Chapter Thirty Seven

"Yeah-!" Hawks' wings fluttered with over excitement. "-it's in a different city. The trip over and transition to go under cover is plenty of time for you to recover-" He gestured to your arm and leg.

"I-I-What?" You were flabbergasted by the request; Hawks gently pulled you farther away from the listening car.

"You remember that gang you brought down a few years back?"

"We took down a lot of people." You pointed out, causing Hawks to smirk.

"The Anastsusha Clan ring a bell?" Hawks lowly breathed. "I believe you were the Bullet who went undercover in the group and brought them down?"

"What about them?" You crossed your arm over your sling playing dumb.

"They're back and beginning to cause trouble." Hawks explained, "I was asked to help out-" You stared into Hawks eyes, so that's how Naomasa knew to come talk with you and not the others.

"I was um..." You trailed off, glancing over your shoulder to the car. "...thinking about maybe... staying." You turned back to Hawks, placing your free hand in your pants pocket.

"Staying?" Hawks furrowed, "I'm not following."

"To get my license back?" You smirked. "You forgot that it was stripped from me-?"

"No." Hawks scratched his chin. "I didn't forget that...when I was asked to find a partner to accompany me, I just thought you would want to come."

"I..." You sighed, "...I can't."

"Seriously?" A heavy frown fell on his face. "You're really going to stay here, go back to the same school who turned their back on you?"

"It..." You breathed, "...it's complicated."

"How do you think those people are going to react to you?" Hawks puffed his feathers out.

"What are you talking about?"

"You think those candy-coated kids are going to be able to handle the kind of baggage you come with?"

"Baggage?" You snorted, "You think you're all sunshine and lollipops?"

"No!" Hawks laughed, "We are both fucked up and that's why we get along! I know you Five, I know how you think; how are you going to handle them treating you as if you're still the rescue kid they knew back in high school?"

"Wow-" You darkly chuckled, "-tell me how you really feel."

"Five-"

"You told me to go back to school and get my-"

"Yeah-!" Hawks nodded, "-but not at U.A. and not when I-"

"Not when you what-?" You went to finish for him. "-not when you want me to go against my doctors' orders, and go on another mission when it's convenient for you?"

"It won't be-"

"It won't be what?" You cut in taking a step closer. "It won't be hard? It'll be easy? Like a walk in the park?"

"Five..."

"Because that's what I was told about the hotel gig and look where that got me."

"Five come on-"

"How long?" You cut deeper.

"What?"

"How long did you know about the hit on the hotel?"

"I-I didn't-"

"That's why you flew in right?" You accused. "Because I wasn't originally on the roster but right when I was added, you showed up hours later."

"I-"

"I know you too Feathers." You hardened your glare. "You're not as good a liar as you think you are. Did you know about Kaina-?"

"No-!" Hawks quickly raised his hands in defense. "-I didn't know she was in on it."

"Wow." You shook your head. "We have done some shady shit together-" You looked him in the eye. "-but we never lied about it."

"I couldn't tell you-"

"Save it." You snapped, "I don't want to hear it-"

"But I can tell you now!" Hawks pressed stopping you from walking away. "Your approved-"

"Look at me!" Your voice broke; chest heaved at the thought of another assignment weighing you down. "Do you really think I want to go out on another mission right now!?"

"But you'll have time to recover while we-"

"No." You sneered with a shake of your head, body groaning at the thought of another undercover operation. The long hours, the constant travel and looking over your shoulder. "No."

"Five."

"I am tired!" Your voice fractured as you felt your eyes tingle. "Why can't you be my friend for just a moment and see that I am falling apart!"

"Five I... I wanted you to come with me-"

"I can't." You shake your head, turning to walk away but Hawks caught you shoulder.

"Five-" Hawks breathed. "-I'm going to be gone for months, and I don't want to be away from-"

"I think she gave you your answer." All Might and Aizawa had rushed from the car and now stood behind you. All Might reached over, pulling you in between him and Aizawa.

"I'm shocked with you Hawks." All Might frowned, "With you being such a close friend to (y/n), I thought you of all people would have agreed she needs to rest-"

"I know she does-"

"Then why do you think hopping hotel to hotel and sleeping in cars while you stake out is good for her?" Aizawa added, turning to All Might he nodded his head to get you to the car.

"Five-" Hawks went to call out as All Might led you back to the car.

"Hawks-" Aizawa stepped in the way. "-she gave you your answer."

"But-"

"That is what we agreed on-" Aizawa firmly stated. "-you get your chance to ask her without All Might or I influencing her decision, it's time to move on."

"You really think after everything that girl has been through, she can simply sit behind a desk now?"

"I guess we will find out."

The remainder of the day with Aizawa and All Might was pleasant, filled with stories of the past from All Might while Aizawa and you hung back letting him fill the empty silence with his chipper tone.

Running a hair through your hair, now here you sit inside your dorm room in the middle of the night. The clock slowly ticked forward to when you could sleep, you sat at the table staring down at the neatly put together file containing the paperwork for entering U.A.

A deep breath escaped your lips as you leaned back, letting the back of the chair catch your weight. This all felt too familiar, it was almost earie. As you slowly propped up your injured leg on the spare chair you felt the object you had forgotten about in your pocket.

You pulled out the sleeping phone, for a moment you stared at it, and with furrowed brows you held down the power button. Placing it on top the papers you absently mindedly chewed on your thumb nail.

After a split second you felt this was a waste of time, you licked the cut on your bottom lip about to reach out and turned the phone off but your body sorely tensed seeing the picture of you and Mina flash across the lock screen.

You stared at the image, feeling a warm sensation stirring inside your chest. You remember the Saturday you and her took this picture. You pinched your face trying to recall the blurry day feeling like it belonged in another life.

Curiosity got the better of you as it took multiple tries to remember the code to unlock the phone. You watched the phone load having no idea what you would find.

Your heart skipped as Bakugo's face was still the wallpaper. You couldn't even touch the phone before a message popped onto the screen. You tilted your head, as another one showed, and then another. You leaned back watching hundreds of text messages, phone calls and voicemails fill the notification page.

You clicked the messages icon licking your lips, the cut burned but you ignored it. You furrowed your brows as you scanned over messages you were never meant to see.

You scrolled through the standard mourning messages. Hundreds of 'I miss you', 'I wish you were still here' then you discovered how there were messages dating back to only a few short weeks before your face was exposed on national television. You read the most recent ones:

Mina: I have my first date with Kage tonight! I wish you were here helping me get ready

Toru: I think I like Bakugo

Kiri: Broke my gym record today!

The notification screen catches your eye, you click on the last voice mail:

Katsuki: I...I just wanted to hear your voice again.

A surge of emotion caused you to drop the phone against the table, you rested your head against your hands as it felt like your brain throbbed against your skull. You opened your eyes, the U.A. form filled your sight as you let out an annoyed growl as flashes of Puzzle creep into your mind, murking your thoughts even further.

----

Class C1-A stood around inside one of the gymnasiums waiting for Aizawa to join to get class started.

"I wonder what we will be doing today." Ochaco hummed sitting on the ground, legs crossed.

"Hopefully not target practice." Kaminari groaned leaning back on his hands. "I swear Aizawa treats us like we are still a bunch of first years."

"I can see why he would feel the need to do that." Momo commented.

"What did you say!?" Kaminari hopped up.

"You heard her." Jiro added fuel with a smirk playing on her lips.

"I hope we are sparring today, and I get you-!" Kaminari pointed his finger in Jiro's face but was cut short by the double doors opening.

"Enough." Aizawa called as Midnight and nine others followed him in.

"What's going on." Midoriya muttered as he and the rest of the class stood from sitting.

"Why would all the teachers be here?" Mina glanced over to Kirishima who shrugged, having no clue at all.

"Todoroki-" Midnight who stood beside Cementoss and President Mic called out the dual user, "-would you mind stepping to the middle of the floor?" She questioned, gesturing with her hand as Thirteen waved.

"Um..." Shoto looked at Midoriya. "...sure." He looked through the line of instructors, Vlad King didn't look pleased standing beside Snipe and Ectoplasm.

"Hey Mr. Aizawa-" Sero waves earning everyone's attention, "-why are we all here?"

"Would you rather go back to the classroom and do work instead?" Aizawa counters.

"N-No that's alright!" Sero nervously laughs, "We appreciate getting out of the-!"

"Are you sure about this Aizawa?" Cementoss peeked the classes interest.

"It will be fine." Mr. Principal reinsures the worried man.

"These kids shouldn't be here for this kind of thing!" Vlad King bites. "They need to get back to their class."

"They are fine where they are." All Might brush Vlad's anger off earning a tight scowl. Shoto awkwardly stood in the middle of the gym looking behind him at the collection of people.

"U-Um-" Midoriya raised his hand. "-why are we here?"

"Today we are all here for a student evaluation." Aizawa explained.

"A student evaluation?" Jiro frowned. "Who got into trouble?"

"No one is in trouble." Mr. President chuckled, "This type of evaluation is required when a new student joins mid semester."

"Which class would they be joining?" Asui ponders.

"Class C1-A." Mr. Principle announced, seeing no point in giving the kids a run around.

"Huh?" Midoriya frowned. "A new student joining our class?"

"That would make us even." Sato pointed out, with Camie in the class the number of students was uneven.

"I bet it's Shinso." Shoji huffed. Aizawa's eyes slid over to All Might who nodded, then the doors opened turning everyone's head.

You walked into the gym with Recovery Girl by your side.

"(y/n)?" Mina's breath hitched. Her eyes instantly glued to you, taking in the new school's gym uniform noting how you wore well. "What is she-?" Mina watched confused as Recovery Girl removed the sling from your arm.

"Don't push yourself too hard." Recovery Girl whispered having unapproved of this when Aizawa and All Might came to her hoping to have her on standby just in case you couldn't handle the school's evaluation.

You gave her a small nod, turning on your heel you walked to the middle of the floor where Shoto waited, his face bluntly displayed his unwillingness to go up against you.

"This is a quirk evaluation-" Mr. Principle announced, "-we are using you Shoto Todoroki to gauge (y/n)'s fire and ice quirks."

"There is to be no hand-to-hand combat at this time, do you understand?" The venom leaking from Aizawa's words, daring Shoto to lay a fingerprint on you sent chills through the heterochromia eyed hero.

"Yes." Shoto copied your plain nod.