Chương 76: Serious Toga

(Toga)

"Um, Big Sis? Didn't you say we were going to see the cat lady?" Eri asks as we wait at the park, sitting on the swings. Not the best place to be when heroes are probably looking for us, at least so long as the raid didn't go off the rails. Too much, I mean. Obviously it's going to go off the rails somewhat since I took Eri and left the clones Twice made for me.

"We will, but first we need to meet up with some of my allies so that we can make sure bad people can't get to you." I pat her head gently, and her flinch is way less pronounced than it was the first time I tried it.

'As long as she stays at UA, Catia can keep an eye on her. Not to mention that Catia's teacher can help Eri train her quirk so she's not so scared of it anymore.'

Nobody should have to be afraid of who they are.

She tilts her head questioningly, and I squeal at how cute it is, holding back the urge to glomp her. She's not good with sudden movements. "Aren't you coming with me?"

I shake my head slowly, a wry smile on my lips. "I'm not welcome there. Even if I did try to go with you, they'd just separate us."

She pouts and crosses her arms. "But why? You helped me, and you told me that they'll help me too. So that should make you friends!"

I chuckle at the logic only a child can have. "Yeah, you would think so, huh?" I sigh, pushing off the ground and letting myself sway. "But people like to make things complicated. So to them, the things I like are 'wrong' and 'villainous'. So they don't like that I can walk around and do what I like."

"But don't you like sweets?" She tries to copy me and start her own swing, but she's too short to reach the ground, her legs kicking at the air ineffectually. "What's wrong with sweets?"

I laugh, loud and sudden, startling her. Toning it down to a chuckle, I get up and get behind her, gently pushing the chains so that she can swing. I explain as she starts to move.

"I do like sweet things. But remember how I needed to have some of your blood for us to get out?" People tend to think I'm wild, which I am. But that doesn't mean I'm not clever. Especially after partnering up with Catia for a few years. I just don't see why I need to be the one to come up with plans and stuff. I don't want to be in charge of anything, I don't want responsibilities.

I just want to live freely.

After Eri nods I continue. "Well, to me blood tastes sweet. My quirk made it that way so that I could use it. But people don't like that I need blood to use it. So, to them, what I like is villainous. Like how Overhaul is a villain."

She shudders, her small hands tightening around the chains. So I reassure her. "Don't worry, no matter what happens back there, you'll never have to deal with him again."

She looks over her shoulder at me, hope brimming in her eyes. "Promise?"

I grin, grabbing hold of the swing and bringing it to a stop. I crouch down so I'm eye-level with the kid and stick out my pinky. "I'll do you one better. A pinky promise."

She blinks blankly at me for a moment before hesitatingly sticking up her own pinky. "A pinky promise?"

I latch onto her extended finger with my own, grabbing it tight and giving a happy nod. Though I have to ignore a pang of sadness that shoots through me at her not knowing what a pinky promise is. "Yep! A pinky promise is something that you can never, ever break. So make sure you never make one you can't keep." I wink at her.

We let each other go but I don't get up yet, letting her stare at me as she asks a question. "But what happens if you break it by accident?"

I straighten my legs, twirling on one foot as I lean against one of the supports and cross my arms behind my head. I look up, seeing not a cloud in the bright blue sky. "Well, I've never broken one before, so I can't tell you much. All I can say is that something bad will happen if you break it. Very bad."

Those jerks from my school who pretended to be my friends learned that the hard way. Though, looking back, not touching the blood spilled from their 'accidents' might have been why I ended up losing control, as well as the people who thought they were my friends. Too much holding back put too much of a strain on me.

But I really can't say I regret it. If things hadn't happened as they did, I never would have met Catia. Never been introduced to the Cult. Never met Rappa. Never been as strong as I am. Never have met the League. Never have saved little Eri.

Never made any true friends, who'd stick by my side no matter what.

So, even if it did make it a bit harder to live freely, I can't say I wish I had kept control of myself. If I had, I'd still be living a lie. Trying to avoid letting people get too close. Constantly afraid of letting people see the real me. Of losing them once they truly knew me.

I'm pulled from my thoughts by a tug on my skirt, looking down I see Eri staring up at me with a determined look in her eyes as she extends her pinky with all the enthusiasm a kid like her can. Curious, I stretch out my own, letting them lock together again.

"I pinky promise that you're not a villain! You're nothing like…like…him. You're my Big Sis! And since it's a pinky promise, you always will be!"

I freeze, staring at the girl with wide eyes. Hearing approaching footsteps, I abruptly stand whirling around and ready to draw a knife in case it's a hero or one of Overhaul's goons. But it's not. It's a pair of kids, one with his skeleton on the outside instead of the inside, and the other a little reindeer boy with a big red hat. Walking between them is the third in command of the Cult, though really she's second since Catia only rarely tells them what to do.

"Heya, Himi!" Anya gives me a cheery wave, her outfit the same dress robe as usual, dark brown with a thick gold trim on the bottom and end of the sleeves. I asked her once why that's the only thing she wears, but she got sad and said it's to help her parents find her.

'I wonder what it's like, to want your parents to find you?'

I wave back with my usual prep, trying to force away the previous serious mood. "Hey, Anya! This little one is kind of special, I've got the instructions written down here…" I dig through my pockets as I think about the stuff that happened while I was at the yakuza base, as well as letting her know what I want for Eri. The instructions are more for Nekomura and Oranji, since they'll be the ones actually talking things out with the heroes.

I pull out the folded piece of paper with a flourish, handing it to her with a half-bow, getting chuckles from the two kids with her. Catia hates it when kids lose the chance to have a childhood, and the entire Cult agrees. Which makes kids like these, who want to help, a rarity. Not in that they want to help us, but that they managed to convince whoever helped them before that they could.

Really though, their help solely consists of just being kids and telling us if they think they find another kid who needs help. Usually it's nothing, but every once in a while…

"Are you ok?" Anya reaches up and puts a hand on my shoulder, looking at me with concern that I brush off.

"I'm fine. Just need to be getting back." I turn around, patting Eri on the head and smiling when she doesn't flinch this time. "Well kiddo, looks like it's time for me to leave."

She looks down at that and her shoulders slump before she looks back up at me. "Will…will you visit?"

I shake my head, letting my sleeves cover most of my hands. "I can't. I told you, the heroes would call me a villain and lock me away."

"But…but that's not fair!" She shouts with tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

"Yeah, I know. But that's the world we live in. Nothing is fair." I turn around and start walking away, pausing and tossing a small box over my shoulder at Anya, knowing that she'll catch it. "But maybe that will change one day. That's what we're aiming for."

I walk away, letting Anya know what to do with the box via my thoughts.

I make my way through the city, choosing against taking the easy transport to get to my destination. It's not uneventful, as I walk a meandering path through the city's alleyways, occasionally stopping a crime, occasionally committing one.

I don't have a reason to, other than because I want to. And isn't that what living freely is all about? Doing what you want? Not letting other people stop you because they think it's wrong?

I push open the door to my destination, letting the sound of shouting wash over me. I smile, skipping through the door and glomping onto Tomura before he can lunge at Twice for calling him a cheater.

The Cult of Nya is nice, they help people.

But it's not where I belong. They don't want to change the world, just help the people who live in it. As much as they deny it, they're basically heroes! Though the heroes would call them vigilantes. But the League of Villains?

They want to change the world, and change the people. Even if Tomura hasn't realized it yet, that's what he's been working towards. Which is why the League are my family. And it's where Catia belongs too.

Even if she doesn't realize it yet.