It's with regret that I admit I used to bully my sister when we were kids. I had no clue how to handle my aggression; who to blame for the hurt I felt inside.

     There are many variations of people marrying for power. A quirk marriage is a new branch of this, but loveless marriages are far from new. My parents, for instance. They married for money's sake. And though the two always had a deep respect for one another, there was no love in our home.

     I'd just been confirmed quirkless and already my mother was pregnant with another child. I felt like there was something wrong with me. "Surely, the chances of having two children without meta abilities are low." They would say to one another. They would giggle and dream about a world in which this new child grew to bring them great wealth. I'd been all but tossed aside. Useless in their eyes.

     I was five when she was born. I was so much bigger. So much stronger. Even though her abilities hadn't been confirmed yet, she was treated as some kind of savior to our family. She was given attention and care I couldn't even remember for myself.

     And in the absence of love, there grew my hate.

     It was rarely ever physical assaults. I did shove or slap my sister away from time to time. But, for the most part, my bullying was verbal and neglectful. I never wanted to play with her, never gave her any attention, always shoved her out of my life and demanded she leave me alone. Sometimes I'd even go out of my way to insult the child and yell at her. Everything she did was annoying. Everything she said reminded me of what I lacked. All she had to do was look at me and I'd be filled with rage. Her mere presence brought me a writhing, squeezing anguish. She was everything I wasn't and more.

...

     And then she just had to go and develop a quirk. For years, I'd been hoping that she'd turn out to be quirkless like me. That finally my parents wouldn't have a reason to coddle and care for the child. I hoped that she would wind up abandoned by them.. just like me. Then, I could finally rub it in her face that she's nothing special.

     But she was. She was everything her parents wanted and more.

     My behavior was getting so out of hand that I wasn't making any friends at school. I didn't care about following the rules and authority figures were just annoying inconveniences in my eyes. At this rate, I was on track to becoming a delinquent for sure.

     So, I could never blame my parents 100% for shipping me off to boarding schools. Yes, they needed me to be of use to them in some way. And yes, they simply didn't want me creating a bad reputation for their family. But, had they done nothing, chances were I would have turned out a terrible human being.

     This was how I became such a great therapist. I always knew how easy it was to slip down the wrong path.

     But, before that point. Word had just gotten out that my sister had an ice quirk. The whole family had gathered to celebrate. Meanwhile, I was outside, alone, trying to process how I should go about reacting to this.

     There was fear in me. After all, I could no longer expect to get away with bullying the girl anymore. She could so easily strike back, even kill me on accident. But then what was I supposed to do?? How was I supposed to treat her?? I couldn't just bend the knee. Not to her!! That would be like admitting my parents were right to mistreat me all along! I couldn't have that!

     Standing by the pond, I threw rocks into the water out of boredom, just to see how far I could throw. I was out there doing that for who knows how long? The sun was threatening to set by the time anything changed.

     "M...Mei..?" I turned suddenly, arm raised over my head, rock in hand. Rei jumped back, covering her head with her hands. She was only four by this point. Such a small, frail creature she was.

     I turned away from the girl and tossed the rock into the pond. Didn't even cross my mind to toss it at her. "Ghh.. What do you want?" She had no response. Rei stood there stupidly. I returned to throwing stones. But her presence was seriously ticking me off! I growled again. "Seriously! Why are you here!? Shouldn't you be celebrating your new ability or whatever? Leave me alone!"

     The younger girl slipped away. Looked like she was leaving, but, last second she made a detour into the field of flowers behind the pond. I tried my best to ignore her as she wandered around picking flowers.

     A few minutes later, the little girl returned. She shuffled up to me carefully, offering me a bouquet of flowers. All the flowers she noticed I liked most. I stared down Rei and her bouquet in shock. "What's this for?" My brows twitched as she coated the flowers in a thin, sparkling layer of frost.

     Diverting her eyes bashfully, "I.. I'm sorry for getting a power.. I know you wanted it instead." 

. . .

     It took me a moment, but anger gripped me again. I slapped the flowers out of the girl's hands. "What makes you think I wanted a stupid power?!" I stomped forward. Rei backed away, cowering. But I wanted to get this through her skull, so I grabbed her hair and yanked her closer. "I don't need a power! I don't need anybody! So stop making fun of me and thinking I'm weak!"

     "Letgoletgo! Aa! I'm not! I'm not!! Please, let me go!" I wrestled the girl toward the lake and shoved her in.

     "I'd rather DIE than listen to you! I hate you!" My eyes then widened as I replayed what I had done. What I had said. Rei sat up in the cold water, starting to whimper and cry. She was too scared to look up at me. Too sad to hold back the tears. I stepped back, a pain growing in my chest.

     Something about this wasn't right. I felt guilt for what I had done! I didn't want to hate her! She did nothing to me directly! She did nothing but exist! So why then had I been bullying her all her life?! What was wrong with me?!

     I walked backwards. Then, I turned and ran. I ran and ran, until the house was no longer in sight. Then, I wandered, until I was somewhere I couldn't even recognize.

     And, suddenly, I was a wandering, unwanted, quirkless little girl. I had nothing to protect myself with... But, I never wanted to go back.

---------------

     "What do ya wanna have for lunch, kiddo??" Decided I may as well ask while caught up in traffic. I took the wrong route, now paying for that mistake. The city buildings towered on all sides of me, the sounds of honking and growling engines bouncing between them. I turned my torso around, smiling faintly at the little blond kid. Hawks was sitting in a booster seat staring out the window, fidgety hands on his lap.

     Apparently, the kid wouldn't shut up about me and my relation to Endeavor for a whole week after meeting. So, after a couple months, I offered to bring the kid along to meet the hero's kids and see his home. Since I was so well trusted, the HPSC's biggest concern was that the kid might get himself into trouble. And it would be harder for a quirkless woman to rangle a child such as himself. They did agree, however, leading to this day.

     After giving the question some serious thoughts, the boy kicked his legs a little and finally answered. "..I like chicken nuggets..."

     I chuckled, pulling forward a meager car-length through traffic. "Chicken nuggets and french fries it is!"

----------

     I bought Hawks a kids meal with lemonade to drink from an American restaurant. The kid sipped on the lemonade and nibbled on the nuggets the whole way to the train station. Both he and I were done by the time we boarded.

     This boy was very quiet. A stark contrast to the children I've been helping raise all these years. It wasn't that he was unhappy. He was just used to hiding his emotions, even his positive ones. With an expert's eye, however, I could see the subtle hints, telling me this kid was a mix of excited and nervous. The closer we got, the more obvious these tells became. I laid my hand on his shoulder, making the child flinch. "It's okay.. You'll do great. My nephews and niece are all really nice." The boy took little comfort in my words and touch.

     "..You saw that boy too, right?"
        "Yeah, I was too scared to ask him anything though..."

     Two young women whispered behind me. I listened-in closely, since the topic piqued my interest.

     "He looked homeless.."
        "Yeah, I hope his parents find him soon."
     "If he has any parents, that is.."
        "He was kind of creepy, so maybe they abandoned him..."

     The two women giggled. I turned around to greet them. "Where was this kid?" The two froze, surprised a mere extra like myself was actually reacting to their gossip. 

     "Um.. I- I don't really know. Tapioca street, I think?"
        "Su- something like that! Yeah!"

     My brows furrowed slightly. "Did either of you report him to the authorities? How old did he look?" 

     "..."
        "...I.. didn't really think about it until now."

     I rolled my eyes, then interrogated the women some more until I had a rough description of the child and his general location. The train made its next stop before I could thank them. Instead, I left with Hawks' hand in mind, hurrying to our house.

     My mind was so occupied by this mystery child that I almost took us the wrong way. I just couldn't take my mind off of him! What kind of lost child would be so scary that everyone who sees them becomes too scared to help? Was it quirk related?

     As we walked to the house, my free hand pulled out my phone and started texting the HPSC's President. It was about the missing child, describing to her directly where he probably was and what he most likely looked like. After about a minute of waiting for a response, I sighed and slid the phone away. Unless the issue has to do with Hawks, they probably wouldn't prioritize any message I sent them.

     We finally came upon the Todoroki household about midday, right after lunch. It was a Sunday so I knew all the kids would be here as well. I unlocked the front door and called into the house with a smile spread across my face. "Children! I hath brought forth a sacrifice~!" I said in a witchy voice. Hawks's little hand in mind tightened suddenly. He gasped, staring up at me with fearful eyes. My warm smile and little laugh calmed him some. What didn't calm him were the thunderous footsteps storming our way.

     "Aunt Mei!!"
      "Aunt Mei!"
       "Did you bring him?!"

     Toya, Fuyumi, and Natsuo were all pleasantly surprised to spot the winged child standing beside me. They raced to us in a frenzy, hugging me and hopping around the new kid. The little blond's gold eyes were wide, in a state of shock, unable to do anything but watch the chaotic trio. He couldn't say anything even as they started asking for the kid's name, age, and details about his quirk. I crouched, rubbed the boy's back, and answered most of their questions for him.

     After Natsuo invited Hawks to join him to play in the courtyard, he looked up at me. I nodded reassuringly, giving him the little push he needed to join them. My nephews and niece happily took the new kid in as their playmate.

     I followed the children at a distance, a placid smile on my face. Shoto waddled into the hallway to see what all the commotion was about. I picked him up and carried him into the courtyard with his siblings to watch them play.

     There was still this...terrible nagging in the back of my head. Half an hour later, when the little boy had finally started to look comfortable and was appearing to have fun, I couldn't stop thinking about that other kid.

     It wasn't often that I was ever directly involved with a case. There wasn't much a quirkless woman like myself could do, but I tried to play a part in spreading information or comforting survivors whenever it's needed. About a year ago, actually, I noticed the early stages of a fire and called the authorities immediately, resulting in saving the life of the man who had been taking a nap in there.

     What wasn't common for me, however, was to come across a missing persons case like this. Finally, I received a text from the HPSC President... No good. She just told me they don't have any spare heroes to dispatch at the moment; another case was apparently taking priority and an issue small as this should be able to resolve itself.

     So... If the civilians were waiting on a hero to save the child... and the heroes were waiting on a civilian to save the child...? Chances are neither parties will reach him in time.

     For the next half hour, I debated whether or not I should get involved until I was sick to my stomach. What if someone has already picked up the kid? What if he was just on a stroll and everyone thought he was lost? What if he attacks me for trying to save him?

     ...How can I save him?.. How on Earth can someone useless as me make a difference? My whole job has revolved around dealing with the aftermath of a situation. I- I'm so ill prepared for dealing with matters of the present!

     But, if I'm not going to do anything about it... then who will?

     My mind made up, I stepped out of the shadows into the courtyard, interrupting the children's game. "Hawks, I know it's early, but would you mind coming with me?" Though he appeared somewhat sad, the boy dropped the ball at once while nodding. He flapped his wings in haste and followed closely behind me. My nephews and niece were the ones to complain the most about this sudden change in plans, but I didn't have time to explain anything to them.

     If I wanted to be the person I wish was there for me as a little girl, I couldn't let another minute pass without acting.

---------------

     It was cold. It was dark. I was scared.

     I hated that I already regretted running away from home, especially without preparing beforehand. All the movies I had seen about kids running away somehow made it look so whimsical and fun. So exciting, like some huge adventure. Yet, here I was hiding between two trash bins under a blanket of newspapers. My teeth clattered against each other, but I couldn't even afford to let out a whimper in this cold night. Narrowly escaping those two creepy drunk men had scared me silent. I had no idea that the most dangerous things on this planet would be other people. But here I was, terrified of being found out by another of my own species.

     So scared. So alone.

---------------

     "Hey, Hawks, do you mind helping me find a kid?"

     "Huh??"

     I described the situation and the child involved to the boy until he had a clear enough picture to help me out. I searched online for any news about a wandering boy in that area. Idiots, all of them. It infuriated me to see so many people posting the kid's location on apps similar to Facebook, but never actually stepping in to help him!.. At least this gave me a better idea about his location. It wasn't long before Hawks and I started patrolling the streets ourselves for said lost child.

     Hours passed. I thought about giving up several times, but then someone new would post about the lost boy, proving to me that he was still out there and in need of saving.

     Then, finally!

     I mistook him for some discarded trash at first, but upon closer inspection, saw it was that same boy we'd been looking for half the day! I tugged on the little blond's arm, pulling him into the alleyway after me. Nobody had posted this lost kid's face. If they did, they purposefully blurred or blocked out the face. But, the messy light gray hair and shabby, torn outfit all matched the photos. "Stay here. Okay?" I whispered to Hawks, realizing this lost boy looked insanely tense. He was barefoot. The back of his head leaned against the brick wall, arms limp at his sides. It was clear he had given up. After walking around all day, he'd given up trying to survive. I walked slowly towards him, taking light steps. I knew personally how vulnerable a child can feel in a moment like this, so I didn't want to scare or upset him.

---------------

     The sun had just risen after my first night away from home, and I'd already lost hope that my life could get any better like this. I'd shivered all night. I felt as though I was developing a fever. My mind was hazy. I knew I couldn't survive out here on my own. I needed food and water.

     So, I retraced my steps, now all dirtied with the grime of the back alley and smelling of trash. I dragged my feet along, hoping no one would attack me. Suddenly, every adult was so scary. All of them were intimidating strangers in whom I knew nothing about. I didn't know if any of them would try to steal or hurt me. The thought that one of them might made my head spin.

     After several hours of walking around, I had gone in circles. I was making no progress. I could neither find nor escape my home. Part of me wondered if they even cared that I was gone.

     An angel must have blessed me that day, because around the end of it, a police officer finally approached and asked who I was and if I needed any help. Less than an hour later, I was being dropped off at the house I'd been told to call a home.

     "Mei?!"
     "Mei!!"

     My parents were a mix of furious and relieved, mostly furious. They scolded me right there at the front gate about being so careless and putting myself through so much trouble. And though the police officer had let me eat half of his sandwich.. I was really hungry. I kept my head low, apologizing whenever I could, and just waited for their useless words to come to an end. I already knew what I did was stupid. Why did they think I even decided to come back?

     Looking back, my story isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things. As a therapist, I've heard many more doubly worse tales from my clients. True stories that sound like the stuff of nightmares. In retrospect, I was a lucky one.

     At least I had a family to go back to.

---------------

     This little boy wasn't so lucky. I could tell by the look in his face. It was like nothing I had ever seen. For a moment, I even looked away, fearful I was in the presence of a corpse. But, he was still breathing... Barely.

     He was unresponsive, even as I crouched down to his level. I forced myself to look the little one in the eyes. He looked close to Natsuo's age. His right eye and left side of his mouth were dirty with scabbing. His whole face was full of either cracks or wrinkles, especially around his eyes. His irises were a deep, blood red. I have to admit, he was quite the ugly little creature. As he is now, at least.

     Still, I reached out and gently brushed some of the hair out of his face. "Hello..?" I whispered softly. The kid's eyes landed on me. Other than that, he didn't care to move. I started thinking about what to do. If a child is found in this kind of state, it is advised that they be taken to a hospital at once for an emergency checkup. If you don't know what the child's quirk is, however, it is advised that no one try to move the kid themself for their own safety. Instead, it is better to call on the police and report the incident to them so trained professionals can help from here. But my mothering instincts were strong here, and they wanted me to comfort the child as soon as possible and take care of him myself. With my instincts and logical mind at odds with one another, I set out to do a mix of both. I pulled out my phone and dialed the emergency number. "..He- hello? Yes! I'd like to report a missing child... No, he's nowhere near anyone who looks like they could be his guardian... In an alleyway along Bubble street... This is Mei Himura... No ma'am, I have not touched him." When I finally hung up, I was thoroughly disappointed. "I've been told to sit and wait here with you for an hour until someone's schedule finally clears up." I chuckled. No way was I going to wait that long.

     I have nothing to go off of here for what this child just went through, but clearly it wasn't anything good. Is he a survivor of human trafficking? Were his parents just killed by a villain in front of him? Or were his guardians incredibly abusive, and he only just escaped that terrible environment?

     I dunno... Someone could come and tell me this kid just crawled out of Hell and I'd probably believe it.

     Well, I'm not going to sit around here and wait for a hero to finally have enough free time to spare. If no one else cares, then I'll take care of this child myself.

     On my knees, I pulled some cash out of my purse and motioned Hawks to take it. Once he did, "Please buy some water and food for this boy at the store we just passed. Nothing sugary, got it?"

     "Mh!" The blond nodded. He caught one horrified glance at the lost kid before sprinting off with the money. I slid off my jacket and put it on my lap for the moment. "What's your name?" I knew he wouldn't answer, but I asked anyway. Not only would it test his willingness to communicate, but the common question would also serve to hopefully snap the boy out of this trance of his. His mind was clearly elsewhere. A severe case of dissociating. I'm willing to bet the boy doesn't even know where he is right now. I scooted in a little closer, inspecting him closely for any wounds other than the ones on his face. He had some bruising on his arms. Couldn't tell if that was from falling or abuse. "Okay, good! You're looking alright so far. Does your back hurt or anything?" I asked, speaking in a calming sort of manner. Poor kid. The bottoms of his feet were burnt from all that walking around barefoot on sun roasted concrete. I grabbed my jacket and draped it over him, allowing it to comfort the little one from shoulder to toe. "There. At least you'll be warmer that way!"

     "Someone actually came~?" I spun around on my knees, staring up at one behemoth of a man! Short silvery hair, dull red eyes, a suit. His eyes shown concern, but that slight smile said otherwise.

     "Are you his father?" I asked. There was a pause, one that allowed the well dressed man to think things over in his head. He looked between me and the boy behind me.

     "...No. I heard there was a missing child around here and thought I might search for him myself." He then carelessly threw his hands out on either side of him. "It appears as though you have already done that. My apologies for the intrusion~" Yet he stared down at me as if I was the one intruding. His words and mannerisms were two completely different things. It was about now that I realized I may just be in the presence of the very culprit responsible for this boy's suffering. Terrified as I was by this chance, I bit my tongue and played dumb.

     "Right. Right.. Well, thank you. If you could, could you go get me some gloves from a nearby store about his size? For some reason, whenever I get close to him, his hands pull away suddenly. I think it might be due to a traumatic quirk activation, which isn't hard to imagine considering his age." Please, just leave me alone! Leave and be gone long enough for me to escape with the kid!

     The man tilted his head curiously. "You sound like someone who knows a lot about quirks.." I rolled my eyes, laughing his oddly specific comment off like it wasn't super creepy.

     "Ahahh, oh it's just, you know, common knowledge!" Crap, why is my acting always so terrible!? There shouldn't be a doubt in the man's mind that I am uncomfortable now.

     The man chuckled, unbothered by this. "Either way, it is a plausible theory. I'll go get what you need." He then turned the way he came and vanished.

     Less than two minutes later, Hawks ran back into the alley with some sandwiches and a bottle of water. By that point, my heart was racing. It wasn't one of those things you can really explain either. But just the energy oozing off of that stranger was insanely intimidating! And it wasn't just because he was tall! He was clearly up to something.

     As I had noticed earlier, the lost boy was afraid to touch anything. I helped him drink some water and get some food into his system. He wouldn't take any more than two bites, which was troubling but also understandable. "Okay, kid, I'm going to ask you to hold your hands together like this, okay?" I demonstrated, weaving my fingers together. I didn't know what his quirk was, but if he was scared to touch anything, then it was probably really dangerous. The boy did as I asked. I helped him to his feet, sent one last worried glance down the alley that stranger had appeared in, and wrapped the boy up in my jacket again. I then picked him up and hurried with the burrito child out of there. Hawks hurried behind me, worried by how rushed I was.

     After another stop by the store, I bought the kid some gloves, socks, and shoes for him to wear. I then texted Madam Present, apologizing in advance for returning their little hero to them so late.

---------------

     After I returned home, I was told to wash up at once and go to bed.

     First though, I had something heavy weighing on my mind.

Knock knock knock

     "Hm?" Rei stood from the rug covered in toys. She hurried to her bedroom door and pried the door open. She gasped the moment her big eyes landed on me. "MEI!!" I wasn't expecting it. I didn't want it. Above all, I did not deserve it. But Rei jumped right through the door and tackled me in a hug anyways. The water from her eyes started to dampen my filthy shirt. "I'm so glad you're back!!"

     I stood there stiffly for a moment, wondering how this was even possible. How?! Despite everything I did to her, Rei still cared about me?

     I now knew how terribly of a mistake I had made for hating my dear sister. She was perhaps the only one who truly cared for me.

     Not sure what to do about the embrace, I shoved the girl off of me, this time not so rough. And as Rei opened her mouth to question where I had been, I held it out to her, by arm stiff and grip tight. I offered to her a bouquet of flowers. A handful of flowers I knew she would like, which I had picked myself. It was a much greater risk for me to be caught picking flowers in the garden than it was for her, but it was the only way I could think to apologize. "I'm...sorry." I loosened my grip and leaned a little closer, assuring my little sister that the flowers were hers. "I won't be so mean to you anymore. Just please don't use your powers on me and we can call it even."

     Rei accepted the flowers with great care. I watched the four year old as she stared at all the flowers, especially the blue ones, and pet their soft petals. Suddenly, she looked up and smiled right at me, so happy, her eyes were brimming with tears!

     I can't even remember what she said after that, and honestly, I don't care. But...that smile. Even now, remembering it brings warmth no romance novel ever could. To see that smile, and ones just like it, became my very mission in life.

     I would do whatever it took to keep that smile alive and well, even if it meant sacrificing my own.

---------------

     I didn't get any real answers until I dropped off Hawks, where the HPSC was essentially forced to step up and help.

     After a blood test was conducted, it was found out that this boy was Tenko Shimura, the recently orphaned child with no distant relatives to speak of. The accident last night was one of the reasons there were so few heroes on staff at the moment. Dozens of them had been sent to patrol the nearby area in search of whoever was responsible for the murders. No one had even considered one of them might be alive until little Tenko was right here in front of them. But, he was reluctant to speak. He didn't utter a single word.

     I considered telling them about my own suspicions, but then an experiment was conducted, proving that the event was caused by the young boy's unfortunate quirk activation. Tenko said nothing, but even the non-therapists could tell he already knew such was the case. Deep down at least. It was clear the boy was already suffering from memory loss thanks to the onslaught of trauma and stress.

     Everything went so fast after that. Talk about what to do with Tenko, how to go about handling someone with such a dangerous ability, and if it is even possible to raise such a person normally. I butted in when conversation began to get serious around cutting off the boy's pinky fingers in order to prevent another unwanted quirk activation.

     "We can take preventative measures that don't require removing appendages." I argued. Then to the conversation about what to do with the kid, since no normal foster home would be safe. "I'll foster him. You already know my record and experience with children. I am the safest option; he could even potentially be raised alongside Hawks if need-be!" I tried to slip him into some program so I wouldn't have to pay for everything myself, but the HPSC was unwilling to accept someone with a quirk that could so easily ruin their brand. Fine then! They want to be stubborn? Well good thing I'm insanely stubborn too! Because I'm not going to leave this boy in the incompetent hands of others! It took the whole rest of the day, but I finally got others to have some sympathy for the kid. Was I taking a risk with this? Of course. But as was the case when I helped the villain who later became a valiant hero! It's my willingness to take such huge risks that has gotten me as far as I am now!

     After hours of arguing, I left with Tenko in my arms, ensuring the boy that he would still be able to live a happy life full of smiles.

----------

     It was past midnight by the time I finally returned home. Tenko was asleep. All the other kids were asleep too. I had called my sister on the way here to inform her of the situation, so she was there at the door waiting to see the stray I had picked up. Enji was there too, albeit a lot more hostile to the idea of taking in a child who had only just accidentally killed his whole family. I had to agree with him. It was risky. But, I reminded him that he's taking risks every day as a hero. And I would never put their children in harm's way if I was unsure we could coexist.

     In reality, I was just as scared as all of them were. I already knew everyone's concerns, because I was thinking the exact same things.

     After I talked with the mother and father of the household for a bit, I woke Tenko up, helped him bathe, scrubbed his hair clean, and dried him off until his hair was all fluffy and his body was no longer at risk of getting sick. The medical team at the HPSC had already taken care of the cuts on his face, so I had no reason to worry there. The lad was half asleep through all of this, following orders like a robot. Afterward, I stole some of Natsuo's clothes and gave them to Tenko, who was still a bit small in them. Tenko was more than ready to pass out by the time he was all comfy and ready for bed. Even Rei and Enji had gone to their room by the time I carried the new one over to my house.

     Once inside, I set the mostly asleep child down on the massive beanbag and draped a large blanket over him. I caught myself staring after everything had settled down. When he was sleeping soundly, no longer bothered by the traumas of life, he was adorable. I chuckled, a grin somehow managing it's way onto my face.

     Rubbing my forehead, "D###, I was.. not expecting my day to play out like this." 

     As sad as I was for the kid and how things turned out in his life, I was glad I got to be there for him.

     I was beat from the long day. Took a little longer to get myself ready for bed. When I was done, I laid down and rolled myself in my covers, clonking out within minutes.

----------

     I woke up at eight AM per usual, forgetting about the previous day until I sat up and met eye-to-eye with the traumatized little boy. Tenko gasped and hid underneath the blankets I had provided him. I almost laughed, but held it in, knowing that would be a little rude. For all I know, this kid could have forgotten me entirely and is freaking out about being in a stranger's house.

     I shot to my feet, forcing a level of energy into my system to make myself come across as a little more friendly than I usually am in the mornings. "Your name is Tenko, right?" The boy pushed the blankets off of himself to stare at me. I equipped my slippers and crossed the small single room of a house of mine. I noticed him tugging at the gloves on his hands and quickly corrected him. "-Please keep those on! Your.. quirk is a little dangerous, but those gloves will keep everyone safe."

     "Quirk..?" His voice came out so scratchy, but it indeed was that. I was impressed he even had the desire to speak!

     "Yeah! It destroys things if you touch them with all five fingers. Please ask me before trying it on anything, okay?" Tenko nodded. He looked around, still in a state of dissociative shock and haze. "Do you want breakfast?"

     "Mhm.." The boy nodded. I smiled and set to preparing something simple but universally enjoyed by all children: pancakes! He had so little food yesterday, no doubt he was famished by now!

     Tenko sat completely still on the beanbag. He stared down at his lap fidgeting with the gloves on his hands. Any other form of stimuli was completely unnecessary. This was the kind of behavior I had expected from him. It would be a while before his mind could heal enough to use the full capacity of his brain again. Him acting more "childlike" would be my sign that he was getting better. Until then, it would be expected for him to dissociate for hours at a time.

     Between flipping pancakes and scrambling eggs, I contacted my agent.

Mei Himura:
     "Please postpone our plans with Mr. Nezu for a year if he is willing to wait that long. Some things have come up that require more of my attention.
     In case you must know, I just became a foster parent."

     That sure was gunna give my agent another heart attack.

...

     As expected, Tenko was hardly eating a bite. He mostly just stabbed at the pancakes with his fork. I had to sit with him on the floor, getting stern with him to ensure he had at least something in his system. He was similarly really slow with his water intake. No doubt I would need to set a schedule just to remind him.

     Wait. What the crap am I supposed to do when I have to go to work?! He would need a very specialized babysitter. And my sister, sweet as she is, neither meets that requirement, nor would she want to take care of such a dangerous child alongside her own. Sighing again, I informed my agent that I will also need to take the month off so I can focus on acclimating Tenko. The only thing I don't cancel is little Hawks' visits, since he needs some companionship too. I'll treat Tenko like I would any patient, except, uhh, 24-7. Easy enough I guess! Ehehh..

     Realizing that I had nothing to do that month but take care of one kid, I sat back and contemplated... Deep things, like what the hell I'm even doing with my life.

     When Tenko had enough eggs and pancakes to satisfy me, I cleaned up after us. Finally, I changed in the bathroom and threw on some shoes.

     "I'm going to get you something to play with, okay?" I said at the door. Tenko sat on the floor still, just staring up at me. At least the cracks in his face were much better. ... Oh well! That is good enough of a response from him! I left to grab some toys from my nephews. Tenko won't need anything super complex. Just some toddler toys to help stimulate his brain while he processes things.

     I nearly stepped on something but stopped myself after closing the door. I stared down at the object, squinting at what rest there on the porch before me. I knelt low and picked up...a pair of black gloves? Curiously, I rubbed the soft fabric between my fingers. These could be from my sister. They were in the boy's size, after all, but.. but she knows better than to leave gifts for me on the floor! And it's so unlike her to gift me something without warning--

     My brows furrowed, right eye twitching as the memory of that very tall man played on repeat.

     Who on earth walks up to a traumatized child and his comforter with "Someone actually came~?" Not to mention that studious, peeved look as he.. almost glared down at me with for standing in his way. The way he analyzed me from head to toe with a look that did not see me as human. All these things and more had cued me in that this guy was no kind stranger. And no retrospect made this guy and his strange words seem any more innocent.

     So then, it was a bit of a scare to find a slip of paper inside one of the gloves. I pulled it out slowly and read it carefully.

     " ' Take care of Tenko for me. ;) ' "

     Throughout my life, I've learned to trust my gut feeling, and it was screaming at me that that man was bad news.

     As person after person denied ever dropping anything off, dread filled me.

     ...Please don't tell me a villain like that knows where I live.