Precious Little Angel {Naruto/One Punch Man Crossover}

22 - Compromise

Genos sat next to Saitama as I sat across from them, neither of us saying a word. It was like that for a moment until Saitama broke the uncomfortable silence. "Can someone please tell me what the heck is going on?" 

I looked down at the table, afraid to tell him the truth. "Hitomi, please. Let us help you. Surely, you don't want this abuse to go on forever, do you?" Genos said. "Say what? Marika's been abusing you?" Saitama asked. Once again, I remained quiet as I gazed down at the table. 

"When did this start? How did it happen? Why is she doing it?" Saitama asked. I lowered my head as my hair covered my eyes, slightly getting nervous. "I... I'm sorry I didn't tell you." I apologized in a quiet voice. 

"It's okay, Hitomi. None of this is your fault. Everything's going to be all right. All you have to do and come with me to Child Services." Genos said. "Child Services?" I repeated, lifting my head up quickly so I was looking at him. "What for?"

"If you tell them that Marika's been abusing you, this suffering you're going through will finally end. Marika will be locked up for child abuse." Genos explained. "Locked up?" I said in shock. "But... But I can't. I can never do that to my own mother." 

"Hitomi, you can't keep living like this. At some point in you and your mother's relationship, she will end up killing you. Is that what you really want?"

"Heh... Funny. You sound like Akuma. When I told him about my situation regarding my mother, he told me that I shouldn't suffer like this anymore. That I should tell someone so this abuse can stop." I said. 

"Then, you should take his advice. If this continues, Marika really will definitely end up killing you someday, like Genos said." Saitama said.

"Does anybody else know about this?" Genos asked. "Just Kiba and his teammate, Shino. Nobody else knows," I answered. "Saitama... Genos... I really appreciate what you're trying to do for me... but I don't know if I can do it."

"What do you mean?" 

"Well... If Mom were to be locked up for child abuse, then what will happen to me?"

"Uh..."

"I'm going to be parentless and nobody will take care of me. I'll be all alone." 

"That's not true, Hitomi. You have me after all. Me and Genos." 

Saitama smiled at me, but I couldn't smile back. I mean, how could I smile, knowing my mother could be taken away from me for child abuse? She'll blame me and it'll be all my fault why she's behind bars.

No... There's no way I can bear the guilt of sending my mother to prison. "I... I don't know what to do," I said, tears filling the brim of my eyes. "I know what she's doing is wrong, but she's my mother. I can't just betray her like that. I love her too much to do that."

The tears escaped as they ran down my cheeks. I began wiping my eyes in attempt to stop the tears, but it didn't work as I could feel myself beginning to sob. "Isn't there someone else you can stay with?" Saitama asked. "What about your father? Where is he?" Genos asked.

"I don't have a father. Mom said, he walked out on us after I was born. Mom's been taking care of me all by herself," I explained as I wiped my eyes.

"I've always relied on her and she's a hardworking woman, so I try not to burden her so much. But at the same time, I fear her. I don't go to the hospital either because I try taking care of the injuries myself. Needless to say, I'm more afraid of Mom than I'm afraid of the monsters that roam this place."

"Hitomi..." Saitama said with worry. "I'm sorry, but there's just now way... I can send Mom to prison. "Maybe there's another way," Genos spoke up. "We don't have to tell Child Services. But you can't stay with Marika."