Did I seriously stay up all night writing this? Yes. Did I really start another fic even though I've got a ton of other unpublished WIPs? Yes. Am I totally in love with these new OCs? Yes. Do I care that I have a splitting headache and Aizawa-level dry-eye from lack of sleep? Nope.
Anyway, I only have one chapter of this written so far, and I would usually wait until I had more to post, but I'm impatient. So it might be awhile before I post any more of this, that is unless you guys seem to like it, and in that case I'll start working on this more. But keep in mind that I do have other fics to work on too.
(Fyi, Nori looks almost exactly like Kassim from Magi, so I highly suggest you look him up real quick)
Disclaimer: I don't, nor will I ever, own My Hero Academia (BNHA). But the Original Characters in this fanfiction all belong to me.
Imagine a world, where fiction and the impossible were reality. What's more than that even, a world where they were the norm.
A world where being abnormal was no longer something to simply jeer and gawk at.
A world full of billions of extraordinary people. Many of which with extraordinary abilities.
Now imagine your parents were in the majority of the extraordinary. And not only that, but they were seen as two of the greatest Heroes there ever was.
Silver Shifter and Golden Geist were thought of as the greatest Hero partnership to ever come out of UA, but it wasn't just because they worked well together, it was because they knew each other better than the backs of their own hands. Always moving in ways and doing things so in sync that you would think they had telepathy.
Naomi Tanaka and Riku Saito met in their third year of middle school, quickly hitting it off and becoming inseparable. And as fate would have it, they both enrolled and managed to get into UA.
Naomi Tanaka had the ability to transform any part of herself into that of an animal's. She could choose to have inhuman strength by turning her arms into that of a bear's. She could fly high to places other Heroes struggled to reach by making them wings instead. She could listen in on the subtlest of conversations by sprouting bat ears atop of her head. The list could go on.
She took on the title of Silver Shifter.
Whereas Riku Saito could make his enemy see anything he wanted them to. The Villain was afraid of spiders? He would make them see one the size of a building. He needed to calm down a child? He'd have them see their favorite animal. There were too many Villains to face off with? Well, he'd just make it look like he has an army of Heroes until more arrive. Endless possibilities at his disposal.
So, alongside his best friend, he declared himself Golden Geist.
It wasn't long after they became famous Pro Heroes at the ages of twenty-one and twenty-two, that they announced their marriage.
And once people started noticing Gold going at it alone only a few months later, rumours began surfacing. The two most popular ones on the internet being, they were separating, or, they were pregnant.
Once Silver returned ten months later, it was safe to assume the latter was correct.
After their return, Silver Shifter and Golden Geist continued raising in the ranks, even going as far as creating their own Hero agency, which they dubbed "Excel-lency". The public wouldn't see Gold solo again for almost seven years. This time there were no rumors of a divorce, just congratulations on another blessing.
What the civilians didn't know at the time, what no one knew, was that the second child the two esteemed Heroes were bringing into the world, would surpass even them, and become one of the world's greatest Heroes. Right alongside her closest friends, and former classmates.
Yes, it was that class.
...
"Nori, you might want to give her some space, okay?"
A seven year old boy with striking golden eyes nodded, but didn't bother stepping away from the frilly white bassinet. He distractedly brushed back his long maroon hair, not taking his eyes off of what laid in the tiny bed.
"Papa?"
A man with natural brown hair looked up from the report he was going over. His matching golden eyes looking through a round pair of glasses and at his son.
"What's the matter Nori?" The man questioned, already fearing the worst.
"Why's she got dog ears? And a tail too?" Nori asked, a slight lisp from a missing tooth laced his words.
The boy's father relaxed, eyes going back down to the report. "Well, that has to do with her Quirk."
Nori's brows furrowed. "But why's she got 'em now? I didn't get my Quirk 'til I was three."
The man smiled softly. "Everyone's Quirks are different Nori. She has a mutation type, which starts developing as soon as the baby's made. While it seems your sister will have a Quirk like your mother's, you took more after me."
Nori nodded along. What his father said made sense, as his own Quirk was almost nothing like his mother's. Rather, it was a warped version of his father's, where instead of making the conscious decision of what to make someone see, Nori could release a pheromone from his pores, that when anyone inhaled, would make them see their worst fear.
It wasn't a very happy or heroic Quirk, but then again, he never really wanted to be a Hero in the first place. He'd much rather make things. After seeing the emotional distress his Quirk could cause, he made a promise never to use it on anyone innocent, especially after he accidentally used it on his parents when it first manifested.
With his eyes still locked on his baby sister, he made her the same promise. If he could help it, she would never have to face her worst nightmare.
The infant in question was sound asleep, Tiny pointed orange ears flicking every few minutes, somehow managing to look massive on the baby's head. The flicking was always followed by her slightly curled tail wagging once or twice between her legs, the underside of the curl gleaming a shiny white in contrast to the orange. But the orange and white fur of her ears and tail couldn't have been more different from the bright light pink of her hair. And if she opened her eyes, the boy would be greeted by two, just as striking fuchsia irises. Both sitting under thick and matching rosy pink lashes.
When the baby was first brought home, Nori had been wary. Why should he like the thing that made his lovely mother swell up like a balloon? The thing that made his parents run off to the hospital in a panic in the middle of the night, leaving him alone with the nanny. The thing that seemed to have vocal cords of steel, using them to wail to her heart's content most nights. No, there was no way he would grow attached to the thing.
That mindset shattered like glass the second he heard her giggle for the first time.
Ever since then, Nori had appointed himself as her guardian. Watching over her and doting on her to the point that the seven year old even knew how to properly prepare a bottle for his sister (under supervision of course).
Both males looked up as the nursery door opened, the oiled hinges twisting almost soundlessly—something they made sure to do after a tiny squeak woke and frightened the infant one night. A tall woman with snowy white hair and tanned skin peeked into the room, taking in the adorable and somewhat hilarious sight of her boss casually sitting and doing his work on a giant puppy themed chair.
She quickly stifled a giggle, red eyes swimming with mirth. "Miss Naomi has finished preparing breakfast, Sir."
The man smiled good-naturedly, fully aware of how silly he looked. "Thank you Ayami. And what did Omi and I say about the whole "Miss" and "Sir" thing. You're practically family, there's no need for that."
A light blush rose on the young woman's cheeks, hands twisting in the skirt of her maid's uniform, an outfit she insisted on wearing, as it made her feel more like the real-deal, and nodded meekly.
Nori finally, and reluctantly, stepped away from his sister, watching his father as the man carefully picked her up, cradling her to his chest.
The three made their way through several rooms and hallways, finally reaching their enormous kitchen.
A woman older and taller than Ayami brushed her hands off on her floral printed apron. Her silver eyes lit with pride as she stared down at the large assortment of food she had made. Her relation was made clear once seeing the rosy pink hair tied up into a messy bun at the base of her head, just a few shades darker than the baby's.
"I brought them, Mi—Naomi." Ayami stuttered, quickly correcting herself.
The pinkette looked up from the food, placing her hands on her hips and grinning impishly. "Well, think it'll be enough, Riku?" Naomi asked sarcastically.
Her husband smiled in amusement. "Hmmm, I don't know. Nori might have to fend for himself." He joked in return.
Said boy stopped staring at all the food in wonder, instead sending his father an annoyed glare.
"But really, why did you make all this?" Riku questioned.
Suddenly a dark aura surrounded Naomi. "You try sitting on your ass for nine months straight because your husband's a paranoid helicopter-hubby." She hissed, still wearing a smile.
Riku gulped, brow twitching in fear. "O-oh..."
The aura suddenly disappeared as fast as it arrived. Naomi clapped her hands, a genuine smile now present. Riku could never get used to Naomi's postpartum mood swings.
"I just felt like doing something." She answered simply.
"Mmm."
The four people in the room who were standing, all looked over as the infant in her father's arms started squirming, making squeaks of discontent.
Nori's hand shot up. "I'll warm up a bottle!"
Naomi and Riku laughed softly, whereas the boy's nanny gave a faint sigh. "I'll help him." Ayami muttered, walking over to her charge before he broke anything.
Naomi held out her hands. "Here, let me take her."
Riku complied, and it wasn't long after being transferred to her mother that the baby fell silent.
Naomi stared down into her daughter's sparkling pink eyes, smiling widely as her tiny ears flicked back and forth, now taking in all the noise around her.
"Morning, Hitomi."
...
Time flew by, many months seeming to pass in a blur. Naomi and Riku were back in the grind of Hero work, and were once again the top dogs of any Hero partnership. One could argue the reason they worked so well was because neither one was the Sidekick. Both were equal, and would never doubt the other.
Ayami was back to working on the house chores, now that Naomi was off of maternity leave. She was honestly relieved to be doing them again, as the woman hadn't ever had the heart to tell Naomi when she was doing something wrong.
As for Nori and Hitomi... They hadn't changed much. Only now, Hitomi had the nasty habit of vanishing.
Nori was standing in the center of their living-room, frantically running his hands through his newly done dreadlocks, mentally writing his will.
Because he had been in charge of Hitomi for a total of five minutes, and had already managed to lose her.
She had been crawling for a few months now, proving to be a hassle to keep track of in the enormous house. Who had thought it was a good idea to leave him watching her alone?
Well, he did pester Ayami about it until she finally caved and let him watch the toddler on his own while she was working in the kitchen. But he still felt he wasn't to blame.
"How's it going in there?" Ayami called from the kitchen.
Nori jumped, finally darting across the room, looking under the coffee table and sofas for his sister. "F-fine!" Nori yelped, resorting to yanking cushions off the sofas in hopes of finding Hitomi hiding underneath.
Ayami slowed her stirring, knowing Nori's guilty voice all too well. She sighed, setting aside her batter and walking into the living-room, sagging in exasperation at the sight of the disarray that took hold of the once pristine room.
Nori dropped the cushion in his hands, guiltily looking around at the mess he made. He scratched the back of his head. "Um, well... I can explain this—"
"You lost her, didn't you?"
Nori looked down to his feet, nodding meekly.
Bark! Bark!
The woman and child jumped, sharing a startled look, before dashing off to the origin of the noise.
Nori's sock clad feet slid as he stopped in front of their gaming room. Ayami much more elegantly walked up to the room behind the boy. They both paused to take in what was in front of them, unsure of what to do. Or if they should even do something at all.
Hitomi was sitting a few feet away from the large flatscreen television, somehow having managed to turn it on. Her curled tail was stiff as a board, and her ears remained pinned in place, pointing at the TV. The program on, at the moment, was an animal documentary about lions.
Bark-bark! Bark!
Ayami and Nori jumped as Hitomi yipped once more, glaring heatedly at the lions on screen. Her barks were tiny and high-pitched, sounding more instinctual than deliberate.
Ayami couldn't help but giggle, dearly wishing she had grabbed something to film the scene in front of her with. Alas, she had left her phone sitting on the counter in her haste.
Nori, after finally calming down from finding her, walked further into the room and picked up the remote. Instead of turning it off, he quickly pressed a few of the numbered buttons in a pattern he had memorized.
Hitomi's tiny frame jolted in surprise when the lions disappeared, being replaced by the bright and fast colors of their local news channel.
Just as he expected, Silver and Gold were being covered, as Nori had learned this channel held a soft spot for his parents. He sat down beside his sister, taking on the same position as her, staring up at the TV.
Ayami sat down on the couch behind them, enjoying the calm moment. The news anchor was talking a mile a minute about the latest deed The two Pro Heroes had pulled off, excitedly ranting about how the two easily handled a serious hostage situation by themselves before anyone else could arrive.
While Nori and Ayami were smiling proudly, Hitomi sat stock still.
Her eyes were locked on the fast moving images of her mother and father. While she was too young to recognize the two on screen were her parents, they looked familiar enough to bring on a sense of calm, and cause her body to relax. As she watched, her tail slowly began wagging, hard enough to shake her pink onesie clad frame.
She slowly picked up on a familiar word that continued to be repeated.
"H-he..."
Nori's head snapped to the right, eyes wide as he watched his sister's mouth move soundlessly.
Ayami practically leapt off the couch, coming to kneel beside her charges.
Up until this point, the closest Hitomi had ever come to talking was whining, growling, and barking. It even got to the point where Naomi and Riku took her to their personal doctor to check that she had human vocal cords and not, in fact, canine ones.
(Too deep in stress, it never occurred to them that Hitomi's crying sounded very clearly human.)
Hitomi's mouth continued to move wordlessly, a crease forming between her round orange brows as she struggled with making the sound she wanted.
"Hi-hee..."
Nori grinned, his unusually sharp canines showing. "She's—"
Ayami quickly shushed him, not wanting him to potentially distract his sister.
Hitomi's eyes moved back up to the screen, the familiar looking Heroes were now shaking hands with others, clearly getting congratulations on the job well done.
The word was repeated again, and with renewed effort, she forced her lips to shape her voice.
"Heer-oh." She finally managed, getting close enough to the word to be happy with it.
Nori froze, while Ayami lit up.
"Did you hear that!? She said "Hero"! Naomi and Riku will love this!" Ayami gushed, picking up the baby and carrying her out of the room, planning to put her on the phone with her parents and try to get her to say it again.
Nori was left stunned, still kneeling on the ground in front of the television. The news was now white noise as he was trying to rein in the swirling thoughts in his head.
She said "Hero". Why did she say "Hero"?
He didn't like this. It gave him a sour feeling in his stomach.
No. No. He was just reading too much into this, that's it. After all, babies just repeat the noises and words they hear the most, right? So she probably just heard "Hero" said one too many times. No big deal.
He nodded to himself reassuringly, slowly getting to his feet and following after his nanny. Everything would be fine. Just as long as Hitomi never became a Pro Hero. And never put herself in that kind of danger.
He winced, too many memories of his parents nursing injuries coming to mind.
...
"Hmmmm... I like all of 'em!"
Nori sighed, running a hand through his shoulder length hair.
"You can't pick all of them Hitomi. You have to pick one."
Four years had passed since Hitomi's arrival into the world. In that time, she had proven to be just as troublesome as her brother. The only difference was, she never did any of it on purpose. While her brother purposefully caused mischief at every turn, Hitomi tended to try and stay in line. But more often than not, her happy and excitable nature always caused something to go wrong at one point or another.
The four year old girl pouted, turning back to the shelf of stuffed dolls in front of her.
They weren't any normal plushes sitting on the shelf, they were dolls of Pro Heroes. All Might, Endeavor, and so on. There was even some of the new and harder to find releases, like Gang Orca, and Vlad King.
Hitomi hummed, eyes going over the pile one more time before she decided. The choice was easy once she narrowed it down and thought about it. She grabbed two dolls.
She turned to her brother, holding the dolls to her chest. "Can I pick two?"
Nori sighed, not looking at the ones she picked as he was focused playing his well used Gamekid. "Mama and Papa said—"
"But they're always together! Can't get one an' not the other!" Hitomi argued.
Nori blinked as he looked up. "What are you talking about..."
He trailed off, seeing the familiar colors on the dolls.
One was wearing a black mask and golden cloak, while the other had on a pink and silver leotard. Both had matching utility belts, and metallic combat boots.
They were plush, chibi versions of their parents. Both were roughly six inches, though the plush Golden Geist was a couple centimeters taller.
Nori couldn't help but spot the inaccuracy, Naomi being just a hair taller than her husband.
Hitomi held the Silver Shifter and Golden Geist plushies to her chest, staring up at Nori with her 'Literal Puppy-dog Eyes'. The boy crumbled. Mainly because their parents were romantic saps and would completely agree that it would be wrong to separate the dolls.
Nori sighed. "Fine—"
"Yay!"
"—Let's go find Ayami." Nori put his game away and took Hitomi's hand. He paid for the dolls and stepped outside, hand in hand with his sister. The two started walking to the farmer's market, knowing Ayami was getting groceries.
Neither child was concerned about being without an adult, not with Nori's natural control over his Quirk.
As they passed by a window showcasing TVs, Hitomi started dragging her feet, eyes straying and remaining locked on what was flashing across the screens.
Nori noticed she stopped. "Hitomi, c'mon." He tugged on her hand.
Hitomi didn't say anything, and just continued looking at the display.
After not getting an answer, Nori looked over at the televisions too. He smiled as soon as he recognized the Heroes on screen.
"It's..." She breathed.
Nori nodded, swelling with pride. "Yep."
Hitomi's eyes lit up as the on-screen Silver took down two Villains easily, while Gold was distracting the others with illusions.
Naomi and Riku always made it a point to try and keep the violent part of their work lives out of their personal ones. The news was rarely ever on while they were off at work, as a result. So it was the first time in a while that the girl was seeing her parents in action while old enough to understand what, and who she was watching. And something about it...
"Nori?"
"Hmm?"
"How does someone become a Hero?"
Nori jumped, looking down at his sister in shock and apprehension. "Uh, well I—" He stammered.
If he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to explain that to her, in case she wound up as one of those little weirdos who would rave about becoming a Pro as soon as they got their Quirk. He had realized he didn't want the Hero life for her the second she said her first word. It was dangerous, and so many things could happen. So many horrible things.
He gulped as a horrifying image came to mind, of his sister broken and mangled.
Sometimes he hated his Quirk. Not just for its macabre nature, but because it came with drawbacks. An unfortunate side effect was that if he was scared, and closed his eyes, he would always be met with an image of what was scaring him, as vivid as the real thing.
Even he wasn't safe from the nightmares he created.
Feeling a tugging on his hand, Nori shook the thoughts away and looked questioningly at his sister. She was looking up at him in worry, and he realized he was probably silent for too long.
"...Ask Mama and Papa when we get back, okay?" He placated.
She nodded hesitantly, taking one more glance at the TVs, the sight of her parents hand-cuffing the Villains filled her with some unfamiliar feeling. It was warm, and almost felt like falling, but in a good way.
That day was the start of something unavoidable.
...
The rest of the evening, Hitomi spent asking any question about Heroes she could think of.
"Can anyone be a Hero?"
"Why do you need a license?"
"How do you get a license?"
"How do you get into Hero school?"
"How do you train your Quirk?"
"How do I train my Quirk?"
It was cute at first, and Riku had been more than eager to teach his daughter the ins-and-outs of Hero-ing. But it slowly became clear she had more questions than they probably did answers. Which was saying something.
"What did you do!?" Naomi hissed, stabbing her chopsticks into her dinner violently.
Nori glared, affronted. "Me? It's your fault for being on TV!"
Naomi gave him a warning look. "Watch it. And you were the one who led her past the damn TVs!"
"Language, dear." Riku faintly chastised, getting a venomous glare in return.
"It's probably a phase. Hitomi will stop asking questions eventually." Ayami added softly.
"No I won't." Hitomi plainly stated over her own food.
Riku and Naomi traded a look.
"Hitomi, what is with the sudden interest?" Riku asked kindly.
The pinkette looked down at her dinner, face flushing as she suddenly became bashful, mumbling something.
Naomi's ears quickly turned into that of a bat's, moving and now sitting atop her head. "What was that?"
Hitomi mumbled again, and Naomi's eyes widened.
"What do you mean "I don't know"?"
Nori's jaw fell open, as he dropped his chopsticks. "You mean to tell me she's been spouting off questions like a crazy person for no reason!?"
"I have a reason!" Hitomi defended herself.
"Then what is it?" Riku asked.
Hitomi's ears drooped. "I dunno..."
Nori made a sort of strangled noise, slamming his face on the table.
"Well, whatever reason it may be, I think it's great Hitomi's interested in something." Riku stated optimistically.
"Whatever..." Nori mumbled into the wood of the table.
Naomi nodded along to her husband's statement. "Yeah. And who knows, learning all this information could help her work at a Hero agency in the future."
"Yeah! Like costume design, maybe even business management, or..."
Hitomi zoned out, not wanting to listen as her father listed off every job that had something to do with Heroes. All except being a Hero.
The thought of being anything other than a Pro Hero filled her with a feeling she didn't like. Her stomach would get a swirly pit at the bottom, same as that time she ate onions for the first time by accident. But whenever she thought about being a Hero, she felt light, energetic, and so happy. The thought of helping people, of saving them, it was something she even found herself daydreaming of a lot.
Did that mean she wanted to be a Hero? Well, what other reason was there for her to be so curious about it? If there was no other reason, than that meant—
"I wanna be a Hero!" She shouted, slamming her hands down excitedly on the table.
Everyone at the table fell silent, sharing startled and worried glances.
Naomi's brows furrowed. "Hito—"
"Are you sure."
Naomi jumped, looking at her husband in surprise.
But Riku was staring at the other pinkette at the table, looking more serious than the child was used to.
She gulped, giving a sturdy nod.
Riku waited a few seconds, before smiling. "Well, the girl has spoken. She's going to be a Hero." He stated.
Naomi and Nori gaped, while Ayami and Hitomi seemed stunned.
"W-wha- Riku!" Naomi stood, staring at her husband and trying to figure out what he was doing.
The man shrugged. "It's in her blood Omi. And besides, look in her eyes."
Naomi hesitated, before doing as he instructed. Hitomi looked over at her mother, narrowing her eyes.
"I want to be a Hero!" She stated, more confident now.
Naomi blinked, falling back in her chair as her ears went back to normal.
"That's..."
"The look we had. Before." Her husband finished for her.
Naomi nodded slowly, left speechless that she hadn't seen it sooner.
Nori looked back and forth between his parents in disbelief. Growling, he stood, slamming his hands on the table similarly to how Hitomi had. "You can't be serious!" The boy bemoaned.
Naomi crossed her arms. "Nori, watch it—"
"No!" He cut his mother off. "Am I really the only one who cares about Hitomi!?"
Naomi scowled heavily. "Of course we care! But who knows, in ten years she might decide to be an engineer, or a doctor instead. But if this is what Hitomi really wants then it's better to help her than let her do it by herself!" Naomi snapped.
Nori stared down at the table, hands shaking at his sides. "She's four. And we don't even know what she can do..." The boy muttered.
"Well, we'll figure it out." Riku said optimistically.
Nori slowly looked up, wincing at the glossiness of his sister's eyes.
"Do... do you really want to be a Hero?" He asked his sister.
Hitomi hesitated at her brother's tone, before nodding vehemently.
Nori sighed, dropping back into his seat.
With their food now cold and long forgotten, the family decided to play some board games instead, to try to lighten the mood. Easily falling into a peaceful atmosphere.
But while he backed down this time, Nori definitely wasn't done trying to steer Hitomi away from the career path of Heroism.
...
Hitomi sat silently, picking at a loose string on her blue kindergarten uniform. It was currently snack time and the majority of the children were all sitting together and talking animatedly. Usually the small pinkette would be contributing to the noise of the classroom, but she didn't have it in her to be upbeat at the time. Ever since the night she declared she wanted to be a Hero, something had been nagging her.
What was her Quirk?
Sure, she knew she had some form of a mutation Quirk, but so far, the only abilities she seemed to possess was heightened senses. And the fact she hadn't yet showed any sign of something else made her worry that there was nothing else. And if that was the case, how could she ever be a Hero?
A timid tap on her shoulder startled Hitomi out of her thoughts. The pinkette turned to look at who wanted her attention, and was incredibly surprised upon seeing who it was.
A girl she had never talked to personally, but who Hitomi knew to be the smartest girl in the class, was fidgeting slightly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Her onyx eyes refused to stay locked with Hitomi's pink ones.
The girl rubbed the back of her neck, causing her spiky black pigtails to swing side to side.
"I, um... I wanted t-to see if you were okay. Y-you seemed s-sad." The girl mumbled, the blush turning darker.
Hitomi blinked, taken aback by the girl's concern. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. "I'm fine! Thank you for asking!"
The black haired girl jumped, not having expected such an energetic response so soon after seeing the pinkette's downtrodden mood. "O-oh, that's good."
Hitomi's smile dipped as the girl turned around, walking away.
"Hey, wait!" Hitomi called.
The girl stopped, looking sheepishly back at Hitomi.
Her tail began to wag, and she gestured for the girl to sit down.
"Wanna play with dolls?" Hitomi asked, holding up a few from the classroom's toybox.
The black haired girl's eyes widened. "R-really?"
Hitomi nodded surely, patting the carpeted floor next to her.
The girl hesitantly sat down, taking the doll Hitomi held out for her.
Suddenly, Hitomi smacked her forehead, before holding out her hand. "Oh right! I almost forgot. I'm Hitomi Saito, what's your name?"
The black haired girl jumped, flushing as she realized she hadn't introduced herself either. She took Hitomi's hand, shaking it gently.
"I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. It's a pleasure to m-meet you." Momo said sincerely.
Hitomi grinned, happy to have met a potential friend. Despite her excitable and happy nature, Hitomi always had trouble making friends. So this brightened her day.
For all of two seconds.
While the two girls were introducing themselves, a boy with spiky electric blue hair and elvish ears snuck up behind them, taking advantage of their teacher's short absence. His impish grin had a sort of malicious look behind it, and as he pulled a toy pail out from behind his back, it became clear why.
The girls were just letting go of each other's hands, when the boy dumped the pail's contents over Momo. The girl squealed, as cold water cascaded down her frame, soaking her uniform.
Hitomi froze, smile vanishing as she watched the other girl start shivering.
The elvish boy started cackling, holding his sides and falling on his behind while wheezing for air.
As soon as Momo started tearing up, Hitomi finally got past her shock. The more she looked at Momo, the more she started feeling warm.
No, warm wasn't right. She felt hot. She felt like her skin was sizzling, and she realized why.
Oh. She thought to herself. I'm angry.
"D-do you see the look on her face!? That was awesome!" The boy cheered to his friends as he got to his feet. It wasn't the first time he had targeted his classmates for some cruel prank or joke, but it was most likely going to be his last.
Hitomi numbly stood, turning to her bag and fishing out the lilac cardigan her mother packed her. "Here." She murmured, carefully draping it over Momo's shaking shoulders.
The girl looked up, tears on her lashes, at Hitomi. But before she could say anything, the pinkette was spinning on her heels, marching up to the still laughing boy. Hitomi's body, tensed and coiled for action, didn't feel entirely her own. It was almost like she was a machine, moving on auto pilot as she charged towards the bully.
What happened next was a shock to every person in the room. And would forever be remembered by a few. While the boy was distracted, wiping away the mirthful tears in his blue eyes as he stood, he didn't see Hitomi step in front of him.
But he did feel her tackle him back to the ground.
The classroom erupted into a sea of shouts, as they all watched Hitomi's tiny fists come down on the boy over, and over.
Momo gaped, moving to stand on her feet, clinging to the cardigan. "Saito, stop!"
But she wasn't listening, and over the sound of everyone yelling, either cheering or calling for mercy, a deep growling could be heard.
As the boy started fighting back, trying to use his Quirk (that seemed to have something to do with water, going by all the water bottles in the room shaking violently) Momo turned to a fellow classmate.
"Get a teacher!" She demanded, hoping to salvage the situation and keep Hitomi from being punished for defending her.
The cobalt haired boy nodded, darting out the room to do just that, speeding away with the use of his Quirk. The exhausts on his calves rumbling behind him.
Everyone's shouts started to die down, as Hitomi's fists stalled, trembling in the air as they hung above the boy.
And while she may have stopped punching, her frame still shook in fury. Her growls got louder, becoming deeper, to the point it almost sounded like an engine running.
The boy panted underneath her, nose dripping blood. He tried keeping up a vicious glare, but it slowly crumbled into a dumbfounded stare as something started happening to the girl pinning him down.
As Hitomi began shaking harder, it became clear that it wasn't from anger anymore, but something else.
Everyone paled when Hitomi's uniform started ripping, as she grew too big for it.
"What's going on!?" The teacher demanded as she barreled into the room.
The woman's jaw dropped and she paled at the sight of her once smallest student.
Hitomi herself was now confused. Everyone was staring at her. And everything to her now felt different, it was scaring her.
She looked down at the boy she had pinned, but froze as she saw herself.
Oh. So that's her Quirk.
...
The Saito household was in a peaceful silence. Nori and Hitomi were both in school, Riku was at the agency, and Naomi was keeping herself busy by crocheting one of her agent's a baby blanket. The quiet was broken, however, when the shrill ringing of the home-phone echoed throughout the house.
Naomi sighed, putting down the blanket, that honestly looked more like a sheet of tangled yarn.
She wandered into the kitchen, finding Ayami already there. The older woman held up a hand, silently saying she'd take the call. She picked it up, abruptly cutting off the ringing.
"Hello?"
"Er, yes, h-hello Missus Saito. I'm calling about your daughter."
Naomi blinked in surprise. "Hitomi? What happened?"
"Uh, well... It would seem she learned how to activate her Quirk."
Naomi froze, almost dropping the phone. Before she could bombard the teacher with questions, she was talking once again.
"A-and we need your help... turning it off."
"Ayami, get my keys."
After a tense ten minute drive, Naomi was practically kicking down the doors of the private kindergarten.
"Ah! Missus Saito—"
"Where is she?" Naomi cut the teacher off, storming up to her.
The skittish woman nodded, meekly pointing down the hallway. "R-right this way."
As the woman led them to Hitomi's classroom, Naomi restrained herself from asking any questions about her daughter's Quirk, wanting to see it for herself.
Once they entered the classroom, Naomi peered around, trying to spot her daughter. However, all she found was a group of four and five year olds huddled around and staring up at a...
Oh.
Naomi stiffly walked over, the children parting from her path and giving her a better look at her daughter. But if it weren't for the fluffy ears and curled tail, she probably would have needed to be told the situation.
Naomi slowly put a gentle hand in her daughter's new fur.
Staring back at her mother, now at equal height, with her bright pink eyes now faded to a deep purple, was Hitomi. Hitomi, who now seemed to be an Akita Inu.
Not just any Akita Inu though, especially not at her almost six foot height.
Hitomi wasn't even four feet tall to begin with! Naomi thought hysterically.
Naomi took a calming breath, knowing she needed to calm her daughter down before anything else, going off of the trembling underneath her soft fur.
"Do you know how you did this?" Naomi softly asked.
Hitomi gave a slow shake of her head.
"...Do you know how to turn back?"
A high pitched whine was her answer.
Naomi sighed, looking up at her daughter in concern.
This... She didn't know how to handle this. If she barged in the classroom and saw Hitomi with goat horns and beaver teeth, she could handle that. But this? Naomi had never even gotten close to a full body transformation. And now she had to talk her terrified daughter through one.
That was when Naomi noticed the tattered remains of Hitomi's uniform hanging off of her now much larger form.
Great, once she did turn back, she would be naked. Great.
A light tug on her pencil skirt brought Naomi's attention down, to a shivering girl.
"I-it was my fault. Saito was defending me." The girl timidly declared.
Naomi's eyes softened, noting the lilac cardigan over the girl's shoulders. But, that begged the question...
"Defending you from what?" Naomi asked suspiciously.
The teacher jolted. "A-ah, well, that was the other reason we called."
Naomi raised a brow, and the teacher gestured to the corner of the room. When she looked, Naomi's arms fell from their crossed position.
A boy with light blue hair was sitting in the corner, glaring daggers at her daughter. But what was more pressing, was the bloody nose, split lip, and bruising black-eye the boy was sporting.
Naomi winced, slowly turning back to Ayami, silently asking for her help. The red eyed woman only shrugged, still staring worriedly at her charge.
After sighing, Naomi put a comforting hand on the black haired girl's shoulder, offering her a smile as well.
"Hitomi will be just fine. So don't worry, okay?"
The girl gave a shaky nod, before handing Naomi her daughter's cardigan. "'Cause her uniform's ripped..." She murmured.
Naomi smiled, giving the girl's shoulder a pat in thanks.
"So w-what are you going to do?" The teacher questioned.
Naomi hummed, placing her hands on her hips. "...Still figuring that out. C'mon Ayami, let's get her home."
The white haired woman nodded, walking over and giving a few comforting pets to her younger charge's head.
"W-wait! We still need to talk about—"
As she was leading her wobbling daughter out the classroom, Naomi lazily held up a hand. "It's clear my daughter was standing up for a friend. And besides, we don't know how her Quirk affects her emotions or impulse control. I think me and my husband will handle this at home." Naomi challenged over her shoulder.
The teacher sputtered. "B-but I—"
But Naomi and Ayami were already out the door, giant Akita in tow.
Only then did Naomi realize...
"...Ayami, how are we going to fit Hitomi in the car?"
...
The last thing Nori expected to see as he and his father walked through the door, was a massive Akita Inu. But here we are.
"Um, Naomi!" Riku called his wife, tense with his eyes locked on the giant dog.
The pinkette calmly walked into the room, not looking at all concerned over the beast.
"Uh, when did we get a dog?" Riku stammered as he and Nori carefully walked around the Akita.
Naomi put her hand to her chin, pretending to ponder on it. "Hmm, about four years ago."
"Eh?" Riku dumbly replied.
But Nori was quicker on the uptake. He gasped, dropping his school bag. "She got her Quirk!?"
Naomi smiled, nodding in confirmation.
Riku's eyes widened, as he too now noticed the familiar ears and curled tail. "When—how did this happen!" He asked excitedly.
Hitomi, at this point bored of just sitting there, stood up and shakily making her way through the living-room and into the kitchen.
Naomi shrugged. "She was fighting a bully when it happened. That's all I know."
Riku nodded while the three leisurely followed Hitomi's swinging tail. "I see. I'm assuming she can't talk?"
Naomi hummed in confirmation. "If I'm being perfectly honest, I have no clue on how to help her change back." The woman lamented.
Riku put a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be fine. If she instinctively changed into this form, then I'm sure she'll instinctively change back."
"But what if she doesn't?" Nori asked in concern.
Just then, a loud and heavy thump was heard from the kitchen. Riku, Naomi, and Nori all ran to check what happened. Finally realizing Hitomi had wandered off while they were talking.
Naomi immediately assumed the worst. "Ayami! What's—"
She cut herself off, as the family watched the white haired woman carefully drape a blanket over Hitomi's naked body.
The nanny sighed. "She stumbled in, then she just... fell asleep." Ayami told them incredulously.
Riku walked over, gently picking his daughter up, attempting not to stir her. But he realized the effort was moot, as Hitomi seemed dead to the world.
"It must have tuckered her out." Naomi theorized.
Riku nodded. "It makes sense. Keeping herself at such a large form, and using up however much energy it needed had to have taken its toll."
For a moment, they all wordlessly watched Hitomi sleep, wrapped in a blanket and curled up in her father's arms.
Now that the stress of helping her daughter was gone, Naomi finally took note of something.
"Riku."
"Hmm?"
"That's the Quirk of a Hero."
Riku paused his gentle rocking, looking up at his wife.
"Yes, I suppose it is." He chuckled.
Nori stood back, swallowing thickly at his parents' words
How was he supposed to stop her now? Now that she had such a Quirk, she would definitely be emboldened by it.
But then again. Maybe with a Quirk like this, she could protect herself, and keep herself safe.
At the emergence of his sister's Quirk, Nori felt better, and worse all at once.
...
"Transformation, huh?"
Naomi nodded eagerly, getting another mug out of a cabinet. It was well into the night, but that didn't stop her from getting a cup of coffee. "You should've seen her Kid, she was taller than me! We had to rent a pickup truck just to get her home!" She excitedly whispered.
A weary sigh came from her guest, his tired eyes staring at her, unamused. "You can't keep calling me "Kid" for forever, you know."
Naomi shrugged unabashedly, blowing on her steaming coffee. "Not like you can stop me."
Another sigh, as he was handed his own mug full of the dark liquid. "How does Nori feel about it? I always got the impression he didn't care for Heroes." He took a sip, before sardonically tagging on, "No offense."
Naomi rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, he's definitely not the biggest supporter of Hitomi right now, but I think he's just worried."
"And Hitomi?"
"What about her?"
He rolled his eyes. "Is she even more determined to be a Pro, now that she got her Quirk?"
Naomi turned sheepish. "Well, she hasn't said anything to us, because she hasn't actually... woken up yet."
Two tired eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Don't worry, she's fine." Naomi hurriedly amended. "It just... really exhausted her." She poured herself another cup. "You can stop by tomorrow, see her for yourself."
He sighed at her lack of subtlety. "You know that's a bad idea. There's a reason I only visit at night, while they're asleep."
Naomi pouted, looking down at the counter. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're taking this whole 'Stealth Hero' thing way too seriously. I just want my kids to get to know my favorite student."
"It's got nothing to do with being a Stealth Hero. And I was your only student..." He grumbled under his breath.
Naomi ignored him, giving a sly grin instead. "Anywho, how's Emi?"
His eye twitched. "Why would I know?"
Naomi furrowed her brows heavily. "Kid, pretending like she isn't head-over-heels for you, isn't gonna help."
"And humoring her, thus leading her on, won't help either."
"Humoring her?" Naomi giggled. "Is that a pun?"
Groaning under his breath, he glowered at the pinkette. "Why do I put up with you?"
"'Cuz I'm awesome." Naomi hummed as she glanced at the time. "It's getting late. You should probably head home and get some sleep."
Setting his empty mug down, he raised a brow. "You invite me over, give me coffee, then tell me to leave and get some rest?"
"...Yes?"
He sighed, but he'd be lying if he said there wasn't any fondness to it. "Fine. Tell your sane half I said hello."
Naomi smiled at him as he stood. "I'll be sure to tell Riku that my favorite student said hi."
He opened the door, halfheartedly glaring at her over his shoulder. "Only student."
Naomi shrugged, eyeing him with something like a maternal look in her gaze. "Yeah, well that still means you're my favorite. Be safe."
He gave a lazy wave over his shoulder, closing the door behind him.