Warning: This chapter contains misgendering and non-consensual kissing.
XXXXXXX
Chapter Thirty-Two: Soteriophobia
"If I can't save this little girl… how can I save everyone?!"
His own words— said long ago in what felt like a different life— echoed through Midoriya's head as he laid on his bed in his room in their fabricated UA. He had said those words to Overhaul while fighting to save Eri, using everything he had to not only rescue her, but keep the innocent people around their battle safe.
Yet even that day, he had not saved everyone. Mirio had lived but lost his Quirk. Sir Nighteye had died. Midoriya knew it was not his fault, just as Uraraka came to accept it was not hers either. Even on the best days, sometimes Heroes could not save absolutely everyone during a crisis.
Midoriya knew that.
He had accepted that.
But when had he decided that was okay?
So Midoriya sat on his bed in their fabricated UA dorms, hoping the door to his room would remain shut. As he sat the space— which had been filled with the All Might memorabilia of his childhood— slowly became empty. The action figures vanished from the shelves and the posters from the walls, leaving them barren as the paint began to crack.
A tap on the door was the last thing Midoriya wanted to hear, but he forced himself to raise his head and smile. "Come in."
Todoroki stepped through the door. He glanced at the decrepit walls but did not comment on them. "I have been sent to talk to you."
"I guessed." Midoriya sighed. "No offense, Shoto but why… you?"
"Pink does not know what to say and Orange would become violent." Todoroki said bluntly.
A frown pulled at Midoriya's lips. "You used their color names."
"So I did." Whi— Todoroki acknowledged. "But we should remain on topic." He stood in the center of the room and crossed his arms. "You're upset by what Hawks said. Not because it hurt, but because you fear it is true."
The bluntness was expected. The perceptive— true— analysis was not. Though Midoriya supposed Todoroki had changed from the socially-perplexed teen he had been. They all had changed. That was why he did not try to deny what Todoroki said. His friend would see right through any smiles.
"It is true. I… I saw Hawks as an extra. A 'side character'. Someone who didn't need to survive for a happy ending. His life wasn't worth much to me, just like it wasn't worth anything to the Commission." A shudder passed through Midoriya and a coldness followed that pierced his bones. "When did I decide it was okay to sacrifice some people to save others?"
"You didn't." Todoroki said firmly. "That's why you're here now."
Midoriya laughed bitterly. "Or maybe I'm here now because Hawks is the person I decided we could lose."
"That's not what I meant." Todoroki denied. He sat on the bed beside him. "Perhaps you did unconsciously see Hawks's life as something worth risking before we came here. But here and now, in this moment, you have realized that was wrong of you."
"But would I have changed my mind if we didn't end up here?" Midoriya asked. "Because I don't think I would have. Hawks's life wasn't important to me."
And that was the core of it. That was why he shut himself in this room and could not bear to look at Hawks. Because Heroes valued all life. They saved everyone. They did not pick a person and think 'their may die, but that could save more people.'
Midoriya could not bear the thought that he had done exactly that.
"I know you want to help." Midoriya said before Todoroki could speak again. "But I just need some time to think. Please."
He could tell his friend wanted to argue. Badly. Instead he inclined his head and rose from beside him.
"We'll be outside."
It should be a reassurance. Now, it was just a reminder that he could not hide from his decisions forever. Midoriya watched him shut the door before he laid down, rolling so he faced the empty wall. He prayed Hawks and the others— including himself— did not see his memories tonight.
He didn't want to find out the moment when he decided a single lost life was worth the results.
XXXXXXX
The school term ended and summer break began. The Summer Training Camp would be in a few weeks, in the second week of August to be precise.
Hawks and the voices waited for the other shoe to drop. It didn't, and things went smoothly. Too smoothly.
The news stopped hounding them.
Endeavor did not storm into the office and demand to know where his family was. In fact, he seemed content to only contact Hawks about their investigation through sidekicks at his Agency.
Hawks's former interns were fine, enjoying their summer break.
There was not a peep from the League or the Commission.
Hawks could not sleep for several nights. His and the voices unease multiplied until Hawks started seeing the build up to another anxiety attack. One would think seeing the signs would allow him to prevent it but his efforts were as effective as warding off flames with a wooden spoon. Hawks never realized how uncomfortable his office could make him until his chest tightened every time he tried to relax in it.
It did not help that he still waited with dread for Ingenium or the voices to grill him for more information about Kaetsu. They didn't and Hawks could not tell if they wanted to. He almost missed the time when he was bombarded by the voices' emotions. At least then he'd know what they felt towards him.
Green barely said anything to him since that day. Orange had not dragged him out and forced him to talk about things so Hawks tried not to worry. Tried did not mean succeeded. Just when he thought he might crack and have to retreat to the bathroom, Hawks's anxiety decided to give up and abandon him, leaving him detached and serene. He spent the next couple hours staring at paperwork and doing none of it, incapable of even mocking himself for doing nothing.
Mockingjay walked into the office, took one look at him, and hurried to his side. She set the tablet she was carrying on his desk.
"Hawks?"
Hawks blinked benignly at her.
"Do you want me to call Rumi or Toshinori?" she asked levelly.
He continued to stare.
Mockingjay reached for her phone. Or maybe the sedatives she had in that other pocket.
Hawks shook himself. "I can work."
He picked up a pen and tried to make sense of the document in front of him. The words danced and weaved. Hawks rubbed his eyes.
"So… tired…" Yellow groaned.
Mockingjay carefully peeled his fingers apart, forcing him to release the pen. "When did you last sleep?"
Hawks was pretty sure it was at Tensei's. He shrugged. "I'm fine. I have coffee."
Mockingjay pulled his half-empty mug out of reach before he could grab it. "You know caffeine can make your anxiety worse."
"I'm fine." Hawks repeated. He stared at the page and watched the words blur together. He stifled a growl and grabbed his mug. Mockingjay plucked it from his hands before he could drink. Hawks scowled and reached for it but she kept it out of range. "Gimme. I can't sleep so this is the next best thing."
Mockingjay dumped it down the sink. "You're running yourself ragged again." she said as she set the empty mug down. "Have your friends been keeping you up?"
Hawks paused before remembering she knew about the voices. That was going to take some getting used to. "Er, kinda? I mean, we've been…" He remembered she did not know he was Ennea. "…doing stuff at odd hours."
"I know you're Ennea."
Well, so much for that.
Hawks smiled weakly. "Could you reenact your moment of revelation? Please, I want to see your comically surprised expression."
"No." Mockingjay said blandly.
Hawks was too tired to pretend to pout. He laid his head on the desk. "How long have you known?"
"A while."
"That's specific." Hawks said, holding back a yawn.
"Hmm." She leaned over so her face was in front of his. "You didn't answer my question."
"Right." he mumbled. "We've been up doing Ennea things because we can't sleep."
"Why?"
"Don't want nightmares." Hawks muttered into his arms. "We'd have new material to work with. I… I told Tensei about Kaetsu. Everything about him." He shivered and shut his eyes. "I swear I just remembered. I wasn't intentionally hiding it from you or anything—"
"You don't owe me an explanation." Mockingjay interrupted.
Hawks shifted in his seat and avoided looking at her. "Aren't you angry?"
She scoffed. "Because you're talking to someone? Never. I'd be an awful friend if I threw a fit."
Hawks hummed and stared at the document with unnecessary intensity. It was… something about the budget? Maybe? "You're not going to try to dig into it to find out what happened, are you?"
"No. Though Kaetsu's file had suspicious holes even before they tried to erase it." was all she said.
Hawks knew she did not know everything he had done. She would not be so calm if she did.
Kaetsu would not be breathing anymore either.
Neither would the Commission.
Hawks set his pen down. "Speaking of the Commission's shadier tactics… I know this is morbid to ask, but when I die could you make sure my body is cremated? I want to make sure the Commission and League won't be able to do anything with it. In the League's case that's how they create Nomu."
"…'When'." Mockingjay echoed flatly.
"I'm not immortal. No one is." Hawks reminded her lightly.
Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't deflect."
"I'm not—"
"Let me guess." Mockingjay interrupted. "If someone asked, 'Where do you see yourself in ten years?' You'd say 'Dead'."
Hawks opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Said nothing and dropped his gaze.
"Maybe I would." he confessed. "I've been thinking about my death a lot since I fought Amplifier."
"Yours or your future self?" Mockingjay asked.
"Both." Hawks admitted. He saw her stoic expression falter and sighed. "I'm not suicidal. I have to live."
"Because of them." Mockingjay stated. "Not for yourself."
Hawks froze. "So?" he said defensively.
"You're not going to die." Mockingjay said.
Hawks winced. "Because of my promise?"
"Because you are going to see your thirtieth birthday." Mockingjay stated. "And your fortieth, and fiftieth, and your damn hundredth if I have any say. You're not dying young."
Hawks thought about Future Tokoyami, and Aizawa, and Tsuyu and Jiro and everyone else that died before they could hit forty. He could not stop a mirthless chuckle from bursting out of him. "That's too optimistic even for me. The odds aren't in my favor, Kat."
He saw her lips press thin. Before she could reply, her tablet beeped. She picked it up and flipped through screens.
Hawks lifted his head and watched her curiously. "What's that?"
She shot him a look that told him she was not done with their previous conversation. "Bee got me a clear shot of our delivery girl. I've been putting it through facial recognition."
"Got a hit?" Hawks asked.
"Ye—" Mockingjay did a double-take. "That can't be right…" She glowered at the screen. "You've got to be kidding me."
"What is it?" Hawks asked urgently.
"I got an alert from Bee. Turns out Endeavor's been running facial too without sharing. He got a match a few hours ago."
"Faster than Bee?" Hawks asked, surprised.
"He's annoyed too." Mockingjay snarled as she frantically tapped the screen. "Here's our delivery girl."
She turned the tablet around, revealing the pictures on the screen.
In an instant, everything made sense.
The newly-emerged serial killer, why he operated in Fukuoka, his reasons for killing light-haired people with mutation-type Quirks, why he killed Amplifier…
The only reason Hawks did not have a panic attack right there was because of the 'identity' of their delivery girl.
Red's breathing hitched.
Yellow made a small, pained sound.
"I'm going to kill this bastard." Orange snarled.
Mockingjay's expression was grave. "She appears to be—"
Hawks was already out the window.
XXXXXXX
This was not how Kyoka Jiro thought her summer break would play out. She expected shopping trips, festivals, and listening to music on the beach before her class went on training trip in mid-August. She did not expect to be summoned to Endeavor's Hero Agency on a hot summer day.
She certainly did not expect to be waiting for hours in what was undeniably an interrogation room, complete with one-way glass.
When she was called, Jiro thought she was called to the Agency for clarification about… anything to do with her extremely short Hero career. Not being politely but firmly grabbed by the arms and hustled to an interrogation room by some sidekicks. Sidekicks who now stood by the door and watched her like they did not trust her.
This wasn't what she expected. It wasn't at all. That was why she sent her parents on their way after they dropped her off. She didn't think they needed to be before, but shouldn't her parents be here with her? She didn't want to ask the sidekicks standing by the door since that might make her seem guilty.
It would make her seem guilty, right?
One of the sidekicks— Burnin— was smiling at her, but she'd been smiling the whole time Jiro had been there, from the door to rough journey to this room. It was less an indicator that things were okay and more a permanent fixture on her face.
Jiro did not know what to think or expect. She did not have much experience with this side of the law. Her Hero education was geared more towards combat and rescue. Now here she was, not as a Hero in training or intern, but as a… suspect or witness or what?
Jiro tried to think rationally. She tried to keep a cool head. But the waiting without knowing any reason why was making that harder. That and just how uncomfortable this room was. They had not given her any water or food, the room seemed to switch between boiling hot and icy cold, she didn't know what was going on, and she didn't know what to do.
Was this a mistake? Was someone merely running late? Was she in trouble? She didn't think she had done anything but even if she hadn't would this go on her record? If it went on her record her Hero career was over. Her life would be over. Their society was completely unsympathetic to anyone who had any kind of mark on their record. But she hadn't done anything wrong.
Jiro forced herself to breathe and not fiddle with her earlobes, telling herself she was jumping to conclusions and panicking over nothing. This might merely be a standard questioning procedure that she was unprepared for. Or something.
Either way, she was waiting to be questioned by Todoroki's father. And she had no idea why. So Jiro ricocheted between confusion and nervousness as she resisted the urge to fiddle with her ear jacks. Now that she had time to think about it, weren't people usually interviewed at police offices and not Hero Agencies unless Quirks were involved?
Jiro shivered and rubbed her arms. The short sleeves shirt she wore was perfect for the summer weather but the room was cold again. How long had she been waiting? There was no clock and Burnin had taken her phone. That was standard procedure, right? She wished she had asked Yaoyorozu about this type of thing. Her classmate probably knew all about this type of stuff.
The door opened and Endeavor himself walked in. He made for an intimidating figure, practically filling the doorway as he entered. Was he always so tall? And angry? Jiro's sense of wrongness increased.
"Where were you Wednesday two weeks ago at 10:36 a.m.?" Endeavor demanded.
Jiro jumped, not expecting him to start with a question. She tried to remember the day he was talking about— had he not said the date on purpose?— and came up blank.
"I was in class?" She winced as it came out as a question.
"Were you?" Endeavor asked. Now he appeared too calm. Almost neutral. That disturbed her all the more. He flipped open the file he held and set it on the table in front of her, revealing a picture. "Then who is this?"
Jiro looked at the grainy image and could not believe what she saw. It was a bit difficult to make out the person on the grainy image and much of her face was hidden under a cap, but the markings beneath her white eyes— like a Nomu's eyes— were undeniable. It was her but… older? The unflattering uniform hid her figure, but the woman's facial features were a bit less girlish than Jiro's, as if someone had used a program to age her up a few years. But it was her. If she looked at the ears, she could see long earlobes tucked up into the cap.
She glanced uncertainly at Endeavor. "What is this?"
"That is what we want to know." Endeavor said coolly. He leaned forward and Jiro could feel the heat from his flames. "So I ask again: where were you Wednesday?"
Jiro was not a crier. She was not the most confident girl, but she rolled her eyes at those that claimed teenagers were overly emotional. But in this moment, she wanted nothing more than to burst into tears, out of confusion and stress more than anything.
What was going on? What Wednesday was he talking about? What had the woman who looked like her done? Why was she in trouble? Was she in trouble? Should she ask? Should she not? What would make her seem innocent and what would make her seem more like a suspect? Why was Endeavor looking at her like he thought she was already guilty?
"I was at school." she repeated shakily.
Although it did not come out as a question this time, she could not deny she sounded as close to tears as she felt. She could feel Endeavor's flames. He was too close, and they made her skin prickle and sting. Any closer and she wondered if she'd burst into flames too. She wished the room was cold again, not boiling hot. She was sweating, which probably made her look even more guilty than she already did.
Endeavor's eyes— had they always been such an unforgiving blue?— narrowed.
Burnin put a hand to her ear— a communicator?— and frowned. "Sir—"
The door abruptly opened with a screech of abused metal and the Winged Hero Hawks strolled in. Behind him came a grim-looking Detective Tsukauchi.
"Sorry we're late!" Hawks said cheerfully. He grabbed a chair and pulled it so it was on the side adjacent to Jiro instead of across from her before sitting down in it. He waved. "Hi, younger Jiro! Nice to meet you. I'm calling you younger Jiro because I called your parents. They're on their way back."
Jiro sometimes thought people were exaggerating when they said the arrival of certain Heroes made all their fear vanish. In that moment, she understood their sentiment completely and felt bad for ever doubting those who claimed a Hero could make them feel safe with just their appearance alone.
Her breathing evened out as the air around her grew cooler. Had the heat been her imagination? It must have been, because she thought she caught a glimpse of frost on Hawks's feathers. It was gone when she blinked.
Jiro did not know Hawks personally in any way, but she had seen the news. This Hero would be her teacher soon. She wished they had met under different circumstances. Any other circumstances at all would be preferable.
Hawks turned his bright smile to Endeavor. "Enji, I know you're not used to teaming up but you usually tell your Agency-partner when you're talking to someone. Especially when it's their investigation."
Hawks's tone was teasing and chipper but there was something underneath it that made the hair on Jiro's nape prickle. Something… not quite dangerous, but suggesting patience had been worn thin. It reminded her of Present Mic during the rare times the class managed to push him too far.
"I planned to inform you once concrete evidence was acquired." Endeavor said.
His expression remained neutral, but there was a thinness to his lips like he'd eaten a lemon. He leaned forward and despite herself, Jiro tensed. Hawks turned back to Jiro and propped his elbow on the table, leaning on his hand. His wings flared out a little and almost hit Endeavor. In any other circumstance, Jiro might have giggled. Instead she watched him carefully. His new position almost seemed deliberate.
"So." Hawks said cheerfully. "You okay or do I need to bring out the power point about interrogating minors without their parents present?"
Jiro heard Endeavor's jaw clench. "She is a Hero—"
"She is a fifteen year-old first-year student who hasn't even gotten her provisional Hero license yet." Hawks interrupted pleasantly. "She also doesn't need any stupidity messing up her record." His smile— bright, fierce, and almost feral— softened to something gentler as he kept his eyes on Jiro. "Did anyone explain what's going on?"
Jiro mutely shook her head.
"We think a Villain may have used your appearance." Hawks explained patiently.
Jiro's eyes widened. "Why me?" she blurted.
"It might be because you're from the infamous Class 1-A." Hawks said. His voice remained light, but his golden eyes were hard. Unlike with Endeavor, she could tell his anger was not at her.
"The League?" Jiro whispered. Her stomach twisted into knots. What if the Villain did it again— more perfectly this time— and tricked her parents or friends?
Hawks shrugged. "Possibly but probably not. No League member has been known to—"
"The Villain dropped off a suspicious package at a Hero Agency." Endeavor interjected.
"My Agency." Hawks said with the same pleasantry Jiro's mom used when she was ready to throw someone out of her house. He glanced down at the file and shut it. "You don't need to see what she delivered."
"She should." Endeavor disagreed. "Since the Villain may be... using her identity—" He spoke as if he doubted that was the case. "—for a reason."
Hawks's smile vanished completely. "No, she does not. I'm not giving a teenager nightmares."
They looked at each other and the air between them practically crackled with tension. Endeavor was glaring, while Hawks merely stared at him with an aura of dangerous politeness. The sidekicks near the door did not react, except Burnin's smile had shrunk slightly. Whether her shrinking grin was out of confusion or unease, Jiro could not tell. Jiro herself had no idea how to react. Was this some 'good cop', 'bad cop' deal like in those movies her father loved to watch?
"It may trigger a memory." Endeavor argued.
"She clearly wasn't the delivery girl." Hawks denied instantly. "Look at the date and time. She was at school. One call to her teacher will confirm that." His smile was back as if it had never been gone, still with that feral edge. "Plus that's why I brought Tsukauchi." He turned to Jiro. "He has a lie detector Quirk. We usually don't need him when interviewing potential witnesses but some people like to be suspicious."
His tone sounded teasing but Jiro sensed it was anything but. This was so weird. From what Midoriya said, Hawks was an Endeavor fan, right? Had something happened or was their friendliness— from Hawks, mostly— just for Hero solidarity?
Tsukauchi sat across from Jiro and smiled at her. "We can wait for your parents to arrive if you want."
Jiro swallowed and shook her head. She was a Hero in training so she should act independently. ""N-No. You can ask questions now."
Tsukauchi took her hand. His hand was warm. Was the contact necessary because of how his Quirk worked or did he do it to provide support?
"Let's start with the basics. What is your name?" he asked.
Now this was what Jiro expected. "Kyoka Jiro."
"Age?"
"Fifteen."
"Birthday?"
"August 1st."
"Your birthday's in a couple weeks." Tsukauchi commented. "Happy almost birthday. Do you have any plans?" He released her hand and raised both of his. "You don't have to answer that one."
He said it so seriously— like that freedom was the most important thing in the world— that it was oddly comical. Hawks gave an undignified snort.
Jiro struggled not to smile as well. She fiddled with her earlobes. "Um. I'm going to have a party with a couple of my classmates Kaminari and Yaoyorozu— uh, Chargebolt and Creati."
Hawks abruptly turned his head away from her. She thought she saw his shoulders shudder. When she glanced at him, he was smiling again.
"Sounds fun." Tsukauchi commented. He took her hand again. "Quirk?"
"Earphone Jack."
"Blood Type?"
"A."
Tsukauchi grew solemn. "Where were you last Wednesday?"
"In class." Jiro said calmly.
"Can others verify you were there?"
She thought of Yaoyorozu and Kaminari. And Midoriya and Koda and the rest of her classmates. And Aizawa, Present Mic, and the other teachers. "Yes."
Tsukauchi let go of her hand again. "And that settles that. We'll call them just for consistency's sake." He rose from his seat. Hawks did as well, and gestured to Jiro to do the same. Tsukauchi adjusted his hat and looked to Endeavor. "I cannot be everywhere, but I have offered my services to help Hawks in this investigation. We all would like this case to be closed quickly."
"Of course." Endeavor said.
Now he sounded merely annoyed. It was perfectly reasonable for him to be, right? He had a plan, and Hawks and Tsukauchi were unexpected, apparently.
So why did Jiro feel nervous?
Hawks's golden eyes flicked to her and he abruptly stepped to her side and opened the door. He gestured out. "After you. Your parents should be here by now."
Jiro nodded mutely and walked between Endeavor's sidekicks and out into the hall. As she passed through the doorframe she noticed how bent the metal lock was, almost as if it had physically been forced open. Before she could think more of it, Tsukauchi and Hawks followed. She glanced back and saw the latter's wings were slightly open, just enough to fill the door and stop her from seeing Endeavor.
And— she comprehended abruptly— stopping Endeavor from seeing her.
She finally pieced together what had been so strange about Hawks's movements. He'd been intentionally shifting his body in response to Endeavor. But why would the Number Three Hero see the need to put himself between her and the Number Two Hero?
"Hawks." Endeavor said from within the room. "A word."
Hawks's smile did not fade. "Hey, Tsukauchi? Can you—"
"Burnin, show her to the front desk." Endeavor ordered. "Bandage, escort the detective to his car."
The mummy-looking sidekick and Burnin pushed past Hawks. He guided Tsukauchi away while Burnin put a hand on Jiro's shoulder. She stiffened but did not push it off.
"This way, kid." Burnin said with her never-ending grin.
It wasn't soothing like Hawks' or All Might's. It was too wild. Jiro let Burnin guide her along and glanced back to see Endeavor grab Hawks arm and pull him down a hall. Her stomach twisted— in more ways than one— and she looked to Burnin.
"I… have to go to the bathroom." she admitted in a mumble.
Burnin snorted. "Not surprising. You were in there how many hours?"
Jiro reached for her pocket only to remember she did not have her phone.
Burnin laughed at her expression. "It's four thirty."
It had been the morning when Jiro came into the Agency. Her stomach twinged and she realized how hungry she was. At least it was not growling.
"This will be good practice for when you're out in the real world." Burnin commented as she led Jiro down a side hall. "Sometimes Heroes don't have time for food or bathroom breaks."
She grinned knowingly. It seemed mocking, but Jiro was sure it was her own perception that made it look that way. She had a bad day and Burnin did not mean to embarrass her when she was already so humiliated but her cheeks turned red.
Jiro silently headed into the women's room. To her surprise, Burnin did not follow her inside. Jiro heard her talking on her communicator as the door shut. Jiro entered a stall and shut it securely behind her. That done, she leaned against the door and focused on breathing.
Her skin felt sticky and clammy, and a glance at her shirt showed that yes, she had sweated as much as she thought. Jiro stared at the stains that went down her sides and bit her lip, swallowing the childish urge to cry. She tugged at her shirt but was forced to give up on trying to hide the humiliating spots.
Jiro's vision blurred as frustrated tears stung her eyes and she almost punched the stall door, only stopping when she realized Endeavor would not appreciate property damage. She dragged her hands down her face to compose herself and exited the stall, washing her face with cool water. That done, she peeked outside.
Burnin was not there.
Jiro dithered outside of the door and glanced around self-consciously. She had not been in there long but Burnin seemed to have left. Did she get called away? Did she mean for Jiro to wait here?
The stupid urge to cry was back again and Jiro gritted her teeth. She was not a crier. She was just tired and had a headache and her throat felt drier than the desert from sitting in that room all day. She wanted to go home.
Jiro turned left and headed towards what she hoped was the lobby. Endeavor's Agency was not a maze, but it was not the most stranger-friendly either. Burnin had been too busy pushing her along for her to recognize the layout when she came in, and before she knew it, Jiro was hopelessly lost. She heard the sound of footsteps and grimaced, resigning herself to facing more sidekicks who would likely be annoyed to find her somewhere she was not supposed to be. And she did not even have her phone.
Jiro straightened her shoulders and hoped she did not look as upset as she felt. She walked blindly down the hall, and another one, and another, as she fruitlessly tried to figure out where to go. Instead she found herself in more and more unfamiliar places, trying not to feel like a child who had lost her parents in a huge mall. The desire to cry grew stronger but she swallowed it.
She was a Hero and Heroes did not cry—
"What are you doing here?"
Jiro jumped and whirled around to see Burnin. The sidekick had her hands on her hips and her smile was gone, replaced by an exasperated look.
"I leave for a sec and find you gone." she lectured. "What gives?"
"I-I..." Jiro stammered. She heard light footsteps behind her. "You weren't outside and I got..." She glanced backwards uneasily. Relief spread through her when she saw Hawks was there. "...lost."
She took in Hawks's appearance and her relief was blown out like a candle.
Hawks had strange darkened patches on his costume.
They looked like burn marks.
"Jeez, Burnin. You should know better." Hawks laughed. If Jiro did not see him a few minutes ago, she would never have noticed the hard edge to it. "Did you really expect her to stay put?"
"Eh. I guess not." Burnin said with a shrug. She glanced at Hawks and Jiro saw her gaze rest on his burned costume. "Looks like Endeavor got a little mad."
Hawks's cheer vanished in a heartbeat. "Yeah." he said flatly.
Burnin huffed. "What'd you do to piss him off?"
Jiro could only stare in disbelief.
Hawks remained unmoved. "I exist, I guess."
Burnin cackled in genuine amusement. It made Jiro uncomfortable. Did she not see the burn marks? No, she obviously had. Did she think it was a funny thing between two Pro Heroes then?
"Jiro and I can find our way to the door, I think." Hawks continued. He glanced at her and abruptly removed his coat, revealing a halter top underneath. He held the jacket out to her. "You look cold."
Jiro wanted to protest that she wasn't before she remembered the stains again. She took the coat with a mumbled thanks and tried not to stare at the bruises on Hawks's exposed arms and back. Some injuries looked old, but others were undeniably fresh.
One of them matched the burn on his costume's sleeve.
It was hand shaped.
Jiro averted her gaze. The coat was too big and kind of warm in the heat but she did not mind at all. It was comforting, like a blanket or her favorite sweater.
Despite Hawks's claim that they would be fine, Burnin stayed with them to the front door of the Agency. A few sidekicks stared at them, but they seemed to be looking at Hawks more than Jiro, much to her relief. Hawks responded to their stares with smiles and friendly waves, even to the ones that were obviously ogling him, practically drooling over his exposed skin.
Jiro wondered how he could bear the attention. She also wondered how no one questioned the hand-shaped burn on his shoulder and throat. Jiro glanced at the burn marks on the coat she had borrowed and swallowed a retch. She focused on Hawks's back instead, noting the strange, evenly-spaced dots down his spine. Were those scars or some type of markings? They looked too perfectly placed to be accidental injuries…
They got outside, and Jiro saw her parents' car down the road. Even from a distance she saw her mother's worried expression. She glanced down at the borrowed coat she wore and noticed her fingers were white.
"You can keep that if you want." Hawks told her. He grinned. "I have another—"
"He hurt you." Jiro whispered.
Hawks went still, his smile vanishing. A visible shudder passed through him and his skin went pale. He did not look angry at her accusation. He just looked sad.
"Endeavor's hand was just a bit hot when he grabbed my arm but I'm okay. Did he hurt you?" He asked quietly.
He was asking her? Though after the day she had, she could maybe see why.
"I'm fine." She mumbled. "They just left me in the room for a while." She did not mention the rapidly changing temperature and lack of water and food, which in hindsight might have been intentional to make her uncomfortable.
"They shouldn't have." Hawks said lowly."You had a rough day. You're—" He paused and closed his eyes. "You're a Hero in training. You weren't prepared for any of this." He opened his eyes again and caught her with a stern golden glare. "Listen, I know legal stuff isn't covered much until second year, but what they did was wrong. Technically legal, but frowned upon. You don't leave a minor in an interrogation room like that. Especially not without their parents. Pass that info on to your classmates if you can. Or maybe I should talk to…" He trailed off and bowed to Jiro. "I'm sorry I didn't catch what Endeavor was doing sooner. If there are any follow ups, my Agency will contact you."
The way he said it— low and haunted— made her wonder if he had been late to help someone before… and what had happened to those he failed to save.
Suddenly, looking up the history and procedures on how Hero Agencies treated those brought in for questioning seemed like a good summer project.
Jiro gripped Hawks's coat securely around her. "Thank you." she said. "I'll pass on your advice."
Hawks smiled. "You're a good kid, Jiro. You'll be a great Hero someday."
He flew away, leaving her with her parents and his coat.
They took her home, asking concerned questions, but all she said was there was a misunderstanding that Hawks helped clear up.
She took a shower and changed into fresh clothes.
She drank water and ate food.
She assured her parents that she was fine and quickly retreated to her room.
There she listened to music to calm down until she no longer heard her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Hawks's burnt coat was placed in the back of her closet.
Not as a memento, but a reminder.
She would not forget what happened today.
XXXXXXX
As soon as he landed in his office, Hawks's legs buckled and he leaned against the wall, sliding down it to sit on the floor with his knees bent. His shoulders shook before his wings pressed close around him.
"We're okay." he breathed. "He doesn't know about them yet." He put his head in his hands. "We're okay. We're o-okay."
They were not okay.
Red and Yellow were crying.
Pink and Green— who had finally come out of hiding— were close to tears.
Orange was swearing.
Silver and Purple were outraged, ranting about every procedure Endeavor had broken by keeping a fifteen year-old in an interrogation room for half a day.
Only White was silent, like the calm eye to a storm. His lack of surprise should be disturbing, but Hawks could only muster exhausted resignation. He heard Mockingjay come in but did not raise his head from his hands.
You okay, Red? Yellow?
"No."
Hawks could not tell which one spoke.
Wanna talk?
He heard someone sniffle. "She's so young."
"I can't believe Kaetsu recreated her fucking Nomu!" Orange bellowed.
Yellow's presence flickered like a page going blank and Red's hiccups became dead silent as shock took over. Something in Hawks's head cracked and he lurched in place, curling up as agony lanced through his head.
"What the hell, Orange?" Pink snapped but her anger was lost in a tsunami of fear.
"Calm down." Purple said, voice strained with panic. "Everyone calm down!"
Hawks could not tell if he tried to use his Quirk or not. If he did, it failed miserably as his breathing grew faster and faster. There were hands on his bare shoulders and he recoiled, hitting the wall in his haste to scramble backwards.
The woman in front of him backed away. She kept her hands visible but that meant little in a world of Quirks. Lips moved but Hawks heard nothing but static. Was she a new handler? She wore black like lots of them did. She did not look mad but she must be because Hawks flinched and that was bad and he didn't mean to be bad—
He saw grey eyes and brown hair, neatly twisted into a braid.
Mockingjay. It was Katniss.
"Fine." he grunted before she could speak. "Give me a sec."
Hawks pressed his hands over his eyes, grinding his palms into his closed eyelids as much as he could without causing himself physical damage. Let's all calm down. Think. Let's figure out what happened—
"Do not try to deny it." Purple interrupted. "We know what happened." His voice became flat. "Kaetsu is the serial killer. He created a Nomu Jiro like from our past. He killed Amplifier for hurting Hawks and had her deliver the head here."
Stay calm, Hawks ordered himself. Things to do have to plan stay calm.
If the voices heard his panicked thoughts, they did not mention it.
"Will he target past Jiro?" Yellow asked frantically.
Hawks took a shuddering breath, slammed the lid down on his emotions, and shook his head. No. He probably does not realize what his creation is based on. He gets the fear, not the reason why people fear it. Red, what do you think?
Red was still reeling.
Red? Re— Hawks hesitated. Momo?
No response.
…Momo Yaoyorozu?
She startled. "Huh? I-I—"
Hawks looked down and his hands were covered in blood. Sparks flared from the broken wires hanging above him in the desolate hallway, illuminating the area just enough for him to catch sight of the Nomu laying against the opposite wall. Her head lay beside her slumped body, positioned like a macabre prop at her hip where it had fallen. The white eyes that stared accusingly at her were dull in death, one of her earphone jacks severed from—
"Calm down." Purple ordered.
False serenity swept through them and they breathed.
"Yes." Red confirmed shakily. "That is my identity. How did you figure it out?"
Jiro mentioned Kaminari and Yaoyorozu. Chargebolt and Creati. It just… clicked.
"That just leaves you, Orange" Yellow said in a pathetic imitation of his usual joking tone. "Congrats, you're the last mysterious identity."
"Okay, think." Purple interjected. "How did he create an evil kinda-Nomu future Jiro?"
"This sounds like something out of a comic book." Yellow said faintly.
"Would you take this seriously?" Purple snapped.
Yellow recoiled.
"...My apologies." Purple murmured. "Back on topic." He braced himself. "Obviously—"
"His Quirk created her from my fear." Red said quietly. Her voice was so soft Hawks could barely hear her.
"He can create a person?" Yellow demanded.
"Twice can do that too." Pink reminded them. "Memories and morality included."
"This… illusion obviously is not that independent." Purple noted. "Based on what Kaetsu did while… controlling Gold, he likely has to tell… it what to do. It is not Jiro. It's not even a clone of her."
"It's a Nightmare." White murmured. "Red's greatest fear made tangible."
"He created a Nomu from nothing." Pink realized shakily. "Worse, he made it look human except for the eyes. Imagine if All For One took that Quirk. He wouldn't need to capture Heroes. He could just find someone with the right fear and create Nomu from that."
Hawks had not even considered that. Now that the idea was out there, he did not want to. Not with everything else today had forced him to realize was happening.
Endeavor knew Hawks was investigating him, had taken issue with that, and was becoming more and more of a problem.
The Commission still lurked, eager to bring Hawks to heel or kill him.
All For One and the League of Villains were still out there, plotting unknown schemes.
The Meta Liberation Army was active as well, and soon Miruko might be infiltrating it. She might already have if her evasiveness was an indicator.
Kaetsu was killing people and possibly targeting Hawks.
They were all biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike.
It wouldn't take long for someone to make a move. Things were going to head in a bad direction soon.
It was not a question of if anymore, but when.
Terror tore through them like a tsunami and Hawks's vision turned grey. When it returned, he was laying on the couch in his office. Mockingjay was nowhere to be found.
He had drifted. Again.
Hawks blinked rapidly and wiped angrily at his eyes.
"It's okay to cr—" White began.
No.
White apparently decided not to touch that issue for now and dropped it. "What do we do now?"
"We're trying to cover too many fronts. We need to eliminate one of the threats." Orange said instantly.
"Shoto and his family already away from Endeavor." Pink said optimistically.
"So Endeavor's being a hindering asshole to Hawks instead." Orange reminded her harshly. His disgust rankled at Hawks. "But we can't legally do anything about that."
"Should we… try to focus on the League?" Yellow asked hesitantly. "We know where the Nomu factory is and Aizawa believes us."
"We still can't send a raid team of Heroes there without evidence." Silver argued.
"So should we get evidence?"
"With the Commission and Kaetsu on our asses and them already believing we're a Nomu?" Orange scoffed. "Yeah, great idea."
"We should try to draw Kaetsu out."
It was Green who spoke, for the first time since he'd retreated. His tone was unnaturally calm, and Hawks wondered if that was because of Purple's influence or not. His own heartbeat spiked and his palms went sweaty but he kept silent, because if Green thought that was a good idea, he'd explain why.
"Kaetsu may be working with the Commission but I find that unlikely since he killed Amplifier." Green continued levelly. "He's the one singular enemy we have. He's also a complete wild card so we cannot predict him. And… his Quirk is too dangerous to let him continue acting."
"Scared to see what fear he'd create of yours, Deku?" Orange asked. His tone was snide, but Hawks could feel the unease under his rudeness. He seemed to shake himself. "As for drawing him out? Just say Hawks is dating someone."
"Orange, that is highly inappropriate." Silver said tersely.
"Wha—?"
It's a valid strategy, Hawks interjected out of dutiful obligation as he ignored his pounding heart. But Kaetsu would probably just shoot them if he thinks they're a threat to—
He remembered Muscular's abrupt and gory death. And Tenya's fallen sidekick, Royale. The one who Hawks waved to when he arrived to help Shigaraki's escort.
"Oh shit." Yellow breathed.
Hawks rubbed his cold, bare arms. Where was his coa– Oh right, he'd given it to Jiro.
He distracted himself by looking for Mockingjay. It was strange for her to have left him like that unless something had come up. He checked his phone and saw a brief text indicating that was indeed the case. Apparently he had fallen asleep and there was a minor emergency. Nothing too bad, don't worry.
Hawks nodded to himself at the logical explanation, breathing in and out, but his throat closed up. The walls of the office were closing in and the grey static of his drifting was getting louder, muffling the voices just enough that he could only catch the occasional word.
"Kaetsu— Kaetsu— Kaetsu—"
The name forced itself into Hawks's mind like an ice-pick through his brain, forcing itself deeper and deeper until he could think of nothing else.
The safe little bubble of denial Hawks clung to burst into vapor and his skin went cold and clammy.
Kaetsu was out of prison.
He was killing people.
He created Red's fear.
He knew about Red's fear and connected it to Hawks.
He was free and after Hawks and the Commission knew but they didn't give a damn.
Kaetsu was stalking him again.
Too close. The walls were too close. He couldn't breathe.
He needed air.
Hawks dove out the window and took to the cloudy grey sky. Was it daytime? What happened to night? Had it been night yet?
Where was he?
He was not sure where he was headed but he did not go far before a strange numbness went down his spine and he found himself falling.
Hawks watched the floor of a dirty alleyway approach in vague befuddlement, barely hearing the voices screaming in his ears.
At the last second, his consciousness lurched, and Pink activated her Quirk.
They stopped plummeting right before Hawks's body hit the ground, beginning to float upward. Pink hastily grabbed a feather and snapped it, causing them to fall down the remaining few inches with much less force than they would have.
Once they were no longer going to go splat, Pink immediately gave control back.
Hawks didn't move. He lay in the grime of the alleyway and stared up at the sky, unable to draw in enough air. His chest felt too heavy, like his ribs were trying to crush his lungs and heart, and his back felt disturbingly light.
Where were his wings? He could not feel them anymore. Were they gone again? Was that why he fell?
Hawks clawed at his back and felt feathers, but it was like his wings were numb. Even as beads of blood stained his fingertips, he felt nothing. They were useless. Useless dead weight just like him.
Feathers fell from his back, floating miserably to the dirty floor and piling around him like a growing pool of blood. He kept clawing and tearing with both his hands and his mind, ripping more and more feathers away until he felt his fingers scraping bone.
The voices began shouting again. Or maybe they never stopped. Their voices were muffled and distorted like a bad radio signal, covered with static that made it impossible to hear what they were trying to say. Hawks listened distantly to them, too focused on trying to breathe to focus on their unintelligible words.
Hawks could not move.
He could not—
Hawks shoved the voices inside their dorm and slammed the mental door shut. There were no voices in there. He had no one there except himself. No one to rely on except himself—
Hawks's mind finally understood what it had been trying to deny.
He's here.
Move.
Hawks lurched to his feet like a reanimated corpse, stumbling and shuffling as he leaned heavily against the wall. For how slowly he staggered, he may as well not have legs at all. All his speed, power, and skill was gone, leaving a wide-eyed, trembling, useless wreck in his place. He was wingless and useless and stupid and helpless and he needed help he needed someone please—
He fumbled with his phone, blindly scrolling, and called the first number he touched.
They answered after three rings.
"Hello, Hawks." Toshinori greeted cheerfully. "How are you this fine day?"
Hawks tried to speak. All that came out was a low, frightened whimper, like a scared child or injured animal.
"Hawks? What's wrong?" Toshinori asked frantically, his former cheer forgotten.
Hawks tried to tell him, but all that came out was a sob. He clapped a hand over his mouth and slid down the alley wall, pressing himself against it out of a naive hope that he could vanish into it.
Hawks heard the sound of pounding footsteps from through the phone. "Where are you?"
Toshinori's voice sounded different. Louder, less gravelly.
It was too close to All Might's.
All Might's Quirk wouldn't fail him. All Might wouldn't fall into the dirt like an incompetent wretch. All Might wouldn't have a panic attack. All Might wouldn't be afraid. All Might wouldn't seek comfort or help. All Might wouldn't beg for another Hero to come save him—
Why did I call him he'll tell All Might I can't let All Might know I'm weak bad pathetic shouldn't be a Hero I'm a nothing nothing NOTHING—
Hawks did not cry. He did not let his eyes do more than sting as his chest heaved and he gripped the phone so tightly his fingers ached.
"Hawks, talk to me." Toshinori pleaded. "Where are you?"
Something moved in the corner of Hawks's eye. He did not need to turn to see who it was. His fear tore past the breaking point, leaving a sense of apathetic acceptance, and he found his voice.
"I'm sorry."
The phone slipped from Hawks's numb fingers and clattered to the alley floor. He heard Toshinori's voice shouting, begging Hawks to tell him where he was. Hawks did not reply. He curled up and pressed himself against the alley wall like an abused animal tried to hide in its cage.
Norito Kaetsu crouched in front of him with a huge smile on his face. If it got any bigger the skin would split at the center of his lips. Years in prison had done nothing to diminish his intimidating stature. He was as tall, broad, and muscular as Hawks remembered from four years ago. His hair was still a tousled white and his eyes were still an acidic, unnerving green. He was so aesthetically unaffected by his time in jail that Hawks had to wonder if he had truly been there at all.
Maybe it was just another Commission lie.
It didn't matter at this point.
Hawks did not move as Kaetsu yanked him upward by his arm, grabbed his face in ice-cold hands, and kissed him.
Hawks's arms twitched but fell limply to his sides without bothering to try to shove his former handler away. All the self-defense techniques he knew drifted around his head like smoke in a breeze, observable but unable to be grasped. He wasn't being controlled but he wasn't fighting back even though he could. He deserved this.
Don't drift, Hawks thought, looking past Kaetsu and trying to ignore what he was doing. Don't drift.
Kaetsu pulled back and Hawks caught a glimpse of his mouth. His tongue was black.
Trigger. He was using some type of Trigger, the Quirk-enhancing drug.
A shudder passed through Hawks and Kaetsu gave a breathy laugh. He grasped Hawks's face, thumbs pressing into his cheeks just hard enough to be painful, and pressed his face into Hawks's hair, breathing in deeply.
"My Angel. Oh, I missed you so much."
Lips pressed against Hawks's again. That was fine. He could handle this. He had been trained in infiltration and seduction so if he was being kissed it was fine because that meant it was training. Wait no, it was a mission not training because he was a Pro Hero now and an adult and this was fine.
Hawks's attempts at denial failed him and his vision began to grow grey. He couldn't panic. He couldn't drift. If he did then when he woke up—
"I'm so happy to see you again!" Kaetsu sniffled. "I wanted to see you when I was released but I knew our meeting needed to be perfect." He smiled and cupped Hawks's cheeks with his too-cold hands. "Did you have fun with your investigation?" His smile vanished. "It took you long enough to realize it was me. I even killed that evil Villain for threatening you. I left all those hints, just for you, but then I had to kill more people because you didn't notice. You're so stupid. Look at how many people died because of you."
He was expecting a response. Hawks forced himself to provide.
"I'm sorry." he choked.
Kaetsu chuckled like Hawks had told him the funniest joke. "No you're not." Fingers brushed Hawks's hair out of his face with deceptive gentleness. "But you will be."
Hawks dutifully remained locked in place and Kaetsu smiled widely, showing too many teeth. He paused and did a double-take, glancing down at Hawks's burnt arm as though he had just noticed the injury. His stroking fingers became nails as he dragged them down Hawks's temple and cheek. Hawks tried to shrink away from him but he did not let go even as his expression twisted with pure hatred. He grabbed Hawks's arm, right over the mark Endeavor left, and squeezed hard enough that it would definitely bruise. Hawks bit his lip but did not make a sound even as the vice-like grip seemed to scrape along his bone.
"You let him hurt you." Kaetsu accused.
The hand that had been grabbing Hawks's arm latched onto his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut as Kaetsu held him in place, leaning in. His breath smelled like rotting flesh and blood.
"No one gets to touch you but me. Me! Does our bond mean nothing, you unfaithful bitch?!"
Hawks's throat hurt from forcing himself not to cry. "I'm sor—"
Kaetsu grabbed him by the throat and gave him a shake. "Don't speak to me, traitor." he snarled. "I know what you did! How you betrayed us. Did you learn nothing from my lessons? Remedial courses are too good for you, but you're damn well on your way to them."
Hawks didn't cry but his breathing was too fast, his chest heaving as he made sounds too close to sobs. Kaetsu's furious expression softened and his embrace was unnervingly gentle.
"Shh." Kaetsu soothed. "Shh, Angel. I didn't mean it. I'm not going to give you to the Commission, okay? As long as you're good, you get to stay with me. My Quirk will make you right again."
Hawks stopped breathing. The air clogged his throat like he'd swallowed a stone and his heart felt like it was going to burst.
"But I don't need to use it just yet, right?" Kaetsu asked in a gentle coo, like Hawks was a misbehaving pet. "You'll listen to me all on your own, won't you?"
To an outsider he would sound teasing but Hawks heard the threat in his low tone. He forced his head to move, indicating that no, that was not necessary, even as his mind began working again. He couldn't feel the voices but they were still there. Kaetsu did not seem to have noticed them, but that could change very quickly.
He needed to move.
Move.
Move!
MOVE!
Hawks shoved Kaetsu back and ran. His steps were uncoordinated and slow— like he was concussed or drunk— and he stumbled into the wall, hitting it with enough force that pain lanced up his shoulder. But he did not stop. He did not falter. It was daytime and there was a busy street with people walking by right there.
His wings were small red stumps on his back and his coat was gone but surely someone would recognize him and at least approach him and maybe then the attention would delay Kaetsu. He needed help. It was selfish and cowardly and pathetic and unheroic to seek protection from those he was supposed to protect but he needed help.
A middle-aged couple was standing near the edge of the alley. Hawks hobbled towards them and they must have heard him because they stopped and turned. They turned. They could see him. There were no gasps of recognition, only confusion, and Hawks had to wonder if he was truly so unrecognizable without his wings and coat that they did not see who he was. He stumbled determinedly toward them and opened his mouth.
Help me.
Kaetsu deftly caught him by the arm and pulled him into what would appear to be a supportive hold, one arm around his shoulders while the other lay over his stomach. The larger man's body conveniently covered the telltale, tattered remains of Hawks's wings. His grip was tight in warning, just hard enough to be painful and let Hawks know any more pressure would break a bone. Hawks went still and Kaetsu smiled apologetically at the couple.
"I'm so sorry about my fiancee." Kaetsu apologized. "I hope she did not startle you. She had a little too much to drink." He shot Hawks a fond, exasperated look and chuckled wryly.
The couple's expressions shifted from confusion to bemusement.
"We've all been there." the man said, a fatherly laugh in his voice. "Do you need a ride home?"
Hawks tried to speak but his throat and head were filled with cotton and he could only manage an incomprehensible mumble. The couple's bemusement became more pronounced.
"No, no. I've got her." Kaetsu said with a grateful smile. "Thank you for the offer."
"Make sure she has enough water and gets some sleep." the woman advised.
"I will." Kaetsu promised.
The couple walked away. The other passerby did not give Hawks and Kaetsu another glance. Kaetsu kept smiling but his grip got tighter and tighter until Hawks felt the bones in his arm creak. Kaetsu kept on smiling, but his acid green eyes were cold. The warning was clear.
Don't. Do that. Again.
Hawks didn't.
The couple stuck their heads together as they walked and chuckled at his predicament like it was a funny story they would tell to their friends. Other bystanders walked busily by. Ten, twenty, thirty people went right by Hawks and Kaetsu and not a single person gave them more than a glance.
Hawks didn't understand how they couldn't see. Or could they see, but they did not care? The thought was enough to send a hollow numbness through Hawks, leaving him empty and cold. His fear of resisting Kaetsu warred with his fear of going with his handler and despite himself, Hawks struggled.
His attempts were as pathetic as a bird trying to break free of a wolf's claws, but someone should notice. They should notice every time he lurched to try to get away, every time he made soft, pleading sounds, every time his shoulders shook with terror.
If they did, they did not act.
It was obvious he was afraid. It was obvious he did not want to go with Kaetsu. It had to be obvious.
So why wasn't anyone doing anything?
Hawks knew why. It was because he was stumbling like a drunk. Because Kaetsu had a face many would find trustworthy just because he looked conventionally handsome. Because these people were just civilians. Because normal people were not supposed to interfere when a crime happened right in front of them. Because Heroes were expected to be everywhere to stop those crimes and save the day.
As a result, no one stepped in. Those that thought something might be amiss all waited for a Hero that never came, and Hawks quickly found himself being shoved into the back of a nondescript car.
Hawks was taken from the middle of a busy street, and not a single person tried to help him.
XXXXXXX
"What the hell." Twice breathed, unable to believe what he had witnessed.
A half-smoked cigarette lay at his feet, its tip still burning after it had fallen from his mouth. His gaze darted around at the walking people as they laughed and chattered and smiled, and he had to wonder if he had hallucinated what he had just seen.
Twice had frequented the area near Hawks's Agency like he was wont to do, half-convinced the Heroes knew about him and thought he was spying on Hawks for the League or something. In reality, foolish and impossible what-ifs kept ringing through his mind, and haunting him to the point where he thought he might go madder.
Then Hawks himself had stumbled out of some derelict alley. His coat was gone and his wings were notoriously absent from his back and Twice had only recognized him because he was so used to seeing the Hero's face. A face that had been pale as ashes like he was physically ill. It reminded Twice of a quiet breakdown in an equally trash-filled alleyway and he'd stepped forward, only to freeze when another man appeared after Hawks.
He should not have frozen.
How deeply he wished he had not frozen.
Hawks had just been kidnapped right in front of him.
In broad daylight.
And no one seemed to care.
Where were the Heroes? Why hadn't anyone called them? Why hadn't they saved one of their own?
Then again, Hawks wasn't the type of person Heroes saved, now was he?
Realization struck Twice like a truckload of bricks.
They're finally turning on him.
It was then Twice realized why he really kept hovering in Fukuoka even when logic said it was far too late for him and Hawks to become friends. He was not heroic or selfless but he might just be a decent human being, because he'd seen someone who needed help and wanted to assist them. But he hadn't acted quickly enough, letting his own hesitations hold him back instead.
No more.
Twice was not a Hero. He was a Villain. But that just meant he did not have to wait for self-righteous Heroes that would not come.
Twice yanked his phone out of his pocket and hesitated.
Then he made a call.
"Giran, I need a favor. Tell Dabi to meet me outside Fukuoka."
XXXXXXX
A/N: The next chapter will be up between the 4th and the 6th-ish.
