They had both kept quiet the rest of the way. It wasn't an uncomfortable sort of silence, it felt respectful and trusting, somehow.
Saya had attested a side of Bakugo that she could relate to and, although his fierce desire to be the best wasn't an excuse for how poorly he treated people, she wasn't such an awful person as to exploit his moment of vulnerability to mock him.
She was less concerned about what had happened in the training exercise that same day, as well. At some point, she had also thought he played the villain a bit too well.
Her phone started buzzing as they got out of the station after their train ride.
She fumbled with the pockets in her backpack, but the call ended before she could pick it up.
It was her younger brother, Sukenobu, she noticed.
She rang him right away. It was strange he would call her, especially since their relationship wasn't the best.
He didn't pick up.
"What the hell," she muttered to herself, ringing him again.
It took four tones for him to finally answer.
"Hey," she said. "Don't call me and then not pick up when I call back, you idiot. What's the matter?"
"Call dad," he said.
"What? Why?" Saya asked. "Is he alright?"
"There's been an attack, a hero's been killed," Sukenobu answered. "The news says he's the third one. Dad's going to investigate it."
Saya's grasp on her phone strengthened.
"What?" she said. "Like, is someone deliberately targeting heroes?"
"It seems," Sukenobu said. He sounded angry. "I don't want him to go, Saya," he said. "I tried to talk him out of it, why does he have to be the one to take care of it? What if they kill him?"
Saya understood him perhaps too well. She felt the same thing. She couldn't say it, though. She was now training to he a hero as well, after all.
"Hey, hey, Suke-chan," she cheered. It sounded fake and ridiculous. "Don't be a worrywart! Dad's the number 3 hero, no one's going to kill him! He'll solve the case and put that bastard in jail! He always does," she said.
"But what if—"
"Don't you trust him?" she interrupted.
She heard the twelve-year-old try to suppress a sob.
"You know I do!" he yelled in her ear. "But this is someone that's killing heroes Saya. You know who they murdered? Grizzly!
Saya's breath hitched. She knew that guy. He had the second biggest agency in Sapporo. Although he seemed to see her father as a rival, they would often team up for bigger missions around Hokkaido.
"What?"
"Yeah," Sukenobu's tone was dark. "The bastard's a strong one," he said. "And you know how reckless dad can be! He was furious when he found out! He went out on patrol by himself!"
"Listen," Saya said. Her hands were trembling. "Don't compare Grizzly to our father. He's going to catch the bastard who did it and—"
"Shut up, Saya," Sukenobu said. "I didn't call you to make me feel better. I called you because I want you to call dad and tell him to go back to his agency and think things through with Capra and the others. He didn't listen to me, but he might listen to you," he added. "You're his favorite, after all."
Saya's eyes had glazed over when she heard the command, like she entered some sort of trance.
"Yes, Suke-chan," she said, mechanically. "It will be done at once."
She hung up.
"Oi," Bakugo said. He had been staring at her and listening to her end of the conversation. "You okay?"
She didn't even reply, as she was dialing her father.
"Saya, I can't talk right now," her father said upon picking up.
"I'm calling you to tell you to go back to your agency and think things through with Capra and the others," Saya said. Upon uttering the words, her eyes returned to normal.
"Sukenobu called you." Her dad's phrase was not even a question.
"He used his damn quirk on me!" she yelled in frustration. She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"He tried to use it on me, too," her father said. "He's going to be grounded when I get back—"
"Dad!" Saya interrupted. "He's right though. I know how you're feeling, but you need to address this with a plan," she said. "If you die, I'm never going to forgive you!"
He laughed.
"I know," he said. "You tell me every time. But don't worry, I'm heading to the police department now. We'll discuss the evidence they've found."
Relief washed over her.
"Alright," she said. "Take care."
"You too, Saya-chan," he said and ended the call.
Saya sighed. She finally looked at Bakugo.
"Family stuff," was her explanation.
"Yeah, I figured," was his answer.
She dialed Sukenobu again.
"Listen, you little bastard," she said, "you pull something like this again and Imma go back to Sapporo and punch you so hard all your teeth are gonna fall out."
"Did you do it?" he asked, unbothered by her threats.
"Well, of course I did it!" she growled. "I would have done it even if you hadn't used your stupid quirk on me!"
"What did he say?" Sukenobu sounded cold and calm.
"He's on his way to the police department," she told him. "You gotta trust him, he can be reckless, but he's not a fool. I can't believe you actually tried to charm him of all people!" she yelled. "What were you even thinking, Sukenobu?"
"Shut up, Saya, you're not my mom."
"I won't shut up! You shut up and stop being such a goddamn—"
The line went silent before she could finish her sentence.
"Aaaargh!" she exclaimed in utter frustration. "This piece of shit hung up on me!"
She breathed in and out loudly and tried to calm herself down.
Everything was fine. Everything was going to be fine. Her dad and his team would catch the killer and Sukenobu was going to be grounded and she was going to beat his stupid ass the next time she saw him.
She put her phone back in her backpack, lips still pursed in anger.
No more words were spoken the rest of the way. There was only a one-sided 'bye' Saya mumbled when she got to her front door which went answered by a tsk.
She took her shoes off at the genkan and ran upstairs in order to turn her computer on and read the news.
It was true, she saw.
Her heart squeezed in between her ribs. She felt so powerless here in Musutafu. Would it have been different if she were still in Sapporo?
Not much, she thought. She wouldn't have been able to do anything there, either.
She had to hurry up and become a great hero as soon as she could. That was the only way she could help her father.
She decided to order a punching bag online with the credit card extension her parents had given her. It would help take her mind off things, she thought. And she would also be able to further her own training at home. It was all Saya could do to feel less helpless.