𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌

𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 | 𝟓𝟑

The air outside the hospital room was cool and crisp, a stark contrast to the stifling tension Rio had felt inside. She flexed her fingers as she walked, glad to be out of the sterile environment, even if she couldn't shake the weight of everything that had happened. As she stepped into the corridor, her brief moment of freedom was interrupted.

"Rio," a familiar voice called.

She stopped dead in her tracks, dread pooling in her stomach as she turned to face Vlad King. His expression wasn't angry—no furrowed brows or clenched fists—but it wasn't exactly comforting either.

"Let's talk."

Her mouth went dry. She followed him silently, her heart pounding as he led her to a quiet corner away from prying eyes.

Vlad crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "I don't know how you know all this stuff. You knew where Stain was during the sports festival and you got involved in another fight with him yesterday," His voice was low but steady, the tone of someone piecing together a puzzle that didn't quite fit. "To be honest, I'm still suspicious—especially after this stunt."

Rio froze. Her stomach churned. Crap—Crap—Crap—

"But..." Vlad's sharp gaze softened just slightly. "I don't think you're a villain."

Relief washed over her like a wave, leaving her knees weak. She managed to nod, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you. I—I promise I'm not."

"I believe you," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm not concerned." He straightened, the weight of his next words pressing heavily against her. "You clearly know things. Things most people don't. Things you shouldn't know."

Her breath hitched. The mask of composure she usually wore cracked for a fraction of a second. Her hands nervously fidgeted for a moment before she forced them to be still. Forced herself to relax despite the bubbling nervousness she was desperately trying to avoid portraying rising up from her gut.

He caught it. Of course, he caught it. "You don't have to tell me anything," he continued, his tone gentler now. "Not if you don't want to. But you can't keep bearing all this alone, Rio. Whatever this is—whatever you're dealing with—there are people who can handle these situations better than you can."

His words struck her like a blow.

"Even if you think you have to handle it all on your own, that doesn't change the fact that you're still just a kid. You're way too young to have to go through so much so early in life." He said, his face tight in a compelled expression. His eyes wavered before he let out a slow sigh.

"Look, I've been worrying my ass off about you," he added, his voice quieter now. "And I can't keep doing that n' helping you if you're just going to keep throwing yourself into danger like this."

Rio swallowed the lump in her throat. She wanted to argue, to reassure him that she was fine, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she nodded slowly. "I'll try," she said, her voice barely audible.

"Good." Vlad sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration. "Come on. Let's grab your stuff from the Kan Agency."

She nodded and followed him, still trying to process all of his words. He wasn't accusing her, and that was a new feeling for her. Instead, he wanted to help. Why?

He had all the reason to view her as a villain, so why didn't he? 

She shook her head softly at the thought. Did Vlad actually care for her? He had said he didn't want her carrying all this weight on her own—that he wanted to help her, but she knew deep down that she couldn't do that. 

If she told him what she knew, the inevitable question of 'how she knew' would be bound to show up. And they would never believe her. Even if they did beleive the truth about her, would they even view her the same? Would they even trust her?

Probably not, and she'd get thrown out anyways.

The ride to the agency was quiet. Scout greeted her warmly, but Rio couldn't help feeling bittersweet as she packed up her things. Her time here had been a rollercoaster—challenging, frustrating, and more fulfilling than she'd admit.

"You take care of yourself, all right?" Scout called, giving her a mock stern look as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

Rio smiled, trying to push past the lingering awkwardness with Vlad King. "I will. Thanks, Scout. For everything."

"No worries! Hope to see you out on the field in a few years." Scout teased, though there was  genuinity laced in her voice.

After exchanging goodbyes, Rio left the agency, her bag feeling heavier than usual. She wasn't just carrying her belongings—she was carrying everything that had happened, everything she knew, and the weight of Vlad's words.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

She returned to Aizawa's apartment as the evening light began to fade. It was quiet—no surprise there. He was out on patrol, leaving her with the rare chance to relax without his watchful eye boring into her. She dropped her bag near the couch and leaned against the kitchen counter, staring blankly at the walls.

The silence was deafening, the kind that made her thoughts louder. Vlad's words echoed in her mind.  There are people who can handle this better than you can." 

She groaned, rubbing her face with her hands. "What am I even doing?"

Her thoughts spiraled until the walls of the apartment felt too close, too confining. She grabbed her jacket and stepped outside.

The streets near UA were peaceful, bathed in the warm glow of streetlights. She didn't have a destination in mind—just needed to clear her head. As she wandered, she spotted a familiar figure rounding the corner.

"Iida?" she called out, surprised to see him.

He looked up, equally startled. "Rio. What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't stay cooped up," she admitted, plopping down beside him. Her eyes flicked to the bottle of orange juice in his hand, and she grinned. "Didn't strike you as an OJ drinker,"

Iida adjusted his glasses, a faint flush dusting his cheeks from embarrassment of his choice of drink. "Most don't, actually. It helps replenish the nutrients my engines need to function at peak efficiency."

She raised an eyebrow, already knowing this from the show, but it's always more fun to ask. "So... what you're saying is, orange juice is your fuel?"

He let out a soft chuckle, a rare sound from someone as serious as him. "In a manner of speaking, yes. I really needed it too—I haven't had any since the morning of the... incident."

Her smile faded slightly at the reminder of the fight with Stain. "That was only two days ago. Feels like longer."

He nodded, the weight of those events visible in his expression. "I wanted to thank you," he said after a moment, his tone earnest. "For being there. For helping with Stain and standing up to him when you did. Without you, Todoroki, and Midoriya... the whole thing would have gone a lot worse."

Rio looked away, her cheeks warming. "I didn't do that much," she muttered.

"You did," Iida insisted. "You didn't hesitate to act, even when the situation was dangerous."

She hesitated, the guilt gnawing at her. If you only knew, she thought. But instead of voicing her thoughts, she smiled faintly. "I'm just glad we all got out of it okay."

Iida mirrored her smile, his usual determination shining through. "That's what matters."

So uhhh I'm back! What with the summer here I'll have a lot more time freed up for me to work on things like these. I plan to release a chapter every Monday around 6:30 tho the time will probably vary until I can get a good schedule going. Hope you guys are doing alright^^