Chapter Text

Deku

It's a beautiful day today with clear skies and a bright late summer sun. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and civilians and all manner of hero course and non-hero course students alike are chatting as they walk around the vast U.A campus. With how beautifully and quickly our campus is rebuilding, it's hard to believe the war was only 3 months ago. In fact, it feels like only yesterday Class 1-A and B returned from the field to find our wonderful campus filled with its own scars from the battle. It feels like only yesterday we found our classroom in an absolute wreck like someone with a tornado quirk let loose and left no stone unturned. It feels like only yesterday we all shared a somewhat long moment of silence upon Sensei opening the door and taking a good look around. There was a distant longing as he looked around as if searching for something in the empty classroom. However, his face only showed dismay at the disarray of the room that not only held our memories but probably his too. Soon enough though a tired determination replaced that dismay as he took a deep breath and said “This mess won’t do… Everyone, we have a lot of work ahead of us.” 

We all responded nearly synchronously “Right.” and following his lead quickly filed into the room. Fixing it up with care together before finally setting down a new desk for our newly made classmate Hitoshi. I’m sitting next to him now on a bench by Heights Alliance eating lunch taken to go from the cafeteria with the rest of our class who are sitting on the other benches and on picnic blankets nearby. Just enjoying the weather and each other. If we were doing it again this year training camp would start in a couple days. I wish we could’ve enjoyed ourselves like this last year… But then again we wouldn't have gotten this far without our hardships.

“Hey Midoriya, is something wrong? You've been staring at your sandwich for a while now.”

“Oh no sorry to worry you. Just lost in thought.”

“About?”

“Well, a lot of things happened around this time last year. I guess with how far we’ve come I just can’t stop thinking about where things began.”

“Where it all began huh. Well, I wish I could reminisce with you but I wasn’t part of the hero course so I couldn’t have gone to camp with you guys.”

“That doesn’t mean you can't hear the stories though…”

“True… Ok then shoot what’s the first thing that comes to mind.”

“Well training camp, if we were doing it again this year would start on Monday.”

“Training Camp, so Monday is when you and Kota-kun first met.”

“Yep.”

A brief flash to that evening makes me smile, embarrassed but nostalgic all the same. “Kota-kun’s right hook was just as powerful back then as when he joined us in training a few days ago.”

He absolutely demolished one of the old vinyl punching bags Sensei found lying around in the storage closet. Our Senseis cut it to size and resowed it just for him.

“Huh? He punched you? Man, that explains why you weren’t surprised.”

“Yeah… Before we met him we had to battle our way down the mountain with test bots to get to the ranch. It took us all day.”

“Wow, can’t imagine anything taking you guys the entire day now.  Can I ask who got to the ranch first?”

“Well…”

“Oi whats with the hesitation Deku? I was definitely the person who got there first.”

“Bakugo, it wasn't a competition. Both of us came out of the forest at nearly the same time and we overused our quirks equally too. I don't think that qualifies any of us as winners.”

“Hah ‘fraid you were actually the loser Icy Hot? I know for a fact we didn’t exit that forest at the exact same time.”

“As you can see it's still a debate.”

“I see. Where did you stack up?”

“Oh I was pretty much right behind Iida, he came behind Todoroki and Kacchan.”

“So One For All was still pretty fast even without Black Whip huh.”

“Yep and it was before shoot style and with only 5% being consistently usable without breaking my bones like in the sports festival.”

“Cool, so after the race and meeting Kota what came next?”

“After an amazing dinner, we spent most of the next day training. Until the test of courage game that we were supposed to play that night.”

Kirishima then chimes in, reminding “Not all of us, Midoriya. Those of us who failed the finals had to take catch-up classes while you guys did that manly test of courage.”

Mina then adds “Yeah, I was honestly hoping Sensei would let us join you all if we did our stuff quick and well enough. But then All For One had to manipulate Aoyama-kun and tell the League of Villains our location so they could come in and ruin everyone’s night.”

“You said it. Machia may have called All for One master but that guy despite all his strength is not manly enough for that title after all he did. Good thing Midoriya and All Might defeated him… What was manly though was how Sensei came and beat up a Dabi clone when it had snuck its way into the building. It’s a shame, under any other circumstances I would’ve said his blue flames made for a super manly and flashy quirk.”

Mina nods “It's scary to think that Twice’s quirk was strong enough to clone someone like Toya even back then Sensei made it sound like he fought multiple of them on the way there.”

Ochako then says “Jin’s quirk was powerful but so was Himiko, All of them were powerful even back then.”

I nodded “Agreed I wish I was strong enough back then to still help out after fighting Muscular. But of course I couldn’t control One For All enough to use all it’s strength without tearing up my body.”

“You’re not the only one that has regrets from that night Izuku… I don’t know about any of you guys but I know I’m gonna spend that day training like there's no tomorrow. If anyone wants to join in I’ll be sure to blast your asses off.”

Most of the class replies “We know.”

But Todoroki says “I would participate in training with you guys but I’m already planning to give Toya a visit that day.”

He then turns to me and asks “What about you Midoriya? Planning anything special?”

“I would also like to join Kacchan’s training session but All Might said he wanted to show me something he’s been working on that day. He seemed very excited about it. I wonder what it is...”

“I see. Figures he’d want to do something with you that day. It is the anniversary of him fully passing down the torch to you.”

“Yeah…” I drift off and then a flash of realization comes over me “Ah I just realized something the day we rescued Eri-chan is coming up we should do something.”

The class choruses “Oh yeah. You’re right!”

“But what should it be?”

Tsu says “Well even though she likes to see new things and go new places we should do something that we could do easily just staying here. The twentieth will be a school day after all, kero.”

“Then how about an afternoon full of games? She's always up for a fun challenge. We could use the games from the culture festival, the board games in the common room and we could even play video games with Wii and Switch’s we have.” Suggests Kirishima.

“Hey if we wanna use things from the cultural festival why not just use our music skills and maybe one of our karaoke games to sing and dance together? She loved our last performance and really loved dancing and singing at Sensei’s wedding.” says Jiro.

“True… but if the choice is between those two things you're going to need some fuel.”  Says Satou. “I’ve always wanted to try my hand at an apple strudel cake.”

“Oh that sounds wonderful Satou-kun, my parents can assist with catering as well.” Says Yaoyorozu.

“Wait a minute, aren't we forgetting something? It’s an anniversary right? So we should all get her some gifts.” Say Ochako “I’m sure she’d love to dress up and cuddle more plushies and dolls, gain more treasures to wear and hold and try new things with us and the big three.” 

I smile “All of these are amazing ideas but they're all so hard to choose from.”

Hitoshi then chuckles “You guys realize that you just described the perfect party right? We’re all going to make sure it's plus ultra anyway so why not do everything?”

“Yeah, let’s do it!”

“I’ll tell Mirio-senpai right away. I’m sure he’ll want to join in with the big three.”

“Isn’t he coming to visit soon?”

“Yeah he is.”

“Sensei’s going to want to join in too ya know. We should pitch our idea then when Mirio comes, If we're all in it he’ll have no reason to say no and he’ll be better at making sure we all keep it a secret. I know the one thing she loves more than anything is making new surprise memories with all of us.”

“Yeah she does...”

Hitoshi smiles “Alright then let's make it a moment to remember and give it our all.”

A determined chorus rings out “Right.” and I send Mirio the message. He hopped right on board. The day shines onward and I’m left with one last thought.

The memories of the past will always be a part of us, a part of us worth celebrating. I can’t wait for the memories ahead.

Shouta two days later

It’s as normal as a Saturday can be on the massive U.A Campus still miraculously rebuilding after the war with a steady pace. Or so I thought. My son alongside his classmates and the former Big Three all now stand in my office with an intriguing proposition.

“What sort of crazy plan do you guys have now that you’ve got the Big Three in my office.”

“It’s not crazy, it's for Eri.”

“For Eri?”

Confirming nods and looks come my way before Midoriya replies “Her rescue anniversary is coming soon. We thought we’d do something to celebrate and decided on throwing a party.”

I give a small smile “Ah It’s nearly been a year hasn’t it.  Well, did you guys really think I’d say no for a celebration like that? Is potential disapproval the only reason why you all came?“

Toshi answers this time “No it isn’t. We want it to be a surprise Dad. Given that most of us here can’t tell a lie or even a half-truth, especially to someone like Eri we thought you’d be the best at making sure we all kept the secret.”

A lightbulb goes off in my head and my small smile grows into a proud smirk “Hmm I see. Well, then thank you for coming. You have my word and my permission to go beyond Plus Ultra with it. In fact, you guys have just given me an idea too.”

Curious eyes and voices all familiar and warm cheerfully ask “What is it sensei?”

“I’ll tell you when it's more ironed out. Let’s just focus on making the anniversary the most memorable part of her life for now. Besides, Mic can’t keep her occupied forever when it's all of you she’s been waiting to play with.”

A brief spark of realization rushes through Hitoshi and then he smiles but he doesn’t spill my secret. He then nods alongside his classmates and the big three as they eagerly reply “Right.” and slowly start to leave the room.  

As I then gaze out my window and watch them play with her. Her smile and their idea leaves me with one single thought. If they are already planning something like that then perhaps it really is time for Hizashi and I to pursue something even more special. I pick up my phone and send a message to Kouchou.

Shouta- Good afternoon Kouchou Sensei, do you mind meeting Monday on lunch break? I have an idea regarding Eri I want to run by you and Hizashi.

Nedzu Kouchou- Of course Aizawa-kun. Do you want me to send it over the PA system that day?

Shouta- No, I’ll be able to bring him with me. Thank you.

Nedzu Kouchou- No problem. See you then 👍🐭

Shouta- Ok, see you later.

Chapter Text

Shouta

Monday afternoon felt like it came quicker than expected, but I was not drained by it instead, I was looking forward to it. That hasn’t happened to me for a seemingly normal Monday like this since well, second year. I now walk these ever-familiar halls on the way to making another dream a reality. Like the other times I’ve done this, Hizashi is right by my side this time though, he’s much more in the dark about what the coming meeting is for, and it’s showing as he curiously complains once again, “C’mon Shou, tell me what your idea is already. You’re way peppier than usual considering it’s Monday, it’s got to be good.”

“Not a chance you’ll hear it soon enough anyway, Zashi.”

“But I don’t get it. Why do you have to keep such a good secret from me when we’re both meeting Kouchou about it and he most likely already knows a little of what you're cooking already thanks to High Spec.”

“One because you're a blabbermouth for things like this…”

“And two?”

“I think you already know the answer to that one, Zashi.”

“Hey, you're the last one to talk about holding off just because you wanna see someone's reaction to something. If you want to see it so badly, why not just tell me?”

“Aren’t you the one who said time makes it all the sweeter when you finally see a reaction from someone you've been waiting to share something with?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

“Good, and now look at that, we made it to Kouchou-sensei’s office. You ready?”

“Are you?”

“Yeah, let's go.”

Zashi smiles, “Alright, let's discuss that idea of yours then.”

I nod, and then we both head into the office together.

Hizashi

Cheerful as always, Nezu welcomes us to his office “Ah if it isn’t Aizawa-kun and Yamada-kun. You came earlier than I expected but, no worries, I’m always prepared. Would you two like some tea?”

We both nod “Yes please.”

Nezu quickly retrieves two glasses, and once he passes them over, we say “Thank you.”

“It was no trouble at all…” We all take a sip before Nezu says, “ Now it looks like you two are ready for business.”

Shouta swallows and nods, “Yes indeed.”

“Alright, Aizawa-kun, mind sharing your idea?”

He smiles, “It’s simple to say, however, I imagine it's much harder to do. But I want to try anyway. No matter what, I want to try and get Eri out of the grasp of The HPSC and fully adopt her by the time of her rescue anniversary.”

I almost choke on and spit out my tea in surprise before swallowing hard and asking, “Excuse me, but you want to try and do what?!”

“Exactly what I said, I want to adopt her. Are you opposed, Hizashi?”

“No, of course not. I’m all for it actually, but Shou, her anniversary is in only a little more than a month.”

“I’m aware. But we’re sitting in the office of one of the best defenders in Japan aren’t we? It’ll take a lot of work I know. I know it’ll most likely not be done by the exact day. But what’s the harm in trying to shoot for the stars? If we just say the idea without acting upon it I have the feeling we won’t get an opportunity like this when the HPSC is on the decline for a while. Waiting until All Might eventually takes over doesn’t seem like the smartest idea either given how turbulent that takeover could become and the things that’ll be on his plate if he succeeds.”

“True… I guess it really is a case of now or never. No matter the results, I’ll support and fight tooth and nail alongside you.”

“Thanks, Zashi.”

“Of course, Shou.”

Nezu nods “So, it’s settled then. I’ll get preparations started for looking for some HPSC partners to work with. Not everyone on their legal and executive team is corrupt after all, and the rare cases like these require defenders from both sides.”

I turn to Shou, his eyes confident and hopeful, and ask, “Are you planning to ask your mom if she has any recommendations we could look at?”

He nods, “Of course I am, as long as it's okay with Kouchou-sensei.”

“Of course, Aizawa-kun, I welcome it.”

“Great, I'll send her a message after school. Her lunch break is usually later than ours. And she always takes a smaller break in the later afternoon.”

“Alright, let's get this show on the road.”

“Indeed Yamada-kun. I’ll keep you guys updated, but for now, our meeting is adjourned. Enjoy the rest of your lunch break, you two.”

“Thank you, Kouchou sensei, you too.” We replied in unison before leaving the room and heading off to meet them for a meal prepped to nourish the future.

Shouta

Later that afternoon true to my word I sent out a message.

Shou- Hello mom. I have this idea to try and adopt Eri by her rescue anniversary in September. Hizashi, Kouchou Sensei and I were wondering if you had any recommendations for lawyers we could partner with.

To my surprise, she answered nearly right away.

Mom- Sorry, I don’t have any at the moment. I'd have to take a thorough look through the records to give you a solid recommendation for anyone.

Shou- That’s fine, we can be patient, and it's better to be careful than careless. Thank you.

Mom- No problem Shou-chan, I'll get searching as soon as I can. How was work?

Shou- Good, class was energetic as usual. How about you?

Mom- Same old, same old. Are you patrolling tonight?

Shou- No, I'll be patrolling Wednesday though. 

Mom- Alright, take care. Say hi for me okay.

Shou- Alright, talk to you soon.

A few days later

By late Friday, Kouchou and my mom found a match, and set up a meeting for the following Monday. Now standing in front of us is said match, a slightly shorter man with short windswept hair to match, colored mahogany with smoky highlights, a foxy face of fair complexion, a warm smile, and observant ash eyes. He wore a somewhat light brown linen suit with brassy buttons, dark gray trowsers, a simple white dress shirt and a mild olive and white striped tie not too bright but not dark either. Honestly, he dressed in quite a warm color palette for a lawyer at least compared to the ones I've known and seen. Maybe it's just because of the type of lawyer he is. Looking bright surely must help the children feel like he’s not a source of pain or danger after all. We are not kids however so what really sells his friendliness is how he gives his professional greeting and slight bow with a cheerful tone and eager sparkle in his eye making their ash color look almost like hazel in the afternoon sun “Good afternoon Eraserhead, Present Mic. My name is Tsuyosuke Katsukoe. It's an honor to meet you. Please treat me well.”

“Good afternoon to you too Mr. Katsukoe. Welcome to U.A High.”

“It's a real pleasure to be here. Looks like things are rebuilding smoothly on this beautiful campus. Shall we get started on building her future then too.”

I give a slight smirk, nearly undetectable. “Yes, indeed, Nezu Kouchou Sensei set up a room for us.”

Zashi smiles as he is the only one who could’ve noticed and finishes the statement “We’ll show you around.”

“Alright, lead the way.”

A few minutes later we arrived in the empty and small spare lounge. Despite its newer seating and table the rest of the furnishings gave away the room's older nature. They were well kept and shined like new yet the details and small traces of wear and tear made it clear these were antiques. Maybe a past principal or chief groundskeeper had a sort of powerful polishing or renewal quirk to keep the cabinets and bookshelves in this shape. Nezu had said it was used in the beginning when heroes weren’t common but slowly faded in use as the school, the staff and the hero profession grew. He said the most recent use was when he and the principal before him would come here on and off to have chats and converse with the safety commission and other hero school principals on a small scale if needed. A need that came too late for the room’s size. The core staff for the big three schools wouldn’t fit if they tried. However, there was still plenty of space for the three of us to meet. Hizashi and I took the couch to the right while he set his suitcase down beside him on the left couch and took out a folder of files and a notepad before sliding his pen out from his inner breast pocket. He clicks the button on the back of the pen and now it's time for business.

He organizes the files in his hands using his lap and says “Alright before we get started on her future lets talk about your present. Are the kanji spellings of your names on these files here correct?”

He puts the files on the table facing towards us and after a quick skim we say “Yes sir.”

“Alright then, I saw you both take a quick skim. I’m assuming that means everything on here is pretty much up to date, since you updated your hero licenses last month, correct?”

He’s very observant.

“Yes sir.”

“Great. Now I understand the agreement you made when Eri-chan was rescued was to take care of her and help her learn to manage her quirk. How has that been going?”

“It's going well. She’s a fast learner and ever curious.”

“Yeah we’re all learning something new everyday. Everyday she learns, she plays, she grows more confident and we couldn’t be prouder.”

“So, there have been no problems in training even recently.”

“No major ones since the last time the safety commission came to campus. I didn’t lose my quirk nor did it get less powerful. My injury only made it a little difficult to use as often and quickly as I’m used to. Besides, she barely needs it anymore to stay in control.”

“Alright then. Can you elaborate more on how you guys are managing to take care of her?”

“Just like any other family with two working adults. We take turns and we do things together as often as we can.”

“We don’t take care of her alone either, our colleagues help teach, our students help with playtime and we all protect.”

“She is allowed to wander though right?”

Like the safety commission would do that for her. I thought but decided not to say. He might have just been trained to ask this sort of question in his times before the safety comission. Hizashi answers as I stay silent. “Of course anything on campus that is open to the students is open for her to explore. She also regularly visits the staff rooms when the little listeners are in class.”

“Has she managed to make any friends around her age since everyone was in the shelter?”

We answer at the same time “Yes.”

“That’s good and she gets to see them often?”

Another synchronous answer “Yes.”

“Great to hear.”

He turns the page of his notes and clears his throat before saying “Alright I think it's fair that I tell you some more about myself before we fully transition to talking about her future. It seems to me you still have lingering doubts on my intentions with the last few questions.”

“How can you tell?”

“Lots of practice and a natural affinity for being observant thanks to my quirk.”

“And your quirk is?”

“Persuasion. After sharing direct eye contact with someone and stating a firm belief or piece of information, I can persuade that person to believe the same thing for a small period of time. I haven’t used it at all during this conversation as I would never use it on my clients and it doesn't work when I ask normal questions anyway. Before being a child rescue lawyer for the HPSC, I’ve been the lawyer for a few foster parents and custody cases. So, I’ve been trained to ask some of the previous questions whether or not my supervisors will actually perform the right answers. Which given Eri-chan’s powerful quirk and the current state of Japan they probably won’t. That being said, the HPSC being in a weakened and frankly desperate state after the war can’t be the only reason you two are going after increased custody now can it?”

“Absolutely not.”

“What are your reasons then, and what level of custody are you hoping to achieve?”

This was an easy answer for both of us, “Full custody so that she may one day go to school, she may one day pursue whatever she wishes, and that she may continue making friends and live a life free of as much burden as possible like any other child deserves.”

Then I add “And, All Might will already have a lot on his plate when he takes over the safety commission and none of us want her to be in the middle of it given how turbulent that takeover could become.”

“I see, all noble answers but what else should I have expected. You are great pro heroes after all.”

I have the urge to test his statement,and so I say “How could you know that? Our track record as heroes might not reflect how we are outside the suits.”

“Just by your answers today and the documents regarding your son. You two are no Endeavor’s although you are certainly just as ambitious.”

“You’ve done a lot of research haven’t you.”

He smiles “It always pays to be prepared. But let's get back on track.“

We nod “Right.”

“Are there any other things you wish to do with her once you get full custody?”

“No. Other than the obvious. Like going to events as a family although you barely need proof for most family passes.”

“A better answer would be to give her all the care we can.”

“True, we can't get her a family doctor outside Recovery Girl after all with the current agreement nor can we go to places outside mainland Japan with her. Our student’s have told her about I island and she has said she wants to go someday. We’d also like to bring her other future hero events in and outside our country. Say she gets sick while we are traveling. With an edited agreement we can bring her to the hospital if needed without the struggle of proving that she’s ours.”

“We can also allow her to keep making friends, exploring hobbies and pursuing what she wants and not anything forced upon her. Given what we know about Hawks, if the safety commission were to have full custody of her now that she can actually control Rewind she would no doubt be put to work healing people in horrid situations or destroying people the HPSC doesn’t like. That gives me the jitters just thinking about it. But if she does have interest in healing beyond just learning how to control and use the basics of her quirk then we’d be able to introduce her to things slowly and with consent. Not at an unforgiving or damaging pace.”

“Alright. Quirks usually get a big burst of power that is often hard or nearly impossible to control at first upon their user reaching puberty. Do you have a plan for when that happens for Eri-chan?”

“We’ll just get her reacclimated to her enhanced healing the same way we did it in the begining so she doesn’t harm anyone by accident. We don’t know how long it took her to rewind her first dad to oblivion when she first manifested her quirk but if how strong rewind was during her rescue was any indication keeping her away from human subjects for practice would be best. If she knows the proper times to activate her quirk which she already does to an extent then doing that without hampering her ability to socialize wouldn't be much of a problem since preteens and teens with emitter quirks usually don’t forget how to turn their powers on and off. It’s just the amount of output that they have trouble controlling.”

“Are you hoping to use her quirk in any sort of way?”

“No, of course not. But if she wants to help she’s going to help. We will never ask for her help to that degree but if it's us and a dire enough situation she’ll help with no hesitation. We have taught her to ask for consent with strangers and also listen to consent no matter how she feels about the strangers' well-being but again she’ll only use Rewind in that way if she wants to help.”

“Alright then. You’ve mentioned this many times already about letting her pursue whatever she wishes but I’d like further confirmation as it’s likely to be brought up by the HPSC in their questioning against you. You will be proud of her no matter what she chooses, correct?”

“Yes, as long as she is happy and can provide for herself with what she is persuing then she can pursue whatever she wants and we’d be proud of her for it. Heroes come in all shapes and forms after all.”

“I see…”

He pauses and turns the page again. Then he smiles and says “Alright now with all the initial questions done on my end do you two have any questions before we get to the fun part of agreeing on a trajectory?”

“How deep did you go with your research prior to our meeting?”

“I read Eri-chan's records inside and out, I also read all the documents Aizawa-san and Nezu Sensei  gave me, a few other documents on your hero and community service work and most of the documents regarding your son's adoption as well. I’ve also been a fan of "Put Your Hands Up" since 2007 although I wouldn't count that for actual research because that listening has all been casual and I started listening before becoming a lawyer like my parents.”

Hizashi smiles proudly and a little playfully says, “Hey, guess you're not the only lawyer’s son who’s into my show, Shou.”

I give a smirk “Yeah I guess I was wrong. Glad I’m not the only one.”

Katsukoe smiles “I’m glad I’m not the only one either. But do you two have any other questions?”

We both answer “Yes. Are you not gonna ask any other questions regarding the war?”

“This is more about the basics of your past and present rather than the nitty gritty as well as a general icebreaker. If you were to keep me as your partner in this case all health and war related questions will be distributed amoungst our future meetings.”

We nod, saying “Fine by us.”

Before I ask “What would happen to your notes if we decided not to keep you as our partner?”

“I would pass them on to whoever will replace me and I would leave the case to them entirely per saftey commission protocol.”

We nod once again and Hizashi asks “This interview has been a little fast paced. It’s not too fast for us as we are used to press conferences and stuff but I’m assuming you're gonna need to interview Eri-chan at some point. So are there any changes between your style when you interview children compared to adults like this?”

“Of course, every client is different and I am very flexible. I do become a little less uptight per say when dealing with children in Eri’s age group but considering her records all I may need to do in terms of content is simplify the words and make sure I keep watch of my speed. According to the officers that interviewed her last time she was quite mature for her age. Anything else?”

We look at each other for a brief moment then return our gaze to Katsukoe before shaking our heads and saying “No Katsukoe-san. We’re ready to continue.”

“Sounds great.” He says before taking a breath and continuing on “Let’s get started with your trajectory. Your main angle should be based on one or more of your reasons. This angle can change as we go along as well so all reasons can be accounted for. However I’d advise against choosing an initial angle that criminalizes the HPSC directly for now. So that your jobs aren’t at risk and so they don’t get so defensive that they shut us down the minute we step in the room and don’t allow us to recover. So which angle would it be?”

“Well I think it'll be extra fitting if we start with the “letting her go to school” angle.”

“Indeed perhaps we can combine it with travel and care as well so it makes it easier to transition to other things like providing her a somewhat normal childhood, allowing her to pursue her dreams and the All Might taking over the saftey commission situation. Then we can also weave in other things if the situations or the questions asked call for it.”

“Sounds like a great plan Eraserhead, Present Mic.”

“Thank you. When can you meet us again?”

“Hmm. Does Thursday after school hours work for both of you?”

“Yes, we look forward to it.”

“As do I. But our meeting is not quite over yet. To make things official we must do one last thing...”

His voice trails off as he reaches for a folder in his briefcase and takes out a single form. He smiles as he lays it on the table and says “It’d be my greatest honor to work with you Eraserhead and  Present Mic. If you find me worthy to take on this case with you please sign below.”

We smile and sign and seal the page. After Hizashi finishes he offers his hand “Pleasure to work with you, call me Yamada-san.”

I finish shortly after and follow suit. “I look forward to a speedy and successful case with you Katsukoe-san.”

He nods and shakes our hands with a now determined smile “Same here. I won’t let you down.”

We all get up, bow slightly in farewell and walk back to the courtyard before he turns back and says “I’ll see you soon.”

“See you Thursday.”

“Oh and Katsukoe-san...”

“Yes?”

“Call me Aizawa.”

He smiles once more and says, “Will do.” before he heads back to his car and drives off into the distance. We smile as we watch him drive off. Our journey and the plan has just begun.

Eri 

Dear Diary,

Today I spent most of my time hanging out with the class but this afternoon outside Heights Alliance I saw dad and papa meeting with a somewhat short, dark red haired man in a suit. They talked for a long time. I wonder what it was about. He acted all business almost like Grandma Yui but warmer. I wonder if he’s a lawyer just like her. Maybe a different type though given how warm he looked. Whatever dad and papa may be planning with this man I know it’ll be great and I hope it’ll be a speedy success. They still have a lot on their plate even though the war was only 3 months ago... They deserve success in whatever they put their minds to. I hope I can help them sometime soon… Well, time flies when I’m having fun and it's getting late now so I should get to bed.

Goodnight Diary,

Eri

Thursday

I was playing hide and seek with the class, Kouchan and Satsu-chan when I truly met him for the first time. The mystery man that met with dad and papa on Monday. He had come again in a blue suit, white dress shirt, olive striped tie not too dark but not too light either, gray pants and brassy brown colored dress shoes that went well with his dark hair which on closer inspection was more smoky at the tips and a mixture of dark reds and browns instead of just dark red like I had once thought. He was still a little short though compared to dad and papa, maybe somewhere between Toshi and Tenya but it was a little hard to tell without them being right next to him. His hair was curly and windswept but not at all unkempt, his eyes were a curious and observant faded ashy green and he had no mustache or stubble to speak of on his fair foxy face. On face value his voice came closer in range to Toshi’s voice than dad’s. Like if Toshi put on his persona chords and cranked up the base just a tiny bit as well as made his voice less gravelly and monotone and much clearer instead. But even with his youthful appearance and surface sound his voice still had an older quality then both my heroes. The man spoke with lots of certainty and a touch of persuasive and contagious eagerness. It looked like they all just finished up something together. 

I look around in search of my target, Toshi quietly. With no sign of him I briefly consider leaving outright but my curiosity weighs in just in time and drives me forward. Soon enough after coming closer Papa notices my footsteps and fully welcomes me over. “Oh, Hey princess whatcha up to?”

“Trying to find Toshi. We’re playing hide and seek with everyone and he’s one of the last targets.”

“I see… Do you mind stopping by for a minute? We want you to meet someone.”

“Not at all, papa…” I say happily before quickly going to his side and asking “Who is this?”

The mystery man answers kindly and happily “My name is Mr. Katsukoe and I work for the safety commission. You must be Eri-chan. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too Mr.Katsukoe. But if you're here does that mean dad and papa are in trouble?”

Dad answers with quick assurances “Oh no, we aren’t in trouble sweetheart. Mr. Katsukoe is just helping us out with something.”

“Oh. Is it something for me or is it something else?”

They exchange glances briefly before Mr. Katsukoe says “It’s a surprise.”

“Awesome. I can’t wait to see it happen then. Thank you for helping dad and papa Mr. Katsukoe.”

“It’s no problem at all, Eri-chan.” He says, offering to shake my hand. I gladly did so before saying “Alright, I should get going now.” I look at dad and papa and ask “Any ideas for where I can look for Toshi?”

“Did you check the library?”

“Yes I found Tenya-kun there but not Toshi.”

“What about Gym Gamma?”

“No luck there. It's not like him to hide where we started the game.”

“True. Why don’t you check the part of Campus Forest where we train.”

“That’s a great idea. I found Kouchan on the outskirts and figured he’d be farther away from the others. I’ll go check again.”

“Alright then. Watch your step while you're trekking through there. Don’t want you to trip.”

“And don’t forget to have fun.”

I nod and say “Gotcha. See you all later.”

They smile back saying, “See you later Eri-chan.”  before I head off back to the game of hide and seek with the feeling of curiosity and excitement still surging through me. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Hitoshi Monday

“Hey Toshi, tell me something about you.” She said casually as she and I lay together on my bed. On a normal rainy Monday at the end of a weekend summer storm that was still fierce enough to close classes for the day and force us to stay home with the internet down. She had started saying this to me periodically since mid-January in an attempt to get to know me better. Perhaps she could feel back then that I’d be adopted by our two number one heroes soon after and wanted to know about me so that we could make it easier for our guardians, in all but official names, to take care of us. But since that was a fairly long time ago, it’s become more of an endearing game than a simple icebreaker.

I smile, responding back playfully with “Ok starlight. What’s left for you to know? Hmmm I feel like we’ve covered everything.”

“Nah uh I bet there’s still something here that I don’t know the origin of.”

“Oh really, like what?”

She kneels on my bed now scanning my room. Until she points to a very special frame. “What about that? It looks important like Mirio-kun’s graduation certificate but you’re not a third year.”

My heart drops and my brain starts to spiral. What should I say? I don’t want to give the big surprise away. I can’t lie she deserves truth and nothing less. But I can't completely explain that frame either because it might spoil her big surprise. Hmmm what would dad do? Start off small and then build right. Yeah I’ll try that.

A little awkwardly I replied “Well, um it is very important and it is a certificate just not for graduation.”

“What is it for then?” She asks pure curiosity undeterred. 

“It’s the certificate for the thing I'm proudest of. A certificate that tells the world I’m part of Dad and Pop’s family and if others have a problem with that, it’s already set in stone.”

“Wow, a certificate can do all that?”

“Yes. It can.”

She turns pensive “Hey Toshi.”

“Yes starlight.”

“Don’t tell dad and papa but people still raise their eyebrows at me and them when I call them those names. Sometimes I don’t care, sometimes it makes me angry or sad. But sometimes even more than the others it makes me confused. I’m only calling them what they are but people act like that's wrong. Do you think I’ll get a certificate someday that’ll make those names set in stone? One that tells the world they are my dad and papa and there’s nothing others can do about it.”

Out of instinct I replied “Yes Eri, I’m certain you’ll get it one day.”

“Really?”

“Yes and that day will be the one of the happiest days of my life.”

"Why’s that Toshi?”

“Because that certificate, starlight, will also make you my little sister and what an honor it’d be for me to be called a big brother by someone like you.”

“This sounds so amazing. What’s this certifcate called?”

“It's my adoption certificate.”

“An adoption certificate huh. I can’t wait to get one.”

“I can’t wait either but don’t go around asking for it okay. They already love you so much that they call you nicknames meant for a daughter. It's only a matter of time that they fill one out for you and set it in stone.”

“We’ll help with their other duties then so they can do it quicker. Right?”

“Right.” I said with a firm nod. As the rain continued to slowly dwindle and fall I felt immense joy and relief as I avoided a close call and shared yet another precious thing with a very precious person. Soon after we decided to play another game and as it began there was only one thought left in my mind. I love the rain. Thank you for giving me another reason to love it even more. I can’t wait to share with my sister a new dawn when the clouds drift away and the beautiful flowers covered in shiny diamond dew stretch up towards the sun like the storm never happened. I’m so glad a bright future is fast approaching.

Eri a week later

Despite it being only a week since dad and papa have been going out after school in the late evening. I’ve become used to them coming home tired and either sad or disappointed in those dark suits. But tonight was the worst I’d ever seen. I was supposed to be asleep, and I was for a time but in between dreams, I heard their voices, low but clearly upset. Something I couldn't ignore despite the soothing melodies playing on my bedside music player.

“I still can’t believe they expect us to not fight when they say stuff like that behind our backs.”

“They’re trying to get us to slip up and those old guard employees are too bitter about the current state of things and stuck in the past that they can’t help but put us down. I know what they say isn’t true but it still hurts Zashi and I know it hurts us even more when we fail to defend ourselves and get even an inch closer to seeing eye to eye with them. But still, we just have to keep going...”

“I hear ya, but it feels like we're running on a treadmill here, Shou. We’re running in the same direction giving those jerks every proof imaginable over and over, and yet we're not moving anywhere at all. Makes me wonder if we set our ambitions too hastily...”

“No, we have to reach for it now, for her sake. The HPSC must not succeed.”

Curiosity guides me closer as I say “Why is the safety commission hurting you over me?.. Don’t you work for them? Didn’t Mikizumi-san tell them you’d take care of me?..”

“Eri sweetheart you’re up. Sorry, did we wake you?”

“Er, not exactly… I was in between dreams and heard you guys talking like you were upset about something so I came out to see what was wrong.”

“The people we’ve been meeting with at the safety commission are just being very difficult, princess...”

“Oh, so are you guys fighting?”

“It’s more a big verbal disagreement than a physical fight but I guess you're not too far off…”

“But why? You're doing an amazing job taking care of me like Mikizumi-san told them you would and my quirk and my control is still getting stronger every day…”

“Sweetheart, it's been a while since you have met the officers so most of the employees don’t have the full picture of how we’re doing. There are also still certain things we can’t do for you normally because of the agreement we made with them when you were rescued. We’re just trying to make that first agreement better and they're being very stubborn about it…”

“Oh. Alright… Wait a minute if your plan to make that agreement better fails what would that mean? Would I… be taken away from you?”

Their answer comes much quicker this time. “Oh no they can’t do that dear.”

Then dad adds “They can’t take you away from us for good but we’d probably be seeing you a lot less often if the agreement wasn’t written the way it was and Kouchou wasn’t on our side…”

“Mmm… but then if you're having so much trouble now even with Katsukoe-san’s help, why not wait for Mightossan to take over the Safety Commission? He’d give you whatever you want.”

“The crossfire of that takeover is not something any of us want you in the middle of. Even if All Might succeeds he’ll have a lot on his plate sweetheart...”

“Mmm ok… is there anything I can do to help?”

They smile and chuckle a little as they ruffle my hair, “Just keep being yourself dear and we’ll be just fine…”

Finally with my curiosity satisfied my drowsiness starts fully catching up with me again as I say “Okie *yawn* Dokey Daddy, Papa… I’ll do my best.”

They both nod and Papa proudly says “You’re already a natural, Princess.”

“Am I really?”

Papa nods as Dad answers “Yes indeed… but it’s getting late now. I think it's time we get you back to bed...”

Papa nods once again “Yeah, I think it's time we all get to bed, Shou…”

“Mmm… can’t argue with that...” Dad said as he half stifled a sighing yawn and finally stood up out of his chair and stretched before picking me up and cradling me to his side. Like he always does. Positioning me so that I could rest my head on his shoulder. I melt into his shoulder easily, lightly nuzzling his stubble as he smiles and carries me back to my room. Papa boops my nose upon arrival asking me what tunes I’d like to hear before taking the reins and setting me down on my bed with his favorite forehead kisses. Once I’m all tucked in dad follows his lead and then the two of them say synchronously.

“Oyasuminasai Eri, princess.”

“Oyasuminasai Eri, sweetheart.”

I nuzzle the pillow as I nod and with a bigger yawn to my voice and a soft but wide smile say “Oyasumi *yawn* nasai papa, daddy. Even if after all this you don’t succeed and I can’t call you my dad and my papa anymore… you’ll always be… my number one heroes. Sweet dreams... ”

As I drifted off to sleep, and saw their soft, determined smiles full of love slowly grow wider. I knew I had nothing to worry about and that whatever their plan was, no matter how long it took to complete, it would be an amazing, wonderful success. I can’t wait for the future.

Shouta

Determination blazes inside me as Hizashi and I slowly back away and watch her peacefully drift back to dreamland. Upon finally leaving the room a single look is all we need to share to know that there is no way either of us are backing down. Come dawn our interviews will continue, party preparations will continue, our plans will continue on their path and love and joy will fuel it all. For now though we too must head to dreamland. Together like always. I’m so glad I can face the future alongside you and chase a dream once again. I swear, on the bindings that make me a hero and the red string the Kami weave, that she will never fear calling us by those names and they will forever be an honor.

Chapter Text

Eri

On this crisp early September day I walk down the now familiar halls of U.A. with Dad and Papa right by my side. I’m dressed in the same dress I wore to the culture festival and Papa braided my hair into a small bun like the hairdo I wore for their special day. Papa is half way in his hero outfit wearing his jacket unzipped and without the armor pads or his speaker. Underneath is a white dress shirt and he’s wearing dress pants instead of leather ones. He has his hair up in a bun too, something that he’s been wearing more often. Dad has his hero boots and his capture scarf on but instead of his jumpsuit it’s just a normal business suit he’s wearing. He doesn’t wear his hair any particularly special way but like Papa wears his ring proudly alongside a fancy watch. We are all somewhat dressed up today because we're on a mission, a very important one in fact. Mr. Katsukoe from the hero commission has come to the U.A campus with an assistant of his and while the assistant helps Dad and Papa with getting some paperwork in order Mr. Katsukoe will interview me alone. I’m not nervous er… scratch that maybe a little nervous. But I’m more excited than anything we’ve been practicing for this after all and I can’t wait to tell them how much fun I’ve had here since they visited last despite the rocky moments. As we come closer to the meeting place dad asks “Alright sweetheart do you remember what we said about answering Mr. Katsukoe’s questions?” He’s using a softer version of his sensei voice, the one he uses during our quirk training. I nod and cheerfully say “ Yep. Answer honestly, confidently and in the best way that I can.”

He smiles softly “Right.”

Papa continues “And if you're not sure what he means in any way. Or if the questions make you uncomfortable?”

“Ask for help or call for Hound Doggy.”

“Great job princess. Hound Dog will be right outside the door. Don’t be afraid to call him he will be able to hear you. And don’t be afraid to ask Mr. Katsukoe to repeat himself or stop either. Okay?”

“Okie dokey.”

He smiles widely and proclaims “You’re gonna do wonderful!”

I slow down my stride a little “You really think so?”

They chorus “We know so.”

I smile and we continue onward. Once we’re even closer to the door we stop and Dad says “Even though it might be scary to be asked some of these things all we want is for you to try your best alright?”

I nod “Okay.”

Papa then adds “Just remember we’ll be right outside waiting for you when you’re all done.”

I nod but then look at the door and then back at them before hesitantly asking  “You promise?”

They look to each other, smile slightly towards me and kneel down to lock together our pinkies. They both use their ring hands. They gently chorus “Of course, we promise Eri…” reassuringly patting my head before standing up again to greet Mr. Katsukoe at the door. He smiles with warm professionalism at the two of them as he says hello and introduces them to his assistant before then bending down to warmly and still somewhat professionally greet me. Giving a tiny little wave hello as he says “Hello there Eri-chan you look really nice. How are you today?”

“Hi Mr. Katsukoe. Thank you, I'm doing great. How about you?”

“Wonderful. Are you ready for your interview?”

I nod “Mhm. I’m still a little nervous to be honest but I’m more excited than anything to tell you about what I’ve learned and all the fun we’ve been having.”

“Oh I see. There’s no need to be nervous. Even though this is important I want you to know something I'm excited to hear from you too Eri-chan.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Cool. I can’t wait to share with you then.”

He smiles “That’s good to hear. Since I have lots of questions for you and I’m sure everyone of us here wants you to do your best on each and every one of them, this might end up taking a while. Is there anything you wish to do or to ask me before we get started?”
I thought for a bit before asking “Mr. Katsukoe, how many difficult questions will there be?”

“Hmm I hope only a few but the difficulty is for you to gauge. You're the one who’s answering them after all. I won’t pry or press you for anything so feel free to ask to skip any of them.”

“Alright… I’ll try my best no matter what but I’m still a little curious. How bad will it be if I skip a ton of your questions?”

“Well it depends on the questions you skip but neither your words or your silence will or should be used against you. The hero safety commission knows how hard some of these can be to answer especially for someone so young. Kami knows it's hard to ask them too. But the more you answer the better our records will be and the better we can accommodate your needs in the future.”

I nod feeling something familiar in his use of one of Dad’s favorite words and then say “Ok so I’ll answer as much as I can...” 

Before asking “ Forgive me for asking something like this but if I were to call Hound Doggy during our interview how much trouble would you be in? I know you're only doing your job and you are very nice but I’d hate for you to get in trouble if I feel uncomfortable and can’t answer you.”

His smile turns into a mix of thankfulness and understanding. “If you feel uncomfortable I’ll skip those questions right away Eri-chan so there’s no need to worry about any of us getting in trouble. Just be honest and everything will be alright. Ok?”

“Ok.  Mr. Katsukoe can I ask you questions too during our interview? You are very nice to talk to.”

He chuckles “I’m glad you think that of me Eri-chan. Yes you can ask me anything as long as it’s related to my original question in some way. Doing anything that makes it easier for you to answer me and feel comfortable is something I encourage during our time together. As long as it doesn’t bring someone else into the conversation it is allowed. I want your honest opinion and that's all.”

I nod then a little hesitantly say “Dad, Papa and I have prepped for lots of things so I know what some of these questions might be about and I do agree that what they are about are difficult things but do you really think I can answer them without Dad or Papa with me? I really want to answer everything you give me so that my future can be easy and bright for everyone.”

“That’s very sweet of you Eri-chan but it’s clear to me you’ve grown so much from what I heard about you from the other Commission officers who saw you last. So I have faith you can do it and I’m sure everyone else does too. There are no right or wrong answers and I’ll say again nothing will or should be used against you. So all I ask is that you answer honestly…” he pauses for a bit and offers his hand before asking “Is there anything else you wish to ask or do before we go, Eri-chan?”

I almost shake my head and take his hand but then glance to the big doors and turn around to hug dad and papa’s legs one more time. 

“I’ll see you again soon right?”

They smile and pat my head reassuringly before synchronously replying “Yeah we’ll see you soon dear. You’re going to do great.” I nod and reveled in the touch briefly before withdrawing, smiling confidently back at them and then waving goodbye with one hand as I took Mr. Katsukoe’s with the other. They do little waves back smiling before we go our separate ways and the mission truly begins.

We match each other's strides as we enter the room, our chairs waiting for us by a big desk. Mr. Katsukoe turns to me and asks  “Do you want me to lower the chair for you so you can get on?”

I shake my head “No, I'm fine. I've sat on many of these chairs in their offices before and climbed on all of them all by myself. Thank you for offering though Mr. Katsukoe.”

“No problem. Take your time getting on. I need to prep some more myself after all and we wouldn’t want you to bump your head on something would we?”

I give a small chuckle and nod “No sir we wouldn’t. I’ll be careful.”

“Good.”

He takes his seat and shuffles through the pages in his little folder before taking a few of them out, setting the folder aside, taking out a pen from his pocket and restacking the papers in his hands. I carefully hop on to my own chair as he finishes restacking and I smile at him. He smiles back and says “Alright then are you ready to get started Eri-chan?”

“Yep I’m ready.”

“Ok I’m going to start off by simply confirming a few small things and making sure all the files they gave me are correct. Please stop and correct me if anything I’m about to say seems out of place.”

“Got it.”

“Alright. Your name here is listed as Eri, your birthday is listed as 12/21/2010 and your quirk is listed as Rewind. Everything correct so far?”

“Yes sir.”

“Great. Do you know what quirk types are?”

“I think so. I know dad and papa both have emitter types and Tsu-chan, one of Dad’s students has a mutant type quirk that allows her to do whatever a frog can. There's also Suneater Tamaki-kun and Lemillion Mirio-kun. They’re rookie heroes now but when they were still here they told me their quirks are called transformation types. Tamaki-kun’s quirk allows him to turn into anything he eats and Mirio-kun can phase through things and then pop back out like a jack-in-the-box whenever he wants.”

“Oh Suneater and Lemillion they were both part of your rescue right? They've been doing very well so far I’d say.”

“Yeah they're the best rookie heroes in the world.” 

He nods “Yeah they are. Those were some powerful quirks you mentioned but there's one other type that's missing from your list. It’s like an extra type that’s super rare and can be combined with any of the others. It’s called the accumulation type and that means you have to store some sort of energy or thing in order to use your quirk.”

“So like Fat Gum-san?”

“Exactly and like you as well. Your quirk rewind is listed here as an emitter and accumulation type quirk and you store the energy you use in your horn correct?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s growing back nicely it seems.”

“Thank you, I’m glad you think so.  Recovery Girl says it's already past the height it was when I first arrived here, it seems to grow whenever I do and sometimes when I grow a lot it tingles when it gets bigger. But I’m not afraid of that anymore. I have more control over my power now thanks to Dad and Papa and all their students too.”

“That’s great to hear Eri-chan. It says here your quirk allows you to turn any living thing you touch back into a previous state. Does that sound correct?”

“Yep spot on.”

“Great… Almost done confirming what I need to, can you confirm to me that the kanji spelling of your name is correct Eri-chan?” He turns the file towards me and points to the top of the page. 

I nod and say “Yes those Kanji are correct.”

“Good that's all the confirmation I needed now it’s time to get to the bigger questions. Are you ready?”

“Mhm of course.”

He clicks his pen and says with a smile “Great, first I noticed you’ve been calling Aizawa-san and Yamada-san Dad and Papa. Why do you call them that?”

“I’m just calling them what they are. I mean they protect me, teach me, care for me, play with me and give me nice clothes and plenty of food like all the other good fathers in the books and movies I’ve read and seen. Aren’t these things something they are supposed to do?”

He writes something on the page before answering me and asking another question “Yes that is correct Eri-chan they are supposed to do those things. Why not call them both dad though?”

“Because if I only wanted one of them at any one moment then how would they know which one was which? As long as they like the names I call them I’ll still call them my Dad and my Papa.”

He scribbles some more on the page and nods “I see. How long have you been calling them that?”

I pause to count it out in my head  “Hmm, I think since late November last year.”

He scribbles once more as he replies “Wow, that's a long time. Isn’t that also when you started quirk training?”

“Yes.”

“How is it going now?”

“Wonderful! I have lots of fun training with dad and Mightossan and sometimes even Recovery Girl I call her my Ubanasu. Thanks to them I can not only just rewind apples but all sorts of fruits and veggies, some plants and even a few simple injuries. One of the first apples I rewound is in Dad and Papa’s backyard. It grew into a super large tree this July and we carved our initials into it. There’s a swing and a bird feeder and a little nook for reading under the tree now. I can’t wait to harvest the apples in October and share tons of candy apples with everyone for the culture festival and Halloween.”

He scribbles on the page again as he says “That’s amazing. Can you give me a few examples of how you learned how to control your quirk?”

I nodded. “Mhm. Dad told me about this thing with steps. He told me to imagine a big red grown-up apple sitting by the top of the steps to Heights Alliance. Then to imagine its seed all the way down at the first step and below that is when it’s no longer an apple or a seed. We started off by trying to consistently jump from that near top step to the bottom step and then we went for smaller leaps.”

Mr. Katsukoe turns curious “Smaller, what do you mean?”

“Did you know that before apples become grown up they become flowers first? That’s what I mean. So the flower step would be in between the first step and the near top step.”

Realization flashes on his face as he continues writing his notes “Ah I see… what if the apple started off rotten what step would that be on?”

“Oh, that would be at the very top of the steps, a big leap. It took me a long time to be able to rewind rotten fruits properly. They weren’t too rotten but still unsafe to eat. I remember getting frustrated once trying to rewind a rotten pear back to where I could eat it for a snack. I guess it was a little farther up the rotten steps than I thought and I was holding it a little tightly so when I activated my quirk excited to eat the pear once I was successful it ended up exploding in my hands instead. I started doubting myself a ton and told Dad that I knew the kanji in my name meant destruction and logic and still thought that it meant that my quirk was built to harm things not save them like he does. Dad told me that my quirk destroys logic because of how great and miraculous it is in my hands not because of how it could harm things in the hands of others but when that didn’t work he told me there were other kanji that spelled my name and showed two of them to me. I loved them so much that we called them my secret name.”

Mr. Katsukoe becomes intrigued again asking “Really what kanji were they?”

“I’m not sure exactly how to describe them with words. Can you please lend me a scrap of paper so I can show them instead.”

He nods and says “Of course.” before looking through the drawers and finding me an index card. “Would this work?” he asks as he hands me the card.

I nod “Yep it does. Thank you.”

“No problem Eri-chan.” He said smiling. I smiled back and proceeded to write the kanji in big strokes across the card.

恵梨

Once I finished I turned the card towards him and pointed to the kanji. Then I said “It reads blessing and pear tree. Dad told me my quirk is a blessing like a pear tree, something that doesn’t destroy but heals and restores things…” 

I drifted off a little and took a glance toward his name tag before then asking “If you don’t mind me asking how did you get your name Mr. Katsukoe? Doesn’t Tsuyosuke mean strong helper and Katsukoe mean winning voice?”

He looks surprised for a second before realizing “Oh you must be talking about the kanji on my nametag. They do mean those things. How did you know?”

“One of Dad and Papa’s friends has a son who is younger than me with Tsuyo in his name. I met him at Dad and Papa’s wedding. He can create lots of cool things out of thin air with his quirk and so he said that’s why his parents gave him the kanji for strong in his name. I also knew the kanji for help before I came here. Finally there’s a student named Kacchan in dad’s class who loves to win and Papa is the voice hero Present Mic. So that’s how I know the meaning of your name. How did you get it?”

“I see… Well, I got my name because my quirk revolves around my voice allowing me to persuade people to think certain things and my parents wanted me to use that to help those people. So they wanted me to be strong in order to help them.”

“That’s nice. You’re just like papa then he said he got his first name for a similar reason.”

His expression turns touched as he says “Oh really. I’m glad you find us similar. He’s an amazing hero. It's astounding how someone with such a seemingly simple quirk can do all the things he does. I wanted to be a hero too when I was younger but I guess I kinda took that heroic spirit and put it to work in a safer way. I don’t think I’d ever have the courage to do half the things the heroes do. But because they do them and I know no one can possibly do everything the world has to offer I am thankful for them and happy to help people in other ways…”

A bit of silence came between us, it made the room feel cooler but still friendly. I let it sit as I thought about what he said and then after a bit replied softly “Mhm, I’m thankful too… but I think you're plenty courageous. You said yourself it’s hard to ask people some of the things you've had to ask. If that doesn’t make you a hero, Tsuyosuke-san, I don't know what does.”

He nods and smiles softly bringing the warmth back to the situation as he says “Well if that’s the case I guess I’m a hero by a different name then. One that starts with L instead of H and involves lots of paperwork and soothing nervous clients.”

I give a small laugh with how the warmth he brought successfully brightened things back up “Yeah. Anyone can be a hero, that's what Mightossan and Deku-kun say.”

“Yeah, they’re absolutely right, Eri-chan...” He trails off again to switch papers and he clears his throat gently before saying “You mentioned being able to rewind simple injuries a couple of minutes ago. How did you train for that?”

“It’s another thing dad taught me when we were first beginning our training. He’d give me the grown up version of the fruit and then hold the seed in his own hand wide open so I could see it and visualize the grown up fruit turning into the seed. The first apple seed I ever did is hanging in the living room back at the house actually because it was December when I did that and so it was a bad time to replant it. For the injuries though, if I know what the person looked like before they got it then I can just visualize that and the rewind stops right when the body reaches that point.”

“That’s really cool but how do you think you managed to bring back Lemillion’s quirk then? Quirks are not always as easy to see as say a bruise or bump.”

“I’m still not really sure actually but I think what did the trick was remembering how he used it to save me so many times and then imagining him doing similar moves again to have fun and stuff.”

“I see… The report here says that you had the hero Ectoplasm help you cut off your horn during the war and according to the hero’s that horn did an astounding job healing the extreme injuries the hero in training Deku faced in his battle against Shigaraki. With how fast and well your training is progressing now and with your horn growing back as wonderfully as it is, are you hopeful to be able to properly rewind similar injuries with your own hands in the future if they ever do happen?”

“Yes I am but I’m sure I’ll have to grow a lot more to get there. Even though I can control my power better now, they still keep me away from some of the bigger injuries the students and other people at the shelter face and sometimes I don’t like that in the moment. But afterward when the student or the person is all ok and describes what they felt to me I realize how strong they are and how strong Recovery Girl still is and know that it’s not because they don’t believe that I could do it that they keep me away but because they don’t want me to worry or blame myself if things do go wrong. So I’m happy to take my time with it.”

“I see… Have you ever thought of being able to rewind Aizawa-san back to where his eyes worked and his leg was still there?”

“Oh yes plenty… But he likes his robot leg, I think it’s cool, his other eye still works fine enough that I feel safe using my quirk when he’s around or near and even when he isn’t. He also says those areas don’t hurt anymore and that his eyepatch might become optional to wear soon too. I guess I still don’t like the fact that he had to get these things in the first place but it was the rational thing to do to keep us all safe and I wouldn’t want to change anything about him for the world. It’s proof he survived and if he’s happy right now, that’s all that matters to me.”

“I’m glad he likes his leg and that you like that he’s happy. Do their jobs as heroes scare or worry you?”

I turn pensive before saying “A little… but they have each other, their students and the other heroes watching their backs and standing with them side by side. Whenever I get scared of what can happen I just think of that and all the other happy things we can do when the bad stuff is over and the fear washes away.”

His smile is warm and inviting as he asks “What are some of the happy things you guys do together Eri-Chan?”

I light up again “Oh there are so many things we do that it's hard to list them all or choose favorites but I can think of a few things. Dad and I love to play cat's cradle together and Toshi joins in too sometimes. I love singing karaoke with the class and Papa and doing arts and crafts with them as well. My favorite is origami. They say I’m really good at both of them. I love having sleepovers at the student dorms making pillow forts with the boys and having makeovers with the girls. I like exploring campus and walking around with dad and papa, Watching them train at Gym Gamma. hanging out in the lunchroom and playing in the nursery with everybody. We do plenty of movie and game nights too, it's all really fun.”

“That’s good to hear. It sounds like you feel very safe here, is that true?”

“Yes of course. Even though the heroes aren’t perfect and the barrier isn’t either when they work together they are all still very strong. The villains still haven’t all been captured and so the war isn’t truly over yet is it? That does worry and scare me sometimes but as long as that barrier is up and this school still gives me a roof and floor over my head and beneath my feet. I know and feel that I’m safe.”

“That’s a great feeling to have Eri-chan. Do you ever feel trapped inside the barrier since you're here so often?”

I answer with certainty “No, never, trapping people is something villains do and they're not villains. This is not a trap or a dark maze like where they rescued me from. It’s bright and much more open. I've been to many places outside of U.A already even if a lot of fun things are still closed because of all the rubble and the villains walking around. I can’t wait to see more with everyone.”

“That’s great that you have so much curiosity about the world. Keep that close to you no matter what happens ok.”

“Ok I will.”

“Good…” he trails off again to switch papers and upon seeing the first question he takes a deep breath before continuing on “Even though you said you felt the war isn’t truly over yet. The villain who caused it is now thankfully defeated... What are your feelings on the war’s events? How are you dealing with the aftermath?”

I squirm a little and turn pensive thinking about all the moments of tired and battered heroes I witnessed. I flash through memories like how they determinedly walked by despite their fatigue and strive not stopping to rest because they still had work to do, myself and others crying on shoulders of loved ones still here holding them as close as we possibly could, the feeling in the underground shelter of everyone holding their breath, deciding with tears in my eyes to do the rational thing, dad’s and papa’s reactions to my cut horn, being anxious in the hospital ready to hug every single hero that I could to make their pain go away, all the rubble still in the streets and the realization they still had lots of work to do. 

Mr. Katsukoe snaps me out of my deep spiraling thoughts with the simple soft words “Do you want to skip this one?”

I silently shook my head and said softly “This is a tough one Tsuyosuke-san but I still want to answer. We’ve come this far after all.”

He nods “Alright take your time and think long and hard.”

I nod back and slowly loosen myself up, take a few deep breaths and then slowly answer “It’s really hard and sad to think about all the pain they faced fighting for this moment where… All for One has been defeated. It’s also really hard and sad to think about the scars that still remain that may never be healed. It’s very hard to think about the villains in the cells escaping again… but also how some of them might just be there because they had one very terrible day that the heroes couldn’t save them from. I wonder sometimes what a few of their families might be thinking and hope that they somehow can make up and forgive each other. One of dad’s student’s is part of a family like that and I think he’s super strong because of it… I also know a lot of the villains did many horrible things that they thought of in their own heads and not because they were trapped or taken away and controlled somehow. Those ones scare me the most… All of them make it clear that there is still so much work to do and I don’t like how it still keeps all the heroes up at night even when we’ve won and the villains are unable to do a thing. Finally, it makes me very sad to think about all the things that might never be the same and all the people and things we’ve lost to get here…” 

I take another deep breath and clench at my skirt but my voice still ends up breaking a little bit and small sniffles make their way into my words when I continue “I… still wish I could've thanked Crust-san in person for saving Dad from that crumbling hospital. I don’t even know how either of us would be doing if he hadn’t done that and *sniffle* I think that might be the only thing I never wanna learn.  I wish class 1-A weren’t the ones who found Midnight-san's visor all crumpled and dirty on that mountain. I really wish that visor never ended up like that in the first place without its wearer… I wish *sniffle* She made it to her birthday even if I loved surprising Papa with a party for her and Papa did an amazing job organizing us and putting on a show for Put Your Hands Up Radio that day. I wish I could’ve danced with her at Dad and Papa’s wedding and even if I only knew her for a few months I… I still miss her just as much as everyone else who knows her.” 

My own determination started creeping in with those last few words and that alongside his understanding face and patiently attentive listening cleared away any remnants of sniffling in my voice as I finished my answer. “It hurt very bad when I first found out. But it doesn’t hurt as much anymore… because I know where she is and that she’s watching over all of us wanting us to do our best, to be happy and to be safe. Of course I really really really wish we were able to do more together… but when I remember her and the things we did in that small time I focus on how good it was and it makes me feel so much better because I’m so glad I knew someone like her and that those good fun things we did still happened. They've always stayed by my side through it all and for that I’m very thankful. Sometimes all of us feel sad that she’s not here beside us but when we remember together it somehow makes it so much easier to pull each other out of it and continue on. I love remembering her with everyone and telling her all about my day at the altar in Dad and Papa’s living room...”

He nods solemnly before smiling in understanding and gently offering a tissue. I slightly smile in silent thanks before slowly unclenching one hand from my skirt and taking it. Once I finish blowing and throw the tissue away in the wastebasket under the desk, I softly say “Thank you for the hanky and for listening, Tsuyosuke-san… I’ve talked about things like this before but never with someone like you. I know you said you wanted me to be honest but I said a lot just now didn’t I?” 

He nods again “No worries Eri-chan. You did say a lot and I admit you surprised me with it too but you answered wonderfully and I’m very glad you decided to do so.”

“Of course… Don’t you remember that I said I wanted to answer as many questions as I could so that my future could be easy and bright for everyone? I’m learning something secret from Dad and Papa, I’m not even sure they’re aware they’re teaching it. But it’s a trait they definitely have and it’s someone I always wanna be… I wanna be someone who always keeps their word.”

Thankfulness and understanding shines clearly on his face as he says “Yes I remember… You've certainly kept your word wonderfully, you’ve been amazing answering all my questions so far Eri-chan. Forgive me for asking this one as well but… Where do you think Midnight-san is?”

I slowly and fully unclench my skirt before softly asking “Does it matter how I answer?”

“No, you can answer however you like.”

I nod and then slowly silently point with both hands. One hand points upward the other towards the left side of my chest. Mr. Katsukoe nods before I say “and there’s one more place… up here.” I say pointing to my forehead.

“I see… She’s in a lot of places huh?”

“Mhm...”

“Do you think that’s a good thing?”

“Well, I guess it makes it feel like she never left sometimes which also means I’m never alone since my heart and mind go everywhere I do and the sky is also always above and around us… I think not being alone is definitely a good thing.”

“Yes it is. Do you ever feel alone here at U.A?”

I shake my head, my tone brightening a little as I reply “Never. I’m so glad and thankful that I have so many friends here.”

“How many of them are around your age?”

“Only two that I see often. Kouchan and Satsu-chan. It feels kinda weird they’re so close to my age when they too taught me many things but we all get along and have lots of fun.”

“That's good to hear Eri-chan, how did you meet those friends?”

“Tsu-chan is Satsu-chan’s older sister and Kouchan has not only been saved by Deku-kun like me but his aunt is a member of the Wild Wild Pussycats so we kinda just met each other because our heroes know and are friends with each other.”

“Mmm. Do you like the idea of making friends with kids your age who aren’t connected to the heroes you know?”

“Of course. I’d love to, once things calm down some more.”

“Alright. I’ve been told that teaching you to control your quirk isn’t the only thing the U.A staff are teaching you. How have your academic lessons gone so far?”

“Amazing, they make it so fun to learn new things. They say I’m a fast learner too.”

“That’s great. Do you like the idea of going to your own school someday?”

“Yes, even though it might be scary at first to meet all those new people.”

“I see. You said you feel safe at U.A but you also mentioned several times throughout our time together that you’ve been to Aizawa-san and Yamada-san’s house. Do you feel safe there too?”

“Oh yes, definitely. I love watching cartoons from the kitchen and in the living room on their comfy couch, playing in the backyard, playing board games and video games in the living room with Toshi and playing with their cats Sushi, Boo and Toffee throughout the house. Music is almost always on and I love singing along. Papa’s cooking is amazing. I love waking up to breakfast everyday and going to bed with a full tummy, lots of kisses and hugs and either a movie or a lullaby playlist every night. My bedroom at their house is sandwiched between their room close to the front door and Toshi’s room close to the back door. It makes me feel like I’m always protected.”

“That’s amazing to hear Eri-chan…” he once again drifts off as he switches papers. Then clears his throat one more time and asks “If you can, can you describe how your life now compares to your life before the heroes rescued you.”

I pause for a moment thoughtful before saying “It doesn’t compare. It’s so much better here that I can’t imagine ever going back, or being forced to do so. I feel loved here and protected, not forgotten or controlled or poked or prodded. I still feel watched over but it's a kinder caring type of watching not a creepy and scary type of watching. I’m never forced to do anything or say anything or be anything all they want me to do is be myself and learn and have fun. Back before they rescued me I was scared of what was within and the world outside was even more scary but it was my only way out so I ran away many times. I don’t want to ever have to run away from here and I don’t think I ever will. I… still have a few of my scars from the punishments Overhaul gave me for running away. I don’t mind how they look anymore though because they are proof I survived so I like wearing short sleeves in the summer and not having to wrap bandages all over my arms and legs. I know they’d never hurt me like Overhaul did or let me get hurt in that way either. I didn’t know how to smile back then but look at me now. Now I know how to smile and do many other things too like laugh, ask for help, and cry properly.”

“I’m glad you can do all those things now, Eri-chan. They’ve taught you and cared for you very well so far. We’re almost done here just a few more questions. Have you encountered anything at home that made you doubt or feel insecure about Aizawa-san or Yamada-san’s abilities to take care of you?”

I hesitate slightly “Umm, back last November I saw Daddy at his worst without it being because of a villain. But even if the way he was slumped over Papa’s shoulder and the fact that he couldn’t see me scared me at the time it didn’t make me doubt he could take care of me. His hands didn’t hurt me at all at that time nor did his voice and he bounced back so quickly that it only made me more confident that whatever happens he’d always love me and fight tooth and nail to protect me. Papa told me later on that he was still trying to deal with something that happened in their past that day. I think he also made a promise that day to stop doing what he was doing to deal with it. I think I’m part of the reason why and the other part is that the thing from the past is finally on its way to getting resolved. I’m really happy about that.”

“Me too. Does the world outside of U.A scare you anymore Eri-chan?”

“No, not at all. I know I’m gonna have to leave campus someday but I’ll have Dad and Papa and Toshi by my side and Midnight-san watching over me too. So I'm not scared, just excited to see what the world has to offer.”

“That’s great Eri-chan and guess what you're gonna be able to go back to seeing more of it soon. We’re at the last question. Are you ready?” 

I nodded and cheerfully said, “Yes, I’m ready Tsuyosuke-san.”

“Alright Eri-chan, If the safety commission was to give permission to Aizawa-san and Yamada-san to take care of you full time with very little intervention would you want to live with them full time?”

I answer this one with absolute certainty “Oh yes absolutely! Despite the flaws and the difficult times we might face, they're the best Dad and Papa I could ever ask for and if you add Toshi and the cats in the mix too they’re all the best family I could ever ask for. I’ll always be Dad’s sweetheart and Papa’s princess and Toshi’s starlight and I love it and them so very much. I’m very thankful that they call me these things. I never thought before that I could be part of the lives of people like them but now that I am part of it I don’t wanna miss a single day, Tsuyosuke-san. That’s the absolute truth.”

He smiles “That’s great to hear Eri-chan. You did an amazing job with this and now guess what we’re all done.”

“Really? We’re all done, aren't there any more?”

He chuckles a little and says “Well actually I have one more little question for you Eri-chan.” He unbuttons and reaches for the inside pocket of his blazer and my eyes widen as he pulls out three very big apple flavored lollipops. He smiles as he asks “You were very brave to take on this interview alone so I picked up a treat to celebrate once we finished. Do you prefer green apples, red apples or caramel apples?” 

I share his chuckle and return a wider smile “I like red apples the best… Thank you for going out to find them.”

He leaves his chair behind and comes over to my side of the desk to give me the lollipop before saying “Of course Eri-chan. Of course.”

I happily receive the treat before exiting my own chair and just before we walk out he asks  “Do you think we should save the other two for Aizawa-san and Yamada-san?”

“Oh yes, I bet they were working hard too, they'd love it.”

“Alright then we’ll see which ones they like. I’m sure they are waiting for us outside now. We shouldn't keep them waiting.”

I nod and cheerfully say “Yeah let's go.” reaching for his hand and taking the lead out. Quickly finding both of them alongside another special person waiting right outside the door.

Shouta

Recognition and joy makes her smile shine ever brighter as she and Mr. Katsukoe exit the meeting room. She leads the way happily calling out our names as she spots us “Dad, Papa, and Toshi too. Wow, you're all here!”

An almost synchronous chorus of “Of course.” comes from all of us as she embraces us one by one. Once she finishes I notice the lollipop in her hand and ask “Where did you get that lollipop sweetie?”

“Mr. Katsukoe gave it to me as a treat.”

“I see.”

Katsukoe smiles “I bought it beforehand because I thought she was very brave to take the interview on by herself. But I got some extras because I didn’t know which apple flavor she’d like the best. She took the red apple one but would any of you be interested in having the green apple or caramel apple flavors.”

Zashi perks up and says “I’ll take the caramel one please.”

Katsukoe happily passes it over before looking at me and asking “and how about you Aizawa-san?”

I look to Toshi and he shrugs to say he doesn’t mind me taking it. I nod and then turn back to Katsukoe and say “I guess I’ll take green. Thank you for taking the time to find them.”

His smile grows wider as he says “No problem. No problem at all.”

Toshi’s phone then vibrates loudly in his pocket. He checks the message and says “Ah right Deku invited me to eat at their table today for lunch. Guess I should get going.”

Eri then asks cheerfully “Cool can I come too?”

“Of course Starlight. You must be hungry after that interview right?”

“Mhm wonder what’s on the menu.”

“Me too…”

His voice trails as he turns again to me and Zashi. We both nod and smile before I say “We’ll catch up to you in a bit. Go on and meet with your classmates alright.”

He smiles back “Gotcha.” Before she says a little see you soon to all of us, Toshi takes her hand and leads her cheerfully semi-skipping self down the hall. Leaving just the three of us behind smiling after them. 

The silence lingers for a bit before Katsukoe breaks it with the wonderful news “We’ve got a winner on our hands. She is really something special. How in the world did you two do it?”

I give a small knowing smirk “I take it she finally wrapped you around her finger.”

Katsukoe looks surprised for a second before then shifting to a sheepish sort of acceptance “As a Lawyer I must say I’m going to stay as impartial as I can in that courtroom but as a person who simply wants to help well you hit the nail on head.”

Hizashi and I shared a chuckle “Welcome to the club.”

“I’m honored to help you guys in all the ways I can. After all those questions and all those answers one thing is certainly clear: she is one immeasurably resilient, intelligent, and kind soul. Whatever you guys are doing it’s working like nothing short of a miracle.”

Zashi’s pride rings true even when calling out a contradiction “Dude you act like you're just realizing that now. Didn’t you say you read the records inside out?”

“I did but reading things is never the same as seeing it in person. I may have seen and read those things in part already but I just saw it in full today. She said she would try her best and answer all my questions right?  Well, I’m happy to inform you both, she kept her word and then some. She didn’t ask to skip any of them even the curveballs. In fact, she knocked them right out of the park.”

We chorused “Thank you Mr. Katsukoe.” Before I continued the thought my own pride coming through with a fierce certainty “But it’s no miracle she had all that in her since the day we rescued her all we did was give it a place to shine. All of us.”

“I see… All of you huh.”

We nod and once again with absolute certainty synchronously say  “Yes.”

Katsukoe smiles “Well then the village you’re building certainly has a bright future ahead of it. “

I nod “Yeah but there's a lot to do in the meantime. Right, Zashi?”

“You said it, Shou.”

Katsukoe nods “Alright then I’ll leave you guys to it. Even though in any ordinary case all this would be a sure win I still got my work cut out for me. The commission is one stubborn bunch after all.” 

“A stubborn bunch indeed but your name means winning voice for a reason doesn’t it.”

He chuckles “Yeah it does… Heh she really is your daughter already.”

We both smile “Thank you Mr. Katsukoe for helping us make it truly set in stone.”

“Always happy to be of service.”

He pauses to put on his brown fedora hat before turning back to us with a smile “I trust I’ll see you two very soon…”

“Yeah. We’ll be looking forward to it, Mr. Katsukoe.”

He nods and we’re off on our separate ways yet still ever forward towards that same bright future. That future smiles at us when we join them for a meal well-earned after a very important interview.  Sitting back and enjoying the meal with a very special anniversary right around the corner there's only one thought left in my head. What a bright future we have indeed.