Tick Tock Part 2

Two Hours before the Transfer Exam
(All pov's are starting at this point more or less)


A figure stood above a small raised headstone that only had the name of a young boy known as Haruki Kadokawa and his birth and death. Under it were the words "A loving son." As if that little bit of description could accurately portray who was buried in the ground, could paint a picture of who he happened to be. Gritting his teeth, the young man fisted his hands in the pair of black dress slacks he wore, as he bowed his head, his short red hair long enough to fall and cover his brown eyes as guilt swirled heavily in his chest and tightened his throat. Yasei Haruki had yet to be able to shed his guilt as though he should have been able to do more for his best friend. He should have seen the signs, should have reached out, or not missed his phone call.

"No matter how often I show up here, it doesn't lessen the pain," he muttered to the wind as his red eyes glared down at the stone nameplate. With a harsh exhale, he turned his gaze away as his eyes burned and his body tensed up, fighting back the emotion that wrapped around him. "If I had just answered the phone, if I hadn't been so cocky I would have been there, you wouldn't have had to be alone with them," he growled out the words, the anger better then the sadness that threatened to destroy him from the inside out. He had to be strong.

'Weak little boys cry, but not you Yasei, remember why Mommy loves you, '

As that scene flashed through his mind, remembering the only real-time his mother had given him attention, seemed to care about him. He had been six years old and had broken his arm after a mishap with his quirk. His mom had been called about the accident on the playground by his school and had shown up, only after his father couldn't be reached because he was out of the city on business. When all he'd wanted was a hug, for her to tell him it would be ok, what he got was her firm fingers curling along his upper arms and the fake smile that hid who she was from the world as she told him not to cry and to be strong. It wasn't what he wanted to hear; it wasn't what happened with other kids' parents. They hugged their children, worried over them, cried for them, loved them, and she couldn't be what he needed. It was just one of his many experiences of realizing that love didn't exist for everyone; it didn't exist inside her for him.

He threw back his head and laughed a harsh, loud sound that bordered on psychotic as if he couldn't believe how ridiculous his life had become, how naive he'd been as a child and as he got older, allowing himself to get close to the boy who merely shared the same name as him. Love didn't exist in this world. People only let you down; he'd known that he'd seen it, and yet Haruki had managed to get through all his defenses, had allowed him to see that he wasn't alone, that the world didn't suck as badly when they were together.

The best of friends who did everything together. If only he hadn't pushed so hard to be the hero in middle school, sticking up for others when it really was best if he just left them to their own devices, their own fate. Haru was always his sidekick whenever things got a little out of hand with the other kids they went to school with. It wasn't surprising that after a little bit of time, the other kids would become resentful of what he could do and took matters into their own hands one day after school when he'd been alone. He'd fought them all to the best of his abilities, but he'd not been able to handle the numbers that had fought against him. If he hadn't pushed his quirk past its limit as he had, he might have suffered a worse fate than multiple broken bones.

Yasei was hospitalized for several months; his body could not repair the damage left him scared and in physical therapy to regain his strength. It was in that time that Haruki had taken the brunt of the bullying; he never let him in on it. He hid how bad things were getting for him every time he visited him. The depression had eaten away at his friend, and thus in his darkest hour, he hadn't answered the phone, he'd missed the call, and his best friend had taken his own life.

This was something he had to live with for the rest of his life. When someone took their own life, it was the people left behind that had to pick up the pieces and look back at the what-ifs and their own regrets and anger and somehow keep moving forward. It was a nearly impossible task, and here he was struggling to do just that. Yasei wasn't sure on his best days that he could move past it. No amount of therapy sessions could get through to him. He just wasn't ready to let go of his own form of survivor's guilt.

He had used all his energy, though, to work his body for the last year and a half. He pushed himself at his physical therapy to be able to walk again, to be able to hold onto simple items, working his fine motor skills to be able to pick up a pen and write. There was so much he had to relearn to do. Once that was done, he pushed himself to get back into physical shape and began some training with a quirk instructor that had been at the hospital and had some volunteer work and had later decided to take him on as a student in that time frame as well. It was through Vlad that he was able to enroll in Ketsueutsu Academy. Yasei was able to catch up thanks to the positive reinforcement of Vlad King, his dad, the nurses, and the doctors who rooted for him. His mother's absence was noted, but he had pushed it to the back of his mind.

He still had yet to come to terms entirely with his mother's lack of love for him or his loss of Haruki, but he was making strides. It was why he longed to be a positive influence on the lives he met. To help someone not feel alone like Haru had been, so he could help them know that they were never alone that they had someone in their corner. It was why he shifted his grief into action, laughter, and joy for those around him. Yasei would be for others what he hadn't been able to be for Haruki.

The sound died off after he seemed to get himself under control once more. "I know it doesn't mean much now, but I'll make it up to you." He let those words hang there as he leaned back on his heels and stared up at the sky for a moment; maybe it was just him, but it looked like it was going to rain. As the sound of footsteps behind him, Yasei turned to look at the silver-haired man approaching him from the cemetery entrance, frowning. He said nothing as he allowed the man to approach him. "Teach, I don't have a session today. What are you doing here?" he questioned, not bothering to try and muster up even the smallest smile for him. He didn't have to play a role with him right now. The older male scuffed at him and held out his hand with an envelope held between two fingers. "You're going to be late; you can read it on the way," he told him as he jerked his fingers to the waiting car on the street above him. Frowning, Yasei took the envelope and turned it over in his hand as he inspected it; there was no mistaking the seal on the back. He decided not to say anything just yet, as he headed for the car. "I'll see you in a few, Haru," he said in passing as he waved over his shoulder. Vlad Knight said nothing about this exchange but cast the headstone a look before shifting his gaze to the flowers left on the grave, no doubt a gift from the one who was leaving. With a slight incline of his head, he turned to follow his charge up to his car.

Rounding to the driver's seat, Sekijiro Kan buckles his seatbelt and hits the gas, and begins the drive to their destination. "You can read that if you want, and you'll find something else in the back seat," he told him as he merged smoothly into traffic and got onto the speedway heading to another part of the city. Yasei glanced at him before turning his attention to the back seat and seeing a silver briefcase that looked awfully familiar to what he had at home. Instead, he didn't say anything about it and carefully opened the envelope and read what it said. "Why'd you pull any strings for me?" he questioned, shooting a glance at him. As the silence lingered a moment, he felt awkward with all that he had already done for him. "You didn't have to do that. You don't owe me anything." Came his overly casual reply as his gaze moved to look out the window.

"You've come further than others with all you've had to face. If I didn't think you could handle this, I wouldn't have put in a good word for you," he told him seriously. As his fingers curled tighter on the steering wheel, his jaw was tense, and it was clear from the tension along his shoulders, something was bothering him. It was also obviously not something he wanted to talk about. Sekijiro glanced at him before his red eyes traveled to the clock on the dash. He needed to hurry up, or he'd be late.

The "hmm" of regard was all that Yasei gave him as he let his thoughts wander and debate his options; what this test could give him if he did compete and what would happen if he didn't. He didn't seem to be losing much of anything if he at least gave it a shot. Besides Vlad didn't have to stick his neck out for him. If he cut and run now without at least giving it a go it would be a massive slap in the face and he was pretty sure Vlad's reputation was on the line. "I'll do it; it's the least I can do for all that you've done for me," he told him as he fingered the watch on his wrist. There was little else that was said on the ride over after his teacher rolled the car to a stop at the entrance of UA High. Yasei grabbed his things and made his way to the auditorium. Thankfully it wasn't all that confusing to get there and he picked a lovely spot that would get him a good read on his completion. He settled into an empty seat on the right side of the room; kicking his chair back as he waited just like everyone else for this exam to begin.


Fingers continued to fly over a portable laptop as red eyes traveled to the book laid out in front of him, his gaze easily reading the complicated text that too many wouldn't even relate to being words at all. His fingers easily clicked against the keyboard to give way to code that he was reading and efficiently transcribing to the program he was working on. It may seem boring to those who couldn't see the value of his work, but that wasn't the case from Goro Kiaki's perspective. Coding was a hobby, and making websites had turned from a hobby and something that he was good at to a way to make a little extra money on the side. It beat a part-time job during school; now, all he had to do was get his studies done early and work on getting the websites done that his clients were requesting. Some only wanted something as simple as a template for the characters they played on the web. He did those as well and could usually have those done in about an hour or so, with any of the requests they may want.

As those red eyes traveled to the larger computer screens looking at a few other code examples that were pulled up on the desktop screens, some held the simple HTML formats for the color schemes one of the clients was looking for. The other screen was open to several examples of how the pictures would look if he added some effects to do them. Some were the codes for hover over effects, others to make the images larger in a separate box, others were how the pictures would look if given certain cut-offs, like making the picture into an oval in the center of the page.

Goro Kiaki was a young man with talent; there was no denying that. His eyes seemed to glow, and if one were near him, they would see that it wasn't just his eyes that were glowing but the skin around his forehead and under his buzz-cut black hair. It probably wasn't the most practical way to use his quirk, but the nanites in his body allowed him to advance or enforce certain parts of his body. If he used them correctly, he could actually enhance his own processing power in his brain and how much information his eyes could catch. This has been something he tried when he had been in a subject in school that had been harder for him to understand. It wasn't cheating per se and was just merely using your resources to one's advantage. He grinned slightly to himself as he finished the last line he'd been working on and closed the code. He flicked his wrists as he sat back for a moment and stretched his muscular arms up above his head before he ran his finger across his nose as he took a quick skim through the text. Ensuring all the code was appropriately closed before he saved it and began the test run of opening the webpage onto the internet to see how it looked in the private version that wasn't yet accessible to the public because he hadn't activated it yet.

"Not too bad, " he said to himself with pride deep in his voice. He clicked at his phone, checking the email from one of his clients before scanning how the page looked with what they wanted. The core of the page was fine; all he would need were some of the pictures they would wish to show along the top that would rotate in the form of a slide show as their clientele would linger on their site. He quickly sent off a quick email explaining that he was basically finished and just waiting on the pictures they would want to use.

His gaze traveled to the clock on one of the many screens, and he shot up from his desk. A low curse on his lips as he headed for the bathroom, stripping out of clothes quickly as he went for the door. He. was wondering how he'd let the time pass by so quickly. He only had a few minutes to get ready for dinner with his parents before his exam. As his fingers curled around the door to the bathroom, he opened it without a second thought, and the adjacent door that connected the two rooms was open, showing the room that housed a few other Isamu Academy students; the thing here was this was a co-ed dorm. His gaze landed on one of the girls in the open room, and his massive hand shot to cover his eyes, which did nothing to hide the rush of color to his cheeks.

"How many times have I told you to shut the door, Airi?!" he called out, his other hand blindly reaching for the door that was several steps away, as he baby stepped his way further into the bathroom, his fingers brushed along the counter as he kept his eyes squeezed shut as his bare feet traveled over the cold tile. The laughter that came from her wasn't lost to him and filled his ears as she brushed her fingers along his hand as he curled his fingers along the door to close it, attempting to do the same. He cracked open a single red eye to peek at the young woman who was dressed in a pair of black workout pants that came covered her knees and a black and white sports bra, her sleeveless white shirt hanging over her scarred shoulder. "Anyone could see you were getting dressed, you know," he warned as he closed his eyes again. Airi never elaborates how she got some of the scars or marks on her body, and she was always quick to brush it off; honestly, she was always in a good mood and so confident that no one questioned her.

"Don't be so shy," she teased as she brushed back strands of her Auburn hair and exposed her emerald eyes dancing with mischief as she regarded him. "Besides, you're one to talk," as her eyes took in his scarcely dressed form and she waved her hand at his form before turning back to her own room, not surprised when he turned around swiftly to give her his back; he was just too easy to get a rise out of as he stammered out a refute to her of "I-It's not what you think!" Hitarashi laughed at him and wiped at her eyes as she cast a glance at her own reflection in the shared bathroom mirror before continuing. "To be fair, I didn't expect you to be here still. I saw Toya leave a while ago and assumed you were gone too," she explained as she slipped on her shirt and began to pull her hair back into a messy low ponytail; she had nothing to be ashamed of after all. "You got caught up on your computer again, didn't you?" At his look, she gave a small laugh before she shouldered her duffle bag. "You better hurry up; the Exam starts in an hour; I'll see you there," were her parting words as she shut the jack and jill bathroom door that linked her room with his and his roommate.

Left in the dimly light room, he pressed his fist to his mouth and ignored his pounding heart; Airi was everything she always claimed to be, a tease, a button pusher, and one who excelled at making others uncomfortable. "Geez," he muttered to himself as he quickly locked the door to their side of the bathroom and started the water for the shower. He glanced at the clock and knew if he wasn't careful, he was going to be late for dinner with his parents, thankfully it was at a restaurant that was on the way to the UA Transfer Exam.

The cold shower was just as well; he spent as little time under the cold spray as he could, washing off quickly before drying off as he retreated to his room, picking up the clothes he'd discarded early and tossing them in the hamper before he picked up the loose black tank top with a red and gold phoenix on the front and a pair of black cargo shorts, he sank down into his computer chair as he got in his socks before shoving his feet into his red tennis shoes with black laces and grabbed his phone and his hero suit in its briefcase before he left his dorm room.

He'd been able to hit all the crosswalk signs and made it to the restaurant where he was meeting his parents without any further issues, and judging from the text he'd received from his mom, they were already here and seated. They'd even ordered already to ensure he wouldn't be late getting him his usual. Even as the restaurant was busy, it wasn't hard to find his parents sitting next to each other, his mom's smaller frame sitting next to his fathers as it always was, while his mother was currently reading at the table, his father was playing with his mother's hair and reading over her shoulder and talking quietly about how things were going at his job as a hardware engineer. For a moment, their love and easy regard for each other gave him pause; it was something he could only hope to have if he could ever get over his shyness around girls to date anyone.

He had plenty of friends who were girls, though, but he had never had any feelings for them or anyone besides friendship. Shaking his head to clear it, he moved between the walkway to head toward their table, sinking into the booth seat and easily greeting his parents. "Hey Mom, Dad, sorry I'm late, I got a little distracted, " he apologized with a small bashful smile on his lips as he curled his fingers together on the table between them.

Riko Kiaki set her book down and slid it in front of her husband as she smiled kindly at her son as she leaned her head slightly against Muto as he began to braid her long black hair merely out of boredom as they waited for their food, their drinks in front of them. "It's alright, sweetheart, you're here now, " she said gently with a wide smile as her smaller hand covered one of his own.

Muto chuckled to himself as he let his large fingers tap along the table now that he was done with braiding a few strands of her hair. His green eyes regarded his only son. "You got caught up on your computer, didn't you?" he teased as he paused in what he was doing, Muto was very much a man child in some ways, easily distracted when he wasn't doing something he found interesting, or easily sucked in for hours to days in a project he was interested in.

Slender fingers ran through his blonde hair. His wife was quick to jump to their son's defense. She was a talented medical professional and furiously protective of those she held dear, and always a strong advocate for her patients. "Be nice," she warned, but there was warmth in her voice.

The massive blonde curled one hand along her fingers and gave a gentle squeeze as he kissed his wife's cheek, lingering for a moment as he knew she was self-conscious about the small tusks at the edge of her lips that their son had inherited from her as well. He thought she was beautiful in every way. "You're no fun, Riko," he whined but gave his son a wink.

Their animated display may have been weird to others, but Goro was used to it, and as he got older, he realized just how special their bond of love really was. He smiled wider at his parents and began to answer his parents' questions about how his studies were going and what he knew so far about the upcoming test he would have in just under 40 minutes.

Thankfully their food arrived, and it was a fun-filled affair, laughter, and ease floating from the family, even as they all ate quickly. There was no denying the love between them. After they finished eating, Goro walked with his parents out of the restaurant. "Are you sure you don't want a ride?" His mother asked. "Thanks, but no. I'm just a few blocks; I'll let you know how it goes," he told her as he gave them both a hug and left on foot to travel the last bit to UA High.

Walking through the gate was like a dream come true, and for a moment, he was lost in awe before his phone went off, warning him of the time. He quickened his pace, following the signs that would help him find his way. He passed a few empty hallways but paid them no mind as he entered the auditorium and chose a seat by himself after he didn't see any sign of Airi. Frowning to himself, he leaned back in his seat as he pulled out a notebook and a pen, setting it out in front of him. As a few more attendees came in, he watched them looking to see if it was her or not. Goro knew he needed to focus though, he couldn't be worried about her, but he hoped she was alright; she was always early in their classes together. He set his phone in front of him and waited, but he knew it was pointless. She didn't have a phone now that he thought about it.

"Hey Goro, good to see you here too!" Ever the friendlier of the two, Ren was quick to greet their mutual friend and classmate, someone Reya hadn't even noticed they were seated next to. Gold eyes blinked before they shifted from the other students to her brother before turning to look past him at Goro. "Hi Goro." The answer was laced with distraction as her eyes wandered to the other exam takers. Her appearance alone screamed who she was related to, the pro rescue hero, Firecrest. That was bound to paint a target on her back, and she could only hope that Rin didn't get the same target painted on his back.

Ren didn't miss the way Goro seemed to glance at the door and the clock as it continued to tick closer and closer to their time. "Who are you looking for?" he questioned, leaning toward his taller friend. "It's Airi; she should have been here already. She left before me. " Goro replied, keeping his voice low so only Reya would hear their conversation too.

Eyes narrowing, Ren glanced at the clock as well. He didn't like the feeling that settled in his stomach at this news. Airi kept her home life private, but he had always suspected something might be off. They were an odd group of friends, as Ren's popularity kept some of the other kids from picking on her when she'd first gotten in through their scholarship program.

Reya scoffed at the two of them. "I'm sure she's fine, " she said, butting in as she pulled up the hood of her jacket. It wasn't exactly a secret that something had happened between the two, something the boys weren't pirvy to.

Ren and Goro shared a look that said they weren't so sure, but they both settled in their seats and watched the clock tick closer and closer to the cut-off time.


Airi Hitarashi felt her good mood diminish as she got closer and closer to home. The homes gradually fell into disrepair, and she walked swiftly across the sidewalk, keeping her head held high and briefly met the gaze of those she passed. In this area, the civilian population usually housed those on government assistance or working hard to get out into a safer neighborhood, those who didn't care where they stayed. She didn't want to be one of those people. She wanted to get out of this area as fast as possible if only that were possible, but she knew it would never really happen.

As the apartment complex came into view, she took a moment to pause as her emerald green eyes took in the discolored bricks and the sorry state. Airi's frown deepened as she was filled with guilt, knowing that she had left her younger siblings here with her mom, who had promised to get her act together. She checked in once every two weeks; she hadn't been able to get any other time away. Her scholarship from Isamu Academy required her grades not to drop below a B, and she worked to get money for the rent and food. She was a phone call away, but it would require a message being left at the school office.

For a moment, her hands balled up into fists at everything she had to her shoulders; if anything happened to her mom, she wasn't sure what she would do. Her dreams would be put on hold, but she was also not old enough to take her siblings. They would probably wind up in the system. It was hard because she remembered a time when her mother was sober, had never drank or been anything but an attentive mother, but all that changed when her father died, killed doing God knows what during his detective work for the police force. Her mom didn't handle it well, they moved, and things spiraled down from there.

Noriko Hitarashi began to deal with grief and depression with drugs, alcohol, and men. She'd had two other children from men who didn't stick around, which wasn't surprising. Her other saving grace was that she stopped almost everything for nine months until her children were born.

The fifteen-year-old took the stairs and breathed a sigh of relief as currently, the stairwell was clear and as she hit the hallway, she knocked at the door of her neighbor Ms. Mia Alverez as she was kind enough to watch her younger brother Naoki who was only nine years old and her sister Meiko who was only six.

Frowning, she heard voices behind the door and the sound of smaller children being ushered into one of the back bedrooms. A moment later, Mia, an older woman, opened the door and revealed her round face and graying hair that was tied back in a bun and her hard dark grey eyes. The guarded look melted as she saw her, but her sad look told her everything she needed to know. Her mother had relapsed again, and it was why her younger siblings were with her. "I'm sorry, Airi," the young woman said sadly.

Airi felt the anger she bottled up so tightly rise to the surface, but she didn't dare let her mask slip. She kept her smile on her face and lifted her duffle from her shoulder. "Don't worry, Ms. Alvarez. I'll handle it. Oh, but first-" she paused, reaching into the front pocket of her bag. "I want you to have this, it's not much, but it's the least I can do to thank you for taking care of my family...for making sure they're safe." She held out the money in a small battered wallet.

"That isn't necessary, Mija. My children chip in to help if I need it," she assured, her hands raised to refuse. At the look on the younger girl's face, she knew that she couldn't refuse exactly. To her, everything was a transaction. With a soft sigh, she brushed back a hand over her hair and knew she couldn't say no. "I could use the money to get them both some new clothes," she said after agreeing, knowing that the kids needed clothes that were clean, didn't smell, and actually fit them. The older woman carefully took her wallet but truly had no intentions of keeping the money. This wasn't the first time that she had wondered if she should call Child Protective Services. "I would appreciate that," Airi said softly around the lump forming in her throat at her kindness to kids who weren't her responsibility. "I'll keep your bag for you till you come back." She offered, holding out her hand. "Thanks." the brunette haired girl told her with a wide smile as she passed it over to her.

Airi turned away to head down the hallway to their apartment. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said as she left. She twisted the knob as the door to their apartment was unlocked and walked into the cramped quarters. The smell alone was awful and caused her to gag. An old memory of a spotless house flashed through her mind, and she slammed her fist along the hallway entrance that would lead her to the living room, with the kitchen on the right and the bedrooms behind the living room with a hall bathroom there as well. It was always so upsetting to see that things could be normal if her mother just tried harder and wasn't full of her own self-pity.

It wasn't hard to find her mother in the master bedroom with a needle still sticking out of her arm, her head resting back in her high, as she escaped the real world. Her responsibilities to take care of her kids, to take care of them! She was going to destroy everything! Everything she'd worked so hard for was going to be lost, all because she was too weak to face reality!

With a cry of anguished rage, Airi crossed the room in seconds, her fists balled up in her mom's shirt as she shook her larger frame. "What the fuck is wrong with you! You had one job!" She cried, her green eyes staring into the eyes so much like her own but were glossed over. "I paid the rent this month. I gave you money for food for Mei and Nao!" she exclaimed with her hand pressing against her chest. "I did all that; I'm doing that for you!" Airi couldn't stop herself from continuing her heartfelt speech. "You promised you would stay clean!"

Noriko pushed her eldest daughter's hands away; even with drugs in her system, her mother was clearly coherent enough to hear her. "Don't be such a little bitch; I take care of them just fine!" her lips pressed down into a thin line as her teeth ground together, as her emotions began to seep through her cracked out state. "You don't get to come in here and tell me how to do my job!" she snarled out as her fingers moved to carefully remove the needle from her arm as though it were no big deal. As she discarded the open needle on the dresser, it was easy to see everything that was thrown across it, trash, tissues, and other used needles, most open as though she was just too lazy to cap them and keep them out of reach of her kids. Airi's disgust and anger was written all over her face. "Yeah, you're doing just fine." came the fifteen-year-olds sarcastic remark.

Airi stepped back, glaring at her mother as though trying to reconcile with herself and how far the person standing in front of her had fallen. Her hand pressed against her chest before it balled up into a fist. She had been so close to getting out of here! Leaving this shit hole behind, and her mother couldn't even keep her act together long enough for her to graduate high school so she could take her siblings somewhere, anywhere else that was safer! She just needed three years! Just three freaking years! Less if she could just survive till her eighteenth birthday! If she kept her grades as high as possible and didn't get into any trouble, surely she could get her school to make an exception, the courts would side with her, and she could get custody of her siblings. They wouldn't have to struggle like this! They didn't have to be put through this! They could be safe; they could be a family together.

"Your job?!" she shot back with a scuff of sound, her nails biting into her palms. "You're not using the money I've been giving you every month for rent, food, or clothes for them!" she cried out angrily. "You're just a junkie! You're so worthless, mom! You can't even take care of yourself! Just look at you!" With a wave of her hand, she gestured to her appearance and how it had been several days since the older dark-haired woman had taken a shower or any form of self-care.

Airi tried to tamper down the anger because on its heels was the crippling feeling of failure and despair. She tried to wrack her brain with how she could possibly find a solution to this screwed-up situation that was her life! Somehow she could keep her siblings together; somehow, she could make this all go away. It was just another burden added to her slim shoulders. Some days it was so hard to be who everyone at school saw her as. If her mask slipped, they would see the ugly person underneath, and no one needed that. The lie was better; it was all anyone truly needed to see or cared to know.

The slap wasn't surprising, and it hurt, but she'd suffered worse. "You don't know what I've been through!" came her mother's words, as another blow hit her across the eye, this time with a closed fist and then another as Airi took them all. "How much it hurts every day to be here," she continued as the blows kept coming. 'Excuses, it's always excuses, reasons to justify her actions...I was hoping for something else...so stupid.' She knew not to move, not to flinch, and most importantly, she knew to keep quiet. If she let her mother let it all out, she wouldn't have the energy to go after her siblings.

The slow clap that came from the doorway that led to the hallway had Airi easily ducking the next strike and pivoting on her feet to face the man in the doorway. Her green eyes were sizing him up and stepping away again to put some distance between her and her mother. Her heart was pounding in her chest as he was blocking her only route of escape. This had been supposed to be a quick visit, and now things were escalating in ways she wasn't sure she had time to deal with. She also knew that she couldn't do anything to him. She was a student; anything she did could have her scholarship pulled at Isuma Academy...the test being held at UA was a chance for her to go further than anyone had thought she would. She could lose everything if she wasn't careful.

"Who are you?!" she demanded, ignoring the way her vision out of her right eye was fuzzy and only half-open. Airi forced herself to put on her best face, to smile, to be in control of this situation even as it was so clearly something that she was not. If she could just have a little time. She could possibly keep him from moving, from being able to get close to her.

"Is that really important right now? I didn't want to get in the way of the family drama, but I was curious what all the noise was about; besides, your mom here owes me money," he told her with a grin that bordered on boyish, but there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. He was dangerous.

Airi felt sweat begin to drip between her shoulder blades as she let her gaze get a good look at him, trying to convert what he looked like to memory. He was tall, standing at least six feet, and had long black hair with gold twin tail bangs that was braided back behind his back and his skin tone was pitch black, and his eyes were gold, but he wasn't Japanese; no, he was something else, and his quirk was clearly a sort of physical mutation. Was he really just a drug dealer? It didn't seem like it. "Who are you in bed with?!" she accused, her anger flaring up again as her hands curled at her sides as she glared at her mother.

She was surprised to see that her mother had shut completely up at this point and seemed to be trying to process just who she was seeing in front of her as her dark brown hair covered one of her wide frightful eyes. She knew who he was, though, there was no mistaking that.

"Just your worst Nightmare, Sweetheart," he told her ominously.

Airi tried to remember when she had been more afraid in her life; this fear at just the sight of this man wasn't something she could even remotely begin to explain. It felt like she was staring at her own death. Swallowing, she shifted back on her heels and then forward on the balls of her feet. If she could deescalate this situation, she might be able to make it out without a fight. All she needed to do was choose her words carefully; she could do this.

"How much does she owe you?" she questioned, keeping her voice level, and she was pleased to see that it wasn't shaking.

"More than you have in your piggy bank, little girl...but perhaps we can work something out if you're useful enough," he told her as he crossed his arms over his chest, and his smile widened, exposing his teeth. "Meet me at the Takoba Municipal Park at midnight in one week," he told her as he held up a single finger to emphasize what he meant. "If you decide not to show up-," He paused a moment. "Well, you may find your pretty little family missing a few pieces." He added with a cold smile. As those words hung in the air between them, he walked out of the room, and even as Airi moved to try and ensure he did leave, as she passed the door frame, he was gone as though he'd never been there at all.

"I have an exam to get too; I just can't deal with this right now!" she whispered, her bravado dropping as she wanted to do nothing more than to cry at how her life just kept crashing and burning in ways she was struggling to wrap her head around. How was she going to do this?! You just do it; you can't back out now. She thought as she pressed her fingers to her injured eye, the pain bringing with it some form of escape from her emotions that she literally did not have time to deal with right now. If she wasn't careful, she was going to be late for the exam; she needed this opportunity. This chance for her siblings...she was the only one who could pull them out of here. She had to do this; she'd do whatever she had to do.

With a deep breath, she turned around, glancing only briefly at her mother's still shaking form, knowing that she needed to take other steps to keep her from bothering them, at least for right now. It wasn't hard to let her anger dip a little closer to the surface. She walked toward her, her fingers curling in her hair and forcing her mommy dearest to look her in the eyes. "I'm going to clean up your mess, but you will leave Naoki and Meiko alone!" As her mother tried to pull away, her other hand curled along her upper arm, her grip stronger than it would have been usually if she wasn't cheating a little. "Even you can understand what that means, right, Mom?" She let the question hang there between them as she waited for a response.

"I get it!" Noriko spat out, trying to jerk back and get some space. Her eyes hard as she felt the bones in her arm creak as the pressure on her arm increased. "I suggest you sign the papers that will be coming regarding Naoki and Meiko." Airi's grin widened into an emotionless smile. "If not, well, I will throw you to the wolves." she threatened. Airi had made a decision to take a stand. This was the only way. "Remember what I said." Were her parting words as she released her mother. Causing the older woman to fall back, barely managing to catch herself. That wasn't her problem, though, as she turned and left.

As she walked back over to the neighbor's apartment, she was in a daze, struggling to keep her wits about her as her head was pounding as the adrenaline began to fear off and leave her exhausted. Airi knocked only twice on the door before Ms. Alverez was ushering her inside, her hands already cupping her face and then covering her injured eye as she clicked her tongue as one of her son's daughter shut the door behind them. "Oh, Mija," she cooed softly as her healing powers helped to accelerate her body's natural healing powers, but she also expanded her energy to heal her eye of the damage, but the bruising would remain.

"It's not that bad," Airi told her quietly, her gaze landing on her siblings lingering in the hallway to the kitchen, watching their big sister on the barstool, with wide eyes full of tears as Mia stepped back to let her gaze linger on the clock. "You have an exam coming up, " she said with a heavy frown, as her gaze darted back to the young woman, calculating in her head just how long it would take her to get to that part of the city; it wasn't enough time. "You won't make it in time. " Came her next words filled with despair.

"I know, but I'll figure something out. I always do," she told her, faking a confidence she didn't feel, as she always did. But if she was honest, she was not sure how she was even remotely going to get to where she needed to go in time for her exam. There was almost no feasible way she could do it without drawing massive attention to herself, and it wasn't something she had really practiced for a flight that long. In her current state, there was no way it was going to happen.

"Naoki, Meiko come here," she called over to them as she stood up and was immediately swarmed as the two curled their arms around her, and she could feel their shaking forms. As she gazed down at Naoki's blonde shaggy hair, her fingers thread through it as he raised matching green eyes to look at her, his eyes filled with tears as several traveled down his youthful face. "Don't make us go back Onee-chan, please...I try, but it's so hard to protect Mei from Mom…" he pleaded, his arms wrapped around her middle tightly.

Mei had her arms around her leg, her face buried into her hip as her black hair was long and covered her family's signature green eyes. Great sobs racked her small frame, and Airi closed her eyes tightly as her other hand gently traveled through her hair. "Don't leave, " she cried. This was why she would do whatever was necessary to keep them safe; her demons would catch up with her if she didn't fulfill her end of the deal with the devil. She would make this work.

As the small family took comfort in each other with Airi, the acting mother figure, Ms. Alverez was reaching out to her eldest son, who held a quirk very similar to his father. "Hibiki-" she started as he answered her phone call and, with a glance over her shoulder at the three comforting each other, a soft smile on her lips. They really have been through too much. She knew she had to try and do something, as she walked out of the kitchen to give them some privacy and began to explain a little of the current dilemma that was unfolding in her home.

As her son was silent on the other end, she wondered if he was still on the phone. "Did you hang up on me?" she questioned, exasperation in her voice. As the area around her front door seemed to shimmer before a tear right in the middle appeared before a pair of hands reached out from the void space and pried the area open before a man in his mid-thirties stepped through the darkness, his hero suit was black and his cap while black on the top seemed to be filled with a dark navy scene on the back of glowing stars, it was rather breathtaking to look at. He paused in front of his mother and rested a hand on her shoulder, a smile stretching along his lips as all you could see was the area from his mouth and his chin; the rest was covered by his hero mask. He was known as the Pro-Hero: Interstellar or just Hibiki Alverez to any who may know his mother and his civilian identity.

Frowning, he leaned against the kitchen doorway listening to the soft words of comfort the young girl offered her little brother and sister. "You did your best that's what matters, and no, you won't be going back, Nao...I'll figure something out, I promise," her words were so full of conviction that it was easy to calm their fears. His dark eyes regarded the bruise around her eye, and he wondered the full story that his mother had been reluctant to share with him. "I'll take care of them, Mija, don't worry," his mother said gently from the kitchen entrance, her fingers resting on his upper arm. Clearly letting him know they would talk later.

"I have to go for a little while. " At those words, Mei's fingers curled into her shirt tighter as she shook her head against her leg. "Y-You can't go!" she cried out in desperation. "Mom will come back, and she'll take us away." her green eyes wide as tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't want her to leave again. "D-Don't go." she whispered as she used her small hands to wipe at her eyes, trying to stop her tears.

Where Mei had become dejected and filled with despair over the thought of her leaving, it wasn't shared with everyone. "Mei, that won't happen!" Airi's didn't mean to sound harsh, but her patience was wearing thin. She was just tired, so tired of it all, and she still wasn't done. With a soft sigh, her fingers trailed through her baby sister's hair once more. "I promise, sweetheart." she said softly in assurance as her lips lifted in an easygoing smile. "Everything will be just fine." she promised as she lifted her into her arms and used her other hand to wipe her tears away with her thumb.

Her exam was soon, and she really needed to get going. If she wasn't so pressed for time, she would have handled this all so much better; she would have had more time to really address everything she needed too. The fifteen-year-old would have been more understanding. There was still so much she needed to worry about; this was just another issue she had to fix. Her hands fisted at her side; her stress had begun to boil over. Someone could only wear a mask for so long before it cracked, and their true colors began to seep through.

It was Naoki who had taken on the anger she wished to display but held back out of her own self-preservation to not be the person she hated the most. She would never be like her mother. It was a trait from their mother, a curse from being exposed to it for so long. It was so easy to see how it worked, and it got results, people left you alone, or they listened to you. It was freeing to release it sometimes, but right now, it was dangerous.

Naoki's hands were fisted at his side, and his body was shaking slightly. None of that concerned her as much as knowing if he was going to lose it or not. It was something that had happened only a handful of times. It was from stress, from all that they had to endure growing up. It was all so overwhelming; it was so exhausting. She didn't have to wait long; he had something he wanted her to know.

"Leave then! Get out! It's clear you don't want to be here! So go! Do us all a favor and hit the door! You're no better than Mom!" he yelled out, his body coiled so tightly like a spring about to shoot forward. Instead of throwing any punches, he headed out of the room at a run, and the sound of the spare bedroom door slamming shut echoed back to them.

Airi closed her eyes tightly and then tipped her head back and silently counted in her head as her one free hand dug her nails into the skin of her palm. "Well, that could have gone better," came her rather poor attempt at a joke as she forced a short laugh. No one else laughed, and instead, the silence was akin to pity. Somehow it was almost suffocating in its intensity.

"He didn't-" Mei started to say, her fingers tightening on her sister's arm. She couldn't believe the turn things had taken...but after Airi went off to High School, things had gotten harder for them, and so much had been resting on Naoki's shoulders in her absence.

"He did, but it's whatever." With a sigh, the older girl carefully detached her little sister's grip as she set her down on her own two feet. "I'll talk to him once he's cooled off." Frowning, she uncurled her fist and ran her fingers through her hair. I can't blame him for feeling like that. She thought to herself; she'd been suffering from those same feelings herself if she allowed herself to acknowledge them. She'd fix this too later, but first, she had to get to her exam. It was her only chance of turning their lives around to possibly giving them a chance at something better. It was a hope she had to hold on to.

Her gaze traveled to the two adults lingering in the room. "You and Nao will be staying with Ms. Alvarez for a little while." Her hand gently patted her sister on the head as she crouched down to her level. "It's just until I finish school, and I'll be back for visits like usual." Her gaze traveled briefly to the older woman, who nodded her head to let her know she agreed. "And you'll be good for her, won't you?" Mei's tiny fingers curled into the t-shirt that was honestly too big for her smaller frame, but it was clearly one of Naoki's shirts; she was oftentimes wearing hand me downs, as her mother couldn't be bothered to buy them anything else to wear.

"Yes, onee-chan." came Meiko's soft reply as she let her tiny hand curl around one of Mia's grandchildren Sophia who was just two years older than her at eight with blonde curly hair and light blue eyes which were striking on her darker features. "Let's go play in my room Mei-chan," she told her as she shot a glance at her dad and her grandma before she gently directed her to the other room. She'd been watching for a while with her dad and had only come forward after Naoki had left the room.

Meiko broke away to come running back into the kitchen a few seconds later. Her arms around her sister's middle. "Be careful, and we love you...even Nao." she told her before releasing her to bound back over to Sophia as the eight-year-old chatted excitedly about what they could play with. Mei nodding along but was more subdued; she wasn't used to having toys to play with.

For a moment, there was silence as the three people left in the room regarded each other, but we're all listening to the sound of the additional bedroom's door closing before anything was said. Airi tried not to let her exhaustion show and keep up the front that she needed to. Her night was just getting started. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for the adults to tell her what was up.

"You're taking part in the UA Transfer Exam, aren't you?" Hibiki questioned his eyes, giving her a once over, noticing the faded bruises in other parts of her body as well. It could be from home, but it was likely from her school training. At her answer of 'Yes, sir.' His grin widened, and he motioned for her to follow him out of the kitchen. "We need to get going, or you're going to be late."

After a moment's hesitation, she followed after him. Airi had yet to meet Hibiki Alverez, and while she'd heard of him in passing, she'd never tried to get more information about him. Then again, she had more going on than most kids her age usually dealt with. As Mia brought up the rear, she tried to ignore her reaction of having anyone behind her and tried to remain as relaxed as she could.

As they paused by the closed front door, she frowned, not sure what to expect. "You know you have-" she started to say, unable to hold back the sarcasm as Interstellar had paused in front of the door and had grown very still as he used his mind to picture where he needed to go. He could use his powers in other ways, but this was always one is the easiest to do. Her eyes widened as his hand punched out toward the door but never made contact and, in fact, seemed to have disappeared altogether. He then pulled his hand out and pulled apart the space between the door to open an image of UA's front gate. "Better hurry if you want to make it on time." Came his words as he grabbed her duffle bag and walked through the portal.

Airi, for a moment, was stunned into silence as she watched his form appear on the other side and shoot her a glance over his shoulder, but he walked ahead, figuring she would catch up eventually. The portal would only stay open for a few more seconds since he wasn't keeping it open.

"Go, hurry before it closes!" Ms. Alverez told her as she pressed a piece of paper into her hand. A scribbled note with her telephone number on it. "Call after your exam, and good luck." Her free hand cupping her cheek before stepping back to gently push her toward the portal. "Go, " she repeated as she stepped back.

With a jerky nod, Airi turned and fled into the portal. Her body felt as if it was floating before gravity pulled her down from the other side. She stumbled before managing to right herself as she twisted her head up to look around for where Hibiki had gone. With a gulp of air, she ran after him, where she could just see his cape disappearing around one of the corners. You could have waited, She thought with a sneer.

"So," he started as he drew the word out. "What happened with your mom?" Hibiki questioned once she caught up with him and began to walk beside him. "I can take my bag." She told him instead, as she held out her hand, ignoring his question. "Uh-uh, not till you tell me what happened." he countered smoothly as he led the way down another hallway. "She's busy, and if you're implying to my face I lost a fight at school, " she answered with a low growl. Reacting in anger was a way to get people to leave her alone; it also was easier to lie when angry

Frowning as he debated his options for a moment and wondered why he was getting involved again in something that at first wasn't any of his business but was rapidly becoming something he was going to have to deal with eventually. He passed over her bag as they walked down the hallway; at this time of night, there wasn't anyone else here not so close to the cut off time as she placed a piece of paper into the zipper on her bag. He watched her settle the weight over her shoulder and glance at the double doors they were getting closer to.

He paused outside the closed doors. "Thanks for the lift, " she told him as her fingers curled around the door. "Listen, " he told her, his hand resting on her shoulder, and he felt her body jerk under his touch. "If you ever need anything, give me a call." He told her as he held out his business card to her as he drew back.

Airi frowned at him as one green eye nearly glowing out of the darkness around her right eye. She did reach out to take the card. Her mind flashing back to what awaited her in a week's time. Her fingers curled around the card, and her eyes had momentarily been filled with fear. As she blinked, her gaze righted him back into focus. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks." She flashed him a bright smile before she turned and entered the doorway, effectively running from one problem into another.

He shook his head and turned to leave. He paused briefly to look at the man who was watching from one of the doorways that were partially closed. He shrugged at Snipe and left. Hibiki was not about to get in the middle of any U.A drama, even if he was already involved, thanks to his mom not minding her own business. He had his own problems to deal with, and he certainly didn't need to be tacking on a kid's too. 'Don't be like that; you know you're going to have a long talk with your Mom when you get back.' With a low groan he made his way back to the Gate where he planned to make his escape.

She closed the door softly behind her and turned to regard the rest of the occupants' stares. She really wasn't sure why she had to be the last one here or why so many were giving her the stink eye like it mattered that she was almost late. As much as she wanted to curl her lip and tell them all to fuck off, she instead kept her smile on her face and as her green eyes caught sight of the three people clustered together. She knew exactly where she was not going, as she saw Goro's large frame trembled as though he were able to get up and come over; Reya's gaze said something else altogether, her hand on his shoulder held him in place. Ren was tense beside them, but the look of pity mixed with anger on his face caused her to look away from them. Friends or not, she really didn't need to be distracted right now. She had way too much riding on this exam, maybe more than others.

The brunette went to the other side of the auditorium and chose the seat next to the guy in the suit, he looked like he wouldn't give her any problems at all, and better yet, he wouldn't ask her any questions as his gaze slid to her own as she sat down next to him. She merely ignored him and laid her arms down on the desk, and turned her head toward him. She had no intention of talking to him, but she didn't want to deal with her friends either. Like everyone else, with a soft sigh, she waited for the exam to begin, and she closed her eyes.

As a finger poked against her cheek under the bruise, her lips curled back in a silent snarl. Her eyes flew open to regard the man in front of her. His gaze was far too close as he'd stopped leaning back in his chair and had rested his head down in a pose mimicking her own. "Can I help you?" She whispered to him, keeping her voice low and at an octave others wouldn't be able to hear. The anger in her tone was bleeding through, and the sarcasm was obvious. She was really done with people today.

"You can," he answered, his grin widening to expose his sharp teeth. "What's a pretty girl like you doing with a shiner like that?" he wondered, his brown eyes locked on her own. "None of your business!" she hissed darkly. He chuckled lowly and her gaze narrowed. "How about your name?" he asked instead as he held out his hand across the small space they shared. "The names Yasei." After a moment of debate, she reached her own hand out to shake his hand. "Airi, " she told him as the two didn't entirely ignore each other but waited for the exam to get started as they whispered amongst themselves.


A/N:
I hope you enjoyed this chapter sorry about the wait everyone, I know everyone is probably chomping at the bit for the Transfer exam, but you need a little back story to understand what's up! Nursing school has kicked my butt recently but I hope you enjoy the ride as the Transfer Exam begins! As always I love to hear your thoughts and opinions! Sorry, I haven't updated the roaster yet but I will this weekend! Thanks for your patience!

-AJ Aviary