Chapter 18: Family
The hospital has become a frequented place over the years, one I'm starting to feel too comfortable in, a realization that strikes me as I once again find myself traversing the white halls. The scent of cleaning products is constant in the air, at first having been a nuisance, something I could not stand about the hospital, but now I hardly react to it. The overabundance of voices in my head are familiar, still somewhat overwhelming if I'm not careful, but familiar and somewhat reassuring. I suppose it's the feeling you get when you're somewhere that would warrant safety, kind of. I'm not sure but I'm so very used to it. Really says a lot, doesn't it? I've been here a lot over the years, for my quirk and the drawbacks and sometimes for stupid injuries that could have been avoided. It was never anything too serious, which is a wonder considering the number of things I've done. I fell out of a tree once, from the very top, yet I didn't break a single bone in my body. Good to know I have better luck in this life than the last.
The cries of my siblings are what steals my mind when I'm back in the familiar hospital room, my gaze immediately travelling to the wailing children in curiosity. Babies sure do cry a lot, don't they?
"Do you think they're hungry?" Dad wonders to my mother while I casually slip his card into his pocket. All the stuff we bought had been dropped off at the house before we came back, so we took a while getting back, but obviously, it is not a matter that concerns my parents.
Leon steps into the room and closes the door behind him, again taking his place in a corner and standing still. He's back into guard mode apparently. The way this man shifts character with such ease is impressive to me. I truly wish to acquire such a talent, if only to confuse people in the future.
I'm back to my mother, offering to take my brother from her while my father worries about the reason behind their cries. They're not hungry, that's a certainty I feel, though I don't know why I'm so certain. They've finally opened their eyes and I'm happy to see that they're the blue of my mother. Of course the gene skipped me and instead blessed my siblings, but that's okay because they'll be even more beautiful with such rare eyes.
My brother fusses in my arms, moving this way and that as he screams his frustration and need right near my ear. He's loud, loud enough that I think I would hear him crying all over my house. Why are you crying, kid? You're not hungry, I'm even more certain when mom says she's fed you already. Do you need a change of diaper, is that your problem? I could only imagine what that must feel like for you, having to sit in your faeces for who knows long. Must be very uncomfortable, so I understand if that's the cause of your tears. Or are you perhaps just bored of lying around with nothing to do? If so then I fully understand as well, it's terrible being bored, you know. Sometimes I would contemplate climbing that tree I fell out of when I'm too bored, willing to take the risk of falling again and quite possibly breaking something in my body.
He gurgles soon, hands flailing in hopes of finding purchase on something, tears having dried and merely become stains on his cheek. I'm standing still and I realize I had been pacing since I took him, perhaps my movements settled him. Whatever it was, I'm thankful to find him calm and joyous once again. I'm grinning, proud of my ability to calm a child, that is until said child happily grasps at my hair, tugging with strength an infant should not have. Having suspected or more frankly, feared such a thing would happen, surprise is not the first emotion to take purchase. Amusement is one of them, followed by the sense of pain as he pulls a bit too hard, but I don't bother trying to get him off me. It would be futile, what with his near impossible grip strength and all.
"Hey, could you take your sister next, calm her down for me?" Dad's tone of voice is one you would use when asking for a favour that could never be repaid. My sister is still fussing in his arms, frustrated about one thing or another. "She won't stop crying"
"Even as infants they appreciate our mother more than you" it's a jibe that hits close as my father looked mortally wounded. In the back of my mind I can hear a deep voice announcing the fatal attack, Fatality!
"Well, that's mean" he chuckles, bouncing on his feet in a terrible effort to calm my sister. Mom is looking at him with a mixture of disappointment, amusement and perhaps slight exasperation. He had offered to take the kids yet he could not calm them as he had so confidently promised.
Of course, I'll help him, just as soon as I get Elijah to let go of me. It's an effort to gently pry him away from me without accidentally hurting him, a process that actually ends up hurting me somehow. Why is he so strong? And why is no one even trying to help me out here? I've lost all amusement for this situation and would just like for him to release me.
"That's tough"
I'm not sure if Leon sympathizes or if he's making fun of me, but I really wish he would come help me out here.
~~~~~~~
"Zeni!"
A flash of bright colours is all the warning I get before I'm almost knocked off my feet by the little gremlin that is my cousin. She's clinging to me as she always does when she gets the chance to hug me, holding me tightly as if I might slip through her fingers. It's not something I totally mind; seeing as she isn't that heavy and her enthusiasm when around me is really sweet, but even then I have to try to get her off. It's not annoyance or anything, just a need for space she doesn't want to provide.
"Hey Aunt Iris, Uncle Noah"
The both of them offer smiles, one sympathetic, the other just plain amused.
"Lissa" my plea does nothing for she grips me tighter, daring to laugh as if mocking me. "Get off me"
"Make me" a challenge, one I accept as I always do, even if I oftentimes end up failing. This kid, as short as she may be, is really strong. Getting her off is an endeavour that tests strength, patience and vigour and oftentimes those are not enough.
Not this time
Before, I had been weak, ignorant, young and dumb...now, I'm wiser and older. This time I will not exhaust myself nor will I fail for I have discovered her one weakness, a weakness that many have and one she is not immune to.
I'm careful when I slip my hands between us, an act that confuses her, confusion that turns to realization that turns to uncontrollable laughter as I assault her stomach and sides, grinning like a fool, I'm sure. She squirms, twisting in an effort to get away while not relenting her hold on me, but the task is impossible and she ends up slipping, her legs around my waist having loosened enough.
She's off me, but I do not stop. No, I seek revenge and my revenge shall be sweet.
We're a heap on the floor, Alissa struggling to get away from my unrelenting hands, and I of course doing my best to keep her in place. I get her in a body lock, one she cannot escape from so easily, and I assault her until there are tears in her eyes and she's pleading for me to stop, lest she wet herself.
"Do you surrender?"
She tapping my hand which is now locked around her neck in a chokehold and I know she'll get back at me for this.
"I surrender, let me go. I need to go to the bathroom"
Holding her longer out of spite would be cruel and it's so appealing at the moment. It would be so easy, but I relent and show her a bit of mercy. I watch her scramble off to the bathroom with amusement, a laugh almost escaping me.
Well, off to find something to do while the family admires my siblings. It's been a week after their birth and today is the day everyone comes to see them, you know, to assess the new members of the family.
Israel is found carefully, yet expertly holding Elijah, most likely having been encouraged to hold his baby cousin instead of willingly taking the child. I know him well enough to know that he would not put down whatever game he was playing unless he was interrupted and told to do something. Still, even with Elijah so carefully in his arms he still manages to play his games, somehow holding Elijah comfortably and playing his game enthusiastically. Talk about a multitasker. When Elijah begins to fuss the guy is bouncing on his feet and singing some ridiculous song that seems to calm my baby bro down.
Israel can handle kids?
You learn something new every day.
"Hey, Zeni look"
Alissa's so very proud as she appears near me, Clover in her arms, and I'm terrified. If I can't even trust myself with my siblings how am I supposed to trust them with Alissa of all people, Alissa, the overexcited child who is prone to many accidents? Who in the seven hells thought it was okay to let her hold Clover? Who's watching this child? Are they crazy? They must've lost their minds.
"Be careful you idiot!"
"I won't drop her" she seems very much offended by my assumption, cradling my sister to her chest almost protectively and pouting like the child she is. "I've held a baby before"
Disbelief, that is what I feel. I find it hard to believe she won't make some mistake and drop my sister and that constant doubt is going to drain me. A deep breath escapes me as calm washes over my mind and I force my eyes closed for a moment to steady myself and the sudden shift in emotions.
"Okay, but I'm watching you"
"I thought you would trust me" ah, she's heartbroken, perhaps feeling betrayed by the one she so adored.
"It's hard when you are how you are, always so excited and jumpy"
She says nothing, just huffs out a breath in frustration perhaps. She knows I'm right, her thoughts betray her and she knows this too because she's scowling a moment later. The scowl shifts to a smile though, when Clover makes a sound in her arms and she's suddenly aware of her again and just overjoyed.
"Aaaah, she's so cute and squishy"
Please don't squeeze my sister.
~~~~~~~
It's almost nighttime when I'm before the TV watching the news as usual. Joining me in my ritual are my grandparents, each of them as focused on the TV as I am. It's All Might again, having performed some miracle rescue, again. He's an amazing hero, yes, but I will never truly look up to him as most do. I still stand by my opinion of his flawed ideology and how it is his own downfall and the cause of the future rise of villains. All Might is always on the news and Endeavor is there almost as much as All Might himself. I wonder if he's still a trash father or if he's somewhat different. I'm still not sure if I'm in an AU or in the one I'm used to. My birth could have caused a series of changes, I've theorized this many times over the years but I'm not sure, not until I meet the main cast and get involved with everything, and that's still some time away.
The news shifts from All Might to someone else, someone the reporter claims to be one of the best rookie heroes of the year so, of course, I'm invested. I'm left watching in amazement as someone I've only ever seen in photo's appears on the screen, smile bright, almost taunting and very much familiar to the one I've seen from my uncle Caleb and appearance reminiscence of his wife, aunt Kayla.
I almost forgot they had an elder child, one that went off to Japan to study. I had heard that she had gotten into UA in the hero course so I'm not too surprised to hear of her now. I'm proud to see that my cousin is one of the best Rookies of this year despite having never met her before. Who's she staying with over there? I never asked. Perhaps we have family there that I'm not aware of, or did she live on her own?
"Morgan did say she'd be one of the best," my grandfather says with an almost strained chuckle that had me wincing in sympathy when he fell into a coughing fit. Sometimes I worry he'll just keel over and die right in front of me.
Looks like Morgan's really keeping true to her words. I wonder what her quirk is because I never ask. I never really wondered about her too much until now.
"You planning on becoming a hero too, Zen?" The question comes from my grandmother and I almost miss it entirely, being too focused on the news to fully pay attention to anything else.
"That's what I'm leaning towards" my reasons are not very noble at the moment, but I do wish to join the hero business. My reasons vary and as I said are not very noble, not like Izuku or Ochako or any who have those heartfelt reasons behind their chosen path. I just simply want to see how much different things are and while I'm at it I wish to change whatever it is I can. I wish to make a change in more ways than one, most of them perhaps not very honourable.
The only notion I believe to be worth admiring is my wish to change the hero scene, for as it is now, people are just doing it for the money. Yes, I understand that the money is important, but that's not everything is it? A hero has to protect and if your heart is not in it I don't believe you can save many people.
I don't know.
I just don't like how some are just out there for money and fame or girls and all those selfish things. I don't like those like Katsuki, Mineta and Endeavor.
I respect All Might, Izuku, Ochako, all of who have good reasons for pursuing such a career.
Hell, I even look up to Stain for what he was trying to do, even if he went about it entirely wrong.
"You're not sure?"
Well maybe I'm not too sure about the hero thing, but I do want to attend UA, if only to qualify for a job like my parents and I say as such.
My answer makes my grandmother laugh a soft laugh, one of mirth and I'm curious.
"Well, whatever your reasons, you're not the only one wanting to attend that school. I'm pretty sure Lissa and Israel have the same in mind"
They do? That's the first I'm hearing of it.
Well, Israel makes sense when I consider that Morgan is his older sister and he would want to be like her, but I have no clue why Alissa wants to become a hero, if she wants to be one.
"And depending on how things go, you'll probably end up living with Morgan"
We will?
I guess it is reasonable when you think about it. My parents can't just up and quit their jobs so easily, so I won't be surprised if they stay here and ship me off to Japan on my own. I always liked the idea of striking out on my own and looked forward to it despite everything.
I don't mind the thought of living with Morgan though, I really want to meet her and get to know her.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone