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Tenko woke up shivering. Eri lay huddled against his stomach, while Izuku clung to his back. Tenko rose first every morning, to make breakfast for his younger siblings. Gently, he shifted Eri aside.
Her skin felt ice-cold. The slight redness of her wrist bothered him even more. It could be an early sign of frostbite. Her teeth chattered in her sleep.
Tenko moved his sleeping little sister over into Izuku’s arms without waking her. Then he wrapped the ratty blanket tighter around both of them. They lived in an abandoned house with no electricity. The shelter had been adequate until winter started. Tenko constantly shivered and his jaw had started to hurt from his teeth chattering. His skin was dry and cracked. He worried about Eri the most, with her being so small.
This wasn’t sustainable. Tenko had sold all his gaming equipment and merchandise at a ridiculous low price to purchase a small generator, but now that had broken down. They needed a new home base, but they had no money, and All for One was hunting them. With his father’s connections running deep throughout the underworld, every time Tenko entered a pawnshop, he was taking a risk.
Tenko checked the grocery bag hidden under the nonfunctional sink. They had three slices of bread and one small dollop of butter left. He spread the butter between two slices, leaving his own bare. The butter would help hide that the bread was slightly stale. Over the last year on the run, Tenko had learned such tricks.
From the living room, he heard a rustling of blankets. Izuku came in first, rubbing his eyes. “Thank you, big brother.” Izuku took his plate, then frowned. “You gave yourself the bread heel? Shouldn’t you eat a bit more? It’s your first day at U.A.”
Tenko shrugged. “I’m not hungry. You know me, I play a low-maintenance character.”
“I know when you’re lying.” Izuku pushed the plate back at him. “Let’s trade.”
“Absolutely not. You’re lower level then me—you obey me.”
Izuku shoved harder. “Don’t try to gamer-speak your way out of this. Take the toast.”
“Stop fighting!” Eri stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips. She marched over. “I’m the smallest, so I’ll take the smaller piece of toast.”
“Absolutely not,” her older brothers said together.
Tenko grabbed the toast heel and crammed it into his mouth in one bite. Staring at Izuku’s indignant face, he mumbled through his chewing, “Game over.”
Izuku sighed. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. You’re a bad influence for Eri.”
Eri giggled. “Mom would say—” She stopped. Her eyes filled with tears. Their mother was still a sore spot, even a year after her death.
All for One had married Inko Midoriya, Nana Shimura’s daughter. Tenko suspected it had been a revenge scheme, but he’d never know for certain. Because they were related to Japan’s greatest villain, the children didn’t dare go to the authorities for help. The Hero Public Safety Commission had been known to target the families of villains. Inko had planned to take them to All Might, her mother’s successor. But Tenko had discovered it wasn’t easy for a middle schooler to obtain access to the number one hero. He’d worked hard running errands for Giran in order to obtain fake identification and pass the U.A. exam, all because he’d learned All Might would be teaching there.
Tenko stroked Eri’s hair. “Everything will be all right,” he murmured. “I’ll find All Might, and then he’ll protect us.”
“That’s right.” Izuku held up Eri’s old All Might doll, raising the right arm in a heroic pose. “All Might can do anything.”
Eri sniffled. “I’ll help, too.” She grabbed Tenko’s hand. Light sprang forth. The cuts and dryness all over Tenko’s skin healed. Her already-small horn shrank down to nothing. “You have to be in good shape for your first day at U.A., big brother.”
Tenko felt sorry that she’d used the last of her energy, but it had been done. He couldn’t reload from a save point. So he only said, “Thank you. My hit points have been fully restored.”
Eri said, “I’m glad—” Her teeth chattered so badly she could no longer talk.
Tenko leapt forward and caught her as she swayed. Izuku ran and fetched their blanket. He wrapped it around Eri, then hugged her from behind. Both brothers cradled her, sharing their body warmth. Izuku said, “Just one more day. If we last one more day, then All Might will take us somewhere with heating.”
“That sounds nice,” Eri said weakly.
Over their younger sister’s head, Izuku’s and Tenko’s eyes met. A shared flash of desperation passed between them. They both knew that they couldn’t stay ahead of All for One much longer. The money their mother had left them with had run out.
Tenko was playing this game with only one life left. He had to succeed today.
As he walked to school, Tenko wondered what he would do if All Might turned out to not to have any interest in helping All for One’s children. Inko had faith in the Number One Hero, but she’d never even met him. She only knew a few dimly-remembered stories from her mother. Izuku, an All Might fanboy, had bottomless confidence in his hero. Tenko was less certain. The Number One hero might have long ago forgotten about his old mentor Nana. He might hate All for One more than he wanted to protect Nana’s grandchildren. Then what?
Tenko shivered and considered if he would return to his father if that was the only way to keep his siblings alive. His childhood hadn’t been bad. His father had been loving and given him all the games he could ever ask for. He’d purchased hero merchandise for Izuku even when it made his face pinch. He’d doted on Eri.
Then Eri’s quirk had developed. Their father had been very interested in it. He’d taken her to a doctor friend for some tests. Several weeks later, Eri had come to their mother and whispered about a strange lab full of black corpses. The creepy doctor had taken DNA samples from her. Their father had forced her to use her power on unconscious people who seemed to be prisoners.
Inko had searched and found cameras all over their house. Tomura still flinched to remember that whenever he’d been playing at his treasured gaming station, a webcam had been recording him. Inko had worked carefully to disable the cameras, gather funds, and then flee with her children.
One of All for One’s henchmen had accidentally shot and killed Inko during the chase. Tenko would never forgive his father for that. If it was only himself, then he’d freeze to death before he’d return. But Izuku and Eri? They were just level one players. They deserved a chance to live. If today’s mission failed, then Tenko would have to pull the plug on the chase game.
Tenko did not bother going to homeroom. Frankly, he didn’t care if he was expelled. He was skipping the side quests and going straight to the boss battle. He knocked on the door to the teacher’s lounge.
All Might opened with a broad smile. “May I help you, young boy?”
Tenko opened his mouth. His mother had instructed him on what to tell All Might so he’d believe their connection to Nana. “I—”
His phone buzzed. Tenko looked down. He saw a picture of All for One with his arms around Izuku and Eri. Both children had been tied up. Izuku gnawed at a gag, blood dripping down his lip. His eyes blazed with helpless fury. Eri’s head lolled forward, unconscious.
Tenko whispered, “I can’t find the bathroom.”
All Might laughed. “No need to be so nervous! It’s perfectly understandable. Go straight down the hallway, then make a right.”
Sitting on a toilet in a bathroom stall, Tenko read the text message from his father. It simply gave him an address, followed by: You have two options, son. Come home and live with your siblings. Or lure All Might into a trap for me, and in exchange, I’ll trust you again and let you have your freedom.
In fact, Tenko saw three options. He could give up and return to All for One’s clutches, hoping he could protect his siblings. He could betray All Might, hoping that his father wasn’t lying about his promise. Or he could tell All Might everything and ask for help, hoping he wouldn’t be turned straight over to the HPSC.
Tenko gnawed on his lip until it bled, trying to decide.