To say that Todoroki felt strange was to say nothing. All along the path to his father's agency he was perplexed by several important conundrums. What would he say to Endeavour when they met on the latter's territory? How should he act when faced by that man's arrogance and blindness? That and many other questions plagued the boy's mind. Another one of them was quite simplistic in nature, and that was why he was being followed by his class president. For too long their paths through the city were absolutely similar, with Danny trailing behind, too absorbed in his own thoughts to call more attention to himself.

"Fenton-san, don't you have your own internship?" Todoroki finally managed to ask.

Danny blinked. "Oh, didn't I tell you?" He asked and tilted his head. "I was offered a spot at Endeavour's place, so I took it."

The human teen stared at his classmate wide-eyed, before returning to his usual apathetic expression. "I wonder what made him so interested."

"Someone is being rude," Danny smirked. "I'm not sure myself. But it was the best offer of the few I got, so," he shrugged.

"I can't imagine what the rest of them was like."

"Not the best picks, I admit...wait, did you just make a joke?"

"No."

"You definitely did," Danny lightly nudged him. "Not a second into the internship and I'm already rubbing off on you."

Todoroki sighed. Admittedly, Fenton was not the worst companion he could have. Bakugo would have taken that spot, but he was currently under the guidance of the Number Four hero — the highest one that took interest in him. While Todoroki had no animosity towards the blonde, the latter would certainly have made it difficult. Danny was quite alright in Todoroki's book, the memory of their interactions during the festival still fresh in his mind. He could, after all, relate to his situation to some extent.

"Did you learn the reason you got so few offers?"

"Other than racism and unwillingness to intern a foreigner, I cannot tell, I am afraid. Although your Dad must know. He still chose to invite me despite that other reason. And if he is the one to spill the beans, not my fault," Danny smirked and winked.

Unfortunately, he picked the worst person to give a clue to. He soon realised that when they finally faced Endeavour's agency — a colossal dark skyscraper with the man's insignia above the entrance. Danny whistled after witnessing the living proof of the man's ego with his own eyes.

"Wow, you think he is compensating for something?" The halfa asked and looked at his classmate.

"Compensating for what?" Todoroki asked in genuine confusion.

Metaphorical ellipsis appeared near Danny's head as he processed the situation.

"You know, forget I said anything..." he paused. "I also referred to his di..."

A stranger accidentally bumping into him was what stopped the halfa from insinuating further. Todoroki ignored the antics of his classmate, leading the way inside. Despite this being his first internship, the teen was quite aware of where to go. His father had been rather clear with his instructions. Danny decided to trust the human on that, scanning the surroundings with a degree of curiosity. After all, coming here was his voluntary choice, so by default he was more interested in what he was seeing. It was also his first visit to an actual hero agency, and he wondered how everything worked around there. He had honestly expected a mix of a batcave and a fire department, taking training and equipment parts from the former and the alarms for quick reaction of the latter. But from what little he was seeing at the moment, Danny was frankly unimpressed. He sure saw the direction signs for a gym and the like, but the rest, outside of remarkable and imposing decor, was nothing remarkable.

Another observation was also made — how spacious every single room was, and it truly was the nightmare of an agoraphobic person. The two students made it to the offices, and honestly, one would have to run a marathon to go from one end to another. And in the end opposite from the entrance, the large imposing doors beckoned, evidently the place where the big guy himself resided.

"Definitely compensating," Danny mumbled, shifting uncomfortably.

"Hey, look," his hearing caught some whispers. "The chef's kid is here."

"Huh, we are actually having Fenton, too?" Another sidekick asked. "Sheesh, we are rocking this year round."

"Come on," Todoroki told the halfa. "We'll have a talk."

Danny pulled a smile on his face. "Lead the way," he shrugged.

Coming up to the doors, the two of them entered Endeavour's abode. Built in the same style as the rest, the overly spacious room contained only the working desk and the set of a table and chairs in the middle. To receive visitors, no doubt. There, at the desk, the Flame Hero himself sat, wearing his fiery costume.

"Bet the smoke alarms don't work in this place," Danny whispered, trying to lift the mood.

"Did you say something?" Asked Endeavour, looking up from the papers and rising from his seat.

"I just wondered if it is comfortable working with flammable materials like this," the halfa tried to put it lightly.

Endeavour huffed. "I control my fire just fine," an arrogant smile appeared on his face as he looked at his son. "I have been waiting for you, Shoto. It seems you are finally ready to take the path of the mighty, huh? I have no intention of going down the path you made. I'm here to make my own."

"Oh, well, you should get ready, for we are going out."

"And what do I do?" Danny asked.

"You are coming along, too, Fenton," Endeavour told him. "But I don't see the suit with you."

"I have one on the go, if you remember," Danny said, as his eyes flashed with neon green.

"Quick reaction is important," Endeavour said curtly. "Then prepare yourself. We're moving out immediately. I'll show you what a hero is."

"To where?" Asked Shoto.

"If the recent incident follows precedent, then the hero killer will appear in Hosu City again. We will go there on a trip and work there," said Endeavour and opened the door out of the office, "Contact Hosu City immediately!" He ordered to his subordinates.

Todoroki turned to his classmate, who had a wide grin on his face.

"Looks like I hit a jackpot," the halfa said, excitement evident on his face.

That's what Danny had come for. A piece of some real hero action, not whatever bullshit the commission wanted him to do. The halfa wanted to put down that bastard, and now he was getting his chance...although, his input would probably be less than what he desired, with how he was still an intern. His radiant enthusiasm contradicted Todoroki's cold pragmatism. For he had no love for his father, evidently. However, he knew there was a lot to learn from the hero who had risen so high. And it was also what his mother wished for him.

From his thoughts he was snapped out by the halfa, who in the bright flash switched to his ghost persona.

"Let's not keep that bozo waiting," Danny grinned toothily and stretched his muscles.

It turned out that having a lot of sidekicks and employees allowed to move around with free hands, with luggage and all possible equipment transported by those who were suddenly sent out on a business trip. Danny enjoyed the fact that he had little to no luggage, other than his daily needs. Internships meant living near the place of said learning, too, and it was partially the reason why the Commission was devilishly rubbing their hands in anticipation. Two internships meant long commuting, and in case of Endeavour and another hero, it was over a thousand kilometres worth of commuting. The HPSC really wanted him to either faint from exhaustion or accept their terms. But he would push himself and waste hours of his life daily just blasting from one end of the country to another. He would not let them win. The trip to Hosu shaved off a couple of minutes, admittedly. But it still made him wonder.

"Say, Endeavour-san," Danny turned away from the window of the car, which they, for the lack of Shoto's ability to fly, employed. He thus broke the awkward silence. "Just to clarify: you were told about my situation, right?"

The man spared him a look. "That you will be here only every other day? Yes, so I was told."

Shoto raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have such schedule?" He asked his classmate.

"Can't tell or I will go to the naughty corner," Danny sighed. "Yet...you still agreed, Endeavour-san. Why so?"

"I have my reasons," the man responded curtly. "We can still manage without an extra intern."

"Oof, right in the feels," Danny theatrically put a hand over his heart. "Still, thanks for bearing with that. It's not like I'm slacking, after all."

Unlike with the commission, this time he was watchful of what he said in front of the hero, lest he antagonised him in any way. Danny had decided that he would do anything to finish that internship, even if it meant biting his tongue more than a few times in the future.

"Spare the excuses," Endeavour raised his palm.

'Sheesh, no wonder Todoroki is so quiet most of the time.'

It was one thing having an internship with a guy like that, it must have been even more difficult living under the same roof. Danny's own parents were the opposite. Always loud, talkative, and largely uncaring of what he did until it was too grave. Or until the moments of enlightenment when they remembered how little time they spent near their children and actually tried to do something about it. Tsukauchi was better in the whole parenting department, Danny had to admit. The man was never too absorbed in his work not to help him over any trivial matter. And Danny was thankful for that, even if they didn't see eye to eye on many things.

The detective had been surprised when he heard of the halfa's future internships. As in, plural. And like a responsible guardian he had warned that such schedule would be bad for the boy's health and advised to pick one, unaware of the ultimatum and subsequent compromise. Danny hadn't wanted Tsukauchi to know of the arena, perhaps more so than anyone else. Not because he had fears of being ousted, he knew he could handle himself. But...he didn't want to disappoint him in such a manner, and didn't want the history to repeat itself. It was partially the reason why his arena matches eventually came to a halt even before U.S.J. incident.

He still kept the money for a rainy day.

Danny wanted to talk to Shoto, so inconsiderate he was not to have done so beforehand. But he certainly couldn't do that in the tight confinement of the car. It was spacious, sure, but doubtfully anything would be out of Endeavour's earshot. And Shoto wasn't here to chat with his old man, obviously. The trip was largely spent in silence, and Danny couldn't bear the atmosphere. He needed something to talk about. And he found that 'something'.

"So...we got anything on Stain? An idea where to look?"

"I have already sent an inquiry to the local PD. We will first gather as much information as we can."

"He goes only after heroes, right?" Asked Danny. "There must be some pattern to his kills."

Endeavour nodded. "That is why we are going to Hosu City. Too many murders happened there, so he is evidently operating there."

"That's not what I meant," Danny responded. "Maybe there are some particular kinds of heroes he goes after first? Maybe he hates those who take kittens off the trees rather than those who help grannies cross the street."

"Take this seriously, Fenton," Endeavour ordered.

"I am serious," Danny assured. "My question is, at least. He doesn't kill everyone, after all. Something made him injure Ingenium instead of chopping him up."

That was a good observation to make, Endeavour had to admit. He had come to the same conclusion long ago, but Fenton could make those too. The boy could prove himself worthy for what he had in store for him. That whole internship was but a test, where Endeavour wished to observe Fenton and get enough of a sway. But his usual charming personality wasn't making it easier, nor did he plan to make it easy for himself even.

"So far little pattern exists. Some of the murdered heroes were suspected of several behind the scenes schemes, but nothing else seems to connect them."

"Rumours probably exist about every hero," Danny sighed. "This...isn't much of a help."

"Yes," Endeavour nodded. "However, I have determined one pattern that man follows. His massacre in Hosu is confined towards certain areas. And only after he is finished with one, disposing of heroes there, he goes to the next."

"So we are gonna patrol the area of attack on Ingenium and try finding him?" Danny asked.

"That will be a start until we gather more clues and information," Endeavour declared firmly.

In fact, Danny did have one, but he doubted that a pro hero would approve of it. He also needed privacy for that.

"I see," Danny said and looked outside again.

It was undeniably some new and useful experience for him. In the past, his enemies were either loud enough to be spotted in an instant or could not hide from his ghost sense. This time he was actually a part of an actual investigation. And he decided that his choice had been the right one.

The process itself was largely uneventful after that. At that moment Danny decided that the role of a sidekick was not something he desired, because, well, they were largely errand boys and girls, tasked with setting up a small base of operations in the chosen place of staying. That was not something he looked towards, but they didn't seem to mind, so to each their own, he supposed. Endeavour himself brought two boys alongside him, so that they could see him use his name and authority to convince the local heroes and officials to let him continue investigating. It was mostly him very forcibly saying that he could handle the matter. Endeavour clearly wasn't the most sociable person. But at least he was confident during such conversations, and it was something Danny hoped to pick up and consistently utilise. It was also during such boring stuff that Danny quietly slipped away, telling Shoto that he went to the toilet.

In reality, after entering a toilet cabin, Danny used his powers to get outside, where he wouldn't be spotted. And then took out his phone and dialled a number he had memorised instead of saving in contacts. And after a couple of rings, the phone was picked up.

"Yeah? Who's that?"

"Hello Giran," Danny spoke. "Got a couple of minutes?"

"Wait, no shitting way. That you, Danny-boy?" The broker spoke in surprise. He had clearly watched the games. "Didn't expect to hear from ya anytime soon."

"To be honest, I didn't expect calling you either."

"How's the hero gig working out for ya?" Asked Giran.

"Decently. This is a business call, by the way."

"What business can ya possibly have with me? Not that I'm complaining."

"I need information, Giran. You are selling it, aren't you?"

"Depends on the kind of info. You know I keep it to myself when it concerns my clients. Company policy."

"What do you know about Stain?"

For some time no sounds came from the other side, as the man was obviously considering this.

"Stain, eh? Are you actually going after that nutcase? Do the big guys know about this talk?"

"No, they don't. I appreciate the underworld contacts, Giran, you appreciate the investment, so we will keep this cooperation a secret," Danny smirked. "So?"

"Hm...I'll need some time to gather what I can. Stain is famous, but not much is known about him. Not much is known to me, either."

"Figures," Danny sighed. "Alright. I'll be waiting for a call."

Upon returning to Endeavour and Shoto, he was wondering what was in store. Endeavour knew that Stain's attacks could take place any time of day, so there was no point in waiting. And instead, having the permission of local heroes, as he was basically doing their job, he would stop a crime or two while he was at it. Yet, they turned out to be such small fries that Endeavour put them down without Danny or Shoto having a chance to take part.

"Man, he is quick about this," the halfa commented, seeing the flame hero hand over the beaten criminal to the police.

He was impressed, but...inevitably bored. Endeavour was just doing his usual job, making the trainees just sit on the sidelines and watch, "taking notes". That wasn't exactly what the halfa wanted of this internship.

"I suppose he is different from what you are used to."

"You mean how I kept mocking you guys instead of grinding you into the ground?" Danny raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I guess we are different. I recall my sister saying something about coping mechanisms, but meh, I don't really care."

"What do you have to cope with?"

"I dunno. Wasn't really listening to her, because she can be tedious. Still love her," the halfa smirked. "Since she is probably the only sane member of our dysfunctional family," he chuckled.

Shoto looked at him for a moment, before glancing at Endeavour, who was routinely answering the questions of the press.

"Your parents disowned you, right?" Asked the human teen.

"Good memory you have. Yep, like the jackasses that they are."

"But you are treating this as a joke."

Danny cackled. "If we treat everything as a national emergency, we'll be pretty much like your old man. Or wither like grape under the sun and turn into paranoidal and tired raisins. I ain't telling you to just laugh all your problems away, like, I still despise my folks. And raisins. There won't be jokes if we meet again. At least good-natured ones."

"Did they...talk to you after that time?"

"Nope. I sent Jazz the recording of my performance, but I don't know if they saw it...and honestly, I don't care much for them. It's been months since then, I made myself at home here. At this point I don't think I'll even consider returning to their house."

Shoto nodded. Fenton's approach to the delicate matter of a broken family appeared very different from his. That seemed to be the trend for everything the star student did. Still, he felt like he could add something to the table.

"Maybe you should talk to them, still," said Shoto, glancing at his father. "This may not be the time or place to advise..."

"Hey, I gave you one. And it wasn't the place either." Danny gave a small smirk, before it slipped. "You aren't the first, atop of that."

"There can be a lot of things that weren't said, misunderstandings and the rest. It feels like your parting was this way."

"Oh, they did say a lot of things about the abomination in place of their child, alright," Danny sighed.

"It helped me a lot to make certain decisions," Shoto continued. "It may be of use to you, too."

The halfa hummed thoughtfully. "Now is not the time for a family reunion, anyhow," he chose to end that part of the discussion on that.

He had, after all, a very busy schedule ahead of him.

-Linebreak-

Danny departed for Kyushu early in the morning, careful not to wake up his roommate. He was going without any luggage, partially because the flight was going to be extremely speedy. He wasn't allowed to utilise duplicates to work two internships at once, but at least that leeway was granted to the half ghost. Probably because it could be even more tiring to fly across half the country on his own. Nonetheless, the halfa didn't waste any time, especially since he had set a meeting before he left Tokyo area. Giran was waiting for him in a random location, and that was the best time for a meeting. Displeased as the man was to be up so early in the morning, he still provided the tits and bits of the info he had managed to accumulate. And Danny paid him enough for that small service. From his 'arena retirement fund'.

What he heard and what he was reading during the flight did help him alleviate some fog. Those were mostly rumours and interesting observations Giran had made. The notes said that Stain's modus operandi and weapon choice resembled a particular vigilante from a while back. It was a speculation that wasn't much of help, but since Stain was a lone wolf who didn't interact with the underworld, Giran could only do that much. Still, some trails did make it to the report of that conniving spider. Giran chose to make it more substantive by bringing up the mysterious vigilante Stendhal. That man, whether or not he and Stain were the same person, had been busying himself with murdering several villains. And Danny felt sick once more, for to his mind, the likes of villains that were killed didn't deserve such treatment. That made him willing to believe in the connection. Unfortunately, the reason for a switch of targets eluded both Phantom and Giran.

The hero killer made his debut in Naruhata, Stendhal's place of operation, but the start of the man's career didn't fit the conclusion Endeavour had made, for Naruhata had not been ransacked by a crazy murderer. Still, the rest fit the bill, so the first tries must have been the test of skill. Danny tried to draw a pattern in his head, but each time he could only think of the man as a psycho who was just waiting to stab another hero with no primary consideration. That was not very reassuring. And now that he thought of it, Endeavour's public appearance could make it more difficult, for the pompous Hero Killer could be reluctant to jump number two hero and could also hide somewhere until the Flame Hero left. The dilemma he would have to address to Endeavour next when he returned.

Until then, he would have to bear the company of whatever hero the Commission had picked for him. He was hopeful that that part of the internship was not going to be a very curated and tedious experience. After all, the man was just one place behind Endeavour, he should have been at the very least competent.

Eventually, as the morning sun was already shining over the country, Danny made it to the westernmost island of the big four. Fortunately, he didn't feel much of a toll of a lengthy journey, even if it was admittedly there. Hopefully a proper breakfast could fix it. The halfa sighed as he flew lower, wondering if the city was the correct one. He stopped midair and unfolded a map he had been keeping beneath his suit, alongside Giran's notes. Pockets were not very reliable when you flew with a speed of a plane. Danny made sure to fly in a straight line, but even a one degree turn at such a distance could prove to be a setback. And as Danny looked for the pointers, he suddenly heard a voice call him out.

"Violating the airspace, eh?"

Danny slowly leaned back and upside down, until he saw that a person was flying near him. Unlike the half ghost, the blonde man was using a pair of huge crimson feathery wings. Dressed in aviator's outfit, he was obviously prepared for the downsides of remaining up in the air.

"Didn't see any signs around here," Danny shrugged and faced him normally.

The man smirked. "You must be Fenton," he commented. "Didn't expect you to come so early."

"And you are Hawks, huh?" Danny tilted his head. "Well, your boss set up a tight schedule. Not really any way around it."

"The president may be quite demanding," the man examined the halfa. "She isn't really my chef..."

"So you are a go-to errand boy?" Danny raised an eyebrow, "Are those the famed career opportunities I'm being told about?" He asked, at which Hawks chuckled.

"To put it simply," he responded in an easy-going manner, before pointing towards the nearest roof. "Let's continue the talk there."

Danny complied with the request, wondering about the initial impression he was getting. So far he wasn't seeing enough to draw conclusions. As they landed, Hawks put hands behind his head.

"Alright, kiddo. What approach are we picking? We be straight or keep smiling to each other?" He asked.

Danny huffed, "I was forced to come."

"Same deal here," Hawks smirked. "When the commission 'asks' you, you can't really refuse."

"Oh, I saw it firsthand," Danny answered. "So you weren't a volunteer either?"

"I'm not really interested in being a momma-bird. I don't take interns, either, but," he sighed dramatically. "Guess we both will have to roll with it."

There was a flick of mutual sympathy between the two, as either found themselves in an unwanted position.

"Before it gets awkward," Danny crossed his hands. "Maybe we should get going."

Hawks clicked his tongue. "Right you are, Fenton. I first have to ask, though. You used to be a vigilante, right?"

"For a year, yes. Around four or five villain encounters a day," Danny recollected. "So I was busy."

Hawks stared at the boy in front of him. That was an impressive feat, considering that Fenton probably had a civilian life and secret identity atop of that.

"Then I guess you do have an experience with fighting," the hero hummed thoughtfully. "We'll just go through my routine and beat villains if we need to. I want to see how you do in the real environment."

Danny shrugged. "It beats receiving a lecture. Let's do this."

Hawks smiled and nodded. It could be worse, he reasoned. The boy could be uncooperative to the extreme, but instead he must have accepted the hand he had been dealt. The boy's Quirk really made it more convenient. Especially for airborne patrols. The two of them soon took it to the air above the city. Danny hummed and floated as close to the pro as he could, with feathery wings standing in the way.

"So how do you know if there is a crime down below?" The halfa asked.

"Same way as usual," Hawks shrugged. "I listen to the police and look below for a big boom. How did you do it, then?"

"Well, I did tap into the police communications," the halfa admitted. "But the town wasn't big, the villains were loud and I usually could spot them with my extra sense wherever they hid."

"What kind of sense can pinpoint a location like this?" Asked Hawks curiously.

"I ain't telling. Confidential info," responded the halfa. "But it won't work here, I bet. Unless a villain uses particular Quirk. Some of them trigger that sense."

"For shame," Hawks sighed dramatically again. "It could save us so much time. Anyway, you hungry, kid? I didn't have breakfast yet."

"If you are the one paying," Danny seized the opportunity, making the hero laugh.

"He is already extorting me. Don't sweat it, the stuff is on me."

Hawks took the halfa to a random place for some rice omelettes. In general, the halfa was so far getting a pleasant impression. He had expected the Commission's agent to be stricter and obnoxious, just like the rest of the organisation was. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be the case. And half of his internship would not be wasted on something irrelevant. Hawks scratched his chin as he looked at the boy in front of him.

He had been surprised when the Commission dumped that duty on him, even more so about their choice. The president told him that the boy's tremendous power could be used for the benefit of society, but Hawks had caught the subliminal message — she sought to make Fenton another agent of the Commission, and his resourcefulness could truly make him indispensable. And his shady background was a testament that the boy was not a shining knight, contrary to his hero outfit. It concealed readiness to go to any lengths if it could aid him in his goals, noble they might have been. So, he was already partially prepared to what the Commission would want of him. That, however, was not something Hawks could disclose on the first day.

"Alright, you done there, kid?" He asked.

"Pretty much," Danny smirked. "Thanks for the meal."

"Don't mention it. Now let's see here..." Hawks turned on an earpiece. Then, his expression said it all. "Looks like we already have a job. Keep up, kid."

Danny nodded with determination. He had to admit, this part of internship was winning in quantity of crimes already. When the two of them were outside, Hawks immediately took to the skies, and the halfa followed immediately.

"Forgot to ask," the pro called out for him. "What's your hero name? Calling you a kid all the time will get old very fast."

"It's Phantom."

"Alright, Phantom, we've got a situation with captives. The villains broke into a hospital, so we are talking about many people held hostage. Time to make yourself more than a hole in my wallet," Hawks smirked. "Do you have experience with this sort of missions?"

"Not really," Danny admitted. "It's usually a single villain that could be taken away from civilians."

"Yes, but this is a different situation. We don't know how many villains there are. And if they see us act, some heads will fly."

"Got it. So what should I do?"

"Normally I'd want to rush in myself, but...you have everything we need for reconnaissance. Bad guys don't know about you being here yet, we can use it."

Danny smirked and turned invisible. "I can beat them up, you know."

"Don't try it yet," Hawks responded. "There's always someone you can miss. Someone who escapes or someone who kills a bystander to save their pelt. I'd like to take care of it soon, but we should stop and think first. They haven't even issued their demands yet, so we still have time. Don't start a fight, Phantom."

The halfa sighed dramatically. "Very well. Not going all Batman on them, got it."

"Who's...nevermind. I'll need their numbers and locations. Remember their Quirks if you see any as well."

Soon Hawks landed on the ground near a large white building to converse with the police. Danny, without turning visible again, flew inside the building. He remembered the advice given to him on the way about such acts of crime. The villains would want to gather all captives in a single spot, to make watching them easier. As Danny searched the different wards, he couldn't help but think that the degree of trust in him was strangely high. His screw up could mean deaths, and Hawks knew that, still opting to send in an intern. Not that Phantom minded this, of course. It was his chance to prove himself in the field. People thought of vigilantes as self-serving scoundrels, he would be glad to change that perception. One step a time. Maybe the people had to learn of his vigilantism first...

The halfa mentally went over the list of places spacious enough to hold many people, and soon made his way inside the cafeteria, where he hit a jackpot. His guess was correct, and indeed there were terrified people on the floor, surrounded by a group of thugs. Some of whom had firearms. Danny counted ten of them in that room, but there could be more. This number was enough to keep the unarmed civilians in check. The halfa chose to eavesdrop on the conversation of thugs that weren't actively watching the captives.

"...So why are we stuck watching them?"

"I'd take watching the veggies on life support over this, too. Not like they can run off."

"Yeah, why are watching them, exactly?"

"Dumbass, we need every captive alive until shit goes down. Or the police and Hawks will come in guns blazing before we're set up."

So Hawks was right, there were people out of Danny's sight, too. He needed to scout more areas and possibly find the boss of their gang. It would make the job easier. The halfa had no visual pointers, so he would have to look for a guy who gave orders left and right. Phantom was about to leave, but then he saw something harrowing. On the walls all around him he saw small rectangular packages that could be only one thing. That whole place was rigged with explosives, and one of the thugs was laying down even more. Danny wished he knew how to disarm them, for if he simply carried them away, it would be noticed. Back in the day, when Phantom was new to the world and meddled with electrical villain's plans, it was just one inattentive thug. Shaking his head, the invisible hero slipped back into the corridor.

What he was wondering about was why exactly would those people come after a hospital. What did they seek to achieve? It was not a bank to be robbed, it was not even a place with that many potential captives, like, for instance, a theatre or a shopping centre. Unbeknownst to him, Hawks was thinking the same thing. The pro hero soon realised that it probably was not about what the criminals could attain from the authorities with threats of violence. A distraction perhaps? At this thought, Hawks asked the police to keep him informed about any other crime that took place nearby in case his suspicions were correct.

The halfa in the meantime counted a couple more thugs who kept watching the corridors of the relatively small hospital. But there was still no sign of their boss. Choosing instead to inform Hawks of what he had already found, the halfa exited the building. He spotted the pro as he was talking to the police officer. Flying close, but not dropping his invisibility, Danny smirked.

"Got a minute?" Hawks turned around, but saw nothing. Yet, he realised what was going on.

"We'll chat later," the hero smiled at the confused officer, who went to keep the crowd of onlookers in check. "Alright, Phantom, tell me what you found."

"Fifteen thugs at the very least. Most of them are in the cafeteria on the second floor. They also took the whole terrorist part seriously, because the whole room is rigged with explosives."

Hawks's look became grim. "This complicates the matter. Can you do anything about it?"

"I am not Number two. Explosives aren't my field of expertise."

The pro hummed. "Anything else?"

"I can't find their boss. I tried eavesdropping, I even possessed a couple and asked a question directly, but none of them even knows."

"And they still haven't issued their demands..." Hawks mumbled, before his eyes widened. "Or maybe there just isn't any."

"You mean no boss? Someone had to organise this shitshow."

"Yes, but they don't have to be here themselves. In that case, we can't wait for them to pull the trigger."

"Then let's beat them up finally. I can show the way."

"The bombs, kid," Hawks reminded slowly. "We have to do something about that first."

At this Danny hummed. The hero was right, there had to be a way to get the civilians away from the explosives and armed thugs. He could come to them and form a dome while taking down the criminals. But the explosion would take down the entire room and everything will crumble. Then, the halfa was struck by an idea.

"Hey, bird-brain," Danny called out the hero. "I've got a plan."

"Is the name calling necessary?" Hawks whined slightly. "Spill it."

"I can save those in the cafeteria. You should take care of the ones watching the comatose. Third floor, left side."

"I can fly in there," Hawks nodded. "But what do you plan to do with the others?"

"The bad guys won't know what even happened," Danny's eyes gleamed with mischief. "It's true that I can't take the bombs away, but I can take the civilians away from bombs. By turning the floor intangible, I'll make them all fall on the floor below."

"That's three meters. Someone will get injured if nobody is there to catch them. I'll head there."

Danny blinked. "Yeah..." he flushed in embarrassment at his cluelessness. "What should I do then?"

"Hm...you should come with me so that we can pull the rescue off. But the rest..."

"I can do both," Danny smirked and snapped his fingers, creating another invisible duplicate. "One will take care of the villains."

"Another me will accompany you," a voice came from the opposite direction.

"Huh," was all Hawks said.

"The duplicates also share the same consciousness, so it can work as a radio too," both Dannys smirked.

"I see how you functioned as a vigilante," the pro-hero huffed. "Alright, Mr. Swiss Knife, let's do this."

Not a moment too soon the pro and his very visible companion broke through the front door. When it came to Hawks, the villains expected the winged hero to come from above, and they prepared to face Hawks, not someone who was currently on the upper floors. That role was filled by another Phantom that loudly broke through the window. He lazily swiped his finger and left the nearest villains weaponless, before in a split second lunging forth and knocking them out. His knowledge of the area made him aware that in one, two, three...

"Argh!"

The villain that ran around the corner was blasted into the wall behind him. Yes, Phantom knew where those small fries were. However, in the couple of minutes he had been outside, some things could change, and they definitely did. Danny rounded the corner himself, before the sounds of gunfire filled the corridor. Summoning a shield, he easily blocked the bullets and jumped into the floor. He landed right atop another villain, whose head was greeted by the marble tile. Phantom did not waste a second flying forward, and a bit higher, emerging back on the required floor, behind the armed squad.

"Boo," the halfa said, before his eyes turned ice blue. That was too easy, they didn't even use Quirks. That, and they weren't ready for a half ghost to join the party.

Meanwhile, the other Danny actually had little to do. Hawks's wings were not for show, evidently. On the contrary, he launched his feathers at speeds that made them as dangerous as throwable knives. Hawks was dispatching villains quickly, the halfa had to keep up, for there wasn't any time for them to waste. Didn't mean that the half ghost didn't have anything to do, just that this duplicate's takedown count was much smaller.

"Two of them should come from the left corridor," Danny casually warned, before firing a blast in that direction. Hawks threw another feather that hit both opponents and pinned them to the wall. After the explosion the blast had caused.

"These count as mine," the halfa quipped.

"This isn't a competition," Hawks said, before pausing. "I'm still in the lead, though."

"Hey, my duplicate is taking down just as many! These guys really are losers. They only got ahead because of guns."

"Yes...they are weak...and that means disposable," Hawks mused aloud grimly.

Danny seemed to catch on quickly. "You mean, they can die in the explosion without any real problem to the more important villains. That's sick."

"Yes. Criminals always live by the 'survival of the fittest' mentality. Quirks are just one of the ways they assert that 'fittest' part," Hawks explained.

The halfa hummed thoughtfully. For ghosts it was true, also, for their kind always vied for superiority, in ways similar to this Quirk-filled world. Hell, he was a prince precisely because of traditions borne out of mentality of the spectres. Perhaps that's why competitiveness itself, even the one that led to fighting, was not something inherently vile to his mind. Yet, it was no reason to dispose of the weak in such a manner. On the contrary, it was the duty of the strongest to protect those who were lower on the scale of power, and his core agreed with such a message.

Back in the real world, the two heroes made their way to the spacious room that was right below cafeteria. The villains acted predictably: they anticipated that Phantom and Hawks would make their way up, while another duplicate dispatched of the possible reinforcements. While the latter was true, Phantom number one simply floated up to the ceiling.

"So, I just make it intangible?" He asked. "Will you catch them all in time?"

"Trust me, kiddo. Do it."

The halfa put his palms on the ceiling, and in the next second, with shouts of surprise and fright people started falling from the upper floor. Immediately Hawks threw a myriad of crimson feathers that pinned into the people's clothes and softened their fall. The criminals did not get such luxury.

"That's gotta hurt," Hawks mumbled. "Everyone! Follow me out of here! Phantom, you watch the back!" He then loudly commanded.

"On it!" Danny saluted as he glanced at the fallen criminals. A couple of small blasts were enough to finally knock them out.

He heard some confused whispers among the freed captives, who wondered about why a student was here. The tournament really made him known. Danny flashed them a confident smirk, before suddenly the crashing sounds came from the upper floor. The bombs went off, and that explosion sent the entire floor crashing down. The villains tried to prevent the escape at any cost. Phantom wasted no time and quickly summoned the green dome that held everything from collapsing.

"Move it!" Hawks quickly caught on that they had no time to waste, and the people hurried out of the room.

Danny would have let go and followed, if not for the criminals he himself had knocked out.

"Great thinking, Fenton."

His duplicate returned to him and that was the first thing he said.

"I am you," Phantom holding the rubble responded.

"Yep. I am a dumbass. You are one. We both are. We can communicate mentally, and yet we talk like this. Clearly a sign of great intelligence."

Danny number one gave his clone a dry look. A silent message was finally passed between them, and the free duplicate quickly flew to grab the unconscious villains.   He flew towards the exit and left the criminals in the corridor, letting the other duplicate finally let go of the collapsing structure and, while intangible, flew away as well. He decided to take care of the remaining villains, now that the civilians were in relative safety. But in case the armed men decided to shoot, he had to take care of that, also. The other Phantom grabbed the unconscious villains and carried them further, eventually catching up with the group Hawks was leading out. He got some odd looks, but they made it out with relative ease, having taken out some villains beforehand.

"Eighteen...twenty one..." Hawks quickly counted. "That's all of them!"

"Neat," said Phantom, who was now floating upside down near him.

"Which of Phantoms are you?" Asked the hero.

"The handsome one," responded Danny and cackled. "Doesn't matter which one of us is gone. I'll just keep on with my afterlife."

"Huh," Hawks responded, before shaking his head. "We have to scour the building now..."

"Yeah. Already on it," Danny gave a thumbs up. "Oh, you better make a step back."

Hawks raised an eyebrow, before out of the window flew another grunt, which Danny picked up from the air with telekinesis.

"They have to live, but I don't owe them gentle approach," the halfa explained and shrugged.

Hawks hummed thoughtfully. He was seeing Phantom quickly take out the bad guys out of the broken building, not minding the boy doing the work for him. His feathers had no mind of their own, so the halfa was better for that task of scouring the damaged building. The fact that the young aspiring hero took time to rescue the criminals without even being given command was admirable to a degree. He made the cut for a noble hero, but...

The Commission had no use for that kind. He would certainly know.