I do not own My Hero Academia, it is owned by Horikoshi.'
Chapter 2 - Internship Eve
Hero Public Safety Commission Headquarters: (T-1 Days till start of internships)
"So you wanted to see me?" Hawks asked.
"Yes, my conversation with Nezu brought to my attention there was a way to implement Rocky's idea," the President answered.
"But you couldn't do it for me...oh because my mentor would have been Lady Nagant," Hawks frowned, "I still don't entirely get why she went off the deep end like that."
"I do," she replied, "When she joined, she was just entering high school with stars in her eyes, she didn't have the foundation you did."
"What foundation? My dad was..."
"You had seen quite a bit of the criminal element as a boy," she stated, "even though you had some idealism, you already knew not everything is going to be a storybook ending. I also gave you a lot more lee-way in avoiding the use of lethal force. Something you've done quite well, though you still wanted out of the covert stuff."
"I do," he stated, "it's not that it can't be fun, but Rocky has managed to point out, that it starts to wear on a person. I've been lucky so far in not having to rack up a body count, but..."
"And that is another difference," she stated, "my predecessor didn't respect the fact Lady Nagant should have been pulled from covert ops some time ago, or the ops should have been adjusted so she felt like she was accomplishing something positive. Say taking down a child trafficking ring, would have given her faces of kids she had directly saved, something to feel proud of. She just received one elimination mission after another, or let's be honest about it, they were assassination missions. Furthermore, my predecessor should have also realized that there is a time when someone should no longer do covert ops, it varies for each person, but if you keep pushing, they will start to snap."
"Okay, so this permit route is accessible to us because I'm available as a mentor," Hawks stated intent on changing the topic, "Only I'm going to be responsible for the two of them, even if they aren't at the agency, until they have their provisional licenses..."
"Yes, they will be able to use their quirks for combat, but it isn't a permit to seek out confrontations, it is one thing if they are operating under orders, or caught in an unforeseen situation, but they can't go engaging in pursuit without orders, barring an active situation where someone else's life is in immediate danger. Oh by the way you do have to pay Apprentices..."
"Works for me, even the part about them getting paid... anything else?"
"Izuku Midoriya is going to be getting a complete physical exam..."
"Isn't that a little mean?"
"He spent most of his life being bullied, there may be signs of physical abuse, signs of malnutrition that will need to be treated, his pain tolerance is a huge red flag, I'm making sure it is the same doctor that has been your doctor and All Might's. I've already scheduled for him to be here."
"Fair enough, what should I have Tokoyami doing then?" Hawks looked incredulous, "He can't just sit here for several hours, given this likely isn't going to be a standard checkup..."
"Have Rocky take Tokoyami to your agency after coming here and getting his permit and you'll all meet up later," she suggested.
Hawks sighed, "Fair enough, this just sounds boring..."
"You never did like waiting around..."
"Okay so what's the other reason..."
"Given your past, you would be able to connect with Midoriya and get him to open up," the President commented, "This hasn't gone to the police yet, but analysis of the Nomu found that it used to be a low level thug, he shared something in common with Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and several of the other thugs in USJ."
"Sounds fair about trying to get him to open up as much as I hate delving into my childhood," Hawks sighed, "As for the second part, I really hope you're not accusing Midoriya of being a spy again..."
"Not at all, the connection is the same middle school," she stated.
"Seems a bit of a stretch but maybe I can look into it," Hawks commented.
"No, I think I'll talk Nezu into it."
"Okay, so what else?"
"Well you and Rocky have an excuse to be stopping by U.A. regularly to check up on them... Have you considered where the two boys are staying?"
"Well I don't want to separate them, you know the place you set up for me, well it is big enough for the two to room there for a few, eventually for more extended work, I'll want them in the same complex as roommates down the hall," Hawks considered, "Midoriya is potentially a target even without his quirk being in the mix, just by being tied to me, and when they are working under me, they can't just travel long distance at the end of every shift, so that means I'll have to take steps to keep him safe. Tokoyami's quirk is incredibly powerful, they could certainly hold on long enough for reinforcements... On a more immediate note, we're gonna be doing a stakeout, so we'll be rooming in the same place..."
"That sounds like a plan."
Hawks took that as a dismissal and started walking towards the door.
"Keigo..."
"Yeah?"
"You seem a lot more at ease than you have lately prior to taking this..."
"Well, teaching two kids to be good heroes, there isn't anything about it that weighs on my conscious," Hawks shrugged, "besides I'm not teaching them to eliminate other people or anything, so I don't have that weighing on my conscious either."
After he left to go about his other errands and patrol, she considered who would replace Hawks when it came to covert work, 'I don't have many options of people I can trust, that's an issue I'm going to have to solve, since Hawks won't be available. Too bad the Hero Killer is a psycho, he likely would have taken to the covert stuff like a duck to water... On a more serious note, I need someone to do this, maybe Edgeshot?'
As Hawks left the building he took to the air, 'There is one more stop I want to make...'
Aizawa's Apartment: (T-1 Day until start of Internships)
Ordinarily, Aizawa would have either been asleep or on patrol, however he was cobbling together what he wanted to teach Shinso, he eventually wanted to teach him how to use the capture scarf, but he had to settle for something simpler to start with. 'Okay collapsible BO-staff might best for now...' There was a knock on his window by the fire escape.
Aizawa opened the window. "Heeyy I was in the neighborhood and wondered if I could stop in..." said Hawks.
"Why are you here?" Aizawa asked as he let Hawks in.
"Midoriya; she who will not be named floated something that I'm concerned might be true," Hawks said, "Do you think he was abused?"
"The signs are there," Aizawa sighed, "He's probably subconsciously suppressed a lot of it. That's likely why he befriended Mineta so quickly, he recognized the signs. I think Bakugo was his childhood bully but he isn't talking..."
"Mother?"
"Smothering but was constantly apologizing to him for the fact he was born quirkless..."
"Swell, so she was emotionally abusive, and didn't realize it," Hawks commented, "Though it is more of needing counselling of how to approach things rather than what my family life was, and no you don't need to know..."
"Fair enough, what did she suggest?"
"It could have been school sanctioned, or unofficially encouraged at the very least," stated Hawks.
"There's stuff you're not telling me..."
"It's going to be covered in our bosses' next meeting why spoil the surprise?" Hawks grimaced under AIzawa's stare, "Tough crowd, anyways quite a few of the villains used to go to the same school as Midoriya and Bakugo did..."
"She wants to turn Nezu loose on it..."
"Yup."
"God help them all," Aizawa shuddered.
"Anyways, got any other information?"
"Midoriya talked about an incident that another kid assaulted him, and Bakugo intervened by lighting the seat of the boy's pants on fire," Aizawa commented, "Midoriya made it sound like it was over money, but I think it was leading into something far worse, and Bakugo put a stop to it. I think Midoriya suspects what that older kid intended, but with his lack of self worth..."
"I got it, a lot of quirkless kids are targeted for just such a reason," Hawks grimaced, "Japan has the highest suicide rate for quirkless kids in the world, it's like what 10% of them make it into adulthood now?"
"8%" Aizawa corrected.
"That's even worse, do you have any objection to me trying to get him to open up to me?"
"Not really," said Aizawa, "Anything else?"
"What are you going to do about Bakugo?"
"At this point it seems to be solving itself, if the HPSC President is correct and a lot of this was due to the toxic environment of the Middle School, then Bakugo is lucky to have come away as well as he did. The hostility between them has died down a lot since USJ, ironically that was the one good thing that happened in all of that mess... It wasn't worth the price of Aoyama's life though. Currently, Bakugo seems more intent on his spat with Ida, though he backed off a bit after Ingenium ended up in the hospital..."
"Spat over what?"
"Iida got beat in a one vs one against our recovering resident class pervert that I paired up with Midoriya... Additionally, with Midoriya being class rep, he's been more assertive."
"Let me guess, Mineta?"
"Yes, while it looked like a fluke, it was pretty decisive," Aizawa commented, "Anything else?"
"Yeah, I'm going to be taking on Midoriya and Tokoyami as apprentices..."
"I thought that was no longer legal..."
"It actually is, you can thank your boss for that, but it hasn't been put in practice anymore due to pro-heroes not wanting the added responsibility, got any objections?"
"So what's the benefit?"
"Learner's permit," commented Hawks, "not quite as good as a provisional license but it's close enough in an emergency situation. Also since they'll be on a stakeout with me, it will come in handy."
"I don't have any objection...wait what?"
Hawks started out the window as Aizawa was processing his comment, "Oh by the way, good luck with your mini-me."
He took off before Aizawa could respond, 'Well I suppose I'll have to trust Hawks will be responsible about this...'
Midoriya's Apartment: (T-1 Day till start of internships)
"So Minoru, you looking forward to tomorrow?" Izuku asked having just finished packing.
"Mixed feelings, Ryukyu has sent me a message about having seen a sample of my work, as well as my original costume design and photos of what the support course put together," Minoru chuckled, "Her text was and I quote: 'You're right the support course modifications SUCKED!' end quotes. She also warned me she knows about my other issues and will take steps to curb it..." He gulped.
"Look you can joke around, just don't go overboard," Izuku commented, "I'm honestly kinda worried about interning under Hawks, he's the Number 3 Hero for a reason."
"Least you aren't dealing with the father/son internship from hell," Mineta snarked, "Is Todoroki a masochist or something?"
"I didn't get offered an internship with Endeavor," replied Izuku, "anyways, you hear anyone else's internships?"
"Your girlfriend is going to Gunhead," Mineta teased, then thought for a moment, "Asui is going to Selkie, which makes sense. Kirishima and Testsutetsu are going to Fourth Kind, Momo is going to Uwabami, and you know where Tokoyami is going..."
"Momo is making a mistake," Izuku sighed.
"You warned her, hell I warned her," Minoru shook his head, "she's gonna have to realize for herself. It's just she didn't want to go with Majestic who fancies himself as a ladies man, but fact is he's a really good hero."
"I'm worried about Ida, do you know where he's going?"
"Oh that's right he's going to intern under Manual...in Hosu... Oh crap!"
"I'll let Rocky know..."
"He probably already knows, want me to ask Momo for a tracking device?"
"I better ask her, she'd think it was something pervy if you asked..."
"Good point."
"She probably won't do it..."
"Nope."
"Great, now I'll be worrying all week..." Midoriya texted Hawks and got a reply back within 60 seconds.
"What's up?"
"He said not to worry, he'll explain later..."
"Guess he's had to deal a bad case of worry-nuts," joked Minoru referring to Rocky.
"That's mean."
"Dude, even his last name Kurinsumi means 'Squirrel," he started cracking up.
Izuku had to admit Minoru's joke was a little funny, 'Well I have to trust Hawks on this one.'
Ida Residence: (Midnight T-0 days till start of internship)
Tenya Ida looked over the news reports again, 'If he sticks to his pattern, he's going to strike at least 2 more times in Hosu.' He looked at a picture of his brother in his Ingenium costume, 'Soon hero killer I will put an end to you.'
Notes:
How's this for a lead in.
