Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Before

“You freak!”

Inko dodged the bottle he threw at her, watching in annoyance as it shattered on the wall behind her. She was not surprised by his reaction but it was still frustrating to see that her father’s bigotry extended to even his own daughter.

“Dad—” she started.

He dragged a hand across his face. “Can’t believe it…” he slurred, “a fucking monster of my own blood.” His eyes fluttered uncertainly as he tottered in place, trying to keep himself upright.

She glared at him but said nothing. Not that it would matter anyway, at this point of intoxication words lost all meaning.

“You lived—” he said, his hand slipping on the counter as he tried to hold himself up, “—under MY roof, knowing full well that you— you’re one of them fucking mutants,” he spat. “I fed you, raised you, kept you and that deadbeat, and let you leech off me—”

“His name is Yoichi,” Inko said quietly.

“What?” He squinted at her, his face growing redder by the minute.

“Your son,” she said sharply. “The least you can do is learn his name.”

He laughed bitterly. “Not till that son of a bitch gets off his ass and stops blowing my hard-earned money, the fucking parasite.”

“‘Hard earned’?” Inko smiled, her lips curling to show her barred teeth. “You seriously want to pretend that any money you don’t immediately blow on drugs and booze is ‘hard earned’? I know what you’ve done to get that money—”

“I did what I had to,” he hissed.

She shook her head softly. “And you call me the monster.”

“People like you,” he said, “should be put down. Abominations. An affront to nature.”

Inko winced.

“Are you proud?” he asked quietly. “Are you fucking proud to be such a disgrace?”

“I was given a gift—” she tried.

“A defect,” he spat.

“—and I’m using it to make the world a better place, to help people. That’s more than you can say.”

“No matter how you dress it up you’ll never be more than a freak, a disappointment.”

Inko felt her blood begin to boil, anger finally rising to the surface. How dare he— how dare he undermine her, after everything he’d done.

“You do realize I could kill you, right?” she said, letting her fury slip into her voice. “I have more power than you will ever comprehend, old man.”

“Is that a threat?” he jeered.

“No,” Inko said, glaring at him. “It’s a promise.” She turned and walked away, never looking back.

Now

Inko had fallen into monotony. Every day just like the one before with only slim deviations and each one anticipated. This was not to say her life was dull, quite the contrary, she lived a life incomprehensible to the rest of the world and she loved every second of it. She was blessed with the freedom to try everything she wanted and the power to succeed.

No, she loved her life. She loved the dozens of identities she had created over the years, loved the constant motion, loved the fast-paced, high-stakes nature of everything she did, loved the neverending planning, the analysis, files upon files, books upon books, records of everything. She loved her unwavering observation of the gears of the world, every last one of them, and the understanding that came with it.

But at some point, after years and years of living it became routine. Nothing more. She had started to lose the passion of her youth and it troubled her greatly.

Even so, she ignored the slowly growing stagnation, promising herself that everything she ever wanted was just on the side of tomorrow, or some equally near unknown date.

So it was that this particular night had her feeling more restless than usual. She blamed it on All Might’s continued rise to fame in America, on the fact that the only person that stood between her and complete and utter success was half a world away. She would not allow herself to follow him, her responsibilities in Japan were of much greater importance than pursuing a generational feud. To some extent, he was the source of her discontentment, but a far greater factor was the numbing loneliness that she refused to admit to even herself.

Of course she didn’t. It was far too painful to realize that even after decades of practice she had still failed to control her own emotions. How was it that the great King of the Underworld, the legendary All for One, master of all she met, could suffer from something as trivial as loneliness? It was much simpler to pretend that she didn’t.

She walked down the street in a cloud of frustration, making her way to her apartment after a long and exhausting night.

It was the same apartment she and Yoichi had lived in all those years ago. Even though she could afford the home of her choosing these days, she preferred to stick with the old, her first home away from her father, a source of freedom for her.

She stayed there even as the neighborhood, which hadn’t been the best even in its prime, began to deteriorate, falling into ruin as it was overtaken by the scum of the streets, as it became a place to fear and avoid. It was too near to her memories for her to leave.

It had gotten to the point where she rarely walked the nearby streets without having her shapeshifting quirk active, making her look much more threatening than her biological body. This night, however, she walked confidently in her own skin just daring someone to try her, putting a would-be-mugger in their place might prove to be effective in letting off a little steam. The streets seemed to be deserted, however, and for a while it seemed her frustration would be left to stew.

As she was walking past an alley though she happened to catch the sounds of a scuffle. Typically she wouldn’t bother intervening in situations that didn’t concern her but in this particular instance, she’d make an exception.

There seemed to be two men, an attacker and his victim. She could see why the mugger had chosen this man, in his tailored suit and sharp haircut he was clearly wealthy. Why such a person was out walking the streets alone was beyond her but he was obviously out of his depth as he struggled to fend off his assailant. Flames filled the small area, a pretty little quirk Inko noted, but they didn’t stop the mugger from slashing at him, sharp dagger-like claws scoring a hit across his side.

“I don’t have anything, I swear!”

“Likely story,” said the attacker. “Just cooperate and I’ll let you go.”

Inko pushed her way between the two, expertly dodging both the fire and claws as she maneuvered the attacker into a harmless position. She didn’t even have to use one of her quirks as it was clear that both of them were amateurs. A shame, she had been hoping for a bit more of a challenge, but the small adrenaline rush would have to do.

Behind her the victim slid against the wall of a nearby building, breathing heavily and clutching his side. Throwing a look at him to confirm he wasn’t paying her any attention she faced the attacker and her face morphed ever so slightly, till her cold glare became far less comical on her soft face and began to appear much more sinister.

The mugger tried to take a step back in shock and stumbled as he did, seemingly forgetting that Inko still had a hold on his arms.

It was funny to her, how her eyes, so kind and warm, unassuming, on her original face, seemed to shine a little brighter when paired with her shift quirk. People tended to ignore how cold her gaze was typically, disregarding it to focus instead on her gentle body.

She let go of the man. “Don’t come back,” she hissed.

He tripped over his own feet, running away as fast as he could.

She turned her attention back to the victim, there was blood pooling beneath him. He made eye contact with her although his blinks seemed to last too long. “That—” he said, his voice stilted, “—was unfortunate.” He then fell unconscious.

Inko snorted and rolled her eyes. She bent down and put her hand on his chest, activating a healing quirk as she did. The wounds on him closed although the man remained unconscious. She looked down at him. It wasn’t as if she could just take him to a hospital to finish recovering—the use of her quirk would be obvious to professionals—but she couldn’t just leave him either, it would be hours till he woke up.

She realized she’d made a mistake. This is what her distraction had cost her, too wrapped up in her own emotions to be half as cautious as she should.

Eventually, she realized she didn’t have any other option.

Sighing as she bent down she activated another quirk and invisible strings lifted the man off the ground and floated him behind her as she returned home.

-

He woke up while she was in the middle of making dinner, a late meal as it was nearly ten at night by that point, but for all her invulnerability food remained a necessity. It was silly, she knew, to take up a hobby like cooking. It was time-consuming and would be easier to just order food, and yet she enjoyed the lull it gave her, a breath of relaxation not common in her hectic lifestyle.

“Telekinesis, huh?” The man said, sitting up from where she had laid him on the couch.

Without flinching, she caught the knife she had been pulling towards herself and began to slice the potatoes she had just finished peeling. “Minor attraction quirk,” she corrected, her back still towards him. She cursed herself internally. Now she would have to make sure not to use any other quirk around him lest he catch on.

He swung his legs over the edge and began to stand.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she said, tossing him a look over her shoulder. “You’re still recovering.”

He put his elbows on his knees, looking up at her. “And yet I do seem to be significantly less cut up than I remember. Your fault I assume?”

“My neighbor,” she lied. “Healing quirk. You’ll still take several hours before you’re back to full health.”

He hummed in acknowledgment. “I’m grateful, don’t get me wrong, but why didn’t you just take me to the hospital?”

“Doctors ask questions,” she said, throwing him a glance over her shoulder. “Forgive me for assuming that the gentleman wandering these streets this late at night in a three-piece suit might not be so keen on getting the authorities involved.”

He laughed. “And what’s to say I just like to look nice?”

Inko raised an eyebrow. “Correct me if I’m wrong but that suit jacket seems to be an authentic Brioni. Typically the average person doesn’t wear that quality ‘just to look nice’.”

He looked sheepish. “I wouldn’t know.”

“Quite the aristocrat aren’t you? Daddy buy that suit for you?”

Surprisingly he didn’t seem offended. “I’ll admit my wardrobe wasn’t the wisest of choices,” he said, smiling.

Inko snorted. “You don’t say.”

“Well, it wasn’t as if I had penciled in a mugging for this evening's activities.”

Inko didn’t respond. She sighed as she heard him rise despite her advice and walk into the kitchen.

“I don’t suppose I could get the name of my knight in shining armor?”

She hesitated. “Inko,” she said finally.

He raised an eyebrow. “First name basis already? That’s quite forward of you.”

It wasn’t that she had cared to be so informal, but she hadn’t used her family name in years and she didn’t feel like changing that anytime soon. Shigaraki was a stained name, and there was no one still alive to remember her by it, a fact, although painful sometimes, that she was glad for. It wasn’t like there were many opportunities for her to introduce herself as she was anymore and she’d long since given up on cultivating a normal life for herself.

“In that case,” he continued. “You can call me Hisashi.”

“Well, ‘Hisashi’, as long as you’re ignoring me and walking around, why don’t you go ahead and make yourself useful?” She held out the knife to him, handle first, and gestured to the half cut potatoes. As he took it she turned her attention to the pot of broth bubbling on the stove.

“Thank you again,” he said as he began to cut the potatoes, “I am curious though, how’d you get that guy to back off?”

“A little thing I’d like to call being an iota more intimidating than a confused rich boy who’s seemingly lost his bodyguard.”

“I’m glad you felt the need to step into the empty role.”

“I’ll be expecting a raise, of course.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on that,” he said. “I happen to find myself a little down on my luck.”

Inko raised an eyebrow as she took the potatoes from him and scraped them into the pot. “Rich boy is broke now, is he? What’d you do? Get on Daddy’s bad side?”

For once Hisashi’s smile seemed slightly forced. “Something like that.”

Inko noted his discomfort and dropped the subject. She finished stirring the soup and turned down the heat, allowing it to simmer. “Bowls are above the microwave,” she said after a moment.

Hisashi turned, looking for the cabinet indicated, and grabbed two bowls from the bottom shelf. Inko ladled a few scoops into each and turned, walking with her meal to the table. Hisashi joined her, pulling out the adjacent chair as he sat down next to her.

The two ate in silence for a moment. “This is really good,” Hisashi said after a few bites.

Inko looked at it in dissatisfaction. “Could’ve been better.”

Hisashi shrugged. “I like it.”

The rest of the meal passed in silence, neither party knowing exactly how to start another conversation.

As Hisashi finished his meal he walked to the sink and began to wash his empty bowl.

“Just leave it,” Inko said from the table.

“It’s no bother,” Hisashi said.

Inko stood and set her bowl next to the sink. “You can spend the night here if you’d like. Blankets are in the closet,” She gestured to the hallway behind her. “First door to the left as you walk in.”

“I appreciate it.”

Inko began to walk away. “Don’t mention it. If you got murdered around here it’d lower the property value. Quite the inconvenience.”

Hisashi laughed. “Goodnight, Inko.”

Inko didn’t respond.

-

Inko woke to the smell of eggs cooking. As she pushed herself into the kitchen she noticed Hisashi standing at the stove. He was still in his suit although he’d neglected most components and had unbuttoned the top two buttons to allow himself to breathe.

“Morning,” he said as he heard her walk in. “I hope you don’t mind but I figured since you cooked dinner I should make you breakfast. I hope you like eggs.” He scratched his head. “It’s one of the few things I can make reliably well.”

“It’s pretty difficult to screw up eggs.”

“I’m sure I could manage.” He plated the eggs and handed them to her, grabbing a second plate for himself.

Inko took a bite. “I’ve had worse.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Inko smiled and let out a huff that only in the most rudimentary of ways resembled a laugh.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Fine,” said Inko. In truth, she had stayed up for several hours after going up to her room to continue working. Her responsibilities were far too demanding for the recommended dosage of sleep. “You?”

He nodded. “Thanks again, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there last night.”

“Gotten mugged I’m sure. Which, if you are to be believed, would be quite an issue considering you’re ‘down on your luck’ right about now.”

Hisashi shrugged. “It’s true. I couldn’t have given him anything even if I’d wanted to.”

Inko rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Well,” Hisashi stood from his seat. “I don’t want to overstay my welcome, and I’m feeling much better this morning, so if you don’t mind—” He placed his empty plate next to the sink and gestured behind him to the door. “—I’ll see myself out now.”

“Do try to not get mugged again.”

“I’ll do my best.” He flashed her an impish grin. “I don’t suppose you’d be so inclined as to give me your number before I go?”

Inko was taken aback at his forwardness. “Now why would I give my number to Mr. Rich Boy that was stupid enough to get mugged in the bad part of town?”

Hisashi raised his hands in defense, his smile never wavering. “In my defense, I wasn’t aware it was the ‘bad part of town’ at first.”

Inko raised an eyebrow. “What tipped you off?”

Hisashi looked up, pretending to be deep in thought. “I’d say it was probably when I was stabbed.”

“That’d do it.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m new in town.”

“Are you now? Well then, tell me why I should give my number to the I’m-new-in-town rich boy that got himself cut and mugged?” She tilted her head, well aware she was just avoiding answering him. “In fact, you never did tell me: what exactly were you doing there anyway?”

He scratched the back of his head. “I was looking for someplace to spend the night.”

Inko looked at him in disbelief. “You were looking for somewhere to sleep. In a dark alley. While wearing a full suit.”

“Bingo.”

She sighed. “Now why on earth were you doing that?”

“Well you see, I was rather tired, hence—”

“No,” Inko interrupted. “I’m curious now. What did the rich boy do to get thrown out onto the streets? Make daddy angry?"

Hisashi laughed. "Hit the nail on the head. My parents kicked me out a few days ago, I got nothing but the clothes on my back. I’ve been hopping around, staying with friends while I try to get enough cash for my own apartment but I didn’t want to be too much of a burden.” He looked down seemingly slightly embarrassed.

“So you decided to sleep, alone, out in a random alley?”

“Well when you put it that way—”

“You’re really not helping your case that you’re not an idiot.” She sighed. “Why’d they kick you out?”

“Ah, well, you see, there’s a slight possibility that I—”

“Out with it.”

“I used their money to attend university when they thought I was going to remedial heroic classes.”

Inko was surprised. “Can’t say that’s what I was expecting.”

“Yup.” Hisashi stuck his hands in his pockets. “They want me to go into the family business, follow in my brother's footsteps.”

“But you don't want to… why exactly?”

He shrugged. “I’ve never really been a fan of the whole hero society. Always seemed a little too… constricting? All those laws and regulations, and it’s not like it really helps with saving people. So often people get into the business for the money, they don’t really care. At least, that's how my brother is. He just wants to get to the top, regardless of what that takes.”

Inko was fascinated. So seldom did people question hero society these days, and here this man was, bringing up all the points that made up Inko’s entire stance. “Hmm,” she said. “I guess that’s one similarity between the two of us.”

“What? You the black sheep of your family too? Or just not a fan of heroes?”

Inko paused. “Both, I suppose.” She wasn’t sure why she told him that.

Hisashi looked surprised. “Well then, I suppose you and ‘this idiot rich boy’ have more in common than you thought, huh?”

Inko rolled her eyes and turned away, walking to the kitchen bar.

“Hey, wait, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Relax. I’m just grabbing my purse.”

“What?”

“You said you need cash for a downpayment.”

“Hold up, I didn’t mean— you don’t have to—”

Inko ignored his prattle and thrust a stack of bills at him. They were fastened with a band over the center, exactly a hundred bills with the top showing 10,000 yen.

“What..? I can’t possibly accept this, that’s way too much— Did you just have that on hand?”

“Take it or leave it. If you must, you can consider it a loan, although don’t feel obligated to do so.”

Slowly Hisashi took the stack from her. “There is no way this was obtained legally,” he said in a hush.

Inko shrugged. “You’ve had a chance to enjoy the neighborhood yourself, do you really think anything here is legal?”

Hisashi laughed. “Fair enough. I won’t pry.” He got a sly grin on his face. “Don’t suppose you’d allow me to show my gratitude?”

“I’d be damned if we have the same idea of gratitude.”

Hisashi bowed, extending his free hand. “I only wish to take a gorgeous woman out on the date of a lifetime, truly what someone of her station deserves.”

“You’d be flat broke if it wasn’t for me. How could you possibly afford a date?”

Hisashi looked up at her, eyebrow raised. “My lady, money is not a necessity for a romantic night.”

“No?”

He smiled. “Why don’t you let me show you?” His eyes widened as he felt her take his hand. She quickly scribbled her number across his wrist.

“Fine,” she said, clicking her pen. “A number for the idiot rich boy. This better be worth it.”

“Trust me,” he said, blowing at the ink to dry it. “It will be.”