Chapter Text
Chapter One. THE CALL
Kurogiri knew nothing ever good came from a call in the middle of the night. No one ever called him. He had no family, not really just a few friends and they would rather text him then call him. The only time he had ever got a call was when his good and longtime friend Sensei had gotten into a terrible accident one that the man never fully recovered from.
So as soon as the ringing had woken him, and his heart rate settled down from the initial surprise, dread filled him. It was Sensei’s number. Had he had another fainting spell? Perhaps another hospital visit was required and like the stubborn old man he could be he had refused to go in an ambulance?
He answered the call regardless of his unease. “Hello?” his voice sounded groggy even to himself.
He really was exhausted. The bar closed on weeknights at 2 am and it was now 4 am. The sun had not even risen and his whole room was pitch black except for his cell phone that was ringing and buzzing
“Kurogiri you sound as if you just woke up. I thought bartenders, tended to be up later than this.” the tone on the other line was playful but that really did not mean anything, not when it was Sensei. He always sounded so calm even when everything could or would come crashing down soon.
“We’ll even bartenders have to go to bed at some point.” Kurogiri rubbed his eyes, pinching his near paper thin skin where his nose was sighing it was far too early for this. He was clinging on less than an hour of sleep. The more he blinked the more he wanted to collapse back into bed. The rain outside was not making getting out off bed any more appealing.
“True enough.” the man on the other line paused. “I need your help Kurogiri.”
There it was. Kurogiri knew that it was coming but he supposed he wished it wouldn’t. Why could no one just call him to see how he was doing? Not this early in the morning but it would be nice to have a friendly chat that didn’t end up with a favor being asked by the end of it.
“What do you need this time?” He waited with baited breath. He started playing with the braces that were around his neck that helped him keep his form. He found that was a habit he had when he was not cleaning and had nothing else for his hands to play with. It was a fact that he kept to himself that he was very easy to worry. He tired his best never to show it but Sensei knew him well enough to know that just calling was enough to give the shadow’s anxiety.
“Before you start to freak out I am doing just fine. I just need to pick one of our children up.”
“At 4 am?” Kurogiri knew that whenever a child needed to be collected from a foster home in the very early morning nothing good could come of it. He knew that Sensei had people that helped him and picked children up form the bad homes there was no real reason that the man had to do it himself.
“Do you not have anyone else available?” He knew that the answer was no because there was no other reason that Sensei would be calling him if there was no one that Sensei trusted enough to help him with whatever involved this child.
“Ah,” Sensei sighed loudly. “I do have some people available but with this child, I would much rather go myself.”
“They are not a danger, are they?” Kurogiri knew that the more troubled a teen or child was the more likely that Sensei would not want one of his people to get hurt and would intervene himself. he also did that when the worst type of people that has somehow gotten approved by his incompetent assistants to house his children.
“No, they are not a danger not to worry.” Sensei sounded slightly amused. Kurogiri could not tell exactly if the amusement was at his worry or if he was being sarcastic about the child not being any sort of trouble.
Why do I not believe you? Kurogiri moved to the nightstand flipping on the lamp so he could get ready for the inevitable. He was going to help his friend knew that he would never let him down. Kurogiri owed a lot to Sensei.
“Come now Kurogiri do you think I would put you at risk?” that sly tone Kurogiri rolled his eyes most people would never be able to tell the way most of his body was formed but it was possible. He had a slightly darker green to his eye lights that acted as a pupil and he took advantage that most people did not notice.
“Maybe not me but certainly yourself. You may have quite a few quirks but you are not invisible you know.”
“No, you are quite right I am not as durable or young as I used to be.” He sounded sad. It was probably sad that he was not able to do as much as he would have liked. Kurogiri remembered when he had fallen at the age of 5 before his quirk had really manifested itself to what it was now and he had broken his ankle. He hated having to sit around.
“No your days of charging into burning buildings and having standoffs with criminals are long gone.” Kurogiri agreed sadly.
At one time Sensei had been a great hero. He might not have been a pro but he did what he could. He was a real hero in other ways. He was a community person committed to keeping the neighborhoods safe for children. He had always spent his fortune on fixing up community centers and funding outreach. He had made some of the nicest well-funded orphanages in the country. Though Sensei always hated that term. He would rather it be called a home till one could find their real one.
He was dedicated to being there with the children that were in his care. It must have been pretty bad if he felt he had to intervene himself. Kurogiri threw on his clothes.
“How soon do you think you can come pick me up?” he sounded so smug. Kurogiri could practically see that smug smile. He knew that he lost in the long run with this, but he didn’t mind. He would help Sensei with any of the old man's crazy ventures.
“I will be ready shortly. I will bring the car.” Kurogiri sighed. Sensei probably heard the way that he was rustling around.
“Good. If you could I would appreciate it if you also brought your own umbrella it is pretty wet outside,” his friend sounded as much of a parental figure as always to Kurogiri.
“Of course.” Kurogiri had already grabbed his umbrella as he was making his way to his door. He nicked the keys out of the bowl he had sitting by the door.
“And a coat Giri” The nickname made him pause before he sighed. And grabbed the thin fall jacket off the rack. He didn’t have to put it on he just had to bring it. he smirked to himself.
“Giri?” he had been distracted.
“I’m on my way to the main floor, I’ll be there soon.” He hummed.
“Alright I will see you in 20, I will make a quick call to let the others know that we are coming.”
“Others?” Kurogiri asked before the line went dead. Great. He would have to figure that out later. He made his way to his car. The key never worked from afar and Kurogiri was not sure if it was the battery or the key itself. He managed to juggle the coat and hold the umbrella correctly so that he would not be soaked. He felt the nip to the air and the moisture of the drops that made their way under his shield by the heavy wind.
Why was it always storming when one went somewhere they did not want to go or were worried about going to? It was such a movie trope but it seemed the few times that Kurogiri had to go out it was always raining. This October had really been a wet one.
He slid carefully into the driver’s seat pulling the umbrella in and closing it carefully as not to get the moisture all over his car. He shut the door and it slammed with a loud click. He had not meant to shut it so hard.
He calmed himself with a few deep breaths. He had no idea what had him so on edge but he just could not help but feel like this was all a lucid dream. Sensei had not called him in over a year. It just felt weird to hear from him.
Kurogiri turned the key and slowly backed his car out of his drive and toward Sensei’s house.
The last time that Kurogiri had talked to Sensei was when they had a slight disagreement over how the old man was pushing himself far too hard for his age and for his health. Kurogiri knew that it was his fault the other had been upset. He had written a letter to apologize that went with his holiday greetings. He had gotten a response that seemed friendly enough. Even if that was all he had heard from him with they had stepped back easily to friends the moment that they had heard each other’s voices.
He easily found his way. It had been a long time since he had been to the home. Longer since he had lived there. The road still was as bending and forever stretching as he remembered but it felt good to be on it. it was like a familiar friend that he knew like the back of his own hands. It was a comfort with the way that the rain was coming down in sheets.
He made his way to the main door and rang it. He only had to wait a few moments before Sensei wheeled himself out onto the poach. The last time Kurogiri had seen him Sensei had been walking. It was really sad to see him unable to do such a feat that Kurogiri was sure he took advantage of.
“It is good to see you.” Kurogiri broke the silence as his old friend looked at him or looked in the general direction of. Sensei’s eyes had not been the same since the accident. He was hardly able to see. His hearing though was excellent.
“It is good to hear your voice Giri.” There was a real smile on the old man’s face. He tapped his side and a large black Lab moved forward.
“This is One.” Sensei introduced. “She had the wonderful job of helping me maneuver the manner and when I actually have to go anywhere.”
One moved slowly forward. Her eyes were wide and brown. She sniffed Kurogiri’s outstretched hand before her tail wagged slightly.
“She will be staying here but I thought that it would be appreciated if you two became acquainted.”
With that invitation Kurogiri pet the dog genially on the head.
“She seems nice, are you sure that you will not need her?” He tried his best not to let his anxiety creep up into his voice.
“Planning on wheeling me into any walls?” Sensei smiled that smile.
“Of course not.” Kurogiri knew it was a joke but he was slightly offended, in his youth he might have. Kurogiri had been a bit spirited in his younger years before he quirk had set in and people happened.
“Well,” Sensei ignored the slight agitation in his former student’s voice. “We should head out.”
Kurogiri nodded. Sensei noted this. His vision was bad but he could still see some and Kurogiri was definitely close enough.
“One.” the dog’s ears perked. “Stay.”
The dog sat and her tail thumped against the wooden floor.
“Now, Giri if you would be so kind.”
Kurogiri moved so he could push the chair and he gave Sensei his umbrella so the other could hold it. He shivered, as he got wet.
“You did not wear your coat.” Sensei sounded disappointed in him.
He did not even bother to deny it, the other would know he was lying. “No.”
“I suppose you are an adult now and I cannot scold you for your stupidity.”
Kurogiri felt his face heat. This was going to be a long night err day?
He helped Sensei into the passenger side and folded the wheelchair so that it would fit into the back of his trunk.
“Where to?” He asked as he slid into his own seat and started the engine.
“Lynden Police Department,” Sensei replied smoothly.
“The police station.” Kurogiri felt a fresh wave of concern fill him. He did not bother to keep his voice in check.
“Yes, my dear Giri. Do you need to get your ears checked?” The old man was facing straight ahead waiting.
“I don’t have ears,” Kurogiri muttered. There was no way that he was going to go anywhere before he knew what he was in for.
“Ah well, that explains it.” Sensei shrugged. “we are not moving.” He stated.
“No, we are not until you explain yourself.” Kurogiri snapped. “You call me in the middle of the night after a year of not speaking to me and you have yet to explain anything.”
Sensei sighed. “ I will explain as we drive is that good enough for you?”
Kurogiri sighed. “Fine.”
He pulled onto the main road. Sensei was silent for a bit his breathing the only sound in the car, besides the window wipers.
“The child’s name is Tenko.” He started. “He is 4 years old.”
Kurogiri got a bad feeling in his gut. The only way that a boy so young would be at the station this late was the people charged to watching him had been bad people.
“He is alright in case you are wondering, and no he was not with bad foster parents to end up there.”
Sensei was able to read his worries so easily. “Then how?” he could not help but just ask.
“It is rather simple he ran away,” Sensei said as if it was the simplest answer in the world.
“Ran away?” Kurogiri could not help but be skeptical.
“You see Tenko has a very unusual quirk that makes keeping him from leaving the home quite the challenge.”
“But he made it all the way to the police station that is 10 miles away.” That stunned Kurogiri.
“Like I said he is very hard to keep tabs on. One because his quirk and the other because he is so smart. We are going to simply pick him up and take him home.”
It could not be that simple. Things were never that simple when Sensei was involved.
“What is his quirk?” Kurogiri asked as they pulled into the parking spot in front of the police station.
“Tenko can disintegrate anything that he puts all 5 of his fingers on,” Sensei said it as if it was not at all worrying that a 4-year-old had such a destructive ability.
The rain had stopped and Kurogiri wondered it that was an omen that things were going to work out or if this was just the start of a bigger storm the way the clouds were still hanging overhead.
“Sensei.” One of the officers smiled over his desk. In a small chair, there was a little boy with gray-blue hair hunched over. He was warring small handcuffs that were holding his hands from touching anything. Kurogiri scowled not that the officer could see it.
“This little guy was found out on the city streets. His bag had your address on it so we assumed he was one of yours, though he has not said anything since we brought him in. he has destroyed 3 chairs though and managed to hurt one of the officers that were sent to pick him up.”
Sensei ignored the man. “Tenko.” He wheeled close. The boy did not even look up he was crying quietly.
“It’s alright Tenko,” Sensei said kindly. “They did not hurt you did they?”
The little boy shook his head quickly side to side.
“I am very relieved to hear that. I was worried about you.” that caused the little head to look up. His eyes were red, and not from crying Kurogiri noted. He had two scars one on his lip and another by his eyes. He was shaking like a little leaf.
Sensei coaxed the little boy into his lap and Tenko did not say anything but clung to the old man.
Why would he run if he liked Sensei, Kurogiri wondered.
“Really you bound his hands.” Sensei sounded bitter and Tenko tensed against him.
“We could not get him to calm down.” the officer tried to defend.
Sensei snapped them off with the use of his quirk.
“Better right? I am not mad at you.”
Tenko nodded. He relaxed just slightly.
“ I know you were upset with what you overheard today.”
Tenko started to sob again. He made no other comments.
“You do not have to worry about what my doctor said. I am well enough; I am not going to leave you alone Tenko not now not ever. “
The dam broke and the little boy sobbed loudly and even made loud upset little screeches.
“Let's go home okay?” Sensei held the little boy closer to comfort him, and it was erry how fast the little boy settled holding onto Sensei. Part of the thick coat he was warring was crumbling.
“I brought your gloves can you put them on for me?”
The boy nodded slowly and pulled them on and then went back to clinging. Laying his head on Sensei’s shoulder.
“Giri, we can go now. I will fill out the paperwork later.”
Kurogiri was brought back to reality. “Right.” He nodded and he wheeled Sensei toward the car. Large fearful red eyes never left him as they made their way to the car.
Tenko and Sensei sat in the back and Kurogiri took them back to the home. The little boy fell asleep and Kurogiri made sure that Sensei caught his eyes, they needed to talk more about this.