The Emperor's Dragon

Domestic Dispute

Inko had been fighting a rising sense of hope the entire week. She wanted to feel it, but she didn't want to feel it too much, just in case things fell through as they had in the past. Once she got the dispensation from Hisashi's estate, and the case was in full swing... then she could feel hope.

She might not have Izuku but at least she'd have some answers. It had been hard waiting all week to return to the lawyer but the women at work had been supportive and they'd smiled and almost cheered yesterday when she'd signed out. They knew that today she was seeing Watanabe and when she returned she'd have a new law firm representing her, one that wasn't afraid of the Commission. One she could fund.

Watanabe had been waiting for her and rather than going to his office, the lawyer had indicated he'd had the papers laid out in the boardroom. She'd followed him without thought.

Even when the door closed behind her, Inko wasn't worried. Watanabe probably got a phone call he had to take and she wasn't meant to hear it.

She'd instead turned to look at the room, noting absently that only half the lights were on. But then...

"Inko, my dear, it's been too long."

That voice.

It couldn't be. Her eyes snapped to the back of the room where she thought the voice had come from. It was dark... actually it wasn't that dark. The lights in the front were aimed at her, so she couldn't see.

"Nothing to say?"

The taunt followed after a few seconds.

Inko stared and then shivered. She wanted to yell. She wanted to scream. She wanted... She wanted to hurt him! Except... Her eyes glanced around the room. There were papers on the table. There were chairs around the table. She could lift them but... They were not behind him.

"I know how your quirk works, my dear," he said mockingly, knowing what she was thinking.

"You can't be here," Inko snarled. She didn't move towards him. Hisashi was a large man, larger than her and once, she had thought he would never hurt her. She knew better now.

"Hawein, Mori and Nishimura are my lawyers," he pointed out, entirely too reasonably. "But why don't you sit down?" He made the suggestion as if she would obey.

Inko felt a moment of oddness. It was as if something had tried to grab her but had then fallen away. Or as if she'd stumbled through a spider's web. It couldn't hold her, but she felt a slight moment of resistance.

"Interesting," Hisashi murmured.

"What's interesting?"

"Oh, nothing," he dismissed her question. "You really should sit down. We have much to discuss."

Inko growled. Is that what he had to say? He stole Izuku from her and now said they had things to discuss? "What is there to discuss?" She hissed. "You kidnapped Izuku!"

At that she heard a deep breath. "I removed him from a toxic environment," came the reply.

"You what?" she shrieked. Izuku had not been in a toxic environment. He was loved. He was supported. He had friends.

"I removed him from a toxic environment," Hisashi repeated before he sighed again. "You refuse to see it even now. Izuku's quirkless diagnosis marked him as a pariah. His so called friends treated him differently. The child care did. Even you."

"I did not!" Inko objected. "I would never," she growled.

"Ah but you did," Hisashi sounded sure. He sounded confident. "What did you tell him when Izuku told you he wanted to be a hero?" Hisashi asked.