Red Feathers(REWRITTEN)

Chapter 5

The warm air from the sunny day soon drifts the cool night winds. Kana and her new companion had just returned home and sat on the couch. Silence took over as soon as they arrived after a long day of walking and searching. There was nothing more upsetting than finding nothing on the first day. Kana didn't realize how determined she was to regain Hawk's memories and find who did this to him. It surprised the girl when she found out she still had a heart. A heart that cares for the people around her.

Hawk noticed how quiet she was. He could tell her mind was full of thoughts. Thoughts about how upset she was to find no leads. He waddles himself a bit closer to her. They are not too close, given how little they know each other. "Hey, it's only the first day," he brightens a bit when her eyes meet his, "we'll find out what happened. It'll just take some time."

Kana nods, a small smile adorning her face. "You're right. I was just hoping we'd get at least one lead today. Even if it was small."

"Yeah, that would've been nice."

She lets out a long sigh and grabs the remote sitting on the coffee table. A click sounded when she turned the television on. She's hoping for anything that would distract her from the long day.

Color comes to life on the screen. Immediately shown is the news, with a blond woman sitting at her desk and a muscled man covered in fire sitting beside her. Kana knew exactly who that man was—from popularity and personal reasons. But a thought came to mind as she looked at the familiar man.

"Hawk!" She calls, spooking the bird, who sits close to her. "Do you recognize him? Anything coming to mind?" She looked a bit excited as a wide smile spread on her face.

Hawk almost cringed at seeing her that way. He felt bad having to lie when he knew perfectly well who the hero was. But with his trust unable to rise with her, he had to keep up his small act. Although he couldn't remember what happened the night he was turned, he knows who he is and the people he has friendships with.

"Um...he looks familiar." He decides to say. God, I'm such an asshole, he thinks to himself.

Kana seems happy about his answer. "Well, that's something! He's the number two hero, Endeavor. Maybe he'll say something that'll jog your memory if we listen."

"Endeavor! Thank you so much for coming," the lady says excitedly. She looked anything but excited. Obvious sweat rolled down the side of her head, either from the heat or from nervousness. Kana knows Endeavor to be the not-so-friendly type of guy. "We have had a certain question pop up with our many followers. Endeavor, have you heard anything from Hawks?"

"Hawks is the number three hero," Kana confirms with the bird. Unbeknownst to her, he knows exactly who he is.

Endeavor scoffs, a bit of smoke coming out of his nose as he does so. "How should I know? It's not like we're friends." Kana puts on a fake smile. You got that right, she thinks.

"Is that so? It was claimed that he was missing. Nobody has seen him since last week. I figured since he's the number two hero, you guys talk often." The lady nervously giggles.

The news lady's words caught Kana off guard. She doesn't know the hero personally, but hearing such a thing was a bit surprising. "Missing?" She says softly. "That's...new."

Hawk turns to look at her, hearing her clearly. He's a bit curious if she is talking about him, even though she doesn't know he's the number three hero. "What's new about it?" He asks her.

Kana catches his question, now focused on him. "Hawks? He's the fastest man alive," she starts, noticing the way Hawk instinctively took a step closer and puffed out his chest a little bit, "Or so I've heard. I'm just a bit surprised a hero like him is...missing."

Hawk couldn't help but feel a bit proud of how she spoke of him. Although his excitement went downhill a bit after mentioning she didn't really know his speed, he still felt alive, knowing that he was being thought of. Sure, he has met and talked with many of his fans before turning into a bird, but never has he really met someone who isn't a crazy fan. His curiosity builds the longer he thinks about her words. He just had to know.

"What do you think about Hawks?"

The girl turns to him once more. A soft smile adorned her face when she looked at him thoughtfully. Hawk almost jumped, never expecting such a soft look from her. "Hmm...I'm not really a fan of any hero, from personal experiences, but I think he's a nice guy."

Personal experiences? Has a hero done something to her? Hawk became invested. He continued to listen to her before he could space out any further.

"I've never met the guy in person, don't really intend to," she giggles lightly, "but how busy he could be amazes me. What was it he said before...? Something about wishing for heroes to be able to have time to kill? That's why he's working so hard. As someone who dislikes heroes, I admit he has somehow caught my attention."

She waited for Hawk to reply, but he seemed to be off into space as he stared at her with widened eyes. His surprise must not have been obvious to her. "I suppose I admire him." She finally finishes, stretching her arms with a long sigh. Suddenly, a burst of laughter passes her lips, causing Hawk to return to reality. "I just realized how similar you look to Hawks! The eyes, the feathers...and the fur! Isn't that a coincidence?"

His feathers have never felt so uneasy before. He's spooked that she noticed his appearance, so close to his original form, yet it seems she hasn't quite caught onto him. He nervously lets out a relieved sigh when she stands up to leave, headed for the kitchen behind them. "O-oh...yeah! What a coincidence..." He mumbles.

He hears her chuckle when she reaches the counter, her phone loudly slamming onto it. "Alright, I think it's about time we eat dinner." She comments. A sudden noise grabs her attention as she opens the fridge for something to inspire her. She quickly noticed it was a notification coming from her phone.

Kana takes a peak at her phone, and a quiet hum escapes her lips when someone she hasn't heard from in a long time messages her.

MESSAGES

FUYUMI TODOROKI