They wanted to make the perfect hero. Perfect hero. They took the liberty of snatching me from my abusive home, where my dad was always drunk and my mom was missing. They took my name from me. I was Keigo Takami. They tested the limits of humankind on me... And then they broke them. I was plunged underwater every day for a month until I had bigger lung capacity and could stay underwater, completely conscious for 10 minutes. They broke my bones to make them stronger. They burnt, pulled, and smashed my wings to make them stronger when they healed. They made me starve until I could go 2 weeks without any food or water. They beat me until I lost a lot of blood and went into a coma, so that I would be 'stronger'.

"Are you ready Keigo?"

I saw the doctors. I had never known their names. But I hated them. I regret saying yes to this program. They grabbed me roughly and dragged me to the room. I was kicking and screaming.

"DON'T HURT ME! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! I DID AS I WAS TOLD! PLEASE! PLEASE NO! NO!"

This is a dream. This is just a dream.

WAKE UP

WAKE UP!

I sat up, gasping. It wasn't a dream. It was a memory. Why did I enroll in that program? Every time I remember them, my heart hurts. This is why you're a hero. To get rid of heroes. I want a world where no kid will have to go through that program, because the world will not need heroes. It sounds kinda evil but my logic is: If you get rid of all villains, there is no need for heroes. No need for heroes, no need for that program. Nobody will suffer, ever again.

Except you. Nobody will suffer except you.

I flopped onto my pillow. Why is life so unfair? I just wanted to be a normal hero. Not a hero with mental scars. But I guess everyone has their scars. Not just me... I want to make the world a better place. So why does this hurt so bad? I felt tears wet my pillow. Nobody will understand. 

"NO!" I heard a scream. I sat up and wiped my face with the back of my hand. It sounded like... Dabi? I walked to his room and knocked softly on the door. A minute later, it opened. Dabi looked tired and kind of sad.

"Whats up birdie?"

"Well, I heard you yell... And I had a bad dream..."

"Dream?"

"Memory..."

"That's probably more accurate. C'mon" He let me inside and I sat on his bed. I don't want to go to sleep if it means having that dream again... I clutched the side of the bed. I saw Dabi kneel in front of me so he met my eyes.

"What was it about?"

"...Before I became a hero, I was placed in a training program. I thought it would be regular training but I was wrong... They wanted to make the perfect hero. So they started when you were a kid. They tortured you and beat you to test the limits of the human race, and then surpass them. The 'training' did make me better but... I wonder if I could've became a hero but another path. Not this... Every time I have that dream, I feel so... empty..."

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Dabi wrapped me in a hug. 

"I can relate... I'm sorry you had to go through it too..."

"You went to the camp too?"

"No... My dad only had kids because he wanted someone powerful. Someone to surpass Toshinori. When I was born, he thought I was the one. So he trained me vigorously. My mom begged him to stop but she would only get hurt. So I took all the beatings. When he found out about my weak body, he trained me so hard so he could find the limits of my power. And then break them. I always had burns and bruises. Then, my father decided I wasn't good enough for his complete attention. This didn't bother me until he forced himself on my mother again... And all because I was weak... I love my siblings to death and so does my mom. But we both knew it was my fault that he had forced himself on her again. I decided to protect my siblings, since I was the reason they were born. Shoto was special. He was powerful and I loved him. I protected him for as long as I could. Finally, my mom told me the truth. She said I was just like my father and that I looked completely like him. She said I might even grow up to be like him. I tried to disregard it as an outburst but after she poured boiling water on Shoto... I knew she meant it..."

We were silent for a moment.

"I think... You might be one of the only people that can relate..."

"Imagine that. Two mentally scarred males, finding each other."

"Comforting and completing the other."

"Perfect match."

I wrapped my arm around him and we both began to cry. All of the heartache, loss, and plain depression over the years must've gotten to us. It feels good to have someone else know what you're going through. To be able to relate personally instead of saying 'I know what you mean' when they actually don't know.

We stayed like that for god knows how long it's been. I felt Dabi's hand running through my hair and wrapped around me for comfort. I feel... safe. It's been a while.

"You're such a pretty bird" Dabi murmured "It hurts to know that some people would just be so rude. The world hasn't been so kind to you, has it birdie?"

I nodded. The last time he said that, he was still evil. I don't mind though.

"Hey... Since I know your real name, do you want to know mine?"

"I did some research on you a few months ago. Your name is a government secret."

"I remember my name though. Just barely, but I remember it. I've been called Hawks for so long it's a struggle to remember my given name. If you know it too, it'll be harder to forget."

"Okay then birdie. What is your name?"

"Keigo Takami!" I smiled up at him. He traced circles on my back with his palm.

"Keigo Takami. It fits you well. Now you'll never forget your name. But I think... I've met you before... under your real name?"

"...When I was little, they'd let me go outside sometimes. I was able to sneak past the cameras and fly to a local playground. I would use my real name on impulse back then. Let me think..."

((Flashback Time- Doo doo doo doo))

"Woah! Is that Endeavor?!" I ran up to the man with a flaming beard. He was watching some other kids play on the playground. I flapped up so I met him eye to eye.

"Hey! Are you Endeavor?!"

"Yes."

"Woah! A pro hero! I wanna be just like you Mr. Endeavor! You saved me when I was little and I want to save people too!"

"Really? I don't remember you."

"I remember you though! I even enrolled in a special program so I could grow up big and strong!"

"How's that going for you?"

"...It's really hard. They try to drown me and break my bones. They said they're testing the limits of humankind and breaking the limits. It hurts but if I can be a hero and rid the world of villains then nobody will have to go through the training like me!"

"Why are you still in the program if they beat you like that?"

"I already told you! I wanna be a hero! I want to save people like you! Every time I feel like giving up, I think about how you put yourself in danger to save people and me and I keep going! I'll save people too! You can count on it!" I gave him a thumbs up, grinning. 

"I guess I'll see you on the top. What's your hero name?"

"Hawks! I'm Hawks!"

"That suits you." I giggled. "Hey, you see those kids over there?"

"Yep! They look kinda like you!"

"They're my kids. I want you to spread some of that happiness on Touya over there. He's sitting in that tree."

"Yessir!" I flew over to the red head in the tree. He was covered in bandages and relaxing on a branch. I hovered over him until he opened his eyes.

"Hi!"

"Huh?!" He blinked and sat up. I moved out his way so our heads didn't hit.

"Hi! I'm Keigo!"

"Aren't you the kid who was talking to my dad?"

"Yeah! Your dad is cool!"

Touya looked down. I noticed his odd behavior.

"Did I say something?"

"My dad isn't cool. He hits his children and his wife."

"What?!"

"Yeah..."

"Is that why you have so many bandages?"

He nodded. I rolled up my sleeves.

"I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" I was seething. I was going through this training so nobody else would have to! But he's training his own kids almost as harsh as my training!

"Wait, you were just saying how cool he is-"

"The whole reason I enrolled in a special government program is so nobody would have to go through the same training as me! But he's training his own kids like I'm being trained!"

"You're trained too?"

"Yeah! I actually just escaped from the training center. I probably have to leave in a few minutes or they'll...they'll..."

"I understand. Let's go." He hopped down from the tree. The other children followed us. I flew up so I was eye level to him again.

"What's going on?"

"HOW DARE YOU!"

"Huh?"

"I TOLD YOU I TRAINED SO NOBODY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT LIKE ME! YET YOU DO THE SAME THING TO YOUR OWN CHILDREN!"

"I'm not as harsh as your training."

"IF TOUYA CAN RELATE TO ME ON A LEVEL LIKE THAT YOU CANNOT TELL ME YOU DON'T TRAIN THEM HARSHLY! HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE A HERO IF YOU DO THAT TO YOUR OWN KIDS?!"

"You don't know anything about it. I didn't tell you to become a hero. All I need is a successor. Then they can rest."

The children fidgeted. Touya tapped the smaller child.

"He'll won't listen. Its okay, at least you tried..."

I looked at the children's tear streaked faces. The bandages. I wasn't done yet. I got close to the flaming hero's face and poked him in the chest repeatedly.

"What you don't understand is that everyone needs a successor. Everyone does. But everyone also has a legacy. What you don't understand is that those sad, hurt kids... THEY ARE YOUR LEGACY. THEY ARE YOUR LEGACY. WE ARE YOUR LEGACY. If this gets out, you won't be known as a hero. You'll be known as a big fat bully that mistreated his children and wife." I scowled at him.

"HAWKS!" A familiar voice screamed. I turned. It was the doctors.

"...Are those your trainers? You're from that government program aren't you?"

I whimpered and backpedaled in the air. Should I run?

"Hawks, we know you've been sneaking out and playing here. Do we need to have the facility on lockdown?"

"N-No" I squeaked

"Since you are stealthy enough to sneak out, almost unnoticed we'll let you come to the park on a daily basis."

"Whats the catch?"

"More training. You need to be able to leave, completely unnoticed."

I sighed and floated down to the ground.

"Bye Touya..." I walked to the car, my wings dragging on the floor. I could see the kids waving at me through the tinted windows. I waved back and sat down. Back into captivity.

I looked at Dabi, who looked awestruck.

"You're Touya Todoroki! The kid I met when I was younger!" I gasped

"And you're the kid who gave my father so much to think about, he didn't train us for about a month. But you barely ever came back to the park. We would go and wait for you."

"They had increased security. I had to be stealthy and deadly to get past. And every time I got past, they increased security and trained me harder until the facility was on lockdown and they were ordered to take me down if I tried to leave. I was still hurting from the training so I never was able to go back until I was a teenager..."

Dabi smiled softly "I knew Keigo was awesome. I admired him for his bravery. He could have ran away. I admire you for your bravery. Able to withstand horrible attacks and barely break a sweat. Now both people I admire are one person."

"I've always been Keigo, silly"

"Now that I remember you both are too stupid to back down and always triumph in the end."

"In this case, being an idiot pays off"

"Yeah... You're my idiot now." He buried his face in my shoulder. I laughed and patted his head.

"I'd be your idiot any day"

"Jesus fuckin' christ, we're both cheesy idiots"

"Right you are"

We ended up sleeping in and eating Dabi's famous strawberry pancakes with hot chocolate, just because we could. Rumi and Ryuko joined us and we sat on the couch, cuddling with our boyfriend/girlfriends, We watched almost all the original Disney movies except Cinderella and Snow White. Dabi and Ryuko were immediately best friends, they both have the bad-cop sarcasm flare. That's fine because Miruko and I were best friends already. We ended up eating nothing but pancakes and cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

"Hey birdie?"

"Hm?" My mouth was full of cookies.

"Guess what?"

"Hm?" 

"I think I might become a detective. The Nighteye agency has agreed to take me in and I could be like a secret agent." I gulped and smiled up at him.

"Whatever makes you happy! Remember to visit though. Toga is going to show her hero outfit for the first time next week!"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world"

"You guys are soo cute!" Miruko squealed "I love the good cop, bad cop thing you guys have"

"Its more like Dabi is intimidating and I'm not"

"But we both make a kick ass team" Dabi grinned.

"Dabi is the Tasmanian Devil of the group" Ryuko added

"Devil and Hawk" Miruko smiled.

"Weird match-up but perfect for each other when you think about it"

"Bunny and Lizard" Dabi added

"Seems like a horrible match-up but they're perfect for each other! You guys have been friends since forever!" I returned the grin.

We started to bet on other couples that might come together. Now, Miruko and Ryuko will come over every Friday and we'll swap stories about the couples and bet on them.

I know I sound like a big sap and shit but I love my boyfriend. I love him more than the sun and stars.

The sun is a star. And not even one of the biggest ones.

Well fuck. I love him more than the entire solar system and all the parallel universes.

I smiled to myself and cuddled closer to my boyfriend.