Between Yui and Midoriya and Eraserhead, and oddly enough, All Might, his days pass quickly.

As Gojo predicted, his two little socially awkward introverts are thrilled to hear of another U.A. hopeful and get along surprisingly well for such drastically dissimilar personalities. Midoriya channels his pervasive nervousness into mutterstorms that grow increasingly incoherent as his anxiety spikes. Yui is the exact opposite, shutting down and hiding behind a facade of stoic indifference at the first sign of an awkward situation. But underneath that they 're both very sweet and determined and highly analytic kids, who take to their new routine with an eagerness that reminds Gojo of little puppies.

They 're both blessed with a propensity for strategy, which Gojo religiously reminds them is fifty times more important than their quirks. He relishes in tricking them with compoundingly bizarre mazes and puzzles he makes out of the miscellaneous trash on the beach, forcing them to use that inherent cleverness to get their way out of difficult situations without relying on brute force. It 's great for Yui, who gets experience using her quirk in ways she would have never thought of on her own, and just as great for Midoriya, who grows confident in his own abilities regardless of his quirk status the more he 's put in situations where all he needs is his mind and a practical application of the environment to get out of them. Gojo spends most of his time at the beach training them in using the environment to their advantage and dirty ' but cleverly effective ' tricks to disarm their opponents without weapons or quirks at all.

He 's not a particularly good teacher, and he never has been ' he tends to delight in throwing his students into a trial by fire and watching closely for when he needs to fish them out, rather than giving any direct instruction. But he 's well-versed enough in physical combat to teach it in his sleep, and fortunately Midoriya and Yui are quick enough studies he doesn 't have to sweat the minor technical details.

Midoriya still continues his strength and physical training with All Might, with Yui joining him them to an extent. She 's never going to need to get to the point where she can pick up refrigerators and grown men simultaneously, so she 's relegated to more practical exercises. At first, Yagi starts showing up instead of All Might, but once it becomes clear Yui 's not about to run off and tell anyone he starts showing up in costume again.

All Might needn 't have worried; both Yui and Gojo were clearly capable of keeping secrets.

He does eventually learn that her full name is Kodai Yui, and she comes from a fairly normal family that lives in the suburbs of Mustafu. No tragic or bizarre backstory, to Gojo 's relief, although he still has no idea why she wants to be a hero. No one else in her family has ever gone into the profession, so it doesn 't seem like she 's being forced or pressured into it. It 's still a mystery to Gojo, but he 'll let her keep her secrets, seeing as though she 's doing such a good job keeping his.

Yui might be adept at the lost art of subtlety, but Midoriya is a bit of a lost cause.

After so long calling him Dabi, switching to Satoru seems to be a bit beyond him, so he ends up having him just call him 'sensei '. A word Gojo had never thought he 'd hear directed to him ever again ' not after his last disastrous life and all the baggage he associates with the word. But it 's better than Midoriya accidentally revealing his status as an infamous villain. Fortunately All Might is pretty dense himself, so Gojo 's probably clear on that front so long as Midoriya doesn 't just blatantly call him out. Yui is far more likely to figure it out purely based on context clues, but also significantly less likely to care. Gojo 's fairly sure she 's already aware that Kenji is some kind of criminal herself, and hasn 't commented on it yet. Actually, if Yui

hasn't

figured it out yet, he'll give up cream puffs for a

month.

So training his little ducklings is going well, even if he hadn 't meant to end up in this situation again, and finds himself drifting further into Eraserhead and Detective Tsukauchi 's orbit as their reconnaissance plans flesh out.

And by extension, clocking consecutive years off both their lives in the process.

'This is Station Nine bringing you live updates off the coast of Yokohama, where the coast guard still struggles to put out flames from last night's attack ' '

Naomasa watches on in long-suffering dismay as the newscast trundles on, all gobsmacked anchors and bewildered on-the-scene newscasters watching as an entire ocean freighter filled to the brim with illicit Trigger goes up in fireworks. Literally. The sky above the ocean is colored candy pink and neon green as assorted flower formations of all kinds shower across the dark night. Naomasa is, frankly, impressed Dabi hadn 't gone and written his name in the sky just to declare himself king of the underworld.

It 's true enough that he and Eraserhead begrudgingly agreed Dabi was their best bet at infiltrating the League of Villains and finding more information on All for One, and to that end acknowledged his need to keep up his villainous reputation. But of course Dabi had to achieve this in the most outrageous way possible.

Destroying an entire freighter of Trigger probably cost the underworld collectively hundreds of millions of yen, and precincts across the country probably sighed in unanimous relief at the prospect of not having to clean that up from the streets. And true to Dabi 's word, he managed it without any (more) casualties to his name, having shucked off the skeleton crew onto lifeboats before sinking the whole thing into Yokohama bay. The criminal himself was seen lounging on the top of the gantry crane, throwing up a peace sign for the drone cameras circling the sinking ship. The media managed a few blurry shots of the man, silver hair in disarray from the sea breeze, all black outfit somewhat difficult to discern in the poor lighting, blindfold affixed artlessly over his eyes.

But that doesn 't make it any easier to watch the coast guard struggle to put out the flames on live television, knowing that the criminal deed was, ultimately, Naomasa 's.

Naomasa knew better than most, that good and evil so rarely separated themselves as starkly as oil and water. That the line was not as clear cut as modern rhetoric liked to have everyone believe. Eraserhead was better at it, at finding that winding path between what he could live with and what he could never condone, and finding a way to sleep at night with the decisions he made. Probably went with the territory of being an underground hero.

Naomasa trusted the underground hero 's judgment implicitly; in some respects, even more than he trusted All Might 's. All Might had an enduring moral compass that struck true north immutably, something Naomasa appreciated about the Number One Hero. He had the sort of integrity necessary for the Symbol of Peace. But those uncompromising principles didn 't work outside of the duties of a spotlight hero, a morally gray area Naomasa was spending an increasing amount of time in.

' 'unclear what the motivations for this act might be, Takahashi-san, but organized crime has seen an uptick in the area in recent months ' '

'The era of criminal overlords was said to be over after All Might 's debut, where exactly has the hero been during all of this? '

' 'perhaps but it 's far away enough from his agency that it should have gone to someone else ' '

' 'unsuited to All Might 's characteristic fighting style ' too many possible casualties ' '

' 'but really, what hasn 't been solved yet with a good old Detroit Smash? '

Naomasa flicks the television off before he can really drown himself in his own self-doubt. His phone is ringing anyway, likely Makoto nagging him for being late to their weekly dinners once again. He vows to set work aside as much as possible, for his own peace of mind as well as for his sister 's sake; she 's been making a real effort to connect with him since she got back from America, and he really wants her to know how much he appreciates it. She talks a lot about a band she 's in ' nothing about the genre appeals to him, but maybe he should go just for solidarity 's sake.

//

@rslacks87 | Phantom Menace

@station9news out here trying to catch Dabi sightings when I 'm pretty sure the entire Dabi fanclub would be happy to assist ??

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//

Izuku plucks half-heartedly at the ends of his tracksuit, wondering why he feels so out of sorts. He needs to get his head in the game, he doesn 't have time for this idleness! He was already so out of it earlier that he 'd nearly faceplanted right in front of the gates, and nevermind the fact this allowed him to meet the super nice and friendly Uraraka-chan, he can 't be spacing out like this today of all days!

It 's the day he 's been waiting months, years ' possibly even his whole life for. The U.A. entrance exams!

He knows there 's nothing else he can do now but just trust in himself and his training, but it doesn 't make the anxiety of it all any easier to handle. The whole thing was awful, all his blood sweat and tears training with All Might and Dabi and Yui-chan, all his fears and dreams and ambitions curling into an awful feeling in his gut not entirely like indigestion. He 's never wanted something so badly in his entire life. This is his one shot at U.A., he has to make this count!

Entirely opposite to his internal panic, Yui seems as calm and composed as usual. She ignores his endless fidgeting and muttering with graceful aplomb, either sitting still with her eyes closed or tapping away at her phone. Izuku is falling to pieces over here, and Yui is as posed as ever.

Not that Yui-chan has much to worry over,

Izuku thinks, glumly. She has one of the coolest quirks Izuku has ever

seen

(and yes, that includes both All Might and Dabi!) and can beat Dabi 's outrageous logic puzzles almost as fast as Izuku can. Not to mention, she 's had her whole life to figure out the ins and outs of her quirk, while Izuku hasn 't even used One for All yet. He has no idea if it 'll even work for him. What if it 's a fluke? What if he 's, like, allergic to All Might 's hair or something and it doesn 't take?

I can win this without a quirk, even with giant robots rampaging through a city,

Izuku tries to tell himself, determinably. He tries to conjure up even a small flicker of the faith Dabi seems to have in him, but fails utterly.

Frankly, he still, to this day, has no idea why either Dabi

or

All Might would take any interest in him at all. What exactly did he do to impress either of them, aside from stubbornly insert himself into their lives? Maybe that 's it. Maybe he just nagged them into begrudgingly allowing him to stay in their presence. Maybe they just felt pity for him. Maybe it was all '

'Midoriya-kun, ' Yui tugs on his sleeve. 'You 're speaking aloud again. '

He jolts upright. 'I ' I 'm so sorry, Yui-chan ' I, I mean, Kodai-chan! Wait no, I mean Kodai-san, ah, I 'm so, so sorry ' '

That 's so incredibly rude of him, isn 't it? To just call her by her given name like that? Just because Dabi does it doesn 't mean he 's allowed to!

'Yui is fine, ' Yui tells him, and he 'll just have to take her word for it because nothing in her expression assures him at all. 'And I don 't mind your muttering, but you told Satoru-san you were trying to break the habit the other day, so I thought I should remind you. '

'R ' Right. Thanks. ' Izuku breathes out shakily.

That 's another thing that 's just plain weird to him. He 's known Dabi as ' Dabi, since he met the man almost a year ago now. He knows, at least theoretically, that Dabi must have a name and a past and a life that exists outside of the small slices of time in which they spend together, but the reality of it all is so bewildering he tries not to think on it so hard. He hasn 't asked Yui much about it, in fear of blurting out something he shouldn 't, but he 's fairly certain Yui is at least nominally aware that Dabi ' or Satoru, as she calls him ' is not just her bandmate but an active criminal at large. Like most things with Yui, this doesn 't seem to phase her in the least. Izuku wishes he could have at least a fraction of that impenetrable calm. Even if it 's just a facade. It 'd be nice not to look like the neurotic mess he is on the inside.

She stands then, glances at her phone and then takes a brief look around the hallway. People are still changing out of their school uniforms, lingering around the area outside the locker rooms as they wait to descend towards the buses together.

'Would you mind stepping out with me for a few moments? '

Izuku looks up, curiously. He could never tell from her expression, but is she perhaps ' just as nervous as he is? Does she want a bit of fresh air to calm herself?

'Sure, yes of course! '

She looks down at her phone periodically as she leads them around a winding path towards a side exit. Yui peers up and around, then types something into her phone again as she makes herself comfortable against a couple crates propped against the wall.

Izuku takes a cursory glance around as well, but it looks like a regular smoker 's haunt. When he turns back to Yui, she doesn 't look any less calm or more bereaved than she had earlier, her composure as impenetrable as ever.

'Um, Yui-chan ' ' He trails off, awkwardly. 'Are you ' feeling okay? '

'Yes, I feel fine. ' Yui replies, which isn 't entirely helpful.

Izuku is about to open his mouth to ask if she 's feeling nervous at all, and if there 's anything he can do to help, when his ears pop and suddenly there 's ' something on his head.

Izuku squawks, backpedaling frantically as a familiar laugh resounds in his ears. He looks up in disbelief to see the memorable silhouette of one of Japan 's most wanted super villains.

'S ' Sa ' D ' ' Izuku splutters, tongue-tied as he tries to remember what on earth he 's supposed to call this man, here of all places.

'Satoru-san, ' Yui evidently does not share his awkwardness at the man 's sudden appearance. She tucks her phone back into her pocket. 'You wanted to see us? '

Oh. Yeah. Of course she 's not surprised. She was probably texting him this whole time. She ' obviously has his number, if they 're in a band together. Izuku feels a bit silly.

'Sure did! ' He throws up a peace sign, flicking his sunglasses off and tucking them into the neck of his sweater.

He looks ' as outlandishly good-looking as always. Somehow, despite having such an iconic look, something about it makes him seem so unerringly unassuming. Not even All Might noticed something off about Izuku's older friend and Yui-chan 's eccentric bandmate. With a knit beanie loose over his unruly white hair, and infamous blindfold nowhere in sight, he looks like any college kid sneaking in to say good luck to some of his favorite

kouhai.

He reaches into a plastic bag sliding down his wrist, unearthing two nyan cat buns for them. 'I wanted to say good luck to you both! Sorry I couldn 't be here earlier, got held up. '

With that heist in Kessel?

Izuku wants to ask, but remembers where they are.

It had been all over the news two nights ago. A consulting firm was fronting money for an international human trafficking deal, and Dabi strolls into the lobby of their ritzy headquarters during the middle of the work day and says,

'Everyone stay cool, this is a robbery '.

Predictably, it 's been all anyone 's talked about since. It goes from daytime heist to exposed human trafficking reveal appallingly quickly, and everything descended into chaos from there.

He hasn 't seen Dabi in person in ' a really long time, come to think of it. His presence in Izuku 's life has always been pretty sporadic, but in these last few months it nearly disappeared entirely. He 'd swing by Dagobah beach every blue moon to shout totally unencouraging supportive nonsense as he and Yui labored through yet another of his death-trap mazes, but otherwise was totally off the map. He has to imagine his appearances as Yui 's bandmate were equally as infrequent, as Yui had mentioned their band was on a bit of hiatus as Yui prepared for the entrance exams.

At first, Izuku had worried the villain was being standoffish due to All Might. But as it turns out, All Might and Dabi got along far too well for two people standing at total opposite ends of the law, constantly tossing out terrible quotes from super old American films and tv shows. Dabi 's bizarre and borderline unreasonable personality was apparently somehow charming to All Might, who was regularly surrounded by star-struck fans or bitterly jealous rivals and appreciated the man 's candor. Izuku did have to wonder if All Might 's fondness would last when he inevitably figured out Dabi 's identity, but for now he could only be relieved his double life hasn 't been rooted out yet.

Anyway, so Dabi 's disappearances didn 't seem to be related to All Might in the slightest, but very obviously had everything to do with the criminal uptake in the greater Tokyo Metropolitan area that was having All Might so ill at ease lately.

And the thing was ' Izuku had no idea how to approach that topic with the villain.

Everything about Dabi just ' really confused him. He was funny and clever and seemed, at his core, a genuinely good person. Izuku

knew

he was a good person. He 'd seen endless evidence of this ' starting from how he offered a hand of friendship to Izuku when he had no reason to do so, and ending with all the miscellaneous and unremarked good deeds he saw the older boy perform all the time. Dabi was the sort of person that would stop a bike theft in front of him just because he could, even when no one else in the crowd lifted a finger to help. He helped old ladies cross the street with their groceries and stopped traffic for elementary school kids on their way to school. Izuku has literally seen him fish kittens out of trees for distressed housewives (who then, predictably, fawn all over the handsome young lad who helped them out). He did all of this without any recognition whatsoever, just because it was the right thing to do and he was a person capable of helping others at the right time.

Even if Dabi was by pure technicality a villain ' or perhaps a vigilante, depending on what internet forum you were stalking ' he had the heart of a hero beneath it all. Izuku had seen it. He

knew

it.

That didn 't make it any easier to see the man turn around and blow up entire warehouses in the blink of an eye on the nightly news.

These past few months leading up to the exams Dabi has gone from a mysterious but dangerous criminal to one of the country 's most wanted.

His methods of operations haven 't changed since his debut as a villain, but the frequency in which he committed criminal acts had skyrocketed. His victims still tended to be other criminals, mainly involved in organized crime or drug and human trafficking. He still seemed to have a personal vendetta of some kind against Trigger, which often went hand in hand with quirk trafficking. Izuku had asked him once, tentatively, why he was so hellbent on stopping quirk trafficking of all things ' not that Izuku didn 't agree with the principle, but there were a lot of awful criminal acts out there, so why that one? Dabi had replied that he loathed the idea of children 's futures being taken from them, and victims of quirk trafficking tended to be children under the age of ten. It was difficult to disagree with him in light of that, even if there could be an argument made for the necessity of his methods.

So Izuku was at a bit of a loss.

He wasn 't sure how to accept it; this reality that existed between the legal standpoint of villains and heroes. He 'd grown up with the word 'hero ' being a defined employment career. There were standard rules of engagement, price ranges, tax deductibles, insurance policies, and hundreds and hundreds of court rulings and legal documents declaring who could be a hero, and

how

they could be a hero. Dabi 's idea of heroism as a moral dilemma almost seemed more of an ethical philosophical question in light of that. But at the end of the day, what Dabi considered good and evil wasn 't all that different from Izuku, or even All Might.

And his own emotional turmoil didn 't mean he wanted to see Dabi less.

'Thanks for coming, sensei, ' Izuku says, before he can stop himself.

He knows Dabi has ' issues with the word, but it 's the easiest thing Izuku can focus on that stops him from slipping up and calling him 'Dabi-san '.

He can see the way Dabi 's smile strains a bit at the word, but he still grins widely as he reaches out to ruffle Izuku 's hair.

'Of course! I had to make sure my padawans are ready to make me proud! '

Izuku scowls as he makes a vain attempt at straightening out his mess of curls, pouting. 'You

still

haven 't even explained to me what a padawan is supposed to be! '

'All in good time, youngling. ' Dabi replies, eyes twinkling. 'Anyway, eat up, and don 't stress out too much. You 'll do just fine. '

'There 's giant death robots involved! ' Izuku hisses in frenetic horror, as he 's reminded of exactly what he 's up against.

'Could be worse, ' Dabi shrugs. He waggles his brows. 'It could be

me

you 're facing up against! '

Izuku shudders at the mere thought.

Dabi is right. A thousand death robots was a better deal than dealing with the supervillain when he was intentionally trying to be a bigger pain in the ass than usual. Dabi had a viciously vindictive side of him, that was for sure. And a terrible, no good sense of humor. It was a dangerous combination.

He claps his hands. 'So, Izu-kun, Yui-chan, try to just keep your heads and not freak out too much. You 've got this in the bag! You 'll both be excellent heroes in no time. '

'Is this your professional opinion as a wanted supervillain? ' Yui asks coolly, causing Izuku to gape in her direction. Even Dabi blinks a few times.

It 's the first time he thinks he 's ever heard Yui directly admit that she knows exactly who her Satoru-san is, and clearly Dabi's realized the same.

Then his grin returns tenfold. 'Yes, it is! ' He agrees roguishly, giving them both a thumbs up. 'So do your best, because you 're the only two heroes who will ever have a chance of stopping me! '

'That 's not a lot to live up to, or anything, ' Izuku mutters nervously, creasing his nyan cat bun so badly he squeezes the matcha cream stuffing out of it.

Somehow, he feels even

worse

after the pep talk.

//

@18-lg-tv | no scrubs #1 scrub?

@ru-kun is on twitter break and if thats not tragic enough @noscrubsofficial IS ON HIATUS and they played Plug In Baby at their last show AND I DIDNT SEE IT

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//

Tokyo is a far cry from Hawks ' usual hunting grounds. Despite being the capital of the country he 's lived his entire life in, he drifts across the city with the wide-eyed novelty of a foreigner. It 's a hike from Fukouka, where he spends most of his time now, and a marginally less taxing flight from Mustafu, where the HPSC branch he all but grew up in is located. Obviously the HPSC would have their main headquarters in the capital, but Hawks so rarely has any reason to go there when his handlers are housed in the Mustafu branch with their hero training initiatives.

He 's not here for a leisurely flight around the capital skyscrapers, no matter what social media might be calling it. His iconic silhouette has drawn plenty of speculation on why he 's in Tokyo ' which is exactly how the HPSC likes it. Tokyo has seen an exponential rise in gang activity in recent months, ostensibly due to a rise in quirk and drug trafficking. Trigger is at an all time premium, and gang wars have exploded out due to the scarcity. The Number One Hero ' who was meant to have eradicated organized crime as part of his enduring legacy as the Symbol of Peace ' has been oddly quiet during the rise. The Number Two, Endeavor, is also based out of Mustafu but has put in more than a token effort in wrangling Tokyo 's underbelly. Hawks wouldn 't be surprised if he sees a spiral of fire light up across the skyline right at this moment. Endeavor has really been stepping up to the plate All Might 's absence has left. But the HPSC isn 't just going to let the Number Two steal all the spotlight ' especially not when their hand-groomed Number Three is so well suited to these messy, high-casualty urban fire fights.

He banks left as an updraft catches against his wings, swinging past the infamous Mos Eisley ward and back towards the Correlian trade district, where the HPSC headquarters looms like a glowing, metallic empire.

Things look quiet, from what he can see, but it 's still early enough in the night.

He swoops high above the gleaming tower, than curls his wings around him and nose dives for the open penthouse courtyard. He unfurls out of his dive at the last moment, dropping gracefully down onto the balcony just outside the sliding glass doors to the presidential suite. A vaguely familiar woman in a sharp suit sits behind an imposing desk, not even a blink to remark on his presence as she types away at her computer. He 's not sure if that annoys him or intimidates him. Probably both.

He strolls in with a blandly pleasant expression fixed onto his face, giving away nothing of his inner turmoil.

'Commissioner Saito, ' he greets levelly.

The woman finally looks up from her work; just a quick glance in his direction. 'Ah, Hawks. You 're right on time. '

He 's worked with Kobayashi-san, the vice chair of the HPSC and the overseer of the Mustafu branch, long enough to infer how to act when dealing with her direct superior. Give nothing away, remain as pleasant as possible, and get out of her hair as soon as he can, lest she gives him undue attention.

'How was the flight over? '

Small talk? He blinks rapidly, regaining his composure. 'Fair skies. ' He replies, benignly enough.

She nods. 'Good to hear. Thank you for coming on such short notice. '

Hawks isn 't entirely sure what to make of her. Kobayashi-san is forever swamped in paperwork and more often than not putting out several work fires at once, and tends to cut to the chase in a way that most people would probably find snappish, but Hawks appreciates. He 's not the fastest hero for nothing ' dawdling around with social niceties rarely interests him.

'Of course, Saito-san. What did you need me for? '

She casts a vague hand towards the windows behind him. 'I 'm sure you 've heard of the rise in criminal activity in the capital as of late. '

He nods slowly. 'I 've been informed, but so far it 's just been a brief overview on the situation. '

'Yes, aside from the raw data, we have nothing more to offer than conjecture. ' She admits, brow pinched. 'After organized crime was 'eradicated ' under the Symbol of Peace, resources have been reallocated towards other vectors of criminal activity, leaving us in a bit of a bind. '

He nods again, well aware of the situation. In his opinion, it 's a bit of a heinous oversight. Do people really assume All Might 's reign to be so infallible that they 'd overlook such a large part of the underworld because of his reputation alone? It 's true he 's made incredible strides in dismantling organized crime in Japan during his tenure as Number One, but to assume it 's no longer a threat seemed laughably short-sighted. Or more than likely, an issue of budget. Organized crime investigations tend to be lengthy and heavy on undercover personnel rather than automated surveillance, leading to higher costs. That same amount of funding, allocated towards search and rescue, or first responders, had double the capacity and had the added bonus of high public visibility. Taxpayer money and approval ratings go hand in hand, after all.

It was this exact precarious house of cards that Hawks was meant to inherit as the face of the HPSC ' the forever shifting sands of visibility, public approval, and assurances of security and safety.

He can 't say he doesn 't get it, but nonetheless the issue remains.

'Has the budget for a full-scale investigation been approved then? '

'For Heroes? Hardly. ' She snorts. 'We 're still tied up in the courts with the insurance companies over collateral damage laws. The local precincts have been given emergency funding, but that 's not the issue. The public needs to see a familiar face at the forefront of this mission, inspiring a sense of safety. '

He 's not dense enough to miss the implication, but nonetheless he 's confused. ' 'There aren 't any heroes currently involved? '

'There are a few agencies that work organized crime cases still, but none with a reputation that will inspire the sort of confidence and recognition the Number Three Hero can. '

'Won 't this be a conflict with my regular duties? 'He asks, puzzled.

'You have sidekicks for a reason; use them. ' Saito-san dismisses. 'At any rate, this is a good opportunity to expand your sphere of influence. Right now your approval ratings in Fukuoka are at an all time high, but the rest of the country is fairly indifferent to you. This is an excellent chance to change that. '

Hawks should have expected as much. The HPSC has invested a great deal of money into him and his career ' of course they 'd never be satisfied with him as anything but the Number One. Everything they 've done since then has been to set him up for the eventuality. Every step forward in his life has been towards his goal.

To be entirely honest, he 's still fairly ambivalent on the idea of it.

'What in particular will I need to do? Rescues and arrests? '

Rescue missions were child 's play to him. Apprehending criminals was something he could do in his sleep. If that was all they needed of him, it 'd be smooth flying for the next couple months.

'Yes both, we want you to have a high-profile presence in the area once we announce your arrival. We 'll be adding you to the current active operation roster for this purpose. ' Saito agrees. 'But we have a secondary operation for you. In some respects, it is in fact your primary objective. '

Hawks stands a bit straighter at that, paying attention.

'We need you to investigate and infiltrate the criminal underworld. Your main objective is to find and identify the key players running the operations. '

He doesn 't like where this is going ' 'And how do you want me to go about that? '

'You 'll have to use your best judgment on that. We are ready and willing to green light any means necessary. '

//

@rumisimp | ??rumi simp??

HAWKS SIGHTINGS IN TOKYO EVERYONE REJOICE!!

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//

It 's nights like this that make him feel painfully, terribly,

alone.

The Commission wants the impossible from him, but that 's nothing new. He wants to despise them for it, like he used to when he was young and bitter and training for a goal he didn 't really understand. These days he hates that he understands where they 're coming from.

They want Hawks, the charming and charismatic Number Three Hero, the national heartthrob, the handsome magazine cover model, the delightfully captivating personality that skyrockets radio and television ratings with a single appearance. He was trained for this role. He 'd been learning how to smile perfectly since his baby teeth had all fallen out.

But by that same turn, he 'd been trained extensively in infiltration and assassination. In the spycraft that his wings were so perfect for.

Hawks 's problem, you see, is that he 's a little too good at everything.

He 's an excellent search and rescue hero. His crowd control with his feathers is impossible to beat and makes him an excellent candidate for fighting heavy hitters in difficult surroundings. The versatility of his flight capabilities and telekinetic feathers means he 's adaptable to just about any environment, narrow and urban or wide and rural. He can cover incredible ground with great precision; the dexterity he has with his feathers gives him unparalleled spatial awareness.

Everything that makes him a good spotlight hero, in turn, makes him an excellent assassin.

Hawks hadn 't always been slotted into this role. Before his senpai 's career crashed and burned, he 'd been training full-time as a spotlight hero. Full front assaults, offensive support, search and rescue, crowd control ' he was molded to be the smiling hero in front of the cameras, not the agent with a blade in the dark. That all changed after Lady Nagant 's arrest, when the Commission found themselves with a glaring hole in their hero roster 's skill repertoire. There were other candidates, but none as well suited as Hawks.

So he was trained in more than just tactical surveillance, intel gathering, and general spycraft. He was trained how to take a life without flinching and how to clean up the evidence or plant it on someone else.

He can 't say it 's a part of his job he likes much. But it is what it is.

As his career trajectory skyrocketed to the top of the billboards, the unsavory assignments petered out as his popularity grew. Unsurprisingly the Commission wasn 't willing to risk their golden egg on off-the-record missions they could theoretically push to others.

He 'd thought this part of his job was behind him.

But it looks like the Commission has other plans.

Hawks scowls out into the glittering metropolis, peering down at the lights from his solitude atop one of the highest skyscrapers.

How exactly did the Commission expect him to pull this off, while meeting the mission goals and still keeping his reputation spotless?

This is a fucking mess,

he thinks, uncharitably. The writing is on the wall here, he 's fairly sure. Not even the fastest hero can outrun a fate like this.

Hawks idly debates just throwing it. The recon side, or the spotlight side. But those are just trivial daydreams; the Commission doesn 't assign missions without reason. They wouldn 't risk their perfectly molded hero unless they thought the reward was a greater return. A reward worth risking everything for ' like, perhaps, catching the so-called 'Emperor of Darkness ' once and for all and resoundingly proving to the country that the HPSC was all the public needed to keep order and security.

It would cement their legacy and their supremacy as the keepers of peace and order once All Might inevitably retired.

And if their prized hero gets a bit burned in the process ' it 's an end that justifies the means. More recognition means more budget, more budget means more public safety initiatives that benefit society.

He ruffles his windswept hair, rising from his crouch and stretching his arms over his head as he unfurls his wings out to full mast.

Well, that 's enough dawdling around. He 's got a job to do, and he plans on finishing it in record time.

As if on cue, his police radio crackles to life as urgent voices bark about a situation unfolding in Ginza.