Chapter 14: Ceasefire

In a split second, Arata senses the temperature around them plummet, an icy chill that invades her senses. Visions of imaginary white snow explode before her eyes, and she gasps, terror gripping her heart. She wobbles, her body reflexively pull back, but Shoto's vice-like grip on her hand anchors her to reality.

"Endure it for a moment, Ara," he says, his voice steady, his presence a lifeline in the midst of her panic.

And so, she does, her breath coming in short gasps as she fights to stay grounded, to not be swept away by the tide of her fear. In this moment, she is aware of the contrast between the cold steel and Shoto's warm hand, a physical reminder of the support that stands by her side.

The next moment, his right foot emits a protective ice barrier before them, as the donkey-mutant officer releases a couple of shots with a loud bang. The bullets are lodged in his frozen barrier, failed to chip his ice even half-way.

"Shit! It can't even go through, hee-haw!"

Open-mouthed, Arata stares in bewilderment at the thick, ice wall in front of them. Well, she has suspected that her friend was somewhat adept at using his quirk all along. Between his feat of cauterizing her stab wound, the fact that he goes to the hero course at the prestigious U.A., and other clues, she was pretty sure of it. What she didn't realize, that he is this powerful.

It's bizarre, she mutters to herself inwardly. One hand is clutching the winter coat closer to her body, trying to repel the chill, as the other squeezes his left hand back. Her gaze travels to the back of the white-crimson hair in front of her.

It is strange that the cold and safety can go hand in hand for me.

"If you shoot again, I will have to freeze you." Shoto glares frostily at Donki, his left hand still clasping Arata's hand at his back. When the donkey-mutant cop tries to move regardless, Shoto's ice ominously spreads on the floor, glazing the ceramic tiles with jagged frozen water. It only stops short a few inches from the man's hoofs. "Don't even think about it."

Arata's jaw hangs open at the display of power in front of her. "Um... Shoto-san... Will we get in trouble for this?"

"I will be the judge of that, Kid."

Both Shoto and Arata whip their heads to the voice's direction in an instant. Aizawa is standing in the doorway. Next to him is the pig-headed police sergeant from yesterday, who is scanning the room with a peeved look on her face, her hand clutching a stack of documents.

She snorts loudly, hurtling an air missile from her pink snout. It flies across the room, successfully knocking the pistol off Donki's grasp. He neighs in pain as the thrown weapon skids to the other side of the room.

"I'm very disappointed in you. You all are police, yet you didn't do anything in this situation!" Her tone is clipped, rumbling darkly in the room as she reprimands her subordinates, then points to Donki. "Even if Donki-san here outranks you, you should have apprehended a coworker that attempted a murder on a civilian. All of you, cuff him and bring him to the holding cell. We will discuss his assault and your performance later."

"We're— We're sorry, Sergeant! But, what about the girl's transport?"

"I'll dispatch another unit of cops if required." she shoots them a stink eye, and puts an emphasis on her next sentence. "The professional ones. Get out now!"

As the other officers scurry outside, she gives the remaining attendants a quick bow.

"I deeply apologize for this, Eraser Head, Todoroki-san, Arata-san. The police are supposed to provide protection and cover, not to cause harm. We should've avoided involving the cops that possibly hold personal grudges towards Hanakiri."

"You should have," Aizawa replies in a strained voice, his dark eyes glaring in irk. "I wouldn't stand by and do nothing if either of them really got shot. I will file an official complaint on his violent behavior."

Just because Aizawa is certain that his student won't get taken out easily with a handgun, it does not mean that he will tolerate an unnecessary threat of danger that comes his way. His gaze flits to Todoroki, noting the boy's lack of offensive move on handling Donki earlier.

So, the chief of the police force's words back then have sunk in his conscience, huh? He held back to avoid hurting that donkey officer with his quirk.

"Of course, I will personally make sure the complaint will get processed. Once again, we're deeply sorry. As for the guardianship hand-over—"

"Ara isn't going back to the Shirayuki," Todoroki interjects in a stern voice, scowling at the police sergeant.

"What a stubborn student you have here," she huffs as Aizawa shrugs his shoulders. "As I was saying, we have just finished processing another application for Arata's guardianship. With this, we can disregard the Shirayuki's inquiry."

Relief floods Arata's being, relaxing her taut muscles and the raging dread inside her. Todoroki can feel her joints going slack in his grasp.

While she lets her guard down almost immediately, he can't bring himself to do the same yet. He needs to know the details first.

"That's it?" Astonishment and disbelief tinge his voice. "The Shirayuki aren't trying to get Ara back again?"

"They're not. Now that we've settled this matter legally, they had no choice but to back down. That clan has never made a move to cross the law, and the police believe they won't start doing it now."

Rather than submitting to the law, it sounds more like an effort to avoid getting a search warrant, Aizawa privately deduces. What the hell has that commune been hiding? And there's Hanakiri, who devolved into insanity after living with the Shirayuki and left her daughter—Arata—for dead.

Many questions about them are still left unanswered, but in time, probably they will be. Aizawa doubts worrying about it will do some good, perhaps it's best to leave things as is for now. "We're good. The police will notify us again if there is a change or a threat."

"Is that true?" Arata breathes out, her voice brimming with renewed hope. "I don't have to live with the Shirayuki again?"

"You don't."

"Then, who is the other candidate?" Todoroki asks in confusion. He recalls that all people they have phoned about this said no. Where does this miracle come from?

A glint of amusement crosses the pig-headed police officer's expression as she tries to use her best monotone voice to answer him, "Shota Aizawa."

"... As in... Aizawa-san?" Arata widens her green eyes in disbelief, her head peeking beside Todoroki's shoulder.

"You should've told us about it and spared us from the unneeded stress," Todoroki mutters, feeling both relieved and irritated, then releases his hold on Arata. He emerges from the ice barrier and saunters to both adults, with Arata tailing behind him.

You say that because you don't know the amount of paperwork that was required, Aizawa groans in his own head. He didn't say anything because it was actually a last minute decision. He wasn't even sure if it would work out.

He glances at the police sergeant next to him, who is removing the handcuffs from Arata's wrists. Thankfully, this police officer over here is a firm believer of the law. As long as it goes with the law, she is very helpful and efficient. I wouldn't be able to pull it off without her.

"Right," Aizawa gruffly affirms. "Hope you don't have any problem with that, Arata."

"Of course not!" Arata squeaks out in hurry, her green eyes flickering hesitantly when they regard him. "Um... Are you really okay with me?"

Is she seriously questioning it? He wrinkles his forehead and crosses his arms. "It's not too late if you want to change your legal guardian to the Shirayuki."

"Eh? That's— That's not what I mean..."

"Then, don't concern yourself with unnecessary things," Aizawa dismisses her worries with a flick of his hand. "You'd better start considering stuff that actually matters."

"Like what?"

"Like moving in to my place and your family name on legal papers."

──────────

The pig-headed police sergeant taps her index finger on the paper, faintly tracing the Japanese characters written on the family name field. Arata already left them through the double doors, opting to wait outside with Shoto Todoroki. The thin walls muffle their chatter, but bits and pieces of it can still be heard from the room.

The sergeant shakes her head, her snout jiggling in something akin to mirth. "She is quite an unpredictable one, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Aizawa grouses as his dark eyes skim over the rest of the documents. "After everything she's done to detach herself from their shadows, this is the last thing I expected her to do."

"I still think you're taking quite a risk by personally adopting Arata, Eraser Head."

"And I think you've made your opinion on that matter clear since last night. Not that I asked for your comments."

"I just want to say that you are a good man, Eraser Head. Not many people would do it if faced with the same situation—pro heroes, law enforcers, or civilians alike. It took a lot more than pity and willingness to help... I myself wouldn't be able to do it."

"Are you sure, Sergeant?" Aizawa scoffs as his pen dances on the paper. "Someday, you will be surprised by your own capacity to feel empathy. Come on, hand me those remaining documents. The kids are waiting outside."