Author's Note: Another hint of background arch for this story, and moving along with the hero work. This chapter will have some differences in opinion of hero society. Also Soji gets some answers he doesn't like from the Private Investigator. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own MHA or its characters. Original characters are mine but that's it. Story is rated for sensitive subject matter and content both mentioned and written. Includes but is not limited to child abuse, drugs, assault, rape and more.

Chapter 65 - Quirks Are Hard

Hawks was soaring over Fukuoka with a smile on his face as he soaked up the beautiful warm sunny summer day. Echo was scheduled for night patrol, so Jin was back at the apartment sleeping. Dabi was gone for a week doing an errand for Giran, and Keigo was a little glad to not know what trouble his pyromaniac boyfriend was getting into. It was bad enough he looked the other way when he encountered Dabi's handiwork. There had been a long discussion between them on the ethics of what Dabi was doing against what Hawks was supposed to be doing for the public. Most of the time their arguments ended in Soji or Azumi talking to either young man about the other's ideals and they would make up.

Still, it made Hawks wonder if he was really doing a good enough job as a Hero. He helped everyone without a thought for the money he would make. Sasha had set him up with a number of really solid modeling gigs to help support himself financially based on his own appearance. Hawk's agency was one of the few that hired people at Hawk's discretion instead of the HPSC, and not less than a few had been sent by Dabi to find a job because they would be on the streets otherwise. Those few were some of the most loyal, private and reliable employees Hawks could have asked for. His radio alerted him to a small car chase with a kidnapped civilian in the car. Time for Hawks to go to work.

He easily stopped the car, saved the lady who was gushing and stuttering over the handsome winged blonde with a bright self assured grin. He simply deposited her at the ambulance and gave the medics a salute before flying to the police to give his report and turn in his information. He had just finished when a call came from his agency. One of the secretaries had called him directly, which meant it was a reminder of an appointment, or family related. Only a few secretaries knew his family on sight to call him. "Hey Rio, what's up?" He sounded relaxed as he started into the air so he could easily get to wherever he needed to go.

"Sir, Mrs. Nakamura is here with her daughter. She says she has a lunch appointment with you?" Hawks looked at his watch and shrugged. He always made time for his mother and sister. "Thanks for the reminder. Can you have them wait in my office? I'll be back in ten minutes. Also, I sent a report to the 32nd South Precinct. It should have copies coming in soon." Rio grunted a reply before hanging up, a grin on Hawk's face. Dabi's recommendations were reliable, but not ones for a lot of words. He dove down to building level so he could swerve through the skyscrapers and give some fans a wave and photo opportunities. That should make Sasha very happy as a precursor to the cologne shoot he was going to be doing next week.

His own building was up ahead, the floors that belonged to his agency were bright and full of tinted glass that had solar strips along the sides to save energy. He saw the balcony door to his office was open and Mila was standing on the bottom rung of the railing, waving to him with a big smile on her face as her wings fluttered quickly behind her. Hawks grinned and sped up to land before his little sister tried to fly to him, and he saw his mother setting up food on his desk. As soon as he landed, Mila tackled him into a hug with a happy chirp. "Nii chan!" Hawks laughed and scooped her up to twirl her around, receiving a happy whistle from her before he set her on his hip. "Hey little bird, what have you been up to today? Your wings are a mess!"

Hawks stepped into his office and Azumi looked up with a smile as she pulled the two chairs on the client side of his desk closer. "I hope this was ok. Soji said you had that item ready and Mila helped me make a bunch of Chicken Teriyaki for you just the way you like it." Hawks paused and inhaled the aroma of half cooked chicken and smiled at Mila. He still had his yellow tinted glasses on, but she could see his pupils were blown wide at the aroma. "You cooked for me?" Mila nodded with a giggle and tried to take his glasses off his face. He let her as Hawks sat her in a chair so his mother could give him a hug.

Mila tried putting on his glasses, the tinted yellow making her eye markings look like golden eyeshadow and her bright blue eyes look green as she tilted her head. "Nii chan, why do you need these?" Hawks made a plate for himself from the half cooked container as Azumi set a plate of noodles and fully cooked chicken in front of Mila. "I need them so I can fly without getting dirt and bugs in my eyes. They also help with the bright sun because it's way brighter up in the air. When you start flying, you should use a pair too." She shook her head as she hurried to put them on her head in her white hair.

"Mommy says I have a nikating eyelid. Right mommy?" Azumi laughed and stuffed a napkin in Mila's shirt collar. "Nictitating membrane, yes. Dr. Seeks said she developed it around the time you and Jin started teaching her to fly. If she had it before, it was dormant. Now, it reacts to fast air moving past her face or bright sunlight like the transition lenses?" Hawks raised both eyebrows at her and applauded. "That's awesome! I don't have those, that's so cool!" Mila widened her eyes at him. "Really? Does that mean nothing is wrong with me?" Hawks shook his head no as he finished the food in his mouth before talking. "Not at all. It's cool, and perfect for you. Promise." She grinned and started eating as the office became a content and happy silence.

Once lunch was done, Azumi cleaned up the empty containers and put them all back in her canvas bag as Hawks slipped from the office to get the support item he had requested for Mila. Hawks had left his jacket and gloves in the office, and Mila was looking them over curiously with his glasses still on her head when he came back in. "Alright, come here little bird." She walked over to him with his oversized gloves on her hands as Hawks kneeled down with a small black jewelry case in hand. Azumi tilted her head as she watched Hawks pluck his gloves from her hands with a grin. "This was made just for you. If you ever get lost, or you have to fly away from somewhere and can't find home, this will help us find you."

He opened the case and removed a black silk ribbon choker with fine silver embroidery in the middle that was shaped like a feather. Mila's eyes widened and she made a whistle as he gently put it around her neck, the short white hair making it easy for Hawks. The ends seemed to cling to themselves like little magnets and it didn't feel restrictive or choking as she brought a hand up to feel it. "The gps is in the embroidery, and it clings to itself, so it can be worn as a choker or a bracelet or a hair ribbon. And it won't show up if someone scans for electronics because until Mom, Dad or me turn on the GPS, it's just ribbon and thin wire." Mila ran over to a mirror that was on the desk and looked at it with wide eyes. Hawks held a phone out for Azumi's phone so he could enter the app and information for her.

"I'll send the link and information to dad as well. What do you think?" Azumi smiled and wrapped an arm around him to kiss the side of his forehead. "It's perfect. As long as Mila likes it, this will help your father feel better about her flying." Mila nodded quickly as she ran back over to hug him, wings too. "Thank you Nii chan!" Hawks smiled and handed his mother her phone before kneeling again to gently rest both hands on her shoulders. "This is very important, Mila. This will help us find you if something happens, but that doesn't mean you should get into trouble or fly away now. Mom and Dad are going to worry if you do, so keep being a good girl and practise flying with me or mom. Don't go looking for trouble, ok?" Mila nodded. Her face was serious before she smiled again, so wide her eyes were closed.

"I promise, Nii chan." He smiled and rested a hand on her head to grab his glasses before standing up. "Well, that's done and lunch was great, but I have to get back to hero work now. Do you want me to see you out?" Azumi shook her head and gathered up the bag of empty food containers. "We should be fine. It's better not to give anyone out there hints to your family life." Mila ran to the door hopping in place as she felt the choker ribbon again with a smile. "Bye Nii chan!" He grinned and waved, glad she spoke before he opened the door to let them both out. Once he closed the door behind them, he sighed as a small smile crept on his face.

His stomach was full, his sister was now safe in case she got lost, he got to see his mother for lunch and he still had over an hour before he was needed anywhere. He stretched and flopped stomach down on the couch with his wings flapping loudly as he relaxed hugging the pillow. A nap sounded perfect for him as the gentle warm breeze and sounds of the city drifted into his office. It wasn't long before the winged hero who was always moving so fast was napping on the couch with a his face.

/

Soji was in a meeting with one of Endeavor's lawyers, really a legal aid named San Ichiko. His own client sat next to him looking over the settlement agreement as Soji stared intently at the overpriced young legal aid in front of him. This guy had been the poor sucker to deliver the offer of settlement on the suit against Endeavor Agency. Legal aids are still learning the ropes of law, whereas lawyers have already been legal aids and know how things work. When the poor guy had walked in to meet with Soji and Hatsu Itigome, he had been thrown off by the big offices, the pleasant service from Rubi for tea, and the way Soji briefly glanced at the document before making notations with a red pen and offering it to his client to look through. The legal aid knew he was out of his depth and Soji almost felt bad for him until the young guy spoke.

"So Mr. Itigome, that is the offer from the Endeavor Agency in response to your lawsuit. I understand if you want time to look it over with your lawyer." The legal aid playing lawyer spoke as soon as Hatsu finished reading the last page. Hatsu glanced at Soji and shook his head slightly, just as nervous as the young kid across the table. Upon seeing his clients reaction, Sojj took over the meeting. "I'm afraid this offer isn't good enough. My client is going to need years of therapy just to be able to use his quirk correctly again for day to day life, nevermind the loss of income since he won't be able to do his job as a sidekick for anyone. This settlement is a year of wages and two years of medical expenses, with his position at Endeavor Agency staying open for him if he decides to come back after that. Frankly, this is the bare minimum that doesn't really cover what we asked for."

Folding his fingers together, Soji leaned across the table to settle his bright blue eyes on the legal aid. "Are you authorized to make a counter offer right here and now? Or are we going to have to adjourn until you get permission to come back with another laughable offer?" The aid frowned and pulled out his phone. "I'm sure I can ask them to give me-" Soji interrupted quickly. "So that's a no. I'm sorry, I thought Endeavor's legal team would take this more seriously than I have been shown." The aid blushed a furious red as he stood gripping his phone. "Excuse me." Once he was out the door, Soji sat back and picked up his tea to sip at it as Hatsu looked at one of the pages.

"This offer is very generous, Soji. I know it's not what I asked for, but if we push too hard, they may make it worse and I can't keep relying on assistance to pay my mortgage or deferred medical bills." Soji tapped at the page in question. "This shows what it's going to cost you to get back on your feet and to where you were before you were forced to overuse and abuse your quirk. This is the minimum of what you need to get back on your feet. I won't settle for anything less for you. My job is to help you get what you deserve, not leave you worse off than before. Say they start paying you your wages and the two years of therapy. What if you need a major surgery? What if after 2 years you will be unable to keep doing hero work at the pace it develops?" Hatsu nodded and closed the offer document. "I see your point. I'm just scared I'm pushing too hard."

Before Soji could reply, the legal aid walked back in. "I have been asked to bring back the offer and to request a week for us to discuss a more fair settlement. Can we meet again in a week? At that time, if the settlement is unacceptable I will be authorized to negotiate it on the spot." Soji stood and tugged his jacket down before offering a hand. "Sounds perfect. Thank you for such a quick response." The aid shook his hand and left, not bothering to take the copy of their offer with him. Sighing, Hatsu stood and gathered his things as Soji grabbed the offer to file it away. "Make sure you tell Rubi your physical therapy schedule for next week. We don't want to schedule this on the same day, and if you need a ride, remember you can calm the office and Nero will take you."

Hatsu smiled and gave Soji a quick hug before heading out to the waiting room to talk to Rubi. Soji watched his client leave as he thought to himself. It was angering how often this sort of thing happened to sidekicks and administrative workers for heroes. If he could help even a tiny bit, Soji felt like he was doing his part to make society a better place. Not as hands on as Stain liked to be, and his follower's devotion to him made Soji concerned for Dabi. But he trusted his son's boyfriend, and he knew out of everyone who had been a victim of false heroes, Touya saw Stain as his guiding light. He was snapped from his revere when a light knock on the meeting room door caught his ear.

"It's open." Soji blinked with curiosity before grinning at the private investigator that had come in. He completely forgot he had a meeting with Orin today. Standing, he offered the man a handshake and noticed that Orin was carrying a thick small envelope. Orin smiled, but he looked like he had something difficult to discuss as he shut the door before Soji could ask Rubi to come in. "I have updates on both of your cases. Your wife's is a bit more graphic as I was able to get the university footage of her assault which was given to the police. I'm not sure if you want to watch it now or if you want me to leave it with you."

Soji frowned but motioned to the table for Orin to sit. "I'll watch it on my own if that's alright." Orin nodded and slid the envelope over. "It's a disk. I recommend a locked door and headphones because. There was sound available on the film." A nod before the lawyer carefully took the envelope. "I wasn't able to see anything of note. The guy wore all black, gloves and a mask. With no trace left behind, even his voice is hard to place. Maybe you'll see something in the details that I can't that can give me a lead." Orin was speaking quietly and was definitely trying to caution Soji about the video and it was making him feel uncomfortable.

"You said you had updates on both of them?" The investigator nodded and pulled a notebook from his pocket. "The day that Soothe was killed, a man on a motorbike was seen leaving the area. Neighbors all remembered different parts of the plate, but I managed to find the motorbike and spoke to its current owner. The man bought it off a young guy who claimed he was leaving the country. He was given a bogus title but that they didn't realize until I had a friend at public records run the VIN. The original owner was a man named Tentsu Han. He is in fact out of the country for work, so I have to see if I can pull some strings to get more details." Soji nodded as he was given a copy of the information and kept a firm grip on the envelope with the disk.

"I really appreciate the updates and information. Anything I can do to help with resources just ask. And I'll take a look at this and get back to you if I notice anything-" Orin stepped forward and put a hand on Soji's shoulder. "Mr. Nakamura, that video shows your wife probably going through the most brutal thing no woman ever wants to go through in their nightmares. Don't be in a rush to look at it, and please speak with her before you watch it. I am insisting on this." Soji blinked before nodding, his face serious. "Alright, I understand." The private investigator smiled and headed for the door. "I'll be in touch." Soji smiled as Orin slipped out and waited for a bit, staring at the envelope.

He cleaned up the meeting room before walking to his office and shut the door, clicking the lock as he dropped the blinds on the door. Sitting at his desk, Soji removed the disk carefully and read the date written on the face of it. It felt like he had been staring at it for hours before Soji pressed the intercom to call Rubi at the front. "Rubi?" There was a faint buzz before she replied. "Yes sir?" Soji kept his eyes on the disk as he pressed a button on his computer to open the tray and drop it in. "Hold all calls and appointments for the next hour. I do not want to be disturbed, even if the building is on fire." The left side top drawer was opened so he could get to a pair of headphones as Rubi replied. "Alright. Is everything ok?" Soji plugged the headphones into the audio jack, holding them in one hand before hitting the button for a final reply to her.

"Just taking a nap. I'll be up in an hour." He waited for her to reply the affirmative before sliding the headphones on and moved the mouse to clock play. His eyes widened as they remained glued to the screen for the next fourteen minutes and twenty three seconds. It was the first time in a very long time Soji hated his quirk