Chapter Text
Eri's small frame trembled as she cowered in the corner of the dimly lit room. The sterile walls of the underground facility seemed to close in around her, suffocating her with their oppressive presence. She hugged her knees to her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible, as if she could disappear into the darkness.
At only six years old, Eri had known nothing but fear and loneliness for as long as she could remember. Her memories were a blur of pain and suffering, her innocence shattered by the cruelty of those who held her captive.
The metal door to her small room opened and Overhaul stood there, his cold eyes devoid of empathy. His quirk, with its ability to disassemble and reassemble matter, was a constant threat that hung over her like a dark cloud.
"Eri," Overhaul's voice echoed through the room, sending a chill down her spine. "You know what you must do."
Tears welled up in Eri's eyes as she shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. "Please... I don't want to hurt anyone..."
But her pleas fell on deaf ears as Overhaul advanced, his intentions clear. Eri's heart raced with terror as she braced herself for the pain that was sure to follow.
“Alright everyone, the Sports Festival is over, meaning no more slacking off,” Aizawa told Class 1-A. His students balked. Eri bit her lip to hide her smile, one of knowing and excitement as to what was going to happen next.
“The festival wasn’t just a fun event for students and spectators. It was about getting noticed by the pros. Showing off your quirks will get you offers for internships with said pros.” He pointed a remote to the small projector sitting in the corner of the chalk stands and it glowed to life, showing the offers that students managed to get from highest to lowest.
Shizuoka: 3498
Akiyama: 3086
Yamamoto: 2367
Kota: 2290
Eri: 1008
Ryoji: 507
Maharo: 289
Emi: 103
Yukihiro: 50
Natsuki: 23
“Just because you don’t see your name up here, doesn’t mean you still won’t get an internship. Everyone will participate. The internships themselves will only last one week. You’ll be provided with rooms in your chosen agency. Think carefully about who you want. Who you think will be the best choice for your quirk and yourselves.” He grasped the stack of papers on the podium and passed them to the first four people in the front row, who grabbed one and passed them back until all twenty students had one.
“That’s all. Spend this time to find an agency and hand them to me by the end of the day.” Once Aizawa closed the door, the room erupted into conversations of excitement. Kota and Eri were already scribbling their choices in the first box.
Dynamite Agency
Pro Hero: Zero
A tray of food slams down on the table, making Eri jump away from Kota and look up at their hypercritical friend.
“Could math be any harder? Ectoplasm was just making most of it all up right? There is no way people use that kind of stuff in the real world.” Maharo said with her hands on her hips. Katsuma, her twin brother, sat down on the opposite side of the table with a soft smile. “Come on, Maharo, it wasn’t that bad. You just don’t pay attention enough to understand.”
Maharo huffed, plopping down next to Eri. “Whatever.” She shoved a fry in her mouth. “So, did you pick the Dynamite Agency for your internships? It’s like all you’ve been talking about. I still don’t understand why you don’t want to train under a different hero. You see Izuku like every day.”
Kota scoffed. “I remember you saying not too long ago that you were going to make sure that you were going to do well enough in the Sports Festival so that you can get an offer from Bakugo. Are you saying that you didn’t choose him to be your mentor, or was he not in your 289 offers?” He gloated. Maharo flushed and glared at Kota. Eri clapped her hands before she could say anything back.
“Come on guys. Can’t we go one lunch without you bickering?”
Ten seconds. Ten seconds of silence between the two before Maraho opened her mouth.
“At least Bakugo actually goes on the battlefield. Zero just sits on a roof like ten miles away where he can’t get hurt.” Her cheeks puff out and she crosses her arms. Kota seeths. Eri and Katsuma sigh and just continue eating as the two of them battle.
“At least Zero can actually work with others! Bakugo can’t go two seconds working with someone without blowing them up!”
Maharo gasped like he just insulted her father. Eri just shook her head, doing her best to stay out of it, vocally and physically.
Eri found herself back in that dreaded room, its walls closing in on her like suffocating shadows. The only light shone above her as she sat in the surgical chair with wrists and ankles shackled and bleeding limbs that were struggling to rewind themselves. The air was heavy with the scent of fear, and the echo of footsteps—ominous and deliberate—filled her ears. Overhaul's presence loomed over her, a malevolent force that seemed to seep into every corner of her being.
She tried to scream, to cry out for help, but her voice was lost in the oppressive silence of the room. Desperation clawed at her chest as she struggled against the invisible chains that bound her to this nightmare.
Overhaul, his eyes gleamed with a sinister intensity that sent shivers down her spine. His voice, cold and calculating, echoed through the chamber, each word dripping with malice.
"You cannot escape, little girl," he taunted, his voice sending a chill down her spine. "You belong to me."
“Eri…”
He took his white glove off and tore her apart, molecule by molecule, breaking her down to her very essence before stitching her back together again. Each excruciating moment stretched into eternity, a never-ending cycle of agony and despair.
Only when she thought that she truly did die, that blissful moment of warmth and peace, did she wake up to endue that same agony. Over and over.
“Eri…wake up…your safe…”
Safe? What was that? She didn’t understand.
“You’re quirk is a curse. You’re a disease. No one else will ever want you.” He brought the scalpel in his hand to her arm and sliced through the skin. Eri opened her mouth—
And a scream tore through her throat as she sat up in her bed, straight into Izuku’s arms. The man's hold was tight around her body as she cried into his chest.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. You’re safe. I won’t let him hurt you ever again Eri. He’s not here anymore. You’re safe.” He whispered. He held her for hours, or maybe minutes. Eri didn’t know, and she didn’t care. Her savior was here. Her brother was here. That thought alone was enough to calm her down and slump into his chest. Izuku ran his hand over her white hair.
“Those nightmares of yours are getting worse, huh?”
Eri flinched when she heard his rough voice thick with sleep. “I’m sorry. I keep waking you up don’t I?” The pro was already shaking his head. “No. It’s fine. You’re more important.” He said and Eri didn’t like that. She pushed off his chest, wet eyes full of agony and self-loathing.
“No, it’s not! You're a hero now! You need sleep. You leave early and come home late. Don’t think that I don’t see how exhausted you are when you get back. I’m a burden to you! A waste of time! I-I—”
Izuku’s hands rested on her shoulders and only when she looked back into his eyes did she notice the slight yellow shimmer floating around them and the warmth on the corner of her head where her horn resided. She blinked and forced her quirk off.
“Eri.” He growled and cupped her face. “You are not a burden. You are not a waste of time. You are my little sister and I love you so much. You are more important to me than my own life.” He smiled. “Making you smile, making you feel good about yourself, that’s why I do what I do. If waking you up from something that scares you, then of course I’ll do it.
Eri sniffed, wiping her eyes. “You already hate being a hero. I don’t want you to hate living with me too…”
She never saw it, but pain flashed through Izuku’s eyes. ‘Eri…Why would you ever—’
“He always said that I wouldn’t fit in anywhere else. Maybe he was right. Maybe—"
Izuku didn’t let her get another word out. He wrapped an arm around her waist and threw her over his shoulder, walking to the kitchen. “Woah! Hey! What are you doing?”
“When I got nightmares, mom would take me to the kitchen and we would bake until the early mornings. Then we would watch cartoons while eating them and fall asleep on the couch. After that, I never had another nightmare for a very long time.” He turned on the kitchen lights and set her on the counter before turning to the cabinets and fridge, taking out milk, eggs, flour, and cake mix. Eri blinked at the little table in the center as it quickly filled with ingredients. Izuku hummed, cupping his chin, and started to mumble. Eri always thought it was funny how he just gets lost in his own little world, especially when he did it about silly things like this.
Izuku suddenly snapped his fingers. “I got it.” He yanked the pantry door open and pulled out a back of red shiny apples. He pushed the various sugars and spices to the side and dumped them on the table.
“How about we start with candy apples?”
Eri grinned.
Izuku was right. Eri hadn’t had another nightmare in days. They made cookies, candy apples, brownies, and even cake. All desserts were eaten while they watched movies until they fell asleep. Izuku was of course gone when she woke up to get ready for school. She still felt bad. Excluding Aizawa, heroes were supposed to get so much sleep not only for the lives they're responsible for but for theirs as well. They had fallen asleep at four in the morning, meaning the Izuku only got three hours of sleep.
She’d make it up to him somehow, even though he never had nightmares.
“Eri.”
The girl twisted around, looking around the busy crowd of the train station to see Kota walk to her in his UA uniform and costume case in his hand with a small smile. When he reached her, he threw his arm around her shoulder as they waited for their train. Maharo was supposed to be joining them, but as usual, she was late.
Eri smiled at her boyfriend. “Hey Kota. Ready for your internship?” Kota hummed. “Am I ready to train with the man I have learned from and seen every day since I was ten years old? Yeah.”
“But we’ve never been with him in the field. This will be fun!”
Kota rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I guess it—”
The horn of a train arriving interrupts Kota. Eri sighed. “Maharo is late. When is she ever going to learn?”
The train doors opened and the two walked through them.
“Wait! Wait, I’m coming!” A body slid through the closing doors and Maharo dropped her costume case when she planted her hands on her knees, wheezing. Eri frowned and let her hands rest on her hips.
“You almost missed the train, Maharo! Don’t you have an alarm?” She asked motherly. Maharo sucked in a breath and straightened. “Oh relax. I’m here aren’t I?” The train jolted as it started to roll down the tracks again. Eri sighed and didn’t dwell on it any longer, her mind wandering off to what the day was going to bring her. She had waited for this day ever since she decided she was going to become a hero. Izuku was the one that saved her from her past. He had saved her from her nightmares time and time again. He was her hero. He gave her a purpose that wasn’t just for her quirk. He gave her the opportunities to make friends, go to school, and do what she’s always dreamed of.
She never thought that she’d escape that hell. It always seemed impossible to leave. She had long given up hope before Izuku just pulled her into an alley and took her with him. He gave her a home, and she couldn’t be more grateful.
“Eri! Kota! Maharo!” Red Riot grinned as he ran over to them, giving the stack of papers in his hands to a nearby sidekick to meet them halfway into the agency.
Dynamite had climbed the ranks of heroes fast in the first three years of his career. Then just two years ago, he was awarded number two with a full-time agency and hundreds of sidekicks. Zero being one of them as well as his friends from Class 1-A. Red Riot, Todoroki, Cellophane, Pinky, and Charge Bolt.
"Welcome to Dynamite Agency! You guys ready for some hero action?"
Eri, Kota, and Maharo exchanged excited glances before nodding eagerly. Red Riot laughed. "That's what I like to see. Come on, I'll take you to Midoriya and Bakugo. They should be having lunch right about now." The sturdy hero led them down a series of hallways, the three students gaping at the extraordinary sights.
Red Riot led them with an easy confidence, his presence reassuring amidst the unfamiliar surroundings. As they walked, he shared anecdotes about his own experiences as a hero-in-training, weaving tales of courage and camaraderie that filled the students with a sense of admiration and determination.
Soon, they rounded a corner and entered a spacious common area where Izuku and Katsuki were engaged in a lively discussion, their voices rising above the din of the cafeteria. Todoroki stood nearby, his stoic expression betraying a hint of amusement as he observed the scene.
"Looks like they're at it again," Red Riot remarked with a sigh. The closer they got, the more they heard their heated argument.
"Your ideas always cause some kind of destruction!" Izuku yelled, opening his notebook and flipping through the pages. "This way, we can come up with better ideas to reduce the collateral damage!" Katsuki huffed and they all swore a puff of smoke emerged from his mouth.
"My ideas cause destruction? You're just too scared to get your hands dirty, Deku!"
Izuku's jaw tensed, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "I'm not scared, Kacchan! But unlike you, I understand the consequences of recklessness. Heroes are meant to protect, not wreak havoc wherever they go!"
Katsuki's fists clenched at his sides, his temper flaring. "Protect? Ha! You think hiding behind that sniper rifle of yours makes you a hero? Real heroes don't sit back and watch, they take action!"
Izuku bristled at the insult, his grip tightening around his notebook. "Being a hero isn't just about brute force! It's about strategy, about minimizing harm while still getting the job done! Didn't you learn anything in high school?!"
"Strategy won't mean shit if you can't take down the big threats, Deku!" Katsuki shot back, his voice rising with each word. "You think you can protect people by hiding in the shadows? That's not heroism—that's cowardice!"
Izuku's gaze met Katsuki's head-on. "I'm not hiding, Kacchan. I'm using my abilities to its fullest potential, just like you do with yours. And if that means I can keep innocent people out of harm's way, then I'll do whatever it takes!"
Kirishima walked forward with his hands up. "Alright, alright! That's enough you guys. The interns are here." He said. With one last glare between the two friends, they walked up to the three students. The tension around Izuku dissipated and he grinned at the three of them. "Hey guys! Was the trip here good?"
Eri nodded. She wanted so badly to hug him, but with so many sidekicks walking around, it would have been inappropriate, although, Izuku didn't seem to care. His arms opened and Eri didn't hesitate. Even after all these years, Eri had never gotten over the need for physical touch. She was constantly safe within the grounds of UA, around her friends, not to mention how much stronger she had gotten in combat and with her quirk, but when she was with Izuku, it was like she was untouchable. Nothing could even come close to hurting her.
He squeezed her tightly before letting her go. "I'm so glad you guys are here. Why don't you guys head to your rooms and change into your hero costumes, then we can go over some of the things you guys will do here." He glanced at Kirishma, who nodded. The man waved them back over to him. "I'll show you guys where you'll be staying." When he and the three teenagers walked out of the cafeteria, Katsuki walked up next to him with his arms crossed. The sparkling smile Izuku had on his face slowly fell as he watched Eri disappear around the corner.
"You going to tell her?" His best friend asked, his voice quiet and composed after their argument. Izuku sighed. "No. I can't do that to her." He collapsed onto the nearest chair, rubbing his hand down his face. Katsuki's expression softened and he stood in front of him. "You can't protect her forever you know. She's training to become a hero and is surrounded by some of the best heroes out there."
Izuku's exhausted gaze rivaled Aizawas. His most worked case was really kicking his ass. He'd been working on it for months, not giving himself any breaks throughout the day until Katsuki forcefully dragged him out of his office.
The man suddenly looked like he was fifteen again. His helpless green eyes started to water.
"How am I supposed to tell her that the Shei Hassikai is back? That Overhaul is back?"
Eri stood frozen, her eyes wide with horror as she faced Overhaul in the dimly lit chamber of the underground facility. His presence loomed over her like a dark cloud, his gaze piercing through her like a dagger.
"It's your fault," Overhaul's voice was cold and accusatory, sending a chill down Eri's spine. "You're the reason I had to kill him."
Eri's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding with dread. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could it be her fault? She had never wanted any of this.
Trembling, Eri whispered, "I-I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Overhaul's expression didn't change behind his bird mask, but his eyes glinted with malice. "You and your cursed quirk. Your inability to control it led to his death. If you had just been stronger, if you had just been better, none of this would have happened."
The weight of his words crushed down on Eri like a heavy stone, the guilt threatening to suffocate her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to make sense of the situation.
"I-I didn't mean to," Eri stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "I never wanted anyone to get hurt."
But Overhaul showed no mercy, his voice dripping with disdain. "Intentions mean nothing, Eri. Actions speak louder than words. And your actions have consequences—consequences that you'll have to live with for the rest of your miserable life."
With those cruel words echoing in her ears, Eri felt as though the weight of the world was bearing down on her. She had never felt more alone, more trapped in her own personal hell.
As Overhaul turned and left her alone in the darkness, Eri was left to grapple with the suffocating guilt that threatened to consume her. Little did she know that this would be the catalyst for a journey of self-discovery—a journey that would lead her to confront her past and forge a path toward redemption.
Overhaul's eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the televised UA High School sports festival, his attention drawn like a moth to the flickering screen. There she was, Eri, the one who had slipped through his fingers ten long years ago, now performing for all to see. As the crowd cheered and applauded, Overhaul's mind raced with plans and schemes, each one centered around one goal: to capture Eri and bend her to his will once more. "I've finally found you, Eri...you naughty girl."