Walking through the streets for his weekly patrol, Hawks felt his eyes travel to his intertwined hands with silent contemplation, all of his lingering thoughts aimed towards his villainous sister that was just a few feet away from him.
It had been a total of two days since Hikari had silently shown up at his agency and the bird was still at an utter loss on what to do next. He honestly expected her to disown and continue to hate him after his little speech, not fully give him another chance.
The very idea was overwhelming to say the least, a small bit of left over emotion crawling into his throat just from remembering it.
Sure, it wasn't like he changed their relationship completely, but at least Hikari was willing to play pretend for this short amount of time in order to get closer to the commission. That meant she was trying to be a hero, she was trying to listen to him for once.
And although it was hardly nothing, Hawks still couldn't help but be overjoyed by the fact that his sister was somehow still next to him, that she hadn't completely abandoned him.
So for the little shriver of hope he had, the hero found himself deep in the pits of his own mind, wondering how he could strengthen their family relationship without completely ruining it.
The truth was, Hawks was terrified. He was terrified of saying the wrong thing again, of ignoring her feelings and pushing her away for the second time in his life. That's why the bird hadn't chosen to remain rather quiet these past two days, his brain trying to work up some kind of plan.
Being the number two hero was impressive, sure, but it hardly had anything to do with caring for his family, for actually becoming a good brother for his hurting sister. The commission didn't teach him anything like that so it seemed like he was on his own with this one.
Pushing his lips together in conflict, he watched as Hikari sighed heavily a couple feet away, obviously less than thrilled about being stuck with him for patrol.
He was hoping that this could've been a great opportunity to finally talk to her and bond a little more but it was easy to tell that Hikari wanted to be literally anywhere else but here.
Jogging up to her, the bird then gave one of his lingering fans a flashy smile and a wave before turning his attention back to his sister. "Come on Hikari, cheer up. At least you're not at the agency today."
Although, Hikari couldn't help rolling her eyes at the giggling fangirls before grumbling to herself. "But now I have spent the day with you."
The hero seemed to ignore her distage though, clapping his hands together before lifting his wings out in excitement. "That's the best part! I'm giving you the full hero experience so that way we can get to know each other more."
Seeming less than thrilled, Hikari only deadpanned before moving a little faster in order to get away from the crazy hero as fast as possible. He was so exhausted all the time, wasn't he? "Great, wonderful. Let's just get this over with so I can go home."
Her changed speed made him pause before catching up to her without any trouble, now seeing her expression fixed ahead. She looked determined about something. "Why do you want to go home, do you have something to do later?"
His tone had some kind of inquiry about it, like he was trying to understand whatever plan she was thinking of.
This caused Hikari to scoff, finally stopping to turn around the hero with a smirk. "Why, are you worried? Afraid I'm gonna go commit arson later or something?"
Hawks took in the words silently before an unexpected sense of anxiety coursed into him. Sure, to anyone else he would've taken it as a joke. But Hikari was a villain, so who knows what that meant.
He waited, and waited, taking in the sudden silence and everything about her expression before dropping his voice in concern.
"...are you?"
Hikari paused before her placid expression morphed into a heavy laugh, the girl covering her own mouth and shaking her head. Oh my god, he actually did think that, didn't he? Idiot.
"Tempting, but no. That's not really my thing anyway. You forget I'm not Dabi."
A large wave of relief washed over him at the rejection, all of his feathers deflating at his side before Hawks felt himself shake his head in exasperation. It was only eleven in the morning and he was already getting a headache from her antics.
Letting his voice come out slightly bitter for the cruel joke she played, Hawks grumbled back. "Well, you could've fooled me. You're both a pain in my ass."
The insult only made her laugh even harder though, placing a hand to her chest and pretending she was really affected by his words with batted eyes.
"Aww, that's so sweet brother. I'm touched, really."
All of a sudden, Hikari was seemingly pushed out of the way, the air inside her lungs escaping with a gasp as a group of girls replaced her with an ear piercing squeal. "Hawks! Can I get your picture? You're like my favorite hero, like ever!"
Regaining her balance, the girl then turned back to the circle before rolling her eyes with a scoff. Stupid little fangirls. Treating me like garbage again. Just shut up already, you're making my ears bleed.
Hawks seemingly blinked in surprise at the group before snapping into his full hero persona, flashing the girl with the camera a wink in order to pose. "Oh, uhh yeah baby bird. Of course you can. Only if you dream about me tonight though."
Despite all the excitement, Hikari felt like she was going to barf, his cheesy and corny lines causing the girl to groan far louder than she expected to. "Oh my god, kill me now…"
Although, it was loud enough that the entire group seemed to turn around at the sound, all of them glaring at Hikari with murder since she just insulted thier favortie hero. "Excuse me, who are you? Do you have some kind of problem or something?"
Yet Hikari didn't seem intimidated, in the slightest, strolling forward before eyeing the fan with disdain. "Oh sweetheart, I have a million problems right now, and they all begin with you."
Puffing her cheeks out in anger, the group couldn't help but be offended as the situation got worse. "What did you.."
That's when Hawks stepped in though, moving in front of his sister before giving a nervous chuckle in order to get the attention off of her. "She's kidding, she's kidding. That's my sidekick for you, always here for the jokes. Now, let's get that picture."
It took a couple of minutes but soon the fangirl's were happy with his offer, circling around the hero as they took their photos and left a moment later. Although, they did sneak in one last glare to Hikari before leaving.
Once they were gone, the bird sighed in exasperation before turning to his sister in disapproval. "You really shouldn't do that."
Hikari didn't seem bothered at all though, the girl running a couple fingers through her blonde hair before scoffing. "I don't see the point in being fake if it's not beneficial to me."
The awkward silence returned a moment later and Hawks found himself playing with his intertwined hands with overwhelming thought. This whole bonding plan of his wasn't going well at all, was it?
In fact, HIkari looked like she was absolutely miserable just standing around and having to hear him talk to fans all day. There had to be something else he could do for her, something that would show her that he was trying.
Twisting his lips silently, the two then turned a corner only to find the large city mall just a couple blocks away. The building couldn't help but make him saddened though, recalling all of the torn and ripped up clothes that currently occupied his apartment because of their fight.
The place was just another reminder that he was the worst brother ever. He couldn't even get her clothing right. What a screw up he really was.
However, that's when Hawks couldn't help but get an idea, turning towards his sister only to find her still wearing the old black tank top, black hoodie and jeans that she had taken from Dabi's place. Perhaps she didn't have anything else.
Yes, that's it. That's exactly what he was looking for.
Taking a step closer to his sister, Hawks then turned around directly in front of her so that she was forced to stop and listen to his words. "Righttt so I was thinking, we've done enough patrolling for one day. How about I take ya somewhere? My treat!"
Hikari only narrowed her eyes with suspicion though, obviously looking for any lies in his words before finding none and shrugging her shoulders once to move past him again.
Her voice was passive, waving the very idea like it meant nothing to her. "Yeah, I'll pass. The last time you said you were going to take me somewhere you sold me for information about Valkyrie."
This caused her brother to immediately stop, his heart filling with unsaid hurt at her blunt statement.
She was right after all, the last time he tried to coax her anywhere was for his own selfish reasons. Of course she would be wary now.
Balling his hands into anxious fists, Hawks then closed his eyes to ignore the guilt and shame inside his mind before softening his voice ever so slightly. "I-It's not like that this time. I promise. Come on.."
But even still, the girl still remained still, her arms crossing over her chest with heavy skepticism at whatever horrible thing he wanted from her.
And that broke the bird's heart even more, knowing that his sister still didn't trust him in that kind of way, that she thought he was trying to trick her again. But of course that wasn't the case, he just wanted to be a good brother for once.
Hawks could hardly blame her for the apprehension though, the man taking another step closer before his tone grew even softer as a hand reached out to her in some kind of peace offering.
"If you don't like it then we can go home. I'm not gonna force ya to stay."
He wanted her to know that this was her choice, that she didn't have to follow him or be concerned about following him. Hawks wanted his sister to trust him and this was the only way he knew how, by telling her she didn't have to commit to anything she was uncomfortable with.
And that seemed to spark something inside Hikari, her suspicion melting away ever so slightly before Hawks realized her following him across the street towards the large building with watchful eyes.
It was a start at least. She was willing to hear him out.
Once they reached the entrance of a large store, the hero stopped, causing Hikari to turn her head to look at the mall with extreme confusion, obviously trying to figure out his plan.
"A mall? Why did you take me to a mall?"
Yet when she turned back around, the girl was surprised to see her brother lifting out a gold colored credit card in her direction, his voice warm and inviting.
"Here, this time you get to choose what you want to wear. Pick out anything you want and I'll pay.
His words couldn't help but catch her off guard, Hikari turning her head in disbelief before staring at his limited edition hero card. He was offering to buy her new clothes to replace the ones she destroyed? Why? He had no reason to.
So much so that she grew suspicious once more, eyeing the card but not taking it just yet in case this was some kind of trap or game he was playing. No, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her losing.
"What's your game?"
Yet Hawks only shook his head, his eyes sadding at the accusation. Perhaps it was because she still didn't trust him yet. "There's no game, not this time. Don't worry about me. Just buy what you like, so that way I can learn more about ya and not mess it up this time."
His words brought a slight bit of clarity to Hikari. Was that really why he was doing this, because of their fight the other day? Was she actually trying to understand her? No, that was impossible. Hawks only cared about himself.
That's what she always told herself anyways.
Yet Hikari couldn't deny the heavy ball of emotion in her throat for the very idea, the warmth of it causing her to grab the gold colored card from his hands in the next minute with a mutter and flushed cheeks.
"Fine, but only because I don't have anything else to wear anymore."
Hawks seemed satisfied by her actions though, nodding once before the two entered the store silently, her brother watching very carefully as Hikari eyed the racks in front of her. At least now he could see firsthand what she liked and didn't.
The silence appeared once more, the girl seemingly focused on the various clothing items in front of her before Hawks couldn't help but shift around awkwardly.
Sure, this was a start but he still wanted to know more, desperate to discover anything about the villain before him.
So much so that the hero spoke once more, his voice soft and slightly nervous, as if he was about to approach a sensitive topic. "You know Hikari, I really meant what I said. I want to learn more about you. I want you to teach me so that I'm not left in the dark anymore."
He then watched as the girl's eyes casted down towards the racks of clothes, almost in silent thought. He wondered what she could be thinking of right now. What did those words make her feel? Was she happy, annoyed, a combination of all three?
Yet, Hikari only sighed in return, choosing to keep her eyes glued to the clothes instead of turning to him, her voice bitter. "And you think that will change anything between us?"
This caused Hawks to twist his lips into a frown. That's not what he thought at all. Sure, maybe a couple days ago he hoped that Hikari would change her entire life just like that, but now he knew it wasn't that simple, that actions like that would only push her away even more.
Yes, he desperately wanted his little sister back, but it wasn't up to him. It was up to Hikari to pick that path for herself. He couldn't force her to do anything, even though he wished he could've.
Shaking his head once, her brother replied back shortly, trying to hide the desperation in his voice. "N-No, I know it's not that easy. But is it bad that I want to know my little sister? Come on, I'm sure there's something you've always wanted to know about me."
Although it seemed like Hikari could detect it well enough, her expression twisted into something unreadable. It was probably because of the way he worded his sentence.
And call it sneaky but Hawks did that on purpose, so that Hikari would have a reason to be interested in the conversation, so that she wouldn't completely shut him down. Because by offering information on himself, he knew that Hikari wouldn't be able to resist.
Just as expected, the girl contemplated his question before her stance grew slightly more bothered, like there was something on the tip of her tongue that threatened to escape. It seemed like she had her curiosity about him as well. "Possibly."
Seeing her take the bait, Hawks immediately perked up, lifting a finger out in her direction with a wide grin, already knowing what to follow up with.
"Then how about we start a game of twenty questions while you're looking. I'll ask something, you answer and then vice versa. That way we can learn a little bit about each other."
Yet, Hikari only turned to him like he was crazy, his lips twisting up into their own amused smirk before giving a low condescending chuckle at what he was implying. She wasn't an idiot after all.
"No way. Do you really think I'm that stupid, that I would just lay my heart out to you, so that you can use it to blackmail me later? Nah, I'll pass."
Hawks couldn't help but pause at that. Oh crap, she was right. That did kind of sound like she was fishing for information about her.
And yes that was true in a way but it wasn't the villain part of Hikari he wanted to know more about. It was the other half, the half that she kept hidden most of the time.
Right now, his words had nothing to do with being the number two hero or a commissioned soldier, and he wanted her to know that.
"Then, how about if we make some rules? We can only ask questions directed to you and me. Nothing directed as the number two hero or as the villain Valkyrie. Right now we are just Hikari and Keigo, okay?"
And that seemed to spark something in the girl, her eyes clouding with emotion as soon as he said both of their real names. Not their villain or hero names.
Although as soon as the name "Keigo" rolled off his tongue, Hawks felt his chest fill with unexpected shame and discomfort. He always hated referring to himself as that part of him, the weak and ulgy part that no one wanted to see.
Hikari didn't seem to mind though, her eyes closing in distant memory for something her brother couldn't quite place before finally turning to face him.
She almost looked at war with herself, the conflict in her expression ever telling as she spoke plain. "You get three, and I have the right to reject questions."
Widening his eyes at the approval, the bird couldn't help but freeze for a moment. Wait, did she actually agree? Was she really going to open up to him for once? He hadn't expected that.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity in case she changed her mind, Hawks forced himself to speak, his tone rushed and overjoyed. Even his wings lifted out behind him. "Ah, I gotchu sis! Sounds fair to me. Now, where should I start ..."
He then placed a gloved finger to his chin in silent thought as Hikari ignored his stupid antics, focusing her eyes through the clothes as she filtered through the racks.
She was sure that whatever Hawks wanted to get out of her was going to be pointless. The girl had already planned on rejecting every single one of his questions already after all.
Yet she was surprised when he spoke again almost immediately, as if he already had the question in his mind from the very beginning.
"What's your favorite color?"
And out of all the questions in the entire world, Hikari had never expected that one, her back now turning to her brother with heavy shock and confusion. He started all of this just for that? What the hell?
So much so that she criticized his words. He had just wasted one of his three questions on something stupid. "What? That's what you've been dying to know? That's a dumb question."
Although Hawks didn't seem to be joking in the slightest as his talk with Dabi rang in the back of his mind more than ever. Sure the question itself was foolish but it was so much more than that, and the bird was desperate for the answer.
Answering back seriously, he hummed. "If it's so dumb, then you should have no problem anwering it."
And although Hikari hadn't planned on answering any of his questions to begin with, his strange wording couldn't help but cause her lips to move on their own. Whatever this was, it seemed important to him for some reason. "It's red."
Widening his eyes once more, Dabi's voice suddenly appeared once more, his horrible and venom laced words causing the hero to almost become sick at the realization.
He was right. The villain was right. He said that her favorite color wasn't pink anymore, it was red.
That very piece of information couldn't help but make Hawks' head spin. Because if Dabi was right about that little detail of her life, then what else was he right about?
Feeling his mouth run dry, he felt himself stubble over a response, knowing his sister was expecting one. "Wait, but wasn't it pink when we were kids?"
The girl only rolled her eyes though, obviously annoyed by the simple statement. "Yeah, I changed it. Why, is that against the law or something?"
Her words caused even more alarm to build up in his mind. Even more things were starting to make painful sense. Dabi had said that she changed the color also.
Yet, that's when another awful thought popped into his head, recalling the reasons the villain gave for such a change. No, no he couldn't be right about that. Hikari probably changed it on her own accord, because her tastes change. That had to be it.
Dabi had to be lying, he just had to be.
Forcing his lips to force any sort of words, the hero felt his stance crumble before muttering back a response and watching his sister's reaction with intense anxiety.
"No, of course not. It's just, red is mine also."
All at once, Hawks then watched as Hikari's carefree and amused expression changed in a split second, her lips curling down into the ghost of a frown before her eyes grew even more emotional.
Then she spoke, and the very words broke her brother's heart. "I know."
She knew.
She knew red was his favorite color because Dabi was right. Hikari changed it in order to feel closer to him, to get him to love her. It wasn't on her own accord at all.
It was because of him, she changed for him.
Suddenly, everything Dabi said seemed to crash into him all at once. Now he had solid proof, concrete evidence that the villain knew Hikari better than her own brother, and that broke the hero all over again.
What other little details had he been missing this whole time? What other words have been carefully coated pain for her? Hawks didn't know, and honestly that terrified him.
Back then and even now. He was so blind, still so incredibly blind.
Just then, his sister's voice seemed to pop his own bubble of devastation, her brow laced in confusion for his odd response to such a simple question. "Uhhh, sure. Now it's my turn."
Hawks then watched as his sister did some thinking of her own and the bird was curious to see what kind of question she would come up with. What could possibly be plaguing her own mind so much that she agreed to this kind of thing.
Opening her mouth, the bird couldn't help but lean forward, excited to hear what was on the inside of her mind for the first time as she spoke.
"Do you ever get sick of how annoying you are?"
All at once, his hopes began to crumble at the ridiculous statement. She could've asked him almost anything and yet she was playing around. What the hell.
Shaking his head in exasperation, Hawks goaned. "Hikari, that's not a real question."
Yet the girl only fake gasped, obviously not offended by his words in the slightest. "Whaaaat? I'm curious. I mean Dabi and I can't stand you most of the time so I was wondering if you felt the same in that little pigeon brain of yours?"
It was becoming abundantly clear that his sister didn't feel the same way about this game, Hawks rolling his eyes in disappointment for the childish demeanor she was taking.
"You're not going to take this seriously, are you?"
Once more, Hikari only gasped, placing a hand to her heart in fake hurt before batting her eyes in false innocence. "What makes you say that?"
Although, the bird was over her antics, changing the subject immediately. "Whatever. It doesn't matter, you used your question. Now it's my turn."
Lifting her hands out, his sister frowned back. "But you didn't answer it though. That's hardly fair."
He felt a sense of irritation in the back of his throat at that, causing Hawks to shake his head once more before humoring Hikari with a halfhearted answer so that she'd drop the topic. "Fine, no I don't get sick of it, but I'm getting sick of you. Happy?"
And that seemed to do the trick, the girl humming back with dissatisfied defeat. "Mmmm fine."
Realizing it was his turn again, Hawks began to rack his brain for the next question, knowing he only had two left. What else was he desperate to know, what else was playing in his mind?
He got his answer immediately. "When did you meet Dabi?"
Once again, Hikari felt her hands pause on whatever they were doing before looking down in silent thought. Oh, so that's how he wanted to play. Fine then, it didn't bother her. These questions weren't even that good.
Although the statement itself was rather tricky, knowing that who the villain was before and who he was after their separation were like two entirely different people. Touya and Dabi, she never really thought of them as the same, even though that might have been foolish.
Perhaps the perfect embodiment of Touya never really existed in the first place. Maybe he was always just "Dabi" and she never realized it until it was too late.
Regardless of her sudden thoughts, Hikari found herself answering his question anyways, knowing he wasn't going to get anything out of the information.
"I was thirteen. We….bumped into each other."
Saying that they "bumped into each other" was a large understatement but Hawks didn't seem to linger on that part of the sentence thankfully.
Thirteen? Did she say she was thirteen when she meant Dabi? That meant that the two had spent years together. So many years he didn't know about.
Feeling his mind start to spiral again, Hawks lowered his eyes as he recalled the precious interactions that his sister and Dabi had shared.
It was like there always seemed to be something about the two of them, like they had this kind of protective bubble around them. Never letting anyone else expect each other.
But if what she was saying was true then that made sense. Her whole entire teenage years were spent with him after all. Of course they would grow closer because of that. "You two seemed to know each other pretty well."
Hikari hummed in response though, her eyes still lost in quiet conflicting memories and emotions. "Yeah well, whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, we were all each other had."
A heavy pit of sadness seemed to enter his throat. She must have been really lonely to have to rely on someone as awful as Dabi for years. Didn't she have anyone else? Didn't she get sick of him being a jerk?
Shaking his head in disbelief, the hero couldn't help but scoff at the idea. "I can't believe you stayed with that kind of guy for so long."
Before she realized it, Hikari's lips turned back into a frown, displeasure and disapproval in her tone at the way Hawks tried to describe Touya.
Sure, Touya wasn't always the perfect kid, but he was still miles different then the villain that replaced him. She did love him after all. That had to mean something about his past self.
Playing around with her fingers nervously, Hikari's eyes softened at the memory's of the dead boy she loved before speaking lightly. "It's not like that. He was different before, softer, kinder, gentle..…"
Then all at once, those memories seemed to morph into the destruction of their friendship. How it happened, the betrayal of a boy who never loved her back, and the small glimpses of Dabi that revealed itself towards the end of their time before the separation.
A bitter chuckle entered her throat then entered without permission as her heart twisted around inside her chest. "Or maybe I was always just that stupid back then, I dont' know. Either way, I'm grateful he was there. Otherwise, I would probably be dead right now."
And that fact rang true on many accounts, knowing that Touya was the string that had seemed to hold everything together for so long, the lifeline that she clinged to for so many years before it snapped.
Whether she liked it or not, he was the reason she was alive right now, and that was something Hikari wouldn't ever forget.
Hawks on the other hand, was reeling from the sudden onslaught of information. She seemed to speak about Dabi in a sort of sadness, like she was grieving for something unknown to him. It was strange to say the least.
Unable to choose one part of the sentence to focus on, Hawks became desperte, his feathers twitching with a thousand thoughts as he frantically stepped close to his sister for explanation on anything she just said.
"W-What does that mean? What do you mean Dabi was different before? What did you mean you'd be dead without him?"
His words were fast, cutting each other off in desperation as Hikari watched blankly before twisting her lips into a teasing smirk and shutting him down all at once. Nice try brother, but I see what you're trying to do.
Then she waved a finger in front of his face before cutting him off. "Careful brother, you're on your last question, and it's my turn."
This caused Hawks to pause, his wings deflating ever so slightly as he realized she was right. He was getting carried away and fishing for information. That's not what they agreed on.
And although he did want to know more about the villain and his sister's relationship, Hawks knew he only had one question left to ask Hiakri before she shut down again, and it had to be good.
So for that, he paused. Just for now. "Alright, fine. But it better be a serious question this time or I'm skipping over you."
Hawks fully expected the opposite though, knowing how much his sister loved to play around and tease him. Her first question wasn't anything remotely serious so he was sure that this would be the same. Maybe she really didn't want to know anything about him.
Yet, that's when he heard it. Her voice smaller than it had ever been before. "When you were at the commission, did you think about me even once?"
His eyes snapped at her words, sharply turning to find the girl looking away from him on purpose, almost like she was nervous for whatever response he'd give. What did she just say?
Taking a nervous step closer, the hero felt his heart twist and turn with unsaid hurt before allowing his voice to break ever so slightly. "H-Hikari.."
Hikari didn't turn around though, still very much interested in the same stack of jackets on her left as her brother watched her brow furrow with conflict. It was like a part of her wanted to hear the answer and part of her didn't.
So instead, Hawks decided to go around to the other side of the rack so that she was forced to face him, his mind in absolute and utter chaos. What would she even ask a question like that? Did she really think he forgot about her all these years?
Placing a light hand to the top of the rack, he replied with heavy disbelief for her statement. "Of course I did. How could you even say that? You should know I never truly forgot about you sis."
Yet, that's when Hikari lifted her head and her brother saw the thousands of conflicting emotions across her face. It looked like she was just barely keeping it together. "I don't know that though."
That caused the hero to stop. She didn't know? Well, of course she didn't know. She didn't know because Hikari thought he abandoned her all of these years. And maybe he did in some sense but it wasn't like he ever stopped thinking about her.
He could never forget about her. She was his little sister after all.
But even Hawks knew that just words alone wasn't going to convince her of his care. She'd probably think they were just lies. No, he needed to give her something he could prove, a fact that couldn't be denied.
That's when he found it, her brother's mind playing in heavy nostalgia as he spoke. "You know, I had this little polaroid picture of you that I would keep on my desk by my bed and whenever anyone would come visit me, I'd tell them all about my cute little sister. Honestly, I think they probably got sick of it after awhile."
Laughing to himself, the bird couldn't help but still hear the groans and grumbles from his fellow commission team everytime he would bring up little seven year old Hikari to them. Perhaps it was quite a problem back then, although Hawks never really cared either way.
His lips began to turn in a soft smile at the memory, picturing himself cross legged on his bed as he gushed about the tiny picture. "Even my poor roommate had to hear about it all the time. I almost felt bad for him, having to listen to my rambles of you for days on end. I'm sure that kid knew more about you then he ever wanted to."
The hero then opened the front of his jacket before slipping his hand into the closest left pocket and pulling out just as he described, a small little polaroid about the size of his palm. "See, I still have it. Even after I thought you were gone, I never had the heart to throw it away."
Lifting the object out to Hikari, the girl seemingly gazed upon the photo with silent shock, seeing a smaller version of herself in a bright pink princess dress that Keigo had convinced her to try on at the mall one day after they snuck out of the house.
The girl in the photo seemed to have a big goofy grin as her fingers lifted up in a small peace sign towards her brother behind the camera with pure joyful innocence.
That's right, she remembered this picture.
She had really wanted to get the dress but both her and her brother knew that their dad would've never allowed it. So instead, Keigo had taken this photo so that they could remember what it looked like, the boy promising that he'd buy it for her when they were grown up.
And he did buy it for her, didn't he? That's why he filled that entire closet with pastel pink clothes. He was trying to keep his promise. She had forgotten until now.
Feeling a heavy wave of emotion build up in her throat at the idea, she paused when Hawks spoke again, his words equally as emotional it seemed. "Hikari, I never stopped thinking about you, not even for one second. That's why I did all of this in the first place, why I became a hero. So that I could save ya."
Then his eyes seemed to crumble all at once. "Although, it looks like I was too late for that. I'm sorry."
Hikari's lips couldn't help but run dry with his sudden words. If only she knew this six years ago then maybe things could have been different. She always thought her brother didn't care, that he left her to live his dreams.
Maybe that was the case in some way but Hikari couldn't deny the proof that her brother truly did think about her all these years. He hadn't completely abandoned her after all.
And that very conformation was enough to make her heart hurt undeniably.
Forcing the overwhelming feelings down in order not to break, Hikari simply gathered up the piles of clothes in her arms before moving to the register, passing by the changing rooms as she did so.
She had to stop thinking things could be different. So many things had happened and maybe six years ago his words would've been enough to give him forgiveness. But not now, not after everything.
Feeling her tone come off rather bitter, Hikari scoffed at the sudden care he was displaying. "You say sorry like that will actually mean something."
Hawks seemed to follow her though, soaking in her hurt statement before letting his head drop in overwhelming shame. Even he seemed to know it couldn't be that simple.
"I know it doesn't, I just wanted to say it anyway. You deserve that much."
Pausing ever so slightly, Hikari began to conflict with her own mind before turning around to answer him, sadness clearly evident in her eyes. "I…"
Yet that's when the two siblings heard a very familiar voice, stomping towards them with absolute frustration and authority. "Hawks, there you are! I've been trying to contact you for days!"
All at once, horror seemed to cross the hero's face as he turned to find Shadow by the entrance of the store. Aka, the person that was trying to hunt down Valkyrie, aka his sister.
Hawks began to panic immediately at the sight. Oh crap, oh crap crap crap. This was bad, this was really bad. He needed to hide Hikari and fast.
Then before she could even process it, Hawks turned back towards his sister before using his wings to shove her into the nearest changing room as he muttered a quick apologetic "sorry"
Stumbling through the curtains, Hikari cursed in surprise at the action, fully ready to fight her brother for a strange attack only to hear the commission soldier's voice a moment later and freeze. Ah fuck, it's him. What's he doing here?
Hawks gave a heavy breath in response before swirling around at meeting the angry tattooed man with a cocky fake smirk to hide his anxiety. "Oh, hey man. What are ya doing over here?"
Shadow was less than pleased though, his hands lifted up in demanding confusion. "What am I doing? Hawks, I've been trying to call you for days and you haven't answered. You said you had a lead on Valkyrie. What happened?"
Well, crap. How was he going to explain that one? It wasn't like he could just say that the villain he was looking for was his sister. Then the commission would take her away for sure.
Realizing there was only one choice, Hawks began to lie, a hand to his neck in anxiety. "Oh yeah, about that...nothing really came out of it. That's why I didn't answer ya. It was another dead end sadly. That villain is really hard to catch, right?"
It didn't look like Shadow bought his response though, narrowing his eyes in skepticism before humming his displeasure. "Mmmm well the president isn't pleased with your sudden disappearance as well. It seems you've been avoiding everyone lately, Hawks. Can you tell me why that is?"
Shoving his hands in his pocket, the hero cursed to himself. Maybe ignoring the president's messages wasn't the best option but what could he do? It wasn't like he could tell her the truth right now. Besides, a lot had happened in the last couple days as it was.
He then answered smoothly, another lie rolling off his tongue like nothing. "I've just been workin. You know how it is, being the number two hero is hard business without having to take on other side projects."
There was a hard silence then, Shadow and Hawks watching each other quietly before the tattooed man sighed heavily, fixing a glare onto the bird. "You know what I think, I think you're trying to hide something."
Widening his eyes ever so slightly, the hero internally cursed again. He knew he was utter bullshit, didn't he? Well he was a commission agent. They were taught to pick up lies.
Hawks couldn't help but turn his head to the side at that, not letting this man win. "Hide? I think you're getting a little paranoid there, man. What do I even need to hide?"
Shadow didn't give him an inch though. "I think you have information on Valkyrie."
Raising an eye, Hawks didn't miss a beat. "Oh, ya think so?"
The tattooed man then took a challenging step forward before lowering his voice with knowing intent. "It's something to do with that girl, isn't it? The one that you treat like a child. She's a part of it, don't lie to me Hawks. Just give her over to the commission so we can find out the truth."
This time, Hawks remained silent, causing the commission agent to continue, knowing he was at least listening to his reasoning. "Just think what the president will do if she finds out you've been withholding information. Are you really willing to waste your entire hero career, your entire livelihood and purpose on a singular girl? Come on Hawks, I know you are not that stupid."
Unknown to the two commision agents, Hikari listened to their conversation with batted silence, her eyes casted down at what he was suggesting. That dog was trying to get Hawks to sell her out, wasn't he?
He was using his career against him as well.
Narrowing her eyes, she then heard Shadow speak again, except this time it was far calmer, like he was actually getting somewhere with the hero. "Whatever it takes, right? We have to be able to do whatever it takes for the good of society. That girl, if she's a part of it then that means she's a villain. Villains don't deserve to be defended, you know that. That's rule number one."
Well, crap. That was it wasn't it?
After that speech Hikari was sure that Hawks would sell her out. It would be foolish not to, considering the commission's brainwashing was so prominent in her brother. They were using his career, his hero name and the fact that she was a villain over his head.
It didn't matter if she was his sister, Hawks was always a good little dog and if it was between the commission and her, Hikari already knew what the result was going to be. They could probably get him out of her little blackmail as well.
Reaching her fingers up to lightly touch the crystal pendant around her neck, Hikari silently waited for the words, for the confirmation that she had already expected so she could fight her way out of this store.
Yet, Hawks still made an attempt at denying Shadow's claims, even though her sister could sense the apprehension in his voice as he spoke. "I don't know what you're looking for but Hikari isn't a part of it."
And the tattooed man could sense this, digging his invisible claws further into her brother so that he would agree to selling her out. "If that's true then step back and let the commission take care of it."
A small bit of silence appeared then, Hikari's fingers tightening around the clasp of her necklace. She was sure that Hawks was in an internal war with himself right now, one that would surely result with his soldier side being the winner.
Yet, that's when he responded, firm and serious. "No."
Widening her eyes, Hikari couldn't help but loosen her grip on her necklace as she tried to process his words. Wait, did he just say no to selling her out? That's impossible. There's no way..
Even Shadow seemed confused as well. "No?"
Balling his hands into fists at the determination, Hawks replied shortly. "You are not going to talk to her, you aren't going to interrogate her, you aren't going to let the commission near her, because you have no proof and no reason to. So, as a hero, I won't let you."
A low chuckle seemed to echo from the man's throat at that. "You won't let me?"
Even still, Hawks stood his ground, eyes fixed in a heavy glare of warning. "I know what I said. Until you have solid proof that Hikari is involved with Valkyrie, leave her alone. Unless you want to break the law and have the news be involved. I'm sure the president would love to hear about that."
And from behind the curtain, Hikari couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was willing to risk everything, willing to go against the commission and threaten an agent just to keep Shadow off her back? It was almost hard to believe.
Hawks wasn't supposed to be like that, he wasn't supposed to help her. He was always supposed to think of himself. That's what she told herself, that's what she expected from him. What are you doing? Don't do this. Don't give me hopes that you'll take my side, because then it will hurt more when you don't.
Taking in the hero's words, Shadow couldn't help but scoff, clarifying what Hawks was actually trying to say. "Are you blackmailing me?"
Shaking his head, the bird answered back calmly, like he had no problem talking back to the agent. "I'm just being honest. Do you really think the president wants to hear rumors? No, she wants solid facts. And if you can't provide that then you need to look somewhere else."
And the worst part was, Shadow knew he was right. He couldn't give the president half hearted information. He couldn't even tell her about Hawks' defiance, not without proof, not without solid fact.
Hawks was using the commsions' rules against him, wasn't he?
Blinking in disbelief, the tattooed man growled at the meaning before taking a challenging step forward with blidned fury. "You really think that..."
Yet that's when the curtain in front of them opened to reveal the girl herself, Hikari smiling sweetly as she stepped between the two heated agents with no problem. "It's okay Hawks, I'm not scared anymore. I can talk."
Widening his eyes at the girl, Shadow turned to her immediately. She was here the whole time? Hawks really was trying to hide her "Y-You.."
Hawks on the other hand was terrified at her sudden appearance. Didn't she know how dangerous this was? This guy literally wanted her in a commission prison and she was just talking to him like nothing? "H-Hikari, what are you..?"
Batting her eyes with fake innocence, Hikari then forcibly lowered her gaze in sadness before her voice came out apoplectic. "I'm really sorry Sir, but I really don't know anything about that villain. You gotta believe me. Everything I told you was the truth, I promise."
Hawks couldn't help but pause at her tone, her voice was so sickeningly sweet. In fact, it was the same tone that she used with her brother when she was trying to deceive him.
Back then he didn't understand but now seeing it from the otherside, it was obvious to notice how good she was at faking emotions. It was almost like she was a completely different person.
He couldn't deny it was both very impressive and incredibly scary.
Even Shadow couldn't help but raise an eye in skepticism at the tone. "I find that very hard to believe considering you are the only person that's had run in with Valkyrie and survived."
Pushing his lips together in fake thought, Hikari hummed back a response. "I don't know, maybe I'm just lucky?"
The man didn't seem to believe that for a second though. "I highly doubt that."
Shaking her head, Hikari then took a challenging step towards the agent before staring at him with a large and innocent gaze, except this time her voice held something else entirely.
It kind of sounded like she was mocking him.
"Well either way, I wish you luck Mr. Shadow. Without any proof or leads, it seems like that villain will be really hard to find..."
Flaring up in anger, it seemed the man caught the hidden meaning before reaching forward and gripping her arm with immense intensity in order to pull her to him. "Why you.."
Although as soon as his hands wrapped around her skin, Shadow watched as Hikari's lips played in a quick smirk, almost like she knew she had won.
Then she began to thrash around, her smiling dropping into fake terror as she shouted across the store so that everyone would look at her. "Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything bad. Please don't hurt me!"
Not knowing what to do, Shadow watched her display silently before Hawks decided he had enough, reaching forward and placing a firm hand on the agent's arm in silent warning. "I think it's time you leave, before you cause a scene."
Realizing the staring, Shadow had no choice but to release his grip, glaring at Hikari before forcibly turning away. It wasn't like he could do anything right now anyways, and it seemed like she knew that.
The tattooed man then took a challenge step to the two birds before pointing an accusatory finger at them in a heavy threat. "Fine, but once I have my proof, I'll make sure the commission reserves a prison cell just for her. You can't stop me Hawks. I don't care if she is your friend. I will find out the truth."
Glancing at Hikari to prove the point, the girl only smirked in silent challenge before Shadow shoved his hand into the large bag across his shoulders, pulling out three files and practically shoving them into Hawks' chest.
"Here, the president wanted me to give you these. There seems to be some activity underground by something called the liberation. She wants you to look into it."
The bird caught the files before they tumbled to the ground only for the agent to finally go, his eyes never leaving Hikari as he spoke. "We'll see what happens in the future."
Then Shadow turned around only for Hikari to call back to him, her voice laced with that same sweet mocking challenge that fit her fake innocent demeanor. "Good luck!"
Stopping for a moment, the two watched as the tattooed man balled his hands into s fist before leaving without another word.
And once he was gone, Hawks saw his sister drop her grin before scoffing to herself, the fake demainer she embodied completely gone in an instant. "Idiot."
A heavy chill appeared at the display, causing her brother to wonder how she acted when he wasn't watching all those weeks ago. It was probably the same, wasn't it?
Sighing heavily, the bird then turned to Hikari before pointing to the register, silently afraid of the idea of that guy returning and taking his sister away for good.
Like hell he was going to let that happen.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
As the two walked back to the apartment, Hikari watched as Hawks stood a couple feet away, both wallowing in their own silent thoughts.
And as much as it would probably hurt, Hikari needed an explanation for what she saw back at that mall. She needed her brother to tell her why he decided to defend her before she went crazy. Because it made no sense. The way he acted made no sense.
Stopping her own steps, Hikari closed her eyes before sucking in a breath and speaking loudly towards her brother in question. "Hey, I have one more question."
This caused the bird to stop, turning to find his sister with her hands balled at her sides, like it was taking all her strength to speak. "Huh?"
Sighing roughly, the girl began to approach him all at once. "The game, I have one more question. You have answer it. That's the rule."
Hawks couldn't help but blink in surprise at that. He thought she forgot about his dumb game by now. What else could she possibly wanna know about him?
Going along with the conversation, he replied. "Oh uhh, alright Sis. What is it?"
Shaking her head in hidden disbelief, HIkari began to pour out her feelings, confusion laced in every word. "Back there, why did you do that?"
Yet Hawks was not following in the slightest. "Do what?"
That's when the girl seemed to get upset, changing her expression in a blink of an eye before purposely hitting his arm with her shopping bag. Enough was enough, she wanted answers now.
"Why did you choose me over the commission? Didn't you hear him? You could lose your job for defending me. Why would you risk it? Was it because of the blackmail? It has to be.."
Hawks felt himself pause at her words, trying to understand them but failing. Why was she mad that he had defended her? Isn't that what she always wanted, for him to take her side?
And what was she even saying about the blackmail? Sure she manipulated him into working together but after their fight even Hawks knew this wasn't about that. "It's not because of the blackmail. I never even thought about that."
Hikari didn't seem pleased in response though, still trying to work out his benefit in all of this. She knew it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart, it couldn't be. "Then why?"
That's when Hawks' felt his throat tighten. It really was hard for her to believe him, wasn't it? She thought he was trying to screw her over again.
Shaking his head, the bird then took a step closer before voicing his feelings, the ones that he needed his sister to see firsthand. "I already told ya, until we figure everything out I'm gonna protect you."
Yet once again, the girl couldn't wrap her head around the idea, immediately denying it. "W-What? Are you an idiot? I'm a villain. It would've been easier to sell me out."
Pausing once more, Hawks then looked through his broken and confused little sister before giving a dejected sigh. Yes it would have been easier to just give Hikari to the commission, but then where would their relationship be, what would ever change?
"I've been selling you out for years. It's time I do the right thing for once."
His words, they were so honest and pure, causing Hikari to widen her eyes before that small lingering feeling of hope started to appear in her chest. He really was doing this with no hidden motive. He was trying to help her for once.
Although just as soon as they appeared, a bitter discomfort replaced the hope, forcing everything down as she shook her head. No, she couldn't believe that. If she believed that then his betrayal later would truly destroy her.
Choosing to walk past him, Hikari grumbled to herself before shaking her head in utter self loathing confusion. Her emotion seems to be at war with themselves and it was easy to tell. "You can't do that."
Once he saw her try to leave though, her brother began to chase after her, desperate to know what she was trying to say. "What, what are you talking about Hikari?"
That's when the girl turned around, conflict and torriment behind her expression as she shouted in his face. "You can't defend me like that. Stop it, I've already prepared for the worse. I expect you to be the number two hero, Hawks. I expect to be the commission agent, Hawks. I expect you to abandon me, I expect you to put yourself first.
Unable to process her words, Hawks remained frozen as he watched his sister start to crumble on her own, her voice growing far more shaky and bothered with each second.
"So don't give me hope that it's going to be any different, because that's the cruelest thing you could ever do to me."
Feeling his shoulders start to cave, Hawks fully realized how wrapped his sister's mind really was. She really did expect the worst from him, didn't she? The way she described her fear, it sounded like some kind of coping mechanism put in place by his constant horrible decisions.
The very idea was something the bird couldn't take, knowing that he was the cause for such negative thinking. Experience told her not to trust in him, so of course she didn't, and that's why she couldn't believe his actions now.
As the silence began to suffocate around the siblings, Hawks felt himself give a shaky sigh of devastation before speaking, full of overwhelming emotion.
"Hikari, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you feel like you had to prepare for the worst. But I already told ya, you're my sister. Always have and always will be. So no matter what, I'm gonna make sure you're safe, and that includes protecting you from the commission for the time being."
And it seemed like the girl was trying to process his strange and forgien words, like they couldn't wrap around her brain correctly as she tried to detect any sort of lie or manipulation.
Yet Hawks seemed to understand, reaching forward before placing a single hand to the top of her head with a sad smile to calm her racing thoughts. "It's okay if you don't believe me now. Either way I'm gonna show you, I'm telling the truth. "
Then just as it appeared, the hand left the top of her head before the hero decided to change the subject in order to have her breathe a little bit easier. "Well, then, it looks like I have one last question also."
Hikari still remained silent, the chaos in her eyes slowly disappearing before the bird couldn't help but recall the strange conversation with that other commission agent and how well she emulated fake emotions.
After that, he had his question, leaning forward slightly before turning his head to the side in silent thought. "The way you acted with Shadow, when did you start doing that? It was really impressive."
Although, he quickly watched as his sister seemed to process the question before casting her eyes down to the floor with a slight mutter. "I don't know. I guess it started as a coping mechanism. Got really good at it."
The words didn't seem to make any sense though, Hawks digging for more than that. Why did her answer have a kind of ominous ring to it? He didn't like it. "Coping for what?"
Darkness seemed to replace her features all at once, almost like she was replaying something unpleasant in her mind without permission before cradling her arms around her body to hug herself.
"I don't want to talk about it."
This caused Hawks to widen his eyes, reaching out a hand to her only for the girl to flitch absentmindedly at the touch. Wait, she didn't flinch a couple seconds ago when he touched her head, what changed? "H-Hikari..?"
Yet the girl gave no reply, her hands tightening around her arms before Hawks realized that she was really haunted by something. But what could it be? Did it have something to do with her talent of manuilating and her fake persona?
And it killed him not to know what was plaquing his little sister's mind, what was making her so fearful but Hawks also knew that it didn't seem like she was ready to talk about it.
So he didn't force her, withdrawing his hand back before nodding his head in confirmation of her feelings and validating them. "Okay, I understand. You don't have to say anymore right now. Come on, dinner's on me. You pick?"
It took a couple seconds but soon Hikari seemed to unwrap herself from her arms before slowly nodding her head with a raspy tone, almost like she had been close to crying. "It's not going to be chicken."
Knowing she was trying, Hawks felt himself groan playfully before lifting his wings out with a slight childlike pout in order to get her to smile. "Ahhh come on, Hika-chan. You're so mean to me."
Hikari then felt her lips curve into a small grin at his words, chuckling under her breath before shaking her head in exasperation at his annoying antics. "Get used to it, bird brain."
And once Hawks heard her response, he couldn't help but feel his own eyes soften in return, knowing that the two of them were finally getting somewhere with their relationship, if only a little.
The next day, Hikari yawned to herself as she pulled open the door to her brother's office only to find him deeply interested in something in front of him. He didn't even seem to notice her presence yet which meant whatever it was, he was really focused.
Clearing her throat to gain his attention, Hawks then looked up only to give the girl a wide grin as his wings puffed out in surprise. Yep, he definitely didn't notice her. "Oh, hey Hika-chan! Just the birdie I wanted to see…!"
His excitement couldn't help but make her groan though, Hikari turning her head in question. Well, this couldn't be good. "Why am I suddenly concerned?"
Yet Hawks chose to ignore her comment, closing the file in front of him before tapping the surface twice. "You're known in the underworld, right? I need your villain expertise on this case."
This caused the girl to raise an eye in interest. "What is it?"
Sliding the files over to her, Hikari then opened the surface before her brother replied, plain and serious. "You've ever heard of a group called the liberation?"
Hikari couldn't help but pause ever so slightly at that, recalling the name here and there in the last couple weeks but not really paying attention to it.
Then her eyes narrowed on a photo of a man with a long pointy nose before sighing roughly at the low level villains. "First of all, that's a stupid name. Second of all, kinda. I know they've been trying to ask around for new members or some shit. Although, that's not really my thing. I don't deal with teams well. Why?"
Taking in her words, Hawks nodded. "The president wants me to look into it. She thinks they are going to try to make contact with the league of villains soon."
This caused the girl to stop reading, her mind fixated on the meaning. Oh, they were trying to recruit the league now? So that's how they were going to play? How interesting.
Yet Hikari didn't seem all that bothered with the information, shrugging her shoulders once. "Mmmm I wouldn't worry about it. I don't know about the rest of those freaks but Dabi doesn't do well in teams either. It's a miracle he's even with the league in the first place.
She laughed at her own joke, knowing that Dabi was never really "team player" so the idea of the liberation recruiting him was like some kind of joke. They would have lots of trouble with that one for sure.
Hawks didn't seem relaxed though, in fact he seemed slightly anxious about the idea. Because if the league of villains really did join with this group, that meant as a spy, he had to also. "Either way, they are getting more well known in the community so the president thinks it's best if we stop them while they are still a smaller organization."
This caused the girl to chuckle under her breath. Damn, the president was really expecting the impossible from him. He was taking more than he could handle. First the double agent thing and now this? Being a hero was rough.
Lifting her hands upwards, the girl mocked him slowly. "Oh yeah, and how are you gonna take down a villain organization all by yourself? Seems a little out of your capabilities Hawks."
Yet that's when Hawks did something surprising, he agreed with her. "You're right, that's why I asked another agency to help us track them down on the hero side while you and I work together quietly on the villain side."
Just then, the door to his office began to pound as the bird called back happily to the stranger on the other side. "Speaking of which, it looks like he's here. Come in!"
Shaking her head in exasperation, Hikari then turned towards the door to give the new hero a halfhearted greeting only for her to completely freeze, the files dropping out of her hands in a single second from the shock.
No, fuck no. Out of everything, out of literally everyone, why did it have to be him?! This is a joke, there's no way. Hawks is fucking with me, right, right?!
Yet that's' when the bird beamed, ignorant of the situation he had just created unknowingly. "You two have already been introduced to each other, right?"
The words would have been funny if she wasn't so shocked, Hikari's neckalce pracatlly twitching across her neck with both fury and fear as she took in his stupid little face. Brother, you have no idea.
And that was because the person standing in front of her, the person that her brother had asked onto this case, was the one man she hated most in the entire world.
Endeavor.
Oh no, we got some spicy drama. Hikari's gotta work with Endeavor, aka the person who ruined Touya's life. That's gonna be...awkward…But at least Hawks and her are getting a little better? That's good?
There is tons of foreshadowing in this for future chapters that you'll catch on later as more things click into place. Also mentions of the liberation which will also come into play very soon.
Next chapter: Hikari, Hawks and Endeavor work on their case while trying (not) to kill each other and the liberation is introduced to Valkyrie and the league of villains.