Chapter 82 - Chapter 79 It's just beginning.

"So, gentlemen and ladies, I welcome you to our conference. Thank you for coming." Detective Tsukauchi, who had authority not only in the police force but also among the heroes, had gathered most of the famous heroes familiar to the public for the private meeting.

It was nice to see them in casual clothes rather than hero costumes. The conference was boring and monotonous; some managed to yawn and earn unkind looks from their colleagues.

"I beg your pardon," Present Mic retorted, adjusting his glasses. Colleagues sitting nearby laughed, but only one of the many heroes stared at the screen despite his fatigue. New villains were appearing, and it was becoming a problem for the order they had been building for more than one night and more than one year.

"Tsukauchi and I have decided to step up the investigation. We thank you for your help in investigating the crimes. There are things that escape our eyes." The girl with the burning hair began to fidget nervously, realizing the tone. The topic was a dangerous one for her, for she had to cooperate with vigilante and essentially be an accessory to a crime, despite her good intentions.

"Such as?" - A man with neat hair asked. His quirk of using strings of clothing against his enemies proved that he was no joke.

"People with unique quirks often go missing. Despite their best efforts, it's almost impossible to find them. And thanks to someone, we managed to find something." Putting on his gloves, Tsukauchi pulled out a silver collar, which he showed to everyone present. The collar had been taken from an abandoned warehouse where heteromorphs were sold. Heteromorphs were a great commodity to exploit, for their physical strength and capabilities were many times greater than humans, making them attractive. People from disadvantaged neighborhoods and families often went to work in regular jobs trying to find money to live on. Often, those who stood out from the rest became the perfect commodity for the upper echelon of people.

Everyone present was silent, examining the mysterious collar, until the silence was interrupted by Tsukauchi.

"This collar we found in one of the warehouses where humans were for sale." Toshinori intervened and with sadness in his voice explained to everyone present what it was.

"These are... devices... suppressors. They turn the heteromorphs into docile animals. Their DNA, based on their quirks, unleashes their animal essence and makes them docile. Any attempt at resistance is met with an even tighter grip of the collar, cutting off their air supply." Reactions varied to this information. Some quietly analyzed, while most were perplexed as to how such technology had fallen into the hands of villains. But those who couldn't control their anger began to roar at the blatant injustice. Toshinori, seeing the different reactions, involuntarily began coughing up blood, drawing the attention of everyone present and interrupting their heated argument about how to proceed.

"I apologize," Tsukauchi said, patting his back. Thanking him, Toshinori pressed a button on the remote, and the next slide showed the most recognizable vigilante. The pictures were blurry and fuzzy, for this hero-villain didn't like paparazzi and relied mostly on stealth and maneuverability.

"Silent Phantom," one of the heroes uttered, clenching his fists. The rabbit hero Mirko clenched her teeth, realizing that she had missed her prey so easily. She had every chance of defeating him one on one. By sheer brute physical strength, she would have smeared him against the wall if he hadn't cowardly run away from her. Ragdoll and Pixie Bob got goosebumps as they remembered their last fight with him and how he had made Tiger disabled for life. And because of the injury, Mandalay had to leave the team. Everyone started discussing him animatedly until the room turned into a discussion zone.

"Please remain calm. We have information that is useful to everyone." Everyone turned their attention to Toshinori, and he felt uncomfortable under the stares, which made him cough up blood to take away his stress.

"During the battle with the Wild Wild Pussy Cats squad and Ingenium, it was discovered that our apex of justice is quirkless. With that in mind, during the battle with Ingenium, the computer in our colleague's helmet concluded that his suit was made of an unknown material." Everyone fell silent, pondering his words. If Endeavor had been here, he would have tried to burn his chair from that data. Many people had a hard time believing this information, but the facts spoke for themselves. Present Mic, who had been acting nonchalant, took on a more serious look when he saw the serious faces of his colleagues.

Mirko put her feet on the table, broke her pencil, trying to calm herself down.

"I can't believe I let that quirkless one get away," she growled in her thoughts.

"Analyzing all the information, we figured out his trump cards: inhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, ability to control tentacles, complete control of his body. Good fighting skills and an unconventional mind, which he demonstrated when battling Mt. Lady, Death Arms, and Kamui Woods. All of them he was able to defeat alone when the forces were not equal."

The silence in the hall became oppressive. Even Present Mic stopped fiddling with his pen; his fingers froze over his notebook. The slide on the screen changed - there was now surveillance footage of a silhouette in black, lightning-fast against a group of armed criminals.

"That's... impossible," the threaded hero whispered, his fingers involuntarily clenching the armrests of his chair. Tsukauchi sighed heavily, adjusting his glasses.

"Unfortunately, facts are stubborn things. Silent Phantom exhibits physical parameters that surpass even some heroes with boosting quirks." He pressed a button, and graphs appeared on the screen.

"Here's a comparative analysis of his strength during his encounter with Mt. Lady..." Mirko stood up abruptly, her ears twitching with rage.

"So, that bastard just..... pumped up at the gym?!" Her voice trailed off into a shout.

"He made Tiger an invalid, and you're saying it's without any quirk?!" Toshinori raised his hand, trying to calm the audience.

"We don't claim to understand the nature of his abilities. But the fact remains that he is dangerous, and his methods..." He fell silent, looking at a slide with a picture of a mutilated Tiger.

"We do not claim to understand the nature of his abilities. But the fact remains that he is dangerous, and his methods..." He fell silent, looking at a slide with a picture of a mutilated Tiger.

"His methods are terrorism," the flame-haired woman said coldly, her hands clenched into fists. "He's not a hero. He's a bastard with a god complex."

Everyone began to talk furiously amongst themselves like little children, but they had to interrupt for the next slide, where they began their search for the mysterious hero. The city of Mustafu was home to at least 540,000 people with no quirks. And late awakening quirks were not uncommon.

"We are interviewing and verifying every quirkless person in this city. We don't have any leads yet, but we have another curious piece of information." Everyone stopped whispering and one of the heroes pulled out a notebook, jotting down important information. A sepulchral silence hung in the room, which no one interrupted, out of respect for the organizers.

"Our anonymous sources report that Silent Phantom is hunting the Miyamoto clan's crime family." No one dared to answer. While the hero was within the law trying to find evidence and clues, he decided to go storming in on them, sparing no one. Knowing his methods, it wouldn't be surprising if he stormed into the main building and massacred them.

"The Miyamoto clan? We've been trying to arrest them for years. Why does he suddenly think he's capable of defeating them?" - A man with a sturdy build and gray hair asked the question. Many only raised their eyebrows skeptically. They couldn't understand how he could break into the Miyamoto clan's building and arrest them. It would damage their reputation, and the public would think they were abusing their powers. Therefore, the heroes' commission had put forward a law to prevent them from causing mayhem on the streets of the city. Although the profession offered many benefits, it had its own rules.

"We think he's trying to get our attention. He has three kills to his credit: villain Muscle, villain Battle Hair, and Tokamura Senji were found in one of the warehouses. Silent Phantom wreaked havoc there and brought the ringleader back alive, which is odd." Giving the heroes all the important information, Tsukauchi had a question. While they were discussing it, he was doing his own investigation. It was a problem because of the bureaucracy and paperwork needed; they had to waste time. Some heroes hated paperwork, of course, and the likes of Mirko definitely didn't like sitting through conferences like this.

"Why this circus with the horses? He's quirkless, and his costume is unusual, that's all. Why make it so complicated? The hell with you, though!" - Standing up to her full height, she kicked the door with her foot under the stares of her coworkers. She didn't care about other people's opinions. Heroism and safety came first for her. Not used to long negotiations, she exhaled loudly as she exited the office. Her fellow heroes only exhaled at their colleague's loud behavior.

"What's next?" - A man with an untrained look and a tired face asked. It was obvious from the look on his face that he didn't sleep well at night and rarely washed, which earned him the nickname "The Bum of Justice" from his best friend. Despite his suit, he had a scarf hanging around his neck. Though he expressed his indifference to the conference, he was extremely attentive to detail. Many heroes, due to their inexperience or inattention, missed the fact that he came up with good tactics against certain types of heroes, as if he knew their weaknesses ahead of time. Or how he kept eluding the heroes all the time? Appearing almost out of nowhere, it was like he burst into the party, breaking the door off its hinges.

"He is a hero exclusively at night and it is difficult for the police to catch up with him. He moves around and hides between buildings using black ropes." Tsukauchi watched the heroes actively take in this information. Many had their own agencies and they had no trouble contacting a certain hero. Writing in his notebook, he rubbed his eyes from fatigue and from the spotlight that shone too brightly in the darkened room.

"That will be all, gentlemen. I declare this conference over," Toshinori announced. His assistant and first partner sat with the heroes, greedily absorbing every piece of information. Rubbing his glasses, Nighteye didn't understand why some of his colleagues were taking lightly the appearance of a new vigilante who had shaken up the entire society of heroes and villains. It was as if one man was deciding who should live and who shouldn't.

"You said he took the lives of three people. In my opinion, he's not going to stop at anyone and he's going to keep killing villains, and the question is, will he switch to the rest of the heroes?" Nighteye's arguments were logical, but there was a hint of panic in them, for he was skeptical of his well-intentioned actions. He also, like many, believed that being a hero required a license to use quirks, strictly adhering to the laws created by the public safety commission.

"That'll be all. Does anyone have any questions?" Everyone shook their heads in the negative, and not wanting to take up the heroes' time, Tsukauchi ended the meeting by promising that they would send all the important information to their email. Taking out his yellow caterpillar-shaped bag, one of the heroes left the office under Tsukauchi and Toshinori's gazes, but Mirai stayed with them to discuss some news.

When the last hero left the office, Mirai spoke with a reprimanding tone, glaring at his once idol.

"You're still being a hero, Allmight. Your powers are already at their limit, and all that's left of your former self is a skeleton covered in leather." Toshinori couldn't accuse his partner of lying. He was one hundred percent right, but as always, he was stubborn to the end of his days. Toshinori had dedicated his life and Allmight's life to protecting people, which made his personal life go down the drain. Only a couple friends and a mentor he hadn't visited in years. Being a hero took up all his free time, and gathering friends was worth its weight in gold. There was no bringing back the past, and Toshinori realized this after losing his health.

"I'm well aware of that. But as long as someone is calling for help, I can't sit back and watch people need me." Mirai rubbed his temples. Every time he worried about his idol's health, the latter would brush it off. Toshinori never listened to others, only to his own inner call of heroism that never faded despite his deteriorating health.

"You need to build up your strength. I saw you die at the hands of a black monster!" Toshinori was tired of hearing about how he would die at the hands of the black monster. It had been a long time ago, and all of Nighteye's predictions had come true with 100% accuracy. He wouldn't lie to him, but it had turned into a severe form of paranoia. He often abused his quirk, and even his sense of heroism and altruism began to shift towards pragmatism and calculation. Despite this, Mirai was still a good hero with strong moral principles.

"Mirai, that's enough. We've discussed this before." Toshinori had to slap his hand on the table so he would finally stop repeating the same song every time they had to see each other. Tsukauchi, watching his coworkers, sighed at the repetitive scenario. Every time they met, their dialog always ended with Toshinori's death.

"Ahem... Ahem, gentlemen, you've forgotten why you came here." They had to forget their scores, and with a sigh, they turned their attention to Tsukauchi. Despite the new vigilante, there were other problems: securing the facilities during the ceremonial funeral of the head of the yakuza and reinforcing all the posts, including new types of crimes.

"What about All for One?" - Nighteye asked, casting an unkind glance in Toshinori's direction. The last time they had seen him was ten years ago. Toshinori, along with Gran Torino, would have died the death of an idiot if he hadn't called out and summoned the heroes for a decisive fight.

"Absolutely zero information on him. It's like he fell through the ground," Tsukauchi gave a report, looking at Toshinori. He knew his worst enemy wasn't slumbering even after all these years. One for All hadn't calmed down in all these years. He was alive, but for some reason he was waiting out someone or something. The hope was Mount Fujiyama, but after their battle, a hero committee investigated every grass and tree for clues. Unfortunately, it was all to no avail. All Nomu were exterminated by the heroes, but the hero commission didn't get DNA samples for more thorough analysis and investigation.

"Nothing has been known about him for ten years. That worries me, Toshinori." Nighteye had kept his investigation on an equal footing with the commission, but all the clues and traces had disappeared as if they never existed. The investigation had reached a dead end, and he had to abandon his attempt to find him.

"As we all know, he works from the shadows. Perhaps he's been building up his strength in secret from us, perhaps he's gained a family in the meantime. In the time Toshinori has been fighting All for One, he could have gained many connections. He could have acted from the shadows and given orders." The argument was extremely reasonable, but there were many 'buts', and while nothing had been found about him, it was unlikely they would. Mirai merely snorted at the impossibility of the scenario.

"Family and All for One? What nonsense are you talking about, that can't happen. No woman alive would tie her fate to him." The silence in the study became even more heavy after Mirai's words. Toshinori shook his head slowly, his gaunt face expressing deep fatigue.

"You underestimate him, Mirai," he muttered quietly but firmly. - "All for One isn't just a villain. He is a charismatic leader, capable of inspiring followers. And yes, perhaps even create a semblance of a family."

Tsukauchi nodded grimly, pulling another photo out of the folder. "We have unconfirmed evidence that he may indeed have . followers. People who believe in his ideology and are willing to serve him."

Mirai hummed skeptically, adjusting his glasses. "Sectarians? You really believe he was able to create a cult of personality while remaining in the shadows all these years?"

"Not just a cult," Tsukauchi objected. - "We suspect that some of the disappearances of people with unique quirks may be related to his activities. He may be recruiting them or taking their quirks for his own purposes." Everything was known about his basic quirk. He could steal and transfer quirks at will, but during their last battle, he had been damaged in such a way that he could lose many of his quirks or be destroyed altogether.

"Is it possible that the crime families are secretly working for him for power or other advantages?" - Toshinori asked. It wasn't uncommon for crime families to steal people with unique quirks. And Silent Phantom is hunting them down, but is it possible that he knows about One for All? The One for All in Toshinori's body had not subsided, for in all his time he had failed to find a worthy successor for the powerful force.

"What about the One for All? Did you pass it on to someone?" - Mirai asked fearfully. He trusted his idol, but he couldn't trust him to choose a successor for One for All. The Force was so powerful that it could flatten a city into ruins with a single blow, and it wasn't at full strength.

"I have not handed him over. It will remain with me until I deem a man worthy of this power. Not every man, even a hero, is worthy of having such power." Toshinori's arguments were reasonable, but every day he was wasting time. And in that time, his enemy could gain strength and become so powerful that even an army of heroes would not be able to match him. Toshinori feared defeat more than anything; his mentor had sacrificed her life to keep him alive and One for All. Most of all, Toshinori didn't want the power to fall into the wrong hands. If need be, he was willing to be a teacher and lead in the right path.

"Where is Gran Torino?" the mention of his teacher made Toshinori have to stop talking. He hadn't visited his teacher in a long time and had even forgotten how hard it was for him to be alone right now. When he was young, he couldn't sit in one place. Now he had no limbs except for robotic prosthetics that he couldn't get used to.

School

Lying on her desk, Nejire was bored, and not because classes were boring. Her charisma and ability to find questions where none existed always fueled her enthusiasm. Resting her nose in her hand, she began to fall asleep out of boredom until the bell rang, a bright spot in every person's schooling life. School uniforms, though comfortable, could never compare to homemade clothes and the freedom they gave. Nejire was not known for her extravagant clothes, instead she liked simplicity, but there were so many amazing things in this world that for every thing there was a question from Nejire herself. Her classmates and society didn't exactly encourage her cheerfulness and especially her curiosity. She was well aware of that, but she couldn't help it. Many people considered excessive curiosity a sign of boundless power, and in order to maintain that power and assert themselves, such people often cut the path of those who poked their noses into other people's lives. No one ever tried to get to know her - everyone was afraid.

"Everyone is afraid, but of what?" - she asked herself as she listened to yet another lecture on something important. Half-heartedly she listened and absorbed the information, and even came up with a few strange but nonetheless interesting questions for her curiosity. Sometimes she imagined a miniature version of her sitting inside her head and pushing all the buttons to generate strange questions. She smiled to herself, for such thoughts bordered on the absurd orange sponge cartoons and other absurd cartoon series of her childhood.

Izuku had proved to her that her enthusiasm was the best thing about her, and showed her an inner world that was also as intense as hers. It had been so long ago that anyone could forget what it had been ten or nine years ago. She didn't remember the date particularly accurately either, but at least she wasn't as careless and irresponsible as she was thought to be. After listening to the entire lecture, Nejire was ready to fall asleep....

Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The bell rang, and those who were particularly impatient were already packing their bags. The young teacher, who looked to be 26 years old and had just graduated from university, had no time to ask his students any questions.

"Okay, students, does anyone have any questions about the topic of today's lesson?" The students, realizing that the teacher was timid, simply paid no attention to him. Many openly laughed or just chatted among friends to forget about another boring lesson. Realizing the hopelessness of it all, he was packing his briefcase and preparing to leave as one of the students raised her hand excitedly.

"Can I ask you a question? May I? May I?" Surprised by such enthusiasm, he slammed his eyes shut before coming to his senses.

"Yes?" - He asked incredulously.

"And how did life come into being if there was nothing?"

"How did the quirks become so strong?"

"What was the first profession to be officially recorded?" Pointing at the map of the land with her finger, she began to question even harder.

"What happened to the Mariana Trench when the quirks appeared? And why can't we visit it?"

"Whoa, whoa, right there. And why isn't there a bigger continent between North America and Asia, and in the Pacific Ocean, like Asia?"

The teacher's eyes sparkled, and he was ready to answer all her questions enthusiastically. Sticking out his chest and correcting his glasses, he opened his mouth to answer as he immediately closed it, hearing even more questions at an incredible speed. The students had already left the room, leaving a few who watched Nejire and giggled quietly at the young teacher.

The teacher's right eye twitched and her head began to ache with a migraine within five minutes. Nejire had managed to ask over a hundred questions in five minutes, and that wasn't the end of it. He was truly scared, and this wasn't a villain, but a simple student.

Another five minutes passed.

The door to the classroom was kicked open and the young looking teacher ran out of the classroom with his briefcase in his hands and a confused look on his face. The stares of the students pressed in on him, but it didn't matter. Nejire poked her head out of the door, looking at the receding figure of her teacher. Nejire stood in the classroom doorway, watching the young teacher almost run down the hallway, stumbling over his own feet. His briefcase was slamming against his side and his face expressed pure panic. The few remaining students looked over, suppressing chuckles.

"Hey, Hado!" - came a mocking voice from behind. - "You've gotten your way again. Poor Tanaka-sensei's probably going to be committed to a mental institution now." She let the caustic comments of her classmates pass her ears. After all, the time when words made her feel worse was long gone. Her father, as strict as he was, allowed her to be curious about everyone, as long as it didn't cross personal boundaries. Tadao remembers one day when Nejire came in sad at the realization that she had been ridiculed by her own classmates.

Tadao himself came and reprimanded everyone, from the students and their teachers to their parents. Nejire was proud of her father, and to make him proud of her, she did well in her classes, but she had her faults. The lessons weren't easy, but there was always enough time for her to fool around or do something with herself. School would be over, after all, and she would take a step into a new life.

Sitting up, she listened to the lesson, lazily propping her chin up. Looking at her surroundings and her class, she hadn't made a single friend in her many years at school that she could connect with or talk to about common interests. Everyone had built space bases in their heads, and it was as if she had been sent to Earth to single-handedly build a rocket and fly to the moon.

She was curious how Izuku would look and feel knowing that they were learning together and going through hardships together.

"That would be great," she said with a dreamy smile, smiling to herself. They could talk all day long, like a never-ending engine. Imagining such a picture, she smiled, but she didn't even realize that her hugs and touching her friend in her dreams didn't seem friendly, but more intimate. She didn't understand romance and thought it was some unfunny joke of adults.

Sometimes she had no time for herself at all. Practicing on a whim wore her out every day, studying was crushing her mentally, and now the teachers were talking about the final exam, which wasn't easy . In UA accepted students who passed the final exam with an 88% or higher. A slightly lower score meant that the student in question did not fit their rules and standards in terms of knowledge. After all, UA is one of the best hero academies around the world. Slightly distracted from her worries, she also remembered that she would have to hone her skills. Exams were important, and one wrong brick, in her opinion, was ready to bring down an entire two-story building. Of course, that wasn't true, but it sounded extremely epic

"So, for tomorrow, I'm expecting essays from those who want to enroll in the hero course. Please raise your hands." Seventeen students out of thirty raised their hands, including Nejire. The teacher was not surprised by this, for this profession, despite its difficulty, was a prestigious one. For such students, many schools gave them special tests or assignments on behalf of the Hero Commission, who wanted the new heroes to have a moral core and have more of an idea of who a hero was. After all, each person had a different vision of a hero.

"This week you will write an essay, next week a mental test, and I'll tell you about the rest later." None of the teenagers liked extra homework, much less writing and spending their time on it. Many would rather spend time with friends or doing something else, but not this.

"Oh, can I ask you a question?" - Nejire vigorously asked, extending her arm to the longest possible length. The teacher, knowing who had raised his hand, didn't hesitate to let her ask the question.

"What topic are we going to write essays on? Any topic? Or are there conditions?" - Nejire asked impatiently. She loved creative assignments. After all, she could spill her inner world onto a piece of paper, even though she couldn't draw at all. Her whimsy, like herself, could twist like a spiral, finding unexpected outlets or applications for her imagination. Her infectious enthusiasm also influenced her personality, creating an unimaginable bright personality striving for heights.

"That's what I was going to say, but you interrupted me."

"Awww...." - a few of her classmates giggled at her behavior, but quickly fell silent when the teacher began laying out the terms for their assignment.

"The essay won't be difficult. You must write about people who have influenced your life. The prerequisite is that it must be a real person. A fictional character is not suitable according to the rules, . You must not take people who have already died or are a historical figure. You must write about a person who is alive and exists right now: a hero, a star, or whoever." Silence hung thick as soup in the classroom. Thirty pairs of eyes stared at the teacher, some with bewilderment, some with slight panic. Nejire, on the other hand, glowed like a Christmas tree garland. Her brain had already started generating ideas at the speed of light.

"Oh! Oh! Can we write about animals?" - she blurted out, jumping up on the spot. The teacher sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Hado, animals, no matter how smart they are, are not human. The rules clearly state: a real, living person."

"Oh, yeah, right," Nejire tapped herself on the forehead, but her enthusiasm hadn't waned in the slightest. - "Then... what if a person is very much like their pet? We have a neighbor, for example, Mr. Tanaka, and he walks in a staggered manner, just like his bulldog, and-"

"Hado!" - the teacher's voice sounded stern, but with a slight note of despair. - "The man. Who influenced your life. An adult, a sane... well, a person."

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. The noise of chairs being pushed in filled the room. Nejire remained seated, her eyes staring into space and her lips whispering something inaudible. From Izuku, a mumbling sound was passed to her. Granted, she didn't mumble as often as he did, but she had adopted his infectious habit if she thought too intensely.

She had many examples on her mind: the same characters like All Might or the dragon hero Ryukyu, Mirko, Present Mic with the infectious "YEEEEEEEEEAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH". She was inspired by them, but they didn't particularly influence her, and because of that, the circle of people to write about in the essay narrowed.

"Who could it be?" - She tapped her chin, thinking about the people who had changed her. Her mind raged and she didn't even pay attention as she left the school building and headed for the station. Thankfully she wasn't careless and paid attention to her surroundings. Normally she would have called her father on any issue that plagued her, but for some inexplicable reason she didn't want to call her father to find out the question she was wondering about.

"I'll call him after all," Nejire pulled out her phone, her fingers finding her father's number with a familiar motion. She was about to press the call button, but was prevented from doing so by a bicyclist who nearly hit her. The wind ran past her, caressing and mussing her spiraling hair. It gave her even more motivation to call her father.

The call...

"Come on, answer it," she tapped her shoes against the ground impatiently, speaking through gritted teeth. Usually she would call when she got out of school or when she was heading home to let her know about herself. It wasn't necessary for Nejire, but it also prevented the gray hairs on her father's head. He was a happier man thanks to her, but only with a few strands of gray hair.

"But my favorite dad is a dinosaur, hehehehehehehe." Her dad's avatar was him, but just for her seventh birthday, he had to wear a silicone dinosaur mask to match her birthday theme. It looked ridiculous, but extremely funny when you consider that he didn't see the chair and, crashing in, ruined the birthday girl's cake. Because of this, they had to go shopping for a new cake. Because of this trip, Tadao had to buy triceratops pajamas, which she still keeps.

Daddy 🩵

Call...

00:01. There was a voice in the dining room and the sounds of spoons and the rest of the cooking utensils. So he was at lunch and that gave her time to talk. Answered by a gruff yet caring voice that was so pleasant to her ear.

Tadao wasn't allowed to use the phone during work hours, but he always made time to talk if it was serious. Nejire chatted non-stop, had to Tadao Hado himself, who ran the police station and had a lot of authority among his subordinates. He was famous for his strictness and discipline, but in front of his daughter he turned into a teddy bear with a kind voice and a smile. This amazed the officers of the police station and humbled them - did their strict boss really have room for emotion? Under scrutiny, Tadao kept his kind smile despite the surprised faces of his colleagues.

A girlish voice was heard behind the telephone receiver-so innocent and sweet that any heart of stone could split in two. The receiver hung up, and the familiar expression of their head returned to its former place.

"Why the looks? Is there something written on my face?" Half of the staff instantly swallowed a lump. No one knew that the boss could have such a fickle mood. His tone made everyone go back to their meals and Tadao's smirk emerged.

She slipped the phone back into her pocket and walked determinedly towards the station. The air was filled with the smell of fried noodles from the nearest stall and exhaust fumes. The city lived its noisy, restless life, and Nejire suddenly felt very small in this huge world. Huge buildings made of glass and concrete, keeping the old technology but with a new innovative look, using fads. Nejira was curious how the quirk using concrete worked, because it was so amazing that this viscous gray liquid made huge multi-story buildings.

"Who's...? Who?" she began to mutter again as she walked through the turnstile. People looked back at the strange girl talking to herself.

And then her gaze fell on a poster hanging on the wall of the station. An advertisement for a new movie about heroes. And in the most prominent place was the smiling face of Ingenium.

"Ingenium!" - she almost shrieked. - "I mean, he's cool! And fast! And his suit is so shiny!"

But almost immediately she grumbled. "But... I don't like him. Or rather, I like him, but... he hasn't changed my life. I just think he's cool looking."

She sighed and sat down on the bench, waiting for her train. Her thoughts were jumbled like a ball of thread after playing with a cat.

"Ryukyu? Hmm... Maybe she inspired me to become a hero. Maybe write about her?" The brainstorming continued, and her brooding look was reminiscent of the Thinker statue from a famous French sculptor.

"Too complicated," she thought before getting up and walking. Her school uniform was immaculately clean and her hair was blown back by the wind, trying to stop her. But that was her imagination - in reality, the wind wasn't so strong to oppose her.

Seeing a woman and a child along the way, Nejire had a thought of Yoshiko. She had essentially given birth to her, but other than giving birth to her, she hadn't raised her or invested an ounce of energy in her development.

"No," she told herself firmly. She openly sassed her and tried to belittle the virtues of being a single parent. Other than genetics, she had nothing to do with her. Her arrogance and vanity completely showed her as a person and how she treated the rest of the people. Yes, she still had her genes in her blood, but that didn't mean she would become her.

"Oh, I remember the cartoon, and even a similar concept. Sort of an evil woman trying to stop the main character from finding true friendship. I don't remember anymore, it was so long ago I've forgotten." Finally, she made her way home. Her home, which was her fortress and place of refuge, greeted her with silence. She had come before her father, and it was hard to accept that silence. The atmosphere in the house was always cheerful, but with each passing month, the work at her father's place increased rather than decreased. It was sad to see the atmosphere in the house change from cheerful to more somber. She had to spend time alone and sleep with a night light so that she wouldn't feel lonely. Usually in a complete family, if the father failed to give his attention to his child, the mother took his place. She didn't blame her father for not giving her attention: he did his best to give her what other children were getting. He was father and mother in one body. It amused her how he sat on forums for moms to teach her feminine things he didn't really understand himself.

From what arose funny cases when one didn't know what it was and the other couldn't explain why they had to sit and read on the internet together.

Putting her backpack in her closet, she sat down at her desk without taking off her school uniform. Thinking long and hard, she tapped her pencil on the paper, hoping that inspiration would come and she would write everything she needed to write. But there was a problem: she didn't have a main topic for the essay.

"Who should I write about? Wait, the teacher didn't specify how many people you can write in one essay. It turns out, if I can write about two people in one essay, nothing will happen. Ha, Nejire, you're just brilliant!" A picture from ten years ago came to her mind's eye. Her and her father, along with Izuku's mother and the boy himself. A warm wave of nostalgia traveled through Nejire's body from head to toe. She bestowed her smile on the photograph and ran her palm over the glass, brushing away the imaginary dust. Carefree smiles colored their faces, and if it wasn't for their move, those smiles would have lasted until now.

There was a lot of talk on the topic of returning to their old home, after all, it was their hometown and quite familiar and simple compared to the bustling city of Hoshu. Thinking back to their initial life in the new city, Nejire remembered how she felt homesick for Izuku and her old life. The move had been extremely unexpected that the adults hadn't had time to share numbers amongst themselves.

Flashback

They arrived in Hosu, compared to Mustafu the new city looked slightly futuristic. The tall buildings with reflections on the glass showed grandeur. Hosu was a metropolis after Tokyo and the major cities in Japan. The car wheeled through the streets, but young Nejire didn't know where they were going at all. She was hugging her gift from a friend, a figurine of a debuting Ryukyu heroine that Nejire liked a lot, not only for her looks, but also for her character and abilities.

Her large, curious eyes darted from side to side, looking at the new buildings she was unfamiliar with. She smiled at the new characters on the streets she hadn't seen before. If Izuku were around her, he would definitely try to recognize their quirks.

"Dad, where are we going?" - Tadao was having a hard time. Not only did he have to drag all his stuff from the house to the car, but he also had to drive for 12 hours non-stop, snacking on sandwiches from the store.

"Looking for a new home, Nejire," he replied in a tired voice. This city wasn't an eye-opener for him, as he had attended the police academy 5 kilometers away from Hosu. Nejire jumped up from the back seat; she had slept the whole way, since they had to drive even at night to get here.

"But our home is there, not here. Why can't we go back to our home?" Tadao understood Nejire's question perfectly. It pained him, too, to leave Mustafu. He was used to his social life in Mustafu, but here everything was new and unknown. The court sessions with Yoshiko had completely exhausted him, and it had taken his savings to protect himself and take custody of Nejire. He no longer trusted her; no matter how tough a man Tadao Hado seemed to be, he also had vulnerable parts of his soul that only he himself knows about. All the trouble would make him want to let a tear fall, but the road had exhausted him so much that there wasn't even time for tears.

"And what kind of father would cry in front of his children?" - he thought to himself, forgetting the oppressive problems.

"We'll get back there sometime, but we need to get settled here before we go back. We'll buy a new house and call for guests and your friend." He smiled happily. Nejire smiled sadly.

The car slowed down smoothly in front of a tall glass building. Little Nejire had her nose pressed against the window, looking out the unfamiliar entranceway. Her fingers clutched Ryukyu's figure so tightly that the poor heroine risked losing her head.

"We're here, sunny," her father's voice sounded tired but soft. He got out of the car, stretched his stiff back, and opened the door on her side.

Nejire didn't move. She stared at the huge, cold buildings, at the strangers hurrying somewhere. The place smelled not of the familiar flowers from her neighbor's garden, but of gasoline and foreign perfume.

"I... I don't want to go out," she whispered, pushing up her legs. Her cheerful inquisitiveness evaporated, replaced by shyness.

Tadao leaned over, his big face level with hers. In his eyes she saw not weariness, but understanding.

"Do you know what they told me when I first came to study in this city?" - He asked, not waiting for an answer. "That every new house is like a new page in a book. And you can write whatever you want on it. Even if the previous page had a very sad story on it."

He held out his hand to her. "Let's look at our new page together, shall we? The first thing we'll do is check to see if the bathtub has a bubble bath feature. Because in the last apartment, the bathtub was a little small for your nautical flotillas."

Nejire smiled uncertainly. The thought of ships seemed like an island of the familiar in this sea of the unfamiliar. She took his large hand in her small palms.

"А... can you draw a unicorn on the new page?" - She asked, climbing out of the car.

"Absolutely," Tadao said firmly, picking her up in his arms along with the Ryukyu figure. "And a pink unicorn with a green mane. The most unusual one in all of Hosu."

He carried her to the entryway, and she snuggled against his shoulder, clutching the heroine in her hand. The city was still big and foreign. But her father's hand was warm and safe. And as long as he was there, the new page didn't seem so scary. There might even be something good on it. Like a unicorn.

Poor Tadao had to do six laps to carry all of his things. They lived in a modest fourth floor apartment in a bedroom neighborhood that was relatively quiet. A modest one-bedroom apartment was all he could afford from the house he had sold to Mustafa. Nejire had her own room and Tadao had her own to teach her the value of personal space.

Tadao walked into his house where Nejire was waiting for him. She ran up to him and grabbed his hand, smiling at him. She carried the heavy bag to her room thanks to her quirk. She lifted the bag using spiral waves, which pleased Tadao. He was always happy about her successes, even if it was minor.

"Look, Dad, I carried the heavy bag to my room," she announced proudly, sticking out her chest. Tadao smiled, brushing her hair; he would have done it all himself, but seeing a child try to help a parent was probably the most sincere help there could be. There was one thing: she'd taken the wrong bag, or rather, he'd taken Tadao's bag to his room. Still, this was Nejire, who would have a lot to learn.

"Okay, you set up your room and I'll set up mine and then we'll get something yummy." An overjoyed Nejire began to drag her father out of her room when she found out that her reward would be goodies. She loved eating something tasty, though her father didn't often buy her sweets, but she appreciated his gestures.

"Don't look, dad. You'll see how pretty it'll be in here later," she declared as she closed the door. Tadao was outside the door listening to her quick footsteps, putting his ear to the door.

Taking out the most valuable figurine, Nejire placed it in the most visible spot. On the shelf where the books should have been, there was now a Ryukyu figurine, the very first hero figurine in her life.

Nejire enthusiastically set to work. She carefully arranged her few toys on the shelves, hanging on the wall a few drawings she had brought from her old home. The Ryukyu figurine took a special place - she placed it right at the head of the bed, so that the heroine would guard her dreams in this new place.

The room slowly transformed, filling with coziness and her personal belongings. Forgetting about time, she rearranged items here and there, trying to create the perfect space. Finally, satisfied with the result, she decided to show her creation to her father.

"Dad, look!" - she exclaimed, swinging open the door of her room. But silence greeted her in return.

She walked into the living room and froze on the threshold. Tadao was sitting on the couch, leaning his head back. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even and deep. There was an unfinished glass of water on the table in front of him, and papers lying nearby that he was apparently trying to review.

Nejire came closer on tiptoe. In the light of the desk lamp, she could see how tired he looked. Dark circles under his eyes, a slightly wrinkled shirt... He had fallen asleep sitting up, and that spoke volumes.

For a moment she felt a slight annoyance-she'd been so eager to show him her room! - But it faded quickly, replaced by tenderness and care. She remembered how he had carried all the boxes, how he had driven almost without rest, how he had smiled at her, hiding his fatigue.

Quietly, so as not to wake him, she walked to the bedroom and returned with a light blanket. Carefully, barely reaching over, she covered her father with it. Her small fingers adjusted the plaid around his shoulders.

"Sleep, Daddy," she whispered so softly it was like a puff of wind. - "You're very tired."

She put out the desk lamp, leaving only the soft light from the hallway so he wouldn't wake up in the dark. She stood beside him a moment longer, looking at his calm face, and then returned to her room just as quietly.

She hadn't closed the door to her new room all the way. Her kingdom was now settled, but most importantly, her king, protector, and father was finally resting. And she would always have time to show her room. Tomorrow.

End Flashback

"Tomorrow," she laughed. She didn't pay attention to the time: it had been forty-eight minutes since she'd gotten here, and she hadn't even picked a topic. This was harder than it actually seemed.

"Okay, wait a minute, Nejire. The people who changed your life. Um, friends? I only have one friend. And if you take it from adults, it's dad. But there are a lot of people in this world." Putting her finger to her chin, Nejire began tapping her pen on the table and covered her head with a book to let knowledge and inspiration come to her.

While she was thinking about who to write about first, the sound of a key being slipped through a hole was heard. Throwing the book off her head, she took a quick step towards the door to meet father.

Surprisingly, he came with food from the restaurant. Seeing this, Nejire jumped up on the spot. Her father, seeing his daughter's smile and happy face, smiled, rushing to hug his blue cloud of happiness and occasional problems. If Tadao brought food from restaurants, it meant one thing.

Good news.

"I know what happened. Come on, tell me, what meteor fell on your work?" In his warm embrace, she could feel the heat coming from the package. The dish was fresh and exuded the aroma of peppers and well-seasoned beef. Nejire snatched the package from his hands, breaking away from the embrace.

"This is news you're sure to like." With impatience, Nejire pulled a baguette out of the bag and began eating vigorously, with crumbs falling to the ground. Tadao held back from jumping for joy like a teenager who had passed the most important exam of his life.

"Come on, Dad, don't pull the cat by the tail. Say it. Say it. SAY IT!!!" Taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts as if he wasn't an adult, but rather a teenager who had hit the jackpot.

"I'm going on a date this evening." Nejire froze with the baguette halfway to her mouth. Crumbs sprinkled on the floor, but she paid it no mind.

"A date?" - she repeated, as if she'd heard a word in an unknown language. - "You? A date?"

Her brain, normally generating hundreds of questions a minute, stopped completely for a moment. It was so unexpected that even her irrepressible curiosity had failed.

Tadao scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well, yes... There's this woman in the department. We have lunch together sometimes. And tonight I invited her over for dinner."

He spoke as if he were confessing a crime, not his plans for the evening. His confident posture had changed to a stiff one, and his eyes avoided meeting his daughter's wide-open eyes.

Nejire slowly lowered the baguette. Her face expressed a whole gamut of emotions, from amazement to mild panic.

She took a step back, and her eyes lit up with the familiar fire of curiosity. "What is she like? What's her name? What's her quirk? Is she a hero? Or does she work for the police force? Do you like her because she's brave? Or smart? А..."

"Hey, hey, slow down! - Tadao laughed, raising his hands in a protective gesture. - I've known her for a long time, and our relationship has grown from friendly to more intimate. It's only now that I've asked her out." But Nejire didn't hear him anymore. She grabbed a box of food and ran to the kitchen, chattering nonstop.

"Go ahead, say it. I'm not letting you go until I know your girlfriend's name!" She hugged him so tightly that Tadao couldn't move his arms. The lock was so strong that Tadao felt the lack of air in his lungs. He knew that Nejire was very strong, but he had no idea at all that the strength of her hug would be enough for a grown man.

"Her... name is R...R...R.... RYUKYU. A hero... dragon... Ryukyu." Nejire couldn't believe her ears and started jumping with happiness. There was no way that the hero who inspired her to become a hero could now potentially become her mom. A news that could only be in her fantasies, not reality. The very heroine who had become her idol would now be walking around the house.

"Is this incredible, Ryukyu? - She whispered, and her voice trembled. - ''The very same Ryukyu? The hero Dragon? The one whose figurine sits on my shelf?"

She let go of her father and took a step back, slowly running her hand through the air as if trying to sense the reality of what was happening.

"But... But she's a celebrity! - Nejire exhaled. - And you... you..." She gave her father a critical look, head to toe. Ryukyu had a lot of fans and followers, after all, she's in the top ten heroes, and her dad, though an unusual police officer, was able to get her attention. Tadao remained silent the whole time while Nejire showered him with questions.

"By the way, how many hours from now are you meeting her?" - She asked. She had an essay to finish. And maybe enough time to prepare.

Tadao snapped out of his fantasies and glanced at the wall clock, remembering the scheduled time.

"In an hour and a half." Nejire ahhed and let go of her father, quickly dragging her behind her to her room. Tadao didn't resist her much, for he knew that once he got her interested, there was no stopping her. Among the pile of nice things, his gaze fell on the paper in front of him with the inscription.

"Essay: People who have influenced my life."

Tadao instantly realized what she was about to talk about and decided to ask who she had chosen for her essay. She didn't have any sincere friends, except for a green boy as a child, or him. Tadao has lived with his daughter so long that he reads her like an open book that he has reread more than a dozen times. She explained to him on the call all the terms of the essay, and he, too, thought about the content.

"And who did you pick?" - He asked in a dramatic tone, playing along with her. The sheet was blank, she had been waiting for his advice, causing excitement and a bit of frustration. He wanted to teach her not to depend on his opinion, but he realized that it took a lot of effort to teach someone on your own. Tadao had had to grow up too fast, and he hadn't tasted the fruits of childhood carelessness. His goal was simple and clear: finish school, leave home as soon as possible, get a prestigious job or whatever the social norm was. He didn't burden Nejira with responsibilities, but he didn't give her any indulgences either, lest she become spoiled like Yoshiko. His upbringing was a golden mean that he adhered to, but add more than necessary, the delicate balance collapses, affecting her mental state. He should be the protector and example she would inherit. If she had chosen another profession instead of hero, he would have supported her and given her more indulgences. But she firmly chose the hero's profession without questioning her choice. It was an extremely brave choice, but also a dangerous one. He is used to every thing or idea having a "but" to it, alas, this is a life experience he learned in his youth. The hero's profession is full of trauma and death, which he saw with his own eyes. It was even more painful when it was reported that a hero was dead, and this rumor was first reported to the family of the deceased hero. Tears, screaming and denial of reality were commonplace in the police profession.

Tadao had his own view of the stages of growing up.

Child, teenager, young man and adult.

A child has to be led by the hand and shown the world around them, fueling their curiosity. No matter how annoying a child is, they have to put up with antics. They make mistakes, they don't understand, they learn, they cry, sometimes a lot, and sometimes they can be too cruel, not realizing what it is to hurt others.

Now, Nejire was slowly transitioning from the child stage to a teenager. This pleased and saddened her at the same time.

"I'm thinking of writing about you, because you've affected me a lot. But my friend Izuku influenced me too. He, like you, showed me that there's nothing to be ashamed of when my loved ones are around. It doesn't say anything about the number of people, but I should write about one of you, but I don't know who." Tadao rubbed the bridge of his nose and wondered if it was worth helping with the whole essay. He would no doubt help and even know how to turn in a top grade.

"Still, I should push her instead of carrying her all the way in my arms," he thought to himself, patting Nejira on the back who was actively thinking about the assignment.

"What's on your mind, sunny?" Nejire didn't make eye contact with her father, but focused even more on filling in the text.

"I want to write about both of you, but I don't know which one," she declared, collapsing her head against the table. "It's complicated, Dad."

"Hmm, if the teacher didn't say in the conditions about the number of people, then you have no limits. If he rebukes that it's not according to the rules, that's his fault. After all, every assignment or briefing has to specify a specific number of something or someone." Nejire truly thought about it and remembered that their teacher had never once mentioned it. Her father had used loopholes to get around obstacles, it was a testament to the experience he had gained. Though slight, Nejire had adopted some of her father's habits for herself.

"No one and nothing prevents you from writing about two people. The main thing is to write it competently and intertwine the two things properly, like putting two and two together. And write how much you appreciate having such people. And be sure to write in the format of a motivational letter. It's a pretty old format, but it always works." Nejire raised her head from the table, her eyes shining with new understanding. She grabbed the pen so swiftly that it nearly flew out of her fingers.

"Motivational letter... - she whispered, as if discovering a magic spell. - Dad, you're a genius!"

She was already rushing to her desk, grabbing a blank sheet of paper. Her spiraling hair seemed to vibrate with excitement. But before she wrote her first word, Nejire glanced sadly at her father.

"Dad, when are we going to see him?" Tadao didn't shy away from the question and turned her around, meeting her gaze. He remembered the promise to go to Mustafa to meet Izuka, but it had been a long time and there had been no call from either side. She missed him, and it was evident to the naked eye. Tadao had to sigh at the question. He respected his daughter's life and choices, but circumstances wouldn't allow him to leave town.

"Nejire, we've discussed this." She clenched her fists, though disappointed, but repeated her father's words.

"Yes. You said that when our financial well-being became stable, we would go to him. But that can't be repeated forever. You told me that when I was seven years old. It's been a long time, maybe it's time. You didn't even call them, why?" Tears began to show in her eyes. It hurt her to see all the peers her age walking around and smiling at each other, whereas she has to walk alone and envy others. She too wants someone as sincere and kind as her. She has tried to make friends, but all attempts come down to her being weird or stupid. Tadao hated to see Nejire's tears more than anything and immediately hugged his crying daughter. While she covered her eyes with her hands, Tadao stroked her hair, trying to comfort her. He was hurting as much as she was, and she was a girl, and it was hard to blame her - everyone wants happiness, and almost everyone deserves it.

"I remember about my words, Nejire. It hurts me myself when I keep telling you that. But the reality is that I have to go out of my way to pay my bills and not be afraid of the future. We are not poor, Nejireh, having to spend time and energy for paperwork. I promise we'll go to him, I just need time to get it all together." Removing her palms from her face, she hugged Tadao even tighter. Words were unnecessary for Nejire, and she just wanted the banal human companionship. She had to put up with a lot of things, and she would be strong no matter what. Still, showing weakness to her kin was a show of trust, not weakness. Wiping the last of the tears from her face, she looked at Tadao, who looked tense over her tears.

"I promise I'll write a better essay. Come over tonight and read it, okay?"

"I promise I'll read it despite being tired." He held out his little finger to her and she gladly extended hers, cutting their vow. It was strange, one thing about her father smelled like coffee and sweat from his work clothes.

"Dad, go wash up. It's not nice to come to a date smelling like sweat and wearing casual clothes." Embarrassed, Tadao scratched the back of his head, reverting back to his old Nejira self. He sniffed to himself and made a face of disgust that amused her.

"We have a date at an ordinary restaurant, Nejire. Ryukyu doesn't particularly like expensive restaurants or luxuries. She's first and foremost a human being, not a world-famous star, and we're choosing ordinary clothes." He replied. Despite this, Nejira was not convinced and forcefully pushed her father out of her room and into the bathtub.

"It's rude to go on dates in plain clothes. You're supposed to look classy, brutal, and rich. You're my father, not a bum!" Tadao was perplexed as to how she knew all these things. He didn't doubt Nejira's intelligence, but still, how did she know how men should go on dates? That prompted the thought that she was dating behind his back. As if reading her thoughts, Nejire replied abruptly.

"You ask me how I know all this? It's all silly romantic comedies. And no, I don't date with boys." While Tadao was taking a bath, Nejire was picking out for him which suit he would wear for his date. Red would look like he was trying to attract the attention of a bull. That won't do.

Sorting through her father's closet, Nejire despaired at the choices. Everything didn't fit the perfect date. Ryukyu wouldn't like it; maybe she could be her mother, and there would even be siblings who could turn into dragons. And then something unusual caught her eye.

A sleek black tuxedo with a black shirt and skinny pants. The whole look said that this man was not to be trifled with. She pulled the suit out of the closet and the tag said something in Italian that she didn't understand at all. She dusted it off and got it ready to wear and even made reservations for two at an expensive five-star restaurant as a couple. Of course, it would be rude to choose for someone, but in their family they don't hide anything from each other and even choose what to wear and what not to wear.

****

Tadao stood in front of the mirror while Nejire, standing on a chair, did his hair. He was in his Italian suit until Nejire made him shave his mustache and beard. He had gotten younger and looked out of place for his age.

"You know, Dad, this reminds me of that cartoon about the big green ogre and his donkey friend who went to rescue the girl." She combed his hair with the comb, giving him a matching hairstyle, a boon his hair was manageable and easy to comb.

"And what's my date's connection to this cartoon?" - Tadao asked.

"A donkey, who is one of the main characters, fell in love with a dragoness and they had adorable children. Dad, you're the donkey who fell in love with the dragoness. In a good way."

Tadao froze with a comb in his hand, his reflection in the mirror expressing utter bewilderment mixed with slight panic.

"Я... donkey?" - he repeated, as if checking to see if he'd heard correctly.

Nejire nodded vigorously, continuing to style his hair with the focused look of a professional stylist.

"Well, yes, but not in a bad way! - She added hastily, seeing the look on his face. - The donkey from the cartoon - he's loyal, stubborn in a good way, and always supports his friends! And he's not afraid to fall in love with a dragon! Just like you!"

Tadao slowly turned to her, his face softening. "Is that really what you think? That I... could be worthy of someone like Ryukyu?"

Nejire put the comb aside and put her hands on his shoulders, looking at his reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were serious.

"Dad, you're the most decent man I know. You work day and night to provide for us. You never give up, even when everything is against you. You ... you're my hero."

She hugged him from behind, resting her cheek against his back. "And if Ryukyu can't see that, then she's just blind. But I think she sees it. Why else would she agree to go out with you?"

Tadao turned and squatted down to be level with her. His eyes glittered. "Thank you, sunshine. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing everything wrong. Especially when I see how much you miss your friend.... for a normal life."

Nejire shook her head. "We have a normal life, Dad. It's just... ours. And it'll get even better when you stop doubting yourself."

She suddenly clapped her hands together. "Okay, enough with the sentimentality! You have a date in forty minutes and you haven't even picked out a tie yet!"

They didn't pick a tie, but instead chose a bowtie that looked stylish with his tuxendo.

"Gum?"

"Check."

"Handkerchief?"

"Check."

"Mints?"

"Right where they are."

"Come on, Dad, show me who's the crouching tiger and the lurking dragon." He gave her one last hug, giving her a parting look. And under new powers, Nejire went to write her essay.

Tadao stopped in front of the Ryukyu house. A modest two story house with a fence in a nice neighborhood. No one in the neighborhood recognized her, knowing the annoying fans. He got out of the car to invite her to get into the car in a gentlemanly manner. His gaze fell on her unusual dress. The dark dress bare her shoulders and had a thigh-high cutout at the bottom. Her thin but tall legs looked extremely attractive. Her back was bare, revealing her dragon scales that moved at the sight of a man. Completing her look was her well styled blonde hair with red lipstick. Her keen sense of smell picked up the scent of men's cologne and the smell of mint; after all, she liked well-groomed men who smelled nice. She held out her hand gracefully, and Tadao took it and led her to the car, opening the door for her.

"Please." Giving him a seductive smile, Ryukyu got into the car. On the way to the restaurant, they exchanged seductive words, praising each other. How well dressed they were and how pleased they were to see each other, showering compliments on each other.

In the restaurant.

"I had no idea you would choose such a restaurant for the evening." An expensive, carpeted restaurant with an elegantly clean concierge who greeted them with the best of intentions. There was vegetation and fountains everywhere. The smell of greenery she smelled effortlessly. The sight of the expensive restaurant impressed her, but she didn't see the soul and zest in it. She had been called to many banquets and events, and frankly, it was exhausting mentally.

"Mr. Tadao Hado?" - The concierge asked with a polite tone.

"That's right." She took his hand and leaned against him, showing their closeness. She had expected much more modesty from Tadao.

"He knows how to surprise," she smiled to herself. The concierge escorted them throughout the restaurant until they entered the elevator. It stopped on the third floor and gave them a beautiful view of the city. They were seated near a terrace overlooking the city. A luxurious table with silverware and expensive glass. This time he was happier than ever with Nejire's choice.

"The waiter will be here in a few minutes. Do you have any special requests?" - Keeping his tone polite, he looked with an interested gaze at Ryukyu, who was looking around for interesting details.

"Perhaps a glass of water will suffice," he replied, keeping his eyes on Ryukyu. Her eyes were different from human eyes, for she had a heteromorphic transformation quirk. In her normal form, she was a simple woman with dragon features such as scales in different areas of her body, well, and sharp teeth. Her pupils were not human, but rather cat-like.

"Looking at you, I don't get the impression you're relaxed." Ryukyu flinched slightly, her dragon pupils narrowing like a cat's in the sun. She nervously ran her hand over the tablecloth, feeling the smoothness of the expensive fabric.

"It's just... - she paused, choosing her words. - It's all so... pompous. I'm used to something a little more... simple. The burger place on the corner, pizza delivery... You know." Ryukyu was familiar with this when she was just a trainee hero. Even back then, he had caught her attention with his dignified demeanor and firm character. He sometimes behaved carelessly, trusting her with his life. He attracted attention as a caring and honest man, but with old ideals. But who is ideal nowadays?

"I'm not great at compliments, but I have enough to say a few affectionate words for you." Ryukyu chuckled and placed her hand on his. He gave her the impression of a nice gentleman. Because of his upbringing and surroundings, gentlemen looked like city slickers to Tadao, since he was born and raised in a prefecture with a strong agricultural sector. A warm, sincere smile appeared on Ryukyu's face. The scales on her shoulders relaxed, taking on a softer hue.

"I still remember how we dealt with various threats together. Whether it was villains, bandits, or theft. I remember with a smile the times we taught each other. You weren't strong in raids or inspections," she brought her head closer, winking seductively at him. "But you were always brave, and your tactical and strategic skills lifted us through the ranks."

She continued to stroke his hand. With her fingernails, she passed over the scars on his arm from her time in the service.

"I remember you always tried to take it by storm, but I have to say that your teamwork deserves a lot of credit." If it weren't for the limits of propriety, Tadao would have kissed her passionately and she would have been fine with that. They hadn't realized the seriousness of their relationship while in law enforcement. They were ardent careerists and felt that a relationship would interfere with stability. At the time, Ryukyu already had some feelings for Tadao, but it all froze when she opened her hero agency. There was no way her heroine status prevented her from dating the assistant commissioner.

"Sir, what will you be ordering?" - Quickly checking the menu, he swept up the delicacies for himself.

"We'll take... - he looked at Ryukyu, seeking approval," duck breast with truffle sauce for the lady. And for me... a medium rare steak. And a bottle of your finest red wine."

Ryukyu nodded, impressed with his choice. When the waiter left, she leaned forward, her voice quieter, more trusting. The waiter left and walked over to another table, where a woman with blue hair and wearing a gorgeous buresa dress with a Grecian neckline sat. Her slender body, blue eyes, and mini purse with gold jewelry indicated her status. She was annoyed that the waiter kept her waiting for more than two minutes.

"Where is he?" - She saw the waiter in the distance, walking towards her with quick steps. It annoyed her that in her own restaurant she was being made to wait like a regular customer.

"How long do I have to wait? Why the fuck should I wait when I'm the owner. Either you serve me first or you're going to work for a month for free with no right to be fired." The young waiter couldn't say anything against the owner and just nodded in agreement.

"Alright, you know my requirements and my order very well. And before ordering, I want to know which guest you served most recently. Is he the president's son holding up my waiter?" Nervously rubbing his shirt, the waiter swallowed a lump before answering. Yoshiko had a haughty and commanding tone, in front of which the young waiter looked like a small child.

"Ma'am, this is a man named Tadao Hado and his couple." Yoshiko was shocked to hear this. She remembered the court hearing and his sneaky punch to her face. And about that attempt to strike at his heart through Nejire, and he didn't seem to mind her antics at all. She smiled at that, for this was an opportunity to turn a date into a disaster. There was a smirk and anger on her face at the same time.

"Freeze!" He turned around and eyed the owner nervously.

"Did you give that order to the kitchen?" - She asked, gloating. This was an opportunity she wouldn't pass up.

"No."

"Then give this to the kitchen." She handed the paper to the waiter and he obediently complied. She remembered their divorce and especially wished she had taken Nejire back to her place. He would have agonized even more alone. Too bad she realized it too late.

The waiter, pale as a sheet, nodded and practically ran toward the kitchen, clutching the ominous note in his hand. Yoshiko leaned back in her chair, satisfied as she watched her orders being carried out. The corners of her lips quivered in a faint smile - tonight was going to be a really interesting evening.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the table by the terrace was very different. The wine had been served, its deep ruby color playing in the candlelight. Tadao and Ryukyu were deep in reminiscence, their laughter quiet and confidential.

"Remember when that crazy group of villains tried to rob the bank using tame pigeons?" - Ryukyu asked with a laugh, her eyes shining with amusement.

"How could I forget! - Tadao shook his head. - You were so mad then, you almost burned his feather suit to the ground. And he yelled that you had no right to ruin a 'work of art'."

"It wasn't a work of art, it was an ornithologist's nightmare," she snorted, and they both laughed again.

"It was on our fifth mission. I remember that moment perfectly, Ryukyu. And that blue dress you wore." Ryukyu blushed at the memory of her first hero costume. She was an intern back then, and the marketing department had suggested she wear a hero costume that would catch the attention of toy manufacturers. She had her own ideals to protect, and a duty to protect citizens from villains.

"Don't remind me, please. I'm not proud of the beginning of my career. Still, the priorities of young me were slightly different than they are now."

"Well, since that's the case, let's clink glasses to our good future. I wish us happiness and a happy life together." Ryukyu smiled sadly at him. He saw her as a wife, and a hero's job always meant taking risks. She couldn't believe her eyes that Tadao saw her as Ryukyu, not chasing her status and money. She wished she had taken the initiative first when she had the chance. They clinked their glasses, and Tadao was wary when he saw her sad smile.

"Is something wrong?" - He asked, not taking a single sip.

"I'm not sure you're ready to accept me into your family, Tadao. I know you're a caring and good man, I have no trouble honoring my marital duty. I love children and I especially love to show care for them, but I don't know how your daughter will react to me." Tadao exhaled; he guessed that this dialog would come up between them at some point, but there was no way he expected it to happen here and now, at a moment like this. Tadao was glad she had told the truth rather than hiding and agonizing over it.

"Ryukyu, look at me. I'm not a perfect person either, and I'm not sure what will happen between us in the future either. I appreciate you and I want our relationship to grow stronger. I share your doubts and fears perfectly. Yes, we're not perfect, but we're worth each other."

It was at that moment that the waiter approached their table with a nervous bow, carrying their dishes. He placed before Ryukyu a horrible soup with undressed fish that still oozed fresh blood. To Tadao he gave a disgusting black mass, more like a black piece of meat with a bad smelling sauce.

"Waiter, what is this?" - Tadao asked perplexed. Ryukyu, unlike her man, clamped her nose shut against the vile odor.

"It's your... order," he answered them nervously. His menacing look was telling him to call the owner of the restaurant to come here and explain this whole misunderstanding. The waiter was nervous and the tapping of heels could be heard in the background, and as he turned his head, Tadao saw a very familiar face that he wanted to erase from his memory.

"Yoshiko!" - Tadao roared, clenching his teeth to hold back the anger that appeared.

"What people, Tadao, long time no see," she replied with a haughty tone. Her smug face pissed Tadao off, and it took all the will in the world not to do something stupid.

"What are you doing here?" - He asked, clenching his fists. She looked at her fingernails ceremoniously, blowing imaginary dust off them, and then turned her attention to her ex-husband.

"Let me guess. I came in to order my food and happened to bump into you. Amazing, isn't it?" She noticed who her ex-husband had come in with and whistled defiantly.

"Got yourself a new whore to empty your balls?" - Tadao boiled on the spot and threw back his chair, disregarding all standards of decorum. Ryukyu was outraged and wanted to clean up her own mess as Tadao intervened and stopped her.

"I'll handle it, trust me." He flashed her a smile and winked at her. She trusted him and sat back, watching the whole showdown.

"Take it back, Yoshiko, while I..." Yoshiko wasn't intimidated by this in any way, on the contrary, she enjoyed this anger, drinking his blood out of him like a vampire. Sweet and savory anger is the sweetest dish for her, especially when it's experienced by her enemies.

"Or else what? You'll go to court? You'll go crying in the lap of Nejire and your new friend. You're a coward, Tadao, you've always been a loser, and even now you don't have the guts to be rude to me." She grinned, but she didn't want to stop. She had plenty of powerful friends who would stand up for her, and to them some cop out there wouldn't be much of an obstacle.

"Go on," he replied, not even realizing he was adding oil to the fire.

"You and your little girl have worn me down. My longtime beauty is gone because of an ugly piece of shit like Nejire." Tadao could barely contain himself from strangling her on the spot, but continued to listen, savoring every minute of it.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut," he continued to glare at her. But Yoshiko, as if she had gotten a taste for it, continued to sling mud at her ex-husband.

"You'll still come running to me to kiss my feet, Tadao. It's inevitable," she declared. To her, her ex-husband was an eyesore. She was with him for her own gain and saw him as nothing but a piece of meat.

"You have no soul," he replied with irritation. At his words, she laughed so loudly that all the customers paid attention to her.

"Really? A soul? Soul is for poor people and naive fools like you. All of you keep believing that there is a soul in it. In reality, everything can be bought and sold, and anyone is willing to sell their soul to have a limitless wallet. Look at you, you're a naive fool if you think you can accomplish anything through your miserable job. And remember, Nejire will never be happy, she's just a piece of meat without a drop of brains." Tadao couldn't take it anymore and, with all his might, punched her in the face. Tangled in her legs, she lost her balance and fell face down on the floor. Her nose was bleeding and her lip was smashed by his hard blow. Her appearance was shattered like glass. She had spent years to make a perfect face, and he had leveled all her efforts with his sneaky blow.

As if off the chain, all the customers began to leave, muttering something to themselves. Yoshiko heard all this, but couldn't believe that people were leaving an expensive restaurant.

"Just a bunch of brainless bulls," one of the diners said. The guards quickly ran to the scene, about to kick the troublemakers out, but they were stopped by a tall, blue-eyed blond man.

"Impressive. So brave that he decided to hit my woman. Only the brave or foolish have the right to touch my woman." Yoshiko gave Tadao and Ryukyu an angry look and ordered Thomas to kick them out.

"Thomas, show that redneck where he belongs. And that heteromorph girl too." She was helped up by the guards. She hysterically started wiping the blood off her face. Ryukyu couldn't take it anymore and concentrated to turn into a dragon, but her hand was grabbed by Tadao and smiled softly at her.

"Tadao?"

"Let me solve this problem, I made this mess, I'm the one to clean it up." She nodded and gave him a smile. After waiting a few more seconds, she kissed him on the cheek.

"We'll settle this matter in a gentlemanly manner. Let's go outside," Thomas replied, confident in his abilities. Yoshiko stayed in the restaurant and the three of them went outside. The physiques were the same, but Thomas was taller and was pure British. Tadao took off his jacket and shirt and handed them to Ryukyu. She saw his muscles and his embossed body, even though Tadao was far from young, he kept his shape. She bit her lip and watched him covetously.

Thomas didn't wait long and threw himself into the fight, not caring about the consequences. He punched Tadao in the face, but he only grinned as he felt the pain.

In response, Tadao elbowed him in the head, causing Thomas to lose his balance and take a couple steps backwards. Not wanting to stop, Tadao continued to deliver blows to Thomas' vital organs. After missing a few punches, Thomas pounced on him, knocking him to the ground and started hitting Tadao's face with crushing blows.

"Come on, Tadao, get up. You can do it," she pleaded for him to win. She was rooting for him with all her heart, and every blow to his face hurt her.

Tadao missed at least five blows to the face. His nose was bleeding and his head was spinning slightly as he tried to regain consciousness. He spat in Thomas' face and took advantage of his opponent's disorientation to push him away from him, standing up to his full height.

Tadao got into a stance and was ready for his punches. His right side was whimpering in pain, but ignoring it, he waited for his opponent's attack to counterattack. Tadao blocked his jab and slashed a cross to his temple. With a left block, he blocked a side kick and hit his jaw, knocking out one tooth.

Toward the end, Tadao kicked him in the diaphragm, which sent him flying off, hitting his head on a garbage can. All beaten up, he walked over to Ryukyu, grinning like a naive fool.

"Did you have to do that?" asked Ryukyu with both admiration and bewilderment.

"Would I allow my woman to be insulted? Especially a beauty like you." Ryukyu didn't respond with words. Instead, she took a sharp step toward him, grabbed the back of his head, and kissed him. Passionately, fiercely, without a shadow of a doubt, ignoring the blood on his lips, the hitched breaths, and the stunned looks of the rare passersby.

She pulled back, her dragon eyes blazing. "Idiot," her voice shook with the swell of emotion. - You could have gotten more serious. I could have handled them myself."

"I know," he wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his palm and smirked weakly. - "But some things a man has to do himself. Especially when defending his lady's honor."

Tadao sighed and looked at his shattered knuckles. "It seems our dinner has finally gone off the rails."

Ryukyu suddenly laughed. Soundly, genuinely, relieving any remnants of tension. "But what a show! I haven't seen a fight like this in about ten years. Almost like the old days, on patrol."

She pulled a pack of wet wipes from her tiny purse - it seemed to be the receptacle of everything in the world - and gently began wiping his face, his smashed lips, getting the blood off. "You're a complete idiot, of course..... But my idiot. Come on, hero. We need to treat these abrasions. And find that curry. You've earned it."

She put her arm around his waist, careful not to bruise his bruised ribs, and they strode away from the shining but disgraced restaurant, leaving behind the defeated Brit and the screams of his hysterical partner. They walked on, two fighters, battered but not broken, and the night, which smelled not of truffles but of freedom and cheap disinfectant, belonged to them alone.

School

"And this is the reason why Izuku Midoriya and my father are the people who have influenced my life." The essay was 3000 words and the teacher had to manually check her work. He certainly didn't expect such a vigorous imagination of the student, but praised her for her efforts. Surprisingly, there were not many unnecessary words in her essay, everything was literate and according to the rules.

"Well, Ms. Hado.

You received an A+ for creativity,

A+ for content,

A for grammar,

B for eventfulness of the text.

All in all, you received a solid "A" grade. Congratulations, you pass to the next stage." There was no limit to Nejira's joy, and she rejoiced without hiding her emotions.

****

The limo door hissed shut, cutting off the noise of the nighttime city. Yoshiko leaned back in the leather seat and stared in disgust at her reflection in the tinted glass. Her perfect makeup was hopelessly ruined by tears of rage and smeared blood from her nose. A crimson stain blazed on her cheek, the imprint of Tadao's fingers. Each throbbing stab of pain reminded her of her humiliation.

She jabbed the intercom button with force. "Home. And don't let anyone bother you."

The car moved smoothly. Yoshiko closed her eyes, trying to pull herself together, but in front of her eyes was Tadao's face again and again-not broken, not humiliated, but fierce and determined. And that... creature with the scales, looking at him with adoration. And her own public flogging.

"No," she whispered, clenching her fists so that sharp nails dug into her palms. - It won't end like this. Never."

She opened the sleek leather briefcase with a jerk, pulled out a spare phone-a clean, unregistered, special-occasion phone. Her fingers, trembling slightly with adrenaline, flipped through the contacts and dialed a number with no name but the numeric designation "07."

The call came through after the second ring tone.

"Go ahead," came the neutral, emotionless male voice on the other end.

"It's me," Yoshiko cut off, lowering her voice to a cold, businesslike tone, trying to squeeze all the trepidation out of it. - I need a favor from you. It's urgent. And complete confidentiality."

"Always for you, ma'am," she heard the receiver say. - What's the assignment?"

"The subject is Tadao Hado. We need to know everything. Every move he makes, every sneeze. Who he sees, where he goes, what he talks about. Special attention to his daughter, Nejire, and to..." she struggled to force herself to say the name, "Their contacts, their encounters. Anything that could be in any way compromising. Photos, video, audio. I want to know when he sneezes and which way he sneezes."

There was a short pause on the other end. A soft click was heard - perhaps he'd turned on the recorder or started taking notes. "I see.Standard surveillance package? Full report once a day, emergency summaries when incidents occur?"

"Exactly. Price isn't important. I want results. And that he doesn't find out about anything. He's a...cop, he's got a flair. Be careful."

"Don't worry, ma'am. Professionalism is my trademark. - I could hear the first faint trace of greed in his voice. - Prepayment, as usual, on the same account?"

"Half now. The other half after the first report. And a bonus," Yoshiko's voice grew quieter and more venomous, "if you find something you can use against him in custody court. Something serious. Very serious."

"I see; it will be done. We'll start tomorrow morning." "No. Start this very second!" - She hissed and disconnected the call.

She tossed the phone on the seat and stared out the window again. The reflection in the glass smiled at her - crookedly, cruelly. The pain in her cheek began to dull, replaced by a cold, methodical anger.

"Okay, Tadao," she whispered into the glass, watching the twinkling lights of the city. - You wanted a war? You'll have it. I'll watch your every move. I will find your weaknesses. And I will crush you. "And your pathetic, little daughter. And your new lizard."

The limousine turned toward her house, but Yoshiko could see nothing but images of future retribution that her mind was methodically constructing from the information that would soon start flowing to her from the impassive voice in the telephone receiver. The hunt had begun