Lullaby of a Hero

Rescue is not in her Nature

Even as they rushed, Shota Aizawa couldn't help but want to know more about the person he was relying on. She hummed a calming lullaby, leading him through the snow towards where she believed the villain base was. It amazed him how well she knew every part of the Siberian wilderness, this "Red Forest", but also was the least affected by it. After all, not many would wander the cold and snow with bare feet.

Breathing quickly, he asked, (So... what is your name?)

(Mother called me Anastasia.)

Sensing something more to her, he asked, (How long have you been alone?)

She leapt over a log, with Aizawa following quickly. (I don't know... I've been alone ever since... Mother died...)

(And when was that?)

(I... was six. It has been 9 winters since.)

Shock laced his voice as he did the mental math. (You're only 15?!)

She turned to look at him. (Yes? What of it?)

(Most heroes aren't as tall and strong as you. It just surprised me.)

She laughed without amusement, (Siberia is a harsh and unforgiving land. If you don't do everything necessary to do, you will die.)

He nodded in understanding, reinforcing that with a simple: (I understand.)

She didn't respond to that, but instead reported their progress. (We are almost there.)

(Right. Only attack those who choose to fight.)

She nodded, continuing to hum her melody as she split off. He watched from a distance as she readied a hatchet, before chucking it at the lone guard, splitting his head open and causing him to fall to the floor. Anna walked over, and ripped it out, treating the corpse as something lesser than an animal. She probably views them as invaders... As he entered, he found that she was quick, efficient as she was brutal. He heard a scream, stopping just as suddenly as it started... the silence was only filled by the lullaby Anna hummed. Same as in the forest, instead of putting people at ease, it only made them more nervous.

Investigating onwards, he found where his students were. She was there too, hatchet raised high. However, she didn't throw yet because the last villain held a student in his hand, as a hostage. It was Izuku Midoriya, the biggest problem child. Aizawa was in the perfect place to help, but Anna threw the hatchet. As it spun, the blade hit him in the back of the head, severing the spine and making the villain drop instantly. She walked over, past Midoriya, and tried pulling out the tool. However, it didn't budge, and the villain still groaned in pain. Annoyed, she raised the ax above her head, and brought it down, breaking through the villain's ribs, before raising the weapon again and bringing it down to their skull. Attempting to grab the ax handle, she kicked off the person. She watched with emotionless eyes as they died. The class was terrified of her, as she looked at them quizzically. Before any misconceptions could be made, Aizawa revealed himself "Sorry I did not help you before, I found help."

Izuku Midoriya, his most problematic child, asked, "Which hero is this?" 

He was on the verge of going into one of his mumble-fests when Aizawa, reluctantly told them. "She's... not a hero."

The masked huntress asked quickly, still hyped and almost feral. Turning her head to listen for any signs of a threat, (Any more bad people?)

(No. We can return back.) Aizawa cleared his throat. "Anna here has offered you shelter at her home. Uraraka is already there."

Anna piped up, (There is only one bed.)

He didn't respond to her, but instead continued to tell his students. "The accommodations will be small, as it isn't a big place, but we'll stay there while we call for help."

Iida, ever the dependable, responded immediately, "Yes sir!"

Aizawa turned to Anna. (Thank you for helping my class.)

She nodded, starting the walk back. (I don't leave others to die here. The forest will take if you do not take first. Follow me.)

"Everyone... follow her."

The trek back was hard for some, as Tsuyu hibernated due to the cold, and many others weren't able to get their jackets before the attack. Todoroki did his best to help warm people up with his fire, but their progress was slow. The ones that were better off observed their guide. She turned her head to focus on far-off noises, similar to a barn out locating prey, but ignored them for the safety of the group. Eventually, they reached her dwelling and sighed with relief as they all huddled within the main room, surrounding the fireplace. They huddled with blankets, provided by their host, and were grateful to be away from those villains.

She picked up her broad ax and bow, telling Aizawa, (I will go hunting. You have many mouths to feed.)

Aizawa was appreciative of the gesture. (Thank you.)