A/n: thank you guys so much for the continuous support!
JustAPasserBy: Thank you for taking your time to read this fic! I hope you feel better!
Lulu9814: Thank you! Here's the next chapter!
Guest: Stain gives me the creeps too, but he's one of the most well written villain lmaoo
Hello: not at all lolol
JuggernautJJ: He might be xD
Goxeris: Thank you! We'll find out in this chapter ;)
Shiro Usagi Dobutsu: Let's see how things play out in this chapter xD
Engineer4Ever: that's true lol
TheParadoxicalOxymoron: XD she does need to step it up!
TheIrishWriter: the lungs are healed, but since potions or healing spells can't grow organs, she can't do much about it. And yup! That's Vanitas alright
Yuki: thank you! I hoped to make the interactions as in character as possible haha. Go for it! P.S. the movie, Gridlock?
Apacho1999: only 3 and a half months to go! We can do it! XD
Reversus12: thank you! Those fight scenes were pretty hard to type out, but I'm glad I could do it in the end lol
SilverStar56: thanks! And thank you for always helping me!
Edragom46: It's a surprise lol
AmericanNidiot: I can see that happening
SwanGirl24: I did post it in Tumblr, but I sketched out a new design that's similar.
Chapter 12
the winged hero
"Thank you for visiting, Leonhart."
"I'll come and visit again! Take care, Mr. Iida!"
It was around three in the afternoon when Hikari decided that it was time to leave and let Tensei rest. Tensei insisted on her calling him by his name and address him as Ingenium in the field. She made a joke about calling Iida by his first name since he chose his first name as his hero name—the bespectacled boy was embarrassed about it and remarked that she too chose her own name as her hero alias. Tensei laughed, commenting on how close they are.
The door slid closed and the brunette glanced to look at the policeman—noticing that the man is still the same.
Both Iida and Hikari began to walk away from the private ward in silence, their footsteps echoing in the hallways.
"You really don't have to walk me out of the hospital, Class rep." the brunette said as they arrived at the nurse station. She signed herself out from the visitor list, writing down the exact time she left.
"Nonsense! It's the least that I could do since you refused to let me walk you to the station!" Iida replied, his back straight as he moved his arm up and down in a pattern. The nurse behind the counter giggled and Hikari gave her a confused look—making the nurse giggle even more. "I thank you so much for taking your time to see my brother, Leonhart!" he continued as they made their way to the elevator.
The brunette pressed the button. "Not at all, Class rep. Like I said, I'm glad you asked me to come." she reminded the boy. Though she was glad that Iida was finally Iida again, she can't help but feel that something was off about him. She felt it just like Tensei. They noticed the distant look in Iida's eyes and it concerned them a lot. Before she could even ask him about the internships, the familiar ring from the elevator was heard.
The elevator door hissed open and the two teens walked inside the empty space.
"Leonhart," Iida began as the door closed. "I know what my brother told you. I appreciate your concern, but you don't have to worry about me." he reassured, a smile on his lips though his smile didn't reach his eyes.
Hikari instantly saw the lie. "If you ever need to talk, I'm all ears, Class rep." she pointed her finger to her ear, ignoring him as she pressed the first floor. She leaned against the wall, facing the tall boy standing in front of her. He stared at her with wide eyes—surprise written all over his face. "I used to have the same look you have."
"You...?" Iida blinked. He didn't expect Leonhart to be the type to take the path of vengeance. She was a cheerful and sweet girl who likes to help others—though sometimes a rulebreaker and often picks fights with Bakugou.
The brunette gave a nod. "It doesn't bring you peace, but more hurt."
She recalled the memories a few years back. She didn't know what came over her when she saw Ansem after Sora had stabbed himself with the keyblade to free Kairi's heart. She was angry and wanted nothing more than to hurt him for causing so much pain to her friends. It didn't give her a peace state of mind—not until Kairi brought Sora back from being a Heartless. She was too quick to judge and blamed it all on Riku—even though it wasn't his fault. The seed of hate began to grow until one day she wanted to take all her anger out on him. It took her a while and a trip to Castle Oblivion to realize her own mistakes.
The keyblade wielder took a step forward. "I'm not saying that we let go of the Hero Killer—what he did was terrible! Absolutely terrible!" she huffed out, obviously mad that the Hero Killer is going around killing and injuring innocent heroes. Not to mention that the Hero Killer has even dared to hurt Tensei and Iida—though emotionally. "I'm just saying... There must be another way than getting revenge and handling things by yourself, Iida." she placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze.
Iida stayed quiet and the door to the elevator opens.
"Thank you, Leonhart."
Hikari laughed. "Someone has to look out for the class rep." she said as Iida followed her out of the elevator. They continued on their way out of the hospital, walking out of the automatic doors. Iida didn't say anything to her as they walk—she took that silence as a sign. A sign that he didn't listen to her words. She stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Hey." she called out to him, snapping her fingers.
Iida raised his chin, looking at the brunette in front of him.
"Promise me, Class rep, that you won't go on your own and get revenge." Hikari pointed a finger gun at him before changing it, holding a pinky up.
The boy raised his hand, linking his pinky with the girl's.
"Of course, Leonhart."
He promised, a smile on his face.
But she knew he didn't mean it.
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"...what?"
"I know it's a bit sudden, but I just can't seem to make up my mind." Hikari laughed sheepishly, feeling the stares not only from her homeroom teacher, but from the other teachers as well.
A few days passed and she decided to tell Aizawa of her decision to change hero office from her current choice. She had thought long and hard about Tensei's request. She tried to talk Iida out of his plan and waited a few days to see if Iida really considered her words—though he made it seem not that obvious to his friends, she could still see the emotion going through his eyes. She knew that he won't let it go that easily.
The next time she visited Tensei, she asked him where Iida had decided to intern at. Tensei told her that Iida choose Manual's Hero Office. When asked, Iida just reasoned because it's closer to visit him.
Both Tensei and Hikari knew there was a double meaning behind Iida choosing Manual's Hero Office.
The pro's office was at Hosu City.
The city where the Hero Killer was last seen.
Please look after Tenya for me.
Though, Tensei specifically told her not to follow his words, but after realizing Iida might still be up to something, she decided that Iida is more important than interning with the number 3 hero.
"You do realize that the internship starts in two days, right?" Aizawa gave the brunette a dead look and she smiled sheepishly. "...fine." he sighed heavily before turning to look at his computer.
His student seemed to surprise him every time. She came out of the blue during lunch time and suddenly asked him if it was possible to switch agencies for the internship. If she had asked him on Monday, then it would be easier.
Truthfully, she can't actually change agencies once the form is submitted to him. Then, he remembered Snipe's words about the third years regretting their choice. It would double his work since he would have to report to Principal Nezu and then make another arrangement for the transportation, and call the current hero office, but anything to make his students not regretting their life choice.
He opened Leonhart's form and backspaced her current choice. It made him wonder. Why did Leonhart suddenly change her mind from going with the number 3 hero? He thought that it was an excellent choice to get recognized and an excellent way to gain experience and popularity.
"Which agency are you choosing? This is your last chance, Leonhart." The man emphasized, giving a pointed look from the corner of his eyes. His fingers hoovered over the keyboard—waiting for the girl to tell him her choice.
Hikari gave a sheepish look. "Yeah—right, sorry." she apologized, rubbing the back of her neck. Though the other teachers seem to mind their own business again, her teachers still have their eyes on her. She cleared her throat, straightening up a little bit. "I was thinking—no. I decided to go with Native Hero Office." she answered.
She did a background search on all the agency that picked her—trying to find an agency that was as close to Hosu City. Sadly, Manual didn't pick her and she was a bit disappointed. She found agencies all the way in Sapporo to Osaka. Fortunately, there was one. Native choose her to intern at his office. Based directly in Hosu City—she can definitely keep an eye on Iida and possibly the Hero Killer.
Aizawa's finger twitched. "What?"
Keep an eye out for Leonhart, Shouta.
How could he forget?
Tensei was the one who told him.
The Hero Killer is hunting someone.
In other words—his student.
A few days ago, he and a few others went to visit Tensei in the evening. They were classmates during their high school years in U.A. and as pro heroes, they work alongside each other in a lot of cases. It was a shock for them to hear the news of their friend attacked and almost killed by a villain. They expect to go to the ICU ward and prepared for the worse. For someone who was heavily injured and most likely paralyzed from the diagnosis the doctors gave, Tensei looked well and on his way to a full recovery.
The doctor said that it was a miracle.
They found out, the reason Tensei escaped death's hands was because of Leonhart.
Her potion had saved another person and yet she received the worst kind of attention.
Aizawa knew that something like this would bring some unwanted attention to his student, but he never expected a serial killer to be out to get her. Tensei had told them about it—warned them if word ever got out of Leonhart's potion—she will be next in the Hero Killer's list. It was fortunate that not many knew Leonhart's potion, nor has it been made public.
The man told Principal Nezu about this and they discussed whether to cancel this year's internship or not. In conclusion, they decided not to cancel. It didn't make sense to the public if they were to cancel the internship just because of an anonymous giver being targeted by the Hero Killer. It would be an obvious clue that the 'anonymous giver' is from U.A.
It was decided, depending on the agency Leonhart choose. If the hero agency she chose is capable of protecting her, then the school would allow it. But if they think the agency is not capable, they would ask for her to either pick another one or intern with one of the teachers in U.A.
"Why?" Aizawa asked rather straightforward. Tensei told them that Leonhart took Stain's threat calmly—openly if he might say. Almost as if she was prepared to face the serial killer.
Leonhart laughed. "I just thought five hours in a train is a bit tiring. Native's hero office is closer."
A lie.
"Is that so?"
Aizawa doesn't mean to talk down the pro hero's ability, but he doesn't think Native's quirk is capable of handling Stain while protecting his student. In fact, no one knew what exactly Stain's quirk does. They weren't sure of what type of hero could stop the villain.
Leonhart's first choice was Hawks Hero Office. Number three hero and very powerful. Based in Kyushu—500 miles away from the main city and the Hero Killer, a perfect hiding place until things calm down. They informed the pro hero firsthand of the situation and he agreed to take her under his wing despite being told there was a chance he might face the Hero Killer.
It was too much of a coincidence that Iida also choose Hosu City.
Aizawa glanced down to the paper beside his keyboard. "You got picked by Ryukyu and Sir Nighteye, why not pick from either of them instead? Their office is around Tokyo as well."
Hikari averted her gaze. "Uh... well—" she trailed off, trying to come up with an excuse. "Native's office is not as busy as them?"
A sigh escaped Aizawa's nose. "You're only going to Native because you're worried about Iida, right?"
Hikari pursed her lips. "Yes..." she admitted. There was no use lying to a man who can read her like a book. "I mean—Who wouldn't? Class rep choose an agency in Hosu City and there's probably a chance he might go after the hero killer—"
"Like what you're doing now?"
"Well, that's—"
"Different?" Aizawa finished, making the brunette beside him stop. Of course, he knew what the girl was trying to say. It's a different case since she was going to Native to protect Iida, but that also means putting herself in the same situation. Before she could even continue her rant, he turned around in his seat, giving a stern look. "Need I remind you that the Hero Killer is after you?" he said, keeping his voice low.
"But he doesn't know that it's me." Hikari remarked, making a point.
"Leonhart, I get what you're trying to do, but I'll have to stop you there." Aizawa began, tugging his scarf down just a little. He admits—Leonhart's will is stronger than many. She was willing to risk her own safety to protect Iida. Definitely a hero-like thing to do. Though he blames Tensei a little for putting ideas into her head. "You're strong. But you're just a student. This is not your responsibility." he continued.
Hikari frowned. "But—"
Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose at his student's persistence. "The hero killer is after you—not Iida." he reminded the thing his student always neglects. If he did approve of her going to Native instead of Hawks, it would just risk her safety and those around her even more. There was a high chance the Hero Killer would still be around Hosu City. If she used that healing potion or her magic healing—the Hero Killer would figure it out easily. "You need to think before you decide. If the Hero Killer finds out, you would be putting everyone's lives on the line." he lectured, his arms crossed.
The brunette sighed. She didn't want to admit it, but it was true. If the Hero Killer finds out, he might use Iida as bait or hostage just to kill her. She wasn't sure of the villain's quirk, but she was sure she can handle it. There was a higher chance of Iida going after the Hero Killer than the Hero Killer finding out that she's was the one who gave the potion to Tensei.
"Then why let class rep intern at Hosu City?"
Aizawa was beginning to get a headache. "Stubborn girl..." he exhaled, tucking his chin in his scarf. He raised his gaze up, staring at the brunette's calculating blue eyes. "It's better to let him intern at Hosu City rather than somewhere else where he could possibly run away from his supervisor. From the last attack, Hosu City's security has been doubled. There's more pro heroes patrolling around—if it puts your mind at ease."
Hikari blinked. It did give reassurance to her.
"You're not the only one who noticed, Leonhart." Aizawa said, sighing. He saw understanding light up in her eyes as he finally convinced her mind.
The brunette opened her mouth. "But—"
The pro hero's eyes flashed red as his hair stands upwards. "Either stay with Hawks or intern under me. I'll train you to the bone and make you wish you stayed with the bird instead." he said, a warning tone in his voice.
"...no thanks, sir."
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Hikari sighed heavily, dragging her feet across the hallway.
Debating with Aizawa drained her. The man always has something to rebuttal her argument. She made valid points, but he made an even more valid point than her. Plus, the threat he threw at her seemed so real. She chose to stay with her current choice, Hawks, since she can't help but admit defeat.
The brunette pulled out her phone from her pocket, checking the time. 'I still have twenty minutes till lunch ends...' she had promised to catch up with Shinsou after finishing her business with Aizawa. The boy promised to save her a seat, but he said no promises that he would buy her lunch again. She agreed to it since it was fair. She glanced over to her left when she felt someone starring at her. "Huh?" she blinked confusedly.
There was something wrong with the poster on the bulletin board.
An overly large head replaced Principal Nezu's head on the poster.
"So, you noticed me, huh?" the face laughed.
Hikari jumped back, keeping a tight grip on her phone. "What?!" she shouted, her eyes wide and jaw dropped in surprise.
The face laughed again. "Gimme a minute, kay?" he said as his face sunk into the wall. The brunette waited for him to resurface, but a minute passed and there was still no sign of cartoon-face showing up. She looked over to her phone again, checking the time. She really didn't want to keep Shinsou waiting, but she also didn't want to be rude to cartoon-face. "Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting!" a cheerful voice shouted out of nowhere.
"Ah no, it's okay...?" Hikari waved off his apology as she puts away her phone inside her pocket. She stared at the boy with the cheerful face. She had seen him from somewhere, but she just can't seem to put her finger on it.
"Togata. Togata Mirio! Nice to meet you!" Togata introduced himself, a smile plastered on his face. "Leonhart Hikari, right? You're pretty famous among us third years! One of the energetic ones from class A!" he laughed.
Togata has always been curious of the first years from class A ever since he heard of a late entry being placed inside the hero course. He has heard rumors that the exam the transfer student took was different from the regular entrance exam. Some of his classmates say that she had to battle her way into the hero course with a teacher and some told him that she has to fight robots twice the size of the original.
His curiosity doubled after the USJ attack. Though he was mortified at the fact his juniors have to face something so dangerous in their first year, he was relieved that all of the students made it out alive. Rumors began to spread about the first years—one of those rumors were about Leonhart. A student who was able to go on par with an artificial human that was made to kill All Might.
During the sports festival, he was bummed out that he couldn't watch his juniors since the festival were held at the same time. Finding out that Nighteye himself was present during the first year's match was surprising. Nighteye taking an interest in taking a first year was so unexpected and at the same time it excites him at the thought of working alongside a junior.
He didn't know Leonhart was the student his mentor was interested in until today when Aizawa mentioned his name. He always thought Sir was interested in taking someone charismatic like Kirishima or Tetsutetsu. Leonhart was leaning towards the mysterious type. He had watched the recording online and he was surprised to see Leonhart only made it to the quarter finals. She certainly didn't match up to the rumors. It made him curious.
"I guess we are after the whole USJ thing, huh?" Leonhart replied.
Togata nodded his head. "Yup!" he popped the p, posing with a thumbs up. "Sorry about earlier! Just thought that it might be a good first impression!" he placed his hands on his hips, a joyful laugh escaping his lips.
"It did leave an impression." The brunette grinned. She can't say that it was the best first impression anyone has ever made, but it was different in a way. "Is there anything you need, Togata-senpai?" she asked, glancing up to look at him.
Togata froze comically.
The girl stiffened. "Is something wrong? Should I call Recovery Girl—"
The blond laughed. "Nope, not at all! I was just a bit embarrassed. No one has ever called me that before!" he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. The girl gave him an uncertain smile as she waited for him to answer her previous question. "Actually, I want to apologize for eavesdropping."
"Eavesdropping?" Hikari parroted. Oh. She remembered seeing him inside the teacher's office when she first walked in—he was talking with Snipe, but at that time, she wasn't paying attention to him.
"It was wrong of me to eavesdrop on your conversation with Eraserhead." Togata crossed his arms, his smile dropping to a disappointed and shameful pout. As soon as his smile disappeared another one replaced it. "But I can't help but listen when I heard Sir's name being mentioned!" he wiped his nose with his thumb, his pout replaced with a toothy grin.
Hikari's lips formed into an O, nodding her head at realization. "Oh..."
"You're the first year Sir has taken an interest in!" Togata said, pointing his finger at the brunette. He then pointed a thumb to himself. "I've been working with him for a year now and never have I seen Sir so interested in taking another student!" he informed and watched the girl's expression still remain surprised.
"Really?" Hikari rubbed the back of her neck, a sheepish look across her face. Though on the outside she was calm, she began to think of the reasons why Togata suddenly approached her. Was Nighteye really on to her? Did All Might's ex-sidekick figured out that she doesn't actually 'exist'? It was to be expected, but this soon? She thought her identity as Leonhart Hikari would've lasted longer. "I didn't expect a strict and intimidating guy like him would choose someone like me—no offense though." she laughed jokingly.
"None taken! Sir's just like how you described him!" Togata laughed, waving his hand in front of his face. He didn't understand it at first—why Nighteye would choose someone like Leonhart. She wasn't as passionate as the others, but he understood now. "I guess, you kind of reminded him of All Might."
The brunette's lips parted. "What? Really? What part of me reminded him of All Might?" she laughed. As far as she knows, she's small compared to the number one hero and she was sure she doesn't have super strength or a million-watt smile that could light up the whole city.
"You choose to be with your friend instead of interning with a top hero! That's what I call a great friend and an inspiring hero!" Togata answered happily.
He heard bits and bits of the conversation. Something about Leonhart worrying about her friend going after the Hero Killer. He didn't want to sound mean, but many pro heroes tried their luck to capture the Hero Killer and they all failed. The rumors about Leonhart might say that she's strong and capable of defeating a villain on her own, but he was worried she might end up going to the bad end even though she was only there to keep an eye on her friend.
"If I was such a great friend then I could've at least convinced Mr. Aizawa." Hikari sighed, looking down with a disappointed and worried look.
Togata hummed. "I dunno much about the whole situation, but Eraserhead's right!" he undoubtfully agreed with the black-haired man's decision. "You gotta trust the heroes around Hosu City and your friend's mentor."
The brunette looked out the window. "I know, but I just thought that there must be something more than I can do."
Togata stared at the girl and a grin appeared.
"No doubt... Sir would've really liked you."
Hikari couldn't help but smiled. Maybe he would.
"Hey, there's still time. Wanna grab something from the cafeteria? As an apology, it's my treat!" Togata laughed, pointing his finger at the direction of the cafeteria.
"Ah, you don't have to. My friend's waiting there."
"Great! Let's eat together then! I'll pay for them as well!"
"..."
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"I left you alone for ten minutes and you become friends with Tin tin."
"...I'm sorry?"
Shinsou sighed. The meeting with his senior went...well. He was nice and loud—matching his friend's upbeat personality. It was awkward at first and Hikari kept on giving him apologetic looks for bringing a senior and a stranger. He wasn't complaining since the guy bought them desserts. Though, he sat with them until the bell rang. The guy walked with them, dropping him off in his class before continuing on his way to drop his friend in her class as well.
Togata was too energetic and talkative for his liking.
"Some senior you got there." Shinsou said, his hands shoved inside his pockets. "Glad he's not mine."
Hikari elbowed his arm. "Don't say that. Togata-senpai is pretty awesome." she knew that the guy seemed familiar. She had seen him in the videos from last year's sports festival. He didn't end up as the top three, but when she looked more into his profile. The guy has been interning with Nighteye for a year and has caught many villains under the number one's ex-sidekick. "He's going to be your senior too when you join the hero course, ya'know." she smirked.
Shinsou sighed, not answering Hikari's remark.
"Whatever... Your internships start in two days, right?" the purple-haired boy decided to change the subject.
Hikari nodded her head. "Yeah—hey, wha'cha will be doing anyway?"
The boy rolled his eyes. "Normal school days, obviously."
"Aw c'mon! Don't be such a sour troll." Hikari sniggered—it was obvious that Shinsou doesn't like his nickname, but she used it anyway. She had left her jacket inside the classroom when she meets up with Shinsou before he goes home. Only the department of heroic students have additional classes. "How about you start working out on your noodle arms? And who knows? Maybe one day your arms might turn into these big guns!" she raised her arms, flexing them with a few poses.
"There's nothing to see." Shinsou snorted.
"Hey!"
"But I guess you're right." The boy raised his hand, staring at his palm. He curled his fingers into a fist and furrowed his eyebrows down, a determined look across his eyes. "I should start training my body."
The keyblade wielder smiled.
"Maybe we can train together!" Hikari suggested, pointing a finger to herself. She had trained under a lot of people. She was sure she can train someone else just as good as her mentors. The exercise the committee have to go through every day would work best for someone new like Shinsou. It wasn't as tough and hardcore as Phil's hero training. "Leo—my pops! Is actually a trainer too! He likes to train me and has these really good exercise methods!" she quickly corrected herself, hoping Shinsou won't notice her calling her father by his nickname.
Though sometimes she complained about Leon waking her up in the morning, the exercise was what keeps her body fit as a keyblade wielder. She still does it when she moved temporarily to the City of Heroes, just not as often since she does train every day in U.A.
The purple-haired boy turned to look at her. "That would be...nice. How about we start after your internships?"
The brunette's eyes brightened. "Definitely!"
"Which hero are you going for anyway?"
"Hawks actually." Hikari crossed her arms. Arguing with Aizawa would just lead her to a hellish internship with said man himself. She had reached a deadend to switch internships and decided to trust her friends more. Though, logically Aizawa would've told Iida's mentor and there were hints that Aizawa himself might be in Hosu City during the internships. She hoped that her instincts were right.
"The number 3 hero? All the way in Kyushu?"
"Aw, don't miss me, I'll be back before you know it!" Hikari sniggered behind her hand as Shinsou rolled his eyes.
Shinsou shoved his hands into his pockets. "I thought you would've picked someone like Ryukyu." he said, remembering the choices Hikari told him.
"Eh... I would, but Hawks seems like a pretty chill guy."
The bell rang, signaling that the ten-minute break was over.
Shinsou adjusted the strap to his bag. "See you later then."
"Hey, Shinsou! I'll buy you some souvenirs!"
The boy raised his hand as he walked away, a miniscule smile on his lips.
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"Everyone got their costumes? Remember, you're not allowed to wear them in public."
Hikari shifted the brief case in her hand. She didn't know how her new costume looked like since she just got it on the same day. Actually, she was fine with wearing her usual attire, but since it was necessary to submit a draft of her hero costume to the school, she went along with it.
"Don't drop them or anything." Aizawa continued, his hands shoved inside his pockets.
Ashido raised her case above her head, a big smile across her face. "Yessir!"
Aizawa averted his gaze at the pink-haired student. "Speak clearly! It's 'yes, sir,', Ashido." he scolded.
The girl pouted. "Yes, sir..."
The pro hero turned his attention back to his students. "Make sure you mind your manners with the heroes at your internships." he said and everyone nodded their head. "That's all, dismiss!"
"Yes, sir!"
Hikari glanced to her right, her eyes following Iida. The moment Aizawa dismissed everyone—Iida immediately left without saying anything. She was about to go after him, to remind him of the promise he made, but Midoriya and Uraraka beat her to it. They looked worried as they called his name.
"If it ever gets too much and you need to talk... just say something." Midoriya said, his voice laced with concern. "We're your friends."
Uraraka nodded her head.
Iida turned around. "Sure."
The boy noticed Hikari staring at him and he gave her a nod before turning around to walk towards the entrance gate.
"Shouldn't you be on your way too?" Aizawa walked towards her, his hands shoved inside his pocket as he came to a stop and stood beside the girl. She answered him with a low yeah. The man had known of Iida's intention since day one—way before Tensei had told him. He took it his responsibility to watch over the class representative. "You worry too much. Try thinking for yourself once." he sighed, rubbing the back of his sore neck.
"If it's alright, let me use my quirk—"
"Does your quirk even last that long? How far is your range?" Aizawa cuts her off, making the brunette stop.
She wanted to say yes.
The man let out a grunt. "Just get going. I'll take it from here, Leonhart."
The keyblade wielder finally smiled. There finally was some reassurance. She could confirm from that single line—that Aizawa would look after Iida.
"Thank you, sir."
"Stubborn girl..."
The brunette turned around and left her homeroom teacher to regroup with whoever was left around the center. Aside from herself—Kaminari and Tokoyami were still at the meeting point. She regrouped with them, a grin on her face as she greeted her two classmates.
"Just in time! We're going to buy some snacks! You coming?" Kaminari was the first to greet her, pointing his thumb over his shoulder to the convenience store behind them.
Hikari gave a nod. "You betcha I am!"
"There are a lot more choices beyond the gates. We can choose from there." Tokoyami suggested and the other two agreed.
"So, I heard you two are going to intern at the same agency, Hawks, right?" Kaminari asked the two walking behind him as he went through the automatic gates first. He picked up his ticket on the other side, placing it away before he loses it. He waited for his two friends as they went through the gates.
"Correct." the jet-black feathered bird replied.
"Yup."
Tokoyami was surprised when Leonhart chose the same agency as him. He had found out two days before when Yaoyorozu questioned her pick. He thought that it was an opportunity to observe his classmate better. She had won a fight against Bakugou—one of the strongest fighters in class. He didn't want to believe that she won against Bakugou and lost to someone like him. Sure, it was luck that led him into the finals, but he was sure Leonhart could've easily turn the situation so that she could win and advance into the next round.
Leonhart walked beside the blond. "I heard from Jirou that you're going for Electro Rock."
Despite being so carefree, Leonhart is actually pretty observant.
"Yeah! I bet Electro Rock is a fun guy!" Kaminari grinned as he took a few packages of snacks from the shelves.
"I bet he is! I just hope Hawks is as nice as the fans say." the brunette joked as she also took a few snacks from the shelves, placing them inside her basket. She had done research over Hawks and watched videos about his fans talking about him. Of course, his fans would definitely say nice things about him, but she can't find a single negative word from anyone. "Bet he likes Tokoyami more though." she said, glancing over to the boy beside her.
Tokoyami took a box of apple flavored cookies. "Nonsense. I'm certain Hawks is fair in terms of hospitality." he placed the box inside the same basket as the girl since she insisted on paying together to save some time.
"That's all you're getting, Tokoyami?" Kaminari looked over to the snack and the bird boy nodded his head.
Hikari gave him a deadpan look. "Are you serious, Tokoyami? We're going on a five-hour train ride! You're gonna starve if you only eat that!" she said, agreeing with the blond. "Let's buy some lunch boxes!" she exclaimed, dragging the bird boy towards the lunch box section.
The trio finished shopping ten minutes later, plastic bags in hand.
"Well, I better get going! My train leaves in twenty!" Kaminari waved his hand goodbye to his two classmates. "Good luck, guys!"
Hikari waved her hand back. "You too!"
"Shall we depart as well, Leonhart?" Tokoyami asked, coming from her left. "Our train leaves in ten minutes. Tis best if we prepare." he reminded.
The brunette nodded. "Yeah! Which platform again?"
"12."
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"Argh—finally some freedom!"
"...You're exaggerating."
Tokoyami didn't want to admit it out loud, but Leonhart was right.
They had been inside the shinkansen for five hours—straight from Musutafu to Hakata Station. It had been exciting at first, chatting and looking out their window to look at the views, but after the second hour, they began to get tired and antsy. Take it from Leonhart who has slept three to four times during their trip. Once every twenty minutes, she would wake up, sigh and then try to go back to sleep.
Leonhart sighed deeply, stretching her arms above her head. "Man... Why didn't Mr. Aizawa book us a plane instead?" she complained, rubbing the back of her aching neck. "It's cheaper, right? I don't mind going on a budget airline..." she huffed as she tied her messy hair into a low ponytail.
"It would save us a lot of time as well..." Tokoyami agreed, taking his brief case from the floor.
They stretched out, took a few deep breathes of fresh air before continuing their way to Hawks Hero Office. From Aizawa, they were informed that Hawks would pick them up himself from the station. They just have to exit through the central gate and see if they could find a flashy guy with red wings.
Hikari stood on her brief case, trying to look over the sea of people for their mentor. "Well, Tokoyami, do you see our boss?" she asked him, a hand above her eyes.
Tokoyami shook his head.
"Hey, hey, you're Tokoyami Fumikage and Leonhart Hikari, right?" a man came up to them, wearing a white toga costume and what seem to be a bird mask over his head. The two teens nodded and the man smiled. "I'm Trixx! One of Hawks' sidekicks! I'm here to pick you guys up!" he introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Trixx." Tokoyami and Hikari bowed down their head in respect.
Trixx laughed, waving his hand. "Just Trixx is fine!" the man motioned his hand for the two interns to follow him, which they did. They both trailed after behind him, exchanging looks to one and another. "I hope you kids weren't disappointed to see me." he laughed jokingly, glancing over his shoulder to look at the two kids.
"Not at all! We were just told to look for Mr. Hawks once we arrived." Hikari replied politely. She didn't know what to address the number 3 hero. She heard that he doesn't care about formalities, but better safe and sorry. "Thanks for picking us up, Trixx!"
Tokoyami nodded his head in return. "Indeed."
The brown-haired man laughed. "It can't be helped! There was an emergency and Hawks was called at the last minute." he explained and the two kids understood the situation. He stopped right in front of a minivan. "I know you kids are probably tired from that five-hour train ride, but could you guys bear with another ten-minute ride in the car?" he asked as he pulled out his keys from his pocket.
"We survived five-hours, what more can ten-minutes do?" Hikari laughed.
"That's the spirit!" a voice from above them said as a large shadow covered them. They glanced up to find a young man with large red wings protruding from his back. Hikari squinted to look at him and she placed a hand over her eyes to block the sunlight. The man landed on top of the minivan and sat on the roof. "Sorry I'm late, kiddos, got a little distracted." he casually ate one of the chicken pops from the box in his hand.
Both Hikari and Tokoyami glanced at each other before staring at the man sitting on the minivan's roof.
"Want one?" the man offered his snack to the two kids.
"Uh... no thanks?" Hikari replied, taking a step back.
Trixx grinned. "Did you get the robbers, Hawks?" he asked, just as casually as his boss.
Hikari turned her attention to the man as he jumped down from the roof. She knew from the interview shows and magazines that Hawks is a casual and laidback man, but she thought that was just his TV persona. She never expected him to have the same personality when off camera.
Hawks' wings dropped a bit. "Yup, Westwood's taking care of the rest." he replied before turning his head to look at the two kids. "So, how about we head on over to my nest and get you guys settled in? Oh, you guys can call me Hawks. No formalities needed." he slides the door open and placed one foot inside.
"You're going by car?" Hikari blurted out, staring at the man as he stopped to look at her. She cleared her throat, realizing her bluntness. "Uh... well, I just thought you might... you know? Fly?"
The man laughed. "Don't worry, the van's big enough to fit all of us in. I'm not that big." his feathers suddenly shed by themselves and they telekinetically went inside the van.
Trixx sat on the driver's seat and started the car, leaving the two teens outside.
Hikari shifted the bag in her hand. She sniggered to herself as she nudged the bird boy beside her with her elbow. "I guess you could say that he's winging it."
Tokoyami gave Hikari a deadpan look. "Leonhart..."
From inside the van, Hawks laughed. "Hey, I like this one!"
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Since they were 500 miles away from their homes, Hawks made it his priority to get the kids settled in.
"Alright, my little chicklings! Put your stuff away and gear up!" Hawks clapped his hands, a smile across his lips. He had both Leonhart and Tokoyami stay in the guest rooms at his office building, separately of course. There were a few guest rooms for his sidekicks to rest—especially after a long day. "I'll be waiting for you guys in the fifth floor!" he said cheerfully before going inside the spacious elevator.
This was the first time he had ever participated in the sports festival and nominated someone—two actually.
He never really had any interest in taking any interns—unlike all those other pro heroes. When he heard about the attack in U.A., he was surprised. One of the most top-notch security was breached by a ground of punks who called themselves the League of Villains.
What better way to know than asking from the kids in class A?
Both Tokoyami and Leonhart caught his eyes, not just because they're from class A of U.A., but they have also peeked his interest. To someone like him, the fight between his two interns at the sports festival seem staged on Leonhart's part. He knew something was off about the fight when Leonhart didn't continue her attack after she threw fire at Tokoyami.
Imagine his surprise when he received a call directly from the Principal himself, concerning about one of his interns.
Apparently, for some reason, the Hero Killer is after Leonhart.
Now he was curious. Really curious.
"Whoa!"
Hawks turned his attention when he heard his interns arriving. The girl was gawking while the bird boy looked around curiously. The floor they were on was his training room. The whole floor was designed to his liking. The high ceilings provided him large enough space to fly around freely without fear of knocking things over.
"You guys sure took your time getting ready." Hawks stood up from one of the training equipment he had sat on. He walked towards the middle and the two kids followed him. "But nice costumes! I like the designs, very simple and stuff." he pointed finger guns at the two of them, a grin on his face.
Hikari laughed nervously. "...thanks." the support company had changed a few of her designs and gave her a note saying that all those belts she put in her costume were impractical, so they took it out of the design. She couldn't help but agreed. She wasn't a fan of skintight body suits either and preferred casual over something tight and revealing.
"May we ask what shall we be doing?" Tokoyami asked, the cape around his body rustled when he took a few steps forward to stand beside his friend.
The pro hero hummed. "Good question! Actually, before we go out, I wanna test you guys." his wings shed themselves again and he took off his jacket. His feather then attached themselves back as he tied his jacket around his waist. He spread his wings out, making him appear bigger. "To, you know, see if you're ready to go out into the field or not. I have to make sure my sidekicks and interns are able to fight for themselves, ya'know!" he shrugged, a lopsided smile on his lips as he took off his visors.
The two interns exchanged looks.
Hikari decided to take off her belt and jacket since they were brand new and she doesn't want them to get shredded by Hawks' feathers. She walked over to the side of the room, placing her stuff on the floor and took the staff from her belt—something that was given to her by Aerith during her visit. She went back to the middle of the room, standing beside Tokoyami.
Hawks taps his foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for either of his two interns to attack him. "Well? Whacha guys waiting for? Hit me up with all you got!" he laughed, a hand shoved into his pocket. "If you're not gonna start then I will!" a flock of his feathers shot out from his wings.
Leonhart was the first to act, pushing Tokoyami out of the way as she jumped to the left to avoid the feathers.
"Hoo~ you're quick! Let see if you chicks can dodge all of it!" Hawks telepathically called his feathers back, turning them around to chase after the two kids.
"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouted and a shadow-like creature appeared. The creature waved its hand, knocking all the feathers away.
The girl extended her staff and blocked all of the feathers aimed at her. She was about to go after Hawks, but stopped as more feathers came after her. She took a few steps back and kept moving around to dodge and block the annoying feathers. They were moving around everywhere—and what's more, they were endless. They kept coming after her and Tokoyami while Hawks just watched them with amusement.
Tokoyami's eyes widened when a few of Hawks' feathers lifted him up by the back of his cape—quite effortlessly if he might add. He clicked his tongue and quickly slipped out from his cape, risking to fall from height than be defeated in the first minute. He couldn't fly—he doesn't have wings, but Dark Shadow can break his fall.
"Gotcha!" Leonhart exclaimed as she caught him midair—her whole body covered in the same blue aura she used in the festival. She landed on the floor gently and placed him down. Dark Shadow reappeared beside them, looming over them from behind. "We can't get close to him with these feathers around." she huffed, holding her staff again.
"Aye! They're so annoying!" Dark Shadow agreed.
Hawks gave them a pout. "'Ey, that's my quirk you're talking about." he shouted. Never once has he moved from his spot.
"As expected of the number 3 hero..." Tokoyami nodded his head in agreement. "The best way to land a hit on him is the element of surprise." he said under his breath before sending Dark Shadow forward.
"A direct confrontation, huh? You guys didn't even form a plan." Hawks moved his wings and a flock of feathers shot themselves at Dark Shadow's head. The shadow faced them head on, deflecting them with its hands.
The pro hero took a step back, easily avoiding Dark Shadow's claws. He leaned back, hands in his pockets as he effortlessly dodged the shadow's attacks. "C'mon, guys. You can do better than this—" his eyes narrowed when Leonhart was nowhere near Tokoyami.
Hawks sharply turned around when his eyes caught a glimpse of something moving behind him. Because of his wings, he felt the vibration in the air, telling him that someone was coming from behind. He didn't feel it at first, but when Leonhart suddenly appeared, his senses flared back, alerting him of a sneak attack. He noted, it was a purple aura this time instead of a blue one.
Hawks plucked out a long feather from his wing and used it as a sword to block Leonhart's staff. Leonhart pulled back and swung the other end of her staff at his feet. He blocked it again with his right wing. He moved his wing upwards and flicked the brunette's nose with the end, surprising her.
"Nice move there! I'm impressed!" Hawks laughed as he plucked another long feather from his other wing. "Which means, I can go serious too!"
As he dealt with Leonhart and Dark Shadow, he sent out his feathers to deal with Tokoyami—the shadow's host.
Hikari quickly summoned a colorful frog to be with Tokoyami while she and Dark Shadow faced Hawks. Lord Kyroo held out his shield, blocking one of the feathers. He jumped back down and stood in a stance, holding a sword in his other hand.
"Whoa, that frog has a sword." Hawks commented as he glanced over to look at the Spirit. He has seen a few of the Dream quirk from the festival—that bat one and the bunny. Apparently, the flower from the Toxic Haze incident is also hers. 'Why didn't she use it on me then?' he hummed as he swung his feather blade at the brunette.
Leonhart could easily outnumber him with her quirk.
Both Leonhart and Dark Shadow worked together to push him back.
"Nice try!" Hawks flapped his wings and flew up when a colorful panda appeared behind him. The panda missed and ended up hugging Dark Shadow instead. While Dark Shadow was immobilized for a few seconds, he immediately dived down, ramming himself to the brunette and pushed her back to her Spirit. The girl collided with both her Spirit and Dark Shadow, knocking them all down. "Well, I guess I had enough fun." he laughed as he hoovers above them.
Lord Kyroo was already defeated by his feathers and now they were pinning Tokoyami down.
Though Hawks get a glimpse of how well they work with each other, he felt as if he hadn't seen anything yet.
Tokoyami was always dependent on his quirk, while Leonhart barely uses hers.
Perhaps a one on one battle would suffice.
"That was... something." Hikari pushed herself up, rubbing the back of her head. She summoned Kooma Panda away and sat down on the floor, looking over to Tokoyami. Dark Shadow went back to his host's side as the feathers holding Tokoyami down flew back towards Hawks. She stood up and Tokoyami walked towards her and Hawks, a frown on his face. "I guess you could say Hawks' faster than a speeding pullet, eh?" she joked, trying to make her friend smile.
Tokoyami gave her a deadpan look.
Hawks couldn't help but laugh.
"Nice work! You guys were pretty good for a beginner! I now deem you guys worthy to work with me and my sidekicks out in the field." the man moved his hand and used it as an imaginary sword, knighting his two interns by their shoulders. "Hey, I never asked you guys... What's your hero names?" he asked out of the blue, remembering to ask.
"Tsukuyomi." Tokoyami answered.
"Pffft! Very fitting!" Hawks grinned before turning to the brunette.
"Hikari."
The pro hero blinked. "Your first name?" he asked.
Hikari nodded, a grin on her face. "Yup! I want a name that reflects myself. What better way to do that than to use my own name?"
Hawks hummed.
"Hawks! There's been a robbery in Jotenji Street!" A voice rang inside the room from the speakers.
"Ah, that's my cue." Hawks said as he placed his jacket on. "Get ready to go out." he was already heading over to the elevator when Hikari ran to get her jacket and belt.
The three entered the elevator and Hawks used his feather to press the first floor.
"Jotenji street isn't far from here, just a couple of streets down from my office." Hawks explained professionally, making Tokoyami and Hikari wonder where his carefree attitude went. "My sidekicks will tell you what to do. Just follow them and you'll be fine."
He glanced over his shoulder, adjusting his visor.
"Let's see if you can keep up."