What is in the box?
Mina still could not open the large crate at her home after she had returned from outer space; Izuku told her that she would have to wait just a bit for the last part as he had encountered a hiccup. Then the worst thing imaginable happened: he was out of contact for a whole week because of some dumb thing he had to do with Brainiac. Mina was not happy; it was almost the end of summer break, and they wouldn't be able to see each other as much.
It had been a long day; she had gone out with friends, and there had been an incident with a fellow mutant with a boar quirk that had almost devolved into something terrible, but it was just a misunderstanding, and thankfully, everything had worked out fine. She was about to walk to her house when she saw the crate pieces sitting by the trash enclosure. Her eyes widened, and she burst into the house; her mother and father were home. Her mother cooked up Katsudon, and her father drank tea at the counter. Mina looked to the living room, but the crate was gone. Nothing else was there. Max just smirked and pointed upstairs; Mina took off, taking them two at a time, and she burst into her room.
Faster than a speeding bullet, she was in his arms; after she kissed him senselessly, she realized there was this white glow in her room. She turned, and there was a metal box with a glass display case on top of it. And there was a white and grey rock sitting in the case inside another tube. Mina had seen this before; she had seen it with him when they toured the space museum on a field trip; it was a moon rock.
"Did you go to the moon and get me my moon rock?" Mina whispered. He didn't answer. Instead, she felt something cold lightly touch her chest and neck; she looked down and saw this beautifully polished diamond with a white glow at the center; it sat in a gorgeous gold setting, and with a nice rope chain, he fastened it around her neck. She looked down and slowly lifted the diamond to look at it closely. "Oh, Izuku," she whispered. "I can't. This must have been so expensive."
"The chain was my father's, used some gold from some pieces that were no longer used to make the setting, and the diamond…well, I made the diamond," he said quietly.
"Izuku," she said, turning to him, tears in her eyes. "How did you make a diamond?"
"Well, diamonds are carbon put under pressure and heat. So while selecting your rock, I found a nice chunk that would work and…" he said. "Mina, I love you. I love you so much, and one day, I can't wait to stand in front of the world and tell them how much I love you. But until then, I wanted you to wear this so that even when I am not here with you, you can see this as a symbol of my love. And know that I am thinking of you."
Mina looked at the diamond, her moon rock, and her boyfriend and kissed him as the tears of happiness gently fell. "I love you so much, Izuku. I…" She just continued to kiss him till the call for dinner came.
He spent the rest of the week with her until the new school year began; she snuck into his room every night and cuddled against him. Well, maybe not just cuddle…
A New School Year
Akane was happy and annoyed in 15 seconds; she walked to the board to see her new class assignment. The happy Cami and Daliah were there to greet her and tell her they were all in the same class again. Nini, Tsubasa, and HIfu were joining them and Katsuki Bakugo.
"Yeah," Akane said sarcastically, waving her hands. She paused and looked around but didn't see Izuku anywhere; she tried to get a peak at the listing, but Cami and Daliah were already drawing her off.
"What did you do over the summer?" Daliah asked.
Akane laughed and rolled her eyes, "Why are you making it seem like we didn't see each other this summer? We even all went to the beach together!" Akane glared at Cami. "Though some asshole didn't tell me that Katsuki was going to be there!"
Cami put her hands up defensively, "He wasn't till the last minute," Cami said. "I was as surprised as you were. He said it was dumb at first, but the night before, he said he was coming."
"You making any progress?" Akane said.
Cami rolled her eyes, "I got him to go the movies, but I had to do a double workout for it." Cami let out a heavy sigh, "That dude is just all about getting into U.A. He did ask about you a couple of times. Wanted to know how you were doing?"
Akane's eyebrow arched, and Cami began to wilt. "Fine, he wanted to know if you were done being a crybaby and hanging with that loser."
"Yea, see fuck him," Akane said. "I am done with him; you know this was the best summer I have had in years! I hung out with you guys, I hung out with Izuku, and met his girlfriend, Mina. You would love her, Cami. I think the world might explode if you ever got together. I worked out and had fun; it was great. There is none of that obsessive "I have to be the best" bullshit when I work out with Izuku."
"You trying to poach him from his girl?" Daliah teased.
"No, if he were single, it would be a different story, but Mina is great, and he loves her so much. Honestly, I need him as a friend; I am not looking for nor need a boyfriend," Akane stopped and flexed. Cami's eyes widened. "See. I am in better shape than before summer and also had fun!"
"Did you see the pic of Tsubasa and Nini?" Cami gushed.
Akane's face brightened up, "I did! I am glad he finally figured it out; that boy was dense."
On cue, the new couple was suddenly right before them, holding hands. Cami called out to them, and they fell in step with the group; when they entered the class, they saw Hifu, who nodded. Bakugo was seated directly in front of the teacher's podium. But the one person Akane wanted to see was sitting in the back corner by the window; Izuku smiled at her and waved.
Bakugo glared at Akane, who looked at him once, then just looked away and walked past him. She looked at the seating chart and happily sat beside Izuku in the back. Cami sat up one and over with Daliah beside her and Nini and Tsubasa in front of them.
The first day was fine; their homeroom teacher was Mrs. Sukasa, who had a good reputation for being a bit strict, but she was fair. Of course, Akane declined to sit with them due to Bakugo's presence, instead choosing to sit with Izuku, who was talking with Yoko Mori, the previous year's class president, who smiled and thanked him before she left to eat with her friends.
"Recruitment again?" Akane said as she sat down, pulling out her bento box; she smiled at the fact that he was twice her size, his rice had a big heart, and the hot dogs were cut like little octopuses. She saw the note open next to him, reading, "Have a great day today. Love Mom!"
Akane giggled, "Does your mom always write you notes?"
"Not all the time," Izuku smiled. "She did when I was little, but now and then. She is excited today, which is her first day as well."
"That is good," Akane said. "Let's have a great year!"
"To a great year," Izuku said.
Mina
Mina was sure nothing she had done warranted a call to the principal's office. If she was being called for anything negative, she had been framed, and she was sure of that. The new school year was still incomplete without Izuku, but he had his license to fly, and they would see each other at least one day on the weekend. It was something at least; if she pouted, they would sneak out to come and give her kisses at her window. She loved it, even when her father caught them and started chasing him with a broom. Besides, it was just the second week of school, and she hadn't done anything…yet.
She had made a new friend, at least a boy named Eijiro Kirishima; he had red hair and pointed teeth. He was a little unsure of himself, and Mina noticed, but he seemed to be friendly and tried to do his best. He was trying to become someone else or change something about himself. It didn't seem like he was fake; it was more like he recognized something he didn't like about himself and wouldn't let it stand anymore.
Mina walked in and saw the Principal smiling while talking to a frail, skeletal-looking man dressed in a yellow pinstriped suit resembling a child wearing their father's clothes. The man had golden yellow hair that reminded her of All-Might, and these piercing bright blue eyes seemed to float there.
"Welcome, Ms. Ashido," the Principal said with a smile. "Mr. Yagi, it was a pleasure to meet you; if you need anything, please let me know." Mina watched as the Principal rose and left the room.
Mina looked at the man for a moment before she smiled, "I didn't do it; no one saw me do it. You can't prove anything," she said, taking a seat.
"That is where you are wrong, Mr. Ashido. I saw you do it, and I must say that it was impressive," Mr. Yagi replied.
"Ok, then I am confused," Mina sat back.
"I happen to see you a few weeks back," Mr. Yagi began to say. "You de-escalated a situation with a man with a Boar quirk who was getting frustrated about people not understanding him."
"Oh, that," Mina said.
"Would you tell me about that?" Yagi asked.
"Not much to say besides what you described," Mina shrugged. "People don't mind a mutant when they have a cute mutation or if your animal quirk is cute. Other larger, dangerous, unattractive animals tend to look at you differently. My quirk is exotic, but I still look like a normal girl. My skin is pink, so I get a pass most of the time. But some people freak out about my eyes or horns. That doesn't mean people don't say mean things."
"What happened with the man then?" Yagi asked.
"He has large tusks, and his teeth are oversized for his mouth, so he has difficulty talking," Mina said. "He was getting frustrated that people weren't understanding him, and then they were getting scared of him, so everything escalated. Some heroes see a big man gesturing wildly, and a normal-looking girl is crying and cringing. They jump to conclusions."
Mina looked a bit sad, "It could have gone bad for a poor man just looking for directions; mutants relate better to other mutants because we have all gone through something; we have all been picked on, discriminated against, and had terrible things said about us or those with us."
"What would you do to change that?" Yagi said.
"I want to become a high-ranking hero to help bring awareness and give other mutants someone to look up to, like Gang Orca or Mirko. Gang Orca is a great hero, but he has to work harder because of how he looks; Mirko is a freaking badass, but bunny girl and Japan." Mina shrugged. "The more mutants rise in the ranks, the more normal it will be; if I could somehow be the next All-Might, that would be the dream."
"You like All-Might?" Yagi said.
"Of course, he is freaking All-Might; I was caught up in the fight in Sapporo," Mina shivered. "That was the scariest day of my life; watching someone push All-Might to the edge was just crazy, and when the man came after me…"
"Did you run?" Mina shook her head. "Why not?"
"Two of my friends were behind me," Mina said. "Lex has an intelligence quirk, and Daphne has regeneration; I didn't know what I could do, but if I could give them a chance to get away, I had to do it."
"Scared?" All-Might pressed.
"Terrified, but when something bad happens, some run away, and some run towards it. If you want to be a hero or a symbol, you can't be the type that runs away," Mina said. "Many more mutant heroes are breaking into the higher ranks, and I just want to do my part to break down those walls."
"is there anything else that drives you to be a hero?" All-Might asked.
"It may sound silly," Mina blushed slightly and fidgeted. "But my boyfriend."
"Your boyfriend?" All-Might said with a smirk.
"You see, he has an amazing quirk and is super strong, caring, and wonderful," Mina gushed; she put her hand on her chest, touching a necklace under her shirt. "Have you ever met someone that just changed your life?" All-Might nodded, thinking of Nana. "He changed my life, made me think bigger and want more. I would have wanted to be a hero, but I don't think I would have thought about being a symbol for mutants if not for him. He makes me better."
"May I ask a hypothetical question?" Mina nodded. "What if you learned he was hiding a secret from you?"
"Hypothetically?" Mina paused. "He would never hide anything from me as I would never hide anything from him. If he did, I would hurt because I believe he would trust me with anything, but I would listen to why he kept it from me and judge from there."
"Would you ever keep a secret from him?" All-Might said.
"No, I don't think there is anything in this world I couldn't share with him," Mina said. "I know that I can share any burden with him and that he will share any burden with me. There are no secrets between us."
All-Might paused, thinking this girl had the right attitude; she had good, brave, and loyal ideas. "Young Ashido, I am the personal assistant to All-Might. My intention in coming here today was to learn more about the type of person you are, and I am impressed by what I have discovered. You can be a great hero and have the drive and capability to make your dream of being more than a hero come true. I want to train you for U.A."
"Oh my god, yes, thank you sir. It would be an honor," Mina exclaimed. "When can we begin?"
"We can begin today after school," All-Might said. "He pulled out a business card and wrote an address on the back. Meet me here today after school. Let me warn you, this training will be intense; while I can see that you are in good shape already, I will push you hard. It would be best to dedicate yourself to a strict regimen, and there may be little time to socialize with friends or your boyfriend. Are you willing to make that commitment?"
Mina paused; her time with Izuku was precious, but the thought that she could receive training from All-Might's assistant made her smile. Izuku got to train with All-Might, and she would get to train with his assistant. "Yes," Mina said, determination evident on her face.
Mina wanted to die, and Mr. Yagi pushed her harder than she thought was possible. She trained and worked out every day, and she was exhausted. She had difficulty staying up to talk with Izuku, who spoke with All-Might and confirmed that Mr. Yagi was his assistant. Their time together was spent letting Mina recover, which was their cuddle day.
Alexander Luthor
The first test came back; of course, he scored 100, but then again, she did, and she was Melissa Shield. She was interesting; she didn't have an intelligence-boosting quirk. She had some body-enhancing quirk that had just kicked in late last term. He heard taunts from others in class or the hall that she was lying and just a quirkless girl. This girl was more annoying than Midoriya; at least he could score higher than him to cement his place as the number one student. So far, it seemed he would wait for her to slip up so he could take his rightful place.
If Midoriya had her intelligence and she had his charm, they would combine to be the most annoying single person to walk the damn planet. Somehow, this Melissa Shield had befriended Daphne in a matter of days. He would have two if he had a nickel for every time someone with a physical enhancement quirk was in his way from getting what he wanted. The fact that it happened twice back to back was infuriating. From what he overheard her telling Daphne, her quirk had to be activated and wasn't on all the time.
But he had to respect her natural intelligence; she was brilliant. Unlike him or others who shared a similar quirk, their intelligence was more questioned. Even her detractors never would say she wasn't intelligent. Being the daughter of David Shield, a renowned inventor of support gear, had put her in a unique position to live, breathe, and absorb everything this course was focused on for all her life. But why did she and Izuku have to share that dumb smile? It wasn't very pleasant.
Then there was Daphne. She had been acting strange ever since they arrived on the island. She was wearing make-up, had changed her hairstyle, and started wearing a lovely perfume that he immensely enjoyed. He didn't like her dragging him to the movies or the beach market, not that it wasn't pleasant. It was time he could have spent better, in his opinion.
Business was in his blood; it was what he had to do. Inventing and creating was his passion; he enjoyed solving problems. Place a problem before him, and he loved finding the solution. Business satisfied that to a certain extent, but there is nothing like building something. He sat looking over the U.A.'s rules, and nothing in them said he couldn't major in business and support. A certified support degree from the U.A. would be excellent to bring to Luthor Corp. His father was a businessman and a scientist; why couldn't he? There was still that threat from beyond the stars; who knows what they looked like or their abilities.
Knowing a few physically impressive heroes may come in handy, he still could see that man from the attack during their field trip. The way he talked, he knew what their quirks were, and he implied he could take them. All-Might had been pushed to his limit, and as much as it grated on him, Izuku was impressive that day. Yes, alien invasion was a scary prospect, but there were still those born on this planet who had to be dealt with.
There were so many problems, and they just needed a solution.
Maybe the Sunshine is Not so Bad
Once again, she had been called into battle with her ancient enemies of sunshine and crowds, but this time, she was not waging war at the shopping mall. This field of battle was met with others, and an offhand comment about wanting to go Monster Con in her group chat was her undoing. She wanted to attend the convention, but the tickets were expensive.
Curious questions from Akane and Izuku prompted her to gush about the convention and how Godzilla would appear this year. And many other Monster-themed heroes, including Vampire King, The Reanimated, Dr. Funkenstein, Darkness, Eclipse, Belladona, Horus, and Amon Ra. Late-night movie screenings and special panel access- She didn't know how it happened; Izuku had somehow secured special Ultra exclusive VIP 2-Day passes at such a discount, and her mind wondered if he had beaten someone up.
Reiko had kept in touch with Akane and Izuku since the incident at the shopping mall; they were lovely. After what had happened, she thought they would move on, but when they messaged her, it brightened her day. Her best friend Setsuna was jealous, not about the convention but of the good times to be had, and demanded an autograph from Godzilla.
One small problem, a tiny, insignificant problem: the convention was at a beach resort due to the presence of Godzilla, and she somehow agreed to spend time on the beach with the group. Due to her negligence, she had not bought a new bathing suit in years, as sunshine was the enemy. She had agreed to meet with Akane and Daliah to shop for a new suit. Once more into the abyss, she had to dive; then she would have to go to the beach…she just hoped that when the tale of her life was recited upon her passing, they would take note of the sacrifices she made.
Reiko had fun; the beach started slow, but Akane and Mina, Izuku's girlfriend, wouldn't let her hide under the umbrella. It all began when they saw Mina launched from the water high into the air by Izuku. Then Akane got involved, Daliah; it was their laughter and the joy on their faces. She went out into the water and over to the group; when she asked Izuku if he would do the same for her, the smile on his face was contagious. She blushed and sputtered when he grabbed her by the waist, but then he ducked under the waters, and his hands slipped under her feet. She shot out of the water like a rocket.
Reiko could float, but not at the velocity that Izuku launched her. It was a thrill ride without the track; her heart pounded as she rocketed. The feeling at the apex, that weightless feeling before she came back down, was perfect. When she broke the surface, she was smiling like an idiot. It just set the tone for the entire weekend.
Daliah was her sister-in-arms for the midnight screenings of the trivia games. Akane and Mina were there to stand in line and take silly photos, and Izuku was the presence that made everything feel safe. His laughter and smile were so infectious, and the fact that he won an arm wrestling contest against Vampire King to win Reiko and Daliah's exclusive one-of-a-kind merchandise was the topping on the cake. He even danced with her at the closing concert by Darkness. She had never smiled so much; maybe the sun wasn't so bad, mainly when contained in a smile.
Missing
Akane walked into class after the convention, still smiling from all the fun they had. Cami was with Daliah, sharing photos and videos with their friend. Akane noticed something was bothering Cami, but her friend tried to get it back. Cami kept glancing at Bakugo, who looked like his normally annoyed self. She sat next to Izuku, and they talked a bit before the bell rang, and everyone took their seats. She noticed that Tsubasa and Nini's seats were empty.
Nini had gone with Tsubasa to help him with something to do with his grandfather over the weekend. She was excited about meeting Tsubasa's parents and grandfather. During the first break, she texted Nini, asking if she was okay. At lunch, she hadn't received a response.
She heard Daliah ask Hifu if he had heard from Tsubasa, but the boy said no; Daliah even bothered to ask Katsuki, whose response was "NO, and why would he care?"
Akane took the opportunity to go over to Cami, "Hey, what happened?"
"I told Katsuki that I liked him this weekend," Cami said; Akane's eyes widened. "He said, "Yeah, okay. So? Are we going to go work out now or what?"
Akane's heart broke a bit for her friend, so she hugged Cami. Cami did an excellent job of holding back her tears. "It was so damn dismissive that it just hurt," Cami said.
"I am sorry, Cami," Akane said. "Excuse me a moment." Part of Akane wanted to yell at Katsuki, but it wouldn't do any damn good; she walked over to Izuku. "Hey, do you mind if I don't join you today to work out?" she saw him look at Cami.
"Of course, Akane, that is fine. She needs you more," he said, smiling.
Akane just smiled. She thought this was how a friend was supposed to react. Akane returned and offered to go home and hang out with Cami and Daliah after school. Cami smiled and thanked them. At the end of class, Katsuki Bakugo told Cami it was time to work out. He then seemed confused and angry when she told him she wouldn't come to work out; instead, she was going home. He looked at Hifu, who shrugged and followed him out.
Nini and Tsubasa didn't come to school the next day.
Or the day after that.
Or the day after that.
They didn't come to school all week, nor were they responding to phone calls or text messages. The girls were worried; Cami would go by Nini's home after school that Friday and HIfu said he would check Tsubasa's place.
Cami: No one is home. The house is dark, and the mailbox is full.
Hifu: Same at Tsubasa's. Hold on a second.
HIfu: I just talked to the neighbor, and she said they haven't been home all week; she thinks it has something to do with the grandfather.
Akane: I wouldn't say I like this.
Daliah: This isn't right; we need to do something!
Cami: I will go to the police station to see if they can help.
Akane: It is a long shot, but does anyone know where the grandfather lives?
Hifu: He used to live here in Mustafa. He had a medical practice, but I don't know where I will do the same thing as Cami.
Daliah: I think I found it, it isn't too far from my house. I am going to go check it out. According to the web, it is open for another hour. They said he was there when I called.
Cami: Police can't do anything. I am not family, and just because my friend isn't answering their phone is not a good enough reason.
Hifu: Same
A few hours later.
Akane: Daliah, did you find anything?
Akane: Daliah?
Cami: She isn't answering her phone.
Daliah: Sorry, there is nobody here. The entire office is gone.
Akane: Then, who did you talk to?
Daliah: I tried calling the number back, but there was no answer. It came back as disconnected. Something is weird.
Hifu: I wouldn't say I like this, but you should get away from there.
Daliah: Yeah, I am heading home now.
Akane: We need someone to listen to us. I will talk to my mom when she gets home and see if she can do something.
Cami: This is freaking me out; I am going home; maybe I can talk to a pro hero on the way home and see if they will help.
Hifu: Cami, Daliah, please text the chat when you get home.
Daliah: You do the same!
Cami: For sure!
Sometimes You Need Some Help From a Friend
Akane didn't even let her mother get more than a single shoe off before she started asking her for help. Inko was taken back and made Akane stop and take a deep breath. Once Inko could sit her daughter down, she listened to the story.
"Tsubasa could be dealing with a family emergency, and Nini's parents work, so their not being home right now is reasonable," Inko said. "Oddly, no one is answering their phone, I agree. And the medical practice is a bit weird. I think I have heard the name Tsubasa before, but not as your friend." Inko took her daughter's hand, "Just try and calm down; I can't order a health check for your friends. I am not their doctor and have no reason to do so."
"But MOM!" Akane pleaded.
"Akane, there are rules, and if I lie about being their doctor on the paperwork, even if you are right, I can get into serious trouble," Inko said. "Not only can I get fired, but if nothing is wrong, we can be sued, and I could revoke my medical license." Akane stopped. "I will do everything I can, but don't jump to conclusions for now."
Akane sighed and went about her night; she felt relief when she got the message that everyone had returned home safe; for some reason, she was afraid that the streets would somehow swallow them up. She went online and tried to see if she could find anything. She found the listing for the medical practice, but that was it. The website is 404, and only some basic reviews can be found anywhere else. Nothing of substance, which didn't make sense; Tsubasa had said his grandfather had been a doctor for decades. Maybe his patient base had aged away, and he was retiring. Akane sighed. She wasn't going to get anywhere tonight, so she made her way to bed.
Akane didn't sleep well; she had troubled dreams and tossed and turned all night. The room's shadows were darker, any sound louder; her mind was determined to make everything and anything to make her jump. It was 4 am as she lay in her bed, her forearm across her head, staring at the ceiling. Was her mind creating a mystery or drama? Was there was none? Was it just possible that Tsubasa and Nini had what was supposed to be a weekend excursion to help his grandfather turn into some emergency? Maybe Nini had hurt herself and needed to rest. Lost charger, poor signal. There were so many questions, but where were Nini's parents? Perhaps it was a severe injury, and they had to rush to be by her side.
It was worrisome; the thought that maybe all of them had been in some car accident and were seriously injured would explain why neither was answering the phone, where Nini's parents were. It wasn't a comforting thought, but it explained many things. Tsubasa's grandfather could have had a small patient base, older patients who didn't do things like reviews, and with them aging, his leaving the area could have been him retiring. It didn't explain Daliah talking to someone claiming to be his office, then the line was disconnected, the wrong number was on the website, and they blocked her after a bit of fun. None of these were satisfying answers, but they made some sense.
Maybe she should have talked to Izuku; he would have helped if they had asked. She knew he would even help them look for Bakugo if they asked. He wasn't close with the others but a real friend with connections. She could ask him for help tomorrow, and if they found something, he could bring it to his mom or uncles; they were pro-heroes. She was sure they would listen if Izuku spoke. It was too early to bother him; she would wait longer.
When she called him at 8 am, she was nearly expecting voice mail, but instead, she was greeted with a chipper good morning and laughter. "I am not interrupting you, am I?" Akane inquired.
"No, just making breakfast with my Mom," he replied. "Is everything okay?"
"No…maybe…I was wondering if you would be willing to help me out some and if anything weird is happening, maybe you would be willing to talk to your family and see if they would look into it?" Akane winced some as she said it. She knew his family were pro heroes, and she was trying to convince him to believe her madness.
"Talk to Akane," Izuku said. "Tell me what is going on."
"Ok, so you know that Tsubasa and Nini haven't been in school all week and…." Akane began to explain. "And that is everything; I just…something is bothering me, and I am apprehensive. I know it is silly…"
"Akane," he said, cutting her off. "They are your friends, and you are worried about them. I may not be close to them, but they are important to you and, therefore, me."
"Thank you, Izuku, thank you so much," Akane said.
"Let me eat breakfast and take a shower," he said. "I will be at your house in about an hour. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, yes," Akane said.
True to his word, he landed on the sidewalk and rang the doorbell in about an hour. Akane opened the door, and seeing him standing there with a smile helped calm her. "I almost forgot you can fly sometimes," Akane said as she locked the door. "Can we head to Nini's house first?"
"Of course. Can you show me where it is on a map? I have never been there before," he replied. Akane typed in the address and showed it to him. She saw him look it over before he nodded. Then she saw him blush, "So how do you want me to carry you?"
Akane looked at him quizzically, and then she realized what he meant. Images flashed through her head, and she gave a silent thanks that she wasn't a skirt kind of girl and was wearing jeans. "What…how do you normally do it?" she blushed.
"Well, the only other person I have flown besides Mina is my mom," he managed to say. "Either I carry you around your waist or the bridal, the other way…I don't think I can do it."
"What is the other way?" Akane squeaked out.
"You stand on my feet, and we face each other," he said.
"Let's try the waist, and if that doesn't work, maybe the other way," Akane said. Akane was blushing as it was more like she was hugging his side, as his arm slipped around her waist and pulled her in tight. Mina is a lucky girl, she thought. He asked if she was ready, and even though she said she was, she was not. The ascension was similar to that day at the beach when they went sideways. That was a different story. She buried her head in his chest at first, but by the time she hazarded a look, they were already coming down.
She stepped away once they landed and held her hand over her heart, "That was an experience," she said. He just laughed, earning a punch to the shoulder. They walked up, noticing the entire mailbox, rang the doorbell, and waited. Of course, they were greeted with silence. Izuku looked around the front of the house. Akane went to the front-facing window, but the blinds were closed.
"Well, unless we decide to see if we can look in a window and more than likely get the cops called on us. I don't know what else to do." She said. Izuku weighed the pros and cons, activating his x-ray vision, and the doors to the house peeled away. He silently prayed that no one was walking naked or in the bath. As he looked about the house, it was dark; no lights were on; he noticed it was strangely quiet.
He focused his hearing, and there was no hum of electronics at all; no power was running to the house; he looked into the kitchen. There was a knocked-over pot, and uneaten food was spoiling on the table. A few photos at the stairway were askew; from all his training, it looked like signs of a struggle. Even without his training, it looked like signs of a battle. He didn't see any bodies or anything, no large pools of blood, but there was some blood. Great, how do I report this? What I just did was illegal. Pulling himself back, he noticed a fundamental thing: the front door was unlocked.
"Well?" Akane said.
Izuku reached out and tried the door, the handle turned. He looked at Akane, and she nodded. He pushed open the door, and as soon as they did, the stench of the rotten food hit them; Akane froze, but when Izuku pushed further in, she followed right behind him. When they reached the stairs and saw the pictures askew and one broken, they stopped and backed up and out of the house. "We need to contact the police," Izuku said, pulling out his phone.
Akane nodded and sent a message to the group.
Akane:…we are calling the cops now.
Cami: Holy shit! I didn't even think of trying the door; now I feel fucking stupid.
Hifu: That is terrifying.
Daliah: Should we check Tsubasa's door to see if it is open?
Akane: Let's wait to see what the police say. We will tell them about Tsubasa; maybe meet us here so you can talk to the police about the doctor's office and other stuff.
Dalian: Ok OMW
Cami: Me too.
Hifu: Dito
"Yes, officer, we will be standing right in front," Izuku said; after he disconnected the call, he called his mother. "Hi, Mom." Midnight hung her head, and she knew that tone of voice.
The police arrived very quickly and moved Izuku and Akane to the side as they entered the house; they came out 20 minutes later, looked at the kids, and called a detective. His mother arrived before the detective; she wasn't in costume; when the detective arrived, he heard his mother whisper, "fuck."
"Mom?" he whispered.
"When this detective asks you how you knew the door was unlocked, tell him that you saw that it was," Midnight said. "he is going to ask you how? Tell him it was your quirk. He is very smart, and his quirk is a lie detector."
Izuku's eyes widened. "If things get dicey, I will talk to him."
Detective Naomasa is a tall man with short black hair and somewhat rectangular black eyes. As a detective, he is usually seen in his uniform, which consists of his signature tan overcoat and matching hat, underneath which he wears a black suit, a green tie at his neck with matching slacks, and dress shoes—midnight breathed a sigh of relief when a very petite, young-looking girl with blonde hair and light purple eyes appeared no older than the kids, if even younger. She wore a black suit but no tie; her color was unbuttoned.
"Hello I am Detecitve Hiro," she said. "I understand that my appearance may cause you to wonder if I am old enough to do this job, but I assure you that I am. My quirk is a healing factor, so I look rather youthful."
"Who are you miss?" she said to Midnight.
"I am Nemuri Kayama, this is my son, he called me after he contacted the police," Nemuri said. "I am the pro hero, Midnight."
Detective Hiro, eyebrows raised, Nemuri presented her official identification, "Since my son is involved, I did not enter the house or make my presence known to the officers as that would violate the Hero Code A1278.902. My presence here is to be a council for my son."
"I understand," Hiro said. "I don't believe it will be necessary for your name to be attached to the investigation. You have done much to make sure that news of your child has not reached the public, and unless something dictates otherwise, I will do so."
"Thank you, Detective," Nemuri said, stepping back.
"Will you two please identify yourselves," Detective Hiro said. Akane and Izuku did so. "Ms. Midoriya, as you are not here with a parent or guardian, do you wish to continue to speak with me, or would you like to wait for the legal council or your guardian to be present."
Akane felt slightly nervous but took a deep breath and told Detective Hiro how it all started when Nini, who lived with her and her boyfriend Tsubasa, didn't come to school on Monday. Akane told the detective how her other friends had come to the house and went to Tsubasa's house and the strangeness with his grandfather's doctor's office. They went to the police and were told they couldn't do anything.
"Why did you come back today?" Detective Hiro asked.
"Because I know who Izuku's mom is, and I hoped that if we found something, maybe she would look into it deeper," Akane said. "He is more my friend than the rest."
Detective Hiro turned to Izuku and listened to his story; she asked him why he tried the door. He told her he knew how worried Akane and the rest were, and it didn't seem like it would hurt anything. If they were home, he would have to apologize, but the mystery would be solved. But they smelled something rotting, and then they saw the stairs, so they backed up immediately and called the police.
"Did you notice anything else?" she asked.
"The house was quiet and dark like the power was off," he said.
It wasn't long after that the others showed up, and she took their statements; she told them all to wait there while she went inside the house. She came out and said that officers would be sent to Tsubasa's home and that they may need to follow up with them if they had any more questions. She then cut them loose.
When the police checked Tsubasa's home, it was intact, with no signs of struggle. Still, the family cat had been left unattended without food and water—they forwarded the address to his grandfather, who is in another abandoned home. The Tsubasa's employers knew they would be out of town this weekend, but they were expected back by Monday. No calls or emails have been received, and all attempts to contact them have gone unanswered. Nini's parents were last seen Saturday night out at dinner, where, according to neighbors, they returned home. One neighbor had even spoken with Nini's mother as she was returning a serving tray she had borrowed; they did not appear to be distressed.
On Monday, their employers received emails detailing a family emergency, requiring them to relocate quickly on Tsubasa's part, and Nini's family claimed to be overseas. Their passports were still in the home, and no record of them leaving the country was ever found. The emails were unable to be traced back. There was no activity on the families' bank accounts; their cell phones were all last registered at the abandoned house.
Nini and Tsubasa's families were officially listed as missing.
Unknown Location
"I believe this quirk will work very well for you, my lord," the Doctor said, his bushy mustache twitching. "It is not the super regeneration that we need, but this young lady can see in the inferred spectrum until we can restore your eyes; this will be an alternative."
"Excellent Doctor," a cold, hollow voice answered; it was labored and muffled by all the medical equipment keeping him alive. "Bring her here."
Nini was shaking in terror as some creature dragged her forward toward this gross, disfigured monstrosity. She just wanted to go home and be with Tsubasa again; they had taken him away, and she hadn't seen him in days. She was forced to her knees, and she felt this hand fall on her head; then she screamed and screamed till there was nothing left but darkness to engulf her. left but darkness to engulf her.
