The Pied Piper of Musutafu

Stories

Amahiko was in the middle of sparring with Dabi, the younger man loosing rather badly, when he felt a new person cross the wards. 

"Guest!" He called and there was the usual scramble of the shyer Hamlin kids vanishing into their boltholes, the braver ones putting on a front or getting between the door and the younger kids, and the Rats taking their places, ready to beat the shit out of said guest if they moved wrong. 

Keigo was on guard duty and Amahiko could feel the stranger, Shouta standing next to him, be confronted by the former Pro-Hero turned vigilante. 

"Is he really…" Hitoshi asked, voice barely a whisper. 

Amahiko smiled and ruffled the teenager's hair. "Yeah. They are."

Keigo's presence moved back to the hidey hole and Shouta lead Hizashi through the entrance, the brick sliding back to reveal the pair in civilian wear. 

"Holy fuck." The voice hero said, eyes wide as he took everything in, eyes roaming the massive warehouse turned kids shelter. 

"Hey, Zashi!" Amahiko called out, waving from his spot. 

Hizashi looked confused, trying to link the dots before his eyes widened. "Your the Piper." 

Amahiko shrugged. "Guilty as charged. Dinners in half an hour. You're both welcome to stay." He smiled before he paused, focusing on Shouta. "You're in pain." 

"I'm fine." 

"Shouta." Hizashi said, sounding exhausted. 

Amahiko's eyes flashed and Shouta's eyes glimmered gold for the briefest moment. "I told you to let me know if you had problems." 

Shouta growled, but his head was no longer spinning. He sat down on one of the benches, sitting next to the ever burning green and purple flames of Neverland.  

"I thought you needed contact to heal?" Hizashi asked. 

"Not with my Rats." Amahiko said. "We're linked until they retire."

"It's how he finds us. Although I only reap the bare minimum." Shouta explained. 

"I can tell if he's dying and where he is." Amahiko explained. "Meanwhile, Dabi and Keigo can both communicate telepathically to me no matter the distance." 

"So, Shouta and the Rats all made deals?" Hizashi asked, the last word hesitant as of he wasn't sure it was the right one to use. 

"Yup." Dabi interrupted, plunking down on the bean bag across from the couple. "All us Rats got something different. I got my mom's ice and the ability to live my life guaranteed my father won't find me." He grinned. "It's great. I've egged his house at least once a month for years and he walks right by me." 

"Can I come?" Keigo asked. 

"Fuck yeah. We can get them in the chimney." 

"Don't get caught." Amahiko warned, but it was more teasing then anything else. "Also there is a former Hamlin kid who can control birds. She and her wife are very against child abusers." 

Keigo got down on his knees and started running through his usual list of bribery to get something. He knew he would get it. Amahiko wouldn't have said anything if he didn't intend to share but it was a game at this point. 

Hitoshi suddenly appeared, making Hizashi scream, quirk rocking the building and over 4 dozen kids shouting at him even as Aizawa canceled his quirk.

"So am I officially your kid now?" He asked.

"Yes." Shouta said in a deadpan. 

Hizashi lit up. "Yes!" 

"Awww." Ren said, slinking out of the shadows. "Domesticity." 

Amahiko laughed. 

Dinner was served, even though the newly formed Yamada-Aizawa family kept their distance, eating together around the fire. 

Soon the children started settling down, youngest near the middle, oldest near the only access point and the in between scattered wherever. 

"Nii-san?" 

Amahiko looked up from where he was talking to Hizashi, to see Akzo looking at him, blood red eyes sad.

"Can you sing the song?" 

Amahiko smiled gently. "Of course." The god stood, smiling to the new family and striding over to where everyone under the age of 5 were huddled together in a massive, multi mattress, nest thing. 

Amahiko manifested a guitar, strumming it softly as the kids settled down. "Sleep little ones, close your eyes. You safe here now, in the night. Let your worries slip away, and the sun will bring a brand new day. Shimmering moon and satin skies, hear me now, this lullaby, dreams are here to set you free, and the dawn will bring you back to me." He sang, voice hauntingly beautiful, lulling more then just the little ones to sleep. 

Shouta nudged Hizashi, who was staring in awe at the god. "You okay?" 

Hizashi blinked. "I…Do you remember when I told you how I grew up in America?" 

Shouta nodded. "Yeah. Your grandpa was your only relative so when your birth mom was deemed unfit you were sent to live with him. You only came back to Japan to attend U.A." 

"Yeah. Only I never told you..how I got to America." Hizashi said, still staring at Amahiko. 

"You were so small." Amahiko said, sitting down next to Shouta, a sad yet happy smile on his face. "This tiny little thing clinging to life with the ferocity of a lion. Your desire to live was so strong you got my attention from the other side of the city." He gestured for the others to clear out, leaving only him, Shouta and Hizashi in a sound proof bubble. 

"Thank you." Hizashi breathed, and the wealth of emotion in his voice made Shouta hug him close, trying to protect him from something that had happened almost 3 decades ago. "I knew I recognized your older face but I wasn't sure until you sang that song but.." Hizashi had to clear his face of tears before he could continue to speak. "I would be dead if you hadn't…if you hadn't-"

Amahiko smiled gently, his body glowing until he was in his older form, only with civilian clothes instead of the armor Hizashi had seen him in during the USJ attack and the memories came crashing back, memories of gentle hands, taking the wire from his lips, healing him with a touch and then carrying him across to ocean to his grandpa, each step crossing hundreds of miles. 

"My birth mom." Hizashi said, voice shuttering as he tried to tell Shouta his deepest secret. "I couldn't control my quirk and she didn't have a muzzle so she took a hanger and-" 

Shouta tucked his husband into his chest, trying to shield him from the world as Hizashi sobbed into his shirt. "It's okay. You're safe now. I'll kill her before she gets anywhere close to you again." 

I'm afraid the previous generation of Rats handled her. Amahiko's voice echoed in Shouta's head and he was grateful Perseus didn't speak that information outloud. 

"I brought him here to be healed while the Rats and I tracked down his Grandfather and made sure he was a fit guardian." Amahiko explained. "I then carried him across the sea to America, since I didn't want to subject him to flashing, explained what happened to his grandfather and made sure he was safe. I then made sure Micah had the financial resources to care for you and checked in daily for a few months until I was sure you would be happy." 

Hizashi peeled himself from Shouta's shirt. "You're Granny Windsmith?" 

Shouta raised an eyebrow questioningly before his husband turned back to explain. 

"Grandpa found out that a distant relative left everything to him days after I came to live with him. It was a lot. He probably wouldn't have been able to keep me otherwise. It even paid for U.A and a few years rent on my apartment when I was starting out." He turned back to Amahiko, tears in his eyes. "You did so much and I didn't even recognize you. I don't know where to even start repay-" 

"Zashi-kun," Amahiko interupted, and Hizsashi was instantly transported back to his 4 year old self, held securely in Percy's arms as he kicked down his mom's door and retrieved his meager possessions. "You grew up to be an amazing person. That's enough payment for me." 

Shouta hugged him tight, just as strong as Percy's grip and just as comforting.