Of course, Endeavor wasn't one to be stopped by a door. Only seconds after it closed, the solid wood went crashing into the house. It tore floorboards and sent smoldered splinters through the air like bullets. Not only did his face scream danger, but the fire sprouted from his palms was vibrant with fury. I hesitated. Was this a family moment, or was a hero needed?
That was all it took for Teiko to charge into her brother. While she had years of hard labor in her muscles and age on her side, she hadn't attended UA. Endeavor had training on how to read his opponent and answer in kind. In the three years since he'd graduated high school, he was steadily climbing to the top of his game. Despite the different tracks they'd taken in their lives, they were almost evenly matched, but only until Teiko used her second quirk.
For all the embers that began, she swiftly doused them with waves of dirt. Fury at being so easily read caused Endeavor to act too quickly. He aimed a predictable punch, which she dodged, then tripped him. His arms reached out to either catch him or expel fire and prevent the fall, but Teiko grabbed his hands and pulled them upwards. The hero had no choice but to fall on his face. A sickened snap told me his nose was broken even before he arose. The spat was short, but disastrous. None of us had seen how the door punched a hole in the roof, but it did. In her haste for moist ammunition, Teiko had broken two of the windows.
Was it a mistake to keep smiling? I didn't know what else to do as the elder sister shoved her foot down on Endeavor's head. "Last time, Enji. Be nice, or get lost." Fire sprouted in his right fist. "If you were a good boy in the first place, your rival wouldn't have to watch you get beat up by a girl."
"He's not my rival!" Endeavor declared fiercely. He smoldered the embers in his fingers and pushed to his feet, knocking Teiko off balance to do so. She stumbled towards the other wall, putting Endeavor between the two of us. I forced myself to stay still and straight, my grin made me look calm, but I was at a loss. There was no possible way for me to read the situation and react without making one of them mad. It was like they were jugs of gasoline. One bad spark would set one or both off. He looked between me and his sister. "Fine," he snapped. He stepped over the wreckage and made his way through the gaping front entry and off into the night.
By some miracle, our food was fine. There was nowhere to eat it, but Teiko made the best of the situation. She grabbed two plates, made sure the gas was off on the stove, and we finished mixing the rice and fried ingredients with our chopsticks. "What a fine testament to my cooking. Enji would rather destroy my house than go quietly." While forced, I appreciated her attempt to lighten the tension. I said nothing while I ate my first bite. Quite comically, my eyebrows raised as my tongue exploded with flavor.
"Maybe he's onto something," I declared, affording her a genuine smirk.
"Don't tell anyone. I don't think I can afford any more angry customers," she joked. She looked up at the house and I saw muted dismay flicker in her eyes. As far as I knew, her sole income was from the fruit stand.
"I'm sure you don't want to hear it, but you could make it as a pro hero. You're a quick thinker and resourceful."
She laughed into her rice. "I just helped to total my house. Imagine what would happen in a city."
"But you didn't ruin the food," I pointed out, half in tease and half sincere. "I even have the perfect name for you. Sandspark!" I convinced myself I cared because of the good she could do. For all the lives she could save. But if I was honest with myself, I wanted to see how we fit in one another's lives. "Come with me to my agency tomorrow and we'll talk about getting you a contract. They work with stealth heroes as well. You'd never have to be a headline or take on a highly publicized case."
I know she heard me. She stared into the wreckage that was her house, keeping any turmoil she felt silent. I waited, then waited some more. Just as I was about to give up and suggest it had been a stupid idea, she spoke. "Alright, All Might." The rhyme had to be intentional. Why else would she look even the slightest bit smug outside a broken home? All she had was the farm, fields, and property. "If I can find something low profile, I'll sell the farm and become a city girl."
After much insistence, I convinced her to come home with me. I offered the bed, which she vehemently refused, pointing out my size. I felt as if I'd failed some strange test of chivalry as I climbed between my sheets, knowing that there was a woman on my couch. She'd stocked my fridge with all the leftovers that survived from her own toppled appliance. I let her use my phone to call and report the accident to a company that would strip all the lumber, wires, basically any assets, from the property. She called Rei to tell the girl and her family to collect any produce they wanted and ask about Endeavor. Of course, Teiko's brother wasn't there. He hadn't been on the train to come into town, either.
I stared at my clock. It registered as only 10 pm. What was I doing in bed? Was I supposed to entertain her now that her calls were done? Yet again, I felt like a fool. Not only did I know nothing about girls, I had no idea how to navigate familial relationships. Did normal siblings try to blow one another up, or break their noses? I groaned and rolled over. Nowhere in the storm of my mind could I find anything even resembling an answer to these impossible questions. I drifted off into a fitful sleep.
The next morning I awakened to a full spread. "You really went all out," I said, my eyes locked on the food that we definitely hadn't had the night before. Grilled salmon, miso soup, strawberries, and a bowl of freshly steamed rice had never looked so good.
I felt embarrassed by the look she gave me, like I'd said something amusing. I grinned back at her, hiding any insecurity. "So I should cook less?" She teased, looking to confirm my request.
"Cook as much as you want. I'm sure I'll survive." I began to eat my rice, that way my mouth wouldn't get me into any more trouble.
"If it makes you uncomfortable, I can cook breakfast and you cook dinner."
I decided to remind her of our job. "It's not likely that either of us will be home for meals more than breakfast. Sometimes, not even then." Our schedules would be hectic. She would likely be put on night duty, as that was generally when the low-key heroes could best avoid the press. I tried not to wonder how long she'd be staying or when she'd get back on her feet. While I appreciated the idea of Teiko moved into her own place, I'd miss the food. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like a rock," she declared happily. "I hope I didn't snore."
She most certainly had, but a closed door had offered a simple enough solution. "Not a bit." I knew enough about women to know when to lie. Whether or not she bought it, we finished our food, she washed the cutlery, showered, and we were off.
I wore my costume, while she donned a modestly cut blue shirt with buttons and black shorts. On her feet were a pair of white running sneakers, and her hair was pulled half back from her face. Compared to her normally worn, scuffed, and smock covered clothes, she looked like a new person. More than once, I had to force myself from staring. Not only was she tall and strong, but she had much more of a figure than I'd ever imagined.
The agency was run by John Grimm, a hungry entrepreneur that took me on as a favor to his American cousin. So far, I had given John little reason to regret his decision. For his hero name, he went simply by his fitting last name – Grim. He had a dozen heroes working full time, a handful of interns, and only two apprentices assigned to his highest grossing employees. I punched in the code for the metal double doors and we entered the fortress of a skyscraper. Grim insisted on having his own team for weapons development, surveyors to catch public opinion, and his underground heroes – the last of which was my goal for Teiko.
We took the elevator to the top floor, where I punched a new code. "This requests admittance. Only I have this number, so Grim can decide whether or not he wants to see me," I explained to Teiko, who looked surprised by everything. To someone who hadn't had a television, I imagined how much the technology shocked and awed her. "Don't worry, you'll get it." I assured her. She smiled gratefully, and the doors opened.
Grim tapped away on his computer, only expecting me. "Great, All Might. I have a case—who is that?" He looked up to see my plus one and stared. He looked her over once, as any sane man would do. I felt a strange surge of protectiveness burn in my gut. Was it jealousy?
"I'm Todoroki Teiko." I wasn't surprised that she answered for herself. I looked down at her in silent encouragement to continue. "I have a double quirk and wanted to know –" he didn't even let her finish. Grim sat up a bit straighter.
"Todoroki as in Enji, as in Endeavor?" He asked, fishing for a publicity opportunity. "Did he hit you?" As a hero first, he has the decency to look angry at the suspicion.
Teiko was so surprised that she choked out a laugh. "What? Why would that be your first reaction?"
"Domestic abuse cases are far more common than you think among heroes," Grim declared as he shut his laptop. He gave the case his full attention.
"I'm his sister, and I was looking for a job."
"That doesn't answer whether or not he hit you, kid." Grim tapped his chin. "What are your quirks? You said you have two?"
Teiko wordlessly lifted her palms. In sync, two orbs appeared. A spiral of dirt spun in her left, while a ball of flame sputtered wildly on her right. "Terrakinesis and pyrokinesis," she explains, holding them a few moments before she closed her fists and both elements vanished.
Grim looked from Teiko to me, his mind clearly running calculations. I knew what he was thinking. How much would it cost him to get Endeavor's sister, and how much more to make her talk? If he had hit her, the story would sell well. Having her under contract would win points for the agency. I knew where the conversation would go, but wanted to let them steer it. "I'll give you five million yen for your first year. From there, we can reassess."
While the offer was generous, she wasn't even tempted. I could see it in her eyes. "My plan is to stay under the radar. No press, no high profile jobs."
"Where'd you go to school?" If he was irritated, he didn't show it.
"I went to an agricultural high school up in the northern districts," she explained. It was there that John Grimm lost his cool presence. He looked at me eagerly, waiting for the punch line. His eyes darted between the two of us, his face paling. "You're serious," he muttered. The look he gave me was one of disbelief. "You brought me some hick? Sure she's good looking and would sell well, but I can't even market her!" He glanced to Teiko and sighed. "You. My apologies, I shouldn't speak about you as if you're not here."
Grim pulled his laptop screen open and began to type. He scrolled with his finger, selected a file, and then turned the monitor towards us. On display was a man who was ink black from head to toe, with no identifying characteristics. "This is the Shadowsnail. We call him that because he doesn't talk, we have no way of knowing when he'll appear next, and he has no legs. He floats like a ghost, has no eyes, and makes it a point to abduct beautiful women. He can become incorporeal at will, so none of our physical attacks have worked. I'm thinking that you're the perfect bait. He is slow, but don't underestimate him. He's responsible for eight disappearances and four murders of other heroes. If you don't want me to use you in the limelight, this is the sort of thing you'll be doing. Impossible, quiet cases." Grim grimly waited for her decision.
It sounded like too much for someone so green. I felt like she was going to turn away from such an over the top challenge. As always, she surprised me. "Sure." This time, it was not in a good way. Her face was unreadable. If she was scared or excited, she hid it well.
She looked squarely at Grim, her stoic nature mirroring Endeavor's perfectly. The hero grinned wryly and flipped the machine back to him. "Is this you agreeing to be the bait? You'll have other underground heroes helping you." Though I wanted to offer my assistance, I doubted I'd be of use.
"It is," Teiko affirmed. Where I'd be grinning through my teeth, she continued to appear stoic, as if such a mundane task couldn't faze her.