Ch.60: News

The sun had begun its descent, casting long golden streaks across the windows of Voidflare's agency. The building stood quiet, its usual buzz dimmed in the calm of late afternoon.

Yumi stepped through the tall glass entrance, her bag slung over her shoulder. Her footsteps echoed faintly down the polished hallway as she made her way toward the executive offices. Her expression was unreadable—focused but unsettled.

When she reached the thick mahogany door, she hesitated briefly before knocking.

"…Come in," Her dads familiar voice called.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Voidflare stood with his back to her, gazing out at the city skyline from behind his large desk. He wasn't wearing his cloak—just a tight black shirt streaked with heat-scorched patterns, his presence unmistakable even in silence.

"Yumi," he said without turning. "Didn't expect you today."

"I didn't plan on it either," she replied, walking inside and shutting the door behind her. "Kael told me I should talk to you."

Voidflare turned, raising an eyebrow. "Did he say why?"

She shook her head. "No. Just said I needed to. That I'd understand once I did."

Voidflare studied her face for a long moment. Then he exhaled slowly and gestured toward the leather chair across from his desk. "Sit down."

She did. Her heart beat a little faster.

"…Something's wrong, isn't it?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he said. "And no. But you deserve to know."

He walked around the desk and sat down opposite her, fingers steepled in front of him. "The Hero Committee contacted me three days ago. They've requested my assistance—along with a few other top heroes from around the world—for a mission in South America. Brazil."

Yumi blinked, brows narrowing. "What happened in Brazil?"

Voidflare's tone dropped a notch. "Three coordinated attacks. All against major hero operations—agencies, support labs, a training division. Each one wiped out in under fifteen minutes."

Yumi stared. "Wait… what?"

"It wasn't just chaos. It was done with great precision. Whoever planned it wanted to make a statement—cripple the region's hero infrastructure and sow panic. And they did."

She gripped the arms of the chair. "Who are they?"

Voidflare's jaw tightened. "The Committee doesn't know for sure. But the people responsible aren't local. This is bigger than one country. It's organized."

"…So what do they want you to do?"

"Lead a counter-operation," he said. "Alongside a few handpicked heroes from Europe, Canada, and Africa. We're to investigate, stabilize, and, if possible… neutralize."

Yumi's lips parted, but no words came out.

"I wasn't going to tell you," he continued. "Not until after I came back. I didn't want to distract you from U.A. But Kael knows me too well."

Silence fell between them. Yumi's hands curled into fists in her lap.

"So… this is it? You're just… going?"

Voidflare looked at her, eyes calm but unwavering. "I don't have a choice, Yumi. This is what we as Heroes do. It's our duty to serve and protect those who can't."

"But what if you don't come back?" Her voice cracked on the last word. "What am I supposed to do then? Just… keep going like nothing happened?"

Voidflare's gaze softened. "I can't promise I'll come back without a scratch. But I can promise that I won't stop fighting until the job is done. Until the danger's over."

"And if it's not?"

"Then I'll keep fighting anyway."

Yumi looked away, eyes wet. But she blinked the tears back before they could fall.

"…I don't want to be the kind of hero who loses everything for the sake of duty."

"Then be the kind who changes the system," he said quietly. "But don't let fear stop you from standing up."

Yumi stood slowly. She didn't say anything for a few seconds, then stepped forward and hugged him. Not like a child clinging for comfort—but like someone trying to remember the shape of someone they might not get to hold again.

Voidflare returned the embrace silently.

After a while, she pulled back.

"Just… come back. Even if you're limping. Even if you're broken. Come back Dad, please. I-I don't know what I'll do if.."

"I will," he said. "I promise."

She nodded, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and stepped toward the door. Before leaving, she glanced back.

"…Thanks…for telling me. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Then she left.

Voidflare stood alone in the silence of his office, the warm light dimming around him—both a hero, and a father.

…

The city buzzed with life as late afternoon shadows stretched long across the sidewalk. Neon signs flickered to life, people moved in waves, cars honked distantly—but Yumi walked as if in another world, her thoughts far from the noise around her.

She held her bag close, her eyes downcast. Her conversation with her Dad still lingered in her mind. The mission. The danger. The way he looked at her—not as a hero, but as a father trying to smile through a storm.

Her footsteps slowed near an intersection, caught in a wave of memory.

She was six, curled on the living room couch, hugging a pillow too tightly. Her dad stumbled through the door, mask broken, blood trailing from his arm, his cosmic flames flickering with exhaustion.

"Don't look, Yumi," her mom had said gently. But Yumi had looked. She always looked.

Back then, she didn't understand why he came home like that. Why he left in the middle of the night. Why he looked so tired all the time. Now she understood all too well. The cost of being a hero wasn't just danger—it was distance.

Another memory. She was nine. Her dad cradled her tightly after a villain attack reached their neighborhood. "I'll always protect you," he said, but his hands trembled, and his suit smelled like smoke.

And again, just a year ago—he was staying with her overseas, in the kitchen, silent, his hand wrapped in bandages. He smiled at her like it didn't hurt. He always did that. Smiled like nothing could touch him.

Yumi clenched her jaw, blinking against the sting in her eyes as she crossed the street. The evening breeze caught her long dark hair, brushing it across her cheek.

Her heart ached—not with anger, but fear. He was strong. He'd always been strong. But now even he sounded uncertain.

She paused at a small park bench and sat, letting her bag slide to the side. The sky above had turned soft purple, stars beginning to peek through. She looked up.

'Kael told me to speak with him,' she thought. 'Did he already know? Did he say goodbye differently than I did?'

Her eyes fell to her hands resting in her lap. Small bursts of starlight flickered faintly between her fingers, her Quirk reacting to her emotions. She closed her fist, gently smothering it.

"…Don't do anything reckless, Dad," she whispered, barely audible above the rustling leaves. "Don't make me wish I stopped you."

She wiped her eyes quickly and stood, determination solidifying in her chest.

If her father had to fight monsters in a faraway country, then she'd make sure things here were safe. She'd protect their home. Their future.

With a quiet breath, she started walking again—this time, faster.

…

Yumi opened the door to the apartment quietly, the lingering emotion from her walk still settling in her chest. The scent of something warm and familiar met her immediately—soy-glazed chicken, lightly seared vegetables, jasmine rice.

She blinked as she stepped inside, then smiled faintly.

Kael stood at the stove in a black hoodie and apron, plating food with quiet precision. He looked over his shoulder as the door clicked shut.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice calm, gentle. "You're back."

"Yeah." She toed off her shoes and made her way toward the kitchen island, setting her bag down. "Smells good."

"Glad you think so." Kael finished arranging the plates, then slid one across the counter to her seat. "I figured you wouldn't feel like cooking. Thought I'd take care of it tonight."

Yumi's smile deepened—tired but grateful. "You're always thinking about what's best for me, huh?"

Kael gave a short, quiet laugh, then joined her across the counter. They sat in silence for a few moments, the clink of chopsticks the only sound in the apartment. The food was good—comforting, not flashy. Just what she needed.

But the silence didn't last.

"So…" Kael spoke first, eyes still on his plate. "How did it go?"

Yumi hesitated, chopsticks pausing mid-air. "Rough," she admitted. "He told me everything. About Brazil. The attacks. The ones who hurt Stars and Stripes…"

Her voice dropped.

Kael looked at her then, setting his chopsticks down. "I figured he would. You okay?"

She shook her head slowly. "Not really. I thought I'd be able to handle it, but… hearing it from him, seeing the way he talked about it—like it might be his last mission… I've seen him hurt before, but this time feels different."

Kael leaned forward slightly. "Yumi," he said carefully, "your dad is one of the strongest heroes in the world. He's made it through fights that should've killed him ten times over. You know that."

She bit her lip, nodding, but didn't look up.

Kael continued, voice steady. "He's not walking into this alone either. He was chosen because they need someone like him. That means they believe in him. And so do I."

Yumi finally looked up. Her eyes shimmered with emotion—but she wasn't crying. Not anymore.

"I just… I wish I could do more than sit back and watch," she whispered.

"You are doing more," Kael said, his tone firmer now. "You're here, training, preparing to become a Hero your father can look up to. If something ever came close to Japan, you'd be the first to protect it. He knows that. I know that."

Yumi stared at him for a second longer, then stood up and walked around the counter. Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder. "For being here. For always being here."

Kael paused, then brought his arms up and returned the hug just as tightly. His voice came low.

"No," he said quietly, "Thank… you.."

They stood there for a while—no words, no need for them. Just the hum of city lights outside and the warmth of shared strength.

Finally, Yumi pulled away, her smile brighter now, even if just a little.

"Okay," she said, brushing a hand through her hair, "we should probably eat before it gets cold!"

Kael chuckled. "Right. That would be a shame."

And just like that, the heaviness eased—not gone, but softened.

…