Third person pov

The file had been tucked in a storage locker rented by another police station several prefectures over. It was around five years old, after all, never getting put into any sort of online system for some reason or another. Perhaps lazy negligence on the part of the officers responsible, or maybe because everyone wanted to simply forget what was inside. Either way, the Chief of Police had taken it upon himself to dig it out, and he now found himself standing in Nezu's office with his paws clasped behind his back while the mouse-like man read along.

"Interesting, interesting!" Nezu gleefully exclaimed to himself, flipping to the next page. His dark, beady eyes scanned it just as fast as they had the others, his mouth stretching into a smile as the urge to cackle became overwhelming. The Chief shifted uncomfortably. "I can see why you brought me these. I had no idea! No idea at all!"

"I'm not concerned. It's... It's not a pretty story, but it sounds as though it were resolved." The Chief cleared his throat. When he'd found out from an older captain who was transferring into a precinct nearby remembered a case involving the Harper Rye everyone in their station continuously raved about, he'd of course mentioned it. Their officers had photos of the girl up everywhere, and the man had immediately recognized her during a business-related visit. Needless to say, Kenji Tsuragamae had immediately set out to hunt it down. It had been buried down deep for reasons that became only clear once he looked at the contents inside. Finding it hadn't been easy.

"Still, to think, Harper Rye is technically a criminal!" Nezu snapped the file shut, eyes gleaming. The Chief blanched slightly as the creature sipped at his tea, the expression on his face morphing into something more calculating. It was cooler than before, though the odd amount of joy was still there as he gleefully gazed down at the thick folder he'd been gifted. "Now... I wonder where this will lead."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, it was Friday. Harper felt ready to throw herself off a building, in all honesty. If anyone else asked her where Sero was, how he was doing, or if they could see him, she swore to god she'd burn this place to the ground. Kirishima had been her saving grace these past few days, running interference with their classmates. He'd strike up conversations with them, cause distractions, and such of that like. Aizawa did the same, though more discreetly. He'd shush people more often when they tried to talk to her during class, and would ask Harper to take papers place just before lunch so she wouldn't get caught up in the rush of her classmates rushing for the cafeteria.

The rumor mill at UA was more efficient than you'd think. Sero being knocked out by Midnight on live television had blasted across the internet, taking it by storm. Articles and theories as to why were pumped out quicker than Sansa consumed alcohol after a bad day at work. UA was no better, seeing as they'd all seen Sero around and about, and even talked to him on some occasions. The fact that Harper had been outed as having contact with him meant that focus was on her-- and with focus came a tidal wave of thoughts. 

They wanted to know if he was dead somewhere, if she'd killed him, if he was sick, if he'd cheated, some assumed he was on steroids or maybe some quirk enhancers. What was the most frustrating of all is that, somehow, the traitor thought passed through no mind she could detect! It simply wasn't within the realm of possibility for UA students. When she'd told Kirishima, he'd grimaced. At UA, they truly did live in a bubble. 

"Yeah, they really won't stop! I guess I don't blame them, though. But still..." Kirishima noted as they exited the school building entirely, walking side-by-side. "Oh my god. It's happening again. I'm walking next to Harper. And she can read my thoughts. That means she knows I think we're soulmates. No, that I know we're soulmates. Wait, she just heard that. Gah! I'm such an idiot! Subject change, subject change... right, Sero! Sero is what we're talking about!"

"Yeah, I guess. Don't know how the fuck we're supposed to deal with it. They're clearly not going to let it go." Harper allowed the soulmate thoughts to roll away from her like water off a duck's back. Kirishima seemed relieved, shooting her nervous and flustered glances. She could tell he wanted to apologize, but knew he'd only get a flat stare in response and a simple 'no problem' from her. "Whatever. I've dealt with worse. Besides, apparently some more information on his case has come to light." 

"Wait, really?! I thought they weren't able to find anything." Kirishima scratched the back of his neck. Harper hadn't told him too much. It was police business, after all. Still, even he was aware of the force's struggle to find anything on Sero. They couldn't find out who his parents were, where the house he supposedly lived in was, or where this 'box' he was so terrified of laid. They'd searched along river banks as he'd alluded to his home being to absolutely no avail. Anytime Harper tried to ask him, he'd break down, and his mind would circle around 'the box' some more. It was so deeply ingrained in his brain, it was almost... unnatural. Kirishima was hopeful. "I hope they've found something! The sooner they do, the sooner Harper can catch a break. I don't know how I feel about her meeting with him so much. Isn't he dangerous? What if he hurts her?"

"I don't know the details. Tsukauchi's text was pretty vague." Harper sighed, rolling her shoulders. "I'll keep you updated if I can. You know how shit goes." 

"Yeah, of course. No pressure." Kirishima assured with his usual grin. Harper felt her shoulders fall slack. For some reason, Kirishima just sort of went with everything she said. It wasn't just her, either. It was with everyone. He was so nonchalant and laid back, just rolling with things. She could see how he'd managed to coax Bakugo into something that almost bordered friendship. Bakugo could call the redhead any slew of vulgar names, and Kirishima would just laugh and give a thumbs up. "I hope she's not too stressed out. I still can't believe we're hanging out now. I'm going to her house tomorrow! For dinner! God, I'm going to lose it, and not in a bad way."

"Thanks, Kirishima. You're the best." Harper clapped him on the shoulder briefly before slipping on to open the back door of Tsukauchi's cruiser. He'd bought these sort of stickers that would tint the windows so those outside couldn't see in. This was mostly due to Kurogiri, who insisted on coming with them every time they came to pick Harper up from school. He was sitting in the middle, all but vibrating in his seat as Harper slid in. Kirishima waved enthusiastically, grinning wide with red cheeks. Harper gave one last nod before she plopped in and closed the door.

"There's our little ball of depression." Sansa cooed at her in the same voice one uses to talk to a baby. Harper, as per usual, remained unamused. "She's going to want to fucking off herself when she finds out what we got on Sero. And honestly, I don't blame her. I'm going to scream myself. But only because that's always what I'm doing. On the inside. sHRIE-"

"Wow, okay, shut the fuck up." Harper's hand flew to her head, which already had a dull ache pounding in it from earlier today. Dabi glanced up from his phone just to look at her and snort before returning his attention to it, his thoughts telling her that he was scrolling through his brother's Instagram account. Not Shoto, but the other one, Natsuo. Kurogiri had an arm around her, but she was too used to his odd clinginess to even really notice. "Is what you found on Sero really that big?"

"Yes." Literally everyone else in the car said with no hesitation, including Kurogiri. Harper groaned. Just what she needed in her already discombobulated life. 

"Hey, it's not... the worst thing ever. It just raises a lot of questions that we don't uh... currently have answers to! That's all!" Tsukauchi was trying very hard to stay positive, and you could tell. Harper wished she had some Advil on her at the moment. She needed it. "I'm going to bash my own head in. None of it adds up or makes sense in coordination to what we already know. Someone is lying."

"Oh, wow. How promising." Harper scoffed to herself, scrolling through her phone mindlessly. Several texts from Aizawa popped up. She didn't usually reply, but she felt... to put it simply: antsy as all fuck. Just what had they found on Sero that was so earth-shattering? And more importantly, why were they trying to hard not to think about it? Both Sansa and Tsukauchi were screaming the lyrics to Pumped Up Kicks internally. Not at the same time, however. Their thoughts overlapped uncomfortably as Harper's head pounded and her eyes scanned over Aizawa's texts.

Dumbass #1:
Harperrrr don't ignore me!!!!
   
Dumbass #1:
I love you! How was your day? I'm making you a batch of muffins right now (*≧ω≦*)

Dumbass #1:
Mic and I are getting married next weekend (っ˘ω˘ς ) You better come witness it!!! It's going to be sooooo adorable, and then afterwards we're going to get ice cream, and then go shopping to get snacks, and then we'll have a movie night! And we'll wear slippers and cuddle with all my cats! 

Harper massaged her temples with a sigh. She had agreed to go to their 'wedding'. In fact, a part of her actually wanted to. Aizawa was obnoxious, and so was Mic, but they were her teachers and did care for her. As much as she sort of hated to admit it, they'd somewhat grown on her. Even if Aizawa was batshit and Mic had almost deafened her on several occasions. Still, she could be fond of them while still being irritated by their presences. There was no fucking way she was going to spend the whole day with just the two of them. There was only one thing she could think of.

Tired:
Can I bring a plus one?

Dumbass #1:

Awww, I don't know! Mic and I just wanted it to me me, you, and him! Some quality cutie time! Small, controlled, nobody knows about it because it isn't their business! That sort of super groovy event!

Fuck, that wouldn't work. She had another card up her sleeve, however. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing out the message she'd surely regret. The girl was currently too tired to actually care.

Tired:
What if it's a date

Dumbass #1:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH OF COURSE OMG YES OMFG OF COURSE YOU CAN SWEETIE AHHHH (☆ω☆) (つ✧ω✧)つ(ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ :｡･:*:･ﾟ'★,｡･:*:･ﾟ'☆ (^˵◕ω◕˵^) WHO IS IT IS IT A CLASSMATE DO I KNOW THEM HAVE YOU KISSED OMG THAT'S SO CUTE I LOVE YOU I CANT BELIEVE YOU WANT TO BRING A DATE TO MY WEDDING IM GOING TO CRY HARPERRRR

The brunette stared blankly down at the horrifying influx of... well, whatever the fuck that was.  The girl didn't bother to respond, already dreading the fact that she'd replied at all. Give him an inch, and he'd take a mile. Though, she did agree to attend their god forsaken conjoining that she'd managed to initiate. She was happy for them, but also horrified by all that was to come. Just what had she created by sending this ball rolling? It would only pick up speed from here, and she wasn't afraid to announce that she was scared to death. What was she thinking, proposing for those two hellions?! 

Everyone was silent on the ride, and Harper could easily tell they were sweating. Nervous and unsure energy was flitting off every one of them: even Dabi. The guy didn't know much on the case, but he was around them pretty much all day, every day, so it made sense that he'd get some insider knowledge on all that was happening. All in all, he was pretty horrified. Not to mention this. Harper would probably cry, which meant Kurogiri would cry, which meant there was a chance Tsukauchi could cry. And if Tsukauchi cried, Sansa would start to laugh, which would cause an entire scene that would draw too much attention. In short, he wasn't feeling it.

"Seriously, someone just tell me what the fuck I'm walking into so I know what to expect." Harper finally said as they pulled up to the precinct. Tsukauchi and Sansa both shared a look, and Kurogiri shrugged happily. He had no idea what the whole thing was, only that it was bad and she'd had it. He was just glad she was here with him, and not in that godforsaken school! What if she made a new best friend there, and didn't want him anymore? What if she found a better warp gate her age, and gave them emotions instead?! He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"This royal suckage has just upped itself to god tier suckage." Sansa thought, his fur still poofed up and out with nerves. "Harper's going to stab us for the shit show we're about to throw her into."

"We don't really know how to explain it, to be honest." Tsukauchi said sheepishly, pulling his keys from the ignition. The car's low rumble died down into silence that left Harper grimacing as the thoughts of the others in the vehicle invaded her. "It's just... a lot, I guess. We're not even sure if it's real or just a fake lead, but you're the one in charge of Sero's case. I think this is something you should judge on your own, Harper."

"Why the fuck are you guys being so cryptic? Jesus Christ, it's just a witness." Dabi scoffed. Harper threw her hands up. "Idiots. I'm surrounded my numbskulls. She's literally dealt with all that tape kid's crazy town thoughts. Learning there's someone around who knows shit isn't going to rattle her or get her hopes up. Chick's a realist." 

"Thank you! You guys are idiots. 'Let me judge on my own' my ass. Of course I'll judge it on my own. But at least give me a heads up." Harper was tired and hoping Aizawa wasn't expecting her to wear a dress to his wedding. Because she wouldn't be. Or maybe she would? She didn't particularly have anything against dresses, per say. They weren't her favorite, but she could deny that there were a few in her closet at her parent's home that she did like. There was just never an occasion. Besides, they were better than skirts. You couldn't pants a dress. Then again, dresses attracted more unwanted thoughts from men.

"Sorry, sorry. We're just... we can't tell if they're lying." Tsukauchi stressed as they all stretched their limbs. The guy really needed a bigger car. Kurogiri happily took Harper's backpack for her, his gastly hand clamped around hers. She always assumed it was going to be cold when he grabbed her for some reason, but it never was. He had a regular, warm hand under all that fog. "But they seem so truthful..."

"...Your quirk literally detects lies." Harper raised an eyebrow at the man. He and Sansa shared a look.

"Uh, yeah, here's the thing. Little shit can't talk. Literally." Sansa scratched behind one of his ears. Harper wondered how he'd react if she introduced him to Hound Dog. He was already touchy around the Chief, as the Chief was around him. The only reason Sansa hadn't snapped on him was because, well, he was his boss. But if it were Hound Dog, someone he had no ties to and could go off on without fear of much retribution... that sounded like the type of entertainment Harper needed in her life right now. "I've got my ticket for the long way 'round, two bottle 'a whiskey for the way-"

"Can't, or won't?" Harper checked. This was getting more and more confusing. She headed for the door. Since these dense cabbages weren't getting her the information she needed, she'd just have to get it herself. She should get Dabi some sort of case pass so he could have the information too. She knew he wouldn't hesitate to give it to her. He was edgy like that. 

"Can't, Harper Rye. I'm afraid she remains unable to speak." Kurogiri said cooly as they entered the building. Harper immediately was overwhelmed by the thoughts of the other officers and smell of stale coffee. The sound of a printer beeping somewhere further in the office sounded in her ears, but the distractions were easily washed away by a writhing bout of anxiety and fear that invaded her senses. The feeling was raw and open, almost as though it were targeting her as it dug its claws deep in her quirk, dragging it and her attention over to the seating area. It was empty, save for a middle aged woman with her hands folded in her lap, sitting next to a girl who looked to be around thirteen with a jagged scar across her throat. A girl who happened to be looking right at Harper.

There were bags under her eyes. The cold chains of trauma had wrapped themselves so tightly and vividly around this young girl's neck that Harper could almost see them. Unlike Sero, this chick was entirely aware of all that had happened to her, and all that she'd gone through. She wore it like a badge of honor. She was a survivor, but scared at the same time. She felt alone-- lonely, was a better term. The woman next to her was not her mother. A social worker? It seemed like it.

"She's the one. The one in charge of the case." The girl's thoughts floated, airy and light in their tone, yet holding a heavy sadness. Determination struck hard in her dark eyes as she stood up, her fists clenching. Harper's brows raise, and the middle-aged woman peered at the younger girl with a question resting on her lips. "I hope she knows sign language. I can't believe it's someone so young, but... that's almost better. It's not some corrupt adult. I hope she's as rational as the other officers promised."

"I'm assuming you're the witness for Sero's case?" Harper asked, trying not to come off too grumpily and failing miserably. The girl's thoughts swirled around her like dust rising off the surface of an old safe. This girl knew a lot-- she'd seen a lot. But it was heavy and weighed down, as though she'd locked it away for a long time. What a pain. Hopefully she was willing to open up, so Harper didn't have to work so hard to pry it out of her.

The girl startled for a bit, looked confused, then nodded. "I'm not a witness! Hanta is my brother!"

Pardon the fuck out of her, but traumatized mute says what?

Harper's expression dropped, her arms falling at her sides and hand slipping from Kurogiri's. Sansa and Tsukauchi turned away to try and hide their winces, and Dabi snorted at the look on her face. A faint snapping noise told Harper he'd taken a picture. Great. Fucking great. So this was Sero's 'dead' little sister. She wasn't lying. She had no idea Harper could read thoughts. 

Harper let out a deep sigh, turning to look up at the ceiling. There was only one thing she could say to this.

"Fuck."

~~~~~~~~

Artttt

AreinYuni did these two amazing pieces, one with just Harper, and another with a Harper and Kirishima fusion. I cannot explain to you how much I love her art style y'all. It's SO freakinnnnn cute I just truly, as some might say, can't even. But seriously, thank you so, so much for these two awesome illustrations. I absolutely adore them.

AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH aka Cady has come back and beautifully digitalized one of her previous pencil drawings. She did SUCH an amazing job. Seriously, the colors make it look so soft and fluffy and just SK thank you so much for this! I love it so much!

MayaInSecroon drew Harper drinking what I think she said was a mixture of redbull and coffee out of an Eraserhead sippy cup. Let's hope and pray Harper doesn't reach that point of insanity. If she ever does, it'll be a day. But on the other hand, thank you for this awesome drawing! I adore it and you did an awesome job with her expression, especially.

gorlic_bread, thank you for this amazing drawing. There isn't much I can say other than...

*inhales*

MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILK MILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILKMILK--

SapphireWaterz drew these amazing pieces! The first two are adorable ship are that hit me right it the kokoro, but the third one really gets me. It's a koala Kurogiri. I cannot explain to you how much I ADORE this. Seriously, it's so cute, and literally my phone wallpaper right now. It's just so amazing. Seriously, thank you so, so much. I say seriously too much. It's because I'm serious. It's fine, it's cool

Silver_button_eyes drew this angsty Harper piece! Harper is always dealing with everyone else's problems, and we sometimes forget that she has her own demons. WINK WINK- *cough* anyway, thank you for this awesome illustration!

This was done by the stunning Havoc_And_Weird. And let me just say...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHDLKJSFNLKJSDHFLIDSHFLKDSHFL I LOVE THIS SO MUCH IT'S SO CUTE LOOK HAPER IS A MANX CAT AND PRESENT MIC IS A BIRD AND AIZAWA IS A FLOOFY CAT AND I JUST SKKSKS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS IM SHEDDING STRAIGHT UP TEARS

bast_bastet_ailuros has drawn Harper as a Manx cat! She looks so cute! I love the little hairstyle you put on her. Thank you for putting the time in to make such an adorable illustration!

Also some people were asking so here's what a Manx cat looks like. I just thought it suited Harper for some reason I dunno-

They're small and cute and I love them thank you for coming to my ted talk