Zero - A Vigilante Deku Story

Chapter 19 - Special offer: Get the 2nd brother for free when you buy one.

POV Zero

"Here we are." With a sweeping gesture, Hawks pointed to the sign above the store. It said Red Wings in squiggly lettering framed by red feathers.

Mic looked from Hawks to the sign. "How could I forget?" By his standards, he spoke really quietly.

"What do you mean?" Shouta asked.

"Hawks has its own fashion brand. I'd be surprised if they don't have clothes which are more suitable for people with wings."

"Bingo," Hawks replied cheerfully. "Come on, feathers, time to get tastefully dressed." Without waiting for an answer, he pushed Zero into the store.

He still felt blindsided by Hawks' manner, but the teenager let it happen. Finding clothes which weren't just makeshift but actually fit him were far too tempting.

"Hawks-sama," a woman's voice called out in surprise. "We weren't expecting you today."

"Hello Sakura-chan, you shouldn't always be so formal. Our visit is quite spontaneous. Do you have some time for us?"

A woman with pale pink hair which fell in soft waves stepped out from behind a counter. Behind her back stretched a pair of butterfly wings of the same color. She looked like an elf from a fairy tale book. Her slender figure and height reinforced this impression. She towered over Zero by a whole head. When she reached them, she bent down to be at eye level with Zero.

"Don't tell me I can re-dress this cute angel?" She squealed happily.

Zero's ears rang despite his hearing protection. He smiled shakily so as not to upset her.Hawk's hand rested on his shoulder. "That's right, and because this is my little brother, there's no limit. Let off steam. It's on the house."

Sakura's smile widened and she grabbed his hands. "This is going to be fun. Come on!" She was already pulling Zero deeper into the store.

Thankfully, Hitoshi came after them quickly. As they passed, he said to Hawks: "If you want to be his brother too, you should know situations like this will quickly overwhelm him. He may have wings like you, but Zero is anything but flighty."

Everything happened very quickly after that. Zero's head was spinning. It hadn't taken long for not only Sakura, but also Hitoshi, Hawks and Mic to pick out clothes for him to try on. Shouta had moved to an armchair and was taking a nap. Zero envied him.

On the other hand, he had to admit he had never worn clothes like this before. The fabrics were soft and comfortable against his skin. The tops were either so elastic that the cutouts for the wings could stretch and with a little practice Zero managed to pull them on and push the large wings through the cutouts, or they could be opened at the back with snaps or velcro and adjusted for personal needs.

Hours must have passed. A mountain of different items of clothing piled up on the counter, which Sakura dismantled and packed piece by piece.

Zero sank onto a chair by the changing rooms. "I can't take any more."

Hawks held up a jacket. "You sure? How about this one? See - partner look!"

Hitoshi snorted. "You talked him into it first thing."

"I don't remember that." His tone made it clear that Hawks was lying.

Mic intervened. "Zero's right. That's enough for now. We should get back home soon. Otherwise Kaminari will be here before we've started cooking."

"All right...," Hawks relented.

Zero's gaze fell on Sakura and the numerous bags lined up next to each other on the counter. He bit his lower lip. "This is too much."