Trigger warnings: mentions of cheating, and a break up through text. Music selection for this chapter: Start Again by OneRepublic ft Logic, and How to Save A Life by The Fray. Don't worry, our kids will be home soon.


"And you found all of this in Toda's apartment?" Naomasa says, looking through the papers as Reina and Eia stand there in front of his desk. Eia watches Reina nod, biting down on her thumb nail as she folds her other arm under her chest. "These seem almost...like he was assessing them to give to someone. Harvesting quirks or something."

"Look at that you can do your job," Reina snaps at him, shrinking back as he looks up with an eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry, I'm still reeling. I-I can't believe he would do something like this."

"And you said you haven't been able to get a hold of him since last night?" he asks.

"That's right," Eia speaks up, stepping forward and placing a hand on the small of Reina's back. "I tried calling him when he never showed for his shift today and Elementia tried to get a hold of him on the way in and while she was in the office. We went to his apartment after, and it was empty except for those files."

"Understood," he tells them, nodding his head. "This doesn't entirely clear you, Elementia, but it looks better than it did. If you can get me footage of him breaking into your office to get these files, you'll be cleared. However, I was cleared to give you some information about your sister's situation."

"Is she okay?" Reina asks immediately, lurching forward and pressing her hands to the desk. Her eyes are wide, her heart beating fast in her chest. "Have-have they called to demand a ransom, or anything? I-I need to know please."

"We have two possible ideas as to where they are," he assures her. "We are scheduling a raid for tomorrow night during a press conference the school is holding with Vlad King, Eraserhead, and Principal Nezu. We'll be hitting both places at the same time so they can't escape. Hopefully we won't be too late."

"I want to join," she demands, curling her hands into fists. "I need to join this raid-"

"I apologize for insinuating that we still had open slots available for this," he replies to her, leaning back in the chair. "We already have both teams ready, and we are waiting for them to finish their work up today and early tomorrow to focus solely on this mission. You were not chosen as you are too close to one of the victims and are not able to think objectively, as you keep proving my point."

"That's my fucking sister!" she yells at him, slamming her fist into the desk. Eia flinches and comes forward, murmuring some gentle words to ease her away from it. "You bastards-"

"I understand this is a stressful situation for you," he assures. "I can sympathize with you, but you have to understand where we are coming from here. What if you were to lose yourself for a moment? You are not a judge, jury, and executioner, you are to leave that to the proper authorities. And at this moment in time, I do not believe you are capable of being objective and disconnected from the situation. We have two hostages in this situation, not just your sister. Both of their safeties are our top priority, and at this moment in time, you would jeopardize one for the other."

"Elementia, he's right," Eia says softly, seeing the redhead's green eyes nearly glowing with anger. "Breathe. He's just doing his job."

"You…" She takes a deep breath, exhaling through her nose. "You'll call me as soon as she's safe, right? The moment you have her secured?"

"I promise on my career," Naomasa assures her, nodding his head as he looks at her sympathetically. He doesn't see the cool headed hero with a constant smile. He sees a stressed out older sibling terrified for her sister's safety, and doing her best to bring her home alive. "I suggest you take the rest of the day and tomorrow off. If your sidekicks would let you. You need to rest and be ready."

"We can handle the agency," Eia assures her, nodding in agreement. "Let's get you changed and I'll walk you home."

"I..no, I just need to keep working-"

"And what if you're on a call when you find out we have your sister?" Naomasa asks her softly, standing up and walking over to her. "You're a good hero, one of the most noble I've seen in a while, but even the best have their moments. I've seen it happen. And right now, the best thing for you is to go home, call your brother, and have him with you."

"I..yes sir." Her voice quiets as she says the words, knowing her arguments won't get her anywhere with him. She nods and looks at Eia, who is looking up at her with concern. She pats the periwinkle haired girl's head, smiling. "I'm fine, Eia. Let's get going and let the detective do his job."

"I promise as soon as we recover your sister, you will be the first to know," he assures her again. She nods and dismisses herself, Eia following her out with a concerned gaze. They walk down the street, Reina fidgeting with her hands.

"Elementia, are you okay?"

"What gave it away that I was?"

"Well, you seem more frazzled than I've ever seen you before. I..just wanted to make sure that you're okay…"

"M'fine, Eia. I just...I just need to be alone."

"Alright, if you change your mind, you have my number," she mumbles, the rest of the long walk back to the agency taken in silence. Reina changes back into her street clothes, taking the security tapes from the last three months with her before triple locking the door to her office. If she was going to be home for the next day or so, she needed something to keep her mind occupied. Work's really the only thing that does that, and she's still wrapping her head around the fact Toda of all people betrayed her.

How long has he been working for them?

Oh god, is his life a lie? No, I've met Akiha. They were so happy…

I saw Akiha in the hospital. I saw the toll it took on Toda…

Why would he do this..?

She shakes her head as she heads back to her apartment, her hands shaking as she gets her house keys out of her pocket. In front of her door is a tupperware with cookies and a folded note. She bends down and picks them up, putting the note between her lips as she unlocks the door and walks in. Using her hip to shut the door, she sets her stuff down on the couch and takes the note from her lips, unfolding it.

'Hi neighbor! I don't usually do this, but my Izuku asked me to check on you following what happened at the summer camp. He told me your sister is one of his friends and that she was taken with Katsuki. I really hope she comes home soon, and that I can sympathize with what you're going through. It can't be easy. I'm in Apartment 18, if you need to be with someone. Best wishes, Inko Midoriya.'

Reina sits down, one of her hands coming to cover her mouth as she tries not to cry. Finally alone, finally taking a moment to let all of this sink in-I've been a horrible sister, echoes in her head, the tears she has struggled so much to keep pushed down finally breaking through. She sets the note on the table and buries her face in her hands, shaking her head as each and every cruel thing she's said to Leinei plays on a twisted loop in her head, how she berated her sister when she should have comforted her, how she abandoned her for the job.

How do I make this right..? I…I already lost her…I may never see her again, and I wouldn't be able to apologize…

Inko sighs softly as she cleans the dishes she had used to make the cookies for Reina, fussing over if the redhead had gotten home yet to get them. She hears a knock at the door, turning the water off and wiping her hands on a rag before walking over to it and opens it. Her eyes widened seeing the puffy faced Reina struggling to keep her composure.

"Um, Leinei's sister, right?" she asks, watching the girl nod and wipe her eyes with the side of her hand. "Di-did you want to come in?"

"If-if that's okay."

"Of course, come in, don't mind the mess, I've been a wreck since the summer camp and finding out my son broke his arm again," she says with a thin laugh, moving so the girl can walk in. She takes a breath before closing the door behind her. Reina sees the All Might sign hanging on the door to Izuku's room, shifting so Inko could get past her.

"Is your son an All Might fan?" she asks weakly, gesturing to the sign. Inko laughs, rubbing the back of her head.

"Fan is putting it lightly," she tells her. "Please, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Whiskey if you have it," Reina jokes lightly, her face burning seeing Inko's horrified face. "I'm kidding, water is just fine."

"Right, of course," the mother laughs as Reina sits down on the couch, going into the kitchen as Reina smiles at the small All Might figurines on top of the tv. She comes back with two glasses of water, handing one to Reina before sitting down and cradling hers in her hands. "How are you doing?"

"Um, well, throwing myself into work isn't helping," she says softly, shaking her head. "I was told to go home today, and I just…they think I helped the villains take her and Katsuki."

"You didn't."

"I know I didn't," she whispers, her voice breaking. Her hands shake more, some of the water slipping over the edge of the glass and onto her fingers. "But, it was discovered that one of the people I work closely with is the reason she got abducted…"

"What do you mean? You're a pro hero aren't you?" Inko asks, confused. "Why would one of your coworkers sell your sister out?"

"I wish I knew," she replies. "Toda…he was the best sidekick I ever had. He did his job well, and I was proud to call him my right hand, but he didn't show up for work today, which was concerning because he always comes in, and we went to check on him because he wasn't answering his phone, and we found evidence of him…betraying us."

"Oh, alright," the green haired woman says, wide eyed. Reina started to hyperventilate while talking, setting the glass on the coffee table in front of her to hold her head. Inko gently rubs her back. "Breathe slowly, nice and deep," she coaxes, the girl nodding as she does so. "It's complicated, knowing that someone you cared about betrayed you. I know, it's not the same situation, but I split up with Izuku's father while Izuku was still young because he had an affair."

"Oh my god."

"Yeah, Izuku doesn't know," Inko admits sheepishly, looking down at her glass of water. "Shortly after the divorce, he took a post overseas, and he sends support payments every month to help Izuku and I, but the betrayal is what stings the most. It just…it ruined dating and relationships for me, but I've been so busy raising Izu that I haven't really thought about it until recently."

"Who did he cheat with?"

"A female coworker. Someone a little younger than me, and it was a year after our son was born. I guess I wasn't giving him enough attention, because he carried the affair until he was three years old, and I found them after dropping Izuku off at daycare."

"Oh my god.."

Guilt twists Reina's stomach, seeing the pain etched on Inko's face talking about the way her husband betrayed her. She thinks of Rei, locked in the same facility she locked Leinei away in, how it would affect her if she found out of Enji's affair. She's already so fragile…I'm being selfish by continuing this…

"How did you deal with it?" Reina murmurs, not able to look the mother in the eye. "I-the fallout I mean. How it made you feel."

"I mostly just look after Izuku. I made that boy my entire world, and I worry for his safety every day he leaves for that school," she admits, smiling faintly. "When he…when his quirk finally manifested after years of him being told he'd never have one, I was so happy for him. I just wanted to see my boy smile, and when he came home and told me it finally manifested, I was so happy, and so scared, because all he ever wanted since he was a kid, was to be a hero. He wants to be just like All Might. And he just keeps getting hurt, and hurt, and did you know the doctors told him if he broke his arm anymore, he wouldn't be able to use it? I don't…" Inko takes a breath, shaking her head. "He just wants to be a hero, and I want to support him, but he keeps getting hurt. What if this dream kills him? What if…what if he can't achieve his dream because of this?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"I…I wasn't told much about what happened in the forest," Reina admits softly. "But, I know my sister, and she talks a lot about her friends at school, Izuku being one of them. He was the first one to introduce himself to her, and give her hope she could fit in at UA. Your son demanded to talk to me before they took him to the hospital, and he apologized for not being able to save my sister, despite everything he had gone through and how badly he busted himself up. He's a fighter. He's a lot stronger than people give him credit for, and I think his talent lies not in fighting, but his ability to bring comfort to people."

Inko places her glass on the table and pulls Reina in for a hug, sniffling as the redhead hugs her back. The mother thanks her softly, her words meaning so much more than she could have thought possible. Reina just nods, closing her eyes. I know what I have to do now.

Enji flinches as he feels his phone go off, looking up from his paperwork to see a new message from Reina. His heart skips slightly, concern flooding his brain as he unlocks his phone and opens the message. His heart, once light and skippy, sinks deep into his stomach, seeing the words.

{I think we should stop seeing each other. From now on, our relationship will be strictly professional and any communication will be work related. I suggest you work things out with Rei before it's too late. Thank you, Enji, for the fun times, but I think they're done. I love you. Goodbye, Endeavor.}