"Hey." Hawks turned to face you, a broad grin plastered on his face.
"Been a while."
You stared back at him, eyes wide as your lips curled into a smile. "Keigo." His name escaped you almost breathily. Your body seemed to move on its own as you stepped forward to embrace him. He laughed and returned your sentiment wholeheartedly, wrapping you in his arms and giving you a tight squeeze. You rested your chin on the shoulder of his tan jacket. Tears of joy pricked at the corners of your eyes and you swore you could've stayed like that forever. "It's good to see you, Crash."
"God, I never thought I'd be so happy to hear that stupid nickname." You admitted as you pulled away. "These things sure have gotten big." You looked over his wings, noting that they nearly reached the floor.
He chuckled. "You don't look too bad yourself. I'm diggin' the costume." Your eyes shone with glee as you looked down at your outfit.
"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how long it took for them to finally let me have one." You groaned. "It may need some tweaking, but I think it's pretty great for a first design."
Keigo looked puzzled. "Huh? Why wouldn't they give you a hero costume? Wasn't the whole point of sending you over there to complete your training?"
"Oh, I'm… not exactly a hero." In truth, you had always wanted to be, even before you joined the program. You weren't entirely sure when or why, but at some point, a decision was made for you, and you were designated special ops. "I take missions as they come, but I'm not licensed as an official hero." You looked away from him and rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly.
Keigo seemed a bit confused but didn't pry any further. "I knew they were bringing in reinforcements, but I didn't think they meant you! Heard a few days ago who was coming. I honestly almost didn't believe it."
The apprehension you felt before began to melt away, giving rise to a level of delight you hadn't known for what seemed like forever. "Gosh, well, yeah- here I am!" You stumbled over your words. There was so much you wanted to say, so much you wanted to catch up on, but right now, there was some information you needed to get. "Listen…" You began shyly. "If you don't mind, do you think you could repeat some of the info they told us just now? I was a bit… distracted."
"Oh? Wow, (Y/N), I didn't think I had that kind of effect on you." He wiggled an eyebrow up and down as he smirked. You rolled your eyes, playfully punching him in the shoulder.
"You know damn well that's not what I meant, Bird Brain."
Keigo laughed jovially, rubbing his arm where your fist landed. "Alright, alright. What do you need to know?"
"Oh, y'know, only the first like… 75% of it." You chuckled nervously.
Keigo brought his palm to his forehead. "Seriously?! I think 'distracted' might've been a bit of an understatement. Is there anything you remember?" He asked teasingly.
"Heh- suspect appearances, but I suppose that was about it."
You started with the first suspect shown and worked your way down the list, silently thanking the retentive memory skills that had been drilled into you. Though he laughed at the silly names you had given them, Keigo happily gave you info on each one.
The first man's name was Tomura Shigaraki: a young man with a horrifying ability that allowed him to turn anything to dust when he touched it with all five of his fingers.
The second guy was called Kurogiri. His quirk allowed for the teleportation of himself and others, so long as he knew the location's coordinates. "With a power like that, it may not be surprising to hear that he hasn't been spotted in a while. We're worried about losing his trail." Keigo added.
Next up: Shuichi Iguchi. "He likes knives." Toga Himiko "She also likes knives. Uses 'em to get blood to transform." Twice. "Makes fully functioning clones of the others."
"That sounds like a lot of knives." You joked. Your mind ran back to the scarred man. His unsettling image seemed to be engraved into your psyche. "And the dude with all the burns?"
"What, no funny label?" Keigo quipped. You didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at the floor. Thankfully, your friend wasn't blind. He knew how to read people and you were undoubtedly uncomfortable. "His name's Dabi."
"Dabi?" You shot your head back up, eyebrow raised and head cocked in confusion. What kind of name was that? "Ah, I get it. His parents didn't love him, so he turned to a life of villainy. So sad." You shook your head insincerely. Joking around like this, especially when it came to serious situations, always helped lift your spirits.
Keigo smiled seeing you become more comfortable. "We're pretty sure it's an alias. Suits him, though. He's got-"
The sound of the door opening cut him off. Stiller stepped into the room.
"Okay, (H/N)..." He said as he approached. "You should like this. You'll be working as a hero while we're here. No specifics, but they need to establish a bigger presence on the street. It'll be reassuring for the community to see a fresh face. Especially a strong one."
'Great.' You thought. ''Reassuring.' That means building a relationship with the public.' People were not exactly your strong suit. Speed, power, discretion. These were your top skills. Interpersonal interaction was considered a necessity by the Commission, but not so much by the US military. That wasn't the only issue, though.
"Sir, I don't have a-"
"The Commission has issued you a temporary Hero License. You may use your quirk for hero work anywhere in Japan. If you're lucky, perhaps they'll consider making it permanent." His tone suggested that that was something you should be excited about. "Permanent?" Did that mean you'd get to stay here if you proved yourself useful enough as a hero? You weren't even sure if that was something the Commission, or even Stiller for that matter, had any control of. But it was a chance.
"You'll be staying with the commission. They already have your room set up. One more thing:" Stiller extended something to you. "They thought it would be best if you had one." You looked down in disbelief. In his hand was a black touchscreen cellphone. "Your license is displayed on the back, so don't lose it." He instructed. You took it from him immediately, taking care not to seem too eager. You had never been given a phone before. Stiller deemed it unnecessary. Of course, you had tried to barter with him for one as a teenager, but your watch already gave him most of the information he needed, so what need would you have for a cell phone? You did well hiding your internally giddy feelings. "It'll make it much easier for us to communicate." You smiled.
Stiller grunted. "Yes, well, we'd better-" He paused as if realizing his rudeness and turned to the honey blonde beside you. "Ah, Hawks. It's good to see you again. You've grown. I hear you've done quite well for yourself, too." Keigo gave the bald man a grin. "It's nice to see you too, sir. Glad to know you're doing well."
Stiller hummed as he looked between the two of you. A lightbulb seemed to go off in his head, and a smile you rarely saw formed on his face. "(H/N), why don't you shadow Hawks for the day. Learn what you can about being a hero from him." He looked back at your friend. "That is, of course, if it's alright with you."
Keigo beamed. "Sounds good. I'll teach them everything they need to know."
"Good." Stiller replied as he turned back to the door. "Call me if you need anything."
"Will do!" Keigo blurted before you could say anything. The door softly clicked shut as Stiller exited, but you waited a few seconds before you spoke up.
"You know Stiller?" You curiously raised an eyebrow.
"Never seen him before in my life." Keigo replied with a smile. You cackled at the fake courtesy he had shown your caretaker.
Once he was sure Stiller had made his way out of the hall, he stepped towards the door. "Hey, you hungry? I know a great spot to grab some grub."
"Hey, is that Hawks?"
"Woah, it's Hawks!"
"Who's that with him? I've never seen them before."
"Probably a new sidekick."
Chatter was abundant as the two of you strolled through downtown. Even if winning people over wasn't inherently easy for you, it seemed like just being seen with the number two hero was helping your image.
"Hear that, Kei? I'm your sidekick." You kidded. Keigo waved to the passersby as they called out, but spoke low enough that only you could hear. "Nah, you're not my sidekick. We're partners." He assured. "But when we're on patrol, refer to me as 'Hawks', alright?" You nodded your head almost apologetically. The two of you were friends, but he still had to keep up the hero persona; and now, so did you.
"These are the people you'll be protecting, y'know. First impressions are everything." He swiveled his head to greet people on the opposite side of the street. "Hey-o!"
'Right. First impressions. Come on, (Y/N), you can do this. They're just people.'
A young boy peered at you expectantly from behind his mother's leg. Hesitantly, you raised your hand to give him a small wave. The boy's smile widened as he tugged on his mother's shirt, pointing at you excitedly.
"There you go, Crash, do more of that." Keigo encouraged. Say no more. You straightened up and walked with more confidence as you addressed the random citizens. As you did, however, you couldn't help but take notice of the sporadic flashes of red that would streak across your vision. Feathers. Hawks had been occasionally sending them out to assist with the tiniest of tasks: returning papers blown by the wind to their rightful owner, stopping a child who tripped on a curb from hitting the ground. You looked on in awe, impressed that he could so nonchalantly do such things while simultaneously greeting fans. It left you feeling a little useless. You scanned the area for anyone who could use some help. Bingo. Up ahead, you spotted a couple of men who seemed to be struggling with a storefront window installation.
Doing your best to imitate your "partner's" casual demeanor, you activated your quirk, targeting the huge glass pane that wobbled to and fro. The clear sheet became steady as you held it suspended in mid-air just above the workers' hands. The pair looked down and then at each other, clearly perplexed until one of them met your eye. You flashed a kind-hearted smile as you slowly moved the window into place. "Hey-hey! Thank you so much!" One of them called. Another child ran up to the two of you. "Woah, what's your name?" She asked eagerly.
"Oh, uh- well, I'm uh…" You stammered. Informal meetings were never your forte, but children proved even more difficult.
"This is my good friend (H/N). They're a hero, too." Thank goodness for Keigo and his outgoing personality. The little girl's eyes sparkled as her radiant smile shone up at you. "When I get older, I'm gonna be a hero too!" She shouted passionately. Her merry personality melted your heart. "I know you can." You stated as calmly as you could in your joyous state. The child squealed with delight as she skipped away. "Mama! Did you hear? That hero said I can become just like them."
Wait, that wasn't right. No, she shouldn't be just like you. You took a brief step forward. "Well, no, I didn't say exactly-" You were silenced by Keigo's hand on your shoulder. "Let it be. Kid's overjoyed. Best to leave it at that."
You sighed. "Right. Keep the public happy." You chuckled, feeling a bit silly for almost correcting a six-year-old. You looked away from Keigo, finally becoming aware of the sizable crowd that had gathered around you two. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice the shocked look on your face. Though you were determined to prove yourself as a hero, you weren't quite prepared for all of the attention you were now receiving. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, you unconsciously moved closer to Keigo, eliciting a few murmurs from a group of young ladies in the crowd.
"Haha, yeah, they came from America." You heard Hawks chime in. You suddenly found yourself being inundated with all kinds of questions.
"Are you a top hero in America?"
"Will you be here very long?"
"What's it been like working with Hawks?"
"Where in America are you from?"
It was nearly impossible to keep up with the stream of voices being directed at you, but you did your best to at least try to answer some of them. The ones you were allowed to, anyway. "I'm actually from Japan." Was the first thing to leave your mouth. Your response was met with a chorus of "oohs" from the inquiring group as Keigo lent over to whisper in your ear.
"When you're all finished up here, that restaurant I mentioned before is only a block away."
When you arrived at the restaurant, you were surprised at how up-high it was. The two of you sat outside alone at a table on the thirteenth story balcony. It had taken a bit longer than you would have liked to make sure your small, yet adoring fan base's curious appetites were satisfied. Thankfully, it only took Keigo a couple of minutes to disperse the crowd once he could tell you'd had enough.
"You do that every day?!" You exclaimed exhausted from the mental gymnastics required for dealing with so many people.
"Well, not every day. I'm usually in the skies. Fewer distractions up there." He said, popping a bit of food into his mouth.
"Yeah, I hear you." You spoke contentedly. You focused your eyes on the distant sky, where the Sun was just beginning to set. A small smile painted itself onto your features. "Being up there… it's my happy place."
"Sure, when you're not running into buildings." Keigo teased.
Your head snapped forward as you glared at him. "Hey, I don't do that anymore!" You whined defensively before returning your attention to the horizon. "Honestly, I'd give anything to be able to be in the clouds whenever I wanted."
"What, they don't let you fly out on patrol?" He asked.
You looked back at him again. "I told you, Kei, I'm not a hero. Anyway, if I'm not out on an assignment, then I'm at a base, and that's restricted airspace; there are limitations. Even when I am working, Stiller is usually tracking me. I can do what I need to for the sake of the mission, but I hardly get any free-flying time beyond that." Keigo blinked in surprise. He had never seen such a morose expression on your face before.
"Jeez, and I thought I was a caged bird." He stared down at his food, never expecting to ever feel grateful for the small bit of freedom he had. "But hey, you're working as a hero now, right? At least while you're here. That means easily justifiable flights around the city!" His optimism uplifted you. You had missed him so much for so long, but now that you were here, it was as if no time had passed.
"Ten years and you're still just as upbeat as ever, huh?" It wasn't a complaint by any means. You were ecstatic to be reunited with your old pal, and if you were completely honest, he was keeping you grounded at the moment.
"It hasn't been the same without you, (Y/N)." Keigo confessed. "I wish you'd stuck around a little longer…" A sad smile began to form on his lips as he shook his head. "But you're here now, and that's what counts." He quickly tore a piece of chicken from the skewer of yakitori, cleverly masking any negative emotions that threatened to bubble up.
You straightened your posture and took on a more cheerful tone as well. "So, what have the others been up to?" Keigo looked puzzled. "Others?"
"Yeah, silly. The other kids from the training program." You chuckled as though it should have been obvious what you were referring to.
"Wouldn't know." He replied plainly. "I assume at least a couple of them are doing hero work now, but I haven't seen or heard from any of 'em in years." That was some shocking news. The whole point of the program was to create a tight-knit group of a dozen specially trained heroes that the HPSC could indisputably rely on. Surely they would have kept in touch. Upon seeing the bewildered look you gave, he elaborated: "There wasn't really much of a program left after what happened with Touya." You winced at the name. It was the second time today you were reminded of him and you felt your heart sink into the pit of your stomach. Hawks continued.
"Once it had gotten around that the Commission let a kid die, people started pulling their own children left and right. Can't say I blame them. Honestly, I think the only reason word didn't spread like wildfire is that most people regarded the rumors as just that: rumors. Or maybe they paid off the right people." The cynical spite in his voice was evident. "I'm not sure if you noticed with how messed up you were feeling, but six of the others were already gone by the time you left. The rest were pulled later. After that, it was just me. Like I said, not much of a program."
You were stunned. 'Six?!' Half of the group had hit the road before you were even on the flight out and you didn't notice. Truth be told, that entire corner of your memory was extremely blurred and had been for a while. Your training with Stiller did a fantastic job of distracting you from your problems, but you were still shocked to hear that the program had been disbanded. That wasn't what weighed heavily on your mind right now, however.
You couldn't bring yourself to meet his eyes as you decided to ask the question you were sure you already knew the answer to. "Did… they ever find his body?"
Keigo shook his head.
The two of you sat for a moment in silence. Had it been anyone else, it might have been extremely uncomfortable, but, for the two of you, it was a welcome change to the busy day despite the sorrowful undertone.
"Alright." He said eventually. "Enough with the sad." Keigo pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He peered down at you, a prankish grin on his face. "You said you can fly now."
You closed your eyes, allowing a cocky smile to grace your features. "Uh-huh. And you know what else?"
"What?" He humored. You looked up at him slyly.
"I'm pretty fast too."
