The Law of Conservation

by konekosama

Summary:

Quantum is a new hero with a past she'd prefer to hide. She always said never to trust a man with no enemies, but there's something about Fat Gum that makes her doubt her beliefs...

NSFW chapters marked for those of you that want to skip straight to the porn!

Notes:

Do you ever start a fanfic and pick it back up 2 years later because you didn't like the direction the prologue and first chapter were headed? Yeah, me too. Had to let it marinate I guess. Enjoy :)

Chapter 1: Prologue

Prologue -

I remember it down to the minute. When I left myself behind. 

My hands were shaking as I burst into my–our bedroom. I grabbed a backpack and started shoving whatever I could into it; underwear, socks, shirts, pants, shoes, toothbrush, charger. Two copper rods leaned against the closet door–the newest version of my conductors, the ones he had spent weeks perfecting for me. I hesitated for a moment, then grabbed them both. I held them away from my body like I was holding something dead, the cold metal repulsive in my hands. I tried to ignore the passing flashes of when I held them last. I took a breath to steady myself before I slid them into the holsters I wore at my hips. My body stopped still as death as I picked up on a familiar set of leisurely footsteps coming down the hall to my bedroom. In my hurry to pack, I hadn’t even heard the front door open.

Fuck.

I zipped my backpack and slung it over my shoulders, then grabbed my old conductor from where it laid on the bed–this one a single silver rod with a copper knob at the end. My heart was in my throat as I scrambled to the window and fumbled with the latch. The doorknob clicked as it turned. Looks like I hadn’t made it in time. 

I spun around and our eyes met. Rage bristled within me but fear threw a chain around its neck and forced it to its knees. Trembling, I was a deer with a target between my eyes staring dumbly at him. I angled my body away from him, concealing the rod in my hand.

Remember your training. Fight. Flight. Freeze. Fawn.

Last time, I froze. Not this time. I felt the prickling, seething energy from the batteries in my conductor flood up my arm, crashing through my torso and falling down to pool at my feet

“Why are you trying to leave?” his deep voice cooed. 

“I’m not trying,” I barked. “I am leaving.” I prayed that he couldn’t see the faint glow beginning to blossom from the rod. Sweat began to bead on my forehead with the sheer effort of heating the thick metal without producing a spark. I coaxed the energy through the rod like water in a basin, swirling, eddying at the rounded tip.

“You can’t make it out there without me. You know that, pet,” he said with a smirk. “Where will you even go? No one even remembers you. And, besides,” I heard the familiar slither of woody vines along the floor. “Wherever you go,  I’ll be able to find you,” he said, his chest rising and falling rapidly with anticipation, his shoulders taut. There was not a single doubt in his mind that he would be able to find me, I could see it in his eyes. This man had never been told no in his life by anyone, it seemed not even the gods would deny him his desires. 

But I didn’t believe in the gods anymore.

I shrunk against the window, doing my best to play the part: eyes wide, knees bent, mouth slightly agape. 

Let him believe, I thought. Let him think nothing is different, that I won’t fight him. I’ve never fought him. Let him play with his pet.  

I felt the vines tickle my feet, the leaves brushing against my ankles. My arm began shaking with effort, desperately trying to hold the level of energy at that tipping point–another drop and the glass would overflow, little fingers of lightning sprouting up and alerting him of my plan. But I had to time it exactly right. He stepped closer. I needed to wait for an opening. His face was solemn and dutiful, but I saw his eyes alight at the thought of the punishment he would serve, the feast he was about to devour, the power he held over me. A little closer… closer…

I didn’t think. My body just moved. As I stood up straight, my arm raised and smacked the burning hot copper tip across his face. It briefly stuck to the flesh of his cheek, pulling skin and hair and all his wretched, wretched beauty along with it. Without stopping, I continued swinging my arm all the way around until the searing hot metal connected with the window behind me and it shattered into a thousand glittering pieces.

Then, I jumped. 

The bark of the maple tree outside my window shredded my hands as I swung from branch to branch, then jumped to the soft earth below and hit the ground running. My stinging palms and screaming ankles begged me to stop, but my adrenaline shot me forward to the train station a mile away. His agonized screams were my exit music.

I was glad I finally hit him back.

 

****

 

“Sh-Shota? It’s me... Akemi,” I whispered into the phone. The bare countryside showed no signs of the coming spring as it eased past the windows of the train. My whole body trembled in the plastic seat, my raw and bloodied hand clutching my phone. 

A familiar voice reached my ears. “Akemi? Is that you?” 

“It’s… me. Can I stay with you?” my voice broke for a moment. “You don’t have to say yes, Shota. I know it’s been–” 

“I’ll set up the guest room. Where are you?”

“I–Shota, are you su–”

“Is that Kemi-chan? Where is she?!” I heard Hizashi’s voice yell in the background.

My free hand clenched to a fist, nails digging into my palms. “I’ll be at the main station in less than an hour,” I said, my eyes darting around the traincar. “You don’t have to come, Aizawa. I understand.”

“I’ll bring the car,” Shota said. The call ended with a beep. I slowly lowered the phone from my face. Tears began spilling over my eyes, hot and humiliating. I was glad the train car wasn’t crowded. 

It was over. It was finally, finally over. 

I was free.

I turned to the window, hiding my face from the other passengers as more tears cascaded down my cheeks and neck, soaking warm and wet into the collar of my shirt. The world outside the window was immense and silent, terrifying bare fields that would be lush with vegetation in a few months. I wondered what this stretch of the country would yield come spring. Sitting there in that train car, I made a promise to myself, the winter sun burning into my already reddened cheeks. I’d never let anyone get their claws in me like that ever again. I’d never bend to the will of another. I would never hide, never shrink in fear. Ever. Again. With my heart in my hands, lungs yearning for air, I willed myself to change.

The train slid to a stop at the station. I swung my backpack over my shoulder and strode out of the car. The person I was when I boarded remained seated, staring out the window at the winter sky as the doors slid shut with a hiss.

Chapter 2

Notes:

Aaaaaaand 2 years later, here's chapter 1 :)

“Are you nervous?” Aizawa asked.

“I have no reason to be nervous,” I said evenly. “I’ve done my research on every pro hero who’s worth talking about.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes. “Well, yes, but I still thought it could be a little nerve-wracking meeting your new coworkers.”

“I don’t need to worry,” I said, gazing upward at the large, glass-domed building ahead as we climbed the marble steps to the entrance. The windows of the dome reflected white, puffy clouds that rolled lazily across the sky. In a couple of months, the sakura trees would begin to bud. Today, their bare branches blew gently in the parting breaths of a winter wind. Right inside those doors, I would meet the heroes of Musutafu city as Quantum, the hero who can harness the power of energy. Well, energy from my batteries, at least. But my story was air tight. 

“I moved from another prefecture after my former partner retired from the hero business to have a family. I’ve always wanted to live in the city and had a connection with my good pal Aizawa. So I moved. At least,” I paused, lowering my voice, “That’s the story.” 

“Decent story,” Aizawa said. 

I smiled confidently.  “Just the right amount of normal to be believable.”

That’s right. Normal. The word felt oddly heavy, like a paperweight on my tongue. Even if it were more true today than it was 3 months ago, it still felt wrong to say. I had been living in Aizawa and Hizashi’s guest room. Helping with the shopping. Cleaning the kitchen. Tinkering with my batteries. Trying to…recover. Aizawa had tried on more than one occasion to get me to talk about him , about what had happened. But I didn’t want, nor did I have the energy to explain to them what I had seen, what I had done. It felt like a crime in and of itself to stain Hizashi and Shota’s cozy marital bliss with the sins of my past. I needed to move forward - that’s why I insisted that I join the pro heroes. Start making some money, get my own apartment, and truly start a new life. Starting today, I would be the type of person who saves people. 

 

Not the one that kills them.

 

As we approached the large double doors of the building, we could hear Hizashi calling out to fellow heroes. He had ran ahead of us so as not to miss a single moment of socializing. He was chatting Gang Orca’s ear (do orcas have ears?) off when he noticed the two of us walk in. 

“ ERASER!! QUANTUM!! THERE YOU ARE!!” he shouted our hero names across the lobby, his voice bouncing off the gray-speckled marble. The throes of heroes milling towards the double doors to the conference room quickly grabbed their ears and grimaced, some of them glaring at the hero known as Present Mic. 

Aizawa sighed, “At least he used our hero names. Wouldn’t want to be unprofessional.”

“So much for keeping a low profile,” I muttered, trying to act like I didn’t notice every set of eyes in the crowded lobby fixed on us.

Aizawa chuckled. “Maybe you can make up a story where my husband is just the right amount of normal,” he whispered aside, scratching his chin and gazing fondly at Hizashi.

“If he was normal, he wouldn’t be your husband.”

“Good point,” Aizawa said, smirking. 

Hizashi ran up to us, bouncing with excitement. “You guys! I saved us some seats, I grabbed places near the middle of the table because the middle of the table is the best for seeing the presentation but also didn’t want us too far at the back because how else will we be able to hear–” Shota put his hand on his husband’s back as he guided him towards the conference room. I followed close behind, making note of the different heroes I saw scattered across the room. I had memorized the names and quirks of the most important ones. Hawks, Endeavor, Rock Lock, Mirko, Best Jeanist, all dressed in their hero suits. Hizashi had helped me design the suit I wore now, one that was white with red and blue streaks that wrapped around my biceps and thighs, trailing off at my forearms and calves. A black utility belt hung loosely around my hips with holsters for each of my conductors. Goggles with protective lenses sat atop my head, ready to be snapped on at a moment’s notice. 

I took a deep breath before stepping into the stuffy, fluorescent-lit conference room. Today, I was meeting the world as Quantum, the superconductive hero. 

I took at seat next to Hizashi. Thankfully, there were two open seats to the right of me—no need to make idle chatter with a hero I didn’t know. Everyone was talking amongst themselves, waiting for the meeting to start. I shot a confident smirk at Aizawa and Hizashi, Aizawa returning a nod and Hizashi flashing a toothy grin and a thumbs up. In perfect sync, their eyes flashed up to a point about 6 feet above my head. I whipped around, my hand instinctively flying to the conductor in my holster.

“This seat taken?”

I took in the sight of the absolutely massive figure in an 8-foot-tall frame that towered above me. A huge, round head sat on broad shoulders. Golden eyes peered out from a black mask, and a few wisps of blonde hair poked out from under his yellow hood. Red boots matched the red gloves that gripped the two chairs, nearly engulfing the headrests.

“Ah…” I stared at him stupidly for a moment before blinking myself back to reality and offering a warm smile. “No one’s sitting here,” I gestured to the chairs. “Please.”

The large man nodded and smiled, pushing the two seats together and lowering himself gently into them. My face was a mask of calm as I took stock of my new neighbor. I didn’t sense any threatening energy coming from his massive frame. He smiled cheerfully as he waved to a few heroes across the table with a hand the size of a dinner plate. The plastic of the two chairs beneath him groaned softly. I glanced at Aizawa, and he returned a reassuring smile and a soft nod. I relaxed a little at Shota’s silent approval. 

The meeting began with opening remarks from Endeavor. I did my best to stay focused.

“...to bring them to justice. There has been a rise in kidnappings as well, recently. Particularly of young women, though this is not unusual. We have not yet determined if any of them are connected. Theft has dropped significantly this month thanks to Rock Lee’s initiative at the railyards. School starts back again soon, so keep an eye out for students as they begin their…”

The sound of my stomach growling immediately pulled my focus. My hand quickly moved to cover the noise. I had woken up late and forgotten to eat breakfast before being pulled out the door by an overly excited Hizashi. 

This is going to be a long day, I thought, sighing softly. Luckily, the noise of arguing heroes and the shuffle of papers and tapping pens were enough to drown out the sounds of my hunger. 

Then, I felt a small poke on my right knee. I jolted slightly, the hair on the back of my neck raised. 

Huh?

 Arms still folded over my stomach, I leaned back in my chair to peek under the table, taking care not to let the other heroes notice. A large hand held out a small orange. I glanced up to see the smirking hero next to me still maintaining eye contact with the newest speaker, Best Jeanist. I blinked, then cracked a smile myself and gently took the little treat from between his gloved fingers.

Did he really hear that? Was my stomach that loud? Yikes.  

I glanced up again. This time our eyes met, and the huge hero gave me a quick wink before returning his focus to the matter at hand. I checked in with Aizawa, my eyes darting from the orange to him. Aizawa gave me a knowing smirk and another subtle nod. Safe to eat, then. I was stone-faced as I quietly peeled the treat and finished it in a few bites, shoving the discarded skin in my pocket. The rumble in my stomach subsided and I returned my focus to talks of villains and public safety and hero law. Well, as best I could. The image of my generous benefactor’s giant hand was burning through my focus. 

His hands are absolutely massive... HE is massive. How tall is he, 8 fucking feet? 

  Even sitting, his figure absolutely dwarfed mine. He was resting his elbows at his sides, his hands folded politely on the table. I caught a whiff of fried dough and powdered sugar coming off of him; he smelled like the festivals I used to visit as a kid. Someone that big had to be pretty powerful, right? How far down was he on the list of pro heroes? I had studied the top 50, but apparently, that wasn’t enough. 

“Now it’s time to introduce the newest member of the hero association, Quantum,” said Best Jeanist. I snapped back to reality and plastered my best great-to-meet-you smile on my face. “Quantum, will you please stand and introduce yourself?”

I stood, my knees trembling slightly. Placing my hands assertively on the table, I let the version of Quantum I had invented in my head take over. Cheerful. Strong. Normal.

 “Hi everyone! It’s great to be here and finally meet all of you. It’s been fun to put some names to faces from the stories Eraser and Mic have told me. Well, mostly Mic.” That got a light chuckle from the crowd. I flashed another confident smile around the room. “I’m honored to be joining the Hero’s Association and I’m looking forward to working with all of you. Thank you so much for the very warm welcome. Let’s do our best! I’ll see you all out there!” I was met with a smattering of polite applause as I sank back down into my seat and breathed a stifled sigh of relief.

“Great job!” whispered the voice next to me. It was the giant again.

“Thank you!” I whispered back, smiling politely. I had to figure out who this guy was, making a note to myself to ask Aizawa when we got home.

Hours later, the sound of plastic wheels over the tile floor as people rose from their chairs was a mercy. I had tried my best to pay attention, but I couldn’t take my mind off the stranger mere inches away from me. The heroes around me began rising out of their seats and meandering towards the door, chatting idly with each other. 

“Break time!” boomed the stranger. I looked up and was greeted with a massive smile. Time to make my first ally, I suppose.

“Thanks for the orange,” I said, grinning and rising to my feet. 

“Don’t worry about it, the only thing worse than a borin’ meetin’ is a borin’ meetin’ when yer hungry,” he said with a wink.

I laughed at that, then stuck out my hand. “My name’s Quantum, nice to meet you.”

“My name’s Fat Gum, but you can call me Taishiro,” he said with a grin. He had risen out of his chairs and I had to tilt my head near all the way back to meet his gaze. His enormous hand engulfed mine in a somewhat clumsy handshake.

I blinked in surprise. Shota had mentioned that many heroes call each other by their aliases rather than their first names, unless they were very close. He explained it was an additional security measure; some people just preferred to remain anonymous to protect their families and identities. But this guy had shared it without a second thought to a complete stranger. Was this a display of power? Something inside me told me no. 

“Quantum, I see you’ve met Fat Gum,” came Aizawa’s voice from behind me. The deep bags under his eyes shone purplish blue in the fluorescent light. He looked even more tired than when we walked in. Ever the introvert, these conferences had to be draining for him. Hizashi had already run off to socialize during lunch.

“Eraser! How are ya? Thanks for bringin’ us a new recruit!” said Fat Gum, beaming at the both of us. 

Eraser nodded politely, then turned to me. “Quantum, you should probably introduce yourself to Endeavor. He pulled a lot of strings so I could get you into the hero association so quickly.”

“Ha! Probably hopin’ for straight A’s for Todoroki!” laughed Fat Gum. 

“He doesn’t need bribery to get that, Todoroki is an excellent student. But he does know we’re in desperate need of some fresh perspectives around here. Ever since All Might stepped down as number 1 hero, there’s been a massive reshuffling of seniority.”

“Guess that makes ya the future of the organization,” Fat Gum said to me. 

“Well,” I said, feigning shyness, “How about I get through lunch first?”

Fat Gum laughed and slapped Shota on the back, nearly knocking him over. “Well, it’s good ta have ya here, Quantum! I’ll see ya ‘round!” The large man waved as he walked towards the double doors at the end of the hall.

“Nice to meet you!” I called after him as he disappeared into the hallway.

“Didn’t eat breakfast, huh?”

“Your husband was in a bit of a hurry. Missed my chance.”

Shota and I began approaching Endeavor, who was chatting with a few other pros at the front of the room. He was tall, but not nearly as tall as Fat Gum. Massive biceps clad in a blue suit were folded tightly over his chest. Red hair blazed atop fiery eyebrows and a withering expression that seemed permanently fixed on his face. The heat radiating off of the fiery hero made me bristle. He turned to us, staring intensely at me. I calmly offered a grateful smile. Hizashi said that Endeavor wasn’t kind to…well, anyone. Everyone knew that he was struggling to fill All Might’s shoes. He was my new boss, and he had done Aizawa a huge favor by allowing me in, but I wasn’t interested in becoming the new punching bag. My mouth was all niceties, but my face was a mask of cold calm.

“Endeavor,” said Aizawa. “This is Quantum.” 

“Nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for allowing me to enroll in the Hero Association, it’s an honor,” I said, still maintaining his fiery gaze.

“Hmm,” the large man muttered. “Let’s hope I don’t regret my decision. A hero with the power of batteries. It seems like an easy weakness to target. What if you lose your little”–he gestured loosely at my conductors–“magic wands? What use are you then?”

“I’ve never lost them, sir. I keep backups for the backups. It won’t be a problem.” 

Endeavor sneered. “Let’s hope not. Have you ever heard of the best-laid plans of mice and men?”

“They often go astray, sir.” 

“At least you’re not stupid. Prepare for failure, Quantum. Do your best.”

With that, the fiery hero nodded to Aizawa and exited towards the lunchroom. As the door slammed shut behind him, I said lowly to Aizawa “He’s a real peach, huh?”

“He has a lot on his plate, trying to earn the trust of the public. But then again,” said Aizawa, gazing after Endeavor with an exasperated look, “he’s always been like that. Don’t let it get in your head. I’m going to grab some things from the office— I’ll meet you in the lunch room, okay?”

“Sure, I’ll see if  I can find Hizashi.”

Aizawa nodded and slipped through a doorway near the projector while I started walking briskly toward the lunchroom. I cracked a slight smile. Sure, my introduction to Endeavor had been…tense, but all in all, I thought I had sold “Quantum” pretty well. Nobody seemed suspicious. No one seemed to recognize me. The rest of the day was a flurry of activity and papers and presentations and introductions and speeches and the booming laugh of a large man in a large yellow hoodie seated directly next to me.

Chapter 3

I peeled my suit off of me and let it drop unceremoniously onto the guest room floor. 

Bureaucracy is exhausting. 

Most of my new coworkers—except for my boss—had been exceptionally kind and welcoming. I had sat with Hizashi, Aizawa, Mirko, and Hawks at lunch. Mirko spent the duration of the meal gushing about my suit and accessories and my curly, black hair. I gazed at the short, shiny curls atop my head in the mirror now. My hair was almost two inches long now - a far cry from the buzz cut I had when I had arrived on my friend’s doorstep. I had changed a lot in the three months that I had stayed with Shota and Hizashi. My face had filled out. Scars had healed and faded to light purple. Luckily, scars were not uncommon for pro heroes. I threw on a pair of black sweatpants Hizashi had bought me and a baggy tshirt that Aizawa was going to donate. Once I was making money as a pro hero, I would be able to buy my own clothes. Have my own apartment. I wondered what kind of style I would want, what kind of person I would want people to think I am… 

I grabbed my conductor belt and clicked it back around my hips. When your quirk depends on keeping a certain object within arms reach, you feel a bit, well, naked without it. I sauntered down the stairs to the living room. Hizashi had changed into a thick, cream-colored sweater and jeans. He stood by the stove, sauteeing some beef and broccoli in a wok. Aizawa was curled up in his sleeping bag on the couch, his social battery well and truly depleted. The puffy yellow inchworm on the couch rotated to face me. “So, how was your first day?”

“Good,” I said, taking a seat in the adjacent overstuffed leather armchair. “Everyone seems nice. Endeavor is a dick. I don’t think anyone suspects anything.”

“Good. What did you think of Fat Gum?”

I balked slightly at the specificity of the question. “He seems…nice. Too nice. Where does he rank in the pro hero list?”

“Top 100, not quite top 50 if I recall correctly. But he has a very enthusiastic niche following. He’s well-loved by the neighborhoods that he patrols.”

I nodded. “Good for him, but how the hell is a man of his size not in the top 25 at least? Isn’t he strong?” 

“His quirk is pretty specific. He’s able to store things in his fat to protect them. He can absorb blows using the extra cushioning. If need be, he can convert his fat to muscle to deliver extra powerful attacks. But once the fat is gone, he needs to eat to get it back. Tough to do in the middle of a fight. He only converts his fat to muscle in emergencies so as not to leave him without protection or the ability to protect.”

“He’s the biggest shield in the hero association!” Hizashi sang, setting 3 bowls of broccoli and beef on the dark wood coffee table in front of us and taking a seat on the couch next to his beloved inchworm. I grabbed the bowl gratefully, cupping it between my hands and warming my fingers from the winter chill. Hizashi was an incredible cook. Even if he wasn’t, it softened something hard in me every time I shared a meal with my friends. I raised a broccoli to my lips and bit down on the saucy, salty, sweet vegetable.

“And,” Hizashi said through a mouthful of beef, “He’s your new partner!” I nearly spit out my broccoli. 

“I knew you’d take it well,” Aizawa said, wiping his mouth. 

“How do you know he won’t find me out? Why can’t I be partners with you? Shota, what the fuck—”

“These were the conditions for getting you into the hero association,” Shota said flatly, chewing on a piece of beef. “We’re teachers, and you’re not qualified to teach. You have to be a hero first, which is what you said you wanted.”

“It is what I want, I just…Thought maybe I could do it by myself. Or with you two. I don’t need a partner. I need to keep a secret.”

“Akemi,” Hizashi said in his softest voice all day. “Fat Gum is a good man. We specifically asked for you to be placed with him because we know he’s good.”

“I don’t trust a man with no enemies,” I answered with a glare. 

“You could trust the two of us,” Shota shot back. There was an edge to his voice now. I shouldn’t have glared at his husband. I shouldn’t have glared at either of them, after everything they had done for me. My shoulders softened. I took another bite of broccoli.

“We would never put you in a situation we thought could be dangerous,” Hizashi continued. “Well, besides the danger of being a pro hero, which is pretty dangerous! But you already knew that.”

“Akemi,” Shota said, sitting up and shedding his sleeping bag, placing his elbows on his knees. “We don’t want to lose you. Again. I believe that Fat Gum is the hero who can protect you, and not just physically—”

“It’s not physical protection I need,” I muttered through a mouthful of food.

“He’s not the type to pry, and he’s not the type to blab. If I thought for even one second that Fat Gum would be the reason that we lost you again, I wouldn’t have placed you with him,” Aizawa retorted. “We’re not idiots, Akemi. And we’re not going to throw you out to sea without a life preserver. I know you don’t need physical protection, but if— if— you ever do, Fat Gum is the person I trust to do it.”

I paused for a moment, studying the last of the broccoli in my bowl. Aizawa was right, though it pained me to admit it. Maybe having a shield wouldn’t be so bad. I met their gaze, my expression softening. “You’re right, both of you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snipped at you. I just…” I paused, my breath slightly catching in my throat. “I don’t want you to lose me either.”

Hizashi smiled, but Aizawa held his stone expression. “Exactly, Akemi. We want to protect you, but it’s hard to do when we don’t know what—”

“I’m tired,” I said, hastily rising to my feet. “I think I’m going to get some sleep. Thank you for dinner, Hizashi, it was delicious as always.”

“Of course, Kemi-chan,” Hizashi said. “And if you ever do feel ready to talk about…what happened, we’ll be ready to listen.”

“Thank you,” I said, turning my gaze to Aizawa. “Both of you.”

My dark haired friend only gnawed on a piece of beef, not breaking eye contact with some distant spot in the corner.

I flicked on the light in the guest room and grabbed my suit from where I had tossed it on the floor. A foreign texture greeted my fingers. I reached in my pocket and—

The orange peels from that morning. I smirked. Fat Gum and Quantum, huh? I tried to imagine fighting alongside him, his massive frame towering over me. Maybe Aizawa had a point. The bigger the man and the bigger the personality, the easier it would be to hide in his shadow. Gods knew I was good at that—hiding. I hoped I hadn’t been too terse with my friends. I hoped they knew how grateful I was to both of them. I hoped they knew I did trust them. Perhaps only them. I wanted so badly to open up to them, to let the darkness I carried spill out of me. But I feared I would stain the carpet, stain their safe, happy home. Stain their image of me, like a photo that had been underexposed. 

I crawled into bed, the soft sheets and pillows a welcome mercy. I wasn’t sure if it was from sheer exhaustion on my first day or from some deep, hidden part of me that was begging to surface, but I began to cry quietly. The cool dark of the room held me as I let the tears wash away what they were able.

 

*****

 

“Hi, I’m looking for Fat Gum? I’m Quantum, his new partner.”

The middle-aged woman across the desk smiled warmly over her green-rimmed reading glasses. “Of course! Fat Gum let us know today was your first day. His office is top floor, take a right out of the elevator and go through the glass doors.” 

I thanked her politely and started walking toward the elevators, my knees only slightly shaking. Fat Gum’s office was clean and simple—A far cry from the exterior of the building, which boasted a bright yellow paint job and the letters F and G framing the doorway. There were framed newspapers featuring Fat Gum’s heroics—most of them small neighborhood publications, but a few were larger city papers. The floor was a checkerboard of black and white tile, like an old 50’s diner. Red leather and dark wood chairs were arranged neatly in a lounge area next to the shining brass elevators that gave a tinny “ding!” when they arrived on the first floor. I stepped inside, pressing the button for floor 4—head office. The elevator closed and opened again with a chime.

I veered right toward the glass doors. A small brass plaque next to the door read “Fat Gum - Pro Hero”. Just beyond the door was another lounge area with plush leather couches and armchairs. There was a large, 10-seater table on the opposite side of the room, its surface adorned with bowls of fruit and plates of buttery scones and flaky pastries. Floor to ceiling windows filled the room with early morning light, filtering through a couple of potted plants that adorned the corners. The couch was occupied by what appeared to be a lounging teenager with bright red hair, the adjacent chair occupied by his dark-haired companion. It was the latter that locked eyes with me through the glass, and gave a meek wave as I opened the door.

“Hi,” I said, letting the door ease shut behind me. “I’m Quantum, I’m Fat Gum’s new—”

“PARTNER!” came a booming voice emerging from a door to my left. “Welcome to the Fat Gum Agency! Have ya met Red Riot and Suneater?” My new colleague was as huge as ever, if not slightly larger than the last time I saw him. Those same blond curls framed the black mask that accentuated his golden eyes. The teenagers on the couch rose to greet me. 

“Nice to meet you! I’m Red Riot,” the red-headed one said excitedly, extending his hand. “The power of hardening.” 

“Nice to meet you, Red Riot,” I said, shaking his firm hand. 

“My name is Suneater,” the dark haired one murmured, staring at the floor. “The power to manifest.” 

“Manifest?” I said, tilting my head in curiosity. 

Fat Gum slapped the two of them on the back. “Don’t just tell ‘er! Show ‘er what you’ve got!”

“Right!” Red Riot beamed, clenching his hands into fists. “I can harden to block attacks, or pierce right through defenses!” As he spoke, the softness of his skin disappeared into a craggy, rock-like texture. Jagged edges and hairline cracks traced down his arms and legs. His fingers sharpened into talons, his mouth a maw of fangs. Even his eyes held sharpness, his gaze hardening as he grinned at me. 

“Very impressive!” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest and turning to Suneater. The boy sighed softly, mumbling about creating—what was he saying?

Just as soon as I wondered, his fingers began elongating and thickening, their color changing to deep purple. Tiny suction cups sprouted from his newly-evolved limb as I realized he had morphed his hands into a set of octopus tentacles. 

“C’mon, Suneater!” Red Riot poked his friend in the shoulder with a spiky finger. “Show her what else you can do!”

A wing spouted up from his back, a cow’s hoof from his foot, a crab’s claw from his other hand. My eyes widened in disbelief. 

“That’s incredible!” I said to the boy still refusing to meet my gaze. Fat Gum beamed proudly at the both of them. 

“Red Riot and Suneater here are some of the best interns I’ve ever had!” my partner mused, placing a large hand on each boy’s shoulder. 

Interns? 

Interns were not part of the deal. Interns were young and curious and gossipy and—vulnerable. My stomach roiled at the thought of being responsible for the two boys who stood before me, their shapes returning to a more human-like appearance. I mustered a smile.

“You both have incredible control over your quirks for your age. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Not so fast there, Quantum! You gotta work with me before UA clears ya to mentor our future heroes,” Fat Gum said, clapping a hand on his interns’ shoulder. “But I’m sure once we nab a few villains together, we can get the four of us together for a mission. I just had these two stop by before class to introduce themselves.” 

My jaw relaxed slightly at the information. At least I had time to ask Aizawa and Hizashi about these two. Red Riot looked disappointed. Suneater looked…at the floor. 

“Alright, off to school with the both of ya’s! Eraser’ll have my hide if you’re late.”

“Wait!” Red Riot looked at me expectantly. “Can we see your quirk?”

“Oh! Of course,” I unsheathed my conductors from my holsters, holding my arms straight out at my sides in a T. “I’m Quantum, the power of electricity!” With that, a rainbow of lighting arced over my head from one conductor to the other. Both boys’ eyes widened, as did Fat Gum’s. 

I urged the teens to each hold out a hand. Both did, albeit one more enthusiastically than the other. I held my conductors a few inches above their palms, sending tiny threads of electricity down to dance along their fingers. Red Riot beamed, Suneater tried to stifle a giggle. 

“Cool! It tingles!” the redhead exclaimed. 

“May I?” A large, now degloved hand extended toward me, dwarfing the hands beside it. Golden eyes filled with mirth stared at me expectantly. 

“Sure,” I said, now holding both of my conductors over Fat Gum’s palm. Tiny threads of lightning danced across his hands, flicking from his fingertips back to my conductors. My partner’s eyes were alight with curiosity as he watched the the little bolts roil, mouth slightly agape, his fingers twitching at the sensation. Our gaze met for a moment, his stare intense and—awestruck. A huge smile split his face as he boomed with laughter. I withdrew my conductors and quickly sheathed them, averting my gaze.

“Alright, that’s enough fun for you two. Off to school!” Fat Gum said, ushering the boys out of the glass doors. “Tell your teachers I say hello, and don’t be late!”

“Nice to meet you two!” I called after them. Red Riot grinned and waved as he headed toward the elevator. Suneater offered a solemn nod. Fat Gum waved as he watched them both until the elevator door slid shut. I studied his face as he watched them go, his expression proud—with the faintest tinge of worry. I pondered the look he had given me a moment ago. There had been something in that look. Something…intimate. Like he was trying to exchange words with a glance, the way you’d do with an old friend. I shook my head slightly. Aizawa said he had a reputation of being a friend to everyone. He probably just…looked at people like that sometimes.

My new partner turned from the glass door and spread his arms wide. “So, partner,” he said with a grin. “Ready for our first patrol?”