Heroes of Tomorrow

Part 40~Priya

Akiko took in a very deep breath as she looked over the little kid. She was about 6 years old and had dark skin, fizzy black hair and large, quirk-modified eyes.

"So, tell me again, why there is a child on my ship?" Ava crossed over her arms as Liz held up her arms.

"In our defence, we didn't know she was on the ship until we were taking stock back in England."

Dante kneeled down, capturing the kid's attention. "We're not sure where she's from, but she wasn't one of our passengers. Haven's checked eighteen times now."

Akiko took in a deep breath as she rubbed her eyes. "I'll call in a favour and check with the police to see if anyone's reported a kid matching her description missing. We might have better luck finding her home if we know her quirk."

"No!" The girl stepped away, hiding behind Liz. "No home."

Akiko blinked. "She speaks Japanese?"

Gael waved his hand about. "Yeah. But she also speaks Spanish, English, Russian, Mandarin and a few others."

Ava smiled, kneeling before the girl. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm the captain of this ship. My name is Ava. What's your name?"

The girl peered out from behind Liz's legs. "Priya."

"Priya, it's nice to meet you. Are you hungry?"

Gael held up his hand. "I, for one, am hungry."

Akiko gave him an unimpressed look before returning her gaze to Ava and Priya. The girl nodded as Ava stood up. "How about we get some food, and then we can talk about what to do."

Akiko nodded as Haven stepped closer. "Priya is a Hindu name. Do you think she came from India?"

Akiko shook her head. "It's possible, but we shouldn't rule out other countries. In these times, it's possible to find people with Hindu heritage worldwide. We risk not finding her home if we narrow our search too much. Liz, she seems most attached to you. Has she said anything?"

Liz shook her head. "No, but she is smart. A lot smarter than I was at her age."

"Hey, Priya, can you tell me what your quirk is?" Akiko leaned down to Priya's height as she hesitated. She glanced up at Liz, who nodded encouragingly.

"I make monsters. It's a bad Quirk."

Akiko smiled. "I don't think any Quirk is bad now. Have you ever had Japanese food?" The girl shook her head as Akiko stood up. "Let's get some Ramon. It'll be the easiest to find something she can eat with."

The others nodded as Gael jumped up. "I know a place! I know a place!"

Dante grinned. "Yeah, let's go there."

~~~

Dante smiled as he and Gael walked up to the pop-up stand. "Sylvain! Long time no see!"

The man stood up taller, a grin spreading across his face. "Dante! Gael! It has been so long," he said with a thick French accent.

"Sylvain, wow, it has been a while," Ava greeted as the man turned to face her. "How is the wife?"

"Renee is just perfect! Japan's health care is next rate. She has made a full recovery, thanks to you."

Akiko looked to Ava for an explanation as she smiled. "Sylvain here was one of the immigrants we helped. His wife was very sick by the time we arrived, and we helped them keep and transfer the cash they had to pay for her medical bills."

Akiko smiled, taking Ava's hand with a proud look on her face. "I sometimes forget how amazing you guys are for everyone you help."

Ava blushed as she laughed nervously.

"What can I get you?! I'll give 50% off anything you buy." Sylvain grinned as Gael and Dante cheered.

The group ordered as Liz helped Priya choose an item, reassuring her it was not snail or frog.

"So, how come you ended up running a ramen shop?" Liz tilted her head as Sylvain grinned more.

"When we arrived, Renee and I were bunking with another family. They cooked Ramon every night because the ingredients cheap, and they taught us to. We used what was left of our money to buy this shop, and we cook Ramon for everyone. We send a small check back to the family every month as a thank you for all the help, but they have a habit of refusing to check them in." Sylvain laughed to himself as Ava smiled.

"I'm glad to hear you've been doing well."

"All thanks to you and your crew- wait a second, where is Alfie?"

The air grew thick as the crew hung their heads. Akiko rubbed her arm as she forced a smile to her face. "Alfie passed on. I'm sorry."

"Oh, why are you sorry? Alfie was a good spirit, and he looked after us all."

"I'm the reason he died. He died helping me rescue my friend. He wouldn't have died if I hadn't called him that night."

Ava wrapped her arms around Akiko, shaking her head. "Hey, it wasn't your fault."

Sylvain laughed. "You think you could have convinced Alfie to do something he didn't want to. Don't blame yourself. He would be proud to know he died doing something worthwhile. That's why he was so happy to follow Ava and her crew."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Now, I think we should have proper introductions for the new members. "I'm Sylvain Crevier."

"Akiko Ueda." Akiko smiled as Liz raised her head.

"Elizabeth May, but call me Liz." She glanced down as Priya lowered her head. "And this is Priya. She's a bit lost, so we're helping her find somewhere safe."

Sylvain turned to the girl with a wide grin. "Well, Priya, you're lucky. You've found the best crew around. Foods up!" Sylvain put the bowls on the side as Gael and Dante cheered. "And Dante, what happened with Alfie wasn't your fault either."

Dante smiled. "I know."

~~~

Akiko yawned as she rang the number, waiting to see if he would be awake.

"This better be good," Aizawa growled as Akiko chuckled.

"I know, I know. Listen, I was wondering if you could do something for me."

"That depends on what it is."

Akiko smiled softly. "My friends found this kid. We don't know where she's from, but we're fairly sure she's not from around here. I was wondering if you could check to see if any reports have been made about a missing kid of Hindu origins?"

Aizawa grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. "I assume there is a reason you're not going to the police with this."

"You assume correctly. She's a stowaway. We're worried that the police will deport her without a proper investigation. She's afraid of going home enough to sneak onto a boat without knowing its destination."

Aizawa paused, considering the situation. "I will look into it, but if I can't find anything, you go straight to the police."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and you're past curfew. Get back now."

Akiko winced as she hung her head. "Yes, Mr. Aizawa." Akiko hung up as she put her phone away. "Sorry, Ava, I have to go. I'll be back tomorrow."

Ava grinned. "You better be. I'm not sure how long I can keep these idiots distracted."

Akiko chuckled, leaning in and kissing Ava before she rushed off, leaving Ava blushing in her spot.