Chapter Twenty-Four: Change the Future

His arm was gone.

His arm was gone.

Hawks stared at the bleeding stump, too stunned to scream, and was backhanded into concrete. Before he could rise, a giant hand grabbed his hair and yanked him upward. He struggled, clawing at the fingers wrapped around his skull with his remaining hand as his vision blackened.

Someone was screaming.

He had to fight—

He had to—

Don't pass out don't pass out. Pass out and we're both dead

The Nomu lifted Hawks up to its face and familiar, sunken blue eyes stared out at him, glassy and unfocused. Dead. Lingering strands of yellow hair clung feebly to the blackened head, which looked more like a caved-in animal's skull than that of a person. They surrounded the exposed brain of the creature like a warped, bloody halo.

The Nomu was smiling. It's smile was so wide it may have appeared genuine if not for the frozen nature of its grin. Hawks wondered if Shigaraki did that on purpose, just to mock them with their failure.

A blur of green hit the Nomu but it may as well be a bird flying into a mountain. Of course it was Deku, the idiot. Instead of using all his power to blast the Nomu to bits, he was wasting time pleading with it. What did he think he was he doing—? The Nomu did not seem to even notice the green-suited Hero attacking it, screaming all the while to "Let him go! All Might, please! Let him go!"

The Nomu paid him no mind, focused on slowly tightening its grip on its victim. Slowly, sadistically, because Shigaraki wanted them to suffer as much as possible before they died. Tears filled Hawks eyes, but not from fear. Never from fear.

He knew All Might was gone.

He knew it even if Deku did not.

Deku, who pleaded with All Might to stop even as his beloved Hero backhanded him through a wall and knocked him unconscious. The Quirks that bastard of a doctor had pumped into the former Symbol of Peace had warped him beyond saving. Shigaraki had done what he set out to do— turned All Might's smile into a thing of fear— and there was nothing he or Deku could do about it.

They couldn't save All Might.

But they couldn't die here.

He knew the Nomu's orders. Everyone did. They'd heard them from Shigaraki's bloodstained mouth as he hijacked the news to show off his creation.

"Kill every non-Villain you see."

Shigaraki had given that order on the edge of Mustafu and set his creation loose.

By the time the Heroes mobilized— mere minutes after Shigaraki's message— All Might's Nomu had already torn apart more people than he could count. Young, old, Hero or civilian; all of them were stalked without mercy, too slow or too weak or too terrified to escape the 'new and improved' Symbol of Peace.

People did escape, fleeing from Mustafu as a city-wide evacuation was ordered but the Nomu kept going, always moving, never resting, killing like the single, unstoppable recipient of a desire to wipe out humanity as a whole. Everywhere the Nomu went, he smiled and laughed like a distorted mockery of the person it was, saying the only phrase that Shigaraki let it.

"I̴̱͛.̶̖̀.̸̛̠.̵̨̆ ̷̼́Ǎ̶̯M̶̯͗.̷̠̆.̸̠̆.̴̨͆ ̷̗̐H̴̤́E̷͚͆Ṟ̶̏Ë̵̦́!̷̯̿"

Once a phrase of hope and relief, now its utterance brought nothing but fear.

He and Deku realized he would never stop until he was stopped.

And they knew they had to be the ones to do it.

They'd decided it, they accepted it, because they were the ones meant to carry on All Might's slowly-crumbling legacy.

But now, All Might would kill him, then Deku, then more and more innocents.

Death after death after death until some lucky bastard brought him down.

He couldn't let this Nomu kill more people.

He couldn't let it kill his friend.

So he lifted his remaining hand and pressed it against All Might's ruined face—

Bzzzz.

Bzzzz.

Bzzzz.

Hawks opened blurry eyes and stifled a scream, flailing in the dark until his hand came into contact with his phone. He got a glimpse of the time— 2:30— before seeing the number and immediately answered.

"What's wrong?"

"Is that always your normal greeting?" Aizawa asked, sounding as awake as he usually did despite the hour.

In other words, he sounded as exhausted as Hawks felt. Naturally the nocturnal Hero had to call Hawks the one time he managed to sleep, though he should be grateful he'd been woken. He felt a giant hand squeezing his skull and repressed a flinch.

"Maybe." He got up and started putting on his shoes. "And that didn't answer my—"

What if this is about Tokoyami or Eri?

Hawks was only stopped from flying out the window by Aizawa's next words.

"Everything's fine. I simply wanted you to clarify something."

Hawks heard the crinkle of paper and realized Aizawa must be looking at his notes as some late-night reading. How the man didn't get nightmares was beyond him. Or maybe he already did, so what was a few more? Hawks switched his phone to his other ear and rubbed his left bicep, rocking back and forth as he tried to figure out how to tell Aizawa about the danger Tokoyami was in. And the UA traitor. And—

"I'm not sure I can right now." Hawks said, glancing around Miruko's apartment. "And couldn't it wait until morning?"

"No. I'm looking at your notes on the League and I have a couple questions about the portal Villain, Kurogiri."

Panic tore through the voices.

"He can't know." Green gasped.

Hawks jumped, startled by the unexpected exclamation. Know what?

He got the impression of Green shaking his head. "Don't mention our reaction. We'll deal with this after we capture Shigaraki."

Hawks glanced around anxiously again. "Well, ask away and I can tell you later."

"Why not n— Oh." Aizawa paused. "I forgot about your… observers."

Hawks's lips twitched. "How long has it been since you last slept?"

"Hmph."

"A while, then." He grabbed a feather and twirled it between his fingertips. "Can you give me any hints what caught your eye?"

"Nothing in particular." Aizawa murmured. "Just the way you described Kurogiri's abilities seemed… familiar. He has multiple Quirks mashed together? Like a Nomu?"

The voices shuddered.

Hawks repressed a wince. "In a way."

"I see." Aizawa sounded more confused than disturbed, as if two puzzle pieces he'd been staring at were not fitting together. "Well, I apologize for waking you."

"Eh, it's fine. You should get to sleep."

"You are a hypocrite."

"Says you, Hypocrite-sensei."

Aizawa muttered something uncomplimentary and hung up.

Hawks slowly set his phone down and leaned back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Orange?

"Fuck off."

Hawks shivered, still feeling the Nomu's crushing grip on his head, and grasped his left arm— still there. It won't happen. Orange, we won't let—

"SHUT UP!"

Orange tried and failed to retreat as the walls denied him any type of privacy, leaving his emotions bitterly exposed. Fury, helplessness, and sorrow tore through Hawks and he curled up, choking on air. Green's grief only made it worse, so potent even the other voices' emotions were drowned in it. Hawks choked on Green's unshod tears.

"Kaa— Orange, back then I thought you were talking about Dark Shadow and the forest…"

"Well 'the forest' eventually led to that, didn't it, Deku?"

Orange snarled the nickname like the insult it once was, with anger and hatred and vitriol. Except he could not hide the pain behind it, the regrets he could not mask and in no way wanted to share. Hawks's vision was blurry and he realized it was not because of Green anymore.

"I told you I killed All Might."

Orange retreated into his room and did not emerge for the rest of the night.

XXXXXXX

The day of the mall incident arrived.

Hawks worked his acting skills to the limit to keep some facade of calm. The voices were not making it any easier. They all— for lack of a better word— feared what may happen today.

They could arrest Shigaraki with little issue and prepare for a counterattack from the blooming League of Villains, they could fail and get people a bunch of people killed, or they could arrest him and draw the immediate ire of the Villain that All Might himself could hardly beat. It did not ease his nerves any that Green could not remember where exactly he had run into Shigaraki, which may prevent them from finding him before the Villain reached young Izuku Midoriya.

At least Aizawa should help minimize the risk of casualties. While Miruko was ignorant to their true mission, Aizawa was completely in the know.

Hawks still had trouble believing the Underground Hero had such a quick change of heart and the fear that he was being tricked haunted his nightmares. If Orange gruffly reassured him he was not locked away when he woke with a plea to be let go on his lips a few times this past week, no one mentioned it during the day. Orange's own problems went similarly unaddressed, mostly because Orange outright refused to talk about them.

Despite the lingering discomfort, Hawks found some relief when Aizawa arrived to pick him and Miruko up before two. Hawks had bluffed and said he badgered Aizawa into going on a shopping trip after seeing an atrocious outfit he wanted to put Eri in. It wasn't a complete lie. Eri needed clothes and Aizawa needed fashion advice.

He could only hope that Miruko would not end up distracted by adorable child clothes when they needed her. Though Hawks had the feeling she thought he was trying to distract her from her mission. Well, he was, but that wasn't his main goal today.

"So you know the plan?" Green asked as they got into the car.

Obviously Hawks did but he didn't blame him for asking. Honestly, Hawks could use the reassurance too. Yes.

"And you know the plan if the first one doesn't work?"

Yes.

"And the ones if Shigaraki has allies nearby?"

Yes.

Green took a shuddering breath. "Sorry. We just have so much to lose today."

I know, Hawks acknowledged while ignoring the queasy feeling in his stomach. But we'll have Rumi with us. And Eraserhead will be lurking nearby. He can stop Shigaraki from using his Quirk.

"I know." Green echoed. "But what will Kurogiri and All For One do? What if they teleport a horde of Nomu into the mall?"

"Then Hawks will do his feather schtick and get them out of the way." Orange said bluntly. "Stop worrying so much, nerd. It's annoying."

None of them confronted him on his hypocrisy since he was worrying just as much, releasing flashing memories of public streets filled with bodies from the All Might Nomu's rampage.

Not thinking about that. Hawks looked out the window and saw they were pulling up to the mall. If the worst comes to pass, who should take control?

"Red or White." Pink said instantly. "They're our best long-distance fighters."

"As in they'll blow Shigaraki's fucking head off." Orange growled.

"Perhaps I should have made another gun..." Red murmured, almost to herself.

Heroes aren't supposed to kill, Hawks reminded them sternly. But if it's a choice between his life and an innocent's…

"We'll take the blame if it's our call." Silver stated. Hawks got the oddest sensation of him moving his glasses up his nose. Was it just him or had their presences become even clearer lately?

I hope it doesn't come to that. Hawks admitted.

He walked with Miruko and Aizawa into the mall, adjusting his green bandanna as he went. He and Rumi were in 'incognito' outfits again. Aizawa simply wore a baseball cap, shirt and sweatpants that might actually be pajamas. It was difficult to tell. But hey, Hawks was not one to turn up his nose at comfortable clothes. He only showed revulsion at that horrid sweater Aizawa thought was 'cute'. How could a man who appreciated the adorableness of kittens not know puce and mustard yellow should never be worn by anyone?

As Hawks wandered through the mall he bumped into another person. They faltered and he instinctively clasped their hand, keeping them upright.

"Sorry—"

He spotted a black hoodie and tensed, only to see a blank mask underneath the hood. It completely covered their face except for their eyes, which seemed to be a shade of green. Or maybe blue? It was hard to tell in the mall's lighting. But they were not acidic green lik̸͂̚ͅe̵̥͌— Heartbreak's had been. And— more importantly— they were not Shigaraki's bright red.

Hawks released the person and cleared his throat. "Sorry. You okay?"

Those eyes blinked at him, narrowing slightly as if they were trying to process the question.

"Fine." they said lowly.

Their pronunciation was odd and muffled, like they were unused to speaking. Or maybe it was the mask that made their voice a little odd? Why wear a full mask to cover their face anyway? Hawks wondered what mutation they were hiding and felt ashamed for assuming they had one. Before he could respond, Miruko noticed she was not with him.

"Oi!" Miruko called back at him. "You coming or what?"

"We are on a schedule." Silver reminded him tightly.

"I have to go." Hawks said hurriedly. "Sorry for bumping into you."

He hurried after Miruko and they started combing through the mall.

Hawks did not let himself be distracted by shopping as the minutes passed. Aizawa seemed perfectly at ease, as if this were a mere shopping trip, yet Hawks could not calm down.

As he followed Miruko towards a men's store— she was planning to trap Aizawa in a fitting room until he bought something that wasn't pajamas, sweatpants, or black— he spotted Midoriya just as he was grabbed by a man in a black hoodie. Crap, they hadn't found Shigaraki before he found Deku. His and the voices' nervousness vanished, replaced by a hyper-sharp focus.

"Can we sit for a minute? I need a breather."

Aizawa's eyes snapped to him as he used their agreed upon code but his expression did not change. "You are looking a little pale."

That wasn't part of the code. Hawks resisted the urge to glare as Miruko reached over and felt his forehead.

"Your skin is clammy." She worried. "Let's sit for a sec."

She took his arm and frog marched him to some seats. Hawks sat and set his bags beside him, pretending to relax as he glanced casually around. Around the corner, nearly hidden by the plants between them, he spotted green hair beside a black hoodie. His pulse quickened and Green took a shaky breath. From this angle he could just see Shigaraki's pale fingers around Midoriya's neck.

A bubble of rage built in his chest. How could no one see that man had his hand around a kid's throat? He motioned subtly to Miruko and leaned on her, keeping his voice low. "Seven o'clock. Black sweatshirt. He has his hand around the kid's neck."

Miruko stiffened and Hawks tried not to think about how obvious her anger was.

Don't think about her mission don't think about her mission focus on the now—

"Aizawa, you got him?" Hawks asked levelly.

He could see a muscle jumping in Aizawa's throat. "Yes."

Hawks inhaled. Exhaled. The sounds of chatter and laughing— blissfully ignorant— civilians faded away, leaving only the sounds of Midoriya's sharp breathing and Shigaraki's low voice.

"—I'll create a world without All Might. And cause enough destruction to show them all how fragile their justice really is. From this day forward… that's my conviction."

Red hot anger erupted in Hawks's chest, and he knew it was not completely his own.

We won't let you.

Feathers shot from loose green sleeves. They did not spark, or explode, or catch on fire or turn into knives. They did not glow with golden light. They did not need to. Not for this. Because Tomura Shigaraki was not the Symbol of Fear, Leader of the League of Villains and Paranormal Liberation Front, destroyer of Hero Society and the peaceful world.

And if they had any say, he never would be.

Feathers caught the loose fabric of Shigaraki's sweatshirt and yanked his arm back as another feather slipped under his middle finger, keeping it away from Midoriya's skin. As soon as they were torn from the teen's neck, Hawks covered a couple of Shigaraki's other fingers with two separate feathers as an extra precaution. If he couldn't touch the feathers with all of them he should not be able to use his Quirk.

Four more feathers separated villain and teen completely, yanking them away from each other. Midoriya was safely caught before he could hit the ground but Shigaraki flew several feet, propelled by telekinetically controlled fletchettes.

A few civilians screamed. Hawks immediately summoned his recognizable wings out from under his clothes and to his back as he grabbed Shigaraki and slammed him face down on the tile floor. The shrieks around him became relieved gasps and excited squeals and he already heard a couple people searching desperately for something for Hawks to sign. He focused on his target. Shigaraki thrashed and spat curses at him and Heroes in general but could not break free, with Hawks expertly keeping him pinned. Midoriya stared at Hawks in shock, his green eyes standing out starkly against his pale skin.

"You okay, kid?" Hawks asked rapidly.

Midoriya nodded mutely. Somehow, his skin lost a few more shades of color as he processed what had nearly happened.

"We need to stop meeting like this." Hawks muttered.

"Deku!"

A girl he recognized as Ochaco Uraraka burst out of the crowd of onlookers and ran up to Midoriya. She knelt at his side, gripping his shoulders with oddly-bent fingers as she checked him for injury.

"Are you alright? You—" She glanced at Hawks and did a double-take. "H-Hawks?"

"Hello." Hawks greeted distractedly.

In his defense he was a little busy watching as Miruko stalked towards Shigaraki. She looked more like a lioness prowling towards a downed gazelle than a rabbit and he wondered if he might actually have to hold her back a bit. She did tend to get angry when kids were almost hurt. She was much like Aizaw in that regard. Hawks had no idea where Eraserhead himself was. Probably keeping a low profile or watching for more trouble. As Miruko put Shigaraki in cuffs— with Hawks's feathers still covering his fingers— Hawks scanned the area for any more unfriendly faces.

Midoriya chose that moment to jolt out of his stupor. "Hawks? What are you doing here?"

Hawks scratched his cheek and watched Miruko cheerfully dig her knee into Shigaraki's back with more force than was strictly necessary. "Miruko and I were shopping."

"Y-You acted so quickly." Midoriya squeaked. Hawks temporarily abandoned his search and checked the kid for shock. His pulse was steady, if a little quick. It seemed he just hadn't fully comprehended he'd been rescued yet. "I didn't even see you move."

"Speed is kinda my thing." Hawks said vaguely.

Midoriya began muttering to himself. From what Hawks could gather, he was trying to calculate the velocity of his feathers. Hawks began his cursory scanning again— he had to check, just in case— but felt his lips twitch. The kid would be fine—

Hawks spotted another black-hooded figure in the crowd and his heartbeat doubled.

He could see a bit of the face under that hood.

It was Dabi.

White's emotions struck him, clouding his thoughts with a chaotic mixture of rage, sorrow, and guilt. Hawks and the voices— including White— pushed them into a corner because they needed to focus. To their surprise, Dabi did not step in and start burning the mall down. Then again, Dabi hadn't been the type to attack civilians. Not yet, anyway.

Cold— familiar— blue eyes met Hawks's and went wide before narrowing into slits. Before Hawks could tense and call on a feather— as White's ice and fire rose just under the surface of his skin— Dabi turned away, disappearing into the crowd.

Most importantly, he did not assist Shigaraki.

Hawks's unease multiplied by nine.

"He was probably sent here to monitor Shigaraki." Green said nervously.

Then why didn't he step in?

"Dabi did not care much about the League's other members." White said. "He just wants Endeavor taken down. It was after that happened and he survived again that he started burning the world down."

Let me guess; He thought he would die taking Endeavor with him and didn't take it well when he lived past his planned 'expiration date'.

"Correct." White said stoically but Hawks could feel his grief. He went on to explain in a completely toneless voice, and Hawks almost wished he didn't. "That and... Dabi and Endeavor's battle killed Mom along with my father."

Oh.

Hawks numbly watched the police drag Shigaraki away, accompanied by Eraserhead, Miruko, and the recently-arrived Edgeshot. He remained at Midoriya's side for now, just in case. The kid was calming down, though a sheen of sweat covered his skin.

If we tell Dabi we're investigating Endeavor—

"He won't give up on vengeance." White stated flatly. "He wants Endeavor dead."

How much? Hawks asked just short of desperately, almost as if it were his brother he was talking about and not White's.

Ironically, White was logically distant and cold. "Enough that he will be willing to hurt innocents soon."

What about his siblings?

White flinched, his stoic exterior cracking. "No."

Sorry, I didn't think—

"This is not about my non-existent relationship with Touya." White interrupted. "And to answer your question, he will hurt his siblings too, eventually. Even Natsuo." His voice grew softer. "Touya is dead."

Hawks felt uneasy. He was closest to Natsuo?

"Yes. Natsuo loved Touya and never forgave Endeavor for killing him." White's stoic voice shook. "But Dabi took his Quirk for his own gain and murdered my brother anyway. Touya. Is. Dead."

Hawks had nothing he could say to that. Aizawa returned to take care of his wayward students and Hawks went with the police to take Shigaraki to a very secure cell.

The future Symbol of Fear and leader of the Paranormal Liberation Front had been arrested.

None of them celebrated.

They knew this would not be the end of it.

What are the chances the League of Villains' first bonding exercise is going to be a prisoner convoy attack?

"One hundred percent." Purple said flatly. "They're going to try to release him, likely during transit. They're not ready to break someone out of Tartarus. Not yet."

XXXXXXX

Izuku's legs still felt like jelly as he answered the police and Detective Tsukauchi's questions. His classmates lingered nearby, but none of them had much to add to the tale except Uraraka, who had arrived near the end. Izuku tried not to think about what might have happened if Hawks had not been nearby… so of course he did. As he told a policeman as much as he could remember— including what Shigaraki said— he closed his hands into fists, hoping it would stop their tremors.

Tsukauchi spoke to his fellow officer and guided him away to a quieter area, away from the crowds of onlookers wondering what had happened. A familiar skeletal figure waited and Izuku felt his lingering terror ease.

"All Might!"

All Might— in his emancipated form— made a shushing motion. "Not so loud, young Midoriya. There's no telling who is nearby."

"Sorr—" Before Izuku could apologize, All Might's hand landed on his head.

He ruffled his green locks once, but Izuku felt his thin fingers shake. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry I was not there to save you."

"I'm fine. Hawks was there. He helped me." Izuku reminded both All Might and himself.

All Might's words served only as a reminder of what Shigaraki said, and although Izuku's thoughts went to Shigaraki and the civilians that lingered even now— How many were unaware that they had been so close to death?— they also went further back, to a cold night street in Hosu. Shigaraki mocked Heroes for being unable to save everyone. Was he talking about the Nomu as well? Or did he not count them as human and thus 'savable', as many did not?

"All Might..." He found himself asking. "…are there times you can't save everyone?"

All Might's brow lowered and his lips twisted into a sorrowful frown. "Yes. A lot, unfortunately."

But you've never lost anyone after you've arrived at the scene…

After. But what about before?

Izuku nodded slowly and kept his gaze down, gripping the strap of his backpack. When he was a child, he had thought Heroes saved every person, no matter the odds. A part of him still believed that, but he also knew they had their limits. Like today. If Hawks and Miruko had not been there, it would have taken time for Heroes to arrive if Shigaraki made a scene. How many innocents would have died in that time? Izuku never wanted to find out.

"Izuku!"

Inko Midoriya appeared at the end of the hall and ran towards them, tears in her eyes. She grabbed Izuku and hugged him so tightly he thought his ribs might break.

"You're safe." she sobbed. "Oh, you're safe. My heart can't take this anymore…"

"I'm alright, Mom." Izuku reassured her. "Don't cry. Hawks saved me."

"That's right..." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes with a handkerchief. "I need to thank him. This is the second time he's saved my son."

Her words struck a chord with Izuku and he felt himself relax, sinking into his mother's warm arms. It was true that Heroes were not always there to save everyone, but Hawks had been today. There was no point in brooding over what could have happened because this time, everything turned out okay.

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it, Mom."

XXXXXXX

Shinso was so exhausted he could barely put one foot in front of the other. His training had been shorter than usual today since his teacher had other matters to take care of earlier, but his muscles and lungs still burned as much as ever. Despite his aches and exhaustion, he felt oddly exhilarated. His calf muscle cramped up and he winced, stumbling a bit before he found his balance once more.

Aizawa noticed. "You can stay at the apartment again. Go ahead and shower."

"Yes, Sensei." Shinso replied.

He followed Aizawa hom— to the teachers' apartments. It was a usual routine nowadays. Aizawa worked Shinso hard and offered to let him stay instead of traveling. Shinso had accepted the invitation so much Aizawa's place felt more like home than home sometimes. He was not about to complain about going to bed in a guest room that was practically his.

His training with Aizawa was already paying off. Shinso could see he had bulked up compared to where he started. Thanks to Aizawa, he might just have a chance to fulfill his dream of becoming a Hero.

I'm getting closer, he thought proudly as he removed his sweaty clothes. I might actually get there someday.

Shinso showered and changed into the pajamas he'd left for such occasions, climbing into bed. It felt like he had just pulled his blanket up when someone knocked timidly on his door. Shinso blinked and got out of bed, opening it.

Eri peered up at him, clad in light green pajamas with her Hawks plushie clutched in her arms. And here was the difference in the usual routine. Shinso stayed at Aizawa's often but did not interact with Eri much. It would be an exaggeration to say she avoided him but she was certainly shy and cautious. Which was why seeing her now was such a surprise. He knew better than to act it though.

"Hi, Eri." Shinso greeted casually. "Do you need something? Should I get Aizawa?"

She shook her head and looked down at her bare feet.

"Do you want to come in?"

She nodded.

Shinso stepped aside and she scuttled over to his chair, perching on it. Her feet swung Hugh off the ground and he checked to make sure she would not fall off before sitting on his bed.

"What's got you up at—" he checked the time. "—3:30?"

Eri kept her eyes down. He noticed her horn had grown again. Aizawa had warned him that meant her Quirk may act up so he reminded himself to tell his teacher when he had the chance.

"You've known Mister Eraserhead for a long time, right?" She mumbled from behind her hair.

Longer than you, I suppose. "Yes."

Eri's tiny fingers squeezed her plushie, turning white. "How do I make him not mad at me?"

It took Shinso a moment to process her question. What.

There was no way Aizawa was angry at this little kid. She could turn to Vigilantism and Aizawa wouldn't be upset with her.

"Do you want to tell me why you think he's upset with you?" he asked steadily.

Aizawa had been very insistent about ensuring Eri felt like she had a choice. Shinso hoped he'd been clear enough that she didn't have to answer him.

Eri shifted in her seat, head still down. "Mister Aizawa said you have a Quirk that people think is bad." Shinso's breath caught. "But Aizawa says it isn't bad. Right?"

She looked to him for confirmation that she was a good person. Him.

"He's gonna be a Villain someday. Just you wait."

Shinso pushed past the memories. "That's right. Our Quirks are not bad. Neither are we." His eyes narrowed. "Why? Did someone say something to you?"

He wondered if he could convince Aizawa to let him practice his capture techniques on whoever said that to her.

Thankfully, Eri was shaking her head. "Aizawa is the person who reached out their hand and helped you, right? Like Hawks and Ennea helped me?"

It was a bit more complicated than that but Shinso nodded slowly, trying to understand where this was going. "In a way."

Eri hunched in the chair, shoulders quivering. "Mister Aizawa is very nice. He's done a lot for me. But…" Her eyes filled with tears. "He doesn't want me to see Hawks. I heard him tell Mic. He said Hawks shouldn't come over because of me. And I don't know what I did wrong."

Shit.

Shinso knew why Hawks hadn't been over. His Agency had been swarmed with cases, which Aizawa had seen as an opportunity to get Eri to become used to other people without Hawks but she didn't see it that way. From her point of view the one person she trusted absolutely was being kept away from her. Of course she thought she was being punished. Shinso struggled to think of a way to tell her that wasn't the case in a way she would understand.

"Aizawa isn't keeping Hawks away because you did something bad. And he's certainly not keeping Hawks away because of you in general. Hawks is very busy right now is all."

"He wasn't too busy before." Eri mumbled.

Shinso might mistake it for a childish response if not for how sadly she said it, like it truly was somehow her fault that Hawks couldn't visit. He resisted the instinct to ruffle her hair comfortingly— she might not like to be touched— and settled for what he hoped was a reassuring look.

"We can talk to Aizawa about inviting Hawks over if you want."

Her brow furrowed. "We?"

"Of course. You don't have to ask alone if you don't feel like it."

Eri stared at him like he was one of the most confusing people she had ever seen. She quickly ducked her head again. "Can I stay with you? My room is too…" She hesitated. "Big."

Shinso's room wasn't any smaller but he didn't mention it. "Sure. You can grab your pillow and blanket if you'd like."

She nodded and tiptoed to her room, quickly returning. Shinso moved over and— to his surprise— she curled up right next to him with her Hawks plushie still clutched in her arms. Shinso lay on his back and closed his eyes, listening to her breathing even out. Just as he was about to drift off, he heard her whisper.

"Thank you for being nice."

Realizing she thought he was asleep, he stifled a reply. It was only when she fell asleep, breathing softly, that Shinso allowed himself to smile.

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N̷̳͔̉i̵̪̽ç̸̑ȇ̷̡̳ ̴̪͌b̶̫͆i̶̱̱͘r̷͍̽͝ḋ̷̤͇͝.̶̧͊

N̶̥̥͆į̴̟̋͒c̵̳͌̇e̷̛̺̕ ̸̣͔̏ẃ̶̝̜͝ḯ̶̢̖n̶̬͖̑g̵̦̽ḙ̵̾̑d̵͈͓̀ ̸̟̓̈́b̷̪͍̀͠ȉ̷̱r̷̢̞͗d̴̟̉͜.̶̟͋

Ẁ̶̨̛̩i̵͕̳̍n̵̺͎͋g̵̳̐̚e̶̞͐d̸̰͝ ̶͉̉ḇ̶̀̄i̴̘̽̉ŕ̶͍d̶͔͠ ̵̨̝͑͘w̸̹̽a̸̹͂ș̶̥̀ ̸͈̀̽ṉ̵̈́͠ī̶̡̟̄c̸̯̆͒e̵̩̻͋.̵̱̜̽

N̵̫͌͒o̷̯͔̕ț̶̃ ̴̝̀s̸̛̰̙c̸͔̓̀r̸̳̤͗̓e̷̖̠̚̕a̸̳̗͌̈́m̴̰̌̏ ̴̤͙͋̕l̸̫̳̊̑i̸̩̺͌̚k̶̫̓̇ͅḙ̵͉̏ ̴̛͈g̶̰͑̀i̷̺͜͠r̴͚͂l̸̤̩̇ ̵͇̌͜s̴̛̫͓͊c̶͔̟̽̇r̷̨̨̆è̶̫͍a̴̱̎̚m̴̐ͅę̶̩̍̊d̵̮͒͂ ̸̀ͅa̴̼̍̉͜n̵͔̋́d̵͍̉ ̶̊̇ͅw̷͍͝ę̶̞̈́ñ̷̹̓t̸̖͇͛.̷̺̊͝

S̷̥̙̀̃ĥ̷̬̦̽h̴̰̪̕ḧ̷̫.̵̨̦̏

M̷͉̳̅̏á̷͉͇͋s̸̻̣͋̋t̸͉̹͂ĕ̷̩̈ȑ̵̨͓͋ ̸̖̋w̷̻̫̉͝ą̶͇͑͝n̷̤̞͑t̷͇͒e̶͈̓d̸̘͍̈́͂.̶̳͂͋

N̶̰̲͌ī̶̧͐c̶̠͛e̸̠͂͘ ̶͖̫̕w̵̹͊i̴͓͑̐n̷̼͉̈̐g̴͇̯̾ĕ̶̦d̴̖̈́ ̶̯̄̕b̷͉͑í̴͚̯͝r̷̥̿́d̴͍̈́̓.̷͎͑͂

H̴̗͘ė̵͔̥ ̶̞͈̈́̔ŵ̵̢̈á̷̧ń̵͎t̸͉̤̉e̶̜̞͐d̷̻̕.̷͓͋

N̵̨̻̓i̵̫̰̓̇c̷̥̥̐e̶͖̮̍̾ ̷͈̕w̶̹̿̚ï̸̙̗n̸͇͖̓g̷̮̊e̸̞̞̎̀d̵̛̙̪̕ ̸̣͓́b̶͓́̃ǐ̷̪̫̔r̴̩̓d̸̝͓̏͒.̵̯̼̏͛

N̵͎͔̟͆͆ŏ̷̤̦͘t̷̛͓̣̤̏͝-̷̰̹͐͊͝ͅe̶̲͑x̴̟͔̠͒͋͠í̷̼̦s̶͓͊̐̚ẗ̴͙̺ ̸̭̫͐̊̓t̶̞̘͒h̵̯͜͝e̴͖̓͂ͅn̶͉͕̹̿̑.̸̻̼́͒

E̷̲̔̇͘x̵̼̣̗̆̈́ḯ̵̧̲͖͑͝ş̸͔̙͆t̵̀̈́̂ͅ?̵̼͖̃͜

Ä̴͉́̕w̴̢̛̜̻a̵̰͐̓r̶̲̍e̸̟͌͊͆?̸̢̦̖̈́͗͝

Ṡ̶̡̞̈́p̵͓͛é̴̹̇ǎ̴̗k̸̙̱͂i̶̬̱̅n̴͖̄͜g̴̪͊̄.̵̲́

Ḽ̴̏̈i̴̢̩̕s̷̛͇̥t̸̡͒͝ė̴̞̇n̸̮̹̉͒ī̶̹̇n̴͈̦̔͝g̵̩̾.̶̯͎́͝

M̷͎̈́͋ǐ̶͚̘s̷͍̤̏̈́s̷̱̟̏̚i̴̠͆̅o̴̦̫̅́ń̵̰̤̊.̷̪̬͛̀

O̶̺̓͂r̵̖̫͛d̵͍͑̒e̵̛̳͐r̴͎̀̔s̷̝͓͠?̷̠̏

C̵̫͈͋̾à̶̧͑ẗ̶̤c̴̭͇͛h̷̪͕̑́ ̶̺͎̈t̶͇̻̅͋h̵̪̍͜e̵̲̍ ̵͙͕̈́b̷͉̤͗̕i̵̠͓̍r̵͖̝͊̚d̶͍͋ǐ̸̜͛e̴̪̫͂̈́.̷̠̅̂

P̶̛͍̳̐a̸̘͆i̶̘̹͝ṋ̶̝͐ ̵̠́̽w̵̤͗͊ḩ̵̯̍e̵̳̒r̴͎̝̃̉ẹ̴̤͋ ̷̱̎h̵͙̘͂͊ê̶͎͠a̸̹̓d̷̜̒̾ ̶̣̆m̷̟̃̑e̷̺̚̚ ̸̩̍̍ŵ̸̪h̷̛̻ͅọ̸̄ ̵͔͐h̴̲͘ṵ̴̞̍ȓ̷̮t̵̮̬̕s̶̬̓͜ ̶̝̝͊͋p̶̢͓̐ȧ̴͖ĩ̴̡͘n̴̰̂̂?̵͔̏̕

N̵̙̟̂̊o̴͍͘,̸̫̑̔ ̶̱͖͛̕n̵̝̔͘o̴̥͎͐t̵̥̽͠ ̶̠̉͂m̸̼͐͝i̶̠̰̇s̴͙̙͋s̸̮͘i̶̪̊o̷͔̾n̶̠͗.̷̢̪̃͆

C̴̗̦̏a̶̳̓t̵̞͈̀̊c̵̨̾ḣ̸̼̯ ̸̝̪̈́̈t̵̺̄h̸̫̺̑ë̵͕́ ̶̻̦̍b̶̢̪̿̒i̸̹͛r̷͇͙͆̽d̸̙̈́ǐ̴͍̫̇e̶͋͜.̴̳̓̋ͅ

Ń̷̡͈ǫ̸̔̋.̶̛͙͕̎

C̷͓͊́á̷̮̜͂ț̷̢̑̒c̶̖͠h̸̠̄͝ ̴͓̏t̵͕̾̎h̵̟͔̑ȇ̶͉̏ ̴̩̏ḇ̸̉i̸͚͋r̸̟̓d̷͖̾ị̶͠͝e̶̐̕͜.̴̻̞̔

N̸̯͆̿ọ̸̢̾.̵̯̊ ̴̣̊Ṋ̶͓̂O̴͕͖͝T̸̞̜̊ ̶̜̿̈́M̷͘͜I̶͔͚̒S̴̨̤͑̂Ş̶̏̆I̴̬͗̑Ȏ̴̹̌N̸̝̻̂̔.̸̡̒

M̶̮̿a̶͖̽s̸̨̤̅t̵͓̀̈́ẹ̸̓r̵̲͇̈́́ ̷͚̤́ş̸̄̈͜a̶̰̒͜i̸͇̲̾d̵̺͛ ̵̘͚̚n̸̳͈͘o̶͍͆ṫ̵͕ ̷̝͗ỹ̷̡e̸̗͓̔̑t̷͇̎.̴͖̍̔͜

N̴̰͊͠i̷̙̜̓c̴̰̤͂e̴͙̪̽̈́ ̷͖̤͌w̸̹̠̄͆į̸̖͠n̷̜͇̊g̶̙̥͠e̵̜̺͝d̷̪̖̏ ̵͇̻͝b̵̯͈̆̓í̷̺̗͝r̸̬͐d̵̗̺̆͂.̷̯̃

Ẃ̷̨ĩ̷͔͕̄n̴̻̞̽g̴̢̚ẻ̷̡̗͆d̶͓͒ͅ ̴̹̈́́ḃ̶͎̟̍i̸̙̗͋ŗ̷̐̋d̶͇͋͝ ̸̪̋͜w̸͙͌a̶͙̎̍s̴͍̭̀̂ ̷̻͈͒̐n̸͎̰͒͠ī̷̭̻̈́c̷̼̟͗ë̷̘́.̴͔̏̇

F̷̳̺͊ö̷̯̫́̕ļ̸̤͆̄l̵̻̳͑̚ǫ̷͋ẁ̴͙̙ ̵̛̗ť̵͎͘h̷̻́e̷̫̝͌ ̸̮̒͝b̵͕̳͛i̴̘̫̒r̷̩͉̾́d̸̨̋̽i̶̫͋͌e̵̛̗̫̓?̶̣̙̐

Y̷̳̳̒̏ę̶͙̐͑s̶̩̉͝.̶̮̳͘

W̷͚̎̈́a̶͍̐͛t̸̳̓c̴̥͊h̷̢̐ͅ ̵̤͝t̵̰̝͊ĥ̴͙̕ě̸̻̯ ̴͛ͅb̵̬̝͌i̶͇̾r̵̻̻̊d̴̠̥͒̎i̷̲͂ẹ̶̐̅.̴̘̓

Ȳ̴̭͉̊e̵̢͓̎s̶̖̕.̷̳̞̎

Ṉ̶̛̜i̸͉͉͐͠ç̵͕̍ę̶͐ ̶̩́w̸͈̳͑͘i̶̖̔ṉ̵͠g̸̟̟͐̈e̷̙͋d̶͔̰͘ ̴̂͜ḅ̸̊͊͜ḯ̷̟̬̓r̶̘̀̈́d̴͑͆ͅ.̶̩̺̀̊

W̶̦̳̚i̷̼͆ͅn̴̨̅͂g̶͎͕̎e̷̳̘̓̈d̶̲̰͛ ̷͙͋̾͜b̵̮̺͋͂ị̴̼̓r̵̗͖̋d̸͖̦̽́ ̸̣̾͘w̵̫̪̽̂a̸͔͂̅s̸̩̄̀ ̵͍̺̒n̷͓̤̂i̵̥͋̍c̸̰̾͜ḙ̸̆.̷̲͆̓

M̶̯͊̈i̶̡̺̒͒s̴̲̄͘s̸̪̲̋͒ḯ̸̻ơ̸̭͈̏ǹ̸̮̪͠.̶͚̖͂

F̶̤͖̑o̷̠͈͒ĺ̸̲͖͘l̸̺͚̀o̷̙͐ẅ̵̗̫́̓ ̷̘̂t̸̛͈̥͑h̷̭͗̒ě̸̯ ̶̣̒b̵̦͚̑i̸̢͂r̴̞̞͗͒ď̷̨͓͠i̷̭͒̀ȇ̸̥͈.̴̳̃

S̸͎̿̕ͅe̷͍͙̍c̵̢̄̉r̴̞̚͘e̸̻̫̽̈́t̸̺̘͝.̷͉͖͂̽

F̷͓̣͝ȯ̶̭̯ļ̸͑̕l̸̤̯̈́ȍ̵͍͔̇w̸̹͖͋͌ ̴͉̪̔̇t̴̗̏̕h̵̦͕̉e̸̝͐ ̷̢̄ͅb̸͎͕͋i̵͎̦͒r̴̮̈́̎d̶͓́ͅī̷̲̙͐e̴͎͕̊̊.̶̣̫̈́

W̸̡̉̚h̶̡̐̑e̷̘̫̓r̴̺̽ę̶̌̊ ̷͙̄b̴̩̈́i̵̞͘r̵̦̝̿d̵͍̫̍͝i̵̱̓ḛ̶̉̈́'̴̩͛̚s̶̘̍ ̶̧̛͉͘w̷͎̋i̸̙͈͝n̷̟͐̈́g̸͚̊s̵̭̣͊?̴̙̒̍͜

F̵͖̙̑̏o̴̮͈̓̚l̶̘̱̈́l̸̘̊́o̴͇̒̍w̴̼̓ ̷̲͔́t̶̨͓̐̿h̷̢͝e̶͔͆͗ ̶͉̕͘͜b̴̭̩̐̑ḭ̵̈́͝ȓ̷̮d̵͍̈́́i̵̡͖̊ë̶̮̪̊.̸͈̱͛

S̵̛͖̪͠e̷̛͕͍̊c̶͚̑̌r̵̗̝͝͝e̷͓͒͠t̷̜̠̆̈́.̶̘̐̋ ̵̠̎͒S̴̱̕͝t̶͇̻̍e̵̩̐̈́a̴̠͑l̴̤̀t̸̼̠̂ḫ̸̻͒.̴͙̳͛ ̷̡̛͎̃M̷̱̏̃i̷͚͓̿͂s̷͚̰̎͠s̴̛̱̉ͅí̸͎o̸̱̐n̸̦͋̂.̷̩̈́

C̴̛̖̍h̶̻̯̚a̸̭͑n̷͖̓̉g̸̠͌̉ĕ̴̝̱̏d̴̏ͅ ̴̢́͊c̷͓͍̒̎l̵̺̖̈́o̸͎̅t̵͔̾̂h̸̖̤́ẻ̴̦s̸̨̲̍̀ ̵͓̂l̸̞̣̅i̷͔̩͊͑k̸͙̳͘é̴̫ ̵̞͉̔t̶̰̥͐ḧ̴͇̱́̐ẻ̷̦̖y̸̛͕̩ ̸̢͙̀c̶̢̀h̷̞̩́ā̴͔͖n̸̜̘͊̃g̴̢̐ĕ̸͇̟̈d̶͚͎͝ ̸̻̏͘c̴̨̙̅l̸̛̗̙o̵̳͈͗t̵̩̀ḧ̵̼́͗è̸̢͖s̵̭̳̐?̶̣͐

N̷̥͍͛͊o̶̘͗,̵̱͇̂͝ ̶̜̐w̴͎̻̉ã̸̦͑s̷̛̗̟̽ ̸̡̈́ď̸̺̖̔ȋ̵̧̾f̸̺̄̐f̷̘̯̍͝e̶̢̎r̸̝̆e̷̪̜̅n̴̐͆ͅt̷̬͊͒.̸̆̇͜

B̴̢̈l̶̹̽a̴̖̣̓c̴̩̠̋́ḵ̴̼̍̐.̴̰̞̽̃

B̸̹̒̋ī̸̢̖ṛ̸͗̽d̴͓̤͋͝ì̵̧͕̽ē̶͈ ̶̖̔s̶̲̱͛̕e̵͔̜͗͠c̴̦͂̐r̴͎̄e̷̟͒ť̷̩?̷̱͒͒

Ň̷͈̎ī̶̼̗c̷͈̍ȇ̶͎̀ ̷̨̅̈w̸̩̜͌̾ḯ̵̜͖ņ̵͔̇g̵̢̞̀e̴͖͑̃ḓ̵͓̉͌ ̷͎̰̈b̸̰͎̽̍i̶̢͚̇r̶̻͍̍̅d̵̡̜́̑.̴͕̐͝

F̷̉̍ͅo̸̟͑ļ̶̾l̶͙͌̆o̴̝͚̽w̴̡̫͗̕ ̶̗͙̀̂t̴͇͚͊h̵̰͖͊̆e̷̳̫͑ ̵͙͒b̴͓͆̐i̷̪̇̾ř̴͗͜d̴̞͒i̶̲͔̒͘e̵̦̤͌.̶͙̃̐

O̸̢̖͘t̶͔͗͘ḥ̶̖̒e̶̗̽r̷̥̗̆͆s̶̻̪̀͝ ̴̥̔f̸̢̮̈́̚ô̸̼l̶̰̑͠l̵̝͆ǫ̸̲̒w̵̢͕͋ ̴̢̛n̷̮̏i̴͎͗̎c̶̮̀ě̵͚̳ ̸̡̈͐w̴͙̽ĭ̷̧̿n̷͉̄̾g̵̺̳͛ë̸̯̗́d̸͉͉͘ ̴̘̙̂̊b̶͇͋ǐ̷̭̤̔r̶̡͛ḓ̶̿̍.̸̨̝̓

W̸͍̯̆a̶͙̬̿t̵̳͊c̷̪̑̇h̸͕͝i̵̱͌͊n̷͍̭̈ǵ̴͇̗ ̴͕̭̐t̷̢͍̓̕o̵̹̐̅͜ó̷̰̜̓.̵̗͙͋̾

Ś̴̼̏t̵̮̳̎͐o̴̝̝͊̔p̴̡̤͐?̷̪͎̊

K̸͍̉́ȋ̴̡͖̃l̶̖͎̆̚l̴͇̐?̷̞̯̋

N̵̬̈́͛o̶̜̺̊͠.̸̮̈́

H̵̰̍̈e̵̱͖̊r̸̻̊o̷͚̘͂̈́e̶̛̥s̸͑ͅ.̷͇͂͘.̸̜͝.̸̺͆̆ ̶̨͎͌d̵̦͍̓̍ȯ̴͉͈̈́ ̸͍̐̆ṋ̸͂ó̸͓̬͠t̷͉͐̌.̶̳͝

Ḫ̴̜̇̇e̶̪͛̆ȓ̶̳̳̈́o̶͔̟̅?̶̗̭̚̚

N̴̪̿͝ö̸͈́̌.̵̦̑

N̴͙̦̓̿o̸͇̅̌ţ̷͆̂ ̶̰̦̍Ḧ̴̢͇́̈́ë̴̹̤r̴̖̍̕o̶̡͝.̵̹͋͠ͅ

H̴̛̱͉̀e̶̝̯̕r̸̡͂̏ ̴͔͍̽f̶̯̄̑a̵͕̣͑u̸̢͙̕̚l̴̡̨̏t̶̥̄̚.̵̨̠̒

N̴͎̓̔o̴̤̯̙͊͒.̸̲̞̣͌̐

Ȟ̴̳̝̻e̶͙̺̚r̷̗̕ ̶̛̘̼͗f̷̟̱̉̑͘å̷̛̛͍̞u̷̗̱̚l̶͇̩̐̾͜͝t̵̗̿̈̓ ̸̯̃̚w̶͔̄͒͆ḛ̸͆͘-̸̻͌̉̒I̸̦̕ ̵̼͙̗̃̌͆w̸̜͖̌̒͌a̴̧̿̓̍s̵̟̾́͆ ̴̡̛̯͋c̴̦̏̓̐ḁ̵̠͕̂̍̅p̶̭̗̒̔ṫ̶̻̘͋̀u̷͖̓̈ŕ̵̥̼̉̚͜e̴̦̭̞̔d̵͚̒.̸̧̟̾

D̷̤̑͝e̵̦͋͆̀å̸̡̓́d̶̫͎̀ ̴̢͒͐t̶̖̜̗̐͝͝h̷̘͝ȅ̵̢͉̼͋̄n̶̤͐͆̇ ̶͕̉ǹ̵̯̞͉ǫ̶̛̱̙̍̕ẗ̴̰́̒̍ ̴̧̓̽̿d̴̥̒̑e̷̺̋a̶̡̲̜͗͒d̸͈̬̔͐̀.̴̮̌

Ḧ̸̢̢́͜e̷̖͛͠r̸̲̫̲̓̇̅ ̸̮̺̾͝f̸̹̮̣̽̀̿ả̶͖̺͕̍u̸͕̝͒l̵̘̅̋t̵̫̠̹̂̽̈́ ̴͇̮̹̓̈́̂n̴͍̭̜̄͗ḛ̶͉͐̎w̴͖̪̕͜ ̷̯͑͑͠M̸̤͎͐͝a̸͖͍̗͛s̸̜̬̄͂t̴̢͓͔̿̚e̷̘͗̌r̵̨̍̊͜ ̴̭̰̄̕h̴̖͍͕̏͝à̴̝̙̼̾͝ḍ̴̟̰̀̉̂.̷̳̈

S̷̳͓̞̍̀͒ä̷͔͈́̈̅v̶̜̀̈́ë̶̳̥̦͝d̷͉̠̮͐̔̾?̷̨̘͎̀̕

D̵̝̪͆͠ǎ̴̡̗̖m̶̟͌̅͝n̷̠̪̞͝e̸̱̙̥͗̏d̷͕͉͖̎?̴̱̦̣̑̋́

F̴̭́̆̕o̴͖͕͂l̴̢̒ĺ̸̼̀͝o̴͓̊̐̐͜w̷̛̞̗̳̉ȅ̶͖̑͝d̴̛͈̭͌̒.̸̤̚

S̵̡̘͉̓̂͑a̴͖̾ŵ̸͍̞̱̾.̴̞̿

H̴̩̳̄́ë̴̤̦̺ŕ̸̻͖̫̚.̴͕̆

M̷̙̅a̵̺͒͊ṣ̸̐k̸̡͊̐ê̴͍̏d̴̢̺̣̿ ̷̦̋b̴̋̿ͅu̷͎̿̃t̵̛͇̦͐͝ ̸͕̽̆s̷̡̹̬͌a̸̮͖͔͂̽̚w̴̺̬̓.̵̖̱̋

U̵̢͖͓̔n̵͈̭͆̔̈́d̷͖̈͋ę̴͊̾ͅń̴͈̑͋ī̴̱̌͛á̷̢b̵̡͔̌̇ͅl̸̛̪̬̮͒e̸͔̓.̸͓̈́͜

I̴͈̭͗͘̕ẗ̴̠̘́̊ ̴̮̓͌͝w̶̮̯̕a̵̗̔͑s̸̟̠̙̕ ̷̝͔̓h̸̰̀̽e̴̡̬̗̊̀̕r̸͔̠͊̇̈́.̶͎̬̀

H̴̛̱͉̀e̶̝̯̕r̸̡͂̏ ̴͔͍̽f̶̯̄̑a̵͕̣͑u̸̢͙̕̚l̴̡̨̏t̶̥̄̚.̵̨̠̒

N̶͍͎̈́O̷̫͗̚.̷̧̮̎

Ṉ̶̛̜i̸͉͉͐͠ç̵͕̍ę̶͐ ̶̩́w̸͈̳͑͘i̶̖̔ṉ̵͠g̸̟̟͐̈e̷̙͋d̶͔̰͘ ̴̂͜ḅ̸̊͊͜ḯ̷̟̬̓r̶̘̀̈́d̴͑͆ͅ.̶̩̺̀̊

F̶̥̆o̴̪͋̍ĺ̶͙͝l̷̯̜̓̚o̴̼̼̒͂w̶͖̃̓.̴̩͚͒͝

Ṣ̸̪̀è̶̦̥c̴͚̋r̶͇̈́e̶͕͑t̶̞̀͆͜.̷̧̈́͂

M̵̖͓̾a̶̺̖̓̈́š̴̖͘ṱ̷̨́͘ẻ̸̢r̸̡̉ ̷̱͎͋̉w̷͔̌́ͅa̵͖͜͝n̸̢͘ṯ̵̐s̴̤̮̾ ̶̮̈́ͅn̶͕̟͊́í̸̮̌c̵̡͊̈́é̶̦̣͝ ̴̯͕̔ẃ̴̗͉̚i̴̠̗͑͐n̸̝̐̀g̷͓̊̀e̴̠̳̒d̵̻̹̓ ̷͚͗b̴͍̭͛̅ḯ̶̢̩͂r̶̩͂̋ḑ̷̪͐.̸̱͒

M̶̙̫̂i̵̞̎ş̶͎̍͘s̸̭̭͐ỉ̸̻̦̚o̸̮̤͛̚n̶̞̼͒͆.̴͔͎͐

K̵̬̀ĕ̴͈̘ẻ̶̩̊p̴̡̻̊̌ ̸̨͉̀ẃ̵̫ḭ̶͐n̶͉̿g̷̼̬̓͝ê̷̫̚ͅḑ̸͝ ̷̭̊̔b̵͕̜̀̈́i̶͎̇̄r̸̖̉̿d̶̰̱́ ̶̹̹̄̔ẩ̶̱͉l̶̰̗̈́i̵̙͐͠v̶̛̳̯̆ẽ̴͕̝͝ ̴̥͂s̶̰̟͂̔o̷̧̠͛ ̷̮͈̐l̶͎̹͌̀a̷̤͚͐t̸͇͔̎͋ê̸̖̿r̸̙̐̇ ̷͉̦͋g̶͕͑͆i̶͓͌͛v̴̡͐e̸͓͆ ̷̤͊̿t̸̡͂o̵̪͇̅ ̴̲̆͆M̸̻̂ä̵́͜ś̸̛̼t̵̺̀e̴͎̓̏r̶̝̠͂͠?̶̡̙̈́

M̶͍̎i̴̱̅̓s̶̢̛͓s̴̢͇̑i̴͚̬͐͝o̶̠̔ņ̴͂̌,̴̛̗ ̸͕̓͌y̸̭͌ẹ̵̆š̸̨?̵̟̿̇

Ą̶̗̽w̶̛͓̙̿a̶̟̅ī̶̢̭͛t̶͎̯̒͝ ̴̢͂̓f̷̨̒ũ̷̜̘͝r̵̩̫͒̑t̵͕̼̓h̶͔̗̊ḙ̷̅͝r̸̳͑͜ ̸̭̅̕o̶̫̼̍̂r̷̙̄ď̶̼͑ė̶̡͕́r̶͈̈́s̸̱̮̈̑.̸̺̈́

XXXXXXX

It was almost funny how quickly Hawks and the voices' paranoia could be proven right. It took a couple stress-filled days of mounting unease where Hawks threw himself into work and even went out as Ennea to try to keep himself distracted, but on the day of Shigaraki's prison transfer the other shoe finally dropped.

They just did not expect the first problems to come from their side.

Of course, Hawks should have known the Commission would be their obstructive, priority-bungled selves.

Putting away the dangerous leader of the League of Villains that attacked students from UA— who were the future of Hero Society— and publicly said he wanted to destroy everything? Pfft, that wasn't important. Not at all.

The Commission President herself called to inform him he was too busy today.

Apparently, his 'important mission' was a petty thief investigation.

And a photo shoot.

They wanted him to go to a photo shoot instead of accompanying Shigaraki's prison transfer.

"If I did not know better I'd swear they were secretly in All For One's pocket." Purple said flatly.

"Are we sure they aren't?" Green asked, surprisingly cynical.

"Unfortunately, no."

"Don't you mean 'fortunately'?" Pink questioned.

"Nope. If they were working for All For One we'd have an obvious excuse to kick their asses."

"Can we arrest people for being petty bitches?" Orange snarled.

"Perhaps an 'obstructing a Hero' charge would stick…" Silver said thoughtfully.

Hawks knew he was serious and nipped that bad thought at the bud. We are not bringing the Commission to court for that.

"Of course not." White said in his usual, serious tone.

"We have other, worse offenses to try them for." Red added.

Not the time, guys.

It was a really good thing the Commission President had called him instead of demanding a meeting. If she had tried to make him go to her, Miruko might have locked Hawks in his Agency out of fear that he might not emerge from Commission HQ. Hawks wished that wouldn't be an overreaction on her part.

"Ma'am, Shigaraki's transfer is today." Hawks knew it was naive of him, but maybe the Commission President did not realize the date—

"I am aware." she said coolly. "You will not be involved."

So much for that delusion.

"This is ridiculous." Orange snarled. "You aren't Cinderella asking to go to a shitty ball."

"You watched Cinderella?" Yellow asked, surprised.

"Everyone has, dumbass!"

The President was not speaking. Hawks waited a moment and realized she was waiting for him to agree. But he… he shouldn't, right? Heroes were supposed to save people. But if the Commission said no…

"Gold, we need to be there." Green stressed. "The League will attack. The last time they did something like this, Stain was set free. That was before they got their new members. Now they have at least Dabi with them. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest have joined up as well."

Without Shigaraki, will they fall apart? Hawks asked.

"Not with All For One there."

But it'll be a step in the right direction, denying All For One his apprentice.

"Yes."

Hawks's stomach churned but he took a shuddering breath. "I will be accompanying the convoy."

"Would you like to repeat that, Hawks?" the Commission President asked coolly.

Hawks's mouth was dry. "I d-don't think I need to, ma'am."

The Commission President sighed. The sound was mundane and normal and disappointed but it sent a lance of panic through Hawks like a dagger in his chest. He locked his muscles, wings tense and rigid, and tried not to let them shake even though he knew she could not see him.

"Of course not. And so your ungrateful and selfish nature rears its head again." the Commission President said, sounding completely unsurprised.

"You are not selfish." Green whispered before Hawks could do more than flinch. "You are not ungrateful. You're saving people."

"Need I remind you who saved you from that neglected trash heap you called a home?"

"Says the bitch who has trash coming out of her mouth. Don't listen to it." Orange.

"We gave you a life, an education, a chance. Yet this is how you pay us back?"

"Says the people who steal most of your money and time." Red.

"Your parents would have sold you to a trafficking ring the first chance they had."

"They may not have cared, but we do. You're not alone." Pink.

"Without us, you'd have died long ago."

"That's no excuse. What they're doing to you is wrong." Silver.

"We trained you and made you who you are."

"You don't owe them anything." White.

"We used precious time, personnel, and resources to make you into a Hero—"

"They don't own you. You're not their puppet." Yellow.

"—so the very least you could do is show some respect to those that gave you everything and hold your tongue."

"If they really were invested in your Hero career and not stroking their own egos, they wouldn't silence you like this." Purple.

Hawks did not speak. His voice was locked in his mind as the voices' murmurs filled his head with the kind of supposedly selfish thoughts he wasn't supposed to have.

'Supposedly?'

Oh no.

"You will go to your Agency and investigate the thief." The Commission President stated. "Then you will go to the photo shoot. When that is done, you will be driven to my office for a meeting. Am I understood?"

"Don't listen to her, Gold." Green whispered. "You don't have to listen to her."

Hawks should keep quiet.

He should only speak to agree with his —o̴̠̚w̸͇͌ǹ̷ͅè̴̗r̸̙͐— boss.

He should not voice his thoughts, as always.

It was safer for him that way.

But this wasn't about him, and if there was one good thing the Commission taught him, it was to save lives. And he was already wasting time here.

Don't be selfish, Hawks.

But what was 'selfish'?

Hawks knew the answer: putting his safety over that of others. So he clung to that thought, gathered himself, and spoke.

"No. I won't." Hawks wished his voice didn't shake but he forced himself to continue speaking. "My sidekicks can handle the cases for today. I will be completing my mission to get Tomura Shigaraki to a cell in Tartarus. Good day."

He hung up before the panic could fully grip him and laid his head down on the table, trying not to hyperventilate.

How dead am I?

"…I'm fucking proud of you." Orange stated, voice tinged with that pride.

Hawks barely noticed it. What had he done? He should call her back and apologize for being selfish but he wasn't being selfish because making sure Shigaraki was locked in Tartarus was important. That didn't change the fact that he'd openly disobeyed the Commission. Hawks began to shake for some reason as he breathed in sharp, lurching gasps. Oh, was he having another anxiety attack and wasting even more time? Good for him. Real Hero material right there. He rubbed his cold arms, trying to warm them up.

They won't let me get away with this.

"We'll protect you." Silver said firmly.

Hawks probably should have thought something along the lines of 'I don't need your protection.' but all that came out was, You can't.

"Watch us." Green growled.

Hawks gulped and shoved his anxiety down down down where it couldn't reach him for a few hours. He double-checked the security in his headphones as he took to the sky.

Despite his visor, his vision was blurry as the wind blasted into his face. He heard the voices murmuring encouragement, which was kind of weird since he did not need it. He knew his mission. The other stuff could be dealt with later. If he had a later. The Commission would not take his actions well.

For now, Hawks prepared himself for the mission he chose—

Oh no oh no oh— Stop. I'm saving people. Don't regret it.

If they kept Shigaraki in jail— and maybe arrested a few more members of the League in the process— he convinced himself it did not matter what happened to him later. He'd pay any personal price to save the world.

He just hoped he did not drag his friends down with him.

XXXXXXX

A/N: In regards to the All Might-Nomu reveal, I'm so glad I got to this point at last. That reveal was originally supposed to be in chapter eight (after Orange freaked out about Dark Shadow grabbing him/Hawks by the head which Deku mistook for trauma associated with his kidnapping). It didn't feel narratively right for Orange to have that vulnerability just yet so I changed my mind and moved the reveal to here. Because of that change I had to keep double-checking to make sure I didn't accidentally refer to All Might being turned into a Nomu until after this point. I actually had to remove a sentence from chapters ten and nineteen right before posting because I almost forgot that it hadn't been revealed yet (I was going over the files on the site in preparation to post them when I realized the references were there and went "Oh sh-t! Deleting that.") I almost accidentally revealed Nomu-All Might early because of a mistake! Two times! That would've been a bummer, haha. Now I don't have to worry about removing references to that anymore so phew.

Sorry for rambling but I wanted to share just how close I was to messing this up, haha.

Responses to Guest questions:

To Guest (AFO question): Thank you! Since I can't answer your questions through PM, I'll answer them here. Quite simply, Izuku/Green has multiple Quirks (at least he did before ending up in Hawks' head and losing Black Whip and the other OFA-vestige ones as shown in chapter seventeen), has seen AFO's younger self through seeing memories of the First OFA user's life, and Shigaraki is interested in Midoriya so that's why Hawks didn't think it was referring to him. Oh shoot are you not at that part of the manga yet? I hope I didn't just spoil the manga for you. (Although it's a little late for that if you've been reading this story… Maybe oops?) Ciao!

The next update will be the 9th-ish. As always, feel free to ask questions if you have any, even if you're a guest. I'll answer them through PM or in the author's notes. :)