"Monique I'm leaving." Was the first thing she said when she entered the door.
Mom who was holding a plate of something stood frozen at the doorway of the kitchen.
Dads eyes lifted from his newspaper.
"Absolutely not." Mom put the plate down and walked over to us.
"You can't make me stay her Mrs. M. You know I can't stay in one place for too long." She turned to All Might.
"Ericka." He sighed.
He grunted as he stood up from the couch.
I hit behind Ericka not saying a word. It wasn't my place.
"Sit down at the table I have something to show you." I watched as Mom and him made eye contact. Her eyes telling him no.
"What's this about?" Ericka asked.
She rubbed her palm. It glistened with sweat.
"Sit down Ericka." Mom ordered.
I caught along.
I wasn't going to say anything but just listen. Mom looked serious, and when she was serious, it never really meant a good thing.
"There are some things I was never able to talk about with you Ericka." Dad walked back out. A folder in his hand.
Ericka and I sat slowly down.
"Monique was dead. I had a child to take care of. I never really had the chance to show you this." He threw the folder on the table.
"Your parents." Mom started.
Ericka took the papers and looked up. Her parents. I didn't know anything about her. Much less about her parents.
"What about them?" She opened the folder.
"As you know, me and your mother were very close friends. I was there when she died." Ericka who was reading the papers froze in her tracks.
"What do you mean you were there?" I could see her harsh breathing. Hear it even.
"Your parents knew they would die in that mission. We tried our best. But there was nothing we could do." I peeked at the papers she hadn't read.
'Certificate of Adoption' I looked up at my parents.
My mouth opened wide.
"Before the mission, your parents had given us your custody." It wasn't my place to get mad. Not my place at all.
Ericka finally read it.
I watched as her chest lifted higher. Her eyes wide at the papers.
"You're lying. All Might. You had these?" She slammed her fist on the table and showed dad the papers.
"Nineteen years. Nineteen! My parents trusted you! You! They fucking trusted you! But you let me rot with parents that didn't give two shits about me!" Tears fell.
"Do you know what I went through!? You had these! You fucking had these! Nobody fucking wanted me! Nobody! I had no parents! My parents trusted you!" She sobbed.
"Ericka." Dad lifted his hands.
"Don't you dare fucking touch me! All Might, I went through hell! Trying to survive! When you had these papers, I would've believed it! I would've been okay with being adopted! I was just a baby when my parents died! But you did nothing to help!" I watched as my mom shot nervous glances at dad. We were all thinking the same thing.
Ericka was getting out of control.
She could end up hurting us all.
"You!" She pointed at All Might. Her hands couldn't stay still. Her entire body was shaking. Her voice broke, as she herself was slowly breaking.
She was breaking apart. And none of else could help her. We were all too scared. Too scared to touch her. Too scared to do anything.
"I'm leaving." She grabbed her jacket off the chair and walked off.
We all stood silently without a move. We had no idea what to do.
I was the first to move.
I was the one who told her to leave. I was the one who told her I didn't need her.
But in reality I was scared. Scared. Scared that he would come back. Scared to walk out this door. Scared of being in my own house. He could come in without a sound and take me again.
With her, was the first time I wasn't scared.
My feet moved on my own after her.
They ran and ran down the stairs.
I tried not to trip.
I wasn't being careful. She was dangerous. All three of us were dammed with quirks that could kill.
"Ericka." I called out to her finally.
She didn't reply nor look back.
"Ericka stay." She was by her motorcycle, about to drive off.
"Ericka." I grabbed her hand. She flinched.
"Don't touch me." She whispered. Not yelling or cursing at me. But it was a whisper with so much pain. Pain she had been holding on too. And now it was all going out.
"Come with me. I know a place." I felt bad. I felt horrible. I shouldn't have said that.
I shouldn't have been thinking of that place. It was our place, not hers.
"Let's talk. You could tell me everything." Her purple eyes stared back at me. Not with anger, not with hatred, but with pain. Her eyes glittered with tears. Horrible tears.
She didn't say anything but just got on her motorcycle. I followed behind her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We sat down staring at the ocean water.
"I'm hurt." She finally broke the silence.
I stared at her. She looked out at the ocean. Her hands balled into fists. There was no hint of smile on her face.
"I was hurt. All the parents I had would hurt me. Because I hurt them. It felt like torture. You know that saying. 'I'll wash out your mouth with soap'? That's what each one did. They would make me eat soap. They would slap me across the mouth. They would tape my mouth. Anything to make me stop talking. Because my quirk was a curse. I was seven." She sighed. Tilting her head slightly to look at the lowering sun.
"Each one hurt me. Until there was a point where no one wanted me. When I turned twelve I escaped that home and ran. Ran as far as I could. Then there was a man. He would wash out my mouth in different ways. Horrible ways. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. He was the first person I killed." My eyes widened but I didn't move. She's killed people before.
"After that I didn't let anyone keep my mouth shut. I talked and talked and talked. That talking turned into cursing. I was sixteen when I stole that motorcycle. Then I just got away from California. I moved everywhere. Never stayed in a place too long so they wouldn't find me." She took a deep breath in. Closing her eyes.
My heart beat. But it didn't beat in its usual way.
My heart craved for her. It wanted to heal her.
"That's why I was hurt when All Might showed me those papers. Because he could've easily prevented everything I went through. Everything. Yet he didn't. My parents were his friends. They had died on his watch and handed me to him. But he let me go through all of this instead. I don't blame him, he lost a wife and almost lost a child. But he could've helped me. Because that's what he does right?" She looked at me. Against the lowering sun her tears looked a pinkish orange.
I couldn't say anything. Situations like this, there are no words of consolation. I couldn't help her with the past.
I took her face into my hands, wiping off the tears.
"I have never been loved. I have no idea what love is." She whispered.
I didn't know what to say.
I leaned in to hug her. Hug her as tight as I could. Warm her cold skin. And possibly her heart.
Her arms stayed at her side, she didn't hug me back. I didn't care. As long as she felt my warmth that was enough.
"Just like I thought." I opened my eyes but he was already behind her.
I threw her to the side, as I felt the feeling of something pierce my skin.
I didn't pull it out. Instead I lunged forward.
Catching him beneath me.
"A day passes and you're already leaving me for someone like her." He grabbed my waist and pulled me in hard. My elbows gave out and I slammed my forehead on the concrete.
His hair was soft. And smelled of strawberries.
"You can't leave me the easily." He whispered into my ear.
But I could feel his flinches.
I glanced sideways. Blood leaked from my forehead. But I could see Ericka grabbing her arm and muttering under her breath.
"You." He growled.
I didn't let him go. I kept him on the floor. Pinned down with my entire body.
Across my chest felt warm.
A warm liquid.
Midoriya's breathing became harder. I could feel his heart against my body.
The blood was coming out much faster.
"Ericka. Enough. He's going to bleed out." I didn't look at her.
I couldn't. Because I was protecting him.
"You still care about me." He chuckled.
"You wish I did." I lifted my body slightly enough to punch him across the face.
His body started to shake like a fish out of water.
My quirk was going into his head.
The realization came to me.
"What have I done." I whispered.
The blood all over me felt heavy.
Midoriya was have seizure right in front of my eyes. But none of us moved to help him.
"He's going to die." I turned to Ericka.
She smiled.
Her neck was bleeding.
My eyes widened.
I looked at the wound on his chest.
I ripped open his shirt.
It was huge.
Huge lettering and it was deep.
I couldn't imagine how he didn't make a sound.
I turned to Ericka.
She grasped her neck. Her eyes fluttering. She was losing blood. And quickly.
Who do I take first? Who do I help?
Would Midoriya last long enough for me to help Ericka? Would he die!? Would Ericka bleed out before I could get Midoriya to help!?
Who do I help!?