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He clenched his jaw, anxiety tightening in his chest as he stared up at the house towering before him. The sleek, modern design contrasted sharply with the shack he once called home, the sprawling yard and shady trees a world away from what he was used to. But it wasn’t the grandeur that made him hesitate.
No, it was the toys scattered across the yard that rooted him in place.
A scooter, bike, balls and even various hero figures were scattered all around the vast space. He couldn’t help it, naming all the different heroes in the little collection. They had most of the old top ten pros and he couldn’t help but smile as he spied the Endeavor figure. But that was before his eyes finally landed on miniature, plastic crimson wings and his stomach twisted so hard he nearly gagged.
This had been a fucking mistake.
He turned to leave, letting go of the worn wood gate when a small voice suddenly called out. “Hawks!”
He froze, breath hitching as the tiny voice echoed through the stillness. He shouldn’t turn around. He should just keep walking, leave the damn past behind him like he’d always done. No one needed to know he had been here; he didn’t have to face this, didn’t have to be that person anymore. His past could stay buried, where it belonged, far away from this place, far away from him…
Slowly, he turned back, his eyes sweeping the yard until they landed on a small figure standing in the doorway. A little boy, no older than five, with wide, curious gray-blue eyes and a smile that could light up a damn room. He was missing a tooth in the front, blonde hair wild and unruly as he clutched a plush hero toy to his chest, its red wings barely visible against his tiny frame.
How the hell was it possible they looked so much alike while being so different all at the same time?
The boy raced across the yard before Keigo could even lift a hand to wave, slamming into the gate in his excitement. Tiny arms and legs flailed as he scrambled to climb up, eager to peek over the top. When he finally managed it, his wide eyes lit up with pure excitement, his joy almost tangible. Keigo stood there, awkward and unsure, fumbling for the right words as the boy's enthusiasm washed over him.
“Ah,” the boy whispered in pure awe, reminding Keigo so much of himself as a child, watching Endeavor fight on TV. “You’re real! You’re really Hawks!”
Keigo’s mouth opened to reply, but his heart pounded in his ears, drowning out any words he tried to form. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good with kids—he was, after all, he interacted with them daily—but what the hell was he supposed to say to this boy? How could he even begin to explain the bond he hadn’t known they shared?
How was he supposed to explain that they were brothers? Did he already know?
Before he could utter a word, another voice rang out in panic, freezing him in place. His eyes widened as he heard it. “Kyugo!” A woman’s frantic cry cut through the air as she tore across the yard, reaching the gate in a heartbeat. With a fierce urgency, she scooped the boy up into her arms, pulling him away from the edge.
Keigo stood frozen, his heart twisting painfully as he watched her, the panic and concern etched into her features as she checked Kyugo over. The way she cradled him, the fear in her voice—it all hit him harder than he expected. “You don’t know this person! What have I told you about talking to strangers? They could take you away from me and—”
Her voice cut off abruptly as she finally turned to face him. Her blue-gray eyes widened in shock, the color draining from her face as she locked eyes with Keigo. Recognition flickered in her gaze, and for a moment, they both stood there, caught in the gravity of the moment, neither able to move or speak.
“Keigo…” The name slipped from her lips, so quiet he was sure Kyugo hadn’t caught it, but it was a small comfort to know that his mother at least remembered his name.
“Mommy,” Kyugo whispered excitedly, wriggling free from her arms as she took a deep breath, forcing a strained smile across her face. “Mommy, it’s Hawks! He’s really here!”
She knelt down, placing a trembling hand on Kyugo’s shoulder, her smile faltering as she glanced back at Keigo. The mix of emotions in her eyes was almost unbearable—relief, fear, and a sorrow so deep it felt like it would swallow them both whole. Keigo couldn’t tell if she was trying to protect Kyugo or herself, but either way, the wall between them was as solid as ever.
“It’s a little hard to recognize me without the wings, huh?” Keigo said, the words blurting out before he could stop them as a bitterness he didn’t really understand washed over him, “Though Fierce Wing’s wasn’t much of a quirk according to some people, so no real love lost there.”
His amber eyes immediately focused on his mother, not missing the way she flinched as if he’d physically slapped her. Kyugo frowned slightly, clutching the plush doll to his chest tightly before shaking his head in disagreement.
“No, that’s not true!” Kyugo protested, his voice rising with conviction. “Fierce Wings was a super cool quirk! It helped you fight All for One. I wasn’t born yet, but Mommy told me all the stories about how you saved people with feathers! You saved Japan.”
“Kyugo,” Tomie interrupted gently, drawing the boy’s attention back to her. “It’s time for you to go find your dad, okay?”
“But, Mommy—”
“Kyugo,” she repeated, this time more firmly, her floating eyes narrowing as they shifted dangerously around her. “Go inside and find your father.”
“You should listen to your mother,” Keigo added warmly, crouching down to peer at his brother through the fence. His suit pants felt uncomfortably tight in the crouched position, and in moments like these, he missed his hero costume the most. “But it was nice to meet you, Kyugo. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Kyugo gave him an excited smile before tearing back through the yard towards the house, screaming for his father. Tomie watched him go, the warmth in her expression making Keigo’s stomach twist in a way he hated. It had been years, he’d moved past this.
So why’d he feel so fucking angry?
“Oh, Keigo,” Tomie whispered softly, unlatching the gate and taking a hesitant step toward him. He instinctively stepped back, his body tense, not sure he wanted her touch. She paused, her hand hovering in the air before she pulled it back, shuffling awkwardly as his glare hardened.
“It’s good to see you, son,” she added after a beat, but the bitter snort that escaped him was anything but welcoming.
“Is it?” He asked her, his teeth grinding together as he struggled to keep his breaths even. He had made a clean break years ago, this shouldn’t be bothering him. What did it matter if he had everything that Keigo didn’t? What did it matter if he had a loving family and would never become a child soldier? Those were good things…
He should just be fucking happy this child had a loving family.
“Of course it is,” She breathed, taking a step forward as he clenched his fists. “I missed you. I wanted to reach out, but I didn’t know how.”
Keigo tried to push down the suffocating bitterness clawing at his chest, but it refused to fade. Instead, it roared louder with every heartbeat, every stolen glance at the house and the toys scattered across the yard. He looked back at his mother, the familiar ache rising in his throat, choking him.
“Does he know? Does he know he’s my brother?” Keigo asked bluntly, his voice cutting through the quiet like a blade. His fists clenched at his sides, the tension radiating through him almost unbearable.
Tomie flinched at the question, her mouth opening and closing without a sound.
"Keigo… please. Don’t do this."
“Does. He. Know?” Keigo repeated, enunciating each word with a slow, deliberate precision, the pain in his chest deepening. He hated that his voice wavered, that his resolve was already starting to slip.
She looked away, her lips trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself. "No… he doesn’t. Not everything. He’s too young for the truth."
Keigo’s breath hitched, anger flashing hot across his face before he could even stop it. “Of course, he doesn’t. Why the fuck would he? You wouldn’t dare let him know the truth, would you? Not about where I came from, not about how I was sold like some goddamn tool—”
“Keigo!” Tomie’s voice cracked, the anguish clear in her tone. “I never wanted that life for you. I didn’t know—”
“Oh come on. Don’t lie, you never wanted me,” he cut her off, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he glared at her, the dam holding back years of pain finally starting to give way. “I was the same age as him when you told me you didn’t know why I was born! I was his age when you sold me! Was I not young enough? Not good enough to save?"
The words tore out of him, his chest heaving as he fought against the sob that threatened to escape. His throat felt raw, his vision blurred as he blinked back the hot tears building up. He hated this—hated how much power she still had over him.
Tomie’s face twisted in agony, her own tears streaming down her cheeks. “Keigo, I was scared! We were on the run after your father. I was desperate—”
“You didn’t even care!” His voice cracked, a sob finally breaking free as he took a step backwards. “You didn’t care what happened to me, didn’t care who I’d become. I was just… I was nothing to you. Nothing.”
The silence between them was suffocating, each second dragging out painfully as Keigo’s tears fell in steady, silent streams. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her—couldn’t bear the sight of her breaking down in front of him, her face buried in her hands. The image of her weeping should have stirred something in him, some kind of sympathy, but all he felt was a hollow ache gnawing at his insides.
His mind raced, a storm of questions and doubts swirling in his head. What the hell was his end game? What had he expected to gain from all this? Closure? Forgiveness? The bitter satisfaction of seeing her face her guilt?
None of it made sense now that he was standing there, broken and raw, his past ripped wide open for them both to see.
Why the hell had he even come? Why had he opened this can of worms, knowing damn well it would only tear at the scars he’d spent years pretending didn’t exist?
Maybe it had been morbid curiosity. A part of him had always wondered—was she capable of being a mother? Could she love someone the way she’d never loved him? Could she give Kyugo what she’d denied him?
But now, staring at her trembling form, Keigo wasn’t sure he wanted the answers anymore. He certainly had no interest in entertaining her attempts at an apology. He didn’t want a relationship with his mother, especially not after all this.
No.
He wanted a relationship with him.
He’d never been one to focus on the next generation. Training, mentoring, guiding them—it had always felt like someone else’s responsibility. He was too busy with his own battles, too wrapped up in the chaos of his life to worry about what came after. That was until he met Fumikage. One teenager had somehow shifted Keigo’s entire perspective on everything.
In Fumikage, he saw potential. He saw the future—something worth nurturing, worth…protecting. And for the first time, he realized that helping the next generation wasn’t just an obligation. It was a chance to give them something he never had. To guide them, not as the Commission had done with him obviously. But with trust, care, and understanding.
Something he could never believe his mother was capable of—ever.
“I want him,” he said, his voice sharper than he intended as he turned to face her. “He deserves everything—everything I never had. The best education, a real shot at life. I want to know him. I want my brother.”
“You can’t take him!” she cried out suddenly, her fingers clutching desperately at his suit jacket. “Please don’t take him from me. I’m better now. I got help, I’m on medication. His father is a good man—he has a good life here. Don’t take my baby.”
Her voice cracked, the raw fear in her words tightening around his heart like a vice, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he stood there, stiff and unmoving, struggling to process the mess of emotions swirling inside him.
He’d been her baby once too…
“That’s not what I meant,” he said, his voice low and strained as he forced back the fresh wave of tears threatening to spill. His fists clenched at his sides, nails biting into his palms as he tried to keep himself steady. “I’m not here to take him away from you.”
Her grip on his jacket loosened, but she didn’t let go completely. Her eyes were wide, rimmed with the same fear that had clung to her voice. “Then…what do you want?”
Keigo swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words—words that wouldn’t make him sound like the bitter, broken man he felt he’d become. “I just… I want to know him,” he said quietly, almost to himself. “I want to be a part of his life, not just some distant stranger. He’s my family… he’s my brother. You owe me that.” His voice grew sharper, the raw ache beneath it impossible to ignore. “You owe me the chance to have some kind of family somewhere. Because it sure as hell isn’t with you.”
Tomie flinched, her grip on his jacket finally slipping away as if his words had cut right through her. Keigo’s heart hammered in his chest, guilt and resentment mixing in a way that made him feel sick, but he couldn’t stop. Not now. He’d buried all of this for too long.
“You had your chance to be my mother,” he continued, his voice shaking slightly. “And you threw it away. You let the Commission take me like I was nothing. But I’m not nothing, and neither is Kyugo.”
Keigo took a deep breath, stepping back from her, shoving his hands into his pockets to steady himself. “Three times a week,” he said, his voice firm but controlled. “A Commission car will come by after school to pick him up. I won’t tell him who I really am. I’ll just be Hawks. But, I’ll take him to the park, grab ice cream, whatever he wants to do. I’ll have him back before bed. No interruptions, no drama—just time with my brother.”
“O-okay,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she finally let go of his jacket, her hands falling limply to her sides. “He loves you so much already even though he doesn’t know who you really are. He will be so excited to spend time with you.”
Keigo held her gaze for a moment longer and Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away. His steps were slow but deliberate, like each one was taking more effort than it should. He’d gotten what he came for, but the hollow ache in his chest told him it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
“I really do love you, Keigo.” His mother spoke, freezing him in place as he kept his eyes firmly ahead of him, his jaw clenched tightly as his hands balled into fists in his pockets. “I love you just as much as I love him. I’ll always be proud you’re my son.”
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue walking toward the Commission car parked at the corner, each step heavier than the last. The soft sounds of his mother’s sobs echoed behind him, but he kept his eyes forward, willing himself not to turn back. His heart ached with a loss he couldn’t fully comprehend, a hollow emptiness that gnawed at him in ways he hadn’t expected.
But maybe—just maybe—one day, he might actually believe she was telling him the truth.