From Distant Lands - Juro's Return

Chapter Thirty-One

Over the course of the next few weeks, I find myself splitting my time between hero work and training my ass off at Endeavor Agency to regain control over a quirk that's rapidly budding within me again. At first, I felt nothing but excitement over the new development, but now as my abilities start to shift and change in ways they hadn't before, I find myself becoming more and more anxious about what it means.

"You have to maintain your focus, Kaida. We've been over this" Endeavor admonishes, looking down at me disapprovingly. I sigh, flashing him a glare.

"You don't think I know that?" I demand, wiping the sweat from my brow in frustration. These last few training sessions lately have felt so similar to the ones I had when I was in high school... it's been a jarring experience.

"If you know it, then show me. Stop holding back!" Endeavor growls, throwing another fire ball my way. My eyes widen, but I duck easily, rolling beneath it and slamming my hands into the mats. The reaction I expect is more of a pulsing vibration, meant to throw Endeavor off balance and give me a chance to come up with a counter attack... but that's not what happens. An enormous pulse floods out of my body, filling the room with enormous pressure. I wince against the sound of it as it presses against us both, weighing us down and slowing our movements before it snaps back, throwing us violently in opposite directions. I gasp when my shoulder blade slams into the far wall and pain explodes down my right arm.

"Fuck!" I shout, falling to the ground and trying to catch my breath. Endeavor shakes off his own injury, giving me a hard look as he walks back towards me.

"What is it? What's different this time?" he demands and I shake my head, cringing at the unfortunate tenderness in my shoulder now.

"I don't know... every time I try to control the energy the way I used to... it just feels like I'm trying to put a lid on a Jetstream. It just explodes out of me and I don't know how to reign it back in" I admit, the thought making me tense. Of course I'm happy to have my quirk back at all... but it's changed. Changed in ways that are unpredictable and scary because if I can't control them... then they're not safe enough for hero work.

"You're too powerful to give up on trying, Kaida. Your quirk could have a devastating impact if left unchecked and it's not just about hero work. If you ignore this... you could seriously hurt someone" Endeavor says gravely, eyes meeting mine. His tone makes my stomach drop, but I know he's right. Pulling out of my training now could make things even worse than they are now and I'd never forgive myself if something bad happened because of it.

"Have you heard...?" I ask him suddenly, my mind never too far away from the subject. Endeavor's expression changes but only slightly.

"If his quirk's come back, he's not displaying any signs of it. They have him on lockdown just in case... he's not getting out any time soon" he replies gruffly and I nod, looking away from him. A few days ago, almost like a scene from the past, I received a letter from Juro in the mail asking to see me. According to Shimizu, he shouldn't have been allowed to get one out, but by some horrible twist, I found myself standing at the kitchen table, hands shaking as my eyes read over his familiar scrawl.

"I don't know what to do" I admit quietly, indecision and fear warring within me. Endeavor hesitates a moment, not sure what to say.

"You don't owe him anything" he says finally and I nod, but the look on my face is a clear tell that it wasn't the answer I was looking for.

"I know that... but something about it feels off to me... would you do it?" I ask, looking up at him expectantly. Endeavor's eyes widen slightly, an expression on his face that I've come to recognize as surprise, usually when I'm showing an obvious amount of respect or trust in him. Over the years, I've come to really care about Endeavor's opinion and have often wanted his thoughts on things. Even when the old man is pissing me off, he's become a strong and steady constant in my life, something that I wish could be said the same for his own kids. While Shoto doesn't hold it against me, his siblings haven't been very good at hiding the fact that they do. I can't say I blame them after finding out about some of their past with their father... but I've never been able to conjure up disdain for the man who almost helped raise me when my father wasn't capable anymore. The man who took me under his wing with hardly a second thought.