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Making it back to the dorms Izuku typed in the address into his laptop with Ochaco sitting by him in the living room where the search brought them to a small business site.
"It looks like a cafe site," Ochaco noted looking through the gallery of the shop and its owner.
The person in charge was a woman standing in front of her personal shop in broad daylight, her appearance went like so, she looked quiet mature, her complexion looking dark however was fading with age, her hair dark with greying line, but that didn't stop from looking so happy. The two shuffled through the photos seeing the exterior of the building to the interior, the dining area, the display case, and the kitchen. The caffeine drinkings, muffins, pastries, and all sorts were also shown from their menu, and the people enjoying them when they visit, especially a picture of the stranger, Bram.
"There he is!" Izuku pointed at the picture. There Bram was present at the cafe enjoying a cup of warm coffee with the owner just beside him, looking happy for the first time, "We need to find that woman, maybe she can tell us more about Bram."
"Hey, guys!" looking over their shoulders the two found their classmate, Rikido, entering the room, "What's you two looking at?"
"Hey, Rikido," Ochaco greeted, "We're just looking up this cafe shop."
"Well I hope you two are not planning to have your first date there," Rikido teased, but also warned them which they caught just as they were about to explain, and were now confused.
"What'd you mean by that?" Izuku asked him.
"Well if you two are gonna spend an lovely after-"
"No, not the date," Ochaco corrected him, "About not going to the cafe?"
"Oh... " Rikido realized what they mean, "I meant that place is no longer in business," he broke it to them to their disappointment, so further explained, "Yeah it's weird some hero agency bought her out for some reason."
"Which agency?" they asked already sensing who was behind it.
Rikido told them the year that the shop was shut down and curiously enough the year it closed is also the year where the picture of Bram was taken.
"It's like they're trying to actively erase him," Izuku brought up the idea.
"They must've bought the cafe to delete all the photos," Ochaco added, "But why did they leave a picture this obvious?"
"Probably because it's on Ms. Nikki personal profile," Rikido simply pointed out speaking the shop owner's name to their surprise.
"How did you-"
"I used to be a customer there before coming to U.A," Rikido told them, "I would've been like her number one customer, but this one guy beat me to that title."
"You mean him?" Izuku pointed at the picture on screen and Rikido was hit with a rush of memory hidden away in his own mind.
"Yeah, that guy!" he confirmed, "That guy goes there everyday before and after work."
"Rikido, do you might know where Ms. Nikki is now?" Ochaco asked politely.
\Later On/
Rikido kindly writes down the physical address of the owner to one of his favorite cafes and the two friends found themselves walking down the streets of their city.
"I hope she's still there, or else Rikido's knowledge would be made useless," Izuku stated carefully so he wouldn't jinx himself.
"She'll be there, Izuku, and I bet she'll also be willing to help," Ochaco supported him.
Walking down further the two counted down the numbers mounted on passing buildings as they draw near to their next destination.
"Well here we are," Izuku stated turning to face a small apartment building.
"B3, B4, B5... here! apartment B6," Izuku read out the address aloud, "Well this is the place."
"And what are we waiting for?" Ochaco remarked extending her hand to knock on the door.
After just a few moments there was familiar sound of locks coming undone behind the door before cracking open for a woman's head to stick out from the door frame and thankfully it's the same woman, Nikki, from the photos before.
"May I help you?" she asked as she greeted them.
"Um, yes," Izuku started, "We're two students from U.A and we're here- "
"Wait! let me guess," Ms. Nikki stopped him before he could finish, trying to predict why they came, "You're here to sell candy bars?"
"Uh... we're not carrying anything... " Ochaco plainly told her showing empty hands.
"Pfft... ! now I just look silly," the young lady commented playfully, opening the door wider, "So what brings you here?"
"Where here to ask you about a pro hero, Bram," Izuku told her and even with her eyes covered the two can suddenly tell her mood shifted.
Once granted access inside, Izuku and Ochaco, made themselves comfortable on the living-room couch with Ms. Nikki returning from the kitchen carrying a tray of baked cookies and a pot filled with coffee.
"Geeze, what can I say," Ms. Nikki started wondering where to start the conversation, "I haven't heard from Bram since his agency bought me out, what do you want to know about him?"
"We'll first off what was his quirk?" Izuku asked the first question taking out a note book and pencil, causing the woman to tilt her head in suspicion.
"What is this for, if I might ask?" she questioned and the two froze thinking if it wise to tell her their true intentions fearing that she too will kick them out.
"It's for a school essay," Ochaco lied, "We were told to pick a hero and write about their history and what not."
"Oh! well in that case Bram's a teek," Ms. Nikki informed leaving the two puzzled by the strange word used.
"A what?" Izuku said in confusion.
"A teek, it's slang for a person with telekinetic abilities," Ms. Nikki explained to them clearly, "And he's a really good one too, no limit to the weight he carries, unlocking doors, he can go super fast or be really strong, make himself fly, etc."
"That's a hefty list for one power," Izuku commented in a mixture of amazement and disbelief.
"Yeah, but despite all that he looked depressed," Ms. Nikki went on.
"Why was he sad?" Ochaco asked.
"I don't know," Ms. Nikki wasn't sure, "What I do know that whenever he's feeling down he comes to my shop, he even told me himself."
\Two Years Ago/
It was a bright and sunny morning and if this cafe were in any other location in the city this small little shop would've been bustling with people, but here it could only manage a few. However in this neighborhood having no one in this shop is actually safer as one moment you're minding your own business and the next thing you know some dude jumps over the counter and cleans out your registers without resistance.
As Ms. Nikki was busy wiping off the coffee mugs two other souls also occupied the dinning area just starting their day, a jingle was heard from the entrance as the third customer enters the establishment. Seeing the man approach Ms. Nikki puts down the mug and takes up a pen and notepad about ready to cater, but this man was not here for food rather was already shoving his hand into the giant tip jar that stood right on the counter. Ms. Nikki was taken aback by the sudden action and the other two did nothing, but watched as the thief tried to grab all the bills in one hand. However couldn't pull out when his hand was in a fist so he struggled more than he thought and didn't pay no mind to everybody in the room including the ringing at the door as the cafe's frequent costumer enters.
His presence only made the air so tense that the other two costumers felt the need to vacate the establishment as Bram stalked right up to the thief so closely that he could offer a mint. After giving up to take the bills from the jar the thief opted to just take the entire tip jar instead, slipping his hand out the thief picked up the jar, and prepared to walk away, but was halted when he found a pro hero just looming over him. After a quick stare which felt like he was looking straight into his soul the thief rightly decided that this jar wasn't worth it and puts it back, but that didn't mean he will be unpunished so Bram grabbing hold of him by his arm.
"C'mon, man, I put it back," the thief pleaded, Bram however believed he didn't learn a thing.
"Don't worry you're not going to jail," Bram reassured, "You may have put the jar back, but that doesn't erase the fact that you were gonna do if I hadn't stepped through that door," Bram stated much to the thief's worry, "I'm not gonna take you to jail, but you need to learn that stealing isn't nice," and with that Bram grabbed higher up to the thief's wrist, his heart racing in anticipation as Bram picked out a finger.
"What are you doing?"
"You know what people do to thieves way back in the day?" Bram quizzed him the moment he pinched firmly on his first finger, then a snap followed by the thief's cries as drops down on one knee.
"MY FINGER! MY FINGER!" the thief cried in pain as he gripped his hand tightly seeing one of his fingers bending in a direction it shouldn't go, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"
"And can't do this," Bram shot back reminding thief what he failed to do.
"I'm gonna tell," he threaten.
"And tell them what?" Bram quickly challenged and the thief remained silent, "Who they're gonna believe? a pro hero? or a some punk trying to steal from this innocent lady?"
After being outwitted the thief just runs out humiliated.
"Well he's gone," Bram noted plainly.
"What if he comes back?" Ms. Nikki asked worried if the thief will try to retaliate.
"He ain't coming unless he want's to keep his legs," Bram promised showing no remorse for the man he inflicted pain onto, "But for now let me enjoy my break."
"Will that be a nice hot mug, Bram?" Ms. Nikki asked already know what the order will be.
"It's tiring work beating the crap out of the curs that run amok on these streets," Bram describes his work ethics, but the lady at the counter didn' even flinch at his crude attitude.
"Coffee it is then," She guessed and since Bram wasn't correcting her she was on.
"I may hate this job, but these is one thing I like about it," Bram noted as he took a seat at the counter.
"And what might that be? If I dare ask," Ms. Nikki asked as she poured a warm brew for him.
"Is that I get to beat the crap out of curs walking up and down these streets," Bram answered without hesitation, "These smug assholes in this part of town did whatever they want whenever they want without fear of the law."
"Yeah, but they didn't know a hero like you showing up to the neighborhood," Ms. Nikki said, "But, what about the serial thief?"
"Hey she's trickier than she looks," Bram said in defense.
"How slippery can ONE thief be?"
"Now you're just busting my balls," Bram quipped and the lady just chuckles.
\Present/
"He sounds quite the character," Ochaco commented on the story told.
"He was... " Ms. Nikki confirmed, "But after I was bought out I never saw him again, last thing I heard he got laid off."
"Do you know why?" Izuku asked.
"No. He was very dedicated to his work," Ms. Nikki told them, "Always up before the crack of dawn, only going home at the dead of night... if he's lucky. Sometimes he doesn't get to go home for a couple of days, it's like his job is holding him hostage."
"We heard that he was generally unhappy at his job," Ochaco stated the information from earlier, "A co-worker said that he was looking for something more in life, but didn't know what. By any chance you know what it is?"
"Hmm... " Ms. Nikki hummed, "Yes actually. We once talked about what we both wanted in life and Bram said he only wanted two things," she confirmed and the two leaned closer to hear what it was, "The first thing he wanted was a place to call home and the second was people to call family."
"That sounds simple," Ochaco looked at it kindly.
"But much harder to obtain," Ms. Nikki noted.
"How about school?" Izuku followed up, "How much did you know from there?"
"Sorry. He didn't talk about school much," Ms. Nikki informed them.
At that time Ochaco took out the item Izuku found in Bram's employment for the woman to see.
"By any chance you've seen this on him?" Ochaco questioned holding the strange triangle coin still in its clear plastic bag.
Ms. Nikki takes the bag between her fingers looking over the uninteresting item in her hand before handing it back learning nothing.
"No, I never seen it before," Ms. Nikki admitted, "But if it belongs to Bram I'll hold onto it for him if I were you, maybe he'll explain to you what it is if you ever run in to him."
"So you don't have a clue where he could be?" Izuku decided it was time to end the questions.
"No, but if you're looking for him I stop by at his old house," Ms. Nikki advised leaving the two students looking puzzled.
\One Hour Later/
After having their questions answered by the nice woman the two were given the address to Bram's supposed home, but Ms. Nikki told them that the house has been empty for a long time.
"Don't you think we should've told her that her friend is actually living on the streets," Ochaco suggest feeling guilty that they never told the woman of her friend's state.
"I don't know, she looked so happy, I don't want to ruin her image of him," Izuku gave his honest opinion.
They both walked towards the written address in peace finding the property at a quiet suburbs, there was no one in sight for the kids were out at school and the parents at works almost making the neighborhood seem like a ghost town, but eventually they found the house they were looking for. However the property the house stood on was condemned to their shock seeing much of the premise being fenced off. The house itself wasn't even finished as sections of the structure having scaffolding obscuring much of its image, tools and supplies of timber and bags of concrete still lying around.
"This place is abandon," Izuku pointed out the obvious.
"What'd we expect to find here again?" Ochaco asked sounding clueless.
"I don't even know," Izuku admitted sounding defeated, "C'mon let's just get back to the dorms and forget this."
As all their efforts to find the hero fallen from grace were now coming up empty handed and all hope seems lost so the two friends head back to the dorms, unaware of the mysterious figure watching them from rooftops with glowing red eyes.
\Sometime Later/
After taking the bus back to the dorms feeling disappointed as they were unsuccessful at finding the former pro hero coming back to the front gates with the lamppost just lighting up the walkway.
"I can't believe we couldn't find anything," Izuku said in defeat.
"Don't feel so down Izuku, I bet that guy will get himself out the gut- OOF!"
Not even looking where she was going Ochaco bumped into something hard and sturdy knocking her to the ground, kneeling down to help her Izuku looked up to see that it was the number one hero, Endeavor, or the father of Shoto, Enji Todoroki.
There he stood towering over both of them his flaming hair flickering up right dressed in a casual suit rather than his hero costume as he turns around to confusingly spot the two on the floor.
"I'm sorry, I didn't- "
"No, no I should've been looking where I'm going," Ochaco brushed aside as Izuku help her up.
"Mr. Endeavor, what are you doing here?" Izuku asked.
"Me? well I just hoping to see my son and talk to him about considering joining my agency," Mr. Todoroki explained.
"Then why are you still outside?" Ochaco followed up.
"He... still needs time," Endeavor told him truthfully, "But what brought you two out late today?"
"We were out looking for someone," Izuku answered seeing no reason to lie, "But we seem to be hitting dead ends."
"If you're looking for a missing person you should file a missing person report to the police station," Endeavor advised.
"No, he's not missing... well, yeah we can't find him, but he's... " Izuku trailed off leaving Ochaco to finish what he's saying.
"He's a homeless pro hero," Ochaco finished for him.
"A hero living on the streets? that's almost unheard of," Endeavor said in amazement, "But why does this hero matter so much to you?"
"Because he graduate from U.A," Izuku explained giving Endeavor a better understanding, "I just wish I knew why an agency would let go a very productive hero like, Bram."
"Wait! did you say his name was, Bram?" Endeavor said in surprise leaving the two with puzzled expressions.