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It was a normal day for Eri. Or about as normal when ones day can be when you were just rescued from a terrible organisation and saved from being a human Guinea pig for the rest of your days.
She was just walking along trailing behind Aizawa when she suddenly couldn’t see him. She looked around frantically and couldn’t see him. Now normally this wouldn’t be a problem but right now they weren’t anywhere near UA. They were in the port city of Yokohama and Eri was lost.
She stood off to the side of the road hoping that Aizawa would notice her absence soon and come looking for her. Thoughts ran though her head. What if he punishes her? Would he do it like him? She doesn’t know anything about him, what if he’s worse? What if he- she was startled out of her thoughts by a voice.
“Hey there,” a males voice said, “What are you doing standing here all by yourself?”
Eri looked up to see the man in front of her. The first thing she noticed were his brown ,almost red, eyes. There was something missing in them but despite that they were kind.
“The second rule is no talking to people you don’t know.”
Aizawas voice echoed in her head. She looked at the man crouched down in front of her. She didn’t know him.
“I-I’m not m-me-meant t-to talk t-to people I, um, don’t know,” she trailed off at the end.
His eyes widened momentarily before returning to their original lazed position. “Well then let me introduce my self,” he held his hand out to her for her to shake, “my name is Dazai Osamu from the Armed Detective Agency.”
Eri froze for a moment.
“Now, Eri there are no hero’s in Yokohama so rule number 1 is that if you find yourself lost or separated from me, find a member of the Armed Detective Agency.”
She looked down at the man -Dazai- ‘s hand. That when she saw the bandages sneaking out from under his sleeve and over his wrists. “Is he like me?” She thought staring at it.
She must’ve been quiet for too long as he then moved his hands back to his side without her shaking them. “Well then what’s your name?” He was still crouched down and talking in a kind voice and he was from the detective agency, surly she could trust him.
“My name is Eri,” at that he stood up and offered his hand once more. This time she spoke up about not wanting to take it. “I can’t touch you,” she said staring at the bandages forking around his arms, “if I do, you’ll die!” She looked up to see the bandages around his neck as well.
‘How far did they go?” She thought.
Dazai chuckled. “Now if it’s your quirk I wouldn’t worry,” he waved his other hand in the air exaggerating his movements, “ I can’t be harmed by them that’s my gift.”
She looked down once more and accepted his hand. That’s when her stomach growled. Because of her hunger she didn’t notice how her horn dissolved into blue particles when she grabbed his hand.
“Ah, what a coincidence I was about to get some food for myself,” he looked down at her and smiled as they walked, “how would you feel about some waffles?”
She had never had waffles before but they sounded good so she nodded her head and stared at their feet as they walked.
It was silent the rest of the way. He didn’t try to start conversation and she was too nervous and busy thinking about what could’ve giving him those bandages.
‘Or who,’ a voice in her mind supplied. She tried not to think about that.
After they had gotten the food and sat down she decided to ask.
“Are-“ he looked up from his food to give her his full attention, “are you like me?”
He paused and looked unsure of what to say before smiling, “oh, Eri, whatever do you mean by that?” His head tilted to the side slightly.
“Did a mean man hurt you too?” As she said this she pulled up her sleeves to reveal the scars. She watched his eyes widen and mouth open slightly before turning into a blank expression.
“Who did this to you,” his voice was suddenly dark and Eri rushed to assure him that the man was in jail. After that they ate in silence for another minute or 2.
“You haven’t answered my question mr. Dazai,” she stopped eating to watch his face. He sighed before putting down his fork and knife and unrolling some bandages.
He eyes widened in horror as she saw scars. Some with surgical precision -like hers- and others looked to be done haphazardly and without a care. More important though was that some of them were fresh.
When Dazai decided she had looked for long enough he wrapped it back up. He gave her a moment to recover before finally answering her question.
“Yes Eri, I am like you.”
She looked at her food and glanced up at him whilst keeping her head down. He looked sad, not at all the happy man who helped her and bought her food. She had to make him happy. ‘The same way Deku and Lemillion do with me,’
“Did a hero save you?” It was an innocent enough question.
He sighed before seeming to contemplate his response. “No,” he shook his head sadly, “not in any way that counts.”
“Is he in jail?”
“No, I don’t think he ever will be.”
Silence. Then...
At that moment from behind the man she saw Aizawa standing around, looking for her, seemingly very disheveled. He saw her and started walking towards them.
Dazai stood up the brightest smile on his face, he spread his arms wide in a hug-like gesture and called out to him. “Eraserhead!”
Aizawa stopped in his tracks but when Eri came running over and told him who he was and how he helped her when she was lost he sighed and thanked the man.
“Eri say thank you,” AIzawa put his hand protectively on Eri’s shoulder.
“Thank you mr. Dazai,” she smiled up at him, “I hope the man who hurt you gets caught by hero’s soon so you can be free as well.”
Aizawa and Dazai seemed shocked. Dazai smiled a soft smile. “You welcome Eri, and me too.”
As she and Eraser were walking away his smile dropped as he whisper to himself, “me too.”
Once they were a distance away Eri stopped smiling. “AIzawa?”
He looked down at her and frowned more deeply, “what is it Eri?”
“That man said he was like me...”
“Really? Bet you bonded over being rescued by hero’s huh?” ‘Zawa smirks as he imagines the conversation.
“No he wasn’t saved by anyone.”
Aizawa’s brain holts before restarting again.
“He said he had to help himself.”
“What are you saying Eri?” Aizawa looked down at his daughter charge, a concerned look on his face.
Eri paused before replying.
“I wanna be someone who can help people like us.”
Her grip on Aizawa’s hand tightened slightly.
“I wanna save people like me.”