Liberty

Reason

3rd person P.O.V.

As the door to the operation room closed, Payton slid down the wall opposite and held his head in his hands. The sound of his choked sobs echoed off the walls.

"I'm sorry."

He reached a hand into his hoodie pocket and gently plucked out a crumpled, creased piece of paper. A photograph.

"I failed you."

The photograph was old, a few years maybe. Payton held the photo delicately in his hands, treating it as though it was his greatest treasure. It was. Fat tear drops hit the photo, he lifted an arm to his face to dry his tears.

"I couldn't protect you."

There were three people in the photograph, including Payton. A tall man, taller than Payton, made up of purple black shadows stood slightly behind Payton with an arm around his waist. The man was wearing some strange sort of metal neck brace and a suit, a simple white button up with a black vest, black suspenders and black tie. This man's yellow eyes were crinkled up in what could only be described as joy.

"Just like I couldn't protect her."

In the photo, Payton was grinning broadly. The most noticable thing in the photo though, was the bundle cradled in Payton's arms. A bundle with ginger hair and freckles.

"I failed them all."

The photo shook in Payton's hands as he desperately tried to conceal his cries, the paper straining beneath his fingers.

Flashback

There were many things Payton had seen in his time as a vigilante. Hell, most would say he'd seen it all. From robberies to botched hero work, good villains and even killer grannies. But this, this was new.

He received a tip off recently about a villain hideout in the area, so naturally he went to investigate.

After disposing of the, mediocre at best, villains in there he went to scout out the rest of the hideout. Other than the seemingly abundance of weapons and ammo, he found nothing.

It was within the last room when he found it, the most unexpected thing you'd ever find in a villain hideout. In the middle of the small, empty room there was a crib. As he crept closer to the crib, he came to the realization that it wasn't empty.

The crib was occupied by a tiny infant.

Gently, he picked the small baby up in his arms. She (judging by the pink onsie) was such a small thing, a few months old at least. Why was she all alone in a villain hideout? Why was she even in a villain hideout in the first place?

Payton never noticed the baby wake till she started pulling the tips of his hair. Looking down he saw probably the cutest thing imaginable. The baby was staring up at him with her big green eyes and smiling.

------------------Line break--------------------

The apartment Payton shared with his boyfriend was average to say the least, in Payton's opinion. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen that doubled as the dining room and the living room.

Unlocking the door was not an easy task with a baby cradled in his arms, but Payton managed. Slowly and as quietly as he could, Payton opened the door and crept in.

"And where have you been?" A calm voice behind him asked, immediately sending shivers down Payton's spine. Turning around he came face to face (well, face to neck brace) with his boyfriend, Kurogiri.

"I, uh, I can um explain..."

"Why are you carrying a baby, Pink?"

"I can explain that too."

Payton took a deep breath and began to explain, the baby, the reason he was out so late, etc. Kurogiri nodded and brought his hands to his face and inhaled.

"So, let me get this straight. You went to a villain hideout."

"Yep."

"You KO'd all the villains."

"Yep."

"And you found a baby."

"Yep."

"In a villain hideout?"

"Yes, like I didn't just get through explaining all this."

Kurogiri sighed and...pinched the bridge of his nose? Where his nose would be? Whatever. He gently whacked Payton over the back of the head.

"Hey, what was that for?" Payton whined, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

"That's for adopting a baby without having the proper equipment first, baka."

---------------------Line break--------------------

Not even a month after they'd settled down with the baby, they arrived. Former acquaintances of Kurogiri known as the League of Villains, lead by a man named Sensei.

They broke into the apartment and waited for Payton and Kurogiri to arrive home. They had targeted Payton with knowledge that he had a relationship with Kurogiri, the fact that they had adopted a child was a bonus to them.

Another bargaining chip to use against Payton.

Sensei warned that if Payton didn't agree to work for him, he would kill both Kurogiri and their child.

Flashback end

The photo had been taken a few weeks after they adopted the baby by a friend of Kurogiri's, after they'd bought all the necessary equipment for raising a baby.

The sound of the door re-opening caught Payton's attention and he swiftly pocketed the photograph, wiping away the remnants of his tears.

"The operation was a success, take him back to his cell." The white-coat stated nonchalantly as he walked past Payton. Payton rushed into the room and scooped an unconscious Izuku into his arms, not caring about the blood staining his clothes.

"I'm sorry Izuku. I couldn't protect you, just like I couldn't protect my daughter."