Chapter Text
It was cold, and raining. Most people on the streets were hurrying away, trying to find shelter from the downpour. All of them too much in a hurry to pay any attention to him. The boy curls up more, hands clenched into fists and tugged against his chest.
He was cold.
He was still covered in soot and...and...
Nobody came to help him.
Why didn’t anybody help him?
Was it because he’d been bad?
Maybe.
His neck was getting itchy, and a hand reaches out, fingers digging into his skin. It wouldn’t stop, the itch wouldn’t stop.
It wouldn’t stop.
Bits of red appeared on his fingertips, and the boy gasps, then feels his stomach turn, as images flashes in his head.
He didn’t mean to.
He didn’t mean to!
Clutching his head, the whole small body shakes, and he felt like he could barely breathe.
”H-hey, are you okay?”
A voice suddenly sounds from nearby, and the boy freezes, slowly opening his eyes. He could see feet nearby. It sounded like a lady. He was too afraid to look up, last time he’d done so, people had turned away. There had to be something wrong with him.
Maybe they’d known what he did the second they saw him.
Suddenly, the legs move, and the lady crouches down, making him squeeze his eyes shut again. Maybe if he didn’t look at her, she wouldn’t leave.
”H-hey, it’s okay. No need to be afraid.”
A hand brushes against his, and the boy’s eyes snap open reflexively, red eyes staring widely at the lady who pulls her hand back startled.
Oh no, she was going to go away, right?
That’s what they all did.
Instead of moving and telling him someone would come, the lady....smiles.
”Hey there. Are you okay?”
The boy blinks, confused.
Why wasn’t she leaving?
They always did.
She was wearing a light yellow raincoat with the hood tucked over her head, green hair cascading over her shoulders. The lady looked kind, but he didn’t trust it. All the adults seemed kind at first, until they looked at him and left.
”It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”
She tells him reassuringly, which was weird.
The lady was the one in danger, not him!
As she reaches a hand out towards him cautiously again, the boy backs further against the wall. She did not seem intent on harming him or anything, but he was afraid to be touched right now. What if....what if she’d...like...like everyone...
”Inko?”
A male voice could be heard from nearby, and both the boy and the lady turn towards it. There was a pale, tall man with dark, greenish messy hair and a black raincoat, standing on the alley entrance, holding up an umbrella. The boy tenses instantly, feeling his hand creep up towards his neck again.
”Ah, sorry; I must’ve ran off without warning!”
The lady apologizes as the man paces there, his gaze eventually drifting towards the boy.
”I caught a glimpse of him on the alley, so I...”
”I understand.”
The man tells the lady calmly, examining the boy for a moment. It was making him uneasy, the man was too tall, towering over them both like...like what he’d...
Red eyes squeeze shut again, and he curls up, his breath quickening. Or maybe it wasn’t working? It felt like it wasn’t working.
”H-hey! Please calm down.”
The lady tells him now sounding worried, and a hand grasps his shoulder, startling the boy again. He looks up with red eyes blown wide, his fingers covered in blood again because he’d dug into his neck too hard. The lady’s green eyes were wide, but she didn’t seem scared, just worried. The hand reaches towards his now, but he quickly tucks them both away against his chest, clutching them into fists. If she touched him, she could, she could....
”Inko.”
The man had now crouched down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder, making the lady look at him.
”Hisashi, we need to help him! This poor child is clearly injured.”
”I’m aware. Perhaps you should be a bit more careful about touching him right now.”
The man tells her calmly, and she blinks, looking confused. At least the boy mused it was confusion, he wasn’t sure.
”See how he’s clutching his hands against himself?”
The lady looks back at the boy, seemingly noting what the man had said.
”It might be a quirk. Something he can’t control or turn off. It probably comes from his hands.”
The boy tenses, red eyes staring widely at the man who was now looking at him. How did he know? Had he seen it, had he seen him...?
The man didn’t seem mad.
His eyes were weird, they almost looked like they had a faint red glow to them, but it disappeared as soon as he blinked.
”O-oh dear, what should we do?”
The man hums, reaching for his pocket, pulling out a pair of black gloves, offering them to the boy. His voice was still calm and reassuring, like the lady’s.
”Here. If you put these on, it’ll prevent anything bad from happening.”
The boy eyes the gloves uneasily, then looks back up at the man.
Adults knew better, right?
If he put them on, they’d help him, right?
Hesitantly, the boy reaches for the pair, picking them up. He slips them on, they were too big, but...maybe the size didn’t matter. Slowly, he places his hand against the ground, feeling a lump in his throat. What if....
Nothing happened.
The ground wasn’t cracking.
He whips his head back up at the man, who gives him a slight half-smile, before turning to look at the kind looking lady.
”He’ll probably let you pick him up now.”
The lady looks back at the boy, then hesitantly offers her hand. Slowly, he manages to push himself off the wall, small fingers closing around hers. She didn’t disappear. The lady smiles and then gently picks him up, and the boy hides his face against her, feeling his entire body shake now. She felt warm.
”Shh, it’s okay. We’ll get you somewhere warmer.”
A hand was now petting his hair, making him tense initially. As she stops doing it however once he does, the boy decides he liked it, so he relaxes, and thankfully the lady does it again.
”Poor child, what on earth could’ve happened to him?”
”Well...”
The man stands up too, adjusting his clothes for a bit, still holding the umbrella.
”We’ll probably find out eventually. Let’s just bring him with us for now.”
The woman nods, and the pair starts heading back towards the direction they’d originally been heading, with the boy safely tucked into her lap.
The house was kind of small, not like really small, but smaller than what his had been. It was also warm. There was a blanket around him, and the lady was cleaning his face with a warm cloth. He wouldn’t let her touch his hands, so he’d washed them himself earlier. She was very kind and gentle about it, talking to him quietly the whole time.
He wanted to thank you, but he couldn’t speak.
The words just...wouldn’t come out.
She did not seem to mind, she just kept smiling and talking to him.
The man - Hisashi-san if the boy recalled his name right - was on the kitchen, making something. He was still scary, he was so tall. His eyes sometimes glowed red. He’d been kind too though, so the boy was a little confused. His hair was really, really messy too. It was kind of pointing at every which way. Did he ever comb it, or was it natural?
It was the opposite of the lady, she had neat straight hair. Or maybe it was lightly wavy? He wasn’t sure.
”There, mostly cleaned.”
The lady declares with a smile, then stands up and walks to the man, who gives her something. She comes back with a steaming mug, offering it to him. It smelt sweet, like cocoa maybe?
”I’m not sure if you’ll like this, but most kids do so...”
After a moment of hesitation, he accepts the cup, but it was hard to hold it with the big gloves, and his hands still felt shaky. She notices his struggle and crouches down again, helping him hold it.
”It’s okay, take your time.”
The boy averts his gaze to the mug, still a little uneasy.
She was being so nice.
Why was she being nice when everybody else abandoned him?
”C’mon. I know Hisashi isn’t the best with this, but I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
The lady encourages him, and the boy glances at the man still standing on the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest. He seemed...he was smiling so maybe he thought what she said was funny?
The boy takes a sip, and it was really good.
He also burns his tongue however, grimacing as it hurt. The lady giggles and tells him to take it easy and blow on it if it was too hot. He does so, and takes his second sip more carefully. Now his tongue didn’t burn, and it was much nicer.
”Say....can you at least tell me your name?”
The boy looks up at her.
He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t talk. He tried so hard, but he couldn’t do it. Would she be mad if he didn’t answer? He couldn’t answer, but he couldn’t explain it either.
”It’s okay. Take your time!”
The lady seems to pick up on his unease as she hurries to reassure him, the same warm smile on her face.
She was so kind.
He couldn’t help it, his vision was starting to turn blurry. The lady’s eyes widen, and she then gently removes the cup from his hand, placing it to the table behind her. The boy wipes his eyes, trying to make the tears stop.
He couldn’t.
”Shh, it’s alright.”
The lady sits beside him now, and gently pulls him into her lap, petting his hair. He hides against her now, unable to stop his sobbing.
”Shh. It’s okay.”
She kept saying that, but...it was not okay. What happened was not...he was not...
You could not just say it’s okay, to make it okay, right?
His hand reached up again as anxiety began to creep in, but she gently grasps it, making him freeze and look up at her with widened eyes. She just smiles down at him, the smile was now sad.
”Please don’t hurt yourself. We’ll help you, I promise.”
The boy sniffs, then feels a presence appear next to them. He looks up, finding the man standing there again. He curls up against the lady a bit more, now a bit scared. Was he mad? Father always got mad at him for being a bother.
Was he being a bother?
Instead of yelling at him or anything of the sort, the man sighs and sits down on the table, looking up at the lady with a serious looking frown. It wasn’t angry serious though.
”What do you think happened to him? He doesn’t seem to be able to talk I think...”
The lady muses out, she still sounded worried.
”Probably. He looks....traumatized. He might not be physically able to tell us what occurred right now. Trauma victims tend to manifest different kind of symptoms, and some cases lead to temporary or permanent muteness.”
The lady sighs, petting his hair. It was comforting, so the boy leans deeper into her lap.
”What should we do then?”
”I can go and ask around if there’s been a child kidnapping or other similar case around that area. The agency has records from criminal activity from this area in the file after all, in case the police needs our help in solving the case.”
”Ah, right. Maybe you can find something.”
An agency?
A ......hero agency?
Maybe?
The boy looks up at the man a bit more curiously now. He worked for a hero?
Was he a hero?
Was the lady a hero?
Was that why they came for him?
”No I’m not.”
The man suddenly comments, sounding amused. The boy looks up at him confused, and so does the lady. The man just shakes his head with a sigh, brushing through his hair.
”I’ll make some calls and see if anyone knows anything. You should look after him.”
The lady nods, and the man gets back up, walking to the kitchen and bringing up his phone from his pocket.
The boy follows him very closely, both uneasy and curious.
”Hey...”
His gaze drifts up to the lady, who seemed hesitant at first.
”Ah. I don’t know actually, you look so young.”
The boy tilts his head confused, and she sighs, brushing her hair aside with a hesitant smile.
”Since you can’t talk...I was wondering if you can write yet?”
The boy pauses, then nods hesitantly.
”Then...maybe you could write out your name? I’d rather have something to call you with instead of just...”boy”or something.”
He nods again, and she gently moves him to sit back on the couch, wrapping the blanket back around him.
”I’ll be back in a minute!”
She disappears into a room further back, then quickly comes back with pen and paper.
”Ah....writing with those big gloves might be difficult though...”
The boy instantly tugs his hands to his chest, not wanting to take them off. Bad things could happen if he did. The lady hurries to reassure him that it was okay, that she had another idea. Disappearing again, she heads to the front door now. The boy glances towards the man, noting he was watching her hustle around with that sane amused looking smile on his face. His gaze eventually drifts back on his phone however, almost if he was checking through something.
”Here you go! My gloves are smaller, so they should be a better fit.”
She offers him a pair of smaller sized yellow gloves. The boy accepts them hesitantly, switching them on very carefully. They did fit better. He takes the pen and paper, and the lady pushes the table closer to the couch, so he could hold the paper against it. Slowly, he starts scribbling out his name. His hands were shaky, but you could still read the characters even if they were wobbly.
”Tenko? That’s a nice name.”
The boy felt a flutter of something in his belly, hearing that. He averts his gaze, feeling his face go kind of warm. Was he getting sick? Maybe, he’d been in the rain. Rain could make you sick if you didn’t wear proper clothes, that’s what adults said.
That’s what mum...
He pushes the thought away, not wanting to sob right now.
”My name is Inko. They almost sound similar, don’t they!”
The boy nods hesitantly, letting her take the pen and write her name for him to see.
It was a nice name too.
Her surname had green in it.
Maybe because her hair was green?
”He’s my husband Hisashi. His name is a little harder to write but...”
Tenko watches her scribble the man’s name down too. It sounded funny. It made him sound like he’d been gone for a long time. It was a weird name. Of course Tenko didn’t say that out loud, even if he could have.
There was a chuckle behind them, and both glance at Hisashi, who was looking at Tenko for some reason.
”Something happened?”
”Ah, no. I just saw something amusing in the news.”
”Oh?”
Inko tilts her head curiously, but Hisashi shakes his head, leaving the kitchen counter.
”I probably need to go to the agency itself to look into this further. So far there hasn’t been any news reports about missing children in that area, and most of the files I can’t access remotely regardless.”
”Alright. Maybe I should make some food for Tenko? He seems so...”
She cuts herself off, looking at the boy sadly.
He looked like what?
”Yes, he does appear to be malnourished; just be careful with what you give him so you won’t cause his system a shock.”
”I worked as a nurse Hisashi, I know what I am doing.”
Inko giggles, giving him a scolding view, though it was clearly in jest.
They seemed...happier than what mum and dad had been.
Tenko forces the thought down again, not wanting to deal with it.
”Midoriya-san! I was not expecting to see you back here today.”
He glances towards the glasses-wearing young man, who was currently carrying a large stack of papers. He was the youngest member in the Agency; despite All Might’s initial policy, the hero had relented finally and gotten himself a proper sidekick a while back. A sidekick that was overtly eager to prove himself.
”Ah, I wanted to check on some of the missing person cases from around here. I know we have those in the registry.”
The young man puts his papers down, adjusting his glasses as he looks at him curiously.
”How so? Did you perhaps find a clue to one of them?”
”That, or a new case.”
Hisashi hums as he heads for his office, sitting down behind the computer to access the files in the system. The young man was still hovering around, which wasn’t too surprising. He was very young, and keen to show his ability for everyone in the agency, not just the titular hero. All Might admittedly was still probably the main focus of the said need to prove something, though.
”Shouldn’t you be bringing this matter to the police then?”
”I want to confirm some things first.”
He states calmly, already fairly certain he probably wouldn’t find anything. The injuries on the boy looked relatively fresh. The blood had dried onto his skin yes, but it was likely what had happened, happened just a day or two ago.
None of the missing children matched the boy.
Leaning back in his chair, Hisashi holds his chin for a moment, considering the situation. The boy’s quirk felt strong, probably some kind of next level mutation. Whatever had caused his state, it likely related to his destructive power.
”There are some older files that haven’t been put into the system yet, if you want to look at them.”
”No. I doubt this connects to anything older.”
”Could you perhaps elaborate on what you’re investigating, so I can be of assistance.”
Hisashi releases a slow sigh, turning to look at the overtly eager youth.
”Sasaki-kun, I understand your eagerness to help, but you have duties to attend to, don’t you?”
The young man looks a bit bashful, but quickly gathers his composure, adjusting his glasses.
”Right. You can certainly handle this on your own, Midoriya-san.”
The man watches him gather his papers again and leave the office, before turning his gaze back towards the screen amused.
Today’s youth were amusing at times.
Especially when they were unaware of....certain level of irony this situation had to it.
Closing the computer, he brings up his phone, noting there was a message from Inko. Apparently the boy had managed to eat some soup, but he had struggled greatly with it. The news wasn’t surprising, the child was clearly in terrible state mentally. He could feel it.
”Have you found anything yet?”
”Not yet. There is no missing person report on him, so likely what happened was very recent.”
”Oh dear...”
”I’ll look into it some more. I might stay out late.”
”That’s okay, I keep looking after Tenko.”
Hisashi smiles for a bit, before putting the phone away.
For a moment he just sits there, thoughts racing in his head.
The boy was familiar.
Something about his face triggered some memories.
He’d not met the child himself, ever, in his previous life, but....he’d met someone who reminded him of Tenko.
Well, not just that.
There was another face looming at the back of his head the boy reminded him of, but for the current situation, that other one was more useful of a memory.
It could be a clue.
He pushes that other face away from his mind, for now.
Getting up, he paces to the window, gazing outside for a moment.
She’d had a son if he recalled right.
Who’s to say that son didn’t later have children of his own?
The quirk though....
His attention is drawn towards a reflection on the glass, from the TV screen on the corridor, currently showing some sort of newscast of a destroyed building. He turns and paces to it, noting the building seemed to be someone’s home.
”....there were no survivors after what is suspected to have been a horrid villain attack. The whole family is believed to be dead, including the beloved family dog that was nowhere to be seen...”
The reporter keeps talking, while the camera pans to the ruins, and the police and fire department workers swarming it. Hisashi examines the ruins, his mind already making connections.
Sasaki - Nighteye as he was usually called - appears again, looking up at the screen.
”that’s...awful. How come no hero noticed such devastation?”
Hisashi hums, trying to find clues from screen as to where this area was exactly. He could see a familiar building on the background, calculating from it where the likely location was.
He could’ve used his power, but...he’d sworn to never wield it again, not like that.
Small things like reading a child’s thoughts to decide what the best course of action was, that was fine.
Beyond that, no.
”There’s no villain in the registry with such devastating power! ....Unless....”
Hisashi tried his best not to let out the amused chuckle wanting to slip past his lips. He could tell what Sasaki was thinking about. He was one of the few in the know about certain villain after all.
But even he, with his admittedly useful quirk, didn’t know everything.
”No. This probably wasn’t his doing. Too much evidence.”
”...Right. Still it is rather alarming.”
Hisashi hums, then turns slowly to look at him. He could tell he sometimes unnerved the youth, which, fair. He had every reason to be afraid, if only the blissfully ignorant fool knew why.
Sometimes it was better to stay blissfully ignorant.
”I’m fairly certain the police will eventually contact a hero agency about this, in case it is a new villain running rampant.”
”Certainly. Are you heading back home?”
Sasaki watches him disappear back into his office to grab his coat, eventually walking back, having tugged it on now.
”Yes. I could not find anything at the moment, and given Inko’s condition, I’d rather not stay out any longer than I must.”
”Ahh...when is she due?”
Hisashi hums, a genuine smile on his face.
”July.”
”That is still a while away, but I suppose she might have some symptoms already.”
Hisashi just nods lightly, heading out, giving the young man a wave.
”Say hi for her from all of us, Midoriya-san!”
”Sure.”
Stepping out of the agency door, it was already dark. Still, he was not going home yet.
The area was quite far away, but he could still drive there relatively quickly.
He could use other means, but...
Hisashi did not want to use them.
Aside from the fire breath, which he’d ended up having to pretend being his quirk due to...unfortunate circumstances, he preferred to keep the rest at bay.
Slipping into his car, the man couldn’t stop but wonder though.
Did that man have something to do with this?
If that kid truly was Nana’s grandchild....
Then again, what he said, stands; too much evidence.
Starting the car, he drives off, heading for the direction of the ruined house.
It was completely in ruins. Nothing but rubble and dust. The police had left, but the area was still surrounded by the yellow tape. He paces closer, examining the devastation. The cracks he saw...they matched with how he assisted the boy’s quirk likely worked when examining it.
This wasn’t a villain.
It was something much more tragic.
His eyes eventually hit on a piece of metal nearby. He walks right next to it, noting it was a name plate. He recognizes the surname on it, confirming his hunch.
”Shimura...”
Hisashi mutters out, lifting his gaze to examine the devastation more closely. If the boy had really done all this...his power was remarkable. It was such a powerful quirk, already at his age. Already right at manifestation, from what he’d gathered. A slight, wry grin appears on his face; it was unavoidable, part of him was still darkly amused by things like this. It did not last long however, given that feeling reminded him of a lot of unpleasant memories.
Releasing a slow sigh, he turns to leave.
Nothing he could do about this.
Part of him couldn’t stop but wonder though.
That quirk, was it truly the boy’s original one, or.....
”This feels like something I’d have my hands in.”
Inko was sleeping on the couch, holding the boy to his chest when Hisashi returns. She stirs and sits up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Upon seeing him, she gives him a smile, before yawning.
”How is he?”
”Well....he’s sleeping, so I guess that’s good. Did you discover anything?”
The man puts away his coat, a thoughtful frown on his face.
”....Yes, but...it is perhaps better to discuss it in the morning. It is very late right now.”
”Ah, oh my, it’s already past ten?”
Inko blinks surprised upon looking at the clock, letting out a sheepish, quiet laugh. Hisashi sighs and shakes his head with a fond smile, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
”You should perhaps let him sleep next to you tonight; he seems attached to you already.”
Given the way the boy was still clutching her in his sleep, Inko couldn’t deny that. She hums, petting his hair for a bit, before a thought enters her head. Lifting her gaze, she looks at her husband uncertain.
”....I couldn’t stop but feel he was...a little scared of you, maybe? He seemed a bit more relaxed when you left...”
”I’m...not surprised.”
Inko huffs, frowning for a bit. It always made her sad when people acted so uneasy around her husband. She couldn’t understand it.
”You’re the kindest man I’ve met. I....it makes me wonder if his...if that’s what’s causing it, maybe?”
She’d seen children like this before during her work as a nurse. They always acted in certain manner that made you uneasy around their parents. Like something was wrong with that family.
”I’m not.”
Inko blinks confused, looking up at him.
”I’m not kind, Inko.”
She releases a slow sigh, shaking her head. This discussion was familiar to her, they’d had it several times in the past. Reaching a hand out, she gently cups his cheek, giving him a gentle but stern scolding. Something she'd had to do many times before, unfortunately.
”Whatever you did in the past, you’re trying to be better now. People make mistakes, they should also be allowed to grow and learn from them.”
Hisashi hums, eventually grasping her hand into his.
”You’re too kind for your own good sometimes.”
Inko just shakes her head with a sad smile, before looking back down to Tenko, who was shifting in his sleep to rest more comfortably against her.
”.....but you might be right. Given what we’ve seen, I would not be surprised if the father was an issue.”
”It just makes me so sad...seeing children like this. I almost never knew what to do back at the hospital.”
”Was that why you decided to go and help him?”
Inko lifts her gaze, looking up at him with a determined nod.
”I’ve always been too unsure to do anything, but...at that moment, I felt I had to. I always hesitate too much, so I....I wanted to stop doing that this time around and just...do the right thing."
”The boy certainly appreciates it, I’d say.”
Hisashi points out, gesturing at the child who seemed comfortably cuddled up against her. Inko giggles a bit at that, petting his hair. Her smile turns sadder after a while, and she looks up at him hesitantly.
”....H-how bad is it? What you found out?”
The man remains quiet for a long time, and the silence was enough of an answer by itself, as Inko sucks in a deep breath, biting her lip as she hugs the boy a little tighter.
”Should we go to the police then?”
”.....Let’s first wait till morning before making any hasty decisions, the situation is....rather complicated.”
”......Okay.”
