103: 𝙶𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚞𝚙
Zoey just stood there silently.
Nova buttoned up her school uniform carefully. Smoothing it and tying her tie. Zoey seemed grim, resigned to their fate.
Nova wished she'd be jumpy and energetic again. Just to ease this pain in her chest. Just to have another normal morning, before everything she loved was taken away.
She had to convince herself that this was for their own good. No. This was for Zoey's own good. She needed a family, a mother, a house where the lights didn't threaten to turn off. Where they weren't close to running out of food. Where she didn't have to pretend like there wasn't anything going on at home when she went to school.
She deserved better.
"...Are you gonna do it?" Zoey asked quietly. Looking up at Nova. The older sister bit her lip nervously.
"I'll tell one of my teachers after school... They're pro heroes so... They'll know what to do." Nova whispered.
"...Is... Is this going to be the last time you ever walk me to school?" Zoey looked up at Nova, who wished with all her heart that wasn't true.
"I-I don't know... I don't know I'm sorry." Nova shook her head, pulling Zoey into a hug.
She was tired, and sad, and scared. But she had to be strong for Zoey, or at least try to be. But it wasn't easy, not when the world around her was crumbling.
"C-can we take the long way to school?" Zoey's small voice requested, Nova blinked back her tears.
"Of course we can." Nova kissed the top of her sister's head. "Of course."
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The walk was longer than usual. Nova took a way her and Zoey used when they left too early and needed to kill time.
But this time, the walk was simply to delay the inevitable. It was procrastinating their real life. In a few hours the authorities will know that Karon was missing, and her and Zoey will be in their custody.
Be in their control.
Nova held Zoey's hand tightly. Her next guardians... They wouldn't know the things that Nova knew about her. What if she stole from them and got in trouble? What if they were mean or hurt her? They didn't know what Nova did.
They didn't know that Zoey was allergic to shellfish.
They didn't know if she had sugar past five pm she'd never fall asleep that night.
They didn't know she'd sleep in as long as humanly possible.
They didn't know that her favorite ice cream was cotton candy.
That she got scared when someone took any kind of medicine infront of her, that she associated all pills with her aunts overdose.
They didn't know that she forgot to tie her shoes and sometimes tripped.
That when she got scared of losing something, she'd use her quirk to keep it in her grip.
They didn't know Zoey. Not like Nova did.
"I love you Zoey. You know that right?" Nova said the moment they reached her school gate. "I love you and I won't ever stop. We'll be okay."
Zoey nodded numbly.
"I love you too Nova."
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Nova didn't learn anything at school that day. She couldn't focus on the teachers or the lectures they gave.
If she went to a different home... Would she have to leave UA? Probably not, not if it was close. But the thought still haunted her.
UA was the only school to ever accept her. Her classmates were making progress. Her and Iida were friends, even Jirou had come around. Shoji was he best friend and Uraraka and Midoriya seemed to genuinely like her. Aside from Zoey, they were all she had.
And yet... She couldn't build up the strength to tell them at was wrong. Even when it was obvious they knew something was up.
She laid her head on the table during classes and during lunch. She was too weak to sit up straight, but not tired enough to sleep. All she could do was think. Think of everything that was going so terribly wrong. Think of how much she hated Karon for doing this to them.
The least she could have done was give up custody. Why did she have to make Nova do it herself? Why force her to listen to Zoey screaming and begging her not to tell anyone?
Class ended. Her final period wasn't with Mr Aizawa, and frankly he was the only teacher she trusted enough to tell. She walked down the halls looking for him, assuming he'd be in his office.
But he wasn't, she knocked on the closed door a few times. Only to get no reply.
"Sup kiddo! Are you looking for Shouta?"
Nova turned to see her other teacher, present Mic in the hallway. He was smiling, completely oblivious to what Nova was feeling in that moment.
Nova didn't know him that well, he was the English teacher. His quirk made him yell very loud, he was energetic but also... Kind.
"Yeah..." Nova said slowly, tugging on her sleeves. She didn't look at him, she couldn't.
"What a coincidence! I am too. I'm pretty sure he's in the teacher's lounge." Mic said he continued his walk down the hall. "You can come with if you want."
Nova followed, maybe she should just tell Mic and get it over with. But she really didn't want too.
She didn't want to do this at all. But she couldn't imagine how much trouble she'd get in for being silent for too long.
Legally Karon was a missing person. She could be in danger, and she had to let the authorities know. She was supposed to be a hero in training, which meant doing what she had to do, to save everyone. Even Karon.
She followed Mic down a few halls towards the teachers lounge. She had this thick anxious feeling in her chest. She had felt the same way when she was fist in custody, or like when she was arrested over the necklaces. Something big and bad was happening and she wasn't ready for it at all.
Mic opened the door and immediately Aizawa was there. Seemingly already on his way out holding a coffee.
"Yoo!" Mic smiled, but Aizawa's attention was drawn to Nova.
"What's going on?" He asked in his usual grumpy voice. Novas hands wrung and tugged in each other. Picking at any loose skin anxiously.
"I-i um..." She stammered, looking down. "I don't know I..."
"Hey you okay?" Mic said, turning from happy to concerned as Nova's expression got more and more frantic. He could have sworn she was fine a minute ago. Or maybe he just had payed enough attention to it...
"Kurayami, it's alright. Talk to me." Aizawa stepped closer with a small frown.
"M-my... My foster mom... Karon, she's... She's missing or something. I don't know I haven't seen her in a week." Nova stammered, wiping her eyes.
"What?" Mic whispered, looking at Aizawa.
"A week? What- Nova why would you wait this long to say anything?" Aizawa said with a sigh, already taking out his phone. Possibly to contact the authorities.
"I'm sorry..."
"That's not an answer." Aizawa said with a frown. "I asked why."
"I-it's not unusual for her to... To disappear sometimes. For a day, maybe two. S-so I didn't think anything of it-"
"That's not good." Mic piped in with concern. Foster parents shouldn't be just leaving their kid for a day or two at a time.
"I-i know, but... But this time is different, she's not answering my calls a-and she took some of her stuff. I'm worried." Nova hugged her arms.
"Goddamn it." Aizawa muttered.
"This is serious Nova. Thank you for telling us, but... You should have the moment you realized it was different... Technically you probably should have let someone know that she stayed out of the house that long on a consistent basis." Mic said calmly, his voice was gentle. But his word hurts Nova, she felt like she had done something wrong. That they were mad at her.
"I-I know I'm sorry." Nova whimpered. Tears were forming now, she rubbed them away. "I-I just... I couldn't..."
"Why not?" Aizawa put a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me what's going on Nova. Everything."
Nova sobbed. "My sister..." She whimpered, rubbing her eyes. "They'll take my sister away. I-I didn't want us to be separated."
Nova was breaking down again. This time infront of her teachers, one of which she barely knew. The other...
Aizawa... She'd faced death with him at the USJ. He'd been a steady strong presence in her life at UA and there were some times... Few and far between... Where when she was around him...
She thought of her dad.
Nova wrapped her arms around him suddenly. She didn't care if it would make him angry. Or if he'd think she was being dramatic. She felt like her whole world was ending.
She needed someone to hold onto.
"It's going to be alright Nova."
"She's not my real sister... T-they'll take us away from each other. She needs me Aizawa. I-i love her. I need her. She's all I have. She's the only family i-i have! I need her." Nova sobbed. She held onto him, her arms wrapped around the fatherly man. He put his hand on the back of her head, but other than that didn't move a muscle.
"I-I told her last night that I was going to do this... S-she sobbed... She begged me not too... I-it broke my heart... She... She's my little sister..." Nova whimpered.
"You did the right thing Nova..." Aizawa said slowly. "I'm sorry... I wish I could do something... Make some arrangements for the two of you but..." His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat. "I have no authority when it comes to this..."
"I know..." Nova said in a small shakey voice. Pulling back. "I-I know..."
"It'll be alright kiddo..." Mic said, patting her back gently. He looked up at Aizawa, trying to figure out what to do.
"Where is your sister?" Aizawa asked after Nova wiped off her eyes.
"School..." Nova said quietly, her head bowed.
"Okay... Come on... I'll drive and pick her up with you... Then we can... Make a few calls and take you to a station..." Aizawa's voice was full of regret. He wished, desperately that he could do something.
Maybe it was the way Nova was crying, he knew the girl was sensitive. But this was different. This was complete tragedy.
And she was right... Without this little girl she had no family. It hurts, knowing not only would they probably be separated... But that he'd be forced to play a part in it.
He even found himself wishing he could take them. But that was utterly impossible.
He was a teacher during the day and a hero at night. He lived in the damn school for Hell's sake! He didn't even have an apartment, let alone a house that would fit three people. And he never had free time, UA took of everything he had.
He glanced at Muc, who was looking down. He knew the man was thinking the same thing.
Mic lived with five roommates. He also had hero work and teaching. On top of that he had his radio show and dj gigs.
Neither of them would be fit for fostering two daughters.
"Okay..." Nova said, he caught a glimpse of her eyes as she moved to follow them. The Sharp grey looked almost dimmer than usual...
She didn't expect anything of them...
She had already given up.
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