Police cars, ambulances and fire trucks crowded the city. Red and blue emergency lights flashed and twirled through the night air that was still hot despite the recent and quick downpour of water from the fire trucks.
The fire was beginning to settle down and smoke gathered in the air, thick and choking. The abandoned alley was currently crawling with people when Akano arrived at the scene.
Yumi's candy-apple locks of hair swayed left and right as she turned frantically her head, trying to drink in her surroundings. A handful of reporters were already interviewing Endeavor regarding the incident, and some police officers were receiving statements from the other Pro Heroes and others were arresting-
'the Hero Killer?' Puzzlement was drawn on her features when she saw Midoriya was being wheeled into an ambulance. Which truthfully wasn't as concerning -considering the destructive nature of his own Quirk- as the two he was accompanied by; Shouto and Iida, who'd also sustained serious injuries.
Akano stopped breathing at the sight, and a myriad of conflicting emotions settle in the pit of her stomach.
"What happened here?"
*
Briskly running her gloved fingers on her head, Yumi's sighed once more. She pressed the phone closer to her ears, squinting her eyes to shield them from the bright noon sunlight.
"Mom, I told you I'm fine." She exclaimed. A giggle almost betrayed her reassuring voice when she overheard Akito whispering into Chiharu's ear after his phone call from this morning ended all too quickly.
This was easily the longest Yumi and her parents hadn't been together, and it was evidently causing separation anxiety on their part.
"What do you mean 'get back home'? I barely have a scratch on me." Yumi pinched up brows quizzically. "Please, stop worrying." She pleaded, almost groaning from frustration. The redhead wasn't ungrateful, in fact she always felt lucky whenever her parents showed concern for her wellbeing. But there was absolutely nothing for them to worry about, because Yumi could absolutely take care of herself.
"Besides, they caught the culprits, so everything is okay." She added, walking back and forth as she awaited for Endeavor to finish up his press conference.
"Just... How're your classes? Got any students?" Yumi asked Chiharu, sparking up the topic of her mother's ballet classes. The petite Chiharu used to be a dancer herself, backing down from her career to focus on family. And eventually found her true calling as an instructor for the craft.
"No, I'm not changing the subject." The daughter playfully chimed in reply, smiling subversively.
Once the media dispersed, Akano's eyes slightly widened in alarm, and Endeavor emerged not too long after. "I gotta go." She said, muttering a quick "love you" before quickly hanging up.
The Flaming Hero was nearby, revising the paperwork that Kido handed to him.
"May I be excused early today?" Yumi's voice cut through the air, wavering gently, and gaining Endeavor's attention.
She chose to elaborate before he could send her more than a questioning look. "I'd like to check on my classmates before visiting hours are over." She declared, wondering what condition the three boys were in after a night like the previous one.
"Is that so?" Endeavor simply said in his usual abrasive tone, and huffed indignantly. Others would have missed the minute twitch of his eyelids or the slight change in posture, but not the telepathic girl who knew he had something he chose not to say.
With a nod of confirmation, the tall man crossed his arms in front of his chiseled chest. "Alright. We only have one thing left to do for the day."
"Oh?"
"We're heading to the Police Department. Chief Tsuragamae Kenji would like a word." He stated.
"Yes, sir." She said, respectfully bowing her head to the towering male. Even if he was a horrible father, she couldn't deny her amazement by how comprehensive Endeavor was in such a critical situation the night before. She may not like him, but she did admire his overall abilities.
"Let's go!"
*
*
Once they'd arrived, Endeavor and Phoenix were both greeted by the chief of police and a few officers, who stood by the threshold of the station.
"Chief Tsuragamae," Endeavor spoke, his gruff voice fitting of the formal greeting.
"It's good to have you here, Endeavor. I see you've brought your intern, as well."
"Nice to meet you." Akano said with a curt nod.
Tsuragamae returned the gesture. "Likewise. I've asked you to come here in regards to the remodeled Nomus, woof."
'Woof?' Yumi had a hard time keeping a straight face at how casually the dog of a man ended his sentence. But she was quick to lose the interest in that when his words began to sink in. 'Remodeled Nomu. Those grotesque puppets the League of Villains has...'
As the Chief of Police continued speaking, he received Endeavor and Akano's undivided attention. "Like the Nomu that attacked USJ, this one doesn't speak, either. Resources say that Dr. Akano Akito tried analyzing the former, but he couldn't get anything useful."
'Dad?'
"He did?" She queried, her eyes flitting between the two adult men, taking their silence as a reply. Yumi's lips pursed, figuring that it was only natural that Akito wouldn't disclose confidential information regarding a crime group on the family's dinner table.
"Would you mind getting a closer look at the one you've helped capture?" The canine questioned, staring at the young girl expectantly.
With a quick shake of her head, the heroine in training replied. "Not at all." And after thanking her, Tsuragamae attempted to lead them into the station.
Just then, a flapping was heard from the left in the heights. Yumi was first to turn to see the source, gasping as her eyes flickered to the sky.
The first thing she saw was a pair of large, bright red, feathery wings in the distance. They were so wide-reaching that they had her squinting as they partially shielded the sun overhead.
Endeavor and the few officers situated outside were quick to conclude as to who it was, but Yumi; she stood tall, frozen in place, lips-parted in mesmerized wonder as the man glided through the air towards the building, majestically moving his wings. The young girl simply couldn't take her eyes off the sky until he started his descent.
As the mysterious man drew closer to the ground, he was still flapping his wings furiously towards them and passing over their heads. Gusts of wind getting stronger as he approached them.
Once he landed, he sweeped his feathery ash blonde hair messily backwards, with his wings still spread out.
Yumi's eyes were still glued on them. She'd never seen wings so majestic since-
"Angel..."
Evidently, the blonde male seem to have overheard her thoughtless mumble -despite wearing his protective headphones, and he grinned smugly.
"Why, thank you." He said, acting all flattered as he folded both of his arms behind his head before smirking. She blinked a few times once he spoke, finally taking a good look at the man in front of her.
His costume wasn't as flashy as his wings, sticking with a black shirt with a wavy golden pattern, covered by tan jacket with a high collar, the insides and cuffs of the sleeves lined with white fur, and black gloves. Even though he was wearing a visor, his eyes were easily seen through it. Gold-brown and rather triangular in shape, with two little black triangles just below his tear ducts, making them somewhat resemble those of a bird.
"But no, I'm just your friendly neighborhood Hawk." Keigo jokingly declared.
At his reply, Yumi realized who it was; the prodigal, winged hero, Hawks.
The telepath was never one to dive into news regarding Pro Heroes, rarely bothering to contribute in her old classmates' fuss over them. But once she was transferred into the heroics course, she'd made it her mission to memorize the top heroes during her research for the internships. Unable to initially recognize the hero before her for the sole reason that he chooses to actively ignore the media's attention. Despite the fact that he became one of the top 10 Pro Heroes when he was eighteen years old, before taking the No. 3 spot in the four years that followed, making him the youngest top Pro Hero as well as the fastest to reach such a high ranking in Japan.
"Hawks," Endeavor said, his unpleasant tone indicating his dislike for the young Pro Hero's jovial attitude. "What brings you here?"
"I was nearby so I came to see one of the infamous Nomus for myself." Hawks shrugged before casually greeting the Chief and the officers.
"Rumor has it that it was a first year who captured it alive." Keigo added , and the sudden intense gaze that he directed at Yumi alarmed her, forcefully stopping her previous thoughts.
"Yes, by her." Endeavor gave a definitive nod, acknowledging the redhead, though it didn't seem necessary to her since Hawks already seemed to know. "This is Phoenix, a classmate of my son, Shouto." He finished that sentence somehow smug, earning a look from Yumi.
It was becoming obvious -to her at least- that Todoroki Enji practically took any chance as an opportunity to praise his superior offspring.
Though no one dared to point it out.
Whistling, the Wing Hero let his arms fall back by his side, his eyes gazing at Yumi. "I know, I actually put in an internship offer for her after seeing the sports festival. It was pretty last minute, so you must've not seen it in time."
Akano was quick to refute his assumption, swiftly shaking her head. "No, I saw it."
Dumbfounded for a short while at her blunt reply, Hawks glanced at her, then did a double take.
Removing the rounded, yellow-tinted visor that protects his eyes, the blonde took a quick second to inspect Akano's own emerald eyes, which were sharp and clear. Her features; cold, yet adorable all the same.
"You're really cute," Hawks suddenly said, stepping closer to the teenage girl, catching both the girl and her mentor by surprise. "Tall, too. The TV didn't do you any justice." He noted, though he stated it in an observant way rather than amorous.
To Keigo's disappointment, his abrupt proximity or compliment didn't faze her. Though Yumi had to admit when he got up close to her, she noticed how ruggedly handsome Hawks was. From his facial hair to his golden orbs to his goggles that now sat snugly in his dirty blonde locks.
Finally, a flirtatious smirk graced his face. "Tell me, how old are you? And are you interested in dating older men?" He asked, his tone fluttering with charm.
Lips half-parted, Yumi stared at him with a deadpan. 'I'm illegal years old.'
Yeah, sure, Akano was probably mentally older than Hawks, but he didn't know that. Though it didn't matter, since he was obviously just fooling around to entice a reaction from either her or the older man. She almost snorted, choosing not to respond to his half-assed inquiry.
Though the stone-cold glare Endeavor sent Hawks was enough to scare him straight, sending him staggering a few steps away from her. "Oops, I'm just joking around, Endeavor-san." He said, chuckling.
Endeavor rolled his eyes. "Don't you have a student you should be mentoring, as well?"
At the inquiry, Akano's eyebrows shot upwards, she'd almost forgotten that Tokoyami had been training with the blonde hero for the past three days. She also came to wonder how Ochako's and everyone else's internships were going, and if they alone were the only students that seem to attract trouble.
"Keeping tabs on me, I see." Hawks grinned subtly, teasing aimed at Endeavor in his undertone. "Ah, Tsukuyomi-kun is back at my agency, training with my sidekicks." He declared. The blonde didn't even tell his sidekicks where he was going, saying he was on a coffee run before flying away.
"Then, shall we go ahead?" He suggested, clapping his gloved hands. "We shouldn't keep them waiting any longer, wouldn'tya say, Endeavor-san?" He received reluctant nods from the two.
And hesitantly, Yumi walked inside the station along with the Pro Heroes.
*
The group was lead inside the precinct, passing by Dispatch and the Records and Property sections , eventually ending up in a well-lit room. It looked a lot like an interrogation room, with the exception of the single table and the two chairs that would usually be present. But the one-way window was indication enough.
On the other side of the mirror was the bioengineered Nomu, chained and bound by metal bars. It was standing still, and lifeless as a corpse.
"You didn't tell me it had wings, too, Endeavor-san." The red haired student heard Hawks humming in observation, sparing him a quick glance. Though the young Pro Hero promoted a carefree and jovial attitude, there was vigilance was hiding under the layers of serenity and equanimity.
Endeavor chose not to answer, in fact everyone remained quiet. Those present looked at Akano expectantly, most likely waiting for her to activate her Quirk on demand and retrieve the information they needed. If only it was that easy...
"Can I get closer?" Gulping thickly, Yumi asked the canine. She received inquisitive looks from Endeavor, Hawks, and Tsuragamae. While others in awe of how fearless she seemed to request such a thing.
"I'd need to if I... I wanted to look through his memories." She explained, gaining an approving nod from the chief.
"It should be alright. Our confines are stable, besides it hasn't been making any effort to resist since its capture."
With bated breath, Yumi approached the creature. The ghastly sight of the insentient look in its eyes still unsettling.
Determinedly, she chose to go for it, though the deepest part of her terrified of what she might find in the depths of its consciousness.
As she stood there, pressing her finger against her throbbing temple, everyone watched her closely, with Endeavor and Hawks taking a special interest to register what she was exactly doing.
Sweat trickled down Yumi's forehead. The same images she'd witnessed the night before were flashing in front of her, like bright flickering lights mocking the dark. And no matter how many times she tried to turn the flickering lights into a steady beam, she couldn't. Still not hearing a single coherent thought from Nomu.
Before the Nomu could begin screeching like last time, she withdrew herself from its mind, turning back to the group through the one-way mirror.
"It's really distorted, but..." Face paled, she began describing the scene she'd witnessed. "All I'm getting is a dark... Abandoned warehouse. The rest is all a huge blur."
With no way of knowing what their reactions were on the other side, Yumi stared blankly at the window, waiting for a response. "I can try again if you'd like-"
"No, that's enough." Endeavor's abruptly voice cut through the intercom.
Yumi and the Pro Heroes exited the room, walking back to the big space near the front entrance with chairs were civilians wait to speak to police officers.
"Thank you. The information you've given us will be helpful in our investigation, woof." Tsuragamae said, the end of his sentence earning a short chuckle from Hawks.
A forced smile rose on Yumi's lips, still distressed by the encounter with the bioengineered human. "Glad I could be of assistance." She replied, having told them everything she knew, which unfortunately wasn't much.
The first time she'd heard of experimentations on mutants was something she witnessed with her own eyes. It was during their first mission; her, Scott and Kurt were desperately running about the research facility. Chased by the security team and overwhelmed, they stumbled upon something.
A man, more like an animal than anything at the time. His own identity taken away from him, turning him into some kind of weapon. It was then that Jean finally realized what humanity was capable of. The man was caged in a windowless metal container, hazardously marked, 'Weapon X'.
After he unintentionally helped them with their escape in a rampage, she'd helped him find a piece of his past and gave it back to him. Just the few memories she could reach in his jumbled and confused mind.
Logan... She believed his name was.
But it was a first for her, seeing something like this. She inhaled, jaw taut.
"There's something wrong with that thing." Yumi unintentionally muttered under her breath, and Hawks heard her.
He shrugged, though he was internally vigilant about the creature, as well. "Of course there is, have you seen what it looks like?"
"No, not just that." She denied, curtly shaking her head. Green eyes dimmed subtly as she spoke of the mindless creature, but Keigo's observant eyes caught it.
"It's like a lifeless doll. Neither dead or alive, but a vague existence in between." She swallowed thickly, unaware that her choice of words were intriguing the blonde male.
The older male hummed, watching her like his namesake before suddenly turning back to the Flaming Hero.
"No fair, Endeavor-san! Poaching all the talented newbies for yourself doesn't show good sportsmanship." He complained, flapping his arms in the air.
"Little brat." Without sparing him another glance, Endeavor brusquely said. Going to show how Endeavor was easily provoked by the younger man. His turquoise eyes traveled to the female student. "You're dismissed, Phoenix."
Dedicating a firm nod to the towering man, Yumi replied. "Yes, Sir... Would that be all?" She brazenly asked, knowing that he wanted to ask about shouto, but was too proud to do so. 'Nothing about your son at all?'
It had been a long week at work for Endeavor, and after his day, it seemed as though the week was only getting longer and longer. With both the alarming increase in villain activity and the recent behavior of Shouto during his internship, Enji had his hands full, but he still managed to push through the situations with his usual grit. So he didn't need to take on the sass of someone else's child.
"What did I just say?" His irritated voice may not have raised in volume, but still shattered through the air like the crack of a whip.
Endeavor simply left, not saying anything else as he headed to speak with the Chief of Police. Hawks remained by Yumi's side, though, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"Akano-chan, you're really strong for handling that thing on your own." He genuinely complimented.
It was a rare thing for a hero to be able to apprehend a dangerous villain for interrogation, with them opting to go full out in fear. So the Wing Hero was impressed by her snap judgment and strength.
"Not at all, I'm sure that the Pro Heroes who were there before me tired him down." She said, politely declining the credit. 'It was the least I can do...'
He liked the sound of her voice, the way she composed herself. She was clever, calm and patient.
"You're not much of a bragger, huh?" Placing a wondrous finger on his chin, the blonde smirked. "Modesty is good and all, but it'll take you no where in this biz."
Akano perked a brow at his statement, choosing to relay the fact that she didn't care about status. "It won't matter if I'm not trying to get places."
Her answer further fascinated him, strangely seeing a fleeting similarity between the two of them. Hawks often acted nonchalant and jokingly submissive since he, too, didn't care about recognition.
"Akano-, no, Phoenix-chan," He began, quickly switching from her last name to her hero one. "How come you never chose my agency? I reckoned you'd be interested since our Quirks are kinda similar." He asked, unable to mask the disappointment he felt when he didn't hear back from his request.
These wings of his not only allowed him to fly, buthe can also telekinetically control the movement and nature of each individual feather with ease, enabling him to harden them into a blade-like state and/or shoot them as projectiles, as well as control their speed and trajectory. While the redheaded girl could not only psychokinetically manipulate objects around her, but evidently other people, well. It was a powerful Quirk, and it was a no-brainer that Endeavor was interested in it.
The young man was brimming with intelligence. His mathematical skills were superb, he was a master tactician, articulate and communicable with others. He also knew how to get inside people's heads and understand their inner workings. Though he could not comprehend why the novice heroine didn't pick him for her internship. It wasn't just her Quirk that drew his attention to her now, but her intriguing personality.
"Hawks, your agency is all the way over in Kyushu, right?" Yumi's voice cut through his thoughts as she queried, tilting her head ever so slightly.
"Yeah, so?"
"My parents would get really worried if I were to head somewhere that far away for an extended period of time." She stated in a matter of fact.
At her response, Hawks blinked owlishly for a couple of times, before he burst into full belly laughter.
Yumi's ginger eyebrows scrunched at his overreaction. "What?"
"No-haha, it's nothing." He began mid-chuckle, wiping the tear that formed in the corner of his eye. "I just thought, 'ah, what a kid-thing to say'." "You act so mature that I almost forgot you're just that. A kid."
It may have seemed like an insult to most, but Yumi could tell that he was just trying to elicit a reaction from her yet again. Just so he could assess her even further. He was far more analytical than he let on, watching her for the slightest reaction with the intensity similar to the raptor he was named after.
"You're right." She tauntingly responded, completely composed, and Hawks' displeasure was married to his features. He actually looked disappointed that he couldn't rile her up.
"Excuse me, I have classmates in the hospital that I need to check on." She said, not leaving to be rude, but because the visiting hours could come to an end without her finding out how Shouto, Midoriya and Iida are doing after their violent fight with the Hero Killer.
Just as she was about to pass the threshold of the station, a gloved hand suddenly wrapped around her forearm, stopping her in her tracks.
"What is it?" She asked, not needing to turn back to know who it is, but she tilted her head to the side nonetheless.
"Once you get your license, be sure to come work for me sometime, okay?" He asked, his abruptly deep voice vibrating in her ears.
"Really, why are you so persistent about it?" She inquired, almost rolling her eyes at the handsome male.
"I just have no restraint when it comes to things I want."
Yumi's eyes drew closer at the change in his voice, with something eerie about it. The flamboyant look in those golden eyes of his dissipated, completely gone as though it was never there to begin with -leaving only a solemn expression.
"Well, you must've been a handful as a child." She snorted.
"You have no idea." Hawks smirked as Yumi wriggled her arms out of his grip.
"Just so you know, my offer still stands. You could always work as my sidekick once you graduate!"
"I'll think about it." Lips half-parted in amusement, Yumi gave a hesitant nod to the mysterious birdman.
"Bye-bye!" He chirped as she walked away.
*
*
Tsuragamae Kenji had a solemn look on his face as he recounted the information they'd gathered to Endeavor and Hawks. "The DNA results of the Nomu that attacked USJ revealed that he was just a small-time thug with a criminal record of assault and extortion. How he became such a monstrous being could be contributed to the shocking result of finding at least four different people's DNA intermingled inside the original owner's body. Between the drugs and genetic engineering, Nomu was no longer a human but a weapon specifically made for destruction."
"Then..." Endeavor's eyes narrowed in
The Chief of Police nodded "From what your intern has described, it looks like they're being experimented in a large scale laboratory, perhaps at an abandoned site."
"The League of Villains..."
A/N:-
Heey, how's it going? Tell me what you thought of the chapter? How was the meeting between Yumi and Hawks in your opinion?
Yall tbh, the first time I saw Hawks I seriously yelled out "ANGEL!" And turns out his character really was based on Marvel's resident flying X-Man Angel, aka Warren Worthington
Okay so as I said before, I'm following up with the plot of the most recent movies, and the Angel Yumi was referring to is the one she battled against in Apocalypse. As he was one of Apocalypse' horsemen along with Storm, Magneto and Psylocke.