Chapter Text
Rain poured down from the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance as a small green-haired boy ran down the sidewalk, clutching his yellow backpack and pulling his raincoat closed around it in a desperate attempt to protect the contents. Everything he owned was in his arms. Everything he could take with him from his old life. A violent strike of lightning lit his path, followed by a sharp crack of thunder. Passing by an abandoned building, he noticed a side door with a dingy awning above it and runs towards it hoping for shelter. He pulled on the door’s handle to no avail - it was locked. The rain was falling harder minute by minute, soaking the boy to his bone. Tears threatening to fall, he grits his teeth and shrinks under the awning in a desperate attempt to get some protection from the rain. Sliding down, he sits on the concrete with his back to the door, his backpack pulled close to his chest and starts to sob.
Why are you so useless, Deku?
My life would be so much better if you were never born!
You’re useless without a Quirk. You bring shame to this family!
You’ll never amount to anything! You might as well give up now!
Stupid Deku thinks he can be a hero? What a joke!
Izuku wasn’t sure how long he sat under the awning waiting for the rain to stop. He was pretty sure he had dozed off when a bright red feather snagged his attention from the corner of his eye. When he reached out to touch it, the feather moved almost intelligently. Wait…he knew of a hero that could control feathers…
“Hey kid, you okay?” a voice called out from above. Izuku looks up and sees a man with bright red wings floating above him. Izuku knew exactly who it was. He had just debuted as a hero, and had actually just started his own agency despite only being 19 years old. A man too fast for his own good. Hero name Hawks. Quirk: Fierce Wings. Even though he was so young and new to the hero scene, Izuku had two whole pages of analysis written on the hero already. Izuku was speechless, eyes widening as the hero descended to the asphalt.
Hawks landed in front of Izuku and looked him up and down before waving his hand in front of Izuku’s face. “Hey you, did you hear me? Are you lost or something?”
Izuku shakes his head. “N-no. I’m o-okay,” his voice wavering. He tries to stop shivering, the cold from the storm seeping into his clothes.
“Okay. Well, can I help you get home then? Your parents must be worried.”
Izuku’s eyes widen with fear and shakes his head more violently. “NO! No. I-I’m sorry. It’s okay. I can figure it out myself.”
Hawks narrowed his eyes. Something didn’t feel right to him. Maybe it was his “shitty childhood” radar going off, but something about the green-haired boy made his hackles rise. The kid’s wariness and the way he reacted to the mention of his parents made him feel uneasy. “Listen kid. I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to answer me honestly, okay?” Hawks waited until Izuku hesitantly nods his head. “Are you in danger right now?”
Hawks didn’t miss the swell of tears in the younger boy's eyes before his head had bowed, or the hunch of his shoulders as he clutched his knees to his chest and curled himself into a ball. “I…I don’t think so.”
Hawks inwardly sighed. At 19, it’s not like he was a responsible adult. But even without the commission’s hero training, he knew he couldn’t just leave the boy in the situation he was in. The kid was going to end up getting sick from being out in the rain at best, and he didn’t want to think about what the worst-case scenario would be if he left him out here. He definitely didn’t feel comfortable bringing this boy back to wherever he had obviously run from.
“Well kid, I can’t just leave you here. You know that right?” The young boy nodded, still looking down at the asphalt. “So, why don’t you come with me for the night? You can at least get dried off and sleep in a real bed. We’ll figure everything out tomorrow. Does that sound okay?” Izuku’s head slowly rose, finally looking at the hero, eyes flitting around his face cautiously. Hawks supposed it was a good thing the boy was suspicious of taking such an offer from a stranger. He really needed to get him out of this situation though.
“Why?” Izuku muttered, so quiet that Hawks almost missed it. At that one word, his heart broke for the boy, but it also made him shake with rage. He understood the tone it was asked in. It was not just a simple question. The boy really didn’t understand why the hero was helping him. There was a lot to unpack with that one word, but that was for later.
“Because I want to help you.” Hawks stated simply, smiling down at the boy before holding out his hand. “What do you say?”
Izuku looked at the outstretched hand before slowly uncurling himself. “O-okay.” He said with a timid smile.
Hawks internally let out a breath of relief and got the kid to his feet. He felt strangely protective of the small boy as he helped him get secure in his arms before taking off towards his apartment. It would be easier and faster to fly there. Besides it was still sprinkling, and the boy was already shivering from being wet and cold. As they flew, Hawks' mind was spinning with possibilities. But he knew above all else, he would not let this boy be hurt by anyone else ever again.
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When Izuku awoke, he didn’t recognize the room he was in. The furnishings were sparse and there were no personalized touches anywhere. It felt like the room was decorated for show, not to actually be lived in. There was a small dresser across from the queen-sized bed, a vase of fake flowers and a candle on top, along with a stack of the clothes he had packed for his escape. The faint smell of vanilla and jasmine permeated the room. On top of the nightstand next to the bed was a bottle of water and his cell phone. Looking to the other side of the bed, he noticed his yellow backpack sitting on the floor next to an armchair. There were two doors, one obviously leading out of the room, and he guessed the other was to a bathroom. He laid there for a minute, taking in his surroundings and recalling the events that led him to this strange place.
He remembered crawling out of his bedroom window and running to the train station. He wasn’t sure where he wanted to go, but he knew he had to get far away, so he bought a ticket to Kurume. It was far enough away that Inko would never think to search there, especially since the Midoriya's had no connection in the area. All of his relatives lived in the north near Sendai and Osaki. It would at least give him a pretty good chance to disappear like everyone wanted him to. Then…running through the rain, hiding in that alley, and…OH...Hawks! Everything finally came back to him. Is this Hawks apartment? Shuffling from outside the bedroom door distracted Izuku from his thoughts. Someone, hopefully Hawks, was clearly up and moving. Cautiously, Izuku sat up and removed the blankets covering him. He slid off the bed and tiptoed to the door before slowly pulling it open and peeking out into the hall. Hawks was walking towards what looked like a kitchen when he turned, hearing the door open, and gave Izuku a smile.
“Morning, kid! Feeling some breakfast? I’m uh, not much of a cook, if I’m being honest, but I can probably figure out some eggs if you’re hungry.”
“I-I’ve already been t-too much trouble. I don’t w-want you to have to h-help me any more than you already have.” Izuku mumbled, head bowed, not wanting to look Hawks in the eyes. He couldn’t believe he had imposed on the hero like this. He didn’t deserve any more of the hero’s time or effort. “T-thank you for your help, but I think I should go. I-I’ll figure something else out.”
“Woah there, pal. Slow down. No one’s kicking you out and I offered to help because I want to. Why don’t we talk about things over some food? Yeah? It’d be nice to have some company for once.” Hawks said gently, not wanting the younger boy to feel like he was getting upset. In reality, Hawks was upset, but not at Izuku. He hadn’t slept much after Izuku had finally passed out last night, his mind moving a million miles an hour trying to figure out the best solution for him and the boy. He knew the kid’s backstory had to be pretty bad for him to run away and be as scared as he was.
Izuku nods and started walking towards the kitchen, keeping his head down. “Thank you,” he whispers out as he passes by. Hawks stops the boy with a hand on his shoulder and waits until Izuku lifts his head and looks him in his eyes.
“You’re safe here, kid. I promise.” Hawks smiles and gently squeezes Izuku’s shoulder in assurance. “Now come on, you can watch and make sure I don’t burn the place down.” Izuku’s lips quirk up in a timid smile before going over to one of the stools at the kitchen island to observe.
As Hawks works around the kitchen, Izuku takes in his surroundings. The kitchen was modern, with white cabinets and a black slate countertop. It spilled over into a living room with a couch, a couple of armchairs, and a TV mounted to the wall. Just like the bedroom, everything looked clean and barely lived in. There were a couple magazines on the coffee table and some art hung on the walls, but Izuku couldn’t see any family pictures or personal items anywhere. One wall with a sliding glass door, flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows, led out to a large balcony that looked over the cityscape. They must be on one of the top floors, if not the top floor, with how high up they were. All the windows on the east wall meant that the room was basked in natural light as the sun rose, creating golden rays that cut through the apartment.
“So, you got a name? Figure I can’t keep calling you ‘kid’ if we’re going to be friends,” Hawks says cheerfully as he starts prepping some eggs in a bowl. A few seconds went by, and when there was no reply, Hawks looked over his shoulder to see Izuku looking at him funny. “What?”
“You…you want to be my friend?” the younger boy questions, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, head slightly tilted.
“Well yeah, why wouldn’t I?” Hawks asks incredulously, as if he didn’t understand why Izuku could question something like that.
Izuku couldn’t help but be suspicious. He had always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt. He had at least hoped that there were people out there that were nicer than those that had shaped his life, but he hadn’t had the best experiences so far. He studied Hawks for a minute. So far, the hero had been nothing but helpful and kind, so could he be trusted? “I’m just not used to people wanting to be around me, I guess.” Izuku shrugged. Hawks gave him a strange look before turning back to the eggs. The look wasn't exactly one of pity. It was more like a sad sense of understanding.
“Izuku Midoriya. You can call me Izuku.” Hawks almost missed the boy’s answer since he had whispered it.
“Well, Izuku, you know my Hero name, but my real name is Keigo Takami. You can either call me Hawks or Keigo. Whatever you feel comfortable with.” Hawks turned and smiled at the boy, noting Izuku’s timid smile and blush covering his face. He scowled as he turned to put the eggs in the pan. He never gave out his real name to anyone, sometimes almost forgetting it himself, but it was apparent he had to build some level of trust with the boy before he could get him to open up. His reaction to social interactions, along with the constant stuttering and second guessing himself, meant he was naturally shy at best or suffered from some sort of emotional abuse at worst.
There was a comfortable silence in the kitchen as the eggs cooked, Hawks not wanting to push more conversation on the boy before he was ready. Besides, he wanted to get some food in him before they started talking about the real topic at hand. “Here you go, Izuku. Eat up. If my cooking really does suck, let me know and we’ll order breakfast.” Hawks says with a wink, setting the plate of scrambled eggs in front of Izuku. “Anything else you need?”
“N-no, thank you. I’m not used to eating breakfast anyways.” Izuku mumbles as he picked at the eggs. “This is more than enough for me.”
Hawks tentatively stretches out his arm and ruffles the boy’s green hair. He sees the boy stiffen for a second but then he relaxes into the touch. “Well, let me know if you need anything at all.”
Hawks sat on the stool next to Izuku and took a chance to check the boy over as he sipped on his too-sweet coffee. He couldn’t get a read on the entirety of his physical health, but there were no signs of bruising or scarring, so that was a good sign. Although he knew better than anyone that the best abusers are careful about where they leave their marks. His biggest concern at the moment was about how withdrawn the boy was. He seemed to shrink into himself as he sat there eating, cowering from the world.
Izuku had finished most of the eggs and was washing down the breakfast with some orange juice when Hawks figured it was as good a time as any to bring up the topic. “So, Izuku, can you tell me what’s going on?”
Izuku froze with the glass suspended in mid-air before slowly setting it down on the counter. “W-what do you mean?”
“I know a runaway when I see one. I want to help you, but in order to do that, I need to know the situation. Will you tell me why you ran away from home?”
Izuku lowers his head and looks down at his hands in his lap. What could he possibly tell the hero? He didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. But he also didn’t want to go back home. Even just making the decision to leave that house had given him a feeling of freedom he’d never experienced before.
“I’m useless.” Izuku states, voice cracking. He could feel Hawks freeze next to him.
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t have a Quirk. M-my mom said I brought shame to our f-family and started calling me ‘Deku’ because of it. S-she encouraged my best friend to call me that too. He started bullying me a-and everyone else followed. Y-yesterday, she…she hit me for the first time and screamed t-that it’d be better if I h-hadn’t been born,” Izuku was shaking, fists balled at his sides with tears building up in his eyes. “I-I know it sounds bad but, at that moment, I d-didn’t want to be alive anymore. I knew I had to l-leave before it was too late.”
Hawks was shaking alongside Izuku, but out of rage. This kid was traumatized and suffering because of what, him not having a stupid Quirk?! He had heard about ideologies that spewed Quirkist rhetoric, but he had never experienced it before. He’d never seen the consequences of it. “How long has this been happening?”
“S-since I was diagnosed. I w-was five at the time. So…s-seven years I guess…”
“Izuku…” Hawks starts, keeping his voice low and forcing a small smile, “you are not useless, and not having a Quirk does not lower your value as a human being.” He reached out a hand and grasps the boy’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Anyone who disagrees is an idiot and doesn’t deserve to have you in their life. Please tell me you understand this?”
At that, Izuku let out a small whimper, fat tears starting to roll down his cheeks. Hawks pulled the boy towards him, curling him into his chest. “It’s okay, Izuku. Everything’s going to be okay. I’m going to make sure no one ever hurts you again, you understand?” Hawks murmurs to the boy. Izuku nods weakly as he continues to cry into the older boy’s shirt, clutching onto it like an anchor. Hawks holds him and murmurs reassuring words until Izuku is finally able to calm down enough to stop crying and wipe at his eyes with the back of his sleeve.
Hawks nudges him as he feels the boy relax in his arms. “Hey kiddo. Let’s move to the living room. It’s a little comfier and we can talk more about what I think our plan should be. Sound good?” Izuku nods into Hawk’s chest and gets up from the stool to move to the living room, curling up on the massive couch and hugging one of the throw pillows to his chest. Hawks sits down in the armchair across from him, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, a serious, determined look on his face.
“So, Izuku, you may not know this, but when you become a pro hero, you have certain responsibilities and privileges when it comes to the treatment of neglected or abused children. While the police can investigate abuse claims and remove children from abusive homes with the help of Child Protective Services, pro heroes can make emergency decisions to protect a child they believe is in danger and act accordingly. Do you understand?”
Izuku nods, glancing curiously at Hawks. He wasn’t sure where the hero was going with this.
“I believe, even if it wasn’t major physical abuse at home, you have been emotionally and mentally abused and neglected both at home and at school. Would you agree with that?”
Izuku hesitates, but nods again, owlish eyes peering at Hawks from above the pillow.
“Izuku. I need you to think about this before you make a decision. I won’t hold it against you if you don’t agree but please know that I am doing this because I care about you, okay?” Hawks says carefully, gauging the look on Izuku’s face.
“O-okay…” Izuku answers hesitantly. Was Hawks going to make him go back? Turn him over to the police? He couldn’t, right? He just said he had responsibilities to help him. Right?
“Izuku, I want you to come live with me. Permanently. Or at least until you’re 18.” Izuku’s breath hitches, eyes widening as Hawks continued, “I know I’m very young and I’m not 100% sure on how to raise a kid, but I’d like to try. Maybe not as a parental figure but I bet I can be a pretty cool big brother,” a confident smirk curling Hawk’s lips, “I’ve…I grew up in a similar situation before I was taken away from my parents and I know how it feels. We can figure it out together. How does that sound?”
Izuku couldn’t speak. He was shocked. Hawks, pro hero Hawks, THE Hawks, wanted Izuku to stay with him? Why? Why would he do that, for him?
Hawks kept his attention on his face, calculating Izuku’s reaction to the idea.
“B-but…but why?” Izuku asks. “I’m…I’m just…just me. Why would you want to be stuck with me?” Tears welled in the boy's eyes again.
“Look, I’m not big on raising the next generation of heroes or anything like that, okay? But I know the look of a child in need of help, and I also know when someone has potential. And I can see both in you. I just want to be there for you and do what I can to help you achieve your dreams. I don’t think you’ll be able to do that in your current situation, right?”
“B-but how does this work? I…I don’t know if my mom w-will let you just t-take me, even if she h-hates me.”
Hawks looks away sheepishly, hand coming up to scratch at the back of his head. “I have an, uh, idea that might help with that. I have some…contacts that can be pretty convincing. If you trust me.”
“I…I don’t want anyone to get hurt or get in trouble because of me.”
“I promise no one will be hurt. I do think they need to answer for what they’ve done to you, but that’s ultimately up to you. We won’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.”
Izuku sat silently, looking down at the hands in his lap. He knew he wanted, or needed, to leave his old life behind, but he felt conflicted.
“Listen, why don’t you take some time to think it over and let me know. I have to go out and patrol for a few hours but once I’m back, we can talk about everything again and decide our next step. You can head back to the bedroom, explore the apartment, or stay out here and watch some TV if you’d like. I think we have all the big streaming services but if you see anything you like, you should be able to purchase it right from the TV. The Wi-Fi password is on the back of the internet router. Okay?”
Izuku nods, a timid smile dawning on his face. “Thank you H-Keigo. For everything.” Keigo stood and ruffled the green mess of hair on his head before moving towards the balcony.
“My business card is hanging on the fridge. It has my personal cell number written on the back of it. If you need anything at all, call or text me. Okay? I never go too far from the area so I can be back here pretty quick if you need me.” Keigo opened the balcony door, turned back to give Izuku a final wave and smile, and took off.