Chapter Eighteen: Shielding

Shoto Todoroki lay in his dark room and stared up at the ceiling. His shades were down, blocking his view of the outside world, but he knew it was still nighttime outside. A glance at his phone revealed it was three in the morning. He had not slept all night, his thoughts too full for him to even attempt to drift off.

Yesterday he was supposed to help Eri at UA. She was moving there with Aizawa for extra security because apparently her Quirk was rather dangerous. Despite the reason for her transfer, Shoto was unashamed to admit he had been looking forward to her arrival, not only because of her but because Hawks would be there as well. He had not worked up the nerve to call his mentor with questions, not wanting to bother him— or risk talking about… family things— but surely he would not mind if they talked face to face? Shoto had hoped not.

He never got to find out yesterday.

Instead, shortly before Eri's group was due to arrive, the teachers had come in and told Shoto and the others they had to leave immediately. Shoto had wanted to stay, but Present Mic's stern expression had sent him packing. If he and the other students did not exit the premises, he had the feeling they would be forced out.

What could have happened, to make the normally jovial Hero look so grave? Shoto spent much of the night trying to figure it out with some assistance from the internet, but the only news article that might be relevant was about the death of a Pro Hero named Mr. Brave.

Some hours later, Shoto gave up on sleep and got up. He put on soft socks that would muffle the sounds of his footsteps and tiptoed out of his room and down the hall. The light in the kitchen was on. He froze, ready to retreat, but spotted Fuyumi at the stove. She tensed and turned, and Shoto tensed as well, falling onto his back foot. But Fuyumi's grey eyes softened, losing the nervous look they'd held just a moment before.

"Good morning, Shoto." she greeted. "I was just making breakfast. It's just the two of us today."

The tension in Shoto's shoulders faded. "Father is not home?"

"No. He remained at his Agency all night."

Apparently Shoto would not have training this morning then. He could not say he was disappointed as he sat at the table with a few less aches than usual. Fuyumi set a plate of food in front of him and another on the opposite side of the table. She sat and they ate in silence.

"How is school?" Fuyumi asked.

"Fine." He felt he should elaborate and did so. "We're studying for our finals now."

She smiled. "Good. That's… good."

The silence returned.

Shoto had enough self-control not to fidget, but he poked at his food, nudging it in circles around his plate. He should not be bothered by the quiet. He used to be more tolerant of it since he was not expected to interact with his siblings, but now it felt stifling. He thought he felt his phone vibrate and took it out of his pocket. The screen showed no new messages so he returned it with a frown. Fuyumi noticed.

"You keep looking at your phone. Is something wrong?"

"I'm waiting for a text." Shoto said honestly.

Fuyumi perked up and clapped her hands together in excitement. "From who? A friend?"

"My teacher." Shoto shifted in his seat. "I am doing... extra credit work."

Fuyumi deflated. "Oh." She cleared her throat and smiled. "That's wonderful, Shoto."

Shoto took a bite of his meal and glanced around. He knew father was not home— he was always at his Agency by now and Fuyumi said he had not returned here last night— but it never hurt to be careful.

"There's a little girl who needs some help." He considered his meal but was unable to resist casting quick glances at his sister. "She should be in elementary school, I believe. Do you have any advice?"

"Advice?" Fuyumi echoed as if she could not believe he asked. Her face lit up. "Of course! What would you like to know?"

Shoto considered the question carefully. "She is moving to a new place. I want her to feel welcome. And I do not want to… frighten her."

Fuyumi tapped her chin and nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Well, the first thing to remember is that kids are smart. They can be in their own little world but they notice things. If you're nervous she'll be able to tell."

"I am not nervous." Shoto stated.

"Of course not." Fuyumi said agreeably. "If you want her to be comfortable at her new home, you should try to be comfortable as well. Make her feel like she belongs. Tell her what's wonderful about it. Show her things you find fun." She absently poked her meal. "Are you familiar with wherever she's moving?"

Shoto carefully chewed and swallowed a bite of food before responding. "Yes."

"Then maybe share a secret trick that only you know." Fuyumi offered.

Shoto frowned at his plate. "What do you mean?"

Fuyumi thought about it as she drummed her fingers on the table. "Well, you know how if you push the window upstairs a certain way, it'll squeak like a mouse? Something like that. She'll have to learn those little tricks herself, but if you show her something only those familiar with the place might know, it may help make it feel more like home."

Shoto considered her advice seriously. He did not know UA from top to bottom, but he was sure he could think of a 'trick' to show Eri if he put his mind to it. Now that he thought about it, he knew which floorboards and doors squeaked and how to move so they didn't, which was a 'trick' which gave him some comfort at home. Was that what Fuyumi was talking about?

His phone buzzed. He checked to see it was a group text from Aizawa-sensei. They were going to show Eri around UA. If he was available, he could come.

Shoto looked to Fuyumi. "You have today off, right? Could you drive me to UA?"

She looked so happy he asked. It was… strange. Not bad, but different. "Of course I can. Let me get my keys." She hurried out the door and popped her head back in. "I have some toys as well. Do you want to bring them?"

Shoto's lips quirked upward. "Yes. Thanks, Fuyumi."

The drive to UA was much more relaxed than breakfast. Fuyumi filled the car with chatter, only needing some prodding from Shoto to tell him about her work. She still paused and blinked on occasion but her surprise at his interest soon faded. Her life as an elementary school teacher was fascinating, and enlightening. Some of the kids she taught sounded like hellions. Shoto could only hope Eri did not decide he needed an unprompted hair cut.

They were passing by a store when something in the window caught his eye.

"Can we stop here?"

Fuyumi instantly pulled over and Shoto got out, leaving his backpack in the car.

"I'll be right back." he promised.

He hurried into the store and pulled out his wallet, making a single purchase. He nervously eyed the cashier as she rang him out, but the woman did not appear to recognize him. In fact, she appeared incredibly bored as she bagged his item and handed it to him with a mumbled dismissal. Shoto clutched the bag to his chest and returned to the car, making sure his purchase was covered.

Fuyumi eyed the bag curiously. "Did you get what you wanted?"

Shoto hid the bag at the bottom of his backpack and nodded. "Yes."

He did not tell her what he bought, and she did not ask. He was not sure whether he was grateful for that.

They pulled up outside of UA and he got out with a backpack of toys, waving to Fuyumi as she drove away. He entered the school grounds and saw Aizawa loitering outside of the building. Was Shoto seeing things, or were the shadows under his eyes darker than usual?

"Todoroki." Aizawa greeted him. "You're the first to arrive."

Shoto clutched at his backpack strap and shifted his weight. "Am I too early?"

"No." Aizawa said briefly. "In fact, you're right on time. Eri is a bit… upset."

Shoto's brow creased. "Is she alright?"

"She's overwhelmed." Aizawa said flatly. He dragged a hand over his tired eyes. "Perhaps seeing another familiar face will cheer her up."

A frown played at Shoto's lips. "But isn't Hawks supposed to be here?"

He knew if anyone could brighten Eri's day, it was the Winged Hero. She always perked up whenever Shoto or Iida told her stories about their internship with him.

Something flitted across Aizawa's face. "He's currently in the nurse's office, recovering."

He moved towards the building but Shoto did not follow. He was rooted in place, his throat as dry as sand. If Hawks had been injured and was still in Recovery Girl's office the day after, then how badly off was he?

"What happened?" he croaked.

Aizawa eyed him critically. "Eri's abusers tried to take her back by force. Hawks assisted in fighting them off. Most have been arrested."

That was not an answer. Shoto dare not call him out on it.

"Can I see Hawks?" he blurted. He gripped the straps of his backpack. "I— er. If he's recovering, maybe Eri and I should visit so she can be sure he's okay."

Aizawa's neutral expression made him uncomfortable. "Hawks is hooked up to some machinery and she has shown aversion to doctors. I'm not sure how she'd react."

"Oh." Shoto averted his gaze, but forced it back to Aizawa's face. "But… she knows something's wrong."

Aizawa's lips thinned. "Yes."

"So maybe letting her see him would be better than trying to hide it." Shoto pressed, thinking of Fuyumi's advice. "She might be imagining worse things so—"

"He's catatonic, Shoto." Aizawa said quietly.

Shoto heard the words, but they failed to mean anything, lost in the static that covered his thoughts. Somehow he found himself heading inside, and although he heard Aizawa call out to him, he did not stop. A hand landed on his shoulder and he stiffened.

"You're here to see Eri." Aizawa reminded him levelly.

"…Yes." Shoto confirmed with only a bit of reluctance.

He pushed his worry for Hawks into the back of his mind and followed Aizawa into a section of the campus he did not remember being in before, walking for about five minutes. To his surprise, there were a host of buildings in various states of being built, with some already completed. His teacher caught sight of his questioning look and sighed.

"Don't share this with your classmates but we're building dorms for students and teachers in order to turn UA into a boarding school. We're not in a rush at the moment, so they'll all be completed some time after the summer break."

"Is it because of Eri?" Shoto questioned. Keeping her on UA's campus would hopefully keep her out of the wrong hands.

"Partially." Aizawa acknowledged. "Though that is only a small part of the reason. We've been considering this change for a while, but came to the decision that it will be safer for students to be housed on the school campus in the near-future."

Shoto thought of his room back at the estate and wondered if his dorm room would look similar. Living in a dorm would certainly be a change, and part of him was glad that he had some time to adjust to the idea. He would be housed with all his classmates, from Midoriya to Yaoyorozu to Bakugo. That would certainly be… interesting.

He would miss Fuyumi's home cooking, though.

They entered what would become the teachers' building and headed to one of the apartments. Aizawa's living quarters were what Shoto expected from his teacher. The area was clean and the bed looked rather unslept in, but he could see stacks of paperwork and folders— perhaps for missions— piled up on the desk in the corner.

What many would consider out of place were the drawings scattered across the coffee table, though Shoto hoped they would be a mainstay for a long time. Eri and Present Mic were sitting at the table, both drawing intently. Shoto caught sight of Mic's current work and stifled a chuckle. An artist, Mic was not. Eri looked up as the door opened, freezing like a deer in the headlights.

Shoto was used to seeing that look on her face whenever he arrived unexpectedly so he only waved. "Hello, Eri."

"Shoto!"

Her worried expression cleared and she ran up to him, only to stop. She always did that whenever he or Iida visited. She'd run up, but halt just short of them as if she did not know what to do next. Shoto himself had no idea what she wanted to do either, so the repetition continued. He wished he could figure it out. Maybe then that uncomfortable look on her face would fade.

Shoto took off his backpack and opened it. "I brought some things for you. My older sister gave them to me. She is a school teacher."

Eri eyed the bag hesitantly and, at his nod, started going through it, pulling items out. She came across the new bag and paused, eyeing it curiously, but did not touch it. Shoto took it out himself and faltered, glancing at Aizawa. In hindsight, he should have talked to his teacher about whether he should give this to Eri, but it was too late now.

He opened the bag and pulled out the Hawks plushie he'd bought, holding it out to Eri.

"I thought you may like this."

Eri's eyes went round. She slowly reached out and took the plushie from him, staring at it. The plushie had Hawks's trademark golden eyes and easy smile, his red wings flared out like he was in flight. It was not one that made noise like the ones with All Might's 'I am here' catchphrase, but it was soft and made from good material that would last a while. In Shoto's opinion, it was a good investment.

Eri hugged the plush and pressed a cheek against its hair. She did not start crying, which Shoto took as a good sign.

"You got this for me?" Eri mumbled.

"Yes." Shoto said simply.

Red eyes blinked at him. She took a step forward, then another, and threw her arms around him. Shoto stiffened, flailing uncertainly for a moment, and saw Present Mic miming a holding motion. He carefully hugged Eri back.

"Thank you..." She said so softly he could barely hear her.

She let go before he responded and retreated to the far side of the room, taking the plushie with her. She did not touch the other toys. In fact, she seemed to give them a wide berth. Shoto knew better than to press. If she wanted to play with one, she would have grabbed them, but for some reason she seemed hesitant. At least she held onto the Hawks plushie.

Mic leaned over and lowered his voice. "Good job, Shoto."

Shoto frowned at him, wondering if he was being sarcastic. But this was Present Mic, so probably not. The reason for his praise still escaped him, however. "What are you talking about?"

Mic shrugged with a rather irritating and superior smirk on his face, not that Shoto would ever tell him that.

Eri remained on her own. Shoto accepted he would not get much interactions with her for now. While Eri could draw things Shoto would never think of, she seemed very hesitant when it came to playing with others, like she did not know how to act. Shoto could relate.

Present Mic was not so appeased. "You know, if I thought she was shy I'd be happy to let her play on her own but seeing this just hurts."

"Eri's calmer, so let's leave her be." Aizawa said. His tone was not quite sharp but it had a warning edge to it.

Mic raised his hands and did not press the issue. "I need to head out anyway. I have papers to grade." Eri heard him and crept back over, mumbling a goodbye. Mic ruffled her hair. "I'll be back later."

He left. Eri immediately went to Aizawa and clung to his leg.

He knelt next to her. "Are you feeling okay?"

She shrugged.

"Did you like staying with Mic?"

She shrugged again.

"It's okay to be honest. I won't be mad."

"He's nice but I like staying with you better." She adjusted her grip on her new plushie and looked up at him pleadingly. "Can we see Hawks now please?"

A grimace flashed across Aizawa's face, almost too quickly to spot.

Before he could reply, they were distracted by a rapid knock on the door. Present Mic must have forgotten something. Shoto opened the door to reveal Hitoshi Shinso on the other side, his hand raised to knock again. He lowered his hand and the two stared at each other.

"Um." Shoto said eloquently.

"You can let him in, Todoroki." Aizawa called.

Shoto stepped aside and Shinso walked in, putting his bag on a table by the door. He did not need to ask where to put it and Aizawa did not object to its placement. Had he been here before?

"Eri, this is Hitoshi Shinso. He's been training with me to get into the Hero course. He will be around a lot."

Ah. That explained Shinso's familiarity with Aizawa's apartment.

"Hi." Eri mumbled.

It was not the most enthusiastic greeting, though Shoto suspected that was from exhaustion. One person had just left, and another new one had shown up. Shoto would not be in the mood to greet new faces either. Giving proof to his thoughts, Eri gripped the Hawks plushie like a lifeline.

"Shinso, Todoroki, you two already know each other." Aizawa continued.

"In passing." Shinso said vaguely.

There were shadows under his eyes, but the sharp alertness in them reminded Shoto of Aizawa. His messy hair, clothes, and demeanor reminded Shoto of Aizawa as well. Was he Aizawa's secret love-child or something? Shoto opened his mouth to ask but thought better of it. Midoriya had reacted rather negatively when Shoto asked about him and All Might and he'd rather not scare Eri.

The Hero and General Department students eyes each other awkwardly. Neither were the most sociable people and the lack of an icebreaker type of person soon became obvious. However, if Shinso was going to be around Eri, Shoto supposed it would be a good idea to get to know each other. How would Midoriya approach the situation? Shoto had an inkling.

"Hello, Shinso." He greeted. "We will be great friends."

Shinso stared at him and scowled. "I'm not here to—" His eyes flicked to Eri and he stopped. "...Fine."

Even Shoto could tell that Shinso had chosen not to argue for Eri's sake. If he were Midoriya, he would likely be beaming. It appeared under that apathetic exterior that Shinso had a good heart. No wonder Aizawa was training him to join the Hero Department.

"Wonderful." Aizawa sighed, though Shoto thought he might sound pleased. "You're the only other one who could make it, Shinso."

He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Well, I wasn't doing anything else."

Eri's brow creased. "You came to see me?"

"Yeah." Shinso said, seemingly unaffected by her wide-eyed stare.

Shoto would never get used to seeing Eri floored by simple acts like that. She dropped her gaze to the plushie she held.

"That's a nice Hawks toy." Shinso commented. "Are you a fan?"

She nodded solemnly. "Hawks helped me and believed me."

Shinso hummed in agreement as if he understood what she meant but Shoto knew he didn't. Even he did not know the full story and he had been one of Hawks's interns. "Is Hawks your favorite Hero then?"

"Yeah..." She nodded, then looked worriedly at… Shoto? Why'd she look at him like she thought she was doing something wrong?

Feeling like he needed to respond somehow, he inclined his head. "Hawks is a good choice for a favorite Hero. He's very, uh… helpful."

Her head tipped. "Did he help you, too?"

Shoto's throat closed up. He could feel Aizawa and Shinso's eyes on him as they waited for his response. There was no way Eri knew about Endeavor. He doubted she even knew who Shoto's father was. So she must be talking about the Hero internships. Realizing that, Shoto relaxed.

"Yes, he helped me a lot."

Eri hesitated, inched closer, then reached out, patting his hand like adults did with her. "Hawks won't let them hurt you ever again."

Well.

So much for that.

Shoto's heart pounded in his chest and Fuyumi's words echoed in his mind. He managed to nod, making sure he avoided Aizawa's gaze. "Er. Of course. Hawks is a great Hero but my favorite Hero is All Might. Do you know who that is?"

She shook her head. Shoto was tempted to tell her about the Symbol of Peace but feared showing her videos of his heroic deeds would not go over well. From what he could surmise, Eri was raised in a violent environment. She did not need to see footage of people in disasters. True, she would also see them being rescued but it would probably be disturbing to her.

He'd tell her about All Might later. Or maybe he could convince Midoriya to come over and tell her about his favorite Hero himself. After all, he was the expert when it came to all things All Might.

"Since Shinso is here, what would you like to do next?" Shoto asked instead.

"I…" She looked uncertainly at Aizawa and ducked her head, gripping the plushie tightly. "Can we visit Hawks?"

Aizawa sighed and knelt in front of her so his eyes were level with hers. "I told you Hawks is at the nurse's office."

A horrified look flashed across her face. She mumbled something and shuffled to the far corner on the table, away from Aizawa, with the Hawks plushie clutched to her chest.

"Wait. What happened to Hawks?" Shinso asked, confused.

"He was injured while escorting Eri here." Shoto murmured. "He's catatonic."

Shinso's sleepy-looking eyes widened. "Oh."

"What does 'cat-onic' mean?" Eri asked. She looked from Shoto to Shinso and back again.

Crap, she'd overheard him. Words failed Shoto.

"It means that he's awake, but he's not responding to anything." Shinso explained briefly.

"That includes responding to you if you go visit." Aizawa added. Though his words were blunt, his tone was softer than Shoto was used to hearing. "Seeing him like that might be… upsetting for you."

"I won't be upset." Eri pleaded. "I won't let my curs— Quirk do bad things. I promise."

"That's not what I'm worried about, kiddo." Aizawa sighed. "I don't think a visit is a good idea for you."

His obvious worry about how she'd react to seeing Hawks went right over her head. Shoto saw her grit her teeth, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, and she let her white hair fall into her face again. Her shoulders were shaking. Was she finally going to cry? The answer proved to be 'no' as she clenched her tiny jaw, though she continued to shake. It took a second, but Shoto came to realize it was not sadness that made her shiver, but fear.

"What else is wrong, Eri?" he asked.

Eri mumbled something and glanced nervously at Aizawa.

"You can tell me. I won't be mad." Shoto assured her.

She slowly inched closer to him and stood on her tiptoes. He obediently leaned over so she could whisper in his ear.

"I know they're lying. Hawks isn't okay." Her eyes filled with tears but they didn't fall. "They're using up all his blood, like he did with me, aren't they?"

Shinso must have overheard her because he made a soft gagging sound that he failed to muffle. Shoto's only reaction was the slight widening of his eyes. Is that what Eri's father had done to her? Drained her of blood? He felt sick to his stomach.

Eri clutched at his shirt and stared up at him with fearful eyes but a quivering jaw, as if she were trying to appear strong. "Can you tell them they can take all my blood instead?"

For the second time, Shoto could not find his voice.

Aizawa looked pained. "They're not hurting Hawks or taking all his blood. That's not what a doctor is for, Eri. A doctor heals and helps."

Eri did not argue with him. She merely lowered her head so her hair fell back into her face.

"She doesn't believe you." Shoto said softly.

"I'm aware." Aizawa, short and curt. He sighed and raised his voice. "Fine, we can visit Hawks."

Eri immediately ran to him and he picked her up. Her plushie was still clutched safely in her arms.

Shoto and Shinso followed Aizawa down the familiar path to Recovery Girl's office. Despite himself, Shoto's steps quickened and he brushed past his teacher, hurrying inside without knocking. A flurry of movement sent him reeling back and a foot halted mere inches from his nose. He and Miruko stared at each other and she settled onto both feet with a huff.

"Geez, give me a warning next time! I almost knocked your block off, kid!"

"What block?" Shoto asked, bewildered.

"Figure of speech, kid." Miruko shook her head and pulled him into the room. She paused, poked her head back outside, and sighed. "Also, you're hopeless right now."

"Sorry." a timid voice mumbled tiredly.

Miruko rolled her eyes and yanked a white-cloaked Hero into the room. Shoto had not even realized he was there. Was his Quirk to blend into the wall or something? Aizawa, Shinso, and Eri followed, and the teacher's lips dipped into a frown.

"Sit down before you collapse, Amajiki. Why hasn't Fatgum relieved you yet?"

The white-cloaked Hero's hood fell back, revealing black hair and a pale, uncomfortable face. He looked so nervous Shoto swore he would bolt for the door if one of them sneezed unexpectedly.

"He went to bed. I think his sidekick forgot to switch places with me."

"Hmph." Aizawa grunted.

Amajiki's shoulders slumped. "Maybe he did it on purpose. Maybe he's implying I'm not working hard enough." He shuddered and pulled his hood back over his head.

"You've worked more than you should." Aizawa growled. "Now sit, Amajiki."

Amajiki obediently sat in an empty chair. Shoto noticed the curtains were shut around one of the beds and his stomach twisted into knots. He glanced questioningly at Amajiki, who awkwardly glanced back and forth between him and Shinso.

"Hopeless." Miruko muttered. "Amajiki, meet Shoto Todoroki of Class 1-A, Hero course, and Hitoshi Shinso of Class 1-C, General Department. Todoroki, Shinso, meet Tamaki Amajiki of UA's Big Three. Hero Name: Suneater. He's in the Hero course's Class 3-A." She glared at Aizawa. "Was that so hard?"

"Hmm."

"Hmm." Miruko huffed back, mimicking Aizawa's low grunt.

She looked questioningly at Eri, who was still in Aizawa's arms, and adopted a softer expression. Despite her insistence on seeing Hawks, the sight of the nurse's office seemed to have overwhelmed her, leading to her hiding her face in her guardian's scarf. Miruko did not try to force her out of her comfort zone, and Shoto felt his respect for the Rabbit Hero go up a few more pegs. Instead she looked to Aizawa.

"You good to go?" Her gaze flicked back to Eri.

"Yes."

Miruko nodded and peered between the curtains, but not before Shoto glimpsed the pained look on her face. "Hawks, you have visitors."

There was a pause and Shoto heard her take a shuddering breath. Then she pulled the curtain back.

For a second, Shoto thought nothing was wrong and everyone had been overreacting. Hawks looked perfectly calm as he sat on the bed, his wings pulled close to his body with the tips dipping down past the mattress. But that thought only lasted a second because he was too still. Too quiet.

Hawks was always moving and often talking, but now he did none of that. As the seconds passed, Shoto slowly realized that the Hawks in front of him was more like a statue than a person. Only the serene beeping of the monitor attached to his arm showed he wasn't made of stone.

Eri might have made a distressed sound. She must have, because Aizawa was shushing her softly. Shoto was too distracted to really notice. He slowly approached the bed and looked at his mentor's face.

His eyes were glassy and his pupils were grey, almost making him appear blind. Shoto could not bear to look at them, so he looked at Hawks's nose instead, like one of the books he read said to in order to give the illusion that he was meeting their eyes.

"Hawks-sensei?"

Hawks had no reaction. He did not even blink. He continued staring vacantly straight ahead, his hands placed limply in his lap. Shoto resisted the urge to grasp his shoulders and beg him to respond. He had been so worried about how Eri might react he did not consider his own reaction.

Shoto had not cried in a long time, but seeing Hawks like this made his throat tighten and his eyes burn. He rubbed his left one just to be sure it was not literally burning but forced his gaze back to Hawks, searching for any type of reaction.

"Hawks-sensei?" he called again, and pretended his voice did not tremble.

"I don't think he can hear us." Shinso said lowly.

A shudder passed through Hawks's body and he blinked with his human eyelids. Gold eyes slowly moved to the purple-haired student. Shinso startled and Shoto's breath caught.

"He won't answer." Miruko said flatly. "He hasn't spoken a word since his last seizure."

Anger simmered in Shoto's stomach, slow and hot. Why were they still acting like Hawks was unaware? "He can hear us. He's looking at Shinso."

The adults looked at him, then at Hawks, who still stared at Shinso. Miruko hurried to his side and touched his arm. He slowly looked down at her hand.

"Hawks?" Her voice shook. "Can you hear me, Baby Bird?"

Hawks blinked at her hand. His fingers twitched and his lips moved soundlessly.

Miruko's smile was fragile. "Hey, Hawks. You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days, ya know?"

Hawks blinked lethargically and Shoto could see him struggling to keep his eyes focused on her face.

"Recovery Girl fixed you up." Miruko continued, speaking at a normal pace but making sure each word was fully enunciated. "That's why you feel so tired."

Hawks continued to look at her vacantly. His lips moved but no sound came out. His brow wrinkled and his mouthed soundlessly again.

"Dammit." Aizawa hissed. "I'm getting Mic. He can read lips."

He shoved Eri at a bewildered Amajiki and hurried out the door, pulling out his phone as he went.

Hawks slowly turned and watched the door click shut. A slight frown twisted his features and his left arm unexpectedly jerked, smacking into the chair next to his bed. He flinched and pulled his arm to his chest, staring at the offending chair in bewilderment. The bewilderment vanished as his skin drained of color and he clutched at his left bicep, chest heaving.

"Hawks, what's wrong?" Miruko asked urgently. "Are you in pain?"

Hawks's gaze slowly returned to her, as if it took physical effort for him to move his eyes. Just as slowly, he shook his head. He rubbed his left arm again, accidentally hitting the IV in his arm. He considered it for a few moments, then abruptly yanked it out. The other wires attached to him soon followed and the machines around them shrieked. Eri screamed as well and clung to Amajiki, who jumped out of his chair, knocking it over.

This startled Hawks, who lurched out of bed and grasped the heart monitor for balance. Shoto saw it spark and it abruptly turned off, spewing a pathetic puff of smoke. A feather ended its misery and Hawks backed away from the wreck, expression wild. He looked at them, but there was no recognition in his gaze.

"Kids, back off." Miruko ordered calmly. She slowly raised her hands to chest level, keeping her palms exposed as she reached out towards Hawks. "Hawks, it's Rumi. Can you hear me?"

Gold eyes did not move to her face. They continued to flick around the room as his chest heaved. His wings twitched but no feathers detached from them. Shoto swore he saw the feathers shift slightly, however. They almost appeared… sharp? He stared at them intently, trying to figure out if he had imagined it. Before he could, the door opened.

"Hello, listeners! I am here~!"

Shoto felt a yank on his arm and his vision blurred. His back slammed into something hard as his shoulder knocked into something softer and he heard someone yelp. The world stopped blurring and he looked up. His head nearly collided with Amajiki's as he was awkwardly shoved into the corner with Eri sandwiched between them. Shoto himself was trapped between Eri, Shinso, the wall… and Hawks?

Hawks's back was to the students and Eri as he kept them trapped in the corner, his spread wings blocking Shoto's view of the nurse's office. Over the wing, Shoto caught a glimpse of Present Mic's pointed hair.

Next to Shoto, Eri did not look scared at all. In fact she seemed rather calm, as if something she'd expected for a long time had finally been confirmed.

Hawks did not look back at them. He kept his wings flared up, and Shoto realized he was shielding them with them. He watched them quiver and wondered if Aizawa was using his Quirk on Hawks.

"Good going, Mic." Aizawa hissed, barely loud enough to hear him.

"Holy— Are you four alright?" Mic called urgently.

"We're not hurt." Shinso called back, though he sounded nervous.

Hawks flinched visibly and his head jerked to the side, revealing his face to the students and Eri. Although he moved and reacted, there was no awareness in his dull, grey-tinged eyes, as if he were still lost in another world. He blinked lethargically and his gaze slid past Amajiki, Eri, and Shoto before focusing on Shinso with an unnerving intensity.

"P'rple?" he mumbled.

Shinso blinked. "Er, yes? My hair is purple."

The delirium in Hawks's eyes did not fade, but a sharpness entered his gaze that put Shoto on edge. He turned back towards the teachers and Miruko.

"W'n't let 'em 'urt you." Hawks slurred.

A shudder passed through his body and his shoulders tensed. Shoto realized he was likely preparing to attack, Quirk or no Quirk.

Shinso realized the same. "No one is going to hurt us. You're safe. We're all safe. We're at UA, remember?"

Hawks's head snapped back to them so quickly Shoto was shocked he did not get whiplash. The mindless panic drained from his eyes and finally, the warm golden color fully returned. He blinked and stepped forward, releasing Shoto, Shinso, Eri, and Amajiki, and looked back at them. He continued to stare at them, but did not speak.

Then Hawks sat on the floor with his knees pulled to his chest and pulled his wings around himself, shielding him from sight.

Eri scrambled over to him and his wings parted enough for her to clamber into his arms before closing again. Shoto blinked and swore the feathers looked sharper again. He knew Hawks could use his feathers as swords, but he never saw him sharpen them while they were attached to his back before. Everyone watched, waiting for Hawks to do something else, but as a few minutes passed he never did.

Mic spoke first. "What the h—"

Recovery Girl— when had she gotten there?— whacked him in the shin with her cane. "Language, young man. You should know better."

Mic chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that, listeners. What I meant to say was—" His voice rose in volume. "—What was that?!"

"I think that thing you said is a trigger phrase." Miruko said. Her tone was quiet but icy, and Shoto saw her hand clench into a fist. "He freaked out when All Might said it, too."

Hawks did not emerge from his wings to support or deny her claim.

"Oh. I guess loudly announcing myself was a bad idea." Mic mumbled weakly, chastised.

Aizawa made a sound that could be either an exasperated scoff or a muffled snarl of rage.

Shoto thought he heard Eri whispering but felt it was impolite to try to eavesdrop, so he tried not to listen too closely. As Shoto watched, the individual feathers of Hawks's wings seemed to ripple, and he watched the sharp edges leave them.

Miruko carefully approached and crouched in front of him. "Hawks?"

His wings parted just enough for Shoto to get a glimpse an ashen face and a single, exhausted golden eye.

Miruko smiled weakly. "Welcome back."

Hawks hid inside his wings again and did not come out no matter how much Miruko tried to coax him.

"Well." Mic said faintly. "That was something."

Shoto could only nod in solemn agreement.

XXXXXXX

Twice huddled in the corner of Kurogiri's bar and tried not to sulk.

It had only been a few days but his attempts to meet with Hawks and talk had gone absolutely nowhere. The Birdie was too damn busy for him to catch alone without seeming like a stalker, and it seemed he was on a mission somewhere since Twice did not find him on his usual patrol route. That was not normal, but not so out of place that his more paranoid thoughts took over.

He'd give Hawks a couple days before he started his own search party.

Only adding to his gloom, Shigaraki had taken the computer and Toga was nowhere to be seen, leaving him with grumpy old Dabi for company. Yes, Dabi was younger than him but that was not the point. Dabi was the greatest guy, not thinking he was weird or making faces when he contradicted himself, but he was not much of a talker. Or a team meeting kind of guy. Honestly, Twice had no idea why he was here.

"So why are you here?" Twice asked.

"Don't tell me! I don't care." Twice snapped.

Dabi shot him a lazy look from where he slouched against the bar. "The boss wants to see me."

"He's playing video games. He's really good. I'd love to watch."

"Don't disturb him. He gets so mad when he sucks at them. It was scary."

Dabi huffed, lip curling, though Twice sensed it was at Shigaraki, not him. "Not Shigaraki. I'm here to meet his… 'sensei'." His blue eyes narrowed to slits but he said nothing further.

"That guy's creepy. If you don't come out, we'll rescue you."

"If you don't come out you're on your own."

"Heh." Dabi chuckled. "Thanks for the support, Twice."

Twice smiled, though Dabi probably couldn't see it with the mask. "No problem. That's what friends are for."

"We're not friends, you loner jerk!" Twice grumbled.

Dabi did not reply. Twice wondered if he considered them friends or not. Probably not. He tried not to think about it. Twice slouched in a sulk and lazily eyed the bar around them, briefly looking at Kurogiri. The bartender did not glance his way, busy cleaning a glass. Why did he need to clean them so much? It was not like he had customers piling in.

"You've been hanging out here a lot." Dabi noted. "Is that what you're doing? Trying to… make friends?"

The way he said friends was odd. Twice could not tell if the disgusted tone meant he thought friendship was a weakness or he loathed himself for considering it anything else. Dabi was such a strange enigma wrapped in a mystery tied with some secrecy-ribbon. If he was unwrapped there was probably a billion more layers of mystery in there.

"Himiko is amazing." Twice fawned. "She's so outspoken and brave! We're already friends without stabbing involved."

"I haven't been here just to make friends." Twice denied. "I've been doing some investigating and I think the Heroes are shit."

Dabi gave him a look. "Obviously."

"Not all of them are shit." Twice amended hastily. "Well, one of them is not-shit. Jury's still out for the others."

"Jury says screw those other assholes!" Twice growled. "They're hypocrites! Letting one of their own get abused cause they don't care to look."

"They're looking all right." Twice muttered, as angry as himself. "They just don't want to help because he's not right in the head like us."

Dabi's bored expression had vanished, replaced by something colder. "…What." he said flatly.

Twice's— slightly exaggerated— annoyance shifted into something more serious. "Oh right. You joined us because of Stain and his ideal of taking down the corrupt Heroes. Well you know that one Hero Stain approved of? Hawks? I think he is being abused by somebody. It's probably another Hero because the other Heroes aren't doing shit about it even though it's obvious. Or they know he's mentally ill and has other personalities in his head so they're ignoring it. Did I tell you I ran into him when he was having a panic attack in an alley? He had a bunch of bruises and cuts and looked at me like he was scared I'd hit him. Think I spotted some old bruises around his neck, too. Or maybe they were burns?" He flexed his fingers in a squeezing motion. "Like handprints…"

Twice trailed off as he caught sight of Dabi's face. His jaw was clenched and quivering with so much tension it was a surprise his teeth did not crack. Twice could see the tendons jumping in his throat and his eyes burned as blue as his fire.

"Are you okay?" Twice asked hesitantly.

Dabi's expression smoothed over but the cold— almost crazed— anger remained in his gaze. If Twice looked too long at his eyes, he wondered if he'd burst into flames.

"I'm fine." Dabi abruptly rose from his chair. "Time to meet All For One, I guess."

He stormed out. Twice would like to claim Dabi wasn't upset, but he left burn marks where he stepped.

Kurogiri observed the damage and gave a tired sigh. "Wonderful."

"Sorry, man." Twice apologized.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Twice defended.

Kurogiri's white eyes shifted as if he were looking skyward for patience, but he walked around the counter and began inspecting the damage without another word. Twice watched him for a moment before looking shiftily at the door Dabi had exited.

"What's burning him up inside?" he muttered to himself.

No one answered.

XXXXXXX

All For One could not stop an amused smile from stretching his cracked lips as he observed Twice and Dabi's interactions. Jin Bubaigawara was such an interesting point of entertainment, unintentionally uncovering conspiracies and diving deep into the corruption of Hero Society without even meaning to.

That man was too good at heart to be the kind of ruthless Villain All For One approved of, but was he ever talented at causing chaos. His Quirk was so fascinating as well. All For One might just have to take it someday. He put that possibility on the backburner as his guest finally arrived, approaching from behind with his hands in his pockets.

"You wanted to see me?"

Dabi tried to keep his voice level, unaffected, and bored, but All For One could hear the anger lurking there. He was already on edge, and All For One could not help but want to see what happened when he was given a final push.

"Touya Todoroki."

He sensed Dabi's body go rigid, and felt his internal temperature spike as he prepared to summon his flames. All For One smelt the slightest hint of burning flesh and made a note to remember that weakness. Either to exploit it or— should Dabi prove loyal— free him from it with a Quirk. But that would not happen if the child foolishly attempted to attack him now. Time to calm the toddler from its tantrum.

"That is your name, is it not?" All For One asked pleasantly.

"My name is Dabi." the burned child spat. How predictable he acted, like a hurt animal snarling at the world.

"Of course." All For One agreed. "But you were Touya Todoroki."

He felt the heat building in Dabi's body vanish. "What do you want?"

If All For One had eyebrows, he would raise one incredulously. "What's that? You don't want to know how I discovered your identity?"

"I don't care." Dabi spat. So defensive. So impatient. "What do you want? Why did you call me here?"

All For One allowed himself to smile pleasantly even though he knew the benign affect was ruined due to his scarred face. "I just wanted to reassure you that you do not need to keep secrets from me. I know your name. And I know your goals. They align with mine much better than I previously believed."

"Oh really?" Dabi snarled sarcastically.

"Really." All For One said, still bemused. His smile vanished. "We both want Hero Society to crumble. For the injustices they chose to bury in favor of their glorious Heroes, of course." He cocked his head. "You approached the Hero Commission about Endeavor and they dismissed you, did they not?"

Dabi's jaw clenched. He bared his teeth like a tiger but was nothing more than an abused kitten, hissing and clawing at anyone who came near. There was so much anger there. So much unbridled rage.

But it was hindered. It was tethered and restrained, when it should be as violent and consuming as the flames his Quirk gifted him.

"I am not surprised." All For One murmured with carefully-crafted sympathy. Time for one more splinter under the fingernails. He purposely turned away from Dabi. "Oh, and about the Commission… I'd thought you would like to know that Twice is correct about Hawks, though the reasons for his injuries were slightly different this time. It seems the Number Three Hero discovered what Endeavor did and tried to expose him." He heard Dabi's breathing hitch and struggled to hold back a grin. "They tortured their precious Hawks to shut him up, it seems. Would you like to see the footage of what they did? It's truly terri—"

"NO!" Dabi choked like a drowning man gasped for air. He remembered himself and put on an aura of feigned indifference. "I don't care about any Heroes. I just want them to burn."

All For One smiled thinly. "There is more than one way to destroy a Hero than burning them to ashes, Dabi. If you ever wish to learn how to truly break them, come to me. I'm sure we will have much to talk about."

"Screw you." Dabi snarled, flames flickering in his fists.

He stormed out and did not appear to notice his hands were burning, the smell of burnt flesh wafting through the air. What a self-destructive child. More importantly, what a waste of villainous talent and ambition. All For One would change that. He had trained Shigaraki to become his successor, but there was no harm in a couple side projects every now and then.

Tenko Shimura would break All Might.

Touya Todoroki would break Endeavor.

And as for who would break Hero Society itself?

All For One watched his incriminating file on the Commission's inhumane Icarus Project grow larger and larger by the second and laughed.

XXXXXXX

A/N: Next update will be the 17th-ish.