"There are things we can't control, but there are things we can choose." - Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Before she could finish, a glint of silver caught Izuku's eye. A blur of iridescent feathers landed on his outstretched hand, the tiny clockwork heart of the sparrow humming softly. He smiled, while Maki had a surprised look, her face mirroring the surprise swirling in the bird's obsidian eyes.
Maki leaned closer, her fingers brushing against Izuku's as they both examined the delicate creature. On its feathers, they found etched memories: a shared joke about robots gone rogue, a whispered thanks for lending a hand, and the echo of Momo's infectious laughter.
A warmth bloomed in Maki's chest, chasing away the emptiness for the time being, it was something really unique and she would be lying if she wasn't surprised to see such a thing from Momo. This was Momo, in a way they hadn't expected.
Izuku had an amused look on his face. He knew he was able to connect with Momo, and looking at the enthusiasm she was showing, when talking to him, he had got an idea she would want to contact him, but this soon was not what he had thought of.
"She sent this?" Maki's voice held a mix of awe and happiness. Izuku nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. This wasn't just a mechanical wonder; it was an unspoken invitation, a bridge across the chasm of expectations.
The sparrow, its silver wings catching the last rays of the setting sun, seemed to wink at them. A silent messenger, it had delivered not just memories, but a promise – a promise of more laughter, more whispered secrets, and perhaps, just perhaps, a melody waiting to be sung together.
As the first stars winked awake, Izuku looked at Maki, the sparrow settled between their palms. They knew, without needing words, that this was just the beginning. Momo reached out, not to fight, but to find friendship. And they, with hearts open, were ready to join the dance. The night stretched before them, a canvas waiting to be splashed with laughter, friendship, and the whispers of a melody on the wind.
However, a question lingered, "Will you tell her what we are doing? She seems to have started trusting you, what will happen when she knows that even the name you gave her isn't a real name and that we aren't joining UA to become heroes but to destroy it?
Should we really break her heart, she seems to be a really good girl, and she doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives either, I don't think we should break her heart like that, I don't want to make her cry Izuku" said Maki as she had concern in her words.
"I don't want her tangled in our mess either," Izuku admitted, his voice softer than usual. "She's got a good heart, believes in heroes and all that. Finding out the truth, about me not being who I said, about UA, about the heroes…" he shook his head, the words catching in his throat. "It'd shatter her world."
Maki nodded, understanding etched on her features. "She said her mom helps quirkless folks, remembers? If she learned what we were planning… it'd break her. There aren't many left who do good just because, you know? I guess I…" she hesitated, eyes flickering towards the window, "I kinda want to keep her that way. Let her keep shining, helping others without the shadow of this hanging over her."
"It isn't only about what I am planning, but what I have been through, what you have been through, what Kaina has been through, afterall we haven't even told her the details of what you have gone through your whole life, and how your parents threw you away, there are many things she doesn't know of, she doesn't know a single thing about our past, along with the fact that heroes aren't what she thinks them to be, there are many things she doesn't know about, it would break her, kill her dream, I don't want another Izuku, Maki or Kaina to go through what we have" said Izuku.
"So what should we do now," asked Maki.
"We'll see, either we'll keep our contact limited or we'll tell her the truth, depending on the situation, we need to be prepared for anything that comes, even if it means losing her as a friend, for we cannot stop what we are doing, for a better tomorrow," said Izuku.
"I understand, so when are you going to take me on a mission?" asked Maki changing the topic.
"Soon, very soon, first I need to give Kaina what she's waited so long for, she doesn't deserve to be made to wait any longer than she already has," said Izuku as he reached the lobby of their Hero tower.
"So Kaina Nee is finally getting a proper date, huh, I would have loved to accompany you guys, but I know she deserves this much, plus you have been busy with many things, to not be able to get a proper date, so I won't be disturbing you, enjoy your time, and make sure to make Kaina Nee san happy," said Maki understanding what a proper date means to a woman as a fellow woman.
Izuku nodded.
"Do you have a place in mind?" asked Maki.
"Yup, I have prepared for everything, and I know very well what she wants," said Izuku as they entered the lift and the sparrow flew away from Maki's hands.
What Maki didn't know was that her talks were being recorded, but it wasn't the case for Izuku, he knew about this, but he chose for her to listen, It's better if she knows that they aren't who she thinks them to be, that way it wouldn't hurt her when all of it is revealed at once, something which would crush her.
And the sparrow coming so soon was proof that she was getting attached to them, and so he wanted to make sure that she knew this much about them, as it wouldn't become hard to reveal for Maki and for Momo to digest what she's told later on.
As soon as they went in the lift, the sparrow went back to Momo as she heard what the sparrow had recorded.
The hushed whispers were like fallen leaves in a hurricane, swirling around Momo as she stood at her mansion's balcony viewing the full moonlit night sky. Each word, filled with conflict and pain, it was like a shard of shattering glass piercing her carefully constructed world. Toji, not his name? UA, not their destination? Heroes, a facade?
Her heart, once a steady drumbeat of excitement, lay shattered on the floor, replaced by a cold, hollow echo. The girl who believed in sunshine and rainbows now found herself staring into an abyss filled with shadows and whispers of darkness, she couldn't believe what she was listening to.
"Were these really the very same people she talked to a few hours ago? This can't be those people? No, it must be them, they must have found out about the sparrow and decided to make fun of me and fool me, yeah that's right, they must be joking," said Momo thinking it must be a joke having an existential crisis.
But as she continued listening to it, she couldn't believe what she was listening to, destroying UA, what were they talking about?
She couldn't understand anything at all what was happening.
Toji, the boy who understood her, someone whom she could connect with genuinely, her second friend after Maki, and who appreciated her genuine self, was now feeling like a stranger. The connection they forged, the shared laughter, and the promise of a melody sung together, all turned to dust in the face of this revelation.
But it wasn't just him. Maki, her first genuine friend, veiled in secrecy and burdened by a past she couldn't even imagine. And Kaina, a name whispered with guilt and unspoken promises. A web of lies, deceit, and pain stretched before her, each thread pulling her deeper into the darkness.
Tears welled in Momo's eyes, blurring the edges of the moonlit sky. Her world, her beliefs, her trust - all were shattered like fragile porcelain. Anger mingled with the grief, a burning ember in her chest. They used her, her trust, and her friendship, for their own agenda.
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