Chapter 120

Hawk's face bent in two, his cheeks lifting to give me a smile that looked as false as it was painful.

- Yo !

He tilted his head and I noticed the scar licking the bottom of his left jaw, as if the flames had had fingers and had gripped his face.

- Hawks would be the hero you'd apprentice to," Ryota continued. That way, you'd have your probationary period without anyone knowing what it is really about.

By 'no one' I knew he meant my father, whose hatred for the Commission was anything but a secret.

- And when you're finished, you won't ask me any more questions or try to force me to do anything legally.

- Of course

Hawks whistled happily, hands in his pockets, and shuffled up to stand behind Ryota, raising his chin and glaring hostilely at me.

My Sharingan almost came to life.

Ryota smiled.

- Well, if you don't mind, I'll let you two get acquainted.

He picked up his briefcase and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Hawks followed Ryota with his eyes, his cheerful expression losing more and more of its consistency as he walked away.

When the door slammed shut, his eyes immediately met mine.

He smiled without warmth.

The chair scraped the floor as he pulled it up to sit.

- Hawk. Nice to meet you.

- Shoto, I replied simply.

His lips twitched, his eyes flashed for a second before everything faded.

He pointed to the scar running across my eyebrow and left eye.

- What's that?

- And your burns?

A joyless smile.

- I've been hearing a lot about you lately. Especially with the media all over you and your family. (Dramatic sigh) And now your brother coming back from the dead... that could make a great series, don't you think?

I shrugged.

- Or an incredible tragedy.

- Have you come to talk to me about my brother ?

- I have to get to know you, it's part of my job. And with all the affection you seem to have for him (sarcastic smile), it would be more than stupid of me not to try and find out more.

I didn't answer.

- Is it true that he tried to kill you ?

- Do I look like someone who would lie to get attention ?

- Yes

I blinked.

Then I smiled.

- I remember you, you know. You're the kid who snuck into the Heroes Awards six years ago and tried to shove me into a fridge.

Hawks mused.

- Sounds like me, yeah. Go on.

- All so you could get my dad's autograph.

- Ah, yes, I remember. You were the little kid who threatened to turn me into a giant popsicle, weren't you ? Adorable.

- And you were the big guy who wanted to knock me out and hide my body so I wouldn't report him

Hawks rolled his eyes.

- Right away the big words

He smiled, I smiled, and no one said a word.

The memory of Hawks shrouded in darkness as he stabbed Twice looped in my mind.

- I'm still a big fan of your dad, you know, he continued in a conversational tone. The publicity stunt for the new 'Symbol of Peace' is really good. Considering the work he does, he really deserves it.

I could see his expression as Touya was about to burn him until dust.

- Did you know that your father solved over 538 cases last year?

I remembered the look on Twice's face when I'd killed him.

- I know he has a lot of assistants, but a figure like that is nothing short of superhuman.

I leaned forward and stopped the recording.

Hawks looked at me blankly and made no move to turn it back on.

- Why do you work for the Commission?

He arched an eyebrow.

- They pay well and the food's not bad.

- Why are you a hero ?

- I find you very curious for a kid who dodges every question I ask him

Hawks wasn't a hero, or at least not one that would exist in a Manichean world.

- Where do your burns come from ?

Again the face darkened and the features hardened.

- You ask too many questions.

The expression with which he looked at me was the same as it had been five years ago, when I'd thought he was going to get rid of me.

Perhaps the unstable Hawks I'd glimpsed hadn't disappeared since then.

- Would you be able to kill ?

Hawks stood motionless, his wings spread wide behind his back, as if he were about to pounce on me.

- Could you ?, he replied coldly.

- I already have, I said

- This is a serious-

- Villains

His mouth closed.

- They were going to kill if I didn't stop them. One of them burned a girl alive.

Hawks was as motionless as death.

- My brother, Touy-

The door behind me creaked.

More fluidly than I'd expected, Hawks leaned over the table, his piercing eyes locked with mine.

My knife was cold in my hand.

His closed on the recorder, squeezing the buttons and pushing them all the way in.

The next thing I knew, he was on his feet, holding his hand out to me across the table.

- You look like a promising young man, Shoto. I look forward to working with you.

I shook his hand.

- Likewise

I turned to Ryota, who smiled with all his teeth.

- I take it everything went well?

He took the recorder and put it in his pocket without looking at it.

I nodded.

It was a pleasure to meet you, Shoto.

- Likewise.

Another exchange of handshakes.

They left first, Ryota greeting me with a wave of the chin, Hawks with a lazy wave of the hand, the attitude of someone for whom life is just a smooth river.

The night of the attempted murder, Touya came home covered in cuts and blood.

Maybe I'm wrong...

Hawks ran a distracted hand through his hair, his blond locks rising above the huge pink scar.

... or maybe I'm not.

*

Author's note :

Not even one of you caught onto the funny thing Nezu did !

I'm a bit disappointed because it gave some insight into Nezu's personnality (also I wanted to see y'all disgusted reactions). 

For the curious people, it happened in Nezu's office, behind the scenes, between when he talked with Aizawa and then Uraraka went in, and when Shoto broke in to find Ashido's file.

If you read carefully both scenes, it is implied what happened.

It's a bit on the crazy side, too. 

Anyway : if you want to support me/read ahead of schedule, then go check my P@treon, Nar_cisseENG

As always, see you in the next update everyone !