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Hawks messed up.
Hawks messed up big time.
When he gave the book to the Number 1 hero, he didn't expect to have mixed them up. Now, here was Midoriya Izuku, Endeavor's intern, with said book, staring at him with the most serious face that any child should ever wear.
"I know," he mouths silently, the impact of the words reverberating in the room.
Hawks feels lightheaded, unsure on whether or not this is a good thing. On one hand, here is the one person who's had the most interaction with the League of Villains aside from him. On the other, this is a child. A child.
With on steely nod, he gestures to Midoriya to sit down. While he doesn't know what his next move would be, he understands that he won't let the Hero Commission get their hands on this student. He'd keep him uninvolved for as long as he could.
"How would you like to unofficially work for me?"
And that was, unfortunately, not what he meant to say.
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There are a couple things Midoriya gets confused about. Girls are one thing. Kacchan is another. However, this book filled with propaganda may be the most confusing one yet.
Now, he may be looking too deep into things, but he's asked Todoroki and Bakugou for their books. Blank. Unlike his. He suspects something more going on so he pulls up a few papers and draws theories upon theories, each leading to no where.
The lack of sleep doesn't bother him. Neither does the lack of progress. He understands the severity of this situation. He wouldn't be able to alert Endeavor without getting him suspicious. Not without Hawks' permission.
He leaves clues upon clues in code in his room. A safety measure in case somebody nabbed him. A tracker made by Momo and a long note with everything he knew.
"You might want to read the second part," Hawks had said earlier this morning. Midoriya doesn't know Hawks well enough to analyze whether this is important or not. He guesses he should. He wants to cover all bases though.
It doesn't take much to trouble his friends. More time spent in his room, less time eating, more silence in meetings, and more ruthlessness during training. All Might confronted him. He trusts All Might, but this could very well put him in danger.
He had a slight thought of going to Aizawa-sensei, but he noped out pretty fast. He decides to call Tsukauchi with the number he gave him after the mall incident. He has to keep this on the down low, but maybe pattern finding wouldn't be a bad skill to have as a hero.
He asked Principal Nezu and All Might for permission. They agreed. Every day, two hours will be taken to analysis and detective training. Working part time on the police force for free. They had even suggested he take one of his friends. He didn't.
He's asked Aizawa-sensei not to be informed as to where he's going. He knows the hero will be nosier than the others. He won't rest until he figures out what got Midoriya acting differently. Understandable, but not ideal. Because of this, he's been assigned Midnight.
Now Midnight is a good hero, don't get him wrong, but he's currently running on fumes with a lack of sleep and she won't stop talking. He knows he's wasting opportunity. After all, she's talking about her night work, something that he doubts any hero is allowed to do.
He yawns as he exits the car, pausing before apologizing profusely. He was cut off by Midnight's laughter. She's talking about how the 'youths should value sleep more.' Not that he disagrees, but this is more important.
He's aware that he could go to Hawks. End this internship, talk to the hero, and go to sleep, but it looks as though he's constantly being watched by people he doesn't like, else he'd confront Endeavor about this alone.
It's been a week. This might be time sensitive. Midoriya doesn't know what his next action should be. He's completely out of his element.
He meets Tsukauchi with a tired smile, completely jealous as the detective picks up a cup of coffee. Tsukauchi notices and offers to make him a cup. He refuses.
"Well, Midoriya, when I handed you my number, I'd assumed there'd be another crisis before you called. I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of danger and screaming," Tsukauchi starts with an amused twinkle to his eye.
"Sir?" Midoriya replies quietly, not in the mood for this conversation again. It's really not his fault that the villains attack and, while it's been a running gag for a while now, it doesn't stop him from feeling guilty. Fortunately, the detective understands this and procures a piece of paper.
"Right. This will be your schedule for the internships. Any specifics on these conditions you'd like to alert me on?"
Midoriya nods.
"Can we start with passing secret messages in code?"
The detective blinks.
"That's very specific there, but not unreasonable. I've heard much of your analysis. May I see some of them?"
Once again, Midoriya nods. He hands them over with both hands. Tsukauchi narrows his eyes at the notes, expecting the quirk analysis his friend boasted about. He was completely taken aback by the research on who and where the corrupted police on his team are at the moment. Patrol schedules, former injuries, proof of smuggling, etc. Admittedly, there's not a lot, he pays close attention to his team, after all, but still. Tsukauchi makes a noise at the back of his throat before coughing.
"So...when do I start, sir?" Midoriya inquires with those big green eyes of his. Tsukauchi meets them head-on before smiling.
"You start right now."
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The art of subtlety is a difficult challenge. It's less so about being able to pass a message and moreso about being able to make sure that the listener receives it. That's what Midoriya understood the first day of the lecture. He already understood all of that though. He frowns as he reads through his notebook. The first day of classes are always so...conceptual.
He doesn't need that. He needs something hands on. Something closer to his case if possible.
Midoriya sighs. This isn't working.
The Endeavor Internships already take most of his time with Endeavor focusing on quirk training and, while appreciated, it's nothing he can't get from anyone else. He grateful, at least, at the fact that Endeavor is willing to listen to his rambles unlike Aizawa or All Might.
Endeavor boasts as the highest cases solved per time ratio even with All Might as the Symbol of Peace. He was hoping to get a little more into the analysis part of the internship, but it looks like Endeavor won't listen to him. Well not at the moment.
He asks for extra time with the agency rather than training. He hopes Endeavor doesn't see it as him dismissing his teachings. Regardless of what the man had done, it would be inadvisable to make an enemy of him.
Endeavor agrees, surprisingly enough, and was even nice about it too. Sure his temper had mellowed out, but still. He asks Burnin to tutor him. She agrees.
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He's mentally exhausted. School, work, internships all blending together with his lack of sleep in attempting to solve this case. He's run the math, every connection he could think about with two is used and discarded. Second letter, second highlight, second meaning, etc. He figured that he should've given the book to Endeavor regardless. Maybe he's selfish. It was clearly meant for him.
But he could see something in Hawks, despite not knowing him. The desperation. The fear. The pleading eyes. All in the form of one aloof man with a dream. It all practically screams at Midoriya to look.
He's seen that face before.
Todoroki. Iida. Kota. Eri. Kacchan.
People he's helped. People who want something changed. People who felt the need to do something but can't.
Anger. Vengeance. Projection. Fear.
He's understood that look before.
All Might. Endeavor. Eraserhead.
People who want to help. People who would move to get things changed. People who had done something but felt like it all wasn't enough.
Fake. Fake. Fake smiles. Frauds. Frustration. Helpless.
Midoriya splashes water to his face. He sounds like Stain with all this mantra. He really needs to rest.
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He doesn't understand how bad things got until Ectoplasm let him sleep through math class. He was blushing and red with apologies, stuttering through everything until he felt a hand on his shoulder and a nod. A subtle move to convey understanding.
Confident.
One of the main factors of handling a message properly is to show your confidence in your own words. That's what Tsukauchi says. Despite being legally required to state his quirk, people have tried to work around that. Most of the time, it didn't work, but Tsukauchi himself has studied in psychology to catch those kinds of people. Most of the time, it's their lack of confidence in their words and actions.
Midoriya notices a flaw, however. Bakugou Katsuki has been one clear and confident explosion since he met him, yet that one has been a puzzle for Midoriya for a while. A boy so confident. A boy full of contradictions.
He compares Kacchan to Hawks. Strong, imposing, and harsh on one side. Fast, jovial, and calm on the other. A spectrum of contradictions full of contradictions.
Both perfect quirks, perfect life, perfect friends. Midoriya frustratingly waves off that thought. Nobody has a perfect life. Especially once you've lived through it.
No, he understands it all perfectly. Both Kacchan and Hawks are confident confident beings, but they both project them in very different ways.
But he knew that from the start.
Midoriya glances at his notes before tearing it apart. He's been running in circles. He really needs to sleep.
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Tsukauchi lets him sleep through the next lesson.
Endeavor doesn't train him like he does with Todoroki and Bakugou.
Uraraka and Iida are worried.
Midnight stops laughing around him.
All Might sends him to Recovery Girl
Present Mic doesn't call him for English.
Aizawa tells him to visit Hound Dog.
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The irony of Shinsou telling him to sleep was not lost to him.
The irony of Shinsou taking his energy drink away unfortunately was.
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He passes out during training. It was the last straw before Aizawa sends him to the dorms to rest. He knows that Aizawa knows that he wouldn't and follows him into his room. He feels self conscious at the disarray of notes, but he feels comforted in the fact that Aizawa probably wouldn't read them.
Aizawa sits on the floor, dragging his yellow caterpillar sleeping bag with him and promptly lays down, muttering something about getting Vlad to substitute him for the day.
With no other excuses, Midoriya falls asleep too.
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He wakes up feeling rejuvenated. He's double checked his notes to see if any of them were shifted and was happy to note that Aizawa-sensei didn't mess with any of them. He goes to Tsukauchi's lessons feeling brighter and lighter than before. Endeavor spars with him one on one and he didn't get frustrated being sent to the mat. He felt.... happy.
He was happy. Midoriya paused. After almost two weeks for feeling frustrated, he didn't think he'd feel this way. Even with the heaviness of his chest and the slowness of his muscles. Even though he wants to go back to sleep and recover everything he's lost, he still has a mission.
A mission that he will take seriously from now on.
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He visits Nighteye agency after a few months. He doesn't tell All Might, but received permission from someone he knew wouldn't tattle on him. Principal Nezu.
He brings the rat of UA along with him. He knows how stupid this decision is. He knows. Nezu knows. Probably anyone who would ever hear knows.
Nezu came along for the fun of it. He admitted to it himself. He was curious as to what got the next Symbol of Peace so...disorderly.
Midoriya sighs and his drowsy legs carry him forward. It was the two week mark. Nezu sees him as a puzzle to be solved. Well let him then.
It still makes him laugh at the fact that Nezu had let himself be carried around like a stuffed animal to hide though.
Bubble Girl and Centipeder greet him warmly as he entered the agency, glancing shortly at the animal in his arms before calling out to Mirio.
"Get me a case to solve," Midoriya announces, much to the shock of everyone in the room. His eyes are hard, but he is smiling so so wide. He understands that reviewing the book over and over has done nothing but bring him misery. He needs a break, even if it is only for a day.
"Midoriya. Kouhai. Little brother. You know that that is illegal right? You're not assigned to our agency," Mirio calmly explains.
"Then list me as your analyst, not a hero. My credentials will prove me trustworthy," Midoriya stated, practically vibrating, much to the annoyance of the rat in his arms. Mirio and Bubble Girl took his DNA and ran it through their systems.
"I've been looking for a time to organize my office. Would you mind taking mine, Midoriya-kun?" Centipeder asks.
"Are you kidding? That's what I came here for!" Midoriya's smile turned genuine at the request. It seems as though their time together made them all too familiar, Nezu surmises. It doesn't escape him how the grieving agency suddenly brightened at Midoriya's excitement.
Taking note Midoriya's much more relaxed stance in the agency, he'll be sure to encourage Midoriya's visits next time.
Of course, he'd do it subtlety. In no way would he let it get out that the rat of UA had a heart after all.
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Aizawa-sensei tries to confront him.
Midoriya just sidesteps his questions with his own.
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It takes a few minutes after dinner before he asks to see Todoroki's pin board. It's been a while since he had fun.
The glint in the dual-colored haired boy's eyes, told him that he would have a very interesting night indeed.
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All Might is not smart.
Midoriya knows that, but he asks him for help regardless. You don't get to being the Number One hero with no sidekick for five to six years without any knowledge.
In all honesty, he's left feeling like he neglected a parent, not a mentor. He'd try to take a few minutes out of PE break time to talk to him, even if it meant encouraging Todoroki and his dastardly theories.
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He meets Hawks later on after the hero internships giving Endeavor another book, different from his own. Midoriya tries to signal to him before he took off. All he got was a smile saying next time.
It unfortunately reminded him way too much of his first meeting with All Might.
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The second book. The second part of the equation. It might've had the key to answering the first. This just solidifies the fact that Endeavor should've gotten the first one.
Midoriya insists on reading it, even after getting yelled at by Endeavor. Todoroki and even Bakugou tried prying him off, but he wouldn't budge.
Something big is coming. Something involving the League of Villains. Of that fact, Midoriya knows enough from the first book. He voices his thoughts. He mentions Hosu. He breaks the law.
He gets turned down.
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He asks permission from Present Mic to skip the day's lesson to work with the support group. He talks to Mei about developing photographic visors for him. With this, it lets him take a video of any occurrence and upload it to his laptop. Unfortunately, there's only short memory for such a compacted thing, but he knows that Hatsume will be furthering development on this prototype.
He breaks into Endeavor's office and scans the second book. He leaves, but not without dropping off the information he has of Book One in a manila folder and leaving a single red feather.
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When he gets back to the dorms, he crashes and falls asleep before reviewing anything.
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He was eating lunch when he realized that Todoroki was holding his hand with his left. He stared dumbfounded before feeling the heat.
Todoroki was looking away, muttering something about cold and broken bones. Midoriya smiles in appreciation.
He misses the little moments with his friends.
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It wasn't until the third week that he finally had a breakthrough.
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Midoriya took the time to skip a step before following Shinsou around like a lost cat. Aizawa tried confronting him again, but Present Mic dared him to take pictures. Aizawa considered his options before slinking all the way to his dark hole in the wall of the school.
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It was a dare. A dare! What was he supposed to do, turn down a dare from Todoroki in front of the class?! It was the only way that he would've accepted a game night with them at all!
Now Midoriya trots the walk of shame to the teachers' lounge in nothing but an All Might catboy cosplay suit with a sign that says "All Might's Secret Lovechild" and a phone taped behind it to record everything. This is so embarrassing. He closes his eyes and knocks.
Aizawa looks at him, blinks twice and starts petting him. Midnight squeals in delight. All Might is fucking dead.
Welp. At least he wasn't getting detention.
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He hasn't forgotten the fact that Nezu is still curious. That Snoopy Copyrat absolutely beamed when he'd asked for Hawks' number. He'd be fine with that if he did give the number, but nooo. "It's a challenge," he says. "Do your own research," he says.
Midoriya stomps over to Tokoyami's door and knocks. He gets the number and a bad mood. He reminds himself to give Tokoyami a fruit basket for his efforts.
He ignores the curious yellow gaze of Dark Shadow as he expresses his thanks and leaves.
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Midoriya messed up.
Midoriya messed up big time.
When he broke into Endeavor's study to leave a red feather, he didn't expect to have left any evidence behind.
Well he did. He left the notes on Book One after all.
What he didn't account for was Endeavor knowing exactly whom those notes belonged to.
Midoriya forgot that Endeavor has had experience breaking down notes. He forgot that Endeavor was the one person who knew how his rambles went on.
He didn't think that it would link directly to him.
"You know something," Endeavor concludes in the privacy of his office.
"I do," Midoriya admits without shame. He knows he will get in trouble eventually, but he knows that Endeavor understands the severity of this situation.
"Come with me." Endeavor hesitates before putting his hand on his shoulder.
He lets him hold Book Two.
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Two people are faster than one.
Two minds are better than one.
He knows that everyone is getting suspicious of his newfound relationship with Endeavor, especially Todoroki. The sudden closeness between them was something nobody expected. Midoriya lets none of this distract him.
He's a man on a mission.
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Midoriya stares in awe in front of Hawks' agency. He hears Endeavor grunt next to him before letting out a puff of cold air. He does the same and enters the building.
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Midoriya puts on a serious face filled with the confidence that he did not have. He doesn't stutter. He doesn't pause. He needs Hawks to take him seriously. He doesn't need Hawks flying off like he did before.
He enters Hawks' office and stares at the hero, at the enigma. He's holding Book One in his grasp.
He observes the room. He observes the hero. Neither speak. Midoriya notices the genuity of his aloofness. The lack of silent tension. They must not be being observed at the moment, but they could be. He knows that now. He understands.
"I know," he mouths silently, the impact of the words reverberating in the room.
He sees the way Hawks' feathers twitch. The way tension slowly seeps into his stance. He seems him debate internally on how to react. On what show to put on. Had it been any other student, he wouldn't have noticed, but he's had experience with All Might. He's had experience in the pros he's met. He understands. He understands.
With one steely nod, he gestures to Midoriya to sit down. He doesn't know what his next move would be, Midoriya observes. His face had that protective look that he saw him give Mirko on a mission a few years ago.
"I won't let you get hurt."
"Understood. Message received."
He's not sure whether it's the threat of the League of Villains or something else that Hawks is protecting him from, but, looking into his eyes, he knows that Hawks is an ally.
"How would you like to unofficially work for me?"
And that was not what Midoriya expected at all. He couldn't help it. One month of research and work. One month of depriving himself of his wants for this. He really can't help it. He laughs.