Top pic credit: Sleepwalkers Queen
Ari POV: a few hours earlier
My eyes blinked rapidly as I re-read Keigo's message in the sandbox for a countless time.
"I've been compromised."
"I've been compromised, he says.....I've been compromised...." I whispered out, continuing to read over the words as if they were a foreign language I couldn't quite understand.
Yeah, I know. It shouldn't have been a surprise to me. I mean, it's really not when I think about it. I guess, I'm just more surprised that my suspicions were right for once.
After spending this past month re-thinking everything about the breakup, I can pinpoint the exact moment things with Keigo and I went south. And it was right after he left me in our new apartment in Tengoku to go and meet with Dabi.
Yes, I remember it perfectly. Dabi called Keigo that morning and said he wanted to talk with him about something.
Even after the phone call, Keigo was like a dream...making promises to me, about how he'll make sure I'm smiling by the the time the cherry blossoms fall, and every other amazing, sappy thing you could think of.
Man. I miss that day. If only we could return back to it.
But, anyways.......
Back to the timeline I was making in my head...
I didn't hear from Keigo for three days after he left me alone in Tengoku, which can only mean that whatever resulted in him becoming compromised by the enemy, it must have happened within those three days.
And it must have something to do with some sort of surveillance that Keigo is under, considering the strategic way he's been acting.
Yes...I say strategic, because the more I think about it....the more it makes sense....
The way he doesn't want me to say his real name.
Or the way he had to leave and ensure he was out of sight, before giving me this message in the sandbox.
The body language.
The strange, out of character phrases.
And....our breakup. The abruptness of it all. It's what's been wracking my mind for the past month. It's the same question I've been mulling over in my head for four weeks....
Why would Keigo breakup with me, when he just asked me to marry him, and bought us an apartment?
And now, after a lot of confusion and unknowns....he's finally told me the answer to that question....I think....
If I just...reflect back on that day...
A month ago, I wouldn't have noticed it, because I was so hurt and shocked by the revelation of Jeanist, but now I remember how sad and sunken Keigo looked when he saw me in his apartment the day he ended things between us.
How quickly he packed his bags, like he was desperately trying to leave before I gave him too much of a reason to stay.
His words...
"What I'm saying, is that this has been fun while it lasted, but now it's time for the number two hero to get some work done."
Number two hero. Work....
That was a code. Right there. That was Keigo's first code to me, and I missed it until now.
It was his way of trying to say...
"There's something I need to do for my infiltration mission."
And then, when I asked Keigo straight up if he was breaking up with me, his answer was...
"Sure seems like I'm breaking up with you."
And there it is. Another message. Another clue I didn't pick up on right away.
Seems. He said the word "seems." He never said a flat out "yes" when I asked him that question. If we translate Keigo's code to this, he was probably saying...
"It looks like we're breaking up, right? Because, that's how I need it to appear."
Later on, after we shared our last kiss, I tried to call out to Keigo one more time, but he stopped me with a strange phrase once again.
"Save your words. Some words are meant...to be saved...."
"Save your words," he said. In Keigo code....
"Don't speak here. Conceal what you want to say."
And why else would I need to hold back on my words, when it was only supposed to be Keigo and I in the apartment that day? Why would I need to conceal what I want to say when a few days prior, we'd been pouring our hearts out to each other, completely unhinged and free?
I'll tell you why. It's because he's being watched.
And his last statement to me. The one that broke me the most, at the time.
"Make sure to fly high for me, Ari."
Of course. Yes, of course, Keigo! How didn't I see it then? How could I not have picked up on it from there?
The last day Keigo and I spent together before this whole thing happened, we'd been talking about how much we want to fly high. Together.
The phrase 'fly high' has become a saying for our future. Something we both are desperately waiting for, once all of this chaos is over. Him and I. Away from this life. Away from it all. Together.
So....in Keigo code...bringing up the phrase in that particular moment.....I can only assume a message like that possibly meant...
"Wait for me, Ari."
Wait for me. He wants me to wait for him. He still wants to do this together, right?
Fuck...
I understand now...I understand it all-well, not all of it. But....some of it.
Just from Keigo's message in the sandbox, I've been able to piece together quite a bit in a span of about two minutes. I know he can't tell me a lot, if he's being watched, so there's a lot I'll have to figure out, myself.
But, here's what I've gathered so far, from that little three word sentence in the play sand...
The first thing....is that Keigo somehow got himself in a situation where he's under 24/7 surveillance from the league of villains.
I'm still curious as to how something like that happened. I mean, there's only a handful of members in the league. I thought Keigo would have been able to sweet talk his way out of something like that. It's just Dabi who's the problem, after all. Right?
As to how he's being watched, I'm not sure. Satellites, maybe? Even up in the sky, Keigo was shushing me and acting as if we were being spied on, so possibly his surveillance consists of body cameras. Maybe even in his wings.
The second thing....Keigo sent me this message for a reason, and it's got nothing to do with our relationship.
No. I know him. And I know that the only reason he told me this secret, is because he wants me to do something with this information.
But what?
"Come on, Ari. Think. Think." I muttered to myself in crazed focus, absentmindedly twirling Keigo's tiny, fuzzy feather between my fingers.
It's the same feather that he used to write the message in the sandbox. But, it's tiny, and the tinier it is, the less distance Keigo has in being able to telepathically control it. Since it had gone stagnant a few minutes ago, I can only assume that he's now out of range and no longer able to sense me.
You'll need to do this yourself, Ari. So, think.
Think about why Keigo came here today.
My mind replayed the moment I ran into Keigo, back in the city-before remembering something very important about his visit.
Ah, yes. The book.
The Meta Liberation book that he gave to Endeavor.
I remember that very well. Even before Keigo sent me his message about being compromised, I had a feeling there was something going on, based on his peculiar interest in the thing.
And I remember one part particularly well...
"I even highlighted my favorite parts of the book, Endeavor! At least check those out."
Highlight. Keigo was so adamant that Endeavor open the book and check the highlighted sections....
If a code was written for me, here in the sandbox, I can only assume there's a code written in the highlighted messages of the book that Hawks gave to Endeavor.
And I'm guessing that it's something very important that Keigo wants to make sure Endeavor figures out.
And now, I think I've got a grasp on this whole thing. Keigo's telling me he's compromised, knowing I'd figure out that a message like that means he's under 24 hour surveillance. Because he's under 24 hour surveillance, he can't speak freely and deliver important news to the heroes, otherwise, he'd be exposed as a double agent.
And we all know Endeavor's a bit short on the brain cells to figure out a complex code from someone like Hawks, who was trained by the hero commission.
But, Keigo knows I was trained by the hero commission, too. He knows I'd be able to guess correctly that there's a code in the highlighted sections of the book, without even seeing the book, because that's just how we were trained.
And I bet...Keigo wants me to tell Endeavor. Yes, that's gotta be it. Keigo wants me to tell Endeavor that he left him a coded message in the Meta Liberation book today.
Which means....that Endeavor will ultimately find out Keigo's secret.
But, if Keigo is leaving coded messages for Endeavor to find, then he must not care if the Flame Hero knows, anymore.
And if Keigo is this desperate to say something to Endeavor....it must be very urgent and important information.
"Oh my god..." I breathed out in awe, as I took a moment to figure out my next move.
I've gotta get back to the Endeavor agency as soon as possible and tell Endeavor about the hidden message that's in the book.
Hopefully, he takes the information well and things go as smoothly as possible....
Yeah...
Sure they will...
************************************************
I wheezed my way through the front door of the bustling, busy Endeavor Agency, finding the way my lungs were burning almost laughable after my little seven mile run-or rather...seven mile sprint back to the place.
Jokester Enji did say that if I wanted to stay and talk with Keigo alone, I'd have to run my way back to the agency. However, I definitely underestimated the distance it would take me to get back.
Not taking the time to catch my breath, I began quickly scanning the busy lobby of the place...trying to spot an incredibly angry fire man in blue tights.
But, I didn't see him anywhere in sight-
"Ari? Is that you?" A familiar voice suddenly called out from my left side, causing me to turn and smile in relief at one of my favorite, little colleagues.
"Midoriya." I choked out breathlessly, stumbling my way over towards him and the group of people he was talking to.
His eyes widened in concern as he took in my appearance, warily holding out his arms to catch me, as if I was about to pass out.
That's heroic.
"Woah-are you okay?! You look like you're about to throw up!" He exclaimed in worry, before I heard the irritating, little shit next to him give his very unnecessary input.
"Hah! And here I thought you were supposed to be considered in shape!" Bakugou mocked, crossing his arms in amusement as he watched me hunch over.
If I end up puking from all the running I just did, I'm aiming my upchuck at him.
"Yeah....you....and me....both, buddy..." I wheezed out, resting my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.
"Where did you go, anyways, Ari? We were all wondering what happened to you-" Midoriya questioned, before Bakugou cut him off.
"Oi, didn't you see? She was talking to that stupid bird boyfriend of hers." He retorted, causing my eyes to widen in panic at his accurate guess.
It is so not the time for this.
"H-He's not my-"
"Kacchan!! You can't call Hawks stupid!! That's so disrespectful! He's the number two hero!!-"
"Wait, Ari's dating Hawks?" Todoroki asked cluelessly, his innocent question causing quite a few heads to turn in our direction now.
Oh shit.
It's okay, Ari. Don't panic. Just act natural.
"Hm? What? Me? No!! No! That's-no! Definitely not! Totally not true! Despicable, even!" I babbled out suspiciously, about to slap Bakugou in the face when he began snickering in disbelief.
I've always been a bad liar.
"Hah! Oh please. You're not fooling anyone, you know. I saw the way you two were looking at each other all lovey dovey and shit. You can't tell me that something's not going on there-And while we're on the subject, keep that sappy shit to yourself. It's fucking disgusting to see." Bakugou nagged loudly, only making the situation worse as more surprised eyes began landing on me in growing, suspicious assumption now.
I grit my teeth in exhausted irritation with Bakugou. Sure, in his mind, he just thinks he's giving me a hard time, as usual. But, he's got no idea of the drama that could start if people find out that Keigo and I are dating-I mean, were dating-well, are we dating? That breakup....it wasn't real, I don't think? Right? Well, at least, I think parts of it weren't real? Was there anything true about it? Best Jeanist? Is he really dead, like Keigo said? Was that real-
Wow.
Clearly, there's still a lot of chaotic unknowns to this equation that I need to figure out. Just one thing at a time, I guess.
The first thing to do is maturely and calmly steer Bakugou and the others away from the accusation that Keigo and I have a romantic history.
"Oh, put a sock in it, Kranky Katsuki!" I blurted out completely immature and not calm, immediately regretting my words as I know it'd only make Bakugou more angry and yappy.
Like a little chihuahua.
And, judging by the way he's got some angry, gnarly vein popping out of his forehead now, I was definitely right.
"HUH?! I THOUGHT I SAID NOT TO CALL ME THAT!!-"
"Oh my god, no, I don't wanna start this-I'm sorry, okay!!? I'm sorry! Look, I don't have time for this. Can we just call a truce, or whatever? I really need to talk with Endeavor!" I whined out in growing stress, before hearing a door practically being yanked open off its hinges a few feet away.
That was a very angry, aggressive way to open a door. I bet that's-
"You." A familiar, authoritative voice suddenly seethed out from across the room, causing everyone, except Shouto, to immediately tense up.
Well, I got what I asked for.
While I had my back turned towards Endeavor, I could already tell he was talking to me, judging from the way everyone in the lobby had immediately turned their attention in my direction.
I wonder if he's figured it all out, then....
Forcing myself to stand up straight and turn around, I quickly shot Enji a big smile so I wouldn't come off as nervous.
But....he looks pretty angry. Actually angry this time...
Act natural.
"H-Hey, Endeavor! I was looking for you-"
"Ari Parker. Get over here. Now. I demand a word." He commanded lowly with a fierce glare, causing the fire on his face to burn impossibly brighter.
Not needing to repeat himself twice, I quickly forced my wobbly legs to run over to him in a flash.
Once I was close enough, Endeavor tightly grabbed my wrist, before harshly dragging me into his office and slamming the door shut.
Over the time I've known Endeavor, I've never actually seen him truly angry. I know right? That's strange for a man like him.
You see, he always pretends to be angry with me. Always throws mock insults and acts as if he's an intimidating guy. But, I've never actually found myself ever taking him seriously, since he kinda just lets me do whatever I want.
But, now....
Seeing him legitimately upset with me....
It made me...scared.
"E-Endeavor, I-I can explain. I'm sure you know something's up by now, judging by your current reaction, so-"
"No, drop the act. I'm sick of it. For once, you're going to stop talking. Let me tell you how this is gonna work, kid." Endeavor started off firmly, quickly turning around to face me as he began storming over.
He looked stressed.
He was in front of me a second later, towering over my frame that was about 3 sizes smaller than his own.
I slowly cranked my neck up to find his face, seeing this beast of a man looking down at me with legitimate threat.
I'm dead.
"You're gonna tell me what I wanna know. You're not gonna try to steer away from the conversation, the way you always do. You're not gonna pretend as if you don't know what I'm talking about, because I know you probably do. You won't play off my questions with a joke, and you will take this seriously. And, lastly..." He stated, quickly walking past me to get to his desk.
I turned around to face him, watching him grab a book off his desk before tossing it to me.
I quickly caught it, scanning the title and realizing it was the same book that Keigo gave him today.
Ah, so he does know.
Endeavor watched me open the book with specific purpose, nodding in affirmation with his own suspicions when he saw me immediately start scanning the highlighted sections in an obvious attempt to find a hidden code.
"And you're gonna tell me why your boyfriend wrote me a secret message in that book, saying there's gonna be a war here in four months." He finished, crossing his arms in expectance-before I quickly looked up at him in shock.
Wait...
"What?!? There's gonna be a war here in four months!!!?" I exclaimed in pure and utter shock, not expecting Endeavor to drop such a major knowledge bomb on me.
I knew Keigo had given Endeavor a message in the book, but I didn't know what the message was, since I'm only now able to read it for myself.
And apparently, shock was the wrong reaction to give impatient Endeavor, as my cluelessness only made him more furious. Clearly, this whole thing was stressing him out. Understandably, so.
I jumped in surprise when Endeavor harshly slammed his fist down on his desk in frustration, causing one of the legs to start cracking from the massive amount of power.
"What did I say about acting like you don't know what I'm talking about?" He growled out as quietly as he could, so his workers in the lobby wouldn't hear.
"Huh?! N-No!! Hold on-I'm not lying!!! I didn't know about that part. I really didn't-"
"Bullshit, Parker!! That's bullshit!! Do you really take me for this much of a fool??! You really think I haven't been onto you and that bird jackass from the moment I met you two? I've always thought you both behaved so damn odd. Or the way you always seem to know more than you let on-"
"Endeavor-"
"And Miss Bitch with the hero commission? I always knew there was something strange going on there, too. There is, isn't there? She's got you two keeping something under wraps. Right? Right? I can tell-"
"I-"
"Even today. Hawks came to me with the purpose of giving me that book. Did you know about that, too? Did you keep that a secret from me, as well? What's going on, Ari? What did he tell you today, huh? Is he just messing around with these messages? He shouldn't be joking about things like that! It's not funny! Spill it! What the hell is going on here!?" He commanded firmly, burning his blue eyed glare into me threateningly as if I didn't already come back here with the sole intention of telling him everything.
I pinched the bridge of my nose in anxiety, as I tried to gather my thoughts. How should I explain this to Endeavor? There's so much to catch him up on, and so many things I still don't know, myself.
Putting Keigo's double agent cover aside....the more that Endeavor knows about his mission, the more danger it puts Endeavor in.
Sure, I know he's the number one hero. I know he can handle himself. That's not what I'm worried about. What I am worried about, is that he already has enough enemy targets on his back, just with his number one status. He doesn't need any more.
And him knowing the full extent to Keigo's double agent mission wont just put him in dangerous trouble with the villains. It could also put him in trouble with the hero commission, as well. Diane, mostly.
After all, no one is supposed to know about this mission that Keigo's doing, regardless of their hero ranking, or not. It's top secret. If anyone ever found out, they'd probably disappear the next day. Or, in Endeavor's case, if Diane found out he knew....she may try to blackmail him, somehow into staying quiet. Endeavor doesn't need that right now. There's too much going on for unimportant obstacles like that.
But, still...if there's really a war coming, like Keigo apparently said there is....then Endeavor's gotta know at least a few things.
Letting out a small sigh to calm my head, I leaned back against the wall...preparing myself for what I was about to say.
"Look, Endeavor. It's kind of a long story, so I'll skip to the important stuff. Basically, Hawks is doing some....important work for the hero commission. He's been doing it for a long time, and it's been kept tightly under wraps by Diane..." I started off, taking a pause when I noticed he already had a question.
Oh boy. This could take awhile.
"So, if it's kept so tightly under wraps, then why the hell do you know about it?"
"Well, I wasn't supposed to find out. Hawks was trying to keep me out of it for as long as he could. But, eventually, he...he accidentally slipped up, to say the least." I stated softly, leaning my head back against the wall as I remembered the completely unconventional way I found out about Keigo's job.
Ah, yes. Good times.
"And Miss Bitch?" Endeavor gruffed out, seeming to have calmed down slightly now that I'm finally talking.
I couldn't help but chuckle weakly at the nickname he'd given Diane, finding some kind of comfort in the fact that he seemed to hate her just as much as Keigo and I do.
"Diane....well, there's a complicated student-teacher history between her, Hawks, and I. But, there's not much more to it than that. We all work for the same side, and if she's been acting strange in your eyes, it's probably just because she's been working with Hawks on his secret mission. She trained him, growing up. She trained me, too." I explained quietly, feeling my words becoming meeker as Diane became a topic of conversation now.
Endeavor was quiet, narrowing his eyes at my soft, changing tone.
"Hmph." He roughed out in thought, clearly trying to absorb my words and piece them together.
I nodded slightly, letting my eyes trail down to the book in my hands, remembering the reason I was here.
"But, anyways, that's the gist of it. I know I didn't go into a lot of detail right now, but those are the important bits. When I met with Hawks today, he gave me my own secret message, and I'm pretty sure it was met with the intention of hoping I'd tell you about the codes in the book. So, I'm telling you now, Endeavor, that if Hawks says there's going to be a war in four months, he's not kidding around. He's not joking. He's in a situation where he would know this, better than anyone, and action should be taken to counteract this possibility right away." I finished, keeping my voice firm and level to try and get my point across as best I could.
Endeavor had calmed down completely now, seeming more stressed than angry at this point.
He let out a small groan of annoyance, rubbing his tired face with his hands.
"So....that's what this all is, huh. You're...you're a commission kid..." He breathed out quietly, his voice filled with subtle tones of sadness as this seemed to be something somewhat familiar to him.
I furrowed my brows in confusion with his words, about to ask him what he was talking about, before he quickly changed the subject.
"Well, that explains a lot about you now. Your wits. Your smarts. Your fighting strategies-whatever, just take a look in the book for yourself, okay? I got some type of message from him in there, but you know the guy better than I do. Make sure I didn't miss anything, will ya." Endeavor mumbled, gesturing for me to read over the highlighted sections of Keigo's coded message for myself.
I nodded in agreement quickly scanning over the words for a pattern.
Endeavor remained quiet as I silently read the words, patiently waiting for my opinion on the matter.
It only took me about two minutes to find Keigo's strategy.
"Endeavor, if you figured out the code accurately, then you already realized that Hawks formed a message with the second word of each highlighted sentence. Correct?" I confirmed absentmindedly, starting to decode the message for myself now.
"Yeah, I did. Makes sense as to why he was acting so damn weird." He muttered out quietly, furrowing his brows in, what looked to be...concern for Hawks' well-being.
I narrowed my eyes at the message from Keigo, feeling my own heart rate starting to spike at the information.
"He's saying...opponent....is...Meta....Liberation Army.......league.....hijacked..." I started off quietly, beginning to figure out the rest.
Endeavor nodded in agreement, repeating the next line from memory at the same moment I figured it out.
"Yep. One-hundred Thousand members strong." He sighed quietly, face palming slightly as he pondered over that sentence once more.
I gasped sharply in shock, feeling my eyes bug out of my head at such a massive number of enemies.
Well...
This changes things.
Here I was, just thinking it was the small handful of league members who were the problem. But, 100,000 enemy soldiers!!? No wonder Keigo's asked for help with this. He's clearly having a tough time accomplishing it on his own. He must be getting desperate, wherever he's at.
"Four months from now..." I finished deflatedly, quickly flipping through the rest of the pages to try and find anymore clues to this message.
But, there were none. This was the end of it. A message filled with massive amounts of information that were still somehow vague enough to keep Endeavor and I guessing. Not intentionally, on Keigo's part. That's just how the situation works.
"Yep." Endeavor uttered knowingly, watching me close the book with a small, anxious slam.
"Wow. Alright, then. Well, no worries-there's not even time to worry. Let's talk next steps-" I started saying, before he quickly shook his head in disagreement.
"If you think I'm gonna be talking about next steps, to a situation of this magnitude, with a damn eighteen year old, then you're outta your mind. No. I already know next steps. First thing, will be warning the others about this, so we can start preparing-" Endeavor started saying, already making his way towards the door before I quickly cut him off.
"Huh?! No!!-Wait, you can't just go and tell people!!" I exclaimed in disbelief, grabbing onto his giant, beefy arm to try and stop him from moving.
I won't let him leave this room.
Not bothering to stop, Endeavor continued walking....causing my feet to effortlessly skid across the ground as I was being dragged with him.
Okay....well...I'll try to make sure he doesn't leave this room-
"Get off me." He spat out, trying to shake me off like I was nothing more than a little bug on his arm.
"No! I won't. Endeavor, I get you're a stubborn guy-"
"I ain't stubborn!! I just don't have time for anymore of your bullshit!" He called out stubbornly, yet I refused to loosen my grip on him.
I won't let Endeavor mess up the nine months of work that Keigo has put into this mission. He's not here to fight for himself, so, I need to do my part and help him out where I can.
"Ugh-why the hell are you so strong, damn it! Seriously, what is your workout routine-just stop and listen for a sec!!! Think about why Hawks told you this information! Was it so you could go and blab your big mouth to the entire world?!" I quickly pointed out, trying to make my case before he was able to open the door.
And I did luckily manage to, at least, grab his attention, just as his hand landed on the doorknob. He didn't open the door yet, as he was clearly now having his own second thoughts-even if he would never admit that.
"Go on." He said begrudgingly, quickly shoving me off him and turning around to face me.
"Look, there's a reason why Hawks told you this information and no one else-"
"How do you know he didn't tell anyone else-"
"Because he has no other friends. Duh." I pointed out obviously, hearing Endeavor scoff in annoyance.
"I ain't his friend!!!" He retorted, starting to get off track.
I groaned in frustration with him, rolling my eyes impatiently.
"Okay, whatever. He thinks you're his friend-My point is, we don't know everything that's happening on Hawks' end. But, I can tell you this....I know for a fact that wherever he is, he's currently in enemy territory. If you go telling everyone this information that he gave you and it ends up circulating back to the villains, somehow? You'll get him killed." I stated firmly, standing my ground as I desperately tried to get dense Enji to see my point of view.
Clearly, my persuasion was working as he backed down a little more, no longer having the clear purpose of trying to get to the door.
"The only way that information would circulate back to the villains, is if there's traitors amongst the heroes. Are you suggesting....there's traitors in our ranks?" Endeavor asked genuinely, starting to mull over the possibility in his own mind now.
"I don't know for sure. Hawks hasn't sent back enough information yet for us to tell so soon. But, there could be. And I don't think it's safe to risk that possibility and just carelessly tell anybody about what he told us...." I explained absentmindedly, still not quite sure where I wanted to go with this whole thing.
But, of course, Endeavor wasn't a patient man.
"Okay, so if you don't want to tell everyone and warn them of a damn war that's coming in four months, then what's your idea, honors student?" He retorted, crossing his arms in frustration as he waited for me to speak.
I let out a sigh of anxiety, not quite knowing what it was I wanted. But, I already know that telling everyone the news that Keigo told Endeavor and I is not the right approach.
Pacing the room, I began trying to gather my thoughts-surprised that Endeavor was waiting patiently for me to speak, rather than immediately abandoning me and Hawks to go and act on his own.
Progress. I think...
"Look, Endeavor. Hawks....he's...he's not a very trusting guy, so I can safely say, that he wouldn't want this information he told you to be broadcasted for everyone to hear. But-whether you think you're friends with him or not....he trusts you. He trusts you to help him out and make the right decisions. He's trusting you to not act so carelessly, and think, rather than taking the approach that may seem easiest at a first glance." I started off, as I tried to form a plan into fruition.
"So...what are you suggesting then?" He asked calmly and genuinely this time, as he clearly wanted to find a different approach to take now.
"Hm. Well, Hawks isn't here. That means, we can't know for sure exactly what it is that he wants us to do. But, I'll try and speak for him, and do what I think he'd want-and that's to keep a low profile and silently prepare. This would mean that we don't go around telling everyone about the war. Not yet, anyways. Not until we find people that we absolutely know we can trust. In the meantime, we continue to prepare for the next four months in secret. We train harder. We give small hints to the heroes that they should tighten up their skills. Then, only once the date of this war gets closer, do we actually start explaining little details about it to our trusted colleagues. We never publicly broadcast the event to the entirety of the hero world. We keep it as locked down as we can, up until the very day it's supposed to happen. This will ensure that any traitors can't go and spill our secrets to the enemy. That is how I think we can have our success." I explained confidently, finally looking back at Endeavor to study his reaction.
His eyes were blank as he processed my words, staring at a random spot on the floor as he was clearly thinking over the pros and cons of this approach.
Now, it was my turn to be patient as I quietly stood still, waiting for him to give me the verdict of his opinion.
A few minutes felt like an eternity later when Endeavor finally let out a sigh of defeat, giving me a small nod.
"Can't see another way to go about it, right now. Alright. Fine. I'll stay quiet for now. I'll prepare the heroes and work 'em harder, than ever before. I'll start getting everything together, during these next four months." He stated firmly, making me internally let out a big sigh of relief as I realized Endeavor was willing to keep the secret that the three of us now shared.
"Thank you." I breathed out with obvious ease, quickly continuing a moment later.
"And, dont worry, I won't be sitting around idly. For now, I'll try to do some digging of my own. I'll see if Hawks has left anymore messages for us-or try and find out if he plans to. I'll also see if I can out the traitor heroes who could possibly be in our ranks. The hero commission training I've got will come in handy for these things. I promise, I won't be useless." I bowed respectfully, wanting to make sure I played my part in all of this.
The heavy footsteps hitting the floor let me know that Endeavor was walking over to me now, causing me to quickly lift my head up.
He gave me a small nod of agreement, eyes blazing with determination-and some stress, as we finally had a tentative plan in place for how we would proceed with Keigo's messages.
"Alright. If that's the way it's gonna be, then so be it. I'll keep this a secret, Parker. I'll do my part, and I trust you will, too. And...Hawks, as well. I'll trust you. Both of you." He stated honestly, holding out his hand for me to shake.
I chuckled softly at his formality, taking his hand in a firm grip and giving it a good shake.
"That's great. So, it's settled then. You, me, and Hawks. Sounds like a pretty solid partnership, indeed." I smiled, causing him to relax a little as he snorted in amusement.
"Never thought I'd see the day." He grumbled lightly, releasing my handshake to head out the door so we could finish the work day.
I trailed after him wordlessly, already trying to rack my mind of the new task that Keigo has given Endeavor and I.
Four months. Four months from now, everything will change.
Four months from now....when this is finally finished....
I hope you and I can finally fly high together, Keigo.
Especially, because I've decided now....
That I'll still be waiting for you.
Even though a future of happiness together, is only becoming more impossible and out of our reach....
I'm....trying my hardest to still wait for you.
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Letting out a small tired sigh, I lazily jabbed my key into the lock of my dorm room, hearing the satisfying click to signal it had opened.
I concentratedly scrolled through my phone as I entered my room, kicking the door closed with my foot as I went through old messages between Keigo and I to find any clues.
I'd already found one missed clue, on my lunch break earlier today, and I've definitely been kicking myself over it.
It was the last text message that Keigo sent me, from a month ago. He'd left me a code right in front of my very eyes and I never caught it, until now.
Text Message From: Bird Boy🐥🔥(31 days ago)
You're asking if I'm dead? Jeez, dollface. I know you can't See me, but if you wanted to talk so bad, all You had to do was ask. Sorry for the late response! I've just been doing a lot of staying In and reading lately. Things are fantastic where I'm at! For One thing, I've never felt more liberated in my entire life. It's as if I'm packing a month's worth of knowledge into two weeks. Who knows what the next Month will hold! Talk to you soon :)
6:27am.
I didn't notice it the first time around, but Keigo had coded me a secret message within this text, by capitalizing certain words in the middle of each sentence.
"See"
"You"
"In"
"One"
Month"
That was the hidden code inside the text message.
Keigo was trying to prepare me for our 'random' meeting a month ago, but I wasn't thinking hard enough about our interactions to piece it together.
Actually, I take that back. I was thinking hard about it. But, I was thinking so hard about trying to forget what happened between us, that I completely shut him out of my mind.
But, I won't do that again. And luckily, I had enough sense during this stupid breakup to, at least, see through Keigo's strange behaviors and have some suspicion that something was off with him in the first place.
And now that I know for sure about what's going on, I'll keep my focus and get the job done. No distractions.
Endeavor, Keigo, and I will stop this war. Or, we'll at least make sure the heroes win, if the time comes down to it.
I know all three of us will do....whatever it takes.
Puffing my cheeks out in final thought, I finally closed my phone for the night, tossing it on my desk before turning on my lamp to light up the pitch black room.
Closing my eyes tiredly, I shrugged off my winter jacket and neatly hung it on the back of my desk chair.
Next, I undid my tight ponytail, giving my unbound hair a good shake and my sore scalp a small massage with my fingers. I always end up tying my hair back much too tightly. I just don't like it when my hair's in my face during a fight.
"Ugh....what a day..." I uttered to myself, taking the zipper of my body suit between my fingers, about to unzip it for the night-
"Don't stop on my account." A voice chuckled from behind me, causing a spike of surprised adrenaline to immediately shoot through my veins.
Quickly turning around, I now noticed a figure sitting atop my bed in my peripheral vision. I immediately activated my quirk on the mystery person, before fully turning around to get a clear look at who it was.
Fuck.
I should have known. I should have expected he wasn't done with me.
But....now just isn't a good time.
"What are you doing here, Dabi?-H-How did you get past security?! What the hell do you want this time?" I growled out threateningly, trying to sound intimidating enough to where he might actually answer my question quickly this time.
After all, my quirk has a time limit.
But, of course, knowing my quirk had a time limit, Dabi took his sweet time in answering....counting down the seconds until I'd be powerless.
He remained laying in my bed-obviously, since he was unable to move, giving me a small smirk of excitement as he spoke his next words.
"What do I want? Heh, well, I want a lot of things. But, for starters....I'd like to take you on a little field trip to a fun place. So, what do you say?"
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Next Chapter Title: Heart of Blue.