Chapter 15 – The Space Between Us – Part 2
A/N: Hey everyone. My 16-year-old cat I hand raised from birth passed away this week and so this has been sitting on my computer since Sunday night as I have just not had the umph to post it. I will probably do some pretty heavy editing to it at a later date, but I wanted to get it posted.
As always, comments and critiques are always appreciated.
Aine was fuming the next morning.
Shouta had been right, Ikeda got off with barely a slap on the wrist. A paltry one-week suspension for fighting on school grounds and a mandatory anti-bullying course with Hound Dog upon his return to campus– both of which were handed down from Nedzu after the homeroom teacher had requested expulsion.
At least it would give Sasaki a reprieve, but Aine couldn't help but worry about what would happen when the other boy returned to campus. Power Loader had met her at her office door first thing in the morning to discuss the incidents. Together they had decided that, in addition to the already planned cameras on Sasaki's workbench, a safety alert device was needed that could summon trusted adults at a moment's notice. Also, Aine had scheduled times in her day for daily check-ins with Sasaki to make sure that Ikeda's band of cohorts didn't attempt anything in his absence.
That afternoon, as Aine sat staring at her computer while drumming a pencil on her desk, she couldn't help but be a little grateful for the students she saw on Fridays. In the morning, she usually had tea with Aoyama after homeroom had dismissed. Although she probably should have dismissed him already, she felt like there was something deeper hiding beneath his flamboyant exterior.
She had noticed he seemed to have friends in class but most often was alone. Each time she brought it up, he either changed the subject or insisted it was just because his stomach hurt from his quirk.
Aine's other morning sessions were filled by Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, and Tsunotori from the hero courses.
Afternoons were her open office hours and usually spent catching up on paperwork or researching new treatments and strategies for the students. On this day, however, she couldn't get her mind to focus enough to do much of anything.
She had heard stories of discrimination and violence both physical and emotional that was doled out indiscriminately on the quirkless. More than that, she had lived it when she was with her uncle as a child. Aine had watched as he was denied job after job following the closure of the gym as soon as they saw the identification marked "Quirkless". Watched as landlords either doubled the asking price or outright denied them a place to live.
It hadn't taken young Aine long to figure out why her mother never desired to return to Japan.
A soft rapping at her doorframe jolted Aine from her thoughts. "Hey-o, mind if I come in?" Hizashi stood in the doorway.
"Sure," Aine closed her laptop, "I wasn't getting a damn thing done anyways." She rubbed her eyes and stretched as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
"You know, most people when they are trying to avoid issues with the Commission generally don't get mixed up with one of their grandkids getting suspended." he teased as he flopped on the couch, laying back and propping his feet on the armrest.
She shrugged as she leaned back in her office chair, "What can I say? I have a knack for pissing off people with god complexes."
"Aine," his voice lost the teasing edge as he sat up and looked at her, "in all seriousness, you know they are going to be gunning for you even more now."
"I figured as much." she sighed.
"Well, I figure we need to find some way to prove you've 'reformed'." he exaggerated the air quotes and twisted his face as though the word itself left a nasty taste leaving his mouth.
She sat forward in her chair, "You would think the fact that there are no arrest records from my time in Germany would say something…"
Hizashi pointed at her, "You also didn't have an arrest record in Japan as Aine Satterfield, even while you were acting as a villain, so that would be a moot point to them."
Aine growled in frustration, "Other than somehow miraculously changing everything in my past overnight, I don't think there's anything that could convince them I'm not her anymore."
As evening began to fall, Aine heard the unmistakable sound of someone knocking on the sliding glass door that led to her balcony. She closed the book she had been reading and cautiously made her way to the door.
As promised, there on her balcony in the waning twilight stood Shouta – hands in his pockets and capture scarf covering his shoulders. Aine shook her head as she unlocked the door, stepping aside to allow him to walk in.
"This was the best way to keep from being seen. I hope I didn't startle you too much." his voice was low and already sounded exhausted.
"How long do you have before you have to start patrol?" Aine closed the balcony door and flipped the lock back into place.
Shouta walked into the living room and settled heavily on the couch, "A few hours. Should be a light night, I'm acting as back-up tonight for Best Jeanist's agency. His area is usually really quiet compared to some others."
A shudder swept through Aine's body involuntarily as the image of the denim-clad hero on the TV screen with a gaping wound in his chest. "How is he recuperating?"
He leaned his head back with his eyes closed, "As well as a man with one lung can I suppose."
He fared better than most who have gone up against All for One have.
Aine fidgeted with the sleeve on her shirt, "Would you like some coffee? I just got a box of my favorite blend in last week." she knew the answer before he even spoke and headed towards the kitchen to start a fresh pot.
"As long as it is dark and heavily caffeinated."
In a few minutes, the aroma of coffee filled the apartment as the black elixir started to brew. As soon as it finished, she poured two mugs and headed towards the living room after dropping a pair of ice cubes into her own coffee. It weakened the flavor, but it kept her from having to worry with using a thermometer while her hands were full.
"So fill me in, what have you been up to since I left?" Aine set both mugs down on the coffee table before setting herself down on the couch near Shouta.
He grabbed the mug in front of him, "Exactly what you see here. Patrolling and teaching. What about you?"
Aine sipped on her coffee, "Mostly school. I wanted to do like I had here and finish in half of the time. It took me a semester to finish my bachelor's degree and only two regular semesters and two loaded down holiday semesters to complete my Master's." she watched as Shouta drank most of the coffee as she spoke, "After that, I did a year-long internship with a clinic specializing in helping pro-heroes and vigilantes."
She took a long drink of her own coffee, "It helped me make connections I used when I decided to start taking vigilante missions to help my roommate with the bills."
"So you acted as a vigilante while you were in Germany?"
Aine nodded as she took his now empty cup of coffee, "Legally recognized and really only that last year. I never planned on it being a career path or anything" She gave a short chuckle, "Germany is a bit more accepting of vigilantes there than most other countries. I went by the name 'Dochloite' – it means 'unbroken' in old Irish and even got a pretty decent paycheck from time to time."
Aine stepped back into the kitchen to refill both mugs, this time grabbing her thermometer off of the counter and checking the temperature of her coffee before returning to the living room, "My roommate Emma thought it would be fitting for a person who can't feel pain. Should have seen the look on the first villain that stabbed me thinking it'd buy him time." She settled cross-legged onto the couch next to Shouta, wrapping her hands around her own mug of coffee. "I had planned on asking her to send all of my credentials, weapons and my costume after I got settled in but then all that mess with the Commission happened." Aine sighed and took a sip of coffee.
Shouta set his coffee mug down on her coffee table and pulled out his phone, "Do you still know her phone number?"
Aine shook her head, "I don't remember it. It was saved in my old phone – the one I lost when I was held captive. Although," she put a finger up to her mouth as she thought, "I wouldn't imagine she has left that area yet, she's an advocate for increased quirkless protection laws and runs her family's law firm."
"She's a lawyer?"
"Who better to help you become a registered vigilante while still keeping your legal name sealed from record?" she smirked as she brought the mug up to her lips again, "She is one of the best in the area. Just a second." setting her mug down, she stepped around the corner and grabbed a piece of paper off the kitchen table scribbling on it before handing it to Shouta, "Here." Emma Scypeart was written on the paper. "I could look her up myself but…"
Shouta eyed the paper and stuck it in one of the pouches on his belt, "Best to not put her on the Commission's radar." He finished for her. "I'll look her up as I can after patrol. If we can get ahold of your credentials as a vigilante, we might be able to convince the Commission to lay off of you or at least reduce your restrictions." he drummed his fingers on the side of his coffee mug.
Aine looked from his fingers to his far-off expression, "Shou?" he looked at her, "What is it?"
He sighed, "The Commission could also use your vigilante status combined with your past as an excuse to send you on missions and such that they don't want to risk pros on or insist on making you their personal errand-girl." Shouta paused and looked at her with a dark shadow to his eyes, "In other words, this could easily backfire and put you even further into their clutches."
Aine stared at her mug as her own list of pros and cons spun through her mind before finally looking into Shouta's eyes, "Nothing says we have to turn anything over to the Commission right away. If you can get ahold of those things from her, we can evaluate and plan a course of action. All I know is, we have to try something."
Shouta looked at the clock on her wall before drinking the rest of the coffee in his mug, "I need to head out. I'll contact Emma and let you know what I find out." he set the coffee mug back down on the coffee table and stood, heading towards the balcony doors, "I have patrol again tomorrow night, even if I haven't heard anything from Emma I'll come by after I drop Eri off."
He unlocked the door and slid it open to stand on her balcony.
"Be careful out there."
His capture weapon hid his smile as he nodded, "See you tomorrow".