It's close to 9pm, the agency now empty. I'm sitting at my desk, scrolling through webpages on my computer. My eyes scan the profile on Detnerat, reading through the information I've gathered on the company.

'Detnerat emerged as a company that specializes in the production of support items for each unique customer,' I think. 'Thanks to its techniques and systems, Detnerat rose to the top of lifestyle support manufacturing companies. Recently, the President and CEO decided to venture out into the hero support industry. Coincidentally, there was a spike in support items in the black market. There's no doubt that Detnerat is involved in that happening. That's how Touya got his custom clothes that are fire retardant…'

I open the profile to the CEO of Detnerat and continue reading through the profile carefully.

'Rikiya Yotsubashi…' I think to myself. 'He adopted the name Re-Destro after Destro, the former leader of the Liberation Army...Destro committed suicide while in prison...before he wrote that autobiography.'

I glance over at the red book on my desk.

'Based on what Touya told me about the League's battle with them…' I think. 'Yotsubashi is dangerous...his subordinates are no different, especially now that he's submitted to Shigaraki.'

I grab the red book and stare at it in thought.

'Even so, Destro's ideology holds some truth,' I think. 'He founded the Liberation Army, which follows the philosophy that the free usage of quirks is a basic human right and emphasizes liberation over regulation...It's an interesting ideology and a valid one, honestly. But if followed by the wrong mindsets, it can be warped and dangerous.'

I let out a sigh and lean my head back in my chair.

"Long day?" Enji approaches.

"Very…" I reply.

"Finish up and let's call it a night."

I nod and shut my computer down, packing the red Liberation book in my purse.

"You've got that book all marked up," Enji points out. "It's the same as the copy Hawks gave me."

"Yeah, we think alike," I lightly laugh.

"It makes sense."

I turn my desk lamp off, slip my jacket and scarf on, then follow Enji to the elevator.

"Do you agree with the Liberation's ideology?" Enji suddenly asks.

"Hm?" I turn to him.

"After all your research...where do you stand?"

I look down for a moment, thinking carefully.

"Their ideology holds some truth," I say. "And makes valid points… But once the wrong people adopt it, it'll be warped and turned into something dangerous…So even though I agree with some of their points, I wouldn't follow them. Too much can go wrong."

Enji stares at me for a moment before giving me a small smile.

"Why do you look so relieved?" I raise a brow.

"It's nothing," Enji looks away.

I stare up at him in thought. A part of me wants to tell him that he's going to be a grandfather.

'If only I could tell you…' I think to myself.

The elevator door opens and I follow after Enji.

"Do you need a ride home?" Enji asks as we exit the building.

"Nah," I shake my head. "I'm in need of a walk...to clear my mind."

"Alright...please be careful."

I give him a nod and he enters the car and it drives away. I make my way down the block as I usually do.

'To think the Todoroki bloodline is gonna continue…' I think to myself. 'With my and Touya's child…'

I keep my gaze down in thought. The last time I saw Touya was when he spent the night on White Day and the morning after. It's now the end of March.

'As much as I want to tell Touya…' I think. 'He can't know about the baby. He's not in the right mind to even think about a child...especially not now with all this talk of a war breaking out.'

Once again, I find myself keeping an even bigger secret. Not only do I have to hide Touya, but I also have to hide this child we've conceived.

'It wasn't a mistake…' I think. 'This baby is a result of my and Touya's love...Rei was right. It's definitely a good thing… But this baby can't grow around all this chaos.'

I hunch my shoulders a bit, already setting my mind on what I have to do. I'm suddenly pulled into an alley, feeling something inject into my neck. Before I can even put up a fight, I find myself already blacking out. The last thing I think of is the well-being of my unborn child.

Keigo is walking down the hall, heading to meet with some of the lieutenant officers. Another Liberation subordinate walks behind him.

"It's past 10pm…" Keigo rubs the back of his neck. "Why would they have a meeting so late?" He groans.

Keigo enters through the doors into a conference room. There, the Paranormal Liberation Front lieutenant officers are present at the table. Standing in front of the semicircular table is a middle aged man wearing a suit.

"Ah! Hawks!" The middle aged man welcomes. "I'm excited to tell you about a proposition of mine."

"Proposition?" Keigo raised a brow. "Another late conference?"

"What's this about, Re-Destro?" Compress asks.

"I have a special someone in mind for recruitment," Re-Destro replies. "This person has...an indirect past with me, so to speak."

"Who is it?" Keigo asks.

"Oh will you be delighted to know! After all, you have a close relationship with her, don't you?"

Keigo furrows his brows a bit in thought.

"You made quite the cover on this Hero Gossip magazine," Re-Destro holds it up.

Touya sternly gazes at the magazine, also figuring out who he means.

"Are you saying we recruit Nova?" Keigo asks.

"Indeed!" Re-Destro replies.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Touya states. "She has ties with the Safety Commission."

"Dabi's right," Compress says. "How could you possibly recruit her? That could bring more attention to us."

"As I said, I have an indirect past with her," Re-Destro responds.

Touya stares at Re-Destro sternly, wondering what he means.

"What exactly can you say to recruit her?" Keigo pries.

"That's where you and my lovely presentation come in," Re-Destro holds a remote.

At the click of a button, a projector screen lowers from the ceiling behind the conference table where all the members can view behind them.

"I've put together a sort of proposal presentation for Nova," Re-Destro says. "With the help of Skeptic."

"You make it seem like she's actually gonna show up for it," Compress says.

"Oh! I hope she does!" Twice exclaims.

"Actually, she's already here," Re-Destro says.

"Did you even consult with Shigaraki?" Touya turns to him.

"It's fine. I actually discussed this with Shigaraki prior to him entering his comatose state. In fact, he said his master was going to approach her to join the League anyway, before his capture."

Touya sternly stares as he wonders what the hell is going on.

"My presentation and the help of Hawks will convince her to join the Paranormal Liberation Front!" Re-Destro exclaims.

"So where is she?" Twice eagerly asks.

"She's currently unconscious in the captive building. I had her sedated and brought here."

A tall and lanky man with shiny dark hair that reaches his waist enters the room, a closed laptop in his hands. He wears black clothing.

"Skeptic, what's the status of our special guest?" Re-Destro asks the man dressed in black.

"She's regained consciousness," Skeptic says. "My puppets will bring her here. I've already let her know she has the choice to come here by will or by force. She's trapped."

Keigo chuckles a bit at that remark, everyone turning to him.

"What's so funny?" Skeptic asks.

"She's not trapped in there with your puppets..." Keigo says. "Your puppets are trapped in there with her."

Re-Destro and Skeptic stare at Keigo in confusion when a rumble is felt throughout the floor.

"Re-Destro!" a subordinate barges into the room with a radio in his hand. "The lady you ordered to capture. She's causing a muck!"

"Seems our special guest needs more accommodating," Re-Destro sighs. "Not a problem! Skeptic - pull up surveillance of our special guest so that we can witness her abilities."

Skeptic opens and types on his laptop, setting up footage of outside the building appearing on the projector screen.

I blink my eyes, my vision a bit wonky. My neck aches as if receiving a needle to it. I figure I must've been sedated with a syringe. I'm laying on my stomach on the floor, my head facing a wall. I turn my head around and find myself in a room full of men in suits. I stay quiet for a moment, trying to figure out where I am.

'These guys….' I think to myself. 'Their eyes seem...blank. They're barely moving.'

"Once the captive awakens," a voice says through static. "Bring her to the main building. If you have to, do it by force."

'They're receiving orders through radio transmitters…' I figure out. 'I've gotta figure out where I am...and who kidnapped me.'

I quickly get to my feet and have a defensive stance.

"Who are you?" I ask. "And why am I here?"

The men in suits don't seem to answer, as if they're zombies. They continue to watch me with their blank stares.

"What the hell?" I furrow my brows.

"You're at a Liberation Army base," I hear a voice say through a single radio nearby. "We're taking you to a conference in the main building. All your questions can be answered there."

"I'm not going anywhere until you answer mine," I sternly say.

I stand ready in a defensive stance.

"You're outnumbered here," the man warns. "The men you see are my puppets. I can easily send out platoons of them. I advise that you cooperate."

'Puppets?' I think. 'So...they're not human.'

"I'll leave it up to you. We await your arrival."

The radio cuts, signaling the man is no longer in contact. More puppet men enter the room. I glance around, thinking of my current pregnant condition.

'I have to be careful…' I think. 'But if we're at a Liberation base…there are no innocent civilians…'

I begin to charge up my body with energy.

"These are all puppets...and this is a Paranormal Liberation Front base," I mutter. "There's no need to go easy."

I detonate myself in a small explosion, enough to blow out an exit in the building I'm in. The radiation I emit isn't lethal as I only harness the force of energy. The heat has melted my clothes off, leaving only my grey quirk-adapting body suit. I begin to sprint down the street. Gazing around my surroundings, I see mountains in the far distance where this small city is located.

'I must be in Deika…' I think. 'I've already caused a ruckus to bring attention to myself.'

Some puppet men ambush me from the top of some buildings. I react by evading their tackles, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with my charged up fists and feet. Many I send crashing into the brick walls nearby. After getting them off my tail, a vehicle is sent flying at me. I swiftly dodge it, turning my attention to where it came from. I see a man large in stature as he's about to hurl another car at me.

'Now that guy is a human,' I observe. 'He must be a Meta soldier here… I don't wanna kill him, but if I have to...I will.'

The man hurls the car at me. I shoot a ray of energy at the car, cutting it in half so the halves pass by at my sides. Some ropes are then grappled at my wrists as puppet men use some devices to hold me down. Once again, I think of my condition. I grip the ropes and shoot beams at the puppets subduing me, sending them flying away. The number of puppets keep showing up, beginning to surround me. All I can think of is my pregnancy. As a platoon of puppets stampede toward me, I charge my body and detonate myself again. The ground is almost like a crater as everything has been blown up. Then another wave of puppets comes in.

'They just keep coming…' I grimace.

I emit energy at my feet to fly upward, gaining a better aerial view of the situation. What look like machine guns take aim at me from below and atop some buildings. One shoots and I dodge it, seeing the ammo hit a puppet nearby. The ammo looks to be a black ball of sludge that consumes the puppet, rendering him immobile. More guns aim and shoot at me. I use energy blasts from my feet and hands to rapidly maneuver me through the air, swiftly evading the sludge balls. Once I get a chance, I shoot a ball of energy at one gun on top of a building, destroying it. My attention goes to another gun, crashing landing on top of it, melting it away under my feet. Seeing as that was the last gun, I fly at a low level and gaze down below. The puppets keep bombarding me while I'm in the air.

'I haven't let loose like this in a while…' I think as a bead of sweat rolls down my forehead. 'But I'm tiring faster...I can't keep going too long in my condition.'

Seeing as I have no other choice, I propel myself high above the buildings, charging energy at my eyes. Beams blast from my glowing eyes at the waves of puppets, destroying the streets as I gradually turn my head and body in midair. Once I see I've stopped a wave, I land back on the ground and prepare myself for yet another wave of puppets. I stand my ground, charging energy at my fists and eyes as they approach closer.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Familiar red wings land between me and the stampede. "That isn't the way to welcome a lady!"

'Keigo?' I think in surprise.

"She's our special guest! Show her some more hospitality, will ya, Skeptic?"

I stare at Keigo as he turns and meets my gaze. A certain look in his eyes is enough to tell me he's putting up an act like before. I finally figure out his involvement in all this.

'He's infiltrating the Paranormal Liberation Front,' I think to myself. 'The damn Commission!'

I clench my jaw thinking of the danger Keigo is in being out in this position. I decide not to compromise him and follow his lead.

"How ya doin', Nova?" Keigo smiles.

"I'm fine," I reply. "I'm just dealing with these puppets and their warm welcome," I'm sarcastic.

"Seems you're the one who gave'em a warm welcome," he jokes as he gazes at my charged fists.

"What's going on?" I'm still in a defensive stance.

"I got some friends who wanna meet you."

I stare at Keigo for a moment, knowing he's diffusing the situation. My hands stop glowing as I relax. Suddenly, a bunch of ice shoots through the air at me, engulfing my body up to my neck. A man wearing a thick dark parka that reaches down to his knees floats over to us on ice. Covering his entire head is the fur-lined hood of his parka, his eyes almost glowing under it.

"The wielder of nuclear energy," the ice man says. "Based on that, freezing temperatures keep you tamed - you're a walking nuclear reactor."

"What's the meaning of this?" I ask.

"Geten here is gonna keep you cooled down," Keigo explains. "It's just for security measures," he reassures me.

'So this must be the ice punk Touya told me about…' I think as I gaze at Geten.

"We'll take you to the conference," Keigo says.

With no other choice, I allow Geten to maneuver me in the block of ice as they take off toward a building. Once we arrive, we head down a hall and enter a conference room. My gaze scans the semi-circle table, recognizing the rest of the Paranormal Liberation Front. To my surprise, there's no sign of Shigaraki. My eyes then meet Touya's, both of us trying to keep a neutral stare.

"How lovely of you to join us!" Re-Destro exclaims. "I do apologize for the rude hospitality. You gave quite the show, nonetheless."

"So you've done research on my abilities," I say. "But it seems you don't know what I'm truly capable of."

"That's true!" Re-Destro says. "We only know of your quirk. We understand you were trained under the hero program with the Safety Commission, but we weren't aware of your skills in depth. We enjoyed watching your abilities!" He gestures to the projector screen.

I gaze up at the projector screen and see that they were viewing the fighting through surveillance. Geten controls his ice to hold me in front of the conference table, facing the members. Keigo stands close to my left. I can see Touya isn't pleased with this whole situation.

"Oh! She really is pretty!" Toga exclaims.

"Isn't she?!" Twice is also excited. "How did you score her, Hawks?!"

"That's enough gawking," Re-Destro states. "It's time to formally exchange introductions."

"I know enough about you," I say.

"It's true!" A subordinate enters with my purse. "She has a copy of the Liberation book!" He pulls it out.

"Ah! Seems you naturally gravitated toward the Liberation ideology!" Re-Destro takes my marked up book. "I'm sure you're ready to cooperate with us!"

"And what if I don't?" I ask.

"We'll have to resort to more convincing methods."

"Try me…" my eyes glow gold.

"Such fighting spirit! Reminds me so much of your father!"

I stop myself after hearing his words. The glow from my eyes dies out as I stare at Re-Destro.

"You look so much like your mother," he continues to eye me. "Only you have your father's white hair and golden eyes."

"What...are you talking about?" I furrow my brows.

"So the Safety Commission really kept your parents' identities secret from you, hm? Such a shame," he shakes his head.

"How could you possibly know about my parents? I'm an orphan."

"Made an orphan by the Safety Commission, to be precise."

I furrow my brows at him.

"Allow me to explain…" Re-Destro clicks the remote.

The projector screen shows two headshots. One of a woman with shoulder length, straight black hair. Her black eyes match her hair and compliment her pale skin. The other headshot shows a man with messy white hair and golden eyes.

"Wow! She's beautiful!" Twice exclaims. "Wait...she looks just like her!" He points at me.

"Oh! She really does!" Toga also glances.

"Shizuka Nakamura," Re-Destro says. "And Hikaru Watanabe… these are your parents."

There's no denying it. I look exactly like the woman on screen, only I have the man's white hair and golden eyes.

"Your mother was a devoted follower of Destro's ideology…" Re-Destro continues. "Her code name was Gravitas. She was part of the Liberation Army, who worked closely with me. I knew her very well… She was a serious, strong, independent woman who vowed never to fall for any man… That is, until she met your father."

I remain silent, confirming to Re-Destro to continue.

"Your father was a gregarious man," he continues. "So full of life and spirit. Like you, he was an orphan. When his quirk manifested at an orphanage, the Safety Commission took him in, seeing promise in the young boy… And he proved himself to be useful. The Commission President had just earned her position by the time she met your father. His skills earned him high ranking in the hero program under the Commission by the age of 20. He went by the hero name Fallout. He was valued by the President, very much like the way Hawks is now," he gestures to Keigo.

I glance over at Keigo who is also taken by surprise at all this information.

"It was until your father came across the Meta Liberation book," Re-Destro holds up my bookmarked copy. "He read it and seemed intrigued by its ideology. So much so, that he even reached out to me after figuring out I was the successor to Destro. His espionage skills were extraordinary… He expressed interest in the Liberation, but he seemed hesitant. The Commission was holding him back. I introduced Hikaru to Shizuka. And it was love at first sight."

I continue to stare up at the headshots.

"They fell in love, Shizuka further indoctrinating Hikaru into the Liberation…" Re-Destro continues. "He became a spy for us, keeping his position at the Safety Commission. Again, very much like Hawks," he gestures at him again. "It makes sense why you're attracted to him, hm?"

Touya shifts in his seat.

"I also grew fond of Hikaru…" Re-Destro continues. "He and your mother were valuable members of mine. That is...until that fateful night."

I listen intently.

"Do you know what their quirks were?" Re-Destro asks me. "Your mother: gravity manipulation. Your father: nuclear manipulation. When combined, their quirks gave birth to a powerful one: the power of a collapsing star. Also known as supernova."

I stare up at the headshots of the man and woman, not doubting they're my parents as their quirks make sense to have created mine.

"When the President found out about your father's betrayal," Re-Destro continues. "She was devastated. Your father ridiculed her and the entire Safety Commission. Hikaru became a missing soldier and was deemed a villain. To avoid disclosing my role as leader of the Liberation Army, your parents ventured off on their own. During that time, that's when you were born."

"Now it makes sense…" I speak aloud. "Why the President treated me so harshly…"

"She believed you would become just like your father...a hero turned villain - a traitor."

It all makes sense. Whenever the President looked at me, it was as if she saw someone else, with hate and distrust. That person was my father.

"With the help of Skeptic," Re-Destro clicks another button. "We were able to obtain some footage."

I gaze up at the screen as a video plays. It's footage of what looks like the inside of an abandoned warehouse at night. A man with white hair bursts through the doors. It's my father. He's struggling to stand, his clothes and face bloodied. The sound of explosions go off outside, causing the camera to rumble. My father makes his way toward the end of the warehouse with a limp. He removes the cover of what looks like a crib and grabs whatever is inside. The camera zooms in on my father collapsing, holding something in his arms. It seems like he's speaking but the camera can't hear his words. More explosions can be heard going off. The building begins to tremble, shaking the camera. Just then, someone is seen breaking through the glass window, a trail of fire at his feet as he lands inside. It's a man of a muscular stature with spiky crimson hair wearing a royal blue hero suit.

'Enji…' I think with wide eyes.

Enji finds my father collapsed on the floor, unwrapping whatever he's holding. Enji's surprise can be seen on camera. He crouches down to my father, exchanging some words. Again, the camera doesn't pick up on this. Enji grabs whatever was in my father's arms as explosions go off close to where they are. He then uses his fire at his legs and feet to shoot out through the glass window, shielding what he's holding in his arms. Soon after, the camera cuts to black after a final explosion. My eyes stare wide at the projector screen. My gaze then turns to Touya who is also staring back at me in shock.

"The Commission ordered your parents to be killed," Re-Destro says. "They were deemed too dangerous because of their quirks and involvement in the Liberation Army. They set up an ambush, catching your parents by surprise. When they attacked that warehouse that night, they had no idea that there was an infant present."

"Where did you get this footage?" I ask.

"The Commission archives. They try to hide their tainted past, but as you see, the past never dies."

"So they had this footage all along…"

Re-Destro nods. I tremble as my mind races, trying to process all of this information.

"The Commission couldn't allow the public to know that a hero turned into a villain," Re-Destro says. "It would make them seem unreliable. They're identities were kept secret, and because no one else knew about you, your ties to them were erased."

I remain silent as I continue to process everything, holding back the urge to vomit.

"Akira…" Re-Destro says. "You have the chance to avenge your parents… Ally yourself with the Paranormal Liberation Front. With our aid, we can achieve vengeance for what the Safety Commission did to your parents...what they did to you."

My body heats up as I'm overcome with emotion, Geten's ice completely melting. Geten moves forward to subdue me again but Re-Destro holds his arm out to stop him.

"You can take time to consider our offer," Re-Destro says. "I understand it was a lot of devastating information to process. But we need your answer as soon as possible."

I stand still in thought, still trying to process all I've been shown. It's all true. Everything makes sense.

"Hawks," Re-Destro calls to him. "Be a gentleman and escort Akira home. She needs time and space away to think carefully about our offer. I leave the rest to you…" he smirks a bit.

"Gotcha…" Hawks approaches me.

Re-Destro approaches me, handing me a large black envelope with my copy of the red Meta book and my purse.

"All the information on your parents is in here," he says. "Along with a copy of their headshots. They will serve as a reminder of what the Commission did to you and your parents as you consider our offer."

I take the large envelope and book and stare down in silence.

"Let's go…" Keigo takes a hold of my hand.

As Keigo brings me close to him, I catch a glimpse of Touya's stern gaze at us through the bright red feathers before turning around and leaving the conference room.

After flying for some time, Keigo and I arrive at my apartment's balcony. I slide the glass door open, entering my apartment with Keigo hesitant to follow.

"Akira..." Keigo says.

I turn to him, remembering that he's bugged with micro devices. He can't break his facade to offer full support to me, even if he wants to.

"I'm sorry about your parents…" Keigo continues. "What the Commission did...I didn't expect them to do something like that."

"What'd you expect from an agency that protects this corrupt hero society...whatever means necessary," I respond. "Look at what they did to us...to me."

Keigo stares at me sorrowfully, seeing the blank expression on my face. He moves forward and embraces me. I hug him back as tears form at the brim of my lids, somehow getting the feeling that this may be the last time I get to hug my brother.

"I can stay if you need me to…" Keigo offers.

"No, I'm fine," I answer. "My mind is already made up. The Commission will pay for what they've done to me and my parents."

We break away and I give Keigo a stern stare, which he understands what I'm trying to say.

"I'm sure the Liberation will be pleased to know," Keigo plays along. "Get some rest for now. You still gotta keep a low profile. You'll be hearing from us soon."

Keigo and I exchange nods. He closes my balcony glass door and takes off. I make my way to my room and sit on my bed. I open the large envelope, setting my parents' headshots aside as I take out the papers with their profiles composed by the Commission. Based on what I'm reading, I come to find out what abilities my parents had.

SHIZUKA NAKAMURA

QUIRK: GRAVITY MANIPULATION

CODE NAME: GRAVITAS

KNOWN ABILITIES:

Quirk can create, shape and manipulate gravity; induce zero gravity; repulse people or objects with such force it can shatter practically anything, increasing gravity to crush or immobilize opponents; create a gravitational force-field to repel all manner of attacks or anchor self to the ground; manipulate own gravitational field to increase speed, mobility and physical strength, decreasing gravity to render another defenseless or fly.

AFFILIATION: META LIBERATION ARMY.

DEEMED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

STATUS: DECEASED (AGE 20)

HIKARU WATANABE

QUIRK: NUCLEAR MANIPULATION

HERO NAME: FALLOUT

KNOWN ABILITIES:

Quirk can create, shape and manipulate the forces of nuclear reaction, including fusion and fission, including abilities dealing with heat and radiation.

Orphan; manifested quirk at age 4; made electronics that emit radiation explode (microwaves, cellphones, etc); final incident was when he blew up power lines that caused blackouts until recruited by HPSC at age 5.

AFFILIATION: FORMER HPSC HERO; META LIBERATION ARMY.

DEEMED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

STATUS: DECEASED (AGE 24)

'It's no wonder the Safety Commission deemed them dangerous…' I think to myself. 'So much so...that they had to kill them.'

I set the papers down, palming my face.

'They kept all of this from me…' I think. 'And ostracized me...for something my parents had done...not me.'

I feel emotionally drained and numb at this point.

'I've always wanted to find out about my parents...but not like this,' I shut my eyes.

The extent Re-Destro went to present this information was a brilliant plan to sway me to their side.

'They know I'm a powerful enemy on the heroes' side,' I think. 'They want me on their side to guarantee I won't give them trouble...and to use me, no doubt.'

I grab the red Meta book and gaze down at it sternly.

'Regardless of the truth about my parents…' I think. 'That's their past...not mine. That's not my future.'

I put my hand on my stomach.

'That's not the future I want for you…' I think of my child.