⠀⠀The week passed at a crawl. I remained restless, with nothing to do but sit and wait. Even after I received a new phone and had the internet, boredom nipped at my mind. Thankfully I was allowed to leave the hospital on Saturday, and a jet awaited after a short ride to the airport.
⠀⠀The aircraft was an eyesore: shaped like an upside-down paper airplane and painted bright green. I didn't care for the logos plastered on its wings or the flight itself. It was short, and only the view of Musutafu when we landed mattered.
⠀⠀The city was sprawling but compact. I saw alluring beaches, the looping elevated railways, towering skyscrapers, and the high school of my dreams. U.A., in its pristine glory, stood above it all. Everything from its main campus to the tucked-away fake cities was glorious. Yet as quickly as I saw the gem, it faded from view as we landed.
⠀⠀I rocked back and forth on my feet with barely controlled excitement and choked out, "Musutafu! I can't believe I'm here, at last! That took so much longer than needed..."
⠀⠀The only response I got from Aisha was a quaking snore. She was leaned back in a chair with the top button on her dress shirt unbuttoned while wearing a sleep mask. I immediately poked at her shoulder, trying to wake her. A minute passed in failure, then two, then I called her phone and hoped the familiar noise would stir her. An English rock song blared instead of a ring, and I bobbed my head along, but even it failed. She still snored away, unwaking.
⠀⠀Hanging up, I finally aimed a finger at her ankle and used my thumb as a sight. A steam-like gunshot exploded from my fingertip, and a tiny salt cube shattered against her skin. Her yelp was loud and booming and made the flight crew jump.
⠀⠀"Ah, what the hell," she swore as she tried to leap to her feet. Instead, she stumbled forward and crashed into the chair across from her. Aisha groaned as she slowly removed her sleeping mask before eying me. "What was that for?" she asked.
⠀⠀"You're hard to wake up," I said flatly.
⠀⠀"No, I'm not," she needlessly argued. "Just don't do — whatever you did, again. Alright?"
⠀⠀"Then wake up to your ring tone," I countered while holding my steaming finger to the ceiling. With a soft breath, I then blew the steam away.
⠀⠀She made a huffed sigh, then tossed her sleeping mask into her purse. "Well, 'cowgirl,'" she said, referring to me in English, "don't do that again, or I'll return fire."
⠀⠀"Good. I'll finally have something to do," I challenged as I lifted up my luggage by its new salt handle.
⠀⠀"Didn't you download a few games on your phone?" she dejectedly questioned. "I know you're texting someone all the time."
⠀⠀"I'm not texting someone. I'm using a tutoring app," I corrected. "I'm helping others with their homework. And the other apps are all study ones for U.A.."
⠀⠀"You need a hobby besides school," she complained as she stumbled to her feet. "And didn't you download twelve apps? How can none of them be something fun?"
⠀⠀"Studying is fun," I countered but received a 'disbelieving' look. "Okay, not English, but everything else is. I love geometry, chemistry, biology, reading, and history, and I've got apps for them. "Even for," I made a face, "English."
⠀⠀"Of all things, how do you have problems with English?"
⠀⠀My shoulders fell, and I complained, "Look, the vocabulary structure makes sense, but the grammar structure is frustrating. It doesn't help that I have to remember the differences between American English and European English, and don't get me started on its rules of exceptions! I swear, the only language worse than English is French..."
⠀⠀"You're going to have to explain that one," Aisha said, perplexed.
⠀⠀"The Doctors said to avoid stress, so no," I dismissed.
⠀⠀With a roll of her heavy eyes, Aisha stretched and yawned. "Fine. If you need help, I'll help you study English when we get to the hotel," she offered as she grabbed our luggage from an overhead rack. "Come on, we got a cab waiting..."
⠀⠀"I thought we were getting an apartment," I assumed.
⠀⠀"It's being inspected by a hero agency. Was being inspected," she corrected. They found," she made an odd face, "a few problems. I — don't know, something with the plumming. I think one of the windows whistled when it was windy. Sorry, I skimmed the email, but it should be ready tomorrow, so don't fret." Aisha then guided me to the jet's off-ramp and towards the airport.
⠀⠀"I wasn't going to," I reassured her.
⠀⠀"Nana-sama should meet up with us soon. If not in the cab, then tomorrow. Probably." She yawned and held her hand to cover her mouth. "I'll be heading out after you're fully moved into your apartment..."
⠀⠀"You're leaving tomorrow?" I gasped. "I thought you said you were leaving in September."
⠀⠀"What? No, I am staying till them! And I said don't fret," Aisha reminded me. "Fully moved in means: school, job, bills, apartment. That you're taken care of."
⠀⠀"Oh..."
⠀⠀"And don't worry about selling your salt or working part-time. I think Nana-sama's trying to pull some strings for you. She's got you an afternoon job — somewhere. I don't know. She mentioned it in a call but hasn't told me anything," Aisha complained.
⠀⠀"Well, I wish you would have told me that sooner," I grumbled. "I had two phone interviews while you were doing lunch runs. They were odd."
⠀⠀"Eh, don't worry about them," she ordered. "Nana-sama's job is probably better, anyways. She knows people."
⠀⠀"I'm surprised they're doing so much for me," I added.
⠀⠀"It's called being a hero, Akari-chan. We got to do the right thing when we can," she explained, but her posture stiffened as she spoke. "Now, where was I? Cab ride, hotel, apartment, job, school, and, um." She snapped her fingers. "Lunch. Right. Lunch. We need to get you something to eat."
⠀⠀"Did you really forget about food?" I asked the exhausted woman.
⠀⠀"Hey, food's never on my mind, first thing in the morning," she argued.
⠀⠀"It's almost one, Aisha-san. It's not even morning," I countered. "That's not a good thing."
⠀⠀"Neither is," she pointed her finger at me but seemingly gave up, letting herself slump. "You know what, never mind. I'm too tired and hungry to argue with you... Are you up for, I don't know, ramen or something?"
⠀⠀"Don't distract me with my favorite food," I scoffed as I stared at her posture. Her muscles were tense, more so than the day before or even this morning. "You slept wrong, didn't you?"
⠀⠀"I did," she complained, letting herself hunch forward.
⠀⠀"After we get to the hotel, I'll let you pick the bed," I offered.
⠀⠀"I think I'll be fine if I don't sleep in a spare hospital bed," she winced.
⠀⠀Eventually, we entered the airport, then exited near one of the many entrances where our cab waited for us. It turned out to be a mini-limo, and I only knew it was for us because of the short man standing with a sign. Aisha's name was written in gold, while the paper was black.
⠀⠀The sign's holder wore a bright orange vest, a white undershirt, and black dress pants. His nose was large and bent, his jaw uneven, and without a word, he opened the limo door as we approached. Yet, he seemed familiar.
⠀⠀I struggled to place him, but those thoughts faded when I saw who was waiting for us. A woman, tall with raven black-haired, a black bodysuit, yellow gloves, white boots, and a flowing cape, sat with a smile. Her uniform was unmistakable, and my heart stopped as a smile grew on my face.
⠀⠀"Y-you're the Smiling Hero: Floatie," I muttered, but not loud enough for her to hear.
⠀⠀"Nana-sama! I'm so happy to see you," Aisha squealed as she filed into the short limo. Behind her, she abandoned her luggage, which the drive snagged.
⠀⠀"I had Floatie's number for years," I continued in my panicked silence.
⠀⠀"Not so loud, Aisha-kun. I just put Kataro to sleep," Nana warned as she hugged my current guardian.
⠀⠀"Oh, sorry," Aisha apologized as she leaned towards a car seat I hadn't seen in my excitement. "Oh, Kotaro's gotten so big. He's three now, right?"
⠀⠀"He's three in December," Nana, AKA Floatie, corrected.
⠀⠀"Well, let me introduce my brat." Aisha sat down with Kotaro in between them and pointed at me. "Nana-sama, this is Shio Akari-kun. Akari-kun, this is Shimura Nana-sama. You may know her better as-"
⠀⠀"The Smiling Hero: Floatie," I interrupted her. Then I quickly took a respectful bow. "It's so nice to meet you in person, Ma'am!"
⠀⠀"It's nice to meet you too, Shio-san, but please. Not so loud," she requested. I glanced at the young child next to her, winced, then mouthed sorry. "It's okay, Shio-san, or would you rather I use your name instead?" she asked as the driver took the opportunity to take my luggage. "I know you're not a fan of your family."
⠀⠀I rose and frowned. "No, I love my family. I just — don't love 'him,'" I corrected, and thankfully, I didn't have to elaborate. From their expressions, both women understood. "But, you can call me whatever you like, Ma'am," I quickly added.
⠀⠀"Well then, Akari-san, hop in. Knowing this air-head, you probably haven't had lunch yet," Nana offered.
⠀⠀"Air-head?" Aisha gasped as I stepped into the limo. Behind me, the driver closed the door.
⠀⠀"No, we haven't. We were just talking about that when we landed," I mentioned as I sat across from the heroes.
⠀⠀"I can't believe you're still calling me that, Nana-sama," Aisha pouted, only to hold her hand to her stomach. "Eh, you know what? I don't care. I need food. So where are we eating?"
⠀⠀Nana leaned towards the door beside her and pressed a button. "Sonoda-san, please drive us to that restaurant you recommended. The one near the hotel." When no response came, she asked, "Sonda-san, are you there?"
⠀⠀"I'm sorry, Shimura-sama, I was putting their luggage away. Would you kindly repeat what you said?" the driver replied. His voice, like his face, seemed familiar, but again, I couldn't place him.
⠀⠀"Please take us to that restaurant you recommended," she repeated. "The American one, please."
⠀⠀"Understood, Shimura-sama," the driver, whose voice was still oddly familiar, answered. The cab then rumbled to life, and with a faint jerk, we were moving.
⠀⠀"So, Nana-sama, how've you been?" Aisha then asked, and I was eager to hear the answer.
⠀⠀"Busy," she grumbled. "Flying between here and Hosu to cover your patrols is a lot of work. Today's one of my few off."
⠀⠀"I wonder why," Aisha cooed as her golden eyes stared me down. "Hope you've been enjoying my rogues. Akari-kun is much better company than they are."
⠀⠀Nana made a face, then grumbled, "You weren't kidding when you said they were colorful. Why are most of the villains there space-themed?"
⠀⠀"Spite, I think?" Aisha offered. It was less of an answer and more of a question.
⠀⠀"And how do they keep getting out of prison?" Nana asked. "It's like a revolving door with them..."
⠀⠀"I don't know. I'm just greatful I have a break from those idiots," Aisha hummed.
⠀⠀"How about you, Akari-san?" Nana's smile turned to me. "I hope Airhead has been treating you well."
⠀⠀I couldn't help but laugh at Aisha's nickname. "She's been great, Shimura-san," I chuckled. "She's — made this easier."
⠀⠀"That's good," Nana hummed. "Hey, Aisha, about my email." At the lack of a honorifics, Aisha sat straighter. "Do you think I can trust Akari-san?"
⠀⠀The question made me raise an eyebrow, then my guard. The silence that followed made me worry until Nana facepalmed. "You skimmed it, didn't you?" she then asked.
⠀⠀"She did," I quickly put in, recalling her comment from earlier.
⠀⠀"Sorry," Aisha confessed, her cheeks red. "I've been busy."
⠀⠀"She means she's been sleeping," I laughed.
⠀⠀"You shush," she hissed. "Now, just give me a sec to read it." It was not a request as she pulled out her phone and opened her email. Slowly, she scanned her screen while nodding on occasion. "Yes, Nana-sama," she finally spoke in an even voice. "I'd think she's a good fit. She wants to be a hero, and she's smart. Like, really smart. She's willing to work for money, and considering she has stars in her eyes for you, I'm sure you can trust her."
⠀⠀While the answer was flattery, I slowly balled my hands into fists as she flicked her phone with her thumb and continued to scroll. Not once did she look away from her email while Nana kept her gaze on me. I felt uncomfortable being subjected to her unblinking, smiling poker face. Until Aisha let out a quiet laugh.
⠀⠀"Oh yeah, she'll need to be trained. Well," she paused and looked up, "Akari-san, do you know CPR?"
⠀⠀"I do, actually," I slowly answered.
⠀⠀"Of course you do," Aisha hummed. She then turned to her phone and continued to sound off. "Well, that's one less thing you need to learn then. But dangers?" She looked up at me and hummed, "When she gets furious, she losses control of her quirk, and salt grows around her hands. Otherwise, she's a green light from me, Nana-sama."
⠀⠀She placed her fist against her breast and corrected, "Or as I, Second Light, would say," her voice rose in pitch, "she's a star that just needs polish! Then she'll truly shine in the night sky!"
⠀⠀"Thank you, Aisha-kun," Nana nodded. "Shio Akari, I am aware you are looking for a job. You're a smart girl, and it's unwise for you to work publically. I'm sure you'll like my offer, and I trust you after reading Kitagawa-san's psychological evaluation of you. Aisha-kun's word helps, but — she isn't the best judge of character..."
⠀⠀"Hey," Aisha grumbled to herself quietly. "Is today 'pick on me' day or something?"
⠀⠀Nana leaned forward and interlocked her fingers. Not once did her smile falter, but now, the curled edges of her lips sent chills down my spine. My guard rose further as she gazed into my eyes and seemingly looked through me. It was disconcerting, and something in the air felt unnatural.
⠀⠀"My offer is not provided by the Japanese Government. I'm personally asking you this. Not as Floatie, the hero, but as a mother," she confessed. "I don't have much time on my hands since I'm helping Aisha. Even after she returns to work, that won't change, and I need help — handling a personal matter."
⠀⠀As she finally looked away from me, her foot began to tap. With a gentle hand, she caressed her son's cheek. Then stated, "I trust Kitagawa-san, and he trusts you, so I want you to help take care of my son. I want you to watch Kotaro while I'm away."
⠀⠀Quickly, I gazed at the sleeping child between Aisha and Nana. I didn't know what to say or do, and my mouth felt dry as the gears in my mind slowly turned. Kotaro was small. Tiny, even, and he seemed so brittle compared to his mother.
⠀⠀"You'll need to take childcare classes," Nana continued. "Then at least one hour of quirk training. Even if it was accidental, I can't risk you hurting yourself or Kotaro. The pay would be two-hundred-thousand yen a month. That's including this month, if you agree, since your training would start tomorrow." She turned back to me, and her smile grew. "What do you say?"
⠀⠀I opened my mouth to answer, but my voice caught in my throat. Instead, as the minutes dragged, Aisha leaned forward and teased in English, "Nana-sama got your tongue?" I could only nod. "I know she's asking a lot," she continued in English, "but you're smart. I'm sure you can handle it."
⠀⠀"Yeah," I squeaked out, but then a thought came to mind. My timid demeanor died as I asked, "Wait, doesn't — Kotaro have a father?"
⠀⠀Nana didn't answer right, and I worriedly choked, hoping I didn't ask the wrong question. "He's working your case," she eventually disclosed.
⠀⠀"Oh," I mouthed, and another thought came to mind. I grimaced and thought aloud, "So — I split your family up."
⠀⠀"What? No, no," Nana remarked as her poker face fell. "We chose this. When I asked Sorahiko about your situation, he and I agreed we would help you! I ensured Aisha-kun could get to you while Sam agreed to head the investigation! You didn't break us apart. When we learned what you went through, we knew we had to help."
⠀⠀Her voice then rose, and with a laugh, she pressed, "So at least smile." She lifted her cheeks up at her dimples with her pointing fingers. "It was the right thing to do, and he's working hard so that you're safe from your Grandfather!" My heart softened at the request, but the faint smirk was nothing to her magnificent grin.
⠀⠀"Oh..."
⠀⠀"Wow. It's been a while since I've seen you flustered, Nana-sama," Aisha observed with a sly grin. "But, yeah, Samanosuke-san is always trying to help people. Especially when there's a kid involved," she then put in. "So don't feel bad, Akari-kun. Just do what I do and blame Nana. It always works for me. In fact, she practically begged me to help you, so knowing her, she probably begged Samanosuke."
⠀⠀I gave a slow nod. "Okay..." Then I tried to smile like Nana, yet it felt wrong, forced even, and instead, I settled for a sly grin.
⠀⠀"Better," Nana complemented. "So what do you say, Akari-san?"
⠀⠀I examined Nana, then her son, then answered, "you had me at 'two-hundred-thousand yen.'"
⠀⠀"Oh, so it's the yen that persuaded you," Aisha teased. "Looks like you can cover our lunch bill-"
⠀⠀A metal-twisting crash squished me into my seat, cutting Aisha off mid-sentence. Kotaro began to cry as gravity flipped upside down. Vaguely, I saw Nana rip herself out of her seat as the world spun while Aisha lit up like a star. With a stomach-wrenching twirl, the two sprang forward, and the rotating world righted itself into the streets of Musutafu. In the corner of my eye, I saw the short limo flip over the highway's rail and crash into a building.
⠀⠀"You okay, Akari-chan?" Aisha asked me, but bile rose in my throat, and I couldn't answer her. "Akari-chan?" she spoke again, and her worried frown twisted into view. She realized her mistake too late as I immediately threw up to her disgust. "Oh, come on! Akari-chan, why?! Not down my shirt!"
⠀⠀"Complain later," Nana ordered in a booming voice. "Now, take Kotaro and Sonda and get these three somewhere safe!" My position shifted as someone's weight squeezed into me, and a second volley of bile threatened to escape.
⠀⠀"Hey! Nana! I'm not as strong as you! Do you know how hard it is to carry two people and a baby?" Aisha complained.
⠀⠀"Just get them somewhere safe while I'll handle the villain," Nana pressed.
⠀⠀"W-what villain?" Aisha asked, but she didn't receive an answer as Nana few off. "D-damn it! Hold on," she ordered as she struggled to hold her balance.
⠀⠀The wable caused a second wave of bile parsed my lips, but after an explosion rocked the air, throwing us aside, I vomited again. My filth caked dozens of cars as Aisha spun in the air, only to cry in pain as she cushioned our crash. I rolled away from them from the force and twitched in agony as my sore body screamed from the impact.
⠀⠀Aisha, now grounded, shoved the unconscious driver off her and checked Kotaro. Her sigh of relief was a good sign, but as more bile stained the alley, his safety and our situation escaped my focus.
⠀⠀"Mama! Where Mama?!" a child, Kotaro, I assumed, cried.
⠀⠀"She's fighting the bad guys, Kotaro," Aisha answered the boy. Her voice grew as she looked my way. "Kotaro-kun's fine," she declared. "You okay, Akari-chan?" My gasp for air was my only response. "Talk to me, Akari-chan. Breath and talk to me."
⠀⠀"Hurt," I coughed, but as I fought to breathe, only short words escaped me. "Hurt. Not bad."
⠀⠀"That's good. Do you think you can-" Another explosion sent a concussive shiver down my spine and interrupted Aisha.
⠀⠀"Mama!" Kotaro cried louder.
⠀⠀"Crap! Listen, Akari! You want to be a hero?" Aisha barked. "Here's your start. Pull yourself together, call our driver an ambulance, and watch Kotaro. Nana just got thrown through a building, and I need to help her!" Without another word, she lit up with a golden aura and took off into the sky. Like a comet, a faint trail of plasma followed behind her.
⠀⠀Then the smell arose as her aura burned away the bile. It made me gag as I tried to stand, but as quickly as it came, it left with Aisha. I was grateful my stomach was now empty. Then I pulled my phone out and dialed one-one-nine.
⠀⠀There was no pause between my phone's ring and a soft male's voice answering. "Musutafu emergency line, how can I help you?"
⠀⠀"I need an — ambulance, but I'm new to Musutafu. I don't know where I am," I spoke slowly into my phone as I stumbled closer to the crying Kotaro. "We were in a car accident, and our driver is unconscious. Heros are fighting a villain."
⠀⠀"I understand, Ma'am. Do you consent to your phone being tracked? We can get an ambulance to you faster," the operator asked.
⠀⠀"I don't think my phone 'can' be tracked. I'm under hero protection," I explained. "You're welcome to try."
⠀⠀"Alright, Ma'am. Could you try to describe where you are? I might be able to direct-"
⠀⠀I 'eeped' as a firm hand took my phone and spun to see the driver. "We're west of Sakawa River, along the national highway, in an alley. Look north of the smoke. Past the Jaw-adwa parlor," he explained. "Hard to miss."
⠀⠀Again his voice was familiar, but I let him give directions as I unbuckled Kotaro from his chair. The tiny child welcomed me until he realized I wasn't his mother and continued to wail. Calming words didn't help, and neither did the booming, unknown ruckus outside the alley.
⠀⠀"Hey, get here fast. The driver doesn't look right," Sonoda explained as I rose a brow at the comment. "And this kid's phone isn't charged," my guard rose as I spun about, "I think it'll die any second now." His thumb moved, and as he hung up, his body bulged.
⠀⠀Buttons on his shirt were blasted off as large muscles tore the fabric underneath. His shoes popped into two as he began to grow taller and taller. Horror struck Kotaro as his face began to rip, and only after a familiar man looked over us did I realize it was a prosthetic mask. Like Kotaro, I was horror-stricken, but not at the transformation, but the man itself.
⠀⠀"Masaru-sensei," I breathed, and my grip on Kotaro grew tighter.
⠀⠀"Akari-kun," my now naked Sensei began, and fear drove me to take a shaky step away from him. I nearly tumbled over Kotaro's car seat. "Don't run. I taught you better than that." He moved to take a familiar fighting stance, but the moment he shifted, I dashed down the alley as adrenaline washed away the fog on my mind. "I said," he roared behind me as I heard him give chase, "defend yourself!"
⠀⠀I was fast, but Sensei's size alone allowed him to chase me down. My head start amounted to nothing as his hands closed in and yanked me into the air. With a twirled powerbomb, I was slammed into the ground. My panicked shout when he grabbed me curdled into a scream as my head cracked against the pavement. The pain caused me to release Kotaro, who flopped out of my arms. Thankfully, he was unharmed.
⠀⠀The assault and my scream didn't go unnoticed in the busy streets of Musutafu. Even with the villain's attack causing people to run, all eyes turned to see my nude Sensei. There was a yell for him to stop, asking him what the hell he was doing, and a scream for a hero, but it wasn't enough to deter him. With a hard yank, he dragged me into the air by my foot, and with one fluid motion, he flung me into the street.
⠀⠀As I bounced off the hood of a running car and landed between the lanes, I was thankful the traffic had stalled from the explosions. Again, my adrenalin spiked, and used to my Sensei's beatings, I forced myself to stand. While the world spun and blurred, instinct took hold as I readied a fighting stance. My guard was high, my weight was balanced on my right leg, and I crouched slightly to compensate for our size difference. Faintly, I could feel salt cake my hands and creep down my wrists.
⠀⠀Sensei closed the distance, and my preparation amounted to nothing as his experience tore me through the air and into a car's windshield. I sharply inhaled as the glass curled around me and cracked against my back. Yet it didn't shatter until the driver screamed and slammed the gas. The lurch forward pushed me back through the glass and into the car as it crashed into my Sensei. His howl of pain masked my gasp as my skin was flayed by the glass.
⠀⠀As I twitched in pain, the car suddenly crashed, and Sensei's legs were crushed between the car's bumper and the sedan behind him. I looked up in time to see, to my horror, the towering man suddenly grow. A meter was added to his height, and with a meaty hand and strength I had never seen before, he pried himself free by lifting the front of the car.
⠀⠀I reached for the passenger door's handle, but it remained locked as Sensei shifted the car's weight to one hand. He then used his other to pierce the car's hood and rip something out of the engine. It caused the car to die, scaring the driver into a panic. She screamed again, and her loud dismay caused my querk to flare.
⠀⠀When she threw open her door and leaped out, a chaotic mess of salt grew on my forearms in an amalgamation of colors; blue, red, pink, white, and gray. I moved to follow her until Sensei dropped the car, and I slipped back into the glass. It bit and jabbed back into my skin until Sensei reached through the front windshield and wretched me out.
⠀⠀"I said defend yourself," he scowled as his mammoth-sized hand clenched my throat. "So use your damned querk, Akari! Control it! Like you were trained! And fight back!"
⠀⠀"I won't ruin my — chances of getting into U.A.!" I gasped, risking what breath I had. "I won't! No!"
⠀⠀Sensei rolled his eyes, then threw me back towards where Kotaro was. "Then don't prove that bastard right, Akari! Fight! Be useful! Don't just take the pain! Show me, no, show the world what you're capable of! Earn that quirk of yours!"
⠀⠀"N-no!" I sputtered as my lungs burned. With shaky knees, I rose from the asphalt and held my head high in defiance. It made Sensei growl until his orange eyes loomed over the two-year-old, who had sat crying, alone. "D-don't!" I snapped at him, already seeing the idea form in his head.
⠀⠀"Then stop me," he coldly remarked, and I felt the salt on my palms burn.
⠀⠀His first step forward covered nearly two lanes, thanks to his size and stride. I freaked as I spun and tried to dive for Kotaro. His second step was bushed into my back as he pinned me under his weight. His third interrupted my scream as his mass crushed my ribs. Then his massive hand engulfed the boy, and as Kotaro's screams went quiet, my quirk flaired.
⠀⠀"No!" I roared.
⠀⠀Where Sensei pressed his weight, salt erupted from my back in a tornado-like geometrical spiral of jagged cubes. It grew and grew and quickly towered over Sensei in seconds. Like a wave, the sodium crashed in all directions, following a logarithm spiral. Cars were pushed back, the sidewalk and roadside were ravaged, and Sensei was slammed into the side of the building.
⠀⠀The salt's weight, and the way it blossomed, pinned me to the ground. I couldn't breathe, but thankfully, as my power bit into Sensei, tearing at his flesh, it forced him to open his hand. Kotaro gasped for air with a sharp breath as he fell free, only for my salt to cradle around him. The geometry smoothed, and he slid down into my arms sprawled arms.
⠀⠀His face was red, he took horrid gasps of air, and every other breath was a cough. He was otherwise fine, and I grinned like Nana said until a loud crack rumbled through my salt. I looked to see Sensei fight the sodium, trying to grow, to pry himself free.
⠀⠀Steam bubbled from my back as I followed his lead and unpinned myself from my own querk. The weight of Kotaro felt heavy as I stood, and the old September air stung my now open back. I made it ten meters before he ripped himself free. Then a yellow and white blur scooped me into its arms, and the world whizzed by. My heart rate spiked until I saw the graying blond of a familiar man. He wore yellow boots, a cape, gloves, and a belt over a white jumpsuit.
⠀⠀"Gran Torino," I heaved in my excitement.
⠀⠀"Hold on to Kotaro, Akari-san. I'm getting you two to a hospital," he informed me as he held his eyes leveled towards my Sensei. "I'll let you handle that brut, Floatie!" I followed his gaze to see my Nana and my Sensei. They stood before the salt tower, with the latter floating at eye level to Sensei.
⠀⠀"You're going to pay for hurting my son," I heard her declare, but I never saw Sensei's reaction.
⠀⠀"Oh god..." I whispered to myself as my eyes became saucers. With hesitation, I followed the tornado-like salt up to its peak. The flower-like blossoming spire rivaled the buildings around it, and cars consumed by the salt hung like decorations on a Christmas tree. "Oh god!" I wept as I saw my dreams impaled within the salt. "Please, no! No, no! Did I just do that? No!"
Author's Note
⠀⠀Sometimes it takes the worst people we know to bring out the worst of us.
⠀⠀Remember to review, follow, and favorite if you enjoyed. It lets me know you want more.
