Chapter Text
Akira sat, staring dully at the vandalized brick wall. Her vision swam, unfocused as the hunger began to get to her. She smelled nearly as terribly as her surroundings did, the alley she currently resided in was not very well taken care of.
The evening star was beginning to set, the only light disappearing as the bright moon came into view. It was half full tonight. Her eyes stared, glaring into the semicircle as though she held a grudge against it.
Her contest abruptly ended as a voice startled her out of her stupor.
“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be with mommy or daddy?” A man’s loud voice echoed off of the alley’s walls, bouncing around the thin space.
Akira’s instincts told her that this was not a kind person. She began shuffling away, before quickly getting to her feet and breaking into a run. Her short legs could not carry her quickly or far.
“Aw, the little bunny’s running. Don’t you want to come with the nice man?” The man’s obnoxious voice rang out behind her.
She continued hauling herself away from him, even with what little strength she had left from having not eaten in days. She stumbled over a dip in the ground, rapidly regaining her balance and continuing her escape.
Her breath came out in short intervals, her tiny frame heaving for air as she struggled to get away from her pursuer.
The dark, unlit street meant that only the moon would be providing a means of light. Everything was a different shade of grey around Akira, from the buildings to the ground, all rotting with the scent of mold and decay. It was almost curious she was even there, seeing how out of place she was.
“Come on now, I can tell you can’t run for much longer… Why don’t you be a good girl and come to me, and I’ll take care of you,” The man was walking leisurely behind her, quickly catching up despite not making much of an effort. “If you keep running away you’re just prolonging the inevitable, brat. It’s not like you have much of a choice anyways.”
Akira continued to escape, her speed steadily declining as she realized just how exhausted she truly was. She hadn’t had much rest or sustenance over the past few days, considering that she was constantly on high alert due to living in a nasty part of the city. Her chest heaved, coming out in broken sobs as she realized what was about to happen to her.
I don’t want to die! She sobbed, shaking her head as she continued her futile flight. The man was picking up his pace, if the heavy footfalls were anything to remind her what was occurring.
Out of the corner of her eye, she notices a slight sliver of light coming from a bar. The warm, golden glow seemed inviting, with promises of safety.
The need to get away overwhelmed the small thought that the bar might not be as safe as she thought. She shook her head, pushing the thought away until she used up the final bits of strength she had to reach the haven.
Her pursuer caught onto her scheme a little bit too late, immediately breaking into a sprint to catch her.
“You brat, you’ll pay when I get you!” He seethed, his sickly sweet voice finally gone to be replaced with a murderous screech. Akira pushed through the bar’s door, dashing wildly inside.
“H-help! There’s a scary man, and he’s chasing me!” Her small voice shook with fear and adrenaline, her short stature shaking with immense fear as she stared dead into the eyes of the bartender.
The bartender in question, however, was a curious looking man. His body did not consist of solid material, rather he had violet wisps of smoke of some sort, two electric yellow eyes widening slightly at the new person. From Akira’s perspective, she could see that he wore a neat greyish-green vest with a white button-up and an immaculate grey tie.
Her large, fear-ridden eyes looked up into his narrowed, yellow ones, pleading for safety and comfort from her pursuer. The man looked down at her, his eyes softening slightly.
Their exchange was abruptly interrupted by someone barging into the bar, door creaking as the hinges were violently disturbed.
“I told you there’d be hell to pay for when I caught you, brat! Now you’ll see why you should’ve been a good girl!” The man quickly made a grab for her head, with the child crouching down and bringing her arms over her head in an attempt to make herself smaller, to prevent the incoming beating.
The hand never made it to her, as she quickly snapped her eyes open. Akira hadn’t even realized she had closed them, and she immediately came face to face with a cloudy purple portal. The bartender had protected her, and was arguing with the man.
“Please do not cause disturbances in the bar, and please leave at once. We will not tolerate this sort of behavior.” The bartender’s voice was authoritative and threatening, laced with a slight venom. The man slowly backed out of the bar, grouching as he did so. He muttered under his breath, saying something along the lines of “I’ll just find a different gal tonight…”, although the young child couldn’t exactly make it out exactly.
The shorter of the two turns around and looks at the tall man. Although he had seemed intimidating mere moments before, he now stood looking at her curiously. “Ah… Uh, sir…” Akira stutters, shaken with fear again as she realizes her current situation, her instincts whispering delicate words into her ear. He’s going to want something… Nothing is free.
Uncontrollable sobs ripped through her small body, as she collapsed onto the floor. “I’m sorry..! P-please don’t hu-hurt me…”
“Now then, why would I hurt a child as young as you?” The man behind the counter gazed down, without the malice or sleaziness she expected. She looked up wistfully, doubting what she’d heard. “What is your name, child? As well as your age if you please, I’d like to know what such a young kid is doing here of all places.”
Akira stared curiously back at him, before blinking rapidly blurting out “Uh, uh! I’m Akira… and I think I’m f-four! I was looking for food… Mommy hadn’t come in so long and, and I was so hungry… And then the weird man showed up and found me! He was chasing me, I was so scared that I ran in here. I don’t know what to do anymore…”
“Akira-san, would you like some food? You must be incredibly famished. You may call me Kurogiri, by the way.” The bartender, or Kurogiri, went behind the bar to prepare some food.
“I, uhm, yes please!” Akira beamed up at him, gratefully standing still and looking down at the ground.
“Please sit on the stool as you wait for me to finish cooking the meal. We can talk afterwards.” Kurogiri motioned towards a polished, fancy stool with red leather seating and golden backrest. Akira quickly bounded up to the chair, sitting down swiftly and sitting perfectly still.
“Do you have a quirk, Akira-san?” Kurogiri quickly plated the meal, placing it in front of the child.
“Not yet, Kurogiri-san! I think I’ll get one soon, though!” Akira’s voice was muffled as she shoveled down the food. As a result, she began coughing loudly, having eaten too quickly to the point where she couldn’t digest in time.
“I see. Do be sure to eat more slowly, it’s not good to eat so fast.” He served the girl a warm cup of tea, the mist lazily swirling. Akira looks up at him, staring contently into his eyes.
With the adrenaline of the past few days beginning to wear off, she felt an intense drowsiness. Her eyelids became heavy, drifting and falling. The world began to turn horizontal around her, as her eyes drifted shut.
Kurogiri created a portal to catch her, allowing her to fall easily into his arms. Her soft snoring and mumbling caught his attention as he gently placed her onto the couch. He returned to his place behind the counter afterwards, realizing that there was a red dot on the monitor. A man’s deep, rumbling voice echoed from it.
“What a poor child, she truly has been abandoned by everyone.” The voice did not hold any pity, rather it held amusement. “What do you believe our next course of action should be, Kurogiri?”
“I believe we should take her in like we did with master Tomura, and care for her until her quirk appears, sir.” Kurogiri bowed slightly to the dark monitor’s screen, more out of habit when he heard the deep, commanding voice.
“That is an excellent idea, Kurogiri. I would like you to notify me at once if you hear of her awakening. I believe that she will not disappoint us.”
“Yes, sir.” The monitor’s red light flickered, dimming back to its usual black as Kurogiri turned his attention to wiping the bar’s counter and tidying up the space.