"Did you kidnap the number two hero's son?" Aizawa said over his coffee cup.
I jumped up to defend myself "No he came willing! This is my best friend Shoto Todoroki! And I thought he could stay the night in case his father comes home in one of his moods."
"So like a sleepover?" He raised his brow.
"Yes! And we can watch movies and eat junk food and sleep in." I said jumping.
That night me and Shoto watched lots of movies like Road to El Dorado and Hercules.
Hanging out and sleepovers became regular between us. At one point Aizawa had sat us both down to ask if we were dating. We both gagged and Aizawa let out a sigh.
"He's like the Romeo to my Mercutio!" I said proudly.
"Mercutio is killed by Tybalt." Aizawa said.
"Well um yeah but I'm immortal?" I said unsure. "Still he's like my best friend. We could never date. Ever." I emphasized.
"We only have one month left before the exams. Do you really think I'm ready?"
"Yes. But more training could never hurt."
Hours later, Aizawa was sweating through his jumper while I was only a little winded. "How do you have so much stamina?!" He asked.
"Uhhh experimentation?"
A week later the power went out in the whole apartment complex and the power company couldn't come until tomorrow. I had Aizawa show me to the power box and carry a step stool. Putting the step stool up, he held the light and I fixed the power by replacing two fuses.
He was surprised but didn't ask.
Other incidents continued to happen where I was forced to use skills that made me suspicious in Aizawa's eyes. Most questions I answered offhandly.
"I had a job as a __."
"I was taught this in school."
"I learned from a friend."
Or my personal favorite:
"I'm an immortal being that gets bored easily."
He did not laugh.
Sometimes it got really hard to act my age.
Sometimes Aizawa would find me staring off in the distance while holding something sharp. Usually ending in reprimand and he'd try to get me to open up. But the timing is never right.
Whenever we get a break me and Hitoshi and Midoriya hit the arcades and at one point ran into the angry Pomeranian from the sludge incident.
"Oi! Deku! What are you doing ere!" The Pomeranian shouted angrily.
He smells strongly of caramel like he's constantly working with explosives. It reminded me of all the property damage he did with his quirk while being attacked by the slime. But I also think of the burns on Izuku. Like little sparklers are being held to his skin. It made me grit my teeth and give Hitoshi a signal to get behind me.
I may be a cat but I'm going to intimidate this boy as much as I can even being clearly a foot shorter than him.
I squared my shoulders and lightly pulled Izuku behind me. I stood as tall as I could and yelled back at the blonde haired boy. "Leave him the fuck alone you angry dog!"
The boy nearly growled at me and I growled back much louder and stronger.
In the background Izuku was waving his hands wildly and stuttering appologies to this boy, kaachan. I sneered. Like he deserves such a childish cute nickname.
My growling startled the boy and I could see his eyes widen fractionally. A smirk tugged at my lips and I had to remind myself to reel in my blood thirst.
Izuku and Shinso are like family in the time I've known them. Since I gained my quirk I've been more animal than human and to me family is pack. To threaten my pack is to threaten me.
I had to remind myself he is a child and he is a petty fool. I growled again before nodding when he backed off. I grabbed Izuku and Shinso's hands and began to walk away.
A hand reached towards Izuku and I snapped my jaw at it and my sharp fangs pierced the skin causing the boy to pull his hand back harshly.
I smiled victoriously as the blonde boy held his hand to his chest and walked off. Licking my lips of the blood like a lion licks it's chops.
I began talking under my breath lightly before getting more confident and louder. Looking both in the eye. "You may not understand my motives or actions but both of you are family. You are pack. To threaten my pack is to threaten me and I will not stand for it. Izuku, he does anything to you I'll gut him. Shi-kun, anyone says anything to you and I will silence them."
That night I could not sleep without worry. After unloading on the both of them I felt anxious. I haven't felt this strongly for humans in a long time. Not since I was younger. I only hopped that they could accept me.
Unable to sleep I went in search of Aizawa on patrol. I followed him from the shadows and he never made an inclination that he knew I was there.
In such a Short time, 6 or so months, I have come to see him as a father figure. Something I didn't think I could even have at my age. But something I really needed. The one time I called him dad aloud was spur of the moment I was so happy. We haven't talked about the slip up since and I'm grateful. But he also didn't react badly to it so maybe...
A crash to my right had me on high alert. Aizawa was fighting on thug while another was on the ground already knocked out. I watched carefully over him when another one crawled out of the wall. He was stalking up behind Aizawa's back and I wanted to scream for him to turnaround but instincts took over and I jumped into the alley. Shifting to my human skin with claws out I jump tackled the man behind Aizawa.
I slashed across his shoulder and using momentum I jumped up and spun, kicking the side of his head. He went down hard and then the thug that had been knocked out earlier woke up. He mistook me for a child because of my height and tried to grab me with a gun in his hand.
I sneered at the metal weapon and slashed across his arm making him drop the gun and I snarled at him. Arms wide out and claws on display, I growled deep in my chest like I did with the Pomeranian. Another person threatened my pack. What's worse! Threatening my father figure.
Disbelief was clearly written all over my face. I dashed at the thug and he tried melting into the wall. Before he could I clawed across his stomach and around his back. He immediately tried to hold his stomach in pain.
I didn't cut deep enough to leak his innards but he would need lots of stitches.
The thug sank to the ground in shock.
Behind me Aizawa made a coughing noise.
"I can explain!" I tried to say. But before I could get an explanation out, Aizawa had picked me up and was holding me close to his chest like a child.
I could smell the anger, worry, fear, but also distrust. That last smell was sour, almost acidic.
I let him hold me while he tried to hold himself together as well.
"I'm sorry." I said quietly and more vulnerable than I wanted to sound.
Aizawa pulled away and held me away from him. The anger on his face was clear. So was the distrust. I had just nearly gutted two grown men like it was nothing. This was not acting my age. This was me acting like the soulless creature I was and could be. The part of me that acted out my years and experience.
I tried to explain it as simply as I could. If I loose his trust I could lose him forever. I slowly, like a skittish animal, put my fist to his chest where his heart was. "You are part of my pack, Hitoshi, Midoriya, Yagi, Shoto, and Aizawa. It's a small pack. But it's my pack. To threaten the pack is to threaten me." I said repeating most of what I told the others today in a calm manner.
I pulled my hand back to my chest and spoke quietly. "I couldn't protect momma. But I swear to protect my new pack. I wanna be a strong hero to protect my family."
I woke up early by early standards. It was 3 Am. I tried to sleep in more but I was too nervous and had to go for a run. I ran from the apartment down to the beach and back. Still too jittery to go back to sleep.
So I laid there on the roof of our apartment for four hours, just watching the stars. It made my life feel so insignificant. So small. It made my chest ache and my bones feel older.
Eventually Aizawa joined me. He sat beside me and we just watch the sky in silence. It's been three days since I called him family, since I told him he's part of my pack. So far things have settled for now. But I don't have much hope for it lasting.
The sun was on the horizon and the sky was shades of pink and blue. I could feel the tenants moving around their apartment below me. And so it begins.