Being a Hero is just a Side Job (Shinsou x OC)

What is a Family?

"Dude, you look more tired than I feel." A soft twinkling sound resounded in her ear and the memory of exchanged keychains forced its way through the tar-like haze. "...Spinel. Please call me Spinel"

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Spinel suddenly withdrew her hand away from her mother's. "No."

"Excuse me? What do you mean no?" Her mother stood up straighter, her arms now crossed over her chest. "So. You would rather make us, your family sad? You know we are doing this because we love you and that we are a family."

It was then Spinel found her courage. She did something that she never thought she would do. Something unthinkable when she was 'Quartz'. Spinel's eyes were wild as her mind went faster and faster till it exploded into motion. Suddenly, she was talking. Talking like she didn't have enough time to say what she needed to.

"That's not love! We aren't family. We never were." She swallowed audibly.

"You don't kn-"

This time it was her turn to interrupt her father. "I do know!" She grit her teeth. "These past two years I've learned so many things, but more importantly I've learned what it means to have a family. What it means to live." Her voice quivered a little near the end, but she didn't stop. "For me, my family is much more than the people I'm related to, my family are people who I can laugh and cry with, who support me when I need it."

She remembered Dabi. "I think you'd be a great hero"

"A family is supposed to love one another in spite of your shortcomings. We don't look at each other based on income, success, creed or culture. Love isn't measured on how much a person achieves or doesn't." There was a pained expression on her face.

"To you. My own flesh and blood, I'm nothing but a toy. A puppet you use to put on a show. That..that's not love."

Spinel's parents were stunned. They had never dreamed that their daughter would even dare talk back to them. They were the ones in charge, not her. How dare she do that to them. "It is your place to listen to everything we say. We are your parents. We taught you, took care of you, kept a roof over your head and this is how you repay us? You can't even do a single thing right." Her mother hissed.

"Your mother is right." Her dad shook his head and glared at his daughter. "It seems another visit to the mirror room will be necessary."

Spinel flinched but managed to hold back a whimper.

As per the name it was a room filled with mirrors. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disobeyed my parents. I'm nothing without them." Said in repeat every time she was punished to go in that room. All her fears came tumbling out again, unchecked by her brain as she desperately tried to hang onto that shred of confidence.

Her father sneered upon seeing her reaction. "If you come home now, we will forgive you, we are very kind like that. You know this."

Spinel took a deep breath as tears threatened to fall. "People who supposedly love you don't just shut you in a room and tell you how useless you are. I-I'm not useless. I can achieve my own aspirations without you. I don't need you. We may be related by blood, but we have never been a family."

"You can't be a hero. You can never be a hero."

Spinel's voice was hoarse, "Why? Why can't I be a hero?!"

"Heroes are careless. They killed your uncle in an accident with a stray attack. The hero was just trying to catch a purse snatcher and instead he killed an innocent man. That's why you can't be a hero. They are just glorified rule breakers who think they are above the law." Her mother sighed. "He was so young."