Though I'd fallen asleep as All Might, I awakened in my true body. I didn't want to test whatever we had too much, so was quick to inflate. I looked at Teiko, surprised to find that she hadn't moved an inch. She slept stick straight, as if one wrong move would have her falling out of the bed. Not surprisingly, her face was caught in a grimace of pain. I remembered her bag and left the room to check for any pills. Surely they had given her something. I moved quietly and walked to the partially ajar door. My hands shifted it open just enough to let me through without spilling light on her face. I looked through her suitcase to find the usual hero gear. A utility belt, extra shoes, clothes, I slowed and made a conscious effort not to touch her underwear. If she were to walk out, I didn't want to have to give any awkward explanations.

I found the bright orange prescription bottle, grabbed a glass full of water, and brought them to the room. At the very same moment that I set them down, her phone vibrated twice. A text notification showed on her screen. I was far too curious for my own good, so I looked.

Todoroki Enji

You'll regret it.

What would she regret? I didn't see myself as a snoop, but I felt an undeniable urge to read through their text messages. Were they talking about me? My finger hovered over the screen. Should I? Would she lose her trust in me? My good sense beat down my inquisitive nature. I set down my offering of pain killers, proud of the minor victory. I glanced towards her and paled.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked, her face read wary amusement.

"How long have you been awake?" I countered sheepishly. I felt like a kid with my hand in the cookie jar.

"You can read my texts. I'm not apologizing for my browser history."

"What did you look up?" I didn't even think. Her phone went from the table into my grip practically of its own accord. I was instructed on the ways of her lock screen. Just like that, she had let me into a bigger part of her world. To reciprocate, I showed her how to activate my device. She laughed and shook her head. "If I ever want to know what you're doing, I can flip to just about any channel. This is your only in, so pry to your heart's content."

I studied her tired face. Judging by the purple shadows beneath her eyes, she hadn't slept well. "Is that your way of saying you don't want to talk about it?" I felt disappointed, but understood. Everything was new and if I believed her assessment of the underground, she was facing a different caliber of villain. I considered bringing up All For One.

"You're so bright and shiny. I don't want to ruin you with scary stories."

"Are you trying to protect me?" I sought to confirm.

"Yes."

"You've been a hero for two weeks! I've been doing this for years."

"I'm only a hero because you made my brother destroy my house." She taunted me. I knew she didn't really blame that on me. Or I hoped.

I had no counter, but a breathless chuckle managed to puff from my mouth. I had to reopen her phone to get started. I looked first at the texts. They spanned over the past two weeks. All but one were to Endeavor, with the sole outlier as a message to Grim. I read the one to him first. She sent: Prepare a psych ward. I wanted to know for who, and why.

I tapped until I was in her and Endeavor's conversation. First they commented on the change in professions. It was just time. She had answered. I was glad she was infuriatingly vague to everyone. In their most recent correspondence, he had asked what she wanted sold at the farm. She said everything. Then his newest response. You'll regret it. How anticlimactic. I glanced at her, but she pretended not to notice. She took a pull of water with two small white tablets. Her search history showed her home address, which was listed for sale. There was nothing else. No applications, not even games to pass the time. As a last resort, I checked the calls. All of them were to Endeavor, but none lasted more than five minutes. I felt foolish and frustrated. Of course it wouldn't be that easy to know her. If I really wanted to see into a hero's heart, I'd have to check her utility belt.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" She chuckled, already knowing that I didn't. "I'm sad to say that we can't all be as fun as you, Toshinori. I pale in comparison."

"I want to go with you next time." I couldn't believe things were as bad as she said. Reports claimed that crime was decreasing.

"Tell Grim, he's the boss." I like that she doesn't dismiss the idea. I hand her phone back to her. She takes the time to unlock it, open her messages, and send a text back to Endeavor. I looked her shoulder to read. That's my problem, not yours. See you after work.

No work today. We're getting this shit done. Today.

His immediate reply put a smile on her face. "I can't imagine why he likes the place," she laughed. I furrowed my brow and stared down at the screen. Had I missed something? She caught my confusion and explained. "If he doesn't want to do something, he'll get it out of the way as soon as possible. That means he doesn't want to sell the place where we grew up." She slid out of bed, dressed in only an undershirt and underwear. Both were white and bordered on transparent, so of course I stared.

Even though he was her brother, Endeavor didn't shy to hit a woman. The hero in me refused to let her go alone, especially with a broken arm. "It's my day off, too." I'd use a vacation day. "I'd like to come see it one last time."

"I don't see why not. Get dressed in something you won't mind getting dirty. We're going to clear the fields." I went to my closet and chose my casual cowboy attire. White shirt. Green cargo pants. I didn't need anything more than that on the warm autumn day. I stepped out to the main room and saw her struggling with her bra. I'd never put one on before, but decided to offer my services.

"Let me," I suggested. She let her hands fall. I put my normally fingers to what should have been an easy task. I manipulated the hooks and clasps, only to fail. My brow furrowed and I felt my brows lower with determination. "Is this a trick?" I asked as I began my second attempt. One snagged into its bracket, but the two below it missed. "What on earth?" It took me eight tries to get the most evil contraption in the world as it should be.

"Thanks," she declared with muted laughter.

"You're injured. Beggars can't be choosers."

"Are you teasing a gimp?" She gasped. "How unheroic."

"Quiet, I'm concentrating."

"Are you oppressing the gimp? What a scandal!"

I grinned and said words that I never thought I'd say to a beautiful woman. "Put your clothes on."

"If you insist." She chose a somewhat loose green T-shirt and her black shorts from before. She put on a pair of leather boots that could be used for work or hiking, but definitely not in the city. We ate and arrived at the station just in time for the noon train. Luck must not have been on my side, because Endeavor was there waiting. Ah fuck. The young man glowered and looked over my outfit. He wore a black T-shirt, jeans, and the male version of Teiko's shoes.

"What's with the extra?" He greeted. Oh great. It was going to be one of those days.

"We're living together." She explained. In my opinion, it was the dumbest thing she could have said. Was she trying to get him to hate me?

A vein bulged on his forehead. His folded arms dropped to his side, his hams of hands curled into fists. "What?" His word was a challenge. His cold eyes darted between the two of us. "With him? For how long?" Enji clung to every reason to hate me.

I could feel the stares of people around us. Endeavor and I had amassed enough popularity that we were becoming more recognizable every day. I kept my smile on and muttered quietly, "why don't we talk once we get there?" I made a point of sweeping my gaze around us to show the crowd.

The train pulled to the station and I prayed we'd have a few seats. The only thing worse than being on a train with Endeavor was being on one with him and his sister. We stepped from the platform and I blessed our luck. There was a space open, just large enough for one of us and her to sit. Teiko filed on and sat, as expected. Then came the awkward indecisiveness between the heroes. "Go on and take it," I said, trying to be a gentleman.

"Why? Are you too good to sit next to my sister?"

I felt the eyes of watchers on us again. Somebody pulled out their phone, as if they expected a fight. "It's just that you haven't seen her in a while-" I began.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Yours, diphead. You blew up my house," Teiko interjected. When it became clear that we couldn't choose, she took over. She pointed at Enji. "Sit down." He stayed standing. She gestured to the amateur filmer and spoke directly at him. "When Endeavor was a baby he couldn't sleep without his-" Like magic, he was in his seat.

The eavesdroppers put their phones away, clearly disappointed. None of them had the brass to ask Teiko to finish her statement.

Our ride was long and uncomfortable. Endeavor kept me firmly in his glower, as if I might run off and commit some scandal with Teiko right there on the train. When we reached our stop, he stubbornly got off last, probably to keep us both in his sight. The moment the train rushed out of sight, he exploded. A fireball shot at me and I narrowly avoided getting burnt with a reflexive dodge.

"Hey! Do it on the fields. The grass is looking good." She ordered.

I used my speed to rush over to our proper arena, while Enji threw more flames in my general direction. Sparks caught some deadened cornstalks and began to set the immediate landscape ablaze. "Todoroki, listen-" I began, even though I had no idea what to say next. He used his fire to jet towards me. Once he had the desired momentum, his right arm pulled back. I knew he prepared for a punch. I leaned on the balls of my feet and rocketed forward. My speed was greater than his. I coiled for a matching attack. Our fists collided and powerful gusts of wind blew out his fires. He stumbled backwards, hatred burning in his eyes. He charged again, thinking he'd found an opening in my defenses. My arms crossed together to block him. I didn't even strain against his strength.

Our eyes met. I saw him realize that he didn't have a chance against me. He could come at me full tilt and I wouldn't even break a sweat. What's worse was that he believed I'd stolen his sister. For years he'd tried to get her to become a pro hero. It had taken me a night. Whether I liked it or not, I was stuck as a scapegoat for his fury. "Are you done?" My patience had waned. There no cameras in my face, only two angry gingers in the middle of nowhere.

He glowered, but drew away. He turned towards the house and blast a fireball at the collapsing structure. Teiko stood with her hands on her hips. Neither of them appeared particularly distraught. If anything, they seemed satisfied with the destruction. "We should have destroyed this shithole years ago." Endeavor grunted.

"I was a misguided farmer." Teiko shrugged and began to till the fields. What might have taken a tractor hours or a horse days only lasted minutes. All of the ground swallowed and buried the remaining vegetation. Once she was done, it was perfectly uprooted to a blank slate. "There. Now anything could have been here."

"It's going up for auction tonight." Endeavor told her. "I'm going to give the Yuris all of our equipment."

"Good. They need it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Rei's family has old machines and doesn't have the time or know-how to fix them up. Ours were new. I bet they would have given anything for them." I didn't know how literally Endeavor took his sister's words.

Once the house was safely burnt to the ground and their one family heirloom destroyed did the siblings head back to the train platform. "I'll wait here and auction the land. You can catch the next train and get back to town." He looked at her cast. "How'd it happen?"

"Bar fight," she answered at once.

"How else?" He countered. I kept quiet. Maybe he could get the truth out of her, where I had failed.

"Mauled by a mountain lion?"

"You're a shit liar." Endeavor sat on the cement step.

"And you're a shit brother, but I forgive you."

A knowing glance passed between them. They both grinned, which quickly escalated to quiet laughter. I knew I missed some private joke. I also knew that asking would ruin the moment. Enough tension left for Teiko to give a pitifully small portion of the story. "A guy snapped my arm."

"Why?"

"I kneed him in the nuts."

Now it was my turn. "What?" I was so surprised that I laughed. Endeavor glared at me, but I didn't care.

"He wanted something that was mine." She answered to me and then turned to Endeavor. "The coward waited until I was sleeping to attack."

"Fucking coward," he grumbled. "Did you get him back?"

"Yup."

"Is he still alive?"

"Yeah, it was too much paperwork." I sincerely hoped she was joking. Not one of her answers had done anything to appease my curiosity. I would definitely speak to Grim about getting put on the next case with Teiko. "Did you ever give any thought to being an underground hero, Enji?"

"Never. My goal is to be the top hero." He glared at me, as if I'd personally stolen the opportunity. I was saved by a train's whistle. Endeavor stood, his cold eyes not leaving me. "If you do anything to hurt my sister, you have to answer to me." He stared at me until he was satisfied that the point had been crystal clear. Once he was satisfied, he took a step closer to Teiko. "As soon as you get tired of him, call me. We'll get you a place of your own."

She lifted her hand and ruffled his hair. "Thanks kid, I'll keep that in mind."