It is finally here! The long-awaited final chapter to Akrasia. Man, this story has been a ride to write! I'm sad that it's ending but glad to have gotten to a point I am satisfied with it.
One of the reasons I took so long to write this was because my grandmother passed away unexpectedly. It threw my plans for this story into disarray and I was in a deep depression for a long time, not wanting to write or really do anything. I'm doing much better now but it's still hard on some days.
I was hoping to publish this chapter a few days ago after the three months since this is the last one but I had to tweak and clean up a few things in the story before it being good to publish.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you guys so much for all the support! It made writing this story so much fun!
Chapter Three
It had been an absolute shit show.
He groaned as he walked up the stairs towards the apartment he had been living with Keigo for the time being. He ignored the sharp pain in his leg as it dripped small droplets of blood onto the tiled floor, which he groaned in annoyance. He hoped no one was going to be looking into it but he was normally so very careful. Once he had hobbled up to his floor and made it past the few occupied rooms, he dug out his key from his pocket and opened the door quietly. He noted the dark lights and checked to see if Keigo was around.
It looked like he was in luck.
He released a sigh and entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him quietly. He chose to sit down in a chair, emitting a low groan from his lips as he could feel the wound in his leg still pulsating leaking blood.
"Fuck," He muttered under his breath as he propped it up on the opposite chair, staring at it and the dark baggy pants contained a ripped hole in them. The night sky from the window illuminated his body, revealing the mess he was coated in blood splattered across his body, practically immersing him in it while he had a couple of scratches on his arms and the open wound on his leg showcased the small piece of missing flesh from the attack he blew with.
He ran his bloodied fingers through his hair as he could already tell that he had caused a shit storm from everything.
It was only supposed to be the husband and wife. Not their damn son as well.
He rubbed his eyes as he looked up to the ceiling, trying to clear his thoughts but everything seemed to be rushing around.
He hoped he didn't wake Keigo up from all the noise he had caused.
His eyes fluttered to stay awake and he scratched his cheek, noting the stubble on his face was getting pretty ruff around the edges. He swore as he could himself fading from consciousness and dragged his fingers down his face, purposely letting his talons scratch him to keep him up. He started to loosen his jacket and managed to pull it off him, causing him to strain himself a little bit and caused his body to protest. He dropped it on the ground unceremoniously and stared at the black shirt, making the decision that he couldn't salvage it, so he started to tear it apart so he could use it as a bandage to help his leg out.
"God damn it, Furukawa," He muttered to himself as he wrapped his leg uptight, "Should have warned me about the damn spike projection Quirk. That would have made everything run by smoothly."
He sighed and looked back to his bloodied leg, trying to figure out what he could do in the time being. He noticed the pieces of paper scattered on the table with drawings sketched upon, showcasing the woods, playground, along with what appeared a drawing of himself and Keigo flying. A small smile slipped onto his face at this and then it dropped once he started thinking about the night that had just occurred.
The blood leaking out from their necks and their faces filled with shock, clearly surprised at his presence in their manor. The woman, who looked to be in her fifties, stared at him with blank blue eyes, and her dolled up green hair was ruined and splattered with crimson. Her clean white dress was being coated up and sprinkled with red as well. The man though looked to be in his sixties while his hair was thinned out and wrinkles were evident on his forehead and the corner of his full black eyes. His classic black and gray suit was done based on the blood coating the collar of his shirt.
He stared down at them before sighing and stretched his back, looking over the mess that was made from their struggle.
"Could have made it more clean if the two of you hadn't struggled, dipshits." He muttered as he produced to get their vault open and stared at the plentiful amount of gems and jewelry. He looked at the few wads of cash in interest but he knew that those could be traced back far easier than jewelry and gems. He started grabbing them and putting them in the bag, smirking as everything fell into the plan and made it through Furukawa's observations.
"Mom?! Dad?! Are you up?"
His smirk fell off his face at the sounds of an unknown visitor and the plan now being tossed out the window to be Part B: leave before the visitor spotted him. He swore as he tried to move faster but remain quiet at the same time.
"Hey, mom?! You'll never guess what?! I have exciting news!"
Couldn't the damn person just stay downstairs and assume his parents were going to see him soon?
"Fuckin' hell." He whispered and zipped up the bag, groaning a little as he stood up and now faced the door.
Which had someone probably his age, a young man with short green hair, stare at him with wide heterochromia colored eyes.
"…huh?" The man whimpered out and he swore, not even hearing the man's footsteps up the stairs. He stood ready, his own golden eyes wide and prepared for some form of an attack, and he slowly reached for a feather to use.
But the man bluntly ignored him, moving towards the bodies with tears streaming down his face.
"Father…? Mother…?" The man hushed and he remained still, choosing to determine how to take action. He slowly made his way towards the window and placed the bag gently down, which the noise of the gems and jewelry clanging together caught the man's attention.
"You killed them…" The man said and suddenly the presence in the air changed to something sinister, "I'll kill you for that."
Shit.
Suddenly the pool of blood spiked out towards him and he swore as he jumped out of the way, flying up the air in the small room.
"Die! Die!" The man called as he sank to his knees, the blood around him swirling in motions.
Furukawa didn't say shit about a son!
Another attack of spikes burst out towards him and he swirled past it, managing to dodge it. He had now a limited chance to take him down since his Quirk was mostly likely activated based on blood, which was practically coating the entire place.
"Fuck!" He announced as he dodged another wave of attacks, glass shattering around them and piercing holes in the furniture. He winced as he felt a small sting across the back of his leg at the spike managing to get him. He pulled out two feathers to use as weapons as the man's eyes looked completely dazed from the way they shook.
"Why?" The man had asked and he narrowed his eyes at this before taking a stance, readying himself for another attack, "Why did you have to kill them?"
He chose to remain silent as if giving an answer would do anything to calm him down. The man's eyes shivered as another attack rolled around now, not from the blood but from a knocked-over vase leaking water.
Well, shit it wasn't just blood the son could use as spike projections.
"Shit!" He swore again and the water managed to pierce through his calf, pain erupting from the wound now present. Blood spouted out as the water retracted and the son started to breathe heavily as if he could barely control his breathing. He narrowed his eyes at this, trying to keep himself calm so his wound wouldn't bleed out more.
Now, was his chance.
He soared above the son and the son's eyes looked at him with terror, now knowing he was doomed. He charged the wing down and took no mercy upon him, just in case the son would still be kicking even if he sliced his neck open.
So, he went for decapitation.
The head was clipped clean off, blood clashing across his body as the son dropped to the floor completely dead. The head flew onto the two bodies and rested between the two, staring straight up to the ceiling with no gaze in its eyes. The remaining part of the body slumped over and fell to the floor in a splat, blood leaking everywhere
"Damn it all to hell." He hissed as the feather clutched in his hand was dripping blood and he narrowed his eyes at the carnage he created. He sighed from under his mask and glanced down at his leg, noting the steady dripping of blood from the wound.
Well, now he was leaving DNA evidence all over the scene.
"Fuck it," He said as he placed his feathers back and now shuffled over to the bag coated with blood, "I'll let Furukawa deal with this shit."
He hauled the bag up and opened the window up, revealing the dark night sky which was being basked in the small lights of the following mansions. He glanced back to the corpses and frowned his mask, thinking of how the son should have just waited a few more minutes before choosing to go upstairs. His wings fluttered up and without another thought, he flew back towards his meet-up.
"Dad?"
He blinked wide awake and turned to see Keigo staring at him with wide golden eyes, both terror and worry crossing his features. He sighed and groaned as he adjusted himself in the seat, noting the sky's color changing to a morning sunrise.
"Mornin' Keigo." He said, trying to play off the act that he was alright but his wound was roaring in pain and had to be dripping blood onto the carpet. Keigo's eyes trailed around him and he frowned at his appearance.
"I know I said I would make breakfast but I'm still tired from last night." He began to try and distract him, "Sorry to disappoint."
"Did you get hurt at your job?" Keigo asked in a whisper, not worried about breakfast at the moment as he could only stare at him with concern.
His dad's face looked pale and sweaty as his hair was sticking to his face but his eyes looked completely out of focus as if he was trying to keep himself steady. His dad's clothes also stuck to his body but he could smell the trail of blood from his leg that had been continuously bleeding over the time he had fallen asleep.
"…yeah. Would you mind turning on the shower for me, kid? I can clean myself up." He asked and Keigo nodded but still looked at him like he would fall to pieces. Keigo walked over to the bathroom and stood on a stool to reach the nozzle before the water started to pour out of the faucet. His dad struggled to get himself up but he managed to do so, groaning and muttering swear under his breath as he approached the shower. He limped towards the bathroom and once he made it there, he rubbed Keigo's hair in an affectionate manner for appreciation.
"Thanks. I won't take too long, kid." He said and Keigo just nodded before the bathroom door shut, letting Keigo stare at it in uncertainty. He turned back to the kitchen table that his dad had rested at and went over to the chair that had propped the leg up, noting the deep crimson stained the wood and dripped over the edge of it. He frowned at this and then noted out of the corner of his eye something stashed near the window, poking out from the corner. He walked over to it and stared at it, noting that looked to be also stained with blood. He gulped at this and thought about how his dad had gotten mad the first time they meant and he wanted to know what was in the bag.
His curiosity overtook any logic as he pulled the zipper of the bag down.
His eyes grew wide at the large sight of jewelry, from earrings and necklaces and bracelets that were filled with jewels, and blocks of what appeared to gold and some jewels as well was stuffed in the bag.
His stomach felt like a rock was dropped right in it.
He quickly and quietly zipped the bag up and heard the faucet for the shower turn off, meaning his dad would be getting out soon. He glanced around the apartment to see if there was anything he could do to get his mind off the fact of what was in the bag. He choose to prepare some cereal as breakfast for the two of them and struggled to grab the box from the cabinets with his hands shaking ever so slightly. He bit his lip in protest and then grabbed two bowls, nearly slipping through his fingers but he managed to put them on the table.
Did his dad do something bad?
The roaring thoughts of terror and confusion rocked across Keigo and he could hardly figure out what he could do.
"Oi, Keigo." The voice of his father caught his attention and he turned back to the bathroom, noting the door was open but his father's face wasn't sticking out of it, "Could you help me out?"
He gulped and guilt crept upon him as he voiced back, "Yup!"
He walked over to the door and it opened up to reveal his father on the ground, new wounds scattered among with body but particularly his left leg. An open wound bled out onto the floor, changing the tiles to an ugly red, and his dad only had on what appeared to be boxers on. He had a first aid kit open and displayed all the medical supplies, which were plenty of gauze rolls, bandages, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, elastic bandages, antibiotic bootle, and a few other items. His dad had already wrapped up part of his face from the bandages under his right eye and left cheek. He still did not look great until more color seemed to be apparent on his skin. His wings were clustered next to the tub in an untidy pile but Keigo ignored it for the time being.
"Great, would you mind wrapping up my leg for me, kid? It needs to be tight but I'm still not feeling so hot." His dad requested and Keigo nodded in agreement but looked at everything with uncertainty.
"I'll try my best." He muttered and his dad chuckled at this, a smile pulling at his lips at this.
"That's all I ask for, Keigo." He said and Keigo stared at the bloody wound, which seemed to be slowly cauterizing. He reached over and grabbed the antibiotic bootle along with the gauze bandage, slathering it up with the antibiotic cream. His dad merely observed him with his hawk-like gaze and he gently placed the bandage on the wound which caused him to mutter a swear under his breath. Keigo gulped as he noted the wound had appeared through the other side as well and he bit his lip. He grabbed another gauze and slapped more antibiotic on it before he looked back up to his father.
"Can you hold this one in place so I can wrap it up?" Keigo asked and his dad nodded, groping as he fixed himself up, holding his hand out to get it from him. Keigo moved over and put the bandage on the back of the wound while grabbing his dad's hand to hold it in place so he could properly wrap it.
"Thanks, Keigo." His dad said and he only nodded in appreciation to the comment before he took the elastic wrap, then started to wrap it up as tight and to the best of his capability. The wound now covered up had his dad looked a lot better than before.
"Now, I'm going to go rest." His dad said and brushed some of his hair back with his hand, eyes staring down at him, "Sorry this fucked up our plans for today."
Keigo frowned at this, still unsure how he felt about his father's job and the bag he brought back with him, and Keigo just shrugged.
"It's ok." Keigo stated and offered an unsure smile, "We can do something else instead!"
His dad nodded his head in agreement with this before he pushed himself up, groaning in protest as he did so. The feathers of the ground followed him up and reattached to his back as he made his way to his room.
"If I'm not up in five hours, come wake me up." His dad stated and Keigo nodded before his dad shut the door behind him to his room. Keigo released a breath he didn't know he held and he glanced back down the hallway leading to the kitchen. His nose was filled with the scent of blood and he glanced down at his hands and noted how completely coated they were with blood.
He was completely fifthly.
He ignored the sour note in his chest as he walked to the kitchen and began to dig out cleaning supplies he had found from his previous excursions of looking around the apartment. He opened up one of the cabinets and saw the bottle of cleaner, staring at it then walked over to the chair that was coated red with his dad's blood. He wasn't sure if it would help with anything but he figured it wouldn't hurt to try.
Plus, it helped ease his conscious a little if he could clean up the blood that may not have been just his dad's.
"Well, this is surprising!"
The exclamation from one of the investigators got the attention of everyone at the crime scene. The five investigators that were first on the scene looked at the evidence collector, who happened to be a man with large nostrils and small green eyes smirked at his fellow partners. His lip was turned up in a smirk and pointed to a distinct blood spray partner on the ground and wall. The other investigators merely stared at it with questions raised on their features, before the man touched his nose.
"This blood is not from any of the victims." He stated and one of the investigators, the photographer who had short dark hair and a thin beard raised an eyebrow at this.
"How sure are you on this?" The photographer asked the evidence collector who clicked his tongue at the comment.
"Absolutely sure. Whoever killed everyone clearly got injured in a fight with one of the victims." He stated and glanced at the dead body of the son on the ground whose decapitated head was looking up at him, "I'll make a good bet the son was the unfortunate factor in this event. His blood is the topcoat besides this one."
"Well, make sure it gets processed then. We'll finally have solid evidence of who the hell the Winged Thief is." Another stated, the bloodstain pattern analysis whose long blond hair was tied up in a bun and narrowed gray eyes looked at their fellow investigators and took a picture of the blood-stained footprints on the floor.
"Don't worry about it. Perhaps we might even be lucky enough to have his DNA on file!" The Fingerprint Specialist who looked at the empty bank with glee at noting how clean the perpetrator was with not leaving fingerprints on any of the objects they had grabbed. The specialist turned towards the window frame and noted the numerous cop cars outside the manor along with a new and familiar face to the squad.
Fire was erupting out of their navy bodysuit and a makeshift mask of fire around his sharp turquoise eyes highlighted the absolute displeasure on his young face. He was built like a tank from his bulging muscles outlined from his suit.
"I'm sure that hero will be glad to finally catch the guy who's been causing him so much trouble." The Fingerprint Specialist said then looked back to their fellow investigators, "What the hell was the dude's name again? Flameo?"
The investigators laughed at this, clearly amused at the nickname he was called, and the Crime Scene Supervisor, a man with the head of a beagle, sighed at his partners' commentary.
"I believe he is called Endeavor. He is currently the number two hero at the moment." The Crime Scene Supervisor announced and the photographer chocked on their laugh, now trying to understand how someone so young was already so high in the charts.
"You're shitting me, Tsuragamae-san!" The photographer called out and the Crime Scene Supervisor, Tsuragamae, sighed at this while rubbed his forehead at the impending headache caused by his colleagues.
"I'm not, Ishida. Now, may we finish processing the scene so we can start analyzing the DNA evidence?" Tsuragamae stated and the investigators nodded at this as they continued on with their work, now remaining quiet at the notion that the number two hero was prepared to catch the thief himself.
"God damn it." He swore once he was healed and stared at the newspaper article on the front page that had in bright bold letters, Winged Thief Strikes Again! He rubbed the bridge between his brow and pulled out his burner phone, searching through his contacts to find Furukawa's contact info.
It has been a day since he was forced to heal himself up and Keigo seemed to be reluctant to hang out with him. He doubted that everything was alright between the two of them and he knew that Keigo was most likely scared about what had happened to him. He chose to go out to the corner of the building where the newspaper booth was along with getting some coffee in the stand next to it. He had paid the vendor and hobbled his way back to the apartment and could only stare at the clip in disgust.
He dialed Furukawa's number and placed the phone to his ear, hearing it dial the number and taking its sweet time to receive an answer.
"Hello, this is Watanabe Chiyo. How can I help you?" The unfamiliar female voice confirmed his suspicions that Furukawa was currently on a job.
"It's Takami. What the absolute fuck was that?" He hissed into the phone and Furukawa sighed at this, clearly somewhere busy from the loud street noises coming from the background.
"You'll have to be more specific." The sarcastic remark retorted and he gritted his teeth together while he now clutched the newspaper tight in his hands.
"You didn't say shit about the couple having a kid!" He hissed back and Furukawa remained silent for a moment before chuckling.
"The kid wasn't meant to be there, dumbass. He was an unexpected variable to the plot." They explained and on the side apologized to someone, "Perhaps you should have paid more attention to the place."
"No, you should have given me a heads up then this shit wouldn't be going down right now!" He continued to spew at them and they sighed, the sound of a crosswalk light announcing people to go echoed into his side.
"I don't know why you're so pissed off at me, Takami." Furukawa continued, "It's not like you left anything there. I saw the news already. The only thing they know is that it's the same attacker from previous cases."
He frowned at this and looked down to the ground, noting the small droplets of blood collected near the chair.
"…You're not saying anything. What occurred while you were there?" Furukawa requested and he sighed, leaning down on his knees as he tried to process everything that had happened.
"I left evidence there."
The sound of choking and spewing entered his ear as he had assumed that Furukawa did not plan for that.
"You're joking, right?" They asked and he remained quiet, further confirming his issue, "Fuck, you're serious. Shit."
Suddenly he heard footsteps on the paddling on the floor and he saw Keigo look at him with nervousness and worry since he had probably heard the conservation. He sighed and ushered him over and Keigo gently approached him, as if he were cautious about what he was planning on doing.
"Ok, how much are we talking?" Furukawa questioned and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"A lot. Probably a one-liter worth was spilled." He replied and Keigo sat on a chair next to him, watching as he talked.
"Damn it, Takami," Furukawa called out, and more sounds scuffled around, "I can't really do shit about it. That's more than what I can handle. If I tried to do something, it would be admittedly noticed since it's so fresh as well."
"What would you like me to do with them?" He wondered and Keigo kicked his legs under the table while a sigh escaping from the phone.
"You still got everything, right?" They asked and he replied back with a quick 'yes'.
"Ok, you need to get the hell out of Fukuoka then."
He blinked at the statement and glanced over to Keigo, clearly not anticipating this action.
"Wait, what?" He said and Furukawa groaned, clearly not happy with him.
"You heard me the first time around, dumbass. They'll be looking for someone fitting your description and Quirk, especially if you stay around. Pack up and start heading out. Stay low and don't do something stupid." Furukawa explained and thanked someone else from where they were, "Head to Miyagi or Akita instead. I have some clients out there that can help benefit from you and they'll help you out too."
He still couldn't believe what he was hearing, still staring at Keigo, and his body was frozen at what he should do.
Keigo had become one of his top priorities and he couldn't force him to go all the way up to Miyagi or Akita.
"I'll have someone collect everything you got from your visit today. You should head out today to get some distance too, Takami. I can even send you some fake ids if that would help you out too." Furukawa continued and he sighed, his gaze remaining moved on Keigo, "What about Keigo?"
His son blinked at the remark and Furukawa sighed, their voice changing to something far higher but also more mature.
"Yes, your son…can you not drop him off back at his mother's?"
He clutched the phones so tightly in his hand that part of the screen broke and his expression turned dark, clearly displeased with the suggestion.
"Fuck no! He sure as shit isn't going back there." He swore and they groaned in annoyance, clearly not happy with his response.
"Well, Takami, do you think it's a good idea to go drag a kid around while you're fleeing from the law?"
He spat at that statement and scratched the back of his head at this, clearly unsure what he should do.
"…I'll give you a few hours to think over what your plan is. I'll still get someone to collect everything and trade you in. You still at Oshiro's shitty apartment?" Furukawa advised and he released a breath to try and calm himself down.
"…yeah. I'm still here." He murmured and noted Keigo's frown, "Just make it quick."
"Alright, I'll talk to you later then, Takami. Good luck."
And with those final words, Furukawa ended the call and he swore, staring down at the table as he tried to figure out what he should do with Keigo.
"Is something wrong, dad?" Keigo wondered after waiting a few hesitant moments to see if his father would change his expression. His dad glanced up at him with narrowed, unsure eyes before sighing and rubbing his hands down his face.
"…Keigo," His dad began and looked at him with what appeared to be sorrow, "Do you want to go back to your mom's place?"
Terror etched right onto his features at the mention of her and his dad stayed silent at the notion, turning his head away from him while also biting his lip and drawing blood.
He was so conflicted on what move would be the right one.
"What are you planning?" Keigo asked and he saw the twitch in his father's eyebrows to confirm that something was amiss.
"I need to go to Akita, Keigo." His dad began to explain, "I'm needed there for my job. I have to leave today to get there on time. I know that it is sudden which is why I asked if wanted to go back to your mom's apartment…I know that we don't a lot about each other which is why I'm not sure if you should come with me."
Keigo stared at him and held no expression on his face as he tried to process everything and knowing deep down that his father was lying to him about the reason for going to Akita.
But he didn't want to return to his mother's place.
They were both conflicted on the matter at hand.
"We got a match!"
The announcement from the DNA analysis caught everyone's attention at the station with both joy and surprise that they had found a previous match. The whistler to calm everyone down came from the Chief, a woman with long crimson hair and bright green eyes, glared at everyone. Her uniform was pressed but unbuttoned quite a bit for her comfort while she proceeded to sit down next to the analysis.
"Who did it match with, Sashihara?" She asked the analysis, Sashiara, smirked up at her as they rolled themselves away to show the assailant. The Chief's eyes widen at the sight of a young teenager with an empty expression on his face, who looked like they completely gave up on the world. His feathery dark brunette hair was cut short at just above the nick of his neck and triangular golden eyes, stared at the viewer like he had no hope. Large crimson feathery wings appeared from his ripped-up black t-shirt and showcased his height at 180 centimeters, while in his right taloned hand was a prison number associated with him.
"Takami Takashi, fifteen at the time of his prior arrest, originated from Fukuoka, with no living relatives up to date." Sashiara stated and leaned back in his chair, clearly impressed with how quick the results came, "He was arrested for Quirk misuse and assault and battery on a civilian. It looks like he was released two years after the arrest and so far there were no other complaints about him."
The Chief narrowed her eyes at the statement and rubbed the bottom of her chin, clearly intrigued by the new information.
"See if you can pull up anything else about him. Even ask Public Records, if he's affiliated with anyone. I'll send this info over to the Hero Commission since they've stuck their nose in this shit." She said and Sashiara nodded at this, quickly typing up an email about their suspect.
"He would twenty-four now so if we want to make a more accurate description of him we'll need to update his features." Sashiara muttered and the Chief sighed, crossed their arms over their chest.
"We're not publishing this info to the public."
Silence took over the station at this news and one officer shouted, "What do you mean, Chief?!"
She brushed some of her back and replied, "I'll make a bet he probably knows that he left evidence at the scene. I don't want to create panic from civilians and if he sees himself plastered up everywhere, he'll definitely create a massive scene. We need to ensure the safety of the civilians as our top priority. Make up a warrant for his arrest at least so we can present it to him when we do catch him."
"Do you think he'll flee with his Quirk, Chief?" Another voiced and she shook her head no at this.
"I highly doubt this. He'll make himself blend in as much as possible to avoid cops. He'll probably use public transport to evade us so post the info to fellow officers and inform them of our plan." The Chief stated and stood up, pulling a cellphone out of her pocket, "Are we clear on how to handle the situation?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Came a shout from nearly everyone in the statin and she smiled at this.
"Wonderful, now let's get tracking this son of a bitch."
A knock at the door brought him out of his stupor and he glared at it, eyes narrowed into a slit and he slowly stood up. He made as little noise as possible and started walking to it, now prepped a feather in hand if it were who he feared. He looked through the peephole to see a young girl, probably a few years older than Keigo, with bright long violet hair and amused neon green eyes. There was a smile on her face and she balanced herself on the heels of her naked feet while her elementary school girl outfit caught him off a little.
Although, he knew better than to trust appearances.
"Hello, is this Takami-san's place? I've come to help you out." The girl said in a distinct accent, probably European, and he scowled at this, still unsure on how to act, "Furukawa-senpai sent me."
He blinked at the mention of Furukawa and he narrowed his eyes before opening the door, staring down at the kid from the creak he appeared from.
"Furukawa sent you?" He questioned and the girl nodded, a grin appeared on her face to showcase dimples.
"Yup! He told you that I would be dropping by to collect!" She announced and he continued to look at her questionably before sighing and returning his feather back. He unlocked the rest of his door and opened it up for her. She bounced into the apartment and glanced around, very curious about everything.
"Alright, now, who the hell are you?" He hissed and the girl raised an eyebrow at this, bending herself forward to approach him.
"Furukawa-senapi is my relative. They mentioned me to you a few times in passing I presume." She told him and he blinked at the recollection that, Furukawa mentioned a nephew.
"You're the nephew?" He questioned and the girl giggled at this before nodding then twirling in place as if to showcase themself.
"Correct! I'm normally working at the stand but they told me you needed to get the fuck out of Fukuoka, so I've come to help you!" She shouted and he felt a headache come on at the bubbly personality of Furukawa's nephew.
"So, you can alter your appearance like Furukawa then?" He questioned and she nodded.
"Somewhat! I need to use someone else's appearance though! I can't change singular features like them. So, I'm currently a girl I saw walking around today while she was going back to her house!" She explained and leaned against the table, trying to see the weight off of his leg as it was still hurting. She stared at him before sighing and tapping her finger to her lips.
"You really injured yourself in the last heist, huh? What even caused the whole problem?" She asked and chose to sit down in one of the chairs, staring at him intensely. He scowled and growled at her choice of words.
"The whole problem was that the couple's damn son was there! Furukawa didn't say shit about a son being there!" He seethed and rubbed his face as he tried to calm down, knowing that Keigo was asleep in his bedroom.
He didn't want him to hear anything about what had happened.
"Really? A son?" She said and looked at him disappointedly, "That's what threw you off? Sheesh, I guess you're getting old if you can't protect yourself against a kid."
"The damn son had a Quirk with spike projection." He hissed and she blinked at this before crossing her legs, nodding now in understanding.
"Well, shit, that would be a problem, huh? Especially with the way you slaughtered them too." She stated and his heart sank in his chest at remembering how graphic the entire assault was.
He hadn't thought about how terrifying and dreadful he could be when he got into a hunt.
"…yeah. I'll go fetch the bag for you." He mumbled and hobbled over to the bag, picking it up with a heave, and placed it in front of her. She blinked at this before unzipping it and a manic grin crossed her features at the sight of the jewels and money.
"Wonderful. This is very good, Takami. You seem to keep your end always paid." She stated and picked up a bar of gold smirking at it with amusement, "Now for your end of the bargain."
She pulled out something from her pocket and held out an envelope to him. He snatched it out of her hand and opened it up, seeing a fake license and a couple of wads of cash.
"Now, Furukawa-senpai wanted to let you know that there is a safe home you can use in Akita for the time being. You should remember it, is what they said." She told him and he scowled at this, knowing exactly where they meant.
"Alright, thanks, kid." He muttered and she chuckled at this before zipping the bag up.
"Do you have a shirt and pants I can borrow, Takami? I need to transform before I head out with the bag." She asked and he sighed before nodding, moving towards his room at a slow pace. He glanced at Keigo's room, the door closed tightly, and he sighed before grabbing an old t-shirt and pants from the floor for her.
Once he began staggering back, her form started to shift into someone else completely different. Her features were now replaced to be more masculine with a sharp jawline, a pointed nose, golden-yellow eyes narrowed into a slit and an eight o'clock shadow appeared on the lower half of their face. The clothes on her body began to tear and rip in places, leaving a mess on the floor. Her hair now changing to a deep blue and parts of it began to pull towards her forehead, making it fall just over his eyes. Now, standing before him, was a naked man just shorter than him and looked to be about in his twenties.
"You seriously couldn't have waited one more minute for me to get you something, kid?" He hissed and the young man chuckled at this, rubbing the back of his neck in an apologetic form.
"Well, I am due to be off somewhere else soon. Stopping by here was not planned but Furukawa-senpai requested I make both trips." He said and grabbed the clothes from him, shuffling the pants and pulling the shirt over his head, "Great, now you have everything and I can go."
He nodded at this and the young man pulled the bag over his shoulder, turning his back to him. The young man stopped for a second before turning back to him with a grin crossed his face.
"You seem like an interesting person, Takami-san. Perhaps, I'll take on your appearance too in the future." He said and that sent shivers down his spine, not pleased with the possibility that someone would per se steal his face, "The name's Toga Kawaru. I'm sure we'll see each other but perhaps you won't notice it."
Then without another say, the young man left and Takami sat down in a chair, still completely unsure what his next steps were.
But he at least had some paperwork if he needed to get the hell out of Japan.
"Dad?"
Keigo's voice took him out of his thoughts and he turned to see him in his clothes and his hair all messed up. He looked a little bit concerned but not overwhelming as he approached him and he held the Endeavor plushy in his right hand.
"Are you ok? Did the person come over to get what he needed?" Keigo questioned and he nodded, staring at the envelope in place on the table.
"Yeah, they collected their shit and left." He said and Keigo climbed onto a chair next to him, staring at the envelope, "Do you want to come with me to Akita, Keigo?"
His son's eyes grew wide at the question and he gulped, looking from him as he seemed to think of his answer.
"…if you don't mind me going with you."
The mere whisper caught Takami off guard and he gawked at him before nodding with acceptance. He tapped his talons on the table before sighing and started to get up.
"Alright, then you need to pack up your shit. We're heading out a few hours. I need to clean this place up before I leave or Oshiro will bitch to me about it the next time we see each other." He explained and Keigo nodded while kicking his feet under the table, as if he had something else to say, "Something else on your mind, kid?"
Keigo stayed silent for a minute before saying, "…Did you…hurt someone at your job?"
He sucked in a quiet breath and rubbed the back of his neck, having a feeling that the question was coming up.
"Do you want to know the answer to that question, Keigo?" He retorted back and Keigo frowned, knowing if he kept his innocence to the matter at hand he wouldn't have to worry.
His dad cared for him so that should be enough, right?
"Let's get going, Keigo." His dad called and Keigo glanced around the apartment, staring at the place that comforted him for the past couple of days. He nodded and followed his dad to the door before he opened the door up. The cold air brushed up against Keigo and his dad ushered him to follow. In his dad's hand was the bag that contained clothes for himself and Keigo while in his other hand was a small bag that contained both his feathers and a few extra items that he had gotten Keigo. He followed closely next to his father, who was still limping on his leg, but once they exited the complex, his dad managed to retain it to a somewhat normal speed.
"Sucks we have to stay low to the ground right now." His dad muttered once the sight of pure blue skies greeted their vision. He scratched the back of his head and shifted the red beanie on his head a bit.
"Well, be taking the trains to get there. Maybe a cab as well." He told Keigo who merely nodded before noting how cautious his dad was acting, "Stay close to me too. I don't want you to wander off."
Keigo nodded and his dad looked through the crowds as if he were watching out for something. The two continued on their way to the train station, passing by a few people who glanced at them but made no attempt to talk, and then his dad froze, a look of shock crossing over his features.
"Dad? What's wrong?" Keigo asked and saw who he was staring at it.
It was Endeavor-san!
A smile couldn't help but slip on his face at the sight of his favorite hero, who was currently talking with a police officer on the other side of the road.
He looked as cool as he saw in the newspapers!
"Fuck, we need to leave now, Keigo." His father said and then picked him up with hast, his eyes were wide but a smirk was plastered on his face as if he too were excited to see the second-ranked hero.
"But I want to-" He began to say but his dad was already shoving past people to make his way down to the station. The buildings surrounding the station seemed to provide a dark shadow over them and in his sight was the Hakata Station, practically almost in there. His nose twitched at the scent of ashes and he could already tell he was in deep shit.
"Hold on a second."
The voice came from an officer and his dad slowed his pace down, before stopping and slowly turned towards them. His eyes held a predator glint in them for a second before a casual and easy-going grin slipped onto his face.
"What's wrong, officer?" He asked, clearly trying to make himself seem less of a predator than he was. The officer blinked at how feeble-minded his tone was and he adjusted Keigo while trying to keep himself look like a father running late.
"..well…" The officer began and scratched the back of his neck as if he didn't know what to say, "You seem to be hurt from the way your walking. I wanted to make sure you didn't need any medical attention."
His dad merely laughed at this and waved a hand in a mannerism of ease, saying, "I got a bum leg actually! I've had it for a while now but thanks for your concern, officer! That's really kind of you!"
The officer looked bashful at the statement before blinking at the sight of Keigo in his arms, asking, "Would you like help with bags then?"
"It's fine! Plus I got my little helper here too! Isn't that right, kiddo? You'll help me with our bags?" His father insisted and Keigo could see right past his father's facade, knowing that he didn't want the officer to help. Keigo nodded before his dad placed him down gently, his eyes narrowed for a second as if he were trying to see anyone else was watching them. Keigo reached and grabbed the bag that contained the feathers and his dad happily rubbed his hair in appreciation.
"Alright, then please take care!" The officer said and the two began to turn away, already taking their first step to purchase tickets.
"What's going on over here?"
Keigo stopped at the deep voice of his hero and turned to face him, eyes wide in surprise at the sight of him.
He was a lot bigger than he thought!
His father slowly faced the hero and smirked at him, as if he were trying to perhaps annoy him.
"Well, if it isn't the mighty, Endeavor-san! It's a pleasure to meet you!" His dad lied and the hero's flaming eyebrows twitched at his tone.
"Explain what was just exchanged." Endeavor continued to ask and his dad sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"This kind officer was going to help us with our bags but he has more pressing things to worry about." His father explained and laughed jokingly while pulling Keigo behind him as if he knew something was going to happen. The hero scoffed at this and crossed his arms over his chest as if he were trying to intimidate Takami. The hero remained silent before his eyes narrowed a bit as if he were examining his dad.
At that instant, Endeavor's eyes grew wide, and shouted, "YOU STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"
Keigo flinched at his tone and his dad's face fell at those words before sighing.
"Of course you had to be here." His father complained and then rolled his arm around, staring at Endeavor with quite a blank expression, "You have shit for timing, Endeavor."
"W-what's wrong?" The officer questioned, now looking at Keigo and his dad in fear, and Endeavor prepared himself by taking a stance.
"You're the Thief Takami! I'll be taking you in!" Endeavor announced and his dad's eyes turned to slits before chuckling at the announcement. Keigo looked up to him with both worry and distress as he now knew what his father's occupation was.
His dad cracked his head and smiled at the hero as if he were joking, "Really? I would love to see you try, shit stain."
Endeavor looked ready to explode at the commentary but the bag containing his feathers burst up and connected to his back, causing people around them to scream in both terror and confusion.
"What evidence do you even have? I would love to see a warrant." His dad continued to egg him on and gently covered him up with his body as if he were hiding him.
"T-t-there is a warrant out for the arrest of Takami Takashi." The police officer muttered and Takami frowned at this before swearing, the grasp on his bag loosening.
"Well, I guess getting out of here is going to be a lot more problematic." He said and then a shark-like grin crossed his features, flashing his talons at Endeavor and slowly pulled out of his long feathers, "Come on, hero. Try to stop me."
Keigo shivered at his tone and terror dripped onto him at how utterly heartless and cruel he sounded.
Shit hit the fan.
Without warning, Takami charged at Endeavor with impressive speed and his eyes clearly derailed as he chose to take him on.
"Come get me, hero!" He yelled as he swung his feathered weapon at the hero, hoping he could perhaps get him when he had no knowledge of the attack. He smirked as he managed to catch the hero off guard but only managed to graze him before he erupted into fire. Cries escaped everyone's lips beside the two fighters and Takami grinned as he managed to dodge the fire by flying out towards the city.
The people throughout the street and station were now in a haze of chaos and confusion when they saw the number two hero chasing after someone with wings.
Keigo felt like his throat was closed up from the events happening before him and he noted that the scorch marks from Endeavor's blast, never made it to him. He glanced around at the people who muttered and screamed while trying to get far away from the fight in mass hysteria. Suddenly something grabbed at his arm and his eyes grew wide at the officer's terrified face, holding him securely.
"You're not getting away!" He exclaimed and Keigo's eyes grew wide at the remark. He gulped and could hear the flames from the hero trying to catch his dad who was just laughing.
He wasn't a bad guy so why was he being held there?
Another wave of terror appeared from outside the station by a loud explosion and Keigo flinched at it while the officer's grip loosened on him. He took the chance to grab the big duffle bag his dad had brought and began to fly out of the station, trying to dodge so many people. He was having trouble trying to correct himself but he managed to get out of the stationer and away from the officer. He looked around to see many buildings were either partially on fire or glass from the windows were shattered. The landscape looked ruined from the ash and scorch marks scattering across the ground while slashes were featured on a few parts of the area as well.
"Oi, jackass! Where did you learn how to fight?!"
The voice of his father caught his attention as he saw the two flying around throughout the air, like streaks of light that were going too fast for himself to view. He watched as the fight moved to a bridge, cars abandoned in favor of running away, and people were looking and pointing at the fight with panic.
Specifically calling his dad a villain.
His vision was swirling and it felt like his chest might explode but he lowered himself to the roof of the train station, laying low and observing the fight at hand.
Takami swung two-bladed feathers at Endeavor with a deranged smile on his face and the hero growled in annoyance at the attack, dodging it by propelling himself backward.
"What? That the best you got?" His father continued to taunt the hero as he again charged towards him and Endeavor prepared himself, concreting his flames onto his fingertips.
"Not by any chance, thief!" He countered and waves of heat erupted from the hero as his fingertips glowed white.
"Dad!" Keigo called out in horror as the hero's wave of attack burst out in beams of fire, swinging his hands forward. His dad's eyes grew wide at the attack and just narrowly missed the attack by bursting himself up. The strings of fire sliced right through the tops of trees and the building his dad was just in front of.
"Well, damn, Endeavor! Looks like people weren't lying about being a hothead!" His father shouted as he landed on a pole that stood on the bridge, taking note of all the people still beneath trying to escape from danger, "Would be a shame if you couldn't catch a simple thief, huh, number two hero?"
Then without another saying Endeavor had already appeared in front of him, charging straight at him and delivering a punch to the rib cage with all his willpower. Fire burst through him and Takami could hardly breathe from the mere weight against him, causing the blades in his hands to drop.
Endeavor slammed his father into a building, the glass cracking and shattering around them, and suddenly the noise of wires snapping and creaking emitted from the bridge caught his attention. Parts of the connection were failing and a large bus that was on the bridge blocked the way for many people while it was also steaming up with smoke. Concern overtook his very being at the thought of all the people on the bridge becoming hurt because of his father. Part of the bridge dipped down and provided no help for any of them. He gripped the bag tight in his hand and people cried out in fear as his dad prevented Endeavor from saving them.
Someone had to save them!
Suddenly, it seemed like his prayer was answered when his own feathers released themselves from his back and darted towards the bystanders, moving with appeared to have a mind of their own.
He could control them individually as he scanned the remaining part of the bridge, noting that the people's weight didn't seem to be a problem.
The people whom he had saved looked at each other in mild confusion as his feathers continued to collect the last remaining people. The bridge finally collapsed into the water, catching everyone else's attention as a wave roared upward from the impact while the bus and cars began to descend into the depths of the river.
He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and his feathers released the remaining people, moving back to attach to his back. His body felt weak from the surprising act he just pulled and he whipped a hand across his forehead to pull away beads of sweat.
"Screw you, jackass!"
His dad's voice caught him off guard as his father flew nearby on another pole, staring at the mess created. His clothes were practically burned to a crisp beside his pants which seemed to be holding on from the belt around his waist. Scorch and burn wounds were now littered on his body and he was heaving for breath, clearly out of state. His eyes scanned the crowds and stared at Keigo sitting on the roof of the station. He grinned at this then turned his attention back towards the hero whose glare looked like it would burn a hole through him as he was skewered down by his father's feathers, piercing right through his left arm and right leg to hold him in place.
"Now it's time to say adios, Endeavor." His father mocked the hero who screamed at him in vain effort. Blood pooled out of his wounds and his father wiped his hand across his face, clearly pleased he was able to down the hero for the time being.
"I hope don't cross your path again." He told Endeavor who swore at him and the people looked up to him, filled with terror at what he now planned to do.
It was like he was a villain.
"We gotta go now, kid." His father called to him and he looked up to him, the shadow overcasting onto Keigo as his father flew in front of him. His golden eyes swirled in trepidation and a predatory glint while blood now coated his hands.
He looked monstrous.
Keigo gulped before he nodded and held the bag out to his dad, who snatched it out of his hands and hauled it over his shoulder. He bent down and grabbed Keigo, blood staining his arms but he was still in so much shock he didn't make a comment. He opened his wings back up and glanced back at Endeavor while smirking at him. He waved goodbye at him and then the pair took off without another say.
"Are you serious?" A woman with a lit cigar stared at the second-ranked hero in indignation and her empty blue eyes looked at the wounds he had attained while trying to capture the villain. She wore an exposed top that managed to attract much attention from the crowd and her long pink fingernails tapped her forearms. Her long blond hair, tied up in a high ponytail while her bangs and few strands remained out of the hairdo, swayed in the wind and her body was littered with thick twisted scars that covered both her chest, right eye, and down her neck.
"You couldn't handle a simple thief, Endeavor?" She questioned and he scowled, looking away from her as the wounds he had received were being healed from a healer, "How pathetic. No wonder you are just the second-ranked hero."
She blew a puff of smoke out into the air and then grinned devilishly at him, "Don't worry though. I'll make sure to capture the piece of shit."
Endeavor narrowed his eyes at her taunt and clenched his teeth tight as the sixth-ranked hero, Collateral, chuckled at his attempt to scare her.
"Please stop. You're only making yourself look more pathetic." She continued and looked around at the few citizens who were talking to the cops, sharing information with them. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of a couple holding up a feather to the cop and she made her way towards them, shoving others out of the way which caused some to glare at her.
"There was a child! He saved us with feathers dragging us off the bridge! If it weren't for him, we would have been dead! Please we need to make sure he is ok!" A woman with tears streaking down her face yelled at the cop and Collateral placed her hand on the cop who was collecting the information.
"Don't worry ma'am. The child has already been taken care of." She said a completely fake smile, which caused the cop to shiver at her tone, "He actually needs his feather back so he can properly fly as well. I'll hold onto it for him."
The woman stared at her before nodding, believing her lie, and handed the feather over to her.
"..Ok, please tell him we are very grateful." She said and the hero nodded before walking back towards Endeavor, puffing smoke out towards him. The hero stared at the feather, confusion written over his features as the feather was much smaller and shorter than the one's the thief had used.
"Did you even notice he had a kid, number two?" She asked and he blinked, combing through his memories to see if he remembered someone. He swore under his breath and she grinned like a maniac at this.
"Wonderful, now I have the upper hand." She stated as she waved it around, "I have a chicken to catch. Perhaps, I'll see you when I wrangle the shitstain down."
Endeavor could only watch her as she strutted away with a voracious look across her face and she pulled the feather up to her nose, inhaling the scent of pure unadulterated fear.
How it stirred up something deep inside her to go hunting.
"Shit, shit, shit." Takami swore as they landed next to a safe house, Furukawa had long ago abandoned. The place was overwritten with weeds and the glass surrounded the door. The grass was practically knee-high and the door was slightly ajar but Takami wasn't too annoyed about that. Once he looked around the suburbans that he had landed in, where there was practically no one around or it had been abandoned by others. Keigo took note of the new place they were going to hide in and admittedly his expression turned sour at the look of it.
His father released a breath he had held in and looked down to Keigo and said, "We'll be laying low here for the time being. I think in a few hours we can call a cab and at least get to Osaka at a decent hour."
Keigo merely nodded as they entered the place and he saw the place was littered with beer bottles and a few bags of what looked to be garbage.
It was probably about the same state his mom's apartment was.
"…kid?" His father asked and he looked back to him, staring at the blood coating his hands and over his face too. His father looked to him with sorrow deeply rooted in his eyes and he sighed while looking over to the barren kitchen-like area.
"Listen…sorry you got dragged into this." He apologized and Keigo just stared at him, knowing deep within himself that this would end in a direction like so.
"…It's ok. We're both safe now." Keigo said and his father nodded at this while not noticing the deeply unsettled look he had in his eyes.
His dad unzipped the bag and drew out a brown shirt to toss on since the previous one had been torn apart. He groaned as he put it on and sat down on the floor, running his fingers through his hair. He noted the blood on his fingers and sighed as he closed his eyes for a few seconds to take a breather.
He had no intention of dragging Keigo into his shit.
The parent and child remained in the quiet as they could both properly relax, taking in the disgusting state the safe house was in. Keigo chose to stare out the broken window, noting the blue sky was starting to turn dark and drain of color. The silence was deafening besides the few sounds of cicadas echoing outside. Keigo could feel his eyes droop down in fatigue and let the weight on his shoulders roll down as he started to fade off.
They were both drained.
Then he felt something crunch.
Tears flooded up to his eyes and he felt like he should puke, placing his hands over his mouth. His dad's attention shot towards the door and dread filled his entire being as he shuffled over to Keigo.
"Oi, listen, Keigo," He said in a hushed-like whisper, "You need to hide."
He looked up to the distressed look on his father's face and he nodded while noting the clouds had darkened to what looked like thunderstorms. His father picked him up and quickly shoved him under the couch, which smelled nasty but he chose to remain still and quiet. Takami stood up and looked around the place, glancing around to see if there were any places that someone could have seen them.
Suddenly a loud shot ran out and agony filled up Takami's hand, blood pooling out of the wound from whatever hit him. He swore and took a quick glance to see that a small bullet wound was the cause of the pain. He covered the wound to the best he could as he continued to frantically look around as to where the shoot had come from.
"Up here, dipshit." A female voice coils called above him and he prepped himself as fast as he could, grabbing a feather to slash at his attracter. The woman grinned menacingly at him from the abandoned and open rafters while in her hand was a Type 99 rifle.
"Fuck!" He called as she fired another shot at him, just missing him by a few centimeters.
"Come on, chicken. Dance for me." She taunted and chuckled, before the rifle seemingly disappeared to Takami's shock.
Her Quirk! Is it something to do with teleportation?! Weapons?!
He didn't manage to get another thought of questioning her Quirk as she leaped down from the rafters, just missing him as he flew back. He held his blade tightly in his hand and sweat beaded down his forehead at how fast she was. She slowly stood herself up and her heels clicked on the floor.
"…So, villain, what's your plan now?" She questioned and he chose to stay silent while trying not to glance down at where Keigo laid, "I suggest you stay focused on me, chicken. Wouldn't want to slip up and hit something you didn't mean to."
Shit, she knew Keigo was around.
She sighed and then opened her hands, twin hook swords appeared in each hand as she charged at him. She grinned as he blocked the blow with his own weapon and groaned in the strain at how much force was pushing down on him. His bones creaked against the weight and he could smell the blood from his leg wound reopened up.
"Not much of a tough guy, are you?" She continued to wind him up and then kneed him in the chest, causing a small spit of blood to escape his lips. He felts strength slip and her hooks blades started to pierce through his feather blades.
"Now, how do you want to go, dipstick?" She asked as she managed to drop his blades and bring her weapons to his neck, ready to slice his head right off if given the chance. She grinned menacingly as the swords pricked his neck and he gulped, staring down at the couch where Keigo remained quiet and unseen from her.
He had no way out.
He sighed and the woman raised an eyebrow as he felt all hope was now lost before him.
"…I surrender." He mumbled and she giggled at this, her hands now appearing to have cuffs in them.
"Wonderful." She commented and she forced his hands forward with much strength. He felt so defeated and he stared at her, noting the delight across his face at having besting him.
"Takami Takashi, you are under arrest for the murder of the Kota family." She said as she clipped the cuffs on, which caused his feathers to admittedly fall off.
He had nowhere else to fly to.
Wait. What about Keigo?
His heart descended down in his chest as Keigo's eyes grew beyond wide in horror and shock, clearly not prepared to hear the words murder escape from the hero's mouth.
"Time to say bye-bye to your spawn, Takami Thief." The hero said as she shoved him down to the ground so the father's and son's eyes could meet.
"Oi, kid," He began and Keigo shook his head, looking away from him. His eyes were full of fear and regret, clearly, his thoughts getting ahead of him at the realization of what he had done.
"No! You're a bad guy! You killed someone! You need to go to jail!" His kid shouted and Takami remained passive at the comment, knowing his brat was far too connected with heroics and doing the right thing.
"Fine," He said and his gaze locked with the ground, "If that's what you think of me, then I guess I'll be there."
Suddenly the hero lifted him back off the ground and walking the two of them to the door before opening it up. In front of the door stood police officers, three with two who looked fully prepared to take him in, and more cuffs were placed upon his hands since his talons were open to the public. His hand continued to drip blood and his eyes narrowed as they shoved him towards a car. He glanced up to see Endeavor standing nearby with a few people in suits and he let a grin appear across his face.
"Oi, jackass!" He called and they all turned to him as he narrowed his eyes, "Guess you were too slow?!"
The hero looked absolutely ready to attack him from the commentary but he was already being shoved into a large military-like van. The cops mumbled under their breath about how glad they had gotten scum like him off the streets and other unpleasant things but as the doors shut, he couldn't help but look over to the shed, seeing the people in suits heading towards it.
Ah, how stupid was he to act against his better judgment to bring along a son who knew nothing of him. There was a word for it.
As the doors finally shut and he was surrounded by inky darkness when the word came to his mind.
Right, akrasia.
"Oi, kid, it's alright now. He's gone." The lady who had wielded the sharp blades announced to him but he refused to leave the crawl spot, trying to process the thought that his father had been a really big bad guy. He clutched his tiny fists together and he kept his eyes closed, trying not to picture all the nice things his dad had done for him.
"…Keigo?"
The call of his own name caught his attention and he opened his eyes to see the lady's face pressed against the ground, staring at him from across the way. Her blue eyes stared directly into his own and he couldn't help but look at the scars racked against his face.
"You're name's Keigo, right?" She asked and he chose to remain silent but nodded his head up and down.
"I'm Minami Yumi." She continued to talk with him and he looked at her now, noting how softer and less disturbed her features were, "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
"No, he didn't!" He shouted at her last question and looked her angrily at the mere suggestion. She chuckled lightly at this and smiled gently, all tension on her face gone.
"You're a very interesting little birdy, aren't you?" She chuckled and Keigo could feel a small blush cross the back of his neck from the small pet name, "I would love to talk more with you, birdy if you don't mind. Plus I wanted to return something to you."
He raised an eyebrow at this before she pulled something in front of his face and his eyes grew wide at the sight of one of his feathers that he must have dropped from earlier. He lurched forward to take it but her other hand reached to grab him, pulling him out from out of the couch. He couldn't free himself from her grip as he now was standing before four other people who all wore black suits and three of them had on sunglasses covering their eyes. The one without the glasses was a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length hair slicked back and fierce blue-gray eyes. Her expression was intrigued once she caught sight of him and he gulped at how many people surrounded him.
"A lady wanted to thank you as well, birdy." The hero lady said and turned his attention back to her while his gaze drifted down to the ground. She handed his back his feather and he stared at it for a second before reattaching it to his back, looking back up to everyone.
"You did a very heroic task, young man." The middle-aged lady said and he shrugged at this before catching sight of his Endeavor plushie laying on the ground not too far away. The hero lady took notice of that and walked over to grab it while chuckling at how different the appearance was compared to the real Endeavor.
"You admire Endeavor, huh?" The lady hero said and gave him the plushie which he gripped tightly too, as she crossed her arms over her chest. He nodded mutely at this and the woman smiled at this before kneeling down to his eye level.
"You can be a hero too if you would like, Keigo-kun." The woman said and his thoughts stopped at the suggestion that he could be a hero.
"Really?" He whispered and looked back down to the plushie, "Can I be like him? Can I be a hero who beats the bad guys?"
The woman smiled innocently at him while the hero offered up one as well but it looked kinda sad as well.
"Of course. We would love to help you achieve your dream, Keigo-kun." She continued to soothe him and he felt a dam break inside him at this notice.
He could be a good guy and stop bad guys like his dad!
It wasn't impossible!
He couldn't help but let a smile across his face and approached the lady, requesting, "Please, let me become a hero, miss!"
He was so delighted at the prospect of becoming a hero that he had absolutely no clue what this would action lead to. The people around him grinned at this and looked at him like he had sold his own freedom away.
He had just clipped his own wings without even knowing it.
The case for the Takami Thief proceeded quickly and quietly, charging the man with multiple accounts of murder after more leads connected him with three other cases. He simply accepted the charges with no fuss and he only stared at the familiar suit figures that had been at his capture, simply scrawling down notes on a small notepad.
"You will be sentenced to live the rest of your remaining life in Kumamoto." The judge announced and he simply grinned at this, having flown past by the prison multiple times himself. He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the evidence piled up against him. Only a few people were allowed in the courtroom at the announcement, which happened to be the hero, Collateral, some people from the Hero Commission, and a singular news reporter who would just inform the public that the infamous Winged Thief had been caught and placed in prison.
But he knew better that the news reporter was either Furukawa or Toga making sure he wasn't going to blab about something that would dare not be said.
Once the judge's ruling was out, he was forced up to his feet and stared at the crowd before a smirk was placed on his face. His eyes showcasing the animosity towards them and clicked his tongue.
"Now, take care of the kid. I would hate to hear that you fuckers did something to him that wasn't called for." He told him and narrowed his eyes, glaring at the head of the group, "Trust me, the only reason you all caught me was because of a slip-up. Don't let it get to your heads that you had any power over me."
"You talk much for someone being hauled off for the rest of their life." Collateral hissed and he laughed at this, clearly amused by her words.
"Perhaps but this won't be our last meeting. Trust me, on that hero." He spit back and she looked ready to drag him down into the dirt at his commentary, "I would make sure the kid doesn't come back to drag you all down. It would be a shame if something were to happen because of him."
They didn't seem to be impressed or scared of his statement but he knew: Keigo wouldn't be caged for long by those fuckers.
"Am I truly free?"
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, blood coating the side of his face and he huffed at the sight. His feathered blond hair was partially falling over his face and the visor he bore had a large crack on it, practically ready to completely break. His feathers were barely there as most had to be disregarded and burnt in the fight. His costume was ruined as his jacket was barely being held together and his shirt and pants both had scorch marks on them.
He felt exhausted.
He narrowed his golden eyes and couldn't help but reminisce about a time from long ago.
He hadn't thought about the man in quite some time.
He sighed and his shoulders drooped at the thought of the man. He slowly took his clothes off and continued to stare at himself in the mirror.
It was like he was a copy of that man.
His mood soured worse at that thought and choose to sit down on a chair, letting himself falling forward so he could properly release all the tension built up throughout his body. He stared at the floor and remained silent. He dropped his feathers and they fell to the ground, surrounding him. He chuckled humorlessly and smiled as he knew the answer to his question earlier.
He had clipped wings ever since he met his father.
His father was shackled in a cage while he too was chained down by a different keeper.
He took the visor off of his face and held it in his hands, staring at it before tossing it aside with a chuckle. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling for a moment before deciding to get up, taking one more glance at his relaxation.
Perhaps it was for the best if he was caged, who knows what would happen if he was truly gifted with freedom.
akrasia
/ (əˈkreɪzɪə) /
the state of mind in which someone acts against their better judgment through weakness of will.
AND THAT'S A WRAP, FOLKS!
Holy crap, I finished this!
Did I needlessly throw in a casual ATLA reference in the story? Yes. Why? Because I wanted to call Endeavor 'Flameo' once.
I might do a small side story about Takami's life, which led to his own downfall, or another story relating to Hawks but we'll see! I plan on taking a small break from writing to breathe and enjoy some downtime.
Again, thank you for all the favorites, follows, and views! Thank you for taking the time to invest in this story and see it through to the end as well.
Take care everyone and stay safe!