarding your Grandfather because you thought he'd come after you?"

⠀⠀"I do," I heatedly stated.

⠀⠀"Shio Akari, to the best of your abilities," Kitagawa-san finalized, "do you agree that everything you have said today is accurate?"

⠀⠀"Yes."

⠀⠀"Is there any information you wish to redact?" he pressed.

⠀⠀"No."

⠀⠀"Is there any additional information you wish to add?"

⠀⠀"None that I can think of," I offered.

⠀⠀"Do you swear that all the information you have provided is true, under penalty of law?" He leaned forward and gave me a hard stare.

⠀⠀"Yes." At my answer, he, for the last time, pressed a button on the laptop.

⠀⠀"Good. We're finished, then, Young Shio. You can relax." Kitagawa took his glasses off and folded them into a case he withdrew from his suit's pocket. "How are you feeling, Shio-san?"

⠀⠀"How do you think?" I tartly spoke. "I don't like thinking of him."

⠀⠀"That's understandable." Kitagawa interlocked his fingers and leaned on the small Doctor's desk in the room. "Your Grandfather seems to be a, oh, what's the right word?"

⠀⠀"Jackass?" I offered.

⠀⠀"Scum?" Aisha instantly put in.

⠀⠀"I was thinking of something more vulgar, but you're fourteen," he glanced at me and chuckled, "and I'd rather not lose my license."

⠀⠀"We won't tell," Aisha offered.

⠀⠀"But I would if asked," Kitagawa grumbled. "Still, considering your abuse, Shio-san, I am surprised you're so vocal. There is a will in that heart of yours. One I don't think any villain could shake. No matter how close they are to you."

⠀⠀"As often as I hear strict, often harsh parenting is considered abusive, I see abusive parenting go unnoticed." He rose from his feet and turned to the tired brunette. "Huerta-sama. In a moment, please join me outside for a word, and Shio-san," he gave me a bow, "this will not be the last time we meet. I believe you have what it takes to become a hero, and I'd love to have your autograph before anyone else." At the praise, my guard finally lowered, but he was already out the door, laptop and briefcase in hand.

⠀⠀"I like him," Aisha announced when the door closed shut. I agreed with a nod, but then Aisha dejectedly sighed, leaned forward, and placed her head on the railing of my bed. "Akari-san, will you be alright if I step out?

⠀⠀"Yeah. I'm more 'angry' than anything."

⠀⠀"I could tell, and I think the nurses could tell, too," she joked.

⠀⠀"I'm sorry if I got loud. I'm just happy it's over," I wearily apologized.

⠀⠀"You're good. For now," Aisha stood and stretched, "I'll be back, alright? Then you can tell me what crystal, um, whatever means."

⠀⠀"Crystallokinetic," I offered.

⠀⠀She pointed at me with a confused deadpan and nodded. "Yeah, that. I'll only be a few minutes, I promise."

⠀⠀"I'll be here," I murmured. Aisha patted my hand, then stepped out of the room. When the door clicked behind her, I sank deeper into my bed. "I hate Mondays."


Author's Note

⠀⠀The level of research I'm going to have to do to accurately portray Akari's intellectual prowess is unreasonable. The things I do to myself.

⠀⠀Remember to review, follow, and favorite if you enjoyed. It lets me know you want more.