Chapter 4:
After working on Mirko for a total of 4 hours, Yaeko had had to sit down for a minute to get her bearings. It had been almost 4 years since she had last used her quirk, so it didn't come as a surprise when she started feeling the drawbacks almost immediately.
At first it had felt good to use her quirk, it brought her a sense of a fulfillment to repair the damage to Mirko's stomach and ribs. The feeling was almost like stretching a stiff muscle that hadn't been used in a long time.
The minute she stopped her quirk though, she began feeling its effects on her body. Her body suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and then there was the dull ache in her abdomen. Another drawback of her quirk was the phantom pains she would get in her body that mirrored that of who she treated. The best way to handle the drawbacks was to sleep and eat to regain her energy.
However, when the Rabbit hero had come out of surgery and given her consent to work on her leg, she had spent another 2 hours doing a full work up and blood tests. Reparation is much easier than reconstructing, as the latter required a much more delicate touch. One wrong move and she could accidentally destroy a major artery and the patient could die from blood loss.
Not only that, despite successfully reconstructing a limb, there was always the chance the body could reject it, almost like a transplant. Having to chop off the decaying limb in those cases, was often more traumatic than losing it the first time.
Yaeko made sure to emphasize this to the Rabbit hero as she went about her examination. Of course, the woman was fearless and had said she would take the risk. It wasn't often that second chances came knocking. Yaeko found herself admiring the hero, who she got to know through the course of the two hours she worked with her.
Mirko was surprised to learn that she was only a year older than her and promised to treat Yaeko to a drink to celebrate a successful reconstruction surgery. Yaeko couldn't help but smile at Mirko's confidence in her, even after getting briefed on her past.
Once she had completed the exam and finished up her meticulous notes, she had scheduled Mirko to come back within a week for a follow up. Depending on how her results came back, they would then determine when to move forward with the reconstruction surgery. Only once the hero had left, did Yaeko relax and that was when the exhaustion and pain hit her at once. But she had promised Noriko that they would stay with her to help her settle in before they went their separate ways.
It had been a struggle to stay upright the entire time and then go through a second welcoming tour when they reached Hawks agency. Akari hadn't been surprised when she immediately claimed a room and went to sleep. Her sister had known the only reason Yaeko had last as long as she had was because of the hearty meal they had for dinner.
Yet, despite the exhaustion, the excitement of being released and returning to working in a hospital, hadn't let her sleep in. So here she was already dressed and ready to head to the hospital even though she didn't have to go in for another 2 hours.
It had ended up being a good thing though because she hadn't gotten a chance to unpack and arrange her room yesterday. She appreciated the early hour even more when she realized she now had to worry about choosing what to wear, no longer forced to wear the hideous prison uniform.
Fortunately, Akari had already began restocking her wardrobe a few months ago. Her sister having said that she had been preparing for when Yaeko was finally released, wanting her to have a nice welcome home surprise. That and she couldn't stop herself from impulsively buying things she thought Yaeko would like.
Sorting through the clothes, she was grateful her sister had picked clothes in a variety of dark colors. And in a complete opposite from the standard white of the uniform she had worn previously, Yaeko had chosen an all-black outfit for her first day. She looked her skinny fit trousers, a silk sleeveless blouse and 5-inch heels over in the mirror, frowning when she realized the color made the paleness in her face stand out even more.
"You look like you've crawled through hell and back." Akari's bright voice rang throughout the room, catching Yaeko off guard. She looked up to glare at her sister through the vanity mirror.
"As always, you flatter me with your honesty." Yaeko snarked, going back to the final touches to her appearance.
Akari laughed in response, pushing off her perch against the doorframe and coming closer to examine her sisters face closely. "You're gonna wanna put some makeup on to hide the paleness in your face. It's been a while since you've used your quirk, and no doubt you overused it with Mirko yesterday. Don't deny it, I saw the way you were swaying when we were leaving the hospital. And then how you almost fell over when we were helping Noriko set up her suite."
She winced as she remembers her almost fall while trying to hang the fairy lights above the bed. "I'm not wearing makeup." Yaeko muttered, running a brush through her hair.
Satisfied with how she looked, despite her paleness, Yaeko turned to face her sister, eyebrows raising as she took in her outfit. She was wearing baggy cargo style joggers, her usual combat boots and a form fitting sports jacket. The jacket was zipped all the way to the top and her thumbs were hooked through the designated holes in the sleeves.
"I'm supposed to pick up my hero suit later this morning." Was all she said as an explanation, turning to leave the room.
"Understandable, but it's like 100 degrees out there, and that's not your usual fashion choice." Yaeko's lips twitched in amusement, following her sister.
Despite the comment, she knew that due to their quirk, they were able to regulate their body temperature without a problem. Stepping out into the living room she watched as Akari picked up her nearly empty duffel bag before picking up the brief case she had picked for Yaeko to use for work. She held it out for her to take, a playful smiling lighting up her face.
"I'm a walking thermostat." She said breezily. "Plus, Endeavor let it slip that Hawks didn't read my file when he accepted me into the agency. It does no harm in building the suspense before I show off my quirk."
"You do love your games. But are you sure that's the only reason?" Yaeko asked, taking her brief case and double checking she had her tablet and files inside.
Last night she had started going through the files on her patients, focusing especially on Shota Aizawa- hero name Eraserhead. They had informed her that he would be her top priority, and as she had leafed through the file, she easily saw why. His quirk was amazing and would be their best weapon for when Shigaraki resurfaces.
"Maybe… Tattoos aren't exactly accepted amongst Japanese society as much as it is in the States." Akari shrugged and rolled her eyes.
"Who gives a fuck? Your tattoos aren't just badass because of your quirk, the artwork is exquisite." Yaeko shot back, glaring at Akari as she strolled out of the apartment.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just rather avoid the unnecessary comments from the less open-minded people." Akari waved it off casually before switching topics. "What about you? You ready for today?"
Akari's tone changed from its usual breezy, easy-going tone to serious. Raising an eyebrow, Yaeko to look up at her sister questioningly. The teasing light in her eyes was gone, replaced with an intense look her sister didn't often sport. It was easy to forget how mature Akari was because of her playful nature.
"Of course, I am." Yaeko smiled gently, moving to pull on her sister's braid. Akari yelped and flailed dramatically, her hand flying out to smack her older sister's shoulder in retaliation. "Don't worry about me Kiri, I'm happy to be back with you two. What about you? Are you happy? You didn't really say much about all of this."
"There isn't anything to say Yaya. Does the hero commission suck ass because they enjoy manipulating and ruining peoples' lives? Sure. But I'm happy that you're finally out of that shit hole and back with us." Akari responded sincerely, tossing her arms around Yaeko, pulling her along with her to the front door. "Now I get to have breakfast with you before work, drag our little sister to the hospital to bring you lunch and annoy you to no end. Just like old times." She laughed happily, making Yaeko smile back genuinely as they stumbled their way out the apartment.
The rest of the walk down from the housing section of the agency to the dinning area, was full of them throwing back and forth ideas about her patients. She often did this with Akari, as she had a decent amount of medical knowledge.
Most of it, she had picked up from the times they went to work with their father, further expanding her knowledge from helping Yaeko cram for her exams. And since she would be seeing two of her patients for consultations, one having been made a top priority, she wanted her sister's input.
By the time they had finished their breakfast, Akari felt more confident about how she was going to handle her workload. Satisfied that her sister was more relaxed now, Akari left the table to get them another cup of coffee for them both. Yaeko enjoyed the quiet, lost deep in her thoughts, when two figures approached their table.
Hawks had finally returned to the agency and had stopped by the dining area to grab something to eat and find his pupil. A quick survey around the room had him do a double take when his eyes landed on a new face in the crowd. Recognizing her from her file, he had turned abruptly to walk over to the table she was sitting at. Having seen him enter the room, his pupil had followed after him, knowing the pro had a job ready for him.
"Good morning, Dr. Imai it is a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for not being here when you arrived yesterday evening." Hawks smiled charmingly at her, appreciating how much more beautiful she was in person.
He had met his fair share of beautiful women, but Yaeko Imai's good looks were far superior. His curiosity only peaked when, unlike most women, she simply blinked up at him. Most of the female population automatically swooned when he so much as looked at them. It wasn't everyday a woman, a gorgeous one at that, was unbothered by him.
Yaeko gave her host a single look over, completely unfazed by his charming smile. "Good morning, and please, there is no need to apologize for your absence. I am sure that there are better things the number 2 hero could be doing rather than run a welcoming committee. If anything, I should be thanking you for receiving us into your agency and for accepting my sister into your agency."
The pro hero sobered up at the last part, his smile dimming slightly. "Please do not thank me, it is the least I can do to assist your transition back into Japan. And, though I have yet to see it, I have heard your sister is a promising hero." Shaking his head, and resuming his wide smile, he stepped aside to give her a better view of the young man behind him. "Sorry, where are my manners, this here is Fumikage Tokoyami. He is a student at UA high who is completing his work study with me. He will also be escorting you to and from the hospital today."
"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Yaeko Imai. Thank you for accompanying me today, Tokoyami. If you have already had breakfast and are ready, we can leave after my sister gets back." Tokoyami looked a little flustered from being addressed so directly by the beautiful woman but nodded his affirmation.
"The pleasure is mine, Dr. Imai. I am ready to leave when you are." The young man bowed his head formally, addressing her as Hawks had.
Beside him, Hawks had begun glancing around at the mention of her sister being around. "Your sister is here with you? I would like to meet her properly before taking her to learn the patrol route she will be assigned to."
Yaeko opened her mouth to reply when, as if summoned by the devil, Akari appeared behind Tokoyami. When she caught her sister eyeing the boy with a glint in her eyes, she couldn't help cursing under her breath. If there was one thing Akari loved doing most, it was fucking around. No doubt the peculiarity of the boy's appearance, and the fact that he was casually hanging around their table, caught her attention.
"Well, aren't you impressive? Tell me do you have wings hidden beneath that cape? Or do you have wings instead of arms?" Akari asked with a playful smile, leaning closer to him.
Both were the same height, putting them at the same eye level, so her face was very close to his when she did so. The boy was so flustered by her proximity, that he struggled to try and reply.
"N-no?" Was all he managed to get out, his eyes blown wide, though it came out sounding like a question.
"Akari, mind your manners" Yaeko scolded with a sighed, standing up to pull her back from the poor boy before he combusted. But just before she could grab her sister, Akari stepped back with a shrug, the teasing smile never leaving her face.
"Alright, alright, my bad. I didn't mean any harm" She laughed, turning to hand Yaeko her coffee. She took it with a roll of her eyes, before turning back to Hawks.
"Hawks, this is my sister, Akari Imai." Yaeko introduced, turning to look at the pro-hero who was staring at Akari with darkening, half lidded eyes.
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, having to hide her smirk discreetly with her hand. It was amusing to see the pro-hero so entranced with her sister. The flirty smile he had sent her when he first approached screamed Casanova. Tough luck Hawks, Akari's a femme fatale, she thought looking over at her sister, who looked at him with the same interest reflected in her eyes.
"Nice to meet you Hawks-san." Akari said politely bowing her head in greeting. When he didn't respond, she lifted her head to look at him, cocking her head in confusion. Noticing he seemed to be a bit dazed, her eyes lit up with smug amusement. Yaeko was sure she was going to comment on it but was surprised when Akari turned her amused glance towards Tokoyami. "And you are?"
"F-fumikage Tok-koyami." The boy choked out, his cheeks pink despite the dark plumage covering his face. Yaeko was almost certain the boy was going to become a puddle on the floor soon enough, so she decided to save him.
"Tokoyami will be my escort for the day, which reminds me." She reached over to grab her briefcase. "We should head out; I want to prep for my first patient of the day. Be on your best behavior Akari." She warned her sister while simultaneously shoo-ing Tokoyami's attempt to take her briefcase from her. The boy was a sweet gentleman, but her bag was hardly heavy enough to warrant him carrying it for her.
"I'm always on my best behavior sister Yaya." Akari's eyes twinkled with mischief, earning herself a scoff. Yaeko didn't bother saying anything else to her, knowing she would probably just end up giving her ideas.
"It was nice meeting you Hawks. Please take care of my sister." With that she was striding across the dinning area with Tokoyami following closely behind.
Her sudden departure with his pupil finally seemed to snap him out of his stupor. Hawks turned to watch them leave for a moment, before turning to the stunning woman next to him. While he had known that Yaeko was a beauty, her sister had caught him off guard.
Akari looked almost identical to her older sister, except her eyes were a gold-blue mix and her hair was a dark blue color that was currently pulled back into a fancy braid. From the strands that framed her face, he could tell her hair was curly as opposed to her sister's wavy hair. And while Yaeko was a slender curvy type, Akari had a smaller waist and wider hips.
Realizing he was staring, he gave her his best smile, the one he used on his fans, and had attempted to use on Yaeko earlier.
"Have you been able to settle in alright? I apologize for not being here to give you a proper welcome tour to the agency." God, if he thought she was beautiful with that playful smirk, it was nothing compared to when she smiled genuinely.
"There's no need to apologize, it's understandable that the number 2 hero was busy. One of your sidekicks gave us a tour before dinner. I'm horrible with names so I can't even recall his right now." She said sheepishly, glancing around, almost as if she were looking for the sidekick before seeming to give up. Her gold-blue eyes focused back on him, and all traces of playfulness was gone. It threw him off to see her switch up so suddenly. "But I would like to thank you for giving me a chance to join your agency. You didn't have to do that, I'm sure the hero commission could have thrown me in anywhere. What with the shortage of heroes, I doubt there was any place that wouldn't have accepted me."
He was moved by the sincerity in her voice and had to clench his fists in order to hold back the sudden anger that came over him. Every time he remembered what her family was put through, he was overwhelmed with rage.
"Please do not thank me for doing the bare minimum Miss Imai. None of this should have happened to your family, your sister especially." Surprise shone in her eyes, as if she hadn't expected that honesty from him. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off abruptly.
"Miss Imai!" Both jumped at the sudden interruption.
Turning to see who called her name she saw the sidekick that had shown them around yesterday. Almost as if seeing his face was the trigger she needed, she was able to remember his name.
"Kenji Tanaka, was it?" She asked, smiling when he blushed and nodded. He looked to be around her age, handsome with a muscular build and medium height. He was a couple inches shorter than Hawks, but still taller than her. "How can I help you?" Her head tilted in an adorable way, making Hawks' heart flutter.
"I was told your hero suit is ready for pick up. I can take you to pick it up if you don't remember the way." He offered; his gaze solely focused on her. That bothered Hawks in a way that he couldn't even comprehend. Without even thinking twice about it, he stepped forward, interrupting.
"I can do that, thank you Tanaka. I was going to join Miss Imai on her patrol today to show her how the rounds worked." As if just realizing he was there, Tanaka looked over to the pro-hero in surprise.
"Of course, Hawks-san, in that case I'll go ahead and finish up yesterday's report. I'll see you later Miss Imai."
No, you will not, Hawks thought irritably before realizing he was scowling. He watched as Akari said goodbye to one of his best sidekicks, who most certainly did not deserve to be on the receiving end of his irritation, before stepping aside to guide her to the tailoring department.
"Thank you for offering to take me Hawks-san." Akari smiled, moving to leave the dining area after he motioned for her to go first. "It's incredible how fast they were able to get it done so quick." He liked having his own team of tailors and hero support experts in agency to prioritize his team's needs, and to coordinate color schemes of each team.
"I took the idea from Best Jeanist, since I often have to have my clothes tailored to best fit my wings." He responded easily, putting his hands in his pockets as they strolled through the halls. From the corner of his eye, he saw her look over at him, examining his wings as they walked.
"They can't be retracted into your back then?" Akari was very temped to reach out and touch his wings, but that would be highly inappropriate.
She settled for simply examining them with her eyes. They weren't very big, in fact they looked like cherub angel wings. She frowned slightly, thinking back to old news coverage where he was featured in, and could distinctly remember him having larger wings.
"No, they're always out, though right now they look a bit pitiful. I can barely fly with them, but it will get easier once they grow a bit more." He laughed, which transformed his already handsome face.
"Were they damaged in the last battle?" She asked surprised, her eyes flicking between his face and his wings.
She vaguely remembered him being part of the national hero press conference to explain what had happened. She had been reeling from the news about Midnight but did recall him being banged up and his wings nowhere in sight.
"Yes, they were badly burned in the battle and have been slow growing back. Usually, they would have fully grown back by now, but most of my back had been severely burned. Those wounds had to heal first before they could even start coming back in. It's a miracle they were able to grow back at all, honestly." His smile dimmed as he got lost in his thoughts.
"I can't imagine what you all lived through during those days." Akari murmured softly, looking ahead instead of the hero. "We've always kept up with news from Japan, mostly to keep up with Nemuri-Sempai's hero career. So, we were watched it live… it was horrible, feeling so useless. But even so, there was nothing we could have done had we been here. It must have been a million times worse for you heroes. And then, when they gave the names of the fallen …" her voice became hoarse, and Hawks knew it was because she was remembering Midnight.
"I'm sorry you couldn't be here with her." He said softly as they entered the elevator. Akari let out a strangled laugh, her hand brushing her eyes to clear away the tears.
"You lived through the worst battle in all of Japan's history, lost so many comrades, and nearly lost your wings, yet you're apologize to me." She laughed a little more, shaking her head in disbelief.
"You've also experienced your own hardships, Miss Imai." He responded softly,
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and cocked her head back to look at him. It amazed him that when she sent him a playful smirk, even if her eyes were red from crying.
"You're too kind Hawks-san, and not what I imagined you would be for the number two hero."
"I hope that is a good thing." He responded with a flirty smile making her laugh again. He felt himself preening at the thought that he had cheered her up from their depressing conversation.
"Yes, it is. I don't know how I would have been able to deal if you were as stoic as Endeavor-san. I tried to make that man laugh the entire time we were with him, and I don't think he even cracked a smile." She shook her head still smiling, feeling herself beginning to relax after the taxing conversation. The elevator door opened to the tailoring department and her smile faded as wonder clouded her features.
"I don't think the man is capable of laughing." Hawks chuckled, allowing her to step out first.
He walked her to the front station and waited while she gave her credentials to the Nanami, one of the assistant tailors. After typing into the computer for a second, she nodded in confirmation before pulling Akari towards the dressing rooms. Hawks bit back a laugh at the baffled look on her face as she was towed away.
"Don't change out of your uniform, we'll be heading out right away!"
Akari heard him but couldn't respond since a suitcase was shoved so hard into her chest, she was fell through a curtain and into a decently sized dressing room. Her mouth dropped open in shock, hands still holding her suitcase to her chest as she looked around the room.
"Please let me know if there are any adjustments that need to be made!" A voice called from the other side of the curtain before she heard the rushed footsteps of the woman retreating.
Akari had to shake herself to clear her shock before putting the suitcase down on the bench and opening it. Her eyebrows shot up and had to contain a squeal of excitement. Her suit looked way better than it had back in high school, and she could help but stare at it in awe after pulling it out of the case.
Her hero suit was generally the same concept as when she first designed it. It consisted of a unitard short romper with an open back and low dipped cleavage. But the color scheme had been changed from its all-black color. Now there were blue and gold-colored trimmings outlining the shape, matching the color of the utility belt. The steel-toed boots and knee pads were still its original black, except the soles of the boots had been changed to include the same blue-gold pattern.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, she started stripping to change into her uniform, noting how perfectly it all fit. Once fully dressed, she looked in the mirror to double check everything was good before turning back to the case. She peered inside to see if they had included anything else, nearly giving in to the urge to scream in excitement when she noticed that they had even included an upgraded version of her tattoo gun. It was smaller than the one she had used years ago, and the design matched her entire suit. There were three guns included, she imagined were meant to be back ups in case she broke one during a fight.
She grinned excitedly and she grabbed the ink vials to fill up with a bottle of her special ink she pulled out from her duffel bag and filled them up. She had a few spares, which she figured she could fill up with her own blood later. She packed the vials and two tattoo guns into her utility belt, adding some paint brushes from her duffel bag just in case.
As she finished stocking up her belt, she realized there was another smaller case left over and a small booklet. Grabbing both she flipped the booklet open only to realize it was an instruction manual. It was straight forward and things she already knew from her previous experience with her hero support items.
She was about to close the book and open the case when she reached a page filled with instructions of a new item. They were needles that she could insert a vial into and use to extract her blood with. Her jaw dropped as she looked down at the case in her other hand. This would make it so much easier if she were to run out of her ink mid fight.
"This is fucking insane." Her voice was barely audible as she opened the case and examined the needles.
It was no secret that hero support items were always improving, and new gadgets were constantly being made to better help heros, but this was a different level. She never imagined they would have paid attention to every little detail of her quirk and notes she had made when designing her suit years ago. Those notes were so outdated she had expected them to miss a few things.
"How's everything? Did your suit fit good?" The loud voice had startled Akari so much she almost dropped the case and its contents.
She put a couple into another one of the pockets of her utility belt, before quickly shoving her clothes and everything else into her duffel bag. When everything was packed away, she threw the curtain open and smiled widely at the woman.
"Everything is perfect, you guys outdid yourselves!" The woman's lips twitched as she made a motion with her finger to indicate Akari to spin for her. Following her directive, Akari allowed the woman to examine her completely, double checking the measurements before nodding in approval.
"Good, our biggest concern was making sure that the tattoos you had were easily accessible." The woman kept eyeing the suit as if expecting there to be an imperfection. Akari had checked for that first, wanting to make sure the wings on her back were perfectly exposed, otherwise they would tear her suit apart.
The romper was also designed without sleeves, since she had a capture weapon tattoo that ran the length of her right arm, wrapping around her wrist and bled onto her palm. On her other arm she had a shield tatted on her outer forearm with a piece of it going across her palm as well. On her chest he had a medium sized dagger that started at the top of her sternum and trailed down between her breasts.
She had two more tattoos on either thigh as well, which was part of the reason she had designed her suit as a romper instead of a full bodysuit. The other reason was because the rest of her legs were left as a blank canvas should she have need of anything else.
She didn't always need to tattoo herself to be able to use her quirk, which was why she also carried around the paint brushes. Since her creations' quality depended a lot on the medium used as well as the canvas, it was best to use her own body. Her biggest strength was being able to manipulate her own body molecules better than foreign molecules, unlike Yaeko who was the opposite.
"Okay, everything seems to be good, you can go ahead and take your things to the locker room before your patrol. Your locker number is the same as the number on the case of your hero suit, to unlock it use your agency ID. And any repairs that need to be made to your suit can be done same day, depending on the damage. If it will take longer, then we always have a spare on hand."
"Thank you…?" Akari trailed off as she realized she never got the woman's name.
"Oh, I'm sorry I've been so busy running around that I forgot my manners. I'm Nanami Ikeda, please call me Nana." She smiled sheepishly, bowing her head.
"Thank you very much Nana-san!" Akari picked up her things and walked back out to the front where Hawks was waiting. He was occupying his time scrolling through his phone and didn't hear her approach until she was beside him.
"Everything to your liking Miss-?" His voice caught in his throat once he lifted his gaze from his phone to take Akari's hero suit. While her previous attire had been quiet flattering on her, did not compare to her suit.
It molded to her curves perfectly, the hem ending high on her thighs and a low cut that exposed her cleavage in a mouthwatering way. The tattoos that had been previously hidden from view did nothing but enhance her looks by adding an edge he hadn't realize she had until now.
"You're tailoring and support team are out of this world Hawks-san!" Her excited comment brought him back to the present conversation.
She was smiling brightly up at him, which did not help him as he seemed to remain tongue tied. Much to his irritation, it was a state he was constantly finding himself in when he was around her.
"I am glad everything was to your liking! I'll show you to the locker rooms where you can set your things until the end of your patrol!" He turned swiftly, to avoid her seeing the inner battle.