Another short shot I've been tinkering with in my free time.
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The ground was covered in snow when his eyes flew open, as was he. It wasn't particularly as cold as it could've been with the sun oppressively bearing down on him yet he still shivered, a strange feeling stirring in his chest when he realized he was looking up into the empty sky instead of his bedroom's ceiling. He turned, looked around him, and his heart clenched furiously, a hundred knives striking him all at once as he took in the ruins of his home. Not a single thing was standing, everything reduced to dust, ash, and rubble. Tears sprung forth.
Oka-san... Oto-san...
Akihiko stood, trembling.
A whimper left his mouth when he saw the bloody hand beneath a piece of concrete. A dainty hand, nails painted white and blue just as she'd wanted, and her favourite wedding band around her finger. He crumpled to his knees, sobbing, and crawled towards his mother's body.
"Oka-san!!"
He grabbed her hand but let it go just as fast, a sourness creeping up his throat.
It's... so cold...
A loud cry ripped out of his throat and the tears blurring his sight came gushing out. No matter how many times he got hurt or how many times he behaved recklessly and got himself into trouble, that hand had always been the one to wipe away his tears. Every time, with a kind smile, her tender hands lifted his misery away from him. Offered him something better, a hope and understanding he didn't yet know would be the reason for his downfall into ceaseless despair. A tunnel only she knew the entrance to now had something else in it. All the lights had gone out. He was afraid of the dark, just like his sister was, so what else could he do but cry and wail, waiting... waiting...
For what? There was no one to see this, not anywhere; not a single ear that would hear his torture...
Akihiko went rigid, tears faltering for a moment.
Imouto-chan...
Then he heard another sound. A faint noise, a gurgling, coming from somewhere beneath all of this. He scrambled up and followed it, coming to a stop in front of a pile of wood and stones. Yes, the sound was definitely coming from here; He heard more soft noises like a mewling kitten, and something else. Plip, plop, plip, plop, it went, like a leaking hose. He pushed them away, a lump forming in his throat the moment he saw a short leg covered in soot and dust. When all of the debris had gone, though, he felt like the air was knocked out of his lungs. There she was; his little sister, curled up, hurt, and crying. He inhaled shakily.
Thank goodness... Thank goodness you're alive!
"Miyu-Chan...!" he whimpered, reaching out to pick her up.
Miyuki stopped shaking and peeked out from under her arms, revealing the blood in her hair and running down into her eyes. Her cries got louder.
"Nii-Chan..." came her hoarse voice. Akihiko felt his heart clench as he helped her out. He hugged her fiercely, not minding the little pricking sensations shooting through his arms. He was too glad. He just wanted to hold her, feel that she was actually alive.
There was no recollection in his mind just yet of what had happened to their home and family. Or maybe he wasn't yet ready to remember any of it.
For when he did, and everything changed drastically, there would be no going back.
"Nii-Chan..." she sniffled, burying her face in his chest. "It hurts... my hands...!"
He looked down and his eyes widened when he saw silver cracks and black tattooes across her skin, fresh blood oozing from them.
He held her closer, remembering his mother's words to him from last night. "It'll be OK. Your Nii-Chan will take care of it. It's not gonna hurt anymore." he stood up and started walking with his sister in his arms. Thankfully, she was still small so he carried her without issue. "I'll take care of it."
As he left, he kept an eye out got his father amongst the debris. There was no sign of him anywhere and before long, checking one last time over his shoulder, Akihiko walked away from his home and wandered into the city streets. It was drawing close to night time and he didn't know where he was going. People looked at him and his sister strangely when they passed, some worriedly staring after them – all without saying a word or doing anything. He didn't mind their linginering gazes, though. He needed to find a safe place, preferably a hospital or a clinic of some kind. His mother always went down this way whenever she drove to the pharmacy, right? So a hospital wasn't gonna be far from them? He hoped so. Miyuki had quietened since he started walking but he could still feel her shaking uncontrollably.
Soon, he couldn't even stand anymore and collapsed in an alleyway behind a hotel, making sure to land on his back so he didn't make Miyuki's injuries even worse. However, he shot right up when something damp touched him through the fabric of his shirt and looking down, his breathing grew heavy when he saw beads of sweat dotting her face.
"Miyu-Chan." He shook her gently. Nothing. Her breathing was hard and her cheeks were flushed a deep red. "Miyu-Chan... Miyu-Chan! Hey, Miyu-Chan...!" His eyes stung and tears collected in the corners of his eyes.
She wasn't waking up. Why wasn't she waking up? How was he only just noticing this? Her voice had gotten quieter and quieter as he walked, but...
Standing on shaky feet, he ran towards a hospital. He activated some of his Quirk to keep them both warm from the oncoming harsh winter breeze, hoping it would suffice until he got her the help she needed.
"It... hurts..." she murmured, clutching his singed shirt.
Hang in there. Hang in there, Imouto-chan!
He clenched his teeth. Warm tears spilled down his face.
Stay strong for a little while longer... please...!
Please don't leave me, too!
When he burst into the nearest hospital, Akihiko's legs gave out from under him. He vowed not to fall this time, though, and remained on one knee as he held onto Miyuki tightly, knuckles as stark a white as his hair.
Taking in a deep breath, he shouted for help. Doctors and nurses swarmed them, asking him all sorts of questions he didn't have the strength to answer since he continued keeping Miyuki warm with his Quirk. One of them pried her from him eventually and placed her on a gurney just as they did the same for him. His eyelids felt heavy all of a sudden and, fluttering shut, the last thing he saw was her black and white head being whisked into a different room from his, her small hand hanging limply over the side.
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8 years later – Musutafu city, 6:30 AM
Miyuki rolled herself over, one arm landing on her head and the other flopping off the side of the bed. She let out a loud snore which made the one standing in her doorway bite back a laugh, white hair gleaming from the light pooling in from the hallway.
He wasn't going to wake her just yet, much less so abruptly so she could mess up his new designer work clothes. They were state of the art, these, and second to none in the entire world. Or so said his designer. Even though she was an arduous student and kept up till late hours some nights studying and getting up early to do her daily jogs, this time it was more serious. This time, she'd been studying for the UA Entrance Exams and leaving home much earlier to do her training which, if he was being honest with himself, bothered him a little (a lot). He was concerned she was working herself to the bone – and not just that, she was working herself to the bone with two strangers; one man and a plain-looking boy around her age. Hawks said that was normal for girls her age to start taking notice in such things so he shouldn't worry.
But that was exactly why was worrying even more.
Slicking back his hair, Akihiko took a run start, jumped onto her form hidden beneath blankets –
"Ack!"
Miyuki shot up, wide eyed, then smacked him in the head as a tick mark throbbed on her face.
"Stupid Nii-Chan! What the heck did you do that for?! What if my ribs broke?!"
His dark glasses slid over his eyes as he grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Morning, Miyu-Chan!~ Did you have blissful dreams? Hmm?"
"Get off, I can't breathe."
He did as asked... then stuffed her face under his armpit. Miyuki shrieked.
"How 'bout now? Is that any better?"
"It stinks...!" She said, pulling herself free and gasping for air. "Your cologne is useless – you reek like a dumping ground!"
He ruffled her head. "Only trying to keep up with you, Licey-Dice."
"Like you could ever."
"Oi! Quit stealing my witty catchphrases."
"Technically, they're mine since I helped you come up with them. You just need some new material."
No!" He whined comically, squishing her cheeks between his hands. "What will my fans think? That I'm incapable of sticking to one theme and therefore can't even commit to being a pro hero? It'll sink my reputation!"
"Yeah, because that's why you became a pro." Miyuki blushed profusely as he started laughing at the weird expressions he was pulling her face into. Yesterday it was a 'Helios Rush: Rushed Hairdo' and now this? "Please stop. Or else..."
"Or else what, hmm?" He taunted, loving how annoyed she was getting.
"Or else I'll never call you Aki-nii-chan again."
He went white with shock then flew off of her bed. "Yes, ma'am. Understood."
Miyuki got out of bed, laughing lightly as she went over to him. Akihiko stumbled back a little when she hugged him.
"Thank you for getting me up on time. I know you said you had a lot more work this week..."
"Of course." He hugged her back, putting a hand on her head. "The new interns can handle a few petty criminals in my absence. I wasn't going to miss seeing the face of the one who will shatter UA's Entrance Exam record first thing in the morning. Which is why..."
He dangled his phone out of her reach, on its screen a picture of her whilst she was asleep, drooling heavily with hair all over the place, her All Might plushie in her arms, and a mustache made of light hovering under her nose. Akihiko grinned, cackling. Miyuki groaned in annoyance and tried to snatch his phone but bolted out of her room using his Quirk. She went after him, shouting, "I'm gonna tell all your fangirls you sing along to Glitter Force theme music and snuggle with a pillow of Mi –"
"Oi! Keep your voice down, the neighbours will hear you!"
After finally getting him to 'delete' the photo and getting ready for the UA Entrance Exams, Miyuki went into the kitchen and found a whole spread laid out on the dining table. She stared at it as she took her seat, baffled that this was the extent her brother went to that morning. He cooked breakfast during the week and she did over the weekends, but nothing ever this big. And it was so delicious, too that, when she saw it was time to leave and catch the train with Izuku, she grabbed a few treats for the trip as well as her new friend, hugging her brother goodbye.
"Don't be nervous. You'll do great," Akihiko said as he walked with her to his car. "You're someone who's capable of becoming the number one hero."
"Huh?" Miyuki stammered. "W-Where did that come from? I thought that's what you were aiming for..."
"According to the polls, yeah, but I think we all know the truth by now, don't you think? No, in all seriousness, Miyu-Chan..." he turned and put a hand on her shoulder. "I hear you talking about your dream when you think I'm not listening. I've seen you put in the work. You're going to become the greatest hero someday."
She lowered her reddening face, relying on her bangs to obscure her cheeks as she bit her lip. "The greatest...? I don't... think I'm someone who can do that, though."
"Not if you keep your eyes on the ground." He lightly flicked her chin. "C'mon, chin up, eyes wide open. Blind the world with that radiant smile of yours; it's what our genes are good for."
She smiled and that made him smile, too.
He offered to drive her to the school. As his Alma mater, he knew the way fairly well (and he could finally ask her about who that boy was), but Miyuki assured him she'd be fine catching the train with a friend. So they went their separate ways and even though he could've taken his car, Akihiko flew to work instead. Flying always helped him relax and think when he needed to. Right now, his mind was at peace as he spotted and stopped two punks from robbing a local store. His nerves, on the other hand... it was like the anxiety she was feeling coursed through him.
I wish she'd have just let me recommend her, he thought when he landed at his office window. The UA Entrance Exams were no joke and the ones he went through were practically hellish with all those other kids and robotic giants surrounding him in one environment. He had no idea what they would be like this year but, since it was the hero course, they would certainly throw a curve ball in there. At least a recommendation would've allowed her some mobility and space to flex her muscles, he believed, brushing the hair out of his eyes. He jumped down the ledge and landed lightly on the floor of his office.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," said the black-haired emo perched in his chair, feet kicked up on his desk, and playing wriggling a tiny blue flame across his fingers. He wore a dark coat that dangled over the chair's edge, a simple white dress shirt, and tight jeans ripped in some places and held by chains in others that disappeared into his black ankle length boots. "You're late."
"I was with my Imouto-chan. Today's a big day day for her, I thought I told you that," Akihiko replied, coming to stand across from him. The young man shrugged. "As expected from you. Well, I'm here now, and you're in my seat. Move your a**, Azula, I've got work to do."
"It was getting uncomfortable, anyway. The last thing you'd expect of the number three hero is masochism so you should get a new one."
Akihiko raised a brow as he stood across from him, a teasing smirk playing across his mouth. "Are you seriously giving me indoor decor ideas? You really have come such a long way, Touya-Kun~"
"Shut your mouth."
"You're the one who should stop talking. What if one of my sidekicks heard you? Then you'd be caught and handed over to the authorities."
Touya scoffed and turned to him, hnds shoved into his pockets and blue eyes glinting dangerously. "You'd be so cruel as to give me to them, knowing what I'd do if you didn't honour your end of the deal? Shame on you. So much for being a Guardian Hero. I thought you said you're not a cheap hotshot playing at being something he's not."
"I said I'd show you what I am," Akihiko replied, smacking his back, "then you'd decide for yourself whether it's worth considering or not. Anyway, you came all this way. What's bothering you?"
Touya shrugged off his hand. He pulled a picture out of his coat and Akihiko took it carefully, brows creased in deep consideration until, realizing who he was looking at, broke into a goofy grin and exclaimed, "Awww, is this you? It is you, isn't it?! Touya-Kun, you were so adorable as a child, what the hell happened? – Ach! Hey!"
The photo burst into blue flames, causing him to drop it.
"It's not something to be spoken about in a place like this."
"Then you could've just said that, you jerk! Look, ugh." Akihiko picked it up and patted out the flames, leaving half of the boy's face partially scorched and blackened. "Now it's completely ruined."
"Doesn't matter." Touya plucked it from him and stuffed it back into his coat. "It was sitting in a shrine, so it'll be replaced again."
Akihiko observed his masked expression, taking in the slight tick in his jaw and his eyes cast towards the window. If he hadn't known for as long as he did, he'd say he was brooding. But he was not. This thing that was bothering him went much, much deeper than a simple picture in a shrine and likely had something to do with why he was now opening the window and getting ready to leap out into the city streets.
"Hey, where are you going? I haven't even treated you to a drink," Akihiko said, pulling a silver flask from behind his back.
"Not interested. And anyway, that stuff doesn't work so much on me like it does on you," Touya said as he straddled the ledge. "I intend on watching you and that imouto-chan of yours closely today. Show me more of what you really are, Guardian Hero... And I'll do the same." He jumped down.
"Hey, you b*stard, my family wasn't part of the deal. Tch. Him and that ridiculous vanishing act. What the hell does he want with Miyu-Chan? Hmm."
It probably was a bluff and he probably didn't mean anything by it, but just to be sure he made a little butterfly with his light, whispered the location of the school to it before sending it flying off. He would've done that earlier, but he didn't want his sister finding out about his butterflies knowing how she'd react to it. And besides, he wanted to watch her fight a little, see how she did. Even so, he was sure everything was going to be just fine.
Tilting his head back, he downed the red grape juice from the flask in large gulps before pulling it away with a sigh of satisfaction. He slammed it down then swept all the loads of paperwork on his desk into the bin labelled 'Ichiji.' Yeah, his personal assisstant could take care of that while he dealt with the more interesting stuff.
"I spy with my little eye something starting with the letter..." He waved around his finger before touching the first report he'd made sure to keep on his desk. It had arrived earlier that morning from the police department, particularly from his good friend Tsukauchi Naomasa who'd texted him about it. " 'L'. Huh?" He scanned the paper and pursed his lips. "League of Villains, eh? A bit on the nose, but definitely seems worth investigating further..."