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Time stopped. The air went frigid. If anyone spoke, it would have been drowned out by the roaring sound of Izuku’s blood thumping.
He had though this might happen, had worried about it for a split second before he had chased after Manual, but vaguely expecting something terrible and having it happen were too very different things. Izuku wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for this conversation; he wasn’t ready for the fallout.
Everyone so far had been so kind; his friends, Mr. Aizawa, Hawks, but that wasn’t the general consensus – Izuku knew it couldn’t be the consensus. The chief’s expression as he had asked the damning question had been serene enough, but Izuku couldn’t read his face. Who knew the judgement brewing behind the fur and whiskers?
Did everyone in the police station know? Were the chief’s words about not knowing who had heard a threat or just a fact? Izuku wasn’t doing anything illegal – he knew that, but the feeling of doing wrong was a heady, stifling beast he couldn’t conquer. If even just a few people in the police station knew, what would stop them from going to the media? The media, who had been clamoring for any and all scraps of gossip from UA ever since All Might had been added to the staff, who had been scenting the air for blood ever since the USJ attack, who had been dogging after Izuku’s heels ever since his internship with Hawks had been leaked.
The media would eviscerate him. Him and Principal Nezu and Mr. Aizawa and Hawks and Mrs. Midnight and any other adult who had believed in his abilities. His mother.
What if they talked to All Might?
What if –
A hand, warm and solid amidst his sea of panic, gripped his wrist and squeezed. It was almost painful, that grip, as though the person trying to be comforting had never gotten the hang of gentle touches, and it was gone as quickly as it had come, but it served its purpose.
Izuku was pushed from the precipice of his panic, just enough to gain control of his thoughts and reign in the worst of them. He turned, for just a moment, to glance at Todoroki next to him.
The boy’s heterochromatic gaze was focused on the police chief, his expression fierce. A glance towards Iida, and Izuku was shocked to see a similar expression on the taller boy’s face. They had been through hell, the three of them, and hadn’t come up the other side unscathed but his friends looked willing to go down again, without hesitation, just for Izuku.
And they had survived. No matter what came next, they had survived the Hero Killer. They had held him off long enough that help – terrifying, beyond questionable help – had arrived. Izuku had held off the Hero Killer singlehandedly until his friends could get up again. He had earned his spot, whatever anyone said, again, again, and again. Quirkless or not, omega or not, he had done that.
The room was still, silent, as though everyone was waiting on a hair pin trigger for the other shoe to drop. Izuku knew he should break the silence – the police chief looked content to keep quiet and wait for someone else to speak, Hawks looked murderous, as though he was one word away from dropping the chief out the window, and Mr. Aizawa –
Mr. Aizawa was staring full on at Izuku, his expression thunderous. For a split second, Izuku’s heart skipped a beat as though it was him his teacher was mad at. But Izuku knew, of all the things his teacher would get mad at him for, this was never one of them. The situation, the chief, the media – these were all things Mr. Aizawa was directing his anger at. And the man looked mad enough that a single acerbic word could send the whole hospital crashing down, even if Voice was not his quirk.
But Mr. Aizawa wasn’t talking yet, despite the lashing Izuku knew was brewing on his teacher’s tongue, and he knew why. He knew why no one else had spoken up yet.
Everyone in the room but the chief knew, but any word they said, be it lie or truth, would rob Izuku of the chance to set his narrative. He would have to speak first.
If only he knew how he wanted to address this.
Should he be honest? Secrecy obviously wasn’t his strong suit. Should he tell the chief, and ask him to keep it quiet? But the chief was already doing so much, keeping a hold on the Hero Killer situation, would this be one request for good will too many? Could the chief even put a lid on this, without knowing how many had heard?
Was it right, to ask so many people to keep his secret for him? When there wasn’t even a guarantee the media didn’t already know? The chief was right, if one officer had their suspicions, who was to say another didn’t already come to the same conclusion?
But was Izuku ready to weather this storm?
No, he knew he wasn’t. He wasn’t nearly ready enough. It would already be difficult, navigating the world after his fight with the Hero Killer – even if the police kept the full account quiet, he was sure too many people had seen three UA students being escorted out of the same alley as Stain, something would be known. Questions would already abound, and Izuku didn’t want to add this to the fire.
But if he lied, would the chief be able to tell? Would he hold it against Izuku, or understand? Would he be an ally, are a new enemy?
Izuku didn’t know, but a decision had to be made, and there was only one even remotely navigable.
“H-how quiet do you think this rumor is?” It was acknowledgement – as close to acknowledgement as he could make himself go while making it clear that he didn’t want to acknowledge it. Understanding seemed to flash in the police chief’s eyes.
“I can’t guarantee it’s completely silent, woof.” The chief stated after a moment’s hesitation. Izuku was just grateful the man had made no other reaction, taking relief in the man’s no-nonsense approach in a way he hadn’t the entire rest of the night.
“Make it quiet.” Mr. Aizawa – apparently no longer capable of keeping silent now that Izuku had finally made his choice – snarled. His voice was a near growl, the type of sound Izuku hadn’t heard from him since the USJ – and the tips of his hair was rising, ever so slightly, as his eyes flashed. It wasn’t often a man like Mr. Aizawa lost even a fraction of control and Izuku wouldn’t pretend it wasn’t terrifying.
“I can’t guarantee –“ The chief began again, eternal patience in his tone.
“You will guarantee the silence of your officers. Because if I hear even a hint of a rumor about my minor student’s private, personal information that is protected by law getting out from the police of Musutafu, UA will sue. We will sue the city, the police force, and each officer found culpable in the slip.”
The police chief, in a rare moment, seemed to briefly lose his composure, his eyes widening. “Now, just a moment Mr. Aizawa –“
“And once UA is done, I’m sure the HSPC would be very interested in finding out how a man such as yourself failed to keep your force in line. They do take the privacy and security of heroes very seriously, and they aren’t accustomed to accepting failure.” That was Hawks, his voice sharp and threatening. He had never dropped his hold on the chief and his grip had to have been crushing into the flesh of the chief’s soldier.
Izuku didn’t really see how the hero commission would be interested in pursuing anything related to this, but he couldn’t deny the instantaneous effect the threat had on the chief. The man actually blanched and Izuku could understand why – while every police force in the country was independent from the hero commission, big cities such as Hosu relied on having a good relationship between themselves and the heroes working within their area and that, by proxy, meant having to have a good relationship with the commission itself. If the hero commission even hinted at displeasure with the police chief, on top of a lawsuit from UA, there was a good chance the man would lose his job within a year.
The police chief had no choice and the irritated way his whiskers seemed to flick up and down on his furry cheeks reflected that. “I cannot guarantee the rumor has been contained to the station, but I can assure if the rumor spreads to the media, it will not be from an officer, woof.” He didn’t like to be threatened, nobody did, Izuku knew, but it was still beyond strange to see way his fur seemed to be raised all around him even as he kept an even tone. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He shot a look at Hawks. The bird hero glared for a moment, as if making sure his threat was properly seared into the chief’s head, before finally dropping his death grip on the other man’s shoulder and backing away half a step, his hands immediately burrowing into his pockets. Whether it was an attempt to appear casual or to stop himself from attacking the chief, Izuku didn’t know.
It seemed the chief wasn’t willing to wait and found out. He quickly adjusted his suit, before giving a final nod to the room and making a swift exit without another word.
The silence stretched for one second, then three, then five before –
“I can’t imagine the hero commission would care about a single unsubstantiated rumor from a police officer about a UA first year.” Mr. Aizawa broke the silence first, irritation still clear in his voice as he leveled his dark gaze at the number three hero.
Hawks, seemingly calm now that the chief was once more gone, just shrugged. “They probably wouldn’t, but what the chief doesn’t know won’t hurt the kid.”
The candid way Hawks admitted to not only lying but using the hero commission as part of his lie was terrifying. Anyone should have been at least a little frightened about that – the hero commission was nothing to be messed with – but Mr. Aizawa seemed, rather than discontented by the reveal, surprisingly contemplative. As if looking at Hawks for the first time.
“Hmm.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Aizawa?” Perhaps it was testament to the seriousness of the night, that Hawks still had no trace of sarcasm or joking in his tone.
“It means you aren’t as big of a colossal fool as you look.” Izuku winced. He knew Mr. Aizawa was mad at his mentor – his and Iida’s and Todoroki’s too, but he had hoped to be far away before the arguments began. He didn’t think his frayed nerves would survive anything else for the next month.
He thought about jumping in but before he could even try to diffuse the situation – what would he even say? – Hawks let out a surprised half laugh, no trace of anger in it. “Careful now, Aizawa, you’re gonna make me blush if you keep complimenting me like that.”
The tension was suddenly gone, deflated as though Hawks’ words had been a well-aimed needle. Mr. Aizawa’s response was an eyeroll. “You’ll still on my list, Hawks. Just because you aren’t as massive idiot as you could be, doesn’t mean you aren’t stupid at all.”
List? What list? Was it a hit-list? Mr. Aizawa was a hero, but he was also terrifying. And with Nezu on his side, there was no telling what he could potentially get away with.
“Fair enough, fair enough. I kind of poked the bear here, I’ll admit.” Hawks didn’t sound frightened, but there was an almost apologetic note to his voice.
Mr. Aizawa leveled the other hero with a look that nearly sent Izuku back under the covers. “If you ever bring one of my students to a different city, without so much as a whisper of a word to me directly, I will rip off your wings with my bare hands and make feather dusters out of them.” It would have been more frightening if Mr. Aizawa sounded angry, but his voice was flat, reasonable, as though he was doing nothing more elaborate than giving back test scores. Izuku had never really fully understood the difference between a threat and a promise, but he did now.
He had no doubts that, if Hawks ever messed up again, Mr. Aizawa would follow through with every word of his promise. Gladly, even.
Hawks seemed to understand and apparently deemed it prudent to not push any further because he just dipped his head down and said, in a mild voice, “understood.”
Mr. Aizawa stared a moment more before finally, finally easing up. “Good.” And then he turned his gaze back to the boys and Izuku couldn’t help the slight flinch. Neither could Iida, not too far from him, although Todoroki seemed wholly unfazed, as though promises of violence came far too often around him.
Knowing his father, Izuku was all too certain they did. But that was a mountain for another day.
Mr. Aizawa’s gaze seemed to soften, just a fraction. “Midoriya, Iida, your families should be here soon. Try to get some more rest before they get here. Todoroki –“ he seemed to pause for a fraction of a moment. Izuku wondered then, if anyone had even been able to get a hold of Endeavor, to tell him where his youngest son was spending the night. Or even if the man pretended to care. “-I’m sure your father will be here, too, once the cleanup has finished.” Mr. Aizawa finished smoothly, as if the pause and his doubt in Todoroki’s father hadn’t happened at all. “Back to bed, all three of you.”
A protest nearly left Izuku’s lips. There was no way he would be able to fall asleep again, not after all of this. But the determination in Mr. Aizawa’s face was carved from stone and Izuku felt any argument die on his tongue. He obediently laid back down while Todoroki and Iida – the latter with a fair bit more difficulty than the former – slid off his bed to go back to their own. Mr. Aizawa and Hawks both watched with eagle eyes as the boys laid down and covered themselves back up. Hawks’ fingers twitched, just a little, and Izuku wondered briefly if the man was fighting the urge to swamp the boys with blankets once more. He wasn’t sure but Hawks made no move to come forward so he let it go.
Mr. Aizawa waited until all the boys had stopped fidgeting, although it had to be obvious that none of them were asleep, to address Hawks in a low voice. “Can I trust you to not let them out of this hospital room until their parents get here?”
“Where are you going?” Hawks’ voice was equally low, although they couldn’t have possibly thought the boys couldn’t hear them. That was made clear when Mr. Aizawa cast a glance over all three beds – Izuku quickly squeezed his eyes shut to at least pretend he was trying to fall asleep – before speaking again a low voice.
"In the hall.” Izuku listened as the two men softly stepped out of the room and waited two beats after the door had clicked close before throwing off his blankets. Besides him, Todoroki’s heterochromatic eyes blinked at him before he too sat up.
It was, of course, incredibly bad to listen in on his teacher and mentor. Izuku knew it was. If he was caught, Mr. Aizawa might actually snap and expel him. But in the grand scheme of things, Izuku had done worse and this, at least, had to directly involve him. Him or his friends.
Todoroki made no motion to actually get out of his bed as Izuku gingerly touched down, just content to watch as Izuku risked life and limb to slowly tiptoe across the hospital floor. Iida looked much less entertained as he cracked his eyes open to shoot Izuku the deadliest stare possible while squinting slightly in his nearsightedness. “Midoriya, this is quite un-“
“Shut up, Iida.” Todoroki’s whisper held no bite but Izuku still gave Iida an apologetic look as he slipped further towards the door. It was fully closed but Izuku could hear faint murmurs beyond it. The heroes must have been reluctant to move too far away from the room – or too trusting in the idea that they wouldn’t have been listened in on to bother – because he could just make out what they were saying.
“-it’s been hours, he should have been here by now.” That was Mr. Aizawa’s voice, a low growl. It seemed he hadn’t let go of his anger, but merely reserved it for when he thought he was out of ear shot of the boys.
“It was a massive attack, he’s bound to be busy –“
“Too busy to check on his son?” The bite in Mr. Aizawa’s voice was acidic and Izuku couldn’t help but glance back at Todoroki. There was no way the other boy could hear what was being said, so far away. Guilt laced through Izuku at the fact that he was listening in to a conversation that involved his friend and he gestured quickly for Todoroki to join him. He deserved to hear it too, at the very least.
“Well –“ Hawks was hemming now, as if he could come up with no logical argument to combat the fact that Endeavor had made no attempts to see his youngest son. Todoroki joined Izuku’s side just in time to hear Mr. Aizawa continue.
“He’s in town and hasn’t even tried to come and see his son. I won’t tolerate it.” Todoroki’s face darkened, making it all too clear that he knew exactly what was being talked about. A slight rustle of sheets sounded off behind them and Izuku glanced back to see Iida carefully sitting up, his curiosity outweighing his desire to behave.
“What are you going to do? Drag him away from the clean up to come here? How’s that going to help?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It would be illogical to make that man do anything and the last thing the hospital needs is Endeavor running around screaming his foolish head off.”
“Then what –“
“I do not need to nor will I explain my business to you, Hawks. Remember, the only reason I’m trusting my students to you is you aren’t as stupid as you could be. That doesn’t mean you aren’t stupid at all.”
“Yeah, yeah. You hate me, you’ll never trust me with one of your precious babies again. Does the posturing ever get old?”
“It’s not posturing when I’m fully ready to make good on anything I’ve said.” The promise of violence he had given Hawks in the hospital room hung heavy in every letter of Mr. Aizawa’s words. “Count yourself lucky I’m not going after your license and leave me to my business.”
"You’re going after Endeavor’s license?” Hawks’ voice was louder, almost a yelp.
“Quiet down.” Mr. Aizawa’s response was a low hiss, barely discernable. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have more people to see than Endeavor. He’s just the first.”
“Whose license are you going after, then?”
“For the last time, mind your business. Watch the kids and if –“
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. They get out, I get plucked. Why don’t you just give me a hint?”
“I was going to say if you feel the need to cover them up again, leave it to the nurses. You nearly suffocated Todoroki.” There was a pause.
“I didn’t –“ There was something strange in Hawks’ voice, that Izuku couldn’t quite place but knew didn’t sound quite right. Before he could finish what he was going to say, Mr. Aizawa was speaking once more.
“Whatever. I don’t care. Don’t kill my students or let them get themselves killed. Message me if anything goes wrong or when their parents get here, whichever occurs first.” Footsteps, faint and fading, accompanied the words, as though Mr. Aizawa had already begun walking away as he spoke. Izuku waited a few long moments, Todoroki still at his side, but no more sound came through from the other side. Nothing meaningful, anyway, as the sound of gentle rustling indicated that Hawks had once more taken his station outside the hospital room door.
Izuku waited a few more moments, just in case, before hobbling away from the door.
“Why does Mr. Aizawa want to find my father?” Todoroki’s voice was a mere whisper, quiet but unsure. He had waited until he had followed Izuku to Iida’s bed, a far enough distance that, even if Hawks could hear him whispering, he probably wouldn’t be able to make out their words, and – with a little luck – just dismiss it as teenagers unable to sleep again.
"To scold him?” There was a question in Izuku’s voice, unintentionally. He knew what he had heard but it still seemed improbable that Mr. Aizawa, as scary and intimidating he was, would go toe-to-toe with the number two and come out on top. Izuku highly doubted Endeavor would accept a scolding from the teacher with grace, or even at all, but he also knew that his teacher was not one to be underestimated. He would be glad to be very far away from that storm when it began.
"For what?” Todoroki had an edge in his voice now, as he often did when his father was involved, but he mostly sounded confused. As though he couldn’t fathom why someone would be angry that his father hadn’t come to the hospital to see him.
"I do not know what we are talking about.” That was Iida – he had been too far form the door, even sitting up, to make out what was said. With a quick glance towards Todoroki who nodded permissively, Izuku quickly explained. Iida’s brows rose up.
“Well, of course Mr. Aizawa is upset!” Iida’s voice was a loud whisper, and Izuku’s eyes darted towards the door in fear. Iida must have realized how loud he had been in the quiet room because he continued on, more quietly. “Being busy is understandable, but certainly there could have been an exception for Endeavor to be allowed to visit!” Poor naive Iida, not quite able to understand that nothing and nobody was holding Endeavor back from seeing Todoroki. He didn’t seem to understand, loved as he undoubtedly was, that some people just didn’t care enough, he merely thought work was keeping Endeavor back.
It wasn’t Izuku’s place to correct him, wasn’t his place to explain exactly what was fraught between Todoroki and his father. Trying to be subtle as possible, Izuku glanced at Todoroki through his lashes. The other boy had a carefully blank look on his face and a shadow in his eyes. The silence dragged just a moment too long to be natural before, with deliberate calm, Todoroki spoke.
“I don’t want my old man here, so it’s fine. He doesn’t need to be scolded.” There was a warning in his voice and Izuku decided it was probably time to try and change the subject. He knew from personal experience that prodding Todoroki on his father tended to end with bruises.
"There’s something I wanted to ask you guys about.” He was nervous, all of a sudden, and it must have shown in his voice as both boys immediately turned their gazes to him, faces torn between determined and worried.
He had been debating saying anything to them. He had withheld it from Mr. Aizawa, still unsure if it meant anything or was just his mind jumping to conclusions and forcing correlations between entirely unrelated matters. Probably, it was nothing and he was being silly. But, now that the threat of everything else had been dealt with – or at least, postponed – the fears had come back, unabating and relentless and Izuku needed to talk to someone about the. And he knew he should get to the bottom of it in this moment, before his mother came and while Mr. Aizawa was gone and while Hawks was still around. His internship was undoubtedly over – even if Mr. Aizawa hadn’t been so completely furious about everything that went down, his mother would put her foot down about Izuku going back out injured. Especially when the truth of Izuku’s orientation hung in limbo. This might be the only chance he has with Hawks in a long time, if ever again.
He needed to know if he should question what he’d heard or not. And while he was reluctant to spread rumors or invite others to invade the number three’s privacy, if anyone deserved to know that something was weird, it was the two who had fought beside him. And he trusted their advice.
So, slowly, quietly, and with many furtive glances to the door, Izuku explained what he had been holding back. The eavesdropped calls – the aggressive one back at Hawks’ apartment and the one that had led them to Hosu. He explained his crazy suspicions, about how the villain had used the same words as Hawks, how something about him, through all of Izuku’s terror from the night, had seemed startling familiar although exactly what that was continued to allude him. He explained it all in hushed whispers and when he finished –
“So what, you think Hawks is working with the League?” Todoroki’s voice was still low, barely intelligible but Izuku still shot a worried look at the door, startled at the bluntness.
"No!” He whispered quickly back. Todoroki just blinked at him.
"I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.” Iida added, his voice still a fraction too loud for Izuku’s liking.
"Like what?” Todoroki pressed. He seemed strangely unbothered by the idea that Hawks was secretly working with a villain organization. But maybe that was simply because it was so ridiculous not even the resident conspiracy theorist could believe it.
“I don’t know.” Izuku admitted quietly. “I don’t think he’s working with the League, but something is weird. Mr. Aizawa even warned me about going with Hawks, because of the commission. They have a close relationship, I think. More than other heroes. I’m pretty sure someone from the commission sent him here to Hosu.”
It felt good, a little, to admit that. Izuku was, like any relatively decent hero fan, mildly terrified about speaking aloud about the hero commission. He’d seen entire hero websites go down, never to recover, after a single negative comment about the commission. Their lawyers didn’t mess around; but no one could hear them in this hospital room. He was fairly certain of that, at least.
Unless Hawks could. But if the number three could hear any of this conversation, they likely had more immediate problems at hand.
A small silence followed Izuku’s confession.
“It is possible.” Iida said hesitantly, after a moment. “I know Tensei once said something similar to Father, about how the hero commission was strangely invested when Hawks first showed up.” His whispers sounded a little guilty, as though he couldn’t quite get over the fact that he was essentially gossiping about a professional hero. If this had been a normal situation, Izuku knew he most definitely would have tried to shut down the conversation. “But I am unsure what that would have to do with the League or the fire villain?”
“Maybe the commission ordered Hawks to spy on the League and the fire villain is his in,” Todoroki suggested mildly.
“He’s too well-known. They’ve got underground heroes for that kind of work.” Izuku whispered back.
“Maybe him and the villain are friends and they hang out in their off-time.” Todoroki’s voice was so sincere it took a moment for the absurdity of his suggestion to hit. Izuku didn’t even fully realize until Iida began spluttering a little.
"Absolutely not! There is no way a hero of Hawks’ status would be friends with a villain!”
“Lovers?”
"Todoroki!”
“People have done worse.” Todoroki’s voice was still mild; he seemed completely unruffled even as both Iida and Izuku’s cheeks went pink.
"Who?” Iida demanded, his voice a fraction too loud once more. Todoroki only shrugged.
“My sister watches this show sometimes when our old man is out.” He said, as though that explained anything.
"Respectfully, your sister has odd taste!”
“We’re getting off topic.” Izuku hastily jumped in before Todoroki could be tempted to explain exactly what happened in his sister’s show. Some things Izuku really didn’t need to know.
"There’s only one way to find out for sure.” Todoroki continued, as though he had never been interrupted or his sister insulted. Izuku braced himself. “Just ask him.” It was such a simple sentence, just barely three words, and yet it felt as though someone had walked over his grave, for how icy cold he suddenly went.
“I-I can’t just – what would, what would I even say?” His question ended in an above-average squeak and both Todoroki and Iida turned their eyes to the door. There was no way Hawks hadn’t heard that, and all three boys waited with bated breath for the door handle to turn. Nothing moved, and after several moments of tense silence, the conversation continued, so hushed it was barely discernable above the soft sounds of the hospital.
“Just ask him for some clarification!” Iida insisted. “None of us believe Hawks has been corrupted and I –“ some impressive side eye towards Todoroki accompanied Iida’s words – “certainly do not believe he could be friends with such a violent person, so there is no harm in asking! I am certain he would want to clear up all your worries, if he knew you had them!” Except asking meant admitting Izuku had accidentally on purpose overheard the hero two – three, if he included the conversation with Mr. Aizawa – times and no one, even someone with nothing to hide, would appreciate that.
"Even if he is part of the League, we are both close by and Aizawa’s only a phone call away.” Todoroki added, a tad unhelpfully as it wasn’t like the three of them, injured and inexperienced, could do much against someone like Hawks. “I think you should talk to him either way. It’s only going to keep bothering you, you’re not one to leave things alone.” Okay, ow. Izuku knew that was true, but it still stung a little to have it stated so baldly.
His friends had a point though. Izuku knew he was incapable of leaving things that seemed wrong alone; that’s why he had listened in in the first place. He had the tendency to notice things and then poke and prod until it was all revealed to him. He wouldn’t be able to fully relax until the questions he had about Hawks and the League and those odd phone calls were all put to rest. Either he talked to Hawks himself or he talked to Mr. Aizawa about it all.
Somehow, despite only knowing the man for a few days, Izuku rather thought Hawks would appreciate Izuku not setting Mr. Aizawa after him once more. With that thought in mind, he forced himself back up.
“You guys are right, I’ll talk to him.” Izuku hobbled over to the door; he probably shouldn’t be continuing to put weight on his foot, the pain medicine was definitely wearing off, leaving Izuku with a stabbing pain shooting up his leg with each half step but no one had brought him crutches yet and he didn’t want to put this off and risk losing his nerve.
“We shall be right here, offering you support!” Iida loudly whispered to his retreating back.
“I’ve pulled up Aizawa’s number, just in case.” Todoroki, helpful as ever.
Izuku’s heart beat far too erratically as he inched slowly – too slowly – towards the door. For a moment, the door handle refused to jiggle open, too unwieldly underneath the bandages, and Izuku nearly gave up then and there. But then it clicked and the well-oiled hinges swung open just enough that there was no going back; Hawks would have definitely noticed. Bracing himself for what could very well be the end of his budding career – even, or especially if, Hawks wasn’t involved in anything whatsoever, he could very well end up hating Izuku for eavesdropping. And being hated by the number one and the number three was just as much of a death sentence as fighting the Hero Killer should have been.
Hawks was already watching the door, his golden gaze seemingly caught between curiosity and consternation. “Thought you knew better than to sneak out, kid.” His tone was light, lighter than Izuku had heard it all night, but, for perhaps the first time, it clearly rang as false to Izuku’s ears.
"I-I’m not sneaking out,” Izuku began, his words skipping to the stuttering beat of his heart.
“Shouldn’t you be in there giggling with your friends, then? Or resting?” So Hawks had heard them, at least just the murmuring if not the word themselves. Izuku couldn’t be too surprised about that; the only one of them that had managed to keep a low enough voice was Todoroki and even that was because his whispery tone was hardly louder than his usual speaking volume. At least Hawks didn’t seem too angry about it.
"Um,” Why couldn’t this be easier? Izuku really didn’t think Hawks was in bed with the League, or he wouldn’t risk doing this alone. He would have told Mr. Aizawa in a heartbeat, if he thought Hawks presented any physical danger to him or the others. Hawks had done too much for him to deserve this level of fear.
Izuku’s mind knew that, but his body and voice were a different matter entirely.
"Well, kid? As much as I love your company, if your teacher comes back with you out of bed, standing on that foot –“ Hawks made a show of gesturing to Izuku’s wrapped ankle with a pointed look – “he’s going to put me in a bed next to you. Do you need something? There’s a button on the table to get a nurse.”
"I-I don’t need a nurse,” Izuku said finally, forcing himself to meet Hawks’ gaze. “I – um – wanted to talk to you. A-about something.” Hawks’ gaze turned considering. Izuku wondered if there actually was suspicion in his sharp eyes or if it was his own overactive imagination. After a beat of silence, Hawks tipped his head down towards the floor.
“Alright, it’s my ass if your teacher comes back. Sit down though, I’m not gonna talk to a kid standing on a broken ankle.” Izuku hurried to obey, nearly tripping over his own casted foot as he tried to seat himself on the ground as gracefully as possible. Only Hawks’ quick reflexes kept him from totally faceplanting and Izuku was guided gently to a seat on the ground by red feathers.
Hawks sat himself across from Izuku, so that their eyes were nearly level. Izuku almost wished the man had remained standing – at the very least, he wouldn’t have felt so close towering over Izuku.
"Well, kid?” Hawks prompted; there was no teasing in his voice and it struck Izuku that now, more than he really had for the entirety of Izuku’s short, ill-destined internship, Hawks was taking Izuku completely seriously. It was as if some unspoken threshold had been passed, with his unlikely survival. As though, even though Hawks still called him kid, Izuku seemed older to him.
Terrible that he was about to lose all of that.
“Um. I-I’m not sure how to start.” Izuku began, his voice small. Hawks just arched a single brow, as he waited for Izuku to stumble his way to the point.
“The beginning is a good spot,” he prompted when Izuku was unable to force anymore sounds from his reluctant mouth.
“R-right. Well, um,” Izuku floundered for a moment before finally catching on something substantial. “The – the first night I was in your apartment,” Hawks’ face betrayed nothing, but Izuku had finally gotten enough out to bull his way through the rest. “I-I was up late, doing those readings you gave me. Probably too late, but I always have trouble sleeping in new places – not that your apartment wasn’t comfortable! I’m just not used to it, that’s all. Although your apartment is pretty empty, not in a bad way! Just –‘ Izuku was losing it and he forced himself to drive back towards the point. “i-it doesn’t matter! Last night – the night before I mean, I was up late and I- well I heard you. On - on the phone.”
That finally got a reaction, just a small twitch. Izuku might have missed it, had he not been so singularly focused on the hero. Hawks’ face remained neutral, politely curious. Izuku forced himself to continue. “I-I didn’t mean to, really! But the walls are thin, you probably know that better than anyone, even if it’s just a spare apartment it’s still yours. I couldn’t help but hear some of it – the conversation I mean – and it sounded, well, it sounded –“
Hawks finally took pity on Izuku as the boy lost his voice yet again. “It sounded bad. Jeez, kid, I wish you’d talked to me about this earlier, if it’s been bugging you this much.” Hawks’ voice was relaxed, almost warm, as though Izuku overhearing his conversation wasn’t the end of the world. There was no tension to be found in the man’s face, no anger. Izuku couldn’t tell if it was feigned or not, but the man seemed almost relieved.
"I-it’s not that I thought you were – are – doing anything bad, it’s just –“
“You overheard me threaten to dangle someone by their boots if they came to the apartment while you were there,” That wasn’t the only part that bothered Izuku – or even the biggest part – but Hawks continued before Izuku could give voice to the thoughts that had really plagued him, “that’s not really the best thing to hear from your host the first day you met them. I get why that bothered you, really. You just got to know, I work with a lot of… rough people. Not bad ones, but people who need a firm talking to, you know? Kinda like that one blond kid, the explosive one.”
Kacchan. Izuku could admit, in the safety of his own mind and far away from any explosions, that the other boy had a personality and attitude to match his quirk. He had never given much thought to it, but there had to have been plenty of other heroes in the country with similar attitudes, Kacchan could hardly be the only one. And if anyone had dealt with that sort on a regular basis, it would certainly be someone from the top ten.
Which meant –
“The person you were talking with – they were a hero?” Izuku couldn’t even pretend to hide the hope in his voice.
“Yup.”
"But –“ Izuku desperately wanted to believe that, but he still had undeniable concerns. “Why – why couldn’t they meet me, then? And why were you so –“ Izuku paused, thinking of the right word. Violent sounded too extreme, but so had Hawks’ threat.
“Harsh?” Hawks suggested, the hint of a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Izuku nodded. “The hero I was talking to – well, they aren’t exactly child friendly. Actually, I don’t think they’ve ever actually met a child. And they aren’t too friendly to adults, either. They’re a bit feral, like an alley cat. More likely to piss on you and scratch your hand then give you encouragement and pat you on the head. Quite a few Underground heroes are like that, actually. I didn’t think you were quite ready to meet that side of the field, even with Eraser as your home room teacher.”
Izuku, who hadn’t been able to resist a grimace at Hawks’ crass description, couldn’t deny that the hero probably had a point. He could hardly handle Hawks sometimes, and apart from when he’d overheard his mentor talking to whatever mysterious hero this was, he had been carefully teen friendly in all his mannerisms.
“As for me being harsh,” Hawks continued, unaffected by Izuku’s expression, “they aren’t the kind to respond to a soft touch. It’s because of all the daddy issues.”
Izuku’s went wide at that and Hawks let out a chuckle. “Probably shouldn’t have said that. Don’t mention that to Eraser.”
Izuku couldn’t even imagine repeating the phrase Hawks had said to his teacher, so he just nodded, cheeks pink.
He definitely wouldn’t have been able to handle Hawks’ mysterious contact.
It was a satisfactory – if slightly traumatizing – explanation. Izuku was tempted to let the whole matter go. If the person Hawks had been talking to was a rough-on-the-edges hero in the Underground world, there was no way they could have been the man he had seen in the alley. There was a stark difference between ‘rough’ and ‘homicidal,’ after all. Coincidences were possible, and there was always the chance that Izuku had misheard. His heart had been thundering in his chest, every one of his senses on a frantic haywire. Already, moments in the fight had begun blurring together – he could have misheard or misremembered.
As for Hawks mentioning the League – an Underground hero might have plenty of reasons to encounter a group of villains like the League. They hadn’t been around for long, from what Izuku could gleam from the seediest parts of the internet he’d dared explore, and they had made a name for themselves with their attack on UA – both for the bold viciousness and the quick escape and complete disappearance of the ringleaders. There were probably dozens of Underground heroes poking around for information. It wouldn’t have to be another villain or a vigilante, like Izuku had first thought.
It was possible, even, that whoever had angered the League that Hawks had mentioned was an informant of some sort, and the Underground had been charged with protecting them. Things like that happened, Izuku was sure. And if it was anything like that, there was no way Hawks would disclose that with a first-year hero student. No matter what they had survived. Even if that wasn’t quite the case, there was no way Hawks would be willing to tell him what the exact scenario was. It would be too dangerous.
It was a clean, easy explanation that Hawks had led him too. Perhaps a bit too clean, but Izuku couldn’t believe that the hero was lying. Lots of things could seem sinister or concerning, in the dead of night, when there was little explanation and shadows instead of sense ruled over everything. Hawks had been speaking to an Underground hero; Izuku had misheard the villain. Coincidences all around.
It would have been easy to let everything else go, but with one massive confession off his chest, the other weighed more heavily. Izuku wouldn’t know peace unless all of it was gone.
"Theres – um - I have one more –“ question, statement, confession. Izuku didn’t know which to pick and Hawks’ gaze, which had gone from amused to contemplative in a split moment, weighed heavily on him. “When we were doing the – um – the media training, I – I needed a minute. It was after – after you had stepped out. I needed a minute to go to the bathroom and um, well – I didn’t mean to, really! I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose or anything, I would never because privacy’s important and I really just wanted to get some fresh air –“ He was rambling, all strings leading towards the point had been fumbled and lost.
Fortunately – or perhaps, unfortunately – Hawks had become well-versed in Izuku’s rambles. “You overheard that one too?” There was incredulity in his tone and Izuku bowed his head, unable to make himself look Hawks’ in the eye as he gave a small nod. “Well, you definitely don’t need to work on your stealth, kid. Twice, and I didn’t even know you were there.”
“I really didn’t mean to!” Izuku protested, still unable to raise his gaze. Was Hawks angry? Amused? Annoyed? He couldn’t tell and he wasn’t quite brave enough to check.
“I believe you. Don’t think you’re capable of that kind of subterfuge anyway, got to honest of a face. But damn, kid. You got some timing.” A rustle accompanied Hawks’ words, and suddenly red feathers were poking through Izuku’s periphery. The man had scooted closer. “That one was – well, you’re a smart kid. I’m sure you know exactly what that was.”
Izuku nodded, his gaze still fixed on the red feathers and the floor. There was an expectant pause and Izuku realized the hero wanted him to speak. “The – the hero commission called you. About Stain.”
"Yup. I should have told you more when I made you pack up. I would’ve, had I thought you’d get wrapped up in it. Actually, I probably would’ve sent you back to UA. I should’ve sent you back to UA.” There was guilt in Hawks’ tone now, too raw to be feigned, and Izuku found himself finally looking up. Hawks’ expression was deceptively light, but there was a storm cloud brewing in his gaze. “Sometimes, a threat arises that goes beyond the normal. When that happens, the HSPC makes certain requests of the top ten. Both me and Endeavor were asked to go to Hosu and hunt down the Hero Killer. Had anyone had any idea it would be our interns that did it –“ technically, they hadn’t, but Izuku didn’t feel like that was an important distinction at the moment - “it probably would’ve gone down differently. The HSPC would have never put you kids in harm’s way like that.”
Izuku wasn’t sure how he felt about that, wasn’t sure the hero commission cared enough. But Hawks, Hawks he did believe in. He never would have risked Izuku’s safety, or any other child. And part of him, even with the knowledge of who and what Endeavor was burning a hole in the back of his mind whenever he thought of the man, didn’t think the number two hero would have risked Todoroki’s life either.
Izuku had thought there was something off in that conversation, but the idea that they had asked both the number two and number three to head off Stain made more sense than anything else. Mr. Aizawa had said Hawks was close to the hero commission, and that was certainly true, but maybe that was a condition of being part of the top ten. When someone was one of the best, certainly notice would be made.
Why, then, the hero commission hadn’t asked All Might, Izuku didn’t know, but that was a mystery for another day.
“I am sorry I listened in.” Izuku wasn’t sure if, amid all his rambles, he had given a real apology, but Hawks deserved one. For the eavesdropping and the distrust.
“Hey, it happens. Part of being a hero is sticking your nose where it don’t belong, you know? Just try not to stick it in where you might get it cut off again, alright?” Izuku wasn’t quite ready to laugh – he thought it would be a while still until he could summon that kind of joy – but Hawks’ words did force a smile to crack across his face. Hawks answered with a ready grin of his own.
They might have said more – Izuku had another apology forming on his lips – had there not been the sudden sound of sharp footsteps echoing across the hallway tiles.
Within moments, Hawks had helped Izuku stand again and the boy was fumbling his way clumsily back into the room. Todoroki and Iida were waiting for him, still perched together on Iida’s hospital bed, but they too heard the footsteps and scrambled back into their beds before Mr. Aizawa – or whoever else was coming down the hall - could catch them up.
It wouldn’t be until much later, after his mother and the police and the Iidas and nurses and doctors and everything else the morning would bring crashing in, that Izuku would realize that Hawks had carefully avoided saying anything too deep about the hero commission. Or note that Hawks had phrased what had clearly been a demand into a request. It would be even longer still until he reflected how odd it truly was that one of the most popular – and flamboyant – daylight heroes in the entire country would have a close working relationship with any Underground heroes.
But Izuku didn’t realize it that night and he entered a hazy, exhausted sleep with content about Hawks’ truthfulness beating a steady rhythm throughout his body.