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Chapter 69 - Family Planning
Hawks was perched on the balcony railing of gis parent's apartment. His wings where keeping him balanced, but at only half their size, he was a bit shaky as he focused on his task. The rest of his feathers were slowly twitching and searching everywhere they could fit in a three block radius and moving outwards in his search for Mila. It wasn't fast but it was working well. Azumi had paced herself into a fit, the family relations officer had to call for a doctor to give her something to calm her nerves, and now that the officer was gone, Azumi was asleep on the couch with the phone within reach. Soji was sitting with her, trying to be supportive and a strong calming presence.
He had draped a small blanket over Azumi before walking to the balcony to check on how his son was doing. He knew in cases like this, no one was going to relax on their own until Mila was home safe. "How is it going?" He asked, not wanting to interrupt. Hawks glanced back at his father, the light catching his eyes so that they glowed behind the tinted visor. "Slow, but I'm ruling out options with better certainty. Three blocks away and still going." Soji nodded and glanced back inside. "What can I do to help?" Hawks shook his head. "Mom ok?" Again, the lawyer nodded and gently grabbed the railing. "She will be. This is hard on her with the timing of everything else." Now Hawks looked down. He knew his parent's parole was affecting Azumi, he had moved out, and now Mila was missing. It was a lot for his mom, and he loved her strength to keep those worries hidden day after day.
Soji looked like he was about to say something else when both his phone and Hawk's chimed with a text message. There was a moment of shared fear about what type of message they both would be getting before Hawks had his phone out to read the text.
'Found Mila on the streets. She's safe and with me at my place. Should I bring her there?'
Keigo made an excited chirp as Soji let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh thank God. I swear he's an angel to this family." Nodding his agreement, Keigo recalled all of his feathers as fast as he could standing to balance on the railing. "Dad, do you want me to go get her?" Soji nodded and sent a reply to Dabi. "Please. I'll wake your mother when Mila is back, give her time to get some more rest." The blonde nodded as he flexed his fully formed wings and took off for the familiar place he knew to be Dabi's home.
It wasn't a long flight because he had done it before, although this time he was in a hurry to get Mila back home to his mom. The window to the small apartment Dabi used as a safehouse was open, the fire user leaning out the window to smoke as he waited. When he saw a familiar form flying his way, the cigarette was flicked away and he opened the window enough for Keigo to come in through it if he wanted. Dabi had also left the rooftop door open for him to come that way. Mila was still sleeping soundly, her face a bit flush and her forehead felt warm to him, but otherwise she was sleeping soundly. He was very curious about her quirk and the specifics of how it worked. He knew a number of people in the underworld and on the streets who would kill for her, or even access to use her.
A few red feathers zipped into the room before Hawks easily slipped into the room through the window. He had a smile on his face for Dabi but he was at Mila's side before his feet hit the floor. "Hey hot stuff, how's she doing?" Dabi put a finger to his lips while whispering. "She's asleep. Healed my arms earlier and passed right out afterwards. I made sure she got cleaned up and some juice in her before that happened." Keigo kneeled next to the cot and gently moved some hair out of her face before resting his wrist on her forehead, noting the temperature. When he touched her, even a little bit, she made a faint coo in her sleep and tried to put her thumb in her mouth feeling safe.
Keigo decided to let her sleep a bit more and got up to walk over to Dabi. There was no waiting as he wrapped his arms around his black haired boyfriend. "Thank you. Mom would probably be here to thank you, but she was sort of knocked out to force her to rest."He murmured as Dabi held him close. "Where did you find her?" Keigo looked at him as Dabi backed up to one of his chairs and sat down, pulling the blonde into his lap. "She was in an alley the next block over, outside of a crackhouse which I know she didn't know. Everything looks different at night, plus there was a junkie trying to take her. He was dealt with by the way." Dabi looked into Keigo's eyes, noticing a soft and deep gratitude in the golden irises.
"Should I be worried about someone in the hospital, or the morgue?" Keigo whispered, just in case Mila heard. Dabi gave him a look and gently pressed his lips to Keigo's, a hand running through his feathery hair before he whispered. "Don't ask me unless you really want the answer." Keigo was about to reply when a tiny groan interrupted them. Mila was sitting up on the cot rubbing her eyes as her wings stretched out and puffed up. When she realized Keigo was there her bright blue eyes widened and she hurried to get out of the bed and over to him. He stood from Dabi's lap in time to catch her as she threw herself into his arms, trilling happily. "Nii chan! Dabi saved me from a mean man. It was scary!"
Keigo returned the trilling noise with a few chirps and his wings came around protectively as he looked for any injuries or markings that got missed. "It's alright. You're safe and that's the most important thing." He smiled at her as she buried her face in his chest, clinging to him with her arms and wings. Keigo looked to Dabi and he was already cutting small holes into the back of one of his hooded jackets. "Here, she should wear this when you take her home so she doesn't get cold. Her fever is still up and you don't want her getting sick." They gently got the jacket on Mila, who seemed to be falling asleep again in Keigo's arms.
Dabi smiled as she nuzzled his hand with a chirp before curling into her big brother. "She makes it hard not to adore her, doesn't she?" He remarked as Keigo curled a wing around her. The blonde nodded and leaned forward to steal a heated kiss on the lips, catching Dabi by surprise. "I'll be back in a day or two?" He grinned so wide Keigo feared he would break a suture. "I'll be here pretty bird." With that, Keigo headed out the window and was flying off into the night with Mila tucked into his jacket and held close.
When he got home to his parents, he landed right on the balcony and slid the door open as quiet as he could. Azumi was awake now, and she ran over as soon as he stepped in. "Oh my God, is she alright?" Keigo handed off the sleepy five year old who made a happy chirp before clinging to Azumi. "She's fine. She healed Dabi when he found her so she's recovering from that." Mila's chirp turned into a happy croon as she hugged her mommy with arms and wings. Soji came over to plant a kiss on Mila's head as Azumi looked at Keigo with tears in her eyes. "Thank you…" He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Better get her into bed, mom." She nodded and walked with her daughter to the bedroom while Soji watched them. As soon as they were gone he pulled Keigo into a big hug.
"I'm so damn proud of you, and Dabi. Thank you." He grinned and hugged his dad back before heading for the balcony door. "I should call off the search. I'll be back tomorrow, just leave Dabi's name out, as far as you know I brought her back." Soji nodded and watched his oldest son slip out onto the balcony and take off. A sigh of relief leaving him now that his family is safe and at home. He turned off lights on his way into the bedroom where Azumi had changed Mila into pajamas and had a small wet cloth on her forehead. The little girl was red faced and curled up into Azumi. When the two looked at each other, Soji's blue meeting Azumi's purple, they seemed to be thinking the same thing.
They weren't going to be able to hide Mila's healing quirk for much longer, and it needed to be addressed and trained before she hurt herself.
/
The Hero Billboard Charts of JP were announced twice a year. This gave heroes six months to increase their rankings on a regular basis. It broadcast the top ten heroes after a countdown from 100 to 11. They also explained the popularity polls, doing interviews with fans and people attending to encourage participation for everyone. Hawks had received a visit from three members of the Heroes Public Safety Commission a week before the announcements would be revealed, and while he refused to disclose what they spoke about, he ordered more administrative clerks hired and a few more sidekicks as soon as possible. This led to Hawks and Echo in his office eating lunch two days before. Echo was watching Hawks as he nibbled at his Yakitori and finally tossed his own container on his bosses desk.
"Alright! Out with it! What'th got you tho down and thecretive? I can't thtand thith anymore. Here, at home, on the way to Aunt Thumi'th. What hath you tho dithtracted?" Hawks winced and set dow his food, looking at Echo before moving a series of feathers around the office and under the door. Echo had seen this when Hawks wanted to make sure no one was listening on him, which only made Echo more concerned. Once satisfied they were alone, Hawks unlocked a drawer of his desk and removed a piece of paper. "They give you your semiannual rankings before the charts are announced. I got mine and I don't know what to do about them."
Echo took the paper and looked at it, doing a double take to make sure he saw it correctly. "Are you playing with me?" He finally asked as he peered intensely at his best friend. The way Keigo buried his face in his hands, his wings dropping, it couldn't be a joke. "Hawkth, you're ranked number theven in the HBCJP and number 4 in the popularity pollth. You hit the top ten in your firtht year of opening an agenthy!" Hawks dropped his head and arms to his desk. "I know! Sasha is all over it right now trying to set up interviews and merchandise deals. Evrb renegotiating my photo shoots to try and ensure funds for the agency."
"But thith ith great! It meanth none of uth ate gonna be fired or on the thtreetth." Hawks glared up at Echo. "I have enough personal money to ensure nobody goes anywhere for at least a year. So you better get that notion out of your head." Echo grinned and looked at the paper again. "I don't underthtand why you are upthet about thith. Thith ith a good thing for your reputathon." Hawks threw up his arms. "You just said it. It's my reputation, but what about yours? What about my other sidekicks? The other heroes here? Why am I the obe ranked so high while you guys have to struggle to get noticed?" Echo grinned and slid the paper over before slapping Hawks on the back. "Aw, you do care about uth lowly thidekickth. Keigo, our job ith to thupport you. To help you. We get our recognithon by being able to thee you get recognithed and thay 'I helped him get there. He couldn't do it without me.' None of uth are going to be jealouth or mad that you made it to the too ten. I promithe."
Hawks thought about that before smiling a bit. "Thanks, Jin. Means a lot and helps a lot." Echo looked offended. "It'th Echo while I am in my cothtume! Dick!" Hawks laughed and picked up his food again, eating with gusto. "Alright Echo. Sorry to out your true identity as a pain in the ass." Echo grinned and started eating again. "Youre top pain in the ath and don't you forget it." Hawks grinned and gobbled down his lunch. He seemed to be renewed on what he should do, and he made a point to announce to the agency the day before the billboard charts. The agency practically screamed in celebration that their agency would be ranked in the top ten. It made Hawks smile to see all the support from everyone, how right Echo had been about their reaction and opinions.
He was now excited to be revealed in the top ten at billboard charts. He decided to keep it as a surprise for his parents, knowing they would be watching to see where he ranked.
/
Obi watched the television as Sara laid on the double mat they both slept on. She had taken such a high dose of pills that she was sleeping almost all day. He was fine with that, though, because she would wake up ready for sex, and he could go over his idea with her. He had gotten quite a lot of information on Azumi Nakamura. She had gotten married to a hot shot lawyer who was well known in the Fukuoka area. Keigo moved out to his own place once he opened his own agency, but reports said he still visited often. Soji Nakamura worked a lot, her own work schedule seemed to have been cut in half over the last 12 years. He assumed that was because of the five year old adopted girl that lived with them. Not much was known about the little girl except she had a bluebird quirk and blue wings.
There was one piece of information he had been given that made him second guess the idea of any sort of revenge against the nurse and her family. It was getting known on the streets that there were some vigilantes that would kill or ruin anyone who took a shot at her or tried to harm her family. Azumi was known for giving free unjudged medical care to many on the streets. They didn't take kindly to their safe and private medical help being messed with. Especially when most of those who harmed her ended up a pile of cremated ashes in an alley. This was a fate Obi didn't want to experience, no matter how much his wife wanted to go after the nurse that got them locked up.
The commercials ended and the tv showed the hero billboard charts live, causing him to turn the television up in volume. They were talking to people outside the amphitheater about their favorite heroes and why. Quite a few loved his son, Hawks. Obi was intrigued with how famous Hawks was now that he was a hero. Maybe he missed the ranking of Hawks at 100-11, but when they turned the filming to the interior, he almost spit out the beer he had been drinking. Hawks was on stage, waving and grinning along with the other top ten heroes. His stats were listed on the screen, rated number seven in Japan and fourth in the popularity polls. Obi could only stare as he gave thanks to his sidekicks for supporting him and giving him the success he now had. He also said a quiet and brief thanks to his parents for letting him follow his dream to become a hero.
Obi felt like he had been stabbed in the gut. His son, the son they didn't want, hadn't cared about, and had terrorized his entire childhood was a top ten hero. The kid was about 18 now? He would be rich, famous, valuable in a way that Obi could only imagine. All that wealth and credit would go to his parents and that wasn't Obi and Sara anymore. Something seemed to snap in his mind and Obi suddenly hated that burse bitch even more. If she hadn't taken him away, they would be able to cash in on him. They would be enjoying the easy life while he did his own hero thing.
Sara woke up and yawned, moving over to wrap her hands around him from behind, starting to kiss his earlobes as she saw he was angry at something. "What's wrong, Obi?" He looked over at her and slammed down the beer, picking her up and walking over to the mat with her. He dropped her onto it before climbing on top of her growling, aggressive and impatient for sex as he growled out to her, making her grin with glee. "I'm going to make that bitch pay."