mussume ronshaku

a prepossession of who you are molded into his brain. someone whos always been shy and quiet, unneeding of anyone or anything else, even before you met the bat. someone who after their brother died became a hermit, completely hiding themself away wether from grief or just preference, he didnt particularly care.

someone his family has all but forgot about not only because of your nature but because you just werent a robin. someone who the family doesnt need and never has. youre frivolous to the house, what he believes when he lets himself only glance.

hed always been too obsessed with other things, family, friends, crime, school, all grabbing for his attention. all more interesting than a lingering thought in the back of his mind he never seems to catch, hopeless to scratch.

an idea hed love to look into one day. a day he knows probably will never come simply due to the nature of his life. if he had the choice, a eternity of knowledge, youd be at the top of the list he looks into but theres no eternity and theres no reason to. you just have never been important enough. never looking, never knowing, never thinking truly about you.

strangely though, a fixation is easiest to adapt, to learn, to digest if its in limited supply, for a limited time. he never thought there would be a limit to you. no youve been the same for so many years, why would you change now? of all times? when hes finally calming his obsessive tendencies down? when hes becoming his own person? why now?

it happened faster than he could ever anticipate and it didnt take much to reach the conclusion. you were gone, fled, flown the nest.

you had never seemed your brightest returning through those heavy mahogany doors, the few times you did leave, on the other hand you were always buzzing. bag tossed over your shoulder, red cheeked and heels hot, anxious but excited.

that night though, the last night youd been caught on the cctv entering or leaving the premises, you werent just buzzing, you were shaking. hauling your load down to the taxi pulled up to the manor, arms packed full just enough you had to shift a box to your hip to open doors.

itd been two months since that recording.

he didnt really know why he was suddenly interested. he wasnt even quite sure what made him realize you were gone. he assumed your absence simply made the desolate manor a little more empty. but you didnt really fill up much space, no one really spoke to you unless it was necessary and you were good at making it curt. did anyone even think of you as an actual member of the home? you just werent apart of the family.

he isnt really sure why you missing affects anything. he doesnt even like you, youre just a civilian bruce picked up because you needed a home and dick begged for a sibling. there wasnt anything intresting about you more than that you had been affected by jasons death. but he couldnt help but find himself curious...

why had b and dick forgotten about you? why had alfred and barbra gone along with it? why hadnt he grown curious about you like he had to every other aspect of bruce and dicks lives? why hadnt anyone out of all the proactive individuals that reside in the family not gotten curious about you? it was weird, strange in a way that left an ashy taste on his tongue. you were apart of the family. it felt like a weighted ball on his tongue. why aren't you anymore?

it just isnt like bruce and it isnt like dick and it isnt like barbra or alfred and it isnt like tim. why had they forgotten about you?

tims brain wouldnt shut up, no your name played over and over even as he tried to drown it out with music and podcasts and live streams and calls but none of it really helped. what did help is your name pulling up a few articles when he searched it.

a handful of news headlines hollowly echoing your name back at him, reporting of the newly adopted wards, you and jason and then both of you starting middleschool and of jasons death and asking what happened to you too. some assuming bruce killed you for some conspiracy, some saying bruce was getting over protective of his kids now, and none of them were right.

leaving him to just wonder why they werent? why hadnt bruce doubled down like he swore he would? why did they all let you hide and rot?

it made him so sick that his hands jumped back to the mouse and board, a few blogs asking what happened to you, some threads curious of the wayne history. none knowing what happened to you and worse nothing about you. it was like you never really existed at all. like you were just a myth, nothing more than the loch ness monster or the sasquatch.

its frustrating! he doesnt know why he suddenly cares. you just got out, your probably happier enjoying being alone and free and not couped up in your stuffy bedroom. his lifes better without you too, so why is his throat tight? why does he feel nauseous?

at least now at 2 in the morning he doesnt have to adjust the thermostat for the 12th time and theres not as much creaking of the old floorboards at 4 am but also at the end of the night no one turns the grand chandelier off because the buzzing disrupts their sleep before he eventually gets restless enough to do it and the birds damian loves watching dont seem to be around as much anymore because you had always fed them.

but besides that everything is normal, everyone is normal. its quiet, enjoyable as always, nothing changed. you werent anything special or important and he doesnt care about you.

but you were afflicted by something important and regretfully special, something that shouldn't have happened. bruce is overprotective, he stalks everyone! trackers, hidden mics, cameras on cameras on cameras, so much tim couldnt count if he tried! neglect wasn't in his vocabulary so why had he done it to you? what happened?

dick is the same as his father, hes constantly harassing everyone in the family anytime he can. clinging and stalking and bothering, just to get a rise out of them! and barbra, shes so attentive! shes always there for everyone, even while having so much going on. why hadnt she offered her comfort to you too? not to mention alfred, were all his grandkids hes usually more rational than this, than neglecting a kid!

this was weird. this was strange. this was terrible. hes a hero, he has to fix it right? even more hes a detective. he has to find out what had happened to ruin things between you all. grief usually brings the family together, bonding over trauma is why batman and robin first formed! why had you been ostrisizied?

hes starting to feel dizzy but he cant think about that right now. it cant be as simple as you just werent apart of the team, it cant be. even if tims superficial like that, bruce and dick and barbra arent, atleast not anymore. they understand better than anyone the importance of civilians, so why are you nothing to them? his grip on the mouse only got tighter, his heel kept bouncing faster, harder.

why have you been nothing to him? the wires clinging to his chest sway as he does and he only barely remembers to hit the button of his monitor as his heart flutters and his whole chest tightens. he should try to calm down but he cant. just what the hell happened? had you tried to get them to love you again at any point? did you purposely make them all forget about you? how could you have that doesnt make sense, you were a kid!

why had you just run? why hadnt you tried talking to them again? atleast once more? hes sure he could have started caring for you, if you just spoke to him! he wants to care about you now! he doesnt know why but he does! why did you leave? how can he get you back? so he can understand you, analyze a key part of his family he missed for so long! no, he can get to that. this moment he needs to know, where are you now?

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

a/n : yay!!! new series is out!! this is all ive been able to think about for the past week! yippieeee!! i hope you guys like it! most of the parts are already in progress and this is gonna be longer than my previous series!

they say like they dont still have 2 chapters to work on.... gahh im just really excited!!! ill work on it once i can stomach reading my own writing again. blehhhh.....

Not when Bruce’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. Not when they had to stop when the traffic light turned red. And not even when the manor that seemed even gloomier than before came into view, gates already open. As if it was waiting.

Except this time, they weren't greeted by your warm open arms.

The large menacing doors of the manor opened easily. What wasn't easy was what they had to face. Damian still, foolishly half expected you to come running over to them, ready to smother him in kisses just to annoy him. But now, only the cold wind from the inside greeted them all.

Nothing was out of place. No signs of trouble, no chaos. Everything looked normal. Too exact. Too still. And that was what made it even more unbearable.

They see it in the ghosts of your everyday routine.

Your sneakers resting on the shoe rack, almost like you’ll slip them on any second to tell Bruce you're going out with your friends he never got to know because he never asked.

Your favorite mug neatly tucked in the cupboards. Almost like you’ll reach for it later because you wanted to have some hot cocoa to battle the cold weather.

Everything simply felt…paused.

Like you weren't gone, just delayed, got into traffic, running a bit late.

Maybe because some part of them still wanted to believe you’d enter the manor any moment now—coming back from school, or maybe a late night out with some friends.

And then, without uttering a single word, Damian turned to the grand staircase and made his way to the East Wing of the manor—where your room rested.

You and Damian had never been particularly close. Well, that's what he says at least whenever someone asks. But it was undeniable that the two of you were closer than either of you admitted.

Through shared blood, the same dark hair, and even the same stern resting face—even though you were, in every possible way, the complete opposite.

The closer Damian got to your door, the heavier the silence weighed down on his shoulders. His hand hovering over the doorknob before his mind betrays him for a brief moment.

You call his name, either for help or just to irritate him. You, laughing way too loudly at a joke he never found funny. And how you always leaned closer to him like you had no concept of personal space.

Although, on some nights, he’d let you rest your head on his shoulder. As long as you made sure not to tell anyone the next day.

His hand finally closed around the doorknob. The coolness of the metal is like a sharp sting against his skin when it reminds him of how cold your hand felt the last time he got to hold it.

The door eased open easily, slow and quiet—like it was trying not to disturb anything.

The curtains were hung exactly how you did them, your bed fixed in that rushed manner. Everything sat where it belonged, untouched and unchanged.

Damian stepped in, not closing the door behind him. It was already too suffocating. He hesitates, because for the first time, he had no idea what he was doing here. His feet simply brought him up here with no clear purpose.

Damian stood still in the doorway. His eyes moved around on their own.

Polaroids of you and your friends taped onto the wall, certificates and awards he never knew about on the shelves. He’d seen them countless times before without truly seeing them.

His eyes shift to your desk. He could almost picture you sitting on it, back hunched like a shrimp as you complained about your back aching.

Looking closer, he spots something laying on the desk. At first, he didn't register it as anything important. Probably just clutter, another ordinary object. And for a moment, a part of him wanted to leave it that way.

As if that meant you were still going to come back to it.

It was a notebook, small and unsuspecting enough to be overlooked, but worn down to suggest that it's been with you for a while. There wasn't anything particularly special about it, yet he couldn't get his eyes off of it.

He approached the desk, and up close that's when he realized it wasn't just some notebook. It was your diary. His expression doesn't change much, because it was just a diary.

People kept diaries all the time, it wasn't anything unusual. Still, there was still something about it he couldn't ignore.

His fingers twitched at his side as he told himself that it was irrelevant. Just words on paper. Nothing more.

And yet, Damian opened the diary.

The pages rustled beneath his hand. For a second, nothing has changed. Just words on a page waiting for someone to read them.

“Damian.”

His eyes snapped to the doorway where Dick stood, the voice stopping him mid-breath. Meanwhile Dick’s gaze instantly drops to the diary in Damian’s hands. “What's that?”

Damian doesn't answer immediately, but his grip on the diary gets noticeably tighter. His eyes don't meet Dick’s, instead fixed onto the page. “It's nothing.”

His words were final, like the decision had already been made. Dick notices the way Damian holds the diary closer to his chest, as if it was an attempt to protect you from the world for the last time.

“It doesn't look like nothing.” Dick slowly steps into the room. Damian doesn't answer, letting the silence stretch. “Damian.” He calls, softer this time. “Let me see.”

Damian didn't move right away. His grip on the diary remained strong, curled tight against the cover as he refused to let go. A pause.

Then he let his hold loosen, only slightly. Just enough for Dick to be able to read the written words. The page settled between them, and there it was. Your neat and familiar handwriting. Too familiar.

September 17

Dear Diary, today was a good day. I just wish I had someone to tell. But everyone was busy, even Alfred. It's fine. I do hope tomorrow is even better.

Neither of them spoke. The silence stretched uncomfortably until they heard faint footsteps echoing from the hallway—gradually getting louder as they got closer.

Tim appeared first, too quickly for them to even bother closing or hiding the diary. His eyes swept over the room instantly, taking everything in. The stillness. How everything in your space looked frozen in time. The tension between Dick and Damian.

Then his gaze drops to the diary.

“You found something.”

He stepped closer, eyes focused on the item Damian was holding. It didn't take long for him to realize it was a diary. Your diary. His expression tightens slightly, but he continues to approach.

And as if on cue, footsteps followed to the doorway. “What's that?” The air shifted when Jason entered, clearly not waiting for an answer.

And just like that, they found themselves gathered around your diary. All of their eyes linger on the first page, and before Damian could flip over to the next one.

“...You think she’d want this?”

Damian didn't look up, as if he couldn't be bothered to. But his hold tightens. “You're free to leave if it bothers you.”

Jason presses his lips together, clearly far from pleased. And yet he couldn't find it in himself to leave.

No one moves. Still, Damian’s fingers hesitate to move to the next page. As if he was letting the weight of your first entry sink in first before whatever came next.

Then footsteps could be heard coming from the hallway again, heavier and full of grief this time. They didn't turn, didn't have to. They knew.

Bruce stood in the doorway, his gaze sweeping over the room. But not analytically like Tim’s, and not sharply like Jason. Just…steadily, taking everything in and remembering.

“Read it.”

Bruce didn't have to look twice to know it was your diary they discovered. He’d seen it before. A couple of years ago when he caught you scribbling on it once like a little schoolgirl that tried to hide their secret crushes from everyone. He remembered letting you be.

He found it endearing. Now though, that memory felt different. A part of him wished he asked about it, and maybe you would have shared it with him.

Damian nodded slightly as his fingers moved to turn to the next page.

September 20

Dear Diary, today was just a little more different than usual.

I had breakfast with Alfred because apparently dad already headed to work early. Anyways, Alfred’s pancakes are always delicious. He’s got to teach me the recipe some time!

He's like a grandpa to me, but he's got a whole manor to run. Still, he tries to make time for me and I try to make time for him too.

And I never really liked my dark hair, I’ve always wanted to dye it. Probably blonde. I think that’d bring out my eyes. But Alfred always tells me that my hair is like Gotham’s sky, mysterious and beautiful in its own way. So I guess I should keep it.

And when I got home dad was there surprisingly. He asked me about my day and I told him that it went nicely, though I don't think he really heard what I said.

It's okay though. He’s busy and has a whole company to run. Not to mention the nightly activities, but he doesn't know that I know. So it should be our little secret.

October 2

Dear Diary, today was normal.

It was a weekend, but I had a buttload of homework. :( And Tim was around so I figured, why not do some work together? It's like efficient family bonding.

I slipped into Tim’s room with all my stuff when he didn't respond to the first three knocks I gave. He was working on another case, no surprise there. I got into the space next to him and he said “Hey.” to me. I think that was acknowledgement.

We worked for a while in silence, not the bad kind. The usual.

I actually managed to do most of my work, so yay me!

October 14

Dear Diary, today was sorta weird…

Jason was home today. He was in the kitchen, having some tea while reading a book. That was good, I liked books. We could talk about that!

I said “Hi.” first though, before sitting across from him. But he just looked at me and nodded, and that may have been a smile on his face. I'm not too sure.

It was quiet for a while. The noise was mostly just me trying to talk about books accompanied with Jason’s grunts of acknowledgment. That's fine, at least he was listening. I mean, I hope he was. I don't know.

At some point I don't remember, I just stopped talking. He left a little after that, but I noticed that he looked tenser than before.

I don't think I said or did anything wrong, but it felt like I did.

October 29

Dear Diary, today was really nice! :D

This time, Dick was home! And I ended up hanging out with him in the living room. We decided to watch a movie together like old times and he even let me pick!

I ended up choosing one of our old favorite movies, just to reminisce. It was nice. Dick kept making jokes that made me laugh.

It feels easy being around Dick. It's been lonely ever since he moved out, and after that it's felt like he keeps me at an arms length.

Anyways, I hope we do this again sometime.

The pages stilled under Damian’s hands. The more they read the smaller the room felt, the more suffocating.

No one moved or said anything for a moment. Jason only lets out a quiet breath as the brothers share a look. They didn't know. “I thought she was okay.” Dick says under his breath, practically a whisper.

And no one responds to him, because they thought the same.

November 3

Dear Diary, today was nice.

It was just me and Damian today.

I saw him doodling something in the library alone, so I decided to keep him some company! I sat near him and before I could even mutter out a word he told me to be quiet.

…Rude. (Affectionate) I silently watched him sketch for a few minutes, and whenever I leaned to close he told me something about personal space. But he never moves away himself.

So I stayed.

I think he's gotten used to my presence, maybe even fond of it…Hopefully. And sometimes, he lets me rest my head on his shoulder. He never mentions anything about it after. So neither do I.

I think that's just our sibling thing.

November 17

Dear Diary, today could've been better honestly.

I mean, nothing really happened. I just wanted to hang out with somebody, but it was just my luck that everyone was busy. I understand though, and I tried keeping myself entertained but nothing has really stuck.

I think I just need a change of scenery. So I'm going out tonight by myself. :) #Independent

Just for a walk, I won't go too far. I know it's late, and it could be dangerous. But it's fine, I’m not helpless.

Oh—and I also made sure to give Damian a goodbye kiss on the forehead before I left even if he says he hates it. He'll probably complain about it later.

Damian's thumb hovered over the page, as if he was waiting for something. Then he turns it, again, again, and again. All blank, of course they were. What did he expect?

You never came back after that.

The city had taken you in the quietest, most ordinary way. All it took was one moment.

The past few days have been intense. Damian didn't question his father anymore, in fact he decided to take matters into his own hands. He couldn't possibly demand assistance from the one that had sent you away in the first place, it was naive of him to think he could. So instead he looked for you everywhere, any sign of you sent him a loophole, it is too hard to look for clues without alerting the family, tho he was sure they already knew.

It was after taking advantage of his father's absence that he got to go through whatever he was keeping to himself.

“Serene, mental wellness camp” 

The words stared back at him, mocking. The teen couldn't quite comprehend, he got it you lost Todd and it was affected by it, but how sending you further from the family could make you feel better? Tsk, it feels like father just wanted to get rid of her…

Searching for the place, Damian found the small farm in the outskirts of Gotham, bordering Metropolis. The place held almost only positive reviews, but one pattern caught his attention.

“I spent 5 months there. The staff are so considerate which made my stay really pleasant.”

“One year connecting with nature, out of Gotham's constant trouble, made my mind and heart more at ease. It won't be easy to get out of this safe haven and come back to the city, but im sure ill be going as a new person.”

“4 months…”, “ 7 months…”

The ward had a 12 month maximum of stay and yet his sister had been gone for five years. Did Bruce use his influence to guarantee a longer stay? Is his sister still there? Damian closed the laptop and soon enough found himself wandering through the manors corridor, looking for Tim.

“You!”- Speeding his footsteps to reach his brother, the older one was already sensing trouble.- “I request your help.”

“Does it involve Y/N?”- Tim asked and when the youngest nodded, he sighed.- “Then no.”

“Why Drake? Don't you know how important that is?

“Let it go, Dames. B doesn't want us to meddle.”

“Listen, just this time. I just need you to look through this camp father put her in, once we see that everything is okay, then I won't bother you anymore.”

Tim rubbed his eyelids and motioned his hand, singing for Damian to follow him. The two boys followed to the cave and in a matter of minutes, Drake was hacking into the camp security cam. The farm seemed normal, just a few people here and there, feeding some animals, others reading and yet, not a sight of their sister.

“Do you know what she looks like? I can't find her.”

Before the youngest could answer, another voice interrupted. 

“Long black hair, bright eyes.”

“Fuck, Jason. Why do you always have to appear out of nowhere?!”

He didn't answer, his eyes glued to the footage, scanning and eventually knitting his brows.

“She’s not there.”- His hands came to the table, fingertips whitening with the strength of his hold.

“What do you mean, Ahki? That's where father sent her.”

Not even waiting for any explanation, Tim opened another file, this time it was a list of members of the farm. From staff to visitants, all of the names were there, except yours.

“Looking at the past five years' worth of information, it never once showed Y/N.”- Tim said, eyes still glued to the screen.- “It's like she never even set foot in this place to begin with.”

The realization made Jason's heart sink. What did Bruce do? If she had never been there, then where the hell could she be now? Did she change names? Did she move cities? Fuck, is she even alive? It is not like she had anything to live for.

“Damian, call Alfred now.”

The youngest nodded and went on his way to find the butler. Which, although he had an idea on what this was about, still descended through to the cave with a confused expression.

“Alfie, Where is she?”- The urgency in Jason's voice brought the older man even more confusion.

“What do you mean, Master Jason? Miss Y/N is at the wellness camp.”  

“She isn't, Alfie. Look at this.”- Tim pointed at the files and after reading through them, Alfred's face grew pale.

With trembling hands, the older man supported himself in the wall. Was that the reason his many letters were never answered?! God, his chest felt tight. Adding to the already chaos that started to ensue, Bruce entered the cave, already noticing the heavy atmosphere. He barely had time to ask what that was about, when Todd's fist connected with his face.

“What did you do to her?”- His son's rushed words almost weren't filtered in his ears.

Her? Y/N… She is the only one who could make Jason act this way.

Being held back by his brothers, he seemed almost feral. Alfred used this time of distraction to fill his master with what's been going on. Bruce's eyes seemed ready to fall from his skull,

His daughter… His baby… Where is she?

He had no time to be spiraling into his thoughts with Jason's voice filling his eardrums again.

“Fuck, i cant count on you. Not even once, not even with her…”- His son voice came out trembling with pain.- “Why her, dad?”

Dad… he called me dad again, but how come I can be happy when he looks at me with this kind of eyes? Eyes that denounce my failure once more…

“Y’know what?! Fuck this, I’ll find her myself.”- The man stormed off the cave, heavy steps doing barely to cease his anger.- “Don’t worry babybird, I’ll find my way to you. I always did and I’ll always do.”

Taglist: currently closed due to the amount of characters 🥹

You looked up from your pancakes, annoyed. Why were these scrubs pestering your brother? "Tim, if Damian doesn't want his identity to be revealed by his hair, there are ways to reduce the volume without the use of scissors." You turned to Damian. "Damian, I beg of you, if you do plan on getting a haircut, avoid Tim's barber. If you come into this house with the same atrocious bowl cut, I won't be able to look at you."

"Yes, big sister," Damian said, hugging you before going up to his room. The best thing about you and your sibling sharing a dislike for a person was that you could trade insults.

Tim looked at you with eyes of betrayal. "Do you really think my hair is that bad?"

"Yes. I also believe it is damaging for your worldview to have your hair styled by kitchen supplies," you said. "What's next; brushing your hair with a fork like Ariel the mermaid?"

Jason burst out laughing. The references, the linking of your insults against the teen CEO, it was too good. He was going to high-five you for a second, but then he noticed that you were gone.

Damn it.

*_*_*_*_*_

A little while later, you heard a knocking on the door to your room. "Y/N? Y/N, are you there?" you heard Damian ask.

"Yes, dear. Come in," you said.

Damian came in looking troubled. "Is my hair getting out of control?" Damian asked.

"Depends. Do you have trouble controlling it?"

"No. But I'm worried that it'll give my identity away. Me and Robin have the same hairstyle. I don't want to ruin everything."

They'd gotten to him. Those shits had burrowed into your little brother's head. "I have a plan that involves nobody cutting your hair, but you'll have to listen to me, is that clear?"

"Yes, sister."

"First, you're washing all of that gel out of your hair. Then, you're going to dry your hair and bring me some coconut oil and a hair blow dryer."

You styled your brother's hair into something that looked presentable and notably different, carefully applying coconut oil so as not to dry out his hair now that he wasn't spiking it to oblivion with gel. "This should be enough to make it clear that Robin is not Damian Wayne."

Damian looked at the more relaxed hair style that you'd given him. Still styled upwards, but not as aggressively as before. "It's perfect! Thank you!"

"Come to me if you're having trouble with maintenance." You smiled as he ran through the manor, presumably to annoy Tim. He'd better be annoying Tim.

Jason stuck his smug face into your room. "Nice, job, Y/N! You think maybe you could-"

"Get lost, skunk patch."

First

Previous

Next

Great, everyone believes you're dead now. The look of absolute dread on your face never went unnoticed by the trio. They don't care, the hard part is over with now. You look down at the chain wrapped around your ankles and grab the chain to play with it, while thinking about izuku and everything that happened at the hotel. It happened too fast, way too fast. They knew exactly where you were in a drop of a dime. But how? Is izuku ok? What about my mom? 

“Seems the hard part is over with now huh”? You keep your head down as a pair of bare feet come into view. You hold the chain tighter and run your thumb over it. “Aw not talking to your favorite person?” the words of the man going in one ear and out the other. Refusing to grace them with your eyes as you stared at the ground. They seemed bummed out that you didn't speak nor look at him. So he crouched down into your view and rested his arms on his knees. His long blond hair falling over his muscular shoulders as he leans towards you, his green irises peering at you through his glasses. It's Hizashi. 

You’ve never seen him in normal glasses before. He looks good, too good. You never noticed him without the apron either, he must’ve taken it off when you weren't paying attention. The half naked muscular man in tight pink boxers making you blush. You averted your eyes before he 

notices you looking too hard, can't let him have what he wants. 

He huffed and tilted his head. He raised a hand to caress your face and gently rub his thumb over your jawline. You closed your eyes as he admired you like a hungry and greedy man. He gripped your jaw and gently forced your head to look in his direction. “Look at me.”  you closed your eyes tighter and forced your head out of his hand. In return he rolled his eyes and spoke with patience.

“Everythings gonna be fine ok, we got this. You’ll be grateful soon enough. There's plenty of food to eat and room to run around in.” you opened your eyes and looked at him disgusted that he was talking to you like you were some animal in a cage. “Hey and maybe if you behave you can go outside. With supervision of course.” he smiled at you, the light practically beaming off of his perfect pearly whites. You felt a wave of emotions rising in you as you contemplated violently knocking his perfect teeth out of his mouth. You both turned your heads when a voice cut in. 

“have the cameras been set up yet”? Shota asks while walking past to make himself some coffee in the kitchen. All the violent thoughts in your head have been halted.

Jesus he’s fine as fuck. You watch as he walks past with pure lean muscle from head to toe, tight black boxers, and long black hair flowing with his movement, he looked almost like a god. Hizashi notices you watching sho as he walks past you guys all the way to the kitchen. 

 Hizashi smirks at you as he stands up and responds to him “not yet, but later today the team is gonna come back and finish up the work to set up the cameras and all that.” he said while walking towards shota who was pouring piping hot coffee into his favorite gray mug, that no one else is allowed to use. The steam rising from the mug looks hypnotizing as he pours it. He gently places the coffee pot back into its place, before taking a sip of the piping hot liquid. 

You can't seem to understand why he likes his coffee that way, hizashi can't either.  

No cream or sugar, just black coffee. That's how he liked it, simple. Toshi used to drink it like that as well, but ever since his incident with one for all leaving that wound, doctors advise him not to drink any heavily caffeinated drinks. If he wishes to enjoy a cup, it must be sparingly. 

You can’t help but stare mesmerized as your soon to be fiance shota leaned against the counter. Abs flexing as he crosses his muscular arms over his chest while holding the steaming cup of coffee. His hair is a long black mess falling over his shoulders. You honestly wouldn’t mind giving your virginity to him, especially when he looked like that under his clothes. you secretly favored him over the others. But you are upset with him for what he did to Izuku. Your attention was broken when Hizashi snapped his fingers and looked at shota with excitement. “Guess what?” shota looked up at him with tired dead eyes “what”. 

“ I know we were trying to be smart with our money considering the plan and all, but I did pay extra for extremely strong glass. Y’know for all the windows and mirrors, and even the glass doors, y’know for extra security.” He said as he walked to the kitchen window and knocked on it. “She ain’t gonna break this bad boy. Theyre gonna install all of it today.”  shota nodded impressed and responded after taking another sip. “Good purchase.”  

toshinori got up off of the couch and made his way over to you “where are we going to put her, while they’re here?” 

Hizashi looked over at the clock on the wall knowing they’re gonna be here in a couple of hours. “Shit your right.” he clicked his teeth with his tongue while thinking. “Well they pretty much finished installing her room yesterday, could put her up there, and you could keep her company while I work down here with the team.” hizashi said to toshi while looking up at you with his hands on his hips.

Toshi nodded in agreement. “Well I gotta get going, gotta work.” shota cut in while setting his finished coffee cup on the counter. He pecked hizashi and toshi on the lips as he disappeared upstairs.  Hizashi looked at toshi. “I gotta head to work after the team leaves, can you handle her?'' Toshi looks at you and smiles “of course, she's a good girl. Except for the fight from yesterday.'' Hizashi looked down at you remembering the fight. “Gonna have to work extra hard for my forgiveness, " he said while massaging the bruise on his calf. You looked up at him confused and disgusted. “What's that supposed to mean?” 

Hizashi smiled at you sweetly and seductively '' Anything you want it to mean sunshine. alright i'm gonna go put some clothes on”.  He said as he stood up straight and patted you on the head and disappeared up the same stairs as his husband. 

Toshi walked over to you bending down to start undoing your chains. “BEHAVE” he said as he stared into your soul. He wore a black shirt and gray sweatpants. Not as attractive as the others, also never thought he would wear that either.  He grabbed your arm and helped you up before gathering the chains and guiding you down a hallway and into your new room that's right beside his. 

So hizashi and sho’s rooms are upstairs. There's apparently a bunch of rooms with bathrooms but they chose your room to be one without one, since they would want you to use one of theirs with supervision. The bedroom was honestly beautiful. The bed, the lights, the curtains, the decor, you even have a tv. No wonder everyone leaves the decorating to hizashi. 

“Do you need to use the restroom?” he asked, looking down at you while holding your arm and tossing the chains onto the bed. “No”. It was a lie, and a big one. But you know that he would stand in there with you. “Alright then” he said as he picked you up and placed you on the bed. “What are you doing?” you asked as he started wrapping the chains around your ankles again. 

“What's necessary, especially after yesterday.” After he wrapped you up he grabbed the television remote and laid down next to you. “What do you wanna watch” you huffed and turned over. “Nothing.” toshinori rolled his eyes and turned on a sitcom. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After half an hour you heard a couple of knocks on your door before it creaked open. Shota walked in dressed in his hero suit. He kissed toshi before walking to the other side of the bed to lean over you and peck your forehead with his lips. You pretended to be asleep. Sho knew that was bullshit. But he couldn't help but admire you as he ran his scared fingers through your hair. The memories of his horrific act with the clone, clouding his mind. Your “funeral” is also today. He’s gotta look nice at the funeral that's going to be broadcasted on national television. Toshi is supposed to be there, but he can't so sho will make an excuse for him.

 His mind raced with thoughts as he began to caress your face gently as if you were made of glass and would break. You're here, and you're safe, that's all that matters to him. He bent down one last time to peck your lips before heading off to work. His lips were warm and minty. He must have put on some chapstick. It sadly made you crave more. Without thinking you chased his lips when he pulled away. He looked down at you surprised before dipping back down. He connected his lips with yours again. You were shocked that you did that. But his lips feel good. It felt like a comfort you never knew you needed. He pulled away and smiled at you. “I gotta head out, ok?” he said. You looked away ashamed of what you did. He waved at toshi before walking out. 

You stared at the ceiling as you heard him walking through the house and out of the front door.  Hearing his car drive off before deciding to  look over at toshi who had his reading glasses on while playing a crossword puzzle out of a book. Good lord. You heard more knocking on the door and looked over, and in came the boisterous blond. He was wearing a white shirt and black sweatpants as well with his Long blond hair in a bun.  He smiled brightly at you and toshi. “Doesn’t this room look beautiful? I had it done specifically to your preferences sweetheart.”

 you looked confused then scanned the room. He was right, your favorite colors and animals and posters. Everything down to a T, and you never noticed. But how could he know? He never saw your room….right?

Little did you know that his obsession with you is stronger than the other two’s. It got so bad that he was getting up in the middle of the night, and sneaking out of the house without waking his husband to go to your home and sneak into your window undetected to watch you sleep. There's been many nights where he slept in the same room with you without you knowing. 

Even went as far as to unbuckling his belt and pulling down his pants, watching as his rock hard length sprung into the cool air with a red hot tip dribbling pre cum. He rubbed one out as he stood at the foot of your bed. 

He even used your lotion. Precum flying everywhere as he thrusted into his fist roughly at the end of your bed. Loud slick sounds bounced off the walls as he picked up the pace and tightened his fist. He picked up a pair of used panties off the floor to catch his cum as it spurted out. He breathed heavily as he looked up at you after cumming. Smiling like a dork. Thinking to himself that he wishes that you could watch him do that. He has a kink for his partners watching him touch himself. If only you could see how big and long he was, how he could satisfy you and hit every spot inside of you, making you scream, as your ass bounced off his dick. 

But that information stays with him until the day he dies. But just know that he definitely has seen your room more than enough times. “It's awesome right?” he said looking at you expectantly. You looked around trying not to get creeped out. “Sure” he frowned at the simple, small uninterested answer. Before he could say anything else. You all heard loud car door slams outside. Not like you could look outside your window since you're chained to your bed. Toshinori sat up and Hizashi walked over to the window. 

“Great they’re here”! He says spinning around and walking out of the room. 

The next couple of hours were filled with loud footsteps, loud bangs, and thuds, the sounds of hammers and drills as they install cameras and decor to hizashi’s liking. The blond's loud voice constantly booming around the house with “NOT THERE” and “PUT IT HERE” and “HEY BE CAREFUL WITH THOSE, THEY WERE MY MOTHERS.” 

You looked up as a couple of men entered your room to install a camera in the corner of your ceiling. Hizashi entered the doorway and met toshinoris glare. “Sorry I forgot about a camera needing to be in this room too.” Hizashi said while he shrugged at toshi. You looked up at the man on the ladder, and the men surrounding him. They were all purposefully not looking at you. Like they felt pity for you. No...almost like they were scared to look in your direction. Almost like if they even dared to view you, they would meet their fate. Hizashi is their fate. He's the most obsessive and predatory person you have ever met. 

“All right, great work boys.” he said as they wrapped up everything and started heading out of your room. One stayed behind. “Looks like we did everything, it all looks pretty good, and the cameras were installed perfectly. If you have any questions or need anything else, please call me.” Hizashi nodded at him with respect and handed him a $100 tip, and with that all the men gathered their belongings and left the home. 

You looked up at the camera pointing right at you in the corner of your room. “Check this out toshi, we can download an app that controls the cameras.” Hizashi  said as he used his phone to move the camera every which way. Great definitely no privacy. He walked over to toshi to help him download the app. Once they got all that situated. Hizashi left to get ready for work. Toshi thanked god that it was his day off because then you would be left home alone. What could be better than Toshi's company? He thought to himself. 

Hizashi came back into the room smiling in his hero suit. “All right my doves, I must be off.” he said as he kissed Toshi on the lips and rounded the bed to kiss you. He tried to kiss your lips but you dodged it. He didn't give up though, you kept moving your head around to dodge the kisses and eventually he got tired of it and grabbed your face and forced your lips onto his. “See it wasnt that hard huh?” he said, chuckling to himself. He stood up straight and fixed his jacket. “All right, I'm going to work, I'll be back later. If you need anything toshi im one call away.” Toshi nodded at him and wished him well. 

The day carried on with you laying in bed and toshinori doing paperwork with reading glasses next to you in bed. He occasionally thought about izuku. How disappointed in him he is for kidnapping you and scaring you. (still delusional i see). He thought about how he is going to deal with him. No better way than to threaten him. You thought about izuku as well. How is he doing? 

You decided to change the channel and forget your worries. Until the news channel came on and it's a funeral. You thought nothing of it until the person in the casket looked familiar… is that…you? It's a funeral. For you. Toshinori looked up from his puzzle to see what the commotion was. His eyes widened. Shit… he forgot about that happening today. 

Aizawa was there looking down with everyone else as they prayed over your casket. Your mother was there beside him “sobbing”. She didn't seem too upset. Maybe she knows you're still alive. Hope filled your body. Maybe you can be saved. The funeral wasn’t too long. Your casket was lowered into the ground and everyone was interviewed, paying their respects. Including your mother. Aizawas' interview was just a bunch of “you cant save everyone” bullshit. Great now everyone DEFINITELY believes that you're dead.

They wasted no time getting the ball rolling for everything. It hasn't even been a day yet and your funeral is already happening.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hizashi had no problem covering for his husband's class while he was attending your “funeral”. It wasn’t for too long since the funeral was set to start a couple of hours before class starts. Shota was only 10 minutes late to class today. Nothing major. Once he returned Hizashi told him how good and quiet the kids were today before heading to his own class. 

Shota seemed to be treating Midoriya differently today. He seems to drop everything he hands izuku onto the ground before izuku could grab it, Almost like shota is dropping it on purpose. He hands out classwork to everyone but izuku. He huffs in annoyance when izuku raises his hand. Izuku’s terrified of his teacher because of the past event that happened, but he must be brave. “Yes midoriya?” he says in a low sinister tone. Izuku gulps. “You didn't hand me one sir.” shota rolls his eyes before saying “oh you mean one of these?” while lifting up a sheet of classwork. GULP ``yes sir” he smirks. “Come get one then.'' Izuku stood up slowly and made his way to his teacher's desk. It felt like centuries as Aizawa stared at him. He stopped at the foot of his desk and looked down at the sheet of paper sitting next to his teacher's laptop. Shota noticed his hesitancy. 

 In a low predatory tone he spoke. “Go on, take it.” izuku closed his eyes and gulped before slowly reaching his shaky hand to grab the paper. “I'm not gonna bite.” Once izuku’s hand touched the paper, shota jumped and growled loudly at him just like a dog attack. Izuku snatched his hand back to himself and stumbled over himself. He looked horrified at Aizawa as he laughed like it was the funniest thing he has ever done. He's never seen his teacher laugh so hard or even smile in that matter. Izuku’s heart is beating out of his chest. Shota stands up and wipes a tear from his own eye.

 “Oh you know I'm just joking around with ya kid. You should have seen your face.” he says as he hands him the sheet of paper. Izuku just stares at him. “Well go on, take it.” shota insists. He snatches the paper quickly out of his teachers hand as if he’ll rip his arm off. Shota’s face drops back into a dead look before leaning over in his face and saying in a chilling tone. “Now go sit the fuck down.” 

Izuku scrambled back to his desk while the class laughed at him. He couldn't focus on his work after that. Shota noticed. “Midoryia, you better focus, I would hate to have to take you out of the hero course.” izuku looked up and saw shota staring at him through his long back hair. “Yes sir.” 

Hizashi treated midoriya no differently than shota. Constantly “forgetting” about him, and torturing him. Giving him more homework than the rest of the class. Izuku regretted getting involved with your scary situation. But you're his best friend, how could he not? You're gone now and there's nothing he can do. He saw the news. You were found dead in that very hotel room, and had a funeral later as well. It doesn't make sense. Not for someone who was there. He saw you being escorted out. How could you end up back in the same room dead. He doesn't believe what everyone was fooled by. You're not dead. He knows it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tea”? Toshinori shouted from the kitchen. “Sure” you said looking dead at the living room television as some random rom com played. He was nice enough to let you out of your chains earlier since you asked nicely and promised to be good. How far could you possibly get? This place is basically locked down to the highest levels possible. The locks are apparently top notch along with the glass windows and doors, and there are hella cameras. Your ass aint getting anywhere without anyone knowing. Hell, just moving an inch would have the cameras notifying them. 

They were even nice enough to inject a small quirk canceling thing in your arm while you were asleep. Definitely an illegal thing. They got it off the street from a guy who also laced it so you couldn't feel it. You can thank Toshinori for that idea since he used to do drugs when he was at his lowest, fucking all those women looking for his soulmate (aka you). The only reason you know about the thing in your arm is because toshi slipped up  when he was mumbling about protecting you when he thought you were asleep. 

“I need to use the bathroom.” you mumbled as toshi walked over to you carefully with a hot cup of tea, setting it down in front of you. He stood back up and nervously wiped his hands on his pants and looked around. “Uh sure, of course.” you stood up and looked at him. “Oh, uh, it's upstairs and it's the first door on the left. Do you want me to come with”? You shook your head. “I can manage, i mean how far can i get in this house?” you laughed in defeat. Apparently he didn't find that funny. He watched as you made your way up to the bathroom. You closed the door and scrambled to the toilet to pee immediately. You’ve been holding it since this morning. Luckily toshi trusted you enough to take the chains off your feet and let you roam around. Almost time for the other two to start heading home if they don't have other plans. After wiping you stood up and pulled your pants up. You washed your hands with the wonderfully scented soap that hizashi picked out.

 You sighed as you looked at yourself in the mirror. God you look like shit. You bent down and splashed your face with ice cold water for almost a solid minute as if you're trying to wake yourself up from this dream. Not working. You shut off the water and walked over to the towels and dried your face off. You thought about everything and took a deep breath and put your back against the wall and slid down to the floor. You slumped over on the floor wishing death upon yourself. Looking straight ahead you notice the sink cabinets. Wonder what’s under there. You get up on your knees and crawl over and open it, of course you expected back up bathroom necessities, and it was. But you notice something all the way in the back. A singular bobby pin. An idea slams your brain. The locks around the house may be top notch, but you're sure it's nothing a bobby pin cant take care of. 

You quickly move everything and grab the bobby pin. You sit back and hold the bobby pin in between your palms as you pray to the heavens that your idea works. Hope finds its way into your heart. But all of that was interrupted by knocking on the door. You scrambled to close the cabinet and stand up shoving the bobby pin into your sock. “Hey, are you alright, you’ve been in there for a while.” 

“Yeah im fine.” you say with your heart beating out of your chest. You stumble back as he unlocked the door with ease and came in. “sorry just had to make sure you were ok.” he walked into the bathroom and scanned it and scanned you. Looks fine to him. “Let's go play a board game, yeah”? You nodded and followed him to the dining room table as he grabbed a board game from a large cabinet. “Let's play candyland.” he said as he smiled at you bringing it over to set it on the table. Candyland, your childhood game. How the fuck do these creeps know everything about you. “Have you played this before”? He asked as he unpacked it. Oh as if he doesn’t fucking know. 

You rolled your eyes. “Can I get a snack out of the fridge”? He looked up and over to the kitchen. “Sure” he didn't worry since he could see everything going on in the kitchen from where he sat. you stood up and went to the fridge pretending to pick something out. The fridge and kitchen was loaded with snacks and foods that you liked. The only reason they would know is from the worksheets they hand us in the beginning of the year to write things down about ourselves and the snacks, foods, hobbies, music, and colors that we like. 

You walked over to the cabinet close to a small stairway that led to a hallway with a glassdoor. One that led to the outside world. You looked over to toshi to see his nose deep in the board game instructions. You looked around the kitchen with something to hit him with. There's no knives. They hid them all. Fuck. But there's a cutting board. It was a fancy glass one, it was fucking heavy. You quietly grab it and put it behind your back and make your way over to toshi. He never noticed you walking over, raising a cutting board over your head in a deadly manner. 

He started mumbling to himself, confused on the instructions “Wait, if this goes here, then this must go-”  WHAM 

He was out like a light. His blond head slamming against the table. Silence filled the room as he slumped over. You stared at him terrified that you actually did that before the adrenaline kicked in and you were running like a bat out of hell towards the back door. Regret fills you as you approach the clear glass door and notice how gray and foggy it is outside from all of the heavy rain, how could you even see? Why now of all times? It's too late now. It’s now or never. You scrambled to get the pin out from your sock, you were shaking so bad that you dropped it a few times, before finally getting it into the door, after constantly looking behind you. “CLICK” oh my god. You did it. It's unlocked. So much for “MAXIMUM security locks”. You grabbed the door knob and swung the door open, and there it is, that beautiful view you were dying to see. The outside world. After looking over your shoulder just one more time, you booked it out of the house. You could see it, smell it, and taste it. Freedom. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

School let out and shota decided to stay and take over for the detention teacher since they had a personal emergency, and hizashi decided to go over to your mothers house and share his condolences for your death. He hopped into the car throwing his bags into the back seat and took his jacket, speaker, headphones and shades off. Tossing them in the passenger seat beside him. He grabbed a comb from out of the glove department and combed his hair down and put it in a bun. He opened the department to put the brush back and grabbed a pair of his normal glasses and put them on. He looked in the rearview mirror at his face to see if he looked good. Even checking his pearly white teeth. “Alright” he said as he put the keys in the ignition and started the car. “Let's get this ball rolling.” he said as he began to drive out of there. 

Hizashi decided to hit up a flower shop on the ride there. Once he got the flowers, he was on his way to your moms. The car ride there was almost unbearable, the traffic was awful and he almost got T-boned 12 times by fucking idiots who apparently are color blind to traffic lights. But alas, he made it. He slowly pulled up to your house and turned the car off. Deciding to look into the mirror one last time before taking a deep breath and getting out. He closed the car door and made his way up your porch. He took a deep breath as he rang the doorbell. Sounds of a small dog barking and a woman telling it to hush, can be heard on the other side of the door. The sound of a lock can be heard before the door opens. “Oh hello there.” your mother says with a bright smile. Hizashi nodded “hello ms. L/n, do you mind if i come in”? She looked him up and down in a seductive way before answering. “Why sure.” he was absolutely disgusted. Her daughter just “died” and this is how she acts?  

Hizashi kept his smile as he entered the home and looked around as your mother shut the door behind him. “Are those for me”? She asked sweetly. Hizashi nods and hands her the flowers. “Oh I gotta find a pretty vase for these.” she sings as she walks to the kitchen. “Oh I almost forgot, how rude of me. Would you like any Tea, water, juice, or coffee”? She asked while scurrying past him to pull out a chair from the table for him to sit. He waved his hand with dismissal while sitting down in the seat she offered. “No thank you, I appreciate it though”.

He smiled at her.

 “Ok then, what brings your handsome self here”? She says as she fills a vase with water and places the flowers inside. He visibly cringes with the language. “I just thought that I should come by and give you my condolences about what happened with y/n”. He says as he fakes a look of concern and sadness on his face. 

She looks down and chuckles a bit. “Oh, that's all”? Setting the flowers aside.

Hizashi looks confused. “She’s not all that special to me mr. Yamada.” Your mom looks straight ahead out the window above the sink into the back yard to look at the swingset that you used to play on when you were a kid. 

“Yes, she was my child. But she was nothing but a financial problem for me and my boyfriends that i dated. They wanted her gone. But I kept her since she had a chance of becoming a hero and being famous, so I would be able to use her for my own wealth. I mean this swingset I bought for her put me into debt.” She says as she gestures her hand towards the swingset outside of the window. 

Hizashi’s eyes widened. What. the. Actual. Fuck. And he thought HE was sick in the head. Get a load of this bitch. He’s stunned. This was never the reaction he thought he would get. This is a joke right? 

“I'm sorry”? He says as he stands up. “You heard me. I'm free now. No more having to pay for an ungrateful little bitch, no more forcing her into the hero course, and no more stress of trying to figure out what to do with her since all of my past  boyfriends don't seem like her. I can now erase her as if I never had a child, and I would have better luck with relationships” She turned and smiled at Hizashi but her smile faltered a little bit before saying, “but my chance of wealth is out of the picture now that she’s gone.” 

“Is that all you're worried about”? Hizashi says in all seriousness and rage. Damn he  never thought your mom would say such things about you. “At the moment, yes. Besides, now that she’s gone I can finally shoot my shot with you. I have always had a thing for you, But dating my daughter's teacher would be odd, but she's gone now, and you're definitely my type.” she says as she walks over with a seductive smirk. 

He takes a few steps back. “You choose men over your own child and teachers are where you draw the line”? She reaches the table that he stood at and leans on it. “What's the matter, I've always noticed the way you look at me, your partner with the dark hair as well, maybe we can run a train. You should call him since you're already here” she says as she gestures her head behind her towards her bedroom. Hizashi looks past her shoulder and sees she's gesturing to her room. 

He visibly cringes trying not to vomit from pure disgust. It takes everything in him not to tell her that he’s definitely into her daughter instead of her. Rage fills his body. “How the fuck could you say something like that.” His heart hurts for you. Thank the Gods that he kidnapped you, he practically saved you and he can tell you had no idea that your mother held this secret of rage and hatred. His soul hurt. Memories of him attending crime scenes where the child met a terrible fate because the mothers chose the man over them, begins to flood in and haunt him where he stands. He wishes nothing but the worst for those types of mothers. Little did he know that your mother was one of them. 

She looks at him confused seeing that he hurts for you. “What? You want her over me? Oh my god of course you do, she’s always been prettier than me.'' She throws her hands up in defeat and walks towards him shoving a finger to his chest. “Fine, if thats how you want  to be then get the fuck out of my house. NOW!” he stares down at her with anger and a lone tear falling down his face. He contemplates his next move. 

This is all happening so fast and unexpected. Does he beat her until she’s unrecognizable? Does he start recording and show the police and frame her for the death of her daughter? The second option sounds like a wonderful plan honestly. His fists clenched up. She huffed and turned around to walk away. He raises his fist but logic struck him before he could hit her. He quickly straightened himself up and walked out of the home. He walked to his car as he wiped his tears. Leaving the house with her still alive in it, took a lot of strength not to kill her. He looked in the rearview mirror and checked his face, wiping any excess tears. He straightened his glasses and started the car, backing out of the driveway. She's not getting away with this alive. Hizashi wont allow it. He can't hurt her unfortunately because It'll cost him his career. But he'll find a way.  If she wont show you the love appreciation that you deserve then he will, and so will sho and toshi. 

He called toshinori who wasn’t picking up and decided to call shota instead. He was so angry and upset he didn't even bother checking the cameras when Toshi didn't answer. Little did he know that he should have. 

With a couple of rings shota picks up. Without wasting time he speaks “sho i'm going to take a street parole shift for tonight.” he waits for shota to answer. “Why?'' Hizashi thinks about everything and huffs. “Someone called off and there isn’t anyone to take over, so I decided to.” he lied. “Ok then, i’ll see you late tonight then?'' Hizashi nods. “Yes.” 

“Ok is there anything else you called me for?” Hizashi hovers his finger over the end call button on his steering wheel before saying “no, I just wanted to inform you of that. I love you goodbye.” then clicked the button, ending the call. He’s working tonight because he can't go home and have you see him like this. He wanted to spend tonight with you especially after what just happened. So he’ll just have to make it up to you tomorrow and stay home from work. 

 He began grabbing all of his outfit accessories from the passenger seat and put them on as he drove to the hero agency where he would be spending the rest of his day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The air was freezing as it hit your face along with sprinkles of rain that were getting heavier by the minute. You can't breathe anymore from how long and fast you’ve been running, even stepping on a few spikey seed pods on the ground with your bare feet, but you never stopped running. You can't feel your legs anymore. Your Lungs are cold and heavy in your chest. You must keep going. Wait, I found it. The gate at the end of the driveway. You started to slow down as you approached it. You looked frantically behind you as you came to a stop in front of it. You would never know if he followed you out here, since the fog is too heavy to see through. 

The humidity does nothing to aid your breathing, as the rain picks up. Turning around you begin to scan your surroundings as the rain begins to violently soak everything around. Your hair and clothes are now soaking wet and heavy. 

The bars are too close together, and you can't climb them since they were built to be sharp at the top. The walls were made of bricks with barbed wire at the top. Fuck. You look over and see a “private property” and “smile for the camera” sign on the side of the gate. Looking above the signs you see a giant camera facing you. There must be cameras on both sides. Your brows knit in anger as you lift your middle finger to the camera. 

Trying but getting stuck when you try to squeeze through the bars. Anger taking over as you used whatever strength you had to get yourself unstuck, ultimately flying and landing in a huge puddle of rainwater. You stared at the gray sky that sported a huge flash of lightning, and a few moments later the loudest sound of thunder you have ever heard in your life. You couldn’t help but sob. “Please, just please.” you prayed and spoke to whoever was listening. Taking a deep breath, you got up and looked over at a tree that was super close to the wall. Perfect. You ran over to the tree and began climbing it. Thank God for your tree climbing skills that you got when you were a kid. You got to the top and crawled along a branch that would take you to the other side. Almost there. “BAM” 

Everything around you shook. The branch bounced and caused you to fall, almost face planting into the barbed wire. Your body slammed into a large puddle on the ground. You were covered from head to toe in mud. There's no time to waste, you thought to yourself as you scrambled to stand up. You thought nothing of the large sound that happened, thinking that it was just thunder. You turned around and your heart stopped beating. Toshinori stood there in his might form, staring down at you. Looking up in fear, you backed up as his hulking form loomed over you.

 The shadows covering his eyes perfectly made him look more frightening. He breathed deep and heavy with anger as the rain bounces off of his huge form. Neon blue irises peered at you through the shadows around his eyes, making you realize that the sound that you thought was thunder was actually him hitting the ground from out of the sky. Looking down you noticed the mud scattered everywhere and a huge divot in the ground under his feet from the impact. 

You stumble backwards from the large man. Only causing him to take a step forward for every step that you took back. The ground vibrates under you with every step that you take. Eventually backing up into the brick wall with nowhere to go. He is towered over you, seething. The only thing that you can do now is beg. “P-please, im sorry, i-i-i did not mean t-to hurt you.” great now you're stuttering.  You raise your hands up in defense. “You know I wouldn't mean to hurt you. Please. I have to go home, i-i miss my mom, and my life, i h-have to go home please. Please.” you stuttered and begged through your sobs. 

The begs of mercy and pleas fell upon deaf ears. Almost like they were bouncing off of a wall as he just stood there staring at you, not making a single sound. Nothing worse than the silence. Nothing can be heard but the pitter patter sounds of rain hitting every surface around the both of you and the occasional sound of thunder. He reaches forward and you shriek. Dodging his grip and running for your life. You knew your fate was sealed as the ground below you failed  you with slippery mud. Slipping and falling on your ass multiple times didn't stop you from getting up to run. He wasn’t running, he was walking slowly towards your small frail frame as you ran like your life depended on it. He walked like a killer from a movie. Slow and taunting like. 

You slipped one last time. And he caught up to you. A shriek pierced the air as he grabbed a handful of your hair and pulled you to your feet from the roots of your head. He got a mere inch from your face and stared into your soul. He was so close that you could feel the air from his nostrils on your face. You couldn’t help but sob and bring your arms above your head to try to pry his large hand off of your scalp, only causing more pain for yourself. His voice causes you to freeze. “You have disappointed me y/n l/n”. His voice was terrifyingly calm. Without a second longer he threw you into the air and caught you before jumping off of the ground and using the force of his strength to fly into the air towards the house. A loud scream of “NO” erupted from you as he jumped off the ground. 

This was horrifying. You were already scared of heights and you could see the earth below you as you flew 3000 ft into the air. So that's how he got to where you were. He flew. But how did he know exactly where you were in the huge messy forest surrounding the driveway. You missed the cameras that were planted all over the forest that were facing right at you, pinpointing every location you were. The landing felt like it could have killed you with the force of impact. He straightened his body after landing and walked to the back of the house where the glass door that you ran through. He walked carefully through the door to make sure that he can fit through it without having to drop you or change his size. He was successful. You watched as your freedom slipped away from your fingers like sand as he closed the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost 7pm and shota began packing up everything. The kids were dismissed hours ago, but he needed to finish leftover work that hasn't been done since the incident of you being ‘kidnapped’ by izuku. Man, he's hungry. Should he pick something up to bring home? Nah cooking sounds good, even though he's absolutely exhausted. He hasn’t had homemade meals in a while other than this morning. Too much takeout lately. He smirked at the thought of you watching him while he's in the kitchen with an apron on. He noticed the way you looked at him this morning when he was wearing nothing but boxers. 

He held onto that thought as he exited the building with his bag, only to stop as he saw the heavy rain pouring. Yeesh he shouldn’t have parked so far away. He raised his bag over his head to protect him from the rain as he jogged to his car. He quickly unlocked his car and jumped in as he tossed his bag to the passenger seat. Shota took a deep breath as he watched the unbearably heavy rain bounce off of his windshield. Jeez. He took his phone out to shoot a text to toshi that he's on his way home now. Toshi replied quickly with a thumbs up. Shota was satisfied with Toshi's answer and put the phone down before starting the car and turning the windshield wipers on at the highest level, before driving off. 

The drive home sucked. The amount of times that idiots almost hit him from every angle is horrendous. Something about the rain makes people drive like fucking morons. He pulled up to the gates and showed the camera his face and it unlocked the gates for him. He takes a deep breath as the gates slowly open, hoping he doesn't come home to any surprises because you misbehaved in any way shape or form. He presses on the gas and makes his way down the driveway. After about 5 minutes the house comes into view. “Hmm, not burned down. That's a good sign.” He reaches the house and stops the car. He turns the car off and takes the keys out of the ignition. Reaching over he grabs his bag to hover over his head again as he exits the vehicle in the pouring rain. He reaches the door and unlocks all 3 locks and types in a passcode before being let in. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were terrified as you laid strapped down and chained to your bed. Toshinori is lying beside you watching tv with his fingers intertwined on his chest. Giving you the occasional glare. He was disappointed that it got to the point where he had to break out the straps and make you completely immobile. You know something is waiting for you. You both perk up when you both hear the sound of the front door being opened. Your heart beats heavier than before. “Shota’s home.” toshinori said as he got up and walked out, leaving you alone in the room. No no no no what's going to happen to me? 

After what seemed like half an hour, the door opened and Shota stepped in, and shut the door calmly. He slowly stalked towards your bed, and stood at the end of it. Putting both of his hands on the bed frame and leaning on it towards you. His raven hair falling over his shoulders as he glared at you. Eyes glowing just slightly red. You can tell that he’s had a rough day. This cannot be good. Panic rose in your soul as you tried to find the right words to plead. You were about to open your mouth but quickly zipped it when he noticed words were about to come out of your mouth and gripped the bed frame even harder causing it to creak in protest and crack open. Long cracks shooting across the frame. His eyes are getting redder and redder. He looked up and took a deep breath before calmly taking his hands off of the frame and standing up straight. 

Shota looked down at your ankles. Gently guiding his hand to ghost over your feet.

 “I was hoping that you would behave tonight. Now it looks like toshi is going to make dinner while I keep you company”. He ran his index finger along the bottom of your foot, tickling you, causing your foot to jerk. He quickly grabbed it harshly and yanked it to him. He stared into your soul menacingly as his rough, scarred hands held your foot in an iron clasp grip. “Please i-” 

His raven hair started to float when more noise left your mouth, causing you to quickly shut it. 

He sighed heavily before speaking in a low unnerving tone. 

“I don't want to do this, but I'm left with no choice. I can't let you off scott free with just a few ‘im sorrys’. You won't learn anything.” He squeezed your foot even harder, to the point of snapping it in half. “Your actions have consequences. And hopefully this lesson will stick in that fucking head of yours.” He then grabbed the second ankle and looked you dead in the eyes before gripping them both tightly with the strength only a god could have before snapping both of your ankles in different directions causing horrendous damage to your bones. White hot pain shot through your ankles and legs. Your blood curdling screams fell of deaf ears as he dropped your ankles back onto the bed like they were nothing. The weight of them slamming back onto the bed causes you to scream louder.

Shota stalked over to you and tilted his head as he watched you sob with snot and drool running down your face. He reached down and gripped a handful of hair in his hand as he lifted your head roughly. “Look” you refused to open your eyes. “I SAID LOOK” the fear overtaking whatever was left of your body and to your dismay, you opened your eyes. He was showing you the work he was proud of. Horror filled your entire body as he spoke. “Look at that, can't go anywhere now huh”? Your face going pale as you stared down at your twisted fuck up ankles beyond repair. He slammed your head back down to the bed and got close to your ear so there was no way you couldn’t hear him. “Hopefully THIS” he says as he shakes your limp ankle causing you to wince in pure agony. “Will be a lesson that sticks, Because this is only a mere warning.” 

You began to sob but he gripped your hair even tighter and shook your head. “Next time you wont have any fucking feet, and thats only if i feel generous enough to let you keep your whole legs.” He dropped your head and stood up straight. “Your grounded, no tv, tablet, board games, or whatever the fuck you do in your free time. Your going to be in this bed and never fucking leave it, not like you can anyway.” he chuckled to himself. He began to walk out before turning back to you. “No privacy either, this door stays open and if I catch it closed I'm going to take it off of its hinges, no bathroom time by yourself either, and no dinner.” he said as he walked out of the door to leave you in a sobbing broken mess on your own bed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Man, it's soaking out here. Mic thought to himself as he patrolled the empty dark streets. The occasional grocery bag skidding across the pavement from the wind. He honestly wishes something would happen, time is moving way too slow for his liking. He can't help but think about your mother and what a vile human being she is. Then he thinks about you. He hopes everything is going ok at home. He fights the urge to call shota so check up on you, he's not supposed to be caught on his phone during patrols. His hair is soaking wet and has fallen flat a few hours ago when the rain was at its peak. It’ll be weird seeing THE present mic all dressed up but with his hair down and soaked. 

Jeez can something happen please. He was bored out of his mind and he couldn’t take his mind off of your mothers words about you. A scream from the distance halted his thoughts. He perked up and ran immediately to the sound. It's coming from an alleyway. Typical. He walked into the alleyway still bored out of his mind, thinking that this is some cliche everyday robber. “Hey buddy why don't you put the purse down and maybe i’ll le-” mic freezes as the criminal turns his head and peers at him. It's the serial killer that nobody can seem to catch. The very one that kidnaps people and leaves the corpses in america. That same killer that his husband and fiance framed for the “death” of their darling in that hotel room. His face goes pale. 

Before mic can say anything the killer drops what he was doing and lunges forward, knocking mic onto his ass. Mic got up and landed a few blows before picking him up and swinging him around and slamming him to the alleyway walls. He held onto the killer's shirt as he continually punched him knocking a few teeth loose. He slammed his head into the wall and held it there as he twisted his arm behind his back and got close to his ear. “It’s over buddy, you’ve been caught. Do you feel guilty? All of those lives you took?” he asks as he took restraints out of his pocket and detained him, throwing him to the ground. 

The killer spit up some blood before answering with a big smile that was missing some teeth. “No, never.” mic rolled his eyes while he kept an eye on him and took his phone out ready to dial the police and turn him in. As he was dialing the man spoke up. “Hey hey hey, no need for that man. I can do whatever you want or KILL whoever you want.” mic froze and looked up at him. Ideas coming into mind. The killer noticed the look on mics face.

 “Yeah, I can tell you have someone in mind, come on, who is it? All you gotta do is give me a name.” Mic shook his head and put his thumb over the call button, But for some reason he couldn’t press it. 

Mike's head was racing. It all halted when the killer interrupted. “Look, you obviously want someone dead mr “hero”. So I'll make a deal, yeah? I’ll wipe out whoever you want and you will let me go, almost like we never crossed paths, yeah”? He tilted his head and looked up at mic. Who was seriously considering it. The killer almost scoffs at how easy it is to manipulate mic.  

“Well?” He tilts his head and looks at him expectantly. Mic completely caved. “I want you to murder this woman named (mothers name) that lives on (address).” The restrained man looks up and smiles. Bingo. “How do you want it done”? He asked. Mic began to smile like a maniac. “I want it to be the most brutal work you’ve ever done.” He laughed and smiled to the point where the killer himself got a little creeped out. He must be losing his mind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mic sits and waits in his car at the end of your mothers driveway. He stares at his steering wheel. He went through with it, he a “HERO” actually negotiated with a serial killer. It must be done. He thinks to himself. Full on delusion taking over. 

He took the restraints off of the killer and negotiated with him. Setting a due date for TONIGHT. No other time or day. Their plan was to let him go to do what needs to be done, and then mic will follow and make sure that the person is actually dead before “officially” setting him free. Mic laughed to himself in the car. God that killer is gullible. He doesn’t actually think mic is gonna let him go does he? His thoughts were interrupted by faint screams. He looks up and can see shadows moving violently behind the window blinds. 

Anxiety rises in mic and he begins to look around. Eventually the screams stop, and he steps out of the car making sure no one sees him or is outside. 

He straightens himself up and walks over to the front door before opening it. He looks over his shoulder once more before closing the door behind him. Damn this house is a mess. There's blood everywhere. Eventually he reaches her corpse. Yep, definitely dead. He looks over and sees the man sitting at the table drinking sparkling water. 

“Alright, you’ve seen her. She's dead. We’re good”? Mic nods his head and squats down to look closer at your mother. “Well I'm off then, it was good knowing ya.” the man gets up from the table and walks over to the door and stops. There was a coat rack. It's raining outside so might as well grab one. He begins sifting through all the coats to pick one out. Unaware that mic is creeping up on him. The man sees a shadow and turns around only to be struck on the head and knocked out. 

He wakes up in a moving car. He tries to move but can't. Hes tied to the car seat. “HEY” he looks over and sees mic. “We had a deal, remember.” Mic looked over at him and laughed. In a spine tingling tone he answered. “You don't actually think i was gonna let you go, do you”? He said as he pulled into the police station. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shota and toshi eat peacefully at the table as you yell from upstairs. “You didn't give her pain meds?” toshi asked his fiance while chewing food. Shota scraped his fork on the plate a few times. “Nah, she needs to think about what she’s done.” he answered as he shoveled food onto his fork and ate it. He noticed the uncomfortable look on Toshi's face and looked up at the bandage on his head and pointed with his fork while chewing. “She needs to learn toshi, look at what she did to you.” 

Toshi listened to what shota said and he reached a hand up to feel the bandage on his head from being hit earlier. He then remembered the event and agreed with his fiance. So then they continued to eat peacefully as you wailed throughout the house. 

As dinner was almost over they heard the locks on the door shifting and eventually a tired worn out mic came through the door. Shota put his fork down and stood up and so did toshi. “Hey” shota said as he walked over to hizashi. “You alright, how was your day?” mic looked at him and smiled. “It was good, it was good,” he said, waving off the two. 

Toshi kissed zashi after shota said his greetings. “Come eat with us, I made dinner.” toshi said, gesturing to the dinner table. Mic shook his head. “Nah, I gotta go see y/n, I haven't seen her all day.” 

Shota looked over at toshi and gestured to him to go sit back down. Shota then grabbed hizashi’s wrist as he was trying to go see you. “Come eat.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was peaceful. The food was delicious, and the conversations were fun. Just what mic needed after today. You haven’t wailed in an hour. They think you must have fallen asleep. Good, because shota is silently trying to find a way to break the news to his husband about what he did to you. Hizashi has always been the most emotional of the trio. All he could talk about was you at the table, things like “how is she, did she eat anything today, did she behave” shota and toshi just nodded and laughed along with zashi.

 “Did she not come to eat?” zashi asked while chewing. 

Sho and toshi looked at each other for a second before looking at zashi. “No she didnt” zashi looked confused. “Well why not, should I check on her?” he asked as he quickly put his fork down and began to stand up. Shota lunged forward quickly and grabbed his husband, sitting him back down. “ you haven’t finished your food baby”. Zashi looked at him confused. “I don't like this, shota what's going on?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“YOU WHAT?!” 

You woke up from the sudden scream and lifted your head as you heard running up the stairs. HIzashi came running into your room and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw you laying there with twisted, swollen ankles. Snot dried on your face, puffy red eyes, and messy hair. 

He was mortified. He looked back down at your feet. He’s no doctor but he's pretty sure they aren't supposed to bend that way. Shota and toshi come trailing behind him. You looked at them with tears in your eyes. Your head was pounding and your throat was sore from the wailing. 

Hizashi turned towards the men. “How could you?” shota rolled his eyes. “It needed to be done, I already told you what she did. You can't keep being soft on her, that's how shit like this happens. Look at what she did to toshi” he said, pointing to the bandage on his head. 

 Hizashi walked over to you and brushed the hair out of your face and coddled you. Shota scoffed at his husband's reaction. “If you had just listened to me” , Hizashi looked up in rage. “Get out.” toshi then cut in between the two. “Look I understand-” Hizashi jumped up. “I SAID GET OUT!” toshi stopped and put his hands up and walked out leaving shota still in the room. “You too.” hizashi pointed at him with hurt in his expression. “Hiz-” “NOW” shota was stunned but complied and walked out leaving hizashi with you. 

“Its ok, everythings gonna be ok” he said as he slowly began losing his mind. He brushed the hair out of your face and ran to get pain meds and water. Completely avoiding shota as he followed him around the house trying to lecture him about just leaving you alone and that you need to suffer to learn. Hizashi completely ignored him. He grabbed a pair of clothes to change into and other necessities, including a plate of food to feed you. 

Hizashi slammed your door in shota’s face and ran over to you. “Here take these”. He said as he gave you pain meds and water. “This is gonna hurt ok”? He said as he grabbed a stack of pillows to elevate your feet on. Wincing at the wails of pain that came from you. “It’s ok, i'm gonna stay right here.” he said as he walked over and grabbed the plate of food that he left on his nightstand and sat down next to you and fed you. After feeding you and putting a blanket over you, he stood up and walked over to the other side of the bed and changed his clothes. 

He then got under the covers with you and cuddled you. “It's ok” he said over and over again as he shushed your cries. It was like that until the both of you fell asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rays of sun beaming from your window caused you to wake up. You look over and see that hizashi has gotten up and straightened the bed back up and cleaned up the dishes from your nightstand. You smell something amazing in the air, but then remembered what happened to you last night and a wave of nausea hits you like a train. You lay your head down and breathe trying to think of anything else while the three men ate breakfast at the table downstairs. 

Hizashi is so angry at shota right now it's not even funny. But he still loves him dearly with all of his heart. So he still kisses him on the cheek and serves him breakfast. Hizashi is always the most emotional out of the trio. So it's damn near impossible for him to ever see eye to eye on shota’s discipline. Pretty much like the fun dad and mean mom. So he will never understand the ankle breaking option that shota chose. Hizashi will never agree with shota’s punishments and will never use them on you himself. He hasn’t quite had a change of heart yet, But if you keep it up, he just might. 

He kissed shota and toshi before sending them off to work and waving them goodbye from the porch. They wanted to see you before work, but hizashi wouldn’t allow it. Telling them to give it time. After the cars roll off he takes a deep breath and walks back into the house and cleans up their dishes and tries to find ways to forgive shota while washing them. He then took a plate that he made you out of the microwave and headed upstairs with it. 

You heard a few knocks on the door before it opened. You look over and see your soon to be husband walk in holding a plate of food and some juice. Long golden hair wrapped in a low bun, green iris’s lighting up behind his glasses, while wearing a tight black shirt that has a rock band on it, and black and red patterned pj pants. 

He smiles bright at you and mouths a “hey” at you while he walks towards you quietly. He sets the plate and cup on your nightstand and bends down to help you sit up. He whispers gently to you “good morning”. He rubs your head when you groan in pain. “I got some food for ya, I think you should eat, songbird.” he says while sitting on the side of the bed to then lay a hand on your legs and start rubbing it in a comforting way. “There's a doctor coming over in a few hours to give you a cast and help you with your ankles so they can heal properly. “ he says as he bends over to grab the food off the nightstand table. 

He grabs the fork and shovels some food on it. “Say ah” you roll your eyes, but do it anyway. You take the food off of the fork when he puts it in your mouth and chew. It's spicy. He looks at you expectantly and smiles. “Good?” you nod and he's practically beaming. It was boring while you ate. You weren't allowed to watch tv or read any books or even walk in that matter. That's the only thing about this punishment that hizashi can kind of agree on. So he won't let you do any of those things either. He understands that what you did is bad, so he won't let you get away with it completely. Mid meal, Hizashi started ranting about his husband and toshi. The room was too quiet and he thought that you would make a good listener. 

You were surprised most of the conversation, chewing slowly and listening closely as mic ranted about them. Learning new things about them and the things that they did, who they are as people. Shota sounded terrifying. How does mic even sleep with him? Is he a victim? The conversation started when he started talking about your ankles, then he started getting riled up and started venting. Then eventually the conversation circled back to the beginning where he was before he trailed off. 

He shoveled the last bit of food on the fork and pointed at you. “Fuck what shota thinks, he believes that you shouldn’t wear a cast or get your ankles fixed. He wants you broken. Toshi disagrees with it too, but he's a pussy. He’s scared of shota. Shotas is pretty much the man of the house.”  He said while he raised his arm with the fork in it in a mocking way. 

He finally put the fork in your mouth before finishing his rant. “Shota’s gonna kill me when he sees the cast on you.” you chew slightly traumatized but alas, you swallow it. “Alrighty then” he says smiling at you while he gathers up the plate and cup and walks out of your room. Leaving you there to think about what he said about the others. 

Hizashi will never tell them that he was the reason behind the death of your mother. That will follow him to the grave. As much as he got in shota’s face for what he did to you, He himself did something just as dreadful. He feels like a hypocrite. Even though that woman deserved the worst, she didn't deserve death. No one does. He stands and thinks about that as he washes your dishes. Starting to regret what he did. He’s never killed anyone, honest. But she lit something up in him. He loved you too much for that. Love will make you do some crazy things won't it?

He headed towards the back of the house. There's a big room, a perfect room to make an ‘at home’ recording studio. So he’ll be able to do his third job at home to spend more time with you. 

The boxes were already in there filled with everything that the studio needed, and that's how both of your days went. You spent it in bed while he was building his studio. After he finished building his studio, he took a step back and admired his work. Perfect. 

The next thing on his ‘to do’ list is to fix the lock from the door you ran out of and put more security on the locks. 

He grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and took a few sips. “Shit might as well drill all the fucking doors shut.” he thought to himself as he threw his hands up exaggeratingly.

He was in the middle of fixing the lock on the door when he heard a knock at the front door. He dropped the tools and walked through the house while wiping his dirty hands on his pants before he opened the door. It was the doctor. One that hizashi is paying very well to keep his mouth shut about what he sees. 

He greeted the doctor and let him in and started working on your ankles. Hizashi decided to go back downstairs and finish the door so he wouldn't hear your yells of pain.

Hizashi fixed the lock and then decided to put more security on the others. He was on his knees at the front door, playing with the lock. “AHEM” hizashi turns around and sees the doctor. “Oh, sorry.” He says as he gets up and opens the door to let him out. He turned around and said “everything is perfectly fine, but from the looks of it, don't let her walk for a few weeks.” hizashi nodded and sparked a 5 minute conversation with him while you laid in bed upstairs crying from everything that you went through and had to go through. 

They both laughed and waved goodbye before he came back into the house. He then began walking upstairs to check on you. He opened the door and saw you laying down with tears in your eyes. “Hey what's the matter”? He asked. Oh as if he didnt know. “The doctor gave you cute casts and you're sad?” he said while rubbing them. This is the most frustrating thing ever. 

You just ignored him and closed your eyes while he was assuming that the others pissed you off and he was the “good” guy. 

“I want to go home,” Hizashi's head snapped up. “What”? You looked at him with rage in your face. “I. WANT. TO. GO. HOME!” He stood up and backed up.

 “What, why? After all I do for you? We’re gonna live a good, long, happy life. We’re gonna get some pets, and make babies and have a big happy family here” 

He’s honestly really delusional. You sat yourself up and yelled louder. “All you do for me? What did you possibly do to benefit me huh? Huh, Hizashi Yamada?” you screeched. He was losing his mind. He was pacing around the room. Just spiraling every second. You could see it on its face. It was almost enough to make you back down. He might be the softest, but he's the scariest, the most mentally ill. But you kept going. “IM GONNA KILL ALL OF YOU AND BURN YOUR DEAD BODIES AND RUN AW-”  Before you could finish he snapped. Turning around and harshly pointing at you “YOU ARE HOME” his face red with rage. You jumped a little from the booming voice. He began to walk closer while still pointing. “YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE! DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME? ANYWHERE! THIS IS YOUR HOME NOW SO YOU BETTER FUCKING GET USED TO IT!” he said as he grabbed you harshly and yanked you out of bed. “HEY, HEY” you screamed as he dragged you through the house all the way down to the basement. “NO PLEASE” you screamed as he dragged you down the stairs and into the darkness of the basement. The only light is the open door. He threw you to the ground near a metal pipe and wrapped chains around you. “Please i'll be good, i'm so sorry”

All of your pleas fell on deaf ears as he tightened the chains and yanked on them to make sure that it was tight enough. He then stood up straight and began to walk out. “This is your home. Now think about what you’ve done.” and with that he slammed the door closed. Leaving you in complete cold darkness. 

You started your day the way you always did: waking up to an empty room and the soft hum of something distant, the air purifier, maybe, or just silence pretending to be company. There was no greeting waiting for you, no breakfast on the table.

'Alfred is probably still asleep,' you told yourself. It made sense; you always woke up the earliest. You’d long learned that mornings belonged to you alone.

You made toast without thinking, moving through the kitchen like a ghost who knew the layout by muscle memory. A cup left on the counter, a half-opened folder, a jacket draped over a chair, traces of lives that brushed past yours without ever settling beside you. Just enough to remind you that people lived here. That you were not, technically, alone.

'Everyone’s probably still asleep,' you thought, neither disappointed nor surprised.

By the time you stepped outside, the sky was still soft with early light, and you slipped into the quiet road. It was peaceful in a way that made sense: no noise, no rush, no one calling after you. Normal. Predictable. Safe, even.

When you reached your classroom, you set your bag down, pulled out your chair, and sat without much thought. The room was still empty. Quiet, like the morning at home. You simply waited, waited for your friends to arrive, waited for voices, waited for something to feel a little more alive than the morning you had just lived through.

You didn’t have to wait long.

The classroom door swung open with the soft scrape of sneakers on polished floor, and Miles stepped in first, hair still slightly messy, uniform half-tucked like he’d gotten dressed while sprinting. He brightened the moment he saw you.

“Yo, you’re early! Again,” he said, dropping his bag beside the desk in front of yours.

You shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Miles blinked. “Man… that’s the third time this week.”

Before you could come up with an explanation that sounded less concerning, Gwen slipped into the room behind him. Her headphones hung around her neck, and her hoodie sleeves were pushed up just enough to show smudges of paint or bruises. Knowing Gwen, it could be either.

“Morning,” she said, offering a small wave before sliding into the seat next to you. Her eyes flicked over your expression, scanning you in that quiet way she did when she was worried but didn’t want you to notice.

“You eat yet?” she asked.

“Yeah,” you lied easily. Toast barely counted, but it sounded better than nothing.

Miles slumped into his chair backward, arms draped over the backrest. “You know, normal people sleep in. Or like… get picked up, or dropped off, or—”

Gwen kicked his foot lightly, giving him a look. “Miles.”

“What?” he whispered back, then turned to you with a softer voice. “I’m just saying. You’re always here alone.”

You blinked, not seeing the issue. “I always wake up early. My family’s busy. It’s normal.”

Miles and Gwen exchanged a glance, a quick, wordless conversation you weren’t meant to hear. The kind where concern lived in the silence between their expressions.

You didn’t understand it. To you, this morning felt just like every other morning.

Life was never meant to be perfect, there’s happiness and there’s sadness, and everyone gets a different portion of each. Maybe yours was simple: joy with friends, and “just fine” at home. So when your family seemed to overlook you, it didn’t feel like a wound. It just felt… expected. Something you accepted without protest.

After all, if you never had much to begin with, there was nothing to lose. So when they forgot you, or missed you, or simply didn’t show up, the only thing you could think was: It’s okay. It’s fine. It doesn’t matter.

______________________________________

Lunch was loud for everyone except the three of you. Miles had slid his tray across from you, Gwen sitting beside him, both quieter than usual. You didn’t think much of it, you were focused on peeling the wrapper off your sandwich, pretending not to notice the way they kept glancing at each other. It felt like they were waiting for the right moment, or maybe for you to say something first. But you just ate in small bites, content with the familiar silence. To you, nothing was wrong. It was just another lunch.

Lunch at Gotham Academy was always chaotic, trays clattering, people shouting across tables, chairs scraping harshly against the floor. But somehow, at your table, everything felt muted. Quieter. Like the noise of the cafeteria dimmed itself the moment you sat down.

Miles dropped into the seat across from you, his backpack hitting the floor with a dull thud that sounded heavier than it should have. His eyes kept drifting toward you, then away, like he was rehearsing something in his head. Gwen sat beside him, shoulders tight, fingers fidgeting with the wrapper of her granola bar. She wasn’t really eating, neither of them were.

You noticed none of it.

Your gaze drifted across the room instead, catching the sight of Tim laughing quietly with his friends, a rare smile slipping through his usually exhausted expression. A bit further, Damian walked in with that sharp, clipped stride that always made people instinctively part out of his way. He looked like he had just finished intimidating an entire classroom.

You poked at your lunch, peeling open packets and taking small, slow bites as if nothing strange was happening at your table. The quiet didn’t bother you; it wrapped around you in a way that felt familiar, almost comforting. You didn’t understand why Miles kept shifting restlessly, or why Gwen kept nudging his shoe under the table. Whatever was bothering them, it didn’t seem like something you needed to think about.

Miles opened his mouth once, ready to speak, then immediately shut it again. Gwen nudged him harder, her expression tightening in frustration as he shot her a pleading look. You watched them with mild confusion, not quite following their silent conversation. You didn’t ask, choosing instead to take another bite of your sandwich and let the tension pass you by.

The silence stretched long enough that you finally looked up. Miles stared at you like he was choosing his words with painful precision, while Gwen looked torn between stopping him or forcing him forward. You still didn’t understand why they were acting like this. It was just lunch, just another typical day.

Then Miles inhaled deeply, his shoulders stiffening. “So… do you want to talk about why you called Hobie at 9 P.M. a few days ago?” he asked, his voice careful but strained.

You blinked at him, genuinely confused. “What are you talking about? I never called Hobie at nine. I was asleep. Slept great, actually.”

Miles froze, and Gwen’s expression fell sharply. They exchanged a look filled with worry rather than annoyance, but you barely registered it. Or maybe you did and brushed it off before it could matter. You quickly redirected, saying, “Shouldn’t we talk about you two disappearing last weekend? You vanished without telling me anything.”

Miles stared at you in disbelief, and Gwen exhaled shakily. “Reader,” she said, her voice trembling with contained anger, “Hobie told us you were calling him while crying at nine p.m., at the bus stop, begging him not to hang up and to pick you up.”

You flinched at her tone, leaning forward in panic. “Ssst—Gwen, lower your voice! Don’t be so loud, seriously, we’ll look ridiculous.”

You glanced around quickly, relieved when only a few students looked your way before turning back to their meals. Still, heat crawled up your neck from the attention. Miles and Gwen exchanged another look, one that said they knew something was deeply wrong. You still didn’t see it or refused to.

Miles leaned in, voice soft but desperate. “When will you tell us what’s really going on?”

You tightened your grip on your drink and muttered, “I’ll tell you. Just… later.”

Miles frowned, pressing again, “Later when?”

“Later,” you repeat

______________________________________

You didn’t spend much time with anyone at school besides Miles and Gwen, they were the only constant presence in your otherwise quiet routine. The halls were always full of chatter and overlapping conversations, but you often felt like you were walking through an aquarium watching everything through glass.

After school, you usually slipped out as soon as the bell rang, heading home before you could accidentally get caught in someone’s plans. Miles and Gwen always seemed to have mysterious after-school activities, but you never pushed for details. You simply assumed that this was how friendships naturally worked.

As you shut your locker, Miles approached with a careful smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He slung his bag over his shoulder, his fingers tapping restlessly against the strap in a rhythm that betrayed his nerves. Gwen joined him, her sketchbook pressed against her chest, her gaze flickering between you and Miles like she was bracing for impact.

For a moment, the corridor felt too still, as if the noise around you shrank away from the tension gathering between the three of you. You didn’t know what they were hesitating to say, you didn’t even consider the possibility that it involved you.

“Reader, are you heading straight home after this?” Miles finally asked, voice trying too hard to sound casual.

“Yeah, I think so,” you replied with a small shrug, not sensing the weight behind the question. You zipped your bag calmly, oblivious to the exchanged look behind your back.

Gwen stepped closer, lowering her voice. “What about the conversation at lunch?” she asked softly. Her tone was gentle, but her eyes were too earnest to ignore.

Your breath caught for a moment before you forced yourself to smile. “O-oh… that? We’ll talk later.” You waved your hand lightly, pretending the topic was too trivial to address right now.

Miles frowned. “Later when?”

“Later,” you repeated quickly, the word feeling like a shield you clung to. “Don’t you guys have stuff to do? You always do.” You smiled again, but this time it wobbled just a little, and you hoped they wouldn’t notice.

They shared another long look one full of silent communication and mutual dread. Then Gwen sighed, shoulders deflating. “Okay… this weekend, if you’re not busy.” She sounded relieved and heartbroken all at once.

“Great,” you said, genuinely meaning it. “We can invite the others too, maybe go hang out somewhere.” In truth, you still didn’t understand how they always managed to leave Gotham so quickly, or why their video call backgrounds looked like entirely different worlds. You just assumed they lived interesting lives.

When you reached the school gate, Miles slowed his steps, glancing at your bike chained neatly to a pole. “So… you’re biking home today?”

“Yeah,” you answered casually. “Sometimes I take the bus, but today I brought my bike.”

Gwen tilted her head. “You ride home alone? Why not go with your brothers?” She paused. “The youngest—Damian, right? He always gets picked up at the front gate. Why don’t you just go with him?”

Miles winced, and Gwen immediately elbowed him, but the question was already hanging in the air.

You laughed softly, because to you, the answer was obvious. “Damian just moved to Gotham not long ago. He might get lost on his own,” you explained with a smile. “And if Dick’s driving him, they probably already have plans. They’re close. I’d just make it awkward if I tagged along.” You shrugged, adding lightly, “I don’t want to third-wheel my own family, right?”

Miles stopped walking entirely, and Gwen’s eyes widened with something close to disbelief. They exchanged a look so sharp and full of realization that even you felt the shift in the air, though you didn’t understand why. The silence thickened, pressing against your ribs.

“This is… worse than I thought,” Gwen muttered under her breath.

You blinked, confused. “Why? It’s normal. Older siblings are usually closer to the youngest. The rest of us just… fill the gaps.” You said it gently, almost cheerfully, as though stating a fact that had never hurt you.

You didn’t see their expressions tighten, or the way Miles’s jaw dropped slightly. You didn’t notice Gwen’s eyes soften with pity she tried to hide.

All three of you stood there for a moment, exchanging looks that carried entirely different meanings. You saw nothing strange in what you’d said. But Miles and Gwen saw everything you couldn’t.

______________________________________

Weekend came slower than you expected.

By the time you reached the small café Gwen had chosen tucked between two old Gotham buildings and glowing with warm yellow lights you could already see them waiting inside. Miles waved the moment he spotted you through the window, his smile bright but a little too forced around the edges. Gwen was beside him, arms crossed, tapping her foot anxiously against the floor. Hobie lounged across two chairs like gravity had given up on him, Pavitr sat upright with perfect posture, and Peni was scrolling through something on her device, though her eyes kept flickering toward the entrance as if checking for you.

The bell above the door chimed softly as you stepped in, and suddenly five pairs of eyes found you all at once. For a moment, the room felt warmer not just from the heaters but from the sudden burst of welcome you weren’t used to receiving. Pavitr was the first to stand, greeting you with a wide grin that could melt winter air. Hobie lifted one hand lazily in acknowledgment, his expression unreadable but sharper than usual.

“Reader!” Miles called, pushing his chair back as if he wasn’t sure whether he should hug you or just wave. You smiled back, easing into the scene without sensing the cloud hovering above the group. To you, it was just a weekend hangout.

Gwen motioned for you to sit beside her, sliding a warm cup of something toward your spot at the table. “We already ordered for you,” she said, watching your reaction carefully. “Hope that’s alright.”

“Of course,” you said easily, placing your bag down. “Thanks. It’s nice to see everyone together for once.”

The table fell quiet not awkward, but anticipatory, like everyone was waiting for the starting note of a song they all knew but you didn’t. Pavitr exchanged a glance with Hobie, Peni’s fingers paused over her device. Miles rested his elbows on the table, studying you like he was checking for cracks he couldn’t point out yet.

You didn’t notice. You just smiled, unaware of the weight pooling in the space between all of them.

“So!” you said brightly. “What’s the plan?”

Five friends looked at each other. And you could almost feel the moment they decided:

Today was the day they would stop letting you run from the truth.

The shift in the café became impossible to ignore once you started speaking. Gwen leaned forward almost unconsciously, her fingers tightening around her cup as if she needed something to anchor herself. Miles sat with his eyes glued to you, his posture tense, like each word you said pulled a string tighter inside his chest. Pavitr’s smile faded into a worried crease, and Peni slowly lowered her device, her expression going still. Even Hobie always relaxed, always unreadable straightened in his seat, his gaze sharpening.

“Alright… I guess you won't stop asking unless I tell you,” you said with a small, tired shrug. You didn’t mean it dramatically; it was simply the truth. “That day after the study tour… I told my family to pick me up around five. At the meeting point.” You tried to keep your tone light, but the words felt heavier in the air than you expected.

No one interrupted you. They all froze, listening too closely.

“But no one came,” you continued, fingers idly tracing a circle on the table. “People left one by one, and it got dark. I was hungry, and my calls went straight to voicemail. My battery was at… one percent? Maybe less. I just remember staring at it and hoping it wouldn’t die.” You smiled awkwardly at the memory, as if laughing at your own bad luck.

Miles’s jaw clenched so hard you heard his teeth grind. Gwen inhaled sharply, her eyes already glassy with frustration. Pavitr pressed a hand to his chest, like the story physically hurt. Peni’s brows pinched together, her lips parting in disbelief. Hobie muttered something under his breath—something sharp, angry, and definitely not meant for you.

You kept going, oblivious. “I thought about calling you guys. Your names were the first thing in my head, actually.” You laughed faintly. “But you two were losing signal all week, so I figured you were busy or out of town or something.”

Gwen’s grip around her cup slowly tightened until her knuckles turned white, as if she were physically holding herself back. Miles leaned forward, lips parting, then closing again like he was swallowing something sharp and bitter. Pavitr’s shoulders slumped, the brightness in his posture dimming into a quiet ache. Peni set her tablet down entirely, her usual energy gone, replaced by wide, stunned eyes. Hobie tilted his head slightly, jaw clenching, one finger tapping the table with a quiet, dangerous rhythm.

“And it’s Gotham,” you said lightly. “Walking home at night is basically a death wish. So I… panicked a little. And somehow, I ended up calling Hobie. And that’s it. End of story. Tamat deh!”

The silence that followed wasn’t normal silence. It was thick. Heavy. Almost suffocating.

Miles finally found his voice, barely. “How—how does no one in your family pick up your calls?” His voice cracked on the last word.

You shrugged, genuinely confused at the intensity in his tone. “You know how my dad is busy. Dick was in Blüdhaven. Jason, Cass, Duke? No clue. And Tim never brings his phone into the manor.” You scratched your cheek sheepishly. “And I mean, it's not like I’d ask Damian.”

“Why not?” Gwen whispered. Her voice trembled not from fear, but from anger she was trying to swallow.

You blinked, chuckling. “He’s a kid, Gwen. He’d get lost, and then I’d be the problem. It’d be awkward for both of us.”

For the first time, Hobie leaned forward sharply. His eyes cut into you with a fierceness that made the others flinch.

“And Alfred?” Miles asked, voice breaking. “The butler. The older man who takes care of your house. Why didn’t you call him?”

“Oh—Alfred?” you said brightly, as if the question was harmless. “He’s old. Probably tired. The manor’s big, and he handles everything alone. I didn’t want to bother him.”

For a heartbeat, no one moved. You finally looked up from your drink—and their faces hit you all at once: eyes widened, shoulders tense, shock carved into their expressions. You didn’t understand it. Their reactions felt too dramatic for something so small.

A small laugh slipped from your lips, an attempt to break the tension. “Hahaha come on, guys… relax. It’s all in the past. And I’m here now, right?” You spread your hands lightly, like you were reassuring children after a scary story. “Life isn’t always smooth. Stuff happens.”

But your words meant to comfort—only sounded more tragic in the quiet space between you. Like someone making peace with pain they never should’ve carried alone.

And the five of them stared back at you, each realizing the same terrifying thing:

You truly believed this was normal.

pecah

Gwen leaned forward first, fingers laced together tightly. “Reader… when you say no one picked up the phone, do you mean literally no one? Not even a missed call?” Her voice was soft, but the strain beneath it was impossible to miss. You tilted your head, confused by her intensity.

Miles jumped in immediately. “Did you try calling more than once? Or did you just call each person one time?” He looked like he was trying to find a logical explanation—any explanation—that made your situation less awful. You only gave him a small shrug.

“Uh… yeah? I tried calling a few times. Maybe three or four, I don’t remember,” you answered honestly. “But it’s okay, they’re busy. I wasn’t dying or anything.” You laughed lightly, but no one else joined in.

Peni shifted closer, her eyebrows knitting together. “Did they know you were alone at night?” she asked quietly, her tone surprisingly serious. You blinked at her, unsure why she looked almost… scared. “I mean… yeah? I texted it,” you replied, rubbing your neck.

Pavitr placed a hand on the table, leaning forward. “Reader… did they respond to the text?” he asked gently. His eyes were warm, but there was something pleading in them. “Even just a ‘seen’? Anything?”

“I—um, no,” you admitted, scratching your cheek awkwardly. “But that’s not weird. They forget their phones a lot. Tim leaves his phone everywhere.” You smiled as if that solved everything, while Pavitr slowly sank back into his seat.

Hobie scoffed under his breath, shaking his head. “So you’re tellin’ me your whole bloody house—every adult there—forgot how to answer a phone?” His voice wasn’t yelling, but it was sharp enough to slice through the air. You stiffened, unsure why he sounded almost offended.

Miles took a shaky breath. “Did anyone at home check up on you afterward? Ask if you got back safely? Anything at all?” His voice sounded small, like he already knew the answer.

You thought about it for a moment. “Um… no?” you said, blinking. “But I mean, they probably assumed I made it back. I usually do.” You gave them a reassuring smile, unaware that every word made their expressions darken.

Gwen’s hand flew to her chest. “Reader… that’s not— that’s not normal,” she said softly, her voice almost breaking. But before she could finish, you cut her off with a laugh.

“Oh my god, you’re all acting like I was abandoned in a desert,” you joked, waving your hand dismissively. “Guys, it’s fine. I got home. I survived.”

They didn’t laugh. Not even a smile.

Peni leaned in again, her voice tiny. “Were you crying before you called Hobie?”

You hesitated, confused by the question. “Well… yeah. I was scared? ok, It was dark.” You said it plainly, like stating the weather.

Hobie let out a low, simmering exhale. “You cried alone on a curb in Gotham. With a dead phone. After bein’ ignored by everyone you live with.” His voice was low, slow, and far too steady. “And you’re sittin’ here tellin’ us like it’s a funny anecdote.”

You blinked, genuinely at a loss. “Well… isn’t it?”, you laught again.

Miles dropped his face into his hands. Gwen let out a shaky breath. Pavitr covered his eyes for a moment. Peni clutched her sleeve. Hobie swore under his breath.

And still— you didn’t understand why they all looked like they were about to break.

Interrogation

Gwen set her cup down a little too hard, the tiny clink sounding louder than it should. “Reader… if this happened just once, maybe we wouldn’t be so worried. But what about that time, you waved at Tim in the hallway, remember? And he stopped and stared at you like he was trying to remember your name!”

You blinked, genuinely confused. “Tim’s always tired. And we barely talk at the manor. It’s normal for him to space out.”

Miles sat up straighter, his voice sharper. “And the charity event—you said the whole family would be there. But you showed up alone. You were the only Wayne representative in the entire building!”

“Jason suddenly had an accident,” you replied calmly. “Someone from the family had to be there, and I was already on the way. It made sense for me to go.”

Peni leaned forward, her tone tight. “You entertained an entire room of old businessmen by yourself for hours. Reader. That’s not normal.”

You laughed faintly, puzzled by her reaction. “Well… what else was I supposed to do? They weren’t that bad. Okay—maybe a little creepy, but still.”

Before anyone could respond, something else hit you. “OH! Speaking of that night, you remember when I called you guys to pick me up?” you said, eyes widening. “It didn’t even take twenty minutes before all of you showed up! With Peter and Mayday! And I didn’t even tell you the location yet! How did you do that?”

All five froze.

Pavitr swallowed hard. “W-we were… kinda nearby,” he offered, voice thinning out toward the end.

“And all five of you wear those matching spider-themed watches,” you said, pointing. “And I never questioned it! I didn’t even tease you!”

Hobie’s jaw flexed, his voice low. “Those watches aren’t just watches, luv. We have… reasons.”

“What reasons?” you asked, bright and clueless.

They exchanged panicked glances, silent arguments happening between their eyes.

But you continued, still completely comfortable.

“And then that time you took me to Pavitr’s house?” you said, looking at them innocently. “You made me close my eyes when you put the watch on me. And when I opened them—like ten minutes later—we were there. Isn’t his house out of Gotham? Or did I get mixed up?”

This time, the silence was crushing.

Miles ran both hands through his hair. Gwen stared at you like she couldn’t breathe. Pavitr covered his mouth with both palms. Peni clutched her watch nervously. And Hobie leaned back, eyes narrowing as he studied you like a puzzle with missing pieces.

Then the questions came—fast, sharp, layered.

Questions are asked of you indiscriminately

Miles leaned forward, worry tightening every line of his face. “Reader, when was the last time your family actually remembered your birthday?” “I-I don’t celebrate my birthday!” you answered quickly, louder than you meant to. Miles didn’t let it go. “Funny, because a few months ago Tim’s birthday was broadcast on TV. A whole Wayne Enterprises event. Cameras, speeches, everything.” You stared at him, stunned and unsure how to respond.

Gwen jumped in, her frustration barely contained. “Do they even know what grade you’re in?” “Oh come on, you know this,” you said with a forced laugh. “I’m older than Damian and a year below Tim!” “No,” Gwen snapped gently. “Your grade, Reader. We’re talking about your grade, not your brothers’.” Your smile faltered for the first time.

Peni leaned closer, brows tight with concern. “Do they ever ask how school is going? At all?” You waved her off with a bright grin. “Relax, Peni! My school days are great.” But she didn’t look reassured—her fingers curled nervously around her sleeve.

Pavitr’s voice softened. “When you text home, how long does it take for them to reply?” “That’s easy,” you said. “They usually read it by the time I’ve already made it back home.” Miles’s eyes widened. Pavitr’s shoulders slumped, hurt by the answer more than you expected.

Hobie tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “Or do they reply at all?” You blinked. “Well… once I’m home and they see me at the dinner table, what’s the point of replying?” Across from you, Gwen let out a breath that sounded like a quiet, defeated curse.

Miles didn’t wait. “When you get sick, who takes care of you?” “I— I…” You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. Even you didn’t seem to know the answer. The silence that followed was suffocating. Even you felt it this time, like something cold slid down your spine. Gwen stepped in before the moment could settle too long, her voice cracking like she hated the question she had to ask. She looked at you as if bracing for an answer she already feared.

“When you have achievements… does anyone congratulate you?” “…” Your throat tightened, and for once your evasive smile refused to come. The absence of an answer said more than anything you could have spoken aloud. Pavitr looked away, as if seeing your expression physically hurt him. Peni’s shoulders curled inward, her gaze dropping to her lap.

She whispered, “Do they even know our names?”

“I… maybe?” You blinked, feeling suddenly exposed. “I never asked.”

That only made their worry spike higher. Hobie leaned forward, eyes burning with something fierce, anger, sadness, disbelief. He felt like a storm tightening in on itself, ready to explode. Pavitr asked the next question with a trembling breath, pushing forward because someone had to.

Pavitr leaned forward, desperation creeping into his tone. “Have you ever had dinner with your whole family—all of them—without someone leaving halfway through?” You gave a weak laugh. “They’re busy people. It happens.” But no one at the table believed that was normal.

Hobie’s stare was sharp enough to cut. “And tell me—when’s the last bloody time someone in that house told you they were proud of you?” Your jaw clenched. “Okay… that’s a bit much, don’t you think?” But your attempt to be annoyed only made their faces fall further.

Their questions piled up like stones, each one heavier than the last, revealing cracks you didn’t know you had. You tried to laugh it off, raising your hands as if calming a crowd. “Hahaha—guys, really. Chill. It’s all in the past. I’m here now, right? I’m fine. Life isn’t always smooth. Stuff happens.”

But your smile didn’t comfort them. It terrified them.

They stared at you not because your story was horrifying, but because of how effortlessly, casually, quietly you told it.

Because somewhere along the way, you had learned to live with being overlooked… so deeply that you didn’t even see it anymore.

And they were only now realizing the scars you couldn’t see.

______________________________________

The silence around the table stretched so long it almost became a sound of its own—thick, trembling, impossible to ignore. You looked from face to face, trying to understand what emotion could twist all of them like this, but every expression only deepened your confusion. To you, the story had already ended. To them, it had only just begun unraveling.

“Why are you all angry?”

Miles sucked in a sharp breath, like he couldn’t believe you had to ask. His fingers curled into fists, restless against the wooden table. He looked up slowly, and there was no anger in his eyes, only hurt.

“We’re not angry at you,” he said, voice shaking. “We’re angry because nobody should have to grow up like that.”

You frowned at him, unsure what exactly he meant. Growing up was growing up. Families were busy. Schedules clashed. That wasn’t abuse, it was just life. You shifted slightly in your chair, feeling everyone’s attention pinning you down like a spotlight you didn’t ask for.

Gwen leaned closer, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “You talk about being ignored like it’s a normal part of your routine,” she said softly. “It shouldn’t be.”

You blinked at her, confused by the intensity in her voice. She looked like she was struggling to stay calm, her hands trembling as she rested them on the table. You wished you knew how to ease whatever pain she saw.

“But it is normal,” you said simply. “That’s just how it is at home.”

Peni made a tiny sound in her throat, like a gasp she didn’t mean to let out. She pressed her palms together tightly, knuckles pale as she stared at you with wide, wounded eyes. Even Pavitr leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, looking at you as if you were revealing something darker with every innocent word.

“Reader… normal doesn’t mean lonely,” Pavitr whispered. “You say things like you’re used to being invisible.”

"First of all, i am not lonely" take a sip at your drink, Invisible? The word landed strangely in your mind. You had never thought of it like that. You had chores, routines, responsibilities. Sometimes they called you for help. Sometimes they didn’t. It wasn’t personal—just busy schedules.

“I’m not invisible,” you said, shaking your head. “They see me. I mean… they don’t always pay attention, but that’s fine. They have more important things to deal with.”

Miles flinched as if your words had struck him, while Gwen covered her mouth in shock and Pavitr lowered his head, the calmness in your voice hurting them more than anything else you had said. Hobie leaned back, jaw tight, posture stiff as he stared at you like you were revealing something quietly devastating. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough with anger he wasn’t directing at you. “They should’ve been there for you. And you talk like you never even expected them to be.”

You blinked at him, genuinely confused. Expectation had never been part of how your home worked. It wasn’t disappointment if you never waited for anything to begin with. “I don’t expect anything,” you said simply. “It makes things easier.” Peni’s head snapped up, eyes glassy. “It’s not supposed to be easy,” she whispered, voice trembling. “It’s supposed to be shared.”

The words didn’t land the way she hoped. You’d never thought of your life as lacking, it just was what it was. The Wayne household moved in its own orbit—bright, busy, constantly shifting. You were there, quietly, steadily, a background star that didn’t need to shine to stay in the sky. “You’re making it sound like something tragic happened,” you murmured. “But nothing did.”

Miles leaned forward, palms pressed to the table, his voice cracking open. “It is tragic, Reader. You just don’t see it because it’s all you’ve ever known.”

Your chest tightened, not with pain, but with the weight of their confusion pressing against your own. You searched your memories for something that matched their horror, but nothing felt wrong enough, sharp enough, painful enough to justify the fear in their eyes.

“I’m not sad,” you said quietly. “I’m not angry. I don’t… feel abandoned.”

Gwen’s shoulders fell, her expression folding into something soft and devastating. “That’s what breaks us,” she whispered. “You don’t even know what you deserved.”

You looked down at your cup, letting the warmth steady you. Everything in your body felt calm, familiar, unchanged. “I’m fine,” you said, offering a small, real smile. “This is just how my life is. Not perfect. Not terrible. Just… normal.”