Chapter 40: Without Him
"I am afraid I have little to report back about Keigo. I haven't been able to approach him since he returned last month." Daisuke says, leaning against the telephone booth wall. The dark-skinned man watches the passerby's while he chats with his friend on the other-line.
"But is he well? I feel like I let him down as a father once more."
"No one said being a parent would be easy, my friend. I pulled a lot of strings to get him there, and I don't know if I can do it again, but you have my word that I will do my best to keep tabs on him. I owe it to you and Reiko.
"Thank you Daisuke. Your friendship is all I have ever expected from you, and you have more than delivered that. Sometimes I wish I was still the naive exchange student following you around. I still can't believe either of us survived that summer."
"Oh, come on, Chuck!" Daisuke laughs, "you were safe-ish."
"Not hardly!' Professor shouts through his belly laugh. "I have a few instances that beg to differ!"
"Touché, my friend, but we wouldn't be here without it, so I wouldn't take it back for the world. And you married my best friend, for crying out loud!"
Professor's belly laugh turns to hot tears as he remembers the warm sun that summer day when he met Reiko. Gold tips on her red feathers glimmer in the hot summer sun next to her windblown red hair.
"Sorry, Charles. I miss her too. The world was a better place with her in it. I will make sure Keigo is okay. We both owe it to her."
"Be safe and watch your back." Professor X says as they bid each other farewell. He sighs and hangs up the phone, the warmer June air brought with it promise of the summer that was to come their way soon.
.* * *.
In what was once a storage room in the now dilapidated office building, Bakugo and Deku crouch behind a metal shelf filled with boxes. Since he returned, Hawks was thrown back into work like nothing happened. He hoped it would be a good distraction from his problems but...
"It's a team-up mission with the number two hero!" Deku exclaims, his green eyes glowing with excitement.
What would she do if she was here-? Hawks' thoughts are interrupted when Deku gets shoved into Hawks' left wing.
"I said give me space, dammit!" Bakugo screams at his classmate. Heads of a few goons whip it their direction. Feathers shoot off to make noise opposite of their location drawing the goons away from them.
Hawks puts a finger over his lips to remind the two students they're supposed to be in hiding. "So here's the plan. We have to work together or we're not going to beat him. He's fast, but I'm faster. Listen up."
As Hawks prepares Deku and Bakugo for the mission, the villains scamper about the place checking for heroes as they get ready to move their loot. He glances over his shoulder briefly then back at the two UA students before him as he debriefs them.
.* * *.
Professor Xavier makes his way back to his study when the phone rings again.
"Hello? Who I am speaking with?"
"Hi is this Professor Charles Xavier?
This is Principle Nezu from UA."
"Yes, been awhile since last chatted. What can I do for you, Nezu?"
"Indeed it has. Well you see I calling to ask if any of your students are interested in a program we're doing involving one of our class I think it would be a good chance for those your students who are interested in hero work to come along with."
Professor X listens to Nezu explain the idea to him. He nods his head.
"Hmm. An Island assignment. That's quite an offer. Let me ask them and get back to you tomorrow morning."
.* * *.
Jean sighs as she flips through the channels on the living room tv, as she leans against the arm of the couch. "Keigo where are you?" She asks herself as she searches for the Japanese-based news channel.
Rogue flops on the couch beside Jean. "Has he answered your calls yet?"
"I lost him. He trusted me and I broke it." Jean sobs.
"Well, ya turned on him. Did ya think he'd want to be around ya after what ya said? He already struggles with trust issues and, well... I think he actually was starting to trust ya."
"I'm aware of that detail, Rouge. Do you really think that's helpful to beat on me about it? I fucked up, I lost him, he's gone, and it's my fault. Now what?"
.* * *.
Hawks shoots through the halls firing feathers at the goons running for their lives in front of him. It had been since he and the students split to dived and conquer.
"Fuck, it's Hawks!" Screeches one of the goons as Hawks pivots swiftly around the feathers firing from his wings nailing the goons to the wall. "Easy peasy." Hawks whistles, tapping his feather swords against his shoulders.
As Hawks' feathers begin tying the goons together with a rope, Deku's voice vibrates through Hawks' feathers.
"Hawks, we need you stat!" Deku's voice vibrates through Hawks' feathers.
Leaving his feathers to finish last tying up the goons, Hawks shoots into the air towards the location of the students.
Skidding around the corner, Hawks' eyes widen when he sees the head of the eight-eyed villain with Deku and Bakugo trapped in his web in to the wall like a spider's prey.
"Snap you damn rope." Bakugo growls, feverishly chewing at the rope to try to break it.
"Oh? Another one of you? But you're too late!" The spider themed Villain grins in triumph, his cocky attitude showing. "Don't move a muscle. Unless you wanna see them die." He faces Hawks all eight eyes on the pro hero.
Hawks shock look swiftly turns into a flat out smirk.
The Spider villain the confidence vanishes, into confusion
"Thanks for leading me here, you two." Hawks says.
"What are talking about? My web's too strong for human strength, you guys are as good ad-" spider villain is cut as loud snaps echo behind him. spinning around to see the two students free behind him shock and fear written over his face.
H-how? You shouldn't be freed?!" He steeps back.
Hawks chuckles, "true they shouldn't be. If using their own physical strength that is. Your web isn't so tough for me."
"What do mean? Ya didn't do anything?"
"I beg to differ." Hawks nods to Deku as the green haired boy holds up one of Hawks' feathers.
"Hawks had us carry some of his feathers on us. We're to lure you into a dead end trap. Which worked. Thanks to these feathers Hawks found us and freed us." Deku says.
Shit! The spider villain tries to use his speed to flee dashing past Hawks practically invisible to the naked eye. Ha, they can't see I'm home fre-
Right before he leaves the scene, a gust of wind and flash red cut him off. "Seems I'm faster and your time is up." Hawks smirks at the villain before him.
.* * *.
Jean begins nodding off. It's 10am and nothing notable has been on the Japanese news station she has been watching all day with hopes to find—
Just then a news reporter is standing in front of a rundown warehouse interviewing-
"Keigo!" Jean exclaims, jumping off the couch. Rouge, who was sleeping next to Jean, jerks awake to see Hawks being interviewed by a news reporter. Behind him, villains are being shuttled out by the police as a group of hero fans begin commemorating.
'Professor, I found him! Turn it to the Japanese news channel!'
'Well done, Jean. It's great to even just be able to see him. I'm relieved to see he's okay.'
Still looking at the screen, Jean sees the interview is ending. Hawks becomes swarmed with fans, mostly young woman around his age. Cameras flash all around him as a line forms for pictures with him.
Jean's jealousy is interrupted by another telepathic message from Professor X
'My friend just called. There's an opportunity for a few X-men to join the HPSC for some training at Nabu island. Are you interested?'
'Yes, yes, YES!!!' Jean shoots back.
'Very well. Grab your stuff and make a team. You'll be taking off tomorrow morning. Get some sleep.'
.* * *.
"Alright boys, my treat. Dig in." Hawks smiles, thanking the waitress before taking a bite of his chicken liver skewer.
As the waitress returns to the kitchen, she is bombarded with her coworker's excitement.
"Is that hawks I heard?!"
"Yes," she responds. "It's always great to see him back here. An he has new friends with him today. He tends to... bring those he's fond of here." the waitress says.
Hawks hums happily as he chows down on the food. Everything down to the green plates - her eyes. She'd love it here. He picks up another skewer with his eyes clouded with sadness.
Hawks managed to pull off dinner without anyone noticing his dismay. As dinner finally ends, he waves as Deku and Bakugo head to the station, as they head back to UA. to head back to their home city. As the train goes out of sigh, Hawks sighs, lowering his visor to cover his watering eyes as he starts to walk off.
I've missed Japan. He stares down at his phone with the picture of him and Jean as the wallpaper. He didn't have the heart to remove the picture. He stares longly back at her cheerful smile and loving eyes, longing for the day he could see her again. Especially her.