Chapter 20

A few hours later, after she had insisted on using the toilet herself instead of relying on the provided bedpan, Tanya was visited once again by two members of the Musutafu police force. One of them stayed largely silent and near the door which had her on edge that he might be a disguised assassin there to keep her from escaping. She dared not to openly use her quirk, but her muscles were painfully tense as she made sure that he never left her peripheral vision.

The other one possessed a familiar face. He was the same guy who was present during the teacher debriefing about the sports festival attack which marginally served to reassure her of their honest intentions.

They questioned her on the course of her recent incident and took her testimony as evidence. Honestly, the fact that they required her version of the events badly enough to bother her while she was still mildly high from painkillers pointed towards how serious they were taking the League of Villains as a threat. Not that Tanya was complaining about that! On the contrary! Eliminating those murderous fools would save her quite the hassle of tracking them down herself. With some luck All Might would bring them to justice before she was even fully healed.

Alas, some of the detective's questions were of a significantly more uncomfortable nature...

"Who exactly was the girl you were going out with?"

What could she say that was neither incriminating nor painted her as a fool?

"We are friends from work. She helped me with paperwork in the past."

Technically that was true, since Himiko had indeed helped her fill out forms in the past. Only her calculation skills were so abysmal that she never bothered to do it again as Tanya needed to correct most of her work afterwards.

"What was her name again? I can't find it in my notes..." shrugged the investigator with feigned remorse.

It was clearly a manipulation tactic, because he had not even pretended to search his notepad.

"Uhm... Himari... or was it Hina? Ah, just ask the human resources department. They should know. We knew each other not too well, you see... and my memory is a little hazy..."

Let the HPSC sort out this mess! She wanted no part in it.

"Is that so? Okay."

He scribbled something down which took entirely too long to be a simple 'does not remember'. Tanya had the bad feeling that she had just made a mistake.

"Then, were you aware that your co-worker was actually another person entirely whom we presume to be the missing seventeen year old girl 'Himiko Toga'?"

Ugh, damn it! Thankfully her trained mask showed nothing but honest surprise.

"Really? And how should I have known that? My quirk is not suited for spy work like that."

Many modern workers reduced their worth entirely to their quirks which was infuriatingly stupid. One did not need a camouflage quirk to hide or a water quirk to put out some fire, although those helped, but people rarely considered using common sense due to a large portion of society being dependent on their genetic mutations.

Playing dumb here was going to be far from an uncommon response.

"So you had no prior knowledge of Himiko Toga acting as your co-worker?"

Steely, brown eyes fixated her mercilessly, scanning her face for the slightest twitch.

Repeatedly dodging the question and remaining vague would only serve to make her more suspicious now, yet her instincts told her that lying again would be equally unwise.

"Detective, I guarantee you that I would not have gone drinking coffee with a person who I wasn't one hundred percent sure of was safe. The HPSC staff gets vetted regularly and never have I heard of an impostor being discovered."

The man in a trench coat hummed noncommittally. A long silence stretched on before he finally nodded and packed his belongings.

"That would be all, Miss Argent. Take care and get better soon."

Suspiciously not long after their departure the nurses brought in a fourth visitor. Wasn't she supposed to be resting? Regardless, Nedzu showing up at her sickbed was not something she had anticipated, although in hindsight it really should have been obvious.

"Miss Degurechaff, I hope I am not arriving at an inopportune moment?"

Forcing herself to be polite, Tanya attempted some small talk. Despite the super-intelligent mammal undoubtedly knowing far more than he let on, she needed to remain in a friendly relationship with him. Allying herself to the sentient animal was risky, but also her best plan at the moment.

"Well, quite the opposite in fact. I am feeling rather bored and I imagine whatever news you are bringing will certainly be... interesting."

"What gave you the idea? Don't you think that visiting my dear employees is not simply basic courtesy?" he grinned.

"You are a busy man, Nedzu. Your time has to be well spent. If the matter could wait any longer then you would have come in a few days. I imagine you are already drowning in paperwork."

"How presumptuous of you, Miss Degurechaff, but not incorrect."

"How can I help you then, Mr. Principal? Is this about my new position at school?"

"In a way, yes. Say... I asked you roughly three weeks ago why we even bother helping out those humans around us who seem to never learn from their mistakes, instead falling back to greed and hatred to solve their problems. 'Animals' you called them even. In the end, I believe you replied rather diplomatically with 'that is the question', no?"

Dread pooled in her stomach.

"Yes?" she asked cautiously.

"Have you come to a definitive answer now? I don't believe for a single second that a woman with your... resolve would not have a concrete goal for her life."

What was that supposed to mean? Was he discussing philosophy to put her off-balance? She needed him on her side, but what answer would he like the most? She could tell him about compassion or bravery... Would that sound heroic enough?

Heroic...

That was what she was obliged to be for the gift of Himiko's continued survival. Would constantly pretending to be something she was not violate this arrangement? Sooner or later she would have to start being honest. Why not begin now to display her trust in Nedzu, which was hopefully going to be reciprocated sometime in the future… Convincing him of her sincerity would ultimately be beneficial for the deepening of their bond.

"I never had a choice."

She turned her gaze to the window, indirectly signalling him that she trusted the white-furred creature to not stab her while she wasn't looking. Also, looking at the bits of swaying greenery in the wind served to calm her nerves.

"I did what I needed to do in order to stay alive. It was either being a hero or living on the streets."

"Was there no remaining family in your homeland that could have taken you in?"

"No. There were... reasons for why I couldn't have left this country anyhow."

"So you say that you are a hero by necessity?"

His voice did not convey any expression of disbelief or disgust; only calm curiosity.

"Originally yes. It was merely another profession created by demand of the populace. Kind of like tax collectors or road inspectors. Only more dangerous and with harder requirements."

Nedzu chuckled softly and she allowed herself a small smile as well.

"What changed?"

"Well... That is something I wanted to talk about with you."

Tanya swallowed as her hands clenched her bed sheets. This was it. Time to see if her gamble would pay off. Normally she would not have taken the risk, but with Administrator Moujin's words fresh in her mind...

"I met someone. For the first time I made a... a real friend. Someone who meant something to me, more than a student or superior. All this time I tried not to care, because it would be used against me, to keep me in line or perform better... Whenever I got close to someone they inevitably got killed."

Unbidden flashes of her soldiers, her 203rd, her brothers and sisters in all but blood assaulted her psyche. The way that some of them had cried out for help while others simply... ceased to be. How they dropped from the sky like tiny, dying stars... Their nightmarish faces had not visited her dreams for years.

"It was only logical that I saw everybody around me as either obstacles or tools, sometimes both. A long, long time ago I would have been satisfied with working a simple, peaceful job in a faceless corporation to earn my keep, so performing as a glorified civil protection officer was no different to me."

Focusing her attention back on Nedzu's beady, black eyes Tanya searched for any sign of recognition. Maybe it was too arrogant to expect a kindred spirit in the greatest intellect on the planet, but she thought that her experience would be at least somewhat comparable to his.

"That is not to say that I don't enjoy my work. Helping innocent people is always more pleasant than destroying things. I know how important it is for the public to continue believing in their safety; else anarchy would have long consumed the world like it did during the Quirk Wars. Making sure that millions of families can raise their children without fear that their city will be turned to ash next week is wonderful."

"Indeed." nodded the principal, his paws folded neatly in front of him.

"I used to think that progress would reduce poverty and violence with every generation. That free trade and human ingenuity were going to lead us into an age where everybody could find a way to be useful and be provided in turn with all the basic necessities of modern life. Obviously, we now live in the twenty-fourth century, hundreds of years after man has set foot on the moon, split the atom and connected the whole world through the internet... and I am still wrong."

"And why is that, Miss Degurechaff?"

"Quirks. They are the worst thing to ever happen to humanity."

"Oh? Quite the intriguing thesis."

"Yes. They moved the primary worth of the individual to a genetic level. Before the age of quirks most humans could have become athletes or politicians for example. Of course some held certain advantages, but ideally those could be overcome by hard work, determination and a willingness to improve yourself. Man back then was not created equal, but equal enough."

"Are you suggesting that such power is nowadays distributed hereditarily in the sense that birth decides one's standing in society? Those with powerful quirks are likely to sire powerful children who will find it easier to occupy positions of power within society than those born less lucky?"

"That is part of the problem. But I have already slightly strayed from the topic. Aside from causing technology to stagnate and order to decay, they also split the people into those with useful, useless and villainous quirks. Nobody wants to hire a person who can produce deadly poison, but everybody expects the child who can control both fire and ice to become a top hero."

"Discrimination has always existed." Nedzu pointed out.

"However those suffering from it were not innately given the power to turn into terrorists and dangerous criminals. One push too many is all it takes to turn a hapless kid into a serial killer. Quirks are tools, capable of making wonders possible, but also atrocities. This... friend I was talking about... She is a good girl. Sly and talented with a penchant for cute and adorable things. She should have been allowed a carefree childhood, but her quirk..."

"'Transform' I presume? Allows her to take on the appearance of whoever's blood she consumes, yes?"

What?! How did he- Oh, of course. This was Nedzu who she was talking to.

Her shock must have been pretty visible, because the deceptively harmless looking animal chuckled heartily.

"I figured you would want to involve young Himiko. After all, the despair on your face when she was about to be murdered was fairly obvious to spot. The emotional stress was even great enough for an awakening of your own quirk to occur. Under better circumstances I would congratulate you, but I am sure there will be a more optimal time for that."

"Huh?" she blinked dumbly.

In one fell swoop he had taken control of the conversation and twisted it into a direction she had absolutely not anticipated.

"Oh, how rude of me. Have you not noticed? Your quirk has spontaneously evolved! A most rare phenomenon which I have never had the pleasure of directly witnessing."

When did that happen? Tanya tried to think back to the events following her meeting with Being X, but recalled only worry for Himiko and an all encompassing fog of pain and gold.

"From silver to gold... poetic, don't you think? We are going to have to test out the exact changes at school. You have me quite intrigued, I must say. Anyways, let's come back to the fate of your unfortunate friend. I assume that you want me to save her from her former employers?"

Was he attempting to put her off balance by rapidly switching between topics? If so, it was admittedly working.

Nervously she scanned the room for any recording devices, even though she checked for that already hours ago. Focusing back on Nedzu she nodded near imperceptibly as to not spell out those treasonous words burning on her tongue. Plausible deniability was important in case this turned out to be an elaborate trap.

"No need to be so cautious. I ensured that nobody will overhear us here."

That sounded vaguely like a threat. Idly she wondered if this wasn't the real Nedzu...

"The flowers behind my desk on the day of our first conversation were bluebells. I am in fact the real me. And no, I did not just read your mind. I merely avoid spelling out the obvious most of the time, because it frightens others and is generally considered uncomfortable. No one wants to be at a disadvantage or feel powerless, right?"

"Right." Tanya responded drily.

He was a genius after all and those tended to be eccentric.

The principal of UA chuckled once again.

"If you know this much already then you also are probably aware that Himiko needs protection immediately. I fear for her safety now that she was unmasked and I don't know where they brought her. Please, I need your help to secure her before they make her disappear. It is a lot to ask from you, but I would do anything-"

"It is done."

"... You enjoy this, don't you?"

"Mmh? I am afraid I don't follow?"

His grin told her that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

Suppressing a sigh she bowed her head as far as she was able in her injured state and whispered: "Thank you. Please keep her safe."

"No problem, Miss Degurechaff. She is the reason for your newfound heroic passion, no? Protecting those you care for is a fine goal. I have sworn to help all who are part of my school and you, Argent, are not exempt from this."

The burden pressing on her heart suddenly felt a lot lighter.

"Well, I'm off then. You said it yourself, I'm a busy man! Get better soon! I look forward to welcoming you again as a healthy member of my staff!"

Tucking his white paws into the pockets of his immaculate designer suit, Nedzu approached the door without even glancing back. Everything seemed well enough, but there was an uncomfortable feeling gnawing at the back of Tanya's mind...

"Wait! Wasn't there something you wanted to discuss as well?" she called out.

"Oh, I've got all the answers I needed. This was indeed about your continued employment at UA and I am glad to note that you passed my tests with flying colours! I just needed to confirm how attached to the HPSC you still were. Luckily it appears as if you are not unhappy to betray them."

Panic filled her as he casually signed what could very well be her death sentence.

"But I never mentioned-"

"No you didn't. You did not need to. Toodles, as the kids say!" he waved cheekily before he slipped through the door, leaving Tanya to stew in the implications of his ominous words.

Somehow she knew that she had been played from the very beginning.

~[#҈#]~

Keigo Takami, commonly known as Japan's third highest rated hero 'Hawks', slowly breathed in and out on his way to the little monster that was his childhood acquaintance. Despite having been trained in different facilities for security purposes, he and Tanya had crossed paths often during joint exercises or special missions. Together they kept the streets clean by acting as the Commission's secret strike force. Now though, he dreaded meeting who many considered merely a cute young girl, for he knew better.

In many ways they were similar and had faced the same tribulations. Nonetheless the contrast between him and the cold-eyed, fanatical facsimile of a human could not be starker. Keigo occasionally joked to himself that he was lucky that his parents never loved him. After all, if losing your actual parents changed a person so much, as seen in Tanya's case, then he wanted no part in it. His childhood before the HPSC had been shitty, but he at least did have some childish joy and innocence left when they took him in. Tanya on the other hand was stern and unfeeling from the moment he first met her.

No baby could be born with such a dead expression. He refused to believe that the world could be so cruel. Instead the traumatic loss of her mother and father must have been the reason behind the fact that in his experience, Tanya Degurechaff had never been an actual child.

Only blank darkness lay behind her shining blue orbs.

Neither mirth nor pride ever showed itself; regardless of how thoroughly she defeated him in a spar.

Anger and frustration were equally absent whenever he pinned her to the rough concrete of the training hall.

Although sometimes...

Sometimes Keigo thought that he spotted pity in her gaze.

Shaking away those creepy memories he handed in his hero licence and entry permit at the security checkpoint outside her door and flashed the bored police officers his trademarked grin. Stuffing his hands back into his pockets and whistling a low tune he opened the hospital door and waltzed in as if he had all the confidence in the world.

"Hi, Tanya! Pretty banged up I see."

Cheerful carelessness was one of his greatest weapons. It confused villains, ensured civilians that everything was under control and irritated his superiors (which was amusing). The facade of slightly oafish jovialness was as much a part of him as his quirk.

"Certainly." drawled the girl-shaped pile of blankets and bandages.

"Been in quite the shuffle, ey?" he tried to rile her up.

Getting a genuine reaction out of her was one of his longest-lasting games.

"I bet it was all over the news. What do you want, Hawks?"

As usual, Tanya did not rise to the bait.

"Nothing major. It's been a few days since you got nearly put through a wall by that Monster Inc reject and M being his caring, fatherly self wanted me to check up on you, eleventh goddess. Or should I say 'Valkyrie' now? Kinda jealous that I don't get cool nicknames like that."

"What?"

Hilarious! Well, not really. But he had been forced to laugh about far more awful stuff in the past.

"Don't you have WLAN here?"

She lightly shook her blonde head in bewilderment.

"Honestly... After turning golden and all that, it was kinda inevitable. Guess who got a new moniker on social media? You lucky pumpkin! Of course we will have to see if it sticks or if everybody forgets about it next week, but still. I'll have to give it to you. Your merch is probably gonna sell better than mine this quarter."

"That is... unsurprising." she admitted quietly.

"Eh, that's how those fanboys are. If I was an adorable little girl like you they would be frothing at the mouth for me too." Keigo smirked.

As his hero name suggested his quirk gave him most biological benefits of a hawk, including sight. Smugly he noted with his enhanced eyes the disdainful twitch of her lip as he called her 'adorable'. Tanya had always attempted to appear like a boring, unremarkable adult.

Promptly she deflected: "And how have you been doing?"

"Pretty alright all things considered. Had to clean up a few thugs who thought that they could take advantage of the tumultuous mood in the city right now. Crazy times where villains can attack heroes in broad daylight and get away with it."

"Yeah. I wonder why the higher-ups allowed that to happen. Doesn't fit their typical agenda."

"Who knows? By the way do you think the League is gonna stay relevant much longer now that they have basically the entire pro scene hunting them down?"

Tanya possessed an uncanny ability to predict future events and strategies on occasion. Then again even a broken clock was right twice per day.

"If Himiko has her way then they won't even exist anymore next month."

Had it not been for his gruelling training he would have almost flinched.

That was the true cause of his wariness around Tanya. She was a proper psychopath and apparently could infect others with her thirst for blood.

When she killed that bio-terrorist over seven years ago there had been no hesitation and no remorse for her actions. She merely cleaned her knife on his shirt and then proceeded to explain why it was necessary to put him down before he released his artificial viruses into the air. Her efforts to console him afterwards were even more terrible.

Of course he understood the requirement to neutralize certain dangers to society, but such an innate talent at killing was simply unnatural. It was deeply twisted. Keigo had gotten his fingers fairly dirty over time, yet it never got really easier to take a life for him. Tanya however...

Sooner or later the tiny blond monster would snap and she was going to carve a bloody path through Japan before he managed to stop her. With her flawless track record and high popularity among their handlers his concerns would be brushed aside as paranoia or worse: defamation. There was nothing he could do until it was too late and that would be his biggest regret.

Judging from how often she beat him in a one on one fight he might not survive when she grew bored by the HPSC and became the greatest villain in modern history.

"Mhm… Be that as it may. Nice chattin' with ya, but my wings are getting cramped. See ya soon and don't torture your kids too much!"

Ignoring her goodbye he fled the hospital.

During his whole flight back home the irrational part of his brain asked itself how difficult it would be for her to gut him. Wasn't he supposed to be the ultimate predator of the air? Hawks definitely needed to keep a closer eye on her in order to avoid a gory nightmare if she ever turned against the Commission!