Chapter 9
Hawks
"Hey, Tsukuyomi!"
Tokoyami looks up when his name is called. Descending from the sky is the Hero he is currently interning under.
"Ya looking good! Did ya work out a bit?" Hawks casually asks as his feet slowly touch the ground and his wings fold on his back. He has a bucket of fried chicken legs in one hand. Hawks always has at least two (yes, two) chicken legs with him no matter where he find the Hero or the time.
"Do you have affinity for fast food, Hawks?" he couldn't help but asks. Dark Shadow appears from his being and insistently nods his head, also curious himself.
"Oh, ya mean this?" Hawks shakes the bucket before grabbing a leg with his free hand. "I like fast food but chickens are the best!" he proclaims before taking a huge bite of the leg.
"Chicken?" he parrots.
"Mhm!" Hawks hums before swallowing the food.
Then, Hawks give him a wide eyed dead look, all cheerfulness suddenly disappear from his face.
"Chicken."
He shivers.
Then Hawks laughs out loud.
"I'm just messing with ya!" Hawks says cheerfully with a giant smile, waving the hand that is holding the bitten leg. "I'm only interested in cooked chicken and nothing else. As far as I know ya ain't a chicken! So don't be scared of me, Tsukuyomi!"
"It is not you who I fear of."
"What?" The smile disappears and Hawks' feature is replaced with confusion.
"Hawks."
Hawks screeches, shoulders hike up to his ears and his wings extended and puffed out before they fall to the ground like dead weight. The number two Hero instantly turns around so fast that a few chicken legs fall off from the bucket.
"What were you implying towards my student?" Mr. Aizawa politely asks with his eyes glowing red and hair floating in the air.
"R- 'Raser! It was just a joke! Just a joke, I swear!" Hawks adamantly tells him. "I swear I never actually wanted to eat Tsukuyomi because he's a great kid, such a good kid!"
He coughs awkwardly, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the sudden praise. Dark Shadow snickers at him. Mr. Aizawa's hair settles down around his shoulders and Hawks releases a huge sigh of relief as he folds his wings back once more now that he got his Quirk back.
"Ya need to stop sneaking up to me, 'Raser."
"You need to be more aware of your surroundings," Mr. Aizawa replies.
"I'm always aware of my surroundings!" Hawks says while sounding undignified and his wings puffed. "I even had set up some recon drones around! That's like, my specialty! Ya just so absolutely stealthy like the Underground Hero ya had made yaself to be and ya so silent that it even made Miruko freaked the fu-"
Mr. Aizawa's eyes flash red for a second.
"Uh- Made Miruko freaked out when she came across ya for the first time. And she wouldn't shut up about it too!" Hawks rants suddenly transformed to bemoan.
"That is a burden for you to handle."
"She's your wife!"
"And your point?" Mr. Aizawa rebuts. Hawks seems to be taken aback before deflates.
"Guh… I hate it when I had to put up with ya when you're like this. Miruko's right, you're hard sometimes," Hawks mutter out with a pout. He can't help but stares at the feature. It looks unusual for the ever composed Hawks to let loose of his feature. Does Hawks know Mr. Aizawa more than just an acquaintance?
Revelry in the dark.
"But I guess she must've meant something else by tha-"
"Get going."
"I'm on my way, 'Raser! Let's get going, Tsukuyomi!" Hawks towards him and beckons him with his free hand.
"We shall depart for our nightly patrol with Hawks, Mr. Aizawa," he says to his teacher, bowing. Dark Shadow merely gives him a wave of goodbye.
"Look after him," Mr. Aizawa says.
"I'll take care of him, 'Raser!"
"I'm not talking to you."
"Wow, mean much?"
"Hawks."
"I'm going!"
.
He looks around the roof, wondering about why he is here under the dark night. Then he moves his attention to his teacher who is standing right on the edge of the ledge of the building they are standing on with his hands in his pockets, the one who had brought him here.
Mr. Aizawa had brought him along for tonight's patrol, but he only brought him here and hadn't said a single word since they arrived. Dark Shadow is getting a little antsy at the silence but he doesn't dare to utter a word. He merely waits until further comment. So he decides to stand beside his teacher, following his example.
Maybe there is a reason for this silence in the night.
"Hey, 'Raser!"
He and Mr. Aizawa look up at the familiar voice. Descending from the sky is none other than Hawks, his red wings contrasting the dark night.
"Hawks," Mr. Aizawa greets with a light nod.
"Yo, Tsukuyomi's here too!" Hawks gives him a wide smile as he lands on the ledge right on Mr. Aizawa's other side. "Ya with 'Raser for tonight, huh kid?"
"That is correct," he answers with a nod.
"Ya going in light with him around, 'Raser?" Hawks now asks his teacher.
"Tokoyami had prior experience with night patrol thanks to you," Mr. Aizawa answers.
"Aww, thanks 'Raser!"
"So we will be within the environment that is the least suited with his capability. I want to witness his ability to adapt."
What a mad banquet of darkness. He knew that tonight's patrol is going to be more challenging. Hearing Mr. Aizawa stating it outright makes him gulps. Dark Shadows shivers next to him, sharing similar feeling about what's about to come.
"Ya gonna be in a tough time here, Tsukuyomi." Hawks gives him a sympathetic smile, looking around the black figure between them.
"You're scouting around this part?" Mr. Aizawa suddenly asks. Hawks returns his attention back to his teacher.
"Not for long. I need to leave in about for an hour or so but I got time for an assist. Ya starting now?"
"Not right now," Mr. Aizawa answers. "The required activity needs to happen right below here for Tokoyami to act."
That explains why they had been standing on the rooftop of a building for the past fifteen minutes. He thought they were taking a break.
"Might be for a while for one," he hears Hawks comments as the Flight Hero looks over the edge with a thoughtful frown.
"It'll worth the wait."
"Well, I guess we'll be here for a while," Hawks says as he sits down, dangling his feet over the ledge. "That's a good relief for my feet," Hawks says to himself as he lets out a sigh of relief.
He caught a slight movement coming from Mr. Aizawa. Was his teacher also sighing or was that a mistake of his eyes.
"Welp, don't let this lower your guard, kid," Hawks tells him as he leans back to look at him. "We don't want ya to be distracted, right?" Hawks asks with a cheeky smile.
"That question is unneeded to be asked," he answers, knowing what Hawks had meant and feeling fluttered at the reminder. His mentor cackles.
"You don't believe me but Tsukuyomi is always distracted by apples! Apples, out of all things!" Hawks reveals to Mr. Aizawa. "Isn't that just hilarious?! Like we'd be putting the thugs to jail and as soon as we finished he went straight to the apple on the cop's desk! Dark Shadow is bad but Tsukuyomi is even worse!"
He notices Mr. Aizawa raises an eyebrow at Hawks. Then, he sees his teacher takes his hand out from his pocket, revealing a wrapped package of some sort. He notices Hawks' nose begins to twitch as Mr. Aizawa unravels the item at hand.
"Wait… Is that…?" Hawks trails off when the item is finally revealed to the world and it's…
A fried chicken leg.
Mr. Aizawa swings it back and forth and Hawks' eyes glue to the leg with every movement. Is that drool dripping down from his mouth?
Then, Mr. Aizawa chucks it down the building.
"WAIT! CHICKEN!" Hawks immediately jumps off the ledge and flies straight for the chicken leg.
"And he had the audacity to make fun of you," Mr. Aizawa comments. He politely keeps his snort down but Dark Shadow is already cackling in delight.
Hawks flaps his way back to their level, taking a bite of the leg he is holding in his hand. He avoids making eye contact with Mr. Aizawa as he lands on the ledge and crouches down.
"Shut up, 'Raser," Hawks mumbles with his mouth full.
Mr. Aizawa merely puts his hand back in his pocket.
The wait continues.
.
*DING*
He looks up when he hears the elevator, already knowing that it's Mr. Aizawa arriving after his patrol.
What he doesn't expect is the bloodied Hawks his teacher is carrying in his arms.
"Hawks!" He jumps from the sofa and rushes over to Mr. Aizawa to assist him with Hawks.
"Why are you awake at this hour?" Mr. Aizawa asks him as Dark Shadow appears and carefully gathers the unconscious Hawks into his arms.
"I was intended to search for liquid to drink," he answers. Mr. Aizawa clearly wants to say something but he holds it back.
"Put him on the couch," Mr. Aizawa commands. Without a second to spare, he and Dark Shadow rush to the couch, carefully not to jolt Hawks before slowly putting him down on it. Now that he is unmoved, he can finally take in the state Hawks is in.
His costume is complete torn apart. The slashed shirt he's wearing reveals the gashing wounds, completely drenching his body with blood.
Dark Shadow is quivering, wrapping around him for comfort.
"Help me with him." Mr. Aizawa's voice startles him as his teacher suddenly appears carrying a first aid kit before quickly crouches down next to Hawks. He quickly snaps out from his stupor and assists his teacher.
"What had happened?" he asks his teacher as he lifts Hawks into a seating position.
"I don't know," Mr. Aizawa answers curtly, ripping apart Hawks shirt so he could easily apply the bandages. "I found him like this."
"Will he be alright?" he asks with shaky voice.
"He will," Mr. Aizawa answers firmly. "He won't die, not while I'm around."
He finds himself relaxes just a bit. Mr. Aizawa's confidence in his voice convinced him.
It took them awhile to finally wrap Hawks with bandages to stop the bleeding. He quickly went to wash the blood off from his hands. When he returns back to the common area, Hawks looks much better than before despite the multitude of bandages. Mr. Aizawa is sitting on the low table next to the couch, hands and arms covered with dried blood.
"You can go to your room, Tokoyami," Mr. Aizawa commands, eyes glue to Hawks' unconscious form.
"But-"
"I'll look after him," his teacher cuts him off. "He'll be fine, go now."
He wants to refute. He wants to stay here with Hawks. But he knows a command from his teacher is the absolute and that he could get in trouble if he goes against it.
"Please take care of him, Mr. Aizawa, sir."
"I promise."
He turns around and reluctantly walks to the elevator. Before the elevator doors close, he takes one last look at the two Heroes in the common area.
Mr. Aizawa is sitting on the low table next to Hawks. He has a hand running over Hawks' messy hair.
It's very similar to the ones he had given them the few times they got sick.
.
"Hey, Tsukuyomi!"
He quickly stops in his tracks and turns around to the source of the voice.
"Hawks!" he calls out, rushing over to his mentor who is walking to him. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Hawks answers before he could ask further questions while waving a hand dismissively. "It wasn't as bad as it looks!"
He begs to differ. He saw the strained look on Mr. Aizawa's face that night. He also saw the worried look on Mr. Aizawa's face the morning after when Hawks was gone.
He's not fully convinced but he relaxes anyway.
"Anyway, where's 'Raser?" Hawks asks casually as he scratches the back of his head. Before he could answer, a file suddenly slaps down onto Hawks' head. "OW!"
"You have the insolence to run away from me," Mr. Aizawa growls as Hawks nurses his head. "You decided to work when you were clearly aware of the injuries you had sustained."
"Sorry, 'Raser," Hawks mumbles with a pout, still not turning around to face his teacher.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Mr. Aizawa asks, still fuming. He watches as Hawks clamps up, eyes turning wide. "Look at me," Mr. Aizawa commands, causing Hawks to twitch before slowly turns around to finally face him.
"No…" Hawks nervously answers as his wings wilts.
It reminds him of his classmates when they had caused trouble.
Mr. Aizawa sighs so much that his shoulders. He then realizes just how tense Mr. Aizawa was.
"It would've taken you less than a minute to inform me of your whereabouts," Mr. Aizawa says, much calmer than before as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "You had made m… Rumi worried."
"Sorry…"
"I don't want your apology," Mr. Aizawa almost snaps as he removes his hand from his face, but Hawks winces anyway. "Just… don't do this again, understood?"
"Yes, sir," Hawks nods and finally breaks the eye contact and looks down. Mr. Aizawa sighs again, now in tiredness.
"Get to class, Tokoyami," Mr. Aizawa tells him.
"Yes, sir." He nods and turns around to make his way to class. He might be late but he thinks Mr. Aizawa might speak for him. Before he walks around the corridor, he takes one last peek at the two Heroes.
Mr. Aizawa has laid a comforting hand on Hawks' head.
"I'll find a way to pull you out," he hears Mr. Aizawa says with a quiet voice. "I promise."
He frowns, confused what Mr. Aizawa meant by that.
"Thank you, Aizawa," he barely hears Hawks' voice.
"Just wait for me."