VILLAINS PT 18 - PAST He was too young for a lot of things. Too young to be an orphan, too young to join the Shie Hassaikai and work as an enforcer beneath older brother Chisaki. Certainly too young to look after a newborn little girl. “This is your new sister, Eri. She'll be in your care. Look after her well," Gramps had said to a bewildered 10 year old Izuku. He’d heard of the attack on the head family. Had heard of the loss of both her parents. Izuku had a soft spot for fellow orphans. He looks at his boss’s grand-daughter. “My sister?” He would have thought Gramps would have chosen Chisaki for the task. Then again Chisaki seemed the one to one day take over as head of the organization, probably best to leave baby sitting duties to quirkless nobody Izuku. Izuku's best guess, he's gotten wind of Izuku's little excursions into enemy villain group territories. Under orders of Chisaki of course. Gramps held a bit more of a distaste for child soldiers than most nowadays. Strangely honorable of him. But overly idealistic in the current warring state of Japan. Though Izuku could honestly have done without another sibling. Calling Chisaki ‘big brother’ and deferring to him under Gramps’ orders was a grating experience. Painful too. Gramps grunts in affirmation. “Her happiness is your top priority. No one comes before her, understood?” Eri wiggled in Izuku’s arms, curious and new. Izuku raised an eyebrow at his boss. “Eri’s happiness is first.” His confusion must show on his face. This wasn’t what he was recruited for. “If you don’t think you can handle it, I’ll place someone else in charge of her. Your older brother maybe.” Izuku froze. Instinctually, he brings Eri closer to his chest, the small horn on her head scraping against his chin. Izuku thinks for a moment. “What if her happiness goes against what you want?” Izuku needs clarification. Gramps finds this amusing. “Eri’s your boss now. So follow your boss.” This is weird. Eri yanks at his hair. He doesn’t flinch. “So I can disobey you?” Gramps actually laughs aloud at that. “Eri’s your boss.” Ridiculous. A baby can’t be his boss. She’s a baby! Still… Izuku has a chilling thought. “Eri’s my boss. Does that make her your heir?” Chisaki might react… less than ideally to that. Gramps looks at Izuku like he’d just made a dumb move in one of their Shogi games. “She’s a baby.” Ah. So Chisaki then. Great. (Not.) “My heir is too young for now. But I hope he will be an honorable and bright young man one day! So until then, look after your sister and make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.” Izuku doesn’t doubt Chisaki’s intelligence. It’s the ‘honorable’ part Izuku has a hard time picturing. Izuku bites his lip. “Big brother… What if he’s the trouble? What if he makes Eri unhappy?” Gramps doesn’t laugh anymore. Briefly Izuku wonders if he’ll be thrown out of the compound. Others had gotten worse for speaking ill of boss’s favorite adopted street urchin. Gramps sighs wearily, but looks resolute. “You have your orders. Eri above all. Do you accept?” Izuku does. . . . It isn't till years later that Izuku realizes Chisaki hadn't been gramps' favorite adopted street urchin. He's just happy to be Eri's favorite (and only) brother. Being heir didn't matter half so much as that.
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