A couple of days later, Todoroki finds himself back in the hospital, following Aizawa through labyrinthine corridors he never knew existed. Along the way, Aizawa updates him on the case. The girl he rescued has been reluctant to answer many questions, divulging only details about the playground incident.
"She was trying to dissuade a kidnapping," Aizawa explains the abridged version of it in a monotone voice. "She stumbled upon two villains trying to abduct a toddler. Using her quirk—likely Praying Mantis, similar to Hanakiri's but with slight difference—she managed to hurt one of them. That's all, though. The rest is like what you already know."
"They attacked her and left her to die?" Todoroki voices the implied question, met with a solemn nod from his teacher. "I expected more resistance, considering she's Hanakiri's daughter. From what you've said, Hanakiri seemed very formidable."
Aizawa leads him to the south wing of the hospital. Contrary to Todoroki's earlier observations, this area is now patrolled by police officers instead of hospital security guards. Each corridor entrance is guarded, including the one they approach.
Is this a restricted area? We're the only ones here.
"Well, the police thought so too," Aizawa remarks nonchalantly, not bothering to decrease his volume although they pass by the on-duty officer. "However, from what we've seen, it's safe to say that she can't control her quirk."
"So she never trained her quirk?" Such a concept sounds very baffling to Todoroki, who has been driven relentlessly to perfect his own abilities by his old man.
"It seems so. She didn't know anything regarding Hanakiri's recent activities either. Hanakiri left her when she was very young," Aizawa recalls. "I don't know why or how; she refused to elaborate further. The police still consider her a potential threat, though."
"That means she wasn't part of Hanakiri's crimes. In that case, isn't she just an unintended victim in the kidnapping?" Todoroki's question echoes in the dim, vacant hallway. Vacant, not unmonitored. The dome-shaped CCTVs on the ceiling make sure of that. "I guess this isn't the kind of treatment that victims usually receive."
"You have a point, but you have to understand, Todoroki. A lot about her has yet to be uncovered. They can't erase the possibility of her being a bait or even a villain."
They can't erase the possibility of her being innocent too, Todoroki swallows his words. This situation doesn't sit right with him. From what he has heard, there is no solid reason for them to suspect her. None, except one. Is this because of her blood ties to Hanakiri?
Aizawa catches a glimpse of conflict in the boy's expression. It is natural for heroes to want the best for people in need. Aizawa has to admit, Todoroki isn't the only one who is uncomfortable with the development. His moral compass surely is in the right place.
"There's nothing we can do with the current information," Aizawa replies, sidestepping Todoroki's doubts. "That's why your involvement in this case is vital."
"If their speculation is proven to be unfounded, will they stop this biased treatment?"
Todoroki catches a fleeting glower that Aizawa directs to a CCTV before he answers, "Hopefully. Anyway, we have arrived."
In front of them is a ward, a large one-way glass attached to its wall. Prior to this, Todoroki thought one-way glass was strictly used in interrogation chambers. Too see it has been used and modified to subject the girl under a 24/7 surveillance, without even the barest consideration for privacy.
"Is this even allowed?"
"They said it's a security measure," Aizawa replies to him, then taps the glass without a sound. "Look, that's her."
Todoroki's gaze falls upon a small figure across the room. Seated upright on the hospital bed, the girl stares at the wall with an indescribable look in her eyes. As if they were looking at something far away, despite it being merely a couple of meters from her.
Bright green. A shade that's supposed to look radiant, as lively as the grass stretching across the meadows in the summer. Yet, all he can make out from her eyes is a bleakness as dark as the long strands flowing on her back.
I wonder why, his mind probes, searching for a logical explanation. He notes her pale complexion and the infusion line attached to her wrist. Do her eyes give that kind of impression because she's still in recovery and exhausted?
Her injury was severe. The healing process must be taking its toll.
"Todoroki, before you go inside," Aizawa breaks the silence, taking his focus back to him, "there are some things you should know."
"Which are?" he turns his head, listening intently.
"She has been very quiet. It's difficult to get a response from her." Aizawa eyes him with a serious expression. "This may be hard for you, but you will have to coax her into talking. There's a high possibility she will ignore your attempts, but don't take it to heart and just try your best. Think of it as training for your communication skill."
"Okay."
His recent exam has shed some light on the importance of communication. Perhaps, this is the time to hone his interpersonal abilities. As he grabs the door handle, Aizawa nods shortly to encourage him.
Hot summer air rushes out to the air-conditioned hallway as the door opens. Todoroki glances at Aizawa in confusion, who shrugs his shoulders in return. "She refuses to turn on the aircon. It seems she doesn't like the cold."
As Todoroki bends over to lay his shoes down on the side of the entryway, Aizawa speaks to the girl, who has yet to come out from her own world, "Kid, you have a visitor."
Upon his call, she flinches out of her reverie. Recognizing his voice, she turns her head to nod to him. Her nod is a small gesture that Aizawa is a little proud to receive, because she hardly gives any reaction to the police. Which is perhaps due to their bombarding her with many questions.
However, he never gets that nod. The second her eyes land on Todoroki, she leaps out of the bed right away. Beside it, the infusion hanger crashes to the floor with a loud noise. The needle yanks away from her right wrist, causing blood to trickle down her skin right away.
"No..." she croaks, raspy, her face aghast. Her green eyes zero at the sight of Todoroki, and fear invades the entirety of her voice. Visibly trembling, she backs away from them until her back hits the wall with a thud. "Get— Get away! Get him out!"
This kind of reaction is definitely not one Aizawa expected. Baffled but trying to keep a cool head, he puts his hands in the air, displaying his empty palms to her. "Calm down, we're not here to hurt you."
Then, he motions to the stunned Todoroki. "He is the one who saved you, remember? He's here to talk to you."
Aizawa discreetly elbows the boy, wordlessly asking him to push the emergency button.
"No!" the girl shakes her head, a hand clutching the window railing next to her for support. "He— He's one of them. I... I don't want to go back."
"Them who?" Aizawa pushes on, trying to get a grasp on the situation. "Go back where?"
"What do I do? I don't want to go back to the underground... I can't go back there..." she mumbles to herself, her gaze flitting everywhere frantically before it stops at one spot. "I have to escape... There's no going back for m— me… Not now, not ever!"
The moment her frightened eyes dart from him to the window, Todoroki realizes what she is going to do. With an amazing speed, she props herself up the window's railing in one move. The next millisecond, she jumps without even a minute hesitation.
Todoroki watches the events in a crippling shock. A warning yell is caught up in his throat. As her body is disappearing from the window in slow motion, he screams at his body to move, to do something, to save her. However, all his limbs are frozen in surprise.
It is Aizawa who manages to shake off the surprise first. His hero experience has suited him to act quickly in the time of crisis. His capturing weapon shoots out with a blinding speed, snatching her wrists mid-air.
"Tch! Are you out of your mind?" A growl rumbles through gritted teeth, his shoe soles squeaking against the ceramic tiles. "We're on the 30th floor."
Her body weight is one thing, her struggle to break free from his bandages is another. Fighting against the downward force, he heaves the girl back with much difficulty, keeping the bindings around her taut and strong.
"Let me go!" Her green eyes widen in hysterics. Her arms flail desperately, trying to call upon her quirk. "I would rather die than go back!"
"It's no use." Aizawa glares at the girl, red eyes flashing in irritation. He whips his head towards his student's direction. "Have you called the nurse?"
When Todoroki is about to answer, a few nurses burst inside in a hurry. Aizawa holds the hysterical girl down quickly, allowing the nurses to put sedatives back into her veins. Not long after, she slips into an unconscious state, muscles going slack and whimpers dwindling to a hush.
This is an unexpected development.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Aizawa peels himself away so the nurses can move her to the hospital bed. What is actually going on? Just yesterday, she agreed to meeting her rescuer.
Aizawa swears her eyes even gleamed a little, as if she truthfully wanted to know the person who saved her. But now, she is extremely terrified by Todoroki's presence, that she sees death as a better option.
"Todoroki, are you okay?" Aizawa walks up to him. His gaze, unfocused and distant, holds a thousand unspoken words.
"She's afraid of me." Todoroki's tone is flat, however Aizawa can hear the hurt that underlies his voice.
"No, Todoroki."
"It makes sense. I burned her. With this— my... fire quirk." He looks away. Aizawa can see his disgust of his left side starts seeping right back.
"It isn't that, Todoroki," he counters with a firm voice. "She didn't recognize you."
"What do you mean? She was looking straight at me."
"Listen to me." Aizawa massages his own sore temples. "She described her rescuer as a boy with crimson hair and a fire quirk. I think... earlier, it was your right side that she saw."
"... Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Relief immediately floods Todoroki's mind. It wasn't his left side that frightened her. It didn't terrify her like it did his mother.
He isn't like his father, who imprinted fear in his own family and other people. He didn't use his fire to hurt an innocent person. Flashes of his training with Endeavor pass before his eyes like a broken record.
"But, it doesn't make sense," Todoroki replies in confusion. "If that's the case, then she shouldn't have a reason to be afraid of me."
"The operative word here is 'shouldn't,'" Aizawa emphasizes. The gears in his head are working at a fast pace. "Sorry for the incident, Todoroki. We have to cut it short for today. You can head home."
"Am I still involved in this case?" His student narrows his grey-cyan eyes in question.
"Of course," Aizawa confirms as he parts ways with Todoroki. "I will give you a follow-up later."
There is no way they will pull Todoroki out of this case after what happened. He is the only one who manages to elicit such a reaction from her, even if it is in a negative way. Moreover, Aizawa thinks this possibly will be the key to shed some light on her mysteries.
What did she see in Todoroki? Was it his right eye? Nah, the entryway was too dark for her to distinguish his eye color. Or... was it his white hair?
The clues cross his mind over and over. Winter coat. Frostbite. Captivity. White hair. They all point to a possibility he didn't want to bring up previously. Aizawa puffs out a tired sigh. This is going to be a long, long day.