Author's Note: Time for story movement! Thank you for the reviews and kudos. To the person who got whiplash, sorry ( no I'm not, but at least i try to get the follow up done within 24 hours) l. Thank you so much. I am taking requests for short stories or ideas. Looking for a new beta reader if anyone is interested. Going back to the three section split per chapter. Hope you all like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own MHA or its characters. Original characters are mine. Story is rated for sensitive subject matter and content both mentioned and written.
Chapter 46 - Never Trained for This
Keigo found out about Jin the following day. Azumi had taken Mila out to show her a park and get a physical and quirk assessment at the clinic. Soji and Keigo were at home working on rearranging the house so Mila could sleep in the master bedroom with Soji and Azumi. Keigo had said when he and Jin were planning to get their own place when he got his own agency, so there was no point getting a whole new apartment if he was going to move in about a year. Plus due to her age and being adopted, they wanted her close when her quirk finally manifested at 5 or 6, if it manifested beyond just bluebird traits.
They were assembling the bed frame that would fold onto the wall when there was a frantic knock on the front door. Soji went to answer and found a hysterical Sion falling into his arms crying. Soji wished Azumi was there with her relaxing quirk because the best he could do was help Sion sit on the sofa as she cried and grabbed Soji's arms wailing. "Jin is in surgery! He got shot on his patrol and I don't know how to get to the hospital where he is!" Keigo had already grabbed his headphones and glasses and was sliding his jacket on. "Which hospital is it?" Sion blew her nose with tissues offered by Soji as she managed to get it out.
Keigo looked at Soji, who nodded his silent permission right away, and Keigo held his arms open. "If you get your coat I can fly you there. It will be faster than any plane or the bullet train." Sion nodded and hurried out of their apartment, to her own, to grab her coat as Soji stood and put an arm on Keigo's. "Are you ok?" Keigo took a deep breath and let it out nodding. "Jin's interning as a sidekick. This is a risk that we're prepared for and trained for. I'll be careful and keep in touch. I promise." Soji nodded and helped Sion with her coat when she came back.
Keigo carefully lifted her in his arms and talked her through how cold it would be and how to hold on. It was a credit to her emotional strength that she nodded and gripped onto him for dear life as he stepped onto the back balcony. He had his headphones on and took off as soon as his wings cleared the back door. Keigo could hear the radio signals of planes, other heroes flying and giving their locations, and news reports asking for assistance or alerting those on patrol of events the police needed help with.
Keigo knew he was abusing the privilege of being a Commission asset, and he had his quirk license allowing him to use his quirk, but the squeezed eyes of Sion and the fear she had in her eyes back at his apartment told him he needed to get to Hosu City Hospital fast.
"Hawks to Hero Dispatch, anyone airborne today?" There was a pause before he repeated the request, aware that he wasn't supposed to be training today so it was unusual. "Hey Hawks, it's Onimi. Thought you were out on leave for a while?" He grinned at getting another trainee on the line. Not just any trainee, but another flying hero and one he got along with when he was at the Commission building. This was perfect for what he wanted. "Yeah I am. Listen, I have a family medical emergency and I'm headed to Hosu City Hospital. Think you could clear me a path if anyone tries to interrupt my trip?"
There was a pause and he noticed Sion watching him from her spot in his arms, gripping his jacket. He flashed her a comforting smile as he heard back. "Yeah, sure thing Hawks. Stay at a lower altitude if you can and avoid commercial traffic. I hope everything works out for you." Hawks let out a sigh of relief as he picked up speed and height. "Thanks man, I owe you." The laugh he heard was reassuring, and comforting to him as he was trying to comfort Sion. "Hey man, you'd do the same for me. Be safe flying."
Now that he had someone to cover his speed flying, he thought about what he could be facing. Sion said Jin got shot on duty, and when they were little, the two of them would get into all kinds of trouble. Bruises, skinned knees, even broken bones never phased Sion when they were growing up. She kept her cool when Azumi was in the hospital having surgery and Keigo had never seen her so rattled or panicked. This must be serious, and Keigo was kicking himself for not checking in when he got no replies to his texts the night before. This wasn't the time to think about that, though. He needed to get Sion to the hospital and check on his best friend.
He made it in record time.
Setting down in the parking lot of the hospital, he held onto Sion's shoulders until she got her bearings and settled from her first trip flying like that. Once she was able to. She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the hospital with her. Declaring he was her grandson too. They were given visitor badges and shown to a private waiting room where Shin was pacing a hole in the floor. He saw Keigo and pulled the teenager into a hug. Keigo closed his eyes and gripped his friend's father, asking softly. "What happened?"
Jin had been shot point blank in the face with a low caliber gun. It shattered a number of bones in his face and split open his left eye socket. A sidekick with a healing quirk had managed to show up at the same time Molten Arms did, and she prioritized Jin's injury instead of helping to capture the villain. He got away. Molten Arms had already been to the hospital to apologize to Shin for not keeping a better watch on his son. He swore he would catch the villain and make him pay. A representative from Ketsubutsu Academy had shown up as well to assure Shin they were sending their best healer to help with his recovery, and that they had put in a request for Recovery Girl from U.A..
The surgery last night had stabilized him, then this morning his vitals took a dive and Jin was now back under the knife. Sion had positioned herself at the door to look down the hallway and see the doctor before they came in. Shin was taking comfort in Keigo being present. The teenager sent a message to Soji informing him about what happened and that he was there. Then sent a text to Dabi.
'You heard about Jin? I'm at Hosu City Hospital with his dad and Sion. I'll keep you updated.'
It was read but there was no reply. Rubbing a hand over his face, Sion spoke quietly to them both. "Times like this, I wish you kids wouldn't try so damn hard to be heroes. What am I going to do if he dies?" Keigo looked down as he let that sink in. For the longest time, Sion only had Jin to take care of. While kids grew up wanting to be heroes and reassuring their parents and loved ones that they would be ok, the fastest, the strongest, the best. These same heroes never saw what their family went through when they were at their worst. It was eye opening to Keigo as he sat in a hard plastic chair and stared at the noiseless tv playing on a wall.
If he was going to be the best hero, he would need to make sure his own family never went through this. Never.
/
Dabi stalked down the alleyways of Hosu City, his long blue coat flapping in the night time breeze as he looked around at the brick walls and trash that was poorly situated near the dumpsters and trash cans. He had called in some favors and was given a very good description and area of operation for the man who shot Jin. He had seen the news, and the heroes claimed they would catch this man. The police promised to put the criminal away for a long time. The hospital claimed the nameless intern student was stabilized for now.
He had gotten Keigo's text, but he couldn't deal with the pretty bird right now. He was hinting an asshole with a gun. An asshole who could move through solid objects and used guns to do his dirty work because there was little defense a hero on the move could do about it. It was a sad truth, and it made Dabi angrier, if that were even possible. Heroes were trained tk save people and handle those the police could not. They weren't called in for common criminals with guns. Heroes don't run around with bullet proof vests and not everyone had a quirk that could stop a bullet.
The sound of a man laughing at the end of the alley brought Dabi back to what he was doing now. He walked to the end of the alley, hands in his pockets to be as unimposing as he could with his scars and sutures. The gun dealer at the end of the alley had been listening to something with an earbud in one ear, it's match hanging near his chest as the cable ran to a phone in one hand. The dealer looked like he hadn't showered in a week, probably hadn't. The dealer looked like a greasy haired hobo with bloodshot brown eyes and second hand torn and dirty clothes. He looked at Dabi and kept one hand holding the phone, the other in his pants pocket.
"What do you want, Ugly?" Dabi sneered and kept his hands where they were. "I'm looking for Togetsu. Where is he?" The dealer laughed and suddenly pulled a gun from his pocket, pointing it at Dabi in a threatening but casual manner. "Why the hell would I tell you? He's my best client." Dabi kept his posture relaxed, his face unamused and uncaring. "He shot my friend. I want words with him." The laughter turned into a cackle. "That right? You friends with that wannabe hero brat from last night? You thinking of being a hero yourself? Not with that face. You an ugly sucker. No kid is gonna want to be saved by that. Now get on out of here before I shoot your ass and you get a bed next to your friend."
Tiling his head, the black haired 19 year old seemed to get a maniacal gleam in his turquoise eyes. "I guess since you won't be smart and answer my question, I'll ask you one you might answer. Are those tungsten bullets?" The dealer wasn't laughing anymore, having seen enough crazy on the streets to know when something was off. "The fuck you mean? Who the hell uses tungsten bullets?" Dabi grinned looking down his nose at the dealer as he pulled his empty left hand out of his pocket. "I was just checking." Blue flames erupted from his palm and covered the small confined area of the alley.
The dumpsters and trash cans were melted from the heat, the brick behind the dealer was glowing and brittle with black charred marks and ash. The brittle bones and remnants of a body smouldered as the smoke drifted up towards the sky, small blue flames still burning on anything around that was still flamable. The crazy laughter heard after the smoke and flames erupted from the alley prevented anyone from calling it in until a hero on patrol called it in as a fire in the alley.
Dabi was long gone by then. More leads to follow as he tracked down the villain who had shot his friend. He never replied to Keigo's text about Jin's condition or surgical updates. He didn't even read them anymore as he hunted in the back allies of Hosu City. The gun dealer was not the only incinerated remains reportedly found that evening, but he was the worst burnt that was found.
/
Jin was cold. He hated the cold. At least he could feel something, that was an improvement over the burning sensation he had felt before on his face. Where he got shot. Had he gotten shot? If he had, why was it cold now? Jin cracked his right eye open and realized he couldn't see out the left one. He tried to open his eye, and at least he knew it was still there because he felt it was blocked by something. He tried to use his sonar to see himself and wow was that a mistake! He groaned as his heart rate spiked causing the beeping in the background to speed up.
Sion was by his side in an instant, a comforting hand on his cheek while Keigo hit the button to call the nurse. Jin's eyes darted around and he saw his father next to his grandmother holding his right hand. "Hey, don't try that just yet, you have a bunch of stitches and injuries that need to heal first." His father lightly cautioned. The nurse showed up and removed the breathing tube that had gotten in his way of using his sonar. Keigo watched intently the entire time as she gave him some water and checked his vitals, offering to get the doctor. Now Jin wanted to know what happened to his eye.
Since Sion was weeping in relief that he was awake, Shin explained for him. "You got shot trying to apprehend a villain. You're at the hospital in Hosu City because it had the closest trauma center. You've been out for 4 days, son." Jin's eye widened and he looked at Keigo who nodded. "Yeah. I flew Sion here as soon as she told me and Soji. Mom is in a panic over you now, she'll want to come visit. Also, you had Madame Medic from your school here. She's the reason you didn't lose your left eye. Recovery Girl should be coming in a day or so as well." Jin closed his eye and sighed before asking in a raspy voice.
"Did he get away?" There was silence and Jin opened his eye to see Sion and Shin nodding, upset looks on their faces. Keigo, on the other hand, had a look that said he couldn't speak but shook his head no slightly. Meaning something had happened that his dad and grandmother didn't know about, but Keigo did. Jin knew that was a limited list of things. The doctor chose that moment to come in and began looking him over and asking a series of questions similar to the nurse. When he was done, he moved to address the entire room, Keigo moving to stand with Shin so he wasn't in the way.
"Well, where should we start, you're a very lucky young man, Jin. Your bone structure in your face is more like a bat's. Because of this, the bullet bounced out of your eye socket and through your cheek to exit the left side of your face. A sidekick with a healing quirk made sure you didn't bleed out, Madame Medic made sure you didn't lose your eye and we did a few surgeries to make sure we could get you all patched up. Depending on how much Recovery Girl can do, you could be going home in about a week." Jin grinned with a lopsided grin due to the stitches and bandages.
"Thweet. Aw, you guyth couldn't fix my lithp while you had me under?" Jin joked out, making Keigo laugh and Sion swat at his arm. The doctor chuckled as he continued. "You are going to need some therapy regardless of how fast she can physically heal your eye and face, your aspect ratio, distance and hand eye coordination may be off. As a flier you are going to want to make sure those are properly recovered. And if there is an issue with vision in your eye after healing, we will have to address that." Jin nodded and tried to get comfortable as he nodded towards Keigo. "Thure doc. Whatever I need to do. I'm gonna be thith guyth thidekick when he getth hith agenthy. Tho I need to be top of my game. I won't thirk on the therepy."
The doctor smiled and patted his arm before standing and making notes about pain medication. Shin and Sion talked to Jin while Keigo slipped into the hallway to check his phone. He had been told that the Commission agreed to his settlement demands. The Hero License Exam was scheduled for 4 days from now, and Keigo needed to talk to Jin in private before he did the exam. Before he went home, even. Shin walked from the hospital room. "We're going to go get some food and discuss some things regarding his therapy. Do you mind staying with Jin? We can pick you up something."
Keigo grinned. "Sounds perfect! Just grab me a sandwich from wherever you go." Shin nodded and gave Keigo's shoulder a pat. "You're a great friend for him. And your family is our family, I wanted you to know that." Keigo smiled and nodded before heading into Jin's room. His friend was trying to sit up and was peering at the remote to watch tv with. Laughing, Keigo walked over to help him out as Sion kissed Jin's forehead and headed out with Shin. The two teenagers sat there eyeing the television, which Jin had turned on to the Hero News Network.
"You really ok, Kei? You theem worthe off then me. And I got thot!" Jin laughed. Keigo smirked and sat down next to the bed. "Yeah, I have some heavy stuff on my mind." Jin tilted his head since he could only use one eye. "Oh?" Nodding, Keigo sighed as he spoke quietly. "The remains of the guy who shot you are in the morgue. They aren't making his death public yet, but I overheard it on the police bans." Jin frowned and looked at the tv. "Let me gueth, inthinerated to boneth and dutht." Keigo nodded. "Yeah."
The bed ridden teenager looked thoughtful before looking over at the blonde 16 year old. "Ith that the only thing bugging you? That Dabi may have killed the guy who thot me? Becauthe I know I'm not going to lothe any thleep over that." Keigo shook his head and seemed to be struggling with what he wanted to say. "No it's- my license exam is later this week, and I thought I was ready for it. But these last few days I've seen your grandma and dad and how they handled you being shot. Plus you got shot! I mean how often does that happen in the field? They don't teach you what to do when someone you are chasing pulls a gun. Hand to hand combat and self defense only go so far." He reached up and tugged at his blonde hair as Jin let him talk, watching him calmly.
"I watched your school representative and hero come in. It was like they were reading lines of a PR report to not get sued. I recognized the wording because dad's a lawyer and it's what I can easily see Sasha saying. But is that really what we are going to have to look forward to when we become heroes? Trying not to make mistakes over helping people that end with lawsuits? I'm starting to see it more and more with my own training and stuff." Jin reached out and put a hand on Keigo's forearm, causing his friend to look up.
"Kei, we aren't gonna be like that. We are gonna be heroeth to help people like we have been planning thinthe we were kidth. Learn from what happened to me, thure. But if my getting thot ruinth your athpirathonth of being a hero, then I'm gonna quit too. I want to be your thidekick, no one eltheth. Molten armth ith my graduathon, not my career. I'm here for you, no matter what, jutht like you were here for me every time I needed you. Tho don't give up. Athe that tetht and get your agenthy open tho I can come work there." He grinned.
A voice by the door interrupted whatever Keigo was going to say. "I can tell you're feeling better. Still full of winded words." The two teenagers looked to the door to see a tall skinny man in nurses aid scrubs with a mask over his face to hide his scar. There was no hiding those turquoise eyes. Jin pointed to his eye that was bandaged. "Thorry for you I got shot in the eye, not the mouth." Keigo jumped up and was over to the door by the time Dabi had closed it. He grabbed him in a hug and the two embraced for a full minute. "If you two need privathy, go find another room. My grandma and dad will be back thoon." Jin smirked as Dabi gave him a glare.
Keigo laughed and watched as Dabi walked over to check on his friend in the bed. "You weren't awake last time I was here, how's the eye?" Jin shrugged. "I didn't lothe it whith ith a miracle. And they didn't fix my lithp while I wath on the table. You would think they would do that right?" Dabi laughed and pulled his mask down, getting a fist bump from Jin. "As long as you're ok, bat boy." Jin nodded and eyed the TV. "I am, but if you two need to talk, go for it. I'll be here all week and Keigo ith going home for hith lithenthe exam thortly." Dabi glanced at Keigo and noted the way he was turning red as he tried to look busy arranging the two chairs on the wall.
"Sure, Jin. I'll have him walk me out and I'll come back tomorrow to see you." Jin nodded with a knowing grin as he settled in to watch the tv. "And bring me thome water when you come back, Kei. Pleathe?" Keigo snorted and walked from the room with Dabi, his medical mask going back up. "This way, the drink dispenser is over here." Dabi started walking and Keigo followed, stunned that Dabi knew where that was, or that he had a disguise like this. How often had he come in without them knowing? Dabi grabbed a cup and filled it with ice chips, handing it to Keigo and then nodding towards a small smoking balcony.
They stepped out and into the cool evening air where the sun was going down and the city was starting to light up below. Sounds of cars, sirens and horns making their way up to them both. "You seemed really stressed about the exam, Keigo. You'll do fine with it. I believe in you." The blonde smiled and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as the other held the cup of ice chips. "Yeah. I know. Just nervous and worried and I haven't had the time to process Jin getting shot until just now. I'm good. Really."
When he looked towards Dabi, the older teen was standing right in front of him having closed the distance, the mask pulled down as his turquoise eyes seemed to look into Keigo's golden ones. The blonde swallowed, the smell of smoke just faintly in the air, which was more comforting than he realized it would be. Dabi didn't speak, and Keigo didn't know what else there was to say. A part of him thought he would feel awkward about seeing Dabi after finding out about the guy who shot Jin. But how could he ever feel awkward when those beautiful blue eyes seemed to be softening as he realized they were close enough that he felt the heat coming off of Dabi.
His heart was thumping hard in his ears, his mind racing as he processed all the thoughts and roller-coaster emotions he had gone through. He had been lucky to see Dabi right now. He said he had come to see Jin before, and maybe he came again to see Keigo this time? They'd been in this position before, twice before, and Keigo wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He knew what he wanted to do as his eyes darted back and forth in those blue eyes. Dabi chuckled and spoke low, his nose almost touching Keigo's. "You're thinking too much, pretty bird." Keigo licke his lips and a dusting of red crossed his cheeks as his wings fluttered at the nick name. "Sorry I-"
Dabi closed the distance in an instant and pressed his lips to Keigo's, eyes closed as Keigo made a chirp from his throat. The cup of ice chips was dropped as he grabbed Dabi's shirt scrubs, pulling him closer, hungrily reveling in the soft combination of his lips. Dabi pulled Keigo closer until they couldn't breath and then rested his forehead on the blonde's, who still had his eyes closed with a flushed red face. "Sorry I can't cheer you on, but take that for luck." Blinking at that, Keigo couldn't help but grin. "Did you plan this or just take an opportunity?"
He let go and picked up the dropped cup, handing it to Keigo as the smirk remained on his face. "You'll have to wait and find out, but my time is up and I gotta go, pretty bird." Glancing through the large glass windows, Keigo could see nurses and doctors walking down the hall. When he looked for Dabi again, he saw a side door that Keigo had completely missed swinging shut. It led to emergency stairs down to the street, and he couldn't help but think that all of the complicated emotions and thoughts he had been trying to sort through, just got a lot more complicated for him.
