Of steel and plasma

Decisions And Responsibilities

"Let them in."

The teacher moved aside, letting the person enter the room.

"Hello, Miss Uraraka, what can I do for you?"

"I... I..."

As the young girl stammered, the principal stayed silent, patiently waiting for her to collect herself, lightly smiling.
The brunette finally stopped, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her gaze zeroed on the animalistic director, and, unwavering, she pronounced the fated sentence.

"I want to take care of Eri while Deku recovers."

There was a short silence, during which neither of the two interlocutors broke eye contact, staying still. Finally, keeping his smile, Nezu answered.

"...I cannot allow that Miss Uraraka"

"Huh? But... "

"Not without financial support from the school. I know your family isn't at its best financially. And I cannot, in good conscience let you shoulder the burden of a life without proper support. As such, we'll need the approval of your parents."

"I-I understand." nodded the brunette. What Nezu had said was true. Her family was already having a hard time taking care of themselves, so supporting another person's welfare was far out of their reach.
She had even prepared herself to take on a part time job for that.

A bit of help was sure to be welcome in this situation. But indeed, she was gonna need them to give her the green for this situation. She had made the decision under the spur of the moment, and she had forgotten quite a few important details.

"Uhm, I think they are not free right now, so contacting them..."

"When?"

The student looked down, grabbing onto her right arm, "Late. They're trying really hard..."

"I understand. How about this. You will inform them about the situation when possible, see their reaction. Meanwhile, we will carry on with the original plan. And if they agree, we'll transfer Eri's guard to you. Are you okay with this?"

"I... Yes."

"Ectoplasm?"

The pro hero took his time, the white eyes on his mask scrutinizing the teen standing in front of him. He locked his gaze with hers, before turning back to his superior, giving his answer.

"Fine by me."

"Perfect! Now we only need their approval!"

Eri was now sitting on the backseat of Ectoplasm's car, her legs swinging lightly in rythm with the soft tune playing from the speakers.

The pro hero peeked at her through the small mirror, concerned about her since she wasn't speaking. The sight he caught reassured him. She wasn't smiling, and she was looking at her feet, but she wasn't curling up on herself or weeping either. The small girl was simply comfortable with the silence reigning between them for the time being, focusing on the swing her legs instead.

The memory of the apparent wonder which made its way onto her face ten minutes earlier when he appeared in front of her in civilian clothes for the first time came back to him.

She had studied him with neither contempt nor pity, even after noticing his severed legs, replaced with a pair of prothesis. She didn't seem afraid of his face either, most kids her age flinched when they saw him without his mask. But she had simply kept a curious gaze, red eyes opened wide, taking in every single detail possible.

He didn't dislike that. It reminded him of his own son at the same age. Simply curious about the world, wanting to gather as much information as possible.

That kind of behavior also proved that her guardian wasn't doing a bad job. Definitely a good sign.

His eyes caught movement and he returned his attention to the road.

A comfortable silence indeed.

A quarter an hour later, the car reached the destined parking lot. The hero got off before helping out the little girl. Once she had gotten rid of her dress' wrinkles, she accepted, albeit hesitantly, the big, but thin hand extended towards her. The adult escorted the child towards her apartment.

She opened the door, before going for her closet. In there, she gathered her clothes and other stuff, under Ectoplasm's watchful, but seemingly content, eye.

'She's fast. Much faster than my son at least. And that's no easy feat, considering his quirk. She seems like a diligent one.'

Once she had finished packing her stuff, she handed the suitcase to him and his clone started moving it towards his own home.

They followed suit after checking one last time she didn't forget anything.

Physically, the travel was short. Ectoplasm lived literally on the other side of the street after all. But the girl still felt an intense pressure on her shoulders which made the short walk feel much longer.

For the first time in her life, she was going to live without the support and care of her guardian. She didn't distrust the man escorting her, she simply wasn't used to it. It was a foreign experience, and she wasn't feeling ready.

But she knew Izuku would have felt bad if she were to break down.

So she steeled herself for the oncoming trial, determined not to let him down.

She climbed up the stairs, her small hand still in Ectoplasm's much larger one. His floor reached, he stopped in front of a door, staring at her for a bit, before pushing on the handle, letting the rectangular frame rotate.

A short corridor revealed itself to her, basked in a warm light. She took notice of a few decorations hanging on the walls. A door remained closed on the left.

A few meters later, the corridor opened on a large room, filled with sunlight. There, Eri noticed two silhouettes, one sitting lazily on a simple yet comfortable looking couch, the other sitting in a chair, elbow resting on a round table, fiddling with objects the girl couldn't distinguish.

She felt Ectoplasm's hand in her back, gently pushing her forward with a few encouraging words. As she stepped in the room, the attention of the two people gathered on her.

The person laying in the couch simply turned their heads in her direction, taking in her image without hurry.

The other let go of whatever they were doing before standing up and walking at a calm pace in Eri's direction. Once arrived in front of her, they crouched, left knee on the carpet and a gentle smile spreading on their lips. They slowly extended their right hand towards the girl, before speaking with a warm and calm voice.

"Hello, my name is Kussetsu, and you ?