Reiji remained standing, the air between him and Hawks taut with unspoken weight. Even the quiet hum of the room's ventilation felt louder than it should. A faint buzz from the overhead lights added a low drone, amplifying the unease pressing in from all sides.
The Wing Hero leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers steepled, golden eyes never leaving Reiji's face. The question still hung in the air: "Do you believe in coincidence... or were you chosen?"
Reiji didn't answer right away. He inhaled slowly through his nose, steadying his nerves. "I think," he began carefully, "some people are born into roles they didn't ask for."
Hawks raised a brow, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. "That's a clever way of not answering."
Reiji didn't rise to the bait. "You brought me here for a reason, didn't you?"
"Always straight to business." Hawks leaned forward again, his voice low and serious. "I've been tasked with monitoring some high-risk cases lately. Most of them involve Nomu sightings and unexplained power surges." He paused meaningfully. "Your name came up."
Reiji's expression didn't change, but a flicker of tension passed through his eyes, barely perceptible. His jaw clenched slightly.
"I've seen your combat footage," Hawks continued. "The lightning output. The way it moves unnaturally—like it's not just coming from you, but reacting to something else. Something deeper."
Reiji's jaw tightened. "You think I'm related to the Nomu?"
"I think you're something new," Hawks said bluntly. "And new things attract attention."
The silence that followed stretched between them, taut and heavy with implication.
"I'm not accusing you of anything," Hawks added, leaning back again. "But I'd be lying if I said U.A. isn't worried. Especially after that cloaked figure incident near Room B-7. I have a habit of noticing patterns, and you, Reiji, are in the middle of several."
"You've got good surveillance," Reiji muttered, folding his arms.
"Not as good as the League's," Hawks replied, his tone darkening for a moment. "That's why I'm here. I'd rather you hear it from me than from someone with an agenda."
He reached into his jacket and slid a small black data chip across the table.
Reiji stared at it. "What is it?"
"Let's just say... it's for when things stop making sense. When your instincts start screaming that you're not being told the whole truth."
Reiji hesitated, eyes narrowing. "Why me?"
Hawks stood, smoothing his coat with a swift motion. "Because I've seen what you do when it matters. And because whether you realize it or not, you're already in the middle of something big."
Without another word, he walked past Reiji and out the door, his wings trailing behind him in silence. Reiji stood still for a moment, the chip now in his hand, cool and unfamiliar. He turned it over between his fingers, unsure whether to feel reassured or more paranoid than ever.
Later that day, inside Principal Nezu's office, the mood was grim.
Aizawa stood with arms crossed, his eyes half-lidded but alert. Recovery Girl sat quietly beside him, her expression unreadable. Cementoss leaned against the far wall, his concrete-like form blending subtly with the color of the room.
Nezu, perched atop his high chair, tapped a paw against a datapad thoughtfully.
"We've reached the threshold," he said calmly. "I'm authorizing limited surveillance on Reiji Carter."
Aizawa remained silent, though his jaw clenched slightly.
"Not because we doubt him," Nezu clarified, "but because someone else might already be watching him. And if they make a move, we'll be blind unless we act now."
"What kind of surveillance?" Cementoss asked, his voice as steady as stone.
"Anonymous, external taps. We'll monitor his locations, energy signatures, stress signals—nothing invasive. And no student is to know."
Recovery Girl sighed softly. "He's only a teenager. Shouldn't we be protecting him?"
"And we are," Nezu responded, voice gentle but firm. "But protection also means being proactive. If someone else is manipulating him, we owe it to him to stay a step ahead."
Aizawa finally spoke, his voice low. "If he's isolated too long, he'll shut down. He's not like the others. He doesn't open up easily."
"Agreed," Nezu nodded. "Which is why I want you to quietly involve Midoriya. As a peer, not a spy. He understands pressure. He might be the only one who can reach Reiji without alarming him."
Aizawa gave a slow nod. "Understood."
That night, the dorm was still. Most students were asleep, their rooms dim and quiet. The wind outside rustled faintly against the windows, like whispered warnings carried by the breeze.
Reiji sat at his desk, the room dark except for the soft glow of his monitor. The small black chip lay beside his keyboard, its presence impossible to ignore. His fingers hovered above it, hesitant, then slowly reached for it.
He glanced over his shoulder instinctively, though his door was locked. Everything felt unusually quiet, the silence thick enough to notice.
[System Notice: External object proximity detected. Source: Unregistered.]
He inserted the chip into his hidden reader.
[Analyzing...]
[Clearance confirmed. File unlocked.]
The screen flickered with static before steadying. The system hesitated, the cursor blinking as if thinking. Then, a single encrypted message appeared:
"You are being watched. Trust your instincts. This is only the beginning."
Reiji stared at the screen, heart pounding. The chip held no schematics, no blueprints—just a warning. One that confirmed what he had already begun to suspect.
He leaned back slowly, the chair creaking beneath him. His shoulders were tense, his breath shallow. Tension wound through his muscles like a spring.
He didn't have answers. But he had confirmation.
Someone out there was moving pieces behind the curtain.
And somehow, he was at the center of it.
To be continued.
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