Chapter Text
Quickly glancing up to see the results, Nemuri freezes as her clear blue eyes meet drowsy purple.
There was nothing to begin with. Only darkness.
And in that darkness she sat, waiting for something to change… and slowly it did. Slowly she became aware of her body, arms and legs. Then her hands and feet. Soon enough she sensed her fingers and toes too.
She knew they were there just as she knew what they were called without being told, yet she could not see them, could not move them. The darkness remained wrapped around her, holding her together, warm, soft and safe. She knew nothing but the darkness, needed nothing but the darkness, not even who she was.
In that darkness she drifted. The occasional word would come to mind but she had no memory, no picture, no understanding of how or why she knew the word or what it meant.
She knew of the colour green and that leaves were that colour, yet she could not recall the image of a leaf, the sound brown ones made when you walked over them or the scent. She could say a circle was round and had only one side, yet could not picture the shape.
All she knew was the black darkness and the body she could not move. Time passed her by yet it had no meaning to her.
After a while she became aware of her throat and mouth, air passing through them every few seconds. She felt the brush of nothing against her lips and expanding her chest before it left her once more. It wasn’t much but it was something to focus on. Something she could count. So count she did. Each number followed the last.
60… 61… 62… 63… 64… 65… *beep*… *beep*… *beep*…
A sound took over where she left off counting. She doesn’t count the beeping, simply letting it take her focus. The steady rhythm broke the silence that had surrounded her until that point. It was joined by another, almost in time but quieter. It sounded further away then the first. The pair… almost sounded like a heartbeat.
*beep**beep*… *beep**beep*… *beep**beep*… *beep**beep*… *beep**beep*…
As she listens, she can’t help the wave of sad, loneliness that washes over her. They sounded like a heartbeat… yet the two were separate. For some reason she believed they shouldn’t be separate. The two beats should be one. Why were they two? Why was she sad that there were two, where only one should be? Why did she feel lonely all of a sudden? Trapped in the darkness, pinned down with nothing but a broken heartbeat to break the silence that had been!
Suddenly there was more. Now she recognised the sensation of her eyes and having them closed. Carefully she focuses and attempts to blink. They squeeze closed before relaxing but remaining shut. Trying again she manages to open them, only to close them quickly once more.
The world was white! So different from her safe darkness she panicked!
Taking a deep breath, and wow she could control that now, she tries again. Opening her eyes just a little and peeking at the white world around her. She stares at the white before her for a while before recognising the thing before her as a ceiling… with tiles.
Glancing to the side and she sees white walls and a tall thing with things coming out of it… heart monitor and wires . Glancing the other way, there was more white, then a sudden mass of blue and green! … The sky… Midoriya’s hair…
Finally having a visual picture to go with the word, sense focuses on the mass of green hair. It led onto a boy laying on white sheets and connected to another heart monitor…. Midoriya Izuku…
Blinking slowly a haze of confusion fills her mind.
Midoriya Izuku… wasn’t that her? No, it was the boy in front of her… but also her. Was she not Midoriya Izuku? If not, then who was she? Could they both be? Or maybe neither of them were… who had claim to the name Midoriya Izuku!
The sound of a soft gasp cuts through the confused rant and she looks towards the sound… only to meet eyes that matched the blue of the sky.
Kayama Nemuri
Quirk - somnambulist
Hero name - Midnight the R-rated hero
Modern Art History Teacher at U.A High school.
She is thirty years old…
The thoughts fill her mind as she looks at the woman, facts, one after another. How? How did she know this woman and all these facts about her yet not know her own name? Why? What was going on?
“Hey, hey now. Calm down. Take a deep breath for me. Come on, breathe in…”
Lost in her thoughts and panic she listens to the voice. Taking a deep breath she holds it. This was a breathing exercise. For panic attacks, was she having a panic attack?
“Now hold it. Good, you are doing well. Just a little longer… and release slowly.”
Still following the voice, she lets her breath go, slowly. Blinking once, twice, three times her eyes focus on sky blue once more. The hero had crossed the room quickly and was beside her bed now, reaching out but not touching. She hadn’t even realized she had fallen back into the darkness. The blue of Kayama’s (Midnight’s? No she didn’t have her signature whip… not that she could be sure but nothing she could see pulled the word forth) eyes helped calm her. She knew this woman. This hero. She was safe, even if she didn’t know who she was.
Repeating the exercise a few more times, she feels herself calming completely. Once she is relaxed once more she offers the hero a small smile. The smile is returned and Kayama moves back a little.
“There we are. No need to panic. You are in the hospital and safe. Can you… talk?”
Those blue eyes were looking at her with concern and worry now. She… wasn’t sure. Could she speak? She knew she should be able to. There was nothing she knew that would stop her. Maybe she should try? Not yet. She wants to sit up first. Once she is up, then she’ll try to speak.
Slowly, she moves her arms. She felt stiff and a little unsteady, as though she had no control over her limbs. Yet once she puts them on the bed she manages to push herself up, head falling to the side a little like a babies before she holds it still.
“Hey! Careful, careful. Let me help you. May I help you?”
Having backed up she now seemed to hover in the center of the room. Watching her, she slowly, carefully nods. That seemed to be all the heroine needed before she crossed the gap once more and started re-arranging the pillows with one hand whilst the other wrapped around her and gently pulled her to lean her head against the woman’s chest and shoulder.
She smelt… sweet, maybe a little floral. Lavender maybe? Understandable if the scent is used for putting people to sleep.
“People have been using the scent of lavender to induce sleep for generations. Oils and soaps in the bath before bed. Spray on the pillow… it would explain the purple colour to her hair too… so her scent is a concentrated version perhaps…”
A chuckle cuts off her thoughts and she looks up, into the blue eyes once more.
“I hear you are a mutterer too. I love your thoughts on my quirk, though I’m not sure how you know it. Now, why don’t you lean back against the pillow and you can tell me your name, hmm?”
She had been… muttering? Since when? What had she said? Something about Kayama’s quirk?
Deciding to push that to the side for now she leans back then shuffles a little so her back is against the pillows as she looks up to the hero before her. Her name? Did she even have one? Midoriya? No, that wasn’t her name. That was his name. So who was she? Was she anyone? What was her name?
“I… I don’t know… I don’t know my name. Do I have one?”
Frowning down at her hands, now in her lap, she starts wringing her fingers together. What did it mean if she didn't have a name? Who was she? Did she have amnesia?
She needed a name right? To tell everyone who she is. Parents give their children a name but… she didn’t have any parents either, did she. She had no name and no parents. Was she meant to name herself then? Was she… no body?
She was so confused, what was she supposed to do? Who was she supposed to be?
“Hey, hey. Calm down. If you don’t know or can’t remember that is fine. Focus on me. You know me right? You know my quirk. What can you tell me about myself, hmm?”
The voice, Kayama, was trying to distract her from her thoughts. She doesn’t hesitate to look at her and focus, focus on the facts coming to mind simply looking at the woman. Opening her mouth to speak, to say each sentence out loud, but there was something in her throat and it burned…
It starts with a single cough, then the air in front of her is filled with black… smoke! The burning in her chest only grows as she coughs over and over, smoke puffing out with each harsh exhale. It hurt. It wasn’t right. What was wrong with her? Someone help!
Izuku had no idea what had happened! He had been…he’d been… he… where had he been? Somewhere large, no roof but many people and… shops… A dull rumble of people talking and walking around him. The occasional child’s cry or group laughter breaking up the constant white noise that had surrounded him.
Something had touched his shoulder! When he turned there was… a girl… her brown hair was cut short, but had bangs falling past her cheeks and chin. She was smiling and holding up a bag as she spo-
Mall! He was at the Mall with his friends!
He had been at the mall with a few friends. The girl with short brown hair, determined but kind smile and a boy with navy hair and glasses. He glazed his arm almost like a… toy robot?… They had been buying stuff for… their… class… but… who were they?
*FLASH*
A great big door stands before him with a giant 1A painted onto it. He stood outside nervous and unsure. Voices from inside were shouting and were rather loud, he could almost hear every word even with the door shut!
*FLASH*
1A… class 1A… his class with his friends.
*Flash*
Blond hair and red eyes glaring.
“Tch… Names Bakugo Katsuki.”
“Kacchan!”
“Damn nerd!”
A huge explosion sounds, filling the air around him with a bright light and intense heat.
*Flash*
Bakugo Katsuki… Kacchan… He creates explosions from his hands… had they known each other a long time? He had many memories centered around the blond. Many of them had them looking much younger than he felt.
*Flash*
Blue hair, blue eyes and glasses, arm swinging down sharply.
“I’m Iida Tenya!”
“Midoriya… don’t get involved. This has nothing to do with you.”
A dark alleyway, blood, fire and screaming in the background.
*FLASH*
Iida Tenya… Ingenium… engines in his legs… fastest runner in their class. Brother to the hero Ingenium. He… tried to fight the hero killer? Why… were they close?
*FLASH*
A voice behind him, brown hair, brown eyes and a sensation of falling… but never hitting the ground.
“I’m Uraraka Ochako.”
“But Deku sounds like the Japanese word for ‘You can do it!’”
Smoke, people booing, rocks in the sky falling down and tears.
*FLASH*
Uraraka Ochako… Uravity… five pads on her fingers when touch to an item make it weightless. They trained together. Studied together. Friends? Could they call each other friends? Maybe… with Iida too!
But… there is something missing. More than just the three of them… but who? Who was with them!?
*FLASH*
Colors! So many colors mixed together. Red and white, brown and blue… hot and cold?
“The names Todoroki Shoto”
“You’ve heard of quirk marriages, right?”
There was freezing ice encasing his arms, fore filling the air, pain so much pain! Yet relief and happiness before a rush of blinding light and… darkness.
*FLASH*
Right… Todoroki Shoto… the youngest child of Endeavour. The white side creates ice, the red side creates fire. He didn’t… he didn’t use his fire side. No, he does now. They had a fight and he uses it now.
They were his friends. The one’s most important to him. Kacchan, Iida, Uraraka and Todoroki… but no… that wasn’t quite right. Kacchan had other friends. They had been friends in the past. It now. Now there was…
*FLASH*
Red hair, shark teeth, rock like skin.
“It’s Kirishima Eijiro.”
Yellow and black, static, a flash and laughter.
“I’m Kaminari Denki.”
Black hair, wide elbow, white tape.
“I’m Sero Hanta.”
Pink skin, black eyes, colorful clothes.
“I’m Ashido Mina.”
Music, purple hair, sound waves
“I’m Jiro Kyoko.”
Black hair, calm voice, items falling, sparkling light.
“Hi, I’m Yaoyorozu Momo.”
Short, dark purple, sticky, blood.
“Yo! I’m Mineta Minoru.”
Long green hair, bow, frog, to the point.
“My name is Asui Tsuyu”
Blond, glitter, stomach ache, cheese.
“Moi, Aoyama Yuuga!”
Feathers, darkness, light, bird.
“Tokoyami Fumikage”
Quiet, beige, rock, furry, fluffy.
“… Kouda Kouji…”
Clothes, flash, movement, unseen.
“Hagakure Tooru here!”
Big, sweet, baking, homely.
“I am Satou Rikidou.”
White hair, blue mask, arms, eyes, mouths, ears.
“Shouji Mezou, pleasure.”
Blond, fast, fluffy, tail.
“Hello, I’m Ojiro Mashirao.”
*FLASH*
His class… his class mates… he had been training, fighting and surviving at their side. They watched each other’s backs and supported each other. Yet… there was still someone missing… who? He had all his classmates. He knew he had them all so…
*FLASH*
Long black hair, yellow sleeping bag and goggles, white scarf floating, red eyes glowing.
“I’m Aizawa Shouta.”
“You’re not ready. You have no control over your power.”
Shouting, people flying, cries of pain, a blur of black and the sound of snapping.
*FLASH*
Their… his teacher. Aizawa Shota aka Eraser head. Quirk Eraser. The man who had risked his life many times to save him and his classmates. He was… almost like a father to them. Caring, if a little harsh about it.
That was… a lot to remember in one go. Squeezing his eyes tight, Izuku tries to focus on something else. It was only then he heard the sound of coughing and the sound of a soothing voice trying to offer comfort.
Slowly opening one eye he was faced with the white ceiling of a hospital room, he had been in one often enough to know what one looked like. Blinking slowly, his eye lids felt so heavy. Why couldn’t he just sleep some more?
The sound of coughing broke through his single thought and drew his attention. Letting his head fall to the side green eyes fell on a woman with long dark indigo hair talking and trying to comfort a girl with light purple hair. Relations maybe…?
He doesn’t focus on them though as another could of smoke rises from between them and disappears before reaching the ceiling. It… reminded him of something… of someone…
“… Smoke… quirk?”
The woman’s head whipped around when he spoke, looking at him with her bright blue eyes. She gave him a smile and turned towards him more, though not leaving the girls side. He knew her… from somewhere but… where?
“Midoriya! What was that? Smoke quirk?”
He takes a second to blink for a long slow moment. He knew her and she knew him in turn. He should try to rem- no the smoke was far more interesting. He had memories that had something similar… but not the girl. He had nothing on her.
*FLASH*
Spiky black hair, wide grin, rasping voice, the smell of sulfur, a warm laugh and hot air.
“Hey Little Izuku. It’s daddy here.”
“Inko dear *cough* pass over the *cough* bar please.”
This rustle of a wrapper can be heard, then a crunch. The coughing slowly stopped and the warmth returned. Fire flickered behind lips and teeth and filled the air with soft glowing ash that vanished as it fell to the ground.
*FLASH*
“Dad used to smoke… in the mornings… had to eat a fire starter bar before it would stop… not as bad as that though. Think the fire goes out when asleep. Needed to be fueled in the morning…”
Nemuri didn't know what to do, what to think! Just minutes ago she had looked up to check the girl was still there and two purple eyes had looked back. Now she was rushing to call for a doctor or nurse as the same girl exhaled smoke!
The minutes that had passed between had been filled with three near panic attacks and helping the girl sit up! What else could go wrong after this! By Kami if she didn’t work out what was going on Shota would hunt her down for letting the girl get hurt on her watch!
He didn’t have to say anything for her and Hizashi to realize he was highly attached to this class and the girl had already been adopted. Hell would rain down on any who let them get hurt or didn’t try to help them. Nemuri didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that!
Once the button was pressed for the doctors and nurses, she quickly heads over to the girl and starts rubbing her back, hoping it would at least help calm her until they worked out what was happening.
“Easy. Calm down. You're not alone. We’ll work out what is happening.”
She tries to keep her voice calm and even, soothing as she watches the smoke rise to the ceiling. They were lucky the fire alarms hadn’t gone off yet. Maybe… maybe they wouldn’t at all but that wasn’t something she should focus on right now!
“… Smoke… quirk?”
Nemuri’s head whipped around when she heard another soft drowsy voice. This time she locked eyes with an unfocused green. She couldn’t help the small amount of hope building in her chest, he might just have the answers.
“Midoriya! What was that? Smoke quirk?”
The green eyes slowly blink before looking at the smoke and the girl.
“Dad used to smoke… in the mornings… had to eat a fire starter bar before it would stop… not as bad as that though. Think the fire goes out when asleep. Needed to be fueled in the morning…”
The boy's words were slow and barely loud enough to be heard. He was clearly rambling as he woke up but it gave Nemuri an idea. If Midoriya’s dad also had a fire breathing quirk and needed the bars, maybe this girl did too. A fire breather? Hmm…
The doctors rush in a moment later and quickly move to the girl's side. Nemuri finds herself gently guided away by a nurse as another checks Midoriya over now he is awake. Stepping back to watch the pair at the same time Nemuri reaches for her phone. She would need to respond to Shota soon- there were already three more texts and two missed calls. Sighing she quickly types a message to her friend.
‘The girl is still here and has woken up, as has Midoriya. However she has appeared to have multiple panic attacks and now is coughing up smoke, a potential side effect of her quirk. Doctors and nurses are checking on the pair now.’
Giving a quick summary of the events that had taken place she waits for the man to arrive. She knew he wasn't going to be long, even if it meant racing over rooftops with his capture weapon. A small shiver runs down her back and she glances around but sees no-one.
Soon enough the doctors and nurses had checked Midoriya over and helped the girl calm enough she was no longer producing smoke. Most leave the room as a doctor approaches her and Shota slips in beside her between nurses and doctors.
“What happened? How are they?”
His gruff voice had a soft breathless hint to it. He ran. She just knew it. The doctor glances over and gives him a nod in greeting before lifting both files.
“It would appear that Mr. Midoriya Izuku is in fine health, simply a little disoriented after waking up. We’d like him to stay an extra night for observation as we have never seen a quirk like this before but he is free to leave.”
Nemuri watches Shota nod along and just knew he was taking his problem child home as soon as possible. He liked having all his children together in one place when possible. Smiling a little to herself she turns her attention back to the doctor.
“And the girl doctor? What about her?”
He switches files and quickly scans it before speaking.
“It would appear that overall the girl is physically fine as well. Like many with a fire quirk she has what is known as a ‘tinderbox’. Simply an additional organ in the body which stores fuel and the ‘spark’ for the fire. The smoke was simply the tinderbox trying to ignite once she was awake but without fuel it was continuously sparking. Once she eats a fire starter bar or fuel equivalent for her quirk the smoke shall fade and be replaced with fire. She may cough smoke whenever her fuel is low or after the fire has gone out. Such as after waking up or after being submerged. It does not however harm her in any way.”
Nemuri relaxes and from the corner of her eye sees Shota doing the same. Another fire quirk. It wasn’t uncommon, yet it was the first time she had heard of a ‘tinderbox’. Clearly after all her years she still had more to learn.
“Thank you doctor. When will she be released from the hospital?”
She had noticed the doctor never mentioned her release as he had Midoriya’s. Nothing concerning but she would still like to know. What surprised her was the doctor's reaction to the question, he startled and glanced between the two of them before shifting and appearing to relax.
“From what I have heard she will be released into the care of the Hero Public Safety Commision. They called a while ago to say as such and emailed the paperwork over.”
“What! That can’t be right! They have no right to do that!”
Nemuri could hear the same furious anger in Shota’s voice as she felt filling her. The Hero Commision was trying to take the girl? Why?
The Doctor looked at the two heroes and shook his head slowly.
“I’m sorry but the Hero Commision does indeed have the right. As a quirk-born individual, the girl should be thankful anyone wishes to take her at all. She has no parents, no background and by all rights should not exist. The only point in her favor is that fact she is quirk-born from the up and coming Hero Deku. That fact alone gives the Hero Commission full rights to take her in.
I’m sorry but I must leave, there are other patients waiting for treatment.”
WIth that the doctor turns and leaves the room, leaving Nemuri with Shota and the pair being watched by two sets of eyes, identical in everything but colour. The curiosity and slight fear was clear to see.
Exchanging a quick glance to Shota, Nemuri nods and gives her phone a small shake. She would call Nezu and see what could be done. They would not let the girl simply be taken by the Hero Commission.
So leaving the room Nemuri holds the phone to her ear as it rings. Not seconds later the call is answered and a high pitched cheery voice speaks.
“Nemuri! How may I be of assistance?”
“The Hero Commission is trying to take the girl. How is that possible? Shouldn’t she be taken under the care of U.A.? After all, she is technically one of our students?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When she managed to count to five without a response Nemuri began to panic.
“Nedzu? What can we do to keep the girl with us? How do we stop them?”
“Was it mentioned why they were taking the girl? And by what right?”
Now she could hear the tapping of the keyboard to his computer, the fear inside her chest began to relax a little. He was looking into it. They would fight for her.
“Something about her being quirk-born and having no history or family. That she should be greatful that the commission even wants her according to the doctor. Also something about Midoriya being a hero gives them the right to take her on.”
“Right, thank you Nemuri. Please remain on the line for just a second.”
There was a few seconds of silence where she found herself shifting and pacing a little as she waited.
“That’s it!”
Nemuri almost jumps at the sudden exclamation through the phone, quickly followed by a very manic laugh.
“Nedzu? Have you found a solution?”
The laughter dies down instantly and there was a soft click. If she didn’t know any better she may have moisten the sound for teeth snapping together… but she knew the rodent was a fan of tea, so that had to be the sound, right?
“I have indeed! It would indeed appear the hero commission have the right to take her if Midoriya Izuku or his guardians did not have the capacity to care for her or disowned her.”
“So Midoriya has first refusal then? He has only just woke up there is no way they could have-“
“That is where you are wrong, Nemuri. Technically it was Mrs. Midoriya Inko who had first refusal and from what I can see the women gave it without fully understanding the situation. However there is something else the hero commission forgot!”
“What is that!?”
She was on the verge of marching to the school and demanding the answers out of the intelligent animal if he continued to leave her hanging like this.
“U.A. Nemuri! They forgot that when the students began to glove in the dorms the school got joint custody of the teens and therefore we must also give our refusal to take the girl before they are allowed to take her!”
Nemuri pauses in her pacing as she takes in what was being said. Her blues eyes go wide with realization,
“We have the right of custody over her…”
“Indeed, we have the right of custody. However, the paper work has already been signed and approved on their end. So, we will have to offer more then just to take custody of the girl to be able to stop them.”
“… what do you mean?”
“By all rights, we are only guardians to Midoriya Izuku until he graduates. Even then it is only temporary. What the commission is offering is lifetime guardianship, guidance and mentoring. They are basically all but adopting her.”
“So… the only way to top that would be…”
“Would be for someone to actually adopt the girl into their family. To be prepared to take all the unknowns of this quirk born child and understand that if it gets difficult or something happens they have full responsibility for her. Not many would do that for a child they knew. Who would do that for a teen no one knows anything about?”
The silence is heavy as Nemuri stares at the blank hospital corridor wall. In the room behind her was a teen girl with no connection in this world beside the green haired boy sharing the room.
The hero public safety commission were planning on walking in here and simply taking her. Who knows where she would end up. No-one would ask any questions. No-one would care.
‘Wrong’ a small voice in the back of her head whispered. ‘You and Shota would’.
“I will.”