Chapter 2: My Beginning
Kio didn't know his parents, abandoned at the ripe old age of 2. He was a mistake, an accident. His parents tried to look after him, but they just didn't have the money (or the motivation). He was left alone, playing at the park when his parents just up and left him.
He was found by an elderly couple a few weeks later. They were taking a small stroll through the park when they heard the soft cries of a child. Of course, they went to investigate and found poor little Kio, wings caught in a bush and crying his eyes out. They took pity on him and took him home, cleaning him up and giving him something to eat. Kio had never been more grateful in his life, finally having something to eat and a roof over his head, no matter how temporary.
Once the couple had fed and bandaged Kio, they decided to let him stay the night. They tucked him in, kissing him on the forehead before making their way to the living room to have a lengthy discussion about what to do now.
I'll spare you the details. They came to the conclusion that they simply couldn't afford to take care of a child right now, and their kids had their hands full already so they couldn't take him in either. So, they were gonna drop him off at an orphanage after breakfast tomorrow morning. It was the only option left, right?
And so, morning came with little Kio waking up in a nice, warm bed instead of the sticky mud in the park. He nestled into the sheets, basking in the warmth they provided. He wanted to soak it all up while he could. He planned to stay in bed for a few more minutes before a heavenly scent drifted through the room. He sat up, inhaling deeply and savouring the delicious smell. He threw the covers off and jumped out of bed, shivering slightly as his bare feet touched the cold floor. He took a moment to make the bed, he may be a little kid but he had some manners!
He padded softly down the stairs and into the kitchen, watching as the old lady dished out breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. The old man was sitting at the table, sipping from a cup of tea, and watching his wife flit about the kitchen. Kio could see the clear adoration in his eyes as he watched her, and smiled to himself at their love. The lady spotted him out the corner of her eye and beckoned him over. She picked him up and placed him beside herself at the table, putting a plate of breakfast in front of him.
He didn't hesitate as he began digging into the delicious food, singing his praises and approval to the old lady, who only smiled and laughed in response. Breakfast was a quiet affair, each person focusing on the food in front of them.
Once everyone was fed and happy, the old couple sat on the couch and brought Kio over. They explained to him how they couldn't afford to raise him and would be sending him to an orphanage instead (of course they also had to explain what an orphanage was). Kio wasn't too upset, at least he'd have shelter and food, and maybe he could make some friends!
The couple was happy to see that Kio wasn't upset or angry with them and actually seemed quite happy to go. They left for the orphanage soon after. It was quite a ways away from their house and had to take the train, Kio looking around in wonder the entire time.
Once arriving at the orphanage, they were greeted by the headmaster. He was a young man, in his early thirties and was happy to take Kio in. Another worker took him away to get him situated and settled in his new room while the couple filled out some papers before heading back to their home.
Kio had to share a room with five others since the orphanage couldn't afford more rooms. He didn't mind too much, it was like a big sleepover! The other kids weren't too bad, but they all ended up being older than him and had their quirks already. A few questioned him, asking about his wings and if they were his quirk. He would always shake his head and say he didn't know. Most stayed away from him because of his dark wings and unnaturally red eyes, but they warmed up to him after seeing how nice and friendly he was. He settled into orphanage life well.
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A few years passed and Kio quickly became a favourite in the orphanage. Always laughing and playing with the other kids, making sure no one felt left out. He would help out during meals too, giving everyone their share of food and offering others some of his if they were still hungry.
Everyone adored him, which is why it was a surprise that he hadn't been adopted yet. That's because most adults were put off by his appearance, and the few that were interested didn't know how to properly care for his wings, since there weren't that many people with wing-based mutations. Kio wasn't put off by this in the slightest and was happy being surrounded by his friends.
It was during a few days after his 4th birthday that his quirk finally manifested. He was outside with the other kids, flying around above them. His wings had grown bigger and stronger, and now he could fly around for short periods of time before tiring out. The other kids were throwing balls into the air and watching as Kio swooped and dived to catch them.
One of the kids with a particularly strong quirk threw a ball with amazing strength and watched as it zipped past Kio and up into the air. Now, Kio was not one to back down from a challenge, and seeing the smirk on the kid's face, decided that he would catch the ball before it started to fall. He was flying up, higher than he'd ever gone before, and as he flew, he could feel his wings tingle with energy. The strange sensation spreading from the tips to the base at his back.
Tapping into this strange energy, Kio felt wind slap him in the face as he suddenly shot upwards, shooting past the ball and coming to a sharp stop high above. He flailed around, wings beating furiously as his heart pumped with fear. A numb feeling started to spread from the tips of his wings to his little toes. His eyelids grew heavy and he had difficulty lifting his wings to keep him airborne. Fatigue tugged at his mind until he stopped struggling and let himself go limp, plummeting down to the earth below.
Meanwhile, the kids on the ground had watched Kio fly after the ball before there was a sudden flash of purple. They covered their eyes at the blinding light, and when they opened them again, Kio was falling from a much higher place than before. They panicked, one kid going inside to find a worker while the others tried to come up with ways to catch him with their limited resources and knowledge.
Eventually, they came up with a half-decent idea. One kid managed to blow a big bubble, just under where they thought Kio would fall and another came and touched it, turning the bubble into a jello-like substance.
By the time the workers made their way out, Kio had fallen onto the jello and the kids were trying to get him down. One of the workers had a wind-based quirk and used it to bring Kio down to them. They gave him a quick examination and concluded that he had passed out from exhaustion, nothing too serious. After soothing the kids and telling them Kio will be ok, they tucked him into his bed and let him rest for the rest of the day.
Kio didn't wake up until the next morning, trudging down for a late breakfast. He was greeted with warm "good mornings" and was asked how he felt. Overall, he felt alright, just a bit groggy. They were all relieved to hear that.
Once he was fed and rested, the headmaster pulled him aside and asked what exactly had happened yesterday. Kio relayed everything that he felt after flying after the ball. The tingling in his wings and the fatigue he felt afterwards. The headmaster listened intently, and once Kio had finished explaining (with a lot of exaggerated hand movements), he smiled gently at him and told him he may have just gotten his quirk.
Kio's wings flapped excitedly at the news and he immediately tried tapping into the strange tingling in his wings again (which hadn't really gone away). The headmaster stopped him with a soft chuckle, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. He showed Kio his own quirk, small sparks erupting from the palm of his hand. Their quirks were similar, and maybe he could help Kio control his.
Kio listened with rapt attention as the headmaster helped him visualise his quirk. He told him to imagine a wall surrounding that energy, and when he tapped into it the first time, it was like smashing that wall into pieces and letting the energy roam free. Next time, instead of smashing the wall, poke a small hole in it and let the energy surge through the body.
Kio did as instructed, closing his eyes and focusing on the tingling that was steadily getting stronger. The headmaster watched in amazement as sparks of purple lightning came off the small boy, too weak to do anything other than put on a small show.
From that day on, the headmaster helped Kio control his quirk and work on his abilities. However, after an incident where he accidentally zapped another kid who had to be taken to the hospital, he was forbidden from using his quirk around others.
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Another few years passed and Kio had all but mastered the use of his quirk. He was an extremely fast learner apparently. His wings had grown strong and he could be up in the air for hours on end now. He would often put on little shows, flipping and diving in the air for the other kids, while also letting out small bolts of lightning since he was up in the air and couldn't hit anyone. He was still a favourite, especially with the younger kids who had joined the orphanage. They loved watching him fly and he often took them out on small rides on his back, tossing them up in the air and everything. Life was great for little Kio.
Until one day, when he was out playing on the street near the orphanage, a loud crash caught his attention. He felt the ground shake beneath his feet as a group of villains came running down the street riding what appeared to be a...lion? A very big lion, probably someone's quirk. Thankfully Kio was alone and shot up into the air as the lion got closer and passed underneath him. He heard a few shouts and saw a bunch of heroes chasing after the lion. Deciding to help out a bit, he flew down after the villains, quickly coming face to face with, what he presumed, was the leader.
As he landed on the lion, the villains just stared at him in shock, not expecting to be chased down by a 10-year-old of all things. Kio took advantage of their state and sent controlled shocks through all of their bodies, keeping the damage to a minimum as not to hurt them. The lion came to a tumbling halt at the end of the street, Kio managing to jump off at the last second.
When the heroes managed to catch up, they were in awe of what they saw. The group of villains passed out with small purple sparks coming off their bodies and a small winged child poking at them curiously. Of course, Kio was questioned heavily and he answered everything with a big smile, happy to help the heroes. He was escorted back to the orphanage where the workers were informed of what he'd done. That night, they all celebrated and congratulated Kio for saving the day and Kio basked in the warmth and attention, falling asleep with a happy smile that night.
The next day, however, Kio awoke to strange men in suits at the entrance, asking for the "child with dark wings". The headmaster noticed Kio and tried to shoo him away with his hands, but the strange men had noticed him. They came marching in and proceeded to introduce themselves as people from the Hero Public Safety Commission. They had heard about what he did and asked if he wanted to be a hero. Kio, of course, nodded and claimed to want to be the best hero, better than All Might!
The men smirked to each other, before looking back down at the small child and saying they could help him become a hero. Of course, this would mean having to move out of the orphanage and into a new training facility. Kio, being only 7 years old, didn't think much of it, he could always come and visit right? And he really wanted to become a hero, one that would make his friends proud.
However, once they got his answer, he was immediately whisked away and plopped in a car. One of the men stayed behind to fill out some paperwork while the others drove him to his new "home". It was a big building but didn't have many windows.
He was taken to an underground part of the building, where the rooms and training centres where. He only managed to steal glances at the big halls full of training equipment before he was lead down a long corridor with doors on each side. The more Kio walked down the hall, the more it started to feel like a prison. The doors were evenly spaced and only had small, barred windows near the top. They stopped at a door near the end of the hallway, and Kio watched as one of the men swiped a keycard on the panel beside the door. It slid open and Kio was pushed in. He stumbled lightly, whirling around to see the nasty sneers on their faces.
"This is your room now, training starts at 9 am sharp tomorrow. Be there or else."
With that, the door was slammed shut and silence echoed in the small room. Kio turned and examined his new living space. A bunk bed on one side and a single bed on the other, both very neatly made with a dresser resting between them. There was a door to his left, and upon entering it, he discovered it was a bathroom with a small sink, toilet and a simple shower. There was a cabinet by the sink which held towels and various first aid equipment.
He sighed, walking out the bathroom and standing in the middle of his new room. Glancing in the dresser, he was met with various different sets of clothes in the top two drawers, but the bottom one was empty. He assumed that one was probably his and he would be given clothes eventually. It made him wonder who he was sharing the room with.
He didn't have to wonder long as the door opened again and he was met with brilliant shades of gold and blue eyes.
"This is your room now, training starts at 9 am sharp tomorrow. Be there or else."
Was the only thing uttered by the man behind them as he dropped a bag of clothes and closed the door, leaving the kids to their own devices for the rest of the day.
Kio stares at the two boys in front of him. One had bright red hair and beautiful blue eyes, which shined with unshed tears. The other had gold hair and matching eyes, but they were darkened with apprehension. The red wings on his back caught his attention, watching as they ruffled in fear.
The three boys all stared at one another, not uttering a word, the air filled with mistrust and anxiety. Little did they know, this was the beginning, their beginning, to finally finding their home.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone