Chapter Text
The old and run down building situated near the outskirts of the main city was home to a new generation, and the old. The place barely stood it's four stories tall, but held strong through the willpower of some, and the strength of hatred from others.
While yelling could be heard from the bottom floor, Rin stood in front of his cracked mirror in his shared bathroom, glaring at his reflection that split many ways. The white haired boy still remembers how that crack came to be, a shiver running down his spine at the memory of his father's anguished rage.
He's lucky the mirror was the one to cop it this time.
Through what he could see, he studied himself, like he always did before going downstairs. He unwrapped the bandages around his wrists and palm, concealing purple burns from his quirk due to long and overused circumstances. He was like his father, in that aspect, although he couldn't be more thankful that he wasn't born with an incapable body for his quirk, like his old man - not that he'd ever say that to his face. Once he had stared through turquoise eyes at the tender surface for long enough, he huffed an annoyed sigh and rewrapped the area, just how his father liked it.
Next, he glanced down at his black baggy shirt, a hand me down from his father, and too big grey shorts that he had to wrap the drawstring around his waist and tie at the back in order for them to not slip down. The white, busted shoes revealing his socks at the top barely did anything to protect his feet from glass and debris, but they protected the soles of his feet which were the important parts, in his opinion.
Rin dragged his bright eyes back up to the mirror's scarred surface, meeting his refection and trying to remove the scowl off his face as he observed the bruise on his cheek and fingerprints on his neck - a reminder of his failures as the eldest of their little group. He removed his gaze and turned away from the mouldy bathroom, walking right into the bedroom - the door of the bathroom having rotted away years ago. In the main room of the forth floor were two beds, a set of drawers, and a case that Rin was to never look in, which was something he did listen to.
Deciding not to change, he begins walking down the four flights of stairs, the purple burns and scars on his knees and elbows jolting with every step, causing him to grit his teeth at the feeling despite them being their most his life - it always felt like they somehow kept taking away more of his joints. He kept his gaze down as he passed the rooms of the third and second floors, finally arriving at the smoke filled atmosphere of the main room. Rin inwardly groaned as he saw the sources of the yelling - his father and Tomura Shigaraki. The two were yelling from across the room, his father with a glass of scotch that he splashed around, seemingly a few drinks in despite the early hours of the morning.
Deciding to slip away before he was noticed, he saw out of the corner of his eye a flash of black hair and headed that direction, to where Spinner and Nami's room resided. Although, it was usually used as a spare room from the arguments that frequently occurred within the building. Slipping through the crack in the door, Rin let his eyes wander around the familiar environment within the dark green walls cracked with time and misfortune.
Spinner sat in a chair, coke in hand as he laughed, his attire just a plain band shirt and white sweatpants, his pink hair resting against his green skin, reaching down slightly past his shoulders as he gazed at the three teenagers in front of him who stood flushed with embarrassment. Rin's face broke into a smug grin as he observed Tenko and Hana Shigaraki standing awkwardly next to a giggling Nami Iguchi, who all wore way too tight clothes, and upon closer inspection, he came to the realisation that these were the clothes they wore when they each turned ten years old.
"Dad," laughed Nami, her tail swayed back and forth from the hole in the back of the pyjamas, the blue mess matching the fluff of ears blending into the long hair atop her head, a stunning contrast against her pale skin. "Where did you even find these?"
"Yeah you, uh, didn't have to." Mumbled Rin's best friend, Tenko Shigaraki as he crossed his thin, pale arms against his shivering form, barely concealed by the tiny grey t-shirt. Beside him stood his twin sister, only with dark blue hair; Hana Shigaraki. Apparently they were named after some important people Tomura lost, but Rin couldn't remember at the moment - it didn't seem too relevant. The twins were total opposites personality wise. Tenko was reserved and awkward, with his guard only properly down when he was alone with Rin. Hana was sassy and harsh, and was a girl that felt the need to express her opinion all the time. She currently frowned as she used a scratched up wrist to push aside some of her poorly cut bangs, looking down at her small clothes. "Yeah, this doesn't suit me."
Before Spinner could reply, Tenko had noticed the fire wielder and allowed a smile on his scratched face. "Hey Rin, care to join?"
"Fuck no," the white haired boy chuckled, stepping in fully and closing the door behind him, leaving his father and Tomura to finish their argument. "I'd rather drink from sewer water."
"You already do you, you rat" Tenko bit back, trying to cover more of himself, as his scratching had gotten worse recently. Without thinking, Rin slipped off his fathers old shirt and tossed it to a surprised Tenko, the shirt covering his mop of black hair before being pulled off.
"Rin-"
"Shut up and put it on." he snapped, ignoring the protests and others in the room, walking over to where Auntie Toga sat by the windowsill, looking through the musty glass. She wore a dampened expression, her recently put up side buns now drooped and untouched, her face pinched in thoughts only she bore the weight of.
"Auntie?" he said quietly, knowing she snapped easily as of recent. She tore her gaze from the window, expression softening as she took in the white haired boy in front of her.
"Hm? You're up early, well, for you." she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes like it used to. He missed that cat like, almost Cheshire smile. She observed him all over before frowning, noticing his bare chest and the littered bruises and burns that decorated the area. "Rin, where's your shirt? It's cold out, you need something."
"Sorry, gave it to Tenko y'know" he muttered, before sitting on the same windowsill after observing her mood, looking out the window and then back at her. "Is...he's out again, isn't he?"
Toga Himiko sucked in a breath before nodding, golden eyes scanning every inch of the buildings nearby them from where she could see. "He...he said his father won't stop talking to him again." she whispered, closing her eyes for a moment. Rin clenched his bandaged fists in frustration. It was becoming more often that Jay didn't come home, sometimes for days on end. In a way, he could understand. the boys quirk was called 'All Knowing', which allowed him to always see the undead, or spirits, however in their living situation the beings were never positive influences, and often told him to venture out or do things in favours of them quietening down for a while. In all honesty, Jay creeped Rin out half the time, with how he muttered to things no one else could see as he skittered around and kept himself small. He couldn't blame him for wanting to get away sometimes, but sometimes it was just excessive. "Although, I'm glad Jin is with him, even if he confuses Jamiki, I... I'm glad he looks after him."
Rin bite his lip as he listened, knowing it all already but not daring interrupt her. Jay had been gone for two days already, and despite his quirk, the raggedy boy couldn't defend himself at all. Before he could speak, a sharp rap came from the front door, starling everyone within the building from what they were doing. Spinner instantly raised a finger to his lips, signalling everyone to be quiet.
Rin, ignoring the quiet protests, slipped through the bodies and to the door, squeezing through, but finding himself hitting his fathers back. The white haired man glared over his shoulder and reached around and pushed him forward with a scarred, purple hand, until Rin stood in front of Dabi. He grit his teeth as he felt the familiar hand on the back of his neck, a silent warning not to charge at whoever was at the door as Tomura walked over to it, their argument now long gone. The once head of the Paranormal Liberation Front and League Of Villains stealthily walked over to the front door, listening for a moment for any sounds or movement, before he seemingly sighed in releaf and swung the door open, making Rin tense in his father's hold.
At the front door stood a man in a black suit, holding a dirty blonde haired dishevelled looking teenage boy by his wrist tightly. "This one of yours?"
Tomura sighed again and nodded, urging with a flick of his finger for Jamaki to come inside, which the boy did, keeping his head low as his matted dirty blonde hair covered his deep eyebags as much as possible from his current angle. He slipped past Shigaraki and into the building, causing Tomura to raise an eyebrow at the dressed man on his doorstep when he didn't leave.
"There was also a letter instructed to find you, sir." the man said stiffly, holding out a white envelope with a red wax seal, unnamed beside a small 'T.S' in the corner, meant for him that few knew. He took the outstretched envelope with four fingers and nodded at the underground courier service before shutting his door, knowing they weren't compromised unless a pedestrian walked by, meaning the interaction could not last longer than necessary.
Rin glanced to the right as he saw Auntie Toga emerge from Spinner's room and smile brightly as she ran forward to hug her son, Jamiki, who smiled softly and hugged her back, both not seeming to mind the matted mess of hair he bore.
"Deal with you later..." muttered Tomura Shigaraki as he focused his attention on the mysterious letter meant for him, choosing to ignore for now that one of their kids got caught - it didn't matter if it was someone on their side of the law, getting caught is getting caught. Deciding to just get it over with, he ripped it open, holding the folded over paper inside carefully as he observed the UA logo on the top.
He suddenly burst out laughing. "It's from UA, Dabi" he cackles, watching as Dabi smirks and lets go of Rin's neck to shove past him and walk forward, going to go see as well. By the time a few minutes had gone by, both criminals stood in shock as they read the details carefully, faces pale.
He dropped the paper.
2130 words.