Yuri woke to the sound of beeping. Her vision was grey and fuzzy but she could distinctly hear the beeping of what could be a heart monitor, but she couldn't tell. Shadowed figures moved in her line of sight but she couldn't see who it was.
"When you wake up there will be consequences for this," a familiar female voice hissed in her ear. Yuri's breathing hitched and the beeping started to go haywire. Definitely, a heart monitor which meant he had taken her to a hospital.
"You need to leave, ma'am. She needs rest to recover," a male voice sounded from somewhere off to the side.
"You will call when she wakes?" The female questioned.
"Of course," the male attested. Yuri fell back into the comforting darkness. She should stay here. It was warm and soothing. No expectations, just a gentle blackness that enveloped her whole being.
"Please wake up soon, Yuri." A feminine voice pleaded. 'Aiko?'
"C'mon, Yuri. You're stronger than this!" A male voice with a slight lit to it begged. 'Mockingbird?'
"You can't just give up now! The boss is going nuts without you and the agency is falling apart with all the paperwork." A deep male voice echoed in her head. 'Jay?' Yuri settled back into the darkness. It was so inviting each and every time. Waves of calmness rolled through her body as she floated there. A startling light shined upon her making Yuri flinch back subsequently leaving the inviting darkness.
"Do you think she'll wake up?" a familiar honey voice asked. There was a weight on what Yuri was sure was her hand. A tingle shot up her arm as something rubbed the back of it almost trying to rouse her from her comfortable place in the darkness.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't discuss her medical case with you. You're not family or emergency contact," The male voice from before sounded. Closer this time.
"She's my secretary!" The honey voice emphasized, "I should be listed as someone who can get some information released to them as her employer. And shouldn't her choker be off? How did you do an MRI scan if she has a chunk of metal around her neck?" 'Hawks?'
"I'm sorry, Hawks. I really am but her employer is listed as the Hero Commission, not your agency." The male stuttered, "As for the choker, it is in her file that it never be removed." 'What's going on?'
"I know that but c'mon give me something! That just sounds like a bullshit excuse and you know it!" He sounded frustrated and tired. The president was going to have her head for all this. Causing so much trouble for the hero. She needed to wake up. Yuri focused on the light that was filtering the darkness away letting it gain intensity while attempting to keep listening in on the conversation happening around her.
"I can't, please understand," The male begged. Yuri pushed harder against the light, swimming up towards it. Her hand twitched.
"Yuri?" Hawks squeezed her hand, "You can do it! Just please open your eyes, little feather. Let me see those gorgeous brown eyes once more." The heart monitor started to go crazy and a few other sounds began to join it. The sensation of things being stuck to her chest and head became apparent as well as the warmth Hawks' hand provided.
"There we go, little feather. Open your eyes." Yuri's eyes fluttered open. Everything was hazy but had color to it this time. She blinked rapidly trying to clear her vision.
"Hawks?" Yuri wheezed out. Her voice hoarse from lack of use and how unbelievably dry it was.
"Ms. Hirano? Can you hear us?" Yuri turned toward the other voice barely making out a male in a white lab coat standing at the edge of her bed. A doctor? Oh, right she was attacked. Yuri nodded but hissed in pain at moving her head.
"Don't move too much! Your head is still healing," The doctor explained, "My name is Dr. Haru, you've been unconscious for a couple of days. Can you blink once for yes and twice for no?" Yuri blinked.
"I'm going to get her some water," Hawks spun around and the warmth that had encompassed her hand left. Yuri gave a slight whine at the loss.
"Do you remember what happened to you?" Dr. Haru asked. Yuri blinked. It was hard to forget all those snakes and the fire. She would never be nice to a snake again!
"Here drink this." A straw was shoved between her lips and Yuri greedily began to suck down the cool liquid. It was heaven against her dry throat, "Slow down there, kid. You're going to make yourself sick." All too soon the heavenly straw was gone and with it the cool water. Yuri keened a little at it being taken away which garnered a slight chuckle from the man above her.
"Alright, I'm going to do a little check-up to make sure everything is in order. Try to keep talking to a minimum as the smoke inhalation damaged your throat some. Would you like for him to leave?" Yuri blinked twice and she heard Hawks sigh in relief. The doctor set about flowing around her. Checking her eyes, pupil dilation, the contours of her face as well as the joints of the rest of her body.
"Well, you seem to be healing fine," The doctor sighed, "The venom from the snakes has mostly been flushed from your body, but the breaks in your face will take a while to heal."
"Don't sound so disappointed, doctor," Hawks edged. Yuri glanced up at him. His face was hard and his eyes narrowing dangerously, "All should be well correct?"
"Yes, now excuse me I need to call her emergency contact," Dr. Haru excused himself from the room.
"You had us all worried there, little feather," Hawks said, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face.
"What happened?" Yuri choked out. A coughing fit erupted and the straw with the holy water was brought to her lips again.
"You passed outright as the cops arrived. Lilith is in custody and will most likely be sentenced for assault, illegal quirk usage, and a mirage of other things." He looked sad.
"What's wrong?"
"Yuri-"
"Ms. Hirano," The President strode in, a small group of agents following behind her, "I'm glad to see you are up." Yuri's eyes widened and she struggled to push herself up.
"Ma'am," Yuri's eyes widened and she struggled to push herself up. Hawks pushed down gently on her shoulder preventing her from moving. Her eyes shot up to him and he shook his head as their eyes met.
"No need to get up for me," The president's mouth curled into a sharp smile, "We just came to make sure everything was going well and in order. Hawks, we didn't expect you to be here."
"I was stopping by to check on her," Hawks said. Dr. Haru hurried into the room grabbing the remote that controlled the bed. Yuri's head swam as she was brought to a sitting position, "Should she be up this soon after waking up?" The doctor ignored his comment focusing on a discussion with the president over her medical file. Yuri's heart rate spiked.
"You need to leave," Yuri whispered harshly.
"I'm not leaving you alone with these people," Hawks argued quietly, "Not after the last time you were stuck in a room with them."
"I'm not asking for your opinion," Yuri said, "You need to leave."
"No."
"Leave now, Hawks!" Yuri said louder. He was taken aback by the commanding tone in her voice but stood his ground.
"There's no need for him to leave, Ms. Hirano," The president cooed coming to stand by Yuri's bed, "This could be a learning experience for you both."
"A learning experience?" Hawks tilted his head. The heart rate monitor began to beep more frequently. The only outward suggestion that Yuri was panicking.
"There's no need for that, Ms. President," Yuri stuttered, "I am sure that Hawks was just doing his due diligence to get information from a victim."
"Hmm," The president pondered, "If that is the case, then Hawks you are free to leave. We have some things to discuss with your secretary."
-With Hawks-
Something didn't feel right. A nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach as he left Yuri's hospital room and what was with that metal choker? Not being able to take it off even for medical reasons. That didn't sound right. Hawks shook his head at such thoughts. The Hero Commission might not have the most mainstream ways of functioning but they weren't bad people. They wanted a safe world and helped by supporting the heroes in any way they could even if it was a little unconventional. They had raised him after all and he turned out pretty okay. Hawks brought his phone out and began to take off.
"Hey, Jay...Yeah, she's fine… She actually woke up and is with the doctors now… I think visiting would do wonders for her… I'll swing back around when I can… Right, see ya." His feathers shuffled in the wind as he took off towards the meeting place Dabi had texted him. Surprisingly, the villain seemed to be more open with him after tagging along to save his secretary. The meeting went off without a hitch and Dabi seemed to be more open to him meeting Shigaraki than before. His secretary should get into trouble more often.
It was night by the time Hawks made it back to Kyushu. The city always looked so beautiful at night. The lights dancing off the buildings giving the streets below a warm glow to them. The crisp air flowed through his wings as he shifted his feathers letting the air glide through them. Night flying was his favorite pastime. He hummed in appreciation at the sensation when his headphones buzzing to life broke him of his thoughts.
"Hawks? Can you hear me?" Jay's deep voice filtered through the headphones.
"Loud and clear, Jay. What's up?"
" Yuri was at Kyushu General Hospital right?"
"Yes, why?" This didn't sound good.
"They have no record of her ever being there," Jay said, "I know we visited her there but when we went to her room it was already cleared out."
"I was just there this morning. That makes no sense," Hawks furrowed his brows as he commanded his wings to take him faster, "I'll head over there now."
"We'll meet you there!" Hawks swooped into a landing a few minutes later in front of the hospital. He shouldn't have left her alone. He had a feeling something was wrong but he let it go and now she was gone.
"Where is Yuri Hirano?" Hawks demanded as he stationed himself in front of the nurse's desk.
"Hawks?" One of the nurses gasped.
"Where is my secretary? She was here this morning and now my sidekicks are saying she was never a patient here," Hawks' eyes hardened, "Where is she?"
"Let me see," The nurse frantically typed away at the computer, "I'm sorry, I don't have any file regarding anyone under that name. Do you know if she has any other name or if the spelling is different?"
"No, she was in room 587D this morning," Hawks leaned across the counter. The nurse typed something else in.
"Oh, it looks like there was a patient in that room under the name Herja? Harja?" The nurse' stumbled at the foreign name, "She was transferred to a private care facility earlier today under the Hero Commission's orders."
"Does it say where?"
"It doesn't, I'm sorry," The nurse shook his head. Hawks swore as he stomped outside. How could a hospital just let a patient disappear like that?
"Hawks!" Mockingbird jogged up to him with Jay and Aiko following close behind, "Any news?"
"The Hero Commission had her moved," Hawks answered.
"Why would they do that? She's not a hero," Aiko questioned.
"How should I know? She's not an employee under me but them," Hawks snapped.
"Whoa man, calm down!" Jay stepped in front of Aiko.
"She's hiding something and she won't tell me!" Hawks growled, "I'm going to go ask the president." Hawks took off without another word. Leaving his sidekicks on the ground below him, more confused and a little annoyed than before.
The president was stonewalling him. All the bogus excuses of having meetings and being too busy to listen to his request. No one would help him. It had been a couple of days and he was no closer to finding Yuri. Hawks let out a low growl as the receptionist at the Commission informed him that the president was out for the day and it was unknown when she would return. His feathers fluffed at his ire as he made his way back to his agency. Mockingbird and Jay were still a little cold to him after snapping at Aiko but they had been trying to help look for the young secretary the best way they could.
"Why are they being so difficult!" Hawks gritted his teeth in frustration, "She's mine!' His talon clicked together as they tore through his gloves. Hawks swore as he flung the offensive garment from his person having it land on a balcony below him. 'God, what is wrong with me?' Hawks groused flying down to pick up his now tethered glove. His head throbbed as a migraine made itself known. He hadn't felt this aggravated since high school.
"Hawks?" a familiar voice spoke softly to him. Hawks looked up catching the tired brown eyes of his secretary. Suddenly, the balcony he had landed on became much more familiar. This was Yuri's apartment. Had he really flown here without knowing it?
"Hawks? Are you okay?" Yuri cracked open the sliding door to the balcony.
"Yuri? You're okay!" Hawks exclaimed, jumping up and catching her in a tight hug. His arms wrapped tightly around her and his wings followed closely behind. Her scent flooded his nose as he buried his face in her wild hair, "Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"I apologize for any inconvenience my absence may have caused you," Yuri made to take a step back but Hawks pushed her back into his arms tightly with his wings, "The Hero Commission thought it best if I recover in private."
"Don't you dare lie to me!" Hawks gripped her face between his hands, "They took you! I knew I shouldn't have left you! You look worse than you did in the hospital."
"I'm fine, Hawks," Yuri pushed against his chest, trying to free herself from his grasp, "I'll be back at work by this time next week." Hawks let her step back so he could gain a better look at her. Her curly red hair was a mess and her skin was paler than usual. There was a new pink scar that faintly went across her right cheek. Her eyes stood out to him. They were dark and sunken in with deep purple bags rimming them. They weren't her typical light brown he had grown so used to seeing in the past month. Yuri looked like she hadn't slept for days. Hawks could see a couple of bandages peeking out from underneath the sleeves of her grey sweater but otherwise, there were no other bandages present. 'That's weird, her arm wasn't hurt that far down and wasn't her nose broken? Where are all the bandages?' Hawks furrowed his brows.
"Yuri, what did they do?" Hawks asked softly, his eyes were focused on her left arm where the bandages covered her hand and most likely went further up. Yuri hunched in on herself tugging her sweater's sleeve down in an attempt to cover her hand. Hawks watched on as Yuri steadily avoided his gaze, but Hawks wasn't about to allow that. His right hand caught her left as he gripped her chin in his left. His eyes searched her, but there was no emotion in her eyes. It was like the lights had been turned out. Slowly, he inched her left sleeve up.