Midoriya Hanabi allowed her heart to quail one last time before she steeled her nerves. She took a deep, steadying breath and then a step. Before her loomed the high walls of the Todoroki compound, more akin to a prison complex than a family home. There were guards—guards!—patrolling the scenic mountainside surrounding the house, making Hanabi's approach even harder than it had to be. Of course, if guard rotations were enough to dissuade her, she would have abandoned her quest weeks ago, instead of memorizing their patrol routes. It hadn't even been that hard. A small part of her wondered if they were just for show; the odds of someone breaking into Endeavor's home were probably really low, right?

Then again, there she stood.

Shaking her head to clear it, Hanabi tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack as she carefully picked her way through the underbrush to her chosen entrance. It was a literal hole in the wall, a barred drain for what was undoubtedly an expensive ornamental stream of some sort. With a grimace, she stepped into the water, ignoring how it soaked into her favorite sneakers. Raising a shaking hand, she called on her quirk and pushed heat into the metal bars of the gate, melting them with very little effort. She was in.

Now, the hard part.

Her heart was pounding in her ears as she stepped into an ostentatious courtyard. It was very traditional, just like the home itself, and Hanabi felt a bit guilty for damaging it. A small voice assured her that Endeavor could more than afford to fix a broken grate and she moved on. She'd rewatched HeroTV's Todoroki house tour a dozen times, memorizing as much as she could of the layout. From where she stood, Endeavor's office was only a short ways to the left, and the hero, himself, shouldn't be home for another couple of hours due to a scheduled press conference regarding one of his recently closed cases.

So far, so good.

Quickly, she dashed across the courtyard, eager to be done and on her way. Her mother was waiting for her, after all. She spent precious moments removing her shoes and hid them under the raised porch. Muddy shoe prints would give her away, for sure. Not that wet sock prints were much better…

Another breath abated her worries, and she crept through the mansion, keeping careful track of the corridors she passed.

Finally, she slid the door to the office aside, closing it behind her with a quiet sigh. The room looked much as it had during the televised tour, with high shelves filled with thick books and photographs. The large desk was neat, with few papers out of place. Good. That way her addition would be noticed immediately.

Swinging her backpack off, Hanabi unzipped it and pulled out the manila folder which had driven her to B&E. Although tempted, she didn't look inside—she'd memorized the contents ages ago—and placed it gingerly onto the desk, aligning it carefully. Belatedly, she realized she probably should have worn gloves. Oh well. Fingerprints were the least of her worries, anyway.

She kneeled down and closed her backpack. She'd just swung it back onto her back when the door slid open behind her.

She froze.

How? Endeavor was at a press conference, his sons were at school, his daughter at work. She'd covered all her bases, even skipping school to be sure no Todorokis would be home. Who could be behind her?

As soon as she thought it she knew it was a stupid question. There was only one person who could give off so much heat without actually being on fire.

Well, besides her, of course.

With a sigh, she stood and turned to face the world's Number Two Hero, the most successful hero in history, Endeavor. He, in turn, looked down at her, his face much kinder without the flames in his hair but still somehow cold. His pale blue eyes held nothing but contempt for her and his mouth was twisted in a sneer. Before he could speak, she bowed low, her eyes on his socks.

"I'm so sorry," she said earnestly. "I haven't taken anything, I swear. I—."

"Shut up." His voice was deep and commanding and Hanabi was quick to comply. "Save it for the police."

A chill ran down her spine, but she'd known arrest was a possibility when she set out on this foolhardy mission. Maybe she should have asked Kachan for help. He would have talked her out of it before she got this far.

"Yes," she said, wringing her hands as she straightened. "I'm sorry."

He shoved his way past her, nearly sending her to the ground with the force of it. Hanabi followed his movements as he made a show of checking the room for missing items. She saw the moment his eyes landed on the folder. His face twisted further, like he'd swallowed something foul.

"I don't take private requests."

Hanabi nodded. "I know, sir."

His pale eyes held hers. "I don't give autographs, either."

"I know."

He scoffed and picked up the folder. He had to notice the way Hanabi stiffened, but he didn't say anything. He opened the folder and froze. He stood still for a long moment before sinking into the fancy leather chair behind the desk, a large hand running through his red hair. He visually deflated, his broad shoulders hunching inward as he sighed heavily.

"Why did you bring me this?"

Hanabi thought she might have heard a waver in his deep voice, but that might have been her own wishful thinking.

"I…I thought you might be able to help." She twirled a lock of her green hair around her index finger, biting her lip nervously. "I..I can't do anything on my own, anymore, so…"

"Look at me."

She did, trying not to fidget as his pale gaze flitted from place to place on her face, his expression souring.

"What's your quirk?"

"Pyrokinesis, sir."

He looked a little pleased at that—if slightly less hostile could be read as pleased. "Only kinesis?"

She looked down and away. "Ah, no, sir. Genesis, as well."

He hummed in what she hoped was approval, looking back to the file and turning the page. "Name?"

"Eh?"

He glared at her. "What's your name, girl?"

Right! "M-my name is Midoriya Hanabi, sir."

He hummed again, standing from his seat with file in hand. He towered over her as he came around the desk to stand before her. She swallowed stiffly as he placed his empty hand on the nape of her neck, thick fingers burrowing into her curls and taking hold.

"Well, then, Hanabi. I believe a trip to the hospital is in store."