It didn't take long for me to get patched up, or that is what it seems like anyway. But, unfortunately, the pain of the cleaning solution hurt to the point that I was swearing and sweating profusely. Usually, I don't make a fuss about pain, but man, that shit hurt.

It even turned my vision black and white- similar to how my quirk worked.

After the EMTs wrapped up my torso, I got bitched and praised for running into a situation like that. Saying that I should've let the heroes do the work, but then something changed.

One of the police officers on the scene came up and stated that I didn't do anything wrong- that I could be credited for this event. I thought that I would get in trouble for using my quirk without a license. However, what that police officer stated shocked the other heroes around me and me.

I. Already. Had. My. Quirk. License.

He stated that a hero named Clockwork showed up out of nowhere and proved to them that I did.

That hero name alone let me connect the pieces.

However, I wasn't going to open my mouth about it. Heroes don't reveal their true identities, so why even bother.

That is when the news crew swarmed me, asking a bunch of questions. I didn't answer them, as they kept coming. Flashes of the cameras blinded me as I kept walking. Then, finally, walking to the area where Katsu was standing, waiting for me.

I looked around, hoping that I could see a mess of green hair, but it already looked like he left. I sighed, wondering what was going through Zuku's head. The image of his frown replayed in my head. Something must have happened between the two attacks of the slime villain, but I wasn't going to dwell on that fact.

Katsu took my hand, pulling me away from the never-ending people. After a while, the crowd dispersed. Knowing that we weren't going to answer any of their questions. That alone relieved me because I didn't like being in the center of the spotlight. Something that I have to get used to in the future- just not now.

"Here," Taking me out of my daze, Katsu held out his blazer. He was waiting for me to take it. I felt the material in my hands as I took it before putting it on- it was bigger than what I expected. The blazer reached down to the end of my skirt while the sleeves of it covered my hands.

"Thank you," I muttered out before he retook my hand and began walking.

We walked in comfortable silence, him leading me through the now empty streets. A yellow hue lit the sky as it was telling us that the sun was beginning to set.

"I'll be right back. I got to go do something." He turned to face me, seeing if I was paying attention, "Stay here, got it?!" I nodded, letting go of his hand.

Turning around, Katsu ran down the street before turning the corner- out of sight. I smiled, setting my book bag down before I did too. I pressed my back onto the cold, rigid fence- taking in my surroundings.

Hopefully, Katsu wouldn't take too long. I rather not be out here while it turned dark.

Taking out my phone, I noticed that I had some miss calls and text messages. They all came from the same person, Amaya. So I texted her back, saying that I was safe and that I am coming home soon.

She sent a thumbs-up emoji before I decided to scroll through social media.

Some time passed before I saw Katsu turn the same corner, walking straight back to me. I placed my phone back into my pocket, not wanting to lose it on the way home. I stood up, grabbing my book bag off the ground before meeting him halfway.

"Finished?" I asked as soon as I know he could hear me.

"Let's just go." He retook my hand before starting to walk off.

I don't know the big deal with people taking my hand, but I didn't mind it. It was probably because they knew I was younger- worried about running off and getting hurt in the process. Zuku and Katsu were the only ones who did that, showing that they cared about me- or so I think.

We stopped near the train station, grabbing some ice cream before entering the train.

Sitting down, I began to lick the delicious taste of my favorite ice cream. It was rare getting to be able to eat it, seeing how my stepmom favored healthy foods. This is one of those moments that I could cheat while she wasn't watching me.

"The old hag is wondering if you want to join us for dinner," Katsu stated out of the blue, pausing for a second before licking his ice cream, "She said that she could drop you off home afterward."

"Sure, I'll text Amaya." So, doing what I said, I texted her—telling her that Katsu's family invited me over for dinner and that they would drop me off afterward.

She replied immediately, saying that it was okay and to be back by this time.

"Amaya said that I had to be home before 22:00" He nodded, looking back down at his phone.

Our stop came not too long after that, making us exit the train and back onto the streets. It was a short walk getting to his house; our ice creams finally finished.

Opening the door with his keys, we entered. The smell of food over flooding my senses as we took off our shoes.

"Oh?! Your home!" A lady, who looked like the older female of Katsu, peaked her head out of what I would assume was the kitchen, "Took you long enough."

"Shut it, old hag!" Katsu sneered, making his way into the kitchen. I visually sweatdrop, hearing him say that to his mom. If my mom were still alive, she would've kicked my ass.

"Hello, Mrs. Bakugo," I greeted, walking into the kitchen with my book bag over my shoulder, "Thank you for inviting me over for dinner."

"Oh, please call me Mitsuki," She smiled, looking at me up and down, "You're a pretty young lady."

"T-Thank you,"

"No problem, sweetie," She looked over to her son, who was starring at us, "Why don't you show her to your room so that she can set her book bag down."

"Tsk, don't tell me what to do," But he complied, dragging me to follow after he grabbed my wrist.

After going up the stairs, we entered his bedroom. His room was cleaner than I thought it was, expecting it to be messy. Looking around the room more, I saw posters of different bands with a couple of heroes. He did grow up with Zuku, so I'm not surprised that they both shared their admiration for heroes.

"Katsu?" I called hesitantly, placing my book bag down by his desk, "Is it alright if I take a shower? I rather not be sitting at the dinner table looking and smelling like this..."

"Whatever," He opened his closet, throwing a towel and a rag at me before turning around, "Anything else?"

"Can I borrow a set of clothes?" I turn my face away, feeling a blush of embarrassment rise to my face, "You don't have to..." He handed me a set of his clothes, not saying a word. I smiled before thanking him and going to look for the bathroom. I walk in, setting the clothes down on the counter. 

Looking at the mirror, I stared at myself. My (h/c) hair was dusted with black particles of ash, including my (s/c) skin. I looked horrible.

Shrugging off the blazer, I noticed my outfit. My white tank top was now colored with red and black. It was even showing off a couple of tares here and there that exposed my skin. Pulling up the hem of the shirt, I took off the top. Bandages were wrapped around my torso, the clean white fabric slightly turning red.

Sucking in a breath, I slowly unwrapped it.

Half of my bare body was now shown in the mirror, letting me see the scrapes and bruises that covered me. I turned my body to see what my back looked like. Large shallow gashes ripped my skin, making me cringe at the thought of the shower. The only part of my skin that seemed unaffected is where the back of my bra meet. There was a couple of holes in the fabric, but I'll deal with that later.

Taking the rest of the clothes off, I turned on the shower. My ears were ringing with the water hitting the tub. 

Deciding now or never, I got in, already feeling the burning sensation on my back.

"This is a nightmare," I whined before grabbing some shampoo and lathering it into my hair. After rinsing out my hair, I grabbed the conditioner, lathering it between my fingers to try to untangle my hair. Before I rinsed out my hair, I went to grab the body wash.

"This is going to hurt," I cautioned myself, wetting the rag and squirting the body wash on. I scrubbed my arms first before finally reaching my back. I paused, wondering if it was a good idea.

I heard a knock at the door, startling me.

"Hurry up! I want to take a shower too, Glitchy!" Unfortunately, Katsu's voice was muffled by the door.

"Uh, I have a question!" I yelled out.

"What is it?"

"Should I wash my back?!" After a while, I didn't hear a response, thinking that he probably left.

"I'll get the old hag," He called out. 

Then, a couple of moments later, there was another knock.

"I'm coming in!" A female voice rang out, knowing that the only other female in the house was Katsu's mom, "Do you need any help?"

"Um, it's my back..." I mumbled out loud.

"Is it alright if I take a look?"

"Yeah," Mitsuki pushed open the curtain a little bit, now staring at my back, "WHAT THE FUCK?!" I chuckled nervously at her reaction.

"Do you think that I should clean it?" I asked, a little worry evident in my voice. 

"Yeah," She looked up at my face with concern in her red eyes, "Let me help you." I nodded, handing her the soapy rag before turning around.

Let me tell you, again, that shit hurt. I whispered curse words underneath my breath as Mitsuki gently cleaned it. She giggled once in a while, hearing a couple of words. It didn't take too long for her to finish.

"T-Thank you," I mumbled, turning myself to the side so I can see her face, "Tell Katsu that I'll be out in a moment."

"Okay," She handed me the rag before walking over towards the door, "When you get out, I'll help you put on some clean bandages." Mitsuki shut the door afterward, not giving me any time to reply.

I quickly finished up drying myself off with the towel that Katsu gave to me. Then, I put on the clothes, noticing that the shirt was baggy as it hung loosely around my body. However, it didn't irritate my back which was a good thing since I didn't have anything wrapped around it. Even the shorts were baggy, making me have to tie the strings together so it doesn't slide off me.

Grabbing the dirty clothes and the towels, I opened the bathroom door. There stood Katsu, who had his hand up as if he was just about to knock.

"Took you long enough," He scoffed, pushing me aside to enter the bathroom, "I hope you didn't use up the hot water." Katsu closed the door, leaving me alone in the hallway.

My feet dragged over towards his room, planning on putting my ripped, dirty clothes into my bookbag. After doing that, I walked downstairs, looking for Mitsuki.

"There you are!" She smiled as she turned to face me.

"I'll grab the bandages," Mitsuki stated, getting to the point, "Why don't you wait in my bedroom while I go grab them?" I nodded before doing what she said.

Opening up the door to the only room that I haven't been in, I walked in. It was a spacious room, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were a master bath and a walk-in closet. There was even a king-size bed with pillows that decorated it.

I sat down, feeling the bed dip from my weight.

I turned my head as the door to the room swung open. There stood Mitsuki, holding a first aid box and a pair of disposable gloves. She walked over, setting the supplies on the bed before putting the gloves on.

"You're going to have to take off that shirt," Mitsuki stated, opening up the box, "It will be easier to tend to for your back." I grabbed the hem of the shirt, pulling it over my head before bringing the piece of material to cover my chest.

"Do you want me to keep sitting up, or do you want me to lay down?" I asked.

"Just lay down," She answered, looking at me, "It's easier to clean if you are more relaxed." I nodded before laying down on my stomach.

"How did you get these?" Mitsuki asked, applying the cold cotton ball on my back.

"There were two villain attacks," I answered truthfully, "It was by the same villain. I used my quirk to save Izuku and Katsu since they were in trouble. Both times I landed on my back so they wouldn't get hurt." I felt her hand pause, taking in the information that I told her.

"That was you?" She continued again, moving her hand to clean up more of the gashes, "Did you get in trouble?"

"No. I apparently already have my quirk license,"

"How old are you?"

"I'm 12,"

"How-"

"My quirk is Time Manipulation," I cut her off, already knowing what she was going to ask me, "However, I am in Katsu's grade because I skipped two grades..."

"I see..."

The rest of the time was in silence, her tending to my wounds. She reminded me of my mother- well, sort of.

She died right before we found out about my quirk, but my father told me stories about her. Before she got sick, she was a happy cheery woman who looked after me like a hawk. Always there for me when I got hurt and when I got ill. However, I can't remember her face or what she sounded like.

My father decided to throw every last piece of her stuff when she died. He was heartbroken- the first time I saw a man cry. Then, before I knew it, we moved to America to get a fresh start. That is where he met Amaya and her son.

Amaya took me under her wing when he died, and we ended up moving back into Japan. It felt like forever ago, but in reality, it has only been a couple of months. She enrolled me into the school that I go to currently- hoping that I can have a fresh start. Everything was fine until her son disappeared, but I didn't tend to think about it.

"There you are," Mitsuki said, taking me out of my daze, "It's not too tight, is it?"

"No, it feels fine," I answered in a monotone voice. I grabbed the shirt and put it back on me.

"Well, dinner should be done," She got up and walked over to the door before looking back at me, "Thank you for saving my son,"

"It's nothing," I stood up before walking over to her, "He's my friend. I don't leave them behind." She smiled before leaving the room. I followed her down the stairs, my head spinning with thoughts.

"Tsk, took you guys long enough," I looked up, seeing Katsu and his father sitting at the table already. The table was already set, plates and chopsticks placed neatly.

I sat down next to Katsu, not uttering a single word. I wasn't in the mood to talk. I just needed time to think things through.

Time.

I wouldn't say I liked that word. On the contrary, it sickens me every single time it is brought up. I would rather be quirkless than to have to hear that word again- to have my power. Nobody understands what it is or what its meaning. But it flows through us, and nobody notices as they continue their day.

Their time ticking downwards as soon as they are born.

Time.

I keep repeating it in my head in a loop- the never-ending cycle. Someday, time its self will hit zero while we like it or not.

"Oi, Glitchy!" I turned my head to face him, "Stop playing with your food and eat! It's rude to do that at the dinner table."

"Sorry," I mumbled, "I just have a lot on my mind- that's all." I looked at my plate in front of me, now realizing what we were eating.

But that didn't matter since it would be nothing by the time I ate it.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Mitsuki started, looking at me with concern, "What's on your mind?" I visually shook, trying to control my emotions.

"Time and my parents," I answer bluntly, digging my chopsticks onto the plate before putting the food into my mouth.

"How are they doing?" I chewed my food before answering.

"They're dead." The room went cold. No one knew what to say, "My mother passed when I was three, and my father passed almost two years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that,"

"Thank you, but it doesn't bother me that much," I replied, taking another bite of my food, "My stepmom took me in."

"That's sweet of her," Mitsuki smiled, "What's her name?"

"Amaya. She decided to move back here after I finished 6th grade,"

"So you had to transfer to my son's school?"

"Yeah, after leaving America."

"You lived in America?" Katsu's father asked. All these questions were nice since I don't talk about the subject to other people.

"Yes, I moved there after my mom passed." I took another bite of the food, "He couldn't handle being here, saying that this place reminded him of her."

"What did she look like?" Katsu asked, now curious in the conversation. However, his voice sounded like he was cautious.

I don't blame him. To some people, it's a sensitive subject.

"I look just like her, or so my father told me." I smiled as I thought about her, "Apparently, I have the same personality as her. However, I got my father's intelligence."

"I see that," Katsu scoffed, "That explains why you skipped two grades."

"I guess, but it's mostly because of my drive to learn more."

"Like what?"

"At first, I was curious about my quirk. So I taught myself how to control it since, at first, I would randomly stop time or glitch out," I shrugged, "Later on, I figured out that I could say a couple of words, and it would activate it."

"You do have an effective quirk," Mitsuki commented as she rested her palms on her cheek.

"That is what other people say," I mumbled, "Though I hate it."

"Huh?"

"I rarely talk about the downside of my quirk," I sighed, not liking the way on how the conversation is going, "While everyone gets to live until their 80, I would most likely die when I'm in my mid-twenties or early thirties."

Their eyes widened in disbelief, trying to take in the information.

"WHAT?!" Katsu screamed, sitting up onto his knees and slamming his hands onto the table, "WHY IN THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU MENTIONED THAT EARLIER?!"

"Cause it's a topic that I don't talk about. It's one reason why I want to become a hero, to give them more time. So my goal was to finish school as soon as possible." Looking down at my plate, I saw that my food was finished. Huh, I thought that I only took a couple of bites of it.

I guess not.

"That is some drive you have there," I laughed at Katsu's father's comment, "That's going to take a lot of work."

"I'm well aware of that." I smiled, feeling better now that I got that off my chest, "Thank you for listening to me... It means a lot."

"Whatever," Katsu stood up, grabbing his plate before heading towards the kitchen.

"No problem, sweetheart!" Mitsuki clapped her hands together with a smile, "If you need anything, don't be afraid to call."

"I'll like that, actually..." I looked down at my plate again before getting up, "I'll go clean my dish." Walking over to the kitchen, I saw Katsu staring down at his dirty plate in thought.

Did I upset him? I hope I didn't because that wasn't my intention.

I place my plate right next to his before wrapping my arms around his waist, trying to comfort him.

These days I feel like I'm hurting someone that I care about. Keeping all these things inside my head as they haunt me. My parents. My quirk. My fear. I bottle it up with a smile, hoping that no one else could see. Not even Amaya knew about the things that I told Katsu's family. 

I snuggle my head into his back, trying to get his attention. To see if I can get him out of the state that he is right now.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked in a small whisper. He turned around, not uttering a single word. Katsu stared down at me as I looked up into his red eyes. His eyes were trying to decipher my face as his mouth curled in a frown.

"Who... else knows?" He softly whispers after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Just your family," I lied, not wanting to mention All Might. Katsu's body relaxed, accepting the lie that I told him. He would flip out if I told him the truth, knowing that the number one hero knew before him.

It was odd, hearing and seeing his face soften. From what I know, he rarely does that, keeping up his persona of being strong. I smiled, thinking about how Katsu's comfortable around me to let me see his soft side.

I snapped out of my daze after hearing a click from what I assume was a camera.

"What the fuck?!" I turn my head over towards where Katsu was staring at, "You old hag! Delete that!"

"That is not the way on how you treat your mother!" Mitsuki yelled back, "I brought you into this world! I can also take you out of it!" I sweatdropped, realizing where Katsu got his hot-headedness from.

This family is something else entirely.

"Katsu, calm down..." I mumbled, unwrapping my arms around him as I stepped back, "It's not a big deal."

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

"KATSUKI BAKUGO! DON'T TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!" I couldn't help but chuckle from that comment, "WITH THAT ATTITUDE, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET A GIRLFRIEND!" Mitsuki walked over to him, slapping him on the back of his head.

"WHAT THE FUCK, OLD HAG?!"

"I'll just wash the dishes," I mumbled to myself, going over to the sink- not wanting to be in the middle of their argument.

"SHUT UP! AT THIS POINT, (Y/N) WILL NEVER FALL FOR YOU!" I paused, not knowing if I heard her correctly.

"(Y/N) HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" Yep, I heard that correctly, "DON'T BRING HER UP LIKE THAT! WHY IN THE FUCK DO YOU THINK THAT I'LL END UP WITH HER?!"

At this point, I ended up ignoring the argument.

This continued for several minutes, them bickering back and forth. How in the fuck did Katsu's father deal with this? I feel bad for the guy.

"Hey, sweetie. Do you want me to drop you off now?" I turned my head, not expecting her to convert back to being calm.

"Yeah, I just finished the dishes." Then, I answered, drying my hands, "I just have to grab my book bag, and I'll be set."

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Mitsuki slapped him on the back of the head again.

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the living room," She turned on her heel before exiting the room.

"Katsu?"

"What?!" I walked over to him, grabbing both of his hands in mine.

"You okay?"

"That old hag pisses me off," He scoffed, turning his head away to the side, "I can't believe that she had the nerve to bring you up." My eyes widen, realizing how open he is towards me.

"That's okay." I commented, squeezing his hands slightly, "I don't mind it. Thank you for standing up for me." Letting go of his hands, I began to walk away. Though I stopped, turning my head over to the side.

"What?"

"It's just weird seeing you like this- your soft side." I smiled, before turning my head to walk out, "I like it." I heard him mutter under his breath, but I was too far away to hear.

I walk into his room, going to where my bookbag was after looking around again. It was weird being here- in a boy's room- it smelled just like him. The scent of Carmel and spice drifted around the room, calming me. I haven't realized, though, that someone was right behind me.

"You ready?" I jumped, glitching out for a moment- horrible mistake. I felt the air flew through me as I fell through the floor. Luckily, his room was a level above the living room. Not having any time to react, I landed on my butt.

"Fuck," I mumbled as I heard someone run down the stairs, "That hurt..."

"ARE YOU OKAY?!" Two voices called out, rushing towards me.

"I'm fine..." I looked up, seeing Mitsuki and Katsu looking down at me, "I was startled and glitched out."

Then out of nowhere, Katsu started laughing to the point he was in tears.

"Man, you should have seen your face!" He laughed out, holding his stomach, "I didn't mean to scare you, but damn. That was priceless!" I puffed out my cheeks, forcing down a smile that slowly wanted to crawl up.

I was not going to lie. It was pretty funny.

"S-Shut up!" I stuttered, a little bit of a laugh coming out, "I-It's not funny!"

"Whatever, Glitchy," His laughter calmed down as Katsu tried taking in deep breaths, "Here, let me help you." Putting out his hand, I grabbed it before being pulled up to my feet.

"You sure your okay?" Mitsuki asked.

"Yeah, but my butt hurts." I chuckled, smiling, "Just embarrassed, that's all."

"Where's your bag?" I looked around, not seeing a trace in the room. Yet, I swear that I had it.

Is it still in Katsu's room?

"Fuck! I left it in your room," I pouted, puffing out my cheeks once more.

"I'll grab it," Katsu turned around before turning his head towards me, "Don't want ya falling through the floor again."

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, making him laugh again. He walked back upstairs before disappearing around the corner.

"You know," Turning my head over to Mitsuki, her mouth turning into a smile, "It's been a while since I have seen him smile- or even laugh in a matter of fact."

"I guess," I shrugged, "He's like an onion, rude hot-headedness on the outside and soft, caring on the inside. You just have to peel away those layers before seeing it."

"Your so sweet," She hugged me tightly, making me gasp in shock, "I'll be happy to call you my daughter-in-law!" I turned my head over towards the stairs, seeing Katsu coming down. Our eyes met, his in confusion while mine held desperation.

HELP ME! I mouthed to him, hoping that he can read my lips.

"Oi! You're going to crush her, old hag!"

Not the answer I was expecting, but it will do for now.

"Oh!" Mitsuki yelped, unwrapping her arms around me, "I didn't mean to crush you!"

"I-It's fine," I said, still embarrassed by her comment from earlier, "Though, It's getting late."

"You're right..." She turned away as her eyes dragged over to her son, "You coming?"

"Yeah..." Katsu mumbled, walking over to the door, "I have homework that I have to finish, so hurry up!"

Getting into the vehicle, we took off, telling Mitsuki my address. It was silent even though Katsu sat next to me in the back seat. Taking his hand in mine, I smiled as I tried to cheer him up.

"What's cha thinking?~" I cooed, making him turn his face towards me. His eyes harden before relaxing as if he was thinking about who he was talking to.

"I'm just fucking tired." Then, with his free hand, he prompts his hand onto his palm as he looked back out the window, "Because of everything, I have to stay up late to finish homework."

"Me too," I squeezed his hand, "Hey, why not facetime while doing homework? Ask each other questions?"

"Fuck no."

"Please~" I whined as I puffed out my cheeks, "I haven't talked to you like this for a while, so give me a break. I don't even have your phone number..." He turned his head back at me, his eyes widening as he looked at me.

"Fine," He pulled out his phone as I did mine, "Just don't fucking spam me! Got it?!"

"Never thought about it." I answered as we exchanged our phones to type in our numbers, "But now that you pointed it out, I may do."

"What in the fuck don't you understand-"

"Hey, Katsuki!" Mitsuki yelled, over drowning her son's voice, "Add my number to it. I hope you don't mind (Y/N)."

"I was just going to ask you that." I giggled before thinking of what name to put me under.

Glitchy.

He calls me that more often than my actual name. Okay, I'll do that. I put the emoji stars before and after the name.

Texting me through his phone, I typed a message- thinking that I could be funny. Not to mention, I pinned my contact name to his messages and for emergency contact.

Hey, this is Katsu!

(Seen)

A bing of a text message rang through the car, cutting through the silence. I must not turn it off.

"Why in the fuck did you text me!?" I looked up, seeing his angry expression.

"I texted myself, actually," I smirked, making him angrier because I decided to be a smart ass.

"Give me my damn phone back!" Before I was able to move, he snatched his phone away from my hand before harshly putting my phone in mine in exchange, "Don't ever fucking touch my phone again! You hear me?!"

"Yeah, Yeah," I brushed off, waving my hand in the air, "So when are we going to FaceTime?"

"Whenever I get the chance to, Glitchy!" He huffed, stuffing his phone in his pocket, "Damn, you're so annoying."

"Annoyingly cute," I tried to correct him, poking his cheek, "So 22:00?"

"Whatever," He swatted my hand away, turning his attention back to the window.

Man, this was going to be a long night.

~*~ 

How are all of you guys? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. How do you guys think about your character? I'm just curious, and I hope you guys love the way on how I write them. 

Anyway, remember, guys...

KEEP READING, AND STAY SAFE, YOU LOVELY READERS!!

Word Count:

~Alexis