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"inconclusive."
those were the results i kept getting in every attempt to identify the dna sample.
"this has got to be a joke, hawks," i muttered, frustrated after hours of investigating and searching through almost every database in hospitals, both public and private, with the help of my artificial intelligence.
despite my efforts, i still couldn't figure out anything, and now it was already sunrise. the same useless answers were popping up every ten minutes. hawks would be coming by any moment, and i still didn't have the answers he wanted.
i was about to call him and ask for a few more days, but then it hit me—i could have hawks explain his vague and confusing email better and/or make him tell me the truth.
it didn't take long for hawks to appear at the window, signaling me to let him in.
"it's a tall and very much sanitized building, hawks. why would i keep the windows to my office and lab open right now?" i said with a dull expression, and hawks just rolled his eyes, landing in the main lobby instead.
i turned back to my desk, expecting a call from my computer-generated assistant asking for approval to let him up.
"y/n, pro hero hawks has informed me that he's here to talk to you. you were expecting him," the voice of the computer said.
"grant him access to come up to my office," i replied without hesitation, receiving an acknowledgment before hanging up.
five minutes later, the doors opened for hawks, who, in his usual style, made himself comfortable by sprawling on the couch.
"hey, y/n," he smiled and stretched. "so, do you have what i asked for?"
i sat down next to him and shook my head, seeing a confused expression appear on his face.
"really?" he sat up straight and looked at the documents i handed him. "what is this then?"
"some results for other dna samples from random villains you sent these past few days, and all the attempts on this one sample. they all came back inconclusive, hawks." i sighed, disappointed, and stood up to look out the window, letting hawks absorb the information.
"never in my years as a professional in this industry have i struggled as much as i am now with something as simple as a dna test."
i turned to face him, catching his golden eyes before they shifted down to the papers. he stood up and joined me by the window.
"how much more time will you need, y/n?" he asked, his gaze now focused on the view outside.
"i may need a few more days, but hawks, please be honest with me. i know you're lying in that email," i crossed my arms and stood firm. "what are you really doing? what's your mission?"
hawks clicked his tongue and placed a hand on his chin, clearly debating whether to tell me the truth.
"i'm infiltrated with the league of villains, simple," he said quietly, my jaw dropping in shock. "i had to do things to gain their trust and get them to include me in their planning. that's why i need your help—your equipment and the dna tests."
"don't the villains have people to handle this sort of thing? why are you asking me?" i said, disgusted at the thought of villains using my work for themselves.
hawks nodded. "but this isn't a request from the villains. it's from me, your friend," he winked. "you'd be helping the good guys by figuring out the background of all these people."
he handed the papers back to me and made his way to the door.
"take the time you need, y/n. i'll wait for the results on the one you're struggling with," he said, turning to smile at me. "and if you need anything, or still want to work with me, just say the word."
"will do," i sighed, sitting down to read through every document again, this time more thoroughly.
i was certainly not expecting my friend to be involved in something like this.
[...]
a couple of sleepless and lonely nights had passed since hawks last visited my office. i'd been working nonstop in my lab, pouring over the dna sample with a growing sense of urgency. now armed with the knowledge of hawks' secret mission, i knew i was playing a dangerous game. the hero commission had no idea i was aware of his infiltration into the league of villains, and if they ever found out, the consequences would be severe. hawks was checking up on me often, probably more worried about what would happen if the commission discovered my involvement than anything else.
but i was close—so close to figuring out who this dna sample belonged to. according to hawks, the villain in question had a variant of a fire quirk and was the one who trusted him the least, never revealing anything about his past. the pressure was mounting, but i was determined to uncover the truth.
deciding i needed a break, i left the lab to grab a quick coffee from the cafeteria while my computer assistant ran the final tests. it would only take a few minutes to process the last bits of data. as i sipped my coffee, a notification from my wristband alerted me that the testing was complete.
this is it, i thought, finally feeling a sense of relief. soon, i could wrap this up and move on to other requests from heroes, focusing on amplifying their costumes and gear.
back in the lab, i donned my gloves and goggles, retrieving the sample and placing it in a clean container. my computer began to describe the dna structure, providing a visual representation of everything.
"the dna sample belongs to a young japanese man with a fire quirk, supposedly going by the name dabi," the computer reported. "it is a match to that of a deceased person, boss."
confusion washed over me. how could this dabi have dna that matched someone who was supposed to be dead?
"which person?" i asked, my voice shaky.
"the dna sample shows a 99.999% match to touya todoroki, the eldest son of the current number one hero: endeavor."
two images were displayed: one of touya and one of dabi, though dabi's picture was blurry and i couldn't really see his face, but i could tell he had black spiky hair and scars in his body. my heart skipped a beat, and a cold wave of disbelief swept over me. this couldn't be right. there had to be some mistake, some glitch in the system. touya's death anniversary had just passed—how could he be alive? yet, science was never wrong, and i had to tell hawks.
i sank into my chair, my mind reeling. this revelation was too much to process. with trembling hands, i instructed my computer to dial hawks.
as i stared at the printed document of the test results, i tried to steady my breathing.
"what's up, y/n?" hawks' voice came through the line. "got any answers?"
"yeah," i replied, struggling to keep my voice calm. "but more questions are popping up, hawks."
"i'll fly down there. see you in a bit," hawks said before hanging up.
i turned to the window, noticing smoke rising from a building a few streets away. just my luck. if hawks was nearby, he might get called to handle the fire.
"just what i fucking needed," i muttered under my breath.
as i stared out at the fire, i once again felt a chill run down my spine, a warning, i saw the reflection of a tall male figure approaching me in the glass. my heart plummeted as i spun around, dread settling in the pit of my stomach. standing before me was a figure i never expected to see.
