SUMMARY: Years has passed. Hawks is finally leaving Fukuoka to Musutafu where hell meet a certain temperamental explosive boy. This story will show glimpses of how the HPSC agents around him work and some tidbits of his past (which will be based on my headcanon until we all know Hawks'actuall backstory from the canon story).

AWAY FROM HOME

As he was warned years ago, the training wasn't a walk in the park. It was very intense and sometimes brutal. He was pushed over his limit countless times; physically, mentally and emotionally. They broke him and fix him again and again. He was encouraged to go beyond so he could improve himself and be the kind of hero the agency wants. He may have seemed timid when he first joined the program but Hawks was a relentless individual. He never gave up easily as long as he had his goal in mind. He wanted to be like Endeavor; strong, fierce and someone that people could rely on. He wants to be at the top, to stand next to the hero he looked up to. He wants to shine as bright as Endeavor.

Hawks whizzed past the obstacles and avoided the laser beams. The cold winter air bit his skin and he shuddered. He sent some of his feathers to destroy the targets scattered all around the obstacle course. He grinned as the wind whistled in his ears. His flight speed had increased over the years and he knew he could go faster. He can feel the excitement thrumming in his veins. He just needed to keep improving his stamina, that's what Kitamura and Yokumiru had told him.

There was the sound of a buzzer and Hawks grinned as he knew what's coming. A panel slid open and three drones flew out at high speed. He narrowed his sight on them and flew at them at breakneck speed, squinting slightly as the wind stung his eyes. He had to dodge tree branches as the targets flew towards the snow-covered pine trees. He used his feathers as blades to slice at them, destroying them in a matter of seconds. A buzzer rang and the speaker let out a static sound, "Alright, that's the last target. Well done, Hawks-kun."

The boy flew down to the ground. He landed on his feet and started jogging toward the door. He wrapped his arms around himself to warm himself as he shuddered in cold again. The entrance hissed open and a tired-looking man with messy hair stood on the other side of the door, "Take a break kid."

"What's my speed this time, Yokumiru-san?" asked Hawks excitedly.

The man scratched at his chin lazily, "6 minutes and 34 seconds. You're nearly 2 minutes faster than your last one."

"Sweet! I'm gonna go for five minutes next time!"

Yokumiru smiled and ruffled the boy's feathery blond hair, "Keep up the spirit kid."

"Is Kitamura-san back yet?"

The man shrugged, "I dunno. I didn't hear from him. C'mon, let's go have lunch."

The teenager nodded as he followed the man into the building. He greeted familiar faces in the hallway with a smile and a wave of his hand as they walked. The man beside him simply nodded or muttered a greeting tiredly to his colleagues. When they reached the facility's cafeteria, it wasn't so packed so they ordered some food and took a seat at one of the empty tables. Hawks grinned happily at his tray of rice balls, fried chicken and orange juice, "They got fried chicken today!"

Yokumiru sat across him, his tray filled with rice, stir-fried vegetables, grilled fish and a can of iced dark coffee. He chuckled at the boy's excitement, "You sure love chicken."

"Chicken meat is the best!" said the boy between bites.

"Chew and swallow your food properly."

They looked up when someone joined their table. Hawks quickly swallowed his food and greeted the man, "Ishikawa-san! How was your day?"

The man groaned as he sunk in his seat. Yokumiru chuckled, "I guess it's not good?"

"Try working with a bunch of incompetent idiots," hissed Ishikawa.

"That bad, huh?" said Yokumiru with a grimace.

"Who pissed you off this time?" asked Hawks.

Ishikawa pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm not gonna name them because I know you're going to prank them if I tell you. I'd rather not be responsible for your misdemeanour, Hawks. I already have too much in my hands."

The boy put a hand on his chest, "I'll be discreet! No one would know!"

"I would know. I'm flattered you would want to take 'revenge' on my behalf but really, it's something I can handle. I'll make them pay for messing up the files!"

Yokumiru smirked, amused, "Well, I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of your wrath."

"Oh, have you seen Kitamura-san?" asked Hawks. He was on his second rice ball already.

"I saw him a while ago. He said he got called to meet Fujiwara-san."

"Fujiwara? Huh, I wonder what for?" Yokumiru wondered. Whenever anyone got called to their boss' office, that always meant someone's getting a classified assignment, assigned to work on the Provisional License Exam or transferred to a different branch.

"Maybe it's about this year's Provisional License Exams. I heard they're going to reshuffle the team managing the exam," said Ishikawa as he unwrapped his sandwich.

The other man sighed, "I hope I don't get enlisted. With the current number of staff, there'll be a ton of work to be done. Not to mention the paperwork to go through."

Ishikawa nodded in agreement, "I hope all the paperwork don't go to my department. We're still way behind on filing the recent disaster reports. With the surge of villain activity and crimes, there are just too many things we need to investigate and write a report on them."

Yokumiru sighed again, "We're really short-staffed. I hope we'll get more people in the agency but the higher-ups are so strict about hiring new agents. We get thousands of applications but only about two per cent gets selected after thorough background checks, tests and interviews."

"Well, we can't really blame them. They have to make sure we don't have a spy amongst us who could leak information to villains."

Hawks hummed, "So that's why the agency's understaffed, huh? They're really serious about hiring new agents."

"Same goes to heroes," said Ishikawa as he opened his can of green tea. He took a sip before he continued, "Most of the ones we got training in our program couldn't go through until they graduate. They broke down because of the stress and the demands the higher-ups placed on them. So, we have to take some losses from the program."

"Well, I'm not gonna be one of them! I'm gonna be a hero born from this agency!"

The adults looked at each other nervously and then smiled at the teenager. Ishikawa patted his shoulder, "I wish you the best of luck, kid."

"Though it does get lonely," Hawks said quietly.

Yokumiru raised a brow, "Yeah?"

"It'll be more fun if I have someone to train with me! Like, someone to keep me motivated! A rival!" said the boy as he moved animatedly.

"I'm not sure if we'll take in another recruit though. With the agency's current budget, I predict that they'll stop recruiting for the hero program soon. If they do plan to take in someone, it's likely going to be one or two people."

Hawks pouted, "Aww, you think so?"

"There's nothing we can do, kid. It all depends on the higher-ups' decision."

There was a chime and Ishikawa took out his cell phone. He read the text and his brows rose to his hairline. Yokumiru and Hawks noticed his surprised expression. The teenager was quick to question between the two, "What is it, Ishikawa-san?"

The man rubbed at his chin in thought, "Sorry, I need to get this clarified before I talk to you. I'll be on my way. I'll see you two around."

They watched the silver-haired man stood up and left briskly with his can of tea. Hawks turned to Yokumiru who shrugged. He saw the mischievous look in the boy's eyes and raised a finger to warn him, "No. Don't-"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mera-san!" said Hawks, feigning innocence.

The man sighed. If Hawks is calling him by his name, it always means he's up to something, "Okay, you did nothing. Don't get me involved."

The boy smirked, amused, "Involved in what?"

"Nothing. I don't wanna get in trouble just because you're curious!"

"Okay. You know nothing," said Hawks as he winked, "I'll be in my room, doing my assignment," said the teenager as he picked up his tray. There was a skip in his step as he headed to the tray return counter. Yokumiru eyed the boy warily and shook his head. They've trained the boy too well. He knew the boy had his ways to get the information he wanted and Yokumiru didn't want to be there if he gets caught. He finished his meal quietly and tried not to think what the boy was up to.

Hawks sat on his bed with a book titled "Principles of Heroic Approximation" opened on his lap. He was huddled at the corner, his back pressed against the wall, wrapped in a blanket to stay warm. He tapped his pencil on the book as his eyes skimmed the words on the page he was on. His tongue was sticking out in the corner of his mouth as his brows creased in thought. His focus shifted between the book and the voice he was hearing through his feather than he has slipped into Ishikawa's suit.

"So, you want me to be his guardian while we're there?" asked Ishikawa.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Ishikawa, but they don't have a dorm for him to stay. We want him to be within our reach and I trust you can keep an eye on him."

Ishikawa sighed, Hawks grinned as he imagined the man rubbing his forehead, "But why the sudden move?"

"As you may have known, Kitamura recently had another child. He had filed a request to limit his duties that's beyond Tokyo; he intended to stay close to home to help out his wife with the kids. We need his quirk to continuously assess our recruit's progress and this is our best solution. And the men at Musutafu found a promising recruit there. They wanted to have him train with Hawks."

Hawks stopped tapping his pencil. His eyes widened with excitement at the information, a new recruit, huh? So, this means…

"I see… but won't the difference in level be a problem in their training?"

"Oh, don't you worry about that. I hear this kid is exceptional. He's a rare find."

"When are we moving?"

"The second week of January."

"That's-"

"I know it's so short noticed but they want you to transfer ASAP. We'll give you the address for your new accommodation. If you need anything else do write a letter of request."

Hawks perked up at the news. So, he's going to move out? And living with Ishikawa? His heart raced with excitement. Life in the current facility was getting dull since the other recruits have 'graduated' and he had been wishing for some excitement to kill his boredom. The thought of being in a new city, meeting new people and experiencing new sights and food excites him. He grinned widely at the thought of having a partner in training. He wondered how the new recruit would look like. What's hi quirk? His personality? Will he be able to bond with him? Are they going to be the same age or younger, maybe older, than him?

"I will talk with Hawks about this," said Ishikawa.

"Good. I'll leave him in your care. I know I can count on you, so don't disappoint me."

"Yes, sir."

Hawks jumped out of bed and grabbed his jacket as he headed for the door. He put on his sneakers before he bolted out to find Ishikawa. He waited for the man in the stairwell, knowing Ishikawa has claustrophobia and would avoid using the elevator. Ishikawa didn't seem surprised to see the grinning teenager. He pulled out a red feather from his left sleeve, "You know, eavesdropping on a private conversation is considered a felony."

Hawks chuckled and scratched his chin, "Aww, I was just curious! Besides, it's good training since that's part of my job requirement!"

Ishikawa crossed his arms, "You're lucky Fujimoto-san didn't know about your spying escapades around the facility. So, you heard everything?"

The boy nodded his head, "Yup! Except, I don't know where we're going. So, where are we going?"

The agent led the teen back to his dorm room. He opened the door and let the boy in before he followed him inside and closed the door behind him, "We're going to Honshu."

"Oh, cool! Which city?"

"Musutafu. It's close to Tokyo."

"And the new recruit? What about him?" asked Hawks excitedly as he bounced on his heels.

Ishikawa sighed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear, "I don't have information about him. I'll be meeting him with Kitamura-san after we get settled in our new residence. Kitamura-san will do a background check on the kid while he's waiting for us."

Hawks sent his feathers flying around the room, "I'll start packing! The sooner we pack the sooner we could leave this dump!"

"You seem excited to move far away from home."

Hawks tensed. He rubbed his neck awkwardly and turned to the man, "Well, yeah. I don't have a lot of good memories here…"

Ishikawa cursed himself mentally. He knew that. He had read the kid's file and heard the story from his father. Hawks' childhood wasn't exactly normal and happy like other kids. He was used by his own father to commit a crime and they lived in squalor before Hawks was taken in by the government. They're still out looking for his father who managed to escape. The bastard left his son behind and never bothered to look for him. He never cared about the boy. Just wanted to use Hawks' quirk for his selfish needs. The boy was raised deprived of love and attention from a proper parental figure that it took some time for the agents to gain his trust. His father, Ishikawa Kei, was the first agent Hawks bonded with; followed by Yokumiru Mera and Kitamura Seiji who were both good with children. Ishikawa couldn't remember how he managed to gain the boy's trust though, probably because the boy was fond of his late father.

"Oh, but I do have some good memories with you guys here! So, thank you for that. I guess," said Hawks with a small smile.

Ishikawa sighed and ruffled his soft feather-like hair, "Well, you grew up alright kid. I know this sounds cheesy but I hope you'll make good memories in Musutafu."

Hawks grinned, "I hope so too! What do you think the new recruit is like? I hope he doesn't have a boring personality!"

Hawks put down the box he was carrying on the floor. His eyes roamed the semi-furnished apartment, he turned to Ishikawa with a huge grin, "This place is really nice! And we get the top floor which is so cool!"

The man nodded in agreement as he walked in with a box as well, "It's not that bad, and we're closer to the commercial district so it's easy to grab some food if we need to."

"But I thought you prefer home-cooked meals?"

Ishikawa sighed as he sat on the couch, "Kitamura-san said the office here has more workload than the one in Fukuoka. I've a feeling I won't have a lot of free time to cook."

"That's too bad. I know how much you like to be in the kitchen," said Hawks as he eyed the kitchen.

The man waved a hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Why don't you go pick your room?"

Hawks did a mock salute, "Yessir!" and bounded off to look at the rooms.

The first room he opened was across the bathroom. It's a small room with a window facing a tall commercial building. The teenager pulled a face, definitely a no. He'd like to see the city out of his window. He moved to the next one. It's more spacious than the first one. The view outside wasn't obstructed by any tall building and he could see the peak of Mt. Fuji in the distance. He liked it, but he wanted to check the last room which he assumed is the master bedroom. It's the most spacious room and a small bathroom is attached to it. He could see the peak of Mt Fuji from the room as well. He checked the bathroom and he decided he didn't quite like how cramped it felt. Ishikawa-san can have this one, he mused.

He returned to the living room, "I'll take the west-facing room!"

"Alright. I just got a text. They'll deliver the beds and our other stuff later," said Ishikawa as he looked up from his phone.

Hawks took the couch across him, "I haven't had a roommate in a while! I'll do my best to help keep the place clean!"

Ishikawa smiled at him, "I appreciate that. Now, since it's still my day off, wanna go sight-seeing and grab some lunch?"

"Yeah! I'm starved!" said the boy as he sprang to his feet.

Ishikawa chuckled as he stood up, "What do you feel like eating today?"

"Do you have to ask? You know what I like!"

"Just to be sure. I feel like going for traditional Japanese food."

"I'm cool with that!"

The duo left their apartment and headed toward the commercial area. The street was pretty crowded compared to the streets at talked about Hawks' training schedule and Ishikawa's work schedule and came to the conclusion that they'll only be able to go home around six in the evening. Hawks grinned at the sight of different people around him. Back home, it wasn't as packed because people prefer to stay indoors to not get caught in gang or villain fights. They've recently sent more heroes to get the city under control but most of the villains were quick and able to escape. Hawks vowed to return home one day to help rid the streets of villains and bring peace to the public.

"Hey, Ishikawa-san. Since we're living together, can I call you by your name?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, since you're my temporary guardian, doesn't that mean you kinda adopted me?"

The man waved his hand, "No. There's no adoption papers involved."

"Ichiro-san!"

The man blushed slightly and waved a hand at him, "Y-you don't have to call me by first name, Hawks!"

"Hmm, maybe Ichiro-niisan?" asked Hawks, ignoring him.

"Really. You don't have to do this!" said Ishikawa flustered.

"But why?" asked the teenager with a tilt of his head.

Ishikawa rubbed his neck awkwardly, "I… the only person who called me by my name was my father. It's been years since he passed away so…"

Hawks gaped at him, "No one has called you by your name since then? What about your family? Or friends?"

The man sighed, "I'm an only child. So are my parents. I wasn't very close with my distant cousins… and I didn't have many friends because I'm, you know?"

"You're quirkless," said Hawks quietly. He frowned at the information. No wonder the man was a bit uptight when asked to talk with people. He had noticed Ishikawa prefer to work alone and prefers doing desk work than fieldwork. He patted the man's back, startling him, "Well, you're still amazing Ichiro-san!"

"I told you that you don't have to-"

"I'll only use it if it's just us! I promise!" said Hawks with a hand on his chest.

Ishikawa sighed, "Fine."

Hawks beamed happily. He saw a pair of boys running in their direction and he moved to the side to let them pass. He heard the shorter boy shouting at his friend, "Kacchan! Slow down!"

"Pick up the pace, Deku! We're already late!"

Hawks eyed them, "Huh, I guess the kids here have more freedom to go around unsupervised."

"Most parents are busy with work that they have to train their children to be independent at an early age. Besides, the crime rate here isn't as high because of the higher number of heroes patrolling the city. It's a big difference from back home, right?"

The teenager nodded, "Yeah. Back home, the streets aren't safe for kids, even adults, to roam around."

"Let's hope the heroes can bring back peace in Fukuoka. People haven't felt safe to go out for many years by now…"

"When I'm officially a Pro Hero, I'm gonna go back and clean up the streets! I'll make people feel safe to go out and enjoy their day! That's a promise!"

"I hope I'll be there to see it," said Ishikawa.

"I'm gonna be the best!"

"Still not aiming for number one, huh?"

"Naw, I prefer not to. You know? More freedom and less responsibility in the lower ranks!"

"You're an odd one."

"Hahaha, you're one to talk! You're practically married to work! C'mon, Ichiro-san. Time to try your luck here! Who knows you'll meet someone and start a family!" said Hawks as he playfully nudged him in the ribs with his elbow.

Ishikawa made a face, "Please, don't. Let's not talk about this."

"I thought it's an adult thing to get married and start a family?"

"Not everyone is interested in that kind of thing."

"So, you're saying you're not interested in dating?"

"Not right now."

"But Ichiro-san! You're not getting any younger!"

"Did you know Endeavor lives around here?"

"REALLY?! WHERE?!"

Ishikawa chuckled, "I'm not going to tell you so you can harass him."

Hawks grabbed his head dramatically, "Gahh! That info's gonna bug me until I know where he lives!"

"This place looks nice. Let's try it," said Ishikawa as he stopped in front of a traditional-looking restaurant. Hawks didn't comment and just followed him inside. They were greeted by an elderly woman who showed them to a vacant table by the window.

"I can't believe he finished the whole bowl by himself!" said a boy loudly.

Hawks turned to the table where a mother was sitting with her three children. The woman smiled fondly at her son as she wiped her youngest son's face with a handkerchief. The boy's mismatched hair caught Hawk's eyes. The boy's hair was red on the left and white on the right. He also noticed the boy's heterochromatic eyes. The little boy's white-haired brother was looking at an empty bowl, eyes wide in shock. The other boy, a redheaded teenager, chuckled, "Well, now we know for sure he really likes soba."

"It was really good!" said the boy with mismatched hair happily.

"B-but it was just plain cold soba! How is it good?!" said his white-haired brother astonished.

Their mother giggled, "Alright. If you boys are done, let's go get your sister."

The redhead was first to get up. He ruffled his youngest brother's hair after the boy hopped down from his seat, "C'mon, shrimp."

"Stop calling that!" said the small boy with a pout.

His brother smirked, "Until you reach my shoulder, I'm not gonna stop calling you a shrimp."

Their mother sighed, "Touya, stop teasing your brother. Natsuo, don't forget your bag."

"Oh, crap! Almost forgot!" said the white-haired boy as he grabbed his backpack from where it was sitting under the table. He then hurried after his family who stood by the counter.

"Hawks?" asked Ishikawa.

The teenager turned to his guardian, "Huh?"

"What do you want to eat?"

"Oh! Uhmm, I'll take the chicken teriyaki don, the chicken katsu and orange juice."

Ishikawa nodded as he wrote down the order on the small form that was put next to the condiments. He then pressed the call button and handed the paper to the waitress. The man sighed as he leaned back against his seat. He noticed his charge was staring at the family of four leaving the restaurant. A forlorn look in his eyes.

"What's it like, to have a mother?" Hawks asked quietly.

"It was… nice. I don't remember much of my mother since she passed away when I was just six," said Ishikawa.

"What happened?"

"She was sick."

"I'm sorry."

Ishikawa shrugged, "It's in the past."

There were a few moments of silence, "I don't remember my mother at all. Maybe, I would've grown up in a better home if she was around."

"But you wouldn't have been here with me."

Hawks smiled slightly, "Yeah."

Ishikawa reached forward to ruffle his hair, "Hey, you know you can talk to me, right? And whatever happened in the past, don't let it hold you back. You're free to decide your future now, Hawks."

Hawks nodded. He looked up to meet the man's green eyes, "Thank you, Ichiro-san."

A/N: Yeah, not much action going on. But hopefully, the future chapters will be more exciting!