Hidden Bonds

Hawks' Request

Nezu's office was always too damn quiet.

Hawks sat across from the small but terrifying principal, casually lounging in his chair, but Nezu's sharp, calculating eyes told him the old rat wasn't fooled by his relaxed act.

"So," Nezu said, stirring his tea. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your sudden visit, Hawks?"

Hawks grinned, resting his chin on his palm. "Can't a guy just stop by to see how the future heroes are doing?"

Nezu chuckled. "If that were the case, I doubt you'd be sitting here making a formal request."

Hawks smirked. Sharp as ever.

He leaned forward slightly. "I want to run a special training session."

Nezu's ears twitched in interest. "Oh?"

"I want a one-on-one combat exercise. Students will pair up—one from 2A, one from 3B—and they'll have to fight me," Hawks explained.

Nezu tilted his head. "You specifically want Class 2A and 3B? Not the other third-year class?"

Hawks' smile didn't falter. "2A has some of the strongest fighters among the students, and 3B is Toga's class. I want to see how well she adapts to structured combat situations."

Nezu hummed, studying Hawks.

"And you want her to fight against you?"

Hawks shrugged. "Not directly. I'll fight the teams. I'll be holding back, of course, but it'll still be a good test."

Nezu sipped his tea. "You have someone specific in mind for her partner, don't you?"

Hawks' grin widened. "What can I say? I think she and Bakugo would make a great team."

Nezu's small black eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Oh, I know they would," he said, voice dripping with curiosity. "This should be... entertaining."

Hawks knew that Nezu loved chaos.

And this? This was going to be chaos.

---

Pairings Announced

"What do you mean we're fighting Hawks?!"

The students of 2A and 3B stared in shock at Aizawa and Vlad King, who had just announced the special training exercise.