Geten opened the door to see the winged hero leaning against the opposite wall, tapping his feet to the music on his earphones.

"What do you want?" Geten said. Hawks looked up and gave a smile. Before he opened his mouth, she followed up, "Get to the point. I don't do niceties. Or introductions. I don't care if we haven't met before properly."

Hawks casually pocketed his earphones. "Just wanted to congratulate you on your squad leadership." He replied with a cheery smile on his face, but his eyes told an entirely separate story. They reminded her of the predator he took his name from.

That's it? Geten turned to walk down the hallway, knowing that would trigger what he actually –

"Hope you can resist killing them too." Came the predicted drawl from behind.

She stopped in her tracks. So he knows?

"What's it to you whether they live or die?" She turned to look at him, hands in her pockets, controlling the ice cubes inside.

"Well, killing your own allies is counter-productive, isn't it? Especially if they're strong."

"Not to me."

"Still, I'm here to ask you to stop with your...hobbies."

"I haven't done anything since the festival."

"So you've washed off their blood so easily?"

Geten crossed her arms. "You sound like you have experience, hero."

Hawks was quick to relax the tense expression that was elicited from her emphasis. "Maybe, maybe not, but you most definitely have, and that brings me to another question: Do you feel safe?"

That's not what you're asking. What do you really want, number two hero? His face didn't give anything away, just a smile that Hanabata and his colleagues taped on their faces all the time.

"Is that a threat?" She opened her palm lazily, and an ice cube left her pocket to swirl around it.

"Not from me. I'm just stating facts. When everyone finds out you've killed people to get to where you are, and to stay where you are, it's gonna be a problem."

"Trumpet, Skeptic and Curious had no problem, and Re-destro basically gave me permission to." That much was true. He told her that she was the top soldier in the Liberation Army. She simply kept it that way.

"Then why did they keep a secret list of soldiers away from the database?"

How did he…?

"How much have you been snooping around, Hawks?" Geten accused, "I don't think everyone likes a spy, either."

"The Liberation Army won't, but the League will."

"Sounds like you're having trouble telling that we're on the same side," Geten lied.

"Hmm. Well I have a hard time trusting people. If I could trust you, I'd feel much better."

"You came here to talk about my past, and you ask for an...alliance? Your negotiation skills are garbage, Hawks." Geten pointed out.

He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I'm terrible at talking. But if you ever find out which side you're on, let me know. I'm interested in where you stand in all...this. But that's all from me, cheerios!"

Having said this, he opened the window next to him and leapt out, leaving Geten staring at where he was. Something felt off with that hero-villain, Geten could tell, as though she had divulged too much information – information that he wanted.

Ignore him, I have to train, she thought as she created her ice platform and left the hotel.

She arrived at her training ground to find Dabi already present, to her annoyance. He was shooting fire towards some large boulders.

Surprisingly, no blast of fire came her way, only a scowl and a "What are you doing here? It's 6 in the morning."

Still, better than his last method of greeting.

"I always train here at this time. It's next to the river." She pointed to the body of water just a few yards away. "And why are you training here? Why are you even training at all?"

"It's none of your business whether or not I want to train."

"Fine. I'll be out of your hair."

"Good." He gave a tight nod and returned to burning the large boulders, as Geten glided over to the river, a good fifty meters away from the blaze.

For the next half an hour, the field was silent apart from the occasional shattering of ice and the lull of fire roaring. Geten focused on her training, which revolved around a singular concept: pushing her limits. She repeatedly froze and melted a portion of the river, accelerating the process slowly to improve her efficiency.

Every month, the threshold heightened. Over and over again, she kept this up, until her arms grew sore and her fingers felt as rigid as her ice. But she did not mind, for her goals were unchanged despite everything that had happened.

At the end, she rested by the riverside and drank some water.

Bored, her attention shifted to what Dabi was doing. She looked up to see him doing something peculiar. He was producing fire at his palms, but otherwise he was just standing there staring at it, as though that plume of blue fire was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

Then he noticed her. Geten spun her head around, but Dabi began to walk in her direction.

Shit, what now? Is staring a crime?

She met his eyes from afar, even as he slowly stalked closer with his hands tucked in his jacket. If he was gonna do something funny, she wasn't backing down.

When he was within earshot, she stood up, glaring. "What?"

"What?" He said, tilting his head to the side.

"You want something?"

"Yeah. Can we swap? You go over there for a couple minutes."

Geten blinked. "Why?"

"Do I need to explain why?" He sounded exasperated.

"Yes. I'm starting my next task soon. I need the river."

"Well, so do I, so if you could piss off for just a minute, that'd be great."

"Oh." He needs the river? She glanced down at his arms, which were smoking. "You need to rest your arms, don't you? Dipping them in water?"

His eyes widened, his expression tightening. He took one step forward as Geten braced herself. Then, to her bewilderment, he stopped and laughed.

"You really are observant. Well, you got me." Sensing that there was no need to bother anymore, he bent down and stuck his arms in the river in front of her.

Geten saw his form tense up briefly, as though the river was electrified. Then his body considerably relaxed after a while.

"It...hurts?"

"No shit."

She snorted. "I thought you somehow managed to overcome this flaw by...sheer grit, or something. Turns out you do this. So you did this that night, too?"

"Yeah, right after your temper tantrum."

"Hey!" Geten growled, and Dabi let out a snort, turning back and shaking off the water from his arms.

"Thought you were a strong one," She observed, looking at his raw and singed arms. It looked like a hideous cocktail of grey and red had splashed on his arms.

Dabi blinked, then sighed. "Ok, I'm just gonna tell you the truth. Only because I don't think you're such a stuck-up bit – person anymore."

"Gee, thanks," Geten said.

"I didn't win that duel that night we fought, okay? Even if Compress hadn't stepped in, I didn't have any energy left. It was a draw. So can we just tie a knot on that, and not kill each other from now?"

Wait...what? But –– how. Geten found herself frozen in place, her mind unable to form a coherent thought. Then the disbelief morphed into anger that surged through her like steam. Just as abruptly, the heat cooled down, her hatred at this man in front of her dissipating.

She knew the Geten from a week or two ago would have fired a shard of ice the minute he admitted to the truth about their duel, the duel that changed her perception of herself and the world entirely. She exited that duel beating herself up over her weakness, but...maybe I'm not?

But the memory of her meeting with Hanabata shot to the forefront of her brain, reminding her that she was so utterly powerless against something as simple as a gun and a threat of her position.

"I'm interested in where you stand in all...this." Hawks had said.

Her eyes scanned Dabi, looking for some form of malice on that face, but he looked sincere. What happened?

"No."

Dabi took a step back. "Oh for –"

"Let me finish. I want to see who's stronger, but not combat. Endurance." Geten clenched her fist.

Dabi arched an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"Try to melt my ice. If you can, you win. If you run out of steam first, I win."

"Alright then." Dabi shrugged. "Summon your thing."

Geten took out an ice cube from her pocket and chucked it into the river, lowering the temperature of it. She felt more and more water molecules slow down to freezing point. The tingle at her fingertips grew larger. With a smirk, she raised her hand, willing the ice to rise upwards to form a mini glacier, a storey high.

She looked at Dabi and gave a gesture. "Go ahead."

Dabi stretched his fingers. Igniting his hands, he unleashed a stream of azure flames.

The heat hit Geten instantly, the tingle beginning to die as ice melted out of her control. Not so fast, she thought, steeling her resolve. She kept the temperature steady, forcing the molecules to slow themselves against Dabi's fire. She was not going to lose this match.

In return, she felt the energy redirected into her own body. Her chest grew warmer by the second. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead.

She gave a gasp, betraying her exhaustion. Dabi looked at her for a brief second.

"So quick?" Dabi teased, but Geten noted the veins surfacing on his skin, popping out like grey branches. It was clearly hurting him too.

If it was a war of attrition, talking only wasted energy. She stayed silent, focusing her mind on the task.

The ice beneath and around the glacier was redundant. Not needing them, she raised the temperature of them to take some heat off her. It worked; the burn in her chest subsided temporarily.

How much time had passed? It feels like it's been an hour.

The fire was beginning to thin, just slightly. A smile danced on her lips, but the effort kept her teeth gritted. She would celebrate after she won.

With every second, the ice on the surface, taking the brunt of the fire's rage, melted despite her attempts to freeze them. She shifted her focus onto keeping the core of the glacier as cold as possible. That was how she would win, after all.

Still, time seemed to slow the longer the match stretched. She was not letting up. Neither was he.

Desperation crawled into her burning heart as she saw the glacier slowly shrink like butter in a pan. But she held out hope – Dabi was definitely faltering too, since the fire was also weakening.

A few more seconds...There's no way he can survive longer. The pain would knock him unconscious.

Her legs were like melting ice as well; her vision began to blur, seeing just the blue fire, ground, and the black, cloudy shape of Dabi.

Shit. Her control slipped, as though she was clinging onto the semi-liquid ice itself. It was but a small mound now, and she wasn't stopping the melting anymore. Not again.

But then the fire stopped with a gasp, which didn't come from her.

She let go, staggering, but she stood up. The person in front of her was on the floor, clutching his smoking arms.

"I...I win." She choked out, her throat feeling as though she had drank hot water. The statement sounded more like a question towards herself. Why was she doubting it? He had stopped his fire. She just had to hear it first, hear it from him.

"Yeah." Dabi's voice was raspy, tinged with bitterness. He shakily stood up and walked over towards her and the river. "You win."

As he plunged his hands into the water, a smile crept over her lips. Her head was dizzy from exerting herself, but also glee.

I won.

She took off her hood and sat down, panting, but her smile never left her. Dabi looked at her, his face scrunched up as he studied her expression. He shook his head.

"You're crazy, you know?" He said.

"Shut up, I won. I'm stronger," She replied.

Dabi hummed, turning his attention back to his arms. "So, are we done here? Truce?"

"Yeah, truce."