Chapter Text
I honestly cannot believe I was able to miss something so big for four years. Four. Granted the act of being reborn was confusing enough and baby memories were completely unreliable, but still. How could I miss something so obvious as watching my new mom levitate objects into the air? Or seating with my new dad in an old, torn couch watching the television where people breathed fire, and few around the city saving people in tight colorful costumes?
And if that hadn’t been obvious enough, I should have realized by just looking at my father really, minus the eyes they were almost identical down to the Totoro grin—I took after my new mom in all minus pale skin and amber eyes. Back to the point though. The signs were all there how could I have possibly missed them!?
Let me a bit clearer. I don’t remember my previous name, or much of my previous life, or how exactly did I die but I have been reborn. How do I know this? Well because even if baby memory isn’t the best, I still recall pretty vividly the day I was born and other small bits of my new early life. Now— bear with me—did I know I had been reborn to My Hero Academia? No, not really. For the most of my baby and toddler years I honestly thought I’d been reborn to a normal Japanese family.
How did I miss all the big clues and the fact that I was named Aizawa Miharu? I blamed it all on the fact that, one I had a small crisis of having to relearn how to crawl and walk, two Japanese, three just because all the clues were there for me to see, that doesn’t me I was looking for them. Why would I?
Everything became clear at the age of four, because of two very obvious changes. One, just before my fourth birthday there was a small incident at school because I had freaked out after feeling to many emotions from my fellow classmates and teachers. That and my left eye felt like it was being burned off. I got my quirk! Empathy. It’s safe to say alarms started going off in my head after that. Two, was one I knew was coming but after the ‘quirk’ incident it just placed everything in place.
On November 8th, during the first snowfall of winter that year new mom—Aizawa Kumiko, a woman with dark brown hair and onyx dark eyes, and fair skin— gave birth to my baby brother. Wanna take any guesses on just who he is? Never mind, you don’t have to. I’m going to tell you.
Aizawa Shouta. Born at 9:47pm at a small clinic near our house—we couldn’t afford a hospital bill and the clinic offered free care— on November 8th.
There was no denying it then. I had been reborn as a character—person—on My Hero Academia that just happened to be Aizawa-sensei’s, aka Pro Hero Eraserhead, older sister. Any fangirls dream really, except I was freaking out on that small waiting room to see my new brother filled with questionable shady characters around me.
For one, I was mentally kicking myself for not having figuring it out earlier. Seriously, four years. Didn’t realize I was in My Hero Academia for four years. Two, I was just trying to take everything in all at once, and trying to find the best way to react. Three, once I got to really think back on it I was trying to draw as much information as I could—though it would be useless right now considering Eraserhead was being born at this right exact moment. Besides, most of the information—that I could recall—about Aizawa was that he had gone to UA with Yamada Hizashi—Present Mic—, Kayama Nemuri—Midnight—, probably Tensei Iida and Blood King if the head canons and fanfictions were to be believed. Other than that history, there is absolutely nothing on Eraser’s home life or family.
So far, though Mom and Dad seem to fight—because of money— they were okay parents. They just worked a lot because again, money. However, if I was going to trust the theories, head canons, that I could recall, things would not be turning out great for Eraser or me. I had yet to recall one where his parents were, ‘okay’. It didn’t make me feel very hopeful for the future.
Maybe it won’t be so bad? I tried and stay positive blatantly ignoring the nagging feeling of dread at the back of my head.
“Mi-chan,” Dad’s voice, deep and calm brought me back to reality as I looked up and blinked at eyes the same amber color as mine. He smiled. “Ready to meet your baby brother?”
The moment of truth. I wasn’t ready, and it seemed that Dad could pick up on it too because next thing I knew he was sitting right beside me, hands on his lap. “He’s as small as you were back then,” he remarks offhandedly which had me raise an eyebrow at him.
“Babies are supposed to be small, tou-san,” I told him with a roll of my eyes which earned me a laugh from him.
“And that, was exactly what your mom said to me then too.” I know. I was there and though very tired, unable to see, and ready for a nap, could still very much hear. “ ‘Daichi, babies are supposed to be small’.”
I grinned at his awful mimicry of mom’s tone. This was making me feel a bit better in its own weird way. “What’s his name?” I found myself asking, even if I already knew the answer.
Shouta.
“Not sure yet,” Dad replied and I almost slipped from the hard plastic chair. Turning to face my dad with an incredulous face he chuckled. “Your mom is not quite sure what to pick yet. There was quite the extensive list.”
“But he needs a name!” I protested suddenly scowling at my surprised father. Honestly, who were the adults again? “We can’t call him ‘baby’ until you guys decide on something.”
He laughed. “Then what would you name him then?” There was a bit of a challenge in his tone. As if daring me to come up with a solution. Jokes on him I already knew the name.
“Shouta. Aizawa Shouta.” I state smug and firm and to my everlasting surprise dad nodded in acceptance before smirking the type of smirk Aizawa would give class 1-A in the future.
“Then I guess you better go, and tell you mom that. Right?”
Ah. I’d been tricked. Dad laughed and I pouted. “You tricked me.”
“No, I didn’t.” Dad spoke with an eased and composed tone suddenly. “We really didn’t have a name for your brother yet. Good choice though. I see someone was paying attention when Mom and Dad were dotting down names.”
Heat touched my cheeks lightly. “Maybe.” Dad smiled.
Okay, maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. After all theories and head canons were not reality. This was reality. My new mom, Dad, me, Aizawa, this clinic, this world. It could be different here.
“How about we go meet Shouta then, Mi-chan?”
“Okay!”
Dad sat up from his chair and on instinct, my hand reached to hold while he led the way to mom’s and Shouta’s room. It wasn’t a long walk, this being a clinic and all. Once at the door though, I couldn’t wait for Dad to slide it open and so I did it myself instead rushing inside to my mom’s side.
Without so much as double guessing my gaze went directly to the blue bundle in her arms. Then slowly lifting my gaze to meet my mom’s dark eyes that I knew my brother would share with her one day. She smiled at my clear enthusiasm but was quick to frown.
“Aren’t you going to ask, how your mom is Miharu?” Mom questioned with a raised eyebrow causing me to pull back in guilt. Damn. Some daughter I am.
I looked down at the white blankets in shame. “Sorry, kaa-chan.”
“Now, now Kumiko,” Dad soothed walking to the other side of the bed to sit beside his wife. “Mi-chan is just excited to meet Shouta.”
Cheers for Dad! I beamed.
“Shouta?” Mom parroted confused turning to look at her husband. “But I thought we hadn’t decided on a name yet.”
“I picked it.” Mom’s gaze turned to me while Dad chuckled. He was about to say something but I had cut him off too eager to tell my mom. “We can’t call him ‘baby’ until you decide. So I picked his name.”
Mom looked about ready to argue but stopped once Dad placed a hand on her shoulder. He sent her a look, and while she had to turn back to look at me, she did relent in the end. She’d never been able to argue when it’s Dad and me against her. Whether it was for more time at the park or extra sweets for desserts. Mom was outnumbered. I guess things would be changing now if Shouta took her side on things. Maybe, I’d have to make sure he’s on my side on those times since I doubted I could out logic the logic king.
Trying to get a better pick at my slumbering brother, I tilted my face and leaned closer until Mom pulled the blue blanket from his face. Sensing the sudden change, Shouta stirred awake and blinked his eyes open for a fraction of a moment before going back to sleep once more with a small baby grunt.
And just like that I’d fallen in love with only a small, almost miniscule gesture my baby brother had swept me away. “I’m a big sister.” I breathed out in awe tuning out a laughter that came from my parents as I only stared at Shouta.
Everything would be okay. I promise Shouta. Peaking at our smiling parents, I grinned too. We would be okay.
I hated being wrong, or with this case, I hated how much my fears had been right. How every theorist had been logical in their assumptions of Aizawa Shouta not having the best home life. It made sense, and if I’d bothered to think more of it instead of enjoying life with my new family, and baby brother, I could have changed something. But then, I was also so young and not the person I once was though I did carry some of her knowledge.
The events happened slowly, and it was one after the other with some reprieve in between. Mom and Dad did their best to hide it from me—they’d always said I was all too sharp for my own good—by pretending to be normal. It worked for a bit, but soon enough the cracks became all to visible for them to hide.
When I first noticed, I was seven, Shouta was about to turn three and already could walk around rather well. He didn’t talk much or play but that was okay because I would read to him and he would play with my hair, and that was enough for the two of us. In any case, we’d been outside when something inside the house crashed. Shouta and I had both jumped at the loud noise instantly turning to face the house.
Part of me wanted to go and see what had happened, but then I couldn’t leave Shouta outside alone when he looked just as scared as I was. So I stayed beside him and soon enough Dad slammed the front door open before walking out of the house angrily.
He didn’t so much as glance at us, just walked right past us and out into the sidewalk. Soon after him was mom, who had tears streaming past her cheeks.
“Daichi!” She wailed. “Daichi please! Daichi!”
Shouta began to cry beside me, continuing even after I tried to soothe him. We both watched, and continued to do so as mom cried on the street confused and scared. Eventually, the three of us made it back inside with a somber silence that did not leave even as we ate dinner that night. Dad still hadn’t come back.
“Where is tou-chan?” Shouta asked our Mom in a small mumble looking at her from his plate. Both Mom and I tensed.
Mom, because she didn’t know how to answer. I because I dreaded the answer. Shouta seeming to pick up on the apprehension that swallowed their small dining table shrinked into himself. He glanced from mom to me nervously before I gathered the nerve to speak.
“He’ll be back soon Shouta,” We hope. “It’s going to be okay.” My smile is forced and not all too reassuring but part of me hopes my baby brother is not yet smart enough to see the difference.
It seems I was right because sure enough Shouta goes back to eating.
The tension never left the room however, and it only increased as Dad spent more days away from home. Shouta never again asked where he was, or if he was coming back. Not after Mom screamed at him that she didn’t know. I had to drag him away before she did anything worse. My quirk came in handy in this situation seeing as mom seemed to just grow angrier and angrier the more Dad was absent. She’d started to drink too which increased her mood swings and snappy behavior.
Dad never came back. Not a week after he’d left, or even a month later. He did however come back in time for Shouta’s birthday. I’d been at school and Shouta at Pre-School. The instant we got back though—I had to pick him up because mom worked—Dad was home waiting with a present for Shouta.
A small calico stuffed cat. My baby brother had been over the moon, and Dad was instantly forgiven for being gone for so long. Everything fell apart when Mom came home, tired, frustrated, and in one of her moods. The instant I sensed that, my left eye glowing a dark yellow—like it always did when I used my quirk—I tensed.
Maybe she’d get better now that Dad is home. My thoughts were naïve and though I was technically mentally older than anyone my age group, I was still a child physically and at heart. There were instincts and feelings that came with going through life all over again. Some innocent and naïve thoughts came with it. Plus, I wanted to hope that we could be the happy family again, like when Shouta had just been born.
None of that happened however, and as soon as Mom’s dark eyes landed on Dad her expression twisted ugly by her fury. There were no words exchanged just angry looks and before things could get verbal, I took Shouta by the hand that wasn’t occupied with his stuffed cat, and ran to our bedroom closing the door.
“Nee-chan?” Shouta questioned in a small confused tone and before I could say anything. The screaming between our parents started. My baby brother jumped and clutched onto his toy for dear life.
Briefly, I wondered what would have happened to Shouta had to been here. Would he still be out there watching as their parents yelled and screamed at each other? Maybe after a while he could have run away, feeling scared and confused just before he learned to control his emotions to appear neutral to everything. Thinking of that, I couldn’t stop myself from embracing him with my own trembling body, and holding his tightly.
Those were also my parents screaming obscenities at each other out there. Just like Shouta I was scared and confused and begging inside my head for it all to just be a nightmare that I could wake up from.
It wasn’t though. And from then on the nightmare just got worse.