Ebony

by EbonyAnimalSpirit

It started with a single crimson feather. One single feather, fallen among a sea of black... Lost to the fluttering, ebony waves, cold and drowning... Alone. We should have guessed we were bad for one another... but we didn't... Idiot {My Hero Academia} {HawksXOC} {Spoilers for Anime/Manga}

20. Chapter 20- Sincerity

Chapter 20

Sincerity

.:+:.

... damn it... Why did I let myself...

.:+:.

The sky was still muddy and dark when she got to the hospital, the smoke from the earlier mayhem still lingering over it. There was a steady stream of people in and out of Hosu General, ambulances without their sirens pulling up and unloading the last few of those who'd gotten hurt in the whole fiasco, and plenty of idling Police cars too.

Spirit stepped out of the cab stiffly, chewing on the inside of her cheeks and grumbling to herself for being in the same place twice in two weeks... And for the same reason, mostly.

She thanked the cabby and shut the door, nodding slightly to those that gave her a look as she passed them by and headed over toward an officer that spotted her and called her to him. She followed them through the busy (and yet mostly quiet) halls of the hospital, headed passed emergency room and department, up a few floors and toward Inpatient. There came to be less people (nurses and whoever else included) the further they went, and eventually she got stopped and directed into a side room, the (very identifiable and dog-like) Police Chief looking up and around as she came in.

"Animal Spirit, thank you for coming." He told her lightly, getting to his feet and motioning for her to take a seat at the table he'd just gotten up from. "Please have a seat, there's a lot to go through."

Spirit nodded slightly and took a seat across the table from him, twining her hands together on top of the table and at full attention... And maybe for a moment feeling like she was in the Principal's office, given he didn't take his seat again, not right off.

"... Before we begin, I would like to mention that for most of what I am going to tell you, we are intending to keep under wraps." He murmured and Spirit blinked, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "Detective Tsukauchi is in charge of the investigation going into the League of Villains and the Nomu, so I'm not really at liberty to discuss them with you very much at all, I'm sorry... But I am in charge of this mess with the Hero Killer, and the situation is a bit delicate, given how it was he was subdued." He started slowly and Spirit's head tilted just a fraction of an inch. The Police Chief paused for a moment, letting out a sigh that ended in something of a woof.

"... I told you earlier that Stain's attempts to harm Native were interrupted by some UA Interns that stumbled upon the area." The Chief murmured, "That wasn't entirely true. In fact it wasn't coincidence the Interns found the Hero Killer at all... One of them intentionally sought him out, and his friends came looking because they had worried he might do something rash."

Spirit stiffened, her eyes growing wide and her heart skipping a beat. "... Intentionally...?!" She hissed and the Chief nodded stiffly, hooking his arms behind his back.

"... It was Ingenium's younger brother, Tenya Iida." The Chief murmured lowly, Spirit faltered.

... His... Brother...?

She swallowed, her eyes dropping from the Chief and to her hands quickly, stiffening further and biting down on both cheeks. Because as soon as he said it, it clicked in her head- what he was getting at, why anyone would ever intentionally seek out the Hero Killer (let alone a kid)... All of it.

... Shit...

"... He held quite the grudge for what happened." The Chief murmured, nodding slightly when it became clear her thoughts had settled where they should. "And his anger was enough to drive him to doing something as foolish as running off alone to face Stain... I doubt he cared very much the consequences of his actions in the moment, or even how inappropriate they were... It's something of a miracle he, or anyone else managed to make it out of the encounter alive." He grumbled and Spirit nodded stiffly, still chewing the insides of her cheeks and staring at her hands... And her stomach was knotting too.

She remembered seeing that kid's file among all the rest she'd been given by UA's Principal. His name aside, the photo of him in the file was near the spitting image of the Engine Hero she had tried to hard to save, and the minute she'd seen the photo she remembered what brief encounter there had been with his mother at the hospital... And that had still been so raw (and still was really) she'd tried her hardest not to let herself think about him, or how they were all doing, or what they felt-

Damn it... She'd been doing everything to just not think about any of it at all. But now it was getting thrown in her face again, and the sickening, nauseous sensation in her core was coming back with a fervor, making her swallow hard against it.

"... Unsurprisingly the boy had been acting odd since it happened, and enough so his classmates noticed it." The Chief kept on, "Pro Hero Gran Torino and his Intern were diverted into Hosu when everything started. The Intern, Izuku Midoriya, worried about young Iida and found that he'd run off from his own Mentor, Manual. Midoriya went to search for them, and stepped in between Iida and the Hero Killer... Native and Iida were already paralyzed by Stain's Quirk, and injured too. Midoriya managed to fend Stain off for awhile without being caught with the Quirk as well, and he sent his cellphone location to another classmate of his in the area- Endeavor's Intern. Shoto Todoroki."

Spirit nodded slowly, many of the names faintly ringing a bell (be it from the UA file or just hearing about other Pros... Though 'Gran Torino' was new).

"All Pro Heroes in the area were busy trying to contain the Nomu and had no idea of what was going on with the Hero Killer, or the Interns." The Chief went on, "That included Manual, Gran Torino and Endeavor themselves- they hadn't any idea where their Interns had gone or what was transpiring. Endeavor's Intern told him the location and requested he send any Heroes that could be spared that way, but the boys were on their own for quite awhile against the Hero Killer regardless."

Spirit stiffened a little at the thought, having been on her own against that guy already and knowing how hard it had been to keep herself moving, and fighting and not getting killed- she couldn't imagine three first years having to do the same thing. Least of all with Native and Ingenium's brother already down for the count.

"... As I said earlier, everyone is alright now. But they were all injured, Midoriya and Iida more so than the others. The wounds were serious but not life threatening. They are currently resting, and it will take them some time to recover fully... Native and Todoroki will require less time then the other two." The Chief explained, "It is extremely fortunate they managed to get away, even with the severity of the wounds... And quite a bit more impressive, given it was the combined efforts of all three Interns that managed to subdue the Hero Killer in the end. They joined up and defeated him, and even captured him before any of the Pro Heroes arrived on scene."

Spirit faltered, her eyes going wider than ever and breathless... They did what?!

"... S... Seriously..?!" She stammered, and bit too loudly than was appropriate, but the Chief didn't seem to mind. In fact he looked like he'd expected the reaction, as likely he should have. Three first years with little to no experience managing to best an S-Class Villain like the Hero Killer was unfathomable on a good day, and should have been impossible- yet it had happened (much to everyone's shock and bewilderment).

The man nodded solemnly to her and Spirit's jaw snapped shut, her red eyes glittering.

Three Interns took down the Hero Killer... The same Hero Killer who's killed over a dozen Pros, and injured a shit ton more...!

What the hell...?!

"... I can scarcely believe it myself." The Chief admitted quietly, finally sinking down into his seat again with a small sigh. "Students out of UA are usually a cut above... but even so, the fact they were able to contend with such a dangerous Villain and come out of it, while only being on their first official Patrol is... Incredible." He murmured and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek,

No kidding

"... They gave Stain quite a thrashing too, though they were a bit more aggressive against him than would normally be allowed of Heroes." The Chief murmured softly, "Even as Hero Interns, they don't have any sort of License to be engaging themselves in conflict of any kind- so every action they took against Stain during their fight wasn't exactly legal..."

"... Right." Spirit mumbled, nodding slightly. It was the same way with Tsukuyomi and the Shadow Villain earlier, even though he did stop the threat, his actions (or rather Dark Shadow's) weren't done in self-defense- so he attacked without being licensed and allowed to engage in fights of any kind... And that fact had been why she'd told Killjoy to say she took the Villain down instead, so as not to not get the poor kid in trouble.

"... If that were not bad enough, they were already in hot water for disobeying their Mentors and running off on their own." The Chief murmured. "They are in quite a bit of trouble, despite their Heroic actions and being able to defeat the Hero Killer... I plan to have a talk with them myself when they wake up about what they did, and I'm sure their Mentors have plenty to say as well."

As well they should-

"In regards to explaining to the public how the Hero Killer was apprehended, I have decided to omit the Interns were the ones to subdue him." He was still going and Spirit blinked, "Instead it will be announced that Endeavor was the one to catch Stain, and any mention of what the Interns did will stay between them, their Mentors, and a select few- such as yourself." He murmured with a nod of his head toward Spirit, and she let out small breath.

"I understand." Spirit murmured, "... It's better that way around, on all ends." She mumbled softly, and the Chief nodded slightly to her vote of approval (not that he needed it, he was in charge after all).

"Now, all that being said, if you have any further questions, feel free to ask." The Chief hummed, "I do want to go over your own experience with the Hero Killer again and line up more about how his Quirk works between you and what happened with the Interns today- but if you have more to ask, go ahead." He offered and Spirit paused, biting the inside of her cheek a moment.

She didn't really want a lot of details, at least she wasn't sure she wanted them... Again, she'd not wanted to touch any of this shit about the Hero Killer, or anything involving what he'd done and unto who.

All of it was insane, the idea he'd been caught, by first years no less- that was insane... It couldn't have been so easy, right? In one night, after all the shit he'd done? After how hard she'd had to fight him just to not get herself killed in the process?

Trying to wrap her head about what threat he'd posed being wiped out in a single night was... Insane

My entire life is insane

Spirit cast the thoughts off as quick as she could manage, her red eyes glittering.

"There isn't anything I'm pressing to ask, except... Well, you said you have yet to talk to the Interns?" Spirit murmured,

"No, I've left them to rest since they came in. I expect they'll be up in another hour or so, and I plan to have a conversation with them." He replied,

"... Would you mind if I stuck around until then?" Spirit asked slowly, and he looked a touch surprised by the request. "I'd like to at least hear what they have to say myself, and maybe talk to them too if that'd be alright." She mumbled, and he paused for a few seconds, before nodding.

"Of course."

.:+:.

"... Sir."

Spirit and the Chief looked up and around at the voice, the door to the room cracked open and an officer standing there looking inside cautiously.

"Detective Omaro would like to speak with you." The officer announced softly.

"I see." The Chief murmured, climbing to his feet and pushing the chair back. "Have the Interns woken yet?"

"Not quite yet, no." The officer replied, and the Chief nodded in understanding, his eyes trailing from the officer and toward Spirit.

"Well, we've gone over all I wanted to. If you're still intent on waiting, feel free to stay here, or go wherever you wish in the meantime. I'll send someone to come find you before I go speak with the boys." The Chief told her softly, and Spirit nodded.

"Alright."

She was left sitting alone in the room once he left, the door closing shut behind him and everything falling to silence. Spirit let out a long sigh, leaning back in her chair all the way and sagging slightly, her hands hooking together and falling on top of her head.

... I'm exhausted...

... And sore... Everywhere...

... Oi... Chimera form on top of getting hit and thrown around is god awful...

... Worse now, with all this stuff about Stain... Rehashing the details of my fight with him was... Not fun...

She sighed again and her hands dropped down her face, hiding her eyes behind them and swallowing.

... Damn it... My whole body feels tense...

And it did, she could feel the tautness of her muscles, and the way they'd gotten increasingly more and more rigid with every little detail of the fight and every flash of memory that ran through her head. The ache and strain of pushing herself to Shift a hundred times over growing all the more real in her battered body, the sting of the blades as they cut through her flesh as sharp as the constant throbbing in her side... All of it.

And now alone she willed it all to go away, and for her body to unwind and her soul to settle too. For the lurking sense of dread and fear and a mix of wild emotions she'd kept at bay this whole time to leave once more... She'd had no choice but to touch all of it again, but hell if she was gonna let herself crumble underneath it all like that night at the bar with Death Arms.

Not again-

TAP TAP

Her hands snapped off from hiding her eyes and she turned quickly to the sound of someone knocking on the door. She paused for half a second, not sure what promoted knocking...?

Doesn't matter, it's probably the Chief looking for a place to talk to that other Detective-

"-Ah, come in." She called quickly, climbing to her feet and stepping a few paces forward across the threshold. "... Do you need the room to talk? I can leave if you need-"

"Oh no, please don't leave." A voice sounded from the other side, light and casual and Spirit halted, her eyes widening as she watched the door slide open, and the figure on the other side came into view. Her heart skipped a beat, panic and shock and all manner of unwanted feelings ramming into her head on.

"I was actually hoping to catch you for a bit and talk, and it'll be easier to do that if you don't run away from me... I'm not quite used to the wheels yet, so I'd have little chance of catching you again if you did, hehe..." He chuckled lightly, smiling and waving the hand he'd used to slide the door open her way. He paused, smiling still and completely at ease where he was, bandages still poking through under the sleeves of his t-shirt, but otherwise seemingly just fine... Spare the wheelchair he was sitting in, and the limpness of his lower half.

Spirit swallowed hard, her lungs stalling and her mind too, stiff in her spot and for a moment feeling like a cornered animal, her exit root blocked and nowhere to go to avoid this- exactly this.

"Hey." Ingenuim hummed lightly, (or was it even Ingenium anymore...?), his eyes gleaming as Spirit stiffened further at the greeting, "I'm glad I caught you before you left, I've been trying to get ahold of you for the last few days now, but it's a lot harder than I thought it would be, hehe." He chuckled lightly, his hand falling from waving and down to the wheels, rolling himself into the room all the way (briefly pausing to nudge the door closed behind him) and coming to a pause a few feet in front of her. His smile softened a bit as he looked up at her, his hands folding in his lap and head tilting. "I've actually been starting to wonder if you're trying to avoid me altogether." He said lightly and mostly joking, but Spirit's eyes flashed at the comment anyway, her shoulders tightening. Her hands folded together in front of her, her knuckles turning white from the grip.

It came back right away, that terrible nauseous feeling whenever she thought about what had happened, and seeing him now... She felt like she was gonna throw up, but she was frozen and couldn't breathe, let alone think about moving and retching.

Her hands tightened further, her stomach flipping and her eyes dropping away from him quickly too.

She felt the sticky warmth come back, the slickness and the immensity of the crimson liquid pulsing underneath her hands, the shudder of his body underneath it and the wheezing... S.. Stop it...

She'd been able to keep the thoughts and the memories at bay while talking to the Chief, she didn't fall right back into the sickening pit of blood and chaos and (near) murder. It was easier not to, because recanting it was part of the job and that thought let her have some amount of stability and control over herself and her reactions... Do your job, and do it right, and don't you dare fall apart.

But with him? Seeing him, after doing everything not to think about him...? Especially after Death Arms had told her he was... S..shit...

... I don't wanna be here...

.:+:.

"... I understand you don't want to, but you can't avoid it, Spirit." Death Arms told her steadily, "Despite everything that happened, you did save his life. Even if you don't feel you deserve it, he wants to thank you... and you should let him." She shook her head again, a bit hotly this time, even though it was useless as he couldn't see her do it. "... You should see him, Spirit. For both his sake, and yours... you can't ignore it forever, and it might help you sift through everything you've been worked up about, since that night."

"... tch... it's not that simple..." She hissed, "... I... talking about it, or seeing him... it's not gonna help... it'll just make it harder..."

"... but it's gonna eat at you if you don't try." Death Arms pointed out lowly. "Look... I can't force you to do anything you don't want to... but my advice is you should call him. Set up a meeting, talk... if only just to get it over and done with."

She scrunched her eyes closed harder, her teeth gritting and quiet.

Somewhere she knew he had a point... he always had a point, but this was-

... this just isn't something I can... handle right now... not right now.

"... I'm going to send you his number, Spirit. When you're ready, call him."

... what if I'm never ready...?

.:+:.

I'm not ready

"... I'm sorry, that was a bad joke." He murmured, earning her eyes off the floor again and smiling gently at her. "I know you've been busy this week with your Internship, so I don't think you've really been avoiding me. You've just had your hands full, hmm?" He hummed and Spirit swallowed again, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

... I... Shit... I don't...

... I knew I couldn't ignore it forever... But... Right now...?

... I don't know if I can do this right now...

"... if you were avoiding me though, I would understand." Ingenium murmured after a moment, and slowly too, Spirit's eyes widening slightly at the words. "And I wouldn't blame you either... I realize it's probably really unpleasant to think about what happened that day. I still get pretty uneasy when I remember it myself... well, for what I do actually remember anyway." He hummed, his hand finding the back of his neck and looking a touch unsure, though his smile still stayed. Spirit's muscles tightened at the words though, her eyes flashing and her lips pulling into a tight line as her stomach knotted.

... he doesn't remember all of it...?

... of course not, how could he...? He was bleeding out, broken...

She swallowed hard, her eyes dropping away again and onto the floor, her hands shaking as she clasped them together ever tighter.

... broken and fading away... wheezing and hardly there anymore...

... and so broken... he'd never be a Hero again... he was trapped in that chair...

She shut her eyes tight and shook her head at herself, hissing under her breath just once.

... I don't want to do this right now... but...

... damn it... I don't have a choice...

Ingenium stiffened, his eyes widening in surprise and shock as Animal Spirit moved suddenly, her knees bending and lowing herself into sitting on her heels on the floor in front of him. She bent over, her hands flat and palms down on the tile, her forehead touching the floor between them... she was bowing to him, and he froze, his mouth dropping open slightly as his eyes flashed.

"... I'm so sorry..." Animal Spirit murmured softly, her voice tense. "... I know you've been trying to get ahold of me, I know you've been wanting to talk... Death Arms gave me your number but... I honestly wasn't sure I was ever going to get around to calling you... I'm sorry." She murmured softly and he blinked a few times. "... I've... I've been busy with the Internship... but I could have called... I could have tried, and I decided not to... because... because I've been doing everything I could to just... not think about it... ignore it even... and I'm sorry."

Igenium's smile faded away entirely, his expression softening as he saw the Ebony Hero stiffen where she was, still bowing and her forehead pressed against the floor.

"... I'm sorry for what happened, that you got so hurt, and how long... how long it took me to get there, and how long I spent fighting him... and that didn't call Dispatch the minute I realized something wasn't right... I rushed in without thinking to call for backup, or anything else... I'm sorry you got so hurt... a...and that... tch..." Spirit murmured lowly, her voice catching near the end. She sucked in a deep breath of air and held it for a few seconds, before letting it out again and her voice dropped to something just shy of a whisper.

"... I'm so sorry... Ingenium... for all of it..."

Silence fell after she said the last bit, and she didn't move or dare lift herself up out of the bow. She stayed utterly still, her eyes shut tight, holding her breath and rigid. And Ingenium stayed quiet too, his eyes stuck on the Ebony Hero and for a long time not really sure what to do, or even reply. Her bowing like that, and apologizing, it was all so sudden... And pretty unnecessary too.

It was all a shock, her reaction to seeing him, and the sudden drop to the floor... He'd known from the start that Animal Spirit probably hadn't been looking forward to talking to him, Death Arms had warned him of that when he'd been trying to get in contact with her. Death Arms had told Ingenium that she'd taken the whole situation rather hard and that she wouldn't lightly want to recant it in any sense, probably least of all with him... Ingenium knew it was a sore topic (for both of them), and that it had been a difficult fight for her in all regards, even though he'd not taken the time to try and look up the video footage that had been leaked. He wasn't sure he wanted to see it at all- and probably for many of the reasons Animal Spirit didn't want to talk about any of this.

He could understand unease, and hesitation, and even her wanting to avoid the topic altogether... but why was she apologizing?

"... You really don't have anything to apologize for, Animal Spirit." He told her softly, and she stiffened slightly at the words, though she still didn't look up. "You did everything you could, and you did the best that anyone could do in that situation. You have nothing to apologize for... it's because of you I'm even alive right now at all." He murmured and Spirit swallowed, her head slowly raising off the floor and looking up at him warily, though she was still bent over. He smiled gently as he caught her eyes, "If you'd have waited to call Dispatch beforehand, I would have already been dead by the time you got there. It's because you were so quick to rush in that I am still alive, and because of how hard you worked to keep Stain away from me the whole time too. You never let up, you stopped him from finishing the job, and kept getting in his way, without end- all up until he had no choice but to retreat. He couldn't get passed you... you were unbelievably steadfast against him, and impossibly so too. You matched him blow for blow and for everything he tried, and he still couldn't get passed you."

Her eyes flashed and he smiled more, leaning over slightly so they were more level with one another and humming under his breath as he motioned for her to straighten up again.

"You shouldn't apologize, Animal Spirit. You saved my life several times over that day. You were amazing, and incredibly calm and collected throughout the whole thing, steadfast and brave... and you didn't just fight- you took care of me as soon as you could, and made sure I would get help and get it fast. You stayed behind to take care of me, even if that meant you had to let the Hero Killer go, and you kept me alive." He murmured softly, his eyes gleaming as her lips pulled into a tight line. "You were fierce and so strong in the face of the enemy, but you were also calm and steady when you were with me... You're so young, so I would never have imagined you could handle yourself that well in such a terrible situation, but you did. You did so much better than many Pros would have if they'd been in your shoes, even many of the older and more experienced ones." He hummed gently and Spirit looked back down for a moment. Ingenium smiled kindly at the way she looked away, rolling the chair forward enough so they were barely apart, and leaning forward a bit more and his hand falling softly on her head. She froze under the contact, eyes wide and stuck to his feet a few inches from her face, her heart skipping a beat and twisting painfully all at once.

"... You saved my life. You are a truly splendid Hero, Animal Spirit. Thank you, for everything you did." He told her softly and she sucked in a sharp breath of air at it, shutting her eyes tight and hunching ever so slightly underneath him. Ingenium felt her hunch, and heard her suck in the breath of air quickly too- she was trembling, faintly and almost imperceptibly- but he saw it, and his smile turned into a sympathetic one.

Damn it... don't...

She cursed herself a dozen times over in her head, hating the way her stomach knotted and her heart ached when he said the words. Hated how much his hand on her head made her soul hurt, and how quickly a sting started up behind her eyes too. This was nothing like back at UA when All Might did this exact same thing, and said pretty much all the same things too... she didn't react to the pat on her head with annoyance and muffled discontent, instead she... she...

She swallowed hard, wishing the lump in her throat to go away and for her body to lose the tightness it had adopted all over, especially in her lungs. She felt herself teetering dangerously on the edge of a sob in the three seconds after his hand met her head, and he thanked her... damn it, how could that be making her fall apart so quickly...?!

Stop it Spirit, stop reacting like this... just... stop and don't...

... don't... cry damn it...

"... You know, the fact that you even feel you need to apologize, and that you're so worked up about everything that happened... it speaks a lot to your character, Animal Spirit." Ingenium hummed softly, rubbing the top of her head once or twice before pulling his hand away, though he didn't sit up again. "I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but before all of this happened, I actually had you pegged pretty wrong... I thought you were the sort of person where being a Hero was just a job for you, and not something you took to heart... or at least, I never imagined you cared much for other people, or anyone at all really." He murmured softly and Spirit's eyes narrowed, grimacing as her fingers curled into fists slowly. "... you have always been fairly polite when we've talked before now, and you and I have certainly never butted heads on anything... but you've never come off as very passionate about anything, and sometimes I even assumed you disinterested in most everything and everyone. Including anybody you had to rescue, or any other Pros you had to work with... and because you're such a young Hero, I figured you were just charging forward full speed, trying to prove that you didn't need anyone else, or have a need to care. Not as long as you were efficient at your job."

Spirit swallowed at the words, her eyes locked on her hands underneath her, still bent over and mostly in the bow still, and with no intention of getting back up despite him motioning for her to earlier. She couldn't look up right then, not with him recanting all the many things she had before now thought of herself- on how everyone else saw her, and how she came off... she already knew she didn't get along with other people easily, she knew she didn't let herself seem like she cared, she knew that-

"You really are nothing like I assumed, I was very wrong to think any of that at all." Ingenium murmured steadily and she blinked, her eyes and head snapping upward quickly in complete surprise, her red gaze gleaming and glassy, though the question and shock in her face was unmistakable.

There it was again, that thing.

That thing both he and Hawks had said to her- that she wasn't what they'd assumed... what...?

What does that even mean...?

Ingenium smiled when their eyes locked, and he shook his head a bit. "You aren't disinterested at all, and you do care about everyone quite a bit, hmm?" He hummed lightly and she blinked, "And you certainly aren't just doing a job- being a Hero means more than that to you, and you work hard because you truly do want to do your best to help everyone you can, to the best of your ability... and even when you do give it your all, you still care so much that you doubt how much you were able to accomplish." He murmured, "You wouldn't be so wound up about all of this if you didn't care deeply, and it certainly wouldn't have meant so much to you, if you weren't as truly a good a Pro as you are." He told her coolly, "... And as a Pro, the depth of your feeling is a wonderful quality... Heh, even if very few ever realize how deep your feelings go."

Her eyes flashed, widening a little more as the words rang familiar... again.

.:+:.

"You know... You come off as really distant and reserved, and you don't seem to really wanna make it look like you care... But you care a lot, huh?" Hawks smiled, humming a bit under his breath while Spirit paused, stiffening and her eyes opening to lock to her knees in front of her nose, quiet.

.:+:.

... why... do they both...?

"... And because you're a good Pro, I think you do know that you did everything you could... And you did your best too." Ingenium added lightly, not pausing a beat and totally unaware of where her mind had wandered just then- but his voice snapped her back instantly, and she blinked, looking a little wary now.

... did... my best...

"You couldn't have done better, and I think you know that... it is very sweet of you to still be sorry, even if you don't have any fault. I appreciate your concern, and your care for me, Animal Spirit." He murmured lightly and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek at that, "So thank you again... but please don't blame yourself for anything, or doubt yourself either. You did everything right." He told her gently, motioning again with his hands for her to sit back up. "... now, please quit with the bowing... it's not necessary, and it's a little embarrassing..." He murmured lightly, smiling a touch flusteredly now. Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes dropping again before slowly straightening up and sitting on her heels, her hands in her lap and swallowing against the flash of pain that ran through her side when she did so... getting on the floor in the first place had been rather painful actually, but she hadn't much noticed it since she'd been so tense and uneasy already about... this whole conversation.

Ingenium let out a small breath as she finally straightened up again and he did the same, sitting up straight in the chair and smiling still even as Spirit went quiet and her eyes fell into her lap, pensive.

... He sounds Hawks... about the being nice part... and not being what they figured... and he sounds like Death Arms... telling me I did everything right...... I know I did my best... but it still hurt... and wound me up... he's right...

She sighed slightly, her fingers twining together in her lap.

... and I'm not sure... I understand...

... how can he call me a 'truly' good Pro...?

... I'm not... I work hard... but...

Her fingers locked together tightly enough her hands shook with the grip, and she grimaced.

... I can't be... he'd know that... if...

"... oh, and it's not Ingenium anymore." He murmured lightly and Spirit stiffened, instantly brought out of her thoughts by the words and her stomach twisting in tandem with it. He smiled slightly as she looked up, though it was a touch more somber now even despite him trying to stay as calm as possible. "... I haven't officially announced it to anyone yet, not even my Agency... but I'm not going to be able to be a Pro anymore, despite all the efforts of Recovery Girl and the doctors here." He told her quietly, his hands on his knees tightening a bit, and Spirit swallowed at it. He let out a breath and shook his head at himself, the smile brightening a tad and his eyes gleaming. "I never figured I'd retire this early, but it's okay... I'll still be plenty useful to the Agency even if it's from the sidelines... and I think the Support Department is gonna have a lot of fun getting back at me for mucking up the gear all these years, hehe..." He chuckled softly and Spirit's expression pulled, pained for half a second, before she nodded once and he smiled more at it. "Well, with that in mind please go ahead and call me Tensei from now on." He added and she paused, a little surprised with it and quite unsure... that's his first name, right...? But we aren't...

He seemed to notice the hesitation and he looked amused for it, shaking his head at her. "I owe you my life, Animal Spirit, I think that more than warrants you using my first name from here on out." He chuckled, and she paused a few moments longer, before nodding slightly.

"... Alright..." She murmured, "... And... You can just call me Spirit, you don't need to say the full thing..." She told him quietly and it was his turn to look surprised- before he smiled more, nodding brightly.

"Spirit it is."

"... are you alright...?" Spirit asked at length, and he tilted his head. "... how are you recovering from everything...? Notwithstanding... well..." She mumbled and he hummed under his breath.

"I'm alright, though I'm still rather sore... pretty much everywhere. But I'm in much better shape than I probably should be." He replied lightly, "What about you? You look a little rough right now..." He pointed out lightly, gesturing to her hands and her busted lip. "I assume you got those from a Villain, yeah?"

"... Yes." She mumbled slowly, though it wasn't really accurate- the guys had been drunk, but not really 'Villains' in the usual sense.

"And how are your other injuries, from last week?" He asked next and she paused a little too long, her eyes darting away. He noticed it and blinked, his eyes narrowing at her ever so slightly, Spirit's shoulders seemed to sag a little.

"... still sore too..." She mumbled quietly and he frowned just faintly,

"... you're not very convincing, Spirit." He pointed out gently and she grimaced, still looking pointedly away from him.

Of course not... I don't think I can get up right now without wanting to die... and I'm too tired now to even try and keep hiding how I feel...

... it's been a very long night...

"... It's fine... I just agitated everything... fighting tonight..." She mumbled and he nodded a bit in understanding, though he sort of looked like he wanted to push it... he didn't though, and she was thoroughly glad for it. "... is your brother alright...?" She asked next, quickly changing the subject, and Ing... Tensei, seemed to wilt a little at it.

"... I haven't been in to see him yet, he and his friends have been resting since they got here." He replied, "They told me his injuries were pretty bad but they can be fixed in time, which is a relief... but honestly, I'm pretty mad at him for going off and doing something like that..." He murmured softly, trailing off and Spirit's eyes narrowed. "... I knew what happened with me hit him hard, and I get it too... but I never imagined he would do something so impulsive, no matter how hurt he was. He's never been like this, he's always been very cautious and levelheaded, almost to an extreme... he's looked up to me a lot his whole life, so I shouldn't be surprised it hit him so hard, or made him so angry... but even still, I think I made it worse."

Worse...?

"... I asked him to take up the name, 'Ingenium'." Tensei murmured softly, "To carry on the family tradition, to push forward and be a good Hero... but I think it was too much to put on him, and way too quickly." He mumbled, and Spirit let out a quiet breath as his eyes dropped into his lap and away from her altogether. "... I pressured him more than he deserved to be, and he wasn't ready for it... I think it might have helped to push him over the edge, and been a driving force in what convinced him to try and take revenge." Tensei mumbled, "I don't know if I should be angry at him and scold him for what he did, or apologize for pushing him into it, and that he got hurt on my behalf..."

"... Both." Spirit mumbled, and before she ever even realized what she was doing. Tensei jumped a little at the answer, looking up quickly and in enough time to see Spirit huff, catching herself for having spoken and given her input where she really had no say in the matter, stupid Spirit.

"...hmm?" Tensei hummed slowly and Spirit grumbled a bit under her breath.

"... I'm not trying to tell you what to do... It's just... It's what I would do." She mumbled lowly, "... I mean even right now I am miffed that any of those kids went off like they did, and if it was my place to chew them out for it, I probably would." She grumbled, "... it was impulsive, and reckless, and they're lucky they didn't get killed... but I do get why they did it, and why your brother did it too... he cares about you, right? It's understandable he was upset, and maybe even that he felt like he was under a lot of pressure... he lashed out because someone he cares for got hurt, even if trying to get revenge isn't a great idea... I get it, so I'd snap at him for doing something so stupid but I would also make sure he realized that I understand why he did any of it at all, and that... that more than anything, even if it was stupid, or whoever was at fault... the most important thing in the end, is that he's fine now, and he didn't get too hurt, or killed... regardless of anything, what matters most is that everyone is fine now." Spirit mumbled. Tensei's eyes widened slightly with every word, all the way until she finished and he just sat there, looking stunned... and Spirit noticed the look when the room fell into silence for a few moments too long, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"... What...?" She mumbled lowly, and he started suddenly at the question, the stunned look on his face quickly being replaced by an amused smile.

"Maybe I should let you do all the talking for me." He replied lightly and Spirit blinked, before huffing.

"... Not happening." She grumbled lowly and he chuckled at the reply.

"... That's too bad, hehe... but I will take your advice." He hummed lightly and she huffed silently under her breath. "On another note, how has your Internship gone?" He asked next, "You have one of the students from UA right? I think he's one of my brother's classmates." Tensei murmured, and Spirit paused for a moment at the sudden change in subject... before nodding slightly and letting out a breath.

Steering away to something less weighty was sort of odd all of a sudden... But also sort of nice, so she gave in.

"... It's been good." She murmured softly, "And yeah, I do think they're in the same class... Eraserhead's, right...?" She mumbled and he nodded.

"Yeah, and I'm glad to hear it's gone well for you... I was actually pretty surprised to hear you'd taken an Intern on, if I'm being honest." He murmured and Spirit nodded slightly,

"... I wasn't originally planning to at all... But UA's Principal handed me the kid's files, and once I read them over... I sort of figured why not." Spirit mumbled, her eyes on the floor and missing the look of surprise that flashed across Tensei's face at mention of said files and the Principal. Spirit let out a small breath, twining her hands together in her lap and shrugging. "... I've actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would... Anima's a good kid, and smart, and he's pretty good already... It's been nice working with him over the week, and I think he's gonna be a great Pro some day..." She hummed softly, and Tensei's expression softened slightly.

"... That's high praise, coming from you." He told her and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, looking none too convinced as glanced up at him again. He ignored the look and just kept on, his head tilting at her. "He's not with you now is he? I'm not holding you here talking while he's waiting on you?" He asked, and Spirit shook her head.

"No, he's at Hawks' Agency, probably still asleep. We worked late on Patrol today, since we ran into a Villain in Bakanai Park." Spirit explained levelly and he nodded slightly, though he looked all the more intrigued. "... And you aren't holding me up in any way. I'm going to stay until the Chief has a talk with all the Interns, once they wake up." She added, and he paused.

"... I see..." He murmured, his head tilting a tad further. "I'd seen some stuff in the media that you and Hawks had been spending some time together the last few weeks, but I didn't realize you'd joined up with him." He murmured and Spirit stiffened, her eyes flashing.

"I'm not joined up with him...!" She corrected quickly with a sharp shake of her head. "It's nothing like that at all, we just joined up for one night to do a Joint Patrol with our Interns, that's it...! And since we planned to work late, he offered to let everyone stay at his Building instead of trying to go home when we were done...!" She grumbled and Tensei paused, his eyes widening slightly at how quick she was to correct him, and even how annoyed she seemed too... He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her actually annoyed, at least not outside of her snapping at him when he'd been down... Huh

He did not get a chance to question it, or ask anything else either. What amount of time they'd been allowed to be in private in that room was abruptly halted by the door sliding open behind Tensei, and the small woman standing there. Spirit jumped and Tensei did too, both their heads turning to the open door and blinking when they saw who was in the doorway.

"Animal Spirit I have been looking for you-!" The Old Lady said rather sternly, before pausing slightly when she noticed the Ebony Hero was not alone (and currently sitting on the floor). Spirit faltered though, her face falling blank and blinking several times over.

Recovery Girl... Wait, what does she mean she's been looking for me?

... And why did she sound... Not happy when she said that...?

That little bit of sternness was gone in an instant though when Recovery Girl spotted Tensei there, a pleasant smile gracing her lips in no time at all.

What the...?

"-Oh? Tensei dear, I didn't know you were here. How are you? Am I interrupting?" Recovery Girl hummed lightly, walking in the room and her (syringe) cane tapping on the tile as she did so. Tensei was quick to recover from the sudden appearance of the Old Lady and smiled her way, swiveling his chair a bit and backing up to be at Spirit's left a bit more.

"I'm alright, and no we were just chatting, it was nothing important." He replied easily and Spirit blinked, glancing quickly between him and the Old Lady, who nodded to his words with a kind smile. "I won't keep Spirit any longer if you need her, Recovery Girl." He added lightly and Spirit stiffened again, her eyes darting toward him and staying there this time.

Wait a minute-

"I appreciate that dear, thank you." Recovery Girl murmured back and Spirit's eyes snapped toward her next.

Wait a minute-!

"Now Dearie, I've been meaning to check up on you for some time now, but you are so hard to get ahold of!" Recovery Girl told Spirit, shaking her head a bit. "Well, no matter- you're here now, so there's no better time than the present! Would you mind coming with me, dear?"

"... It... Its not necessary really-" Spirit started, only to get cut off by Tensei.

"No, you should you go." He hummed lightly, and she glanced his way from the corner of her eye, which earned her a somewhat pointed look in return. "It's probably a good idea to get looked over, especially after running around all night." He told her coolly, and she grumbled internally.

"... I guess..." Spirit mumbled lowly. Tensei smiled at the rather disgruntled answer, and Recovery Girl did too, though only faintly.

"Wonderful, then will you please follow me, Dearie?" The Old Lady hummed and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, glancing back her way slowly, before nodding just once.

"... Yeah." Spirit mumbled, shifting as she slowly pushed herself up onto her feet again. She ended up wincing halfway through the movement, and she wasn't able to keep herself quiet either. The show of pain earned tense looks from Recovery Girl and Tensei both, though they said little as Spirit got all the way to her feet and any other indication of discomfort was nowhere to be seen in the Ebony Hero. "... Lead the way." Spirit mumbled to the Old Lady, and Recovery Girl nodded slightly. Spirit's eyes trailed quickly away from her and toward Tensei for a moment before starting off, "... I guess I'll see you some other time..." She told him quietly, and he smiled.

"Yeah, and you'll have to let me take you out for dinner some day soon." He replied and Spirit blinked in surprise at the words,

Dinner...?

Her face must have done something, because he smiled more at her, letting out a quiet breath and looking quite amused.

"Hmm, either way it was good to see you Spirit, and to talk. Try to take it easy for the rest of the day, yeah?" He murmured, and Spirit paused, still a little unsure, before nodding slightly.

"... Uhm... I'll try..."

.:+:.

"Here we are Dearie, please take a seat over there and I'll have a look." Recovery Girl told her, waving Spirit in the small room ahead of her and closing the door behind them when the Ebony Hero took a few (rather tentative steps) inside the threshold. Spirit cast a glance at the examination table to which the Old Lady had gestured toward, biting the inside of her cheek. She didn't move to it right away and instead glanced back toward the older woman, grimacing slightly.

"... I really don't need to be looked over." She started softly and Recovery Girl let out a very audible sigh, turning her way from having closed the door and settling Spirit with a steady stare. Spirit stiffened slightly under the look, not sure what it meant or-

Recovery Girl lift her cane off the floor swiftly, pushing the end of it directly into the right side of Spirit's torso and hard enough it sent a shockwave of pain rushing through every inch of Spirit, her breaths halting and her composure destroyed instantly. Spirit hissed, recoiling from it and doubling over slightly, her eyes scrunched closed and teeth gritting against the newfound throb, while Recovery Girl lowered her cane and huffed once. The jab wasn't hard enough to do any damage, she'd barely even touched the Ebony Hero at all- but the reaction was immediate, and it clearly hurt quite a bit- which made the Old Lady shake her head in exasperation.

"It seems to me you do." Recovery Girl said simply, "You youngun's, you're always running around with little a care, thinking you can just work through the pain... But you're going to work yourselves into the ground, and into an early grave by being so foolish." She grumbled rather sharply, casting Spirit a stern look and the Ebony Hero wilted a bit under it, though she looked more pained than anything. "You should have come to see me long before now, especially if you planned to return to Hero work so quickly after what happened. I would have preferred you actually take a few weeks off to heal properly on your own, but if you couldn't sit still that long it would have been better to let me Heal you instead, Animal Spirit." Recovery Girl muttered, and Spirit grimaced slightly at the words, immediately wanting to argue and say she was fine- but she'd gotten jabbed for trying to be stubborn, and she sort of wasn't looking to agitate Recovery Girl any further... Though this whole behavior from the Old Lady was kind of a shock. Spirit had met Recovery Girl once before now, a year or so ago, and she'd been very kindly and patient back then- so her being cross was not at all what she'd been expecting, and she wasn't sure she liked this side of the Old Lady either.

"You aren't simply still feeling the initial effects from your injuries either. They shouldn't be that tender still, so you've gone ahead and re-agitated your wounds by running around fighting, hmm?" Recovery Girl grumbled more and Spirit stiffened at the question, her eyes dropping to the floor from where she was still standing a little hunched, and Recovery Girl quirked a brow. "Haven't you?" She asked again and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek,

"... Yes... And I might have ripped a few stitches out too..." The Ebony Hero answered quietly (now definitely feeling like a kid in the Principal's Office). A vein ticked on the Old Lady's forehead, her grip on the top of her cane tightening, though she didn't seem all that surprised by the news.

"Sit down." Recovery Girl ordered sharply and this time Spirit complied, taking a stiff and heavy seat on the examination table with not even a word or thought of protest. She watched uneasily as Recovery Girl started to stalk toward her, fuming almost and pushing a rolling chair forward as she did so, before climbing on top of it and stopping right in front of the Ebony Hero. Spirit kept her mouth shut this time around, forgoing her arguments and doing as she was told as Recovery Girl quickly set in to looking over the wound. She undid the bandages that Hawks had replaced with deft hands, pursing her lips and looking all the more agitated (though concerned now too) when she saw the dark bruising all up Spirit's side and the ripped and torn flesh that was hot and swollen around stitches that were barely holding on. She clicked her tongue and only barely caught Spirit's eyes for half a second, the Ebony Hero looking away rather nervously under the old woman's ire, and swallowing against it.

... Okay... She's kinda... Intimidating actually... Especially for such a small old lady...

Recovery Girl snatched Spirit's hands up next, looking over the scabs and gashes in her knuckles and looking even more unhappy by the second, before she let go and crossed her arms over her chest rather haughtily, shaking her head several times. "You are very foolish!" Recovery Girl muttered lowly and Spirit stiffened at the scolding tone in her voice, "How you've even managed to do this much damage to yourself is beyond me, and you should have come to the Hospital long before now to get yourself checked over!" She muttered sharply with another shake of her head, "And how you've managed to keep pushing yourself and working even being this hurt is both unfathomable, and incredibly foolish in itself! You're very lucky you haven't collapsed due to pain or exhaustion already with the state you're in!"

Spirit swallowed slightly, her eyes in her lap and hugging herself slightly as the Old Lady kept on with her chastising and for the moment just taking it. Rationally the Old Lady did have a point- though Spirit was still unconvinced she was in any sort of shape that would have lead to her passing out... Not that she said it out loud.

She figured it might just be better to let Recovery Girl do her scolding and not try and talk back for tonight, it didn't seem likely to do her any good, and it would probably make the Old Lady even more annoyed... And yeah, I don't wanna do that right now

"... I'm sorry." Spirit apologized softly, though less out of genuine apology and more to try and appease the Old Lady. Recovery Girl paused in her lecture at the words, holding Spirit in a steady stare for a few seconds to try and gauge if it was genuine or not... Before huffing one more time and shaking her head.

"I would prefer you to promise to be more responsible next time, than you simply apologizing." Recovery Girl grumbled and Spirit blinked, "You're young and you're healthy and strong, and I understand you take your duties seriously- but you cannot prioritize your life as a Pro or anything that comes with the job over your own well being. Young and strong as you are, you cannot do this to yourself. You cannot expect to be able force yourself to work and come out fine time and time again. You cannot choose to push your own well being aside and march on- eventually you will push too far, and the damage done will be irreparable, do you understand?" The Old Lady murmured lowly, and Spirit paused, before nodding slightly.

"... Yes ma'am..." Spirit mumbled, and Recovery Girl let out a breath.

"... Alright, I'll cease scolding you now." The Old Lady mumbled, "I'm going to go ahead and Heal you enough to mostly close the wound and remove the stitches, so you won't run the risk of reopening it from here on out. The rest of your injuries should either fade or be done away with entirely as well, but you will feel quite drained when I am done." The Old Lady told her levelly, and Spirit nodded, though she was not really all that thrilled with the idea.

... I'm already tired... Her using her Quirk is gonna make me dead on my feet... Oi...

"I expect you to rest well after you are done here, am I clear?" Recovery Girl asked, and Spirit nodded again.

"... Yeah... I'll sleep plenty when I get back... I promise..." Spirit mumbled,

Not that I'll really have a choice on the matter... I think as soon as I lay down after this I'll probably fall asleep... And not wake up for a long time...

... Ugh... And I'll be sleeping at Hawks' Agency Building too... Knowing that Bird-Brain he's not gonna leave me alone when I get back...

"Good." Recovery Girl chirped, breaking Spirit from her thoughts.

"Now hold still dear, and let me give you a smooch."

.:+:.

"Here you are Dearie, have some candies before you go- and do remember to take it easy for the rest of the day!"

"... Ah, alright... And I will... Thank you, for your help..."

"My pleasure, get plenty of rest when you get back!"

"... Yes ma'am, I'll do my best... ah, goodbye..."

Spirit backed out of the room wearily, waving goodbye to the Old Lady and sliding the door shut soon after, and coming to a pause just outside of it. The Ebony Hero wilted, a long, tired sigh escaping her as her shoulders sank.

... I am so tired...

Her body felt like a million pounds now, and like she'd had that exact weight dropped on her shoulders all in the last few minutes after Recovery Girl used her Quirk. She barely had the will or the energy to get back to her feet after Recovery Girl finished removing (the now very useless) stitches from the wound after healing it near all the way. It was still noticeable, and pink and a little inflamed- but it wasn't an actual hole ripped through her body, and it wouldn't be opening up again either. But she was so tired now even the bit of discomfort from pulling the stitches out hadn't made a dent, and all she wanted to do now was just lay on the floor (anywhere really) and go to sleep... But of course she'd already made it a point to be there when the Chief talked to the Interns, so unfortunately that would all have to wait.

... Fucking kill me please... I don't wanna wait anymore... But I already committed myself... You just gotta hang in there Spirit...

She straightened up slightly and her attention dropped to her hand, in her palm a few candies that Recovery Girl had dropped into her grasp without warning (or choice really), and blinking as she looked them over.

She didn't really eat sweets, like ever, and she wasn't exactly hungry now either... But short of finding a garbage bin somewhere and throwing them out, she had to get rid of them somehow, so she might as well not waste them.

She picked a blue one up with her other hand and sniffed at it, her eyes dropping closed as she did so and her focus falling to the flood of scents that entered her nose. She wasn't really sure what it was supposed to be, and given the fact that she didn't immediately pick up on any smell that hinted to a flavor of any kind at all- she figured 'blue flavor' was about as close as she would get...

... Hmm...? Wait I do recognize something... A different smell, but from where...?

She sniffed again, her attention on the candy gone and fixed to the an entirely different scent now. Something strong enough to be from somewhere pretty close, and that reminded her of the smell of coffee mixed with... mint, and subtle hints of a certain sort of specialized cloth she'd commonly associate with the sort of fabric many Pro Heroes uniforms were made of... And no sooner did she come up with the words to describe it, then did she realize instantly what it was, and who it belonged to. It cropped up from somewhere deep her in subconscious and from a time much, much too long ago, and one she didn't want to remember- but also one she could never forget.

And worse still, she realized the scent was so strong that the person it belonged to was definitely either right behind her, or close to being so, and she groaned internally.

Oh come on, I don't wanna deal with him night now...!

She sighed and shook her head, turning quickly and already biting back at her exasperation, and aware of someone very tall now just behind her and to her left a bit.

Ugh... I don't have the energy or the patience to deal with this right now... Damn it... just try not to be too bitchy Spirit.

"... Look All Might, it's been a long night and I'm not really looking to chat..." Spirit mumbled lowly, sighing again as she turned all the way and glanced up at the blonde standing behind her, only to falter as soon as she did so, her face falling flat in shock.

That... Is not All Might

The blonde looked just as shocked as she did when she finally caught his sunken blue eyes, and he definitely heard her call him All Might... He was about as tall at the No. 1, and with the same hair color- but that was it. This man was thin and gaunt to such an extreme he was almost skeletal, with his clothes baggy and much too big in his tiny frame. And his blonde locks were shaggy and not at all cleanly swept back like the No. 1, and two very long and limp bangs on either side of a very sunken face did not in anyway scream All Might.

Spirit paused, blinking several times over and the exhaustion weighing her down making it that much harder for her mind to catch up with what she was seeing, and what she thought her nose had been telling her... Thought being the operative word there, because yeah.

That is not... All Might... Why did I think it was...?

... I swear that's his scent... It is his scent right? I wouldn't forget it...

... Oi... I can't even think properly right now...

"... Ah, I'm sorry." Spirit mumbled first, the man a little too stunned still at being addressed like that to reply- and Spirit suddenly apologizing made him jump a little, wide-eyed. "... I didn't mean to stop you all of a sudden, or startle you either... That was my mistake, I thought you were someone else and I started talking without... Being sure." She mumbled quickly, though she sounded a little less than sure at the end there and the man's eyes flashed, though Spirit just kept on anyway. "I'm sorry, that was definitely my bad... I'm clearly not thinking straight right now..." Spirit sighed, "... I won't hold you up anymore, sorry for stopping you in the first place... Ah, bye..." She mumbled, sidestepping left and already backing up a few paces as she waved a hand goodbye toward the man, and then turned all the way, walking away quickly to spare herself further idiocy in front of the poor guy... Ugh, I swear...

She moved up the hallway and out of sight long before the man ever even moved. He stood there in rigid silence watching her go, and sunken blue eyes wide. He couldn't come up with a response the whole time, because... Well, he was sort of reeling.

She called me All Might before she ever looked at me... And she second guessed herself when she did see me, but even then she didn't sound sure she'd been wrong...

She knew who I was, but... How...?

Toshinori grimaced slightly to himself, his eyes narrowing as the Ebony Hero turned the corner out of sight. He glanced to the ground for a moment, pensive in his spot and picking at his brain for some reasonable explanation why Animal Spirit could have pegged him without having to look at him... It didn't make any sense.

Why do I feel like I'm missing something...? About her...? Something in the back of my head...?

I swear there's something... But man, I can't place it.

He sighed and shook the thoughts off, doing his best to push away the little bit of unease that hit him in the same instant shock had. He started down the opposite direction of the hallway with one last glance back, his shoulders sinking.

... That was odd...

.:+:.

... Ugh... I am an idiot... I can't believe I did that...

She sighed, popping the blue candy into her mouth and humming a bit when 'blue flavored' turned out to be berry.

... I can't believe I stopped that poor guy without making sure I knew who he was... I shouldn't just trust my nose damn it...

She bit down on the candy and it shattered between her teeth, grimacing slightly as she wound her way through the hallways back to where she had previously been before Recovery Girl collected her.

... Worse still I swear it was his scent... I'd never forget it... But was it just my head playing tricks on me, because I'm so tired now...?

... I don't even know... I don't want to think about anything any more...

She groaned a bit under her breath and started chewing the next candy (cinnamon flavor this time) as she kept a slow walk through the halls.

... What time is it even...? Almost dawn maybe...?

"Animal Spirit."

She stopped, her chewing halting too and looking up toward the unfamiliar voice. Her eyes caught sight of an officer standing up the hallway a bit, her hands hooked behind her back and smiling politely as the Pro caught sight of her.

"The Chief sent me to find you, the Interns are awake now and he's going to discuss things with them shortly." The officer hummed and Spirit paused for half a second, tiredness making her sluggish to react, before she nodded quickly started forward toward the other woman.

"Ah, thank you for coming to find me." Spirit murmured,

"Of course, follow me please Animal Spirit."

They started through the hallways, quiet the whole way and Spirit following behind the officer a few paces, quickly finishing off the last few bits of candy as they walked. A few hallways over they slowed up, the officer motioning down the hallway toward where a few people were gathered. Spirit thanked her softly again and started in that direction, slowly and blinking a few times when she recognized Manual, the Chief and another smaller man in Hero garb she did not recognize at all.

Manual glanced up as she got near, the Chief and the older man up the hallway a bit and busy talking for a moment, while Manual's face lit up in surprise and unease when he saw her. "A-Animal Spirit...!" He murmured quickly, Spirit stopping in front of him and dipping her head just slightly.

"Hello Manual... It's been awhile since I last saw you." Spirit murmured softly,

"Yeah, it has... Last time you and I talked was back on the flood in Jaku, yeah?" He murmured, before seeming to catch himself and smiling nervously. "O-oh, it's good to see you too...!" He added quickly, and Spirit sighed quietly.

"... Yeah... And you don't need to be so nervous, Manual..." Spirit murmured softly and he stiffened, before wilting a bit and nodding faintly, his hand finding the back of his neck.

"... I'm sorry, this whole thing has sort of fried my nerves..." He apologized quickly, "... I should have kept a better eye on Iida, especially after I already suspected why he'd even chosen to Intern with me at all, and he didn't deny it when I warned him about trying to take vengeance..." Manual mumbled, wilting just a bit further at the thought. "... It's amazing they all managed to not get killed, and even more so that they managed to catch the Hero Killer on top of that... And really lucky..." He grumbled and Spirit blinked, "... It all turned into such a huge mess so quickly... I definitely failed a bit on the being responsible part..." He sighed, and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek.

"... It wasn't all on you." Spirit told him evenly, and Manual jumped a little, his eyes going wide at the unexpected response, and how calm Spirit looked when she said it. "You said you confronted him about it, right? And you were busy with all the other things going on with the other Villains. It's not your fault he decided to go ahead with it, he was clearly determined. He disregarded what you said even after you made it clear he shouldn't try to do it- people that determined will find a way to do what they will, regardless of you intervening... So it wasn't all your fault, the whole thing was just... Really not ideal." Spirit mumbled and he blinked a few times, looking sort of stunned with the reassurance... because he wasn't expecting her to assure him at all. He'd actually sort of expected the opposite, or at least her to agree with him and his failure to keep a watchful eye in Iida... But no, she seemed to have rationalized it quite quickly and wasn't placing near any of the blame on him at all.

"...that being said... Next time you probably should keep closer watch... Especially if you already knew his head wasn't in the right place." Spirit mumbled and Manual smiled, though only a bit as he wilted under the little bit of scolding from the Ebony Hero... Not that it was undeserved.

"... Yeah..." Manual murmured softly, rubbing the back of his neck a bit and straightening up too.

"Are you ready to head in?"

Their brief little chat got called to an end as the Police Chief broke off from the conversation he'd been having with the other man. Manual and Spirit looked up in tandem with one another at the question.

"Yes sir." Manual murmured quickly and Spirit nodded slightly as her only reply, gesturing for Manual and everyone else to go ahead of her as the two Pros took the lead, with the Chief behind them and Spirit lagging quite a bit at the back. The smaller man (who Spirit did not know) slid the door open and headed in first, letting out a small sigh and grumbling a bit as he did so.

"So I see you three are awake now." He grumbled, heading in without hesitation and Manual right behind him.

"G-Gran Torino..!" Came a small, very nervous young voice from inside the room,

"... and Manual too.." Was another, young still but slightly familiar too- it was the voice of Tensei's younger brother, she recognized it from the brief encounter they'd had in this very same hospital right after her own fight with the Hero Killer.

"You idiot, I could yell at you for hours right now!" 'Gran Torino' muttered sharply, marching straight up to a green-haired boy sitting on a bed as Spirit came into view of the room through the doorway, the Police Chief just ahead of her. The poor boy jumped, wilting under the old man's ire and ducking his head slightly.

"Y-yeah... I'm sorry..." He mumbled quickly, Spirit let out a small breath. She stopped without ever actually going into the room itself, and instead opted for leaning her shoulder against the doorframe. The Chief walked in ahead of her while Gran Torino and Manual stopped on either side of the walkway up the middle of the room, the edges lined with the beds (of which the green-haired boy was sitting on... wait a minute, is that the kid that gave himself whiplash when he saw me at UA the other day...?), and two other young boys on beds too- one directly behind the whiplash kid, and the other (definitely Tensei's younger brother) on a bed on the other end of the walkway from his classmates. All three boys were bandaged up and dressed in hospital gowns, looking a little worn but relatively okay- though they were all very focused on Manual and Gran Torino the minute the two Pros walked in, and had yet to take any note of the Chief, or Spirit by the door.

"You'd better be sorry, you damn fool!" Gran Torino snapped hotly, and whiplash kid (Midoriya was it..?) flinched under the ire, but Gran Torino huffed and shook his head hotly. "Well anyway, before I start yelling at you- someone else wants to talk to the lot of you." The older man muttered and Midoriya blinked, Tensei's brother (Tenya Iida) and Endeavor's Intern (his son right?) looking just as unsure by 'someone'.

The Chief walked inside the threshold of the room calmly, coming to a halt in the middle of the walkway and his hands in his pockets, settling each Intern with a steady stare while all three boy's stiffened under the look.

"This is the Chief of Police, Kenji Tsurgamae." Gran Torino mumbled,

Iida and Endeavor's kid were quick to be on their feet and at attention, with Midoriya soon scrambling to try and get up too- though with the amount of bandaging he had on his leg he'd probably fail at getting up at all. The Chief noticed the movement instantly and shook his head, motioning for the boy to stay still.

"Please don't get up, lest you end up falling... woof." The Chief said almost in exasperation, and Spirit shook her head slightly when the kid froze under the words, all nervous and flustered. She let out a silent sigh.

... that is definitely the whiplash kid...

The Chief placed his hand back in his pocket and nodded slightly, "So, you're the UA students who defeated the Hero Killer, hmm?" He murmured quietly, his eyes moving across all three of them slowly and taking them in. Naturally so, since he hadn't actually seen the kids face to face even with having been trying to juggle the situation- like Spirit, all the information he'd known was second hand from the officers and the other Pro Heroes, and not the kid's themselves... and though it was probably a bit demeaning to think so, Spirit looked over all of them in rapidity and was left wondering how the hell they even managed not to get themselves killed.

They're so young... damn

"Yes sir." Endeavor's kid murmured quietly, straight-faced and mismatched eyes narrowed at the Chief, who nodded slightly at the answer, though nothing about his serious expressions shifted at all.

"Hmmm... Stain has some pretty serious injuries, including severe burns and several broken bones. He is currently being treated for all his injuries at this very Hospital- under strict guard of course." The Chief murmured lowly, one ear twitching slightly when the boy's stiffened at the assertion. "Here's a lesson you three should have already learned; when Quirks became the norm, the police force sought to maintain the status quo. It was decided that we wouldn't use Quirks as weapons, as trying to regulate the use of Quirks within our operation brought up a lot of legal and moral issues... In response to the decision to restrict the use of Quirks among the police force, Pro Heroes were created." The Chief murmured lowly, tilting his head either way to Gran Torino and Manual on either side of him. "Pros can do what we cannot, and use their Quirks in the service of good- given they are licensed. The only reason Pros are able to use their Quirks out in the field is because they have been sworn to follow the strict code of ethics set down by the first Pro Heroes, and have been trained and taught tirelessly to ensure that their Quirks cannot be used to inflict deadly harm. Doing so takes years of hard work and preparation, and not all people are able to balance the use of their Quirks for good and refrain from accidentally doing harm... That's why its against the law for any unlicensed persons to use their Quirks to cause injury."

Spirit bit the inside of her cheek at the words, her red eyes narrowed and flashing.

"That being said, whether you were up against the Hero Killer or someone else- none of you had the authority to harm the Villain. You are unlicensed, and you not only fought in self defense- but you caused grievous harm onto the Hero Killer through use of your Quirks. For this reason, both you and your supervisors- Gran Torino, Manual and Endeavor- should receive harsh punishments for this gross abuse of your powers." The Chief murmured lowly, Midoriya and Iida hunching under the words while Todoroki looked increasingly more agitated with them.

"Now wait a minute." Todoroki snapped lowly, stepping up suddenly and cutting the Chief off before he could say anymore. Spirit blinked at the interruption, her eyes narrowing further and quirking a brow at the sudden show of anger. "If Iida had not stepped in, then Native would have been murdered." The boy hissed coldly, shaking his head and staring the Chief down rather unflinchingly... which earned stunned looks from his classmates, and Spirit hummed a bit under her breath at it. "And if not for Midoriya, than both of them would be dead right now." Todoroki grumbled, "No one even realized the Hero Killer was in Hosu, they were all too preoccupied with the Nomu. Are you saying that we should've just stood by and sat on our hands and watched people die?" He growled, taking (a rather threatening) step forward and Midorya jumped at it.

"C-Calm down Todoroki...!" He murmured quickly, though he went entirely unheard.

"So it's okay to break the law as long as things go your way?" The Chief asked lowly, not flinching or even blinking under the ire, or the movement- and this time Todoroki paused, stiffening against the question and gritting his teeth.

"But sir, isn't it a Hero's job to save people?" He shot back quickly, and the Chief sighed, his eyes falling closed.

"... This is why you're not a full-fledged Pro yet, it's obvious UA and Endeavor havn't been teaching you near enough. What a shame." The Chief murmured and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek at it, her eyes fixed to the red and white haired boy and her fingernails digging into her arms as he grew even more angry with... well, the sort of harsh words.

Not that it's unwarranted maybe, but the Chief is going a little hard... especially since he already decided not to actually get them in trouble or anything-

"Tch... you damned mutt." Todoroki hissed, stalking forward and fuming now and Spirit's eyes widened at the insult, though it was mostly said under the kid's breath.

He just called the Chief of police... a mutt...?!

Gran Torino was the only one to move as Todoroki started forward, calm as can be and holding a hand out to stop him, the young boy stuttering to a halt and grumbling. "Wait a minute and hear him out to the end." Gran Torino murmured, and the boy blinked in confusion. The Chief nodded his head slightly to Gran Torino's words, his posture wilting just a tad as his voice lost some of it's steeliness in no time at all.

"Hmm, now everything I just said is the official stance of the police department." The Chief murmured, "Any punishment you receive would only be necessary if the details of this whole event went public... If it did, you'd probably be applauded by people everywhere for what you accomplished tonight- but there would also be no way for you to escape being reprimanded either." He hummed, tapping his nose with a finger a few times. "However if we were to say that Endeavor saved the day, and that he was the one to capture the Hero Killer- which the burns would help to justify quite easily- we could pretend that the three of you weren't involved at all. And at that point, there would be no obligation to formally punish you for what you 'didn't' do." He murmured, and the boys stiffened, their eyes widening as their heads slowly began to track what was being said. "Doing so would mean that no one would know you what you did, or what you managed however, that is true... You would receive no acclaim at all. And you wouldn't be able to tell any of your peers about what you did either." The Chief murmured, "The choice is up to you, you can decide to go with my plan, or you can take your chances with fame and punishment." He said simply, and Spirit sighed.

Yeah there is no choice at all-

"It is up to you... though it is clear where I stand on this. I don't want to end your promising careers here if it can be helped, especially over a situation as difficult as this one." The Chief added a bit more lightly, smiling, and the Interns blinked, slightly stunned now.

"Either way, we'll still have to take responsibility for failing in our duty to supervise you guys." Manual added quietly, looking a bit exasperated at the thought though he smile anyway. Gran Torino nodded in agreement, though he huffed at the idea.

Both Midoriya and Iida grimaced at the words, their eyes falling for a moment, before Iida stepped up and stopped in front of Manual. The boy bent before the Normal Hero, bowed halfway and eyes dropping closed as Manual blinked at the gesture. "I am so sorry Manual, I should have listened to you... I am sorry." Iida murmured softly, and Manual's expression softened at the apology. He lift his hand and bumped the side of it lightly against the top of the boy's head.

"Yeah, you caused us a lot of trouble... Just please don't do it again." Manual hummed, and the boy swallowed.

"I won't." He murmured quietly, straightening back up again slowly.

"... Yes... We are sorry for causing so much trouble." Midoriya murmured quietly, and Todoroki nodded, though rather stiffly.

"... We'll keep what happened to ourselves, and leave the rest to you." Todoroki murmured and the Chief nodded.

"I realize its not fair, and that you won't earn any of the praise or admiration you probably deserve... But allow me to say, as the Chief of Police- thank you for your acts of heroism tonight." The Chief murmured softly, his head dipping as he bent over halfway and bowed to the three Interns. All three boys seemed uneasy at the gesture, Todoroki more so as he seemed to bite the inside of his cheek and look away rather quickly.

"... You could have started with all of that." He mumbled lowly, earning small smiles from Manual and Midoriya- the Chief too, though it was gone as quick as it was there. The Chief straightened up again and placed his hands back in his pockets, his head turning a bit to glance over his shoulder.

"Well now, is there anything you would like to add, Animal Spirit?" He asked lightly, his eyes catching Spirit's as she straightened up from leaning against the doorframe. The Interns' heads all snapped in her direction, instantly aware of her standing there where she had gone unnoticed through the whole thing, wide-eyed. Midoriya looked somewhat excited as well as incredibly flustered in about three seconds time, while Todoroki just blinked in surprise- Iida on the other hand went stiff as a board, his eyes flashing behind his glasses and lips pulling into a tight line as Spirit stepped away from the door slowly.

"... O-oh my god... A...animal Spirit...?!" Midoriya stammered breathlessly, his hands coming up to hide his mouth a bit and stop himself from blurting out anything further. Spirit didn't seem to hear the little outburst, or otherwise ignored it as she stepped up to stand level with the Chief and Manual, nodding slightly to the former in answer to his question.

"... Yeah, if you don't mind." She murmured softly and the Chief dipped his head, motioning for her to go ahead. She stepped up just one more time, her hands folding together in front of her and glancing among all three boys quickly as she let out a small breath.

"... I don't want to sound repetitive, and it really isn't my place to scold you for anything... Though honestly I'd really like to snap at you all for several things." She grumbled lowly and they all stiffened under the slight edge that worked it's way into the Ebony Hero's voice at the end. She shook her head slightly and let out a quiet, breath, "... But I won't, you've probably heard enough on that end, and will likely hear more later on too... Suffice it to say, I don't agree with any of you for running off on your own, regardless if you expected to find the Hero Killer or not. You shouldn't have gone by yourselves, for any reason, and you very lucky you didn't end up dead." She murmured lowly, biting the inside of her cheek as she paused for a second and her eyes fell to the floor too.

... And wherever you are Dante... Please don't find out I'm going to say this next bit-

"... That being said, I don't admonish you for fighting with Hero Killer... Regardless if you are licensed yet or not." Spirit murmured softly and everyone in the room stiffened in surprise, the Pros and Chief less so though. "... The rules are clear cut, but life rarely ever lines up with them so nicely. I would have preferred that you were never in that situation to begin with, but I would never expect any of you to sit still and abide by the rules when you, or other people are in danger... Sometimes you have to break the rules, in order to do the most good, and save the most lives." She murmured softly and the Interns eyes widened, Manual and Gran Torino narrowing their eyes at her while the Police Chief just watched quietly. "... I think you just need to be prepared to face the consequences, even if you know you did the right thing... Even if its unfair." Spirit murmured and they swallowed a bit. "... Well, anyway, that's my little bit of lecturing... The only other thing I really want to say is thank you." Spirit told them quietly, and the Interns blinked in tandem with one another, quite taken aback.

Thank you...?

Spirit hummed a bit under her breath and bent over, her hands clasped together in front of her still and bowing to the three young boys much like the Police Chief had done a few minutes beforehand. The reaction was similar too, though this time around it wasn't just surprise, it was awe too, and the boys felt shivers run up their spines... The Ebony Hero was bowing to them. The No. 19 Hero in all of Japan, was bowing to them- the same Hero that had stood hard and fast against that same enemy they had faced tonight, and walked away far better off than even they had against someone so full of bloodlust. The same Hero that had guarded Ingenium with all her might and even have up her perfect Capture Rate to care for the downed Hero instead of pursuing her enemy... Because to her saving him had meant more than catching Stain, and she'd stood fast by that choice even when many people immediately admonished her for it.

She was bowing and thanking them

"... Thank you, for catching Stain, and keeping him from killing anybody else." Spirit murmured softly, her eyes closed and still bowed. "Thank you for doing what I couldn't." Midoriya and Todoroki seemed stunned into silence at it, their eyes glittering at the Ebony Hero and quiet. But Iida stiffened further, his face twisting and pained as he shook his head once, staring pointedly at the floor as his shoulders hunched.

"Animal Spirit... You shouldn't... You shouldn't thank me." Iida murmured quietly, earning jumps of surprise from his classmates and Spirit blinked her eyes open, glancing up slowly. "... Todoroki and Midoriya deserve it certainly, but I... Don't deserve any thanks... Not from anyone, but certainly not from you..."

"... Iida..." Midoriya and Todoroki mumbled quickly but the dark-haired boy shook his head sharply at them. Spirit straightened up, her red eyes steady on the boy and quiet in her place as he shut his eyes tight, refraining from looking at her and his shoulders hunching further too.

"... This whole thing is because I wanted revenge... I wasn't thinking like a Hero and I wasn't looking out for anybody else either... All I wanted was to hurt Stain, even after I found him and knew Native was injured... My first priority was acting on my own feelings and rage, instead of trying to protect Native or anyone else... I did the exact opposite of what a Hero is supposed to do... Like... Like what you did with my brother... You protected him and made his safety the priority over everything else, and even your own feelings after the Hero Killer hurt you..." He hissed, shaking his head several times as he said the words and Spirit blinked slowly. "... You shouldn't thank me for anything... I was acting like a fool, my motivations were all wrong... You are a true hero and you... Just... Please don't thank me, especially not when I haven't even thanked you for what you did for my brother... For saving his life and doing everything you could to protect him..." He mumbled, bowing quickly and shaking slightly too as he did it. "I don't deserve your thanks, or your approval... Please... Please don't thank me, or bow to me... I don't deserve it, not from you... Not after all of this..." He hissed lowly, his voice shaking quite a bit now and so much so his classmates and Manual all looked a bit pained for it... Spirit felt her heart twist too, though her expression didn't change. She let out a silent sigh, her red eyes glittering at the bent boy.

... Oh geez...

"... You realize trying to go after him for revenge was the wrong thing to do right?" Spirit asked at length and Iida went rigid at the question. "And that your primary goal should have been to help Native, and everyone else when they showed up, yeah?" She murmured and he nodded quickly,

"O-of course I do...! I realized that once Midoriya and Todoroki made it clear... I know I shouldn't have done what I did, I know wasn't acting like a Hero should... I realized that when we were fighting, that I should be trying to protect everyone and not acting out of my own interests...!" He answered quickly and Spirit nodded.

"... So in the end, you weren't fighting for yourself. You were fighting to help make sure everyone got out of it alive?" Spirit asked again and this time he didn't answer right off the bat. He paused a few heartbeats before nodding slowly, and Spirit hummed a bit under her breath. "Well, as long as you really learned your lesson and you stick to it, then you really don't need to be so harsh on yourself." Spirit murmured gently and his eyes snapped open, shocked and uncertain as he quickly looked up to find her smiling at him faintly. "Honestly, it takes a lot to realize and admit that you were wrong about that sort of thing, and harder still to push past it and put other people ahead of it all. A lot of people can't push passed a need for revenge no matter how hard they try." She hummed, "You learned your lesson, and you changed your motivation when it mattered the most... And you clearly feel bad about it, so I don't think you'll make the same mistake again. You learned, which means you grew too, and you'll continue to grow better knowing and realizing what you do now... And you have plenty of time to do it and be great Pros, you guys are still pretty young after all." She smiled, her head tilting a bit as she shrugged slightly. "As long as you learned your lesson, you shouldn't feel like you don't deserve to be thanked- you guys did manage to not only save everyone, but you also defeated the enemy where nobody else has before now." She added a bit more lightly, "You did both, and it was impressive, all things considered... So I am genuinely thanking you, even knowing all the other details." She murmured and Iida stared, the other Interns too... Though Midoriya looked like he was going to pass out under the praise at the same time.

"He can't hurt anybody else now because of what you did, and honestly that means a lot more to me than all the rest of it... And the fact that you all got away alright in the end too, of course." She murmured softly, smiling a bit more and more gently too as her eyes flashed. This time all three boys blushed at the words from the Ebony Hero (faintly in Todoroki's case). Manual and the Police Chief smiled to themselves at Animal Spirit, while Gran Torino's expression even softened, just a tad.

This was a side of the Ebony Hero none of them had ever seen, and one they couldn't say they expected (as it was, nobody really knew her at all...)... But it was also a side they couldn't help but appreciate, and like.

Animal Spirit is actually a truly nice person.

Iida swallowed, his eyes gleaming as he nodded at her just a little, biting back at the way his chest ached at the words. "... Yes... Thank you... I promise to be better from now on." He murmured softly, his words echoed by the other boys and Spirit nodded back easily, her hands falling on her hips. "... And... Really, thank you so much... For saving my brother, Animal Spirit..." He added softly and Spirit stiffened ever so slightly at it, before nodding once.

"... You're welcome... Though you really don't need to thank me..." She murmured quietly and he blinked, his expression softening.

"... I do... You are a truly good Pro Hero, Animal Spirit." Iida murmured softly and Spirit stiffened at it, nervousness flashing across her face, Iida's head tilting at what seemed like... Unease(?), that appeared in the Ebony Hero so suddenly...?

He didn't think much of it though, he assumed maybe she was just a bit shy under the praise- and besides, Animal Spirit was already on to the next thing.

"... Alright, well anyway that was all I had to say on the matter." Spirit murmured, taking that single step back to put herself in line with Manual again as she glanced toward the Chief. "... Thank you for letting me stick around, sir." She told him quietly and nodded.

"Of course." He replied easily, "Thank you for coming in, and for saying your piece." He told her, Manual nodding in agreement with the words while Spirit stiffened at it, looking just a bit unsure now.

... Thanks for saying my piece...? Why...?

"And now that I've said all I meant to, I will have to say goodbye." The Chief kept on, oblivious to her internal question and glancing from her toward the Interns. "I will handle everything from here. For now I expect you three to rest, and I wish you all luck with the rest of your endeavors from here on out." He said politely, dipping his head to the Interns and then to the Pros, before exiting the room altogether.

Manual caught Spirit's eye and smiled as soon as the Chief had gone, "Thank you for coming in to check on everything, Animal Spirit." He murmured lightly, "Especially after working all night, I know you were busy with your own Internship." He murmured and she shook her head a bit,

"Ah, it's fine..." She murmured quickly. "We were already done with Patrol when I got called... So it wasn't a bother or anything..." She explained and he nodded slightly,

"Will you be headed back now?" Get asked abe she paused,

"... Uh, probably... Yeah." She murmured,

"... Uhm, Animal Spirit... Before you go."

Spirit blinked, looking quickly away from Manual at the sound of Iida's voice, the young boy approaching her and Manual slightly. Iida paused uncertainly in front of Animal Spirit, a little uneasy now as she tilted her head at him.

"Hmm?"

"... Well, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but my brother... He's been hoping to talk to you, and been trying to find a way to get in contact with you too." Iida told her softly, "Its just that while you're here I thought I should let you know... And I hope you do talk with him soon." He murmured, and Spirit sighed silently.

"... I know, and we already talked a little earlier." She replied and his eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you for making sure to tell me though... But we have talked now, so you needn't worry about him trying to get ahold of me anymore." She murmured and he nodded slowly.

"I see." He murmured softly,

"... Well, I do think I'm gonna head back now." Spirit announced softly, aiming the words more at Manual beside her but Iida heard her well enough too. "... It has been a pretty long night..."

... I really gotta go to sleep...

"Of course, have a safe journey back." Manual told her lightly,

"Yes, and thank you very much for coming here tonight...!" Iida told her quickly, Spirit nodded just once, but didn't bother a reply... I'm tapped out in talking for awhile now I think.

So much happened tonight... And here at this hospital especially...

... Too much, really... And my head can't handle it right now, I don't have the energy...

... Hell... I don't even have the energy to stay all knotted up and worked up about... All the emotions either... Even this whole conversation with the Interns didn't make me feel much at all... I'm way too tired...

... I need sleep... Sleep and hopefully... I'll sort through everything when I wake up again...

.:+:.

Spirit lighted down on the balcony as quietly as possible, her talons scratching slightly against the floor. She paused, shaking herself out a bit from the morning haze and moisture sticking to her feathers before Shifting back into her normal form with a sigh. The balcony door ahead of her was mostly closed, spare the little silver left between the door and the frame that signaled it being open. She couldn't see much through the glass into the room, given that the sky turning milky gray with the beginnings of dawn made a glare across the surface of the glass. Instead, the glare made it so she was faced with her own reflection for a few moments, and she grimaced faintly.

... I look tired as hell... Oi...

She didn't pause on her reflection for any longer than that as she stepped up and began to push the door open as quietly as was possible... and hated the little noise it made in the track against the overall quiet of everything else. She stepped inside the dim of the room lightly and shut it again.

... Alright, just gotta grab my stuff, get changed, and go to sleep... Hopefully without-

"Hey~! Good to have you back, Sunshine~" Came a quiet, sudden, and sort-of tired voice from behind her. Spirit jumped, her heart skipping a beat and eyes flashing in the dim as her head snapped around, startled and nearly bristling when she lay eyes on the source of the words.

YOU'RE KIDDING ME

Hawks' head was poking up from behind the top of on of the couches, his arms crossed on top of it and his chin settled in them. He smiled lazily at her and her little show of fright when he said something, before he hummed a bit at how quickly the shocked look on her face twisted into something agitated, and Spirit hissed, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

"I told you not to wait up, you bloody idiot...!" She snapped- quietly as not to disturb the rest of the building- but loud enough her agitation was clear. Hawks just smiled at it and waved a hand a little dismissively, his head still resting on his other arm and golden eyes glittering in the dim.

"I know, I know..! But I couldn't help myself, I wanted to make sure you got back okay~" he replied lightly, "Plus I caught a few winks in the meantime, so technically I didn't really wait up for you...!" He hummed, before smiling a bit more and lifting his head off his arm all the way, "Hey! You look better now, the cuts on your hands and your lip are all gone how, huh? So did you run into Recovery Girl while you were there, and she healed you up?" He asked brightly and Spirit huffed, grumbling several choice curses under her breath and shaking her head as she walked further into the room.

Stupid idiotic cheeky little git-

"... Yes, I ran into her... and she used her Quirk on me, yeah..." Spirit grumbled lowly, pulling her phone out of her suit pocket and rounding the couch Hawks was sitting backwards on. He adjusted as she did so to sit on the couch the right way around, and Spirit set her phone down on the coffee table, before sinking onto the opposite couch with a sigh.

"So you're like super tired now, huh?" He hummed and Spirit's face fell into her hands, her elbows on her knees and grumbling at the question.

"... hmph..." Was the very non-answer he earned, and the Winged Hero chuckled just once,

"Well, how about I set up the futons and stuff while you get changed?" He murmured and Spirit paused, her face tilting up out of her hands only enough to be able to see him, her eyes narrowed to slits.

"... what, no interrogation...?" She mumbled and he shook his head,

"Nah, we can talk about it once we settle in, if you wanna. But I'm not gonna force you to go through it tonight." He replied easily, pushing himself up onto his feet with a low grunt and raising his arms up above his head in a stretch, and Spirit blinked. He'd by now changed out of his Hero Uniform and cleaned up, and was wearing sweats and a tank top and no shoes at all, and he smiled as he quit his stretching and his arms dropped back down, resting on his hips. "And if you don't want to talk about it at all even after you sleep, then that's fine too... I am curious of course, but I will curb my interest as best I can- like I promised you already, I'm gonna try and be less nosy." He chuckled lightly and Spirit huffed again, her eyes flashing in the dim.

"... Mmmm... Fine." She mumbled, pushing herself slowly back on to her feet. "... Go ahead with the futons and whatever... The bathrooms are down the hall, yeah...?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yep." He replied easily, "And here's your bag, Spirit~" he chirped, pointing to her left and toward where a single feather was hovering in air, the strap of her bag pinned to it's end. Spirit faltered slightly when she saw it, her mind sort of struggling to come to terms with it being there and so out of the blue... Before she stiffened and snatched it away from the feather quickly.

"... Alright, fine. I'll be back in a bit, Feathers..." She grumbled, already headed away toward the door of the room and without a second glance back at him.

"Take your time~"

The walk through the hallway outside and to the bathroom was short and quiet, and flipping the light on inside of the bathroom itself made her eyes hurt quite a bit. She narrowed them against the glare and headed along the sinks slowly, nearing the end and setting her bag down on the counter with little a word. She worked quickly and mostly on autopilot to get changed and ready for bed, her mind in a haze that was slowly getting worse and making it hard to pay attention to (or care about) what she was doing. She pulled her Hero Uniform and all the bits off, replaced those with some pajama shorts and a long sleeve, and scrubbed off the face paint too. She stuffed everything she'd taken off (including her boots) into her bag quite haphazardly, and then pulled her hair out of the ponytail completely- pausing only long enough to run her fingers through the stands to tidy them just a bit- before she pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and headed out again.

She had little clue how long it took her to get changed, but by the time she came back in the room Hawks was nowhere to be seen in the first section, but now a soft light from the second half of the room had been turned on. She blinked at it lazily, before walking in all the way and shutting the door behind her.

She stepped passed the divider and her feet hit the tatami mats on the other side, only faintly aware of the two futons laid out and the (rather ridiculous amount of) pillows and blankets scattered around them... And even less aware of the very small distance between the two futons, or the Winged Hero sitting crosslegged on one of them.

Hawks perked up the moment Spirit came into view, his eyes gleaming and intent on her and what rather abnormal look she was sporting just then. He'd only ever seen her in her Hero Uniform before now, so seeing her dressed down into shorts and a simple shirt and nothing else was sort of weird- especially given her Hero Uniform didn't really leave much in the way of bare skin. Most of her was usually covered up by her Uniform (be it by the suit or the sleeves or just the stockings she wore underneath), and usually only her back and her shoulders remained sort of bare... Now though, the long-sleeve she wore kept her top half very much covered, but the shorts not so much. And without meaning to, his eyes quickly traced down the curve of her legs all the way to her feet, her skin smooth, legs slender (Spirit is a thin lady after all), and almost petite looking at first glance- but he knew well enough she was much stronger than she looked.

And along with the change in attire, his interest peaked even further at the fact that her hair wasn't done up anymore either. Instead, the dark russet and auburn locks fell around her shoulders lightly, clashing with the black color of the shirt she was wearing and shimmering slightly under the light of the lamp he'd turned on in the corner. He quickly found himself staring at that too, and musing to himself that maybe she should wear her hair down more often, it suited her pretty well.

Spirit dropped her bag up against the wall, never sparing him or his wandering eyes even a single look as she did so. Her eyes were only halfway open at best, everything about her expression and the way she moved easily giving away how tired she was, and she made a near beeline for the empty bed as soon as she'd deposited her bag.

Spirit stepped up to the foot of the futon, and then promptly (and quite unceremoniously) let herself fall face-first into the cushioned embrace of the futon, pillows, and blankets alike. Her body sinking in earned a muffled thump, and Hawks' lips twitched instantly upward in an amused smile at the sight. It took a lot not to laugh at it too, though he kept himself quiet and covered his smirk with a hand, his eyes gleaming and watching her still as Spirit kept her face buried in the pillow, her arms straight down on either side of her, and not at all phased or caring of the way she pretty much threw herself onto the bed. Hawks stifled another laugh that threatened to slip, smiling more and hiding the lower half of his face in both hands now. It was amusing yes, and even more amusing an action coming from Spirit of all people... But even more than that, well-

- That was actually kind of adorable...!

Spirit let out a long, low breath and shifted just a bit, her hand moving up and sliding underneath the pillow she had her face pressed into, before she turned her head just enough to glance his way with one eye. He noticed the look immediately, his hands falling into his lap and tilting his head at her, erasing the amusement on his face instantly and instead looking her way rather innocently. "You okay Spirit?" He hummed lightly, and that one red eye narrowed at him, though she didn't say anything at all- even when she clearly figured he was up to something, despite the 'innocence' of the question... Though even then, she immediately let that thought go because she hadn't the energy to be suspicious of the Bird-Brain right now.

"... I'm fine..." She mumbled quietly, her arms shifting to hug the pillow underneath her a bit and adjust one more time so she was sort of facing him and laying on her left side. Her eyes dropped closed as she let out a low breath, hugging the pillow closer and shaking her head just a tad.

... I know he's curious... Even though he said he wouldn't ask...

... But it's not like I can tell him about all the details anyway... It's supposed to be under wraps...

... Mm... Though I suppose maybe he'd actually like the story of how it happened, more than the truth of it, huh...?

... He is an Endeavor fan...

... I suppose... I probably ought to just... Get it over with and tell him...

"... The Interns got separated from their Mentors during all the mess with the Nomu... And they ran into Stain in some back alley in the middle of nowhere..." Spirit started quietly, Hawks' eyes widening at the fact that she was actually telling him what happened instead of immediately going to bed. "... They interrupted Stain trying to murder Native, but the ended up having to fight to stay alive after that... They got hurt, but they'll be fine... Endeavor showed up after a bit and stopped the fight, and took down Stain... He's the one who captured him..." Spirit mumbled softly and Hawks blinked, his face lighting up slightly at the news and Spirit cracked an eye open just in time to see it, and the way his eyed gleamed at the news.

"Ah, really? That's great~!" Hawks hummed, "Leave it to Endeavor to sweep in and bust the Hero Killer in the middle of a city-wide crisis situation...! Hehe, I guess he's not the No. 2 for nothing~!" He chuckled lightly, humming a bit to himself and wings fluffing up a bit too. "Kinda wish we did end up going to Hosu after the fact though, I bet that fight was something to see~! But ah well... it's good enough that the Hero Killer is down for the count now, and Native and all those Interns got out okay~!" Hawks chirped, smiling still and looking quite pleased with the news- enough so even some of the tiredness that had been weighing him down just moments beforehand seemed to melt away. Spirit blinked slowly at him, her eyes softening slightly at the little bit of delight that appeared in the Winged Hero.

... yeah... Definitely an Endeavor fan...

"... hmm... the Police Chief decided they were gonna keep the news about the Interns fighting with Stain completely under wraps... and nobody is gonna know... besides everyone involved... and me... and you..." Spirit finished quietly, her eye dropping closed again and letting out a small sigh. "... even if it was self-defense, they still don't have Licenses... and he didn't want to get them in trouble..." She mumbled, her voice dropping a bit lower. Hawks nodded slightly in reply, though of course she didn't see it at all.

"That makes sense... it's sorta what you did earlier with Tsukuyomi and that Killjoy guy, huh?" Hawks murmured, "... You asked him to handle the police and everything for us, yeah? So that Tsukuyomi wouldn't have to be grilled for fighting without a License and stuff...?"

"... mhmmm..." Spirit hummed softly as her only reply, and without opening her eyes again either.

"... How'd you manage to convince Killjoy to go along with that?" Hawks asked softly,

"... I just asked... and he agreed..." Spirit mumbled quietly, "... he understood why... I didn't want to... talk with the police... he knew I didn't wanna... get Tuskuyomi in trouble or anything... so... he said he was... happy to do it..." She sighed, yawning halfway through before burying her face into the pillow all the way, her body folding slightly around it and grumbling something incoherent and that Hawks couldn't quite catch. His head tilted slightly when Spirit's hands around the pillow seemed to tighten too at whatever thought had crossed her mind just then... weird.

"... well that was nice of him..." Hawks murmured slowly,

"... yeah..." Spirit mumbled softly, her voice muffled a bit by the pillow. "... have either Anima... or Tsukuyomi been up... since I left...?" Spirit asked at length, Hawks shook his head a bit, leaning his chin into his hands.

"Nah, they've been out pretty good the whole time." Hawks hummed, Spirit nodded her head a bit in recognition of the reply.

"... alright..." She mumbled, "... you should go to sleep Feathers... you've gotta be just as tired as I am..." She told him quietly, her voice barely above a whisper now, and he smiled at it.

"... I think you're definitely more tired than me, Spirit." He chuckled lightly, "Recovery Girl's Quirk did a number on you, huh...?"

"... mmm... a little..." She mumbled, "... but still... go to sleep... and if you get up... before I do... wake me up Feathers... I don't wanna... sleep... in..." She whispered, her voice dropping with every word before falling off into a low breath, and she went quiet entirely. Hawks smiled wearily as he saw her shoulders relax and her breathing deepened shortly after, every bit of stubbornness or what-have-you that had been keeping her awake failing her, and she quickly fell underneath the waves of exhaustion that had been hounding her mind. He was actually kind of impressed she'd stayed awake even long enough to tell him what had happened, though even still she'd only managed to stay awake five minutes at most after settling down.

"... no promises Spirit." He replied quietly, and entirely to himself considering she was definitely out of it now. "I think you need plenty of sleep after today, so I won't be waking you up anytime soon... hehe, even if you might snap at me for it later." He shook his head at himself a bit and slowly shifted from sitting crosslegged, pushing himself onto his knees and shuffling over the little distance between his futon and the Ebony Hero's. Hawks settled down to sit on his heels a bit and paused, listening for a minute or two to the sound of Spirit's soft breathing, before delicately leaning toward her. His hand picked the bottom of her shirt up as lightly as he could, moving it away so he could get a look at where the stab wound had been (and looked very bad) earlier that night.

The bruising was gone all the way now, and the stitches too- now the skin was only pink, the tears run through her body entirely closed and not at all agitated in any way... in a few days it would be little more than a faint little white mark, and then gone soon after that. It was a million times better than earlier, and clearly it wasn't hurting her anymore either- given she'd fallen into the futon with little a care.

Hawks let out a quiet breath at the sight, his shoulders sinking slightly and carefully pulling the shirt back down where it had been. He settled back onto his heels for a bit and his hands fell into his lap, golden-brown eyes glimmering in the low light and smiling just faintly to himself. "... You really do work too hard." He murmured aloud, "... and you are the most stubborn person I have ever met too..." He added softly, smiling a bit more at the thought, and letting out a sigh, his voice wispy and eyes falling halfway.

"... but hell if I don't actually like that about you, Spirit..."

He cast her a quiet look from the side, her hair falling in a mess around her face and over the pillow, her expression almost strangely peaceful and at ease for the fiery, stubborn, and entirely enigmatic Ebony Hero he knew... and who he was learning more and more about, but never enough.

He shook his head at himself, a single feather detaching from his wings and moving quietly across the room, and plucking up one of the blankets laid off to the side. It unfolded in air and Hawks caught the edges of it with ease, the blanket falling lightly over Spirit's body, and the Winged Hero pulling the top up gracefully over her shoulders, and without Spirit ever stirring even a little. He finished with the blanket and slowly pushed himself back to his own bed, settling down for the night, and that single feather from before flitting over to the lamp to switch it off and send the room into darkness.

He was tired too, but even so his mind seemed apt to keep him up regardless. And in the quiet and dark of the room, his eyes ended up stuck to the roof while his brain recanted the days events on a constant loop. All of it was vibrant, and clear in his head- every second of it. Every street they'd walked today, every conversation he'd had, every fight... the one with Dark Shadow the brightest, and bringing with it a newfound ache over every inch of him that had not gone away at all since it happened.

He knew Tsukuyomi was still really worked up about it, and he got it... but he wasn't sure what he'd be able to say to alleviate any of the poor kid's guilt or anything either. He hoped that maybe a good night's sleep would help him relax a little, though Hawks was pretty sure he'd have to have a talk with him anyway... but again, what was he supposed to say?

Maybe it'll come to me tomorrow...

And then of course, thought of the fight with Dark Shadow brought memory of Spirit's intervention with it, and again brought with it all those nagging questions he wanted to ask and really couldn't... and then he eventually wound back to her keeping quiet about her own pain, and doing her best not to make Tsukuyomi feel any more guilty too. It was very nice of her, and very sweet- even if it was a bit self-destructive in the end... her taking care of everything with that Killjoy guy had been very kind of her too. It seemed Spirit had a lot of kindness to give in terms of the Interns, he'd noticed that right away and it intrigued him to no end- because she wasn't really the regular definition of 'kind' whenever it came to Hawks himself. So seeing her attitude shift was weird, interesting, and overall sort of amusing, and how drastic a shift it was between the Interns and him was the same way.

He did like how short-tempered she was with him (in a weird way maybe), and he didn't much mind it either- but she wasn't ever really 'kind' toward him, and a small part of him was a little wanting for it... But as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he realized he'd already been on the receiving end of her kindness, and even gentleness so rare in the Ebony Hero tonight. In the way her hands had been so soft when she was looking over the damage he'd sustained, the gentleness of her touch and the slow, almost ghostly brushing of her fingers over every hurt... the careful way in which she watched for his reaction and did everything she could not to hurt him too much with her actions, and so tender and delicate in every movement. He could feel her hands over his body even now, light and sweet and adding slightly to the dull ache everywhere. He felt the touches, like they were really there right then, and yet certainly not. Which left him longing for it a repeat of the whole ordeal, even if it did mean repeating the pain and the pummeling he'd received. He'd go through it all again, for just a little bit more of that side of Animal Spirit that was so, so scarce a thing to come by.

Hawks bit the inside of his cheek, his hands moving as he grabbed hold of both his arms to try and still the ghostly sensations, and shaking his head at himself a bit hotly.

He needed to stop thinking about it, stop remembering it. He knew he was letting his mind get away with him, his compulsive need to know and to learn and to understand her too... the same drive and need that had spurred what was definitely him being 'obsessed obsessed' with the Ebony Hero. After everything from tonight, and the patrol, and all that followed- he knew that need to know her was a hundred times stronger than it had been, and then a thousand times more with every second he spent reliving those few minutes back in the park... he felt the need getting fiercer, and then quickly being paired by something else. Some other new feeling and sensation stirring in his core and suddenly coming alight- small for now, but definitely there.

A sort of something that maybe... wasn't just being obsessed obsessed.

Hawks raised his arms up, crossing them over one another and letting them fall and rest against his forehead, hiding his eyes while his lips curled, and he smiled wryly to himself.

"... well shit..."

.:+:.

... hmmm...?

Spirit grumbled a bit under her breath, shaking her head a few times as she struggled to bring her mind out of a haze filled with nothing but emptiness all around, and silence too... until something new hit her nose, and the emptiness got interrupted by the scent... scents, actually.

... it... smells like coffee... and...

... eggs...?

She shifted, slowly and groggily rolling over on to her stomach and pulling her head out from underneath the pillow she'd furrowed underneath. Her nose twitched, her chin falling on top of the pillow and taking in a few long, deep breaths. The scent of food got stronger with every breath as her mind pulled further from the haze, and she paused.

... coffee and eggs... and cheese... too...?

... why would... it smell like... food...?

She cracked her eyes open only halfway, blinking a few times and slowly to try and get her vision to adjust, and make sense of...... where am I again...?

She looked around the room quickly, for the first few seconds finding it very unfamiliar and very empty, and with her mind still being weighed down by sleep, she had a very hard time coming to terms with any of it at all. So for a very long few moments she stayed absolutely still, her red eyes narrowed and blurry as she surveyed the room half a dozen times over, and little bits of last night's (or this early mornings) events began to trickle into the forefront of her thoughts.

... this is... Hawks' Agency Building... right...?

She faintly recalled coming back after going to the hospital, and everything that had happened there... She supposed she even sort of remembered telling Hawks about the Endeavor catching the Hero Killer thing. But after that it was a blank, so she must have fallen asleep pretty quickly.

... What time is it...?

She instinctively looked for her phone off to her right, before realizing it wasn't there at all... I left it on the coffee table

Spirit grumbled a bit and pushed herself up onto her knees, the blanket falling down her back as she did so and pausing again at the sight of it.

... I don't remember grabbing a blanket...?

She glanced quickly over to the other futon only to find it empty and a certain Winged Hero nowhere in sight at all.

... Damn it, didn't I tell him to wake me if he got up before I did...?!

Spirit hissed under her breath, annoyance quickly working its way into her core as she pushed herself up onto her feet and stepped away from the bed altogether. She made a beeline for the closed divider door and slid it open, revealing that the other half of the room just as empty and still with no Hawks in sight. She started toward the coffee table only to falter halfway through at seeing no sign of her phone on the top at all, and her teeth grit.

Where the hell is my phone..?!

Don't tell me that feathery twat took it?!

I'm going to kill him-!

That last thought broke off when she looked around the room just out of habit, and quickly found her phone sitting on the counter in the corner of the room... Attached to a charger.

She halted, blinking several times as she looked between the coffee table and her phone, her annoyance dying slightly as she did so.

I... Did kind of... Forget to plug it in... I guess...

So... Did he... Charge it for me...?

She bit the inside of her cheek, moving slowly across the room and picking her phone up off the countertop, disconnecting the charger. The screen lit up as she did so and she grimaced at the amount of notifications on the face of it (all of them news related about Hosu and the Hero Killer), and the time.

11:23 am

... I'm gonna kill him for not waking me up...

She huffed, stuffing the phone in the pocket of her shorts and sidetracking back to where her bag was for only a few moments to grab a comb and brush through what a mess her hair was. After doing so, she promptly stalked out of the room and in the direction of the smell of food and voices.

I know I told him to wake me up, damn that Bird-Brain-!

She stopped rather abruptly, her attention snatched away by the slightly open door to her left and the wash of sunlight breaking passed the small sliver between the door and the frame. She blinked, her head tilting slightly to get a better look through the little space, and seeing the sunlight coming in through the open balcony door attached to the room... that's the room the Interns were in last night, yeah...?

She stepped up a bit, peering in a little further and blinking when she caught sight of Tsukuyomi standing out on the balcony alone, his shoulders hunched and leaning against the railing with his elbows. Her eyes flashed, frowning faintly to herself and casting an uncertain glance down the hallway, before looking back through the door and pausing a few seconds more... And then eventually she let out a sigh and quietly made her way into the room.

She picked her way across the room quickly, slowing up as she neared the balcony door and pausing just beside it, her fingers tapping against the glass softly and making Tsukuyomi (and Dark Shadow on his shoulder) jump at the noise. "Hey." Spirit murmured softly, her eyes catching his as he turned his head, and his eyes widened when he realized who it was. "... Do you mind if I join you?" She asked lightly and the boy stiffened, a little unsure of the request, before nodding slowly.

"... No, I don't mind." He murmured softly, turning back the way he'd been facing again, and watching her move up to the railing from the corner of his eye. Spirit settled her hands on the railing too, folding them together and her red eyes trailing over the city below them and the humming streets in the (near) afternoon buzz.

"Did you sleep okay?" Spirit asked lightly after a moment, her eyes shift sideways toward the boy and he nodded a bit, though his eyes were settled on the city and not on her.

"Yes... Did you?" He asked softly, "Hawks-Sensei told us earlier this morning that you'd gotten in late, and that you'd been called away to go over what happened in Hosu last night, with the Hero Killer being caught." He told her, "He also mentioned you'd run into Recovery Girl while there, and she'd helped you with your injuries. I imagine it left you quiet tired, given how her Quirk works." He murmured, and Spirit nodded.

"Yeah, I slept fine." She hummed, "And yeah, I did get in pretty late, and run into Recovery Girl too... But it really wasn't that bad, I'm used to being up for long spouts of time, and being tired." Spirit murmured, and he nodded slowly.

"... I am very sorry about what happened last night, Spirit-Sensei... Truly." Tsukuyomi murmured quietly and Spirit bit the inside of her cheek at the apology, and the way his voice dropped suddenly. "... I am sorry for all the trouble we caused, and the hurt we suffered everyone through. I regret that I was unable to control Dark Shadow even when others were getting hurt... And especially so, because I believe you are far too kind to admit that our fight last night injured you more than you let on." Tsukuyomi murmured softly, and Spirit stiffened at the words. "... It hasn't been very long since you were wounded in your fight against the Hero Killer, and I realized that Dark Shadow had sunk its talons in where you were likely still not fully healed... It was very kind of you, to try and spare my feelings Spirit-Sensei. Especially given it was my inability to reign Dark Shadow in that surely caused you no small amount of pain..." He told her quietly, and Spirit bit the inside of both cheeks.

... He's a lot more observant than I figured he would be... Damn it

"... Please forgive me... I never intended for any of this to happen..." He murmured, quieter now as his eyes dropped closed solemnly and he bowed his head a bit too, Spirit's eyes flashed at it.

"... It's alright, really." Spirit told him, "I'm completely fine now, so you needn't worry over me... Though I am sorry I wasn't upfront with you either, I just wasn't trying to add on to how bad you felt last night. Because it honestly wasn't really on you anyway, and you don't need to think it's your fault either..." She hummed, "... Hawks is fine too, by the way. I know he probably looks really rough, but he's got a hard head, and it'll take a lot more than the little tussle you guys had last night to really do a lot of damage. He's an idiot, but he's tough too... And I know he seems a little impossibly bright and cheery all the time, and that maybe even he just waved it all off way too easily- but he did mean it, when he said he was okay." Spirit murmured, "It wasn't him hiding how he really felt just trying to be nice or anything like that. He really was okay, and okay with it all too, and the same goes for me. We aren't holding any of it against you in anyway- I don't blame you for anything, neither does Hawks, and nobody else does either."

Tsukuyomi stiffened a little at the words, his eyes snapping open and darting her way quickly. She smiled at him gently when their gazes matched, and shook her head a bit. "Like I said last night, things like this happen, it's actually really normal. And don't forget that you're still learning, and you're still young too... Mistakes happen, slip ups too- it's all a part of life." Spirit hummed lightly, her crimson eyes gleaming in the sunlight. Tsukuyomi paused, his eyes fixed to the Ebony Hero and quiet for a few seconds under what incredibly warm smile she had settled on him just then. A soft smile that was just as soothing and as sure as her voice was, and somehow seemed to ease some of the turmoil that had settled in his core and would not go away. His eyes fell from her slowly, quiet for a few moments as he linked his fingers together, and nodded once. "... Thank you, Spirit-Sensei..." He murmured softly, and Spirit nodded at him.

They fell into a bit of silence again, Spirit's eyes wandering over the views of the city below and Tsukuyomi looking into his hand for quite a while, before slowly he looked up and cast the Ebony Hero an uncertain glance from the side.

"... Spirit-Sensei... I was wondering about what you said last night... About people like Hawks-Sensei and Anima... Not quite understanding what it's like to have a Quirk with a mind of its own, like Dark Shadow." Tsukuyomi started slowly and Spirit paused, her eyes shifting sideways to catch the boy's own gaze. "... I hope I am not overstepping... But... The way in which you were speaking about it... It seemed as if you were rather familiar with what it is like to have a Quirk like this... And you didn't exclude yourself when you said it..." He murmured quietly, still unsure of what he was asking and trailing off entirely quite soon after. Something about her face or her posture must have changed that he noticed, though Spirit did everything she could to remain as calm and collected as was possible when he asked the question... The very touchy question, though he was still sort of beating around the bush anyway. Like he was trying to be delicate and not be direct, but she knew what he was asking and her stomach knotted for it.

"... I am sorry, its not my place." Tsukuyomi said quickly after seeing her demeanor change, if ever so subtly. "If you do not wish to discuss it, I will pry no further... Please forgive me for stepping over the line, Spirit-Sensei." He murmured, looking away from her now and Spirit wilted at how quickly the poor boy retracted... And hated herself for her reaction.

... Damn it...

"... You aren't overstepping. It's a reasonable question to have, after what I said." Spirit murmured quietly and at length, her eyes leaving him and finding a fixed point on the top of a building a fair distance away. "... It's just... Complicated..." She mumbled softly, and Tsukuyomi blinked, his eyes daring to move her away again, though she was no longer looking at him at all.

... Shit... I might have run my mouth off too much last night after all... Stupid Spirit, stupid...

... I was just... Trying to reassure him and let him know I get it... That what he was feeling wasn't something he felt alone...

... But I went too far I guess... Of course he's curious now...

... He's a lot smarter and observant than I figured... And I don't...... I don't wanna lie again... Not after he already pegged me for not telling the truth yesterday, about the fight...

... Fuck me...

Spirit took in one long, deep breath and held it for a few moments, before letting it out again and her posture sank a bit, her elbows leaning against the railing further.

"... I do get it... What it feels like..." She murmured softly, "... I know what it's like to have something else in your head and body, vying for control and trying so hard to take it from you... I know how loud it can be, and how bad it is because you are the only one that can hear it, and feel it... Emotion and turmoil and anger that isn't yours, but it fills you up anyway, and drowns everything else underneath it..." She sighed again and leaned her chin into her hands, her eyes dropping closed a moment. Tsukuyomi's eyes on the other hand went wide, the young boy looking stricken by what she was saying, and how familiar all of it was to things he'd thought or felt himself.

"... I know how scary it is, to lose your grip and the how strong the fear is that you won't be able to come back... That you'll just get swallowed up completely and your body and your actions will never be yours again... And worse, that other people are going to suffer the consequences of you being unable to come back to the surface again..." Spirit mumbled, "... I know it's a constant pushing back and forth between your will and Dark Shadow's, and I know it gets really exhausting some times... But I also do know that it gets easier, and eventually it's not a constant battle for control between you two. Eventually it'll mellow out, and you'll be able to exist pretty contently, and any fear that you'll fall underneath all of it's emotion and rage will fade into something less potent... You'll always worry you'll lose it, but it won't consume you either... It'll take work, but you'll get there." Spirit mumbled, pausing for quite awhile next, her posture slightly rigid and unsure... Before she forced a breath, her head tilting down her hands and bowing just a bit.

"... I've had issues controlling my Quirk too... Quite a bit, when I was a kid... And even now it's hard sometimes..." Spirit murmured softly, and Tsukuyomi stiffened, his eyes flashing as Dark Shadow looked equally as shocked on his shoulder.

... you opened the can of worms Spirit... can't stop now... shit.

"... It... It's not something people know about... I never talk about my Quirk unless I can help it... But... Officially it's called 'Animal Soul'." Spirit murmured softly, her voice dropping more than a few decibels now and Tsukuyomi watched her, riveted and at full attention, though the question in his face was immediately clear.

... Animal... Soul...?

"... Every animal I can turn into isn't just a mirror image or a copy... When I shift, every bit of me is that animal, my DNA entirely re-written to match what it is... What animal that it was..." Spirit mumbled, "... All of my forms were all real, living things, once upon a time... Real live animals who's bodies and souls I have taken into myself... Their whole essence." Spirit explained slowly, her voice very low now, and Tsukuyomi stiff in his place. "... They were all alive once, they existed in the world as real as I do, and you. They had bodies of their own, lives... But now they're inside of me. And while they aren't technically alive anymore... They're still alive in me. They still feel, they still react... They have wills and souls of their own, that fight aback against mine... They invade my thoughts, and feelings... And react in their own individual ways, against what's going on around me..." Spirit said softly, "... Like last night... Near the end of us fighting... So many of them wanted to react... To bite back in retaliation... And I barely stopped myself from doing it, their emotions were so potent right in that moment..."

Tsukuyomi seemed to swallow slightly, his eyes glittering and nearly paralyzed under the explanation from the Ebony Hero, and the details of her Quirk- her Quirk that worked so differently from how he and the rest of the world thought it did.

Never in a million years would he have assumed that this was actually how Animal Spirit's Quirk worked, and the implications of it were... Incredible, for lack of a better word. But what was even more incredible was just how little they all all knew about her- she was a mystery to the whole world, but never before then had he realized the sheer depths that mystery went in regards to the Ebony Hero.

He jumped a little when Spirit's solemn and serious expression suddenly cracked in a wry half smile for just a moment, and she seemed to shake her head at herself. "... Hell... A lot of the time I see birds just minding their own business around the city and I instantly feel the urge to hunt and eat them, because so many of the predators leap at the chance to hunt the damn things when I see them... I have to remind myself all the time to quit- but it never stops them from pushing for it anyway..." She murmured, only sort of amused for a moment and he stared, not quite sure what to say or even react to the statement... she was talking about eating pigeons, yes...?

Spirit shook her head again, almost catching herself and the little hints of amusement and exasperation that appeared in her faded away to nothing in no time at all. "... Hmm... Well anyway, that's why I get how it feels... I'm in the same boat as you, and I had a lot of issues when I was your age still trying to keep in control... But I got through it, and you will too, trust me." Spirit murmured softly, her eyes opening and glancing his way at last, and he went a little stiff under her gaze. "It's mostly just a matter of learning to coexist without being overly forceful or controlling... Things have to be content between you two to make it work- but you have to figure out what 'content' means for you and Dark Shadow."

Tsukuyomi cast a sideways glance at Dark Shadow and the two seemed to muse to themselves for a moment, before the boy nodded slowly and looked away. "... I think I understand... Thank you, for sharing all of this with me... I think it will help... I appreciate it very much, Spirit-Sensei." The boy told her coolly, and Spirit nodded a bit. "... I realize this is not something you divulge lightly either, so please know I will not gossip on the details of your Quirk with anyone." He added solemnly, and Spirit smiled faintly at it, and the fact he'd saved her having to ask.

"... Thank you, I appreciate that." She told him quietly,

... More than you realize...

... Telling you this... Makes you the fourth person in the whole world who actually knows those specifics about my Quirk...

... But maybe it was worth it, because she could see him relax slightly at what she said, and see a bit of surety and relief work its way into him- all at the simple fact of knowing this wasn't something he was alone in. That even the Ebony Hero had struggled like he had (and still did), but also that she'd learned to stay in control enough not to worry about causing fatal harm. If she could find a way to do it, he could too- he just needed to be told that by someone who actually got it... And she certainly did.

It felt nice, to see a bit of the tension and the worry in the young boy disappear, enough so that it almost made any doubt or unease about divulging the information of her Quirk go away... But only almost.

I can never stop being wary... Of anyone. Or anything... Being suspicious and guarded all the time is sometimes really exhausting... Sometimes I do get sick of it...

... But I know better than to stop.

I can't be trusting blindly, I can't not be hesitant to tell anyone anything... I can't.

I know better. Never trust all the way, always doubt... Even if only a little. Never let the doubt go away entirely.

It's how it has to be

- But she needed to stop thinking about any of that right then, and she did, pushing all of it to the back of her mind for now.

"Well, now I'm gonna head back and see what it is that smell's like it's cooking." Spirit announced lightly, steering the conversation in an entirely new direction now, and Tsukuyomi easily followed her lead so, so easily.

"... I believe Hawks-Sensei was giving an attempt at making omelettes." He told her, and Spirit blinked.

"... Attempt?" She asked and he nodded a bit shyly.

"... I believe Anima offered to take over for him just before I stepped away." He replied quietly, and Spirit smiled faintly.

... Yeah, cooking doesn't really sound like Feathers' forte... Hmm... Not that I have any room to talk...

"I see." Spirit hummed lightly, "Well, I'm sure Anima's a great cook, if his cooking is anything like his mother's." Spirit chuckled, stepping away from the railing and tilting her head toward the door. (And skipping straight passed the sort of confused look she earned from Tsukuyomi at the words). "Wanna head back with me to see how the cooking is going?" She hummed brightly, and Tsukuyomi paused at the question, before nodding slightly.

"I'd be happy to."

.:+:.

"Gooooooood moooorning Sunshiiiiine~!" Hawks trilled all too happily as Spirit and Tsukuyomi entered the large room/office(?), and trilled near immediately as she set a single foot in the door. Hell, he didn't even look up to know they'd come in- he called out without ever turning his head, and only looked around finally once they were several steps in the room, all smiles and at ease as usual. "Oh, and good morning again to you too, Tsukuyomi~!" Hawks chirped quickly upon seeing his Intern a few paces behind the Ebony Hero, the boy only nodding slightly to the words and nothing else. Spirit grit her teeth at the greeting though, her eyes flashing and for the moment not noticing the way in which Anima jumped from where he was standing over the stove, spatula in hand and cooking. Hawks was sitting quite comfortably at the table settled at the little kitchenette, chipper as could be and grinning as he shifted from leaning back in his chair to look their way.

"How many times must I tell you to quit calling me that?" Spirit huffed back quickly, and Hawks waved a hand at her a bit dismissively.

"I know, I know~! But I still haven't come up with a nickname I like better~!" He chuckled. Spirit growled under her breath at it and he smiled a tad more, his head tilting at her. "Anyhoo! How are you? Did you sleep well? Hmm?" He asked quickly and Spirit hissed, halting directly in front of him and red eyes flashing.

"I told you to wake me when you got up, you bloody idiot." Spirit grumbled hotly and Hawks tilted his head further, smiling still.

"Did you?" He asked easily, "I don't remember you saying it~! You were pretty out of it when you got back, are you sure you didn't doze off before you managed to tell me?" He hummed and Spirit grimaced, her eyes narrowing to slits at him and how innocent-looking he was.

"... yeah, I'm pretty sure." Spirit grumbled lowly, and he shrugged.

"Well then I must have missed it, my bad~!" He chirped and she huffed, still not at all fooled by his innocent act- though he just skipped right passed it. "Anyway though, did you sleep okay? You certainly looked real tired last night- but you look well rested now!" Hawks hummed, Spirit just growled internally.

Stupid Bird-Brain

"I slept fine." Spirit grumbled,

"Good to hear~!" He told her brightly and she huffed again, pointedly looking away from him altogether now.

Her eyes caught Anima's as he glanced her way and she smiled at him, "S-Spirit-Sensei... good morning...!" Anima said softly and she nodded.

"Good morning." She hummed back, stepping away from Hawks and circling the counter a bit to get a better look at what was in the pan that Anima was fussing over. "What are you making?" She asked, Anima tapped his fingers together nervously.

"U-uhm... omelettes..." He answered quickly,

"And he's doing a great job too~! I already had one and it was pretty delicious~" Hawks chirped behind her, smirking as he leaned back in his chair again and Tsukuyomi took a quiet seat at the table beside the Winged Hero. "My attempts definitely didn't stack up to par, hehe~"

"That does not surprise me." Spirit quipped back instantly, and Hawks smirked at it, feigning hurt for a moment.

"You are so harsh Spirit~" He sighed, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"U-uhm... would you like one, Spirit-Sensei...?" Anima asked softly, after pausing for a moment when Spirit's attention diverted briefly from him. Spirit smiled a bit more as she caught his eyes again and she nodded,

"Sure, that would be great thanks." She murmured, and he nodded.

"Ah, do you have... a...any preference what's in it...?" He asked, gesturing quickly toward the chopped up ingredients set off to the side and Spirit glanced that way for only half a second, before shaking her head.

"No preference, surprise me." Spirit told him lightly and he blinked once, before nodding slowly and looking just a little bit nervous at the prospect. She noticed the uncertainty and smiled at him a bit more, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'm not picky." She chuckled and he smiled faintly, nodding a bit firmer at the words.

"... a... alright..." He mumbled and Spirit smiled a few seconds more, before backing off from the stove and moving to take a seat across the table from Hawks and Tsukuyomi. Her hands folded together on the table top, red eyes gleaming as she watched Anima quickly set to work again.

"... So, we have the whole rest of the day to ourselves before you two gotta head home." Hawks said after a moment or two, tilting his head toward Tsukuyomi and Anima he said it, though his golden eyes landed on Spirit specifically. "Since we worked so hard yesterday, how about a day off? We could walk around, see the sights, or just relax here for a few hours- and later I'll treat everyone to dinner~!" He chirped brightly, his elbows on the tabletop and leaning his (still very bruised) face into his hands as he smiled at Spirit brightly. "So? What do you say, any of that sound interesting to you?" He asked and she sighed.

She had no real want to do any of that, it was all very friendly, and informal and not at all appealing in any way. She'd had her fill of Hawks and all his antics last night, and making a repeat of having to deal with all his comments and everything else was not something she looked forward to, at all... But even then he had a point, and she really didn't have any plans to try and fill the day with Patrol or training of any sort.

However because of that, she would have just called it quits early and let Anima head home ahead of schedule. She doubted the boy would have any qualms about it if she did, but she was also sure he probably wouldn't complain for staying the rest of the day either... Ugh

Why am I like this?

"... I don't really mind either way, so it'd be up to the two of you on what you'd prefer to do." Spirit murmured, addressing both Interns instead of the Winged Hero, and the two boys nodded slightly to what she said.

"But we can talk about it more in a bit... Let's do one thing at a time Feathers, and eat breakfast first."

---

Alrighty! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, especially since I'll be working on my other fanfics on my main account for a bit before updating this story again (sorry! ;w;)

There was also quite a bit of breaks in this one, and lots that went on too! Hopefully you didn't mind the jumping all over the place, and maybe even enjoyed all that went on...!

(Yay! We're actually finding out more about Spirit and her Quirk! And we're only... 20 chapters in, lmao XD )

Thank you all so very much for reading! I appreciate you all, and your patience and understanding!

Please, follow, fav and Review if ya can! Tysm~!