Chapter Text
“So, you’re the ones…” Endeavor looked down at them with a mild glare.
Izuku straightened up under the intense expression, this was not really how he was planning on meeting his boyfriend’s dad.
“Because Shoto asked, I reluctantly decided to let both of you tag along,” Endeavor observed him and Bakugo. “But I wish Shoto had come on his own.”
“If you gave permission, then don’t complain,” Shoto answered neutrally.
“I’ve thought so since the supplementary lessons, but you’re kind of cringey,” Bakugo snarked. Izuku froze a little when he said that. This was not how he saw this conversation going.
Surprisingly, Endeavor looked slightly taken aback at that. “Shoto, are you really friends with this boy?”
“I don’t care about any of that,” Bakugo said, disregarding Endeavor’s reaction. “I came to see how the top hero operates.”
Izuku kept quiet, not drawing attention to himself. From his interaction with him at the Sports Festival, Izuku knew that Endeavor didn’t think too highly of quirkless people.
He felt Danger Sense activate just as Endeavor ignored them and started dashing ahead. Seconds later, he could actually hear the commotion of a villain attack. Endeavor shouted something as he blasted ahead, but it was lost in the cacophony. Bakugo and Shoto took off after him immediately and Izuku sprinted behind.
Damnit, this wasn’t going to give Endeavor a good impression of him. He was easily faster than Bakugo and Shoto, but he was still keeping up the pretense of being quirkless. He boosted Speed to 2 and did his best to keep up.
Unfortunately, Speed 2 wasn’t enough. It didn’t take long before Endeavor, Shoto, and Bakugo had all disappeared from view. On the plus side, his work with Danger Sense told him exactly where they were going, and that some henchmen were trying to set a trap.
He tightened his wristband and prayed that Shoto had listened to him when he gave him his Christmas gift. He pressed the button. He felt the cold chill envelop his body, letting him know that at least half of the prototype worked.
He appeared next to Shoto, only to realize that the fight was already over. Endeavor was kneeling down and handcuffing the villain, while Hawks (to his surprise) had subdued the attempted ambush.
“Hawks!” he exclaimed in surprise.
“Hey Junior,” Hawks gave him an easy smile. He came up and shook his hand. “Nice to see that you found someone who could take you on.”
“Thanks,” Izuku shook his hand. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a job?”
“Oh, I do,” Hawks shrugged. “I just happened to be in the area and figured I’d give Endeavor some backup.”
“Did I look like needed backup?” Endeavor replied gruffly. “I knew those three were there.”
“Oh well,” Hawks replied easily. “Figured I’d help anyway.”
“What do you want Hawks?” Endeavor walked up as the police took the villain away.
“I don’t want anything,” he said. He reached into his pocket. “But Endeavor, have you read this book?”
He held up a red book titled “Meta Liberation War”.
“What about it?” Endeavor asked.
“Well, you know,” Hawks shrugged. “It’s gotten really popular recently. It’s from a long time ago, but it has predictions about the present. ‘If you give freedom to a limited number of people, then the negative consequences will go to the others’. If you don’t have time to read it all, I’ve highlighted some parts for you. So, you can just read those parts. If that’s too much, at least read every other part.”
Ok, something was up. That wasn’t Hawks’ usual smile. And why would he bother highlighting parts of an obscure old book for Endeavor?
“The leader of the Meta Liberation Army, Destro, ultimately wanted a society completed by personal responsibility,” Hawks continued. “It goes with the times!”
He turned to face Izuku. “Oh kid, I got you a special copy too. I know you were bummed that you and I couldn’t work together, but at least this way I can still impart some wisdom to you. I even went ahead and signed it for you.”
Izuku turned the book over in his hands and opened to the inside cover. The message was complete gibberish. Ah, Izuku realized. He’s communicating in code.
“Thanks Hawks,” Izuku replied neutrally.
“Birds of a feather, remember? I went ahead and highlighted some unique sections for you too,” he leveled Izuku with a look. “Maybe you and Endeavor should compare notes after you read them, I think it might spark some interesting conversation.”
Ok, now it wasn’t even subtle anymore. Hawks was clearly worried about something big if he was leaving both Izuku and Endeavor coded messages and telling them to work together.
“Well Endeavor,” Hawks turned away from Izuku, but ruffled a hand through his hair. “Look after my intern, ok? I want him back in one piece.”
“Get out of here,” Endeavor said brusquely. “I know how to train people.”
Izuku wasn’t really paying too much attention to the introductions being made when they got to the Endeavor agency. He was too busy scanning through the book Hawks had left him. Hawks hadn’t highlighted very many sections in his book, and he had left that strange gibberish message.
Looking it over, Izuku realized that it had to be a polyalphabetic substitution cypher, probably a Vigenère cypher. But what was the key word? Izuku ran through what Hawks had said to them during that conversation.
He tried Destro first. That had been a word that stuck out to him. He ran the cypher in his head, but it was still gibberish.
He sat down in a chair in the lobby, ignoring the conversation the sidekicks were having with Shoto and Bakugo. He needed to think this through logically. Hawks was clearly being watched if he felt the need to stoop to such covert means of communication. That meant that he couldn’t have been obvious with relaying the key either. And if he made the code for Izuku, then it needed to be something only Izuku would know.
Birds of a feather, remember?
Hawks had said that when he had thanked him for the book. That had to be relevant.
He tried Night Owl.
Izuku, the message read. I’m sorry I had to be so cryptic, but I didn’t have a lot of options. I’m trying to infiltrate the Meta Liberation Army. I think they’re working with the League. Bring this message to Endeavor. Tell him what you know about All for One and the League. Trust him. I know that’s hard, but we’re all running out of options. Good luck.
Well damn. Hawks really wasn’t pulling any punches, was he? As much as he wanted to resent Hawks for forcing him to reveal his secrets to his boyfriend’s dad, he also respected the move. And at least Hawks wasn’t trying to sideline him because of his connection to the League. Maybe Izuku’s words to him had had some impact.
He knocked on Endeavor’s door.
“What?” he heard through the door.
He steeled himself and pushed the door open. Endeavor was hunched over his desk, flipping through the book. He looked up when Izuku walked in and tried to school his expression, badly.
“What do you want?” Endeavor growled.
Izuku walked up silently and put his phone on Endeavor’s desk, activating the signal scrambler. Endeavor winced when his earpiece sparked. “What the hell?!”
“Sorry,” Izuku said quickly. “This is clearly sensitive, and we have no idea if someone is listening. I deciphered Hawks’ message to me, and by the look on your face, you figured out his message to you.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Endeavor replied.
“The Meta Liberation Army,” Izuku brushed past his bluster. “Hawks is investigating them. He wasn’t able to take me on as an intern because of a long-term assignment, and now he’s passing along coded messages. Clearly, he is under watch and can’t talk freely. He left both of us messages and directly said that you and I should compare notes.”
He sat down in the chair opposite Endeavor’s. “We clearly each have part of the puzzle, so let’s cut the crap and just communicate.”
Endeavor looked like he was going to blow a fuse, but then he took a deep breath, and his flames died down. “Why would Hawks leave you a message?”
“Because I’m good at this stuff,” Izuku didn’t shrink under the intensity of his glare. “And because this involves me no matter what. According to the message Hawks left me, the League of Villains is working with The Meta Liberation Army. And after kidnapping me, I think it’s safe to say that anything involving the League is information I’m privy to.”
“You’re a kid,” Endeavor said dismissively.
“Are you really going to try and pretend that the new push mandating that all students have work studies isn’t an attempt by the Hero Commission to try and get more manpower for the inevitable conflict on the horizon?” Izuku deadpanned. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t insult my intelligence.”
Endeavor growled at him. “You need to learn some respect, kid.”
“Respect is earned,” Izuku replied. “And it’s a two-way street. I’m not some fresh-faced child. I am tired of adults deciding what I can or cannot know. The League of Villains has come after me 5 times now. I have stared All for One in the face.”
Izuku took a deep breath to calm his temper. “With all due respect Endeavor, Hawks clearly wants me to be a part of this, otherwise he would have left a message for you and only you.”
Endeavor stood up forcefully. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “None of you are children anymore. Go grab Bakugo and Shoto, it’s time to start training. You and I will talk about this later.”