5 Chapter 5: Vigilante Family

(TW: Implications/Mentions of abuse/torture, thoughts of self-doubt/worth)

Norway-Japan

Some Forest-Oslo-Shizuoka Airport-Shizuoka Prefecture

November 2nd 2313- January 14th 2314

Elias awoke to a sudden announcement on the plane, with the captain stating they would be landing within an hour. He wasn't really sure what to do and decided to play around with the device known as a TV in front of him. Scrolling through the list of 'movies', Elias had no idea what to watch as this was all still so new to him. Finally, he clicked on a movie called All Might's Origins and thought it sounded interesting.

Elias found himself fascinated by what he was watching and inspired by All Might himself. He could never see himself smiling no matter the situation, but this man could. Maybe this hero could help him, he thought. It was a reach, but Elias didn't really know how to get help for his kingdom. He couldn't just go up to a hero and spill his life story on a notepad, no, he would seem crazy. Another problem he found himself facing was that he had no cell phone, nor could he even speak, so how was he supposed to contact the hero Eraserhead? Stuck between a rock and a hard place, all Elias could do was immerse himself in the film in order to forget his worries for the time being.

When the plane landed, Elias was fairly terrified by the procedure, finding that if the landing was messed up, they would all probably die. Luckily, the captain must've been an expert because of his smooth landing. He stayed in his seat, waiting until he was finally able to depart from the plane. The baby blue eyed male groaned, annoyed that he couldn't finish the film he was watching. He had the strongest urge to finish it, but he was due to leave, so he quickly got up and followed the other passengers towards the luggage retrieval area. All Elias had was his brown bag shoulder bag, so he was able to just leave.

Now, Elias had no idea where to go, nor where he could exchange more of his coins for Japan's yen. Thinking for a few minutes, a sudden lightbulb went off within Elias's head. He spotted a 'Help' desk near the exit of the airport and walked right over, with his notepad on hand. The red-haired lady looked at him with a large smile that seemed almost fake, but he paid no mind to that as he needed some answers. "How can I help you today, sir?" She prodded, looking as though she would rather be anywhere else. Elias quickly jotted down the word 'U.A location' and ripped off the sheet, before handing it right over. The lady, Mizuki- as written on her name card-, scowled a bit before looking straight towards Elias's eyes. "Well young man, you'll find U.A in Musutafu, within the Shizuoka Prefecture. We are already in the prefecture itself, so you'll just need to take a cab over to Musutafu. Have a nice day." Though her smile was gentle, her eyes held plenty of contempt and Elias couldn't figure out why. Shrugging it off, he bowed to her in thanks before scurrying off towards the exit.

Sadly, he would have to find his way by walking because he was sure his coins could not be exchanged without bringing some form of suspicion. When he was finally outside, Elias looked up at the sky in happiness, feeling as though he had finally made some progress towards saving both his people and family.

Japan

Shizuoka Prefecture

December 24th 2313- January 14th 2314

Elias had been living on his own for a few weeks already, having found a poorer area that heroes rarely patrolled around. He often had to be careful because villains often scoured the place and Elias had already come across a few. Life hasn't been easy, with the ice mage living on edge constantly in fear of that monster somehow finding him. Living in a poorer area however brought plenty of rumors and word of a League of Villains was running around. Wanting nothing to do with it, Elias would simply pretend he had heard nothing and instead focused on figuring out how to forge documents. He didn't exist at this time at all, nor did he have any school records, nor any documents that would help him in getting into U.A. He did still have the tiny sheet of paper with both Eiwaz's and Eraserhead's number, but it was pointless because he couldn't even speak.

Admittedly, he felt a bit lost, unsure of what to do or where to go. All the plans he hoped to accomplish seemingly fell through when he couldn't even find a place that would give him a stable job. If he was being honest, Elias felt like a worthless piece of shit, simply living for no other reason than to suffer. It was dramatic, yes, but his memories thus far have more or less been negative in nature. He has met some kinder homeless people along the way, but he'd been too terrified of them to get close. Elias could never be sure who would turn on him, nor if someone would recognize him through the monster's orders.

He often found himself taking long late night walks along the streets, carefully avoiding bringing suspicions to himself. Today was no different, as Elias let himself go with the flow, walking wherever his magic told him to go. It had never wronged him before and he was inclined to trust his powers..something he maybe should've been a bit more careful about. The street he was walking along was completely quiet, not even the sound of chirping crickets could be heard. It was dark and dreary as many of the street lights flickered as though they would go out at any moment. The sky was starless, showing an emptiness Elias constantly felt within him. No longer paying attention to his surroundings, it was a massive surprise to himself when he bumped into a hard wall?

Having fallen on the ground, Elias's face scrunches up in a bit of pain and he groans inwardly, before looking up at the wall he bumped into. He firmly believed he had simply walked into a building of sorts but to his surprise, that wasn't the case at all. Standing in front of him with a scowl was a male of about 5'9". With dark hair that spikes upwards but hangs lowly over his eyes, thin turquoise eyes that are heavily lidded and a slim lanky build, as well as a plentiful of purple patched skin, Elias can for sure say he is frightened. The taller guy's scars are seemingly put together with the use of staples and for a moment, all Elias can feel is a kinship of sorts. Had someone done that to him?, he thought.

Dabi had not expected to bump into some kid in the area he was in whatsoever. The area was notorious for crimes and was usually cautioned against if someone had plans to go. Looking downwards, he notices how the kid's baby blue eyes scream 'save me' in a way he could recognize as those eyes used to be his own. On top of the baby blue eyes, they also have icy-blonde hair and a blue mask full of snowflakes that covers most of his face. The poor kid isn't even wearing clothing fit for the season and that speaks volumes to him. Noticing the clear fear on the kid's face, Dabi crouches down and gently places his hand out, noticing the flinch that subsequently occurs. "Hey kid, i'm not gonna hurt you. Lemme help you up, alright?"

He gently says, not wanting to somehow further scare the kid. It takes a few minutes for the kid to slowly and shakily place his own hand onto Dabi's, but once he does, Dabi brings him up.

Elias doesn't really know what to expect as the tall guy seems to be kind, but it's hard for him to trust others. He only trusted Eiwaz because they were still in Norway and he was the first one to show him any kindness. If Elias could, he'd be gnawing on his lip right about now. "Alright kid, you should go home. It isn't safe here." The guy tells him, but Elias has already been here for some time and has yet to encounter anything crazily dangerous, so he shakes his head. The black-haired male seemed a bit ticked off by his answers and scoffs, before dragging a hand down his face.

"Kid, what part of not safe do you not understand?" Dabi questions, clearly not understanding why the kid isn't running back to wherever he came from. It's at that moment that the kid pulls out a notepad of sorts and begins to jot down something. He holds out the sheet and Dabi grabs it, reading whatever is written. "Ok, so you're on your own, huh.." Dabi stares at the kid, not really liking his answer. Admittedly, he reminds him of Shoto and that's not a good thing whatsoever. Dabi comes to a decision that he isn't sure is necessarily a good one, but he already has Toga with him, so why not take on another brat?

Elias awkwardly waits around for the guy to respond back to him and it's making him a bit nervous. His left leg shakes a bit in both anticipation and nervousness, unsure of what the guy plans to do. The moon is shining brightly down on them, as if this is a moment that will forever shape Elias. Finally, the guy looks at him with a thoughtful look. "Kid, why don't you come with me? Honestly, i'm not too comfortable letting you stay on your own and I have another person with me who is around your age. You're not obligated to agree, but I have a small place that'll give you a roof over you heard." He trails off, clearly unsure of the offer himself. Elias is completely caught off guard by the offer. The guy in front of him is a complete stranger and yet, he just decided to offer him a place to stay?

Dabi can see the suspicion rise on the kid's face, which he guesses is a good thing. He didn't realize how creepy that sounded in context so it's good that the kid isn't simply accepting. However, he really doesn't want the kid to go home and sleep on the streets. "Look, I have a younger brother who you really remind me of. I wasn't able to do much to help him at all so if you accept, I promise I won't harm you." He somberly says, thinking back on all the times his trashbag of a father beat him down before moving onto his poor brother. He feels immensely guilty for not doing anything, but he won't go home until he can bring his father down, legally or not.

Elias hasn't had the strongest history in meeting kind people as he became isolated from his kingdom by his parents, but the sincerity on the patch-worked face makes him give in. Plus, his own instincts haven't screamed danger at him, something they've done whenever someone dangerous is around, such as his father. If anything does happen, Elias is confident in his abilities and would for sure be able to escape him. He quickly writes down a 'yes' on his notepad and shows the guy, before then writing down a threat of his own. It makes the guy laugh, but then they sober up fairly quickly by the look on his own face.

"Alright kid, let's go home. Name's Dabi, by the way. I'll introduce you to the other roommate when we get there." Dabi states and with that, Elias introduces himself with just his first name as well, all on his notepad that is slowly running out of paper. They pass by the quiet streets in silence, with Dabi protectively walking next to him, just in case something happens. It's nice to Elias, having not really had anyone protect him for so long. It's almost foreign.

They arrive at the apartment about 30 minutes later and the place is fairly rundown, but clearly still livable. Dabi brings him to the fourth floor, room 412. Inside isn't the homiest but it has everything a small apartment for two would need. A worn down couch that pulls out into a bed, an old tv, an old kitchen with some snacks laying around and a lamp or two. Compared to Elias's time on the street, this apartment is already perfect to him.

"This is my place, it isn't the best but it works. The room the other roommate stays in has a bunk bed, so if you don't mind rooming with a girl, you can stay there. Otherwise, you can either take the couch or stay with me." Elias shrugs, not really sure what he wants. He's tired by this point and wouldn't mind taking the floor. "Lets get some real introductions, alright? TOGA, COME OUT OF YOUR ROOM!" Dabi yells out and Elias suddenly hears a crash in the room across from where he stands. It suddenly opens up to reveal a petite girl at 5'2" with fair-skin. She has bright yellow irises that are sorta catlike and dirty ash-blonde hair styled into two messy buns with various strands sticking out. She is currently wearing a seifuku with a kansai collar and she seems utterly excited when looking at him.

"OH~ A cutie!! I bet your blood tastes delicious~." She excitedly states, blushing at the notion. Elias is put off by her instantly and quickly grabs onto Dabi's long coat, not sure if he'll be attacked or not. "Toga, he isn't prey. This is Elias, our new roommate." Having been confirmed as not 'prey', Toga deflates a bit but latches onto the idea of a new friend. "Oh!! Hi there, i'm Toga Himiko, my quirk is transform!~" She does a small pose, as though she's posing for a picture.

Elias jots down his name and 'quirk' on a piece of paper, as well as his age, before handing it over to Toga cautiously. She seems like a nice girl but is a bit over the top to Elias. He watches as she takes in the information giddly, before handing it over to Dabi. "Huh, an ice quirk. My quirk's known as Cremation, a fire quirk. We'd make a powerful pair." He jokes, seemingly a bit on edge about an ice quirk, as if the idea brought him pain that he was trying to cover up.

"Anyways, now that we're all introduced, we can discuss Toga's and my other job. Also, you know you can take off your mask, kid. No one here is sick." Dabi explains, but Elias's eyes show a bit of fear. The only person who has seen his mouth has been his own father and Arvid because he's scared of people's reactions. Will they think he deserved it? Elias places his hands on his masks, as if someone will try to take it from him.

Both Dabi and Toga notice the awful reaction Elias has to the idea of taking off his mask and quickly reassure him. "You don't have to take it off, it was just a suggestion." Dabi tries to calm Elias down, noticing the ice slowly forming beneath him. It takes a bit of time, but the ice has finally stopped forming.

Elias, beyond exhausted by this point, ends up falling asleep on the couch. Dabi covers him with a blanket before going with Toga towards his room to discuss their future plans. "Dabi~ Are we gonna tell Elli of our plans?!?" Toga giggly asks, proud of herself for the new nickname. "Elli?? Oh, you mean Elias. I'm positive someone hurt him so hopefully he'll understand our cause. If not, well, we can always say we'll 'stop'." He says as he does a motion with his fingers to represent 'so-called'. Toga hums in agreement before going to her own room, having planned to find Stain the next day. Dabi on the other hand sits on his bed, wondering if really made the right decision. He despises abuse as much as he can't stand heroes, but he never asked the kid if he wants to be a hero as well. Groaning, Dabi decides to worry about the issue some other time and instead move onto more important things.

Japan

Shizuoka Prefecture

January 15th 2314- March 30th 2314

Months have gone by since Elias has joined Dabi's family of sorts. Honestly, Elias finds both Dabi and Toga to be like his older siblings and has come to love them, despite their vigilante ways. He remembers having to have that awful conversation with them about why he decided to become a hero.

Flashback

"You want to be a hero? Why E, why do you want to become one of those hypocritical bastards?" Dabi knew it was likely that Elias would want to be a hero, but both he and Toga have already described the lives they lived and why they couldn't stand heroes. It somewhat felt like a betrayal. Toga is standing in the kitchen, a grim expression on her face which is a bit alarming considering how Toga's emotions are rarely on the sadder side.

It's at this moment that Elias just explains his entire life story, excluding how his quirk isn't a quirk and how he's a prince of a forgotten kingdom, through the use of his new touchscreen cellphone that was a gift from Dabi for his birthday. It takes an hour to explain but by the end of it, Dabi's grinding his teeth in pure anger and Toga is hugging him as tears fall down his face. "Do..do you want us to find a doctor to get those stitches out? I can't promise they'd be any good though.." Dabi trails off, anger coursing through his veins. How screwed up does someone have to be to stitch their kid's mouth together? Elias shakes his head no, finding it safer to be done at U.A if he is able to get in. Being able to let it all out was difficult but necessary as he couldn't lose his new family, he'd rather die.

"God, that's fucked up. I wish you'd join us as vigilantes but..I can understand it. Wanting to be a hero for those who never had one to save them. Alright, if you want to be one, you need to train for the next few months up until the entrance exam. Toga and I can somewhat help you. You also need documents forged and need to take online classes so you have some grades, but we'll get through this together." Dabi pats Elias's back, who just keeps on sobbing. He didn't think they'd react poorly but this amount of support is so unknown to him. With a last sniffle, he initiates a hug between all 3 of them, finding warmth in his family.

Flashback Over

Ever since then, Elias has gone all in with training and schooling, learning everything about the modern world. He learned that he couldn't use his powers in public, no matter the reason or he'd face repercussions. Dabi knew a guy who could forge documents for him, but wouldn't say who his friend was. He understood the need to keep someone secret, but it wasn't as if Elias would tell anyone.

He's also begun learning sign language so that when he hopefully goes to U.A, he'll be able to communicate without his notepad..as long as other people can sign a bit as well. Dabi stated that teachers usually know a bit of sign language or more but when Elias asked how he knew that, he brushed him off.

With Toga, they'd 'talk' about cute boys they've seen and occasionally cute girls, even though Elias isn't attracted to females. He remembers telling Toga about this cute purple-haired kid he saw walking around the neighborhood but couldn't get himself to reach out to him. Toga joked about tasting his blood but promised to hold off, unless the guy hurt Elias. Honestly, Elias felt like he had two protective bodyguards but loved it all the same.

One other thing Elias did during his training was become a vigilante on the side, but he wasn't known by police because he patrolled in his own neighborhood. It was great practice for his 'quirk', but he often used the martial arts he had been learning from Dabi so that he wasn't caught off guard if someone could ever erase his powers. He doubted it would happen, but he didn't want to take any chances.

Life has been good, but Elias still had plenty of unresolved issues. He still flinched when random people passed by him and often accidentally used his magic whenever he's surprised. His mental state is wishy-washy at best, alternating between great and awful. Dabi does his best whenever he gets into one of his funks of self-doubt and wondering whether he's worth all the trouble, usually taking him out for ice-cream at a place that is well-known amongst villains but hidden from heroes. He'd never judge Dabi nor Toga for becoming villains, he just worries that they'll do something they'll regret.

Elias didn't really make any friends during his small amount of training, aside from making an interesting acquaintance who he sees from time to time. Usually, he'll pass by Dagoba beach and spot a green-haired kid who looks like he's getting destroyed by his training and an extremely sickly looking blonde-haired guy who tells him to keep on going. Elias has waved to them before whenever he goes jogging, usually getting a flustered wave in return from the green bean. He doesn't know their names, but the small warmth he receives from the acknowledgement is always nice.

The entrance exams for U.A are on April 1st, so Elias only has a few more days before he sees what happens. It's beyond nerve wracking to think about, but if he doesn't get in, he may have to resort to becoming a full vigilante or make his way up through general ed. He's had plenty of time to think about the unresolved anger that often clouds his thoughts, especially regarding his parents. He knows they are under a quirk of sorts, but they both hurt him greatly. Logically, he should forgive them, but his logic was thrown out the window when his father crossed multiple lines he shouldn't have. His mother sneered at his existence whenever he was greatly hurt, making him feel completely alone. The only one he can currently forgive is Artie, who hasn't done anything despite the clear hatred within his eyes.

Currently, Elias is laying on the top bed of Toga's bunk bed as both her and Dabi are out doing whatever they usually do. He doesn't get involved much in the less legal side of their life, despite being a small-time vigilante himself. He had to be careful, otherwise he'd lose his chance at being a hero. He's worried that he won't make it in at all, considering he has only had a few months to truly study everything compared to other students who have had years. Sighing, he stares at the paper with both Eiwaz's and Eraserhead's numbers, having only recently reached out to Eiwaz. The hero was ecstatic that he'd found somewhere safe to stay and had asked him how his days have been. Apparently, Eiwaz has found love after saving their partner from a villain attack. The two are in a steady relationship and Elias has an invite to the wedding if it gets to that point. Eraserhead is someone he hasn't reached out to because he just hasn't met him and people rarely know about him. If he does meet him however, he'll try to trust him since Eiwaz does.

Tired from even thinking and having worked out plenty today, Elias falls asleep in order to prepare for tomorrow's training routine.

Japan

Shizuoka Prefecture-Musutafu-U.A High School

April 1st 2314

Today is the day of the entrance exam and Elias found himself getting good luck hugs from both Dabi and Toga. With a signed goodbye, he decides to walk the entire way as a means of ridding of any nerves that have been building up as the day gets closer and closer.

It takes around 25 minutes to get to U.A and Elias is surprised by the amount of students taking the exam, with hundreds of students visible. He stares up at the building and gulps, preparing himself for a hellish written exam and practical exam. While walking into the school, he spots both the green-bean from the beach and the purple-haired handsome guy that he has spotted multiple times now. He attempts to introduce himself but the green-bean has seemingly disappeared from his sight and the purple-haired guy radiates an aura of 'don't come near me'. Sighing, he walks towards his written exam room and prays that'll do well. He isn't sure that he studied enough within the few months he had.

Sitting himself near a blonde-haired guy that seems to sparkle every two seconds, Elias waits for the written exam to begin. He doesn't make eye contact with anyone, placing all his focus onto the exam paper that has been passed around. The teacher at the front, who is wearing a large beige coat, yells that the exam has started and Elias is zipping through it, while also being careful. Some questions are exceedingly easy, while others are disgustingly difficult. He tries to get everything finished on time but struggles on the quirk history portion as he still isn't used to modern history whatsoever. There was too much information to study.

Elias ends up taking the entire test time and wants to cry when he passes up the exam, feeling as though he could've done better. However, there's no time to fret over it as all the students are supposed to make their way over to the auditorium for a presentation on the practical exam. He follows behind the blonde-haired sparkly kid, who seems to be in his own little world.

The auditorium is massive, filled to the brim with potential candidates for the school. Unsure where to sit after having lost the sparkly kid, Elias sits next to someone who is entirely invisible and only noticeable because of the clothing they wear. The girl is extremely annoying, having squealed a few times already. Elias waits for the presentation to begin as the Voice Hero: Present Mic gets up on the stage.

"For all you examinee listeners tuning in, welcome to my show today! Everybody say "hey"!" Present Mic bellows out, but unfortunately, not a single person says 'hey' for him. "What a refined response. Then i'll quickly present to you the rundown on the practical exam! ARE YOU READY? YEAH!" Once again, Present Mic is seemingly waiting for a response but the silence is deafening. Elias would laugh out loud if he could.

While Present Mic begins, Elias can hear someone muttering in the crowd about Present Mic and having listened to them on the radio constantly, but Elias is too focused on Present Mic to look around for the person.

"As it says in the application requirements, you listeners will be conducting ten-minute mock urban battles after this! You can bring whatever you want with you. After the presentation, you'll head to the specified battle center, okay? OKAY?!" Present Mic states, causing Elias to look down at his battle center, which happens to be F.

"Three different types of faux villains are stationed in each battle center. You can earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty." Elias stares at the pictures of the villains, committing to mind which gives how many points. "Your goal, dear listeners, is to use your Quirks to earn points by immobilizing the faux villains. Of course, attacking other examinees and any other unheroic actions are prohibited!" Present Mic emphasizes the last point, which means it has happened in the past. That surprises Elias, considering how U.A. is a hero school, but people are greedy and will do whatever they can to win.

While the presentation goes on, a student with dark-blue short hair and glasses stands up, "May I ask a question?" He yells out, with his hand raised high above. Present Mic allows it and a spotlight falls onto the student, where the guy begins his little spheal. "On the printout, there are four types of villains. If that is a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of that foolish mistake. We examinees are here in this place because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes." He basically lectures Present Mic, before turning around and pointing to another student. "In addition, you over there with the curly hair-- You've been muttering this whole time. It's distracting! If you're here on a pleasure trip, then you should leave immediately!" Elias feels bad for whoever was muttering, but understands why it could be distracting, especially as he could hear it from much further away, whereas the other student was far closer.

"Okay, okay. Examinee Number 7111. Thanks for the great message. The fourth type of villain is worth zero points. That guy's an obstacle, so to speak. There's one in every battle center— An obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to defeat, but there's no reason to defeat it, either. I recommend you listeners try to avoid it." What Present Mic states makes Elias curious, as they wouldn't add a no pointer for no reason, somewhat ignoring the loud thank-you that comes from student examinee 7111.

"That's all from me! Finally, i'll give you listeners a present—our school motto! The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said: "A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes." Go beyond PLUS ULTRA! Now, everyone, good luck suffering!" And with that, the presentation is over. Students begin going towards their battle centers with hopes and dreams of passing the exam well-enough to get into the hero course.

Elias is nervous as he stands before battle center F, his nerves almost consuming him. He sighs from his nose, the only way he could actually sigh, before trying to hype himself up. He has to make it. Giving up is not an option, nor is losing. With a little bit more excitement, Elias awaits the start of the practical exam.

Failure will not be his path.