2. Seven Years Later

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True to her word, she made it easy for the world's governments to find her.

Raven made it easy for everyone to find her.

Within the week she was on talk shows on every possible network.

Within the month she had started to release pre-written autobiographies.

And it was only a matter of time before she had cemented herself into the world of entertainment as a whole, having gripped Hollywood by the throat.

Voluntarily taking on directing and writing roles for movies many saw no hope in or didn't have a large enough budget to be put on the big screen, Raven demonstrated her prowess in weaving narratives by making even the gutter trash actors worthy of Oscar nominations.

She never took on the acting role herself, though, instead became a coach to anyone who asked. When asked why Raven responded by saying "A movie that needs me to be the main star is a movie not even I can save."

She didn't even show up in documentaries about things she herself was involved in as an actress, only to tell her side of the stories of ages past.

Obviously, the world was shocked by her return, almost everyone had thought she was dead. Her "execution" was broadcast live, but she revealed that it was faked and that it was the reason she could comfortably sit in the public eye.

The people were divided, but many who weren't alive by the time the Brotherhood had disbanded fell in love with her story and many more felt sympathetic. And on the other side of the spectrum she had haters, mobs of people demanding that she be properly sentenced to death.

But once again she proved her strength to control the story. Those who hated her quickly began to lose that ember of disgust when she revealed me, her trump card and adopted daughter.

Essentially a crippled child with a stunted development that was held prisoner and only given freedom because of her. She was raising me, paying for the care I needed to heal my limbs to full functionality. It was a sob story, one she used to her advantage and one I wasn't ignorant of.

But despite her using me to her advantage, she still actually cared about me.

Anytime we were at a hospital Raven refused to leave my side. To cure the brainwashing that made me naturally distrustful of those the N.M.E. wanted to be my enemies, she took me everywhere around the world, exposed me to different cultures and people, and the weekly movie night we had was almost always never in German. Even with subtitles, I had to learn almost a new language due to the limited scope of my knowledge because of the N.M.E.

It might sound weird, but those movies were how I learned emotion. The terrible love stories, the cheesy comedies, the vengeful thrillers, all of them I saw in films and watched my adoptive mother teach actors to mimic.

I don't know how to describe it, it might be her long life and experience or the woman herself, but she had a way of making people understand her with such natural ease that rivaled her ability to manipulate and fool them.

She told me the stories of my technical grandfather and mother, of the lives they lived and the things they were capable of achieving. My grandfather Max might've been dangerous because of his powers, but he also used them in genius ways. My biological mother, Lorna, also wanted to use our powers in academic ways.

But whereas my grandfather was an engineer, she studied geophysics. And I ended up taking after both to a degree. She showed me Max's research materials she had preserved and after a few years of trying to understand them, when I did I took to them like a duck in water.

The books showed page after page of different ways the electromagnetic field could be utilised, both in combat and engineering. The moving parts and machinery he had drawn with so much detail practically whispered to me, and the beauty was that so few could see them without tools.

The pages all looked blank, but he had written them with ink that could only be seen through the interaction of infrared cameras, but in our case, we could see the infrared spectrum with enough concentration.

Out of everything I was shown in the last few years, these journals were what captivated me the most. Much to Mom's enjoyment, I just didn't care about the teachings of the N.M.E. and even started to bear a hatred for them myself, other than theatre all I cared about was tinkering.

If the mechanical bird that flew around my head while I was studying was any clue.

"Ally! Dinner's ready!"

The voice of my blue-skinned saviour and mom pulled me from the book of marine geophysics that sat on my desk, barely heard over the pop-punk blasting in my ears. Or at least, the neighbours' radio that I was listening to three blocks over. Perks of being able to hear and see anything on the EM spectrum, when your phone loses charge and you can't find a charger you can just listen to someone else's music.

It's just a shame I can't choose the playlist.

"Coming!"

Closing the book and throwing on a tank top, I made my way down the two flights of stairs to the kitchen on the bottom floor. The painted white hallways and porcelain tiles echoed with the slapping of my bare feet and the mechanical chirps of the metal robin perching on the various railings and ledges it could find.

When I arrived in the white kitchen through the living room I could immediately smell salmon and pepper. The familiar black dress she wears when Mom goes on a date immediately tells me I'm likely going to end up eating alone before the dinner ends. Something I frankly don't mind, so long as she's happy afterwards.

Grabbing a can of raspberry soda from the fridge, I sat down at the island as she placed the plate of food in front of me.

"So, what is my self-employed personal chef making for her child today?"

"Fried salmon and cacio e pepe."

"And who's the unlucky fool whose heart you're planning on breaking?"

"I might not break this one's, actually."

I nearly choked on my drink when I heard that, shock pulsing through my system at those words.

"Who are you and what did you do with my mother!?" I yelled after I got over my coughing fit. She smacked me upside the head with the spatula she had just cleaned.

"I'm not heartless, you brat!"

"Alright, fine, but you have to explain!"

"She's a rising star in Japan's heroes, not even caring about her yearly polls. She's talented enough to not need an agency and cares more about fighting crime than she does the money. Probably just enjoys the thrill more than the job."

"A hero, huh?" I mumbled quietly while eating some of the white noodles, "Let me guess, you like her because she's probably too busy to get involved in your life, has a strong physique, and has animal features?"

She just sat there leaning on her elbows with a smug look on her face with arrogance shining in her yellow eyes.

"Furry fucker."

"I can't help it! She's like a sexy funny bunny! Her legs even kick slightly when you scritch her ears, and god do I want to take a bite out of those legs."

Mom just laughed as she went to check out her outfit in the hallway mirror, leaving me to eat with an amused smile. When she stepped back into view she gave a small spin, giving me a view of the shoulderless black dress that had a slit that showed more than enough thigh. Black heels clicked underfoot and her long red hair barely concealed the naked back the dress left her with.

"How do I look?"

"Same as usual. Like a virgin's worst nightmare and favourite dream."

"Perfect! You're phones charged, right?"

"It can be."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and held my fingers next to the charger port. Electricity thrummed around my fingers but the device was pulled out of my hand before I could release it.

"Nope! You aren't destroying another one," she casually walked over to the kitchen counter with the phone dramatically held above her head before plugging the charger into it.

"You do know that's the burner you made me back in the Netherlands, right?"

"And you should never waste a perfectly good burner phone. Speaking of, where is your "real" phone?"

"Think I might have left it in the garage."

As soon as I finished speaking the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. The small screen we had set up in the kitchen let us see who was standing at the door, a dark-skinned woman with white hair and bunny ears. She was nervously fidgeting with her beige pantsuit while holding a bouquet of blue roses in her hand.

"Blue roses? Seriously?"

"Oh, stop it! It's adorable how hard she's trying."

She grabbed her purse and kissed me on the top of the head. When she went outside, I saw her act surprised at the flowers the "funny bunny" brought before taking them from her with a kiss on the cheek.

She came back in to put the flowers into a vase, only to have to hold in a laugh when she saw the dazed look on the hero's face.

"You're going to ruin her."

"Then I'll be doing my job perfectly. Remember to call if you need anything!"

The sound of the door closing only made me feel sorry for the white-haired woman who probably doesn't know what she's gotten into. Especially if mom does plan to keep her as a longtime partner.

Would it be cannibalistic if she ate rabbit?

Would a female Hawks lay eggs?

Would it be cannibalism if I ate those eggs?

The metal clinking of the mechanical robin's toes on the marble island drew me out of my mindless pondering. A glance at the microwave's clock told me it was only three in the afternoon, and sitting around felt like a waste of time.

Instead of studying further, I decided to give my brain a rest and get a little exercise. Leaving the house with my jacket wrapped around my waist wearing a white tank top and a ripped pair of leggings, I grabbed my phone and earbuds from the garage/workshop before setting out for an afternoon jog.

I won't lie, I sometimes hate that Mom is as wealthy as she is. She knows how to spend money but at the same time gains in it in excess. She told me once that if she ever sees a poor vampire she would stake them herself, saying that if you've been alive for a hundred years and don't know how to grow your wealth you're an idiot.

But that wealth also means extravagance and the homes we usually have perfectly fit that description. Giant lawns, even larger pools, and long as fuck driveways. And when it comes time for me to exercise those long driveways annoy me.

I've made it a habit of running several kilometres to a park before resting and running back, and as trivial as it is, I just like to run on the sidewalk and leave the house behind me. That extra few minutes of going through a longer-than-needed driveway ruins that mood.

Our Japan house was no exception.

In fact, you could probably say our "garden" in our front yard was more equivalent to a tiny forest. Good for privacy, but annoying nonetheless.

"Alright, Cuckoo, come on. Off we go."

The metal bird landed on my shoulder as soon as I left the gate, its glowing green eyes turning red as it entered defence mode. On my side, I was listening to whatever podcast popped up in my recommendations.

The two of us passed by another girl who had also decided to get in some exercise, her black ponytail bouncing in the wind behind her as we waved and passed each other by.

A half-hour and six kilometres later, the familiar bustling activity of a park sat in front of me. Other joggers running with their dogs, kids playing around with their quirks, all of it felt comfortable which is just what I needed after a jog.

The wooden bench of the park offered a much-welcome spot to relax.

The gentle warmth of the February sun was amplified when happy barking met my ears and a tongue started lapping at my fingers. Looking down, a terrier was trying to get my attention and happily did a little spin when it realised it succeeded in its mission.

Black little spots ordained its face as it continued to spin. I stuck my hand out to prevent it from biting its tail, worried that it might start bleeding. The little happy yip told me that my head pats were more than welcome.

"Well, aren't you a precious little thing! Where's your owner? Hm?"

"Pochi! Where'd you go boy!?"

Following the sound of the voice, I saw a girl with pink hair and utility pants who seemed to be around my age. Guessing that "Spot" was the same spotted pupper dancing around my hand I called out to her, hoping that my accent wasn't as strong as the last time I was here.

"Is this cheerful pup yours?"

When the girl heard me, she immediately saw the dog lying on his back and greedily accepting my belly rubs.

"Pochi!"

She appeared next to me in an instant and it took me a moment to realise that Pochi was no longer underneath my palm and instead was in her arms.

"Don't run off like that again! Why did you even take off anyway? You usually only leave when you see-"

Loud screeching started going off in the same instant, pulling my attention towards the dangerously close face of the girl looking at the screaming bird on my shoulder.

"Babies!"

"Danger! Danger!"

Sighing I took the screaming bird off my shoulder and pressed a button just under its wing. It stopped screaming in the next second and I could only hope my mother didn't get the signal.

"Not danger, just an eccentric."

"Did you make this pretty little birdie?"

Now she was staring me in the eyes, our noses almost touching if it weren't for the force field I keep on my at all times.

"Yes, I did."

"What does it do?"

"Acts as an alarm for my mother if the AI thinks I'm in danger and can be used as a weapon if I need to use one."

"Wait, your baby can attack people, too?"

"Nah, but its claws are detachable and small enough for it to be used as a bullet powered by my quirk. Do you want to see its parts?"

"Yes! Yes, I do! Very much so!"

The girl immediately pulled out a screwdriver from her pocket, seemingly ready to work with machinery at a moment's notice. I just laughed as both the screwdriver and drone were enveloped in a green glow, much to her confusion, before being lifted into the air.

"Relax, Mary Anning. I can show you the fossils myself."

The gears and screws all started turning as the pieces were separated one by one until the entire forearm-sized machine was dissected and floating in the air. She was captivated by the entire process, studying it from beginning to end and circled the floating parts with an enraptured gaze.

"Where...where does the electro-magnetic battery get its power from? There's no port for a charging cable."

"That's where my quirk comes in. I can power it myself by manipulating the EM field centralised in the battery."

"So that's how it's able to fly! It generates an opposite polarity to the Earth's and pushes itself off the ground that way! And the wings flapping must help maintain the opposing force!"

"The inspiration was the various maglev trains and the attempts to remove the rail requirement. The problem is still the energy requirement, as its small size limits the capacity of the generator which simultaneously makes it too heavy for sustained flight. All it can do is hop around unless I help it along with my quirk."

"Still, this is a beautiful invention!"

"Thanks, but wind and combustion-based flight is still superior at the moment." Her eyes still sparkled as she watched me put everything back together, intrigued by its construction. Interestingly, Pochi also seemed awestruck by it.

"You know, I haven't caught your name, Mary Anning. I'm Alice. Nice to meet you."

"Right, I'm Mei Hatsume! Thank you for showing me your baby, and I'm sorry for not being able to show you any of mine in person. But I do have pictures!"

"Well, then, let's talk shop!"

The pinkette happily sat down beside me while Cuckoo and Pochi started playing with each other. Almost an hour passed by with us mindlessly talking about our inventions or babies if we started going by her vibrant vernacular. When we noticed that the winter sun had started to lean towards the horizon we had to reluctantly pull away from each other and end our conversation after exchanging numbers.

"Ah, I really hope we can meet again someday. This has been fun, Hatsume. But I've got to get going."

"Same. Wait! Why don't you try attending UA High School? They have a support course and a whole lotta money and ways for inventors to get recognised early on! I was planning on going there myself and making my debut in the annual sports festival!"

"UA High, huh?" I scratched the back of my neck nervously. "Well, my mom and I aren't really in one place all that long, so I don't know if I can anyway."

"Won't know until you try. And they've got dorms for exchange students and everything, so you might be able to stay on campus and have access to their workshops anytime you want!"

The pinkette was hopping up and down with a giant smile, Pochi and Cuckoo standing next to her and mimicking her actions. The blatant cuteness of the odd trio made it hard to resist, and I quickly relented with a nod of my head.

"Fine, fine. I'll ask her and see what I can do."

"Yes! I'll see you in a few months then!" She took off running with Pochi following behind her. Cuckoo would have followed if I hadn't held him back myself. "It'll be fun to make babies with you!"

I was slightly shocked by her choice of words, and so were the few passersby around us. They looked at me in confusion and all I could do was shake my head with an exasperated sigh and an amused smile.

When I got back home the sun had started to set with the stars slowly emerging. The lights were dim and the door was unlocked, and judging by the unfamiliar car sitting in the driveway, Mom brought her new bunny home.

After grabbing a bag of chips to eat for supper and walking up to my room, I saw a small note lying on my pillow.

'Make some babies with that girl ;) - Mom'

Attached to it was a ticket for the recommendation exam at UA set for the 26th of February from 12:00 to 3:30.

My gaze drifted to the mechanical bird sitting on my desk as a screwdriver drifted over to my hands.

"That's it, I'm gonna rip that microphone out of you once and for all!"

"Sqwuak!?"

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Birb: