THE MISADVENTURES OF FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMi

THE REQUEST

Fumikage was nervous, and Dark Shadow was doing their best to keep him calm. He didn't know what made Todoroki approach him like this, they hadn't really spoken since the start of the year, but whatever it was...it was serious. One look at his classmate's face told him that whatever conversation they were about to have, Todoroki was not going to be joking around.

"Fumi...the candycane boy looks scary." Dark Shadow whispered into his ear tearfully, careful to keep their voice quiet so that Todoroki couldn't hear.

The other boy had his eyes narrowed as he stared Fumikage down.

"I heard that you're interning with Hawks." He spat the name as if it were a curse. Did he have something against the winged hero? Fumikage decided to ask.

"Is there something wrong with my choice?" Fumikage knew that the cold look his classmate sent him wasn't directed towards him, not really, but it still chilled him to the bone. Dark Shadow reacted to his emotions by curling themself around him. A form of a hug. Fumikage appreciated it.

"There's no problem with it." Fumikage doubted that. If Todoroki's quirk was laser eyes, Fumikage would've been dead from their first interaction. Something was angering Todoroki and Hawks had something to do with it.

"Fumi, he's scary! Hawks might die!" Evidently, Dark Shadow thought the same. As if Dark Shadow's words shocked him out of his anger-filled trance, Todoroki began to explain what he wanted out of Fumikage as both he and Dark Shadow listened in shock.

—-------

"I want you to keep Hawks away from my dad." Shouto began. He knew he had to do this. His dad's happiness was on the line after all!

"Hawks is a good-for-nothing, stupid playboy, oversized chicken man. He's not good for anything but breaking hearts." Shouto thought that his description of the bastard was enough for Tokoyami to make the connection. It was obvious that his classmate didn't understand. Sadly, he must be another one of the bastard's disillusioned fans. Shouto would have to tell him the truth.

"Hawks doesn't deserve his place as the No. 3 Hero." Tokoyami seemed incensed at his words.

"Just because you don't like him doesn't mean you get to say that he doesn't deserve to be a hero-"

"No." Shouto wouldn't let his classmate keep believing in the heart-breaking bastard. He needed to know just who he was interning with.

"You need to know. Hawks isn't who he says he is." That got Tokoyami's attention.

"What do you mean?" And thus, Shouto began to regale his classmate on how Hawks used and abused his dad, all for his stupid rank, without even apologising for his actions.

—-------

Fumikage was HORRIFIED at what he was hearing.

"-according to my big brother, when my dad was younger, he was tricked by Hawks into getting into a romantic relationship with him." What?! Fumikage felt like screaming. It was like his entire world had been flipped upside-down. What Todoroki had told him had been the equivalent of if the other boy had taken a sledgehammer and decided to attack his common sense with it.

Hawks was a hero. He was the fastest hero to make top 10, and then top 3 on the hero rankings. He was a good guy. He helped whoever needed him. But...according to Todoroki, he'd only risen that fast because of NEPOTISM?!

"Tenko told us he caught dad crying a few times whenever the bastard was on the news when he was younger. Not sure about now though, but that doesn't erase the heartbreak dad felt." NOW TODOROKI WAS TELLING HIM THAT ENDEAVOR. THE NO. 2 HERO, ENDEAVOR HAD CRIED OVER HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HAWKS?! In his mental freak out, Fumikage didn't get the chance to ask Todoroki just who Tenko was, but that wasn't important.

"Apparently, dad and Hawks were really in love, or that's what dad thought when Hawks stabbed him in the back and used him to further his position in hero society before leaving him." Fumikage felt sick. Was this the true face of the hero everyone looked up to? Was this the reason why he could advance so quickly in the hero rankings? If so, what else had he done to get his position? If he'd knowingly manipulated and used the No. 2 Hero to get what he wanted, what could he have done that had remained secret? The only reason Fumikage knew about his personality now, was because Endeavor was powerful and his son had told Fumikage. Who else was hurt by Hawks? Would Fumikage ever really know? Then came a question that Fumikage didn't want to ask. Endeavor was married. If he'd been in a relationship with Hawks...what about his wife?

Tentatively, Fumikage asked Todoroki about his mother.

"Todoroki...you've given me a lot to think about." Fumikage didn't know how to broach the subject, but he'd have to.

"So...how are your parents doing then?" Fumikage hoped that his question wouldn't be taken too offensively, and thankfully, Todoroki didn't seem bothered by the question.

"They're doing well. Mother is currently in marriage counselling with father. Dad is doing ok." Fumikage let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Thank god. He didn't want to think about Endeavor's potential messy divorce because of his future mentor. He just didn't want to picture it.

It took a little while for him to gather his thoughts, but when he did, he caught the tail-end of Todoroki's request.

"I need you to keep Hawks away from my dad during the internships. I don't want him anywhere near my dad. Can you promise me you'll keep Hawks away?" Fumikage couldn't say no. Not to the earnest eyes that stared at him, not after what he'd just heard. Numbly, Fumikage nodded his acceptance as a wide smile broke onto Todoroki's face.

"Thank you." He bowed in gratitude before leaving the room.

Fumikage was now alone with his thoughts and Dark Shadow.

"That was messy. We're in trouble now." Dark Shadow muttered and Fumikage agreed. Just what had he gotten himself dragged into?

Furthermore...Hawks was not what he had imagined. Instead of the confident hero that he pictured, now whenever he thought of the hero, all he could think of was the story that Todoroki told him. Hawks had clawed his way to the top using deception and lies. Tokoyami couldn't agree with that, no matter how great of a hero Hawks was whilst on duty. He should've gained his position with his own merit. Not off the back of a man who'd done it before.

Fumikage regretted choosing a hero that got his start like this, but he couldn't change it now. The least he could do was fulfill his classmate's wishes and keep the golddigger away from his poor father.