Two days have gone by since the events of the raids took place. I haven't made contact with anyone since I arrived here in the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii. I'm sitting in the living room, drinking a mug of tea while I browse some Japan news websites. All I continue to see is news on the prison breaks and the public demanding that the No. 1 Hero answers their questions.

"What is Endeavor's relationship with the villain Dabi?" a reporter says.

"The public demands answers now," another reporter says.

"What is One For All?"

"The No. 2 Hero was said to be released from the hospital earlier this morning. He too has to answer to the public."

"Where is hero society heading?"

I close my laptop, overwhelmed at the numerous headlines and chaos. Palming my face, I let out a sigh.

'I have to contact him…' I think.

After pulling out the traceless cellphone, I dial a number from memory. It rings a few times while I await and hope for an answer.

"Hello?" a weak voice answers.

"K-Keigo…" I almost struggle to say.

"Akira?" his weak voice is surprised.

"Oh…" I shut my eyes in relief at hearing his voice. "I'm...I'm so glad to hear your voice."

"I'm glad to hear yours."

"How are you? I heard about your serious injuries."

"I'm fine...just a little burnt."

"How did it happen?"

There's silence for a moment.

"Akira…" Keigo weakly says. "Touya...he's alive."

My eyes go wide upon hearing this. I recall Touya's threat to hurt Keigo.

"Did...Did he hurt you?" I struggle to ask.

"Yeah…" Keigo replies. "But that doesn't matter right now. Where are you?"

"I can't answer that..."

"What do you mean you can't answer that? I've been trying to reach you since I got outta the hospital this morning."

"Have you heard from Enji?" I ignore his question.

"No, I haven't...But I'm leaving to see him at the hospital from my mother's house."

"You're at your mother's house?"

"Touya...Dabi...he got information out of my mother about me...about my past."

'So that's how he found out about Keigo's past…' I think to myself in shock.

"He forced it outta her."

"Is she alright?"

"She's gone and ran off...I don't know where to…"

Keigo lets out a weak sigh.

"My past…" he continues. "It's come back to haunt me," he tries to humor.

"What's happening now?" I ask.

"The Commission is currently at a standstill, in total dysfunction."

"What?"

"The executives were attacked by a Re-Destro clone...Some didn't make it."

"And...the President?"

"I'm honestly not too sure right now...but it's not looking good."

My eyes go wide upon hearing this.

"I'm sorry to bear this news to you…" Keigo says. "But there's no one to give us orders anymore, Akira...No chains left to shackle us down."

I remain silent. Despite everything the Commission had put me through, I never wished them any ill will. Not even the President.

"So what now?" I finally ask.

"Endeavor needs me…" Keigo replies. "After all that Dabi has said...I'm gonna help him."

My hand clenches as I feel helpless, not able to do anything.

"I knew you were seeing him all along…" Keigo suddenly admits.

"What?" I'm surprised.

"All those nights...I'd seen him show up at your apartment...I'd seen you both together at the pier one night…"

"How did you…"

"The President...she gave me the task to spy on you."

I remain silent at this.

"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Keigo apologizes. "I couldn't...the President didn't trust you and didn't have the time to keep an eye on you when you moved out on your own…so she had me surveillance you every now and then."

"It's fine...I understand."

"Like you, I never understood why she didn't trust you...until Re-Destro revealed the truth about your parents...it all made sense after that."

I keep my eyes lowered while Keigo takes a moment to give his voice a break.

"The President strongly believed you'd end up a traitor like your father," Keigo continues. "When I saw you with him...I was honestly shocked...I decided to keep that to myself, fearing what the Commission would do to you if they found out you were affiliated with Dabi, a member of the League of Villains...To see you with him… I knew there had to be more to it."

I tear up a bit at the faith Keigo has in me.

"And I was right…" Keigo says. "You knew he was Touya all along...didn't you?"

"Yes…" I admit.

"So the reason you were seeing him… It's because of your love for him, right?"

"Yes…" I answer.

"Despite what's happened between me and him… I'm actually relieved to know that."

"Hm?"

"I'd rather find out that you were with him because he was actually Touya...than to find out that you turned to the villains."

I sniffle a bit at Keigo's words.

"I'm so sorry…" I softly cry. "For what he did to you."

"Never mind that," Keigo shakes off. "I'm just glad that you're still you."

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve, feeling grateful to have Keigo as a brother.

"We need to stop Touya…" Keigo continues. "We need to help put a stop to him, Akira."

"I know…" I tear up. "But I can't help you."

"I know you must feel conflicted about Touya...but…"

"I won't be helping you with that...as much as I want to…"

I put my hand over my mouth, trying to find the right words without breaking into a sob.

"As much as I want to put a stop to Touya…I won't be able to," I say.

"You won't be alone, Akira. I'll be speaking with Enji…"

"No, I can't… I don't know when you'll be hearing from me again…"

"What are you saying?"

"The President arranged for me to be sent away...so that the villains wouldn't get a hold of me…All For One is able to forcefully activate someone's quirk...If he gets a hold of me, there's no telling what he'll do."

"That won't happen. I won't allow that to happen."

"It's okay, Keigo...This was my idea."

"What...There's something you're not telling me."

I remain silent, keeping a hand on my stomach.

"Please, Akira, tell me what's going on," Keigo pleads.

"As much as I want to...I can't…" I shake my head.

"We can...we can work this out."

"No, trust me...it's best I stay away."

"But why?" Keigo's hoarse voice is desperate.

"Please tell Enji...and his family...I wish them the best...but I can't help you."

"Akira."

"I'm so sorry, Keigo…" I tear up. "I'll call whenever I can."

"Akira!"

I hang up before he can say anything else, burying my face in my hands as I cry.

In the Todoroki estate, I'm sitting with Touya and his siblings in the reading room. I sit at the table next to Fuyumi, writing on a piece of paper.

"Done!" I excitedly say.

"Already?" Fuyumi is surprised. "It took me much longer to finish it yesterday."

Fuyumi takes the paper and compares it to her already graded homework from yesterday. I fiddle my fingers and stare at her, eager to know the outcome of my reading homework.

"You got them all right!" Fuyumi exclaims with a smile to me.

"I did?" my brows rise.

"Yup! You got a better grade than me," she shows me her graded work.

I place the two sheets together and compare, seeing that indeed my work got a perfect score based on the feedback from Fuyumi's teacher on hers.

"Great job, Akira!" Fuyumi smiles.

I can't help but giggle with an excited blush on my cheeks.

"I'll place an extra copy of my homework for tonight in your bag," Fuyumi pulls out a sheet.

"Wow! You don't even go to school but you're pretty smart!" Natsu exclaims.

"Thanks!" I smile at him. "I have a tutor back at the Commission but...it's not the same…"

I eagerly watch Fuyumi as she slips the homework sheet into my bookbag. She then returns to working on a math sheet while Natsu works on his own work. My excited smile fades away as I watch them focus on their schoolwork. I glance at their school uniforms, longing to attend school like a regular 12 year-old child. My eyes then stare at my colorful backpack, which was gifted to me by Rei and Enji. This is as close as I'll get to attending school.

"Hey…" A voice says as I feel a poke on my arm.

The poke interrupts my thoughts as I see it's Touya. He makes his way to the doorway, sliding the door open as he gestures for me to follow him. Not wanting to bother Fuyumi or Natsu, I quietly head away and follow Touya down the hall. He holds a finger to his mouth as he and I sneakily make our way toward the front door.

"Where are we going?" I whisper.

"It's a surprise," Touya whispers.

Once I see that we're heading for the front door, I come to a halt. Touya turns to me in surprise.

"What's the matter?" he asks.

"I'm...not supposed to leave the premises…" I nervously say. "If the President finds out, I'll get in trouble."

"Ya won't get in trouble if they don't find out."

I fiddle my fingers, feeling anxious.

"Do you trust me?" Touya whispers.

I gaze at Touya as he holds his hand out to me. The warm look in his turquoise eyes and his soft stare suddenly make my anxiety fade away. I finally nod and take a hold of his hand as we sneak out the front door of his estate. Once we're far enough, we make a dash down the street more freely. Touya keeps a hold of my hand as he leads the way, looking back at me with his carefree smile. I stare at him for a moment as the rest of my anxiety fades away, slowly laughing and smiling with Touya. For the first time, I feel free. We continue making our way down some blocks until we reach a patch of forest. Touya leads me past trees and we finally reach an open area with a pond. I gaze around in awe at the scenery.

"Better than being locked up in that atrium, huh?" Touya watches as I spin around in awe.

I watch as birds soar through the sky, breathing in the fresh air. Touya stares at me with a loving gaze.

"So this is where you run off to?" I ask.

"Yup. This is where I train," Touya begins to take his black shirt off.

Touya tosses his shirt to the ground and makes his way toward some targets that are lined up a few yards away. He revealed to me some while ago that he purposefully trains with only his upper body to hide the new burns.

"I've wanted to show ya this for some time…" Touya says.

"Hm?" I stare at him in confusion.

Blue flames erupt from Touya's upper body, catching me by surprise. He shoots blue fire at a few of his targets.

"Wow!" I'm in awe as I make my way to him.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Touya proudly smiles.

"Yeah! Your flames are blue now!

"I figured it out! It's just another bodily process! My firepower's linked to my feelings, so if I get riled up… I'm pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. Man, Dad's sure in for a surprise!"

"You haven't shown him yet?"

"Not yet. I gotta keep practicing until I perfect it! That way he'll be impressed!"

Touya's eyes then become watery and tears roll down his face. I stare at him curiously as he wipes them away.

"But dang…" Touya smiles. "When I get worked up...I dunno why, but I start crying."

"Hm...you're really worked up, huh?" I smile at him.

"Yeah...I guess I am," Touya chuckles as he wipes his eyes.

"When are you showing your dad?"

"As soon as he gets home today. I want you to be there when I do!"

"I can't wait!" I jump in excitement.

"With you there, I'll have the courage to do it!"

The both of us smile and laugh excitedly. I gaze up at Touya for a moment and he stops.

"Hm? What's the matter?" he wonders.

"When did you get taller than me?" I hold my hand up to his head.

"Oh! Musta been the growth spurt!" he laughs. "Afterall, I'm 13 now."

"Aw, it's gonna be harder to pounce you now…"

"Ya won't be so tough, huh?"

"Hey, but that doesn't mean I still can't take you!"

I pounce on Touya as we begin to playfight. After what seems like ages, it's time to head back to the estate before Enji gets home from work. Touya and I manage to sneak back in without anyone noticing, and head down the hall.

"Catch me if you can!" I tag Touya.

I run down the hall as Touya chases after me. After turning the corner, I bump into someone and fall back on the floor. Upon opening my eyes, I look up and see that it's Enji.

"Be careful," Enji helps me up.

"Sorry…" I mumble.

"Dad…" Touya is surprised to see him. "When did you get home?"

"I got out a bit early… Where have you two been?"

I glance over at Touya, fearing that Enji will find out that we snuck off outside of the estate.

"Never mind that," Touya just brushes it off. "Listen dad, next time you get a day off...you gotta come up to Sekoto Peak with me."

Enji perks up and seems to realize something. He quickly reaches for Touya's shirt and lifts it up. To our dismay, the burns on Touya's upper body are revealed. I gasp in worry.

"Damn it! Again?!" Enji grits his teeth.

"No, wait!" Touya tries to explain. "What I can do now is really cool! You gotta come see me!"

I watch as Touya nervously reaches for his hair but I silently cheer him on as he glances at me.

"I think Shoto's got some serious competition…" Touya nervously fidgets. "But I'm not sure if it's enough against All Might yet, though! But it's something you have to see dad…"

I grow more in concern as Touya begins to tug at his hair.

"And then you'll realize...I wasn't a mistake!" Touya cries out.

My eyes go wide upon hearing this.

'A mistake?' I think to myself. 'Is that...how Touya feels?'

Enji grits his teeth again before storming off, shouting for Rei. Touya and I stand in the hall as Enji finds Rei with Shoto in a room. We then hear a tussle come from the room they're in.

"Why didn't you stop him, Rei!" Enji shouts. "You were supposed to watch over him!"

"Don't bully mom!" Shoto's voice shouts. "Stop it! Stop bullying her!"

"Shoto, get out! This doesn't involve you!"

I rub my hands together as I hunch my shoulders upon listening to the commotion. Touya sees I'm bothered and leads me away into the courtyard. We sit at the bench as I fiddle my fingers, still reflecting on what's happening inside.

"Sorry…" Touya says. "You had to hear all that…"

"Do you think he knows? That we snuck off?" I'm anxious.

"Hey, relax, it's alright…" Touya holds my hand. "I'm sure I took the heat off you…"

I turn to Touya with teary eyes.

"Is that how you feel?" I ask.

"Hm?" Touya responds.

"A mistake...is that how you feel?"

Touya turns away and lowers his gaze.

"You're not a mistake, Touya," I assure him.

"If only he'd see what you see…" Touya says.

I stare at Touya and squeeze his hand harder.

I open my eyes, waking up at the sudden feeling of nausea, scurrying to the bathroom. After spewing into the toilet, I breathe hard as I try to calm myself. I recall the dream of the memory of that day, Touya's smile flashing in my head.

'If only I'd understood…' I think as I softly cry.

It's early morning. I'm sitting in a rocking chair, facing the closed bay window that looks out into the far ocean. I hear the front door open and footsteps near the living area. I keep my gaze out the window.

"Akira…" a member of the Japanese embassy says. "There's someone here to meet you."

I slowly turn my gaze to the middle of the living room. Next to the Japanese embassy member stands an older woman. She's not elderly but is past middle age. Her silver hair is tied up in a bun as she wears a light blouse and capri pants.

"My name is Chiyoko," she kindly introduces herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Chiyoko is your live-in nurse midwife," the embassy member explains. "She'll monitor your pregnancy and will be in charge of delivering your child.

I don't say anything and slowly return my gaze out the window. I hear the embassy member leave. My mind wanders off, thinking of my current circumstances. Chiyoko's footsteps steadily make their way toward me as she takes an ottoman and brings it closer to me. There's a silence between us as I keep my gaze out the window.

"I understand you're under stressful circumstances," Chiyoko finally breaks the silence.

I don't respond.

"I don't know the full story…" she continues. "But please, don't hesitate to reach out to me."

She is about to get up but I turn to her with my hand out.

"Wait, I'm sorry…" I finally say. "I don't mean to come off as rude."

"No worries," Chiyoko responds.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself… I'm Akira. It's a pleasure to meet you, Chiyoko."

"Please, you can call me Chiyo."

"You're Japanese, I see."

"Yes, I moved to Hawaii years ago from Japan."

"What brought you out here?"

"Let's just say I needed to heal."

I stare at Chiyoko for a moment in thought. I can see in her eyes that she's a content older woman, but there's healed pain in her dark brown eyes. Despite that, she still gives a kind and gentle smile.

"It seems we both looked to heal here," I say.

"Yes...Perhaps that's why we were meant to meet," Chiyo nods.

"Perhaps," I give her a small smile.

"I don't know your full story, but I'm hoping to earn your trust to develop a bond."

I stare at Chiyoko for a moment before giving her a warm smile and nod.