Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku pov:
I was running through the forest. Running like my mom told me to, as she didn't want me to get killed by other quirked, as I was quirkless, so I kept running deeper and deeper into the forest away from civilization. Even if I was only 4 years old, I was smart, and so I kept running so I wouldn't be found by the quirked.
After a few days I found a nice valley, a place that the quirked didn't go into, they didn't focus on the land, or weapons, only on their quirks and how to improve them.
I found a spot where I could stay until I made a home. I decided that I would help other quirkless people be safe, safe from the forest without food, and safe from the quirked and the danger they bring to us.
I took out some food that my mom gave me before she dropped me off in the forest. I thank her for that and ate some of it before I lay down under a tree by the valley and went to sleep. The next day, I walk back towards the town, I keep an eye out for other quirkless kids I could help, I walk and after a few hours I hear a kid crying and I follow it. When I got there, I saw a kid around my age, so another 4 year old, crying. I sat in front of them and spoke softly, asking "hey you ok?" Their head jerked up because of that. They seemed to calm down a tiny bit when they saw I was a kid.
I looked around. "I- I was told to run deep into the forest and to stay here." They looked ready to cry. "Why can't I stay with my mama and papa?" I looked at them sadly. "What did the doctor say your quirk was?" I asked and their answer helped me understand more on why I was told to stay here "they said I was quirkless, they said that was a bad thing" I held my hand close to theirs to see if they wanted to hold it. They did, when they did I told them "they don't like us quirkless, our parents told us to run deep into here to keep us safe from the other quirked, I know ya miss them. I miss my mama too, but we have to be strong and help others like us."
They looked at me. "You want to help us?" I smile. "Yes, I am quirkless too, I want to help protect others like us to be safe, wanna help me look for others?" They had hope in their eyes now and nodded. I stood up helping them us and handed them a snack, letting them eat before saying "let's see if there are any others here" they nod and say "ok, I'm Asami, Rin" Izuku smile and said "nice to meet you Asami, I'm Midoriya, Izuku."
After walking for a bit, we saw another child, they appeared to be 5 years old, they looked lost and scared. I, along with Asami, walked slowly to them, and I said, "Hello? Are you ok?" In the same voice I spoke to Asami with. They looked over to us, I realized they were a girl, she asked us "who are ya?" I feel Asami as he hid behind me "I'm Midoriya, Izuku" I smiled at her "and the one behind me is Asami, Rin" I motion to Asami behind me "we are quirkless like you" that seemed to surprise her "Ya quirkless too? Do ya know why we are in the forest?" She asked. I nod. "The mama's and papa's that drop us quirkless children off here are doing it to protect us," I explain. She looked a little confused and said, "Protect us from what?" I looked at her with as serious a face as I could at 4 years old. "The quirked, they wanted to hurt us, the mama's and papa's that drop us here want us to be safe I think," I say.
They looked upset and asked, "Why do the quirked want to hurt us?" I shook my head."I don't know, sorry." I then looked up to meet her eyes, as she was taller than me. "Do you want to help us look for more quirkless children like us? I want to make sure we are all safe, and maybe we can make a secret home here" she seemed to think for a bit before nodding saying "yes, I would like to help, my name is Nevi, Akumu" I smiled "hello, Nevi, well we should keep looking."
After the day had passed, we had found 6 more kids; Kamisu, Yama, and Yima, quirkless twin brothers, and they are 8 years old. Tevina, Milo (boy) and shien, Sara(girl) are 6. Genita, Jenashi (girl) is 4. And the oldest of us Henisha, Shio(boy) who is 12. So in total, there are 9 of us at the moment. 1, twelve year old. 2, eight year old. one, five year olds. three, four year olds. And two, six year olds.
I led them to the valley. I found "this is where we can make our new home, I hope you like it," I said as they saw the valley. "This is so pretty, Midoriya," Nevi said, still looking at the valley while the others nodded along. Henisha looked at me. He looked impressed. "this is a nice place Midoriya, and we could make this a new home for fellow quirkless people" I smiled at the praise as Henisha continued "let's sleep, before we continue tomorrow" we all nodded and went to bed. Us little ones had a hard time falling asleep. Thankfully, Hanisha seemed to notice and started to hum a lullaby to help us fall asleep easier. I fell asleep to the humming of a lullaby, birds, and crickets. As we fell asleep, we heard a quiet "goodnight little ones" from Henisha.

Chapter Text

The next day, I woke up and saw the others, besides Henisha, asleep. I walk over to him and sit by him. "Good morning, Henisha." he looked at me, shocked before smiling. "Good morning, Midoriya. Did you sleep well?" I nod and say "yes I did, Henisha. How about you?" He gave me a side hug saying,"That's good, I'm glad you slept well. And I slept well, thank you."
I took out 2 snacks from my backpack and offered one to Henis. "Do you want one?" He smiled and nodded while taking one of the snacks."Yes, thank you, Midoriya." I gave him a smile."You're welcome!" I say before noticing the others waking up. I head over to them as they wake up and offer them a snack from my bag. They each thank me and take one.
After we all ate, Henisha looked at all of us "ok little ones, we need to look for some food." we nod, some of us understanding more than others. Henisha continued, "and we need to keep looking for others like us, we would be safer in numbers, as we can keep an eye out for each other." That made me happy, I was happy that I could help people, sure I wasn't going to be a hero with Kacchan, but I could be a hero to other quirkless and save them from the quirked.
After we made sure everyone understood, as well as they could, we followed Henisha into the forest again to look for food and others. As we walked, I remembered I had a book my mama gave me, it was about safe foods to eat from nature, I called for Henisha. "Hey, Henisha?" He looked at me as we stopped for a break, "Yes, Midoriya?" He asked before I held up the book and said,"we could use this to know what's safe to eat, right?" He looked a bit relieved and said,"Yes, that would help us a lot, thank you, Midoriya. " I smiled more, happy to help.
Asami had a basket, he kept it because he liked it, and he said "we can use my basket to hold the food" Henisha, being the oldest, said "thank you Asami, that would be great" and so we used the basket to hold the food and things that we checked was safe to eat. We found another person while gathering food. They saw us and introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Mosiso, Tamao, and I am quirkless." Henisha responded, "Hello, Mosiso, I am Henisha, Shio. We are also quirkless, would you like to join us? We want to gather all the quirkless we find and take them to a hidden spot, Midoriya here, " He said, placing a hand on my head as he continued,"had found." She seemed to think for a bit before nodding "that works for me, more people means more protection" Henisha nodded, "then welcome to the quirkless, we are looking for food and others right now."
We continued to get food and met some more of us. After Mosiso, we met Kisama, vinaigrette- or Vin for short, we met him when we went just a little closer to the town of quirked. He was scared and confused. Then we met Benshio, Iviva- or Iva for short, she was wandering around looking at the trees, when we found her, she was slightly confused about what was happening, and she joined us, not liking being alone. We had enough food for a few days, so we stopped getting more as the basket was getting full and a little heavy.
We looked a bit more and found a boy named Conashi, Sema. He was upset that he was left in the forest, as he didn't like being alone in a place he didn't know, according to him, I asked if he would like to come with us, so he wouldn't have to be left alone again, he accepted and joined us as we looked for anyone else. We kept looking, it was now getting dark, and we are some of the, thankfully, good food to eat from here, we looked for just a little bit more. It was a few hours later that we found someone else, he looked scared so I whispered to the others "I think I should go, he seems scared, the more people at one time will make him more scared" they all nodded and I walked slowly to the boy. I softly said, "Hello? Are you ok? Do you need help?" His head snapped to where I was. He was older than me, and he seemed to calm down after seeing I wasn't a threat."Who are you?" He asked me to smile at him."I'm Midoriya, Izuku. Who are you?" I asked with a head tilt, "I am Cashime, Lumai… why do you care?" I just kept smiling "I care because I want to help other quirkless people like me and you, there are others, we can bring you to a safe place for the night" He seemed to think before asking "and you won't hurt me?" I immediately shake my head saying "no, no, no, no, me, and the others want to help." I looked him in the eye before asking,"So will you come with us?" I held my hand out for him to take.
After a bit, he took my hand. "Sure, take me to this safe place then," I smiled brightly. "Welcome to the quirkless Cashime." I led him to the others, and they introduced themselves. We went back to the spot, grabbed some more food on the way back, ate some for dinner, and Henisha started to hum the lullaby again, one again helping us, little ones to fall asleep. Only this time there were some words, I listened as he sang with a soft voice, "I will protect you little ones, no one shall harm you anymore… you will know joy and happiness… you will be safe, I shall protect you now…" I smiled as I listened to him. And soon enough, we all fell asleep to the small song from Henisha.

Chapter Text

A week later:
The big kids are trying to build a fort or something so we can have shelter. They say we are lucky we were put here in summer, so we don't freeze. They were now making one we can all share since there aren't a lot of us. We found 8 more people, so in total, we now have 22 people, most of whom are 12-15 years old. The youngest of them we found was 7 years old.
Us little kids, plus Henisha went to gather some more food as there were more of us, and we were running out. The big kids would get some more food when we were sleeping to both protect us and let us have more than fruits, veggies, and herbs. Thankfully, the 15 year olds knew how to start a safe fire to cook over. They made sure us little kids didn't hurt ourselves when getting food or helping cook.
We walked around for a bit, just gathering fruits, veggies, and herbs for dinner tonight as we just ate lunch. A good thing is that we are getting better at telling what plants and things are safe to eat without the book, which we still had, and put them in the basket. Henisha was holding it and found it getting easier to carry from doing this more than once.
We got enough for dinner and some for breakfast tomorrow. Henisha looked at us and said, "ok, little ones, time for a rest before we head back to the valley." We all nodded and sat down to rest for a bit. Henisha sat by us keeping an eye out for dangers or others like us. The dangers being wild animals that could hurt us, and the quirked, he kept an eye out. All of us kept an eye out for the quirked.
After a bit and having one fruit each for a snack, we headed back to the valley. When we got there, the big kids were taking a break from building a shelter for us as we didn't want to get wet from the rain and catch a cold. We did have a place for food away from the animals, the big kids could reach it, but we couldn't.
Another thing is that it was Asami's birthday today, so the big kids are going to try and cook something good tonight because of that. Asami is now 5 years old, I now have a notebook of names, ages, genders, and birthdays of all of us. I know I won't always remember the date, but we will try to keep track of the date. So far, we are keeping track of the date, but we might not always do that. I hope that we don't forget the date soon, as I would like to celebrate the other birthdays at least once.
I watched closely as the big kids made dinner. The other little kids were having fun while Henisha watched them. Us little kids have started to call Henisha 'papa' because he is the one that helps us and watches over us the most. And he helps us sleep and just acts like a papa to us. He said he liked it when we did, so we just kept calling him Papa.
After a while, the other little kids started to sit by me, and they were tired from playing, and dinner was almost done. We had what we did, plus a little spices added to it to give it flavor. It was just some rabbit meat, even if that upset us we knew we had to have meat in our diet, and some fruit and veggies, not all of the ones we gathered today, just enough for everyone to have some. Henisha helped encourage some of us who didn't want to eat something to at least try it and said, "The food is to help us get strong, ok? We need the food, so please have at least some of it." That got most of us to eat the food, as we wanted to get bigger and stronger to help the big kids.
After we ate, the big kids put the leftover food where it needed to go to keep from animals. We had a decent shelter by this time as the big kids took turns building for a time before giving the job to another one. We all managed to fit comfortably. We had our body heat to keep warm. And just like every other night, I listened. I listened to the birds chirping in the sky. I listened to the crickets, letting themselves be known in the night. I listened to the owls calling in the dark. I listened to the world around me. It was very calming.
The others fell asleep fast to those sounds alone, getting used to them and finding them calming to listen to. I stayed up for a bit longer. The big kids were talking now. Making plans on homes for all of us and the future. One of the 15 year olds, a girl, spoke, "This shelter is just temporary, right? Until we get more people and have to make a different type of building style for them?" Papa answered her. "For now, yes. But we have to keep the buildings from drawing attention to the quirked. We don't want them to find us." That seemed smart, and from the sounds of it, the other big kids agreed.
Then another one, a boy this time, asked, "Who was the one who found this place?" I felt Papa put a hand in my hair. "Izu found this place. He was the one who showed us the valley." I was happy with the nickname Papa gave me. It made me feel happy.
And with that, their conversation was over, and Papa started to hum the song again. He added to the song over time. I listened to him quietly sing, "Sleep now, little ones, soon we'll be safe. I shall protect you from the dangers of the world. I know you will be big and strong. You will be smart and kind. I know in my mind and heart that you will live a full and happy life" as I fell asleep finally.

Chapter Text

After a month of being in the valley:
The big kids have been working on the forts? I think they are going to be our homes. They look more secure, and Papa still came with us to gather some food and seeds so we can start a garden so we don't have to go too far to get some of them. So we have better shelter and soon will have a quicker way to get some of our food.
The big kids gathered us together a few days ago and tried to explain how we would do some of the things, we all decided not to use money, and would use a form of trade, we wouldn't have money. The big kids again tried their best to explain what that meant and what it would look like. We don't fully understand. We are still little kids, well, according to Papa.
We went farther into the forest to see if there were different plants there we could use for good. We found not only an orange tree but also an apple tree. So it was a good find, and we could put the seeds in their spot, not mixed with the meats or fruits and veggies. Us little kids tried our best to help around, and the big kids tried their best to teach us different things.
Three of the big kids went to look out for others like us and any danger, and Papa took us little ones to the fruit trees. We gathered things on the way, papa again holding the basket for us, we got more food because we thought it was a good idea, so we would have to take less trips to get the fruits and veggies. Papa told us to take a break after a few hours of gathering. We were taking a rest and having some fruit to not be too hungry while gathering.
While we were taking the break, the lookout group walked up to us. They had 5 people we didn't recognize with them. Mimi, one of the oldest of us, said "we found them while we were patrolling" Papa nodded "ok, thank you for telling me, lead them back to the valley to meet the others and to get used to the place, please" Mimi nodded in understanding "of course, Shio, see you back at the valley, before the some of the others go to hunt." I never really noticed when we stopped using our last names. We didn't find them really necessary most of the time.
Papa nodded again before saying, "I will see you guys there to tell you bye." Mimi and the other two nodded as the five new people looked confused and scared. I walked to them, not wanting them to be scared, and said "hello, I'm Izuku" the oldest, who I think was 13?, spoke "hello, I'm Ashimina, Vivi, and these are my siblings'' she then pointed to each one introducing them "Koi, Shimi,Simio, and Kio, Koi and Kio are twins'' I nod, smiling. I then said, "It's nice to meet you and your siblings, ms. Vivi" she looked confused about something. Papa then explained, "we don't use our old last names anymore, we call each other our names, or as the little ones call me: Papa."
Vivi thought for a bit and nodded "that makes sense" Mimi then led them back to the valley and Papa helped us finish up gathering, and we started to head home, excited to meet new people, and welcome them to the valley. We get home and see vivi and her siblings looking confused on what to do, I walk up to them again. "Hello again, Ms. Vivi'' they all looked at me when I spoke Vivi gave a small smile "hello again Izuku'' I smiled back at them before asking "can Koi, Kio, Simio, and shimi come play with us please?" That seemed to shock her a bit before she nodded and said that they could.
We had fun, the hunting group left a few minutes ago, and we were getting tired from playing. Papa asked us to sit in front of him for a story until the hunting group got back. We did, and even ms. Vivi sat with us!
The story ended up being 4 different stories. When he finished, the hunters got back with the meat part of our food, and I and a few other little kids went to help them. They allowed us to carry some of the smaller catches, we put some up, and the big kids and Papa started to cook, ms. Vivi kept us company and asked some questions about this place. I did my best to answer as the others were distracted by asking her siblings questions.
After a bit more time passed, the food was done, and we all went to get our share of food. We had enough for everyone to have some, and some to put up for later. One of the big kids had a survival book that told them how to hunt and use the 'hyde' of animals for different things. I don't fully understand what a 'hyde' is. But the big kids gave us these fluffy things that I think were blankets. They kept us warm, though, so that's good.
After we got done eating, we all helped put things away, Vivi and her siblings would stay with Papa until their home was done, so a month or so because of how the big kids worked. They didn't seem to mind that though, Vivi said "we're just happy that we are going to have a roof over our heads" and the big kids as well as Papa nodded their heads in understanding. Papa then said, "Welcome to the quirkless, the valley." This shocked the newcomers, even more so when all the rest of us said the same thing together.
We all told each other goodnight and went to our shared forts. We all laid down, well, all of us except Papa. He walked around singing the lullaby like he had been since the first night in the valley. I fell asleep to him singing, "Sleep my little ones, each day you grow, in numbers and strength. Smile my little ones as you sleep, for I will keep you safe. Rest now, my little ones, for a new day is to come."

Chapter Text

Two months later:
It's almost winter now… The big kids have been getting more meat as the days go by so we can have food to eat. Because it's very hard for fruits and veggies to grow in the cold of winter.
Papa and the other big kids have made us warm clothes from the hides of the animals. I still don't know what that is, but Papa said he'd tell us when we were older. I got ready with the others like I have been. And put on my new jacket that fit me, it was also made from anime hide, as the one I had in my backpack when I was left in the forest was too small for me now. We use it to hold our seeds for spring so we can plant them.
I went outside and saw Papa and Mimi. They were talking. I went over and held Papa's jacket. He looked down and saw me. "Hey Izuku, are you doing ok?" Papa asked, I nodded and responded "yes Papa, I just saw you talking to Mimi and wanted to know what you were talking about. " The teens both nodded at what I said. Mimi looked from Papa to me and said "we were talking about teaching you little ones to fight and other things, so you can help keep ourselves safe" I looked at Papa confused, he clarified "Mimi and I think we should teach you, my little ones, to be able to protect yourselves and each other."
That helped me understand it more. "Oh, so you can teach us new things about plants and things, because you know more about that, and Mimi can teach us how to protect?" Papa nodded."Yes, that's right, " he then put a hand on my head and ruffled it, saying,"Good job, my little one." That made me happy, so I smiled at them.
I went back to the others, Vivi was still with her siblings, but she was talking to the big kids, and I saw Mimi teaching her some moves. "Hi Vivi, how are you?" I asked walking up to her, she looked at me and smiled saying "hello Izuku, I'm good, making sure no one hurts themselves while playing" I look over and see kio play wrestling with Rin. koi is playing tag with Yima, Yama, and Akumu. The others seemed to be playing hide and seek. Vivi looked at me again and asked, "Why don't you go and play Izuku?" I thought about it for a bit and nodded my head, it's been a bit since I actually played "ok, Vivi" I said and went to join koi, Yima, Yama and Akumu playing tag.
There wasn't really any fruit or veggies this late in the fall, so we little kids had more time to play. We had plenty of saved fruits and veggies for now anyway. The hunters went out to get some more meat to make sure we had enough meat for the winter, so we don't go hungry. Papa came over and watched all of us play for a bit before getting our attention and asking us to sit in front of him, we all did and he waited for us all to settle down and get comfy. He took a breath before saying "ok little ones, I have a question, ok?" We nod in understanding "ok so you all know Mimi and the other lookouts know how to fight to keep us safe, right?" We nod again. "Me and her have talked, and we think it'd be a good idea to teach you little ones to fight." That shocked the others because he explained this to me earlier today when I asked.
Milo raised his hand, and Papa nodded to him, showing he could speak. "Papa, how would that work?" Milo asked. Papa's response was, "I will teach you about the plants, and how to know what things are safe and what is not. While Mimi will teach you how to defend yourselves and protect each other. And the hunters will take turns teaching you how to track things, how to hide in plain sight, and how to use weapons. " Papa looked around before asking, "Does that make sense, Milo?" Milo nodded, "how about the rest of you? Does that make sense?" We all nodded.
Soon, the hunters came back, with twice what they usually did, which is good because it helps make sure we have food here. Mimi and her group also got back. They were a bit behind the hunters. Vivi helped the big kids cook while Papa played with us, making sure we had fun, but also to make sure we didn't hurt ourselves. We played red light, tag, hide, and seek,and even raced. It was fun.
Mimi soon came over and told us that food was ready, so we went and got our share of the food, and put what was left where it would be safe. Then, us little kids got ready for bed. The forts were basically done at this point. As we went to bed, the night look-out, the people that had trouble sleeping at night went out for their turn. I told them goodbye while waving, and they waved back and left. I went to my fort that I shared with Jenashi or Jen as I've started calling her.
Jen was going to bed already, but I didn't go to bed quite yet. I grabbed my notebook and pencil and sharpener and wrote a tally for today like I have been. Papa's birthday passed a few days ago. He is now 13. I wrote down key things in another one, I didn't keep things on heroes anymore, just what might be important to us and how many of us there are.
And like usual, I heard Papa start to sing, "Sleep my little ones, soon you will learn more. Soon you will know. Sleep, my little ones, for we will keep you safe as you rest. Sleep, my little ones, for you will soon understand the place we live."

Chapter Text

It has been a week, and as the days go by, I am more thankful for the jackets that we have made.
The days seemed shorter, and the cold was more noticeable now. Papa has been teaching us at the camp as fruits and veggies don't grow for now. We will have to wait. Mimi has started to teach us how to fight, even helping us learn to spar. The hunters took a small group of us little ones to teach us to track.
That's where I am now. We were tracking a deer. They told us tricks on how to identify tracks of animals to help us. They explained the patterns of animals and how they travel. It was fun. We saw a lot of animals as we tracked the deer.
After a few hours, we were walking home, as it was lunch and we needed to eat. We were thankful that we kept a lot of meat to the side so we could eat. It also helped that the other hunters, the ones who weren't teaching us today, caught some more meat for us.
Another thing I noticed as we sat by the fire to keep warm and to keep an eye on our food was that we all started to have really tan skin from being outside all day for the past few months, our hair is also getting longer. My hair is now to my shoulders.
Our food was soon ready, we were by a river that was clean so we had something to drink as we ate. We found 4 more quirkless, 2 boys and 2 girls. The oldest was Kye, then Kiva, then lastly, the twins Oli and Ally. So in total now, we have 31 people in our valley. I am glad that we are helping more and more people.
I see Papa talking to them, I could hear him explaining things they were still confused about. The forts now look like small homes, comfortable, but not big enough to be noticed or easily spotted. They were nice, though, and kept us dry and warm.
I finish my food and my water. I like the rhythm here, but I do miss Kacchan. I didn't get to tell him bye, I hope he becomes a hero like he wanted. He had a great quirk. I wish I could figure it out more, but for now, I need to focus on learning about the valley and how to survive as we quirkless grow.
I breathed in a bit, I was still getting used to the air without the smell of smoke or gas. I like the air in the valley, it's clean. I heard Mimi call for our attention. She was with Papa. Papa started talking, "we are happy about your determination to learn, my little ones, because of your willingness and determination to learn, we know we will be more safe as the days pass. I can't wait for you all to grow into amazing adults and teach others little ones how to live here. " The other little kids and I smiled, happy that Papa was happy with us.
Mimi took over. "You all are learning really fast and show a talent for at least one of what you are taught. Which is very good. It means we can have mentors as the days pass. We know we will be safe when you join us, whether you gather and study plants with the gatherers. hunting and tracking with the hunters. Or patrolling and protecting with the lookouts. Maybe even in two of them at the same time, " she looked at Papa." We know you will keep us safe when you are old enough, too, so we thank you, " Mimi and Papa said together. Us little kids smiled more, happy they believed in us and are proud of us.
After Papa, Mimi, and some of the hunters spoke, saying how proud they were, we were all very happy. We were all basically done eating at this point. Mimi and some of the patrolers want to go look out for danger and those who need help, like they always did. The rest of us helped put things away and sat as Papa wanted to tell us a story. The story was of an adventure that never really stayed in one place but knew what was happening and helped others with that knowledge.
We played for an hour or two before it was sparing lessons, and since Mimi was on patrol, we had another one teach us. They told us about why it's important to be able to change your style of fighting mid-fight. They helped us practice some moves, giving pointers on how to get better on one's we had trouble with. This went on until dinner, and us little kids being us, we kept practicing until we were called to get our food.
We put the fresh catch with the rest and get some that we already had in there to cook. We ate and asked the new ones to join random questions. It was really fun. We got to learn a bit about all four of them. Kye liked animals and could tell if they were dangerous or not. Kiva loved the rain, and she found it calming. Oli liked the day while Ally liked the night, and neither liked to be separated.
We all soon got done eating and helped clean what was able to be cleaned. A hunter took the bones that needed to be disposed of so no dangerous animals came here at night. We got that done, and it was time to go to sleep. I got ready and laid on my bed, or nest as I started to call it, and waited to hear Papa sing the lullaby as he walked past our little shelters.
"Sleep, my little ones, the day has passed, you have made us proud. Each day you learn something new… sleep, my little ones, as time passes, you save more and more… Sleep now, my little ones, may you rest until the light of a new day." Those were the last things, mixed with nature, that I heard as I fell asleep, ready for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

A month later.
It was now mid to late winter, according to Papa anyway. I have gotten better at tracking and could even hold myself in a spar, even if I was one of the younger ones here. But I didn't have classes until later today as the sun is just now coming up, meaning it's time to wake up.
I sat up in my bed, or nest, I stretched my arms and back, I then got up and got ready for the day. I looked at my body the best I could, as we didn't have mirrors, and I was happy to see some muscle on me, more muscle, even if I was more on the lean side, means I can help more. And I've noticed another thing for us, we are all lean, like how some animals are, meaning we can run fast and not have too much bulk on us.
To be fair, though, we all train and work every day, even our games involve moving.
I walked outside after getting ready, I saw Papa and walked over to him. "Good morning, Papa," I say as I get to him. He looked at me. "Good morning, Izuku. How did you sleep?" I smile and give him a hug."I slept well. My nest was comfy. " He nodded at what I said."That's good."
He pats my head, "Can you go make sure the others are waking up, please?" He asked. I nodded and headed back to my fort and made sure Jen was waking up. I went in and saw her just waking up. "Good morning, Jen," I say, smiling. She smiles back. "Good morning, Izuku." We talked for a bit as she woke up more before I left to go see if the others were getting up.
After we ate and did our morning 'jobs' or lessons for us little kids.
Me and Rin were practicing a move we both had been struggling with. But we were determined. It was play time for us kids, and we turned a lot of our games to help us with getting better at our lessons. For tracking, there was hide n' seek, For fighting, hide n' seek tag could also be used to help us hide ourselves in plain sight and get faster. And for plants that we do when they get back, is a form of 'who can remember the most without repeating anyone'.
I saw Rin fall as he tried the move, a type of kick, I went and helped him up. "You ok, Rin?" I asked. He just smiled."Yeah, I just went too fast again. " We both laughed at that. We all wanted to be fast enough to be able to keep each other safe, and that usually led to all of us little kids wanting to do moves faster than we could at the moment.
Papa came over. It was time for lessons with him. He sat on the ground, and us little kids sat in front of him, like a little class. He started to help us with remembering what plants and fruits and veggies were safe to eat better. He even gave us some tips on how to remember them.
He also tested us by saying either a fruit, plant, or veggie and had us go to the left if it was not safe and right if it was. We, of course, got some mixed up, but he just explained how to remember better for the one we messed up on. No one here ever put others down, it was something we all agreed on, especially after Mimi explained to us that she was now dating Ashi, one of the hunters, Ashi was really nice, she explained to us that love can be for anyone, and that consent was ALWAYS important.
I got to help with lunch, it was nice, and fun. Ashi told us about some of the animals she saw while hunting and how beautiful they were. I loved the stories we got to hear, and if you pay close attention, you can tell the warning of the quirked in the stories.
Ashi and her group were in charge of us in hunting lessons today. She told us how animals can behave based on where they live and how to tell the males and females apart. I thought it was at least a little easy, the boys- or males have bright colors, or they have a feature the girls- or females don't have. We stayed in the valley for today's hunting lesson. We worked on speed and aim today.
I am happy to say that we are getting better and faster. Papa told us how proud he was of us. We raced. I was running by Yama, Rin, and Akumu. My birthday was one of the later ones, we were losing time, was it Friday? The weekend? What was the date? We didn't know anymore.
It was now almost dinner, and us little kids passed the time by sparing, with Mimi watching to make sure we didn't get hurt too bad.we were a bit away from the others so we didn't get in the way as they made dinner. Papa, after a bit, came to tell us that dinner was done and ready. We walked with Papa and Mimi to the fire and sat to eat. The food was good, like usual, though I do miss sweets, but that's ok.
We soon enough got done eating, and helped put things away, waved bye to the night patrol, and went to get ready for bed.
I laid down and listened to Papa singing, I like his lullaby.
"Sleep, my little ones, as the days pass you grow… rest now. My little ones, let the night calm your minds… may your dreams be bright and fun… Sleep, my little ones, for a new day is to come…"
I fell asleep once again to Papa's singing, it made me think, who after Papa will be the one to sing? 'I hope Papa will always sing for us' was my last thought as I fell asleep.

Chapter Text

A few weeks later.
It was snowing, I was very thankful for the animal hyde we had, it helped keep us warm in the snow, while yes our feet didn't have the best protection, and got cold, it was fine.
I was up before the sun as I started to do, got out of my nest, and did some stretching. It helped me wake up more. I soon finished stretching and got ready for the cold.

I stepped outside and looked at the snow. It has been snowing for a few days now. I have been trying to get better at hiding my tracks. I went to the river and got a drink. It was cold, but we were getting used to it. Though we are thankful we saved a lot of meat and other things.
As I was getting a drink, I listened for the night patrol to get back. They were the best at hiding their tracks. I wanted to ask for tips on how to get better. I listened to the sound of the wind, the water. And listened harder, trying to 'hear' my surroundings.
After a bit, I could hear someone coming up to me. It wasn't hesitant, so it was not a stranger, and if I had to guess, it was one of the younger ones here. "Hey, Rin." I day, not looking behind me, and listening for a response, and I got one."How'd you know it was me?" I turned to them."It was a guess." I looked in thought, then nodded, "fair."
We talked for a bit as he also got a drink. When he was done, we walked back to where the others most likely were. I saw Papa, Mimi, and Ashi, so I waved and said hello to them. "Hello to you, Izuku.", "Hey Izuku," "Hello, little one." I know I was still 4, but I was learning a lot faster here.
We ate breakfast and got right into lessons. Papa was trying to have us remember faster as time passed, and Mimi was helping us with new moves or helping to improve on the ones we knew. And the hunters were in charge of helping us learn to hide our tracks and to make as little noise as we could.
We are getting better, but we still need to keep practicing, or we won't get any better. So we keep pushing ourselves to get better, faster, and stronger.
Soon enough, it was lunch time, we didn't eat too much as we needed to save the meat, but we still had a healthy amount of food to eat. We helped clean and went to play as the 'adults' talked about things. We played 'hide n' seek' to try and get better at hiding where we went. It was hard with the snow, but we kept trying. We played until we got bored and just went to practice our moves until it was time to train with Mimi in a bit.
When it was time for Mimi to teach us, we spared. Mainly practicing punches, and how to block them, or duck under so the hit didn't land on us. I was with koi, she was trying to land a hit while I was trying to block and dodge them. It was fun, and we took turns after a while we would switch. She did get a few hits, same with me.
We got a rest hour, so we all rested, well, except for the patrol and some hunters. They kept an eye out, one for others like us and to make sure the quirked don't find us. And the hunters that still had energy went to hunt what they could.
We were by the river to get a drink, and it was nice not being scared that we would get hurt. Papa explained as best as he could, what happened to a lot of quirkless, that made us little kids want to make sure they never find us. And as much as I loved heroes, I'd rather stay alive, then be near the quirked again.
Ashis' group was in charge of us this time. We weren't hunting, mainly because a lot of us weren't old enough yet. But we were trying to find something that stayed in the trees. Our task was to try and locate it without starting it.
I liked the snow, but I was excited for spring to come, mainly because then we got to go back into the forest for fruits, veggies, and herbs. The snow was pretty and helped us try and hide our tracks, but we still got cold. I wanted the warm sun to come back and more daytime so we could play more.
It was now dinner time, and we had what we usually had. It was good, and Mimi was the one to tell the story this time as we ate, Papa was getting a drink of water from the river.
We finish our food and the story Mimi tells us. It was about a mermaid that wanted to explore but hid from the others, but helped in every way they could. We put things up and I went to get a drink of water as all our lessons are done for the day, the other kids drank some water too, and we started to play some games to get rid of some energy before we went to sleep.
After a bit, Jen and I went to our fort, and I let her get ready first before I went in and got ready myself. I laid in my nest, and I waited for Papa to start singing like always. I covered myself up to keep warm from the cold and listened to the sounds of nature as I wanted Papa to start singing his lullaby.
I waited for just a bit longer, and then I heard him start to hum a tune while walking around. Then I heard him start his lullaby. I fell asleep listening to him sing the lullaby.
"Sleep my little ones, the cold is here… but the warm sun will come again… Sleep my little ones, as the night grows… Sleep my little ones for you will survive the days that come… Sleep my little ones… for you now know the truth…"

Chapter Text

A month later.
It was cold, but I was right. We got used to it, and it didn't bother us as much. Papa and the big kids started giving each of us chores to do, mini versions of what parts we wanted to do. Some went to doing smaller things like Papa does, and focus on plants and things like that, some went to Mimi and focused on battle, they trained when they could, and helped with smaller things with them, and some started to help with getting the animals ready for food, they were the ones wanting to be hunters.
Some switched around a bit to try and find what they wanted, I'm not fully sure what I want, but I might go to Mimi, as I want to help keep us safe. But I was stuck on what I wanted to do. We got two new people, Chei, who went to the hunters, and Minow, who went to Papa. Chei is 10 while Minow is 4, so we are now at 33 people in the Valley.

I was training as it was still early in the morning, and the ones going into the Hunters are helping with breakfast, so I wanted to speed up time, thanks to Chei we knew it was Thursday when she got here, but we didn't use that type of schedule, as Papa said. I finished my warm-up training as one of them yelled that food was done, so we all gathered around and ate together, well, without the day patrol.
We talked to each other as we ate, it was fun. Chei was telling us animal facts that she knew. They were very interesting. Mimi was with the patrol right now. A few quirked have been in our territory,not close to the valley, thankfully, but they managed to get them away without revealing us.
Kio was talking about plants with his siblings. They all went to Papa to be gatherers, and they wanted to stay together. Vivi was learning fast as she wanted us not to get sick. Thinking about it, she might become our first 'medic' as I heard the big kids say. We think that her birthday passed so she is now 14 years old. We also think that Yama and Yima's birthdays passed, so they are 9 years old now. As well as Jen, who is 5 now, Milo, who is 7, and Akumu, who is 6.
My birthday wasn't until the warm months, so after the cold months are done, I would be a few days after the warm months have started that I'll turn 5. I liked all days, but I was kinda happy we were getting close to the warming months, just before the warm months. We needed the warmth and the animals and plants that came with it.
We finished eating and went to our classes. The gatherers went to Papa, mimi had just gotten back to help her group, and a hunter stayed back to teach their group. I went to mimi and asked if I could be both a gatherer and patrol. She said she would ask Papa to see if I could.
We worked on getting better at what we could currently do, so just practice, and some sparing. It was an easy day today, but we still got hurt sometimes, we are getting better, and hopefully, soon, we won't get hurt.
We did this for a bit and took a small break, Vivi came to see if we were hurt. We just had some bumps, maybe a bruise or two, but we are fine. We went back to training until lunch when the hunters came back, the little ones wanting to be hunters helping and doing what they did until we could eat. Some of the hunters had new wounds, Ashi having three claw marks on her shoulder, Shio, who now had a bite mark on his right arm, and some of the others, Vivi patched them up and had them rest, even if it was just for a bit.
Chei had a herb book on her, so we had some ideas for what could be used to treat injuries. But it was still in the cold months. We are close to the warming months. The hunters were resting, and the rest of us went back to what we were doing. My group was sparing to get better and to start learning to change our fighting styles on the go.
It was hard and me and my partner and I did get hit, and we did fall, but we kept getting back up, not wanting to give up. We did this for a while, both of us trying to get the upper hand. They pushed me back a bit, but I kept going, trying not to fail. I suddenly dropped myself and shot out a leg, making them fall. I did help them back up smiling, and we laughed a bit before going to Vivi to patch us up.
It was now around lunch, and the hunters, who left a bit after we started sparing, got back with more food. They put it away as we still had some from lunch. And we all ate, the day patrol and Mimi came back, I saw Mimi go to Ashi and asked her if she was ok, I think it's because she saw the claw marks on Ashis' shoulder. I think it's sweet that Mimi shows how much she cares for Ashi.
We finished eating, and Papa stayed by as the night patrol came out to go and patrol. He made sure they ate before they left. Some of them were even going to hunt while they did their patrol. I went to the river to get a drink, Ashi came and got a drink too.
"Ashi?" I asked before I took a drink. She looked at me.
"Yes, Izuku?" I asked after she took a drink from the river.
"Do the marks hurt?" I asked, pointing to the claw marks she had gotten today.
She looked at them, then to me "yes, but the pain will go away. It means I was able to protect someone else from getting hurt."
"Like a protector?" I asked, confused.
She laughed a bit and nodded, "Yeah. Like a protector, " she said, ruffling my hair.
I took my drink of water, wished her a good night, and went to my fort and into my nest. I waited until I heard Papa start to sing the lullaby.
"Sleep, my little ones, for today we learned… Sleep my little ones, as warming months come close…. Rest your eyes now… for a new day comes… and we continue to learn…. Sleep my little ones, and together we will live…"

Chapter Text

Elsewhere: ??? Pov.
Where are all these kids? I know what the HPSC said to do with them, BUT THEY ARE KIDS! CHILDREN! PRACTICALLY BABIES! I was yelling at myself and mentally cursing the Hero Commision. I hated what they were doing to the quirkless. They were people, too. They shouldn't be getting hurt or killed because of it. I hate how people forget everyone's family line started with quirkless people.
I was in my house pacing back and forth with a file of one of the missing quirkless kids, "Izuku Midoriya," was written on the file. He is only four years old, and I don't know if he's still alive or not! He's just a baby. I was panicking because of how young some of them were.

I felt my husband hug me, making me stop pacing.
"I know you're worried about them, but try and calm down." He said
"How can I calm down? Children are missing, I don't care if they are quirkless, they are children." I said, still worried.
"I know, I hate what they are doing to the quirkless population too, sho, but worrying won't help us find them." He said, still hugging me.
I sighed. "I know, Zashi, but what if we find them too late?"
He hugged me tighter. "We will find them in time, Sho, I know we will."
I sighed again, and I started to get ready for patrol, hoping to find at least one of them while I'm on my patrols, but so far, nothing. I waved bye to Zashi as he went to bed, and I left. I kept a look out as I did my job, got annoyed by police repeatedly asking if I was actually a hero, and had to explain that. Yes, I was an actual hero.
I stopped some more villains, and one got a good cut on my leg, but I'll be fine. I kept working, looking out for those to help and the children, I'll keep an eye out for the children every time I go out of the house. I was patrolling near the forest, as I wanted to not just stay in one place to patrol. It'll hopefully make my chances of finding them better.
I swear I saw someone in the forest, but it must've been in my mind because when I looked again, they were gone. I sighed and continued working until I saw the sun start to rise. It was winter break, late December. I can't wait for spring to get here; it's too cold.
I got home at 5:30Am and when I got home, I got ready for bed, and showered because I needed it, and made sure not to wake up my husband as I fell asleep as the day started. I hope we can find them and save them all soon.
—————
??? Pov.
Night patrol was easy, mainly just keeping an eye out for night time predators, but tonight was different, I was by the edge of the forest, in case a quirkless child was told to run in here again. I saw someone who was quirked by the forest. Usually, they don't get this close, plus it was the middle of the night in the cold months. Why were they outside?
I saw them looking in my direction, so I hid in the branches of a tree, keeping an eye on the quirked while not being seen. I stayed still, like if I was in sight of a dangerous predator, staying still to not draw the dangerous beings' sight to me. I watched as they seemed to double check for something, probably me, but I stayed hidden, none of us wanted a quirked to find us.
I stayed to make sure the quirked left before heading back to The Valley. I needed to tell Shio about this and the other patrol groups as a warning about the quirked. I headed back, making sure to stay silent. We are still learning, but we are getting better. I actually held a few scares myself, like the others, I had a few animal bites, but I was fine, we thankfully had the herb book and Vivi to help know to to take care of the wounds.
I soon got to The Valley, I got a quick drink from the river before heading to Shio, who was saying bye to Mimi. I called both of them, getting their attention. "I came with a warning from my part of the Night patrol," I said.
"What is the warning? A predator near The Valley?" Asked Shio.
I shook my head "I was by the edge of the forest in case a quirkless child came in, but I saw a quirked near it, but on the buildings there, I hid before they could see me: I said.
"That's not good," Mimi said, starting to make plans for the other patrol groups.
Shio looked back at me. "Thank you for telling us Avi, we will inform the others, you should go rest."
I nodded goodnight to them and went to rest until lunch, as I had already eaten breakfast last night. I really hope that quirked doesn't find us. We don't need the pain. I walked past Vivi as she came out.
"Oh. Hi Avi, " she said, waving at me
"Good morning, Vivi." I nod back to her.
"Going to rest, I hope," she said, looking at my wound that was still healing.
I nod. "Yes, Vivi, I'm going to rest now," I said, knowing I needed the rest.
She gave me an approved look. "Good, because no one should be hurting themselves when they should be healing."
I was about to say something when Izuku came up, bleeding badly from his left arm. Vivi imitatelly went to check on him. I listened in, it turns out Izuku was training by himself and fell hard onto a very sharp stane, and by the look of it and the look Vivi is making, he'd probably get a small scar from it. She packed him up and told him to rest, I knew she was about to say the same to me, so I just went into my 'fort' as the little kids call them and went to sleep.

Chapter Text

Izuku's pov.
Avi had gotten back a bit ago, my arm still hurt from my fall earlier, Vivi patched it up, saying it would leave a small mark on my arm. She immediately told me to at least rest my arm, but we had training today, I went to get a drink before heading over for training. We just finished eating and needed to get some energy out.
I went over, and as soon as Mimi saw me, she said I was to let my arm rest, but I could still work on my endurance, so I ran. I was in need of a way to get some energy out.
I ran around our spot in the valley, some of the more building type kids were working on making new forts, I waved as I ran past them. I did this every day. I wanted to help make their day. I took a small stop to wave at Luami. He didn't like talking a lot nor physical contact without asking. He reminded me of a cat.
He came over to me waving a bit. He pointed at the part of my arm Vivi had patched up. It was my upper arm.
"My arm?" I asked. He nodded.
"Oh, I was training by myself and took a hard fall on some sharp rocks, Vivi said it'd only leave a small mark, but I should rest it anyway, so I'm running to not hurt it more." I explained to him.
This seemed to satisfy his cat-like curiosity and went back to doing his stretches to get flexible.
I continued my run, I ran into the forest to get better at footing as I wanted to not trip as much. I knew the forest at least a bit by now, so I knew I wouldn't get lost that easily. I was running when I felt a pair of eyes on me, so I stopped and looked around.
I looked at the edge of the forest. I knew this route, but I didn't know the person looking straight into my eyes. Their black eyes looked into my toxic green. A look of recognition appeared on their faces, and I ran back into the forest. I could hear them running after me. I kept running, not wanting them to get close.
I could hear him struggling with all the branches and things as I ran.
"KID, WAIT!" He yelled, but I didn't, I just kept running.
"QUIRKED!" I yelled, knowing a patroler was nearby.
After a bit more running, I heard the person thump to the ground. Finally, I was able to stop and take a breath as I looked back at the person. I recognized them, well him, I think he was a hero.
"We need to take him to a spot so Shio can ask him questions, but we'll need to blindfold him," Kye said.
I looked and realized they used the trees to jump on him, knocking him out. He would be dizzy for a few minutes when he woke up from that, but otherwise, fine.
I nodded. "I'll go get him and tell him."
"We'll see ya guys there then," Kye said as he and another patroler picked up the hero and took him to a spot. I went back to The Valley. I walked as I was still out of breath.
I soon saw Papa and went to him. "Papa, I have something very important to tell you," I said when I had his attention.
"What do you need to tell me, Izuku?" He asked.
"A quirked saw and chased me, Kye and the others took him to a spot and sent me to get you," I said.
He seemed shocked and worried.
"How did he see you?" He asked me.
"I was running because I hurt my arm and wasn't allowed to train my fighting skills, so I wanted to run to not get tired as easily," I said nervously. "And he saw me because I wasn't paying full attention to where I was, I knew I was in the forest, then he saw me and chased me." I looked down.
"You're not in trouble, Izuku, but please do try and be more careful," Papa said. I nodded, showing I understood.
I walked with Papa, and Kye met us while we were walking in the direction of where I was when Kye helped me.
"Good, you're here, come on he's about to wake up, and don't worry, Shio, he's blindfolded," Kye said to Papa.
"So he won't know where we are? That's good, thank you, Kye," Papa said to him.
We soon got to him. He was tied to a tree with very strong vines, which somehow stayed in the cold months. He was indeed blindfolded. I saw him starting to wake up from being knocked out by Kye.
"Ung… my head…" the person said.
"Who are you?" Papa asked. He sounded protective, I liked that Papa wanted to protect us from a quirked.
"I'm Earaserhead," the man said. I recognized the name.
"I know who that is!" I said to Papa.
"Who is that, Izuku?" He asked, kneeling in front of me.
"He's a hero that fights quirkless, like we do!" I said, excited.
"So he's an alley? Well, see, ok, Izuku?" He asked, and I nodded.
"Yes, Papa," I said before asking, "If he's trustful, can we at least let him see us?" I asked.
"Maybe, Izuku, we'll have to see," He said before turning to Earaserhead. "Now, please explain why you were chasing Izuku?"
"I wanted to find the missing quirkless children to make sure they were safe. I hate how the HPSC is treating them. It's wrong. You all are people too," he said, turning his head to where he heard Papa at.
"How do we know you're not lying?" Kye asked.
"Because I am basically quirkless, I'm just able to make others quirkless as well." Earaserhead said, turning to face Kye.
I knew they had a lot of questions for him. One being what his actual name was, which he surprisingly told us was "Aizawa, Shouta." He explains that he and his husband,"Presentation Michel" or "Present Mic," were worried about us. And that they only wanted to make sure we were healthy, safe, and alive.
After a few hours of Papa and Kye asking him questions, Papa finally took off the hero's blindfold.
"Fine, you have earned our trust enough to see us, but we have to keep you tied up for our safety." Papa said.
I knew this would be an interesting day now that the hero was here.

Chapter Text

Aizawas' pov:
I was both happy yet annoyed at this moment. I'm happy because I found the missing children, annoyed because I'm tied to a tree by said children. But I will admit they are smart to stay cautious. If they didn't, they would probably be caught by now. I'm glad they know to be safe.
They kept asking me questions, which I did answer to show I wasn't a threat to them. But I was looking at the scars they had. The youngest there, Midoriya, Izuku if I remember the file right, had his upper arm wrapped up, and the one asking me questions, Henisha, Shio, my mind told me, remembering the files, had a few bite scars. And the one who kept an eye on me, Dima, Kye, had claw shaped scars and bite scars. This worried me. They were hurt, scared even, but they seemed to be fine.

I looked at them closely and realized they were wearing Animal Hyde for clothing, but they didn't seem to have any shoes on. How were their feet not cold.
"Aren't your feet cold?" I asked them.
"We got used to it. It doesn't bother us," said Henisha, Midoriya nodding beside him.
"Are you sure it's not because you all are getting frostbite?" I asked.
"Yes! Because Vivi checked on all of us when we got used to it, we could still move them, and we could still feel them. We just got used to it, Mr. Earaserhead, " Midoriya said, smiling brightly.
Ashimina, Vivi, my mind filled in. "You mean Ashimina?" I asked.
They shook their heads, "we don't use last names here. Most of the little ones have forgotten theirs. We don't really see a reason for them." Henisha said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean? 'Most of the little ones forgot theirs'?" I asked.
"Because we all use our first names, the little ones, the younger ones, forget their last name, or have trouble remembering it." Henisha explained to me, waving his hand dismissively.
"Do yo -" I started to say before Dima interrupted me.
"We are the ones asking you questions," He said, glaring at me.
Midorya went to the kid and hugged him, Dima hugged him back, looking like he was at least a bit calmer now that Midoriya wasn't that close to me. Probably because he's the youngest of them near me, the others as I've heard have been avoiding this area because I'm here. Which again is smart, but it made me feel sad that they were so scared of me because of what the HPSC is doing to them.
"Why are you looking for us?, if we may know, please?" Henisha asked as Midoriya was still hugging and keeping Dimas' focus on him.
"To make sure that you are safe, I hate the Hero Commision, I hate what they are doing to you children over something you can't control," I said truthfully.
"Are you lying?" Henisha asked. It looked like Dima was sending Midoriya back to where I think the others were.
"I fight quirkless, and I don't use my quirk that often, and in some cases, I basically am quirkless because of those with mutations. And why would I want to hurt kids? Why would I lie?" I said, keeping my voice and body language calm.
——————————
Shio/Henishas' pov:
I don't think he's lying, but I would rather be fully sure, and him not know where we were. He might have to knock him out hard enough he won't remember, but it might not work, and he might just come back again. I looked over to Kye. He was keeping a very close eye on 'Earaserhead'. Even if Eraser's answers were true, how could we tell?
I looked at him, this time in the eye looking for any hate or disgust in them, but I didn't find any, which is very shocking. I looked at Kye and said "kèva" , a word that meant 'keep an eye on, I'll be back' . I thought it would be smart to have certain words that mean something so we can talk without a quirked knowing what we were saying.
He nodded "qèv" , a word meaning 'I understand'.
I nodded back and walked to the base to get food for me and Kye and to get Mimi so we could have her opinion.
When I got back, I said thank you to the Hunters and the little future hunters for making the meal, as well as made sure everyone got a drink of water from the river.
I went over to Mimi and just said "quìv" meaning 'come, I have something to show you'. She nodded and followed me back to where Kye was keeping an eye on Eraser. "Back," I said to Kye. He and the adult looked at me and Mimi as we got closer.
"JÌ?" Mimi asked, jì basically was just asking what happened.
"Qùir chì chè" I said. What I meant was 'a quirked chased child'.
The quirked looked confused as we talked in this way. Good, we don't want him to understand us. "Who did he chase?" Mimi asks. Now, in a way, the Eraser can understand us.
"Izuku," Kye said, still keeping an eye on the adult.
"How did he see Izuku?" Mimi asked
"Vivi told him not to strain his arm for a few days, so he went on a run and accidentally got seen by this person." I explained what I knew to her.
"My name is Aizawa, Shouta," the now known Aizawa Said, making me look at him.
"Thank you," I said before looking back to Mimi. "I wanted your opinion on what we should do," I explained to her.
"Hmm," she said, seeming to think. "What does his eyes say? We all know the eyes say what we truly want, " she said
"I looked very closely, I only saw worry, but no disgust anywhere, and he's basically quirkless, he can turn off others quirks, well except mutations, from what he's said" Kye said to her, I nodded agreeing with him.
"Fine, we will see in a few days. Take him back so we can prepare for that in the future. That's my opinion," she said.
I nodded. "Yes, that seems logical and smart. It also helps us make sure the little ones are prepared, " I said.

Chapter Text

Kyes' pov:
I knocked out the quirked and dragged him back outside of the forest, while Shio and Mimi went back to The Valley. Shio is probably going to make sure the kids are ok, while Mimi is probably going to her girlfriend, Ashi, to 1, check on her wounds and 2, get cuddles for warmth as it is still cold out. I couldn't wait to get back into my home.
I dumped him, making sure to not be seen or that any cameras see me. And went back into the forest, but I saw someone, not a child but a teen? With black hair that went to their waist, pale skin, and yellowish eyes. I went up to them, keeping my guard up.

"Hello, who are you? And what's your quirk?" I asked, trying to seem like I was a quirked individual.
She looked startled to see me. "Oh! Um… My quirk? It's…-" she doesn't get to finish her sentence .
"I can tell ya are planning to lie about having a quirk." I cut her off. The thing about living in the valley, the big kids, and Izuku found out that we can tell quirkless from quirked, reason? Quirked always have a tick to something, even quirked that can't physically show themselves. And I say 'and Izuku' because I swear he is a cryptid.
"Wh-what!?" She said, sounding scared.
"You don't have the tick a quirked person would have. Even little kids with quirkes have a small tick that is very hard to notice." I explained. "So by observation you, miss, are quirkless," I said, keeping an eye on her.
"Please don't hurt me!" She begged .How did you know!? I look like I have a quirk!" She quietly yelled, seeing as we didn't want to draw attention.
"1, I'm not," I said to her, holding my hands up. "2, I'm also quirkless, I don't even live in the city," I explained. I saw her look so relieved but shocked that I was quirkless. I am thankful to whatever beings are out there that the valley taught us big kids how to be more observant for protection.
"You're quirkless too?" She asked, sounding hopeful, I could tell, I still had the ability after my parents lied to me so often, I learned how to detect lies at this point.
"Yep," is all I said.
"And you aren't scared?" She asked.
"Nope."
"How?"
"They can't find me, simple enough," I said, turning into the forest, motioning for her to follow.
"How are you so sure?" She asked while following me.
"Because there are 33 of us living together, and we haven't been found," I said as we walked.
This shocked her quite a bit, but I asked a question as I stopped just outside the forest.
"What's your name?" I asked, looking her in the eyes.
"Leva, Idori," she said nervously.
"OK, Idori, something you should know is that we don't use last names," I stated before asking "now how old are you?"
"I'm 17" she said honestly.
I nodded and took her into the forest, letting out a fox call as I stopped, waiting for her to show up. And after a bit, she finally came. "Took you long enough to get here, Mimi," I said, smiling.
"I came from eating. It's late now," Mimi said before looking at Idori.
"I know it's late, and I'm hungry so I'd like to speed this up" I said before pointing my thumb at Idori "this is Idori, she is 17 and quirkless, pretending she had a quirk, but didn't have any of the ticks, so I knew she was lying" I explained to mimi.
"Hello, Idori, but it's not me who should welcome you," Mimi said before yelling back further into the forest. "Shio! Kìmà!", Kìmà "meaning 'come', and after a bit, I saw Shio come up to us.
"You called for me?" He asked Mimi. Mimi just pointed to Idori.
"New person, no quirked ticks spotted, has been in hiding if the smell.on her is any indication, name: Idori, Age: 17" Mimi explained to Shio.
Now that I actually paid attention, Idori smelled a lot like a trashcan, from what I can remember anyway.
She, Idori, looked nervous. "It's not that noticeable. Right?" She said nervously.
"It is, the girls will help ya with that when we get back to our home," is all I said, walking to the Valley.
I could hear them talking, Shio talking to Idori, Mimi staying by them just in case. I soon got back to the Valley, grabbed some food to eat, and Izuku asked me about the new person, who isn't even here. I don't know how he knows about her already. 'This boy is a cryptid, I swear,' I think to myself.
————————
Izukus' pov:
I asked kye what the new person looked like, how they acted, and if he noticed anything we could help with. He answered what he could, and he also told me they were a 'she' but that I could ask when she got here. I was very excited to meet the new person. According to Kye, Idori was her name.
Soon, Papa and Mimi came back with who I think is Idori. Kye went to get a drink of water from the river before going to bed. I ran up to them. "Hello Papa, Mimi! Is this Idori? Hello, I'm Izuku, " I said quickly, sticking my hand out and up, seeing as I was barely even up to their waist.
She looked shocked at my suddenness, and Papa responded, "Hello, Izuku."
Mimi also responded to me, they were both used to me, "Hello, Izuku, how are you?"
"I'm good, Mimi, my arm is better, Vivi says I can start training again," I told her.
"That's good. You need to get that energy out some way," she said, grinning.
I smiled at Mimi and Papa before looking back at Idori, who still looked to be shocked. I heard her mumble to herself in disbelief. "There are babies here?"
I just nodded to her. "Yep, but we are going to be big and strong!"
She kneeled down to her knees to meet my eyes better. "Hello, Izuku… and yes, I'm Idori. It's nice to meet you." She looked nice, but also sad.
I smiled and hugged her. "You don't have to be sad, Idori. And It's really nice to meet you too!"
She smiled gently at me, and we talked, Mimi and Papa staying close by. I explained the best I could and how things were here. I even told her about how warm the nests in our homes are! It was really fun, but me and the other little kids were soon sent to bed to sleep.
So I fell asleep to Papa singing "Sleep, my little ones, we have grown today, in numbers, in strength, smarts, and courage… it might not be by a lot, but we still have grown… Sleep my little ones, let the days work leave your shoulders, and let the dreams of tomorrow come… rest now, my little ones."

Chapter Text

A few days later: Izuku's pov:
It was nice having Idori here. Yes, we do have to teach them how things go here and have to introduce them to the others, but it was still fun having a new person to ask questions to. I heard Papa ask them for their pronouns. They said, "They/them." Papa explained it to us, so we all use 'they' or 'them' when talking about Idori to help make them feel welcome here.
They were worried about us little ones, but didn't have a lot of things to say, but they did have a lot of ways to help us! They are helping the builders with ways that will hopefully make our homes stronger and warmer. The builders are thankful for the help. Papa was talking to Idori now, but I needed to focus on Rin as we were sparring.

Rin got a good hit. He was stronger than me, but I didn't mind it just meant I had to try again.
I got up with his help, smiling. "That was a good match, Rin!" I said excitedly
He smiled back. "Same, Izuku," he said, just as happy.
We continued to spar as it was still early, and we had just eaten breakfast. Well, us early people are, and some of the little kids are starting to be more awake at night and sleep through the day. Jen was one of these kids. She started to wake up later in the day and stayed awake until a bit after I went to sleep.
Even if, from what I remember, the quirked didn't do this, it worked for us. It helps us a lot, because then while others sleep, there are always ones that can protect us while we sleep. We keep some of dinner in a spot so animals can't get it, but the night people can get to it so they can eat.
There are even night hunters for animals that come out at night. We all help in some way. Even if it's small, we all help where we can.
But back to what is happening, Idori is still talking to the builders on how to make our homes better, and to help keep the weather on the outside, even if we are already used to it. Papa agreed that better buildings would be good for us, and we might even be able to find and even make things for decorations! The big kids are so smart, I can't wait until I'm a big kid and can be smart too!
I looked at Rin and told him I was going to get a drink of water and headed over there. It was a calm day today, but Papa and Mimi said they needed to tell us something later, so I'm kinda worried. The water was still cold, but we were still in the cold season, and Papa said the warm season is going to be here soon.
I went back and continued sparring with Rin until we were called to take a break so we don't get too sleepy. The break was nice, Papa told us a new story. It was a story of a kingdom of nature that grew with the world around it, which helped heal and protect. And how its people always showed kindness and empathy to those who needed it, but knew when to stand their ground and protect the world and their home.
After the break, it was lunchtime. We all stopped lessons to eat together. It was good, Rin ran and jumped in front of Mimi and ashi, wanting to scare them. It worked, and Ashi jumped onto Mimi. It was funny. Mimi and ashi got a little angry and then just smiled and laughed the anger away.
All in all, lunch was very fun. We soon finished and put things away, but stayed together so Papa could tell us what he wanted to.
"Ok, so as you all know, the quirked are dangerous," He started, and there were sounds of acknowledgment and agreement. "But one had seen Izuku and ran after him. We caught him, don't worry, he doesn't know where we are, but we will bring him here as he answered all our questions without lying or hesitation," he continued. "Those of you that wish to avoid him until he has gained full trust, may go into your homes, I will let you know when the quirked has left, I promise he shall not harm you in any way" Papa finished. Over half of us went into their homes, mainly little kids, but I stayed out. I wanted to see Eraserhead again.
Papa and Mimi walked into the forest to go meet with him and to lead him here. So those of us who had stayed outside to meet him had to wait for them to get back. And after a bit, I could finally see their figures coming. "They're here!" I yelled, pointing to where they were coming, causing the others to look in that direction. Idori was by me mainly because I was the youngest that stayed outside.
Soon, they finally got into the Valley, I ran up and hugged Papa, "You took forever!" I said to him,
"I'm sorry, little one, we had to make sure no other quirked followed us back," Papa said to me, hugging me back.
"We had to make sure so we would still be safe," Mimi continued staying by Earaserhead, probably to keep him in line.
I nodded before looking at Mr. Earaserhead, he seemed shocked with something, I don't know what, though. So I waved at him. "Hello again, Mr. Earaserhead. "
He looked at me. "Hello again, Izuku," He said, kneeling down so he was closer to my level.
I smiled at him before turning to Papa, "Ima get a drink," I said. He nodded, and I ran to the river to get a drink. I tuned them out as they talked, I didn't want to be rude. After I got a drink, I went to Rin, who stayed outside with me, to spar so we could keep busy as they talked. We felt someone watching us, so we stopped and looked to where that feeling was. It was Mr. Earaserhead, he seemed to want to ask something.
Before he could, though, Papa seemed to notice and said, "Izuku and Rin are sparing. They are still beginners, but they are learning. Over time, they will get better." That seemed to make Mr. Eraserhead confused.
"Why are they sparing? If I may ask?" He asked Papa.
"Because, Izuku and Rin want to be in the patrol group, Which is what Mimi is teaching them, While I teach about gathering food and other things, and the Hunters take turns teaching how to hunt and track animals," Papa explained before continuing. "They first learn all before they choose what they want to continue and go into. We even have a 'healer' here." Papa explained.

Chapter Text

Later that day:
It was both weird and fun having Mr. Earaserhead here in the Valley. After me and Rin had gotten done sparing, I went and asked Mr. Earaserhead, if he was ok, because he seemed shocked earlier. He just chuckled a bit and said, "Yeah, I'm ok, I was just shocked at how many people were here."
I nodded. "There are a lot of people here, but most of us are in their homes because they are scared of the quirked," I explained to him.

I looked like he understood, I looked and saw they were getting food ready, so I waved at him and went to wash my hands and start helping them get ready. I offered to go get the others, Mr. Earaserhead was by a tree far enough that the others might come outside to eat together. Ashi said I could go get the others so they could get ready to eat, so I went to the closest home to me and knocked. It was Akumu and Iviva's home. I told them that Ashi wanted them to get ready for food.
They nodded and headed over to help, and I continued around telling the day people that it's time to get ready to eat. I didn't want to wake the night people. I went to get a drink and said hi to Koi and Kio, who were also getting a drink. They didn't want to be near Mr. Earaserhead, as he was still a quirked, and so they didn't trust him.
I agreed that I was not used to a quirked either, but I also told them how he was the main hero that quirkless could rely on to make sure we were safe. They seemed concerned, so I held their hands with a smile and said, "I'll keep you safe!"
"Sure you will, Izuku," Kio said, using his free hand to ruffle my hair.
"Yeah, sure you will, Izuku," Koi said, smiling back at me.
I was happy that they had trust in me, I gave both of them a hug before going back to help clean. Mr. Earaserhead was still by the tree but looked like he wanted to help, but he also didn't want to scare anyone by moving. I went up to him. "Hi again, Mr. Earaserhead. "
He looked at me. "Hello again, Izuku, are you ok?"
"I'm ok, I wanted to see if you wanted to talk," I said to him.
"Sure, we can talk. What do you want to talk about?"
"Can you tell me about what it looks like out there? Outside the forest?"
He sighed but gave me a gentle smile. "Sure, wanna sit down while we talk?"
I nodded and sat beside him after he sat down under the tree.
"Ok, so -" he started to explain what was happening out there and how it looked, during the day and night, and what it's like.
——————
Aizawas' pov:
I continued to talk to Mi- Izuku, telling him about where they used to live. I was sad that the little kids seemed to have already forgotten about it. But I just smiled and continued to talk to him. He looked so happy to learn.
We talked until he had to go back to sparring, Mimi would have them take breaks, in those breaks she seemed to tell them about what they need to look out for so they can keep the place safe. It was weird, but good to see that all of them were learning how to live here. I was upset that a lot of them had at least one scar of some sort. The ones with He- Shio, learning about what plants and things they can touch and/or eat. The ones with a hunter? They were being taught how to track and defend against animals.
Soon, it was getting dark out, so I had to leave. I said bye to Izuku, Mimi, and Shio. I went back home. I will tell Hizashi about this as soon as I get home.
It was dark by the time I got home, Hizashi would be awake, he always was when I got home. As soon as I closed the door behind me, he was already there.
"How are they?" Hizashi asked worriedly.
"They are ok, most are scared of us, and most had at least one scar, but they seem to be doing good"
"They had scars!?" He asked, scared for the children.
"Yes, but not from each other, but they looked like they were treated as well as they could. Some of the children even had parts of them wrapped."
"How many of them were there?"
"All of them, some were still asleep while I was there. They work or learn at night. The ones I saw today are what they call 'day people'. While the others are 'night people'. They make it work."
"So they are ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, they are ok, and we will make sure they stay ok." I said as I hugged him close, wanting to comfort him. As much as I was comforting him, he was comforting me, too.
We ate dinner and soon went to bed, thinking about all the children.
——————
Izuku pov:
After Mr. Earaserhead left the others and seemed more comfortable. We all finished our food, got a drink from the river, and started to help clean up. The night people were just waking up getting ready for the night.
I waved goodbye while telling them goodnight, like I always did, and went to my nest, laying down and listening to Papa sing. I loved it when Papa sang, and I was even more happy tonight, Mr. Earaserhead told me about outside the forest! But I can tell Papa tomorrow, for now, sleep. Papa said sleep was important and that we need to do it, so we all try to get a lot of sleep.
"Sleep, my little ones, we have met someone new, one of magic… Sleep, my little ones, for the sun set to rest as the moon rose to watch us now… Sleep, my little ones, as the night grows, now you are protected…"

Chapter Text

A week has passed, Mr. Earaserhead hasn't been back yet, but that's ok! He told me he was preparing to be a teacher, and he said that being a teacher means he will teach a class something for the future! I hope he becomes a teacher like he wanted.
It's starting to warm up finally, meaning we are getting close to the warmer months. I can't wait because Papa said we have almost been here a year, and we got here on my birthday, so my birthday is coming up! The birds are coming back, so that's good. We can hear them singing in the mornings again. It's nice to listen to.
I was already outside stretching, as I got used to it. I finished stretching and got a drink. I took my time as it was still early. As soon as I was done, I went and got some food that was done and ate my share of food. The hunters were taking a break from hunting as we had enough food for a few weeks. They were helping the builders to pass the time, and the little hunters in training were being taught how to identify animals that would go on for a while to make sure they remembered.
After eating, I got to training- well running. We are working on en-endurance, so we can run longer with fewer breaks and get less sleepy from running. Mimi said that it was very important that we do this, just in case we have to run from something or someone. We needed to know this so we could keep ourselves and each other safe.
She would see how long we could run and tell us what we could do, even if it was mainly just running more. To get better, we always tried our best. We wanted to stay safe. We pushed ourselves, pushed to get faster, stronger, and more hidden, like wolves! She did make sure we took breaks if we stopped running so we could catch our breaths again.
Kye and Idori watched us, Key giving us ideas and tips, Idori was on her break.
I stopped running, trying to catch my breath. "Izuku, take a breather!" Mimi said as she led the run. I nodded and sat down by Kye and Idori.
"Hey, izuku," kye said. Even if he wasn't usually up in the day, he wanted to make sure we were practicing stealth while running.
I just smiled and waved to him, still trying to catch my breath. I was very tired from that run. I had a bit to go, but I was still only four, and I had time.
After listening and talking after I finally got my breath again, I got a drink and went to practice my forms, how to hit correctly (we put vines over a tree so we had something to practice on) I wanted to make sure I kept up with it.
'Kye got a new scar,' I thought to myself as I punched the vine covered tree. 'In his leg, a circle, I heard Mimi say that it was a bullet wound, but Kye is sneaky, no one should have seen him' I continued to get lost in my head.
"Izuku, Little one?"
I turned around, seeing Papa. I smiled. "Hello Papa!"
"Hey, little one, are you ok? You seem to be lost in thought?"
"I'm fine, Papa! I was just thinking about Kyes' new scar, the round one on his leg, " I told him, now fully facing him.
Papa seemed to look upset. "I'll tell you about it when you are older, ok, little one?"
I was curious and confused but nodded "yes Papa"
He smiled and ruffled my head, "Well, it's time to eat anyway. Come on, little one, let's go,"
I smiled and nodded. "ok, Papa!"
We got to the others, and ate lunch, it was very good. Papa again made sure we all got some water.
We soon finished and went about our day, Papa made me take a longer break, then went to help clean up. I went over the tips kye, and Mimi told us about running(Mimi) and on how to be very sneaky(Kye).
Soon, I was allowed to go back to training. We were just practicing our forms on blocking, us littler ones not hitting each other yet. Mimi said it was because we didn't know how to control how hard we hit yet. I was still sleepy from the run, so it's good that we got a break from running.
We did this for a bit. Idori went back to doing what she was before her break. They wanted to start getting a field for plants ready before we fully got to the warm months. Papas' group was having fun while he talked to the builders where the field should be and where what plants went where. I listened as I practiced my blocking.
Papa wanted a spot away from the veggies where going to be so we could plant fruit trees. And they were talking about how to get the water to the spots. Sue, one of the builders, said something about digging small trenches for the water to travel to where we need it and a small mill to get it there? I was confused, but my thoughts changed when dinner was called, wanting to eat. I went to get my share of food.
The day went by fast, but at least that means the warm months will be here faster! I can't wait for the warm months to be here. My birthday is in the warm months! I was getting tired as dinner went on, Papa told us a story while we ate again.
It was a story of a group of animals, all chased away from their homes, finding new ones in each other and helping each other live, and grow!
But dinner was soon over, we picked everything up and went into our homes, I got in my nest as Papa started to sing.
"Sleep, my little ones, the day has gone, and we are still here. Rest my little ones, we will thrive, as the night grows, we will know rest."

Chapter Text

A few months have passed.
My birthday has passed, and the days are longer now. And warmer, we almost got found, but thankfully, we led them away without them knowing. I am now 5 years old. Papa and the other told me ‘happy birthday’ . I am very happy.
One of the quirked that almost found us thought Papa was a deer and a loud sound happened. The man was quickly knocked out and taken back to the city. Papa now has the same round scar as Kye, except it was on his shoulder, while Kyes was on his leg.

Papa still had his bandage on and kept the spot where it was clean. Vivi told him not to st-strain his arm until it's fully healed. The hunters got more scars, especially the night hunters. Kye got claw marks on his back. He is currently on rest, and Vivi is helping keep his back clean and helping him eat until it fully heals.
The days are relatively the same, training is the same, food changes sometimes, but everything stays in a pattern. I like it. It helps me get used to things and adapt faster.
The rhythm of the days changed a bit after we met Mr. Earaserhead, he comes over sometimes, and he talks to us. He tells us about the city, what the date is, and tells us if it's one of our birthdays in case we forget. And helps us with what we would have been taught in school. It's fun. He also gets us things to play with, books, notebooks for our lessons, and pencils so we can write. He helps us with our writing and other things.
The others are starting to trust him more as time passes. And we have started a game: “when will Mr. Earaserhead come” we basically take turns guessing what day he will come. It's fun, and the winner will get to pick what game to play.
—————
Shio's pov:
It looks like meeting Mr. Earaserhead was a good idea. The little ones are being taught by him, as well as us, so we can stay smart when it comes to things like that. He even tells us the date and a birthday (he told me how he knows, he had our files and marked our birthdays on his phone) the little ones and even some of us big kids are starting to trust him.
He even brought Vivi a few first aids and taught her how to use it. She had some on Kye as he had a new claw mark on his back. It looks like it's gonna scar.
The little kids were on break, and Mr.Earaserhead printed us off some homework so we could keep learning while he was not here. Some of us did have some trouble, but he tried his best to help.
We also got the garden going. We even have an area for the bigger plants and trees. So we are getting better, I think.
——————
Kyes pov:
I am so bored! I'm stuck on bed rest until the claw marks on my back are fully healed. I should have seen that wolf coming! I need to stay aware of my scrounging! ‘At least I have something to do (even if it is boring)’ I think to myself as I continue my math homework that the quirked, Mr. Earaserhead gave us.
I hate to say it, but he is a good teacher and seems to actually want to help. That shocks me that a quirked would want to help. And apparently, he isn't the only one. He apparently has a husband, and that's where we get our English homework from?
I mean, it helps pass the time, so I guess that's good. It's still boring, but hey, anything to pass the time at this point, I can't wait to be able to get off bed rest.
——————
Aizawa's pov
I was grading the kids' homework from the last time I was in ‘The Valley’ as they call it. Hizashi was grading their English as he is better at it than me. I was still worried about them, especially after seeing Vivi patched up Kye with the bandages I gave her to help with the claw marks on his back. I explained to them that it would more than likely scar his back.
I was still gaining their trust. I know this, and even if Hizashi wants to see them soon, we have to wait until I am trusted enough to bring him with me. I'm getting there, though. It will just take some time, hopefully when Kye is healed.
I saw that they now have a field for some of their food. ‘Smart, they are thinking with logic, that is good’ I think while I grab the next paper to grade. Hizashi was already done grading the English homework from them, so he was just playing with our cats.
It was getting late, so I put down the paper before I graded it and got ready for patrol tonight. I was still a pro-hero after all. I grabbed my capture weapon and opened the door. "See you later, Zashi,” I said.
“See you when you get back,” He said from the couch.
——————
Izuku's pov
It was late now, and we just got done with dinner. It was a quick clean-up. I got a drink and went to my home, and back into my nest. I covered up and just listened to the sounds outside for a bit. ‘The owls are waking up,’ I thought as I heard them call in the night. I listened to it, well, until Papa started to sing just like he always does to help us.
“Sleep, my little ones, our minds have grown. Sleep, my little ones, you will grow. We will keep growing despite what people say, and we will keep growing. We will fight, we will defend, we will not give up our right to live tonight, and every day after this night under the stars light.”

Chapter Text

??? Pov:

Something is up with two members of my staff. Especially Aizawa, I've seen him doing more work then normal. It didn't look like it was for his class.

Especially since some of it looked like it was for small children. Hizashi was helping him with something, though I couldn't get either of them to talk to me.

Lost in thought, I begin to wonder what I could do to get the answer to my queries. 'Maybe I can hack their phones again? No, I already did that, it had lead me nowhere. Follow them? Maybe I should.' I continue to think as I do paperwork. After all, I am the principal!

I got that done, and now I could call them both up here to see if they will tell me. I grabbed my phone and sent them a text.

Nezu: Aizawa, Hizashi, you two are needed in my office. please come as soon as you can.

it showed that they saw it, as well as getting a text from them both.

Aizawa: coming
Mic: On my way!

I smiled, hoping that this meeting would get my queries answered. I looked through the hidden camera until I saw them both and opened the door before they could reach for it. Is it dramatic? Yes, but fun.

"You wanted to see us?" Aizawa asked when they both came in.

"Yes, I just had some questions to ask you both." I said, motioning them to sit down. "Would you like some tea?" I asked as they sat down.

"No, thank you," they both said, now sitting.

"So my question is, what are you two doing that involves small children? I've seen you both working on work that isn't from this school, but this is the only school you work at." I asked before taking a drink of my tea.

They both paled, and I could smell fear and shock from them. That just solifyd my point that they are hiding something.

"What? We aren't having anything from you, " Mic said as Aizawa canceled his quirk.

"I feel that you are, considering that you look and sound nervous." I stated.

"We will tell you when we can, Nezu, for now though, we can't talk about it." Aizawa said before looking at his husband.

"I need to go now, before I'm late." He said standing up.

"Tell them I said hi please." Mic said as Aizawa started for the door.

"I'll try" He said before leaving.

I looked at Mic, he now looked more nervous now that Aizawa left. "I do hope that you two will tell me soon, Mic, I am a very curious creature you know" I said to him.

"We'll tell you as soon as we can! I promise!" He said very nervously.

———————

Izuku's pov:

I was taking a drink of water, today is a very good day so far. I got up and went back to practice, we were getting better, very slowly, but we were getting better. I walked up to Mimi to ask her a question. "Hey, Mimi? When will Mr Earaserhead come visit again?"

She looked at me, "oh, Izuku, um I think he is supposed to come over today, but I would just focus on today's lesson until he gets here, but now that I think about it, we are on break, so go sit, relax and think of what today will fully bring." She said to me.

"Ok, Mimi, you will tell me if he gets here?" I ask.

"Yes, Izuku, I will tell you if he shows up" she said sighing a bit.

"Thank you, Mimi!" I said happily before going to the others in my group to actually relax.

I enjoyed being with the others, and Mr. Earaserhead is teaching us! It is so fun! I looked at Rin as he was telling jokes, we laughed at the jokes, and played a few games when we heard Mimi and Papa call "Mr. Earaserhead is here!"

Me and a few others ran over as Mimi went over to Ashi and they sat under a tree together. They would work on the homework together, but until then they would relax under that tree. It was nice to see them so happy was my last thought of them as I made it to Mr. Earaserhead.

"Hi Mr Earaserhead! How did we do on our homework? Did anything fun happen? How is Mr. Mic? Will you be teaching us more today? How does it look outside the forest today?" I asked excitedly.

"Slow down, problem child, I can't answer your questions if you don't pause long enough for me to answer" He chuckled.

"Oh, right" I said taking a breath as we followed him to the spot he has taken to teaching us. "How did we do on our homework?" I asked again.

"I have them all graded, here, get yours and pass them along please" He said handing the stack of papers to Rin who immediately started looking for his.

"Ok, did anything fun happen?" I asked.

"No, sorry problem child, it was mainly just work" He said sitting down.

"Oh, how is Mr. Mic?" I continued.

"He is fine, he is doing his best, almost done with the bigger kids English homework." He said smiling a bit.

"Yey! I'm glad he's happy. Will you be teaching us today?"

"Maybe if you all are wanting to learn" He said patting my head looking at the other kids.

"I hope we do, what is it like outside the forest today?" I asked him.

"The same, but don't worry, I'll take pictures and tell you of something 'fun' or 'new' happens, ok?" He said looking at me.

The papers finally got to me, I did good, a few mistakes, but that's ok, I can get better! Mr.Earaserhead was trying his best to teach us, the least we can do is be happy that he cares about us and tries to help teach us. He is a really good teacher!

He hung out for a bit answering questions we had on the work, we didn't get anymore for today, as we are waiting for the big kids homework to be graded. But he still had to go home and it was late.

"Bye Mr.Earaserhead!" I said waving to him as he left. He waved as he walked away, we already had dinner while he was here so we just went to our homes to rest in our nest.

Papa's voice started to sing.

"Sleep,my little ones, we have a new teacher. Sleep, my little ones, as the day has passed. We have made it passed today, we can and will make it past tonight and tomorrow. Sleep, my little ones, for tomorrow is a new day".

Chapter Text

A month later...

Izukus pov:

I woke up and got out of my nest so I could get ready for the day. Papa said the we are growing eternal clocks, I don't know what that means. I'll ask Papa or Mr. Earaserhead later today! I know they will tell me what that means, I hope it's good! I stepped outside, the sun wasn't up yet, it usually wasn't when me and the other 'day people' woke up.

I breathed in the fresh air glad I get this air instead of the polluted air of the city, well Mr. Earaserhead said it's polluted. I don't fully know what 'polluted' means, maybe I can ask him today? I think I heard him talking to Papa last time he was here, he was asking him something, I wonder what he asked. Mr. Earaserhead told us he was bringing dic-dictionaries to help us with our words.

I got to the river and got myself a drink with some if the others, I looked to the field and saw that the plants are doing well, Mr. Earaserhead gave Papa a book on all kinds of plants and it really helps. I was glad that the field was doing good, and that we get to learn more. Mr. Earaserhead was a lot of help, and I think Papa and Mimi agree.

Kye is finally healed enough that he can move around again, he still has a few days until he can go back to potrol, just to make sure that his scars are fully healed. He is just happy that he's not stuck in his home anymore, he kept saying how boring it was. The bigger kids in the potrol and hunters have more scars than the rest of us, they say it's so we are safer. I don't like how often they get hurt, but as far as I know, the worst one is the one on Kyes back.

Papa called us day people over to eat saying he had something to tell us.

"Sòm" He said in the language he has been teaching all of us, the big kids talked and decided what meant what. They were still teaching us.

We all sat down as that is what that words meant. Papa looked around, made sure everyone had gotten their food and sat down somewhere.

"As we all know Mr. Earaserhead has shown that we can trust him" Papa began with, catching our attention.

"He has asked me if he could bring his husband, I have talked to Mimi, Kye and some of the hunters. We have decided that he could, but he would have to make sure that absolutely no other quirked followed them." Papa explained to all of us. We were all shocked, Mr. Earaserhead was the first quirked that we trust, now he was bringing another? I raised my hand.

"Ìmà?" I asked practicing the language, Ìmà meant 'who?' If I remember right.

"His husband, the one that does us bigger kids English homework" Papa explained after I asked.

I put my hand down and Rin raised his. "When will they get here?" He asked.

"Mr. Earaserhead said that they will get here around the afternoon, for this morning we should get what we need done, anymore questions?" Papa finished.

He waited, but no one else raised their hand. "Ðimà" he said dismissing us. 'Ðimà' meaning 'dismissed' I think. As I got up and went to Mimi to see what we were doing today.

——————

Aizawa's pov:

I sigh, slightly regretting asking if Zashi could come. I had told him when I had come back home last week that Shio, Mimi, Kye and a few others had said he could come. He was very happy that he could 'finally meet all the little listeners!' I still have no ideas on how he has so much energy.

I grabbed my scarf, I called out to him. "If you don't hurry up. I'm leaving you!" To him.

"Comming!" He replied, I could hear him trip as he rushed to get to me, I calmly put my scarf on as he got to me.

"Took you long enough" I said looking at my now ready husband.

"Sorry, I was trying to hurry" He said rubbing his neck.

"I know, I heard you fall" I said trying not to grin.

He just huffed and we started out of the house, after putting on our shoes. We lived new U.A. as we are teachers, and so it would take a small bit to make it to the forest, and a bit more to get to the valley. Shio had told me that Mimi was going to meet up with us so she can 'check up' Zashi to see if he was safe or not.

Currently we are at a stop walk, we waited for it to say we can go. We liked walking, more so Zashi than me, but at least we aren't getting stuck in traffic. Zashi let me pet the stray cats on the way, after all we were kinda early, so we had time.

We passed a park with children, you could see the ones that already had their quirkes, all of them did. I wish some didn't, or at least the ones I knew could live happy lives without the commission trying to kill them. I sighed as we continued our walk, and after a but we finally could see the forest comming up, we didn't rush through, we didn't want to draw attention to us.

Shio told me to make sure NO ONE else besides my husband came to the forest. So that's what we did. Thanks to being pros we learned how to blend in, especially Zashi not being in his hero outfit. So we just looked like two people on a walk, instead of two hero's sneaking off.

I let a small smile fall onto my lips as we got close enough to the trees I could hear the animals, and smell the fresh air from the trees. To be honest I liked going to the forest, for a few reasons. And not just because of less people.

Some of the reasons is because of the clean air, the animals, even if I have to make sure Zashi didn't see any bugs. And the children that made their homes there. I did have a bag over my shoulder today, I had promised to bring them some dictionaries to help them understand some words better. Even one for slang, I had a few because teens are hard to understand if you don't. Finally we had gotten to the forest.

Chapter Text

Aizawa's pov:

I knew Mimi would keep hidden to assess Zashi. I know that he'll pass. After all he cares about them as much as I do!

We kept walking at a slow pace. I did this so Mimi could assess him before we got to The Valley. After walking for a few minutes we heard Mimi call out "Stop!"

We stopped as she said and she walked up to us. I nodded to her in greating,"Hello Mimi" I said before pointing at Zashi "this is my husband, Yamada, Hizashi, or Mic."

"Heyo, little listener!" He said happily.

"...hello......Mr. Mic" she said still on guard, reasonable considering all that can and will hurt them.

"Did he pass the test?" I asked her, Mic made a sound of shock and confusion. I ignored him for now, looking at the child in front of us.

"Yes, Mr.Earaserhead, he did" she said turning around. "Follow me, I'll be taking you to The Valley now. And we followed, it was a bit of a walk, kne I have gotten used to, not so much Zashi. I talked to him while we continued to walk to where the children were, I also reminded him to keep his voice under control around them.

———————–————

Shio's Pov:

I was with Mimi when we assessed Mr. Mic, neither adult knew I was there. I had nodded to her, letting her know he passed, and she ran to be in front of them to lead them to The Valley. I ran back to our home to let everyone know that he passed the assessment and would be coming to The Valley. Of course this made some people ask questions, I tried my best to answer all of them, the last one, most of them were from Izuku, the last one was from Kiva, she wanted to know if we had to be outside or inside when they got here. "No one if forced to stay out and meet him, just like none of you are being forced to stay inside and hide, Kiva, does that answer your question?" I asked and she nodded.

Some of the kids, mainly just ones who wanted to get homework done this time, or just to take a nap went back into their homes. Me and the others got the place ready for Mr. Mic to actually get here, Mr.Earaserhead had told us his fear of bugs so we did our best to hide all of them we could. We put the food we were still needed to put away, put away, and cleaned ourselves if we needed to as a show of decency to the two adults. It was a different part of the river, more down it so we wouldn't accidentally drink it, then we moved up river to get a drink so we wouldn't get thirsty. Then we heard it, "we are here!" We heard Mimi call us to let us know of their arrival.

I turned around and saw Mr.Earaserhead and Mr. Mic, Mr. Earaserhead looked calm and was talking to his husband. I walked over the others behind me, "Hello, Mr. Earaserhead. This is Mr. Mic I'm assuming?" I said to him.

"Yes, this is Yamada, Hizashi, or Mic. Thank you again for letting him come here Shio." He said nodding to me. Mr. Mic was looking at all of us, well the ones who are awake and outside.

———————————

Hizashi's pov:

I was finally in The Valley, I had met Mimi, and I was shocked to see scars on her, but then we finally got to The Valley, and more people showed up, some had bandages on, and all of them had at least one(1) scar on them. I was both shocked and extremely worried about them, even if they looked like the injuries didn't really bother them, I mean it's been over a year that they came here I think. The one in front, Shio, was talking to Shou about something, now that I listen I think it's about me. I think Shio and the children were just a asking questions about me, asking about different and random things, from my favorite color, to my favorite food.

It was sweet, I love children. I don't care if they have a quirk or not, or anything, I just love children and want them to be safe, but the commission thinks otherwise. They have forgotten the we as humans started of quirkless, and that sometimes it's better to be quirkless if your quirk harms you too much to use it. I think they really need to get their heads on straight, they say they care about people safety, but then want people to harm children over something that they had no control over? Idiotic.

————————————

Izuku's pov:

Mr. Mic looked deep in thought, so I went over to him and tugged on his pant leg, he was very tall. He looked down to me and knelt down, "Hello, little listener, what's your name?" He asked me smiling.

"My names Izuku, Mr. Mic!" I said smiling at him.

"That's a nice name, little listener! Can you tell me some things about this place?" Mr. Mic asked smiling at me.

I nod and began to tell him about our home. "Yes! There are a few things we can do, gathering, hunting, potrol, build, heal, and farm! We get to choose which one we want to learn! And the big kids help us learn it! And Mr. Earaserhead is helping with our ed-edu-" I tried to say the word.

"Education?" Mic asked. Making me nod.

"Yeah that!" I said happily.

We got to hang out with Mr. Earaserhead and Mr. Mic until they had to go home as it was late, and us little kids needed rest, we did give our homework to Mr. Earaserhead before they left. We all said bye, and when they left I went to get a drink and went to bed.

I heard Papa singing like he always does. "Sleep, my little ones, we have met someone new. Sleep, my little ones, we have learned something new. Rest now, let you dreams come to you, from the stars above us. Sleep, my little ones tomorrow will come again."

Chapter Text

No one's POV:

It was late afternoon, and the two adults were on their way to work. It had been two months since Hizashi was introduced to the kids in The Valley. They agreed it had just reached a time where they absolutely had to tell their boss, and neither were happy about it. They were debating on how to explain to Nezu without disclosing where the kids were or anything Shio didn't want their boss or anyone to know. They saw how Nezu kept an eye on them, but they were somehow able to keep it hidden from him. Still, they knew their luck would run out, so they had to tell him today.

"What exactly can't we tell him again?" Hizashi asked his husband.

"Mainly where they are, but he would also like all names to be hidden as I already told them their files were gone. And no telling him about the 'Village' they have," Aizawa said to his husband as they made their way to their job and boss who was going to now know about the kids. They both, and everyone who works at UA, knows how protective he can get when it comes to children. So they were both getting ready for him to ask questions while being worried about the children that live in The Valley.

They could see their workplace come into view very fast, and they knew that with each step they were getting closer and closer to the one they had to explain to.

"I'm not looking forward to this, Shou," Hizashi said as they made it to the gate of UA.

"Neither am I, Zashi," Aizawa said as they walked to the building.

They reached the doors and prepared for the walk to Nezu's office. They went into the school building and started their walk to his office, not liking this in the slightest because they didn't really want their boss to know about the children. And after a bit they made it, before they could reach for the handle on the door it opened by itself. They were used to this, so they just walked in, not surprised at their boss's antics.

"What do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Aizawa, Mic?" Nezu asked, grinning at them as they walked into his office.

"We are here to tell you what you wanted to know, as we can now tell you," Aizawa said with his bored expression, but if you looked closely you could see the worry in his eyes.

"Oh? So I can finally know what you two have been up to?" Nezu asked curiously, and happy that he finally gets to know what the two of them have been doing.

Aizawa and Hizashi sat down in front of Nezu and prepared for what was to come from telling him what they could. What Shio said they could tell him. And how Nezu would react to what they had to tell him, the thing they had kept hidden for as long as they have. Aizawa was the one going to explain the most, as he has known the children first, and so they told him what they could.

———————— Nezu's POV: (after the explanation)

I could feel my paw clench around my tea cup; I could feel a crack in it, and I tried to keep my breathing stable. I could tell by how they held themselves now that I was not exactly hiding my anger or worry very well. 'They found the children... they found them scared and wounded, but alive,' I thought to myself.

"Is there anything else I need to know? How many are there? Who all is there, or are they all there?" I asked, worry evident in my voice as I kept my eyes on my tea cup.

"Nothing that we can tell you, all that you know now is what we were allowed to tell you, sir, we are sorry," Aizawa said to me.

"Is there a reason you can't tell me more?" I asked them both.

"It's because that was what they said we could tell you. We are sorry, sir, but we will not break the trust that we were given," Hizashi told me this time.

"So it is to keep the trust you both have built that you will not and cannot tell me?" I asked.

"Yes, sir, that would be correct," Aizawa spoke this time.

I hummed, showing I understood both of them. I knew there was more to it, but I also knew that it was unethical to ask more, seeing as these children more than likely have easily broken trust, or trust that is extremely hard to gain, so I won't risk that for my two staff members. I sighed. "Alright then, I won't ask any more queries, as I know trust can be a fragile thing."

"Thank you for understanding this situation; we wish we could tell you more, but that might put them in danger, and we don't want that, not even in the slightest," Aizawa said, nodding in thanks.

"No, that is not what we want at all. Don't worry, I can keep this to myself, so don't you two worry in the slightest," I said, finally looking at them. 'After all, I know what it's like for the government to not like you because you are different,' I thought to myself.

—————— Elsewhere: Izuku's POV:

"Oof," I fell again after trying to do a kick faster.

"Izuku, you need to slow down!" Lumai called to me as he was taking a break from helping the builders (the job he chose).

"He's right, Izuku!" Mimi called from her spot helping Rin.

"Ok, sorry!" I said as I got up and brushed off the dirt again. I really wanted to get better and keep pushing myself, but they were right; if I want to get better I have to actually be able to do the kick. I can speed it up as I get better. I tried again, not as fast, I did stumble a bit still, but I actually managed to stay up this time!

We had already finished dinner early, and a few of us wanted to get some of our stuff done a bit more, but it was now getting time to sleep. I could already feel myself yawning. "Bed time!" Papa called for us, and we all headed to our homes, and to our nest to sleep.

I could hear Papa sing as I fell quickly asleep.

"Sleep, my little ones, the day has gone. Sleep, my little ones, feel the day cool to night. Sleep, now let your dreams fly high into the sky now."

Chapter Text

Izuku's POV: Two weeks later:

I woke up early (well earlier than I usually wake up) and got ready for the day. The sun had yet to rise, but that's okay; I can see just fine. Mr. Eraserhead says that the city is always lit at night in different ways, so compared to the people living there, we can see in the dark a lot better than them, especially the Night people in The Valley as they are always in the dark. But today was darker than normal; the moon was usually out still, the moonless night already passed, so the moon should be out.

I looked up, and the moon and sky were blocked by clouds, not just the clouds that we can see in the day, no, these looked like storm clouds forming, dark in color and gathering. 'I need to tell Papa; he should be awake soon,' I thought and got a drink before going to where Papa's home is. I knocked on his door, and he opened it.

"Izuku? What are you doing up this early? Do you need something?" He asked when he saw it was me.

"I wake up this early sometimes; the night group was already back in their homes when I woke up. The sun is coming up soon, but I think there is a storm coming," I said, pointing at the clouds forming in the sky.

He looked up. "Yep, we are gonna have a storm, a big one considering how dark those clouds are, but it shouldn't start until after breakfast, enough time to get prepared for it. Thank you for bringing this to my attention," he said, patting my head, and went back in to get ready for the day.

I walked back to the river, cleaned my hair as best as I could, and went to punch trees and practice my punches for a bit. After a while, the other day people started to wake up, and Papa came and called for us to gather, and for some to go get the Night people as they needed to hear. After a few minutes, we were all surrounding Papa. I knew what he was going to say, so I looked around as he told them about the big storm getting ready to happen. Of course, this isn't the first storm we've had, so our homes were by the trees for extra shelter, and the builders, along with Idori, built a 'roof' over our homes in the tree to make sure even less water got to us. But they also made platforms with spare nests in them just in case we needed to go into the trees.

We all moved things that might get damaged from the rain to the platforms and got everything set up ready for it to come. I liked the rain; it was very calming, and it helped us water the fields! I was by Akumu and Milo sitting by the edge of the platforms watching the rain fall; we were right; it was a big storm.

————–—–

Aizawa's POV:

School was canceled today because of this big storm, and we couldn't go to The Valley in it either. 'I hope the kids are safe in this storm,' I thought to myself as I watched the rain on my window from Zashi and my house. I shook off the worry and went back to grading my classes' homework (not the kids in The Valley; they still have until I go for the next visit to get them done).

I sighed again as I finished with that and was reminded by my husband to actually eat something, not just my jelly pouches. So I got up and made us food (thank Kami Zashi helped me learn to cook), and we ate while talking about what we would do next time we went to visit The Valley (both teaching-wise and non-teaching-wise). 'The kids call where they sleep 'nests'; we might have to remind them that the term is 'beds,' but they seem fine with calling them nests,' I thought before remembering what the 'nest' looked like. They looked like actual bird nests, so they aren't exactly wrong.

"Shou, you there?" my husband asked me. I got lost in my mind; oops.

"Yeah, I was just thinking of something regarding the kids," I told him before going back to my food.

"What were you thinking? Can I know?" He asked, having already finished his food.

"I was thinking how they call where they sleep 'nests' and thinking if we should correct them that it's 'beds,' before I remembered that they sleep in literal nests so they aren't wrong," I explained to him honestly.

"They sleep in nests?" He asked, slightly shocked.

"Yeah, have you not seen them? I think I only know because Shio explained when he saw I was confused when Izuku called them 'nests,'" I said before continuing. "He made sure Izuku went back to training before he explained it to me and even showed me what they look like. Human-sized bird nests with safe ferns, leaves, and grass to add padding and to keep them warm as they sleep." I finished my explanation.

"I have not seen them. Idori did tell me that they were working on 'platforms to keep things that can be damaged by water a safe distance above the ground, and a place for us to sleep if need be, with a roof over it' in their words," Zashi said as we cleaned up. We both hoped that all the children were safe and keeping dry; we don't want any of them to catch a cold and fall sick.

"We should take them some medicine for Vivi to keep, seeing as she is their 'healer,' and we can give her more things to help keep them healthy," I said, mostly talking to myself, as I sat on our couch, our cats coming over to sit on me and him as he sat beside me.

"That would be a great idea, Shou! And give them more books on what they are doing, like for the 'gatherers' some books on different plants and herbs, and the 'hunters' books on animals, day ones for the 'day hunters' and night animals for the 'night hunters,' and some books on building things for the 'builders,' and some books on fighting and martial arts for the 'day patrol' and 'night patrol' so they can get better!" Zashi said excitedly while putting a note on his phone for when the rain stopped so we could go buy those books.

"Let's write down on a piece of paper and our phones what books to get," I said, grabbing paper as he opened a new note on his phone ready to write down what we need, and we got to work talking about what book goes to what groups and adding some books so they can read for fun. And even some English learning books that they can read if they want to.

Chapter Text

Aizawa's POV: Two days later:

"Zashi, hurry up!" I said at the door, waiting for my husband to get ready. We were going to the forest as it was Shio's birthday, and we have taken the responsibility for keeping track of birthdays and going to see them on those days. It also helps keep track of days in general.

"I'm grabbing the books and things, but I can't find them!" He called back from wherever he was.

"I have them already!" I yelled back, getting him to rush to the door and put on his shoes. Finally, we could leave for The Valley to see the kids and wish Shio a happy birthday. We left and headed there; Zashi had a pep in his step as he adored birthdays and was very excited to see and wish Shio a happy birthday. We walked fast, but not fast enough to be running or draw attention to us, toward where we needed to go.

"I can't wait to wish him a happy birthday," Zashi said surprisingly quiet considering his quirk making him naturally louder than average.

"I know, Zashi. We will get there soon, so calm down. Plus, going to The Valley is helping you with your fear, somewhat at least," I said as we got close to the forest.

"Yeah! I'm not as scared if I see them; I still don't like them being on me, though," he said, happy his fear isn't as bad anymore. We reached the forest and headed straight for The Valley. Zashi was now carrying the stuff we brought for the children as I had carried them for a while already. We heard an owl call and smiled; one of the children had come to greet us.

"Hello, Mr. Eraserhead, Mr. Mic!" We heard, who we could now identify as 'Sue,' as he walked up to us.

"Hello, little listener!" Zashi said happily to the 14-year-old.

"Hello to you too, Sue. Are you the one to bring us today?" I asked, keeping in mind that Shio's birthday is in a month.

"Yep! I am the one who volunteered to bring you both to the others today!" He said very excitedly.

"That's cool, little listener," Zashi said, smiling. "Now, should we get going?" he continued.

"Oh! Yes! Let's go. You actually arrived in time to eat with the day people. Have you eaten?" Sue asked, slowing down as we were almost at The Valley, and just like he said, they were getting ready to eat. "Shio! Bèv!" He called out to Shio.

"Hey, Sue, what does 'Bèv' mean?" I asked, shooting my shot.

"Oh, it means 'I am back' or 'back to the start,' depending on the context," he said as we walked, meeting with Shio, who was with Izuku.

"Mr. Eraserhead! Mr. Mic! You have stuff for us! Are they books? Stuff for Papa? Can I see?" Izuku ran up to us, asking question after question.

I was trying to understand as I saw Kye walk by and heard him mutter to himself, "Izuku is a cryptid, I swear. It doesn't even look like they have anything on them."

As I also heard Zashi answer Izuku's questions. "Yes, yes, yes, and later, little listener," he answered, somehow keeping track of all of Izuku's questions.

———————

Izuku's POV:

I was talking to Mr. Mic as he seems to be able to keep up with my questions. I was upset I couldn't see all of what they brought, but I knew I could later. I heard Vin (a nickname as his name is long) calling me over to get my share of food, so I went and got some. 'It looks like Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic are actually eating with us today! Yay!' I thought as I saw them get some as well.

I smiled as we all ate and listened to Papa tell his story for today. "Deep in the forest that others would call 'scary' and 'unusual' lived a small pack of wolves. These wolves were not like others; they were seen as weak, but they were gaining in numbers and used their heads to help them. Over time they got a good place to rest and enough numbers to allow those who have hunted to rest and care for the younger ones, helping in any way they can while they rest from chasing and outsmarting the chase." Papa continued to tell the story until we were all done, and he finished the story.

Mr. Mic went to Papa and wished him a happy birthday. 'It's Papa's birthday!' I thought, happy that he gets to rest today. I ran over and also wished him a happy birthday, as did everyone who heard Mr. Mic say it and those who heard others say it. And we finally got to see what was brought, some books for the different groups, including some for the night people! And even some that we can read for fun or help us with lessons! I could see how happy this made Papa; I think it's because he got a gift or because the books can help us.

Soon Idori was talking to Mr. Eraserhead about the platforms that he apparently heard about from Mr. Mic and was happy we had a thing for if storms get too bad to stay on the ground. He said that is was smart of us, and that the nests looked nice! They seemed happy with what he said about the platforms, and so did any builder close enough to hear him.

We had fun and handed in our work as it was due today. I was very happy that they had come today, and really any time they came to The Valley. They spent the whole day with us this time! But now it was getting late, so they had to leave. We said goodbye, and in some cases (mine included) gave them a hug goodbye and waved as they left until they were out of sight.

Papa called that it was time for bed, and we all headed to our homes. "Have a good and fun night, Jen!" I said to my housemate, not nestmate; we only share a home to keep home numbers small until we can be more safe building more, though I think the builders might just build some homes in the trees.

"Thanks, Izuku! Have a nice rest!" Jen said, smiling as she got ready for the night, as she was a night person. I got ready for bed and laid down, ready for Papa's song to begin as I laid on my nest.

"Rest, my little ones, let those in the night know we care. Rest now, let the day fade to night, and let the stars shine above us. Let the gentle glow of the moon lead us to sweet dreams and a safe night. Rest now, and tomorrow you will make it to tomorrow's dawn with its morning lights." I heard him sing as I fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Number of people in village:35

Last, first:

M̶i̶d̶o̶r̶i̶y̶a̶, Izuku (male, age 5 currently)
A̶s̶a̶m̶i̶, Rin (male, 5 years old currently)
N̶e̶v̶i̶, Akumu (female, 6 years old currently)
K̶a̶m̶i̶s̶u̶, Yama (male, 9 years old currently)
K̶a̶m̶i̶s̶u̶, Yima (male, 9 years old currently)
T̶e̶v̶i̶n̶a̶, Milo (boy, 7 years old currently)
S̶h̶i̶e̶n̶, Sara (girl, 6 years old currently)
G̶e̶n̶i̶t̶a̶, Jenashi (girl, 5 years old currently)
H̶e̶n̶i̶s̶h̶a̶, Shio (male, 14 years old currently)(Papa)
M̶o̶s̶i̶s̶o̶, Tamao (girl, 11 years old currently)
K̶i̶s̶a̶m̶a̶, vinaigrette (boy, 5 years old currently)
B̶e̶n̶s̶h̶i̶o̶, Iviva (girl, 6 years old currently)
C̶o̶n̶a̶s̶h̶i, Sema (boy, 11 years old currently)
C̶a̶s̶h̶i̶m̶e̶, Lumai (boy, 10 years old currently)
5 Extras (7-15 years old)
Mimi (girl, 15 years old currently)
A̶s̶h̶i̶m̶i̶n̶a̶, Vivi (girl, 14 years old currently)
A̶s̶h̶i̶m̶i̶n̶a̶, Koi (boy, 6 years old currently)
A̶s̶h̶i̶m̶i̶n̶a̶, Kio (boy, 6 years old currently)
A̶s̶h̶i̶m̶i̶n̶a̶, Shimi (girl, 7 years old currently)
A̶s̶h̶i̶m̶i̶n̶a̶, Simio (boy, 5 years old currently)
L̶e̶s̶i̶, kiva (girl, 10 years old currently)
d̶i̶m̶a̶, kye (boy, 12 years old currently)
Twins Oli and Ally (boy and girl, 7 years old currently)
K̶u̶a̶m̶i̶, Ashi. (Girl, 15 years old currently)
Chei ( gir,l 10 years old currently)
Minow (girl, 4 years old currently)
Avi (girl, 15 years old currently)
L̶e̶v̶a̶, Idori (girl, 17 years old currently)
Sue (male, 14 years old currently)

Chapter Text

Aizawa's POV: A month later.

I was on patrol, it was late, but that's the life of an underground hero; you work at night and still have to be awake in the day. I wished the city worked like the Valley, letting those who work at night sleep during the day. I couldn't wait for my patrol to be done; I had already stopped some muggers, drug deals, and the like and just wanted to be able to get back home to my husband. I kept an eye and ear out as I hopped over rooftops and jumped over alleyways, listening for anyone who needs help or if I need to stop something. So far, nothing much was happening; it was a calm night, so that was good—fewer villains or criminals out.

I thought about the kids as I kept an eye and ear out, how they were in this situation because of greedy people who forgot our roots and that we all came from quirkless people in the past. I wished that life was better for them and all the children and even adults that faced discrimination for their quirks—or lack thereof. Kami, we need better people in this world. I am just glad that me, my husband—and even Nezu, that demon rat—can help them. I started to help teach them more than just schoolwork, well, the big kids anyway. I want the little ones to have fun and learn before they start to train. It helps that we can get things for them, and that it helps the kids in the long run for where they live. I thought as I remembered the platforms me and Zashi were shown after the storm, how they planned for things like that make me very happy that they try to think ahead and be ready for anything.

I heard something move in an alley that I was about to reach and slowed down, making sure to make as little sound as possible, and looked over the edge to see if it was anything I needed to deal with. What I saw was a group of kids—'big kids' if they were in The Valley. I don't see any obvious quirks, so there's a possibility that they might not have quirks. I'll have to see. I jumped down behind them— they were digging in a trash can, possibly for food—without making a sound before speaking. "Hey, what are you looking for?" I asked, trying not to sound threatening. They all whipped around to look at me; there were five kids in this group, two girls and three boys, around 12 years old.

"Who are you?" One of the boys asked wearily as he placed himself in front of the others. He had what I think are brown eyes and red hair.

"I am a passerby, wondering why a group of kids are digging in a trash can," I said, still not letting on I was a pro. It might not be a good idea to let them know that.

"That's none of your business," the boy snapped at me, clearly not trusting me.

"Tell me, what are your quirks?" I said bluntly, mentally thanking the kids and Nezu for teaching me to see their body language to see if they were quirkless or not based on that question.

They all stiffened. "Our quirks are none of your concern, just leave," the boy said, still putting himself in front of the others with a warning tone.

"What if I said that I help quirkless? And know a spot that has many of them and they are living free from quirks?" I said to see how they would react to that. And as I expected, they didn't seem to trust me. "I can tell you don't believe me, but I am not lying. I do not like how the commission is treating you just because of a gene factor," I continued to speak.

"Oh yeah? If you have a place, give us what it is called," the boy said with a snarky tone.

"They call it 'The Valley' as it is by—and is basically in—a valley. They have groups that work: hunters, gatherers, a healer, builders, and depending on when you work the best, you can be a 'day person' that is awake and works during the day, or a 'night person' that is awake and works during the night," I said without hesitation, showing I was being honest.

They all seemed to be thinking about it for a bit and quietly talked to each other—one of them always keeping an eye on me. I couldn't hear what they were saying—not that I was trying; I knew to let them have privacy. The boy turned to me. "And we would be safe? From anyone with a quirk?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes, well, me and my husband will visit. We teach them things you would learn at school. I also teach the 'big kids,' which are the older kids. They also call us with quirks 'quirked,' so it's easier," I said with honesty before asking, "may I know your names?" I asked.

They hesitated before introducing themselves.

"I am Amia, Quinn," the boy who had himself between me and them, his red hair in a messy style but still short. His brown eyes staying on me.

"I'm Kami, Nina," a girl with light purple hair that was in a braid over her shoulder, with almost black eyes, said.

"I'm Zorya, Amori," a boy with long white hair that went to his waist, with dark green eyes, said, keeping an eye on me as well.

"Oren, Opal," a boy with light brown hair and honey-colored eyes said, staying close to 'Quinn.'

"And I am Rosu, Luna," the last one—a girl—said. She had black hair that went just above her shoulders and pale blue eyes. She was standing behind the others.

I nodded, showing I was listening before speaking, "it's nice to meet you, Quinn, Nina, Amori, Opal, and Luna," I said, bowing my head. I could hear them make sounds of confusion, so I looked back up before continuing, "they don't use last names in 'The Valley,' so I figured I would call you by your given names so you could get used to it. But before we go, let me call my husband so you have more protection on our way there," I finished as I pulled out my phone and called Zashi.

"Hey 'Zashi, I found five more for the kids," I said before telling him where to meet me and the kids. I turned to them. "He is on his way; we will have to walk. It's safer for them in 'The Valley,' so I hope you are ready for a walk," I said.

We waited for about fifteen minutes before I heard my husband call for me. "Shou!"

I turned to him, then back to the kids. "He's here; let's get you to your new home," I said and led the kids to my husband so we could walk them to 'The Valley.' It was a quiet walk, and after a bit, we made it to the forest. We walked in a bit before I whistled farther into the forest. We stopped with the kids with us still. It didn't take long for the night patrol to show up, with Kye in the lead, stopping

just in front of us, with his group of the night patrol.

"Hello, Kye, we found a group that is of your guise's interest," I said, motioning to the kids. He followed to where I motioned, and seeing the kids he looked back to me and Zashi.

"Quirked?" He asked.

"No, no quirks at all," I said honestly.

He nodded. "We will bring them back and wake up Shio to tell him."

I nodded. "That makes sense; oh and their names are Quinn, Nina, Amori, Opal, and Luna," I said, pointing out who was who to him.

"I thank you; we will take them to the others now; you go home," Kye said, as a few of the night patrol went to the kids.

I nodded. "Of course; keep them safe," me and Zashi gave one final wave before turning to leave.

"Goodnight, little listeners!" My husband said as we left. Leaving the kids in the safety of The Valley. We went back home and decided to visit again—in the day—as soon as we are able to see how they are adjusting to The Valley. I know that Shio and all of them will help them as much as they can and will do their best to keep them all safe. I will help in any way that I can, and if it came to it, I would fight alongside them to keep them alive and safe from the commission.

Chapter Text

It was the next day, and Shio had already introduced himself to the new kids of The Valley. He let them sleep in his home for now, and when the sun came up, he would be too busy with his group of kids wanting to be gatherers, so he would have to hand them over to someone else to show them around. While yes, he did want to be the one to really welcome them into The Valley, his first priority was the little ones.

**Shio's POV:**

The sun had finally come up, and I had woken up the new ones to The Valley when I heard someone knock on my door. I opened it to see one of the little ones, Izuku. He looked at me as he hopped on his feet.

"Good morning, Papa. Are the new people awake yet? Are you going to be the one showing them around and introducing them to the others? Who are they going to share a home with for now?" Izuku began before I raised my hand to speak.

"Good morning to you as well, Izuku. But please do remember that you have to give people time to answer the questions you ask," I said as I placed a hand on his curly dark green hair. "And to answer some of yours: yes, they are awake, no, I am too busy today to show them around, and we will have to decide where they will stay later." I answered his questions.

"Oh, ok Papa!" Izuku said, nodding to me.

"How did you even know we had new people, Izuku?" I asked him, remembering Kye telling me and Mimi that he thinks Izuku was a Cryptid.

"I wanted to get a late-night drink and saw them with Kye and his group heading here," he explained to me. And it made sense; the little ones would sometimes get thirsty at night and go get a drink. It's the reason we have two people from the patrol group by the river to make sure no one gets hurt getting a drink at night.

"Ok, thank you for explaining, Izuku," I said, giving him a smile. "Now go along and get ready for your group's practice. After all, you need to keep practicing to get better."

"Ok, Papa!" Izuku smiled brightly at me and ran to go do what he needed to do.

I turned to the new people, their names going through my head before I spoke. "Now today, you will be shown around by someone, and it can't be me as you heard me tell Izuku. I am too busy, so I will have to hand you all over to someone else." I looked at all of them; the one with black hair, Luna, looked sad at something. "Why are you upset, Luna?" I asked her.

"How... how old is he?" She asked me sadly.

"Izuku?" I questioned. She nodded, showing that is who she meant.

"Izuku is five years old currently. The ages here range from the youngest being four, that being Minow, all the way up to the oldest, seventeen, and that is Idori," I explained to her, and in exchange, the other four as well.

They all seemed shocked at what I had just told them, which is understandable. As young as a lot of the 'little kids' are, it can be very shocking for people.

"Now, we should go. I have a person who should be able to show you all around," I said, holding my door open for them, letting them all walk out.

After they got out, I started to lead them to where the little ones learning to be in the 'Day patrol' group are. The person I had in mind would only be watching today instead of instructing, so they should have time to show the new ones around.

"Oh Shio, who are they?" Mimi asked as she walked up to me.

"They are newcomers to The Valley. Who is teaching your group today?" I asked after explaining.

"Oh, I have Tomao teaching them today. They are learning how to land safely from different heights, not too high because they are still young," Mimi explained to me, helping me understand better.

"That's good," I said before remembering. "Oh! Mimi, I have to be with my group today, and when it's break time, I need to make sure everything is going well. Can you please show them around for me?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, of course. I have nothing to do, and I don't mind helping explain the place to them," she said before continuing. "Plus, after, Ashi should be back so we can sit under the tree together."

I nodded to her. "Thank you, Mimi, and you sure do love your girlfriend."

"That I do, Shio," she said before turning to the new people. "Now, let us begin. Please follow me; I am 'Mimi,' and I will show you around now," she said to them, leading them away.

**Izuku's POV:**

Tomao was teaching us today! She was explaining how we needed to land so we wouldn't hurt as much from a fall. Even showing us by jumping out of one of the tree branches, Tomao was always the type of teacher to not only tell and give a quick demonstration but also showed us as she explained and explained anything that might confuse us. It was fun. I was jumping off a small tree log, practicing when I heard Mimi say Papa's name. I looked up and saw her going to Papa, and the new people were behind him. I tried my best to listen, but I couldn't hear them as I was also trying to keep practicing landing correctly.

Soon, Mimi left, leading the group of new people. She first came to us. "Now, this is my group. They are training to be, and chose to be, the day patrol. The night patrol is sometimes led by Kye, but sometimes, Sema is the one teaching the night patrol," Mimi said as we kept practicing and Tomao corrected some of us to help. And Mimi left with the group.

'Maybe she is the one Papa said was going to show them around,' I thought as I went back to mainly focusing on what we were doing today. I wanted to keep practicing anyway, even if I also wanted to go say hi to them and ask them questions. But for now, practice is more important. I wanted to get better soon, so I might be able to help out more and get stronger so I could protect everyone here.

I noticed something too. With the night people no longer being in the sun, they are getting pale, while us day people are getting more tan. I find that interesting. I will ask Papa about why that is later, at lunch when we can eat. Until then, I will keep doing what I'm doing because I don't want to hurt myself accidentally.

**Mimi's POV:**

"Over here are the builders. They are working on making sure everything is working and are the ones to build what we need, like the platforms I will show you after this, and are the ones that dug the way for water to get to the fields," I say, pointing to what I was telling them about, besides the platforms as we were by the fields and would be making our way to the tree-line. "Any questions?" I asked, looking back at them.

"I do," the one I think is 'Quinn,' if I remember our introduction, said before asking, "how do you decide who does what?"

"Oh, the person picks what they do, and the group will teach them what they have chosen. That's why you can see some little kids in the groups. The more dangerous groups leave someone here to teach them, and the builders help teach by having them do small things so they don't get too tired or get hurt," I explained to the group of five.

"What about those who can't choose?" asked another.

'Amori,' my mind tells me before I respond. "We give them time before they are asked to choose. Some take longer, and some, like Vivi and me, choose almost immediately," I explained to them more before continuing. "Now, on with the tour," I said as I continued walking.

**No one's POV:** (a few hours later)

It was finally lunch, and Izuku sat by Shio, asking him about why the night people are pale while they were not. Shio said that he didn't know and would ask Eraserhead when they got there. Mimi had shown the new people around. Luna looked upset with how many quirkless kids were there, especially the younger ones. Lunch was nice; Amori, Nina, Opel, Quinn, and Luna were still getting used to it but seemed to be enjoying it. They asked more questions about The Valley, and whoever had the answer would respond to help them. They introduced themselves at lunch, and when asked, explained how they had gotten to The Valley.

They all had fun, and after lunch, everyone went back to what they had to do, and the patrol group traded posts, allowing those who were patrolling to get something to eat but also have someone watching over their home. The day passed, and it was now getting dark. Eraserhead and Mic, having shown up just after lunch, had to leave and go to their home. Now it was time to sleep, while the night people got up. Even the new kids had a place to sleep, and Shio began to sing. He liked singing, and it helped keep the little kids calm when he did it.

"Sleep, my little ones, we have met some new people. Sleep, my little ones, how home has grown. Don't be scared; the day will come again, and the stars will keep us company until the new light comes," Shio sang into the night.

Chapter Text

Izuku's POV: The Next Day

I woke up before the sun again and went to get a drink. I said hi to Sema, who was usually the night patrol person standing by the river. I liked looking at the stars as I waited for the sun to come up; they were very pretty. As I drank, a thought came to my head, *I wonder how sneaky I am. Let's see how good I am!*

I smiled and nodded at my plan. It would help me learn to sneak and help others stay alert. *It helps everyone, so it is a good idea,* I thought. I got up and wandered around while waiting for the sun to rise. Soon the day people would wake up, and the night people would go to sleep.

After a bit, the sun came up, and Papa started his day. That meant the leftovers from dinner would be brought out soon, so we could eat before lessons. I was sitting under a tree, bored, so I grabbed a book and tried to balance it on my head. It was too dark to read, but it would be light enough soon. I waved at Papa when he saw me. He waved back and went to Kye to talk about something. I think it was to see how the night patrol went and if they saw any quirks nearby. I hoped they didn't—unless it was Mr. Eraserhead or Mr. Mic, but Papa would tell us if it was them.

I smiled and began to sneak over to them. I wanted to see how close I could get before they noticed me. Even if I didn't get close, I would learn something. I hid behind trees and made sure not to step on anything that would give me away. I wanted to get as close as I could to Papa and Kye before they noticed me. I could now somewhat hear them talking as I got closer.

"No sightings still? That's good. But keep an ear out for the sounds. If we can't track it, we need to be wary and prepared for anything," I heard Papa tell Kye in a serious voice.

"We will. I'll leave it to you to relay the information to Mimi so her group can keep an eye out too. Hopefully, we can catch it soon," Kye responded. I stopped for a bit, taking my time and not rushing in.

"That I will. Remember, none of the little ones know," Papa said before being cut off.

"Izuku might. I swear he's a cryptid; he knows things he shouldn't. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew about this before we were prepared enough to tell the little kids," Kye said to Papa.

"I know you think that, but Izuku is still a little kid. He won't know about this. We've made sure not to say anything near him," Papa said to Kye before taking a long breath.

I was beside them now, hidden behind a tree. I was very proud of myself for getting this close without them knowing. "Hi, Papa! Hi, Kye!" I said happily as I jumped out from where I was hiding. I saw them jump before turning to me.

"Oh! Izuku, how long have you been there?" Papa asked.

"A few minutes, I think?" I guessed. "Papa, I have a question. What is the sound you guys are trying to find?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Told you, Shio," Kye said to Papa with a grin.

Papa didn't answer him and bent down to talk to me. "We don't know yet, Izuku. That's what we're trying to find out. Hopefully, soon we will know, and we hope it's safe for us. Do you understand?"

I thought for a bit before nodding. "We don't know the strange noise, and you are trying to make sure it's safe?" I asked to see if I understood. I think I did, as Papa just nodded.

No One's POV

That's how Izuku spent the next two weeks: sneaking around, accidentally scaring some and making others laugh at their friends for jumping when Izuku 'popped up out of nowhere.' He found it very fun. He took breaks during lessons but did it whenever they had free time and even during meal times, happy to be having fun. He even startled Akumu when she went to get a drink from the river, making her fall into the shallow end. He apologized, saying he didn't mean to scare her and helped her up, apologizing again as he did so.

???'s POV

I sat in the trees, watching the group of kids. I've been watching them for a few days now, wondering what they were doing in the forest. Seeing such young kids in the forest, none of them with any parents, made me very upset. I kept my hood over my eyes as I watched them. I've had a few close encounters with the group that seemed to patrol the forest. However, I have survived outside longer. I moved my hair out of the way so I could see better.

I saw a small child walk up and accidentally scare another at the river and then help them up. It looked like they were apologizing to the one they had scared. I will keep an eye on them for a bit longer. I need to know more before I make myself known. In the meantime, I have other things that need to be done. I turned around and disappeared into the trees.

Chapter Text

**Nezu's POV:**

I walk into my office and to my chair, ignoring the human with me.

"Come on, Nezu, just think about it. The commission wouldn't do something that would harm us. They must have a reason," the human said, making me slightly more agitated.

"Yagi, while I know you just want peace, you are not exactly helping achieve it right now," I say, trying to hide my agitation towards the man.

"I would think I am. After all, everyone has a reason to do something. Maybe you just don't know what the commission's reasons are," he said to me.

"I do know what their reasons are. There is a reason I am doing this, Yagi," I say, finding it harder to hide my anger and annoyance.

"Are you sure you know the actual reason, Nezu? Or do you only believe what you want to believe?" he asked me. This upset me. He was questioning me, the one who knows almost everything, and if I don't, I know how to find out. And he is questioning my judgment?

"Yagi," I start to say, my annoyance now clear, "please excuse what I am about to say. Stop speaking to me as if I have not done my research. I can assure you, I have, and I do not appreciate that you think so little of me. I am also upset that you seem to be on the side of those who want to cause harm," I finish, not looking away from my computer. I need to get more information on both the kids and the commission, not that Yagi knew.

"I am sorry, Nezu, but I am not thinking little of you. I am just confused as to why you hate the commission so much. And why you think they would harm anyone," Yagi said to me, probably trying not to upset me anymore. Well, he failed on that front.

"Yagi," I start, getting his attention, "leave my office. This discussion is over, and I wish to no longer speak to you about this," I say, barely looking away from my computer to glare at the tall man.

Yagi seemed to hesitate before bowing his head. "Okay, I will go, but I am still confused."

"Then stay confused, Yagi, and leave." I cut him off. Thankfully, he did as I asked this time and left my office, and I went back to gathering more information.

---

**All Might's POV:**

'I do not understand why Nezu is upset at the commission. They are only doing what is right for everyone and wouldn't hurt anyone without a reason,' I think as I leave Nezu's office. 'I need to find out what he is planning. Maybe I can ask Aizawa-kun to talk to Nezu.' I nod as I think this; it makes sense to ask him to talk with Nezu on this matter.

I pull out my phone and look to see if I have his number. Thankfully, I do, and I text him.

**Yagi:** Aizawa-kun, I have a question for you.

**Aizawa-kun:** What is it, All Might?

**Yagi:** You know you can call me Yagi, Aizawa-kun. Can you please see why Nezu is so upset with the commission and thinks they want to harm people?

**Aizawa:** I will not, and I will see what I can do. Now let me work.

**Yagi:** Thank you, Aizawa-kun. Have a great day.

**Aizawa:** Yeah, yeah.

I smile and put my phone back in my pocket. Hopefully soon, I will understand why Nezu is so upset, and I can show him that the commission is only trying to help us. He needs to know that the people working in the commission are good people who would never hurt others without a reason. I went on with my day, hopeful that Aizawa-kun will let me know what is wrong with Nezu so I can help him understand.

---

**Aizawa's POV:**

'Damn All Might, trying to poke his nose into business that does not involve him, thinking I'd help him. Ha! What a joke,' I grumble mentally, putting my phone away. I went back to what I was doing before he texted me, making me more upset than when I was grading these brats' papers for other classes. Then I have to get home so Zashi and I can grade the kids' work at The Valley and plan when we will have time to visit again. It has been a while, but both Zashi and I have been busier lately, so we haven't had the time. But that just gives them more time to do what they need and more time to study.

---

**Izuku's POV:**

"You're too stiff. Relax your muscles, but not too much that you let your guard down," Mimi called to us. We were practicing our stances. We were separated by age; us younger ones had easier stances, while we were practicing our blocking stance and the bigger kids were practicing the harder stances.

"Big kids! When you go for a kick, balance on your back leg, but don't stay on it for too long that you can be hit! We are going for quickness. That is why you are practicing stances! The better you are at that, the faster you can be!" Mimi called to the big kids, showing them an example of what she meant. Mimi would be up late sometimes, practicing more herself. I think it was because she says, 'If you don't keep practicing, you will get sloppy,' and that is not something we want.

---

**Vivi's POV:**

"And there we go, you are all wrapped up," I said to Ashi, as I finished wrapping her leg that would now support a new scar.

"Thanks again, Vivi," Ashi said to me, carefully laying her leg in front of her. "How long do I need to stay off it this time?" she asked with a half-amused sigh.

"About three to four weeks. I will let both Shio and Mimi know, so they can keep an eye on you," I tell her, making a mental note to do that later. I wrote down what I did, keeping tabs on the injuries to each person. So far, the hunters and patrol groups have the most, and the builders and gatherers have the least. I finished up and helped her to her nest, which she was sharing with Mimi, and went to inform Mimi and Shio about this. I also ended up telling her group so they knew that she was to rest before going back to the medical hut.

Chapter Text

Seme's POV:

I started to head to the river as it was now time for us night people to come out as the day people went to sleep. I took up my spot by the river in case anyone, especially the little ones, wanted a drink. I would be the one to make sure they stayed safe while doing so. I liked what I did, mainly because I got to talk to the people who came for a drink and I enjoyed the sound of the water moving in the night.

The sun had finally set, but we could still see—something that happened because we are in the dark more often than not. 'I like that I can see so well because it makes my job so much easier. Plus, while I am here, I can keep an eye out closer to The Valley,' I think to myself, smiling. I heard a sound and looked to where it came from, seeing it was just a fox. Pretty common for me to see. 'Pretty, we should be seeing babies soon,' I think to myself as I watched the fox from my spot. They were not a danger really, just looking for mice, and if they were sick and did attack, they were easy to stop.

I think back to what Izuku has been doing lately. 'Kye might be right that he is a cryptid with how he easily hides from everyone and finds us.' I think, mentally laughing at the thought as it came to my mind. I shook my head. 'I need to focus,' I scolded myself. I went back to keeping an eye out. I heard more rustling and looked at where the sound came from, but I didn't see anything. 'It's probably just the wind,' I think, still looking at the far river bank where the rustling came from. The sound was getting closer, almost like it had a purpose of sorts. When the sound was close enough, I realized it wasn't the wind, but instead it sounded like footsteps.

I kept an eye out more, scanning around for what—or who—was making the sounds of footsteps. I heard the sound again and looked towards where it was coming from, and I actually saw something—or rather someone.

At the end of the river bank, I saw a figure. They had a white hoodie on, which confused me as the weather has been warm. I could see the color of their eyes; they were blue. The person was walking towards me—and in turn, The Valley. They didn't seem to mind the dark—even if the full moon was out, it was still relatively dark.

"Stop! Why are you here?" I call when he gets close enough.

"Please, I just need a place to hide from someone," the blue-eyed stranger said.

"Kye! Kìmà!" I call loudly towards the forest, hoping he would hear me. Thankfully, it seemed he did, as just a few seconds later, he came running.

"Jì?" he asked, before he noticed the stranger near me. "Ìma?" he asked, pointing at the stranger.

"Vōl," I say, pointing to the stranger—as that is what it meant, 'stranger.' "Tàzim," I said, and he nodded and left.

"Who was that? Where did he go?" the stranger asked.

"You will see soon," I say, keeping an eye on the stranger. I also watched them climb onto a low-hanging branch. I could still see them, so I didn't say anything.

A bit later, I saw Kye and Shio coming towards us. Shio, having been woken up by Kye, yawned as he is usually asleep at this time. Shio saw me and then the stranger. "Ìma?" Shio asked.

"Vōl, that is why I requested you be here," I say to him. I was still keeping an eye on the stranger in front of me. The said stranger had a look of confusion on their face.

Shio looked at the stranger and began to speak. "You, come here," he said to them. They climbed down and came to us.

'Did Shio tell them to come to get them off the branch and out of the tree?' I think to myself, confused.

"What is your name?" Shio asked, his voice serious.

"My name is Shirakumo, Oboro," the stranger—now known as 'Shirakumo, Oboro'—said.

"Okay, and how old are you?"

"I am seventeen years old," he answered.

"Okay, and what is your quirk?" Shio asked. This was a serious question; if they had a quirk, they were not to be trusted.

"Oh... I don't have one," he said nervously.

'That is a good sign, and he doesn't have any tics to point out a quirk,' I think to myself.

"Good to know. Now, why are you here?" Shio asked.

"I am hiding from someone. I need a place to hide," he said to Shio. I knew that part as I already asked when I saw him.

"Okay, final question. What is your opinion on the killing of quirkless children?"

Oboro looked shocked. "Why would anyone?" It's clear that he's not okay with it.

"That is something we would like to know as well," Kye scoffed.

I look over and see the sun starting to rise over the horizon. Shio looked over and saw that as well before saying, "The sun is rising. Let's get you to The Valley." I nodded while yawning; it was time for us night people to sleep.

"That sounds good to me," I said after yawning, wanting sleep.

"Same," Kye said, now yawning, but he was more used to having less energy because of how much patrolling he does during the night.

"Oh Oboro, I would like to inform you that we don't use last names here, so sorry if it is confusing for you," Shio said to Oboro.

"That should be fine; I'll get used to it. Thanks for the warning, though," Oboro said, nodding to Shio in thanks. Shio nodded back to him as we started walking back. The person who changes shifts with me was walking to the river. I nodded in thanks to them, and they nodded back to me.

Chapter Text

Two months later.

All Might's POV:

'Aizawa still hasn't found anything,' I think as I sit in my apartment. It has been two months and nothing. 'Is he just not telling me, or can he really not find anything?' I continue my train of thought, trying to figure out my next course of action. I need to find out what Nezu is researching and why he's hiding it from me. I'm a hero; he knows this, so why does he hide what he is researching from me? What plans does he have?

I sigh as I look at the paper in front of me. I am writing down what I think he might be looking for, but so far, none of it makes sense. What could he be searching for that he keeps me in the dark about?

"What are you hiding, Nezu? What do you not want me to find out?" I question out loud to no one.

'I have a meeting with him later, mainly about classes, but I can ask these questions while I'm there,' I think, standing up and getting ready to leave for the meeting. 'I need answers to this. I need to know why he is so upset with the commission. They are just trying to keep everyone safe,' is my final thought as I leave to go meet Nezu.

Nezu's POV:

I am upset, and rightfully so. Yagi Toshinori, better known as 'All Might,' is coming to meet with me. I know I will be very upset at the end of this meeting. He has been trying to get into my personal space far too often lately. I bring out some tea to drink in hopes that it can help me calm down before that idiot gets here.

"This is going to be quite bothersome, I can already tell. I just hope I can keep my composure calm during this," I mutter to myself before taking a drink of the tea. Feeling slightly better, I set the cup down onto its plate.

I hear a knock and mentally groan. I am not looking forward to this in the slightest.

"Enter," I say before he opens the door and comes into my office. "Hello, Yagi, let's get this meeting in order now, shall we?" I say, giving a fake smile.

"Yes, let's get started!" he says in his overly loud way. It hurts my ears. We begin to talk about the classes, and I start to point out what he could be doing better when it comes to the children of the hero course's training.

"I still do not see anything wrong with how I am teaching them," Yagi says to me, finally lowering his voice.

"You put them in harm's way of each other, Yagi, and that is quite upsetting. You are supposed to protect the students, yet you put them into a battle simulation that could have ended extremely badly," I try to explain to him.

This continues on until we are done, and I am about to dismiss him when he asks a question.

"Nezu, tell me, what is it that you keep doing research on, and why do you hate the commission for it? What did they do?" he asks, looking me in my eyes. It is a challenge.

"That is none of your concern, Yagi, and I do believe I have already told you that I am not a being that trusts easily," I say, not giving any hints. "You are dismissed," I say before he can ask any other questions, and he finally leaves.

After that, I send a message to Aizawa to warn the children, just in case something happens. I want them to be prepared as best as they can be.

Aizawa's POV:

I feel my phone vibrate, so I pull it out of my pocket and look to see what it is. 'A text from Nezu?' I think to myself, confused, as I click the message to read it.

Nezu: Aizawa, All Might was asking and trying to find out about what we are doing again. I fear that you might need to warn the children just in case something might happen. I want them to be as prepared as they can be.

When I read the message, my blood freezes. The kids might be in danger if he—or anyone else—finds out about The Valley. This is bad, very bad. I quickly send him a text back.

Aizawa: I will warn the kids. Mic and I will help them as much as we can. We cannot let them get hurt. Thank you for telling me. I will tell Mic, and we will go and warn the kids. Please make sure that he doesn't find out.

After sending the message, I get up and go to Hizashi, as we are home today. "Zashi, we have a problem," I say as soon as I have his attention. Thankfully, he has his hearing aids in.

"What happened?" he asks with slight alarm in his voice.

"Nezu told us to warn the kids, just in case something happens. All Might has been asking too many questions about what Nezu is doing again, and he wants the kids to be as prepared as they can be," I say to him quickly. He jumps up from his seat after I finish, keeping up with my speed.

"Well, let's get going now! We can't waste any more time!" he says, rushing to put on his shoes, as am I. We leave, making sure to shut and lock the door, and run towards the forest so we can get to the kids. We don't want to waste any time. We don't stop until we get to the forest, and we only slow down so we won't fall as we continue to rush. We hear someone coming our way and stop.

"Ah, Mr. Eraserhead, Mr. Mic, good to see you two," Mimi says, coming into view. "Why are you two rushing?" she asks.

"We came to give a warning to Shio," I say with seriousness in my voice. This catches her attention. She nods and promptly leads us to Shio, helping us find him quicker.

"Shio!" Mimi calls, bringing his attention to us.

"Ah, Mimi, and hello Mr. Eraserhead, Mr. Mic. How may I help you?" he asks.

"We have something to talk about," I say before looking around and then back at him, "privately." His expression grows serious, and he turns.

"Follow me," he says, leading us to his home, with Mimi coming along as we go. We finally get in, and he shuts the door. "Speak," he says, looking me in the eyes.

"We came to give a warning. A quirked individual with the commission is trying to find out things he shouldn't. We came to warn you for a just-in-case situation. We want you guys to be able to get prepared in case something happens, and know that if we can, we will fight with you," I say to him.

Shio's POV:

"We came to give a warning. A quirked individual with the commission is trying to find out things he shouldn't. We came to warn you for a just-in-case situation. We want you guys to be able to get prepared in case something happens, and know that if we can, we will fight with you," Eraserhead says to me, with clear worry and seriousness in his voice as he speaks to me.

I take a second to think about this. "That is very bad, extremely so. I will need to inform both patrol groups to keep a better eye out, as well as the hunting groups so they can stay safe. Are you willing to teach both the hunting groups and patrol groups' big kids how to use weapons—silent ones—so we have more ways of protecting ourselves? That would include our now 'jack of all trades' new person," I say out loud, mostly thinking to myself.

"You got a new kid here?" Mic asks.

I nod. "Yeah, he got here two months ago. You'll see him later, but can you teach us those or not?"

Eraserhead nods his head. "Yes, we can. We can also help you make plans for as many situations as we can to help, as well as bring resources to you as well."

"That's good. We will need it, but what about the little ones? They can't fight with us," I ask worriedly.

"Nezu can help us with that. He can give me and Zashi plans to make a place for them to hide if anything happens," Eraserhead says to me. He had talked to us about Nezu before and what he went through, so we knew he was as against us getting killed as much as we, Eraserhead, and Mic were.

"That would help a lot, thank you," I say to him before looking at Mimi. "Mimi, after this, wake up Kye and tell him of this, as well as both leaders of the hunting groups. I will decide if we must tell the builders or not later. For now, we MUST keep this hidden from the little kids," I tell her.

She nods to me. "Understood, Shio. After this, that is the first thing I will do. We can't risk this."

We continue to talk about what we would do, and as soon as we finish, Mimi leaves to do what I requested. We need those who wander from The Valley to be aware of the situation to keep them safe. 'This could end up extremely badly. We might be found out. This is not good. We might end up in extreme danger if we are found out,' I think worriedly as I continue to talk to Eraserhead and Mic.

"How will you know if we are in danger?" I ask the two of them.

"We can give you something to send us a signal if something happens. We will rush over

"We can give you something to send us a signal if something happens, we will rush over and help as much as we are able to." Mic said, Earaserhead nodding with him.

"That sounds like a good idea, when do you think you can give it to me?" I asked.

"As soon as next week, we will make sure that nothing happens as much as we can" Eraserhead told me, which was a good time stamp, not too long of a wait also reasonable for needing to make the thing.

We talked for a bit longer until they left, promising that they would get the thing to me as soon as they could, telling the others bye and leaving. I jumped when I heard a voice beside me.

"Papa, what did they need to warn you about?" I turned and looked down to see Izuku beside him.

"Oh! Izuku! I didn't see you, what are you talking about?" I ask trying nor to seem nervous about him knowing.

"You went to your home to talk to Mr. Earaserhead and Mr. Mic, and Mimi went to, so it had to be a warning" izuku said to me. I am starting to believe Kye that Izuku is in fact a cryptid.

"I will tell you some other time, Izuku. For now go play with the others." I say gently to him. He nodded and gave me a hug- which I reciprocate- before he left to go play. The day staid calm despite the fact we were giving a warning, and as it started to end I started to sing like I usually do.

"Sleep, little ones, the sun is going to rest, as the moon rises for the night. Sleep happily, little ones, for you will be safe. Do not worry, little ones, for the sun shall rise again tomorrow." I sung to the sky as I slowly walked through the homes, until I got to mine amd went to bed, myself.

Chapter Text

A week later:

Aizawa's POV:

'Shit! Shit! Shit!' I kept thinking as I held a child close to me, running as fast as I could. They were gravely injured, especially their left leg. 'What were they thinking? They are just a child! It's not their fault what their father was!' I thought angrily as I kept running towards the forest.

'Wait! How will the kids react to them? No time to think about that, just need to believe they will help them,' I thought, getting closer to the forest, keeping the child close to me. I soon got to the forest but didn't slow down. I let out a loud whistle, letting them know I was here, but I still kept running.

"Mr. Eraserhead! What's the rush?" I looked just enough to see that it was Tamao, one of the hunters.

"I've got an injured child!" I said with urgency as we kept running. I could now hear the others around us as we ran to The Valley.

"How injured?" she asked, looking at the child in my arms.

"Injured leg and bleeding from multiple wounds," I said as we got to The Valley. "Shio! Where is Vivi!?" I yelled to Shio as soon as I saw him, just now starting to slow down.

"She is in her hut. What happened?" he asked, leading me to her hut.

"The commission wanted to kill this child. They hurt her before I got the chance to take her and run. Can you patch her up?"

"We can," he said before he opened Vivi's door. "Vivi! We have an injured child!" he called out to her.

"Oh no! Bring them to me, now!" she said with alarm, and I set the child on the table.

"Information on the child?" she asked me as she started working. Another child, Lumai, was ready to take notes as Vivi would be too busy.

"Female, name is Eri. She is quirked but was hurt because her quirk is rewind and because of what her father is. She is six years old," I explained.

"A quirked child? What is her quirk?" Vivi asked.

"Rewind. She can rewind living things to their previous state," I told her.

"That can be quite a dangerous quirk, Eraserhead," Shio said, looking at me.

"I am aware. That is why I am here. If she starts to lose control, I can turn her quirk off," I said to him as Lumai wrote down everything I was saying.

"At least we have that. So why is she so injured in the first place?" Shio asked as Vivi mainly focused on her work and directed Lumai on what to write.

"She is the daughter of a villain, and she was supposed to go to a hospital for some of these injuries, but they wanted to kill her based on what her father was," I explained.

"This is getting more dangerous. Tell us, Eraserhead, what the bad ones appear to be planning regarding us—if they have found out about us yet, that is?" Shio asked, not looking at me but instead at Eri.

"I have not heard of any plans regarding anyone here in The Valley, but Nezu is keeping an eye on it and will inform us of anything before it happens. But if he can't, we just hope you can keep safe until Zashi and I get here," I said to him, now also looking at Eri, who was asleep as Vivi finished patching her up.

Eri was still very much injured and at high risk of bleeding out. I stayed by the wall to give them space to work as I answered any questions I could. I didn't want her to get any more hurt than she already was. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and looked down to see what notification I had gotten. It was just a text from Zashi.

Bird: Shou! Where are you?

Cat: With the kids.

Bird: Wait there. I am on my way to you now.

Cat: I'm not going anywhere. See you soon, Zashi.

Bird: See you soon, Shou!

I put my phone away and continued talking with Shio as Vivi kept an eye on Eri. Lumai found himself a seat to sit on until he was called again, his black hair tied in a low ponytail to keep it out of his face.

————

Hizashi's POV:

I was rushing to The Valley, where Shou had said he was. I made sure to go on foot to avoid leaving evidence of where I was going. I walked as fast as I could in my civilian outfit to blend in without being noticed. After all, it would be dangerous if the kids were found out by anyone—especially the commission.

I made my way through the forest, careful to avoid the bugs. I let out a low yet projected whistle—making sure not to use my quirk here—to let them know I was there. I slowed down only to ensure I didn't faceplant on my way there, as that would just slow me down more.

I heard some rustling, so I knew they had heard me, but I didn't slow down until I got there. I didn't see Shou, but I did see Izuku. He was with Ren, Akumu, Yima, and Yama. They were the closest to me, so I walked up to them.

"Hey, little listeners! Do you know where Mr. Eraserhead is? I can't find him," I asked, making sure to use the name they called him. The kids shook their heads, but Izuku nodded. 'I figured you did, Izuku, you little cryptid,' I thought as I smiled, knowing he knew.

"Yeah, he, Papa, and Mimi went to Vivi's hut. Someone was hurt and needed to see her," Izuku said to me.

"Can you show me where that is, please?" I asked him. He nodded and led me to a hut, pointing at the door.

"This is it, Mr. Mic," he said, smiling at me.

"Thanks, little listener!" I said, watching him go back to the others before I went into the hut.

—————

No one's POV:

As Hizashi went in, he saw Shio and Shouta talking. He also saw Vivi and Lumai by the resting body of Eri, who Vivi was keeping a close eye on. Some time passed when Vivi let out a sound of alarm and yelled, "Adults out! I need to get to work!" as Eri started to bleed more out of nowhere. Shouta and Hizashi were pushed out of the hut per Vivi's orders. What they didn't know was that someone had heard what happened and was rushing to the hut. When he got there, he saw his old friends in front of it. He decided to sneak around them and went in. He knew that the kids in The Valley would no longer trust him, but he needed to make sure this child lived and would deal with the aftermath after ensuring the child's survival.

He ignored the sounds of shock from the other three in the hut and started using his quirk to heal the child on the bed. It was quick, and as soon as he was done, he was yelled at and pushed out of the hut by all three of them.

The two heroes heard the noise behind them, and when they saw him, they froze. Shouta was the first to speak, "What, is that you—" (tbc)

Chapter Text

No one's POV:

"Oboro?" Both heroes finished together. Oboro didn't want to talk to them just yet. The kids now knew about his quirk, and he needed to leave—now. Without looking at them, he ran into the forest. Oboro was seen as untrustworthy to The Valley now that they learned he had a quirk. He ran and didn't stop until he found a place to hide from them all.

Oboro felt sad that he had lost the trust of the kids, even though he wouldn't undo what he had done. He had healed the child in Vivi's hut and did not regret helping her. Oboro only wished he could have stayed to help keep them safe. Now, he would do it from hiding. While Oboro was hiding, Aizawa and Hizashi were asking Shio about him. Shio explained that Oboro was the 'jack of all trades' he had mentioned before, but they couldn't trust him now since he had lied about having a quirk. Aizawa immediately told Shio that Oboro was not a threat and wanted to keep them safe.

Izuku was confused. He had just seen Oboro run into the forest, looking very upset, and wanted to know why. He walked over to Vivi's hut and saw Aizawa, Hizashi, Shio, and Mimi talking. He listened as they discussed no longer trusting Oboro, though Aizawa and Hizashi said he wasn't a threat. This confused Izuku, who slowed down his approach to hear as much as he could before being noticed.

"Papa?" Izuku said, getting everyone's attention.

"Yes, Izuku?" Shio asked with a worried smile.

"Why did Oboro look upset and run into the forest?" Izuku asked. Before Shio could respond, Izuku continued, "And why do you say he is untrustworthy while Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic say he isn't?"

"He showed us something he said he didn't have, Izuku. He had a quirk—he lied to us. We pushed him out of Vivi's hut, which is probably why he ran," Shio explained.

"What did he do in Vivi's hut for you to do that?" Izuku asked.

"He used a quirk on the child in the hut," Mimi answered.

"What was the quirk?" Izuku asked.

"Well, it was a healing quirk—" Shio started before being cut off.

"So he helped? Why is he in trouble for that? Helping is good—meaning he is kind?" Izuku asked, confused.

"He should have told us, Izuku. Now we will talk about this with everyone else later. Go play," Shio said, making Izuku leave for now.

Oboro's POV:

'This isn't good. Two things I didn't want found out have been found out. Two of my old friends now know I'm alive, and the kids now know I have a quirk... this is bad,' I thought to myself as I hid in a tree, trying to calm down. 'I lost their trust, but I'm not leaving. I can keep them safe, even if I have to hide while I do that.' I continued my train of thought, still trying to calm down. I needed to stay calm—this was not a good situation at all. I hoped they could forgive me for lying about this.

'I will stay here a bit longer, just so I can make sure I am calm enough to move—and the less I move, the less likely I am to be found,' I thought, staying as still as I could—just like before I was in The Valley.

Izuku's POV:

I still didn't understand why Papa and Mimi were mad at Oboro. Wasn't he just trying to help? I wished I understood more, but for now, I just wanted to know where Oboro was. I saw him run into the forest. 'Maybe I can go look for him? No, I can't without causing others to pay attention, then I would get in trouble... actually, I might risk it to make sure Oboro is okay. I don't want him hurt for only trying to help,' I thought, not noticing I was muttering to myself.

"Izuku?" I heard someone say my name, and I immediately went quiet. I turned and saw Mr. Eraserhead walking up to me.

"Yes, Mr. Eraserhead?" I asked, confused about what he wanted.

"I didn't know you muttered," he started.

I nodded. "It is a habit. It helps me think," I said to him.

"That makes sense, but I think I heard you say that you are going to find Oboro by yourself?" He said slowly, causing me to lower my head.

"Yes... I don't want him in trouble just for trying to help, even if he wasn't honest about having a quirk. He only wanted to help," I said quietly but loud enough for him to hear.

"You're not in trouble, Izuku," he started. "But you can't go out there by yourself. You could get hurt or spotted by a bad quirked. I know you only want to make sure Oboro is okay, but you need to stay here to be safe. Does that make sense?" He asked, kneeling in front of me with a hand on my head.

"But—" I started, but he gently cut me off.

"No 'buts,' Izuku. Oboro will be fine, I promise. You just need to trust him to come back, okay?" He said gently.

"Okay," I said sadly.

I walked back to the others with Mr. Eraserhead and stayed with them, even after Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic left. I kept an eye on the forest, hoping for Oboro to come back, but soon it started to get late, and we had to go to bed.

"Sleep, my little ones, the day has passed. Sleep, my little ones, for your dreams will come. The stars now shine, and the moon is alive. Let the dreams come to you now," was heard as Papa sang for us.

Chapter Text

Izuku's POV:

A few days have passed, and now us little kids are starting to get bored because Oboro was not here to play with—he made the games fun. So, a few of us started to complain. It began with Rin, then Olly and Ally joined in, and it grew from there. We were getting more and more bored as the days passed. We didn't care anymore that he had a quirk; we just wanted to play with him again.

"Papa, I want Oboro!" I heard Milo say to Papa. I turned around from what I was doing to look.

"Milo, he lied to us about his quirk," Papa tried to explain.

"So? He didn't hurt us," Milo whined.

"He still lied," Papa said, trying to help Milo—and us other little kids—understand. It didn't work.

"Papa, we have Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic come to The Valley," Ally whined, drawing Papa's attention.

"Yeah, and you said we are going to have another quirked stay here!" Olly continued from where his sister left off.

"Yeah! So why can't Oboro stay?" I heard Yima and Yama say at the same time—they had a habit of doing that by accident.

I think Papa was getting overwhelmed—he looked red as others kept pitching in.

"He lied!" A voice yelled over the ones talking. I turned to see Mimi. "He lied to us. Yes, he didn't hurt us, but he could have been waiting for the right time to do so. And the quirked person we are keeping, Eri, is also being hunted like the rest of us," Mimi yelled, trying to force us to understand.

I raised my hand and waited to be called on. Papa seemed to see me raising my hand. "Yes, Izuku?" he asked.

"Why do you still say he is not to be trusted when the two oldest quirked people we know, Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic, tell us that he is safe and will not hurt us?" I asked, catching both Papa and Mimi by surprise. But I continued, "And if quirked people can't be trusted, then do we not trust Eri-san? You said Oboro was dangerous, so why did he only use his quirk to heal her, knowing he would be forced to leave?"

That seemed to make Papa and Mimi stutter over their words as they tried to answer my questions. 'Are these hard questions?' I thought, looking between Papa and Mimi. I wondered why their only issue was that he lied about it. 'Maybe he didn't like his quirk? Or someone was wanting to hurt him because of it? I will ask after I find him,' I thought as I waited for Papa to answer my questions.

"Well, yes, we do trust Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic, but we also have to be wary just in case," Papa said, answering my first question. "And yes, we can trust Eri-chan. She is still a child and has been hurt like us. And I do not know how to answer the last question."

"But you said we have to be wary, and what if Oboro was also hurt? Then we pushed away someone like us who was hurt," I said.

"W-well..." Papa started, but he seemed at a loss for words.

Shio's POV:

"W-well..." I tried to say, but I didn't know how to respond to Izuku. While it did make me think, 'Did I push away someone who was hurt like us? Did I make a mistake?' I had to push those thoughts aside. I needed to keep a focus on the little ones.

"Izuku makes a good point, Papa," Yima and Yama said together—a twin thing I will never get over.

"Yeah!" Ally said before Olly finished, "He does!"

"He does make a good point, Papa. Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic both said that he could be trusted," Ren said to me.

I was starting to get overwhelmed by all the little kids—the day ones anyway, as they were the ones awake right now—talking over each other. 'They seem to be very aware of what they want—that being Oboro coming back,' I thought, sweat-dropping a bit while trying to calm the little kids.

"Little ones, please, calm down," I said, trying my best to calm them gently. They seemed to barely calm down, so I continued, "I will talk about this with Mimi and Kye as well as some other big kids. We will get back to you on whether Oboro can come back." This seemed to help the kids calm down.

"Shio, are you sure?" Mimi asked me.

I turned to her. "Yes, if it will help the little ones not be so stressed—and help them calm down," I said to her.

"If you say so, Shio," she said, trusting me as I was technically in charge, even if we cast votes on certain things.

I turned back to the kids. "Now, we still have lessons, and break is over. Go to where your group is. After the lessons today, and after you all have gone to bed, us big kids will talk about it." I dismissed the little ones to get back to their lessons—which included Mimi as she was teaching one of them, the future patrol group, and me as I also taught one, the future gatherers.

We continued the day, finished some lessons, ate our food, and soon it was time for the little ones to fall asleep. I sang the song as they did so, and when I was finished, I saw Kye. "Hey! Kye!" I called to him, causing him to look in my direction.

"Yes, Shio?" he asked when he got to me.

"We have a meeting—me, you, Mimi, Ashi, and Vivi," I told him.

"For what?" he asked, confused. "Not that I'm gonna miss it," he continued.

"The kids won't stop asking for Oboro—and even Izuku was asking questions. So I told them we would have a meeting about whether he can come back or not, and I do not want to lie to the kids," I explained to him. Out of all of that, he seemed more confused—and a little shocked about Izuku.

"Izuku, the cryptid who knows everything before we tell him, asked questions?" Kye asked.

"Again, Kye, Izuku is not a cryptid," I sighed.

"You cannot tell me that boy is not a cryptid, Shio," Kye said before continuing, "He knows things he shouldn't—things we have tried to hide from him, he knows."

I sighed. "We will continue this later. For now, we have a meeting."

"Fine, let's go," he said, and we walked to Vivi's hut to talk about it. After some talking—which took about an hour or two—we decided to give in to the kids' demands for Oboro to come back, but we will keep a closer eye on him for a while.

(A/N: I looked up the terms for 'san' and 'chan'- so I am sorry if they are wrong (please correct me if I messed up)

Chapter Text

A Week Later

Shio's POV:

'I still don't know how we found him to bring him back,' I think to myself as I watch Oboro—who we brought back—play with the little ones. He seems happier. My thoughts wander, 'Does he actually like spending time with the little ones?' I ask myself as I stand by Mr. Eraserhead.

"We will get you!" one of the little ones, Minow—who had recently turned five—yells while she and the others chase Oboro around.

"Then come get me!" Oboro yells, staying out of their reach as they chase him. I think it's a game of 'Tag' or a form of it they are playing. I mentally sigh as I continue to watch, though I seem to have lost sight of Izuku—where does he go?

Izuku's POV:

I am wandering in the forest, making sure to stay hidden. I want to wander without being seen, like how we met Mr. Eraserhead. Even if it was funny to see him fall as Kye was helping with the day patrol when he is up during the day sometimes. I hear a sound and sneak over to see what it is. 'I hope it's a bunny!' I think as I get closer. Sadly, it is not. Instead, it is an adult. He has blue hair and eyes and is dressed comfortably. He seems to just be walking, not really paying attention. 'Awww, it's not a bunny,' I think sadly before looking closer to see if I notice anything that would point to a quirk. I do—he has metal in his arms. I wonder how that works.

I don't think much on that. I turn my head toward the way The Valley is and let out a bird call a certain number of times. Mimi said it was a good idea to learn to do this to let others nearby know of a quirked person without pointing yourself out. I immediately hear returned calls—probably from the day patrol—before hearing the leaves rustling.

??? POV (before being noticed):

'This is nice. I'm glad I decided to take the day off,' I think as I walk around, seeing the entrance to the forest. I decide to take a hike in it so I can get some fresh forest air. The peace and quiet sound nice compared to the city right now. I look up at the trees in front of me. 'This is going to be fun,' I think before walking into the forest. I look around as I walk, admiring the nature around me.

"Nature is so beautiful," I say to myself as I walk further into the forest, farther away from the city. I have no regrets about taking this walk. I very much needed this. "Maybe I can bring Tenya here when he has a break—or even just a day he allows himself to take a day off." I sigh, knowing my little brother and how he is when it comes to work—even if it is schoolwork—and rules. I let out another sigh, knowing I would have to convince him to even do that. I love my brother, but he needs to learn how to cool it on the rules.

The further I go in, the fresher the air becomes. It is nice, and I quite enjoy it, so I keep walking. It has been a while of walking, and I am getting pretty far into the forest when I hear a loud bird call. I jump at the sudden noise. I then hear more of the bird call and then the leaves rustling ahead.

"What's tha—" I start to say before I feel something land hard on my shoulders, hitting my head, and my vision goes black.

Kye's POV:

I heard the call stating a quirked person was nearby and ran to it. It was a rare time I was up with the day people because I could not sleep. I heard others, as well as myself, respond to the call, and we all ran in the direction of the call, staying in the trees, hidden in their branches. We stopped just long enough for me to jump full force onto the quirked person's shoulders, knocking them out. "They are out, you can come out now," I say. Then I see the day patrol that I was with jump down. Then I hear sounds from the bushes as someone comes out. "Izuku?" I ask, looking at the child.

"Hi, Kye, I found another one," he says nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I see that, you cryptid," I say jokingly to him, trying to cheer him up. It seems to work as he lets out a smile as he looks at me. "Alright, let's tie this quirked person to the tree. Shio and Mr. Eraserhead need to be called."

Aizawa's POV:

I am standing with Shio as the kids continue to have fun with Oboro. I am still in shock that he is still alive. He seems to be happy playing with the kids. 'He always did love keeping kids happy and safe,' I think to myself before I hear someone calling me and Shio.

"Shio, Mr. Eraserhead, kìmà!" I turn to the voice and see it is Amori. I don't get time to respond when Shio grabs my arm and pulls me along.

"Mimi! Keep an eye on the kids! We'll be back!" he calls as he drags me after Amori. We speed our way in a familiar direction. It is the place where I was tied up when I first saw Izuku, but instead of me being tied to the tree, it is a familiar face.

"Tensei?" I say to myself, confused as to why he is here, even if he is still knocked out at the moment.

"Do you know him?" Shio asks me, looking at Tensei in case he wakes up.

"Yes, he is one of my friends. His brother is my student, actually," I explain to him.

Oboro's POV:

I heard Amori call for Shouta and Shio. It must have been important if Shio rushed along dragging Shouta with him. I decide to follow them to see what is up. Well, I sneak off as the kids get distracted with another game. I hide in the trees as I follow Shio and Shouta. What I see shocks me—Iida-kun is tied to a tree, knocked out. 'Why is he knocked out?' I think as I watch.

"It's just like how I met you all," I hear Shouta say, at which Shio laughs.

"Even in the same way, landing full force on his shoulders," Kye says to Shouta, keeping an eye on Iida-kun.

'That is something I did not know,' I think before realizing, 'Wait, they did this with Shouta too!?' I think, surprised at the fact that Shouta got knocked out by children. 'Well, that has to be a fun way to wake up—tied to a tree,' my thoughts continue as I try not to laugh at the mental image.

"You got knocked out by kids?" I ask, jumping down from the tree I was in, causing them all to jump at my sudden appearance.

"Oboro!? When did you get here?" Shouta asks me.

"When Kye mentioned you getting knocked out by kids. May I ask why Iida-kun is tied to a tree?" I ask.

"Shouldn't you be in the village?" Shio asks.

"The kids got distracted, and Mimi was too focused on them. I wanted to know what happened for you to rush over here dragging Shouta behind you," I explain to him before asking, "Now, may I know why Iida-kun is tied to a tree?"

"So we can make sure he is safe or not," Izuku explains, probably wanting to help.

"Thank you for answering, Izuku," I say, smiling at the small child. "I'm going to stay here if that's fine," I say, turning to Shio.

"That's fine for now," he says, turning back to Tensei. I nod my head and wait with them for him to wake up.

Chapter Text

Tensei's POV:

I felt myself coming back to consciousness, letting out a quiet groan as a headache began to form. My head hurt a lot, but I opened my eyes to see if I was somewhere different—and I was. I was tied to a tree by vines, and I noticed a few people around me. "Shouta?" I asked, confused, as I saw him with a few kids.

"Hey, Tensei, good to see you awake," he said, nodding at me.

"May I ask why I'm tied to a tree? And who are these kids?" I asked, hoping for an explanation—and that I would be untied from the tree soon.

"A safety measure. The kids did that to me as well—even knocked me out the same way they did to you," he explained before continuing, "And these kids here are: Kye, the one who knocked you out; Shio, basically the leader of the group; Amori, who led Shio and me here and was part of the group that tied you to the tree; Oboro, who just wanted to observe—yes, we will talk about Oboro later; and the youngest here, Izuku, who spotted you first and called the group to bring you here." He listed off the names, finishing the explanation, and I had to do a double-take on one of them.

"Oboro? Didn't he die?" I asked, looking at Shouta.

"Yes and no. I'll explain another day, Tensei, but for now, I’m not going to go into detail," someone said. I turned my head slightly and saw Oboro. I froze; he really was alive—and still looked like a teenager.

"Are we sure that's not a ghost?" I asked, turning back to Shouta.

"Absolutely sure, yes," Shouta said, nodding.

"I am alive! And right here!" Oboro exclaimed.

---

Izuku's POV:

'Why did he say Oboro should be dead? That doesn't make sense; he's right here,' I thought, confused. I turned to Oboro. "Oboro, what does he mean?" I asked, getting his attention.

"An accident happened, and I was presumed—thought to be—dead. But as you can see, people can be wrong sometimes," Oboro explained, trying to help me understand.

"Izuku, we can continue this conversation with Oboro later. For now, we have a new quirked person here that Mr. Eraserhead will talk to and assess to see if he is safe," Papa reminded me, making me nod.

"Sorry, Papa," I apologized, bowing my head slightly. I felt a hand gently ruffling my hair as I heard Papa’s voice.

"It's okay, Izuku. You're not in trouble, I promise. Just try not to get too distracted, okay?" Papa said, his hand still on my head.

"Yes, Papa," I said, nodding.

"Sorry to interrupt, but why are there random kids in the forest, and why do they knock people out?" the quirked man asked. I think Mr. Eraserhead said his name was Tensei?

"None of your business," Kye snapped at him.

"I think it is—considering I was the one who got knocked out and tied to a tree," Tensei-san said to Kye.

"And I said it’s not, so shut it before we make you," Kye threatened.

"Are we sure that's okay?" I asked, cutting off their exchange.

"Don't worry, Izuku, I won't let Kye hurt Tensei—nor let Tensei hurt any of you," Mr. Eraserhead said to me gently.

"Thank you, Mr. Eraserhead," I said, smiling at him before walking over and giving him a hug. I smiled more when I felt him hug me back.

"Damn, I knew you were a dad, Shouta!" Tensei-san said to Mr. Eraserhead.

"Language, Tensei. They’re still children, and I am not their dad. The little ones call Shio 'Papa,' not me," Mr. Eraserhead said as I hugged him tighter.

"He's not wrong, Tensei. They all call Shio 'Papa,' and from what I’ve seen, he doesn’t mind it at all. Do you, Shio?" Oboro said, turning to look at Papa.

"You're absolutely right, Oboro. I’m quite happy with the little ones calling me 'Papa.' It means they feel safe enough to consider me their 'Papa,'" Papa said to Oboro, nodding. I’m glad he likes us calling him Papa.

"Okay, that was sweet and all, but may I ask when I will be untied from the tree?" Tensei-san asked.

"When we decide to untie you," Kye said to him, clear distrust in his voice.

"And when will that be?" Tensei-san asked, looking at Kye.

"When we untie you," Kye said, not giving him any more information.

"Very clarifying, thank you," Tensei-san said with what I think was sarcasm.

"You're welcome," Kye sassed back before saying, "Now, again, shut it," without taking his eyes off him. "So, what do we do with him, Shio?" Kye asked Papa, still not looking away from Tensei-san.

"For now, we can knock him out and have Mr. Eraserhead take him out of the forest so he can leave without knowing where we are," Papa said to Shio, then looked at Mr. Eraserhead to see if he agreed.

"Yes, that might be a good idea. We need to as a safety precaution for you kids," Mr. Eraserhead said to Papa, nodding in agreement with the plan.

"Wha—!? Shouta! You plan to knock me out!?" Tensei-san yelled in shock, causing Mr. Eraserhead to look at him.

"Yes, as a safety precaution for the kids. I'm sorry, Tensei, but it's either that or you’re going to have to sleep tied to a tree," Mr. Eraserhead said, letting go of me and walking over to his friend. I walked to Papa, keeping an eye on Mr. Eraserhead and his friend, and held onto Papa as Mr. Eraserhead spoke again. "See you when you wake up, Tensei. Sorry again," he said before hitting Tensei-san on the neck, causing him to fall asleep.

"Thank you," Papa said, nodding to Mr. Eraserhead, who nodded back. Tensei-san was then untied and dragged out of the forest. We then headed back to the Valley, as it was now pretty late.

"See ya, little cryptid. Rest well," Kye said to me, patting my head as I yawned.

I nodded sleepily, saying, "Night-night, Kye. Night-night, Papa," before heading to my home and lying on my nest to sleep. I let out a sigh as I heard Papa start to sing, just like he always does for us.

"Sleep, little ones, for we have learned something new. Sleep, little ones, for the night calls us to rest, beckoning the dreams to come now. Rest and let the night wrap you in a hug tonight. Rest and wake with the rising sun, my little ones."

Chapter Text

??? Pov:

"So we know for a fact that the quirkless things that got away are not in the cities?"

"Positive, we have checked"

"Then we're else would the things be?"

"We could try the forest, send Endeavor to scope out and if he sees any of those things he can get rid of them with his flames, and draw those he can't see with the smoke"

"Then there we have it, someone get ahold of him and tell him his orders"

"Yes boss!"

——————

Ashi's pov:

I was walking around trying to find something to hunt to bring back to The Valley, I knew at least one other day person was near me- or at least Oboro if he didn't feel like sleeping. I was stalking by some brush trying to see if there was anything there to hunt- there wasn't- and kept moving, meat was running low woth how many of us there are, and the little ones needing more food to grow. 'We need to thank Mr. Earaserhead and Mr. Mic for explaining that to us.' I think to myself.

I was still stalking around, keeping as quiet as I could to not scare off the animals that could be nearby. All of a sudden there was smoke in the air, making it hard to breathe and causing me to start coughing. I needed to get out, but that thought was pushed out of my mind when I was grabbed and slammed into a tree- hard. I opened my eyes and saw an outsider.

"Here is one of you, Quirkless things" the quirked hissed the word 'Quirkless' like it had a foul taste on his tongue to say it. "Now where are the others of you?" He 'asked' lifting a hand and lighting it on fire- he was danger.

"I will never tell" I hissed at him, trying to control my cough- I couldn't let out the whistle while coughing.

"It would be wise for you to tell me, freak, who knows it might save your life" He said the flames on his fist growing hotter.

"Bullshit, you plan to kill us all anyway" I hissed, glaring at him.

"Then die" He said going to burn me, but a cloud surrounded his flame, making it go out, and he was kicked- hard, making him let go of me.

"RUN! TELL THE VILLAGE!" I looked up to see who yelled that, it was Oboro he had put himself between me and the outsider. I nod and ran off to do as he had told me.

—————

Oboro's pov:

"RUN! TELL THE VILLAGE!" I yelled at Ashi after getting her out of harms way of Endeavor. She nodded and ran.

"Who are you!?" Endeavor yelled at me.

"That is none of your concern" I snap at him, making more clouds surround me.

"Your quirked, why are you protecting those freaks?" He asked, snapping at me, I watched the flames growing behind him- that was the cause of the smoke.

My mind zeroed in on what he called them "they are not freaks! The only freaks are those that kill for no reason! They are kids! Children!" I yelled at him.

"They aren't even human!" He yelled back.

"Bullshit!, the only ones that aren't human are you and anyone else that think having a quirk is the only way to be human!" I yell, causing him to become madder, the flames getting hotter.

"Then you shall die with them!" He yelled going to grab me, but I saw a snake about to strike near me and threw it at him, the snake ended up biting his eye. He yelled put in pain pulling the snake- that had apparently had gotten ahold of this man's eye- off his face.

"Ha! How's ya eye?" I joke before rushing at him to knock him out.

————————

Aizawa's pov:

Something felt wrong, I didn't know what it was all I knew was that something was very wrong. And I looked outside, I'm glad I did to, because there in the horizon were the forest the kids lived in was, was smoke, the forest was on fire.

"Zashi! The kids!" I yelled running to the door rushing to put my shoes on, so did he.

"What's happening!?" He asked, worry in his voice

"The forest is on fire!" I yelled as we ran out of our home and tward the forest, we needed to help- adrenaline helped us run faster to help the kids.

We finally got to the forest, running past the fire, trying not to get burned, we heard people fighting and ran to the sound. We saw Oboro fighting Oboro, using water to block the flames, I was quick to earase Endeavors quirk.

"Huh!?" He said in shock before Zashi ran up and punched him hard enough to knock him out, I used my capture weapon to tie him up and gave the other end to Zashi so we could drag him and I could keep his quirk off.

"Thanks guys, now what do we do?" Oboro said following us.

"We'll we need to put out the fire" Zashi said walking while dragging Endeavor behind him.

"I got that" Oboro said before using a water quirk to move water around, putting out the fires.

"Thanks" I said to him nodding my head.

"Yep, but what do we do now? Can we throw him off a cliff?" Oboro ask.

"As good as that sounds we can't" I tell him with a sigh. After a bit of walking farther into the forest- we couldn't be seen dragging an unconscious hero without getting in trouble. He started to wake up, I turned on my quirk immediately.

"What the?" The hero started to say before snapping his head up and seeing me and Oboro walking behind him as he was dragged along. "What are you doing!?" He snapped at me.

"Keeping children safe, making sure we don't get seen dragging you around, the like" I say with a shrug as I kept my quirk on and my eyes on him.

"You are a disgrace to the human population! Helping the freaks! What kind of person would help them!?" He yelled.

"A good one" is all I said before addressing Oboro without taking my eyes off Endeavor, "can you cover his mouth, we don't want anyone to hear us."

"My pleasure!" He said before a dence cloud coverd Endeavors lower half of his face, silencing him. "Now can we throw him off a cliff please?"

"No, any other ideas?" I ask.

"I know a place we can take him, just need to knock him out first" Oboro said.

"Better" Mic laughs as he kicks Endeavor to knock him out again. "Now lead the way!" And so we followed Oboro to what apears to be a cabin.

"A cabin?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I found it a while ago, you can leave him here with me and I can get information and send a my quirk version of a smoke signal for ya." Oboro said Opening the door for Zashi.

"Are ya sure?" I ask.

"Yeah! Ya can go check on the kids, and I can get information and keep him here!" He said smiling at me.

Chapter Text

Endeavor woke up. It was nearly sunset by the time he stirred.

"Oh good, you're awake!" A falsely cheerful voice remarked. Before Endeavor could respond, he felt a hand grip his face, hard. "Now, be a good dumpster fire and tell me how you knew about the kids," the voice demanded.

"Where am I!?" Endeavor shouted.

"Somewhere the shitty commission can't save you," the voice replied coldly.

"Who are you to talk about the Hero Commission like that!?" Endeavor barked, his anger rising.

"Someone who actually cares about others—unlike you or those commission workers who think it's okay to harm or even kill children," the voice snapped.

"Those freaks aren’t human! They need to die!" Endeavor growled fiercely. This earned him a sharp blow to the head.

"Never call them that! They are children. They deserve to be safe, loved, protected, and cared for!" the voice retorted harshly. "Now, tell me. How. Did. You. Know?"

"That's none of your damn business!" Endeavor snarled.

"Oh, you're going to be stubborn, huh? Well, this will be fun," the voice said with malicious joy. The hero thought he was prepared for anything… but why did his blood feel like it was getting hotter?

"What’s happening!?" he cried out as the sensation of burning spread through his veins.

"Oh, I’m just boiling your blood," the voice answered with false innocence, as if stating a simple fact, like ‘the sky is blue.’

"You’re what!?" Endeavor yelled.

"I’m. Boiling. Your. Blood," the voice replied, emphasizing each word like speaking to a child. "Now, how did you know the kids were alive and in the forest?"

"I will never tell!" Endeavor shouted, but the boiling sensation only intensified, causing more pain. The voice made a sound of disbelief, waiting to see if the so-called hero would crack, though it wasn’t hot enough to kill him. Eventually, the burning eased, and Endeavor slumped—barely—with relief.

"Oh, I’m not done with you yet, Endewhore," the voice sneered before Endeavor felt something sharp stab into his left arm. He grunted in pain. "Tell. Me. How."

"Never!" he spat.

Another sharp stab pierced his left arm again, adding to his suffering. "I have all the time in the world. Now. Tell. Me." the voice demanded as Endeavor cried out. His refusal to answer infuriated the voice, who drove another cold object into his left wrist, eliciting a scream.

"Answer," the voice commanded, growing more and more agitated.

This went on for some time. By now, Endeavor was in excruciating pain, with three of his limbs impaled by cold, sharp objects. His blood still felt as though it were boiling. The voice took sadistic pleasure in torturing the man who had almost killed a child—and seemed fine with killing more. ‘He is no hero,’ the voice thought.

"As long as I am alive, Endewhore, those kids—and any others the shitty commission wants to kill—are under my protection," the voice declared.

All Endeavor could feel was pain—his limbs impaled, his blood boiling, his quirk stifled by the water that drenched his body, snuffing out his flames and sapping his heat. "How did you know, Endeavor? How did the commission know?" the voice asked again.

Endeavor struggled to speak but managed to utter the same defiant words: "I. Won’t. Tell." He let out another yell as his last remaining limb was impaled by icy spikes. The tormentor, whom Endeavor could not see thanks to something covering his eyes, moved on from stabbing to water torture, preventing him from breathing for intervals before allowing him a breath again.

"Are you going to tell me now?" the voice taunted, the 'hero' now bloody and battered. Once again, Endeavor refused, and the waterboarding resumed, solidifying his hatred for water as he was stabbed and tortured. This continued for a while, but then the voice decided to try a new approach.

"How about I cut off your 'man bits'? Maybe that will make you talk," the voice suggested, sounding more than eager to follow through on the threat.

That finally broke him. After hours of brutal torture, Endeavor cracked and gave up the information. The voice smiled, though Endeavor couldn’t see it through the cloud of darkness blocking his vision. "Thank you~" the voice said in a sing-song tone before turning to a door that opened, revealing two people—one with messy black hair down to his shoulders and the other with long blonde hair past his waist.

"Hey, Shou. Hey, Zashi! I got the information!" the voice called out, now full of joy at seeing his friends.

"Ro, why does he look like that?" Hizashi asked, pointing at Endeavor.

"Oh, I found him like that," Oboro responded casually, not even glancing back at the broken hero.

"You… found him like that?" Shouta asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Yep," was Oboro’s only response before he added, "Now I’m gonna head back and hang with the Valley. Deal with him, will ya?" With that, he left, leaving his two friends with the severely traumatized Endeavor—still blinded by the cloud over his eyes.

Chapter Text

No One's POV:

The two pro heroes stood over Endeavor after knocking him out. The clouds around his eyes—courtesy of Oboro—were starting to dissipate.

“What did we get ourselves into?” Aizawa asked, turning to his husband, who just shrugged in response. Aizawa sighed heavily.

“You know we’d do it again if it meant keeping the little listeners safe,” Hizashi said in a light, sing-song voice before laughing. Aizawa sighed again, knowing it was true. Even if he’d known what would happen, he’d still do it again to keep these kids—and Oboro—safe.

“I know, but Oboro really did a number on this piece of trash,” Aizawa said, gesturing toward Endeavor.

“He really did, but we need to do something before he wakes up. What did Shio say to do again?” Hizashi asked, approaching the unconscious “hero.”

“He said to, and I quote, ‘deal with it in a way that he won’t be able to tell or bother us again.’ Then Mimi and Kye chimed in, saying, ‘make it painful,’” Aizawa replied, moving closer to Endeavor.

“The kids... want us... to kill him... painfully?” Hizashi repeated, trying to make sure he understood. Aizawa nodded, confirming it.

“That’s my understanding. Yes, that’s what they want us to do.”

“We’re heroes... aren’t we? Are we allowed to do that?”

“Nope, but the commission doesn’t have to know. Plus, if he lives, they’ll find out and kill the kids. It’s safer for him to die than for them to be in danger,” Aizawa explained as he started untying Endeavor from the chair. Hizashi stepped forward to help. Once they freed him from the chair, they tied his wrists and feet together before dragging him out of the old building.

“Do you know where we should go to finish this?” Aizawa asked.

“I have an idea, but it’s a bit of a walk.”

“Let’s get this over with—hopefully no one will find out,” Aizawa sighed, following his husband out of the building.

“They won’t, don’t worry, Sho!”

---

Oboro’s POV:

I was playing with the little ones, happy to relax after getting Sho and 'Zashi the information they needed. The kids might know what Shio requested, but not what I actually did. Izuku had disappeared again—no surprise there, but I’d rather he didn’t witness what’s about to happen to Endeavor.

“Shio, ‘Ku disappeared again,” I called out, keeping an eye on the game.

“Mimi’s already looking for him!” Shio replied. I was glad someone was searching. The big kids sometimes joke he’s a cryptid, with all he knows and how often he vanishes and reappears. Where does he even go? I wondered, returning to my game with the little ones. Eri joined us; she’s been so much more lively here in the Valley. It made me happy that not only was she safe now, but happy too.

---

Izuku’s POV:

I had sneaked away to see if I could find Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic—as a kind of training. I wanted to get better so I could be a good patrol member when I’m older. Hiding in the bushes, I looked around and listened for their voices. It was faint, but I could hear Mr. Mic talking.

“This will be interesting, don’t you agree, Sho?” I heard Mr. Mic say. I continued to follow his voice, but before I could get far, Mimi jumped down in front of me, silent as ever.

“Izu, you know the rules. Back to the Valley.”

“I know, but I wanted to get better at finding people—like training!” I said, trying to match her quiet tone.

“You can do that another time—and tell Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic first, so they can actually help you. I’ll help too,” Mimi said, picking me up. I stayed still, knowing there was no point trying to get away. Once we returned, she set me down by Papa, who looked down at me.

“Izu, where did you go?” he asked.

“I wanted to train myself to locate people, so I tried finding Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic,” I answered honestly. None of us liked lying if we could avoid it.

“You could have waited until they got back here and asked. They’d be happy to create some training exercises for you,” Papa said gently.

“I’m sorry, Papa,” I replied, looking down. He softly placed a hand on my head.

“There’s no need to be sorry, but please remember to tell us before you do anything. We’re just trying to keep this place safe,” Papa said, kneeling down to my level to comfort me.

The rest of the day passed, and Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic returned. I was curious about what they’d been doing, but I knew it’d be a while before they’d tell us. For now, I focused on the present—having dinner and having fun. Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic didn’t eat; they said they’d eat when they got home. I also overheard Papa talking with the builders about expanding into the treetops, using huts for storage or growing crops, and building a larger structure for Vivi with supplies that didn’t need electricity. I wasn’t sure if the big building would be on the ground or up in the trees where new homes might go. I’d ask in the morning. It was getting dark, and I was getting tired. With a yawn, I drifted off in my nest.

Chapter Text

No One's POV:

Izuku woke up at sunrise and went to get a drink. Stepping outside, he saw the day builders—the majority of the builders, while the night builders ensured nothing went wrong overnight—cutting down a tree. It was far enough away not to risk falling on anyone or damaging a building. I wonder if they need help, Izuku thought as he drank from the river. He loved helping out around the Valley.

Soon, Shio came over to the builders to make sure they knew what they were building and to remind them to stay safe. Avi assured him they knew the plan and that if they needed help, they’d call him or Vivi. They’d also be using vines for safety to prevent falls and asked Shio to keep the little ones away while they worked to avoid any accidents.

Shio thought this was reasonable, reminded them to stay safe, and went about his morning duties, checking on everything in the Valley. Izuku admired how much Shio cared for everyone and wanted to be like him someday—someone others could rely on and feel safe with.

The day continued as usual, with each group teaching the little ones who wanted to join them. Even the builders had someone teaching nearby while others were in the trees, constructing new homes. Living in the trees made sense for safety—from quirks, animals, and emergencies that required height—and the natural shelter they provided from the rain.

Although it took time for the kids to learn how to navigate without getting hurt, they were proud of their progress. See, you don’t need a quirk to survive! Most of them barely remembered their last names anymore, especially the younger ones, and they were perfectly fine with that. Their little home was thriving. Henisha sometimes worried that the lack of new arrivals meant others were lost before they could be saved.

Days turned into weeks, and then months. Finally, the builders completed the project. They’d worked as much as they could without overexerting themselves, taking breaks to stay hydrated and nourished. They also built bridges to make it easier to move between homes.

Near the upper middle of the trees, rounded huts were now connected by bridges, with easy access for the little ones. Over the next few days, they moved items from the ground huts to the ones in the trees. The builders were glad they’d remembered to construct a lift to help with the heavier loads. The younger kids added color by picking flowers to decorate, with Oboro helping and keeping an eye on them so Henisha could focus on organizing.

Later that day, Aizawa and Hizashi stopped by to check on everyone and see how the construction was going. They were glad to see things were okay and that no one was seriously hurt—though it was hard to avoid minor injuries in the forest. Eri was delighted, playing with the younger kids and asking the older ones questions. Oboro also helped her practice her quirk so she could both use it and feel safe with it.

Things were peaceful until Hizashi suddenly came running with an injured child in his arms—a little boy with black hair and dark eyes, around Eri’s age, wearing a dirty red shirt and black shorts. His black hair reached his shoulders, and he clung tightly to Hizashi.

“Shio! Over here!” Hizashi called without his quirk, prompting Henisha to run over.

“What happened?” Henisha asked quickly.

“Quirkless. I got him out before they could take him into the building,” Hizashi explained, gently handing the child over to Henisha.

Henisha nodded and asked the boy gently, “Hello, little one. What’s your name?”

The boy looked up and said, “Yakumo, Jin.”

“Well, hello, Jin. I’m Shio, but most kids your age call me Papa,” Henisha said, looking kindly at the child.

“Why do they call you Papa? Are you their dad?” Jin asked nervously.

“Not by blood, but they see me as their Papa. I help them when I can and try to make sure little ones like you feel safe,” Henisha said softly. He had an idea and planned to hold a meeting with some others that night after the younger day group was asleep.

For the rest of the day, Henisha stayed with Jin, while Izuku popped up (as he often did) to help Jin feel more comfortable. Izuku kept the new child focused by asking questions, distracting him from what had happened—or what could have happened if Hizashi hadn’t rescued him.

Soon it was time for the day group to eat dinner, and Hizashi had to leave before it got too dark. Jin was introduced to the day group and would meet the night group as they began to wake before he went to bed. For now, he’d stay in the same hut as Olly and Ally. That day marked both a new arrival and the completion of safer homes for the Valley residents, ending with Henisha softly singing to the little ones:

“Sleep, little ones; our homes are new, just like the day that shall come. Rest your heads now and worry not. For we are safe, we have saved, and we will live. Sleep, little ones, for the days to come will be full of warmth with each other.”

Chapter Text

Shio's POV

I made sure all the day children were asleep before heading over to find Kye.

“Hey, Kye,” I said, walking up to him.

“Oh, hey Shio. Need something?” he asked. I noticed that even when Kye wasn’t angry, he always had a bit of a rough tone to his voice.

“Yeah, can you gather everyone? I need to call a meeting. Nothing bad, so no need to worry,” I replied.

“I’ll go get them. See you there.” Kye nodded before heading off. I went to the meeting hut on the ground and waited. Soon, Kye arrived with Mimi and Ashi—both looking tired since they were day people—along with Sema, Avi, Oboro, and Idori.

“What’s this meeting for, Shio?” Idori asked as she settled in.

“I have an idea I wanted to run by you all before sharing it with the others,” I said. “I think we should expand our reach beyond the Valley. If we go to the mountains, we could gather resources from there. And if we make our way to the caves by the beach, we’d have access to more food, plus sand we can heat into glass.”

I paused, then continued, “I know it’s sudden, and it will take time, but staying here all together in one place makes us a bigger target. We’ve already faced one quirk attack—we can’t risk that again. For now, we’ll organize teams of older kids, along with Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic, to start preparing those areas. And the two quirks we trust will help with building homes. They’ll understand when we explain it’s for everyone’s safety.” I took a breath and then addressed Oboro directly. “Oboro, I want you to stay here with the children. You know how to protect them, and you’re familiar with bringing the two quirks here if needed.”

“No one will hurt them,” Oboro assured me. “But when are we starting?”

“We’ll set a date when Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic come by next, likely in a day or two. Winter is getting closer, so they’ll want to check on our food stores.”

“Just giving us a heads up so we’re not surprised?” Mimi asked, clearly eager to get back to bed.

“That’s right,” I said. “Any thoughts before we day people head to bed?”

Ashi spoke up. “Do you already have groups in mind?”

“No, that’ll be decided once Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic arrive.”

“Shouldn’t we wait until warmer weather?” Sema suggested.

“That’s the plan. For now, we’ll just scout good locations and map out where things will go.”

“Why’s Oboro in charge?” Kye asked.

“Because he knows this area better than anyone else and can detect dangers quickly.”

Avi chimed in, “Will the mapping mean we builders have to split into two teams?”

“Yes. Tell Luna she’ll lead one of the groups,” I replied. “You’ll head the other. This way, we can get both areas ready around the same time and gather resources faster.”

With everyone’s questions answered, I wrapped up, “I’ll do some preliminary mapping tonight so that when Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic get here, we have a clearer plan. Meeting dismissed.” They nodded and left. I followed the others to bed, though while they settled in, I got out a map Mr. Eraserhead had marked to show where we were.

The “high hills” look closer on the mountain side, I thought, tracing the area with my finger. And there should be a cave near the long river that leads to the sea—good for sand and fish. We could build a hidden tunnel to the cave for safety and make spears and fishing poles.

I let out a sigh, trying to visualize everything. I don’t want to send anyone into danger. Maybe I’ll ask Oboro to scout the spots since he knows the area best.

Time was slipping by, and I hadn’t drawn any lines yet. The sooner we get these resources, the better, I reminded myself with another sigh, taking a break from the map. This planning was stressful, even though I was used to life here in the Valley.

With one final sigh, I stretched, realizing I’d been hunched over too long. I decided it was best to wait until Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic arrived. They’d help decide on the groups and the specifics. Feeling more at ease with the decision, I finally lay down. I still needed to wake up early to help with the little ones, though I knew Izu would already be up, getting a drink from the river.

Growth will be important for all of us, especially the little ones, I thought, a sense of peace settling over me as I drifted into sleep.

Chapter Text

Shio’s POV

Returning from gathering, I spotted Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic with the little ones—specifically Izu, Rin, Yima, Yama, and Milo. Each of them, as usual, had different questions: Rin wanted to be picked up in his quiet way, Yima and Yama asked about the city, and Izu and Milo were eagerly asking for fighting tips. I wasn’t surprised; even shy Rin always asked to be held, and he was set on becoming a hunter, believing his quiet nature would help him sneak up on prey.

“Alright, little ones, back to your lessons or go eat if you haven’t,” I said, guiding them away from the two adults. They nodded and went off, leaving Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic alone with me.

“I need to discuss something with you both,” I told them, leading the way toward the meeting hut.

Once inside, I took a breath and laid out a map they’d previously given us. “Here’s where we are now,” I pointed to the marked spot on the map.

“Right, so you at least know where you little listeners are,” Mr. Mic noted with a nod.

“Yes, but it also ties into my plan,” I continued, pointing to the long river. “See this river? It leads to the sea. We want to reach the caves by the beach to access sand for glass and fish for food. My idea is to have a group build a tunnel to the caves so we can move unseen. And,” I added, gesturing to the mountains on the other side, “another group could go to the mountains—the ‘high hills’—to collect resources there. With smaller groups spread out, we’re less of a target.”

Mr. Eraserhead nodded. “So, one group to the beach caves for glass and food, and another to the mountains for materials. Expanding our reach gives newcomers more options too.”

“Exactly,” I replied. “I need your help to pick a date to begin building and decide which of you will go with each group.”

“I can go with the beach group to help mark out the tunnel location, but it’s too cold to start now,” Mr. Mic said, looking at me for confirmation.

“And I’ll go with the mountain group, helping to map everything there,” Mr. Eraserhead added. “We’ll take extra maps to record both locations. Once we’re back, we’ll add it all to the master map so everyone knows the layout.”

“That sounds good,” I agreed. “We need two dates—a scouting date and a start date for when it’s warmer.”

“Why wait? We could at least get mapping done now,” Mr. Eraserhead suggested.

“I’m not risking anyone working too long in the cold without a fire close by,” I answered firmly.

After some discussion, we agreed to scout in twelve days—long enough to explain the plan to everyone and organize groups. Once we’d assessed both areas, we’d set a date for building in warmer months.

It was up to me to pick who would go with each group. I made sure Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic understood that while they’d help and keep us safe, the group itself would be in charge, with Oboro watching over everyone staying behind. With a final nod, we exited the hut.

Out of nowhere, Izuku popped up. “We’re expanding!?”

I looked at him, surprised, since I knew he wasn’t close enough to overhear. “I’m not questioning how you know that, Izu,” I said, kneeling down to his level, “but yes. Just don’t tell anyone yet—I’ll explain it soon, alright?”

“I promise, Papa.” Izu grinned, nodding earnestly.

“Thank you. Now go play.” I gave him a gentle pat on the head.

As I watched him dart off to join the others in a game of tag, I glanced over at Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic, shaking my head. “I’ll never know how he figures these things out.”

Mr. Mic chuckled. “Maybe Kye was onto something when he called him a cryptid.”

“Maybe,” I laughed. “But for now, he’s still just a little one, and I’ll make sure he learns when and when not to say things that get people wondering.”

The rest of the day passed quietly. I gathered with the little ones, teaching them what I’d learned as time went on. We waved goodbye as Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic left, had a meal, shared stories to help the children unwind, and finally, I sang them a lullaby as they crossed the bridges to their tree huts.

“Rest your head now, soon we will grow. Rest, little ones, for the day to come will be soon, do not fear the night that comes for we will be guided by the moon.”

Chapter Text

Shio's POV:

A few days had passed, and I called everyone to gather on the ground so I could explain the plan and assign teams. Mr. Eraserhead and Mr. Mic would not be joining us—they already knew which team they would be part of.

“Papa, are you going to tell them?” Izuku asked, walking up to me from the river, likely after getting a drink.

“That’s correct, Izu. We’re waiting for the others to kìmà (come), and I’ll wait until they—and you—are all sòm (seated) before I speak. Does that make sense, chè (child)?” I asked.

“Qèv (I understand), Papa,” Izuku said with a nod.

“Lùn (good).” I nodded and ruffled his hair. “Now, go make sure everyone is getting up, please.”

“Yes, Papa,” Izuku replied before heading off. I smiled as he left, then went to get a drink myself while I waited.

---

With Izuku:

I went up to the huts, starting with the first one. This one was for Akumu, Milo, and Vin.

“Guys, vèit (wake up/are you up)?” I called, knocking on the door.

“Yes, we’ll be out soon,” Vin’s voice answered from inside.

“Okay! See you there!” I replied, moving to the next hut. I wanted to gather everyone for Papa quickly. I knew what he had to say, but I couldn’t tell anyone because he’d asked me not to.

---

Shio's POV (when everyone was gathered):

“Please, sòm (sit),” I said to the group. Some were already seated, while others settled down. Once everyone was seated, I began.

“I have a plan—one I’ve already discussed with a few of you. The rest of you aren’t aware yet. The plan is to expand to the mountains and closer to the sea. One group will map out where the huts in the mountains will go and live there, gathering materials to help us. The other group will map out a tunnel to a sea cave and decide where huts in that area will go. The team by the sea will be taught by one of our trusted quirk-users how to turn sand into glass. I already have groups in mind.” I paused, giving them time to process.

Mimi raised her hand. “Who is going where? And what about the little ones?”

“The group going to the mountain with Mr. Eraserhead includes me, Tamio, Chei, Avi, Idori, and Quinn. The group heading to the sea cave includes Mimi, Ashi, Sue, Amori, Nina, and Luna,” I explained. “As for the little ones, Oboro will be in charge of them while we’re away. He’s proven he’s more than capable of keeping them safe here.”

“Vi (thank you),” Mimi said with a nod.

I nodded back. “Does everyone understand the plan?” I asked. They all nodded in response.

“Lùn (good). You’re dismissed.”

The group scattered—some headed downriver, others upriver, while a few started breakfast or relaxed until needed. A handful went back to sleep since it was still early.

Oboro approached me. “Hey, Shio. Vi for trusting me to watch the little ones while you’re away.”

“No vi needed. You’ve proven yourself more than capable, Oboro.”

“But I haven’t been here as long as the others,” he said, confused.

“That doesn’t matter. You’ve already shown you’re willing and able to protect the little ones. We need to get ready to expand as soon as possible. Please, for me, accept this responsibility while we’re gone in a few days,” I said with a calm smile.

He sighed, then smiled back. “I will.”

I nodded as he left to help elsewhere. I went to the meeting hut to study the map and review the plan. I needed to be prepared—backup plans, escape routes for the little ones or new members, and walkable paths in case we needed to evacuate.

“Papa?” a voice startled me. I turned to see Izuku.

“Hey, Zu. Did you need something?” I asked, kneeling down. Instead of answering, he ran to hug me, catching me off guard.

“Did you need a hug, Zu?” I asked gently.

“No, but I noticed Papa was getting overwhelmed. So, I wanted to give you a hug,” he said, squeezing me tighter.

I hugged him back, realizing he was right. The expansion plans were stressing me out.

‘Maybe I should take a break,’ I thought while holding Izuku. “Let’s go join the others. It should be playtime by now,” I said, picking him up and heading outside.

“Papa is going to play with us?” Izuku asked excitedly.

I nodded with a gentle smile.

“Papa is going to play with us?” Akumu asked, running up.

“He is?” other little ones chimed in, joining us.

“Yep, I’m going to play with all of you for a bit,” I said, smiling. They cheered and started deciding what games to play—first tag, then hide and seek.

---

No One’s POV:

Shio and the children played happily. The kids were thrilled to have ‘Papa’ join them for a break. Though Shio went easy on them during some parts of the games, he realized he missed being a kid. Living here meant constant work, but he decided to make it a rule for everyone to take a day off tomorrow.

He smiled as he chased Jen during tag. It felt good to take a break and have fun.

After a while, they ate and went to bed. Shio sang them his usual lullaby:

“Sleep now, rest now,
We had fun in the light of the sun.
Now it’s time to calm and sleep,
Under the light of the moon.
Rest, little ones,
For you have more to grow.”

Chapter Text

No one's POV:

The day the two groups were set to leave, everyone helped where they could. Shouta and Hozashi had arrived early to assist as well. They were told who they would take with them and informed the kids about the birthdays that had passed over the last few days. Jenashi— or Jen— was now six, Vinaigrette— or Vin— was also six, and Opal was now twelve. The others wished them a late happy birthday, and Shio said they would celebrate when they got back.

The two groups departed, and Oboro stayed behind to help the kids with their learning— along with those from the groups who had remained. Neither they nor the little ones wanted to fall behind while the others were gone.

The mountain group, led by Shio, made sure to mark their path so they wouldn't get lost and could plan a proper trail later. They wouldn't start building just yet— it was still too cold— but they figured out and marked locations using stones they had or found. When they arrived, they set up a fire to warm themselves.

The tunnel—or sea— group, led by Mimi, followed the river. Like the mountain group, they weren’t immediately starting construction, just mapping things out with stones they brought or found. They marked their path but primarily followed the river. When they reached their destination, they also set up a fire to warm up.

The kids wore heavy animal hides for warmth since it was winter, while the adults had proper coats. The fires helped them heat up faster— no one wanted to get sick, as they hated both the feeling of illness and staying in one place for too long.

Back in the valley, Oboro kept an eye on all the kids— especially Izuku, to make sure he didn’t wander off again. Thankfully, Izuku was too preoccupied practicing with Ren to do that, but Oboro still kept watch just in case.

Shouta spoke with Shio as they worked. "All I’m saying is that it would be easier if you guys had shoes."

"You’re not getting them. It would be too suspicious, and we’re doing just fine."

"It wouldn’t. I have students—"

"High school students, if I remember right. And barely any of us would count as that— most of us would be in either elementary or grade school," Shio cut him off.

That forced the quirked adult to pause and think. "I can see how that would be suspicious, but what if my boss orders them?"

"Didn’t you say your boss was a rat?" Shio asked.

"We don’t know what he is, so we just say ‘rat.’ And I’m not saying he’s a bad person," Shouta clarified.

"Then I’m pretty sure that would be even more suspicious, because he also wouldn’t have a viable reason. Just trust me, Mr. Eraserhead, we’re fine. And if we really need shoes, we can make them," Shio reassured him calmly.

Meanwhile, Hizashi was having the same conversation with Mimi— just with far more back-and-forth.

"We don’t need no shoes!" Mimi said sternly after the quirked adult brought it up.

"But you might, little listener," Hizashi tried to reason.

"Nope! We’re just fine without them! Plus, they’d take up materials we could use for other things."

"Me and Sho could buy them—"

"No. You nor Mr. Eraserhead are buying all of us shoes. And I’m sure Shio would say the same to Mr. Eraserhead, Mr. Mic," Mimi cut him off while setting a stone down in a marked spot, careful not to knock over Nina and Sue as they chipped into the stone to mark the tunnel’s planned size.

"I’m not gonna be able to persuade ya, huh, little listener?" Mic half-questioned as he worked on chipping out part of the tunnel’s width.

"Nope," Mimi said before calling, "Ashi, Nina, and Sue, go to the fire to warm up."

She got a "Qèv" from the three of them as Nina set Sue down and they headed to the fire.

"What does that mean?" Hizashi asked.

"Ya don’t need to worry about it, Mr. Mic," Mimi replied simply as she continued placing stones.

By noon, all the groups stopped to eat by the fire. Oboro double-checked to make sure all the kids were present— something he’d been doing all day. After eating, the mountain and tunnel groups rested by the fire to warm up and avoid burning out, while the kids played to relax.

After a while, the kids returned to their lessons. Once the mountain and tunnel groups felt rested enough, they resumed their work— not that they had much left, but there was still a bit to do. They wanted to return as soon as possible, and Aizawa and Hizashi had work the next day— they still had classes to teach, after all.

The kids were used to the cold— as much as it worried the heroes— but they still made sure to go to the fire to warm up as needed, to avoid risks. Whether they did so for their own sake or to ease the heroes’ concerns was unknown. Either way, the heroes felt a little better knowing the kids weren’t ignoring the need to stay warm.

Time passed, and those in the valley sat by the fire to warm up at Oboro’s request. The mountain group had mapped out most of the locations for buildings, materials, and huts. The tunnel group had done the same and also made three noticeable chips where they would start digging toward the sea.

With each step, they were getting closer to their goal— to expand, gain more resources, and be better prepared for whatever challenges might come. After all, it was better to be overprepared than not prepared at all— especially when so many people wanted them dead for something they couldn’t control.

Chapter Text

Kèva: keep an eye on, I'll be back
Qèv: I understand
Jì: what happened?
Qùir chì chè: quirked chased child
Kìmà: Come
Sòm: sit
Ìmà: who?
Vōl: stranger
Tàzim: get (person in charge)
Lùn: good
Vèit: up/you up

Chapter Text

No one's POV:

The warm months had arrived, and a few more birthdays had passed. Rin was now six, Yima and Yama were now ten, Idori was eighteen, Shio was fifteen, and Eri was seven. Her birthday had come a few weeks after the two groups first left.

The two groups— including the heroes— gathered, said goodbye to the kids for a while, and set off. They had a lot to do, and according to both Hizashi and Aizawa, it was the weekend, meaning no classes, so they could stay longer to help. They had packed accordingly (including Aizawa and Mic, who, when asked by others, simply said they were going camping) and set up their ‘camp’ in a spot that wouldn’t be in the way. Each group this time had a few builders with them so they could actually construct the buildings they needed— or, in the tunnel group’s case, help make the tunnel safer with Hizashi’s assistance.

Everyone knew how important this was. They needed more materials, more space for those who might need it. They had a feeling they would, and it was always better to be prepared.

The little ones had fun, did their lessons, and occasionally fell asleep while playing (more often than not, by accidentally tripping over their own feet). Oboro made sure they were okay and kept them from roughhousing too close to the rocks near the river. He had also been informed about how Izuku had gotten injured from not being careful. Oboro truly cared for the kids— for everyone in The Valley. He wanted all of them to be safe and was already upset that some of them had scars at all, whether from accidents or animals. He hated that they had ever been hurt badly enough for that.

The groups worked hard as the hours passed. The builders put in more effort than when they had made the huts in the trees, taking charge to ensure no one got hurt and that things stayed on track. Soon, night fell, and everyone went to bed, knowing they had to wake up early to maximize daylight for work.

The little kids in The Valley weren’t used to Shio not being there to sing them to sleep in their ‘nest,’ but Oboro did his best to help however he could. He knew most of them drifted off to the sound of their ‘Papa’ singing as he walked around, loud enough for all of them to hear. So, he went from hut to hut, humming lullabies to help them sleep.

It helped a little, and soon, most of the little ones were asleep— aside from the few who were naturally awake at night. Oboro kept a close watch on them, greeted the night patrol, hunters, and gatherers, and observed as lessons began.

Soon, the next day arrived. Most things were normal— Izuku and Shio being the first awake, the calm morning sounds, the changing shades of blue in the sky as the sun rose. The only real differences were that the two groups weren’t there, and those groups didn’t have to wait for others— everyone had to wake early to get to work.

They would be gone for a while. What they were doing couldn’t be rushed; they had to be careful. When asked about their classes, Aizawa and Hizashi told their groups, “We said we would help, and we will. Plus, Nezu won’t be upset about us helping. When it comes down to it, subs will be teaching our classes.” The two heroes had fully prepared to stay as long as needed— both to help and to ensure neither group got too injured or, by chance, discovered by those hunting them.

Slowly, the huts near the mountain were built. The tunnel was getting deeper— they planned to build homes inside it for extra security and to stay out of sight. Days passed, and the two groups continued their work, taking breaks for meals and to avoid overexertion, but otherwise staying focused. Aizawa and Hizashi occasionally mentioned things they could buy for them, only to be immediately shut down— the risk was already high enough with the supplies they had received from the two heroes.

The days were long and growing warmer. They wanted to return home soon, but they knew better than to rush. Rushing would only cause mistakes, and they couldn’t afford that if they needed to expand. Any new ideas had been thoroughly discussed before they started— like how to integrate homes into the tunnel and ensure proper ventilation.

Back in The Valley, the kids did their best in their lessons, but they had started to really miss those who were gone. They understood why they had been away for so long, but that didn’t make it any easier. They missed Mimi being protective. Missed Ashi showing them different fur colors. Missed Kye checking on them. Missed Shio— or ‘Papa’— singing and helping them. They missed everyone. They just wanted them to come home.

Oboro did his best to keep them distracted from their sadness, but he could tell the long absence was weighing on them. He knew just how happy they would be when the two groups returned, and he couldn’t wait to see them fully happy again.

But for now, they all just had to be patient— patient in building the huts, patient with the tunnel’s progress, and patient in waiting for the ones they missed to come home safely. They all understood the need for patience, no matter how difficult it felt as the days passed and the work continued.

Chapter Text

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The two groups were still working, doing their best in both places, and waiting until they could return to the Village. No matter how much they wanted to go back—to their huts and the little ones—they never rushed or risked making the two places unsafe. They worked and worked, as long as they had to, planning where the homes would be, where things would go, and digging where necessary. This was especially true for the group digging a hidden tunnel to the sea, as it would serve as a main access point—for fishing, gathering sand, and other resources—as well as providing carved-out homes for those who would live there.

The two heroes helped wherever they could, but they also listened to those in charge—just as they had promised. They did their best to ease the burden on the children, helping them stay focused and reducing their stress. They worked alongside them all day, feeling frustration at the circumstances that forced the children into such labor, but also pride in how they thrived. The kids worked together remarkably well on large tasks, and the heroes were glad that they knew how to ask for help—help they were more than willing to provide.

Oboro was getting used to the passing days. He had adjusted to caring for the little ones and those who stayed behind while the two groups were away. His sleep schedule had already been terrible from assisting both the day and night groups, but now, in addition to that, he kept them motivated, helped with the children, and took on hunting when an injured member couldn’t. After all, they were all just kids, and he was more than willing to keep them safe—he had always cared for children and always would.

Time passed as it always did. The little ones watched the shifting shadows—knowing better than to stare at the sun—waiting for the day both groups would return to the Valley. They longed for things to return to how they once were, but they had been told how valuable these new places would be. So, they learned patience. They kept their minds occupied with lessons, games, sharing knowledge, gathering food and water, and helping whenever allowed. Oboro did his best to keep their spirits up, encouraging them in their lessons and, during breaks, letting them ride on one of his clouds.

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Three Weeks Later

The two groups were getting closer and closer to finishing their work.

The mountain group had built huts hidden among the trees, some even within the branches for surveillance and food storage. They dug out and reinforced a stone fireplace for cooking and warmth during the winter months. They also mapped out where a tunnel into the mountain would go—for gathering materials—while considering how to avoid over-exploitation.

The ocean group had finally completed the tunnel. They carved out homes, added small ventilation shafts to prevent suffocation, and left pillars intact to prevent cave-ins. They even created an indoor growing area, a built-in greenhouse of sorts, with vents to let in sunlight while retaining warmth for the plants.

The groups knew they were close to finishing, close to going back to the Valley. Excitement built as they neared completion, but they didn’t rush. They understood that mistakes now would only delay them further, forcing them to stay longer to fix errors. So, they remained calm and focused, working from sunrise to sunset, pausing only to eat and drink. No one abandoned their work for others to finish—because they were a village now. They knew that survival depended on working together. Even when they had been younger and afraid, they had understood that isolation would be far worse.

Of course, not everything was peaceful, but they had learned to compromise and think through their decisions, ensuring the Valley’s future.

The children in the Valley would grow up knowing this. They would learn that to support the Village—and soon the two new settlements—they must be able to collaborate and compromise. Though only the Valley had been named so far, the new villages would soon have names, people, and a role in keeping everyone safe and healthy.

They kept going—second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. They worked so they could return to normal, to return to the Valley. Time moved forward, steady and unyielding. And everyone in the Valley knew: time continued, even when it felt like it didn’t.
---

Chapter Text

No One’s POV:

It had been a month since the two groups had returned—some to The Valley, their home, and others back to civilization, like the two heroes. Everyone was either happy to be home or happy to welcome those who had returned. Life had settled back to normal. At the moment, it was lesson time—and that’s when the main surprise happened.

During one of their hunts, the day hunters spotted a child. No obvious signs of a quirk—though that would be determined soon. The child looked about thirteen, with long brown hair in a braid reaching their lower back. They looked like a girl, but they’d need to ask to be sure. Pale skin suggested illness, and there were dark circles under their eyes. They wore oversized clothes—a pastel blue shirt and gray sweatpants that looked like hand-me-downs. Their deep brown eyes were filled with fear, and they looked like they might pass out from exhaustion.

The hunter who first spotted them let out a bird call—the signal they’d agreed upon to summon a patroller. Opal arrived shortly after. Even before asking why he was called, he saw the child. He whispered to the hunters, “Qùir?” (Quirked?)

The hunters whispered back, “Nìm qùir” (No sign of a quirk), their eyes still on the child.

The two from The Valley quietly followed the kid, watching for any sign of a quirk but finding nothing. The child seemed injured. They should see Vivi, one thought. It worried them—this kid wasn’t much younger than they were.

The child glanced around constantly, flinching at sounds. They clearly didn’t want to be in the forest. The hunter looked to Opal; Opal met their gaze. The hunter pointed at the child, then toward The Valley with a questioning look. Opal made a quiet chittering sound and motioned as if searching. The hunter recognized the signal—to check for trackers, especially after the fire quirk incident.

As the child wandered closer, Opal held up three fingers and counted down. He moved behind the child to avoid hurting them, while the hunter stepped into their path. Opal clamped a hand gently over the child's mouth—not to scare them, but to avoid alerting prey or attracting nearby quirked individuals. The hunter felt around for anything that might be used to track the child, silently thankful that Mr. Aizawa had taught them what to feel for.

When the hunter found nothing, they shook their head and said, “Nim.” No tracker.

Opal nodded and said, “Lìn mùn Shio.” (Bring them to Shio.)

The hunter gently took the child from Opal and began walking them toward The Valley. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “We won’t hurt you. We just had to check for a quirk or tracker.”

The child didn’t look convinced—still tense, still scared.

“May I ask your name?” the hunter asked, trying to calm them.

The child hesitated. “…Asral Hana.”

“Nice to meet you, Hana—and sorry if that sounds weird. We don’t really use last names here. I’m Leo, a hunter. The one from earlier was Opal—he’s a patroller,” Leo explained as they walked.

“Where are you taking me?” Hana asked, voice still unsure, but now edged with tiredness.

“To The Valley. That’s where we live. We’re planning to spread out soon, though, so you might end up in one of the new places when we start moving people. Does that make sense?”

“…Kind of? But why spread out? How many of you are there?” she asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

“In total? Forty-one,” Leo replied. As a hunter, he kept track of the number to know how much to hunt—just as the other hunters did. Patrollers tracked names, to make sure no one went missing.

Hana looked shocked. “Forty-one!? Why are there so many?”

“The people in the city don’t like those like us,” Leo said simply as they entered The Valley. He kept a gentle hand on Hana’s shoulder as they approached Shio. “Shio, mìn fi a new one,” he called to get Shio’s attention.

“Oh?” Shio turned to them. “Qèv—thank you for telling me. Go take a rest, Leo. I’ll speak with the new one.”

Leo nodded and left, heading off to rest and hang out with the younger kids.

Shio turned back to Hana with a gentle smile. “Hello. I’m Shio—but the little ones call me Papa. What’s your name, if you’re okay sharing it?”

“Oh… I’m Asral—Asral Hana.” Her mind was finally starting to process what had happened. Her parents hiding her without explanation. Being told to run into the forest. Getting found. Discovering a hidden village the city knew nothing about. Now, being taken in.

Shio didn’t interrupt. He saw she wasn’t fully present, lost in her thoughts. He waited patiently.

Eventually, she blinked and looked up.

“You back?” Shio asked gently.

She nodded.

“That’s good. Well, it’s nice to meet you, Hana. It’s been a while since we’ve had a new face here.”

He began asking questions—both to see where she might fit in and whether she’d be one of the ones moving to a new settlement.

Time of day most awake? Noon
Allergies? Fur (mild)
Health concerns? None
Willing to help? Yes, but it’ll be difficult until she gets used to it and builds strength.

He asked other questions, too. When it came to the allergy, he asked for clarification. Hana explained that fur mainly gave her a runny or stuffy nose, but pelts were fine—it was the dandruff, not the fur itself, that triggered her symptoms.

By the time they were done, it was late.

Shio introduced Hana to the night people and explained he’d introduce her to the rest in the morning. Tomorrow was a rest day—a time when everyone could relax, play, and just be kids for a while.

Chapter Text

Hana’s POV:

It’s been a few days since Leo brought me to The Valley. Apparently, they’re still deciding who will go to the two other locations, but some patrollers and hunters have been checking in to make sure everything is okay. Shio—the little kids really do call him Papa—brought me to the healer. I tried to tell him the proper term was “doctor,” but he just said he knew and that healer was simply what they called it.

The healer’s name was Vivi. She checked me over and told me I had the flu. After that, she had me lie down in another room.

After about an hour, I was already itching to move around. Vivi didn’t agree with that idea and warned—well, threatened—that if I didn’t stay in the bed (which looked more like a bird’s nest), she’d tie me to it to make sure I rested. Lying there in that nest—which was surprisingly comfortable—I found myself thinking back to my second day here.

“Hello, my name’s Izuku. Are you Hana?” a small child had asked, running up to me. He had a small, pale mark on his shoulder, the skin lighter than the rest of his tan complexion, with freckles barely peeking through. He asked nonstop questions, ranging from “What’s your favorite color?” to “What do you think the Quirked find painful?”—that one, in particular, terrified me.

A person I now know is Mimi came up behind him and sent him off to play with the others—it was a play day, apparently—and told me, “Don’t mind him, that’s just Izuku. Kye and a few others are convinced he’s a cryptid.”

“I can see why. That was unnerving,” I’d replied, already understanding why they might think that about such an odd little kid. That last question still sends a shiver down my spine. But the others didn’t seem too bothered by it—or even admitted to thinking about it themselves. I later learned that question started going around after a fire-quirk user nearly killed one of them—us.

I’m still learning. I can only hope I’ll get used to things like everyone else seems to be. I was reading a book Lumai gave me to help pass the time as I lay curled up in the nest. They—we—are basically birds with these nests, I thought to myself, chuckling quietly.

Hearing someone enter, I looked up from the book. “Oh, hey Vivi, coming to check on me?”

“Yes. And to change the towel to help keep you cool,” she said, holding up what looked like barely-damp animal skin.

“Oh, thanks. Do you know how long it’ll be until I can get up and move around?” I asked as she swapped out the towel I’d been leaning back on.

“A few more days. We need to make sure you’re fully recovered before you even think about getting up,” Vivi said with a look—fair, considering how many times I’d tried to sneak out and failed.

“To keep the others from getting sick, or just to make sure I don’t get worse again?” I asked, half-joking, half-curious.

“Both. No one here likes being sick. Most people with scars don’t even want to stop moving long enough for those to heal properly. We don’t want to take any risks. And yes—we just want to make sure you’re completely alright, fully ready to be back on your feet.”

That helped, and I made a mental note to ask more questions once I could walk around again.

We talked for a while so I wouldn’t be “too bored” or “too lonely”—her words. She explained, “We’ve gotten so used to being around others that most of us don’t like being alone.” And it made sense. The kids, teens, and adults I’d seen were rarely by themselves.

Honestly, I was starting to understand. Being alone is… uncomfortable. It shouldn’t be, but we live out here in the wild, and I guess it makes sense—even if it still feels kind of weird to me right now.

“Is Izuku still being weird?” I asked.

“Yep. Kye and a few others are trying to collect ‘evidence’ that he’s a cryptid,” Vivi laughed.

It was nice—talking to her, to the others when they visited. From Izuku’s questions, to Vivi’s concern, Shio’s care, and even Kye’s initial suspicion—it was all starting to grow on me.

I laughed. “Of course they are. Honestly, if Izuku was a cryptid, I wouldn’t be surprised. But he’s still Izuku.”

“That he is. I wonder if he knows what they’re up to or not. He always seems to know things he shouldn’t. Or maybe he’s just a regular kid and that’s what makes it so funny—and weird. Which kind of sums up Izuku.”

“I think it’s both. He might have an idea, but he is still just a child,” I said.

We kept chatting and laughing about how Kye and the others were trying to observe Izuku without letting him catch on. When it was time to eat, Vivi—or sometimes Shio—would bring me food and water. Still, I was itching to try my luck moving around again.

“Hey Vivi—question,” I started.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Can I please move around—at least just in the room?” I asked hopefully.

“No. You still need rest, Hana. But soon—you will.”

Chapter Text

Ren's POV:

I was confused. Something was bugging me, but I didn’t know what. I was sitting on a branch lower to the ground, trying to think and remember what it was. I let my mind wander as I tried to recall.

"I swear, Mimi, Izuku is a cryptid!" I heard a voice say. I turned to see it was Kye talking to Mimi.

He hasn’t been sleeping a lot, I thought as my mind went through the past few weeks. He had been awake more than he’d been sleeping. Maybe I can ask Papa about him—oh! That helped me remember! I thought happily. I also need to remember to ask Papa if Izuku is a cryptid like Kye says. My thoughts continued as I carefully climbed down from my branch.

I looked around, trying to find Papa—he shouldn’t be busy; today’s a fun day. I walked while scanning the area until I saw him talking with Ashi. She had a new bandage around her right arm near her elbow. Is Ashi okay? I wondered as I sped up to reach them.

When I got to them, I waited until they finished speaking. I didn’t have to wait long because Papa noticed me coming.

"Oh, hello, Ren. Do you need anything?" Papa asked with a smile, making me smile too.

"I have a question—a few," I said with a nod.

"Oh? What are the questions, Ren?" Papa asked, kneeling down.

"Is Kye okay? He hasn’t been sleeping a lot, and I’m worried. Also… is Izuku a cryptid like Kye says? What’s a cryptid?" I asked before looking at Ashi. "Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?"

They both smiled at me.

"I’ll talk to Kye and have him see Vivi, try to help him get more sleep. No, Izuku isn’t a cryptid. A cryptid is a mythical creature," Papa said. When he finished, Ashi spoke.

"I’m fine, Ren. And yeah, it hurts a bit, but it’ll go away. Don’t worry, I just have to take it easy for a bit," she said with a smile.

I nodded, happy I got answers but still confused about something. "How does Izuku know things before you tell us?" I asked Papa.

"That is something we ourselves have no idea about. He might just overhear us when he’s sneaking around. You know him—always wanting to learn," Papa said with a light laugh.

I nodded. That made sense—Izuku was sneaky. It made him good at hide-and-seek! "Oh! That makes sense. Thank you, Papa!" I smiled before looking at Ashi. "And I hope you feel better, Ashi!" I waved and ran to find Izuku to play with—maybe he could help me get better at hide-and-seek!

I was looking around for Izuku when I heard him behind me. "You were looking for me, Ren?" Izuku asked, making me jump before I turned and saw him.

"Yes! Can you help me get better at hide-and-seek? I want to be sneaky like you!" I said, hoping he’d help me.

He smiled brightly. "Sure! I’d love to help you!" When he said that, I jumped with excitement—I’d finally get better at hide-and-seek!

The day continued, and Izuku kept helping me improve. But he always found me during practice, and I barely ever found him! I wasn’t mad, though. It gave me something to work toward.

"Found you, Ren. Remember to focus on your breathing; it makes you harder to find if you do," Izuku said when he found me again. I jumped but smiled.

"Okay!" I beamed. But soon we were called to eat, so we took a break from working on my sneaking. We gathered and ate together like we always did. Papa says eating with others helps us feel more con… connected, I thought as I ate happily. We ate on the ground still, for safety reasons, even if our homes were now in the trees.

Papa began to tell a story while we ate—he did this every time so we could have fun and learn. Papa always puts small lessons in the stories. I liked Papa’s stories—they were fun!

Today’s story was about a small deer learning how to run and helping the other small deer see the joy in it. He said the lesson was that we should be kind and help others learn and grow when we can, even if we are still learning. Papa was a good storyteller!

After we ate, we rested—Papa said it was so we wouldn’t upset our tummies after eating and to let it settle. I spoke to Izuku and asked him why Kye says he’s a cryptid. He laughed and said he didn’t know why, but he found it very funny. His laugh made me laugh. It was funny how Kye saw Izuku as a cryptid even if Izuku was just sneaky. Will Kye say I’m a cryptid if I get to be as sneaky as Izuku? I wondered as I laughed with Izuku.

The day continued, and it was fun. I liked the rest days. I think most of us do because we get to play or rest from lessons… well, most of us. Izuku has a hard time sitting still, but he joins in on the games! So I’m not worried—he just has that buzzy feeling. I think Papa called it en… energy? I don’t remember, but I’ll try to remember to ask Papa after the game Izuku and I were playing to help me be more sneaky. I want to call it Hunter because one of us has to stay in a spot and try to find the other while they try to catch you! Kind of like tag, but with sneaking instead of running!

After a while, it was time for dinner, then bed. Papa says we need rest. When Kye finished his food, Papa sent him to Vivi for rest. I was getting sleepy and curled up in my nest after getting a drink from the river. I liked my nest; I added flowers to it! It looks really pretty—maybe I can add some vines tomorrow for more pretty! I thought as I fell asleep listening to Papa singing. I liked when Papa sang; it was pretty.

Chapter Text

Inko's POV:

I sat in my living room, looking at a photo album—something I did most days just so I could see my baby. The pictures of Izuku with Mitsuki's son—Katsuki looked annoyed with him, but I knew that boy. He was happy Izuku looked up to him; it made him feel proud. Katsuki always liked watching over Izuku, even when most kids his age didn’t want to watch little ones if they didn’t have to. But Izuku and Katsuki liked being close.

I still remember that day—the day I told my baby to run. Run so he would be safe. I remember crying as he ran like I told him to—always such a good boy. I remember Katsuki coming to our home later that day and asking where Izuku was when he was nowhere in the house. The tears that fell when I told him that Izuku was safer now… him asking where exactly Izuku was.

I can’t tell him. Oh, how much I want to, but I can’t. It’s too dangerous for my baby to be found. I don’t want to risk it, even though I know Katsuki never cared about the quirkless.
“Who cares if they have a quirk or not? Idiots are still human, aren’t they?” That’s what he always said about them. But if I told him, then others who want to hurt my baby might find him. I can’t risk that.

I looked up from the pictures—the memories that kept coming back—when I heard knocking. I went and opened the door; not too much surprise for me, Katsuki was there. He came by at least once a week, sometimes once a day, asking where Izuku was or if he was back yet.

“Hello, Katsuki. How was school?” I asked as I let him in.

“Hi, Auntie. It’s fine. The extras are still loud and idiotic,” he said before asking, “Is Izuku back yet?”

“No, dear. It’s still not safe. Even I can’t see him,” I said sadly.

“Why won’t you just tell me where he is?” he asked. He was upset Izuku hasn’t been around—or seen.

“It’s too dangerous. The government will hurt him. I did what was best. I didn’t want my baby to die, Katsuki. And if they find him—or anyone else who might be with them—they will kill my baby,” I said sadly before adding, “If it was safe to tell you where, I would have. You know that. You know I’d go see him myself if it was safe enough for me to.”

At that, Katsuki gave a sad look. “I know, Auntie. I just miss the little broccoli. Miss his dumb mumbling and ideas. The walking sunshine was a nice thing to see every day.”

“I’m sure he misses you too, Katsuki. I bet he misses his Kacchan, and your stories about your school day and plans on going to U.A. But now you’re in U.A., and he’s not here for you to tell stories to.”

“Which is fucking stupid he’s not. I get it’s for protection or whatever, but he should be here, not wherever he is now,” Katsuki said, getting more upset—as he usually did when he spoke about Izuku, his cousin. Not by blood, but me and Mitsuki always saw each other’s families as the same.

“You really do miss your Itoko, don’t you?” I asked.

He paused for a little before lowering his head and speaking softly, “Otōto.” He corrected. “He’s my Otōto, not my Itoko.”

I patted his shoulder. “Right. Otōto, not Itoko. My bad.”

We went and sat on the couch, just taking some time to… just be. To know we are still here, still alive.

After a few minutes, Katsuki spoke softly. “I miss him, Auntie.”

“I know, Katsuki. I miss him too. I hope that when it’s safe, we’ll be able to see him,” I spoke with a sad smile.

“He’s safe, right?” he asked me.

“Yes, he’s safe,” I answered, while praying to Kami that I hadn’t lied to him.

“You promise?”

“I promise,” I said while thinking, I hope. I hoped with everything in me, because I wanted my baby to really be safe, and I didn’t want to have lied to my baby’s Ani.

“As soon as I can see him again, you’ll let me know?”

“Of course. You know I’d immediately let you and your parents know.”

“I know, Auntie. I know. It’s just hard.”

“I know, Katsuki. I know. It’s hard for me too, but we can get through this together,” I said, trying to reassure him.

“It’s been over a year, Auntie. How can you be so sure?”

“A mother’s instinct,” I said. It’s what I tell myself—that I’d feel it if my baby was hurt or worse. “Something in me would tell me something was wrong, much like your mother knows when you’re up to no good.” I finished, wanting to lighten the mood.

We spent the time just talking and reminiscing about Izuku before all of this—before he was no longer in this house, before the appointment, before everything… before I was forced to tell my baby to run.

We spoke about Izuku first learning how to swim, Izuku playing with Katsuki and just them having fun, his first steps to Katsuki, his first words. We just talked. Neither of us wanted his memory to fade from our minds. We didn’t want to forget him or how happy he was—nor how happy he made us in turn. While we were talking, we both hoped that he was safe and happy where he was, because we both knew that if he was here now, he wouldn’t be. It’s not safe for those like my baby. I wish it was, so my baby could be safe here, but it isn’t. And he isn’t here with me.

I knew—even if I didn’t always believe it—that telling Izuku to run that day was the best thing I could do to keep him safe. No matter how badly I wanted him with me, he was safer away.

---

(A.N.: I am using Google and Google Translate for some words: (Itoko: little cousin. Otōto: little brother. Ani: older brother.) Please correct me if I’m wrong!)

Chapter Text

Defenestrate: to throw someone through a window. (A fun thing to learn.)

Nexus POV:

The thought of being able to defenestrate someone—a very specific someone—was growing more and more tempting as Yagi-san spoke.

"Nezu, if you know where they are, you need to tell the Commission. They can help," he said, but I cut him off.

"No. They will kill them. I don’t know where they are, nor will I force them into more danger by trying to find them. Only two people outside of the children the Commission wants to kill know, and I am not going to let you know who, Yagi. I will not repeat myself again."
I thought about the Commission. How can he think they want to help!? They’re killing children for crying out loud! Thinking more on it only made me more agitated.

"Nezu, you need to understand, they aren’t killing them—"

I cut him off again. "Yes, they are. I know it, the other staff know it, other heroes know it, villains know it, civilians know it, vigilantes know it. The only ones who seem not to know are you… well, you and Endeavor, but he hasn’t been seen lately."

"While we look for the kids, we can look for him. He’s a good hero—"

"No. Everything you just said is wrong. We will not go looking for those children; they are safer where they are, where the Commission can’t kill them for simply existing. And we will not go looking for Endeavor. He comes and goes as he pleases, and he is no hero—he’s a villain in a hero’s clothing. His casualty list is longer than the villains’, and the number of criminals and innocents who die because of him is appalling. Young Todoroki makes it clear he isn’t a good father either. So no, Yagi, you are wrong."

This meeting was going in circles. How can he be this blind to what the Commission is doing!? How can he see Endeavor as a good hero when everyone else knows he’s not a good person!? Yagi is truly both a perplexing and idiotic human. Talking to him makes me question why I even hired him in the first place—he has no license, no idea what he’s doing, and keeps interfering with the other teachers’ lessons, offering input where it’s neither needed nor wanted.

The longer the meeting went on, the more I wanted to knock some sense into the human in front of me. I find the human word defenestrate fits what I currently wish to do extremely well. The image of this idiotic man falling from my window was very appealing in this moment—maybe it would knock some brain cells into his empty head, since I know it sadly wouldn’t kill the imbecile with how durable he is.

As soon as the meeting ended, I sent him home and took a while to breathe and calm myself before Eraserhead and Present Mic entered my office.

"You good, Nezu?" Eraserhead asked.

"Just very annoyed with All Might," I sighed.

"He still thinks the HPSC and Endeavor are good?" Present Mic asked.

"Sadly, yes. But I’m still refusing to tell him anything. He can’t be trusted. And the number of people who know where the children are can’t grow. We need to keep them safe for as long as possible."

---

We continued to talk, careful not to say who knew about the children’s location or anything that might hint we knew more than we did—technological quirks exist, and we had to be cautious.

I waved to the two humans technically in charge of the children as they left, saying they “had to visit the shelter,” which I knew meant they were going to check on the children. And they should. We need to make sure they are safe, fed, and healthy.

I’m truly upset that they’re unable to live with their loved ones because of the Commission—the ones who are supposed to keep everyone safe and equal are doing neither. Children are being forced to live in the wild just to survive, and nothing about this world feels fair. People judge based on quirks and hate for no reason.

Humans need to learn to see life as it is. Everyone has a part to play, and taking one away—or pushing them away—only leads to the death of the group. Animals understand this better than humans do.

I opened one of their folders—I need to thank Eraserhead and Mic for giving me coded folders of everyone in The Valley. Two stood out to me: one, a quirked child named Eri, who stays with the children; and another, Oboro—a quirked child… or adult?—who found them and made a home with them, helping however he can.

I continued to look through the folders, rereading the information and the notes on each child—their personalities, likes, dislikes, ages, genders, sexualities. And, amusingly enough, an added note of “cryptid?” in one Midoriya Izuku’s folder.

I read over the roles and everything I could. I might not know where they are, but I’ll take any information I can to help. With Eraserhead and Present Mic visiting them when they can, I’m able to get them supplies for the children—lesson plans, items, anything they need. Tomorrow is a lesson-planning day after the students leave. The other teachers will be there to give input and tips on how to adapt the material if the standard methods don’t work. That was Eraserhead’s idea, and I’m happy to help—and even happier that the children can still learn while they’re out there.

Finishing up everything, I locked it away safely and headed home to calm down further and think about how I can help the teachers prepare lessons for the children to keep them on track.

Chapter Text

Aizawa’s POV:

I watched as my students left. As usual, Bakugo was the last to go. He always looked upset when leaving.

“Bakugo, you always seem upset when it’s time to go home. Do I need to make a home visit?” I asked.

“Nothing’s going on at home. Just miss someone I can’t tell stories about class to,” he muttered—surprisingly without swearing.

“What happened to them?” I asked.

“He’s gone. His mom put him somewhere ‘for his safety.’ I get it—she wants to protect the brat, he’s a kid. But he’s only around six right now.”

“You have a name?”

“…Izuku…”

That shocked me. The happy child who loved learning and wanted to help knew Bakugo?

“…His last name doesn’t happen to be Midoriya, does it?” I asked. That got his attention instantly.

“You know where he is!? Is he okay!? Is he alive!?” Bakugo shot question after question.

“Yes, I do. I can’t tell you where he is—for his and the others’ safety. But yes, he’s alive and well. Mic and I visit when we can. We don’t tell anyone else for the same reason. Just know we’re doing our best to keep them all safe. Now head home. The other teachers—except All Might, since he’s not trusted—are meeting to make lesson plans for him and the others so they can keep up with their education.”

“So he’s still learning?” Bakugo asked, and I never thought I’d hear hope from this particular student.

“Yes—and he’s making a few people think he’s a cryptid,” I said, which made Bakugo laugh.

“That sounds like him. The brat.”

I watched him leave, his spirits slightly higher than before. Then I headed to where the other teachers were meeting and sat down. This was going to be a long day if we wanted this week’s sessions ready… or this month’s, depending on how busy we got.

“It seems we’re all in attendance now,” Nezu said. “Let’s begin the lesson planning. Go to your groups for the different age levels.”

I was in the same group as him. Mic went to the youngest group since he was more cheerful and could hold their attention longer. We tried to split the work evenly so no one burned out too quickly, but it was still a lot of planning—different ages, different learning styles. We had to make sure the kids really understood what was being taught.

Moments like this made me grateful Nezu made us take mandatory refresher tests to make sure we didn’t forget anything. Not that I’d ever tell him that.

The groups worked together—talking, planning, helping, and making sure there was enough homework to reinforce their learning. Unlike with our normal students, we couldn’t post assignments for these kids. We had to print enough physical copies for everyone, plus extra blank paper—especially for math.

“Should we have the older ones write an essay?” Snipe, who was in my group with Nezu, asked.

I shook my head. “No, they don’t have time for it. They’ve got a schedule to keep. They also help the younger ones stay safe, get food, and understand their lessons.”

“Aizawa-san is right,” Nezu said. “They don’t have the time, but we can pick a book for them to read during rest hours and have short discussions to make sure they’re following along.”

---

A couple of hours passed before I had to go on patrol. We’d continue lesson planning tomorrow.

---

A few days later, we were finishing up the lesson plans—sharing ideas and explaining why certain lessons and assignments would be best for the kids. We also tried to phrase things in ways they’d understand, based on how they live in The Valley.

Thankfully, we finished before I had to leave for patrol. I used that extra time to plan with Zashi when we could go see the kids and start this month’s lessons. I made a note to ask Nezu and Power Loader about adding hands-on building lessons—using only what the kids already had.

I headed out on patrol while Mic took the written plans back to our place—to keep them safe from All Might and make them easy to grab when we visit the kids and Oboro.

While on patrol, part of me went over the lesson plans in my head, thinking about what I’d learned about the kids and how they live in The Valley. I needed to be prepared. They need an education, they need care—and if the damn Commission won’t give them that, then we will. Mic and I more directly than the others. And if All Might tries anything with the kids… then we’ll have another Endeavor situation.

Not that that flaming pile of shit is coming back, no matter what people think. But if it comes to that, we’ll have to be extra careful. If what Mimi said was true, Izuku almost saw me and Mic with Endeavor—it’s a good thing she took him back to the others before he could.

I shook my head. Need to focus on patrol, I thought before I got stuck in my own head again. Jumping across rooftops, I forced myself to focus on work. I could think about all that later—when I got home to Zashi.

Chapter Text

No One’s POV:

It was a nice day, and Oboro was tired. He laid in the warm sun and, without meaning to, fell asleep there. The young ones noticed he was still lying down, so they went to check on him—only to find him fast asleep.

“Oboro nīsan is sleeping?” Rin asked.

“Mhm, he was sleepy. So he should take a nap,” Izuku nodded.

“But I wanted to play with him,” Alley frowned.

“We wanted to play tag,” Olly agreed with his twin.

“He promised to play after our lessons,” Minow said softly—wanting to be heard, but not wake Oboro, even though she wanted to play with him too.

“But Oboro nīsan has been up for a long time,” Eri said. She still wore the jacket from when she was rescued and brought to The Valley—one of only two people in the group with a quirk who lived there.

Eri still had a slight limp in her left leg, but it was slowly getting better. No one ever made her feel like she was slowing them down, or that her limp was a problem. When it did start to bother her, they’d let her draw on their scars with skin-safe markers that Aizawa and Hizashi had given them, saying they should be able to have fun, be kids, and be creative—drawing on their own scars if they could reach, or on someone else’s if asked.

“Hmmm. I don’t think we should play—Eri’s leg hurts today, and Iviva’s arm is aching. So how about we join him for a nap? We could use it after our lessons!” Izuku said, bouncing in place.

“A nap sounds good. I’m sleepy,” Rin agreed. He’d gotten distracted last night and accidentally stayed up later than he should have, but still woke up early for breakfast.

“It does… I call dibs on using Oboro nīsan’s stomach!” Koi and Kio said at the same time. They liked to do that and found it funny. Then they moved over to Oboro to use his stomach as a pillow.

They all settled down beside or on Oboro to nap with him.

That was the scene Shio found when he came looking for them at lunchtime. He found it adorable—especially since the littles had started calling Oboro “Oboro nīsan” a few weeks ago. Just yesterday, he could’ve sworn he heard Milo call Mimi “Mimi onēsan.” Mimi had tripped over her own foot at that, and her girlfriend had laughed before joining in when Sara called her “Ashi onēsan.”

He found it all both adorable and hilarious. He’d gotten used to the kids calling him “Papa” since they started doing that not long after arriving in The Valley—mostly the littles, though a few of the older ones said it as a joke or when teasing him about “mother-henning.”

Shio absolutely loved the kids. They always managed to be both adorable and funny, never failing to make him laugh. They reminded him that they were all still just kids—and he was so happy they felt safe enough to be carefree and happy like this.

---

Oboro woke up confused for a few reasons—one, he hadn’t meant to fall asleep, and two, he felt weight on and around him. A quick look told him it was the littles, napping beside him.

They must’ve joined me while I was asleep… I really didn’t mean to fall asleep, he thought to himself.

He created small clouds under them so they wouldn’t wake up sore from napping on the ground. Even if they were used to it, he didn’t want them uncomfortable. He also used the clouds to gently lift them while he got up.

He was happy he didn’t have to hide his quirk anymore. It helped a lot, and he loved seeing the littles’ faces light up when they got to see how his clouds worked.

He kept the clouds low to the ground so they wouldn’t get hurt if they woke up and wanted down. He stood, stretched, and sighed as his back popped in a few places. After glancing around to check if any of the littles were awake—and seeing they weren’t—he noticed Shio nearby, looking like someone seeing a litter of kittens and trying not to laugh.

“Shush,” Oboro said softly, not wanting to wake the kids.

“Mmmm, I don’t think so. It’s adorable.”

“I really didn’t mean to fall asleep. I promised I’d play after their lessons.”

“Looks like they decided to join you for a nap. Can’t blame them—you’ve been up a lot more lately.”

“Sleep decided ‘no’ on me.”

“Reasonable. Did you not go to Vivi? I think Eraserhead and Mic brought medicine for that.”

“I didn’t want to bother her—and I figured it was fine.”

“Oboro, go get medicine for your sleep. You can take the littles to their nest if you don’t want to wake them up, but you need more rest.”

“Fine, fine, I will. I promise. And yeah, I’ll drop them off in their nest so they don’t wake up stiff or sore,” Oboro nodded. He was tired—he wouldn’t lie about that. He needed rest, but his brain kept fighting him on it. And Shio sounded genuinely worried about how little he was sleeping lately.

Oboro carefully carried each of the kids to their huts and into their nests. Sometimes, he felt like a bird with how they all lived in the trees and called their beds “nests.” Some of them would be leaving in a few months for the other two sites, taking a few from both the day and night groups—hunters, builders, patrollers, foragers, and at least one day and night healer. When the littles got older, they could choose whether to stay in The Valley or go where their skills fit best, especially for jobs The Valley didn’t have.

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(Remember I am using Google and Google translate for things like 'Oboro nīsan' and the like)