You stared into the full-length mirror on the wall of your cinderblock-like room as you pulled on the hero costume. It was new- your first one, actually- courtesy of the American National Hero Administration. A broad smile crept onto your face as you took a moment to marvel at the sight. It was almost exactly how you had always imagined it, save for a few alterations which your handler, Captain Stiller, insisted upon. Though the man was an absolute pain, you were grateful that his additions were practical.

Before you could give your new look the admiration it deserved, a gentle, yet unignorable vibration was felt around your wrist. You lifted your arm and glared down at the thin black band as the screen flashed. You tapped the display to read the incoming message, huffing in annoyance as you did.

'(H/N) REPORT TO HANGAR F5'

It was time to go. Stiller was not a patient man and, seeing as how he had full control of your schedule and assignments, not only for this trip but for your entire enlistment, you'd rather not keep him waiting. It might be nice to have some recreational time; after all, you hadn't been in Japan since you were twelve. You quickly spun around to retrieve the boots that went with the costume and took one last look at yourself once you had slipped them on. Now it was perfect. You couldn't help but beam at yourself in the mirror, your heart full to bursting. A light squeal escaped your throat as you posed rather 'heroically' for yourself.

"Aw, yeah- pro-hero (H/N) reporting for du-"

BUZZ-BUZZ

Two buzzes this time. Stiller was growing tired of waiting. Once again, you brought your fingertip to the watch's display to reveal the message. Same as before:

'(H/N)REPORT TO HANGAR F5'

This time, however, when you tapped the screen a second time to dismiss the message, a timer began its countdown.

3:00… 2:59… 2:58… 2:57…

You rolled your eyes and sighed loudly in exasperation. You closed up the case your costume had come in before heading for the door with it in hand. "Jeez, can't have anything nice." You grumbled as you stepped out into the hall of the barracks. The familiar sound of chatter amongst the enlisted personnel slowly died as you made your way to the exit. Usually, you'd be feeling thankful that you were located on the first floor; however, it seemed that now, even despite having the good fortune of being nearer the door, you could hear the exact moment a group's attention became fixed on you. The sudden dimming of individual conversations as you passed added to the increasingly deafening silence until only the sounds of your own footsteps echoed throughout the corridor. You did your best to ignore the prying eyes around you as you reached for the front door. 'At least I'll have a few minutes alone on the way to the hangar.' The hopeful thought eased your mind a bit as you stepped outside.

"(H/N)." The gruff voice caught your attention. 'Damn it. Seriously?!' You mentally swore, aggravated, but unsurprised by the man's presence. "I'm here to escort you to F5." He continued. You turned to face him, a feigned smile hiding indignation.

"Ah. Well, thanks but no thanks. I know where to find it." You replied casually.

"Apologies, but my orders are to stay with you-" You were quick to cut him off before he could drone on any further.

"Listen…" You paused as you glanced at the rank on his chest.

"Corporal. I've only got about-" You broke off again to check your watch.

"Two minutes to get there before what I can only assume will be a harsh reprimand befalls me. So, unless you can keep up, I suggest you take a couple of steps back."

You placed the black case on the ground beside you and, raising your hands to the sky, stretched your back before squatting down to limber up your legs.

"I'm sorry, (H/N), but I was told to escort you myself." The pride in his tone was not lost on you. You snickered out loud. "Aw, they made you feel important, did they?" You brought your arm across your chest to stretch your deltoids. You couldn't help but feel bad for the guy- he was just some lackey that was given a crap job. Hell, it was less likely that he was assigned to you and more likely that Stiller had just run into him on his way to the jet. You stopped to look up at his face. A mildly shocked expression stared back at you and you could tell you had offended him somehow.

"Look. I can promise you they won't even notice you're not with me. They probably have no idea who they even sent over here. Despite what you may have heard, being my 'escort' isn't some important mission that makes you a big strong tough guy. Actually, it's more likely to leave you feeling a bit shit." You spoke bluntly.

His jaw went slack as he attempted to respond. "But-"

You bent down to retrieve your case. "I'd back up if I were you." You warned as you turned away from him.

"But (H/N)..."

"Goodbye."

In an instant, your feet left the ground, stirring up a cloud of dirt around the poor boy as you sped away from the barracks. You kept yourself low to the ground as you zipped past the soldiers going about their daily routine. "Watch it!", "Hey!", "Woah!" Their protests were barely audible as the wind rushed past your ears. You weren't usually one to cause a scene; however, with Stiller's patience running thin, this was your best option. You brought your arm up to check the timer. 'One minute?! Great. Alright, where the hell am I?' You had initially flown off just to get away from your "escort"; you didn't exactly pay attention to the direction. Angling yourself up, you launched skyward for a better view of the base. As you swiveled your head, your watch buzzed again. You didn't even bother to check it- you had a pretty good idea of what was being relayed. If Stiller weren't so outwardly formal, the messages would probably read something like "Get your ass over here now before I leave you behind."

You spotted the tarmac in the distance to your left... about 3 miles away at ground level. You groaned. Placing yourself so high up only put you that much farther from where you needed to be. Unfortunately, this was no time to be kicking yourself. Were you allowed to go as fast as you were about to inside the base? No. Did you care at the moment? Also no. Taking a deep breath, you wasted no time accelerating towards the hangar. You squinted your eyes as they involuntarily filled with tears, unable to withstand the sudden assault of air.

'Damn it, I can barely see.'

Thankfully, locating the huge open garage door on the side wasn't difficult. You rounded the left corner of the building as you neared before slowing your speed a bit to enter. You braced yourself for the quick landing, feet hitting the concrete with a resounding THUD. More soldiers exclaimed as you skidded to a halt just in front of them. You were accustomed to harsh landings, but the impact didn't hurt the way you expected it to. 'Shock-absorbing soles. Nice touch.' You mentally credited your handler.

"I'm here!" you called out triumphantly.

"Yes, and with 3 seconds to spare." The familiarity of Stiller's low, rebuking voice caused your throat to tighten. He stepped towards you intently and you noticed he was in full dress uniform. He was a tall man with a thin, muscular build and hair like a five-o-clock shadow on his head. You had always found him intimidating, and the large laceration scar across his left cheek did not help. "You're not supposed to be going that fast."

"Just trying to beat the clock, sir." You replied holding up your arm. Of course, he hadn't expected you to make it on time. The timer was likely just another way of controlling you. If you were late, he could give you any kind of punishment he saw fit- that usually meant extra, sometimes made-up, assignments or training. But you had made it, and though you were sure there would be some kind of repercussions for speeding, it wouldn't be nearly as bad as if you were late.

"By the way, we're probably going to have to get me some kind of eye-protection to go with this. I nearly blinded myself getting over here." You complained.

"There should have been a pair of goggles with your costume." He informed plainly.

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks. Feeling too embarrassed to admit that you had missed them, you had to come up with something. "They didn't suit me." You lied.

Stiller let out a huff of air that could almost be taken as a chuckle. "So you risk your sight just because you thought your protective wear was ugly?" You did your best to smile but remained silent. He continued. "They were based off of Japanese pro-hero Hawks's visor. I thought you'd like that."

Hawks. The name stirred a feeling of excitement in you. A feeling you would rather keep hidden from Stiller at the moment. The man was well aware of your past, but even so, you didn't want to give him another reason to mess with you. Instead, you fibbed again.

"Eh. I prefer originality." You said cooly.

Perhaps you imagined it, but you could have sworn you caught a brief moment of surprise on Stiller's face. Whatever you might have seen, however, was gone as quickly as it came- his face now bore a calm, but cocky smirk.

"I see." He turned away and motioned for you to follow. "Come on. The jet is already on the runway."

The interior of the plane was rather plush compared to other aircraft you had been in before. A scarlet carpet lined the floor of the front cabin. In this area, there sat 2 fluffy white recliners, both of which faced a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, a bar with bolted down stools surrounding it, and a kind-looking stewardess who stood behind the counter. To your right, white leather seats lined the back of the plane with 5 rows of 2 on either side. You chose a seat by the window as Stiller began speaking with two of the four men already onboard. Each of them was dressed in the standard camo military uniform. More "escorts", you guessed. Placing your case on the seat beside you, you rested your chin on your hand and stared out the window with a bored expression. Two of the men your handler was speaking with took their seats on the opposite end of the plane. "Always gotta have eyes on me, I guess." You mumbled to yourself. It wasn't enough that the man had your location and vitals at his fingertips- no, he needed you in line at all times. It wasn't something you wanted to be thinking about at the moment. You tried to clear your mind and focus solely on what awaited you when you got off the plane. More importantly, where you would be and who you might be working with.

Although you were born in Japan and spent most of your childhood there, you hadn't seen it for a little over a decade. The thought of returning, even if it would only be for a little while, eased your nerves. As the plane slowly ascended, exhilaration built in your chest, and you couldn't fight the faint smile that forced its way onto your lips.

You were on your way home.