I was going over the information that Brava sent.

With the new information, Shota had his work cut out for him. He had been stuck in meetings sharing what he knew. Students, whether they went to UA or another Hero school, were being pulled out of Hosu.

I could imagine the hassle it will be to reschedule the hero internships. I could also imagine Nezu putting his paws on his face and thanking God Brava told the heroes.

I was holding a grudge about the internships. Nezu and Eraserhead vetoed it immediately. With everything happening. They didn't even look at my offers. I had the most offers out of everyone who went to this school. I may or may not have gotten the list. All Might, Endeavor, and Hawks. I was still a little surprised about Endeavor, but COME ON. Even if I wasn't planning on going it still hurt.

Because Shota was stuck in these meetings I was locked in a room at UA. To his credit, he left the files but did it begrudgingly.

I clicked through the decrypted files Brava had sent for me. They required a password. It took me ten tries before I got it. 'Gentle Criminal is my one and only' My guesses had nothing to do with luck. It was skill. A drop of sweat slid down my face. I only had one guess left before the files were deleted.

Files upon files of Stain popped up. Everyone he's killed to everyone he's saved. With a glance, the numbers were almost even.

I wonder what my numbers are.

My eye's closed as I listened. There were too many to be in Nezu's 'sound prof office'. I didn't feel bad about their privacy, given that they locked me in a room. The top two heroes plus are here. It was weird. Being near so many heroes. I could barely hear their conversation upstairs. The words were muffled. I looked at the vents. Maybe if I looked hard enough, I could see the words coming out like subtitles.

I get why they won't let me be part of the conversation. I know more than Eraser. I thought about going through the vents, but small spaces aren't my thing. I can hear them well enough.

"Where did this information come from?" The voice who was none stopped complaining was Endeavor.

"A source I cannot disclose."

"Let's move past this!"

That one was All Might

"Both of you quiet down. The hero commission is getting heroes ready. You two need to be there. He has-"

I spaced out as they went over the same thing from an hour ago. I have no idea how they have been getting stuff done. From what I've heard, it's been a miracle they've gotten this far.

Three days. In three days, the attack will happen. By that time, I need to know exactly where The Hero Killer will be, while avoiding any heroes, Nomus, and the League of Villains.

Maybe I was a little dumb, but that's never stopped me before. I was going to be there.

~~~

"No."

"What do you mean no."

"That's what I mean. No."

"You're being controlling!"

"You're being self-destructive. Final answer is no."

Eraserhead was being ridiculous.

"You can't no me."

"Just did."

"Then, no to your no."

"That's not how this works."

"Too bad. I just did it. So, No."

"No."

I threw up my hands. "No?" I yelled.

He has the audacity to say no when I asked! He should be happy I asked, regardless of whether he said yes or no.

We have already had this conversation a couple of times. First, he explained his biogas reasons. Something about I'm too young, and the slight possibility that I would be captured. The next few times the explaining had degraded until it had just been a 'no'.

Hitoshi watched Head swiveling back and forth like a tennis match. He mouthed the word no guessing next drama.

A sigh came out of the stupid man's mouth. "I cannot keep doing this. You aren't going as a hero or a vigilante. You're being irrational."

I could tell my face was heating up. I was tired. People had been ignored for the last two days. They would lock me here or at UA. An eye always watching.

This was stupid. Unethical. What is worse is that I feel like I have to listen. It's like the circus again.

I hated that I made that connection.

Eraserhead is nothing like Master. No, that man.

I gritted my teeth, "Fine."

I went to my so-called room and slammed the door. I put my head against the door as tears threatened to fall. I could tell if I was mad or sad. I dug my nail into the side of my leg trying to focus on the pain. It worked as the tears dried.

That man. No Eraserhead. Had taken the earpiece and costume.

I still had the bar. It was right there. Three, two feet from me. I had my stuff at the hotel.

Deep down I knew he would never let me go. I know that, but just why. Why am I listening to him?

Does he own me? No. Does he let me do what I want? No. He tricks me with affection. Making me think staying is better. A hug here a joke there. He was manipulating me. I've waited long enough.

I heard a tap at the window.

There were wires to alert Eraser if I opened the window. If you forgot about that one time I leaped out with a full-blown cold let me remind you that Eraserhead did not.

It was the same bird who had given me the earpiece. It was sitting on top of a black cat while it tapped its beak on the window.

"You guys use to hate each other what happened?" They couldn't hear me through the glass. I waved for them to go away but they didn't

Go away!

The cat gave me that look. It's eye's wide.

"Stop it." I hissed.

I had no idea what they wanted. I couldn't open the window. The cat was dangerously close to the edge, but it was a cat. Let cats be cats.

I looked beyond the two and saw a couple more. Like they were guarding me. I counted six cats and 20 birds. Almost all of them were here. Or the ones who lived in my hotel. I saw others I didn't know. A few rats. A dog was looking up at me from the window.

The war between the cats and birds flashed in my mind again. The birds had the numbers, but the cats had the claws. It's the reason it went on for so long.

I felt uncomfortable. All the animals were just staring it was weird. And worry some. The last time this happened something bad went down.

I walked out of my room. I saw the surprise on both of their faces that I'd come out so fast. I didn't say anything. As I walked over to another window that showed more of the city. More animals. A lot more.

Both Aizawa's got curious and looked out with me.

"What the crap!"

"That's a lot of cats."

"Do you think it's a quirk?"

"Has to be. Or an animal gang war."

Those two talked back and forth. It got to the point where they wanted to go outside and pet them.

The birds were flying around outside. Happy. Free. A hiccup came out and it got hard to breathe for a second.

I wanted that. I wanted to be free. I'm not free here. It's a trap. This trap of affection and love. There just trying to stop me from becoming a villain. That's their priority. Not love and getting a broken child to be okay. It was to stop a broken child from breaking others.

I looked at the two. My gaze was hard. They have been tricking me. I started to have affection towards them, and it was all a lie.

Eraser Head tuned meeting my eyes. I couldn't read the emotion in his eyes. All my eye's picked up were lies.

"Ren?" That man questioned.

My emotion spiked. I got agitated. Whether the animals can feel my emotions or not, they started to act a little crazy outside.

What is wrong with me? Why can't I just feel nothing? Why can't I be ignorant again? Why?

"I'm fine."

His eye's stayed on me. The animals quieted down as I steeled myself.

I'm fine.

I'm fine.

I am fine.

I will never be free so there is no point in being anywhere else than where I am.

I am safer here. I need to stay here.

I laughed in my head.

Like that would ever happen. Stay here while I know La Brava needs me. People need me. Did it matter that people wanted me? Does it matter that HE is out there? Maybe, I'm stronger. I've gotten good at running. I can just keep running.

I grabbed an apple after standing there in my thoughts.

I went back to my room.

~~~

I racked on his door and didn't hear a response. More and more animals had gathered around the apartment building.

It made me think of Shanks. I hadn't had time to do anything. So I asked a friend to take him to a crematory. It hurt. Not being able to do it myself. It hurt. It felt like I had betrayed my friend. I felt like a failure.

Not just with my old friend, but Ren. LOV. My class. Hitoshi. The world. Nezu. Mostly Ren. I thought it would start to be better. We went out together. We stopped crime. It felt real. There was that one point when I felt the change, but it had to be in my head.

I stood there while he ignored me. Where had the progress started to regress?

I didn't want to admit it, but I didn't know. I should have seen it.

The kid doesn't take no very well. That's all he's been hearing lately. A part of me. A jealous nonheroic part wished that Brava hadn't said anything. If the attack would have just happened, and looking on the good side, we stopped it. My relationship with Ren would be better than a door in my face.

"You can't go. You need to understand that. I know you are capable, but you are only one person."

He didn't say anything.

"Hitoshi and I are going to make dinner. If you want to come out and help you can, but it will be ready within an hour."

I walked off dejected.

~~~

When I said Hitoshi would help me cook it meant he would sit and watch me. He would wash a dish sometimes, but he gladly took the opportunity to watch.

I was cutting an onion, as I tried to resist the tears. "Thanks for being you."

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"I think the onion is starting to give you brain damage. Did you just say you love me?"

"Reading it and weep."

"I love you too." After a short pause, he added, "Dad."

I wasn't one to give open affection, but I felt like I needed to show it. "No really. Thank you for being patient and kind. You've been a great sport."

"You're weirding me out."

"Huh. I thought you couldn't get weird out about me anymore." I was implying a past conversation we had a couple of months ago. Before Ren lived here.

Hitoshi quieted down, "Is he okay?"

"I don't know, he didn't respond."

I switched the onion into a pan with vegetables and garlic.

"I hope you know how cool you are."

"Now you're being weird."

"No really. It must have been hard to take me in. I've seen how hard it's been with Ren. It's made me think back to all the things I said. And-"

"Don't even say sorry. We were and are still both learning."

"It's just that-"

"Hitoshi, you're my son don't worry about these little things." I lowered my voice. "You and Ren have different problems. Each of you have different problems. Some are harder than others. Ren's had it rough. So he going to need a lot of attention. This by no means, means you aren't important. If you are ever feeling down just talk to me."

"I already know that. It's nice to hear though."

Our conversation changed to Hitoshi claiming I was crying from feelings. He used that exact word too. I on the other countered it was the cooking onions.

~~~

I looked at my phone to see Ren's tracker information. I know it wasn't trustful, but it reassured me. I pulled it up, instantly showing he was in the building. Dinner has been ready for a while now, and we both chose to wait for a member of our small family.

I got up. I went back, knocking on his door. There was no answer.

"Kid."

I jiggled the unlocked handle cracking the door open. He wasn't on his bed so I walked around to see if he was laying on his cat pillow on the ground. His room seemed cleaner than normal. The bed made, somehow in hotel fashion where the sheets seemed nailed down.

I didn't see him. So I knelt to look under the bed. Sometimes he slept there. He wasn't there.

I pulled out my phone again. This time the tracker flickered. It went back on, then off again.

Panic started to flicker inside my mind. Was I foolish to trust he wouldn't run? I didn't think he could. The tracker would have informed me if any tampering happened.

I flung his window open, my phone buzzing about it.

Trying to steel my panic I rushed out to Hitoshi.

"Hitoshi! Do-" I cut myself off when I saw Ren slowly eating the food, I set out for him. Hitoshi eating as well.

The panic that was growing resisted going back down as my heart raced.

Ren looked back and forth at us. His gaze was still hard but softening. He spoke up with a soft voice, "Sorry, I was in the bathroom."

I sighed, sat down, and started eating. "No worries. I just went to get you for dinner."

Though he still seemed stiff and cold, he didn't seem mad anymore.

He ate his whole plate and put it in the dishwasher. He stood there awkwardly. "Thanks for dinner."

"It has too much salt in it." My other son said.

I hit him over the head. "No problem. Eat as much as you want."

He stood there even more awkward than before. He managed to say no thank you and then walked to the coach.

I was a little surprised he didn't go back to his room. Now it was my turn to sit there awkwardly. Luckily, I was saved when Hitoshi stood and put his dish in the washer. I finished my food and did the same. We both walked over to the couch. All three of us worked on schoolwork. That was until Hitoshi got bored and turned on the TV. My attention from lesson planning was stolen as Lighting Mcqueen started with 'Speed'.

It was reassuring to see Ren was watching the show.

He started muttering when Mcqueen was imprisoned. Then he looked intense when he ran out of foul and dragged him back into the town.

I was starting to think this wasn't the show we should be watching. That was until I heard him laugh at Mater.

I ended up making popcorn at some point. All three of us munching down at the ending with Mcqueen pushed the car across the finish line, losing it all. Then we all watched as Mcqueen found a family a best friend and a place he loved.

By this time the popcorn was gone. We all reached into the bowl trying to claim the none popped seeds. We all laughed, then started tiring to grab as many as we could. When the last one was claimed we bit down, probably damaging our teeth.

~~~

When I woke up the next day. Ren was gone.

~~~

Over the radio, a young girl with vampire teeth and ash blond hair spoke into a radio, "The bird left the nest."

Himiko Toga, who had been trailing Izuku for the last two weeks, frowned as she follow him. She was conflicted, but a mission was a mission. It was either her head or his. With powerful people more than All Might  behind her, she chose hers.