It started at the willow tree

4. Moving?

Jess pov
The kid was doing well, surprisingly so! Until snipe had to go and open his big mouth by saying her name! Why that egg suckin dawg! He just messed up all my work! I was being extra careful to keep her from havin a Panick attack! We rush inside the kid in snipes arms. "Jess! I hurt her! I sent her into some crazy panic  attack!! Shit Ave, I'm so sorry!"
Snipes guilt ridden voice makes me feel bad for being mad at him. He walks over to the couch and lays her down gently on it.
"You didn't mean to hurt her snipe. And plus! We was gonna have to tell her, her name eventually!! So consider it rippin of the bandaid ! Just a bit more painful and a lot less fast! "
Snipe look at me and I can't tell behind his gas mask he's making a bitter face. He's so cute.
"Was that supposed to make me feel better?!"
He shouts and I smirk at him
"Yup! Did it work?"
He shakes his head side to side slowly
"Oh well!"
I say while shrugging and I look back to the kid whose breathing is slowing down.
"Lookie there, the kids calmin down!"

Avery pov
So many good memories ended by one horrible night. Betzy... oh god Betzy.... What did you do?
I need this to stop. It hurts so bad. Inhale ... exhale ...inhale ...exhale ...inhale ...exhale... being grounded by my breathing gives me new found strength and I slowly open my eyes. To my surprise my surroundings have changed and I'm faced with a new environment. I'm in living room laying on the old creaky couch surrounded by snipe and Jess. The movie nights we had here feel so long ago. Sneaking out of the house at night going to the willow tree... the fireflies casting that gorgeous glow onto the swaying vines.... Casting that glow onto her. She's gone... she's- she's really gone! It was supposed to be me! I SHOULD'VE DIED!!! ME! ....not her. My body starts shaking from the failed attempts at holding back my tears. Snipe and Jess move in to hug me again. To give me some kind of comfort.
"Aw shucks kid, you don't gotta cry! It's all gonna be okay. There there."
I feel Jess start gently stroking my back.
"Jess! I got you hurt! I-I got her- killed! I didn't mean to! It's all my fault!!"
My breathing is once again erratic
"Nothing was your fault Ave! Please listen, we ain't just sayin that to comfort you! It's true! You can't control everything so there's no point in blaming yourself! Please just breathe!"
Snipes attempt to comfort me with words is somehow working. I take in a shaky inhale and let out a shaky exhale.
"...okay"
even if I agree to breathe and to calm down I know that everything was my fault. I ruined everything.
"Why don't we move to the kitchen? I'm so hungry I could eat the north end of a southbound goat!"
The stupid saying makes me lighten up a little and I allow Jess to take my hand and lead me to the kitchen.
"How's about that banana split I promised  ya?"
Jess says with a cheesy smile on his face.
"She's been gone for two years and the first thing you offer is a banana split?! You really don't think Jess!"
Did he just say two years?
"Well it's the only way I knew to calm her down!!! And we both know she loves ice cream!!!"
Two years? Two years!? Didn't they check the willow tree ruins?! I know they know we snuck off to there just about every day!
"Was I really gone for two years?"
By the time I spoke we were in the kitchen with the island in the middle, one side of the island was lined with bar chairs.
"I reckon it's best if you sit down for this kiddo..."
Jess said a pained expression on his face.
"Okay."
I sit on a barstool and watch jess stand on the opposite side of the island leaning against it so that he's directly facing me. Snipe goes to the fridge and pulls out strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, maraschino cherries, whipped cream, chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauce. He moves over to the cabinet and pulls out two bananas and rainbow sprinkles. I watch him as he gets to work building three ice cream sundaes.
"Alright kiddo, we might as well tell you. Everything we know. Ain't no light way to put this so I won't sugar coat nothin. As of September 28th you and Betzy were pronounced missing... we searched kid. We really did. Day and night of looking and looking. Hell i never stopped checking the willow tree! Sorry about tranquilizin you by the way, I freaked when I saw you there last night; cause every other time a searched there it was empty and you looked so different! I just didn't know what to do! I almost thought you was a ghost!"
A banana split is pushed in front of me and I reach for it.  The spoon slices through the banana and ice cream. I bite it and chew slowly  savoring the sweet flavor. It taste like Betzy...
"The reason you have her horns and claws and tail has to do with her quirk. That power of hers was truly somethin to ponder... She had heightened strength, speed and pretty much all 5 senses... When we adopted her it was hard to find any info on her quirk. We always knew there was more to it, some things she did were just... unexplainable. It would rapidly evolve! She was so powerful that she could bend her quirk to her will!"
Snipe removes his gas mask to reveal a fond expression on his face.
"I remember that time you fell from the willow tree, she flew down right after you! She flew!and she didn't even realize what she was doing! Not only that but you had sprained your arm and she just- she just fixed it! She healed you! She really would just evolve to the situation .... She was so strong."
He ends his reminiscing with a sad look on his face.
"I guess the last thing she evolved to, was the ability to gift her quirk onto you kiddo. She wanted you to live... to actually live for yourself! Your whole life you've done everything for other people. She hated that about you. Because even when you got away from them you still wanted to do everything for everyone but yourself..."
Jess lets out a puff of air seemingly exasperated. Maybe he's right... have I really been doing this? Does it even matter? Betzy was my reason for living.... Of course I needed someone to order me around but she never used that to her advantage! And I know she loved me and I loved her.
"After you two went missing I had gotten a call that I was needed in Japan. I declined until Jess talked me into leaving last week. I came back when he said it was urgent but I could've never guessed this... god, Betzy was so strong. She sacrificed herself cause she loved you."
I know... she's dead because of me. She saved me so many times. She saved me when she found me hiding in the ruins by the willow tree the first time we met. I was so scared.... I knew the boss would've been mad when I left him.... So I hid.... And she found me. She brought me to snipe and Jess and they legally adopted me. They took me in... I owed everything to her and I got Jess hurt and her killed. God I just, I'm such a bad person.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Before I can think the words leave my lips.
"Well what do you want to do?"
Jess ask emphasising the word you.
"I want... I want another banana split."
It was so good...
"Another split comin right up bucko!"
Snipe jumps up making another sundae, he's an expert at making banana splits.
"Alright what's next kiddo?"
Jess ask now smiling.
" I want to go to school!"
I never got a chance to be a kid who went to school. I want to eat school food and...and open a locker!
"I can arrange that perfectly, do you mind if it's by in Japan? That's where I teach!"
My head snaps to snipe shock overcoming me
"Your a teacher?!... in Japan!?"
He lets out a loud laugh.
"What? Didn't expect that?"
He ask still smiling.
"Uh no. You were a hero last I checked!"
Confusion laced my voice.
"It's a hero school kiddo! I stayed back at the farm when he left to watch out for any signs of ya'll but I think it's time for a change... don't ya think?"
A hero school.... Woah. I never liked hero's until snipe and Jess took me in. They were the first people to ever really be there as parental figures. I want to be like them. I want to be strong, just like them! Japan... I had a few jobs there....They-they wanted me to kill all might.
God, it did not work at all. It was like they were sending me to my death. It's okay though cause I have snipe and Jess and I won't have to see him or the boss. they think I'm dead! A mile makes its way onto my face and I nod my head.
"I want to go with you guys."
Jess jumps up from the counter he was leaning on and snipe hands me my second sundae.
"Then it's settled! let's pack!"
Jess says with a new found happiness in his voice.
"Right now?"
Snipe ask with wide eyes and a smirk on his face.
"Did I stutter?! Let's get movin'!"
I wolf down my sundae and get up to help them pack. I'm happy now. I have no strings attached to me. I'm going to be a hero just like Betzy was for me. I won't let your sacrifice go to waste and I won't let anyone else get hurt because of me. I promise Betzy.