Midoriya's face turned sheet-white.
'All Might's biggest secret. Exposed! I kept causing troubles to All Might, I deserve To Die!'
All Might choked on air, then on panic, then on more air.
"Y-Y-Yoo… H-Hawks…! I… ah… uh… long time no see!"
His voice cracked so hard it sounded like he swallowed his own dignity.
He wanted, needed, to ask:
How long were you standing there?
What exactly did you hear?
Is it too late to pretend none of this happened and physically throw you into the ocean?
But all that came out was a trembling smile and a sweat drop that practically slid off him like a waterfall.
As If He read his thoughts, Hawks said :
"Don't worry, All Might. I heard everything." Hawks stretched his arms with an exaggerated sigh, his sharp golden eyes narrowed playfully. "From the moment you met the green-haired kid, it was like watching a movie. I almost shed tears, honestly. A quirkless kid getting the recognition of the Number One Hero, who wants to pass his powerful Quirk to him? I almost cried. Almost. If I had popcorn, I would've given the whole thing a solid nine out of ten."
All Might let out the weakest "Ha-ha…" of his career. His smile twitched, then died.
his gaze turned heavy. "Why are you here, Hawks? And why did you follow me secretly? I must ask you to keep everything you heard to yourself, you know the turmoil this news would cause if leaked. I'll even ask you to keep it from the Hero Public Safety Commission."
All Might's tone was serious, a stark command. Hawks' easy smile also disappeared, replaced by a focused, solemn expression. He nodded slowly.
"While I do want to complain that you're quite reckless discussing something this serious in such a public place, don't worry. This information won't leave my lips. As for your questions—I was sent here by the organization to investigate the Quirk incident from the morning. I didn't intend to follow you, but I accidentally discovered some shocking information I felt the Number One Hero needed to know. That's why I trailed you."
"Discovered shocking information? Did you figure out the source of that incident?" All Might asked, leaning forward anxiously. His gaze was intense, already calculating.
'Is it related to that black haired Shonen? Did Hawks figure out the same thing?'
Hawks shook his head, the movement tight. "No. It's related to the two dudes you scared away: the dark purple mist guy with the Warp Gate Quirk and the creepy kid with the palms clutching his body."
All Might frowned deeply. Midoriya, standing slightly behind All Might, felt a cold knot tighten in his stomach. He wanted to turn and leave, the topic is something a civilian like him shouldn't hear, yet he also desperately needed to stay and deliver his answer. Without him realizing it, the atmosphere had grown heavy, the deepening twilight suddenly feeling oppressive. Both Midoriya and All Might had beads of nervous sweat tracing paths down their faces.
"At that moment, I felt a strong killing intent directed toward me," All Might admitted, his voice a low rumble. "When I turned, I saw those two guys on the rooftop. They are undoubtedly villains. My gut told me they would definitely be troublesome, but I had reached my limit. I was afraid they would act, so I had no other choice except scaring them off. Please, Hawks, tell me what you discovered?"
Hawks let out a long, helpless sigh. He glanced pointedly at Midoriya, the gesture loaded with implication. "Are you fine with him listening? What I'm about to say may be dangerous for him to hear."
All Might turned to Midoriya. He looked into the boy's eyes and saw not fear, but a quiet, unyielding determination burning there.
'He has already decided, but let's confirm it.'
"Young man… I didn't hear your answer."
"I'll do it!" For some reason, Midoriya didn't stutter this time. The words burst out, fueled by a deep, absolute conviction. This was it—the chance, the only chance to achieve his lifelong dream, to become the Hero he always looked up to. He would not, could not, hesitate!
All Might's tired eyes crinkled in a genuine, warm smile. "That's what I thought." He then turned back to Hawks. "As you've probably heard, I have chosen to pass my power to this young man. He will become my successor, the successor of the Symbol of Peace. I think he has the right to know."
Hawks exhaled in disappointment.
"That's your power, you can hand it to whoever you want. But All Might… this is a risky play. I hope you reconsider after hearing what I say."
Midoriya felt a shock of frustration and defensiveness at the Pro Hero's words. He clenched his fists, knuckles white, but managed to keep silent, watching. He looked at All Might and saw an expression of unwavering resolve.
"No matter what you say, Hawks," All Might said firmly, "I won't change my decision. This boy will become a great hero one day!"
He gave Midoriya a thumbs-up.
Midoriya's breath hitched, the sudden pride and validation overwhelming him, tears welling up.
"A-All Mightooo!!"
"Compose yourself, young man. A future Symbol of Peace must save people with a smile, not with waterfall eyes." All Might gently scolded, though his voice was kind.
Hawks watched the two emotionally flailing boys and sighed.
"Man… that's cruel, All Might. I was really hoping to snag One For All for myself."
Midoriya and All Might froze, they stared blankly at the Number Three Hero.
Hawks grinned mischievously.
"Just imagine it! super strength stacked on my Fierce Wings? I'd become unstoppable! The crime rate of Japan would drop to an unimaginable rate, and heroes would finally become less busy… Alas"
He sighed dreamily. "But nooo, I guess I'm not this world's protagonist. You, green-haired kid, you sure you're not packing a Luck Quirk?"
Midoriya blinked at him, horrified.
'So you were just greedy for my One For All!'
Midoriya glared at Hawks, hostility flaring. This was his chance, and he wouldn't let anyone take it. He expressed his unyielding determination with his fixed, brave gaze and his clenched, ready fists.
'Huh, interesting kid' Hawks thought, noticing the shift.
'Timid, yet when it comes to critical times, he becomes so brave.'
Hawks waved his hands dismissively, a wide, easy smile back on his face. "I was just joking to lighten the mood. Don't worry, boy, I won't steal your chance."
"I-I d-didn't…" Midoriya stammered, quickly waving his hands in an embarrassed frenzy.
"Alright, Hawks, let's go back to our topic," All Might interrupted, steering the conversation back to the serious matter. "What did you discover about those two villains that made you follow me secretly?"
"I'll skip how I discovered them. In short, I relied on my feathers acting as sensors—they capture the vibrations and transmit them to me. I relied on this feature of my Quirk to eavesdrop on them… What the hell are you doing, boy?"
Hawks and All Might's attention snapped toward Midoriya.
Midoriya had already whipped out a notebook, scribbling furiously.
"I-I-I… this is my hobby," Midoriya said shyly, his eyes darting left and right. "I like to record and analyze the Quirks of heroes and others. I had previously analyzed your Quirk, Hawks, and never knew your feathers had this sensory skill, so I was updating my notes—sorry!"
"What a weird hobby," Hawks muttered, though he chuckled slightly. "Alright, just don't spread it."
All Might smiled faintly at Midoriya. He understood the boy's obsession, it stemmed from his quirklessness. He motioned to Hawks, his expression once again serious. "Please continue, Hawks. Focus on the important matter."
"Right. So I heard some interesting things. First, the kid with the palms covering his body is the leader, and the Warp Gate guy is the subordinate. The first one is called Tomura Shigaraki, and the other is Kurogiri." Hawks paused, letting the names sink in.
"The second thing is: the guy who calls himself Tomura Shigaraki is aiming to destroy and kill the Symbol of Peace, All Might! And they even guessed you're getting weak, though they were doubtful after seeing your punch that changed the weather."
"W-WHAT!" Midoriya couldn't believe his ears, his face draining of color. Someone is targeting All Might? And they know about his injury?
All Might wasn't entirely surprised; the killing intent he'd sensed from the young man was enough to tell him their goal. What did alarm him was the fact they knew about his injury or at least suspected his weakening.
All Might asked calmly, "Let's assume they know about my injury and time limit. I believe they must be relying on something else. Looking at their reaction when they escaped, they can't achieve such a goal by themselves. Did you figure out their reliance or plan?"
Hawks nodded, his expression grim. "That Tomura Shigaraki seems to be forming something called the Villain League. They're probably planning to gather villains under one banner. In fact, the reason they were watching from the rooftop was because they were interested in the Sludge Villain. They were intending to recruit him after he possessed the blonde boy, but because of the black-haired boy's intervention, they lost that opportunity."
Midoriya whispered, "Kaachan… thank goodness he was saved… if he wasn't…"
Even after all the bullying, he never wished something so awful on Bakugo.
All Might shook his head. "That's not enough to destroy the Symbol of Peace. In front of a huge gap in strength, numbers don't add any impact."
Hawks grinned, a look of respect in his eyes. "As expected of All Might, you saw through the crux of the matter."
"Yeah, you're right. Let me tell you what the guy called Tomura Shigaraki said to the Warp Gate user after they lost the opportunity to recruit the Sludge Villain. He told him to kidnap that black-haired boy in front of the heroes." Hawks lowered his voice. "I remember Kurogiri also said that Shigaraki's and the boy's Quirks were somehow similar. We can infer Tomura Shigaraki must have a destructive Quirk. If that Sludge Villain didn't gather itself again—if you didn't interfere—they would have taken action. At that time, I would have had to make an appearance, which would ruin a certain arrangement I made in secret."
Midoriya and All Might's eyes widened dramatically, a shared look of horror passing between them.
Midoriya was shocked that such a thing was nearly inflicted upon the kind boy who saved him and Kaachan.
All Might, however, was terrified of the possibility of that kid falling into the hands of villains who might use his power, which he suspect can erase quirks at large scale, as a weapon against the world.
The street was quiet. Sakura petals drifted lazily across the asphalt, carried by the soft breeze. The lamps buzzed faintly, bathing the street in a warm, orange glow. Night had barely settled, but the weight of the conversation made the air feel colder.
Midoriya stood stiffly, clutching his notebook to his chest. His voice trembled, yet there was conviction beneath it.
"T-that's… Mr. Hawks… I think that black-haired boy is a kind person."
He forced himself to continue.
"Even if villains kidnapped him, he wouldn't… he wouldn't do something evil. Even if they threatened him."
He spoke with urgent sincerity, trying to defend the boy who had saved him earlier.
Hawks tilted his head, watching Midoriya with a faint, thoughtful smile.
"Honestly? I agree."
His feathers rustled slightly with the breeze.
"The two villains who tried to take him… they said the same thing."
All Might and Midoriya blinked in sync.
"…Wait. What?"
"Then why intend to do such a futile thing?"
All Might analyzed, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Could it be they have some kind of brainwashing or manipulation Quirk? Could this be their reliance, they plan to manipulate villains? Hmm… something feels off."
Hawks didn't intend to prolong the suspense. He needed to deliver the critical information. His voice dropped, suddenly grave.
"All Might… there's something more important. Something I came specifically to tell you."
The lamps illuminated half of Hawks's face, casting the other half in shadow.
"that Shigaraki said he has a master. I believe he is the black hand behind the scenes."
All Might straightened, waiting for Hawks to deliver the most important piece in the puzzle.
"Shigaraki said he will ask his master to transfer the Quirk of the black-haired boy to someone suitable…Doesn't that sound like what All For One used to do?"
"WHAT?!"
BOOM!
Unconsciously, All Might's body erupted in steam, transforming into his muscular, Heroic form.
CRACK!
The ground cracked under his sudden weight.
If there was someone he feared and hated the most, it was, without a doubt, his lifelong enemy, All For One.