Angel: This is solely to a response I got from a Thranduil Oropherion Redux, so to everyone else reading this, this message is not for you. Only to the person I named.
The only moron around here is you for thinking that I'm gonna be a victim just because you're trying to making me one. So no I'm not gonna review someone's story just because of basically a threat. Good luck reporting me because no one's going to take me off the site just based off your word. And even if it did happen, I post on other sites anyway and I have files of most of my work anyway. So I can just repost those no problem. You wanna block me, troll me, get people to say anything negative about me? DO IT. I've been down this road before, going through this again doesn't faze me. And I've heard just about every negative comment after almost 10 years now of writing. Plus I've gone through plagiarism, people using my OCs without permission, and people impersonating me to get videos taken down. I clearly don't care for a loser who has to resort to threats just for publicity. You think you'd get away with that? Not when I have an email that proves what you said, dumbass! You're just part of a list of shit I've gone through that I'm gonna forget in a few years.
Get a fucking life, I don't give a fuck what happens to me, I already blocked your ass. I'm not going to be your victim, and I'm not scared either. And to everyone else out there, don't contact this person. Because the last thing I want is for you to let yourself fall victim to people like this, and block him for good measure too. Like seriously, block him right now. This person is a damn pathetic excuse for a human being.
A few weeks ago, Kyushu
"Hawks," Dabi spoke up into the hero's phone, as he was flying in the city. "What happened the other day was unfortunate."
"Yeah, agreed," He remarked, though he knew that it was done on purpose. He couldn't admit it, obviously. "Most the problems coulda been avoided though if you'd just given me a heads up." The Kyushu Incident once again came to mind, as well as the injuries that both Endeavor and Izuka suffered. "I get that plans change, but I would've liked to have dealt with things a little more efficiently." Not having Izuka be caught up into it, for instance.
"You're talking too much. You can't trace this call."
"Gimme a break," Hawks played this off while diving towards the ground. "You gotta have more faith in me than that," He landed on the roof briefly and took off into the sky again.
"Ahh!" He looked back with a small smile as he heard a girl squeal. A bunch of women were looking up at him and waving. "Look! Hawks is on the phone!"
"Who's he talking to? His girlfriend?"
"It's a secret!" Hawks called out while flying away.
"Who is she, Hawks?" All of them cried out sadly that he made them think he was taken.
He put his finger up to his playful smile at them before turning away. "All I want's for you to believe in me. I work with pros every day and there's one thing I know for certain. The profession of hero needs to be done away with." He then clamped his mouth shut as this was only for Dabi to hear, so that he wouldn't suspect Hawks. Even though he didn't like being like this. 'No way you can cast me aside. You're reaching out to me like this...because you know how much I'm worth to you. For now, I'll keep playing the fool, then you'll focus more on how I can help you than the risks I may pose.' He flapped his wings, some of his feathers falling off. 'It's in your interest to make good use of me.'
Dabi was wearing his hoodie over his while in the payphone, so that to outsiders, he looked like a regular guy on the phone. "This is your last chance."
Hawks gave a small smirk. 'Knew it.'
"I'll have you show your loyalty. Not just to the League of Villains, but the entire anti-establishment clause. Make it someone other than the number-one hero this time."
"Dabi contacted me again," Hawks reported to the president of the Heroes Public Safety Commission. "He's still not convinced I'm on his side. My guess is, someone's observing me and my conversations. It'd be smart to send everything in code from now on. I'll pinpoint the location of the Nomus as soon as I can. That's all. I'm off," And with that, he continued flapping into the sky. He decided to hold back about Izuka and her connection to the League. Because unfortunately, Dabi wasn't trusting him with that information either, and he'd rather not disappoint.
"It's unusual for you to come visit me," Best Jeanist pointed out while he and Hawks walked into his apartment.
"How are you holdin' up these days?" Hawks gave a small smile; he and Best Jeanist didn't talk much until now. Certainly not enough to visit him.
"Much better," Best Jeanist closed his eyes. "Thanks." He vividly remembered fighting All for One...
"Why didn't you just ask that ancient nurse at UA to help out with your recovery?" Hawks couldn't help but wonder.
"She can't restore what's been taken away," The hero pointed out while grabbing something from the box. "And I lost a lung in that battle. But fortunately, it's possible for humans to live with only one of them."
Hawks walked up to a picture on the wall. "What about your hero work?"
"I plan to return to the public eye soon," He was looking at a small plush toy of himself. "There are many eager for me to be on the streets again."
"You don't say," Hawks remarked while turning around to him. He then pointed up his wings, holding a feather blade in his hand. "I'm sorry to hear that..."
'This doesn't feel right' He thought as he sat on a rooftop, looking at his phone. 'It's past our meeting time and I still can't get a hold of him. Nothing on the Hero Network about the League being spotted either, so there shouldn't be a holdup or anything. Did something happen? Did I do something wrong? This change in behavior is unnerving. I don't like it...' He looked up suspiciously as something definitely felt off. As he flew away, he was carrying a bag over his shoulder. 'I can't start doubting my resolve...on the last day of the year.'
Izuka stood outside of Heights Alliance, looking out to the night sky as the snow fell. It was the last day before they were going home for New Years. She sighed softly as her hands were in her pockets, closing her eyes.
There's been so much happening that work studies are the last thing on my mind. At least it's not going to be like last time…and then there was that card game Katsu went crazy over. Can't believe the AI had us kissing, ugh…
She placed a hand over her face, thoroughly embarrassed by just thinking about it. And she still wasn't going to tell him her feelings either because she knew that he wouldn't take it well.
It's better if I wait. Things are too complicated that I can't even look at him in the eye sometimes. Plus…does he even like me that way? Just because he kissed me doesn't mean he shares the same feelings, because we wrote off the first 2. But then at the Christmas party...it was...different?
She groaned while pinching her nose, looking up at the moon. She just had to pick him out of all people…
"Oi!" Katsuki was in the doorway and she yelped, sighing in relief. "Shouldn't you be sleeping, idiot?"
"I'm surprised you're not," She glanced back at him knowingly, having a feeling of déjà vu. The girl blinked as she realized she was staring into his eyes, looking away as she cleared her throat. "You want to tell me something, huh?"
"Mm?" He blinked that she was able to guess, stepping up and leaning his back against the pillar. "At least you're not a total idiot..." He stared up ahead with a serious expression, hands in his pockets. "There's been some shit we need to sort out between us," He glanced down at the girl, who froze a bit hearing this. It felt rather similar to what happened before practicals because of her learning new abilities that he wasn't used to... "I don't care what anyone says, but you and me have our own goals to think about. So we can't let things get out of hand, Izuka. If you end up distracting me so much with...your own shit, I'm not letting it happen! Agreed?!"
She stared at him as he was blushing and shaking, yet trying to keep his snarl. The girl blinked and then smiled, straightening up. She had a feeling that she knew exactly what he was trying to tell her. And Izuka felt like she needed more time to really think about what Katsuki meant to her as a person anyway. And…well, she knew his priorities at this point. She wasn't going to take that away from him.
"Okay. Let's work hard with Endeavor, then," She simply stated before walking towards the doors.
"Hah? Just like that?!" He shouted as she came to a stop, looking over to him. "You're not gonna fight me over it?!"
"I've known you practically my entire life, remember?" She pointed out and he faltered as she was smiling. "So why waste time worrying about something you don't need to when I know you wanna be number one? Don't we have to focus on beating each other? That's never escaped your mind."
"…And don't you forget it!" He pointed at her with a small snarl. "Hurry up at the work study so that I can kick your ass again!"
"I will. That's something that you don't have to worry about," She then opened the door and left, Katsuki staring after her. Once he couldn't hear her footsteps, he let out a huge breath he was holding.
Good. So it's settled. She doesn't suspect anything. I don't need any more distractions. I will become number one and surpass even a new symbol His eyes softened just a little as he was a bit curious as to what she would learn from Endeavor. He then turned away with a huff.
Even if she is a good kisser.
Izuka stepped into the elevator, letting out a huge sigh. She could've told right then and there what she was thinking, but…she was choosing not to. She would rather keep his goals intact than to fill his head with something she didn't even fully understand yet.
It was now New Year's Eve.
New Year's Eve. I thought it might be out of the question for us to go home since we moved to the dorms. But thanks to escorts from pro heroes, we were able to spend the night celebrating with the people we cared about.
Even though we unfortunately had to miss the UA New Year's party, at least we got to go home and not have to worry about the League for once. I think that for most of us...that was all we could've asked for this New Year.
The Midoriya family were watching a live broadcast together. Izuka was checking on something from the oven as she and her mother had baked something together earlier.
"Thanks to Uraraka and Shinso, it turned out fine," Izuku smiled while telling his mother what happened during joint training. "But that dark energy was scary! You should've seen it explo-" He turned to his mother, seeing her sobbing as foam came from her mouth. "Mom?!"
"Oh my god!" Izuka ran over to her in a panic.
"My heart hurts to hear you say such things!" She cried out to them, Izuka giving her a sheepish expression.
A bell was going off from a temple.
Inko sipped some tea to calm down, letting out a small sigh. "You almost gave her a heart attack," Izuka murmured as the oven went off and she walked off to get what she was making. Izuku chuckled awkwardly at his sister, who pulled something out of the oven. But she had her back turned so that he wouldn't see it, and she didn't want him to.
"Oh, uh! By the way!" Izuku remembered something, getting his mother's attention. "Remember that girl we told you about? Eri, the one we rescued."
He had the letter that Eri had given to him. Her spelling was a bit off, but he didn't mind it at all, and neither did his sister. It said 'Mr. Deku, your dansing and singing was amazing. Thanks for the fun show. I had fun. The kandy appel was yummy. I'll do my best with my Quirk.'
"Honestly, we couldn't help her as much as we'd have liked to. But she did her best writing this for us," Izuku looked so happy holding it. Izuka took out hers to show her mother, having put the tray on the counter to cool. Hers said 'Ms. Mido, your dansing, singing, and special effects were amazing. Thanks for the fun time and for being so nice to me. I had fun. The skestching book is great. I'll make you and Mr. Deku proud of my Quirk.'
It was honestly so adorable that Izuka was planning on having it framed.
"I think it's incredible," Izuku spoke up again, getting her attention.
"Yeah," Izuka smiled while nodding in agreement with him. "I honestly wish we got to know her sooner. But at least now, we can continue helping her be comfortable at UA," She looked at her paper fondly. "So I think this was really special from her, even though she didn't have to for me. She gave me a camera, after all." She had one from Nabu Island too, but preferred using the one Eri gave her.
Inko had tears streaming from her eyes from how much the little girl looked up to the two. She then burst into tears, alarming the both of them as they moved away.
"Mom, come on!" Izuku yelped at his mother. "The Koike family downstairs will think there's a leak!"
"I think they'll understand, ha," Izuka rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
Inko smiled happily, her tears still in her eyes as she attempted to wipe them away. "Ever since you two were little, you've been trying to copy All Might. And your sister's always been there to support you. Saying you'd both save people even though you weren't that strong." She could still remember the joy that the twins had watching All Might's debut video. "Even if you got hurt. If there's one thought I've had more than any other, it's that, as a mother, I have to protect my children. That's gone through my head so often. But talking to you two like this...seeing those looks on your faces..." They stared at her in shock, because they remembered when she was against them returning to UA... "Hah. I don't think I'll worry as much anymore. Looking at you two now...I know that you'll protect each other."
"I'm glad," Tears welled up in Izuku's eyes...and then they both started sobbing so much a waterfall practically flew out the balcony window. Izuka was now soaked with their tears, wringing out her wet hair.
"I'll go warn the Koike family and get the mop..." Izuka sighed with a small smile while walking away from them.
After New Years passed, the sun shined on a new year.
Just like that, a new year began.
And so, it was time to leave home.
Inko stood in front of her children as they stood in front of the bus that would take them back to the school. Cementoss was nearby to escort them. "You have everything?" Inko asked the two, and they hummed in confirmation. "Promise me you'll take care of yourselves?"
"Yep!" Izuku answered while wearing a patterned yellow, blue, and red scarf. It was in the colors of All Might, of course. And Izuka was wearing the scarf Katsuki gave her for Christmas.
"We promise!" Izuka smiled as they picked up the cases for their hero uniforms.
"And text as much as you can," Inko smiled towards the two, earning nods in return. "Give your all at your work studies, kay?"
"We promise, Mom," Izuku turned around to wave at her. Izuka put down her case, confusing him as she ran up and jumped to hug her mother. Inko blinked and hugged her back happily. Izuku walked up to join in on the group hug.
"Keep watching over your brother, okay?" She patted Izuka on the head.
"He'll be in good hands," The girl nodded up at her mother. "And don't worry, I'll punish him if needed."
"Ah! I'm not gonna get into trouble, I swear!" He protested at his sister with wide eyes, causing the two female members of the family to giggle.
As the bus left, Inko waved after them with a smile, having faith in her children that they would stay safe. The two looked back at the window happily. Izuku then looked up with a serious expression as important things awaited them. Izuka looked towards her bag, gripping the strap as she had something inside.
Endeavor's agency awaited.
We're working with the number-one hero this time around...
Hawks flew into the sky, moving his wings up as he was preparing to land somewhere. "What's up, I'm back," He replied as Slidin' Go was standing in front of a building. He was the same hero that praised Katsuki, Izuka, and Shoto when they fought villains together.
"Oh? I didn't realize you'd flown off somewhere, Number Two."
"Yeah, sorry," Hawks wasn't fazed by the fellow hero calling him that. "Grabbed a coffee. The stuff here tastes like sewage."
"You can't keep comin' and goin' as you like!" Slidin' Go warned the winged hero. "You should get permission for whatever you do." Hawks let out a small groan for being lectured, sagging his shoulders. "Don't forget, I outrank you here, Hawks! Got it?" He had been around for much longer, so despite the hero rankings, he believed himself to be higher up than Hawks in the area.
"Sir!" Hawks stood up straight, saluting to him.
"Outrank? Are you sure about that?" A voice spoke up, having overheard the conversation.
"Huh?" Slidin' Go turned around to see someone leaning against a pillar, holding a laptop.
"It's my first time hearing such a thing. Then you must be also in a position to obtain classified information from influential heroes," He closed his laptop.
Slidin' Go sweated nervously from where the conversation was going. Suddenly his confidence was a bit shattered. "Well, sort of."
"Current locations! Call records! Real-time feeds of conversations! Hawks provides these," The man reminded the both of them. Hawks snapped open his coffee can, looking a little pleased that Slidin' Go was being talked down like this. "Thanks to the countless micro devices installed in his wings, we'll expose everything about the heroes. A grunt like you can offer us a peek at the Hero Network at best. But as the number-two hero, Hawks can go much deeper! He's a valued asset. I was watching you the whole time. You almost bought black coffee and freaked out."
Hawks waved the can a little bit. "What can I say, I like it sweet." Although this did confirm that he was being watched.
The bus doors opened as Shoto, the twins, and Katsuki stepped out one by one. Shoto had no scarf because he was his own heater basically. And Katsuki had one because he had trouble getting his Quirk started during cold weather. They all turned to the side, stopping as they saw Endeavor himself standing nearby.
"Welcome to the Endeavor Agency!" He greeted cheerfully, and seconds later, he glared. "I can't believe I have to train you." They all stared at him in silence, Izuka looking away with a small huff at his bias. "I gave my permission reluctantly as a favor to Shoto, but I wish he'd come on his own."
"It's already done, so don't complain," Shoto remarked while standing up for the three.
"Wha-Shoto!" Endeavor commented in disbelief, Izuka giving her friend a small grateful smile.
"I've been thinking since supplementary lessons," Katsuki suddenly spoke up, staring at his new mentor. "You're a jerk."
"Oh!" Izuka gasped, covering her mouth and then turning away, snickering. She couldn't believe that he had the guts to say that. Katsuki glanced back at her knowingly with a small smirk at hearing her laugh at what he said. It was definitely better than laughing at his own expense.
"Son, are you really friends with this delinquent?" Endeavor demanded while some people were nearby staring at them.
"But if I can see how the top hero works, I don't really care," Katsuki finished, looking proud of himself that Izuka was still giggling.
"I told you to choose your allies wisely!"
"Mm," Izuka rolled her eyes while looking away from hearing that.
"We appreciate you allowing us to do our work studies with you, sir," Izuku spoke up politely, deciding to not let Endeavor's comments get to him like Sir Nighteye's did from the first work-study. Endeavor glanced down at the twins as they blinked up at him. Flame Hero, Endeavor. Currently the top pro. His intensity and intimidation make him stand out. My strongest impression of him is from the Sports Fest. I generally think he's a scary guy. But something about him's changed.
The last time I talked to him was in Kyushu. Before that, I saw him in supplementary classes with Shoto and Katsuki Izuka eyed him closely. Not to mention, I know all about what he's done to Shoto and his family, so I'm generally not happy doing a work-study with him. But if he can help us, then I have to put that aside for the time being. It's the least I can do for him saving me with Hawks. So I can't be biased while interacting with him.
With that, she cleared her throat. "Good morning, Mr. Endeavor, sir!" Izuka gave a small smile to him. She might not like him, but she wasn't going to spend her work-study being bitter. "Thank you for allowing us to work with you."
"Mm?" He looked down at her small basket around her arm, seeing small bags filled with something. Some of them even had names from a little tag. "What are you holding there?"
"Oh!" She blinked in realization and then held it up for him to see. "Well, it might be a little embarrassing...but I made us some chocolate for the first day. One for each of you," She dug through the basket to hand one with Endeavor's name on it. He took it silently while staring at the girl, as if he was already testing her or something.
"You bake?" He asked her in interest, and she didn't think much of it, nor did the boys.
"Well, painting is more my thing than baking," Izuka confessed while handing Izuku his and he smiled. "One of our classmates is an expert. I made these during the new year!"
"Oh, so that's why you and Mom wanted to bake together!" Her brother blinked in realization and he got a good whiff. "It smells really good!" He said encouragingly as Shoto took his.
"Yes, thank you," He told her gratefully and Katsuki pushed past him.
"Don't hog all the chocolate!" The boy shouted and Izuka gave a small sigh.
"There's enough for you too, Katsuki, calm down! I made yours a chili pepper dark chocolate," He blinked as she held out his bag and he took it. "I know it sounds weird, but you do like spicy stuff and dark chocolate is kinda bitter, so I hope I found the right balance," She confessed with a finger on her chin in thought. The girl knew that Katsuki wasn't a sweets person so she tried really hard to make it less sweet.
"Uh!" He flinched in disbelief that she even took extra effort just to make sure he'd enjoy it. It reminded him of how much effort he put in for her scarf, which he saw that she was wearing. He then blushed a bit while looking away. "...You know, you didn't need to go through all of that trouble," The boy mumbled in a bit of embarrassment. How the hell am I supposed to stay focused when she does stuff like this?
"It's the first day, I wanted to," She gave him a small smile. "Don't worry about it, really!"
"And that scarf," Enji turned to the girl again, eyeing it. "Did you make that too?"
"No," She touched it lightly with a happy look, remembering the Christmas party. "Actually, it was a gift from Katsuki for Christmas."
"From him?!" He glanced at the boy, who snarled up at him. He was surprised that Katsuki would even do something like that given his attitude not too long ago. Or that the two were close enough to call each other by first name.
"Yeah, I made her a scarf. What about it?" He then eyed Izuka attentively. "It looks...kinda good on her today actually."
"Hm..." She giggled a little from the compliment, a light blush on her face. "Aw, thanks, Katsu!"
"Stop looking at me like that," Katsuki grumbled while looking away. Why does she have to be so damn cute?
They've gotten so used to talking each other like this that I'm jealous! Izuku's eyes shined towards the two.
"Joining Endeavor, huh?" Toshinori asked the three before they left for New Years. "All four of you? That sounds perfect! It's a great opportunity."
"What should we do about my One for All training, though?" Izuku asked the man curiously. Katsuki looked up attentively, wanting to hear this so that Izuku could keep catching up. "Or to train for Izuka's new power?"
"I think it's going smoothly for the time being," Toshinori looked at the two wide-eyed. "Sure, you have Blackwhip and that new ability to deal with now. But you haven't felt any other Quirks manifesting, right? If you can visualize the locking and unlocking properly, I don't think you need to worry about it getting out of control again. Same thing with Young Mido, if she visualizes what she wants the ability to do, she can control it properly. So I don't think it'll happen with her either until she unlocks it herself."
"Right!" Izuku nodded sharply at him.
"I'll keep working hard so that I can unlock it, sir!" She pumped her fists eagerly, earning a small smile from Toshinori in return.
"If I were you, I'd try to bust all of 'em out," Katsuki remarked while looking away.
"Well, uh..." Izuku gave him a nervous look, remembering what happened the last time they attempted it...
"That won't work if you keep trying and it doesn't happen," Izuka reminded while sipping her tea.
"This is good timing for you too, Young Bakugo," Toshinori pointed out to the boy.
"Huh?" He looked up with his usual expression.
"I'd say you and Endeavor are similar in many ways. It'll be worthwhile for you to see what he's really like. He appears to be transforming."
"Uh?" Izuka blinked, wondering if this had to do with what she told Endeavor in Kyushu, about how he needed to change. As for Endeavor being like Katsuki...she unfortunately could see it. But she would take a stand and say that Katsuki was still relatively the same person, whereas Endeavor's personality was changing little by little. Plus it wasn't like Katsuki had anyone to obsess over like Endeavor did with his own son...
"Do your best," Toshinori encouraged, clenching a fist. "If you three wanna be top heroes, this is a solid next step!"
The four walked after Endeavor, who was leading the way. "We'll do our best to learn from you, sir!" Izuku stated while Endeavor ate a piece of chocolate. "It's an honor to work with the number-one hero!"
He glanced back at the boy, remembering their conversation at the Sports Festival. And the intense look Izuku gave him when he said that Shoto wasn't like him...and that his decisions shouldn't dictate Izuka's life. Then he remembered talking to Izuka with Hawks...and her not even looking at him when she said that he had to think about who his support system was.
"...Shoto is not me. You said that. And she said that he doesn't see me as a father," He pointed out, Katsuki looking at the girl in surprise. The twins gasped at him repeating this, watching him stop in his tracks. They had no time to respond to what he said because he jumped over the fence without a word. "Sorry about this. But I only intend to look after my son," His flames appeared on his face as he continued running, dropping his briefcase. "If you wanna learn, then stand back and watch!"
He then looked back to see the four having some of their gear on already. Shoto was skating on ice while Katsuki and the twins had one glove on. "What are your instructions?!" Izuku called out after him.
He looked at them in silence for their eagerness to already start, looking up ahead. "Like I said. Just stand back!"
A car window was having the glass being taken away from it. The same thing was happening to another car and several buildings around. Civilians ran away screaming, looking up at the villain responsible.
"I have received a divine revelation from the universe!" He declared while in the sky. He was floating on glass bubbles, some of them forming from the glass he was stealing. "Run. Flee this place, citizens! The corners of Pluto's mouth twist with loneliness! The hour of your demise is nigh at hand!"
"Well, dang," Hawks put down a book he was reading as he was nearby. "This is crappy timing."
A shockwave appeared to break all the windows in the area. As the glass fell and was being gathered, a fireball flew past two people. They both yelped from the amount of wind. Endeavor flew in, followed by his four work-study students. Katsuki was using one hand for flying in the air using his explosions.
"He ordered us to hold back," Shoto reminded the other three while Izuka was flying using her flying star. She couldn't help but wonder if this was because of her being in Kyushu.
"We can't watch if we don't follow him," Izuku gritted his teeth as they kept their eyes on Endeavor. Endeavor started running before the sound of the impact He noted Endeavor's running off from a minute ago. It's not just a matter of being fast!
Endeavor's clothes burned off to reveal his hero costume as he took off like a comet. Izuka blinked in surprise at him. So fast...I didn't even know he was capable of doing that.
"The universe has whispered into my brain," The villain announced while still in the sky. "The wicked stars are colluding! They must be stopped at once!"
"That's the Servant of the Stars from the second ward," Someone from the office building next to the villain recognized him.
"What's he yelling about so early?"
"This land will soon be devoured by darkness!" He sent out another shockwave, stealing the glass. The office workers yelped as a bunch of wind burst into the floor.
"He's sucking up all the glass! Are there any heroes around here to help us?"
"Run, citizens! For it is I who must act," The villain held out his hands, looking at the thin substance around him. "And destroy the source of this rottenness!" A huge glass orb was now above his head. "No more hiding. Come forth! Show yourself, Messenger of Pluto!" He tossed the glass orb, only for a burst of flame to hit it. The villain flinched up ahead.
"Flashfire Fist!" Endeavor revealed himself in a fiery explosion. The glass then melted onto the street. "You control glass, old man? You show great skill. Why create such chaos? I'm afraid I can't let you get away with this!" His flames then burned even hotter, the villain screaming from the heat.
"My throat is burning!" He then flew away to escape, a local hero flying in.
"Endeavor!"
"Handle evacuations," Endeavor informed the hero, going after the villain. He caught up to the man fairly easily, breaking through the glass being thrown at him. None of it was enough to stop him or slow him down.
"Do it!" The villain looked up at the exit.
"Sir!" Two henchman pulled on rope, a third one jumping up to ambush Endeavor once he and the villain came out of the alleyway. The hero glanced up at them before a bunch of ice came in. The twins and Katsuki jumped in to deal with the sidekicks...and then Hawks flew in, using his feathers to capture them. Endeavor had caught the villain by tackling him.
"Huh? What's this?" Hawks glanced up at the students with a small smile. "Got yourself some followers."
"It's Hawks!" Izuku looked at him wide-eyed as Izuka gasped upon seeing the winged hero.
"Sorry, I was just a little faster than you," He then flew up into the sky, the three sliding to a stop. "I thought Endeavor might need a bit of help out here."
"Does it look like I was in trouble?" Endeavor retorted while holding the restrained villain.
"I mean, kinda," Hawks landed in front of Shoto. "What do you think, kid?"
"Oh. Um," Shoto could only respond awkwardly.
"I said to warn me before showing up," Endeavor glared up at Hawks, who glanced over his shoulder.
"Didn't have time. I was already in the area."
After a few minutes, the police had arrived to take care of the villains. "We were just following Starservant's orders!" One of the henchmen protested while being taken away.
"We couldn't disobey him!"
"Let go!" Starservant himself protested to a cop. "If you don't release me to my duties, all is lost!"
"Don't worry," The local hero jerked a thumb to himself. "I'll take over from here."
"Sounds good," Endeavor agreed, since he had the work-study to worry about.
"Him! He's the source!" Starservant insisted, getting their attention. "The fire he gives off blinds you! He will be the demise of our world!" Endeavor just stared at him intensely, wondering if he should take that seriously or not...
"You got it done with no casualties again," A police officer walked up to him. "As long as we have you to protect us, this town will know peace, sir." Endeavor stared at him and then looked at the villains being taken away by the cops. The boys and Izuka were standing around, having overheard the whole thing.
As Hawks walked up, Izuku looked back and gasped sharply. "Nice to meet you, sir! I'm from UA High's hero course. I'm in Class 1-A. My name is Izuku Midoriya! And I hope you remember my sister, Izuka? She worked with you!"
"Oh my god," Izuka dragged a hand down her face in embarrassment. She should've known he'd be like this and bring that up.
"Yeah. You're the kid who destroys his fingers," Hawks recognized him, to his shock. "I've heard about you from Tsukuyomi. Man, I was hoping I'd get to work with him again soon, but not today."
"Where is Tokoyami?" Izuku blinked in confusion that his classmate wasn't with Hawks, even though he was working with the hero again. "Isn't he continuing his work study at your agency?"
"I've pawned him off on my sidekicks to train for the moment," He gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel bad, but I've got a ton of stuff on my plate and don't have time for him."
Why do I feel like this is normal for him? Izuka closed her eyes awkwardly; just by her first meeting with him, she could tell that he was a lot more casual than most heroes, especially compared to Endeavor. She then snapped out of it and smiled at the hero. "It's nice to see you again, Hawks!" She gave him a small wave.
"Oh yeah!" Hawks gave her a small smile as he recognized her too. "Callista's your hero name?"
She blinked in surprise, Izuku gasping. "You know my hero name?"
"Sure do! Was great teaming up with you. I'd love to get an autograph from an aspiring UA student," He held out a book from his jacket, the one he was reading before. The girl gave a look of awe, her mouth open as her eyes sparkled.
"You...want my autograph? Of course!" She gushed as she took the book and signed it. Katsuki huffed and turned away in annoyance. Once she was finished, she dug into her basket to hand him a bag of chocolate. "And here, take some chocolate to go!"
"Don't mind if I do," He smiled while taking it and then tried one. "Now that is delicious."
"Annoying feather boy..." Katsuki scoffed as he glared in annoyance of her interactions with the hero. "You may be quick, but I was still faster than you."
"Really? Hm," Hawks didn't think too much of it.
"And that better not have been my chocolate!" Katsuki looked at the chocolate Hawks was eating.
"I labeled them so I wouldn't mix them up," She gave a sheepish smile.
"I can't believe he asked you for an autograph!" Izuku grabbed her shoulders, shaking her as Hawks just smiled. "You're so lucky, big sis, can I have yours too?!"
"I've been your sister our whole lives, why is this a question now?!" She yelped from the shaking. Hawks just chuckled at their bond as she gently pushed her brother away. The girl dusted herself off while walking away to all the broken glass.
"Well? What is it you want, Hawks?" Endeavor stormed up to the hero, none of them noticing what Izuka was doing.
"Oh. Nothing much. Actually, I do have a question," He held up the book Izuka just signed for him. "You happen to have read this book?"
"Meta Liberation War?" Izuku asked in confusion from the title.
"What is this about?" Endeavor narrowed his eyes a bit as he hadn't heard about it until now.
"Eh, it's gotten really popular recently," Hawks shrugged it off. "It was written a while back, but it has predictions about the future that seem pretty relevant today. Like this passage," He flipped through all the pages. "If you grant freedom to a limited number of people, then the burdens of the world will go to the others." He then snapped the book shut. "I highlighted some parts if you don't have time to plow through the whole thing. I suggest you read those." Endeavor just stared, wondering why Hawks wanted him to read it. "The leader of the Meta Liberation Army was named Destro. What he wanted was a society upheld by personal responsibility! Trendy idea lately." He gave a big grin, because he did have ulterior motives by sponsoring the book essentially. Sorry to beat around the bush here, man.
"...And your point is?" Endeavor demanded a few seconds later.
"If that comes to fruition...we'll have too much time on our hands," He stared up at Endeavor as his expression had changed to a serious one. I'm probably being watched...no, definitely because of Mido being a desired target. So I can only tell you like this. Please...understand my message, Number One! He knew that Endeavor wasn't stupid, but even still, he knew that he got on the Flame Hero's nerves sometimes...plus, Endeavor tended to be impatient instead of realizing things sometimes.
"I just wanna take it easy and have some fun," Hawks smiled, a hand on his cheek during his meeting with Izuka and Endeavor. "My goal is to make this a world where heroes have too much time on their hands."
Endeavor gave Hawks a small glare, as he felt like this was more than just being about the book. Why do I feel as though something's not right...? That look on his face Hawks was serious with him before, but this time, it felt different. What does it mean?
Hawks then placed the book in Endeavor's hand. "Make sure you read through it, okay?"
"A book that Hawks is pushing?" Izuku rubbed his chin in thought. Izuka walked up to them, holding something in her arms. "I should check it out too. Maybe the secret to his speed is hidden inside of it!"
"Maybe don't be optimistic about that," Izuka whispered to him, but Hawks still heard. He then flinched as he realized that the students were right there.
He turned around with a bright smile, holding four books from his jacket. "Here you go! I brought extras just in case!"
"So prepared! Where did they come from?!" Izuku yelped at him in disbelief.
"Train hard! It's the age of the number-two pro! If you want speed..." He then passed out the books in less than 30 seconds. "The power to predict what's coming helps you get it."
"He's even too fast at passing them out!" Izuku looked up at the hero wide-eyed.
"I think the Hawks effect is getting to you now," Izuka blinked up at her brother.
"You really love this book, I guess, huh?" Shoto eyed Hawks curiously. "You've got so many copies of it."
"He's trying to spread the word!" Izuku smiled towards his classmate. "Maybe if you show that Izuka's signed your copy, more people will start reading it!"
"Izuku!" She gave him an annoyed glare. "Will you calm down? No one's gonna pick it up just because I signed it."
"That's right!" Hawks moved up his wings. "I've been recommending it to heroes across the country. You watch. By the time I'm through, there will be a groundwork for the liberation ideology. You should at least look over the highlighted lines. Read them closely. I recommend the second part," He stared at Endeavor specifically and then gave the twins a thumbs up. "And I like that idea to show them an autograph from a UA hero course student!" He then flapped his wings while preparing to leave. "Do your best with the work studies, all five of you!"
"Train your work study students thoroughly, Endeavor." He remembered what the Heroes Public Safety Commission told him...
"We will! And thank you!" Izuku waved, Izuka giving him a death glare. "Aah! I'm so sorry, I was just excited for you!" He cried out to her before looking up to where Hawks left. "He may seem super carefree, but I guess he's actually socially conscious. And only 22 years old!"
"And already the number-two hero," Shoto pointed out, looking up to the sky as well.
"That guy's annoying!" Katsuki growled while looking away.
"Oh come on, he's not that bad," Izuka looked towards the blond. "He even took the time to learn my hero name even though I didn't tell him." She covered Izuku's mouth before he could say anything else on the matter. "Even if he is carefree, he's actually pretty smart!"
"You've gotta be kidding me with that crap!" Katsuki stared at her in disbelief, gritting his teeth. I'm not supposed to be distracted by her, but what the hell?! Since when was she admiring feather boy?
He did help Izuka out in Kyushu, but I guess Kacchan forgot about that Izuku laughed nervously at Katsuki's jealousy while Izuka tilted her head at the blond cluelessly. Either he forgot or he just didn't care...
"Yes, he is annoying," Endeavor seemed to agree with Katsuki, flipping through the book already.
"Upheld by personal responsibility!"
He continued staring at the book, wondering what Hawks was getting at...
"Excuse me, sir," He turned to Izuka as she walked up to him. "I've gotta take care of all this glass that guy took," She was holding pieces of it in her arms. Her gloves were still on, so they weren't hurting her hands. "I won't be long."
"Hm?" He turned to her curiously by what she meant by that.
"We'll help you," Shoto walked up to the girl, causing her to turn to the boys right behind her. "To pay you back for making the chocolate."
"Yeah, we'll gather up all the spare pieces!" Izuku offered with a small smile.
"I'll get more than either of you!" Katsuki shouted at the both of them.
"It's not a competition," Shoto stared at him, though Izuku could tell why Katsuki wanted to beat them...
"Aw, thank you so much!" The girl brightened at the three. Endeavor turned back to his book.
"Do what you need to," He told all four of them, still focused on his conversation with Hawks.
"Welcome to the Endeavor Agency!" A woman with bright green hair greeted once all five reached the building.
"Call us the Flaming Sidekickers!" Kido, Omina, and another sidekick all exclaimed in unison.
"Holy whoa, it's the famous sidekick, Burnin!" Izuku gushed at the woman.
"First work study for two of you, huh?" She grinned towards Shoto, Katsuki, and Izuka. "We'll get you whipped into shape in no time here! You're gonna learn a lot! This agency is totally different than the classroom you're used to. This is a gigantic operation! We've got more than 30 sidekicks employed!" She then looked down at Katsuki. "In other words, you're gonna have to work hard to shine here! Sorry!"
"You don't say!" Katsuki wasn't fazed at all as he smirked back at Burnin. "So we'll just have to beat the pros at their own game."
"You can try," She replied back confidently at him.
"And Shoto, you won't get special treatment cause you're the boss' kid," Kido informed the red/white haired boy.
"Just try to keep up with us if you can!" Omina grinned at the boy.
"There's a new dispatch request," One of the operators called out, wearing an earpiece.
"Where is it?" One of the sidekicks responded immediately.
"Area 37!"
And it was the same thing happening all over the office, as they were either on the phone or taking requests. Some were also moving around paperwork as the four all stared at the busyness.
"There's so much going on!" Izuku stared at everyone in shock.
"It is the number-one agency," Kido reminded the group of students. "Never a dull moment around these parts. We get dispatch calls, patrol jobs. Not to mention events. Over 100 different requests filter through this office on any given day."
Katsuki punched his fist against his palm. "Then why are we just standing around here when we could be working? I'm still ticked off that damn bird rushed in and stole my thunder!"
"Wait, are you talking about Hawks?" Izuku looked at him wide-eyed.
"Ah, should've guessed," Izuka sighed a little, closing her eyes. Although she didn't know the real reason was because she was fanboying over Hawks, and Katsuki was obviously not a fan of it. And Katsuki would rather keep it that way.
"You got a fiery spirit," Kido pointed out while staring at the blond. "But wait for Endeavor's orders, okay?"
"You said there were over 100 requests, right? Send us out somewhere!" Katsuki demanded upon hearing this.
"Kacchan! Please, it's our first day!" Izuku reminded his classmate and...sort of friend.
"We shouldn't be overwhelming ourselves like that...!" Izuka waved a rapid hand.
Endeavor was not around to give them orders because he was in his office, staring at the book suggested by Hawks. The secret message was still baffling him, as well as Hawks' earlier behavior. It makes no sense...
"Now that you're number one, I want you to be a dependable leader. You gotta stand proud, Endeavor, and tell everyone that there's nothing for them to worry about," Hawks smiled up at him.
Endeavor stared at the book, knowing by this point that Hawks and leadership didn't usually mix. And yet he was so insistent on it this time around; he encouraged Endeavor to lead, because he himself didn't see himself as suitable for it.
Why did he sound so different?
"Upheld by personal responsibility! Trendy idea lately."
It's like he was completely negating everything from before...he usually has that vapid smile, saying whatever comes to mind. But earlier...he wasn't joking around at all. He distinctly remembered that Hawks' face was way too serious for it to be normal. In fact, it wasn't in character for Hawks at all...Endeavor continued flipping through the pages. Why the change...?
"You should at least look over the highlighted lines. Read them closely. I recommend the second part."
He lightly touched a highlighted section. It didn't even sound like him. There's something he can't say. So he's trying to get information across another way. He rubbed his chin while looking at the page he was on. The second part... He read the highlighted parts carefully this time around, and then flipped the page. After staring for a few seconds, he gasped sharply. That's it! The second word from each highlighted part! They're connected!
For instance, one section said 'the enemy is the liberation.'
Hawks was flying back to where he was before. I'm sure the commission has deciphered my encrypted code. I just hope Endeavor picks up on it. Maybe I shoulda figured out something easier for him. With the number of heroes secretly joining the liberation front, the commission won't want anything I've discovered to be made public. It was bad enough Slidin' Go was a member, who knows many more heroes had joined when he wasn't looking...? Hawks looked a bit exasperated for his conversation with Endeavor, sagging his arms. Can't believe I made serious eyes at him to try to get him to pay attention. Had no choice, though...don't have too many ways I can communicate right now.
Endeavor gasped sharply while flipping through pages rapidly, reading as fast as possible. The enemy...is the liberation army. They number...over 100,000. He silently put down the book, horrified by what he learned. In four months...
Hawks was flying over the clouds now. In four months...we need to be prepared. Because that's when they strike.