Ninth Bullet

3. Birdie and Momo

"You know you don't have to check up on me." You griped.

"And you know that imma do it anyway." He said, the grin evident in his voice, even over the choppy phone connection. 

You sighed and looked out over the buildings.

"Something bothering you?"

"This might be a tougher assignment than what I'm used to. I don't do infiltration bullshit. Normally I'd just assassinate the leader and be done with it but I can't exactly do that here." For some reason the thought of killing Overhaul didn't sit right with you.

"You act as if you'd rather be out there killing... You sure you're okay Momo?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm peachy, Birdie."

"Hey listen, I gotta go. Be safe okay?"

"I will if you will."

"It's gonna be a long one. So really, try not to get hurt this time. I miss you already. Let's get ramen when you're out."

"How about you go clean my place if you miss me so much?"

Hawks snorted, "Daily check in, remember? Even if it's just a text. And have a Happy Birthday, Okay?"

Oh right... it's my birthday.

"Got it, bye bye, Birdie." You said, without acknowledging the last thing he said.

"Bye bye."

He hung up the phone and you tucked yours in your back pocket. Your time off was growing short. The few things you had picked up from the store were tucked safely in plastic bags, not the best for climbing buildings but they would do. You hopped down from the sky scraper and jumped between buildings until you were back at the Hassaikai hideout.

     All the way you thought back on the past twenty two years of your life, at least the parts you remembered.

     You're birthday wasn't your birthday at all, just the day you were adopted by the public safety commission. The orphanage had been a hazy memory to begin with, and by now the glowering headmistress and the thirty or so other children had faded almost completely. When your quirk began showing signs around the age of four, the commision had snapped you up within weeks and plopped you into their very own hero mercenary daycare. The only other inhabitant being your oldest and only feathered friend, Hawks, or Keigo as you used to call him. Both of you had left those names behind, Y/n and Keigo had grown up to be Mokusei and Hawks. The so called villain and the so called hero, two sides of the same coin, just like those commision assholes wanted.

     Sometimes you wondered why he had it easier. But deep down you knew what it was. That overarching fact of your femininity. You didn't think you would have had to change yourself if it weren't for that childish promise you made. The incident changed things. 

     Keigo didn't think you would get in trouble, you were both only ten, and you thought you were too young. But he persisted, little Keigo didn't want anyone else to take that thing you promised him. It had been a long day of training and the pair of you were getting ready for bed when he started pestering you. He said he had seen it done in movies and how hard could it be, really? After nearly an hour of Keigo at his most annoying, you conceded. And you shared your first kiss with your best friend. He had wanted to try again but there was no chance. Before you knew it, your caretakers had broken up the scene.

    Maybe it wouldn't have been that bad if... but what's the use in thinking about it now. It was so long ago. It didn't start out as much, just more separation between you and Hawks. But you had no warning, nor did you even fully understand what it meant when they forcibly sterilized you. After that they started cutting your hair short, and then one day you found that most of your clothes had been replaced. It was all for your 'protection'.

     You wandered into the compound and immediately ran into Overhaul. He gave your red, swollen eyes a glance and raised an eyebrow.

"Something bothering you?"

"Oh, it's nothing, boss." You said, hurriedly. "Just allergies." You sniffed loudly for emphasis.

Pulling down your mask slightly you wiped your nose with the back of your hand. The sight made Chisaki narrow his eyes at you.

"Disgusting, have you ever heard of a tissue?" He said.

"I don't exactly carry them around with me wherever I go."

He reached into his jacket, making you slightly flinch back out of habit.

"Calm down." He handed you a handkerchief gripped between his thumb and first finger.

You took it and blew your nose into it, loud enough to scatter a group of pigeons. After you wiped the snot away, you attempted to hand it back to him.

"I'm never touching that again. Keep it." He said.

A disturbance down the hall caught both of your attentions. The little girl ran with all her might but then stopped in her tracks when she saw Chisaki.

His brow furrowed as he looked down over his plague mask.

"Being disobedient again, Eri?" He asked.

The girl cowered and nervously met your gaze with her cherry red eyes. You had heard of the girl before, but this was the first time you had actually seen her. Such a poor little thing. Hari Kurono raced down the hall and slowly came to a stop behind her.

"She just took off, sorry boss." said Kurono.

"Hmm, just get her back to her room." Chisaki muttered.

"Eri, come." Hari said to the girl.

He held out his arms, when the child did nothing he scooped her up and cradled her. The girl was no better than a rag doll, limp in his embrace. She gave you one last pleading look, and then hid her face in Hari's white coat. You looked after the small child who was cradled in Hari's arms and felt a stab of pity go through you.

"Have you ever tried being kind to her?" You asked suddenly.

Chisaki looked up with annoyance, "I've given her gifts, spoiled her rotten, and still she doesn't listen to me. Only time she listens is when I'm harsh with her."

"That's not the same thing as being kind, and you know it."

He cocked his head to the side and inspected you with his golden gaze. "Well if you have a better idea, out with it."

"I think I might be able to get her to come around. Just let me spend some time with her."

"Fine." He jabbed his chin in the direction Hari had gone.

You bounced down the hallway after the girl, knowing your mission had only just begun.