BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA: CENTER STAGE "TAKAMI KEIGO AND YAMASAKI KIRA"
BY: RENEE PHYLLIS
CHAPTER FOUR
"The Big Reveal"
Usual meetings, secret places, exchanging information, these were all what Hawks and Dabi kept on doing, most of the time. "Huh, only you in the last meetings. What happened to Kira?", Hawks asked the black-haired boy with a smirk on his face. "Why do you care?", Dabi asked him back, his tone darkening than it already was. "Nothing, nothing. Just curious", he shook his shoulders, the smirk not even disappearing as he was about to leave. "Curious about what? Did you miss me, Hawks?", she appeared out of nowhere, or at least, with one hell of an entrance. She was at the top floor above Dabi and Hawks and jumped down to greet them. "What are you doing here?", asked Dabi, putting his hands on his pocket. "Orders from the boss, came here to get you", she said and walked pass Hawks, not even minding his presence. She went to Dabi, standing beside him, whispering something, for another special assignment. Dabi nodded at her and went on his way, but inviting her first. She politely turned down the invitation, saying she had business with the Hero. "Don't do anything stupid", Dabi grabbed her by the arm. "Don't worry, I won't", she said, putting a hand on his grip, signaling him to let her go.
Dabi soon disappeared and only Hawks and Kira were left. "Where were you, the last few meetings? You and him are always together when meeting me. What happened?", the hero asked her, sincerely, a hint of worriedness, the same voice that she has very well heard before. She chuckled underneath her mask. "And to think you actually care. Stop the nonsense, Hawks. Was my grandfather involved in you planting a bug on me?", she asked furiously. Oh yes, she was furious. She really thought he cared, but in the end, all people are the same. Liars. "What are you talking about?", Hawks' voice came back to his usual one, the dark-tone, deep and a little raspy. His smug face, a smirk plastered on it. She was furious, oh so full of rage. "Cut the crap. YOU, you talk about me being a hero. I didn't know heroes were liars", she readied her position, a hand on her gun. She had three, the other two, newly bought and given by Shigaraki. "I'm no liar", he said, looking down as if readying himself for a fight that was about to happen. "Really then? What a moron." With that she launched an attack first, drawing one gun and shooting multiple bullets at him. The gun had a silencer, that's why it wasn't such a loud fight, but it surely wouldn't end that easily.
The two kept fighting, Kira being able to dodge all of his feathers' attacks. But like all humans, she would soon lose breath and becomes unable to gather herself. She wasn't the kind of girl to miss, but Hawks was a hero and also someone with a powerful quirk, it was hard for Kira to look for an opening. When she was exhausted from the fight, Hawks easily attacked her with his feathers, pinning her against the wall. She shouted in pain, because of the impact. "How dare you drag my grandfather into this! How dare you!", she shouted, trying to break free. Wiggling and pulling herself, but to no such luck. Hawks flew towards her. "Let me go and fight me to the death, you moron. You stupid, fucking moron. You can't drag him into this. HAWKS!", she screamed at the top of her lungs. And then she was panting, in anger, fits of anger. "I didn't drag him into this", his voce was soft. "He came to me. And what kind of a hero am I if I refused a hopeful grandfather waiting for his granddaughter to come home", she gasped at what he said. She started to tear up and those tears started to fall. Hawks took off his feathers, attaching them back to his wings and catching Kira on his arms. He knelt down and served as her support. She curled up, crying. "I can't see him like this. I'm mentally unstable. I can't think straight. I don't know who I am, anymore. I don't know who's the real me", she was genuinely crying. "Your grandfather wanted to know where you were", she stands up on her own, wiping her tears away. "So what? So, he could save me? Or so that, you would know where our hideout is?", her eyes sting of pain, but her blank expression came running in. She looked at him, the same way she looked at those she would kill. "You want to join us? Think you could convince me how dedicated you'll be? Oh, Hawks, you're messing with the wrong girl. What if they found out that this was all undercover work?", her smile was wide and creepy. She laughed at the face he was making. "Ho-how did you?", he asked her. He was pretty careful with his tracks. How would a quirkless woman know it. "How did I come to know that you're pretty much faking everything? That's easy to answer, Hawks. I am the granddaughter of the former chief of the police department and a detective by heart", she bowed down, spreading her hands. Her body shaking from the exhaustion and pain she was currently feeling. "Scared, Takami-san? Oh, don't worry, they-", she fell, eyes closed. Hawks catching her just in time. Hawks was contemplating on whether to bring her to Dabi, wherever he was or to keep her. She might leak the information she's holding against him and that would surely bring about the end of the heroes.
He took her to his apartment, setting her down on his bed. She was soundly sleeping it through. She was human after all, an ordinary human. Hawks would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in her. She's an interesting human being. She was strong for her capacity. If he had no help from his wings, then maybe, she could have easily killed him. "I'm sorry, Kira", he whispered, nearing his mouth, onto her ears. He stood up and closed the door behind him. I can't let her out of my sight, but I also can't kill her. He thought to himself, getting some water and drinking it. What an exhausting day, he said to himself and sighed, sitting on his couch. Where did you slip, Hawks? He sighed so loudly, relaxing for a bit as he waited for Miss Sleeping Beauty to wake up from her dream.
Minutes turned into exactly an hour and Kira finally woke up. "Keeping me here will only result to them being suspicious of you", she interrupted Hawks' thoughts as he was laying down the couch, looking at the big glass window of his apartment. "I guess heroes really are rich", she added looking at her surroundings. It didn't seem like the usual apartment, the atmosphere surely felt like a penthouse. "I won't be keeping you here", he said to her, not turning around. "Then you'll have to kill me if you want to silence me", she said. "I do. But then, it would only end badly for me, wouldn't it?", he had a point and it was perfectly clear that there isn't a way out of this one. She sat in one of the stools in his kitchen, picking fresh grapes that was on the kitchen counter. "Gosh, I haven't eaten these for a while", she said stuffing her mouth full of grapes. "These are my favorits", she said, not minding that she was inside Hawks' apartment or that he was planning on killing her, seeing that as he can't kill her without being a suspect. "I have a proposition for you", he spoke, standing up from his seat and turning around to see her still eating like a pig, hands on his pocket. He was out of his usual attire and into some homey ones, a shirt and some shorts. His wings were like it always was, majestic and beautiful. "Sure, but before that, I have to call someone", she said, getting her phone out of her pocket. "Hey, you can't call anybody", he shouted, urging her not to. He grabbed her by the arm, pinning the phone down on the kitchen counter, their faces inches away from each other. "Geez, calm down, birdy. I need to call Dabi back or he will surely get suspicious of you. Do you want that or not?", she raised an eyebrow at him. He slowly releases her hand and she dials Dabi's number.
"Where are you and why weren't you answering your phone?".
"What are you? My dad?"
"Want me to say that you're a traitor?"
"I'm fine, Dabi. I'm at Hawks' apartment", Hawks' eyes widen, his body tensing up and he grabbed her by the neck. She pulls the dagger on her boot – since her guns weren't around, probably confiscated by Hawks – mouthing 'let me go' at Hawks.
"Why are you there?", she coughed so loudly.
"You okay?". Dabi added.
"Yeah, I swallowed some BUG", she eyed Hawks, looking mad.
"Why are you there?".
"Can you not speak so loudly? You wanted me to investigate him and now I'm here, so don't talk loud or he will hear you".
"How did you manage to even get there?".
"I have a gorgeous face and a charming personality, Fire boy. How'd you think you've fallen for me?".
"Shut up, bitch. Come back as soon as you can and report". He tsked and puts down the phone, sighing so loudly. She puts the phone down and slaps Hawks, real hard. "What the hell are you doing?! That hurt", she held on her neck, rubbing it lightly. "Give me some warning, will you?", he shouted at her, rubbing his cheeks. "Seriously, choke me a little less hard, next time. Maybe then, I won't slap you", she complained. He kind of gripped a little too hard, his hand left a mark on her neck. She stood up from her seat and went to get some water out of his fridge and chugged a whole bottle. "Now, for your proposition?", she asked, still mad at him. "Let me ask you this first. How did you know I was doing undercover work?", he asked her. "And tell me the truth, don't bullshit me with being a detective by heart", he said. She chuckled at his statement. She walked from the kitchen to the living room, sitting in the couch as Hawks followed her, sitting on the opposite side. "Quite easy, really. When they said a hero wanted to join, of course, I've gotten my suspicions. Remember when I said, don't take things lightly?", she smirked, arms and legs crossed. "So you knew since then. Why didn't you say anything to them?", he questioned. "If I said anything, then you'd be already dead. Fire is your biggest weakness, right? Dabi can easily burn you into a crisp." Fire was indeed his true and biggest weakness, maybe that's why Dabi was in charge of all their meetings. "Even so, why?", he wanted a clear answer, and to his surprise, Kira gave him one. "I don't have sides and I don't like picking one. The only reason I joined the League of Villains in the first place was for my friend, to protect her. Sad to say that all of them are now my family, but I will not let evil prevail. I love all of them, even Dabi with that annoying face of his and I will protect them, to the very last of my breath, but I can't let my grandfather into all of this mess. So, I don't care about your proposition, I promise you, I won't let them know about what you're doing", she said, standing up, but Hawks grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "And how do I know I can trust you?", his gaze traveled from the floor to her eyes, looking for a hint of trustworthiness in her. "You don't have to. A promise is a promise. Last time I made one, I haven't broken it and I won't now", she said. He releases his hold and she went to get her cloak from Hawks' room, but he stopped her again, this time, with words. "Sleep here", he said. She stopped in her tracks, confused, heart pounding. "What?", she turns around facing him. What is he thinking?