Chapter Twenty-Six: Playing the Game
Dabi felt no regret as he handed All For One the captured Heroes.
He felt nothing but boredom as All For One inspected them like a child receiving new toys.
He watched the Villain turn the marbles between his fingers, a not-quite smile on his face without the slightest hint of discomfort until put them aside to deal with later.
"The Doctor will be happy. He's been so despondent since Tomura was captured."
Dabi highly doubted that. "Good for him. So when are we breaking Shigaraki out?"
"Soon, but not yet. There are some things that need to be done first. I also have a doctor's appointment so I will be busy for a few days." All For One's back was to him, his reflection distorted in the black screens he faced, but Dabi could see the slightest hint of a smile in those cracked, scarred lips. He could feel All For One observing him, searching for any hint of weakness. "Do you have an issue with that?"
Dabi shrugged, bored and unconcerned by the news. "Nah. I expected as much."
It was obvious that the real plan was to cause a mass breakout at Tartarus, not to save Shigaraki specifically. All For One wanted a dramatic chaos play to throw Hero Society off its pedestal, not a rescue of a supposed 'beloved' successor.
Dabi knew Shigaraki was no longer needed by All For One to be a successor. He could tell by how the Villain acted. His legacy was no longer needed so he cast it aside. Endeavor had been similarly dismissive of Touya and his other children when he discovered Shoto would be his new project.
Despite himself, Dabi wondered if Hawks knew that little detail about the Todorokis. He wondered what the look on his face had been when he saw Endeavor's children were the projects of selective breeding. The Winged Hero knew all about being groomed for heroism.
After Twice's little rant, Dabi had done his research because if that Hero knew his weaknesses, he wanted to know Hawks's. What he found was… not completely unexpected. He tried not to think about it. The differences outnumbered the similarities but Dabi looked at Hawks's leash and wondered what the eldest son of Endeavor would have become if Touya had not died. He'd like to believe he would still leave the first chance he got but would he? Or would he be another caged bird?
This was why Dabi did not think about the past and what ifs. Only the future. But then that damn Winged Hero had to run in and make the same mistakes Touya had by trying to expose Endeavor legally. Tried but failed, sabotaged by his fellow Pro Heroes. It was almost pitiable. Was Hawks so stupid that he thought Endeavor could be stopped through legal action? How adorable. The broken bird still had some naivety left even as the hand that fed it clipped its torn up wings.
Dabi was almost tempted to watch and see that naive idealism whittle away to nothing. Almost, because he was not All For One and the thought of listening to his 'guidance' made his burnt skin crawl. Dabi was not dumb. He'd seen enough manipulative men in his life to recognize All For One wanted to mold him into something else just for the fun of it. The old bastard could keep on trying. Endeavor could not forge Touya into a Hero and All For One would not make Dabi another easily-discarded apprentice. Dabi had his own goals.
Hero Society deserved to be burned to cinders along with everyone complicit in its corruption. Those Heroes he gave All For One would be stripped off their Quirks and killed if they were lucky. They would be new Nomu if they were unlucky. Dabi did not care. He did not owe Hawks or anyone anything.
He was free of his past but his future only had one outcome.
He knew his path and he would follow it to its fiery end.
XXXXXXX
Hawks did not remember going to the hospital. Nor did he remember the device being removed from his wings. When the grey, fuzzy world gained color again, he was laying in a hospital bed with his wings bandaged and purple bruises all over his skin. He considered the white ceiling above him with a detached type of exhaustion and shut his eyes again, taking a shuddering breath.
I have to leave.
"No, Gold—"
Yes, Hawks interrupted Green. The Commission won't stop. I know it will make the future more difficult to change but I have to go. We'll become Ennea full-time and keep in contact with Aizawa and Rumi or something—
"We cannot leave in such a way." Silver's distress was so strong Hawks had to double-check to be sure the walls were still there."Surely running will only make you seem more guilty—"
"Are you blind?" Orange snapped. "The Commission doesn't care about guilt, or Nomu, or the damn League. They're just pissy Gold stood up to them and fought back."
Hawks recalled their successful transfer of Shigaraki and some of the tightness in his chest eased. He remembered that, for the moment, he was still free and the voices were still okay.
He smiled. It was worth it.
A tap on the door sent him jolting upright as the monitor attached to him beeped frantically.
In the doorway, Detective Tsukauchi raised his hands in a peaceful motion.
"It's just me. And I'm not here to hurt you."
"I didn't think you were." Hawks said defensively. He forced a smile. "How many times do I have to tell you we need to stop meeting like this?"
"Many." Tsukauchi said dryly.
He sat in one of the empty chairs, and Hawks belatedly realized that Miruko was not there. His breath caught in his throat and he felt nonexistent pockets for his phone.
"Is Rumi okay?" he blurted before Tsukauchi could speak.
The detective's face betrayed none of his thoughts at Hawks's undeniably frantic question. "We've been unable to contact her but according to the Hero Network, she's chasing a thief at the moment."
"So—" —the Commission hasn't hurt her? "—she doesn't know about me?"
"No. She hasn't been told about the attack in her apartment—"
"What about Fumikage Tokoyami?" Hawks asked rapidly. "Is he okay?"
Tsukauchi gave him a searching look. "He's at school now. It's Tuesday morning."
Hawks checked the date and time on his phone and realized he was right.
Tsukauchi leaned forward and clasped his hands, balancing his elbows on his thighs. "You're afraid they're going to be hurt in retaliation for what you did, aren't you? I guess you disobeyed the Commission to help with Shigaraki's transfer."
Hawks's wings stiffened and he kept his expression blank. He realized there must be some type of morphine in that IV drip because he only felt a dull ache in them instead of excruciating pain. Though after what he just experienced, not a lot of pain could compare to what Amplifier was capable of. Hawks looked down at his hands— which were still lined with swollen purple veins— and resisted the instinct to hide them under his blanket.
"I thought as much. Would you tell me what happened?" Tsukauchi asked gently.
There was no point in denying what Amplifier had done. Aizawa and Mic had probably already given their reports and the evidence was all over Hawks's pale, bruised skin. He needed to ask someone for makeup so he could cover the injuries up.
"Why?" Pink asked, uncharacteristically sharp. "They already know."
Hawks locked his muscles so he would not recoil.
"It won't change anything." he said stoically in response to both of them.
"But keeping it to yourself will not change anything either." Tsukauchi countered sternly.
Hawks had to hold in a hysterical giggle because this was sounding a lot like his old arguments with the voices and their time travel secrecy. He remembered the near-outcome of the one time he tried to tell someone about the future— as in 'nearly getting sent to a psych ward'— and felt his lips press thin.
"I'm fine. What happened was an isolated incident. Nothing needs to be done."
Tsukauchi sighed. "I would appreciate it if you were honest."
Hawks flinched and averted his eyes.
Tsukauchi did not relent, though he did lower his gaze, as if he realized Hawks would not appreciate being scrutinized. "Your attacker was from the Commission, wasn't he?" He frowned darkly. "Was it 'Amplifier', the one with the pain-enhancing Quirk?"
Hawks could not give him an answer, but his silence revealed the truth all the same.
Tsukauchi hesitated, and put a gentle hand on his arm. "Hawks, we won't le—"
"Stop." Hawks whispered. He wanted to sound angry but knew he just sounded tired. "You can't protect me. I'm already doomed." His fingers dug into the sheets covering his legs. "But I'm not going to lay down and let them recondition me. I have people to protect so I'm going to last as long as I can."
"We will help you." Tsukauchi stated. He lifted his head, revealing his eyes, and in the shadow cast by the brim of his hat they almost appeared to be burning. Despite the difference in color, they reminded Hawks of All Might. That comparison did not sooth him. "The Commission will not be allowed to get away with this, do you hear me?"
Hawks did not reply and stared stonily at the wall behind Tsukauchi's head.
Tsukauchi sighed. "Moving on to your rescuer… It appears Ennea was keeping an eye on you."
"Yeah." Hawks murmured. "Did Aizawa catch them?"
Tsukauchi shook his head. "Both the Vigilante and your attacker vanished."
Hawks struggled not to frown. "I didn't see them use any Quirks though."
"That may be true for this incident, but they used it in their rescue of Eri, meaning they have partaken in vigilantism." Tsukauchi reminded him. "Plus there have been reports of them apprehending criminals."
Hawks had not known that. Well, of course he knew about his and the voices' Ennea's missions, but how long had that other Ennea been out there? Had they been making arrests that had been attributed to the original Ennea?
"At least they seem to be an ally." Silver said.
"Or simply an enemy of the Commission." Red mused.
"Ally or not, we don't know who they are." Purple countered. "We can't trust them with using Ennea's identity just because they saved us once."
Green began muttering to himself about all the possible people that could be behind the mask. Pink and White listened in interest while Orange growled in exaggerated annoyance. They could all tell he was interested too.
"Hawks?" He was pulled out of his thoughts by Tsukauchi's voice. The detective's expression was stern. "Do you know who Ennea is and why they saved you?"
Hawks did not need to forget to be able to tell the truth this time. "No idea."
"Okay." Tsukauchi said quietly. He rose from his chair. "Aizawa will be back in a few minutes. He had to go to work. Would you rather I stay in here or go outside with the guard detail?"
Oh. So Hawks had a guard detail now. Fan-freaking-tastic.
What was the point of them anyway? They'd be gone within the week because of some arbitrary mission the Commission totally did not send them, making them too busy to 'waste time volunteering' to help Hawks.
Stop whining. You brought this on yourself.
"The Commission doesn't have a Quirk that lets them walk through walls, so I should be fine." Hawks joked weakly. He glanced towards the door and back to Tsukauchi. "Do I know who's out there?"
"Fatgum and Ingenium."
Hawks almost wished he did not recognize his temporary guards. That would make things less…
Embarrassing horrifying, shameful, pathetic, it's your fault. They're going to blame you—
…uncomfortable.
"Do they know?" he did not mean to whisper, but his voice lowered anyway.
"Both do."
Hawks nodded slowly and bottled up the shame he felt that even more Heroes knew how weak he actually was. He blocked out the voices' angry protests that he was not weak because were Heroes like All Might in a hospital bed because an old handler ambushed and beat him up at home? No. Hawks did not want to face either of them but he knew his only choice was which one would watch over him inside this room.
"Can you send Ingenium in?" Hawks requested. "And, um... Could you maybe send a distant relative to the Tokoyami household for a bit? And maybe Iida and Todorokis too, if they don't mind?"
He knew Endeavor would mind the offer of a 'relative' staying over for a while but he had to at least try. Even though the Iidas were a family of Heroes and Endeavor was… Endeavor, one could never be too careful. Hawks's guards would not last long but he had to make sure his interns had some protection.
Tsukauchi got his meaning and inclined his head. "I will do what I can."
He walked out and Ingenium came in a few seconds later. Hawks realized his helmet was off and carefully avoided looking at him, focusing on prodding at his blanket instead. He did not want to see the pity or anger on Ingenium's face. Rather than greet Hawks, the armored Hero set his helmet down, walked right up to his bedside and…
…gave him a fierce but notably soft hug?
Huh?
Hawks floundered for a moment, uncertain on what to do, and awkwardly patted his armored shoulder. "Uh, hi to you too?"
Tensei did not release him. "I'm sorry."
"Okay...?" Hawks asked hesitantly. "Why?"
Tensei squeezed him tighter, careful to avoid touching his injured wings. "I've been told about your… guardians and upbringing. I should have realized something wasn't right. I shouldn't have let you go home. I should have investigated."
Where the heck was this coming from?
"You were only seventeen when they recruited me." Hawks pointed out. "You couldn't have stopped them."
"But I became a Hero soon after. I've been a Hero for more than a decade and I never realized what the Commission was doing behind the scenes. I've worked beside them and their agents but I never saw anything amiss."
The regret in Tensei's voice unbalanced Hawks, and he was torn between comforting the older Hero and bluntly asking him why he cared so much. The latter would probably be taken the wrong way at the moment so he kept it to himself.
Tensei's skin drained of color. Hawks instantly folded his damaged wings around the other Hero, shielding him as he frantically searched for the threat, but nothing was out of place in the white hospital room. He looked back at Tensei in confusion and saw tears in the corners of his eyes.
"That day we went to the movies you moved as if you were injured. You covered the bruises they gave you with cosmetics, didn't you?"
Hawks opened his mouth to lie, and accidentally met the eyes of the older brother that Silver admired so much. He faltered, caught by the familiar grasp of deep-rooted shame, but did not drop his gaze. "Yeah."
Tensei was the one who looked away. "I'm so sorry, Hawks."
Hawks pulled a Miruko and lightly jabbed him in the arm. "Hey, why are you apologizing? You shouldn't blame yourself. The Commission is efficient at what they do— keeping the public safe— but they're also good at keeping other Heroes in the dark about their… uh… strict side. And it's not like I was screaming 'help me' from the rooftops…"
This scenario was slowly becoming more and more deja vu-like. Hawks felt White shift uncomfortably and put the pieces together. He felt his expression go blank.
My parents sold me to the Commission.
"Yes." Pink confirmed, voice choked.
I was groomed to be a Hero.
"That's right." Green said softly.
The training was… brutal. And more than what should be done to a child. It's… wrong.
"Indeed." Silver murmured.
Hurting a child like that…
Hawks remembered isolation in cold white walls. He remembered fear so great he could not pull enough air into his lungs. He remembered pain so fierce he dare not cry, knowing that would only make it worse. He remembered the day he received that first 'debt' payment and realized he would never be able to escape. He remembered Kae—
...It's abuse. I was abused.
"You still are." White stated. "They call it 'training' and 'punishment', but it's abuse. And you do not deserve it."
Hawks blinked rapidly and took a shuddering breath. He saw Tensei was looking at him, a worried crease between his eyebrows, but could not muster a smile.
He forced a laugh instead. "Sorry. Just, uh. Had some thoughts… about things." He was not sure what to do so he laughed again. "I thought it was normal, you know? Even after I met Rumi and she started pointing out what was concerning, I still didn't think it was wrong for them to do that to me." He put his head in his hands. "Why am I bothering to tell you this? If you try to do something they'll kill you too."
"They've killed people who tried to help?" Tensei asked, voice strangled.
"Not for me." Though they might be trying with Rumi. Hawks bit his lip so hard he felt it bleed. "…I think?"
His phone gave a loud beep and both he and Tensei jumped. Hawks fumbled for his phone and saw a notification pop up on the screen. It was a text from Mockingjay.
'Turn on the news.'
Hawks fumbled for the remote and turned it to the news station. He spotted the breaking news banner on the bottom of the screen first and his stomach tried to crawl out of his throat.
'UA Heroes Save Hawks During Brutal Home Attack'
Filling a majority of the rest of the screen was a video. The footage was clearly from a cell phone camera, shaky and grainy, but Hawks could clearly see himself being carried out of Miruko's apartment building on a stretcher. His mind seemed to drift away from his body and he watched in muffled, perplexed curiosity as his video self was loaded into an ambulance and driven away.
"—footage was taken at two thirty-four by a neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous." newscaster Daikaku Miyagi was saying. "He claims he began the recording when he went to investigate after hearing screams and the sounds of a struggle. The police have told MNN News that the perpetrator ambushed Hawks with a banned Quirk-suppressing device after he came home at approximately ten o'clock last night. Based on reports from the incident, the perpetrator used a pain-enhancing Quirk to torture Hawks for several hours before Pro Heroes Present Mic and Eraserhead arrived at the scene. Investigators theorize the perpetrator is a stalker, though they also claim he may be a member of the League of Villains seeking revenge for the capture of their leader. Another possibility is he is part of an organization responsible for Hawks's disappearance last year. Claims about a former stalker of Hawks being released from prison have only inflamed the rumors."
The screen changed to interviews from the streets, the first of which was a young man with spiral-like hair. "Heroes always protect us, but who protects them, ya know?" The man looked troubled. "I've never thought about it before."
"Why hasn't anyone taken this League out already?" another man demanded. "[Bleep] Stain and his [bleep] philosophy! They're nothing more than murderous cowards!"
"It's scary to think about." A woman wrung her hands together, twisting them nervously. "I mean, if Heroes can't protect themselves... what chance do we have?"
"He was attacked in his apartment." Another woman emphasized, her expression twisted with horror. "And it took hours for the Heroes to help him. They weren't even called! Were all his neighbors [bleep]ing deaf?"
Hawks should turn it off. He really should. Instead the remote slipped from his fingers and he shakily grabbed for his phone. For the second time, Hawks broke the rule of not looking himself up on the internet. He was trending in Japan and it looked like the rest of the world was beginning to notice.
Many wanted updates on his status, with the question 'Is Hawks dead?' already becoming a top search result on Moogle along with fake reports and articles about his 'tragic death'.
Others put forth theories and compiled their own 'evidence' linking the incident to his disappearance as they dug as much as they could to try to figure out who was responsible.
But still others wanted to find someone to blame, and since Amplifier was unknown, they blamed the Heroes for being late, Miruko's neighbors for not acting, Miruko for not being home, and even Hawks himself for 'not fighting hard enough'.
Seeing those last two groups hurt, even though he knew to expect it. He was a Hero. His weakness wasn't supposed to be exposed like this. But here they were.
Orange made a disgusted noise. "You know, one of the things I didn't miss in the future was this shit. You fought as hard as you could. Don't let anyone tell you differently."
I— Hawks considered the voices and swallowed. I managed to keep you a secret. You're safe. I succeeded in protecting you.
"That's right." Orange growled, pleased.
On the screen, Miyagi put a hand to his ear. "This just in! Our own Yūka Maki is outside Fukuoka General Hospital now, where she's gotten an interview with Pro Hero and UA teacher Present Mic, who was at the scene."
The camera changed to the reporter and Present Mic, who looked rather put together for someone who had likely gotten zero sleep last night. Considering he was best friends with Aizawa, maybe he was used to acting during odd hours with little rest. Hawks was still adjusting to Aizawa's weird schedule.
"—The identity of Hawks's attacker is unknown, but we'll do everything in our power to find him." Present Mic was saying as they tuned in. His smile may look cheerful if Hawks did not know better. He knew better, and could spot the razor-sharp edge to it. "All Might is particularly invested in bringing this villain down."
Maki tried to hide her surprise, but she did not have the greatest poker face."All Might himself has become involved?"
"Oh no. Here come the 'Hawks is secretly All Might's secret love child' theories." Yellow joked weakly.
"Are we sure he is not?" White asked with his usual solemnity.
There was a pause.
"That was a joke, by the way."
"We sure hoped it was, buddy." Yellow chuckled but Hawks could tell it was forced.
Hawks could not find it in himself to laugh.
"Of course. He has already been investigating Hawks's disappearance last year. We nearly lost our beloved Number Three before." Mic smiled right at the camera. "We're not losing him again."
Please tell me they're not, Hawks thought, horrified.
"Not what?" Purple asked coolly.
Please tell me they're not being this obvious about wanting to 'protect' me.
Apparently at least Present Mic was because as the DJ Hero calmly answered Maki's questions with an alarming amount of transparency, Hawks could point out every single subtle jab at the Commission. Although the public would remain ignorant to who Present Mic was pleasantly condoning, he may as well be holding up a sign saying 'We know what you did and we aren't letting you get away with it.'
Hawks pressed a hand over his mouth to keep himself from screaming— or laughing hysterically— as Mic and the news continued to tell the public about something the Commission would never have let come to light if they had any say. Amplifier's attack was meant to be a message for Hawks alone, not a publicity stunt. It seemed UA was craftier than he thought. Everyone would be watching Hawks carefully for signs of trouble, at least for a while, with thousands of people ready to blow up and cause a ruckus if he disappeared again like the Commission wanted. Not that it would change anything in the long run.
What do they think they're doing? What will this accomplish? The Commission will just vanish me, let people freak, and have someone 'unconnected' to them take the fall before he— it will most likely be a 'he'—conveniently commits suicide before he can be taken in for questioning.
"That is disturbingly specific." Pink noted queasily.
Please don't insult both our intelligences by pretending to be shocked. I know how they do things. I just don't know if I'll end up reconditioned or dead in a ditch when I appear again.
"The device used to restrain Hawks was unlike anything used in the current era." Maki noted.
"Indeed. Tech that helps limit or suppress the usage of Quirks is common in our field, but the one used on Hawks was an outdated model that was banned and made illegal due to being inhumane." Present Mic pulled up a three-dimensional image of the device he just so happened to have on hand. "As you can see, these spikes would clamp into the wings. It'd be like having metal shards inside handcuffs. Unnecessary, cruel, and painful. Can cause lasting damage too if they're removed improperly."
The reporter was clearly at a loss for words, not expecting that. She pulled herself together. "Where could he have gotten this device?"
"The black market. These models were supposed to be destroyed." Present Mic said bluntly. "So we've opened an investigation to see why they're not."
"Could anti-mutant bigotry have played a part in the attack?"
"It's a possibility, but unlikely. This attack was far too personal. Hawks did as well as he could but… if Eraserhead and I had not arrived when we did..." Present Mic dragged a hand tiredly through his hair.
He's leading them on, Hawks realized.
"What?" Green demanded.
He's manipulating them by answering things in a way to make them ask the questions he wants, Hawks clarified. I see the signs. He's leading into something.
"Why did it take so long for Heroes to respond to the disturbance on the Hero Network?" Maki asked.
"No report to the Hero Network was made." Mic shared. "We only happened to be going to visit Hawks. Eraserhead is a natural night-owl and Hawks is always busy during the day so visiting then seemed like our best chance to catch him at home."
"Why were you visiting him?" the reporter asked instantly.
"We actually went to his apartment to give him the good news." His weary disposition fell away and he beamed. "His application to become an assistant teacher at UA has been accepted!" Present Mic balked, as if he'd accidentally shared something he shouldn't, but Hawks knew his 'mistake' was fake. "Er, I wasn't supposed to share that yet!" Mic's smile widened and he waved 'sheepishly' at the camera. "Congratulations, Hawks! Welcome to the team!"
XXXXXXX
"—police have told MNN News that the perpetrator ambushed Hawks with a banned Quirk-suppressing device after he came home at approximately ten o'clock last night. Based on reports from the incident, the perpetrator used a pain-enhancing Quirk to torture Hawks for several hours before Pro Heroes Present Mic and Eraserhead arrived at the scene. Investigators theorize the perpetrator is a stalker, though they also claim he may be a member of the League of Villains seeking revenge for the capture of their leader—"
"It wasn't us." Twice breathed.
"Of course they blame us." Twice huffed.
"Why hasn't anyone taken this League out already? [Bleep] Stain and his [bleep] philosophy! They're nothing more than murderous cowards!"
"It wasn't us." Twice hissed again.
"I know we're Villains but that hurts." Twice sulked.
He continued to watch the coverage as UA was brought into the media circus surrounding the attack on Hawks. Twice was not blind. He saw Present Mic manipulate the masses with that celebrity charm of his. If only they knew what was really going on behind that cheerful smile.
Twice fished a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, exhaling smoke. He looked up at the cracked ceiling of the rundown apartment he was staying in and watched the vapor dissipate against the plaster.
"They know full well who hurt Hawks. They know, but they're not saying. So they're covering for someone, huh?" Twice mused to himself.
Heroes did not cover up crimes unless one of their own was the one who committed it. It would not do to have the public know a Hero was caught doing a Villainous act, after all. The line between those that were accepted by society and those that weren't could not be blurred and any crime committed— regardless of guilt— meant instant stigmatization. Twice knew that from experience.
So what happened? Who hurt Hawks, and which important, influential Hero was it that the other Heroes were covering it up? What had Hawks done for the other Hero to attack him, because Twice was not optimistic enough to believe the Heroes saw him as blameless. If a Hero attacked someone, there had to be a reason, right? They were always 'guilty', right?
Twice was a Villain— a man who removed himself from social acceptability for his own happiness— and he was... mostly, maybe, had to be proud of it.
But he was not heartless, or stupid.
So Twice's first thought was that they'd found out Hawks was the type of person who would never be accepted by their society. One with a mental illness that left him blank-eyed and staring in an alleyway after he genuinely thanked a strange man for stopping him from 'splitting'. One who would be rejected or shoved into a mental institution by his own side if they caught wind of the 'people in his head'.
It was a jumped-to conclusion. It all was. Twice tried to rationalize that but a part of him insisted that the signs were popping up and soon he'd see a news report about Hawks being hospitalized in a psych ward for a 'mental breakdown'. Indefinitely.
Why do I care? He— has to be— is still a Hero and an enemy. He stopped us from freeing Shigaraki.
He saved us too. Us, a Villain. Just because he pretends to be normal doesn't mean he is. He's so trapped by his Heroic life. Admit it, you still want him by our side.
We can't leave. And he'll never join us. He'll die for them.
Maybe they want him to. No, they do want him to.
We don't know that. And it's not like the bossman wants Hawks for good reasons.
Are you sure we don't know? Because it looks like Heroes are covering for Heroes. Again. But if they're covering for Heroes to protect Hawks's attacker, then I don't think he's any safer with them over us anymore. And considering bossman, that's saying something.
Twice flinched. That's a reach.
Is it? I don't think so. You don't either. Wonder when he'll be hospitalized. Or found dead. Would be less of a media circus if he's dead. Better a dead Hero than a mentally unsound one, right?
A chill went up Twice's spine. No, that's not going to happen.
Then why isn't anyone helping him? Why would anyone help someone like him? Someone like us?
Twice's breathing grew rapid and he clutched at his head. He was splitting. He reached into his pocket but only felt the rough fabric of jeans.
Where was his mask?!
Twice lurched from his chair and fell to the ground as his cigarette extinguished and rolled along the floor. He stumbled to his bag by the bed and tore through it, frantically searching for his mask. His phone and pain meds and a box of cigarettes and some clothes fell to the floor and he shoved them aside frantically, searching for his mask. In his panic, he was unable to comprehend that he could cover himself with other fabric until he found it.
He was splitting.
He was S̶̲̀P̶͇̓L̸̻̆I̶̼͗T̴̪̃T̵̝̕I̵̲͝N̵̊ͅG̶̜̋—
XXXXXXX
"What did you do?"
The look Hawks gave Aizawa when he arrived in his hospital room was filled with such vitriol he had to wonder if Orange was rubbing off on him.
Aizawa coughed into his hand. "I have done nothing, Hawks."
"And the sky is green." Hawks snarled sarcastically. "Why did you get me a position as a teaching assistant at UA?"
Aizawa put his hands in his pockets and slouched. "Many future events involve my students, particularly at the training camp. It was only logical to give you a reason to be here."
"Oh yes." Hawks said testily. "I'm certain that was your only reason. Don't pretend. You did this to 'protect' me."
"That's another benefit." Aizawa admitted. "If it's any… consolation, Mic and I did go to your apartment to tell you about your new job offer. Recent events simply made the acceptance process go by even faster."
Hawks opened his mouth to tell Aizawa exactly what he thought about that and glanced around self-consciously even though he knew Tensei and Fatgum would not be able to hear him from outside the door. Still, he lowered his voice. "You do realize they'll be in danger because of me?"
"The Commission has no power at UA."
"That you know about."
Aizawa frowned at the dig against his coworkers. Hawks would apologize but UA already had a Villain-traitor in their school. Why not a Commission agent too?
"Protecting me is more trouble than it's worth." he continued flatly. "You should be focusing on preventing the future."
"Did you ever consider this is part of preventing it?" Aizawa asked with an infuriating amount of gentleness, like Hawks was the one who didn't understand the situation.
"The Commission didn't kill other me or bring down Hero Society." Hawks said tonelessly.
"But they sent you on that mission while knowing you'd likely be killed. And you've implied dark secrets behind closed doors played a big part in Hero Society's collapse." Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Would you and your friends like to tell me about that?"
Hawks— and White— chose not to respond to that query. "Look, I'm grateful for what you're trying to do but I can't accept this position."
"What will you do then?" Aizawa challenged. "Disappear? Hide? Sneak around and struggle while you're hunted down?"
"If it keeps your students from being targeted by the Commission, yes." Hawks snapped.
"Based on your request for 'family' to visit your interns, they may already be targets because of their association with you." Aizawa said coolly.
Hawks flinched. Logically he knew it was not an accusation. Illogically, it still stung because he knew that already, okay?
Aizawa sighed, but did not apologize. "Look at it this way: your other options will not save the future. The Commission will only hinder your attempts. Plus, at the school I may be able to assist you in controlling the… combination of your Quirks. Thus, it is only logical for you to be present at UA, and Toshinori and I have pulled a lot of strings to get you accepted so quickly."
Indignation quickly transformed into guilt.
"I did not intend to sound ungrateful." Hawks said as not-tonelessly as he could manage. His response still sounded a bit stiff and robotic, but hopefully Aizawa would chalk it up to anger. He bowed his head in submission as much as he could in the bed. "I humbly accept your offer of employment."
"Excellent." Aizawa pushed a stack of papers his way. "I need you to look through these forms. Your employment technically does not start until the beginning of this next semester but you may be going with me to the training camp."
Hawks felt the voices stir uneasily. "That training camp?"
"Yes."
Red jolted. "We're forgetting to tell him something." she said suddenly.
What is it? Hawks asked.
"If I remembered I would tell you to pass it on. Anyone?"
The other voices shrugged helplessly.
Hawks tuned back in to his external conversation and eyed his bandaged wings critically. "I should be mostly healed by then, in case there are any problems. With Shigaraki in jail, I honestly can't say what will happen next. I'll do everything I can to be there."
"With our luck we'll probably be out of commission." Yellow sighed.
"Yellow, that is inappropriate at this time." Silver scolded.
"Huh? Oh crap. That was accidental, I swear!"
Hawks began skimming through the paperwork and had to repress a frown. Some of these dates were rather early. In fact, a few were from a couple days after Tsukauchi and Best Jeanist had released him from the Commission. Hawks eyed Aizawa suspiciously but the UA teacher kept his face perfectly blank. It was doubtful he would insist on starting the employment process so soon, especially since this was from before Hawks had told him the truth.
Which meant All Might— via Toshinori, most likely— had been the one getting the ball rolling.
Hawks was not sure how he felt about the Symbol of Peace's involvement so he ignored it and kept skimming. He eventually noticed a name he did not recognize was scattered throughout the document and pointed it out.
"Hey, Aizawa? Who's this 'Keigo Takami' person?"
Aizawa hesitated, and busily adjusted his scarf. "You. That's your name."
Hawks nodded absently. "Oh, okay."
He continued to read, carefully checking for pretty wording that would reveal the rules of his new gilded cage.
It took him another minute to register what Aizawa had said.
Hawks stared at the kanji written on the page, then back at Aizawa. "…Huh?"
"You heard me." Aizawa grunted, but Hawks could see him watching for his reaction.
Hawks forced himself to swallow as he scrutinized the page and traced the name with a finger. Keigo Takami. That was his birth name. It was the name given to him by his neglectful parents and taken from him by the Commission. It proved he had been a person once, more than the Hero everyone cared about but few really knew.
This was his name.
The name he had forgotten.
His name…
The name didn't feel right, like an ill-fitting glove with splinters in the fingertips. Hearing it felt wrong. And painful, like it was the name of a recently deceased loved one rather than what his used to be.
Maybe Keigo Takami was dead. He was the innocent, wide-eyed, six year-old child who hadn't been allowed to exist once the Commission tore away everything they did not want him to be.
"How did you find this?" Hawks heard himself ask. His voice sounded detached, as if he were commenting on the weather out of sheer boredom rather than discussing the name he had forgotten.
Aizawa did not fail to notice. His brow furrowed. "Keigo—"
"Don't call me that!" Hawks snapped. He blanched and recoiled in preparation for a blow that never came. Hawks forced himself not to wait for it and took a calming breath. "I— Sorry. That's not me."
Hawks's voice did not shake. It did not.
It just went a little uneven for a second. That was all.
Aizawa's expression was neutral, but Hawks could see the sorrowful tilt in his lips and eyes. "I apologize, Hawks."
Rather than unjustifiably explode and scream at him for a stupid reason, Hawks turned the paperwork over so he did not have to look at it anymore. "Not to switch topics—" Real subtle, Hawks. "—but how's Eri doing?"
"She's adjusting." Aizawa said simply. "Shinso, Todoroki, Iida, and Tokoyami have been visiting, and I plan to introduce her to a student that may be able to assist her in figuring out how to control her Quirk after the summer camp."
Hawks perked up. "That's great." He shifted and glanced self-consciously at his bandaged wings. "Once I'm healed up, can I visit her again?"
Aizawa's eyebrows crept upward. "I do hope so considering you'll be living on the UA campus as well."
Hawks had not considered that. He thought back to Miruko's apartment and repressed a shiver. "Is Miruko going to have to move?"
"Most likely."
Miruko had been at that apartment since she first became a Hero. And now she had to leave it after eight years because it wasn't safe. Because of him.
Hawks squashed his guilt. "…I see. How much will my rent be?"
"What." Aizawa said flatly.
"My rent? At UA?" Hawks ventured. "How much of my pay will be taken for boarding?" He winced and hastily turned over the paperwork again, skimming it as he tried to ignore any mention of 'Keigo' he saw. "It's in here, isn't it? I apologize for the stupid question."
"Staff and students don't have to pay to live in the dorms." Aizawa said coolly. "And we certainly don't 'take your pay'. It's yours."
Hawks wisely kept his mouth shut. He found what his 'assistant teacher' salary would be and began accounting for his payments to the Commission— because dead Hero walking or not, they would demand he pay his debts— while trying to guess how much would be taken by UA for their generosity.
"Aizawa isn't lying." Pink said. "They're not going to steal from you."
Right. And it's not 'stealing' if they're owed.
"…They really aren't." Pink sighed.
Okay.
"You don't believe me." Now Pink sounded sad. "I understand."
Hawks ignored her and her misplaced compassion. He spent the rest of Aizawa's visit prodding him for information on how Eri was doing and getting details about his former interns' antics. It appeared Tokoyami had not brought up his revelation with anyone— even Aizawa— and Hawks could not decide whether he was relieved or not.
As soon as Aizawa left, Hawks slumped against his pillows and stared at the ceiling, heart in his throat.
Green cleared his throat. "So… are we going to talk about your name—?"
No.
"Understood, Gold."
Hawks did not relax at the much-preferred nickname. Be honest with me: what will UA want in return for helping me?
"Nothing." Green insisted. "They're not the Commission. They won't enslave you for life."
But I am indebted to them.
"You are not."
I am. People always want things from me. Aizawa knows about you so your knowledge is what he wants, but what about the others? All Might, Nedzu, Present Mic… What do they want?
"They want to help you, idiot." Orange huffed.
"Like Heroes are supposed to." Pink added.
"Free of debt or expectations." Yellow said brightly.
I wish I could believe that, Hawks admitted. He began counting tiles on the ceiling. They can't be as bad as the Commission. And Aizawa's been pretty cool so far… Except for the initial misunderstanding incident.
"I would be insulted on their behalf that you would even think to put them in the same category as the Commission but I understand your reservations considering your background." Silver said bluntly.
Thanks, Hawks thought with only slight sarcasm because sue him for being paranoid. He took a deep, deep breath. You know how I said you'll be able to tell when I'm not-dealing with things? I think you might be able to tell soon. If… He swallowed. If I drift, one of you have to take over. We need to stay alert.
The voices did not seem to grasp the full weight of that request. Hell, Hawks himself did not understand why giving them control when he was unaware caused his throat to close up with fear. None of the voices chided him for that weakness, for which he was mostly grateful. 'Mostly' because Hawks could not deny the desire to have someone finally yell at him for what he had done.
I disobeyed the Commission.
The voices politely ignored his anxiety as he curled up on the bed and tried to force himself to breathe.
"We'll watch out for you." Green promised.
The others did not need to echo the sentiment.
Hawks closed his eyes, hoping to maybe get some shut eye before he was inevitably woken by nightmares.
"Oh dear." Red said abruptly."I do believe we forgot to tell Aizawa we are Ennea. The first Ennea, not the one from last night."
The voices looked at each other.
Hawks pursed his lips so he would not laugh hysterically.
Yellow did it for him, giggling nervously. "Oops."
XXXXXXX
The sound of police sirens was not something the agent known as 'Amplifier' was used to fleeing from, but now he found himself casually turning into an alleyway and letting them pass by. He was out of his uniform and in civilian clothes, thus minimizing the risk of him being identified, but the Commission taught him to be overly cautious.
It was not supposed to be like this. When he saw the news covering his 'attack' on Hawks, he knew he had messed up. His mission had been to knock Hawks unconscious, leave some blood and a warning for Miruko to keep her mouth shut, and bring his brainwashed pupil to the Commission labs to be 'cured'.
Amplifier had been in the Commission long enough to know what that 'cure' would actually entail.
Call it pride, but he did not want Hawks to break like that. The kid always did so well under pressure, but remedial courses would shatter his mind into pieces before letting it be remolded into whatever the President desired. Amplifier didn't want the project he worked on to be turned into another smiling shell, so he tried to give Hawks mercy.
The kid being who he was, he'd rejected it so admirably. Amplifier would be impressed if it'd been a Villain trying to get information. Instead, Hawks had foolishly fought him even though he was on the kid's side.
And now Amplifier would pay for it.
He knew how this worked. He had failed at his mission. If no one outside the Commission knew, the President might let it slide, but the news had found out thanks to the two UA teachers. Did those Heroes know nothing about what should and should not be made public knowledge? To Amplifier, Hawks's resistance had been admirable, but to the public he would only be seen as vulnerable, unheroic, and weak. Civilians were arrogant like that, acting like they would fare better as they looked at torture from behind the safety of their glass screens when in reality they would become blubbering wrecks in the first second.
Amplifier pulled his hood over his head and walked deeper into the alley. He needed to return to HQ but knew he could not simply walk through the front door. The news may be hounding the Commission since it was known Hawks had some type of connection to the organization, and he could not afford to be spotted. Another man emerged from the other end of the alley but Amplifier barely spared him a glance. He was just a man walking, after all, and if someone tried to mug him they would be in for a nasty surprise.
"Amplifier."
Amplifier jerked to a halt and turned, but lowered his hand without touching the other man.
Although he was half-hidden in the shadows, he recognized the man as a fellow agent, Norito Kaetsu, if only because of what an interesting case he was. Sniper and martial artist, one of many handlers of Hawks, exposed for sexual harassment and thrown into Tartarus so he would not share the Commission's secrets, only to be released recently.
Amplifier had not followed his case as closely as he could have, but had looked into Kaetsu from time to time out of… necessity, since Hawks was his student as well. Hawks's name and Kaetsu's worst crimes were left out of the court case, but Amplifier was not stupid, just like the other handlers and agents were not.
He knew what Kaetsu had done— he had witnessed it himself— but since the Commission had ordered it, there was no reason to do anything.
Still, Amplifier remembered hating the idea of Kaetsu tormenting Hawks. It was simply unnecessary, since it was not his job to teach Hawks how to endure that kind of cruelty. Hell, even the Commission President agreed Kaetsu had gone overboard by the end. The man had been so close to breaking Hawks completely that the higher ups had feared nothing could be salvaged from their Icarus Project when they finally said enough and put a stop to it.
Though Amplifier supposed the whole thing had proven Hawks's Heroic strength of mind and that was what mattered in the end. The Icarus Project had learned his lesson and was still functional. That being said, Amplifier would not say he was pleased when Kaetsu was arrested, but he was certainly not annoyed like Pathfinder, who muttered about finding the whistleblower and killing them.
Amplifier, meanwhile, had kept tabs on Kaetsu, just in case he decided to be a problem. The Commission was surprisingly kind to him despite throwing him in Tartarus, likely since he had been so loyal and useful. Kaetsu had been given updates about Hawks during his years in prison and— according to the reports— his contacts even let him believe his delusion that Hawks was secretly female.
Though if Amplifier were being honest with himself, 'let' was less accurate than 'conditioned'. He'd previously thought they were trying to make Kaetsu's word seem less believable— after all, if he believed Hawks was a girl, he must not be right in the head— but now he was not so sure.
And then Kaetsu unexpectedly had been released four years after his incarceration and was brought back into the Commission's workforce without a fuss. Amplifier would not openly question the President's decision, but inwardly he had to wonder what secret game she was playing.
Amplifier said none of this to his fellow agent. "I was not aware we were meeting, Kaetsu. Are you here to take me to HQ?"
Kaetsu stepped out of the shadows and stared at him with his acid green eyes, his jaw clenched tight as a vein twitched madly in his jugular. "I saw you."
Never before had Amplifier heard three words be spoken with such hatred.
Amplifier could not mistake the utter fury in his tone for anything else.
He had a decision to make— run, or get close enough to use his Quirk. He knew the Commission saw him as valuable and thus had not sent Kaetsu to kill him— if they had, Amplifier would not have seen him before he was shot in the head by the sniper— so he stepped closer rather than retreat. Kaetsu was now in reaching distance.
"Saw what, my friend?" Amplifier asked in a soothing, pleasant tone cultivated to encourage relaxation and trust.
"I saw you." Kaetsu repeated, voice shaking as if he could barely contain his rage. "I saw you try to break her. But she's mine to break. Hawks is mine."
He laughed as if his mirth had physically torn itself from his throat and his lips twisted like he was in physical pain. Before Amplifier could hope, they then morphed into a wide, unhinged grin, his laughter coming in sharp, agonizing bursts that made his shoulders lurch. It was then Amplifier realized just how much he had underestimated Kaetsu's— Commission assisted— deteriorated mental state.
He lunged for the other agent but Kaetsu dodged, grabbing him and throwing him into the wall head first. Amplifier struck the stone and only had a second to realize a cuff had been locked around his wrist. Electricity tore through him and his back arched, his body writhing and jerking as his breath failed to reach his chest.
Kaetsu watched him with deceptive serenity, the maniacal smile gone from his face, and casually put his hands in his pockets, shoulders slouching. He took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose, and closed his eyes as if he were in ecstasy.
"Mmm. A fear of failing and growing old with no legacy to speak of, huh?" His lip curled. "That's boring. Just like that serial killer's fear of weakness was boring. Why are you all so boring? Why can't you be like my Angel? She's so wonderfully obedient." His expression crumpled. "I miss her so much. Why won't they let me see her again? I promise I won't kill her. I killed those other mutants so I won't kill my Angel. I can control myself, see? You see? Why do they continue to keep us apart when we belong together?"
Kaetsu paced back and forth, dragging his hands frantically through his ghostly white hair like a drug addict who'd missed his latest fix. The electricity tearing through Amplifier's body faded, leaving hims shuddering and twitching on the ground. Kaetsu glanced at him out of the corner of one acid-green eye and his expression shifted from annoyance to boredom so quickly Amplifier wondered if he'd imagined it.
"I suppose I could use your fear to rapidly age you to death but..." He halted in place and twirled back to Amplifier, clapping his hands together once in delight. "I think one of her fears is much more satisfying to watch in action, as… interesting as it is." He put a finger to his lips and made a shushing noise. "Hush, hush, little Commission dog. Scream in silence now."
A gigantic figure rose behind the— rogue?— agent.
In the shadows, all Amplifier could see a misshapen head and strange, elongated earlobes that ended in what looked like audio jacks.
Kaetsu smiled pleasantly. "Kill him."
The Nomu lunged.
Amplifier did not have time to scream.
XXXXXXX
A/N: Updating early-early because I have great news! I've finished writing this book! I might combine or split apart a couple chapters but it's done! Yesssssss! I'm so happy! :D
Next update will be the 16th-ish.
