Monster

13 | Relief and Regret

- TENKO -

I sat against the pillow, drained, as I watched Shota speak with Recovery Girl. They were speaking in hushed tones, and by the looks on their faces, I could tell it was important.

I sat up a bit more. "Uhm, Aizawa?"

He turned towards me. "Hm?"

"What's the time?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

He looked at the clock, which I could not read. "Around 3:34pm. Why do you ask?"

I shot up. "I missed the whole school day?!"

He nodded. "Don't worry too much, I'm sure you could borrow Katsuki or Zu's notes."

"Zu! Is Zu alright?!"

He glanced at the door. "I was supposed to go get him in a second to visit you." He looked back at me. "He's been asking about you all day."

I fumbled over my words. "Zu, Zu hates being alone. He's always hated it at the laboratory, I–" I exhaled slowly. "I shouldn't have left him alone today.."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, kid. Let me just go back to the classroom and–" A phone started ringing. He sighed. "One second." He took the phone out of his pocket, mumbling something I couldn't understand. "Shota Aizawa, speaking." He listened for a few minutes, face changing as the person on the phone spoke more. "Let me get this straight, Zu ran into you and you decided to bring him to the teachers' lounge?" I watched him nervously. "Okay, let me just sort this out then I'll bring him with me." He sighed. "Just.. focus on calming him down," he said, before hanging up the phone.

I stared at him. "So, is.. Zu okay?"

He put his phone away. "Yes, or at least Hizashi has told me he is, anyway." I visibly relaxed, so he turned to Recovery Girl. "Is Tenko all done here?"

"I've done all the tests I need. He'll be a little drained, but other than that, he's free to go."

He nodded. "Tenko, let's go."

I started to follow him out the door, stumbling slightly before righting myself. Aizawa is walking fast, so something must be wrong. And it must have to do with that call he just took. Something about the teachers' lounge?

"Sir, where are we going?" I decided to ask after the silence got too uncomfortable.

"To see your brother."

Zu is a complicated person. Sort of.

There were a lot of things about him I hadn't told Aizawa, and a lot I didn't know myself. I knew that he had suffered a lot more in that lab than I had, but I didn't know how bad it actually was.

Overhaul was very secretive about what he did, so of course I got worried (and was still worried) that maybe he decided to hide whatever he did to Zu from me. Maybe even going as far as forcing Zu to keep quiet and not say a word.

It wouldn't surprise me if he did.

I was still worried, though.

Zu is my little brother. He was, and still is, someone I was supposed to protect in that hellhole and I failed. I know I did. He's still suffering, still having nightmares, still having attacks whenever someone so much as raises their voice just a little.

If I had just escaped that night and found a hero, maybe we would've been out sooner and had more support. Maybe Zu would have a somewhat more normal childhood with the added time. Maybe he could've recovered better and we could've reunited with our parents sooner.