Sometimes in life you have to let go. My family has been a drag on me my entire life, yet I have never truly been able to escape them. Every time I think I am free of my mother, she calls me up and begs me for my help or tells me she's sorry. She's not really sorry, but it's never stopped me from running back to her. She is ruining my life, and I can't let her keep taking everything in the world from me. I have to set myself free. The tears that burn down my face draw streaks through my makeup.

"You want ice with that, right?" The voice of my best friend echoes through my empty flat. I've been packing up to leave these last few weeks. I stand on the precipice of leaving completely. I cannot stand this world another moment, I need to step away from it all.

"Yeah, I do."

"Girl, are you still crying?"

I sniffle as she peeks over at me from what is left of my kitchen. She sighs, "You're going to love it there. You've always wanted to mentor others, and you're super fun, and–

I sigh wistfully, taking the glass from her hand and sipping at it. The carbonation stings as it travels down my throat. "I know. I know. Thanks. I appreciate it-"

She presses a hand in front of her like a stop sign. "I wasn't done." Taking a sip from the soda can in their hand, they continue, "and I already have gotten my agency running there, and we need a healer, so if you don't come I am kidnapping you."

My phone rings, the screen flashes her name and contact photo. The photo shows her looking down at her phone, sitting in the seat across from me. It's from the day she took me out for breakfast and sort of complimented me on my progress as a hero, asking me what was next.

What was next? What about what I already did?

Success to my mother was something that I would never truly have. It was a nice picture, even though she wasn't looking at me. That was the day I had to face the fact that I needed to be my own person. After my patrol that night, I came home and let her dog out to use the bathroom before feeding it a late dinner. My mom couldn't even be responsible for an animal–why was I putting so much value into our relationship?

I tap on her contact and swallow a particularly thick lump as I block her.

Marina's right. This will be good for me.

Marina and I have been through a lot together. We met back in school, tackled internships at the same company, and, for a time, went our separate ways. Lately, I have been feeling completely overwhelmed, stuck in a cycle I could not break. Marina, meanwhile, had moved to Japan to start her own agency. A few months ago, after a particularly horrible rescue left me reeling for days, I finally reached out to her.

Her advice was blunt but exactly what I needed: "Move to Japan. Start fresh. Leave your family behind. Find yourself."

The hardest part of this all so far has been going through the bureaucratic process of getting licensed to work as a hero in Japan. Thankfully, Marina has already been through it, so they helped expedite the whole process, using experience and connections.

A drop of condensation slides down my glass, pooling on the floor as I drain the last of my drink. The carbonation burns on the way down, and an ungraceful, chest-deep and soda-driven burp escapes me. "Alright. We're done here. Let's catch our flight."

Marina bursts out laughing, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the sound. "That's the spirit!" She shakes her head and claps a hand against my back, releasing a burp of her own in solidarity.

Our flight has two connecting stops and too much time spent sitting, leaving me alone with my swirling thoughts and anxieties. As we depart, I try to rest, but sleep evades me. I did not splurge on WiFi for the first six hours, figuring I would just doze off. Yet here I am, wide awake, nerves coiling tighter with every passing minute. My leg bounces restlessly, and I gnaw at my lower lip. Desperate for a distraction, I pull up a playlist, letting the familiar melodies drown out some of my unease.

Eventually, I cave and purchase WiFi, hoping to find something–anything–to take my mind off of my anxieties. Scrolling through my inbox, there are a handful of weekly emails from old websites I never unsubscribed from, and a bright and colorful, almost spam looking email catches my attention, except it's from none other than All Might.

My breath hitches as I open it. The name alone brings back memories. I had the chance to meet All Might during his time in America, and I had worked as support on a handful of missions. While our encounters had been brief, they had left a lasting impression. Still, I never expected to hear from him again, let alone now. And how could he even know I was heading to Japan?

Curiosity gives way to shock as I realize it is not just one email–it's an entire thread of messages. Messages exchanged between him and me, or rather, someone pretending to be me. As I scroll down, disbelief settles like a weight in my stomach. The thread details my enthusiastic acceptance of a position at UA: a role as a nurse and a supplementary teacher.

My head snaps to the seat beside me, where Marina is pretending to be asleep. I might have bought it if not for the smile tugging at the corners of her lips "What the fuck kind of favors did you call in to make this happen?" I hiss, keeping my voice low enough not to disturb the other passengers–most of whom are asleep, unlike me. "I don't remember agreeing to–"

"Wasn't even a favor," Marina interrupts me in a soft voice, cracking an eye open as a smirk spreads across her face. "I told him you were coming to work with me, and he asked if you might be interested in a job. I sometimes get called in for a lecture on campus, so…seemed like a good fit."

I blink, my brain scrambling to process her words. "You told All Might I was coming? Wait, how did you get into my email?"

She scoffs, rolling her eyes."You say that like you don't use three different passwords for everything. I literally use your Netflix."

"I knew my recommendations seemed off," I mutter, narrowing my eyes.

Marina shrugs, a smile still in their eyes. "Relax. Take a break. They're students. They can't possibly hurt themselves that much."

I am pretty sure self-inflicted chaos is part of the UA curriculum, but I cannot help feeling a small weight lift off my shoulders. I appreciate everything Marina has done for me. I really did miss her. Who knows? Maybe this will be exactly what I need.

"Alright, alright," I say, shaking my head. "So when did you get all casual with All Might? You two aren't…he's a little old for you."

"Oh my god, you're worse than the press," she laughs. "He's so old and loud. No. He remembers you and I fondly. You ought to give yourself more credit, you know. Plus, healing quirks are few and far in between. You're not a hard sell. Any agency would take you. I'm just glad you want to work with me again.

"So," I raise an eyebrow, "You are dating someone, but it isn't All Might?"

"This is turning into an interrogation," she groans, but there is a playful glint in her eyes–a smize, if you will.

"No! Just catching up. I swear. We haven't talked like this in ages. I've been so closed off and sad, tell me what's been good in your life."

Marina leans in, their hair falling like a curtain between us. "You know the number 2 hero?" I don't love the celebritification of heroes, but, yes, how could I not know who the number 2 is?

If I could raise my eyebrow off my face, I would. "Wow. I mean, he's definitely your type, but when?" - thinking about how to work this in for character background We may not be number 2 but we do have some recognition.

She levels narrowed eyes at me, "And what do you mean definitely my type?"

I shrug casually. "Seems like there's a traumatic past on that one."

"You and me both." The mischievous glint haunts their eyes. "I don't wanna hear it or I'll start a rumor about you on Twitter." Twitter. One of our main forms of communication since she moved to Japan. A place where nothing stays private for long, and Marina sends me thirst posts about hot eligible bachelors and memes. We're in that fun sweet spot of being sort of popular but nowhere near top five, try a little farther down, top 20. As much as I have tried to dodge the spotlight, I have been sensationalized a few times, which shot me up the rankings. Marina's and my old days with All Might were the beginning of it all.

"How did you two meet?" I ask, puzzling over the fact that the media has not caught wind of them yet. They make a hot couple too, so that's even more shocking!

Marina brushes a lock of hair behind her ear, but that mischievous energy from earlier fades, followed by a hesitant pause. "Okay, so it's not at all what you're thinking. We met on a mission- a joint op–nothing crazy, but enough to get us talking. And, you know how it is. Heroes look out for each other.

"Ah," I nod my head sagely, my hand pressed against my chin. "A classic case of destinies aligning, huh?"

She leans back in her seat, crossing her arms. "Maybe, but don't go spreading rumors. It's complicated, alright? The press would make a whole mess of it and…" she trails off.

I nod. I know. One time, there was a rumor spread that my old homeroom teacher and I–yeah, I get where Marina is coming from. They have always been the type to keep their personal life…well, personal. The fact that Hawks and Sonique haven't been all over the media yet is almost mind boggling, but she also knows how to keep things under wraps. I always valued her professionalism. I knew that between the two of us, she would be the one to start an agency, and I'd probably trail behind her. I can take the lead when necessary, but we don't both need an agency. I would much rather follow along.

"About All Might actually, since you're going to be working with him and all." The conversation takes a dark turn, "He doesn't seem himself lately," he eyes flick over to the window and out at the sky, "You'll see soon enough, but the vibes are…off."

An uneasy feeling lingers in the air.