It's been a few weeks since I plucked Eri from Overhaul's grubby hands. The healing process has been… remarkable. A tiny seed of normalcy sprouting in the barren landscape of her life. She smiles sometimes – a shy, hesitant upturn of her lips – and gets excitable over the smallest things. A ladybug on the windowsill. The way the sun hits the dust motes dancing in the air. I don't mind it. In fact, it's the only thing that keeps the rage simmering beneath my skin from boiling over.
I've learned a lot about her history. A tapestry woven with loss and pain. Both her parents are gone. She accidentally killed her dad with her quirk – a horrifying, uncontrollable burst of Rewind. Her mom succumbed to some sickness, but her last act was entrusting Eri to Overhaul. I asked her, once, why the heroes never found her, never helped. Her answer was a whisper, barely audible: they did. But they weren't helpful. They didn't believe her. One of them… hit her. Thought she was lying, faking.
The thought sends a jolt of white-hot fury through me. Endeavor hit her. Called her weak. Fucking bastard. I'll deal with that later. When the time is right.
I decided to homeschool Eri for a while. She's not ready for the real world yet, not after what she's been through. I need to make sure she's comfortable, safe, before exposing her to the harsh realities of this screwed-up society. I hired nannies and maids, extra security – a small army to protect her. Mostly female, to make her feel more at ease. The security detail, men, kept their distance, waiting outside or remaining discreetly in the background. Her safety was paramount.
I'm adapting to fatherhood, or what I imagine it should be. It's… nice. Comforting. I like having her around. She's a sweet girl with a heartbreakingly fragile spirit.
Tonight, I need to bring in some cash. The League's needs still exist, and I've taken up the responsibility of paying for those apartment complexes and providing their needs. I don't mind doing it but I have a kid now and I'm not willing to go broke, thankfully for every mission I get paid 100,000 dollars. so I was going to do at least 8 depending the time. I got ready, making sure Eri was tucked in bed, and slipped out into the night. It's only 11 PM, hopefully, a few quick kills and I'll be back by 3 AM.
A few hours later, I was wrapping up the last job. The air hung thick with the metallic tang of blood. I was about to warp back to the penthouse when I spotted Hawks. Feathers flared, his expression strained as he battled a group of villains whose quirks centered around lava. Seemed even he was struggling.
I sighed. Childish hero. I channeled my decay quirk into a laser and fired a beam from afar, striking the largest villain squarely in the chest. He crumpled, unconscious, instantly. Hawks whirled around, tense, his wings snapping open. He relaxed slightly when he saw me.
"Thank God it's just you…" he muttered, his voice tight with apprehension. "Thanks for that."
I nodded, humming under my breath. "Hey, Hawks," I said, an idea forming in my mind. "What do you know about the Todoroki family history?"
He frowned, shifting his weight. "Hm, not much. Their mom's in a mental hospital, and Enji is, well, you know..."
"A dick," I finished for him, a ghost of a smile tugging at my lips.
He laughed, nodding in agreement. "The daughter is a teacher, the middle son a doctor, and Shoto, you know, is in college. And, well, Touya, the oldest, is… dead."
"I see. Ok, thanks, take care, alright?" I said, turning away. The information I needed. I decided to sneak into the mental hospital to see Enji's wife. I know weird and sketchy but whatever she was awake reading, "um miss..." I began. She jumped clearly startled. "Sorry um I am a friend of touya's...someone said I could find his mom here..." I said softly. tears swelled in her eyes guessing sensitive to the thought of her son. "I'm so-" I began. She shook her head. "Don't, you did nothing wrong...I'm just glad he had a friend..." she said wiping her tears. I nodded. "I want to know about your past with Enji if that's ok...he hurt someone I loved and wanted to see if there was a pattern.." I got straight to it. she nodded and told me everything the abuse, pushing Shoto and Touya, the neglect everything just for power. I nodded and hugged her. "I'm sorry that happened but thank you..." I bowed and took my leave heading home to do research on endeavor more.