Teka took off her gloves, her typical disdainful eyes passing over each member of our little group.

Rei exchanged glances with Enji, who looked taken aback.

Confused, Touya looked at Natsuo and Fuyumi.

They looked perplexed as well.

- Excuse me, but who-

- Ah, Grandma!

I rose from my chair smoothly, embracing her with exaggerated affection.

She let me do as I pleased but from the way she looked at me, I knew she'd figured out what I was up to.

- Jeans and a T-shirt, Shoto ?, she whispered in my ear. Really ?

I smiled, pleased to see that the long road she'd taken hadn't dulled her bite at all.

- Nice to see you, Granny, I replied in an overly perky tone.

I took her cloak, ignoring her as she glared at me, and handed it to one of the few servants hanging around.

Then I turned to the others.

- Since this was a special family reunion dinner, I thought it would be a shame if Granny didn't join us.

My father gave me a stern look before turning to his mother.

- Teka

- Enji, she replied as cooly, greeting him with a short movement of her chin.

If I didn't know them so well, I would almost think they hate each other.

Rei stood up immediately, almost knocking over her chair in her haste.

- Teka, she mumbled. I didn't know you were coming. If I'd known, I would have prepared something else...

- She hadn't warned anyone, said my father, annoyed, a wine glass filled with what I knew to be anything but alcohol in his hand, the reddish contents rolling like the swell of the sea

- Shoto knew, Teka countered calmly as I pulled out a chair for her to sit in.

She thanked me with a look and I took my seat.

- So you're our... grandmother, Fuyumi asked uncertainly

Teka picked up her glass gracefully and raised it to one side, her bright eyes resting on Fuyumi.

One of the servants, a bottle of wine in hand, ran to refill it.

Teka, imperious, regal, acted as if this was her reception and we were all just the humble guests in her abode, blessed by the privilege of her presence.

- It's rude to ask someone to reveal their identity when you haven't done so yourself

Fuyumi blushed.

Natsuo pointed at her with his thumb.

- Fuyumi (pointing at himself), Natsuo (pointing at the other), Touya

- Touya, Teka repeated, her eyes shining.

She took a sip from her glass without taking her eyes off him.

Natsuo cleared his throat.

- What do you do for a living, Grandma?

- I-

- She works in finance, Enji cut her off. Very boring.

Dishes covered with metal bells were placed on our plates.

With a swift movement, they were all uncovered.

Teka, her face impassive, began to eat with all the graciousness of a queen.

- No more boring than being a teacher, she countered. Or a Hero.

Enji frowned, about to retort, but Touya interrupted, clearly tired of being ignored at his wonderful party:

- Being a Hero is a respectable profession.

- And how would you know, boy ? Last I heard, you were a wanted criminal for murder and terrorism

There was a silence.

I lowered my head and pretended to cut a potato to hide my smile.

Teka's fork made a loud noise against her plate.

- Oh, you didn't want to address the elephant in the room ? My bad

She didn't look sorry at all.

Rei cleared her throat.

- Natsuo, please hand over the salt.

Fuyumi took a long sip from her glass and slammed it down on the table.

- How are things at the restaurant, mum ? she said.

Rei took the change of subject for what it was and continued:

- The new cook I've hired is excellent. I think it's only a matter of time before we get our third star

- That's great, Mum!

Teka pecked at her plate with the tip of her fork, looking bored out of her mind.

- I guess you figured something to do with your ten fingers and all the money my son gives you

- Teka, Enji growled.

Fuyumi had started to drink wine like a fish in water.

- What ? I'm just stating what everyone already knows. And that's no insult, considering the price you paid for your wife.

I motioned for the butler to bring me the bottle.

- Would you like a refill, Granny?

The more she drank, the more dangerous she became.

And I loved it.

- I didn't-, Rei stammered. I mean, Enji didn't- it was consensual...

- Don't be so sensitive, Teka continued calmly. Quirk marriages are much more common than you might think. The Todoroki dynasty was very fond of them, although our bloodline remained stronger than those brought through marriage.

- Dynasty ?, muttered Natsuo incredulously.

This time, Teka shifted to Italian :

- The Todoroki are an illustrious Italian lineage, boy

Natsuo and Fuyumi blinked.

- They don't speak Italian, Dad said

Teka clicked her tongue reproachfully.

- I'll never understand your desire to tarnish our bloodline by raising incompetent offspring

Rei choked, swallowing a mouthful of nothing.

Touya hesitated for a second, then slapped her back to make her spit it out.

Teka and my dad glared at each other as I pretended to focus on the salmon.

It'll be a miracle if we ever make it to dessert.

- Tell me about school, Shoto. How are your Heroic studies going ?

- Very well. Our class is divided into two sections: I'm in the accelerated track.

- Good, good. And you're still inclined to spend next summer with me, if I'm not mistaken ?

She had phrased it as a question, but we both knew it wasn't.

- Of course

Rei cleared her throat and Teka and I turned our heads simultaneously.

She pursed her lips and said :

- An accelerated programme ? What kind is it ?

My eyes met Touya's.

- Nothing special. An internship with a hero, permission to use my Quirks on public spaces if necessary...

Rei fidgeted with her hands and I had a vague feeling of déjà vu.

- Isn't this a bit... dangerous?

- Life is dangerous in itself. Don't you agree, Tou-tou ?

The boy swallowed a mouthful of water and moved it from cheek to cheek, his eyes on mine, before swallowing.

- Of course

- Disgusting, Teka muttered to my right.

- Anyway, Dad knows about it, I said, glancing at him.

He replied with a disinterested grunt, his whole attention focused on Teka as if she were a ticking time bomb he had to prevent from going off at all costs.

Fuyumi leaned forward.

- Say, Shoto, why don't you take off your mas-

- And what kind of dangerous life have you led, boy ? asked Teka, completely ignoring Fuyumi

Touya looked up in surprise, obviously not expecting her to speak to him.

Dad, on my left, tensed.

I sank back into my seat and enjoyed the show.

- Don't antagonise him, my father said.

- Do you feel antagonised ?, Teka snorted, her eyes never leaving Touya's prostrate form.

Touya straightened up.

- Not really, no

And he smiled with all his teeth, and I was surprised to see that he wasn't missing any.

- You see? You're exaggerating, Enji. A boy who's been able to live, what shall I say, survive ten years-

- Eleven, I said.

- Eleven years alone on the streets must be a lot of things, but certainly not squeamish. You're not squeamish, are you, boy?

Touya smiled politely, but I could see the veneer of his mask crumbling a little more as Teka continued to address him as a child.

- I'm not squeamish, no

- So, as I said - before Enji starts bothering me again (glare) - what kind of life have you led all these years ?

He shrugged.

- It wasn't too bad. Most of the time, I had a place to sleep.

- Oh, Touya

Rei looked on the verge of tears and the discomfort on Touya's face seemed anything but fake.

- And why didn't you come back?

- I had...

He scratched his neck, looked down at his plate, took a deep breath and then let his hands fall back to his thighs, not meeting anyone's gaze.

- ...I didn't think anyone would want me here after I set the house on fire...

- And that's putting it mildly, I said, shaking my head.

- Hmm, that's a pretty weak argument, Teka said, not impressed in the slightest.

We've had our share of degenerates in the family.

- My son is not a degenerate !, cried Rei, her face flushed with anger and her fists clenched, slight chilblains covering her knuckles.

I rolled my eyes and looked at everyone in turn, surprised at the drastic turn the conversation had taken.

- All that power goes to your head, Teka finished calmly, pretending not to hear Rei, or maybe not really hearing her, perched as she was in her ivory tower.

She used to do that to me when I was a kid, pretended not to hear me when she didn't feel like it.

- For example, when I was a little girl, my cousin Leonardo faked his death.

- Why would he fake his death ? asked Natsuo, looking like someone who'd watched a documentary on the Greek gods and decided to stop wondering about their sanity.

- To escape his son, who had tried to murder him in order to marry his mother and take over our lineage.

There was a small silence.

- It's a joke, of course.

A small smile of relief appeared on Fuyumi's lips.

- Ah, I thought it was too much like Oedipus.

- My father killed all three of them before we ended up with an internal feud on our hands

Another silence.

Then Natsuo burst out laughing.

- Totally crazy, Grandma. You sure you aren't a screenwriter or something ?

Teka didn't laugh.

I looked at Dad who, with his shoulders slumped, seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

It really happened ?

- It's strange that a child of - what ? Ten years old ? - should disappear overnight

- Teenagers run away all the time, said dad

- But they found a child's skull-

- A child's jawbone, I corrected her as innocently as possible

- A child's jawbone in the fire, right ? What would a child's jawbone be doing in the middle of your forest ?

She turned to my father.

- Enji, would you have built your house on a graveyard?

- No, I...

Touya fell silent, swallowed and exhaled through his nose.

- Someone was there. A man. He said he would help me and... he kidnapped me.

Rei held her breath.

Fuyumi squeezed Natsuo's shoulder, who was stiffer than a statue.

- He said he'd heard about my Quirk and- because I was exhausted...

Teka, for her part, didn't look the least bit impressed.

- If there really was a child to be kidnapped for his powers, it wouldn't be you that they would have went after

And she took another sip of wine while everyone looked at me more or less discreetly.

Rei took Touya's hand in hers and he tensed, his jaw clenching.

The air heated up, and I was sure I wasn't the only one to notice.

- Do you remember his face ? Anything significant ? Maybe we could try to find him...

She looked at Enji, whose eyes were fixed on Touya.

- It was... it was All for One

Hiccups of amazement. Backward movements.

I looked at my father, who was impassive, and wondered if he really believed this bullshit or if he wanted to pretend he did to avoid understanding what the implications of such a lie would mean.

Teka, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit moved.

- Funny how your kidnapper turns out to be a missing person, possibly dead, and with whom we'll certainly never be able to verify your claims

Touya snapped out of his torpor, his hazy eyes sharp again.

- What are you implying ?

- What do you think I am implying ?

- You think I'm a liar ?

- I find your sudden reappearance suspicious, to say the least.

- She's got a point, I smoothly slipped in

Touya gripped the edge of the table.

- What are you going to say next?, Teka continued. Now that the big bad wolf is gone, you feel safe enough to resume your old identity ?

A vein in Touya's neck throbbed and he stood up, heat rising sharply.

- Enough !, Dad roared.

Rei, Fuyumi and Natsuo jumped.

Teka's henchmen had approached without a sound, two of them only a step away from Touya.

Teka finished her drink gracefully, her eyes shining defiantly as she looked at Touya.

- Teka, in my office

Teka rolled her eyes, then dabbed at her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief that she tossed carelessly onto her plate.

- So dramatic.

She stood up and the four men stationed at the four corners of the dining room sprang into action.

- You too, Shoto

- Oh no, I was really looking forward to dessert

The sarcasm oozing from my voice wasn't lost on anyone.

My father gave me a warning look and I sighed, the legs of my chair squeaking on the floor as I stood up.

I reluctantly left the plate I hadn't touched and followed the procession with my hands in my pockets.

Dinner has been cut short...

I smiled.
*
Author's note :

Teka is a threat, and I'm so freaking here for it.

Also, Shoto stirring shit up in the background acting all innocent is killing me.

Anyway : 150 power stones = sunday bonus chapter. 

If you want to support the story/read ahead of schedule, you can do so on my P@treon, Nar_cisseENG

See you in the next update everyone !