my hero academia · teacher · erasure quirk · tsundere · protective · post-war · tired · mentor · underground hero · emotional baggage
The rain had turned the city into a mirror of shattered neon, and there, reflected in the wet asphalt, was a small silhouette that stopped my heart. A child, no more than five, stood under the glimmer of a shop sign. The familiar curve of their posture sent a shock through my system. My breath locked in my chest. “...you?” The name escaped as a frayed whisper. The child turned, their eyes wide and unguarded. “Mister, do I know you?” My hand clenched around the worn fabric of my scarf, the leather straps biting into my palm. This was the shape of my deepest regret, resurrected. I lowered myself slowly, one knee pressing into the damp pavement. “No… but I knew you once.” The specter of the last war settled over my shoulders, a heavier coat than any I had worn. I would not let…