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He was singled out from the start. Aizawa had noticed. No one spoke to the kid and the few who tried interacting didn’t get much of a response. At first, he thought the student was just shy. The school was new and, of course, a hero course is a pretty big jump from a regular school. However, it started to become concerning when he realized just how silent his student was. He only spoke when prompted to, never adding in his opinion. Of course, he could just be like Iida?
No, this was different.
The recent kidnapping of a UA student and the retirement of All Might shocked everyone. Every local news station was covering the story. His name was the headline of almost every newspaper, the others writing about the concern of villains taking over. Many people were still trying to process the horrible incident.
On the other hand, the UA class involved, 1-A, were on a small break. After the attack, many parents were worried about their children’s safety in the school.
One student, however, took the time as if it was still training. Christopher, the silent student. Not a very good title, but he didn’t care. He flaps his wings, soaring around a clearing in the woods. The soft, white feathers detach and reattach, spinning around trees and branches. Control. Learn to control them.
As he flies back and forth he hums to himself. He starts spinning and twirling in the air in tune to the humming. Back and forth, back and forth. A swoop and a dive are added to his quiet dance. Back and forth.
He lands and all of the stray feathers fly back to him. Not too bad. He’d been getting better with his wings ever since he joined UA. Good to know he was actually learning. Just as his wings begin to fade away, there’s a small snap from behind him. He whirls around, a subtle red on his cheeks.
Did someone see him? Were they watching? His breathing speeds up just as his eyes lock onto the person responsible for the sudden sound.
“Hey! Sorry, I spooked you!” Chris’s eyes widen in shock and embarrassment. The man in front of him is wearing a light brown jacket and some baggy pants to match. However, Chris’s eyes dart straight to the big, red wings on the man’s back.
No. No no no no no. It’s Hawks. Why is he here? More importantly, why was he talking to Chris of all people? Surely he had something to do? Wait, what if he was distracting him from his work? What if someone was in trouble? Oh no no no no n-
“Hey, hey….calm down!” Hawks places a hand on Chris’s shoulder, causing the boy to flinch away. His breathing quickens. Hawks bites his lip, trying to think of a way to help. “Kid, I need you to breathe. I just came to ask you something.”
This seems to get the boy’s attention. He looks up, breathing slowing down a bit. Hawks smiles a bit.
“So, where did you- do you live? It’s not safe to be out here alone..” Hawks curses himself under his breath. He can’t ask yet. Not after how the kid just reacted to him.
Chris frowns, rubbing his arm, “I don’t have a home, sir.” His voice is frail. It seemed to take him a lot of effort to even respond. Hawks’s eyes widen.
They’re both silent for a bit, waiting for someone to say something. Chris scratches at a bandage on his face. Hawks notices this, suddenly realizing just how many bandages Chris has. His expression turns serious.
“Can you come with me? Please?” Chris’s heart leaps at the words.
Why would Hawks want to be near him? He’s done nothing but keep him from his job. He timidly follows the hero, pulling his hood up to hide his face.
Hawks leads him out of the forest, glancing back every so often at Chris. He turns, making his way down a busy street. Chris follows close behind. Mostly because he didn’t want to get lost, but the slight cover he gets from Hawks shadow is comforting too.
Chris looks up at the towering buildings reaching up into the sky. It was scary to him. This part of the city was new to him. Cars loudly drive by and people crowd the sidewalks. He should have gotten lost by now.
He turns his attention back to where Hawks was taking him, finding that he was entering a hospital.
What? Why a hospital? He wants to ask but stays silent. He just needed to listen.
“Excuse me,” Hawks stands at the front desk, catching the attention of many people. He ignores the glances and whispers that come from the many fans. “I need Dr. Akiyama. It’s for a case.”
The lady nods, “Room 5C.” Hawks smiles thankfully, turning to Chris.
“C’mon, let’s go meet the doctor.” Chris follows, eyes wide. The thought of seeing a doctor terrified him, but the idea of what Hawks would do if he didn’t follow was much scarier.