Work Text:
"I don't think this is going to work." Himiko told her lawyer while staring at her feet.
The lawyer was silent for a moment. Himiko thought he was sending an email or otherwise not paying attention to her. He was actually looking at her like she told him that she was nine foot tall pink platypus.
"You, you know I'm not a public defender. Right?" He asked, which elicited an inquisitive look. "I was asked not to tell who is paying for my services, but they wouldn't have done so if they thought it was a lost cause."
The facts were not in contention. She plead guilty in her first trial, after The Final War eight years ago. This trial was about the work release that was becoming more and more common. Which meant one thing: character witnesses.
The packed courtroom had a dull murmur that paused when Himiko entered with her lawyer. No part of her had the strength to look at them.
The first to speak on her behalf was a well dressed man she did not recognize.
"Would you mind introducing yourself for the court." Her lawyer asked the man.
"Of course." He answered. "My name is Danjuro Tobita. There was a time I was the villain Gentle Criminal. I am now the secretary to the owner of GeL Inc, as well as an expert witness on cases on the villain work release program."
"How did you come to be part of the work release program?" Her lawyer asked.
"I was arrested for my crimes before the Paranormal Liberation War by Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku. During our confrontation I realized that I was wrong for what I had been doing. That I was hurting people. I was not making their lives better or more interesting. All I was doing, was hurting them. So, I decided that I should be in prison. It was where I thought I belonged. Prison, I understood, is a place where society puts its monsters so that they cannot hurt anyone else ever again."
The words of this Danjuro were not aimed at her, but god how they stung Himiko all the same.
"The prison I was confined to was one of the facilities raided by the League of Villains, or whatever they were calling themselves at the time. I decided that I should stay in prison, and that the prisoners who were trying to escape should as well. So, I stayed. And I made them stay. I fought through the night to prevent those criminals from escaping.
"When the police arrived, they assumed I was a hero and thanked me. It felt nice being thanked for once. When I told them that actually, I was a prisoner and would like to go back to my cell, they made a phone call. The Public Safety Commission offered me a job. The war and subsequent chaos had devastated the ranks of pro heroes. They told me that if I was willing, they would let me out to help contain other criminals. The only requirement would be having a police officer or Pro Hero assigned to me. I told them I was not sure, until they put Izuku Midoriya on the phone. He asked me himself to help. He told me he thought I was not a bad person, that I deserved a second chance. So, I took them up on the offer.
"With the help of my former criminal partner and now wife Manami Aiba, we joined The Final War and were at The Coffin in the Sky. When everything finished, we received our pardons. I have since then been working with the new heads of the Public Safety Commission and the government to organize the work release program. It is for criminals like myself who we thought could be reformed if given the opportunity."
"Is it fair to say," Himiko's lawyer continued, "That you are one of the foremost experts in Japan on criminal reform?"
"That is what they tell me. And who am I to disagree with such an assessment?"
"And in your opinion, is Himiko Toga one of those criminals?"
"Of course. Anyone can be reformed. What matters, in my experience, is if the person wants to be reformed. And from everything I know about Himiko Toga, she wants a second chance. She seems to have only ever wanted acceptance."
"Thank you."
"Mr. Danjuro," the prosecutor took his turn, "have you ever actually met Himiko Toga before?"
"Er, no." Danjuro answered.
"So is it fair to say that your opinion is formed only by, what, police reports?"
"Admittedly, yes."
The next up was a man in an orange suit who looked generally familiar.
"Can you introduce yourself?" Himiko's lawyer asked.
"Sure." The man answered with an air of calm. "My name is Keigo Takami. Current president of the Public Safety Commission and former number two ranked pro hero under the alias Hawks."
Oh, Himiko thought, that is why she recognized the man: he is the one who killed Jin.
"To provide some overall context, can you explain why the Commission created the work release program?"
"My parents were criminals when I was growing up. It made me empathize with criminals. It's hard to think that all criminals are monsters when you remember one of them spending hours looking through trash to collect enough cans to buy you an action figure of your favorite pro hero. And when I was a pro hero, I met a lot more criminals. I found that many of them were not monsters. Many were mentally ill or outcasts or the desperate who saw no better options. I later went undercover with the Paranormal Liberation Army. Even those 'hardened criminals' were not all bad people. Take for instance, Jin Bubaigawara."
No, Himiko thought as his gaze drifted to looking her right in the eye, take his name out of your goddamn mouth!
"Jin was a good guy. Scratch the surface a little bit, and he was just a guy. A bit of a loner. A bit of an outcast. A bit of a weirdo. Mentally ill, but not a monster. During the Paranormal Liberation War I was ordered to kill him. His quirk was so powerful, it could have upset the whole battle. But I wouldn't do it. I liked him. I cared about him. I wanted the best for him, and in my opinion, that meant understanding, compassion, therapy, and a second chance. It did not mean prison, and it certainly did not mean death. I ended up killing him out of pure desperation, and I hate myself every day for it."
Himiko shifted in her seat. She knew Hawks was right. Jin was a good guy who hid his pain with bluster. But he was kind, and loving, and wanted a place in the world. In a way she was not sure she understood, it felt nice that Hawks agreed with her when it came to Jin.
"Be that as it may," her lawyer continued, "Did you meet Himiko Toga? What was your impression of her?"
Hawks' eyes went back to her lawyer.
"I met her. I wouldn't say I was as close with her as Jin, but I got to know her well enough. My impression of her? I'd say my impression of her is that she was a kid. She had all the same fears and anxieties as any other kid. But she looks creepy and she has some unusual interests, and I gathered that people kept pushing her away. Until she met the League of Villains, anyways. They took her in and accepted her. I think that's all she wanted: acceptance. I think that's all anyone wants, when it comes right down to it. And I would say I never got the impression she meant anyone any harm."
"Thank you."
"You say she never meant anyone any harm," The prosecutor asked when it was his turn, "are you aware of how many people has admitted to killing?"
"Thirty seven." Hawks answered. "But,"
"Thank you." The prosecutor interrupted. "Do you think your feelings for this Jin Bubaigawara could be your coloring your impression of Himiko Toga's ability to be reformed?"
"Anything is possible, but I doubt it. She always seemed like she just wanted a place to fit in."
The prosecutor sat down.
"Your honor," Himiko's lawyer asked, "may I ask the witness to continue his thought about the number of deaths?"
The judge motioned for Hawks to continue.
"Thank you." Hawks said. "I was going to say, I've killed people. And that she's only actually serving time for one death, because the prosecutor determined the rest were close self defense. I also know that her original trial was going to include several charges of attempted murder. From what I understand, the victims all said that they would refuse to testify against her, so the prosecutor dropped the charges."
"Thank you."
"What was your relationship with Himiko Toga?" Her lawyer asked the next witness while Himiko tried to stare at her shoes through the table.
"We were in middle school together." Saito answered. "I've never been one to judge someone, so I tried to be friends with her. She always seemed strange, but I thought she fine and cool in her own way. She was a friend. Then she attacked me with a box cutter and drank some of my blood. I cut her off after that. I was afraid of her. After The Final War, a pro hero reached out. She told me that Himiko was trying to make amends with the people she's hurt. This hero wanted to know if I could write to her. It took some time for me to warm up to the idea, but I ended up doing it. We've been in contact since then. I don't know many heroes or villains, but I think she wants a second chance. I think she wants to make up for what she's done."
"I was afraid of her." Asui said. "But, she always seemed afraid too. Some villains seem afraid because they aren't comfortable with violence, but she more reminded me of a wallflower at a dance. Like, she was afraid of being alone. That we were going to reject her. I think she only ever wanted to be friends, but she didn't know how to do that."
"I can tell you," Yuga Aoyama, the pro hero Cannot Stop Twinkling, explained, "when you know you do not fit it, it is very easy to be manipulated. Especially by someone like All for One."
The witnesses, character and expert, continued for days that ended with Himiko sobbing.
"I don't think I deserve this." Himiko admitted to her lawyer. "I did such awful things, and these people keep saying they think I should get a second chance. What gives me the right to be out after everything I've done?"
"Himiko," her lawyer paused, "Toga, do you think you'd have had this many pro heroes show up to testify in your defense if they thought you were a monster? And while I was asked not to tell you who hired me, it was a pro hero. Do you think a pro hero would have hired one of the highest rated lawyers in the country to get you a work release if they thought you were a monster? Please Toga, give yourself a chance."
Last day of the trial. Last day of a packed courtroom full of murmuring people here to watch her lawyer beg for a second chance on her behalf. One witness left. Himiko had not felt up to look at the list of witnesses. All she knew is that the prosecution could not find her parents, which she thought was good. No way she wanted to hear what they had to say.
"Can you please introduce yourself?" Her lawyer asked.
Himiko stared in horror at the woman on the stand.
"Ochaco Uraraka, pro hero name Uravity. Current number 24 ranked hero."
"Can you describe your relationship with Himiko Toga?"
"She was my friend. It took a lot of time for us to get to know each other, but when we did, I realized how much she was like me and my friends. She reminded me so much of Aoyama and Shoji and Midoriya. I could feel the hurt and the loneliness and the desperation to fit in. She was just another kid."
Himiko started crying. She felt the tears of shame and self hatred run down her face, but she did not look away. She wanted to, but did not have the power to look away from the confident woman she had tried to kill who had come here to call her, of all people, a friend.
"But she tried to kill you?" Her lawyer asked.
"A few times, yeah. She also saved my life and could have died in the process."
"Do you think that makes up for what she did to you?"
"To be honest?" Uraraka answered. "Yeah. She could have done anything when I was dying on the ground. She could have left. She could have given me enough of her blood to keep me alive, but not much more. But she didn't. She tried to sacrifice herself to keep me alive. I've forgiven her."
That was too much for Himiko.
"No! No! No!" Himiko screamed, slamming her palms into the side of her head. "Why would you forgive me! Why should I get a second chance! I did such awful things to you! What gives me the right to have a second chance!?"
"Toga!" Uraraka shouted, standing up and slamming her hands onto the witness table. "You were a child! I spent eight years trying to figure out what happened to you. Your friends from school. Your parents. That bad joke of Quirk counseling you got. The way your parents treated you was despicable. They thought you were a monster, so that's how they treated you, and that's what you became. But you were a child. It was not your fault! If anyone deserves a second chance, it's you! A lost little girl, who was treated like a monster."
This is when Himiko realized the judge had been slamming the gavel and demanding order in the court room. Her lawyer offered to hold her hand.
When Uraraka's testimony finished, the judge came to his conclusion.
"It is my opinion, that Himiko Toga is a worthwhile candidate for the villain work release program." The judge announced. "However, it would be inappropriate to pair her with someone she has had previous contact with. You will need to find a different pro-hero for her to work with."
"That should not be a problem your honor." Her lawyer announced. "Uravity is one of the most beloved and respected pro heroes currently working, especially among other pros. When she started asking pros if anyone would volunteer, well..."
Her lawyer paused and lifted up a thick folder, which Himiko saw was labelled "Pro Volunteers", then gestured to the people watching. Himiko finally found the courage to look and realized that most of them were pro heroes. She recognized some, others she only knew from their costumes. Mount Lady stood up as if offering herself as tribute. Another, Mirko, did the same. One by one, then two by two, and finally as a wave, the other pros started standing up as well.
"A large number of pro heroes offered to volunteer." Her lawyer concluded. "These are the heroes that could come to her trial."
"Alright," the judge said with a smirk, "looks like she gets the pick of the litter."
Someone behind her whispered "Mount Lady."
"Can I choose Mount Lady?" Himiko asked.
"Sure." The judge agreed.
After the trial, Uraraka leapt onto her, squeezing her tight.
"I'm so glad!" She whispered in her ear.
Mirodiya came up behind Uraraka.
"Can I have a hug too?" He asked Himiko.
"Oh, OK." She was unsure how to answer. He whispered in her ear how glad he was for her too.
Her lawyer's phone announced "A Call Is Here!" in All Might's voice, he apologized and wandered away.
The crowd thinned, but others started getting closer. That man, Hawks, walked right to her.
"I haven't forgiven you for what you did to Jin." Himiko told Hawks, while looking down and away.
Uraraka and Mirodiya said something about everyone staying calm.
"That's fair." Hawks replied. "I haven't forgiven myself. Not sure I ever will."
"But," Himiko continued, "if you're willing to give me a second chance, I guess I can give you a second chance."
She held her hand out for him.
"Sounds like a deal." He replied, taking her hand and giving it a shake.
"Alright boys and girls," Mount Lady announced as she wrapped an arm around Himiko's shoulders, "enough feelings. I need to get to know my new sidekick. And don't worry lady, from what Uraraka said, we're going to get along famously."