Winds of Destiny: Falling ~ {Hawks x OC}

Chapter Twenty-Five: Responsibility

After saying a quick goodbye to the administrative assistant with Best Jeanist's agency, Misaki hung up her desk phone and finished scrawling a quick note before gathering up her notebook and heading into the President's office. Stopping in the doorway, she softly rapped her knuckles against the heavy oak surface and waited for the woman to acknowledge her. As soon as she saw he lift her hand and gesture her inside, she quickly entered the office and moved to stand before her desk.

Glancing down at her notebook for reference, Misaki succinctly informed the President, "I've double checked and confirmed all of the meeting times with all of the heroes involved in tonight's raids. I've also contacted Detective Tsukauchi and brought him up to speed on our progress. Everyone has been briefed and they are all prepped and ready to go on standby at their assigned meeting locations."

The President nodded without turning her eyes away from her computer screen and Misaki stiffly bowed her head before turning to leave. The older woman's voice halted her in her tracks before she made it back to the door. "I've arranged for you to be present during the live police feed tonight."

Whipping back around with wide, startled eyes, Misaki straightened and immediately replied, "Yes, ma'am!"

The President remained staunchly focused on her work and Misaki quickly turned back around to hurry back to her desk. She really hadn't been expecting that. A live feed of a police raid? And one that involved four of the nation's top five heroes? This was an incredibly big deal. She'd been wondering after yesterday's joint conference if the President had regained some confidence in her. It seemed as though she'd been right. She smiled to herself as she sat back down at her desk. Hopefully, this was a sign that there were bigger and better things on the horizon for her.

~*~

Misaki followed the President into a large room almost eight hours later, which housed a giant wall to wall tv screen that was sectioned out into several different camera angles. She immediately recognized the heroes from both teams scattered across the display. The bar raid team was displayed on the right side while the Nomu location team was gathered on the left.

"Are we in position?" The President asked one of the analysts sitting behind a computer at the back of the room.

"Just waiting for the press conference to start," the man immediately responded without looking up from his screen.

The President nodded and looked up toward the wall of monitors. "Make sure there are evacuation and medical staff on standby at both locations."

"Yes, ma'am," the analyst succinctly answered as he tapped a button on the side of his headset to initiate a call.

"Misaki."

She looked over sharply when she heard the President call her name. 

"Yes?"

The woman gestured with her eyes to one of the unoccupied chairs behind them and said, "Take a seat."

Misaki quickly moved to sit where the President had indicated, settling down onto the hard, plastic surface as she surveyed the room with wide eyes, watching all of the Commission employees monitoring the raid logistics with rapt attention. Every single one of them looked to be completely focused on whatever task they were handling. Nobody in the room didn't have a job to do. No one except for her.

"We call it HOMEC," a deep sounding voice suddenly said to her left and she flinched, startled, as she snapped her head over to look at the person who had just spoken.

"Hero Operation Monitoring and Evaluation Center," the stocky man with narrow, beady eyes and white hair who was standing next to her explained.

She blinked up at him a few times and stuttered, "Um, I don't believe we've met."