Puppet Master

Returning To The Heart

Asa burst through the police station doors with Yuma.

"Where is he?!"

Detective Tsukauchi was already walking towards them. "Mr. and Mrs. Kirishima," he greeted. Asa turned to the man. "Tsukauchi, where are my sons? Please tell me that they are okay!" Tsukauchi nodded. "I can assure you, both are physically fine." Yuma narrowed her eyes. "And mentally?" Tsukauchi didn't respond for a while, testing his words carefully in his mind beforehand. "Specifically," the detective started slowly, "Izuku is a bit... skittish. I must request for both your safety and his own and Shinsou's that when you enter you don't immediately run up to him, make any loud noises, or make any sudden movements."

Asa nodded. "We expected as such. Shinsou is with him as well?" They moved to follow Tsukauchi down the hallway. The man nodded. "It would seem that they are inseparable at the moment." Yuma hummed. "That makes sense. And Eijiro?" "Eijiro is also there as well as the others that took part in the spontaneous rescue of Shinsou and Izuku," Tsukauchi said. "He is fine, albeit a bit shaken, as is most of the world, but that is all."

They stopped outside of the room the boys were apparently in. "Aizawa is also already inside though... he hasn't been able to make much progress I'm afraid," Tsukauchi said. He raised a hand and knocked on the door. There was a muffled sound and then the door opened.

"Mr. Aizawa," Asa gave a small bow. Mr. Aizawa did the same. "Mr. and Mrs. Kirishima, it is good to see you two in good health." Asa nodded. "Compliments to Recovery Girl." He moved out of the way. Asa took a deep breath. Yuma's hand found his shoulder. Asa steeled himself and stepped forward. Immediately, his eyes fell on Izuku and Shinsou in the far corner of the room in a couple of chairs though they were so close that they didn't need all but maybe one and a half. Their hands were clasped together between them, both curled into balls but leaning heavily onto each other. A few chairs down was Eijiro, the blonde that Asa recognized as Bakugou, Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, a stony-looking kid, and Sero and Kaminari that they recognize from pictures. All heads turned them. Well, mostly. Izuku's and Shinsou's eyes were on them but otherwise they had not moved. None of the kids spoke.

"We haven't gotten a word out of them since they were brought in," Mr. Aizawa informed them, "and we can't get closer than those chairs there without eliciting a less-than-stellar reaction."

"Thank you," Asa said. He started his advance.

It was just like when Izuku had first come to live with them, though probably a bit worse. He went alone, Yuma staying back, but she did pass off the cat carrier in her hand to him. Asa moved only as far as the chairs, as Mr. Aizawa had said, before making a rounded bend outwards to still be the same length away but this time in front of the boys. He knelt down and set the cat carrier beside him. Two pairs of eyes flitted to it. A reaction, not a bad one. Izuku knew what was in it. It was something the boy considered safe.

No. Not safe. It was something he found not threatening. It was innocent and had not done anything wrong.

Asa knelt down slowly and unzipped the carrier. As if she knew not to approach quickly, Hime slowly padded out. Izuku's breath hitched. Asa didn't put on her service vest so Izuku could feel her fur and warmth fully. Hime walked right up to them and rubbed up against them. Maybe she knew Shinsou needed it too because she gave him the same attention. The purple haired boy leaned down and with his one free hand scooped her up, placing her in Izuku's lap as they both slowly uncurled to make room for the cat.

A bit to Asa's confusion, Izuku didn't move to let go of Shinsou's hand to pet her, instead, leaning down slightly to bump heads with the cat while Shinsou pet her gently but Asa didn't question it.

Yuma came and crouched beside Asa. She took a deep breath. "Izuku?" Both boys flinched. She smiled, unwavering. "Hime's really been missing you at home," she said, avoiding the elephant in the room. "Us too. And Shinsou, you Dad misses you. Do you two maybe want to go home?" Neither replied. "Would you like something to write on or type on? A phone maybe?" Both boys glanced at each other before Shinsou nodded. "Okay." This time, Mr. Aizawa moved, slowly, and crossed to sit beside Yuma and Asa as the two also sat on the ground. He pulled out his phone and unlocked it before sliding it across the floor to the boys. Shinsou picked it up. It took a moment of typing, showing Izuku, a few nods and facial expressions, and then Shinsou put it down and slid the phone back over to them.