Claws Out (Marvel x MHA fanfiction)

Chapter 31 - Starlight's Interlude

"Okay. Start explaining." Y/n's voice was stern as she spoke to X-22. After talking with Midoriya, she started walking towards the stage without waiting for her teammate. He had followed her without a word.

They were sitting in a corner by themselves, far enough away from anyone else that they could talk and not be overheard. The huge screen showed Sato and Kirishima stretching and speaking in preparation for their match, so no one's attention was on the two experiments in the corner anyway.

X-22 let out a nervous sigh, "I know I should have told you sooner—"

"Told me what, exactly? That you were going to crash the practical exams or that you had lied to me about where you've been for the past four years!"

"23, I know you're upset."

Y/n rolled her eyes, "Trust me, upset doesn't even begin to cover how I'm feeling right now." She looked at the midnight-haired boy, "Did you know they were going to get Logan?"

22 rapidly shook his head, "No, I did not. I promise, when Aizawa called me he only mentioned that I'd be your partner for this. Nothing else, I swear." Y/n sighed, at least he didn't know about that, whatever that's worth.

"Alright, okay. I'll do my best to let you explain without interrupting. But I want the truth this time, I want the full story, no more lies." She took a shaky breath, "22 what really happened when they sent you on that mission? Where did you go?"

X-22 closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall he was sitting against, "You deserve the truth, just try not to hate me by the end of it."

-

Three and a half years ago

X-22

The midnight-haired boy, dressed in shadows, kneeled on a rooftop, his sapphire eyes trained on a red-winged blonde. The target. His target.

Alright 22, quick and easy. In and out. Then you can get back to the lab and 23. He didn't want to kill, but he was under surveillance. If he didn't complete this mission it was his life, and potentially the others, on the line.

X-22 watched as his target walked through a busy street full of vendors, food stalls, and fans. He'd been watching him for a couple of days now, and 22 was confident that he could get the job done quickly.

Keigo Takami. The eighteen-year-old pro hero known as 'Hawks'. He had taken the hero world by storm, from his debut a year ago to now, the hero had quickly risen through the ranks and was currently sitting in the top ten.

22 had been given a file on him, his rise to fame could be attributed to the company he worked for, The Hero Public Safety Commission. From what the midnight-haired boy could tell, Hawks had been the Commission's ward since he was a kid. He'd been trained by them, housed and fed by them, and eventually employed by them. It was no wonder they had turned Hawks into their lapdog, he probably felt indebted to them. Poor kid.

That didn't matter though, nothing mattered except getting the job done. As 22 had learned and Hawks would soon find out, it was either kill or be killed.

And 22 was raised to survive.

As the amateur assassin looked back towards the bustling street, he realized that while he was sucked into his thoughts, he had also lost sight of Hawks. Cursing himself for such a beginner mistake, X-22 quickly pulled his mask up and turned around to stand.