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“It won’t be long. I promise,” Keigo whispered softly as he held Izuku close. “The next Hero Rankings will be announced in six months. That’s plenty of time for the fastest hero in Japan,” he added with a wink.
Izuku chirped slightly in amusement, then nodded in agreement. “They’re going to stage your debut as much as possible. They’ll want to make it… memorable.”
Keigo gasped in mock astonishment, clutching his heart dramatically. “Are you saying I’m not memorable on my own?”
His brother rolled his eyes at his antics, before prodding Keigo’s shoulder to get him to turn around so that he could begin preening the bright red feathers.
“You know what I mean,” Izuku said with a slight tug on one of Keigo’s primaries. “They’re going to stack it, and refuse to send you backup, and plant media, and –“
Keigo gently whacked his overthinking brother on the side of his head with one of his wings. “Relax, chickadee. We’ve gone over this. I know what to expect.”
Izuku sighed but Keigo felt his brother’s wings twitch in agreement. The two of them were well aware of the Commission’s modus operandi. They had spent the past ten years honing the skill of predicting their handlers’ ways of thinking, and there was no doubt that they were planning to use the debut of Hawks to promote their training programs.
Plans were already in place for the Winged Hero Agency, and Hawks had orders to announce its opening during his debut. The two of them had spent the past year subtly maneuvering concessions with their supervisor to ensure that the brothers would have almost complete control over the management. They had already planted the idea that Izuku would excel in the administrative aspects, and the Commission had taken that idea and run with it, honing his skills in analysis and organization. His Provisional License Exam would take place in a few months and afterwards he would be allowed to officially be recognized as Hawks’ intern.
Keigo hated the idea of forcing his eleven-year-old brother to start working for him, but knew it was a necessary step in removing the HPSC’s control over their lives. They had yet to make any mention of Izuku moving out of the training facility once Keigo bought his apartment, but the brothers had several plans in motion already in the hopes that the Commission would suggest it themselves. They knew better than to let their handlers know when they wanted something.
One step at a time. First, Hawks needed to make his debut.
~⯎⭒⯎~
And he did.
~⯎⭒⯎~
“Involved in over thirty incidents today, solving the vast majority of them single-handedly, The Winged Hero: Hawks has flown in with an unprecedented debut. At only eighteen, this hero –“
“We’re here with The Winged Hero: Hawks, who has just made his spectacular debut –“
“And behind me, you’ll see the building that Hawks announced would become The Winged Hero Agency –“
Izuku suppressed a smile as his handlers flipped through the news channels covering Keigo. They had him taking notes on the media coverage online, but multi-tasking came second nature to both brothers (learning to control hundreds of feathers at once will do that to you). He had Hawks’ social media accounts already verified and was currently collecting the applications flooding in for the Agency.
He felt his phone vibrate and used a couple of feathers to hold it up so that he could continue working.
☆Bird Bros☆
BigBird: not bad for a days work if I do say so myself
littlebird: not bad at all
BigBird: on to step two
littlebird: good to go
“Falco, report.”
“Yes, sir. Hawks’ debut has received significant media coverage on all major news sites and is trending on most social media platforms. However, since his background is unknown there is a lot of confusion regarding his credentials. He’s getting a lot of questions posted to his socials about which UA Sports Festivals he was in and who he interned with.”
“Hm.” His handler frowned. “Ignore those. It will die down.”
It wouldn’t. They would make sure of that.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re dismissed. Report to Training Room Three for flight exercises.”
“Sir,” Izuku responded, packing up his phone and laptop.
They had started to crack open their cage, the Commission just didn’t know it yet.
~⯎⭒⯎~
By the time the Hero Billboard Chart Event rolled around, Hawks was exhausted. His first six months as a hero were… busy. He and Izuku had fully staffed their Agency’s PR and Support Departments but had held off on hiring any sidekicks until after Hawks’ Ranking was announced. Izuku had obtained his Provisional License and was officially listed as an intern, but Keigo refused to allow him to help with anything other than administrative duties. As such, Hawks handled any and all incidents that came through their Agency. And there were a lot.
A lot.
The Commission had handed the Agency’s management over to Hawks without too much issue. He and Izuku had counted on that, knowing how under-staffed the HPSC was. However, they seemed to believe that meant they could simply foist whatever tasks they didn’t have the manpower for over to the Winged Hero Agency for Hawks to take care of.
So. Hawks was exhausted.
But it had been worth it.
The Top 10.
Only six months after his debut.
On to step three.
~⯎⭒⯎~
“Hawks. Falco.”
“Sir,” the brothers responded simultaneously.
“Hawks’ recent approval ratings have seen a significant drop. Apparently, he is being seen as irresponsible and too immature to be holding a position in the Top 10. This must be corrected. As such, Falco.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You will be moving out of the training facility effective immediately. Hawks, you will take responsibility for your brother. You will schedule an exclusive interview with one of the Commission’s media reps where you will share the statement your handler will give you regarding how you have fought for custody and how hard you have worked to be able to provide your brother with a good home. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Falco, you will report to the Winged Hero Agency. You will continue with your regular training schedules and will return here for weekly assessments. Any questions?”
They knew the answer to that.
“No, sir.”
“Then you’re dismissed. Report to your handler for your interview statement.”
“Sir.”
~⯎⭒⯎~
Izuku felt like he had been holding his breath the entire flight from the HPSC facility to Keigo’s penthouse. He and Keigo hadn’t spoken a word since leaving the Commissioner’s office. It felt as though they were standing on the edge of a precipice, just waiting to fall off the edge.
But they had wings.
So they would fly instead.
They landed soundlessly on the balcony, exchanged a look, then hurried in through the door. They both sent feathers throughout the apartment searching for the telltale vibrations of audio bugs, but it didn’t seem like the Commission had had the time to replace the ones that Keigo destroyed when he moved in.
Their feathers reattached and the two of them stood staring at each other for a moment longer.
They’d done it.
Izuku gasped in a shaky breath then launched himself at Keigo, wrapping around him with legs and arms and wings. Keigo gripped him tightly with an arm under his legs, then ran his fingers through Izuku’s hair, cooing softly.
“I’ve got you, chicklet. We did it. We’re free.”
They weren’t, not completely at least, and Izuku and Keigo both knew that. But their cage had expanded significantly, and true freedom didn’t seem so far out of reach now.
The Commission had given in even faster than Izuku had predicted. He and Keigo had only had to live apart for eight months, and they hadn’t dared to hope that their handlers would allow Izuku to train at the Agency rather than returning to the HPSC facility every day. There would be a lot riding on the weekly assessments, but Izuku had been holding back in his training since Hawks debuted in order to facilitate the idea that he improved more when training with his brother, so it wouldn’t be difficult to pace his improvement at a rate the HPSC would find acceptable.
Hawks had been playing up his care-free, playboy persona even more than usual since the Hero Ranking Billboard, so the fact that the HPSC wanted to use Izuku as a course correction for Hawks’ image was expected and planned for. They knew the “custody” he had was not actual, legal custody, but the goal had been to make the Commission publicly admit to Izuku’s existence and connection to Hawks, as well as order them to live together again. Now any action taken on the part of the HPSC to separate the two of them would become too much of a public spectacle for them to risk. At least, that’s what they were hoping.
The Commission was smart and ruthless, and the brothers were well aware of that. But so were they. The HPSC had raised them to be so. And at the moment they held the advantage.
They just needed to keep it.