"Hey guys, I'm back! Did you miss me cuz I missed y'all. I'd been super busy since December and the beginning of this month for holiday family gathering stuff but I never forgot about my favorite readers. I'm super happy with the response I got with the last book really, you guys are awesome!
I'm still preparing the other books I spoke about and I'm hoping to update as fast as I can.
As I warned you earlier, this book contains; graphic violence, blood and gore, character death, foul language, some spoilers, however, that doesn't start until later chapters so if you know you're not up to it, then I advice you to back off. Although on the bright side, I've added in the romance genre to spice things up a bit and I want to have Sasuke as part of the main focus in this book so you're gonna see a lot of Sasuke and Bakugou.
Now, without further ado… The Heroes In You (Arise) Chapter One…
A kick, a dodge…
A punch, a block…
Fleeting movements…
An arm is grabbed and the owner is thrown ways back. There are more fleeting movements before forearms clash. Both grin at each other as they pant in excitement of their spar. Cerulean locks with emerald and a glint in the one with the blue eyes causes the green eyed one to take precaution.
In a split second before the blue eyed one could act, he put up a small distance between two of them and did a leg sweep forcing his opponent to jump giving him the opportunity to attack with a kick that sent him back.
The blue eyed one landed safely on his feet and smirked. "Looking good, you're starting to keep up a little now, 'ttebayo!" He bolted towards the younger boy who charged towards him and they clashed once again engaging in hand to hand combat. They had been going at this for about half an hour and both their hoodies were soaked in sweat however; it was evident on their faces that they were enjoying this.
"How will I know I'm keeping up, you're not even going all out." The younger one managed to breathe out as they sparred.
"Oh?" The older boy flashed him an impish grin. "You wanna go all out?"
"Oh, iya iya iya iya, th-that's not what I meant." He sputtered waving his hands in front of him defensively as the older boy leaped back ignoring him.
"Come on, don't be a wuss, 'ttebayo!" He jeered and activated SO6P mode giving the green eyed boy a challenging look. "What're you waiting for, c'mon!" He crouched into a fighting stance and smirks as the green eyed boy went into concentration.
Viridian sparks danced across his body and the wind around him picked up. He opened his eyes to reveal that they now glowed a shiny emerald. The older one smirked as the younger beamed a cocky grin. In a hair's breadth of a second they were already off the ground charging towards each other, both had their fists pulled back ready to clash when full cowling deactivated suddenly and the younger boy lost his balance on the air in his state of shock and confusion. The older one, being quick to read this quickly reached out to save the younger boy from crashing to the ground.
"So this is where you idiots were, Naruto…Midoriya…"
The boys stiffened at the grave low dark tone and turned slowly. Standing few feet from them, arms crossed with a sharp glare, bright crimson eyes and flailing hair was none other than Shouta Aizawa, their fearsome homeroom teacher.
Naruto and Izuku cringed when he held them with his bindings. They shivered in his tormenting stare and flinched at his terrible voice.
"It's been lunch time since 1:00pm. You made me come down from my nap to find you. Naruto, Midoriya. You're both in serious trouble…"
Both gulped and began mental preparation for their terrifying teacher's punishment.
Naruto and Izuku were out of breath after serving their punishment. They might not have noticed before but cleaning the gym was hard work. Izuku had to applaud whoever was in charge of cleaning for such good work; also, he was never going to forget the things he saw in the gym's bathroom.
They literally slummed on the couches in the common room and splayed themselves out on it as they took labored breaths. Izuku let out a loud sigh. This was kind of his fault, he thought. He was the one who had pleaded with Naruto to come spar with him. He wasted no time in taking blame and apologizing to the blonde but so like Naruto, he dismissed it.
"It's not really your fault, I would've refused if I wanted to but I don't really seem to know how to do that when it comes to you." Naruto said fondly with a shrug causing the green haired boy to tilt his head in question.
"Huh, why?" He asked and the blonde beamed before clamping his hand on his green curls and ruffling it fondly.
"Cuz' you're like a little brother to me, 'ttebayo." He chuckled when Izuku got all flustered and covered his face. "Sorry, it's just…" He smiled softly. "I never had any siblings-let alone a family-growing up and you kinda feel that space, ya know."
"I'm an only child too." Izuku offered with a shrug and a shy smile crept on to his face when an idea popped in his head. "We could…be each other's brothers…" He became flustered again when he met Naruto's mildly shocked gaze. "Ah-I don't mean to impose it on you-"
"Deku."
Izuku quieted down and gazed at Naruto's slightly amused expression. He watched it morph into a genuinely happy smile, like he was very grateful for what Izuku had said.
"Arigatou!" He beamed. "That's the best thing anyone's ever done for me in a while."
Izuku was speechless for a moment just as happy as Naruto was about this. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and muttered a 'no problem' to the blonde and then they fist bumped.
They both chuckled as Naruto's eyes comically widened and he began to gush about how hard Izuku's fist had become. It had been two weeks after saving Eri and the school festival and it was no secret to onlookers of the changes Izuku had gone through. The green haired boy had matured not only physically but also mentally. His nervous rants had become less frequent and he was becoming less of a cry-baby-not that anyone minded, though. He had actually progressed in height and his head now bumped at Naruto's shoulder, not to mention, he was getting even more muscular and his face was becoming more defined. Naruto jokingly pointed out how his eyes that were once huge enough to fill his face had now reduced in size. These changes caused everyone around him to know that he was becoming a man. However, he was still the little dorky boy they all met at the entrance exam so no one really treated him different and he was fine with that.
Eri was the very first to point out how hard his arms had become, she spent most of their visit wide-eyed, poking at the bulging veins and gasping every time it popped back up. It was such an adorable sight, Naruto and Mirio were close to bursting into rainbows.
Naruto was really happy with the result of his fight with Gentle Criminal. He knew Izuku didn't tell anyone about it-even him-so the day won't be ruined. He was really proud that the green haired boy was able to confront a villain himself without his help. He had sent out a clone to go after Izuku then, but he gave him instructions to hide himself and not interfere but watch. He had definitely improved and what's more, he acknowledged Gentle Criminal's strength. Naruto had seen that the villain had a great chance of changing his ways but Izuku was able to handle him in the way he knew.
The green haired boy had always admired his ability to cause others to see his point of view, and as a result, change theirs. Naruto would tell him that everyone had their own special gifts and Izuku already had his but just couldn't see it.
While they sat talking, an individual came crashing into them after leaping over the couch.
"Denki!" Naruto scowled and swatted the blonde upside the head. "The hell was that for, 'ttebayo!"
"Sorry Narubro, Bakugo's out for blood and it's mine." Denki said looking around friskily.
"What did you do?" Izuku asked and Denki stiffened.
"I didn't mean to do it; I laughed when he got hit in the face by Todoroki's door!"
Naruto himself couldn't help it, he burst out laughing and Izuku followed suit.
"Hey, dunce face! Where the fuck are you!"
"Shit!" Denki literally sparked up a little before dashing off.
"Hey! You guys seen that dumb Pikachu bastard?!" Bakugo boomed as he stomped into the common area seething- the swelling from the hit shone proudly on his forehead - Shoto followed him from behind.
"Bakugo, you seriously need to put some ice on that."
"I don't want your stupid ice half n' half!"
At this, Izuku stood to pacify both boys who began to argue heatedly whether the swelling needed ice or not. Naruto sighed at their ranting and lay back on the couch.
"They're very energetic today." Sasuke remarked behind Naruto and the blonde smiled seeing Izuku hold Bakugo down as Shoto tried massaging the swelling with his ice. They could hear the explosive teen struggle and curse at the two.
"They've always been." Naruto said fondly and glanced over his shoulder at his dark haired friend. "You wanted to talk?"
Sasuke nodded and gestured for him to follow. When the two were alone walking down the hall, Sasuke began to speak.
"My Rinnegan, it's back." Naruto beamed.
"Finally! We can go back home and see everyone again; this is good news, 'ttebayo!"
Sasuke frowned, not expecting this reaction since Naruto had been the one who showed the most reluctance in going back home. However, his expression changed when the blonde began to speak again.
"You know, I can't leave yet but I'm glad your eye's back-really." He added that last part quickly in an attempt to reduce the level of annoyance Sasuke might be feeling towards him. Of truth, Sasuke wanted to stay back too-to find out the mysterious chakra vessel, that is- but it was still really annoying whenever Naruto kept poking into other people's business-he was too kind.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "It can't be helped since you've become so attached to this world." Naruto cringed at that, he made it sound like he was obsessed or something.
"Also, our visit to All For One is drawing closer; I wouldn't want to leave before then." Sasuke added thoughtfully and Naruto agreed.
"That All For One, though you think he might be something?" The blonde asked Sasuke who hummed in thought.
"From the description I got from Bakugou, he should be." He grimaced remembering how the explosive teen explained how terrified he was in front of the villain's boss. He had met fear face to face.
"I know, right? Deku told me he's just as strong as old man Toshinori…maybe even stronger." Naruto said gravely. "He said All Might couldn't kill him because he just couldn't die…"
"The fact that he could be stronger than All Might scares you?" Sasuke asked and Naruto fell silent.
"To be honest," He began to speak. "A little, I mean, old man Toshinori's really strong, ya know!" he grinned and flexed his arm.
Sasuke chuckled silently at Naruto's admiration for the retired hero. He wondered just what All Might meant to the blonde that he admired him as much as Izuku did. He guessed All Might just had that kind of magnetic pull on people.
"If All For One's just as strong as he is, then I can't underestimate him, 'ttebayo."
"Even if you could probably obliterate him with your Rasen-Shuriken." Sasuke quipped and Naruto became flustered, embarrassed that he had been a complete wuss for the past two minutes. He shot Sasuke a sheepish grin and the dark haired boy sighed.
"Baka."
"Hey Uchiha, wait up!" Both turned to the voice of Bakugou coming after them from down the hall. He looked less perturbed and the swelling had subsided courtesy of Shoto's ice.
"Oh, Katsuki."
"Today's been shit, I need a release." Bakugou said and Naruto grinned.
"The day's not over yet, ya know!"
"Yeah, I know that!" Bakugou snapped and Naruto laughed.
"You two go have fun, don't burn yourselves to a crisp, though!" he waved good bye to them and started down back.
"Whatever, Blondie." Bakugou deadpanned.
"You're blonde too!" Naruto snapped.
"So what's getting you so worked up?" Sasuke asked the explosive teen after Naruto left. Bakugou began to stretch his arms before placing them behind his head.
"Deku was able to hold me down, the prick's getting stronger."
The Uchiha couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, "So that's why you had to pull me aside, you little…" he grabbed Bakugou by the head and playfully chocked him with his one arm locked around his neck while the bleach blonde struggled out of his hold. Both laughed as they dawdled down the stairs and stopped abruptly when they got caught by a familiar red head. They stared with mouths agape as Kirishima's shocked expression morphed into a smirk.
"That was just too cute."
The two immediately shot the red head warning glares.
"You didn't see anything."
"Tell anyone and you die, shitty hair!"
"Okay, okay-jeez!" Kirishima held up defensive hands however, his smile remained intact. "Still think it was cute, though!" He hollered before darting past them to safety.
Steam rose into the air after another blast of explosion. The hot vapor cleared revealing a wet Bakugou his lower half in a pond of water. Sasuke had asked Naruto to help create a pond for this particular training in their spot outside the dorms some time ago and Bakugo gawked at the Uchiha like he was losing a screw or something but shockingly, all Naruto did was nod and got right to it. The next thing that happened was the blonde doing those special hand seals before planting his palms on the ground. In less than a minute, Naruto had created a ditch and then filled it with enough water to make a pond. He and Izuku gaped at the sight and then at Naruto.
The fuck was this guy? Bakugo mused. If he wanted to make a whole ass waterfall for himself, he'd do it!
He looked on as Naruto left with the nerd who began rambling out questions with a notebook and pen in his hand-like when, how and where the hell did he get that?
Moving on, the pond training was to help Bakugou improve his perspiration for his quirk. By staying in the cool pond, it would make it a bit difficult to create huge explosions, so the more he tries to sweat from his palms, the better he would be on the battlefield near water. Sasuke sat on a rock watching him seriously putting in effort he smiled remembering their first meeting to train together.
Sasuke had been unhappy about being the one to train Bakugou, already harboring a strong dislike for the teen whom his character was compared to every so often by Naruto. His memory took him back to the image of a beaten up Bakugou clenching his fists as he lay on the ground glaring up at him who had his back turned. His posture was calm, relaxed, and his hands lay in his pockets however, the harsh glare shot back at the blonde said otherwise.
At this rate, you're never gonna learn anything from me… Sasuke had said to him with venom. He chuckled at the memory, he was so childish then, but he was glad Bakugou kept trying to reach out to him. That was one of the qualities he had seen in the explosive teen that made him change his mind, no matter how many times he was pushed, he'd come back up.
That kid's nothing like me…!
He remembered hissing those words in irritation to Naruto after mentioning that they were so alike. He had always thought he and Shoto were alike back then but now looking at it, they are not too similar. He was more like Gaara; with his hatred for his dad, losing his mom, parental abuse, obliviousness to most things happening around them-it was a long list. His only similarity to Shoto was the fact that they both had villainous brothers who are stronger than them.
That reminded him…
"Hey Uchiha."
Sasuke looked up from his view of the ground to Bakugou's sweaty form. The explosive teen was scowling; not the usual scowl but the one where he'd roll his eyes indicating that he was fully aware of what was on the Uchiha's mind. "You're spacing out, you okay?"
"I was thinking about Shoto." Bakugo sighed exasperatedly.
"Fucking knew it, the hell did he do now?" he griped careful not to let the irritation in his voice show however, the Uchiha smirked knowing fully well that the explosive teen was jealous of the attention going to the hybrid. "It's about Dabi, about the fact that they might be brothers?"
The question caught Sasuke off guard for a second; he shot the blonde an accusatory glare which he avoided. "It was your fault for talking where I could fuckin' hear, Jesus."
Truly, it wasn't Bakugou's fault as he was a victim of stumbling in on private conversations. They were never on purpose-he wasn't a stalker. He just happened to hear Sasuke and Shoto talking in hushed tones at the agency back when he (Shoto) had visited Yaoyorozu after the league of villain attack at their school. The time when he had come back looking all worried.
She said…his eyes looked like mine…
Bakugou narrowed his eyes at the memory. Usually the half n' half spoke in a deep monotone but he was sure he could hear the worry in his voice.
"Well if you heard our whole conversation, you should know exactly what Shoto is thinking right now?"
"Yeah." Bakugou nodded. "It was clear to me from the start, Ponytail was right, that guy has half n' half's freaking eyes-it's weird."
"Not to mention, the similarities in their quirks."
"You know, Uchiha, I've got this feeling that you knew the whole fuckin' time even before hybrid said anything. You had that look in your eyes when you dropped his double." Bakugou deduced and Sasuke chuckled.
"Perceptive as always, I can't hide anything from you, can I?"
Bakugou shrugged. "The hell made you think that far anyway?" He asked thoughtfully to the Uchiha.
Sasuke sighed and ran his hand through his hair before going silent for a bit. "I could relate with him."
"Hah, how?" Bakugo creased his brows. "You had a brother or something?"
"Yeah, I had an older brother. He was also a villain, well…it's complicated."
"What happened?"
"He was way stronger than I was. It took all of my strength and skill to finally stop him, however…"
Bakugo brows drew up slightly as he listened to Sasuke talk about his big brother. There was someone still stronger than him, what the hell?!
"At the end of it all, I found out later on that he was fighting me half blind and he gave me a lot of trouble-it felt like he was okay. He was so close to killing me but his illness and some…feelings stopped him from going further and he died."
"Well damn…" Was all Bakugou could say after a few moments of silence. He wondered what the hell the people in Sasuke's world were. He'd very much hate to admit it, but if he ever were to go to the Uchiha's world, he'd die-no argument.
"Ya know, if this is about the hybrid bastard's family, then he should probably take care of it on his own, right?" He suggested rather than asked. "It wasn't really our fuckin' business to begin with."
"You're right." Sasuke agreed.
"Yeah." Bakugou said and released another blast ensuing another rise of steam. Sasuke had spaced out again, still thinking about Shoto. He then thought that maybe things might end differently between Dabi and Shoto than it did with him and Itachi and that was simply because…he and Shoto were different after all.
Shoto was kind.
The Endeavor agency was running busier than usual as the Hero Billboard Chart event was taking place just the next day. Making the agency look good was top priority today; Burnin' had been on her A-game ever since and she made sure to push everyone to work their butts off.
The question of who was going to accompany Endeavor on the event-as every pro listed among the top ten attending that event would require an escort-rose among the sidekicks and of course, they all suggested Burnin' however, the fiery haired heroine had dismissed it and voted Sasuke instead.
"But he's a student, it's never been done like that before." Red burst, a sidekick disputed and Burnin' just grinned slyly.
"And are there any rules that say a student can't go?"
"Well, if that's the case then it should be Shoto." Another sidekick offered with a shrug. "I mean, he's Endeavor's son, after all."
"Hey, you ever heard the phrase no family in work?"
While the sidekicks bickered, Sasuke, Shoto and Bakugou looked on with deadpanned expressions. "They're talking like we're not here." Shoto observed and crossed his arms his lips twisting in a frown. "I don't even wanna go anyway."
"Not a fucking surprise." Bakugo smirked knowing Shoto would not be able to last a minute in that limo with the guy he hates the most. "I think Sasuke should go."
"I know, right?!"
The three startled as Burnin' had just appeared right in front of them grinning from ear to ear. "I've been on that event way too many times and Uchibrat's the only person I consider second to me." She smirked turning to face the sidekicks. "Plus, he gets to bad mouth the other agencies when he gets there."
This seemed to encourage the other sidekicks as they beamed and began to murmur and nod in agreement, knowing Sasuke and his tenacity to insult others when they appear to be in the wrong unafraid of age or status. They hurriedly scampered to their duty posts when a distress alarm went off.
"Moe, you know you could go, you're best suited for it." Sasuke remarked and she snorted.
"It's gonna be aired on TV so I'm not missing anything and I get to see you burn those cocky pros."
"You really enjoy it when I insult other people, don't you?" Sasuke raised an amused brow at the flame hair heroine earning a guffaw from her end.
"Yeah it's one of the things that make you so badass, Uchibrat!"
"Hm, I never knew having a smart mouth was a criterion for being called a badass." Shoto analyzed playfully and Bakugou let out a pompous chuckle.
"'Course it is. You're looking at the No.1 smart mouth himself." He grinned boastfully while Shoto rolled his eyes.
"Yeah sure." He readjusted the temperature guard on his hero suit. "Speaking of smart mouths, I doubt the other pros will be the only ones to receive Sasuke's legendary mouth lash."
"Yeah Endeavor's in for a wild one!" Bakugou chortled.
"You guys think I'm that cruel."
"Well yeah, you've done it before; you do it all the time." Burnin' said with a shrug before smiling coyly. "Don't roast him too much, okay. Tomorrow's a big day for 'im."
Sasuke instinctively looks over at Shoto whose expression immediately becomes sour. When their eyes meet, he ducks his head and switches his expression to a blank one. The Uchiha gives him a lingering look before glancing back at Moe.
"I assure you, Endeavor would be at his best mood for tomorrow's event." He said sagely and the room went quiet for a moment before everyone burst out laughing well, except Sasuke he just managed a smile and looked away.
The day of the event had finally come. Sasuke joined Endeavor in his Limo as they went on their way to the auditorium where the event would take place. He and Naruto had previously discussed how important the Hero Ranking event was to this world as people around have been talking about it. Naruto shared with him that Izuku looks forward to the event every year and he always imagines himself as the new No.1 hero that is being announced. He had also watched it to cheer his mentor on.
As the car moved Sasuke gazed through the tinted glass window at the streets filled with pedestrians all dressed in funny outfits meant to look like their favorite heroes. One in particular was dressed in an All Might piece; he smirked as he had not caught sight of even one Endeavor costume. He tried desperately to hold back a chuckle.
"What's funny?" Endeavor asked in a gruff tone. Sasuke merely glanced back at him before looking back out the window, spotting other Limos with the heroes in the top ten sitting comfortably in them.
Tch.
"What was that?" The flame hero asked again this time with a much more stern tone as he shot the Uchiha a pointed look waiting for the answer he most desperately needed.
"You heroes are funny." The Uchiha spoke placidly. "You have Quirks that offer you mobility instead you sit in the comfort of your cars. This is why no one thinks you deserve to be No. 1."
That struck a nerve.
Did people really think that about him? Was what Sasuke said true?
He huffed as he dismissed his thoughts, since when had he began to care what people think, he'd made it to where he was now by focusing on the most important part of his job and not caring about public opinions. Though he hadn't made it the way he wished to make it, he felt fulfilled…or did he?
He growled internally. He hated Sasuke for this-the Uchiha brat! How dare he say things that cause him to feel weak and reconsider his actions? He was Endeavor for Christ's sake, the fiery hero, wielder of hell flames. How could this boy now sitting and staring at him with those nonchalant dark eyes make him feel bad about himself?
He looked out the window to avoid his gaze and cursed wishing he hadn't-the brat was right. The road was filled with Limos and expensive cars, they were heroes! What if a villain attacked right now and they wouldn't know because they were lounging in their cars. He was No.1 and wasn't putting up an example.
Letting out a grunt, he ordered the driver to stop and burst out of his Limo, taking to the skies. Sasuke sat there smirking while his driver gazed up wide eyed.
Immediately, just as Endeavor had expected, other pros began exiting their cars and coming after him with all seriousness, it became a race and it was aired on the news. Endeavor, huffed as he looked ahead and blasted off with his flames; now he was laying a good example, he cringed at the thought of Sasuke being right.
What's this?! A race between pros before the Hero Ranking Event?!
I don't know, Yamamoto but right now top Hero Endeavor is currently in the lead! The announcer on TV said enthusiastically.
Kirishima grinned at the sight and glanced over his shoulder. "Guys you've gotta see this!" In a flash his classmates were in their seats ogling at the television and began to cheer their favorite pros in the race.
How did this start?
It's crazy really, one moment he's in his Limo and the next; he's bursting out and flying through the air!
Shoto and Bakugou exchanged knowing looks and smirked before facing the TV.
"Sasuke." Both said in unison.
As expected of the Top hero previously ranked next to the legend All Might to be in the lead he must have bee-
Oh look at that! Someone's gaining on the top hero-who could it be?! The assisting announcer cried cutting the lead short.
While the Fiery hero whizzed through the air another presence joined him by his side. He took one look and growled. Of all pros it just had to be-
"Yo, Endeavor-sir, that's some energy you've got there!" Blonde hair, golden orbs and red wings came into view. The young top hero, Hawks casually flew by his side; his chin leaned in his palm and a cocky smile stretched on his face.
Can you believe it?! Top Hero Hawks is neck and neck with Endeavor!
Well, it is a possibility since Hawks is well known for his speed.
Yes, the hero who is too fast for his own good; this could pass as a test to see if top Hero Endeavor is truly worthy of his current position as No.1.
Izuku stole a worried glance at Shoto who seemed unnerved by what was being said about his father though he did not express it in the most noticeable way.
I've had enough of brats for now.
Endeavor boosted his speed and whizzed off and Hawks had to quickly dodge the flurry of flames he left behind. The young pro smirked.
"Playing dirty, are we, Endeavor-sir?"
Other pros were approaching fast, intent on winning as the simple act to lay example had turned into a fierce competition and one who knew Endeavor would know that he hated losing. He decided to use tricks on Hawks instead of speed alone; he made quick turns, went into crowded spaces but Hawks could see through all of it.
"Tryna outsmart me, c'mon you're better than this." Hawks chortled as he appeared by Endeavor's side again. His face then twisted into an impish smile. "I wanna see what the new No.1 hero's made of."
Endeavor growled and burst forward again, going faster than before leaving Hawks shocked for a second before he beamed. "Oh, so we're taking this seriously now!"
He hissed as the price of using his flames to that extent began to eat at him. That brat keigo, he was a lot like the Uchiha brat except jovial and more talkative save their smart mouths. Also, he gave Endeavor a reason to fear being outranked by him.
Casting the thought away, he raced on and the architectural structure of the auditorium was coming into view. Hawks stayed stubbornly by his side, a serious look now on his face. Both pros yelled as their arms stretched forward as they neared the entrance.
The pros are about crossing the finish line-who will it be!
Uh, Yamamoto, there's no finish line; it's just the entrance to the auditorium-
Shh! don't kill the moment, Daichi!
Everyone waited in anticipation with clenched teeth…
Endeavor yelled as he began to overheat, fortunately for him, he crossed the finish-he and Hawks together-and crouched to the floor as he recoiled, steam emitting from his form like All Might. He panted and raised his head as the crowd cheered his –or rather, him and the pros' arrival. Despite his exhaustion, he pulled himself to his feet; the No.1 hero was not going to be slack in any way.
Class 1A roared and cheered with excitement as the race ended, high fiving and hugging each other as the event was very thrilling to watch.
And the crowd goes wild; this was truly amazing my heart was beating ten times per second!
Yamamoto you're just exaggerating, anyway, who do you think--
I couldn't tell, they were just too fast!
"Who won, it was me wasn't it?" Endeavor asked the Hero Ranking announcer who seemed a bit shook up by his competitive antics.
"U-um…?"
"C'mon, Endeavor-sir." Hawks intervened. "You're scaring the hell out of 'im, look."
Endeavor narrowed his eyes at the winged hero's slyness.
"Besides, he just wanted to break the news nicely, Endeavor-sir, that I won."
"Uh…actually…it's not quite like that." The announcer managed and flinched when both pros shot him piercing gazes. "You-you see, both of you crossed the entrance together, at least that's what I saw."
"Oh, so you're saying it was a tie!" Hawks chortled and gave the announcer a goodwill slap on the back.
"W-well yes but…how will I put it, it won't have mattered who crossed first anyway."
"Huh?!" They followed his line of vision and their eyes widened like saucers at Sasuke who sat comfortably in one of the front row seats smirking at them.
"He'd gotten here a minute before you arrived."
Wow…it seems that neither Endeavor nor Hawks won the race!
Instead, it was his work student, Sasuke. He'd been there the whole time!
How fast is he?!
I don't know but he sure is fast cuz' I didn't even see him.
Burnin' and other sidekicks smirked at the new development and some murmurs of 'show off' rose among them.
"I swear I left him in the car!" Endeavor boomed starring incredulously at the Uchiha.
"Oh, so he gave you a head start!" Hawks guffawed while Sasuke shrugged indifferently.
"Forget about me, I'm just a work student-this was a race between pros after all." He tilted his head to the side, a bored expression painting his features. "If you want, I can tell you who won."
"Yes, you've always had good eyes." Endeavor readily agreed.
"The winner is Endeavor but you must know that this race was more than just a physical exercise, it actually had to do with each and every one of your feelings towards your positions." Their silence gave him the go ahead to continue. "On a normal day, Endeavor will not beat Hawks in speed but due to his aspiration to be in the lead and be accepted by the masses, he was able to win even though it was by a mere millimeter. Hawks is a natural at speed and would have won this race if he tried harder however; his undying respect for the newly ranked No.2 hero caused him to limit himself." He sailed his gaze over to the other pros present. "The rest of you are in your current positions not because of your lacking in speed but because somehow, you all feel at fault for the legend All Might's retirement. Emotions are good on the battlefield, but we must learn to control them and let only positive emotions accompany us."
The auditorium was quiet for a moment before applause generated first from the pros before the audience caught on.
"Such a wise child." Edgeshot said sagely.
"He's right," Ryukuu smiled softly. "We should stop feeling guilty and move forward."
Hawks let out a low whistle. "That is one cool student you got there, wanna do a transfer?"
"I'll burn you." Endeavor threatened.
Sasuke had walked off by himself after the conclusion of the Hero Ranking Event, his motive being to avoid unneeded attention from the media. Recently, he perceived how much interest they had begun to show him and he wouldn't be lying if he said he hated it. He wondered how people like Endeavor dealt with them giving those nicknames. He heard his was the Purple Titan or so. Sighing, he leaned against the wall, one leg bent up and foot propped up against the paneling in a secluded corner backstage. He appreciated the silence that met him; at least, he'd be safe until Endeavor was ready to leave. His peace however, was cut short as he began to feel another presence behind him.
"Hey, man no worries," Sasuke turned at the sound of the voice to see familiar blonde hair and red wings. Hawks flashed him an 'I come in peace' grin as he lowered his arms and gave him a small friendly wave. "It's just me."
Sasuke remembered him, the pro with the audacity to say all those things during the ranking event which was done in an attempt to make Endeavor look good. Sasuke knew all along that Hawks was just more than a young carefree pro hero. He knew there was more to him behind that façade and he had to commend him for keeping it up well. He also knew of Hawk's talents, else he doubted he could be a top hero at such a young age.
"You followed me."
Hawks chuckled nervously at the Uchiha's narrowed eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea, bro-I wasn't stalking you or anything like that." He then locked gazes with him his expression serious. "I needed to talk to you."
"Speak." Sasuke commanded the winged hero who smirked.
"I came to offer you a job proposal."
"Job proposal?" Sasuke tilted his head in question as he wondered how he'd get to though any sort of job as he is a student.
"Let's face it, Uchiha. You're clearly not a student, you could as well be a pro-like me."
"So I've been told." Sasuke sighed tired of hearing that same praise from another person. "So what's this about?"
"It's a special mission of which the details I can't expose to you just yet." He answered with a low tone. "First I wanna know, if you're in on this with me."
Sasuke locked gazes with the winged hero again, calculating his expression. Yes, he could be carefree and at times too jovial, but he always treated a mission with uttermost focus-that's what Sasuke saw in Hawks, in other words, he was sure he could trust him.
"Go on."
Hawks beamed a small smile at the Uchiha.
Endeavor made his way through the halls, his teal eyes searching for jet black as he wondered where the Uchiha brat had gone off to. His senses picked up the sound of an all too familiar jovial tone of voice and his flames flared.
"Not my dad."
"I know, I'm just kidding!"
"What're you doing here hawks?" He asked trying to calm the raging timbre of his tone to some level. He looked away from Hawks to see Sasuke was looking as impassive about things as ever.
"Speak of the Devil, huh?" Hawks said with a hint of amusement in his voice and Endeavor huffed, his suspicion still unabated.
Sasuke looked lazily back and forth between the two pros already seeing the growing tension. He sighed.
"When you're ready to leave, I'll be waiting in the car, Endeavor." He said turning to leave while Hawks and Endeavor watched him go.
"That guy is so cool."
"What was that about, Hawks?"
"Wow wow wow." Hawks' eyebrows shot up when Endeavor's large hands grabbed unto the collar of his jacket. "Hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay. It's not what you think." He began to explain with a calm smile. "I was simply trying to make an impact so that Endeavor-sir could look better."
Endeavor narrowed his eyes at him still giving him the suspicious stare. I never know what the hell is going on in that mind of his. He proceeded to release the winged hero and crossed his arms giving Hawks an indignant look.
"Look, I'm gonna be straight with you now; I was never a fan of All Might-never wanted to be like him but his retirement was a huge shocker, y'know." Hawks revealed straightening his jacket. "You impress me, Endeavor-sir, you're what the hero society needs because you have the mental fortitude, All Might was great but not an icon-at least that's what I believe."
"Then why the hell don't you become this icon?" Endeavor asked and Hawks let out a dry chuckle.
"I'd rather be lower in the rankings so I can have more freedom."
"You're an irritating brat, you know that." He says ending their conversation. "Make sure you apologize to everyone."
"I actually wanted to talk to you about teaming up, y'know." Hawks tells him unbothered by his blunt remark on him. "There've been some Nomu activities at my home."
At this, Endeavor halts his steps and gives Hawks his attention.
Endeavor had silently come over to the Limo and instructed the driver to go to UA. He was thinking of the conversation between him and Hawks when Sasuke spoke.
"I didn't know how much heroes cherished the high ranks especially this event." Sasuke spoke up surprising Endeavor as Sasuke was never one to strike up a conversation. What had happened between him and Hawks?
"W-well, it's more like an inauguration of sorts." Endeavor answered and Sasuke hummed.
"Most of the students aspire to be listed among the top ten, to stand among heroes such as you."
"Me?" Endeavor was truly shocked as he had not expected any sort of attention from students.
"You seem surprised." Sasuke raised a brow and Endeavor blinked for a few moments before sighing and looking away.
"What do you expect; even my own son resents me." He says lowly.
"And it seems you're trying all you can to make things right." Endeavor glanced back up at the Uchiha. "Endeavor, if you think being No.1 gives you a chance at making amends with your family then you're wrong." Sasuke said out rightly looking the fiery hero in his eyes. "I'm not one to talk in this these kinds of situations." He says carefully. "But you just need to know, that what your family needs isn't some cool heroic father but a man who would do his very best for them."
Just then, the driver stops the car and Sasuke looks out the window and sees that they have arrived school. He takes his hero suitcase with him as he exits the car. "We'll meet tomorrow for work study, Enji." He says as he goes through the school gate.
Endeavor watches him for a while before the driver takes off. He sits back in his seat pondering over Sasuke's words. Taking out his phone from his pocket, he scrolls through, searching his contact for a name he never tries to call. He stared at the name contemplating if this was worth it and sighed, it just has to be. He needed to have a talk with the former number one hero so he could understand these things better.
"I don't have much time over here but I trust you won't disappoint me." Hawks bumped his fist familiarly on Sasuke's chest, at the same time, he skillfully passed a card to him giving him a pointed look-the look said 'give me a call when you're ready'- but his smile didn't waver. "I'm gonna fly over to Kyushu in a few, got some business to take care of with your old man."
Sasuke frowned. "Not my dad."
"I know I'm just kidding!" he guffawed.
"What're you doing here, Hawks?..."
Sasuke looked at the contact card Hawks had passed to him in his hand. Should he take this mission? It had been a while since he'd gone out on these special kind of missions, he'd be lying to say he didn't miss it but it would also mean he'd leave Bakugou and Shoto as he would be too busy with Hawks. However, this was for the safety of the country and their world as it seemed and it's something Naruto would be happy about, right?
"How has he been since our last cell check?"
"He's been his normal self, Gran Torino-san."
"Are the security personnel in their stations?"
"Yes sir."
"Cameras, Quirk cancellers are they in place?"
"Yes sir, everything's ready."
The short elderly man grunted in approval as he and the senior guard walked down the prison halls.
"Then we don't need to stall any longer, it's time they met him." Gran Torino said as they turned a corner and wound up in front of a heavily guarded prison cell. "It's time they met All For One…"
It's been a long while but I've finally put it up. Happy New Year's to y'all! Make sure to watch out for THE OTHERWORLDLIES coming up next!
Thanks for reading!