A/N: A new chapter! thank you so much for your support, guys!
SpeculatingSpectre543: the remix lolol
Guest 1: we'll see wink wink
Jetyoung15: thank you so much! Maybe not in this story, but I might write a one-shot or two-shot about it?
Lulu9814: thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
AmericanNidiot: yupp
MetalQueen: Thank you!
Guest 2: thank you! Here's the next chapter!
SilverStar56: Thank you so much!
TheIrishWriter: No, Hikari's not holding back. It's because Viper was using Heartless as well, so she couldn't focus much since she kept helping the others. I will continue Nova's story, but just not right now. And Dandelion's Glory takes place after KH3. Hikari would be turning 17 by August in the bnha timeline.
EmeraldNote: Thank you so much!
MemoryStormSanctuary: Thank you!
7: thank you!
lorenzo52lara: chapter 7 haha
SnowAssassin217: thank you! I thought I could squeeze in the scene where Hawks meet up with his old friend here, but it turns out I couldn't find the right timing, so maybe next chapter xD
Engineer4Ever: I would try not to mention anything and try to be as vague about what happens after KH3 because I'm not entirely sure about the story line so I just add bits of what I think might happen haha.
Guest 3: I think not? I never realized anything lol
Chapter 17
Trust
Musutafu Station, 12:20 PM
The station was as busy as always. Though as busy as they are, everyone seemed to pass a glance over to the group of heroes. Whispers and murmurs were heard from passersby. It was a rare sight to see the No. 3 hero, as well as All Might's former Sidekick at Musutafu.
"Hawks, Hawks!"
"Huh? Oh, an autograph? Sure!"
"Can we take a picture?"
"Of course! Say, chicken wings~"
Aizawa paid no mind to the fans circling around Hawks as he distanced himself from the crowd. The birdman was attracting too much attention for his liking. They had taken the train straight from the airport to Musutafu Station. The attention they received was ridiculous and he was glad no one paid mind to him or his students.
His eyes glanced around, trying to find his loudmouth friend. Present Mic was supposed to pick them up by the station and yet he was nowhere to be found. He pulled out his phone to check the time, silently complaining about how their ride was late.
"He sure is popular, eh?" Leonhart commented when the crowd grew larger by the passing minute. Despite the fact they interned under well-known heroes, the fans paid no attention to them and she couldn't care less about it. She was actually happy she wasn't swarmed with the media.
"He sure is!" Togata placed his hands on his hip, similar to All Might's signature pose. Even after the two-hour flight and a thirty-minute train ride, he was still as lively and cheerful as ever.
Tsukauchi laughed. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways." He shifted the coat in his arm to a better position, placing his hat on top of his head. He glanced over to the three teens. "Please head home and get some rest. It's been a long week for all of you, hasn't it?" he advised and they gave a nod.
"Eh, I was thinking to visit Class Rep and the others before heading home." The brunette answered sheepishly even after Tsukauchi advising them to take it easy. She did promised Iida, Midoriya and Todoroki a visit to heal them. "Wanna come with?" she looked over to her classmate, a grin on her face.
The black bird nodded. "It doesn't hurt to pay a visit, though I must say I cannot stay for long."
"It's okay! Same for me too!"
Aizawa decided to cut in. "Sorry to break it, but they should be discharged by today." he informed. He had expected Leonhart would drag Tokoyami along to visit his three other students. Due to their injuries and reckless behavior, they were suspended from their internships as punishment. "Better to check first before going."
The brunette blinked, "Ah, yeah, I forgot." she gave a short laugh as she pulled out her phone. She texted Iida a quick message and not a minute later, she received a reply from him. Her eyes seem to lit up when she finished reading the message. "Class rep said they're still at the hospital until 5! We can still make it." she stated, glancing over to look at Tokoyami.
"Then it's best if we depart now." Tokoyami nodded.
"I can't come along, but send my regards to your friends!" Togata said and both of them gave a nod.
"Thanks for everything, Mr. Tsukauchi!"
Said man smiled at them, raising his hat in reply.
Tokoyami and Leonhart turned to look at Nighteye, who was quiet through the whole conversation. They both bowed, showing their gratitude and respect for him. "Thank you for everything, Sir! We appreciate everything you taught us!" the brunette spoke for the both of them, a smile on her face. "It has been an honor working alongside you." the bird-boy continued.
The corner of Nighteye's lips twitched up to a smile. "It was a pleasure working with the both of you as well." he placed his hands on their shoulder, giving a congratulating pat. He will admit it, both students performed more than he expected and proved to be just what everyone described. "Take care of your juniors, Mirio." he said to his intern.
Togata gave a salute comedically. "Sir, yes, Sir!"
"I'll be taking back your hero costumes." Aizawa said and his students exchanged glances. Before their internship, they were informed to return their hero costumes on the day they go back to school, but since he was here, he decided to take them back with him. "You too, Togata." he turned to look at the blond.
"Sorry for the trouble!"
"Thank you, Eraserhead!" Togata thanked.
"You're dismissed. Don't be late for class tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
Normally, after a big incident involving students, U.A. would debrief them immediately, but for now, Aizawa let both of his students go. Neither of the pros questioned his students about the events that happened days ago. He understood why. Even though they wanted answers, they didn't want to pressure the teens after what they've been through.
"Oh, Tsukuyomi! Hikari!" Hawks called out to both of his interns when he saw them walking back towards the automatic gates. They turned to look at him and waved their hand from a distance, opting not to bother their mentor's time with his fans. "Sorry, sorry! Excuse me, ladies and gents." he maneuvered his way through the crowd, careful not to knock any of his fans with his wings.
"Oh! Aren't they Hawks' sidekicks?"
"I think they're his interns?"
"Hey, that bird-boy placed 3rd in the U.A. Sports Festival, right?"
"I think I've seen that girl from somewhere..."
Hawks heard the whispers and laughed. "Well, look at you guys! You're famous already!" he said, standing in front of his interns with a carefree smile on his lips. "Anyways, you guys leaving already? I thought Lemillion was with you too?" he asked changing the topic.
Leonhart gave a nod. "Mirio-senpai's taking the bus." they had parted ways since Togata wanted to give the souvenirs he bought from Fukuoka directly to his friend. Her senior had asked her to send his regard to Iida and the other for a speedy recovery and he's sorry he couldn't come along. It was a bit weird since Togata never really met any of her friends, but she thought it was sweet of him to pay attention. "Thanks for taking care of us for the whole week! It was really awesome working with you!" she thanked him casually, giving a double thumbs-up.
"It was an honor to fight alongside you, Hawks-sensei." Tokoyami said.
"Sensei? Pffft! C'mon, there's no need to call me that." Hawks snorted at the nickname 'teacher' Tokoyami gave him. Of course, he took them under his wings and taught them what he knew, but he wasn't like Aizawa. His teachings were more practical than theoretical. He felt as if he didn't really teach them anything, other than showing them what's the hero job is like. "By the way, I'm still around Musutafu for a couple of days, if you two feel up for it, let's meet up and I'll treat you some yakitori before I leave." he took out his phone, opening a messaging app.
"That'll be awesome! Thanks!"
Leonhart Hikari and Tokoyami Fumikage has been added to the chat
They did exchanged numbers when they first met for emergency purpose, but Hawks never really thought he would get along with his interns.
"Alright! Enjoy you day and I'll see you two later!" Hawks pocketed his phone and pointed finger guns at them. "Stay outta trouble, kids!" he waved them goodbye as they went through the automatic gates.
"They're not five-year old kids."
Hawks slid his visor up, glancing over his shoulder to look at the taller male. "Hmm, it's kinda ironic that you also treat them like little kids, Eraser." a smirk curled up to his lips when Aizawa didn't reply back. He chuckled, taking his visor off and putting it away inside his jacket. "Whatever—Hey, is our ride here yet?"
Aizawa pointed his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the loudmouth hero. He turned around on his heels without uttering another word to the pro hero. The man is a professional hero in the top 3—he doesn't need to be told to follow him. They were scheduled for a meeting with the principal at one in the afternoon and he disliked tardiness.
"Hey~ No.3 Hero! Sorry I was late! Traffic was so bad!" Present Mic greeted the hero in half English and half Japanese as he dramatically pointed finger guns at him.
Hawks laughed it off. "Not a problem!" he answered back in English. He understood English well enough. As a pro hero in the top three, he would receive requests from abroad to help other heroes in need. "Let's get going! Can't keep the principal waiting now, right?"
It wasn't actually a long ride to the famous hero school.
With Present Mic and Hawks chatting through the whole ride, it felt longer than it's supposed to for Aizawa. It made him wish he had taken the cab instead.
Principal Nezu have requested to have a meeting with Tsukauchi and their students' respective mentors about the events that occurred. U.A. agreed to let first year students, Tokoyami and Leonhart, on a recon mission as it was also a request from the hero commission. As it turned out, the recon mission became a situation similar to USJ. There was no clear evidence the attack was arranged by the League, but everyone had a hunch that it was.
Hawks whistled as he tilted his chin up. "Hoo~ it's actually bigger than I expected." He stood in front of the car, admiring the tall H-shaped building. It was his first time stepping on U.A. grounds. He had never attended the Sports Festival and neither has he joined a conference based in Musutafu. Afterall, he was a very busy man.
"Let's not keep everyone waiting." Nighteye pushed his glasses up, walking past the blond, followed by Tsukauchi and Aizawa.
"See you all later!" Present Mic shouted as his task was only to drive the heroes to U.A. A few robots came to take the brief cases from the trunk, complaining all the way in a robotic voice.
Hawks tailed after the others.
The hallways were basically the same, the only thing different were the doors painted according to the classes. Heroics, General Education, Support and finally Management. Other facilities in the building includes indoor gyms, art studios, and that was only the rooms they walked past. They continued walking to the North side of the building and there were less rooms.
"Welcome, welcome!" A cheerful voice greeted them when Aizawa opened the door. A white mouse was inside the room, sitting on one of the blue swivel chairs. There was another in the room—an elderly woman, Recovery Girl to be exact. "Please take a seat! We'll begin the meeting shortly!" he directed his paw to the open chairs.
"Hey~ Nice to meet you face to face, Mr. Principal." The number 3 greeted casually.
Principal Nezu gave a nod as Tsukauchi prepared a few documents. "Indeed! I thank you for taking our students under your wing, Hawks! You as well, Sir!" he said.
"No sweat! The kids were adorable." Hawks took a seat, his wings tucked behind his back. The atmosphere was tense despite the principal's warm greeting. He took off his headphones, placing it around his neck as his visor was tucked inside his jacket. "They're pretty tough—went way beyond my expectations, really!" he laughed, leaning his arms on the table.
"Though as curious as I am about the mission, we would like to know about the well-being of our students first." The Principal said, his paws folded neatly. "How are Tokoyami and Leonhart?"
"They're fine. I supposed Leonhart's quirk healed everything." Hawks replied.
"You supposed?" Aizawa parroted, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the birdman.
Hawks ignored the tone, but nodded his head. "Yup. Her healing quirk doesn't seem to work on others except on herself when dealing with Trigger and the quirk erasing drug." he was a great observer—one of the best even. "She tried to cure Tokoyami, but it didn't work until after she knocked him out." he continued.
"It's a possibility that some healing quirks only work on the user under certain circumstances. In this case, substances like Trigger that alter one's Quirk." Recovery Girl explained.
The winged hero hummed. "But it's strange don't you think? She was injected with the quirk erasing drug first and yet she can still heal herself." It all clicked when the villain finally revealed what was inside the substance. They didn't have a sample to the drug even from the raid, but judging from the villain's reaction to her immunity—the drug was supposed to work on everyone. "Her quirk, it's Dream, right?"
"What exactly is it?"
"It allows her to create Spirits—the physical embodiments of her dreams." Aizawa began. He remembered the exact same thing Leonhart said when they were observing her. It was not that hard to understand. She can imagine colorful animals and gave them a physical form. "She can borrow their abilities as her own and summon two animals in a certain amount of time depending on her stamina." he finished.
Aizawa knew all of his students' quirk. He was their homeroom teacher.
"Two? She could summon four." Nighteye corrected.
"Four?"
"Ah yes. At that time, I didn't realize it, but now when I look back, Ms. Leonhart indeed summoned another pair while keeping the previous two." Tsukauchi added, a smile on his face. The Lion Spirit was the one that kept him safe from the Shadows when he couldn't protect himself. "She improved a lot—to be able to push herself past her limit."
"I was kinda wondering if you also knew about her being able to summon weapons?" Hawks asked the black-haired man. "Like swords and guns?"
"My students mentioned it before, yes."
Recovery Girl gave a concerned look. "Is there something wrong?"
"This is related to what happened at Gunkanjima. Please allow me to begin," Nighteye folded his hands, his gaze straight and serious. Both him and Hawks have talked it over once after the mission. They caught a few things they think are still a mystery. "I suppose you're all aware of the legend Gunkanjima holds?"
Principal Nezu hummed. "The Shadows, correct?"
Nighteye gave a nod. "Before we arrived, Officer Tanaka Hideki mentioned the ghost story. Leonhart's initial reaction was fear, but as the story progressed and more details are told, she seemed to realize something—almost like she knew the existence of the Shadows beforehand."
"Are you implying that Leonhart knew the existence of the biologically engineered Nomus?" The white mouse asked.
"Yes." The man answered firmly. "She had warned us about another lingering presence when we arrived, but we didn't find any until later when the villains appeared."
"I see."
"But we believe the Shadows are not Nomus." Tsukauchi hand out the documents to everyone. It was all data they can find about the Trigger, recent activities, villains and of course drawings of the creatures. They didn't have time to take pictures of the creatures when they were too busy fighting for their lives. "They don't share the same characteristic. The villains who were in control were not connected to the League of Villains at all."
Aizawa skimmed through the pages, looking through the information briefly before stopping to look at the drawings of the creatures. Some were simple looking and some looked like a modified version of the first one. The last one—the Shadow that looked like a Rhino, it was similar in a way to Leonhart's Dreams.
"One of the villains got turned into the Shadows and tried to kill Leonhart." Hawks glanced over to look at Aizawa who averted his gaze the moment he mentioned his student's name. "Luckily, we were able to stop him in the end."
"What happened to the villain?" Aizawa narrowed his eyes.
"He disappeared."
Until now, the villain Rhino was still missing. The last thing they saw from the man was a pink crystalized heart.
"It, them, the Shadows—they were all coming after her no matter how much we tried to distract them. I think—No. I know it's her sword. It was like a beacon for those things." Hawks held up a single red feather, twiddling it around between his fingers.
Tsukauchi glanced down to the paper. "Gunkanjima is currently undergoing investigation. From what we gathered from the villains, the island was used as a research facility. The Shadows were a gift from a man who offered them as weapons, but unfortunately, the plan backfired. The creatures attacked everyone and turned them to one of their own."
"Until now, we have no luck of finding anything that would lead us to the research facility."
Hawks crossed his arms, leaning back a little. "There would be another investigation scheduled next week and the Hero Commission wants Leonhart to join since she seemed like the expert to deal with these creatures." he informed. He disliked it really. Dragging little kids into a battle they're not supposed to face.
"I oppose." Aizawa was the first to voice out his opinion.
Hawks smiled. "I thought so."
"What are they thinking? Dragging a child into a battlefield!" Recovery Girl huffed.
Principal Nezu nodded. "Yes, yes, we won't allow any of our students to go on such a dangerous mission." It's true that U.A. has a direct connection with the Hero Commission, but that doesn't mean U.A. would listen to a request that would endanger the students. "Worry not, Hawks, Sir Nighteye! I shall speak to the Hero Commision myself about this matter." he reassured, raising his paw as a smile appeared on his face.
Why Leonhart?
What do those creatures want with her?
Aizawa placed the papers down. A thought came into mind.
"I'm sure you've noticed she's hesitant in her actions."
"She's always holding back against her friends."
"Has there been an accident that led her to have that sort of thought?"
"The Nightmares."
"Pardon?" Nighteye turned to look at the students' homeroom teacher, an eyebrow raised.
Aizawa remembered the conversation between her mother and Ienzo. "Leonhart doesn't have control over Nightmares, but there was a similar type of quirk in contrast to hers." he repeated the words he heard from Ienzo. "Her mother mentioned the man is in custody, but he left traumatic scars on her."
It was all coming together.
How Leonhart knew the existence of the monsters beforehand. How those creatures seemed to be going after her instead. She had faught against the Shadows before.
"Whoa, hold up—she never told me anything about this." Hawks held his hand up to pause the conversation. The girl never mentioned anything about a traumatic experience. She was always so upbeat and easygoing that it was impossible to tell she experienced something traumatic.
Nighteye frowned, lowering his gaze down to his hands. "It's possibly a sensitive topic for her to discuss."
"Oh, poor child..." Recovery Girl sighed softly.
Principal Nezu hummed. "I see... I suspect Leonhart doesn't want to let others know about the existence of the Shadows. If we question her now, she would just find an excuse to cover her past." his eyes looked around and all of them seemed to agree with his statement. "I suggest we do our own investigation of the Shadows before asking Leonhart herself."
The number 3 hero agreed. "Sounds like a plan."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Hosu General Hospital
"307...307...307... Ah, found it!"
"I would suggest keeping your voice down, Leonhart. We are in a hospital."
"Whoops! Sorry, sorry!"
Midoriya could hear voices from the outside of their room. He was informed by Iida that both Leonhart and Tokoyami would come and visit them before they were discharged later in the afternoon. He was touched to hear his classmates visiting them right after returning from their internship.
The door slid open. "Oh, hey, Midoriya!" the cheerful brunette greeted as she walked inside the room with Tokoyami following from behind. The green-haired boy was the first one she saw when she opened the door. She went over towards his bed, glancing around to look at the other two patients inside the room. "How are yall doing?" she asked.
Iida stood up from the bed. "Greetings, Leonhart, Tokoyami! We're doing well, thank you very much for asking! We thank you for taking your time to come and visit us!" he answered with equal enthusiasm. He marched over towards Midoriya's bed and quickly gave a 90 degree bow. "I believe a proper apology is in order! Apologizing over the phone is quite an improper thing to do!"
"Iida, you're too loud." Todoroki said apathetically.
"It's okay, Class rep! There's no need for it actually." Leonhart replied, laughing sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her neck.
Midoriya smiled. "How was your internship with Hawks?" he asked curiously. He knew of the incident in Fukuoka involving a Trigger addict. It was one of their first big news. The next thing he knew, both Tokoyami and Leonhart were in the headlines about being caught in a fight with thugs and monsters. "We heard you got into a couple of cases. Are you two alright?"
Tokoyami and Leonhart exchanged glances. "We're indeed fine. Our internship was eventful, so to speak." the bird-boy answered for the both of them. They were told to keep the information about the mission a secret. "I could ask the same to all three of you." his red eyes looked over to the bandages wrapped around their limbs.
"It's must've been tough..." Leonhart stared at them with a concern look.
"We were suspended from our internship." Todoroki said bluntly.
"Whoa! No way! Really?" Leonhart pursed her lips. "I wanna apologize for ranting you guys out to Mr. Aizawa, but then again..."
"No, no!" Midoriya shook his head, waving his hand in front of his face. "We should really be thanking you for giving Mr. Aizawa the location. If it weren't for you, we would've been goners..." he trailed off, his eyes darting between Iida and Todoroki.
The three of them kept on glancing at each other.
Tokoyami and Leonhart noticed the atmosphere around their classmates. It was suddenly quiet and all three stared at the girl with a worried look. They were making her uneasy with how they looked at her.
"Is there something wrong?" Tokoyami asked.
Todoroki was the first to speak, breaking the awkward silence between the three. "Leonhart... The Hero Killer, what does he want with you?" he asked straightly to the point.
The green-haired boy turned his head sharply. "To—Todoroki!" Aizawa did advised them not to tell Leonhart anything about the Hero Killer, but he didn't specifically say anything about asking Leonhart questions either. As curious as he was, he rather not make her feel terrified with the idea of a serial killer going after her.
"I dunno. What does he want with me?" Leonhart returned the question, making everyone in the room look at her with a deadpan look. She knew the real reason why the Hero Killer is after her. It was her status as a keyblade wielder, but the reason behind it, she doesn't know. "I never even met him in my life!"
"What?" Midoriya blinked. He thought she knew.
Todoroki continued, "Then you also don't know about the key?"
"...the key to my house?"
There was a moment of silence.
"I believe they're not talking about the key to your quarters, Leonhart." Tokoyami stared at his friend with an impassive look. Sometimes, he couldn't tell if she was just joking or not.
Leonhart pouted childishly. "Well, they have to be more specific about it too." she argued childishly. She definitely knew which key Todoroki was implying about, but they weren't ready to know the truth yet. All of them were not. "It could be the keys to my house, my locker, my diary, my room—" she listed off the possible answers, lifting up a finger for each option.
The bi-colored haired boy sighed. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Midoriya laughed nervously, moving his arm.
"Oh yeah, your injuries! Don't worry, I can heal those for you—" Leonhart paused when Iida raised his right hand.
"I appreciate it, Leonhart, but I would like to refuse." Iida stared at the brunette, his lips set in a thin line. He had received the diagnosis of his left arm. It would leave a permanent damage even with Recovery Girl's healing. He knew Leonhart's healing could probably heal the damage just like how it saved his brother from paralysis. But... "When I found the Hero Killer, my mind went blank. I should've told Manual before doing anything else."
The brunette heard about this from his previous apology.
"My left hand might be permanently damaged because of the Hero Killer, but he wasn't wrong... So, until I succeed in becoming a true hero, my left hand will serve as a reminder." the boy exclaimed, his eyes shining in determination.
"..." Leonhart stared at the bespectacled boy.
As a reminder...
"Ah—umm I'm with Iida. Thank you, Leonhart, but this is something that I have to deal with." The green-haired boy stared at his right hand, his fingers curling to form a fist.
Todoroki agreed. "My injuries are not that bad. So, don't push yourself."
The keyblade wielder understood Iida feelings. Sora, Riku, Kairi... The keyblade war. Her hand touched the crook of her neck, closing her eyes for a brief moment.
The scars on their body were set as a reminder for how horrible a single event could turn out.
They vowed to never let it happen again.
A smiled appeared on her lips as her eyes softened. "I understand."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Dagobah Municipal Beach
It was passed the scheduled time.
All Might looked around in his skinny form for the brunette. He met up with Tsukauchi before meeting the Young was a coincidence that they were able to cross paths when exiting U.A. High school. Since there was still time, he offered a ride to the police station. During the whole ride, Tsukauchi informed him of the events that happened in Gunkanjima.
Tsukauchi suspect that although the villains had no ties to the League, the Shadows do.
The number one hero was surprised to hear everything. It was all new to him, except for Leonhart's abilities. There was a possibility the Shadows were the work of All For One, but there hasn't been a single activity of any black ant-like creatures in the past years.
"Young Leonhart!" The tall man jogged over towards where he saw Leonhart was at. "I apologize for keeping you waiting." he apologized sincerely, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.
Hikari turned around in her seat, greeting her teacher. "No worries! Oh yeah, I bought you a souvenir!" she handed him a paper bag of the souvenir she bought from Fukuoka. "Don't worry about the other teachers. We got something for them too!" she added.
All Might put the bag beside him as he took a seat on the bench. "Ah, thank you, but you shouldn't have..." he laced his fingers together, turning his head to look at the brunette. "How was your internship? You appeared on the news twice, I was worried something bad might've happened..."
Hikari laughed. "It was nothing I can't handle. The internship's great though—Hawks' a pretty ok guy."
"That's great to hear. It's been awhile since I've talked with Young Hawks. I hope he's doing well." All Might smiled. The young man was the youngest pro hero to reach the top ten, so of course he sometimes worries over the younger heroes.
The brunette blew a raspberry. "Pssh! He's doing well. If he can still eat a bucket of chicken nuggets for lunch, then he's fine." she joked with a snigger passed her lips.
All Might chuckled at her joke.
The brunette's grin dropped to a frown as she looked down. "I'm sorry for suddenly asking for you time in a short notice. I just want to talk to you about something important." the sun was beginning to set and the streetlight beside them began to flicker on. She opened her phone and gave it to him. "I'll just get straight to the point... Did you know about these?" she asked.
It was a picture of the Shadow.
"They're the Shadows. I heard about them from the news."
"They're... actually called the Heartless." Hikari corrected and she could see the way All Might look at her with curiosity. She didn't need to ask to know what he was thinking. "It's just like the story about what they can do, but as far as I know, these types you've seen aren't... biologically engineered?" she paused for a moment, thinking of the correct word.
"They're purebloods, born from the darkness inside people's hearts. The only way to set the hearts free is to defeat them with the keyblade. The engineered ones are the ones that has an emblem on them—like this one." Hikari swiped the screen, showing him the picture of an Emblem Heartless.
All Might's grip on her phone tightened, his bright blue eyes staring at the picture of the Shadow—the Heartless before averting his gaze to look at the girl sitting beside him. "Young Leonhart... how do you know all of this?"
"My master told me about them and I... fought them before. They tend to be in secluded and dark places and always attack in groups." Hikari explained, turning to look at her teacher with a reassuring smile. "I thought it would be best to tell you of the things these bug-eyed creeps are capable of."
The pro hero returned her phone. "I see... Thank you for trusting me with this information, Young Leonhart." he said, a smile across his features.
"I was wondering if you know the person who could be summoning the Heartless in the first place." the keyblade wielder asked, staring at her phone. Xehanort? The League of Villains? Pete? Some other villains she should know about? "The villains said that the Heartless are from a guy. They were trying to turn the Heartless into weapons."
All Might glanced around, making sure there was no one around them.
"Young Leonhart."
"Yeah?"
"What I'm about to tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone?"
Hikari nodded. She could feel the mood turning a 180 degree. She never actually seen All Might so tense and serious—the only time he was ever like this was when he asked her if she's a wielder.
All Might took a deep breath. "Back then, it was a time when society still hadn't managed to adapt to the changes." he began. Everyone knew about this—it was written in the Knowpedia and textbooks. "The norms of what it meant to be human suddenly collapsed and with that the laws became meaningless."
"Ah..." Hikari knew about this. It was one of the first things she found out about the City of Heroes.
The world wasn't always a world with quirks. It all began with the first person, a newborn baby, to manifest a Quirk in the city of Qingqing, China. Some people theorize the cause of Quirks were spread by a virus carried by mice. People didn't know what to do with the sudden change as more people began to develop quirks.
The blond man continued,
"In that age of confusion and disorder, one man took the initiative and brought people together. He would steal quirks from those who did not want them and give Quirks to those that did.
Through his overwhelming power he spread the influence of his organization. He was responsible for manipulating so many into committing wicked acts. And before long, he had taken over Japan—a true lord of evil." All Might explained.
Hikari pursed her lips. The man sounded so similar—scarily similar to Xehanort.
"6 years ago—I finally brought the villain down. Or so we thought..." All Might's hand moved to touch the scar on his left side. He lowered his gaze, his bright blue eyes closed. "He survived. And now he's on the move again as the brains behind the League of Villains."
"A man promised him custody of a wielder, but alas the promise was never fulfilled." All Might remembered their fight when All for One mentioned how he has waited for so long, but he was willing to wait more for he is a very patient man. "But now..."
"Eh, you think that promised wielder is me?!" Hikari exclaimed, her eyes wide as she tried to process everything. If Xehanort or whoever it is did met this villain and promised a wielder, she doubts it would be her. She wasn't even born. "The man who promised this villain, do you know who he is?" she cleared her throat, calming down a little.
All Might shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
Hikari hummed, crossing her arms as she closed her eyes, her eyebrows knitted in thought. "I... think I might have an idea who he is..."
"You do?"
"But can you keep a secret?"
All Might blinked before nodding his head.
"I think it was Xehanort. He's just like this villain you described." Hikari huffed out, a frown on her lips. "I think their reasons clashed, but to summon Kingdom Hearts... Xehanort needed more hearts. So maybe, that's why he summoned those Heartless to this—island..." she stopped herself there, realizing that she almost slipped and told him about the existence of other worlds.
"Kingdom Hearts?"
"It's a... source of great power and wisdom?" the heart of all worlds was left unsaid. She gave a nervous laugh, "I don't think you knew about this. It's a really an old legend. I wouldn't even know if my Master didn't tell me."
All Might waited for her to continue.
"There was an ancient war called the Keyblade War."
The pro hero's eyes widened. "The... Keyblade War..." he repeated. The only keyblade wielder he knew was Leonhart and the man in league with All for One. To know there was an ancient war of keyblade wielders, it surprised him greatly.
"Everyone fought over the X-blade—the keyblade that can control Kingdom Hearts. The war took everything into darkness and the keyblade was shattered into twenty pieces, seven pure lights and thirteen pure darkness, and the true Kingdom Hearts disappeared." Hikari explained, holding up seven fingers.
"Xehanort wanted to unlock the mysteries of the Keyblade War's end. He wanted to recreate the X-blade and summon Kingdom Hearts to set off another Keyblade war. His goal was to recreate a world as a balance place between light and darkness."
"And this man, Xehanort did he...?"
"Succeed? Almost, but nope! We put an end to his plans!" Hikari said proudly, a grin on her face.
"Almost...?" All Might's eyes widened in realization. "The Keyblade War—he managed to recreate it and you—!" the words couldn't come out, almost as if his tongue was tied.
The brunette smiled at him. She looked to the beach, staring at the horizon as her hand touched the crook of her neck. "But we won. He's not a problem now. What's the problem is what he might have left behind and I'm going to stop it."
"Young Leonhart..."
All Might place his hand on the top of the brunette's head, giving a comforting embrace. "To face all of that at such a young age... You've been through a lot." his voice sounded so strained, as if he was trying to stop himself from bursting out of anger. "If only I had known, I would—!" he gritted his teeth.
Hikari patted the man's arm and pulled away from the gentle embrace. "Eh, it's not your fault, All Might. Don't beat yourself down for something you don't know." she smiled and looked down to her hand.
Her journey began that day when Ventus came to Destiny Islands. She had a chance to back down from accepting her role as a keyblade wielder when Mickey offered to pass down the keyblade to her, but she took it as a step further, something that she has to take. The Guardians of Light won and stopped the worlds from resetting. Although they had to face many more obstacles even after the war, they finally found peace and they tend to keep it that way.
"I choose to continue being a wielder to protect those who matters to me. So, if this villain guy thinks of using my keyblade for bad, he can just—just forget it!" Hikari stood up from the bench, a determined look across her face.
All Might couldn't help but smile. "Young Leonhart..."
"Oh yeah! You haven't seen my keyblade yet, right?"
"Not in public!"
"Ahaha! Kidding, kidding!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The next day, 07:50 AM
Hikari didn't know how, but she woke up earlier than the usual.
After talking to All Might at Dagobah Beach, he offered to drive her home in his pick-up truck. She felt a bit relieved she could talk about the problem with someone from the City of Heroes.
"Oh, hey, Shinsou!" The brunette shouted as she spotted the familiar purple-haired boy. He was on his bicycle, waiting for the light to go green. She frowned when the boy didn't reply to her greeting. She quickly jogged up to catch up with him before the light turns green. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Hey—Oi—You're wearing earphones!" she gasped when she noticed the earphones sticking in his ear.
"Oh, morning." Shinsou has to admit, he was surprised when someone suddenly touched his shoulder. He thought it was some random guy trying to rob him. He took the earphone out from his ear. "Long time no see, Ms. Foreigner. You're early, what happened in your internship to make you not late?" he greeted casually, the same tired look in his eyes.
"What does that supposed to mean? And don'tcha know it's against the law to wear earphones while riding a bike?" Hikari chided with a know-it-all look.
Shinsou snorted, the corner of his lips turning to a smirk. "I'll wear headphones next time."
"Hey! That's—ughhhh!" Hikari let out a frustrated growl before sighing deeply. For once, she was trying to act smart and yet Shinsou managed to come up with a smart comeback. She huffed out, blowing her bangs. "Goor morning to you too."
"How was your internship?" The purple haired boy asked as he got off his bike. The light turned green and they both continued walking to school. "Saw you on the news a few times."
Hikari shrugged. "What can I say? The news loves this face." she joked, pulling one of Eugene's smolder look with a hand beneath her chin. She laughed when Shinsou spluttered, chuckling at her face. "But yeah, the internship went well. Hawks was well... Hawks. He's nicer in person though!"
"Very nice description." Shinsou replied sarcastically. He realized his friend wasn't exactly the best when giving descriptions.
"Haha, very funny... Oh! I got you souvenirs too!" Hikari raised the paper bag she has been holding up for him to see. "...let's wait until you park your bike." she sniggered when she saw Shinsou was struggling to push his bike up the hill.
"...shut up." Shinsou grunted. "Why is the school up in the hill anyway?"
"I dunno. Who decided to use their bike in the first place?"
"I don't know, it's called saving money?"
Hikari tapped her chin. "...touché." she glanced over to look at him. "Hey, did you start on your training?" she asked curiously.
"I do jogs, but that's it. Can't think of anything else."
"Wanna start on that hero training 101 today?" The brunette gave an enthusiastic look. She has been looking forward to teach Shinsou what she knew about hero training. She asked Sora if he remembers what Phil put him through, but she knew how hardcore his program is, so she decided to tone it down and mix it with Leon's. "We don't have 7th period on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays!" she informed.
The boy beside her blinked. "Sure..." he seriously thought she had forgotten about their promise, but then again, she did remember the little things she promised—like bringing him a souvenir and such. "Did you ask the teacher for permission to use the gym?"
Hikari stiffened. "Eh... err... I'll ask Mr. Aizawa! Don't worry!" she laughed, giving a reassuring look. She waiting for him to park his bike before they both walked towards the building. "How was your week though?"
Shinsou shifted his bag, holding the strap. "It was... meh. Nothing interesting happened."
"Heh, that's because I'm not around—!" Hikari gave a smug look, but she was cut off when Shinsou elbowed her on her arm. "What? It's true!" she huffed out childishly as she changed to her indoor shoes.
"Yeah, yeah," Shinsou closed his shoe locker, shoving his hand into his pocket. Hikari gave him the bag of souvenirs when they reached his classroom. "See you at lunch then." he raised his hand.
"Yeah! See you at lunch!" Hikari bumped her fist with him before going towards her own classroom.
"What's this?" there was a sudden weight on her back. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders, giving a hug. "Are you and the gen ed student a thing?" Ashido giggled, poking Hikari's cheek a few times.
"Morning, Mina." Hikari greeted. "And Shinsou's just a friend."
Ashido clicked her tongue, and waved her finger. "Tsk, tsk! Just a friend, eh?"
Hikari rolled her eyes playfully.
"Ah, good morning, Ashido, Leonhart." Yaoyorozu greeted. Surprisingly, the only one who was missing from the classroom was Bakugou. Everyone was already inside the classroom, chatting about how their internship went.
"Move you extras!"
"Geez, Bakugou, do you have to be so—?!" Hikari stopped, staring at the boy's hair. She could visibly see the veins popping left and right on his forehead.
"Not a word! Say anything and I'll blast you!" The usually pom-pom-haired boy threatened. His hair was styled differently today, gelled to perfection.
Kirishima and Sero were the first out to burst out in laughter. "Really,Bakugou?!"
"Stop laughing! It's just stuck like this, even after a good washing!" Bakugou shouted, his hands shaking and itching to hit the two for laughing at him. "Keep it up and I'll murder the both of you!"
Hikari and Ashido walked around the bickering trio, avoiding the fight. They walked towards the back. "Morning!" Hikari greeted the black-haired girl as she placed her bag on her desk. "How did your internship go?" she asked as the girls circled around their tables.
Yaoyorozu looked down. "It... went well... Just patrol and... other things..."
'Doesn't seem well...'
"It was great, but boring! We didn't take down any villains!" Ashido complained, slumping her shoulders.
"We dealt with a robbery... but it was just evacuation procedures and logistical support. No real fighting." Jirou replied, twiddling with her earphone jack.
Ashido pouted. "But that's still awesome!"
Hikari grinned, turning her head to the other brunette. "How was yours Ochako—?"
Uraraka stood beside her desk with a fighting stance, a fired-up aura around her. She looked as if she was ready to take down any villain. "It was very... instructive."
Asui placed her finger on her chin. "Ochako had some sort of awakening." she smiled before Jirou asked her about her own internship. "For me, it was just training and patrol for me. Though one time, we did catch some foreign smugglers." she croaked.
"Whoa! That's awesome!" Ashido commented. "Oh yeah! You and Tokoyami were with Hawks, right? What is he like? And we saw you guys took down a few villains! I'm so jealous!" she puffed out her cheeks childishly, waving her hands up and down.
Hikari leaned against her chair. "It was great, right, Tokoyami?" she glanced over to look at the bird boy who walked towards her table. He gave a nod, though he didn't say anything else. "We weren't allowed to do much though and Hawks was the one doing all the action." she lied and Tokoyami didn't correct her.
It was something they agreed on.
"Oh! Tokoyami and I got all of you a little something! Take one each, okay?" Hikari pulled out a box of souvenirs, opening it for her classmates to take.
"Oh! Thanks, guys!" Kaminari took one, grinning. "Now, if you wanna talk about the most action pack internship, that'd be you guys, right?" he turned his head to look at the trip around Todoroki's table.
"Yeah, yeah! The Hero Killer!"
"I was so worried."
"But Endeavor came and saved you, right? That's our number 2 hero for you!"
Todoroki averted his gaze. "Right... we were saved."
"I saw that on the news..." Ojiro began. "They think the Hero Killer's connected to the League of Villains, right? I hate to think how things could've turned out if a scary guy like him showed up at USJ at that time..."
Midoriya gulped. If Stain was at USJ, he didn't know what could happen to his friend. He glanced over to look at Leonhart who noticed his concerned look. She smiled at him, giving reassurance.
"—kind of cool, don't you think?"
"Kaminari...!"
"Huh? Ah! Sorry, Iida!" Kaminari quickly apologized for his bluntness.
Iida raised his left arm. "No... it's fine. He's certainly a man on conviction. So if some people think he's cool... I get that. But his convictions have led him to conclude that society requires a purge. And no matter what one's motives are that's just wrong.
So that no others like myself emerge and suffer my fate, I will correct my course and walk the path of a true hero!"
Hikari smiled.
"But what about the wielder mentioned in the video?" Ojiro brought up, his tail moving behind him.
"Oh yeah! The person the Hero Killer is after! Who do you think it is?"
"To have such villains go after them..."
"The video's kinda shady don't you think?"
"We don't even know what a wielder is."
"I bet they're really scary! Did you hear about what they can do?!" Mineta nibbled on his nails.
The brunette frowned, squinting her eyes. 'Aye, that's me you guys are talking about.'
"But I think that's just the rumors!" Uraraka said positively. "We can't judge! The wielder might be someone really nice!"
'Ah Ochako... you're so nice.'
Iida pushed his glasses up. "Indeed! But now, class is about to start! Get to your seats!"
As if on cue, the door slides open and Aizawa entered the classroom. "Good morning, class..." he greeted and the students replied back. He stood behind the podium, eyes glancing around the classroom to do a quick count of his students. All of his students were present in the classroom—even the tardy Leonhart. "I'll be taking attendance... Aoyama—"
After all of his 21 students' name were called and checked, he placed the clipboard down.
"First things first, welcome back. I hope all of you had a pleasant time during your internship." Aizawa's voice lazily drawls out. A few of his students seemed to react differently, perhaps some of them didn't enjoy their time with the pros their interned with. "I'm sure all of you learned something valuable from your mentor. Use the knowledge you obtained to take another step further in becoming a pro hero."
His students nodded at his advice.
"Now for the announcements. The 5th and 6th period are cancelled. Head to the auditorium when lunch time is over."
The students voiced out their confusion.
"Huh? Cancelled?"
"I wonder what for?"
Hikari blinked in confusion, but she wasn't complaining. It means there're won't be a math lesson on a Monday.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Hero training with All Might was interesting.
They raced through the miniature city to 'rescue' him and see which one could reach to him first.
Hikari happened to finish first in her group, beating Todoroki by five seconds. She was proud her achievement. With field gamma's setting, it was easy for her to use Flow Motion and made her way towards All Might.
"Oh! You already finished changing, Hikari?" Hagakure asked, her voice showing her amazement to find the brunette already in her school uniform. "You're so quick!"
"Yeah!" Hikari replied, closing the locker's door. "I need to go to the teacher's office before lunch starts!"
"Is there something wrong, Leonhart?" Yaoyorozu asked, brushing her long black hair.
Hikari shook her head. "Nah, I just need to ask permission to use the gym. I promised a friend I would help them out with their training." she said truthfully.
Ashido giggled behind her hand. "A friend, hmm?" she teased, nudging Hikari's side with her elbow. The brunette gave her a dirty look and she grinned even more. "We won't bother you! We just want details! Isn't that right, girls?"
Hagakure nodded her head, her gloves moving around. "Yeah!" she cheered.
"I don't know how training would be interesting to describe... but sure? But only if they agree for me to share." Hikari laughed, lifting the brief case up and placing it on the spot the robot would take for cleaning. "I'll see you later then?"
Uraraka nodded. "Yeah! See you later, Hikari!"
Hikari closed the curtain again before opening the door. The hallways were empty since the other classes still have ten more minutes until the bell rang. Out of nowhere, she suddenly heard Mineta's cry. She looked back to the hallway before continuing on her way to the teacher's office. It was probably something he deserve.
Knock knock
"Come in!" Midnight's voice was heard from the other side. "Ah, Leonhart! Aren't you supposed to be in class?" she asked.
Hikari walked inside the room, a sheepish smile on her lips. "Mr. All Might let us out early." she answered. The teacher's room was almost empty except for Midnight and a few other teachers.
"Eraserhead's still teaching a class. Is there something you want to ask or pass a message?" Midnight crossed her legs as the brunette walked closer to her. Most of the teachers were either preparing for the presentation after lunch or they were teaching a class.
"Oh, umm, I was just wondering if I could use the gym after school?"
Midnight blinked. "Of course. All students can use the facility U.A. has. As long you're done by 7pm, you're allowed to use any training room." she smiled. A lot of students from the department of heroics use their gyms and training facilities. It was a common question, but rarely asked by first years during the first few months. "I'll be sure to pass the message to Aizawa too, so enjoy your lunch time!"
"Thank you, Ms. Midnight!"
"Be sure not to be late for the assembly!"
The brunette nodded her head.
'That was easy... I thought I have to fill out some forms to borrow the gym...' Hikari thought as she walked down the hall. As someone from the baseball club, she was the one who would sometimes go to the teacher's office and ask for permission to use the field for team practice. She grabbed her phone and checked the time. Only a few minutes left until the bell. 'I still have time to go to the bathroom before meeting up with Shinsou.' she pocketed her phone before heading to the closest bathroom.
It was after she went to the bathroom that she heard someone calling her name.
"Ah! Hikari!"
"Oh! Mirio-senpai—?" Hikari turned around to greet the familiar voice, but she stopped when she saw two new people following behind her senior. A black-haired boy and a blue-haired girl. 'Mirio's friends?'
"How are you doing? Well, right?" Togata laughed comically, his hands on his hips. Before Hikari could answer, the blue-haired girl already came up to her, leaning closely to look at her face.
"Hey, hey, is this the kouhai you're talking about, Togata?" the girl asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She tilted her eyes, a big smile on her face when she noticed Hikari's eyes. "Ah! Your eyes are so pretty! They're blue! Like the sky! And maybe the sea? Oh! What does your quirk do? I heard it has something to do with animals. Do you have a dragon?" she bombarded her with questions.
The first word to describe the girl. Bubbly.
"Err..." Hikari raised a finger, trying to answer the girl's questions.
"..." the black-haired boy mumbled something, but it was too inaudible for anyone to hear.
Togata grinned. "Hikari, this is Hadou Nejire and Amajiki Tamaki! My friends!" he introduced, giving an encouraging pat to Amajiki's back. "Nejire, Tamaki, this is Leonhart Hikari, the first year I've been telling you about!"
Hikari shook hands with Hadou, who happily took her hand. "It's nice to meet you Hadou-senpai, Amajiki-senpai." she held out her hand for Amajiki to shake, but the boy seemed to froze up at the sudden gesture.
"Ah, take it, Amajiki!" Hadou giggled, standing beside Hikari.
"Human contact!" Amajiki suddenly screeched, surprising the brunette.
"What?! I know I just went out of the bathroom, but I washed my hands!"
Togata burst out laughing.
"Don't worry, Hikari! Amajiki's just super shy. So, don't be offended if he doesn't want to do a handshake!" Hadou explained cheerfully.
"...sorry."
"I understand..." Hikari and Amajiki exchanged bows instead.
"So, are you heading to the cafeteria too?" Togata asked, changing the topic. "Let's head there together!"
Hikari didn't have time to reply. Hadou was already dragging her towards the cafeteria. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's sit together at lunch, okay?"
"don't force her to do something she doesn't like, Hadou..." Amajiki spoke, his gaze lowered down and hunched over to hide his face.
Hadou pouted, puffing her cheeks out childishly. "C'mon, Amajiki! Aren't you curious? Don't you want to be friends with, Hikari?" she asked him.
"I'm actually going to eat with a friend—so maybe next time?" Hikari laughed nervously. "But you're welcome to join if you want!"
"Really, really? What's your friend like? A girl or a boy?" Hadou asked curiously. "Oh yeah! Have you heard of the assembly after lunch? Let's sit together too!" she reminded, a bubbly smile on her lips.
Hikari rubbed the back of her neck. "I heard about the assembly, but I'm not really sure what it's about. Mr. Aizawa didn't really give us the details." she admitted.
The blond hummed. "I heard it's something really important. Don't tell anyone, but it seems like—" he leaned closer, covering his mouth.
Hadou raised her hand. "Oh! Oh! Can I tell her? Can I tell her?"
"Sure!"
"U.A.'s going to be a boarding school from now on!"
Hikari blinked a few times.
Boarding... school?
A/N: a few things definitely changed!
I know in the manga the dorms is after summer and the All Might vs All for One fight, but I think this is something that would make the story more interesting and different? Haha but anyway, the big three is finally introduced (although a bit earlier than the manga)
I actually drew a scene when the big three met Hikari for the first time. It was just a little thought back then, but I decided to put it into the story lol
There would be a lot of changes to the story, so please look forward to future chapters!