Chapter Text
> Goodluck on your first day, Keigo.
> Remember, no one can know about your sponsorship. Please keep it on the downlow.
The train was packed, as expected on an early Monday morning.
Keigo tried his best to keep his wings as close to his body as possible, so as to not impede the other passengers, but he still heard the occasional annoyed whisper when his feathers brushed up against someone. ‘Damn Heteromorphs’ , as if he had any control over the jostling of the train.
It was weird, being so out in the open. Ever since he was born, his family had lived in hiding. Even now, with his father in jail and the HPSC ‘supporting’ his education, his mother didn’t like him spending too much time away from her. She’d freak out and accuse him of trying to leave her or report her to the police, the latter of which making no sense because the HPSC was literally funding her alcoholism. If they wanted to arrest her, they would have by now.
Speaking of the Commision, he should respond to that text. But, what could he even say? No? As if, his handlers would blow a fuse if he gave them any sort of attitude, which tempted him to do it even more. Despite this, his better judgement won, and he sent a simple thumbs up in response.
After half an hour and a transfer from train to bus, Keigo arrives on the steps of UA.
There are many other students heading into the building, all wearing the same uniform as him; minus the modifications for his quirk. It made him feel like he belonged. He’d never gone to a proper school before, so everything was new to him. But, he couldn't let that inexperience show. According to his (forged) records, Keigo Tokunaga attended some tiny prep school on the other side of Japan, so he had to act the part.
Stepping inside, Keigo followed the signs to his classroom, Class 1-A, and took a seat. As usual, he was early, and only a few other students had arrived. He took this as an opportunity to observe his new classmates closely, and get a feel for their personalities and quirks before deciding who would be best to befriend. The commission had warned him that many kids with strong quirks came with even stronger attitudes, and he couldn't risk upsetting the wrong people.
The first few people to filter in seemed relatively chill, some coming up to say hello to him while others just went straight to their assigned seats. He recognized two of them from the recommendation entrance exam, what were their names again… Yaoyorozu and Todoroki, he thinks.
Apparently the latter was the son of Endeavor , but he ignored all of Keigo’s attempts at befriending, so he had a feeling he took after more than just his quirk(s?).
Trouble did not start until a boy with spiky blonde hair entered the classroom, and Keigo immediately smelled trouble. The boy was practically dripping with pride, and he looked at the rest of his classmates like they were nothing but background characters. Definitely someone to avoid.
Another classmate, Tenya Iida , brother of Ingenium, started an argument with the blonde kid, and he should definitely intervene because now threats are being made. Pretty much everyone had arrived, and were currently watching the spectacle without making any move to stop it. Well, he guesses it's on him to intervene.
“Hey now, threats are pretty ‘unheroic’ if you ask me.” Keigo says as he rises from his seat, taking a few steps to stand beside Iida. Come on, Keigo, put those deescalation lessons to good use. “And Iida, there’s no need to get so worked up over a desk. The teacher isnt even here, yet!”
“Hah? You saying I'm not a hero, Feathers?!”
Keigo quickly raised his hands in surrender, chuckling at the strange nickname. “Aw come on, I didn't mean it like that. We all got in here for good reason, didn’t we? I'm just saying that maybe you should-”
He’s interrupted by the blondes eyes moving from his to the door, where another student with green hair has entered. The other students seem in awe, so clearly he’d made some sort of name for himself at the regular entrance exam. The blonde seemed particularly displeased at his arrival, did they have some sort of history?
As Iida approaches the new student, Keigo’s pocket vibrates, and he moves back to his seat before pulling out his phone.
Mom:
> where are u baby??
> you didnt leave me right???
Keigo sighs as he reads the text, feathers ruffling. Even after so long, her mind was still on the mend. Her paranoia was like a thief in the night, stealing what remains of his mother when he thinks he might finally have gotten her back. He scorns himself for not leaving a note, but he foolishly believed she’d remember it was his first day.
Keigo:
> At school, Mom. It's my first day, like I told you last night.
Mom:
> oh
> ok
Keigo:
> I'll be home in a few hours. Will you be alright until then?
Mom:
> cant you come home now?
> i dont like when u leave
Keigo:
> I can't leave early on the first day, Mom.
> Let's call during lunch, okay? I can tell you all about my classes.
His mom stopped responding after that, and Keigo stares frustrated at the small read beneath his message until their teacher calls the class to attention. Shit, he’d completely zoned out. Luckily, it seems like he didn't miss much. They were going to do some quirk assessments, which was a welcomed distraction to Keigo’s troubling homelife.
Grabbing the gym uniform with his name attached, Keigo heads off to the changing room with determination in his eyes and a sinking feeling in his gut.
The threat of expulsion was nothing to Keigo. It wasn't arrogance to say he was good, and he did get in on recommendation. So, while other students freaked out, Keigo simply prepared himself for the tests. Refocusing made it easier to forget about his mom, at least for a little while. He could never fully forget her, forget his past, but he could push it away for a little while.
The first test was a 50 meter dash, which was pretty easy. Keigo’s best skill was his speed, and while he wouldn't be able to fly as quickly as he could so low to the ground, he was confident he could still do well. Maybe not as well as the kid with engines in his legs, duh, but maybe second.
‘Runners on your marks…’
He raised his wings up as he leaned forward, hands pressed against the sandy ground. There was a slight wind, but not enough to affect his flight.
‘Ready…’
Keigo shot off at the sound of the gunshot, flapping his wings once before an initial boost as he soared towards the finish line as fast as he could. Dust got kicked up in his wake, and after he passed the white line he aimed downwards and rolled over his shoulder to land safely; like the commission had taught him.
‘3.58 seconds!’
“Yes!”
When his opponent– Shoji, the guy with the extra arms –crossed the finish line a few seconds later, Keigo gave all six hands a congratulatory high five. Yes, all six, because what kind of man would he be otherwise?
He didn't see these tests as competition, so while he didn't hesitate to show off, he wasn't gonna rub it in their faces either. They were still his classmates, and he wanted to make a good impression.
He met most tests with the same enthusiasm. While some were not suited to his quirk, such as the grip test, he was easily able to make up for it in others. The long jump was easy, and repeated side steps a breeze when you had been trained in your coordination from a young age. Then came the ball throw, the test that started off the class.
Tests like this normally were to track a students physical strength and coordination, and while Keigo excelled in the latter, he lacked much in the former. Still, now that he could use his quirk, he quickly thought of a way to succeed.
Taking a deep breath, Keigo tosses the ball up and down in his hand a few times, getting a feel for its weight. His training at the commission had similar tests, but the tracker around the ball gave it a more unnatural weight. It seemed minor, but even the smallest differences could throw him off his game.
Gathering all his energy into one mighty throw, Keigo tosses the ball as far as he can. Then, he summons his feathers to boost its speed, taking it as far as they can before the ball inevitably falls out of the air when the feathers get too far for him to control.
His classmates watched in awe, as up until this point his wings were nothing but, well, wings. They didn't know he could detach his feathers, let alone control them with his mind.
“Woah, your quirk is insane, man!” One student, Kirishima, piped up, raising a fist in the air. He was certainly passionate, that's for sure.
“Indeed! Your quirk is quite versatile. How very powerful indeed!” Another student, Iida, adds; his arm raised up and down in a chopping motion. All the words of encouragement warmed his cheeks, and he found himself grinning ear to ear.
“Haha, thanks!” Keigo smiles brightly, rubbing the back of his head as he rejoins the others.
Next up was the boy with green hair, Midoriya? He hadn't had time to talk to the boy, so he could only go off what Iida had said. He looked incredibly focused, and since Keigo had no idea what his quirk was, he watched in anticipation for what he might do.
His body moved as if it was in slow motion, arm pulling back and beginning to gleam with power as he aimed his throw. With the pure strength emanating off of him, Keigo anticipated it would be an impressive display.
With a yell, he wrenched the ball across the air… only for it to land less than 50 meters away.
Well, that was underwhelming.
He moved his hands up, preparing a slow clap, before he paused at the sight of his teacher. The scarf that was normally curled around the man's neck floated in the air along with his hair, and his eyes glowed with authority. His words were like venom, spat at Midoriya with cruel and bitter honesty. No wonder the boy shook in the grasp of the scarf, eyes wide in both surprise and shame.
But then, something changes. Midoriya’s eyes change from fearful to angry, and when Aizawa lets him go and turns away; Keigo can tell that a new feeling burns inside him. Determination.
Aizawa’s words did nothing to deter Midoriya, and only spurred him to try harder and prove himself to the cynical teacher.
“I wonder if our teacher gave him some advice?” Iida wonders aloud, which breaks Keigo’s focus and turns it to the two classmates beside him. Bakugo responds with some witty and cruel remark as usual, and it's then Keigo realizes that he was the only one who had overheard the conversation; his wings and improved hearing able to pick up on things most couldn't.
He wants to add something to the conversation, but finds himself unsure what to say. So he just focuses back on Midoriya as he prepares for his next throw. His wind up starts the same as before, but his arm no longer glows, and Keigo’s eyes are only able to pinpoint the faint powering of his index finger before the ball shoots through the air at insane speeds.
The ensuing wind from the force of the throw makes Keigo take a step back, covering his eyes to prevent dust from getting stuck. Jeez, this kid was insane. All that force from just one finger? What would have happened if he used his whole arm like he’d originally intended.
It was likely for the best, though, as Iida points out his finger is broken and bruised. Gross. He can imagine the pain his classmate must be in, having suffered many broken bones himself. How was he going to get through the rest of the tests?
“Deku, you bastard!"
“Huh?”
And now Bakugo was attacking Midoriya. Amazing! This kid might actually be clinically insane! Keigo sighs as he watches everything unfold. Luckily, Mr Aizawa had stepped in and used his capture weapon to stop him from causing any harm. But still, this did not bode well for the year
If the commission were teaching them, Bakugo would be thrown out immediately. They didn’t like attitude, Keigo had learned that pretty quickly. One bad word from his mouth and Bakugo would be kicked out into the curb, with no chance of being a hero. Luckily for him, this wasn’t the commission, though Aizawa didn't seem exactly pleased by his antics either.
As they moved on to the next person, Keigo knew one thing for sure.
This year would be anything but normal.