Over the course of the next few days a few more students of class 1-A began to invade Rinne's life, the most persistent however had to be Tenko, "What do you mean you aren't going to be here during the weekend" Tomura grumbled, having thought he'd gotten his chance to sneak more time in with the kid.
"I...I liked staying with Yamada-sensei, so I asked if I could stay with him on the weekends" Rinne confessed quietly, something that really bugged him, surely there was no need to speak that softly all the time, but perhaps she was simply use to trying to make herself be unnoticeable that it was a deeply ingrained sort of thing.
As he huffed and puffed before relenting "Fine, it's your turn by the way" Shigaraki reminded, pointing at her controller, they were playing a game and so far, the kid had an insane competitive streak, she kept pulling ahead of him no matter what he tried.
The game had been borrowed from Ojiro, who hadn't played it for a while "D... Do you want my number so we c..can text, I'm sure everyone else will b..be blowing up my ph..phone so one more person wo..won't hurt" Rinne offered suddenly.
Surprising him "Sure Kid" Tomura agreed, not sure how to describe his current feeling as they swapped phone numbers then resumed their game "Damn, looks like another tie" he scoffed, stretching his arms above his head, while Rinne stood and moved about her little apartment.
Never would he tell her however was that soon he'd be making a little visit to her parents in the states, only after pestering Kurogiri long enough for him to crack and relent to what he asked "I... It's tea, Yaomomo said it was the best" Rinne declared.
"Whatever" Tomura rolled his eyes, accepting the mug, only to find that the kid wasn't lying, the tea was delicious "Well I have to get going, have fun with your sleepover" he crinkled his nose as he said it, what was he her parent or something, if anything she was more like what he imagined having a little sister would be like.
Rinne waved, locking the door behind him as he left, before draining the rest of her acai-berry tea and not up to playing any more games, cleaned up then settled on her couch to watch a bit of tv, so far animal documentaries were her favorite to watch.
Her eyes were just beginning to droop when a knock echoed throughout her apartment "It's Detective Tsukauchi open up Kuroyami" a familiar voice called when she was just about to start panicking, Rinne breathed a quiet sigh of relief then went to answer her door.
"Got a report of a strange man in his early twenties, know anything about that, the report said he's been seen frequently coming and going from your apartment Kuroyami, care to explain" Naomasa informed when he was inside the apartment for the second time.
Jade orbs peered up at him "Th..That's Tenko-san, he co..comes over and we play video games together that's all Mr. Tsukauchi" Rinne explained, knowing she didn't have anything to hide from the detective as she gestured to her set up and gaming console.
Dark orbs stared down at her in contemplation "Truth...my quirk is called lie detector and it seems you're telling the truth, but you should tell Yamada that you're having a grown man in your place kid, aren't you worried he'll do something unsavory" Tsukauchi warned.
Planning to shake the kid up a bit and make her see how dangerous it was having a literal stranger in her apartment "N..No, he's only interested in the vid..video games and Ya..Yamada-sensei does know about Ten..Tenko-san" Rinne shook her head, confident in that at least.
And again, being truthful to his surprise "In that case there's nothing more for me to do here, have a nice evening Kuroyami" Naomasa relented with his questioning, seeing no reason in bothering the girl anymore for the night as he left.
The door locking audibly behind him as Rinne decided to go to bed a little early, still keeping up with her bedtime ritual to prevent nightmares, the next morning she slept in a bit, something she rarely did until her phone began vibrating and ringing loudly on the bedside table.
"...Lo" Rinne murmured into the receiver, followed by laughter "Toshi" she rubbed her hand over her eyes trying to pry them open as she recognized the voice on the other end of the line, finally sitting up when she accomplished that task and looking blearily at the time her clock said it was, 11 in the morning.
"You were still asleep weren't you Rinne" Hitoshi chuckled softly, filling her with warmth at the sound, and she hummed confirming his suspicions "So what time will you be heading over to Yamada-sensei's place" he asked, wanting to at least spend a couple of hours with his best friend alone.
Considering she was now being surrounded with other friends in her class and they always wanted to be around Rinne "A... Around dinner I th..think he said, so you have a few hours if you want to hang out" Rinne yawned, throwing the blankets aside to stand and get ready for the day.
"Good, I'll be over in an hour, just have some chores to finish, then I'll be over" Hitoshi nodded to himself, before ending the call, leaving Rinne to shower then dress and make a late breakfast/early lunch for herself while she waited for her friend to show up.
Imagine to her surprise when Hitoshi arrived earlier than expected "Hey got my stuff done faster than I thought it would take...so what do you want to do, also I have some news for you" he smiled, accepting Rinne's hug, she'd recently started doing that and he wasn't about to make her stop.
"News Toshi and I have a little extra money now, other th..than what I'm saving up to pay you back for your help with my costume so...so I thought w... we could take a tr..trip to the aquarium, they said we could pet penguins Toshi" Rinne fidgeted awkwardly as she explained what she wanted to do.
Jade orbs widening in her excitement 'Oh boy' he thought to himself, not sure where even to begin with that and he really didn't want to upset Rinne, but he was sure she wasn't considering her idea properly "Are you sure Rinne, there's going to be a crowd of people" Hitoshi asked.
Wanting her to be sure this was actually what she wanted "Mhm and ye..yes I'm a little nervous, but you'll be with me" Rinne hummed softly, feathers poofing up "And Shirakumo-sensei for some reason" she added after a minute or two when Hitoshi said nothing.
"Oh, alright, I can totally go with you Rinne" Hitoshi finally relented not that he would have refused in the first place as he watched her bounce around as they waited on Shirakumo-sensei "Hey did you notice your starting to kind of hover again" he pointed out randomly.
Upon seeing Rinne flutter back and forth, feet barely touching the floor "Now that you mention it, they don't hurt as much and I think all my feathers have grown back in" Rinne remarked, as if just realizing it for herself, the pain associated with growing new feathers hadn't been bothering her for a day so she'd completely forgotten about it.
"Here, try lifting yourself higher, I'll catch you if you're not fully ready to fly yet" Hitoshi held out his hand, pushing upwards when Rinne stretched out her wings, concentrating on moving the massive appendages on her back to fly and she winced as her back strained with holding her weight up.
Before swiftly landing "Ow, guess I got to start practicing again, but I can definitely do it Toshi" Rinne muttered, "By the way didn't you say you had something to tell me" she reminded suddenly, hidden competitive side raring to go during the Sports Festival that would be happening in a week's time.
"Yeah, that's right, guess who got a job nearby...I went in and saw that they were hiring, so when you start up work again, I'll be right there with you Rinne" Hitoshi smirked relieved that Rinne's quirk hadn't been impaired after being so damaged by the fire.
As he watched her eyes light up at the news, he couldn't help but chuckle softly just as there was a knock at the door "Coming" Rinne called, making sure to practice with her wings as she kind of hopped/fluttered to her door "Shirakumo-sensei" she greeted brightly.
Making the man blink in confusion "Shinso...so the aquarium right, Hiz didn't tell me much when he asked me to go with you only that you wanted to go and why are you so bouncy today" Oboro remarked, the aquarium was the last place he expected Rinne to want to go.
Given her aversion to large crowds and strangers that is "I want to pet a penguin and Hitoshi noticed that my wings were recovered enough that I get to practice flying again, he's also working with me now at the part-time job to" Rinne exclaimed excitedly.
Hitoshi bit back a smirk as Shirakumo-sensei gaped "We should get going" he suggested when the man continued to look flabbergasted, before he shook his head and led the two of them to his car "Not what I expected from you Shirakumo-sensei" Shinso commented once he was sat in the back seat of the vehicle.
That looked normal for the Pro-hero known as Loud Cloud, his likes and dislikes were as loud as his personality and moniker unfortunately "It's not mine, it's Aizawa's, I have a motorcycle" Oboro informed, tempted to ask where the rest of their friends were.
Only to decide against it, his job was just to make sure Rinne had fun today "Motorcycle" who repeated him with a confused look on her face, while Hitoshi rubbed his face tiredly, poor kid always looked exhausted, it honestly made him wonder if Shinso wasn't going through his own abuses at home for having a voice activated quirk as well.
Something to look into later perhaps "You've seen a bicycle right...well a motorcycle is like a motorized version of a bike okay, you have to fill it up with gas like a car" Hitoshi explained not unkindly, but the look in his eyes showed that he was definitely angry on her behalf.
"Next time then" Rinne turned a pleading gaze onto Shirakumo-sensei, missing Hitoshi slap a hand over his mouth quietly, shoulders shaking in silent laughter when Oboro hesitated to agree, an hour later the three of them arrived at the aquarium she'd wanted to visit.
"Looks like it'll be a bit until we can get in, is petting the penguins the only thing you want to do Kuroyami" Oboro asked when they joined the long line, Rinne clutching Hitoshi's hand like a life-line, nerves finally grabbing hold of the young heroine to be.
Pure stubbornness was about the only thing preventing her from turning around at the moment as the line got smaller and smaller until finally, they were paying for their tickets and making their way to the penguin habitat as per Rinne's request "May I ask what the obsession with penguins is" Hitoshi couldn't help but ask.
Finally giving in to his curiosity "Their cute and I... I think it's amazing that the male of the pair takes care of the egg while the females go out and hunt for food, I especially like how they waddle" Rinne chattered nervously, still holding his hand tightly in her own.
Oboro who was stood just a little bit behind the pair, bit back a snort of laughter, not wanting to hurt the kid's feelings after rambling about all the reasons she liked penguins "Watch a lot of animal documentaries do you" he commented.
After he was sure he wouldn't laugh "Uh-huh, I've seen a whole bunch the past few days, but the penguin one stood out the most so far, though I did like the meerkat one and the one on stoats" Rinne nodded, calming down a bit as they reached the exhibit, she wanted to see the most.
"Why not some bird documentaries, surely it will help you learn a bit more about yourself, given your wings and all that Rinne" Hitoshi chimed in, listening as Oboro talked to the penguin caretaker about Rinne's request, and he was happy to agree fortunately.
Though when Oboro turned to wave the kid over she was stood frozen in front of Hitoshi "Everything alright" he was quick to walk over thinking that Hitoshi might have said something that upset Rinne when she opened her mouth and closed it repeatedly.
Before eventually settling on "Toshi...I um, don't have any bird traits, my grandmothers quirk was called angel wings and she had three sets of them, I inherited that, while my mo... her daughter didn't" Rinne announced, not even calling the woman who birthed her, her mother.
"Does that mean, if you keep working with your wings, someday you'll grow another pair or two" Hitoshi asked, realizing what it meant for Rinne when she nodded, clearly not looking forward to that day, before they were distracted by Shirakumo-sensei telling them that they could pet the penguins now.
Eventually the kids did get bored after going around seeing what else the aquarium offered for an hour until it was clear Rinne was ready to leave, Hitoshi as well, "Did you at least have fun Kuroyami" Oboro asked on the way back to her apartment.
Knowing that she'd gotten overwhelmed from the crowds "Mhm" Rinne hummed softly, worn out and back to her usual of barely speaking, Hitoshi bit back a smile, not startling when she laid her head on his shoulder, and paying close attention when her breathing evened out.
If she began having a nightmare on his shoulder, he would be waking her up but for now he let her rest "It's good to see her getting out and doing things like a normal teenager to be honest" Shirakumo-sensei remarked, gaining Shinso's attention.
"Yeah" Hitoshi nodded quietly, not wanting to disturb her as the rest of the drive back was spent in silence, though when they did get back to the apartment Yamada-sensei was waiting for them which meant it was time for him to go home, though he did watch as Rinne was scooped up and cradled gently in Present Mic's arms.
Until she was carefully placed in the backseat of his car "See ya kid" Oboro waved, after Hizashi had driven off, he made sure Hitoshi got back to his own place safely before returning his borrowed vehicle to Shota "Looks like Kuroyami will be able to participate in the Sports Festival after all" he said.
Prompting Shota to look at him in confusion "And why do you say that" Aizawa grunted, reading through the last of his student's homework and grading it appropriately, Kuroyami had the highest marks in class so far, even above Yaoyorozu and that was saying something.
"Her wings are fully recovered Sho and get this, her quirk isn't based off of some bird, their literal angel wings, more specifically, in the future she'll come to resemble a seraph, meaning, she could grow up to two extra sets of wings Sho" Oboro declared.
Finally dragging Shota's gaze away from grading "Shit, that means Hizashi will have to go through that two more times potentially" Aizawa cursed in realization, Present Mic had barely handled watching Rinne regrow her wings the first time.
As Oboro nodded with a grimace "You mean we'll all have to go through it two more times possibly" he informed, he was in it for the long haul with the kid already, it was like Midnight had said, Rinne hadn't just gained one guardian but several to help her out when she needed.
Shota pinched the bridge of his nose "Might want to tell Hiz that, it's probably slipped Kuroyami's mind to tell him depending on how long ago that conversation was" Eraserhead suggested, while it probably only just now occurred to Oboro that leaving Hizashi out of things that concerned Rinne wasn't a good idea.
"Right" Oboro winced, firing off a text to his friend, who responded instantaneously with a chain of messages asking questions ~Ask Kuroyami, Hizashi, she'll be able to tell you more~ he shot back with a roll of his eyes, before waving to Shota, indicating that he was leaving.
Meanwhile over at Present Mic's place of residence, Hizashi was doing as suggested by questioning Rinne about her wings "Hm, oh yeah, my grandmothers quirk was called angel wings after all" Rinne admitted softly, having only just woken up a bit ago.
Hizashi did his best to keep the horror of his face and out of his eyes "Who did you inherit your second quirk from then if that's the case" instead he asked another question to distract himself from the mental image of having to watch the girl go through the process of growing another set of wings.
"I...I actually don't know to b..be honest, asking qu..questions tended to get me hit, speaking in general got me hit all the time" Rinne confessed, looking at the table rather than at Yamada-sensei now, until a finger underneath her chin lifted her gaze.
There Present Mic stood half a foot away with a kind yet reassuring smile on his face "Relax little listener, we'll figure things out okay, that's all in the past, no one is ever going to hurt you again, especially not them" Hizashi soothed, squeezing her shoulder gently in a hopefully comforting gesture.
Causing her to relax and finish off the rest of dinner thankfully, before retreating to the bedroom for some privacy as her phone began to chime repeatedly, which meant her group of friends were texting her, asking how her day had been so far and what her plan for tomorrow was.
Unfortunately, the weekend passed far too quickly in Hizashi's mind when he dropped Rinne off at her apartment Monday morning to grab what she'd forgotten from her apartment before heading to school with Hitoshi and Fumikage, where the rest of the week went by in a blur.
Before they all realized that it was time for the yearly sports festival "You seem oddly excited about this Rinne" Yaomomo commented on the morning of as they prepared for the first event, when she noticed Rinne brimming with excitement, even her feathers looked fluffier than usual because of her current mood.
What she didn't do however was reach out to touch the soft plumage, having heard it straight from Hitoshi that they were sensitive "Yeah Rinne's got a competitive side if you can believe it" Ojiro chimed in, having witnessed it for himself during that first visit to her place.
"You serious, no way" Denki Kaminari perked up at the news, he wasn't the only one curious after all, though Shoto Todoroki had to go and completely ruin everything by snapping at Rinne and Izuku about how he was going to crush them during the events.
It wasn't so much the thought of losing that hurt Rinne "Hey you don't have to be so mean Todoroki" Ochako frowned having seen the flinch before her classmate lost her excitement about the sports festival, in fact now she was kind of curled in on herself.
Todoroki shrugged, at this point only caring about himself and how he'd show his dad that he didn't need his fire quirk to take first place in the Sports Festival "If she can't handle competition, then how will she ever handle the real world and being a pro when we graduate" he snapped.
For the first time in several months, Rinne's ingrained response kicked in and she brought her hands up to protect her face and stomach from the kick or punch she was expecting, his mouth went dry in realization "Rinne" Fumikage frowned, never having seen her do that before.
Even Ojiro looked horrified "Hey no one is going to hit you okay, someone go get Yamada-sensei now" the blonde suggested when Rinne began to tremble, Bakugo was the first one out of the room, followed by Kirishima as they went to find Present Mic and bring him to their classmate.
"Care to explain how this happened in the first place" Hizashi was definitely disappointed in Shota's students, they could hear it in his voice as he crouched before their classmate and began rubbing a soothing hand up and down her spine, before everyone pointed at Todoroki for some reason.
Who looked like he'd seen a ghost as he stared at Rinne who slowly came out of her panicked state, blinking warily around the room before understanding that she was safe "There you are little listener, want to tell me what happened" Yamada-sensei asked.
Rising to his feet and holding out a hand to help her up "It's my fault Yamada-sensei, I kind of took my anger out on her unintentionally" Shoto answered before Rinne could as she huddled into Tokoyami's side, squeezing his hand tightly no doubt.
"As long as you acknowledge what you've done and apologize, I can let this go, but try not to upset her again Todoroki-kun, Kuroyami has been through a lot, that goes for the rest of you as well, I have to get back alright, the first event will begin shortly" Present Mic warned.
Obviously taking his role as guardian very seriously "Not cool dude" Ojiro shook his head after Yamada-sensei had left, already knowing thanks to Hitoshi and Fumikage about Rinne's past, it wasn't exactly hard to miss if someone had eyes and was paying attention after all, how jumpy the girl was at times.
Shoto went to apologize but was interrupted when Present Mic's voice came through the intercoms indicating that the day had begun "Come on Rinne, time to get excited again" Yaomomo declared, shuffling the pinkette out the door as she clung tightly to Fumikage's hand.
Luckily after a few minutes Rinne did feel excitement rush up on her again as they were all met with Midnight-sensei who began to explain that there would be three events to all the gathered first year students "Hey I'm sorry about earlier, I wouldn't have hit you, you know" Todoroki tapped her lightly on the back.
Not missing how instantly rigid she became in response to his touch "Y..You weren't wrong though Todoroki-san, so from here on out, I'll strive to do better i..in the future" Rinne met his gaze over her shoulder before turning forward to listen to Midnight as she informed them all that the first event would be an obstacle course.
Her feathers poofed up at the news and she heard a familiar chuckle from somewhere in the crowd, after searching for a minute she found him not to far away stood with his own class, though when green met purple, Hitoshi's lips quirked upwards in amusement.
"There it is, that smile of yours" Fumikage breathed, when Rinne's entire face lit up with a smile, wishing that she could always smile like this, explaining after a minute as she tilted her head in confusion, cheeks turning pink but the smile remained thankfully.
Because the last thing anyone, especially him wanted to do at that moment was upset her again as they moved to take their places for the obstacle course "Get ready, set, and...GOOOOO" Midnight declared a buzzer going off signaling the start of the event.
Fuchsia wings unfurled from Rinne's back and stretched outwards, with an experimental flap she was sent hurtling forward through the air, making it through the first obstacle with ease "I told you she was competitive" Ojiro grunted, glad he'd had the sense to dodge the ice Todoroki had used to try and freeze everyone in place.
Unbeknownst to all the students there were several pro-heroes in the stadium watching the screens as they raced through the obstacles, one in particular had his gaze riveted, it was the number 3 hero, Hawks, honey-gold eyes focused on the winged girl as she defeated a few robots with her somewhat versatile wings.
Pulling a couple feathers to manipulate into deadly weapons "Did you see that" he could hear the whispers from those watching, many looking back at him no doubt trying to figure out if he and the girl with wings were related as she soared through the obstacles before her.
At least three of her classmates hot on her tail with the rest not long in coming "Hawks do you know who that girl is" Best Jeanist asked, drawing his gaze finally from watching the event, thinking much like everyone else unfortunately.
But the truth was, he'd never seen this girl before in his entire life "Nope, seriously Jeanist, if I had, do you think she would be here at UA, the commission would have snapped that kid up in an instant and forced her to partner up with me" Hawks shook his head.
Lip curling at the mention of the HPSC, already knowing what was coming after today, the Commission would interfere and the girl would be stuck with him for the rest of her life probably "Right" Jeanist nodded, glad he had something to hide his face as he grimaced.
Surprisingly despite her great start, the kid ended up coming in, in fourth place, though for some reason it didn't look like she was all that upset about not being first as she was surrounded by a group of her classmates, meanwhile up in the commentating booth, Hizashi knew exactly what his little charge had done.
He hadn't missed her slowing on purpose and letting someone else take the win, he wasn't the only one, Oboro was shaking his head, a smile on his face and they were pretty sure Hitoshi had noticed as well when he rushed up to Rinne, breathing hard.
Not that they could hear what was being said as Rinne smiled sheepishly, feathers fluffing up betraying her feelings on the matter loud and clear, Hitoshi rolled his eyes from whatever her response had been, then pulled her in for a hug "I'm proud of you" he murmured quietly.
Chuckling as her jade orbs rounded in surprise, "Seriously though Rinne, I can't wait to join you guys in 1-A" Hitoshi grumbled, finally catching his breath at long last as they were given a bit of time to rest before the next event of the sports festival.
"Me either Toshi" her gaze softened then as she prepared to sit, taking the chance presented to them to rest her wings, a week hadn't really been enough to build up strength and while she had kind of let others beat her on purpose, the other reason was that she knew she would have never lasted to the end in the first place.
Before she could get too comfortable though Yamada-sensei showed up in the rest area, waving his hand at her to follow him "Yamada-sensei is everything alright" Rinne inquired, confused when he merely gestured her ahead of him into a room.
Jade met honey-gold, then she took notice of other features "Wings" she blinked, realizing the person that she was looking at had bright red wings, his lips quirked up at the corner of his mouth in response, probably hearing her muttered comment.
"That's right kid, I'm Hawks the number 3 hero, have you kids got into hero names yet" Hawks stood intent on greeting the girl properly though he really wasn't expecting her to jerk back from him when he neared, eyes growing wide in her little face.
And he looked back at Jeanist in confusion "Sorry Hawks, but that'll be after the sports festival, right before work-studies start up" Hizashi interrupted, saving the situation thankfully as Rinne rapidly relaxed, though she was clearly uncomfortable as she fidgeted nervously.
"Hey it's no problem Present Mic, was just curious, as for you kid, I've never met another person with avian traits like me, so what all can you do with your wings and feathers" Hawks assured, keeping his distance for now, dismissing the fact that he'd noticed a bird-headed kid in class 1-A as well, hanging around with this kid.
She looked at him then "Not bird, ...more like angel w..wings" the girl explained quietly, tucking herself into Yamada-sensei's side to feel safer, shuddering lightly when those eyes of his narrowed on her "And I...I can manipulate th..the feathers into an..any type of weapon" Rinne relented to the other half of his question.
"May I kid" Hawks held out a hand then, gesturing to her wings, indicating he wanted to touch them, Hizashi winced when she looked up at him unsure of how to respond before cautiously agreeing to the request at the encouraging nod "I'll be gentle" he soothed.
Understanding her apprehension, he hadn't liked people messing with his wings at first either as he took off one of his gloves and carefully pressed his hand to the pink feathers, rubbing a couple together between his fingers as he inspected the plumage with expert eyes.
Not missing how the kid winced "Does it hurt when I do that" he frowned and she nodded quietly, hand gripping Present Mic's tightly "Can you tell me your care routine" Hawks prodded, "That would be why they're so sensitive, some companies make products to help with sensitivity, you should look into it kid" he finally straightened.
When she looked confused "O... Okay" Rinne hummed softly, wondering if it would really help, she doubted it right now, but much later on she would be grateful of the advice, especially when her second set of wings grew in, before she left though.
Hawks handed her a card "When the work-studies begin, give me a call if you don't have any other offers, I'd be happy to have you intern at my agency Kid" he winked then, earning a tiny miniscule smile from the girl before Hizashi ushered her off to prepare for the second event.
"You'll have to forgive her Hawks, Kuroyami has just been through a lot, I won't go into details now, but she was also the student seriously injured in the USJ attack from the League of Villains" Hizashi informed, rubbing a hand down his face.
Prompting Best Jeanist to stand as well "That was just a month ago, did Recovery Girl aide in the healing process" Jeanist questioned while Hawks stood silently, contemplating the new information he'd gotten about the young heroine in training.
"No actually, I'm honestly just as surprised as everyone else at her quick recovery, I fully suspect though that it has something to do with her second quirk" Hizashi shook his head, smirking when even the number 3 hero looked stunned at the admission.
Rinne didn't really like advertising that fact unfortunately and he knew it stemmed from her childhood thanks to her counseling session with Inui "And what would her second quirk be, it's something she should be using if she has it" Hawks frowned.
Finally joining the conversation again after that shock "It's voice activated and only works if she sings or hums Recovery Girl took Kuroyami on as her apprentice, the effects are limited however to light regeneration of mild injuries I'm afraid" Present Mic informed.
Making sure that the other Pro's knew the extent of Rinne's capabilities with her second quirk "Answer me this then Present Mic, why the hell doesn't that kid know how to take care of her wings and feathers properly" Hawks crossed his arms, already feeling protective and he barely knew her yet.
"Guess I'm going into details anyway, to simply put, her parents abused her, from the day she was born until the day they basically abandoned her in this country, I had words most assuredly with those monsters, but as you can see from the abuse, Kuroyami is as skittish as a newborn foal when confronted with new things or people" Yamada sighed.
"Present Mic, what do you mean abandoned her in this country" Best Jeanist frowned, that little comment hadn't escaped Hawks notice either as Hizashi rubbed his forehead before explaining that Rinne had been born in the states of america.
His heart dropped into his stomach at the answer, he wanted to ask more, but the second event would be starting shortly and Hizashi had to get back to the commentating booth for the cavalry battle "You can't let the commission get their hands on that girl" Jeanist told Hawks.
Children being his achilles heel unfortunately, as if they knew Hawks phone rang suspiciously at that moment "Damn it" the winged hero cursed, answering the device, gritting his teeth at whatever the person on the other end of the line was saying before hanging up abruptly "A bit late for that Jeanist, they want to meet her" Hawks sighed.
Unsure of how he was going to explain this to Present Mic as they headed back down to watch the second event "You're not alone Hawks, we won't let them get a hold of her" Best Jeanist assured, taking his earlier seat and focusing his gaze forward, prompting the same from Hawks.
As the cavalry battle began, Rinne seemed to have teamed up with Ojiro, Hitoshi and some kid named Tetsutetsu, where they proceeded to snag as many point headbands as they could, "Damn straight" Hawks nodded, jaw locked stubbornly as the battle became heated.
Two teams were going pretty hardcore against one another, and Rinne caught the moment Todoroki managed to swipe Midoriya's 1000-point headband just as the timer buzzed indicating the event was over and it was time to tally up points.
"Yeesh, he might have lightened up earlier with you, but he still seems pretty angry doesn't he" Ojiro grimaced, setting Rinne on her feet carefully, their team somehow managing to make it to the final event, "So that's why if you have to face him, forfeit okay Rinne, I don't want you to get hurt alright" he added afterwards.
When Rinne had looked up at him before noticing who he was talking about "Fai..Fair point, I do..don't really feel like getting snapped at again to be honest" Rinne confessed, missing the glare Hitoshi shot Todoroki's way when it was declared the final event would be one-on-one matches.
And who would she be facing first...none other than Shoto Todoroki "If you don't wish to face me, drop out now" Todoroki turned, doing his utmost to be a little kinder than before, but he truly didn't think his classmate had what it took to beat him.
"Shame I wanted to see how she'd fair in a real fight" Oboro frowned, though he did understand the kids reasoning, fire was her achilles heel and despite Todoroki's vicious rejection of his second quirk, there was no telling how riled up the boy could get in a fight, it could even cause him to accidentally use his fire quirk unfortunately.
"Good luck Hitoshi, Ojiro, Fumikage, Momo" Rinne smiled sweetly, planning to cheer her friends on when it was their turn as she went off to find somewhere to sit and watch the matches, not expecting to bump into Hawks again so soon after their earlier meeting.
But she did and this time Yamada-sensei wasn't there "Relax Kid, you can sit up here with us" Hawks pointed at the spot Best Jeanist still sat, two open seats next to him as he ushered the girl up the steps of the stadium, honey-gold eyes glancing towards the commentating booth.
Present Mic had most definitely seen him when yellow-green eyes locked with his "Hello again" Jeanist greeted when the pair had sat, Rinne seated between him and Hawks who tried to smile but it came out looking more like a grimace instead.
Keeping her arms and wings tucked in to avoid bumping into anyone until her phone decided to chime signaling a text ~I can see you through the screen, you look like your constipated, relax kid~ it was Tenko and she frowned down at her device.
~Eww, that's a horrible thing to say to a girl~ she shot back with a slight huff, feeling better already for some reason, she never really was truly alone it appeared when Tenko responded in kind, Hawks though was paying close attention not that she knew it and was inwardly relieved when the girl did relax a bit.
Letting her wings unfurl and droop behind her "Who do you think will win this event kid" he finally spoke, after the kid had put her phone away, though he was curious about who this Tenko person was, it was something he could figure out at a later time.
"Pr...Probably Bakugo-san or Todoroki-san, Midoriya-san w... will come close though I think" Rinne answered, eyeing him out of the corner of her eye, not sure what it was about Hawks that made her more nervous than normal when those golden orbs narrowed in response.
A shudder crawling down her spine and feathers ruffling at the unspoken threat in his body language however unintentional it was "Hawks" just then they were joined by Pro hero Loud-Cloud "Got to borrow him for a minute, sit tight kiddo" Shirakumo-sensei grinned.
Hoping that it put her at ease a bit as the two men walked off to speak privately "You got to cool it man, your body language is practically screaming I'm a predator beware" Oboro rolled his eyes when they were alone finally, after some fans began vying for Hawks attention.
"Before you say it's not like Kuroyami can sense it...yes, she can, the day of the USJ attack, that kid knew, Eraserhead confirmed it by asking her, she said that she could feel like there was danger ahead, before we ever arrived at the USJ" he informed.
Honey-gold eyes widening "The more I learn, the more I become concerned, that kid is basically a walking target at this point Loud-Cloud, if villains knew what she was capable of, they'd do everything they could to get her on their side, including outright kidnapping" Hawks growled.
Feathers sharpening at the potential threat to the kid he was probably going to end up taking under his wing if the commission had their way "Just great" Oboro rubbed his forehead tiredly "Should that happen I doubt the villain would be able to use her, she's to broken" he shook his head after a minute.
"Look I should get back" Hawks reminded, not wanting to miss anymore of the final event, the girl wasn't the only one who'd caught his attention after all, luckily, he got back in the nick of time "What did I miss" he focused his gaze on Best Jeanist.
Who held up two fingers indicating he'd missed two matches unfortunately "Who were you rooting on kid" Hawks questioned, seeing her leaned forward in her seat, gaze focused intently, though her eyes snapped to his a second later, peridot orbs darkened from her concentration.
"My friends, one of them already lost th..though and a..another is taking their turn now" Rinne confessed quietly, wishing she could go down and comfort Hitoshi, she just knew that he was upset right now because of his loss to Midoriya.
Just then Ojiro won his fight against his opponent and a brilliant smile erupted across her face in response, their eyes met all the way across the arena when he searched the crowd for her no doubt, before heading to the rest area until his next match.
"Guess you were pretty spot on with that prediction huh" Best Jeanist remarked nearly an hour later, when the final match was between Bakugo and Todoroki, the former winning only because Todoroki for some reason had let himself be beat.
Rinne nodded quietly, something both pros had noticed from their first meeting, that the girl wasn't an outspoken person in the slightlest as they stood "Remember Kid, I'm expecting a call alright" Hawks reminded, heading in the opposite direction.
As the kid went to join her classmates after Bakugo was given the first-place medal "O..Okay" Rinne smiled awkwardly at him, hovering down the stairs of the stadium until she was rammed into by the purple haired kid who'd lost against Midoriya.
"I need one of your hugs Rinne" Hitoshi sighed, sinking into her embrace when her arms wrapped around his back and she squeezed him gently to her, humming softly under her breath "Thanks, I guess it wasn't too bad, I did make it to the final round after all" he eventually pulled away.
Feeling much better than a minute ago "Yeah, and I just know that at least one of the teachers saw your potential Toshi, you will get in the hero-course" Rinne assured confidently, turning to greet her other friends, who seemed to need hugs as well.
Especially Yaomomo, later when she was settling comfortably in her bed, her phone rang and she saw an unknown number as the caller "Hello" she spoke hesitantly into the speaker, prepared to hang up if it turned out to be a weirdo on the other end of the line.
"Kid...I'm stopping by with someone who wants to meet you" it was Hawks and he didn't sound happy in the slightest for some reason before he abruptly hung up, giving Rinne barely any time to get dressed before a knock echoed through her apartment.
"I thought as much...please pardon our intrusion into your home Miss Rinne Kuroyami, you can call me Madam President of the Hero Public Safety Commission and I am here to offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a hero faster than your peers, it's a special program that only three have gone through" the woman greeted.
Not even waiting to be invited, instead just walking into the small apartment and taking a seat at the kitchen table, Rinne chanced a glance at Hawks then, who looked more threatening than earlier in the stadium somehow with his honey-gold orbs glaring furiously at the president of the commission.
"Um...no tha..thanks" his gaze shifted then on to her and every instinct in her body told Rinne to refuse the offer, not even looking at the woman anymore as her eyes stayed locked with those darkened irises, the pupil so dilated that all that could be seen was a sliver of his iris.
Hawks was glad that the kid was getting the hint from his body language, apparently Loud-Cloud had been spot on when he said she could sense subtle things most people didn't even consider "Are you sure, in just a year you'd be able to make your debut as a pro if you took our accelerated training program" Madam President prodded.
"Y..Yes I'..I'm sure" Rinne nodded, sure of her decision, the commission president didn't appear to really care for her refusal much when she stormed out, followed by the others that had barged into her home with little to no warning if not for Hawks.
Who relaxed then "If you ever find yourself alone with her kid, don't say a word, if you don't want to become a slave to the commission that is, when someone catches her interest, she tries anything and everything she can to get them under her command" he warned.
Reaching out to pat Rinne on the head despite her eyeing him warily still, before taking the time to check out his surroundings finally "Seriously you got a PS5, you don't strike me as the type to play videos games" he raised his feathered brows high when he spotted the gaming console.
Chuckling when her cheeks puffed up adorably at him "I.. I play all the time with Hitoshi, Ojiro and Tenko-san" Rinne explained, stutter nearly nonexistent when speaking to him this time, perhaps the longer he stuck around the less nervous the kid would feel in his presence.
Since he would have to actively go out of his way and make sure the commission president didn't trick the girl into anything "Hey, second time that name has come up today, who exactly is this Tenko guy you're texting and playing video games with kid" Hawks questioned suddenly.
"Tenko-san was the one who gave me the playstation, it was a gift for a stranger project he participated in, he swung by after Yamada-sensei let me have his old tv and taught me how to play and kind of stuck around" Rinne hummed softly, letting a little yawn escape her mouth when she was done.
And though he wanted to ask more, Hawks decided against it for the time being "Go on kid, get to bed, even if it is the weekend tomorrow" he instructed, gently nudging the girl in the direction of her bedroom hopefully, not intending to leave, the commission might just choose to abduct the kid and brainwash her somehow with their doctrine.
"But...I have to loc..lock the door after you leave" she ground her feet into the floor in order to stay in her spot and got shocked in the next moment when he said he wasn't leaving, the distraction being enough that he managed to nudge her completely into her bedroom and shut the door behind him.
Instructing her to get some sleep as he locked up the tiny apartment for the night and settled on the couch, he wasn't a fool after all and like hell was, he going to let them get their claws into another kid when she was already so damaged by life.
Thankfully half an hour later his sensitive ears picked up on the sound of soft breathing, indicating the girl had finally fallen asleep to his relief just as he received a text from Present Mic ~What the hell are you doing in my ward's apartment Hawks~ he read.
Before bringing up the man's contact and pressing call "Keeping the commission away from that kid, that's what, Kuroyami unfortunately caught their interest during the sports festival" he snapped back quietly the minute Hizashi had answered the call.
"Where is she" Hizashi demanded in outrage, only calming down when he was told she was asleep "Right, right, of course she is, that's how I knew you were there" he muttered mostly to himself, feeling drained, Rinne couldn't seem to catch a break could she.
"Look I'm not going to let them get her Present Mic, but it is dangerous for her to be staying alone in an apartment in the middle of the damn city, surely you understand that" Hawks assured, pressing onward with the glaringly obvious problem.
One that Hizashi had already noticed "You think I don't know how dangerous it is, I've been trying to convince her for weeks Hawks but the little listener is stubborn, her near nonexistent trust in adults won't let her accept that kind of help just yet, or I'd have her already moved in with me and fully adopted" Present Mic sighed.
Coming outright and admitting the truth basically, he already saw Rinne as his own kid and he'd love to adopt her and have her carry his last name "Fallen that far huh Yamada" Hawks chuckled then, getting up to check on the kid, make sure she was actually sleeping and not attempting to eavesdrop on his conversation.
He carefully cracked open her bedroom door, peering through it into the darkness before shutting the door again "Take care of her please, especially if she chooses to intern with you Hawks" Hizashi pleaded, hanging up after that in the hope of getting some sleep.
Prompting Hawks to do the same on the rather comfortable couch, it was unexpected but pleasant nonetheless and hours later he woke to Rinne peering at him from across the room, in the tiny kitchenette her apartment possessed "Well, I see your an early riser, what is it the ass crack of dawn or something" he groaned.
Rubbing his face and trying to wake up properly "It's 7o'clock" Rinne informed quietly, still wondering how things had turned out this way as she turned to make breakfast, hyper focused on the sounds her guest made as he stood, wings and feathers ruffling as he stretched before joining her in the kitchenette.
A chair scraping across the floor indicated he'd sat at the table but she kept her gaze focused on the task at hand "Do you have any idea what you're doing there Kid" Hawks remarked, resting his head in his hand when the smell of something burning filled the air.
"U..Um sort of, I can't make anything dif..difficult though" Rinne confessed, scraping the burnt egg onto some toast and cracking a second into the pan, managing this time not to burn it, before making a pot of tea to enjoy with her breakfast, while giving the non-burnt egg and toast to her guest.
"So, what's your plan for today...might I recommend you really consider Present Mic's offer to move in with him, you're in danger if you continue to stay in this apartment kid" Hawks chimed in, carefully taking a bite of his toast and egg to find it just right surprisingly.
Rinne remained silent however, apparently more stubborn than he thought, no matter what though he'd convince the girl to do what was necessary for her protection, it just might take more work than initially considered "Anyway you have my number Kuroyami, if you're in trouble don't hesitate to text or call" he stood.
Finishing off the breakfast he'd been given and washing the plate before taking his leave, knowing he'd probably be swinging by often to keep the commission president away, as for Rinne, she enjoyed a few hours with her friends before Hizashi showed up to take her off for the weekend stay.