0. Niwa

                                    

                                          


                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
October 2024: Wow has it been a long time... I have returned to mass edit, upload onto my AO3 account and update for an unknown amount of time......... Enjoy!
This story is cross-posted on AO3. I was once on fanfiction.net but now I am here and there.

Prologue
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Japan was beautiful. 
It was the most beautiful country she had ever seen in her life. Every street and every corner reflected bright lights like the sun reflecting on the ocean. The dazzling pink of the cherry trees in full bloom made her feel all warm and fuzzy. 
"I gotta hand it to you, little brother. You know how to pick a destination." The words of her eldest brother practically flew in one ear and out the other, eyes glued to the soft pink flower petals raining down on the trio. 
"You like it, small one?" The young seven-year-old turned her big, sparkling magenta eyes to the taller of her two brothers. His imposing frame and piercing contrasted the gentle smile on his face.
"Love it!" She replied, giggling as a flower petal floated a little in front of her eyes, brushing against the tip of her nose. 
A sudden gust of warm air swept through the area, sending the petals swirling away in all directions. Her balance pulled wildly as she was snatched from the ground. A large hand wrapped around her torso and slammed her back against a hard body. The small girl blinked in pure surprise at how fast her position had changed, looking over at her brothers who stood frozen wide-eyed in shock.  She glanced up, staring at a bulky jutted-out chin that was easily the size of her head. She immediately recognized the situation. She had been kidnapped.
"Kurunai!"  Her kidnapper shouted with a voice laced in pure fear, his huge body shaking intensely with an open hand aimed for her little head. Niwa had no idea what the man was saying, she barely spoke any Japanese.
Her eyes flickered over to her brothers, she had only glanced at the kidnapper for a few short seconds but when she had looked back, there was a heavily muscled man standing a meter in front of her brothers. The hand wrapped around her waist tightened as the other man leaned forward.
"Konaide!" The muscled man froze in place as her kidnapper's hand tightened into a threatening fist. 
"Daijoubu yo, shoujo-chan." The muscled man spoke, his shining blue eyes blazed fiercely in determination. With no idea what the man was saying, the young girl stared back transfixed by the sheer amount of emotion this man expressed simply through his eyes.
"Niwa." Her eldest brother, with his long magenta hair swaying at his hips, spoke calmly. Her attention immediately fixed on her usually playful older brother. There was no hint of fun in his face, it was all serious. This was when Niwa knew exactly what type of situation she was in, her head tilted in confusion. 
"Headbutt." He grinned. Niwa looked back up at the large head of her snarling-faced kidnapper. She couldn't headbutt the man from where she was being held. She leaned her head back a little, testing the waters. The back of her scalp brushed against the hard bone at the bottom of his neck. Looking back to her brother, Niwa nodded.
"Three," he said, switching from their native Arabic to English for the benefit of the hero. Niwa noticed the blonde man glance over in surprise.
"Damare!"  The villain shouted, his command clear despite the language barrier as his grip tightened: shut up.
"Two."
The hero stood in front of her brothers tensed a little. Focus returning to the man holding her captive.
"One!"
Niwa reared her head back with all her strength. The sickening crack of bone filled the air. The villain's grip loosened just enough for Niwa to yank her right arm free. In one swift motion, she drove her elbow into his wrist, breaking it cleanly. The man's pained scream barely registered as she dropped to the ground, her heart racing.
But before she could hit the dirt, strong arms swept her up, catching her in midair. Niwa blinked in surprise, suddenly pressed against a warm chest. Her gaze shot upward just in time to see the hero surge forward, his fist rocketing upward. The impact under the villain's chin was thunderous.
Niwa watched, wonderstruck, as the villain was launched into the sky, flying for a brief moment before plummeting to the ground with a heavy impact. He lay there, twitching sporadically, completely defeated.
"Se-fu!" Her rescuer grinned at her with a powerful thumbs up. 
Niwa's heart pounded, not from fear, but from pure awe. Raising a thumbs up of her own, Niwa gave the man a toothy grin. 
The hero's smile widened even further across his face before setting the girl back on the ground. Niwa didn't move, her eyes remained staring up at the massive figure standing boldly beside her. Her brothers rushed over to her, but she hardly noticed, transfixed by the towering figure. His presence felt like a beacon of strength and safety, and all else—the sounds, the movements—faded into the background.
"A Pro-Hero?" Niwa asked. Her words interrupted the men from their broken English conversation. 
"Yes, sister." 
Niwa spoke in English, interrupting their broken conversation, "Name?"
The hero smiled widely down at her and crouched down to her level, "All Might."
"All Might." She echoed, still dazed from the man's leaking aura of pure awesomeness. She remained that way silently as her brothers talked with All Might before the hero easily picked up the larger villain and launched away into the sky with a wave. Niwa waved back to the retreating figure. Only when he was gone did she turn to her big brothers, staring blankly, gears turning in her mind.
"I wanna be like that, too."
At her declaration, her brothers exchanged glances before looking around. Her eldest brother sighed with his usual easy-going smile, hands placed on his hips.
"I'm sure you will be," her short-haired brother said with a neutral expression, though his eyes held a hint of amusement.
Niwa shook her head, determination filling her voice. "No, here," she affirmed.
"Here?" her taller brother asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"Here. Japan," Niwa clarified, her gaze fixed on the falling cherry blossoms. "I want to stay. Be a hero like All Might."
Her brothers exchanged glances. The eldest shrugged, his long hair swayed lightly in the breeze. "Fine with me. What do you think, little brother?"
Her taller brother stayed quiet for a moment before sighing. "Now we have to learn Japanese."
"Fill out paperwork, and find a place to stay..." the eldest added, as if mentally ticking off a list of tasks.
"Not to mention a proper job..." her taller brother chimed in, sounding resigned.
The brothers sighed together, synchronized from years of each others company. The short-haired brother rolled his shoulder, the crack audible in the quiet. "It's probably time we settle down anyway," he admitted with a tired grin.
Her eldest brother stretched his arms overhead, his smile widening. "Seven years of travel. Seven years of adventure and trouble... yeah, we definitely need a break."
As they stood together, her eldest brother gently ruffled her hair. Niwa laughed, felt a surge of gratitude for their unwavering support, knowing they'd always have her back.