Chapter 2:
It had been 4 years since Yaeko Imai had seen or heard from Japan's Hero Commission. Not that she ever wanted to see them again after all they had put her and her family through. Something she thought that she had been very clear about when she sent her written response to the letter they sent her a couple weeks ago.
Clearly, she wasn't, since Mera Yokumiru sat in front of her along with Japan's current number one hero, Endeavor. Though, if she were being honest, she hadn't been surprised when their arrival had been announced. She knew her response wasn't what they wanted to hear, but she honestly didn't give a damn.
Despite wanting to send them on their way, it wasn't up to her. Her room, much like the cells in all prisons, were equipped to hold visitations without the risk of transporting prisoners to and from their rooms. Depending on the nature and power level of a person's quirk, each room was set with specific settings for the quirk dampeners that were built into the room. They were also scarcely furnished, with only a bed, a desk with a chair and screened bathroom area.
Which led her to her current situation, where she was currently sitting at the desk in her room, that faced the usually blank wall, studying the two men before her with cool eyes. The wall was a screen that could change settings to see outside to the 'visitation room'. The only time it was ever flipped to that setting was when her family would come visit her. But regardless of the fact, she wasn't exactly able to deny visits.
Yaeko cocked her head sideways as she looked at Yokumiru. He was staring intensely at her, and she wondered what he was thinking. She hadn't changed much from the last time he had seen her. Time had done nothing more but enhance her natural beauty, much to her displeasure. Her looks were something she had come to resent after the incident, which had led her to the impulsive decision to chop off her hair.
It had once hung down her back, almost to her hips, and now it barely brushed the top of her shoulders. She knew she was gorgeous, but she wasn't vain, it was just a fact. She had naturally tanned skin, her eyes an unusual mixture of green and gold, and her wavy hair was a dark forest green.
Unfortunately for Yokumiru, time had done nothing for him. He had grown out his hair into an unkept mess of curls and had large bags under his eyes. It looked like the man needed to sleep for a month straight.
"You look like shit." She said in perfect Japanese, her tone just as cold as her eyes.
Yokumiru's lips twitched, and he hid the amused smile by scratching his cheek and taking in her room. It was a blinding white that matched the table in between them and the chairs they sat in. Even the uniform she wore was white.
It's no better than Tartarus except she wasn't being held down by chains, Yokumiru couldn't help but think.
"Haven't had much time to sleep with everything going on." He said, turning tired eyes towards her. "I'm assuming you've already heard the news."
Her eyes studied him for a moment longer before shifting to the man beside him. Endeavor sat next to him, with his arms crossed and back straight. His posture perfect compared to Yokumiru's slouching figure. He hadn't said a word since arriving, only bowing his head in a formal greeting, which Yaeko had returned.
"Akari and Noriko told me as much as they knew when they came by to tell me about Midnight's death." Pain flashed across her eyes for a split moment before they cleared again.
Midnight had been her mentor, having worked with her a few times during her short hero career. He knew Midnight had kept in touch with her pupil, coming down to visit whenever she could. Because of this, it didn't come as a shock to hear she had been informed of the pro's death.
"I'm sorry for the loss of your mentor." She scoffed as soon as the words left his mouth.
"Please do not waste your time with false formalities. I know you didn't come all the way here to pay your respects, so get to the point Mera." She drawled lazily, eyes narrowing.
Unlike Hawks, her gaze did make him nervous. Yaeko was powerful, more than she had been given credit for. The full potential of her quirk hadn't been reached since she had quickly transitioned to the medical field instead of combat. That was why the day everything happened, and her emotions made her quirk unstable, not that he could blame her.
Even so, despite the circumstances, she had been punished and he felt guilty for being a part of it. The reason the once sweet girl was now a hardened woman, was because the commission had failed her.
Swallowing hard, he sat up straighter. "I'm here to discuss the offer letter you received two weeks ago. The one where your early release was promised, as well as the renewal of your medical and hero licenses."
"There is nothing to discuss. I sent back my response letter, where I told you exactly where you could shove your offer." She stood from her seat, looking both men in the eyes before turning her back to them. "So, if you're here to try and push for me to accept it, you're wasting all of our time."
Yokumiru stood up as well, his hands up in placating manner. "Now wait a minute Yaeko-" He was cut off mid sentence as she whirled around, slamming her hands down on the table. Her eyes were blazing with barely restrained anger.
"You do not get to address me so causally, as if we were friends." She snarled leaning forward dangerously.
If it wasn't for the quirk dampeners in the room and thick glass between them, there was no doubt she would have probably blown them all apart. At least maybe she would have, had she been the same girl from before. She had practiced keeping her emotions in check ever since she was locked up. Though part of her was traumatized by what she did, she didn't fear her quirk. What she did fear, was letting her emotions get the better of her and cause her kill again.
I killed a man, was all that had gone through her mind for years.
She hadn't meant to do that; she had only wanted to put a stop to… She couldn't even think about it. Being there, witnessing it had been bad enough, remembering did nothing more than rub salt on the wound. But none of that had mattered to dear old Madam President, not her feelings, not the facts of what had occurred that day, nothing. Nothing except keeping it quiet and sending Yaeko and her sisters far away so there would be no reminders of it. And of course, no one else in the Hero Commission had disagreed, they labeled her as a villain and discarded her.
Yokumiru hadn't been the one to issue her sentence and had seemed much more sympathetic to her than anyone else, it didn't change the fact that he worked for the people that betrayed her. He stood there, along with anyone else who felt the same as him and did nothing. Now here he stood before her, his head bowed in shame. His long hair easily fell to hide his face, unable to look at her.
Even standing so pathetically in front of her, she couldn't find it in her to feel sorry for him. Being in exile for the past four years gave her too much time to think. Think about the trauma she went through, both the day of the incident and the day she was condemned by the same people that were supposed to help her. Think about the unfairness of how her punishment was extended to her sisters. Think about how unfair it was that she missed so many moments with them because she was locked up. How she couldn't attend her grandmother's funeral when she passed. How her precious mentor, who visited any chance she could, had died in battle and she couldn't go to her funeral either.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Endeavor, who hadn't moved from his sitting position. "Miss Imai, if you would please sit down and give us a chance, there is much we'd like to discuss with you."
"And why the hell should I sit here and listen to anything you lot have to say?" Her lip curled as she turned her glare onto him while Yokumiru took his seat quietly, still staring at the table blankly.
"Because we are trying to make amends." He said it so sincerely it caught Yaeko off guard.
She didn't know much about the pro-hero except what her sisters told her. They all kept up with the latest news in Japan, so when he became the number 1 hero after All Might's retirement, it was all they could talk about. Noriko was vocal about how much she liked him because of his 'I don't give a fuck' attitude, as she put it.
"You of all people would appreciate his personality. There are heroes that put on this 'public persona' for the cameras because they want people to love them. They do it because it's the public who decide who're the ones that make the top 10. All he cares about is being the best to save those in need. It's refreshing to see a hero who doesn't care about his image or popularity yet has such a high ranking regardless."
Remembering her sister's words, she decided he was worth listening to. So, she sat down, gazing wearily at him as she did so. Endeavor took this as a sign to continue.
"I do not know the full details about what happened, only the vague details Yokumiru has been able to disclose. But from what I can understand, it was completely unfair, and no one protected you." She couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that escaped her.
"I didn't need to be protected, number 1, what I needed was justice." She turned to look at Yokumiru. "And don't tell me that even now, with Madam President dead, details are still held under wraps by that damn nondisclosure?"
Yokumiru sat up straight once he realized she was addressing him. "Yes, the commission is still bound by it since the family is still alive and active. You on the other hand have never been bound by the it. Hana Takumi, Madam President's secretary at the time, drew up the paperwork and made it so you didn't get that particular document. She gave you all the paperwork you had to read and sign, but not the non-disclosure. It was determined by me and a few others, that there was no need for you to sign it. After all, once you completed your sentence, you were still not able to return to Japan. The whole incident would have gone completely unknown without your presence in the country."
Yaeko's expression was carefully blank. "You mean to tell me that, should I accept this deal and I go back to Japan, I could scream it from the rooftops, if I so desired?"
Yokumiru chuckled, looking up to make eye contact with the woman. "Yes, though you would be drawing their attention and make yourself a target."
This time it was Yaeko that chuckled, and it left both men speechless. Her smile lit up her entire face, and her eyes flashed brightly making her look even more stunning.
"As if I'm scared of them and their little goon squad." She smirked, leaning back in her seat in a relaxed manner that made her look almost cocky. "They feared me, and that's why they pushed so hard to get me out of Japan when they couldn't get me thrown in tartarus. And as great as it is to hear that I at least could speak my truth if I wanted to, I still don't care about you're proposition or going back to Japan. I don't particularly care about you, or the commission and I could go public with my story from the comfort of my prison cell. So, I still reject your offer and I'll gladly continue to serve the rest of my 4 years."
"Do you truly not care? Japan is your home. It is where your parents and mentor are buried. Not to mention the war that still hasn't ended. The same people that are responsible for Midnight's death-for the death of thousands of other people- are still out there. They will not stop at destroying Japan, and eventually will make their way here. And when they do, how are you going to protect your sisters from inside here?" Endeavor spoke up roughly, glaring at the young woman.
"And who's fault is that?" Yaeko shot back icily. "Now that you need me, you think I'm just going to look past the bullshit you put my family and I through?! To accept your crappy deal where I get to be a hero and doctor again so long as it's convenient for you?!" She snarled the last part out.
"The deal doesn't have an expiration date Imai-san, you will be able to continue being a hero after the war is over, God willing we survive it. We are also extending the same curtesy to your sisters." Yaeko reared back as if Yokumiru had struck her, her mouth parted open in shock.
"We know you wouldn't leave your sisters behind, which is why they will also be allowed to return to Japan with you. Not only that, but Akari will be able to resume hero work. We have already secured her a position at Hawks' Hero Agency. She would come in as an american hero transfer, and since he is the current number 2 hero, her name will spread quickly. Assuming she is still as good as her record shows, her debut will be a success. Noriko, on the other hand, has already been set to begin her transfer into UA's Hero Course for her third year. She will be interning with me, while also taking hero classes with one of the UA teachers to catch up on the courses she's missed. My top priority, should you accept and return, is to prepare Noriko for her provisional license as soon as possible. She will also be getting her Hero License with the rest of the class come graduation time" Endeavor's turquoise blue eyes met hers, and she could see the sincerity in them.
It was silent as Yaeko looked to be in deep thought, no doubt trying to process everything that had just been laid out for her. A few emotions flashed across her eyes before she carefully blanked her expression.
"You must be either incredibly desperate for help or your guilt has been eating at you so hard you've lost your mind." She laughed sarcastically, running a hand through her hair.
"It's a mixture of both Miss Imai. I have regretted that day, every single day, for the past 4 years. I have hated myself, the hero commission, and hell, even the world. And yes, we are desperate, but this was the perfect chance to fix our wrong." Yokumiru answered honestly.
"What's the catch?" She looked at them, knowing that there would be conditions to accepting this. It all sounded almost too good to be true. It also didn't help that she now had a whole new level of trust issues.
"The only condition is that you will have to reside within a hero agency until this all ends. You are also to always be escorted by a pro-hero when you leave the agency." Both her eyebrows shot up, so Yokumiru rushed to continue explaining. "You're return will no doubt incite protest by certain people. I wouldn't be surprised if there is attempt against you or your sisters."
Her eyes flashed dangerously. She almost wished that family would come after her or her sisters. She had nothing but pent-up anger towards them and if they even so much as looked at her, she'd be triggered. But she didn't voice her thoughts, instead took a deep breath to calm herself before answering.
"Fair enough, I assume this is also a way for you to keep us in check." She raised an eyebrow at both, waving off whatever protest began forming from them. "Whether my assumption is correct or not, the conditions are fair, all things considered. Will the hero's escorting us be informed of the circumstances?"
"Only the bare minimum that Hawk's and I were told. Yokumiru and the commission are still bound by the non-disclosure. However, if you wish to disclose the details yourself, that is entirely up to you." Endeavor said sincerely despite the curiosity swirling in his aqua blue eyes.
Yaeko thought about it for a moment. "Very well, bare minimum it is then. Unless it becomes necessary, I rather not speak about it."
"Does this mean you accept the offer?" Yokumiru asked hopefully.
"Yes, now hurry the fuck up and get me out."
*2 days later*
"You made a fucking deal with the devil, and you just expect us to accept it?!" Noriko snarled getting in her oldest sister's face.
While Yaeko had expected some objection from her sisters, she hadn't expected this level of anger. Noriko had always been the short tempered one, but she rarely ever went up against her oldest sister. Yaeko's word was always law when it came to the three of them, even from before their parents were killed.
The three of them were similar in tempers for the most part, except Noriko was always easily riled up. On top of that, they all looked alike, making them appear more like triplets since they were like carbon copies of each other. Though, they were easily distinguishable by their hair and eye colors.
Yaeko was the tallest at 5'3, with dark green hair and gold-green eyes, then there was Akari who was an inch or so shorter with curly midnight blue hair and gold-blue eyes. Noriko had blue green eyes and pin straight hair which was a navy-blue color with green highlights. She was also the shortest of the three, barely standing at 5'1, but after Yaeko, had the most volatile quirk.
Molecule Manipulation was the technical name of their quirks and was inherited from their father, though each of their quirks worked very differently. Their father was able to use his quirk best on living organisms, hence why he had chosen to work in the medical field. He had been the best trauma surgeon in all of Japan, but he was limited in the number of reconstructive surgeries he could do at a time. The drawback of his quirk was that it consumed his own energy and molecules. Resting was the only thing he could do to regenerate, each resting period depending on the complexity of the reconstruction.
Yaeko had inherited her fathers quirk in its entirely, however her drawback wasn't as severe as his. She didn't tire or suffer from its effect half as much, which was why the expectations of her surpassing her father as a surgeon had been high. She was also able to manipulate the molecules in organic materials such as wood. It worked better on certain wood species, but not on much else.
Akari, on the other hand, had inherited a combination of both their parents' quirks; the molecular manipulation from their father and their mothers third dimension. Their mother had been able to manipulate any 2-dimensional drawings or pictures and make them 3 dimensional. It was interesting to see how that had manifested itself in the second oldest sister. She could manipulate molecules in any type of liquid and when she drew, painted, or sketched, she could make it come to life.
The longevity of her creations depended on the type of medium she used to draw them with, as well as what she used as her canvas. As she practiced strengthening her quirk, she discovered that if she mixed her own blood with whatever medium she used, the creations lasted much longer and were much more durable.
Eventually she tried it on herself, drawing on her body and manifesting her creations coming to life. The drawback of her quirk was, that if any of her creations that were drawn on her body were damaged while in use, then the damage would be reflected on her. As for the artwork she drew on other canvas', they would consecutively get weaker the more she made.
It had been a slow process, trying to develop her quirk to become a great hero, but she never gave up. It was downright impressive how far she'd managed to push the abilities of her quirk. She had even come up with her own formula of ink to tattoo into her skin permanently. Now, she was littered with random tattoos that she could manifest with her quirk.
It had been an idea she came up with after getting tired of taking the time to draw on herself constantly. By the time she graduated from Hero School, she was considered a promising hero, until her license was revoked. But, true to Akari's personality, she had brushed it off easily and accepted the card they were dealt with.
Noriko on the other hand, had not only developed an affinity for their father's quirk, but it had also blended with their maternal grandfather's quirk. From what their mother had explained when Noriko's quirk manifested, their grandfather's quirk had been called firecracker. It was the ability to produce sparks in the palm of his hands, though they weren't very destructive.
Noriko was also able to produce those sparks though she could produce them from any part of her body, on top of being able to manipulate molecules like her father. Her variation of molecular manipulation was on a chemical level, being able to use the molecules in her surroundings to create different reactions. Depending on how she bended the molecules in the air around her, she could manipulate them into different forms such as liquid, gas or solids. Combined with her sparks, she could also cause explosions, large or small.
The drawback of her quirk was mainly on her lungs because when she manipulates molecules, she alters the ones in her direct surroundings. In doing so, her oxygen levels start decreasing, and if she uses her quirk too much, would eventually pass out due to the lack of air. Breathing exercises were mandatory, not only to help regulate her oxygen levels while using her quirk, but also as a calming technique.
Due to her quirk, her temper tantrums as a toddler were extremely dangerous, at least until she gained control her quirk. And even then, the Imai family was still weary of her moods, considering her temper was the shortest of the 3 sisters. Something she had also inherited from their grandfather.
Yaeko had always been the least bothered by her hot-headed baby sister hence why she was always the mediator sent to calm her down. It was the reason why she was currently standing toe to toe with her baby sister unflinchingly. She simply gazed passively at the pissed off 17-year-old despite the hostility oozing off her.
Akari, on the other hand was sprawled on the couch, arms stretched across the top of it. She was calmly observing the tension between both her sisters, appearing calm and nonchalant as per usual. The same calm she had shown when Yaeko had shown up at their grandmothers' house. Yet the tension in the set of her shoulders gave away her unease at Noriko's darkening mood.
This was not how she had hoped reuniting with her sisters would be like, but she wasn't all too surprised either. After accepting the deal with Yokumiru, she had made the decision to wait and not tell her sisters anything. She had wanted to surprise them with her release, hoping the joy from that would make breaking the news easier. She had thought- correctly- that one or both of her sisters wouldn't take the news well.
The last couple days of waiting for the paperwork for her release to go through, were torture. She had agonized over how to tell them she was going back to work for the same people that screwed her over in the first place. Then this morning, when she was released, she had been told that they were ready to move them out by the end of the day.
Not being prepared for such a fast move, Yaeko had to request she be given the rest of the day to break to reacclimate to being a free woman. It wasn't a complete lie, but the reality was that she had to break the news to her sisters first.
It had taken a bit of convincing, including a couple unpleasant phone calls to some department heads, but she had managed to do it. Tomorrow morning a van would be coming to take them to the airport, but she wasn't worried about the amount of time they had given her.
Since they were going to be living at a hero agency, they wouldn't need anything other than their clothes and any other personal items they would be bringing along. The house was left to them by their late grandmother, and so the plan was to cover the furniture and lock up the house until they decided what to do with it.
Although with the way the conversation was going, it seemed that they wouldn't be leaving California.
Wonder how long it'll take them to toss my ass back into prison if I can't convince my sisters, Yaeko thought warily.
"I did what I thought was right." Was all Yaeko responded, which seemed to enrage Noriko even more. Sparks started popping from between her fingertips, which had Akari sitting up straight.
"I think maybe you should take a lap around the block to cool down." Akari suggested lightly.
"I think maybe you should shut the hell up." Noriko snarled back, her eyes cutting over to where she was sitting briefly.
"Cool it, Nori." Yaeko warned, eyes narrowing, holding a hand up to stop Akari from getting up.
"How the hell am I supposed to cool it, Yaeko? You made a deal with the same assholes who screwed you over in the first place!"
"I denied their original offer. But when they came to see me and extended it to the both of you, it was worth considering. Shut the hell up, I'm not done talking." She snapped when Noriko opened her mouth to talk. "I don't care about what happened to me. I killed someone, and even though I didn't mean to, I don't regret it. I can't, not when I think about what would have happened had I not done something. Not to mention it got to that point because of me. So yes, I'll take the punishment for it, but you two should have never been dragged into my mess."
"Stop blaming yourself!" Noriko snapped, her eyes filling with tears and swallowing hard.
"No, because I know how much Akari hates her desk job and misses hero work. It was her dream to be a pro-hero, and she worked her ass off to be one and just when she had reached her dream, they snatched it from her. And you," Yaeko took a deep breath, reaching out to brush away the tear that had escaped Noriko's bright eyes. "You wanted to save people like your older sisters. Protect families from what happened to mom and dad. And you'd be a fucking hell of a hero too, given the chance."
A surprised chuckle escaped her youngest sister, causing more tears to fall.
"You didn't deserve the punishment for stopping a monster." Noriko sniffed dragging her hand over her face to clear it of the tears. "And yes, it sucks that they didn't stop at just you, and came after us too. But fuck it, we'll live with it just as we have for the past four years. Don't let them use you like this."
"I will admit, I am also doing this for selfish reasons." Yaeko sighed heavily before moving to take a seat. "I want to tear the hero commission apart; there's too much corruption and I just know that I'm not the only one they've screwed over." She looked up at both her sisters, her eyes dark with the anger that hadn't cooled one bit in the last 4 years.
"So, accepting the deal was always the plan?" Akari asked incredulously.
"No, but when Yokumiru threw in that opportunity for you two, I couldn't say no. It also bothered me when he told me that he was still bound by the non-disclosures despite Madam President's death. That was when I realized how much power that family holds."
"Wouldn't have everything fallen apart with her death?" Akari's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "She was the one behind all the proceedings and decisions."
"Exactly, so I want to do a little digging. Something that shouldn't be too hard considering we will be living within a Hero Agency Compound."
"Shouldn't be too hard to get through their security screens." Akari smirked as she followed her older sister's line of thinking.
Due to Akari being forbidden from doing field work, she had honed her tech skills. She basically ran the hero agency's office where she worked, having developed several programs to help organize their database and help with response times.
"Since you two seem to have decided already, I guess that means we'll be going back to Japan whether I like it or not. So, whose agency will we be living in?" Noriko asked warily, seeming to have lost some of her earlier fire.
"Well, you will be staying at Endeavor's agency for the summer since you will be interning with him. Afterwards, you will be moving into the UA dorms during the school year." Noriko frowned, not liking the idea of not staying with her sisters, so Yaeko rushed to reassure her. "Don't worry, you won't be far from us, so we'll still see each other often. Akari and I will be residing at Hawk's Agency permanently since she'll be working for him. Both agencies are close to the hospital where I will be working in, and UA isn't that far either."
That seemed to do the trick in calming her down, at least partially. Yaeko hadn't liked the idea either, but the arrangement made sense. She also hadn't wanted to push her luck with them, because they were already doing more for them than what she had ever expected.
"Well ladies, time to start packing." Akari clapped her hands together, the excitement in her eyes hard to miss.