Chapter Text
Although he was not the number one hero you could feel his presence when he stepped into the room. Suddenly everything has a tinge of surrealness that only films have. Interacting with him almost makes you feel like an actor playing out your lines as a supporting cast.
His charisma seems to flow to all corners of the room. This must be why he is third-ranked on the hero board. Aizawa thought as he went the opposite way from where Hawks was. He won’t try to understand how someone like him likes the attention he gets.
Bright harsh lights shone through the massive room filled with numerous heroes. The time seems to be ticking slower than he likes it to be. Is this really how he’s going to spend this year? Just for expelling all of his students, Nezu is making him attend useless galas instead of saving people.
He pulled out his phone and there was a pop-up to a news article titled ‘ Hawks daring outfit for the Summer Rise gala '. He quickly swiped and dismissed the notification with distaste. How could someone's life be so well documented for the public?
There is an app with a timeline detailing where Hawk's is at all times. The app is called Hawk Sightings. Fortunately, it is unique to only him as he couldn’t stand the thought of the vultures getting this information from all heroes. It doesn’t set a good precedent that heroes' lives should be more exposed than they already are.
The more you’re noticed the more opportunities you have for someone to figure out your weakness. People tend to feel more entitled to you the more famous you are. How you dress, who you date, and how you live your life the more media presence you have, the less human you become to people.
The fork clicked against the glass, “Butler! Shall I have more of this champagne? Despite being fashionably late to this party, I will not let that stop me from being the first person to get drunk. They don't call me fast for nothing.” Hawk stretched his hand out shoving the champagne towards Aizawa's face.
“I don’t work here and I don’t plan on working here anytime soon. So no, I think you can pour your own drink.” Shoving the glass out his face in annoyance. This is going to be his last straw and once that breaks he’s going straight home.
“A detective? Or a new hero entering the scene? If you’re trying to be recognized, maybe lose the outfit, that won’t do well for your recognition. I heard from the grapevine that you’re a fan of mine. Let's say I’m not surprised that you admire me.”
The only sound that came after was the sizing of the champagne poured into a hawk’s cup by someone who works here. Then nothing else but background noise from other guests from the gala.
“Hello?” A hand waved at his face, the gloves smelled like a strong expensive cleaning solution.” I know you’re flustered by interacting with me of all people. Let’s at least take baby steps into talking with your hero”
“You’re not even older than I am, I don't understand the point of this idle chat we’re having here. Unless you have something important to say, I'm looking forward to heading back home.”
“Woah there buzzkill, don’t get hostile on me, I got something your ears won’t resist hearing. “
“Oh? What’s so important that you need a newly debuted hero to help you with? Planning on hiring me to be your sidekick?” Aizawa said sarcastically as he headed toward the back room exit of the gala.
“I don’t think you keep up with me at your age” Hawks chuckled. “Just go down two right and a left and walk to the corner and you’ll see a laundromat. Just wait for me and then we can go to a cafe together to discuss it.” Hawks winked
“Don’t get your hopes up, this isn’t a date!” Hawks shouted at him as he got swooped up dancing with a young lady.
Walking down the sidewalks he barely could see the path ahead of him due to the fog being too thick. A ping was heard as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and saw a pop-up notification. ‘ A lover or a dangerous hook up between heroes?’ Posted by Hawks Sightings one minute ago.
He clicked the closed button but the app opened showing a picture of Hawks walking somewhere in the fog with the same young lady from before. He raised his eyebrow slightly. Did he unexpectedly have other plans to tend to?
He thought against the idea that Hawks would be that irresponsible to ditch him for a hookup. Aizawa still wouldn’t put it past him to leave him, He barely knows the type of character Hawks is outside of media articles and news.
He swipes away the other article notifications from his phone to clear the clutter, noting some articles to read later when at his home.
“Beloved hero dies from sword stab wounds in an alleyway”
“Veteran hero gone quiet? Retired or died with honor?
“Cleaning solution or just another name for Tigger, see what brands are what.”
“Should there be a retirement age for heroes or should they die fighting the battle?”
The laundromat was like any other around this town. Hawks flew in and quickly put a hat in the washing machine and turned it on to a delicate cycle. “Man, really could use a break, right?”
Aizawa nodded his head “It will be a long time before I get one in this job. Where is that cafe you mentioned.”
Hawks walked to the front of the washing machine to a person “ I think I broke your washing machine-” “Yeah yeah- here are the keys. Go to the back, the worker who is supposed to fix it is on break. Go find him.”
Hawks grabbed the keys and rushed him to a long hallway with twists and turns as they reached a door. Aizawa was about to speak when Hawks opened the door revealing a nice cafe.
Looking around the cafe you could see all kinds of chairs ranging from Tatami chairs, and Washitsu chairs to bean bags, rocking chairs, and bar stools. The decor looked like a Frankenstein of all over the world's furniture and decorations.
They both took a seat in a booth in the corner of the cafe where a couple of pillows were scattered. He picked up a hawks pillow beside him “Really?” he pointed at the pillow.
“What, I'm a valued customer! Not every cafe gets to serve a well-respected number three hero like myself.”
He gestured to the whole cafe that had numerous signed hero merch. “It seems they get plenty of heroes as it is. I don’t think you stand out that much”
A woman with brown hair down to waist length came to their booth. Her eyes were bright yellow and she had star-like freckles. She was wearing a light brown tartan cardigan and a black dress that touched the ground.
“That would be 1450 yen” The waiter smiled politely.
“I think you got the wrong table, We haven’t ordered anything yet” Aizawa responded.
“My name is Nakamura Aiko and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Nakamura slightly bows to both of them.
“We don’t work like any other cafe, This cafe could also be counted as a restaurant. Our ordering method is unique as we don’t take orders. My quirk lets me taste what the person wants to eat. It’s like synaesthesia in a way but it changes depending on what the person wants to eat or drink at the moment.” She informed him.
“Do you make the food before you charge people? What happens if they don’t want to buy food that you made already?”
“We make the food after they pay, and they can always ask what food I ordered if they ever want to know what they are paying for. “
He raised one eyebrow in amusement “What do I want to eat then?”
“You want a black coffee and Umeboshi Onigiri while he wants Teriyaki, '' Nakamura stated.
Hawks started to hand over the money to Nakamura “That won’t be necessary, I could afford my own food” Aizawa handed over his card to the waiter.
“I invited you, I can handle the bill.”
“I’m not a charity case,” He remarked. Hawks quickly grabbed his card and gave it back to him. Aizawa sighed, putting his card back in his wallet.
“Thank you for your purchase at Kyūyō cafe” Nakamura bowed, leaving to go assist the other tables in the cafe.
“So what is so important that my ears won’t resist hearing?” Aizawa recalled.
Hawks lifted his hand defensively “Okay straight to business then. There has been a recent hero serial killer going around killing heroes. That is what the media started noticing in the recent past weeks.”
“Are you talking about the rising recognition of the hero killer stain?” Aizawa inferred.
“Most people would think it would be him at first glance. This serial killer mainly targets heroes who have been working as heroes for a long time. Some outliers to their targets make it hard to figure out their motive. People haven’t found out their name yet by the looks of it”
Hawk’s gaze turned into something more serious “I was thinking maybe you want to fight him, You've been working in the hero scene for a while now. It would be a perfect time to fight someone like him.”
“So you invited me on this case because I’m their alleged target for murders?”
Any seriousness in hawks eyes went out the window when he started laughing “Yeah let’s go with that. I’m even thinking about fighting them even though I’m new to the hero scene.”
The waiter slightly bowed apologetically placed Teriyaki and Umeboshi Onigiri with the black coffee in the booth and left.
He picked up his onigiri and took a bite. “Do you have any more information about them?”
Aizawa looked at Hawks and then at Hawk's plate of Teriyaki halfway almost finished.
“They have been around for a long time but contrary to that we don’t have anything other than those speculations currently. It is hard to pinpoint who the victims are because they publicly died at the hands of various villains.”
“Here is my business card to contact me, Let me know it’s you so I can change your contact name. Are there any leads currently in the case I could help with?” Aizawa reluctantly hands over a black sleek card to hawks as he resumes eating his food.
“And how are you contributing to this case exactly?” Aizawa said skeptically.
Hawk’s phone pinged “Hate the cut the meet-up short but business calls, I will let you know more of the details when I’m off the clock” Aizawa shook his head. His hair blew sideways with the wind hawks wings, as he gripped his coffee and sipped it.
He looked at the stool Hawks was sitting at and decided to read the articles he saw from before.
“Should there be a retirement age for heroes or should they die fighting the battle?”
By Tanaka Ryota
In this article, we will be discussing if a hero retiring should be honored or dishonored for leaving their moral principles behind and retiring as a hero.
Like many other occupations, there is a mandatory retirement age for any job. is it morally right for a hero to retire? They reap the benefits of being called a hero when they choose no longer to save people. Crime doesn’t retire and they should not either.
We should take into consideration the honorability of them retiring in the first place. What makes it so the hero can’t just quit on their whims. What makes it justifiable for a hero to retire when the battle of crime doesn’t stop?
‘The duality of jobs with morals’ is an article that explains more thoroughly the requirements that should be upheld in jobs that require a strong moral code. While ‘Should a title hero be a job or an action we take?’ views it where heroism shouldn’t be a job in the first place but actions other people do in a situation. Both emphasize how vital it is to have a strong moral code to be considered a hero.
Retiring from being a hero contradicts the strong moral code heroes should strive for. All Might said in his “Remember the Fallen Heroes” interview “It is truly heroic for the heroes to give up their life for the sake of others. They have my truest and utmost respect as a hero.”
While I disagree with the ‘Should a title hero be a job or an action we take’ article where they emphasize that heroes in no way should benefit from their heroic actions. We should consider whether there is ever a good enough reason to give up their morals. To give up that line of work is giving up their morals as a person, and that in itself is dishonorable.