Ultimately, I decide not to take the medicine.
I'm not really sure why Sensei even bothers letting me decide, it's hardly a decision at all.
My brother's out there somewhere, lurking and waiting, fully prepared to kill me, my classmates—my family, and the idea of being weak—of being quirkless again… Well, it's not an option. It can't be. I promised.
Hellspawn…
I stare up at the blue, cloudless sky with soft grass beneath my head and sigh. Wisps of silver vapor rise around me, swirling in the light breeze, and trees rattle along the path. I should probably be at home, I hadn't even started on my English and Sensei had asked me to clean Miska's litterbox before he left, but I couldn't stop thinking. And I'd learned quickly this week that thoughts like that should be considered outside under the sun or with the window wide open.
But the sun was so comfortable, and the breeze so nice…
It kinda reminds me of the large field one of the old homes used to have. Thick grasses and hills with yellow and purple wildflowers dotting the tall grass.
"Hoki-chan? Are you okay?"
I glance over, blinking slowly. Iida, dressed in his usual jogging gear, slows significantly from his run, expression caught in something between surprise and concern. Considering I'm just laying in the grass smoking, I don't exactly blame him.
"It's my quirk," I shrug, before closing my eyes. I cover a large yawn and stretch, the sweet scent of grass mingling with the flowering bushes only a few meters away.
It's… nice.
When I don't hear the sound of retreating footsteps, I crack open one eye. Iida's still standing there, a sort of goofy look on his face as if he's trying to figure out what it means. Apparently, this was a new thing. I'm pretty sure Toru was behind it, though I'd caught Midoriya and Kaminari both watching me funny.
My classmates are so weird.
"It's thinking," I share, shaking out my shirt to release some of the trapped vapors. A small cloud of silver rises up, forming some abstract swirl before dispersing. I wonder if I could make cloud shapes with it?
Iida doesn't immediately move on, and I nearly roll my eyes.
"I'm fine," I huff, concentrating for a moment to make the steam chill. It won't last long, ever since playing with my quirk, everything had started slipping out. Maybe I broke it. I wave him away before resuming my moment.
After a second, he wanders off, the sound of his quick paces padding off until he's gone.
I stay a little longer, eyes drifting shut.
.
.
.
Dinner is chicken and vegetables. As usual, it's the same chopped-up type of chicken and the usual frozen bag of vegetables.
"Sensei, the grocery store has other types of food," I complain as I push around the same, seasoned food we've eaten for months. "They have fish and pork and beef and tofu-"
"Obviously, Rin," he deadpans before taking a bite of his food. "If you want something different, ask."
"Alright. Can we, I dunno, like eat something different? Daily?" I ask, making his bored expression right back.
He raises an eyebrow.
"Tone."
"Yes, sir," I snap in agreement, spine straightening as I salute him with a smirk. His eye twitches as he takes another bite. "Permission to speak, sir?"
"Do you need to run laps?" he asks, sourly.
"Or we could spar!" I suggest hopefully.
He snorts, shaking his head.
"Sure," he says, and I grin in triumph. He sips from his glass and smirks. "As soon as you finish your homework."
I slump. I'd stayed out all afternoon on accident and awoken to Mina excitedly pouncing on my chest.
"Sensei…"
"Next time don't procrastinate," he says annoyingly smug. "And you'll need to make a grocery list if you want other food. We'll finish what's in the fridge and I can go shopping tomorrow after my rounds."
I pause, eyebrows furrowing.
"Again? That's three nights in a row."
He gives me a weird look.
"Yes, Rin."
"But it's a school night," I argue, brows furrowing. I make a face and look at him expectantly, waiting for the punchline to the joke that just doesn't come.
When was he going to sleep?
"I'm aware," he says dryly.
I frown, arms crossing.
"But… why?" I ask, narrowed eyes. "Do you have any more this week?"
He sets down his utensils and frowns back.
"Rin-"
Whatever he intends to say, however, is cut off.
"Fat Gum calling. Fat Gum calling."
I blink at the very strange ringtone.
"Fat… Gum?" I repeat, wrinkling my nose. "What kind of name-"
"I need to take this," he says, ignoring me as he stands. In seconds, he snaps from guardian to hero, his phone against his ear as his baritone voice rings out across the room. "Eraserhead speaking."
I pull out my phone and pull up a search.
Fat Gum.
The hero that appears is large. Incredibly large, wearing a strange yellow hoodie with no neck and mask across his eyes and black pants. His description, the BMI hero Fatgum, ranks him at 58 on the hero charts and-
And-
And he's 250 centimeters.
My jaw drops.
That's… That's bigger than All Might!
I stare at my phone in shock.
"Damn!"
Sensei, still across the table, snaps his head towards me and glares.
"Rin," he growls.
I twist the phone and point, wide-eyed.
"B-But look! Sensei, he's huge!" I gasp, not understanding how he can even be this calm. He must be massive! "He's- He's bigger than All Might! Look!"
He makes a face.
"Rin- Hold on Fatgum, Rin don't-"
He pauses at whatever the hero says and twitches.
I quickly rise, clambering around the table curiously.
"-you and Joke? How old is she? I bet she's adorable! Does she have your quirk? And dude, you didn't even mention her-"
I don't know whether to scowl or blush.
Sensei glares.
"She's fifteen," he grumbles, jaw clenching. "And about to be grounded. Go sit down."
I scoff.
"For what? Being too close?" I ask snidely.
"Fifteen?" the man on the other side of the phone squawks. "Aren't you like thirty? Eraser, what the hell? You had her at fifteen-"
We both twitch.
"He's an idiot," I decide, face burning. The idea of Sensei having a kid at fifteen… That was almost worse than suggesting that- that… clown was my mother.
Sensei, pink-cheeked, obviously agrees.
"Rin, go sit down," he huffs, pointing towards my seat. I move reluctantly, even as he steps away, and returns to his conversation. "Fatgum, why are you calling?"
"Oh… yeah, about that… eh, well, I needed to let you know they're bringing both boys to the hospital. We had a moment, and well, Red Riot's seems overall okay, a little roughed up but nothing major-"
Whatever else he has to say is lost as Sensei walks towards his room.
I slump in my seat and glare at the bland food.
Rude.
.
.
.
By the time Sensei finally gets off the phone, his food is cold, the dishes are cleaned, and he's dressed in his hero uniform instead of the black sweats he walked off in.
My stomach drops at his pinched expression.
"Sensei?"
He sighs and gestures to the couch, taking up his customary end and waiting as I stop playing with Miska on the rug to join him. I frown.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes and no," he answers unhelpfully. He scratches the unshaven hairs on his jaw and settles into a serious expression. "Fatgum was able to obtain an unbroken vial of the drug that erases quirks. You said you saw it while you were at the beach, correct? Would you be able to identify it if presented with it?"
The drug that erases quirks…
My mouth dries.
Slowly, I nod.
"Yes… I… Sensei, my brother," I whisper, fingers curling. "Was he-"
I cut off as the emotions swirl, eyes drifting down to the couch. I trace the tiny pattern, thoughts shifting.
Anger. Fury. Sadness. Fear.
Steam begins lifting from my skin and Sensei clears his throat pointedly. No smoking in the house.
I shift on my cushion and drag it back in, frowning.
"No. It was being handled by street thugs," Sensei says, clearly understanding despite my struggle. His hand reaches out and presses against my head. It's warm and comforting and I can't help but lean into it. "Your brother wasn't anywhere nearby. But Rin, I need to know if you can handle this. I don't necessarily need you to link the cases, but it would be better…"
He trails off and I swallow, feeling as though something sharp and too wide has lodged itself in my throat.
Street thugs.
Kaito?
What… What are you doing?
"I… I can handle it," I manage, sucking in a deep breath.
Sensei looks uncertain, as if he's considering challenging it.
He doesn't.
"Very well," he says instead, releasing me to sit back. He tilts his head and sighs, the stress in his shoulders releasing. "You know the rules, I expect you to say something if you feel overwhelmed or frustrated. Now, go put on a jacket, it's cold in the hospital, and we'll need to leave now."
I stand.
"Yes, sir."
.
.
.
Sensei is correct.
The hospital is cold, though not freezing. With sterile walls and the uncomfortable smell of antiseptics and cleaning supplies. Bright lights shine from the ceiling, flickering and buzzing in my ears. The lump in my throat dissolves, settling heavily like lead instead. It tugs at my stomach bitterly. Anxiety, Tulutho would call it, but knowing the name doesn't help. I don't know whether I want to drag my feet or run ahead.
I settle instead for following behind Sensei, quiet as he navigates the halls with ease. As if he's walked it a thousand times.
I wonder silently if he has.
Was he a patient that many times? Or did he put people here?
Daddy's face, swollen and discolored…
I swipe clammy hands against my shorts and grimace.
If... If they had an unbroken container, does that mean someone tried to use it?
How many more people had access to it?
Did they try to hurt one of the heroes?
I shiver, remembering my own helplessness, and follow closely behind Sensei, nearly running into him when he stops. I frown, silent, and peak around his back only to still at the huge yellow figure taking up the doorway, nearly two and a half meters tall. He's nearly taller than the doorway!
My jaw drops.
My eyes widen.
I let out a little hiss of surprise.
Woah.
"Eraser!" the giant shouts, lumbering forward excitedly.
I muffle a squeak and shrink back.
He really is bigger than All Might. And not in a tall and lanky kind of way either. None of those pictures did him justice! He's nearly half a body taller and huge. Filling almost three times the amount of space All Might would, and with so much yellow it almost hurts to look at him. His thighs alone are nearly the size of my entire torso. And his hands…
His one hand looks like it could cover and crush my skull easily.
I shiver, body stiff, as the giant stops less than a meter away.
"Fatgum," Sensei says calmly, as if not talking to a man big enough to flatten him in a single move.
"Oh man am I glad to see you Eraser! They've got the boys in the back and- Oh! Hey! You brought one of the kids. Hi there! My name's Fatgum, though you probably heard that already. How yah doin'?"
"I- F-F-Fine," I manage. "I-I mean, nice to meet- to meet you."
Sensei turns, raising an eyebrow, and I shuffle hotly in my place.
Crap.
Why is he so big?
"This is my ward, Rin," my guardian huffs, reaching back and dragging me to his side. Then, without warning, he pushes down my head and I sink into a bow. Eyes widening, it only takes a moment to realize what he's done, and I shove the offending hand away.
"Sensei!" I hiss.
"She's here to help identify the drug," he continues, completely ignoring me with a tiny, half-amused smile. "She was the source for the intel on the luck doctor and the data they used in comparison with Suneater."
"Wow!" the Hero whistles, grinning down. I feel my face redden and fumble with my fingers. "Well, I'm glad you're here then Rin-chan!"
"Ah… T-Thanks?"
Sensei snorts, steps forward, and ignores us both as he starts down the hall.
I hurry to follow, eye twitching at his social skills.
Rude!
When the BMI hero falls into step beside me, I bury the sudden urge to run.
"So Rin-chan, you're in the same class as Red Riot right?"
I shift uncomfortably, barely eye-level with the giant's belly, and rub my arm.
"I… um, w-who?"
"Kirishima," Sensei says flatly, turning a corner and not looking back.
Oh.
"Ah… y-yes, sir."
"That must be where I remember your face!" the large man laughs. He leans sideways and winks broadly with a grin before quickly righting himself easily. I nearly trip at the sudden action. "Hoki, right? It's been driving me crazy trying to figure it out! But you were one of the finalists at UA's sports festival, weren't you? Third place with the first years, yeah?"
I shrink at the reminder of the festival.
The one where I nearly roasted Iida…
"Oh… um, y-yes, sir."
Fatgum, ignoring my awkwardness, waves his hands excitedly.
"That's a powerful quirk you've got then! Shadow manipulation, if I remember correctly. Man, I remember getting excited watching you take on the obstacles, those tentacles definitely made me think of my Suneater. Great control with them too, especially with the grabbing! I know it took Suneater months to get his grip right. Impressive work!"
I…
I still and blink, something warm and hot twisting in my chest.
Impressive work.
He thoughts I was… Impressive?
"Rin," Sensei interrupts, breaking me from my thoughts and pinning me with a look that probably means more talks. Either that or he thought this was funny. I flush and hurry over, relaxing a little as his hand settles heavily on my shoulder and draws me into a side room.
Like most of the rest of the hospital, it's white. White floors and white walls with humming white lights flickering on the white ceiling tiles above. Unlike most of it, however, this room seems to be some sort of lab. Six tables take up most of the inside, each cluttered with a variety of different items. It's not massive, but it isn't small either, with wires running across the tables and floors and spilling out the walls like some sort of dissected creature. Along the length of the room runs a series of metal cabinets and near the back, I don't miss the large metal machinery. It ticks in the back, making a whirling noise that almost drowns out the four scientists clustered about. One woman, the only woman, uses a microscope at one of the tables, while two older men motion aggravatedly between themselves in some sort of debate, and a third scientist I catch hunched over the metal whirling machines in the back.
Only the woman looks up when we enter.
"Eraserhead!" she greets, expression brightening as she immediately locks eyes with my guardian. She raises an eyebrow when they fall on me and quickly stands to smooths down her coat.
"Sayoka-san," Sensei says, nodding and releasing my shoulder. "This is Rin. She should be able to identify the quirk-inhibiting drug."
"Rin?" the woman repeats, blinking rapidly before furrowing her brows. "Hoki Rin?"
"Yes, ma'am," I mumble, bowing slightly.
She offers a strained smile and I wonder why.
She doesn't explain though, instead motioning me over.
"Oh. Well, come on, I've got a couple of different samples prepared. Take your time and tell me which one you think you recognize."
I glance at Sensei, but he only nods, so I follow the lady over to the desk. She's right, she does have a few vials, tiny containers no bigger than a thimble, and with an even smaller assortment of liquid in them. She gestures to about ten of them, a few blue, some clear, and about four reds.
I stiffen as he pulls out a syringe, the liquid blood red.
"I'm going to give you this shot," he says lowly. "We're going to pretend like we've never met, and you can go back home to your perfect little family-"
I recognize it almost instantly. Lifting my finger, I point to the fourth from the left before she can go on.
The woman shifts quietly, uncomfortably clearing her throat.
"I… You'll only get one chance dear, are you sure you don't want to take your time?" she asks quietly, gesturing towards a few other red vials to the right.
I glance at them briefly, but quickly shake my head. The wrong shade and one looks almost translucent.
With a sharp pinch, it's in my neck, the liquid cold and dripping beneath my skin, running through my veins. My stomach churns, my arms shake, and the familiar sensation of terror and helplessness rises again.
"I…"
"Heh, that's it alright," Fatgum interrupts smoothly, hands crossing his chest as he takes up a spot near the front of the room by a whiteboard covered in multi-colored scribbles. "You've got a good eye, Rin-chan."
Sensei makes a gruff noise and gestures me back.
It all feels rather... anticlimactic.
"Rin."
Surely that can't be it.
I glance at the papers on the desk as I pass, seeing letters and none of the words. It's like staring at English.
"Sensei?"
"Kirishima is in room 312, it's down the hall and on the left. Do you need an escort, or can you make it alone?"
I stare blankly back at the clear dismissal.
That really is it...
"I… I can do it."
He nods and gestures to the door. With a deep breath, I step out.
.
.
.
Finding Kirishima isn't hard. Sensei's directions prove true, and I find 312 easily enough. The room actually reminds me mostly of Recovery Girl's office. With several beds piled in rows and fabric curtains segregating it all.
"R-Rin-chan?"
I offer a shy smile.
"Hi," I mumble, slipping inside and closing the door behind me.
"Wh-What are you doing here?" the redhead asks, eyes wide as he pulls himself upright on his bed. I can't help but blink at the sight of him. He looks like he tripped through a garbage disposal. Little cuts taking up all of his exposed skin and tattered fabric just barely clinging to its seams.
Does he actually plan on wearing that home?
"I walked," I answer, not even sure why he'd ask such a weird question. Crossing the room, I sink into the armchair beside him. "What happened to your clothes?"
Kirishima blinks, glances down, and then realizing the state of his pants, pinks. Snatching the sheets, he quickly covers his lap.
"I- Uh-"
"We didn't bring anything for you to change into," I admit apologetically, turning away to study the rest of the room. I nearly jump when I notice the silent boy across from them. He was so quiet I hadn't even see him!
Must be Suneater.
"Oh, uh, well crap…"
I turn back and smile fondly.
"What did you even do?" I ask, taking in his ratted sleeves and destroyed arm gear-things. Then, unable to help myself, I offer a teasing grin. "Was it manly?"
Across the room, Suneater groans.
"Yes!"
I giggle at his excitement, reminded oddly of Yamada-sensei in one of his moods, and watch as Kirishima flexes his arms and growls.
"Rin-chan, yes! Oh, man! So we were on patrol and we were rounding up some thieves! And one of them had taken off from Fatgum, so I chased after him! He was super slippery too, so I followed him down a back alley, and I guess he thought he'd get away, but he ran into a dead-end! So I told him to come quietly, but he didn't. And then he shot himself up with this drug-"
"Drug?" I interrupt, eyes widening. "He made himself quirkless?"
"What? No! You- I mean, no. It was a quirk-enhancing one! Fatgum was telling us how he used to work against the drug-trafficking rings and there's a ton of different enhancement type drugs. And well, this one made him super strong, at least for a while, and he had a blade quirk!"
I frown, trying to imagine it.
"Are you okay?"
"What? Oh yeah! There were other people in the alley, civilians, you know, so I couldn't let him hurt them! So I used my ultimate move, you know the ones we've been working on and stuff! I call it Red Riot Unbreakable! He must have hit me with at least a hundred blades!"
I open my mouth in horror.
"A hundred!"
"I mean, yeah-"
"But, I thought your skin had a time limit."
"It does, I- Awe man! I'm messing up! Hold up, just let me finish! So he was sending all these knives at me, and I couldn't not take them, you know? There were innocent people behind me! So I just took it! And then, I managed to get in a hit and I guess he hit his limit! His drug wore off before my time limit did, so I went to take him back, but then he ran again-"
"Again?" I repeat, eyebrows furrowing as I wrinkle my nose. "What?"
If Sensei heard about this, he was going to have us all practicing captures. How do you lose the same guy twice?
"I know! And so I went to chase him, but I wasn't fast enough, and he was about to escape when Fatgum showed up!"
I blink.
"Oh," I manage.
Yeah, we were definitely going to be working on captures.
"Heh! Fatgum was so cool, he just jumped and it was so manly! And then suddenly he was sitting on him and-"
"Sitting," I interrupt again, eye twitching. "What do you mean sitting? On top of him? How did that not kill him or at least break his back?"
"What! I- I don't know! And he's a hero! He wouldn't-"
"Then how could he breathe?" I ask, annoyed at this entire scenario and ending. This whole story sounded entirely not manly. It sounded stupid. "Kirishima-kun this makes no sense."
"Oh well… Uh-"
"Fatgum's quirk is fat absorption," Suneater offers quietly from his bed. I turn to him immediately, eyes narrowing as I notice the slight shake of his hands. "He can stick people to him and sink them in his fat."
I wrinkle my nose, trying not to imagine the giant man sinking anyone into his butt.
This is idiotic.
"What's your quirk?" I ask instead, looking at the hooded figure for anything to change the subject. I can't see his face, but his voice sounds… familiar. "Fatgum said you could make tentacles."
Kirishima, beside me, brightens excitedly.
"Oh that's right! Tamaki-senpai's quirk is a lot like yours Rin-chan!" the Redhead says, smashing his fist into his other hand and offering a toothy grin. "I bet you guys would be really evenly matched in a fight!"
"Manifest," Suneater mumbles, sinking moodily into his bed. "Or I did. I don't have much of anything right now…"
I still at that admittance.
I don't have-
What?
"Don't worry Senpai!" Kirishima offers warmly, "Remember the doctor said they had two other cases of it! You should get your quirk back tomorrow!"
Two other-
Did they…
Were those mine?
You'll get-
They had a full sample-
Did that- Did he-
"You… You got injected?" I ask, voice cracking.
I try to scream, but a hand clamps over my mouth, something sharp and painful pressing in my neck. A needle. Cold, liquid drips beneath my skin, running through my veins.
Dark eyes peek out from under a white hood.
I'm surprised to recognize the face underneath.
It's… It's the boy from before!
The one with Mirio, who I'd spoken to in the gym-
I-
"Yeah, that bastard shot him!" Kirishima growls angrily shifting on his bed. "So unmanly! It was that asshole with the blades too. Fatgum said they were going to investigate where he got it, but-"
"Gun?" I interrupt, horrified. "They've made it into bullets?"
Kirishima pauses and even Suneater—or Tamaki—or whatever his name is stares.
"Wait, you know about it?"
"I- Yes! He- He said it was for his quirk!" I snap, stomach twisting with absolute disgust as I twist in my seat, revolted at the very thought. He- I- That-. "I… I need-"
I cut off as I stand, hands shaking and breath catching in my throat.
"Uh… Rin-chan?"
I ignore the redhead and pace, anger quickly overtaking the revulsion.
That- that bastard! I actually felt bad for him! I felt bad for him and he made that stupid drug into a bullet!
"I'm going to get Sensei," I decide angrily.
Did he know?
Of course he did, he was on the phone-
But why-
"Oh, uh-"
I don't wait for Kirishima to finish or for the other boy to speak up. Instead, I twist around and shove my way back through the door, retracing my steps with a racing heart.
A gun?
Bullets?
How much easier would it be for Asp- for Kaito to kill them? Would he even hesitate? Did this mean he didn't even need to get close? Would he just shoot Sensei? Hitoshi? My classmates?
Were they even safe?
I stop at the door back to the lab and twist the knob.
I freeze at the sound of Fatgum's voice, angry and loud and-
"You're sure? The sample-"
I don't move, the door cracked and my breath catching in my throat as the whirling machine in the back hums relentlessly.
"Oh it's blood alright," says the female doctor from before. "There's human DNA in that bullet. And it matches the organic material we found traces of before. Without a doubt, this is someone's quirk."
My eyes widen.
And I…
I think I'm gonna be sick.
"Sensei?" I mumble, shoving open the door.
Fatgum stills, the doctor snapping her attention over, and Sensei...
My guardian scowls, turning immediately, and even across the room, I can feel the intensity of his dark eyes, arms crossing across his chest.
"Rin," he says sharply. "What are you doing?"
I swallow.
"I… Sensei, I-"
He takes in my floundering for what feels like forever, expression calculating and lips drawn thin.
"I'll take the students home," he says at last, giving a dismissive nod to the doctor woman and turning instead to Fatgum. "If you find out anymore-"
"I've got you covered," the large hero nods, more solemn than I expect. He glances briefly at me before Sensei is there, hand on my back, pushing me from the room. The door isn't even fully shut before he's driving us towards the others, steps sure and persistent.
"How much of that did you hear?"
I shiver.
Blood…
"N-Nothing," I lie, refusing to meet his eye. I stare instead at the floor, the white tiles speckled with gray beneath the shiny wax surface. "K-Kirishima said they made a gun."
"And you came to get me?" he asks.
I can feel the heat of his stare, the weight of his hand against my shoulder like lead.
"It's a rule," I whisper.
"Hn," is all he says, before 312 is there.
A/N: Just want to say thank you all for being patient. Also a quick shout out to Rachel, because without you I probably would have just given up... Thanks!