Chapter Text
It was the first press conference after the war. Plenty of heroes had been injured or killed, and now that everything was finally over, people needed something stable. Now that many of them had recovered enough, the top ranking heroes were finally speaking their piece. Even though many would be speaking, they all knew where the questions would be drawn. The former Number One, who had only retired in private and was waiting for a better time to announce it, and the new Number One, who after very publicly discussing the importance of public approval ratings, had completely tanked his by allowing someone to catch him murdering a villain on camera.
Hawks made a noise. “That’s one way to phrase it, Hirose.”
“It’s an accurate way.” The commission worker glared at him. “It’s also something I’ve already discussed publicly – something you did nothing to help me with, by the way, bet we’re all really glad so little information actually got out.”
“That’s enough of that tone, Hawks.” He immediately straightened, bringing his hands behind his back, making the absence of his wings painfully obvious. “You’re not officially Number One until the rankings. Come December, we do want to see you at the top. Get those ratings up, hm?”
“I’ll never officially be Number One. They didn’t get burned off this time, they’re gone.”
“Yet, following our tests, your eyes remain the same. If part of your quirk remains, you are restoring the rest of it.” Hirose leant closer, a glow in his eyes and the unmistakable feeling of his quirk boring into Hawks’ mind. “Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
By virtue of how many heroes would be here, the press themselves weren’t allowed in the room yet. Various tables had been set out, grouping the heroes by their rank for ease. Hawks was the first out, having managed his hair and makeup himself (something he’d started doing when a few too many people didn’t know how to handle his more feathery hair in just his first year of hero work). Before sitting down, he’d checked the name plates. Endeavour, Jeanist, and Mirko were joining him at the table. Edgeshot was still alive, but he was the only one of the top five with injuries that wouldn’t simply recover, having sacrificed much of his own body to save the life of one of the students at the U.A. Flying Fortress.
“Heya, Birdie! Or, well. Do you still want me calling you that?” Mirko wrapped her arm around his shoulders. With time to make more choices about her prosthetics, Mirko had opted for a more standard arm with a distinct lack of guns. Or, more accurately, Best Jeanist had sat her down and insisted that she could not show up to press conferences or interviews with upwards of fifteen gun barrels attached to her. “No, it’s fine.”
“Then Birdie it still is! You doing good? You’ve kind of been ignoring us.”
“Sorry. It’s been hectic at the agency. Only the eight sidekicks, can’t run on as easily as Endeavour’s agency are.” Mirko cooed, hopping over the table to take her seat. “But, seriously, you okay? First major thing for you, right?”
“You’re not that much older than me.”
“I’m old enough that I was active when we first fought All For One. You’re the only hero in this panel who can say it’s their first time and not their second.”
“I’m fine, Rumi.” She raised her hands in surrender. “Alright.”
“Endeavour, there have been rumours that you’re retiring?”
“That is correct, I am.”
“So that makes you, Hawks, our unofficial Number One?”
“Aw, shucks, really? I always wanted to take the position from him, not be handed it.”
“Unless, of course, you’re also retiring, following whatever’s going to happen with your licence now that the war’s over and losing your quirk to All For One.”
“Nothing’s happening with my licence; if it was, it would have already happened. As I’ve stated before, the H.P.S.C. ran over the situation extensively and determined that my actions at Gunga Villa saved countless lives, so, in this one instance, it was declared exceptional circumstances. If it had gone how I wanted it to, Bubaigawara would still be alive, as with other members of The League.”
“What about your quirk? Are you retiring now you no longer have one?”
“There’s history of quirk restoration and not every aspect of my quirk disappeared, so I believe it’s something worth trying.”
“So, if you succeed in restoring it, we’re supposed to just trust our new Number One won’t kill us all?”
“If you listened to anything I’ve said about the situation, I didn’t want to kill him, I had no choice. It’s not exactly something I want to replicate.”
“You’ve never been all that open about your family, are you trying to hide from us that you’re just another in a line of murderers?”
“I have, multiple times, given all of the information on what happened with Bubaigawara, so I don’t know why you’re all so insistent that I’m hiding something. Do you have questions for anyone else or can they all go home? This is supposed to be about the war and hero society, but if you’re really that eager, then, by all means, we can organize a different conference for you all to just ask me questions about my fucking family!”
Whimpering, Hawks slid down the wall, his head in his hands. “I mean, it could’ve been worse.” Mirko and Jeanist were stood with him, both sharing sympathetic looks. “How? I yelled at reporters, swore at them, and then promptly started crying. How could it have been worse?”
“Could’ve said you’d kill them.” Immediately, she jumped back to dodge a kick from the younger hero. “Okay! Bad joke! I deserved that! But, my not expensive leg, please.”
“Would you like to stay at my apartment tonight, instead of returning to Fukuoka?”
“Could I stay forever? The tabloids are going to eat this up.”
Hawks was mostly quiet as they drove back. As they hit the traffic, Jeanist turned his attention to the other. “You didn’t tell Usagiyama you went to visit your mother after you were discharged, did you?”
“I didn’t want to tell you. My option for transport just fell through.”
“I think you should tell her.”
“What’s the point? I didn’t actually meet her, so I’d just be telling Rumi we made a pit stop.” Jeanist sighed. “She cares about you, Hawks. We both do. That’s the point.”
It was rather late once they finally got to Hakamada’s apartment, so when Hawks flopped onto the couch and immediately stilled – whether he was actually asleep or not was something Hakamada couldn’t tell, even with the sensory aspects of his quirk – Hakamada only disturbed him to put the duvet from the guest room over him. A soft smile came to his face as Hawks shifted, wrapping himself in the covers.
The daggers reached deeper with every question. He couldn’t keep anything away from them, the hatred of their mere existence, the sudden gripping fear the moment they made themselves clear. It didn’t matter what he was reporting on, a success, a failure, a delay, a patrol, a crisis, a hidden mission, a standard update, a psych evaluation, they were always there. They burned and they hurt and they shouldn’t be here, they couldn’t be here, that wasn’t how the quirk worked, unless he’d just been lied to the whole time, he wouldn’t put that past Hirose, if he could just look in at any moment, then how many times had he gone unnoticed, how much did he watch, how many times had he peaked in just for the sake of it, and why could he feel them piercing in now?
Hakamada was a light sleeper. All heroes were, frankly, but those specialising in rescue or evacuation tended to be more so, with even villains wanting to rest. In addition, anyone whose quirk had sensory aspects was bound to wake easier. Despite that, he was certain the scream that woke him would’ve disturbed even the deepest of sleepers. He only offered his clock a glance. 2:27. As much as his body refused, Hakamada had to move. He could feel the shifting muscle fibres of his guest. Hawks may have had a fast heart rate as a part of his quirk, but that was much faster than he’d ever felt it and his breaths were just as rapid.
“Hawks.” Hakamada sat down on the floor in front of him. “Take a deep breath. Just breathe.” Gently, he took Hawks’ hands. “With me.”
Eventually, Hawks calmed slightly, leaning back and pressing his hand into his forehead. “What happened?”
“I don’t.” He ran his hand over his head. “I don’t know. Might have been nothing, that’s embarrassing, huh?”
“It’s never nothing. I have painkillers if you’ve got a headache.” Hawks immediately moved his hand, resting both in his lap. Sighing, Hakamada tipped his head. “Hawks.”
“I’m – I’m fine. I’m fine.” He never changed. “Sorry I woke you up.”
“I’d prefer to be woken than leave you to deal with that on your own.”
“Still, I thought I’d stopped doing that. Kind of thing my mother would do; I’m not supposed to… be like her.” Hakamada considered saying something, but, ultimately, he didn’t know enough about Hawks’ parents. “I have hot chocolate, would you like some?” Hawks hesitated a moment before, somewhat shyly, nodding.
While Hakamada prepared the two drinks, Hawks watched him with an eerie intensity for the lack of light. “If I told you something personal, would you tell anyone else?”
“Of course not.” He handed over a cup, sitting next to Hawks on the couch, watching the younger. He was tired, unsurprisingly, and the nerves were still there. As Hawks stared back at him, Hakamada made a subtle motion. For the first time Hakamada had ever heard, he spoke rather slowly, gaze drifting away.
“My mother has schizophrenia and I’ve never been able to get any proper statements, but I’ve been on the same medication as her since I was a teenager and anytime I brought it up, everyone involved in that part gets weird about just the possibility, and I can’t get tested without permission or see results from when I was younger, and I know there’s similarities between my mother and I that shouldn’t really be there given our lack of relationship, so.” He shrunk slightly, turning his focus to his drink. “So, you think you have schizophrenia as well?”
“Maybe?” His voice was uncharacteristically quiet. “Okay.” He gave Hawks’ shoulder a gentle rub.
“That’s it? You’re not going to point out how crazy it is that I still work as a hero, that I had the audacity to know this and still go into rescue, that –”
“Hawks. You debuted younger than any other hero before or since and made the national top ten in less than a year. You are the only rescue focussed hero in the world that can contend with the records battle heroes have. The International Hero Association had to create new titles, milestones, and benchmarks solely because you smashed through every existing one. You are one of, if not the, most accomplished heroes in the world and you’re twenty-three. I believe that gives an impression of your capabilities as a hero.”
“Right.” Hawks looked at him for a moment, before bringing his legs up onto the cushions and leaning against Hakamada’s shoulder. In the rare moment, Hawks actually looked as young as he was. “I’ll probably tell Rumi at a more reasonable hour.”
“Think about that in the morning.”
They were quiet for a moment before Hakamada took a breath in. “Could I ask, is that why you don’t want people knowing your family?”
“Partly. You’ve seen how fans get with yours, Endeavour’s, and Rumi’s families. My mother would never survive that.”
Nothing more was said that night. Once they’d finished their drinks, Hawks began to drift off again, resting on Hakamada’s shoulder. It was hardly the most comfortable position for them, but given how tumultuous Hawks’ night already was, Hakamada didn’t have the heart to move.
Given how quickly Hakamada found the support course teacher, Hawks had to assume this was a pre-standing arrangement. Scrap materials from Hakamada’s various exploits were being handed over to Maijima Higari for testing before he made full pieces for this year’s new Hero Course students.
U.A.’s official reopening hit the news when the entrance exams were held, reporters jumping on how quickly the hero school had recovered. One of the main focusses had been what they’d do considering the state of their staff, the past year forcing All Might and Eraser Head to retire, and all public announcements about Midnight stating that she was still in a coma. Thankfully, the earlier buzz meant that as all the students moved into the dorms for the new year, they were mostly left alone.
“No way you’re from rural Fukuoka! Tsukuyomi, how did you never mention this?”
“I did not know where either of you were from until recently.”
“I was really born in the middle of nowhere, but I think, officially, it was near Katsuyamamiyabaru, in Miyako.”
“Other side, my family lives in Umi.”
“Still, unbelievable coincidence.”
“Isn’t that a street and not an area?”
“Is it? I moved before I could really read, I don’t know.”
“Deku, what happened?”
“According to the hero news, a villain attacked our train a few stops before ours, but we’re not too far away, so Mum decided to walk, then Mrs Bakugo decided to join us, and I thought it was a good idea, but Kacchan hates it.”
“People are gonna think we’re friends!”
“Baku-bro, no one is going to think that.”
“Why are you with Pink Cheeks? Just call me yourself!”
“Uraraka already called Midoriya and you’re together, I can chat fine here.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Birdie!” Rumi wrapped an arm around Hawks’ shoulders. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I have siblings; you don’t, you answer first.”
“Tsunagu needed to hand some things over, I’m extra hands.”
“Sister’s starting in support, parents are busy, so I’m helping out.” Hawks immediately turned to Power Loader. “I am so sorry.”
“I survived a year with Hatsume, I imagine I’ll live through teaching Chieko.” An explosion punctuated his sentence. “Mr. Maijima!”
“Just put it out before the fire alarm goes off.”
“Are you sure you’ll survive?”
“Yep. This year I have Gandini.”
“Yo, Shinsou! Get that mental quirk into herodom!”
“Heard Aizawa made them do a test at the beginning of the year, where do you think you’ll place?”
“Probably middle of the range, they still all have more experience than me.”
“Shouldn’t all your stuff be in the 2-A building?”
“…… Ohhhhh, fuck. My mothers already went home.”
“Ito! You broke him! Look at that face of embarrassment.”
“I’ve already unpacked everything.”
“I’m taking a photo, we’re never getting this chance again.”
“Tadashi’s between jobs, maybe I could call him over? Or Dad. Yuzuki and Ichika both have a strength quirk.”
“I’m back, everyone!”
“Miss Midnight!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy?”
“I am, and running here was a terrible idea, hold me, Yamada.”
“Please tell me someone else is helping out, you didn’t tell either of us you’d be here today.”
“Shiretoko and Takeyama are both here.”
“Well, I should get going, can’t abandon Chieko for too long. Bye!”
“See ya.”
“Goodbye.” Hawks and Hakamada waved until Rumi was long gone from earshot. “So, we’re both getting tickets to the sports festival to watch her parents mention Chieko getting into U.A. versus Rumi being expelled from almost everything at every chance they get, right?”
“Definitely.”
“Filming it for Takeyama?”
“And Kamihara.”
“Everyone’s here again!”
“Not quite, Eri. Koda is still on the way and there are other classes. And Shinsou went to the wrong building.”
“No I didn’t!”
“Yeah, he’s been in our building the whole time!”
“We felt like meeting his old classmates, that’s why we were at 2-C’s dorm.”
“Hawks.” Tokoyami cornered him in an empty corridor. “I believe everyone saw the press conference. Are you okay?”
“Course I am!” Tokoyami didn’t make any attempts to hide his disbelief. “The reporters were being disrespectful to the other heroes who’d come out and we’re all a little tired, so maintaining our hero personas for camera wasn’t anyone’s top priority. I’m fine, really. It’s me, I’m always fine.”
“Hello! It’s me, Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but more importantly – I’m the principal! I’ve been looking for you, Hawks. Please, stop breaking all these records! It’s terrible for our branding for all of our alumni to be so overshadowed!”
“Really? Random kid better than everyone from U.A.? It does wonders for mine.”
“Come to my office, if you don’t mind.”
Nezu sat behind his desk, facing Hawks, Aizawa, and a young girl. Aizawa whispered to her, and she turned to Hawks. “Hello, my name’s Eri!”
“Oh! From the Shie Hassaikai raid?” Aizawa’s eyes narrowed. “Her name was not attached to any public statements about the raid, how do you know that?”
“Principal Nezu, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? Or, was it really just that I’m too good and making U.A. look bad in comparison?”
“At the hero press conference yesterday, among other things, you mentioned quirk restoration, now, I’m sure you’ll know what I want to ask.” Leaning back in his chair, Hawks kissed his teeth. “Yeah, it was a press cover.”
“What does that mean?” Eri looked up at him. “I told people I have a plan, so they feel safer. Then, I go home. And I rapidly try to come up with a plan because I don’t have one.”
“What I’d like to know, is just what is the Hawks Agency’s current plan?”
“I can’t just hand over to my sidekicks like Endeavour and Nighteye did. We’re a rescue agency, it’s not as simple for us. We’re sticking as usual until things calm down and we’re confident the other local agencies are picking up our slack, after that…” He let out a breath. “There aren’t as many records of quirk loss for het-morphs as there are for other types of quirk, so I’m pretty much in the dark. I’ve run some standard tests and parts of my quirk are still here, others obviously aren’t, it’s a bit of a mess, really. I’d like to restore it; I do have to make it to December to officially claim my number one title.”
“Now.” Nezu leant forward. “This is where we come in. Eri, would you like to tell Hawks why I asked you here?”
“Mhm! I restored Lemillion’s quirk! And I’ve been practicing with All Might and I can get him his quirk back for a bit too, even though he didn’t lose it, he gave it away.”
“Don’t give him his quirk for too long, chick. He’ll start working again; I’ll never get his title.” She looked at Hawks. “I’m joking. It means I think your quirk’s cool.”
“Oh! Thank you.”
“So, U.A. would like to offer you something. Eri here will help you restore your quirk, if you let us use some of your record titles.”
“Not sure how I’m going to give you that end of the deal, there are a few issues that come to mind.”
“You’ve seen our security system, hosting former and current Number Ones won’t be a problem.” Hawks hummed. “Not the issue I’m thinking of.”
“Eri, we’re about to move onto the boring paperwork. Yagi will take you back to the dormitories.” As she left, she offered Hawks a wave.
The next hour comprised of Nezu having to explain what he was asking Hawks for and Aizawa getting increasingly concerned by Hawks’ lack of knowledge and any type of legal form.
“How did you pass your licencing exam?”
“Nepotism.”
“What does that mean?”
“When I was a kid, Mera Yokumiru was my neighbour and he’d take care of me when my parents couldn’t, so he set something up so I could skip the non-heroics stuff so long as I hired a sidekick with a lot of experience before I debuted. I do not have a National Identity Code.”
“I imagine you just can’t find it. It should be fairly obvious on your birth certificate, if you want to get a copy of that. I can wait a few days.” Hawks cringed. “Please.” Aizawa dropped his head. “Please don’t say that you don’t have a birth certificate.”
“I have someone who can probably help me find things? Not certain my birth certificate is one of the things he can find.”
“This next part is more personal than anything else. For our security, I will need to put your real name on your ID, and I’m sure we all know that there’s no way to stop the students immediately telling the world when they see it.”
“Oh, sure, I can clear up the buzz before term.”
Private Messages [Secure]
Hawks:
Fuck you, I do what I want.
Hawks @birbhero:
My name’s Takami Keigo.
Do with that as you wish.
The entire rest of the time they spoke, Hawks’ phone was getting constant notifications. He didn’t even look at it until they’d finished and he left the office.
Mera gave a long sigh when Hawks finally answered his phone. “What are you doing?”
“I warned Hirose.”
“I’m told you used a very different phrase.”
“It was this or no quirk.”
“Or the standard procedure for when your name is required.” Groaning, Hawks dropped onto his bed, phone beside him on the pillow. “Do you think we could talk about this in person?”
“I just got home, Mera.”
“And I just left the office, no way I’m going back, I’ve been in that building for a week straight, I’m well past my paid overtime, and I have not officially been promoted to the late Madam’s former role, so I am still on the same pay check. But, I think it’s better to talk about this in person, so I can come over to yours since you’re already home.”
Mera let himself into the apartment, leaning against the kitchen counter. Hawks was sat on his sofa, looking particularly like a child who’d been told off. “Right. Why did you announce your name?”
“I’m the unofficial Number One, I can’t keep being secretive about everything, I’m following All Might and Endeavour.”
“We both know that’s not the actual reason.” Tears almost immediately formed in his eyes. “My heart stopped after Dabi attacked me. I’m only alive because Tsukuyomi refused to follow crisis triage standards. And then I followed that by basically dying again fighting All For One.” As his voice broke into sobs, Mera softened, sitting next to Keigo and pulling him into a hug.
“My closest friends and colleagues don’t know anything about me. What would have happened at my funeral? Who would have been there? How would anyone have been informed if they didn’t know my name? Would even Rumi have been able to say anything? I just.” He tucked his legs up, curling against Mera’s chest. “I don’t want to live like this. It hurts. Every day I have to find an excuse as to why I can’t do anything I want to. Mirko can be Rumi, Jeanist can be Hakamada, All Might can be Yagi, Endeavour can be Todoroki, even the League of Villains could relax and mess around with each other, but I can’t ever be Keigo. And it just hurts.” Letting out a breath, Mera rested his chin on Keigo’s head.
Rubbing his eyes, Keigo shifted slightly, but still stayed close to Mera. “Why aren’t you mad at me? I broke the main rule.”
“I did not set up the program. Some parts of it, I personally find incredibly harsh, and I could not imagine what it’s like to live your life. None of your predecessors got the same attention you have. You were never intended to get this high up the rankings, because it would affect some of your work. You’re just that good. I’m certain you’d still have all these records if you got a licence normally, that just wasn’t an option for you.”
“Mm.”
“I was not involved with Tsutsumi, because her situation prior to the commission was significantly different to yours, but I am aware of what happened with her before the incident. You’re a good hero, and I’d hate to see you lose this opportunity. So, I’m not going to be mad at you for doing everything you can to not go past your breaking point.” They were both silent for a moment. “I understand that after the Gunga Villa Raid, you went to your mother’s apartment.”
“Dabi got my name from her, I wanted to check that she was okay and you were busy with everything else that happened.”
“And?”
“She’d… Left a letter. And nothing else.”
“I’m sure we can find her if you want to see her.” Keigo shook his head. “So, what’s the set up with U.A.?”
“I don’t have the qualifications required to teach, so I will be Aizawa’s assistant since he’s been forced out of active hero work. That and Eri will be restoring my quirk and she’s his daughter.”
Even if they lost their quirk, even if they got a new job, even if they just moved the day before, even if they’d cried in an interview and completely broken down in private, a hero’s work did not end simply because they wanted a break.
“Does anyone know what we’re doing in his hair now his quirk’s gone?”
“How is he supposed to keep up with the choreo if he can’t fly?”
“Why couldn’t you have told us all this earlier?”
“Sorry, why couldn’t I have told you earlier that All For One would steal my quirk a month before the Narufest Ten Year Anniversary Concert? Must’ve been poor planning, I’ll do better next time. My hair’s the same texture, the iridescent will still work.”
“Man, guess you’ll have to leave the hero-idol niche just to me again, now you’ll have to retire.”
“I’m not retiring, and you were legally still a vigilante when I debuted, so I did this first.”
“Don’t know how you’re going to do this. First time I did this, one of the dancers got injured, but we were performing as a group, so I jumped around more. Maybe you should’ve had back-up dancers, if it wasn’t this, you might have been injured in normal hero work.”
“He’s a professional, Pop, no doubt he had plans, whether he told people them or not.”
“Kaishei are finishing up, Hawks on in five.”
“Violence violence
Nanmo wakannai wakannai yo
Nankai ai wo rosuto ai wo rosuto aishite aishite”
“I can’t believe he didn’t cancel after everything that’s happened.”
“He looks so weird without his wings, right? Or is that just me?”
“Oh, yeah, totally, it’s in his name, he should have wings.”
“Saitei kaiwai saitei Kaiwai
I don’t know what to do
Okuba gatagata iwashitaro kai
Saitei kaiwai saitei kaiwai
Yume wa nani? Love me love me ‘ubawarenai koto’”
“You didn’t tell us he was one of the performers, Tokoyami.”
“He is how I obtained tickets. Jirou, did you think I could afford these by myself?”
“Oh, absolutely not.”
“Thank you so much for bringing me!”
“It is not a problem, Ashido. I imagined you would appreciate it more than the people I would normally invite.”
“Ba-ka.
Nee fuzaketeru no?
Nee fuzaketeru no?
Warau azawarau anta ga nikui”
“I thought he used his quirk for that effect, he can do that without it?”
“They might be using a backing track.”
“Oh, yeah, probably.”
“Have you heard?”
“About?”
“Hawks announced his name. Completely out of the blue.”
“No way! What is it?”
“Wo yao jiang na hun dun de shi jie fan ga tian
Zai shan hai jian ta sui na feng huo lie yan
Rang suo you huang yan zai chen shi jian hui fei yan mie”
“Would be nice if he could randomly announce why he knows Chinese, I’ve only ever heard of him doing international work with Australian heroes.”
“What if it’s some kind of secret conspiracy?”
“What? With him? No way that kid could ever keep a secret.”
“Chou genkai desu
Mou tettai desu
Zettai
Chou genkai desu
Mou tettai desu
Zettai
Meta-metamorufuoze”
“You think he’s gonna start signing stuff with his name now?”
“Aw, how much do you reckon we’d get for The First, eh?”
“Happy de ume tsukushite
Rest in peace made ikou ze
Itsuka mita jigoku mo ii tokoro”
“He only got attention because of that mutant inclusion bullshit.”
“Gonna have to learn he’s not so great now he’s not got his quirk to push him around.”
Hawks waved as the three students approached. “Aw, you did bring friends! Right, Jirou I’ve already met, you’re Ashido? Pinky?”
“That’s me! I wanted to be called Alien Queen, but Miss Midnight wouldn’t let me.”
“Totally copyrighted, you don’t want that.” He flicked a bottle around in his hand, leaning on a table. “But it’s such a cool name!”
“Any name where you face copyright issues, you abandon immediately. I was supposed to be called Falcon, because that’s the more appropriate bird, but ‘red-themed Winged Hero Falcon’ is owned by Disney, so we had to change that within a week of when we registered our first form. And then we had to do my international team up forms after I’d debuted because you can’t prep those with a minor and I was being awkward and debuting before high schoolers graduate, but we’d had the forms ready for ages because I can S&R on any terrain, so oceans are included, except we’d forgotten to change Falcon to Hawks in one sentence on the form, so I got in legal trouble with Disney over a character they haven’t used since the pre-quirk era, and then they had to pay me ten million yen, so that’s how we got the budget for all our RADAR and SONAR stuff, and I realize I’m making this sound beneficial, so I’m going to clarify it only worked because I wasn’t named Falcon and never had been except for, like, three days at the start of my training program.”
“Man, I listen to your music, and I didn’t even realize.”
“How it is for most people.” Jirou hummed. “Completely different vibe to the hero they picture, and I can’t take a few weeks off to make a music video, so it’s not like there’s anything obvious to say it’s me singing.”
“Why do you always enter with the same song?”
“Do you want to try pronouncing lyrics while flipping around in the air or on silks? It’s the only one with an opening where I can get away with being a bit off.”
“Look at the camera, smile, wait, live in five, four, three, two.”
“Good morning and welcome back, during our break, I was joined by unofficial Number One Pro Hero Hawks. Of course, we have plenty to talk about with your new ranking –”
“It’s not my new ranking yet, we’ve got to get to December. Tsunagu and Rumi have time to overtake me; they’ll both be back in hero work much faster, they already are, I think, I might fall behind. I say that, being surrounded by us on the chart might be enough stress to put Jeanist into early retirement. Anything to get away from us. Ah, I’m kidding, really, we love you Hakamada!” Hawks held out two finger hearts to the camera. “Please don’t overtake me before the billboard!”
“Well, we can talk about the billboard later, you’ve had quite the weekend, haven’t you? Headliner at Narufest, you’ve finally told us all your name, now we’re hearing rumours that you’ve joined the U.A. faculty, and from a good source, we’re finally getting more music out of you with a music video, I believe.”
“No, there’s no way that’s all just – I really did all that in three, four days? I’ll have to start writing this down.”
“You might. Let’s get started on what’s next for Hawks, shall we?”