Chapter 19 – Bad Liar
A/N - I'm still here!
Sorry for the delay in posting. Things have been a little hectic the last few weeks. I'm preparing for my final formal observation for college and then graduation! Hopefully, I can post a little more regularly once those are out of the way.
Also, this fic has officially passed 1500 views! I am absolutely humbled that people want to read this little brain worm of mine and even more so that so many of you have given kudos, likes, bookmarks and subscriptions for it!
As always, please feel free to comment below with any questions, comments or even just let me know about you. I would love to be able to visit back and forth with some of you.
Final bit of business, I'm still looking for a beta reader. If you are interested, please either PM me or comment and I will contact you.
Lots of love!
Kahelle
"That can't be right."
Aine dug through the files again, each time coming to the same conclusion. Aldera had been smart, providing at least a handful of records regarding incidents with Midoriya. It would be easy to dismiss the missing files if it looked like they complied with the records request.
When it came to Corusca Middle School, Aine couldn't tell if they simply assumed no one would be bothered to dig deeper into the records of a quirkless boy or if they thought their status as a private school would protect them. Either way, it was highly unlikely that either school would just hand over the rest of the files – that was if they hadn't already destroyed them.
She looked at the clock beside her bed – 1:50 am. Rubbing her tired, dry eyes she closed each of the files; staring a hole through the pile of folders as she sat with her legs crossed in the middle of the bed. As she ran a hand through her hair, she grabbed her phone staring at the screen while thumbing through her contacts.
Who could I contact at this time of night? Shouta? She dropped the phone onto the pile of paper and manila folders. I wish I could message Emma for advice, but I can't without tipping our hand with the Commission.
She stood and paced the room, her frustration coupled with the need to do something building as anxious energy in her limbs.
Her pacing eventually brought her to the balcony outside her dining room. The cool night air felt refreshing and soft on her face as she took a couple of deep breaths. Leaning backwards against the railing, she looked up at the clouds obscuring the stars as they drifted by. Turning around, she leaned out across the railing and looked down towards the grounds between the staff dormitory and the buildings that made up the Heights Alliance.
A light flickered on in one of the rooms directly below her. She was about to return back into her own apartment when she saw a figure step out onto the balcony and light a cigarette. The flame illuminated the figure enough for her to recognize that it was Hizashi. He had on a pink t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants with his "Puts Your Hands Up" logo emblazoned down the sides. His hair was thrown in a messy bun on top of his head. He used the middle finger of the hand holding the cigarette to push his glasses back into place.
A mischievous grin spread across her face.
She swung her legs over the railing and turned so that she was facing her balcony. Slowly and as quietly as she could, Aine lowered herself to the landing below her. That apartment was vacant. As her feet touched the railing below her, she turned to balance on it. Crouching down and holding on to the railing, Aine peered down at Hizashi to make sure he still hadn't seen her. She slowly maneuvered her way to the edge of the balcony and hooked her feet through the railing. She held on to the railing and leaned forward as far as she could without being seen before letting go, swinging down directly in front of Hizashi's face.
"Hey 'Zashi!"
He stumbled backwards, dropping his cigarette, and clamping both hands around his mouth to prevent himself from accidentally activating his quirk.
Aine giggled to herself as she swung back up to grab the railing and unhook her feet. Hizashi had composed himself and was half-heartedly glaring at her as she dropped soundlessly onto his balcony.
He sighed, "Very funny. What are you doing out at this hour anyways?"
She leaned against the railing, "Going over things for work and needed some air before I rammed my head against a wall, you?"
Hizashi looked at the cigarette on the ground mournfully before digging another one out of the pack in his pajama pocket, "Nothing that intense. Just got home from the station."
He offered the pack towards Aine, she held up a hand and shook her head. "Never picked up the habit. Besides, my monitor would scream at me 24/7." She watched as he placed the pack back into his pocket and lit the cigarette he held.
"You'll probably outlive us all." Hizashi gave a rueful laugh, "I thought people with your condition didn't make it past 25." His eyes immediately widened as a realization hit him, "Not saying I wish you were dead! I'm just surprised….I mean….we all expected….I just…." he stammered.
"Put the shovel down Zashi." Aine teased before turning serious, "If I'm completely honest, I shouldn't still be alive. If it weren't for the monitor and the sensors in my body, I doubt I would still be here." Her eyes drifted up towards her balcony, "As much as it annoys me at times, that tattling hunk of wires has given me who-knows how many additional years."
He leaned against the opposite side of the balcony, taking a long drag off the cigarette, "Still remember that first few days after Shou brought you to the apartment. Listening to that thing buzz on the coffee table almost constantly until after your fever broke."
"That feels like ages ago now doesn't it?" Aine leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
Hizashi nodded, "Nearly 8 years ago."
Aine's thoughts drifted to another balcony conversation, one that had happened not long after she had come to on a couch in the home of 3 pro-heroes.
"Do I need to handcuff you to the railing, so you don't try to bolt on us again?"
Aine looked at the taller woman as she joined her where she stood on the balcony overlooking the city. "No. Not tonight at least." she tossed her head up towards the gathering storm clouds. "Don't really feel like trying to evade you and the fucking screeching cockatoo in the rain." Aine leaned forward, her forearms resting on the railing with her hands clasped in front of her.
Midnight laughed, "Only one curse word in that entire sentence, wow I'm impressed!" Aine rolled her eyes and flipped the bird at Midnight which only made the older woman laugh harder.
"If you're just going to laugh at me, I'm going back inside." she grabbed the railing and attempted to push herself up. A sudden wave of dizziness hit her, and she nearly went to the floor. Instead she leaned her head against the railing until the balcony stopped feeling like jelly beneath her feet. Pulling the buzzing monitor out of her pocket, she glanced at the numbers before putting it back and slowly standing to turn and lean against the railing.
Midnight had moved across the balcony and was now standing beside her, face etched in concern. "You okay?"
"Just peachy. Forgot to eat today and took that antibiotic." she grimaced.
"Well, let's get you inside and get you some soup at least. It won't take me long to whip something up."
Aine didn't have the strength to argue or fight with her. She allowed Midnight to lead her in and set her down at the table as she went into the kitchen.
She sat watching Midnight grabbing ingredients from the cupboards, the only sounds between them being that of dishes and cabinet doors.
It wasn't long before the smell of food began to fill the space, Midnight was stirring the soup when Aine's monitor buzzed again from its spot on the table where Aine had set it. "Blink, If this is too personal, you don't have to answer but I am curious: what is the monitor for? Some kind of medical condition, right?" Midnight never looked up from the pot of soup.
Aine picked the monitor up and turned it over in her hand. "Yeah…. yeah, you could say that." Midnight filled a bowl with the broth and set it in front of her, filling a bowl for herself as well. Aine stared at the patterns in the steam rising from the savory smelling liquid for a few moments. "Um…Could I….have a few pieces of ice? For the soup?"
Midnight looked at her questioningly but walked back into the kitchen returning to drop a couple ice cubes in the soup. "Thanks"
After letting the ice cubes dissolve to ensure that the temperature had been reduced enough, Aine began to slowly sip on the soup. "So, is this a drawback of your quirk?"
Aine's eyes never raised from the bowl, "No. It's something I've had since I was born."
She drug the bottom of her spoon across the lip of the bowl, "It's called CIPA." she put another mouthful of soup in her mouth.
"CIPA?"
"Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis. Basically, I don't feel pain. Or extreme temperatures."
Midnight stared in stunned silence, "I….I've never heard of it…"
Aine huffed and held up 3 fingers on her hand, "That's 'cuz it only affects a lucky 3 percent of the population. Or at least the ones that live past 5." She scowled at the bowl, letting the spoon slide back down into the bowl.
"So it's…"
"Fatal?" she finished the question, "Not the condition itself. People with CIPA don't live past 25 but it is usually something else that kills them: an infection, unseen injury, hypothermia, or hyperthermia. I'm almost 20." Aine pushed the now-empty bowl away from her. She didn't remember eating the rest of the soup. "I'm going back to the couch. Thanks for the soup, Midnight."
Midnight gathered the bowls, "Nemuri."
Aine paused and looked up at her, "I'm sorry?"
"Nemuri, it's my given name. With what you just shared it only seems appropriate to let you address me by my name." She placed the bowls in the sink.
"I'm Aine."
Nemuri smiled, "Good night, Aine."
"Good night, Midn…. Nemuri."
Aine snapped back to the present just as Hizashi was finishing his cigarette and waving his hand in front of her. "You back?"
She shook her head, "Sorry, I guess I zoned out."
"It's alright. You mentioned you were working on something…" he crossed his arms and leaned against the railing next to Aine.
"Just this whole mess with Ikeda and Sasaki." she sighed and shook her head, "Something isn't sitting right with me about it."
Hizashi bumped his shoulder against her's, "You are always more than welcome to come and bounce stuff off of me. Just maybe not when it is…" he checked his watch, "2:30 in the morning."
Aine laughed as she stepped away from the railing, "Yeah. See you in the morning." With that, she pulled herself back up and began her climb back to her own balcony.
She barely heard him call after her "See ya, Spider Monkey!" as he waved over his shoulder before he went inside of his apartment.
Aine stretched as she stepped back into her apartment. Her monitor sat silently on the counter where she had left it, display glowing a dull green in her darkened kitchen. She padded through the apartment, turning off lights until she returned to her room.
The stack of files on the foot of the bed still sat exactly as she had laid them down. As she moved them from her bed to a stack on the floor, she made a mental note to stop by Nedzu's office in the morning to see what could be done about the missing records.
She checked herself over as she got ready for bed, taking note of the scrapes on her shins from her miniature prank. All of the frustrated energy seemed to completely drain from her body as soon as she slipped between the sheets of her bed.