Chapter Twenty-Five: For Their Sakes

Tomura Shigaraki's prison transfer would begin in Tokyo and go all the way to Tartarus. It would take place during the day and although many of the roads were cleared out, Hawks was mentally and physically prepared to evacuate countless civilians.

Orange's annoyance tingled at the edge of his thoughts but Hawks now knew it was because of fear, not simple irritation. Orange would never admit it, especially not to himself, but the thought of losing more people— Just like during that Nomu's rampage— frightened him. And every person— civilian, Hero, policeman, or guard—was a potential hostage and life to lose if the Villains decided to play dirty.

They all knew some members of the League would.

Hawks's thoughts turned to black portals and he gave the area another cursory glance. He had not arrived at the station yet, but one could never be too cautious.

So why were you so twitchy about Aizawa and Kurogiri last night?

"Kurogiri is Aizawa's supposed to be dead best friend from UA, Oboro Shirakumo." Orange said bluntly. "His death was faked—"

"Or he was brought back to life." White said lowly.

"—and he was captured and brainwashed by All For One."

"Our Aizawa found out who he used to be and hesitated during a fight with him." Silver said solemnly.

Hawks did not need to be told how that ended. He had gone through this enough times to predict what was coming and braced himself for the cold grip of their grief.

"Kurogiri sent Nomu to attack us and came himself." White explained stoically. Hawks forced himself not to beg him to stop the story since he already knew how this was going to end. He did not need to hear it. He knew. "Aizawa-sensei decided it was rational to—"

"'Rational' my ass. 'Hypocritical' is more like it." Orange snarled, but his voice was choked.

"...Aizawa was his protective self and tricked us into leaving without him. He said he'd be right behind us but..." White trailed off.

"He stayed behind to fight the Nomu and Kurogiri alone and attempted to reach Shirakumo." Red finished shakily.

Hawks didn't need to be told it hadn't worked. His stomach churned. And what happened to Shir— Kurogiri?

"We think Shirakumo was… there enough to realize what he'd done." Green whispered.

Hawks paused at that. How do you know? I thought you left and Aizawa was… alone.

Because he was braced for it, their sorrow— and horror— was less like an abyss and more like cold water chilling his skin. The weight of their failure— They should have been there.— was still too much to bear and he wrapped his arms around himself in a futile attempt to relieve the pain in his chest.

"He was. They recovered footage of the battle. Kurogiri killed himself after murdering Eraserhead." Purple said flatly.

Hawks imagined how he would react if he became aware he'd been brainwashed, committed countless evils, attacked teenagers, and killed Rumi. He shuddered. Should we attempt a rescue?

"We should try to retrieve Kurogiri and get him help when we have the opportunity." Green said vaguely.

Hawks could tell he was not completely on board with the idea. He didn't blame him. Green only knew Oboro Shirakumo as Kurogiri, the Villain who attacked his friends and killed his teacher. But in that tortured, misty shell might be a person that had no choice, just like the Nomu.

Eri might be able to reverse him into who he used to be… before. Someday.

He knew it might not be possible considering what happened to other Nomu when she tried to use her Quirk on them, but they could hope Kurogiri was a different story since he was a special case.

"Someday." Green echoed. "For today, let's get Shigaraki put away. He might not know the intricacies of All For One's plans but we might get something useful out of him."

That's a good next step if I survive long enough to question him, Hawks thought brightly.

The voices saw through his false cheer.

"We told you that the Commission won't touch you." Pink growled.

Hawks hoped he managed to keep his 'You can't do anything to stop them.' to himself. Yeah. I know what you said.

"But you don't believe we can do it." Orange growled.

I do.

"Liar." Red said gently.

Hawks ignored her and the heavy feeling in his chest.

He arrived and gave another paranoid scan of the area before he landed beside Ingenium. The armored Hero somehow managed to convey his startled reaction through his mask, and Hawks had to stifle the urge to giggle hysterically because he knew he was not expected for this mission and he was probably going to be killed later.

I talked back to and disobeyed the boss who can make my life all kinds of hell and might torture and kill me. Or send me to— He shook himself. Dealing with that later.

Hawks put on a lazy grin and sauntered up to Ingenium.

"Hey. Anything exciting happen yet?" he asked as if nothing could bother him and nothing was wrong. Which were complete lies, by the way. But it was nice to pretend.

Hawks scanned the area once more and accidentally locked eyes with one of Ingenium's sidekicks. The man startled and looked around as if trying to figure out if Hawks was really looking at him. Upon realizing he was, the sidekick waved shyly. Hawks cheerfully waved back.

"Not yet." Ingenium said. He gave Hawks another curious glance. "I'm surprise you could make it. The Hero Commission rep I talked to said you were busy."

Hawks gritted his teeth into a smile. "They tried to make me 'busy'. It didn't work."

Ingenium stared at him wordlessly and he remembered this particular Hero did not know—

"—the Hero Commission is a flaming piece of shit!"

"Hush, Orange."

—what the Hero Commission was really like. Oops.

Hawks awkwardly cleared his throat. "At the mall I saw a suspicious hooded man who fled as soon as I spotted him. He was pretty burned up and smelled like smoke so he might have a fire Quirk."

"Got it. I'll keep an eye out." Ingenium said.

Hawks nearly experienced whiplash at how quickly his word was believed. Usually he had to prepare a presentation and slides for people like the Commission to believe him.

Hawks swallowed another hysterical giggle fit. Your brother is awesome, Silver.

"He is." Silver agreed happily.

If the bigger hitters show up— They all knew he was talking about Kurogiri, Gigantomachia, the Nomu, and All For One himself. —do we do that… merge thing or whatever we did?

"Let's try not to." Green decided. "We can't afford to become catatonic again."

Hopefully our switch out speed is enough then.

There would be cameras and too many witnesses to see Hawks using a new Quirk but it did not matter. The Commission already knew something was weird about Hawks's Quirk and keeping it secret— like the Commission probably would want in order to hold it over him— was not worth losing lives.

"That's right, Gold." Green said.

Hawks did not understand why he sounded so happy.

Before he could mull on it, helmeted figures marched out of the station with a cuffed and gagged Shigaraki in the middle. Their faces were completely covered by large visors with the exception of their mouths. Hawks knew it was for protection— against physical attacks now and more personal forms of retaliation later— but felt a trickle of worry as the group of near-identical guards got into position. It would be way too easy for someone to infiltrate the police escort, especially for Toga. Hell, Toga did not even need to wear a uniform to sneak in. All she needed was to kidnap a guard beforehand, take his or her blood, and go to work.

"Toga has trouble containing her bloodlust. Watch for enthusiasm when there are injuries." Green shuddered and Hawks saw a flash of a girl wearing a Shiketsu High School uniform with a wide, unstable grin. "And disturbing smiles."

Hawks hummed to himself and took a moment to study Shigaraki. He didn't look… angry for once. Sure, there was some vitriol there— particularly towards the Heroes around him— but there was none of the all-encompassing rage Hawks had expected. Maybe… Tenko Shimura wasn't completely gone? Maybe, away from All For One's manipulations, he could—

Hawks recoiled at the thought and shook himself. What was he thinking? This was Shigaraki, the Villain that wanted to destroy Hero Society and had ruined the voices' future. How could he feel sympathy for a Villain who intended to become a mass murderer and think there might be a good person that could be found in there? He was such an ignorant, lazy—

A rush of air sent Hawks into a battle-ready stance but when he saw who had arrived, he immediately lowered his feathers in shock.

The Symbol of Peace himself— freaking All Might— grinned down at him.

"Hello, young Hawks! And Ingenium!" He inclined his head towards the silver-armored Hero, who was likely as shocked as Hawks since he did not return the greeting. "I am here… to assist in this mission."

Hawks managed not to flinch at the phrase, especially now that he knew why it made the voices so panicked. He was half-certain he only managed not to recoil because he was so stunned. Naturally, the best response he could muster was an eloquent and well thought out "Huh?"

Truly, Hawks was a master of socialization and playing it cool.

All Might's smile slipped slightly. "I know I was not expected but this Villain attacked my students. I'd prefer he be locked away."

"He doesn't know Shigaraki is Tenko Shimura." Green breathed as if he himself had forgotten that not-so minor detail.

"Don't tell him." Silver said sharply.

Obviously. Hawks kept his expression neutral. "Yeah, I heard about that. I'd say 'I hope no Nomu show up' but I'm not naive."

All Might nodded solemnly. "I expect we will see some dark portals open along our path. But do not fear: Shigaraki will not be allowed to escape." His bright blue eyes glinted with heroic determination, and Hawks did his best to distance it from the monstrous Nomu he— Crap— Orange and Green had fought. "With him, we may be able to discover who created the Nomu and bring them down."

Hawks hadn't even considered that. If interrogating Shigaraki came up with nothing, he and Aizawa might need to find out a subtle way to get Ujiko on the Heroes' wanted list. "I'm glad you're h— you decided to stop by."

It was then that Shigaraki spotted All Might. In an instant, the hatred Hawks expected crushed anything else that might be there. Shigaraki could not speak with the gag covering his mouth, but the absolutely withering glare he gave the Symbol of Peace was bone-chilling. Hawks had never seen such vitriol in a person before. The look on Shigaraki's face was one of a man who saw the thing that stood for everything he despised, and that there was nothing he would hesitate to do to bring them down. All other emotions Shigaraki may have felt towards All Might and what he represented had been devoured by the utter loathing All For One had encouraged, spreading through everything he was— from his personality to his mind to his very soul— like a virus.

Those unhinged red eyes held no empathy or indecision. They only held a soul-devouring desire to see everything decay, starting with the Symbol of Peace that so many admired.

Despite himself, Hawks wondered how much was because of All For One. He knew he shouldn't since trying to make excuses for Villains was Bad, but he did. It would not affect his performance, though. He had a job to do and a future to save. There was no point in wondering about what-ifs.

A guard put a bag over Shigaraki's head and pushed him towards one of the vehicles. Hawks wondered why they had not done that inside and desperately hoped none of the guards were the petty type who wanted to flaunt the Heroes' 'victory' in the League of Villain leader's face and for him to see All Might was there. Then again, All Might had been an unexpected addition to their party, so that last reason was unlikely.

Hopefully. Though considering the Commission's own pettiness that morning, Hawks was not inclined to give people in power the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

More Heroes arrived and Hawks and the voices were unhappy to note they did not recognize most of them. In hindsight, maybe he should have asked Best Jeanist and Miruko to join the escort. Hawks kept his displeasure off his face as he listened to Silver try to reason with a cursing Orange, the former acknowledging that most higher-ranked Heroes would not be asked to escort a villain like Shigaraki to jail. They did not see the leader of the rag-tag League of Villains as a huge threat. To them, he was little more than a thug. A thug who targeted All Might and UA, but that was nothing new, right?

If only they knew who backed Shigaraki and what he could become.

"He won't get the chance. We won't let him."

If anyone other than Green had said that, that statement would sound much less heroic and a lot more menacing.

Shigaraki was loaded into an armored vehicle, which functioned as one of several identical models. Despite that, Hawks had a feeling All For One or the Doctor had a Quirk at their disposal to tell exactly where Shigaraki would be, along with other surveillance abilities. He suspiciously eyed the cameras strewn around the area and wondered if they were a hindrance more than a help.

He realized Eraserhead was not among the Heroes present, and did a double-take. Why the hell wasn't Aizawa here? He knew about the future and All Might was present despite it being a school day. Why couldn't Eraserhead show up? Logically, Hawks knew he could not be at every mission, but Shigaraki had attacked him and his students. One would think he'd want to take part in this. Plus he'd kinda, sorta, absolutely had been counting on telling Aizawa about Tokoyami before the Commission inevitably came for him.

"I hope everything is okay..." Pink worried.

"Hey, if something was up, Aizawa would call us." Yellow reassured her.

Hawks wanted nothing more than to call Eraserhead and be sure of just things were indeed fine, but there was no time.

The convoy began to move, with the fastest Heroes running or flying alongside it. Hawks stayed far above, keeping an eye on the general area as his fellow Heroes— and to his not-surprise, Mockingjay, who seemed to have her hacker friend keeping an eye on things— murmured updates in his headphones.

They passed through busy streets at what felt like a snail's pace, with policemen standing by barriers and warding off overzealous reporters and curious— foolish— onlookers who watched the procession like it was a parade and not the transfer of a dangerous villain.

They exited the city at what seemed like a crawl, leaving the civilians— potential hostages, all of them— behind as they headed far from civilization.

Every second that ticked by was an eternity to Hawks, and he had half a mind to go to the vehicle that held Shigaraki and demand he just fly him to Tartarus so the long journey would be over in seconds, giving their enemy no time to attack before their leader was locked away. But he could not ask that, no matter how logical and safe that option seemed.

They were thirty-nine minutes away from Tartarus when black mist and sludge-like portals appeared in the air. The first attack— a blue inferno— struck the first vehicle and it veered off the road, hitting a tree before it burst into flames. Hawks stifled a curse and pushed away the grief that his feathers couldn't get inside the locked vehicle— damn it, those measures were meant to keep them safe— and threw a barrage of knife-like feathers as the Villains as they emerged.

"Are they the real ones or clones?" Green murmured.

Hawks made note of his words but did not respond. Dabi threw a wave of flames to meet his feathers but not all of them burned as White used his own Quirk to give them some type of flame-resistance. One hit Mustard right in the forehead— with the blunt force of a hardy metal bar— and he went down before he could release his gas. The Nomu with him were much more durable and barely noticed the fletchettes, charging forward.

A hulking Nomu went for All Might and the Symbol of Peace met him head on. They collided and the air around them exploded, releasing a shockwave that overturned another vehicle. It also hit Hawks and he plummeted a couple feet, righting himself just before he could hit the ground.

Whoever thought going through woods was a good idea had questionable reasoning at the very least. The surrounding trees had already area caught on fire and Hawks could not be more relieved that they were in an isolated forest. On the one hand, no civilians. On the other, the woods were on fire, backup was hours away and… Hawks tried to contact Mockingjay but there was nothing but static. He was less surprised than he probably should be.

Near him, two police officers were yanked off their feet by an invisible force and pulled into the forest, vanishing into the trees. Before Hawks could dive after them, he saw a glint of metal and dodged backwards, avoiding Toga's needle and knife. The villain giggled as she chased after him like a cat stalking a bird and he could practically see hearts in her eyes.

"You're even more beautiful in person." She swooned. "And you'll be even more beautiful than that beaten up."

Disgust coiled in Hawks's gut, from both him and Green. He dodged as she swung at him because there was no way in hell she was getting a single drop of his blood. He used his feathers to cut off her equipment— ignoring her heartbroken wail—and shoved her into the side of a tree. She hit it with a cackle and landed on her feet.

You doing okay, Green?

"I'm fine." he said, though he sounded disturbed.

Hawks sensed he wasn't, but now wasn't the time.

Toga pouted at Hawks, tears in her eyes. "Don't you accept my love?"

"No." he said flatly.

She clapped her hands in delight. "Ooo, I understand! You like to play hard to get. How fun!"

"Don't think I'm ignorant to your game, my Angel. You like playing hard to get, hmm?" A large hand grasped Hawks's jaw and hot breath tickled his ear. "Good. That makes it fun."

Hawks flinched. He forced the memory away and dodged Toga's knife. A silver blur sped towards them and he had to wince as Ingenium collided with Toga, knocking her out with a strike to the temple.

Twice shouted her name and the armored Hero instantly engaged him, forcing the other Villain back. Twice retreated and Ingenium shot away. he launched himself into the air, breaking through Moonfish's teeth with a punch and tackling him to the ground. Despite the situation, seeing Ingenium in action brought a smile to Hawks's face.

A plume of blue flames separated him from Ingenium. Dabi— or possibly a clone of him— emerged from the inferno. Hawks calmly took a feather-sword from his wings as White focused on them, giving them as much fire-resistance as he could without taking over. Hawks felt the other voices' presences spread— most notably Orange and Yellow— as if they too were trying to shield him from the heat. Perhaps that was the only reason Dabi gave what some may mistake for a warning shot that he easily dodged instead of cremating him in an instant.

"So you're the one Twice is so interested in." Dabi scanned him with an utterly bored expression, as if Hawks were barely worth his attention. "Gotta say, I'm not impressed, Hero."

Hawks did not know what to think or feel. White and Silver's conflicting emotions swirled up inside him and his hand shook.

This was Touya Todoroki. This was Shoto's brother. This was Endeavor's abused son.

Except he had chosen to hurt others on the path to destroying his father. Touya had become a member of the League of Villains.

This was Dabi. This was Future Tsuyu's killer. This was a Villain that helped destroy the world.

Except he had not done that yet. Dabi was not a man who wanted to burn the world down. Not at this time.

Should Hawks feel empathy for Touya because of his past?

Should he hate Dabi because what he could become in the future?

He didn't know what to think.

Grief— for Touya, for Tsuyu, for Ojiro, for Natsuo, for Mom— clawed at Hawks's throat and he lowered his feather-blade.

"Touya Todoroki." he whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the flames. Dabi stiffened. "I know what Endeavor did. But this won't stop him from hurting them. This won't bring him down. There are other ways."

Dabi's hauntingly familiar blue eyes narrowed.

"Why are you trying? He won't care. He won't give up." White said tiredly.

A blue inferno exploded in front of Hawks and he threw himself backwards, throwing up an arm. Feathers gathered in front of his forearm, spreading out from his face to his shins, and turned into a thin metal shield. The shield was weak and melted from the heat but it was enough to stop him from burning. He was thrown backwards and hit the ground hard. He looked up and Dabi stared down at him, surrounded by blue flames as the smell of burning flesh wafted through the hot air.

"Stain said you're a true Hero, Hawks." Dabi murmured. "But what kind of Hero wants to shake things up?" He looked at Hawks as a sardonic, wild grin stretched the staples on his face until they bled. "Be careful where you fly, Hero. Or those soft wings of yours will burn."

Hawks almost had to laugh at that. Thanks for the warning but I'm already too close to the sun.

Dabi vanished into the flames.

Hawks watched him go as White and Silver's exhausted confusion tickled at his mind.

"I don't understand him at all."

He could not tell which one said that.

Another Dabi lunged for Hawks but he knew it was a fake. He instantly bisected it and rose above the flames, searching for the next enemy. He saw Spinner heading towards one of the few remaining vehicles— the one Shigaraki was in— and threw a feather. It just missed the edge of Spinner's hand as he reached for the door and he yelped, startled but unhurt.

"Agh! Hot!" A male voice screamed, on the verge of pained.

Hawks saw a humanoid black figure trapped in the blue flames and felt a surge of panic. Before he realized what he was doing, he dove into the fire and grabbed Twice, pulling him away from the inferno. To his surprise, Twice did not struggle and let Hawks set him down without a fuss.

"Damn Dabi is trying to kill me! Asshole! I don't look good crispy-fried." Twice glanced Hawks's way and gave him a double thumbs up. "Thanks for the save, buddy. Woo, those flames were toasty—"

Twice looked twice and realized who had saved him. Even with the mask, Hawks could see the horror in his expression. The Villain shifted back and forth indecisively and a part of Hawks realized he should probably be fighting him right now.

He did not attack.

Neither did Twice.

"Oh." Twice said lamely. "It's you. Uh. Have at thee, Hero...?" Twice trailed off and glanced away, almost as if he was ashamed. "…I can't."

Twice abruptly ran to the side— avoiding Hawks completely— to attack a guard. Behind him, the Nomu All Might had been facing went down with the Symbol of Peace standing victoriously.

Hawks had no time to celebrate. He made to take to the air to gain a bird's eye view of the battle, but something grabbed his foot and yanked him down. He instinctively stabbed the muscle-like tendons but his feather did not cut through. Muscular grabbed him by the throat and grinned at him sadistically, muscle fibers writhing in excitement.

"You're a weak one, aren't you?"

Hawks's feather-blade skidded harmlessly against his muscle-augmented skin.

Muscular's sadistic grin widened. "Show me your blood, birdie."

Hawks felt a flicker from Red and the feather in his palm turned to metal. He raised his hand, and stabbed Muscular straight in his remaining eye.

The Villain screamed and released him, clutching at his face.

Hawks saw the sidekick from earlier sneaking up behind him and opened his mouth to call a warning to the man to get back—

The back of Muscular's head exploded.

The sidekick behind the Villain fell with eerie grace, tipping to the side with blood dripping from a hole in his cheek as the light in his eyes faded.

In front of him, Muscular crumpled as well, a small, deceptively neat hole in the center of his forehead.

Hawks recoiled but kept his senses, ducking behind cover.

"How?!" Green screamed, more shocked than terrified. "His Quirk should have—"

"Sniper!" Ingenium bellowed.

Heroes and Villains alike hid behind trees and vehicles, neither knowing which side the sniper was on. That fact alone was enough to alarm Hawks more than the shot ever had, since it meant an unknown third party was involved.

Before any of them could resume the battle, black portals opened and the League members immediately vanished through them. Hawks had to blink twice and make sure he was not seeing things, because there was no way the League retreated just like that.

Green's unease added onto his own. "This isn't the end. He gave up too easily."

"I doubt that." Pink said quietly. "The guards..."

Hawks did a head count and realized there were at least five less than there had been. He recalled how a few of them had been pulled into the woods. Had the League— likely Magne and Compress— taken them? He considered Toga's Transform Quirk— a Quirk no one except himself, the voices, and Aizawa were aware of— and a cold stone settled in his gut.

Shit. Their backup plan must be to—

"Hawks!"

Ingenium walked up to him, hobbling slightly as he settled most of his weight on his left leg. His gait slowed as his gaze locked on his fallen sidekick. "Royale…"

Tensei's skin was ashen, and when Hawks blinked, he saw flashes of countless Heroes collapsing from 'minor' wounds that were not as harmless as they appeared.

"Are you alright?" Hawks asked frantically.

"I'm fine." Ingenium told him faintly. "That girl grazed me with her knife. Pierced right through my armor." He gestured at his leg, revealing a bloody makeshift bandage. "I swear it looks worse than it is."

Silver's panic choked Hawks and he forcibly cleared his throat. "Did she take the knife with her? It uh—" He remembered at the last second that no one knew Toga's Quirk. "—might have been poisoned or something."

Ingenium twitched, as if he had not thought of such a possibility. Hawks hated to frighten him like that but he needed to know if Toga had his blood. "I got the knife when I disarmed her. I feel fine but I'll have the lab check it, just to be safe."

"Tell me if you feel wrong." Hawks ordered, because although poison might not be Toga's style, there was still a chance.

He ran up to All Might, who was surveying the battle site with a grave expression. He could not see into Shigaraki's vehicle and could only pray he had not been warped out while they were distracted. As he watched, Moonfish's unconscious body was loaded into another vehicle.

"Which other ones did we get?" he asked more casually then he felt as he nodded towards the recaptured villain.

"We arrested the ones known as Moonfish and Mustard." All Might murmured. "Muscular is..." He glanced towards the dead serial killer and away. "Shigaraki's still in custody."

Hawks released a shuddering breath. "We did it."

He and the voices still weren't relieved. Not with the knowledge that Toga had a host of guards to choose to impersonate.

"As long as All For One is free, Shigaraki will never stop being a threat." Green realized.

Hawks did not argue with him. He knew Green spoke only the truth.

He forced his legs to move and knelt beside the fallen sidekick, Royale. The man killed by a sniper bullet that might not have been meant for him. The blood around his wound was already drying, staining his costume red. His blue eyes— blue like the clearest sky— were open, misted in death.

"I'm sorry." Hawks whispered.

He gently closed Royale's eyes and stayed with him until they covered his body with a sheet and took him away.

XXXXXXX

This is what I want, Twice thought as he crouched in the League of Villains' temporary base and watched Kurogiri's mist fade away.

This is what I want, he thought as Toga gleefully approached the captured Heroes and officers, all of them gagged and bound as they eyed the sadistically grinning girl with fear.

This is what I want, Twice repeated as Toga took large quantities of each of their blood and Mr. Compress immediately turned them back to marbles before they could get any ideas.

This is what I want. They accept me here, Twice told himself as Compress collected the marbles, and felt the smallest bit better.

"Where do we put them?" Compress asked.

Dabi had not look the slightest bit bothered by the fearful looks on the Heroes' faces as they vanished. He stretched with his arms over his head and exposed a patch of burnt flesh on his stomach.

"You have enough blood for the plan, Toga?" he asked.

"More than enough." she said gleefully, clapping her hands together. She immediately pouted, an adorable expression many would find unnerving due to the blood on her face and sleeves. "I couldn't get any of Hawks's blood though. Him or that Ingenium Hero."

Magne looked up from where she lounged on a crate with her magnet slung over her shoulder but said nothing.

"Ingenium was a target of Stain." Spinner murmured. He gripped his sword briefly before releasing it. "He was proven to be unworthy of being a Hero. I should have faced him and finished Stain's work."

"You'll get your chance." Dabi said in a drawl that was almost bored. "If you have enough blood, Toga, then the Doctor will probably want them."

"But can't I keep one and make friends?" she pleaded.

"We'll see." Dabi rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair, retracting his hand to avoid a swipe of her knife. The move was not quite affectionate but maybe instinctive. Perhaps Dabi had a younger sibling.

"Think the boss will be mad we didn't retrieve Shigaraki?" Twice asked. "We did our best."

"We were terrible." Twice contradicted himself.

"He did not expect All Might himself to be present." Twice defended.

"He totally expected All Might to be present." Twice denied. "Why send that Nomu otherwise?"

"Regardless of whether he expected us to succeed or not, it's on to the next stage." Dabi drawled.

Twice did not know how Dabi became their de-facto leader with Shigaraki out of the picture, but he was not about to complain. Dabi was actually spending time with the League now, and the Doctor and All For One seemed to trust him for some reason.

"We need to split up and lay low." Dabi continued. "The Heroes will be searching for us. We'll meet up at the new place."

"We're not going back to Kurogiri's bar?" Twice asked mournfully. "I liked that place. Though not going back after a fight was smart…"

"He owes me a drink!" Twice ranted.

"Hey." Magne interjected. "There's something you should know about Hawks."

"What is it you want to tell us, Magne?" Twice questioned.

"Spit it out already." Twice grumbled.

Magne leaned back and balanced an arm on her knee. "I know the boss wants Hawks so I tried to use my Quirk to get that Hero away from the fight. There was no affect. Hawks wasn't polarized north or south."

Wait, what? All For One actually wanted to capture Hawks? Twice hadn't been told that. His stomach twisted with guilt as he realized it was his fault but he reminded himself that Magne had failed even as a part of himself began plotting how to keep Birdie away from creepy moldy potato man.

He also realized he was happy she'd failed.

Oh dear.

"Was he in range?" Compress asked, puzzled.

Magne raised an incredulous eyebrow at him, stunned he could ask a question with such an obvious answer. "Yes. It's unexpected. The only other person I know who isn't affected by my magnetism is myself."

"What does that mean? Why is Hawks immune?" Dabi asked.

Magne shrugged. "Hell if I know. Just thought I'd let you know I can't move Hawks around."

Twice listened absently as Compress muttered something about performance issues under pressure and he and Magne began to argue. Twice considered it good-natured bickering considering no Quirks were being used yet. He watched them in interest until Spinner sidled up next to him.

Twice grinned under his mask. "What's up, lizard man?"

"My name's Spinner." he grumbled. His red eyes flicked towards the other Villains and he leaned close to Twice. "I saw Hawks save you." he murmured. "And I saw you refuse to fight him."

Twice could not deny the twinge of apprehension in his gut as he remembered All For One's… 'friendly reminder'.

"Maybe I did." Twice admitted.

"I did no such thing." Twice denied.

Spinner mumbled something under his breath and crossed his arms. "I don't mind. Hawks is one of the good Heroes. Stain himself approves of him, so I do too. Even Dabi fought him. So it's nice to see someone else restrain themselves."

No part of Twice knew what to say to that so he merely gave a double thumbs up.

"Thanks for sharing my opinion, buddy!"

"Hey, mind your own business!"

Spinner nodded and smiled hesitantly. It was not a smile of confusion, but of someone unused to interacting with people. Or maybe it was just Twice. Though Spinner did say he used to be a hikikomori. Twice followed Spinner and the rest of the League out of the derelict building, leaving no sign they had been there.

They went their separate ways, but their contacts were all in Twice's phone, reassuring him that they were only a phone call away. He glanced behind him at Dabi and Compress's backs as they left together to go drop off the captured Heroes at wherever All For One was.

Those people are going to become Nomu, aren't they? Twice realized.

He turned away and kept walking.

This is what I want.

This is what I want.

This is what I want.

Right?

XXXXXXX

One step into the seedy bar and Miruko was already on edge. She should be home, but Mockingjay had contacted her hours ago to tell her an old tutor of hers was in town to 'help her study for her finals'. Miruko did not have an appearance or name to go by or even a location. There were only clues that sent her on a field trip across what felt like half of Japan and some coded phrases to use once she reached her destination… which was supposedly this grimy bar.

She'd rather Mockingjay come herself to introduce them but knew that was not the point.

This was Miruko's first test.

Ugh. If I wanted tests I would go back to school.

Miruko huffed and made sure her ears were tucked in her hat before approaching the bar. The bartender glanced her way and she smiled.

"Could I have a single malt whiskey, please? Strongest one you've got."

"Coming right up." the bartender said.

He walked to the drinks and poured one, setting it in front of her before being called to another patron. Miruko picked it up and inspected it, but did not drink, nose twitching at the smell.

"Is that drink for me, darling?" a male voice drawled.

Miruko immediately identified the accent as American and turned her head, eyeing the man who sat beside her critically. He was middle-aged, with straight blond hair and piercing blue eyes, his chin covered with a layer of stubble that reminded her a bit of Eraserhead. His clothing was casual, a simple jacket, shirt, and jeans of varying blues, except for the cowboy hat atop his head.

"It depends." she hedged, keeping her fingers wrapped around the glass to either shove it at him or break it over his head. "Why should I give my drink to a guy like you?"

He chuckled. "Well, I heard from a birdie that you need some friends, and helping a useless drunk get some alcohol in his system might be a nice start."

Miruko's heart began pounding. "I think helping a useless drunk get home would be better."

He barked a laugh and grinned at her. "Well, you're doing good at the whole helping part. But that attitude of yours will get you nowhere."

It was the final part of the code Mockingjay gave Miruko.

She gave him the drink.

He inclined his head at her and took a swig. "Very nice. The name's Haymitch. Hero name: Ricochet. I taught Mockingjay all she knows about making connections."

"You taught her how to manipulate people." Miruko said bluntly.

"Yes." he said, equally blunt. "I taught her to survive and stay outta the cage the Capitol tried to trap her in."

Miruko repressed a wince. She only knew bits and pieces of Mockingjay's past but she had enough information to know Katniss's Hero partner— Finnick Odair, Poseidon— had not been so free.

Logically, she knew they should get right to business since this man had come halfway across the world to help her.

Miruko was not the most logical, business-orientated person.

"You don't want to see her?"

"Nah." he lifted his drink to his lips. "If she wanted to see me, she would've showed up here with you. She's skittish when it comes to people she cares about so I'll let her come to me. Maybe she'll bring her little brother along and we can have a family reunion."

Hawks. "You know about him?"

He raised an eyebrow at her as if the answer should be obvious. "I've been kept up to date. Gotta know who needs protectin'. Speaking of..." He put his drink down and leaned forward. "I've heard about the club you're joining. My job is to make your new buddies like you."

"I know how to make people like me." Miruko muttered.

"Maybe." Ricochet acknowledged. "But you're going to be entering a political minefield. You need more than determination and hard kicks to maneuver through that, sweetheart."

Somehow, being called that by him did not bother her at all. Perhaps it was because it almost seemed… fatherly coming from him, even if he did not know it. Or maybe he did know and was purposely acting in a trustworthy way.

Damn it, this was why Miruko hated subterfuge. She'd take punching and kicking things any day over this bull.

Before she could reply, Ricochet's eyes grew cold. "People get pissy when their beliefs are challenged, and you gotta know when to push and when to pretend to fold. You have to learn how to use every person you meet to your advantage. You're headed into a pool of sharks and you can't spread blood in the water without expecting something to bite you. It's true some of the sharks might be friendly, but don't you ever forget why you're really there."

"I won't." Miruko growled.

Ricochet cocked his head in a way that was both mocking and knowing. "Make sure you remember that, sweetheart. Now..." He grinned. "Let's head to a less drab place and work on not calling your new friends 'psychos'."

XXXXXXX

After checking in with Ingenium to make sure he was alright, Hawks spent the remainder of the day doing the missions he'd 'missed'. As the day passed and the sunset turned into a starry night, he made sure Miruko was still out on her own mission before deciding to go home.

It was late at night and although he could fly, he found himself walking, just short of dragging his feet. He was just delaying the inevitable and he knew it. In all honesty, he should just turn around and walk into Commission HQ while offering his blood for the sacrifice. The voices would probably stop him using force if he tried.

"You should go to Mockingjay's." Pink said.

"Best Jeanist has a stick up his ass but he'd help you." Orange growled.

"Or go to Tensei's. His door is always open." Silver added.

No, Hawks told them. I know the Commission's waiting for me. If I go somewhere else I'll only drag more people into my problems and delay the inevitable.

"You don't have to let them hurt you." Green said fiercely.

So what do I do then? Hawks demanded. Let them get Rumi killed? Let them look into Tokoyami and realize he knows something he shouldn't? Tell the world the truth and bring Hero Society down with them? If Endeavor's actions can make it collapse, theirs definitely will. I'm their property and I won't let others fall with me.

The voices kept arguing but Hawks would not be swayed. As he walked, he tried to shove them into their dorm but they realized what he was doing and fought, popping back into his conscious mind like literal intrusive thoughts. Hawks eventually decided to simply block them out as much as he could, ignoring their protests that 'he didn't need to do this'. To his relief— but not surprise— none of them even thought about using Purple's Quirk to make him listen. In another instance, he might feel touched that they actually kept their word about that.

Hawks dithered as much as he dared before slowly heading up to Miruko's apartment. He could have gone through the window, but he had a better chance of dodging if he went through the front entrance. Hawks carefully put his key in the lock and stopped, staring at the smooth, opaque wood between him and what used to be safety.

If the Commission reconditions me, what will happen to them?

Suddenly, entering that apartment did not seem like such a good idea anymore.

He knew someone was waiting on the other side. He knew it was a Commission lackey sent to drag him off to be punished or interrogated. If he let that happen, the voices would suffer with him. Wanting to avoid punishment was not selfish this time because he had people he needed to protect.

But he also knew he had no choice. He could not run or delay the inevitable.

So Hawks took a breath and slowly opened the door. The lights were off, with the only illumination coming from the street light outside. He cautiously turned on the light, revealing the interior of the apartment.

There was no one inside.

Hawks did not relax.

He cautiously sent out feathers to scout the area, praying his paranoia was for nothing.

There was a low whirr like a flying drone.

Something clamped around Hawks's wings and metal pieces stabbed into them, locking them together. The force of the attack threw him forward and although he managed to roll, the loss of balance sent him crumpling to the ground.

His wings felt like they were on fire, and he desperately tried to detach more feathers, only to realize he couldn't as an odd feeling trickled through his wings similar to how they felt when Eraserhead used his Quirk on them. The feathers he had been controlling fluttered uselessly to the ground, as mundane as the average bird's. His first— delusional— horrified thought was that one of the Villains had followed him home.

"It's nothing personal, kid." A low voice said pleasantly. "Even more than usual."

Hawks grabbed the voices' presences and shoved them into their dorm, locking them inside.

He did not know how he did it.

He just did because no one else would suffer because of him.

Amplifier stepped into view, the remote used to guide the clamps held loosely in his left hand. In his right was no weapon, but Hawks knew he did not need one. Ignoring the pain in his wings, he forced himself to his feet, keeping away from Amplifier. His trainer's posture radiated disappointment.

"Why did you lower your guard? I taught you better than that."

Hawks did not reply. He pushed past the pain and got to his feet, forcing himself to breathe lightly and not jostle his wings too much.

"You always were a fighter." Amplifier noted. "But this time you might wanna stay down."

Hawks had no intention to listen because he had not stepped over the line, he had stepped off the edge of a cliff, and was falling with no way to get back up. He'd gone too far and he knew it, but he couldn't let the Commission do what they wanted this time since he was not the only one who would get hurt. He had to fight.

For them.

Unable to use his wings, Hawks threw a lamp at Amplifier's head. His trainer predictably ducked and Hawks tackled him, sending them both into the couch and knocking it over. The other lamp fell with them, shattering, and Hawks twisted, shoving Amplifier into the shards. It was dirty and unheroic, but he could not let the Commission capture him— and with him, the voices.

He had no plan. He knew it. He was recklessly acting on instinct alone. He was doing everything the Commission taught him not to.

But they taught him to fight in defense of others, and his friends should not have to pay for his decisions. They were innocent.

Amplifier knew none of this. The Commission knew none of this.

Hawks would do everything he could to ensure they never found out.

He grabbed Amplifier in a chokehold, mindful to keep him pinned down just like his trainers taught him. His skin was covered, as was Amplifier's, making him unable to use his Quirk. Amplifier chuckled as he coughed, and Hawks had the feeling he was grinning under his mask.

"I taught you so well, kid." He praised him as he choked. "But you're not as smart as you think you are."

Pain.

It ripped up Hawks's spine and turned his vision white. His sight returned in time for a fist to fill his vision. The pain the Quirk-amplified blow caused made it feel more like getting shot than merely struck. Hawks clutched at his eye, mind unable to comprehend that there was no blood as his body screamed that he'd been badly injured.

Amplifier kicked him in the gut and it felt like at least ten blades had stabbed into his stomach. The pain radiated outward like cracks tearing through his body. Hawks fell, barely able to draw breath as his mind—and maybe the voices— shouted at him to get up.

Amplifier didn't need skin to skin contact to use his Quirk?

Hawks forced himself back onto his hands and knees as he retched, shaking violently. He did not bother to back away from Amplifier, staying stock still as his trainer approached.

"Let's not beat around the bush. We know you're some kind of Nomu." Amplifier murmured. "You don't even seem to realize you're a bomb set to go off. Well, I hope you don't." He crouched and gently brushed Hawks's hair out of his face. "How did the League break you, kid?"

So that's what the Commission President is saying.

"I'm not a Nomu. The League didn't do anything to me." Hawks croaked. "The President sent you here because I disobeyed her and she's petty."

Even as he said it, a part of him recoiled as he insulted the woman who had given him so much. But groveling at her feet and singing her praises would not help save his friends. Still, he didn't know why he bothered.

Amplifier sighed. "We both know that isn't true. We know you have at least two Quirks. You probably thought you were being sneaky, making one of our agents forget about that vendor. But we have ways to pick blocked memories from people's minds." His fingers quivered, and if Hawks did not know better, he would swear Amplifier was genuinely upset. "Please don't make us do that to you. I don't want you dead, kid."

Only because you spent so much time training me, Hawks knew. He did not say it.

"Just cooperate. The Commission President knows how much you've given for us. She can be lenient. I don't even need to take you in, just see your new abilities so we can see where they came from. Come on, show me those Quirks." Amplifier spoke patiently, as if Hawks was merely struggling to do a simple trick. "They're in your feathers, aren't they? The tests we ran to see what they are came up negative so I just need you to activate them for me and this little machine on your wings will record them so we can find some matches. If you don't I'll have to bring you to the lab and you won't leave with just a few new scars. The President's considering that you need to be a bit more… compliant." He leaned close to whisper in Hawks's ear. "I'm not supposed to say this, but first she plans to leave you with Kaetsu for a few weeks to make you 'appreciate the Commission's kindness'. But that's not necessary. Is it, kid?"

Hawks felt bile rise in his throat. He remained silent and was almost grateful he could not even twitch his wings in distress.

"Hawks, please." Amplifier begged. "Just cooperate with me. Prove you're still a Hero. Prove you still care about protecting people."

"I am a Hero." Hawks stated, breath stuttering as pain flared through his wings. "And I am protecting people."

Amplifier sighed and the energy seemed to drain from him along with his breath. "Damn you for making me invest myself in you, kid. I can't give you to them to rip apart."

Hawks stared at his handler in disbelief. Was he actually going to help—?

"This is for you own good."

Amplifier seemed to brace himself, visibly conflicted for the first time since Hawks met him.

Then his hand latched around Hawks's neck.

Hawks thought he knew what Amplifier's touch felt like.

He thought he knew the limits of his trainer's Quirk.

He was wrong.

Hawks could not find the breath to scream. All the air had been ripped out of his lungs, leaving them shuddering and spasming as his ribs threatened to squeeze them to pulp. Every nerve ending felt like it was being individually electrocuted, his insides tearing into paper-thin shreds as white-hot claws tore through them. His veins turned purple and bulged out of his skin, like someone had taken poison and injected it into his blood vessels until they were close to bursting. Hawks always thought Amplifier could merely simulate pain, but the evidence disproving that naive misconception was all too real.

If this was what Amplifier considered mercy, Hawks didn't want it.

A choked scream managed to tear its way from Hawks's throat, raw and painful like that of a dying animal. Amplifier covered his mouth and grimaced.

"Why are you making me hurt you, kid?" he asked shakily. "Use your Quirks. That's all I need. Just a blip. You realize all you're doing is protecting your torturers, right? If you aren't our enemy, you have nothing to hide."

The voices were stirring, drawn out by Hawks's agony. He struggled to keep them inside the safety of their dorms, because if all of them felt what he did and their mixed mental state caused them to drown, they might go mad. He felt them emerge and shielded them with everything he had because he could bear to see himself hurt but not them never them—

He felt Orange's fury and Green's protectiveness rising.

Don't use your Quirks!

"Gold—"

Don't!

Hawks shoved them back into the dorm and locked the door. He heard them banging on it but did not let them out. He would not let Amplifier touch them. He would not use their Quirks. The Commission would never harm them. Never. Not even for a second.

It was that mantra that kept Hawks going as hours-minutes-days-seconds passed.

He could hear the voices banging desperately on the door.

Thud thud thud.

Hawks might have ordered them to stay away.

Eventually, he could not tell anymore.

All that was left was pain.

After what felt like hours, Amplifier stopped. By the time he did, Hawks could barely move, let alone fight. He hardly felt the pain in his wings anymore. It was nothing but a minor prick compared to the metal shards piercing and slicing his nerves.

Thud thud thud.

"You realize I'm going to have to take you in, kid?" Amplifier said quietly. "Considering what they did to you, maybe remedial courses will be a mercy."

Hawks's eyes fluttered but he clung to consciousness. He could let Amplifier take him. He could pretend to be a spy. He could pretend to break. He could give up all the information he had and let the Heroes take out All For One and his Nomu factory.

But that solution had too many flaws to count, the biggest of which was the voices would fall with him. Hawks did not want them to die for nothing. Especially not because of him.

He tried to rise but Amplifier grabbed him again, turning his vision white. In his mind, he could still hear the voices desperately trying to get out.

Thud thud thud.

Thud thud thud.

Thud thud thud.

Amplifier clamped a hand over Hawks's mouth, body going stiff.

Thud thud-thud.

A few more knocks came through the door.

Not desperate, but enthusiastic.

Not frantic, but polite.

They were coming from the real door.

And they were followed by a voice.

"Hey, listener! It's Present Mic! Your friend said you were home. Could you let me in? I have to talk with you about something I think you're gonna love!"

Amplifier kept his hand over Hawks's mouth. Hawks could feel his handler's heartbeat, steady but quick.

What was Present Mic doing here—?

It didn't matter why.

Someone was right there.

Hawks struggled feebly against Amplifier's hold, trying to make some type of noise. Amplifier's grip tightened in warning but Hawks could not lay there and give in. His booted foot lifted and smacked into the hardwood floor with a thunk. Amplifier's hand squeezed tighter over his mouth.

"Shhh." he murmured. "This is your last chance to be a good Hero now…"

A shudder went through Hawks but he disobeyed. He knew he would suffer for it but he fought. He kept struggling as much as he could, kicking and wriggling as Amplifier's hand muffled his screams. Amplifier's Quirk greyed out his vision but he didn't let the world fade away. He heard muffled voices through the door— There was more than one person out there.— too soft to decipher.

Force open the door, Hawks thought. Something's wrong. You can tell. Come in.

The voices grew softer, then stopped completely.

Icy panic grasped Hawks's throat, choking him with its intensity. Don't leave. Please don't leave.

He heard the telltale sound of receding footsteps.

They did not come back.

The naive, stupid hope drained from Hawks's body, leaving him hollow and cold.

Amplifier scoffed. "See? I taught you better than to think others will help. Heroes don't need Heroes, kid."

Hawks weakly shoved at his arm only to go into convulsions as the pain spread further. He lurched— partly because of the seizure and partly out of desperation— and his hand caught Amplifier's cloth mask, tearing it and exposing a single indigo eye. At his continued— futile— resistance, Amplifier's calm facade snapped and he grabbed Hawks's hair, giving him a forceful shake.

"Stop. Struggling!"

His Quirk activated and Hawks screamed.

Thud.

Amplifier's head jerked to the left in time for a gloved fist to meet his face. He toppled off of Hawks but rolled, only to be shoved backwards into the wall. The force of the impact must have burst some pipes because water sprayed from the walls, dousing Amplifier in the face and making him splutter as it pooled on the floor.

Something slammed into the apartment door and Hawks thought he heard a muffled curse. Another bang sounded, followed by the crunch of splintering wood. In his peripheral, Hawks thought he saw the door nearly twist off its hinges. Amplifier instantly bolted for the open window, leg jolting slightly as he stepped in the growing puddle of water as if something had somehow grasped his foot, and then he was gone.

Hawks lifted his head to stare at his rescuer.

Ennea stared back.

Their black costume disguised their figure and their dotted mask covered their face but their posture screamed fury. Before Hawks could do more than gasp, they vanished out the window after Amplifier.

...Guys?

"We're a-all in here." Green stammered.

"The hell?!"

Hawks flinched and turned his head, spotting yellow hair first. Present Mic shook himself out of his shock and rushed to his side. Beside him, Aizawa hesitated, gaze darting towards the window. Hawks locked eyes with him, pleading. The underground Hero got the message. He turned and jumped out the window after Amplifier and the other Ennea.

There was another Ennea, who was not him or any of the voices.

Hawks was pretty sure he had gone into the medical type of shock, because he did not feel much except dull bewilderment.

Present Mic jolted out of his shock and ran to Hawks's side, crouching beside him. "Shi— Are you alright?"

Hawks stared at him tiredly. He belatedly noticed he was shaking violently, his bruised arms and clamped wings shuddering in his peripheral vision. His gaze drifted along the veins inside his left forearm, noting how poisoned they looked.

"Let's get that thing off you." Mic said hastily.

He touched the device and Hawks stifled another scream as it pulled at his wings.

Present Mic recoiled, removing his hands from the device and holding them high in the air. "Shit, I didn't—" His skin paled a few shades. "Is that thing in your wings?"

Hawks nodded weakly.

Present Mic turned green but he whipped out his phone, calling an ambulance before Hawks could try to stop him. "Let's get you to the hospital to get that off of you."

Hawks did not respond. A numb feeling washed though him, taking away even his lingering pain, and he stared blankly at the ceiling, keeping silent as Mic tried to coax answers out of him. Even when the Hero realized Hawks was not going to tell him who attacked him, Mic continued to speak, soothing him like he was nothing more than another frightened vict— civilian.

Slowly, Hawks mind began working again, and he realized what had just happened.

Present Mic was here.

He and Aizawa had seen Amplifier.

They had seen what he'd done.

Hawks's thoughts jolted into action as he went over stories and excuses.

The mysterious attacker he definitely did not know was a stalker.

The mysterious attacker he definitely did not know was an old enemy seeking revenge.

The mysterious attacker he definitely did not know was a member of the League of Villains, possibly.

The mysterious attacker he definitely did not know was an anti-mutant bigot.

That man was not a Commission agent. He was not sent here to punish Hawks for disobeying, under the false pretense that Hawks was a Nomu when in reality the Commission President was just a petty witch.

The Commission would not let Hawks get away with this— Amplifier would report his further rebellious actions soon enough— but that did not mean he could let the Heroes figure out who was responsible.

Hawks could do this. He could weave a tale and things would go back to norm—

Hawks remembered Aizawa knew about the Commission already.

He knew they had hurt Hawks before.

And they would again, because he had fought back instead of accepting his fate and giving them what they wanted like a good little Hero.

Hawks realized then that he could never go back.

He had taken a step and fallen off the cliff into the abyss.

Things would never be 'normal' again.

What have I done?

Hawks turned his head away from Present Mic and blocked out his worthless sympathy, shoulders shaking.

He still did not cry.

The voices wordlessly shifted, enveloping him in their presences in what could be considered a hug. Their sorrow tore at Hawks's mind like ice-cold claws and he blinked rapidly.

However, with that sorrow came hope, because he would not lose everything. He still had those he'd fought to protect, his identity and mind, and the mission they gave him. As long as he breathed and was out of the Commission's grasp, he still had something to fight for.

So as Hawks tried not to move and waited for the ambulance to arrive, he let the voices' warmth bolster him, reminding him why he did not crumble before the will of his owners.

No matter what the future brought, no matter what the Commission did and what happened to him, he knew it was worth it.

XXXXXXX

A/N: I have to post and run so if there are any spelling mistakes and the like, tell me and I will fix them later. Question replies may also be a bit late.

Responses to Reviewer Questions:

To NonlinearWriter: Thank you! I get the "̶͎̼̌c̵͖̅r̶͇̮̯̆a̸̢̖̍͛̃c̸͕̀k̸͓̎l̴̦̜͋͐̇ỳ̵̳̲̃̋ͅ"̵̢̹̟͆̑͊/̷̤̬͂c̸͖̱͛ò̵̰r̵̛͇͇̒̈́r̶̤̪̭̀̆͝u̴̮͐p̶̘̊̒t̴͇̄͆e̵̼̮̔̑d̷͍͎̗̈̽ ̶̥̉̃̋t̵͇́́ȇ̸̠̈́̕x̷͉͉̰̒̍̇t̷̮̬͌̃ from Lingojam's Glitch Text Generator. It's completely free. Type in "corrupted text generator" in a search engine like Google and it'll show up. Click on the link, type the text you want in the left box, and copy and paste the corrupted text from the right box to put in your document. You can use the little adjuster bar at the bottom to change how corrupted it looks. :)

Next update will be the 13th-ish.