Chapter 30
A new song bonus thing will be coming out soon! Pretty Dabi centered. Anyone want to try guessing what song it is? The song is one word, and so is the band.
!!!!! Major Trigger Warning !!!!!
!!!!! Major Trigger Warning !!!!!
(But nobody dies and it turns out okay-ish)
Third person pov
Harper stared at the roof of Tsukauchi's car, as she often times found herself doing. It was around four in the afternoon, and they were stopping somewhere to get food. Their lunch had consisted of a family size bag of barbecue chips that they split between the four of them. Kurogiri had never had them before now and thought they were a godsend in and of themselves, meaning they'd definitely have to stop by the store to grab him some more if they didn't want him warping out to get them himself. At the moment, they were actually stuck in traffic. Harper had the feeling they would be for a while. Sansa and Tsukauchi were singing along to Sansa's playlist, which wasn't the worst, but some of the songs she'd heard were god-awful.
"And she says!" The two men exclaimed, clapping their hands together as their bodies bopped back and forth to the beat. It would have been more obnoxious if not for how truly happy they were as they did it. Harper didn't have the heart to shut them down. "I wish that I could be like the cool kids, 'cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in! I wish I could be like the cool kids! Like the cool ki-ids!"
"But they are not children." Kurogiri's thoughts were as blunt as they got. His curiosity was genuine enough that Harper had to wince pitifully at the guy. It was a bit sad, but not unexpected. How long had he been with the villains? She was assuming his emotion had disappeared when his quirk manifested, so this was all pretty new to him. That was going off the fact that most kids got their quirks between the ages of four and five, that is. He could've easily been a late bloomer as well, or it could've been given to him somehow. If All Might could give his quirk to other people, it wasn't so far fetched to assume there was someone else out there who could do the same. Kurogiri had alluded to it in his thoughts a few times, as had All Might and his seven extra voices.
Tomorrow would be busy. Internships were almost over, so the Chief of Police was determined to have Harper do as much as humanely possible. She had a feeling her services would still be offered after this week was over due to how useful she'd been, but for now everyone was going off the notion that they wouldn't be having her to utilize until she either became a hero, or even better in their eyes, a detective. They were seriously trying to sell her into the whole law enforcement thing. Running her into the ground didn't help their case, but they really didn't seem to realize that. They clearly thought they could convince her while making her do their shit.
In the morning she had Dabi to talk to, and getting literally anyone and everyone to agree to him being her bodyguard would be nearly impossible due to his demeanor and overall appearance. He looked awfully homeless for someone who wasn't. After that they had to go find Stain's son, and Harper was going to handle that because they were both kids. Then there was a whole plethora of other bullshit the precinct had scrounged up to try and keep her there longer. It was a lot.
Harper's phone gave a brief vibrate in her pocket, telling her she'd either gotten a text message, or her Tamagotchi was hungry. One was more important than the other. You figure out which. The brunette sighed and began to dig around in her trench coat. The thing was littered with pockets. Even the pockets had pockets; it was insane. There was no telling what she could hide in this thing. Enough weapons to supply a small army, for sure. She was afraid to put anything smaller than her cell inside, however, for fear of losing whatever it was or forgetting where it was. She didn't doubt she'd be unable to find whatever she put inside if she dared tuck things away into it.
The brunette saw the text message, and all color drained from her face immediately. Kurogiri turned to her as the connection between them wavered, glowing eyes widening and the slack expression she'd donned. For Harper, time seemed to slow a moment. All she could hear were her own breaths. It was as though she'd detached from reality for a second. Because holy fucking shit, this couldn't be serious. Was this serious? This was for real. Fuck!
Dumbass #2:
Goodbye, Harper. I'm sorry. You've been an amazing friend.
Iida. Fucking-- Iida.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit." Harper hissed, clambering with her seat belt. Sansa and Tsukauchi both fell silent, twisting around in sync as she scrambled for the door handle. This wasn't good. Hell, she should've seen this coming. Harper knew she should've called someone to keep an eye on him, but she'd assumed her words would be enough. And maybe they would've if there as someone there to reinforce them. With Iida, you had to repeat shit to him in order for it to stay stuck in his brain. Nobody was there to repeat shit to the guy, and so-
"Harper!" Tsukauchi sputtered as the girl slipped out of the car, grabbing Kurogiri's hand and tugging him with her. He hurriedly unbuckled, not minding the many honking cars as Harper took off backwards down the highway. It was too clogged up to be all that dangerous, but that didn't stop already irritated drivers from shouting as she weaved between their vehicles with her phone clutched in one hand, and the other wrapped around the ghastly one of a rather intimidating man. Harper could feel her breathing start to increase as she scrolled rapidly through her contacts. Tsukauchi's thoughts followed her. "What's wrong?! She just hopped out all of a sudden! Shit, I can't get out of the car. I'll have Sansa call her. If she left, it was for a good reason. Kurogiri will keep her safe. Hell, this kid is going to give me a heart attack one day!"
"Kurogiri, I'm going to need you to warp us somewhere in a moment. Can you do that for me if I get you the exact coordinates?" Harper's voice came out more desperate and rushed than she'd usually allow it to, but this was dire. What the hell was Iida thinking?! She hoped maybe she was mistaken, and the text wasn't what she thought it was, but she had to check. There was too high of a chance she was right, and that terrified her to no end. He was her friend. He was her friend, and he was giving up. God damn it all! She didn't have time for this. She had to get there now. How was he doing it? Harper wasn't religious, but she was praying hard he hadn't gotten his hands on a weapon as lethal as a gun.
Harper couldn't recall a time she'd been so scared. Even in Hosu, she'd been in a numb state of perpetual disbelief. There, everything she'd done was done on adrenaline. Now was the same way, but there was something more desperate. In Hosu, she'd had no idea what she was running into. Right now? Harper knew exactly what she was about to walk in on, and it scared her. It made every cell in her body jerk forward, a part of her brain rising up in a panic and telling her she needed to go, go, go, and that she needed go now. She was dizzy with dread, her hands shaking even as she ran.
"Yes, Harper Rye. Wherever you need." Kurogiri's answer was level as he allowed himself to be dragged. Harper knew there was no point in running when the warp gate user could get them there in seconds, but standing still would drive her insane. She knew the general direction of the taller teenager's house, but had no idea what his address was. Stupid. She should have asked for it, and then she would already be there! Either way, it wasn't far from here. Warping there wouldn't take but a few moments. "She's panicked. I don't like seeing her this way, but I am unsure of how to help. I'll be ready to warp her the moment she gives the word. This is clearly important, and she's done so much for me already. Whatever she needs, I must do my best to provide. That's what friends are for."
"That stupid fucking Panini head. What is he thinking? Is he trying to get me into an early grave or some shit? Fuck!" Harper hissed to herself as she brought her phone up to her ear. Nezu, fondly named Shithead #1, picked up almost immediately. He never failed to. It was his only redeemable quality, aside from his ability to extreme coupon. That wasn't important right now. Iida was possibly dead right now, and she was just running down the highway getting cursed at. As in, she was doing literally nothing of use! But she also couldn't stop, because her heart would implode if that happened. Then there'd be two dead teenagers, and Kurogiri would throw a hissy fit that nobody needed to witness.
"Harper! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Nezu's voice chirped pleasantly. Harper narrowly dodged someone's side mirror, Kurogiri just barely managing to do the same. The person gave a blaring honk that they both ignored. Harper would've flipped him off if she had a free hand. Curses of every variety flew through her mind as irritated drivers waiting for traffic to move, but she ignored them, along with the disorienting migraine growing ever-worse behind her eyes and in her forehead.
"Listen, this probably isn't legal for me to ask, but I will answer any damn questions you have later." Harper felt like she'd been saying that last part a lot lately. She sounded breathless, and probably near tears. She could almost see the way Nezu straightened in his chair, and she wasn't even there. "I need the exact coordinates of Tenya Iida's house. As fast as you can get them."
"35.7972° N, 139.5936° E." Nezu answered instantly, with no hesitation whatsoever. The mammal was a total asshat of a genius. A complete shithead, hence his contact name, but Harper could cry in relief. Never had she been so glad to know someone as shittily smug as Nezu happened to be before now. Sputtering out a thank you, she hung up and shoved her phone into one of the many pockets her trench coat held. She was sure to forget which one later, but at the moment, she didn't give a shit. It gave a hearty vibrate as soon as her call ended. Probably Sansa or Tsukauchi.
"35.7972° N, 139.5936° E." Harper recited, breathing heavily. As much as she wished it was because of the running they were doing, she knew it was because she was panicking. Harper didn't often have panic attacks, as hard as that was to believe. She simply didn't. The girl knew what people were thinking, so she didn't have to feel anxious over whether or not people were judging her. She already knew they were, and was numb to it. She knew what people were going to do before they did it too. But right now? Harper had no idea what she'd find, and that terrified her to no end. She had expectations-- horrible ones-- but couldn't be sure. It was heart-wrenching in the worst way.
A warp gate opened in front of them, and she didn't halt as she ran right through it with Kurogiri remaining in tow. It was like walking through a door, only it led to a completely different part of this prefecture. Harper stumbled out onto a pleasantly green lawn. The grass was nice and evenly cut, a large house presented nicely alongside many others. Harper was already rushing for the front door. The Iida plaque neatly hung next to its frame assured her that Nezu's information hadn't been faulty. Harper banged on the door, breaths coming out fast and sweat pouring down her face. Her hand was squeezing Kurogiri's in a death grip, but the man didn't seem to mind.
She could feel Iida inside, so she knew he was here. Depression rolled off the place in terrifying waves that told her the worst was coming to pass. But the point was that she could feel him, which meant he was still alive. That didn't slow her down a bit. Approaching the house was like entering a cold miasma, thick with grief and despair unlike anything she'd felt in her life. It was everything Iida felt on a day-to-day basis, maximized by a tenfold. She could feel him spiraling deeper and deeper with every second that passed. It made Harper's stomach churn dangerously.
Iida was her friend. Harper hadn't really had friends until high school, excusing the few people she managed to tolerate in middle school. The idea of losing even one of the people she'd somehow managed to grow fond of made her want to curl up in a ball. There was this feeling of devastation looming over her. It was new, and she hated how heavy it felt. It was a mutated form of what she'd felt in Hosu. This was just... so much different. Iida wasn't fighting. There was no one with him to help him battle. He was alone, and he'd given up. And once you gave up, that was really it. There was nothing after that. You either pulled yourself back up, or waited for someone to come to your rescue. And Iida wasn't pulling himself back up.
"Is this the house of one of her classmates? She must have gotten a text message prior." Kurogiri's thoughts seemed quieter than they usually were, and Harper appreciated his efforts greatly as the sound of someone's footsteps sounded beyond the door. It was a woman, her thoughts idly drifting. Definitely Tenya's mother. She was stressed, but not frantic. She had no idea what was happening right at this moment. Harper could feel herself growing tenser and tenser with each second that passed. Tears were stinging at her eyes. This was real. That was her friend in there, and he was going to die. Literally die. The urgency she felt was bigger and much stronger than it had been back with Stain. This seemed almost realer, somehow.
Maybe it was because she'd seen all the signs. She should've done more, and could only curse herself for it now. She'd told people, but she should've pushed. Harper had been so focused on not invading Iida's privacy and not butting too far into his feelings that she let him drift off, and now he was drowning. She should've involved herself more. In a way, this was her fault. Only it wasn't. This wasn't technically her responsibility. If you tried to fix everyone else's problems, you'd eventually end up destroying yourself. Harper knew this. But nowadays, she found that she really couldn't help herself when it came to other people's issues.
A woman answered the door. She was surprisingly short, with blue hair to match her youngest son's chopped off at her chin. Her glasses were also square like Tenya's, deep bags under her eyes aging her face considerably. The woman still managed a polite smile, looking awfully perplexed at the pair standing on her doorstep. A girl wearing a cat ear headband in a trench coat grappling at a purple man made of smoke, clad in a suit. It had to be quite the sight. "Ah, hello. How can I help you?" She asked politely. "I feel as though I should know them..."
"I'm really sorry!" Harper blurt out before she could stop herself, slipping past the woman and into the house. A stunned feeling jolted through Iida's mother as she whirled around to watch Harper sprint for the stairs. Kurogiri was left standing uncomfortably on the porch, not sure of what to do with himself. This was definitely something for Harper to handle, as this was one of the students he'd encountered at the USJ, if his memory served him correctly. "I know your son! Fuck-- I'm sorry!"
"W-Wait!" The petite woman called in an unsure manner, but Harper was already gone. She took the steps two at a time, well aware of how loud they were. The brunette girl didn't have time to concern herself with how much noise she was making. Upstairs was suffocating. The air was hard to inhale because of how tightening it felt. It clawed at her as she made her way to the door she knew belonged to Tenya. There was no mistaking where this was coming from. Tenya's mother's thoughts still managed to fight her way into Harper's mind, strong just like her sons, though not in the same depressing way. "Just who is that girl?! Could that possibly be the Harper Tenya speaks so fondly of? She's nothing like I imagined. What is she doing here? Is she not still on her internship?"
"Iida!" Harper jiggled the knob. She cursed. Locked. Obviously, but it still sucked ass. "Iida, it's Harper! I need you to open the door!"
There was no reply aside from a choked out sob. It was strangled, as though he'd been trying to hold it back. Harper held her breath, but one thought came clear from Iida's mind that made her blood run cold: "I can't let her in."
"Iida, come on, man! It's your friend, Harper. It's all going to be okay, but you have to open the door." Harper tried the knob again, her heart racing horribly. Holy hell. What the fuck was this internship? So much shit had happened to her, and the week wasn't even over yet. And now Iida was dying in there, entrapped in emotional pain he was failing to break out of. He wasn't going to let her in either, which meant she'd have to do it herself. "Please, Iida! Open the fucking door!"
There was once again no reply, and she cursed, backing up as far as she could go. This was a nice house, but this door pretty clearly wasn't meant to withstand any sort of beating. She wasn't the strongest or biggest person in the world, but she wouldn't call herself light either. Knowing this would hurt like a bitch, she threw herself forward as hard as she could, putting all her weight into it. Her shoulder slammed painfully into the door, which gave a promising rattle. She backed up to do it again. Kurogiri was downstairs, preventing Tenya's mother from coming up. She was glad.
Some god up there threw her a freebie, and the door gave after a few more firm hits that would leave shoulder and upper arm heavily bruised for sure. The throbbing pain only got worse as she crashed through the entrance, sliding across the ground awkwardly and almost hitting the opposite wall. Tenya's stuttering sobs hitched momentarily as her wide, panicked eyes met his red-rimmed blue ones. Tears were soaking his face, his glasses smudged and crooked on his face. Blood was pooling on the ground against his leg from where he was knelt, his left arm leaking the crimson liquid from three large, thick cuts. His face was pale from the amount of fluids he'd managed to lose.
"H-Harper." He whispered out in shock as she pushed herself up. His voice was horribly broken, but Harper didn't care as she crawled over as fast as she could. She couldn't be bothered to stand up. She'd made it. He was breathing, and she'd fucking made it. God damn, she wasn't a fan of Nezu, but she was about ready to get the man a basket of fruit for this. Without his immediate coordinates, would she had made it?
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay. Come on, Iida. You're alright." Harper rushed out. He was alive. He'd be okay. She'd gotten here in time, and it wasn't as bad as it could be. He was plenty conscious. Had he done both wrists, that might be different. One was still in a cast, and for that she was extremely grateful. Tenya could only gape at her in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock as she ripped his pillow off his bed. No words managed to escape him as she yanked the pillowcase off it. It was fine. Her own tears were easily held at bay now that she knew he'd live. "Iida, look at me. It's okay. I made it. I've got you. You're going to be okay. I promise, you're going to be okay."
"Sh-She came? Why did she come? I don't... I don't understand. I don't understand. It doesn't make sense. I can't be a hero. I'm not a good friend, so why did she show up? She came and told me in the hospital that I was worth it, and I ignored her, but she still came." Tenya felt fresh tears pour down his cheeks as she pressed the pillowcase shakily to his bleeding wrist, putting a painful but necessary amount of pressure. The scarlet liquid smeared at her hands and sleeves, but she didn't give a flying fuck."I don't deserve this, so why..."
"Iida, I know what the hell you're thinking, but stop. You are my friend. I will always come when you need my damn help, unless it's dumb shit. But this isn't dumb. Iida, this is your life." Harper choked out, looking him directly in the eyes to try and convey what she was saying. Her irises were full desperation, pleading him to believe her. "Do you know how scared I was trying to get here? I thought I was too late. What if you'd gotten your hands on a gun? Rope? What if you'd cut a little deeper? Iida, you're too cared for to leave. People need you. We rely on you, but you don't realize that you can rely on us too. We're here. We've got you, Iida."
Blood was seeping into her pant leg, but she didn't care. Tenya opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no sound escaped him as Harper gazed up at him with teary eyes. She looked oddly vulnerable, and it struck him why. It was what she'd been saying. She'd been scared. For him, and for his life. She was his friend. She'd told him time and time again that she cared and that he was worth it, and he'd just... he'd disregarded it all, and had tried to take his life anyway. And then Harper had rushed to get here. It had been only minutes since he'd sent that message to her with shaky hands and a freshly-bleeding wrist. She hadn't second guessed herself or hesitated, and she'd made it here.
"I'm sorry." Iida managed to murmur, eyes growing wider and wider. His body tilted forward and towards her, his sobs becoming hiccup-filled as they increased. Harper let him rest his head on her shoulder and curl his casted arm around her as best he could, still keeping pressure on his wound as she tried to calm herself. It was astonishing to Tenya, because as he sat there, crying into her shoulder, it occurred to him that he was sorry. The remorse he felt was genuine, and... "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I-I don't want to di-die, Harper. I really don't. I'm sorry. I don't know why I did it. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry."
The girl sighed. But it wasn't irritated like Tenya had expected it to be, instead relieved. Harper could tell he didn't quite get it, but to hear those words had alleviated so much tension in her. He was going to be alright. He'd be fine. She'd got here, and he didn't want to die. It had taken a crashed suicide attempt for him to see that, apparently, but it was something. Her phone was buzzing like crazy in her pocket, but she couldn't bring herself to care as her classmate sobbed heavily against her. Her head was spinning with the repose his thoughts brought her.
"I don't want to die. Harper was right. Oh, god, what would my brother think? I have to be a hero for him. I have to do this. I can't-- I can't believe I-- I'm so incredibly lucky someone came. That I texted. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. It was a mistake. I'm so, so sorry. I care for too many people. I have to be here for them. I was only thinking of myself, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." His thoughts blubbered as he cried it out. Harper took a deep breath, closing her eyes carefully. Her head was pounding, but the despair in the room had dissipated as all Iida had been bottling up came pouring out.
There was a gasp from the doorway that made Tenya start to cry harder. He refused to look up as Harper twisted her head around, meeting the horrified gaze of Tenya's mother. Kurogiri hovered awkwardly behind her as she stood there, one hand raised to cover her mouth as. Harper continued to hold the now-ruined pillow case, feeling so incredibly tired. This was her life now. But that was fine. If it meant one of her friends got to live, Harper would damn well deal with whatever the world decided to toss at her. She'd gotten here.
"Mrs. Iida, I need you to call an ambulance. It'll be okay, alright? I promise." Harper met her eyes. She was shaking horribly, tears already pouring from her eyes as she watched her composed, strong son break before her very eyes. She knew exactly what had happened without Harper having to say. "I know it hurts, but it's okay. He needs an ambulance. Can you do that, or give to phone to my friend over there so he can call?" Taking Tenya through a warp gate wouldn't go well, she had a feeling.
"Y-Yes, of course." She managed to force out. "Tenya. Oh, my baby. My little boy. No. No, honey, how did I not see this? Why didn't he come to me? That's my son in there. H-He was hurting, and I didn't see it. How did I not see it? What kind of mother am I?"
Harper nodded to Kurogiri, who nodded and stepped back and out of view. No that Tenya would be looking up anytime soon. He still had his face buried in her shoulder, his sobs wracking through his body. They were the kind that made your whole being shudder. The ones that made your throat raw and your eyes ache from how hard you were crying. Harper let him, keeping steady and firm pressure on his self inflicted injuries. She felt oddly light considering what had happened, which she knew was probably wrong. Her friend had just attempted suicide. But he regretted it. He was furiously backtracking in the same was a lot of people who tried to kill themselves did once they got into it. This wasn't what he wanted. He could see that now, and she was glad. So, so glad.
"I'm so s-sorry, Harper." Tenya croaked, his voice cracking horribly. The arm injured by the Hero Killer was still wrapped around her, and his other hand was gripping her arm. Not painfully, but enough to squeeze a little. Harper let him. He'd just tried to die, after all. Self inflicted or not, this was still a near-death experience for him. You didn't just get over those. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I won't do it again. I'm sorry. Thank you for coming. Thank you. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Iida." Harper assured, voice tired but reassuring. "It'll be okay. You mom and I have got you. Everyone's got you."
He cried harder, but Harper had a feeling he wasn't shedding tears of despair anymore.
~~~
That was a doozy. If anyone is feeling depressed, please talk to someone. There are people who care about you. If you can't find someone to talk to, or don't feel like you have someone you can trust, my inbox is always open if you need a stranger to rattle off to. Seriously, you're all worth so, so much more than you probably think you are. A life is a whole world. There are countless memories, good and bad, that would not exist without you. You impact everyone you meet, sometimes more than you might think.
Also, I have made a Tumblr, and will be doing a lot of writing stuff on there! My Tumblr is straw-of-the-hat, and I'm taking writing request things on there. I still have no idea how the site works so bear with me. And if you scroll down in the Tumblr, you'll find a Merman X Aizawa post that's a sneak peek into an upcoming story (;
Art! I totally forgot any art last chapter. It just slipped my mind, so I apologize for that! Also, discorders, if you are NOT pinging me, your art isn't getting put in here, because I've been searching using the search function for mentions of my username IN the art channel. You have to ping me and give your username!
Wattpadians, if you are tagging me, the chances are that I am not seeing it! I get so many notifications that things get lost so fast! Please DM me or write on my conversations board so I know to go see your amazing art and put it in the chapter!
The amazing Imagi26 drew both of these! I absolutely adore them. The shading is so amazing, too. Like there's seriously so much detail put into both of these. The first Harper's expression is also so accurate. She just looks so absolutely done with all this shit, and I love it. Thank you so much for both of these. They're so good!
SapphireWaterz is back at it again with some absolutely amazing art. I cannot express to you how much I adore this drawing. She draw all of them, plus the Chief of Police, together! I love it so much! She also added a border to make it look like an actual photograph that got printed out, and I just adore it??? Thank you so much for this. It looks amazing, and you can tell how much love was put into it. It's amazing!
CharTime keeps coming at me with this amazing art! She's also improved like, so much since the first drawing? Like I know it hasn't been that long but like, look at that! I love these so much. The fact that you added a snapchat text thing on the second one is so cool too, and oddly accurate. Like I feel like this would realistically happen. I also really love the third. They both look so completely tired and not sure what they're doing, and it's beautiful. Thank you so much for these. I literally love them so much. Seriously, thank you!
AHHH LOOK AT THESE!!! animeswagg has outdone herself! Harper's face? Spot on. She looks so just done with this bullshit. I love the Kurogiri too with the little tear. Just- GAH. And can we talk about the shading? Because look at the shading you guys. It is silky smooth and I am QUAKING. Thank you so much for these. They are beyond amazing!
GUYS
CADY HAS
OUTDONE
H E R S E L F
I can not express to you how much I absolutely love this. Look at Kirishima's face. Look at it and tell me that's not perfect??? AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH is like a literal godsend and I am quaking. Seriously, thank you so, so much for this. I love it. My love for Kirishima grows stronger everyday, and this has only progressed that fact. Thank you SO much. Seriously.
ALSO
lazy_apocalypse has drawn an AMAZING genderbend Harper, and for some reason it won't let me save it? It's extremely perfect, so please go check out her art book guys!
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