1 out of 5 //A Todoroki Family Story//

9

I spent the next week of my nightly patrols looking for any piece of evidence of the LOV. Its like they've left the city. They're nowhere.

They aren't even making big news right now. There haven't been spotting of the league in two weeks.

On top of any of that the media has been extra fiesty outside of the Hawks agency. Its one in the afternoon and I'm a bit late coming in but its not like I'm getting any sleep anyway. I'm always here late.

I walk towards the door, my mask already clipped to my face, hiding most of it. A woman shoves a puffed microphone in my face. "Are you Hawk's sidekick?"

"No. Now let me past," I scoff. Can you tell I hate the media?

"Aren't you Mercury?" Another asks.

"Yes," I try to move through the crowd more.

"What can you say about Hawks?" A few ask.

"Nothing now please move aside," I finally make it to the door and make sure to lock it behind me.

I let out a groan. The secretary down here laughs at me. "They've been there since seven this morning,"

"Gross," I grumble. I trudge my way up the stairs to my office. I pass a few other sidekicks, most of them have a usual pep in their step. I reateat to my office to avoid conversation. Everyone seems so energetic with the Billboards coming up. I couldn't care less. I don't even think I'm ranked. Maybe I am.

I don't do this for recognition, hell, I don't want to be recognized. Life is easy when hero work, if you could call it that, is seperate from personal life. Not that I have much of a personal life.

I hardly talk to any old friends and I haven't made new ones since I left Fat's agency. I hate to admit it but I miss the fluffy cuddle monster. I miss his work study student whom I only briefly got to work with. I miss my old friends from the agency. Hell, I miss hanging out with my family. All we ever seem to talk about are depressing things.

But thats life. Thats my life. I gave up any hope of having hobbies when I decided to pursue this career. And now I have given up sleep in pursuit of my big brother.

I hardly notice when Hawks saunters into my office without knocking. I groan at him. He has been coming in everyday since the incident. I know he feels somewhat guilty but that doesn't make him any less irritating to my sleep deprived brain.

"Man Murky, did you sleep?" He asks. His tone is sarcastic but I have known him long enough to sense a bit of concern.

"No. Some of us actually put in the time to do our work," I remark.

"Wow someone needs a nap. Come on Crow why don't you take the day off?" He asks. He plops himself down in the chair across from me.

"No. And what the hell? Crow?" I ask. Out of all things.

"Yeah. Crows are smart, and vicious little shits. They also don't flee in the winter. Oh and they like shiny objects," he snickers at his own comment, clearly making a dig at the silver accents of my costume.

"Wow. Alright chicken breath. Or maybe your more of a parrot. Such a pretty bird," I pretend coo.

He gives me a scowl.

Just to add to his irritation, "Polly wanna cracker?"

"Wow real mature," he kicks my leg under the table. I let out a small giggle. At least he makes my days a bit funnier. I hate to admit it but his spouts of annoyance distract me from my mind melting case work.

"Anyway, I have a question for ya crow. I need a date to the Billboard charts after party. Wanna be my plus one?" He asks, wiggling his bushy, blond eyebrows at me.

I stare him in the eyes for a moment. Not sure how to respond. A date? A party. I don't really do that shit.

I look into his gold eyes, which I have the rare opportunity to see devoid of his orange tinted visors. His eyeliner is on point as always.

"Why me? Are you trying to fuck with me? Endevwhore is probably going to be there and me trying to commit murder in a room full of the top pros wouldn't bode well for anyone," I reply.

"He might be, he doesn't really do parties like that. Besides, as much as I hate to say it, because I feel like a complete ass, Endeavor is the number one now, and if we are working together, we will have to see him from time to time," he says, he looks away from me as he does. His usual charm drops, his posture is less relaxed. He just sits, staring at a feather in his hands,

"Fine. But out of all the people here why me?"

"Because I trust you. And you need a night off," his smirk is back. But this time its a shy one. One I have never seen from him before. The Hawks everyone else knows is not shy. He is sarcastic, immature, and far too quick. That disguise is well calculated, I'll give him that. At least he trusts me enough to be more of himself infront of me. Its not Hawks. Not the pretty hero with crimson wings. Its Kiego, just Kiego.

I give him a softer half-smile. I sip on my canned coffee and lean forward. "Fine. On one condition, you owe me dinner," I reply. Quite frankly its because I'm not as rich as he is and I can laugh a bill in his face. But another part of me just likes the sort of normalcy we have made between us.

After making plans for the event next week he scoots away, off to another hero commission meeting. He has been having quite a few of those lately. I know the commission has always been up his ass but seriously.

I dig deeper into the league. Trying to find anything. I back track and peer into their past hideouts and attacks. All of the prominent league figures have had very little public presence. Shigaraki Tomura, doesn't exist legally. Dabi's identity is still unknown to the public and heros alike. Toga hasn't been to school in years, five to be exact. She doesn't have any living parents.

I can also figure that Toga, Dabi, and Twice didn't join the league until after the Hosu incident with Stain. They are relatively new, but clearly highly trusted by Shagraki. There is also Mr. Compress, identity unknown, and was most prominently spotted at that summer camp UA put on. That was only a few months ago. I remember Shouto telling me about it, he told me how one of the villains knew his full name.

I look back into that report that the kids gave, Dabi was present. I wonder if Shouto paid attention to his blue flames.

Recently they have been quieter, aside from suspected faults of crimes.

I sigh. Fuck.

Why am I still chasing this? Even if I could get Touya back, if I could just talk to him again, what would we do? He's got quite tbe body count. The numerous arson charges are through the roof. He is my brother. But he is also a full fledged villain.

Maybe in another life I would be one too. Maybe instead of doing it discretely, I would just kill my father. I've thought about it. The idea of ending him doesn't bother me in the slightest. And as a hero that should scare me, yet it doesn't. His death would be such a comfort.

If I continue thinking I might just explode. Time to go toss around some drunk assholes again.

EDITED: 9/6/2021