"Thank you for being compliant Kurayami, I want you to know I truly don't think you're behind this." Naomosa said to her. Nova sat in an empty room at a table across from him.

She was completely free to move around and even walk out if she truly wanted to. Naomosa made it clear she wasn't a prisoner. She hadn't been arrested, he was just asking a few questions.

"I hope you understand that I'm doing this because I know the best thing I can do for you in this situation is clear you of guilt as soon as possible." He explained. She nodded, picking at her nails absentmindedly.

"I understand." She told him. He nodded.

"Alright. Can you tell me what you were doing when the press broke onto campus a few days ago?" He asked her, ready to begin the actual questioning.

"I was in our classroom. I had finished eating before everyone else." Nova told him honestly, glancing up from her nails.

"Were you alone?"

"Yes sir." She admitted. Hoping it didn't sound horribly suspicious.

"Alright. When the alarms went off, were you frightened?"

"Not really... I mean they scared me at first but I could see through the window... I could tell it was just the press."

"So you weren't scared because you knew it wasn't an attack?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright... Why did you decide to go to UA?" This question was a little different than Nova was expecting. But she answered honestly.

It was always best to be as truthful as possible in these things. She didn't care to lie over meaningless things. Especially if they wouldn't get her in trouble.

"Because Nezu offered me a scholarship. And I knew I wouldn't be able to get into another school as good as this one." She answered honestly, looking down at her nails again. They were bleeding just a little bit now. She pressed her thumb against it to stop the flow and cover the blood.

The blood that reminded her of Shigaraki's hand.

"Did you want to be a hero before that?"

"No..."

"Why not?"

She frowned slightly. "I just... Didn't think it would be possible I guess."

"Do you want to be a hero now?"

Nova looked up at him for a second. Wondering why he was asking questions like this and not questions about villains.

"...Yeah, I do."

"Why?" He asked and she looked away slightly.

"Because I want to help people..." She said honestly, it was a simple answer. Probably one of the most basic ones, but it wasn't a lie.

"Why do you want to protect people?" The detective seemed to be pushing it for some reason.

Nova frowned. "...I guess I think it'll make me more likeable."

"You... Want to be a hero so people will like you?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

She turned red in embarrassment. "It hasn't worked much so far, in case you're wondering."

Although Midoriya sort of stood up for her earlier. Because she helped him during the attack... Wouldn't that mean it kinda was working?

"...Just give it time." He said simply, looking down at his tiny notebook. "You don't need to save people for them to like you anyways. You're a very charming kid."

"I am?" Nova asked with a frown.

"I think so." He said with a smile, then cleared his throat. "Just a few more questions. During the attack, did you recognize any villains you saw? From the streets or the media or even your time at the juvenile detention facility?"

She shook her head. "No. There wasn't anyone I'd seen before."

"Alright." He nodded. "One last question... But if you're not comfortable answering you don't have too."

"O-okay..." She said nervously.

"...What are your personal feelings regarding your late father Rikko Kurayami?"

Nova felt a shock go through her body. Every muscle going tense. "H-huh?" She asked.

To her surprise, throughout this whole experience her father hadn't even been mentioned. She had relaxed, getting used to not talking about him.

"Sorry. You don't have to answer it if you don't want..." Naomosa said, but the look on his face seemed very interested.

"I um..." She looked to the said, pulling on a hanging piece of skin around her nails.
Nova hesitated, looking back up at him. And she...

"I hate him..."

She lied for the first time during these questions.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Nova stepped outside of the room after she finished all of the questions. She was completely and totally exhausted, and it was totally dark outside.

Nova checked her phone, the only messages she had were from Zoey texting from Miss Karon's phone.

Where's Karon?

Nova asked.

Sleeping🫠✨💖

She's been sleeping since she got home😁🎶

Nova cursed. Despite Zoey's cheery overuse of emojis, the message was still the same. Karon was probably passed out. That's why she had slept all day. She was probably hung over, or drunk.

Which meant she wasn't gonna be giving Nova a ride.

"Sit here. Have you contacted your guardian?" Naomosa asked.

Nova bit her lip. She couldn't tell him. He was a police officer. It was no secret that Karon's behavior was completely inappropriate for a foster parent. She'd have her license taken away, and with it Zoey and Nova.

Nova couldn't let that happen. There was no way they'd be replaced in the same home again, their socialworkers wouldn't even try if they weren't biological siblings. And neither girl wanted that to happen.

So Nova was constantly covering for their less than adequate guardian.

"Yeah but um... She can't make it..." Nova mumbled, pocketing her phone. "I can walk, it's not that far-"

"No, I'll have an officer drive you then." Naomosa frowned. He wanted to press the issue, but he also knew he had already overwhelmed the poor girl with questions all day. "You've had a long day. I'm sure you're exhausted."

Nova glanced away, not making eye contact. He was right, she was super tired. But that's never stopped her from walking home before.

"I'll take her."

Nova turned and saw the last person she expected.

The stranger.

It was that same old blonde man she saw at UA that one day. With shadows over his eyes, he looked as tired as Nova felt. He was wearing a baggy white shirt and suit pants.

"Hey... It's you." Nova mumbled.

"Toshi-" The detective was cut off.

"I was answering some questions about the UA security... After the attack." The stranger said, Nova missed the look he gave Naomosa. Asking him to shut up.

"I never got your name..." Nova said, standing up.

"Toshi. Mr Toshi." He said with a smile.

Nova tilted her head, it was kinda a weird name. But then again, Nova wasn't really one to talk when it came to weird names.

"Alright... Are you Okay with that? Kurayami?" Naomosa asked Nova who nodded.

"Okay but- First I need to speak with you for a second... In private?" Toshi said to Detective Naomosa. Who nodded.

"It'll just be a minute or two." Mr Toshi said to Nova, before they walked into a room. When they closed the door...

Nova was left alone in the waiting room.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

"What exactly are you doing All Might?" Naomosa asked the man who sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not sure." He muttered.

"I thought you avoided talking to people when you're... You know." He nodded at his deflated form. "This is the first time I've seen you use it as an alter ego."

"I know..."

"With a student of yours nonetheless... Are you sure that's a good idea?" Naomosa asked with a frown.

"I don't know it's just..." He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I think she's scared of me."

"You as in All Might?" Naomosa frowned. "Why?"

"I guess it's because you know... I arrested her father. And then accidentally yelled at her when she was a kid-"

"You yelled at a child?"

"It wasn't my best work I admit." All Might put up a hand. "But I didn't know she was a kid."

"...right."

"Listen I just... I want to get to know her. I bumped into her once in this form... it was the only time she didn't flinch when she saw me." All Might sighed. "I want to talk to her without scaring her.... She's a good kid."

"That's for sure." Naomosa said, running a hand through his hair. "You know she only lied once to me that whole questioning? Once. Most teens lie at least five times, even if it's about dumb stuff."

"What did she lie about?" All Might asked out of curiosity.

"I'm probably not supposed to disclose it but... At the end I asked her how she felt about her father." Naomosa glanced at the girl through the one-way mirror. She couldn't see them but they could see her. "She... Said she hated him."

"She lied?" All Might looked at her too. The girl just sat there, waiting patiently. She yawned once and leaned her head to the side, closing her eyes.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything really. It doesn't mean she has to love him or even agree with anything he did. It doesn't mean she harbors no resentment either... All it means is that she doesn't hate him." The detective explained. His quirk was tricky, lies weren't all black and white.

Just because she lied about something, doesn't mean the opposite of that lie is the truth. Naomosa learned that over his years of experience.

"I wouldn't blame her either way... I think her father really did care about her." All Might muttered.

"You think that's possible?" Naomosa asked with a slight frown. He of course never interacted with Rikko Kurayami. He didn't understand the grey area he seemed to have stood in.

"Of course. It's not uncommon, even the most dastardly of villains have emotional attachments to certain individuals. Lovers, children, even Friends. You of all people should know that." All Might sighed. "There's only one person I know of who's too evil to love someone...." His voice trailed off in thought.

"Do you think... He's behind what happened today?" Naomosa asked, his voice lower. Even though no one could actually hear them anyways.

"...I wouldn't put it past him. But if he wasn't there... I think that means he's either planning something more... Or that he's still too weak to face me on his own."

"Let's hope so." Naomosa said, glancing at the man. All Might, weak and frail in his deflated form.

"Because you're too weak to face him."

A/N: I was recently reminded of the audio "They look so angry... Why does everyone look at you like that?"

And it reminded me so much of Nova and Zoey🥺

If you don't know what I'm talking about here's a video with the audio:

(Not sure who the characters in the video are tho)