Chapter Twenty-Two: Dead Hero Walking
What have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I—?
"Gold!" Green shouted, pulling Hawks out of his spiral of terror. "Calm down. Tokoyami will be fine."
That had to be the biggest lie Hawks had ever been told. I told him a Commission code! An unofficial one but still. And I told him about the reconditioning oh my God—
"It is not your fault you instinctively reacted to that phrase." Silver soothed him. "You genuinely thought he was in danger."
But I didn't have to let slip about the reconditioning, Hawks snapped. He's a student, not a Pro Hero.
"He was a Pro Hero in our time…" Red whispered, almost to herself. "That is what we remember him as."
Hawks barely noticed. If he starts looking around the Commission will notice and he'll need my help for real. A thought struck him and his skin drained of color. They probably already know.
"We were out flying when Tokoyami called and the Commission hasn't tapped your phone. Purple said logically. "They don't know."
"Plus, Tokoyami isn't Kaminari." Orange ignored Yellow's indignant squawk. "He knows how to be subtle. In fact, if anything he might approach Aizawa with this."
That made Hawks feel a bit better, if only slightly. He put his head in his hands. I can't believe I was so stupid.
"Again: you thought Tokoyami was in danger." Silver said, firmer than before. "I would have reacted the same way."
Hawks remembered what happened to her Tokoyami and repressed a shudder.
Green sighed and forced a cheerful tone. "Look at the bright side: Tokoyami won't trust the Hero Commission."
How is that a bright side?
"They will not be able to swindle him." Silver mused. "And once he has some answers for himself, he'll probably warn at least my past self and Shoto as well."
Yellow burst out laughing. It was more hysterical than amused.
"Guys, the whole class will know about the Commission before the start of next term." he cackled.
"Good—" Pink began.
"—and the traitor will too!"
The implications of that statement hit them all and Hawks stared hollowly at the ceiling.
What have I done?
XXXXXXX
The Villain known as Daruma Ujiko was having a wonderful month. Between his work for All For One and the Hero Public Safety Commission, his schedule was full and his desire to experiment close to sated, leaving him humming and whistling as he walked through his lab. Around him, the next stage of Nomu floated serenely in their tanks. Most were little more than larvae, misshapen masses of flesh and brains in glorified jars, but some were so close to taking form.
Ujiko paused beside one of the containment units and could not stop himself from beaming at one of his more developed creations. He had worked hard on this one. A full five years of research, sweat, and Quirks had been used to their fullest extent, pushing past the limits of what could be done to create something that just might be the next step of Nomu evolution.
Smiling, Ujiko put a hand on the glass. The liquid inside it bubbled and he leaped back with a startled but delighted laugh. Ujiko did not allow himself to feel pride just yet, though he did allow himself a smile as he moved deeper into his lab, still whistling. It would not do to celebrate before his creation was tested and ready for deployment, after all. He was a man of science, and he knew many things could still go wrong. Still, if the worst happened and this project was a failure, Ujiko would mourn the wasted work and move on.
The phone he used for less upstanding activities rang and he answered it immediately, putting it on speakerphone as he continued to move around.
"All For One."
"Doctor." his more villainous boss replied.
More villainous. Ha! If Ujiko were to think about the hindering gibberish called 'morality', he supposed his other bosses were just as bad. If only he'd known what the Commission had been up to sooner. Why, he might have approached them with the Nomu project. What an amusing notion.
"You've been spending a lot of time at your… other profession." All For One continued.
Ujiko nodded to himself even though All For One could not see it. With all the Quirks in his possession, he might very well sense it, however. "The Commission gave me a new Villain to break. One Kai Chisaki."
"Kai Chisaki." All For One murmured, voice low with amusement. "Another sniveling pup nipping at the heels of society as he sulks over the power he never had. Still, his Quirk is quite the catch, is it not?"
Ujiko knew what All For One was going to say. "I apologize, but I cannot give you Chisaki's Quirk just yet. The Commission has actually poked their heads out of their close-minded bubbles long enough to realize how valuable he is. His conditioning is being closely monitored. If he dies during the procedure I will acquire his body and make sure his Quirk is added to the collection but otherwise I won't be able to claim him right now. Even if he survives, his loyalty will always be to me and by extension you. If the Quirk is worth our investment, I will bring him directly to you once he is a bit more compliant."
"I see. Then it is victory either way." All For One said, having expected that. "And how goes our latest project?"
"Very well." the Doctor reported, barely containing his excitement. "Nomu 210465's—"
"Which one?" All For One asked. His voice remained pleasant, but Ujiko could hear the cold demand for clarification.
Ujiko chuckled nervously. "Er, you likely recognize its code name 'Retiarius'. Retiarius's development has been simply astounding! I have not implemented the full brainwashing programs just yet but the base Quirks have merged perfectly, and the body…" He smiled widely, eyes filling with tears of joy. "You need to see it to believe how perfect it is. Its independent cognitive functions are higher than even Kurogiri's! Why, if it got out now I might not be able to stop it." He laughed at such a thought.
"I shall take your word for it, my friend." All For One said, bemused. His chuckled, tone growing mocking. "And what do you think about the Commission's attempts at villainy?"
"Abysmal and inefficient, as always." Ujiko sniffed. "Relying on an unstable man's Quirk like that… Bah! What a waste. If they wanted to turn Hawks into a puppet, there are much simpler ways to do it."
"I agree." All For One said. "Did you receive my notes on the little bird's companions? Do any catch your interest?"
Ujiko absently considered the information passed on to him. "Not for their Quirks. None are worth taking."
"The Mockingjay girl's Quirk could be useful for Retiarius." All For One mentioned.
Ujiko snorted. "Nomu 210465 won't need such a pathetic Quirk. It will be perfect with the Quirks I have already supplied it." He found the files on the Heroes that worked at Hawks's Agency and flipped through them, searching for anything interesting. He found the Mockingjay girl's records. "Ah yes, I remember hearing of her. That trouble-making Phoenix wants to try her luck a second time and try burn down another corrupt Hero Organization, hmm?" He snorted. "Does she truly think she can start another revolution here in Japan? Foolish girl. The Commission is much more powerful than the Capitol ever was."
"Which will make their inevitable collapse bring all of Hero Society down with it." All For One said as fondly as someone spoke of an upcoming holiday. "This isn't America. The public won't be made docile when it is revealed just what the Commission has done behind the scenes. The lovestruck fans certainly won't be pleased when they realize what their beloved Hawks went through."
Ujiko adjusted his glasses and forced himself not to sound too eager. "Could I have him?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not." All For One murmured. "It all depends on where he needs to be placed on the chess board. He may be a slave of the Commission but he's such a loved Hero. I don't want him to become another mindless Nomu when he could be so much more. Plus I think Twice may want to keep him himself."
Ujiko tried not to show his disappointment. "Of course. Twice has become rather obsessed with catching the birdie."
All For One saw right through him. "How about an alternative? You may not be interested in Mockingjay's Quirk, but surely the idea of another female Nomu may intrigue you? You have so few."
"That's true." Ujiko acknowledged. "Male and female bodies do tend to have different limits before reaching the Singularity, depending on the base Quirk of course."
"Then should the opportunity arise, feel free to take her." All For One offered. "Losing Katniss Everdeen will make Hawks even more isolated—"
CRASH!
Ujiko jumped with a startled shout, dropping his phone, and whirled around to look behind him. Sweat beaded on his brow and he did not move until he heard All For One's angry exclamations coming from the speaker. He shakily picked up his phone again, holding it back to his ear.
"I apologize for the noise." Ujiko said with forced calm. "I merely dropped a beaker and startled myself."
He said goodbye to All For One and let his phone fall from his grasp.
Then he fell to his knees in front of the shattered containment unit for 210465 'Retiarius' and the hole in the wall behind it, and despaired at the years of lost work.
XXXXXXX
Best Jeanist was not a man who let his frustration show. As a highly ranked and respected Hero, he acted with dignity, composure, and strength, keeping a positive and level appearance to reassure all around him that he had the situation under control.
But not now.
Not right now.
Right now— alone in his Agency's office as he was— he could afford himself a moment of weakness, so he put his head in his hands and exhaled so he would not angrily shove the folder in front of him to the floor.
Jeanist did not know how she did it, but Mockingjay had uncovered enough evidence to bury the Commission so deeply they may as well be trapped in the mythical version of Tartarus. They could weasel, they could try to erase, they could make excuses and shift blame to scapegoats and victims, but inevitably their crimes would all point back to them. He had the sneaking suspicion she— and likely Miruko— had been compiling a case for a while, and after seeing what Hawks had been through, he would bet it was due to a fear that the Commission had been responsible for his disappearance.
That fear was more valid than Jeanist liked to admit.
Mockingjay had to have gotten some of these photos through less than legal means but any judge that was not corrupt would ignore how she acquired them. Some were as recent as Hawks's latest visit to Commission HQ. Others were more than a decade old. All of them showed the same golden hair, haunted eyes, and bruised skin.
It seemed Hawks had a lot of 'training accidents' over the years. Too many 'training accidents' to count. Too many pictures filled with bruises, cuts, broken bones and tattered wings for Jeanist to look at without feeling ill.
This was not training.
It was abuse, and Jeanist may just cast aside his veneer of calm and take a page from Miruko's book if someone argued otherwise. There was more than enough evidence to show at least Hawks's trainers and handlers had gone over the line in the folder alone.
But it was what was in the other folder that made Jeanist want to shove it away and not look at it, or he may just lose the calm he barely clung to. Inside the other folder were financial records detail Hawks's illegally-accrued debts to the Commission. The very first financial report was a mention of two hundred thousand yen, which had been taken from a Commission account and given to the Takami family.
Two hundred thousand yen, which they were given in exchange for their son.
Two hundred thousand yen was what people payed for an expensive Shiba Inu.
Two hundred thousand yen was what people paid for a dog.
Two hundred thousand yen was what the Takami's son had been worth to them.
Jeanist almost wished it ended there. It had not.
Since Hawks— Keigo. That was the name Detective Tsukauchi said he no longer knew.— had been six, he had been his family's financial provider. At least, the Commission had, piling debts onto his Hawks and leaving him to pay his parents and them from the moment he turned eighteen. His parents had no income. It all came from him, and according to the Commission's carefully-traced records— So they made sure Hawks did not try to use his 'parent's' money for himself?— they spent a majority of it on alcohol, fancy cars, and trips.
They had gone to Hawaii three times in the past year alone.
They had gone on vacation to another country while their son was missing.
Did they even know? Or care?
Jeanist almost prayed Hawks did not know if they did, but he was not sure which option was crueler: Hawks knowing his parents did not care, or him being naively oblivious.
Either way, it was impossible for the Takamis to be unaware of what the Commission had put their son through— What they were putting him through. Present tense.
The next course of action should be clear.
Hawks needed to be safely extracted from that situation and the Commission needed to be brought to court.
The question was… should they?
The Commission was not simply a corrupt business. They were the Hero Public Safety Commission, who was responsible and trusted to keep civilians safe and Heroes in order. They had their hands in almost every aspect of Hero Society, from publicists to lawsuits to UA itself.
Personal courtesy demanded Jeanist and the others ask Hawks if he wanted to Commission exposed, but he suspected he knew what the younger Hero would say. The evidence would not just expose Hawks had been bought and abused. It would blow the Commission wide open, leaving their every skeleton unearthed for all of Japan to see. No, for the whole world to see. And the fallout would not be pretty. In fact, if this was exposed in the wrong way, it could bring everything crashing down and lead to anarchy.
Best Jeanist knew what had happened to American Hero Society's version of the Commission five years ago. The Capitol Hero Committee's fall had been highly publicized, with the Commission denouncing their extortion of Heroes and manipulation of American Hero Society in their favor. It was only through circumstance— and the presence of the reformed American Number One, Captain Celebrity— that Hero Society in the United States had not been damaged beyond repair.
American Hero Society did not have a League of Villains. They did not have a living, beloved, high-ranked young Hero who had been taken in by a trusted organization and abused since childhood. They did not have a Symbol of Peace who looked uncomfortable when Jeanist offhandedly mentioned his retirement being far in the future.
Jeanist was not dumb. In the time he had spent investigating with All Might and his secretary, he knew something was amiss. He hoped he was wrong, but he had a feeling that the Symbol of Peace— the pillar of Hero Society that just may keep them standing if the Commission's actions were exposed— might not be around for as long as they needed.
That left the investigators with a horrible conundrum. Should they try to convince Hawks to become the whistleblower for the Commission— which would result in the Commission knowing it was him, for there was no way they wouldn't— while the Symbol of Peace was still around to hold Hero Society together?
Or should they leave things hidden as Hawks likely believed was necessary, leaving him and countless others under the Commission's oppressive boot while also increasing the risk that the Commission's crimes would be exposed in the worst way possible, at the worst time?
If not for the League of Villains and Stain's circling ideology, Jeanist would push for the former option. But right now— even with All Might as strong as ever as far as the public knew— Hero Society was at a tipping point, whether people realized it or not. What it meant to be a Hero was in question, and if one of the trusted pillars was proven to have partaken in illegal activities— some of which could rightfully be compared to Quirk Trafficking— everything could come crumbling down.
A heavy knock on the door jolted Jeanist out of his thoughts. Although it was likely All Might or Miruko, he hid the incriminating folders in a drawer on his desk. One could never be too cautious.
"You may enter."
The door opened to reveal the last person he expected. He rose from his chair.
"Endeavor. I was not aware you were coming to my Agency today."
"I was not planning on it." Endeavor said. His cold blue eyes were narrowed to slits. "However, I've heard something interesting." He planted his hands on Jeanist's desk— he had best not burn it— and leaned forward, eyes cold. "You, All Might, Hawks, and Miruko have all been conducting a secretive investigation. For all of you to work together, it must be big. What is it?"
Jeanist noted he did not mention Tsukauchi. "Hawks has not been a part of anything." he stated. "And who has told you that?"
Endeavor's lip curled. "All Might implied he was working with you before realizing he was running his mouth. You all know I am the best investigator of the Ranked Heroes. Why have you not asked for my assistance?"
Jeanist was too composed to ask a higher power for patience, but he had to admit he was getting close. "We did not think it was required since we have All Might—"
That was the wrong thing to say. Endeavor's teeth clenched loudly enough for Jeanist to hear them.
Jeanist sighed. "But if you'd like to take a look, you may. As long as you tell no one."
"I am a professional. I know better than to have a loose tongue, unlike that American." Endeavor said coldly.
It took a second for Jeanist to realize he was talking about All Might. He did not comment on it. He simply inclined his head and slowly pushed the folders towards Endeavor. He watched Endeavor pick one up and open it, scanning the notes and evidence. Jeanist studied his face for any reaction, but Endeavor remained focused and professional. Jeanist almost wished he could manage that emotional detachment instead of feeling the desire to burn the world down.
Eventually, Endeavor threw the folders back onto the desk. "You're wasting your time."
Jeanist's eyebrows shot up. "I beg your pardon?"
Endeavor shook his head in disgust. "I don't know what tale that imbecile has fabricated, but he's clearly wasted your time—"
"Hawks has not told us about this or asked us to do anything." Jeanist interjected levelly.
Endeavor shook his head and flicked a dismissive hand towards the folders. Jeanist was half-prepared to dive across the desk to make sure they did not catch on fire but destroying them did not seem to be Endeavor's intent. Jeanist made a mental note to save multiple copies of everything and scatter them across Japan both physically and electronically.
"Then Hawks still has a sliver of my respect." Endeavor continued sternly. "I don't know what that American oaf has gotten into his head, but there are no crimes here to investigate. Hawks clearly got those injuries from training—"
"He got them from abuse, Enji." Jeanist said softly. His eyes closed and breathed, counting down from ten so he did not punch the Number Two Hero. "The Commission tortured him with a pain-enhancing Quirk and beat him as recently as last month" His gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep his composure. "Tsukauchi and I were alerted to the situation and had to get him out. It was like he had been captured by Villains, not in the care of his 'managers'."
Endeavor frowned and crossed his arms. "That is a serious accusation, Jeanist. You do realize that if this is true, it will only cause problems if it is exposed, correct? If Hawks has not come forward to claim the Commission illegally tortured and imprisoned him, you should drop it. It's obvious he has moved on and has no desire to press charges."
Did you not read the reports? The Commission will financially drown or quite literally kill Hawks if he steps out of line. And it's barely been a few weeks. I highly doubt Hawks has 'moved on'. Jeanist kept those thoughts to himself as he reminded himself that he was not Miruko and could not get away with kicking another Hero in the face. "I would not be able to call myself a Hero if I ignore this, Endeavor."
"Tch. Real Heroes do not need Heroes to save them." Endeavor shot the folders an annoyed look and turned away. "It seems you and All Might have this under control. I won't waste my time then."
He walked out, and Jeanist could not say he was upset to see him go.
XXXXXXX
Today was the day.
No more delays. No more wallowing. No more self-doubt. No more procrastinating.
Today, Jin Bubaigawara was going to walk up to Hawks and offer to be friends.
He could do this.
He would do this.
Just walk up, and ask to be friends like he wanted.
The worst that could happen was rejection. After all, there was no way Hawks knew he was a Villain. The League had not done anything yet. Twice was just on standby.
He could do this.
He could wave Hawks down as he passed on patrol, and offer to be friends.
Simple. Easy. No problem.
He could—
What am I doing. What the hell am I doing. I'm following the advice of some random lady I saw in a bar who kind of maybe knew I'm part of the League. It's probably a trap. But if it isn't a trap this might be my last chance to not be a stalker-weirdo even though I'm kinda a stalker weirdo even though I'm not what the hell am I thinking arrrrrrrrgggggghhhhh—
If someone bothered to observe a blond-haired, scarred man lingering in a park along Hawks's normal patrol route, they would see him clutch at his head in a not-splitting but definitely-panicking way as he let loose a noise only the most anxious people could utter. Twice gritted his teeth and dragged his hands down his face, determined not to put on his mask just yet. He could keep it together.
Twice breathed in and out, counting each inhale and exhale, and watched the sky. If his memorized schedule was correct— He was still not a stalker, okay?— Hawks should fly by in a few minutes. All Twice had to do was wave him down and let things happen. That was all. He could do this. Okay.
The ringing of Twice's phone made him jump a foot in the air, letting loose a surprised shriek that would sound more natural coming from a startled cat. He fumbled with his phone, recognizing Giran's number. He scowled and answered.
"Giran! You scared me, ass—"
"Oh, is that whose number it came up as? I wasn't certain."
Ice water slid down Twice's spine and gathered in his chest, making it tight enough he physically choked. Pain lanced through his head and he clutched at it, physically holding himself together.
"All For One— Er, bossman." he stammered. His scowl returned. "What the hell do you want?"
...Did he just cuss at the scary evil Nomu-creating Lord of the Villain Underworld?
Shit.
All For One listened in silence as Twice struggled to breathe, not needing to do a thing to the man as his own mind threatened to tear itself apart.
"There's no need to worry, my friend." All For One said, as pleasant and smooth as poisoned honey. "I'm simply calling to see how your personal mission is going."
Twice's mouth went dry. "Personal… mission?"
"Why, your mission to gather information on Hawks, of course." All For One teased, as if it were silly that he had asked. "Did you think I wouldn't notice what you were doing?"
No parts of Twice could muster a response.
"I truly admire your initiative." All For One continued 'warmly'. "Your comrades are content to wait for orders, but you… you went out on your own to spy on the enemy. Information can be as valuable as brute force. When you deeply study a person, you can find every weakness they try to hide and use it to tear them apart piece by piece."
"That's nice." Twice forced out.
He did not wonder if All For One could do that to him. It wasn't even a question.
But does he know about Hawks's other personalities?
Twice could only hope that All For One did not see him pale. Who was he kidding? He was probably watching him right now and enjoying the show.
"Do you… expect a report, boss?" Twice forced himself to ask.
Okay, I am not going to mention Hawks's possible headspace friends. Have to downplay his panic attack too— Shit, I told Dabi about it in Kurogiri's bar. And I researched Hawks there I'm so stupid—
"Not yet." All For One said in that creepily patient tone. "I just need you to remember not to become too enthralled by him. Remember what Hero Society has done to you and why it must be… changed." 'Destroyed' is what he meant. Twice could hear the smile in his voice. "I'll let you keep him afterward, of course."
Was All For One implying what Twice thought he was? Did he think Twice wanted to keep Hawks as a pet or something? Was that what he interpreted Twice's interest in friendship as? Some sick desire to obtain the Winged Hero like a trophy? And here Twice thought his head was messed up.
Twice kept those thoughts to himself and swallowed a disgusted retch. "Yeah. I know better than to be drawn in by false Heroes."
It was the truth and not a lie— All For One would know if he was lying— because Twice knew Hawks was different. He was not Endeavor, who was too brutal and dismissive and cold. He was not All Might, who was well-intentioned but simply did not understand Hero Society was flawed and decrepit under its casing of golden gift wrap, making outcasts of those that did not fit into its mold.
But Twice knew All For One would not care about that. He would only see Twice's intentions towards Hawks as something villainous. He already thought that, seeing Twice's interest as a way for him to get information on a Hero. If Twice approached Hawks now, All For One would want him to manipulate the Winged Hero. Maybe he would want Twice to gain his trust just so he could break him.
Twice wouldn't do it.
He knew he wouldn't.
All For One would not take it well.
There was no way he would let Twice just walk away from the League. He would not let Twice walk away regardless. His Quirk was too valuable. Twice closed his eyes and saw himself in a tank like the Nomu, his eyes a blank white and wide with agony—
"I think I'm done observing for now. I was planning on heading back to Kurogiri's today anyway." Twice found himself saying.
"Good." All For One was definitely smiling now. "I'm glad you remember where your real friends are."
He hung up.
Twice spent the next few minutes staring at his phone as he tried to force his heartbeat down. He heard a quiet rushing sound and dove behind a tree, huddling down and covering his mouth.
Above him, Hawks passed by, ignorant to the Villain hiding in the foliage.
Twice waited until he left to move, leaning his head against the rough bark of the tree. He imagined a world where he offered to be friends with Hawks the moment they met, where they went to bars but Hawks did not have to worry about being pressured into drinking, where they could go to see dumb movies and laugh at how cheesy they were, where they each had someone there who would sit by them when they split, where there was someone to call in the middle of the night who knew exactly what 'splitting' meant. Where two people no longer felt so alone even when surrounded by others.
We would have been friends, Twice realized.
And didn't that thought split his heart in two?
XXXXXXX
Hawks's week did not get any better.
Miruko kept avoiding him, Toshinori was hovering, he still could not visit Eri and feared approaching Tokoyami without a Commission-proof excuse, and since he gave Aizawa the first notebook, the Underground Hero kept asking for more details and clarifications at odd hours. Did that man ever sleep?
Worse, the Commission seemed to think he wasn't working hard enough and was sending him more and more missions and cases. He had no idea what he had done to anger them so badly— Please let it not have to do with Tokoyami. Please. Let his student stay off their radar.— but it seemed they had decided he needed to be punished for some unknown slight.
His workload was getting bad enough that he had to get his sidekicks on more cases too, something he felt horrible about as they came in earlier and left later each day. None of them complained, but Hawks heard a few wonder when crime rates had gone up.
Hawks was so exhausted he never made it back to Miruko's apartment, instead collapsing on the couch at his office and sleeping there. Perhaps it was for the best since he could give Rumi the space she wanted. She was still angry at him for some reason, but it was fine. She was allowed to be annoyed with him. If he wasn't so tired, maybe he could figure out what he had done wrong…
That exhaustion also meant Ennea could not go out. Hawks did not have the time or energy, and he could feel the voices getting antsy. They tried to keep it to themselves but their walls were still unstable and prone to cracking, making it harder to sleep. The voices used to be able to 'check out' to get some 'rest' but now even they could not escape Hawks's bone-deep exhaustion.
The bags under his eyes were covered with makeup, as was the paleness of his skin. He drank more coffee than was healthy, though even Silver had become too tired to bother him about it. Seriously, whatever miracle concoction Aizawa had to remain functioning, Hawks wanted some.
It was only ten in the morning on Monday— nearly a week after his misdiagnosis— but Hawks could already feel himself lagging. He landed on the top of a building to take a breather, huddled behind a generator as he prayed no one would see him slacking off. A ping indicating he had an incoming communication went through his headphones and he pushed himself up, answering it.
"Hawks here."
"You need to get back to the Kettle." Mockingjay said, her voice even harsher than usual due to her own exhaustion. "We have another murder case."
"Dammit." Hawks breathed. "I'm on my way."
He hung up and flew quickly towards his Agency as the wind rushed past him.
"I can't believe there's another case." Green said tiredly. "Are we sure the Commission isn't trying to sabotage us?"
"What delusional reality have you been living in that you haven't realized that's exactly what's happening?" Orange snapped, even angrier than usual.
It was telling that Green just sighed tiredly and Silver did not lecture Orange for being rude.
Hawks arrived at his office, entering through the window. He landed a bit less gracefully than he meant to and nearly face planted into the wall. He stumbled sideways to avoid the collision and sturdy arms caught him before he could face plant into the ground instead. He looked up at Mockingjay— her mask was up, exposing her shadowed eyes— and smiled tiredly.
"Hey."
Her lips twisted into a frown and she helped him stand. "We're trying to do too much. We need help."
Hawks wearily eyed the piles of papers on his desk and missed the days when they were shorter than him. "From another Agency?"
"Yes."
"Put the request in." Hawks said instantly. "Maybe Tensei— I mean, Ingenium can help out." He glanced at the file in her hands. "After we discuss that." he amended.
Mockingjay passed him the file. He reluctantly opened it, reading its contents as he forced himself to look at the gory images inside. He could not tell whether he and the voices had simply seen worse before or if they were just too damn tired because they barely flinched at the photos of a body.
"Another murder victim was found by a jogger this morning." Mockingjay reported. "He was wrapped in some type of thin rope-like material that left marks on the body, stabbed, and strangled. It's the same MO as four other cases we've had in the past couple weeks."
Hawks's stomach dropped. "Serial killer?"
"Possibly." Mockingjay said darkly. "The victims were three men and two women. All of them were in their early to mid twenties with light hair, and had physical mutations as part of their Quirk."
Hawks nibbled on his lip. "What types of Quirks, exactly?"
Mockingjay took the file back from him and flipped through it. "The first man was killed Thursday. He had silver-blond hair and devil horns. No extra abilities. The first woman was killed on Saturday. She had golden hair, sheep horns and a dream walking Quirk. The second woman was killed Sunday. Whitish-blond hair, and a Quirk that gave her snake-like scales covering her body. The second man was found Monday. His Quirk gave him elephant-like features and the ability to manipulate memory. He had pale blond hair. And the latest victim, killed Wednesday, found today, would always land on his feet no matter the height he fell from. He had blond hair and white feline ears, claws, and a tail. The police think there might be another victim we haven't found yet."
"So we may be dealing with an anti-mutant killer." Hawks murmured. "Has there been any CRC activity in the area?"
The Creature Rejection Clan tended to avoid Fukuoka since it contained Hawks's Agency. They tended to avoid any city where stronger mutant-type Pro Heroes operated since, like the cowards they were, they went after the helpless but scattered when faced with an opponent that could actually fight back.
"If there has, they haven't been shouting it from the rooftops. Besides…" she grimaced. "The CRC tends to remove the 'inhuman' parts and burn them to 'exorcise the demons'. The victims weren't mutilated."
Hawks repressed a gag and did his best not to think about removed wings. "Still, anti-mutant bigotry is a likely possibility."
"I'll mention it in my request." Mockingjay said. She hesitated, and put a hand on his arm. "Are you going to be okay?"
Hawks blinked at her with his human eyelids. They felt kind of heavy. "Hmm?"
"I'm not blind." she said flatly. "I know the Commission is pushing all this work onto us. Normally you'd protest about teaming up with another Agency because those scumbags would be even harsher on you for 'relying on those beneath your Rank.'" She put on a tone similar to the Commission President's and Hawks had to repress a shiver. "When I mentioned teaming up, you didn't even protest."
Hawks managed a tired smile. "I know I'll probably get in trouble for it later, but we do need the help. This isn't about me, it's about saving lives. Especially if we are dealing with a serial killer."
"Hmm." Hawks knew that was Mockingjay-speak for 'I disagree with you but I'm not going to say anything'. She dropped her hand from his arm and pulled her mask down over her face. "I'll get the request out."
"Thanks, Kat." Hawks said. "You're the best."
"Oh, I know." she said with her usual dry sarcasm. "Just like I know you will sleep at home tonight."
Hawks winced but kept his smile in place. "That's a really clunky change of subject." She glared at him knowingly. "Hey, staying here has been beneficial for both me and the group of Heroes you got to watch over me when I'm there. You know they don't have to guard me here. Who am I to deny them more time off?"
Mockingjay sighed loudly. "At least go home and get your mail tonight. You haven't been at the apartment since Thursday. Your bills probably showed up."
Hawks bit his lip. "You're right. I'll go."
"And stay there for the night." Mockingjay stated.
"And stay there for the night." Hawks echoed obediently.
He went back out on patrol and stopped a few villains, met a few fans, and signed a few autographs. Despite the comparative ease of his day, he found himself stumbling as he headed to Miruko's apartment. He opened the door to see her coat and shoes were not in the usual place. She wasn't home yet.
Hawks relaxed and entered the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him. A stack of envelopes were in a basket on the counter and he realized Miruko must have been getting his mail. The fact that she had not texted or called him to let him know he had some made his stomach twist but he forced himself not to think about it.
Hawks took out the envelopes and flipped through them. Junk mail, ad, junk mail, ad, ad, another ad, junk mail…
He paused as he caught sight of a familiar logo.
His bill from the Commission was here.
Hawks slowly picked up the innocent-looking envelope and inspected it carefully. He would not put it past the Commission to put some substance in it to knock him out. They'd done it before to teach him to not be a reckless fool when opening packages. There was a chance a villain would find out his address and send him something nasty that was not a simple hate letter.
Once the Commission had even put razor blades inside the opening of the envelope. His fingers had been bandaged for weeks but he'd learned his lesson to not be too enthusiastic when opening mail.
"I hate them." Green said suddenly. He almost sounded surprised, as if he had not known he were capable of feeling such vitriol.
Hawks turned on the sink and took out a letter opener. He carefully sliced the envelope open. No powder sprayed in his face so he turned the water back off, not needing it to rinse his eyes. He took out the heavy stack of papers inside and reluctantly opened it, skimming through the lines of words and numbers.
There was the money owed to his parents. There was the payment for his training. There was the interest for the expensive items so 'kindly' loaned to him in the past. There was the accumulated payments he missed on his apartment. There were the medical bills—
Hawks did a double-take.
He…
He had to pay medical?
Hawks stared at the bill, taking in the payments again, just to be sure he read it right. This had to be a mistake. Japan had universal health care for citizens and even foreigners. At most he would have to pay around thirty percent of the bill. Not to mention an MRI was only supposed to cost between ten thousand to seventeen thousand yen in total. Not four hundred thirty-four thousand yen. Those prices were what Americans warned foreigners coming to their country about. They weren't like that here.
"It's not that much." Red said, sounding confused.
"He could pay for a small apartment for about eight or nine months with that money." Pink whispered to her.
"...Oh." Red said faintly.
Hawks went through the math. He went through it again. And again. He could hear the voices going over it too. No matter how many times they calculated, the numbers did not add up.
He couldn't pay for his bills. He couldn't even pay the minimum payment. That meant next month's payment would go up, and he'd once again be unable to pay. So it would go up again, leaving him even worse off. And then it would go up again. And again. And…
Hawks laid his head on the countertop and took a shuddering breath.
"How can they get away with this?" Silver exploded.
Pretty wording, Hawks thought bitterly. He scrubbed a hand over his face and shoved the bills away from him, flipping them over so he would not have to see them.
"I see why you're trapped with them now." Yellow said weakly.
"They'll arrest you if you try to break free, won't they?" Purple guessed darkly. "They'll claim it's because you won't pay your debts."
Hawks had to laugh at his naivety. That's a cute thought. Nah, they'd never arrest me for that. They don't care about the money. They just want me singing in their cage. If I stop, they'll do much worse than arrest me.
The door opened.
Hawks jumped, moving so the counter was between him and it—
Miruko spotted him at the counter and paused in the doorway. An expression flashed across her face too quickly for him to decipher and she walked over to the fridge without greeting him, opening it. She grabbed a drink— was that another bottle of alcohol?— and a few foodstuffs and kicked the fridge door shut.
"I'll eat in my room."
She stalked out before he could reply and shut her bedroom door.
Hawks could only stare after her, more stunned than hurt. His nerves drained away and something close to relief replaced them.
Okay, something is definitely up.
"Or she hates us." Orange said snidely.
Hawks adamantly shook his head. No, you don't get it. I know Rumi. She wouldn't act like this unless something really got under her skin. And even then she wouldn't give me the cold shoulder for a week…
"Has she been replaced?" Purple asked sharply. "Like with a clone or something?"
It's concerning that's your first thought. Hawks stomach dropped. Please don't tell me one of the Villains can do that.
"Not yet. They eventually got hold of a Quirk that could turn Quirk-created Hero clones into puppets who would obey the PLF."
Oh. Hawks swallowed. Should I add that to the Future notebook or delay so I don't give Aizawa more things to stress about? At this rate he's going to have grey hair within the month. The joke was weak even to his own ears.
"We'll make a separate notebook covering the Villains in detail." Green decided.
"Back to Miruko." Silver interjected. "What are the chances she has been replaced or hit with a Quirk?"
I have no clue since she isn't staying in a room with me long enough for me to spot anything weird. And I don't remember how she was acting when I first woke up. I might have to ask Aizawa.
"Does the Commission have any brainwashing Quirks?" Green asked. "Or maybe ones that affect emotions and make people more aggressive?"
They probably do. But it's more likely Miruko's just angry. Hawks glanced worriedly toward Miruko's shut door. Should I just confront her?
"Do it. I'm sick of this bullshit." Orange growled.
"That may not be wise." Silver cautioned at the same time.
For once, Hawks had to agree with Orange. Orange is right. It's been over a week. I've given her enough space. And even if she yells at me, she won't hurt me.
"If she's under a Quirk, she might." Green said.
Then I'll fight back and—
"Will you?" Purple challenged.
Hawks scowled and deigned to ignore him. He hesitantly tiptoed to Miruko's closed door and knocked. He heard movement inside but no indication he should come in.
"Rumi? It's me. Obviously." He meant to laugh but it came out as a tired sigh.
"Go away." Miruko's muffled voice came through the door.
Hawks fought the instinct to hastily apologize and retreat. He set his jaw. "No. We're going to talk now."
He opened the door and—
"I SAID GO AWAY!"
A beer bottle hit the wall beside Hawks's head. He froze in place, heart in his throat as he watched trickles of brown liquid drip down the wallpaper. Miruko looked similarly frozen, her arm still raised from when she'd thrown the bottle. The horrified look on her face vanished behind a harsh expression.
"What part of 'go away' do you fail to understand?" she snarled, storming up to him and jabbing him in the chest with her finger.
When Hawks was eighteen, he would have taken one look at her and quickly mumbled an apology before hiding in a small space somewhere and praying she did not follow. Hawks still had half a mind to apologize, but Miruko had taught him to stand his ground. Plus, this was Rumi, not the Commission or Kae— or his parents. She would not hurt him.
"I understand it more than you do since you seem to think I'll leave you upset." he said levelly. "You've been avoiding me all week. I know I can be annoying but isn't that a bit much? If you needed some 'me time'— as in time without my annoying and sassy self— you could just say so."
Miruko did not poke him for his jokes or roll her eyes. Instead she stared at him in stony silence, her only change in expression being the slight twist of her lips, as if she were trying not to show an emotion. There were dark shadows under her eyes, he realized, much like his own. Had she gotten any sleep all week?
He softened his voice. "Rumi, you're not someone who avoids talking about things like this. You don't isolate yourself either. You're blunt and— sometimes over— confident, and you always tell me why you're upset instead of…" He glanced at the dripping alcohol and away. "...wallowing. What's going on?"
She remained silent, lips pressed thin.
"Please, let me help you." Hawks pleaded.
He saw her jaw quiver. "You're such a hypocrite."
Hawks nodded. "I know."
She laughed bitterly. "I'm a hypocrite, too."
"How so?" Hawks asked with deceptive lightness.
Miruko reached up and pushed at his shoulder. There was no strength behind it. "I'm trying to shove you away." Her attempted pun was miserably inefficient because he could hear the choked undertone of her voice.
"It's not working very well." Hawks noted. "I mean, I had my usual self-doubts and existential crises but I'm beginning to suspect you're not angry at me."
Miruko's shoulders slumped. "You're right. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at me." She glanced up and he recognized the look in her eyes now. Fear. "The Commission called me on Saturday. They want me to do something for them and I don't think I have a choice."
The sentence Hawks heard her say made no sense at all. Miruko would never work for the Commission willingly. So what had they done to force her?
She seemed to read his mind. "They know something's weird about your Quirk, Hawks." Hawks felt the blood drain from his face. "Agreeing was the only way I could stop them from dragging you to a lab somewhere. Not even prison or a mental ward. A lab. The President said— She said they were going to— to—"
She was shaking.
Miruko— strong, grinning, laugh-in-the-face-of-danger Rumi— was shaking.
Hawks forced himself to speak. "Rumi, I can handle—"
"No. You are not 'handling' anything. And it's not your fault." Miruko stated. Hawks had to wonder if she really could read his mind. "I stepped over the line too many times and they got pissed at me. They would have found another excuse to threaten you to make me do what they say." She lurched towards him, movements haphazard as if she were drunk, and yanked him into one of her patented bone-crushing hugs. "You need to promise me something." She hugged him as tightly as she could, nearly squeezing the air from his lungs. "Don't let them coerce you into anything. I don't care if they threaten me, or offer to release me if you submit and be their cadaver. You're not doing it, understand?"
"They already own me, Rumi." Hawks whispered. "If I could get you out—"
"I won't forgive you." Miruko stated. She sounded completely calm but her eyes were glassy.
Hawks wanted to argue. He really did. In fact, he was already compiling plans to offer himself up like a lamb to the slaughter— and studiously ignoring the voices' protests that he didn't. He had to worry about them surviving too but damn it. He was the one trapped by the Commission. Miruko shouldn't become another pawn in their chess set. Certainly not for him. Knowing she'd argue, he wisely kept those thoughts to himself— well, he kept them from Miruko.
"So they threatened me?" he said with a casualness more appropriate for commentary on the weather. "That's why you've been so grumpy all week? You thought you'd act distant to try to scare me off? I don't know if I should be offended that you thought I wouldn't notice something was wrong or horrified you thought that would work. Your deception skills are terrible."
Miruko burst out laughing.
It was not the kind of laughter he wanted or expected.
It was desperate and hysterical, like the laugh of someone who saw they'd been badly injured and realized they were dying.
To Hawks's horror, tears streamed down Miruko's cheeks as she continued to laugh. Even worse, the laughter did not reach her red eyes, giving them a dull, empty look. She stared at him with those haunted, tear-filled eyes and kept on grinning so widely he was sure it hurt.
"I'm going to die." She giggled. "They're sending me on a suicide mission."
That changed everything.
"What do you need?" Hawks asked instantly. "When's the mission? Which Commission agents are involved? Depending on who it is we might have time to—"
He remembered the apartment was bugged and cut himself off, silently continuing his thought process on how to fake Miruko's death and get her out of the country. Yes, they would know he had done something but if he could get Miruko out he could face whatever punishment they gave him. He would not break and tell them where she was.
"Remembered our eavesdroppers, huh?" Miruko asked bitterly. "They'll probably give me shit for telling you but they don't own me." Her voice lowered to a hiss, and Hawks found relief in the reminder that Miruko would not just roll over and die like the Commission wanted. "They're not sending me to die. Not specifically. I've just been sent a long-term mission I'm definitely unsuited for. As in 'I could make a rookie mistake and get myself killed' unsuited for. So if I die on this mission, what a fucking tragedy it'd be, right?" Her smile did not reach her eyes again. "I mean, can you picture me as a spy?"
Hawks couldn't breathe. Flashes of gruesome wounds, missing wings, and horrific torture burned their way through his consciousness and he smelled blood and burnt flesh.
"No." Yellow whispered.
"It can't be..." Pink breathed, horrified.
Hawks barely noticed as Green accidentally took over, slipping silently into the background as everything turned grey.
"Who?" Green croaked, using Hawks's mouth.
Miruko did not seem to notice the change. She was laughing again, likely so she would not begin throwing more things or cry.
"They want me to infiltrate this Villain organization called the Meta Liberation Army to 'bring it down from the inside'. Ha! Can you picture it? Me, walking up to a MLA member and saying I want to join their Destro-worshiping cult." She laughed and laughed as her smile never reached her eyes and her nails bit into her palms hard enough to leave drips of blood on her hands. "What a fucking joke."
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A/N: Next update will be the 2nd-ish.
