Author's Note: Unlike previous chapters which were either all one portion or three different sections, the chapters with the Commission will be split as many times as needed to show the many different things Keigo is gonna be doing and learning. We will get into time skipping around Chapter 20 to progress the story and keep it from being the same thing for 12 years worth of chapters. Ideally I want to see if I can make this a 100 chapter story. Also looking for a Beta Reader to double check me before I post.

Disclaimer: I don't own MHA. Original characters are mine. Story is rated for content and trigger warnings for very adult things like rape, assault, child abuse, etc.

Chapter 18 - Exams

Azumi had gone to the doctor the Monday after her collapse. A neurologist who worked with low income families that was recommended by Dr. Seeks. Unfortunately, they were unable to really do more then new patient intake, so Soji took some of the matter into his own hands. He had a connection to one of the leading neurologists in the country from a previous legal case his firm had helped them with. A phone call was all it took for them to agree to see Azumi in a week. This put her exam the same day as Keigo's first day at the Commission. Soji seemed to make time to spend with them both for the rest of the week. Azumi worked, Soji worked, Keigo went to Sion's and spent time with Jin. Everyone was home for dinner together. Compared to Keigo's previous home, he was relishing the happy domestic evenings.

The Monday morning of his first day at the Commission, Azumi woke up early and insisted on making him a big breakfast of eggs and bacon with juice. She helped him pack his backpack, preened his wings for him and seemed to be stalling a little bit. Even taking the elevator down to where he needed to wait in the lobby for the car to pick him up, she kept a hand on his head, wings or shoulder. When the new black car pulled up for him, she kneeled down and gave him a big hug. "Go make me proud, Keigo. Go become a hero." He grinned hugging her back, his wings wrapping around her as well before he ran to the car outside the building lobby. The driver had gotten out to hold the door for him.

Keigo loved the car ride to the Commission building. People were walking on the streets headed for work. But it was early enough that they were bathed in a greyish purple hue instead of bright orange. He tried to make small talk with the driver, whose name was Guen, but Guen was very focused on his job of safely escorting Keigo to the building and paying attention to the road. When the car pulled up out front of the building, Keigo made it a point to say thank you to Guen for driving him. It was something he knew Azumi did for every taxi driver or bus driver that she encountered in her travels to and from work. He noticed a slight tugging of the corner of Guen's lips as he held the car door for Keigo.

When Keigo stepped from the car and put his backpack on. He was greeted by a woman in a brown skirt suit. She had glasses, green eyes and black hair. Hands folded in front of her, she bowed to the driver and smiled at Keigo. "Hello! My name is Agent Bend. I'm going to be your assistant this year during your classes and training. My job is to help you be as comfortable as possible while you are here. Including helping you get acclimated to the building, your classes, answering questions and anything else you may need." He watched her for a moment before speaking quietly. "I'm Keigo."

He couldn't help but notice her smile didn't reach her eyes like Azumi's did. She either didn't mean what she said, or was just smiling to make him feel better. He ignored her offered hand and looked at the building. "In any case, we should get inside and get you your security clearance so you can get started on your tests and assessments." Agent Bend held the door for him as she led him inside the building. The inside seemed as drab and plain as the outside, marble floors and grey steel walls with metal trim. The security walk through with metal detectors and x-ray machines caught his attention, however Agent Bend led him through some doors around the right of the security area and into a small waiting room to get his ID. They took his picture front and side profiles, his fingerprints, and asked him a number of questions before he was finally handed a red rubber wristband with a lump that held the electronic chip to give him access to doors and elevators in the building.

Despite Agent Bend being there to help make his day more comfortable, it was anything but comfortable for him. She kept putting her hand out in an offering for him to hold, but he kept refusing every time. He spent the first half of his day in a room with two men who kept putting worksheets in front of him with problems he didn't know how to solve. They would ask him to do what he could, not bothering with praising or criticizing his work, then handing him more worksheets. By the time his feathers were twitching and puffing in irritation, they started handing him small puzzles to solve. By lunchtime he hoped he never saw another worksheet for the rest of the day.

Lunch was lonely. Agent Bend was with him, however all of the other children mentioned by the Commission before had already eaten and left by the time he came through. He saw the remains of their food in the garbage cans and the empty trays and utensils stacked up. He picked a simple lunch from the menu. PB&J with a fruit cup, milk box and pudding for desert. Agent Bend tried to talk to him while he slowly ate his lunch, her own lunch was a bento box from the cafeteria case, however all of her attempts were going in one ear and out the other. Keigo finally admitted he was worried about Azumi and her doctor's appointment that day, promising to be more receptive tomorrow. And like that, their talking finished leaving them both to eat in silence.

Keigo enjoyed the second half of his day much better than the first. After lunch he was asked to change into his gym clothes that were bought for this purpose. Agent Bend explained he would be getting a physical evaluation, followed by his quirk assessment. She sat on the sidelines of the training room while he was given a physical, asked to walk for ten minutes. Walking became running and then flying as the doctors took notes. He was asked to lift weights. Push heavy boxes, climb a rock wall and pull a wagon of weights on the ground and from the air. He was asked to dodge tennis balls and run a small obstacle course, Keigo achieving each test to praise from Agent Bend, or encouragement if he felt like he could do better. He started to warm up to her with each clap and cheer until the physical was done for the day. This time he took her offered hand as she led him back to the cafeteria for a snack before his quirk assessment.

He shared the snack of cinnamon and sugar covered apple slices with Agent Bend as he raved about Azumi, proudly showing her the good luck note that was in his snack bag from Azumi. When she led him to a clinical exam room, he seemed nervous, but Bend stayed outside the room as the doctors asked him to change back into his normal clothes for comfort. One of the doctors from his physical exam sat in on the assessment while specialists began to ask questions and poke at the different size and type feathers on his wings. He was asked to harden his feathers, then flex them. Remove them for examination and then put them back on his wings.

Keigo's eyes and the lines around them were poked and tugged. He was asked to read lines of letters and shapes in various lighting and distances, even in the dark. Back to his feathers and flight. He was asked to demonstrate flight and hovering, his maneuvers in the air and how his wings worked if he released a bunch of feathers versus a few. They took blood to test his resistance to avian related diseases and pathogens, and had him remove his boots to check his talons on his feet. He was asked to walk, hop and run without boots. Grip strength and depth of clawing were tested, as well as how sharp his talons were. The doctors were about to ask about regrowing lost feathers and if they could test that when Agent Bend came back into the room.

"Enough. Keigo needs to catch his ride home now. You're done for the day doctors." Keigo quickly got his boots back on and grabbed her offered hand as quickly as he could, being led from the room to the elevators. When he looked up at her, he noticed a soft smile that finally reached her eyes. They collected his backpack and hoodie from the first room, and then went down to the lobby, sitting in cushioned chairs to wait for the car to come around. Agent Bend was on her phone as Keigo looked around the lobby curiously. "Agent Bend?" She looked from her phone to the young boy sitting next to her. "Yes Keigo?" He thought about how to phrase his question before just going for it.

"Why didn't I get to meet the other kids today?" She put her phone away and gave him her full attention, an action that she noticed made his wings flutter from behind him. "You will be introduced to them when we know what age group to place you in. It would make other children your age feel like they were not as good as you if you were so much better than they are. Whereas older children would respect you more for your strength and smarts. We want to make sure you go where you will learn and get better." Her smile radiated through her face and made her green eyes sparkle. Keigo widened his eyes and pointed to her. "You're really smiling now." Her head tilted as she blinked at him, adjusting her glasses. "What makes you think I wasn't before?"

Keigo pointed to his own eyes, grinning to emphasize his point. "Your eyes were not shining. A real smile makes your eyes shine or move." Agent Bend grinned at him, her head still tilted. "I guess you are correct. Maybe I was nervous you wouldn't like me as your aid. If I can't make you feel comfortable then they will assign you someone else." Keigo quickly shook his head and stood. "I don't want someone else. You did just fine making me feel better. Can I keep you?" She smiled softly and nodded, a glance outside caused her to stand. "Guen is here to take you home. I'll walk you to the car." Keigo took her hand before she could offer it to him and walked with her to the black car outside the building. As Guen held the door open for him, Keigo turned and hugged Agent Bend around the middle before hopping into the car. Blinking.

She clasped her hands in front of her and bowed with a smile on her face. "See you tomorrow Keigo. Have a good night."

/

Azumi sat in a medical gown on an examination table, hands clasped in her lap as Soji sat a few feet to her left in a small plastic chair. Her image scans were up on a backlit wall showing her brain and skull from various angles. They had both been at Dr. Mashido's office for over an hour getting a once over as well as both a PET and CT performed. Now the doctor in question had just walked into the room with a clipboard that had the police statement and her previous test results from the other doctor. Dr. Mashido was a short man with solid black eyes and thinning grey hair. He had two small skin colored antennas on his forehead and a white lab coat on. He spoke with an American accent, his Japanese good but not as a native while he looked right at Azumi.

"Miss Tayaka, I've just finished looking over the report and your previous results. You were struck more than once, correct?" Azumi nodded as she bit her bottom lip. Soji looked between the two as the doctor flipped a sheet to read the page below and then back to look at the top sheet. "Says here the initial blow to your head and then you awoke from a blackout to repeatedly being struck by the assailant until you blacked out again. You don't know how many times in total. I will be honest, I've seen athletes with brain injuries in better condition than yours currently." He walked over to the images and pointed to an area of one further along the images. "This is about an eighth of an inch subdermal of your left frontal lobe. All of the grey here is hemorrhaging which I believe is causing your headaches and blackouts. If left untreated that hemorrhaging will spread to the right side and begin to cause memory lapses and seizures." Azumi looked at Soji with wide eyes as he reached over to gently take one of her hands. He spoke as Azumi let the results sink in. "So what can we do Doctor?"

He set the clipboard down and moved to pick up a skull model lifting the top to show a brain. "There are two options we can go with. The first would be a series of medications to help with the swelling and relieve the symptoms until your body naturally recovers. This option is the long road and has its own risks associated with the medication itself. However it avoids surgery and the risks associated with that." Azuki and Soji nodded as Azumi spoke up. "How long would that option take and is it possible for the medication to fail and I would need the surgery anyway?" He nodded and pointed to a different area of the brain.

"If the medication works. You would be fully recovered in two to three years. If the medication fails, it will cause deteriorating of the hypothalamus and you will need life saving surgery or else your brain will start to shut down. The surgery option will require a few months on preparatory medication and has the standard risks associated with brain surgery. We would go in and relieve the hemorrhaging ourselves and see if we can't prevent further issues should you have another blow to the head." He showed them on the model before setting it aside. "I know neither of these options is ideal for you, especially with a child involved, but you should come to a decision as soon as you can. This condition is only going to get worse untreated and another blow to the head from a fall or the like could put you in a coma for a long time."

They were quiet as Soji rubbed her hand and watched her face. A flurry of emotions were on it as she tried to think about her life and Keigo's well being. "I'd like to discuss the options with my son and family please." Her purple eyes seemed dull for the first time since Soji had met her. The doctor wrote a few notes on the clipboard and nodded as he stood. "Of course! I wouldn't want you to rush into any decision. I'm going to write you a prescription for your headache pains and to help you sleep. This should help until you decide one way or the other." The doctor left to get the medicine while Azumi moved behind a screen to get dressed, Soji facing the door so he didn't see anything. Azumi spoke up behind the screen as she tossed the gown over the screen.

"At least it's not a terminal problem. Keigo is going to be so upset, I'm not sure what to do. What's the correct move Soji?" He glanced back at the screen and sighed as he looked at the images on the lit panel wall. "I don't know. My gut says to take the surgery. Get the problem resolved as soon as possible. But I know given the risks, you would want to prolong the time with Keigo just in case." She stepped from the screen and braided her hair as she looked off at the wall. "How am I going to explain this to Keigo?" Soji watched her braiding for a moment before moving behind her to help with her hair. "I am sure Keigo is a smart little bird and will understand no matter how you do it."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind in a comforting gesture, which is how the doctor found them when he came back with the medication.

/

Agent Bend knocked on Vice President Kueka's office door. It was late in the evening and she was one of the last agents to leave for the night. She was hoping to give Kueka the report on Keigo earlier in the evening, but they had an issue with one of the children and it had required all hands on deck. Agent Bend swore these children were so much stronger than her own generation, and they were always getting stronger. A gruff 'Enter!' got her to open the door, stepping in and bowing as the Vice President barely looked up from his paperwork. "Well?"

She smiled and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I wanted to give you a brief report on Keigo Takami. Sir." Kueka looked up and sat back, waiting for her report as if he had been waiting all day for this. He probably had been. She began to read off from today's report on him from memory. "Academically, Keigo Takami is just above average for his age range. They will continue their tests but he scored well in reading, writing and problem solving. Physically he is incredibly fast and fit for a six year old. They are going to do a full physical exam with x-rays tomorrow. Likewise his quirk is amazing. He can control all of his feathers telepathically including the ability to fly. They can be sharpened or softened to form for whatever he needs. His vision is that of a hawk's and his talons on his feet are strong enough to shatter concrete. It's incredible."

There was silence before he spoke again. "And your own assessment?" She grinned and moved her hands to clasp behind her back. "Keigo responds to positive praise and empathy. He may have been apprehensive at first, but by the time I walked him to Guen's car he gave me a hug and wanted me to remain his aid. I believe I will easily be able to build that bond and condition him as needed. The main concern I have is his emotional attachment to his foster mother. He spoke about her going to see a doctor today for her head." Kueka smirked and lifted a short stack from the desk.

"Dr. Mashido, a very well known neurologist. I was given her report today after her appointment. She has frontal lobe hemorrhaging and will rewuire either surgery or long term medication to correct it. We will handle her during that time." Agent Bend tilted her head at the Vice President. "Will we be killing her during the surgery?" He shook his head, a mockery of shock on his face. "Agent Bend, we are the Heroes Public Safety Commission. We want young Keigo's loyalty and obedience, not wrath and hatred. Such secrets inevitably come to light when we least want them to. It would be far better yo ensure she slips into a coma and then we can be the supportive company that takes care of her medical bills and safety so Keigo can focus on his studies and training." A wide grin filled his face making him seem darker as a chill filled the office.

"After all, Heroes protect people…"