And so, she climbed into the suspicious black car with the even more suspicious man. Dread burrowed deep in her gut as she waved goodbye to Tenko and Toya through the window. Endeavor granted them that much, at least. But judging by the scowl on his face, that was all he'd give them.

"Why are you doing this? Aren't you mad?!"

"I don't have a choice." She gave Tenko's glare a sad smile. "I don't know what would happen to you if I didn't go."

"Then stay! We don't need them, we'll be fine on our own!"

"Tenko–"

He grabbed her hand. "We've survived this long on our own, we don't need anyone else! Let's just leave."

She chose her next words carefully, laying her free hand on his. "I have to go, Tenko. There are some things we can't control. This is one of them."

"But why?!" Anger gave way to tears, voice rising in outrage. "I don't understand."

She glanced at the black suit, her handler now, Jiayi Akihiro. Her question was answered with a stern look, head shaking. She pursed her lips, turning back to Tenko.

"I can't," she said, stepping back. His grip tightened, but she pulled away from his hold. "But this doesn't mean we won't see each other again. One day–"

"Liar! You're strong enough to take them on. I'll help you. If I get close…" His expression turned distant, eyes losing focus as he murmured, more to himself than anyone else, "If I touch him…"

She grabbed his face in both hands, stopping him from finishing that sentence.

"Don't," she said, voice hard. "Don't even consider it. You can never, ever use your quirk for harm."

"So you're just going to let them take you."

"Tenko, look at me. We're going to be okay."

Disbelieving eyes rose to her. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

"We'll be okay, I promise. But you have to stay good." She leaned down to look at him, but he turned away. "I can't see you again if you don't stay good."

"Okay."

"Promise."

A beat of silence passed between them.

"If there weren't heroes…"

In that moment, the creases in his face made him less child and more villain, just like in the manga. What was it, she thought, her breath stuttering. When did it happen, when did his skin become so dry? Fear pierced her heart as the last few weeks replayed in her mind.

"Idiot!"

A fist came down on Tenko's head. They both flinched, looking at Toya.

"Don't be stupid! Are you really gonna fight my dad? He's a Pro-Hero! Don't go thinking stupid shit!"

"Language!"

"Sorry," he said unapologetically, turning to her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Her eyes stung, and she dove forward in a hug. It wasn't until then, trying to wrap her arms around the two of them, that she realized just how tiny her hands were.

"This doesn't change anything. We'll always be together. We're family."

"Always," Toya said, nudging Tenko.

"Yeah," Tenko grunted, gaze firmly fixed over her shoulder.

"I mean it," she said, chest squeezing. "We'll meet again, so don't do anything stupid. Just, don't…"

The image of Dabi's stapled grin and Tomura's tangled white hair flashed through her mind.

"Please," she murmured. "Stay good."

A painful jab to the side rescued her from her thoughts, and she was met with identical grins. She shot them a half-hearted glare, but couldn't keep from smiling.

"Don't worry about us," Toya said, smirking. "I'll get stronger so that the next time when we meet, I'll win!"

"And I, uh, I'll be good," Tenko said, fidgeting. "So don't worry about me."

A silver of worry still niggled at the back of her mind, but she ignored it in favor of the man beside her. Any decorum he seemed to have was traded in favor of a lazy slouch and closed eyes. He fell asleep as soon as the car started moving. Whether it was genuine or an act, she wasn't sure, but anyway, he was more experienced with his quirk. She was sure that the man the HPSC chose as her handler, Jiayi Akihiro, could easily overpower her.

At least she still had her ax bass. A small comfort.

"You won't get far." Jiayi opened an eye to look at her. An act, then. "Unless you plan on jumping out."

"Maybe I will."

"Can it wait until after my nap?"

She frowned, meeting his tired stare. Neither moved.

He broke the silence first, speaking in a lazy drawl.

"You don't gotta do anything you don't wanna do, but I advise against it." He stretched, cracking his neck. They both cringed at the sound. "Jeez, I'm so overworked. Anyway, you know, there'll be consequences."

"I agreed to come with you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to roll over on my back."

He chuckled. "Good. How old did you say you were?"

"I didn't. I'm seven."

For a moment, he said nothing, just looked at her. Then, laughing, he shook his head. "Damn. What are you, Tomoe Gozen?"

"Who?"

"Forget that. How'd you get your hands on that support item? Must have been risky."

The steel strings bit into her palm. That silver tongue of his was as quick as the devil. "It was a gift."

He barked out a laugh. "Gift, my ass! What, you married to one of those boys or something?"

She balked at the thought. No matter her appearance on the outside, she was mentally 26 years old, so those feelings… that was wrong on so many levels, she didn't want to touch it with a ten foot pole. She shook her head vehemently, making him laugh again.

"Well, take good care of that guitar. It couldn't have been cheap."

"You got no idea," she muttered, turning to the window. She asked Toya about it before, but he refused to say anything. And here she had to dig through the closet for an unused bottle of lotion.

The city blurred before her, changing to steel and bridges, clean streets and fenced trees. There wasn't any graffiti or litter, and everyone wore luxury fashion — or at least, what her neighborhood would consider a luxury. She got the feeling that standards were different here. She glanced down at her faded jeans and wrinkled shirt, burnt at the hem. Toya talked about getting her new clothes but she was starting to feel like a greedy aunt, so again, she refused. Tenko was quick to cash in on the offer and almost got sauteed, ending that conversation.

"Oh yeah," Jiayi said, chasing away the memory. "There's someone else like you. He has a different quirk, but your circumstances are the same."

She turned to him, eyes widening a fraction. If this person was who she thought it was, then this might turn out alright. Tolerable, at least. "What's his name?"

"I can't say, but he already has a hero name. You'll meet him soon."

She thought for a moment. "I'm getting a new name, right?"

He frowned at her. For a long while, he didn't say anything. It was impossible to tell what was going on in his head. So far, everything about him was a contradiction, from his polished appearance and flippant attitude to his dismissive tone and word traps. If anything was certain, it was his strength.

"Levan Fei," he said at last. "That's your new name. Half-American, half-Japanese."

She mouthed the name, familiarizing herself with the words. It wasn't the first time she'd been given a new name, but 'Ichika Endo' carried memories. Real memories she couldn't forget. But it wasn't the first time she lost a life, either; soon, those golden days would fade in the recesses of her mind.

She turned to the window, taking in the colors of the unfamiliar city as the dread she'd been holding unfurled into something more hopeful. Took a deep breath, then exhaled.

One day…

Miles behind her, a boy sat alone in a police station, fiddling with the gauze wrapped around his hands. They strayed to his neck, itching at an invisible mark, when a shadow fell over him. He looked up at a gap toothed smile.

One day…

A boy with blue eyes stared out a window, the shouts in the room fading to a low hum as he waited.

One day, they would meet again.