I need to start the actual plot lol this fic is going to be hella long as it is already.
==========================VI==========================
/Engaging encrypted connection…
/HB-CX-PTC
/5-7-2234
ACTIVE: Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅷ, Ⅺ
Ⅴ: Recruitment is up 25% this quarter.
Ⅷ: Excellent.
USER Ⅱ HAS CONNECTED
Ⅱ: Hmm.
Ⅺ: My my, the illustrious врач shows himself to us plebians.
Ⅲ: Tehee~
Ⅱ: Mmmm. Your banter is as irrelevant as always.
Ⅳ: For you to grace us with your presence, it must be something of gran importancia.
Ⅱ: Indeed. Where is Ⅸ? I require transportation to the base. I have uncovered some… disturbing information from Ⅹ's mission.
Ⅺ: Pfft. You mean the one she got her ass kicked by that overgrown whale in Rome?
Ⅳ: Curator is an A-Rank Villain for a reason. Treat him as a worthy foe amigo.
Ⅱ: I believe she would've been able to handle him and his lackeys were it only him present. There were Desperado mercenaries there as well.
Ⅴ: Wolfram's men? That doesn't fit Curator's modus operandi. He doesn't like to work with others.
Ⅱ: You will be informed once I brief Ⅰ. I don't have time for your rampant speculation on why they are working together. Ⅸ finally arranged a portal. Good day.
USER Ⅱ HAS DISCONNECTED
Ⅺ: He can be a bit of an засранец sometimes can't he?
Ⅲ: You do know he can see this chat?
Ⅳ: The doctor is not one to care for such things. He values his data above all else.
ADMIN Ⅰ HAS CONNECTED
Ⅰ: ALL OF YOU, PORTALS, NOW!
ADMIN Ⅰ HAS DISCONNECTED
Ⅳ: Well, that doesn't bode well.
USER Ⅲ HAS DISCONNECTED
USER Ⅳ HAS DISCONNECTED
USER Ⅴ HAS DISCONNECTED
USER Ⅷ HAS DISCONNECTED
USER Ⅺ HAS DISCONNECTED
==========================VI==========================
[Tau Residence, May 16th, 2234]
"How simple and pure you are, you idiot beast. We have died countless times! Yet remain eternal!"
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Be-!
Ordan's fist slammed down on the alarm clock. Blinking through the rays of the early morning sun he rose from his bed.
'That damn dream again…'
Every other night he'd had the same dream. The atrocities he'd committed, all the way up to his suicidal last stand. It always ended the same way; Ballas leering over him, mocking him as he breathed his last. If there was one thing he missed about being a Cephalon (not that there were many positives), it was that when he was dormant he didn't dream.
But guilty nightmares were a small price to pay for having a physical body once again. He still didn't think he deserved this new life with all the innocent blood on his hands.
He rolled out of bed, heading into the bathroom to shower. The sensation of water dripping off him was a reminder that this was all real. Being able to bathe daily was a luxury he didn't realize he'd missed. Wiping away the foggy mirror he gazed upon his face. The scarring on his new body wasn't as bad as it was on his old body, but some still remained as a reminder of the path he'd been set on.
"You may not believe it, but I have faith that you can be heroes."
He thought back to Principal Nezu's words. Him? A hero? He didn't know how to -what a load of bullllll- 'Shut up!'. He knew in his heart that part of the reason the creature of indeterminate species wanted Natah and himself to teach at his school was to keep an eye on them. It was hard to get a read on the Principal. His beady little eyes didn't exactly betray any sort of intention. He was sure Toshinori didn't share the same optimism, at least not at first.
Over the past week, he'd been researching the so-called "Pro Heroes" of this world. He'd already seen Toshinori, or All Might in action on the beach, but the news reports and recordings were something else altogether. The man wholly deserved the title of Number One in the world, and that was saying something. He'd seen the powers that the top heroes in the rest of the world displayed. Some of them were as strong, if not stronger than those of a Warframe. Earth manipulation on a city-wide scale, reality manipulation, transforming into a fucking dragon? They had it all.
But All Might had stood at the top for forty years. Humans here didn't live for hundreds of years. Toshinori had spent nearly half his life defending the innocent. More than Ordan could say he'd spent his centuries of life.
Natah had expressed interest in becoming a hero. It made sense. She'd spent hundreds of years doing logistics behind the scenes and helping keep the balance in the Origin System. She was probably the closest thing that they had to a hero, despite being sealed on Lua and trapped in the Void for that time.
He knew she wasn't always like this. She had more blood on her hands than he did. If she could do it, couldn't he? Would it offset all the suffering he'd inflicted in his quest to slay gods?
It wouldn't hurt to try. There wasn't much else he was skilled in besides fighting. That wasn't counting all the information from the Orbiter that had been crammed into his head, but most of that was unusable since the level of technology here was a few millennia behind the Orokin. He could turn his cursed name into something that people looked up to…
He pulled out the phone he'd been given and sent a text.
==VI==
[Nezu's Office, May 16th, 2234]
"Ah, All Might. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. Tea?" Nezu offered the shriveled form of the Symbol of Peace.
"I will have to politely decline. What is it you wanted to discuss with me?"
"It appears that Tau-san and Karris-san have finally decided to take me up on my offer." Nezu grinned. Toshinori shuddered. The Principal being giddy always unnerved him. "Now, they need a place to train their quirks before they take the Re-Licensing Exam in March next year. Obviously, they can't train here, so I've taken the liberty of renting out an off-site facility for them to use in the meantime."
"And why are you telling me this? Couldn't you just tell them yourself?"
"Well, you are visiting them tomorrow, are you not? It seems like a good opportunity to get to know them better."
"I don't see how-"
"All Might." The Principal interrupted. "I know you don't like them, but they aren't bad people, most of them anyway." Hunhow's name remained unspoken. "I can see it in your eyes whenever you look at Karris-san and Tau-san. You've been getting better about it but you still don't trust them. If they pass the exams, they will very likely be teaching with you next year." Nezu turned to his keyboard and typed something in, pulling up camera feeds to the outside of the Tau household.
Toshinori could see young Tenno outside in the backyard, working and sitting in front of what appeared to be a shrine of some kind. If memory served him right, it was a memorial to the other lost Tenno that Natah and Haylee had erected. He couldn't imagine what being the last of one's kind could feel like.
"You've been watching them? Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" Toshinori sweatdropped.
"It was part of the terms of our agreement. The cameras are external only, and it's not like they don't know they are being watched." He didn't mention that the cameras had the thermal vision that worked through the walls, but Toshinori didn't need to know that. "Karris-san and Natah-san seem to be the only ones who leave the house to get groceries and other supplies. Hunhow is still under house arrest for the next two months. What's curious is that Tenno-kun refuses to leave at all."
Nezu pulls up past recordings of the previous weeks. Young Tenno hadn't requested much from the generous allowance Nezu gave the otherworlders, only asking for a whittling and sewing kit, fabrics, stuffing, and some wood blocks. Toshinori watched the sped-up footage of the girl practicing some sort of martial art form, manifesting energy in her hands, and taking breaks to make small figurines out of wood. One thing stayed constant. A blank stare remained with every action she took.
"Have they mentioned anything about her behavior?"
Nezu nodded. "I voiced my concerns, but according to them, she's been like this for a while. The only break in her behavior is when she's around Karris-san and Tau-san."
"I see. I'll consider your words when I deliver the news." Toshinori was handed an envelope with the passes to the training building and walked out of the room after a few more minutes of talking.
'That look in young Tenno's eyes… it seemed so… lonely.'
==VI==
[Tau Residence, May 17th, 2234]
If you asked Toshinori what he thought would happen today… he wouldn't have been able to guess this.
"Daughter, may I kill the Cephalon? I will fly his body out to the deepest ocean and they will never find it."
Ordan glared at him from across the kitchen counter. "All I did was drink some of your tea! I'm even heating -try me bitch!- some more up!"
"My one solace in this wretched form is the taste of tea, and now I must wait because of your gluttony." Hunhow hissed.
"By the Void, calm down. It'll take what, fifteen minutes for it to finish heating up?"
Haylee watched them from the table while crunching on some Hawks brand cereal with an unamused expression on her face. Life in their new home had gone by mostly smoothly. The only hiccup was Ordan and Hunhow. He tolerated Haylee out of respect for his daughter, but that respect did not extend to Ordan. They'd been at each other's throats after Hunhow learned what his "Big Daddy" shirt said. Said shirt was now drifting somewhere in low orbit.
Toshinori turned to Natah. "How long have they been at this now?"
She returned his gaze with tired eyes on an otherwise calm face. "About an hour. This happens every day." Why did the two youngest have to be the most responsible people in the room? Ordan was technically older than Hunhow and yet both of the eldest were acting like spoiled children. The two had a lot of bad blood between them due to all the times Hunhow attempted to kill Ordan and Haylee.
"The only reason you still breathe is because I promised Natah. Not even All Might could stop me from ending you. This thing," He pointed to the wrist monitor. "Is merely a formality."
Haylee, meanwhile, did the wise thing by ignoring the arguing pair completely and placing her dishes in the sink before stealthily escaping out the back door.
"I'd like to see you try motherfucker!" Ordan conjured a bone blade from his arm and pointed it at Hunhow's neck."
BZZT!
A blast of violet energy reduced the blade to a smoking husk.
"Ordan, Father." Both slowly turned to see Natah glaring at them. "Would you please act like adults and not threaten to murder each other while we have a guest?"
"Yes ma'am!" Ordan flinched away from her icy gaze and retreated to his seat.
Hunhow glared at him for a few seconds. "Tch." He turned around, grabbed the still-boiling kettle of tea, and left.
"...Hope he burns himself when he drinks it," Ordan muttered. It wasn't likely due to Hunhow's resilience, but he could dream.
Natah snapped her fingers. "Ordan. Focus."
Was Ordan afraid of Hunhow? Not particularly, which was why he liked to torment him. Was he afraid of Natah? Absolutely. He may no longer be a Cephalon, but she was still his boss. Plus he'd seen what she could do when she was actually pissed off.
"Erm… anyways…" Toshinori started. "Principal Nezu has found a suitable place for you to train for the Exams. It's an underground facility located about a half hour out of the city, so feel free to spar and test your quirks within reason." He slid the envelope across the table, which Natah grabbed before Ordan could snatch it away.
"Wait… did you say spar?" Ordan asked nervously. Toshinori nodded. The white-haired man slowly turned to Natah, and he swore he saw a trace of a smirk on her face. "Natah…" Ordan gulped. "We're going to start out easy, right? You know I haven't hit anything in centuries…"
Oh, she was definitely hiding a smirk. He looked back to Toshinori and bowed. "Yagi-san, thank you for everything. It appears I will be dying again soon." Ordan said, mentally speedrunning through the acceptance of his imminent demise. Maybe he should've laid off messing with Hunhow.
Toshinori shivered at the look in Natah's eyes. It reminded him too much of Gran when he trained him. Gods have mercy on Karris for whatever the poor man is going to be put through. "Putting aside your training, Nezu and I were also concerned about how Tenno-kun is adapting to life here. He noticed that she hasn't left the grounds of your home."
Ordan and Natah shared a look of slight discomfort. Of the four, they had adapted the easiest to the change. Hunhow was under house arrest and subsisted entirely on tea and spite so he wouldn't have a chance to experience anything besides viewing humanity through television and the computer. But Haylee hadn't taken the change well.
"We've been… trying to get her to go out and do something. I think she's been trying to recreate her personal quarters with all the carving and sewing she's been doing." All of Haylee's belongings were stored on her ship. Trophies, bobbleheads, and statues she'd filled her ship with to personalize it. She used to have a mountain of floofs in her personal quarters that she would sleep in. Her new room was bare save for the one or two floofs she'd recreated by hand and a few wood carvings she'd made.
"When I was caring for all the Tenno," Natah began. "I continued Margulis's work of helping the children of the Zariman control their power and comfort them when they lost control. Being one person, I could only do so much. Most of their comfort came from their bonds with each other. I couldn't see to the needs of every child." Her head sank in regret.
Ordan continued where Natah stopped, "Haylee and I, we worked through our issues together, so I know a bit more than Natah does. After she lost her parents, Haylee didn't have much left save for a few friends. Over the course of the Old War, she lost all of them." He shook his head. "She would partner up with other Tenno when she needed to, but she never got close to them, as much as I saw them try. I think she decided that if she didn't get attached to anyone it wouldn't hurt when she lost them."
'That's why she looked so lonely.' Toshinori noted.
"She's just a scared kid, Yagi-san. The Orokin took away any chance she had at having a normal childhood." Ordan clenched his fist. "Here she has a second chance. We both want to give her the life she deserved, but we can't force her if she doesn't want help." His mouth twitched.
When Toshinori first met Natah and Ordan, he thought them monsters for forcing a child to fight in a war. But now, he saw two people trying to care for a child, doing their best despite not knowing how to help.
He'd seen the sorrow hidden away in young Haylee's eyes. Despite her age, she was still just a kid who was stuck in a situation outside her control. A child who needed to be saved even if she wouldn't admit it. As a hero, he couldn't just stand by.
"Could I speak to her?"
==VI==
Scritch scritch scritch scritch-
Toshinori slid the door open to the outside patio. It wasn't a large area, just a small patch of grass and gravel. In the middle of the rocks was a stone statue of some kind of semi-circle-shaped ship, likely carved out of a stone by Natah's lasers judging by the scorch marks.
Haylee sat by the grass wearing one of her many purple t-shirts chiseling away at a block of oak. The sound of two sets of feet approaching alerted her to Toshinori and Natah's presence.
"Oh. It's you." The girl said, looking up at Toshinori with an uninterested expression. Her eyes flickered quickly to Natah and her expression brightened briefly. "Hello, Tosinori-san." She mumbled and quickly returned to her carving.
"Haylee," Natah cleared her throat. "Yagi-san wanted to talk to you. We're worried about how you are… adjusting."
Haylee switched knives. "I'm fine."
"You haven't left the house in two weeks. You can't stay here forever."
"I said I'm fine."
Scritch scritch scritch scritch.
Natah sighed and gave Toshinori a pleading look. Everything she tried wasn't working.
Toshinori slowly sat across from Haylee, watching her carve out the blocky shape of what appeared to be a vehicle of some kind. "Young Tenno, may I ask what it is you are carving? It looks very good."
She glanced up at him briefly. "Condor dropship," she muttered.
"I see. You are quite skilled at carving." He compliments. "Do you paint them as well?"
Haylee nods. "I don't have any yet but I want to." He can see it for a second, but there is a spark of life in her eyes.
"Haylee," Natah says as she leans over the girl's shoulder. "Ordan and I are going to go train at the facility the nice Principal provided for us. We should be back later tonight. If you need anything, just call us or ask Yagi-san." Haylee responds with a curt nod, before giving Natah's leg a quick hug. She pats the young girl's head before she heads back inside.
Scritch scritch scritch scritch.
Haylee looks back up. Yagi-san is still watching her. "Why are you still here?" She grumbles. "Shouldn't you be out doing… hero things?" He's supposed to be the number one hero of the world or something. She just wants to be left alone.
"I simply wanted to talk to you, Tenno-kun," Toshinori responded. "Karris-san and Natah-san are going to be training regularly, which means they won't be here as often. Are you okay with that?"
She shrugs. "I can survive on my own. They can do whatever they want. It's their life."
"And what about you?"
"…" A knife is swapped out again. "Did they put you up to this?"
"They did not. I planned to talk to you before they mentioned how you were acclimating."
"Hrmf." The wood is scraped in just the wrong spot, making a noticeable crack. The block is tossed to the side and she grabs another one. "I don't care what they do as long as they come back. They deserve to be happy."
"And you don't?" He raises an eyebrow. "You don't need to tell me anything, but from what I've heard, you went through things that no child should ever have to experience."
"I don't need your pity, All Might." Her voice has lost the friendlier tone, referring to him as his hero name now. "I know what happened to me was fucked up. Nothing you say is going to change that."
Shit. The little trust he'd built up in asking about her carving had been obliterated. How should he approach this now? If he tried to confront her about it directly, she would just retreat further into her shell of self-isolation.
"Young Tenno, I apologize if I upset you. It wasn't my intention to come across as pitying." Toshinori took a deep breath. These strangers had shared their secrets with him. Talking about his own experience wouldn't be too much of an overstep. "I don't want to presume your feelings, but allow me to tell you a story about my life.."
Haylee rolled her eyes at him but did nothing to stop him.
"Many years ago, my mentor was killed by a powerful villain. At the time, I wasn't strong enough to face him."
"One for the reject pile, then." CRUNCH!
"I had to flee Japan to grow stronger. I spent quite a bit of time traveling the world, meeting people, and making friends." His smile faltered. "Friends that I kept out of my battles out of fear that that man would use them against me. One of my biggest regrets is not letting them further into my life."
She looks over just as Toshinori lifts his shirt. "And this is what it cost me. When I finally confronted the villain, I fought him alone. The few allies I had distracted his minions while we fought. I managed to kill the villain, but it cost me a lung and my stomach."
That revelation causes her eyes to widen. "How the fuck are you still alive?" She thought his skinny form was just when he had his quirk off. That weak body being the result of malnutrition made much more sense.
"I'll admit, it was close. Had I not been rushed for emergency surgery, I wouldn't be here today."
He shifted into his muscle form with a puff of smoke. "Now, I can only assume this form for about three hours a day." He shrinks back down. "Had I-"
Blech!
Haylee paled as blood leaked from Toshinori's mouth. The man quickly pulled out a handkerchief to clear it away. "Worry not young Tenno, I'm fine!"
She gave him a confused stare. "Are you… re-opening your wound whenever you do that?"
"My wound never fully healed, so from time to time I suffer from internal bleeding. I have to cough up blood to keep it from filling my lungs."
"Oh." She switches knives again.
Toshinori paused before continuing where he left off. "As I was saying, had I not chosen to go into that fight by myself I probably wouldn't have sustained such grievous injuries. I thought that bringing my friends into that battle would put them and their families at risk of reprisal from that villain should we fail. That villain was supposed to be my responsibility to face, and I didn't want to share that burden with anyone else." He quickly checks his phone. Young Midoriya should be finished with his warmups and be at the beach soon for weekend training. "I don't wish to assume your reasons, but trying to fight these battles alone will only hurt you in the end."
When he looked over to gauge her reaction, he saw her hands trembling. "I… I just don't want to lose anyone again." She calmed herself. No crying. "If I don't get close to them it's easier to accept when they die. There's no point in getting attached to something that will be taken away from you."
"Then do you care about Karris-san and Tau-san?"
She slowly nodded.
"So then it's not impossible for you to care. Everyone fears losing people, Tenno-kun, but if you bury yourself in that fear it will only bring you more sadness."
Haylee stopped her carving and looked at the near-finished dropship in her hand. As much as she hated to admit it, she was being a hypocrite. All this talk about not getting attached when she still loved Natah and Ordan. But she'd lost so much recently, and now with everyone else she'd ever known gone, they were all she had left.
They were already moving on. For her. Without a war to fight or any resources they needed to make some form of money and repay the kindness Nezu and Yagi-san had shown them. Here they had nothing. Nothing but a fresh start.
"It's been so long… I don't even know how I would start." She slowly placed the carving onto the ground. "I don't even know what I want to do."
"You can figure that out in due time, Tenno-kun. Healing can be a slow process, but all you need to do is take a step toward that goal. If you would accept it, I'd like to help you as much as I can." He stood up. "That young man you met on the beach happens to be someone I'm training. I'll be heading over there as well if you would ever like to accompany me. Perhaps you would prefer to talk to someone your age." Toshinori offered her a hand to help her up.
"I'll… think about it." Haylee deflected, leaning over to gather her things and head back inside.
"Young Tenno," She stopped at the sliding door. "Take as much time as you need." He cracked a warm smile before walking toward the back gate.
==VI==
Haylee closed the sliding glass door behind her. The hero's words still buzzed around in her head. She was so distracted she didn't even notice Hunhow sitting at the table facing the door.
"So this is what you've been reduced to? Pathetic."
Startled, her gaze snapped up towards the giant of a man.
"Where is that Tenno fire that drove you? The fearless warrior spirit?"
She met Hunhow's annoyed gaze with a glare. "Is this your idea of a pep talk? I didn't think you cared about me."
He made a snorting noise, which was impressive considering he didn't have a nose. "I do not. What I do care about are my children. I tolerate your existence because Natah seems to care for you. The same cannot be said for the rest of these insects." Hunhow replied while trying to sip from a large cup of tea, which leaked through the gaps in his teeth. He let out a low growl of annoyance. "If I had it my way I would raze this infestation of humans to the ground."
"And why don't you?"
"Because I keep my word. I told Natah I would not harm them, so I won't kill them unless they threaten our well-being directly. Your pet Cephalon is making that task very difficult."
Haylee narrowed her eyes. "His name is Ordan."
Hunhow turned his four unblinking eyes toward her. "Until he shows me the proper respect, I won't grant him any in return." He stated. "Much like the disrespect you show Natah. You go through all the trouble of saving her only to wallow in your own self-pity while she tries to provide for you. Get over it."
"You think I can just move on after all this, asshole? I lost-"
"You do not get to lecture me on loss, voidspawn. I've lost more than you will ever know and you don't see me letting myself wallow in despair."
She clenched her teeth, barely containing her rage. "I'm sure you wouldn't be upset! The only thing you care about is your children, both who can't or won't talk to you-"
Haylee felt the air chill. "Choose your next words very carefully. The only thing keeping me from splattering you across the ground is my daughter's love and the debt I owe you for saving her." She took a step back from the sheer pressure his murderous aura produced. "Do not test my patience any further. Understand?" The girl showed only a reaction of slight surprise from his threats, but no fear. Hunhow leaned back in his chair, his killing intent receding.
Beneath her calm expression, she was seething. 'That fucking piece of shit! I can't just "Get over it" immediately like you can! Void fucking dammit!' Her hands rapidly clenched and unclenched. With the others gone, it was just her and Hunhow in the house until they returned tonight. "I am not staying here with him the whole day.' She grabbed her bag of carving tools and whirled around toward the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Hunhow growled from the kitchen.
"Out. I'm not listening to your shit all day." She slammed the front door behind her.
"Hrmph." Hunhow poured himself another cup of tea. Good riddance. One part of him was annoyed that he was the sole occupant of the house now. Not that he could do anything about that without breaking the asinine house arrest agreement. Still, it was far better than being sealed under the ocean with no escape. This sentence had a definitive end date so long as he played nice to the humans.
He glared down at the fragile little monitor bracelet on his wrist. It would be so simple to tear the device off. The foolish rodent didn't even bother to put any explosives in the device because it wouldn't work. Anything strong enough to legitimately hurt him would harm the civilians the heroes were oh-so-concerned with. But he wouldn't. He promised Natah.
"-both who can't or won't talk to you-"
His monitor beeped, sensing the rising levels of Tau energy emanating from him. He took a deep breath, something he was still getting used to doing. Damn, that Tenno girl. She had no business interfering with his family. Natah would disagree though, since she apparently saw the girl as her own child. He ground his teeth together in annoyance.
Natah still wouldn't talk to him outside of informing him of what they were planning to do and breaking up any fights that he and the Cephalon attempted. He assumed it was more out of concern for the white-haired man's safety than any other reason. Beyond that, she was still distant, either researching this new world or trying to care for that ungrateful brat of a Tenno.
Hunhow had spent centuries trapped beneath Uranus. He'd been reduced to a shell of his former glory, wasting away in the watery depths. His only companion after all that time was his Shadow. This was heaven compared to that prison. Despite his… distaste for his new form and living situation one thing shone through that hate. He had his children back. He should've been overjoyed, were it not for Natah's low opinion of him and Erra being in a coma, cared for by humans. The only thing that enraged him more is that it was necessary since both Erra's and his own new biology made it impossible for him to heal his son. But the thing that stoked the anger in him the most? He couldn't even go to visit his son in the hospital until the house arrest was over.
He took another sip of tea to soothe his nerves, tilting his head back to keep the drink from leaking between his teeth. Why couldn't this new form come with lips or cheeks?
Toshinori was pulling out of the driveway when he heard the crack of the Tau residence's front door slamming shut. Haylee stormed out of the house, scowling and red in the face with anger. He rolled down the window. "Tenno-kun, is everything alr-" The girl ignored him, walking around to the passenger side and pulling on the door which he promptly unlocked. He wasn't expecting her to come with him this quickly. The girl needed time to grieve and he respected her wishes. What was she doing out here now?
"Hunhow was being a dick." She answered his unasked question. "I'm not staying with that ⎎ ⊑⟟⟊ ⌰⋔ all day." Haylee yanked at the seatbelt to fasten herself in but only managed to lock it by pulling too fast. "Voiddammit fucking shitty-" She let it retract and fastened it with a click before slumping in her seat with an irritated scowl.
'She has quite the mouth on her when she's upset…' Toshinori sweatdropped. This was the most emotion he'd seen from her since the beach. It was probably best to let her cool off.
She seemed to have other plans though. "I'm not doing this for you. I just need to not be here for a while."
"Very well." He nodded and resumed pulling the truck out.
==VI==
Izuku heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. It was a bit later than All Might's usual arrival time so he'd already started on the smaller pieces of trash that could be lifted without risk of injury.
"All Migh-" He started to cry out, freezing in a panic when he saw his mentor wasn't alone.
"It's okay young Midoriya! She knows who I am." Toshinori assured Izuku with a hearty laugh.
"Oh… sorry!" He apologized before turning to the girl. 'Wait. I recognize her… she's the girl from the beach that day!' Izuku realized.
"Young Midoriya, this is Tenno Haylee." The girl stood off the side, giving Izuku a suspicious glare. "Her guardians are currently training to re-certify their hero licenses. They were both undercover heroes." He hated having to lie to his successor, but for now, it was best if Izuku didn't know of the otherworlders' true origins.
Haylee raised an eyebrow at Toshinori's response, which Izuku noticed. 'Is he lying?' his gaze shifted back to his mentor. This was All Might though. If he was lying, maybe it was something he'd been told to keep secret like One For All?
Haylee didn't exactly pay too much attention to the cover story that Nezu had crafted for her considering she didn't plan on going out. That was biting her in the ass now though. She glanced over at the nervous green-haired boy. If she remembered right, he introduced himself as Midoriya Izuku when she first washed up on the beach. 'Doesn't Midori mean green? Fitting name I guess.' She thought, eyes passing over the boy's hair.
"N-n-nice to meet you!" Izuku stammered while giving a slightly nervous bow.
Haylee turned to Toshinori, ignoring Izuku. "I told you I wanted to get away from the old man, not talk to your trainee." She grumbled before walking back up the stairs and sitting down next to Izuku's cooler.
Toshinori saw the boy's crestfallen expression at Haylee's rudeness and patted him on the back. "Don't worry Midoriya-kun. It's not anything you said, Tenno-kun is just having a bad morning, and from what I heard she isn't a very social person."
"If you say so…"
==VI==
Haylee could've been a bit nicer to Midoriya. He was just trying to be friendly and introduce himself and she'd shut him down. 'It's not like I asked to be here. This wouldn't be an issue if I'd stayed back in the truck… but he'd see me sooner or later. I don't want to sit inside a hot truck all day.'
She took a break from her latest carving, a Sentient Vomvalyst, to look down on the beach. Midoriya was hard at work lifting heavy pieces of trash and hauling them up the stairs into the back of Toshinori's truck. From the looks of it, the workout was meant to stimulate different muscle groups with different sizes of trash. It looked like it was tough training but it wasn't as spartan as the brutal training the Dax and Tenno went through. Still, he was putting himself through intense training for someone his age. It must be working considering he was a bit more muscular than when she first saw him.
Toshinori's wave of departure with the newest batch of trash went unseen as Haylee went back to carving. A Vomvalyst was much harder than a blocky Corpus dropship to detail. The extrusions needed to be carefully trimmed and the slightest mistake could ruin the sculpture. She was so focused that she didn't notice Midoriya approaching.
"Excuse me…"
She flinched and her blade sliced into her left index finger holding the carving, leaving a deep cut. "FUCK!" Her wood carving fell to the ground as she clutched her finger, thankfully not breaking the bloodstained wood.
Izuku panicked, rushing for the first aid kit. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry I was just trying to get to the cooler for a snack I didn't mean to startle you I'm sorry!" He apologized quickly and grabbed a bandaid, turning to see Haylee's furiously gaze.
"Dammit! You're lucky the wood didn't crack!" She hissed.
He flinched back from her like he expected a more violent reaction. "I'm sorry!" His eyes turned worried. "You need to bandage your finger! That was a deep cut!"
Haylee's glare softened once she realized Izuku was worried about the injury he'd caused. "It's fine, don't worry." She held the bloodied finger up, and he watched the cut seal itself up without a scar. "See?" Haylee popped the finger into her mouth and licked the blood clean off.
"O-oh… That's good."
He fidgeted over to the cooler and grabbed a bottle of water while Haylee inspected her carving. The blood would wash out easily. She turned and watched Izuku chug down his water. She'd snapped at him and earlier in the morning, she'd blown him off while he was trying to introduce himself.
'I'm not here to make friends.' She reminded herself. 'But… I should apologize for being rude.' It wasn't right for her to be taking her frustration out on others. She should have better control over her emotions.
"Midoriya-kun." She said, getting his attention. "I'm… I'm sorry I snapped at you, and for being rude earlier." Her expression turned somber. "I shouldn't have let my… family drama ruin your morning as well."
He looked surprised like he was unused to people apologizing to him. "T-thank you. It's fine… everyone has bad days!" He squeaked.
'Well he's just a bundle of nerves, isn't he? Sounds like he doesn't talk to people much.'
"Uhm… s-so what is that thing you're carving? It looks pretty cool…" He asked.
'Shit. Well, I started the conversation with him, and now I have to live with it. I can't just ignore him right after apologizing for it. What a pain.'
"It's…" She paused, thinking of a cover story. "Just something I thought of and decided to carve." That was a half-truth. She was carving it from memory.
"You're really good at it! How long have you been making these?"
"...A while." She answered vaguely. This was like Toshinori this morning all over again, except this time she had to dance around the "from another world" details. Ugh. Unlike Toshinori, he wasn't trying to get her to open up, he was just trying to be friendly.
"W-well, I uh, I think they're pretty cool." He said nervously. 'Talking to girls is so hard!' His already sweaty body hid his anxiousness.
"Thanks… I guess." she wiped the blood off of her carving with her shirt. "It helps me relax when I make something with my hands. It's not your fault I was too focused to hear you approaching."
Izuku checked his watch. It was nearly noon already. He popped open the cooler and grabbed his lunch, a chocolate protein bar and shrimp wraps.
GRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWL!
Behind him, Haylee's face was flushed deep red in embarrassment. She hadn't eaten this morning, forgoing breakfast after her spat with Hunhow.
"Tenno-kun? Are you hungry?"
"No…" She avoided his gaze.
GRRROOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWL!
"...a little." She fidgeted. That was a lie, she was fucking starving. Her stomach was making Helminth noises for Void's sake! Hearing it rumble out loud like that was humiliating.
He didn't have any extra shrimp wraps but the cooler did have some extra protein bars and water bottles. "Here." He walked over to her and offered the chocolate bar.
Haylee snatched the bar out of his hand and read the label suspiciously. "Chocolate?" She asked curiously.
"Have you never had chocolate before, Tenno-kun?"
She shook her head. "What is it?"
"Uh… w-well it's made out of crushed roasted cocoa seeds and usually made into candy. Sometimes they put it in high-protein snacks and drinks to make it more palatable. Most of the time t-they aren't very healthy d-despite the nutrients they pack in… but these are ones that All- Yagi-sensei picked out are high quality!"
Cocoa… that seemed familiar. Didn't that New Loka Priestess Amaryn say they were trying to find an extinct plant with that name once? Most of the time the woman was ranting about the "impure" and "unworthy" so it didn't really stick out…
Haylee gingerly unwrapped the protein bar, giving it a cautionary sniff. It looked like one of the nutrient chunks she was used to eating. That was one positive about being stuck in this new universe: an abundance of freshly cooked food. Most of the spaceworthy food in the origin system was mass-produced slop meant for long journeys, cheaply made for nutrition first, taste second. Good homemade meals were hard to come by, Cetus was one such place with its abundance of fish and surprisingly tasty albeit chewy wall meat. Surely something meant for muscle building couldn't be that tasty?
Bringing the bar to her mouth, she took a small nibble. Her eyes widened. It was good! The chocolate was still cold from the cooler, yet it melted in her mouth. She let out a slight moan of pleasure from the taste. 'It's so sweet!' She was so enraptured by the taste that she completely forgot her eating manners, leaving chocolate smeared all over her lips. With the last of the chocolate devoured her eyes met Izuku's.
Both teens' faces turned beet red, Haylee from the embarrassment of eating like a pig and Izuku from the noises she'd been making.
"Can… can I have another one?" Haylee asked sheepishly, licking the melted chocolate off her lips.
==VI==
A few minutes later Toshinori pulled up to the side of the beach. A warm smile formed on his face when he saw Izuku and Haylee sitting a few feet apart, talking to each other. Pulling out his phone, he snapped a photo and sent it to Natah.
'Young Tenno, I knew you could do it!'
==VI==
[Undisclosed UA Offsite Training Facility, May 17th, 2234]
"Can't we talk about this?" Ordan yelped as he dodged yet another pulse blast from Natah.
The woman was relentless in her sparring, evidenced by the numerous bruises he now sported. As much as he hated to admit it, he was rusty. Sure, the skills were all there, he just lacked the coordination to execute them after all this time, especially with the new weight from his denser bones.
Another orb of purple energy flew at him too quickly to dodge. From his wrist, a small shield of bone emerged to absorb the blow.
"I believe we discussed this regimen on the drive over." She said calmly. These were low-power shots that wouldn't hurt him too badly, just stun him. "It's not like I'm going too hard on you."
"This is you going easy?! Are you -bulllllsh- kidding!" A flurry of bone knives flew toward her and she swatted them aside. The brief distraction allowed Ordan to charge in with two newly formed bone scythes jutting from his elbows.
Natah shifted her arms into sharpened blades from the elbow up and blocked his frantic strikes. Up close, he had the advantage as a melee fighter. That didn't mean she was helpless though. Physically, she was stronger, but he was much faster on land. Plus she was holding back.
"Ya know, the good thing about your power," Ordan said, ducking under her blade and landing a swift uppercut to her jaw, staggering her. "I can -beat the shit out of- hit you as much as I want and you just adapt to it." He landed three quick palm strikes to her abdomen followed by a slash to her chest which ripped the shirt. "Perfect punching bag- oof!"
His words were cut off by a burst of her violet aura, launching him into the air. Natah jumped up and spin-kicked him into the thankfully padded wall on the other side of the room. She rubbed her jaw while her torn workout shirt knit itself back together. "Says the one getting punched."
Ordan picked himself up off the floor. "Was that a joke? From you?" He re-absorbed the remnants of his bone blades back into his body and made a 'timeout' motion with his hands. "Let's take a quick break. I need a fucking drink." They both walked into the side room filled with supplies and an area to eat. Ordan opened up the large fridge, grabbing a whole gallon of milk and some calcium supplements. "Did you mimic those workout clothes?"
She nodded. "While I can adapt to damage, my apparel cannot."
"Doesn't that mean you're fighting naked?" He questioned, earning him a jab to the gut. "Ow! Geez! I didn't mean it like that!" He coughed and raised the carton of milk to his lips, gulping it down greedily. "Ahhh. That hits the spot. Anyways, that's pretty smart. Saves on the clothes budget." His own workout clothes were already pretty scuffed, his white t-shirt torn in several spots and sporting burn marks from her energy blasts. "Your powers are bullshit." He pouted before popping a supplement into his mouth and chugging the rest of the milk.
She shrugged, grabbing her phone from her bag. "It's practical. I've heard that some hero costumes use your DNA so heroes can use their quirks through them. I'm just applying the same concept by using my cells as clothes."
"Huh… I should look into that for my costume. Can't have my bones constantly tearing up my clothes…" He took a moment to process the oddity of the words he just said. Having a superpower was weird. He had some concerns about the nature of their new quirks, but he kept them to himself for now.
"Oh." Natah held up her phone with a light smile, displaying a text from All Might. "Ordan, take a look at what Yagi managed to do!"
"Eh?" He opened the attached photo that showed Haylee sitting near that green-haired boy from the beach.
Not at their house.
"That magnificent bastard did it! -I'm so proud I could- " Ordan slapped himself in the face to cut off his outburst. It took a few weeks, but Haylee finally starting to acclimate. "This has got me all fired up now! C'mon, lets get back to training!"
==VI==
[Tau Residence, May 16th, 2234]
It was getting late by the time Toshinori drove Haylee back to her home. The truck lurched to a stop in the driveway.
"So, Tenno-kun. Did you enjoy yourself today?" Toshinori asked.
"It was better than staying here, I guess," Haylee responded, gazing out the window at the front door. "... Yagi-san?"
"Yes, young Tenno?"
"If… If you are going to be going to the beach after checking… I wouldn't be opposed to going again…" Her cheeks flushed red. "N-not that I really want to go, but… It would make Natah and Ordis feel better." That was all. She totally didn't want to go back and have someone to talk to and supply her with that delicious chocolate. She needed to get her own supply. Did the candy version taste different than the protein bar one?
Toshinori chuckled lightly with a glint of amusement in his eye. "I don't see a problem with it. And you can always walk there yourself, it's not too far." He could see the pride in her eyes, not wanting to admit even to herself that she liked having someone to talk to.
"Young Tenno, even if you won't admit it, I'm so proud of you for taking this first step."
He may be the Symbol of Peace, but it was Izuku who had finally broken through the girl's bristly shell. He couldn't punch away Haylee's problems, but maybe all that she needed… was a friend.
==========================VI==========================
Yay, she's finally getting out in the world, meanwhile, Ordan and Natah are training their quirks. Also, I changed to the ==VI== thing for transitions because copying it to AO3 and FF doesn't save them and I have to manually re-add them which is a pain in the ass. Will I go back to previous chapters and change it? Maybe.
Haylee is still somewhat being a bitch and lashing out at those who try to help her. Hunhow being an asshole didn't exactly leave her in a good mood either. She's going to have to apologize to Mina too when they next meet for being rude. Just because he doesn't process Trauma the same way as humans do he felt the need to just tell her to "get over it". Of course that doesn't mean he doesn't feel some regret over what he's done to his children. As much as being forced to live among humans infuriates him, he's willing to tolerate it at best to have a chance to be with Natah and Erra again.
Hunhow has a more alien appearance in his mutation quirk because his mental state isn't as human as his children's. Erra is kind of an in-between, sharing his father's physical traits while being closer to humans. Natah is a shapeshifter and her new main form is essentially human, but since her old forms are encoded in her genetic memory she could transform into her old Sentient form if she really wanted to scare someone.
The pairing is not Izuku/Haylee in case you were getting your hopes up for that. What he did accomplish start Haylee's gateway into a chocolate addiction. I swear there was one line from one of the New Loka NPCs about trying to find lost seeds of Chocolate or Coffee, either that or I'm going fuckin nuts. I can't find it online or anything. Did I imagine it being in the game?
