Top pic credit: unknown

Ari POV:

"Today is the day that you will become a very special hero, Ari Parker." Diane stated firmly, the words causing a glint of something new to light up in her eyes.

I stared at her blankly, like a deer in the headlights, not quite knowing how to respond to that statement. It could mean a lot of different things.

And, anyways, there's not much I can say to that statement. Not with the current situation I'm in, facing the all the powerful fiends of the hero commission by myself.

So, instead...

"How so?" I asked calm and collected, keeping my straight posture and my hands neatly tucked behind my back as I waited for an answer.

Diane remained standing at the head of the table, keeping her manicured fingers rested atop it as she flashed that eery, empty smile.

She seemed confident in where she wanted to go with this conversation.

After a few moments of tense silence, she appeared to have her words, standing up straight and softly clasping her hands together.

"Well, there are a lot of variables that go into this "how so" equation, you speak of. Of course, I'd never want to mislead one of my top, aspiring heroes, so let me start from the very beginning..." Diane stated loud and clear, ensuring that everyone in the room could hear this exchange properly.

I couldn't see Endeavor from where I was standing in the room, but judging by the small gruff "hmph" he gave in reply to Diane's statement, I'm guessing he's in the corner behind me.

Diane moved away from her spot at the table, slowly starting to saunter around the room and make her way over to me.

"Ari, what I am about to tell you, is completely confidential. This information belongs to the hero public safety commission of Japan, and there will be dire consequences for you and your loved ones, if you leak it to anyone. Do you understand?" Diane stated firmly, casually continuing her slow walk around the room.

My heart jumped at the immediate seriousness of this conversation, realizing that I've apparently gotten myself into some pretty deep shit, that I'm not even aware of.

"I understand." I stated in monotone, continuing to stare blankly ahead as I saw Diane walking in my peripheral vision.

"And do you also understand that the government is requiring your full compliance in this matter, and that you must speak the honest truth of any questions that I'm about to ask you? Do you understand that lying can affect the outcomes of this confidential information, and that it can result in jail time and permanent revocation of your hero license?" She asked casually, relaying the rehearsed words as if she's said them a million times. She probably has, by now.

Oh shit. I'm in trouble. She knows, doesn't she. What does she know-what is this all about....

Agh, no. Relax, Ari. This is just standard protocol. No need to be nervous.

Clearing my throat softly, I immediately answered so there would be no hesitation in my reply.

"I understand." I said once more, taking slow, deep breaths to calm my quickening heart beat.

"Excellent. To make things more efficient, let's start with what you know first, then. Let's get it all out in the open." She said in powerful satisfaction, hiding the small smirk that threatened to curl up onto her glossed lips.

I didn't say anything more as I heard her heels clacking closer and closer to my face, before her presence ended up directly in front of me, much too quickly.

Slowly, and a bit reluctantly, I directed my eye contact to hers, ignoring the involuntary tremble my muscles began to shake with.

Diane's cold, emotionless eyes burned into me ruthlessly as she asked her first question.

"What is your relationship with the number two pro hero, Hawks?" She asked firmly, never once even taking the time to blink as she said the statement.

Fuck. Already starting it off like that, huh...

Right off the bat, Diane has already managed to put me in a predicament. I still have three months left until graduation, meaning that a romantic relationship between Keigo and I would be considered totally inappropriate.

Even though I'm at the Endeavor Agency now, everyone is aware that I interned with Hawks for eight months straight. It will look suspicious if I say we're in a romantic relationship now.

But, if I say that Keigo and I are not romantically involved, and Diane catches me in a lie, I'll be in some deeper shit. And we all know I'm a horrible liar.

There's no time to hesitate with an answer, so without too much thinking, I'm just gonna have to go with what my gut tells me to say.

"I interned with Hawks for eight months, until I left his agency. I've been interning with Endeavor for the past month. My relationship with Hawks is strictly professional, and nothing more." I said firmly, feeling my mouth sour with nerves as I said my first lie of the day.

Well, it's started! No going back now.

Can someone get me a shovel to dig myself into this hole, even deeper?

I know what you're probably thinking. Why am I going to try to lie my way through this, when I'm such a horrible liar to begin with?

That's a good question. I'll let you know when I find the answer.

Praying that I would be a good liar for once in my entire, damn life, I focused all my efforts on controlling my body language. When looking for a lie, I know body language is the first thing Diane checks.

I wasn't wrong as I watched her sharp eyes subtly trail to my frame, checking for any nervous fidgeting or uneven breathing.

Her face was unreadable as she assessed me-and it was purposely so, as I know part of her intimidation tactics involve keeping a poker face, in order to make her victims nervous.

"And what do you know about Hawks' role in the hero world?" She interrogated a few moments later, not acknowledging my first answer as she moved onto her next question.

Keep it together, Ari. Give vague answers that appear as if they have a lot of context.

"Well, I know that he's the number two hero. His favorite spots to patrol are the sky, and the district plaza on fourth street-because it's right near his office. I know that he's an advocate for the hero commission, and that he works a lot of overtime, weekends, and off days to further better the community. Those are the roles that come to mind." I explained, conveniently leaving out the tiny detail of his double agent life.

But, it didn't seem like I'd be getting out of that one scot free, judging by Diane's next question.

"Has Hawks told you anything confidential about his role in the hero world?" She immediately asked, causing the nervous shake inside my body to become a bit more prevalent.

Keigo has told me everything confidential about his role in the hero world.

And I imagine that it's because of situations exactly like these, that he kept his secrets from me for so long. Because, he never wanted me to get in a predicament like this.

My next answer could very well cause me to go to jail and lose my hero license.

But...

My next answer could also cause Keigo to go to jail and lose his hero license, since he was given this same protocol with his own mission. He broke the rules by telling me everything about his double life, which means his consequences might be even worse than mine. He knew the risks it would bring. He knew the trust he would be placing in me to keep him safe, if it ever came down to it.

I could tell the truth and possibly save myself, or I could lie and possibly save him.

Right now, I'm simply choosing between him, or myself. My fate. Or his.

Hopefully, this will be the only time I ever have to do such a thing.

Already having a very clear answer in my mind, I stuck with it fully, and spoke my next words with confidence.

"No. Hawks has not told me anything confidential about his role in the hero world." I said, keeping my posture stick still as I locked eyes with Diane.

She narrowed her eyes at me, upon hearing my words...making me sweat it for a moment longer before answering.

"Is that your final answer?" She asked a little quieter, lacing her question with small hints of accusation.

And regardless of my doubts to whether she actually bought my lie, it's already been said. I need to follow through.

"Yes. That's my final answer."

Consistent with my other answers, the look on Diane's face was unreadable.

Her eyes trailed to the other commission men and women in the room, before back to me....acting as if there was something she wanted to do, but decided to move forward with a different action, instead.

"Very well." She smiled blankly, slowly starting to circle my figure as she let me off the hook. For now.

I let out a silent breath I didn't know I was holding, yet my anxiety was hardly eased as I heard the controlled clacking of Diane's heels moving behind me.

"If what you said is true, Ari, then my next words will surely come as a shock to you. But, I did promise to share all the necessary information with you about this matter, in order to move forward appropriately..." She started off, taking a deep inhale before she spoke her next statement.

"Hawks is more than just the number two hero. He's a commissioned double agent, who's spent the last nine months infiltrating the league of villains." She said casually, the surprising honesty of her words causing my jaw to drop in pure shock.

Oh my god....

Did she just tell me....the actual truth?!?

The truth that Keigo and I have been working so desperately hard to hide from this woman, herself, for so long.

The truth that has caused so much tension and drama between Keigo and I for the last nine months. The truth that I never thought I'd actually hear come from her mouth?

Sure. Maybe, to some people, they'd feel relieved that they no longer have to bear the weight of keeping such a heavy secret from everyone else, let alone, the most dangerous, powerful people of the hero commission.

But, not me. Not at all. In a way, the secret curtain that Keigo and I have been hiding behind for the past nine months has been unveiled, and all I can think is why?

Why is Diane deciding to tell me this truth about Keigo now? Why is she deciding to tell me Japan's biggest secret, in front of all these people today?

Why am I supposed to know this information, in her eyes?

Why am I here today?

Realizing I may have zoned out for a bit after Diane's little bomb drop, I quickly snapped my eyes upwards towards the big group.

My jaw was still open in shock, and I guess, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I assume people will attribute my shock as an appropriate reaction to what Diane just said. And technically, it is genuine shock.

"What...." I breathed out in honest surprise, thankful that Diane managed to actually catch me off guard, somehow, so that my bad acting skills wouldn't show so much.

She simply nodded in affirmation for my reaction, only giving me a second to process, before continuing.

"Yes, it's true. In fact, this exact room is where it all began for him, too. Hawks was standing right where you were, when I gave him this assignment, nine months ago. He took it, like the special hero he is; no complaints. Full submission to the cause. Full sacrifice. He's served his country well."

....'served,' as in past tense?!-

"Hawks is a model agent for everyone to follow. He put the mission first, and did whatever it took to get the job done. He's currently still participating in this infiltration mission. And thanks to his hero commission training, he's been able to give us an abundance of information, that will be very useful in these next four months." Diane explained, not just speaking to me now-but, rather, the entire group.

....I feel like I'm gonna hurl.

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. Diane is telling me everything I was never supposed to know, as if we're two friends catching up over coffee.

It's as if a barrier has broke, somehow. A barrier that separated Keigo and I from her, by keeping my knowledge of his infiltration mission a secret.

It makes me feel as if Diane has Keigo and I exactly where she wants us, and that she's closed off all escape routes for us to use.

My mind went blank as she continued spilling all of Keigo's achievements over the past nine months. Every accomplishment she stated brought back personal, private memories that Keigo and I shared during those times.

"The high end Nomu fight with you, Endeavor. That was skillfully orchestrated by Hawks..."

The high end Nomu fight that forced him to put his idol in danger. It broke his heart.

"Strategically using a corpse from Deika, to trick the villains into initiating him into the league..."

Yes, Kazumi Abiko. Keigo told me about him, this weekend. The act that forced him to disrespectfully mutilate a dead man, and forever scar his moral conscience with guilt.

"Sinking deep in the villain ranks this past month, using minimal coded communication with us, to ensure the survival of the millions of citizens in Japan..."

And it's killing him. Mentally and physically. I saw it this past weekend. The man I love is slowly withering away into the darkness, and he needs so desperately to stop all of this, and be brought back to the light.

Feeling unexpected tears starting to cloud my eyes at the thoughts, I quickly blinked them away and composed myself to stay calm and neutral, throughout this whole thing.

"And finally, finding out that there is going to be a war between the villains and the heroes in these next four months." Diane finished, turning her eyes back on me as she spoke the words.

It was information I already knew, yet I still gasped as I was in pure disbelief that Diane had decided to tell me this.

She knows about the war. Keigo probably sent her a coded message.

Diane's eyes remained on me, clearly looking for me to verbally react to all of this. But, I had no idea what to say.

I probably shouldn't say much, anyways, considering I'm not supposed to know any of this stuff.

Feeling my wits failing me slightly, my lack of response had apparently gone on for a few seconds too long, as the other men and women of the hero commission slowly began turning their attention on me, waiting for a response.

I heard Endeavor softly clear his throat from behind me, silently trying to get me to answer.

Hurry up and answer, Ari. They're all waiting...

Just don't say anything stupid.

".........wow...." I uttered dumbly a few moments later, keeping my checked out gaze on a random spot of the wall as I gave my words of wisdom.

Yep, that response was met with silence. Just as I expected.

But, luckily, Diane put me out of my misery after a few seconds.

"Yes, Ari. Wow, indeed. It's amazing, isn't it? To see the fruits of the hero commission's labor shine so brightly through Hawks? These are the types of missions I train you children for. This is what makes you special." She stated a bit....proudly this time, as her eyes trailed to Hawks' hero picture frame on the wall.

I nodded in empty, loyal agreement....feeling completely unsatisfied and on edge with wherever the hell this conversation was going.

"And you're special, too, Ari. You were meant to be a hero. You were born to be one. And today will finally be the day where you also show the fruits of your hero commission training." Diane continued with a genuine smile, gesturing to me with pride so that the rest of the commission men and women would turn to me.

I didn't smile back, simply staring at everyone emptily. I was too confused and concerned with what was happening to really take in the full effect of Diane's mood change.

"A few years down the line, some eighteen year old girl, or boy, will be hearing about all of your accomplishments, the way I'm telling you about Hawks. You will be their role model, and they will look at you with awe, for all of the amazing things you're going to do." She encouraged kindly.

Well, gee, I sure hope not...

The woman is acting very out of character right now, and it's messing with my head. She's clearly trying to use some new type of tactic on me, since encouragement is a pretty foreign thing for her.

And even knowing that....why is it...that I believe what she's saying, anyways? Just shows the effect her words have on people.

But, either way, I was starting to become too overwhelmed with what was happening in this conversation. I couldn't focus much on anything else being said, which was a clear sign for me that someone just needed to get to the point of why I'm here.

"Okay......and, um......how will I be a role model, exactly?" I chuckled nervously, losing a bit of my professional formality as I rubbed the back of my neck.

Diane smiled in acknowledgement to my point, dialing down on the fake kindness a bit, as she continued on with the conversation.

"I won't bore you with all the details that Hawks has found out on this infiltration mission..."

Yeah, I appreciate that, considering he already told me all of the details, and I've actually been involved in a great deal of them-

"But, something important that he did manage to find out, was that Tomura Shigaraki is currently undergoing a quirk enhancement treatment at a hospital...."

Oh, I'm well aware, since I'm the person who told Keigo that exact piece of information, this weekend-

"Hawks hasn't found out which hospital this enhancement is taking place at, yet. But, per my orders, he's working day and night to figure this information out. I have no doubt that he'll be able to crack the code in the next month or two." She explained, tactfully stopping her words to give me time to process and comment.

Which can only mean that she's about to say something very important in the next few moments.

"Okay. I understand that part." I quickly said, purely speaking my acknowledgment so that she would continue.

Diane's look slowly turned to one of calm and collectedness, mixed with a hint of unfamiliar warmth that made me uneasy.

"Ari, you graduate in three months. You're set to immediately join the pros at the number eight hero spot. You've been well trained by the commission for almost ten years. And now, as your first act of a real hero......I have a mission for you." She nodded slowly, walking back over to her desk now.

I swallowed thickly at the words, already having a million thoughts running through my head as to what could come next.

"A-A mission...." I uttered softly, suddenly having a heart wrenching feeling in my heart, and I don't know why.

I should be excited, shouldn't I? This is what I was trained to do.

Grabbing a file off her desk, Diane held it out towards me, gesturing for me to walk over and take it.

Like heavy weights, my feet lugged forward, feeling as if I had multiple, invisible forces trying to pull me backwards, so that I would never reach Diane.

But, I did reach Diane, and I grabbed the file she was holding, seeing the title, "Operation: Takedown." neatly typed across the front page.

No one spoke a word as they waited for me to open the file, so I did....starting to flip through the confidential pages.

It was all of Keigo's work-well, not all of it. But, a lot of it. I saw pictures that Keigo obviously took of Dabi, Twice, Toga. The league of villains hideout, where I got kidnapped. The PLF mansion, with Re-Destro, Skeptic, and Geten.

In Keigo's handwriting were notes. Codes. Reports that probably took him hours, and long nights to write out; the work in his infiltration mission.

The last thing on the page, probably written when Skeptic and Dabi weren't around, was Keigo's last plan of action, for this entire situation that he's been trapped in for nine months...

"Final procedure to complete:

Find out which hospital Shigaraki is hiding in, and take him down there, before he finishes treatment. I have full confidence that doing this, will complete the infiltration mission."

Wordlessly and subtly, I traced the indented words on the paper that Keigo wrote, being able to practically feel the hope that was radiating off them.

"So, that's it, huh? That's where it all finally ends..." I uttered inaudibly, speaking to Keigo even though he obviously wasn't here.

Not even looking up to face the group, my focused eyes continued flipping through the pages. Sure, I've been involved in a lot of Keigo's stories-and that's obviously not disclosed in these notes. But, it's interesting to read the re-telling of events from his perspective.

It's like getting to read a chapter with his point of view.

Silently becoming impatient with my silence, Diane cleared her throat a few moments later to grab my attention.

I quickly looked up at her, carefully closing the file to reluctantly give her my full attention, once again.

"Ari, you've heard of Tomura Shigaraki before. I assume, that means you're aware of his quirk?" Diane questioned, drumming her nails against the top of the desk.

"Yes. He can decay anything he wants, using five fingers. Correct?" I asked, watching her nod in agreement, before she decided to start slowly trailing around the room again.

"Correct. For now. See, at this moment, Shigaraki poses a lethal, but somewhat controllable threat to the hero world. By this, I mean we are aware of the mechanisms and limits his quirk imposes, and those limits require that he must be touching something with all five fingers, in order for his decay to work..." She started off, giving her own fingers a small wiggle to emphasis her point.

"Yes. I saw a little bit of that in Kamino, during the Katsuki Bakugou rescue mission. He's a very strong opponent, even without the enhancement." I validated, remembering how the blue haired guy admittedly scared me a bit when I caught sight of him.

"Exactly. However, with this new quirk enhancement he's currently undergoing, that could all change. The tables could turn, and he could very well have the easy ability to pull the rug out from under us, and destroy the entire hero society. There's a possibility that his decay could be stronger. Maybe, he won't need all five fingers, anymore, to destroy what he wants. There's also the biological toll this could take on his mind. Is he even going to be coherent enough to understand what he's doing? Or is he going to be a full monster? These are questions we cant afford to mess up. And I'd rather not even take the time to figure out the answer, but stop him early instead." She sighed out, before stopping in front of me a few moments later.

Diane has been very fidgety, during this meeting. She's moving around a lot, and always seems to end up right in front of my face, when she has something important to say.

"Stand alone, Tomura's quirk is strong. Enhanced? Well, that's something that makes, even the hero commission uneasy. Agents and scientists of the commission have been working tirelessly to find out what possible treatments Shigaraki could be enduring, so we can prepare accordingly. So far, High End Nomu level power-ups are the most popular considerations, and if this is true....then it's assumed that we won't even be able to get within a few feet of Shigaraki, before his decay kills us all. In other words, even looking in that man's direction would now be dangerous and deadly, and that essentially...makes him unstoppable." Diane said, raising her brows at me in genuine discomfort for the situation.

She emphasized her last word strangely, almost like she was trying to allude that this somehow had something to do with me.

Still not quite knowing what she was getting at, I simply played it neutral.

"Yeah. That all makes a lot of sense." I stated short and sweet, giving her a genuine nod of agreement to this horrible situation.

And apparently, that was exactly the lead-in she was looking for.

Any anxiety or discomfort on her face immediately dissipated back into authoritative delight. She came just a bit closer to me, curling her lips into an insincere smile as she spoke her next words.

"I'm so glad you think so, Ari...." She started off, before continuing.

"Here is your very first mission as a pro hero, Hourglass. Your job-whether we take down Shigaraki early, or at the very end of these next four months, when his power up is completed....you will be the one to stop him for us." She smiled, not daring to say anything more-even though she really should have.

Come again?

My eyes went blank. My throat went dry. My heart immediately skipped a beat.

She said it so fast and casually, I was in full disbelief that I just heard her correctly.

"What...do you mean..." I uttered weakly, feeling my formalities falling apart as I became more stressed.

But, Diane didn't give a shit about my stress, gladly continuing on to provide me further explanation.

"Your job in all of this, Ari, will be to get close enough to Shigaraki, and use your quirk to immobilize him, long enough for heroes to arrive and safely restrain him. We don't want to kill him, which is why your quirk is the perfect solution." She reasoned matter of factly, causing my eyes to widen in straight up shock.

"Wait a minute. What-"

"Wherever we end up taking Shigaraki down, you will be there. As I've stated, his quirk will be much too dangerous for too many people to get close. The worst thing that could happen, would be that we have four or five top heroes all in the same area, and Shigaraki uses a flick of his finger to wipe them clean, in a matter of seconds. That would be detrimental to the hero society. This is what you will prevent, Ari." Diane stated, smiling lightly as she crossed her arms.

I couldn't help but blink a few times, as I tried to take in what she was saying....having a particular thought drowning my mind, but wanting to stay in denial about it.

"But-I-how would such a thing even work? My quirk-I can't stop things for very long. Plus, you just spent the last thirty minutes, telling me how strong Shigaraki is, and how he has the ability to wipe out everyone in a matter of seconds. With that in mind, what makes you think he won't decay me, the moment he finds out what I'm trying to do?" I asked with concealed desperation, feeling my stomach twisting up in fear as I imagined the horrible thought.

And as much as I can't stand Diane, my question was a bit of a cry for help. It was her opportunity to try and turn this situation around, and understand that I'm a brand new pro hero, who's still trying to figure out what I'm doing.

Or, at the very least, it was her opportunity to provide me, either sincere, or insincere, comfort...and make me feel better about everything.

But, of course, that's not a luxury I've earned.

"Unfortunately, there's a probable chance that you will be the one caught in the crossfires, Ari. I won't lie to you, and say that's not true. Your goal will be to try and detain Shigaraki inside the hospital room, so that he is unable to progress any further and cause destruction. This means, there won't be much room for you to fight or even run. The plan will be to catch him, while he's still sedated from his treatment, so he won't even have the time to use his quirk on you. But, regardless of whether or not he's awake....essentially, your job will be to hang on for as long as you can, until someone else deems it safe to take over." She said emotionlessly, boring her careless eyes into my somber ones.

My straightened posture fell slightly into a slouch, as my hands quickly dropped from neatly behind my back, to my sides.

"H-Hang...on...you say?" I stuttered softly, hearing a pair of chair legs behind me screech across the floor to signal that someone had abruptly stood up.

"Now, hold on just a damn second, Miss." Endeavor stated authoritatively, causing me to turn around and see him standing with his arms crossed.

Diane's eye twitched ever so softly for annoyance with Endeavor's interruption, letting out a slightly over-exaggerated sigh at the man who was trying to put a wrench in her plan.

"You'll have to be holding on for longer than a second, Enji. I don't believe you were given permission to speak-"

"Yeah, well, I'm giving myself permission to speak, because I wanna know why the hell you think it's a good idea for an eighteen year old girl to apprehend the most dangerous guy on our watch list. Surely, this ain't the only plan you've got up your fancy sleeve, so I think it's time to trash this one, and move onto the next solution." Endeavor commanded firmly, burning his heated cerulean orbs at Diane with pure hatred.

The hatred was obviously mutual, as Diane let out a small, bitter chuckle at Endeavor's words. The subtle, angry furrow of her brows displayed she was ready for a fight.

"Well, clearly, Endeavor....you're underestimating the true power force that is Ari Parker. Thinking of her as some weak, little girl? That's the real insult to this entire situation. If anything, a statement like what you just said is essentially discrediting and mocking all of the amazing work Ari has done with the hero commission for the past eight years. You should be ashamed of such insulting accusations, number one." She stated, looking into Endeavor's eyes as she spoke the word.

The Flame Man's eyes widened with an interesting mix of shock, anger-and also a hint of guilt towards Diane's words. It surprised me, as it doesn't usually seem that the number one hero ever lets Diane get to him. Especially, not so early on in the conversation. She's really on her game today.

But, even through her coercion, he fought it off and proceeded with his own beliefs.

"Despite Ari's skill level. Despite her talents, the fact still remains that she is too young to be given such a daunting task. What you're asking her to do is something that even the number one hero would have a hard time achieving. It's an impossible job, that classifies as a suicide mission." Endeavor stated, not just speaking to Diane, but to the other members of the commission, as well.

I felt bile creeping up the back of my throat at what Endeavor just said. Mostly because, it was the same thought I'd been thinking, but didn't want to admit.

Suicide mission.

But, now, the possibility of my suicide mission has been spoken out loud, and it sounds just as horrible as it did in my mind. Maybe, even worse.

I could feel my face turning pale, as I tried to keep myself together. But, I'll admit that keeping a poker face in front of these guys was proving to become difficult.

Diane didn't even pay attention to me anymore, fighting Enji to keep the power in the room.

"If you think that what I'm asking Ari to do is something that's too difficult for the number one hero to do, then maybe it's time to retire, Endeavor. Personally, I've never seen eye to eye with you, and I think Hawks would be a much easier number one hero to control. What do you think about that?" Diane suggested not-so-kindly, causing my heart to hurt with every word of that statement.

I bit my lip in conflict as I listened to Endeavor and Diane go back and forth. Damn it. What am I supposed to do, right now? Do I fight back? Am I allowed to fight back? Should I fight back? But, what if I don't accept the mission? Then what happens to everyone else?

"What do I think about that?..." Endeavor started off with growing anger, clearly about to say a very problematic insult, before he stopped himself.

After all, these are still his superiors. He's gotta play his cards right, too.

"I think you're dead wrong about all of it." The Flame Man continued, turning his eyes to the other commission men and women in the room to speak his sense.

"Look, I ain't one for formalities or sentiments, but I know you're not a dumb group of people. You know this mission with Hourglass will be a waste of time, and unnecessary deaths. We're talking about a war, here, and you're solution to ending it, is by using some kid, who's still fresh out of high school? Think about that." Endeavor reasoned as calmly as he could, allowing the flames on his face to start burning softly to release his anger, somehow.

I swallowed thickly at Endeavor's words, admittedly agreeing with his point. I know as a commission hero, I'm supposed to accept missions, such as these ones, with no hesitation.

But, I just can't understand how Diane's plan to practically kill me is the only way to achieve our goal. But, maybe, that's just me being scared and not wanting to go through with it.

Diane closed her eyes for a moment, jaw clenched with growing fury at Endeavor's attempts to sway the crowd. She quickly turned her back to me, to face the others of the commission, not daring to lose her arguments to the likes of Endeavor.

"How is it that we're even having this conversation about the eighteen year old girl, who's about to be given the number eight hero spot, of all Japan? Don't let Endeavor poison your minds with false facts, ladies and gentlemen. This girl is not weak and helpless, the way he says she is." Diane started off, causing Endeavor to quickly cut in.

"Don't think I'll let you get off with twisting my words around, lady-"

"And, anyways, it doesn't matter what you say, Endeavor. Because, the bottom line is that you don't have a say. Ari will be doing this mission, and that's the end of it. Calling her here today was simply a formality to inform her." Diane explained, not turning her attention back to me yet, as she kept her focus on the people in the crowd who looked unsure.

I felt my shoulders dropping at her words, realizing I must have misunderstood this whole thing.

This mission isn't a request. It's a requirement-

"No, that's where you're wrong." Endeavor started out, before the sound of his footsteps could be heard, walking up behind me.

"Despite what you may think, Diane Himura, you do not own this girl. You don't own that bastard bird, either. And you don't own any of these other unlucky kids, who have to spend all day looking at your miserable face." Endeavor started off, before I felt his presence stop right next to me.

Stop, Endeavor. Stop. You don't know what you're dealing with.

"As the president of the hero commission, it is my right to make the final decision for everything that goes. Including your own whereabouts, Endeavor. You'd be wise to remember that, and choose your next words very carefully." She stated firmly, voice coming out a tad unstable towards the end to show the amount of restraint she was holding in front of the others.

And he should have stopped there.

But, he didn't.

"I don't give a damn about what passive aggressive threats you make towards me. I'm a grown man. I've lived enough years and seen enough things to know what real fear constitutes. And sorry to tell ya, lady, but you ain't it." Endeavor spat out in elevated fury, causing Diane's brows to raise with malicious challenge.

Realizing the professional disagreements in the room were starting to become blurred, I forced myself to speak up now....not wanting Endeavor to hurt his future any further.

Or anyone else's future, for that matter.

That's right. I know Diane. I know her well enough to know that she will always give punishments when she feels necessary.

And I also know that if she feels Endeavor is too strong to give a punishment to, she will put that punishment on the next available person.

I can only wonder who that person will be......

"E-Endeavor....stop. Please-" I uttered weakly, before Diane's louder voice cut me off.

"Yes, I understand how hard it is for a man, who abuses his own children behind closed doors, to have respect for anything. But, luckily, Ari is not like you. She's better. So much better. She knows her place, and she will perform her duty as a hero with no questions asked." Diane spat out, turning her attention back to Endeavor and I.

Her eyes immediately landed on me, pooling with a daring threat to defy her.

I felt empty. I felt confused. I felt weak, for feeling fear, but sadness for feeling my own mortality.

But, most of all, in this moment, I wanted nothing more than to run away from here, and leave it all behind, with Keigo Takami by my side.

I sighed softly as Endeavor spoke again, clearly using his words to try and get through to me this time.

"And what is her place, exactly? Serving you? She doesn't need you. She's not tied to you, or trapped the way you'd like her to be. She has the power to leave you behind, whenever she wants. She has the power..." Enji started off, before turning his eyes on me.

I felt my blank stare weakening as he looked at me, suddenly feeling my throat choking up.

"She has the power....to walk away and let go." He finished a little quieter, keeping his voice firm but just a little softer, compared to when he'd been speaking to Diane.

Those words. Those are the same words he said to me, before we walked in here today. He told me there would come a time in my life when I'm strong enough to let Diane go, and leave the hero commission behind. By repeating them back to me now, he's hoping I'll make that decision today. Right now.

And I wanted to. Admittedly, I feel a little stronger with Endeavor here, and a little more confident that I'd be able to survive on my own, in the hero world, without Diane.

And it's almost as if she could sense that, as she spoke her next words.

"Sure. She has the power to walk away. And what do you assume would happen when you do, Ari?" She stated, causing my eyes to whip back on her as she redirected her question to me.

There it is. There's the threat I was waiting for. The punishment that she can't give to Endeavor, so she gives it to me, instead. The part that Endeavor doesn't understand. The part that keeps me bound to her.

I didn't say anything, not having the energy to hide the weary look on my face as Diane continued to ruin my life.

"Surely, Ari understands that if she refuses this mission, someone else will have to stand in her place. Not just any someone, but my best double agent. Actually, Endeavor, you might be onto something, when you said Ari's too inexperienced to complete the job. What better weapon to use for the mission, than the number two hero? I know he'd accept the task." She started off, causing my blurring eyes to widen in pure fear.

Images of a decaying Keigo poisoning my mind, were enough to cause my vision to complete fuzz up with tears, before I found myself panicking.

There's no way in hell I'd ever let him take my place.

"N-No-" I started off shakily, feeling my breath stutter as she cut me off.

"I'm simply giving Ari the chance to put Hawks out of his misery. She read the notes from him, herself. Detaining Shigaraki is his ticket to ending this whole thing. She has the power to break him out of this infiltration mission contract. She has the power to save his life, by taking down Shigaraki, herself. She has the power to stop it all, and finally put an end to it." Diane stated firmly, keeping her eyes on me as she spoke.

I didn't even get a chance to lock eyes with Diane as I felt Endeavor grab my arm and turn me towards him.

"Listen here, kid. This woman likes to throw her status around and talk a lot of smack. She's bluffing-" Endeavor started saying, before Diane's wicked laugh of challenge filled my ears.

She pulled my other arm with a bit more force than Endeavor did, using her other hand to turn my face up towards her.

Her look was threatening. Diane's a naturally threatening person, so the fact that she was trying to look threatening made her absolutely terrifying.

Her eyes burned into mine with a look that could kill, easily causing a shiver to run down my spine as I felt myself shrinking back.

"Ari knows me. Does it look like I'm bluffing?" She asked darkly, voice coming out low and condescending

I know Diane, better than Endeavor does, and I can safely say....she's not bluffing.

If I decline the suicide mission to detain Shigaraki, not only will she probably kill me for it later, but she will also use Keigo as the next alternate.

Because, that's how Diane works. She finds the things that are important to you. The beautiful things. The happy things. Lights of hope and goodness. And she turns them around into something dark and depressing.

That's how it's been for the past eight years, and that's how it will be in the future.

Letting out a small sigh, I kept my eyes on Diane, instead of Endeavor....feeling my soul dying a little.

"No. You're not bluffing." I uttered weakly, hearing Endeavor growl in frustrated, stressful disapproval.

"You're killing me here, kid." He sighed in disappointment, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair.

Diane was the complete opposite, smirking softly as she saw my will to break, before I even had the chance to defy her.

"No, Ari. You're right. I'm not bluffing. But, that's not always a bad thing, you know." She started off softly, grabbing both sides of my face between her hands as she looked into my eyes.

Ignoring the upset Endeavor next to me, and the pain inside my own soul, I blankly looked into Diane's eyes, feeling my own thoughts and opinions slowly dying.

"Because I don't bluff, you'll know my next words are true. By taking on this mission, you will be a special hero, Ari. You'll be a hero that you and your family can be proud of. You'll put everyone at ease. You will save millions of lives, Hawks' life included. You will be honored and admired by many for your virtue. And your self sacrifice will be looked at as something heroic and symbolic for years to come. You'll do this. You'll die doing it. And you will save the world." She coerced passionately, never once breaking my gaze as she pretended to have some sort of proud emotion behind those eyes.

And even though I know her speech was probably fake. Even though I know her emotions and affection were very much less than genuine...

I couldn't help, but find myself believing what she said. I couldn't help but cling to every word and feel a very weak tug at my heart for the pride she conveyed for me.

Don't get me wrong. It's not as if it's my life goal to make Diane Himura proud. I couldn't care less. But, I guess I just always wondered if I would ever hear it.

And, I guess I just did. And it doesn't feel good or bad. It just feels like I am unable to refuse, because there are too many ties, keeping me attached to her.

Because my love for saving Keigo is stronger than the will to save myself.

Because, like Diane always tells me, my fate is to be a special hero. This is always the way it was supposed to go for me. I was never meant to be anything more.

I was never meant to catch feelings for Keigo. I was never meant to make myself human. I was never meant to have a family. Or wake up next to my partner every morning and feel at peace.

I was never supposed to have hope. Or think for myself, and create wonderful memories. I was never supposed to think there was a way out for me, or believe I could be happy and be a hero.

And most of all, I was never supposed to fall in love. I was never supposed to give every part of myself to Keigo Takami and see his face flashing before my eyes, at this very moment. That beautiful smile of his shouldn't be going through my mind right now, and I shouldn't feel my soul coming to terms with the fact that my time to see that smile is officially limited.

But, that's how it is. I feel. I love to feel. And I love to love. I love my life. My family. My friends. My bird boy.

And I wouldn't trade them for anything. I wouldn't trade my experiences and my memories for anything. Wanna know why?

Because, they all led me to you, Keigo Takami. You are the love of my life.

And if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that I could never regret my time with Keigo. I could never regret falling in love with him. I could never regret giving him my heart.

So, it starts now. The beginning of the end. The beginning of my end.

It's time to say goodbye to the fairy tale ending I've always dreamed of, because not everyone gets a happy ending.

I'm sorry. I hope you won't stay mad at me for too long...

I inhaled a deep breath, feeling my heart and body surprisingly calm as I came to terms with my situation.

I didn't expect that, to be honest. Just a few minutes ago, I was on the verge of a total panic attack, and now it seems I'm fine.

But, that's life for you. It's a funny thing, and we don't always understand it.

"So, Ari. The choice is yours. Fully yours. What do you say? Will you become a special hero today?" Diane asked patiently, gleaming an insincere smile of pride at me, as she already knew my answer.

My focus became clear. My body stable. And my spirit level-headed.

I smiled softly. Not for Diane, but for myself, and my loved ones, as I spoke my next words, with a bow of respect...

"If sacrificing myself is what will put everyone at ease, then I will gladly take on this mission."

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Next Chapter Title: Caged Bird.