Tears filled her vision as Haru followed after her brother, clenching the free hand that was at her side. What did they ever do to those jerks? Was their very existence a crime now?! She kept her head down, letting Haku lead her away, eventually arriving at the rooftop.
Haku slammed the door behind him and let go of her hand, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He leaned against the wall and slid down, letting out a shaky breath. Haru quietly sat down next to him, pulling her knees close and wrapping her arms around them, the tears flowing freely from her eyes now that there was no one else to see.
Emotions swirled within her like a hurricane. Anger, fear, sadness, hopelessness, all of them twisted and festered within her heart. It wasn't like they asked to be orphans, like they asked to have their only home be burnt to the ground. She clenched her fists, the bitterness rising within her like bile in her mouth.
'How could I forget? People only care about themselves in the end, nobodies like us are nothing but bugs for them to squash.'
"Haru, stop that."
"Huh?" she lifted her head up and looked at her brother, that comforting and familiar blue staring at her.
"You're spiraling again. Stop it before it gets worse," he placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed, the anger was still there, but it was softened with concern for her. Ah, that's right. She was going down dark thoughts again.
"...sorry. I-it's just hard, sometimes," she mumbled, hurriedly wiping away her tears with her sleeve.
"I know. You're ok. I'm mad too," he responded softly, leaning his back against the wall and let out a deep sigh. "I mean, we're used to it, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. I just don't get why hate is the first reaction for most people."
"I really don't like Bakugou," she growled under her breath, gritting her teeth.
"Yeah, can't believe a guy like him placed first in the Sports Festival. He has such a horrible attitude," he agreed, propping his elbow on a knee and leaning his chin into his hand. "Not that I'm really in any position to be saying this, but I figured a hero wouldn't you know, ostracize us from the get go."
"Well, we never had a hero in our lives before until now. Still…" She looked up to the clouds lazily drifting by. "At least that one boy was being really nice."
"Which one?"
"The one with soft emerald green hair."
"Oh, I think his name is Midoriya. He did seem like a decent person at least. Wait…" he turned to look at her, a cat-like smirk spreading across his lips. "You thought his hair was soft?"
"It looks soft enough to pet, shut it," she huffed, turning away, her cheeks dusted pink.
"Does my baby sis have a li-"
"Finish that sentence and I will throw you off the roof."
"Jeez, alright."
He picked up the bag that Haru had brought with her and pulled out the two bento boxes that were packed in it. He handed her the pair of chopsticks with the light blue pattern along with the matching bento box, the black set being for him. They sat in silence as they ate their homemade lunches, neither of them being in the mood to talk as the events of the day replayed in their heads.
Haku paused when he heard a sniffle, lowering his chopsticks and turning his head. Tears were streaming down his sister's face, her body trembling silently.
"Sis?" he reached out to touch her shoulder. She let out a choked gasp before she set her bento down and hugged him, hiding her face in his neck.
"I wanna go home," she sobbed. "I don't like it here. I can't stand the way they look at us. I don't…"
"Shh, I'm right here," he murmured soothingly, hugging her tight and running a hand through her hair. Their lunches laid forgotten for the rest of their lunch break, the two siblings clinging to each other like their life depended on it. Haku let go when it was about time to go, picking up a napkin and gently wiping away the tears that were still on his sister's face.
"Chin up, Harumi. Your crown's gonna fall if you don't," he joked softly, earning a weak smile in response as she nodded, putting their bento boxes back in the bag and slipped her hand into his when she was done, squeezing tightly. Haku used his free hand to pat her head gently before they walked back to their classroom.
Neither of them said anything to their classmates as they entered, matching blue hues once again icy and unseeing of anything else around them. Not that they had to worry about it anyway. None of the students could look them in the eye, constantly flinching and turning away. Haku let go of his twin's hand, slipping back into his seat and pulled out his phone and his metal puzzle, fiddling with it while he scrolled through social media.
Haru did the same, folding the bag up and slipping it inside her backpack before pulling out her phone as well, playing with the moon keychain that was attached. Any time a student even tried to say something to either of them, they would be met with a steely gaze that made any words they could've possibly said die in their throat.
Aizawa popped his head in just as their next class was about to start.
"Haru, Haku. I need the both of you," he stated, beckoning them over with a hand. They exchanged confused looks before getting up and following their Homeroom teacher outside.
"Principal Nezu wants to see you," he informed Haru, who looked up at him with surprise. "You know where his office is?" She nodded in response and was about to turn away, reaching out for her brother's hand when Aizawa stopped her.
"Just you, Haru."
"O-oh…ok." She looked up at her twin, a panicked look on her face as she lowered her arm, her hand coming to form a fist by her side and she placed her other hand on her stomach, trying to make the sudden butterflies in there settle down.
The older twin stepped forward and gave her a firm hug, softly mumbling words of encouragement before he gave her a shoulder a squeeze.
"You'll be ok, sis. It's only for a little bit."
"Alright…"
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before she turned around and began walking towards the principal's office, pausing when she reached the end of the hallway to look back. He smiled reassuringly at her, giving her a thumbs up and a wave before watching her round the corner.
"Haku, come with me." Aizawa slipped his hands into his pockets and began walking towards the teachers' office in silence, occasionally greeting the other teachers that passed them by. He slid the door open when they arrived, no other teachers in sight, since class was still in session. He motioned to an unoccupied chair as he sat down at his desk.
"Take a seat," he ordered, the boy complying and facing him, confusion written all over his face.
"Did I do something wrong, Sensei?" he questioned, swallowing the lump in his throat and wiping his hands on his pants.
"Nothing of the sort. I just wanted to speak with you in private."
"Oh," he rubbed the back of his head, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"How are you feeling? Are you ok?"
Haku froze, clenching his fist and setting his jaw before he swallowed once more. He painted a smile on his face, his grip on his pants tightening.
"Ah, that. I'm fine, really. Everything is just new and awkward, it's probably going to take some getting used to," he laughed. Aizawa sighed.
"You don't have to lie to me you know?"
"I'm not ly-"
"Cut the crap, Haku," Aizawa stopped him before he could go any further. "I know that what they said was bothering you."
"It's…It's fine, really. It doesn't bother me in the…" Haku's voice began to crack, and he fell silent, refusing to say anything further as his whole body trembled. His lip quivered and Aizawa noticed the tears forming at the corner of the boy's blue eyes, threatening to spill out. His eyes softened.
"You've suffered a lot, haven't you?"
Haku bent over slightly, clenching his fists tighter, his knuckles turning white. The tears flowed freely from his eyes, his breath was erratic and his body was shaking. He cried silently, refusing to crack the poker face, refusing to let this weakness show, barely holding himself together. He didn't move, too afraid that the moment he did, he would crack completely.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see gentle obsidian boring into his.
"It's not your fault, Hakuryu," the teacher murmured quietly. A choked sob escaped from Haku's lips and he began crying in earnest, all the while remaining silent, covering his face with a hand. Aizawa squeezed his shoulder comfortingly and simply let him weep in silence.
Haru fiddled with her hair as she walked down the hallways, wondering what the Principal wanted with her. Was she in trouble? Did she do something wrong? She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling like there was a zoo of wild animals running around and causing a stir in the pit of her stomach.
She stopped in front of the office, raising her hand to knock on the door 3 times. She heard him grant her permission to enter, pushing the door open and shutting it behind her before stepping further into the room. Nezu looked up from a pile of paperwork and smiled warmly at her.
"Ah, Miss Tsukino, thank you for coming. Please, sit down," he greeted kindly. She nodded and slipped into the seat, trying her best to not fiddle with her hair again by gripping the edge of her skirt instead.
"U-um…" she hated how her voice sounded so meek, "am I in trouble?" she asked tentatively. Nezu gave a warm chuckle.
"No, you aren't," he replied, the girl letting out a sigh in relief, placing a hand on her chest.
"So, uh, w-why did you call me here, Principal?"
"I wanted to have a talk with you, see how you were adjusting to UA. It must be overwhelming. How do you like it so far?"
Images flashed within her mind. Dark faces with only wide sneers. The sounds of their giggles and whispers echoing mockingly in her ears. The feeling of being suffocated and being so very small while the faceless figures of her classmates towered over her.
"Everything's been fine so far, it's just so new and different and stuff. It isn't really like anything I'm used to," she answered quietly, forcing a smile on her face. She didn't want to seem like a bother. Her problems weren't that big of a deal. Nezu watched her silently, an unreadable look on his face before he folded his paws together.
"Did you know that I was experimented on by humans?" he asked out of the blue, causing her smile to drop and her eyes to widen in shock. He smiled, a faint, faded pain in his gaze before he continued.
"It's been many years since then. And believe me when I say that with time, things will heal. But I can't help but still hold a grudge against humans for what happened to me," he got out of his seat and stepped over to her, placing a gentle paw on her hands.
"You're not alone, Harumi. Remember that."
Tears filled her vision, a choked whimper escaping her lips. All the emotions that she had bottled up still, its full extent she didn't show even to her brother, all of it burst through like a broken dam as she let out a heartbroken sob. She let the tears flow freely, pulling up her hands to rub them away. Nezu remained silent and raised his paw to pat her back, humming ever so quietly to fill the room alongside with her cries.
When she finally calmed down enough, Nezu began to speak softly with her, asking questions about how she felt about everything. He would ask her about the 'incident' as gently as possible, letting her answer as much as she was comfortable with. She was understandably still shaken up about it and he didn't blame her in the slightest. When he felt like it was enough, he concluded their session, offering her some tissues to wipe away her tears and blow her nose.
He reassured her once again that he would assist her in getting through her painful experience to the best of his ability before he sent her off with a cheerful wave. The dark haired girl smiled quietly in response, feeling a little better now that she had let some of the pent up feelings out. She walked back to class, keeping her gaze elsewhere as she entered, unwilling to look anyone in the eye.
She wasn't paying attention too much to her surroundings, jumping slightly when a notebook suddenly skidded towards her feet. Sapphire hues glanced up to see the green haired classmate with his hand out, looking nervous when their gazes met. She broke eye contact and bent down to pick the notebook up, about to close it and hand it over when she froze up.
'Name: Harumi Tsukino
Quirk: Psyche (psychokinesis), will update on specifics as I learn more
Fighting Style: Long ranged (have yet to see it in action)'
The words seemed to spin off the pages and trickle into the air as she continued to stare at the words on the page in shock. Her breathing became erratic, her grip on the notebook tightening as her whole body began to shake violently. The whole room got darker, closing in on her as a dark figure with a single, glowing yellow crosshair in its eye formed in front of her, a cruel smirk curling on its lips.
Her throat felt clamped down upon, her arms and legs were frozen no matter how much she tried to move them, the scream refusing to escape from her lips.
Not again! Please! I don't want to-
The scream tore itself from her throat, startling everyone in the classroom as tears began filling her vision once more. She dropped the notebook and began backing away, her eyes wide but unseeing of what was in front of her.
"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she shrieked hysterically.
"Tsukino-chan, what's the matter?" a warbled voice asked, a hand reaching out to touch her shoulder.
Hands around her throat. Hands around her arms. Hands around her legs. Hands pulling her by the hair. The iron grip is suffocating her.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Her eyes lit up in a bright blue as she yanked herself away, a chair flying towards whoever grabbed her as the other objects in the classroom began to float and shake.
Meanwhile, Aizawa was still talking with Haku when the boy before him suddenly jerked his head up and his body went rigid, his eyes hyperfocusing on an area by his wrist. The teacher parted his lips, the question on the tip of his tongue when Haku shot out of his seat.
"HARU!" he cried out, sprinting out of the teachers' room and down the hallways. The chain was rattling uncontrollably, and as he was rounding the corner, he heard the screams coming from the classroom. His blood ran cold as he recognized his sister's agonized cries, nearly tearing the door off with how hard he slammed it open to get inside.
He saw her on the ground curled up on herself, her eyes wild and alight as the objects in the classroom floated all around them. A couple of the students were trying their best to calm her down, but it only served to worsen her fragile state, the screams not stopping. He shoved the others out of the way, dropping to his knees and pulling her into a tight hug, hiding her face into his chest.
"Shh, Haru. It's ok, I'm here. See?" He lifted her head up so she could look into his eyes. "Focus on me, sis."
"Please don't let them take me away! They know about the quirk! Please don't leave!" She sobbed in terror, breaking eye contact with her brother to look at the discarded notebook. The older turned his head, following her line of sight to the open page.
'Harumi likes to twirl her hair around her fingers or fiddle with it depending on how she's feeling. I've noticed she does the latter when she's nervous and the former when she's bored. She definitely seems on the shyer side.'
There were no words to describe the fury that suddenly erupted all at once like a volcano out of Haku. He had just been talking with Aizawa about not needing to protect his sister all the time. It's only been an hour since he last saw her and already she was being hurt again. This cruel world wouldn't even grant either of them a moment's respite.
"What did you do to her?!" He snarled, venom dripping from every word that came from his lips, his eyes nearly pitch black with how much hatred that was contained within them. Everyone flinched in response, unable to say or do anything. They only watched in terror as Haku let go briefly to rip the notebook to shreds and fling it to the corner like it was something disgusting.
Aizawa burst through a moment later, his eyes wide as he took in the situation unfolding before him.
"Sensei! Please! She can't control her quirk right now!" Haku yelled, pushing his twin's head back down into his chest, trying his best to calm her down as she struggled within his arms, frantic to get away. The teacher activated his quirk and everything that was floating in the air suddenly dropped to the ground with loud bangs as the quirk was erased, Haru's eyes fading back into their usual shade.
Aizawa stepped forward, flicking a finger on a pressure point behind her neck before she fell limp in her brother's arms, the screams finally stopping and leaving the room deathly quiet.
"Haku, take her and go," he instructed after a moment, his fists clenched and his shoulders tensed up. The boy nodded solemnly, the hatred in his eyes dimming into worry as he cradled his sister in his arms gently, like he was afraid holding her any tighter would shatter her. He held her up with an arm and swiped up their belongings before re-hooking his arm under her legs and left the room in a hurry.
The teacher waited for a minute, ensuring that the twins were out of sight and out of hearing range before he slammed his fist down on a nearby desk, shocking everyone in the classroom. They had never seen their teacher so livid before.
"What the hell is wrong with all of you?!" he screamed harshly, a resounding gasp heard from all of the students present. Aizawa…Aizawa had never yelled at them. Ever.
"I am disgusted by all of your actions," he spat out scathingly. "I expected better from at least ONE of you. From the start, none of you have acted with the dignity of a hero. You think they don't hear your little gossips amongst yourselves? That you had the audacity to think that I wouldn't notice? You have all failed me, failed yourselves and failed your classmates. I expected so much more from the students who enrolled in the hero course."
His quirk activated, his obsidian gaze now a blazing ruby as he glared at every single student in the room. No one could say a word, the shock of their teacher yelling at them rendering them barely able to comprehend the words he growled out.
"Get out of my damn sight. If you do come back tomorrow, I expect you all to act like the heroes you claim to be," he snarled before he left the room, the slam of the door jolting everyone out of their stupor. Everyone exchanged fearful expressions with each other, no words coming out.
Izuku quietly stepped over, bending down and picking up the tattered remains of his notebook, his hands trembling while a somber expression fixed itself on his face.
For the second time that day, they were at a loss for words.
