For a moment, I just lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Yesterday, Hawks, Tokoyami, and I wrapped things up fairly early, so I had plenty of time to rest. Today, however, marked our first real day of the internship, and based on what Hawks mentioned yesterday, it certainly wasn't going to be an ordinary agency visit.
"First day, then," I thought to myself, sitting up on the bed.
I reached for my clothes and began getting ready.
I had no reason to be nervous. In fact, I was rather curious about how Hawks managed his agency. From what I knew about him, he wasn't exactly the type of hero to keep students stuck in an office explaining theory for hours on end.
And that was precisely why I chose him. Once I finished getting ready, I picked up my costume case and headed toward the training hall. As soon as I opened the door, I realized right away that I wasn't the first one there.
Tokoyami was already standing in the middle of the room, with Dark Shadow moving around him.
"Good morning, Tokoyami." Tokoyami turned around. "Good morning, Mephisto. You're here earlier than I expected."
"Same as you."
Just then, a quiet whistle sounded behind us. "So you're both awake. That's a pleasant surprise." I turned around and saw Hawks walking into the room. He was holding a cup of coffee in one hand and looked like he had just rolled out of bed.
"Good morning," I said.
"Good morning, Shadow Monarch."
Hawks examined me for a moment, then smirked.
"You know, I'm still not sure whether that's your hero name or the title of some final boss."
"It's just a name."
"Yeah, that's exactly what a final boss would say."
Tokoyami frowned slightly, while I merely shrugged my shoulders.
"So, what's on the schedule today?"
Hawks took a sip of his coffee. "Today? Nothing complicated." He paused briefly. "First, I want to see what you two can actually do."
"You already saw that at the festival," I replied.
"I saw you fight," Hawks corrected me. "That's not the same as seeing you work." He then placed his cup on the table and walked to the center of the hall.
"A hero isn't just someone who knows how to defeat someone else. You have to know when to step in, when to back off, how to work with others, and above all, how to navigate the city without causing an even bigger problem in the process."
"Understood."
"So, the first part of the day will be simple."
Hawks spread his wings. "Training."
Tokoyami immediately perked up. "What kind of training?"
Hawks smiled. "You're going to follow me." A few seconds of silence followed.
"Is that all?" Tokoyami asked.
"Nope." Hawks laughed. "You're going to follow me and try not to lose me." In the next instant, he launched off the ground and shot upward without further warning.
Tokoyami activated Dark Shadow right away, and I simply sighed. "Well, this ought to be interesting." I set off after him. Hawks flew through the hall at immense speed and vanished through the open doors within seconds. Tokoyami stayed a few meters behind him, but Hawks was still faster.
I decided to use a minimal amount of my own power. Holding his pace was more than enough. "So he wants to see how fast we are," I thought.
"This is pointless," Agron's voice resonated in my mind. "My lord, you could easily outrun him."
After a few minutes, we made it outside the building. Hawks wove between the skyscrapers, changing directions so quickly that an average person would struggle to even track his movements. I, however, followed him without much difficulty.
Tokoyami was having a bit more trouble. While Dark Shadow managed to get him airborne, his movement was nowhere near as free as Hawks's.
Hawks naturally noticed this. "Tokoyami!"
"Yes?!"
"Don't try to copy my movements! Use your own ability!" Tokoyami hesitated for a second.
"My own ability..." Dark Shadow expanded around him, and his movement shifted.
This time, Tokoyami didn't try to fly like Hawks. Instead, he utilized Dark Shadow for rapid directional changes, gradually closing the gap.
Hawks smirked. "Just like that."
I observed the entire situation from a short distance. Tokoyami truly possessed great potential. He simply needed to trust himself more and stop trying so hard to find the "correct" way to use his power.
After several more minutes, we returned to the agency. Tokoyami landed on the ground and let out a heavy breath. "That was... intense."
Hawks landed right next to him. "And that's precisely why we did it." He then turned his gaze to me. "Though you looked like you were out for a casual stroll the entire time."
"Because it wasn't particularly demanding for me."
Hawks laughed. "Yeah, I figured as much." He stepped up to me and walked around me a few times. "So your speed, reactions, and movement really are as good as they looked at the festival."
"Yes."
"And you barely used any of your true power."
"Correct."
Hawks adjusted his sunglasses back onto his face. "I like that."
"Why?"
"Because most people with as much power as you try to show off to everyone just how strong they are." Hawks smiled faintly, picked up a tablet from the table, and opened up some information.
"And that's exactly why you fit right in at my agency." Meanwhile, Tokoyami stepped up beside us. "What are we doing next?" Hawks checked the time. "We'll take a quick break, and then we'll head out into the city."
"On patrol?" I asked.
"Not yet." Hawks turned toward the giant window.
"First, I want to familiarize you with the area." I walked up to the window and looked down. From up high, the city looked entirely different than it did from the ground. Dozens of people moved through the streets, cars drove between buildings, and somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed.
Hawks stood next to me. "Heroes have one crucial responsibility that students often fail to realize."
"Which is?"
"Most of the work isn't fighting."
I looked at him. "Rescuing people, monitoring, spotting problems, and above all, prevention."
"Precisely."
Hawks turned toward Tokoyami. "That's why we won't just be flying today. You'll be observing." Tokoyami nodded. "Understood."
A little later, we headed into the city. This time, we moved normally through the streets, with Hawks walking a few meters ahead of us. Occasionally, he would stop, observe something, and then move along.
Hawks was right. Most of the work wasn't fighting. It was almost remarkable to watch how many issues could be resolved before they ever turned into real trouble. After several hours, we returned to the agency.
Hawks sat down on the sofa and removed his glasses. "So." He looked at both of us. "What are your first impressions?"
Tokoyami pondered for a moment. "It's different than I expected."
"And you, Mephisto?"
I remained silent for a moment. "It's exactly what I was looking for." Hawks smiled faintly. "Glad to hear it."
He then picked up the tablet from the table and placed it before us. "Because tomorrow, things get a little more interesting."
A map appeared on the screen. Looking at it, I immediately recognized the area I had been expecting for a long time. "Tomorrow we start real patrol duty," Hawks said. Tokoyami looked down at the map.
"Exactly."