Himiko's parents find out about her choice to take the exam for the Hero course, and they are not pleased. Toshinori finds a scared cat on the side of the road. And the trio once again must reunite.
All Might finding out about what happened with their Quirks was both simultaneously great and terrible. Great, because he immediately went about trying to figure out what to do about it. Terrible, because he brought Nezu in and the President of UA had moved swiftly to find a reason for the trio to get to UA so they could begin to work through what happened.
Which led to this moment. Himiko, in front of her parents, the duo screaming at her for daring to go for the heroics course. She knew, at some point, this would happen. She knew, intellectually, at some point she'd need to tell them what happened…and she knew she'd be thrown out for it. She just…didn't expect it to be this soon. Any other parents would be proud…but not hers.
And she couldn't do anything about it but stand there and take it. If she gave into the anger, the roiling, burning rage in her heart, she could kiss her chance at UA goodbye, and her chance to be around Izuku and Ochako. The past few days had been like a dream for her. Every single night, she'd find time to start a video call with the other two, even if she had to be super quiet so her parents didn't realize what she was doing. She could catch up with the only people who had ever accepted her wholeheartedly when they were young, and it was like no time at all had passed.
Ochako was still fierce and protective, still the one most likely to go off the second she heard about something bad happening, but the softness and kindness in her heart, the sheer care she exuded towards those she liked was like a warm, soft blanket that could wrap Himiko up and she'd never want to leave.
Izuku still muttered and got lost in his head, still was an anxious, jumpy boy, but his mind sped by so far she could never keep up; yet she couldn't help but smile when he went off on one of his tangents, or when he got so excited his mouth couldn't keep up with his mind and it would devolve into a gibberush of words that was so cute.
And somehow, someway, she still felt like she slotted right in. She could still tease them both, and watching their eighteen year old selves become flustered was very different from when they were eight, the things she'd taunt them on new even to her. Yet neither of them ever got mad at her, they'd play along, they'd tease back sometimes, it was like they'd never left her side. So different from the catty cliques in high school, from the demure and soft-spoken expectations of her from her parents. It was the first chance to breathe in a decade…and it was all being ripped away as she stood there, shrinking in on herself, listening to the tirade continue to grow and grow and grow.
And then she saw it…her father took a step forward, his hand raised, and it was like everything slowed down. There was a sudden, painful 'ping' in the back of her skull, one that made her eyes go wide and her body alight with red and gold threads, entwining about her arms and legs, a pattern of light that danced across her skin like reflections of sunlight over water. Without thinking about it, she leapt backwards, crossing the entire room in a single bound and nearly running into the wall.
All three froze for a brief moment, neither of her parents knowing what to do with the change that had come over their daughter. The contacts they forced her to wear had fallen out, her amber, slitted pupils narrowed, her breath coming out in short pants, a golden glow suffusing her eyes. Himiko…she wasn't waiting any longer. No more. No more.
She'd had her bags packed since she'd taken the test (not like she had much to herself). It was a little over a month until classes started, but she could find a way to survive until the dorms opened up, or she found something else to handle it if she didn't make it in. She was eighteen, they had no rights over her anymore, and she was going to stay far, far away from them.
She turned around and bolted through the house, crashing through her bedroom door and snapping the locks off of it that her parents had installed. She grabbed up her backpack, with what little possessions she cared about in it, and a single bag holding some spare clothes she actually liked, and turned to her barred window. She didn't want to go back down and face them, and she could hear them running up the stairs behind her…and she didn't care. Himiko took one more look at her room prison and decided it was time.
Running to the bars, she gripped them tightly in her hands, feeling One For All washing over her further as she grit her teeth. With a snarl, she ripped them clean out of the window frame, the glass they were attached to shattering in her hands. Some shards slit her hands open, blood beginning to trickle, but she did not care. She was getting out! She took one of the bars and swung it at the remaining glass, shattering what little remained, and used it to clear the bottom of the window enough she could climb up onto it. A two story drop was nothing, and even as she heard her parents coming into the room behind her…she didn't look back.
She leapt, soaring out into the air and clearing the next house entirely, landing on the room of the third house down. Not stopping, she hefted her bags closer and began to run, run run run run, escaping from her prison for the final time. Himiko Toga was free, and no matter what, she was not going back…but now she had to figure out where to go.
Toshinori wasn't sure what to expect when his phone began to blare repeatedly with calls from his successor, but he had to assume it was something else weird with One For All, considering what had happened recently. He quickly picked it up, but all he could hear was panicked words in a rush from his successor, and had no idea what the boy was trying to say. It took him a good five minutes to calm the boy enough to get him to speak clearly, and what he heard had his blood freezing in its veins.
Young Himiko had apparently fled her home, for reasons she hadn't told Izuku and Ochako (though the duo had some suspicions). However, her phone had cut off midway through the call, before they could even tell where she was or if she was safe, and now Izuku and Ochako were panicking, trying to figure out where the young woman had fled to and her condition. The number kept going to disconnected, and that did not bode well in Toshinori's mind.
He reassured Izuku he would do what he could to find her; after all, she was now also one of his successors. He told the boy to keep calm, and help keep Ochako calm, as he reached out to his detective friend Tsukauchi to see what he could do. After a few more soothing words, he ended the call and headed to the elevators. He'd been pulling a late night at UA, studying teaching techniques, and the rest of the staff had already gone home for the evening.
He made sure to call Tsukauchi as he walked through the halls, giving what little details he knew as he reached the door. He began to cross the campus, heading for the parking garage to start his drive to young Izuku's, when he noticed a shape slumped against the gateway to the campus. Concerned, he started to stride over to it, his footsteps echoing off the concrete as he walked.
The shape seemed not to notice him until he was nearly atop it, suddenly starting and leaping to its feet, spinning about in surprise…and he found himself just as surprised. Staring at him was a face he spent a good hour studying when looking over her records, a blonde, amber-eyed teenager with fangs, her hair wild and unkempt. She started sputtering out an apology, desperation in her voice, but he held up his hands to show he wasn't a threat and stayed where he was.
"Young To-Himiko?" he asked her, cutting off calling her by her last name when he saw her start to flinch. Her eyes were wider now, even more fearful, as he realized she might be afraid he knew of her from something else. Perhaps her parents, if she fled from her home. Well, he had to calm her before doing anything further, and since he planned on revealing himself to her anyways, now was as good a time as any to explain. "Izuku called me. I'm his mentor, Toshinori Yagi," he offered.
She blinked at him, confusion writ across her face but he could practically see the lightbulb over her head. She swallowed. "Y-you're…"
He nodded. "All Might? Yes. Don't jump and I'll show you, alright?" he glanced about, noticing no one else nearby, and quickly puffed up into the form he was well known for, watching that even with his warning, she still jumped away, golden-red threads spiraling into existence for a brief moment before vanishing. He gave her a bright, All Might patented smile, before dropping back into his skinny form with a puff of smoke and steam. Seeing her relaxing ever so slightly, he tilted his head at her. "So…may I ask why you're here?"
Himiko curled into herself, her arms around her abdomen as she looked down at the ground. "I-I didn't really have anywhere else to go, and I didn't remember where Izu's house was, so…I was hoping I could um…find someone who'd let me borrow a phone to call him, or something. I think mine got cut off. And I uh, ran out of money for the train, so I'm kinda stuck here…"
"I was about to head to his place just now. Would you like to come with me?" he offered. He didn't want to push her on why she ran, not when she looked like she was about to run once more, but he figured bringing her to young Izuku would do wonders for the both of them, and hopefully calm young Ochako down as well.
The way her eyes shot open and hope flooded into her made him nearly take a step back, his own mind racing at how easily her mood switched from the idea of seeing his protege. He already was concerned about his successor's mental state, and knowing this young woman had run from her home with little to no plan did not bode well either. Once again he cursed internally as he realized he had no way to fix this right at this moment, but he'd do what he could to get the young teenagers calm and safe and then go manage whatever caused this.
First…he had to get her to allow him to take her to Izuku, where he could see she was still hesitant. He offered her a soft smile and spoke quietly. "I won't pry as to why you left, young Himiko, not if you don't want me to. I'll just give you a quick ride over to Izuku's house. We can talk about whatever you'd like, or simply listen to music, or sit in silence. Whatever will make you feel more comfortable. I won't pester you about One For All either. I just want to be sure you, Izuku, and young Ochako are all okay. Will you let me do so?"
After a moment where it was clear she was struggling to decide, she finally nodded. With a brighter grin, he slowly reached out to grab her bags, but when she pulled them closer she backed off immediately. He gestured for her to follow him. "Follow closely so we don't trigger the barrier, my car is parked just over there." She complied, silently following behind him as she held her bag to her chest, her backpack dangling off her shoulder. It couldn't be very comfortable, but she clearly didn't want to let go of her things so he wouldn't say a word.
She did pause and stare blankly as she saw his old, beaten up truck, turning amber eyes to his as he chuckled sheepishly. "She may not look like much, but she's been a good sturdy girl for me for many years!"
"...you're the number one hero, how is this what you drive?" she asked, breaking her silence from sheer confusion.
Toshinori rocked back and put a fake offended look on his face, placing one hand over his heart dramatically. "I'll have you know she's great transportation!" His heart swelled when he heard the blonde giggle slightly at his overacting, internally cheering before opening the passenger door for her. "Get yourself situated, it's a pretty short drive to young Izuku's, so we'll be there in no time!"
Himiko nodded at him, climbing into the truck as he walked around to the other side, hopping into the drivers seat and turning the key to turn his truck on. The truck rumbled to life beneath them, a loud series of clacks making Himiko glance askance at him once more, but he just winked at her and pulled out of the parking lot.
The ride was silent for a good few minutes, only the faint sound of the radio playing, its volume down low but still noticeable. This late at night, the city wasn't completely asleep, but it was very quiet, almost soft in the darkness. Himiko had taken to staring out of the window, her body language tense, bag in her lap and her arms wrapped around it.
"...All Might?" Himiko's voice was quiet and shaky, her questioning tone shattering the tranquility that had started to come over the truck.
"Yagi, please, while I'm like this. Or Toshinori if you'd be willing, after all, you're also a successor of mine!" he replied, smiling wide. He knew it was a risk to mention that, but he was hoping she'd believe him if he was more direct.
"Okay," she whispered. After a moment, she continued. "I um…I'm sorry for taking up your time like this."
Toshinori internally sighed. "You're not taking any of my time. I wanted to meet you anyways! This is just a bit ahead of schedule!"
"...yeah. That's um…why I had to leave," she muttered. Toshinori cocked his head slightly, indicating he was listening but not wanting to take his eyes off the road. The silence reigned for a minute, before she continued. "My parents, they uh…they thought I was taking the business exams. When I told them I went for the hero course, they…they weren't happy with me."
Toshinori shoved every bit of rage that built up within him at the implication of her words, locking it away in a safe and tossing it into the ocean, anchored down so he could focus on what mattered now. He cleared his throat. "May I ask why they weren't happy? If you're willing to explain."
Himiko paused for a second, and even from the corner of his eyes he could see the gears turning in her head, the emotions swirling around her as she considered what to do. Her shoulders slumped and she slumped back in her seat, tiredly. "N-not really, at least, not right now. I just…I can't go back right now. They didn't hit me or anything, um, if that's what you're worried about."
Oh did it take a lot to keep that safe under the water. Kept trying to sprout legs and climb its way out like some kind of eldritch crab. Okay, the mental imagery was getting a bit out of hand, refocus Toshinori. He nodded. "Alright. That's fine. Forgive me for being insensitive, but I imagine you didn't really get much chance to plan this?"
Himiko shook her head. "They don't um, give me much for my allowance, and I have to bring home receipts so they know where it all is. So I couldn't really set much aside. I just…I got all the scholarships I could, so I knew they couldn't stop me from going. I just…thought I'd have a bit longer before I had to leave, but I…well, I had to explain why I needed to come back here and…"
"Oh, oh my goodness, I'm so sorry young Himiko, I never intended to get you in trouble!" Toshinori gasped, realizing what had been the impetus. Well, shit, there he went hurting another emotionally vulnerable teenager.
"No, it's not your fault. It was gonna happen either way. I just left earlier is all," she replied, her words firm. He had the sneaking suspicion she'd been mentally preparing for this for a long time…which added onto his laundry list of things to check into about the second one of his successors to indicate severe issues in her background, but he had to prioritize. Her comfort and safety first, justice on whoever hurt her second.
"Hmm. Well, I am still sorry for the impact it has had on you. But fret not…I know young Izuku will make certain of your safety. And you don't have to worry about me, I just wanted to sit down with you and young Ochako and see how you were doing. But we'll do that when Ochako can make her way out to this area. For now…we're here," Toshinori calmly parked the truck on the side of the street, turning the keys off as he opened his door, watching carefully as Himiko made her own way out. After locking the doors behind him, he began to escort her down the walkway, towards the apartment complex Izuku and Inko lived in…but they had no time to even knock, as the door burst open and a green blur flew out, diving at Himiko.
Only Toshinori's quick reflexes kept the now entangled duo from falling onto the hard concrete, quickly placing his arm behind Himiko's back and saving her from the fall. For her part, she didn't even seem to notice it, dropping her bag as soon as Izuku had reached her and latching onto him, all the strength seeming to drain from her body as she slumped into his arms. Toshinori appreciated their desire to be reunited…but he didn't want everyone out here in the cool night air for too long. With practiced ease, ignoring the pain in his side when he bent down, he picked up her bag and gently began to usher the two towards the door, Inko standing there with wide, worried eyes.
As they entered the apartment building, went up the stairs, stepped into their shared apartment, and the door shut behind them, he took in a deep, deep breath. Izuku had practically dragged Himiko off with him to his room, saying he was going to call Ochako immediately so she knew Himiko was safe, and Toshinori was fine with this. He wanted to sit and talk with Inko about what happened first…and call Tsukauchi back. He had an inkling that his detective friend would need to look into something for him.
"Himi…please, talk to us. What happened?" Izuku implored, holding Himiko's hands gently. Ochako was giving her agreement audibly on the line, Izuku having set his phone down on speaker so he could take care of Himiko.
The blonde teenager was sitting there, eyes downcast, shoulders hunched as if she was unsure what to do. Her hands were limp and unresisting in Izuku's, the green haired teenager just as lost as Himiko seemed to be. He tried to offer as much comfort as possible, gently squeezing her hands which he noticed were very cold, almost worryingly so. The nights were cool, but not so cold as to cause this, which made him wonder why she was so cold to the touch.
"Himi? Himi, c'mon, tell us what's wrong," Ochako added, her voice soft.
Himiko seemed like she didn't hear them for a minute, but after a few seconds she returned Izuku's squeeze on his hands (carefully keeping her pinkies up as Ochako had taught her), before leaning forward to rest her forehead against his shoulder. Instinctively, Izuku pulled her into a hug, just like when they were kids and her parents would yell at her and…oh. Oh no. It hit him like a bolt of lightning, his eyes going wide as he felt a surge of emotions burn in his chest…fear, worry, sadness, and a lot of rage…because now he knew what happened.
"...they never got better about your Quirk?" Izuku asked softly, already knowing the answer. The gasp across the phone line told him Ochako had caught onto what he was referring to, and he didn't flinch when he heard something snap across the line, imagining she'd just broken something to avoid lashing out. Himiko just shook her head silently, still pressing her forehead into his shoulder. Izuku narrowed his eyes, tamping down on his feelings for her sake, because she was what mattered right now.
"...I'm gonna find a way to get there tomorrow, mark my words," Ochako said.
Izuku nodded absently. "I'll talk to All…um, Toshinori. I'm sure he can figure something out. Did you tell your parents yet?"
"They know. They wanna talk to 'im too," she murmured. There was a sound from the other side of the line, Ochako muting the phone for a few moments as Izuku kept his arms wrapped about Himiko, the blonde still saying nothing as she just sighed deeply, pressing herself up against Izuku. She was really cold, and he did not like that at all.
"Inko called my folks and we're gonna come out tonight. Said Toshi was gonna send a car for us. Is…is that okay, Himi?" Ochako asked as she came back to the line, her voice growing unsure at the end.
Himiko nodded into Izuku's shoulder, her hands gripping at the back of his shirt tighter. She swallowed, her voice a breathy whisper as she spoke. "I don't want to be alone tonight. Please…please come. I just can't take it anymore, I can't. I can't," her voice broke off as she started to cry quietly, her sobs barely audible, but all Izuku could wish for was for a way he could fix this somehow. Some hero he was, only able to sit here and hold one of his oldest and truest friends, unable to do anything to fix the problem.
"I'm comin', Himi. Jus' wait for me," Ochako swore. "Keep textin' me, Izu, please. We're gonna go now."
Izuku nodded at his phone once more. "I promise Chako, I'll keep you updated. We'll be here." Ochako let out a hum in response, the call disconnecting a second later. As if by magic, there was a knock on his bedroom door, Himiko seeming to ignore it as she just clutched at Izuku's shirt, her tears staining the fabric. Izuku cleared his throat. "Yeah?"
The door cracked open to reveal his mother, her face torn between a soft smile and worry evident in her eyes. She took a few steps into the room, took a seat on the bed next to Izuku, and gently placed a hand on the blonde teenager's back. Himiko didn't react much, merely sighing as she continued to cry, her sobs now no longer audible, but her shoulders shaking slightly.
"Himiko, dear? Ochako and her parents are on their way, but it'll be a few hours. Is there anything I can do for you?" Inko asked softly, rubbing at Himiko's back.
Himiko just shook her head into Izuku's shirt, still not lifting herself up off her childhood friend. It was like the only thing tethering her to the ground right now was her grip on him, all of what happened that day rushing back and filtering into her thoughts, her dreams, the very air around her, and it was all she could do to close her eyes and pray they'd stop.
Inko nodded, sighing deeply as she met her son's red-rimmed eyes. She gave him a watery smile, Izuku unable to muster one in return, but he nodded at his mom, grateful she was there. After a few moments of rubbing Himiko's back, Inko stood up and made her way to the door. "When you feel a little more stable, why don't you go take a nice shower and I'll get something warm for you to eat, okay? Izuku, while she's doing that, could you get out the spare blankets, pillows and the air mattress? The Uraraka's will be taking the couch, and Toshi the mattress."
Izuku blinked up at his mother, tilting his head to the side. "But what about Himi and Chako?"
Inko rolled her eyes at him good-naturedly. "I'm not an idiot. There's no way you or Ochako will let Himiko out of your sight tonight. I assumed you'd sleep in here."
Izuku paused as he realized what she was getting at. He felt the blood rush to his face for a brief second, but he immediately rammed that down. Himiko was hurting, his embarrassment was immaterial to the situation right now, the only thing that mattered was making sure she was okay. He took a deep breath, nodding up at his mom as she smiled back, turning around to gather some extra towels for Himiko and setting them in the bathroom.
Once his mother left, he turned back to the blonde in his arms, feeling her shivering slightly as she pressed up against his side. It was getting repetitive in his mind to keep thinking this, but every time her bare skin brushed against his, he could feel how cold she felt and it was really bothering him. She really did need a shower and warm clothes. He took a deep breath. "Himi? I think mom's right. You really should get a shower, you're um…really cold. Was it really cold outside?"
"...no. I just get cold sometimes," she managed to mutter, refusing to lift her head. Izuku didn't think that was all there was to it…but okay. He'd wait for her to tell him. After a moment though, she did lift her head up enough that he could see the red eyes and tear tracks dotting her face, gently unentangling herself from him. She tried to stand up, but wavered for a moment, Izuku quickly leaping to his feet to help keep her stable. She offered him a pat on the cheek as a thank you, and silently began to head to the bathroom.
Izuku felt so goddamned helpless…but no. He could do this. Push down the emotions, lock them away, it was old hat to him to shove down the negative things and focus on his mission. Right now, it was to protect Himiko at all costs, and once Ochako was here they'd have a game plan (even if the game plan was snapping Himiko's parents' necks). Himiko mattered the most, and he'd deal with that now, and his feelings later never. He strode out of the room, ready to prepare the house for the guests, and whatever else he had to do for Himiko. This he swore to himself…he'd help her, no matter what.