บท 4: Training Begins!
Red eyes blinked awake, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling in confusion. Kio sat up, stretching his arms up above his head before they collided with the ceiling. After the mess of emotions yesterday, Kio had ended up taking the top bunk, Keigo in the bunk beneath him and Touya on the single bed. They had gone to sleep early that night after cleaning up their room, putting away clothes and settling in.
Kio glanced across at the single bed, seeing Touya rub at his eyes with a wide yawn. He jumped down, thumping his fist gently on his forehead. Touya jumped, looking up with hazy blue eyes, before giving Kio a soft, sleepy smile.
"Good morning."
His voice was rough and quiet, sleep still clinging to his form.
"Good morning!"
Kio's returning grin was far too bright for so early in the morning. Touya watched as he skipped into the bathroom to freshen up, before his eyes slid over to where Keigo was still fast asleep, surrounded by his feathers. He crawled out of bed, stretching a bit and sighing in satisfaction with each small pop that emitted. He strolled over to the bunk bed and reached out, shaking Keigo lightly by the shoulder.
Keigo grumbled, pulling the covers over his head and settling back down. Touya chuckled softly, turning at the sound of the bathroom door opening. Kio stepped out, eyes bright and face fresh. He noticed Keigo still lounging in bed and gave Touya a questioning look. Touya only shrugged in response before heading to the bathroom himself.
Kio stood over Keigo for a while, thinking up ways to wake him up. His wings twitched as an idea formed in his head. With a sly grin, he slowly pulled the covers back, watching the small frown appear on Keigo's face before pulling him up into his arms. He flew up and promptly turned upside down, holding Keigo tightly. Keigo yelped in response, eyes flying open and limbs flailing wildly before they latched into Kio's frame.
Kio laughed loudly at the bewildered look on his face before gently touching down on the ground. Touya chose that time to walk out of the bathroom. He saw Kio, laughing as Keigo held on to him, arms around his shoulders and legs wrapped tight around his waist. His wings were puffed and twitching on his back as his eyes darted around wildly.
He gave Kio an exasperated sigh before gently prying Keigo off his form. Keigo looked at them with wide eyes, now fully awake. The only response he got was a quick pat on the head by both boys before they went on to take their uniforms out the dresser. He narrowed his eyes at them before stomping his way into the bathroom.
Once the door slammed shut, Kio and Touya gave each other a small glance before dissolving into giggles.
"Just watch, he'll wake up first tomorrow just to get some revenge on you!"
Kio gave him a smug smirk, eyes glinting at the potential challenge.
"I look forward to it."
They shared one last giggle before getting changed, Keigo joining in soon after, very clearly ignoring Kio the whole time. The uniform they had to wear was a simple black t-shirt with a silver diamond over the heart, tan pants, black socks and white shoes.
Just as they finished getting ready, which was filled with giggles and apologies from Kio, a loud bang rattled their door. Touya watched in mild amusement as two sets of wings shot out in surprise, almost hitting each other before a loud voice spoke from the other side of the door.
"Training's at 9! If you're not out for breakfast soon, you won't get any!"
They all scrambled to put their shoes on and ran out the door, which had been unlocked beforehand. They followed the other children up a staircase and along a few corridors before finally reaching the dining hall. There were tables in neat rows with the cafeteria up against the back wall. There weren't that many people around, a few just finishing off their breakfast and making their way outside before training began.
The trio made their to the back, grabbing some breakfast, which consisted of sausages, eggs, toast, and a choice of either coffee, tea or orange juice. They found an empty table near the windows and sat, watching the birds as they had their food. Of course, it was delicious, kinda had to be if they wanted to keep their future heroes in tip-top shape. Breakfast was a fairly quiet affair, each boy busy munching on their food.
Once they were done, they put their trays away and made their way back down the stairs. They didn't have much time to play outside since it was almost time to train but they promised to be up quicker so they could soak up the morning sun. They reached the only training hall in this part of the building and peeked inside, seeing a few other kids and men dressed in sharp suits.
They walked in, sitting by the wall before one of the men approached them.
"Names."
His voice was low and commanding. The boys gave each other wary looks before hesitantly speaking up.
"Todoroki Touya."
"Takami Keigo."
"Kio. Just Kio."
The man nodded, scribbling on his clipboard before walking away. Once he was a fair distance away, Touya and Keigo turned towards Kio with wondering eyes. Keigo spoke up, head tilting in confusion.
"You don't have a last name?"
Kio took note of the small head tilt, deeming it slightly bird-like, before answering his question with a wide grin.
"Nope! Orphan remember?"
"Have...you been an orphan your whole life?"
He gave them an affirmative nod, not too bothered by the whole thing. They mumbled lightly to themselves, deciding not to question any further. Kio noticed that Keigo's head was still slightly tilted as he looked at the ground. He brought a hand up, poking his cheek lightly and causing him to raise his head with a curious look.
"Do you have any bird qualities?"
Touya shuffled forward, his own eyes mirroring Kio's curiosity.
"Oh yeah! I was wondering that too actually."
They watched the small flush appear on his cheeks, shoulders drawing up to his ears. He glanced away, avoiding eye contact as he fidgeted with the end of his shirt. Touya and Kio glanced at each other with a knowing glint, both agreeing that the pink on his cheeks was really adorable.
"I do have a few, it's basically instinct, but it's kind of embarrassing."
Both were quick to reach for his head, ruffling his hair as they gave him reassuring grins.
"It's no problem. If it's instinct then it can't be helped!"
"Mmhmm, and we're family now. We don't judge, we just love each other, right?"
They watched his feathers puff up in happiness, gold eyes lighting up at the acceptance. They shuffled closer, one on each side of him and continued to just stroke his hair. His eyes fluttered closed at the feeling, head pressing into the touch. Touya and Kio were happy giving Keigo some much-needed love and attention, and the soft chirps they received in response were more than worth it.
Kio trailed his hand lower, scratching lightly at the base of his neck. Keigo's head drooped lower, chirps rising in volume mixed with the occasional coo. His wings had relaxed along his back and were now resting against the floor, the soft feathers twitching every now and then. Kio and Touya glanced at each other, both wondering the same thing. How soft are his feathers? Seeing how content Keigo was at the moment, they decided to ask some other day to feel his feathers.
"ALRIGHT LISTEN UP!"
The voice boomed, echoed like thunder in the quiet room. It made everyone jump, heads snapping up with wide eyes. Keigo's wings snapped against his back as a small, distressed chirp left his lips. Kio's wings, however, spread out around their little group, wrapping them up and bringing them closer to him.
Touya could only watch as he was suddenly pressed against Keigo, who was squished between him and Kio. He wrapped an arm around the surprised boy, the other reaching out to poke at Kio's cheek. His red eyes were sharp, locked on the man who was now shouting out orders at the trainees. They flickered over to Touya for a brief second, long enough for Touya to give him a reassuring smile. His eyes raked over his form, sliding across to Keigo who was also looking at him now, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.
"Looks like I'm not the only one with animalistic instincts."
That seemed to snap him out of whatever had overcome him, eyes blinking rapidly before sticking his tongue out at them. He unwrapped his wings from around them before they all scrambled to get in line with the other children. They stood, hands behind their back as a mean-looking officer paced in front of them. He was wearing a suit too, like everyone else in this building, a nasty scowl on his face. He stopped in front of the kids, eyes looking at them with disgust.
Kio noticed Touya stiffen up beside him, blue eyes wide with fear and shame. He glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, seeing the slight tremble in his form. He scooted over, pressing against his side and taking his hand from his back. He held it tightly behind him, sending him a comforting smile.
Touya's gaze was ripped away from the all too familiar disgust in the man's eyes, feeling Kio take his hand and give him a small squeeze. An appreciative smile made its way to his lips before turning back to pay attention to the man, not as bothered by the disgust still swirling in his eyes.
Kio, satisfied now that Touya was less stiff and slightly more relaxed, turned to glance at Keigo just to make sure he was ok too. After deeming both perfectly fine, he also turned his eyes back on the man at the front.
"Since you're all new, we'll be going over a few basics. Training begins every day at 9 am sharp. It's up to you to make sure you wake up on time for breakfast. The doors to your rooms are unlocked at 7 am so you have plenty of time to get ready. You newbies will have much more severe training schedules than the more experienced trainees.
"From 9 am-12 pm you'll be in this hall, we'll be working on your physical strength and combat skills. You'll have an hour for lunch afterwards.
"1 pm-3 pm will be social classes which are held in the classrooms on the third floor. Each class is divided by age group. You'll be learning communication and manipulation skills and will be given a few acting lessons. Being able to stay calm and collected while out in public is also part of a hero's job. You must be able to adapt to any environment and do what needs to be done.
"4 pm-6 pm is co-operative training where you will work with others and see how your skills fare in a group fight. This is to ensure that you're able to work well with other heroes and to make you aware of the different skills you'll need when fighting with others compared to fighting alone. Then it's an hour for dinner and to freshen up if wanted.
"Finally, 7 pm-9 pm is individual training, where you'll work on your quirks. Some of you may be required to train in pairs if your quirks match up, or you may be pitted against someone with a quirk that is strong against yours. It's all for the sake of making you better heroes. You have an hour of free time afterwards to do whatever the hell you please. The doors to your rooms are automatically locked at 10 pm so make sure if you decide to wander outside, you return in time otherwise you will be locked out."
It was a lot to take in at once, but if it made them better heroes, they were more than willing to train their butts off. The trio gave each other nervous but excited glances, barely containing the smiles that twitched at their lips. This was it, their first day of training to becoming true heroes!
Oh if only they knew what was in store for them.
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