The breeze was beautiful and cool up on the cliffside.
My skin was starting to burn from where it was exposed around my black singlet. I kept my legs covered in my usual baggy pants that were sweltering.
The sun was kept at bay by the only tree that grew here, hanging over the edge as the roots desperately gripped to the ground.
How long had it been like that? When did it start to lean so dangerously close to falling to death?
You're getting distracted again.
My hands gripped the notebook I hunched over, trying not to let it be flipped by the wind trying to make me lose my spot.
Pen between my teeth, I bit on it as I studied the equations I had scrawled down earlier in my hurry to get away from it all.
None of it made sense. I couldn't slip behind again in class. I was already dangerously close to failing in theory.
And how was math supposed to help me catch villains anyway? They weren't going to be solving Pythagoras Therums when they took hostages or leveled towns.
I think it's twelve.
Huh?
I blinked down at the papers to scan across the equation that was fractured in the way it stuck to my brain.
Some of it made sense. Other parts didn't.
Uh, actually, it might be two.
I sighed, flopping the book down.
It didn't have a clue either.
I thought getting away from all the noise and distractions would help me, but now that I was here with just me and my homework, everything else up here was so much more tempting.
I could sail the skies and explore my new-found love of flying. I could be using this vantage point to get the best height over the city and really hone in on anything suspicious.
But, I was still an apprentice, and a kid. All the hero work went to the ones who had to earn thier name through years of training and broken bones.
Vilians weren't going to be lenaint with someone like me. Even if I did have such a powerful Quirk on my side, I had seen what they could do to someone who used to invoke fear with just a name.
You think I'm powerful?
A curved head made of shadow protruded from my own body, bending over to look me in the eye. It's own dangerously long claws pinched at my shoulders when it hooked around them with a smile.
It looked like a bird of death, but, I wasn't much different. My head was the same as it; black-coated feathers, hooked beak, and all.
I rubbed Dark Shadow's cheek to make it croon.
You don't need me to tell you that.
The bright light gave me better control over her. It was only the darkness itself that had me scared over how powerless I was.
They were only here to protect me, but it's vision of protection was more dangerous than mine. My friends didn't come into that picture at all.
It was just us against the world, how it had been for years before I joined the school and learnt about everyone else's differences.
Boiling, I rolled up my pants to tighten around my knees and let the cool breeze swat away the heat.
The skin gleamed in the breeze. It segmented like hard scales on a birds legs and made it painfully obvious how flawed my mutation was.
Still worried about them?
I sighed and forced a smile to Dark Shadow.
It wasn't normal. Nothing about a bird head and human body was. There were little attributes towards the animalistic side that poked up here and there, like my scaled legs, human teeth still growing within a bird beak, and the melding of the two sides at my throat that I kept hidden. I didn't need to make it more obvious how strange it all was.
Lightly touching the red choker I wore to hide the blending of skin to feathers, I grimaced at how I knew it looked beneath it.
Should we give the book a break?
Dark Shadow had grown in size. It fed off my pity. If I kept feeling sorry for myself over the inevitable, it'd have enough fuel to overpower me.
Sighing, I picked it back up.
I couldn't fall behind or give Dark Shadow more power. Being away from distractions only gave my mind time to ponder, and that was more dangerous than anything.
No more distractions, Fumikage!
We both slapped our cheeks and studied the book with fierce determination.
I felt a tug within my body and saw Dark Shadow was already losing interest to pluck the grass instead and pile it.
I was really neglecting it's abilities by dragging it out here with me, only to make it wait.
I still had plenty of sunlight. Pushing back homework a little longer wouldn't hurt...
"Dark Shadow."
It returned to my side eagerly, mouth full of the grass it had been piling.
The blades fell out and sprinkled over my head. It snickered before retracting.
Keeping it in the light really was weakening it. I felt it curl inside me to try and feed off any power it could absorb to bring it to life again.
Looking over to the tree, I eyed the shadows it casted.
It would be good to get out of the sun. My light skin was already red from my neglect.
Abandoning my book and crawling out over the leaning trunk, I felt the thrill of it all fill me.
I hung over the edge of the cliff on the tree that curved perfectly. It was wide enough to fit my whole body, but i hung a leg over anyway.
Even with the roots exposed it thier determination to remain planted, I knew I was safe here.
It was so.... beautiful.
Leaning back, the shadows blanketted me and blew coldness over my burnt skin.
This was nice. I could feel Dark Shadow appreciating the change already.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath of the fresh air blowing past.
Something flitted by to make me peer upwards.
The black boots perched on the overhanging branches gave away Kiego before his other identifying features could.
He had on tan jeans that he pulled up so he could squat and grin over me. His hands clutched something black that dangled over the branch.
His messed blonde hair that wasn't tacked under his goggles fell into his face. His black headphones hung off his neck and swayed in the breeze.
Unlike his usual aviator Hero Suit, Keigo traded the black for a white shirt today. His usual fur-lined tan jacket was swapped for a simpler one that was barely longer than the bottom of his ribcage.
His trademark red feathers were splayed outwards above the branch he had landed on. They were always so magnificent wherever he went.
Despite shedding all of his feathers instantly through his Quirk, his wings always looked so full and unscathed.
If he had a Quirk like Dark Shadow, how would that look?
He had bird-like qualities like I did, and didn't belittle me for them. Even if it was only his red wings, golden eyes, and little black markings at the edges that pointed them like a raptor, it was enough for me to appreciate some sort of similarity we had between us.
"Tsukuyomi" Keigo grinned "how did I know you'd be up here?"
I burned in appreciation at the use of my Hero name and hid my smile.
It was no surprise I came up here often. It was my place to escape it all. Enough light to control Dark Shadow while I worked through my issues, and enough shade to give it power when it was too drained and I could take the chance to sleep.
"Dark Shadow needed rest" I tried to play it off.
I didn't like admitting my weakness, especially to the Hero that had taken me in so readily and given me everything I needed to become my own Hero. For now, I was still his intern, and was beyond grateful for it.
Hawks had caught me so off-guard that I hadn't had time to hide my legs. I crossed one over the other to try and hide most of the scales.
His eyes ran over them and he grinned.
"Well, I've got some scouting to do" he straightened and jerked a thumb "think you can join me for that now that I found you?"
He had seen how self-conscious I was, but wasn't going to focus on what he had obviously seen.
"Yes" I nodded back.
"Well then!" he dropped the item he clutched down to me, leaping from the branches to really heave his weight into them and shake the tree I still laid in "come on!"
I snatched up the flitting fabric I instantly recognized as my cloak. Hawks hovered as I straightened to tug down both pant legs and rush off the trunk to roll up my book and slide it into my back pocket.
I saw him snuggle his goggles against his face before snapping his headphones back on.
He really wanted to let loose. Hawks was insanely fast, and it pushed me to my limits to keep up with him.
Swinging my cloak back on, my body was shielded from the sunlight for Dark Shadow to emerge.
"Black Fallen Angel!" I called forth my Quirk while racing for the cliff's edge.
Yes! Let's go!
Dark Shadow wrapped its coldness around my body and took cover under my cloak. It's arms enveloped mine that outstretched as I leapt and plummeted downwards.
With one manouver, I was soaring through the air past Hawks who turned and laughed in surprise. My cloak billowed behind me to keep Dark Shadow shielded as it protected me.
"Keep up!" I called back with a grin, taking off across the clouds with Hawks not far behind.
Homework would have to wait a little longer.
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