Sunday, unlike the rest of the week, Sensei gives us the day off to rest.

Which, in other words, means it's utterly boring.

I sigh and stare at the bedroom ceiling, not really sure what to do.

You could call Kagura. You did promise.

I grimace.

After nearly two months? I'd rather not. I know exactly how that conversation is gonna go.

"Really Hellspawn! Where the hell have you been?"

"Maybe tomorrow," I mumble.

You could text Mineta.

I swallow, not lifting my phone.

What would I even say? Hey, I miss you.

He doesn't want to hear that. Why would he even want to talk to you? You're the reason he has a concussion anyways. If you weren't idiotic enough to get captured, he would still be here.

I breathe deeply.

Kaito…

I scowl and run my fingers through my hair, wishing they were Sensei's. Unfortunately, he'd left early to meet with Vlad about some sort of training exercise tomorrow. I swipe through my contacts and pause.

What about Ryu?

I stare at my phone, breath catching in my throat.

Sensei said…

I shove away any thought of Sensei and breathe deeply. Ryu would know. He always knew what Kaito was thinking. They'd been closest out of everyone.

And maybe...

Maybe he'd have answers...

I purposely don't think of the hidden folder.

You don't have his number.

I scowl and pull up the internet, typing in "Hoki Ryu" with shaking fingers. There aren't nearly as many results as there'd been for Kaito. No news reports or vicious articles. Mostly just a random collection of pages. The National Quirkless Database – NQD – appears halfway down the screen, and I click on it half-hoping.

The resulting list is exhausting, with the results at the top estimating over 700,000 names.

I sag.

There's no way I'll ever find him in that.

I click the sort button and set the last name to Hoki, the prefecture to sector 10, and the date to today. My breath snags as I hit sort, waiting with a nervous drum of my fingers for the results.

10.

My heart hammers in my chest as I scroll down the list.

Hoki Sora

Hoki Yokuto (incarcerated)

And that's it.

I frown at the end, returning back to the top to experimentally broaden the search. Maybe providences in case he moved? The screen blanks, a small spinning dial appearing for a moment before the results appear below again. 14 hits. My mouth dries as Hoki Kaito appears. But... But still only three names.

Something thick and tight rises in my throat.

The only names missing...

Ryu and Mama.

Probable cause: heart attack

I expand it further, selecting all. Even with 80 Hoki to look through, Ryu and Mama still aren't there.

Mama-

Pronounced dead-

I close the internet and pull up Shinsou's number.

Why would someone not show up in a database?

The check icon appears almost instantly. I stare at it as I wait.

I dunno… What kind of database? I mean, I guess they wouldn't if they changed their name right?

Like marriage? I type, ignoring the rest of his questions. Mama could have gotten married. Or moved countries. Or- Or

I knit my brows at the strange buzzing energy beneath my skin.

The emoji that appears next gives me an unnecessarily squinty look.

I send a grouchy-faced one back, annoyed with the wait.

These questions are weird, Hoki.

If you don't know just admit it¸ I respond immediately, scowling at the phone.

What do you mean, if I don't know?! Dude, people change their names all the time! Yes, like married, or if they don't like their parents, or get adopted or something. Why do I feel like you're up to no good? What are you doing?

Rude, I text, before switching back over..

I stare darkly at the filters, considering my next move.

After a moment, I change the location back to sector 10 and move the date to six years ago, the last year we were together. The screen blanks and my stomach clenches when 16 results appear.

Hoki Ishi

Hoki Kaito

Hoki Ryuichi

Hoki Sora

Hoki Yokuto

I still at my mother's name, feeling something cold and sharp ache inside me.

Mama…

I change the filter and move the date forward a year. The results remain the same, a little italic appearing beside Daddy's name. Incarceration. I move it forward again, twice more, all the same. And again - I frown.

They're gone.

Three years ago...

Something about that...

Something Sensei says wiggles in my mind.

We learned that Kaito was involved with dangerous people to the last of their knowledge, but none of them have been in touch for the past three years.

My phone rattles as Shinsou sends a third or fourth text and I reluctantly switch over.

"What?" I sneer, staring down at the screen.

Really?

Oi, are you ignoring me?

I can't help but laugh at the narrow-eyed selfie Shinsou sends from his bed.

I immediately pull up my camera and send one back, sticking out my tongue and wrinkling my nose.

A little check appearing almost instantly.

Sorry, I type back a moment later. I was reading.

About changing names? Seriously? It's Sunday. Aren't you supposed to be hanging out with your classmates?

No! I type back instantly, wrinkling my nose. Sensei said today was our off day, which means no mandatory bonding.

…

You're bored, aren't you?

I flush and send him an angry face emoji.

No! I'm busy!

Oh, so you don't want to hang out later?

I sit up in excitement, nearly squealing. With everything, I hadn't seen him more than just in passing all week.

Yes! Yes, we should hang out! I can make time!

LOL, he writes back, and I know he's laughing at me. A moment later, my phone vibrates with another message.

That means you can't get grounded, so stay out of trouble.

I smile, chest warming, and send him a quick, Okay!

Backing out of the messages, I open the ones from Guardian.

Can Shinsou come over tonight? For like dinner or something? Can I cook?

The message is instantly read, but I don't hold my breath for a reply. He's terrible about responding to anything not essential as he'd call it. Instead, I switch back to the database and scratch my chin, the excitement at spending the afternoon with Shinsou still warm in my chest.

"Maybe you changed your name," I mumble, deleting out Hoki and keeping the date and prefecture. I can't search by first names, so instead, I leave it blank, wondering how many quirkless people really live in the area anyway.

I hit filter and sigh at the 32 pages of results.

Scrolling down each one is annoying, especially once I realize just how many Ryu's are quirkless. By the C's, it loses most of my interest. By the K's, I'm bored. By the time I get to the end, I'm certain that Ryu either left the country or changed his name and moved.

Without anything else to do, I switch it to our sector and hit search again. 14 pages of results. I blink in surprise.

"Why are there so many less quirkless people here?"

I furrow my eyebrows and swipe through the results, eyes scanning as rows and rows of words pass. There are even fewer Ryu's here, most of the quirkless people being over 50 and 60. I stop looking at the name and really just check through the ages, switching from page to page as the random few younger people catch my eye. A five-year-old named Aino. A fifteen-year-old named Kiyomi.

So I'm completely unprepared when, in the M's, Midoriya shows up.

Midoriya Izuku. 13.

I have to read it twice.

"What the…"

I click his name, ignoring Sensei's text buzzing through my phone, and stare at the city of residence - Mustafu, Japan.

What?

"Maybe it's a mistake," I mumble, backing out and scrolling up to the filter. The date. Maybe it's just a mistake.

I change it to current and type in Midoriya in the search bar.

No results.

I scowl.

What is wrong with this website?

I pull up the filter and hit the date, backing it up to two years ago.

1 result.

Midoriya Izuku. 13.

I change the date to last year.

1 result.

Midoriya Izuku. 14.

I switch it to current and scowl.

0 results.

"What the fuck."

.

.

.

I wander around the apartment, socks sliding on smooth wooden floors as my mind whirls a million miles a minute. Midoriya Izuku, age 14, quirkless. Midoriya Izuku, age 15, not. Three years ago, Hoki Ishi and Hoki Ryu were quirkless. Now, they're gone.

Why?

What did any of this even mean?

Did they... Did they get quirks?

Did Midoriya?

Midoriya had a quirk. I'd seen it. No ordinary person could catch someone falling from a cliff-side. And I'd seen him at practice, destroying fingers as he exploded power. But nobody gets quirks at 14. Mine had shown up at three.

I pull out my phone.

What's the latest someone gets their quirk?

The answer appears near instantly. Usually around five or six, though some rare cases have appeared at eight or nine.

I snarl and shove the phone back into my pocket.

Just go ask.

I don't bother with shoes. Nobody wore them in the lobby anyways. Instead, I shove open the door and leave, that strange energy buzzing just under my skin.

What did it mean?

I shuffle into the lobby, the feeling so habitual now that I don't even really think about it. My eyes scan the room, taking in Momo reading on a couch, Kirishima and Sero playing the game system, and the quiet sound of chopping in the kitchen. Only Bakugou and Muscles—Sato, could cook food quietly, so it was probably one of them.

No Midoriya in sight.

"Hey Rin-chan!" Kirishima calls distractedly, twitching as he leans left and then right, clearly focused on the game. Beside him, Sero does the same, his own muted hello following after a distinct pause.

"Hi," I mumble, lost in thought.

Do I go to his room? Would that be weird? Do I ask? Do I text him?

When you have something important to say, you say it in person.

"No texting," I grumble as I cross my arms and scowl.

"Huh? You say something?" Sero asks, leaning forward and making a face at the tv. His character, a blue ninja-like figure, jumps around the screen as a red one chases after him, shooting red bolts of power and doing an unrealistic number of kicks.

"Have you seen Midoriya-kun?"

"Uh… Yeah, I think he went out with All Might."

I breathe deeply and let out a loud puff of air angrily. Of course, he did.

"Damn."

Sero and Kirishima both twitch, before Kirishima lets out an excited yell as he manages to win the match. He grins widely and Sero makes a face before turning to me with a raised eyebrow.

"So you and Midoriya a thing?" he asks suggestively.

I blink.

"A what?" I repeat, eyebrows furrowing. "What do you mean a thing? What kind of thing?"

Kirishima flushes and laughs.

"Ignore him," the redhead says, leaning against the back of the couch. "You need help or something?"

I take another deep breath and sigh.

"No. Yes. I'm just… I had a question."

Kirishima nods, scratching his chin.

"I mean, I dunno when he'll be back, but you can hang out with us while you wait," he suggests gesturing towards a spot between them on the couch. Sero nods and I consider it for a moment before shrugging.

"Okay."

Neither boy seems particularly prepared when I drop between them, but I ignore it. Pulling my knees to my chest, I lean into Kirishima's warmth. He makes an almost strangled noise, reddening.

"Did you want to play?" Sero asks his grin extra wide. I have no idea why.

"No thank you," I mumble. "I don't know how."

"You could learn," he offers, but I shake my head. With so many thoughts swirling through my head, I doubt I'd be able to concentrate.

Mama. Ryu.

Can quirks just appear?

I remember the doctor's drug, the way it swam through my system and dulled all my senses. The way my shadows and quirk wouldn't come.

Could it be like that, but opposite?

The two seem to accept my silence and start up another game. As they play, I can't help but relax. Their chatter chasing away my circling thoughts and their game drawing my attention. The blast of lights distract me again and again. I can't help but frown as their characters do nearly impossible feats of martial arts.

After another round, this time with Sero the winner, I can't help but blink when a controller is shoved in my hand.

"You try!" Kirishima says.

I make a face.

"I… I don't know how to play."

"I'll go easy on yah," Sero says and I scowl at him, eye twitching. My stomach twists as the rising desire to win replaces my confusion. I snatch the controller closer.

If we were really sparring, you wouldn't.

"What are the buttons?" I growl, turning immediately to Red.

He laughs.

"Hell yeah! That's the spirit!" he shouts, pumping a fist in the air.

It takes several minutes for him to explain them and a few more for me to get used to moving the controller. But when the game starts, I don't hesitate. Hesitating gets you killed. I rush forward, my person a flurry of movement as he charges.

"Hah! You play just like you fight in real life," Sero laughs, jumping over me and falling behind.

I glower and push the person to crouch, letting his ridiculous looking kick fly over the head before jumping up and crashing into his head.

He shouts, falls over, and I manage three quick stomps, stealing a good fourth of his health bar before he jumps up and kicks me across the screen. I shake out my hand and race back, accidentally kicking instead of punching. He was expecting the punch, so it hits, and I slam the button four or five times before jumping back at the last second.

The red bar shrinks further.

"Damn, Rin-chan! Is there anything you're not good at?" Kirishima cheers. "You're making him go all out and this is only your first time!"

I can barely focus on him and the screen at the same time. Sero's coming at me again, jumping high and throwing out blasts of power.

I don't remember how to block.

I race forward.

"Yes," I tell him distractedly. "People, math, emotions, not being weird, words…"

Sero jerks, eyes wide, and I take advantage of the distraction. I find a way right below him and watching him fall and kick him back up. I catch him in a weird cycle—one, two, three, four-

"K.O.!" shouts the television, and I drop the controller with sweaty, shaking hands. My legs bounce and my fingers twitch. I feel like one massive wad of energy, like if I take one more round I might just combust.

I all-but shove the controller back at Kirishima, jerking to a stand.

"I… I should go."

Both boys watch wide-eyed as I jump up and pace, taking the space behind the couch again. Unable to go outside in my socks and unwilling to go back to my room, I slip into the kitchen and shove myself against the wall, heart pounding.

What are you doing?

I gasp for breath, feeling like electricity is running under my skin.

Is this how Kaminari feels? How can he stand it?

"You better not be about to fucking cry."

I twitch at the familiar voice, eyes sliding to the blonde boy dressed in simple shorts and a t-shirt. With a skillet in hand he scowls in my direction.

Bakugou.

I wrinkle my nose in annoyance.

"I-I'm not!"

Then I still, remembering Midoriya's words.

Kaa-chan.

Weren't they childhood friends?

"I… I just feel… uh… jittery."

I hate the stupid look he gives me as he turns around, the dismissive nature of it. As if… As if I were some weird bug that he didn't have time for.

"Whatever."

I scowl, the electricity still rolling through my system sparking brightly.

Igniting like live wires.

"So... Kaa-chan," I drawl, tasting the word experimentally on my tongue. Boldly. By the way he stiffens immediately, I can tell it hits a nerve. Good. He turns his head back slowly, twitching as his lips pulling back in a sneer.

The name feels like power.

I can't help my own ugly joy in the face of it.

"The fuck did you just call me Emo-bitch?" he snarls.

"Kaa-chan," I repeat, smoke twisting like dark vapor as it curls from my pores. "You were friends with him—with Midoriya, weren't you?"

"The fuck are you- No! I wasn't stupid Deku's friend! Stupid-"

"But he knows your mother," I interrupt, glaring. The glint in his eye is dangerous as he moves, dragging a sizzling skillet from the eye. He turns it off with a click, hands twisting almost immediately to his side.

He bars his teeth a warning in a vicious warning I refuse to heed.

"Yeah? So what. That doesn't mean we were fucking friends. F-"

"So you knew he was quirkless?"

For a moment...

For a moment he looks furious. Crimson eyes burning brighter than any flame, arms shaking under pressure, veins throbbing.

He knows.

I can see the truth of it in every angry line of his body.

Then, I can see him swallow it.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," he growls, turning back to his food with a snap, shoulders rigid with tension. "So fuck off, I'm eating."

.

.

.

There's something going on.

I don't know if it's a conspiracy or some sort of stupid hidden truth like- like All Might. Liar. But I don't like it. I may have been stupid the first time, but I refuse to fall for it all again.

Dragging myself back to our apartment, I don't hesitate. I drop my phone on the table, stomp towards Sensei's room, and immediately open up his closet. It's as boring and bland as last time. Dark uniforms hung in the corner, a capture weapon wound on the built-in dresser, the picture from Shinsou's phone still stashed away.

Except, the pile of folders is gone.

I glare.

He moved them?

Looking at the dresser, I debate the pros and cons of searching through them.

Really?

That was like asking for a beating. Yui-san would have-

He's not Yui-san.

The weird energy under my skin sparks dangerously.

I lean from foot to foot, hands working quickly at my shirt.

I'm not going through Sensei's drawers.

Disgusted, I turn and study his bed. Simple, plain, with dark sheets and no actual headboard. Maybe it's under there? Dropping to my hands and knees, I look under. It's bare like everything else in this stupid room. Shoving myself up, I search his desk next.

Empty.

"Damn it!" I scowl, jerking open the desk drawer with a sharp shock.

The front opens to a handful of pens, scissors, and a single roll of tape. I scowl and shove it back, dragging a hand against my braided hair.

What to do...

I scowl.

Mama and Ryu missing, now Midoriya quirkless.

I drag myself from Sensei's room sourly, pulling the door shut unnecessarily hard behind me. Then, plopping on the couch, I resign myself to the stupid wait for Sensei to return.

.

.

.

By the time Sensei gets home, I'm practically vibrating, perched on the edge of the couch as he unlocks the door.

"Sensei!"

"Ah… Rin?"

"We- We need to talk!"

He blinks in the doorway and gives me a weird look, dark hair loose around his face and one hand stuffed in his pocket. It's a stupid look, like he just woke up from a nap and couldn't be bothered to even comb out his hair. I almost want to go tie his hair back for him, annoyed at the way it hangs in his eyes.

Isn't that irritating?

Shutting the door behind him, he raises an eyebrow.

"Alright."

Of the thousand ways I'd imagined this conversation to go, this wasn't it.

I squint suspiciously.

"Wait... for real?"

He smirks, pocketing his keys.

"That's fine. By the way, what's up with the hair?"

My... hair?

"Huh?" I scowl, brows furrowing. This wasn't going any way I was expecting. Reluctantly, I pull out my phone -This better not be a prank- and click on the camera.

I blink at the image staring back at me.

Dark baby hairs loosened throughout the day stand at full attention, sticking straight up all over my head. Like...

Almost like static!

"Your quirk?"

"Obviously," I sneer.

"Excuse me?"

Sensei stares, but I ignore him. What could-

The strange feeling?

I had been feeling... I had no idea how to name it.

Wiggly?

Electric?

"Which emotion do you think it is?" Sensei asks after a moment. Absent-mindedly scratching at his face, he seems to debate with himself before heading towards his room. Likely to change.

"How should I know?" I scowl. "I didn't even know it was floating."

He stops mid-step.

"Rin," he says sharply, a warning clear as his voice drops dangerously. "I don't know what has you so worked up, but I suggest you breathe. One more rude comment and you'll be writing essays."

"I- Seriously?" I grumble under my breath, and when his expression doesn't change, I scowl and cross my arms. "I… I haven't done anything! I've just been waiting for you forever, okay? Jeez!"

"The attitude is the problem here," he says, voice dropping dangerously. "This is your warning."

I breathe deeply, eyes narrowing back.

"Do you need to go now?" he asks.

"No."

"What did you do that got you so worked up?"

"Research," I tell him, sour. He pauses from unravelling the capture weapon around his neck and gives me a strange look.

"Research?" he asks, sounding oddly bewildered. "Research into what?"

I glare.

He stares back equally, unmoved. Like he doesn't have a file of information hidden away.

My information.

Mama...

Pronounced dead February 23

Probable cause: heart attack

The energy beneath my skin charges dangerously.

"Research into what?" he repeats, removing the capture weapon and dropping it heavily on the counter. I twitch as his full attention falls on me. "What is this about-"

"Ryu!" I snap, patient evaporating. My hairs stand on end as I all but vibrate, remembering the way their names had disappeared. "You- You're hiding things! About... About Mama and Ryu and- and Midoriya!"

He frowns.

"Five minutes."

"Are you fucking serious?"

I close my mouth and let loose a muffled scream. Reaching to the back of the couch, I snag the blanket, unravel it into a giant mess and coccoon myself angrily.

Sensei sighs.

Then, collecting his capture weapon, disappears into his room.

I sit under my pile and glower.

Stupid Sensei.

By the time the five minutes are up, the strange energy is gone.

Sensei, dressed in all black, also returns.

"Do you not own any other color?" I scowl from my pile.

Sensei, still frowning, narrows his eyes.

"Do you need more time?"

"No," I answer shortly, dragging myself out from the blanket and letting it pool around my shoulders. "You promised to talk."

"I did," he says flatly, moving to the kitchen immediately. "And you can start with how and why you were researching your brother."

I glare.

"No."

Sensei, who had moved to wash his hands, stills.

He shuts the water off with a click. In seconds he's in front of the couch, squatting at eye level, his dark gaze meeting mine squarely. Close enough I can smell his detergent. Close enough I can see the dull red veins in his eyes.

"Do you need a reminder of the house rules?"

I open my mouth, and close it right after.

"No," I manage.

"Then what is your problem?" he says, voice dropping dangerously. "I left this morning and you were fine. Do you need a sitter? Can you not entertain yourself for two hours without working yourself up?"

I splutter.

"W-What- I- N- No!"

"Then explain to me why you're in this mood," he snaps. "Now."

In the face of Sensei's annoyance, I cringe.

"Ah..."

"Words," he says sourly.

It's the last straw.

"I'm- I'm tired of the secrets!" I finally snap, eyes blurring. "I'm- I'm tired of not knowing anything! I hate it! I- I hate Kaito! How could he? He killed them. He's- Asp is my fucking brother! He killed all those people and- and it doesn't make any sense! And I don't understand! And I- I just wanted to call Ryu. I just wanted to ask him why, but he's not there! He's not there and Mama's not there and Midoriya fucking is and- and-"

I choke on the emotions, words running dry, and let out a frustrated sob.

Sensei, frowning, reaches out.

Hand curling against my head, I press into it fervently.

"It- It- It- It's not fair!" I snarl, scrubbing at my eyes. Something hollow opening in my chest. "Why- Why couldn't it be anyone else? Why- Why Kaito? "

Why not anyone else?

Ryu or Sora or even Mama I could understand.

"H-H-He-"

But Kaito?

Sensei sighs.

"Rin..." The arm on my head pulls, and I tumble helplessly into him. Head pressed again the fabric on his chest, fingers curling into the thick material. His arms wrap around me loosely, comforting in a way that aches.

"He loved me," I whisper into Sensei's chest, snot intermingling with tears. "He was- He was the only one-"

"Rin," Sensei says, voice low and gravelled, sounding more tired than I can remember. Twisting, he pulls me with him, adjusting us both effortlessly until were sitting on the floor. "Stop. Breathe."

I suck in a raspy breath and sob.

"Your brother is sick," Sensei says, hands steady as they sweep through my hair. "And he isn't the only one that cares."

"They didn't try!" I snarl, eyes squeezing shut. "I- I wrote them daily! They didn't- They didn't even- try or contact or get me-"

An arm squeezes me closer.

"They wouldn't have been able to," he says softly.

Sucking in another raspy breath, I push away. Sensei lets me, staring back seriously.

"W-What?" I manage. "W-Why?"

"There are laws against it," he says flatly. "Nearly thirty years ago, a quirkless couple tried to raise a child with a fire-quirk. The kid had a tantrum and ended up severely burning both parents, hospitalizing them. The child ended up later becoming a powerful villain, and a lot of people blamed his childhood. It caused a rise in anti-quirkless sentiment, which later led to quite a few poorly done studies."

The familiar baritone of his voice soothes as much as his hand, and when he pauses, I sniffle and catch my breath.

"Wh-What happened?"

"The studies, despite their extreme bias and poor methodology, showed children raised by parents without quirks were more likely to end up in the criminal system, have mental health problems, and be unproductive members of society."

I think of my brothers. Of Ryu who had been in fights constantly, of Kaito who had become a villain, and Sora who was now drinking.

Sensei's thumb moves under my eye and I look up when it swipes away the tears there.

"T-They were right."

"They were not," he says, his rough thumb swiping beneath the other eye. "They measured a rapidly declining population and compared it against an exponentially increasing one. They didn't take into consideration the financial, emotional, and psychological constraints a person without a quirk would face."

Constraints...

"You mean discrimination," I say quietly.

"Yes," he says, nodding. "The laws enacted from those studies made it impossible for anyone without a quirk that had a criminal record or lacked a job to be able to apply to have you returned. Your mother would need to either remarry or amass a ridiculous sum in order to prove her own financially stability."

"Wh-What about my brothers?"

"There are so few quirkless children, that the general practice is to return them if a relative can show financial stability. A person's criminal history is generally not taken into account. Ryu managed to get custody of Kaito approximately three months before things fell apart."

Fell apart.

Pronounced dead February 23.

Probable cause: heart attack

My stomach drops.

"She... She's really gone," I whisper, looking down at my hands. "Mama."

It... It should probably hurt.

What does it mean that it doesn't?

Is this why they didn't want me?

Is... Is something wrong with me?

"You went through my files."

There's something strange, almost pained in his tone.

I don't know what to say.

Shoulders slumping, I don't meet his eye.

"Ah." He sigh, shifting again as he leans heavily back. I glance up to see his head fall backwards, the hairs under his chin wiry and sparse. The dark waves of his hair scattered across the cushion. "This wasn't how I intended for you to find out."

Sighing, I lean with him.

Safe.

Warm.

"I'm sorry."

I just don't know if its directed at him or Mama more.