Maybe We'll fix Each Other

Chapter 67 - End -

He felt his face turn red at the unimpressed look she gave him. His heart started racing with anxiety. What did he want to do? All his life he'd been told to be this, be that. He'd never actually had the option open to him before to do what he wanted.

So what did he want?

Come on, he thought to himself. There has to be something...

"I...I still want to be a hero," he said cautiously. Mirko's blank look turned encouraging, and she nodded at him to continue. "I think it would be cool to start my own agency."

"Oh?" she asked, a teasing grin on her face. "You trying to give mine some competition?"

Keigo felt the anxiety in his chest start to relax. "It wouldn't really be a competition," he offered, then he gave her a grin in reply. "Not when I'd already be better than you."

"Ah, fuck off," she laughed. "Okay, so your own agency. So obviously it'll partner with mine to kick some ass. Anything else?"

Keigo hummed for a moment as he thought. And then an idea popped up. It seemed like a stretch, but at the same time...

"I've never been interested in training the next generation or anything," he began. "I was supposed to take on an intern from UA because the Commission thought it would be good press. I thought it would be a waste of time, but...there's a kid at UA that I think would be worth the effort. I was kinda looking forward to it."

"Who's the kid you have in mind?"

Keigo grinned. "A kid named Tokoyami with an amazing shadow bird quirk. Man, you should see it! It's got tons of potential! It's like its own person but at the same time a part of Tokoyami himself. He uses it mainly to fight, but I bet they could fly if they worked together."

He was so busy talking about Tokoyami that he didn't notice the way Mirko's expression softened as she watched him get excited.

"You wanna teach him how to fly?"

"Absolutely," Keigo said firmly. "Those of us who can fly should fly. There's no need to be stuck on the ground with everyone else."

"Oh really?" Mirko said dryly, though her face was amused. "Looking down on us, Keigo?"

Keigo laughed and shoved her lightly. "You fly in your own way, Mirko. I'd have told you that before, but it would have inflated that big ego of yours."

Mirko laughed at him and stood, shaking out her muscles.

"A lot of talk for a guy without his own agency," she goaded, lifting an arm behind her head to stretch it before doing the same with the other.

"I'll get there," Keigo huffed as he pushed himself up to stand, too.

"I'll hold you to that."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm very intimidated," he brushed off, enjoying the way her face twitched at that. "What do you say to another race?"

Her ears perked up as an almost feral grin came to her face. "Hell yeah, birdbrain! Let's do it!"

"First one back to UA wins?"

When she nodded, Keigo spread his wings out to stretch them before stepping to the ledge of the tower.

He turned to her with a mischievous smile. "I have a feeling I'll beat you," he taunted.

Then he took a page out of her book from the last time they'd raced, when she'd taken off without warning.

"Wha–HEY!" Mirko shouted as he let himself fall over the edge, free falling for a moment before spreading his wings to catch the wind. "GET THE FUCK BACK HERE, JACKASS!"