Here it is! I had more fun writing this fic more than any other story. So much shit happens, there are like, arcs and everything! 201,000 words. My longest, 45 chapters. So, a lot of time for people to get into it! Even though one of the main characters was only just introduced in the anime, there are no spoilers regarding him. I love Hawks as much as I adore Mirio.
Anyways, there is a lot of angst in this. I've never put a character through so much than I did to Luffy in this one. And my regular readers know I put my versions of the characters through a lot of shit. More things will be mentioned in future A/Ns. If somethings seem off, they may be explained later. As in how old Hawks is and how he acts, or some of the timeline changes, etc.
And though there is a lot of angst, I also added a lot of humor between the main characters. Rated M for a lot of violence, swearing, angst, and suicidal thoughts. And it's not all just one cry your eyes out fest. Promise there's funny and happy things, too! So lots of feelings overall! Enjoy~!
Edit: My dumbass just posted this story on a day I already posted another, so the next chapter might not be exactly a week from now. Sorry!
Edit 2: Dear Wickerstein, please don't review on this story. Thank you.
An eight year old walked through the slums he had the misfortune to live in. Not live, survive. The unfortunate situation he was put in three years ago. As a five year old, he was tossed from a moving car, and wasn't even near anywhere with a hospital. He still had scars from the road rash from that day. He didn't even remember the reason he was put through that. Didn't know why his supposed family had dumped him so badly.
It probably had to do with his overpowered quirk, but he'd never know. Nobody knew, he hid it from everyone, knowing he'd be in danger more than he already was if anyone found out what he could do, what he never did.
Luffy wouldn't risk his life or freedom by showing off his quirk. The quirk that he felt had been a curse from the very start. Since he was four, he'd been able to copy quirks to their fullest extent. If he saw someone with their quirk as a beginner, he instantly was able to use that to its fullest extent.
It wasn't like the more common copy quirks. He stored them away, always able to use them. He had 33 at the moment. And he only used one, the power to create small food from nothing. He needed food the most and that's why he used that quirk, even though people harassed him for it. Hungry street rats demanded he give them food.
After the first couple of times of doing that, he learned quickly that there was no point. They were just using him, not his friends like he'd hoped for. He was lonely, but never knew what it felt like to have friends or family. He had been alone for as long as he could remember.
He had just gotten in a fight with a villain who could project nails from his hands. So he was walking down the street with sixy nails in various parts of his body, bleeding heavily. He'd managed to escape from the villain, but was clearly in bad shape.
Luffy was an angry child. He didn't remember ever smiling, didn't know how to. Didn't know how to move his mouth in that way. He didn't know what happiness felt like. He only knew anger and fear. Anger most of the time. He was unapproachable to everyone, even the nice people, who rarely visited this place.
Heroes abandoned them. Luffy hated heroes, and he hated villains. He hated. He loved nothing, was fond of nothing and nobody. He hated the world, the life he was thrust into. He hated everyone and everything, even himself. Luffy hated himself for whatever he'd done to deserve being forced into this life.
Whatever he'd done must have been bad. He didn't remember, and didn't know if he wanted to. Did he want to know what the reason was for his abandonment? He walked through the street, heading to the dirty port for some fresh air. He attracted a lot of attention, but nobody offered to help even as he was pierced by nails everywhere but his face and neck.
None of them were especially deep, and the nails didn't have any rust or bacteria, but he was still bleeding from a lot of places. And no one cared because he was so unapproachable, or maybe he just wasn't worth anything in the eyes of anyone. His family or strangers. He was completely alone in the world, but was used to that by now.
He couldn't sit as nails were in his back, bottom and back of his thighs. He needed to sit, and started to yank the nails from his skin until somebody was suddenly behind him, stopping him. It was someone in his twenties with red wings and a relaxed face. "Don't do that or you'll bleed out." Luffy glared at him and told the hero to fuck off. "Afraid I can't do that. I've been assigned to this area and have already collected a bunch of kids. You're next. Don't worry, no one will hurt you." Luffy stormed away, still yanking nails out.
The winged hero stopped him again, and this time chopped the back of his neck so he passed out. He was brought to an ambulance and put in, the paramedics taking the nails out of his back slowly and carefully so they could lay him down, putting sealant on the open wounds to stop their bleeding temporarily.
When Luffy next woke up, he was in a hospital bed covered in wrappings and bandages. He glared at the bright walls and ceilings, sitting up. The winged hero was there for some reason and told him not to get up yet. Luffy glared at him, but said nothing. "What's your name, kid?" He didn't respond. "You sure seem angry. Something you share with all of the other kids who were on the street, though none of them were as injured as you were."
Luffy still said nothing. "C'mon, throw me a bone," he said calmly. "My name is Hawks." Luffy said nothing before thinking he'd stop asking questions if Luffy gave him his name.
"Luffy." His last name was asked. "I don't know." Hawks nodded, saying that was also common. So, now they come? After all that time, all that misery kids were forced to endure, now the heroes came out, preaching saving the kids who hated them. There wasn't a single kid on the street that liked heroes. They abandoned them. Of course they didn't like them.
Hawks said, "I formally apologize for the heroes not patrolling your area and leaving you kids to starvation and illness." Luffy was unimpressed. "We'll be trying to find you all a place to stay." Luffy just glared at him. "You hate us, huh?"
He was annoying, he didn't sound serious at all. He didn't look serious at all. Was he playing a joke on Luffy? And where would he go? Everyone hated him, everyone didn't want someone who could steal quirks. Well, he didn't steal, he just stored them. That was what he called it. "I hate everyone," Luffy said angrily. "Heroes, villains, normal people. They're all terrible." He sat up and smacked the hand away when Hawks tried to get him to lay back down.
"We heard from the other kids that you can make food. Is that your quirk?" Maybe if he told him his quirk, Hawks would leave him alone. He shook his head. Hawks asked what it was. Luffy thought for a moment, and thought the best way to prove it was to show himself using his quirk. Two red wings ripped apart his shirt.
"Everyone is my quirk," he said darkly and then the wings disappeared, sinking back into his skin like they were never there. Hawks, for once, didn't look laid back anymore, and instead looked shocked. He stood up and looked around out of the curtain to make sure no one had seen, and closed them, making Luffy out of sight.
Hawks asked how it worked, sounding concerned. He knew, like Luffy knew, that if word of his quirk got out, everyone would either want to take advantage of him or want him dead. "I see a quirk in use, I can use it to the full extent whenever I want. I have 34 including yours," he said. The bandages were annoying him. He wished he had a regeneration quirk to use.
The hero sat back down, frowning. "I already know what would happen to me if others found out, you don't need to say it." Hawks looked at him in conflict, probably not knowing what to say. Luffy knew he'd be targeted if he were found out. He could never live with a normal family, even if he wanted.
"How did you end up in the streets?" he asked. Luffy scoffed and looked away. But he answered. The guy already knew too much. More information wouldn't change the fact that Luffy would either be killed or locked up so nobody could gain his powers. Not that he would ever use them for someone else. He never used them himself, anyways. It was never safe.
"My family threw me out of a moving car and never came back. I'm sure you saw the scars since you're so nosy," Luffy said, crossing his legs on the bed despite the pain it caused, he was fine, he'd been through worse. And none of the nails had gone in deep, he'd be fine even if he did strenuous activities.
Hawks looked sad, and said he was sorry. "I didn't have the best home life either, but I can't pretend that our situations are similar in any way." Then he asked if Luffy had any quirks from heroes. He nodded, besides Hawks, he had the most coveted power. One he never wanted and nobody knew he had. Would Hawks tell anybody? He asked who.
Luffy said that even though he lived in the slums, there were TVs that projected hero fights. "Endeavor, Mt. Lady, Ryukyu and All Might. I never use those since the heroes probably wouldn't be happy. But now you know, so you'll blab to everyone else and I'll be locked away or offed," he said in a flat voice. Hawks said that they would never kill him or lock him up.
He did say, "But if your power fell into the wrong hands, things could get very bad. You hate everything right? Would you ever-?" Luffy interrupted and said he wouldn't become a villain. He hated them just as much as he hated heroes and regular people. There was nobody he didn't hate, and he didn't want to have everyone know or he'd be followed or trapped anywhere.
"What if I didn't tell anybody?" Hawks asked. Luffy scoffed, and said he was a liar. "I may be good at deception, but I'm not lying to you. I was used as a kid for my quirk, as well. I know what it's like to be used by somebody for their own gain." The kid looked at him critically, but saw no evidence as a lie. "Would you come with me and be under my wing? I can help you not hate everybody. It'll be a better life than the one you've been trapped in for how long?" he asked. It was a terrible and seemingly unintentional pun. Luffy told him he was dumped when he was five, so three years ago. He frowned deeper. "What do you say? Will you come with me?"
Luffy asked if he could go anywhere else or if that was the only option. "I'm not extremely loyal to the superhero society, I won't tell them a word except the power you want to use in public or if ever approached. But I won't force you. I just might be the only person that makes sure the government doesn't know about your power while you're still young.
"You are not the age of someone who should use your powers for anyone else." Luffy glared at him, asking him if he was planning on training him to be a hero. "No. I'll be helping you leave behind your terrible past. If you end up becoming a hero, then that's great. If not, that's fine, as long as you don't become a villain."
Luffy told him he'd been chased by villains for a while and would never join them. Hawks said they would go to his agency after Luffy was let out of the hospital. His wounds would take awhile to all heal.
Luffy was still dirty and smelly, but Hawks said nothing about it and neither did anyone in the hospital. They must have seen the state he was in by then, as he had been changed into a hospital gown. They must have been the scars littering his body and how prominent his ribs were. He could make food, but it made him weak after using that quirk. So he was vulnerable and only ate when he was someplace safe. At least, safer than other places.
He was let out a day later, given antibiotics and cream to put on the nail wounds. Hawks told him the man who had done that to him had been apprehended. It was a mass exodus out of that neighborhood of both villains and street rats.
They drove away from the hospital, and he was brought to Hawks' agency, where he did hero work. Luffy wasn't looking forward to it. But where else would he have gone that was safe? But now a pro-hero knew his quirk. It was risky, and he hoped he hadn't just screwed himself over. He was hungry, even though he'd been fed. It would take awhile for him to be a truly healthy weight where he could eat all he wanted.
Luffy didn't know what to expect would happen. He was still angry and hateful, with a bad attitude. Hawks tried talking to him a few times, but Luffy just looked out the car window. The young pro-hero didn't grow irritated with his lack of responses and instead stopped asking. The kid wondered how long it would take for him to be kicked out.
He was only eight, but had the glare of a person who had been through hell and didn't trust anyone or anything. When they got to the building far from where Luffy had to stay on his own for 3 years, Luffy saw just how tall it was. Since that life was all he could remember, he didn't know what a life somewhere else would be like.
They pulled into a parking lot where there were multiple cars parked. Other peoples' cars. Probably workers. When they were parked in a garage and the doors unlocked, Luffy opened his and looked up at the tall building. He wondered if it was all Hawks' agency or if he shared with other businesses, but he didn't ask.
"C'mon, I'll bring you to your room," Hawks said. Luffy followed him in, glad he didn't ask anymore questions. He had caught on quickly that Luffy wouldn't be the most cooperative guest. He felt out of place being so grimey here when the inside of the building was nice and clean.
People busied themselves everywhere, paying little attention to Luffy. Hawks led him to an elevator, and it went up to the top floor. This area was much different than the ground floor he'd seen first. There were doors, wooden ones that weren't glass and fancy. Inside the larger door, he saw there was a kitchen and what looked like a living room.
"This is the area I live in. A lot more cozy than the rest of the building," Hawks said and walked to the nearest room, opening the door to show a bed and standard furniture. "This is a guest bedroom that can be yours as long as you stay. There's two bathrooms, and one is across this hall. It's big, so you can either take a shower or a bath. You're welcome to the food as long as you don't start a fire or make a mess," he explained, voice easygoing.
Luffy was glad, but also suspicious. "I'll have some workers go get some new clothes for you. Anything in particular?" Luffy said he liked shorts and tank tops. He didn't care about his scars showing. They would always be there, why hide it the rest of his life? He wasn't proud of that life, but he had lived it and there was no erasing the residue that hell left on him.
"Are you mad I can use your quirk?" Luffy asked, nothing to do with what Hawks had just told him about living there. He shook his head, saying he knew he wouldn't use it all the time and so he had nothing to worry about.
"Besides, I doubt you'll want to replace me as a hero," he said simply. Luffy sighed, not liking his quirk. "Do you not like that quirk? Not having your own personal power, only other peoples'?" Luffy furrowed his brows, not liking that he completely correctly guessed about how Luffy felt.
Hawks noticed his expression, and said he was always good at reading people. Luffy said he wished he didn't have this quirk, and then went to take a shower, not wanting to dirty a bathtub with the grime covering him. His hair was oily and tangled. He was the picture of terrible hygiene, even if he hadn't had any choice.
His hair took the longest to clean, washing it three times. The sealants over the nail wounds didn't wash away with the water. Luffy hadn't known there was anything like that before. It was interesting at least. When he was clean, he was in a towel and opened the door a crack to see there were some changes of clothes. Had he been in the shower long enough for someone to go shopping?
After changing his clothes, he found an unopened box with a toothbrush under the sink. He assumed Hawks wouldn't want his breath to smell bad, so he opened it and brushed his teeth, some things coming to him quickly about a normal life.
His teeth were not in the best shape, but it would be fine. None of them hurt, and he had no cavities since he never ate anything sweet. He exited the room looking like a completely different person, even if he still had that dark expression on. He walked to his new bedroom for forever long he was here.
He sat on the bed, and laid down on top of the blankets. He looked at his hands, scarred and with callouses from various things. He closed his hands into fists, and then relaxed before falling asleep.
The kid was awoken with a knock on the door. "You hungry?" Hawks asked from the other side. Luffy sighed and rubbed his eyes, and opened the door. He was holding up take out. Luffy hadn't had any comfort food in years. He didn't remember the kinds of food he liked that weren't the few variations he knew how to make.
There was no kitchen table, Luffy noticed. "I don't eat at a table. Either the couch or the floor." Luffy liked this, it would be awkward to eat at the table. "It's Chinese food. I got a shit ton of different things for you to try. But you're only allowed to eat a little. Don't want you getting sick from eating too much."
Luffy was surprised with how casual he spoke. Well, he wasn't old. In his early twenties probably. He didn't know much about heroes other than All Might and Endeavor, and even those he didn't know much about.
"Okay," he said and got a little bit of everything that had been put on the bar counter. The kitchen was nice. It actually felt like a house instead of a business building. He didn't ask anything and ate silently. If the pro-hero saw Luffy's tears as he ate real food, he said nothing about it.
"You look a lot better clean," Hawks said from the couch, Luffy eating on the carpet, leaning against the back of the couch. "A lot more healthy."
Luffy knew he probably had some sort of health conditions after how he lived for three years. He said nothing for a moment before he decided to reply with something else. "Why do you live here? You don't have a house or something?"
Hawks said that this was his "or something". "It's a lot easier to use the elevator or some stairs instead of driving or flying from somewhere else. I want to make a world where heroes have time to kill." Luffy asked if he was lazy. "In some eyes. I'd rather not be chained to work day in and day out, though I do my job as a hero."
Luffy said, "You're a weird hero."
The man said, "I like to call it unique. Want some ice cream?" he asked when Luffy brought the plate back to the kitchen. "Just a little bit." Luffy furrowed his brows but nodded. "It's in the freezer, choose whichever you want. Only a spoonful."
He got out green and black ice cream. After all, he couldn't read or write. He was five when he was abandoned, hadn't even started school. He looked at the label of the ice cream, wishing he could read it. It looked like messy scribbling, not some sort of writing.
"I'll get you a tutor in a couple days. Learn to read and write and do some math. You're behind, but not by too much," Hawks said casually. Luffy scowled, hating that he was uneducated. At least he wasn't too old to catch up to normal kids. But he was glad he would get to learn. He didn't say a thank you, but he nodded, savoring the ice cream on the spoon in his mouth.
He put the tub back in the freezer. And walked back to his room without a word. He had no belongings and his clothes were dumped in the trash once he realized they were so tattered and damaged that they'd never be usable again.
Laying in bed, he looked out of the window wall, seeing the bustling city with cars though no sound from outside reached him. He found there was a button on the wall that put shutters over the windows, so he did that. He fell asleep under the covers this time.
He woke up and changed before slowly leaving his room, peeking out of the door and seeing nobody was there before he saw a note on the door. Since he couldn't read, it was a poorly drawn stick figure with wings shown going down a flight of stairs with a picture of a pencil and paper. He went to work. Well, that was one way to show it.
He wasn't really sure what to do. But eventually, he felt himself growing irate with something simple. There were dishes in the dishwasher and the kitchen trash was pretty full. He hated dirty things, now it seems, probably because he lived in filth and grime for years.
The refugee cleaned the dishes and found plastic garbage bags under the sink and took out the nearly full one, shrinking it into the size of a cell phone. He put a new bag inside and tossed the shrunk one inside. But there was nothing else to clean. For a long time, he sat in front of the window wall, watching the busy city.
He was so used to the slums and crappy buildings that this was a culture shock. He scowled, wondering when he'd start being used for hero work. Probably pretty soon, or after Hawks got any sort of trust from him. Luffy still felt that he'd be tossed out really soon. Forgotten. He looked at the nail injuries on his arms and remembered he had antibiotics and cream to put on them.
They were inside of a paper bag from the hospital and he took the single pill to help heal the wounds, and cream that would keep the holes from opening again. He took off his clothes in the bathroom and applied the cream to each and every wound. Well, now he could shoot nails from his hands. Not that it would probably even be useful.
Most of the quirks he'd acquired weren't powerful, as they were from small time villains or just anyone he'd seen using quirks. He had some to entertain himself and not make a mess, but they got boring quickly. He created metal wire from his fingers, releasing it to leave a lot of wire. He started shaping it into random things. He had fingers that could turn into pliers, which he'd seen at a hardware store, and created random art pieces. Then he burnt them into nothing.
After awhile, he took a nap on the couch. He woke to a knock on the door that led to the hallway that only had the elevator. He thought the top floor was only opened by keys. He'd seen Hawks use it to get to the top floor of the building.
He walked to the front door and stood on his tiptoes to see nobody was there. But he opened it slowly, peeking through the crack and seeing there was no one there. But there was a single paper cup, looking like it came from a cafe, and picked it up. He did recognize his own name, which was on the drink.
After closing and locking the front door, he sniffed the steaming opening on the lid. It smelled like hot chocolate, and he took a sip. It was rich and sweet. The most delicious thing he'd eaten in years. He stood in the hall, drinking the hot chocolate with teary eyes. But he wouldn't get used to this, he'd be tossed out soon enough.
He threw the cup away after he'd drunk everything. He returned to the window wall, curled up in a ball next to it, looking out at the city. He looked down at his hands, using the chameleon quirk and making his hands blend into the carpet beneath him. He was finally able to use more quirks. Stolen quirks. The boy sighed, wishing he had his own quirk and didn't just copy and store others' powers.
The quirk he had was not original and didn't need any hard work. He gained the quirks at their highest levels. Levels that should have taken him years to master. It felt like he was cheating. Anyone else would want this quirk, but he wanted something useful that was unique.
It was close to sunset when Hawks unlocked the front door and walked in, in his hero costume. "Yo," he said and set a box on the floor in front of the large TV that Luffy hadn't touched. "Sorry you had nothing to do today. I stopped a robbery at a game store, so I bought this for you. Since you don't have anywhere to go besides here, I got something to distract you."
He opened the box to show a game station. "What is it?" Luffy asked slowly, approaching cautiously.
"A Playstation. You ever heard of video games? I don't play much, but it will no doubt be a distraction so you won't be bored out of your mind," he said easily. He set it up to the TV, and brought out four games. He read them off and all of them were different genres. He was taking into account the fact that Luffy couldn't read. "You can play it tomorrow while I'm at work."
Luffy handled the controller, glad there were no letters on the buttons. Luffy struggled to make a thank you that sounded sincere. He was suspicious. Finally, he asked why money was being spent on him when he'd be kicked out soon.
"I never said I'd kick you out," Hawks replied easily.
Luffy asked why he was doing this, voice back to being angry and guarded. Hawks replied honestly, "Sympathy, maybe a little bit of pity. And I think you could have a bright future regardless of your past. Just leave all that shit behind."
The word "pity" did not set Luffy off because he appreciated that the pro-hero was being honest with him. He told Luffy he had already contacted a tutor that would come the next day after breakfast. "How are your wounds?" Luffy said he'd taken the pill and did the ointment like he was supposed to.
"You're bad at drawing," Luffy said blunty, holding up the note that had been on his door. Hawks nodded, saying he wasn't very artistic, but that it seemed to have gotten the point across well. Luffy said that was true, it was easy to understand. He looked to the kitchen and noticed the dishes in the sink were no longer there and the trash wasn't at the capacity. "Apparently, I don't like messes…" the kid said cautiously. Hawks asked how he got the garbage out since he hadn't left the apartment.
Luffy said he shrunk the trash bag, and he looked into the garbage to see a tiny version of the garbage bag. "Well, if you want, you could repay my kindness with cleaning. If you want to." Luffy agreed, he didn't like messes and didn't know what to do to make it even. Nothing would make it even, being taken in and fed and given clothes. And the ability to bathe was also a huge plus.
Luffy had had leftovers for lunch and breakfast. Hawks pulled some cereal off of the refrigerator and showed it to Luffy, telling him he could have that for breakfast. "Also, there's milk in the fridge since cereal pretty much always goes with milk," he said. "Sorry I didn't tell you that last night."
He made food for dinner that night, pasta. Luffy didn't remember ever having this, but ate the serving amount he was given without a word. It didn't seem uncomfortable for Hawks, but Luffy felt that way. He put the stuff in the dishwasher after Hawks easily showed him how to work it. He then headed to his new room to sleep. It was wonderful to sleep on a bed after years of behind dumpsters or on top of soggy cardboard boxes.
Hawks woke him up early the next morning. He knocked on the bedroom door and Luffy got up to open it, hair a mess and looking completely disheveled. "Wanna go for a walk before the tutor gets here?" he suggested. Luffy asked if that was okay, and Hawks shrugged and said it was fine for him. "You don't have to, I just figured you might want some fresh air. Though being inside might be more comfortable for you, after all."
Luffy said he'd go and quickly got dressed in the second pair of shorts and a tank top. It was awesome having real clothes. While he didn't fully trust Hawks, he appreciated him giving him a place to stay for now. He put on the boots he was bought, which fit perfectly. He'd been stuck with ratty tennis shoes for way too long, so sturdy boots were great.
"Ignore the stares. If there are photos taken, it won't matter to you, you're not part of the general public at the moment," he said easily as they rode the elevator down the building and to the first floor. It was busy inside, but Luffy apparently wasn't a secret to the workers as no one gave him a second glance. If he was a surprise, there would at least be some people looking curious or surprised themselves.
They walked out of the busy building and outside. People saw Hawks and said hello or asked for photos. How exhausting it would be to be treated like this in public everywhere. Luffy walked behind him, shoulders hunched and glaring. "You won't look good for the photos," Hawks said, slowing so they were walking side by side.
"So?"
"Thought so," he said in amusement. "Guess it doesn't really matter for you, huh?" the pro-hero asked. "Don't worry, no need to force yourself. You shouldn't smile if it is forced." Luffy thought he was a weird hero. Weren't they all supposed to be into their jobs? Serious all the time? Hawks just acted bored or easy going no matter the situation.
Luffy asked why he was like that. He wasn't like other heroes you saw on the news and doing their job loudly. "I want to make a future where heroes have some time to relax and don't have to be on the job 24/7." Luffy said nothing, and their walk was silent. It was nice, that this place didn't reek of sewage and rotting food. It really was so crazy thinking about how only a few days ago he'd been in that life he was tossed into, literally. He was shocked out of his musings when Hawks said something he didn't expect.
"I want to teach you to fly. But it would be obvious something was up if you had my wings, too," he said, for once sounding slightly irritated. Luffy suspiciously asked why. Hawks turned around and started walking backwards, hands in his pockets. "Because flying is the most amazing and stress-freeing experience I know."
Luffy wasn't sure how to react. "Plus," he added. "It would also be nice to have someone else I could fly with or talk about. I feel like you'd enjoy flying." The child asked why. "Because you don't have to think about anything other than flying. I can tell you're constantly stressed no matter if you're someplace safe."
Luffy said that there would be no point in learning to fly if he could only do it once, when Hawks wanted to. "Have you ever been able to merge two quirks together? Use them at the same time?" Luffy looked confused, but nodded. "How?"
"I was making wire with one hand and then turned my finger and thumb into a plier at the same time. It's not really a hard thing to do with those kinds of quirks." Hawks hummed. He asked if Luffy had any mutant quirks besides his own. He really wasn't bothered that he wasn't the only person who had his signature quirk. It confused Luffy, he still didn't know what to make of Hawks.
The pro-hero said, "Then let's try and get you some more quirks. And you can practice using them at the same time." Luffy looked closed off suddenly. "I'm meaning to do something you want to do. It's not like having you learn how to fly without giving everything away is some government goal." Luffy could see that reasoning. What would the point be of having him gather more quirks just so he could use one in disguise?
Luffy asked where he'd get new quirks from. Hawks said, "Where else? The internet. You don't need to see them in person, right?" The child nodded. "Then that's easy." They were walking back, apparently only walked the block before returning to the agency where Hawks lived, with Luffy staying as a guest for now.
When they got back to the entrance, Hawks looked at his watch. "The tutor will be here soon, so go eat some breakfast. We'll try some stuff with the quirks later." He brought Luffy back inside before leaving, giving him a thumbs up. He really didn't act like a hero. Luffy was kind of glad about that. He hated heroes, how they acted. How determined they were to help everyone only to leave large sections of the country on their own, falling into the hands of villains or gangs.