Past—Post USJ
Shouta was regretting all his life choices as he eased himself into his chair and sank into it. He'd avoided sitting all day, knowing if he sat, he wouldn't be able to get back up on his own power, but now he was ready to accept his fate and become one with the chair.
Body sagging and hunching in on itself, Shouta shut his eyes and breathed through the pain radiating in his head. He knew Recovery Girl was right—he wasn't ready to be up yet. He should be in bed, not moving or having to be awake and act like a normal human when all he wanted was to meld into his bed and possibly hibernate until winter. He also knew that his students needed to see him alive and on his feet.
The bandages had frightened them at first, but after a full week of seeing him acting (mostly) like himself, they became accustomed to his current state as a mummy. It was taxing to act as if nothing was wrong, but worth it. His kids didn't need the added trauma of seeing their teacher collapse in class or endure weeks of worrying about him while he recovered. In the face of the uncertain, Shouta would be their bulwark, would be an immutable constant in their lives for as long as he was able. So, he got up every morning, ignored the pain radiating throughout his body, and taught them as much as he could to ensure they stayed alive.
Sighing heavily, Shouta leaned back and tried to get some sleep before Hizashi came to get him. Shouta's last class of the day ended an hour before Hizashi's, so he had some time to kill before Hizashi came to get him and drive him home.
Shouta would probably be staying at the infirmary while he recovered if it weren't for Hizashi. With both arms in casts, he couldn't take care of himself and had no way to get home short of walking or taking the train, which were both horrible options for him. Recovery Girl wouldn't have let him leave UA at all if Hizashi hadn't decided, all by himself, that he would stay with Shouta to help during his recovery. He'd brought a backpack full of clothes with him the night they'd driven home from the hospital and announced that he would be staying with Shouta until he was able to take care of himself— after Shouta had taken his pain medication and had been no state to argue. Since then, Hizashi had had taken up residence on Shouta's couch, usurping two of Shouta's three cats in the process.
Shouta didn't know what he'd ever done to deserve such a good friend.
"Sensei?" Hawks voice roused Shouta from the edge of sleep, sounding strangely timid.
"Hawks," Shouta straightened, thankful that with the heavy bandages around his head, it was impossible to tell if his eyes had been open or not. "Did you forget something?"
"Yeah," Hawks said, walking over to his desk. "I left my math notebook. Are you… okay?"
"I'm fine," Shouta said, eyeing Hawks curiously. "Do you have a moment?"
"Sure," Hawks said with a smile that was just a bit too stiff to be real. "Is this about school or…?"
USJ hung in the air between them, unspoken. Shouta forced himself to sit up straighter and nodded.
"I have some questions about your quirk," Shouta said, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could use his hands. "It's listed simply as 'wings' and does not mention your ability to control your individual feathers."
"Yeah," Hawks said, chuckling ruefully and flashing him that fake smile. "I wasn't able to control them until I was older, so when my quirk was registered, we didn't know about it. I've been meaning to get it updated, but keep forgetting."
Shouta hummed thoughtfully, once again a little offput by Hawks's lackadaisical demeanor. He had always prided himself in being an astute judge of character and a keen observer, but Hawks was patently difficult to read. "See that you do. Your quirk registration will be important when you take the provisional license exam. And I want an accurate report on your quirk's abilities typed and put on my desk by Monday."
"Will do!" Hawks chirped, giving him a mock salute. He didn't even flinch at Shouta's glare, the little brat, which he knew could still be felt, if not seen. "Was there something else?"
"I've been reading your classmates' reports on USJ," Shouta said, watching Hawks closely. "Your performance was admirable and undoubtedly saved lives, despite the flaws in your plan. However, you made a fatal mistake. Do you know what it was?"
Frowning, Hawks shuffled from one foot to the other before finally shrugging. "I'm afraid not."
He's as bad as Midoriya, Shouta thought with a grimace. Except that Midoriya is obvious about it and Hawks is about as transparent as mud.
"You recklessly engaged the nomu, a creature that was created to kill All Might, and had already taken out a pro-hero moments before, instead of escaping when you had the chance," Shouta said, eyes narrowing. "You could have gotten yourself and your classmates killed because you didn't have the forethought to think things through and gauge the danger level of the situation."
Something flickered in Hawks's expression, a thing dark and full of sharp edges. There was a weariness, a hint of a sense of resignation in his eyes that took Shouta by surprise. "I see. I will do my best to be more careful in the future and not make the same mistake again, sensei."
Hawks moved to leave, all of Shouta's senses screaming, wrong, wrong, as he stared at the teen in confusion. Shouta had already had this talk with Midoriya and he had defended his actions with a burning conviction and surprising eloquence that spoke well of him and his potential. All Shouta saw in Hawks was bitter acceptance and something deeper, something not right. Not at all the blustering self-confidence he had been expecting.
"What were you thinking when you attacked?" Shouta asked, stopping Hawks in his tracks. "Walk me through your reasoning."
The teen stared at him, surprised. Puzzlement flashed across his face, but he collected himself quickly. "With you… incapacitated, there was no guarantee that the nomu wouldn't be sent to attack the other students. It was a logical move to draw the villains' attention away from the other students, both to protect the ones without combat training or experience with their quirks and to stall for time."
The answer was similar to Midoriya's, but much more succinctly put. There was something a little too practiced in the way Hawks's answered, a little too experienced, as if he was used to giving the type of incident reports that would become second nature once he became a pro.
"You could have hidden and waited for backup to arrive," Shouta pointed out. "Either way, engaging the nomu was incredibly risky and could have gotten all of you killed When you go pro, analyzing the situation and your opponent could be the difference between life and death. Never forget; a dead hero helps no one."
Hawks stared down at the floor, brow furrowed in thought. Conflict raged in his eyes and for a moment Shouta thought that the teen would simply play it safe and concede the point, despite obviously disagreeing. However, the teen once again surprised him by meeting his gaze with a fire blazing in his eyes, chin jutting out defiantly.
"You're forgetting one thing, sensei," Hawks said, voice steely. "There was no way we could have done anything except attack."
"Oh?" Shouta asked, raising an eyebrow.
"They were going to kill you. Maybe the smart thing to do was to run away or hide, but we couldn't leave you to die. We acted as cautiously as we could, but we had to act," Hawks said, the defiance suddenly draining out of him, along with all the color on his face. "I—I don't mean to be disrespectful or disagree with your points, but… You needed help and we were the only ones there. It was right, even if it was foolish."
Shouta stared at him, a grin forming behind the bandages. These kids!
"If there's nothing else, I really need to be going sensei," Hawks said, edging slowly to the classroom door.
"You're a good kid, Hawks," Shouta said, stopping the him in his tracks. "And you did well. Just don't do anything that reckless again, got it? You're still a student, so let your teachers protect you."
Eyes widening, Hawks stared at him a moment, a look of disbelief on his face, before ducking his head and excusing himself.
Watching him go, Shouta realized he once again needed to reevaluate what he knew about Hawks. He had been constantly revising his impression of Hawks since the first day of school and he found himself wondering if knew the kid at all. He hadn't been impressed by Hawks at first, pegging him as someone more interested in fame than the more idealistic motives to become a hero. However, his words and showy personality were often at odds with his actions, which were always selfless and considerate.
During the quirk apprehension test, Shouta had watched Hawks and been annoyed to see that he wasn't really trying. Despite the threat of expulsion, Hawks had known that he was in no danger of coming in last place, performing extremely well in some of the test and practically not trying during others. Shouta had been about to threaten to expel him for not taking the exercise seriously, when he had spotted Hawks next to Hagakure.
All day, Hagakure had been largely ignored by her fellow students, though not on purpose. A quick like hers undoubtably made it difficult to stand out, which was why Shouta had been so impressed by her performance during the practical exam. As they finished one test after another, she'd slowly withdrawn from the other students, standing in the back of the crowd where it was difficult for Shouta to see her. When Shouta spotted her again, she was crying silently, gloved hands reaching up to wipe away tears that no one would ever see. She was no doubt terrified that she would have the lowest score, since there was no way for her to eke out a high score with her quirk.
No one else noticed she was crying. No one else noticed that she wasn't standing with the rest of the students, who were huddled together frantically discussing the impending threat of expulsion.
But then, just as Shouta had been about to walk over to her, Hawks was there. Hawks placed a comforting hand on an invisible shoulder as he offered her a tissue and gave her an encouraging smile, speaking to her softly.
Watching as a few minutes later Hagakure's uniform straightened up, as the long sleeves of her uniform pumped in the air in response to whatever Hawks had said, Shouta had realized that he'd misjudged him. As the pair walked back to join the other students, Hawks purposefully guided their attention toward Hagakure, going out of his way to include her in the conversation. Some of the more observant students seemed to pick up on this, and several friendships were formed that day as a result. Nothing in Hawks's mannerisms drew attention to himself or to the small act of kindness, or even suggested he wanted it. He'd simply comforted a classmate terrified that her hopes could be ripped away because her quirk wasn't suited for a single quirk test.
That one act of kindness had forced Shouta to rethink his first impression. The kid wasn't simply all flash and no substance; a kind heart beat underneath the facade he put up around others. Shouta had carefully revised his estimation of Hawks, though it had fluctuated again when Shouta had seen how fake the boy was in all his interactions.
Then USJ happened. Shouta hadn't exaggerated by saying Hawks had saved lives. His levelheaded response to the attack, combined with Midoriya's quirk analysis and strategies, had drastically changed the playing field. He'd done so well in keeping everyone safe, right up until he'd attacked the nomu.
Hawks was a good kid, but reckless in a way that terrified Shouta. He knew that Hawks could be great, in the same way that he knew that Midoriya could be one of the brightest lights of his generation, if he lived long enough. So, what was it about the kid that gave him such a feeling of uneasiness?
"HEY!" Hizashi shouted, volume just below ear breaking. "Sorry I'm late. You ready to go?"
"Yeah," Shouta stood with difficulty, the pain sapping his energy. "Let's go."
Hizashi rambled aimlessly as they walked to his car, but Shouta was barely listening, mind still puzzling through the strange disquiet he had about Hawks.
"What do you think of Yukimura?" He asked, as they got into the car.
"Hawks?" Hizashi asked absently, reaching over to help Shouta with his buckle. "He's a good kid. His spoken English is fantastic, but man, for such a smart kid, his written English is terrible! He'd be at the top of the class if he actually applied himself."
Frowning, Shouta's mind flashed to the last time he'd graded one of Hawks papers and had to agree. His grades dipped just below average, which was surprising now that he thought of it. It didn't take great powers of observation to know Hawks was smart. When he actually chipped into the class discussions, he was the most charismatic and articulate speaker, with strong reasoning and analytical skills to back up his points.
Hawks was smart, but his grades said he was lazy, an idea that didn't mesh with what Shouta knew about the teen at all. Everything about Hawks was careful, every move well thought out. He was a jumble of contradictions and worst of all, was difficult to read.
Sighing, Shouta resigned himself to observing Hawks closer in the future and allowed himself to be drawn away from his train of thought by Hizashi.
There was nothing concrete about what he was feeling. Not yet. Until there was, all he could do was wait, do his best to earn the kid's trust, and hope that if there was a problem, the kid would actually come to him.
It was a small hope. And Shouta had never been an optimist.
Present: UA
"I am very happy to see that you are awake, Hawks," Nedzu said, settling onto a chair next to Hawks's bed. "I take it Aizawa has already started to fill in some of the blanks for you?"
Hawks nodded. He hadn't had much interaction with UA's principle before, but the Commission had had a lot of negative things to say about him, so that meant he was probably good. "Have you been able to confirm if Midoriya's attackers were from the Commission?"
"We have," Nedzu acknowledged. "There were also attacks on Kaminari, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Iida last night. The attacks were successfully thwarted and none of them were seriously injured."
Hawks shut his eyes and buried his face in his hands. "This is why I didn't come forward. This is my fault-"
"Don't say that!" Midoriya snapped. The curtains around his bed had been pushed open to allow him and his mother to participate in the conversation. "It's their fault, not yours."
"Midoriya is right," Nedzu said, offering Hawks a sympathetic smile. "You are not responsible for the actions of the Commission and everyone here is very thankful that you reached out for help."
"Hawks," Inko walked over to him and sat down on the side of his bed. "You mustn't say things like that. Can you imagine how we would feel if we had learned that someone we cared about was dead, without us ever knowing they needed help? That we could have helped, but instead did nothing as someone we love suffers?"
"It's different," Hawks protested. "I don't have anyone like that. There's no one who…"
"Oh, sweetheart," Inko took his hand in hers and smiled sadly. "You are someone who is cared about and loved by your friends and by us. You might not have had anyone before, but you do now, okay?"
Swallowing thickly, Hawks nodded, even if part of him struggled to believe it. He knew his friends cared about him, but he had thought they'd forget about him pretty quickly after he was gone. Love was completely out of his wheelhouse. With his memories of his parents almost totally gone, he couldn't think of a single person who had ever loved him, making Inko's words hard to fully grasp.
"Your friends are currently under police protection. We're arranging for them and for the Midoriya's to stay at safe houses until the threat has passed and the dorms are completed," Nedzu said. "You, on the other hand, will be staying at UA for the foreseeable future."
Hawks nodded again. He had guessed as much. "They'll attack UA to get to me," he warned. "They'll find a way to circumvent security."
"We are already taking precautions," Aizawa said, glancing at Nedzu. "Attacking UA would be futile and costly for them."
"We believe they are trying to draw you out, hence the attack against your friends," Nedzu said. "It is therefore imperative that you agree to stay on the premises, no matter what methods they use to draw you out."
When he didn't answer right away, everyone glared at him except for Midoriya, who had a look of sympathy on his face. They both knew that if the situation was reversed, Midoriya would be just as conflicted about being forced to sit still while someone else was in danger.
"I promise," Hawks said, recoiling slightly from the force of Aizawa's stare. "But there might be another option."
"Oh?" Nedzu asked, looking intrigued.
"You could use me as bait," Hawks said with a predatory smile. "Draw them out and eliminate their agents before they have a chance to mount an attack on UA."
"Absolutely not," Aizawa said, at the same time Nedzu said, "An interesting proposition."
They turned toward each other, a silent conversation passing between them. Aizawa sat back in his chair, looking displeased, while Nedzu leaned forward.
"Please elaborate on your suggestion. Why would using you as bait be more advantageous than waiting for the investigation to run its course?" Nedzu asked, paws clasped in front of him.
"I don't know what the Commission's current status is, but they have a limited number of high-level agents at their disposal," Hawks said, struggling to sort through his spotty memory. "Assuming they don't get outside help. Either way, if you used me as bait, we could draw out the highest-ranking members, effectively preventing them from trying to stage a large-scale assault against UA in the future. Only a handful of individuals are capable of facing UA's teachers, and with them gone, they wouldn't dare risk open confrontation."
Nedzu steepled his paws in front of his face, momentarily lost in thought. "You believe that they would attack UA directly rather than waiting until you left the school?
"If they can't draw me out quickly, they'll be forced to attack outright," Hawks confirmed. "They've been working on finding ways into UA's security for years. I was never told if there was another spy on the campus, but I know they've breached UA's computer system at least once. It's how they learned that All Might would be teaching at UA before it was announced publicly."
"If they've breached our system before, that certainly changes things," Nedzu muttered grimly.
"With my testimony, you could send the Commission president to jail. They can't afford to wait until the case is brought to trial and I'm forced to leave UA to testify, not if they want to salvage the Commission's reputation," Hawks said. "They'll do whatever they can to get me out of UA, but if that fails…"
"They'll attack," Aizawa finished, looking resigned. "Which would reflect badly on UA and further destabilize people's trust in heroes."
"They don't know what you remember, but at this point, we are also still learning how much of your memory is still intact," Nedzu said, rubbing his chin. "I will have Tsukauchi come later today to interview you. With any luck, you will be able to help expedite the investigation while we decide our best course of action."
"You're not seriously thinking of using him as bait?" Inko asked, astonished.
"Rest assured, I will not take any action that would put Hawks in undue danger. However, the fact remains that if he is right, which I am inclined to believe, he will be the target of attacks either way. The question is, is it better to depend on UA's security system and our staff, or coordinate with other heroes to create a trap?"
"We'll be meeting them on our terms either way," Aizawa pointed out. "It seems foolish to risk moving him in the first place."
"But if they attack the students would be at risk," Hawks retorted. "They'll attack at the most inconvenient time, when there will be other distractions and concerns to prevent a strong response."
"You're saying they'd attack during the day, when all of our students and the full UA staff are present?" Aizawa asked, exchanging looks with Nedzu again. "That would be suicidal. Our third-year students are practically pros. The sheer numbers alone would be enough to defeat them."
"Unless they create a scenario where they are unable to fight back, or are in danger themselves, splitting our forces and limiting our response," Nedzu said. "Hawks makes excellent points. There are far more variables to contend with if UA is attacked than if we moved the confrontation to a different location."
"You think we should do it," Aizawa accused, eyes narrowing. "Or at least move him off campus."
"I am merely saying that we must consider all angles," Nedzu said smoothly. "At the very least, it can always be a backup plan. We can decide after Hawks's interview with the police which course of action is best."
Aizawa sighed. "I don't like the idea of risking Hawks, but I trust your judgement."
"Thank you," Nedzu said with a slight smile. "Now, Mrs. Midoriya, I have a few things that I would like to talk to you and your son about in private. Will you follow me to my office?"
"Of course," Inko leaned down and gave Hawks a tight, too short hug. "We'll come back later."
"Okay," Hawks mumbled, a wave of familiarity hitting him, though he had no memories of her.
He watched them leave with Nedzu, only taking his eyes off Inko's back once the door to the infirmary shut behind them. He risked a glance at Aizawa and, not wanting to resume their previous conversation before Nedzu had interrupted, said, "I think I'm going try and to get more sleep. Headache."
If Aizawa suspected that Hawks was lying, he didn't give any indication of it. Instead, he fussed over Hawks's blankets for a moment before digging out his laptop from a nearby bag and settling himself more comfortably in his chair.
"You don't have to stay," Hawks said, feeling guilty that the man was wasting so much time with him. "I'll be fine."
"I know," Aizawa said simply. "This is as much for you as for me."
Brows furrowing in confusion, Hawks opened his mouth to ask what he meant, but the words died in his throat. Asking would mean talking to him more, which was something Hawks wasn't ready for quite yet. Their last conversation had been more unnerving than Hawks would ever admit aloud.
Hawks knew what to expect of Aizawa as a teacher and as a hero. Hawks understood his role in the relationship, where he stood, what was required of him. It was reassuring, how steady and dependable Aizawa was. But having the man as his guardian… Hawks had no idea what Aizawa expected or wanted from him and he didn't particularly want to find out. He didn't think he could stand it if the kindness Aizawa had shown him was just a façade— if the man who had always struck him as so different, so good, was just putting on an act. Better to maintain a distance and stick to roles that Hawks understood and was comfortable with.
He didn't want to know if he was wrong about Aizawa. Ignorance was far better than losing someone who had become the most important adult in his life, the only adult (as far as he knew) that he might actually trust.
Hawks felt Aizawa's gaze on him and glanced up, their eyes briefly meeting. After a long moment, Hawks rolled over, so he was facing away from Aizawa and curled up in a ball, a strange feeling of grief hitting him all at once.
Some things just weren't worth risking, no matter how appealing they might seem.
Past: After USJ
"Hawks, can I talk to you for a second?" Midoriya asked, wringing his hands nervously.
Glancing up, Hawks took in the anxious expression on Midoriya's face, then at the sling that his arm was in. His mind flashed unbidden to what had happened at USJ and suppressed a shudder.
"Sure," Hawks said, adjusting the straps to his book bag. "There's a park not too far away that I like to visit. Do you want to talk with me there?"
"Yeah," Midoriya said, looking relieved.
They walked out of the gates of UA and started down the now familiar road that led to the park. After years of being kept inside a Commission facility, Hawks took every chance he could get to be outside. He'd stumbled onto the park the first week of school and had been visiting it for an hour or two ever since, weather permitting. Every tree, every plant, every blade of grass was a novelty after being indoors for so long.
Somedays, he simply walked around the park and explored. Others, he simply laid in the fields of grass and stared up at the vast, endless sky and watched clouds lazily drift by. It was a pastime he wouldn't be able to keep for long; he would be going back to the Commission at some point and once he became a pro-hero, he would be kept too busy to waste time on such a frivolous activity. But those days were still far off and Hawks intended to take advantage of the transient amount of freedom he had at the moment at every opportunity.
Once they arrived at the park, Hawks led Midoriya to a bench in front of a small pond and waited. It only took Midoriya a few minutes to work up the courage to speak.
"I've been thinking a lot about USJ and what you said about fighting. That merely throwing punches isn't enough," Midoriya began hesitantly. "You're right—that works for some heroes—for All Might, but for what I can do now it's not enough."
Midoriya stared down at the arm that was in the sling, eyes distant.
"When we were fighting the nomu, I had only a few chances to actually help before I couldn't fight anymore," Midoriya said. "And in the end, you would have been killed right in front of me if All Might hadn't arrived when he did and there was nothing I could do. I don't want that to happen ever again."
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Hawks asked, absently pulling off his shoes and socks so he could plant his feet in the soft grass. "Add a few kicks to your repertoire and break your legs too?"
"My legs-" Midoriya's head whipped up, eyes flashing with realization. "I could use—no, no, no. I can't think that way anymore."
Hawks sighed. He had to give Aizawa credit, what he had told the Midoriya the first day of school had been spot on. But it was only a start. Regulating his power to his fingers was a clever work around, but as long as he continued to break his bones, he was at risk of ending his career before it ever began.
"I've signed up for a martial arts class," Midoriya said. "And I'm talking to… someone about controlling my power better. We're going to start having lessons every day to help me until I can control my quirk."
Does that mean you weren't talking to All Might about this before? Hawks wondered incredulously. Out loud, he said, "That's a good start."
"I think so to, but I was wondering if, uh…" Midoriya paused, anxiety rolling off him in waves. "Would you be willing to train with me after school?"
Hawks stared at him in surprise.
"We made a good team at USJ and… I'd like to be friends?" Midoriya smiled at him, but Hawks could tell that he was afraid of being rejected.
Friends. Hawks wondered what it was like to have one. What it was like to have someone you could talk to, no matter what? Someone you could trust, who cared about you.
He liked Midoriya, which was why he had started avoiding him, even before USJ happened. There was something about Midoriya that made Hawks let his guard down, something that had him forget, at least for a moment, that he wasn't just another student. Made him feel like just being himself was enough, that he didn't have to try to fit in or be liked, because he was accepted exactly as he was. Talking to him was dangerous.
Still, Hawks reasoned with himself, watching as Midoriya's face started to fall in disappointment at his lack of answer. If I'm going to try and protect All Might's secrets, that includes him too now.
It would be fine as long as he was careful, right? He understood his mission and the dangers of what could go wrong if he got attached for there to be any real danger, right?
"I, uh… I haven't had a lot of friends before," Hawks said hesitantly, chewing on his lip. He felt almost shy as he spoke, which was ridiculous. He also felt a crushing guilt at lying, but he was quickly becoming accustomed to that. "But I'd like to be yours, if you're sure..."
Midoriya's smile was as bright as the sun. "I haven't either, but maybe we can figure out how it works together?"
Smiling back in spite of himself, Hawks nodded. "What kind of training are you thinking? If we're going to spar together, I can teach you a few things. And maybe we could strategize together about a way to use your quirk that doesn't involve breaking all your bones."
"Yeah, I really need all the help I can get with that," Midoriya said sheepishly. "Have you read Ishimoto's essay on quirk theory? I was thinking-"
They spent the next hour skidding rocks across the pond's surface and discussing their quirks. The next day, he sat with Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida at lunch and then every day following that. Yaoyorozu soon joined them at Hawks's hesitant invitation, and Todoroki, after weeks of hovering awkwardly after the Sports Festival, rounding off their group after a great deal of coaxing from Midoriya and Uraraka. Other students sometimes joined them, Kaminari being the most frequent, but it was always the six of them.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday Hawks and Midoriya stayed after school and spared in one of the gyms until school closed two hours later. It wasn't long before they were joined by the others in their group, and they spent hours together after school sparring, strategizing, doing homework, and sometimes just goofing off.
It was great. It was unlike anything Hawks had ever experienced before. He lived off their friendship vicariously, never quite daring to fully count himself among them, but desperately wishing that he could.
He never stopped to consider that he already was.
Present
After breakfast the next day, Midoriya sat with Hawks and tried to help fill in some of the blanks in Hawks's memory while his mother talked to Principle Nedzu and the police. Hawks's interview with the police was set in the afternoon with a police detective who was personal friends with All Might. Nedzu had restricted access to UA to everyone but the students and staff, only allowing two detectives on the campus to discuss witness protection options with Mrs. Midoriya and to interview Hawks later in the day.
Hawks was only half listening to Midoriya describing their classmates, his conversation with Aizawa still echoing in his head.
"Midoriya, do you know how a minor can become emancipated?" He asked, interrupting Midoriya's spiel about how cool someone named Tsuyu was.
"Emancipation?" Midoriya asked, tilting his head. "I think you have to be able to prove that you can take care of yourself to the courts and be financially self-sufficient."
"Right," Hawks deflated slightly. He had guessed as much, hearing it was still disappointing. There was no way he could get a part time job somewhere with the Commission gunning for his head. He blew out a breath. "Right."
"Are you… worried about what will happen now?" Midoriya asked hesitantly. "They won't send you back to your parents."
"I know that," Hawks said with a shake of his head. "I'm just… confused. About what's going to happen to me now. The Commission was my legal guardian before. Since UA's protecting me, does that mean the school will be my new guardian?"
"I don't think a school or organization can be a guardian," Midoriya said, brow furrowing in thought. "But you shouldn't worry. They won't pick someone bad as your guardian."
Hawks chewed on his lips and tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling. "Last night, Aizawa-sensei asked how I felt about staying with him."
Eyes growing comically wide, Midoriya sputtered for a good minute before he finally managed to pull together a coherent statement. "That's great! Aizawa-sensei will take good care of you and you already trust him, right? Except, you don't look very happy."
"I don't need someone to take care of me," Hawks said, scowling. "And I don't want someone to take me in out of obligation. He shouldn't trouble himself."
"Did he say that he felt obligated to take you in?" Midoriya asked, tilting his head. "Aizawa obviously has a strong since of duty, but I don't think he'd become someone's guardian simply out of obligation."
"That's the only possible explanation," Hawks retorted, shoulders hunching. "I don't want to have a guardian. I don't want to have to deal with someone else's demands or expectations anymore. I just want to be left alone."
Midoriya was silent for a while, watching Hawks closely. "Do you that's why he wants to be your guardian? He wants something from you?"
"Why else would he take me in?" Hawks asked, unsure why he was so upset at the thought. Aizawa was just another adult who saw his potential and wanted to use him. "I suppose he's better than someone I don't know."
"He doesn't want anything from you. He doesn't, Hawks," Midoriya said, resting a hand on Hawks's shoulder. "People—good people, take in children because they want to take care and nurture them, not because they want to use them for something or expect something back."
"You say that, but…" Hawks shrugged helplessly.
"Why don't you ask him, then? Ask him why he wants to be your guardian," Midoriya suggested, eyes brightening. "You trust him, right?"
"Yeah," Hawks said, wrapping his arms around himself. He felt exposed, like admitting he trusted someone was going to be used against him, somehow.
But this was Midoriya, who he also trusted— had trusted enough to ask for help, eve if he didn't remember.
"Then ask him," Midoriya said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Aizawa-sensei is brutally honest. He'll tell you the truth. And I'm sure if you don't feel comfortable staying with Aizawa-sensei, you can ask for someone else."
"I don't want anyone else," Hawks said, sighing. "I don't want anyone."
"I think you'll like it more than you realize," Midoriya said, eyeing him knowingly.
Aizawa chose that moment to enter the infirmary, carrying a large stack of papers in his arms. He dropped them on the table next to Hawks's bed with an impressive thud, barely managing to keep the pile form spilling sideways onto the floor.
"Is that homework?" Hawks asked, feeling morbidly curious as he picked up the top page. It was the first page of a math test. He scanned the page and was relieved when he understood the problems.
"They're the exams we used during finals," Aizawa explained, placing a clipboard and a pencil on the precariously leaning mound of paperwork. "Now that your headaches are decreasing, Recovery Girl gave me permission to test your academic knowledge."
"I don't think I lost anything there," Hawks said with more confidence than he actually felt. "Do I start now?"
Aizawa nodded. "I'll be monitoring you while you take the tests."
Shooting Midoriya an apologetic glance at having their conversation abruptly ended, Hawks placed the first test on the clipboard and got to work.
Two hours in, Hawks was working on the final exam for the quirk theory class that he had only a handful of vague memories of, when Aizawa looked up from his grading with a puzzled expression on his face.
"What?" Hawks asked, looking up from where he was scribbling his essay response to one of the questions.
"I'll be back," Aizawa said, standing up and putting the sizable stack of completed tests under one arm. "You can take a break now."
Hawks watched him leave, wondering if his answers had been wrong. He'd felt confident that he remembered everything while giving his answers, but now he was nervous.
"I'm sure you did fine," Midoriya said, then added ruefully, "Think on the bright side— I'm sure you didn't do any worse than you did on the actual tests."
With a glare, Hawks threw one of his pillows at Midoriya, hitting his face. "I failed half those tests."
Aizawa returned an hour later, a man with gravity defying blond hair and dressed head to toe in black at his side. "This is Present Mic, your English teacher."
"Hi," Hawks said, anxiety ratcheting up a notch. "I'm sorry I don't remember you."
The man smiled at him sadly. "You have nothing to apologize for, listener."
"I went to him to compare notes," Aizawa said, handing Hawks two pieces of paper. "This is your final exam, and this is the one you just finished."
Hawks stared down at the papers, not at all surprised at the bright red numbers on the right hand of the page. One was barely two points above a failing grade, the other was a ninety-eight. He sagged in relief; despite the glaring gaps in his memory, he hadn't lost his academic knowledge. He hadn't been consciously concerned about it until Aizawa had left so abruptly, but the relief he felt at the confirmation was almost overwhelming.
"I know you didn't cheat, so would you mind explaining why your grade is suddenly higher than before?" Aizawa said, voice curious, not accusatory.
"The Commission ordered me to get bad grades," Hawks explained with a shrug. "They didn't want me to stand out."
Aizawa and Present Mic exchanged glances.
"But if you don't remember me or any of my classes…" Present Mic trailed off.
"I was educated at the Commission and am at college level in most subjects," Hawks said in English. Much better English than he had ever exhibited before— or, he thought so at least. "Most of UA's classes have been review for me."
They stared at him, a look of relief and consternation on their faces.
"What else did the Commission order you to flub?" Aizawa asked, folding his arms.
"Well…" Hawks rubbed his head and offered them a doleful grin. "They told me to rank low in the Sports Festival and they also prohibited me from using my quirk to the fullest. I might have forgotten something, but… yeah."
"Wait, wait, wait, you ranked fourth in the Sports Festival," Present Mic said, gesturing wildly. "You call that low?"
Shrugging helplessly, Hawks said, "I don't actually remember the Sports Festival, so I can't really answer to the reasoning there."
"But you're implying you could have ranked higher," Aizawa said flatly.
"I don't remember the majority of the people in the school, so I honestly don't know," Hawks replied, shrugging again. "I mean, compared to the other students, I've been training longer, but it would depend on a lot of things."
Seated next to him, Midoriya started mumbling under his breath. Hawks made a mental note to talk to him about it later, maybe even watch a recording of the Sports Festival. It was doubtful that it would jog his memory, but Hawks could learn a lot about his classmates by watching it.
"Do you remember the conversation we had about your quirk registry?" Aizawa asked, drumming his fingers on his leg absently.
"No," Hawks frowned, squinting. "Maybe?"
Aizawa sighed, expression softening subtly. "Don't worry about it. Once Recovery Girl clears you to get out of bed, we'll have to run some tests on your quirk."
"The… the memory wipe wouldn't have affected it, right?" Hawks asked, frowning. "They would have wanted my skills and knowledge left intact, just… just my memories and personality wiped."
He felt sick saying it, admitting that they had only cared about his usefulness as a tool in their arsenal. That they had considered Hawks as a person expendable, and no longer useful, but hadn't wanted to lose his quirk so they had resorted to erasing everything that made Hawks himself instead. They would have destroyed his mind so that his body could be used for whatever they had wanted afterward. The thought made him sick with dread and panic and a thousand other emotions he couldn't give name to.
Maybe don't think about it right now, Hawks thought as nausea hit him.
Hawks still wasn't processing what had happened to him, but every time he came close to thinking about it, he would spiral into a panic attack or on a few occasions even lose time. Recovery Girl had told him not to push himself, that his mind was still healing from the damage, which was all the excuse Hawks needed not to think about it.
"Keigo," Aizawa said, causing Hawks to jump in surprise. "You're safe, you're not there anymore."
He knew that, so why was it still so hard to breathe? Why did his mind constantly whisper that he wasn't safe?
"Why don't you try and get some rest before the police come and interview you?" Aizawa said, ruffling Hawks's hair.
Sighing, Hawks patted his hair down and laid down on the bed with a sigh. He was tired of people telling him to rest every time he started to panic, but at the moment, he was too exhausted to care.
The interview started off with a bang and ended in an explosion. Hawks was shaking Detective Tsukauchi's hand when he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. With barely a thought, a blood feather shot out and rocketed toward the other detective as he drew his gun and took aim, the others in the room turning as if in slow motion.
It was over in an instant. Aizawa's capture scarf shot forward, a second too slow to make a difference. Detective Tsukauchi threw himself in front of Hawks, bodily shielding him from the threat, as Hawks's feather wrapped around the gun with impossible strength and forced the gun upward at the last moment, causing the gun to fire harmless into the air. A split second later, Aizawa knocked the gun out of the detective's hand and wrapped the capture weapon around him, holding him fast.
A short scuffle followed before the rogue detective was quickly dragged out of the room, but not before he shot Hawks a small, knowing smirk. The man didn't seem worried about his failure—in fact, he barely put up a fight at all.
"Well," Detective Tsukauchi said, peeling himself off Hawks and adjusting his jacket. His expression was kept neutral, but there was a hint of anger in the furrow in his brow and the tightness of his lips. "That's one way to start an interview. They're really gunning for you, huh kid?"
Hawks shrugged with a wry smile, unsettled by the smirk more than the attempt on his life. "If they tried once, they'll try again. They have something else up their sleeve." He warned, sending a few of his feathers out searchingly.
Aizawa came back a few minutes later, a scowl on his face. He stopped at the foot of Hawks's bed and glowered at Tsukauchi. "I thought you said you trusted him. Why didn't you bring Sansa?"
"A last-minute change," Tsukauchi said ruefully. "Which I now suspect was on purpose. I've known him for years… to think…" he shook his head, expression darkening.
"I hate to be the one to say it," Hawks said, shoving his blankets back so that he wouldn't be hampered by anything if he needed to get up quickly. "But this is just the start. I don't know the exact number, but the Commission has agents in every level of the police force in every major city in Japan."
Tsukauchi frowned, running a hand over his face. Up close, Hawks could see the dark circles under his eyes and the thinly veiled tension in his shoulders. "What about UA's security? I was told guns weren't allowed on campus."
"Nedzu's looking into it now," Aizawa said, adjusting his scarf. "It's possible that our sensors were comprised or the gun was smuggled onto the campus beforehand. You're sure you're okay?"
Giving the two men a thumbs up, Hawks split his attention between the conversation and the feathers that were following the path the detectives would have taken to get to the infirmary, not quite sure what he was looking for. "If they managed to get one agent in UA, there will be others. I also doubt that was all they had planned."
"You think it was a distraction?" Tsukachi asked, watching as Aizawa called someone on his cell phone.
"Mic," Aizawa said, voice curt. "Check the hallways and have Vlad check the grounds. Security has been compromised."
"While Aizawa is taking care of that, why don't we get started?" Tsukauchi said, setting his phone to record the conversation and pulling out a notebook.
Swallowing his discomfort, Hawks nodded.
In the end, he was glad he had rested before the interview; it was far more draining than he'd been expecting. Present Mic came in and out the entire time, sometimes standing stationed by the door to the infirmary, sometimes patrolling the hallways. It was reassuring to Hawks that they were taking the threat seriously, instead of simply brushing it off in favor of believing that UA was impenetrable.
Aizawa stayed the entire time.
After hours of going over everything he knew about the Commission and identifying the president, several members of the board of directors, and numerous other high-ranking members as having overseen his training, Tsukauchi leaned back in his chair and pressed a hand over his eyes.
"Let's take a break for now," he said, closing his notebook and shutting off the recording. "How are you holding up with all this? Your recovery seems to be going well."
Hawks fiddled with the feather he had used to misdirect the gunshot, twirling it around in circles absently. "It's a lot to take in."
"This must be a difficult adjustment, but you're in good hands," Tsukauchi said, glancing at Aizawa. "I'm going to recommend moving you to a safe house until the dorms are finished, but not to use you as bait. Our number one priority is keeping you safe."
"They'll find me," Hawks warned. "They're more connected than you know."
"I'm beginning to get the picture," Tsukauchi said, rubbing his face again. "However, you're a minor under our protection. We're not going to use you as bait-"
"They're going to try and kill me again either way," Hawks interrupted, crossing his arms. "Besides, I'm a hero student, not a helpless civilian. I know the risks, but at least this way we'd be proactive."
Aizawa sighed. "We're still considering our options."
"I'm not saying I want to fight. If it goes well, you'll be able to capture the agents sent to kill me before they ever reach me," Hawks said, though his words sounded unconvincing even to him. With his luck, they definitely would reach him before they were captured. He hesitated, struggling with himself momentarily before continuing. "They'll keep coming after my classmates to draw me out. I can't let that happen."
He couldn't let other people suffer at the hands of the Commission while he was sitting comfortably in bed twiddling his thumbs. He needed to feel like he was doing something, even if it was just acting as bait.
"Before I leave, why don't you tell me more about the agents that you think might be sent after you," Tsukauchi said, once again opening his notebook. "Can you tell us anything specific?"
Frowning, Hawks raked his memory for something useful he could tell him. "A lot of the kids in the program ended up as hit men—disposable, highly skilled agents to take out 'problems' for the Commission. I only know about them because I was tapped for the program, but was kept in the heroic division because of my marketability."
Aizawa looked like he didn't want to know, but asked anyway. "Marketability?"
"My appearance, personality, and quirk were considered desirable. And I was expected to become popular fairly quickly after my debut as a hero," Hawks explained, squirming uncomfortably under their gaze as he spoke. "The Commission needed a poster boy, someone that could put the Commission in the limelight in a positive way, and I was supposed to be it, essentially."
"I see," Tsukauchi said, sounding like he would like to tear someone's head off despite how deceptively light his tone was. He shook his head. "This never gets any easier with children."
"I'm not a child," Hawks objected, crossing his arms.
"You're a teenager who's never been allowed to be a child, whether you want to admit it or not," Aizawa said. "Please keep me updated if you learn anything from-"
Vibrations outside of the infirmary caught Hawks's attention. Frowning, Hawks focused on the particular feather he'd left floating outside of the infirmary and through it sensed one of the janitors walking down the hallway pushing a cart of cleaning supplies. He almost paid it no mind, but something instinctual kept his attention from drifting away.
Hawks recognized the janitor. He'd made it a point to memorize the entire staff of UA, not just the teachers. Of course, now he could name only a handful of them, but this particular janitor he remembered. He also remembered, with growing trepidation, that the hallway leading to the infirmary had been restricted. No one was supposed to enter it, except for Aizawa, Nedzu, and the teachers.
So why was this janitor here?
The suspicion was already taking root in his mind when the janitor pushed the cart in front of the infirmary door so that it was blocking it before walking away.
"We have to leave, now," Hawks said, leaping out of bed. "I think there's a bomb outside the door-"
Something exploded outside of the infirmary, blowing the door inward and sending it flying past Tsukauchi, missing him by a hair. For a moment, it felt like the world was in slow motion again. The explosion was barreling towards them, consuming everything in its path. Hawks dove for Tsukauchi, who was closer, and grabbed him under his armpits as Hawks launched into the air. He sent two of his undersized blood feathers for Aizawa and lifted the man into the air as Hawks sent half a dozen hardened feathers toward the infirmary window.
The feathers smashed through the window in a shower of glass, the sound of the window shattering consumed by the noise of the explosion hurtling toward them. Hawks dove through the hole he'd just created, adjusting Tsukauchi so that he wasn't hurt on the jagged remnants of glass on the sill. Aizawa followed seconds later, flames licking at his back. The twin feathers that had saved him from being incinerated sizzled for a moment before burning to ash, dropping Aizawa a few feet short of where Hawks had intended.
Sending his feathers out in a dozen different directions in anticipation of a third attack, Hawks lost altitude and planted Tsukauchi on the ground a little clumsily. Eyes scanning the area, Hawks tensed himself and waited. Two assassination attempts already made it unlikely that the Commission would simply leave things to change after burning one of their agents inside of UA—
There. A man was perched on a tree just outside of UA's wall, giving a sniper the perfect view of the infirmary windows.
A gunshot resounded in the air. Hawks shoved Tsukauchi aside as something grazed his cheek. Three feathers hurtled toward the sniper's location, reaching him just as the second bullet fired. The first feather, as tough as metal, deflected the bullet moments after it was fired. The second wrapped around the sniper's rifle and tucked it out of his hands, and the third attached to the back of the man's shirt and pulled him out of the tree, flying him over the wall and onto UA's property a few feet away from where Aizawa was standing.
"What—is that all?" Tsukauchi asked as he clambered to his feet and positioned himself protectively in front of Hawks, eyes searching for more danger.
It wasn't until Hawks had done a complete search of the area that he answered. "For now. Still think my plan is a bad idea?"
"It's not up to me to decide," Tsukauchi said, pulling out his cellphone. "But all things considered, it's not the worst option we have."
"Let's get inside," Aizawa said, eyes glowing red as he secured the sniper with his capture weapon. "Before anything else goes wrong."
They trudged to the nearest entrance and entered the relative safety of UA. Vlad King and Tsukauchi led the sniper away to secure him until a police escort be arranged, leaving Hawks and Aizawa alone until Nedzu and Recovery Girl met them a few minutes later, looking out of breath.
"Are you certain you're comfortable being used as bait?" Nedzu asked without preamble.
"I can be bait and be doing something useful or just wait while twiddling my thumbs for the next attempt on my life," Hawks said, shrugging. "If we plan it right, I won't be in any more danger than I already am."
Nedzu's eyes gleamed dangerously as he glanced down the blackened hallway that led to the infirmary. "I'm inclined to agree with you. UA isn't safe for you until we're sure that all of their plants in UA have been found and arrested."
"I never knew who else they had assigned to spy on the school, but I don't think it was any of the teachers or the high-ranking staff. They wouldn't have needed me to spy on All Might if they already had someone who could interact with All Might consistently," Hawks said, hoping he was right.
"That certainly helps narrow the scope of our investigation," Nedzu said, glancing at Aizawa. "I suspect the bomb was constructed in UA itself, which is why it evaded detection by our sensors."
"Did you catch him?" Aizawa asked, without taking his eyes off the sniper.
"Yes, Present Mic apprehended him a few moments ago," Nedzu said, eyes gleaming. "Hawks, why don't you follow me to my office. It appears we have a trap to plan."
Aizawa stared at Hawks for a long moment, before nodding. Meeting his gaze for a moment, Hawks wondered again what Aizawa was after by offering to take him in. There had to be something he wanted.
The look in Aizawa's eyes seemed to promise that one way or another, Hawks would be finding out soon enough.
Hi everyone! I am SO sorry this update is coming so late. This year has been crazy for everyone and I've had a lot more on my plate than normal.
I have the next several chapters written, but it's going to take a lot of editing and revising to get them to where I want them. I might have bitten off more than I can chew with the climax, but hopefully it will come together!
Updates will probably be slow, but this will be finished!
Thank you for your patience!