Feather Bound

Chapter 56

You sighed, leaning against the wall as you observed the rest of your group entering the Commission building. Your gaze shifted up to the towering structure, sunlight glinting off the windows and causing you to squint. Months ago, you stood before this building, overdue on most of your bills, working a dead-end job to try and make ends meet with zero hope in sight for getting Himari back. You had clutched a letter to your chest, hoping it would be the answer you needed.

Back then, you had stared at the building, watching how it seemingly stretched endlessly towards the sky. You found comfort in the way it made you feel small, reminding you that you were only a small piece of a larger machine. However, looking at the building now, you had the same feeling, and this time, all you felt was anger.

Instead of humbling you, this time it reminded you of how insignificant you were to the Commission. Over the last few months, you had learned the truth about the Commission, little by little from both Haruki and Keigo, but now it was undeniable. They were as corrupt and evil as villains.

Jiro had tried to make you feel special, that you were doing a good thing by signing up for this program. However, you were just a pawn in the game they were playing with your boyfriend, a tool to be used to breed them an innocent child that they would torture and force through their training program. Well, screw that; you weren't doing it.

Taking a deep breath, you focused on trying to remember everything you felt when you were pregnant with Himari. Haruki was right; Jiro was more than likely going to grill you on everything you were feeling and experiencing. You tilted your head, attempting to calculate from your last cycle. It would be early, maybe around five or six weeks. Nausea would be a significant symptom, sore breasts, fatigue.

You forced a yawn, reaching up and running a hand through your hair to mess it up slightly. You were well aware that you already looked tired, with the stress over Himari contributing to that, but you aimed to truly embody the part. Convincing him was crucial; otherwise, Jiro might start to suspect something. The last thing you wanted was him returning to his office while Keigo was still in the basement getting Himari.

You wished you could be the one to go down and get her, concerned about how well she would take to Keigo. You were being ridiculous, of course; Himari loved heroes. She used to talk about Hawks, how he looked so happy when he worked with Endeavor, before frowning at his image sadly. You had never really understood why, but she always did it—frowned at Hawks, despite the fact she said she loved him.

You had asked her once why she looked so sad while watching one of his rescue videos on the news, and she had just shaken her head, mumbling under her breath about him feeling sad, just like Endeavor. You had let it go, patting her head and ensuring her that Hawks was probably very happy. He was the number two hero after all, surrounded by fans and loaded with money.

You frowned for a moment at the memory, reflecting on everything you'd learned about Keigo over the last few months. Perhaps she had been onto something after all. Himari was always so in tune with everyone's emotions, but you never really knew why. Kuro's quirk was an emotion-based power, allowing him to easily manipulate and twist people's feelings. He swore he never used it on you, but you had a feeling that was a lie after being away from his influence for so long. It was possible it was her quirk, but as far as you knew, she was quirkless. You would honestly have to look into it more once she was home and healthy.

Her being sick was concerning, especially if Mamoru was telling the truth about how long it had been going on. The second you had her back in your arms, she was going to a doctor. You took a deep breath, pushing yourself off the wall before ruffling up your appearance just a bit more. With one last glance at the building, you steeled yourself. It was time to get this whole thing rolling.