Flashback time.
Just so there's no confusion here's what to keep in mind:
Flashback narration: "Is this thing on?"
Normal talk in-between: "I'd rather keep my head on straight thank you very much."
Thought's: 'With a slight chance of doing the high voltage Cha Cha.'
Emphasizing words in flashback: "How about No way, okay?"
Got it?
Warning: The following flashback chapters will involve numerous crimes, Attempts of them, suicide, death, murder, gore, blood, abuse, enslavement, some filthy language somewhere (but not actual cursing), and numerous degrees of child abuse.
Side note: A number of events that happened within these backstory chapters is purely fictional, they've never happened in real life, so if you are confused about a few things look it up to make sure you do not confuse fiction with reality. If you have further questions, PM me anytime except Saturdays.
Without further ado, let's get started, enjoy!!
All my life I've always been an orphan, in fact I didn't even know that it was an orphan until I turned 6 years old when my parents told me about how they found me.
I was always sometimes a little too perceptive for my own good, and when I pointed out a few things, they knew that it was time for me to know even if they would have rather waited until I was a little older.
When I was only a couple months old Mama and Papa were only just about to go home from the hospital as they lost their child a few days before due to complications after giving birth, their daughter, Alexa, died before they ever got to see her.
They were very deeply heartbroken, and were just beside themselves when they heard me crying in a nearby alley just as they were about to get into the taxi.
When they found me I was sitting on the ground crying my eyes out, in nothing but a little panda onesie and a piece of torn up paper besides me that looked like it had been a part of my birth certificate that showed the day of my birth, which showed the day and month but not the year itself.
Mama instantly ran to me, taking me into her arms and she started to calm me down, with Papa right beside her.
They knew that leaving me there was not an option, so they cancelled the taxi, paying the man anyways for his trouble, and went straight back into the hospital to get me checked on and to call the police.
Thankfully I was given a clean bill of health. But unfortunately, neither the police nor the hospital could find any records on me, believing that I probably might've been from a foreign family, Most likely Japanese given that some of the text next to my day of birth and the tag on the inside of my onesie was in Japanese kanji. But still could not find anything on me.
Some of them were suggesting having me be sent to an orphanage or a foster home, but Papa and Mama adamantly refused, knowing that I could very well be lost in the system or worse quite mainly due to the fact that I was technically a foreigner.
Mama herself was an orphan, so she knows how difficult it could be, especially as she had been to a few of them that were quite awful. It was only thanks to Papa that she didn't end up getting sold as a trafficking slave or go and commit suicide.
They did not want me to suffer, so without further hesitation they immediately went into adopting me so that not only would I have a home but would be cared for and loved, and could have a chance to have a bright future. And said it clearly that this was not their way of replacing the daughter they lost too soon, But because they've already grown very much attached to me and that they would love me just as much as they did their late child.
"That's so touching, your parents must have been very loving and caring people." Inko said, tears already welling up in her eyes, But not of sadness this time thankfully.
"More than you know, and very understanding too, almost to a fault, they're the best parents anyone could ever ask for, biologically or otherwise." I replied with a fond smile.
"How did you feel when you found out you were adopted?" Tsukauchi asked me, a little concerned, But think about it, when it comes to adoption it can be a touchy and sensitive subject to some people, usually in terms of that person finding out that they themselves have been adopted all their life and were never told straight from the get-go or such.
"I was shocked but It did explain why I didn't resemble either of my parents, and when I looked back on all the times we spent I knew that even if I wasn't theirs by blood I knew that their love for me was real and I told them that even if I am adopted, they would always be my Mama and Papa no matter what happens." I told him.
"That's pretty mature for someone as young as 6 years old." Recovery girl remarked, surprised yet nodding in the approval.
"Maturity at such a young age is a rarity to admire." Nezu chimed in, nodding as well.
"I got that a lot, In fact I've always been a fast learner, and I was a lot more perceptive than most people my age way back then, so I was able to understand some things much more quickly than most kids at the age of preschool." I explained, "It's been that way since I was a toddler, And I've always been grateful for that. Although..."
Most people found it very endearing and touching, Happy that everything was going to be all right for me, but only one individual was against it, And that was none other than Uncle Martin Nathaniel Jayden, Papa's non-identical twin brother.
A ruthless but otherwise successful business tycoon who's about as cruel as a military sergeant and a perfectionist about as stiff as a thick wooden plank.
And the one thing he hated way more than spiders and imperfections, was orphans and the homeless.
This he kept hidden from everybody else but when alone or around me I saw it as clear as day, as I've said already even though I was a tiny tot I was a lot smarter and more perceptive for someone that young, and I was most certainly not naive to the fact that he absolutely despised me..
Around Papa he would always say it was just bouts of frustration from all the stress and responsibilities he had to deal with all the time at work and was having a rough time finding something to help him de-stress from all of it in a constructive way that would stick, Sadly Papa was fooled by him, and Mama, despite her own concerns and doubts, she trusted her husband.
He was always quite good at covering his tracks to ensure that nobody especially not his brother (older than him by roughly a few minutes) would find out about just how ruthless he actually was, Not even my attempts to try and expose him did any good as somehow he would always figure out what was up and stop me before I could show irrefutable proof to Papa or Mama.
Anytime I was alone with Uncle Martin he would ignore me all together, demand that I should leave him alone or tell me that I was a filthy pitiless orphan that didn't belong in his family and that I was better off gone.
More so especially when he was put in charge of babysitting me at the last minute when Mama and Papa couldn't find a proper one to look after me while they were gone.
I always dread when that happens, although I felt better if he had no choice but to take me to his workplace, at least there his co-workers were a lot nicer to me and actually defended me from his ire, at home however I felt isolated and defenseless.
There were even times I heard him muttering about how annoyed he was with Mama, and that she was better off leaving the family to go join the circus. Around her he was only able to tolerate her just enough to act normally.
Still, I knew that he hates me as much as Papa loves me.
He hated Mama, though given the fact that he spent years being forced to get to know her, he could only tolerate her for a little while but even then he still hated the fact that she was an orphan once upon a time.
Diligently I would avoid him at all costs, usually staying in my room, only coming out to eat as bathroom problems weren't a problem as I had one in my room so I wouldn't run into him going to the one that was at the end of the hallway. Other times, Especially after a violent tongue whiplashing from him, I would sneak out of the house to go to the park to play with Ginger and Martha, Who were the only two around my age back then who actually knew about what was going on between me and my uncle As Ginger was from a wealthy family as her mother was a dedicated fashion designer while her father before he died the year she turned 5 due to cancer used to be a good-hearted business tycoon himself (hence how she knew about him through her parents reputation in the business world, no matter what profession business was business) while Martha on the other hand was a daughter to a small time couple who were detectives who were suspicious about some specific dealing he been suspected of partaking in as of late way back then.
While my parents were anything but oblivious and neglected towards me, when it came to my uncle he was always very good at making it seem like it's not as bad as I say it is, He has a way of keeping the truth covered just to avoid getting caught red-handed.
Though that didn't change the fact that Uncle Martin would always sneer at Mama when he thought that no one was looking, Just as he did me, tolerance doesn't mean actually getting along in this case for him. And just because he couldn't do anything towards Mama that didn't stop him from being emotionally and verbally ruthless to me.
The reason why he never got physically violent was because he knew that even he couldn't cover up that kind of damage, Especially as he knew that I wasn't clumsy nor destructive nor did I have any bullies to deal with so therefore my story would have more weight against him. So it was easier and less physically visible to go with the emotional and verbal route.
But, Just because it wasn't visible on the surface doesn't mean that there wasn't any damage done on the inside.
"Did you ever find out why he hated orphans and the homeless?" Mr. Yagi asked me, His teeth were gridding with anger though his eyes showed that of concern.
I shook my head, "No, No matter how many times I've asked he would never answer, Not even the people around him knew the entire story, the only reply I would ever get is that it was none of my business or he would threaten to rip apart one of my favorite dolls just to get me to shut up. Or worse."
Looking around I saw the not so subtle signs that this only made them all even more upset as I could see most of them gripping their hands, only Nezu and Ms. Kayama were the only ones not gripping their hands as for the former like always he remained calm and composed (Although the glint in his eyes said otherwise) while for the latter she was too busy undoing my hair from the braids for me, although that did not change the fact that I could feel her vibrating in rage behind me.
And in Izuku I could very well see that similarly he understood how I felt, just because The reason behind our individual torment is different doesn't change the fact that the pain was very much real, Me the Orphan, Him the quirkless, Even if I had some people that were by my side (as he only had his mother up until recently through all of his life) it doesn't change the fact that those small numbers alone couldn't combat against the pain that was felt.
It seemed like nothing was going to change...
That was until the day I had returned home from sleep away camp, My parents teared up and held me close very suddenly, adamantly telling me that they were sorry for never knowing just how bad things were between me and Uncle Martin. And Never knowing he actually hated Mama just as he did me and always had for years, for being deceived for so long and for being so blind to what was really happening.
They both promised me that they wouldn't let me anywhere near him and vice versa, that they will never let this happen again, that they would do better, be more attentive and be there for me more for now on.
And they kept true to their promise.
Anytime the both of them had to leave for work they would always leave me In the care of our kind neighbor who was an elderly woman who is as sweet as a peach and had two grandchildren of her own so she knew very well how to look after someone around my age back then, actually not long after the two of them had apologize to me did the old woman move in next door so it was thanks to her that we had a new and safer option to go with.
When the two weren't working or at least weren't too busy they would always try to spend as much time with me as possible, anytime Uncle Martin was around the two of them would give him dirty looks, sneering at him as if he had literally thrown me into heavy duty traffic without a second thought.
Inevitably, things were never ever the same between them, especially as Martin no longer had a reason to hide it anymore as he revealed his true colors to his brother after being confronted by him and showing proof of his misdeeds.
Anytime Papa and Uncle Martin were alone in the same room I could always hear them yelling quite loudly from up in my bedroom, it was obvious that they were arguing about me with Papa defending me and Uncle Martin raging against me. Whenever that happened Mama would always stay in my room and we would play or watch movies to try and drown out the argument.
Even if I couldn't hear what they were saying in general as the house muffled the verbal tongue lashing however that didn't stop the volume of their yelling in any way, And things were getting worse and worse between them.
Whatever had gone down within the past 2 months since I was away at camp, I knew that it led to them realizing what was truly going on with Uncle Martin.
I could see as clear as day That they were very guilt-ridden for being so oblivious for so long. They didn't need to voice it for me to understand that as it was clear in their eyes alone.
When I asked them they simply told me that they had met a group of people who were visiting from Japan around that time that showed them evidence of what was actually going on regarding me and my uncle (claiming that they had been wronged by him as well), and showed them even more despicable things he'd actually done behind their backs, what they were I do not know but I know it was enough to make them so thoroughly disgusted that Even thinking about him made them growl in anger.
I saw in their eyes that they deeply regretted never knowing what was going on and letting themselves be fooled by his words for so long, even more so when Papa found out that he also hated Mama for years and years, always muttering behind her back just as he did me.
They even signed us up for therapy so that we could get started on trying to amend the damages that Uncle Martin had done to not only me but to all of us.
And before you ask, I adamantly told Ginger and Martha to not intervene, No matter how much they wanted to, Not only knowing that, as children, we would be defenseless against him but also knowing that if they tried to tell the authorities, or even their parents, Uncle Martin would be on to them and would file a massive lawsuit against both of their families, Ginger's mother would stand a better chance given that she had an army of lawyers at her beck and call but Martha on the other hand only had one reliable lawyer to their name and even then he would stand little chance against his resources, both legal and otherwise. And if a lawsuit wasn't the first thing he would go with then he would secretly hire people to make things difficult for both of the families.
This I knew as sometimes I would spy on him, eavesdropping and hearing that he not only had legal people to rely on but also some shady folks that were only just near on the line of straight up illegal to avoid getting caught.
When I told Papa about that He immediately went to warn both of the families to keep on the lookout for anything that may go awry and subsequently bashed his brother for his inexcusable threats against innocent people in such a horrid manner and for even thinking about making shady deals with people who were practically criminals.
"If your uncle was as horrible as you say he is, why hadn't your parents cut ties with him completely? Or even went to the police about it?" Ms. Kayama asked, confused as she'd only just finished undoing one of my braids for me as I was narrating the story.
Already feeling relief now that one of my braids has been undone more than words can describe.
"Oh believe me they were going to do that," I told her, As I soon elaborated on it.
One day my uncle did the unthinkable, He outright tried to have my records tempered to the point that I would be forced to be sent away to another school out of the country, either military school or a fairly strict but not so good boarding school. Had Papa and Mama not caught on to it in time likely I would have lived an even worse life And I would have never seen my loved ones ever again.
That was the absolute last straw and Papa was going to cut times with him completely as well as make sure he had enough evidence to turn over to the police Which he will use against his brother unless he agreed to leave us alone, for years he had tried to get his brother to lighten up since they were teenagers, For years he had been fooled to believe that everything was going fine with his brother only to realize that all of his efforts have been in vain from the start. The time he spent trying, adamantly and fervently, to get his brother to change his mind after finding out the truth had all been in vain If this is what his brother was resorting to in trying to get rid of me.
None of us could fault Papa as he tried really hard to see the good in everyone, Especially his brother, To find out that all this effort with his younger twin was all for naught was disheartening.
But that wouldn't stop him from trying to do better, to keep a more careful eye on people to make sure that what happened with Martin will not happen again.
But he never got the chance to finalize the papers that would legally disown him nor make his final warning clear to him that if he tried anything again then he would end up behind bars...
I stopped briefly as I shakily took a deep breath to calm myself, knowing that what I was going to say was going to be the most heartbreaking, one of a few actually.
Though that did not stop my shaking, yet it only stopped briefly when I felt Ms. Kayama placing her right hand on my back while Mr. Yagi took hold of my hands into his own and gave me a comforting squeeze, both of them trying to ground me so I could continue.
I gave them both a weak nod, silently thanking them, casting my head down again as I soon saw James walking back up to me as he gently got back on the bed and laid down next to me, laying his head on my lap, he too trying to comfort me.
I gave him a weak smile before I continued, blinking repeatedly trying not to let my tears fall, although it was going to be inevitable.
Briefly looking up to see the others, They were all waiting patiently for me to continue, although I could see that for Recovery girl, Nezu and Tsukauchi They knew that what I was going to say was anything but good, while for the Midoriya's in their eyes they were hoping that what I was going to say next wasn't going to be something worse, sadly they too understood that the next thing I was going to say was in fact going to be awful.
Which it was.
Papa kept the secret that he was going to legally cut times with his brother and make his final word clear until the papers were approved so that he could present them to his brother proper, but never got the chance as I've said.
Approximately 3 weeks after coming back home from sleep away camp did it happen.
One morning I woke up feeling something rather awful, at the time I couldn't understand what I was feeling, and I still don't to this day, but for some reason I felt like something bad was going to happen, how and why? I didn't know.
And that feeling would not leave me all day, but instead it only got worse and worse slowly but surely.
I tried to attribute to me just waiting for the other shoe to drop and my uncle doing something even more unspeakable to me, years of having to deal with him left a mark on me and gave me enough experience to be able to understand his tells, but a part of me thought that the source of it wasn't him, again I didn't know why.
Try as I might, my anxiety and concern wouldn't leave me.
It only reached its peak when Papa got an urgent call from one of his coworkers at work saying that some of the boys in the editing department messed something up and needed them both to come as soon as possible to help them correct the matter or there would be heads rolling.
You see at the time Papa and Mama worked at the same company, Papa was in line to take over as the next CEO of said company and Mama was a writer for it, His partner in crime so to speak, and soon to be in line to be his secretary. What the company was I don't actually remember, or rather I had actually forgotten to ask them what they did at work let alone what their company was called.
And I never found that out.
As they were about to leave after dropping me off with our neighbor, I flung myself to them begging them not to go, telling them that I felt like something bad was going to happen, even if I didn't know why I pleaded and pleaded for them to not leave me.
Almost like if they leave then I would never see them again.
For at that point that feeling only got worse to the point that it felt like I was getting crushed to death. Could barely breathe. My tears were heavy as my voice became harder and harder to remain coherent.
Papa and Mama knelt down and hugged me, calming me down enough to be able to relax. They both told me that everything was going to be fine. Then they told me that even if times may get very rough, I should Never let go of hope, for hope will guide me out of the darkness.
Even if I wouldn't understand it right away, I would soon learn that once I got older, they told me as such.
At first I didn't really understand what they meant but I nonetheless nodded as I promised them that I wouldn't forget it, they told me that their love would always be with me even if we were apart, Even if something were to happen to them.
... The last thing they said to me was, "We'll see you soon honey." before they quickly left to get to work before I could reply or even say farewell.
I would soon regret never getting the chance to... and for not trying hard enough to stop them...
The threshold of my tears were about to burst, as my voice was starting to break.
'Just do it old girl...' I told myself internally before taking another deep breath, metaphysically ripping the first bandaid off, and said:
About half an hour after they left We were soon visited by the police as they told us that...
They were dead...
They had died in a horrible car crash.
... Apparently as they were crossing a green light, a semi truck, out of nowhere, came charging in and smashed into their vehicle, killing them near instantly upon impact, their bodies were nearly beyond recognition, even their hands where their wedding rings were had become mangled beyond belief.
It was only thanks to their driver's licenses that narrowly escaped the onslaught that the police were able to know who they were.
The driver who caused it willingly turned himself in for what he had done, as he had been in such a hurry trying to get to an appointed stop that he didn't care what kind of damage he would do with his reckless driving, his mind too hyper focus on not getting into trouble, By the time he realized he was going to crash into people in front of him he wasn't able to stop his vehicle in time as he had held the accelerator for too long to the point that hitting the brakes wouldn't be able to stop it fast enough. In fact he was actually the one to call the police after the impact happened. And upon realizing that he left me orphaned (once more), not knowing about my uncle, he went with the police to pay for what he did, Even begging to see a counselor so that he can avoid causing another accident again in the future, quitting his job as a delivery driver until he could trust himself to find a new one that wouldn't lead to another incident.
We were very devastated, but none more so than me as I felt horrible, I felt like it was my fault for not stopping them, had I only just delayed them at least a little more, or maybe had I not jumped on them before they left, then maybe they would have avoided the collision, and my regret in never getting a chance to say goodbye to them only got worse.
Neither of them were able to keep their promise that they would see me soon, internally I use my guilt to kill any resentment that might have come from my parents practically lying to me there even though I believed fervently that they didn't as neither of them could have known that this was going to happen.
When Uncle Martin was told of the news, he viciously blamed me for the incident, without his brother to stop him he smacked me in the cheek telling me that now I was going to be a burden for him to lug around.
All I could do was cry on the floor as Uncle Martin went looking around the house searching for something, what it was I did not know nor was I coherent enough to look up and try and see what he was looking for, but it seemed like he failed. He only yelled in anger muttering something about not finding It, What It was was a mystery.
I could only guess that it had to be our family Will given that I only briefly saw it days before that fateful day.
Though later I would find out that it wasn't that, though it was only part of the thing that he was looking for.
In rage he told me to pack my things, One backpack only, full of things, because as soon as he got back inside I was going to be leaving and I was Never going to come back.
It was only thanks to my quick thinking to eavesdrop on his phone conversation outside the front door that I found out what he meant by Never.
... He was going to make me move in with him and hire a construction crew to tear down our house so that I would have no way of ever coming back home again...
Not caring that he was going to destroy the home of the brother he loved, all to make me feel worse...
... His own twisted way of trying to bury his own grief in knowing that his brother (The only one he ever truly cared about despite everything) was gone...
...They would be there in a few minutes and I knew I had to hurry, so quickly I ran to my room, stuffing what I could into the biggest backpack I could possibly find that I would be able to carry despite some difficulty, taking some clothes and of my favorite things before, in the heat of the moment, running to my parents room to try and find anything I could take with me from there...
...As I could hear the sound of the vehicles coming to our home I knew I was running out of time, the only things I could grab that I was able to stuff into my backpack in time were in the following: Papa's favorite watch and Mama's favorite crystal dewdrop necklace (both of which were given to the other on their fourth wedding anniversary which was a fairy memorable time), a small box containing some cufflinks, A small coin purse, two novels which were "The princess plot" and it's sequel "The princess trap", a mini pocket magnifying glass, Mama's fanny pack, a picture frame containing the picture of the three of us that was taken only a few days before, Some clip-on bow ties, some ribbons used for hair ties, And a small handful of photos from our giant photo album that I hastily took out at random in blind panic in trying to pull out as many as I could stuff into my backpack...
By the time I heard a loud "Honk" from outside I was able to barely get my backpack zipped up entirely before bolting out of my parents room and down the hall, My uncle met me halfway before he, the instant he saw me, grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the house, Not caring how he almost broke my arm with how hard he was gripping it, let alone yanking it, leaving some heavy bruises there as I was practically tossed into his limo, The door slamming before I practically threw myself to the doors window, only to witness the horror as I could do nothing but cry as the home that I grew up living in that I always loved was being reduced to nothing but rubble...
...Smashed and crushed by wrecking balls and giant cranes with claws, reducing the house to nothing more than a pile of junk and broken dreams...
...All while my uncle simply just gazed at it like it meant nothing...
Tears were already falling as my eyes started to sting from them, feeling the tear droplets land on my hands as my sobs started to arise, try as I might I couldn't stop myself completely from letting the small ones leak out.
My breathing was shuttering as I tried very hard to compose myself, breathing through my mouth as my nose was starting to get clogged up.
I was brought out of my tearful state at feeling a soft handkerchief brushing against my cheeks in an attempt to wipe away my tears as I turn to none other than Inko who was trying to dry them away, she herself in tears along with Izuku who, although at first was very hesitant, places his right hand on top of my own, his way of trying to comfort me along with his mother.
Which I really appreciated, and I especially understood as He was still socially awkward around people around his age who did not treat him badly yet willing to push things aside in order to try and give me some form of comfort. While it looked like he really wanted to give me a comforting hug (like he would his mom), I was not going to push him, nor did I feel the need to do that (ever) as all of this was more than appreciated.
Try as I might I could only barely muster up a smile, silently telling them thank you, although they flinched at seeing how much even trying to smile was hurting me especially as it felt like a herculean task to achieve something as simple as that.
Even though it's been years since all that happened, thinking about it still really hurts to this day.
As soon as I felt Inko's handkerchief being positioned on my nose I instinctively knew what to do as I blew into it as hard as I could, twice For both sides, before she gently wiped it and took the cloth away from my nose.
Mostly now able to breathe through it clearly again, I gave her a nod in appreciation before taking a few deep breaths as I could feel Mr. Yagi gently rubbed the surface of my hands with his thumbs as a way to try and sooth me, silently encouraging me to take my time.
Which I was grateful for.
To make the long story short in the aftermath, after my home was demolished I was taken to Uncle Martin's mansion, him sitting in a separate compartment in the limos so he wouldn't have to deal with me crying my eyes out the whole way there, I'm just thankful I stopped crying a little bit before we reached our destination.
Though it was only by chance that I was able to overhear him muttering something about him taking me in because he has no choice and that he couldn't put me in an orphanage even though he wanted to.
Looking back on it The only thing that really made sense was because he was a well-known business tycoon, ruthless as he was, he did everything he could to ensure that the dark deeds of his reputation were kept hidden, and threatened anybody who would even dare to try and reveal it to the public. Myself included. Due to me already being well known around our neighborhood, the neighbors would know that I was abandoned at an orphanage if he decided to do so (Especially as several of those neighbors worked at three of them and always stayed connected so they would know if something came up), and it would look bad on him to the public if word got out that he had a niece who he had abandoned simply because she had been an orphan and literally did nothing wrong to warrant it as there was no proof to try and justify it.
He worked really hard to ensure that nobody actually knew that his hatred towards orphans and the homeless was about as long as East is to the west.
Unfortunately for him, several of his servants were around him when he had gotten the call about the situation, so they knew very well that he was supposed to bring me there, and he knew he couldn't hide that fact even if he wanted to.
He didn't want a huge scandal so he had to swallow his pride (and his disgusted rage) and bring me into his home.
That would not stop him from unleashing his wrath on me in some manner though.
About four times a week he would always have guests over (something that really could not be avoided), usually other business managers from other important departments he did not run or even higher up sometimes, and he knew that trying to keep me in the basement or even in a broom closet was a no-go as some of those people were rather nosy (and as You probably already guessed even they would not stand for such a thing), he begrudgingly put me in a proper bedroom, albeit it was small and simple but for me it was more than enough and definitely better than living in a broom closet or something.
That didn't stop him, however, from making me take mandatory etiquette lessons so that should any of his coworkers ever meet me then I would look like a proper young lady.
At first I was dreading it, but then when I met my instructors It didn't take me long to realize that they were actually nicer than my uncle, and they were very patient with me, And it was very easy to impress them given that I was a fast learner so even if I sometimes made a misstep somewhere, they were so few and far in between that my performance in each of my lessons was nearly flawless.
It also helped that my parents already taught me how to be polite to people, and I always prefer to be genuinely kind to others.
The best part was that I wouldn't have to deal with my uncle during my lessons, so it was just me and my instructors, with the occasional additional student that would come due to something at the last minute or what not.
However, If I made even one misstep in front of my uncle, well, you already know what he did to quote unquote "properly discipline me", not just in his own twisted way of "relieving himself of his frustrations" (but not in a grossly inappropriate manner).
Which sadly for me it was often, even though I did everything right, to him I was nothing but imperfect in every sense. It especially got bad if he had a very rough day on the occasion and he would be sure that none of his staff would bear witness to it, and those would be the days that I would try to avoid him seeing me by sight at all costs to avoid it, knowing that that would trigger him.
Although it didn't take a genius for the servants to become suspicious, especially in hearing a lot of racket he would always make when it comes to my "Punishments".
Though none of them gave any indication that they knew something was up, I did know that they do, Even if they didn't have any evidence, they did put even more effort in showing their kindness towards me and letting me know that if I ever needed anything then I could ask them with no trouble, And I knew in their eyes that they weren't faking it which I appreciated.
And I could tell that they didn't buy my uncle's lies about him just getting into a very bad argument with someone on the phone in his office when I suspiciously wasn't present anywhere else in the house, Not even my room, during that.
The only times I can ever find sanctuary away from my uncle was usually around the times when I knew that I wouldn't have any interaction with him, like during my lessons, around lunch time and occasionally dinner time, when I was cooped up in the library or my bedroom, and when I was at the park with my friends, again they were aware of everything going on but sadly they could do nothing to stop it both because I pleaded them to not step in and the fact that circumstances at the time were very difficult.
I feared for their well-being as well as that of their families, and as much as I wanted them to help, against my uncle alone they would be powerless.
Even though they were glad that I wasn't beaten up 24/7, Just because his punishments weren't always physical didn't mean that the emotional and mental abuse were walks in the park, that didn't change the fact that I was still being treated badly.
Neither of them could do anything even if they wanted to.
And not just because of my uncle's threats alone, nor the fact that because legally he is my uncle (adopted or not) He has full custody of me, nor the fact that he has no choice but to keep me due to his reputation in the eyes of the public.
For Ginger her mother had gotten so busy at work that she hardly ever came home anymore, and the only times she would ever actually be able to be in contact with her mother was either by letters or The occasional phone call, And usually when her mother did come home her attempt to try and spend time with her daughter was mostly spent with her taking care of paperwork, don't get me wrong, her mother loved her very very much and she always felt horrible for allowing work to get in the way with her spending time with her daughter, but She also loved working at her company and she really wanted to make sure that her daughter had everything She could need by making sure that the bills are paid and making sure that her daughter was provided for. Her mother would try to reconnect with her daughter through trips when she did manage to find time to not get swamped with paperwork, like going to a theme park or even going fishing, even if her mother was lacking in learning how to de-stress or even know how to fish properly, or even learning how to paint a picture properly or something like that, but those were the times that Ginger was able to savor anytime with her mother and she knew that she was trying, Which she appreciated Even if it didn't change the fact that she was pretty lonely at home with only a few of their servants to look after her, much like myself.
And Martha, on the other hand, was sadly going through even worse, Not long after my parents demise did her own parents die too, but in a different way. According to her they had a hot lead on a case that they were investigating for some time, and were very close to uncovering everything when without warning they were crushed like ants by a wrecking ball which fell on top of them when they were passing by a construction site, No one fully understood how that even happened in the first place with only a flimsy excuse that the cords holding the wrecking ball had been weakened to the point of eventually fraying, snapping and crushing some unfortunate soul that was in its path, which unfortunately was Martha's parents. Some co-workers from the construction site however say that it was foul play Especially as the crain for said wrecking ball had been moved precariously to have it hanging over the pavement even though it should have been turned into the construction site to avoid any mishaps that may occur as per the rules of construction safety and regulations, but no one could ever find proof of it.
Not only that, but suspiciously immediately after that, the case that her parents were investigating just suddenly vanished, and none of her late parent's co-workers could find the case anywhere, not even the backup copies that they had in case something went wrong were all gone, like they never existed although there was proof of the files being stolen but no one knows who stole it or why.
Even with my suspicions of my uncle being the culprit, again we did not have proof of such a thing being plausible, Even though I had a feeling that that's just what he would do to keep anybody out of his personal business.
Martha didn't want to be put in an orphanage and she had no other family left, and she was fully aware of how bad my mama was treated back when she was young so she decided to move into the park, making her own little hideaway and everything, and thanks to her years of having gone on camping trips with her parents she knew how to survive out in the wilderness even if in just a city park and stay hidden so that police wouldn't take her to the orphanage as the closest one was on the other side of town, Which was far away from where we lived and the last thing she wanted was to leave us both behind.
We were the Three musketeers after all, at that point we had nobody but ourselves to count on.
Especially as times got grim for us, Even with some of the blessings we still had in our lives we knew that we had to keep our guard up as we never knew when another disaster or so would come upon us.
Even if there was really nothing big we could do, just being there for the other was more than enough.
One day it occurred to me that I didn't hear any word of my uncle planning to make funeral preparations for my parents, when I asked him he said there won't be a funeral and that even if there was I wouldn't be invited as I wasn't family, There wouldn't be grave markers either and that I was better off just keeping my trap shut.
That was the first time I ever actually snapped at my uncle as I yelled at him that that was not fair. Especially as Papa was his brother, so surely someone like him would have wanted to have a funeral for his own sibling.
Me telling him that even if Papa despised him he would have still held a funeral for him despite everything he did, and the fact that he wasn't doing the same for his own flesh and blood only made me believe that he didn't love Papa like he claims to, was the straw that brought the camel's back for my abusive relative as that was the first time he ever brought out a whip and whipped me so badly that I was curled up in a ball as my back was screaming in pain.
His voice was filled with venom as he told me to never speak about the subject ever again, and to never say something like that ever again either or else there would be consequences before demanding me to leave his office, which took me a while as I had to crawl painfully on the floor just to reach the door and took all my effort to even reach the doorknob both to exit and to close it behind after.
Even if I wanted to tell the truth to the servants, as far as they knew my uncle vehemently proclaimed that I simply just fell down the stairs and had a bit of dementia that made me believe that my uncle hurt me, even though I knew the actual painful truth.
"And it was from there that he started whipping you whenever something didn't go his way or when he got the tiniest bit sliced." Nezu stated.
Because that was no question, it was a fact to which I nodded to.
I could practically feel everybody wincing around me upon my response.
"It took me a while for the pain to subside enough for me to be able to sneak out of the house to go to the park to meet the girls where I told them everything." I told them, keeping my breath steady as I was trying to push away the thoughts of when the whipping first started as that was the most painful and scariest moment of my life. One of many anyways.
Although I wouldn't be surprised if the others, those who have very keen eyes, had caught wind of my action there.
I mourned and cried in my friend's arms as they held me, comforting me as They did well to be careful in rubbing my back as it was still sensitive from the whiplashing I endured.
What they did for me not long after I calmed down surprised and really touched my heart, the two of them worked hard to create a makeshift gravestone out of a rock that was larger than we were and with a lot of effort carving it so that even though my parents bodies weren't there there would be a gravestone for them, so people would know that they were not to be forgotten.
It was the closest kind of closure I could ask for as we held our own funeral service for them, albeit it wasn't exactly a proper one as we didn't really have everything to do it properly besides having flowers ready and neither of us knew how a proper funeral was done, we did the best we could with what we had and from what we can recall from watching TV.
That was when I paused before looking up and I smiled back at the others as they gave me a smile first.
"They definitely sound like really great friends." Izuku said, His smile though with sadness.
"More than words can describe them." I replied in return.
Again my heart went out to him as I felt a twinge of pain within my own heart, unlike me Izuku had nobody but his mother to count on and the only person his age he ever interacted with was somebody who treated him like dirt, even though Bakugo does get better later on that, it doesn't change the fact that he's still a bully today.
In a way we were similar, we had somebody we could count on to be there for us growing up but at the same time we had somebody who was antagonistic towards us for something that wasn't even our fault, although there were several differences between us as a few of them I can name is that Izuku only had one person to count on (And I knew or at least guessed that he still never told his mother anything about the bullying he goes through despite having her in his life) while I only had two (with James later becoming three and I would always tell them everything, whether it was good or bad), Izuku had a bunch of bullies that were against him while for me I only had two with one being an adult and one being somebody my age (the latter of which I will explain later), Izuku still had his mother who loved him very much even though he doesn't have a dad with him (I will look into what the status was for the absentee dad later) while I had my uncle who unlike Inko hated me as if even breathing the air was a complete waste to him and believed I was better off thrown away, forgotten.
Along with the fact that it didn't take a genius to put two and two together that both of us had to get our wounds patched up repeatedly, although (Guess work here although given the circumstances it would be obvious) for him he had to do it himself so to not worry his mother while on the other hand I had my friends but there was only so much we could do to mend my wounds, especially the ones that got really bloody.
Most of this I can only guess from a lot of fanfiction and AO3 that I read, But a big majority of them gave me enough to really imagine some worst case scenarios that the poor boy was going through. I dread what kind of nightmares I'll face once I look into the reports of just how truly bad people are treated for not having a quirk, IRL compared to stories I've read, with my own eyes.
I really do need to speak to Izuku later, as even though it's kind of too late for me I know that there's still time to help him to get help before things get even worse than they already were.
Appropriately I frowned not only for Izuku but also at what I was going to say next as I once again cast my head down in sadness.
Although upon reaching home after spending a few hours in the park, I knew things were about to escalate.
Then one day he decided for once to come to one of my lessons and observe himself at all that was going on.
He claimed that I was doing everything wrong even though I did everything precisely as the instructor told me. And made me repeat the lessons again and again to the point where my ankles were starting to ache, getting to the point where he and my instructor, who was there for my dance lessons, started arguing to the point of it turning into a shouting match practically.
They would have gotten into a fist fight if my uncle hadn't gotten a call which pulled him away at that moment. Once we were alone, my dance teacher, Austin, had asked me point blank if my uncle had been giving me trouble as of late to which I only nodded in response As I couldn't trust my voice.
He was the first adult I've known who decided to try and defy my uncle as he promised that he would do everything he could to help, To which I pleaded to him to be careful as I didn't want him to get hurt or worse in the process, Which he told me in return that he would do all he could to cover his tracks and to keep on his toes.
He was one of the few adults I knew who was as perceptive as a detective as he saw all the signs of child abuse.
However he wasn't able to keep his promise, about a week after that he suddenly went missing without warning.
It was only that night before going to bed that I looked out the window by chance... only to see to my horror that it was Austin, dead, having been shot in the head, being dragged away and being buried very deep and thoroughly in the ground by some shady looking guys that I believe were hired by my uncle to kill him and hide the evidence...
..Because he took pride in the appearance of his prize winning garden, because it looked so absolutely pristine beyond measure, nobody would ever even suspect that there's actually something literally buried underneath that had untold horrors waiting to be unearthed...
...I wisely said nothing knowing that nothing needed to be said at his silent warning of me to not speak a word about anything I might have seen...
The very next morning I got a brand new instructor, sure he was a bit strict but he was definitely not heartless, which was a relief but It didn't stop my growing fear of anybody getting caught in the crossfire after having seen what I saw that night.
... Only the servants were suspicious of him suddenly getting me a new instructor out of nowhere just after my last instructor vanished, seemingly unbothered by the fact that there was no trace of him to be found...
... And the cycle just repeated itself...
... If my uncle decided to occasionally attend one of my lessons, he would again go into a tirade that I didn't do anything right and get into an argument with the instructor, unlike Austin it took a while for the others to realize that something was up but I pleaded for them not to get involved as I didn't want them to die just like him...
... And it always pained me when nobody listened...
...They would tell me (repeatedly) that what he was doing was not okay and promised me that they would make sure he regretted everything... only to meet an early grave themselves... They themselves "mysteriously went missing" without warning to the public eye... only I alone knew what actually happened to them...
... Every night upon the same day they would turn out missing would I be there at that same window to watch those men bury a body as my own way of giving them a silent tearful goodbye and sorry for not being able to save them from their fate, even though the dead could not hear me... Even if it scarred me for life, it was my own way of punishing myself for not being strong enough to save them just as I had not been able to save my own parents...
... I would get a brand new instructor the very next day for each of my lessons whenever there was a vacancy, All the while my uncle would casually brush off any questions the servants would ask him on why I would suddenly get a new instructor instantly instead of just waiting a bit before doing so and maybe even ask about the missing people, I was just glad that even though some of the past instructors I had were strict they were otherwise still nice which was more than enough and even though it hurt knowing that they were willing to defy him when they realized something was not right with him was both touching and heartbreaking as some days I would rather prefer they didn't know so they wouldn't meet the same fate like the others...
...It was because of my uncle that I started dreading my lessons as I would become nervous, fearing that he would suddenly pop up out of nowhere and attend my lessons only for the cycle to repeat itself again...
...To this day I still remember all the faces of every instructor that I had that were killed by him or his men for trying to help me, Austin, Judy, Maisy, Edgar, Oswald, Jordan, Louise, Leo, Paula, Tammy, Wyatt, Heidi, Wendell, Henrietta, Wilson, Aaron, Luke, Mira, Maria, Justin, Jacob, Edward, Larry and Wally... at some point after my 5th instructor was killed my friends and I work to make another grave marker solely for all the instructors who were killed as a new name would be carved into it every time another died and the three of us being helpless to stop it as we knew that he wouldn't hesitate to do harm to children either...
Any nightmares I would have would always be dealt with by going to my friends as only they knew of my internal torment, despair and it would always be written down as a way to try and cope...
If it was his own sick twisted way to firmly get the message across that if I spoke of anything, Even if I literally said nothing, then things would only get worse than they already were, whether intentionally or not, then the message was heard loud and clear.
Although I'm grateful that my friends were able to keep themselves safe and keep the fact that they knew everything a secret from everyone, yet some days I often feared that the other shoe would drop eventually.
It took me years to learn how to mask my emotions to try and cover up how I actually felt although around my friends I was free to express however I wanted and whenever I was alone as well. And it took me years also to, although against my will more often than not because of you know who, develop a high pain tolerance, sure I still felt some pain but... well I need not say.
... It was only when I turned 10 years old that everything changed again, For worse before the better and yet the worse again...
I stopped briefly as I noticed that Mr. Yagi's hands, that were still holding mine, were trembling, trying not to clench them, as I could practically feel radiating rage coming off of him.
Actually now that I think about it, it's like I can literally feel that rage coming off of him.
And not just him but from the others as I could feel that they were equal parts horrified as they were enraged.
Though only Miss Kayama, Who had long finished unbraiding the rest of my hair and was now gently combing it with a brush to get out the tangles and debris, trying to be careful not to cause me anymore pain than I already was in, who asked with grave hesitation, "... What happened...?"
My efforts were in vain in trying to suppress a shutter from my windpipe as I sighed sadly.
This next part wasn't going to be easy, But I knew I had to say it, because not only was it tied to my past... But Uncle Martin was also the reason why I desperately sought after having a normal school life again.
Just before I could say anything though, I noticed, without looking up as my eyes were still looking at my hands Which were still in Mr. Yagi's own, that Inko approached him silently gestured for her to take over for him, whether it was to comfort me as well or to ensure that he wouldn't accidentally hurt me (without meaning to), or both, I could only guess it was both.
Just by his hands alone I could tell he was hesitant, I don't blame him.
Besides... I think for the time being it might be helpful.
Looking up I gave him, who noticed this, a sad but still assured smile, nodding, telling him it was fine.
He stared for a moment before he returned it as Mr. Yagi released my hands from his own before trading to Inko, whose hands were a bit smaller than mine, as she held them with that sure fire gentleness that I always believed and now knew fully firsthand (Even through this alone) that she had.
She smiled at me, encouraging me, which I appreciated, I smiled back at her, but... the more I stared at her the more I thought of Martha...
Poor, poor Martha...
Despite being stronger and braver than us, at the end of the day she wore her own heart on her sleeve, as she was just as kind, and easy to cry at the drop of a hat, like Inko and her son...
And just like that, my tears began anew as my smile quickly morphed into a frown, casting my head down once more, but not before seeing Inko's expression morphing into concern as my forehead was now touching the face of my hands.
For I knew that The second Band-Aid had to come off eventually as what I would say next would be just as grim, if not more so.
Stay tuned for part 2!!